A09387	----	Deaths knell: or, The sicke mans passing-bell summoning all sicke consciences to pr[e]pare themselues for the comming of the grea[t] day of doome, lest mercies gate be shut against them: fit for all those that desire to arriue at the heauenly Ierusalem. Whereunto are added prayers fit for housholders. The ninth edition. Written by W. Perkins. Perkins, William, 1558-1602. 1628 Approx. 28 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 13 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A09387 STC 19684 ESTC S119984 99855188 99855188 20664 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A09387) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 20664) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 713:18) Deaths knell: or, The sicke mans passing-bell summoning all sicke consciences to pr[e]pare themselues for the comming of the grea[t] day of doome, lest mercies gate be shut against them: fit for all those that desire to arriue at the heauenly Ierusalem. Whereunto are added prayers fit for housholders. The ninth edition. Written by W. Perkins. Perkins, William, 1558-1602. [24] p. [By G. Purslowe] for M. Trundle, and are to be [sold] at her shop in Smith-field, Printed at London : 1628. Printer's name from STC. Includes: Prayers for priuate households at all times. Signatures: A B⁴. Margins cropped, affecting title and imprint. 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Prayer -- Early works to 1800. 2004-07 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-09 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-10 Andrew Kuster Sampled and proofread 2004-10 Andrew Kuster Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-01 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Deaths Knell : or , The sicke mans Passing-Bell : Summoning all sicke Consciences to pr●●pare themselues for the comming of the grea● Day of Doome , lest mercies Gate be shut against them : Fit for all those that desire to arriue at the heauenly Ierusalem . Whereunto are added Prayers fit for Housholders . The ninth Edition . Written by W. Perkins . Printed at London for M. Trundle , and are to be at her Shop in Smith-field . 1628. Deaths Knell . LEt the memory of Death ( good Christian ) be euer the Looking-glasse of thy life , thy continuall Companion , and inseparable Spouse : let thy solace be y e sighes of a sorrowfull soule ; and those the more bitter , the better : whilest Worme-like , thou crawlest heere below , fasten all thy faculties vpon the Commandements of thy Creator ; for those in thy finall passage , must be the Pylot to steere thee into the Hauen of Heauen ; Thinke euery moment thou art in the waning , that the date of thy Pilgrimage is wel-nigh expired , and that the lampe of thy life lyeth twinckling vpon the snuffe ; and that now it stands thée vpon to looke toward thy Celestiall home ▪ thy forces are enfeebled , thy sences impaired , and on euery side , the tottering and ruinous Cottage of thy faint flesh threatneth fall . And méeting so many Harbengers of death , how cāst thou but prepare for so gastly a guest ? The young man may dye quickely , but the old cannot liue long : the young mans life by casualty may be cut off , but the aged by Physicke cannot be preserued : Gréene yéeres must resolue to grow to the graue , and the meditations of old age must dwell in the same : be mindfull of things past , carefull of things present , and prouident for things to come . Use the blessings of nature to the benefit of thy soule ; be wise in well-doing , and watchfull for thy end : Serue not the world ; for that can possesse thee of nothing but pride , enuy , lust , anger , malice , and infinite follies : for it defileth a man with sin , disquieteth with troubles , oppresseth with labours , vexeth with temptations , vanquisheth with vaine delights , and miserably wrappeth him vp in wofull calamities . The world , it is an Ambassadour of the euill , a scourge of the good , a tyrant of the truth , a breaker of peace , a worker of warre , a sweet of vices , a gall of vertues , a friend of lyes , an inuenter of nouelties , a trauell to the ignorant , a table of Gluttons , a furnace of concupiscence , a sepulcher of the dead , a prison of the liuing , a pitfall to the rich , a burthen to the poore , a Palace of Pilgrims , a Den of Deceiuers , a slanderer of the good , a commender of the wicked , and a deluder of all . Thou hast no reason to dote vpon the world ; for at first it affords thee but a wrangling welcome , and at last turnes thee off , with a fearefull farewell : moreouer , it doth torment thée , abuse thée , consume thee , and at length expell thee : whereas on the contrary : Heauen doth comfort thee , conserue thée , and exalt thée . On Earth , thou sowest but in a field of Flint , which bringeth foorth nothing but a Crop of care , and languishing for thy labour : it is time therefore to leaue so vnthriuing a husbandry , and to sowe in Gods ground the seed of repentant sorrow , and water it with the teares of humble contrition ; so shalt thou reape a plentifull haruest , and gather the fruits of euerlasting consolation . Imagine thou thy Spring to be spent , thy Summer ouer-past , and that thou art arriued at the Fall of the Leafe , and though thy louing Lord doe long forbeare offenders , yet at last he will scourge them ; and that his patience lends vs but respit to repent , not leysure to sinne . Hee that is tossed with sturdie stormes , and cannot come to his desired Port , rids little way , but is much turmeiled : so hee that passeth many yeeres , and purchaseth but small profit to his soule , hath had a long being , but a short life ; for life is to be measured by vertuous actions , not by number of dayes . Some men by many dayes , purchase many deaths , and others in a short space attaine to life euerlasting . What is the body without the soule , but a corrupted Carkeise ? and what is the soule without God , but a Sepulcher of sinne ? Man was made , and sent hither , to no other purpose but onely to serue God in this life , and to enioy Heauen in that life heereafter . If our end be the Kingdome of Heauen , why are we so much enamoured on the Earth ? If the end of our Creation , be eternall saluation , why hunt we after the vanities of this vaine life ? If our inheritance be to raigne as Kings , why liue we like seruile slaues , in danger to be diuided from God , from Christ our Sauiour , from the Angels , from the Communion of Saints , and from the hope of our celestiall portion ? If God be the way , the truth and the life ; then he that walketh without him , wandreth ; that is not instructed by him , erreth ; and that liueth without him , dyeth : to reuolt from him , is falling ; to returne to him , is rising : to stay vpon him , is sure standing : Hee it is , from whom to depart , is to dye ; to whom to repaire , is to reuiue : in whom to trust , is truly to liue . O be not thou like those , that beginne not to liue , vntill they be ready to dye , and then ( when they deserue an enemies reward ) come to craue of God a friends entertainement . Some thinke to snatch Heauen in a moment , which the best can scarce attaine in many yeeres ; and when they haue glutted themselues with worldly delights , would iumpe from the Dyet of Diues , to the ioyes of Lazarus ; from the seruice of Satan , to the solace of a Saint . But be sure , that God is not so penurious , to make his Kingdome saleable for the refuse and reuersion of their liues , who haue sacrificed the principall and prime thereof to his enemies , and their owne brutish appetites ; then onely ceasing to sinne , when the ability of offending is taken from them . What thanke is it to pardon our enemies , when wee can not hurt them ? to giue away our goods , when we can kéepe them no longer ? to shake hands with our pleasures , when wee can vse them no more ? to forsake sinne , when sinne leaueth vs ? God may be mercifull at the last gaspe : but most miserable is that man , who casteth the Anchor of his eternall weale or woe , on so vncertaine and sandy a point . The thiefe may be saued on the Crosse , and mercy found at the last ; yet it is not likely , that hee should finde fauour at his death , whose life earned the wages of wrath ; or that his penitence should be accepted , who more for feare of hell , and his owne selfe-loue , then for the loue of God , or lothsomelesse of sinne , cryeth out for mercy , Put not off repentance therefore to the last point : take Dauids early in the morning : stay not till to morrow ; though thou sufferedst the Bud to be blasted , the Flowres to fade , the Fruit to perish , the Leaues to wither . the Boughes to dry vp , and the body of the Tree to decay ; yet still keepe life in the Root , for feare lest the whole become fuell for Hell fire : for where the tree falleth there it lyeth . Imagine that Time hath flied off the better part of thy naturall forces , and left thee in the Lees of thy dying dayes : and that thou art onword in thy voyage , and not farre from the period of thy last harbour : bee not therefore disfurnished of necessaries required in so perrillous a iourney . O how men doe carefully beginne , industriously prosecute , and effectually end their labours , in attaining to this transitory trash vpon earth ! but of that great affaire of winning Heauen , or falling into hell , there is had no respect : Nay , they doe not so much as remember , that there is a Hell for sinners , a Heauen for good liuers , a dreadfull day of Iudgement , or a strict reckoning to be made . Death in its owne property is sufficiently fearefull , but far more terrible , in respect of the Iudgement whereto it summoneth . If ●hou wert now laid on thy departing Pillow , wearied with waiting , pinched with paine , drowned in dolour , oppressed with the heauy load of thy fore-past committed sinnes , wounded with the sting of a guilty crying conscience : if thou feltst the force of death cracking thy heart-strings asunder , ready to make the sad diuorce of thy soule and body : if thou layest panting for shortnesse of breath , sweating a fatall sweat , and tyred with strugling against deadly pangs ; O , how much then wouldst thou giue for a dayes contrition , an houres repentance , or a minutes amendment of life ? Then worlds would be worthlesse in comparison of a little time , which now by whole moneths and yeeres thou lauishly mis-spendest . How déeply would it wound thy soule , when looking backe into thy life , thou shouldst espy many faults cōmitted , but none amended ; many good workes omitted , but none recouered ; thy duty to God promised , but not performed ! How disconsolable would thy case bee , thy friends being fled , thy senses affrighted , thy minde amazed , thy memory decayed , thy thoughts agast , and euery part disabled in its proper faculty ▪ sauing onely thy guilty conscience crying out against thée ? What wouldst thou doe , when stripped and turned out of thy house of Clay , into the World of Wormes , the Den of dust , and Cabine of corruption ; from thence to be conuented before a most seuere Iudge , carrying in thy owne bosome , thy Inditement ready written , and a perfect Register of all thy mis-deedes ; when thou shouldest behold the glorious Maiestie of Iesus Christ , ( clothed in white linnen , through which , his body shining like precious stones , his eyes like burning Lampes , his face like lightning , his Armes and Legs like flaming Brasse , and his Uoice as the shout of a multitude ) prepared to passe the sentence vpon thée ; when thou shouldest sée the great Iudge offended aboue thee , hell open beneath thee ; the Furnace flaming , the Deuils waiting , the World burning , thy conscience accusing , and thy selfe standing as a forlorne wretch , to receiue thy fearefull and irrecouerable sentence of condemnation ? Oh , bethinke thy selfe , how these visions would affright thee : to behold the gnashing of téeth , the horrour of the place , the rigour of the paine , the vglinesse of the company , and the eternity of these punishments ; where the fire is vnquenchable ; the torments insupportable , hopelesse , helplesse , easelesse , and endlesse ! For our fire may be endured ; that intolerable ; ours for comfort ; that , for torment ; ours , if not fed , extinguisheth ; that , without féeding , neuer goeth out ; ours giueth light ; that , none : ours consumes the matter , and ends the paine ; that torments , but neuer wasteth , to make the paine perpetuall . In Hell , the lazie Loyterer must bee pricked with flaming Forkes ; the Glutton fed with hunger and thirst ; the Drunkard quaffe bowles of burning Brimstone ; the Couetous pine in penurie ; the lustfull embrace vgly Su●●es ; and the proud apparelled with shame and confusion ▪ and further , to aggrauate their griefe , and vp heape the measure of their vnmeasurable miserie , they shall turne vp their affrighted eyes , and behold the méeke triumphing , the Godly reioycing : then shall they perceiue base apparell to bee glorious ; gawdy attire ●●●amous ; the humble Cottage commended ; the guilded Palace despised ; simple obedience shew fairer then subtill policie ; a cleere conscience better accepted , then profound and abstruce Philosophie ; zealous prayers farre worthier then fine tales ; good workes preferred before swéet words . Is not he more then mad , that will play away his time allotted to preuent these intolerable calamities ? Is it not a senselesse security , to hug in thy bosome so many serpents as sinnes ? or to foster in thy soule so many malicious accusers , as mortall faults ? wouldst thou not then thinke one life too little , to repent for so many iniquities , the least whereof is strong enough to hurle thee irrecouerably into these vnspeakable torments ? Betimes then deuote the residue of thy dayes , to make an atonement with Iehouah , the generall Iudge , and so endeuour to set free thy soule from such confusion , as by sinne thou art sure to fall into . What canst thou purchase by being so long a customer to the World , but false ware , sutable to such a Marchants Shop , where trafficke is toyle ; wealth , woe ; gaine , losse ? what interest canst thou recouer , that can equall thy detriments in grace and goodnesse ? or what canst thou find in this vale of vanities , that is comparable to the fauour of God ? Let not thy youthfull affections ouersway thee ; for time will tell thee , they are but bubbling follies . Let not temporall feare misleade thee ; for the force of reason will rather draw thee to feare God then man , and to stand more in awe of perpetuall then temporall punishments . Who would fasten his eternall affaires vpon the slipperinesse of vncertaine life ? or who ( but one of distempered wits ) would offer to put tricks vpon him , who is the strict searcher out of the closest secrets ▪ with whom he may dissemble to his cost , but to deceiue him , t is impossible ? Wilt thou account it a craft to steale time from God , & to bestow it on his enemies ▪ who keepes tale of the least minute of thy life , and at thy ending will call thee to question , how thou hast employed euery moment ? Is it not preposterous policie to fight against God , till our weapons bee blunted , our forces enfeebled , our strength made impotent , our best spent ; and at last when wee are falne into fainting , and fought our selues wel-nigh dead ; then so presume of his mercy , whom wee haue to much offended , so long opposed ? Would it not be held an exorbitant course , that while the Ship is sound , the Pylot well , the Saylors strong ▪ the Gale fauourable , and the Seas calme , to lie carelesly idle at rode , losing so seasonable weather , and then when the Ship leakes , the Pilot sicke , the Mariners féeble , the winds aloft ▪ the stormes boysterous , and the waues outragious , to lanch forth , hoist sayle , and set out for a farre Iourney ? Such are our euening-repenters , who in the soundnesse of health , and perfect vse of reason , cannot abide to cut Cables , and weigh those Anchors that with-hold them from GOD ▪ but when their Senses are benummed , their Reason distracted , their Understanding dulled , and both soule and Body tormented with pangs of paines , and sorrowfull sicknesse , then will cast backe their memory on these waighty affaires ; then will they needs become sudden Saints , that are scarce reasonable creatures . How can a man , disanimated with inward Garboyles of vnsettled conscience , maimed in all his faculties , and surrounded with such strange incombrances , be fit to dispose of his choysest Iewell , his soule , in so short a spurt ? They that will loyter in Séed-time ; and beginne to sow , when others reape : They that will haue their Weapons to prouide , when their fellow-Souldiers goe foorth to fight : They that will lauish in health , and cast their accounts when they cannot speake : They that will sleepe out the day , and stumblingly trauell in the night ; O let them thanke their owne folly , if they dye in debt , and finally fall headlong into the pit of perdition . Let the griefe of the sore be then the measure of thy sorrow : let a wide wound haue a carefull cure : let thy contrition be agreeable to thy crime , and thy repentance equall to thy transgressions . Thou must spend the day in mourning , the night in watching and wéeping , and thy whole time in praying , and practice of repentance . Not euery short sigh will be a sufficient satisfaction ; nor euery little knocke , a warrant to get in : for many cry , Lord , Lord , yet are not admitted . The foolish virgins knocked , yet stood without . Iudas conceiued a sorrow for sinne , yet dyed desperately . Linger not thy conuersion , nor put off thy repentance from day to day , lest the Almighty come vpon thee in a minute , and in his wrath suddenly destroy thee ; neither soiourne thou long in sinfull securitie , nor shift off thy repentance till feare inforce thee to it : for then it will be bootlesse for thee to striue to stand , when thou art already falne . Frame out thy beginning as thou meanest to end , and endeuour to liue as thou desirest to dye . Wilt thou sacrifice the Fattlings to the Fiend of darknesse , and offer the carion Karkeises to the Father of Light ? Wilt thou present the maine Crop to the Deuill , and leaue God the Gleanings ? Wilt thou cramme the Deuill with thy fairest fruits , and turne God to feede vpon thy wind-fals and after-gatherings ? If Hell was prepared for the Deuill , and Heauen purchased for man , why should not hee then prouide for himselfe , but wilfully lose his inheritance by persisting in sinne ? While we draw healthfull breath , hope strongly perswades vs , that by teares euer-flowing from the Sea of a sorrowfull soule , wee may wash away our sinnes pollution , how foule soeuer ; but being once at deaths doore , notwithstanding our téeth gnash , our eyes cry out , our throats become hoarse with howling , our eyes gush Riuers of teares , and our hearts send out sighes as loud as Thunder , yet will it not auaile vs ; for then none shall heare vs , none assist vs ; no , nor so much as comfort vs : Then , O then , shalt thou finde , though ( alas ) too late , that thou hast lost thy labour , hast trifled away thy time , and let slip the opportunity of thine own gaine . Thou shalt then perceiue thine errour irrecouerable , thy punishment insupportable , thy penitence vnprofitable , thy griefe , sorrow , and calamitie irrecouerable : Let thy soule then enioy her lawfull Soueraignty , and thy body follow the footings of her directions : let not thy seruile senses , and lawlesse appetites ouercome her , and make her a Uassall in her owne Dominions . Doest thou desire to haue all good necessaries : as good house , good furniture , good fare , good apparell ? and yet wilt thou suffer thy poore soule , thy principall charge , and aboue all these worthy the best respect , to lye cankering and custing in all kind of euils ? O vnspeakable blindnesse , that thou wilt bee nice in wearing a bad shoo , yet carest not to carry an vgly & betattered soule ! Alas , doe not thou set so light by that Iewell , which thy Maker sets at so high a price ; nor rate thou thy soule at so base a penniworth , being of so péerelesse worth . If the soule be so inestimable , that neither gold , nor treasure , nor any thing of lesse price , then the precious blood of that immaculate Lambe Christ Iesus was able to buy it ; if not all the Delicacies that Heauen and earth could afford , but onely the glorious Body of our Sauiour , were deemed a fit repast to feed it ; If not all the Creatures of this , or millions of new worlds , if they were , but onely the vnlimitable goodnesse and Maiesty of God , can satisfie the desire , or fill the compass● and capacity of it ( for who is so vnsensible , that finds not the insaciety of his soule ? ) Who then , but one of peruerse will , incredulous minde , or pittilesse spirit , would set more by the world then his soules worthinesse ; or suffer so peerelesse a Paragon , so many houres , dayes , moneths and yéeres , to lye enchannelled in the filthy mire of sinne ? Thou wilt trudge to a Physician for thy sicke Seruant , and looke out for a Leach to cure thy diseased Horse , and be very busie to patch vp thy worne garments , and yet wilt suffer thy soule to languish for want of looking to , and dye for want of cure ; and seeing it mangled with millions of vices , neuer seekest to bind it vp , and restore it to its primatiue integrity . Is thy Seruant more néere thy Horse more deare , and thy Coate to be more cared for then thine own soule ? How long , O how long wilt thou hunt after vanities , and rush violently and wilfully into thine owne ruine ? Darest not thou suffer a Spider or a Toad to come neere thee ; & wilt thou nestle in thy bosome so many Uipers as Uices , so many Serpents as Sins ; and permit thy silly soule to be gnawed vpon with the poisonous tuskes of Satan ? Is thy soule so slight a substance , as to be held in so small estéeme ? Did Christ come downe from Heauen , and become a wandring Pilgrime vpon Earth , exiling himselfe from the comfort of his Godhead , and wearing out thirty yeeres in paine and penurie for our soules ? Did he suffer the Tragedy of his Passion to bee bloodily acted , and patiently accepted ? Did he make his Body as a Cloud , to dissolue into shewres of vnblemished blood , and yeelded the dearest Ueines of his heart to bee cut asunder , that from thence might issue the precious price of our soules redemption ? Why doe wee then sell our soules to the Deuill for euery delight and poore pittance of worldly pelfe ? O that a Creature of so incomparable a worth should be in the custody of so vnnaturall Iaylors ; and that , which in it selfe is so gracious and amiable , that the Angels and Saints delight to behold it , should by sinne be made a horror to heauen , and a fit play-féere for the fowlest Fiends ! Let vs remember that our soule is not onely a part of vs , but also the Temple , the Paradise of Almighty God ; by him in Baptisme garnished , furnished , and endowed with most glorious Ornaments : How will he take it , to see his Temple prophaned , and turned into a Den of Deuils ? His Paradise displanted , and made a Wildernesse of Serpents ? His Spouse deflowred , and become an Adultresse to his Enemies ? Durst we commit such outrage against our earthly Princes ? Would not the terrour of the Law , and popular shame curbe vs from it ? and shall not the glorious Maiestie of Iehouah , and the vnrebated kéennesse of his flaming double-edged Sword , deterre vs from offering the like to his dearest Spouse ? Will he that keepes Register of euery singuler haire , suffer himselfe to be wronged , and ouer-passe it vnpunished ? Remember that it is a thing full of horrour , to fall into the hands of God , who is able to crush the proudest spirit , and to make his face his Foot-stoole . O wrastle not against the cares and cryes of thine owne Conscience , but so keepe and conserue it , as that at the last it may gladly goe with thee , and be ioyfully prepared before the Throne of God to answer for thee . There was a man had three friends ; two whereof hee loued entirely , the third hee made no great reckoning of . This man being conuented before the King , vpon the accusation of some committed crime , solemnly came vnto his best friend , and intreated him to goe with him , but hee would not , yet went hee with him some part of his way : Bethinking himselfe better he returned to his second friend , and desired him to goe with him ; but he made him this flat answer , that by reasō of his more important affaires he could not go with him ; yet gaue him a token of his remembrance . Being driuen to this hard exigent ▪ hee trudged to his third friend , of whom hee made slight account , and hee at the first word went with him to the King , and there stucke to him in all his dangers . So fares it with a man being sent for by death , comes to his Wife Children or Friends , and intreats them to go along with him ; but they slip their necks 〈◊〉 of the C●l●ar , and will not , onely beare hi● company to his graue : then he perswades 〈◊〉 goods and gold to goe along with him , but 〈◊〉 cannot ; and so turnes him off with a 〈◊〉 simple sheete lapt about him : then , when all these shrinke backe and faile him , at the last point , his bosome-friend , his Conscience , will not forsake him , but goe along and make an answer for him . Labour then to keepe a good Conscience : for in the vtmost of extremities , That will neuer faile thee . There was a countrey , where the Commons vsed to elect their King , and againe to banish him at their pleasure , into a far Countrey , almost naked : But one , ( more prouident than the rest ) so soone as he was chosen King , he dayly sent before-hand some prouision into that far Countrey ; so that when the people banished him from them , hee was ( hauing made a prouident preparation of wealth before ) most royally there entertained . So must euery cantelous Christian prouide vpon Earth , as he may be ioyfully receiued into Heauen . Prayers for priuate Households at all times . O Lord prepare our hearts to pray . O Most mighty and eternall God , who art the Creator , Guider , Gouernour , and Preseruer of all things , both in Heauen and Earth ; vouchsafe , we humbly beseech thee , to looke downe with the eye of pittie and compassion vpon vs miserable and wretched sinners ; who at this time are prostrate heere before thee , to offer vp this our Sacrifice of Prayer and Thanks-giuing vnto thee . And although we be vnworthy , by reason of our manifold transgressions , to present our selues before thee : yet we humbly beseech thee , for thy Sonne . Christ Iesus , our blessed Lord and Sauiours sake , to accept of vs , and to grant these our prayers and petitions which we doe make vnto thee . O mercifull Lord , and louing Father , remember the infirmities of thy fraile seruants , ●ssisting our weake soules with thy grace , ●hat in all things we may loue , honour , and o●ey thy heauenly will and Maiesty , waking ●nd walking in the paths of righteousnesse to ●he scope of perfect Holinesse , contemning this witching world , with all her foolish illusions , for the true glorifying of thy Name , through Christ Iesus our Lord , Amen . Another Prayer . O Mercifull Lord , and louing Father , that of the incomprehensible riches of thy mercy toward the disobedient and lost children of Adam , ( who seruing Satan after the blinde and vnbridled lusts of the vile flesh , were carried away through sinne and ignorance to damnation , ) hast reconciled vs to thy fauour , through grace and adoption in Christ Iesus the righteous by faith and holy conuersation : in whom we are deliuered from eternall death and destruction : Haue mercy vpon vs , yea ( Lord ) haue mercy vpon vs , and for loue of thy sweet Sonne , our Redeemer , defend vs against the power of the Destroyer , and with thy mighty hand lift vs vp out of the puddle , and deathfull corruptions of this abominable world : purifying our hearts with thy grace , that wee being wholly inclined to thy heauenly desires , may grow perfect in holinesse , and abounding in the good works which thou hast prepared for thy Saints to walke in , for the glorifying of thy Name : we may grow an acceptable Temple , for thy continuall dwelling in vs , O Lord ; to the vnspeakable peace and comfort , and to the euerlasting blisse and saluation of our soules : through Christ our Sauiour , Amen . LOrd , let not the darknesse of ignorance comprehend vs. Leade vs by the continuall light of thy grace to worke r●ghteousnesse . Let vs not sleepe in sinne , O God. Quicken our weake soules against earthly sluggishnesse . Giue vs the heauenly rest of thy vnspeakable peace , O Lord : And nourish vs with thy grace to saluation . Lord comfort the needy , the sicke , the prisoned , the tormented , the distressed and helplesse , with the presence of thy grace : and haue mercy vpon them , and vs. Pittifully heare our complaints , O deare Father , and grant our requests , for thy sweet Sonnes sake , our Sauiour . FINIS . 
A09436	----	A graine of musterd-seede or, the least measure of grace that is or can be effectuall to saluation. Corrected and amended by W. Perkins. Perkins, William, 1558-1602. 1611 Approx. 50 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 36 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A09436 STC 19725 ESTC S113662 99848893 99848893 14014 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A09436) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 14014) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1459:06) A graine of musterd-seede or, the least measure of grace that is or can be effectuall to saluation. Corrected and amended by W. Perkins. Perkins, William, 1558-1602. [4], 67, [1] p. By Iohn Legate, Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge. 1611. And are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Crowne by Simon Waterson, Printed at London : [1611] Reproduction of the original in the Cambridge University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Sermons, English -- 17th century. Salvation -- Early works to 1800. 2004-07 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-07 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2007-09 Lisa Chin Sampled and proofread 2007-09 Lisa Chin Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A GRAINE OF MVSTERD-SEEDE Or , THE LEAST MEAsure of grace that is or can be effectuall to Saluation . Corrected and amended by W. Perkins . Printed at London by Iohn Legate , Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge . 1611. And are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard as the signe of the Crowne by Simon Waterson . To the right honourable and vertuous Lady the Ladie Margaret , Countesse of Cumberland , Grace and Peace . RIght Honourable , the kingdome of heauen , of which the scripture speaketh so oft , is properly a certaine state or condition , whereby wee stand in the fauour and loue of God , in and by Christ. And this kingdome is compared to a Graine of Musterd-seede , to teach vs that a man is euen at that instant alreadie entred into the kingdome of heauen , when the Lord that good husbandman hath cast but some little portion of faith or repentance into the ground of the heart ; yea , though it be but as one graine of musterd-seede . Of this little graine I haue penned this Treatise , in quantitie answerable thereto : and I now present the same to your Ladishippe , not to supplie your want , ( for I hope you are stored with many graines of this kinde ) but to performe some dutie on my part . Hoping therefore that your Ladiship will read and accept the same , I take my leaue , commending you to the blessing and protection of the Almightie . Your Honours to command , W. Perkins . A GRAINE of Musterd-seede , Or , the least measure of grace , that is , or can be effectuall to Saluation . IT is a very necessary point to be knowne , what is the least measure of grace that can befall the true childe of God , lesser then which , there is no grace effectuall to saluation . For first of all , the right vnderstanding of this point , is the very foundation of true comfort vnto all troubled & touched cōsciences . Secondly , it is a notable meanes to stirre vp thankefulnesse in them that haue any grace at all ; when they shall in examination of then selues consider , that they haue receiued of God the least measure of grace , or more . Thirdly , it will be an inducement , and a spurre vnto many carelesse and vnrepentant persons , to embrace the gospel , and to beginne repentance for their sinnes ; when they shall perceiue , and that by the word of God , that God accepts the very seeds and rudiments of faith and repentance at the first , though they be but in measure as a Graine of Musterd-seed . Now then for opening and clearing of this point : I will set downe fiue seuerall conclusions , in such order as one shall confirme and explane the other , and one depend vpon the other . I. Conclusion . A man that doth but beginne to be conuerted , is euen at that instant , the very child of God , though inwardly hee be more carnall then spirituall . The Exposition . IN a man there must be cōsidered three things , the substance of the body and soule , whereof man is saide to consist ; the faculties placed in the soule and exercised in the body , as vnderstanding , will , affections : the integritie tegritie and puritie of the faculties , whereby they are cōformable to the will of God and beare his Image . And since the fall of Adam , man is not depriued of his substance or of the powers and faculties of his soule , but onely of the third , which is the puritie , or integritie of nature . And therfore the conuersion of a sinner , whereof the conclusion speaketh , is not the change of the substance of man , or of the faculties of the soule : but a renewing and restoring of that puritie and holinesse which was lost by mans fall , with the abolishment of that natural corruption that is in all the powers of the soule . This is the worke of God , and of God alone , and that on this manner . First of all , when it pleaseth God to worke a change in any , he doth it not first in one part , then afterward in another , as hee that repaires a decaied house by peece-meale : but the worke , both for the beginning , continuance , and accomplishment , is in the whole man , and euery part at once , specially in the minde , conscience , will , and affections : as on the cōtrary , when Adam lost the image of God , he lost it in euery part . Secondly , the cōuersion of a sinner is not wrought all at one instant , but in continuance of time : & that by certaine measures and degrees . And a man is then in the first degree of his conuersion when the holy Ghost by the meanes of the word , inspires him with some spirituall motions , & begins to regenerate and renew the inward powers of his soule . And he may in this case very fitly be compared to the night in the first dawning of the day , in which though the darkenes remaine and be more in quātity then the light , yet the sun hath alreadie cast some beames of light into the aire , whereupon we tearme it the breaking of the day . Now then , the very point which I teach , is that a man at this instant , and in this very state ( God as yet hauing but laid certen beginnings of true cōuersion in his heart ) is the very child of God , and that not only in the eternall purpose of God ( as all the elect are ) but indeed by actuall adoption : and this is plain by a manifest reason : There be foure speciall workes of grace in euery child of God : his vnion with Christ , his adoption , iustification , and conuersion : & these foure are wrought al at one instant , so as for order of time , neither goes before nor after other : and yet in regard of order of nature , vnion with Christ , Iustification , and adoption , goe before the inward conuersion of a sinner , it beeing the fruit and effect of all . Vpon this it followeth necessarily , that a sinner in the very first act of his conuersion , is iustified , adopted , and incorporated into the misticall bodie of Christ. In the Parable of the prodigall sonne , the father with ioy receiues his wicked child ; but when ? surely when he saw him comming a farre off , and when as yet he had made no confession or humiliation to his father , but onely had conceiued with himselfe a purpose to returne and to say , Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee , &c. And Paul saith of many of the Corinthians , that he could not speake vnto them as spiritual men , but as carnall , euē babes in Christ , 1. Cor. 3. 1. When Dauid reprooued by Nathan did but begin to repent and to say , I haue sinned , presently Nathan the Prophet of the Lord said , The Lord hath taken away thy sin , Of this thing Dauid seemes to speake in the 32. Psal. v. 5. I said [ that is , I purposed and thought with my selfe ] I will confesse against my selfe mine vnrighteousnesse , and thou forgauest mine iniquities . Vpon these words Augustine saith , Marke , he doth not confesse , but promiseth to confesse , & God forgiueth him . Againe , There be ( saith he ) three syllables , peccaui , I haue sinned : and from these three syllables the flame of a sacrifice did ascend into heauen before God. Chrysostome saith , Say thou hast sinned : and thou hast loosed thy sinne . And Ambrose saith : If he said , I will confesse , and obtained pardon before he confessed , how much more when he had confessed , saying , I know mine iniquitie , was his sinne pardoned ▪ Gregorie on this Psal. saith , Marke how speedily pardon comes , and how great is the commendation of Gods mercie , in that pardon comes together with the desire of confession , and remission comes to the heart , before confession breake forth in speech . II. Conclusion . The first materiall beginnings of the conuersion of a sinner , ar the smallest measure ofrenewing grace , haue the promises of this life , and the life to come . The Exposition . THe beginnings of conuersion must be distinguished . Some are beginnings of preparation , some beginnings of composition . Beginnings of preparation are such as bring vnder , tame , & subdue the stubbernes of mans nature : without making any change at all : of this sort are the accusations of the conscience by the ministerie of the law , feares and terrours arising thence , compunction of heart , which is the apprehension of Gods anger against sinne . Nowe these and the like , I exclude in the conclusion ; for though they goe before to prepare a sinner to his conuersion following , yet are they no graces of God , but fruits both of the law , being the ministery of death , as also of an accusing conscience . Beginnings of composition I tearme all those inward motions and inclinations of Gods spirit , that follow after the worke of the law vpon the conscience , and rise vpon the meditation of the Gospell , that promiseth righteousnes and life euerlasting by Christ : out of which motions the conuersion of a sinner ariseth , and of which it consisteth : what these are , it shall afterward appeare . Againe , grace must be distinguished : it is two-fold ; restraining grace , or renuing grace . Restraining grace , I tearme certaine common gifts , of God , seruing onely to order and frame the outward conuersation of men to the Law of God , or seruing to bereaue men of excuse in the day of iudgement . By this kind of grace , heathen men haue bin liberall , iust , sober , valiant , & mercifull . By it men liuing in the Church of God , haue beene inlightned , and hauing tasted of the good word of God , haue reioyced therein , and for a time outwardly conformed themselues therto . Renewing grace is not common to al men , but proper to the elect , & it is a gift of Gods spirit , whereby the corruption of a sinner is not only restrained , but also mortified , and the decaied image of God restored in righteousnes and true holines . Now then the conclusiō must only be vnderstoode of the second , and not of the first : for though a man haue neuer so much of this restraining grace , yet vnlesse he haue the spirit of Christ to create faith in the heart , and to sanctifie him , he is as farre from saluation as another . Thus then the sense and meaning of the conclusion is , that the verie lest measure of sauing grace , and the verie beginning or seedes of regeneration doe declare , and after a sort giue title to men , of all the mercifull promises of God , whether they concern this life or the life to come : & are therefore approoued of God , if they be in truth ; and accepted as greater measures of grace . That which our Sauiour Christ saith of the worke of miracles , Math. 17. 20. If ye haue faith as a graine of Musterd-seede , ye shall say vnto this mountaine , remooue hence to yonder place , and it shall remooue , must by the law of equall proportion be applied to sauing faith , repentance , the feare of God , and all other graces ? if they be truly wrought in the heart , though they be but as smal as one little graine of Musterd-seede , they shall be sufficiently effectuall to bring forth good workes , for which they are ordained . The prophet Esay 42. 3. saith , that Christ shall not quench the smoking flaxe , nor breake the bruised reede , Let the comparison be marked : fire in flaxe must be both little and weake in quātitie as a sparke or twain , that cannot cause a flame , but only a smoke , specially in a matter so easie to burne . Here thē is signified , that the gifts and graces of Gods spirit , that are both for measure & strength as a sparke or twaine of fire , shal not be neglected , but rather accepted and cherished by Christ. When our Sauiour Christ heard the young man make a confession of a practise but of outward and ciuill righteousnesse , he looked vpon him and loued him : Mark. 10. 21. and when he heard the scribe to speake discreetely but one good speech , that to loue god with all the heart is aboue all sacrifices , he said vnto him . That he was not for from the kingdome of heauen . Therefore no doubt , he will loue with a more speciall loue , and accept as the good subiects of his kingdome , those that haue receiued a further mercie of God , to be borne a new of water and the spirit . III. Conclusion . A constant and earnest desire to be reconciled to God , to beleeue , and to repent , if it be in a touched heart , is in acceptation with God , as reconciliation , faith , repentance it selfe . The Exposition . LVst or desire is two folde , naturall , & supernaturall . Naturall is that whose beginnings and obiect is in nature , that is , which ariseth of the naturall will of man , and affecteth such things as are thought to be good according to the light of nature . And this kind of desire hath his degrees , yet so as they are all limited within the compasse of nature . Some desire riches , honours , pleasures , some learning & knowledge , because it is the light and perfection of the minde : some go further & seeke after the vertues of iustice , temperāce , liberality , &c. and thus many heathen men haue excelled . Some againe desire true happinesse , as Balaam did , who wished to die the death of the righteous : because it is the propertie of nature to seeke the preseruation of it selfe But here nature staies it selfe : for where the mind reueales not , the will affects not . Supernaturall desires , are such as both for their beginning and obiect , are aboue nature . For their beginning is from the holy Ghost ; and the obiect or matter about which they are cōuersant , are things diuine and spirituall which concerne the kingdome of heauen : and of this kinde are the desires of which I speake in this place . Againe , that we may not be deceiued in our desires , but may the better discerne thē from flittering and fleeting motions , I adde three restraints . First of all , the desire of reconciliation , the desire to beleeue , or the desire to repent &c. must be constant and haue continuance , otherwise it may iustly be suspected . Secōdly , it must be earnest & serious , though not alwaies , yet at somtimes , that we may be able to say , with Dauid , My soule desireth after thee , O Lord , as the thirsty land . And , as the hart braieth after the riuers of water , so panteth my soule after thee O God , my soule thirsteth for God , euen the liuing God. Thirdly , it must be in a touched heart ; for when a man is touched in conscience , the heart is cast downe , and ( as much as it can ) it withdrawes it selfe frō God. For this cause , if then there be any spirituall motions whereby the heart is lift vp vnto God they are without doubt from the spirit of God. Thus then I auouch , that the desire of reconciliation with God in Christ , is reconciliation it selfe : the desire to beleeue , is faith indeede : & the desire to repent , repentance it selfe . But marke how . A desire to be reconciled , is not reconciliation in nature , ( for the desire is one thing , & reconciliation is another ) but in Gods acceptation : for if we being touched throughly for our sins , do desire to haue them pardoned , and to bee at one with god , God accepts vs as reconciled . Againe , desire to beleeue , it is not faith in nature , but onely in Gods acceptation , God accepting the will for the deede . That this doctrine is the will and word of God , it appeares by these reasons . First of all , God hath annexed a promise of blessednes , & of life euerlasting , to the desire of grace . Mat. 5. Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse , for they shall bee satisfied Ioh. 7. 38. If any man thirst , let him come to mee and drinke . Reuel . 2. 1. I will giue vnto him which is a thirst , of the well of the water of life freely . Now what is this to thirst ? properly it is , when wee are in a drought or drines , and want drinke to refresh vs , & desire it . And therefore by all resemblance , they are saide to thirst after righteousnes , that want it , and would faine haue it : And they thirst after christ that feele themselues out of Christ , and desire , yea long after the blood of Christ , that they might be refreshed with it in their consciences . Here then we see , that the desire of mercy , in the want of mercy , is the obtaining of mercie : and the desire to beleeue , in the want of faith , is faith . Marke then : though as yet thou want firme and liuely grace , yet art thou not altogether voide of grace , if thou canst vnfainedly desire it , thy desire is the seede , conception , or bud of that which thou wantest . Now is the spring-time of the ingrafted word or the immortall seede cast into the furrowes of thy heart : waite but a while , vsing the good meanes to this ende appointed , and thou shalt see the leaues , blossomes , & fruit will shortly follow after . Secōdly , the desire of any good thing is accepted of God , as the liuely inuocation of his holy name , Psal. 10. God heareth the desire of the poore . Psal. 145. He will fulfill the desire of him that feareth him . When Moses said nothing , but onely desired in heart the helpe and protection of God at the redde sea , the Lord said vnto him , Why criest thou vnto me ? Exod. 14. 15. And when wee know not to pray as wee ought , Paul saith , that the spirit maketh request by the inward groanes of the heart , Rom. 8. 26. Hence I gather , that when a man in his weaknesse praies with sighes and groanes , for the gift of liuely faith , the want whereof hee findes in himselfe , his very praier on this manner made , is as truly in acceptation with God , as a praier made in liuely faith . And here it is further to be considered , that Paul calls these groanes vnspeakable , and why ? Of most interpreters they are thought to be vnspeakable , by reason of their greatnesse , and this I will not denie : it seemes neuerthelesse that they are so tearmed by reason of their weakenesse , for they are commonly small , weake , and confused in the hearts of Gods children when they are distressed : and the words following seeme to import thus much : for when it had beene said that Gods spirit in vs makes request with grones not to be vttered : some man might happily reply and say , if we cannot discerne and vtter these grones in our selues what are we the better ? Paul addes therfore , that although we know not , yet God a searcher of all things hidden in the heart , knowes the minde and meaning of the spirit . And thus the wordes yet further afoard a comfortable instruction to the children of God , namely , that beeing in distresse , whether in life or death , if by grace we can but sigh or sob vnto God , though it be weake and feeble like the faint pulse in the time of death ; we , or the spirit of God in vs , doe indeede make request vnto God that shall bee heard , yea , ( as the words are ) wee doe more then make request : and though we do not alwaies see what Gods spirit makes vs to sigh after , yet god doeth . To the testimonie of Scripture , I adde the testimonies of godly and learned men , not to prooue the doctrine in hand ; but to shew a consent , and to prooue thus much , that the thing which I auouch , is no priuate phantasie of any man Easily ( saith Ambrose of God ) is he reconciled , a if he be instantly intreated . Augustine saith , Let thy desire be before him , and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly : for thy desire is thy praier , and if thy desire be continuall , thy praier is continuall . Hee addes further in the same place , that the desire is a continuall voice , and the cry of the heart , and the inward inuocation of God , which may be made without intermission , Againe , To desire the helpe of grace is the beginning of grace . Againe , b The whole life of a good Christian , is an holy will and desire . And that which thou desirest , thou seest not : but by desiring , art ( as it were ) inlarged and made capable , that whē it shall come which thou shalt see , thou maist bee filled . Basil saith , Onely thou must will , and God will come of his owne accord . c Bernard saith , what , is not desire a voice ? Yea a very strong voice . God heareth the desire of the poore : and a continuall desire , though wee speake nothing , it is a voice continued . d Luther saith , Christ is then truely omnipotent , and then truly raignes in vs , when wee are so weake that wee can scarce giue any groane . For Paul saith , that one such groane is a strong crie in the cares of God , filling both heauen & earth . e Againe , Very fewe know , how weake and small faith and hope is , vnder the crosse , and in temptation . For it appeares , then to bee as smoking flaxe , which a good blast of winde would praesently put out : but such as beleeue in these combates , and terrours against hope , vnder hope , that is , opposing themselues by faith in the promise of Christ , against the feeling of sinne , and the wrath of God , doe finde afterward that this litle sparke of faith ( as it appeares to reason , which hardly perceiueth it ) is peraduenture as the whole element of fire which filleth all heauen and swalloweth vp all terrours and sinnes . f Againe , the more wee finde our vnworthinesse , and the lesse wee finde the promises to belong vnto vs , the more must wee desire them , beeing assured that this desire doth greatly please God , who desireth and willeth that his grace should bee earnestly desired . This doeth faith , which iudgeth it a pretious thing , and therefore greatly hungreth and thirsteth after it , and so obtaines it . For God is delighted to fill the hungrie with good things , & to send the rich emptie away . g Theodore Beza saith , If thou finde not thine heart inwardly touched , pray that it may bee touched : for then must thou know that this desire is a pledge of the fathers will to thee , h Kēnitius saith : When I haue a good desire , though it do scarcely shew it selfe in some little and slender sigh , I must be assured that the spirit of God is present : and worketh his good worke . i Vrsinus saith , Faith in the most holy men in this life is imperfect and weake . Yet neuerthelesse , whosoeuer fecles in his heart an earnest desire , and a striuing against his naturall doubtings , both can and must assure himselfe that he is indued with true faith . Againe , Wicked men doe not desire the grace of the holy spirit , whereby they may resist sinne . And therefore they are iustly depriued of it : for hee that earnestly desireth the holy Ghost hath it alreadie : because this desire of the spirit cannot be but from the spirit : as it is saide , Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse , for they shall bee satisfied . l Bradford saith , Thy sins are vndoubtedly pardoned , &c. for God hath giuen thee a penitent and beleeuing heart : that is , an heart which desireth to repent and beleeue : for such an one is taken of him ( he accepting the will for thee deede ) for a penitent and beleeuing heart indeede . m Taffine saith , Our faith may be so small and weake as it doth not yet bring forth fruits , that may bee liuely felt of vs , but if they which feele themselues in such estate , desire to haue these feelings [ namely , of Gods fauour and loue ] if they aske them at Gods hands by praier : this desire and praier are testimonies that the spirit of God is in them , and that they haue faith alreadie : for , is such a desire , a fruit of the flesh , or of the spirit ? it is of the holy spirit , who bringeth it forth onely in such as hee dwells in , &c. Then these holy desires and praiers being the motions of the holy Ghost in vs , are testimonies of our faith , although they seeme to vs small and weake . As the woman that feeleth the moouing of a childe in her body , though very weake , assureth her selfe that shee hath conceiued , and that shee goeth with a liue child , so if wee haue these motions , these holy affections , and desires beforementioned , let vs not doubt but that wee haue the holy Ghost ( who is the author of them ) dwelling in vs , and consequently that we haue also faith . Again he saith , 1. If thou hast begun to hate and she sinne , 2. If thou feelest that thou art displeased at thine infirmities , and corruptions : 3. If hauing offended God thou feelest a griefe , and a sorrow for it : 4. If thou desire to abstaine : 5. If thou auoidest the occasion : 6. If thou trauailest to doe thy endeauour : 7. If thou praiest to God to giue thee grace : all these holy affections , proceeding from none other then from the spirit of God , ought to be so many pledges , and testimonies that he is in thee . ( n ) Masterknockes saith , Albeit your paines sometimes be so horrible that you finde no release nor comfort , neither in spirit nor bodie , yet if they heart can onely sob vnto God , despaire not , you shall obtaine your hearts desire . And destitute you are not of faith : for at such a time as the flesh , naturall reason , the law of God , the present torment , the diuell at one doe crie , God is angrie , and therefore there is neither helpe nor remedie to be hoped for at his hāds : at such time , Isay , to sob vnto God , is the demonstration of the secret seede of God , which is hidden in Gods elect children : and that onely sob is vnto God a more acceptable sacrifice , then without this crosse , to giue our bodies to be burnt euen for the truthes sake . More testimonies might be alleadged , but these shall suffice . Against this point of dotrine it may be alleadged , that if desire to beleeue in our weakenesse be faith indeede ; then some are iustified and may be saued wanting a liuely apprehension and full perswasion of Gods mercie in Christ. Ans. Iustifying faith in regard of his nature is alwaies one and the same , and the essentiall propertie thereof , is , to apprehend Christ with his benefites , and to assure the very cōscience thereof . And therefore without some apprehension and assurance , there can bee no iustification or Saluation in them that for age are able to beleeue . Yet there bee certaine degrees and measures of true faith . There is a strong faith , which causeth a full apprehension and perswasion of Gods mercie in Christ. This measure of faith the Lord vouchsafed Abraham , Dauid , Paul , the Prophets , Apostles , and Martyrs of God. It were a blessed thing if all beleeuers might attaine to this height of liuely faith , to say with Paul , I am perswaded , that neither life , nor death , nor any thing else , shal bee able to separate vs from the loue of God in Christ : but all cannot ; therfore there is another degree of faith lower then the former , and yet true faith , called a litle or weake faith , and it also hath a power to apprehend and applie the promise of saluation , but as yet by reason of weaknes , it is infolded ( as it were ) and wrapt vp in the heart , as the leafe and blossome in the bud . For such persons as haue this weake faith , can say indeede , that they beleeue their sinnes to be pardonable , and that seriously in their hearts they desire to haue them pardoned : but as yet they can not say , that they are without all doubt pordoned . And yet the mercie of God is not wāting vnto them . For in that they doe , and can desire , and indeauour to apprehēd , they doe indeed apprehend ; God accepting the desire to doe the thing , for the thing done , This which I say will the better appeare , if the groundes thereof be considered . Faith doth not iustifie in respect of it selfe , because it is an action or vertue : or because it is strong , liuely , and perfect : but in respect of the obiect thereof , namely Christ crucified , whom faith apprehendeth as he is set forth vnto vs in the word and Sacraments . It is Christ that is the author , and matter of our iustice , and it is he that applieth the same vnto vs : as for faith in vs , it is but an Instrument to apprehend & receiue that which Christ for his part offereth and giueth . Therefore , if faith erre not in his proper obiect , but follow the promise of God , though it doe but weakely apprehend , or at the least , cause a man onely to Endeauour and Desire to apprehend , it is true faith , and iustifieth . Though our apprehension be necessarie , yet our saluation stands rather in this , that God apprehends vs for his owne , then that we apprehend him for ours . Phi. 3. v. 12. And rather in this , that we are knowne of him , then that we know him . Gal. 4. 9. Out of this conclusion springs an other not to be omitted , that God accepts the endeauour of the whole man to obey , for perfect obedience it selfe . THat is , if men endeauour to please God in all things , God will not iudge their doings by the rigour of his law : but will accept their litle and weake endeauour , to do that which they can do by his grace , as if they had perfectly fulfilled the lawe . But heere remember I put this caueat ; that this indeeuour must bee in and by the whole man ; the very minde , conscience , will , and affections doing that which they can in their kindes : and thus the endeauour to obey which is a fruit of the spirit , shall bee distinguished from ciuil righteousnesse , which may bee in heathen men , and is onely in the outward , and not in the inward man. The trueth of this conclusion appeares by that which the Prophet Malachi saith , that God will spare thē that feare him , as a father spares his childe : who accepts the thing done , as well done , if the child shew his good will to please his father , and to doe what he can . IV. Conclusion . To see and feele in our selues the want of any grace pertaining to saluation , and to be grieued therefore , is the grace it selfe . The Exposition . VNderstand this conclusion as the former , namely that griefe of the hart for the want of any grace necessarie to saluation , is as much with god as the grace it selfe . Whē beeing in distresse , we cannot pray as we ought God accepts the very groanes , sobs , and sighes of the perplexed heart , as the praier it selfe . Rom. 8. 26. When we are grieued , because we cannot be grieued for our sinnes , it is a degree & measure of godly sorrow before God. Augustine saith well : Sometimes our praier is lukewarme , or rather cold and almost no praier : nay sometime it is altogether no praier at all , and yet we cannot with griefe perceiue this in our selues : for if we can but grieue because we cannot pray , we now pray indeede . Hierom saith , Then we are iust when we doe acknowledge our selues to be sinners : Againe , this is the true wisedome of man , to know himselfe to be imperfect : And ( that I may so speake ) the perfection of all iust men in the flesh is imperfect : Augustine again saith That the vertue which is nowe in a iust man is thus farre forth perfect , that vnto the perfection thereof , there belongs a true acknowledgement and an humble confession of the imperfection thereof . A broken and contrite heart after an offence , is as much with God , as if there had bin no offence at al. And therefore so soone as Dauid after his grieuous fall , in heauinesse of heart confessed his sinne , saying in effect but thus much : I haue sinned , the Prophet in the name of the Lord pronounceth the pardon of his sinne in heauen , and that presently . V. Conclusion . He that hath begunne to subiect himselfe to Christ and his word , though as yet hee bee ignorant in most points of religion , yet if he haue a care to increase in knowledge , and to practise that which he knoweth , he is accepted of God as a true beleeuer . The Exposition . SVndry persons by the Euangelists are said to beleeue , which had onely seene the miracles of Christ , and as yet had made no further proceedings , but to acknowledge Christ to be the Messias ; and to submit themselues to him & his doctrine , which afterward should be taught . On this maner the woman of Samaria belieued , and many of the Samaritans vpon her report : and a certaine ruler , by reason of a miracle wrought vpon his sonne , is said to beleeue , and all his houshold . Ioh. 4. 42. 52. When our Sauiour Christ commended the faith of the Apostles , terming it a rocke , against which the gates of hell should not preuaile , it was not the plentifull knowledge of the doctrine of saluation : for they were ignorant of many articles of faith , as namely of the death , resurrection , ascention , and kingdome of Christ : but because they beleeued him to be the sonne of God , & the sauiour of mankinde , and they had withall resolued themselues to cleaue vnto him , and the blessed doctrine of saluation which hee taught , though as yet they were ignorant in many points . The holy Ghost commendeth the faith of Rahab when shee receiued the spies . Now this her faith was indeed but a seed and beginning of liuely faith : for then shee had onely heard of the miracles done in Egypt , and of the deliuerance of the Israelites , and was thereupon smitten with feare , and had conceiued a resolution with her selfe , to ioyne her selfe to the Israelites , and to worship the true God. Now these and the like , are tearmed beleeuers , upon iust cause : for though they bee ignorant as yet , yet their ignorance shall bee no continuing or lasting ignorance : and they haue excellent seedes of grace , namely a purpose of hart to cleaue to Christ , and a care to profit in the doctrine of saluation , whereof they haue some litle knowledge . VI. Conclusion . The foresaid beginnings of grace are counterfeit , vnlesse they encrease . The Exposition . THe wickednesse of mans nature , and the depth of hypocrisie is such , that a man may & can easily transforme himselfe into the counterfeit and resemblance of any grace of God. Therefore I put downe in this last conclusion a certaine note , whereby the gifts of God may be discerned , namely , that they grow vp and increase as the graine of Musterd-seede to a great tree , and beare fruit answerably . The grace in the heart is like the graine of Musterd-seede in two things . First it is small to see to at the beginning : secondly , after it is cast into the ground of the heart , it increaseth speedily , and spreads it selfe . Therefore , if a man at the first haue but some litle feeling of his wants , some weake and faint desire , some small obedience , he must not let this sparke of grace goe out , but these motions of the spirit must be increased by the vse of the word , Sacraments , and praier : and they must daily bee stirred vp by meditating , endeauouring , striuing , asking , seeking , knocking . The master deliuering his talents to his seruants , saith vnto them : Occupie till I come , aud not hide in the earth , Matth. 25. 26 , Paul vseth an excellent speech to Timothie : I exhort thee to stirre vp the gift of God which is in thee , namely , as fire is stirred vp by often blowing , and putting to of wood . 2. Tim. 1. 6. As for such motions of the heart that last for a weeke , or a moneth , and after vanish away , they are not to bee regarded : & the Lord by the Prophet Ose complaineth of them , saying , O Ephraim , thy righteousnes is like the morning dewe , chap. 6. Therefore considering , grace vnlesse it be confirmed and exercised , is indeede no grace ; I will heere adde certaine rules of direction , that wee may the more easily put in practise the spirituall exercises of inuocation , faith , and repentance : and thereby also quicken and reuiue the seeds and beginnings of grace . 1. In what place soeuer thou art , whether alone or abroad , by day or by night , and whatsoeuer thou art doing , set thy selfe in the presēce of God : let this perswasion alwaies take place in thy hart that thou are before the liuīg God : and do thy endeauour , that this perswasion may smite thy heart with awe and reuerence , and make thee afraid to sin . This councell the Lord gaue Abraham . Gen. 17. 1. Walke before me and be vpright . This thing also was practised by Enoch , who for this cause is said to walke with God. 2. Esteeme of euery present day as of the day of thy death : and therefore liue as though thou were dying ; and doe those good duties euery day , that thou wouldest doe if thou were dying . This is Christian watchfulnesse ; and remember it . 3. Make catalogues and bills of thine owne sinnes , specially of those sinnes that haue most dishonoured God , and wounded thine owne conscience : set them before thee oftē , specially then , whē thou hast any particular occasion of renewing thy repentance , that thy heart by this dolefull sight may bee further humbled . This was Dauids practise when hee considered his waies , and turned his feet to Gods commandements , Psal. 119. 57. And when he confessed the sinnes of his youth . Psal. 25 , This was Iobs practise , when he said he was not able to answer one of a thousand of his sinnes vnto God. Iob. 9. 1. 4. When thou first openest thine eyes in a morning , pray to God , and giue him thankes heartily : God then shall haue his honour , and thy heart shall be the better for it the whole day following . For we see in experience , that vessels keepe long the taste of that liquor wherwith they are first seasoned . And when thou liest downe , let that be the last also : for thou knowest not , whether fallen a sleepe , thou shalt euer rise againe aliue . Good therefore it is , that thou shouldest giue vp thy selfe into the hands of God , whilst thou art waking . 5. Labour to see and feele thy spirituall pouerty , that is , to see the want of grace in thy selfe , specially those inward corruptions , of vnbeliefe , pride , selfe-loue , &c. Labour to be displeased with thy self : and labour to feele , that by reason of them , thou standest in neede of euery drop of the blood of Christ to heale and clense thee from those wants : and let this practise take such place with thee , that if thou be demaunded , what in thine estimation is the vilest of the creatures vpon earth ? thine heart and conscience may answer with a loud voice , I , euen I , by reason of mine owne sinnes : and againe , if thou be demaunded , what is the best thing in the world for thee ? thy heart and conscience may answer againe with a strong and loud crie , One drop of the blood of Christ to wash away my sinnes . 6. Shew thy selfe to bee a member of Christ , and a seruant of God , not only in the generall calling of a Christian , but also in the particular calling in which thou art placed . It is nothing for a magistrate to be a Christiā man , but he must also be a Christian magistrate : it is not inough for a master of a family to be a Christiā man , or a Christiā in the Church , but the must also be a Christiā in the family & in the trade which he followeth daily . Not euery one that is a common hearer of the word , and a frequenter of the Lords table , is therefore a good Christian , vnlesse his conuersation in his priuate house , and in his priuate affaires , & dealings be sutable : There , is a man to be seene what he is . 7. Search the scriptures , to see what is sinne , and what is not sinne in euery action : this done , carry in thy heart a constant and resolute purpose , not to sin in any thing : for faith and the purpose of sinning can neuer stand together . 8. Let thine endeauour be sutable to thy purpose : and therefore doe nothing at any time against thy conscience , ritely enformed by the word : exercise thy selfe to eschew euery sinne , and to obey God in euery one of his commandements , that pertaine either to the generall calling of a Christian , or thy particular calling . Thus did good Iosias , who turned vnto God with all his heart , according to all the lawe of Moses . 1. King. 25. 25. and thus did Zacharie and Elizabeth , that walked in all the commandements of God without reproofe , Luk. 1. 6. 9. If at any time against thy purpose and resolution , thou bee ouertaken with any sinne little or great , lie not in it , but speedily recouer thy selfe by repentance : humble thy selfe , confessing thine offence , and by praier intreat the Lord to pardon the same , and that earnestly , till such time as thou findest thy conscience truly pacified , and thy care to eschew the same sinne increased . 10. Consider often of the right and proper ende of thy life in this world , which is not to seeke profit , honour , pleasure , but that in seruing of men , wee might serue God in our callings . God could , if it so pleased him , preserue man without the ministry of man , but his pleasure is to fulfil his worke and will in the preseruation of our bodies , and saluation of our soules , by the imploiment of men in his seruice , euery one according to his vocation . Neither is there so much as a bond slaue , but he must in and by his faithful seruice to his master , serue the Lord. Men therefore doe commonly profane their labours and liues , by aiming at a wrong ende , when all their care consisteth onely in getting sufficient maintenance for them and theirs , for the obtaining of credit , riches , & carnall cōmodities . For thus men serue themselves , & not God , or men : much lesse doe they serue God in seruing of men . 11. Giue all diligence to make thy election sure , and to gather manifold tokens thereof . For this cause obserue the worke of Gods prouidence , loue , and mercy , both in thee and vpon thee , from time to time : for the serious consideration of them , and the laying of them together when they are many and seuerall , minister much direction , assurance of Gods fauour , and comfort . This was the practise of Dauid , 1. Sam. 17 14. Psal. 23. all . 12. Thinke euermore thy present estate whatsoeuer it bee , to bee the best estate for thee : because whatsoeuer befalls thee , though it bee sicknes , or any other affliction , or death , befals thee of the good prouidence of God. That this may the better bee done , labour to see and acknowledge a prouidence of God , as wel in pouertie as in abundance , as well in disgrace as good report , as well in sickenes , as in health , as well in life as in death . 13. Pray continually , I meane not by solemne & set praier , but by secret and inward eiaculatiōs of the heart , that is , by a continuall eleuation of minde vnto Christ , sitting at the right hand of God the Father , and that either by prayer or giuing of thankes so often as any occaon shall be offered . 14. Thinke often of the worst and most grieuous things that may befall thee , either in this life or death for the name of Christ : make a reckoning of them , and prepare thy selfe to beare them : that when they come , they may not seeme strange , but be borne the more easily . 15. Make conscience of idle , vaine , vnhonest and vngodly thoughts : for these are the seedes and beginnings of actuall sin in word & in deed . This want of care in ordering and composing of our thoughts , is often punished with a fearefull temptation in the very thought , called of Diuines , Tentatio blasphemiarum , a tentation of blasphemies . 16. When any good motion or affection riseth in the heart , suffer it not passe away , but feede it by reading , meditating . praying . 17. Whatsoeuer good thing thou goest about , whether it be in word or deed , do it not in a conceit of thy selfe , or in the pride of thy heart , but in humility , ascribing the power whereby thou doest thy worke , and the praise thereof to God , otherwise thou shalt finde by experience , God will curse thy best doings . 18. Despise not ciuill honestie : good conscience and good maners must goe togither : therefore remember to make conscience of lying , and of customable swearing in common talke : contend not either in deede or word with any man , be curteous and gentle to all , good and badde : beare with mens wants and frailties , as hastinesse , frowardnesse , selfeliking , curiousnesse , &c. passing by them as being not perceiued : returne not euill for euill , but rather good for euill : vse meate , drinke , and apparell in that manner and measure , that they may further godlinesse ; and may be as it were signes in which thou maiest expresse the hidden grace of thy heart : Striue not to goe beyond any , vnlesse it be in good things : goe before thine equals in giuing of honour , rather then in taking of it : make conscience of thy word , and let it bee as a bond : professe no more outwardly thē thou hast inwardly in heart : opresse or defraud no man in bargaining : in all companies either doe good , or take good . 19. Cleaue not by inordinate affection to any creature , but aboue all things quiet & rest thy mind in Christ , aboue all dignitie and honour , aboue all cunning and policie , aboue all glorie and honour , aboue all health and beautie , aboue all wealth and treasure , aboue all ioy and delight , aboue al fame & praise , aboue all mirth and consolation , that mans heart can feele or deuise beside Christ. With these rules of practise , ioyne rules of meditation ; whereof I propound sixe vnto thee , as I finde them set downe by a learned Diuine , called Victorius Strigelius . I. Wee must not fall away from God for any creature . II. Infinite eternitie is farre to be preferred before the short race of this mortall life . III. We must hold fast the promise of grace , though wee loose all temporall blessings and they also in death must needes be left . IV. Let the loue of God in Christ , and the loue of the Church for Christ , be strong in thee , and preuaile against all other affections . V. It is the principall arte of a Christian , to beleeue things inuisible , to hope for things deferred , to loue God when hee shewes him to be an enemie , and thus to perseuere vnto the ende . VI. It is a most effectual remedy for any griefe , to quiet our selues in a confidence of the presence and helpe of God : and to aske of him , and withall to waite either for some easement or deliuerance . VII . All the works of God are done in contrarie meanes . FINIS ▪ Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A09436-e180 Lib. 7. in Luc. c. 66. a Si impensè rogatur . on Psal. 36. b Exposit. Epist. Iohn , tract . 4. cap. ● . Hom. of humilitie . c Sup. Cant. Ser. 84. d Tom. 4. pag. 124. e Ib. fol. 156 f Lib. fol. 300 g Resp. ad Acta Colloq . Monpel . h Locor . com . par . 1. i Catechis . l Epistle to Carelesse . m Booke of the markes of Gods children . Com. 4. l. 1. ad Simpli . in fine . Lib. 1. contra . Pelagianos . 
A25298	----	A sound out of Sion from the holy mountain which the Lord is establishing above all the mountains declaring the salvation of God which is near to be revealed to the captivated seed that waits for redemption : and the deceit of sinners laid open and witnessed against who make a profession of God, and yet cannot believe that they can be saved from sin while they live / by William Ames. Ames, William, d. 1662. 1663 Approx. 29 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 8 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-05 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A25298 Wing A3008 ESTC R28292 10492267 ocm 10492267 45168 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A25298) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 45168) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1393:43) A sound out of Sion from the holy mountain which the Lord is establishing above all the mountains declaring the salvation of God which is near to be revealed to the captivated seed that waits for redemption : and the deceit of sinners laid open and witnessed against who make a profession of God, and yet cannot believe that they can be saved from sin while they live / by William Ames. Ames, William, d. 1662. 13 p. Printed and are to be sold by William Warwick, London : 1663. Reproduction of original in the Harvard University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. 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Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Society of Friends -- Doctrines. Salvation. 2004-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-01 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-02 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2004-02 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A Sound out of Sion , From the Holy MOUNTAIN Which the Lord is establishng above all the Mountains . Declaring the salvation of God which is near to be revealed to the captivated Seed that waits for Redemption . And the Deceit of sinners laid open and witnessed against , who make a profession of God , and yet cannot believe that they can be saved from sin while they live . By one who doth rejoice in the Lord his Saviour , William Ames . Truly God is good to Israel , even to such as are of a clean heart , Psal. 73.2 . The Law of the Lord is perfect , converting the soul : The Testimony of the Lord is sure , making wise the simple , Psal. 19. 7. But to the wicked God saith , What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes , or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth ? seeing thou hatest instruction , and castest my words behind thee , Psal. 50. 16. 17 LONDON , Printed , and are to be sold by William Warwick , 1663. A sound out of Sion , from the holy Mountain which the Lord is establishing above all the Mountains , &c. ALL you that make a profession of God , and of Christ , try your selves with the Light that sheweth you sin in your Consciences , and see whether you have fellowship with the Father and the Son , 1 Iohn 1. 3. for all they who have not felship with the Father and the Son , are not of the Church of Christ , for his Church is his body , Col. 1. 18. and he is the Head , and the body hath fellowship with the Head ; and he that hath fellowship with the Son , hath fellowship with the Father also ; for the Father and the Son is one eternal Power by whom all things were made , Iohn 1. 1 , 2 , 3. and he is pure and holy , and they that have unity with him , must be holy as he is holy , 1 Pet. 1. 15. else there is no unity , 2 Cor. 6. 14. nor fellowship ; for this holy God , ( Mal. 3. 6. ) is an unchangeable being , who cannot be reconciled to any thing which is not of himself , because he is holy , pure and immortal ; and all other beings that are not one with this pure being , hath an end , 1 Cor. 15. 28. Now by the Power of this pure God was all things made that is made , and he made man according to his own Image , ( Gen. 1. 7. and 2. 7 ) and breathed into him the breath of Life , and he became a living soul : but man went out from that Life in which he was created , and so dyed to that holy Life in him , and so death came to have dominion , and man became alive in sin and unrighteousness ; and the Life that God had placed in man , became vailed , and so man came tobe estranged from the Life of God , Eph. 4. 18. And thus being estranged from the Life of Righteousnesse , Gen. 6. 5. was filled with unrighteousness , and the Life and Power in which he was created , became his Adversary , and man became an Enemy to God , and a habitation of uncleannesse . And from the pure and holy God went forth a Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World , Iohn 1. 9. and this Light beareth witness in the Consciences of all mankind , against unrighteousness , by which every man knoweth sin ; and this Light is set against man , to keep him out from the Tree of Life , so long as he is in the enmity , left he should eat and live , Gen. 3. 24. And this Light is one with God , for it is the true Light of the Son of God that lighteth every man that cometh into the World , which is the condemnation of the World , and proceedeth from the same power by which all things were created ; and this is manifested in the Conscience of every man , to lead him out of unrighteousness , which by it is condemned , and to lead into peace with God all those who follow it , Iohn 1. 12. And so all they who follow this Light , they follow the Son of God , who is made a quickening Spirit , 1 Cor. 15. 45. and by him comes the Life of Righteousness to be quickened in them , and the unrighteous being to be destroyed and cast out ; For this Light condemns all unrighteousness , and they who follow it , vvalk in the cross to the unrighteous lusts and desires vvhi●h moveth in the flesh , and is obedient to the Light by vvhich they are condemned ; and so the unrighteous Povver comes to be crucified , and the povver in vvhich man vvas created , comes to be quickned , and so the second Adam comes to be knovvn vvho is made a quickening spirit , and doth reconcile to God through the death of the cross , Col. 1. 21. every one that believeth in him , & keepeth his commandments , and in them cometh the pure life of God to be raised ; by vvhich Life purification is vvrought , and man is brought into unity vvith God , the enmity being slain in man through the obedience of the Cross , Eph. 2. 16. Here comes the pure Life to have dominion in man , and man becomes the Temple of the Holy God , Eph. 2. 21. and this is redemption . For man being obedient to the lusts and motions of the flesh , he became the servant of sin , and so vvas free from righteousness , Rom. 6. 20. for righteousness is in bondage in him , and unrighteousness bears rule , and this is the captivity of Iacob ; for the life of righteousnesse being lost , there is nothing brought forth but unrighteousness , and the pure Seed of God that beareth witness in the Conscience against unrighteousness , is kept in prison ; and although it cryes , there is none that answers nor obeyeth it , but the lusts and desires which lead to lying , swearing , drunkenness , covetousness , idolatry , and all wickedness , hate , malice , envy , murder witchcraft , and such like , is obeyed and followed ; and here are all men in the enmity , which is against God , Eph. 2. 3. and are the heirs of wrath and condemnation : And this is the unhappy state , for there is no other unhappiness , then to have the pure God to an Enemy , and so to be an heir of his wrath ; and he is an Enemy to all impurity ; and they that act impurity , are in the enmity against him , Col. 1. 21. Therefore hath he given his Son a Light in the World , and hath lighted every man that cometh into the World , to seek and to save that which was lost , Luke 19. 10. Purity is lost , Holiness is lost , Righteousness is lost , the knowledge of God is lost , peace with God is lost : Now they that turn to the Light , they turn to the Son in whom the Father is well-pleased , Matt. 3. 17. who hath long sought man who is lost from it , and hath convinced of sin in the Conscience , and hath sought to lead out of sin into righteousness , that it which was lost might be found and saved . Now every one that turneth to the Son , the Light which seeketh in the Conscience , they come to find that which was lost , and to be found of it , who have been lost from it , and come to know hol●nesse , and righteousnesse , and peace , and knowledge of God brought forth in them ; and here comes the Life of God which was lost , and from which they were lost , they being without it , to be redeemed in them ; and so that which was lost , comes to be found and saved , and the Life of unrighteousness which was exalted in man above all that is of God , comes to be destroyed , and here comes the lofty to be cast down , and him of low degree to be exalted , Luke 1. 52. and here comes man to be brought into happiness ; for as there is no other unhappiness but in the losse of that pure life in which man was created , and so the losse of the friendship , unity , knowledge and peace of God ; even so there is no other happiness then the finding and the enjoying of that which was lost ; for as by the losing of that pure Life , all men are out of Covenant with God , so no man is brought in Covenant with God , until that be found which wa lost . So that being found which was lost , here comes the glorious Church to be redeemed , that is without spot or wrinkle , or any such thing , Eph. 5. 27. of which Christ is the Head , with whom God is one ; and in that pure Life have they fellowship with God , and he with them , and so they are one in Christ who lighteth every man that cometh into the World , as he is oue with the Father ; and this is the unity and fellowship of the Church of Christ. Now all you that profess God and Christ , and say you do hope to be saved by Christ , and yet are condemned by his Light in your Consciences ; tell me , What is the ground of your hope , seeing the measure of God in your Consciences condemns you , with whom God is one ? By whom then do you think to be justified , seeing Christ condemns you ? for he is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World ; and by him is all unrighteousness in the World condemned , Iohn 3. 19. and he cannot be reconciled to any unrighteous being , because he is one with the Father ; therefore hath the Fathercommitted all Judgement unto him Iohn 5. 22. because he judgeth righteously , & he is unchangeable ; & therefore if he condemn you now for sin , do not think that he will justifie you hereafter , except you forsake your sin , that so the purity of his Life may be brought forth in you , and so you come to be transformed into his Image , Heb. 1. 3. who is the glory of the incorruptible God ; for holiness hath no union with unholiness , 2 Cor. 6. 14 , nor purity with impurity , nor light with darknesse ; and therefore the holy eternal God being unchangeable , the change must be wrought in you who are unholy , by the saving Grace of God which hath appeared unto you all , Tit. 2. 11. which is the Light that condemneth sin in the Conscience , if ever you come to have unity with him . And all they who obey the Light with which they are enlightned , they come to find Christ to be the Minister of righteousness , Isa. 32. 1. administring the righteous Judgements of God upon the unrighteous nature , and so comes all that in man that would not have him to reign , to be slain by him , and so he cometh ( who is the Life and Power in the which man was created ) to have dominion in man over all , who is God blessed for ever . Now all you that say , Though you are sinners , yet you hope to be saved , because God is merciful and ready to forgive sin , and with this hope do comfort your selves , and do not seek to depart from sin , neither do you believe that you can be freed from sin . I tell you , your hope shall perish at the appearing of the God of Iacob ; for how can you be saved by the mercy of God , when you refuse to receive it ? For this is the mercy of God , That he hath given his Son a Light in the World , that all they who receive him , might receive power to become the sons of God , Ioh. 1. 12. by which Power they are redeemed from sin , and made heirs of Eternal Life ; and no sinner is heir of Eternal Life , but he that sinneth , is condemned in his Conscience by the Light of Christ which God in mercy hath given to save from sin all that receive him . Now this Light lets you see that you should not lye , swear , steal , defraud , or speak evilly , &c. but you for sake the motions of the Light , and do follow the motions of Satan , which moves you to act unrighteousness , and so you refuse the mercy and saving-Grace of God , and you chuse to obey the motions of Satan , which lead to act unrighteousness , and yet you lean upon the Lord , and say you hope he will be merciful to forgive you your sins , although you hate to obey his mercy in whom forgiveness of sins is received * : And thus your hope is the hope of the hypocrite , and shall perish , for he that hath the true hope , purifies himself as God is pure , 1 Iohn 3. 3 but you believe you cannot be made pure , and so you are reprobate to that Faith which purifies the heart , and gives victory over the World , 1 Iohn 5. 4. And therefore all you vvho do hope to be saved by your Faith , and yet do live in sin and unrighteousness , and have not so much Faith as to believe that you shall ever be freed from unrighteousness while you live ( because the way of Truth you know not ) what Faith is that which you trust in , seeing it is the just that liveth by Faith , Heb. 10. 28. and you are unjust ? Is not your Faith without works , Iames 2. 20. and so dead , seeing that you believe that your Faith hath not so much power to work that in you which was wrought in the Saints of old by the●r Faith ; which works were these , Acts 159 By Faith were the●r hearts purified , Rom. 5. 1. By Faith were they justified , and had peace with God ; and their Faith gave them victory over the World ; and this you believe you cannot attain unto while you live ; and have you now not good reason to question your Faith , seeing it worketh not the same effects which was wrought in them who had the true Faith ? Doth it not appear that your Faith is not the same Faith which they had , by which they were justified , 2 Cor. 1. 12. and did receive in the testimony of their Conscience , that they had walked before God uprightly and holily , seeing that the same Light condemneth you in your consciences , which justified them , and you do believe you shall not be justified before God in your Consciences while you live . Now if you have Faith without Works , do you think that Faith wil save you , except the Works of Faith be brought forth in you ? Iam. 2. 19. And is not the Devils Faith so good as yours , who doth believe and tremble before the just Judgments of God * ? But you having not so much feeling , do harden your selves against judgment , and doth comfort your selves in your disobedience . And yet wil you say you serve the Lord , although you have given your selves over to serve Satan ? For sin is a Work of the Devil , and where the Works are brought forth , there is the Worker ; and you do believe you cannot be freed from sin , and have you not then given your selves over to obey Satan , Rom. 6. 17. and his servants you are to whom you obey ; and therefore when Satan moves you to commit sin , you obey him , because you believe you cannot do otherwise ; and so your Faith is so far from purifying your hearts , that it leads you into impurity : And although you are convinced by the Light of God in your Consciences , that you should not sin , yet you believe not in the Light ( which if you did , it would purifie your hearts ) but you do believe and follow him who leads you to commit sin , and you do not believe that that of God which convinceth you that you should not sin , is able to deliver you from sin * ; and so you are the unbelievers who make God a lyar , in not believing the testimony which he hath given of his Son , 1 Iohn 5. 10. And so to the righteousness of God are you disobedient , you being the servants of sin ; for you cannot serve two Masters , if you are servants of sin , you are free from righteousness , Rom. 6. 20. and are not the servants of Christ ; for he is not the Minister of sin , Gal. 2. 17. but you serve Satan who is the Author of sin , and your Faith leads you no further than to serve him ; and therefore that cannot be the Faith which gives peace with God ; for there is no peace from God to the wicked , Isa. 48. 22. much less to those who believe they shall never be made righteous ; and so hath made a Covenant with death and Hell , to commit sin so long as you live ; you are not those who do wait for the Saviour to save you from sin , but do comfort your selves with your vain imaginations , and being ignorant of the righteousness of God which is made manifest in all those who believe in the Light , to take away sin . You think to be saved by your own righteousnesse , in making a profession from the words of the holy men of God , although you are unholy ; and you do believe you shall never be made holy while you live ; and so you make likenesses , and bow down to them , although the Scripture which you professe , saith , Thou shalt not make the likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above , or in the Earth beneath , nor in the waters under the Earth ; Exod. 20.4 . but you being ignorant of the substance , have nothing but the likenesse , which you bow unto , and say Christ hath commanded you so to do , when you have neither heard his voice , nor seen his shape ; but that which you have , you have gathered into your imaginations by reading the Scripture , and do endeavour to get into a form of godlinesse , but the Power you never look for while you live ; for they that have the power of godliness , by it are they redeemed from sin ; but you believe that cannot be in this life : And thus are you strangers to the life of Saints . And yet you will own the Name of Christians , and say you are baptized in his Name , although you believe you shall never be partakers of his Life while you live . And so it appears that your Baptism is not the Baptism of Christ ; for as many as are baptized into Christ , are baptized into his death , and are made partakers of the resurrection of his Life , and are made free from sin , Rom. 6. 3 , 7. but your Baptism cannot free from sin ; for we see drunkards , swearers , lyars , thieves , murderers , and such like who are baptized with your baptism , and yet remain so ; and therefore it is an abomination to God , and it is a likeness which the Lord forbids , who saith , Thou shalt not make any likeness ; and this you have , but the substance you never look for while you live ; and so your hearts being not circumcised by the circumcision of Christ , in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh ; you cannot understand the things of God , because you are not buried with him in baptism . And yet will you boast of the Lord's Table , although you believe you shall never be freed from the Table of Devils while you live ; for you believe you cannot be freed from sin , and he that committeth sin , is partaker with Satan ; and he that takes part with Satan , is God's Enemy , and is shut out from the Lord's Table . And then you take Bread and Wine , and eat and drink it , and call that the Lord's Supper , and say he did so with his Apostles the same night that he was betrayed ; and this is false ; for that Bread which he gave his Disciples , was his Body , ( Iohn 6. 51. Matth. 26. 26 , 27 , 28. Mark. 14. 22 , 23 , 24 Luke 22. 19. 20. 1 Cor. 11. 23 , 24. ) which you are ignorant of , who call outward Bread and Wine the Lord's supper , for that is not his Body : And Christ said , The Bread that I will give you , is my flesh . And when the time drew near that he should go to the Father , he brake that bread , and gave it them , and said , Take , eat , this is my body ; and after they had eaten , he took the Cup , and gave it them , and said , Drink ye all of it , this is my Blood which is shed for many for the remission of sins : And this was the same that Paul did administer to the Corinthians ; and the Cup of blessing was the communion of the blood of Christ ; and the bread which they did break , was the communion of the body of Christ , and this did God ordain ; but yours is a likeness which God is against , and it must be destroyed . And because you read in Scripture , that the holy men of God did sing because the Lord had redeemed them ; therefore you who are unholy , have made songs of their words , and you sing , who never know what Redemption was . Moses and the children of Israel did sing because the Lord had redeemed them out of the hands of Pharoah , Exod. 15. and that which they spoke in their song , in them was truth ; but if you sing their words , and are not partakers of their deliverance , are you not lyars . Deborah and Barack sung , Iudg. 5. because the Lord had delivered them , and had destroyed the Enemies of Israel : But what rule is this for you to sing , who cannot believe that sin ( which is Israels Enemy ) can be destroyed in you while you live ; and they that were redeemed unto God out of Kindreds , Tongues and Nations , ( Rev. 14. 3. & 15. 3. ) sung a new song , the song of Moses the servant of God , and the song of the Lamb , because they were redeemed by him ; but what caufe have you to sing , who are strangers to this redemption ? and the Apostle said , Be not ov●rcome with Wine , but be filled with the Spirit , speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns , and spiritual songs , making melody in your hearts unto God , Eph. 5. 18 , 19 But what melody is there in your hearts unto God , who are strangers to his Spirit , and are filled with excess of the Wine of the Fornication of the Whore , with which all Nations are become drunk , and do believe you cannot be cleansed from it while you live . David when he was delivered , and did keep the ways of the Lord , and had not wickedly departed from his God , 2 Sam. 22. 22 23. he declared the wonderful Works of God , and did sing to the glory of his Name ; and you have made songs of his words , who depart from God daily , and do believe you cannot keep the ways of the Lord ; and is not this hypocrisie , to profess the words of them who were holy , seeing you are unholy , and strangers to their Life ? And thus all your singing , and all your prayers , and all your Ordinances are an abomination to God , because they are wrought by that nature which is not subject to the Law of God , neither indeed can be , and your hearts are poluted with uncleanness , and you are not obedient to the righteousnesse of God , Christ Jesus the Light of the World , that lighteth every man that cometh into the World , which convinceth you of sin in your consciences , and beareth witnesse for God against your unrighteousnesse : This is he who God hath given to be his salvation to the ends of the Earth , Isa. 49. 6. And because you do not obey this Teacher near you , therefore you are not saved , but you wander up and down ( many of you ) from Mountain to Hill to seek a covering , but nothing can cover you from his presence ; for he is near that condemns you , and then how can you be justified ? For they who are not in him , and he in them , cannot be justified before God. And you follow the teachings of men whose minds are corrupt , who withstand the Truth as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses , 2 Tim. 3. who creep into Houses , and lead silly women captive , who are laden with sin , and led away with divers lusts , always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth . Now all you who are led captive under their traditions and ordinances which they teach , some for filthy lucre , others out of pride being puffed up with knowledge in the Letter , are you not those whom the Apostle speaks of , who are laden with sin ? and are you not led away with divers lusts ? and after you have learned twenty , thirty , forty or fifty years , do you know any more of God than when you first began ? but still you remain serving your lusts , until you are taken away from the Earth . And if any come to witnesse redemption through Jesus Christ , and do declare against your evil deeds , then are you those who are enraged , and cries out , These are the seducers , when you your selves are sinners , and so are seduced ; for there is no other seducing them to commit sin , and all sinners are seduced ; and yet you say of those who witnesse Christ in them redeeming from sin , these are the false Prophets that should come in sheeps cloathing , for we do not believe ( say you ) that any can be freed from sin while he lives ; and herein you manifest your selves to be the false Prophets you speak of ; for you cover your selves with the Lambs words , and with a profession thereof ; but you are so far from being partaker of his Life , that you believe you cannot attain unto it ; for where the Lamb of God is made manifest , he taketh away sin ; but where sin hath dominion , there is the Lamb of God slain ; and you do believe sin must have dominion in you while you live , and then are you not the Wolves who devoureth the Lambs , and yet clothe your selves with the Wool , making a profession of Christ , and yet are Enemies to his Life ; for there is no other enmity against God , but sin ; and there is nothing that condemns sin but Christ , who lighteth every man that cometh into the World ; for the Father hath committed all Judgement unto him , for he judgeth righteously , he will not condemn the righteous , neither will he justifie the sinner in his sin , but every one who departeth from sin , and taketh up his Crosse and followeth him through death , he will in no wise cast off . But all you who think to be justified because of your outward profession , outward Baptism , outward Supper , outward singing , outward praying , and yet your inward parts poluted with sin ; you stink in the nostrils of God because of your hypocrisie , to profess the words of those who were holy , while you are unholy ; for God desireth truth in the inward parts , Psal. 51. 6. and without holiness none can see God ; Heb. 12. 14. but you are so far from having truth and holiness in the inward parts , that you believe it cannot be attained to ; and so all your profession is no more than that which the Iews had , who crucified the Lord of Life ; for they professed the words of the holy men of God , and so do you ; but truth and holiness in the inward parts had they not , neither have you ; and he who was the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World , did they crucifie , and so do you ; for with your sins you cross the true Light which convinceth you of sin , and so did they ; and this is the reason that truth and holiness is not brought forth in your inward parts . And thus all the Works by which you think to be justified in your profession , are dead Works , they being wrought by that nature which crucifies that Life in whose Works God is well-pleased , and to repentance from dead Works are you not come , but in your dead Works do think to be just fied , and therefore are you so ignorant of the Works of Eternal Life which are wrought in all that are justified by Christ Jesus , who is the Life eternal , and worketh in all that receive him to will and to do , Phil. 2. 13. in whose Works the Father is well-pleased ; and by the power of his working in us , are we redeemed from the power of Satan , and are made to rejoice in the Lord our Saviour . And therefore cease from all false Teachers , who cry peace peace , where there is no peace , Ier. 6. 14. and tell you , you shall be justified , although in your Consciences you are condemned ; these are the false Teachers who are against Christ , and they preach peace to such whom Christ Jesus condemns by his Light with which he hath lighted every man ; but against such who are redeemed by Christ , and do witnesse them to be lyars , they prepare war : And they perswade you that you cannot be saved from sin while you live . And thus they deny the Power of God to save from sin , and would perswade you that the Lord's hand is shortned that it cannot save : And thus they delude you until the measure of your iniquity is full , and then you must receive a reward according to your works , Wrath , Tribulation and Anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil . But if you turn to the Light with which you are lighted , you turn to the true Teacher which will alwayes be present with you to lead you into the pathes of righteousness , where is peace eternal , and rejoicing in the Testimony of your consciences , 2 Cor. 1. 12. and the Law of God will be written in your hearts , Heb. 10. 16. by which sin will be condemned in your flesh , 1 Pet. 4. 6. and there will the power of God be manifest to destroy sin ; and thus you will receive the pure water , ( Heb. 10. 22. ) which purifieth from sin ; and this is obtained in obeying the Light with which you are lighted ; for that is truth , and is no lye , and it manifesteth the thoughts and intents of the heart ; and therefore they who receive it , need not that any man teach them , for they are taught by the annointing , 1 Iohn 2. 27. and they need not to teach one another , saying , Know the Lord , ( Iereremiah 31 : 34. ) for they following the Light , do come to find the Law in their hearts and the Spirit of God in their inward parts , by which they know God from the least to the greatest ; and he that knoweth not this condition , but remains learning of men , such a one is a stranger to the New Covenant . Given forth for the Seeds sake , who groan for redemption , by one who desires that righteousnesse may be established , William Ames , THE END . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A25298-e200 * And therefore the mercy of God condemns you , because you wil not receive it , nor obey it . * Because of his disobedience . * And therefore you follow it not , but reject it , and so you despise the Grace of God. 
A12815	----	The day of salvation, or, A homily upon the bloody sacrifice of Christ, or his death and passion written, and intended onely for private meditation of a most noble and vertuous lady, on Good-Friday last, but since thought worthy the publique view / by Anthony Stafford ... Stafford, Anthony. 1635 Approx. 74 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 96 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A12815 STC 23122 ESTC S1730 21509421 ocm 21509421 24704 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A12815) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 24704) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1716:11) The day of salvation, or, A homily upon the bloody sacrifice of Christ, or his death and passion written, and intended onely for private meditation of a most noble and vertuous lady, on Good-Friday last, but since thought worthy the publique view / by Anthony Stafford ... Stafford, Anthony. [22], 168 [i.e. 164] p. By N. and I. Okes, for Daniel Frere at the Red Bull in Little Brittaine, Printed at London : 1635. Signatures: A¹²(-A1) B-G¹² H¹⁰. Errors in paging: numbers 114, 119-121 skipped in the pagination. Imperfect: engraved t.p. lacking; tightly bound, with slight loss of print. Reproduction of original in the British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. 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Sermons, English -- 17th century. 2005-11 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-12 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-10 Ali Jakobson Sampled and proofread 2006-10 Ali Jakobson Text and markup reviewed and edited 2007-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE DAY OF SALVATION . OR , A HOMILY UPON the bloody Sacrifice of CHRIST , or his Death and Passion . Written , and intended onely for private Meditation of a most Noble and Vertuous Lady , on Good-Friday last , but since thought worthy the publique view . By Anthony Stafford Gent. Printed at London by N. and I Ok●s ▪ for Daniel Frere at the Red Bull in Little Brittaine , 1635. TO THE MOST Happy Mistresse of all imaginable Graces ▪ which beautifie and ennoble both Body and Mind , the Lady THEOPHILA COKE . Madame . THis censorious Age wants not many who judge of Bookes by their Vollume , and such will thinke the Dedication of this short Discourse rather a Disparagement then an Honour to your Ladiship , not confidering the Dignity of the Contents , nor the limits of a Homily . The curiosity of this their Voluminous ignorance , I shall very shortly satisfie by placing your Ladiships name before a farre greater Worke ; which ( Heaven asststing ) may Eternize You and it selfe . In the meane time , to the more knowing , this Treatise will appeare as great in Value as small in Bulke . The Subject of it is the Obiect of our faith , and the Worker of our Redemption , Christ Iesus , without whose meritorious Oblation man were more miserable then the Beasts themselves , or the very stones he treads on , to whom there is no paine after this Life , no Hell awarded . Had not He endured unexpressable torments on the Crosse , wee had never beene pertakers of the inconceiveable ioyes in Heaven . It is not with us Christians , as with the Heathen ; for the rifing of the Sunne they adore brings them light , but the setting of the Sunne we worship gives us an Eternall Day . This bitter Passion of his , that wee might remember hee instituted his last Supper ; the principall time of whose Celebration is now at hand . You have a Soule cleare , and prepar'd to entertayne this Royall Guest , in whom Maiesty , and Humility gave each other the first kisse . You have the peace of Conscience farre above that of Nations , which commonly is made upon necessity , and broken upon advantage , whereas this ▪ is fixt ( like the great Infuser of it ) and transcends all humane happinesse whatsoever . You have a Charity ready to embrace all that meere it , and to pardon all that provoke it , You are friends with all , and surely none Enemies to you . If any such there are , they can be no other then the Windfalls of Nature , such as neither Vertue , nor any of her generous Brood will stoope to gather . You have no crying Vices that call upon GOD for Vengeance , but crying Vertues you have many , which call upon Men for applanse & admiration . These perfections of yours , Madame , will receive , if no encrease , certainly no diminution by the pervsall of this sad Discourse , which will infect you with sorrow ; but such a noble one , as will well become you , and render you amiable in the eyes of your Redeemer . Hee long preserve your Ladiship on earth , a glory to your Sexe , Nane , and Nation , and give You a seate in Heaven next your most excellent Mother , the very imputation of whose pious and Heroicke actions is able to restore luster to a Family as long lost to Honour , & Vertue as Yours hath enjoyed their glorious Shine . And this prayer shall be as extensive as the life of Madam , Your Ladiships most humble loyall servant , Anthony Stafford . To the Peninent Reader . SOme more accute then modest , affirme that the Redemption of the World is a more powerfull worke then the Creation : a holy Reverence forbids me to compare such Transcendents , but upon the warrant of Truth , I dare maintayne that man for whose use and service all things visible are made without this last , saving oblation of our Saviour had beene the most wretched of all Creatures . GOD at first fram'd him of Earth , and Created him after his owne Image , but he ungratful , disobedient ; proud , arrogant , ambitious , aspiring to be like his Maker in Knowledge , became most like the Divill his seducer in wickednesse . In this desperate Estate was Man , damn'd ere borne , and once conceived was no other then a vile froth , or a coagulation of impure blood , which turn'd into flesh , nurs'd , and brought up with never so great care becomes at length the food of Wormes . He being such , perswaded the Lord of Heaven and Earth ( in whose sight the very Starres themselves are darke and impure ) to take upon him what in man was so abject , the image of his humanity . Which when hee had assumed hee came into the World , and sought in vaine for a place of Repose , and finding none amongst men , hee tooke up his lodging with the beasts . Yet doubted hee not , but man upon a more familiar conversation with him , would be wonne by his all saving Doctrine , his infinite benefits , and his stupendious miracles at least gently , if not R●ally to receive him . Wherefore hee appl●e● himselfe wholly to gayne his affection , with whose Nature he was in love so many thousand yeares before hee tooke it on him , himselfe confessing : His delight to be amongst the Sonnes of men . All his actions tended to the contentment of this his beloved . If any Widow bewailed her only sonne , if any sister her brother , he restored life to both . Where bread was wanting his miracle suffic'd . Hee did not abhorre the company of Publicans and Sinners . This Heavenly Physition stood alwayes environ'd with these internall Lepers , whose perfect cure hee made his first care . At length when he did confidently ( as wel he might ) expect at least thanks for these his innumerable Graces and Favours , he found nothing lesse . When with a longing thirst he lookt for Grapes from his Vineyard , she produc'd him nothing but Thornes , with which ( as full of scorne , as void of pitty ) she crown'd and pierc'd his sacred head . To expresse my selfe more clearely ; hee dyed by them whose conversion hee had labour'd living , and whose Salvation hee prayed for dying . This inhumane Act of theirs , though in it selfe most horrid and abhominable ; yet to us was infinitely advantagious ; for by this his plenary redemption , the defect of our satisfaction is supplied . Yet without application of this Divine Remedy to our infected Soules , they will still retayn their malignity . For as hee who hath heard of Sugar , yet hath never tasted it , knowes the name of Sugar , but of the sweetenesse and Vertue hee is vtterly ignorant : So hee who onely heares and knowes there is a Christ , but doth not by Faith rellish his meritorious sufferings , hee may be well acquainted with the name of Christ , but hee is a stranger to his merits and Passion . Let us not deceive our selves , my condoling Reader , through any vayne hope of enioying a blessed and eternal life by any other way : for neither by the Academy new or old , nor by the curious disputes of * Lyceum , nor by any other meanes in Heauen , or on Earth , within our selves by the observation of the Law , nor without us by the deserts of other holy men , or Angell are wee saved , but ▪ by the Voluntary shedding of his most precious blood . Let us not therefore loose the interest wee have , in his Crucifixion , but make it appeare by the purity and sobriety of our lives , how much wee resent the bitternesse of his Death . Though wee are in the World , yet let us shewe we are not of it , & though in the flesh , yet freed from his Empire and power ; let us follow this our Triumphant Redeemer , though not in Body , yet in Soule , in longing , and affectionate Vowes and Wishes , and on the wings of Contemplation flye to his Crosse . There let us lay downe all our vncleane , lustfull , and revengefull thoughts , our Pride and fond opinion of Science , the vanity and ryot of our youth , the Avarice and morosity of our Age , together with the whole swarme of our infirmities . Neyther let us only lay them downe , but with Knees cleaving to the Earth , with Eyes fixed on Heaven , with sighs and groanes fetcht from the very center of our penitent hearts invoke him to bury them so deepe in his oblivion , that they never rise up in iudgement agaynst us . Amen Lord Iesus , Amen , Amen . THE DAY OF SALVATION ▪ OR A HOMILY UPON the Bloody Sacrifice of Christ , or his Death and PASSION . THis Day , this saddest of dayes , our Sweetest Saviour , ( who not only tooke upon him our Nature , but to rescue it also out off the iawes of Death and Hel ) by those to whom , and for whose cause hee came , whom before he had saluted by his Embassadours , and warned of his approach ( Earth being strucken with trembling , and Heaven with blindnesse ) was brought to a most execrable end . The sad remembrance whereof rather requires the teares of the faithfull , then the Eloquence of Oratours : wherfore I must leave mine eyes to deliver that which my Pen cannot . A holy Extasie is heere more seemly , then a curious Inquisition ; the Passion of Christ being as inexplicable as his Generation , which all daring spirits hitherto haue failed to explain , though not their own insolent ignorance in the bold attempt . We may aswell conceive how Jesus upon the Crosse had the particuler Id●as in his minde of all those for whom he was to suffer , as how he endured the extreamity of those torments . Whosoever will rivet his soule into the languishing life of this blessed one , shall finde it nought else but an extended torture . Whether the Epistle of Lentulus to the Senate of Rome bee Authenticke or no , I know● not ; sure I am , many things in it are consonant to truth ; and this particular especially , that this deare Master of ours was never seene to laugh , but to weep often . Alas , at what should hee laugh ? to see his owne people not owne him , eyther for their lawfull King , or potent Redeemer ? needes must hee be afflicted for the ingratitude of their hearts , but more for the danger of their Soules : for hardly would they be induced to undergoe the Spirituall yoake , that would not put on the Temporall . Should hee laugh at his Poverty , or its more miserable concommitant derision ? Should hee laugh at Hunger , his Thirst , his Nakednesse , and that no Roofe vouchsafed him covering , save his owne heavenly Arch ? Should hee laugh at the persecution of his Friends , and his seperation from them , a divorce of all other ( next to that of Soule and Body ) the most cruell , especially if you wel consider the Queene and glory of her Sexe , his blessed Mother to have beene one of them ? or should hee laugh to have his sacred Eares scorcht with horrid blasphemy against Himselfe and his Almighty Father ? Well might hee be stiled the Man of Griefes , who exiled from his owne heavenly inconceiv●able ioyes , could never conceive what an earthly ioy meant : Scarce had this Holy Professor vented his All-saving Doctrine , but destruction dog'd him at the heeles , and Malice disgorg'd upon him all her base Epithets , as seducing , impious , lunaticke , blasphemous ; nay , some of her venemous brood not onely call'd , but held him a divell , and a Tormentor , to whom he he had demonstrated the infallible signes of a God , and the tender affection of a Saviour . O strange confusion , caused by a stranger stupidity ! were ever soules but these , so purblinde , as to take the Creatour of Light for the Prince of darkenesse ? never yet was there such an obstinate ignorance heard of , as to thinke that Vice and Vertue can blend . They could not but discover all the never erring markes of goodnesse and truth in his lookes , his words & actions ; and could these brutes imagine that Piety and Impiety , Truth and Falsehood can lodge under the same Roofe ? that God can out of stones raise up Children unto Abraham wee reade , and gladly beleeve ; but here we most unwillingly finde , that ( by his Divine permission ) the divell is able to turne men into stones . A happy Meditation , was it of the truely humiliated St. Francis , who seeing a poore single Lambe amongst many Goates , said to his Companion , see'st thou that solitary Lambe ? iust so did our dearest Messias walke amongst the Pharises . When Truth had bin a long time banish't this lower world shee came swimming in to it againe in a Crimson , flood of this meek● one , and his Martyrs : who as hee was more pure and immaculate : so was he likewise more miserable then any of his Types . Never did halfe a span of life containe so many miseries , during his conversation heere below , he had nothing without him that could make him amiable , being contemned in his owne person , in his Disciples , and followers . Hee was of the blood Royall , indeed ; but then when the glory of it was quite eclipsed . Amongst the Israelites , but at a time when they were Captived to the Romans : Borne of a Virgin , but so poore , that she was espoused to a C●rp●●ter : At his Birth worship't by many Shepheards , but by a few Wise men , three onely : Persecuted by Herod , and living in such a retired obscurity untill the time of his Baptisme , that John himselfe knew him not . But let us examine ▪ more particularly his miseries , and beginning with his Birth , pace on dolefully with him to his Death , by which wee shall finde that he came into this World , and continued in it with the same misery and ignominy hee left it . Where was he borne ? in Jerusalem ? no. In a stately Pallace ? no. Where then ? in Bethlem , a poore Village , that the World not without Amazement might behold Obscurity bring forth Glory . In what place in Bethlem ? in a poore Inne . In what part of the Inne ? in the Stable , where the first Ayre he breathed stunke of several Ordures . Hee was welcomed indeed into the World with lowd Musicke , but it was a wild one , made by an Oxe and an Asse His lodging promised neither Honor nor safety , for hee lay with Beasts , and at their mercy ; but heere no doubt , was to be seene a most pleasing spectacle , a brutish Innocency worshipping a Heavenly . No sooner was He borne , but Hee lost Blood in his Circumcisi●● ▪ no sooner Circum●is'd , then destin'd to slaughter . Vsurping Herod trembled at the Birth of this Almighty Babe , who was indeed the true KING of the Iewes . He therefore vowed his Death , which to procure , he insinuated himselfe into the good graces of the Wisemen , and besought them to acquaint him with the abode of the child , that hee also might come and Worship him . But they knowing by Divine Revelation , his bloody meaning , gave him the slip , and returned into their own Countrey another way . Seeing this plot frustrated , hee makes a Massacre of all the male● from two yeares olde and under ( hoping inclusively to cut off his new born Prince , ) whose immaculate soules ●lew backe to their Maker , adornd with their Primitive beauty , and their innocent blood cryed for Uengeance at his hands . Here also the cruel intentions of this Tyrant were deluded , for the poverty of this holy Lambe was his security , which did so Eclipse him , that hee could not by his owne lustre be discerned and betrayed . Moreover the quiet of his parents by day , and their sleep by night were continually disturbed with divine Dreames and Visions touching his preservation . Alas , what had this pretty one done , that could incite this bloody monster to study his ruine ? He had slaine none of the Herodian family , or the Iewish race , that hee should be made a Parentation * . It was Love not Malice invited him to descend from his heavenly habitation : His comming was to shed no blood but his owne , and that for the Salvation of others . Yet was his incomparable Mother forced to flie as farre as Aegypt , to save the deare life of this sweete one , guilty neither in thought , word , nor act . Long was he banded to and fro betweene the Ministers of the divell , who now easeth his servants , and becomes himselfe in person his Tormentor . He first leads him into the Wildernesse , hoping either to starve him , or that hunger would provoke him to Blaspheme . After he had fasted fortie Dayes , and fortie Nights , hee propounds to him a tryall of his Godhead : If , saith hee , thou be the Son of God , command that these Stones be made Bread : Now , though Christs Omnipotency could not onely have turned those stones into bread , but the whole Globe of the Earth into one Loafe : yet at the divels instigation he would not do it , neither did his owne necessity require it : and therefore he gave him to understand , that his food was supernaturall , to wit , the Word of his Father , a dyet which his scorcht pallat could not rellish . Next he sets him on a Pinacle of the Holy Temple , where hee makes another experiment of his Deity : If , saith he , thou be the Sonne of God , cast thy selfe downe , &c. Here againe , though Christ could have walked , or flowne in the Aire , or stood fixt in it , ( a thing no way difficult to him ) yet having taken our flesh upon him , hee would in all things doe like a man ; and therefore there being a paire of staires , hee would not neglect the ordinary meanes of descending . Moreover , he was not ignorant , that Sathan had impaired the Text , which sayes , that God should give his Angels charge over him in all his waies : but a desperate precipitation becomes not a Christian , much lesse Christ himselfe ; and therefore could be none of his waies . Last of all , hee placeth him on the top of an exceeding high Mountaine , where he makes a third proofe of his Divinity : Having thence shewed him all the Kingdomes of the Earth , and the glory of them , he maks him this large promise , All these things , saith he , will I give thee , if thou wilt fall downe and worship mee : This last Test hee knew to bee infallible ; for if hee were the Lord of Light , he would never abase himselfe so far , as to worship the Prince of darknes . But heere I cannot wonder enough , how a spirit not dull'd by actuating a fleshy body , should bee so foolish , as to propound that as a reward of Christs worship , which was his owne before ; for hee could not but know , that Christs Dominion extended not onely over both the Globes , but even his owne Hell it selfe . Finding at length our blessed Saviour in all things unanswerable , hee left him , and gave him over once againe into the hands of his Damned Agents , whom hee had furnisht with full instructions how to torture , and afflict him . After a long consultation the 1. thing their inveteterate malice excepted against , was his Preaching ( which , though it had made others Saints ) turned them into Furies , an evident proofe that the doctrine of Salvation is loath some , to soules full gorged with the surfeits of sinne . Truth of her selfe is perswasive , but passing through that mouth , and delivered with so sweet an Eloquution , so gratious a Countenance ▪ mee thinks shee should Civilize Barbarisme it selfe , penetrate the most obdurate hearts , and Force Attention from the very Divels . But these Spiders suck venome from this Rose , and seeke to roote it up . Here the saying is verisied , that there can be ▪ no society , much lesse a friendship between Truth , and Falsehood . They throw stones at him , & drive him out of their Citty , with a resolution to cast him downe from a high Mountaine . You barbarous Infidels , hath he upon mature consideration , of all the Nations of the Earth , chosen you for his people , and doe you refuse him that elected you ? Are you of humane race , and can you butcher Innocency it selfe ? Shall the Sacrifice for your sinnes , fall a Sacrifice to your Malice ? Sure you were borne without bowells , or the Rockes ingendred and brought you forth , their flinty natur'd issue , to infect Mankind with a savage cruelty . Why this is the Corner-stone , which taken away , the whole Frame of your wel being here , and your Salvation hereafter consequently totters , and falls into an irreparable , and eternall ruine . But God hath given you over to a reprobate sense , and your Reason and Religion have left you to be guided by your evill Destiny . You will , I see , cast your Saviour with your rubbish out of his owne Citty , over which he weepes the divining teares of her neare approaching destruction . When your Temple , and your Houses burnt round about you , then did Titus , ( whom the Romans stil'd , deliciae humani generis , the delight of humane kinde ) out of a noble and a manly pitty , beseech you to save your selves ; yet being the brood of obstinacy , you would not move a foote , but saw your owne bodies consume in fire made with your owne hands . And Iesus ( who hath a style above Titus , as being deliciae coelestium incolarum , the delight of the heavenly Inhabitants ▪ with his eyes drown'd in water , ( like the Sunne looking through a rainy Cloud ) beheld you with Compassion , and wooed you to make him the happy means of your preservation , from the never dying flames now ready to imbrace you ▪ Notwithstanding this his mercifull offer , you ingratefull Monsters , at once , excluded him ●●● of the earthly Hie●●salem , and your ●●lves out of the heaven●● . But the very dis●ursing with you is con●●gious , and therefore I ●●ll leave to speake fur●●er to your persons , and ●●oceed to your horrid ●●actices and strata●●ms against our mee●●st Master , in the as●●ming of whose name upon us , we are asmuc● honour'd as he abased ▪ taking our Nature up on him . But to goe on i● my sad relation , Th● Text sayes , he desired to passe into Samaria , but the Samaritans would no● give admittance to his Harbingers . Sathan playes his part , and armes all places against him , ren●ring him as despi●able in the Countrey , ●s the City . To this ●heir insolency hee ●eplies nothing , but His Disciples , James and John took snuffe at it , and said , Lord , wilt thou that wee command fire to come downe from Heaven , and consume them , even as Elias did ? But he turned , and rebuked them , a●● sayd , yee know not wh●● Spirit ye are of , for 〈◊〉 Sonne of man is not co●● to destroy mens liv●● but to save them ▪ Hee let them know his purpose n●● was to establish , an● propagate his doctrine with the swor● and the Faggot , practice at this da● very frequent wit● Christians , betwixt whom wee read of greater Carnages , then betweene them and the Turkes . He gave them to understand that his Church and hee used but one kinde of Armour , Prayer . When St. Peter ask't this mild one , How often shall I forgive my offending brother ? 7. times ? hee answered , I say n●● unto thee 7 times , bu● 70 times seven , Math ▪ 18. And in the sam● place , to shew vs that we should forgive our Neighbours from our hearts , hee brings in the Parable of the wicked Servant , to whom his Master had forgiven a Thousand Tallents : Hee bids us learne of him ▪ for he is meeke , &c. Lord wee must learne it of thee , or no where ; for amongst the ▪ Philosophers it is not to bee found . Their cheife good , and thy Beatitude are as distant as the Poles . The Stoick ( of all the Philosophical sects nearest in vertue to thine owne ) wanted Humility , thy owne peculiar vertue . With the Aristotelian , mercy is contemptible , Revenge Laudable , the first motions of our affections not culpable ; whereas thou placest thy prime happinesse in poorenesse of Spirit , in Meeknesse , in Want , in Mercy , in Cleanenesse of heart , in Peace , in Mourning , in Afflictions , &c. Sweet Jesus thou art beyond the Level of our imitation , but not of our admiration , which shall ever bee fixt on thee as its best , and only obiect . Pardone Pious Reader my zeale , which so often interrupts my Method , in that it is so inflamed with a Holy love of this our sacred Emanuell , that I cannot but make a cursory Paraphrase in the persecution of his Story . I must now come to the most Execrable of all Acts , the betraying of our blessed Saviour by one of his owne Family . To perfect this their cursed enterprise , they begin with the breach of the Lawes of Hospitality ( the only stayne of the * Roman Empire ) and make a strange and horrible conversion of an Apostle into a Traytor . For thirty peeces of Silver ( a summe despicable in the eye of many a Cutpurse ) he sould his soule to Lucifer , and his best friend to his greatest Enemies . And the mannor of his persidiousnesse is worse then the crime it selfe , for hee Betrayed him with a kisse , a signe as appropriate to friendship , as the ioyning of the right hands . Him whom he knew to be God ; whom his conference assured him to be without blemish , to whom he was oblieged by so many tyes , as of dependancy , of instruction , of affection , he delivers over a prey into the iawes of these ravenous Wolves . And this Treachery of his our indulgent Redeemer both foreknew and foretold not long before ; yet did hee not discover any displeasure conceived against him in word or look . Nay when hee came to apprehend him as a Malefactor , hee called him friend . I dare all ages to produce me such a president of patience . On the fatall instrument of all his Tribulations and Persecutions , he bestowes this most familiar , this most deare title of friend . * Such Friends as this , Aristotle intends when he sayes : O friends there is no friend . Having bought this distressed King as a slave at a certaine price , like such they lead him up and downe , and no man offers to rescue him , save onely Peter , whose bold Attempt he stops with this Denuntiation , al that use the sword , shall perish with the Sword. And heere wee have another effect of his sweetnes in healing the wound of his foe , given by his friend . Those on whom he had wrought such miraculous cures ; all forsake him . It is likely enough , that the same Eyes to which hee had restored sight , now lookt on him with scorne , and envy ; that those dumbe Tongues to which he had given speech , curst & revild him ; that those decrepit Feet which he had enabled to walk , ranne not to embrace , but apprehend him ; Nay it is not incredible , ( such was the ingratitude of this obdurate Nation , ) that they out of whom hee had cast Divells , now called him Divell for his labour . All his benefits though infinite , and fresh , an ungratefull Oblivion seizeth on : Nay , his owne servants abandon him , and not long after , his owne Peter denies him . Onely a few tender hearted Women , face danger , and follow him . From Annas to Caiphas , from Caiphas ●o Pilate , from Pilate to Herod , and from Herod , againe t● Pilate , they hurr● this future Judge ●● the living , and th● dead . Here Innocency is opposed , Simplicity made a laughing stocke , and Truth trampled on by Falshood . Here is to be scene a Combate , but an unequall one where Fury assaults and Patience ●ave● her selfe open . They illanously ▪ Abuse ●im , both in words ●nd deeds . In words with severall stings , ●s detracting , con●radicting , contumelious , deriding ▪ ●n detracting , both privily , and openly : Privily when they said softly to each other : If this man were a Prophet , hee would know what manner of woman this is . And , this man ` Blasphemes . Openly , when the Pharises upbraided his Disciples with this Question , Why doth your Master eate , and drinke with Publicans and Sinners ? Also when they depraved his Miracles . In Belzebub , Prince of the Divells , he casts out Divells . and , This man is not ●f God , because hee ●eepes not the Sabboth . ●n speeches contradictory they thwar●ed him , as when they said , Thou art ●hy owne witnesse : Also , Thy Testimony is not ●rue , and , Thou art not yet fifty yeares old , and hast thou seene Abraham ? In Phrases contumelious they reproachit him , as Luke the Fifth , Say wee ▪ not truely that thouart a Samaritan and hast a Divell ▪ s and , who is this that speakes Blasphemies ? But especially they reviled him in the house of Annas , and Caiphas , as also before Pilate , and Herod . Moreover , when hee hung on the Crosse , he heard no other language . Lastly , they vildly , and grosly derided him , when hee said the Maid was not dead , but slept , and in the house of Pilate they bowed their knees to him in dirision . In his Passion againe they ieered him , as when wee come to it wee shall shew it at large . But these talkative wrongs are tolerable , in respect of those committed against him by fact , which are more insupportable as being centuple greater in their Nature and number . As Physitians give their Patients Preparatives , that make them lesse sick before they administer Stronger medicines , which search the veines , and more offend the stomack : So these hangmen by the lesser tortures inure , and prepare him to endure the greater . Fex Romuli , the scumme of the world , insulted over the Lord of it ; The● goe to Boyes pla● with him , they blind and buffet him , an● then bid him ghe●● at the striker ▪ T● render him a tru● spectacle of laughter they change his ga●ment , and dress him like a Buffoo● And ( that their Villany might be compleat ) in that fac● ( wherein Beauty , Mercy , and Modesty , strove for superioritie ) they spit the noysome infection of their Rotten Longues . But let us examine how he behaves himselfe in the mid'st of these outrages : He received them with the same Countenance : that others doe benefits ▪ all blowes hee takes as if they had hit him , being meant to another . But now his enduring , and their afflicting draw both to a period ; For they clime to the Summity of Wickednesse , and ( thirsting for the last drop of his pretious blood ) they againe hale him before Pilate , from whom he was to expect his last sentence . Here is hee fiercely and strongly accused by the Pharises , by whom , and by Pilate he is questioned about many particulars ; to which hee replies nothing at all . Alas to whom should hed answere ? to the Jewes ? they were plotters and Actors , in his Tragedy . To Pilate ? he was wholy ignorant of the cause , They ask't him if he were the sonne of God ? had he answer'd affirmitively , the Maw of their envy had beene filled ; for that confession was it they look't for . Againe , reply Negatively he could not ; for Truth cannot lye . Nor doe I see why he should speake ought in his owne defence , the fairenesse of whose life was his Apology . They might aswell discerne a staine in the body of the Sunne , as in him the least imperfection . When Pilate had heard the uttermost they could alleadge against him , he acquitted him , but the more he spake in his defence , the more they cryed out , Crucifie him . Notwithstanding their vociferation , hee clear'd him againe , and againe . At length , though Pilate knew the Jewes to have no other cause , then their owne rancor , and hatred against Jesus . Yet abhorring their importunity and clamour , and fearing Caesars displeasure , ( for they publikely told him , Christ had dishonour'd Caesar , in calling himselfe a King ) hee delivered this Righteous one to bee scourged and crucisied by these inhumane Monsters . Yet ere hee gave him up to their fury , hee call'd for water ; and washed his hands before the Multitude , saying , I am innocent of the blood of this iust person , see you to it ; to whom all the people answered and said , His blood be upon us and our Children . Here , not without reverence and astonishment , let us observe three points in this uniust Arraignment very remarkeable . First , that God sometimes forceth truth from the mouthes of lyars , contrary to their owne intention . Secondly , that hee compelleth the wicked to cleare the righteous , even when they think they most condemne them , and frames al their actions to his owne ends ▪ when they thinke they are most directed to their owne scope ; not unlike to him who on the Hatches of a Shippe walkes East , when by the force of the Winde hee is carried West . Thirdly , and lastly , that though GODS Iudgements ▪ move slowly , yet cortainely at length , & when least expected , they overtake oppressours , and the blood-thirsty . The first observation is made good in Caiphas , who with a lowd voyce exclaymed , That one must die for the people : which ( though quite contrary to his meaning ) was indeede verified in Christ , who died for their manifold transgressions . Also those who call'd him King of the Jewes , sayd most truely , though they spake it by way of scoffing . The second is manifested in Herod , who sent him away in a white Robe , which colour ever yet argued the innocency and integrity of them that wore it , though no doubt Herod cherish't no such good opinion of him , but held him a man guilty , and an Imposter . The third is clearely demonstrated in Pilate , Herod , and the whole body of the Jewish nation . As for Pilate , he being accused to Caius Caesar , for corruption , and misgovernment in his Province , hee chose rather to fall upon his owne Sword , then abide his Triall . Herod having made an oration to the People which commanded not onely their attention , but adoration ( as it appeares in that with generall acclamations , they vowed it to bee the voice of a God ) was by the Angell of the ●rue , and iealous God smitten , and the Wormes immediately devoured him . Here is a plaine demonstration what Power , what Maiesty is when it is deprived of Gods favour . As a Mirrour while the Sunne Plaies upon it , sends forth Beames that at once doth dazle and delight the Eye , but ( bard his luster ) looseth those rayes , and growes dim againe : So when God smiles on Princes , and irradiats their mindes with Knowledge , and Vertue , they appeare bright and glorious in the eyes of all men ; but hee once averring the shine of his loving Countenance , they become obseure , and there is nothing worthy in them discernable . The truth of this is apparant in Herod , who stands heere a poore worm , devoured by his fellowes . Nor did this Generation of Vipers , the Jewes ( though forewarned ) shun the vengeance which not long after fell upon their Heads . For Vespasian and Titus having long besieged their Citty , it was by his Engines , and their owne fire utterly defaced , having before hardely escaped Drowning in a slood of theirs & their Childrens blood mixt together . There were of them in the space of seven yeares in Civill and Forraigne Warres these severall slaughters faithfully collected out of Josephus . FIrst , there were slaine at Hierusalem by the command of Florns , 630. At Caesarea , by the inhabitants there for hatred of their Nation , and their Religion , 20000. At Scithopilis a Towne of Syria , 130000. At Ascalon in Palestina . 2500 Also at Ptolomais , 2000 At Alexandrea in Aegypt under Tiberius Alexander then President , 50000. At Damascus , 10000. All these were put to the Sword by Sedition and Tumults . After this there fell in open Warre by the hands of the Romans , these ensuing . When Joppa was taken ●● Cesius Florus , 8400. In Mount Cabulon , 200 In sight at Ascalon , 10000. Againe , by Stratagem , 8000. At the taking of Aphaca , 15000. In Mount Garizin , 11000 At Jotopa , where Josephus himselfe was in person , 30000 At the taking of Joppa were drowned , 420● In Tarichaeis , 650● At Gamala , killed by t●● Enemy , and their own precipitation from hig● places , 900 Where not one humane race escape but two Sisters . Giscala being forsaken , there were slaine in the fight , 2000. and taken Captives , which we number not , 2200. In the Streets of Idu●ea , 10000. At Gerasium , 1000. At Macheruns , 1700. In Massada , 960. In Cirene slaine by Ca●lus the President , 3000. In Hierusalem in the ●●●e of the siege , 1000000 Taken Captives which ● wil not number , 97000 The whole summe , ( omitting those which perished by Famine , Exile , and Mischances ) amounteth to One Million , two hundred thirtie and two Thousands , sixe Hundred and Ninety . TO these miseries I may adde , that at this day they cannot properly be called a Na●●●● , being dispersed heere and there , ( like Rogues and Vagabonds ) ove● the face of the Earth , having in all Countries , Mulcts imposed on their estates , and in some themselves enioyned to weare a marke on their Clothes , wherby they may bee distinguish'd from other honest men . I may also truely a●●werre that no people under Heaven , hath so much degenerated from the primitive purity of their Religion , having defiled it with introduction of innumerable new Ceremonies , and alteration of the old . But withall I must confesse , I know not what Nation else hath strictly kept her Integrity , they having never yet matched out of their owne Tribes and Race . I must withall insert this caution , that I speak not of Proselites , but of legitimate * Jewes by Father or Mother , or both . I professe seriously , that nothing amazeth mee so much , as the contemplation of the unparallel'd obstinacy and impiety of this seed of Abraham , chosen by God to be the dispensers of his Oracles . A lamentable proofe of this , is the murther of many thousands of Christians , for the abhominable Crimes of these Miscreants . For though these two Religions are as farre from each other in Nature and distance , as Heaven and Earth , yet the Romans often confounded them : which wee may perceive by this , that in their persecutions they seldome or never distinguish't them . Many ( not verst in Story ) raile at Tacitus , and others for inveying against the Christians , and the Jewes of those times . But what Historian could abstaine from a severe censure of them , when hee found the later dayly dragg'd to Execution , for such villanies as the very imagination of them ( could it be detected ) ought to be as punishable as the Action ? Should any but a Christian reade their damn'd facts in any of the foure Evangelists , he would throw away the Bible as a Fable , not thinking it credible , there could be such inhumanity in men . And I am confident , had Pliny beleeved as much of them , as we know , that they had not onely reiected , but buffeted , spit upon , scourg'd , and crucified their legitimate King , and Redeemer , hee would not have vouchsafed them roome amongst his foure-footed Beasts , but have plac ▪ t them amongst his crawling creatures , and venemous Serpents . And with such they deserve to be rank'd , as not worthy to retaine the name of Men , having long since put off the Nature . Those guiltlesse hands ( which so often hee had lifted up to his Father for their Conversion ) they binde so fast , that the Cord eates into his tender flesh . On that Head wherein Universall Wisedome was contained , they set a Crowne of Thornes so fast , that his purest Blood runnes in streames downe his sweetest Face : That Body ( which Whitenesse and Symmetry consulted to make lovely above all other ) they unmercifvlly and uncessantly whippe from the top to the bottome , so that from head to foot hee was but one continued Sore . On his shoulders they lay his weighty Crosse , and lest with a fall , he should ease himselfe of his Burthen , they shoulder him up on all sides : If at any time hee lag , these Butchers beat , and kick him on , as if hee were a Beast . But seeing him faint , and fearing hee would dye , before hee had undergone all the paines provided for him , they load an obvious Stranger called Simon , with his Crosse . And and thus they lead him to be made an Oblation for the sins of the whole World. See the love , and Humility of this our dearest Messias ; he saw they would not take up his Crosse , and follow him , he takes it up himselfe , and followes them . All this was done by the eternall decree of his Father , for there was found no Sacrifice under the Law powerful enough , to appease the wrath of God , iustly conceived against Man. Wherfore Man must for ever suffer , or the Sonne of God once for him , whose suffering onely was of Vertue sufficient to worke this blessed reconciliation : For the Passion of Christ was suteable to his person ; his person of infinite excellency , could not bee so abased without insinite Merit , accrued by such Humiliation . His dying was more the Equivalent to all the Worlds frying in Hel everlastingly . Here the foolish Atheist scoffs us , demanding how it was possible that God should suffer . Heare thou prophane wretch the the voyce of the Church . God is said to suffer by Union , who could not suffer by Nature . Heare againe blinde Infidel ; Hee who dyed on the Crosse and lives eternally ; hee who suffers on Earth , and not in Heaven ; whose Body suffers and yet not hee with his body ; he who is overcome by Death , and yet vanquisht it , although hee be not one in Nature , yet hee is one Redeemer , and one and the same Person . As the Soule and the Body are Different things , yet make but one man. Wee now arrive at the abridgement of his Story , his Passion , and at the Consummation of his Humility , his Death . A Man would thinke it had beene paines enough for him to beare his Crosse , without bearing more upon it : But their malice is insatiable , and they cannot imagine how they can inflict , or he indure too much . His hands soft as those of Mercy , his feet never swift to shed their blood , they pierce with massie Nayles , which they drive in with as little remorse as if hee were made , of Wood. They scoffe athim ; and Nodding their heads , and bending their knees , they salute him by the name of King of the Jewes . Nay , they utter such blasphemies that I wonder they were not attended with a Thunderbolt They not onely dar● him of himselfe to descend , but his father to fetch him downe ; Who could in a moment have commanded one Angell ●o have destroyed ●hem , and their Coun●rey , and have left ●t to bee demanded , where Judaea was . Being as thirsty in ●he heate of this cru●●●l Conflict betwixt ●he Flesh and the Spi●●t , as the Earth is under the reigne of the Dog-starre , hee desires drinke , to whom they proffer a base beverage made of Vinegar and Gall two ingredients no● good enough for the drench of a Horse ▪ Three of the Evangelists affirme , that they who were crucified with him ▪ revile● him also : But Sain● Luke saith , that onely one was faulty . Which Difference Saint Austine thus reconciles , that at first indeed they both vi●●ifi'de him , but that one of them by a suddaine inspiration , instantly repented , and rebuked the other , saying , Dost thou not ●●are God , seeing thou ●rt in the same condemnation ? and we indeed iustly , for wee receive the due reward of our deeds , but this man hath done nothing amisse and he said unto Jesus Lord remember me when thou comest int● thy Kingdome . I will not he●● with some conclud● that this good Thie● was hee who w●● on the right han● of our Saviour , and that it was not without the speciall providence of God ; neither will I deny it : It shall suffice me , that Christ said to him , This day shalt thou bee with mee , in Paradise . None of the Roman Caesars either on his Tribunall , or in his Triumphant Chariot , could have spoken so bravely and powerfully , as our Saviour here did in the extremity of his Agony . This day will I make thee a Governour of Provinces , or , This day will I make thee a sharer with me in all my Glories : Or , This day will I give thee command over Legions : Or , this day will I divide the habitable World into two parts , and accept of that halfe thou refusest ; This is all Caesar could have said . These Offers are scant , and narrow , in respect of the promise here , made by our Omnipotent Redeemer : This day of a Publican , I will make thee a Saint ; This day of a Malefactor , I will make thee a Martyr ; This day I will translate thee from Earth into the Impyriall Heaven ; This can be no other then the voice of an Almighty Saviour . O happy , O blessed Day ! wherein Sinne is depressed , the Sinner exalted , and the Gates of Heaven heretofore shut against him , now opened to him , by God himselfe ; where the Honour equalls the Benefit . The entry into Paradise heretofore was guarded by a Cherubin , having a flaming Sword in his hand . The Fire is now extinguish'd , the Sword taken from him , and now there is no guard upon it . Nay , that no man might despaire of entrance , it is first of all opened to a Thiefe , in whose soule before his conversion , vices were as thicke , and as surely rooted as the haires in his head . The Jewes who lay claime to Sanctity , ( as onely proper to them ) are reiected . He who at first was ableto forme Man , can now forme himselfe a new people . Hee that before condemned the proud Pharise in the Temple , now iustifies the pensive Theefe on the Crosse . It was now about the ninth houre , when Christ full of anguish both in Soule and Body , cryed out with a loud voice , Eloi , Eloi , Lamasabachthani , My God , my God , why hast thou forsaken me ? Here the the Atheist steps in againe ; and askes how hee could despaire , and be a God ? to whom I vouchsafe this answere , that heere is to be heard only the voice of the flesh , which denotes not at all the seperation of God from his Humanity , but the Calamity of his Humanity it selfe ; for hee could not bee forsaken by him , from whom he could no way bee seperated . But that thou maist be certaine , this could bee no lesse then a God : behold heere Nature her selfe suffering with her Lord. From the first borne saith the Text , There was a generall darknesse over the whole face of the Earth . Nor was this a common , but a supernaturall Ecclipse , as testifieth Saint Austine : Quam solis obscurationem non ex Canonico Syder●● cursu accidisse satis ostenditur , quod tu●● erat Pascha Judaeorum : ●an plena luna solemniter agitur : It is evident , saith he , that Ecclipse of the Sunne not to have happened by the ordinary , and orderly course of the Starres , it being then the Passover of the Jewes , which is solemnised at the full Moone . And this was it that gave occasion as is the common opinion , to that memorable Exclamation of Dionisius the Arcopagite , residing then in Aegipt : Aut Deus Naturae patitur , aut Machina mundi disolvetur : Either the God of Nature suffers , or the Fabrick of the World will be dissolved . And hereupon too , as it is thought by some , was erected that Altar at Athens Ignoto Deo , to the unknowne God. Acts 17. 23. I am not ignorant that some think that Ecclipse was confin'de within the borders of Judaea , which opinion I rather incline to , because if it had beene generall quite over the World , Tacitus , and the Historians of that time must of necessity have mentioned it , Judaea being them subiect to the Roman Empire . Nay , the ensuing Ages would not have buried in silence a thing so strange and miraculous . Howsoever , it cannot be denied , but that it was certainly beside , and above the course of Nature . Neither ought it produce wonder , That th● Sunne in the Firmament of Heaven should suffer , when the Son of Righteousnesse suffered upon Earth . You seed of Perdition what have you done ? your Blasphemies , and Iniquities have chased the all gladding Light out of Heaven , and you now are left in a C●●●ri●n darkenesse , a presage of that you shall eternally dwell in . And will not this moove you to acknowledge your Potent King , and Redeemer ? The Vaile of your Temple rents , and falls with him who taught the ever living truth in it , in token that all Prophesies of his death are now fulfilled ; and will not this perswade you to pros●●ate your selves before him ? No , no , all things in Heaven , and Earth resent his Death , save obstinate you onely . The Earth it selfe trembles , but you quake not . The Rocks split , but your Adamantine hearts are of proofe against all his Calamities . The graves open , but your bosomes are shut . The Dead with him arise , but you lye still wallowing in your owne filthy enormities . Yet this is no wonder ; for they were dead in Nature , you in finne ; whose weighty burthen lies so heavy on you , that you cannot possibly get up . Hee is yet alive , yet sue to him , of whom never any begg'd in vaine . You see hee is willing to remit your trespasses , in that hee hath in the very height of his torments prayed to his Father for you . Hee is now giving up the Ghost ; yet call on him for mercy , that with his last gaspe hee may pronounce your pardon . But it is now too late , hee is dead to you , and you to Grace : He hath now finished this great worke , and commended his hands , that will keepe it as the apple of his Eye . Having seene how they used him in his lefe , let us now make an inquiry , whether or no they behaved them selves to him more reverently ( being dead . ) When the Body of their Soveraigne , and Saviour had hung many Houres betweene his Foot stole , and his Throne , they take it downe , not with a resolution to honor it with burial , but to mangle , and deface it . They thrust a Speare into his side , out of which ranne Water and Blood , the representers , as some thinke , of his two misticall Sacraments . His Coat being seamlesse , and therefore not divideable , they cast lots for . And then they left him Naked as a prey to the Beasts of the Earth , and the foules of the Ayre . But he is otherwise provided for by his Heavenly Father , who sendeth Joseph of A a iust man & a Councellor ( who refused to be present at the condemnation of Iesus ) to beg the body of Pilate , which obtained , he foulded it in fine Lynnen , and layd it in a new Sepulcher , where never man was laid before . And heere not without sighes , and teares , and groanes I leave him , the utbounds of this discourse being his Death and Passion . But I forbid no thee , O my Soule to repeat , & revolve within thy selfe th● dignity of thy Saviour , and the indignity of his sufferings . We discern some sparkes of the brightnesse and glory of his Beauty in his creatures , but the ioynt stocke of their whole life can no more expresse him , then can a Gloworme , the Jubar of the Sun. O fixe thine Eyes here for ever , and lose thy sight together with this obiect . Consider , O my Soule , that to ransome thee , this Master peece , this utmost endeavour of Nature and the Holy Ghost , offered himselfe a most willing Sacrifice . Rise , saith hee , behold he is at hand that doth betray mee . And in another place it is said , Jesus therefore knowing all these things that ▪ should come upon him , went forth , and said unto them , Whom seekyee ? They answered him , Iesus of Nazareth . Jesus said unto them , I am hee , &c. Heere he meeteth sedition halfe way , gazeth her in the face , and fearelesse confesseth his name . And some learned Devines thinke that he would not die by disease , or age , lest he should seeme to leave this life against his will , or out of Naturall infinite Common to all . But with his unvaluable Worth , Ballance the Affronts and Miseries Hee Endures . 1. THis Lord of Lords that frees the captiv'd , and illuminates the blinde ; is apprehended , and bound like a Theefe . 2. Nay , they preferre a Theefe and a Murderer before him , demanding Barrabas to be released , and him to be Crucified . 3. Call to mind againe , oh my soule , that for thy Crimes hee carried his owne ponderous Crosse , and groaned under the weight of it : which that the other two did , that suffered with him , wee read not . 4. Meditate also , that for thee he was scourg'd , in which hee underwent , divers punishments due to severall offenders . It was the custome amongst the Antients , to strike the indocible on the head , their servants which they cast out of doores on the necke , those who were ordinary delinquents on the ●ace and their more heinous Criminals all over the body : Christ endured all these . They strucke his Head with a wande or rod , his Face and necke with their fists , and his whole body they whipt with rods and scourges . 5. But weigh withall , that the lashes given his soule by the tongues of Blasphemers and deriders , were more intollerable then the former . 6. Contemplate too , that his Torment was much augmented by the very thought of the infamous company he suffered with : for they plac't him in the middest betweene two Theeves , as if hee had beene their instructer and seducer . 7. Neither canst thou beleeve , O my Soule , but as hee had more grace , so hee had more shame then other men , which must needs be infinite , in that hee was become a naked Spectacle to his greatest Enemies , not having any vaile to cover those parts which humane Nature would have hidden from the eye . 8. He suffred also in his estate , goods , and friends , of the first of which hee was stripped even to the skinne , and of the latter ( consisting of his owne deare Disciples ) forsaken . 9. And hee was grieviously troubled in mind which did compassionate , his fellow feelers standing under the Crosse , ( as his Mother and others ) and repine at the insolent fury of his foes . 10. His Fame and Reputation ( deare to him , as his owne eyes ) is not onely question'd , but defil'd with false and base aspersions , for they termed him a Seducer . Observe also , ô my soule , that hee suffered in regard of the place , the time and the manner of his Death . 11. First , in respect of the place , which was Hierusalem it selfe , where he was once wel knowne , & honored for the miracles he had there performed . 12. Secondly , in consideration of the time , of the yeare , and of the Day ( the feast of the Passeover being then celebrated ) which to solemnite ▪ a great multitude ●nd concourse of people resorted thither , ●● that hee had the eyes of all the World upon him . Agayne , it was upon the sixt houre of the day , with us the twelfth , when all men were up & ready , & walking abroad . 13. Thirdly in regard of the kinde of Death , he did undergoe , to with the Cursed Death of the Crosse . 14. Remember also , O my better halfe , that his Passiō was aggravated , by reason of the natural cōplexion of his Body ; for it is certaine his Body was of a most admirable and delicate Temper , as being organiz'd by the Holy Ghost himselfe . And hence it came to passe that being thus formed without any defect , or error in Nature , there was no conflict betweene his Flesh and his Spirit . Wherefore his Spirit by strong consequence must love his flesh , better then any other Spirit or Soule can , or ought to love its body . 15. And it is very worthy thy serious Meditation : That his anguish was increased in respect of the quality of those members in which hee most suffered , as his hands and feet , which are nervous , and most perceptive , and most apprehensive of paine . 16. Moreover consider O my Soule , that his passion was exacerbated in regard of the diuturnity or long continuance of it . The Holy Martyres who have perish't by fire , water , or the sword , have quickly finish't their Martyrdome , which the same howre , or the same Sunne hath seene begunne and ended . But the passion of thy Redeemer endured from the very instant ( as it were ) of his conception to the houre of his Death . For hee certainly foreknew what his Humanity was to suffer , the very imagination whereof made him sweatblood . Finde if thou canst what particle of his life was free from persecution . But more eminently it endured from that dismall houre after Supper , to the Ninth houre of the Sixt Holy day● Wonder not therefore that his Soule was sad and heavy , since he was most cruelly tor●ur'd in all his senses . His eyes on the other side saw the grim and fierce lookes of his Executioners ; on the other , the amiable countena●ce of his Mother , and his other female Votaries , together with his beloved Disciple , all which ( as he was man ) he was loath to part with . His Eares heard nothing but insulting , and deriding Blasphemies . His Taste was distasted with ● most bitter and loathsome potion , being a compound of Vineger and Gall. The paine he endured in his feeling , was diffus'd cleane through his body , his Nostrills drew in nothing but Noysome stinks , and dampes arising from putrified Carkasses , for it was the common place design'd both for the Execution and buriall of Malefactors , which is implied in the name they gave it , God gotha , in our Tongue the place of Dead men sculls . And if wee follow some of the Hebrew Interpreters , this is the very place , wherein Adam longsince was buried , for the truth o● which , I wish I had some better authority then that of a Jew . But if it bee true , it is questionlesse not without the speciall providence of God , that sinne might first lose his force there ●here hee first gathered strength . And this is the Master-comfort of a Christian ( without which ●ee were lesse happy ●hen the Heathen ) that ●t the second comming ●f Christ hee shall rise in Glory , in despite of Death , whose sting shall be taken out , and hee ●ive with GOD for ever . And this infinite benefit is an effect of his Passion . O Hasten Lord Jesu● that ioyfull day , which all thy Elect have , an● doe still long to see ; whe● Death and Time sh●l● l●● their Scepters , as I d●● now my selfe , prostrat● before thee . Then shall I , and neuer till then , b●● truely blessed , in singin● ( with all the Saints and Angells ) Halleluias eternally to thy most glorie● ▪ name , AMEN . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A12815-e940 * The Schoole of Aristotle ▪ neere Athens . Notes for div A12815-e1740 * Though parentation commonly signifies the performance of any office due to the deceased Parents : yet here it signifies the slaying of those Enemies , or any of their race , who flew our Parents , or any of our blood . ● Bishop An●●●●● on the 〈…〉 . * They brib'd K. Pr●sias to betray Hanniball being his guest . Oamici , amicus nemo . See M. de Pless●● in his Tract . of the Iewes . * Proselites were such Heathen people as disclayming Paganisme , became converts , and ioyened themselves unto the Church of the Iewes . A Iew by father or mother , was called an Hebrew , but he who was a Iew both by father and mother , was stiled an Hebrew of Hebrews , and such I here speak of . Lib. 3 de civil Dei. cap. 15 Athanas . de incar . Thomas 3 Sum. 
A02837	----	The equall vvayes of God tending to the rectifying of the crooked wayes of man. The passages whereof are briefly and clearly drawne from the sacred Scriptures. By T.H. Hayne, Thomas, 1582-1645. 1632 Approx. 86 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 25 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A02837 STC 12976 ESTC S103940 99839682 99839682 4125 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A02837) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 4125) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1351:09) The equall vvayes of God tending to the rectifying of the crooked wayes of man. The passages whereof are briefly and clearly drawne from the sacred Scriptures. By T.H. Hayne, Thomas, 1582-1645. [8], 40 p. Printed [by Miles Flesher] for Iohn Clarke, and are to be sold at his shop under St Peters Church in Cornehill, London : 1632. T.H. = Thomas Hayne. Printer's name from STC. Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Salvation -- Early works to 1800. 2008-08 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2008-09 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-11 John Pas Sampled and proofread 2008-11 John Pas Text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE EQVALL WAYES OF GOD : TENDING TO THE RECTIFYING OF THE CROOKED WAYES OF MAN. The Passages whereof are briefly and clearly drawne from the sacred SCRIPTVRES . BY T.H. EZEK . 18.29 . O house of Israel , are not my wayes equall ? LONDON , Printed for IOHN CLARKE , and are to be sold at his shop under S t Peters Church in Cornehill . 1632. TO THE CHRISTIAN Reader the Authour wisheth Grace , Peace , Salvation . CHristian Reader , GODS wayes revealed are not only written for mans perusall , but also put to his consideration , as being beyond all exception ; for God demands of him , Are not my wayes equall ? As if what the better sort of men readily acknowledge , the worst could not in reason deny ; what the one set their hearts on , and freely blesse God for , the other , convinced by evident truth , could not but approve . These wayes of God I have indeavoured to trace out so farre as cleare Scripture gave me light , and common consent of mens judgement went along with me . Further disquisition might perhaps trench on things unrevealed , w ch are a tree of knowledge still forbiddē by God ; or prove 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , strife about words and vaine disputes , which tend not to godly edification . The former being as culpable as it was to presse too neare Gods holy Mount ; the later proceeding usually to envie , contention , railing , evill surmising . Moreover in laying open these equall and plaine wayes of God I have not used subtile , either discourse or dispute , which elsewhere hath its place and use : sua se jactet in aula ; but such , as Paul cals , wholesome words of Christ , borrowed from the Scriptures treasury ; such as his practice allowes , words of sobernesse and truth , and have made , as Socrates desired , truth my chiefest aime . As for the structure of my speech ; it is , if not , as Socrates further said , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , such as offered it selfe ; yet farre from the quaint straine now affected . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 · Truth is amiable and commendable of it selfe , and needs not to bee clothed in phrase fashionable to the time , and the humour of curious eares ; especially seeing we finde , that the stile of speech accounted by the Mint masters thereof very elegant , holds fashion not an age , yea not much longer than the variable garbe of our outward habite : for having shewed it selfe to the world , it comes to the touch , and soone is exploded ( for so usually it fals out ) as being affected or phantasticall , or otherwise lyable to some just exception . But truth is constantly the same , still keepes the same splendour , still beholds us , as the Sunne , with the same glorious eye . And where it meets with most masculine and true eloquution fitted to the matter & circūstances therof ( in w ch regard it is praise worthy ) it gives more grace and lustre to the speech , thē possibly it can borrow from the same . Againe , I have indeavoured for truth & plainnesse ; for plainnesse , that I might not be misconceived , nor have what I reach out with the right hand , to be laid hold on with the left ; for truth , that I might avoid contention ; for Socrates found by experience , that it was an easie matter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to gainsay Socrates , but not the truth : much more may I , who am lesse able to propound it . Furthermore may you please to understand , that in the first composure of this discourse , it was onely cast into certaine heads , and intended by me for mine owne better understanding of these matters , without any minde to make it publike ; and now is made yours by the Presse at the instance of some loving friends , who entertaine better thoughts of it , than I my selfe could hope , or perhaps it deserves , for in a friends censure sometimes it happens , Vt veris addat multa faventis amor . Some indeed have conceived that the plainnesse and briefnesse thereof may be usefull to men of plaine hearts and of not so deep apprehension ; & to such , whose time is much taken up with varietie or frequencie of imployment . Which surely it is more likly to doe ; If as I in setting the whole frame together laid aside all prejudice and partialitie : So the Reader come to the perusall thereof with like affection . Which I humbly intreat you to doe . And then know , that what you herein finde sound and good , is Gods ; give him the glory of it ; what weake and defective , is mine , I acknowledge it ; and shall be ready to doe what in Plato I am advised . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not so to like mine owne , but that I will use and yeeld to what others have better & more exact . The best mā here knows but in part ; and if each would beare his part without jarring , the musick would be sweet and harmonious . No man can attaine all , and therefore must not hope in himselfe , nor expect from others an unerring perfection . Wherefore much the rather I am emboldened to intreat , and assure myselfe to finde your Christian love , and favourable Candor in the reading and reflecting your thoughts on this treatise , which I earnestly crave of you : and committing it to your perusall and your selfe to Gods blessed guidance ; beseech the same God , who is the God of truth , to lead us into all truth : who is the God of peace to goe along with us in the way of peace : who is the author of all our good ; during the time of this life to keep us in his feare and favour : and in the life to come to bring us to eternall blisse , purchased for us by Iesus Christ . Yours in all Christian services , T. H. The contents of the severall CHAPTERS . IN Chap. 1. Are set downe foure generall positions concerning Gods dealing with man. Conclusions deduced thence . Chap. 2. Positions shewing more particularly what c●u●se God on his own part takes to bring man to salvation . Conclusions thence . Chap. 3. What course & order God prescribes on Mans part to be taken ; and practised by them , on whom he conferres salvation . Conclusions thence . Chap. 4. Our salvation is of the Lord of his meere mercy , & is effected by his powerfull work in us . Conclusions thence . Chap. 5. Mans perdition is of himselfe , and first by default of Rulers apostate from God , as of Cain , Nimrod , Jeroboam , &c. before Christs time ; of the Jewes Rulers , of the Pope , of the Turk , &c. since Christ : So as yet such as be under them and follow their steps die in and for their owne sins . Conclusions thence . Chap. 6. In the second place mans perdition is of himselfe , by each mans owne default , where Rulers and teachers doe their duties . Conclusions thence . Lastly , conclusions from the former and this last chapter jointly considered . Faults escaped in some copies . Page 13. line 16. confome for conforme . p. 18. l. 14. assured for allured . l. 24. Ellas for Ellasar . p. 22. l. 3. acdhere for adhere . l. 4. ●ildren for children . p. 23. l. 26. tdhere for adhere . p. 27. l. 12. God for Gods. p. 38. l. 4. Chriss , promised in : for Christ promised , in . THE EQVALL WAYES OF GOD : Tending to the rectifying of the crooked wayes of man. CHAP. I. In which foure generall positions are set downe , as the ground-worke of all : Conclusions deduced thence . FOr the opening and clearing of the equall waies of God , obvious to humane search , we must stil keepe in minde these foure Positions . 1. God from all eternitie decreed to doe , what the Scripture tels us , that in time he hath done , or doth doe , or ( absolutely saith ) he will doe . 2. God ( before whom all things are naked , who is the searcher of mans heart , who knowes our thoughts long before ) from all eternitie sees , whatsoever in time cometh to passe . 3. The decrees of God for the making of the world , & for his dealing with the creatures therein , are not in time , one former or later then another in God : But are all at once simul and semel , from all eternitie decreed by him . 4. All Gods decrees are infinitely wise , holy , just ; tending to his glorie : and have no externall cause , but are squared according to the rule of his mercy and justice . These positions are evident and granted ( I suppose ) by all sides . Hence these generall inferences ( as also diverse others ) may be concluded . I. That God , who will hereafter glorifie a certaine number of men ; and adjudge a certaine number of men to everlasting torment , both numbers knowne only to himselfe , hath decreed the same from all eternitie , before man had done good or evill . II. God by his infinite wisedome seeth from eternitie what will be the estate of all men ; and what in mercy and justice will be his dealing with them , first and last . So that whatsoever he hath absolutely decreed , and doth foresee , that very thing doth undoubtedly come to passe ; most certaine salvation to some , most certaine damnation to others . CHAP. II. Particular positions about Gods dealing with man , to bring him to salvation . Conclusions thence . IN the next place we descend more particularly to these positions . 1. God from all eternitie decreed to make the world , and all things therein exceeding good , and man after his owne image . 2. God seeing man falne from this happie estate to have brought on himselfe death , and vanity on the creatures , from eternitie decreed , that the second person in Trinitie should assume humane nature , and being God , and man also without sinne , should shed his pretious blood , and offer up himselfe by death a sacrifice of infinite merit , and in it selfe sufficient for all mankinde . 3. God also decreed for making this sufficient sacrifice effectuall , to speake to man himselfe ( as to Adam , Cain , Moses , Balaam , &c. ) and by holy men his prophets , as Enoch , Noah , Moses , David , Esay , &c. who spake ( as they were moved by the holy Ghost ) sometimes by word of mouth , sometimes by writing ; and by other his servants , the preists , and Levites , to instruct man. And in the last times of the world ( for the perfecting of that doctrine ) to speake to man by his sonne Iesus Christ ; by his Apostles , and their successors ; with whom Christ promised to be alwaies even to the end of the world : so that they were to cooperate with him by their preaching the word . 4. God decreed to give man certaine religious rites ; as of old , types , sacrifices of diverse kinds , circumcision , the passeover ; and since Christs time Baptisme & the Lords supper ; as to instruct man , so on Gods part to seal the covenant made to them , who rightly use the same : that he is their God in Christ . 5. God decreed by the visible things of the world , by severall punishments , and judgements , persecutions , captivities , warres , famine , &c. and by miracles , &c. ( which the spirit of God wrought by the ministry of his servants for the conversion of man , ) to humble and instruct man. 6. God decreed by his Spirit to strive with mankind for the bringing them to repentance , and faith , both of old and in these later times ; but not alwaies to strive with them : And therefore in his unsearchable mercy and justice , hath fixed certaine limits for the same ; which are knowne only to his divine wisedome : unlesse sometimes he reveale them , as in the hundred and twentie yeares set for the old world . So there was a fixed time in Gods decree , a day of the Iewes , untill which God by his Spirit working together with the preaching of his prophets , sent early and late , and lastly by the preaching of his Son sued to thē to turn unto him . In which day of visitation , seeing they knew not the things which belonged to their peace , and would not be gathered to God ; God strove no longer with them : but left the generalitie of that nation to themselves . 7. God also from eternitie , seeing the falling away of the Gentiles of old , and of the Iewes , in these later daies , from the true Church ( to whom belonged the promises in Christ , and the priviledges of the fame ) decreed to leave a way open to the Gentiles , then , for their comming into the true faith and worship of God : and now sets open the gates of the spirituall Ierusalem on each side of the Cittie , for all nations to come in . These decrees ( distinctly laid downe for our better understanding ) in God , are not one former or later then another ; but all at once upon his sight of all things , from all eternitie , by his infinite wisedome , goodnesse , and justice , most holily decreed the word of God telling us , that these things in time have beene , are , or shall be done and performed on Gods part . Now from these positions it may be inferred , I. That God by making man at first in an happie estate ; and when man was falne , by providing a Saviour in himselfe sufficient for all , by taking a course on his owne part for the salvation of all ( so farre as in mercy and Iustice he pleased ) by swearing that he wils not the destruction of the wicked ; and by lamenting at it , shewes us evidently , that so far he wils the salvation of all men . II. God did not decree to passe by , nor to forsake the greatest part of mankinde in Adams fall , as not bound to them ( as indeed he was not to any , ) but on his part decreed to take a course after Adams fall ( so far as in mercie and justice he would ) for the recovery of all : And when the fixed time of his striving with them was expired , then only ( in the execution of his decree ) he left them to themselves : as Cain and his house : the Iewes Apostate , and their seed continuing in apostacy : and so of others in like sort . III. God hath taken a course on his part to keep man from sinne , and is not the author of mans sinne ; having made man at the first in such an holy estate , as that he had free will to good : and ( when that free will was lost ) taking a course on his part to have man guided by his word and spirit , a meanes in it selfe sufficient to keep man from sins dominion : for he hath promised to be with his ordinance , and on his part will not faile . IIII. It is of Gods infinite mercy , that the fathers , and Iewes of old , that any nation now , have Gods word for their guide and instruction , in any kind whatsoever for their salvation : ( & not any thing in themselves is a cause thereof . ) V. All good in man , whatsoever , whether naturall , morall , or divine , &c. in understanding , will and affections , is Gods free gift ; either the remainder of what was given man in the creation , or Gods gracious work since . CHAP. III. What course and order God hath prescribed on mans part . Conclusions thereupon . GOD ( as on his owne part takes a course , so ) on mans part hath appointed what course they should take , for the making the decrees above effectuall . Namely , they ought ( before the Law was written ) to enquire of the former age , and prepare themselves to learne of their fathers . The Patriarkes , or fathers of families ( being both kings and preists ) were to be honoured and obeyed of their families ; and did rule over their brethren : and likewise ought to teach their children and houshold their duties ( as God said , hee knew Abraham would doe his ) to keepe the way of the Lord , and to doe righteous judgment . Also to teach them Gods worship , which must be after Gods owne institution ; else Abels offering had beene will-worship . Also to performe religious offices for them , as calling upon God , and sacrificing : So Noah sacrificed for himselfe , and them that came out of the Ark with him . Abraham often built altars & sacrificed : Melchisedek was both king and priest . Iob sacrificed for his sonnes every day . And ( after the Law was written ) the chiefe Rulers , Kings and others , of what title soever , ought to study the Law themselves : and so to governe the people , that they may live ( according as God bids us pray ) a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie . Also these chiefe rulers , when in regard of the increase of their people , they were not able to beare the burden of them , should chuse Elders out of the people , men of courage , fearing God ; men dealing truly , hating covetousnesse ; who set over thousands , hundreds , fifties , tens , should judge the lesse , and bring the greater matters to the chiefe Ruler . Also afterthat GOD had taken to him the Preists and Levits in stead of the first borne : The Kings or chief Rulers , Gods vice-gerents , should have these Preists and Levits their Spokesmen to the people for their instruction , ( as GOD made Aaron the Preist to Moses the King : ) as also to enquire of God , and to offer the offerings and sacrifices of all both rulers and people . Also the Embassadors and Merchants in their navigation to forraine people , should call them to Gods holy mountaine and worship , ( as Moses said of Zebulon and Ishachar ) and warriours fearing GOD should , if they conquered nations , strive to bring them to GOD , as the Israelites did divers Chananites , and David some people of divers nations . Or if they were conquered , should advise their conquerours for their eternall good , and teach them , as the Iewes the Chaldeans ; that the gods , who made not heaven and earth , shall perish from the earth , and from under these heavens , and ( as afterward in the times of the Persians ) draw many to their religion . And after that Christ ( being incarnate and offering himselfe for man , & having ended the Leviticall preisthood ) became both King and preist for ever after the order of Melchisedek : hee ( the Church now being under the Romane Infidell , and tyrannous Emperours ) hee , I say , set up a Kingdome not of this world ( though hee was de jure King of the Jewes ) but a spirituall kingdome , and taught the people as never man did . And further appointed the Apostles to goe and teach all nations , and baptise them , and performe other religious offices : who also did ordaine Bishops and Elders to rule and teach in their severall Cities : which were to be qualified as the Overseers and Elders chosen by Moses above . Besides , Christ the great Prophet which should come into the world , foretold , that Kings ( at length ) should bring their glory , that is , the multitudes of their people ( for the multitude of people is the glory of a King ) to the building of the new Jerusalem , the Christian Church : and so become nursing Fathers to the same : which now hath begunne to have the event ; when Kings , whose ancestors had giuen their power to the Whore of Babylon , hate her , and make her desolate : and endevour a reformation according to Gods word . Furthermore our Embassadors , Merchants , and Warriers by our navigation abroad , upon all occasions offered therein ( following their example above ) ought ( as they pray first for Christs kingdome , and then for bread and the necessaries of this life , so ) to strive in the first place and principally for the advancement of Christs kingdome , and in the next place for matters usefull for their countrie . This God appoints on the rulers and their substitutes parts to be done . God further appoints on the peoples part , what order and course they should take . The summe of all in briefe is ; To feare God and keep his commandements . To read , heare , meditate on Gods word : to repent , to believe , to use Gods holy ordinances and sacraments reverently , &c. To honour the King , and be subject and submit themselves to every ordinance of man , for the Lords sake ; if both to Heathen Kings as supreme , as also to under-governours as sent by them , then much more to Christian Princes & subordinate rulers under them , who rule according to Gods word : And ( to shut up all in one word ) to love their neighbours as themselves . This course and order God hath prescribed to be used on mans part . From whence it may bee inferred , I. That God ( not only in taking a course on his owne part , but also ) in shewing man a course and order to be taken on his part for the salvation of all men , shewes , that God thus farre wils the salvation of all . II. That Rulers both supreme and subordinate in their several places must follow the course and order prescribed & appointed by God , as meanes , by which God hath ordered to conferre salvation on themselves & others , being such a meanes for the salvation of their soules , as the mariners abiding in the ship , and doing their office there , was for the saving of theirs and their passengers bodies , whom God had promised Paul to preserve . III. Chief Rulers and others studying Gods word , being thereby directed in the ordering Gods people , & managing their most weightie affaires ; and substituting under them officers of all sorts , men fearing God , and of courage , &c. Mainly striving to bring their owne people to God ; and by all good meanes to plant the feare of God in nations yet living in darknesse ; are the true nursing fathers of the Church , and bring their glory to the New-Ierusalem , and are saved . IIII. That people must perswade themselves ( whē their Princes appoint , that by Bishops and Ministers they should be ruled and taught , and they rule and teach them faithfully ) that God hath a cheif hand therein , and that the Bishops and Ministers doe but cooperate with him : and that God hereby strives with them ; and that in disobeying any thing taught them from Gods word , they strive against the Spirit of God , which Christ promised should be with his Apostles and their successors , even unto the end . V. That it is a wicked and ungracious speech of them , which say : If God hath predestinated me to salvation , I shall be saved : and if God hath decreed my damnation , I shall be damned , in what manner so ever I live . For God , as he hath predestinated any man to glory ; so he hath ordered and set this course : that he repent and beleeve , and shew the life of his faith by his works : having chosen him before the foundations of the world , to be holy and without blame in love . Thus God having decreed a mans salvation : not onely his Rulers and Teachers must doe their duties , but each man himselfe must doe his owne dutie also . As God having decreed the safetie of all the people with Paul ; not only the shipmen must stay in the ship , and doe their duties : But the passengers also must by swimming and on boards , and broken parts of the ship use meanes for their escape from death . CHAP. IIII. Our salvation is of the Lord : of his meere mercy : And by his powerfull working in us . GOd having so , as above , decreed on his part to deale with man : and appointed and declared what on mans part ought to be performed for making the meanes of salvation effectuall : It is manifest ( man being falne from the happie estate in which God made him ) that the salvation of them that be saved , is not , Of or from their loving of God first : Or their choosing God : Or having a soft heart of their owne : Or their owne willing or running : Or their comming to God without drawing : Or their good works : Or of their faith , or any thing which is of themselves . But God , before the foundations of the world were laid , according to the good pleasure of his will , of his purpose and grace ( of which there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an exceeding riches , ) Out of his compassion of them : Predestinated them , whom he foreknew : Loves and chuses them in Christ : Decrees to call them : Decrees to teach them by the word of grace preachead to them ; And by the working of his Spirit : Decrees to knock at their hearts : To stand there knocking : To open their hearts as he did Lydia's : To draw them with cords of love : To change their stony hearts into fleshy hearts : to worke powerfully in them , so that they beleeue according to the effectualnesse of the power of God , who is the author and finisher of their faith . To conform them to the image of his Some : If they fall , to uphold them with his hand : To correct them fatherly for their good : To sanctifie them , to justifie them : To save them by faith , which is his gift : To make Christ intercessor for them , that they may be kept safe , &c. And finally to glorifie them . Yet they which are saved thus by Gods infinite mercy and powerfull work , they ( I say ) according to the order and course appointed by God , Heare Gods word : Attend to the things which be spoken : Ask what they should doe to be saved : Seeke the Lord : Meditate on his statutes : Are bumble minded : Repent , and beleeve the Gospell : Mark 1.15 . Put up their prayers and supplication to God : Are not disobedient to Gods will revealed to them : Are bettered by persecution and affliction : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Looke carefully to themselves : Love God , feare him : Performe works of charitie : &c. Persevere unto the end . All these & the rest whatsoever duties they doe , they doe them truly and willingly , not by compulsion and necessitating : Yet so , as that God works in them the will and the deed , according to his good pleasure . From that which hath here beene declared , it may evidently be inferred ; I. That the title that any one hath to life eternall , is onely from the free grace and mercy of God. II. No nation , man hath any good thing in and of him self , first to move God to send the word , or any furtherance to make way for Gods working of his salvation . III. The electing of them which be saved , is meerely in Christ Iesus : in whom alone God is well pleased . IV. God doth predestinate to glory , before the world was made , men seen clothed with Christs righteousnes from eternitie ( as they shall stand before God at the last day ) and brought to God by such courses , as GOD of his infinite wisedome and mercy useth to that end . V. GOD elects not any for their Faith foreseen as a cause , why hee wils to elect them ; his holy will is the square of his actions . According to this his will , hee at once decrees to elect them , to work faith in them , to sanctifie them , to justifie them , and to glorifie them . As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the change of the minde by repentance and faith , sanctification , justification are in man , they goe before , Glorification comes after , but GOD at once decrees them , and is the Author , cause and worker of them all . VI. The Elect discerne not , that is , make not themselves differ from others , by any thing in and of themselves : But Gods meere grace works that in them ; by which they are discerned and made to differ from the reprobate . VII . Men are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , set in order by Gods working on them , with his word and Spirit : and so beleeve , &c. and have salvation conferred on them . VIII . Men predestinate doe not apostate or fall away , and be put out of Gods booke of life . For the work on Gods part is sure : and ( though man in this life is in himselfe fraile , yet ) God in the very predestinating of him , sees it sure by his gift of grace on mans part also : Who trusts not to himselfe , but makes God his rock : And submits and commends himselfe to his guidance . CHAP. V. Mans perdition is of himselfe , and first by default of Rulers apostating from God : so as yet man dyes in and for his owne sins . Conclusions thence . NOtwithstanding that God hath decreed a Saviour in himselfe all sufficient for the saving of all mankinde : & taken a course on his own part in it selfe also sufficient ; and appointed a course and order on mans part , for the making the same effectuall : Yet it fals out , that many men attaine not salvation , but are seised on by Gods justice to condemnation . Here observe . I. That seeing God hath not made us acquainted with his counsell concerning infants dying within the pale of the Church , and by the state of the land , and their parents intended to be presented to God , for the receiving the seales of his covenant in due time ; or having received the seales , die before ripe yeares ; or comming to ripe yeares are destitute of understanding by defect in the senses , which bee the doores to let in understanding : or distemper or indisposition of the braine the work-house of understanding ; if on mans part be done for them what man is able , & they capable of ; Modestie injoines us to lay aside all curious disputes about them ; and charitie to hope the best . II. concerning children borne of parents out of the Church , and dying in infancie , or ( when they come to riper yeares ) being destitute or understanding by defects above mentioned ; whose parents either utterly despised the seales of Gods covenant , or abused them by superstition ; seeing Gods word hath not revealed , whether and how farre his mercy may extend to such ( considering his compassion to them in Niniveh , which could not discerne the right hand from the left , in forbearing their destruction , at least , temporall ) we ought not ( be it spoken with submission to better judgements ) curiously to search into their estates , much lesse harshly and rashly to censure them : They stand or fall to their owne master . Wherefore forbearing to comprehend these in the following discourse : Of the rest , many ( I say as above ) are seized on by Gods just judgement to condemnation ; either by default , First , of Apostate rulers , whom they follow , as also their owne lusts and corruptions ; Or Secondly , by default of the people themselves , who will not follow their godly rulers and teachers direction and instruction . First , by default of the said Rulers supreme & subordinate , who are Gods Sheepheards & watchmen . For if by their default in their places the people miscarry ; the people die in their iniquitie , and God requires their blood at the sheepheards and watchmens hands . Thus Cain ( before the flood ) a principall father and ruler over his posteritie , not ruling them in Gods waies and feare , nor teaching them Gods worship aright , perished himselfe ; and his posteritie obstinately walking in his steps , and in very great part corrupting the children of God of the godly families , were drowned in the deluge , and are spirits in prison ; such only excepted as died in the true faith . Thus also ( after the flood ) Nimrod of Chams posteritie , with the fathers of many families and their people joining themselves to him , left the tents of Shem and his godly familie , and bandied themselves together for the making of a strange great apostasie from God. Whereupon they were scattered by divine Iustice over the earth , and left to walke in their owne waies . In which they walked till the time of Christ , albeit God many waies assured them , and wrought many wondrous and miraculous works to reclaime them . For God made his people and worship ( not only by the situation of the Israelites land , which was most obvious to all then habitable parts of the world : But also by many & admirable works done among them and for them ) famous . As namely by Abrahams conquest , with a smal number of religious souldiers , over the conqueror Cedarlaomer , the most powerfull King in those times , and over the Kings of Shiner and Ellas : and over the King of the Nations , and their farre greater armie of wicked wretches . So that the dispersion being not yet into very remote parts ; this must needs bee famously knowne . God miraculously destroyed Sodome and Gomorrah . God first brought Ioseph an Hebrew , then his father Iacob and his familie into Aegypt , a place well knowne ( before ) for traffick : ( then ) for Ioseph , and for plenty by Gods goodnesse and his providence . In so much that all nations came thither for relief , and found there the most godly familie in the world in high favour ; and Ioseph a member thereof , next the King in honor ; ruling the Princes after his will , & teaching ( why not as well forrainers hūbled by famine , as ) Pharaohs Senators wisedome : doubtlesse that wisdome , Deut. 4. for the saving of their soules , as well as politicall for preserving their lives . After this God miraculously plagued a Pharaoh succeeding , and finally drowned him and his host in the red sea ; through which he led the Israelites as on dry land : doing all this ( as doubtlesse the rest of his wondrous works ) to shew his powerfull God head , and to make his name knowne through all the world . God wrought many and admirable miracles in the wildernesse ; Gave Iosuah a miraculous victorie at Iericho : and over the Anakims , and the high walled citties of Chanaan : Staid the suns course , &c. Not to insist upon each particular ; God made David and his worthies admirably victorious ; made Solomon farre and neere renowned for his wisedome , honor , riches , the glorious temple , and skilfull navigation . So that the Queene of Shebah came from the ends of the earth , invited thereto by his fame , to heare his wisedome . Yea all the world sought to see Solomon , and to heare the wisedome which God put into his heart . God gave many and strange victories to other of the Kings : he gave recovery from a grievous and deadly disease , and a miraculous signe thereof to Hezekiah . Moreover God preserved the three Princes , Ananias , Azarias , and Mizael , in the fiery furnace . Whereupon Nebuchadnezar then Monarch of the world made a decree , that all nations tongues and languages should take notice of the true God , and of that wondrous work . God preserved Daniel in the Lions den : whereupon Darius wrote to all nations & languages that dwell in the world , inioining in his dominions , that men should tremble and feare before the God of Daniel . Further God put it into Cyrus his heart , to make a proclamation of the great God , that gave him victorie over Babel : And that Gods people should returne out of his large dominions to build Ierusalem and the temple ; and that they should be releeved with many and necessaries , from all parts where they dwelt . The great favour which Achasuerosh vouchsafed the Iewes in his 127. provinces extending from India to Ethiopia , the downfall of Haman so highly esteemed ; and free liberty granted them to be revenged of their enemies , could not but make the world to take especiall notice of them . By these and many other strange works of God for them , it must needs come to passe that diverse others of the Gentiles , as well as they which left records found by Artashaste , should understand the great might of Ierusalem and her Kings , and call ( as the enemies of God did ) their God the great God : And acknowledge that the Israelites were the only wise people and of understanding , and a great nation . And blesse the God of Israel , as did the Queen of Shebah . Notwithstāding all these things at several times the chief people of Asia , Europe & Africa , one after another , since their great Apostacy with Nimrod , maliciously and obstinately bent themselves against God , and his people . As the wars with the Chananites , Amorites , Iebusites , &c. with the Edomites , Amalekites , Moabites , Ammonites , Philistins , Midianites , Aramites , Assyrians , Ethiopians , Chaldeans , Persians , Medes , Syrians , Egyptians , &c. abundantly shew . Amongst which people , as any one grew more populous and mighty than the rest , for the most part they fought against God , and walked in Nimrods idolatrous steps : or if they got any glimpse of light and knowledge , wickedly turned it into fables and lies ; And till the dayes of Christ , continued in unbeliefe , except some few . So that God dealt not with them as with the Iewes , neither had they knowledge of his lawes : such a Pearle was not to be cast to swine . The time of their ignorance ( as Paul told at Athens , the place among them most of credit for knowledge ) God regarded not : and Christ termed them dogs to whom the childrens bread was not to be given . Here I might adde the apostasie of Esau , and the Edomites , of Ismael and the Ismaelitess , &c. who falling away from God , mis-led their people . Thus their people , all that continued in the same rebellion with them , dyed in their sin : and God required their sinnes at the Rulers hands , and at the hands of succeeding Rulers , persisting in the same obstinacie . So that it is evident , that by default of apostate Rulers and subordinate , the people under them die in their sinnes , wilfully running on in the steps of their prime Governours , or in worse superstition added by their Successors , for they would not leave the gods of their fathers , which are no gods ; And so are without God in the world , adhere to wicked traditions , are by nature the children of wrath , are dead in sinnes and trespasses , walke therein according to the course of the world , and after the spirit that rules in the ayre or darknesse , even the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience , and are suffered by God ( who would not ever strive with thē ) to walk in their own waies : professing themselves to be wise , became fooles perswading themselves that they see , are blinde . They said ( as the revolted Iewes in Aegypt ) we will doe whatsoever goeth out of our own mouthes : namely burne incense to the Queen of heaven , ( to Molech , to Baal , to Dagon , &c. To Iupiter , to Mars , to Apollo , &c. ) as we have done , both wee and our fathers , our Kings and our Princes . Thus their wisedome ( being in truth folly ) causes them to rebell : in this case God hides the true wisedome from the wise , such as be puft up with a pride of their owne wisdome . And though GOD had not left himselfe without witnesse ; but by visible things shewed them his eternall power and Godhead , and given them raine from heaven , and fruitfull seasons ; filling their hearts with food and gladnesse : as also by the wondrous workes above mentioned ; yet they , so farre as they knew God , worshipped him not as God , but became vaine in their imaginations , &c. and were without excuse ; and so continued till after Christs death . At which time the partition wall was broken downe , and liberty was granted to goe into the way of the Gentiles . Before which time that wal did not so barre out the Gentiles , but that God left them a way to come into the Iewes Church , and divers particular persons did returne , by Gods great mercy , to the true faith , drawne to it by such instruments and meanes as it pleased God to use . As namely the soules which Abraham got and converted at Charan , Eliezer of Damascus his Steward , all or a great part of his 318. souldiers : a great multitude of sundry sorts of people that went out of Egypt with the Israelites : also Iethro a Midianite , Rahab a Chananite , Ruth a Moabite , Naaman a Syrian , ( as many thinke ) &c. The strangers in the land called together by David at the fitting of stones for the Temple : all servants bought for money and circumcised : Strangers at any time circumcised . In Achafuerosh his Provinces many of his people became Iewes . So that even in the great Apostasie of the Gentiles , and long continuance in the same , some there were , who by Gods great mercy returned to the true Church . Besides this Apostasie at Babel , Ieroboam amongst the people of God made watchman and sheepheard over the ten tribes , did fall off to Idolatry , & ill govern , & worse teach Israel . So that neither Iudahs example adhering to the true religion at Ierusalem : nor the withering of his hand , when hee would have laid hold on Gods Prophet : nor other miracles then done ; nor Ahijahs the Prophets message to him from God ; nor that God had done for his vineyard ( of which Israel was a part ) what he could doe in planting , hedging , and dressing it , &c. could reclaime him from his false worship , and mis-leading the people , the flocke committed to him . In the sinnes of this Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat , walked the Kings of Israel his successors : notwithstanding that God sent Elias , and Elisha , and other Prophets to them , and by them wrought many miracles : notwithstanding that God often punished them by warres , rebellions , famine and other calamities : till at length God would no longer strive with them , but tooke away their hedge and wall , & suffered the Assyrians , then most powerful , to treade them down , to lay the Vineyard waste , to captive them to the Cities of the Medes , & parts adjoyning : where many perished , and onely such as were humbled by affliction , &c. were saved . In these parts they continued captives till the Medes and Persians became Monarchs of the world , and sent out of their Provinces , whosoever of that people would returne . After wich time they continued in the land under much affliction , till Christs incarnation . In this apostasie of Ieroboam and his successors , with their people , there were many persons among them which bowed not the knee to Baal : many that left and fell off from his Idolatry , to the true worship in Iudah . When in the fulnesse of time Christ tooke our nature upon him , preached the glad tidings of the Gospell , offered himselfe up to God a sacrifice in it selfe sufficient for all mankinde ; commanded his Apostles now to preach to all nations & baptise thē . Thē the Rulers of the Iewes apostate and mis-lead the people , who in great part held it reason sufficient : Doe any of the Rulers beleeve in him ? and are perswaded to aske Barrabas and refuse Christ ; crying , crucifie him , crucifie him ; and his blood bee upon thē and their children . So that there is only a remnant of them according to the election of grace , saved . The Lord of his abundant mercy in his good time call their posterity , who since that time till this day continue in their wilfull blindnesse , and obstinate unbeliefe . Vpon their rejection comes in the calling of the Gentiles : for effecting whereof , CHRIST by sending downe of the Holy Ghost in the apparition of fiery divided tongues , conferred on the Apostles and others the gift of speaking divers tongues ; a thing most miraculous to religious men of all nations under heaven , who at that time were present at Ierusalem : whereby the glad tidings of the Gospell might with more speed and conveniency bee preached to all . To which end the Apostles , Paul and others travelled into Countries farre and neare , not danted with dangers and persecutions , which often befell them ; converted many to the faith of Christ , and planted Churches in divers parts of the world . So that it is written , Their sound went forth into all the earth , and their words unto the ends of the world . The miracle of tongues ceasing , the successors of the Apostles were to cherish the knowledge of tongues : and to preach the Gospell freely in the first plantation of it ; more seeking them , than theirs ; where they spent their labours according to the Apostles example . Notwithstanding this course taken by God , according to the exceeding riches of his grace to us Gentiles , upon the unbeliefe of the Iewes ; which is a mysterie or secret , of which we must not bee ignorant : and when we see it effected , cry with S t Paul , O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! how unsearcheable are his judgements ( before towards the Gentiles , now towards the Iewes ) and his wayes ( of commanding the Covenāt of peace in Christ to be now preached to all nations , and making it known that hereafter the Iewes shall obtaine mercy ) past finding out ! Notwithstanding this course on Gods part taken for calling all nations . The Citie of Rome , which about the time of Christs birth was at the full height of her power , both then and since hath , and still doth chalenge rule over the Kings of the earth ; and is the onely City famously knowne by her seven hils , hath first by her Emperours ( almost all wicked and persecutors ) killed Christ , and cruelly afflicted and murdered Christians , and afterward ( when the Emperours were mastered ) by Popes pretending like Lambes to use the two hornes of spirituall and temporall power , but indeed turned Wolfes , exceedingly abused and mis-lead their sheepe ; let the studie of tongues decay for a long time , especially of the sacred tongues , in which Gods originall truth is written ; locked up knowledge ; commended ignorance to the people ; sought not so much the peoples salvation , as honour , riches , soveraignty over all ; making the people serve God by Images ; pray without understanding in an unknowne tongue , &c. and further became drunke with blood of the Saints , and with the blood of the Martyrs of Christ , &c. Thus by default of these wicked sheepheards their sheep perished in their sinnes . Yet evē at Rome there was a little flock of Christ in Pauls time famous through the whole world for their faith : who by the Almighty protection of God did propagate true religion , even under the worst and most tyrannous Emperors . And when Rome by the Popes pride advanced it selfe , and made the Kings of the earth , and their people drunke with the wine of her fornications ; Gods people ( as they are commanded ) went out of her by disclaiming her doctrine and Idolatries , and dyed for the witnesse of Gods truth ; lest they should partake of her sinnes , and receive of her plagues . And Princes have worthily begun to hate the Whore of this spirituall Babylon , to demolish the wals of Rome in their Dominions , or turne them to uses more for Gods glory . Amidst the stirres and Idolatries of Rome , at length Mahomet arose , and the Turkes after him ; they by sword and wicked and blasphemous doctrine mis-lead their people and vassals : so that by their default they and their people are in a damnable estate ; except such as in their dominions retaine the knowledge and worship of Iesus Christ according to Gods truth . Cōcerning the people most remote , as they of China , of Cathaia , of India East and West , especially of America , of Peru , and the rest of the parts orbis incogniti , ( as it is called ) of which little more than the ruder skirts are knowne unto our men ; seeing it is not well knowne , how long some of these parts have been peopled , seeing some hold it disputable whether Solomons fame and Navigation ( to speake nothing of Gods other wondrous works ) extended to all of them ; & if but to some , then to which of them : and more especially , what Countries Ophir , Pervaim , & Tharshish are , whence his gold came in such abundance : as also how farre that speech will reach , of all the worlds seeking to see Solomon , and of the gifts of all Kings and nations : which may perhaps extend to places very farre distant , whence probably men might travell , seeing the Queene of Shebah a woman came so farre . Seeing also that many will not easily grant , that in the Apostles and Primitive times , the sound of the Gospel extended even to these parts : and interpret Scriptures brought to prove this , differently : Or that God might since then , by his mercifull Providence , send among them some light of the Gospell by other meanes , since the great increase of navigation : and that our knowledge of their stories is small , as that we have not without uncertainty . Seeing these matters ( I say ) are not cleare and manifest unto us , it will not be amisse to forbeare defining any thing of them . But seeing wee know assuredly that GOD commanded the Gospel to be preached to all nations ; and we finde that men of pharisaicall condition compasse sea and land with all earnestnesse to make Proselytes for Hel , it concernes all hearty Christians rather gloriously to spend labour and cost for the planting Gods religion among them . to the advancement of Gods Kingdome and glory ; then either peremptorily to determine , or ( which is lesse ) fruitlesly to travel , where we have no surer footing . Forbearing therfore to enter into further debating of these last matters : from the former which are more manifest , & as by Gods word , so by the situation of the people and commerce with them better knowne unto us : it may be concluded . I. That God ( having at once decreed from eternitie the meanes for converting man falne unto him : and seeing on whom they would not be effectuall , by default on mans part ; and decreed their condemnatiō ) in executiō of these decrees left not , nor passed by Cain , Nimrod , Ieroboam , &c. and their adherents , but upon their apostaste or malicious persecuting Gods truth , beyond their day or the set time of Gods striving with them ; the knowledge of which time God hath reserved to himselfe for the most part . II. That Apostate and maliciously persecuting Princes and their substitutes intrusted with a weightie businesse by God and the people , and ill managing the same , incur the heavy judgemēt of God by their owne sinnes : and by making others , or by giving occasion to others to sinne . When either for profit or pleasure , as Cain , for a name as Nimrod , for envie as the Iewes ; for ambition , and having no King but Caesar , no soveraigne Lord but the Pope ; and other their sinnes , most of them from this roote : As the Emperors , and the Bishops of Rome ( in cheif place after them ) they reject or persecute the true religion . III. They that did or doe live under Rulers apostate from the true religion , or maliciously persecuting the same , lost and doe lose the title to happinesse jointly by Adams fell , in whose loines they sinned : and by default of apostate and persecuting rulers and ancestors , in whom they apostated & persecuted , and by actuall continuing together with their successors in the same apostasie , and resolution to persecute . For instance , the Grecians the posteritie of Iaphet fell in Adam : God providing a remedie for that fall by Christ promised : in Nimrod and his complices they apostated from the hope of that promise : At Christs death the Gospell of peace is commanded to be preached to all nations , and was taught and received in their countrey . Whosoever since then , or now hath or doth apostate from the true religion taught by Gods Apostles in Grecia , and joyne with the Turk or Pope in misbeleif and persecuting Gods truth , & hath or doth continue in the same apostasie , lose the title to happinesse . And so of other people also . IIII. That God hath done at severall times many miraculous works , and inflicted on mankind most strange judgements &c. all very conspicuous , so that even among the apostate nations before Christ , Pharaoh confessed , that God was righteous , himselfe and his people sinfull : And others could not but acknowledge Gods power , and that he was the great God : That his Law is only wise : That no god could doe , as he did , &c. Besides , many nations did use sacrifices and offerings , but without true knowledge ; and superstitious : Yet in so doing , acknowledged themselves sinners , and the goodnesse of a Deitie to them , &c. being able to say that we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , are his offspring . Insomuch that they , when as they knew God , worshipped him not as God , but became vaine in their imaginations , were given up to their hearts lust , and are without excuse . V. That some particular persons falne in Adam ; apostated from the promise of Christ in their ancestors , have beene called to the faith by Gods miraculous works & judgements & such other meanes as it pleased God to use , and of his meere mercy saved ; Such as Rahab , Ruth , and divers others above named . In like maner some now in the Turkish Empire and Popish countries ; who being vexed ( as holy Lot ) with the abominations about thē practised , deplore these and their owne sins , beleeve the truth of God concerning redemption by Christ so far as it is revealed unto them , endeavor to lead an holy life accordingly , & meddle not with abuses , which they have no commission to amēd . VI. That they that know not their masters will & doe things worthy of stripes , shall be beaten with few stripes . And that it shal be easier for them at the day of judgment , then for those cities & places which have had the meanes of salvation more plentifully imparted to them . As appeares by Christs speech of Corazin , Bethsaida , and Capernaum . CHAP. VI. Mans perdition is of himselfe in the second place by his own default : Where the Rulers and teachers do their duties . Conclusions thēce . Lastly , conclusiōs from the former & this chapter jointly considered . IN the second place , where Princes , their substitutes , Bishops and teachers doe their offices faithfully , some people 〈◊〉 a●ōg ●n their own ruin . For though God set watchmen over thē , which say , Take heed to the sound of the trumpet : some ( as the Jewes to Jeremie ) say : we will not take heed . Though Gods word be to them precept upon precept , precept upon precept , line upon line , line upon line , here a little and there a little ; though God speake to them himselfe ; though God send to them his servants the Prophets of old ( and preachers now ) yet they will not heare ; but goe after the stubbornnesse of their owne wicked hearts . They say desperately , no ; for I have loved strangers , and I will follow them . In so much that God complaines : My people would not heare my voice , and Israel would none of me . So he gave them up to their owne hearts lust . And Christ complaines of them , and bewailes their obstinacie : O Ierusalem , Ierusalem , how often would I have gathered yee , as an hen her chickens , and yee would not ? Nay , they say to God , depart from us : we desire not the knowledge of thy Lawes . Or bid the Prophets prophecie not . Or say , what can the Almighty doe for us ! Or , it profits nothing to walk with God. Or , how doth God know it ? is there knowledge in the most high ? And so depart from the presence of God , as Cain and his posterity , & Nimrod & his followers , &c. setting afterwards their actions , as ( before , ) their mouthes ( as David saith ) against Heaven . Or they relie on their owne wisedome , and forsake God the fountaine of living waters , and dig to themselves pits , even broken pits which will hold no water . They account the preaching of the Crosse foolishnesse , which is the power of God for the salvation of them that be saved . As for their owne wisedome ( for so they esteeme it ) God turnes it into follie . Or they follow the il examples of their fathers , so that when their fathers have forsaken Iehovah , and walked after other Gods , &c. They doe worse then their fathers ; and walk every one after the stubbornnesse of their owne hearts . Or so addict themselves to pleasure and voluptuousnes , as that they cannot come to the heavenly banquet of salvation , according to his answer , I cannot come . So the wicked before the flood ( Noah being the preacher of righteousnes to them ) ate , dranke , maried and gave in mariage : and so will they do before the generall day of judgement , neglecting the call of Gods preachers : till destruction sweep them away , as it did the old world . Or , they suffer the cares of the world , and the deceitfulnes of riches to choak the good seed of the word , and forsake the feast of salvation made readie , for to goe after their farmes , and oxen and matters of profit . Or , when persecution comes , because of the Gospell , they are offended , and suffer the seed of God , for want of deepe rooting to wither , &c. Or for envie at the conversion of others , and the graces of God in them ; maliciously oppose and reject the Gospell : as did the Jewes , when they saw the whole citie of Antioch come together to heare Gods word : and were thereupon filled with envie , & contradicted those things which were spoken by Paul , and railed . So also did the Elder sonne , that is , the Jew , repine , & would not come into the feast , whē God the father reconciled himselfe to the yonger sonne the prodigall , that is , the Gentile . This resisting is called a resisting of the Spirit of God both in the fathers and also in those present Iewes . And what did they in the old world , but resist the spirit , by which Christ was raised from the dead ? For with that very spirit Christ preached to them : And for resisting the same they are now Spirits inprison . God from all eternitie seeing the rebellion and obstinate wickednesse of prophane men ( under the father , before the law was written , and after in the Iewish Church , & now in the Christiā Church since ) in all of many of the degrees above : as he willed that together with other meanes of salvatiō his Spirit also should strive with them : so he willed that his spirit should not alwaies strive with them . But when their wickednesse was come to the full , & Gods long suffering had many years waited for their amendment ; that they might agree with their adversarie in the way ; when the limit of the time in which God gave them space to repent , Their day in which they ought to know the things which belong to their peace , ( which day or fixed limit is known only to God , except sometimes it hath pleased him to reveale it ) is past and expired : Then God will not heare their cry , who before would not heare his call : then God gives it not to them , to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven : God hides those things from the wise and intelligent ( in their owne proud conceit ) because it so pleaseth him . God sends a lying Spirit into the mouth of Ahabs prophets and gives him power to deceive them . When Balaam was forbidden by God to goe , or curse the blessed , and yet would not rest , but still shewed his love and desire of the wages of unrighteousnesse ; God had him goe , but was angrie that he went. When the hearts of people are waxed grosse , their eares dul of hearing , & their eyes by themselves closed , lest they should see , heare , understand , and bee converted : Then God blinds , makes deaf , and takes away their understanding . God hardens them according to the most holy and just rule of his will , who ( being come to Pharaoh's case ) harden themselves and so he hardens , whom he will : And then is there no disputing with God. God sends strong delusions , that they should beleeve lies , who would not receive the knowledge of the truth . Thus Gods al-seeing eyes beholding from al eternitie , what courses he on his part would take , and how among his people the Rulers and Teachers should faithfully doe , what he ordered and appointed for the salvation of their people ; seeing even them also who are not in Christ , not by his or the Rulers or teachers default , but by their owne consulting with flesh and blood , and disobedience to Gods will revealed to them : Simul & semel hee decreed the condemnation of them most justly ( as Esau's ) before actually they had done good or evil : and thereto tends Christs speech ; He that beleeves not , is condemned alreadie . These things being thus , it may be hence concluded ; 1. That in wicked mens neglecting or contemning Gods dealing with them , and the order and course appointed by God for their salvation , some sooner some later fall off from , or reject the meanes of their salvation . The Gaderens after one miracle done among them , upon the losse of their swine , beseech Christ to depart out of their coasts . The Iewes at Antioch heare the Gospell preached to them one Sabbath : but the next Sabbath drive the Apostles out of their citie . They of Capernaum and Bethsaida had many great works of Christ done among them ; but repented not . Demas heard the Gospell , walked with the Apostles for a time , but at length fell off to the present world . Iulian the Apostata heard the Gospell , professed the same for a time , at length violently and maliciously persecuted it . Iudas heard the Gospell , preached it , continued a long time with Christ and the Apostles ; was unsuspected of the Apostles : till at length he betrayed his Master ; and died desperately . 2. That carelesnesse and want of due consideration opens a very great gappe on mans part to his owne ruin . As not to regard the trumpet of Gods warning them : his miracles , promises , threats , &c. to preferre mans folly before Gods wisedome in the mouth of his messengers ; to prefer this worlds wealth before the true treasure ; momentany pleasures before pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore : To feare men that can but kill the body , and not feare God , who can destroy both body and soule ; to envie other mens graces and conversion , at which GOD , good Angels and men rejoice ; not principally and mainly to seeke Gods Kingdome , and to use matters of this world , as if we used them not . In this manner they that were invited to the banquet of salvation , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , made light of it , and went their wayes , to pleasure , profit , &c. How shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men neglecting so great salvation escape . 3. That though Gods goodnesse and mercy is such that he knocks at mans heart , and stands and abides knocking there ; and notwithstanding many and great sinnes of infirmity and ignorance , &c. still continues suing to be admitted into the heart of man , drawing him to it by the preaching of the Ministers , who work together with him ; as by other meanes also : yet if sinners proceed from one degree of sinne to another , and harden their hearts , that they cannot repent , following sinne with greedinesse , till the acceptable time , the day of salvation be past : and Christ who commanded all to watch , and told them of his sudden comming , finde them not well doing , but sleeping in sinne , they are cut off and have their portion with unbeleevers . 4. That the wicked which lived in the Church before Christs time , lost their title to happinesse , joyntly by Adams fall , and ( sinne comming in thereby ) by actuall sinnes of their owne , by wilfull forsaking or otherwise losing the benefit of Christ promised , by persisting in all or some of the sinnes above named . 5. That the wicked , who lived in the true Church , since Christs time , lost their title to happinesse joyntly by Adams fall ; and by falling off from the hope in Christ , promised in their Ancestors at Babels building ; and by each mans owne actuall sinne in some or al the degrees aboue named , falling from the hope of salvation through Christ , already come and preached to them . 6. That God from all eternity decreed the hardening of them , that obstinately harden themselves ; the blinding of them , that obstinately blinde themselves ; the forsaking of them , that obstinately forsake him ; that will follow their owne courses , their wicked Ancestors steps ; and impiously bid God depart from them ? Furthermore from these two sections considered together , arise these conclusions . I. That the condemnation of the wicked is meerly of & from mans default ; where the trumpet is not blowne , both by default of Rulers and teachers , and also in regard of their owne sinnes , in which they dye . And where Rulers and teachers doe their duties , by the sinnes of each particular person . II. That the wickednesse of the damned is not the cause of Gods will to damne them : for sinne in man , which is evill , cannot produce justice in God ( which is holy and good , and an attribute of God before sinne ever was ) as its effect : But Gods holy and just will is the square of his actions . Yet sin in man truely his owne worke is cause of damnation in himselfe ; a bad effect of a bad cause . So treason is the cause of the traitors condemnation and death ; but the law of the land being the rule of justice , is the cause , that the Iudge wils the condemnation , and puts to death the Traitor . III. The worke of any of Gods free Graces and favours not merited by any man , proceedeth not de facto so farre with some men , as with others , by default of the men themselves . The benefit of his raine & sun extends to all , so also many other outward gifts : Christ wrought one miracle among the Gadarens , but at that time preached not the word in their Cities ; for they would not . Christ did many great works in Corazin , Bethsaida , and Capernaum ; preached there ; when as they repent not , he pronounces a woe against them . God caused the word to be preached to Demas , gave him societie with the Apostles ; but left him to the corruption of his heart imbracing this present world . God caused the word to bee preached to Iulian , according to which he walked for a time , and incouraged Christians ; but at length God left him to the cruelty of his owne heart to persecute Christianity . God made Iudas an Apostle ; he according to his office walked a while , and preached the Gospell ; but at length God left him to the covetousnesse of his heart , to betray the Lord of life , and to desperation . IV. They which be adjudged to condēnation , discerne and make themselves differ from the rest by being disobedient and rebellious to the order and course appointed by God for mans salvation . God made Paul differ from Demas and other wicked men by the gracious worke of his holy Spirit on him . D●mas made himselfe to differ from Paul and other godly men , by yeelding to his owne corruption in following this present world . V. That they which knew their masters or Gods will , and prepared not themselves for their Masters comming , neither did according to his will , shall be beaten with many stripes ; whereas he that knew his Masters will , and did it not , is beaten with few ; for unto whomsoever much is given , of him much shall bee required ; so it is with Corazin , Bethsaida , Capernaum . God for Christ Iesus sake guide us by his grace and good Spirit , that we may doe his will , and prepare for his comming ; and of his infinite mercie pardon , what here hath beene weakly delivered about these great mysteries ; and more and more illuminate our understandings in the knowledge of the same ; and so powerfully work upon us , that as on his part there is not , so on our part there may be no default ; that we may persevere his servants here , & hereafter raigne with him in the Kingdome of glory , for the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen . * ⁎ * FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A02837-e150 Ezek. 18.29 . Deut. 29.29 . 1 Ti● . 6.4 . 1 Tim. 6.25 . Act. 26.25 . Plat. in Sym. Eurip. in Phoe● . Plat. Symp. Plat. de Rep. lib. 3. 1 Cor. 13.9 . Notes for div A02837-e1290 Ezek. 18.29 . Heb. 4.13 . Ier. 17.10 . Psal . 139.2 . CHAP. 1. 2. Pet. 1.21 . Heb. 1.1.2 . & 2.3 . Mat. 28.20 . 1. Cor. 3.9 . CHAP. 2. Rom. 1.20 . Hos . 5.15 . Rom. 15.19 . Gen. 6.3 . Acts 7.51 . Esay 63.10 . Nehe. 9.30 . Gen. 6. Luk. 19.42.44 . Exod. 12.38 . & 48. Reve. 21.25 . Ezek. 33.11 . Iob. 8.8 . Gen. 4. ● . Gen. 27.29 . Gen. 18.19 . Gen. 4.26 . Iob 1.5 . Deut. 17.29 . Ios . 1.8 . CHAP. 3. 1. Tim. 2.2 . Exod. 18.21 . Numb . 11.16 . Deut. 1.13 . Deut. 33.5 . Deu. 33.18.19 . 1. Chron. 22.2 . Ier. 10.11 . Est . 8.17 . Heb. 7.21 . & 10.12.13 . Mat. last . Iohn 7.46 . 1. Tim. 5.17 . Tit. 1.5 , 6. Apoc. 21.24 . Prov. 14.28 . Esay 49 , 23. & 60.3 . Apoc. 17. Heb. 7.21 . & 10.12.13 . Eccles . 12.13 . Rom. 13.1 . 1. Pet. 2.13 . Acts 27.31 . Esay 60.10 , 11. 1. Cor. 3.9 . Ephes . 1.4 . 2. Tim. 2.19 . CHAP. 4. Acts 27.31 . &c. 1. Iohn 4.10 . Iohn 15.16 . Ezek. 36.26 . Rom. 9.16 . Iohn 6.44 . 2. Tim. 1.9 . Ephes . 2.8 . 2. Tim. 1.9 . Phil. 2.13 . 2. Tim. 1.9 . Ephes . 2.7 . Rom 9.16 . Rom. 8.29 . 1. Iohn . 4.10 . Ephes . 1.4 . Rom. 8.30 . Acts 20.32 . Iohn 16.13 Rev. 3.20 . Acts. 16.14 . Iohn . 6.44 . Hos . 11.4 . Ier. 31.3 . Iohn 12.32 . Ezek. 36.26 . 2. Thes . 1.11 . Heb. 12.2 . Rom. 8.29 . Psal . 37.24 . Hos . 5.15 . Rom. 8.30 . Ephes . 2.8 . 2. Tim. 2.25 : Iohn 17.20 . Rom. 8.30 . Acts 10.33 . Acts 16.14 . Acts 2.37 . Psal 119.10.143.5 . 2. Cor. 11.7 . Acts 2.38 . & 41. Acts 9.11 . Acts 26.19 . Psal . 119.71 . 1. Iohn 5.18 Iohn 14.21 . 1. Cor. 13. Mat. 10.12 . Phil. 2.13 . Deut. 9.4 , 5. See page . 6. conclusion 4. Acts 13.48 . CHAP. 5. Ion. 4.11 . 1. Ezek. 34.10 . Ezek. 33.8 . The Explication of this position . Gen. 4.7 . Gen. 6.2 . &c. 1. Pet. 3.19 . Gen. 11. Gen. 14. Gen. 19. Gen. 39. Gen. 41.57 . Psal . 105.21 . Exod. 7. & 8 , & 9. Exod. 14. Exod. 7.5 , & 9 , 16. Rom. 9.10 . 1. Kings 10.1 . 1. Kings 10.24 . Dan. ● . 25 . Dan. 6.25 . Ezr. 1. Esth . 8. & 9. Ezr. 4 20. Ezr. 5.8 . Deut. 4.6 . 1. Kin. 10.5 . Psal . 147.20 . Act. 17.30 . Matth. 15.26 . Ier. 2.11 . Ephes . 2. Act. 14. Gen. 6. Rom. 1. Ier. 44.17 . Es . 47.10 . Rom. 1.20 . Act. 14.17 . Rom. 1.21 . Exod. 12.38 . Gen. 12.5 . & 13.12.15.2 . Exod. 12.38 . 1 Chron. 22.2 . Exod. 12.44.48 . Est . 8.17 . 1 King. 11.31 . 1 King. 13.4 . Es . 5. 2 King. 18.11 . Es . 5. 2. Chron. 36.16 1 King. 19.18 . 2 Chron. 15.9 . Mat. 28.19 . Act. 17.30 . Iohn 7.48 . Act. 2. Rom. 10.18 . Eph. ● . Rom. 11.25 . Rom. 11.33 . Rom. 11.31 . Luke 2. Apoc. 17. Mat. 7.15 . Act. 20.29 . Apoc. 13.11 . Rev. 1● . ● . Rom. 1.8 . Rev. 18.2 . Rev. 17.15 . 2 Chron. 9.10 . 2 Chron. 2.6 . 1 King. 10.22 . 1 K. 10.24 , 15. Rom. 10.18 . Act. 1.8 . Mat. 24.14 . Exod. 9.27 . Ezr. 5.8 . Deut. 4.6 . Dan. 2.47 . & 3.29 . & 6.26 . Acts 17. Luke 12.48 . Mat. 11.22.24 . CHAP. 6. 2. Ier. 6.17 . Esay . 28.10 . Ier. 7.25 . Ier. 2.25 . Psal . 81.11 . Mat. 23.37 . Iob 21.14 . Ier. 11.21 . Iob. 22.17 . Iob 34.9 . Psal . 73.11 . Psal . 73.9 . Ier. 2.13 . 1. Cor. 1.18 . Ier. 16.11 , 12. Ier. 18.12 . Luke 14.20 . Luke 17.26 , 27 Mat. 13.22 . Luke 14.19 . Mat. 13.20 . Acts 13.45 . Luke 1528. Acts 7.51 . Ne● . 9.30 . Esay 6 , 10. 1. Pet. 3.18 , 19 , 20. Gen. 6.3 . Luke 13.7 . Luke 12.58 . Luke 19.42.44 . Ier. 11. Mat. 11.25 . 1. Kings 22.23 . Num. 22.12 . & 19. & 22. 2. Pet. 2.15 . Acts 28.27 . Rom. 9. 2 , Thes . 2.11 . Rom. 9. Iohn 3.18 . Mat. 22.5 . Heb. 2.3 . Rev. 3.20 . 2 Cor. 6.1 . 2 Cor. 6.2 . Mar. 13.37 . Luke 13.46 . Luke 12.47 , 48 Mat. 11.22 , 24. 
A08188	----	A day-starre for darke-wandring soules shewing the light, by a Christian controuersie: or briefely and plainely setting forth the mysterie of our saluation. Diuided into principles, obiections, and answeres. By Richard Niccolls, th'elder, of the Inner Temple London, Gent. deceased. Published for the generall benefit of all those who heartily, and with a true path desire their owne saluation: by I.C. Niccols, Richard, of the Inner Temple. 1613 Approx. 83 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 48 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-07 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A08188 STC 18526.5 ESTC S119830 99855036 99855036 20506 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A08188) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 20506) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1551:13) A day-starre for darke-wandring soules shewing the light, by a Christian controuersie: or briefely and plainely setting forth the mysterie of our saluation. Diuided into principles, obiections, and answeres. By Richard Niccolls, th'elder, of the Inner Temple London, Gent. deceased. Published for the generall benefit of all those who heartily, and with a true path desire their owne saluation: by I.C. Niccols, Richard, of the Inner Temple. I. C., fl. 1613. [12], 73 [i.e. 83], [1] p. Printed [by Thomas Snodham] for Iohn Budge, and are to be solde at the great South-doore of Paules, London : 1613. Printer's name from STC. Page 83 misnumbered 73. Formerly STC 18518. 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Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Salvation -- Early works to 1800. 2003-02 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-03 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-04 Olivia Bottum Sampled and proofread 2003-04 Olivia Bottum Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-06 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A DAY-STARRE FOR Darke-wandring Soules : Shewing the Light , by a Christian Controuersie : OR Briefely and plainely setting forth the Mysterie of our SALVATION . DIVIDED INTO Principles , Obiections , and Answeres . BY RICHARD NICCOLLS , th' elder , of the Inner Temple London , Gent. deceased . PVBLISHED For the generall benefit of all those who heartily , and with a true path desire their owne Saluation : by I.C. LONDON : Printed for Iohn Budge , and are to be solde at the great South-doore of Paules 1613. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE , and truely religious Lady , the Lady ANNE GLEMHAM , I. C. wisheth encrease of all godlinesse and vertue , with the fruition of eternall HAPPINESSE . Right Honourable : AS euery good Artist laboureth with much paines to rectifie and bring into due forme and order , the Art which hee himselfe professeth ; and seeketh all possible wayes and meanes to attaine to the perfection thereof ; adding thereto his owne practice and experience , thereby to make it more facile and easie to be attained vnto by future Posterities ; and vnto them conueying it , as it were a matter hereditarie , and which by succession they ought to enioy . Euen so ought euery true Christian with his best endeauours , industrie and trauaile , labour to finde out the true Principles and Grounds of Christian Religion ; and therein through his owne industry ( directed by the Spirit of the Highest ) daily seeke to attaine to the perfection of that blessed Truth which is the sole Directresse to eternall Happinesse ▪ and the profits of his Christian Labours to participate to all succeeding Ages . And as none can profit in any Science , without first knowing the Fundamentall Reasons and Grounds thereof ; so it is impossible for any man to attaine to the perfection of Christian Religion , vnlesse hee be first instructed in the certaine and infallible Grounds and Principles of the same : with which this worthy and religious Author was well furnished , as by this ensuing discourse , or Treatise , made for the priuate vse of himselfe and his Wife , who being a godly and religious Gentlewoman , imparted the same to some few of her friends ; amongst whom , my selfe ( as vnworthiest of those few ) had a written Copie , which ( most Vertuous Lady ) remayning in my custody ( and the Author being a Gentleman , vnder whom I had part of my Education , and fearing lest this Orphant ( turned naked into the World , without a Protector and Patron ) might by sinister and fatall occasion happen into the hands of some professed ( though priuate ) enemies ; and there be smothered by those irremarkable persons mentioned in the Reuelation to haue receiued the marke of the Beast ) depriuing the Author of his due and well deserued commendations , and the World of so honest and religious a worke , I could doe no lesse then cause it to be published , as well for the generall good of the well-affected and religious , as also for an Example and President vnto all men to imploy their labours in godly exercise , for the benefit of their Christian Brethren . And considering with my selfe where to bestow it , I was embold●…ed by the inducement of diuers reasons to select your Ladiship , as one most worthy to be the sole Patronesse and Protector of this godly Treatise , knowing your Honourable Virtues and sinceritie of Religion to be such as are of force enough to make that commendable which onely by your Honours name is graced , in respect of which , and diuers other Honourable Curtesies , for which I am oblieged to your Ladiship , I most humbly present vnto your fauourable view and Honourable protection , the zealous and truely religious labours of this godly Gentleman , challenging nothing to my selfe but the imperfections in the harsh composure of the stile , which if your Honour vouchsafe to receiue , it may be that although in the perusing thereof your Ladiship shall not finde any matter which you are ignorant of , yet may it confirme that which otherwise your Honour may doubt in ; or at least make it more euident by deliuering the Circumstances in more particular termes . And as in the Author it deserueth a generall and perpetuall remembrance , so doth it argue in him a most godly and good minde , in labouring to finde out that which gaue a comfortable end to all his Labours , for the which doubtlesse he now possesseth an vncorruptible and immortall Crowne of Glory in the World which shall neuer end . To the which , after many , long , and happy yeeres , with much honor in this life , liued to the glory of God , and to the comfort and reliefe of his poore and afflicted Members , the Lord bring your Honour , with peace and quiet Conscience . Your Honours solely deuoted in all seruiceable duty , and dutifull Affection , I. C. To the READER . CHristian Reader , how intricate and difficult a matter it is to content the various conceits of the generall multitude , I doubt not but is well enough knowne to thee : and how curious ( seeming ) Schollers are in perusing the labours of euery one , daily experience makes it manifest , who notwithstanding the benefit which they might reape vnto themselues by obseruation , if ( without affectation of their owne inuention ) they would with mature Iudgement , and aduised patience , diligently read the good and godly Workes of Religious Persons , doe studie with all diligence , to lay some scandalous imputation not onely on the Author , but the poore innocent Booke , who would if it were possible , laugh at their ignorance . How then shall this poore Booke dare to aduenture it selfe among so many enemies , but in hope of the kinde censure of the Learned , godly , and zealous Christians : In expectation of which , with their louing acceptance of the Fruits of the Authors Labours , it dares oppose it selfe to the generall view of the world , without fearing any the Calumnies of carping Zoilists , or those which beare the irremarkable marke of the Beast , mentioned in the Reuelation of S. Iohn . And so rests thine to vse and peruse . CERTAINE Grounds , or Principles of Christian Religion , briefely and plainely setting forth the Mysterie of our SALVATION . The first PRINCIPLE . EVery one of vs , who by generation descend of Adam , of our selues , by Nature , cannot so much as thinke any good thoughts much lesse doe any good deede , but all our thoughts , words , and workes are onely euill continually , Gen. 6. 5. Rom. 3. 9. Iohn 15. 5. Notes vpon the first Principle . THE first cause of this our corruption is , because that euery one of vs who come of Adam , sinned in the same sinne that Adam sinned : viz. In eating the forbidden fruis , and are guiltie thereof before God. Rom. 5. 12. Heb. 7. 9. 10. The reason hereof is , because that Adam ( as our common Procurator or Factor , Tam ad perdendum quam ad lucrandum ) did beare the person of vs all , being then in his loynes : Therefore looke what hee gained , hee gained for himselfe and vs ; and looke what hee lost , hee lost for himselfe and vs , then being in his loynes . 1 Cor. 15. ●…2 . The second cause of this our continually sinning is , because that euery one of vs who come of Adam , are by Gods decree ( manifested and pronounced to Adam ) fallen into this heauie punishment for our transgression in Adam , viz. vvee are tainted with originall sinne . This originall sinne is a corruption of the powers of the Soule ; and that not in some , or in part , but of all and wholy : and so by this originall sin , first , wee are depriued not of some , but of all good inclination , and doe want not some , but all goodnesse : and secondly , thereby we are inclined and prone , not to some , but to all euill , and not onely inclined and prone , but also naturally fruitfull , not of some , but of all sinnes ; as hauing the seeds of all sins bred within vs : so that , although sinnes doe not breake out in all men alike , neither is any man found who putteth all sins in practise . Yet take the most ciuill and best natured man in the World , and by Nature the seeds of all sinnes are in him : but the generall restraining grace of God doth many and diuers wayes restraine all men from comming into many sins , chiefly for the good and quietnesse of his Church , and also for the maintaining and vpholding the societie of the world . Which restrayning grace of God , if it should be withdrawne , then euery man without exception would breake out into euery sinne , to the vtter ouerthrow of all Societies and Common-weales . The godliest and best men can best testifie of these inbred seeds of corruption , for they best know what a do they haue with their corrupt natures , and how difficult a thing it is to keepe them within the compasse of obedience , Rom. 3. 9. 10. 11. The third cause of this our continuall sinning doth rise from the consequence of the two former causes , viz. Euery one of vs Man or Woman , high or low , rich or poore , borne in the visible Church , or without , as he commeth of Adam , & is borne of his father and mother , for our transgression and originall sinne from and in Adam , is hated of God , & is Gods enemy , and the bondslaue of Sathan ; who vntill the time of regeneration raigneth and ruleth in the heart of euery one of vs , and haleth euery one of vs forward to the height & perfection of wickednesse , so farre as he is permitted by the powerfull hand of God , vvho will suffer neither wicked men , nor the Diuell himselfe , to put in practise euery wickednesse they could and would , if God should withdraw his restrayning hand , Ephes. 2. 2. 2 Cor. 44. 2 Tim. 2. 26. 1 Obiection . It is against common reason ( say the Pelagians ) that all men should be made guiltie of one mans fault ; and therefore ( say they ) Adam sinned to his owne proper hurt , and by his transgression hurted not his posteritie . And in this that Adams sinne is passed to his posteritie , that is come to passe by imitation , and not by propagation . Answere . This Obiection being beleeued , vtterly ouerthroweth our free Iustification by Christs righteousnesse , performed by himselfe , and imputed vnto vs , as done by our selues . For if Adams sinne is passed ouer vnto vs , his posteritie , by imitation onely , then also doth it follow that wee haue no other profit by this righteousnesse of Christ performed by him for vs , then that he is set before vs for an example to follow : for in what sort wee are made partakers of Adams transgression to our condemnation , in the same sort we are made partakers of Christs righteousnesse to our Iustification . And so againe in what sort we are made partakers of Christs righteousnesse to our Iustification : in the same sort wee are made partakers of Adams transgression to our condemnation . And therefore as we being in Christ as our head and roote , are iustified by the communication of his righteousnesse ( it being imputed to vs as done by our selues ) because that in him and by him , by reason of our vnion with him we haue fulfilled the Law , and satisfied Gods iustice . So wee being come of Adam as the roote of all mankinde , originally are guiltie of his transgression , because that in him and by him , by reason of our vnion vvith him see haue all sinned . 2 Obiection . The Soule is newly created , and commeth immediatly from God , who is perfectly righteous , and so the Soule cannot be naturally and originally sinfull as the flesh , vvhich descendeth from Adam . And it being a spirit , and a thing immateriall can not be infected of the body being a thing materiall . Therefore it standeth not with Gods iustice , that the soule , hauing no sinne of her owne , should beare the sinne of another , namely of Adam , which was committed so long before : neither is it to be thought , that God who forgiueth vs our owne sinnes , will impute the sinnes of another vnto vs. Answere . The cause of our hereditary corruption , as well of our soules ( which by God are into vs infused pure , and by vs from him receiued pure ) as of our flesh which descendeth from sinnefull Adam , is not in the substance of the soule , or in the substance of the body , but in this that vnto the penaltie of God , the Creators decree , by Adam wittingly and vvilfully transgressed , Adam and all his posteritie , both in their soules and bodies , were and are to be subiected . For , why should any Pelagian thinke of this , as hard and vnreasonable , seeing it seemeth vnto our selues iust and reasonable , that the Potter may dispose of his Pots , made by himselfe , to what vse he wil ; and seeing it seemeth iust and reasonable to our selues to subiect to lawes made by our selues , both the Parents and the Children vnborne , and their posteritie long after succeeding . 3 Obiection . Against this first principle , the Papists do further obiect , That man hath free-will , which vvhosoeuer denieth ( say they ) is worthy to be beaten like a Stocke-fish , vntill he confesseth that they who beateth him haue free-will either to beate him or to cease from beating him : for if one doe denie the fire to be hot , the best way to perswade such a one , is to cast him into an hot Ouen . Answere . The answere vnto this obiection is this : First that all reasonable creatures haue free-will in morall and ciuill acts : and secondly , that all wicked men haue free-will from coaction and violence : thirdly , that among all sinnes wicked men make free choise to put some in practise . But this freedome is wanting to Adams posteritie , to wit , by nature , to thinke or doe any thing which is good before God , and acceptable in his sight , because that by Adams transgression mans free-will is brought into the bondage of sinne . 4 Obiection . If mans free-will by Adams transgression be in such bondage of sinne that it cannot make no choise of good , then doth free-will lose its owne nature : for where sinne must needs be chosen , there can be no libertie ; and consequently all the libertie which mans free-will hath , is freely to giue to the Diuell , and so man is by God punished for that which hee cannot auoid . Answere . There be three kindes of liberties or freedomes : the first , is libertie from compulsion : the second , is libertie from sinne : the third , is libertie from miserie . The first kinde of libertie was in Adam , and shall be for euer in Adams posteritie ; but libertie from sinne , and libertie from miserie , cannot be had in this life , but for as much as this bondage of sinne , or necessitie of sinning , is come vnto vs by our owne voluntarie acts ( for in Adam , by eating the forbidden fruit , wee all being in his loynes voluntarily sinned ) wee are all with the bondage of sinne and miserie iustly punished in him for his and our owne disobedience . 5 Obiection . To feede the hungry , to clothe the naked , to honour our Parents , to serue our Maisters faithfully , to obay our lawfull Gouernours , to dye in defence of our Country , and such like deedes done by Infidels , are good deedes , and no sinnes , and therefore men , by Nature , before regeneration , haue choise and libertie of will to doe some good deeds which are no sinnes . Answere . S. Augustine in his fourth Booke cap. 3. against Iulian the Pelagian , answereth that such acts done by Infidels are doubtlesse sinnes ; not that in their owne nature they are sins , but because they are not of Faith : for , whatsoeuer 〈◊〉 not of faith is sinne , Rom. 14. 23. For that , without faith it is impossible to please God. Heb. 11. 6 Againe , the Apostle saith , 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whatsoeuer wee doe it must be done to no other end then to the glory of God : and therefore the said acts done by Infidels cannot be said to be done to his glory , because the said acts being done without faith , cannot possibly please God , and therfore such acts , done by Infidels , are doubtlesse sinnes , though in their owne nature they be no sins , but Morall Virtues . 6 Obiection . If the premisses be true , then may an Infidell as well robbe his neighbour as relieue him with food or ●…aiment : and so of the rest . Answere . God doth deepely graue Morall Virtues , or the workes of the Law , in the hearts of the Infidels , and thereby they are guided to doe some Morall Virtues , and restrained from doing many wickednesses : but they being without Faith , doe nothing to the right end . Also the Infidels for Morall Virtues ( which beare but a shew of good workes ) are by God rewarded with the praise and fauour of men , and other temporall blessings , for which the Morall Virtues were done , as the principall end of their action . The second PRINCIPLE . WEe of our selues , without CHRIST , can by Nature lo●…ke for no grace or pardon for our sinnes a●… Gods han●…s , but hatred , wrath , and eternall condemnation for the same . Ephes. 2. 3. Notes vpon the second Principle . VVHen wee offend or sinne against GOD , ( whose person is of infinite worthinesse ) our offence by consequence must needes be infinite , and therefore greater then by any meanes , wee of our selues can satisfie with condigne compensation , because Men and Angels , and all Creatures are vncapable of euery infinite action ; they are finite both in strength and power , to doe or suffer . Wherefore seeing God of his Iustice cannot pardon sinne without condigne compensation , which man cannot possibly make ; therefore man , of himselfe , can looke for no grace of saluation at Gods hand , who is perfectly iust , true , and faithfull , and alwayes the same , and like to himselfe , with whom there is no variablenesse , or shadow of changing . All Virtues attributed to God are essentiall and eternall , and not variable , as the Virtues in men , vvhich may be increased or diminished : All his Curses and Iudgements against sinne must be performed , as well as his mercifull promises : Heauen and Earth shall passe , but no word of the Lord shall passe away vnperformed . The third PRINCIPLE . THe Bloud of Christ Iesus crucified ( because of the worthinesse of his person ) is the onely meritorious cause , thing , and price , which can satisfie Gods Iustice for all mens sinnes , and so make them away to his fauour and mercy , Act. 20. 28. Iohn 1. 7. Rom. 3. 23. 24. 25. Iohn 3. 14. Notes vpon the third Principle . FIrst let vs behold Christ crucified , as the Scriptures doe describe him : according to which , he had no part from top to toe free from paine and griefe , but hung on the Tree , hauing his flesh torne with whips , his checkes swolne with buffets , his face defiled with spittle , his head stucke full with Thornes , his eyes deiected for shame , his eares burning with taunts , his mouth sowred with Vinegar , his hands and his feete wounded with Iron Spikes , his bones vnioynted , his sinewes pricked and strayned , his whole body hanging by the sorenesse of his hands and feete ; and lastly , ( though he were dead ) his heart pierced vvith a Speare , whence issued bloud and vvater . And here further let vs aduisedly obscrue in his Stripes , that Pilate hauing a purpose to saue the life of Christ , and not neglecting to satisfie the people , ( who were incensed against him ) caused him extreamely to be whipped , and to be shewed to the people in that plight , with these words ; Behold the man , to let them see that Christ had receiued very sufficient correction ( no crime being proued against him ) and so to with-draw them from secking his death . In crowning him with Thornes , let vs aduisedly note , that the Souldiers did not onely wreath him a thicke Crowne of Thornes , to sticke his head full of them , but after the putting it on , to fasten it , they did strike him on the head with their Caues . In his nayling to the Crosse or crucifying , let vs aduisedly obserue , that besides the greatnesse and sorenesse of his wounds , which were worthy to be marked , they so strayned his body ( least hee should stirre hand or foote ) that all his bones might be numbred . The greatnesse of his Wounds Dauid fore-sheweth in these words , They digged my hands and feete : noting how wide wounds they made , which were rather digged then pierced . How tender and sensible the hands and feete are aboue other parts of the body , and what paine and anguish the pricking , strayning , and tearing of the Sinewes , Ligaments , and ●…oynts ( which are very thicke and full of sense in those places ) did breede and kindle in the whole body , Nature can teach vs without any further proofe . Of the racking of his Ioynts Bernard maketh this collection out of Dauid , I am so strained ( saith Dauid , in the person of Christ ) that my body , naked , being stret●…hed like the head of a Timbrell or Drum , all my bones may be numbred , all my bones are out of ioynt ; or pulled one from th●…ther . In this horrible torment of Stripes , Thornes , Wounds , Sinewes , and Ioynts , our Sauiour hung on the Crosse aboue three houres in most perfect sense , with extreame paine , vntill the very instant that hee miraculously breathed out his Soule . Hee who shortneth and lightneth the force of torments in his Saints , when they be grieuous , in his owne would doe neyther : hee spared not himselfe who knew how to spare his : hee dyed not by degrees as his Saints doe ; his Senses did not decay , no pangs of death tooke holde vpon him , but in perfect sense , Patience and Obedience both of body and soule , hee did voluntarily by his infinite power resigne his Spirit ( as he was praying ) into the hands of his Father , without trembling or strugling , or any shew of sense of his paines : who can sleepe when he will , as Christ dyed when hee would ? who can lay aside his Garment , as Christ laid aside his Flesh ? who can so leaue his place as Christ left his life ? The laying downe of his life was no imposed punishment , nor forcible inuasion of death vpon him , but a voluntary Sacrifice rendred vnto God for our sinnes : and his bloud thus shed vpon the Crosse , is a full and perfect satisfaction for our sinnes . We must not be so childish , as to thinke that the bloud of Christ , in sensible flesh , is a perfect Sacrifice rendred to God for our sinnes , to satisfie Gods wrath , excluding the vnion , operations , and passions of his soule whilest his body suffered , and in the end dyed : but in the shedding of his bloud wee must include all his suffering both of body and soule , which testifie his patience and perfect obedience , euen to the shedding of his bloud vpon the Crosse. Secondly , let vs see how the precious Bloud and Death of CHRIST crucified , is of infinite vvorthinesse and merit ; for that in regard it must vvorke infinite things for vs , to wit , it must deliuer vs from eternall death in Hell , and bring vs to life euerlasting in Heauen : in respect of eyther of which it must needes be of infinite value , or else it profiteth not : For an infinite purchase cannot be made without an infinite price , this infinite price cannot be found in our owne merits , whose thoughts , words , and deedes are continually euill . Shall vvee then seeke for it in the euerlasting paines of Hell ? they are neyther meritorious nor infinite : meritorious they be not ; for to be eternally separated from God can deserue no thankes with God : if any man fall away from God , God hath no pleasure in him , saith the Apostle . And hee vvho suffereth Hels paines is hated , and no wayes beloued : for Christs sentence shall be , Depart from me you cursed into euerlasting fire . And as Hels paines be not meritorious , no more are they infinite in waight , but in time onely : for they must be euerlastingly suffered , before they can be infinite , and the Diuels and men which shall suffer them , cannot endure any infinite sense of paine , because they be finite Creatures : God onely is infinite : but the vengeance of sinne continueth for euer , because no creat●…re is able to beare an infinite waight of punishment . Since then neyther our owne merits , nor the paines of Hell , haue neyther worth nor waight sufficient in themselues to satisfie the anger , and procure the fauour of GOD , wee must seeke to Heauen , euen to God himselfe , for the true ransome of our sinnes , and redemption of our Soules , which wee can finde no where , but in the person of Christ Iesus , who being true God , tooke our nature vnto himselfe , to become one with vs , and communicateth his spirit vnto vs , to make vs one with him , and by the infinite price of his bloud bought vs from the power of hell , and brought vs vnto God : for , neyther the Vertues of Christs humane soule , though they were many ; nor the sufferings of his flesh , though they were painefull , are simply infinite , vntill wee looke vnto his person being the eternall Sonne of God. Then shall wee finde that God vouchsafed , with his owne bloud to purchase his Church : and that wee were reconciled vnto God , when we were his enemies , by the death of his Sonne . Moreouer , concerning the infinite merit of Christs death and passion ; if betweene the Creator and the best of his Creatures there be an infinite distance ; then betweene the most glorious and blessed Throne of God in Heauen , and the most base and cursed Crosse of Christ vpon Earth , must needes be so infinite a distance that neyther men nor Angels can comprehend it : and by consequence the Obedience of Christ ( who being in the forme of God , humbled himselfe , and became obedient to the death , euen to the death of the Crosse ) was infinite , and did in farre higher degree please God the Father , then the Rebellion of Adam did displease him : for Adams disobedience was the Sinne of man , but Christs Obedience was the virtue of God ; which Obedience being infinite , doth more then counteruayle Adams Disobedience , and for that cause the Iustice of God is better satisfied with the Obedience of Christ , then with the vengeance it might haue executed on the sinnes of men : for God hath no pleasure in the death of the vvicked , neyther doth hee delight in mans destruction , but with the Obedience of his Sonne hee is well pleased , and therein his Soule delighteth : This is my wel-beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased : Loe my Chosen , my Soule taketh pleasure in him : in which vvords God doth not onely note the naturall loue betweene himselfe and his Sonne , but hee giueth full approbation of his Obedience , as being thereby , as with a condigne compensation , fully satisfied for the sinnes of man. But here is to be noted that although the bloud of Christ crucified be a sufficient price to satisfie Gods iustice for the sinnes of all the world , if men could and would apply the same to themselues by Faith , yet it is estectuall onely to them who are vnited vnto Christ , so that Christ is theirs , and they are Christs : for they onely haue power to apply his bloud vnto themselues by Faith. For euen as a soueraigne Salue , so Christs bloud , hath sufficient virtue to heale all , and it is effectuall for the healing of those onely , vnto whom it is applyed . Seeing then there is no meanes to purchase our Redemption but by the infinite price of Christs precious bloud : let vs highly esteeme of so precious a thing , and with all diligence seeke to make it ours , and to vse it to the glory of God , and not to our owne licentiousnesse : for being bought with a price wee are not our owne but his who hath bought vs , and therefore wee are not to serue our owne lusts , but to glorifie him both in our Soules and Bodyes , which are not ours , but his who bought vs. This is the very good and end of our Redemption , and it is the true libertie and happinesse of the Saints and blessed Angels in Heauen , willingly and chearefully to serue the Lord by whom they were brought to that happinesse . The fourth PRINCIPLE . THe M●…rits of Christ crucified , and his whole Person , and all his G●…aces and Benefits , stored vp in his Man hoode , are made ours , by being vnited vnto him , as Members of his Mysticall Body , by Faith wrought in our harts by the operation of his Spirit dwelling in his Man-hoode , and from thence descending vnto vs his Members . Notes vpon the fourth Principle . THe mysticall vnion , whereby Christ and his members ( which are all true beleeuers and they only ) are actually coupled together into one mysticall body , is not carnall , as a thing to be vnderstood according to the common capacitie of men , and therefore wee must not thinke that Christ and his members are ioyned together by imagination . as the minde of man , and the thing whereof he thinketh : or by consent of heart , as one friend is ioyned with another , as Ionathan and Dauid : or by mingling together of substances , as when many ingrediences are mingled together to make one medicine , or by corporall coniunction in touching , as Sea and Land are both ioyned together to make one Globe , and the part of a Building coupled together to make one Building : For although this misticall vnion betwixt Christ and all them who truely beleeue in him , is a most reall , a most neere , a most straight , and a most sure , and indissoluble vnion , and coniunction . Yet is the same rather by experience felt in the heart of the true beleeuer , then conceiued in his braine . The Iewes require Miracles , and the Grecians Arguments , vvhich they may comprehend with their wit and wisedome : But God giueth the grace of vnderstanding his Mysteries to the simple and true of heart , and regardeth not the Wisedome of the wise , nor the Vnderstanding of the prudent , in which things the proud doe glory . Therefore the true Beleeuer , when hee findeth this Vnion to be aboue his capacitie yet because he is taught it by the Scriptures , hee beleeueth it , as it were vpon Gods bare word , and by experience hee feeleth , that by Faith wrought in his heart by the Holy Ghost , Christ with all his Merits , Benefits , and Graces , is actually made his owne , and himselfe Christs ; according to the Couenant of Grace , made vnto Abraham , and often repeated by the Prophets . Ier. 32. 38. 39. 40. Ier. 31. 31. 32. Hos. 2. 19. 20. Moreouer , in the Scriptures we are taught three kindes of vnions , the first , is a Naturall vnion , or coniunction in nature , vvhen sundry things are conioyned and coupled by one and the same nature , as the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost , being three distinct subsistences , are all one , and conioyned in one God-head , and diuine nature : but Christ , and the true beleeuer are not one as conioyned in nature ; for then they twaine should be one body and soule . The second vnion , is a Personall Union , or an vnion in person , when things in nature different are so conioyned together , that they make one person , as the body and the soule make one man , and the God-head of the sonne , and his manhood make one Christ , but Christ and the true beleeuer are not ioyned in person : for Christ is one person , and Peter a second person , and Paul a third person ; and so many men as be true Christians or members of Christ , so many seuerall persons are they . The third kinde of vnion taught in the Scriptures is in the spirit : and this is the mysticall vnion whereby Christ and his members are spiritually ioyned together into one mysticall body , by the operation of his diuine spirit , descending from him the head to vs his members , applying Christ vnto vs , and creating faith in our hearts : whereby , as by our onely instrument on our parts wee apprehend and receiue Christ , and are vnited vnto him : and this vnion whereby Christ and the true beleeuer are thus actually ioyned together , because it is wrought and made by the spirit , is called a Spirituall vnion . In this Union the things vnited are the whole person of the true beleeuer , to●…rds , his Body and Soule , and the vvhole person of Christ , God , and Man : but yet they be so vnited , that the true beleeuer is first and immediately vnited to the humane nature or man-hood of Christ , and then by reason of the manhood to the word it selfe or diuine nature : For saluation and life and the merits of Christes obedience depend vpon the fulnesse of the Godhead , which is in Christ : but yet it is not communicated vnto vs , but in the flesh , and by the flesh of Christ. This misticall vnion may be in some sort conceiued more plainely by the consideration of the vnion of the naturall man and his members , when vvee consider how his soule sendeth forth from his head sense and motion to all his other members of his naturall body , and that although the soule cannot from the head send sense and motion to the other members of his naturall bodie without the meanes of Arctures and Ligaments ; whereby the members of the naturall man are tied together , that by that meanes sense and motion may be conueyed from his head to the other members , and that yet the head and other members of the naturall body are not so fitly coneyed and said to be the naturall mans members , because they be tied , and as it were , souldred together by arctures and ligaments of the body , as for that they receiue life , sense , and motion from his soule : then how much more may we conceiue and say , That Christ , our Head , and we our selues be one mysticall body ; euen mysticall Christ's : and that we be members of his mysticall body by the communion & preparation of Christs spirit , which being by nature infinit , standeth in no need of any carnal meanes to make this spiritual vnion by communicating himselfe from Christ our Head , vnto vs his members , although Christ and we his members be distinct persons , and farre distance each from other , as in the naturall man the head and the foote . Hence it is , that Saint Iohn saith , Heereby wee know that wee dwell in him , and he in vs , because hee hath giuen vnto vs of his spirit . And hence it is , that Saint Paul saith , If any man hath not the spirit of Christ , the same is not his . Wouldest thou then know , that Christ is thine , and thou Christs as a true member of his mysticall body ? then laying aside all carnall conceits , haue recourse into thine owne selfe , and trie whether with the Apostle Saint Paul thou feelest thy selfe , both Body and Soule , to liue of Christs spirit : for as thou knowest that the members of thine owne naturall bodie are thine owne members , because they receiue life , sense , and motion from thine owne soule ; so euery true beleeuer doth know that he ●…s a member of Christ , because that by experience he feeleth that his owne person , to wit , his Soule and Bodie , hath receiued and doth liue of the spirit of Christ : and againe , as certaine thou dost know , that thy members doe not liue of my soule , nor my members of thy soule , and that whatsoeuer members liue of thine owne soule , are the members of thine owne body : and whatsoeuer members liue of my Soule are the members of my owne body . Euen so dost thou know , that nothing doth , or can , liue of the spirit of Christ but Christ and the members of his body , and that whatsoeuer liueth not of Christs spirit , is no member of his . Hence the Apostle Saint Paul ( as comprised in the mysticall body of Christ , and by experience feeling the spirituall life vvhich hee receiued from the spirit of Christ ) saith : I am crucified with Christ , but I liue : yet not I any more , but Christ liueth in mee , and in that I now liue in the flesh , I liue by Faith in the Sonne of God , who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for mee . This mysticall vnion is in both the Sacraments acknowledged : for in the Sacrament of Baptisme all true beleeuers who are partakers of the outward Sacrament of Baptisme , and thereby made and acknowledged to be members of Christs visible Body , to wit , his visible Church : are by one spirit , to wit , by the only spirit of Christ , working faith in them , made members of his mysticall body the inuisible Church : and in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper , as in token or remembrance that wee are made members of his visible Bodie , the visible Church ; whose Body was broken , and his Blood shed for vs , wee communicate and participate our Bread and our Wine . So also by this outward action wee acknowledge the mysticall vnion vvhich wee haue vvith Christ , and one with another by the participation and communion of his spirit , of which wee spiritually liue . But the question may be yet further asked ; how a man may discerne and know , when himselfe , or any other is spiritually dead , and when spiritually liuing , and indued with the spirituall life here spoken of . To vvhich it may be answered , that as vvee be naturall men , although wee eate and drinke , and performe all other actions and vvorkes of men , vvho are naturally liuing in bodily health ; yet vntill by our vnion with Christ , vntill by our effectuall calling , vntill by our Iustification , and vntill by our Sanctification , wee be made new Creatures in Christ , wee are dead in our sinnes , because vvee be no more able to doe any the workes of new creatures liuing vnto God in Christ , that is to say , we are no more able to doe any works acceptable vnto GOD , then the man naturally dead , is able to eate or drinke , or to doe any other worke or action of the man who is naturally liuing , because the vvhole naturall man , and euery part of him , is wholy corrupted with sinne , and therefore dead in sinne , for : First , in his minde there is nothing but blindnesse and ignorance , concerning heauenly matters . Secondly , his conscience is defiled , being alwayes either benummed with sinne , or else turmoyled with inward accusations and terrours . Thirdly , his will willeth and lusteth after that onely which is euill . Fourthly , the affections of his heart , as Loue , Ioy , Hope , Desire , &c. are stirred and moued to that onely vvhich is euill , and neuer to that which is good . Lastly , the members of his body are Tooles and Instruments of his minde for the execution of sinne . All which corruptions and deadnesse in sinne are then onely cured , and wee made spiritually liuing vnto God , When in Christ we be made new creatures by our effectual vnion with Christ , by our effectuall calling , by our Iustification and Sanctification , which foure degrees of our regeneration , howsoeuer they in nature goe one before the other , yet too make vs new creatures in Christ , doe so concurre , that the true beleeuer or regenerate person , finding himselfe to haue the one of them , may assure himselfe hee hath them all ▪ for , First , the true beleeuer may assure himselfe of this vnion vvith CHRIST , when hee findeth that Christ of his loue preuenting him doth begin the vnion by communicating vnto him his holy Spirit , dwelling in his man hood , through the ministerie of his holy Word , and by the cooperation of the same Spirit vvith his word doth beget in him a liuely faith , by which the true beleeuer on his part , as by his onely instru ment is actually vnited vnto Christ , but this vnion is not perceiued by the regenerate person before he be called . Secondly , therefore the true beleeuer may assure himselfe , that he hauing a liuely faith , is effectually called to the knowledge of the things he beleeueth , for no man can effectually consent vnto the thing conteined in the Word , much lesse by a liuely faith beleeue the things herein conteined , vnlesse hee be first by the ministery of the Word , instructed and called to the knowledge thereof , to wit , by hauing his vnderstanding inlightned with the knowledge of the truth and his vvill thereunto perswaded . Thirdly , the true beleeuer being by faith , as aforesaid , vnited vnto Christ , and called by the ministery of the Word to the knowledge of that which by a liuely faith hee beleeueth , hee may assure himselfe of his Iustification ; because that the faithfull are iustified before GOD , by the onely imputation of Christs righteousnesse : for in what manner Christ was made a sinner for vs , in the same manner are wee made righteous by him : but Christ was made a sinner for vs by imputation of our sinnes vnto him , and therefore wee are made righteous before God by imputation of his righteousnesse vnto vs. Againe , as vvee are made sinners ( that is ) guiltie of the first Adams transgression ; so are wee made not guiltie , and iustified , by the obedience of the second Adam : but wee are made guiltie of the first Adams transgression by imputation , and therefore wee are iustified by the imputation of the obedience of the second Adam . Now the imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs , doth as vpon the onely cause and reason therof depend vpon our vnion with Christ , made on our parts by faith onely . Fourthly , the true beleeuer finding himselfe vnited vnto Christ , and Called , and liuely Iustified hee may assure himselfe of his Sanctification : for a liuely faith is not of our selues , but it is of GOD. By it wee are in diuers respects both iustified and sanctified : by it wee are iustified , not formally , as by a meritorious vertue or part of righteousnesse inherent in vs , but relatiuely in respect of the Object it apprehendeth , to wit , as by it wee apply to our selues the righteousnesse inherent in Christ Iesus man-hood : which of his owne meere mercie is imputed vnto all who lay holde therevpon by faith : but by it wee are sanctified , as by a grace inherent in vs , as are also the graces of hope and charitie , and other sanctifying graces , which being in the man-hood of CHRIST without measure , are by his spirit from thence infused vnto vs in measure , to sanctifie vs , and make vs fit for the Kingdome of Heauen : and to speake both briefely and plainely of this matter , Faith is a chiefe part of our Sanctification , being , as it vvere , the roote both of other inward graces , and outward obedience which concurre to our Sanctification . The fift PRINCIPLE . BY the outward Ministery of the Word is conuayd vnto vs Christs diuine spirit , which also by the same Ministerie of the Word begetteth in vs Faith , whereby wee are actually vnited vnto Christ , and made one with him . Notes vpon the fift Principle . THE Doctrine of the fift Principle is taught and confirmed vnto vs by the whole Booke of the Ac●… of the Apostles : for through out that whole Booke examples are expresly and plainely shewed vnto vs how the Holy Ghost , and Faith are giuen to the hearers , by attentiue and reuerent hearing of the Word of GOD , preached by his Ministers , as in the second Chapter , three thousand who gladly heard the Gospell preached by Peter the Apostle , receiued the holy Ghost and beleeued : and in the tenth Chapter , and in diuers other places it doth appeare , that many of the Gentiles by hearing of the Apostles Paul and B●…rnabas preach , receiued the holy Ghost , and beleeued : the like appeareth in that Booke to haue beene done at the preaching of other Ministers of Gods Word , as of Philip and Steuen : and almost nothing else in effect is taught through the whole Booke but examples , how the holy Ghost and Faith are giuen vnto the bearers , by attentiue and reuerend hearing the word of God preached by his Ministers . And these examples doe manifestly confirme the truth of Christs promise made to his Apostles and their successours , that at their preaching of the Gospell he would be present with them , by his holy spirit to worke Faith inwardly in the hearts of their hearers . And hence ( for that sauing Faith is wrought in the hearts of the hearers by the operation of the holy Ghost accompanying the Word preached ) Faith is called the gift of God , and the outward ministerie of the Word wherewith the cooperation of the spirit is ioyned , is by the Prophet Esoy called the Sterne of God : that is by the instrument whereby the Lord declareth his might and power to bring vs to saluation , and by the Apostle Paul , it is accounted the wisedome of God to bring men to saluation : for ( saith hee ) seeing the world by wisedome knew not God in the wisedome of God ( that is , by the consideration of the workemanship of the world , whereby God maketh manifest his exceeding Power and Wisedome ) it pleased God by foolish preaching to saue beleeuers as if he should say , although by the wisemen of the world , the preaching of the word of God is no otherwise made reckoning of , then of a foolish thing : yet with God it is the greatest and chiefest wisedome to bring men vnto saluation , being heard and receiued with due reuerence . Let vs therefore from hence know and vnderstand , and lay vp in our hearts for euer , that he or shee who doth not heare , or negligently heareth , the word of God preached by the lawfull Minister , yea , and doth not compasse and effect the hearing thereof without sparing cost or paines , neglect their owne saluation , and willingly remaine in the cursed state of damnation , vnder the tyrannie of the Deuill , because they neglect and despise the meanes offered vnto them by God , by which they may be made members of Christ , and of the house-hold of God. For , marke well also the prayer of Christ made a little before his Passion , how hee prayeth , first , for his Apostles , to be made one with him , and then for them who shall beleeue by the preaching of them and their successours . Hence let vs conclude these notes with the saying of the Apostle Saint Paul , that there is no saluation without faith , and no faith but by hearing the Word of God preached . The sixt PRINCIPLE . AS Faith is wrought in vs by the Ministerie of the word of God , so it is afterward by the same word during the whole course of our liues increased and made stronger in vs. Ephes. 4. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 2. Notes vpon the sixt Principle . EVery Christian , as hee is a naturall man , was borne of his Father and Mother , and is flesh of their flesh , and after his birth hee hath his beeing and subsisting in himselfe , and not in his Parents : but otherwise it is of euery Christian , as hee is a Christian , and of the Sonne of Adam , is in Christ made a new creature or regenerate man , and is become the Sonne of God , hee hath in Christ , both the beginning of his new creation or regeneration , and also his being a new creature or regenerate man , and his continuing a new Creature , to wit , Hee hath in Christ his beginning to be , and his being and continuing an holy member of his holy body , of his flesh , and of his bones : But as a yong childe begotten after the flesh , after it is borne standeth in need of nourishment , thereby to be nourished and increased ; so he that is made a new creature , or borne anew in Christ , by the seede of Gods word , must be fed with the same word that hee may grow in strength and spirituall increase , till ( as the Apostle saith ) he become to be a perfect man , and to the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ , that is , vntill he be come to perfection it selfe ; vvhereunto because vvee shall neuer attaine so long as vvee liue in this world , vvee must all our life long be fed with the Word of God : the want of which foode is a greater punishment then famine of victuals , as God testifieth by his Prophet , Amos 8. 11. Behold , the dayes come that I will send a Famine in the Land , not a Famine of bread , nor a thirst of Water , but of hearing the Word of God , to wit , eyther publikely read or preached : by both vvhich vvee are effectually fed . But who must preach the same ? such as are thereunto lawfully called : for as in a Kingdome vvell ordered , there is no man vvhich ought or may exercise any publike office , but by the appointment and commandement of the King , so none ought or can be accounted a Preacher , Minister , or Pastor of the Church of God , to preach his word , except according to Gods owne ordinance hee be lawfully called , and by his lawfull calling , haue from God his Commission to preach his Word : for onely to the Apostles immediately , and extraordinarily sent by Christ , and to their Successors lawfully called by Apostolicall succession , hath Christ giuen Commission publikely to preach , with speciall promise of his presence with them at their Preaching , by ioyning the cooperation of his Spirit vvith their Preaching : Also Christ in his Prayer made a little before hee vvent into the Garden , prayed onely for his Apostles , and them who shall beleeue by the Preaching of the Apostles and their Successors . The seauenth PRINCIPLE . FAith inwardly begotten , and lying bid in the heart of the true Belcener , or Regenerate man , is by him made manifest vnto others , by the exercise of good workes , appointed of God for him to walke in , Ephes. 2. Marke 5. Rom. 8. Iames 2. 14. Notes vpon the seauenth Principle . AMong good workes appointed for vs to walke in , are principally to be remembred , the a Exercise of Prayer , both publike and priuate : the b vse of the Sacraments , Baptisme , and the Lords Supper : c hearing the Word of God preached , with reading and conference : d relieuing the Poore : willing e obedience to Lawes both Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill in our seuerall vocations : f strong striuing against , and subduing of our owne lusts and affections , by temperancie , continencie , humblenesse , kindnesse , patience , and such like , wherein vvec are admirably holpen , if with feruent Prayer g wee euery one particularly ioyne an earnest examination of our owne thoughts , words , and deedes , by the tenne Commandements of God : the true expounders hereof are the Prophets and Apostles : and also particularly apply euery one to himselfe , all the Articles of our Creed , which is an abridgement of all things by vs to be beleeued for our soules comfort , and defence against euery temptation and assault of the World , the Flesh , and the ●…ell . The reason of this seauenth Principle doth rise from the consequence of the fourth Principle : for as in the naturall man , the soule doth communicate his eff●…cts to the body , with which it is coupled , and maketh his residencie in the body to be knowne by the outward workes and actions of the naturall man : Euen so doth Christ ( vvith whom wee are one spirit ) communicate the force and fruits of his Spirit vnto all them whom he hath vnited vnto himselfe , as himselfe testfieth : For saith hee , I am the Viae , yee are the branches , hee that abideth in mee , and I in him , bringeth forth much fruit . Moreouer , seeing God doth of right exp●…ct at our hands to be glorified by vs in the fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse , for the innumerable and vnspeakable mercies and benefits we receiue of him ; and seeing ( to take away from vs all excuse of insufficiencie and weakenesse , that wee are not able of our selues to performe the things hee doth expect at our hands ) he hath by our vnion with Christ , according to his oath made vnto Abraham , giuen vs power to serue him in holinesse and righteousnes before him all the dayes of our liues ; no weaknesse can excuse our vnwillingnesse , and intollerable vnthankefulnesse , if wee neglect to glorifie him in the fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse , according to the power and measure of Gods grace giuen vnto vs , in all singlenesse and willingnesse of heart , being the proper end of all his gifts and graces bestowed vpon vs. For wherefore hath God elected vs ? that we might be saued howsoeuer wee should liue ? No : but he hath elected vs that wee should be holy and without blame before him in loue . Why hath CHRIST redeemed vs from the hands of our spirituall Enemies ? that being free from them wee might sinne more freely ? No : but that wee bein●… d●…liuered from the hands of our spirituall Enemies , might worship him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our liues . Wherefore hath hee freed vs from the s●…ruitude of sinne ? that we might haue the more freedome to sinne ? No : hee hath freed vs from the seruitude of sinne , that wee might be the seruants of righteousnesse . Wherefore doth hee regenerate vs by his Spirit , and create vs a new ? that we should doe nothing our selues ? No : Wee are the workmanship of God , created in Christ Iesus to good workes , which God hath prepared that wee should walke in them . Why doth he bestow temporall benefits vpon vs ? that like pamperd Horses wee should kicke against our Lord and Master ? No : hee crowneth vs with his manifold blessings , to the end wee should keepe his Statutes and obserue his Lawes ? Let him not therefore say or thinke , that he is a Christian or regenerate man , who bringeth forth no good workes to testifie his faith : and on the contrary side , who so bringeth forth the fruits of sauing ●…aith , may assure himselfe , that hee is a true Christian and a ●…ull Branch of the Vine , Christ Iesus , which cannot but bring forth fruit to the glory of God. Many in the time of Saint Iohn the Apostle , did vvith vaine confidence sav that they had fellowship with Christ , and yet they walked in darknesse . But the Apostle , the 1 Epist ▪ 1. 6. w●…teth plain●…ly , that they did 〈◊〉 , and dealt not tru●…y : and in like sort many an outward professor of the Gospell in our dayes , who is in the Church , but not of the Church , doth boldly boast and say , that hee hath as sted●…st ●…aith and Hope in God and his Mercies , as any man : and that if in all the world there were but onely two to bee saued , that himselfe should bee one of them two , and that not of any merit of his owne , but for Christs sake , and for his sake onely : and yet by confe●…nce with such , and by their vain●… and w●…cked liues and conuersation , they doe b●…ay themselues , that they walk●… in darkn●…sse , and haue no true sauing knowledge of Gods me●… in Christ , and that all their goodly words of Faith and Hope are grounded vpon fleshly Presumption , and not vpon Gods word inwardly taug●…t them by the Spirit of God , which teacheth that the me●…e and louing kindn●…sse of God s●…ould leade them to Repentance , Rom. 2. 4 and to become n●…w Creatures , 2 Co●… . 〈◊〉 . 1●… . and to c●…ucifie the ●…lesh , vvith the aff●…tions and lusts thereof , 〈◊〉 . 5. 24. and to die to sinne and liue to righteousnesse , R●…m . 6. 14. and to liue after the vvill of GOD. 1 Peter 4. 2. For cleane contrarily their conuersation and spee●…es , if you haue conf●…rence vvith them , sauoureth on●…ly of lewde ignorance and the lusts of the fl●…sh , and that they make Gods mercy in Christ , but a cloake for their sinnes , that they may sinn●… the more franck●…ly and securely , and set all vpon Christs score : they tast nothing of the Vnion which euery true Christian hath with Christ , nor of the effectuall Ca●…ng , Iustification , and Sanct●…fication , which are vnseperable to all and euery one , vvho hath true and sauing Faith. The eight PRINCIPLE . THe Workes of the regenerate person , or true Bel●…euer , doc not me rit or deserue , or are worthy of grace in this life , or Glory in the world to come . Rom. 17. 10. Rom. 8. 18. Notes vpon the eight Principle . I●… wee note the nature of the word Merit or Desert , we●… may easily finde that merit or desert may haue place with men , but not with God : for in me●…iting or descruing a thing , we must be nothing in debt for it vnto him , of whom wee will be said to deserue it . Secondly , that the things wee bring to deserue by , be not his but our owne . Thirdly , that the things we bring to deserue by , be at the least equall , or as much in value or worth as the thing wee will be said to deserue . But if any one of these conditions doe faile , there can be no merit or des●…rt ; much lesse then can the regenerate man by his vvorkes merit or deserue at Gods hands grace in this life , or glory in the world to come , seeing in the same are wanting all these conditions . For first , whatsoeuer good works may be performed of the regenerate man , are due to GOD by a double right : namely , by the right of Creation , and by t●…e right of regeneration . Hereupon Christ giueth warning vnto his Disciples , When yee haue done all thin●…s which are commanded you , for yee , Wee are vnprofitable Seruants , we haue done that which was our dutie to doc . Secondly , whatsoeuer good thing can be done of the regenerate man , is certainely of God , who worketh in vs both the wi●…l and th●… dec●… : And Saint Paul in another place saith , What hast thou that th●… hast 〈◊〉 rec●…iued ? and if thou hast receiued it , why dost thou boast as if thou hadst not 〈◊〉 it ? Thirdly , the Kingdome of heau●…n is of ins●…te value , and therefore cannot possi●…ly be purchased by the 〈◊〉 and deserts of finite 〈◊〉 . And hence Saint Paul saith , I co●…t th●…t the afflictions of this pres●…nt life are not w●…rthy of the glory , which shall be reueal●… a vnto vs. Moreouer , admit that the regenerate mans car●…iage and gouernement be such of his out●…ard parts , and also of his desires , 〈◊〉 , and lusts , that they br●…ake not forth into co●…mitting of grosse sinnes , nor that hee giue so much as consent to his wicked lusts , but hate them and is against them , and bringeth forth many good workes ; yet for so much as hee is not so cleane washed in the La●…ar of Regeneration , but that some part of his inbred corruption , though it be not imputed vnto him , yet remaineth in him , hee can in Gods Iustice deserue nothing at Gods hands , but his wrath and condemnation : for , the reward of sinne is death ; and He●… b●…aketh the whole Law , wh●… by his inbre●… lusts break●…th the tenth Commandement , which doth not onely forbid consent vnto wicked lusts , ( which is also formerly forbidden by the other Commandements ) but goeth further , and forbiddeth that vvee be not so much as ●…kled with any kinde of Concupiscence or wicked lust , although our will consent not , yea●… be against it . Also , from this inbred corruption of the regenerate man springeth not onely omission of some good which ought to be done , but also wants and defects of his best deeds , and to speake all in a word , Imperfection of Chariti●… . For Charitie ( which is a vertue with which wee loue that which ought to bel●…d ; and so is the ground of all vertues and good workes ) is in some more , in some lesse , but perfect Charitie , such as the Law of GOD requireth , ( which cannot be increased ) is found in none : no , not in the regenerate man , during his life . For hee cannot perfectly performe the Law of GOD , and loue God with all his soule , with all his heart , vvith all his minde , and his neighbour as himselfe . Hee must needs confesse vvith the Apostle Saint Iohn , If wee say wee haue no sinnes , we deceiue our selues , and the truth 〈◊〉 not in vs. This imperfection of Charitie wrought through the force and violence of inbred corruption , is cleerely set forth and described by S. Paul in his owne person , propounding himselfe a true patterne of a man regenerated , Romanes 7. For in the 15. and 19. verses hee saith , that this inbred corruption made him to omit the good be would , and to do the euill he hated , and in the 18. verse , that to will was present with him , but he found no meanes to performe that which was good : and in the 23. verse that his inbred corruption ●…ebelled against the law of the minde , and led him captiue or prisoner to the law of sinne : and in the 25. verse , that it made him serue the law of sinne : and in the 22. verse it appeareth that hee speaketh of himselfe as a man regenerated who delighteth in the Law of God concerning the inner man. VVherefore , howsoeuer wee profit by the worke of regeneration by God wrought in vs , yet doth our charitie & good workes , by reason of the force and violence of ou●…●…bred corruption , or originall sins , want somewhat of that they should be , and the wants and defects of our good deeds we doe , and the omission of the good deeds wee ought to doe , are such , and so many , that wee of necessine ( though wee be regenerated ) must alwayes without presuming vpon our merits and deserts , humbly for his mercie 〈◊〉 craue at Gods hands forgiuenes of our trespasses , with this assurance , that if we acknowledge our sinnes , God is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs all our sinnes , and to clense vs from all our vnrighteousnesse . Obiection . It seemeth that there is little difference betwixt the true beleeuer or regenerate person , and the vnbeleeuer . Answere . The difference betwixt them is very great ; for sinne doth onely dwell in the regenerate person against his will , but it reigneth not , nor is imputed to him , because hee is iustified and clensed from his sinnes by faith in CHRIST I●…VS : and in this sense in the Scriptures the regenerate man is sometime said to sinne , and sometime is said not to sinne . The regenerate man sinneth , in regard that sinne dwelleth in him , though it raigne not in him . And he sinneth not , because sinne is not imputed vnto him , but hee is notified and clensed from his sinne by the blood of Christ Iesus . But in the vnregenerate man sin raigneth with his will and consent : and his sinnes are imputed vnto him , because hee want●…th faith to iustifie him , and to cleere him from his sinnes by the rightcousnesse of Iesus Christ. Also , the regenerate man may say with Saint Paul , I doe not the 〈◊〉 I would : but the vnregenerate man contrariwise saith , I ●…not so much euill as I would : which howsoeuer hee speaketh it not in expresse words , yet hee hath it in his heart , as may appeare in couetous , ambitious , and contentious persons , and in Thecues , Fornicators , Drunkards , and such like , whose lusts are neuer satisfied : moreouer , whereas the vnregenerate man waxeth euery day vvorse and worse ; the regenerate man contrariwise maketh proceedings in goodnesse . In vvhich ( though they be small ) it doth appeare that sinne doth not raigne in him , but in some measure is ouercome by him , and in him is in some manner mortified . The ninth PRINCIPLE . THE true beleeuer or regerate person may assure himselfe , that hee shall neuer be moued from the state of saluation , whereunto hee is effectually called by the ●…nisterie of the Word , and that hee shall haue life euerlasting , and eternall glorie in Heauen . Notes vpon the ninth Principle . THE Gifts and Calling of God are without repentance , and with him there is no variablenosse or shaddow of change , as God doth testifie of himselfe , I am the Lord , and I change not . Wee cannot attribute vnto GOD any change of decree , counsell , or will , concerning election or reprobation , vvithout vvicked blasphemie : for he that changeth his decree , his counsell , or his vvill , doth it because he seeth he might haue beene better aduised , or because hee seeth he could not haue brought his purpose to passe , as he would , both which doe argue imperfection and weakenesse , which are abhorring and farre from the nature of God , who is most perfect , and infinite in his Wisedome , Will , and Power , and in all his attributes . Whatsoeuer pleaseth the Lord that doth hee , both in Heauen and in Earth , and in all places : and hee saith of himselfe , my Counsell shall stand , and my Will shall be done . Therefore it is doubtlesse true , that some whom God hath elected to Saluation , shall certainely be saued , and others whom God hath reprobated shall certainely be condemned . But how may a man assure himselfe that hee is of the number of them vvho are by God elected and chosen to saluation ? The Papist saith , because predestination to saluation and reprobation is in God , and not in vs , no man can assure himselfe of his election to saluation , except that God doe expresly by some Angell outwardly , or spirit inwardly , say vnto him that he is predestinated to life euerlasting . After which sort Saint Paul and some few other Saints had their predestination reuealed vnto them : and to confirme their opinion , they alledge , that no man knoweth the secrets of God , but the spirit of GOD , as no man knoweth the secrets of man but the spirit of man who is in him . Against which the true beleeuer saith , that God is not to be tyed to speciall reuelations onely . For by other meanes also hee doth reueale vnto euery true beleeuer the certaintie and sure knowledge of his election to saluation . For , saith the true beleeuer , although that God doth not by any speciall reuelation say vnto mee particularly and by na●…e , thou art elect and predestinated to life euerlasting : yet by the cooperation of his holy spirit , ioyned in my heart with his word , I am by the generall propositions of the Word instructed and assured , that I am predestinated and elected to life euerlasting . As for example , the Scripture teacheth generally , that this is the will of God , that euery man who beleele●…ueth in Christ should haue euerlasting life : from which generall proposition by the inward perswasion of the holy Ghost . I perswade my selfe by the certaintie of mine election to saluation , because by experience I finde and know , that by the ministerie of GODS Word is wrought in mee sauing faith vvhich alwayes is grounded vpon the certaine knowledge of Gods promises reuealed in his Word , and not vpon ignorant presumption , and vaine imaginations . Againe , the Scripture generally teacheth , that as many as are led by the spirit of God , they are the Sonnes of God , and if Sonnes , Heires also of eternall life . From which generall proposition , I perswade my selfe , that I am certainely an heire of eternall life . First , because by the cooperation of the Spirit of God , with the doctrine of the Law. I finde my hard stonie heart softened and my conscience pricked and wounded , while I apply vnto my selfe the curses of Gods Law , and his fearefull punishments prepared for the wicked . Secondly , because by the further cooperation of the same spirit with the doctrine of the Gospell , I doe not onely finde CHRIST IESVS crucified , to be the onely sufficient meanes to free all men from Gods curses and punishments , but also I relie vpon him onely for mine owne saluation . Thirdly , because I doe not onely loue Christ , ( who loued me first , and gaue himselfe for me ) and all true Christians and his doctrine , and all his commandements , but also I loath sinne , and my selfe for my sinnes , I desire nothing so much as by all meanes to be deliuered from sinne , and wholy to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse . Now for so much as I doe , and boldly may , by the Word of God , assure my selfe , that these things cannot possibly proceed from my sinnefull and corrupt flesh , nor from the Diuell , but they are the proper and only worke of the holy Ghost , I being thus led by the spirit of God , may out of the said generall proposition assure my selfe that I am one of his sonnes , and therefore am heire of eternall life . And in like manner from other generall propositions of the Scripture euery true beleeuer or regenerate person by the applying the same to himselfe , may make himselfe sure , and certainely know , that hee is by God elected to saluation , and that how vveake soeuer his Faith bee , and how often soeuer by frailtie he sinneth , yet ( because Gods vvill and election is vnchangeable ) hee shal neuer be remoued from the state of saluation , whereunto hee is effectually called , but shall haue life euerlasting and eternall glory in Heauen . The true beleeuer standeth not in his owne strength , but he is kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation . It is God which stablisheth him in Christ , his life is hid with Christ in God. Obiection . It is a proud and Hereticall arrogancie and presumption ( say the Papists ) for a miserable Sinner to assure himselfe that he shall bee saued : and to confirme their opinion , they alledge these places of Scripture , and many others : Passe the time of your dwelling here in feare . Blessed is the man who feareth alwayes . Be not high minded , but feare . M●…ke an end of your Saluation with feare and trembling . Answere . The true Beleeuer doth not ground the assurance of his saluation vpon his owne vvorkes , or worthinesse ( for that ●…ere indeed proud Arrogancie , and Hereticall Presumption ) but hee groundeth the assurance of his Saluation vp on the mercifull and immutable Promise of GOD onely , which is no Presumption , or Arrogancie , but true Christian Humilitie , giuing all glory to God. And the more that the true Beleeuer thus groundeth his assurance vpon God onely , renouncing vtterly all worthinesse of his owne , and feareth his owne weakenesse , the more hee is stirred vp to pray vnto God for his assistance : and by experience hee findeth the assistance of Gods holy Spirit granted vnto him : and the more that hee findeth by experience Gods loue and fauour towards him , in giuing vnto him the assistance of his holy Spirit , the more hee loueth God and feareth to offend so gracious and mercifull a God ; and more and more learnes to distrust his owne worthinesse , and to cleaue onely to Gods power and assistance , and to assure himselfe of his Loue and Fauour vnto the end . Therfore Dauid ioyned these together ; Serue the Lord in feare , and reioyce in trembling , Psal. 11. 2. Noting thereby , that Gods Children feare , yea , euen tremble in regard of their owne infirmities and corruptions , and yet at the same time they are filled with ioy , in respect of their full assurance of Gods loue and fauour , and of their owne Saluation . Obiection . The true Beleeuer cannot haue certaine knowledge and assurance of his saluation , because his Faith is full of doubting , which Faith is opposed to full assurance . Answere . The true Beleeuer is to be considered in his two parts : the Flesh and the Spirit ; the part regenerate & the part v●…regenerate , which continually fight and striue one against the other . And as the parties themselues are opposite , so are their qualities and fruits : for in the Spirit is Faith , Hope , Loue , Zeale , Ioy in the Holy Ghost , and such other sanctifying graces ▪ In the Flesh is Doubting , Infidelitis , hatred of God , Presumption , Desperation , Coldnesse , Dulnesse , yea , Deadnesse in Religion , Seruile Feare , Horror , and such like Corruptions , so as wee may say with the Apostle , I know that in my flesh ( that is , in my vnregeneate part ) dwelleth no goodnesse : and sometimes the one , and sometimes the other hath the vpper-hand , and yet alwayes retaine their owne nature and properties . So that it cannot be denyed , but that the Faith of the true Beleeuer ( which is an infused grace of the Spirit ) is assaulted of doubting : but this doubting being a fruit of vnbeliefe , which is an inbred corruption of the Flesh , cannot be a commendable virtue of Faith ( as the Papists doe teach ) neyther is it of the nature of Faith , which in it selfe is certaine and assured and not doubting : neyther is it any way incident vnto Faith , but it is a fruit of vnbeliefe , which is opposed vnto Faith , Rom. 4. 20. And consequently , though Faith be assaulted of doubting , yet in it owne nature it doth remaine certaine and assured , and still lyeth sucking nourishment out of Gods gracious Promises , and still retaineth its propertie of certaine perswasion , though in the conflict with doubting , it doth not exercise it so manifestly , and in such measure , as before and after the Conflict of temptations : And no more is doubting ( comming vnto the true Beleeuer from the boysterous blasts of Infidelitie , being a fruit of the Flesh ) of the Nature of faith , being a fruit of the Spirit , then the shaking of a tree ( comming from a tempest of winde by outward accident ) is of the nature of the tree . Laus Deo. A deuout Prayer , for all Christians , and all times . O LORD , vvhich hast vouchsafed of thy vnspeakeable goodnesse , to make and ordaine me thy creature , to liue in this transitorie life , giuing me a reasonable Soule , by which I know thee , my Lord and my God. O most blessed Lord , I wretched sinner confesse my wicked and abhominable sins , I humbly aske of thee mercy and forgiuenes for the same : grant mee thy strength to stand sure in faith , thy knowledge to worke thy blessed will , thy power to resist all errours and wicked imaginations : thy wisedome to know the truth , giue me thy help , I humbly beseech thee , that thy holy Spirit may guide me , and all the thoughts and desires of my hart , for the thoughts of men are miserable , and their deedes vncertaine : comfort therefore my soule , let it walke in thy Lawes and wayes , and worke thy will ; suffer no worldly perswasions to take place or roote in my heart , but by thy holy Spirit , so direct my wayes and works , that they may be acceptable in the sight . Suffer not my soule to perish , whom thou hast so dearely bought , but for thy mercies sake haue mercy vpon mee , make me poore in spirit , low in heart , content with my calling , and let my Soule rest in thee , let mee loue thee as a Father , a Forgiuer , a Sauiour , and scare thee as a Lord a Iudge , a Reuenger . O Father , put from me my sinne and wickednesse , make me to walke in the way of thy Commandements ; let me reuerently feare thee and stand in awe of thy iudgements . Let me loue thee as a Sauiour , honour thee as a father , reuerence thee as a Lord , and feare thee as a Iudge . Grant me grace to set thy feare before mee , to stand in awe of thee , and of thy Iudgements , that I doe nothing to prouoke thy heauy displeasure against me , that I may walke in thy feare and holy ordinances , and imbrance those vertues that shall euidently declare my faithful loue , true honour , vnsained repentance , and humble feare toward thee . Haue mercy , pittie and compassion vpon mee most miserable sinner , for my offences are horrible , great , and grieuous , but I appeale to thy mercies which is aboue thy workes : O let me liue with thee eternally , and not dye though I haue deserued it : make me a vessell of thy grace and mercy , that I may praise thy name : let not my sins souer me from thee , but let me magnifie thy power and mercy . O gracious God , giue mee true , hearty , earnest , and vnsained Repentance , that I may from the very bottome of my heart continually lament my manifold sinnes and transgressions , my vnthankfulnesse towards thee for all thy mercifull benefits abundantly bestowed vpon mee ; Alas that euer I became so wicked and vnkinde a Creature , to displease so good a Lord , so louing and mercifull a Father : O forgiue me for thy most deare mercies sake ; forgiue mee all my sinnes that euer I haue committed against thee , let me neuer more offend thee , but alwayes gladly serue thee in righteousnesse and holinesse all the dayes of my life , gouerne and guide my heart in thy true faith , feare , and loue , that in all my thoughts , words , and deedes , I may glorifie thy holy Name : to whom be all glory , praise , power , and dominion , now and euermore . Amen . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A08188-e470 Caluin . Instit. lib. 1. cap. 1. Sect. 7. Gen. 2. 17. Rom. 5. 17. Caluin . 〈◊〉 . lib. 1. cap. 1. Septo . Iames 1. 17. Marke 14. 31. 1 Pet. 1. 25. Psal. 22. De Pass●… Dom. cap. 7. Bern. de Pass●… Dom. cap. 41. Aug. Tract 119 in Ioan. Iohn 10. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 18. 19. A blessed and most necessary note . Heb. 10. 38. Mat. ●…5 . 41. Acts 20. ●…8 . Rom. 5. 10. Phil. 2. Mat. 3. 17. Esay 42. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 o●… . 10. 16. Pro. 3. 32. & 34 Iames 4. 6. Luke 1. 52. Esay 29. 14. 19. Gen. 22. 16. 17. 18. Esay 59. 21. 94. 10. Ezck. 37. 26. 27. 28. Iohn 6. 53. 56. 1 Cor. 1●… . 12. Gal. 2. 20. G●…l . 2. 20. 1 Cor. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 5. Ephes. 4. 18. Ephes. 4. 19. Tit. 4. Esay 57. 20. Prou. 28. 1. Gen. 6. 5. Phil. 2. 13. Gal. 5. 24. Rom. 7. 18. 19. Rom. 6. 19. Hphes . 2. 8. Matth. 28. 20. Ephes. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. Iohn 17. 20. Rom. 10. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Ephes. 5. 30. Ephes. 4. 13. Mat. 28. 29. Luke 24. 49. Iohn 17. 20. a Act 1. 14. & 3. 4. & 10. 2. Mat. 7. 7. Iohn 28 36. Ephes. 3. 19. and 6. 18. b Marse 16. 16 Iohn 6. 53. and 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 24. c Mat. 23. 2. Acts 17. 11. and 18. 26. d Prou 19. e Heb. 13. 17. Rom. 13. 1. f Pet. 2. 13. Rom. 〈◊〉 . & 8. g Psal. 119. 9. 57 Psal. 1. 〈◊〉 . Iosh. 1. 8. Psal. 14. 4. 1 Cor. 1. 20. 1●… 5. Rom. 8. 10. 1 Cor. 4. 20. 1 Cor. 16. 17. Iohn 1. 5. 8. Ephes. 14. Luke 1. 74. ●…5 . 1 Pet. 2. 24. Ephes. 2. 11. Deut. 30. 9. 10. Luke 17. 1●… . Phil. 2. 13. 1 Cor. 4. 7. Rom. 8. 18. Rom 6. 〈◊〉 . Iam. 2. 20. Gal. 3. 10. 1 Iohn 1. 8. Iohn 1. 16. Rom. 7. 10. Rom. 11. 29. Iam. 1. 16. Matth. 13. 6. Psal. 135. 6. Esa 46. 10. 1 Cor 2. 16. Ioh. 6. 40. Rom. 8. 14. 17 1 P●…t . 14. 1 Cor. 1. 21. Col. 3. 3. 1 Pet. 〈◊〉 . Pro. 28. 14. Rom. 1●… 〈◊〉 . Phil. 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 . 
A17416	----	The signes or An essay concerning the assurance of Gods loue, and mans saluation gathered out of the holy Scriptures. By Nicholas Byfield, one of the preachers for the citty of Chester. Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. 1614 Approx. 90 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 78 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A17416 STC 4236 ESTC S118320 99853527 99853527 18912 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A17416) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 18912) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1197:01) The signes or An essay concerning the assurance of Gods loue, and mans saluation gathered out of the holy Scriptures. By Nicholas Byfield, one of the preachers for the citty of Chester. Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. [16], 139, [1] p. Printed by Iohn Beale for Ionas Man, London : 1614. Reproduction of the original in the Bodleian Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Assurance (Theology) Salvation -- Early works to 1800. 2003-06 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-06 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-12 Ben Griffin Sampled and proofread 2004-12 Ben Griffin Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-01 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE SIGNES OR AN ESSAY CONcerning the assurance of Gods loue , and mans saluation ; gathered out of the holy Scriptures . By NICHOLAS BYFIELD , one of the Preachers for the Citty of CHESTER . 2 COR. 13. 5. Examine your selues whether yee be in the faith : proue your owne selues . Knowe ye not your owne selues , how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates . LONDON , Printed by IOHN BEALE for IONAS MAN. 1614. TO THE TRVELY RELIgious , and his most affectionate frend , Mistris Iane Ratclife , wife to Mr. Iohn Ratclife , Esquier , Alderman and Iustice of peace , late Maior of the Citie of Chester , PEace be vnto you and loue , with faith from God the father , and the Lord Iesus Christ. The impertunitie , of diuerse of my hearers , and the expectation of many of all sorts , together with my desire to yeeld some account of my long vndelightfull leasure , haue inclined me to prepare some of my publike and priuate labours , for the common view : hoping that the abounding respect of my friends will couer the wants , and weakenesses which other men will sooner espie . Howsoeuer I haue long meditated , a worke of greater labour , then this ensuing treatise yet in the meane time I haue beene willing to tast the approbation of good men , and make my best aduauntage of the censures of the many minded multitude , by aduenturing to send foorth these first fruites , as a handfull gathered out of the rest . Worthie Gentlewoman , there are manie reasons induce me to publish these signes vnder your name , your singular loue and liking of my ministerie , together vvith your reuerent and willing entertainement , of faithfull Ministers ( receiuing them as the messengers of the Churches , and the glorie of Christ as partners and fellow helpers , walking in the same spirit ) challengeth from vs some publike testimonie of our acknowledgemēt of Gods grace , and of the ioy , vvherewith vve reioyced for your sake ; besides constant indeauour to make vse of all opportunities for your resolution , and direction , in the seuerall conflicts , and cases of your conscience . I haue had occasion fully to know your order , and manner of life , your desires , purposes , teares , & vprightnes , your faith , your loue , your obedience : and therfore being assured , that you are marked euen with euerie one of these signes ; vvhy should I not say vnto you , as somtimes Iob said of himselfe . Behold your signes that the Almightie wil witnesse for you . And I am vvell assured , that this treatise vvill finde good accesse vnto the hands and hearts of diuers in these parts , euen for the loue they beare to you , and for the good they novv heare you haue by experience reaped from these . Neither had I beene easily drawne to publish these , but that hauing occasion in conference with many to make vse of thē , I could hardly satisfie them vvith coppies . I spare to alleadge other reasons . Novv vvhat remains but that I should beseech you , and all those vvho finde by these signes the assurance of Gods eternal loue , euen to honour the Lord vvith the continuall sacrifices of praise , the fruite of your lips , vvith confession to his name , oh loue the Lord vvith your whole heart , and make his praise glorious , and abound more and more , in the fruites of sincere life , and in all holy , and humble conuersation , liue by faith , and in nothing be carefull , but in all things , let your requests he made knowne to God , vvith thanksgiuing : and as you haue receiued mercy faint not , neither be descoraged vnder the sence of your infirmities and vvants , for they that vvaite vpon the Lord , shall renevv their strength , the Lord vvill power his spirit vpon your seede , & his blessing vpon your buds : the sunne of righteousnesse vvill arise , and there is healing vnder his wings . You haue a high Priest , that is touched vvith infirmities , and therefore you may goe boldly to the throne of grace , to seeke grace and mercy to helpe in time of neede : the power of God is made knowne in vveakenesse , and his grace will be sufficient : the Lord keepeth the feete of his Saints , and vvill supplie all your vvants vvith his riches in glory . Blessed be the Lord that holdeth our soules in life , and suffereth not our fee●e to be moued . Gracious gentlewoman be confident in this , that God which hath begun his good worke will performe it , till the day of Christ ▪ for his foundation remaineth sure : and hee euer liueth that maketh intercession for you , and the mortall seede abideth , and Christ will be , Omega as well as Alpha , the end as well as the beginning : neither feare the reproach of men , for there is a hiding place with the Lord , from the strife of tongues ; and he will put to silence those lying lipps that speake such grieuous things , so proudly , so contemptuously : vvaite on the Lord , and keepe his waie ; they shall assuredly make an account to the Iudge of quicke and dead , that speake euill of the innocent , And the same God and father of mercie that hath directed , your heart vnto his loue , and refreshed your spirit with the vnspeakeable ioies of his presence , finish his owne worke in you : and as you haue professed , a good profession before many that will witnesse , how vnblameably you haue behaued your selfe among them that beleeue ; so stand fast in the Lord , be stil an example of faith and puritie , of loue and feruencie , of meekenesse , and humilitie , of tendernesse , and harmelesnesse , of shamefastnesse , and sobrietie , of mercie and good workes , as becommeth a woman professing godlinesse , that they may bee ashamed which shall falsely accuse your good conuersation in Christ , keepe the Doctrine you haue receiued , seeing you haue learned Christ , as the tr●th is in him . Striue to increase in loue and obedience to your husband and care of your chrildren & familie , and shew all faithfulnesse , and diligence in your particular calling . Prouoke your kindred and acquaintance vnto repentance , faith , praier , loue , fellowship in the Gospell , and good workes , that thanksgiuing may be giuen by many to God for you . Let the word of Christ bee still your guide : watch vnto praier , receiue them that feare God , and make much of such . Let patience haue her perfect worke , and commit your waies to God , and trust in him . The Lord make you to abound in loue yet more and more , in knowledge , and in all iudgement , that you may still approue things that are excellent , and be blamelesse in the middest of a crooked & peruerse people : the Lord perfect in you whatsoeuer is vvanting , and fulfill the good pleasure of his goodnesse , and the worke of your faith with power . The Lord increase in you that holy couetousnesse , to be with the Lord , looking for the blessed hope , and glorious appearing of the great God , and our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Farewell . May. 1614. Yours according to the common faith . N. BYFIELD . A SHORT Treatise concerning Assurance . COncerning the assuraunce of Gods fauour , three things may be considered of . First the proofes . Secondly , the Lets . Thirdly , the signes . That a Christian in this life may be infallibly assured of Gods fauour to himself in particular , and that hee ought to seeke this assurance , as a matter of singular necessity , these places of Scripture proue . The Apostle Paul chargeth the Corinthians to Examine themselues , whether they be in the faith , and requireth this prouing of themselues with such earnestnesse , that he saith , know yee not your owne selues , how that Christ Iesus is in you , except ye be reprobates ? As if he would auouch it , that a man can neuer haue found comfort of his election till he get this assured knowledge of Gods fauour in Christ. And the Apostle Peter exhorts Christians to vse all diligence to make their calling and election sure whatsoeuer carnall persons speake against it . Iob vehemently desires there were a perpetual record of his words , when he speaks of his assurance , that no man might thinke he spake passionately , or vainegloriously ; He knew that his redeemer liued , and that at the last day , his very flesh should be raised , & he should see God with ioy . By the spirit of God a Christian knowes the things of God : yea to this end haue we receiued this Spirit which is of God , that wee might know the things which are freely giuen vs of God : yea it searcheth the deepe things of God. And in the second of the Corinthians Gods children are said to know their glorification : as certainely as by sence and experience , they know , that their bodies , which are their earthlie tabernacles shall bee dissolued : so certainely are they assured of the building of God , not made with hands , eternall in the heauens : yea they are alwaies confident herein ; and therefore Gods seruant are taught to pray for the spirit of wisdome and reuelation , that the eyes of their vnderstanding may bee inlightned , that they might know the hope of their calling , and the riches of their inheritance , and the exceeding greatnes of Gods power towards them , vpon this assurance . Paul knowes whom hee hath beleeued , and no afflictions should hinder him , but he will settle , vpon this perswasion , that God will keepe his soul , which he hath cōmitted to him against the day of Christ. The Apostle Iohn saith , We know that we haue passed from death to life , And again , ye may know that ye haue eternall life . And again we know that wee are of God. And the Apostle to the Ephesians saith , that in Christ we haue boldnesse and accesse , with confidence by faith in him : yea the very words of assurance are found in Scripture where it is shewed , that we may haue much assurance , yea full assurance , yea the riches of full assurance : and men are earnestly exhorted , to vse all diligence to get this full assurance to the end ; and when it is once had , neither death , nor life , nor Angels , nor principalities , nor things present , nor things to come , nor height , nor depth , nor anie other creature should be able to seperate them from ▪ this loue of God in Iesus Christ. Le ts , THe attainment of the sence , power , & comfort of this assurance is exceedingly hindered in all sorts of people . First , For many can neuer attaine it , beecause they are forestalled with euill opinions about it , they thinke it is impossible to be had , or it is needelesse , or it is presumption to seek it , or it would prooue a nurse to security if it were had . Secondly , in the most , common hope serues the turne and supplies presumptuously the roome of this sacred gift , Thirdly , many heare & professe , and goe farre in the opinion of others , and yet get not assurance ; because they take not a soūd course for the mortification of the body of sinnes that are passed , whereas it is certain assurance can neuer be had , till there be some sound course taken , in the acknowledgement , bewailing , and reformation of them . Fourthly , besides a barraen life is an vncomfortable and vnsetled life , and contrariwise to abound in Gods worke , hath stedfastnesse , and a secret rest of heart , as an vnspeakeable companion of it . Fifthly , Melancholy also ( that is terrors and griefes , of which a man can yeelde no true reason ) is in diuers a mighty let to the setled assurance they might haue . They are so eaten vp with those strong conceits that all the comfort is propounded most anend , prooues as water spilt vpon the ground : especially when this humor is nourished by some extraordinary distemper of the body ; Physicke , not arguments of Scripture must here be vsed , or rather both of them . Sixthly , the loue of earthly things is another great impediment : many professors haue their thoughts and cares so eaten vp with worldlinesse , that they cannot seriously hold out to follow the directions requisite to the attainement of assurans . This grace requires a minde some way fitted for contemplation . It is a knowledge will neuer be had with looking downeward . Seuenthly , further , many are so passionate and froward , they can get no rest in their heart , when as ful assurance would bee lodged in an humble & quiet brest . Eighthly , Others want assurance , because they neglect the meanes of assurance , which are the word , praier , or fellowship in the Gospell . Ninthly , In some there lodgeth some secret sinne vnrepented of , and this either keepes out faith , or keepes it downe in the cradle , that it can get no strength . Lastly , assurance is the gift of God , and hee bestoweth it on whom hee will. The signes generally propounded . THere are sixteene infallible signes of a child of God , as may appeare by the testimonie of most apparent Scripture . First , Pouerty of spirit ; for the poore of spirit are blessed and theirs is the kingdome of heauen . Secondly , Godly sorrow , for it causeth repentance , not to be repented off , euen such a repentance as is vnto saluation . Thirdly , the loue of the word , for this is a sure comfort in affliction , and may quicken a mans heart , this is a sauour of life vnto life , in them that are saued . Fourthly , The loue of Gods children ; for hereby we know wee are passed from death to life , because wee loue the brethren . Fifthly , Faith ; for god so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne , that whosoeuer beleeueth in him , should not perish but haue euerlasting life . Sixthly , Vprightnesse of heart : for God will giue grace and glorie , and no good thing will hee with-hold from them that are vpright in heart . Seuenthly , The spirit of Adoption . For it beareth witnes to our spirit that wee are the sonnes of God : and if anie man haue not the spirit of Christ , he is not his . Eighthly , Holy desires . For euery one that thirsteth , shal haue of the water of life freely : & if they will heare , their soules shall liue , and enioy the sure mercies of Dauid , they are blessed , and they shall be satisfied . Ninthly , The spirit of praier or supplication ; for whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord shall bee saued . 10 The obedience of Christ , for he is the author of eternall saluation to them that obey him . 11 Sauing knowledge For this is eternall life , to know God , and whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ. It is not onely a signe of eternall life or saluation , but the beginning and part of it . 12 The Sacraments in the right vse of them are infallible signes of our saluation , and to that end ordained , for he● that belieueth and is baptised shall bee saued . Hence it is said , Baptisme saueth vs : they are sure seales of the righteousnesse of faith . 13 The loue of God : for if a man loue Christ the Father will loue him , and come vnto him and dwell with him . 14 The feare of God : for it is a fountaine of life , to depart from the snares of death . 15 Loue of our enemies : for it is not onely a signe of a Christian , but of a perfect Christian. 16 Desire of death . For a crowne of life is layed vp for all them that loue the appearing of Christ. The signes particularly expounded ; and first of pouertie of Spirit . SPirituall pouertie may bee tried either by properties , or by effect . Gods poore haue eight properties . First , They are sensible , and that first of their owne wants and misery , by nature and daily sinne . Secondly , they know when they see Gods iudgements , that it was the word of the Lord. Thirdly , they tremble at Gods word , and feare his displeasure , while it yet hangs in the threatning . Fourthly , they are sensible of that speciall goodnesse of Gods mercy ; when a man is poore and needie , he can say with Dauid , mercie is good . Fifthly , they are sensible of their owne mortalitie : they haue feeling impressions of their fading condition . Secondly , they are thankfull , and that for lesser mercies ; a poore man is glad of a pennie , whereas a rich man cannot bee touched with so small a fauour , Gods poore will praise Gods name for the very crums that fals from his table : and as anie are more poore and humble , they are more thankefull . Thirdlie , they are teachable , and willing to bee appointed and instructed ; it is a great signe a mans heart is not humble , when he must haue so much to doe , before he can bee perswaded to anie trueth , or disswaded from anie sinne : pride and ignorance is hard to learne . Fourthly , they are hungrie people , especially greedie after the food in Syon , they loue it , they desire it , they esteeme it , they are satisfied with nothing better then with it , it is the reliefe of their hearts foreuer . And there are fiue effects of spirituall properties . THe first is praier : for Gods poore liue by begging , if hee be poore , hee will crie vnto God. The second is Abnegation : for this poore man , renounceth his owne merits , hee seeth no good will be had by deseruing ; for hee deserueth nothing but Gods curse in al things hee forsaketh also the world , both in the lusts of it , and in the companie of the wicked , and all earthly things , as not hauing the chiefe good in them . The third is diligence in Gods worke ; yea Gods poore are willing to do the meanest and hardest worke God will be pleased to set them to : so as they may finde fauour in his eies to be accepted with him , they would account no worke too base for them to doe , but they would bee glad to doe anie thing they could with their best desires and endeavours . Fourthly , Gods poore , commit themselues & all their waies to Gods care and mercie ; they will onely trust in the name of the Lord , and bee contented to let God dispose of them as pleaseth him . Fifthly , The last is a feare to offend God in word or deede , by their good will they would doe none iniquitie , nor speake lies , a deceitfull tongue should not be found in their mouth , Gods poore and Gods Turtle doues are all one ; so in seperable are harme lesse innocencie and spirituall pouertie . 2. Godlie sorrow . WEE may know whetther our sorrowes be Godly , if we consider . First , the causes . Secondly , the properties . Thirdly the concomitants . Fourthlie , the effects of them . For the first of them wee must consider what raiseth our sorrowes and what asswageth them , for godlie sorrow , is chiefelie raised for sinne : and so for the sinnes of the time , because others keepe not the law . For Ezechiel doubt not to mark them with Gods marke , that mourne for the abhomination done in Ierusalem ; but wee must vnderstand that this sorrow must bee simple , because God is dishonored . And further in sorrow for our owne sins , we must mourne , for al sorts of sinnes , for lesser sines , as well as greater , for sinnes of our calling , for secret sins as well as open , for sins that presntlie trouble vs , as well as for sinnes past : for the sins feared and the corrupt inclination of our natures , for beeloued , gainefull and pleasing sinnes , finally for the euill of our good works as wel as for euil works . Now there are two notes of great vse , in triall of sorrow for our sinnes ; the one is , that wee must sorrow for sinne as it is sinne ; and the other is , that a man should not easily satisfie himselfe in the measure , till he can mourne as much for sinne , as he was wont , or now would for losses . The Prophet Zacharias instanceth , when he saith ; the spirit of God , shold cause them to mourne as in the familie , as one would mourne for the losse of their onely sonne , or as in the common wealth , the subiects would doe , for the losse of a most worthie Prince . He mentioneth their sorrow for Iosiah , yet wee must know that teares are not of necessitie , and specially in such natures , as are voide of teares , for anie other causes . Secondly , in asmuch as sorrow may be Godly euen for iudgements wee must vnderstand that herein our triall wil be , if we can mourn rather for spirituall iudgements , then for temporall : and among the rest , if we can feele , and bewaile hardnesse of heart , mourning because we cānotmourne as we ought , and farther if we can be grieued as well for the offence of God as for punishment . Thirdly , a christian is principally stirred vp in true sorrow , by the sence of Gods goodnesse ; so as nothing doth more fire him to a desire to abase himselfe and to humble himselfe , euen in the verie dust , in the sence of his owne vilenesse , then to feele and finde the gracious goodnes and readinesse of God to shew mercie . He feareth the Lord and his goodnesse . And as godlie sorrow is raised by spirituall meanes and considerations , so it is asswaged onely by spirituall meanes , those sorrowes that can be healed by sports , merrie companie or the like , are much like the medecines vsed to helpe them ; but in godlie sorrow , the same God that wounded them must heale , and a christiā desires helpe from the same word that pierced him . Thus of the causes . THere are foure properties of godly sorrow which among the rest , we must labour after , and without which we can hardlie haue true assistance , that our sorrowes are right . First , it is inquisitiue , it is a hard thing to make sorrow silent , and hee that is truelie pricked in his heart , cannot with contentment smother his doubts , hee will aske the way to Sion , and cannot rest till he haue knowne what to doe to be saued , those that finde so little to aske , and can be so silent in the presence of Gods seruaunts , by whom they might bee directed , may suspect their sorrowes . Secondlie , it must not rest in the beginnings , or probabilities , or hopes , or others good opinions , or the mending of manie things : but a Christian that is truelie humbled will repent stil , though he haue turned , that is , he is so fearefull of being deceiued , through the corruption of his owne heart , and the wils of Sathan , that he will constantlie hold on to confesse and bewaile his sinnes , till he may finde assured rest vnto his soule . Thirdlie , it will admit nothing against God , but it makes a man condemne himselfe , rather then God ; when Dauid lay in that mournfull plight , that he could finde no comfort night nor daie , for a long season , and that the question , was to be debated whether God had forgotten to bee mercifull , &c. Hee resolues , the fault was in himselfe that it was his infirmitie , and that his soule refused comfort . Fourthlie , it will not rest without cleanenesse , godlie sorrow is not water , but washing nor euery washing , but such as maketh cleane : worldlie sorrow may haue much water , but cleanseth nothing , but godlie sorrow greatlie desireth and loueth puritie . Thus of the causes and properties concerning the concomitants there are diuerse things doe accompanie godlie sorrow , by which it is discerned ; for , First it is ioyned with a secret trust in the ac-acceptation of God , so as no miserie can beate them from the consideration and inward affiance of hope of mercie , in the verie disquietnesse of the heart the desire of the soule is to the Lord , & before his presence though a childe of God , be neuer so much cast downe , yet hee waits vpon God , for the helpe of his countenaunce , and in some measure condemnes the vnbeliefe of his owne heart , and supporteth himselfe with the hope of the neuer failing compassions of God : thus it differs from the sorrowes of Caine and Iudas . Secondlie , it is ioined with a wonderfull loue of God for hearing of praier , it is most deepelie affected with euerie mercie of God felt in praier ; Dauid loues the Lord , because he hath heard his praier at that time when his sorrowes was as the paines of hell . Thirdlie , it is ioined with a longing after the word . Fourthlie , it is ioined with a constant desire to glorifie God by a fruitefull profession , euerie one that truelie mourneth in Sion , is a tree of righteousnesse , the planting of the Lord , that he may bee glorified . Fifthlie , it is ioined with a spirit of supplications , sorrow that is after God , will teach a Christian to pray , that could neuer praie before ; the spirit of compassion , is a spirit of supplication . Lastlie , our sorrowes must be tried by their effects , for godlie sorrow . First , driues vs to a dailie and serious confession of sinne in particular without hiding anie sinne . Secondlie , it breedes a tender sence of the burthen of sinne ; neuer doth a Christian feele the heauie loade of sinne as it is sinne , till God hath softned his heart by his spirit . Thirdlie , It workes a mindefulnesse of God and his presence , and a deepe impression and thought of good things . Fourthlie , it causeth a man to sacrifice and deuote himselfe to God. Fifthlie , it breedes sensiblenesse & thankfulnesse for all sorts of mercie . Lastlie , the Apostle notes seuen effects of Godlie sorrow , care , apologie , indignation , feare , vehement desire , zeale and reueuge . 3. Loue to the word . IN so much as wicked men ; especiallie such as are indued with a temporary faith may haue some kinde of affections to the word , we must carefullie trie our selues , and examine our selues seriously . 1. Whether we desire it as our appointed foode constantlie ? 2. Whether wee loue them that loue the word . 3. Whether the loue of the word seperates vs from the wicked ? 4. Whether we can mourn , because others keepe not the word ? 5. Whether wee loue it aboue all riches and could esteeme it as our heritage ? 6. Whether it bee our chiefe comfort in affliction . 7. Whether in hearing wee receiue it as the word of God , and not of men . 8. Whether we receiue it in power and much assurance ? 9. Whether it worke effectually in vs theredresse of our waies and freedome from the bondage of sinne . 10. Whether wee loue all the words of God , euen the law that with threatning shews vs our sinnes as well as the gospell ; desiring to hide the word in our hearts that wee might not sinne . 11. Whether it be our desire and delight to exercise our selues in it day and night . 12. Whether wee can accompt and feele the famine of the word to bee a most bitter crosse . 13. Whether wee could bee contented constantlie to labour for it , as men doe , for the foode that perisheth . 14. Whether wee finde a constant sweete taste in it , especially in the powerfull preaching of it . 15. Whether for the gospell sake we can bee content , to denie our reasons , affections , credits , carnall friends pleasures and profits . 4. The loue of Gods children . OVr loue to the Saints may be tried . First , by the cause . Secondly , by the extent . Thirdly , the manner . Fourthly , by the effects . For the first , to loue Gods children , because they are begotten of God , and for the grace of Gods spirit , by which they resemble God ( or rather for the Lord himselfe desiring to expresse our affections to them , because wee doe no good to God himselfe ) is not found in anie reprobate , and so to loue them simplie for the truths sake , whereas to loue them for beautie , profit , companie sake , or any naturall or carnall reasons or ends in no signe at all . Secondlie , hee that truely loues the brethren , loues all the brethren ; hee that loues not all the Saints , loues no Saint aright : a true Christian hath not the glorious faith of Christ in respect of persons , he loues the poorest , if he haue true grace , aswell as the richest , yea he loues the absent aswell as the present , yea he loues for the truths sake those he neuer saw yet this hinders not the difference of degrees of loue , so as some may be more beloued then others , and that by reason of the greater measure of Gods gifts and graces , or els , by the speciall prouidence of God when the Lord linketh the affection of some Christians in some speciall eminencie of respects ; and so it is not alwaie needefull , that the persons most loued , bee most gracious ; it doth not of necessitie follow that Iohn was the most gracious of al the Apostles , though hee were most beloued . Againe as our loue must bee extendent to all saints , so also must it be to all times , we must loue them aswell when they are in aduersity , disgrace , temptation , sicknesse , or any misery ; as when they abound in prosperitie or good estimation , &c. For the third , this loue is without dissimulation , it is indeede and trueth , not in word or appearance onely . And besides , it is a most affectionate and brotherly loue . Lastlie , there are sixe effects of true christian loue , for it shewes it selfe . First , by honor , and this honoring of them that feare the Lord , hath in it ▪ First , an estimation of them , as the onely excellent people in the world . Secondly , a free acknoweledgement of their iust praises in all places , for their grace and obedience . Thirdly , a willing proposing of them , as examples to imitate . Fourthly , a holy endeauour to couer their infirmities , taking things in the best part and sence , not receiuing disgracefull reports of them ; suffering long , not vau●ting themselues in comparison of them , not easily prouoked , not enuying them , hoping all things , induring all things , and yet not reioycing in their iniquity . Fiftly , Apology for them against the reproches and scornes of the world . Sixthly by delight in their fellowship , and society in the Gospell , in which respect they can be equall to them of the lower sort . Such as finde no need of , nor delight in the company of Gods children , or are willing to sort with none , but their betters or equals , may see great cause to bee humbled , either for the want of this grace , or for the weakenesse of it . Thirdly , by simpathy and fellow-feeling ▪ for in some measure , a childe of God is like affectioned : He can in some measure weepe with them that weepe , and reioyce with them that reioyce , especially they reioyce , to heare , or know their soules prosperity . Fourthly , by weldoing , & mercy , this loue is bountifull , pittifull , tender , hath bowels both of spirituall and outward mercy , it gladly receaueth the saints , it communicates to their necessitie willinglie , and with a readie minde . Fiftly , by a desire to walke in offensiuely , he that loueth his brother , there is no occasion of stumbling , or scandall in him . Lastly , the true loue of Gods children , will make a man grow vp the faster into Iesus Christ , in all grace and holinesse . 5. Faith. INasmuch , as there are diuers kinds of faith , and experience shewes in many that giue no signes of repentance , that they will not bee beaten from a confident perswasion , that Christ died for them , euen for them in particular . It stands vs in hand to try our perswasion by the true rules of scripture , and if it will abide the triall of the touchstone , we may lay it vp as hid treasure , and a wonderfull grace of God , and if otherwise we may repent of presumption , as a deceaueable sinne . Faith may be tried . 1. By the Cause . 2. By the Properties . 3. By the Concomitants . 4. By the effects . For the first , true faith commeth by the hearing of the word preached : It is no naturall endowment , nor gotten by naturall helpes ; But first is wrought by the holyghost , in the preaching of the Gospell , as is plaine by the Apostle . How shal they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard , and how shall they heare without a Preacher . Secondly , there are 6. properties of faith . First , it accounts all things most base , in Comparison of the knowledge of Christ , and the loue of God in him . Christ is more precious then all the world besides . Secondly , it will receaue the testimony of Gods faithfull Ministers out of the world , against the world . Thirdly , it is such a perswasion as cannot abide hipocrisy , but purgeth the heart of it , as of a most hatefull sinne , and is therefore called vnfained . Fourthly , it will endure triall ; cast it into the fire of tribulation , and manifold afflictions and disgraces , and temptations , yet it will not perish , nor be ashamed ; it is a plate for the breast , and a helmet for the head . 1. Thess. 5. 8● Eph. 6. Whereas the best faith that is not the faith of Gods elect , will proue but drosse , if it be cast into the furn●ce of temptation ; further then it is supported by carnall ends and helpes . Fiftly , it will beleeue all things that it apprehendeth to be required , threatned , or promised in the word ; to belieue some things , may be in other kindes of faith ; especially such things as stand with reason , affecting common opinion , &c. Sixtly , in affliction it laieth hold on Gods promise or prouidence , so as it will rest with quietness , trust and patience , and not make hast to the vse of euill , and vnwarranted meanes , he that beleeueth maketh not hast . Thirdly , it may bee tried by the concomitants of it . for ; First , it is ●ealed by the holy spirit of promise ; for in euery beleeuer the promised spirit doth print in his heart the sauing graces of Christ , from the sight of which , as from so many markes , compared with Gods promises in his word , ariseth by the effectuall working of the spirit , this assurance or perswasion of faith : for though grace and faith bee giuen together , and grow vp together , yet the assurance of faith discouers not it selfe , till it discerne those companions of it with which it is daily incouraged , and confirmed and setled , that faith that can be without sanctification of the spirit , is not the faith of Gods elect . Secondly , it is ioyned with a good and pure conscience . Hee that is truly perswaded of Gods loue in Christ , maketh conscience of all his wayes , to seeke or doe thee good God requires , and auoyde the euils God forbids . Thirdly , it is ioyned with a spirit of discerning , or wisdome in matters of saluation , the minde being enlightened , to obserue in some comfortable measure , the meaning of the holy ghost , in all things needefull to saluation , in vse of the word , through the power of Gods ordinances , so as the verie simple may and doe attaine to a holy kinde of insight , and sharpenesse of iudgement . Fourthly , The true beleeuer hath a witnesse in himselfe , euen the witnesse of the spirit of adoption , infallible certifying himselfe of Gods loue and his adoption . Fifthly , faith may be discerned by certaine effects of it ; for , 1. It breedeth ioy vnspeakeable and glorious , and that either through the sence of Gods sauour and your presence , or in the hope of glorie to come . 2. It puts on and applies a righteousnesse , that is not by the worke of the same , but in Christ onely . 3. It will make a man speake in the confession , profession and defence of the truth of God , I haue beleeued , therefore I spake . 4. It workes the longing desires of Gods presence of glorie . 5. It workes an effectuall loue of God and Gods children , & sheweth it selfe by the fruites of loue . 6. It will maintaine a Christian in some measure of sufficiencie and contentment in all estates ; the iust liues by faith , not by friends , mony , earthly hopes , or helpes &c. for it will make a man to lay houlde vpon Gods promise , and workes an inward trust in Gods neuer failing prouidence , so as hee will leaue the successe of all his labours , or meanes to God. 7. It excludes , boasting of our owne labours , praises , gifts , or workes , and in the same measure workes humilitie , that it maketh any other grace . 8. It ouercommeth the world , so as profits , credit , pleasures carnal friends or hopes doe not sway and rule the beleeuer , but hee willinglie and patientlie rests in the treasures and pleasures of a better world , yeelding himselfe ouer to bee guided by Christ and his truth to the death . 9. It purifieth the heart from ignorance , wicked imaginations , carnall desires , sinfull perturbations , and all sorts of secret and inward sinnes . And this it doth by causing a man , dailie to seeke pardon for them in Christ , and by casting them out by confession and sorrow , in the same measure , desiring inward puritie , that it reioyeeth in Gods loue . 10. There is a spring of grace in the heart of euery beleeuer , whence followes daily the exercise of sundrie sauing graces , which can neuer bee vtterly dried vp in the heart of a Christian ; and that is it , our sauiour Christ meaneth when hee saith ; out of his bellie shall flow riuers , of liuing water . 6. The spirit of Adoption . THe spirit of adoption in the hearts of Gods Children , may bee discerned . First , by the fire of zeale and holie affections , with which it fils the harts of Gods children ; especially in the vse of Gods ordinances , to the information & reformation of their liues . Secondly , by the much assurance , which especially at som●times worketh in the heart . Thirdly , by a daily holy strife , to preserue grace giuen vs , and to preuent falling away . Fourthly , by secret suggestion or direction , by which Gods seruants are reclaimed when they goe out of the way , either on the right hand , or on the left . Fifthly , by the assise it keepes in the heart of a christian , as a spirit of iudgement by which he is made , to watch , arrest , accuse , condemn and restraine himselfe , from euerie euill way , according to the rules of the word , & before Gods holy presence . Sixthly , by libertie from the power of raigning and presumptuous sinnes ; where the spirit of God is , there is libertie . Seuenthly , by the groath and florishing of true grace . Eighthly , by vnspeakable ioies , felt in the presence of God , in the due vse of his ordinance , by which a christian is enflamed to the loue of God , and all holy duties , and abased to the dust in the sence of his owne vilenesse , called therefore the ioies of the holy ghost : For , as for carnall ioyes or illusions , either they are not felt in the vse of Gods ordinances , or els they breede pride , and conceited security . Ninthly , by requests and supplications , affectionable and with confidence powered out vnto God as a father . 7. Vprightnesse of heart . IF thou wouldest make triall of the truth and vprighnesse of thy heart , thou must seriously examine thy selfe : First , whether thy spirit be without guile , more desirous to be good , then to bee thought to be so , and seeking more the power of godlinesse , then the shew of it . Secondly , whether thou loue all good things aswell as one , and hate all things as well as one . Thirdly , whether that thou canst loue and forgiue thy enemies , that hate , and disgrace , and wrong thee aswell as thy friends , that either wrong thee not , or but by infirmity . Fourthly , whether thou canst bee content to receiue euil at Gods hands , as well as good , without murmuring or letting goe thy integrity , being carefull to approue thy selfe to God without respect of reward , yea though trouble did befall thee . Fiftly , whether thou dislike sinne in all , euen in those that are most neere and deere vnto thee ? Sixtly , whether thou finde in thy heart a resolution to turne from nothing that God commaundeth thee all the daies of thy life . Seauenthly , whether thou be innocent from the great transgression . Eightly , whether thou finde an inward combate and striffe against secret sinnes , aswell as open sinnes , bewailing the transgressions against the inward worship of God , aswell as against the ontward . Ninthly , whether thy heart bee humble , patient , teachable , and tractable in some holy measure , increasing herein by the vse of Gods ord●niance ? an vpright heart , is a willing heart . 10 Whether thy desire bee to walke as in Gods presence . 11 Whether thou finde a desire to be rid of sinne , and to humble thy selfe for it , in prosperitie aswell as aduersitie , and in the beginning of afflictions , aswell as in the extremities of them . 12 Whether in wrongs and disgraces , when thou art innocent , thou canst ( in the sence of thine owne vnworthinesse of Gods loue ) make God thy defence , resting in his fauour and acceptance . 13 Whether thou dost endeauour to glorifie God , aswell by giuing thankes for blessings and graces , as for praying for supplie of wants , or pardon of ●innes . 14 Whether thy heart be stedfast , and setled , without lying , flattering , or dissembling ; so seeking and praying for pardon , and deliuerance in aduersit●e , that thou wouldest practise it after release , this was a signe the Israelites were not vpright , in that they would crie to God in their distresse , but care not for their vowes and promises , so soone as they were deliuered . 15 Whether the word of God doe thee good aboue all things ? 16 Whether thy praise be of God , and not of men ? 17 Whether thou dost serue God with thy whole heart : not hauing a heart and a heart , either waiuering or deuided ? for vnlesse the whole resolution of thy soule , with the vtmost of thy desires , bee to walke in Gods waies , thy heart is not vpright . 18 Whether there be in thee a faithfull heart , to deale faithfullie in the charge and calling in which thou art , and to discharge it in the conscionable feare of God ? 19 Whether there be any sinne thou couldest not willinglie iudg thy selfe for it , without hiding it , so soone as thou knowest it to be a sinne : This is the ioy of a Christian , in the sense of his owne wants and weakenesses , that though he haue manie sinnes , yet there is no sinne but hee willing lie acknowledgeth it vnto God. 20 Whether thou be good at home , as well as abroade . 21 Whether thou canst be contented to make the Law of God , thy onelie direction in all things ? 22 Whether thou canst bee as carefull to preseuere in grace , as once to be good ? 23 Whether thou keepe thy selfe from thine owne iniquitie . 1. Whether thou dost conscionablie endeuor to forsake thy particular , formerly beloued and speciall sinnes ? 24 Whether thou be free from the raigne of frowardnesse in thy way , or peruersenesse of thy lips . 8. Holie desires . OVr desires may bee tried fiue waies . First by obiects of them . Secondly , by the quallities of them . Thirdlie , by the concomitants or companions of them . Fourthly , by effects or consequents of them . Fifthly , by the causes or accidents of them . For the first , those desires are meant in the promises , that are carried after things aboue nature , as the fauour of God , the pardon of sinnes , the righteousnesse of Christ , the presence of God , and the saints in the new Ierusalem , the comming of Christ to iudgement , victorie ouer the deerest sinnes , the remouing of spirituall iudgements , the damnation of their owne soules , that Israel might be saued , and such like . There are three principall quallities in the holie desires of Gods elect ; for First , they are fierie● that is , such as cause the heart of man , to burnewithn him , with some measure of zeale for Gods glorie , indignation at sinne , and feruent affection in Gods seruice , whereas the desires of the wicked , at least are either dull and cold , or transported by the wrongs , ends to the fauouring of sinne . Secondlie , they are constant : both because they are renued dailie , as the metaphors of hunger and thirst doe import ; as also because they are alike carried to the eternall fruition of the things desired , as to the present enioying of them , Gods seruants desire the fauour of God , the abolishing of sinne , the possession of grace , not to serue a turne for the present , but to be enioyed as their portion for euer ; for looke how the man vnregenerate desires to commit sinne , so doth the regenerate desire to forsake : but the former in some sins doth commit them , with a desire euer to sinne and a secret discontentmēt to thinke that at anie time , he should not be able to sinne . Euen such a contrarie desire is there in Gods elect truely called , they so desire not to sinne , as it is their griefe to thinke that at any time they should againe sinne , yea affliction , doth not quench them but manie times inflame them . Thirdlie , they are not idle , which may appeare three waies . First , because they are carried after themeanes of good aswell as good things themselues : and that in a great measure too . Secondly , because they are attended with a resolution to doe any thing that their desires may bee accomplished : they aske what should they doe to be saued ? as taking it for graunted , that they must bee industrious in Gods worke . There is no labour , but they would endeuour to doe it , so the Lord would bee mercifull vnto them to graunt them their desire , yea when they haue done all , they still are humbled because they can doe no more , nor no better . Thirdlie , they cannot rest till in some happie measure they ouercome , the most maisterly corruption either of nature or life . Thirdlie , holy desires are accompanied : First , with a supernaturall valuation of the worth of spirituall things accoūting them pearle of the best price not to deere bought if they buie them with the sale of al they haue ; and contrariwise accounting themselues exceeding poore and distressed , if they want them or the meanes of them , esteeming Gods louing kindnoss● better then life . Secondly , with avoluntary forsaking of the vnnecessarie pleasures and profit of the world , thankfully receiuing the promises of a better life , and easily confessing that they are strangers and pilgrimes on the earth . Thirdly , with a constant and secret meditation of heauenly things desired , what one desires feruently , hee thinkes on almost continuallie . Fourthly , Holy desires shewe themselues by diuers effects or consequents of them , especially if they be satisfied . First , they chase out euill desires and raise vp a dailie combat against the most secret corruptions of nature . Secondlie , the excite a frequencie and feruencie in praier to God in secret . Thirdlie they worke a resolution to walke in the way , that is called holie , yea so gracious is the Lord , that the most simple , if their desires bee most true , attaine to some happie measure of reformation . Fourthlie , if the Lord graunt their desires , there followes : First heauenlie kinde of satisfaction and contentation with singular delight in the soule . Secondlie the vowes and wishes of infinite and eternall thankfulnesse . Thirdlie a groweth and springing vp as among the grasse , or as willowes by the water courses . Lastlie , they arise from a broken & humbled spirit , and the more they are inflamed , the more humbled they continue to be . 9. The spirit of praier . HE that calleth on the name of the Lord aright , discouereth the spirit of grace & praies in his heart , by these things . 1. He askes according to Gods will. 2. Hee praies with perswasion that God will heare , he beleeueth he shal haue it , he praies in faith and assurance of heart before God. 3. He praies in the name of Christ in the sence of his owne vilenesse by reason of his wants and sinnes . 4. He will praie at al times . 5. He is effectuallie ferue●t , he hath the affections of praier . 6. Praier makes him exceeding wearie of the world , and willing to forgoe societie with the workes of iniquitie . 7. When he knowes not how to pray as he ought the spirit prepares his heart , excites holie desires supplies with words and power of affection , or else worketh inward vnexpressable groanes . 8. He findes a holie rest and quie●nesse in his conscience & heart with spirituall boldnes and confidence of trust in God , if the Lord heare graciouslie . 9. He findes answers from God , by the witnesse of the spirit of adoption : in which the Lord deales somtimes wonderfully with his people . 10. He loues God exceedinglie for hearing his praier , and desires to keepe himselfe in the loue of God. 11. His praiers proceede from a heart that loues no sinne : but willingly departeth from i●iquitie , and desireth to keepe his commaundements ; and to doe that which is pleasing to Gods sight . 12. He loues praier in others . 13. He is oftentimes dissolued into much sorrow for his sinnes , while he stands before the face of God. 14 He feeleth the confidēce of assurance that God is his father . 15. If the Lord be silent and answer not , but hides his face , his spirit faileth , and hee is as one that goeth down to the pit , it troubleth him as a sore crosse , & contrariwise . 16. Praier is his chiefe refug● , and he wil pray , though praier bee in neuer so much disgrace , and power out his complaint , & shew all his trouble . 17. Hee striues against deadnesse of spirit and distractions as a heauie burthen . 10. The obedience of Christ. OVr obedience wil be approued and accepted in Christ , if it be an obedience that will beare triall in the rules following . First , if it arise out of lo●e to God and goodnesse . The obedience of Gods elect is from the heart , not constrained but volūtary , their hearts being inflamed with the sence of Gods goodnesse , and humbled when they haue done their best , that they cannot bring more glory to God ; it is a ready obedience without repining , excuse or delay . 2 If it bee in all things , with respect to all Gods commaundements , a wicked man may obaie in many things but there is som one commaundement he would be dispensed withall as Herod . 3 Hee can bee content to obey against profit , pleasure credit , libertie , ease or the liking of the world or carnall friends , preferring Gods cōmaundemēts aboue all things ; yea life it selfe . 4 If it follow the conscionable practice of the duties of mortification , of sinnes past or present , the reformation and profession of such people as did neuer in secret humble their soules for sinne , may bee much suspected , for our hearts must be purified to obey the truth . 5 If it bee in absence as vvell as presence , in all companies as vvell as anie , before meane Christians , as before the best , at home as well as abroad . 6 If it be alwaies , as well as for a fit . 7 If we belieue and obey Gods Ministers , as the ouerseers of our soules and liues , directing vs out of the Word , as vvell as if vvee were commaunded immediatly from God. 8 If wee obey in the Cōmaundements of faith , as well as life , submitting our selues to God , as well by beleeuing as by dooing , yeelding our seruice as well to the Gospell as to the Lawe . 9 If wee obey in the least commaundement , as well as in the greatest , making conscience of the smallest things required , or forbidden in the Word . 10 It is an obedience that followes the sanctification of the spirit . Holy dutyes without they flowe from holy graces within ; neither can the life bee holy before God , if the heart bee not made holy , by the grace of Iesus Christ. 11 It is ioyned with the raigne of no sinne ; a Christian that truly obeyes God may haue many sinnes , but there is no sinne to which he yeelds himselfe wholly ouer , by secret vows and resolution as a seruant to obey it : hee may faile in his obedience , so as hee cannot do what God requires as he requires ; but yet hee consents to obey , and his will is to hire himselfe to doe Gods worke aswell as he can . And to this end hee hearkneth to his voice , & seekes God with his whole heart , that hee may keepe his testimonies , he consenteth to obey , and obserues to doe : he comes to the light that his deedes may bee made manifest . Lastly , our obedience is right & acceptable , if GOD heare our prayers , for God heareth not sinners : and Dauid sayth , if there were wickednes in his heart , GOD would not heare his prayers . 11 Sauing knowledge . SAuing knowledge may be tried : 1. By the obiects . 2. By the causes . 3. By the cōcomitants . 4. By the properties . 5. By the effects . For the first , by this knowledge the elect are inlightned by the spirit of reuelation . 1. To conceiue aright of the nature of God , in some measure propounding before the eye of their minds the Lord , as hee is reuealed in the word , at least by way of negatiō casting out al likenesses of any created nature . 2. To vnderstand the true manner of Gods worship . 3 To knowe their owne iniquities & vilenesse , in respect of corruption of nature and life . 4 To know Christ as their Sauiour . 5 To know God in Christ. 6 To know the forgiuenes of their owne sinnes . 7 To knowe the voice of Christ , discerning it in some measure from the voice of a stranger . 8 To knowe their owne conuersion , and al needful holy things . 9 To knowe the things giuen them of God , & especially the inhabitation of the spirit of Christ. 10 To knowe their owne saluation . Secōdly , this knowledge may bee discerned from other knowledge , by the causes : for , 1 Flesh and blood hath not reuealed it , it is a wisdom in a mystery , it is giuen of God in Christ by the anointing of the spirit . 2 Affliction of conscience , breeds the and experience of it in many , who neuer came to sound knowledge , till they haue beene wounded by the feeling of Gods wrath , or their owne sinnes , or the venomed temptations of Sathan . 3. It is quickned and nursed by the sweete refreshings and contentments felt in Gods house . 4 It is founded vpon the true feare of GOD ; the very first beginning of it , is excited by the feare of GOD , and it groweth as holinesse , grace , and good works grow in vs. Thirdly , it hath sixe companions of it among the rest , that in speciall attend it . 1 The loue of the Law. 2 A holy estimation of it aboue all possessions , shewed , in that a Christian aboue all , getting labors to get this vnderstanding , and reioyceth in it as the fairest ornament . 3 Teachablenesse . 4 A sauour of spirituall things . 5. Sence , that is , inward feelings of the power of the word & ordinances of God. 6 The loue of Gods childrē which aboundeth as this knovvledge growes . Fourthly it hath six properties . 1 It is affectionate , it is not written in the head , but in the heart and bowels . 2 It tends to action and practice . 3 It is constant and indelible , it hath deepe impressions and much assurance , so as it is not easily vnsetled vvith the puffes of contrary doctrine , nor can it be extinguished by trials or afflictions ; therfore it is sayde to be written vpon their hearts . 4 It is sincere , for first it inclineth to receiue all truth , as well as any truth : secondly , it will receiue the truth , though it be against reason , common opinion , profit , or the like . Fifthlie , It brookes not the impotent rudiments and beggerlie inuentions of men , in the things of the kingdome of Iesus Christ. Sixthlie , it leades a man principally to vnderstand his own way ; and by it a man teacheth and admonisheth himselfe . Lastly , it beareth fruite better then gold ●ro . 8. 19. and by the fruites or effects it may be knowne . 1. It lasteth out conc●itednesse , diffidence , insensiblenesse of Gods mercies and iudgements , and vnthankfulnesse : he that hath true knowledge , will not leane to his owne naturall wisedome , hee will trust in the Lord , and acknowledge him in all his waies . 2. It makes a man humble and lowlie , in the same measure that one abounds in true knowledge , in the same measure hee is made more lowlie and meeke , and carefull in all his waies ; no scorner can finde this wisedome . 3. It mortifieth boisterous & vnrulie , hatefull & hurtfull affections , it will make a lion become a lambe , and a beare , or a wolfe , or a cockatrice , to be willingly guided , euen by a little childe , &c. 4. It extinguisheth or greatly dulleth the sauor of earthly things and makes a man heauenly minded . 5. This and such like other affects are altogether set downe by the Apostle Iames in his third Chapter , and the seuenteene and eighteene verses . 12. Loue of God. OVR loue to God , may bee knowen . First , by the sincere and incorrupt loue of the Lord Iesus , the sonne of his loue . Secondlie , by the loue of his image in al the saints of God , that are begotten by him . Thirdly , by the base estimatiō of the world and the lusts thereof , for if anie man , loue the world , the loue of the father is not in him . Fourthly , by a deliberate inward inflamed estimation of God aboue all things , accounting his louing kindenesse better then life , and the signes of his fauour our greatest ioy . Fifthly , by our delight in his presence which is then approued . 1. If wee loue to speake often to God by praier , and heare him speake often to vs , in his other ordinances . 2. If we loue , and long for his appearing . 3. If we bewaile his absence as a bitter crosse . 4. If we set the Lord daily be ore vs. 5. If we loue his house . Sixthly , by our care to keepe his commandements , and to be as he is in holinesse , which may be further tried . 1. If we willinglie receiue his commaundements , for this is the loue of God , that wee keepe his commandements , & his commandements are not grieuous . 2. If we serue him with all our hearts and all our soules . 3. If it be our care to walke in al his waies and not to offend in any thing . Seuenthly , by our sensiblenesse of his dishonor if we be more vexed for his dishonour , then our owne disgrace . Eightly , by remembring his benefits and magnifying his mercies , for what wee loue we easily praise . Ninthlie , by our care not onely to do his wil but to please him , being more incouraged with his praise and approbation , then the praise of al men . 10. By a willingnes to suffer anie thing for his sake . 11. By a detestation as of sinne , because God hates it , so of sinners , because they hate God. 12. By our desire to stirre vp our affections after God , auoiding what might steale away our hearts from him , and delighting in al the waies , by which our hearts might be inflamed towards him , and to this end taking heede to our selues . 13. By our running to him in all aduersitie , making him our defence , our rocke , our refuge in all trouble , to them we first runne to make our mone , whom we most loue . 14. By our willingnesse , affectionatelie to doe the meanest office vnto God , or Christ , or for his sake this was a signe that Marie loued much , because she was content to wash with her teares , and wiped with her haire the very feete of Christ. 15 By our humility in the sence of Gods loue to vs , for ere the more a Christian discouers Gods loue to him , the more his affection to God , makes him seeme base & vile in his owne eies . 16 By our sorrow for our sinnes and willingnesse to forsake and cut off from vs , the most gainefull gainefull and pleasing corruptions , this is ment by the circumcising of the heart , that we might loue God. 13. The sacraments . THe sacraments are sure seales and infallible pledges of Gods , loue and our saluation , to the worthie receiuer : and he receiues worthelie . First , that desires to search his heart and examine his life , before he receiue . Secondly , that discernes the Lords body that meditates oft , and is in knowledge infallibly perswaded of the inward & effectual presence of the Lord to he worthie receiuer . Thirdlie , that eates with sorore herbs , that is , that comes with some measure of sence and feeling with th● burthen of his sinnes , & desire to make them his greatest sorrow . Fourthlie , that resolueth and purposeth and inwarldlie , couenaunteth in his soule , to deuote himselfe to God , and godlinesse , and to striue against euerie sinne that ●hee knowes may offend God. Fifthlie , that constantlie desires to beleeue Gods mercie in Iesus Christ to his owne soule in particular ; and comes with a perswasion , in some measure of the operation of God , in the inward grace of the sacrament . Sixthly , that feeles the ioies of Gods presence , and the working of Gods spirit , inwardly sealing in his heart the perswasion of his interest in Gods promises , bearing witnesse to his spirit , that God is graciously reconciled in Christ , and his sinnes are pardoned , &c. Seuenthly , that loues all the brethren and desires to bee furthered in all holie communion with them , both in grace and glorie ; being readie to witnesse before God and men his resolution to honour and cleaue to them aboue all other professions & sorts of mē in the world Eightly , that desires to liue in peace and godlie vnitie , and willinglie forgiueth al that haue trespassed against him . 14. The feare of God. THe true feare of God may be discerned ; first , by effects ; secondly , by the properties of it . First , The true feare God , workes a care & endeuour to serue God and keepe his commaundements , and by the feare of God men depart from euill : For it teacheth men to hate euill , as pride , arrogancie , the euill way , and a froward mouth : the wise man saith ; He that walketh in vprightnesse feareth the Lord , and by that signe he may bee knowne euen by aconsionable care to walke vprightlie with God in holie life . Secondly , it casts out carnall feares , he is not in much feare of men , that can kill the bodie , that is truely touched with the feare of God , that can destroy both body and soule , hee feares not their feare , nor the feares of the wicked men , but in some measure sanctifies God in his heart . Thirdlie , It makes a man desirous and capable of sauing knowledge : for this feare of God , is the beginning of wisedome . Secondlie , there bee fiue properties of the true feare of God. First , it is sincere , for he that truelie feares God. 1. Feares Gods offence aswell as pnnishment . 2. Hee will feare Gods presence being carefull to a●oide such sinnes , as no eie sees but Gods. 3. He will feare God though he see no reward in his hand . 4. He feares Gods word and is more troubled and humbled by the threatning of it , then by the threatning of anie mortall man , and will obey the voice of Gods seruants , whatsoeuer comes of it . 5. He will obey against reason , affection profit , or pleasure , for so saith the Lord to Abraham ; now I know thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy sonne , thy only sonne . Secondly , it is filiall , not seruile , which may appeare in fiue things , for first it is ioined with the loue of God , and so is not the feare of reprobates ; secondly it is not compelled by feare or sence of iudgements , but excited by the sence of Gods goodnesse and mercie . For so the conuerts in Hosea , are said to feare God and his goodnesse . Thirdly , it guides the heart of man to runne to God , and not from God ) to bee healed of the wounds made by si●ne and to bee protected , striuing euen before God , to discouer and get strength against the sinnes that trouble them ; fourthly It makes a man trust in God , and ere the more it increaseth , the more it worketh affiance and confidence in Gods mecry . 5. It causeth a man to loue and cleaue to such as are Gods Children , though they be in disgrace with the world . Thirdly , it is a speaking feare , it will speak to God by prayer , and to men by conference , it cannot be silent ; but will speake in defence of Gods glory & truth and seekes to draw others from sinne . 4 It is a contenting feare , it finds treasures in godlinesse , and is satisfied with his portiō , and will abide satisfied whereas the feares of reprobates are either full of inwarde horror of conscience , or perturbation in the heart . 5 It is constant , it is not for a fit , but alwaies , not in sicknesse or misery , but in prosperity , or all aboundance , & contrariwise not in prosperity only , when men may feare God without daūger but in trouble also . 15. Loue of enemies . OVr loue to our enemies is sincere . 1 If we can pray for them . 2 If we can voluntarily mourne & humble our soules for them in their distresses . 3 If we truly desire their conuersion , and find that we could loue thē vnfainedly if they had repented . 4 If we can forgiue them their trespasses against vs. 5 If wee bee more grieued for their sinnes against God , then for their wrongs to vs. 6. If we can acknowledge freely their iust praises . 7 If we can patiently and meekely endure their reuilings , being willing to bee at peace without reuenge . 8 If wee can forbeare when wee could bring shame or misery on them . 9 If we can endeauor to ouercome their euill with goodnesse , and to relieue them in misery , or to doe any other good , either for body or soule . 16. Desire of death . THE desire of death will bee our Testimonie . 1. If it arise out of the sence of Gods loue . 2. If it bee conceiued in time of prosperity . 3. Especially , if it arise out of a weariness of our owne sins , and the sinnes of others . 4 ▪ If it come from a longing after Gods eternal presence . 5 If it bee ioyned with a desire after the way how to be saued , and an indeauor after holy conuersation and godlinesse . 6. If it breed cou●rage and patience vnder tribulation . 7 If it make feruent in prayer . 8 If it extinguish the eager desires after earthly things . 9 If wee be glad at heart of his comming . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A17416-e70 Iob 31. 35 Heb. 13 Phil. 4 , 6 2 , Cor , 4 , 1 Esa. 40 , 31 Isa , 44 , 4 Ma. ●4 , 2 Hob. 5. 15 16 2 Cor. 12 1. Sam. 2 , 9 Psa. 66 , 8 , 9 Psa. 1 , 6 2. Tim. 2 , 19. Heb. 7 , 25 1. Ioh. 3 , 9 Reu. 21. 6 Psa. 31 , 20 Psal , 31 , 18 1. Pet ▪ 4 , 5 Notes for div A17416-e440 2. Cor. 13. 5. 2. Pet. 1. 10. Iob. 19. 23. 25. 26. 27. 1. Cor. 2. 10. 11. 12. 2. Cor. 5. 1 2. Cor. 5. 6. 8. Eph. 1. 18. 19. 2. Tim. 1. 12. 1. Ioh. 3. 14 1. Ioh. 5. 13 1. Ioh. 5 19 Eph. 3. 11. 1. Thos . 1. 5 Heb. 10. 22. Col. 2. 2. Heb. 6. 11 Rom. 8. 38. 39. 1. Cor. 15. 58. 1. The. 1. 5 Eph. 1. 17 Phi. 15 , 6 Mat. 5. 3. 2 Cor. 7. 10. Pal. 119. 50. 2 Cor. 2. 15. 1. Ioh. 3. 14. 1. Cor. 13. 1. 2. 3. Psal. 84. 13. 1. Psa. 97. 11 Rom. 8. 9. 14. 16. Reuel . 21. 6 Esay 55. 1 , 2 3 , 4. Mat. 5 , 6. Io●l . 2 , 22 Zach. 12. 10. Heb. 5. 9. Ioh. 17. 3. Mar. 16. 11 1. Pet. 3. 21 Rom. 4. 11 Ioh. 14. 23 Pro. 14. 27 Mat. 5 44. 48. 2. Tim. 4. Zach. 11. 11. Esay 66. 2. Psal. 109. 20. Psal. 109. 21. Psal. 12. 26 & 132. 15 Pal. 11. 14 Zeph. 3. 12 Zech. 3. 13 Psal. 74. 19 Ezech. 9. 4 Psa. 119. 36. Esay 6. 5. Rom 7. Esay 1. 16 Zac. 12. 10. 11. Psal. 4● , 3. 2 137. Neh 1. 3● 4 Esay 63. 17 Hos. 3. Ho. 6. 1. 3. Ior. 50. 4. 5 Act. 2. 37. Ier. 31. 19 Psa. 77. 1. 2 ▪ 27 ▪ Esay 1. 16 ▪ Psa. 38. 9. Psa. 42. 5. 11. Tam 3. 21 Psa. 116. 13. Psa. 119. 20. 82. 33. Esay . 61. 2 3. Zac. 12. 10 Psa. 38. 17 Psal. 38. 5. Psal. 42. 6. Psa. 51. 17 Rom. 12. 1 Lam. 3. 22 23. 2. Cor. 7. 11. Ps. 119. 20 Iob. 23. 12. Psal. 119. 115. Psal. 119 136. Psa. 119. 14. 72. 111 Psa. 119. 23 24. 50. 51. 54. 143 1. Thes. 2. 13. 1. The , 1. 5 Ioh. 8. 33. Psa. 119. 45. 9. 59. 1. Thes. 2. 13. Psal. 1. 2 & 119. 11. Psa. ● . 1 Psa. 42. 3. Amos. 8. 12. Ioh. 6. 27. Psa. 19. 10. Mar. 10. 2. 9. 1. Cor. 3. 18. 1. Thes. 1. 5. 6. Psa. 16. 2. 3. 1. Ioh. 3. 14 & 5. 1. 2. Ioh. 1. 2. 3. Ioh. 1. Eph. 1. 15. Col. 1. 4. Phile. 5. 〈…〉 1 , Ioh. 3 , 18 , 19. Rom , 12 , 9 , 10. Psa , 15 , 4● ▪ Psa. 16. 3 Rom. 16 19. 3. Ioh. 6. 1. Thes. 18. 1. Thes. 1. 7. 1. Pet. 4. 8 1. Cor. 13. 4 , 5 , 6 , 7. Psal. 16. 3. Phil. 1 , 5. 3. Ioh. 8. Rom. 12 , 16 Rom 12. 9. 16 3 Ioh. 3 Psal. 16 , 3. Rom. 12 10 , 13. Phile. 7 , 1. Pet. 3 , 8. & 4 , 8. 1. Ioh. 3 , 17. 3. Ioh 5 1. Ioh. ● . 10 Ephe. 4 , 15 , 16. 1. Thes. 3. 12 , 13. 1 ▪ Ioh. 5 , 2. Rom. 10 , 14. Phil. 3 9 1. Pet. 2. 6. 2. Thes. 1 , 10 2. Tim. 1. 5. 1. P●t . 1. 7 2. Tim. 1 , 12. Luke 8. 13 Acts 24. 14. Esay 25. 16. Eph. 1. 13 , 14. 2. Thes. 2 , 13. 1. Tim. 1 , 19. 5. 1. Tim 3. 9 He. 10. 22. 2. Tim 3. 15. Psa. 119. 130. Pro. 1. 4 , 8 , & 5 , 9. 1 , Ioh , 5 : 10 Rom , 8 , 15 16. 1. Pet. 1 , 8 Rom. 5. 2 Rom. 10. 2. Cor. 4 13. 14. 2. Cor. 5. 7. Gal. 5. 5. Gel. 5. 6. Heb , 2. 5. Rom. 1. 17 Gal. 2●0 . Rom , 3. 17 Gal. 3 22. 1. 1o . 5. 4. 5 Psa. 48. 14 Acts 15. 9 Ioh. 7 38. Mat , 3. 11 , Eph , 5 , 19 1. The 1. 5 2. Tim. 1. 14 Esa 30. ●1 Esay . 4. 2. Cor , 3 , 17. Rom. 8. 10 Esay 44 , 3 4. Rom. 14 , 17. Ezec. 39 vl● Rom , 8. 13 Zac. 12 , 10 Eph. 3 , 12 Psa. 32. 2 , Ioh. 1. 4. Prou ▪ 20 , 6 , 7. Ioh 1 , 1 , & 2 , 3. 10 1. Kin. 15 12 , 13 , 14 1. Kin. 15 5 , 9 , 4. Psa. 1● , 13 Heb. 2 , 4 Pro , 21 , 29 1 , Chr , 28. 9. Gen , 17 , 1 Iob 8 , 5 , 6 Psal 7 , 10 11 , 7. Psal. 33 , 1 119 , 7. 140 , 13. Psa. 78 , 36 37. Mich. 2 ▪ 7 Rom. 2 , 29 2. Chro. 6. 14. psa . 119 ▪ 34 2. Chr. 19. 8 9. Psa. 32. 11 & 5. Psal. 101 , 2. Psa 119 , 1 Deut 18 12. 13 Pro. 13 2. Sam. 22 24. Pro. 11 , 20 ▪ & 19 , 1. Psa , 73. 25 Mat. 5. Heb. 11. 10 16. Reuel . 22 17. 20. Rom , 7 Esa 63 , 17 Rom , 9. 3 Lu. 12. 49. Esa. 26 , 9 ▪ Psa. 27. 4 1 , Pet , 2 , 2 Psa. 1 , 63 1 ● . Acts 2 , 37 ▪ Reue. 21 , 6 Mat. 13. 45. 46. Psa. 42. Psa. 63. 1. 3 Heb 11. 13 Isay 26. 9 Psa , 63 , 1 , 6. Pro. 11 , 23 Roae , 7. 25 Lam , 2 , 19 Es. 35. 7. 8 Ps 63 , 5 Ier. 31 , 25 , 26. Psa , 63. 4. Esa. 44 , 3 1. Pet. 2 , 2 Mat. 5. 4. 5 6. 1. Ioh. 5. ● Mar. 11 , 14 Iam. 1. 6. 7 ▪ Psa. 6. 9. 1 , Ioh. 3 , 19 22. Iob. 14 , 13 P●a . 86. 1. 2 & 143 , 4 Ioh. 17. Psa. 116. 2 Iam. 5. 16 Psa. 6. 8. Psa. 6. 8. 9 , & 39. 12. Rom. 8 ; 26 27 Ps. 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 Ps. 116 , 1 , 7 Psa. 91 , 15 17. ● 1 Ier. 33 , 3 Es●y 31 , 19 58. 9. Psa. 116. 1. Iude 20. 2. Tim 2 , 19. 22. Iob. 8 , 5 , 6 1. Ioh. 3. 22 2. Tim , 2 , ●2 . Z●c . 12 , 10 Psa , 55 , 1 , 2 Gal. 4 , 7 Rom. 8 , 15 Psa. 28 , 1 & 88 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 143 , 7 Ioh , 1● , 23 24. Psa. 69 , 10 13 ▪ & 142 2. 5. Psa 86. 4. 3 Deut. 30. 20 Iosh. 22. 5 ▪ Mat. 4. 19 Rom. 6 , 17 Ex. ●15 . 26 1. Kin. 9. 4 Iet . 11. 4 Ioh. 15. 14 Act 13. 22 Deu. 30. 2 Iet . 35 Heb. 11. 8 Ge. 22 12 Pro. 7. 2 Acts 5. 29 Mat 16. 25 1. Pet. 1. 22. Phil. 2. 12 Gal. 5. 7 2. King 18 6. Psa. 106. 3 Heb. 13 2 , Thes. 3 Rō . 10 16 Rō . 16. 26 2. The. 1. 8 Mat. 5. 19 Gat. 5 7. 1. Pet , 1. 2 Rom. 6 Esa. ● . 19 Psa : 119. 2 Deut. 6. 2● . Ioh. 3. ● Ioh. 9. 31 Psa. 66 : 18 Ier 9. 24 Ioh. 4. 22 Ier 3. 12 Phi. 3. 9. 1● . 1. Cor. 2. 2 ▪ Ioh. 17. 3 8. 19. Ier. 31. 34 Ioh. 1● . 4. 1. 10. 3. 14 Pro. 9. 10. 2. Cor. 13. 5 1. Cor. 2. 12. Ioh. 14. 17. 20. Luke 1. 77 Mat. 16. 17 1. Cor. 1. 30 1. Cor. 2. 7 1. Ioh. ● . 27. & 5. 2● Ho. 6. 1. 2. 3. Ps 36. 8. 9. 10. Pro. 1. 7. Iob. 18. 28. Col , 1 , 9 Ioh , 7 , 17 2. Pe. 3. 18 Psal. 119. 97. 98 Phil. 3. 8 Pro. 3. 3. 4. 7. & 7. 4. & 8. 9. 10 Pro 8. 9. 17. Isa , 28 , 9. Rom. 8. 5 ▪ 2. Cor. 2. 14 Phil. 1. 9. Phi 1. 9. 10 Ier. 31. 34 Deu. 46 Ps 111. 10 Isa , 33 , 6 Ioh , 8 , 55 1. Ioh , 2 , 3 & 3 , 24 Phil. 1. 9 10 Ier 31. 34 Pro. 4. 5 , 16 Eph. 4. 13 Ioh. 16. 13 1 , Cor ▪ 3 , 1● 1. Cor , 2 7 Pro. 14 , 8 Col. 3 , 16 Pro. 3 , 5 , 6 Pro. 8 , 13 14 ▪ Isa. 11 , 9 Rom. 8 , 6 Iam , 3 ▪ 17 18. Eph , 6 , ●●4 1 , Ioh. 5 , 1 1 , Ioh , 2 , 15 Psa. 63. 2 1 , 11. Ps● . 34. 5 37 , 4. ● 2 Tim. 4 , 8 Cant. 3. 1 Psa. 16 , 8 Psa. 26 , 8 Ioh. 14 , 21 1. Ioh 4. 17 1. Ioh. 5 3 Deut. 10 12 Deu. 11. ●2 Ios. 22. 5. Psa , 63. 2. 3 4. 6 , 8 107 ●2 . Ioh. 36 , 24 ▪ Deut , 6. 2. Exod. 15 2. 1. Ch 28. 9 1 , Co. 7 , 23 Heb. 1● . 28 Ioh 22 , 15 to 19. Psa. 97 , 10 Psa. 139 21 , 22. Iosh. 23. 11 Psa 1● . 1. 2 Luk. 7. 44 4 5. 46 , 47 1. Cor. 8 , 3 Deu. 30 , 6 1. Cor. 11. Exod. 12 1. Cor , 5 , 8 Mat. 16. 16 Col. 2 , 12 Eph. 1 , 23 1. Cor , 1 , 22 1 ▪ Cor. 10 Ma. 5 , 6 , ●4 Deu , 6. 13 & 8 , 6 Pro. 8 , 13 16 , 6 Reui . 15 , 4 Pro 14 , 2 Ma. 10 , 28 Ma● . 10. 28 Es. 8 , 12 , 13 Pro. 1 , 7 Psa. 119 Gē , 22 , 12 Deu. 10. 12. 20 Isa , 29 , 23 Hos. 3 , 5. Ma , 4 , 2 Psa. 31. 19 & 115. 11 & 147. 11 Psa. 11 9 , 79 Mal. 3 , 16 Esa. 33. 6 Pro. 19. 23 Ecc. 8. 11 Deut. 6. 24 Mat. 5. 44 Psa. 35 , 13 14. Mat , 6. 14 15 1 , Pe , 3 , 10 Rō . 12. 14 1. Sam. 24 18. 19. Rom. 12 Pro. 25. 21 ▪ 22 Luk. 2. 2● , 30 Ps. 39. 1 , 4 Ioh. 6. 9. 10 ▪ Rom. 7 , 24 Heb. 9. 28 ▪ Phil. 1 ▪ 2. Cor. 5. 8 2 , Pet , 3 , 1● 12 Psa. 90. 12 2. Cor. 5. 9 2. Cor. 4. 16 & 5. 2 2. Tim. 4. 7 Rom. 5. 3 Psa. 3. 9 ▪ 12 Rom. 8. 22 ▪ 23. 26. He. 11. 16. 13. 15. Re 22 , 20 
A25382	----	A golden trumpet sounding an alarum to judgement the sound whereof was never more needfull though evermore profitable : dedicated and directed unto all the elect children of God which truly repent / newly published by Iohn Andrewes. Andrewes, John, fl. 1615. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A25382 of text R27886 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing A3123A). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 33 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 13 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A25382 Wing A3123A ESTC R27886 10261318 ocm 10261318 44730 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A25382) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 44730) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1375:4) A golden trumpet sounding an alarum to judgement the sound whereof was never more needfull though evermore profitable : dedicated and directed unto all the elect children of God which truly repent / newly published by Iohn Andrewes. Andrewes, John, fl. 1615. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A25382 of text R27886 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing A3123A). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread [23] p. Printed for Edward Wright, London : 1648. Reproduction of original in the British Library. eng Judgment Day. Salvation. A25382 R27886 (Wing A3123A). civilwar no A golden trumpet, sounding an alarum to judgement: the sound whereof was never more needfull, though evermore profitable. Dedicated and dire Andrewes, John 1648 5715 16 0 0 0 0 0 28 C The rate of 28 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the C category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2006-02 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-04 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-06 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2006-06 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A Golden Trumpet , Sounding an Alarum to Judgement : the sound whereof was never more needfull , though evermore profitable . Dedicated and directed unto all the Elect Children of God , which truly repent . Newly published by Iohn Andrewes , Minister and Preacher of Gods Word . The nine and twentieth Impression . LONDON , Printed for Edward Wright , and are to be sold at his shop in gilt-spur-street without Newgate , at the signe of the Bible , 1648. The Author to the Reader . SOund to Judgment this Golden Trumpet , Into the eares of every one : Early be ringing here thine owne knell , Or sound t' - alarum , for time will be gone . Weep for thy sins , and watch for the day Here of the coming of Christ our Judge : Each day and houre slips quickly away ; No time is set , therefore doe not grudge . Make this Trumpet to sound in thine eare , A day of Judgement is almost come : Delay no time , we all must appeare , Now still prepare for the day of doome . A Golden Trumpet . CHAP. I. The first Chapter treateth of the sound of the Trumpet . AS Adam sléeping securely in his transgression , had great néed of that Trumpet from GOD , to rowze him from the sléep of sin , Adam ubi es ? Adam where art thou ? So necessary for every sinfull Adamite , ( to raise him up from the sléep of sin ) is this notable memento , this worthy sound of the Golden Trumpet . Wherefore if ever there were a time for Gods Ministers to have their hearts like the Lions , their face of brasse , and their voice of stéele , to sound this Golden Trumpet , that they might boldly in the face of the Congregation cry , and lift up their voice like a Trumpet with the Prophet Esay , to shew the people their transgressions : If ever there were a time for Ieremiah to cry in the eares of Hierusalm , to declare amongst the Nations , and to set up a standard to proclaim the fall of Babylon : If ever there were time for Lot To reprove the Sodomites , for Elias to reprove Achab , Nathan to reprove David , Ionah to cry to the Ninivites , or Ieremiah to wish his head to be full of water , and his eyes to be a fountaine of teares : Yea David , Esay , Ieremiah & Paul , to wéep for the sins of the people ; then sure the time is now . Yet , nothwithstanding the Gospell hath béen long taught amongst us , the sound thereof hath filled our eares , but whose heart hath it pierced ? Whose life hath it bettered ? Sin is sharply reproved , but iniquity still aboundeth . To the briefe , I néed not complaine with the Prophet of those gréedy dumbe Curres , which feacute ; ed themselves , and starve the soules of their flocke , but onely recite Gods threatnings against them in a few proofes of Scripture and so I leave them , for the Lord to require their bloud at their hands . For I may boldly say ( the Lord be praised for it ) that we had never more preaching , though never lesse following than we have now : There were never more crafty worldlings , and gréedy Nabals , that love an ounce of Give me , more than a pound of Heare me , than be now . O I feare , that there were never more that have sold themselves , and their very Soules for lucre sake , than be now . Wherefore I doubt not but the very iniquitie of the whole world is come to maturitie . Therefore it is now high time to sound the Golden Trumpet , and ring it with alarum , that if ever they will be rouzed from the deadly sléep of sin to awake and repent , now : for , Qui non est hodie , cras minus aptus erit . He that is not ready to repent to day will be lesse ready to morrow . Oh now therefore , while the Gospell soundeth , now while Christ calleth , now while he knocketh ; let us now repent , let us take this present time while we have it ? time and tide staieth for no man ; the time past is irrevocable , which cannot be recalled : the time to come is full of uncertainty for it may be it never shall come : Only the present time is , ours , but it is momentarie : O therefore let us take and make good use of it . To morrow , some wil say , I will a Convert be , O when tell me I pray , shall I this morrow see ? Let never wise man say , to morrow mend I will , Who is not fit to day , is l●sse & l●sse fit still . Wherefore , holy men of God urge still the time present ? Seeke ye the Lord while he may be found : Turne ye now from your evill wayes : Doe good while ye have time : To day if ye will heare his voice , hearden not your hearts . Thus the converted heart séeketh the present time , be cause it is a bléeding and a tender heart ; It trembleth at the word , it is pricked when it is rebuked , and inflamed with burning zeale when it is instructed . O then take hold of this present opportunity so friendly smiling on thée , and repent presently : Let the sound of this Golden Trumpet be ever in thy eares : For as our Saviour Christ said of Iohn Baptist , This is Eliah , if ye will receive him ; So say I , this instant , this moment is the time of repentance ; this is the day of salvation this is the time of grace ; this is the acceptable houre ; O therefore embrace it . We read that the Ninivites were coverted at these words of Ionahs preaching , Yet forty dayes and Niniveth shall be destroyed . The sound thereof caused not onely the Subjects , but the very King of that City to come from his Throne of Monarchie , to cast off his Robes , to put on sackcloth , and sit in ashes , with fasting , wéeping , and great mourning . S. Peter at one Sermon converted thrée thousand soules unto Christ ; insomuch as they were so pricked in their hearts at his Doctrine , that they came crying , Men and brethren , what shall we doe to be saved ? In another Sermon he converted Cornelius the Captain , with a great multitude . S. Iohn Baptist at one Sermon converted both Scribes , Pharises , Publicans , Souldiers and Sinners , insomuch as all that heard him preach , Mused in their hearts whether he were not very Christ . Paul converted many in Asia , and also in Europe , yea in all parts and quarters of the world : Christ himself converted so many , that it caused the Iewes to cry out , Behold the whole world goeth after him . O where is any such Conversion in these our dayes ? What drowsinesse is in us ? What carelesnesse ? Nay , what madnesse is in us , that we cannot be converted with all the preaching that is so often and continually preached amongst us ? Can we not remember ? Is our memory so short ? or have we drunke so much of the River of forgetfulnesse ? That wée remember not what our Saviour saith plainly , Except ye repent , ye shall all be damned . Let us consider with our selves , and descend into our owne Conscience and sée whether there be any Reason ▪ why God should spare us , and deale so severely with others : Saba the Queene of the South came from the furthermost parts of the world , to heare the wisdome of Salomon : But many of us which live in this evill declining age , are so over busied with worldly affaires , that they have little or no time to come out of our doores , to bestow one houre in the Church to heare the Wisedome of Christ . The want whereof maketh many which neglect their comming to Bethel , the house of God , to starve their Soules in Bethaven , the denne of iniquitie . Yea , too too many to become so godlesse , so gracelesse , so roo●ed in all sin , and so fully resolved to live therein , that if John Baptist were to preach ; Esay to cry , King David , Ieremiah , and Paul to wéep for the sins of the people , Yet they are so frozen in their sin , and so wedded in their wickednesse that a Leopard may sooner change his spots , and a blacke Moore become white : nay ( as our Saviour saith ( It is easier or a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle , than many to forsake their beloved sins to gaine the Kingdome of Heaven . What shall I more say ? If Christ himselfe came from Heaven , to cry unto the people , for to repent in these our dayes , it may be they would let him say what he would , but I feare that too too many would doe what they list : All his preaching , and all his wonders would no more prevaile with the wicked in these our times , than it did in his time with the Iewes , To conclude then this point , if any seeme to storme at my harsh writing , let them amend their lives , and not dislike these my lines : For I openly protest , I feare none but God whose truth I teach , and hate nothing but sin , which is the ruine and destruction of the soule . I care not for my life , so it were lost in the defence of the truth : I looke not for preferment , the world is so corrupted : I desire not the praise of men , it is but vanitie : I ayme not at my owne good , but to set forth Gods glory , the discharge of my owne conscience , and the benefit of Christ his Church and children . CHAP. II Of the shortnes and uncertainty of mans life . MAns life is but a pilgrimage , a travell , and a way : and he is scarce entred into the world , but he is admonished to remember to depart out of the same , for all the world is mutable , and of all the things in the world man is most mutable . And as our dayes here are short and evill , we ought alwayes to be prepared for the Lord : For Nihil certius morte , hora mortis nihil incertius , as there is nothing more certaine than death , so there is nothing more uncertaine then the houre of death . We are all tenants at will , and know not how long we shall remaine it this earthly Tabernacle . All creatures waxe old with this aged world ; this is even the last houre , the world cannot continue long , Methusela lived 969 yeares . If in our age we reach to 80. it is with sorrow and labour . Thou hast made my dayes as it were a span long , saith David , All flesh is grasse ( saith the Prophet ) and all the glory thereof as the flower of the field . The old world had 120. yeares given them to repent , Niniveh 40. daies , and Israel 4● . yeares , but thou O man knowest not how long thou hast to live . Some are wasted away by wantonnesse as Commodus , Claudius Nero , Alexander the Great and such like , Some are shortned by ambition , many will never leave climbing till they catch a fall . This climbing by ambition cut off the dayes of Absalom , and brought Haman to the trée . Some God taketh away ; because the world was not worthy of them ; and some because they are not worthy of it . He cut off Iosias , for his soule pleased God : therefore he made haste to take him away from the iniquity of the world . He cut off Achab , Agag and Herod , because they were vile and ungodly men , therefore they did not live out half their dayes . Some God cutteth off suddenly , in so much as they have not time to thinke on God , or once to cry , Lord help me . The old world not thinking on death , was suddenly drowned . The Sodomites suddenly consumed by fire . Pharaoh with all his Host swallowed up in the sea : the Israelites gnawne of dedly serpents . Corah , Dathan and Abiram eaten up of the earth . Herod suddenly devoured with lice . The rich man suddenly smitten with death . Lying Ananias and his wife suddenly fell downe dead . Eglon the Moabite , and Abner the Captaine were suddenly murthered with the sword . To conclude , all Histories in all ages are full of the like examples ▪ CHAP. III. Of the straight accompt we m●st give unto God at the day of Judgement . TO draw every man to a better consideration of his time , and of his accompting day , our Saviour addeth a reason why we should be ready , and alwaies prepared to render our accompt ; for ( saith he ) The Kingdome of God is at hand . What will move a man to consider of himselfe , and of his accompting day , if this will not ? when he heareth that the same is at hand . Mortall men in their accompts they make to their Lords and Masters , will gather their Scrowles , Bils , Papers , and other writings , from hundreths to farthings , lest they be found unworthy men to be put in trust with such worldly commodities . If mortall men have such a care how to make their accompts to mortall Auditors , what care , nay , what feare ought to be in all men and women , when they are summoned by the eternall God to appeare before him and his Angels , to give accompt how they have spent their time from their birth untill their dying day ? Here we are summoded to the high Imperial Court of eternall doome . The time is come ; and the Kingdome of God is at hand . O Lord who shall escape amercing here ? Nay , who shall escape damnation here ? Séeke up your Scrowles , search the Bookes of your consciences : we are called to the Court , where every mans conscience shall be laid open . Wherefore unlesse we repent ; that our sins may be blotted out with the bloud of Christ Iesus , the Lord will call us to accompt , the Bookes of our Consciences shall be laid open , and every sin both secret and knowne shall be brought to light : and not one sinne shall passe , but all our sinnes , both past , present , and to come , as well our rebellious thoughts , as sinfull Acts committed . Whereupon S Bernard saith , Omne tempus tibi impensum requiretur a te qualiter fuerit expensum : All the time that God hath given thée ( except thou repent ) shall be required at thy hands , how thou hast spent it . There shall inquisition be made for the thoughts of the ungodly : There shall not a wicked thought passe in Iudgement . CHAP IV. Now followeth the manner of this accompt . I. Who must give accompt II. Of what things they must give accompt . III. To whom this accompt must be made . IV. When it must be made . FIrst , the persons that must give accompt , our Saviour Christ expresly sheweth us to be men . But I say unto you ( saith our Saviour ) that of every idle word that men shall speake , they shall give accompt at the day of Iudgement . And S. Paul saith , We must all appeare before the Tribunall Seat of Christ , that every man may receive according to his workes . For as Lingua est mentis interpres , The tongue is the interpreter of the mind , so saith our Saviour , By thy words ( if thou doe well ) thou shalt be justified , and by thy words ( if thou do evill ) thou shalt be condemned . Thus we may sée Christs true & iust judgement , how that first by the evidence of their déeds they shall be accused : Secondly , by the witnesse of their words convicted : and thirdly , by the testimony of their owne conscience condemned , Thus all men , none excepted , of all ages , and of all nations , Kings and Princes , rich and poore , yea all that have been from the beginning of the world , and shall be to the end of the same , shall appeare before the Tribunall seat of Christ , and give an account every one for himselfe . II Of what things they must give accompt . THey shall give accompt not onely of every idle word , work , & deed , but also of every idle thought : yea , every man , and every member of man shall answer to his default . The King must give an accompt for himselfe , and how he hath governed his Kingdome . The Ministers that have taken upon them curam animarum , the charge of Soules , must give an accompt how they have fed their Flocke , and how they have lived in their calling : The Magistrate for his Iustice : The Master for his servants : The Parents for the children , and every Artificer for his trade , every man in his own proper person , must render an accompt of his Talent , be it ten , foure , or one that he hath received . And so strait shall this accompt be , that every member of every body shall answer to his default : the Eyes shall give an accompt what they have séene : the Eares what they have heard : the Tongue what it hath spoken : the Hands what they have felt : the Féet where they have béene : and the Heart of man what it hath thought . To conclude , both Heart and Body , with all the parts and powers thereof shall be indited and arraigned before the Tribunall Seat of Christ to render a streight accompt , Tam de dictis quam de factis suis , both of their words and their déeds . III. To whom this accompt must be given . THe Iudge to whom we must give our accompt is Christ . The Lord commandeth ( saith David ) to judge the World . S. Iohn saith , the Father , judgeth no man , but hath committed all judgement to the Sonne . And Abraham gave God the stile of the Iudge of the world . There it is evident that our Saviour Iesus Christ is Iudge of the world . He is verus Iudex & Iustus , he is a true and upright Iudge ? yea , he is a Iudge that is able to destroy both body and soule in hell fire for ever . But let us note , he commeth ▪ not alone , but bringeth ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all ; yea , he said to his Disciples , Ye which have followed me shall sit upon twelve Thrones , judging the twelve Tribes of Israel . Vnto the godly he shall say , Come ye blessed &c. They shall both with body and soule receive a glorious kingdome and a beautifull Crowne from the Lords hand : for with his right hand shall he cover them , and with his arme he shall protect them , Because it shall be a day of refreshing , when all teares shall be wiped away from their eyes , and all sorrow shall cease , and they shall live and raigne with the Lamb for ever . To the wicked ( Christ saith ) Goe ye cursed . BVt first let us note , that he doth not judge them after the manner of worldly Iudges , whose knowledg may be deceived with false and Sophisticall pleas ; whose justice may be corrupted with feare , hatred , love and rewards ; whose anger may be pacified with pittifull words . Oh fearefall and terrible will the sight of this Iudge bée to the wicked : for his power shall be invincible , his anger implacable , his knowledge infallible and his Iustice inflexible . First , tyrany and cruelty shall not countervaile his power : Secondly , benignity of pitifull words shall not appease his anger : Thirdly , liberality , nor rewards shall not bow his Iustice : Fourthly , subtilty of advocates shall not blind his knowledge . Whereupon saith S. Augustine Judex ille nec gratia praevenitur , nec misericordia flectitur , nec pecunia corrumpitur , nec penitentia mitigatur . Neither is this Iudge prevented with favour , nor bowed with mercy , nor bribed with money , neither mitigated by Repentance : Therefore when Christ saith to the wicked , Goe ye cursed , hée doth not onely curse them , but hée biddeth them goe , he sendeth them to Gehenna , that dreadfull dungeon of utter darknesse , that burning Lake and most fearfull Tophet , yea , to that hollow cave and Chaos of all confusion , to that bottomlesse pit of eternall perdition : whose burning furnace is made by Gods Iustice , his power upholds it , and it is blowne with the bellowes of his wrath ever prepared for the Deuill and his Angels . And as Christ saith , Goe ye cursed , his curse is paenarum inflictio , infliction of punishment , which is twofold , Paena Damni and Paena Sensus , the punishment of losse , and the punishment of sense . The losse of God , of his glorious and most blessed presence , his mercy , his favour , his bounty , his beauty , his grace , and all his eternall goodnesse , the losse of heaven , the habitation of God , and of all his holy and blessed Angels and Saints , the house and heaven of happinesse , with all the unspeakable joyes , pleasures glory , riches , and treasures thereof for evermore . The punishment of sense which is hell and all the intolerable , everlasting , and wofull torments thereof . As the blessing of God comprehends all blessings , so this curse , Anathema and Maranatha , includes all crosses , Goe ye cursed , &c. They shall bée cursed of Christ himselfe , cursed shall they be of the Angels , whose curse is conscientiae cruciamen vexation of conscience . Cursed shall they be of the Devils , whose curse is paenarum executio , the execution of their punishment , according to that of the Poet : Minos examen , Radamanthus dat cruciamen ; Tertius , beufrater terti aiura tenet . One Devill rippeth up the examination , another Devill tormenteth , the third addeth one torment upon another , For their desire is revenge , their devotion cursing , and their blessing blasphemy . They be in a Sea of miseries , and in an Ocean of calamities ; Fire flameth about them ; the worme of conscience gnaweth within them ; rage , madnesse , and irefull indignation among them , ugly visages of black and fearfull Devils affrighting them ; Sulphur and hot burning coales under them : the revenging hand of God over them , and powring forth the vials of his wrath full of variety of plagues without ceasing upon them . They have penury , for gluttony : extreame thirsting , for excessive drinking : burning , for lecherous lusting : want for ill gotten wealth : outragious madnesse , for blaspheming : for oppression , utter desolation ; and a fearfull agony for bloudy cruelty . And S. Augustine speaking of Dives , saith , Desideravit guttam , qui non dedit micam , hée would not give a erum , hée shall not have a drop : a just recompence : as he denied the least comfort to Lazarus living , so Lazarus shall not bring him the least comfort dead . And Seneca saith , Nemini bonus , sibi possimus , as he was good to none , so ( let it be his plague ) he is worst to himself ; thus the pain for sin answers the pleasure of sin . Their torments shall be both comfortlesse & endlesse . They shall bée dying alwayes , yet never dead . They shall séek death , but never find it . They shal be burning alwayes , yet never burnt to death . Their meat shall be griping hunger , and famine intolerable . Their drink shall be lakes of fire and brimston . Their musicke shall be howling and roaring of foule and ugly Devils , with savage furies accompanied , and with barbarous torments cruelly handled . Thus Heaven they shall have lost , which cannot be purchased . Hell they have received , & the place must néeds be indured . And looke how many sins they have set on the score , so many kinds of punishments are provided for them in Hell . O how many causes of wéeping and dolefull crying shall those miserable wretches then have ? They shall wéep because they cannot appeale from Gods dreadfull judgement . They shall wéep , because their pleasures have brought them to all these sorowes . They shall wéep , because they shall sée their miseries are past all remedy , and their repentance too late . To conclude this point , they will then curse the parents which begat them , and the wombs which bare them , the day wherein they were borne , & the Aire that gave them breath : and will cry , woe , woe , that ever we were borne , O where is that Dives that would not beléeve this before he felt the fire of Hell . IV. The time when we must give this accompt . VVE must give an accompt at the day of Iudgement , when Christ commeth to judge the world . But of that day and houre knoweth no man , no not the Angels which are in Heaven ; neither the Son according to his humane nature ; but the Father . But according to his Divine nature , hée knoweth as well as the Father . Therefore saith Christ . It is not for you to know the times and seasons ; which the Father hath put in his own power . But as Paul saith to the Corinthians , Seeing wee are they upon whom the ends of the world are come , we ought to learne of our Saviour , to watch , for wee know not at what time the Lord will come . And our Saviour séeing the iniquity of the world growing so fast to maturity , saith ; Except those dayes should bee shortned , there should no flesh be saved . Therefore saith S. Iohn , Repent , for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand . And S. Iames cryeth out , Behold the Iudge standeth before the doore , If they looked for it to be so nigh in those daies , now sure it cannot be far off . Augustine in his book upon Genesis , against the Manichees said , that the world should last six ages . And ( according to his prophecy ) we live in the last age . Eliah also prophesied that the World should last six thousand yéeres , two thousand before the Law , two thousand under the Law . & two thousand from Christs his birth untill his coming to Iudgement . If his prophecy be true , the World cannot last foure hundred yéeres . To conclude , let us be ready alwayes howsoever , although this day be like yesterday , and too morow like to day , yet let us not defer our repentance . For God came not unto Adam before the evening , yet he came . Although the Angels came not upon Sodome untill the evening , yet they came . And so comes Christ to Iudgement , although he be not yet come , let us not think he hath leaden féet , and cannot come , lest we finde hée hath iron hands when he doth come . To conclude , if there be any one thing in the Booke of God , from the Alpha of Genesis , unto the Omega of the Revelation , that is able to turne a sinner from his sinnes to come unto God by repentance , it is the remembrance of this generall judgement . This is that kept David in so much awe , I have feared thy Iudgements . I have been mindfull of thy Iudgements , thy Iudgements were alwaies in my sight . O therefore let us spéedily repent that we may be unblameable before the Iudge at that great generall day of Iudgement ; and be cloathed with the white Robes of righteousnesse , & stand in the number of those , unto whom Christ shall say , Come ye blessed children of my Father ; inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world . This God grant ( without whose help , all the labour of man is vaine ) even for his deare Son Christ Iesus his sake , our Redéemer and onely Saviour , to whom with the Father , and the holy Gost , be all honour glory , praise , power and dominion both now and for evermore . Amen . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A25382e-300 Gen. 3.9 Esay 58.9 Ier. 50.2 . Gen. 19.7 . Ie. 4.19 . Act. 20.19 . Eze. 3.18 . Eze. 33.7 . Esa 56 . 1● . Ier. 2.1 , 2 Ier. 48.10 . Ez. 34.2 , 3 , 4 to the 10. Ier. 1.7 , 8. Za. 11.8 , 17. Malac. 2.7 . Eze. 3 4.10 18. Mat. 5.21 . Mat. 10.17 . Mat. 25.26 2● , 28. Mat. 9.47 . Luk. 10.2 . Rom. 10.18 . Pro. 11.34 . Rev. 3.10 . Isa. 55 10. Ier. 25.15 Gal. 6.10 . Heb. 3.15 Psal. 95.8 . Psa. 51.17 Psal. 51.4 . Acts 2.36 . Psal. 6.99 . Psa. 119 13 Iohn 2.17 . Titus . 2.14 M●● 2 ●4 . Ionah 3.4 . Ionah 3.5 . Acts 2 37. Acts 10. Luk. 3.14.2 . Rom. 15.15 Ioh. 12.19 . Luk. 13.9 . Esay 59.2 . Nabu . 1.2 . 1 King. 10.1 , 2. 1 Chr. 9.8 . Mat 12 , 42 Luke 11 3. Ge. 13.19 . Hos. 4.15 Math. 3.2 . Esay 51.12 Psal. 119.8 . Ier. 4.19 . Ier. 9.1 . Acts 2.3 . Mat. 10.51 . Gen. 4.7 . Psalm . 3.1 . Sirach 40. Psalme 1. Benard Gen 6.27 . Psalme 89. Psal. 40.6 . Esay 39.5 . Gen 6.5 . Ionah 1.4 . Psal. 95.20 2 Sam. 18. Hester 7. 2 Kin. 22. Psal 54.5 . 1 Kin. 2 1. Psal 54.5 . 1 Kin. 22. 1 Sa. 15.32 Mat. 2.19 20. Act. 12.32 Gen. 7.11 . Ge. 19.14 . Exo. 14.27 Nu. 21.6 . Nu. 16.3 . Act. 12.23 . Lu. 12 20. Acts 5 5. and 10. Iudg. 3.21 . 2 Sa. 3.27 . Matth. 4. Mark . 1.15 Rev. 10.12 Bernard , Wisd. 1.9 . M●t. 13.36 . 1 Cor. 5.30 . Mat. 12.37 . Mat. 12.29 2 Cor. 5.10 Eccl. 12.4 . Wisd. 1.9 . Mat. 12.37 Rom. 4.12 . 1 Pet. 4.5 . Psal. 56 13 Iohn 9.22 . Gen. ●8 25 Iames 4.12 Iud. 14.15 . Ma. 25.34 Wisd. 6. Acts. 3 19. Rev. 21.6 . Rev. 7 . 1● . Esay 15.4 . M●t. 15.4 Mat. 7.17 Psalm . 9.8 Mat. 25 41. Mat. 25.41 . Augustines saying of Dives , Rom. 7. Rev. 1.5 . Psal. 1.7 Mat. 13.42 Mat. 22. 13 Psal. 11 , 7. Rev. 18 , 2 Mar. 13.3 . Acts 1.17 . Mat. 24.42 Mat. 14.24 Gen. 3.8 . Gen. 19.1 . Psal. 119. Rev. 19.8 . Mat. 25.3 . 
A26953	----	Memorables of the life of faith taken out of Mr. B's sermon preached before the King at Whitehall : published thus for the poor that want money and memory / by one desirous to promote the common salvation. Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. 1690 Approx. 18 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2006-06 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A26953 Wing B1307 ESTC R14225 12390605 ocm 12390605 60984 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A26953) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 60984) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 268:11) Memorables of the life of faith taken out of Mr. B's sermon preached before the King at Whitehall : published thus for the poor that want money and memory / by one desirous to promote the common salvation. Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. 1 sheet (1 p.) Printed for Tho. Parkhurst ..., London : 1690. Attributed to Richard Baxter. Cf. BM. Three columns to the page. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. 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Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Faith. Salvation. Broadsides -- England -- 17th century. 2005-07 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-08 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-01 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2006-01 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Memorables of the Life of FAITH , Taken out of Mr. B's Sermon , Preached before the King at Whitehall . Published thus for the Poor that want Money and Memory . By one Desirous to promote the common Salvation . Hebrews 11. 1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for , the Evidence of things not seen . Q. 1. WHat means the Apostle by these words ? A. He means , that tho' the glory promised to Believers , and expected by them , be yet to come , and only hoped for ; and be yet unseen , and only believed : yet is the sound Believer as truly affected with it , and acted by its attractive force , as if it were present and before his eyes . Or thus ; That the Nature and Vse of Faith is to be as it were instead of Presence , Possession , and Sight . Or , to make the things that will be , as if they were already in existence ; and the unseen things which God revealeth , as if our bodily eyes beheld them . It is true , 1. Faith changes not its Objects . 2. Nor gives it the same DEGREE of Apprehension or Affection , as the sight of present things doth give . No ; but , 1. Things Invisible are Objects of our Faith. 2. And Faith is effectual instead of sight of them . It is so unto four Uses ; namely , 1. The Infallibility of our Apprehensions . 2. The Determination of our Wills choice . 3. The Moving of our Affections in the degree necessary unto Holiness . 4. The Ruling in our Lives , and bringing us thro' Duty and Sufferings for the sake of the Happiness believed . Q. 2. Do you count Faith an Infallible sort of Knowledge then ? Why so ? A. Why , 1. So speaks the Scripture , Joh. 6. 69. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ , the Son of the living God ; Rom. 8. 28. And we know that all things work together for good , to them that love God , to them who are the called according to his purpose ; 1 Cor. 15. 58. Therefore my beloved Brethren , be ye stedfast , unmoveable , always abounding in the work of the Lord , forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord 2. Believers know , as sure as they know there is a God , that God is true , and his Word true ; Heb. 6. 18. That by two immutable things , in which it was impossible for God to lie , we might have a strong consolation , who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us ; Titus 1. 2. In hope of eternal life , which God that cannot lie , promised before the world began . 3. They know that the Holy Scripture is the Word of God , by his Image which it beareth , the Evidencs of Divinity which it containeth , and the many Miracles by which it is confirmed . God , besides this , gives them to believe , Phil. 1. 29. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ , not only to believe on him , but also to suffer for his sake ; Eph. 2. 8. For by grace are ye saved , through faith , and that not of your selves : it is the gift of God. 4. And Believers have the Spirit of Christ within them to actuate Faith , and help them against Temptations ; 1. Cor. 2. 12. Now we have received , not the spirit of the world , but the Spirit which is of God , that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 5. Spiritual Experiences also advantage Faith. They have part of the Holy Scripture verified in themselves , and that much confirms their Faith of the whole . 6. Likewise very Nature affords us undeniable Arguments to prove a future Happiness and Misery . And that doth exceedingly help us in the Faith of the Supernatural Revelation of it . 7. And those that have seen the Objects of our Faith , have given us their Infallible Testimony ; Joh. 1. 18. No man hath seen God at any time , the only begotten Son , which is in the bosom of the Father , he hath declared him ; Joh. 3. 11. Verily , verily I say unto thee , We speak that we do know , and testifie that we have seen ; and ye receive not our witness ; 1 Joh. 1. 1 , 2 , 3. That which was from the beginning , which we have heard , which we have seen with our eyes , which we have looked upon , and our hands have handled of the word of life : ( For the life was manifested , and we have seen it , and bear witness , and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father , and was manifested unto us . ) That which we have seen and heard , declare we unto you , that ye also may have fellowship with us ; and truly our fellowship is with the Father , and with his Son Jesus Christ . Add 8. Satan's rage against the Life of Faith discovers there is more than a fancy in it . Q. 3. But why would not God let us have the SIGHT of Heaven and Hell ; being that would have prevailed for our Conversion more generally and more certainly ? A. 1. Who are you that dare dispute against God ? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it , why hast thou made me thus ? 2. It is fit God's Government suit the nature of its subject . Your Nature is a reasonable one . And Reason is made to apprehend more than we see : and by reaching beyond Sense , to carry us to seek nobler things than Sense can reach . Should a man understand no more than he sees ? a wise man and a fool , and a man and beast would then be very like . In worldly matters , men can go to much cost and pains for things they never saw ; why not in spiritual matters ? You shall believe God's Promises , if you have ever the Benefit of them ; and believe his Threatnings , if ever you escape the Evils threatned . If the Reward and Punishment were seen , what should difference wise men and fools good men and bad ? No man plays the Adulterer in the face of the Assembly . No Thief will steal before the Judge . Q. 4. Who is it ( then ) that with you goes for a Believer , or a Christian ? A. 1. He is one that lives as if he saw the Lord ; that in some measure so lives . He does all , as if he saw God stand by . All the day he waits on God , Psal . 25. 5. Lead me in thy truth , and teach me : for thou art the God of my salvation , on thee do I wait all the day . 2. He is one that liveth on a Christ whom he never saw . Lives on him with Trust in him , Adherence to him , Love of him , Joy in him , 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom having not seen , ye love , in whom though now ye see him not , yet believing , ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory . 3. He is one that judges of men by their invisible insides . Pitying the ungodly who pity not themselves , because they see not what he sees . And admiring the inward beauty of the Saints , thro' all their poverty seeing God's Image . Valuing none for stature , complexion , cloaths , or learning , &c. Psal . 15. 4. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned : but he honoureth them that fear the Lord : he that sweareth to his own hurt , and changeth not . 4. He is one that seeks a Happiness that he never saw ; and that with a greater estimation and resolution than he seeks any things that he hath seen . 5. He is one , that , all his life , prepareth for a day that is yet to come ; and for the presence of his Judge . One , that is asking , O what Life and Actions will be sweetest upon review when I come to my doom ! Not so much caring , what will now best please the flesh , and ingratiate with men . 6. He is one careful to prevent a threatned misery that he never felt ; and a place of torment that he never saw . — Other Faiths are ineffectual Dreams . And ( remember ) to dream you are Princes , may consist with Beggery . 1. O how rare a Jewel is true Faith ? 2. And how weak in Faith are the most of true Believers ? [ Even as Dying men are weak in Body . ] 3. How plain is the reason , that Believers are seriously holy , just , and charitable ? They are men that do see the Lord , see Heaven , see Hell. Their Faith sees them all in the Glass of Divine Revelations . 4. How plain is the reason , that Vnbelievers are careless of their hearts and ways ; and mock at Believers care , and take them for fools and mad men ? Poor wretches , they do not see the things that Believers see . If they saw the King of glory , as Believers do see him , they must reverence him as Believers do reverence him . Q. 5. Does it not concern every man , then , to make sure of this Faith ? This , that is given to make things to come as if they were at hand , and things unseen as if we saw them . A. It doth infinitely concern every man. For , 1. It is not so common a thing , as most do imagine it . 2. Till you have it , you are no living Members of Christ . 3. Till you have it , you are at enmity with God. 4. Till you have it , you are under the guilt of all your sins . No one of them is forgiven . 5. Till you have it , you will be carnally minded : and thro' the carnal end you will have in them , your works that be good materially , will be corrupt and fleshly . 6. Till you have it , you have no right to Heaven ; Joh. 3. 16 , 18 , 36. For God so loved the world , that he gave his only begotten Son , that whosoever believeth in him , should not perish , but have everlasting life . He that believeth on him is not condemned ; but he that believeth not , is condemned already , because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God. He that believeth on the Son , hath everlasting life : and he that believeth not the Son , shall not see life : but the wrath of God abideth on him . Q. 6. Well , how shall I know whether I have this true Faith and saving , tho' in the least and lowest degree of it ? A. All that have it , tho' in the lowest degree , will have these four signs of it within them . 1. A Practical Estimation of things unseen , above all earthly things . 2. An Habitual Inclination of heart to embrace unseen things freely , delightfully , and resolutely ; above and against earthly things . 3. A Bent of Life for God , and for unseen Blessedness , as in Resolution , so in Practice . 4. A Disposition to let go all sensible possessions , when they be inconsistent with spiritual Hopes and Happiness ; Luk. 14. 33. So likewise , whosoever he be of you , that forsaketh not all that he hath , he cannot be my disciple . These you will have , if Faith be the Eye you do see by for the conduct of your Life . Q. 7. If Faith be the Eye by which I do see , whereby should I quicken my self to live by it ? Or if it be not , wherewithal should I stir up my self to seek Faith and the Life of Faith ? A. Put to thy Heart these questions , frequently and seriously . Q. 1. What should I be , if I saw the Lord continually before me ? And that as verily as I ever see a man ? If I saw him as Moses saw him , Exod. 34. Or as John saw him , Rev. 1. 13. And in the midst of the seven Candlesticks , one like unto the Son of Man , clothed with a garment down to the foot , and girt about the paps with a golden girdle . Or as St. Paul saw him , Acts 9. Q. 2. What should I be if I had seen the things that God hath done already in time past ? If I had seen the World drowned and the Ark saved ; Sodom and Gomorrah burned , and the righteous Lot saved ; Pharaoh and his Host swallowed up of the red Sea , and the Israelites saved ? And the like memorables of the H. Scripture . Q. 3. What should I be , if I saw the glory of Heaven above ? If I were rapt up but into the third Heaven , and had seen what St. Paul saw . If I had seen what St. Stephen saw before his Death . If I had seen Lazarus in Abraham 's Bosom ? Q. 4. What should I be , if I saw the face of Death , and were under the power of a mortal sickness , and were given over by all Physicians and Friends ? Or had a Messenger from God to tell me , I must die to morrow ? Q. 5. What should I be if I saw the great and dreadful day of Judgment as Christ doth describe it ? Mat. 25. If I saw that fulfilled which St. Paul speaks , 2 Thes . 1. 7 , 8 , 9 And to you who are troubled rest with us , when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven , with his mighty Angels , in flaming fire , taking vengeance on them that know not God , and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ . Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord , and from the glory of his power . Q. 6. What should I be if I heard Satan accusing me for all my sins unto God , and calling for justice against me ? Q. 7. What should I be , if I had seen and did now see the Damned in their miseries ? If I heard them cry out of the folly and self-destruction of their careless lives ; And wishing one were sent from the dead unto me to warn me that I come not unto their place of torment ? Q. 8. What should I be , if in my Temptations unto sin , I saw the Devil the Tempter , and heard him hissing me on to sin , to Swear , Curse , Rail , Lie , Scorn a holy Life ? O should I then ever chuse to be ungodly , or be patient of so being ? Nay , Q. 1. Should I not say in my heart , that the most gainful sin is worse than madness ? Q. 2. Should I not plead for the most serious Godliness ? Q. 3. Should I ever be offended with a Minister again , for plainest Reproof , and closest Exhortation ? Or for too much and plain Preaching ? Q. 4. Should I not hear at another rate than ever yet I heard a Sermon ? Q. 5. Should I not give over my greedy pursuit of worldly Wealth and Credit ? Q. 6. Should I ever be drawn away by Temptations again as I have been ? Q. 7. Should I ever stick at sufferings when God calls for them from me ? Q. 8. Should I not highly value Christ , his Spirit , his Grace , his Promises , his Word , his Ordinances ? Q. 9. Should I ever be quiet under uncertainty of my Reconciliation unto God ? Q. 10. Should I not then be all for Peace , Quietness and Love , with all that love the Lord Jesus Christ , and are seeking invisible things ? 1. O live not too much on things visible ! 2. Live upon the things invisible . 3. Promote the Life of Faith in others . Remember , 1. Worldliness is a loathsom Disease . To live by Sense , is to stand on ones head , and to turn ones heels toward Heaven . 'T is unnatural . 2. Vnseen things be the only great and necessary ones . 3. Faith is the Souls Wisdom , Sensuality is very Blindness . 4. Visible things are transitory . They be things that are not . 5. Things visible , by their changing , give us a disgraceful mutability . Fill us with disappointments and vexations . 6. Fore-seeing Faith is of necessity unto your Eternal blessed Life . 7. Vnseen things kept duly in your thoughts will serve you excellently unto these things . 1. They will repel your Temptations . 2. Quicken you to your Duties . 3. Instruct you to choose your Companies . 4. Furnish you with daily Comforts and Satisfaction . Things Sublunary be something or nothing as they relate unto Eternity . We judge of Means , as they conduce unto their Ends. I desire to know no mercy in any other Form or Name ; and to value none upon any other account . Idem alicubi . I have lived a sweet Life by Gods Promises , and I hope , through Grace , can die by a Promise . They be Gods Promises can stand by us . Through them Life is mine , Death is mine . God's Covenant is all my Salvation and all my desire . Jos . Alleyn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . O that I could by the effectualness of Contemplation behold the greatness of the heavenly Felicity which is provided for me ! Yet , as I can conceive it , I cannot chuse but long to be absent from hence , that I may be present with the Lord ▪ J. Ratliff . These Four Books are lately Published by Mr. Baxter . 1. English Nonconformity , truly stated and argued . 2. A Treatise of Knowledge and Love. 3. Cain and Abel ; or Enmity to serious Godliness Lamented . 4. Scripture Gospel Defended , and Christ , Grace and free Justification vindicated . London , Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chapel ▪ 1690. 
A25835	----	The souls worth and danger, or A discourse exciting and directing to the due care of its eternal salvation upon the words of our blessed saviour Armstrong, John, 1634 or 5-1698. 1677 Approx. 109 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 39 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2006-02 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A25835 Wing A3708B ESTC R214882 99826935 99826935 31347 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A25835) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 31347) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1901:15) The souls worth and danger, or A discourse exciting and directing to the due care of its eternal salvation upon the words of our blessed saviour Armstrong, John, 1634 or 5-1698. 77, [1] p. printed for the author, Cambridge : 1677. Attributed by Wing to John Armstrong. Reproduction of original in the Cambridge University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Salvation -- Early works to 1800. Devotional literature, English -- Early works to 1800. 2005-08 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-09 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-12 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2005-12 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-01 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE Souls Worth and Danger , OR A DISCOURSE Exciting and directing to the Due Care of its Eternal Salvation ; UPON THE WORDS OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR : S t Mat. 16. 26. What is a man profited , if he shall gain the whole World and lose his own Soul ? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his Soul ? CAMBRIDGE . Printed for the Author . 1677. THE Souls Worth and Danger . S t Mat. 16. 26. What is a man profited , if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own Soul ? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his Soul ? OUr Saviour v. 24. tells the Apostle Peter , and all other his faithful disciples ; that rather then deny him , they must deny themselves for his sake ; and that so far as should be needful , they must take up their Cross , and follow him . In all which they must not be hindred , 1. with the loss of life , for , says he , v. 25. the words before the Text , Whosoever will save his life shall lose it , &c. nor 2. should they be hindred with the loss of reputation , for , says he , v. 27. the words immediatly following the text , The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father , and reward every man according to his works ; and then there shall be a resurrection of their names , as well as of their persons . Nor 3. should the loss of the world hinder them , for says he in the words of the text it self , What is a man profited though he should gain the whole world , and lose his own Soul ? The question is put so as to include a strong denyal : What is a man profited ? That is , he is not profited at all . And again , what shall a man give in exchange for his Soul ? that is , there is nothing that he can give in exchange for it . And therefore our Saviour is to be understood , as if he had said , They that will disobey me , may 't is true be gainers in the world for a while , but if they should be gainers of the whole world , their gains would not be so great as their loss , the incomparable , invaluable , irrecoverable loss of their precious Souls Job 27. 8. What is the hope of the Hypocrite , though he hath gained : ( though he hath gained never so much ) when God taketh away his Soul ? For as it is Psal . 49. 6 , 8 , 17. He that trusted and boasted in his wealth here , when he dieth , he shall carry nothing away , his glory shall not descend after him . Or if it might , it would not buy his pardon , or be a sufficient ransome to God. For the redemption of the Soul is precious , and ( therefore thus ) ceaseth for ever . Whence we may observe , as the subject of the following discourse , That each ones Soul is to them , more worth then the World. Or , that they will be exceeding great losers that lose their own Souls , though it should be by the gaining of the whole World. And this may be made out , by considering first , what it is to gain the World ; and the worhtlesness thereof though gained ; and next , by shewing what it is to lose the Soul ; and the preciousness of that if lost . First therefore as to the gaining of the world , we are to remember that 1. By the world , as S t John 1. 10. is sometimes meant , the whole visible fabrick of the heavens we breath in , and the earth we tread upon ; and thus the Text must be understood only by way of supposition ; for otherwise neither Ahasuerus , nor Alexander , nor any the greatest Conqueror ever gained so much , as to become absolute Master of the whole earthly Globe . 2. By the world may sometimes , as S t John. 15. 19. be meant the wicked of the world . And so , but too many think they have gained what they most desire , if they may but enjoy the frequent Society of the most lewd and wicked people ; concerning whom says Saint Hieron : Discamus Sanctam superbiam , & sciamus nos esse illis meliores . As if he should have said , Let us Christians learn an holy pride , and ( as it may be without any Pharisee-like boasting ) let us know our selves too good for the Company of such infectious lepers of the world . 3. By the world may here be Chiefly meant the things of the world , worldly profits , honours , and pleasures ; As 1 John. 2. 16. The lusts of the flesh , the lusts of the eyes , the pride of life . And so with some to gain the world , is by men-pleasing or time serving , by flatteries or briberies to get honours and preferment in the world . Not a few being willing to give away the world in this sense , to gain it in another . Again with others , to gain the world , is by immodest apparelling , or inticing behaviour , or by the frequent use of unseasonable and immoderate recreation , or by luxurious and riotous living to get the sinful sensual pleasures of the world . And further with the most , to gain the world , is to get the wealth and profits thereof , by covetousness , or by oppression & extortion , or by fraudulent unrighteous dealing , or by abusing a lawful calling ; or using that which is unlawful , so as to live much upon the sins of others , in furthering their pride , or idleness , or prodigality , or quarrelsomness , or wanton lewdness , or beastly drunkenness or the like . In a word , to gain the world in this sense , is by any undue means to get whatsoever in the world the heart of carnal wretches can most desire , and which is as a world to them . Between whom and sincere Christians there is always this vast difference ; Good and faithful Christians seek the favour and fruition of God in Christ , and their own Souls salvation , as their main end ; and in order thereunto , make religion their business ; and all worldly things , even which may be innocently used , with them come in but on the by ; so as , if it shall seem good to God , they can either have them , or be without them . Whereas to carnal people that lose their Souls in the pursuit of the world , their main end is , the pleasing of the flesh thereby some way or other , which their sex , age , education , constitution of body , or condition of life most tempts and leads them to . And with them , Religion , that comes in but on the by ; and if they need it not for a pretence , they can most easily be without it . Yet after all , when such people have , with the contempt of Gods service , the wounding of their consciences , and the abuse of their pretious Souls , gotten the most they can of the world ; at the last they are forced by their own sad Experience to confess the vanity and worthlesness of it . 'T is true these outward worldly things , as they proceed from God , and may lead to him ; as they may fit men for great offices , and noble imployments ; as they may be used for our own and others wellfare , and as they are a means to sustain us in this life , while we are seeking after eternal life , so they are the good blessings of God , which we may labour after , and ought to be thankful for . But as they are abstracted from God , and inordinately loved , sought , and trusted in , so they have this five-fold vanity , which is but too easily discovered in them , namely , their unsatisfactoriness , their commoness , their deceitfulness , their unsuitableness , and unprofitableness . 1. That which speaks the little worth , but great vanity of worldly things , is their unsatisfactoriness . Ahab had the possession of a wealthy Kingdome , and yet for want of Naboths vineyard only , how was he heart-sick , so as to take no content in all his other enjoyments ? 1 Kings 21. 4. In like manner , to what a wonderful height of dignity and earthly happiness was Human advanced , and yet how did so inconsiderable a thing , as the want of poor Mordecaie's knee , damp all the delights of his proud heart ? Esther 5. 11 , 12 , 13. Knock at the door of the Choicest earthly possessions , and they will tell you one by one , sufficiency is not in me . The creature if parted from God , is empty , and the Soul too ; and what fulness can be had by adding one emptiness to another ? Many a poor man hath thought ; if I had but enough to supply such necessaries , and discharge such debts , how chearfully would I serve the Lord without distraction , and not care so much for the world any more ? But when these desires have been granted , they have found themselvs still unsatisfied ; being ready now to thirst as much after fulness , as before after necessaries . It is God only who is All-sufficient , both as to his own happiness , and our satisfaction , Gen. 17. 1. It is Christ the uncreated Wisdome , Prov. 8. 21. Who fills the treasures of those that love him , and causeth them to inherit substance . And if he do not make God ours , as well as the creature , our condition will be but like theirs mentioned Haggai 1. 6. Ye have sown much , and bring in little : Ye eat , but ye have not enough : Ye drink , but ye are not filled with drink : ye clothe you , but there is none warm : and he that earneth wages , earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes . Solomon that was so rich to compass all worldly accommodations , and so wise to find out what was best in them to be enjoyed ; after a full experience , tells us , that if they lead not to God , they will be but vanity and vexation of Spirit . 2. How doth the Commonness of these worldly things abate the value of them ? Eccl. 9. 1 , 2. They come alike to all , and none can certainly know by them either love or hatred ; whether they be the friends or enemies of God. You cannot say , God gives me poverty , therefore he hates me ; or he gives me riches , therefore he loves me ; such conclusions are weak and deceitful . For the good may be afflicted as well as the bad , and sometimes undergoe the heaviest burden of earthly trouble . Luke 16. 15. And on the other hand , the wicked may flourish for a while as well as the righteous , and sometimes enjoy the greatest measure of worldly prosperity . Psal . 17. 13 , 14. Renewing grace is a certain sign of Gods favour , and a special distinguishing mercy , and therefore highly to be esteemed , and earnestly sought after ; but outward comforts , common natural gifts , and acquired abilities , as a fair estate , an healthful body , a faithful memory , a quick understanding , a ready utterance , or the like ; these , though blessings in themselves , yet are but blessings of the left hand , such as are given to the heathen Idolater , as well as to the Christian Worshipper , to the clean and unclean , to him that sacrificeth and him that sacrificeth not . And therefore this their commonness shews much of their vanity and worthlesness . 3. How is there in worldly things a vanity of deceitfulness which also speaks them less valuable ? How many people come to the world as to a lottery , looking for a prize , but go away cheated with a blank ? How often doth the world by promising much , and performing little , first abuse our Judgements , and then frustrate our hopes and expectations ? Have you not sometimes found creature-confidences , like the trusting in the Staff of a brokenreed , whereon if a man lean , it will go into his hand and pierce it ? Isa . 36. 6. Have you not sometimes enjoyed the pleasures of sin for a season , and flattered your self with the long continuance of them ? Whereas that season is gone , and never returns again . Can you not remember what happiness you may have promised your self in such a friend , such a purchase , such a preferment , but some unexpected disappointment or other , some Crosse or other , hath much imbittered them unto you , and lessened your comfort in their enjoyment ? The mutability of the world is the great deceit of it ; which that we may avoid , let us duly consider what the Apostle hath written , 1 Tim. 6. 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 17 , 18 , 19. And again 1 Cor. 7. 29 , 30 , 31. Oh let us not suffer our selves to be imposed upon , counting that to continue long , which he , according to the experience of all , tells us shall abide but a short while and then passe away . Oh let us not think with them Isa . 56. 12. what carnal delights we will have this day , and to morrow much more abundant . Oh let us not say with him S t Luke 12. 19 , 20. Soul take thine ease , eat drink , be merry , thou hast much goods layd up for many years . Least we be awakened with that terrible voice of God , saying , as unto him ; Thou fool this night thy Soul shall be required of thee ; then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided ? Why should we inordinately set our hearts and affections on that which is not ? for as Prov. 23. 5. Riches ( honours , pleasures ) make themselves wings and fly away . When we think our selves most sure of them , when we trust most in them , when by the abuse of them , we are become most proud , stomackful , secure and negligent of Gods service , then are we most sadly deceived , then the wing of prodigality , of oppression , of casualty sweeps them from us ; or else the wing of death carries us away from them in a moment . But suppose the world to perform more then it promiseth , and that we could be sure of it for a very considerable while ; yet have we not immortal Souls to provide for ? Have we not matters of life or death to look after ? And what can all the world be to this ? Oh therefore how nearly doth it concern us to lay up in store for our selves a sure foundation for the time to come ; to anchor our Souls upon Christ the rock of ages who will never deceive us ; and not to hazard them for any thing , in this worthless , because deceitful and changeable , world . 4. That which further shews the worthlesness of the things of the world , is their vanity of unsutableness in respect of the precious Soul. Those are corporeal and fading , this is spiritual and immortal . Those are limited and finite beings , this a substance of unbounded desires , and can be fully satisfied with nothing but communion with the Father , and the Son through the Spirit ; with nothing but a state of grace and salvation , and the fruition of God. All that worth which silver and gold , and such worldly things have , is not so much in their own nature , as from our esteem , or from some outward humane appointment ; but we can never thus make them equally excellent with our selves . 'T is true , by a wilful slavery to sin , we may ( as the Prophet speaks , Jerem. 6. 30. ) turn our selves into brasse , and iron , and reprobate silver ; we may unman and unchristian our selves ; we may undervalue and debase our Souls , blotting out the image of God , and writing upon them the superscription of earth and the world ; Thus indeed , the Epicure may greatly delight in sensual pleasures , and the ambitious mind in flattering titles , and the frothy wit in abusive lightness ; Thus , 't is true , carnal and worldly things , to carnal , and worldly hearts may become but too sutable , dear , and precious . But the desires of a gracious heart are after higher and better things . For every faithful Christian considers that God hath made even our bodies upright , and our faces lifted from the earth ; that we might conceive how far from it , our heaven-born Spirits should be elevated towards himself , and Christ , and heavenly Glory , which are therefore most excellent , because most proportionable and sutable to our Souls , in their utmost capacities . 5. And lastly , the worthlesness of the world appears by its unprofitableness . As Samuel said to the people , 1 Sam. 12. 20 , 21. Turn ye not aside from serving and following the Lord ; for then should ye go after vain things , which cannot profit , because they are vain . Too many indeed are ready to think the profits of the world worth their gaining , even by the loss of their consciences , of heaven , and God himself . And as for those who make conscience of their waies , and endevour to walk circumspectly , closely , and humbly with God ; who scrupulously forbear prophane rash oaths and idle discourse , who are sensible of the least secret sin , who avoid what they can all occasions and appearances of evil , who withstand the corruptions of the times and places they live in , though they gain less in the world ; these are often accounted , such as know not what is best for themselves . But S t Paul assures us , that such Godliness with contentment is the truest gain ; whereas the world , when you have spent all your thoughts , and the labour of your lives upon it ; though it may further you in some lesser respects , yet it cannot profit you in the main thing necessary . It cannot procure us the favour of God , who regardeth not the rich man more then the poor , for they are all alike the work of his hands . He accounts of all , not according to their meanness , or greatness , but according to their real piety and goodness ; Prov. 19. 1. Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity , then he that is perverse in his lips , and is a fool . Prov. 28. 6. Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness , then he that is perverse in his ways , though he be rich . Observe , They are the poor that walk in their integrity , that know , love , and serve God ; not that kind of poor who are grossely ignorant and neglectful of God , and who lead sensual , sloathful , and heathenish lives ; though they above others , might be most easily convinced of the emptiness and unprofitableness of the world , and so have greater care of their Souls salvation , seeking out after God in Christ to supply their Spiritual necessities , that it may be better with them in the life to come . Again , the world cannot ease the pain of an afflicted conscience ; nor can it give us the grace we want . Ordinarily 't is so abused , that it makes people not more thankful , but more forgetful of God ; nor doth it ( as it ought ) draw their hearts nearer to God , but sets them at a further distance from him ; nor doth it make them more humble , but more haughty ; nor more constant and sincere in duties , but more unfit for any good word or work . Nor can the world profit us in the day of wrath . When the sinful pleasures of youth are ended by sickness , age , or death , what can be left , but the worm of conscience bred out of them to torment the Soul for ever ? Have you not sometimes considered with your self , how soon the world and its pleasures will turn you off ? How can you but now and then take notice of your own frailties which tell you , how certainly and shortly you must lie down in the dust ? Do you not sometimes go to the house of mourning , or stand by dying people , confessing the world to be nothing worth , and complaining of the losse of their time and strength spent upon it ? And do you not see how little it doth for them in their greatest need ? Oh therefore let this prevail with us to prize our Souls above the world ; let this ( with what hath been considered in the foregoing particulars ) make us set as light by it , as it doth , or will do by us . Let us henceforth make Christ our treasure , and count it our happiness to honour and worship him as we ought to do . Let us make God our portion , and sit down content with him alone , and let them who can get no better , take the world and the pleasures of it . Having now seen , what it is to gain the world , and the worthlesness thereof though gained , we are in the next place to consider , what it is to lose the Soul , and the preciousness of that if lost . As to the losing of the Soul , the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here rendred , to lose , signifies to have a mulct or punishment inflicted , and so may import , not only the fatal final losse or damnation of the Soul , but also any losse or damage that belongs to it , here or hereafter . 1. Therefore to lose the Soul is to lose ones self . A mans Soul is the principal part of himself , and so it is in S t Luke ch . 9. 25. What is a man advantaged , if he gain the whole world , and lose himself ( Soul and body too ) and be cast away . 2. To lose the Soul implies a being deprived of all further opportunities and seasons of grace , of all virtuous and gracious endowments , which are as the life of the Soul. When Christ calls by death or Judgement ; they that like the foolish virgins , have not oyl in their lamps , and their lamps trimmed , that have not their Souls adorned with the saving graces of his Spirit ; they shall not enter with him . Having waited so long already , and all in vain , he will now stay no longer , till they go and buy for themselves , but will shut the door of mercy against them for ever . 3. The losing of the Soul implyes the losse of all such earthly enjoyments , as sensual hearts love and prize above their Souls , and for which they undoe themselves for ever . Oh who can express the wretchedness of such people , when they shall stand before the Judgment seat of God , to receive their just doom , in the most forlorn and desolate condition , stript and forsaken of all carnal comforts , friends , possessions , and outward accommodations whatsoever ; which to the hazard of their Souls , they have grasped at , and used in a sinful way ; and therefore must now lose both the Soul and them too eternally . 4. The losing of the Soul implyes the losing of Christ , and Heaven , and the blessed Vision of God for ever . And this indeed is the loss of losses , such as there was never the like before , nor ever can be again after it . The fore-mentioned might be born , but hardly ; but this is intollerable . This worst effect of sin , Depart from me , or go away from me , is as terrible a word , as everlasting fire . For alass ! Whither shall they go , that go from God , when he alone hath the power of eternal life . Ten thousand words cannot speak a Soul more unhappy , then those two words , without God , Eph. 2. 12. Thou mayst be without riches , without friends , without health , without liberty , nay , without all outward blessings , and yet be blessed ; but if without God , thou art cursed with a curse . The hypocrites hell which is the hottest of all other , is set out by this , Job 13. 16. The hypocrite shall not come before God. When God would most powerfully perswade to dutie , this is his motive , Jerem. 7. 27. Obey my voice , and I will be your God. When he would most effectually disswade from sin , this is his argument , Jerem. 6. 8. Be instructed , O Jerusalem , least my Soul depart from you . And again Hos . 9. 12. Wo unto them , when I depart from them . How sad a saying is that of Sauls , 1 Sam. 18. 15. I am sore distressed , for the Philistins are upon me , and God is departed from me . How mournfully doth Micah bemoan the loss even of his helpless idols , Judges 18. 24. Ye have taken away my Gods , and what have I more , and what is this ye say unto me , what aileth thee ? How sadly is holy David and our Blessed Saviour afflicted at Gods absence in part , and for a while ? My God , my God , why hast thou forsaken me ? says the one . Lord ( says the other Psal . 88. 14 , 15. ) why castest thou off my Soul ? Why hidest thou thy face from me ? I am afflicted and ready to dye , while I suffer thy terrours , I am distracted . Do these so complain of Gods absence in part , and for a while ? how bitterly then will the lost Soul complain when forsaken of God utterly and eternally ! Some are ready to say to God , as Job 21. 24. Depart from us , for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways . They think him sometimes too near them in a Sermon , in a private instruction , in a motion of his Spirit , or in a conviction of conscience ; and could wish him , with his holy Laws farther off , that they might sin more securely ; but let such beware , least he take them at their word , and give them their wish to their woe , in banishing them everlastingly from his comfortable presence . Oh with what tormenting grief will they then behold those Soul-ravishing delights , which the righteous have in the presence of God , the fountain of all good ; whilst they are sentenced to an eternal separation from him ! How sad and deformed a spectacle is the body from which the Soul is parted ; oh how sad then shall the condition of that Soul be from which God is parted for ever ? This though very grievous , yet is not all , for 5. and lastly , the losing of the Soul implies further it s being brought to the highest degree of sin , and consequently to such a fulness of sorrow , and such a weight of Gods burning eternal wrath , as no heart can conceive , or tongue express . They that would choose sin , to save themselves from a little trouble or affliction , will find , that now what they feared , and ten thousand times more is come upon them . The wicked could now wish their Souls were so lost as to cease to be , that they might cease to be tormented ; but God by his infinite power will both uphold them in their being , and make them more sensible of pain then ever , that they may be the subjects of greater punishment . And now the Conscience of a lost Soul gnaws to think , so many nights I went to bed prayerless ; so many times I swallowed down unlawful gain ; so many hours I spent in revelling , foolish sporting , or idle unprofitable talking ; so many opportunities of receiving good at the Lords-supper and other ordinances , I have lost , because I would not prepare for them , nor so much as defile my foot , or endure a little cold or trouble , to be present at them . Oh that I had been more diligent in the practice of religion and holiness ; oh that I had kept the Lords-day better , and been more innocent in my walking all the week after , though a less gainer in the world ; Oh that I had never known such or such a sin , which I loved , lived in , plotted and contrived , and by which I have now wrought my own eternal ruine ; Oh that I had spent but half my mis-spent time in praying , and studying Gods Word , in doing good , and watching over my ways , then had I been yonder in Heaven , but now I must be for ever tormented in these flames . Thou mayst now so under value thy Soul , as to spend much more time upon thy beasts then upon it ; though Truth it self tells us in the Text , that it is more worth then a world . But that which is now despised , in hell will be esteemed ; and the damned shall fully know the price of this Pearl , whether they will or no. But it is far better to know and believe it now , that we may be more careful of its preservation . Consider therefore , I beseech you , in the next place , the preciousness of the Soul in these several respects . 1. As to God our maker , for did not he at first make it in innocency , after his own glorious image in knowledge , righteousness , and holiness , Gen. 1. 26. Eph. 4. 14. Col. 3. 10. And ever since , how is it the body of the Child only , the frailer and viler part , which is from the substance of the Parents ? ( as it was at first formed of the dust of the ground Gen. 2. 7. ) whereas the precious Soul , which is of a Spiritual nature , and shall never die , hath its immediate being and original from God the Father of Spirits , Heb. 12. 9. Infundendo creatur , & creando infunditur . How is it God only , from whom it is , who can effectually command the Soul to subjection ? ( while the Magistrate can but force the outward man ) And God only who can punish it ? ( while man can but kill the body , S t Mat. 10. 28. ) Still even under the state of corruption , how is it the Candle of the Lord , and the master-piece of his creation , shewing the dignity of its nature by its various and noble operations ? He that by these knows not what the Soul is , knows not what a man is . For what is it but the Soul which thus distinguisheth us from brute beasts ? What is it but the Soul , by which you are thinking , reading , or asking , what a Soul is ? What is it but the Soul which is the fountain of precious life , and therefore much more precious in it self ? Prov. 6. 26. The adulteress will hunt for the precious life . The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the precious Soul. What is the Soul but the rational nature containing the sensitive and vegetative ; The Principle or first Act by which we move , perceive , understand and freely will ? And how do these acts speak the excellency of the Powers from whence they flow ! and how do those Powers shew the worth of the Soul it self ? 2. Consider its Excellency in relation to Christ our Redeemer . What can more clearly demonstrate the preciousness of it , then the greatness of that price which he payd for it ? Being willing to lay down his life to deliver the Soul from eternal misery . 1 S t Pet. 1. 18 , 19. The Apostle says we are not redeemed with gold or silver , or any such corruptible things ; but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ . The more noble the person taken captive , the larger is the summe required for his ransome . Our Saviour in all likelihood would not have done what he did , to keep the whole frame of heaven and earth from being dissolved ; but to save those precious immortal Souls from perishing , which were capable of enjoying so much good from God , and bringing so much glory to him ; he was ready , to take our nature , to suffer his Fathers wrath , to live a painful life , and dye an accursed death , by all which we may read in most fair and large Characters the worth of the Soul. 3. Consider its excellency in relation to the Holy Ghost our Sanctifier . Oh how precious must that needs be , which is cleansed , quickned , and beautified with precious faith , as 't is called , 2 Pet. 1. 1. And so we may say with precious hope and charity , with precious wisdome , meekness , temperance , patience . Oh the Excellent supernatural operations of such a Soul ! The mind is busie to know God in Christ , and to understand his will revealed in his word . The memory thinks of him , the conscience stands in awe of him , the Will chooseth and embraceth him , the heart trusts in him and is set upon him ; The affections are taken up in loving him , rejoycing in him , fearing to offend him , desiring to please and enjoy him . These are the truly noble , and worthy imployments of the Soul as redeemed and sanctified , and renewed after the image of God. 4. Consider further its excellency with relation to the heavenly Angels . For why should they attend us as ministring spirits , if our Spirits were not of an excellent angelical nature , and fit to minister unto God ? Nay 5. may not the faln accursed angels , and Satan himself tell us the worth of a Soul , by his being so much the enemy of its Salvation , when he compasseth the earth , Job 1. 7. and goeth about night and day to devour and deceive them , 1 Pet. 5. 8. 6. Why should God , if it were not for our precious immortal Souls , give us the Scriptures , and an excellent religion to shew us the way to happiness ? Or why should he in the Scriptures dignifie us with such honourable titles , as to be called his Friends , his Children , to be called the spouse , and the members of Christ ? 7. Why too should Ministers be appointed by him , to preach , and pray , and labour for us , if we had not such precious Souls to save or lose ? Hebr. 13. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you , for they watch for your Souls . Why should they preach in season and out of season , and be so reviled , and suffer so much to perform their work , but that they know That he that winneth Souls is wise , Prov. 11. 30. And that he which converteth a sinner from the errour of his ways , shall save a Soul from death , and shall hide a multitude of sins . 8. Moreover , why should such store of other mercies be provided for us ? Why should a world of creatures ( whose corporeal substance seems as excellent as ours ) attend and serve us , if we were but an ingenious sort of brutes , and had not reasonable immortal Souls more worth then the world ? Other Creatures are made for man , and man for God , to glorifie him by them , and for them . And surely they have a right estimate of the Souls worth , who measure by it the worth of all worldly things ; who reckon of their in-comes , their friends , estates , preferments according as they help or hinder them in the service of God ; counting them more or less excellent , as they are more or less subservient to his honour , and their own or others Souls everlasting happiness . 9. Consider the precious Soul in its tendency , which is to an eternal enjoyment of God , an infinite good ; and that , as fully as humane nature is capable of , and that in a state of absolute perfection . Intellectus quaerit Deum . The Soul reacheth after God , and this speaks its excellency that he alone can satisfie it . O Lord ( says S t Augustin ) thou hast made us for thy self , and our heart is unquiet till it comes unto thy self . Here , O Christian , thy weaknesses are thy grief , and thy afflictions or meanness may render thee despicable in the eyes of the world , but being sincerely converted , thy Soul is in a tendency to that happiness , where it shall be enlarged , and perfected to partake the more of God. Where it s best faculties shall be united to the best object , in the best and fullest manner to eternal ages . If sincerely converted to God , thy Soul is in a tendency to that illustrious heavenly glory , which is only sutable to it , and which will render far more precious and illustrious , both it , and thy body too , after the resurrection . 10. Hence we adde one consideration more of the Souls excellency , and that is , in respect of the body here . David speaking of the body , Psa . 139. 14 , 15. O Lord ( says he ) I will praise thee , for I am fearfully and wonderfully made ; marvellous are thy works , and that my Soul knoweth right well . My substance was not hid from thee , when I was made in secret ; and curiously wrought ( or imbroydered ) in the lowest parts of the earth . Galen more atheistical before , when he came to see the anatomy of mans body , and considered the excellent frame thereof , Now ( says he ) I adore the God of nature . Yet we know the body is but the case or instrument of the Soul , which so far exceeds it , that in many things , with God , the willingness and pure intention of the mind is chiefly lookt at , without which bodily exercise profiteth little . Though a man give his body to be burnt , if there be wanting the charity of the Soul , it availeth nothing , 1 Cor. 13. 3. Nay there are several actions of the Soul which are beyond that which concerns the body at all ; as the knowing of God , and the life to come , and many notions in mathematicks and other sciences which are abstracted from bodily substances . In adversity , there may be solid joys in the mind ; as there may be real torments upon a mans spirit , which the Primitive Christians and Martyrs being freed from , made little reckoning of their outward sufferings , but endured them ( as Sozomen says ) as if their bodies had been other folks , and not their own . In prosperity too there may be a power in mans Soul to curb the body in that which is most sutable and pleasing , which a beast cannot do . 1 Cor. 9. 27. I keep under my body and bring it into subjection , St Mat. 18. 8 , 9. Prov. 23. 1 , 2. When thou sittest to eat with a ruler , consider diligently what is before thee . And put a knife to thy throat , if thou be a man given to appetite . Again , when the body faints with age or sickness , the Soul may have strong desires after God and eternity . And when the body returns to the dust , the immortal spirit goes to him that gave it to be judged to weal or woe . I desire ( says the Apostle ) to be dissolved , and be with Christ . Father ( says our Saviour ) into thy hands I commend my spirit , S t Luke 23. 43. and 46. to the penitent thief , This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise . The body , you see then , though curiously wrought or imbroydered , is but the cabinet of a more precious Soul , which as was said , is chiefly the man. Oh therefore let us not live as if we were all of a piece , and the body was the man ; as if that only was to be adorned , pampered , and provided for . God having given us Souls capable of all those excellencies which he is pleased to impart to the best of his Creatures , let us count them richly worth the care and labour of an holy Christian life . Far be it from us , to be willing of so much pains for the world , and to call farless for the Soul too much ado . Far be it from us , to think our precious Souls , no more worth then honour , wealth , or foolish mirth . Oh , far be it from us , to count them so worthless , as to be abused to the basest drudgery , to be poysoned with sin and sensuality , or to be ventured for a thing of nought . But thus you have seen , both what it is to gain the world , and what to lose the Soul ; as also the worthlesness of the one though gained , and the preciousness of the other if lost ; which if you compare , and duely consider ; you will acknowledge , as our Saviour here hath taught us , That each ones Soul is of such worth and excellency , that they must needs be exceeding great losers who lose their Souls , though it could be by the gaining of the whole world . As for the more full and particular improvement of this weighty truth , which so nearly concerns every one of us , you may take it in the following inferences . Use 1. Is the Soul of any man or woman whatsoever more worth then a world . Hence then , O Christian , learn to entertain right thoughts concerning the dignity of thy nature , and let this 1. make thee hate to dishonour thy self , by thinking , speaking , or doing any thing unworthy of a rational Soul , much more of a Christian . Let this make thee afraid to live and dye so vilely , as at last with the wicked to wish thou hadst been made a toad or serpent , or that thou hadst never been born . 2. Rather let this consideration make thee careful to live holily to Gods glory ; and so to praise him for thy Soul , made capable of so excellent a work , as to love , serve , and honour him here ; and of so glorious a reward , as to enjoy him hereafter . 3. Let the same consideration move thee to praise God also for Christ , the Lover of Souls , who hath done and suffered so much for their eternal welfare ; and in him , to praise the Lord , especially for all other Soul mercies and advantages . Though he should be pleased to keep thee short of other things , say with a thankful heart , as Eph. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ , who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ . Gaius had a Sickly body , but was happy in the prosperous state of his Soul. Beloved ( says S t John Epistle 3. v. 2. ) I wish that thou mayst prosper , and be in health , even as thy Soul prospereth . 4. Let this dignity of thy humane nature help thee to see the dignity of thy holy religion . And remember , though every thing else be mean about thee , yet thy sincere religiousness relating to the precious Soul , is no mean , but an excellent thing ; which as Solomon says , makes the righteous more excellent then his neighbour . 5. Let this further make thee to carry they self alwaies humbly and courteously towards the meanest people thou canst meet with ; considering , that though thou mayst differ from them in some outward respects , yet they have Souls , which in their own nature , are as precious as thine own . Use 2. Is the Soul more worth then a world ? and shall they be such exceeding great losers that lose their Souls , though by the gaining of the whole world ? See then a great help Christians have to beat back Satans temptations , when tempted to evil , as Eve and our Saviour , by any thing in the world . Should a Chapman bid thee for any part of thy goods , not so many pence as they are worth pounds ; wouldst thou not turn away with scorn from one that offered thee so much to thy loss ? Or if but for thy life , thou couldst have an earthly crown , or the whole world layd in thy hand ; wouldst thou not utterly refuse it , knowing it could do thee no good at all when thy life was gone ? Wilt thou then exchange thy so precious Soul to its eternal undoing , when offered for it but a morsel of base gain , or a cup of stoln pleasure which will vanish in a moment ? Therefore 1. When about to lye , dissemble , curse or swear blasphemously , if the next abuse of thy tongue would cost thee the certain loss of that unruly member , would not self-love make thee refrain from such evil ? and wilt thou not do so much more for the love of God , and to prevent the loss of thy precious Soul. Take not his name , who made thy mouth , in vain : It gets thee nothing , and hath no excuse : Lust and wine plead a pleasure , avarice gain : But the Cheap swearer through his open sluce Le ts his Soul runne for nought , as little fearing : Were I an Epicure ; I could bate swearing . Again 2. when tempted to drink more then will do thee good , if one should assure thee that the next needless cup was mixed with deadly poyson , thou wouldest certainly refuse it ; counting thy life more precious then to be so vilely cast away ; shouldst thou not then much rather , resolutely and constantly avoid such beastly drunkenness ; as manifestly endangers the life and happiness of thy far more precious Soul ? 3. So when tempted next to Ale-house gaming and stage-plays , in hopes of a little sordid gain or pleasures ; mayst thou not remember how deeply thou makest thy own and others Souls guilty of abundance of sin , vanity , and prophaneness ; and then think how dear bought thy mirth would be , if that nights laughter should ( as it may for any thing thou knowest ) end in weeping and gnashing of teeth ? As also how little gainer thou wilt be , when thou hast staked and lost , if not the maintenance of thy family ; yet , thy time , reputation , and the credit of religion , and therewith the favour of God , the peace of thy conscience , and the happiness of thy Soul. 4. Moreover how powerfully should the same consideration perswade each one to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the spirit , 1 Pet. 2. 11. As also 5. not to covet to be rich in a sinful way , because they that do so , fall into temptation and a snare , and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition . For the love of money is the root of all evil : which while some have coveted after , they have erred from the faith , and pierced themselves through with many sorrows , 1 Tim. 6. 9 , 10. And again , Jerem. 17. 11. As the Partridge sitteth on eggs , and hatcheth them not : so he that getteth riches and not by right , shall leave them in the midst of his days , and at his end shall be a fool . The next temptation that comes to draw thee , like Esau , Judas , Ahab , or Achan , to gain some little trifle , or to get some swinish pleasure , Thy conscience may tell thee , that if thou dost deliberately commit such a sin ; thou dost at the same time , wilfully in a manner , sell or pawn thy Soul which is of so great value ; or at the best , dost for a small matter most sadly venture the loss of it . For thou knowst , that the sin is damning in its own nature ; and thou canst not tell but thou mayst dye with the guilt of it upon thy conscience ; being thou canst not tell , whether God will give thee time , or an heart to repent of it or no. Which of us should not be afraid to consent to any wilful sin , if we verily thought we should dye presently upon the doing of it ? Should the Tempter offer us all the Kingdomes of the world , as a reward of our iniquity ; surely we should see sufficient reason , like our Saviour , to refuse to fall down and worship him , or any ways to yield unto him ; considering that by dying instantly upon the deed done , we might lose a Soul , as our Saviour tells us , more precious then the world . Or as in an ancient inscription upon a certain monument in this Land : Who so him bethoft , Inwardly and oft , How hard it were to flit , From bed unto the pit , From pit into pain , That nere shall cease again , He would not do one sin , All the world to win . If therefore tempted to any of the fore-mentioned evils , or any other , think seriously with thy self , would I now do this if I were to leave this world presently , and my Soul call'd to an account as soon as it is done ? And then think further with thy self , that thus it may be for ought thou knowest ; for thus in Gods just judgment it hath been with many a one . Many like Belshazzar , Elah , or Amnon have dyed in the midst of their drunken Cups , Dan. 5. 6. 1 Kings 16. 9 , 10. 2 Sam 13. 26. More like Corah and his company have been swept away in their rebellious courses either against Minister or Magistrate . Others like Zimri or Cozbi have been smitten with death in the act of their uncleanness . Not a few have begun frivolous and malicious law-suits , and dyed in the prosecution of them . In some peoples mouths , a lye , a curse , or a rash oath have been their last words . In other peoples lives , a fraud or oppression have been their very last actions . Christian Reader , surely this should lay a constant restraint upon thee , and make thee watchful against all vicious practices ; least thou be tempted , so to sin against thy own Soul at any time , that on the morrow it will be too late to repent thee of it ; least on any worldly account , for a thing of nought , thou hazard thy Soul more worth then a thousand worlds . Oh resolve henceforth stedfastly with thy self , however tempted to any destructive wickedness of life , by Gods assistance , to keep thy precious Soul safe and innocent , whatever thou gettest , or whatever thou losest , in this worthless and perishing world . Use 3. Is the Soul so precious , and the loss of it so dreadful ? Let this then be further improved to make every faithful Christian watchful against errour in Judgment , as well as against wickedness of life and conversation . Heresies are reckoned by the Apostle among the works of the flesh , Gal. 5. 19 , 20. And some are said to be damnable , 2 Peter 2. 1 , 2 , 3. and 2 Thes . 2. 10 , 11 , 12. Because they received not the love of the truth , that they might be saved . For this cause God shall send them strong delusions , that they should believe a lie . That they all might be damned who believed not the truth , but had pleasure in unrighteousness . This Use much concerns thee , if thou livest near or among Seducers , who by their often gainsaying in private what thou hearest in publick ; by their interest and familiarity with thee ; by their seeming piety and sheeps-cloathing ; by their confident assertions and proud pharisaical boastings ; by their cunning reasonings , their fair flattering words , or their terrible threats , would bear thee down from truth and unity . But to keep safe thy Soul be intreated to these few things . 1. Forget not how errour leads to schism and separation , which is full of horrible impiety . For is not schism or causless dividing from the congregations of Christian people ; a breach of peace ; and so a violation of the very Testament of our Lord ? St John 14. 27. As also of love , and so a disowning the Chief badge whereby Christs disciples are known from the infidel world , S t John 13. 35. Is not schism further a subdividing of the Church into factions and parties , who expose and discover each others infirmities to the wicked , and to the common adversary ? so that they are scandalized , and entertain hard thoughts of religion , and of God the Authour of it , and are prejudiced against all the perswasions of the Gospel though designed for their own good . Oh how heavy an account will such discredit of religion , such dishonour of God , such frustrating of Christs Gospel-designs , and the miscarriage of such a multitude of Souls amount to ! Again , is it not schism and division that lessens the Common strength by dispersing it into many smaller societies ? Did those who withdraw from us , joyn with us , and strengthen our hands , ( as they may do , and be never the lesse holy , but the more ) we might hinder more evil , and more convince the ungodly , and do much more good . But now separating from us , and speaking all the evil they can against us , and against what we do , they hinder much the work of Christ in our hands , and must sadly answer for it . Moreover , do not they who run into ways of schism hinder discipline , and bring contempt upon authority , and weaken it , and so make great liberty for all the vices and scandals of wicked men , by a consequent impunitie ? And thus are they not guilty of increasing those sins in others , which they themselves complain of , because they disrespect and weaken that Authority , whether of Magistrates or Ministers , which might otherwise restrain or reform them . Besides , are not all divisions , hatreds , animosities , and such like filthinesses of the spirit , which are to the tearing and rending of the Church , most passionatly disclaimed by our Saviour and his Apostles ? And do we not find in S t Jude v. 19. Separation joyn'd with a wanting of the Spirit of Christ ? Surely they who have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them , they love the Church , Order , Discipline , Ordinances and Ministers of Christ , and will not easily be drawn from them . That one spirit of his inclines them to unity , and makes them fear divisions , as a man fears the mischief of dividing and wounding his own body . By this they feel such insufficiency and ignorance in themselves , that they rather think themselves exceedingly beholden to Ministers that will teach them , then grudge or scorn to be taught . And by the same spirit they have that sense of their own unworthiness , that humility , and that charity to others , that they are far readier to say , we are not worthy to joyn with the Church ; then to say , The Church is not worthy to joyn with us . Now that thy Soul may not be subverted with errour , remember this in the first place , the great impiety of separation which it leads to . 2. Beware of an itching ear after new-fangled opinions . He is half gone to errour that covets , and lissens after novelties . We read of itching eares , 2 Tim. 4. 3 , 4. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine ; but after their own lusts shall heap to themselves Teachers , having itching ears . And they shall turn away their ears from the truth , and shall be turned unto fables . We read also of following after another Gospel , Gal. 1. 6. But repentance towards God , and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ , and sincere holy obedience , is that Good old way which we , with other Christians , must walk in to heavenly glory . 3. Take heed of pride , conceitedness , and confidence in thine own judgement or understanding . The humble God will teach , but he resists the proud , 1 Pet. 5. 5. Pride usually is the mother of heresies : it was of old the condemnation of the devil , 1 Tim. 3. 6. the ruine of our first Parents ; and therefore no wonder if it ruine so many Souls in these days . 4. That thy Soul may not be subverted with errour , labour to be well grounded in the foundation-truths of the Christian religion , and to turn thy knowledge into practice . And to this end , be intreated to make good use of the foregoing Book , and especially , study the Scriptures with humility , and be much in prayer , that God would guide thee by his holy Spirit into all saving truth , and keep thee from falling into errour . And remember , That what has been commonly received by the people of God , and embraced and practised by the Saints in all ages , is not lightly to be rejected and deserted . We agree with the first and best Christians . We have the same God , the same Christ , the same Holy Ghost . We have the same Ministers , and Doctrine , and for the main , the same Worship , Discipline , Prayers , Praises , and Solemn Assemblies . We have the same Scriptures , the same Baptism , the same Lords-supper , Lords-day , Lords-prayer ; as also the same Creed and Ten Commandments ; We have , blessed be God , in many of us , the same holy and gracious disposition of heart which they had ; and there is nothing in our holy religion hinders , but it may be so with the rest . Moreover there is no sin , which they disliked which we do not dislike ; neither is there any duty of holiness , which they ( or any other ) could justly commend , which we do not also commend and allow , and by Gods grace many of us more safely practice , then those who accuse and separate from us . How can any rational man think God would leave the generality of his people in all ages and places thus seeking him , thus as careful of their Souls welfare as any other , thus as earnestly desiring to be led by his word and spirit into the ways of truth and holiness ; how , I say , can any rational man imagine , that , till of late years , God would leave the generality of his people to errour and seduction of mind . And then consider with thy self , whether it be not safer to follow the foot-steps of the flock of Christ , then to be led away by pretenders to any new light whatsoever . 5. When tempted by cunning deceivers which thou art not able to grapple with , seek the assistance of others ; That they may help thee to be valiant for the truth , and to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints ; and that both on thy own behalf , and for the benefit of posterity , Jerem. 9. 3. Jude v. 3. People are careful to leave their lands to their children ; and should they not be much more careful to leave them the saving knowledge of God. Gospel-truth is the treasure of the Soul ; wilt thou then so tamely and easily part with it , or suffer those crafty persons that are now abroad to rob thee of it , without so much as repairing to those , who would help thee in the defence of it ? If thou fearest the losse of any part of thy estate thou takest the Lawyers advice ; If but thy beast be ill thou wilt ask of others ; and if they direct thee to a cure in writing , which thou canst not read thy self ; wilt thou not diligently get others to read it to thee again and again , till thou knowst what it is , and how to use it . Much more , if thy own , or thy childs bodily health be in danger , thou carefully consultest the Physician ; why then art thou not willing , when thy own or thy Relations Soul is much more in danger , to go to them for direction , whom God hath made by their office spiritual Physicians and Guides in the waies of truth and holiness ; being ready to learn and practice the directions which they shall give thee ? Oh what a wretched thing is it , that people should so contemn their own Souls , as to part with their religion before they have throughly understood it ; or before they have sincerely and humbly tried and practised it ; or when they have only heard what is cunningly said against it , and not what may be truly and rationally said for it ! Oh that any should be so unjust and cruel to their precious Souls , as prodigally to cast them away , and not take the pains to hear and read that , whereby they might come rightly to know the things which concern their everlasting peace ! 6. That which I would chiefly , and in the last place intreat for thy Souls safety is this ; Expose not thy self to the temptations of Seducers . The Soul is more precious then to be hazzarded upon the mistaken sense of the Apostles words , 1 Thess . 5. 21. To trie all things thou needst not be of all religions how false or dangerous soever . Among several poysons thou wouldst not trie any of them , whether it would kill thee or no. Therefore the meaning of this place must be , that we are to examine the Doctrines that are delivered unto us , by the Scripture , whether they are built thereon or no. Like the Bareans commended , Acts 17. 11. who searched the Scriptures whether those things were so , that were delivered to them for the truths of God. And let that place , Rom. 14. 1. be considered by all such as are not throughly grounded in the Principles of Christianity . Him that is weak in the faith , receive , but not to doubtful disputations . Every private Christian is not fit to cope with hereticks , and such as are skilful to destroy the faith of others . You would not allow a man to come and undermine the foundation of your house ; This do they , and worse , that go about to undermine your Faith , and labour to shake and unsettle you in the grand truths of the Gospel . Therefore I say again , Expose thy Soul as little as may be to the temptations of seducers . 'T is in vain for any to pray to God to keep them from the infection of errour , if they wilfully ( against the express word of God ) and without any just warrant and call , run into the company of Seducers and read their Books . Observe well , how God in the Scripture bids us , To beware of them , S t Mat. 7. 15. not to go after them , S t Luke 21. 8. To avoid them , Rom. 16. 17. To turn away from them , 2 Tim. 3. 5. If they come to us , not to receive them , or bid them God speed , or encourage them , 2 Ep. Joh. 10. Though they come with seeming zeal , Gal. 4. 17. They zealously affect you , but not well ; Yea they would exclude us , that you might affect them . Though they come with pretences of Gods Spirit , this they may easily do who are led by their own spirit or a worse . 2. Cor. 11. 3. But I fear lest by any means , as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty , your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity , which is in Christ . v. 4. For if he that cometh , preacheth another Jesus whom we have not preached , or if ye receive another spirit , which ye have not received , or another Gospel , which ye have not accepted , ye might well bear with him . v. 13. For such are false Prophets , deceitful workers , transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ . v. 14. And no marvel , for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light . v. 15. Therefore it is no great thing if his Ministers also be transformed as the Ministers of righteousness , whose end shall be according to their works . And to this we may adde but two Scriptures more and so finish this use . The one 2 Pet. 3. 17 , 18. Ye therefore , beloved , seeing ye know these things before , beware lest ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked , fall from your own stedfastness . But grow in grace , and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ . The other Jude v. 24 , 25. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling , and to present you faultless before the presence of his Glory with exceeding joy . To the only wise God our Saviour , be Glory and Majesty , Dominion and Power , now and ever , Amen . Use 4. Is the losse of the precious Soul so exceeding great and dreadful ? How very careful then , so far as concern'd , should we be of the welfare and salvation of the Souls of others ? And how fearful should we be to have any hand in their utter undoing ? If thy friend , after thou hast warned him , will take such ways , as but to ruine his estate , dost thou not think it well , when thou canst say ; praised be God , in that I am not guilty of it . Much more , if any of thy relations , neighbours , or acquaintance , after thou hast endeavoured thy duty towards them , will follow such courses , as to ruine their Precious Souls , is it not a great mercy , when thou canst say ; blessed be the Lord , in that I have had no hand in it . In a Country , a Parish , a neighbour-hood , a family , by setting a good example , and so furthering the work of Christ in the hands of his Ministers ; thou mayst not only benefit thy self , but be always doing good to others , as long as thou livest ; and the Souls of those , whom , time after time , thou hast encouraged in the ways of holiness , may come to bless God for thee , and with thee for ever . Whereas by shewing a bad exampl , thou hinderest the messengers of Christ in his work and service , and art continually doing mischief to thy self , and others about thee , all thy life long . And the perishing Souls which thou hast any way drawn to sin and ruine , may curse thee eternally , as a wretched miscreant doing more hurt , then if thou hadst ruined a whole Kingdome , as to the outward estate of it . Oh therefore if thou hast inticed any to sin , and they be yet a live , seek to do their Souls as much good , as thou hast been a cause of evil . But if they be dead , and swallowed up in the torments of Hell , think what a case thou art in , and how justly thou mayst fear to follow them , if a great repentanee prevent it not . But this chiefly concerns those who in a more special manner are entrusted with the Souls of others , whether Ministers , or Parents and Family governours . 1. As for every faithful Minister of Christ , how exceeding careful should they be for the Souls committed to their charge ? How exceeding careful should they be to save themselves , and those that hear them ? And to keep themselves ( as S t Paul says he did ) pure from the blood of all men . 'T is true God hath made our Calling excellent and honourable ; but people would see little cause to envy us that double honour of respect and maintenance which the Apostle would have given 1 Tim. 5. 17. did they rightly consider , how weighty our charge is , how dangerous our condition , how many and difficult our duties , and how troublesome our fears and cares touching the estate of their Souls . I know some may think , we take more care then needs ; wishing we would meddle less with them in their ignorant , careless , and secure ways ; which we could wish too , if it would consist with Gods honour , the credit of religion , and their and our own safely . But , I besech you , consider , if any of you was intrusted with a Jewel of five or ten thousand pound price , would you not see it needful to watch all ways and by all means to keep it safe and secure ? and if you had many such in your custody , would you not be the more sollicitous , especially if you saw they were in continual danger ; and if further , you knew that if any of them should be lost by your default , you should certainly lose your life for it ? But now , which is much more , we are entrusted with many , very many precious Souls , each of them more worth then a world ; and they are , we see , in great and apparent danger to be ruined for ever , by manifold errour and wickedness , and by innumerable temptations of the flesh , the devil , and the world ; and we know moreover , that if any of them perish through our neglect , our own Souls may come to perish with them , and for them ; as was said to him who had one to keep , 1 Kings 20. 39 , 42. If thou let this man go , or be missing , thy life shall go for his life . Have we not then need to be watchful to the uttermost of our power , and to be carefull all the ways we can , for their safety and preservation ? Consider well Acts 20. 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 26 , 27. — Ye know after what manner I have been with you at all seasons , serving the Lord with all humility of mind , and with many tears and temptations which befell me . — And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you , but have shewed you , and have taught you , publickly and from house to house ; Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks , repentance towards God , and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ . Wherefore I take you to record this day , that I am pure from the blood of all men . For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsell of God : and Ezek. 3. 17 , 18 , 19 , 20. 21. as also Ezek. 33. 2 , to 9. O son of man , I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel : therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth , and warn them from me . When I say unto the wicked , O wicked man thou shalt surely dye : If thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way , that wicked man shall die in his iniquity : but his blood will I require at thine hand . Nevertheless , if thou warn the wicked of his way , to turn from it ; if he do not turn from his way , he shall die in his iniquity ; but thou hast delivered thy Soul. If we be faithful , as every honest man should be in his trust , we may ( you see ) deliver our own Souls ; but if we be negligent watchmen , there are these things ( among many others ) which will sadly aggravate our condemnation . 1. When admitted to places of imployment , we take upon us the cure of Souls for their edification and salvation . 2. That we may attend this care the better , we receive a benefit piously given to free us from all other cares . 3. In order to this ( I mean , the care of Souls for their edification and Salvation ) our Masters and Tutors instructed us ; and our parents devoted us to the service of Christ . 4. To this too , we devoted and gave up our selves , professing or hoping , that we were thereunto inwardly called and moved by the Holy Ghost . 5. For this end we have also been outwardly called , or set apart by the Church for the work of the Ministry . 6. Moreover when ordained we did solemnly promise and engage this way to bend our studies , and to use both publick and private monitions and exhortations , as well to the sick , as to the whole within our cures , as need should require and occasion be given . 7. And which we may adde in the last place , we were then by the Bishop ordaning , most gravely charged , and exhorted , in these words : Brethren , we exhort you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ , that you have in remembrance , in how high a dignity , and to how weighty an office and charge ye are called : That is to say , to be messengers , watchmen , and stewards of the Lord ; to teach and to premonish , to feed and to provide for the Lords family ; to seek for Christs sheep that are dispresed abroad , and for his Children who are in the midst of this naughty world , that they may be saved through Christ for ever . Have alwaies therefore printed in your remembrance how great a treasure is committed to your charge . For they are the sheep of Christ , which he bought with his death , and for whom he shed his blood . The Church and Congregation whom you must serve , is his Spouse and his Body . And if it shall happen , the same Church , or any member thereof , to take any hurt or hindrance by reason of your negligence , ye know the greatness of the fault , and also the horrible punishment that will ensue . Wherefore consider with your selves the end of your Ministry towards the Children of God , towards the spouse and body of Christ ; and see that you never cease your labour , your care and diligence , untill you have done all that lieth in you , according to your bounden dutie , to bring all such as are or shall be committed to your charge , unto that agreement in the faith and knowledge of God , and to that ripeness and perfectness of age in Christ , that there be no place left among you , either for errour in religion , or viciousness of Life . Now after all this , If we do our utmost for the Souls health of them committed to our charge ; if we leave no good means thereof unattempted ; If we should labour for this night and day with tears , as the Apostle says he did ; If we should never so often and earnestly beseech you to practice the fore going printed Directions put into your hands , and what ever Christian duties our Saviour requires of us ; If we should follow you from the Church-house to your own houses ( if no better could be ) with the most passionate intreaties , as for the life of our own Souls and yours ; who could justly think us too importunate ? who could reasonably count us too earnest or too busie ? who could justly blame us for making more a do then needs ? for all this would be but enough as to some , and as to others it would be too little . 2. Parents and Family-governours , how carefully should they look to it , lest any under them should perish by their negligence or wickedness . Be assured Christ will erelong say to the , as Eliab to David , with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness ? what are become of those precious Souls of thy Children or Servants which I intrusted thee with ? Nor will it be enough for thee only to answer , For my children , I brought them up without the charge of the Parish ; I put them out to trades , or I left them competent estates or portions . And as for my servants , I paid them their wages , and gave them meat and drink according to my agreement with them . For all this , chiefly respects but the body ; and thy heart would be filled with horrour , if the blood of their Souls should be required of thee . Oh the cry of a lost Soul is a dreadful thing . Suppose any of thy Servants should now be in hell cursing the time that ever they came into thy family , where they saw so much wickedness , where there was no worshiping of God , or means to come to the knowledge of him , whereupon they went on securely in sin , and are now swallowed up in the bottomless pit of destruction . Or suppose any of thy children following thy steps in wickedness , and contemning Gods word and worship as they saw thee do , should now be sunk down to eternal misery , there cursing the day that ever they were born of such a Parent , or crying out against thee for neglecting them , for suffering them to swear , lye , and do evil without severe rebukes , for letting them prophane the Lords-day , for neither instructing them thy self , nor causing them to be instructed by others in the waies of God. Were this so , it might make the most flinty heart to ake and tremble . Therefore that it may never be so with thee , resolve duly to promote godliness in thy family however thou standest therein related . Dwell with thy wife as a man of knowledge , as heirs together of the grace of life , that your prayers be not hindred , 1 Pet. 3. 7. Labour that thy servants may know and serve God ; they will be to thee more faithful . Bring up thy children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord ; they will be to thee more dutiful . Pray with them , and for them , put them upon learning such verses of Scripture as will further their holy walking . Encourage all under thy roof to observe better the Lords day . Suffer them not to mis-spend so much of that precious time in such idle , trifling , and unlawful practices as too many do . Thou hadst need chuse a right path that hast thy servants , and children , or others near thee , following thee to heaven or hell . Be therefore exact in thy actions , that they may have the fairer copy to write after . Weigh thy words , considering that they will learn thy language . Remember that Faith and Troth sound not so well as yea and nay , our Saviour being Judge , S t Mat. 5. 37. Be afraid to have the Devil so often in thy mouth , lest others about thee have him , both in their tongue and their heart too . Repeat not others oaths , nor speak irreverently of the great God and his Word : Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy lips , but that which some ways tends to good . In all thy religious performances be very serious and sincere , that they may see thou art in good earnest about Soul-affairs , and matters of eternity . Oh be careful thus if it be possible , by thy pious exhortations , thy devout prayers , and thy exemplary behaviour to bring the Souls of all under thee , and near thee , unto Christ . And make that still thine , which once was good Joshua's resolution and practice , Josh . 24. 15. As for me and my house , we will serve the Lord. Use 5. Is each ones Soul of so great worth , and the losse of it to them so dreadful and undoing , as not to be recompenced with the gaining of the whole world ? See then further how exceeding careful we should every one of us be of our own Souls ; and how we may not always count them the happiest people , who have all worldly things here for a while that heart can wish ; but those rather who are most careful of their precious Souls everlasting happiness in the world to come . Now if thou wouldst understand , whether thou thy self art herein rightly careful , or no ; thou mayst know it by looking to the sincerity of thy conversion , or thy due care of believing such truths , exercising such graces , and performing such duties as God requires of all regenerate Christians . And which thou mayst find set down in the Directions , Questions and Answers of the foregoing Book , especially from page 84 to page 93. As also in the prayers thereof , which teach us at once both what to ask , and what to do , and be , in order to the Souls eternal welfare . For having such prayers to use , we may study our petitions before , and so the sense of our minds may keep pace with our words ; and our affections go along with our sense . Thus Gods Spirit assisting , our devotion would beenlivened ; and our prayers become the rule of our conversation ; & when we swarve from them , they would make us blush into amendment . But more particularly , to know that thou art in good earnest desirous to save thy Soul. 1. Being Christ the Physician of Souls works not a cure upon one every whit whole , nor is prized by them that feel no need of him , S t Mat. 9. 12 , 13. hast thou had an imbittering sense of the evil and danger of sin , and an humbling sight of thy Souls lost condition by nature , as fallen from God , and inordinately set upon worldly vanities ? Hast thou seen that this is not a state to be rested in , and therefore been solicitous after a better , carefully in effect asking like them , Acts 2. 37. what shall I do to be saved ? 2. Hast thou hereupon been heartily willing to receive Christ as offered in the Gospel , for thy Lord , as well as thy Jesus or Saviour ? And as thy Lord , dost thou yield to the sanctifying work of his word and spirit ? and art thou so guided by his Laws , as ordinarily to practice the most strict , holy , costly , and self-denying duties which thou knowest him to require of thee ? And again as thy Jesus , dost thou feel the power of his death killing sin in thee ? doth he by his bloodshed not only pardon thy sins , but also save and deliver thee from them ? so that thou heartily strivest against all known sin , and overcomest all grosse sins ; and when fallen under any prevailing temptation , risest again by repentance , begging forgiveness of God in his blood , and resolving by his grace to watch and resist more carefully for the time to come ? Acts 16. 30 , 31. Ezek. 36. 25 , 26 , 27 , Acts 3 , 26 Tit. 2. 11 , 12 , 14. 3. Art thou so sensible of what Christ thy Redeemer hath done and suffered for thee , and of thy many engagements to him upon that account , as to love him above all , and constantly to cleave unto him in every condition . And hath Christ so brought thee back again to God , that thou takest him for thy portion and lovest him with all thy heart , Soul and strength ; and chusest to live with him in his favour and glory , without sinning , or offending him any more ; rather then sinfully to enjoy the delights of the world , and want the favour of God ? Eph. 6. 24. Phil. 3. 8. S t Mat. 22. 38. Psa . 73. 25 , 26 , 27 , 28. 4. Moreover art thou so convinced of the Souls worth , and the worlds vanity ; of the certainty and excellency of heavenly glory , and the intollerableness of eternal misery ; of the goodness of the Divine precepts , and the need of obeying them ; art thou ( I say ) so convinced of this , as sincerely to set thy self to perform all those holy spiritual duties in heart and life , which God hath absolutely commanded thee ; being sorry thou canst perform them no better , no more evenly , and chearfully ; yet holding on with a settled resolution , and a constant spirit , to do thy best , though with thy present losse of esteem , or ease , or worldly enjoyments , or life it self ? Hebr. 11. 25 , 26. 1 John 5. 3. Psa . 19. 11. Rom. 2. 6 , 7. S t Mat. 10. 37 , 38 , 39. If this be thy condition thou rightly prizest thy Soul above the world , and providest for its welfare ; but if it be not ; oh how earnestly shouldst thou labour that it may speedily be so ! Delays are dangerous , and thou hast too long dishonoured God , and hazarded thy Soul already ; shouldst thou go on in presumption and security , might not the Lord be provoked to cut thee off suddenly ? or give thee up to a spirit of slumber and stupidity ? Or leave thee to thy self , to follow thy own hearts lusts ? Or cause thy day of grace to end before thy natural life ? Or may not the love of the world be deeplier rooted hereafter , and the incumbrances of it hinder thee more , as it hath done too many before thee . As for some of the meaner sort , which it may be , do not so much as learn to read in their younger years , or if they do , soon forget it again , without making up that want by their diligence other ways ; when they are grown to any bigness , either they are set to trades or otherwise to work for a livelihood . And when they come to be settled in the world , and to have wife and children , then they have no heart , or leasure , to mind the welfare of the Soul ; but think all their time , labours , thoughts , and strength little enough to provide a bodily sustenance for themselves and families . And if they live to be aged , though we would take never so much pains to teach and guide them in the ways of Christ , they ( some of them ) think themselves too old now to learn ; and are too deep rooted in their own secure and sensual ways , to be drawn to forsake them , without little lesse then a miracle . And though they have all their lives the gracious opportunities , of the whole Lords-day , yet they spend the most of it in idle talk , or sports , or trifling worldly occasions ; and if they chance upon a faire day , to come now and then to Church , for an hour or two ; yet it is but in a customary manner , without considering seriously what they hear , or come thither for ; and so they spend their days in sorrow and vanity , and passe out of the world , before they know that great and good and blessed errand they were sent hither about . And as for some others , when they should resolve to forsake every wilful sin , and unfeignedly devote themselves to the service of God , and mind the one thing necessary ; how is some or other of those many unnecessary things which they trouble themselves about , still ready to stand in their way ? Either they are eating or drinking , sleeping or playing , dressing or undressing , or have some whither to go , or some body to speak with , or some bargain to drive , or some work or company which they cannot leave , Or they are casting in their heads how to disintangle their estates , or raise their families , or to avoid the Crosse-blows of their adversaries . Or else they are under violent sickness that unfits them for action ; or some disappointment , or quarrel , or law-suit , or some such trouble hath befallen them which puts their minds out of order ; or some worldly success and prosperity which puffs them up with a foolish flashy joy . Or they have some brave things in expectation which they are musing on , and pleasing themselves with before hand , till they find themselves deceived , when they feel that sting which they bring with them in their enjoyment . How do such matters as these fill the heads and hearts of many from year to year ; in the morning they crowd first into their thoughts ; and when they are up , they accordingly set about one or other of them , or fall into some company which takes them up for that day , and the like happens to morrow and the next day ; thus still the multiplicity of earthly cares , prevail against the care of their Souls ; and the love of their sins and pleasures , still prevailes against the love of God ; and for many superfluous things , any time is thought convenient , but none is found convenient for the one thing necessary , till it come to be too late ; so that the fore-mentioned Soul-saving work must cease for ever . Oh therefore let it ( I say ) be done speedily , and withal sincerely and throughly ; or else the losse of the Soul may have these further aggravations ; to be wilful and shameful , unexpected and unpitied , incomparable and irrecoverable . 1. It will be a wilful losse . S t John 5. 40. Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life . Ezek. 33. 11. Turn ye from your evil ways ; for why will ye die , O house of Israel ? It is a great vexation to a man in this world to see himself ruined meerly by his own wilfulness : but if thou shouldst obstinatly destroy thy self to eternity ; suppose , by thy wilful ignorance , when thou mightest have been taught better ; or by any wicked courses , when thou wast advised better ; oh what inexpressible anguish will seise upon thy perishing Soul for ever ! 2. It will be a shameful losse . What can follow but confusion of face , when thou shalt see thy neighbours and acquaintance most happy , and thy self most miserable ? What a grievous shame will it be to hear some of those that lived near thee , or with thee , joyfully praising God ; and as it were pointing to thee , and saying , Loe , this is the man , or the woman , that made not God their stay . They had the same word , the same means with us , but they loved their sins more then their Souls or God ; and therefore while we are raised to everlasting life , they are layd under shame and everlasting contempt . 3. It will be an unpitied losse . If thou losest a friend , or liberty or livelihood , 't is a comfort , that thou mayst find those who will pity and condole with thee , and be ready to supply thy necessities ; but if thou losest thy Soul , in that sad condition thou wilt have none to help or pity thee . Now the gracious God and merciful Redeemer of the world , and all good Christians pity thee , but thou pitiest not thy self , nor wilt leave thy sins to save thy Soul ; shall not then the very mercies of God and bowels of Christ be hereafter most justly turned against thee ? and shall not the Saints and Angels , be so far from pitying , as rather with rejoycing to glorifie Gods Justice in thy utter destruction ? 4. It will be an unexpected losse . How grievous to cry peace , and then be overtaken with trouble , and sudden destruction unawares ? Prov. 29. 1. How grievous to lose thy Soul , when perhaps thou wert near the saving it ? or when thou groundlessly flatteredst thy self , thinking thou shouldest do well enough ? what amazement seiseth on that mans spirit , who being in a fair way of thriving , hears unexpected news , that all he had is lost and gone ? 5. It will be an incomparable losse . What will it profit a man though he gain the whole world , and lose his own Soul ? It will be a great losse for a small matter ; the losse of that which is most precious for that which is most vile , shouldst thou set thy Soul to sail , not for a few pence , or a lye , or a base lust , but for a kingdome or a world , thou wouldest be such a loser , as to be utterly undone by the bargain . 6. It will be an irreparable , and so an eternal losse . If thou losest one eye , thou hast another ; if thou losest one limb , thou hast another . If thou losest thy goods thou mayst recover them again ; or if thou losest thy life , thou mayst be a gainer by it , thou mayst find it again , Mat. 16. 25. but if thou losest thy Soul , thou hast not another , and all is lost with it , and nothing left to redeem it . Thy Soul once lost is lost for ever ; and its ruine is most lamentable , because irrecoverable . If thou missest at death , thou missest for ever and for ever ; there is no aftergame to be play'd , but thou must suffer the vengeance of eternal fire . If the great work for which thou wert born be not then done , thou art undone to all eternity . O eternity , eternity ! they that here could never have enough of the world and sin , in thee shall have wrath enough , and pain enough . After a thousand millions of years space their misery shall be never the nearer an end , because it shall have none , being easless , endless , remedyless . What shall a man give in exchange for his Soul ? why there is nothing at all he can give in exchange for it ; the redemption of it is so precious , that it ceaseth for ever . Oh that the careless world did but believe and consider the word of God , and in particular , these words of our Saviour , surely they would mind their Souls otherwise then now they do . Therefore , good Reader , be intreated not only to suffer others who are , or may be intrusted with the care of thy Soul , to be very solicitous for the welfare thereof ; but be thou as careful too thy self , resolving as he did , who sayd , volo servare animam meam , I will , O God , by all means save my Soul. Say with thy self , and look up unto God for his grace and spirit to enable thee , to say it sincerely ; O Lord , I am sensible of the evil of my ways , and of my lost condition without thee ; and therefore with a penitent Soul I flee unto thee , trusting in thy mercy , and the merits of thy dear Son Jesus Christ . I believe him making satisfaction to thy Justice for the sins of the world , to be the only Saviour thereof ; and thereupon , with the full consent of my heart , I accept him for my Lord-Redeemer ; to save me henceforth , as well from the power , as the guilt of my sins . I am unfeignedly willing , that henceforth he should rule in me , and reign over me by his word and spirit . I am , O God , willing to be saved through him , in forbearing to my utmost , all that evil which thou hast forbidden ; in using all those ordinances which thou hast instituted ; in performing all those duties which thou hast commanded ; and in doing to my utmost all that good which thou hast required . And I further resolve by thy grace assisting , so to love thee , and believe in thee my God and Saviour , as henceforth while breath is continued , to serve , please , worship , and glorifie thee , all that I can , and all the ways that I can . If thou hast thus resolved heretofore , yet do it again , and do it often in the course of thy life ; it cannot set thee back at all in thy gracious estate , it may and will much further and quicken thee in thy holy walking . Such an earnest care of thy Souls welfare let it be thy principal care , because , among others , it may have these deserved commendations , to be holy and easy , safe and successeful , prudent and profitable . 1. It is an holy care , making them that have it desirous to be holy in all manner of conversation and godliness . 2. 'T is a prudent care , being most earnest for that which is most precious , and best deserves it . He in the parable might be justly commended for his wisdome , who cared not so much what became of other things , so he might obtain the pearle which was of great price , and purchase the field which had a rich treasure hidden therein . 3. 'T is a blessed and successeful care . Many are at much care and pains for the world , but all in vain ; but here Christ hath made such provision by the covenant of grace , that if we sincerely believe in him , and endeavour to be in will , word and deed , what he requires , we shall without fail obtain the end of our faith , even the salvation of our Souls . 4. 'T is a safe and satisfactory care . And if thy Soul be first set a right God-ward and heaven-ward , if thou art first devoted unto Christ , stedfastly purposing to observe his word and will in all things ; thou mayst in the next place , mind that which concerns thy ingenuous education , or the works of thy honest calling more seasonably , piously and regularly ; and by far more safely then others can do . For who can with such safety and comfort , follow those studies or labours which concern the preservation of life , or their natural welbeing ; as they who have first made sure as to the main stake , that which concerns their everlasting well-being ? Others , though in the strongest castle , or highest dignity , are not free from the danger of hell one minute of an hour . But such as these , God will keep as the apple of the eye , and none can take them out of Christs hands , S t John 10. 28 , 29. Deut. 33. 27. Zach. 2. 8. They may say upon good grounds , our Souls are safe to eternity , our salvation we shall not misse of , and other things we shall have too , as God seeth best for our spiritual good , and his own glory , Mat. 6. 33. 5. The care of the Soul is comparatively an easie care . 'T is the ready way to provide also for our bodily welfare , not only hereafter , but for the most part , here too . Religious temperance is cheap and healthful . Exod 23. 25. Ye shall serve the Lord your God , and he shall blesse thy bread and thy water , and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee . We are sure that the body hath no annoyance which we can prevent ; and for that the most trades are followed with restless care and toyle ; but certainly the Soul being much more precious , deserves the far greater diligence . Yet , be but at half that pains to do well , which others are at , who weary themselves in doing evil ; take but half that care for thy precious Soul , which some do about the affairs of the body , and thou mayst be most happy for ever . 6. And lastly , 't is a delightful and profitable care , and that as to whatever befalls the Christian either in this life or that to come . If in this life God give prosperity , this care of the Soul will make thee use all outward blessings soberly and temperatly . This will make thee ready to honour God with them by works of piety and charity , Prov. 3. 9. This will make thee endeavour to enjoy God in all such enjoyments ; and to tast in their sweetness the sweetness of his love in Christ Jesus . And thus thy earthly comforts will prove doubly comfortable , and thy gaining in the world become the greatest gain to the Soul. Or if God send adversity , this will make all thy troubles and calamities to work together for thy good . He that lost all by shipwrack , and then was more careful for his Soul and eternity , sayd well , I had been undone , if I had not been undone . The world by its hard using of Gods servants , gets nothing ; nor do their Souls lose any thing . If it turn our breath into sighs and groans , we shall with the Apostle , 2 Cor. 5. 2. groan more earnestly , desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven . And after death the holy Soul cannot but be well . Christ who hath redeemed it , and prepared heaven for it , and it for heaven , will thither receive it unto himself , where joyntly with the glorified body , it shall be most happy for evermore . Thus , my beloved neighbours , you have seen the Souls worth and danger , and what care we should have of its eternal salvation ; to which end , you have nothing urged but such solid and weighty truths and duties , as are generally owned , and manifestly tend to make us holy and happy . And now , though I be separated from all troublesome affairs , that I may thus wholly attend the welfare and service of your Souls ; and though my eternal life lies out , as indeed yours too , I can do no more then what I have been endeavouring , and am further , according to this printed gift , ready to do for you . The things herein contained , still abide to be read and considered by you , as often as you please ; but if any be unwilling thereunto , slighting and refusing whatever may thus profit them , who can help it ? How many of those who saw the miracles , and heard the sermons of our Blessed Saviour himself , and his holy Apostles , continued unconverted ? with what unwearied patience and diligence did the great Evangelical Prophet Isaiah preach above sixty years together , to a rebellious and a gainsaying people ? Isa . 65. 2. Rom. 10. 21. Their profitings for a long time , did not answer his labours among them ; but he might comfort himself with a remarkable passage in his own prophecy , Isa . 49. 4 , 5. Then I said , ( the words are meant chiefly of Christ sent to the Jews and complaining of them ) I have laboured in vain , I have spent my strength for nought , and in vain , yet surely my judgment is with the Lord , and my work ( or my reward ) with my God. And now saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant , to bring Jacob again to him . Though Israel be not gathered , yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord , and my God shall be my strength . God will reward his faithful servants both according to what they have done , and moreover according to what they truly desired and endeavoured to do . If a few , if but any one be really advantaged by what I am endeavouring , I shall count my labour well bestowed ; as 't is said of the reverend and learned D r Hammond , a passionate Lover of Souls , that he used often to break out in these words with an extraordinary vehemence . O what a glorious thing , how rich a prize for the expence of a mans whole life , were it , to be the instrument of rescuing any one Soul ? But ( which I often and humbly pray ) if God shall bow the hearts of more , making us all a willing people in the day of his power ; making us seriously mind our Souls salvation in the fore-mentioned ways of true Christian piety ; oh how greatly should we rejoyce in his goodness , and in one anothers happiness ! O how blessed a thing would it be , when the Lord our maker should thus have the Souls which he hath created , and be glorified by them ; when Christ our Saviour should thus have the immortal spirits which he hath redeemed , and be magnified in them ; when further his unworthy servant should come thus to have the fruit of his ministerial labours ; and you your selves to have the comfort and everlasting gain . FINIS . 
A26936	----	The grand question resolved, what we must do to be saved instructions for a holy life / by the late Reverend Divine, Mr. Richard Baxter ; recommended to the bookseller a few days before his death to be immediately printed for the good of souls. Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. 1692 Approx. 100 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 25 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2006-02 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A26936 Wing B1279 ESTC R14371 12390784 ocm 12390784 60991 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A26936) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 60991) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 268:10) The grand question resolved, what we must do to be saved instructions for a holy life / by the late Reverend Divine, Mr. Richard Baxter ; recommended to the bookseller a few days before his death to be immediately printed for the good of souls. Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. [2], 46 p. Printed for Tho. Parkhurst ..., London : 1692. Later published as: What we must do to be saved. Reproduction of original in British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Salvation -- Early works to 1800. Christian life -- Early works to 1800. 2005-07 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-08 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-10 Elspeth Healey Sampled and proofread 2005-10 Elspeth Healey Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-01 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE Grand Question RESOLVED , What we must do to be SAVED . INSTRUCTIONS FOR A Holy Life : BY The Late Reverend Divine , Mr. RICHARD BAXTER . Recommended to the Bookseller a few days before his Death , to be immediately Printed for the good of Souls . Acts 16. 30. Sirs , What must I do to be Saved . LONDON : Printed for Tho. Parkhurst , at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheap-side , 1692. The Great Case Resolved , How to be certainly SAVED . Instructions for a Holy Life . I. The Necessity , Reason and Means of Holiness . II. The Parts and Practice of a Holy Life . For Personal Direction , and for Family Instruction . With two short Catechisms , and Prayers . Reader , IGnorant Persons cannot remember long and many words , nor understand a brief stile and few words . This maketh it impossible to write a Catechism , that shall not be unsuitable either to the Understanding or the Memory of such . I must therefore desire the Teacher to make up this unavoidable Defect , by opening the 〈◊〉 ( especially of the Catechisms ) to the Children and Servants , when they have learned and say the words : Read the Instructions often to them , and press all as you go on their Affections . For the bare words without a present Guide , may ●●e be all lost . I. The Necessity , Reason , and Means of Holiness . 1. To keep up the Resolutions of the Converted . And , 2. To instruct those in Families that need them . THough the a saving of Souls be a matter of unexpressible Importance , yet ( the Lord have mercy upon them ; ) What abundance are there that think it not worthy of their serious Enquiry , nor the reading of a good Book , one hour in a Week ? For the sake of these careless slothful Sinners , I have here spoken much in a little room , that they may not refuse to read and consider so short a Lesson , unless they think their Souls worth nothing . Sinner , as thou wilt shortly answer it before God , deny not to God , to thy self , and me , the sober pondering , and faithful practising these few Directions . I. Begin at home and know thy self : Consider what it is to be a b MAN. Thou art made a nobler Creature than the Brutes . They serve thee , and are governed by thee ; and Death ends all their Pains and Pleasures . But thou hast Reason to rule thy self and them ; to know thy God , and ●oresee thy End , and know thy way , and do thy Duty . Thy Reason and Free-will , and Executive Power , are part of the Image of God upon thy Nature ; so is thy Dominion over the Brutes , as ( under him ) thou art their Owner , their Ruler , and their End. But thy Holy Wisdom , and Goodness , and Ability , is the chief part of his Image , on which thy Happiness depends . Thou hast a Soul that cannot be satisfied in Knowing , till thy c Knowledge reach to God himself : Nor can it be disposed by any other : Nor can it ( or the Societies of the World ) be well governed according to its Nature , without regard to his Soveraign Authority , and without the hopes and d fears of Joy and Misery hereafter : Nor can it be e happy in any thing , but seeing , and loving , and delighting in this God , as he is revealed in the other World. And is this Nature given thee in vain ? If the Nature of all things be fitted to its f Vse and End , then it must be so with thine . II. By knowing thy self then , thou must needs know ▪ that there is a g GOD ; and that he is thy Maker , and infinite in all Perfections ; and that he is thy Owner , thy Ruler , and thy Felicity or End. He is mad that seeth not , that such Creatures have a Cause or Maker ; and that all the Power , and Wisdom , and Goodness of the World , is caused by a Power , and Wisdom , and Goodness , which is greater than that of all the World. And who can be our Owner , but He that made us ? And who can be our highest Governour , but our Owner ? whose infinite Power , Wisdom , and Goodness , maketh him only fit thereto . And if he be our Governour , he must needs have Laws , with Rewards for the Good , and Punishments for the Bad ; and must Judge and Execute accordingly . And if he be our Chiefest Benefactor , and all that we have is from him , and all our Hope and Happiness is in him , nothing can be more clear than that the very Nature of Man doth prove , that in Hope of future Happiness , he should absolutely resign himself to the Will and Disposal of this God , and that he should h absolutely obey him , and that he should love and serve him with all his Power . It being impossible to Love , Obey , and Please that God too much , who is thus our Cause , our End , our All. III. By knowing thus thy self and God , it is easie to know what Primitive Holiness and Godliness is . Even this hearty , entire and absolute resignation of the Soul to God , as the infinite Power , Wisdom , and Goodness ; as our Creator , our Owner , Governour , and Felicity or End ; fully submiting to his Disposals ; obeying his Laws , in hope of his promised Rewards , and fear of his threatned Punishments : and loving and delighting in himself , and all his Appearances in the World ; and desiring and seeking the endless sight and enjoyment of him in heavenly Glory , and expressing these Affections in daily Prayer , Thanksgiving and Praise . This is the Vse of all thy Faculties ; the End and Business of thy Life ; the Health and Happiness of thy Soul : This is that Holiness or Godliness which God doth so much call for . IV. And by this it is easie to know , what a k state of Sin and Ungodliness is . Even the want of all this Holiness , and the setting of carnal Self instead of GOD. When Men are proudly Great , and Wise , and Good in their own Eyes ; and would dispose of themselves , and all their Concernments , and would rule themselves , and please themselves , according to the fleshly appetite and Fancy ; and therefore love most the Pleasures , and Profits , and Honours of the World , as the Provision to satisfie the desires of the Flesh ; and God shall be no ●urther Loved , Obeyed or Pleased , than the Love of Fleshly Pleasure will give leave ; nor shall have any thing but what the Flesh can spare . This is a Wicked , a Carnal , an ungodly State ; though it break forth in various ways of Sinning . V. By this , Experience it self may tell you , that most Men l ( yea all , till Grace renew them ) are in this ungodly miserable State : ( Though only the Scripture tells us how this came to pass ) Though all are not Fornicators , nor Drunkards , no● Extortioners , nor Persecu●ors , nor live not in the same way of Sinning ; yet Selfishness , and Pride , and Sensuality , and the love of Worldly Things , Ignorance and Ungodliness are plainly become the common Corruption of the Nature of Man ; so that their Hearts are turned to the World from God , and filled with impiety , filthiness , and injustice ; and their Reason is but a Servant to their Senses ; and their m Mind , and Love and Life , is Carnal ; and this carnal Mind is Enmity to the Holiness of God , and cannot be subject to his Law. This Corruption is hereditary , and is become , as it were , a Nature to us , being the mortal Malady of all our Natures . And it is easie to know that such an unholy wicked Nature must needs be loathsome to God , and n unfit for the happy enjoyment of his Love , either here , or in the Life to come : For what Communion hath Light with Darkness ? VI. Hence then it is easie to see , what Grace is needful to a Man's Salvation . So odious a Creature , such an unthankful Rebel , that is turned away from God , and set against him , and defiled with all this filth of Sin , must needs be both o Renewed and Reconciled , Sanctified and Pardoned , if ever he will be saved . To love God , and be beloved by him , and to be delighted herein , in the sight of his Glory , is the Heaven and Happiness of Souls ; and all this is contrary to an unholy State. Till Men have new and holy Hearts , they can neither see God , nor love him , nor delight in him , nor take him for their chief Content ; for the Flesh and World have their delight and Love. And till Sin be p pardoned , and God reconciled to the Soul , what Joy or Peace can it expect from him , whose Nature and Justice engageth him to loath and punish it ? VII . And Experience will tell you , how q insufficient you are , for either of these two Works your selves ; to renew your Souls , or to reconcile them unto God. Will a Nature that is Carnal resist and overcome the Flesh , and abhor the Sin which it most dearly loveth ? Will a Worldly Mind overcome the World ? When Custom hath rooted your natural Corruptions , are they easily rooted up ? O how great and hard a Work is it , to cause a blind unbelieving Sinner to set his Heart on another World , and lay up all his Hopes in Heaven , and to cast off all the things he seeth , for that God and Glory which he never saw ! And for a hardned , worldly , fleshly heart to become Wise , and Tender , and Holy , and Heavenly , and abhor the Sin which it most fondly loveth ! And what can we do to satisfie Justice , and reconcile such a rebel Soul to God ? VIII . Nature and Experience having thus acquainted you with your Sin and Misery , and what you want , will further tell you that God r doth not yet deal with you according to your deserts . He giveth you Life , and Time , and Mercies , when your Sins had forfeited all these : He obligeth you to repent and turn unto him . And therefore Experience telling you , that there is some Hope , and that God hath found out some way of shewing Mercy to the Children of Wrath , Reason will command you to enquire of all that are fit to teach you , what way of Remedy God hath made known . And , as you may soon discover , that the Religion of Heathens and Mahometans , is so far from shewing the true Remedy , that they are part of the Disease it self : So you may learn , that a (ſ) wonderful Person , the Lord Jesus Christ , hath undertaken the Office of being the Redeemer and Saviour of the World ; and that he , who is the Eternal Word and Wisdom of the Father , hath wonderfully appeared in the Nature of Man , which he took from the Virgin Mary , being conceived by the Holy Ghost ; and that we might have a Teacher sent from † Heaven infallably and easily to acquaint the World with the Will of God , and the unseen things of Life Eternal : How God t bare Witness of his Truth , by abundant , open , and uncontrouled Miracles : u How he conquered Satan , and the World , and w gave us an Example of perfect Righteousness , and underwent the Scorn and Cruelty of Sinners , and suffered the Death of the Cross , as a Sacrifice for our Sins to reconcile us unto God : How he rose again the third day , and conquered Death , and lived forty days longer on Earth , instructing his Apostles , and giving them Commission to preach the Gospel to all the World ; and then ascended bodily into Heaven , while they gazed after him : How he is now in Heaven both God and Man in one Person , the Teacher , and King , and High-Priest of his Church . Of Him must we learn the way of Life ; by Him must we be ruled as the Physician of Souls . All Power is given Him in Heaven and in Earth . By his Sacrifice , and Merits , and Intercession must we be pardoned and accepted with the Father ; and only by him must we come to God. He hath procured and established a Covenant of Grace , which Baptism is the Seal of : Even [ That God will in him be our God and reconciled Father , and Christ will be our Saviour , and the Holy Ghost will be our Sanctifier , if we will unfeignedly consent ; that is , if penitently and believingly we give up our selves to God the Father , Son , and Holy Ghost , in those Resolutions . ] This Covenant in the Tenor of it , is a Deed of Gift , of Christ , and Pardon , and Salvation to all the World : ●f by the true Faith and Repentance they will turn to God. And this shall be the Law according to which he will judge all that hear it at the last ; for he is made the judge of All , and will raise all the dead , and will justify his Saints , and judge them unto endless Joy and Glory , and condemn the Unbelievers , impenitent and x ungodly , unto endless Misery . The Soul alone is judged at Death , and Body and Soul at the Resurrection . This Gospel the Apostles preached to the World ; and that it might be effectual to Mens Salvation , the y Holy Ghost was first given to inspire the Preachers of it , and enable them to speak in various Languages , and infallibly to agree in One , and to work many great and open Miracles to prove their Word to those they preached to : And by this means they z planted the Church ; which ordinary Ministers must increase , and teach , and oversee , to the end of the World , till all the Elect be gathered in . And the same a Holy Spirit hath undertaken it , as his Work , to accompany this Gospel , and by it to convert Mens Souls , illuminating and sanctifying them ; and by a secret b Regeneration to renew their Natures , and bring them to that Knowledge , and Obedience , and Love of God , which is the Primitive Holiness , for which we were created , and from which we fell . And thus by a Saviour and a Sanctifier must all be reconciled and renewed , that will be glorified with God in Heaven . All this you may learn from the Sacred Scriptures , which were c written by the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit , and sealed by multitudes of open d Miracles , and contain the very Image and Superscription of God , and have been received and preserved by the Church , as the certain Oracles of God , and blessed by him through all Generations , to the sanctifying of many Souls . IX . When you understand all this , it is time for you to e look home , and understand now what State your Souls are in . That you were made capable of Holiness and Happiness , you know : that you and all Men are fallen from God , and Holiness , and Happiness , unto Self , and Sin , and Misery , you know : that you are so far redeemed by Christ , you know , as to have a pardoning and saving Covenant tendered you , and Christ and Mercy offered to your choice . But whether you are truly penitent Believers , and renewed by the Holy Ghost , and so united unto Christ , this is the Question yet unresolved ; this is the Work that is yet to do , without which there is no Salvation ; and if thou die before it is done , wo to thee that ever thou wast a Man. Except a Man be f Regenerate by the Spirit , and Converted , and made a New Creature , and of Car●al be made Spiritual , and of Earthly be made Heavenly , and of Selfish and Sinful be made Holy and Obedient to God , he can never be saved , no more than the Devil himself can be saved . And if this be so , ( as nothing is more sure ) I require thee now , who readest these words , as thou regardest thy Salvation , as thou wouldest escape Hell Fire , and stand with Comfort before Christ and his Angels , at the last , that thou soberly consider whether Reason command thee not to try thy State ; whether thou art thus g renewed by the Spirit of Christ or not ? And to h call for help to those that can advise thee , and follow on the search till thou know thy Case . And if thy Soul be a stranger to this sanctifying Work , whether Reason command thee not , without any delay , to make out to Christ , and beg his Spirit , and cast away thy Sins , and give up thy self entirely to thy God , thy Saviour and Sanctifier , and enter into his Covenant , with a full Resolution never to forsake him ; to deny thy self , and the desires of the Flesh , and this deceitful transitory World , and lay out all thy hopes on Heaven , and speedily , whatever it cost thee , to make sure of the Felicity which hath no end ? And darest thou refuse this when God and Conscience do command it ? And further I advise you , X. Understand how it is that Satan hindreth Souls from being sanctified : That you may know how much to resist his Wiles . Some he deceiveth by i malicious Suggestions , that Holiness is nothing but Fancy or Hypocrisie ! ( And if God and Death , and Heaven , and Hell , were Fancies , this might be believed . ) Some he debaucheth by the power of fleshly Appetite and Lust , so that their Sins will not let their Reason speak : Some he keepeth in utter Ignorance , by the evil Education of ignorant Parents , and the negligence of k ungodly Soul-murdering Teachers : some he deceiveth by worldly Hopes , and keepeth their Minds so taken up with worldly Things , that the Matters of Eternity can have but some loose and uneffectual Thoughts , or as bad as none : Some are entangled in l ill Company , who make a scorn of a holy Life , and seed them with continual Diversions and vain Delights : And some are so m hardened in their Sin , that they are even past feeling , and neither fear God's Wrath , nor care for their Salvation , but hear these things as Men asleep , and nothing will awake them : Some are discouraged with a conceit that Godliness is a Life so n grievous , sad , and melancholy , that rather than endure it , they will venture their Souls , come on it what will ; ( as if it were a grievous Life to love God , and hope for endless Joys , and a pleasant Life to love the World and Sin , and live within a step of Hell ! ) Some that are convinced , do o put off their Coversion with Delays , and think it's time enough hereafter ; and are purposing and promising till it be too late , and Life , and Time , and Hope be ended . And some that see there is is a necessity of Holiness ▪ are p cheated by some dead Opinion , or Names , or Shews and Images of Holiness ; either because they hold a strict Opinion , or because they joyn with a Religious Party , or because they are of that which they think is the true Church , or because they are baptized with Water , and observe the outward parts of Worship ; and perhaps because they offer God a great deal of Lip-Service , and Lifeless Ceremony , which never savoured of a Holy Soul. Thus Deadness , Sensuality , Worldliness and Hypocrisie , do hinder Millions from Sanctification and Salvation . XI . If ever thou wouldest be saved , oppress not Reason by Sensuality or Diversions : But sometimes q retire for sober Consideration , distracted and sleepy Reason is unuseful : God and Conscience have a great deal to say to thee : which in a crowd of Company and Business thou art not fit to hear . It is a r dolesul case that a Man who hath a God , a Christ , a Soul , a Heaven , a Hell to think of , will allow them none but running Thoughts , and not once in a Week bestow one Hour in Man-like serious s Consideration of them ! sure thou hast no greater things to mind . Resolve then sometimes to spend half an hour in the deepest thoughts of thy everlasting State. XII . Look t upon this World , and all its Pleasures , as a Man of Reason , who foreseeth the end , and not as a Beast , that liveth but by Sense or present Objects , Do I need to to tell thee , Man , that thou must die ? Cannot Carcases and Dust instruct thee to see the end of Earthly Glory , and all the Pleasures of the Flesh ? Is it a Controversie , whether thy Flesh must shortly perish ? and wilt thou yet provide for it before thy Soul ? What a sad farewel must thou shortly take , of all that Worldlings sell their Souls for ! And O how quickly will this be ! Alass , Man , the Day is even at hand ; a few days more , and thou art gone ! and darest thou live unready , and part with Heaven for such a World as this ? XIII . And then think soberly of the u Life to come , What it is for a Soul to appear before the living God , and be judged to endless Joy or Misery ! If the Devil tempt thee to doubt of such a Life , remember that Nature , and Scripture , and the Worlds Consent , and his own Temptations are Witnesses against him . O Man , canst thou pass one day in Company , or alone in Business or in Idleness , without some sober Thoughts of Everlastingness ? Nothing more sheweth that the Hearts of Men are asleep or dead , than that the Thoughts of endless Joy or Pain , so near at hand , constrain them not to be Holy , and overcome not all the Temptations of the Flesh , as Toys and inconsiderable Things . XIV . Mark well what Mind most Men are of when they come to x die ! Unless it be some desperate forsaken Wretch do they not all speak well of a Holy Life ? and wish that their Lives had been spent in the most fervent Love of God , and strictest Obedience to his Laws ? Do they then speak well of Lust and Pleasures and magnifie the Wealth and Honours of the World ? Had they not rather die as the most mortified Saints , then as careless , fleshly , worldly Sinners ? And dost thou see and know this , and yet wilt thou not be instructed , and be wise in time ? XV. Think well what manner of Men these were , whose y Names are now honoured for their Holiness ! What manner of Life did St. Peter , and St. Paul , St. Cyprian , St. Augustine , and all other Saints and Martyrs live ; Was it a Life of fleshly Sports and Pleasures ? Did they deride or persecute a Holy Life ? Were they not more strictly Holy than any that thou knowest ? And is he not self-condemned , that honoureth the Names of Saints , and will not imitate them ? XVI . Think what the difference is between a Christian and an z Heathen . You are loath to be Heathens or Infidels : But do you think a Christian excelleth them but in Opinion ? He that is not Holier than they , ●s worse , and shall suffer more than they . XVII . Think what the difference is between a a Godly Christian and an Ungodly . Do not all the Opposers of Holiness among us , yet speak for the same God , and Christ , and Scripture ; and profess the same Creed and Religion with those whom they oppose ? And is not this Christ the Author of our Holiness , and this Scripture the Commander of it ? Search and see , whether the difference be not this , that the Godly are serious in their Profession , and the Ungodly are Hypocrites , who hate and oppose the practise of the very things which themselves profess ; whose Religion serveth but to condemn them , while their Lives are contrary to their Tongues . XVIII . Understand what the Devil's Policy is , by raising so many b Sects and Factions and Controversies about Religion in the World : Even to make some think that they are religious , because they can prare for their Opinions , or because they think their Party is the best , because their Faction is the Greatest , or the Least ; the Uppermost , or the suffering Side . And to turn holy edifying Conference into vain Jangling ; and to make Men A●heists , suspecting all Religion , and true to none ; because of Mens diversity of Minds . But remember that Christian Religion is but One ; and a thing easily known by its ancient Rule ; and the universal Church , containing all Christians , is but One. And if carnal Interest or Opinions so distract Men , that one Party saith , We are all the Church ; and another saith , It is we , ( as if the Kitchin were all the House , o● one Town or Village , all the Kingdom ; ) Wilt thou b●● mad with seeing this Distraction ? Hearken , Sinner , all these Sects in the Day of Judgment shall concur 〈◊〉 Witnesses against thee , if thou be Unholy ; because however else they differed , c all of them that are Christians , professed the Necessity of Holiness , and subscribed to that Scripture which requireth it . Though thou canst not easily resolve every Controversie , thou mayst easily know-the true Religion ; it is that which Christ and his Apostles taught , which all Christians have professed , which Scripture requireth ; which is first d pure , and then peaceable ; most Spiritual , Heavenly , Charitable and Just . XIX . Away from that e Company which is sensual , and an Enemy to Reason , Sobriety , and Holiness ; and consequently to God , themselves and thee . Can they be wise for thee , that are foolish for themselves ? or Friends to thee , that are undoing themselves ? or have any pity on thy Soul , when they make a Jest of their own Damnation ? Will they help thee to Heaven , who are running so furiously to Hell ? chuse better Familiars , if thou wouldest be better . XX. Judge not of a holy Life by hearsay , for it cannot so be known . f Try it a while , and then judge as thou findest it . Speak not against the things thou knowest not . Hadst thou but lived in the Love of God , and the lively belief of endless Glory , and the Delights of Holiness , and the Fears of Hell , but for one Month or Day ; and with such a Heart , Hadst g cast away thy sin , and called upon God , and ordered thy Family in 〈◊〉 holy manner , especially on the Lord's Day ; I dare boldly say , Experience would constrain thee to h justifie a holy Life . But yet I must tell thee , it is not ●rue Holiness , if thou do but try it with i Exceptions and Reserves : If therefore God hath convinced thee that this is his Will and Way , I adjure thee , as in his dreadful Presence , that thou k delay no longer , but resolve , and absolutely give up thy self to God as thy Heavenly Father , thy Saviour , and thy Sanctifier , and ●ake an everlasting Covenant with him , and then he and 〈◊〉 his Mercies will be thine ; his Grace will help thee , ●nd his Mercy pardon thee ; his Ministers will instruct ●hee , and his People pray for thee , and assist thee ; his Angels will guard thee , and his Spirit comfort thee : and when Flesh must fail , and thou must leave this World , thy Saviour will then receive thy Soul , and bring ●t into the participation of his Glory ; and he will raise ●hy Body , and justifie thee before the World , and make ●hee equal to the Angels ; and thou shalt live in the ●ight and Love of God , and in the Everlasting Pleasures ●f his Glory : This is the end of Faith and Holiness . But 〈◊〉 thou harden thy Heart , and refusest Mercy , l everlasting Wo will be thy portion , and then there will be no remedy . And now , Reader , I beg of thee , and I beg of God on my bended knees , that these few words may sink into thy Heart , and that thou wouldest read them over and over again , and bethink thee as a Man that must shortly die . Whether any deserve thy Love and Obedience more than God ? and thy thankful Remembrance more then Christ , and thy Care and Diligence more than thy salvation ? Is there any Felicity more desirable than Heaven ? or any Misery more terrible than Hell ? or any thing so regardable as that which is everlasting ? Will a few days fleshly Pleasures pay for the loss of heaven and thy immortal Soul ? or will thy Sin and thy Prosperity be sweet at Death , and in the Day of Judgment ? As thou art a Man , and as ever thou believest that there is a God , and a World to come , and as thou carest for thy Soul , whether it be saved or damned , I beseech thee , I charge thee , think of these things ! think of them once a day at least ! think of them with thy most sober serious Thoughts ! Heaven is not a May-game , and Hell is not a Flea-biting ! Make not a jest of Salvation or Damnation ! I know thou livest in a Distracted world , where thou mayest hear some laughing at such things as these , and scorning at a Holy Life , and fastning odious Reproaches on the Godly , and merrily drinking , and playing , and prating away their Time , and then saying , that they will trust God with their Souls , and hope to be saved without so much ado ! But if all these Men do not change their minds , and be not shortly down in the Mouth , and would not be glad to eat their Words , and wished that they had lived a holy Life , though it had cost them Scorn and Suffering in the World , let me bear the shame of a Deceiver for ever : But if God and thy Conscience bear witness against thy Sin , and tell thee that a holy Life is best , regard not the Gain-sayings of a Bediam World , which is drunk with the Delusions of the Flesh : But give up thy Soul and Life to God by Jesus Christ in a faithful Covenant ! Delay no longer , Man , but resolve ; Resolve immediately , resolve unchangeably ; And God will he thine , and thou shalt be his for ever . Amen . Lord have Mercy on this Sinner , and to let it be resolved by thee in him . II. The Parts and Practice of a Holy Life for Personal and Family Instructions . ALL is not not a done when men have begun a Religious Life : All Trees that blossom prove not fruitful ; and all Fruit comes not to perfection . Many fall off , who seemed to have good Beginnings : And many dishonour the Name of Christ , by their Scandals and Infirmities : Many do grieve their Teachers Hearts , and lamentably disturb the Church of Christ , by their Ignorance , Errors , Self-conceitedness , Unruliness , Headiness , Contentiousness , Sidings and Divisions : Insomuch that the b Scandals and the Feuds of Christians are the great Impediments of the Conversion of the Infidel and Heathen World , by the exposing Christianity to their contempt and scorn , as if it were but the Error of men , as unholy and worldly , and proud as others , that can never agree among themselves : And many by their Passions and Selfishness are a Trouble to the Families and Neighbours where they live : And more by their Weaknesses and great Distempers , are Snares , Vexations , and Burdens to themselves . Whereas Christianity in its true Constitution , is a Life of such Holy c Light and Love , such Purity and Peace , such Fruitfulness and Heavenliness , as if it were accordingly shewed forth in the Lives of Christians , would command Admiration and Reverence from the World , and do more to their Conversion , than Swords or Words alone can do : and it would make Christians useful and amiable to each other : And their Lives a Feast and pleasure to themselves . I hope it may prove some help to these Excellent Ends , and to the securing Mens Salvation , if in a few sound Experienced Directions I open to you the Duties of a Christian Life , I. Keep still the true d Form of Christian Doctrine , Desire and Duty , orderly printed on your Minds : That is , Understand it clearly and distinctly , and remember it , I mean the Great Points of Religion contained in Catechisms . You may still grow in the clearer understanding of your Catechisms , if you live an hundred Years : Let not the Words only , but the Matter , be as familiar in your Minds , as the Rooms of your House are . Such e solid Knowledge will establish you against Seduction and Unbelief , and will be still within you a ready Help for every Grace , and every Duty ; as the Skill of an Artificer is for his Work : And for want of this , when you come among Infidels or Hereticks , their Reasonings may seem unanswerable to you , and shake , if not overthrow your Faith ; And you will easily err in lesser Points , and trouble the Church with your Dreams and Wranglings . This is the Calamity of many Professors ; that while they will be most censorious Judges in every Controversie about Church-matters , they know not well the Doctrine of the Catechism . II. Live daily by Faith on f Jesus Christ , as the Mediator between God and you . Being well-grounded in the Belief of the Gospel , and understanding Christ's Office , make use of him still in all your Wants . Think on the Fatherly Love of God , as coming to you through him alone : and of the Spirit , as given by him your Head , and of the Covenant of Grace as enacted and sealed by him ; and of the Ministry as sent by him ; and of all Times and Helps , and hopes as procured and given by him . When you think of Sin , and Infirmity , and Temptations , think also of his sufficient , pardonin● , justifying and victorious Grace . When thou thinkest of the World , the Flesh , and the Devil , think how he overcometh them . Let his Doctrine and the Pattern of his most perfect Life , be always before you as your Rule . In all your Doubts , and Fears , and Wants , go to him in the Spirit , and to the Father by him , and him alone . Take him as the Root of your Life and Mercies , and live as upon him and by his Life ; and when you die , resign your Souls to him , that they may be with him where he is , and see his Glory . To live on Christ and use him in every Want , and address to God , is more than a general confused Believing in him . III. So believe in the Holy Ghost , as to g live and work by him , as the Body doth by the Soul. You are not h baptized into his Name in vain ; ( but too few understand the sense and reason of it . ) The Spirit is sent by Christ for Two great Works . 1. To the Apostles and Prophets , to i inspire them infallibly to preach the Gospel , and confirm it by Miracles , and leave it on Record for following Ages , in the Holy Scriptures . 2. To all his k Members , to illuminate and sanctifie them , to believe and obey this Sacred Doctrine ( beside his common Gift to many to understand and preach it . ) The Spirit having first indicted the Gospel , doth by it first regenerate , and after govern all true Believers . He is not now given ●s for the revealing of new Doctrines , but to understand and obey the l Doctrine revealed and sealed by him long ago . As the Sun doth by its sweet and discreet Influence , both give and cherish the natural life of things Sensitive and Vegetative ; so doth Christ by his m Spirit our spiritual Life . As you do no work but by your natural Life , you should do none but by your spiritual Life : You must not only Believe , and Love and pray by it , but manage all your Calling by it ; for Holiness to the lord must be written upon all ; All things are sanctified to you , because you being sanctified to God , devote all to him , and use all for him ; and therefore must do all in the Strength and Conduct of the Spirit . IV. n Live wholly upon God , as All in All : As the first Efficient , principal Dirigent , and final Cause of all things . Let Faith , Hope , and Love , be daily feeding on him . Let Our Father which art in Heaven , be first inscribed on your Hearts , that he may seem most amiable to you , and you may boldly trust him , and filial Love may be the spring of Duty . Make use of the Son and Spirit to lead you to the Father ; and of Faith in Christ to kindle and keep alive the Love of God. God's Love is our Primitive Holiness , and especially called , with its Fruits , [ Our Sanctification , ] which Faith in Christ is but a means to . Let it be your principal End , in studying Christ , to see the Goodness , Love , and Amiableness of God in him : A condemning God is not so easily loved , as a gracious reconciled God. You have so much of the Spirit , as you have Love to God : This is the proper Gift of the Spirit to all the adopted Sons of God , to cause them , with filial Affection and Dependance , to cry , Abba , Father . Know not , desire not , love not any Creature , but purely as subordinate to God! Without him , let it be nothing to you , but as the Glass without the Face , or scattered Letters without the Sense ; or as the Corps without the Soul. o Call nothing Prosperity or Pleasure , but his Love ; and nothing Adversity or Misery , but his Displeasure , and the Cause and the Fruits of it . When any thing would seem lovely and desirable which is against him , call it p Dung ! And hear that Man , as q Satan , or the Serpent , that would entice you from him ; and count him but Vanity , a Worm , and Dust , that would affright you from your Duty to him . Fear him much , but love him more ! Let r Love be the Soul and End of every other Duty : It is the End and Reason of all the rest ; but it hath no End or Reason , but its Object . Think of no other Heaven , and End , and Happiness of Man , but Love , the final Act , and God the final Object : Place not your Religion in any thing but the Love of God , with its Means and Fruits . Own no Grief , Desire , or Joy , but a mourning , a seeking , and a rejoycing Love. V. Live in the belief and hopes of Heaven , and s seek it as your Part and End ; and daily delight your Souls in the sore-thoughts of the endless Sight and Love of God. As God is seen on Earth but as in a Glass , so is he proportionably enjoyed . But when mourning , seeking Love hath done , and Sin and Enemies are overcome , and we behold the Glory of God in Heaven , the Delights of Love will then be perfect . You may desire more on Earth than you may hope for . Look not for a Kingdom of this World , nor for Mount Zion in the Wilderness . Christ reigneth on Earth , as Moses in the Camp , to guide us to the 〈◊〉 and of the Promise : Our perfect Blessedness will be , where the Kingdom is delivered up to the Father , and God is All in All. A Doubt , or a strange heartless thought of Heaven , is Water cast on the sacred Fire , to quench your Holiness and your Joy. Can you travel one whole day to such an End , and never think of the Place that you are going to ? which must be intended in every righteous Act ( either notedly , or by the ready unobserved Act of a potent Habit. ) When Earth is at the best , it will not be Heaven . You live no further by Faith , like Christians , than you either live for Heaven in seeking it , or else upon Heaven in Hope and Joy. VI. Labour to make Religion your Pleasure and t Delight . Look oft to God , to Heaven , to Christ , to the Spirit , to the Promises , to all your Mercies . Call over your Experiences , and think what matter of high Delight is still before you , and how unseemly it is , and how injurious to your Profession , for one that saith he hopeth for Heaven , to live as sadly as those that have no higher hopes than Earth . How should that Man be filled with Joy , who must live in the Joys of Heaven for ever ? Especially rejoyce when the Messengers of Death do tell you , that your endless Joy is near . If God , and Heaven , with all our Mercies in the way , be not reason enough for a joyful Life , there can be none at all . Abhor all Suggestions which would make Religion seem a tedious irksome Life . And take heed that you represent it not so to others ; for you will never make them in love with that which you make the● not perceive to be delectable and lovely . Not as the Hypocrite , by forcing and framing his Religion to his carnal Mind and Pleasure ; but bringing up the Heart to a holy suitableness to the Pleasures of Religion . VII Watch as for your Souls , against this flattering tempting u World ; especially when it is represented as more sweet and delectable , than God , and Holiness , and Heaven . This World with its Pleasures , Wealth , and Honours , is it that is put in the Ballance by Satan , against God , and Holiness , and Heaven : And no Man shall have better than he chooseth and preferreth . The Bait taketh advantage of the brutish part , when Reason is asleep ; and if by the help of Sense it get the Throne , the Beast will ride and rule the Man ; and Reason become a slave to Sensuality . When you hear the Serpent , see his Sting , and see Death attending the forbidden Fruit : When you are rising , look down and see how far you have to fall ! His Reason , as well as Faith , is weak , who for such Fools-gawds , as the Pomp and Vanitles of this World , can forget God and his Soul , and Death , and Judgment , Heaven and Hell , yea and deliberately command them to stand by . What Knowledge or Experience can do good on that Man , who will venture so much for such a World , which all , that have tried it , call vanity at the last ? How deplorable then is a World●ings case ? Oh fear the World when it smileth , or seems sweet and amiable . Love it not , if you love your God and your Salvation . VIII . Fly from Temptations , and crucify the x Flesh , and keep a constant Government over your Appetite and Se●●●es . Many , who had no designed stated Vice , or worldly Interest , have shamefully fallen by the sudden surprize of Appetite or Lust . When custom hath taught these to be greedy and violent , like a hungry Dog , or a lusting B●ar , it is not a sluggish Wish or Purpose , that will mortify or rule them ! How dangerous a case is that Man in , who hath so greedy a Beast continually to restrain ? that if he do but neglect his Watch one Hour , is ready to run him headlong into Hell ? Who can be safe that standeth long on so terrible a precipice ? The Tears and Sorrows of many Years , may perhaps not repair the loss which one Hour or Act may bring . The ●ase of David , and many others , are dreadful Warnings . Know what it is that you are most in Danger of ; whether Lust and Idleness , or Excess in Meats , or Drinks or Play ; and there set your strongest Watch for your Preservation . Make it your daily Business to mortify that ●ust , and scorn that your brutish Sense or Appetite should conquer Reason . Yet trust not purposes alone ; but away from the Temptation ; Touch not , yea look not on the tempting Bait : keep far enough off , if you ●esire to be safe . What Miseries come from small beginnings ? Temptation leads to Sin , and small Sins to greater , and those to Hell ! And Sin and Hell are not to be played with ! Open your Sin or Temptation to some Friend , that shame may save you from Danger . IX . Keep up a constant skilful Government over your y Passions and your Tongues . To this end , keep a tender Conscience , which will smart when in any of these you sin . Let Holy Passions be well ordered , and selfish carnal Passions be restrained . Let your z Tongues know their Duties to God and Man , and labour to be skilful and resolute in performing them . Know all the Sins of the Tongue , that you may avoid them ; for your Innocency and Peace do much depend on the prudent Government of your Tongues . X. Govern your a Thoughts with constant skilful Diligence . In this , right Habits and Affections will do most , by inclining them unto Good. It 's easy to think on that which we love . Be not unfurnished of matter for your Thoughts to work upon : And often retire your selves for serious Meditation . Be not so solitary and deep in Musings , as to over-stretch your Thoughts , and confound your Minds , or take you off from necessary converse with others ! But be sure that you be Considerate , and dwell much at Home , and converse most with your Consciences and your God! with whom you have the greatest Business ! Leave not your thoughts unimployed , or ungoverned : Scatter them not abroad upon impertinent Vanities . O that you knew what daily business you have for them ! Most men are wicked , deceived , and undone , because they are inconsiderate , and dare not , or will not , retiredly and soberly use their Reason ; or use it but as a slave in Chains in the service of their Passion , Lust and Interest . He was never Wise , or Good , or Happy , who was not soberly and impartially Considerate , How to be Good , to do Good , and finally enjoy Good , must be the sum of all your Thoughts . Keep them first holy , then charitable , clean and chaste . And quickly check them when they look towards sin . XI . Let b Time be exceeding Precious in your Eyes , and carefully and diligently redeem it . What haste doth it make ? and how quickly will it be gone ? and then how highly will it be valued ; when a Minute of it can never be recalled ? O what important Business have we , for every Moment of our Time , if we should live a thousand Years ! Take not that Man to be well in his Wits , or to know his God , his End , his Work , or his Danger , who hath Time to spare . Redeem it , not only from needless Sports , and Plays , and Idleness , and Curiosity , and Complement , and excess of Sleep , and Chat , and Worldliness ; but also from the Entanglements of lesser Good , which would hinder you from greater . Spend time , as Men that are ready to pass into another World , where every Minute must be accounted for ; and it must go with us for ever as we lived here let not Health deceive you into the expectation of living long , and so into a sensless Negligence . See your Glass running , and keep a reckoning of the expence of Time : and spend it just as you would review it when it is gone . XII . Let the c Love of all in their several Capacities become as it were your very Nature : and doing them all the Good you can , be very much of the Business of your Lives . God must be loved in all his Creatures , his natural Image on all Men , and his spiritual Image on his Saints . Our Neighbour must be loved as our natural selves ▪ That is , our natural Neighbour as our natural Self , with a Love of benevolence ; and our spiritual Neighbour as our spiritual Self , with a Love of Complacence . In opposition to Complacence , we may hate our sinful Neighbour , as we must our selves ( much more : ) But in opposition to Benevolence we must neither hate our Selves , our Neighbour , or our Enemy . O that Men knew how much of Christianity doth consist in Love , and doing Good ! With what Eyes do they read the Gospel , who see not this in every Page ? Abhor all that Selfishness , Pride and Passion which are the Enemies of Love ; and those Opinions , and Factions , and Censurings , and Back-biting , which would destroy it . Take him that speaketh Evil of another to you , without a just cause and call , to be Satan's Messenger , intreating you to hate your Brother , or to abate your Love. For to perswade you that a Man is bad , is directly to perswade you so far to hate him . Not that the good and bad must be confounded : but Love will call none bad without constraining evidence . Rebuke Back ▪ biters . Hurt no Man , and speak evil of no Man ; unless it be not only just , but necessarily to some greater Good. Love is lovely : They that Love shall be Beloved . Hating and hurting makes Men hateful . Love thy Neighbour as thy self ; and Do as thou wouldst be done by , are the Golden Rules of our Duty to Men ; which must be deeply written on your Hearts . For want of this , there is nothing so false , so bad , so cruel , which you may not be drawn to think , or say , or do against your Brethren . Selfishness and want of Love , do as naturally tend to Ambition and Covetousness , and thence to Cruelty against all that 〈◊〉 in the Way of their Desires , as the nature of a 〈◊〉 to kill the Lambs . All Factions , and Contentions , and Persecutions in the World , proceed from Selfishness , and want of Charity . Devouring Malice is the Devilish Nature . Be as zealous in doing gòod to all , as Satan's Servants are in hurting . Take it as the use of all your Talents , and use them as you would hear of it at last . Let it be your Business and not a matter on , the by : Especially for publick Good , and Mens Salvation . And what you cannot do your selves , perswade other to . Give them good Books : and draw them to the means , which are most like to profit them . XIII . Understand the right Terms of Church-Communion : especially the Unity of the Universal Church , and the Universal Communion , which you must hold with all the parts ; and the difference between the Church as Visible and Invisible . For want of these , how woful are our divisions ? Read oft , 1 Cor. 12. & Eph. 4. 1. to 17. Job . 17. 21 , 22 , 23. Act. 4. 32. & 2. 42. 1 Cor. 1. 10 , 11 , 13. & 3. 3. Rom. 16. 17. Phil. 2. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4. 1 Thes . 5. 12 , 13. Act. 20. 30. 1 Cor. 11. 19. Titus . 3. 10. James . 3. Col. 1. 4. Heb. 10. 25. Acts 8. 12 , 13 , 37. 1 Cor. 1. 2 , 13. & 3. 3 , 4. & 11. 18 , 21. Study these well . You must have Union and Communion in Faith and Love , with all the Christians in the World. And refuse not local Communion when you have a just call , so far as they put you not on sinning . Let your usual meeting be with the purest Church , if you lawfully may , ( and still respect the publick Good ; ) But sometimes occasionally communicate even with defective faulty Churches , so be it they are true Christians , and put you not on Sin : that so you may shew that you own them as Christians , though you disown their Corruptions . Think not your presence maketh all the Faults of Ministry , Worship , or People to be yours ( for then I would join with no Church in the World. ) Know that as the mystical Church consisteth of Heart-Covenanters , so doth the Church as Visible consist of Verbal-Covenanters , which make a credible profession of Consent : And that Nature and Scripture teacheth us to take every Man's word as Credible , till Perfidiousness forfeit his Credit ; which forfeiture must be proved , before any sober Profession can be taken for an insufficient title . d Grudge not then at the Communion of any Professed Christian in the Church Visible : ( though we must do our part to cast out the obstinately impenitent by Discipline ; which if we cannot do , the Fault is not ours . ) The presence of Hypocrites is no hurt , but oft a Mercy to the Sincere . How small else would the Church seem in the World ? Outward Privileges belong to Outward Covenanters ; and Inward Mercies to the Sincere . e Division is wounding , and tends to Death . Abhor it as you love the Churches welfare or your own : The Wisdom from above is first pure , and then peaceable . Never separate what God conjoineth . It is the Earthly , sensual , devilish Wisdom , which causeth bitter envying , and strife , and confusion , and every evil Work. Blessed are the Peace-makers . XIV . Take heed of f Pride and Self-conceitedness in Religion : If once you over-value your own understandings , your crude Conceptions and gross Mistakes will delight you as some supernatural light : And instead of having compassion on the Weak , you will be unruly and despisers of your Guides , and censorious contemners of all that differ from you ; and persecutors of them if you have Power ; and will think all intolerable , that take you not as Oracles , and your words as Law. Forget not that the Church hath always suffered by censorious , unruly Professors on the one Hand , ( and O what Divisions and Scandals have they caused ! ) as well as by the Prophane and Persecucutors on the other . Take need of both : And when Contentions are afoot , be quiet and silent , and not too forward ; and keep up a Zeal for Love and Peace . XV. Be faithful and conscionable in all your g Relations . Honour and obey your Parents , and other Superiors : Despise not , and resist not Government : If you suffer unjustly by them , be humbled for those Sins , which cause God to turn your Protectors into Afflictors : And instead of murmuring and rebelling against them , reform your selves , and then commit your selves to God ▪ Princes and Pastors I will not speak to : Subjects , and Servants , and Children , must obey their Superiors , as the Officers of God. XVI . Keep up the Government of God in your h Families . Holy Families must be the chief preservers of the Interest of Religion in the World. Let not the World turn God's Service into a customary lifeless Form. Read the Scripture , and edifying Books to them ▪ Talk with them seriously about the State of their Souls , and everlasting Life ; Pray with them fervently ; Watch over them diligently ; Be angry against Sin , and meek in your own cause ; Be Examples of Wisdom , Holiness and Patience ; And see that the Lord's Day be spent in holy preparation for Eternity . XVII . Let your i Callings be managed in Holiness and Laboriousness . Live not in Idleness ; be not slothful in your Work , whether you be Bound or Free ; in the sweat of your Brows you must eat your Bread , and labour the six Days , that you may have to give to him that needeth ; Slothfulness is Sensuality as well as filthier Sins . The Body ( that is able ) must have fit Employments as well as the Soul , or else Body and Soul will fare the worse ; but let all be but as the labour of a Traveller , and aim at God and Heaven in all . XVIII . Deprive not your selves of the benefit of an able faithful k Pastor , to whom you may open your Case in secret ; or at least of a holy l faithful Friend : And be not m displeased at their free Reproofs . Wo to him that is alone ! How blind and partial are we in our own Cause● and how hard is it to know our selves without an able faithful Helper ! You forfeit this great Mercy , when you love a Flatterer , and angrily defend your Sin. XIX . n Prepare for Sickness , Sufferings , and Death . Overvalue not Prosperity , nor the Favour of Man. If selfish Men prove false and cruel to you , even those of whom you have deserved best , marvel not at it , but pray for your Enemies , Persecutors , and Slanderers , that God would turn their Hearts and pardon them . What a Mercy is it to be driven from the World to God , when the love of the World is the greatest danger of the Soul ? Be ready to die , and you are ready for any thing . Ask your Hearts seriously , What is it that I shall need at a dying Hour ? And let it speedily be got ready , and not be to seek in the time of your Extremity . XX. Understand the true Method of Peace of Conscience , and judge not of the State of your Souls upon deceitful Grounds . As presumptuous Hopes do keep Men from Conversion , and embolden them to sin ; so causless Fears do hinder our Love and Praise of God , by obscuring his Loveliness : And they destroy our Thankfulness , and our Delight in God , and make us a Burden to our selves , and a grievous Stumbling block to others . The general Grounds of all your Comfort , are . 1. The o gracious Nature of God. 2. The p sufficiency of Christ . And. 3. the Truth and q Universality of the Promise , which giveth Christ and Life to all ▪ if they will accept him . But this Acceptance is the Proof of your particular Title , without which these do but aggravate your Sin. Consent to God's Covenant is the true Condition and Proof of your Title to God as your Father , Saviour , and Sanctifier , and so to the saving Blessings of the Covenant : Which Consent , if you survive , must produce the Duties which you consent to . He that heartily consenteth that God be his God , his Saviour and Sanctifier , is in a state of Life . But this includeth th●● ) rejection of the VVorld ; Much Knowledge , and Memory , and Utterance , and lively Affections , are all very desirable : But you must judge your state by none of these , for they are all uncertain . But , 1. If God , and Holiness , and Heaven , have the highest estimation of your practical Judgment , as being esteemed best for you : 2. And be preferred in the Choice and Resolution of your Wills , and that habitually before all the Pleasures of the VVorld : 3. And be first and chiefly sought in your Endeavours ; This is the infallible proof of your Sanctification . Christian , Upon long and serious study and experience , I dare boldly commend these Directions to thee , as the VVay of God , which will end in Blessedness . The Lord resolve and strengthen thee to obey them . This is the true Constitution of Christianity : This is true Godliness ; and this is to be Religious indeed : And all this is no more than to be seriously such , as all among us in general VVords profess to be . This is the Religion which must difference you from Hypocrites ; which must settle you in Peace , and make you an Honour to your Profession , and a Blessing to those that dwell about you . Happy is the Land , the Church , the Family , which doth consist of such as these ! These are not they that either Persecute or Divide the Church , or that make their Religion a servant to their Policy , to their ambitious designs , or fleshl● Lusts ; nor that make it the Bellows of Sedition or Rebellion , or of an envious hurtful Zeal , or a snare for the Innocent , or a Pistol to shoot at the Upright in Heart : These are not they that have been the shame of their Profession , the hardning of Ungodly Men and Infidels and that have caused the Enemies of the Lord to blaspheme . If any Man will make a Religion of , or for his Lusts ; of Papal r Tyranny , or Pharisaical Formality , or of his private Opinions , or of proud censoriousness , and contempt of others , and of Faction , and 〈◊〉 warr●ntable Separations and Divisions , and of standing at a more observable distance from common Professors of Christianity , than God would have them ; or yet of pulling up the Hedg of Discipline , and laying Christ's Vineyard common to the Wilderness ; the Storm is coming , when this Religion founded on the Sand will fall , and great will be the fall thereof . When the Religion which consisteth in Faith and Love to God and Man , in mortifying the Flesh , and crucifying the World , in Self-denyal , Humility and Patience , in sincere Obedience , and faithfulness in all Relations , in watchful Self-Government , in doing Good , and in a Divine and Heavenly Life , tho' it will be hated by the ungodly World , shall never be a dishonour to your Lord , nor deceive or disappoint your Souls . A Short Catechism . Quest . 1. WHat is the Christian Religion ? Answ . The Christian Religion is the Baptismal Covenant made and kept ; wherein God the Father , Son and Holy Ghost , doth give himself to be ou● reconciled God and Father , our Saviour and Sanctifier and we believingly give up our selves accordingly to him , renouncing the Flesh , the World , and the Devil . Which Covenant is to be oft renewed , specially in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper . Quest . 2. Where is our Covenant-part and Duty fullier opened ? Answ . 1. In the Creed , as the Sum of our Belief . 2. In the Lord's Prayer , as the Sum of our Desires . 3. And in the Ten Commandments ( as given us by Christ , with the Gospel-Explications ) as the Sum of our Practice . Which are as followeth . The CREED . I Believe in God the Father Almighty , Creator of Heaven and Earth : And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord , which was conceived by the Holy Ghost , born of the Virgin Mary , suffered under Pontius Pilate , was Crucified , dead and buried , he descended into Hell : The third day he arose again from the Dead , he ascended into Heaven , and sitteth on the right Hand of God the Father Almighty , from thence he shall come to Judg ▪ the Quick and the Dead . I believe in the Holy Ghost , the Holy Catholick Church , the Communion of Saints , the Forgiveness of Sins , the Resurrection of the Body , and the Life Everlasting . Amen . The LORD'S Prayer . OUR Father which art in Heaven , Hallowed be thy Name . Thy Kingdom come . Thy Will be done on Earth , as it is in Heaven . Give us this day our daily Bread. And forgive us our Trespasses , as we forgive them that trespass against us : And lead us not into Temptation , but deliver us from Evil ; for thine is the Kingdom , and the Power , and the Glory for ever . Amen . The Ten Commandments . I. I Am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the Land of Egypt , out of the House of Bondage : Thou shalt have no other Gods before me . II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image , or any likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above , or that is in the Earth beneath , or that is in the Water under the Earth ; thou shalt not bow down thy self to them , nor serve them : For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God , visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me , and shewing Mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandments . III. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain ; For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain . IV. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy ; six days shalt thou labour and do all thy Work ; but the seventh Day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God , in it thou shalt not do any Work ; thou , nor thy Son , nor thy Daughter , thy Man-servant , nor thy Maid-servant , nor thy Cattel , nor the Stranger that is within thy Gates . For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth , the Sea , and all that in them is ; and rested the seventh Day ; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-Day , and hallowed it . V. Honour thy Father and thy Mother , that thy Days may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee . VI. Thou shalt not Kill . VII . Thou shalt not commit Adultery . VIII . Thou shalt not Steal . IX . Thou shalt not bear false Witness against thy Neighbour . X. Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbour's House thou shalt not cover thy Neighbour's Wife , nor his Man-servant , nor his Maid-servant , nor his Ox , nor his Ass , nor any thing that is thy Neighbour's . Quest . 3. Where is the Christian Religion most fully opened , and entirely contained ? Answ . In the Holy Scriptures , especially of the New Testament : Where , by Christ , and his Apostles and Evangelists , inspired by his Spirit , the History of Christ and his Apostles is ●ufficiently delivered , the Promises and Doctrine of Faith are perfected , the Covenant of Grace most clearly opened , and Church-Offices , Worship , and Discipline established ; in the understanding whereof , the strongest Christians may increase whilst they live on Earth . The explained Profession of the Christian Religion . I. I Believe that there is one GOD , an infinite Spirit of Life , Understanding and Will ; perfectly Powerful , Wise and Good ; The Father , the Word , and the Spirit , the Creator , Governour , and End of all things ; our absolute Owner , our most just Ruler ▪ and our most gracious Benefactor , and most amiable Good. II. I believe that Man being made in the Image of God , an imbodied Spirit of Life ▪ Understanding and Will , with holy Vi●acity , wisdom and Love , to know , and love , and serve his Creator , here and for ever , did by wilful finning fall from his God , his Holiness , and Innocency , under the Wrath of God , the Condemnation of his law , and the Slavery of the Flesh , the World , and the Devil . And that God so loved the World , that he gave his only Son to be their Redeemer , who being GOD ▪ and one ●ith the Father , took our Nature , and became MAN : being conceived by the Holy Ghost , born of the Virgin Mary , called Jesus Christ , who was perfectly holy , sinless , fulfilling all ▪ Righteousness ▪ over came the Devil and the World , and gave himself a Sacrifice for our Sins , by suffering a cursed Death on the Cross , to ransom us , and reconcile us unto God ▪ ●nd was buried , and went among the Dead ; the ●hird Day he rose again , having conquered Death . And he fully established the Covenant of Grace , that ●ll that truly repent and believe , shall-have the love of the Father , the Grace of the Son , and the Com●union of the Holy Spirit ; and if they love God , and ●bey him sincerely to the Death , they shall be glori●●ed with him in Heaven for ever : And the Unbelievers , Impenitent , and Ungodly shall go to ever●●sting Punishment . And having commanded his Apostles to Preach the Gospel to all the World ▪ and promised his Spirit , he ascended into Heaven Where he is the Glorified , Head over all Things to the Church , and our prevailing Intercessor with the Father : who will there receive the departed Souls of th● Justified : and at the end of this VVorld will come again and raise all the Dead , and will Judge all according to their VVorks , and justly execute his Judgment . III. I believe that God , the Holy Spirit , was given 〈◊〉 the Father and the Son , to the Prophets , Apostles , 〈◊〉 Evangelists , to be their Infallible Guide in Preach●●● and Recording the Doctrine of Salvation ; and the Witness of its certain Truth , by his manifold Divine Operations ; and to quicken , illuminate , and sanctifie all true Believers , that they may overcome the Flesh , th● VVorld , and the Devil . And all that are thus sanctified , are one holy Catholick Church of Christ , and m●●● live in holy C●mmunion , and have the pardon 〈◊〉 their Sins , and shall have everlasting Life . Believing in God the Father Son and Holy Spirit , do presently , absolutely , and resolved 〈◊〉 give up my self to him , my Creator and reconciled God and Father , my Saviour and Sanctifier : And repenting of my Sins ▪ I renounce the Devil , the World , and the sinful desire● of the Flesh : And denying my self , and taking up m● Cross , I consent to follow Christ the Captain 〈◊〉 my Salvation , in hope of his promised Grace and Glory . A Short CATECHISM for those that hav●● Learned the first . Quest . 1. WHat do you believe concerning GOD ? 1 Assent . Answ . There is one onely God ; a● Infinite Spirit of Life , Understanding and Will , m●●● perfectly Powerful , Wise and Good ; The Father , the Word , and the Spirit : The Creator , Governour and end of all things ; Our Absolute Owner , our most Just Ruler , and our most Gracious and most Ami●ble Father . Quest . 2. What believe you of the Creation , and the nature of Man , and the Law which was given to him ? Answ . God created all the World : And made MAN in his own Image , an imbodied Spirit of Life , Understanding and Will , with holy Liveliness . Wisdom and Love ; to know , and love , and serve has Maker , here and for ever : and gave him the inferiour Creatures for his use : But forbad him to eat of the Tree of Knowledge , upon pain of Death . Qu. What believe you of Man's fall into sin and misery ? Ans . Man being tempted by Satan ▪ did by wilful sinning fall from his Holiness , his Innocency , and his Happiness , under the Justice of God , the condemnation of his Law , and the slavery of the Flesh , the World , and the Devil ; whence sinful , guilty and miserable Natures are propagated to all Mankind : And no meer Creature is able to deliver us . Quest . 4. What believe you of Man's Redemption by Jesus Christ ? Answ . God so loved the World , that he gave his only Son to be their Saviour : Who being GOD , and One with the Father , took our Nature , and became MAN ; being conceived by the Holy Ghost ; Born of the Virgin Mary ; and called JESUS CHRIST : who was perfectly holy , without sin , fulfilling all Righteousness ; and overcame the Devil and the World ; and gave himself a Sacrifice for our Sins , by suffering a Cursed Death on the Cross to ransom us , and reconcile us unto God ; and was buried , and went among the Dead : the third day he rose again , having conquered Death ; and having sealed the New Covenant with his Blood , he commanded his Apostles and other Ministers , to Preach the Gospel to all the World ; and promised the Holy Ghost : And then Ascended into Heaven , where he is God and Man , the Glorified Head over all things to his Church , and our prevailing Intercessor with God the Father . Quest . 5. What is the New Testament , or Covenant , 〈◊〉 Law of Grace ? Answ . God through Jesus Christ , doth freely give to all Mankind , himself , to be their Reconciled God and Father , his Son to be their Saviour , and his Holy Spirit to be their Sanctifier , if they will believe and accept the Gift , and will give up themselves to him accordingly ▪ Repenting of their sins , and consenting to forsake th● Devil , the World , and the Flesh , and sincerely ▪ ( though not perfectly ) to obey Christ ▪ and his Spirit to the end , according to the Law of Nature , and his Gospel Institutions , that they may be glorified in Heaven for ever . Quest . 6. What believe you of the Holy Ghost ? Answ . God the Holy Spirit was given by the Father and the Son to the Prophets , Apostles , and Evangelists ; to be their Infallible Guide in Preaching and Recording , the Doctrine of Salvation ; and the Witness of its certain Truth by his manifold Divine Operations ▪ And he is given , to quicken , illuminate , and sanctifie all true Believers , and to save them from the Devil , the World , and the Flesh . Quest . 7. What believe you of the Holy Catholick Church , the Communion of Saints , and the Forgiveness of Sins ? Answ . All that truely consent to the Baptismal Covenant , are one sanctified Church or Body of Christ , and have Communion in the same Spirit of Faith and Love , and have the forgiveness of all their sins ; and all that by Baptism visibly Covenant , and that continue to profess Christianity and Holiness , are the universal visible Church on Earth ; and must keep holy Communion with Love and Peace in the particular Churches ; in the Doctrine , VVorship , and Order Instituted by Christ . Quest . 8. What believe you of the Resurrection and Everlasting Life ? Answ . At Death the Souls of the Justified go to Happiness with Christ , and the Souls of the Wicked ●o Misery : And at the end of this World , Christ will ●ome in Glory , and will raise the Bodies of all Men ●rom Death , and will Judge all according to their Works : And the Righteous shall go into Everlasting Life , where being made perfect themselves , they shall 〈◊〉 God , and perfectly Love and Praise him with Christ● and all the glorified Church ; and the rest into Ever●asting punishment . Quest . 9. You have told me what you . Il. Consent . Believe : Tell me now what is the full Resolution and Desire of your Will , concerning all this which you Believe ? Answ . Believing in God the Father , Son , and Holy ●pirit , I do presently , absolutely and resolvedly give up my self to Him , my Creator and reconciled God and Father , my Saviour , and my Sanctifier . And Repenting of my Sins I renounce the Devil , the World , and the sinful desires of the Flesh . And denying my self , and taking up my Cross , I consent to follow Christ the Captain of my Salvation ; In hope of the Grace and Glory promised . Which I daily desire and ●eg as he hath taught me , saying , [ Our Father which 〈◊〉 in Heaven , &c. ] Quest . 10. What is that Practice which by this Covenant , 〈◊〉 are obliged to ? Answ . According to the Law of Nature , and Christs ●nstitutions I must ( desiring Perfection ) sincerely Obey him in a Life of Faith , and Hope , and Love● Loving God as God , for himself above all , and loving my self as his Servant , especially my Soul ; and seeking 〈◊〉 Holiness and Salvation ; and Loving my Neighbour 〈◊〉 my self . I must avoid all Idolatry of Mind or Body , ●nd must Worship God according to his Word , by ●earning and Meditating on his Word ; by Prayer , Thanksgiving , Praise , and use of his Sacrament : I must not profane , but holily use his holy Name ▪ I must keep holy the Lord's Day , especially in Communion with the Church Assemblies : I must Honour and Obey my Parents , Magistrates , Pastors , and other ●●lers : I must not wrong my Neighbour in thought , word , or deed , in his Soul , his Body , his Chastity , Estate , Right o● Propriety ; but do him all the good I can ▪ And do as I would be done by ; which is summed up in the Ten Commandments , [ God spake these words , saying , &c. A Prayer for Families in the method of the Lords Prayer , being ●ut an Exposition of it . MOST Glorious GOD , who art Power , and Wisdom , and Goodness it self , the Creator 〈◊〉 all things ; the Owner , the Ruler , and the Benefactor of the World , but especially of thy Church and Chosen Ones : Though by sin original and actual we were thy Enemies , the Slaves of Satan and our Flesh , and under thy displeasure , and the condemnation of thy Law ; yet thy Children Redeemed by Jesus Christ thy Son , and Regenerated by thy Holy Spirit , have leave to call thee their reconciled Father : For by thy Covenant of Grace thou hast given them thy Son to be their Head ▪ their Teacher , and their Saviour : And in Him thou ha●t pardoned , adopted , and sanctified them ; sealing and preparing them by thy Holy Spirit , for thy C●●lestial Kingdom , and beginning in them that holy life , and light , and love , which shall be perfected with thee in Everlasting Glory . O with what wondrous love hast thou loved us , that of Rebels we should be made the Sons of God! Thou hast advanced us to this dignity , that we might be devoted wholly to Thee as Thine Own , and might delightfully obey Thee , and entirely love Thee with all our Heart ; and so might glorifie Thee here and for ever . O cause both us , and all thy Churches , and all the World , to hallow thy great and holy Name ! And to 〈◊〉 to Thee as our Ultimate End ; that thy shining 〈◊〉 on Holy Souls may Glorifie thy Divine Perfection . And cause both us and all the Earth , to cast off the Tyranny of Satan and the Flesh , and to acknowledge thy Supream Authority , and to become the Kingdom● of Thee and Thy Son Jesus , by a willing and absolute subjection . O perfect thy Kingdom of Grace in our selves and in the World , and hasten the Kingdom of Glory . And cause us and thy Churches , and all people of the Earth , no more to be ruled by the Lu●●s of the Flesh , and their Erroneous Conceits , and by Self-will , which is the Idol of the Wicked ; but by thy perfect Wisdom and holy Will revealed in thy Laws : Make known thy Word to all the World , and send them the Messengers of Grace and Peace ; and cause Men to understand , believe and obey the Gospel of Salvation and that with such Holiness , Unity , and Love , that the Earth , which is now too like to Hell , may 〈◊〉 made liker unto Heaven ; and not only thy scattered imperfect Flock , but those also , who in their carnal and ungodly minds do now refuse a holy Life , and think thy Word and Ways too strict , may desire to imitate even the Heavenly Church ; where Thou art obeyed , and loved , and praised , with high Delight , in Harmony and Perfection . And because our Being is the subject of our well-being , maintain us in the Life which thou hast here given us , until the work of Life be finished ; and give us such health of Mind and Body , and such protection and supply of all our wants , as shall best 〈…〉 our Duty ; and make us contented with our daily Bread , and patient if we want it ; And save us from the love of the Riches , and Honours , and Pleasures of this World , and the Pride , and Idleness , and Sensuality which they cherish ; And cause us to serve thy Providence by our diligent Labours , and to serve thee faithfully with all that thou givest us ; And let us not make provision for the Flesh , to satisfie its desires and lusts . And we beseech thee of thy Mercy , through the Sacrifice and Propitiation of thy Beloved Son , forgive us all our sins , original and actual , from our Birth to this Hour ; our omissions of Duty , and committing of what thou didst forbid : Our sins of heart , and word , and deed ; our sinful thoughts and affections , our sinful passions and discontents ; our secret and our open sins ; our sins of negligence , and ignorance , and rashness ; but especially our sins against Knowledge and Conscience , which have made the deepest guilt and wounds . Spare us , O Lord , and let not our sins so find us out as to be our ruin ; but let us so find them out , as truely to repent and turn to thee ! Especially punish us not with the loss of thy Grace ! Take not thy Holy Spirit from us , and deny us not his assistance and holy operations . Seal to us by that Spirit the pardon of our Sins , and lift up the light of thy Countenance upon us , and give us the joy of thy Favour and Salvation . And let thy Love and Mercy so fill us not only with Thankfulness to Thee , but with Love and Mercy to our Brethren and our Enemies ; that we may heartily forgive them that do us wrong , as through thy Grace we hope we do . And for the time to come suffer us not to cast our selves wilfully into Temptations ; but carefully to avoid them , and resolutely to resist and Conquer what we cannot avoid ; And O mortifie those inward Sins and Lusts , which are our constant and most dangerous Temptations : And let us not be tempted by Satan or the World , or tryed by thy Judgments , above the strength which thy Grace shall give us . Save us from a fearless confidence in our own strength . And let us not dally with the snare , nor taste the bait , nor play with the Fire of thy wrath ; But cause us to fear and depart from evil ; lest before we are aware , we be entangled and overcome , and wounded with our Guilt and with thy Wrath , and our End should be worse than our Beginning . Especially save us from those radical Sins of Error , and Unbelief , Pride , Hypocrisie , Hardheartedness , Sensuality , Slothfulness , and the love of this present World , and the loss of our love to Thee , to thy Kingdom and thy Ways . And save us from the malice of Satan and of wicked Men , and from the Evils which our sins would bring upon us . And as we crave all this from thee , we humbly render our Praises with our future Service to thee ! Thou art the King of all the World , and more than the Life of all the Living ! Thy Kingdom is Everlasting : Wise ▪ and Just , and Merciful is thy Government . Blessed are they that are thy faithful Subjects ; But who hath hardened himself against thee , and hath prospered ? The whole Creation proclaimeth thy Perfection ▪ But it is Heaven where the Blessed see thy Glory , and the Glory of our Redeemer , where the Angels and Saints behold thee , admire thee , adore thee , love thee , and praise thee with triumphant joyful Songs , the Holy , Holy , Holy God , the Father , Son and Holy Ghost , who was and is , and is to come ; Of Thee , and through Thee , and to Thee are all things : To Thee , be Glory for ever , Amen . A short Prayer for Families . MOst Glorious , Ever-living God , Father , Son and Holy Ghost , Infinite in thy Power , Wisdom and Goodness ; Thou art the Creator of all the World , the Redeemer of lost Mankind , and the Sanctifier of thine Elect. Thou hast made us living reasonable Soul● , placed a while on Earth in Flesh , to seek , and know , and love , and serve thee , which we should have done with all our Soul and Might : For we and all things are Thine own , and Thou art more to us than all the World. This should have been the greatest Busines● , Care and Pleasure of our Lives : We were bound to 〈◊〉 by thy Law , and invited by thy Love and Mercy , and the Promise of a Reward in Heaven : And in our Baptism we were devoted to this Christian Life of Faith and Holiness , by a solemn Covenant and Vow . But with Grief and Shame we do confess , that we have been too unfaithful to that Covenant , and too much neglected the Lord our Father , our Saviour and our Sanctifier , to whom we were devoted ; And have too much served the Flesh and the World , and the Devil which we renounced . We have added to our Original Sin , the guilt of Unthankfulness for a Saviour , and resisting his Spirit and Grace that should have renewed , governed and saved us . We have spent much of our Lives , in fleshly and worldly Vanity , and finfully neglected the greatest work , of making a sure Preparation for Death and Judgment , and our endless State. In a Custom of sinning we have hardened our Hearts against thy Word and Warnings , and the Reproofs of thy Ministers , and of our Consciences that have oft told us of our Sin and Danger , and called us to Repent . And now , O Lord , our convinced Souls confess that we deserve to be forsaken by thee , and left to our own lust and folly , and to the deceits of Satan , and untoendless Misery . But seeing thou hast given a Saviour to lost Man , and a pardoning Covenant , through the Merits of Christ , promising Forgiveness and Salvation to every true penitent Believer ; we thankfully accept thy offered Mercy , and penitently bewail our Sin , and cast our miserable Souls upon thy Grace , and the Sacrifice , Merits and Intercession of our Redeemer . Forgive all the sins of our Hearts and Lives ; and as a reconciled Father take us as thy adopted Children in Christ . O give us thy renewing Spirit , to be in us a powerful and constant Author of Holy Light , and Love and Life , to fit us for all our Duty , and for Communion with thee , and for Everlasting Life : And to dwell in us as thy Witness and Seal of our Adoption . Let him be better to our Souls than our Souls are to our Bodies , Teaching us thy Word and Will , and bringing all our love and will to a joyful compliance with thy Will : and quickening our dull 〈◊〉 drowsie Hearts to a Holy and Heavenly Conversation . Let him turn all our sinful Pleasures and Desires , into the delightful love of thee and of thy Ways and Servants . Save us from the great Sins of Selfishness , Pride , and Worldliness , and give us Self-denial , Humility , and a Heavenly Mind . That while we are on Earth our Hearts may be in Heaven , where we hope to live in thy joyfull Love and praise with Christ and all his Holy Ones for even ▪ Let us never forget that this Life is short , and that the Life to come is endless : That our Souls are precious and our Bodies vile , and must shortly turn to rottenness and dust ; that Sin is odio●s , and Temptation● dangerous , and Judgment dreadful to unprepaved guilty Souls ; and that without a Saviour and his Grace and Spirit , there is no Salvation : Cause us to live as we would die , and let no Temptation , Company or Business , draw us to forget our God and our everlasting state . Lord bless the World , and specially these Kingdoms , ●ith Wise , Godly , Just and Peaceable Princes , and ●nferiour Judges and Magistrates ; and guide , protect ●nd prosper them for the common good , and the pro●oting of Godliness and suppressing of sin : And bles●●ll Churches with able , godly , faithful Pastors , that are ●ealous Lovers of God , and Goodness , and the Peoples ●ouls . And save the Nations and Churches from Op●essing Tyrants and Deceivers , and from melignan● Enemies to serious Piety . And cause Subjects to live in just Obedience , and in Love and Peace . Bless Families with wise religious Governours , who will carefully instruct their Children and Servants , and restrain them from Sin , and keep them from Temptation , Teach Children and Servants to fear God , and honour and obey their Governours . O Our Father which art in Heaven , Let thy Name b● hallowed . Let thy Kingdom com● . Let thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven . 〈◊〉 in this day our daily Bre●d ; Forgive us our Trespasses , as 〈◊〉 forgive them that Trespass against us . Lead us not into Temptation , but Deliver us from Evil : For thine is the Kingdom , the Power and the Glory , for ever . Amen . Before Meat . MOst Gracious God who hast given 〈◊〉 Christ , and with him all that is necessary to Life and Godliness : We thankfully take this our Food as the Gift of thy Bounty , procured by his Merits : Bless it to the Nourishment and Strength of our frail Bodies , to fi● us for thy chearful Service : And save us from the abuse of thy Mercies by Glu●tony Drunkennes● , Idleness or sinful fleshly Lusts , for the sake of Jesus Christ our only Saviour and Lord. Amen . After Meat . MOst Merciful Father , Accept of our Thanks for these and all thy Mercies : And give us yet more thankful Hearts : O give us more of the great Mercies proper to thy Children , even by Sanctifying and Comforting Spir●● assu●●nce of thy Love thr●ugh Christ , and a ●reasure , and 〈◊〉 Conversation in Heaven : And bring and keep 〈◊〉 in a constant readiness for a safe and Comfortable Death ▪ For the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour . Amen . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A26936-e170 a Mar. 8. 36. Mat. 6. 33. Job . 21. 14. and 22. 17. Psal . 1. 2 , 3. Psal . 14. and 12. b Psal . 8. 4 , 5 , 6. Gen. 1. 26 , 27 , Gen. 9. 6. Col. 3. 10. c Joh. 17. 3. 1 Joh. 4. 6 , 7. Jer. 9. 24. d Luk. 12. 4 , 5. e Psal . 16. 5 , to 11. f Isa . 45. 18. g Psal . 14. 1. Gen. 1. 1. Rev. 1. 8. Rom. 1. 19. 20. Psal . 46. 10. Psal . 9. 10. Psal . 100. and 23. Psal . 19. 1 , 2 , 3. Psal . 47. 7. Ezek. 18. 4. Gen. 18. 25. Mal. 1. 6. h Matth. 22. 37. Jer. 5. 22. 2 Cor. 5. 8 , 9. Titus 2. 14. 2 Cor. 8. 5. & 6. 16 , 17 , 18 , 1 P●t . 2. 9. Psal . 10. Psal . 37. 4. Psal . 40. 8. Col. 3. 1. 2. Mar. 6. 20. 21. 2 Cor. 4. 17 , 18. k Psal . 14. & 1. Heb. 12. 14. Rom. 8. 12 , 13. Joh. 3. 34. 5. 6. 1 Joh. 2. 15 , 16. Rom. 13. 14 , 15. Rom. 6. 16. Luk. 18. 23 & 14. 26 , 33. l Rom. 3. Psal . 14. Ephes . 2. 2 , 3. Rom. 5. 12. 17. 19. Joh. 3. 6. m Rom. 8. 5 , 6 , 7. n Psal . 4. 3. 2 Cor. 6. 14. 17. o Psal . 32. 1 , 2. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Tit. 2. 14. Tit. 3. 5 , 6 , 7. Heb. 14. 14. Mat. 5. 8. p Rom. 5. 1 , 2 , 3. q Psal . 97. 7 , 8 , 15. 1 Cor. 2. 11 , 21. Heb. 14. 12. 2 Pet. 1. 3. r Act. 14. 27. & 17. 24 , 27 , 28. Rom. 1. 19. 20. Rom. 2. 4. Job 33. 14. to 25. Mat. 12. 42 , 43. (ſ) Isa . 9. 6 , 7. & 53. Joh. 3. 16. 19. & 1. 1 , 3 , 4. & 3. 2. ●●ohn 1. 18. t Acts 2. 22. Heb. 2. 3 , 4. u Mat. 4. 〈◊〉 w ●●Pet . 2. 22 , 23 , 24 , 25. Mat. 26. 27 , 28. Act. 1. Heb. 4. Eph. ● . ● . ●2 . 3. Rom. 5. 1 , 3 , 9. Heb. 8 , 9 , 13. & 8. 6 , 7. Heb. 7. 25. 1 John 5. 10 , 12. John 5. 22. & 3. 18 , 19. Mat. 25. x Luke 16. y Acts 2. John 17. 23. z Mat. 28. 19 , 〈◊〉 Acts 14. 23. Act. 20. Act. 26. 17 , 18. a Rom. 8. 9. b Tit. 3. 5 , 6. Joh. 13. 5 , 6. c 2 Tim. 3. 16. d Heb. 2. 3 , 4. e 2 Cor. 13. 5. Psal . 4. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 10. f John 3. 5. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Rom. 8. 7 , 9. Phil. 3. 18 , 20. g Acts 16. 14. h Acts 2. 37. & 16. 30. & 11. 23. 2 Cor. 6. 1 , 2. Rev. 2. 7. i Acts 24. 14. & 28. 22. & 24. 5 , 6. k Mal. 2. 7 , 9. Hos . 4. 9. l Prov. 13. 20. m Ephes . 4. 18 , 19. n Mal. 1. 13. o Mat. 25. 3. 8. 12. & 24. 43 , 44. p John 8. 39 , 42 , 44. Rom. 3. 1 , 2. Gal. 4. 29. Mat. 13. 19 , 20 , 21 , 22. & 15. 2 , 3 , 6. Gal. 1. 1. q Psal . 4. 4. Hag. 1. 5. Deut. 32. 7 , 29. r Isa . 1. 3. s Job 34. 27. Jer. 23. 20. Psal . 119. 59. t 2 Cor. 4. 8. Deut. 32. 29. 1 John 2. 17. 1 Cor. 7. 31. Luke 12. 19 , 20. John 14. 1 , 2. 1 Thes . 5. 13. u Luke 12. 4. Eccl. 12. 7. 2 Pet. 3. 11. 2 Cor. 4. 18. Phil. 3. 18 , 20. x Numb . 23. 10. Mat. 25. 8 & 7. 21 , 22. Prov. ●● . 28 , 29. y Matth. 23. 29 , 30 , 31 , 33. Heb. 11. 38. John 8. 39. z Matth. 10. 15. Rom. 2. Acts 10. 34 , 35. a Rom. 2. 28 , 29. Matth. 25. 28. Luke 19. 22. Acts 24. 15. Gal. 4. 29. b Eph. 4. 14. Act 20. 30. 1 Cor. 11. 19. 2 Tim. 4. 3 & 2. 14. 16. 1 Tim. 1. 5 , 6. Tit. 3. 9. Ephes . 4. 3. &c. 1 Cor. 12. Matth. 12. 25. Rom. 2. 12 , 27 , 28 , 29. c Gal. 1. 7 , 8. Matth. 28. 20. d James 3. 17. e Eph. 5. 11. Prov. 23. 20. 2 Cor. 6. 17 , 18. Psal . 15. 4. Deut. 13. 3. f John 5. 40. Luke 14. 29 , 30. John 6. 35 , 37 , 45. g Isa . 55. 6 , 7. h Matth. 11. 19. i Luke 14. 33. k Rev. 22. 17. John 1. 12. Rev. 2. & 3. 1 John 5. 12 , 13. Psal . 34. 7. Psal . 73. 26. Matth. 25. Luke 20. 39. Heb. 2. 3. 〈◊〉 Thes . 2. 12. l 〈…〉 19. 27. Prov. 29. 1. & 1. 25. a 1 Cor. 1. 25. Heb. 4. 1. 2 Pet. 2. 22. 1 Cor. 3. Gal. 3. & 4. Matth. 13. 41. & 18. 7. b Phil. 3. 18 , 19. Acts 20. 30. c Matth. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 15. & 1. 8. 2 Cor. 1. 21. d 2 Tim. 1. 13. & 3. 7. Heb. 5. 12. Phil. 1. 9. Rom. 15. 14. e Eph. 4. 13 , 14. Col. 1. 9. & 2. 2. & 3. 10. 1 Tim. 6. 4. f John 17. 3. Ephes . 3. 17 , 18. Mat. 28. 19. Ephes . 1. 22 , 23. & 4. 6 , 16. Rom. 5. 2 Cor. 12. 9. John 16. 33. 1 John 5. 4. 〈◊〉 4. 14 , 16. Col. 3. 3 , 4. Acts 7. 59. g Gal. 5. 16 , 25. h Matth. 28. 19. i John 16. 13. Heb. 2. 34. k 1 Cor. 12. 12 , 13. Rom. 8. 9. 13. Joh. 3. 5 , 6. l 2 Tim. 3. 15 , 16. Jude 19. 20. m Ezek. 36. 27. Isa . 44. 3. Rom. 8. 1 , 5. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Zech. 14. 20. n 1 Cor. 10. 31. Rom. 11. 36. 2 Cor. 5. 7 , 8. 1 John 3. 1● Rom. 5. 1 , 2 , 3. Mat. 22. 37. Ephes . 1. 6. 2 Cor. 5. 19. Gal. 4. 4 , 5 , 6. o Psal . 30. 5. & 63. 3. p Phil. 3. 7 , 8. q Mat. 16. 13. r 2 Thess . 3. 5. 2 Cor. 13. 14. s Col. 3. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4. Mat. 6. 19 , 20 , 21 , 33. 2 Cor. 4. 17 , 18. & 7. Luk. 12. 20. Heb. 6. 20. 1 Cor. 15. 28. Ephes . 4. 6. & 1. 23. Phil. 3. 18 , 20. Psal . 73. 25 , 26. Joh. 18. 36. t Psal . 1. 2 , 3. & 84. 2 , 10. & 63. 3 , 5. & 37. 4. & 91. 19. & 119. 47 , 70. Isa . 58. 14. Psal . 112. 1. Rom. 14. 17. & 5. 1 , 3 , 5. 1 Pet. 1. 8. Mat. 5. 11 , 12. Psal . 32. 11. u Gal. 6. 14. 1. Joh. 2. 15 , 16. Jam. 1. 27. & 4. 4 , 5. 1 Joh. 5. 4 , 5. Rom. 12. 2. Gal. 1. 4. Tit. 2. 12. Mat. 19. 24. Luk. 12. 16. 21. & 16. 25. James 1. 11. & 5. 1 , 2 , 4. Luke 8. 14. Heb. 11. 26. x Rom. 8. 1 , 13. Gal 5. 24. Rom. 13. 14. Gal. 5. 17. ●ude 8. 23. 2 Pet. 2. 10. Ephes . 2. 3. 1 Pet. 2. 11. Mat. 〈◊〉 . 13. & 26. 41. Luke 8. 13. y Jam. 1. 19. & 3. 13 , 17. 1 Pet. 3. 4. Mat. 5. 5. Eph. 4. 2 , 3. Col. 3. 12. z Jam. 1. 26. & 3. 5 , 6. Psal . 34. 13. Pro. 18. 21. a Deut. 15. 9. 2 Cor. 10. 5. Gen. 6. 5. Psal . 10. 4 & 94. 19. & 119. 113. Prov. 12. 5. & 15. 26. Psal . 119. 59. Prov. 30. 32. Jer. 4. 14. Deut. 32. 29. b Ephes . 5. 16. Joh. 14. 1 , 2. Act. 17. 21. 1 Cor. 7. 29. 2 Cor. 6. 2. Joh. 9. 4. Luk. 19. 42 , 44. Psal . 39. 4. Mat. 25. 10 , 1●● . c 1 Tim. 1. 5 , 6. Mat. 19 , 19. Rom. 13. 10. 1 John 1. 16. Ephes . 4. 12 , 15 , 16. Col. 2. 2. & 1. 4. 1 Tim. 6. 11. Jam. 3. 17. Phil. 2. 1 , 2. 1 Thes . 4. 93. John 13. 35. Mat. 5. 44 , 45. 1 Cor. 13. Jam. 4. 11. Gal. 6. 10. Tit. 2. 14. Phil. 2. 20 , 21. Rom. 15. 1 , 3. d Mat. 13. 29 , 41. e John 16. 2. 1 Cor. 1. 10. Rom. 16. 17. Jam. 3. 14. 15 , 16 , 17 , 18. f 1 Tim. 3. 6. Col. 〈◊〉 18. 1 Cor. 8. 1. 1 Cor. 4. 6. 1 Tim. 6. 4. 1 Pet. 5. 5. Jam. 3. 1 , 17. g Eph. 5 , & 6. Col. 3 , & 4. Rom. 13. 1 , 7. 1 Pet. 2. 13 , 15. h Command . 4. Josh . 24. 15. Deut. 6. 6 , 7 , 8. Dan. 6. i Heb. 13. 5. Command . 4. 2 Thess . 3. 10 , 12. 1 Thess . 4. 7. 1 Tim. 5. 13. Prov. 31. 1 Cor. 7. 29. k Mal. 2. 7. l Eccles . 4. 10 , 11. m Prov. 12. 1. & 15. 5 , 10 , 31. Heb. 3. 13. n Luk. 12. 40. 2 Pet. 1. 10. Phil. 1. 21 , 23. Jer. 9. 4 , 5. Mat. 7. 4 , 5. 2 Cor. 5. 1 , 2 , 4 , 〈◊〉 o Exod. 34. 6. p Heb. 7. 25. q Joh. 4. 42. Joh. 3. 16. 1 Tim. 4. 10. & 2. 4. Mat. 28. 19 , 20. Rev. 22. 17. Isa . 55. 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 , 7. r Luke 14. 26 , 33. 1 John 2. 15. Mat. 6. 19 , 20 , 21 , 33. Col. 3. 1 , 2. Rom. 8. 1 , 13. Notes for div A26936-e4760 The Assent . The Consent , or Covenant . Notes for div A26936-e5060 The Lord's Supper , and other Church-Ordinances , are opened in the VIIIth , days Conference , and more fully in my Universal Concord . 
A30898	----	The possibility and necessity of the inward immediate revelation of the spirit of God towards the foundation and ground of true faith, proved in a letter write [sic] in Latine, to a person of quality in Holland; and now also put into English. By R.B. Barclay, Robert, 1648-1690. 1686 Approx. 47 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 17 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A30898 Wing B732 ESTC R214887 99826938 99826938 31350 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A30898) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 31350) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1881:32) The possibility and necessity of the inward immediate revelation of the spirit of God towards the foundation and ground of true faith, proved in a letter write [sic] in Latine, to a person of quality in Holland; and now also put into English. By R.B. Barclay, Robert, 1648-1690. [4], 28 p. s.n.], [London : Printed in the year 1686. "To the reader" and letter signed: R. Barclay. Place of publication from Wing. Identified on UMI microfilm (Early English books, 1641-1700) reel 1881 as Wing B732B. Reproduction of the original in the Union Theological Seminary Library, New York. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. 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Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Revelation -- Early works to 1800. Salvation -- Early works to 1800. 2005-03 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-05 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-06 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2005-06 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE POSSIBILITY AND NECESSITY Of the INWARD IMMEDIATE REVELATION Of the SPIRIT of GOD Towards the Foundation and Ground of True FAITH , proved in a Letter write in Latine , to a Person of Quality in Holland ; And now also put into English. By R. B. Printed in the Year 1686. ADVERTISEMENT To the READER . THIS serves to inform thee , that it is above seven years since this Epistle was Printed in Latine , the Person to whom it was write , the Heer Paets , is a Man of no mean accompt both in the Learned and Politick World ; The Conference I had with him was lately after his return from Spain , where he had been Ambassadour from the United Netherlands ; I discoursed with him on the same subject , last year at London , where he was one of the Commissioners for the Dutch Eastindian Company ; but could not find him propose any thing new , nor what I could conceive had any weight towards a Reph ; what his Reasons were , not to prosecute this Matter further , I shall not determine : But thus far he readily yeelded , That he had been mistaken in his notion of the Quakers , for he found they could make a Reasonable Plea for the foundation of their Religion . Vpon my reading it over again , I find an inclination in my self , and was perswaded by some Friends , to publish it in a Language more obvious to all my Countrey Men. It is a Question now frequently tossed , What is the Ground and Foundation of Faith ? And when the matter is sifted to the bottom , it resolves in Tradition or Revelation ; for those who lay claim to the Scripture , and would make it the foundation of their Faith , do resolve it but in a Tradition , when the Motives of Credibility are enquired unto , since the subjective Revelation which they yeeld , comes but in the last place , and is by themselves termed medium incognitum assentiendi . And such a Revelation those of Rome will not refuse , to influence them to assent to the determination of the Church : So those Protestants who say , the subjective operation of the Spirit influences them , ( tho they know not how ) to believe the Scripture presented and conveyed to them by Tradition , as the Dictats of GODS Spirit , and so understand them as their Preachers interpret them ; differ not much , or at least have not Reason to differ from the Church of Rome , who say , the Spirit influences them to believe the Scriptures as proposed by the Church , and according as her Doctors and Councils interpret them . And neither has any better foundation than Tradition ; And to speak the truth plainly , the Faith of both resolves in the veneration they have for their Doctors ; But whereas the one affirms , they do it by an intire Submission , they think it decent to say , they judge them infallible . And certainly , it is most reasonable that such as affirm the first , believe the last . The other because they pretend they believe the Church but conditionally , have denyed to her infallibility , tho generally they be as credulous as the other . And I find the Doctors of their Church as angry to be contradicted as the other , that is an ingredient goes to the Composition of all Clergy-Men , since it became a Trade , and went to make a part of the outward policy of the World , from whence has flowed that monster Persecution . In short , the matter is easily driven into this narrow compass ; we believe either because of an outward or inward Testimony , that is because it is outwardly delivered to us , or inwardly revealed to us . For my part , I think the Papists does wisely in pleading for Infallibility , for certainly the true Church never was nor can be without it : And the Protestants does honestly in not claiming it , because they are sensible they want it . I should therefore desire the one to prove that they are infallible ; and advice the other to believe they may , and seek after it : But I am sure , neither the one is , nor the other cannot without immediate Divine Revelation . Therefore as to deny Revelation , is a bad way to prove Infallibility ; so to deny Infallibility is a bad way to make a Reformation , since they who do reform , had need to be certain they are doing so . The asserting of Infallibility in the Church of ●hrist , is not the errour of the Church of Rome , but the pretending to it , when they have it not , and placing it where they should not : But since those who oppose immediate Revelation , do it on the accompt that they reckon it either impossible or unnecessary . I hope there will be as much found in this Epistle as will 〈◊〉 the contrary . I have now exceeded the limits of 〈◊〉 Advertisement , ( but being known not to be a Man of form ) I hope , my Reader will excuse me ; to whom I wish true certainty of Faith , and so bid him heartily Farewell , R. BARCLAY . The 9. of October , 87. My Friend , ALBEIT I judge I did fully answer to all thy Arguments in that Conference we had concerning the necessity and possibility of Inward Immediate Revelation , and of the certainty of True Faith from thence proceeding . Nevertheless , Because after we had made an end , and were parting , thou would needs remit to my further Consideration , the strength of thy Argument , as that in which thou supposed the very hing of the Question to lye : That I might satisfie thy desire , and that the Truth might more appear , I did further consider of it ; But the more I weighed it , I found it the weaker : And therefore that thou thy self may make the truer Judgement of it , I thought meet to send thee my further considerations thereon , ( which I had done err now , had not I both at London and elsewhere been diverted by other necessary occasions ) Wherein , I doubt not , but thou will perceive a full and distinct answer to thy Argument . But if thou cannot as yet yield to the Truth , or thinks mine answer in any part to be defective , so that there yet remains with thee , any matter of doubt or scruple I doe earnestly desire thee , that as I for thy sake , and out of love to the Truth have , not been wanting to examine thy Argument , and to transmitt to thee my Considerations thereon ; So thou may give thy self the trouble to write and send me what thou has further to say , which my Friend N. N. who delivers thee this , will at what time thou shall appoint receive from thee , and transmitt to me thy Letter , that at last the Truth may appear where it is . And that the whole matter may the more clearly be understood , it will be fit in the first place , to propose thy Argument whereby thou opposes the Immediat Revelation of GOD in the Saints , thence concluding thou has fully overturned the foundation of the People called Quakers . Which Argument of thine is , That since ( as thou judges ) the Beeing and Substance of the Christian Religion consisteth in the Knowledge of and Faith concerning the Birth , Life , Death , Resurrection and Ascension of Christ Jesus ; thou consider● the substance of the Christian Religion as a contingent truth ; which contingent truth is matter of fact : whence thou reasons , That matter of Fact cannot be known but by the relation of another , or by the perception of the outward Senses : Because there are naturally in our Souls no Ideas of contingent truths , such as are concerning necessary Truths : to wit , That GOD is , and tha● the whole is greater than the part ; And since i● may without absurdity be said , that GOD cannot make a contingent Truth to become a necessary Truth ; neither can GOD reveal contingent Truths or matters of Fact but as contingent Truths are revealed ; But matters of Fact are not revealed but by the outward Senses : From whence thou concludes , That Men are not even oblieged to believe GOD producing any Revelation ●n the Soul concerning matter of Fact , whether of a ●hing done or to be done , unless there be added some Miracles obvious to the outward senses , by which the Soul may be ascertained that that Revelation cometh from GOD : And this thou endeavours also to prove from the Scripture , Rom : 10. where the Apostle saith , Faith cometh by hearing : And because the Apostle speaketh afterwards of those who were ●ent in the plural number : Thence thou concludes , That to be spoken of outward Preaching by ●he Ministry of Men : And since the Apostle uses Question , saying , How shall they believe unless ●hey hear ? Thou gathers from the Induction and ●onnexion of the Text , that the Apostle treats ●nly of outward hearing ; thence concluding that ●ithout outward hearing , Faith cannot be produced : ●nd therefore , that there can be no Immediat Revelation by the simple operation of the Spirit in the Mind , ●nless there be somewhat proposed to the Out●ard senses . Before I proceed to a direct answer to this Ar●ument , some things are necessary to be premised , First then , That is falsly supposed , that the ●ence of the Christian Religion consists in the ●istoricall Faith and Knowledge of the Birth , ●eath , Life , Resurrection and Ascension of Christ That Faith and Historicall Knowledge is indeed a part of the Christian Religion ; But not such an Essentiall part , as that without which the Christian Religion cannot consist ; But an Integrall part , which goes to the compleating of the Christian Religion , as the Hands or Feet of a Man are Integrall parts of a Man , without which nevertheless a Man may exist , but not an intire and compleat Man. Secondly , If by Immediate Revelation be understood such a Revelation of GOD as begets in our Souls an historicall Faith and Knowledge of the Birth of Christ in the flesh , without the means o● the holy Scripture , we do not for such a Revelalation as commonly given or to be expected by u● or any other Christians ; For albeit many other Evangelical Truths be manifested to us by the immediate manifestation of God , not using the Scripture as the means : yet the Historical Knowledge o● Christ is not commonly manifested to us , nor t● any others , but by the holy Scripture as th● means , and that by way of a Material Object , eve● as when we see the Person of Peter or Paul by th● help of the Suns light ; that light of the Sun re●veals the Person of Peter or Paul to our visiv● Faculty immediately , yet not without the m●dium of that person concurring as a matterial O●ject to produce that sight , while the light of th● Sun concurrs as the formal Object of that vision 〈◊〉 sight : So that when we Livingly and Spiritua●ly know the History of the Birth of Christ 〈◊〉 the flesh , the Inward Revelation or Illumination 〈◊〉 GOD , which is like the Suns light , proceeding from the Divine Sun doth shine into the eye of the Mind , and by Its influence moves the mind to assent unto the Historical Truth of CHRISTS Birth , Life , &c. in the Reading or Hearing the Scripture , or meditating therein . Thirdly , Nevertheless we do firmly assert , that GOD can most easily , clearly and certainly manifest to our minds the Historical Truths of CHRISTS Birth , &c. when it so pleaseth Him , even without the Scripture or any other outward mean. And because this Argument seems to be formed against the possibility of such a Revelation , therefore I shall proceed to discuse it . But first , thou may mind that the Prophets who foretold CHRISTS coming in the Flesh , and being to be born of a Virgin , and afterwards to suffer Death , did know these Truths of Fact , by the Inward Inspiration of GOD without Outward Means , for which see 1 Peter 1.10 , 11. Now that which hath been may be . Fourthly , This Argument doth at most conclude that we cannot know Naturally any truth of Fact , but by the relation of another without us , or by the perception of the outward senses ; Because there are naturally in our minds no Ideas concerning contingent Truths ( and every Truth of Fact is a contingent Truth ) as there are of necessary Truths . This then proveth that we cannot naturally know any contingent Truth but by the relation of another , or perception of the outward senses : But that hindreth not , but we may know a contingent Truth by a supernaturall Knowledge , GOD supplying the place of an outward Relator , who is so true , that he may and ought to be believed ; Sith GOD is the fountain of Truth . Fifthly , When GOD doth make known unto Men any matter of Fact by Divine immediat Revelation or Inspiration , GOD speaking as to the Ear of the Heart of the inward Man , or as by his Finger writting it therein . Two things are to be considered in such an Immediat Revelation . 1. Tòmateriale , The matter of fact or thing revealed which is contingent . 2. Toformale , The forme or mode , how the Revelation is made , which forme is an Inward , Divine and supernaturall Revelation , which is the voice or speech of GOD , inwardly speaking to the Ear of the inward Man , or Mind of Man ▪ or a Divine writting , supernaturally imprinted therein . Now as to the matteriall part , or the thing and matter revealed ; This is indeed a contingent Truth , and of it self is not manifest to the Mind , but because of the form , that is , because of the Divine mode and supernaturall inward operation , the matter is known to be true : For that Divine and Supernatural Inward Operation , which the Mind doth feel and perceive in it self , is the Voice of GOD speaking unto Man , which by its Nature and specifick Property , is as clearly distinguished and understood to be the Voice of GOD , as the voice of Peter of James is known to be the voice of such Men : for every Beeing as a Beeing is knowable , and that by its own speci●●●k Nature or Property proceeding from its Nature , and hath its proper Idea by which it's distinguishable from every other thing , if so be it's Idea be stirred up in us , and clearly proposed to us . Sixthly , Now as some Beeings are Natural , some Supernatural ; so some Ideas are Natural , some Supernatural : And as when any natural Idea is excited in us , we clearly know it . So also when a supernatural Idea is raised , we clearly know that whereof it is the Idea : but the Voice of GOD speaking to the mind of Man , is a supernatural Beeing , and stirreth up in us a supernatural Idea , by which we clearly know that inward Voice to be the Voice of GOD , and not the voice or operation of another , or of any evil Spirit , or Angel , because none of these has a supernatural Idea , as the Voice of GOD , and his Divine Operation hath ; for it is full of Vigour , Virtue , and Divine Glory , as saith the Psalmist , who had often experience of it , and we also in our measures are witnesses thereof , for the Voice of GOD is known to be his by its Divine Virtue . Seventhly , The senses are either Outward or Inward , and the Inward senses are either Natural or Supernatural : We have an example of the Inward Natural Sense in being Angied or Pacified , in Love and Hatred , or when we perceive and discern any Natural Truth , ( such as the Natural Maxims , to wit , That the whole is greater then the part : or when we deduce any Conclusion by the strength of Natural Reason , that Perception also in a larger sense may be called an inward Sense . But an Example of an Inward supernatural Sense is , when the Heart or Soul of a pious Man feels in it self Divine Motions , Influences , and Operations , which sometimes are as the voice or speech of GOD , sometimes as a most pleasant and glorious Illustration or visible Object to the inward Eye , Sometimes as a most sweet Savour or Taste , sometimes as a Heavenly and Divine Warmness , or ( so to speak ) Melting of the Soul in the Love of GOD. Moreover this Divine and supernatural Operation in the Mind of a Man is a true and most glorious Miracle , which when it is perceived by the Inward and supernatural Sense , divinely raised up in the Mind of Man , doth so evidently and clearly perswade the Understanding to assent to the thing revealed , that there is no need of an outward Miracle ; for this Assent is not because of the thing it self , but because of the Revelation proposing it , which is the Voice of GOD : For when the Voice of GOD is heard in the Soul , the Soul doth as certainly conclude the truth of that Voice as the truth of GOD'S Beeing , from whom it proceeds . These things being thus premised , I now proceed to a direct Answer : For what is said , that GOD cannot make a contingent Truth to become a necessarie Truth , I agree : But when any Contingent Truth is manifest to us by the Immediat Revelation of GOD : There is in it two things to be considered , to wit , the thing revealed which is Contingent ; And the Revelation it self , which upon the Supposition that it is a Divine Revelation , is no contingent Truth , but a most Necessarie Truth . And this all mankind will say , that this Proposition , Every divine Revelation is necessarly true , is as clear and evident as that Proposition , That every Whole is greater then its Part. But thou wilt say , how knows thou that a Divine Revelation is a Divine Revelation ? I answer , how knows thou that a Whole is a Whole , and a Part is a Part ? Thou wilt say , by the natural Idea excited in me of a Whole and of a Part. I answer again , even so , a Divine Revelation is known to be such by a Supernatural Idea of Divine Revelation stirred up in us , and that by a Divine Motion or Supernatural Operation . But it is no wonder that Men who have no Experience of Supernatural Ideas , or at lest do not heed them , doe deny them ; which is as if a man naturally blind denyed Light , or Colours ; or a deaf man Sounds , because they experience them not . Therefore we cannot dissemble that we feel a fervent Zeal , even Divinely kindled in us against such an absurd opinion , as affirms , That God cannot ascertain us of his will in any contingent Truth , but by proposing it to the outward Senses . This Opinion does in a manner turn Men into brutes , as if Man were not to believe his GOD , unless he propose what is to be believed to the outward Senses , which the beasts have common with us ; yea it derogats from GOD's Power , and imputes weakness to him , as if he could not do that which not only both good and evil Angels can doe , but which the meanest Creatures can doe and the most unsensible ; As for instance , the heat of the fire , the coldness of the Air , & Water worketh upon us ; yea if a Pinn prick us , we feel it , & that by the outward Sense ; because the Objects are outward and carnal . But since GOD is a most Pure and Glorious Spirit , when he operateth in the Innermost parts of our Minds by his will ; Shall not he and his will be clearly felt according to his Nature ? That is by a spiritual and supernatural Sense ; For as the Nature of GOD is , so is the Nature of his will , to wit , purely spiritual ; And therefore requireth a Spiritual Sense to discern it ; which Spiritual Sense when it is raised up in us by a divine Operation , doth as clearly and certainly know the voice or revelation of the will of GOD , concerning any thing which GOD is pleased to reveal however Contingent , as the outward Sense knows , and perceives the Outward Object : And it is no less absurd to require of GOD , who is a most pure Spirit , to manifest his will to Men by the outward Senses , else not to be credited ; As to require us to see sounds , and hear Light and Colours . For as the Objects of the outward Senses are not to be confounded , but every Object is to have its proper Sense : So must we judge of inward and spiritual Objects , which have their proper Sense , whereby they are to be perceived . And tell me how God doth manifest his will concerning matters of Fact , when he sends his Angels to men , since Angels ( as is commonly received ) have not outward Senses or at least not so gross ones as ours are ? Yea , when Men dye and apear before the Tribunal of GOD , whether unto eternal Life or Death , how can they know this having laid down their bodies , and therewith their outward Senses ? And nevertheless this Truth of GOD is a Truth of Fact , as is the historicall Truth of Christs Birth in the Flesh. And which is yet more near ; how do good and holy Men even in this Life most certainly know that they are in Favour and Grace with GOD ? No Outward Revelation doth make this known unto them , but the Spirit ( as saith the Apostle ) beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of GOD. For the meer Testimonie of a human Conscience , without the inward Testimonie of the holy Spirit , cannot beget in us a firm and immoveable Testimony of our Sonship , because the Heart of Man is deceitfull , and if the Testimony thereof were true , at most it is but a Human Testimonie which begetteth in us only an human Faith ; But that Faith by which holy Men believe they are the Sons of GOD is a Divine Faith , which leans upon a Divine Testimony of the holy Spirit , witnessing in them that they are the Sons of GOD. Moreover when a good Man feels in himself that undeclarable Joy of the holy Spirit , concerning which the holy Scripture speaks , and which is the common Priviledge of the Saints , how or whence feels he this Joy ? Truely this Argument concludes no less against this Heavenly Spiritual Joy which is begotten in the Souls of the Saints by the holy Spirit , then it does against the immediat Revelation of GOD ; for there is no natural Idea in Men of this spiritual Joy , else meer natural Men , yea such as are prophane and ungodly would feel it as much as the Godly : But because it is a Supernatural thing , Therefore it can have no true Idea , but what is Supernatural . Moreover whence is it that prophane Men feel sometimes in themselves the Wrath of GOD as Fire , when all things as to the outward go as prosperously with them as with the Godly , and oftentimes more prosperously ? For there is no natural Idea in Men of this inward Wrath of GOD : There is also an inward Grief oftentimes raised up in Wicked Men from the sense of this Wrath of GOD , which very much vexeth and tormenteth their Minds , and nevertheless this Grief hath no natural Idea in us : For oftentimes wicked Men feel not this Sorrow , for God sometimes is , as it were silent while the Wicked sin , as in Psalm 50. All which things do most clearly demonstrate that there are in Men Supernatural Ideas of supernatural Beeings ; which Ideas are nevertheless not perceived by us unless they be stirred up by some Supernatural Operation of GOD , which raiseth up in us Supernatural and Spiritual , Senses which by their Nature are as distinguishable from the natural Senses whether inward or owtward , as the natural Senses are distinguished one from another by their specifick Difference . Of which Spiritual Senses the Scripture speaks frequently , as Heb. 5. and 14. Where is spoken of the Spiritual senses in general , by which the spiritual Man hath the discerning of Good and Evil ; which Good is of a spiritual Nature , and conduceth to feed in us a Spiritual and Divine Life ; And the Evil is of that kind by which the spiritual Life is in us hurt : To wit Sins , whether carnal or spiritual : All which cannot be discerned but by such who have Spiritual Senses stirred up in them , as saith the Apostle . In other places the Scripture also speaketh of these Spiritual senses , in particular , as of the Spiritual seeing : Ps : 34.9 . Of the spiritual Hearing , Ps : 85. and 9. Of spiritual Tasting , Ps : 34.8 . Of Spiritual smelling , Cant. 1.3 . of Spiritual touching , Acts 17 : 8. and in many other places of Scripture we read of those Spritual Senses in particular . Yea , it is the Promise of the Gospel , that The glory of GOD shall be seen of holy Men , such as are clean of Heart , even in this Life : Isa. 33.17 . Mat. 5.8 . Which were fulfilled in the primitive Christians , see John 1.14 . 1 John 1.1 , 2 , 3 , 4. 2 Cor. 3.18 . and Chap. 4.6 . But what is this Vision of GOD and Divine Glory which the Soules of the Saints enjoy in this Life , which is only as the Earnest or first Fruits of that more abundant glorious Vision in the Life to come , concerning which the Scripture so much declareth , which is the highest happiness of the Immortal Soul. For this Argument seemeth to doe no less Injury to the Saints , then to rob them of this most glorious Treasure , both in this Life and that to come ; For there is in us no Natural Idea of this Divine Glory , as there is not of GOD himself , which is any wayes proportionable unto so great Happiness which the Scripture so much declareth of , by which the Godly are rewarded , partly in this Life , and plenarly in that which is to come . We confess indeed , there is in all Men as well the Godly as ungodly , some sort of Idea of GOD , as of a most perfect Beeing ; and that therefore this Proposition , There existeth a most perfect Beeing , doth as clearly appear to Human understanding , as that the whole is greater then the part , And therefore this proposition , That a most perfect Beeing existeth , ought to be numbred among the Principalls that of themselves are manifest ; But this Idea of God is as manifest to Ungodly as to Godly Men , yea is as clearly perceived by the Devill , as by the most holy Angels , for all the Devills know that GOD is ; But yet how blind is the Devill , and all wicked Men as to the Vision of GOD , which is the chief reward of the Saints . There is then either no such Vision of GOD , neither in this Life nor in that to come , or there is a Supernatural Idea of GOD in us , by which we are made capable of this Vision : Which Supernaturall Idea of GOD , differeth much from that Natural Idea of GOD , which Cartesius and his followers so much talk of , ( albeit others long before Cartesius did observe this Natural Idea of GOD , and spoke of it ) But the happiness of the Saints consists not in contemplating this Naturall Idea of GOD ; Else the wicked would be as happy as the Godly , yea the very Devill as the most holy Angel ; Since as is said , both the Devill and most wicked Men doe as clearly perceive this Natural Idea of GOD , as the most holy Men or Angels . If the Scriptures then be true , there is in Men a Supernatural Idea of GOD , which altogether differs from this naturall Idea , I say , in all Men ; Because all men are capable of Salvation ; and consequently , of injoying this Divine Vision : Now this capacity consisteth herein , that they have such a Supernatural Idea in themselves : For , if there were no such Idea in them it were impossible they should so know God : For whatsoever is clearly and Distinctly known , is known by its proper Idea , nether can otherways be clearly and distinctly known ; For the Ideas of all things are Divinly planted in our Souls , for they are not begotten in us by outward objects , or outward causes , ( As the better Philosophy teacheth ) but only are by these outward things excited or stirred up : And this is true not only in Supernatural Ideas of GOD , and things Divine , and in Natural Ideas of the naturall Principals of Human understanding , and conclusions thence deduced by the strength of human reason ; but even in the Ideas of outward objects , which are perceived by the outward Senses ; As that noble Christian Philosopher Boetius hath well observed , to which also the Cartesian Philosophie agreeth : For when I see any outward object , whether it be a Man , or Horse , or Bird , the outward object does not treat in my eye , nor yet in my mind the Idea of those things ; For the outward object does nothing but Imprint in our sensible Organs a Corporall motion : Now there is nothing in a Corporall motion that can form in us , the Ideas of those things ; For all Ideas are of a Spiritual Nature : Now nothing that is Corporall can produce that which is Spirituall , because the less excellent cannot produce the more excellent , Else the effect would exceed its cause , which is against all sound reason that it should bring forth what were of a higher and more excellent kind . Therefore all Ideas whether Of Natural or Spirituall things , are Divinly implanted in our minds ; Which nevertheless do not alwayes appear , but sometimes appear , and sometimes are as it were hid in us , and sometimes are stirred up in us by causes outward or inward , and again do as it were sleep and shun our observation , and seem not to be otherwayes distinguished by our minds , but as thoughts and perceptions of the mind from the mind it self . That is as the Mode from the Subject , or as a Bod●lie Motion from the body whereof it is the Motion ; For as is the Relation of a Bodily Motion to a Body , so is the Relation of a thought or perception of the mind to the mind . In this nevertheless they differ that the mind can move it self and operat in it self which a body cannot doe ; But as a Body can be moved by another , So also can the Mind after its manner be moved by another , and that both by outward and inward causes ; But chiefly by GOD himself , in whose hand all Souls and Creatures are . But of these things there is enough said at present , and I hope , I have not thus farr Impertinently Philosophised . To return again to the matter in question It is already proved , That there is in a Man a Supernaturall Idea of GOD , from whence it easily may be concluded There are other Supernaturall Ideas in man also : To wit , Concerning Divine and Supernaturall things ; Yea ( as the Saints experience doth prove it ) neither doth sound reason any ways contradict it . ) As there are then Naturall Ideas concerning the things of the natural World , as for instance , Ideas of Light and Colours , Ideas of Voice and Sounds , Ideas of Savouring and and Smelling , Ideas of Tasting and Feeling , as of Heat and Cold , of Grief and Joy : It follows also that there are Ideas of supernatural things , concerning the Divine and supernatural things of the Divine and Supernaturall World ; As Ideas of those things above mentioned in the Spiritual World ; And as the Naturall Ideas are stirred up in us by outward and Naturall Bodies ; So those Divine and Supernatural Ideas are stirred up in us by a certain Principle , which is a body in naturalls in Relation to the Spirituall World ; And therefore may be called a Divine Body ; Not as if it were a part of GOD , who is a most pure Spirit , But the Organ or Instrument of GOD , by which he worketh in us and stirreth up in us these Ideas of Divine things , This is that Flesh and Blood of Christ , by which the Saints are nurished , which is a Mystery to all unregenerated and meer natural Men , never to be reached by them , while they remaine in that state . Now if there be such Supernatural Ideas , there are also Senses , or Perceptive faculties by which those Ideas are perceived , for those are two relatives that suppose and inferr one another : But in wicked men those Senses or faculties do as it were sleep ( as the Visive faculty of a blind man ) But in the Godly they are stirred up . Now by these Divine and Spirituall Senses which are distinct and distinguishable from all the naturall faculties of the Soul , whether of Imagination or naturall reason , Spirituall minded men do behold the Glory and Beauty of GOD , In respect whereof and for which all the Glory of this World is despicable to them ; Yea even as dross and dung , and they also hear GOD Inwardly speaking in their Souls words truly Divine and Heavenly , full of Virtue and Divine Life ; And they savour and taste of Divine things , and doe as it were handle them with the hands of their Souls , And those Heavenly Enjoyments do as realy differ in their nature from all false similitudes and fa●itious appearances of them , which either the mind of Man by its own streng●h can imitate , or any evill spirit to deceive man can counterfit , as a true Man differs from the dead Image of a Man , or true Bread , Honey , Wine or Milk doth from the meer Picture of those things . And albeit either the Imagination of Man or subtility of the Devil may Counterfit false likenesses of these Injoyments , by which men may be deceived ; and no doubt many are deceived ; That doth not hinder but that those divine Injoyments are clearly perceived in such in whom the Divine and spirituall senses are truly opened , and the true Supernaturall Ideas of those things truly raised up : And if there be at any time a mistake , the Divine Illumination is not the cause of that mistake , but some evill disposition of the Mind , as happeneth in those things relating to naturall Reason ; For there are many false appearances of Reason , which differ as much from true Reason , as those false and pretended Revelations and Diabolicall Inspirations from such as are truly Divine . Now how many Men who would be esteemed Philosophers , are miserably deceived by those false likenesses of Reason ? Judging their false Reasons to be the true similitudes of things and solid Ratiocinatione ; which nevertheless moveth no man of sound Reason to reject sound and solid Reason , as doubtfull and uncertain : For even sound naturall Reason is an excellent Gift of GOD , and very usefull to mankind , when used in its proper place ; But let none think to comprehend by their naturall reason things that are of a divine and supernaturall kind : And as we use to do when any one is deceived by false appearances of Reason , we endeavour to reduce them to contemplate the first naturall Ideas of naturall things , and to meditate therein , which is as a Test , or Touchstone , by which all the appearances and likenesses of Reason are to be examined , if they contradict them to be rejected : So also when any one is deceived by his own Imagination , or the cunning of satan , thinking any evil inspiration of the devil to be a true Divine Revelation ; He that is so deceived , is to be reduced to the naturall Ideas of things ( if so be that pretended Revelation doth contradict them ; For no true Divine Revelation can contradict the true naturall Idea ) or to the Supernaturall Ideas of Divine things , which are most simple , clear and obvious to the minds of men , if they will turn their minds to the Divine seed in them ; or at least those Ideas are readily and easily stirred up : For as in Naturall Ideas , so in Supernaturall , Some are more easily raised then others ; For there is an certain order both of Naturall and Supernaturall Ideas , whereby they are gradually excited ; Nor is there any Mortall Man in whose Mind at some time or other there is not stirred up some Idea , that 's truly Supernaturall and Divine : And who hath not felt in himself both the Wrath and Judgement of GOD for his sins ; And also some tender and gentle taste of GOD'S Love and Goodness , by which wicked men are invited to Repentance . Now that which is thought to be a Divine Revelation , is felt to contradict any Divine and Supernaturall Idea , which is clearly perceived in the Soul , it is a manifest token that it is not a Divine Revelation , but either a false Imagination , or the wicked sugestion of some evill spirit But to proceed if we will hear the Scripture ( as all Christians ought ) It testifies to us , That GOD hath declared his Mind and Will , even concerning Contingent Truths to come in the Prophets ; As that of the first to the Heb 〈…〉 doth evidently declare , GOD who at sundry times , and in diverse manners spoke to our Fathers in the Prophets ; Yea let us hear the Prophets themselves ▪ Hosea Chap : 1. saith plainly , That the Word of the LORD was made in him , As it is in the Heb. Habakuk also sayes , As he was standing on his Watch to see what Jehovah would speak in him : And it is so manifest that the most Heavenly Revelations are by Inward Illustrations and Inspirations in the very minds of the Prophets , That it is strange how any that believes the Scripture should doubt of it . And if it happened at any time such Revelations were made in the naturall Imaginations of the Prophets , or any of their Inward ●aturall Senses , Then it may be confessed , they could not be infallibly certain they came from GOD , unless they also felt GOD in the Divine and Supernaturall Senses ; by which they did most neerly approach to him , from these Superior and most Inward Senses working upon the lower and less noble Faculties of the Mind . But which ever way the Prophets were certain that they were Inspired of GOD , even when they foretold Contingent Truths to come ; It is without doubt they were most certainly perswaded that they were Divinly Inspired , and that frequently without any Outward Miracle ; For John the Baptist did no Miracle , and many Prophesied where there appeared no Miracle , as in the Scripture may be often observed . And , we also by the Inspiration of the same Divine Spirit by which the Prophets prophesied do believe their Words and Writtings to be Divine concerning Contingent Truths , as well past as to come ; else that Faith by which we believe the Scripture would not be Divine but meerly Humane : And thence we need no outward Miracles to move us to Believe the Scriptures , And therefore much less were they necessary to the Prophets who Write them ; For we see in many places of the Prophets , where they declare Prophesies as revealed to them of GOD , there is not a word mentioned of any outward Miracle , as that by which alone they were certain of it . Moreover the falseness of this Argument doth appear , in that the Scripture doth declare many Contingent Truths to have been revealed to the Prophets in Dreams : Now as naturall and wicked men do not see what they dream , by a reall perception of the Outward Senses , but by Inward Ideas which are presented to the Mind and perceived by it : so it is also in Divine Revelations of this nature , Of which we have a clear Example in Joseph the Husband of the Blessed Virgin , who when he observed his Wife with Child , was told in a Dream , That She had Conceived by the Holy Ghost . Now I would Know , to which of Joseph's Outward Senses was this revealed ? or what miracle had he to Induce him to Believe ? Which could neither be proved , ( so as to make an Infallible application to Mary ) by the Testimony of the Scripture , And which being against the Order of nature did choak his reason : The Scripture mentions no miracle in this matter , and yet no doubt Joseph had highly sinned , had he not Believed this Revelation , and not withstanding rejected his Wife as an Adulteress : But if thou say , That according to thy Hypothesis , there must have been a miracle ; That is only to beg the Question : And how false this Hypothesis is , The Apostle shews clearly , Corinth . 2.14 . The Naturall or Animall Man knoweth not , receiveth not the things of GOD : Now Divine Revelations are of this Nature ; and if either chiefly or only those things were to be Judged by the Outward Senses it would contradict the Apostle ; For natural Men , yea the most wicked have the use of the outward senses as true and exact as the most Godly : And whereas the Apostle adds , For they are Spiritually Discerned : It puts the Matter out of all Question ; For thence it abundantly appears , that this discerning is not by the Outward Senses , according to the following verse , for the Apostle saith , The Spirituall Man Judgeth all things : This then must be done by some senses or Properties Peculiar to the Spirituall man , and in which he excells the naturall man , which is not in the outward senses ( as all do know ) Therefore the perception of spirituall things cannot be by the outward senses , either as the chief or only means , as is falsly contended for . Now as to these words of the Apostle , Rom. 10. That Faith comes by Hearing ; Zuinglius observed well ▪ That the Apostle intended not to affirm Faith to come by the hearing of the Outward Word , Neither doth the following words prove it ; How shall they Believe unless they hear ? And how shall they hear without a Preacher ? And how shall they Preach unless they be sent ? For the Apostle uses these words not as his Arguments , but as Objections which might be formed , As the same Apostle uses in other places ; To which Objections he answers in the same Chapter , as appears verse 18. But I say , have they not all heard ? Yes truly , their Voice went into all the Earth ; That is of the Father and Son , Or the Father in the Word , which Word is not only neer us , But ( according to the same Apostle , in the same Chapter ) in our Mouths , and in our Hearts . But further thou can conclude nothing from this , But that Faith is begotten by Outward Hearing only , and no otherwise : For this is the strength of thy Argument , That since Faith cannot be without Outward Hearing , Therefore nothing can be certainly believed , but where somewhat is proposed to the Outward Hearing , For if thou acknowledge Faith can be begotten any otherwise then by Hearing , thou looses the strength of thy Argument : And if that Argument hold That Faith comes only by Outward Hearing , thou destroyes the whole Hypothesis ; For having before affirmed that outward miracles are sufficient to render one certain of the Truth of any Revelation ; those miracles whether it be the healing of the Sick , or the raising of the Dead , would avail nothing , because those ( as for most part all miracles ) are obvious to the sight , not to the Hearing : And if it be not by Outward Hearing only , thou can conclude nothing from this place . But I the more wonder , thy using of this Argument , considering the Discourse we had together before we entred upon this debate ; For when we were speaking of the Opinions of a certain Person , who denyed the certainty of every thing , but what was discerned by the outward Senses , thou condemned as most absurd ; But why , I cannot conceive since there is no great difference betwixt those two Opinions , the one saith , There can be no certainty concerning any Truth , whether they be necessary or Contingent , but by the perception of the Senses ; The other affirms the same of Contingent Truths , though not of Necessary Truths ▪ But among the number of Contingent Truths thou Esteems what belongs to Christian Religion : For thou reckon the necessary Truths only to belong to naturall Religion . This then is all the difference that that other Person sayes , There is no certainty of any Religion , neither Naturall nor Christian but by the perception of the Outward Senses ; But thou sayes , though thou Esteems the Certainty of Naturall Re●i●ion to be without them , yet not of the Christian Religion . But again since thou Esteems that not Naturall Religion but the Christian Religion is necessary to Salvation ; Thou must necessarly conclude , That th●se Truths which are necessary to Salvation are only known and beleived by the benefit of the Outward Senses : In which Conclusion , which is the Summ of all , thou yields the Matter to that other Person . But lastly , If all the certainty of our Faith , Hope , and Salvation , did depend upon the Infallibility of outward Senses , we should be most mis●rable ; since these Senses can be easily deceived , and by many outward Casualities , and Naturall infirmities , whereunto the Godly are no less subject then the wicked , are often vitiated and there are ( as the Scripture affirms ) false miracles which as to the outward cannot be distinguished from the True , of which we cannot infallibly Judge by the outward Senses , which only discern what is outward . There is a necessity then to have recourse to some other Means . From all which it does appear how fallacious and weak this Argument is , but thanks be unto GOD , who would not that our Faith should be built upon so uncertain and doubtfull a Foundation : And whoever hath known True Faith , or hath felt the Divine Testimony of GOD'S Spirit in his Soul , will judge otherwise , neither will be moved by such Reasonings ; I pray GOD therefore remove these Clouds which darken thy Understanding , that thou may perceive the Glorious Gospell of CHRIST . This is that Saving Word of Grace which I commend thee unto ; And that GOD may give thee a Heart inclinable to believe and obey the Truth , is the desire of , Thy Faithfull Freind , R. BARCLAY . The 24th . of the Month , called , November , 1676. This Letter a Year ago at the desire of my Freind , R. B. I delivered into the hands of the aforenamed Ambassadour , desiring his answer in writting , which he then promised ; but not having as yet done , It was seen meet to be published . B. F. Rotterdam the 28 of March ; 1678. 
A09599	----	The way to heauen shevving, 1. That saluation is onely in the Church. 2. What that Church is. 3. By what meanes men are added to the Church. 4. The author, or efficient of this addition. 5. The time & continuance of that worke. 6. The happinesse of those that are added to the Church. By Iohn Phillips, Bachelor of Diuinity, and pastor of Feuersham in Kent. Phillips, John, d. 1640. 1625 Approx. 194 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 41 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A09599 STC 19878 ESTC S114718 99849941 99849941 15115 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A09599) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 15115) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1252:3) The way to heauen shevving, 1. That saluation is onely in the Church. 2. What that Church is. 3. By what meanes men are added to the Church. 4. The author, or efficient of this addition. 5. The time & continuance of that worke. 6. The happinesse of those that are added to the Church. By Iohn Phillips, Bachelor of Diuinity, and pastor of Feuersham in Kent. Phillips, John, d. 1640. [12], 52, 55-66 p. Printed by Felix Kingston, London : 1625. Reproduction of the original in the Union Theological Seminary (New York, N.Y.). Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. 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Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Catholic Church -- Controversial literature -- Early works to 1800. Salvation -- Early works to 1800. 2002-09 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2002-10 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2002-11 Olivia Bottum Sampled and proofread 2002-11 Olivia Bottum Text and markup reviewed and edited 2002-12 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE WAY TO HEAVEN : SHEVVING , 1. That Saluation is onely in the Church . 2. What that Church is . 3. By what meanes men are added to the Church . 4. The Author , or Efficient of this addition . 5. The time & continuance of that worke . 6. The happinesse of those that are added to the Church . By Iohn Phillips , Bachelor of Diuinity , and Pastor of Feuersham in Kent . Isa. 30.21 . This is the way , walke in it . LONDON , Printed by FELIX KINGSTON . 1625. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL , THE MAIOR , and the IVRATS his BRETHREN : AND TO THE COMMVNALTIE of the Towne and PORT-LIMME of FEVERSHAM in KENT , I. P. wisheth happy societie with the heauenly Ierusalem , heere , and in heauen . Right Worshipfull , and Beloued , HAppinesse , is the common obiect of euery mans desire ; so that , as Seneca saith , Viuere omnes beatè volunt ; There is not a man that would not be happy . But there are two obstacles that hinder the attainement of this desired Happinesse . One is , as hee saith well , Sed ad peruidendum , quid sit , quòd beatam vitam efficiat , caligant : Their sight is so dimme , that they cannot perceiue , what that thing is that makes a man happy . The other is , Si viâ lapsus est : If a man misse of the right way . In which case ; Ipsa velocitas maioris interualli causa fit : The faster he runnes , the farther hee is out of the way : Therefore this wise Heathen man doth giue good counsell ; Decernatur it a que & quò tendamus , & qua : We must looke both to the end whereunto wee ayme , as also to the way , whereby wee may attaine vnto it . For the course of the world is vtterly against reason , Pecorum ritu se qui antecedentium gregem , pergentes non qua eundum est , sed qua itur : That men indued with reason , should imitate the brute and vnreasonable creatures , which follow one another , though it bee out of the way : as if men should goe on , not considering what way they ought to goe , but what way is usually gone of others . But this is , non ad rationem , sed ad similitudinem viuere : not to liue according to reason , but according to example , not like men , but like Apes . Now our good Guide , who is the Way , the Truth , and the Life : and therefore a better Instructer then the wisest heathen , hath directed vs Christians , both to the end , and to the way , leading vnto that end , which is true Happinesse in deed , and consisteth in the fruition of God , by the meanes of sauing knowledge and grace in this life , with the rest of the Church Militant heere in earth : as also by inioyning his glorious presence with the Church T●iumphant in heauen : So that , if we follow his direction , wee shall know , & quò , & qua , both whither , and by what way we must goe , to attaine true felicity ; here below , as S. Augustine saith , by faith , and heereafter aboue , by sight . And this is the scope , which I haue propounded to my selfe in this Treatise , that I might not onely by liuely voyce , say , This is the way , walke in it ; but , as it were , by the hand , leade you in the way : for I am obliged by the bond of dutie , as being your Pastour , and you my flocke , both to pray for you , and to direct you , the best I can , in this heauenly course . Which , as I haue carefully indeuoured to doe amongst you , by the space of almost twenty yeeres : so I wish I may with good successe happily continue , to our mutuall ioyes , through Gods blessing : For I can truly say with the Apostle ; My hearts desire , and prayer to God for you , is , that ye might be saued ; and with the Prophet Samuel , God forbid that I should sinne against the Lord , and cease praying for you : but I will shew you the good and right way . Giue me leaue then , I beseech you , to stiree vp your Christian mindes , to an vnfained desire and indeuour to enter into this way , tending to life and happinesse . In worldly benefits wee would not haue others to goe before vs : why should wee not haue as great , nay greater care of heauenly things ? Our Sauiour vpbraided the chiefe of the Iewes , for that Publicans and Harlots went into the Kingdome of God before them . And what a shame is it , as S. Augustine saith , V● simplices Idiotae rapiant nobis Coelum , & nos cum nostra scientia mergamur in infernum ? That simple Idiotes should snatch heauen from vs , and we with all our knowledge and learning should be plunged into hell ? Oh let vs not doe our selues so great aniniurie . It is the propertie of worldlings , who liue not according to faith , as S. Augustine speaketh , to angle for all their peace and prosperitie , in the sea of temporall profits , whereas the righteous liue in full expectation of the glory to come . Which that you may also doe , take for your furtherance , this weake helpe in good worth ; vse it , and peruse it , I hope you shall finde your labour well bestowed . The occasion of this Worke , was the interring of our neighbour , Master Edward Lapworth , Doctor of Physicke : It is for the method and matter , the very same , that was then publikely deliuered by liuely voyce , but is now , not onely amplified , by accesse of those things , that the strictnesse of time would not then permit ; but is also further inlarged into a conuenient Treatise ; the waight of the matter , and fitnesse of these times so requiring . If any desire to know the reason of the publishing of it , I must ingenuously confesse ▪ it was neuer liberally intended on my part , but rather extorted and wrung from mee : for had it not beene for a furious and ouer-hasty Midwife , that drew it out of the wombe by violence , this Embryon had neuer seene the light . Yet when I did call to minde , That Samsons Lyon had honie in it , so that , out of the eater came foorth meate , and out of the strong came foorth sweetnesse , I did willingly set vpon this Worke , hoping that by the blessing of God , some wholesome food , and sweet repast might issue out of these bitter beginnings , to the refreshing of the hungry soule . But to leaue Parables , and to speake plainely : This Gentleman deceased , was noted of all that knew him , to bee inclined to the Romish Religion . At the Funerall , I tooke occasion to speake something of the deceased , which either of simple misprision , or sinister acception , was misconstrued , and by some officious hearers , carried as newes to such , whose eares are patent , and gates wide open to receiue the tale-bearer . Heereupon the poore Predicant was rated , as if it had beene a Schoole-boy , by some austere Pedantee ; and yet the Censor had nothing to obiect , praeter auditum , but onely by bare heare-say : not one auditor obiecting any thing against the Teacher ; but some godly and well-minded , shewing their acceptance , did giue him thanks for his labours . Now , forsooth , the criminations or faults obiected , were these : 1. That the deceased partie was commended , being accounted a Papist , yea , and a seducer . The truth is , there was not so much as one word of commendation giuen him , whereat Momus himselfe might cauill ( as the i●dicious and ingenuous Reader may heere see by the simple truth faithfully related ) vnlesse any will be so censorious , as to taxe S. Paul for saying , as the truth was . That the Ba●barians were courteous , and shewed them that had suffered shipwracke , no little kindnesse . That it is sayd , he was noted to be a Papist , who euer denied it ? The proposition was not , that hee was no Papist , but ( according to the Doctrine of our Christian reformed Churches ) That a simple-hearted Papist , not holding the whole mysterie of Romish iniquity , but only erring in some lesse points , which ouerthrow not the foundation , may vpon repentance in generall , of sinnes knowne and not knowne , finde mercy with God , relying vpon Christ alone for saluation . Where it is said , That he was a seducer : I haue my selfe charged him with it ; but hee was so farre from maintaining that bad office , that he did in excuse of himselfe affirme , That he knew no cause , why any man should count him a Papist , vnlesse it were for keeping the Kings lawes , in abstaining from flesh vpon Fridayes , and such like times . I call God to record , I doe the man no wrong , but testifie herein the very truth ; and did expastulate with him , that if the conscience of the Kings Lawes did so preuaile with him in that , why it should not also cause him to come more often to the Church , the reason being the same for both ; whereunto , his answere was silence . But for the matter of seducing : It makes not a man by and by a settled Professour in his Religion , because hee labours to draw others vnto it : for we see by experience , that if any conceiue well of a Religion , and begin to entertaine it , though they be as yet but very Nouices , they will presently seeke to induce others to the same : this may appeare by those that were Conuerts to the truth , as Andrew and Philip , and the like , whom as Apes these Errants imitate . 2. Vnto the former , another aspersion was added , which did touch the whole Ministerie , and was vrged with no little spight and clamour , viz. That any man , be he neuer so vile , for a Cloth and a fee , shall as his Funerall be commended and extolled to the heauens . If any be guilty of this crime , let him beare his owne burden ; for my part , I haue learned with Elihu , not to giue titles , lest my Maker should become my destroyer , for thereis a woe denounced against them , that speake good of euill , and call darkenesse , light . It is well knowne , that for diuers yeeres I did vtterly abstaine from speaking any one word of the dead , but onely applyed my selfe to the instruction of the liuing ; insomuch as it grew distasted : yet neuer did I abstaine , as holding is vnlawfull : for I know there is very good vse of it : 1. That the vertues of the godly may be propounded for imitation : that wee might be followers of the Saints , who through faith and pacience haue inherited the promises . 2. That the perseuerance of the faithfull , being made knowne , we may with the ancient Church , as is noted afterwards in this Treatise , sing laud to God , that being faithfull vnto the death , they haue receiued the Crowne of life . 3. That if any hauing liued scandalously in open sinne , but , through the mercy of God , by the meanes of his afflict●ng rod , are recouered , and brought home with the Prodigall , the Congregation being made acquainted with it , may glorifie God , that hath giuen them repentance vnto life , and with the Angels , reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner . 4. That vpon any extraordinary accident , men being suddenly surprized by death , their example propounded , may be a monitory to the liuing , that they may take it to heart , and profit by it . These and the like , are good occasions of the Teachers Discourse in this kinde . And vpon this ground , I haue indeuoured to auoyde scandalum datum , the giuing of any offence , keeping my selfe alwayes in the meane , or middeway , betweene both extremes . 3. A third crimination , or fault obiected , and that with no little asperitie , was , that euen the very prophane should make a scoffe of it . And what did they say ? Why , forsooth , being vpon their Ale-benches , they call for another Pot , deriding the Doctrine of Gods Mercy and Patience , in that hee calleth not all at once , but some euen at the eleuenth houre . Did not the wicked doe this , euen at the very preaching of the Prophets and Apostles , yea , of Christ himselfe ? Can any pretend pietie , and take part with such impietie , taking it vp , and casting it as dung in the face of God himselfe ? for it is not Moses , but God , against whom men open their foule mouthes : and the contemptuous vsage of the poorest seruant of Christ , he counts as a despight done to himselfe , howsoeuer men slubber it ouer . 4. A fourth crimination was , that I should shew so much respect to one , that was a noted enemie to my selfe . But bee it that hee was so ; I haue learned of my Master , though hee were my enemie , yet to call him friend . Could he be a greater enemie to me , then Saul was to Dauid ? yet see how Dauid giues him his due praise , in his mournefull song vpon the death of Saul and Ionathan . 5. The next obiection was , that his not comming to Church was excused , for that his memory was decayed . In this point I cannot tell whether I should blame more , the reporters laesum ingenium , or laesam memoriam , his want of wit , or his want of memorie : for what reason is there to thinke , that a Papist should refraine comming to Church , because he cannot remember what he doth heare ? when in truth hee would willingly bee there starke deafe , or learne the Art of obliuion . But the truth is , that the failing of his memorie was spoken of in the beginning ; his not comming to Church , in the end of all the speech , and almost the last point of all , and it was applyed only to his facultie , wherein I said he did practise with good liking ▪ till through weakenesse his memorie began to faile . But the substance of the speech which I now come vnto , will cleere all . You may therefore please to vnderstand , that the Sermon being ended ( according to my vsuall manner ) I tooke occasion to speake somewhat of the partie deceased ; not by way of commendation or excuse , in regard of his Religion , which I had before taxed for many errours ; but onely by way of application of one speciall point in my Sermon ; which was , that in a corrupt Church some may bee saued , holding the foundation , though taynted with diuers errours of lesse moment : and so consequently in the Romish Church ; prouided , that they hold not the whole Mysterie of that Iniquity , nor by any doctrine or practice ouerthrow the fundamentall grounds of Faith and Religion . This I did apply to the person of the Gentleman deceased , charitably deeming him to be in the number of these , and that ( as I did take it ) for good reason . The effect of my speech concerning him , was digested into these two branches : His facultie ; and his Religion . For the first ▪ I did onely touch it in a few words , shewing , that hee did practise the Art of Physicke with good and commendable acceptance , till such time , as through weakenesse , his memorie began to faile : that he was very courteous , and ready to affoord his best helpe , specially to Schollers , as I could testifie of mine owne certaine knowledge ; and not wanting therein to poore neighbours , as I had partly seene with mine owne eyes , and neere dwellers to him could testifie . Touching his Religion , I did indeuour to expresse my charitie , with our Christian reformed Church , that all men might see the difference between Christian and Antichristian Religion . They cast downe headlong into hell , all that consort not with them , in dependance vpon one Head , The Romane Bishop , we charitably and hopefully conceiue , that in the middest of them , notwithstanding their errour of that dependance , yet many haue beene , are , and shall bee saued , the Lord hauing his thousands among them that neuer bowed their knee to Baal . My reasons why I did so charitably iudge of his estate before God , were briefly these : 1. First , I shewed that he was not infected with the whole Mysterie of Iniquity , nor did appeare to be obdurate and obstinate that way ; because in our Christian families where he came , he was knowne to ioyne with them in Prayer . 2. In conference and dispute about Religion , euery man that did conuerse with him , can testifie his vnskilfulnesse and weakenesse that way : wherein his disabilitie of answere was supplied vsually , with these or such like euading speeches : God send vs all to heauen . The Sonne of God bee good to vs , &c. 3. Hee protested to me , that he was neuer at the most solemne part of their Romish Religion , that is , The Masse , nor did euer know what it meant . This confession was not long before his death . 4. His skill in the Vtensils and Vessels of their Religious seruice was so little , that he did not know a Chalice , but would pleasantly tell of his mistake , taxed by a Gentlewoman , better skilled in the trade then himselfe . 5. My selfe reading to him a Sermon of S. Bernard , wherein the Father vehemently inueighed against the Court and Prelacie of Rome , and demanding of him , Whether Luther or Caluine , or any of our men , could more plainely and more powerfully speake against such impietie , he did , as a man conuicted , admire it , as strange to him ; for hee ●aw there was no deceit , inasmuch as it was read to him in his owne Booke . 6. He ordinarily ( though not so often as was fi● ) resorted to Church , and communicated annually ; excepting the last yeere , or little more before his death : and that was vpon occasion of the Princes going into Spaine ; which made many befoole themselues . 7. Last of all , in the shutting vp of his life , neere his end , my selfe praying with him , he did shew his consent , by erecting both his hands vp to heauen , and after the Prayer ended , by giuing mee his hand cheerefully and willingly of his owne accord . If these bee not sufficient arguments to induce my charitie towards him , iudge you : And tell mee , I pray you , whether such a speech , so charitably vttered , need to flee the light , and be glad of the couert of darkenesse ; or not rather with boldnesse come into the light , as now it doth , that it may bee approoued of God , and discreet good men . That I may not with too much prolixitie offend your patience , I will now draw to an end ; intreating your courteous acceptance of this token of my sincere loue vnto you . It is indeed many wayes due vnto you of right , but especially in regard of your loue and kinde respect shewed to mee of late ; that whereas for the space of aboue ten yeeres , I constantly continued the weekely lecture vpon the Market day , hauing no recompence for that paines , but onely Master William Sakers Legacie of fiue pounds per annum , it hath pleased you , vpon due consideration , to augment it to a conuenient stipend : which good Worke was first well begun by Master Reginold Edwards , and that not onely motioned by word , but seconded by his liberall act , in contributing most largely to so good a purpose . And whereas voluntary contributions , depending onely vpon the Donors free disposition , are in like manner as Charitie it selfe , subiect to waxe cold ; it was not onely very kindly towards me , but exceeding prouidently , for the better continuance of so religious a worke , propounded by Master William Thurston to the whole Corporation , and by their generall consents condescended vnto , that the stipend should euer heereafter be paid out of the Chamber . Of which pious Worke , I commend to the world , this Monument , in the iust praise , both of those Prime Motors , as also of you all , who were the Concomitants and Adinuant causes of that so good and needfull a furtherance of Gods Religious seruice ; desiring the Almightie to blesse you all , and to giue you the comfort that religious Nehemiah had in the like case ; that with him , euery one of you may bee able to say vnto God with ioy and confidence ; Remember mee , O my God , concerning this , and wipe not out my good deedes , that I haue done for the House of my God , and for the offices thereof . Yours in the Lord Iesus , IOHN PHILLIPS . THE WAY TO HEAVEN . ACTS 2.47 . And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saued . THere is nothing more fit , not better beseeming a Christian minde , at such times , and vpon such occasions as this , when our mortality is set before our eyes , then to consider seriously with our selues , what shall become of vs after this life ▪ that seeing our passage out of this world by death is ineuitable , we may , before our departure , learne here vpon earth , how to liue for euer in Heauen . This heauenly lesson is here taught vs in this short and sweet text : which that I may open vnto you , and in opening it , may set open Heauen gate to euery faithfull soule , you shall vnderstand , that these words are The conclusion of a memorable History , concerning the prime and first gathering together of the Christian Church , by the Apostles , after the glorious Ascension of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Know therefore , that to the end , that so great a worke , as the conuerting of the whole world , consisting of many Nations , and different languages , might the better be effected , our blessed Lord did , according to his promise , send the holy Ghost vpon the Apostles , enabling them to speake to euery Nation and people in their owne tongues , that all countries might be taught to know and worship God in their owne language . And for the greater incouragement of the Apostles , it pleased God to giue such a blessing to these beginnings , that about Three Thousand soules were conuerted at the first Sermon of Peter . Now to shew that this blessing ceased not there , but that it continued still , and shall continue to the end of the world , it is said in the shurting vp of this Historie , That the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saued . These words offer vnto vs at the first view , foure remarkable obseruations . The first is , The way to saluation ; and that is , by being added to the Church . The second is , the Efficient or Author of this addition ▪ and that is , The Lord God. The third is , the time and continuance of this worke , and that is , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , daily , or from day to day . The fourth is , the happy end of such as are added to the Church , and that is , Saluation . They all , and they onely , are such as shall be saued . In the first obseruation , that I may complete the whole doctrine of it , three things are to bee considered . 1. That the way to saluation , is by the Church . 2. What that Church is , where saluation may be had . 3. By what meanes , and how men are to be added to the Church , that they may be saued . 1 Touching the first branch , it must be knowne and beleeued of all that desire saluation , that the Regia via , the King of Kings high way to heauen , is the Church : without which Church , there is no saluation . That I may demonstrate this truth , cast but your eye vpon the Arke of Noah , wherein was most liuely figured , the Church of God. A type , twice alledged by Saint Peter , to this very purpose ; to shew , that saluation is , and onely is in the Church . And therefore he vrgeth against such as made defection from the Church , that God spared not the old world , but did bring in the flood vpon the world of the vngodly , that is , vpon those that were out of the Arke , out of the Church . Againe , Baptisme being the Sacrament of our entrance into the Church of Christ , he doth parallell it , and compare it with the Arke , intimating thus much , that as onely those eight soules were saued in the Arke by water : so there is no hope of saluation , but onely in the Church ; the solemne entrance whereinto , is ordinarily by Baptisme . We know , that the head is the fountaine of life , 2 sense , and motion to the whole body and euery member of it , but yet onely to that body , whereof it is the head ; euen so it is betweene Christ and the Church ; Christ is the head , the Church is the body , and euery true Christian is a particular member of that body : Ye are , saith S. Paul , the body of Christ , and members in particular . Now as the head doth naturally performe the office of a head to the body , and to it onely : so Christ doth impart the Diuine influence of sauing grace onely to his Church . Therefore the Apostle , speaking of Christ , saith , That from the head , all the body by ioynts and bands , hauing nourishment ministred and knit together , increaseth with the increase of God ; and hauing affirmed , That Christ is the head of the Church , hee immediately inferreth vpon it , and he is the Sauiour of the body . This is that body , out of which the Spirit giueth no life . This Position , That saluation is to bee had onely in the Church , is not obscurely noted , by those sacred similies , so frequent in Scripture , 3 where the Church is resembled to a House , to a Citie , to a Mother , to a Vine . To a House . 1 So doth S. Paul call it , The house of God , which is the Church of the liuing God. It is likened to a House , in a two fold sense : first , as the word is taken properly for an edifice or mansion , and building to dwell in , consisting of foundation , walls , and roofe : thus S. Peter termeth the faithfull , liuely stones built vp a spirituall house ; and Christ , the corner stone . Saint Paul calleth them , Gods building ; himselfe ▪ and other Ministers , Gods builders ; and Christ , the foundation : for ( saith he ) other foundation can no man lay , then that is laid , which is , Iesus Christ ; and he telleth the Ephesians , that they are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets , Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone . As therefore the safetie of a House standeth in the strength and firmenesse of its owne foundation , which giueth support to it , and onely to it : euen so saluation and freedome from eternall and vtter ruine , belongeth onely to the Church , the House of God , built so firmely vpon the Rocke Iesus Christ , that the gates of hell cannot preuaile against it . Againe , it is compared to a House in another sense , the word House being taken for the inhabitants : so it is to bee vnderstood , when S. Peter saith , that Iudgement must begin at the House of God , that is , with the godly , with the righteous , as he plainely interpreteth himselfe . And the Apostle to the Hebrewes , calling the Church , Christs owne House , saith of himselfe , and the rest of the faithfull , Whose House we are . Now the Church and euery member of it is called , The House of God , and of Christ , because he doth dwell in their hearts by faith , as a housholder in his house . More expresly elsewhere in plainetermes , the Church is called ; The Lords family , or houshold ; The Domestickes , or houshold of God ; The houshold of faith : The Ministers are called , Stewards , that rule ouer the houshold ; and Christ himselfe , The Lord of the house . As then the Master of a family prouideth onely for his owne house , all necessaries for maintenance and sustentation of life : but not for others , or other mens families , except it bee in the case of charitie : So God , though in his gracious Indulgence , as a Creator to his creatures , hee bee good to all ; he preserueth man and beast : he maketh his Sunne to rise on the euill and on the good , and sendeth raine on the iust , and on the vniust . Yet in a peculiar manner he is good to Israel , euen to such as are of a cleane heart . He is the Sauiour of all men , but specially of those that beleeue . This houshold of faith onely , doth he saue eternally : they onely , hauing God for their Father , the Church for their Mother , Christ for their elder Brother , regenerated by one and the same immortall seed of the Word of God , nourished with one and the same sincere milke , partakers all of one Bread , and drinking all of one Cup. Therefore S. Peter saith of himselfe , and the rest of this family , That God , according to his Diuine power , hath giuen vnto vs all things that pertaine vnto life and godlinesse , through the knowledge of him that hath called vs to glory and vertue . None then can looke for life and saluation , but they that are of Gods houshold ; who alone can truely say with the Psalmist , I am thine , saue me . The Church is likewise resembled to a Citie or Commonwealth : Thus it is set foorth in a vision to Saint Iohn , by the name of the Holy Citie , new Ierusalem ; That great Citie , The holy Ierusalem : So againe it is called , The Citie of the liuing God , The heauenly Ierusalem . It is compared to a Citie in two respects ; that is to say , Defence , and Priuiledge . We know , that Cities are places of refuge , to defend the inhabitants from the force of enemies : So is the Church to the true members of it , the onely place of eternall safetie . Therefore it is , that the faithfull in their triumphant Song , doe to the praise of God sing in this manner : Wee haue a strong Citie , saluation will God appoint for walls and bulwarkes . And the Prophet Ioel foretelling the state of the Christian Church , saith , In mount Sion and in Ierusalem shall be deliuerance . So that in this heauenly Citie , entred into heere vpon earth , is our onely securitie of saluation ; without it , there can be no safetie at all . Heereupon Saint Augustine alluding to those words of the Psalme , Praise the Lord , O Ierusalem ; praise thy God , O Sion : for he hath made fast the barres of thy gates . When ( saith he ) the barres of the gates are fast , as none can come in , so none can goe out ; intimating thereby , that they that belong not to this Citie of God , the Church , but remaine without , cannot haue the benefit of Defence , but lye open to eternall ruine : whereas on the contrary , they that are so in it , that they are also of it , can neuer be surprized by any enemy , but may sing comfortably with Dauid , Blessed be the Lord , for he hath shewed me his marueilous kindnesse , in a strong , or fenced Citie . Againe , Cities or Common-wealths haue their priuiledges , immunities , and freedomes , wherein the Citizens and Freemen onely are interessed . To this purpose , that Father citeth the definition of Scipio , in Tullie de Rep. Respublica , est res populi . That is : The weale-publike , is the peoples wealth . Or thus , The common-wealth , is the wealth or wellfare of the Commons . It is so with the Church . Therefore of this immunitie and freedome ▪ the Apostle speaking of the Catholicke Church , saith , Ierusalem which is aboue , is free : and telling the Ephesians , that before their conuersion , they were without Christ , and were aliens from the common-wealth of Israel , and were strangers from the couenant of Promise , and had no hope , and were without God in the world : he saith , But now in Christ Iesus , yee which were farre off , are made neere by the Blood of Christ : and afterwards addeth these words ; Now therefore ye are no more strangers and Forreiners , but Citizens with the Saints ; meaning heereby , that they had now , being entered into the Church , attained vnto the immunity and freedome of the Citie of God. But wherein consisteth this freedome ? Among other priuiledges , it doth mainely and principally consist in freedome from sinne , and condemnation for sinne : Hence it is , that S. Paul assureth the faithfull , That sin●● shall haue no dominion ouer them , and that being freed from sinne , they haue their fr●●ie in holinesse , and the end euerlasting life . Againe , that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus . By this it is euident , that the priuiledge of eternall life and happinesse , is the peculiar right of the Citie of God , the Church . It is also likened vnto a Mother . So saith the Apostle , That Ierusalem which is aboue , is the mother of vs all . This semblance standeth in two things . First , the Church , as a Mother , doth conceiue and bring foorth children to God , by the immortall seede of the Word of God , in the Ministery of the Church : whereunto S. Paul alluding , saith to the Galatians , My little children , of whom I trauell in birth againe , vntill Christ bee formed in you . Secondly , the Church , as a Mother doth , after her children are borne and brought foorth , feed and nourish them with the sincere milke of the Word of God , out of her two brests , the sacred Scriptures of the Old and New Testament ; and as they grow in strength , giueth them not onely milke , but also strong meate . As therefore no man can liue the life of nature , but hee must haue a mother , by whom hee must bee conceiued and brought foorth into the world ; and must withall haue conuenient nourishment for preseruation of life : So no man can liue the life of grace heere , and the life of glory for euer , vnlesse he be borne of his Mother , the Church , and nourished in it , to euerlasting life . To this purpose is that noted saying of an ancient Father : Hee shall neuer haue God for his Father , that hath not the Church for his Mother . The Church is againe compared to a Vine , as wee may see by the complaint of the faithful vnto God in the Psalme , Thou hast brought a Vine out of Egyp● , &c. why hast thou then broke downe her hedges ? And by Gods complaint concerning his Church : O Inhabitants of Ierusalem , and men of Iudah , iudge , I pray you , betweene me and my Vineyard : When I looked that it should bring foorth grapes , it brought foorth wilde grapes . Our Sauiour Christ , vnder the Parable of the Vine , describeth the Church , likening himselfe to the body or stocke , and the members of his Church to the branches . I am , saith he , the Vine , ye are the branches . It is inferred vpon the words going before ; noting the due proportion betweene the Vine and the Church ▪ As the branch , saith Christ , cannot beare fruit of it selfe , except it abide in the Vine ; no more can ye , except ye abide in me . This he further amplifieth in these words ; He that abideth in me , and I in him , the same bringeth foorth much fruit ; for without mee ye can doe nothing . If a man abide not in me , he is cast foorth as a branch , and is withered , and men gather them and cast them into the fire , and they are burned . All this importeth thus much , That vnlesse we be ingrafted into Christ , the true Vine , and so become liuely branches in the body of the Church , wee can haue no hope of life and saluation : For , saith S. Augustine , out of this body , the holy Ghost quickneth no man. This Doctrine , of saluation in the Church onely , is not onely thus illustrious by the bright-shining light of so many Diuine Similitudes and Parables , but is also warranted by euident and inuincible reason , grounded vpon the Word of God. 1 1. It is a Principle vndenyable , That there is onely one sauing truth . And therefore the Apostle saith , that all men whom God will haue saued , he will haue to come to the knowledge of the Truth . Now this truth is no where to be found , but in the Church of God. Hence it is , that the godly are termed , The righteous nation , that keep●th the truth . And S. Paul stileth the Church , The pillar and ground of truth . And for this cause , the Spirit whereby the Church is guided , is called , The Spirit of truth : and it was promised by our Lord Christ , that it should come and guide the Church into all truth . If then there can be no saluation without the knowledge of the truth , and no sauing truth but onely in the Church , it consequently followeth , That there is no saluation out of the Church . 2 2. There are certaine graces , that accompany saluation , which are the peculiar of the Church of God ; they may be all included in these foure , that is , the grace of Election , the grace of Vocation , the grace of Iustification , and the grace of Sanctification ; all which , ioyntly and inseparably haue their period and end in Glorification . This we may plainely see , by that golden chaine of mans saluation , in the Epistle to the Romanes , whereof not one linke can bee broken by the greatest power of hell : Whom God did predestinate , saith the Apostle , them hee also called ; and whom he called , them he also iustified ; and whom he iustified , them he also glorified . That these graces are concomitant to saluation , and the peculiar of the Church , is not only manifest for the generall , by this golden chaine , neuer worne of any but the faithfull : but it will more euidently appeare , if we examine the particulars . As for Predestination and Election , 1 whereby God doeth choose men to saluation of his free grace and mercie , without any merit in man ; it is so proper to the Church , that S. Peter calleth it , A chosen generation , A peculiar people . S. Paul saith of the Church , that they are the chosen of God in Christ , before the foundation of the world ; acc●rding to the good pleasure of his will ; to the praise of the glory of his grace . Our Sauiour , distinguishing the sound members of the Church from hypocrites , such as Iudas , saith , I speake not of you all ; I know whom I haue chosen : And of the faithfull , hee saith , Yee haue not chosen mee , but I haue chosen you , and ordained you . Then to be a sound member of the Church , and to bee Elect , is all one : and not to be Elect , though in the Church , is no benefit to saluation . Therefore Saint Luke hauing said in our Text , that the Lord added to the Church such as should be saued , saith afterward in equiualent phrase of speech , that as many as were ordained to eternall life , beleeued . To this accordeth that saying of S. Gregorie , speaking of the Church ; Within these limits , saith he , are all the Elect , without them are all the reprobate ; yea , although they may seeme to be within the bounds of faith . No marueile then , though S. Peter aduising the faithfull to secure their owne saluation , doth counsell them to doe it , by giuing diligence to make their Election sure . Touching Vocation or calling , I meane , effectuall calling , the effect of Election , whereby God doth conuert the soules of men to himselfe , calling them out of the society of the world , 2 into the Communion of Saints , as it were , out of darknesse into light ▪ it is also such a property of the Church , that it cannot possibly bee separated from it . Therefore the Church is sayd to bee , The called of Iesus Christ : and to bee those , who are the called according to the purpose of God , and partakers of the heauenly vocation . Now that it is a companion of saluation , is euident , by that exhortation of the Apostle , exciting the faithfull , that they would walke worthy of God , who hath called them vnto his Kingdome and glory : where we may see , that Glorification is the terminus ad quem , that is , the end whereunto tendeth the calling of Gods people . And that they shall neuer faile of this end , hee secureth them by the fidelity of the Caller : God , saith he , is faithfull , by whom ye were called vnto the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. And againe , Faithfull is he that calleth you , who also will doe it . And therefore the Apostle , speaking of graces that accompany saluation , and by name of effectuall vocation , the fruit of election , doth confidently assure the Romanes , that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance . A Text so cleere for the inseparabilitie of Gods effectuall calling , and consequent saluation ; that our Rhemish aduersaries , who euery where catch any thing , that may but seeme to make for themselues , or against vs , are heere , vpon this verse , constrained to be mute , and say nothing , but onely leaue a Blanke . 3 Come wee now to Iustification . It is a word of great varietie for the signification of it ; but we need trouble our selues with no more but this one distinction . It is either that , whereby we stand iust before God : or that whereby wee are declared to be iust before men . The former is properly Iustification : the latter is called , Sanctification . Yet both are sometimes included vnder the name of Iustification : as wee may see by that golden chaine of the Apostle , before cited : Whom he called , them he also iustified ; and whom he iustified , them hee also glorified : otherwise the chaine had beene imperfect , and had lacked a maine lincke , without which , Glorification could not follow . This distinction of Iustification before God and before men , is grounded vpon these words of Saint Paul , If Abraham were iustified by workes , he hath whereof to glorie , but not before God : and it doth fitly reconcile Saint Paul and Saint Iames , the one speaking of Iustification before God , which wee haue now in hand : the other , of Iustification before men , or Sanctification , which we shall touch in the next place . Now concerning Iustification before God , we are to consider , both what it is , that it is proper to the Church , as also that it is a necessary antecedent of Saluation . Iustification then , is an action of God , whereby he pardoning all sinnes , imputeth righteousnesse to euery true beleeuer , out of his free grace and mercie , for the onely merit of Iesus Christ. The branches being many , require distinct explication . 1. It is an action of God. 1 So much intimateth the Apostle ; Who , saith hee , shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect ? it is God that iustifieth . 2. It consisteth in the pardon of sinnes . 2 To this purpose the same Apostle alledgeth the Psalme . As Dauid , saith hee , declareth the blessednesse of the man , to whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes ; saying , Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen , and whose sinnes are couered . Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sinne . 3. It is a meere imputation of righteousnesse , 3 out of man , in Christ Iesus alone , that doth cause a man to stand iust in the sight of God , and not any merit of workes in man himselfe : for , as was said before , to constitute a blessed man , God imputeth righteousnesse without workes . This imputed righteousnesse , not inherent in vs , but out of vs , in Christ , is expresly noted by Saint Paul , where he saith , That Christ who knew no sinne , was made sinne for vs , that wee might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him . Marke heere two things , saith Saint Augustine , The righteousnesse of God , not our righteousnesse : In him , not in vs. So then , looke how Christ was made sinne for vs , in the same manner are wee made the righteousnesse of God in him : But Christ was not made sinne , by infusion or inherencie of sinne , but onely by imputation . So we , that we may be saued , must bee iustified , not by our inherent righteousnesse , which at the best , is imperfect ; but by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ , who of God is made vnto vs , wisedome , righteousnesse , sanctification , and redemption . 4 4. This righteousnesse is imputed to euery true beleeuer : for it is faith onely whereby we apprehend Christ with all his benefits , as we may see , if we compare together , Faith , Hope , and Charitie : Faith , like a hand , receiueth and layeth hold on the obiect , Christ ; therefore S. Iohn maketh receiuing of Christ and beleeuing in him , all one . Hope onely expecteth & looketh for the accomplishment of that which faith beleeueth , and with patience waiteth for it . Charitie distributeth her good things to the benefit of others . Hence it is , that faith onely is said to iustifie , because it is the onely instrumentall cause of our iustification , in that it alone doth apprehend Christ , by whom we are iustified . Scriptures for this are plentifull ; From all things , saith Saint Paul in his Sermon at Antioch , from which ye could not be iustified by the Law of Moses , by Christ , euery one that beleeueth , is iustified . And disputing the question of iustification , he doth thus determine it ; Therefore wee conclude , that a man is iustified by faith , 5 without the deeds of the Law. This , saith Saint Bernard , is the Apostles meaning , that a man is iustified freely by faith . 5. Our iustification is of Gods free grace and mercy : This the Apostle auoucheth , That all men are iustified freely by his grace . A trueth so euident , that it hath obtained the Aduersaries ingenuous confession : For the vncertaintie of our own righteousnesse , saith Bellarmine , and the perill of vaine-glory , it is most safe to repose our whole confidence in the sole mercy and fauour of God. Thus , euen our Aduersaries being witnesses , our Christian reformed Religion directeth men the safest way to heauen . 6 6. It is for the onely merit of Iesus Christ : therefore the Apostle hauing said , That we are iustified freely by his grace , addeth , through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ. And venerable Bede saith , That Christs death is our life , his condemnation , our iustification . Thus we see what Iustification is , now that it belongeth only to the Church , and is a concomitant of saluation , our Creede may teach vs , where we are directed to beleeue , as speciall priuiledges of the Catholike Church , the forgiuenesse of sinnes , and the Resurrection to life euerlasting . And the Apostle saith , That wee being iustified by his grace , should bee made heires according to the hope of eternall life . Where wee haue in one text , both the persons , to whome Iustification doth belong we , saith the Apostle , that is , the Church and faithfull people of God : and the inheritance of eternall life following . The last grace accompanying saluation , 4 is , Sanctification . It is a grace of God , whereby a man being iustified , is in euery part of soule and body renewed by the Spirit of God , no more to liue in sinne , but to walke in newnesse of life . It is in a word , the renewed image of God , consisting in knowledge , righteousnes and true holinesse . You may see it in the lesson , that grace teacheth all her children , which is , To deny vngodlinesse , and worldly lusts , & to liue soberly , righteously and godly in this present world , being zealous of good workes . Iustification and sanctification differ in foure points . 1. Iustification is before sanctification in nature , though both be together in time : for as the branch must first be in the Vine , before it can by vertue of the sap bring forth fruit : so a man must bee first in Christ , by faith , before hee can be a new creature , and so bring forth the fruit of holinesse . 2. Iustification is without vs , in Christ , as was said before , but Sanctification is within vs , inherent , and infused by the Spirit of God. 3. Iustification , is that whereby we stand absolued , and made iust in the sight of God , but by Sanctification wee are onely declared to be iust . 4. Iustification doth quiet the conscience , by reconciling it , and making it at peace with God , for , being iustified by faith , wee haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ. But Sanctification cannot doe so , because our best actions are imperfect , and in regard of their defect stand in need of pardon . If thou , Lord , shouldest marke iniquities , O Lord , who shall stand ? Now , that Sanctification is also the Churches peculiar , heare the Apostle , shewing the difference betweene men out of the Church , and such as are in it : speaking of their prophanenesse before their calling , he saith , and such were some of you : but telling them of their change , he addeth , but ye are washed , but ye are sanctified . It is therefore the stile or addition of the Church . Vnto the Church of God , saith Saint Paul , which is at Corinth , To them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus , called to be Saints . And we beleeue in our Creede , the holy Catholike Church , the Communion of Saints . That it doth accompany saluation , is more then manifest : for without it , no man shall see the Lord : but being ●reed from sinne , we haue our fruit in holinesse , and the end euerlasting life . Therfore we must know , that sanctificatiō is such a necessary antecedent , though no meritorious cause , of Saluation , that notwithstanding no man shal be saued for the merit of it , yet no man can be saued without it : because true sauing faith , the instrumentall cause of our iustification and saluation , worketh by loue , and can be no more without sanctity and good workes , then fire can bee without heat , or water without moisture . To conclude then , if there be no saluation without election , calling , iustification , and sanctification , and none of these to be found , but only in the Church of God , it followeth necessarily , that there is no saluation out of the Church . 3 There are certaine meanes appointed of God , to worke and encrease sauing grace , which if they shall be found to be the Prerogatiue of the Church , it cannot be denied , but that there onely Saluation is to be had : for in reason , the end cannot ordinarily be attained without the meanes leading vnto it . Our Sauiour telling the woman of Samaria of the Water of life , she answered him , Sir , you haue nothing to draw withall , and the well is deepe , from whence then haue you that Water of life ? Indeede the well is profound and deepe from whence we must fetch the euer-liuing Water : and the womans reason may teach vs , that we had need of instruments and meanes to conuay it vnto vs. Now the meanes to effect and perfect mans saluation , are the written Word of God , called , the Scriptures : the ministerie of preaching the Word : the two Sacraments of the new Testament , and prayer . That these are meanes , see first for the Word written , what Saint Paul saith to the Romanes : Whatsoeuer things were written aforetime , were written for our learning , that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope . To this purpose is that commendation of Timothy propounded for the imitation of all the faithfull , that from a childe he had known the holy Scriptures , which are able to make him wise vnto saluation . Therefore our Sauiour aduiseth to search the Scriptures : for in them , saith he , ye thinke to haue eternall life , and they are they which testifie of me . 2 Touching the Ministery of Preaching , it is called by the Apostle , The power of God vnto saluation , to euery one that beleeueth . The Sacraments , they are the seales of the righteousnesse of faith ; 3 and so consequently of saluation . Prayer , is that to which the promise is made , Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord , 4 shall be saued . That these are the prerogatiues of the Church , it is out of question . For to them are committed the Oracles of God , and he sheweth his Word vnto Iacob , saith the Psalme , his statutes , & his iudgmēts vnto Israel . He hath not dealt so with any nation . As for the Ministery of preaching , God hath committed it to the Apostles , and the succeeding Pastors of the Church . God , saith the Apostle , hath giuen vnto vs the ministerie of reconciliation , and hath committed vnto vs the Word of reconciliation . Again , That he hath set or ordained them in the Church , and not elsewhere , and that for the gathering together and edifying of the Saints , to continue to the end of the world . That the Sacraments are the Churches proper right , is manifest : For to whom doe the Seales belong , but onely to them that are within the couenant , whereof the Seales are the effectuall signes and pledges ? And of whom is it said , Goe and baptize them , but of those , which ioyne themselues to the Church by beleeuing ? Or to whom was it euer spoken , but onely to the Church , Doe this in remembrance of me : eate ye , drinke ye all of this , &c. Touching Prayer , they onely can pray , that haue true sauing faith : for how shall they call vpon him , saith the Apostle , in whom they beleeue not ? and none can inuocate God aright , that cannot truly and with confidence call God Father , which none can doe but they that are led by the Spirit of God , which Saint Paul calleth the Spirit of adoption , whereby wee cry Abba , Father . This therefore is the Prerogatiue of the Church : by which they are in Scripture , as by a proper note distinguished from all others , both prophane , that pray not at all : hypocrites , that babble with their lips , but their hearts are farre from God ; and the superstitions , that inuocate creatures , with confidence to bee heard of them . Thus the Apostle describing the Church , among other notes , setteth it forth by this , that they are such as in euery place call vpon the name of Iesus Christ our Lord : and againe , that call on the Lord , out of a pure heart . Now then , if the inuocation of God , and of him alone , and that in truth , be not an essentiall propertie of the Church , and as the Logicians call it , proprium quarto modo , proper to all and euery member of it , to them alone and at all times : how can it distinguish them , as the Scripture doth , from all others ? Then we see , that the meanes of Saluation being only in the Church , Saluation it selfe is there onely , and not elsewhere to be found . 4. To shut vp this Doctrine in a short summe , it must be granted of all , that none can be saued , that haue not Christ for their Mediatour & Aduocate ; for other there is none , as there is none other but one God. So saith the Apostle , There is one God , and one Mediator betweene God and man , the man Christ Iesus . And that he is onely the Mediatour of the Church , we may take it at his owne word : I pray for them , I pray not for the world : but for them which thou hast giuen mee : for they are thine . And S. Paul speaking of himselfe and the rest of the faithfull , saith , that Christ is at the right hand of God , and maketh intercession for vs. Thus by a cloud of witnesses , is this diuine truth confirmed , That out of the Church there is no saluation . 1. Grosse therefore and absurd is that Liberti●e opinion , That any may be saued in any Religion , leading an outward ciuill life ; the Turke in his Mahometisme , the Iew in his Iudaisme , the Heathen in his Paganism . They may as well say , that in the Deluge a man might haue beene preserued out of the Arke , vpon some tree , or house top : or that a limme separated from the body , or a branch cut off from the Vine , can liue . 2. This also discouereth the fearefull and damnable estate of those , who neuer regarding Church or Religion , content themselues as meere naturals , and worldlings to inioy the world . These Esauites had rather with their father Esau , please their palate with a little meate , then inioy the heauenly blessing . They gaze vpon the Arke with the old world , they wonder to see such pacing vnto it : nay , as S. Augustine speaketh , They murmure and eate their galls , to see the people flocke vnto the Church , to those pure solemnities of Christ : where both sexes are so honestly distinguished by their seuerall places : where they may learne how well to lead their temporall liues heere , that they may become worthy of the eternall hereafter . These profane ones haue their eyes so blinded by the god of the world , that they cannot see any other heauen , but the world . 3. A caueat is here giuen to all Schismaticall spirits , who for exter●all things , as matters of order and ceremony meerly adiaphorous or indifferent , separate themselues from the society of the Church , like some foolish and furious Nauigator , who in his voyage , vpon euery occasion of discontent , casts himselfe ouer boord , presuming to bee safe enough out of the ship . Let such know , that though God in his mercy may saue the simply-seduced , as being of his inuisible Catholike Church , yet the roade way is , to bee ioyned with some visible orthodox congregation . 4. This cals all men , with a most forcible inuitement , euen as euer they desire to be saued , to enter timely into this straight gate , that leadeth vnto life . Many of the Egyptians and other strangers , when they saw the great workes God did for his Church , and in what safe and happie condition the people of God were in , ouer they were ; they left their owne countrey alliance , and friends , and ioyned themselues to the Iewes . Thus should we doe , forsake all and follow Christ , leaue all societies , for the communion of Saints : for as the Doue found no rest for the sole of her foote , but was faine to returne into the Arke againe : so let a man compasse the whole world , yet shall he neuer bee able to finde rest to his soule , till by entering into the Church , he take Christs yoke vpon him . Let him with Salomon , try all things vnder the Sunne ; pleasures , riches , honours , and what the world can afford , he shall at the last be driuen to cry out , Vanitie of vanities , and conclude when all is done , He are the end of all , Feare God , and keepe his commandements , for this is all of man , all his duty , and all his dignity : and without this , all that a man is , or hath , is but meere vanity . So much for the first branch . 2 The next point to be considered , is , What that Church is , where saluation is to be had . A very necessary question for these times , wherein we liue : in regard there is not a sect or faction in all the Christian world , that doth not challenge the name of the Church to it selfe . But wee must know , that there is nothing more childish then to boast of the name of a thing , when the thing it self is wanting . We haue a maxime in Logick , A nomine ad rem non valet consequentia . To argue from the name , to prooue that the thing is so , because it is so named , is an argument inconsequent . Our Sauiour ●e●s the Church of Smyrna , that there are that say , they are Iewes , and are not , but are the Synagogue of Satan . And to the Church of Sardi he saith , I know thy workes : for thou hast a name that thou art aliue , but thou art dead . The Church of the Laodiceans was , of al the rest of the Seuen Churches , in the worst condition ( being neither cold nor hot ) as we may see , in that our Sauiour giueth them not any one commendation at al , as he doth to the rest of the Churches , giuing them their due praise , notwithstanding he doeth withall taxe them for their errours : no doubt to this end , both to shew his detestation of luke-warmenesse , and that where luke-warmenesse in Religion is , there is no goodnesse to be expected . Yet these Laodiceans , as f●rre as they were from the true zeale of Religion , did notwithstanding boast themselues to bee rich , and lacke nothing ; whereas indeed they were wretched , and miserable , and poore , and blind , and naked . It is therefore a very silly and simple part , to take men at their bare word , as our seduced Romanists doe , in so waightie a matter as Religion is . The men of Berea are commended , for that they searched the Scriptures daily , whether those things were so or no , euen which Paul himselfe taught . And it is recorded to the praise of the Church of Ephesus , that they had tried them , which said they were Apostles and were not , and had found them lyers . And indeed , it is veritie that we ought to looke for , and not suffer our selues to be carried away with words and shewes . For whosoeuer is a good and true Christian , saith S. Augustine , must know , that wheresoeuer hee shall finde truth , it belongs to his Lord. Let vs therefore search into this truth , that so wee may finde out the true Church where saluation is to be had . The Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; it doth signifie a company , an assembly , or congregation of people called together : and is sometime taken for ciuill meetings in Townes and Cities , or humane societies : sometimes for Ecclesiasticall assemblies , and meetings of the Church and people of God , as in our Text , and euery where is Scripture , and Ecclesiasticall writers . It is also vulgarly vsed for the place where the congregation doth meet to performe Religious seruice , but improperly and abusiuely , and is therefore reprehended by Laurentius Valla ; Many , saith hee , call sacred Temples by the name of the Church , but I know not by what right , for indeed the word doth signifie a congregation of men , not places . Which I would intreate you the rather to note , because our Aduersaries in their Rhemes Testament , doe with such spightfull words traduce vs , for translating Congregation , rather then Church . They would make the world beleeue , with their Bragadochio Campian , that the very name of the Church , is a Scar-crow to Protestants . They might haue moderated their sharpe censure , considering that the Translation was answerable to the propriety of the Greeke word : or they might haue opened their eyes , and looked into our Booke of Articles , published twenty yeeres before their Rhemes Notes did see the light : or they might haue seene , if they had not beene wilfully blinde , that in our Booke of Common Prayer , the word Church is ordinarily vsed in euery passage ; in our Prayers and Collects , in the administration of our Sacraments , in the celebration of Matrimonie , in the confession of our Faith , at euery meeting of the Church . By all which euidences , it may appeare , how farre the Church of England is from any distaste of the name of the Church . But indeed they had their answere long agoe , that their Note is false and foolish , and that the Translator rather vsed the word Congregation , then Church , to auoide ambiguitie : but after the people were taught to distinguish of the word Church , and to vnderstand it for the mysticall Body of Christ , the later Translators vsed that terme , not that the other was any corruption , or the later any correction , but to declare , that both is one . Leaue we the word , and come to the thing and matter it selfe . The Church , out of which there is no saluation , is set foorth vnto vs in a diuerse Notion : not that there is any more then one true Church , 1 but because that one Church is considered in a diuerse respect , and is in the parts of it of a different condition . The name of the Church comprehendeth sometimes the whole company and congregation of the faithfull , that euer were , are , or shall be to the end of the world : within this Notion are included , not onely that part which is Militant in earth , but that also which is Triumphant in heauen , yea , the very Angels themselues . Therefore it is said , that by Christ , God hath reconciled all things vnto himselfe , and set at peace , through the Blood of his Crosse , both the things in earth , and the things in heauen . These are the elect , inuisible , knowne onely to God in the iudgement of veritie and certaintie : The Lord , saith the Apostle , knoweth who are his : and knowne to men , onely in the iudgement of Charitie ; as we may see by the same Apostle to the Thessalonians , distinguishing the sound members of the Church from the counterfeit ; But wee ought to giue thankes alway to God for you , brethren , beloued of the Lord , because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation . In a second Notion , 2 by the Church , is vnderstood the society of those which make externall profession of the truth , being a mixt company , consisting of good and bad . And in this acception , it is taken sometimes for the generall ●ompany of professed Christians , liuing in any one or more ages : thus we call the prime Christians in the Apostles time , and the neere adioyning ages , wherein the assemblies continued Orthodoxe and sound in the faith , The primitiue Church . 3 Sometimes also the name Church , is giuen to particular Congregations , being members of the Vniuersall , is , The Church of Rome , The Church of Corinth , The Church of Ephesus , and the like . Againe , in particular Churches , the name of Church is sometimes giuen to the Pastors , as where our Sauiour saith , Tell it vnto the Church . Sometimes to the people , as may appeare by Saint Pauls charge giuen to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus : Take heed , saith he , vnto your selues , and to all the flocke , whereof the holy Ghost hath made you Ouerseers , to feed the Church of God , which he hath purchased with his owne blood . Sometimes the name Church includeth both Pastors and people , as in the Reuelation , where it is said , To the seuen Churches , which are in Asia , is meant both the Angels or Ministers of those Churches , and the Candlesticks or Churches themselues , as afterwards it is expounded : In this sense is it so often said , Let him that hath an eare , heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches . These distinctions , as heereafter we shall see , are of great vse for the cleering of many necessary truthes . And first of all , from hence we may deriue the true definition of the Church , whereunto they must bee vnited that euer looke to bee saued . It is out of all controuersie , that such must be of the number of the Elect , ( according to the first Notion of the Church ) as hath beene shewed before , vpon the point of Election , being the first grace , and fountaine of all other graces accompanying saluation . But yet because the Elect are not subiect to the eyes of men , but are onely knowne to God , the sacred Scriptures direct vs euery where to the visible Church , according to the second Notion : for whomsoeuer God doth elect vnto the end , those he doth appoint vnto the meanes tending to that end . Such therefore as desire saluation , must ioyne themselues to the visible Church , by the ordinary way and meanes of Effectuall calling , Iustification , and Sanctification ; all which Graces expresse themselues visibly to the eye of the world , by their effects and properties , causing the faithfull to shine as a light in a darke place . Let vs come then to the definition of the visible Church : which I cannot better commend vnto you , then in the words of our Church of England ; and it is this : The visible Church of Christ , is a congregation of faithfull men , in the which , the pure Word of God is preached , and the Sacraments be duly ministred , according to Christs Ordinance , in all those things that of necessitie are requisite to the same . Where we haue the essentiall parts of a true definition : namely , The generall & common matter , whereof the Church is materially constituted ; in these words , A congregation of faithfull men . And the difference , whereby the Church is formally distinguished from all other societies , partly in the former words , partly in these words following , viz. In the which the pure word of God is preached , and the Sacraments duly ministred , &c. To open the definition more distinctly and plainely . We call the Church , A congregation of faithfull men , to distinguish it , both from Ciuill and Prophane societies , that are without ; as also from Hypocrites and vnsound members , that are within the Church , but not of it . Againe , we say , that the Church is a congregation of faithfull men , in which the pure Word of God is preached , and the Sacraments duly ministred , according to Christs ordinance : to distinguish the Orthodoxe and true Church , from Hereticall assemblies , which maintaine doctrine against the foundation ; as also from Idolatrous and superstitious societies , who serue not God aright , according to his will reuealed in his Word , but after the inuentions and Traditions of men : concerning whom , Christ alledging the Prophet , saith , In vaine they doe worship me , teaching for Doctrines , the commandements of men . We adde further , In all those things , that of necessitie are requisite to the same ; both to meete with will-worshippers , as also with Schismaticall conuenticles , who make euery externe and indifferent ceremonie , an essentiall part of the worship of God , and therefore flye the assemblies of the most Orthodoxe Churches , for such externall rites , as if they were grosse Idolaters , and not lawfully to bee communicated withall . From this definition thus explained , wee gather three remarkable points , carefully to be noted of all , that laying aside all preiudice and partiality , desire to bee rightly in●ormed , in what Church they may finde saluation . 1. That it is wheresoeuer the society of the faithfull may be found , and is not alledged or tyed to any one particular place or person . 2. That it is to be discerned from all others , by the purity and soundnesse of Doctrine ; and by the due administration of the Sacraments . 3. That it admitteth nothing as of necessitie to saluation : or as an absolute and necessary part of Gods worship , that is not consonant to the Word of God , and according to Christs ordinance in the same . Touching the first point , 1 that wheresoeuer the society of the faithfull is , there is the true visible Church , and is not locally or personally tyed to any : let Saint Peter , the prime Bishop of Rome , as they call him , determine it : Of a truth , saith he , I perceiue , that God is no accepter of persons : but in euery nation , he that feareth him , and worketh righteousnesse , is accepted with him . Heere is no one Africa , in it no one Cartenna , no one person or order of Bishops , whereunto the Church should be tyed . Heere is no Italie , no one Rome , no one Pope or succession of Popes , challenging an allegation or dependance of all Churches vpon it : but where true faith and the feare of God is , there is the Church of Christ. This was reuealed to S. Iohn in a vision : where we may see , that the Church is the company of the redeemed , out of euery kindred , and tongue , and people , and nation . Hee receiued no reuelation concerning any one eminent place aboue all others , vpon which all other Churches and their members should depend , as their Oracle : onely this was shewed vnto him by vision , that , that great Citie , which then raigned ouer the Kings of the earth ( and that wee know was Rome ) was resembled to a woman , called , The great Whore , by whom the Kings and inhabitants of the earth haue beene made drunke with the wine of her fornication . If our Romists like this , let them take it and make much of it , wee enuy them not . When the Apostles conuerted any to the Faith , did they direct them to any particular Country , Citie , or Church of note , and namely , to Rome , as whereunto they must of necessity be vnited , or else there was no saluation for them ? If a man in this case of conscience , being troubled in minde , should demand of a Iesuite or Seminary ; What he should doe to attaine euerlasting life ? his answere would readily be this ; You must be reconciled to the Church of Rome . But if S. Paul were asked the same question , as sometime hee was by the Iaylour ; what would be his answere ? Surely none other but this : What must thou doe to bee saued ? Beleeue on the Lord Iesus Christ , and thou shalt bee saued , and thy house . When so many soules , with pricked and perplexed hearts , cried out to the Apostles , Men and brethren , what shall we doe ? Did S. Peter salue their sore consciences with the Balme of reconciliation to Rome ? No , no : Rome had then no Christian being : but he vniteth them to the Church of the faithfull , by calling them to repentance and faith , and to enter into the Church by Baptisme . Repent , saith he , and be baptized euery one of you , in the name of Iesus Christ , &c. The visible Church then , whereunto , whosoeuer will be saued , must be reconciled , is the Congregation of the faithfull , of what nation , or Countrey , or condition soeuer they bee : For , saith the Apostle , there is neither Iew nor Greeke , there is neither bond nor free , there is neither male nor female : for ye are all one in Christ Iesus . Wherefore our blessed Lord hath left vs in this case , a sure rule and stay , whereupon the Christian soule may safely rest ; and it is this : Where two or three , saith he , are gathered together in my name , there am I in the midst of them . Absurdly therefore haue the Romish faction coyned a new definition of the Visible Church , wherein they make the most formall and essentiall part to be this , namely , to be vnder the regiment of one head and gouernour of the Vniuersall Church , the Vicar of Christ on earth , and S. Peters Successor , to wit , the Bishop of Rome , so that without adherence vnto , and dependance vpon this head , they admit no man to saluation . The grosenesse of this conceit may appeare by these euidences . 1. Thus to define the Church , in this manner , as they do , is most illogicall and vnreasonable : for a true and perfect definition requireth , 1 that it be constituted solely of causes materially and formally essentiall vnto the thing defined ; so that the one can neuer exist without the other . But it is farre otherwise with the true visible Church : for that both was , and might be defined , and thousands of soules vnited vnto it , and saued in it , before euer the Church of Rome had any being in the world , as hath beene shewed before in part . How many famous Churches were planted by the Apostles , that neuer cast the glance of an eye towards Rome ? as Corinth , Galatia , Ephesus , and the rest of the seuen Churches of Asia ? How many thousand soules conuerted , that neuer heard of any such vniuersall head , or so much as the name of Rome ? And indeede what should let , but that they may be saued , without any such respect , which haue the graces of faith and repentance , and are entred by Baptisme , to to which the promise is made , in the generall commission . Goe ye , saith our Lord , into all the world , and preach the Gospell to euery creature : He that beleeueth , and is baptized , shal be saued . Againe , if there were such necessity to bee vnited to the Sea of Rome , vpon paine of damnation , how came it to passe , that S. Cyprian ( as our Aduersaries themselues confesse ) in a Councell of fourescore and seuen Bishops opposed himself against the Pope , and being cut off from communion with that great Head , yet died a blessed Saint , and was honoured with the crowne of Martyrdome , dying out of that communion , and as Bellarmine saith , neuer found to make any retractation ? Or , if to adhere to this one vniuersall Head , bee a matter of so great consequence as they make it , that the saluation of all men depend vpon it , is it credible that it should be so vnknowne to Gregorie the Great , that he himselfe being Bishop of Rome aboue fiue hundred yeres after Christ , should renounce it , with so many titles of disgrace in one Epistle ? He cals it a name of Nouelty , an impious name , a title of singularity : and , that he which taketh it vpon him , is the forerunner of Antichrist : with many more disgracefull termes giuen to that proud and pompous title elsewhere . Besides , how can that be a perpetuall and essentiall part of the Churches definition , which was not knowne in the Christian world so many hundred yeeres after Christ : but as their owne learned Historians confesse , was obtained of Phocas the Emperour , by Boniface the third , who was the second Pope , that succeeded after S. Gregorie ? Boniface the third , saith Platina , obtained of Phocas the Emperour with much importunity , That the seat of S. Peter should be stiled and taken of all , for the head of all Churches . Where then was this head before ? S. Gregorie himselfe will satisfie vs. None , saith he , of my predecessours , the Bishops of Rome , did euer assume or challenge to himselfe the name of Vniuersall Bishop . We see then how vnreasonable it is , that dependance vpon the Sea of Rome , should be essentiall to the definition of the Visible Church , and of necessity to Saluation , as they would make their blindfold followers beleeue . 2. Againe , 2 it is manifest , That , as S. Augustine speaketh , in those things , that are apertly and plainely set downe in Scripture , we may finde whatsoeuer doth concerne faith and good life . Now let vs search the whole Booke of God , from the first of Genesis , to the last of the Apocalypse , and wee shall not finde so much as one word , either of prophecie , precept , promise , or president , to countenance any such necessary adherence to Rome . How then can this be so mayne a point of faith , as the Romanists would haue it , that hath not so much as one expresse Scripture to ground it selfe vpon ? 3. And is it indeede , 3 so waighty a point of Christian belee●e ? In what Creed , I pray you , may we finde it ? I am sure it is not in the Apostles Creed , vnlesse they finde it in some thirteenth new-coyned Article of their owne . There is onely the Holy Catholike Church , the communion of Saints , which for the visible and Militant part of it , is all one in effect with our definition , viz. That the visible Church is a congregation of faithfull men ; Saints by calling , as Saint Paul speaketh . In the Nicene Creed , there is onely added , by way of explication , the word Apostolicke , ( I beleeue one Catholicke and Apostolicke Church ) to shew , against the Heretickes of that time , that that was the onely true Catholicke and Orthodoxe Church , which continued in the Doctrine of the Apostles . As for Athanasius in his Creed , hee makes Catholicke Religion to consist in the true Catholicke faith and beliefe of those things that are of necessitie to saluation , not all●ging the beleeuer to repose himselfe vpon any one place , as Rome , or Constantinople , or the like ; but placeth him that shall be saued , in the Congregation of the faithfull . And good reason ; for he knew well that Arianisme had possessed all places , yea Rome it selfe ; and had infected the head , euen Liberius himselfe , the Bishop of Rome ; as is not onely witnessed by the Fathers , as Athanasius , Hierome , Hillarie , Augustine : but is also acknowledged by their own Romish Doctors , Cardinals , and Historians , though Bellarmine and Baronius would gladly faigne some excuse for him . 4 4. Moreouer , it must be considered , that Rome is , and euer was ( when it was at the best ) but a particular Church , and member of the vniuersall , as other Churches are : and therefore can no more challenge the dependance of other Churches vpon it , then they can subiect it to any of them . See how cleerely and fully S. Paul , writing to the Romanes , speaketh to this point : where , telling them , that he had receiued grace and Apostleship , for obedience to the f●ith , among all nations ; among whom , saith he , ye are also the called of Iesus Christ : He saith not , aboue whom , as giuing Rome primacie ouer all the rest , but among whom , as conioyning them in fraternitie with other Churches , and them with it . 5 5. Lastly , we must know , that Rome is not onely a particular Church , but is also subiect to errour , as well as other Churches . This the Apostle intimateth by that seuere Caueat , which he g●ueth to the Church of Rome , among other Gentiles : Bee not high minded , saith hee , but feare . For if God spared not the naturall branches , take heed , lest hee also spare not thee . Behold therefore the goodnesse and seueritie of God ; on them which fell , seueritie : but towards thee , goodnesse , if thou continue in his goodnesse : otherwise thou also shalt bee cut off . Heere wee see , that Rome hath no more immunity from errour then any other Church , no , no more then the Church of the Iewes ; Rome , no more then Ierusalem ; and that God doth tye himselfe to none , but with condition ; If they doe answere his goodnesse to them , with perseuerance and continuance in his goodnesse , and care of correspondent dutie to him . Therefore our Church of England hath well added in the Article of the Church , these words , viz. As the Church of Ierusalem , Alexandria , and Antioch , haue erred ; so also the Church of Rome hath erred , not onely in their liuing , and manner of ceremonies , but also in matters of faith . Heere it will not be amisse , out of the manifold errours of the Romish Church , to giue instance in a few , as a taste of the rest . I will inroll them in a short Catalogue , and they shall be onely such , as no man that will be a Romane Catholicke , can auoyde , but must vpon paine of damnation , in his order & place , beleeue and practise . The very naming of the errors may be a sufficiēt cōuictiō , they are so palpably grose . 1. They deny the reading of the holy Scriptures in common to Christian people ; 1 which is not onely an errour , but the cause of all other errours : as our Sauiour tolde the Sadduces , Ye doe erre , not knowing the Scriptures . And this they doe , contrary to the expresse command of Christ , Search the Scriptures : contrary to the exhortatiō of S. Paul , Let the word of God dwell in you richly : contrary to the vsuall practice of the faithfull in all antiquitie , both Iewes and Christians : contrary to the very end and vse for which sacred Scriptures were written , as the Apostle telleth the old Romanes , Whatsoeuer things , saith he , were written aforetime , were written for our learning , that wee , through patience and comfort of the Scriptures , might haue hope . Yea , and contrary to the generall iudgement of the Orthodoxe Fathers of the Church : The Scripture being , as S. Gregory said well , nothing else , but an Epistle of Almighty God to his creature . 2. They attribute such eminency of power to the Pope , ouer all soules subiect to him : that in a blind-fold obedience they must be at his b●cke , to beleeue and to doe as he will haue them : therefore they stile him , The supreme Iudge in causes of faith and manners ; 2 and sticke not to say , Satis est , si is legem tulerit ; It is sufficient , if he say the word : and are so impatient of controule heerein , that no man must dare to say vnto him , Curita facis ? Why doest thou so ? though his fact were too odious to name . An errour , not onely impious in Religion , but pernicious in any ciuill State : for hereby , not onely his prohibet , forbidding , shall keepe men from Gods true worship and seruice ; but his iubet , commanding , shall arme them against their Soueraigne ; as wee know , it hath done heere in England . Farre were the greatest Apostles from assuming to themselues any such absolute power ; their voyce was , Be ye followers of me , as I am of Christ. And againe , Though we , or an Angel from heauen , preach any other Gospel vnto you , let him bee accursed . Therefore they must needs be strangely bewitched and possessed with errour , that can beleeue that a sinfull man should haue a priuiledge aboue Apostles and Angels . 3 3. Their whole fabricke and forme of Religious seruice , and publike worship of God , being in an vnknowne tongue to the people ; what is it , but a notorious and intolerable errour ? For take to heart , I pray you , and thinke seriously , what a lamentable condition that people is in , that stand bound all the daies of their life , to resort to a Church , where , in their most solemne Liturgies , Masses , and Seruice , they vnderstand not one sentence , to their soules comfort . The whole Volume of sacred Scripture , and examples of both Testaments are against it . S. Paul in confutation of it , bestoweth a large Chapter , proouing , that it is not onely vnfruitfull , but barbarous , and a fearefull note of Gods iudgement vpon a people . They haue not an ancient Orthodoxe Father , to father this errour : among them you shall heare these voyces sounding , Let the Greekes in Greeke , let the Romanes in the Romane tongue , let all in their owne language pray and praise God. Againe , How canst thou , saith S. Cyprian , desire to be heard of God , who doest not vnderstand thy selfe ? Nay , our Christian reformed Churches haue this happinesse , that among the Romanists themselues , there are of chiefe note , that ingenuously confesse , that it is better , and more to edification , that publike Prayers be in the vulgar and common language , knowne of the people , then in Latine . Let vs blesse God then , that hath vouchsafed vs the better part , and pray , that he would open their eyes , that are thus blinded with error , that they may take part with vs. 4. That foule error , of Idolatrous adoration of Images , in common practice among them , how expresly contrary is it to the Commandement of God ? 4 Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image , nor the likenesse of any thing , &c. thou shalt not bow downe to them , nor worship them . An error , whereof they are so consciously guilty in themselues , that in their Catechismes , and confession of their penitents , they commonly leaue out that Commandement . And their professors being charged with this errour , are so ashamed of it , that they in plaine termes deny that they doe any such religious seruice to Images ; therein indeed denying their owne Religion , and incurring the curse of their Trent Councell : which anathematizeth all those , that hold against their Decree heerein , namely , That duc honour and worship ought to bee giuen to Images . But doth not their reall practice crosse their verball excuse ? for if they doe not worship Images , why doe they performe so many religious seruices vnto them ? they vayle , and bow downe vnto them , they set vp before them , lights in honour of them , they offer vp incense and other oblations vnto them , they expand and spread foorth their armes before them in Prayer . What can they do more , for outward seruice , to God himselfe ? This Idolatrous practice is not onely condemned in sacred Scripture , as expresly as Blasphemy , witchcraft , murther , adultery , or any other sinne , and auoyded of all the faithfull of both Testaments ; but is renounced as impious by the Fathers , for many ages after Christ ; affirming Images in the Church , to be contrary to the authority of the Scriptures : that there is no Religion , where an Image is . And S. Gregory about 600. yeeres after Christ , forbiddeth vtterly the adoration of Images : onely allowing the Historicall vse of them , as wee doe at this day : whereby we may see that this foule errour had not as yet in so long time possessed the Sea of Rome . 5. Their Priests in the Masse offer vp a propitiatorie sacrifice , both for the quicke and the dead , and their blind followers are bound so to beleeue , and doe both pray and pay to bee had in his m●mento . Whereas all propitiatory sacrifices haue their period and end in Christ , who is the end of the Law , and the onely Sacrificing Priest , in the Gospel , being a Priest for euer , according to the order of Melchisedech . This Sacrifice is onely one , 5 and once onely offered , and that by himselfe alone : and therefore is called , The offering of the body of Iesus once for all : and this Man , saith the Apostle , after he had offered one sacrifice for sinne , for eu●● sate downe on the right hand of God , For by one offering hee hath perfected for euer them that are sanctified . How sacrilegious then and blasphemous is that daily propitiatory sacrifice of theirs ? where is their warrant for it ? seeing Christ ordained no sacrifice to bee offered by any sacrificing Priest , but onely a Sacrament , commemoratiue to bee administred by the Pastours of the Church , and receiued , together with them , by the people . Where , in the Gospell , can they finde the calling of a Sacrificing Priest ? The Commission is onely , Goe , teach and baptize ; and the subiect of their teaching , must be no other thing , but that which Christ hath commanded : other ordinary Priesthood our Lord ordained none , but Pastors and Teachers . The name Sacrifice we deny not to the Sacrament , but with the Fathers , wee call it a Sacrifice for diuers good respects : and namely , because ( as the Master of Sentences saith , out of S. Augustine and S. Ambrose ) It is the remembrance and representation of the true Sacrifice , offered vpon the Altar of the Crosse. As for any proper , reall , and propitiatory Sacrifice , wee may see by this , that it was not knowne in Peter Lumbards time , about twelue hundred yeeres after Christ , and therefore is farre from being truly Catholicke . 6 6. Their Transubstantiation , which they oblige euery Christian soule to beleeue , not onely vpon paine of their fagot fire , but of the fire of hell : tha● is , that after the words of Consecration , there ceaseth to be the substance of Bread and Wine , & that there remaine only the outward accidents , shew and sh●pe thereof ; vnder which , the very body and blood of Christ is substantially and corporally inclosed . How directly contrary is it to the expresse words of Christ , in the first Institution ? For our Lord Iesus , after the consecration and blessing , testifieth the elements to remaine in their substance , calling them by their right names , Bread , and The fruit of the Vine . The like doth S. Paul , and that often in one short Context . It is an errour , indeed against common sense : For let the senses of sight , smelling , taste , and feeling report , if there remaine not the substance of Bread and Wine after consecration : insomuch , that if a man haue sufficient quantitie of them , he may well , for a proportionable time , sustaine nature , with no other food ; which could not be , if there remained nothing but the externe accidents , and meere shew of Bread and Wine . It is against the nature of a true body , which is , to be onely in one place , at one time , and that in his due dimension and substance . Now we know and beleeue that Christ is true man , in all things like vnto vs , sinne onely excepted ; and therefore to make him to bee without dimension , in so many hundred , nay thousands of places at one instant , doth manifestly imply a tacite denyall of his humane nature . It is against our Christian Creed , where wee beleeue , that Christ ( leauing the world , in regard of his bodily presence ) ascended into heauen , and sitteth on the right hand of God , and from thence hee shall come to iudgement : which S. Peter aptly interpreteth , in these words ; Whom , saith he , the heauen must receiue , vntill the times of restitution of all things . But there is no one euidence , more apparantly conuincing this errour , then if wee consider , that at the institution of the Sacrament , Christ sate visibly before the Apostles , that they might plainely see with their eyes where his true body was . And withall did expresly signifie vnto them , that hee spake not simply of his body , but of his body crucified , and blood shed ; which as yet was not then done : This , saith our Lord Christ , is my body , which is giuen for you : or as S. Paul relateth it , which is broken for you . Againe , of the Cup , he saith , This is my blood of the new Testament , which is shed for many : adding also for the cleering of all doubt heerein , the commemoratiue vse of the Sacrament , which euidently confuteth all carnall and corporall presence : This doe , saith he , in remembrance of me , that is , of me crucified : For , saith the Apostle , as often as you shall eate this bread , and drinke this cup , ye shew the Lords death till he come . Now whereas he calleth the bread his body , and the wine his blood , it is according to the vsuall manner of Scripture ; speaking euery where of Sacraments , it calleth them by the name of those things , whereof they are Sacraments . Thus Circumcision was called the Couenant , because it was the signe and seale of the Couenant . So the Paschall Lambe is called the Passcouer , because it was the signe of the Passcouer . It is said in the same sence by Saint Paul , that the rocke was Christ , because it typically and sacramentally represented Christ. Thus the ancient Fathers did speake and thinke of the Sacrament . The Lord doubted not , saith Saint Augustine , to say , This is my body , seeing hee appointed it to bee the signe of his body . Yet forasmuch as our Romish aduersaries harden themselues in their error , vpon a conceit they haue entertained , that we hold Sacraments to be onely bare and naked signes : it must be knowne for their conuiction , that it is but a meere slander , which they take to be true , vpon the bare report of their guides , without so much as either hearing or reading what wee hold . The truth is , wee hold no such thing , neither is the question betweene them and vs , whether Christ be substantially present in the Sacrament , but de modo , concerning the manner of his presence . They say , by conuersion of the bread into the very body of Christ : so that whosoeuer eateth y e consecrated bread , eateth carnally the very body of Christ , whether it be man , beast , or vermine that eateth . We , according both to Scripture and Fathers , teach , that Christ is pabulum mentis , non dentis , foode for the minde , not for the mouth : and is as truely receiued of euery true beleeuer , as the bread and wine it selfe . Our Church of England is in no point more cleere and plaine then in this : affirming , that such as rightly , worthily and with faith receiue the same , partake of the body and blood of Christ. And withall determineth & de modo , & de medio , both of the manner , and of the meanes , in these very words : The body of Christ is giuen , taken , and eaten in the Supper , only after an heauenly and spiritual manner . And the meanes whereby the body of Christ is receiued and eaten in the Supper , is faith . Yea and Caluin himselfe , at whom their spight is most , and whom they most scādalize in this matter , doth so plainely deliuer the truth herein , with vs , that Bellarmine is constrained to confesse , that Caluin teacheth , that the body of Christ is truly giuen vnto vs in the Supper . That our soules are fed with the substance of the body of Christ , and that it is not an empty and vaine signe . But for the full conuiction of this error , the nouelty of it may be sufficient : for it is so farre from any Catholike antiquity , that Erasmus affirmeth transubstantiation to bee but a late definition . And their owne subtill Doctor Scotus auerreth , that before the Councell of Laterane it was no Doctrine of faith . Which was aboue twelue hundred yeeres after Christ : for that Councell was held in the yeere of our Lord , 1215. 7. Vpon the former error dependeth another , and that is , the adoration of the consecrated Host. For vpon this false ground , that there remaineth no more substance of bread and wine , 7 but the very body and blood of Christ by conuersion , they prostrate themselues before it , and worship it , as God himselfe , with that kind of religious worship , which they call latria , peculiar onely to God. And this they doe , not onely in the vse of the Sacrament , at the eleuation or lifting vp of it by the Priest , to that very purpose : but to the same end , they make reseruation of it , and vse circumgestion , or carrying of it about in open shewes and processions ; contrary to the expresse institution of Christ , who ordained no Sacrament extra vsum , out of the vse of it : nor euer said , This is my body . This is my blood , but with an Edite & bibite : Eate ye and drinke ye : so that they can pretend no bodily presence out of the vse of the Sacrament . And in it , as hath beene shewed before , there is no conuersion , or transubstantiation . And therefore the adoration must needs determine and rest in the creature : and so is none other but a meere artolatrie : or bread worship , and abominable Idolatrie . The very heathen could say , Who is so mad , as to beleeue , that to be God , which he doth eate ? And indeede this madnes hath made the heathen abhorre Christian Religion , and in contempt of it to say , Seeing Christians doe eate the god whom they worship , let my soule bee with the Philosophers . 8 8. Their priuate , or solitary Masse , wherein the Priest onely doth participate , the people as in a Theater gazing and looking on : which they so highly extoll , and make the most eminent part of their Religion , and publike seruice : consider we it seriously , and wee shall finde it without all ground and warrant of Gods Word , nay , ex diametro , directly aduerse and opposite to Christs ordinance . For our Lord in the Supper did ordaine a communion of many together , not a solitary eating and drinking of one alone by himselfe . His mandate is , Take ye , Eate ye , Drinke ye all of it . And Saint Paul accordingly calleth the Sacrament , The communion of the blood of Christ , The communion of the body of Christ : And yeldeth a reason , from the correspondence betweene the elements and the Communicants . For saith he , wee being many , are one bread and one body : for we are all partakers of that one bread . And this goodly Masse is so farre from hauing any acquiantance with antiquity , excepting only the name , that it was not knowne in S. Gregories time , so many hundred yeeres after Christ. For then the voice of the Deacon openly in the Church was this : Whosoeuer doth not communicate , let him depart . 9 9 Their dry diet , in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper : wherein they depriue the people of the Cup , how sacrilegious is it , and iniurious to the people ? In the prime institution , our blessed Lord gaue this expresse charge , Drinke ye all of it . And S. Marke noteth their answerable obedience . And they all , saith he , dranke of it . And S. Paul faithfully reporting the institution , and according to the practice of the Church , often repeateth , as well the receiuing of the Wine , as of the bread by the people : and so exhorteth , Let a man , saith he , examine himselfe , and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this Cup. Here , we may see , was no drie feast : heere was no lame Sacrament , like theirs , hopping vpon one legge . Nay it is a truth so euident , that it is by their owne Cassander ingenuously confessed , that for the space of a thousand yeeres since Christ , in the Romane Church it selfe , it was ordinarily dispensed to euery mēber of the Church in both kinds : and that , saith he , by the testimonies of innumerable Ancients , both Greeke and Latine . 10. Their inuocation of Saints , offering vp vnto them as solemne and set praiers , as to the sacred Deity it selfe , what is it , but a manifest derogation , and robbing of God , euen of his peculiar right , 10 which is , to be the sole hearer of the prayers of his creatures ? O thou , saith the Psalmist , that hearest prayer , vnto thee shall all flesh come . For we must know , that it is the act of an infinite Maiesty , at one instant to heare the manifold variety of petitions of all men vpon the face of the earth , yea and to know the very thoughts and desires of euery heart , praier being principally the act of the heart . Vpon this very ground wise Salomon takes for granted , that all praier ought to bee made to God onely ; Heare thou in heauen , saith he to God , thy dwelling place , and forgiue , and doe , and giue to euery man according to his wayes , whose heart thou knowest : for thou , euen thou only knowest the hearts of all the Children of men . Againe , prayer to Saints wanteth that threefold prop , that must support euery true and acceptable seruice to God , that is to say , Precept , Promise , and Paterne . For Inuocation of Gods name , we haue expresse commandement , Call vpon me . And our Sauiour commandeth , that when we pray , we should direct our prayers to Our Father in heauen . We haue also a sure word of promise , Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name , he wil giue it you . And , Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord , shall be saued . We haue no such precept , no such promise , to warrant , and incourage vs to inuocate the Blessed Virgin , S. Peter , S. Paul , or any or all of the Saints . Againe , for praier to God only , we haue expresse paterne , both per●onall , in all the Fathers from the first Adam , in the Patriarkes , Prophets , Apostles , and prime Orthodox Fathers of the Church , who did suffer Martyrdome , for this very point , That God onely in Christ is to be adored , and called vpon . We haue also a reall paterne , in that Heauenly Manuall of praier and praise , the Sacred Psalter or Psalmes of Dauid : together with the set formes of the faithfuls praiers recorded euery where in Scripture : and all directed to God only : not on paterne of prayer to Saints . This is ingenuously confessed by their own Eccius and other Pontificians , that inuocation of Saints hath no warrant in sacred Scripture : not in the Old Testament , because the Fathers were then in Limbo : nor in the new Testament , lest the Gentiles should returne againe to their old Idoll-worship : and le●t the Apostles should bee charged with arrogancy , as be speaking beforehand their owne glory , and worship to bee done to themselues after their death . Nay more , they confesse , that it is the safer and better way to call vpon God onely in the name of Iesus Christ. And one of them , out of a work ascribed to Saint Augustine , concludes the question thus : More safely and more sweetly do I speake , in prayer , to my Iesus , then to any of the Saints . The storie of George Duke of Saxony is herein memorable . Lying vpon his death-bed , the Monkes like Locusts swarming about him , and beholding his agony , exhorted him ; one , to inuocate the Virgin Mary ; another , to call vpon the Angels ; another , to pray to these and these Saints , for helpe in that extremity : but a Noble man , one of his familiars , standing by , directed his speech to the Duke in this manner : Your Highnesse , saith he , was wont in your politicke affaires , to take vp this prouerbe : To goe the direct way , without ambages or circumstances , is the most compendious course . Why then should your Highnesse , in this most dangerous passage , goe about the furthest way , and not rather goe the direct way vnto God himselfe by Christ , who both will and can certainely helpe ? Erasmus among other his pleasant conceits , doth merrily glance at this error , reporting a story of one at Sea , where ( as their manner is ) euery man in a wracke , flyeth to his Saint , as it were his Tutelar God. There was one , saith he , among the rest , when he saw the present and imminent danger , and that there was no delaying ; in the midst of his distraction , thoght with himself , If I should pray to S. Nicholas , it is vncertaine whether he heare me , and it may be he is busy in hearing & dispatching other petitioners ; or if not so , yet it may be , that he cannot haue so speedy accesse to God , to mediate for me , as my present necessitie requires : I will therefore , saith he , take the safest and surest course , and goe the direct way to God himselfe , by Christ , because it is written in the Psalme , Call vpon me in the day of trouble , I will deliuer thee , and thou shalt glorifie me . And in the Hebrewes , Let vs therefore come boldly vnto the Throne of grace , that we may obtaine mercy , and find grace to helpe in time of neede . If any stumble at this ; that some Fathers are alledged , to countenance this error , let him remember that of S. August . We must not hearken to , This say I , This say you , but , This saith the Lord. And distinctly , first of himselfe , he saith , I would not haue you follow my authority , that you should therfore thinke any thing necessary to be beleeued , because I say it . And of other Fathers , what he held , may appeare by that which he writeth of S. Cyprians Epistle , viz. That it hath no authority to bind him . For , saith he , I do not hold Saint Cyprians Letters to be Canonicall Scripture , but I examine them by the Canonicall : and what I finde thereunto agreeable , I imbrace with his praise ; what is not consonant , by his leaue , I will leaue . This is the true profession of a Doctor , concerning the Scriptures , at his inauguration ! Quod tenet , teneo : quod respuit , respuo : What the Scripture doth hold , I hold : what it doth reiect , I reiect . If any harp vpon the long custom of this error in the Christiā world , let him consider , as one saith wel , that Christ said not , I am custom , but I am truth . And that custome without truth , is but an old error , or , the antiquity of error . Which , like an old sore , is so much the worse , and more incurable , the older it is . 11. Their prayer for the dead , to deliuer them out of that fearefull and hell-like torment in Purgatory , wherein they are made to beleeue , they lye boyling as in a fierie fornace : What an antithesis and plaine opposition is there betweene the Word of truth and this grosse error ? We know , and are assured by the Word of God , that the blood of Iesus Christ clenseth , and purgeth vs from all sinne . So that there is no neede of humane purgatiues either for veniall sinnes , 11 or for temporall punishment of sinnes mortall . For our Lord Iesus assureth the faithfull departing this life , that he that heareth his Word , and beleeueth , is passed from death vnto life : and that they that die in the Lord , are in a blessed estate , & rest from their labours . Yea , the poorest Lazarus that dieth in the faith of Abraham , is immediately in his precious soule conuaied by the Angels into Abrahams bosome , there possessed of heauenly ioy , not afflicted with hellish torment . This may be a sufficient conuiction of this error , that there is not one sentence , not one word , not one syllable , no not one letter in the whole volume of Canonicall Scripture , fauouring prayer for the dead , as being in any such misery after their departure ; Nay , that there is expresse Scripture to the contrary . The Fathers were farre from any such conceite , who held that the faithfull deceasing , are in a blessed condition , hauing obtained their desired end of victorie , and beholding the Lord Iesus face to face . And that the friends of the deceased , counting him happie , giue thankes to the Author of the victory with a song . See heere the difference betwene the ancient Fathers , and the now Romanists . They held the faithfull deceased in a blessed and ioyfull estate : These count them to be in misery and torment . They congratulated their happinesse : These condole their torments . They gaue thankes for their attained victory : These pray and pay to free them out of their conceited captiuity . In a word , They did sing for ioy : These howle and cry for dolefull sorrow . 12 12. Their daily deuotions , which wee see in their Primers , Rosaries , and Manuals , what are they for the most part but Fardles of blinde superstition ? for besides that they are , in most passages , directed to a wrong obiect , worshipping the creature , in stead of the Creator , & so changing , as Saint Paul saith , the truth of God into a lye : they haue withall this foule blot of superstitious vanity , that whereas God will bee serued by waight , they serue him by number : whereas he requireth serious , waighty , and iudicious deuotions , framed according to our present wants , as we may see in all the religious prayers of the Saints in holy Writ ; they , directed by their blinde guides , ( like a Horse in the Mill ) performe a superficiall , slight , and Circular seruice , placing vertue , and religious effect in the very number of their prayers , in saying so many times ouer , a certain number of Pater-nosters , Aue-Maries , Credoes , & the like . Read their books , & they will tel you , that for 3. Aue-Maries , said three times ouer euery day , at three seuerall houres , and at euery houre thrice , is granted three hundred daies of pardon . Againe , for saying before the Image of Pittie , fiue Pater-nosters , fiue Aues and a Credo , are granted thirty two thousand , seuen hundred and fifty fiue yeeres of Pardon . A multitude of these fopperies you may finde euery where in their superstitious deuotions . And to further these numerall prayers , there was at the last found out a new tricke , the inuention of Beades . When men , saith Polidor Virgill , began to number and reckon their praiers , as though God were in our debt , for often begging of him , there were deuised by one Pe●rus Heremita a Frenchman , certain beads , about the yere of our Lord , 1090. The nouelty of this superstition is conuiction sufficient . But the shame of it is , that in the iudgement of him that cannot erre , it is so farre from Christian piety , that it is no better then flat Heathenisme : therefore our Sauiour , vpon that very ground , doth warne all Christians to auoide such vaine repetitions . When ye pray , saith he , vse not vain repetitious , as the Heathen do : for they thinke that they shall bee heard , for their much speaking , which is , we see , in the Lords account , but vaine babbling . A liuely paterne of a Papist and a Protestant , for the maner of Religious deuotion , we may see in the priests of Baal , & the Prophet Elias paralelled together ; the one continue from morning till noone , and from noone till Euening , with Audinos , Audinos , O Baal , Heare vs , O Baal , heare vs , &c. with much cursitation , and stirring , as the Romish fashion is : The other , that is , the good Prophet Elias , a true paterne of piety , and sound Religion , reuerently and humbly addresseth himselfe to call vpon God , praying in a short , but yet a sweete and heauenly manner , according to the present occasion . Read the Storie , and admire the difference . 13 13. To be briefe : concerning auricular confession , that is , that euery man doe confesse all his mortall sinnes , with all the circumstances , once euery yeere at the least , and that priuately to a Priest , at the least in vote or desire , yea , and that also of necessitie to saluation ; it is vtterly without either rule or example of Gods Word ; and this want of Diuine authority , is ingenuously confessed by many of their owne Authors . The confessions we finde in Scripture , are either vnto God onely : or if vnto men or before men , it was in these cases ; 1. Before Baptisme , at the entrance into Christianitie ; as in those that were baptized by Iohn Baptist. 2. In a case of free and voluntary testification of their sound conuersion , as it is said in the Acts : Many that beleeued , came and confessed , and shewed their workes . 3. In case of some grieuous sinne , lying heauie vpon the conscience , as in the example of Dauids confession to Nathan the Prophet . 4. In case of publike scandall , to giue glory to God , and satisfie the congregation , as in the example of Achan . 5. In case of priuate iniurie done by one man to another , whether Priest or priuate man , as it is in S. Iames : Confesse your faults one to another , and pray one for another . In all these we haue not one confession , after the Romish stampe , to be made of necessitie to a Priest of all sinnes , and that anniuersarie , at the least once a yeere . 14 14. Their placing of Religion in the distinction of meates , S. Paul hath branded with the note of errour , doctrine of deuils , and deepe hypocrisie , Prophetically foretelling it to be a marke of that Antichristian Apostasie that should befall these later times : Now the Spirit , saith hee , speaketh expresly , that in the later times some shall depart from the faith , giuing heed to seducing spirits , and doctrines of deuils : speaking lyes in hypocrisie , hauing their conscience seared with a hote iron ; forbidding to marrie , and commanding to abstaine from meates , which God hath created to bee receiued with thankesgiuing , of them which beleeue and know the truth . 15 15. Their violent laying hands vpon themselues , by whippings , to make satisfaction , and procure acceptance with God , hath no ground in sacred Scripture , vnlesse they thinke the example of those Priests of Baal a good warrant . Indeed I must needs say , they went beyond our Romanists ; for they vsed Kniues and Launcers , these but Whips ; they did launce , these doe but lash . 16. Their extreme vnction , 16 with which they shut vp , and end their Romish race in this world , is as vnwarrantable . For whereas they haue but two onely texts for it , they both faile them , as their owne Doctors ingenuously confesse . Those Scriptures in S. Marke and S. Iames , speake onely of anoynting with oyle , for the miraculous curing of the sicke ; but they vse anoynting to no such end , but onely when men are irrecouerable , and ready to depart out of this life . These instances may be sufficient for a taste of Romish errours , being the most vsuall , and common to euery one that will be a professed Romane Catholicke . Thus wee haue opened the first branch of our definition of the Church , shewing that the true Church , is the company of the faithfull , of what nation or countrey soeuer : and that it is not tyed to any person or place , no not to Rome : Because many thousands were saued that neuer knew it , and before euer it was Christian : Romes authority ouer others is in no Scripture , in no Creed : it is but a particular Church , and member onely of the Vniuersall , as others are : and subiect to errour as well as others . The second branch of the definition of the Church , 2 is , That it is discerned from all other societies , by soundnesse of Doctrine , and due administration of Sacraments . Touching Doctrine , it is the eare-marke of Christs sheepe , My sheepe heare my voyce . It is that whereby the faithfull are directed to try the true Pastor from the Impostor , the Orthodoxe from the Hereticall . 1 Ye shall know them by their fruits . Therefore S. Iohn counselleth , not to beleeue euery spirit , but to try the spirits , whether they are of God : and chargeth the elect Lady and her children , thus ; If there come any vnto you , and bring you not this doctrine , receiue him not into your house , neither bid him , God speed . And this charge he did ground vpon a Diuine rule of tryall , in the words immediately going before ; the rule is this : Whosoeuer transgresseth , and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ , hath not God : he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ , hee hath both the Father and the Sonne . And lest any should thinke it strange , that the tryall of Doctrine should bee required of priuate Christians , our Sauiour puts it out of doubt ; shewing not onely that it is and ought to be so , but directeth how it may be done : for , hauing said , My doctrine is not mine , but his that sent me : Hee giueth them a double rule , which being obserued , they may discerne of Doctrine ; the one concerneth the Hearer , the other the Teacher . The rule concerning the Hearer , 1 is ; If any man will doe his will , he shall know of the doctrine , whether it be of God , or whether I speake of my selfe : that is , If a man in humilitie and sinceritie of heart seeke to be informed in the truth , and as God from time to time shall reueale it vnto him , maketh conscience to put in practice that which hee shall heare : and as Theophylact saith , shall imbrace vertue , and not suffer himselfe to be a slaue to enuie , and hate truth before he know it ; such a man shall bee able to discerne of Doctrine ; but yet with this prouiso , which there Theophylact well inserteth , viz. That this is one mayne part of doing the will of God ; namely , to search the Prophets and Scriptures . 2 Touching the second rule , which concerneth the Teacher , it is this : He that speaketh of himselfe , seeketh his owne glory : but hee that seeketh his glory that sent him , the same is true . A good parallell , distinguishing exactly the false Teacher from the true ; the one seeking his owne , the other Gods glory . By this rule , wee desire all men sincerely and without preiudice , to iudge betweene vs and our Romish Aduersaries . Looke with an indifferent and impartiall eye , into the doctrine and practice on both parts : you shall find that all their doctrines and courses , wherein they differ from vs , ayme altogether at the extolling of nature , mans workes and merits , with a glance still at the magnifying and inriching of their Romane Synagogue : whereas wee , with our blessed Lord , make the scope of all our teaching and practice , the glory of God , and the praise of the all-sufficient merit of Christ. This direction of our Sauiour , is sufficient alone of it selfe to prooue , that the Doctrine is the right triall of the Church , and Pastors of it . But besides , we finde the Congregation of the faithfull , described in the Acts of the Apostles , by this very note , that they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine . And the Thessalonians are commended , that they receiued the Word of God , not as the word of man ; resting vpon the bare authority of the Teacher , but , as it is in truth , the Word of God. They that rested vpon men , vnder the name and colour of the Church , and chiefe gouernours of the Church , the chiefe Priests and Elders of the people , did crucifie Christ : whereas they that examined the Doctrine by the Word of God , did beleeue . If therefore ye will approoue your selues to bee the Disciples of the Gospell , that is , true Christians , yee must walke , saith Athanasius , by the rule of the Scriptures . It is sound Doctrine then , grounded vpon the Word of God , that the Christian soule must rest vpon , for the discerning of the true Church : for , whether it bee concerning Christ , or concerning his Church , saith S. Augustine , or touching any other thing pertaining to faith and life ; If wee , or an Angel from heauen teach any otherwise , then that which yee haue receiued in the Scriptures , let him bee accursed . As for the Sacraments , that they are also discerning notes of the Church , I need heere to say nothing , in regard that it hath beene sufficiently shewed before , that they are so peculiar to the Church , that the one cannot bee without the other . Concerning the third branch of the definition of the Church , 3 That it admitteth nothing as necessary to saluation , or as an absolute part of Gods worship , that is not according to the Word and Ordinance of Christ. This fully completeth and perfecteth the definition of the Church , which must bee as pure in her Religion , and worship , as shee is sound in her Doctrine : that there bee no mixture of mans inuention with Gods Ordinance ; for in the seruice of God , the hypothesi● or condition of the Prophes must euer hold good : If the Lord be God , follow him : but if Baal then follow him : God will haue all or none . Hee cannot abide that his f●are ▪ that is , his religious worsh●p , should be taught by the precepts of men : and therefore accounteth it vaine worship , and meere lost labour , when the commandements of men are taught and held for Doctrines , and , as it were , rules , and principles of necessity to be obserued . This must bee seriously considered , for the better meeting with two aduersaries , which doe assaile truth on both sides , with their different extremes . The one , is the Romanist ; who hold that the ceremonies of the Church may not bee omitted , without grieuous sinne , inasmuch as they haue spirituall vertue , and are parts of Diuine worship , and withall are meritorious ▪ And they father this conceit vpon the power which they attribute to the Church , to institute suo iure ; that is , by her owne right , such Ceremonies : and therefore to make their followers plyable , they teach them as a mayne principle of their Religion , that they must obey with equall respect , in regard of saluation , the Mothers precept , as well as the Fathers Mandate : but they neuer consider , that the true Church is an obedient wife , and will not in any thing contradict the will of her heauenly Spouse . The second sort of aduersaries , are our Separatists , who for euery externe and indifferent ceremonie , make as great combustion and stirre in the Church of God , as if some mayne Article of Faith were called in question . They must be intreated to consider , that the Text doth not simply condemne all commandements of men , but when they are taught for doctrines , and rules of Gods worship , as Caluine speaketh : The doctrine of our Church might giue them coment , being the same with all the rest of the reformed Churches , namely , That it is not lawfull for the Church to ordaine any thing contrary to Gods written Word : and that besides the same , it ought not to inforce any thing to bee beleeued , for necessitie of saluation . Whereby they may , if they will open their eyes without preiudice , see of what nature the Ceremonies of our Church of England are . And so much for the definition of the Church ; by which wee may see , what that Church is , to which wee must bee ioyned , if euer wee looke for saluation ; that is , the society of true beleeuers . But for the better vnderstanding of the state of the Church , diuers things are to bee considered , which giue more light to the Doctrine , and more full satisfaction to such as desire vnfainedly to know the truth hee●ein . The first consideration is , 1 that the Church is onely one ; though different in time , as farre as from the beginning to the end of the world ; distant in place , as remote as East from West ; North from South ▪ nay , heauen from earth : distinct for people , being of all Countries and Nations . For , as hath beene said before , it is the societie or congregation of the faithfull of all ages . This voity of the Church , is noted in the one Arke of Noah ; in Salomons Doue , My Doue , my vndefiled , is but one : in the wheat field , in the draw net ; in one flocke , one fold , vnder one Shepheard : in one Bride and Bridegroome : in one body , vnited to one Head , Christ : For , saith the Apostle , by one Spirit are wee all baptized into one body . This consideration doth second that which hath beene said of the Church ; for it doth euidently euince , and prooue , that there is no necessi●ie of being vnited to this or that particular Church , a● Rome , or the like , so long as a man is of the number of the faithfull , wheresoeuer dispersed ; for as S. Paul disputes , The body is not one member , but many . Is the foot not of the body , because it is not the hand ? or the eare , because it is not the eye ? So we may truly say , Is this or that Nationall or Prouinciall Church , no Church , because it is not dependant vpon Rome ? Are they that are baptized into one body , and vnited to Christ Iesus by one faith vnfained , no members of the mysticall Body of Christ , the Church , because they are not incorporated and reconciled to Rome ? If the body , though it bee bu● one , yet is not one member , but many : then reason will teach vs , that euery member hath his proportionable nutriment , life , and motion from the head , without any dependance one vpon another . 2 The second consideration is , That it is Catholicke or Vniuersall ; and that , in respect of time , place , and persons ; because there is , euer was from the beginning , and euer shall be to the end of the world , a company , more or lesse , of true beleeuers : because the Church is not confined within the limits of any one Countrey , as in the time of the Iewes , but is spred ouer the whole world : and because it consisteth of all sorts and degrees of men ; of all nations , kindreds , people and tongues , as it is in the Reuelation . So that to bee of the Catholike Church , is to hold and beleeue as the Church of the whole world euer did , and constantly doth hold and beleeue . Therefore it was , that in the ancient Church , when Heresies and Schismes sprang vp , those that did clea●e to the truth , had giuen vnto them the name of Catholicke , excommunione totius orbis , for their communion with the Church of the whole world ; not for their communion with this or that particular Church . Whilest the Romish Church doth assume the title of , The Catholicke Church ; calling it selfe , Catholicam , Apostolicam , Romanam , being as other Churches , but a particular Church ; what doeth it , but expose it selfe to the laughter of the whole world ? for what concordance is there betweene generall and particular ? or with what sense can it bee called , The Vniuersall particular Church ? And yet they make their credulous followers beleeue , that they cannot bee of the Catholicke Church , vnlesse they communicate with their particular Romane Church ; cleane contrary to the name and nature of the word Catholicke . 3 The third consideration is , that the Church is visible , and that in all ages : but it must be knowne how , and in what sence it may be truly said to be alwaies visible ; According to the Romish Tenet , it is said to be visible , and palpable , as some eminent State , Monarchy , or Common wealth , as Rome , France , or Venice , conspicuous in flourishing pompe to the eye of the World , so that it may at all times be sensibly discerned . But , alas , this conceit is a meere golden dreame , and senslesse dotage : for let an ingenuous minde , awaked once out of that slumber , looke seriously into the Word of God , and consider the state of the Church in all ages ; he shall finde for his satisfaction , that the Church hath beene oftentimes obscured , captiuated , persecuted , and so farre from being acknowledged , that it hath beene accounted , of the world no better , then Schisme , and Heresie : and the true Professors of it prosecuted , as malefactors , for their soundnesse , as both the Prophets , Christ himselfe and the Apostles were , by the corrupt members of the visible Church , bearing the chiefe rule . To this effect the Prophet Esay did complaine , that in his time the Church was but a small remnant : and those howted at like Owles , being as signes and wonders in Israel . The complaint of Elias is , that hee was left alone . The faithfull were glad to bee hid in caues , and fed w●th bread and water by religious Obadiah . And as it is in the Epistle to the Hebrewes , They wandred about in Sheeps skins , and Goate skins , being destitute , afflicted , tormented , of whom the world was not worthy : they wandred in Desarts , and in Mountaines , and in dennes , and caues of the earth . The prophecies of the Christian Church foretell as much , both for outward persecutions , and open apostasie , vnder one eminent Head , called , That man of Sinne , who should take vpon him to oppose and exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God , challenging the chiefe soueraignty in the Temple or Church of God. In S. Iohns Vision , the Woman , the Church , was constrained through persecution to fly into the wildernesse . Our Sauiour foresheweth , how hard it should be to finde faith on the earth . How the faithfull should be afflicted , killed , and hated of all Nations : That iniquity shall abound , and the loue of many shall waxe cold : And that the cunning impostures of false teachers , pretending the name of Christ and the Church , should be such , and so specious , being seconded also with miracles , that if it were possible , the very elect should be deceiued . Where was the flourishing visibility of the Church , when the poison of Arianisme had infected almost the whole world ? O which time , Saint Ierome wri●eth , Ecclesiae nae●e● fuiss fere obrutam : That the ship of the Church was almost sunke . And this some of our Romish aduersaries confesse , both for the time of Arian heresie ; and in the daies of Antichrist . Then , that we may not be seduced , and carryed away with flourishing shewes , we must know , that the Church , though it be alwaies visible , yet it is not alwaies alike visible : it is not alwaies in pompe , and eminent estate : he that in the time of Christ should so ●aue looked for the Church , would sooner haue io●ned himselfe to the Iewish Synagogue , then to the society of Christ , and his Apostles . Wee must not therefore looke so much to the multitude , and outward flourish , as seeke for the truth , though it be but in a few , and those neuer so obscure ▪ For it is not of necessity , that the Church bee alwaies discerned and acknowledged of the world ▪ but it is sufficient for the visibilitie of it , that it neuer faileth to bee visibly seene and acknowledged by the professors themselues : for this must euer hold in the Church , in the middest of all disturbances , that Wisedome is iustified of her Children . 4 The fourth consideration is , That in the visible Church , some particular Churches are more pure , some more corrupt then others ; as the Church of Corinth and Gala●ia and some of the seuen Asian Churches were more infected with error th●n other Churches ▪ Vnder this head are to bee obserued diuers remarkable points , and very necessary for our present vse . 1. That in a corrupt Church , sometimes the greatest member , 1 and among them the Chiefest for eminencie and authority are most corrupted . Thus it was in the idolatrous times among the Iewes : All the chiefe of the Priests , and people , transgressed very much , after all the abominations of the Heathen , and polluted the House of the Lord. They mocked the Messengers of God , and despised his Word , and misused his Prophets . It was so at the comming of Christ. He c●me vnto his owne , and his owne receiu●d him not . Nay , they reiected him . This , saith S. Peter , is the stone , which was set at nought of you builders . The master builders were the chiefe destroyers : the prime gouernours in the Church , the greatest enemies of Christ , and Christianity . Thus for a time did the Arian faction preuaile against the true Church , hauing gotten the Emperiall Throne to countenance them , by meanes whereof they did sway all things at their pleasure . And thus it hath beene a long time , and continueth to this day in the Church of Roman so that , wee may well say to them with Leo , Ye are armed with the name of the Church , and yet ye fight against the Church . This may aduise vs , that the truth of Religion is not tyed to multitude and greatnesse . 2. That whereas many excellent priuiledges and comfortable promises belong to the Church , 2 wee must know that the sound and good part onely , and not the corrupt , is capeable of those benefits . I dare not , saith Saint Augustine , speaking of the prerogatiues of the Church , vnderstand this , but of iust and holy men . Therfore S. Paul doth tye the priuiledges to the true Israel of God , the Children of the promise . And S. Peter , the promises , to them that are effectually called . By this wee may see , both that the chiefest and most eminent , yea & the greatest number in the Church , if they want true sauing grace , haue no right to the priuiledges and promises of the Church , though they liue in the midst of it . And againe , the poorest member of the Church , that is a true beleeuer ▪ shall sustaine no preiudice , to hinder his happinesse , by being mixed with the wicked : But the wheate shall be gathered into the Lords garner , the chaffe cast into the fire . 3 For , saith the Apostle , What if som● did not beleeue ? Shall their vnbeliefe make the faith of God without effect . 3. That a corrupt Church may keepe , and conuay to posterity the Canon of ●●aired Scripture , the forme of knowledge , and rule of faith ▪ and ●holesome doctrine and Sacraments in a generall manner : and yet ouerthrow all , by some particular opposite doctrines , and superstitio●● practices , to the losse of their owne saluation , that so hold and practise . In the greatest deprauation of Religion by Idolatry in the time of the Iewes , it was so . The Booke of God , though it lay dusting and out of vse , yet by the prouidence of God it was kept . The Sacraments , specially Circumcision , was in vse euen in corrupt times , and hypocrites much gloried in the outward circumcision , as we may see by the reproo●es of the Prophets and Apostles . The Iewish Synagogue at the comming of our Lord kept these Oracles , and that for vs , though they thought not so . The Iew , saith Saint Augustine , carrieth the Booke , whereby the Christian may beleeue . Yea , they did teach many things for the matter very sound , and therefore sitting in Moses Chaire , by teaching Moses doctrine , Christ would haue them so farre at least to bee heard . But yet for all this , marke what the Lord Iesus saith of them , Except your righteousnesse shall exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises , yee shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of heauen . And againe , In vaine they worship me , teaching for doctrines , mens precepts . Hereupon it followeth , that by reason of these meanes , there may be in a corrupt Church , some that may preserue faith and true Religion , for the substance , as did Zachary the Priest , and Elizabeth his wife , Old Simeon , Nathaniel , Ioseph and Mary , and many more . And vpon this ground , we of the reformed Churches thinke and iudge charitably of our forefathers that liued in those blinde and darke times of Popery , and of such as yet remaine among them , or are intangled by them , vpon conceite of their common clayme of the onely Catholike Church : wee , I say , iudge charitably of them , though they detrude vs all into Hell. For thus wee deeme of their state before God : That as in the times of Apostacie and falling into Idolatry among the Iewes , the Lord had a remnant : he reserued to himselfe 7000. which neuer bowed the knee to Baal : He had in the Church of-Pergamus , euen where Satans throne was , those that kept his Name and denied not his Faith : and that in the heate of persecution , hee had a few names in Sardis , which had not defiled their garments . So we doubt not , but God euer had , hath at this time , and shall haue to the end , many , in the very middest of the Papacie , that doe not know the whole Mysterie of Romish iniquity , but in simplicitie of heart lay hold vpon Iesus Christ , and him alone , for their saluation : They see , according to that light they haue , many corruptions and enormities , bewayle them and shun them , as farre as their strength and measure of knowledge and grace will permit . These , wee say , holding the foundation , though they may build vpon it the hay or stubble of some errours and superstitions ( not destroying the foundation ) may bee saued , through the mercie of God in Christ pardoning their sinnes of ignorance and errour , vpon their generall repentance . We may see the like in the Church of Thyatira , there were many that had not that learning ( as the false teachers in their vaine-glorious bragging termed it ) nor did know the deepenesse of Satan ; but did hold fast the maine truth , though in much weakenesse : and all that God requireth of them , is , that they be constant in that . In the same manner the Lord speaketh to the Church of Philadelphia , Thou hast a little strength , and hast kept my Word , and hast not denied my Name . For God doth not so much looke to the measure and quantitie of grace , as to the sincerity and soundnesse of it . Many godly and learned among them did not by and by , vpon the sight of some corruptions , leaue and forsake the societie of the Church of Rome : Oecolompadius , Capito , Melancthon , and Luther himselfe ; nay , some of them continued in the outward communion of the Romish Church till their dying day , as Erasmus and others , who thought well of the cause or matter of Reformation , but did not approoue Separation , being carried away with the mayne streame of the name of Church , and Mother Church . No maruell therefore , if among vs , we haue of meaner learning , or of the simpler sort , that so harpe vpon that string , that they haue no eare to hearken to Christs Pipe. It is no new thing , to see a child mistake , and cry out after a stranger in stead of the owne Mother : so , why may it not be , that some in their simplicitie may fall into such a misprizion , as to take the Romish Synagogue to be their Mother Church , being indeed not so much as a sound member of it , but as a disease , a Pest or Gangrene in the body ? It is apparant then , that in a corrupt Church some may be sound , and so be saued : and this we hold of the Church of Rome , as corrupt as it is : for our Lord would neuer haue said of Spirituall Babylon , Come out of her , my people , if he had none there . And let not our Romanists brag of this our ingenuous confession , and play vpon it , the better to seduce the simple : for in truth , in standeth them in no more stead to patronize their impieties , then the Fathers approouing of the Baptisme of the Donatists and other Heretickes , did countenance their Heresies . For what is the chaffe the better , because it is acknowledged that there is some wheate hid amongst it ? We doe not say absolutely , there is saluation to be found in the Romish Babylon , but , in the middest of so great confusion , there may be saluation for some . There is great difference betweene possibility of saluation , which may be in a corrupt Church ; and infallibility , which is euer without doubt in the true and Orthodoxe Church . Is any so simple , as to commit his whole estate into a Ship full of leakes , whereof there is iust cause of doubt , whether euer it shall safely arriue at the desired Port ; when he may transport it in a sound and safe vessell ? Noah and all his , if they will not perish in the Deluge , must get into the Arke . Lot must not tarry in Sodom , if he will be safe and free from the common iudgement . The people of God must , for this very cause , come out of Spirituall Babylon , both for the danger of infection , by sinne ; and destruction , by meanes of her plagues . Where therefore the doctrine is Orthodoxe and sound , the religious worship , seruice , and Sacraments , for the truth and substance of them , the very same with the prime Churches , and best antiquity , as it is this day ( blessed be God ) in our Church of England , and the rest of the reformed Churches , there is the surest and safest repose for the Christian soule : in this society there is infallible certaintie of saluation : but in an Apostaticall and corrupt Church , as the Romane Church now is , it is not so , though yet God may reserue a remnant , pulling them , as it were , out of the fire : And that , with this Caueat , That they tarry not in Babylon . Thus we haue seene , that saluation is onely to bee found in the Church : and what that Church is where saluation may be had . Now let vs come to the third branch : 3 that is , by what meanes , and how men are to be added to the Church , that they may be saued . The meanes are expressed in this context , 1 and are these three : The Word preached : Faith to apprehend it : And the Sacrament of Baptisme to seale and confirme it . This is all required for the admission of any into the Church : to heare , beleeue , and be baptized . The Ministery of the Word , is the mayne Ordinance of God , for the gathering together of the Saints , appointed of God to that end , and to continue in the Church to the end of the world . Therefore it is called , The incorruptible or immortall seed , whereby wee are regenerated and borne againe ; and The Word of Truth , wherewith we are begotten of God , to become his deare children , and The first fruits of his creatures : yea , it is , as S. Paul calleth it , The power of God vnto saluation . Therefore when God would haue any conuerted to the faith , hee sends them this meanes . Philip is commanded to ioyne himselfe neere to the Chariot of the Eunuch , that by his preaching the Eunuch might be ioyned to Christ and his Church . S. Peter is sent for to Cornelius , to teach him and his the way to heauen by Christ. S. Paul must tarry at Corinth , to teach Word of God among them : For , saith the Lord , I haue much people in this Citie . And indeed , the conuerting of soules is a great worke ; and great workes had need of potent and mighty meanes : therefore it pleaseth God to vse his powerfull Word , which , as the Apostle faith , is mighty through God , to the pulling downe of strong holds , and casting downe of imaginations , and euery high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God , and bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ. This calleth the Teacher to a serious consideration of the waight of his Calling , and a conscionable regard to discharge it ; hee is put in trust with the precious soules of men , for whom hee must giue account vnto God. Hee is made Gods Steward , and therefore must bee faithfull . Hee must not keepe away the Bread of life from Gods familie . The word of reconciliation is committed vnto him : Yea , necessity is laid vpon him , so that , were he as great as S. Paul himselfe , yet woe be vnto him , if he preach not the Gospell . This consideration , that the Ministerie of the Word is the meanes of our life : O what esteeme should it cause that sacred Calling to bee of among men ! How beautifull should their feet bee , that bring glad tidings of peace ! How amiable their presence , that present vs to God in Christ ! What haue wee , or what can wee giue to them , proportionable to the good we receiue from God by them , being instrumentally the very Sauiours of our soules ? Who can open the mouth , or lift vp the hand despightfully against such , to whom hell it selfe is constrained to giue this applause : These men are the seruants of the most high God , which shew vnto vs the way of saluation ? The neglect of hearing the Word , nay Recusancy & contempt , must therefore needs be a haynous sinne , whatsoeuer salue of excuse may be laid vpon it . For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast , and euery transgression and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of reward : how shall we escape , if we neglect so great saluation , offered vnto vs in the Ministery of the Gospell of Christ ? Such men as thus reiect , and put the Word of God from them , if wee will beleeue the Apostle , pronounce a direfull sentence against themselues ; for by the very act of neglect , and contempt of the Word , they iudge themselues vnworthy of euerlasting life . Then how carefull ought we to be , to attend vpon the ordinance of God in the Ministery of his Word ? Let the preaching of the Crosse , be to the profane world , to them that perish , foolishnesse : but saith the Apostle , Vnto vs that are saued , it is the power of God. For so it hath pleased God , by that which vaine men set so light by , euen by the foolishnesse of preaching , to saue them that beleeue . Let euery soule therefore , that would bee partaker of the grace of life , neglect no good opportunity of hearing . Consider , that life eternall consisteth in the Knowledge of God in Christ , and as all Learning , so heauenly Knowledge must enter into the heart by the eare , the sense of hearing being the organe or instrument of learning . Set downe then this resolution in thy heart , with the faithful in the Psalme ; I wil heare what God the Lord will speake : for he will speake peace vnto his people , and to his Saints : but let not them turne againe to folly . The second meanes of entrance into the Church , 2 is by beleeuing . This must follow hearing , and goe before Baptisme : for without faith , neither is the Word of force to vs , nor we fit for Baptisme . The Word preached , saith the Apostle , did not profit them , not being mixed with faith in them that heard it . And the Eunuch desiring Baptisme , is told by Philip , that he must first be a beleeuer : If thou beleeuest , saith he , with all thy heart , thou mayest . Looke into the examples of all that euer were added to the Church , if they will be sound members , they must beleeue , nay , they cannot so much as be admitted into the outward society , but they must at least professe faith , yea euen Simon Magus himselfe . Thus Chrispus beleeued on the Lord , with all his house . Many of the Corinthians hearing , beleeued , and were baptized . And so of all the rest of the Conuerts to Christianity . And there is great reason for it : for no man can be added to the body of the Church , to become a sound member of it , but he must be vnited to the Head Christ Iesus , in whom all the members grow vp into a compleate body . Now we are vnited vnto Christ by none other meanes , but by faith , whereby hee dwelleth in our hearts . Againe , What is the Church , but a company of beleeuers , a congregation of faithfull men ? Therefore vnlesse a man beleeue , he cannot be of that society . Besides , the Word is the bread of life , the foode of the soule : so that as naturall food cannot sustaine nature , vnlesse it be receiued into the body and digested ; no more can the Word , bee a Word of life to the soule , except it be apprehended by faith . It is a sauing Word onely to them that beleeue . They therfore that hearing , beleeue not , are in the same , or rather worse condition , then they that heare not at all . For sinnes of knowledge , are greater then sinnes of ignorance , and the meanes , not profited by , doth aggrauate the sin . Yea the sentence is feareful : that He that beleeueth not , shal be damned . And the very same word that is by vnbeliefe so reiected , shall iudge the incredulous ( that receiue it not by faith ) at the Last day . This should mouingly perswade euery Christian Soule to mixe the Word with faith : considering , that as the means of vniting to the Church , on Gods part , is the liuely voice of his Word preached , so on mans part the effectuall meanes is faith . Nay , God for our greater incouragement hath promised to his , both the meanes , and efficacy thereof . For the meanes , see the Prophet Esay : Though , saith the Prophet , the Lord giue you the bread of aduersity , and the water of affliction , yet shall not thy teachers be remoued into a corner any more , but thine eyes shall see thy teachers : And thine eares shall heare a word behind thee , saying , This is the way , walke in it . And as for the efficacie , God hath bound himselfe so to assist his outward ordinance , that his inward working grace shall concurre with it : I wil put my Law in their inward parts , and write it in their hearts , saith the Lord. This also may be a touchstone , to try vs , whether we bee indeede vnited to the Church of God , or in outward shew onely : for we see euidently , that none are incorporated into the body of Christ , but the true Beleeuers . And who are those true beleeuers ? Take these briefe notes of them . 1. A true beleeuer doth rely only vpon the mercie of God in Christ , whose mercy he doth so account his al sufficient merit , that he professeth vnfainedly that he hath none in heauen but the Lord , and none on earth but he . 2. The true Beleeuer liueth no longer in the former course of his ignorance and sinne , he walkes not after the flesh , but after the Spirit , becomming , by the power of the death of Christ , dead to sinne . 3. The true Beleeuer doth expresse his faith by his workes : knowing that it is not idle , but worketh by loue . 4. The true beleeuer is constant in his way of piety and vertue , that he may attain to the end of his faith , the saluation of his soule : for he knoweth well , that he cannot receiue the Crowne of life , vnlesse he be faithfull to the death . The Sacrament of Baptisme is the third meanes of entring into the Church : 3 for the couenant being propounded in the Word , and accepted and imbraced of the beleeuer by faith , is ratified and confirmed by the Seale of Baptisme ; and so saluation , as by a deede vnder hand and seale , is effectually conuaied vnto vs. Therefore Baptisme is called by S. Peter , The like figure , which now saueth vs , because it is not a naked or bare signe of our regeneration and saluation but an effectuall seale , organe , and instrument , to conuay , and as it were , to set the very stampe and Character of Sauing grace vpon the soule of euery faithfull Christian. Hence is that of S. Ambrose , Origo verae vitae , veraeque iustitiae in Regenerationis posita est Sacramento , &c. The originall of true life , and of true righteousnesse , is grounded in the Sacrament of Regeneration . Sutable to this Antiquity , is the moderne doctrine of our Christian Church . Baptisme ( saith our Church of England ) is not onely a signe of profession , and marke of difference , &c. but is also a signe of regeneration or new birth , whereby , as by an instrument , they that receiue Baptisme rightly , are grafted into the Church , &c. Yea , Caluin himselfe is so plaine , for the efficacy of the Sacrament , and to shew that it is not a bare signe ; that he proueth out of the Epistle to the Romanes , Quòd per Baptismum , Christus nos mortis suae fecerit participes , vt in eam inseramur : That by Baptisme Christ hath made vs partakers of his death , that we may be ingrafted into it . And immediately after , in the very next words he saith , Qui Baptismum , eâ quâ debent side accipunt , verè efficaciam mortis Christisentiunt . They that receiue Baptism with such faith as they ought , doe truely feele the efficacie of Christs death , euen as the young graffe receiueth sap from the stock into which it is set . And afterwards he calleth Baptisme , with S. Paul , Lauacrum regenerationis & renouationis : the Lauer or washing of regeneration and renouation : Noting thereby the force of Baptisme . Againe , Caluin in another place defending the Baptisme of infants against Anabaptists , and speaking of the state of infants in Baptisme , saith , Eos vt viuificet , sui participes facit : That Christ , to the end he may make infants capable of life , hee maketh them partakers of himselfe . And a little after he taketh away this Anabaptisticall obiection : Quomodo regenerantur infantes , nec boni nec mali cognitions praediti ? How can infants be regenerate , say the Anabaptists , seeing they know neither good nor euill ? Whereunto Caluin answereth , Opus Dei , etiamsi captui nostro non subiaceat , non tamen esse nullum : The worke of God , though it be not subiect to our capacity , yet it doth not therefore cease to be . Thus we see , that Baptisme is an effectuall meanes of our entrance into the Church of God. They are therefore worthy of seuere reproofe , who either out of error , vnderualuing the excellency of this Sacrament , or through negligence , conceiting there is no such necessity of it , doe sinfully omit and deferre the seasonable vse of Baptisme . Such must suffer themselues to be informed in the truth , and know , that there is as expresse a mandate for Baptisme , as there is for teaching , hearing , praying , or any other pious or morall duty . He that said , Go and teach , said also , Baptize them . The Apostle did not simply say to those whom he directed in the way to saluation , Repent ye , but withall he addeth , and be baptized euery one of you , for the remission of sinnes . And it was according to the Lords charge giuen in the Apostles commission : which is , that they teach mē to obserue whatsoeuer he had commanded them . So then though it be not of that absolute necessitie , that infants dying without it , when it cannot conueniently be had , should bee damned , according to the Romish bloody position : yet seeing there is the necessity of precept , men must take heed of neglecting so waighty a dutie . If the Iew for the neglect of Circumcision was to be cut off , how shall the Christian be excusable ? How shall hee escape for the omitting of so great a Sacrament ? Thus we haue seene the meanes , whereby men are added to the Church , The Word , Faith , and Baptisme : the next point is , The Author of this addition ; and that is , The Lord : The Lord added to the Church such as should be saued . The Rhemists adde the Pronoune , Our Lord , as their vsuall manner is , contrary to their vulgar Latine Edition , which yet they pretend in their Translation exactly to follow . It is in truth a grosse abuse of the sacred Text , to adde so many hundred Pronounes , more then euer God made ; and yet cauill at our Translation , for turning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , into the word Congregation , whereas it is the most proper signification of the word . But it is worth the noting , to obserue how they are constrained sometime to translate The Lord , and not Our Lord , seeing in themselues the absurdity of it : as in Matthew , where it is said , The Lord said vnto my Lord : there they leaue out the Pronoune , perceiuing how odde and harsh the tone would be , to translate it , Our Lord said to my Lord. These Pronounists doe so glory in the phrase , that it is become a distinguishing note of a Romish Catholike , insomuch that if any will symbolize with them , he must speake in their language , as some , to please them , doe . To come to the point , It is the Lord that doth adde to the Church such as shall be saued . God must perswade Iaphet : it is he that must inlarge him , that he may dwell in the tents of Shem. He giueth vnto Christ such as are ordained to life ; otherwise there is a plaine impossibility of our vnion with Christ and his Church . For our Sauiour doth peremptorily affirme , that no man can come vnto him , except the Father draw him ; and except it were giuen vnto him of his Father . The meanes without this efficient cannot be effectuall . Paul planted , Apollo watered , but God gaue the increase : without whom , neither he that planteth is any thing , neither he that watereth . God opened the heart of Lydia , before she could profitably attend to S. Pauls preaching . If his Spirit doe not inwardly coworke with the outward voice , it shall but beate the ayre in vaine . The reason is euident : for mans deadnesse is such , that he can no more mooue toward heauen , so much as one step , then a dead man can rise of himselfe . Nay , there is in the corrupt nature of man , an opposite disposition & willingnesse to remaine in the state of sin , like Lot , to linger in Sodom : so that there is naturally a reluctation and striuing against the worke of Grace : which remaining in the regenerate in part , causeth them , that they cannot alwayes doe the good that they would . Againe , the worke of conuersation and regeneration is a miraculous worke , greater then the worke of creation , and therefore requireth a diuine power to effect it . In the first Creation there was no let : God said the word , and the creatures had their being instantly : but in the worke of Regeneration there are many obstacles , Satan , the world , the flesh : not that any thing can hinder the effect of Gods omnipotencie , but in respect of vs. This confuteth the errour of freedome of will to good in man by nature ; whether wholly as the Pelagians held ; or in part , as our Romists maintaine . The right Christian and Catholike veritie is , with S. Paul , by a negatiue , to exclude nature , and extoll grace , whereby nature of nilling , is made willing . For it is God that worketh in vs both to will and to doe . Nos volumus , sed Deus dat vt velimus . We will , saith a Father , but God doth giue vs that power to will. Is any man partaker of this grace , is he drawne of God , hath the Lord added him to his Church ? Let him giue his Name the praise , and confesse with the Apostle , that he hath obtained mercy . For indeed it is a great mercy of God , to be taken out of the slauery and bondage of Satan , and to be put into the Lords seruice , which is perfect freedome , and hath for the end , euerlasting life . To conclude this point ; Doth any desire to bee sincerely vnited vnto the Church of Christ ? Let him goe to the Fountaine of this grace , and cry with them in the Song of Salomon , Draw me , we will runne after thee . And with Dauid , Vnite my heart , to feare thy name . And with the Prodigall , O Lord , make me as one of thy houshold seruants . The time of this addition to the Church , is heere said to be daily , or from day to day : it shall not faile , to the last day , nor time be any more , when the number of the elect is once compleate . Yet it is not so to be vnderstood , as if the increase of the Church should be alwaies apparant , and in a flourishing eminencie , as our Rhemists vpon this Text would haue it : for we know by the Word of God , that there must be Apostasie and falling into error , in these last times , as was said before . The consideration of the time is of excellent vse . It sheweth the patience of God , in waiting so long from day to day for our conuersion . It was great to the old world , when the long suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah , by the space of 120. yeeres : but it was nothing to the time of the Gospel , from the first , to the second comming of Christ. This aduiseth vs , to take speciall notice of the day of our visitation . For through the tender mercy of our God , the day-spring from an high hath visited vs. Haue we the light ? Let vs walke in it , while we haue it , and pray the Lord to send it , to them that sit in darkenesse . Againe , let vs not rashly censure , nor vncomfortably despaire of those that are without : The Lord addeth to his Church daily : therefore let vs , while there is time , both hope , and helpe forward the worke of God. All are not called in in the prime of the day , but some at the third , some at the sixt , some at the eleuenth houre . He that is to day , with Saul , a persecuter , may be to morrow a Conuert , and professe that which before hee persecuted . We say , Hee runnes farre , that neuer returnes . But know , that none can outrunne God , when hee will fetch him home to himselfe . To close vp this matter in briefe ; See here in the last place , the happinesse of those that are added to the Church : it is in one word , Saluation ; being made the seruants of God , and becomming of his family , which is the Church , They haue , saith the Apostle , their fruit in holinesse , and the end , euerlasting life . They are kept by the power of God , through faith , vnto saluation . They are safe in the Arke , whilest the world of the wicked perish in the Deluge . They are in the little Zoar of Gods Church , out of the danger of the fire of Gods wrath . Happie are the people that are in such a case , yea thrice happy are they that haue the Lord for their God. What can allure vs to be of this societie , if this motiue of eternall happinesse preuaile not with vs ? Men desire to bee free of those Corporations , that haue great immunities and priuiledges : then know , that no citie can compare with the heauenly Ierusalem : no societie comparable to the Communion of Saints . How prophane then and blasphemous is the conceit of wicked worldlings , that say , It is in vaine to serue God : and what profit is in Religion and religious walking before the Lord : and count the proud and wicked , like themselues , the onely happy men ? What a lamentable thing is it , that the god of the world should so blinde their eyes , that they should not see their owne miserie , and the contrary happines of Gods people , till with the rich Glutton , it be too late ? As for those that haue their part in this happines , let them goe on cheerefully , abounding in the worke of the Lord : forasmuch as they know , that their labour is not in vaine in the Lord. Let them from the bottome of their hearts , say , Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ , which , according to his abundant mercie , hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope , by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead , to an inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled , and that fadeth not away , reserued in heauen for vs. Amen . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A09599-e240 Seneca de vita beata , l. 1. c. 1. Ioh. 14.6 . Psal. 144.15 . Ioh. 17 3. Aug ▪ de Ciu. Dei. l. 19. c. 27. Rom. 10.1 . Mat. 21.31 , 32. Aug. de Ciu. Dei , l. 19. c. 17. Iudg. 14.8 . Act. 28.2 . Ioh 1.41 , 45. Iob 32. 22. Isa. 5. 20. Reu. 2.10 . Isa. 22.12 , 13. 2. Pet. 3.3 . Mat. 26.50 . 2. Sam. 1.23 , 24 Neh. 13.14 . Notes for div A09599-e2020 Luk. 24.49 . Act. 1.4 , 5. Act. 2.4 , 11. Act. 2.41 . 1 No saluation but in the Church . Demonstrated 1. by Noahs Arke . 2. Pet. 2.5 . Gen. 7.23 . 1. Pet. 3.20 , 21. Eph. 2.12 . 2 By the proportion of the head and the body . Colos. 1.18 . Eph. 1.22 , 23. 1. Cor. 12.27 . Colos. 2.29 . Eph. 4.16 . Eph. 5.23 . Greg. in Ps. 5. poen . Istud est corpus , extra quod non viuificat spiritus . 3 By sacred similies . 1 Of a House . 1. Tim. 3.15 . As it is taken for a building . 1. Pet. 2.5 , 6. 1. Cor. 3.9 , 10 , 11. Eph. 2.20 . Matth. 16. As it is taken for the inhabitans . 1. Pet 4.17 . Heb. 3.6 . Eph. 3.17 . Mat. 24.45 . Eph. 2.19 . Gal. 6.10 . Luk. 12.42 . Psal. 145.9 . Psal. 36.6 . Mat. 5.45 . Psal. 73.1 . 1. Tim. 4.10 . 2 Pet. 1.3 . Psal. 119.94 . 2. Of a Citie , in two respects . Reu. 21.2 , 10. Heb. 12.22 . 1. Defence . Num. 32.17 . Ier. 4.5 . & 8.14 . Isa. 26.1 . Ioel 2.32 . Psal. 147.12 , 13. Aug. de Ciu. Dei , l. 19. c. 11. Psal. 31.21 . 2. Priuiledge . Ibidem c. 21. Gal. 4.26 . Eph. 2.12 , 13.19 Rom. 6.14 , 22. Rom. 8 ● . 3. Of a Mother , in 2. respects . Gal. 4.26 . 1. By conceiuing and bearing . 1. Pet. 1.23 . Gal. 4.19 . 2. By nourishing . 1. Pet. 2.2 . Aug in Ep. Ioh. tract . 3. Est mater Ecclesia , & vbera eius , duo testamenta diuinarum Scripturarum . Heb. 5.12 , 14. 4. Of a Vine . Psal. 80.8 , 12. Isa. 5.3 , 4. Ioh 15.5 . Vers. 4. Vers 5 ▪ 6. Aug. E● . 50. ad Bonifa● . Reasons that saluation is onely in the Church . 1 It onely is the pillar of sauing truth . 1. Tim. 2.4 . Isa. 26.2 . 1. Tim. 3.15 . Ioh. 16.13 . 2 All sauing graces are onely in the Church . Heb. 6.9 . Rom. 8 30. 1 Election . 1. Pet. 2.9 . Eph. 1.4 . Ioh. 13.18 . Ioh. 15.16 . Act. 13.18 . Greg. Mor. l. 28. c. 6. Intra has mensuras , sunt omn●s electi , extra has sunt omnes reprobi , etiamsi intra fidei limitem esse videantur . 2. Pet. 1.10 . 2 Vocation ▪ 1. Pet. 2.9 . Rom. 1.6 . Rom. 8.18 . Heb. 3.1 . 1. Thes. 2.12 . 1. Cor. 1.9 . 1. Thes. 5.24 . Rom. 11.29 . Rhe● . on Rom. 11.29 . 3 Iustification . Rom. 8.30 . Rom. 4.2 . What Iustification is . 1 It is an action of God. Rom. 8.33 . 2 It stands in the pardon of sinnes . Rom. 4.6 , 7 , 8. Psal. 32.1 , 2. 3 It is a meere imputation of righteousnesse . Rom. 4.6 . 2. Cor. 5.21 . Aug. de verbis Apost . Serm. 6. Vidite duo , iustitiam Dei , non nostram : in ipso , non in nobis . 1. Cor. 1.30 . 4 It is imputed to faith onely . Ioh. 1.12 . Rom. 8.25 . Act. 13.39 . Rom. 3.28 . Bern. Serm. 1. de annun● . Sic enim arbitratu● Apostolus gratis iustifi a●i hominem per fidem . 5 It is of meere mercy . Rom. 3.24 . Bell. de iust . l. 5. c. 7. Propter incertitudinē propriae iustitiae , & periculum inanis gloriae , tutissimū est , fidu●iam tota● , in sola Dei misericordia & benignitate reponere . 6 It is for the onely merit of Christ. Beda in Ps. 87. Christi mors , nostra vita est , eius damnatio , nostra iustificatio . Tit. 3.7 . 4 Sanctification . 1. Thes 5.23 . Rom. 6.2 , 4. Col. 3.10 . Ephe. 4.24 . Tit. 2.11 , 12. & 14. Ioh. 15.4 . Rom. 5.1 . Psal. 130.3 . 1. Cor. 6.11 . 1. Cor. 1.2 . Heb. 12.14 . Rom. 6.22 ▪ Gal. 5.6 . The 3. Reason is , That the meanes of sauing grace is onely in the Church . Ioh. 4.11 . The meanes are 1. The written Word of God. Rom. 15.4 . 2. Tim. 3.15 . Ioh. 5.39 . 2 Preaching . Rom. 1.16 . 1. Cor. 1 18. 3 The Sacraments . Rom. 4.11 . 4 Prayer . Rom. 10.13 . Rom. 3.2 . Psal. 147.19 , 20 2. Cor. 5.18 , 19. 1. Cor. 12.28 . Eph. 4.12 , 13. Matth. 28.19 . Act. 2.41 . Mat. 26.26 , 27. Rom. 10.14 . Rom. 8.14 , 15. Chemnic . exam . parts . 3. p. 179. b. Act. 9.14 , 21. Rom. 10.12 . Psal. 14.4 . Math. 6.7 . & 15.8 . Math. 4.10 . 1. Cor. 1 2. 2. Tim. 2.22 . Psal. 145.18 . The 4 reason is , because the Church only haue Christ for their Mediatour . 1. Ioh. 2.1 , 2. Iohn . 17.9 . Rom. 8.34 . Vse . Heb. 12.16 . Aug. d. Ciuit. Dei. l. 2. c. 23. 2. Cor. 4.4 . Matth. 7 . 1● . Exod. 12.38 . Mark 10.28 . Gen. 8.9 . Matth. 11.29 . Eccles. 1.2 & 12.13 . Iunius in Eccl. 12. Sine quo totus homo nihil est nisi vanitas . 2 What that Church is . The name of the Church is not sufficient . Reue. 2.9 . Reue. ● . 1 . Reue. 3.15 . Act. 17 . 1● . Reu. 2.2 . Aug. de Doct. Christ. l. 2. Quisquis bonus ve●usque Christianus est , Domini sui esse intelligat , vbicunque inuenevit veritatem . The meaning of the word . Act. 19.32 , 39. Valla l. 4 c. 47. Multi Ecclesia , nescio quo iure , aedes s●cras app●llant , cùm coetum hominū signifi●ot , non loca . Rhem. on Eph. 5.23 . Cam●●●a● . 3. Audito i●● Ecclesi●● nomine , hostis ●xpalluit . 1562. Art. 19 , 20. D. Fulke against Rhemes . The name of the Church is diuersly taken . 1 For the elect , knowne onely to God. Aug in Ps. 56. Qui ●uerunt ante nos , & futuri sunt post nos , vsque ad finem seculi . Aug. Enchir. c. 55 Templum Dei est Ecclesia Sanct● , sc. vniuersa in coel● & in terra . Colos. 1.20 . Eph. 1.4 . 1. Pet. 1.2 . 2. Tim. 2.19 . 2 Thes 2 13 Rom. 2 ●8 , 19. 2 For the outward professors of Christianity mixt of good and bad . Mat. 22.10 . 3 For particular congregations . And in them sometime for the Pastors . Mat 18 17. Sometime for the people . Act. 20.28 . Sometime for both Pastor and people . Reu. 1.4 , 20. Reu. 2.7 , &c. The definition of the visible Church . Article 19. Isa. 29.13 . Mat. 15.9 . 1 The Church is the society of the faithfull , not tied to any place or person . Not to Rome . Act. 10.34 , 35. R●u . 5. ● . Reu. 17.1 , 2 , 18. Act. 16.30 , 31. Act. 2.37 , 38. Gal. 3.28 . Mat. 18.20 . ●anis . Catech. In vno capite ac rectore vniuersalis Ecclesiae , vicario Christi scilicet , ac Diui Petri Successore . Bellar. de Eccl. l. 3. c. 2. Sub regimine , &c. praecipuè vnius Christi in terris vicarij Romani Pontifi●is . Reasons why the Church is not tyed to Rome . 1 It is against the definition of the Church . Esolis causis essētiam constituentibus . Oc●ham dial . part . 1. l. 5. c. 23. Extra Ecclesiam R●manam potest esse salus , quemadmodum post assension●m Christi ●uit salus , antequam Romana Ecclesia inch●ar●tur . Acts 2.28 . Mark. 16.15 , 16. Bellar. d. Concil . l. 2. c. 5. Romano Pontifici , &c. aduersabatur , Martyrio postea co●oratus . Et ibidem . Nec tamen eius retractatio vnquam inuenitur . Bellar. l. 3. de ●ccles . mil. Subesse Romano Pontifici est de necessitate salutis . Greg. l. 4. ep . 32. Nomen nouum , S●elestum , Nomen singularitatis . & ep . 34. Quod qui tenet , est praecursor Antichristi . See ep . 60. Platina in in vita Bonifacij . 3. Greg. l. 4. ep . 60. Nullus praedecessorum m●orum , Pontificum Romanorum vniue●salis Episcopi nomen sibi assumpfit . 2 No Scripture requireth it . Aug. d. doct . Chr. l. 2. In his enim quae apertè in Scriptura posita sunt , in u●niumtur illa omnia , quae continent fidem , moresque viuendi . 3 It is in no Creed . 4 Because Rome is but a particular Church , as others are . Rom. 1.5 , 6. 5 Because it is subiect to error , as well as others . Rom. 11.20 , 21 , 22. Article 19. A catalogue of Romish errors . 1 Error . Preface to Rhem. Test. Mat. 22.29 . Ioh. 5.39 . Col. 3.16 . Deut. 6.6 . & 11.18 . Act. 17.11 . Rom. 15.4 . Greg. l. 4. ep . 40. Quid est aut●m Scriptura Sacra , nisi epis●ola Omnipotentis Dei ad creaturam suam ? 2 Error . Bel. l. 4. c. 1. de Poul . Rom. Summus Index in causis fidei & morum . Rom. 11.1 . Gal. 1.8 . 3 Error . 1. Cor 14.11 , 14.22 . O●●g●● . ●els l. 8. Graeci Graecis , Romani Romani● , si●gulique precentur propri●i linguā , &c. Cyp. de O● . Dom. n. 22. Quomodò te audi●● à Deo pustul●s , cùm te ipse non audias ? Caict. 1. Cor. 14.17 . Melius a● edificationē Ecclesiae est Orationes publicas que audiente populo dicuntur , dici linguā communi Clencis & po●ulo . quàm dici Latinè . 4 Error . 2. Com. Exod. 20.4 . Leu. 26.1 . Concil . Trid. de Imag. Eisque debitū honor●● , & veneral●onem impertiend un . Epiph. Ep. ●n Ecclesia Christi contra autoritatem Scriptura●ū hominis pendere imag●nem . Lactan. l. ●mag . l. 2. c. ●9 . Non est dub●u●t , qui● Religio ●●lla sit , vb●cunque sim●la●●um ●●l . Greg. l. 9. ep . ● . Adorare ●●●o imagines , omnibus mod●s deuita 5 Error . Heb. 10 10 , 12 , 14. L. 4. Dist. 12. In Sacramento recordatio fi● illius , quod factum est semel . 6 Error . 1. Cor. 11.26 , 27 , 28. Act. 3.21 . Luk. 22.19 . 1. Cor. 11.24 . Mat. 26.28 . Mark. 14.24 . Gen. 17.10 , 11. Rom. 4.11 . Exod. 12.11 . 1. Cor. 10.4 . Aug. c. Adimāt . c. 12. Non enim Dominus dubitauit di●●re , H●c est corpus meum , cùm signum diret corporis sui . Article 28. Bellar. de Euchar . l. 1. c. 1. Verè in cana datur nobis corpus Christi . Substantiā corporis Christi pa●●untur an mae nost●ae . Non ergo est vacuum aut inane signum . Eras. in 1 Cor. 7 Bellar. de Euch. l. 3. c. 23. An●● Lateranense Concilium non fuisse dogma fi●ici . 7 Error . Tulli. 3. Natur. Quem tam amēt●m esse putas , qui illud quo v●s●atur Deum cr●dat esse ? ●uerr . in 12. Metaph. Arist. Quoniam Christi●ni manducant deum , qu●m ad●rant , sit ani●ma mea cum Philosoph●● . 8 Error . Mat. ●6 . ●6 , 27 1. Cor. 10.16 , 17. Greg. dial . l. 2. c. 23. Si quis non communicat , det locum . 9 Error . Math. 26.27 . Mark. 14.23 . 1. Cor. 11.28 . Cassan. consult . art . 22. Id quod ex innumeris veteribus tàm Graecorum , quàm Latinorum testimonijs manifestum est . 10 Error . Psal. 65.2 . 1. King. 8.39 . Psal. 50.15 . Luk. 11.2 . Ioh. 16.23 . Rom. 10.13 . Gen. 4.26 . Psal. 22.4 , 5. Eph. 3.14 . Phil. 4.6 . Chemnic . exam . pars 3. pag 194. Eccius Enchrid . Vt refert chem . exam . pars 3 pag. 184. Cassander ib. Hoc enim tutius esse existimo . Hofmeister . ibid. ex Aug. de visi● . infirm . l. 1. c. 2. Tutius & iucundius loquor ad meum Iesum , quàm ad aliquē Sanctorum , &c. Ibid. p. 180. Ibid. Psal. 50 51. Heb. 18. Aug. de vnit . Eccl. cap. 3. Non audiamus , Haec dico , Haec dicis : sed Haec dicit Dominus . Aug. àd Paul. ep . 112. Nolo authoritatem meam sequaris , vt ideo putes , tibi aliquid necesse esse credere , quoniā à me dicitur . Aug. ad Crescon . l. 2. c. 32. Quod in ijs diuinarum Scripturarum authoritati congruit , cum laude eius accipio : quòd autem non congruit , cum pace eius respuo . Gratian. dist . 8. christus non dixit , Ego sum consuetudo , sed , Ego sum veritas , &c. Consuetudo sine veritate , vetustas erroris est . 11 Error . 1. Ioh. 1.7 . Ioh. 5.24 . Reu. 14.13 . Luk 16.22 , 25. Chry. Ser. 3. ad Philip. Fideles , possquam hinc dis●esserunt , bea●os esse , &c. Dionys. A●eop . Hierar . c. 11. Propinqui eius , qui mortuus est , &c. cum qualis est , beatum esse ducunt , quòd ad victoriae sinem peroptatum per●●nerit ▪ & victoriae Authori gratias agunt cum cantu . 12 Error . Rom. 1.25 . ● King. 8.38 . Hora Sarisbur . fol. 58. Ibid. fol. 68. Polid. Virg. l. 5. c. 7. Math. 6.7 . 1. King. 18.26 . 1. King. 18 36. 13 Error . Mald. sum . q. 18. ar . 4. Psal. 32.5 . Mat. 3.6 . Act. 19.18 . 2. Sam. 12.13 . Ios. ● . 19 . Iam. 5.16 . 14 Error . 1. Tim. 4.1 , 2 , 3. 15 Error . 16 Error . Mark. 6.13 . Iam. 5.14 . Cassan. l. consult . art . 2. Bel. l. 1. de vnc . ext . cap 3. Caiet . in Iac. 5. 2 Sound doctrine , and due administration of Sacraments , the notes of the Church . Ioh. 10.27 . 1 For doctrine . Mat. 7.16 . 1. Ioh. 4.1 . 2. Ioh. 10. Vers. 9. Ioh. 7.16 . Two rules to discerne doctrine . 1 Concerning the Hearer . Theophylact. in Io. c. 7. Voluntatem autem Dei facit , & qui Prophetas , & Scripturas scrutatur . 2 The Teacher . Ioh. 7.18 . 1. Thes. 2.5 , 6. Act. 2.42 . 1. Thes. 2.13 . Mat. 27.1 . Act. 17.12 . Athan. in incar . Dom. Si discipuli estis Euangeliorum , per Scripturas incedite . Aug. con . Petil. l. 3. c. 6. Siue de Christo , siue de eius Ecclesia , siue de quacunque alia re , quae pertinet ad fidem vitámque , &c. 3 The true Church admitteth nothing as necessary to saluation , that is contrary to the Word of God. 1. King. 18.21 . Isa 29.13 . Mat. 15.9 . Bell. de Sacr. l. 2. c. 30. Ceremoniae receptae , &c. sine graui veccato o mitti non possunt ; quum habe ant vim etiam spiritualem , & sint pars diuini cul●as , adeoque meritoria . Eph. 5.24 . Cal. in Mat. 5 9 Eos ertar● , &c. qui ●cco doctrinae obtrudunt hominum mandata : vel qui indè petunt regulam colendi Dei. Article 10. Considerations concerning the Church . 1 Consideration . It is only one . Gen. 6. Cant. 6.9 . Mat. 13.24 , 47. Luk. 12.32 . Ioh. 10.16 . Ioh. 3.29 . 1. Cor. 12.13 . 1. Cor. 12.14 , 15 , 16. 2 Consideration . It is Catholike . Re● . 7.9 . Aug. Epist. 48. Quia communicant Ecclesiae toti orbi diffusae . 3 Consideration . It is visible . Bell. de Eccl. l. 3. c. 2. Isa. 1.9 . Isa. 8.18 . Rom. 11.3 . 1. King. 18.4 , 13 Heb. 11.37 , 38. 2. Thes. 2.3 , 4. Reu. 12.6 . Luke 18.8 . Mat. 24.9 , 12 , 24. Vi●cen . Li●in . c. 6. Ariano●um venenum , non iam 〈◊〉 ul● quandam , sed ●enè orbem tut●m contaminauerat . Mat. 11.19 . 4 Cōsideratiō . Some are more pure , some more corr●pt . Here obserue . 1 That the greatest and chiefe are not alwaies the best . 2. Chron. 36.14 , 16. Ioh. 1.11 . Act. 4.11 . Vnic . Lir. ib. Capto priùs omnium Imperatore , &c. Leo. ep . 8● . Ecclesiae nomine armamipi , & contra Ecclesi●m dimicatis . 2 That the promises and priuiledges belōg onely to the good part . Aug. con . Don. l. 5. c. 27. Hoc intelligere non audeo , nisi in iustis & sanctis . Rom. 9.4 , 6 , 8. Act. 2.39 . Math. 3.12 . Rom. 3.3 . 3 That a corrupt Church may keepe and conuay to post●rity , the Scriptures , the rule of faith , & the Sacraments . Acts 15.21 . Rom 3 2. Aug. in Psal. 56. Codicem portat Iudaeus , vndè credat Christianus . Math. 23.2 , 3. Math. 5.20 . Math. 15 9. Hereupon , some in a corrupt Church may be saued . Rom. 11.4 . Reu. 2.13 . Reu. 3.4 . Reu. 2.24 , 25. Reu. 3.8 . Reu. 18.4 . Gen. 7.13 . Gen. 19.15 . Reu. 18.4 . Iude 23. 3 By what meanes men are added to the Church . 1 The Word preached . Act. 2.37 , 38 , 41. Act. 18.8 . Eph. 4.12 . Mat. 28 20. 1. Pet. 1.23 . Iam. 1.18 . Rom. 1.16 . Act. 8.29 , 35. Act. 10.5 , 6. Act. 18.10 . 2. Cor. 10.4 , 5. Heb. 13.17 . 1. Cor. 4.2 . 2. Cor. 5. 19. 1. Cor. 9 16. Col. 1.28 . 1. Tim. 4.16 . Act. 16.16 . Heb. 2.2 , 3. Act. 13. ●6 . 2. Cor. 1.18 , 21 Ioh. 17.3 . Psal. 85.8 . 2 Faith to apprehend grace offered . Heb. 4.2 . Act. 8.37 . Act. 8.13 . Ephe. 4.15 , 16. Eph. 3.17 . 1. Co. 1.21 . Mark. 16.16 . Ioh. 12.48 . Isai. 30.20 , 21. Ier. 31.33 . Psal. 73.25 . 3 The Sacrament of Baptisme . 1. Pet. 3.21 . Amb. de voc . Gent. l. 1. c. 5. Article 27. Rom. 6.3 . Calu. Inst. l. 4. c. 15. §. 5. Tit. 3.5 . Calu. Inst. l. 4. c. 16. § 17. Mat. 28.19 , 20. Act. 2.28 . Gen. 17.14 . Heb. 2 3. The Author or efficient , by whom men are added to the Church . Mat. 22 24. Gen. 9.27 . Ioh. 17.6 . Ioh. 6.44 , 65. 1. Cor. 3.6 , 7. Act. 16.14 . Eph. 2.1 , 2. 1. Cor. 15.10 . Phil. 2.13 . 1. Tim. 1.13 . Rom. 6.22 . Cant. 1.4 . Psal 86.11 . The time and continuance of this addition . Math. 24.22 . 2. Pet. 3.9 . 1. Pet. 3.20 . Gen. 6.3 . Luk. 1.78 . Math. 20.3 . The happines of those that are added to the Church . Rom. 6.21 . 1. Pet. 1.5 . Gen. 19 22. Psal. 144.15 . Mal. 3.14 . Iob 21.14 . 2. Cor. 4.4 . Luk. 16.23 . 1. Cor. 15.58 . 1. Pet. 1.3 , 4. 
A17320	----	The Christians heauenly treasure. By William Burton of Reading in Barkeshire Burton, William, d. 1616. 1608 Approx. 193 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 85 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-05 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A17320 STC 4168 ESTC S115749 99850967 99850967 16213 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A17320) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 16213) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1165:02) The Christians heauenly treasure. By William Burton of Reading in Barkeshire Burton, William, d. 1616. [4], 80 leaves Printed by T. E[ast] for Thomas Man senior, and Ionas Man, dwelling in Pater-noster-Row, at the signe of the Talbot, London : 1608. Printer's name from STC. Reproduction of the original in the Folger Shakespeare Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). 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Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Salvation -- Early works to 1800. Christian life -- Early works to 1800. 2003-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-02 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-03 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2003-03 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE Christians heauenly Treasure . BY WILLIAM BVRTON of Reading in Barkeshire . MATTHEW 16. 26. What shall it profit a man to winne the whole world , and loose his owne soule . PHILIP . 3. 7. The things that were vantage vnto mee , the same I counted losse for Christs sake . 8 And doe iudge all things to be dunge that I might winne Christ. LONDON : Printed by T. E. for Thomas Man senior , and Ionas Man , dwelling in Pater-noster-Row , at the signe of the Talbot . 1608. TO the right VVorshipfull , and religious Knight , Sir Drue Drurie , encrease of Grace and Peace in this life , and fulness of heauenly treasure in the life to come . RIght VVorshipfull Maecenas , in regard of the manifolde fauours , and encouragements , which I haue receiued from you , euer since I first entred into the sacred worke of the Ministrie , first in Norfolke at your house by Norwich , where then you remayned , and many times since , I doe heere ( as dutie bindeth mee ) offer vnto your VVorshipfull Patronage , this short Treatise , of the Christians heauenly Treasure , which sheweth in some sort , the difference betweene false goods and true goods , betweene Heauen and Earth , the riches of the one and the riches ( or penurie rather ) of the other , and the way how to enioy the one without losse of the other . Which is not to teach you any thing that yet you know not , for God bee praysed you knew these things long agoe , but ( as S. Peter wrighteth ) to confirme & strengthen your godly minde , and to vphold your holy Faith , which long since through the mercy of God shined in you , accompanied with true loue , the handmaid of Faith , to the great glory of God , the ioye of the godly , and the comfort of the Saints hearts . This Argument doth of right belong vnto your Worship , because the Lord hath plentifully replenished your hart with the loue of heauenly things and true zeale vnto his glory , for heauenly matters , onely in heauenly minds and sanctified harts receiue kind entertainment , like the Angels in Lots house , reioysing each in others company & conference , like Mary and Elizabeth , but they shun the companie of the wicked , like the Wise men , which balked Herods house & returned another way , when they vnderstood what a Fox he was . The God of all Mercie and Consolation , who hath made your old age glorious by crowning the same with a most constant loue and sincere profession of his blessed Truth , so prosper your holy proceedings and religious endeuours ; that at the end of this your earthly pilgrimage , you may with holy Simeon depart in peace , and receiue with all Saints , that crowne of immortall glory , and endlesse rest , which God hath prepared for you , and for all those that loue and desire the glorious appearing of the Lord Iesus Christ. From my friends house in London , this 21. of Ianuarie 1607. Your Worships in all Christian affection , VVilliam Burton . THE Christians Heauenly Treasure . MATTHEVV . 6. 19. Lay not vp Treasures for your selues in earth , where the Moth and Canker corrupt , and where Theeues digge through and steale . 20 But lay vp for your selues Treasures in Heauen , where neither the Moth , nor Canker corrupteth , and where Theeues neither dig through nor steale . 21 For , where your Treasure is , there will your hart bee also . OVr Sauiour Christ hath in the former part of this chapter condemned the fond affectation of Vaine-glory as the onely bane and poyson of all good actions , wherof he giueth three instances : The one in giuing of Almes : The other in Fasting : The last in Prayer ▪ He now for biddeth worldlinesse , and greedy desire of earthly things , as dangerous an enemie to our Saluation , & no lesse a staine vnto our Christian profession , as the former . Vaine-glory and Hypocrisie as a burning poyson that infecteth and inflameth the inward parts , is to be auoyded , yea , as a Theefe that robbeth the Almightie of his glory is to be pursued . Greedy Couetousnesse or worldlinesse as Thrones that choke the graces of Gods Spirit , is to bee plucked vp by the rootes . As a spirituall Feuer that relisheth no goodnesse , but distasteth all H●●uenly and Spirituall things , is to bee purged and taken heed of , yea , the desire of riches is to bee auoyded as a streame both deepe and swift , that will both drowne mens soules & carry them quite away from God. To that ende Saint Paul saith , they that will bee rich , ( meaning whether God will or no , or before the time that God hath appointed ) fall into many noysome and foolish lusts , which drowne men in perdition and destruction , to shew in what a miserable case a worldling is : for speak to a drowned man , smite him , teach him , and cry out vnto him , or sound a Trumpet in his Eare , and he heareth not , he feeleth not : and so is it with a man whose hart is drowned in the cares of this World , and loue of riches . And yet those are in greatest admiration , for the world doth not onely desire to be hauing more still , but doth admire those that haue worldly Treasures . Therefore our Sauiour Christ doth warne vs of that gnawing Worme , and tels vs , that if wee bee so greedy of the world as to set our harts vpon it , we loose heauen for our labo●● . And therefore wee must take heed how wee vse this world : for Christ would teach vs how to vse the world , that wee bee not cousened by it . A little thing certaine is better then much vncertaine , as a poore man with a little Coppy-hold , is better to passe in that respect than hee that hath much , and no assurance in it : The World is vncertaine , for it is in danger of Theeues which will rob , or of Mothes which will f●e● , or of Rust which will consume , or of Death which wil end all , but Heauen is not subiect to any of these nor the like . Againe , hee that will bee saued must send Treasure before hand to Heauen , and not driue of till death come , for none shall finde Treasure there , but they that lay it vp before they dye . As a man that remooueth to another place to abide there , sendeth his stuffe and prouision before him : so they that meane to remoue hence and to abide in Heauen , must send their Treasure thether before hand , by relieuing the poor , and helping forward other holy & cha●●table works . And wheras some alledge for themselues , that they haue had great losses , &c. and therefore cannot giue any thing to the poore , or other holy and charitable vses , they must know that they haue the more need to giue , and to bee liberall , and to doe good with that they haue , and so to lay vp in Heauen , when the World goeth from them , or else they will bee poore both here and there too . Now if any man bee desirous to know whether he hath any treasure in heauen or no , let him take this course : First , let him see what it is that doth command his hart : and next what doth most moue him , and touch him : and lastly , what hee taketh most delight in , and what he beateth his braine about most : and if the matters of Heauen and Gods Kingdome doe most commaund his heart , and occupy his head , and delight his minde , then his Treasure is there , his stuffe is sent before hand to the place whether hee intendeth to remoue when God calleth him , or else not : and this is the summe of Christs words and holy counsell in this place . This Text hath 2. parts . 1. A Commandement . 2. A reason of the same . The Commandement hath likewise two parts . The first is Negatiue in Verse 19. Lay not vp Treasure for your selues in ▪ earth , &c. The second is Affirmatiue in verse 20. But lay vp for your selues Treasure in Heauen , where neither the Moth , &c. The Reason is in Verse . 21. For where your Treasure is , there will your hart bee also . As touching the Negatiue part of our Sauiour his Precept , wee are to vnderstand that his manner of speaking is here no otherwise then in other places , and other cases also of the like kinde : as , Labour not for the meate that perisheth , but labour for the meat that endureth to Eternall Life . And in another place , Sell that you haue , and giue to the poore . And in another place , Possesse not gold nor siluer . And in another place , Be not carefull what to eate and drinck , or what rayment to put on . All which places being literally taken , and not according to the minde and meaning of our Sauiour Christ , may breed error , as they haue done : for from hence the Anabaptists fetch their communitie of goods ; the Monks and Fryers their wilfull pouerty ; and the Iesuits hereupon perswade others to impouerish themselues to enrich them : And lastly , vnder the shadow of these words : the slothfull sluggard , & idle person would shrowd themselues , to bee thereby discharged of all honest labor and diligent following of their vocations . Therfore first the true meaning of the words is to be sought for , and then we shall the better vnderstand what do●trines from thence may bee gathered , for our further instruction and consolation in the Lord. This word Treasure , is taken in the Scripture sometime for gold and siluer . 1. King. 7. 51. And Salomon brought in the things which Dauid his father had dedicated : the Siluer , and the Gold , and the Vessels , and laid them among the Treasures of the house of the Lord. So Prou. 2 ▪ 4. If thou seekest for wisedome as for siluer , and searchest for her as for treasure . And Mat. 13. 44. The Kingdome of Heauen is like vnto a Treasure hid in the field , &c. Sometime it is put for abandance of riches or any other thing . As , Mat. 13. 52. Euery Scribe which is taught vnto the kingdome of Heauen , is like vnto a House-holder , which bingeth forth out of his Treasure things both new and old . And Mat. 12. 34. out of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh . Verse 35. A good man out of the good Treasure of his hart , or abundance of good things , br●ngeth forth good ▪ things . So Rom. 2. 5. Thou after thine hardnesse , and hart that cannot repent , treasurest vnto thy selfe Wrath against the day of Wrath , that is , causest vnto thy selfe abundance of Wrath , &c. And sometime it is put for whatsoeuer a man taketh delight in , as here in this place , Where your Treasure is , there will be your hart also , that is , where the thing is that you delight in , there will be your hart , your minde and affection . Againe , all Treasure is eyther temporall or eternall . 2. Cor. 4. 18. The things that are seene are temporall , but the things that are not seene are eternall . Eternall or heauenly Treasure is from heauen , and consisteth in the grace and fauour o● God , and is the onely true Riches . Esay . 33. 6. The. feare of the Lord shall bee his Treasure . And a good man out of the good Treasure of his hart bringeth forth good things . These are called : Bagges that wax not old . And Light of glory brought in earthen vessels . The renuing of the inward man. Ver. 16. An excellent and eternall waight of glory . 17. And things not seen , yet looked vpon . Vers. 18. Such as no Eye hath seene , nor Eare hath heard ▪ nor haue entered into the hart of man. And here in our Text such as Moths cannot eate , nor Rust consume , nor Theeues steale , that is , they are not subiect to any kinde of casualtie or mischance : all which places doe rather shew what it is not , then what it is , for indeed it is God himselfe in Christ Iesus , which cannot bee expressed , because he is infinite and incomprehensible . Of this latter it is not that hee speaketh , when hee saith Lay not vp for your selues Treasures in earth , then hee must needes meane the former . But what ? doth the Lord Iesus meane that it is in no wise lawfull for a Christian man to get , or enioy the riches of this world ? not so , for in Pro. 2. 4. it is said that we must seeke for Wisedome as for golde : to shew that golde also may bee sought for . And King Salomon made a nauie of ships , which once in three yeeres returned with golde and siluer , Iuory , &c. And in Gen. 37. 28. it is said there was traffique betweene the Midianites and the Ismalites Marchants , and betweene the Ismalites and the Egiptians , that one country might by that meanes bee benefited by the commodities of another . What then ? doth hee meane that it is vnlawfull to keepe any thing in store for hereafter ? Not so neither , for Ioseph is commended for laying vp against the time of famine , yea , it is Iosephs counsell that Pharaohs officers shall gather all the foode of seauen plenteous yeeres , and lay vp Corne for foode in the cities to bee kept against the seauen yeeres of famine . What then ? doth hee meane that a man must take of earthly goods onely so much as will serue his turne , and cast away that which is left ? Not so neither , for in Iohn . 6. He commandeth his Disciples to gather vp in baskets that which was left , when the people had bene miraculously fed , and let nothing bee lost ( saith the Lord. ) What then ? doth hee meane that wee must not prouide for those that wee leaue behinde vs ? Not so neither , for the Apostle saith , The Children ought not to lay vp for their Fathers , but Fathers for their Children . And hee telleth Timothy , that hee which prouideth not for his familie is ( meaning in that respect ) worse than an Infidell , and hath denyed the faith What then ? doth hee meane that all must bee common ? Not so neither , for then there could bee no breach of the eight Commaundement if any man did steale ; and all exhortations and precepts of distributing to the poore were in vaine , if the poore might bee their owne caruers of rich mens goods : yea , what should then become of buying and selling ? Buy the Truth but sell it not , saith Sa●omon : And defraud not one another ( saith the Apostle ) in barganing , and buying , and selling . What then ? doth hee mean that we must sell away all that wee haue and begge for our selues , as Popish Fryers , and Monkish Papists would haue vs to doe ? Not so neither , for in Luke 12. 33. It is not said sell that you haue , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Sell that you haue ouerplus , and may well spare , and giue to the poore , otherwise we should loue our neighbours not as our selues , but aboue our selues , which God neuer required . And better it is for a man to keepe his goods for himselfe , than to bestow them vpon idle Monks , and a wicked rabble of Fryerly locusts , which bee as necessarie in a christian Common-wealth , as Snakes in a mans bosome , or Mice in a barne full of Corne. What then ? doth hee meane that a man may liue idly , and then looke to be maintained by others ? Not so neither , for the Apostle being ruled himselfe by the spirit of Christ , hath set downe a Rule for such irregular persons , that if any can worke and will not , such should not eate , to shew that idle persons are inordinate , and so burdensome to a Common-wealth , that they are not worthy to liue , but to bee punished by the most cruell death that ●an bee , and that is to bee starued and pined to death . And in Pro. 6. 6. the sluggard is sent by the holy Ghost to the Pismire , that in beholding her wayes hee might learne to bee wise , for shee hauing no guide , gouernour nor ruler gathereth her meate in Summer , and prepareth her foode in Haruest , to shew that euen by honest and painefull trauaile men should prouide in Summer against the hard time of Winter , and in health for sicknesse . And albeit the Lord Iesus saith in Ioh. 6 Labour not for the meate that perisheth , yet his meaning is not to discharge men of their honest labour , and following ( euen with diligence ) their callings , but that we must not labour so much for the bread that perisheth , as for that which abideth to Eternall life , or that our temporall commodities should not bee the only end of our labour , or that we must not mingle our labour with distrust and vexing care , for that euen our strength is but labour and sorrow , and when Salomon by his Wisedome had waded through all matters , and had made tryall of the world , hee vpon his approoued experience , set downe his verdict , that all is but vanit●e and vexation of spirit , as if hee should say , moyle not , vexe not , weare not out your selues so much as you haue done about the world , to the loosing of your heauenly treasure . Well then , if Christ doth allow men to get and enioy riches as the Merchants of Tirus : and King Salomon , if he doth allow vs to prouide and lay vp beefore hand as Ioseph did , & to saue that which is remaining , as himselfe and his Disciples did , and to lay vp for our families as the very Infidels doe . If the Lord Iesus will not allow men to haue all things common as Anabaptists doe , nor to pro●esse wilfull pouertie as beggerly Fryers do , nor to feed Idle-packs which will not labour for their liuing , as preposterous pittie doth , what then should bee his meaning when he saith , Lay not vp for your selues Treasures in earth ? That wee may the better finde out the Lords meaning we , are to know that Treasure here , is put not onely for money , riches , and prouision for the time to come , but also for any thing else ( as was said before ) wherein a man taketh most delight , and whereupon hee dependeth most , or which hee maketh his felicitie ; yea , and doth so lauish out his loue vpon it , and torment himselfe with careful thoughts for the same , as if without it hee should be vtterly vndone , and could not possibly liue . In which maner Worlldings gather riches , and Atheists seeks after pleasure , the Ambitious man hunts after Honour , euen with all their harts , with all their minde , with all their might , strength & soule , as if it were their God that did make them , and it should preserue and saue them , which is a manifest breach of the first commandement . Now all is made the Treasure that the heart is set vpon , as for Example . Some men take more to heart the losse of a Childe , than the losse of all their goods besides , and doe so much set their affection vpon it , that they will say , if God should take this Childe away , then all our ioy is gone , like Rachel that mourned for her children & would not bee comforted . Some are so iealous ouer their Honour , that if they haue not all manner of outward complements afforded vnto them ▪ they are as male-contented as Haman , who was full of Wrath , and studied nothing but monstrous & mischeuous reuenge , because Mordecai did not bow the knee vnto him , as others had done . Some againe dote vpon their Credit . that if their wicked counsell bee crossed at any time , they are readie with Achitophell ( that treacherous counsellour ) to goe hang themselues . Others are so madde vpon their present pleasure , that with the beastly Epicures they cry , let vs eate and drincke , though wee dye for it to morrow . Some are so enamored of their wealth , that when their goods are encreased and their barnes enlarged , then with the worldling they dreame of a quietus est : And cry soule be now at rest , for thou hast goods enough for many yeeres . Of all these it may be said they haue layde vp Treasure in Earth but not in Heauen , beecause in these things they haue reposed all their ioy , their delight , their trust . And therefore being inuited to the heauenly banquet of the Gospell , they `answere like earth-wormes , making light of the matter , I must looke to my farme saith one , and I to my Oxen , saith another , and I must aske my wife first , saith another : which is no more in effect but thus much , wee must follow that wee delight in , and that wee trust in , these are the things that our heart delight in , and trust in , these are our treasure ▪ If wee saw more goodnesse in that Feast then in these our commodities , wee would goe to it , but wee cannot relish them as wee doe these worldly matters , and therefore thank your Maister for his good will , and pray him to hold vs excused : for the ●●●th is , wee must follow that which our hart affecteth , our worldly Treasure , wee cannot come . To all such it is said here . Lay not vp your Treasures on earth , &c. And these words may bee expounded two wayes . Lay not vp , &c. Thou that art a Christian and hast giuen thy Faith to the Lord Iesus Christ in thy Baptisme , thou that art a Cittizen of the heauenly Ierusalem , and hast the holy One of Isr●ell , euen the Lord of Hoasts , and the mightie God of Heauen and Earth for thy father : his sonne , yea , his onely beloued Son for thy Redeemer , and the holy Ghost which proceedeth from them both for thy sanctified guide and Comforter , and thou that hast the Angels to guarde thee , and the Saints to pray for thee , and all the Creatures to serue thee , and therefore art of all the Creatures the most noble and excellent , thou must needs haue somewhat to delight in , to occupy thy minde vpon , and to set thy hart vpon . Take heede it bee not vpon earthly things , for all the earth cannot yeeld thee a fit match , thou being called to so high and heauenly ● calling , but heauen can . In earth is ●othing that can make thee happy , but in heauen there is happinesse it selfe . In earth there is no commoditie without a discommoditie , but in heauen there is . In earth is no perpetuitie , but in heauen there is . In earth there is no securitie or safetie , but in heauen there is both : therefore Lay not vp thy Treasure in earth where the Moth and Canker corrupteth , and where Theeues dig through and steale , but in heauen where is no such matter . Or it may thus bee expounded . Thou which art a Christian doe not so greedely seeke after earthly substance , as thereby to neglect thy heauenly substance , as the manner of all men is to do by nature , like Esau who was so hungry for a messe of his brothers pottage , that for loue thereof , and for feare of ●taruing ( except he had it ) lost his birth-right , for which prophane part of his , he● could not finde any place to repencance , although hee sought the blessing with teares . Verely a thing this is , that may make our harts to ake , for wee are at Esaucs passe : So we may get the world , keepe our customers and win the pottage , wee are safe : but marke thou , that art of Esaues humour , well maiest thou weepe for the losse of thy temporall benefits , but for this damnable profanenesse of thine in preferring of Earth before Heauen , except Gods grace bee the more abounding towards thee , thou wilt hardly repent . Therefore if thou be wise indeed ( as thou wouldest seeme to bee ) forsake Esaues dyet in time , and lay not vp Treasure in Earth where Moth and Canker do corrupt , and Theeues break through and steale , &c. Heare Christs reason Where Moths doe fret , Canker corrupteth , and Theeues dig through and steale . The summe of his reason is this , that whatsouer this world affordeth , is subiect to consumption , or corruption , or both : if it bee in vse , it is consumed with the vse , if it bee not vsed , then it corrupteth for want of vse . The consuming and spending of these worldly goods , is eyther by the owners of them , or by Theeues that oftentimes are pertakers of them to the hurt of the owner . They are also consumed ●yther by sensible and liuing Creatures , as by Mothes , Flyes , Mice , and Rats , and such like : or else by insensible & dead things , as Rust , and Mould , and Fire , and Water , and Ayre , and Age , &c. Now consider the matter , consult & giue sentence . What madnes is it to prouide for theeues and Robbers ? What inhumanitie to giue that to Mothes and Mice , &c. which is better bestowed vpon thy selfe , vpon thy familie , or vpon the poore ? What vanitie , yea , what misery is this to bee a slaue to such things as theeues and robbers , Vermine , and rottennesse shall do . minier ouer , and in a short time must perish eyther in the vse , or for want of vse ? This doe not worldlings consider , they locke vp , and lay vp , and put out their Treasures to be kept for them , yet can they not keep their garments from Moths , nor their golde and siluer from Rust , nor any thing they haue , from one casualtie or another long . When they haue gotten goods together , they cannot promise vnto themselues either perpetuitie of them or securitie : And what a misery is that ? but either their goods or themselues must weare away , and their goods are in daunger for their properties sake , and the owners are in danger for their goods sake . Neither are these all the discommodities that thy Treasure is subiect vnto , who knoweth not that the Fire may consume them , as it hath done thousands ? or the Water may drowne them , as it hath done thousands ? or the Plague may infect them as it hath done thousands ? or Time may weare them , as it hath done millions of thousands ? or Death may fetch thee away , as it hath done infinit millions of thousands ? Besides all this , consider how manie haue beene vndone by vnconscionable Debtors , by crafty headed Lawyers , by vnthrif●re Children , by vntrusty Seruants . Yet this is not all , for what restles care doth teare thee in getting them ? what tormenting feare doth abate thy comfort in keeping them ? and what hart breaking sorrow doth vexe thee in loosing of them ? Yet this is not all neither , for here thou art praysed , there thou art dispraysed , now thou art loued , by and by thou art enuied , of some thou art admired , of many thou art scorned , and all for thy wealths sake . The worldling is like a Mill , driuen violently by a maine streame , and great prouision is made to feede in one place , and to coole in another , the Sacke is brought to feede the Mill , and the Mill grindeth and weareth it selfe to fill the Sacke againe , and still the Wheele is where it was , for all his whirling about , and as you finde it so you leaue it : so is it with a worldly man and his goodes , but this similitude applyeth it selfe , I will therefore follow it no further . This wee all know , but how often , or rather how seldome doe wee thinke vpon it , or remember it , or make vse of it , to stay vs from greedy coueting and egar pursuing of the World , with the hazard of our Saluation ? The Diuell hee cryeth , follow the World , compasse the worlds goods , oh thou shalt profit thy selfe , but Christ saith , What shall it profit a man to winne the World , yea , the whole World , and to loose his owne Soule ? that the Diuell concealeth ; yea , he dealeth with vs as hee did with Christ himselfe , hee shewed Christ the glory and maiestie of worldly kingdomes , but not the troubles and tumults , not the daungers and enimies of the same : So he deludeth the fooles of this world , he sheweth them the brauery of the Court , but not the vanitie that is in the Court : hee sheweth them the glory of honour , but not the daunger of honour : he sheweth the flowers of Beautie , but not the deceiptfulnesse of Beautie : hee sheweth the commodities of Offices , but not the discommodities of Offices : he sheweth the wealth of such a Country , but not the enuie & misery of the same country . And thus are the Fooles of this world ( as God himselfe calles them ) deluded and abused , yea , and destroyed many times by the Diuels shewes , like the miserable Troyans who doted so much vpon the Grecians counterfaite and monstrous horse , that they would neuer leaue vntill they had pulled ▪ downe the wals of their Cittie to get it in , neuer dreaming of the hidden mischiefes and armed Souldiers that lay in the belly thereof , prepare●d for their present destruction . But they see what a shew this maketh , and what a shew that maketh , and meruailous it is in their eyes , then their hart is on fire till they haue it , and their head still is deui●ing how to compasse it , to which end all meanes are attempted , there is flattering , and glosing , and fore-stalling , borrowing here , and pawning there , and selling one thing to buy another : and when hee hath gotten his harts desire , then he thinks of nothing but his gettings , as Nabuchadnezzar that proud King of Confusion , thought of nothing but of his glorious buildings , Oh ( said hee ) Is not this great Babell , which I haue built for the honour of my Macestie ? strouting vp and downe in his Galleries , and admiring himselfe for his Building , as a foole admireth himselfe in a glasse , so doe the fooles of the world , oh ( saith one ) how rich shall I bee ? how worshipfull saith another ? how much admired for my wealth , for my brauery , for my strength , saith a third ? &c. Within a while commeth the Moth , the Mouse , and the Rat for their fees , the one taketh vp his lodging in his braue apparrell , and gnaweth holes in his lodging , the other in his Barnes and granieries , and taketh as deepe toule as the Miller , the Rust falleth and feedeth vpon his gilded and glittering Armour , and the Canker seazeth vpon his Gold and Siluer . After these commeth the legall Theefe , that is , the Vsurer , and he must haue for the lone of his money , then comes the Mercer and Draper with their Bils , wherewith they giue many astonishing blowes on the head ( as it were with clubs ) for wearing out their braue Apparrell before it bee paid for . Then the fashion altereth , or the Ayre is not wholesome , and both must bee changed , or the Flatterer licketh his Dishes , or the Begger pulleth him by the sleeue , and then the propertie is altered , Oh quantum mutatus ab ille ? Hee is not the man hee was taken to bee , neyther is it all gold that glistred in his eyes . Now , speake to these Earth-wormes of Heauenly things , and amidst their ioyes or dumps , aske them if they will goe to a Sermon , or ioyne with the congregation in Prayer , or the like , what is their answere ? Is it not Nabal-like ? who when his kindnesse was requested towards Dauid and his Souldiers , answered like a foolish Churle , euen like himselfe . Who is Dauid ? and what is the Sonne of Ishai that I should send of my vittailes vnto him ? So say they , the Sermon , what good shall wee get by going to a Sermon ? who worse then these Preachers themselues ? Oh they can talke well , and tell a trim tale in the Pulpit , but their liues are not thereafter . And thus they play the currish Dog , barking and bawling at them that bring them meate . Oh , wee shall haue a Puritaine of you , how holy you are ? Tell not mee of the Sermon , I haue other matters to thinke vpon , I must follow my suites in Law , or I must goe and beare such and such company at the Tauerne , or at Bowles , or at Tables , &c. I haue not sleptinough , ( saith another : ) And others haue not their ruff●s , and their cuttes , and their hoopes , and their knackes fine inough : I cannot abide to sit so long saith one : I must goe serue my customers : I like not this kinde of teaching ( faith another ) And thus doe they answere , when they are moued to meete the Lord , in the meanes of their saluation and sanctification , which lay vp Treasures on earth , and not in heauen : And therefore Lay not vp your Treasures on earth , but in heauen . Againe , how doe worldlings deale in bargaining , in buying and selling ? Doe they not assault one another with lyes ? Doe they not vndermine one with another with deepe dissembling ? Doe they not sweare fasly , to deceiue one another ? Doe they not promise largely , deny impudently , and falsifie vniustly their promises ? Doe they not work vpon the aduantage , and take the extrenitie of Law one against another ? Doe they not thus deale which are onely deuoted and altogether addicted to the Treasures and pleasures of this World ? Againe , how are they accounted of ? how are they accounted of ? how are they accursed ? Are they not ( for the most part ) accounted as Iudasses and tray-Gods ? as Machiuels and Tirants , as Cut-throats and Cousoners , vnconscionable and cruell , hard-harted and mercilesse , and that euen of their friends ? They are cursed of the rich , which pay for their kindnesse , and of the poore they are cursed , because they can get not kindnesse of them : Of whole Countries , trades & Common-wealths they are accursed , for they will haue a cast at all . Wee cannot buy but of him faith one : Wee cannot sell but we must agree with him faith another : Wee cannot vtter our commodities because of him , faith a third . The country curseth him : where were wont to bee so many Ploughes kept for Tillage ( faith the country ) is there now nothing but a Shepheard and his dogge . Vbi Troia iam seges : nay I would it were so well , but now vbi seges iam segnities : all is little enough for a stinking Weede , that hath in most places , put down both Tillage and Pasture , to set vp the pride of life , and lust of the eye , as if the Common-wealth might liue rather by colour , than by cloath , and by accidents , rather than by substances . And as the country curseth the worldling , so the poore seruants doe iustly cry out vpon them for detayning of their wages , and do truely apply those words in the Gospell against such , they reape where they sowed not , and take vp where they laid not downe . And thus are they accounted of , which follow onely earthly Treasure , and therefore Lay not vp Treasure on earth . How they liue wee haue heard , but how doe they dye ? commonly Qualis vita , finis ita : Doe not many of them prooue Bankroupts and spend-thrifts ? Doe they not dye deepe in debt , plunged in despaire , voyd of comfort , and without confidence in God ? Is not their wedge of Golde their confidence ? and doe they not say to their bags of gold , these are the Angels that shall keepe vs ? Oh most fearefull , and what more miserable ? As they loued not the word of God in their health time , so doe they wholy distast it in their sicknesse , and their light goeth out in obscure darknesse , leauing a filthy smell behinde it , like a snuffe in a socket , when the candle is burnt out . How many of them doe take their leaue of the World ( after their long doting vpon it ) most he●●eshly blaspheming of God , most cruelly cursing of men , most monstrously execrating of themselues , and most brutishly roaring like beasts knocked on the head , or lying most sencelesly like blockes and stocks . And if any make a better end , that may bee reckoned amongst the miracles of Gods superabounding mercy . But thus commonly doe they dye , that haue had their thoughts , and their cares , wholy drenched in the loue and delight of earthly things , to verifie the saying of the Apostle : Many walke of whom I haue tolde you often , and now tell you weeping , they are enimies of the crosse of Christ , whose God is their belly , whose glory is their shame , which minde earthly things , & therfore their end is dam●ation . And thus we see how the profane Irreligiousnesse , the deceiptfull dealing , the wicked liuing , and the cursed ending of worldlings doe all cry out with one consent , and bid vs beware , that we lay not vp Treasure on earth onely , where Moths doe gnaw , and Rust doth consume , and Theeues breake through and steale . When the men of Lystra would haue worshipped Paul and Barnabas , those blessed Apostles cryed out , O men why doe you such things ? wee are euen men as you be , and subiect to the same passions that yee bee , yet scarce refrained they the people , that they had not sacrificed vnto them . So when worldlings would sacrifice their harts to earthly Treasure , doth not the earth cry out and say . O vaine man what dost thou meane ? I am as thy selfe , and as base as thy selfe , I was another mans , and am for euery mans turne , I am enuironed with thornes and Bryers , and inhabited with Toads , Vipers , and noysome Vermine , & all my commodities are haunted with moths , & cankers , with Theeues and Diuels , yet scarse doe they refraine from offering sacrifice vnto them . I know not whereunto the earthly Treasure may bee better resembled then vnto the huge horse that the Greekes had prepared for the destruction of Troy ( if that story be true ) which made a great and goodly shew , but vterum armato milite complent , it was within full of armed Souldiers , who when they saw their fittest opportunitie , issued out of his panch , to the vtter ruine of all those that doted so much vpon it , and tooke so much paines to bring it into the Cittie . But most pithy was the counsaile of Lacoon that valiant and prudent Cittizen , concerning that monstrous mountaine of hidden mischiefes , and happy had it beene for that Cittie if his counsaile had beene followed , and surely , Simeus non leua fuisset ( as the Poet speaketh ) if they had not beene too light of beliefe , and too much enchaunted with a false perswasion thereof , they had done well enough , for hee spake plainely enough , when he told them that Aut hocinclusi ligno occultantur Achiui , aut hoec in ●ostros fabricata est machina muros : Eyther ( sayth hee ) our enimies lye lurking in this woodden horse , or else it is some Engine erected for the battering of our wals . Nay more Aut aliquis latet error , Equo nè credi●● Teucri , There is more mischiefe in it then wee are aware of O Troyans , bee wise and take heede you trust not a Horse . Yea , but it is a gifte that the Greekes haue left for Pallas . Well , saith hee , Quicquid id est , ti meo Danaos & dona ferentes : Make what you can of it ( saith hee ) there is , no trusting to the Greekes , though they come with gifts in their hands : So hee that hath a spirituall eye indeed , that can pearce further then to the out-side of worldly shewes , can truely say it , and may safely iustifie it , that the golden shewes of profits and pleasures , which are often in this world presented vnto his view , haue eyther some secret mischiefes lurking in them , or are like some strange engine erected to batter his estate , or to cut his throate , or to ouerwhelme his head with cares and feares , or to prouoke him to some desperate attempt : but let the best bee made of it that can bee made , yet the world is not to bee trusted , though it comes sawning and flattering , creeping and crouching to a man with giftes and presents in the hand , for in a kisse was treason , and Ioabs kind embracings prooue but deadly stabbings , and the wisest that euer was amongst the sonnes of men , hauing made tryall of all , and taken not a taste , but his fill of all the treasures and pleasures that this world could possibly inuent for the delight and strength of a king , could at the casting vp of his accompts , giue no better verdict of it but this : Vanitie of Vanities , and all is but Vanitie and vexation of spirit . And here againe one wiser and greater then Salomon tels vs ( if we haue grace to beleeue him ) that both the rust , and the Moth , and the Canker , and the Theefe , and all cry out vnto vs , and bid vs take heed how we dote vpon worldly Treasure . Of this discourse we may make good vse , when wee are tempted to the breaking of Gods Commandements for the gayning of the worlds goods . When any is tempted , let him but reason thus with his soule : My Soule what thou wouldest haue thou seest , but what thou shalt haue thou seest not , thou seest the horse , but not what hee hath in his belly : thou seest the Bee , but not her sting : thou seest sweet meat , but not the sower sauce : thou seest the baite , but not the hooke : the cheare , but not the reckoning : a fawning face , but not the hand at the back : In a word , thou beholdest the profite that thou art like to get by profaning of the Sabboth with working and drudging , the gaine of Vsury and Bribery , the commoditie of lying and cogging , and the gaine of deceit and falshood , and the like : but what stings and wounds , thou shalt get in thy Conscience by following of those spirituall Couseners , thou dost not consider , and therefore stay , and proceede no further vnlesse thou wilt bee so mad as to loose Heauen for Hell. Agane when thou art in prayer or hearing of Gods word , or about any other of thy godly deuotions , and feelest thy heart stepping aside to haue conference with earthlie cogitations , doe but say thus to thy selfe with Salomon , for whom is it that I now care ? is it not for the world , that will cousen me of the word ? is it not earthly treasure that cals my minde away , that I might loose this Heauenly treasure ? returne then O my soule vnto thy rest , and keepe thy standing , beware least thou be cousened of the heauenly verity , with a shew of earthly vanitie . And in like manner when thou hapnest to loose any worldlie commoditie , neuer lay it to heart , but euen say this to thy selfe , now the world hath shewed it selfe like it selfe ; God hath taken that from me , which otherwise would haue pulled me from him . As a louing father he hath but taken from mee that knife wherwith I might like a child haue hurt my self : And as a most wise captaine he hath rid me of my luggage , that I might pursue my enemies more swiftly , and make more expedition toward my heauenly countrie , where are better things prouided for me , euen such as no fire can consume , no Moth can freet , no Theefe can steale , no time can weare , & so with patience let it goe , and giue God thankes , that hath better prouided for thee , then thou wert aware of . But lay vp for your selues treasure in heauen , where &c. Our Sauiour Christ hauing forbidden the gredy seeking of earthly things , and brought men out of conceit with the bewitching vanities of this life , he presently offereth vnto vs better things , and commaundeth vs to lay them vp in heauen , to our owne vse when time shall serue , as if he should say , I doe not absolutely forbid you to gather , and to lay vp in store , but I would haue you so gather , and so to lay vp , that you may finde store of treasure in Heauen , your heauenly countrey , whereunto you are borne againe , and where you must abide for euer . And these treasures thus to be laied vp , hee commendeth vnto vs , for their Excellency , for their Securitie , and for their Perpetuitie ; things which all desire , and which are able to free a mans minde from all care . Of which it will not be amisse for vs to take a little view . What are those treasures then that are commended vnto vs for their excellencie ? In a word they are heauenly , now looke how farre heauen is more excellent then the earth , and the spirit then flesh , and God then man , so much doth the Christians heauenly treasure excell all the treasures of this world . This is true indeede : but in heauen ( thou wilt say ) there is neither buying nor selling , trading nor traffique , building nor planting , letting nor hiring , hungring nor thirsting , no cold nor heat , no working nor labouring , no iourneying , nor trauelling . And therefore we need not care for any prouision for any such vses , what then are those treasures , or what is in them more then in others that wee are so charged to lay them vp ? here we know ( saith the Atheist ) what wee haue , but what we shall haue there we know not . But heare thou earthly minded man , and harken O thou whose mind and hart lye buried vnder a loafe of bread . There are indeed no such commodities in heauen as the earth affordeth , yet heauen is a rich countrey , & the commodities thereof are far aboue the fine golde of Ophir . First there is the Lord Iesus who is the Lord high treasurer of heauen and earth , In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge . In whom God hath blessed vs , with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things : Of whose fulnes we receiue all grace for grace , In whom and by whom wee liue , and moue , and haue our being , of whom the church enquired and was sicke of loue vntill she found him . Worldlings make a wonder at this geare vntill they know what it is , but then they are as desirous of it as others , as plainely appeareth by the conference that passed between the regenerate Spouse of Christ , and the vnregenerate members of the visible Church , about the excellency of Christs person and loue , and the effect of the said conference most liuely and pathetically deciphered by Salomon in his spirituall song . And first the regenerate and Godly Spouse of Christ beginneth in this manner . I Charge you O Daughters of Ierusalem , if you finde my wel-beloued , that you tell him that I am sicke of loue . Now mark the answer that is made to this charge by those which yet knew not the excellency of Christ. O the fairest a mong women , what is thy welbeloued more then other welboued ? what is thy welbeloued more then an other louer , that thou dost so charge vs ? Now mark the descriptiō of Christ , set forth by the true church , as glorying and delighting to speake of the beautie and riches of their heauenly Bridegrome , to the shame of those that beare the title of Christians , and yet are neuer so much daunted and silenced at any thing , as when speach is offered them of Christ and Christian Religion , as if it were possible that an honest woman should bee ashamed to heare good spoken , or to speake good things of her Husband , My belouod ( saith the Spouse of Christ ) is white and ruddy , the cheifest of ten thousand . His head is as fine gold , his locks curled , and black as a Rauen. His eyes are as Doues vpon the Riuers of waters , which are washed with milke , and remaine by the full vessels . His cheekes are as a bed of Spices , and sweet Flowers , and his lips like Lillies dropping downe pure Mirrhe . His hands like rings of Gold , se● with the Chrisolite , his belly like white Y●ory , couered with Saphirs . His legs as pillers of marble , set vpon sockets of fine gold , his countenance as Lebanon , excellent as the Cedars . His mouth is as sweet things , and he is wholy delectable , that is my Beloued , and this is my Louer , O Daughters of Ierusalem . What say you to him now ? Heare now what effect this sweet description of Christ hath wrought with the Daughters of Ierusalem , that is , with the members of the Church , yet such as hitherto were ignoraunt of these things . O the fairest amongst women , whither is thy Welbeloued gone ? whither is thy Welbeloued turned aside , that wee may seeke him with thee ? And would you seeke him indeed ? then heare more . This heauenly and louely Bridegrome hath for his Spouse a whole Cittie , and A holy Cittie called new Ierusalem ( whose Daughters you are ) come downe from God our of heauen , prepared as a Bride trimmed for her husband , hauing the glory of God , and her shining is like vnto a stone most precious , and as a Iasper stone cleare as Christall . The Wall of it is great and high , and hath twelue Gates , and at the Gates twelue Angels ( for Porters ) And the Wall of the Cittie hath twelue Foundations , and in them the names of the Lambs twelue Apostles . It is euery way twelue thousand furlongs , as broad as long , and extending aswell to one part of the world as to another . The building of the wall is of Iasper , and the Cittie pure Gold like cleare Glasse . The foundations of the Wall were ga●nished with all manner of precious stones . And the twelue Gates wore twelue Pearles , and euery Gate is of one Pearle , and the Street of the Cittie is of pure Gold. There is no Temple there , for the Lord God Almightie , and the Lambe are the Temple of it , There is no neede of Sunn● or Moone , for the glory of God ▪ doth light it , and the Lambe is the light of it . And the people which are saued shall walk in the light of it , and the Kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour vnto it . And the gates of it shall not bee shut by day : for there shall be no might there . And the glory and honour of the Gentiles shall bee brought vnto it . And into it shall enter no vncleane thing , neyther whatsoeuer worketh Abhomination or Lyes : but they which are written in the : Lambs booke of Life . Now if the Gates , Wals and Streets of this Cittie bee so● beautifull , and sumptuous , then how glorious and rich are the inward parts ? nay who can expresse the riches and pleasures that are there layd vp for the Cittizens and Spouse of Christ ? are they not ( thinke you ) like those things which Saint Paul saw when hee was rapt vp into the third heauen , which the tongue of man cannot vtter ? And must● they not needes bee those ioyes which the same Apostle saith , are such as no Eye hath seene , no Eare hath heard , no Tongue can expresse● nor Hart conceaue ? Now doe but consider with thy selfe ( if thou canst ) what some Eyes haue seene , what some mens Eares haue heard , and what some trauellers Tongues haue reported in these dayes , and what the hart of some man is able to conceaue , and then doe but imagine what those ioyes of heauen are if thou canst . But what are the commodities and Riches of that Heauenly Ierusalem , and the Cittizens therof , that cannot bee valued ? If the report thereof will mooue thee to seeke after them ▪ then heare , for euen in this life the true Christian is put in possession of them in part , by which as by a tast , hee is certified , and as by an earnest p●nny hee is assured of the rest that is kept for him , vntill hee bee ready for them . Saint Iohn saith , that ( as if some rich merchant were come from a far Country ) the Lord Iesus inuiteth vs , and setteth vp as it were his bils in euery Church , offering to all that will vse the meanes to make themselues sure of his marchandise ( which is meant by buying ) no worse wares then fine ▪ Gold tryed in the fire , to make vs rich , white rayment to couer our filthy nakednes withall , and eye salue to heale vs of Spirituall blindnesse , that is , himselfe , his Word , and his Spirit . And the like offer in most kinde mann●r againe hee maketh by Salomon , willing vs ( if wee bee wise to God ward ) to receiue instruction and not Siluer , and knowledge rather then fine Gold. Whereof Salomon himselfe giueth this testimony ( after his long experience of both ) that to get wisdome is much better then gold , but how much better hee cannot tell , it so far excelleth , and therefore hee sets it downe with an Interrogation : How much better is it , &c. and to get Vnderstanding ( saith he ) is more to be desired then Siluer , Yea , Blessed is that man ( saith hee ) that findeth Wisedome , and that man that getteth Vnderstanding . Now marke his reasons . For the marchandise thereof is better then the marchandise of Siluer , and the gaine thereof is better then gold . It is more precious then Pearles , and all things that thou canst desire , are not to bee compared vnto her . Length of dayes is in her right hand , and in her left hand riches and glory . Her wayes are the wayes of pleasure , and all her pathes posperitie . Shee is a Tree of Life to them that lay hold on her , and blessed is hee that receiueth her . There is also a spirituall traffique and intercourse betweene Christ & the faithfull Christian. For Our conuersation is in beauen saith S. Paul , very troublesome and dangerous ( I confesse ) for a time , for this world is the sea , tempestuous and tumultuous enough . The Church militant is the ship of Christ that is tossed in the same . The tackling of this ship may be the communion of Saints . The Pilate that guides the course , the spirit of God. The Carde or Compasse , the Word of God. The Purser of this ship , is loue . The Baliffe is humane frailties , noisome feares , and troublesome doubts , The munition of this ship , is the armour of God , that is , the Helmet of Hope , the Shield of Faith , the Sword of the Spirit , the Brest-plate of Righteousnesse , &c. as the Apostle describeth it in the 6. to the Ephesians . The windes which driue this Bark are prosperitie and aduersitie . The waues which tosse this ship are presumption and despaire . The enimies to this ship , are the world , the flesh , and the Diuell . The Factours are the faithfull Ministers of Christ. The Commodities , are the Treasures of Heauen , the Riches of Christ , or Fruites of the Spirit . Our Messenger is Peace , a speedy Poste . The Hauen is the Kingdome of Heauen . The landing place is Golgotha . The Land is the land of the liuing . The Customer is Death , who sets all men at libertie , and yet is bound himselfe . Peter was once one of these heauenly Factours for the Lord Iesus : a Creeple came vnto him for an Almes , but what was his aunswere ? Siluer and Gold haue I none , but such as I haue , I giue thee , in the name of Iesus of Nazaret arise and walke : A better Almes a great deale then hee expected . So wee may say : If you aske vs what commodities our vessell hath brought , we may make Peters answere , Siluer and Gold wee haue none ; new wine haue we none ; pleasant tales haue wee none ; and Popish trash haue wee none ; but wee haue the hidden treasures of the Gospell , the puritie of true Religion , the rich Iewels of the holy Ghost : as Faith to ouercome the world , repentance to make men new , remission of sinnes , and Reconsiliation with God , by the death of Christ , peace of Conscience which passeth all vnderstanding , and is a continuall Feast , ioy of the holy Ghost , a●d gladnes of hart , which the world cannot take from him that hath them , wee offer loue to God , and Charitie to men , zeale for the truth , patience in affliction , moderation of affections , lowlinesse of Spirit to grace all our actions , and assurance of euerlasting life after this life , the great gaine of godlinesse , with sweete contentation to all estates . Behold , these are the Riches , and these are the Treasures that the Lord Iesus sendeth from heauen to enrich and glad his seruants withall , while they liue here dispersed and despised vpon the face of the earth . And yet here bee not all , for euen all outward blessings also do attend vpon these inward graces , so that if any man can finde these , and hartely affect them , the other shall follow measurably and proportionably according to euery mans place and want . And therfore our blessed Sauiour ( not knowing how to enuy , or deny vnto his Church the smaller things , hauing frankly bestowed himselfe , and the greater things of his Kingdome ) set vs in the way , and directeth vs a right course for the obtaining both of heauenly Treasures , as also of earthly Commodities . Seeke first ( saith hee ) the kingdome of God , and his righteousnesse , and all these things shall bee cast vnto you , but Gods Kingdome must bee first sought . When Salomon preferred ( in his request vnto God ) a wise and vnderstanding hart , for the well gouerning of his people , God gaue him that , and also Riches and Honour , things that he asked not : So , if our chiefest desire and endeauour be to lay vp treasure in heauen , and to bee rich in the graces of the holy Ghost , the Lord will giue vs those Graces , and earthly Blessings besides . But alas , it fareth with most men as it did with Boaz his kinseman , who was well content to redeeme the field of Naomie , but when hee heard that hee that should haue the field , must also marry Ruth , hee would none . So , many hearing of earthly commodities , and worldly blessings , are content to strain themselues for the obtaining of them , but when they heare that they must take them as Religious dowrie , and vpon condition that they liue vertuously , and liberally amongst their Brethren , they wil none , for the one they wil deale , but not for the other : but hee that hath the one , must haue the other also , and whosoeuer will straine himselfe for the best part , shall bee sure to haue his share in the other : as hee that married Ruth with her meane portion , lost nothing thereby , because shee was a vertuous woman , and what was wanting in goods , shee had it supplyed in goodnesse : so he that hath godlinesse can be no looser , for Godlinesse is profitable vnto all things ( saith the Apostle ) and hath the promises of this life , and of the life to come . Godlinesse will make thy selfe , and thy seed , thy ground and thy cattell , thy wealth and thy credit to bee blessed . It is like the Tree that bearet● fruit euery month , & beareth twelue manner of fruits , and the leaues thereof are good to heale the nations withall . And as for them that thinke that godlinesse is not fit for all things , for all times , and for all places , but count it a dead world when vnchast daunces , ribald songs , and other scurrilitie are restrained at feasts , and marriages , and other merry meetings , nor can relish any mirth or ioy , that is seasoned with words of grace , it seemeth they are better acquainted with the sacrifices of the Indians , than with the sacrifices of Christians : But let them speake that haue made tryal . Haue any done as Malachie willeth them , that is , brought their Tithes and offrings , liberally and freely vnto Gods house , for the maintenance of the Lords seruants and seruice , and hath not the Lord ( according to his promise ) opened the windowes of heauen , and powred out a blessing vpon them ? Haue any suffred hunger and thirst for righteousnes sake ( which hunger onely is sa●ra fames , holy hunger indeed ) and not bene filled with good things ? Hath any faithfull person decayed in his outward man , and hath not his inward man beene renued daily ? Haue any seene Christ in some part of his glory , and not beene rauished with a desire to dwell there still ? Nay more , hath any followed him in this r●generation ( as he saith himselfe ) that doth not now , and shall at● th● last day sit on seats to iudge the nations of the world ? Hath any with the poore Widdow of Sa●●pta● shew●d kindnesse , and beene at cost with the Lords Prophets , and not found it againe with increase ? Haue any for the loue of Christs gospell left all , and followed him in time of persecution , and not bene prouided for sufficiently ? Hath any with the woman of Samaria , left scoffing at Christs words , and hath not her hart beene so enflamed with the Truth , that shee hath runne in to call forth her neighbours , to take part of her happinesse ? Haue any with Paul and Silas beene imprisoned for preaching of Christ Iesus , and haue they not found that in prison , which hath made them to sing Psalmes for ioy ? Hath any gone to the Lords warres , at his owne cost ? or planted the Lords vineyard , and not drinke of the wine ? Hath any laboured in the Lords husbandry , and gone away without his reward ? Haue any at any time beleeued God , and ben deceiued ? Hath any trusted God with his estate , that hath not beene compassed about with the mercies of the Lord ? Hath any loued the Lord , and not bene loued againe ? Hath any craued day and not beene borne withall ? repented and not beene forgiuen ? In a word ; did euer any imploy his talent to the Lords aduantage , and not more to his owne aduantage ? for haue they not ( besides the receipt of commendations for their faithfulnesse ) beene put in possession of their maisters ioy ? And on the contrary , hath any neglected the gifts of God bestowed vpon him , and hath it not bene to his owne losse , as hee that hid his Talent in the ground ? Hath any Esau sould his birth-right , and not lost the blessing ? Hath any Iudas sould his Master , and betrayed the truth , & not been the first that repented the bargaine , by that time that he and the gallowes , or the Diuell , or both haue reckoned together ? Haue any with Demas forsaken gods seruants , to follow this present world , and not with Hymeneu● and Alexander made shipwrack of faith & a good conscience ? Beleeue mee ( good brethren ) it will stand vs in hand to looke lesse to our earthly Treasure , and more after the heauenly , least in the end wee loose both . To conclude therefore this point : seeing as the Christians heauenly Treasure , which is both Christ himselfe and all the riches of his Gospell bee so excellent , rare , and precious that nothing may bee compared therewith ; and seeing the treasures of this his kingdome of Grace ( though they bee inestimable and vnspeakable ) are but a tast and earnest of those treasures , which bee reserued for the Saints in his kingdome of glory . And lastly , seeing as they which seeke after the heauenly Treasure , shall also haue earthly blessings to accompanie the same , as farre forth as God shall see good for his children , let euery Christian hart bee hereby moued and perswaded to lay vp from henceforth Treasure in heauen , rather than on earth , sith euery man desireth the best things . As the Christians heauenly Treasure is so bee preferred before all things , for the Excellencie thereof , so also is it here commended vnto vs by our blessed Sauiour , for the Perpetuitie , and the Securitie of the same . For their Perpetuitie , hee saith that neither Moth can eate it , nor Rust consume it . And for their security the safe keeping , he tels thee that they are where no Theefe can dig through and steale them , meaning that no enimie whether terrestiall or infernall , whether man or Diuell can possibly deceiue thee or depriue thee of them . Now as touching the Perpetuitie of the Christians heauenly Treasure , it is such and of so long continuance , that euen in that respect it is to bee preferred beefore all earthly and transitorie Commodities : for all earthly commodities and treasures they are ey●ther vsed or not vsed , if they bee put to any vse or employment , they consume and weare : if they be put to no vse , but lye by , then they are corrupted , which corruption also abateth not a little both of their substance and glory : But as for the Heauenly Treasures of Gods grace and spirit , they are neyther consumed , nor corrupted . There is more vse of them then of any earthly thing whatsoeuer , yet are they not , neyther can they bee subiect to any consumption : Nay , they are no whit the worse , but much the better for the vsing . Tell me , is there not a daylie yse of Prayer , of Preaching , of Faith , of Charitie , of Repentance , of Patience , of Hope , of Humilitie , &c. And are they not through continuall vse encreased , strengthened , and made easie ? like the fiue tallents , which being put forth to aduantage , gained fiue more . And as Milo that Tullie speakes of , by vsing his strength day by day , in carrying of a Calfe did so increase his strength , that hee was able to beare it on his shoulders when it was an Oxe : so doth the Christian Soule by inuring his patience and faith to beare smaller crosses , that in time hee is able through daylie exercise of the spirit , to beare greater crosses , and to put vp mighty wrongs : Through negligent slothfulnesse , cursed ingratitude , & prophane abusing of Gods heauenly Graces , they may dye and decay in thee , but the more they are vsed , the more they are increased . The glorious Garment , and royall Robe of Christ that Sonne of Righteousnesse , wherewith Saint Iohn saw the Church clothed , is neuer worne out , nor shall euer be put off , vntill faith and Hope bee abolished ; their pure Gold that they buy of him is neuer spent , and their Sunne is neuer set , though sometime perhaps it may bee vnder a cloud . The Oyle of gladnesse wherewith they are annointed is like the widdows Oyle of Sarepta , wherewith shee paid her debts , maintained her selfe & her house , and yet her Cruse was still full . Nay , Christ turneth the water of his seruants ( that loue to enuite him vnto their feasts ) into wine , and the oftner it is powred forth the sweeter it is . One Helmet of Hope , one Shield of Faith , one Sword of the Spirit , &c. shall last all thy life , and saue thee in a thousand battailes of temptations and spirituall conflicts , and neuer bee worne : for whom the Lord loueth , hee loueth ●to the end , and his mercies endure for euer . There is but one Faith , one God , one Lord , one Baptisme , one Word , one Spirit , and one Hope , though there bee many misbeliefes , many Diuels , many falsehoods , many doubts ; there is but one supreame goodnes , though many euils , & that one shall ouercome all , and remaine alwayes the same , that we may still sing with the Psalmist , The mercies of the Lord endure for euer . And as the Christians heauenly treasure doth excell for Perpetuitie , so also for Securitie : for it is laid vp in heauen , where the Lord himselfe dwelleth , and from whence hee laugheth all Theeues both infernall and terrestiall to scorne . Many lay vp their treasure in the bottome of a ship , and the sea swalloweth it vp ; but what sea can deuoure those Treasures that are layd vp in heauen ? Many put their treasure into other mens hands , who spend it vainely , or runne away secretly ; but who can spend , or runne away with that which is laid vp in heauen ? Many bestow their Treasure vpon their backe , belly , and building , three such Bees as will sting the land to death , if they be not taken heed of , and all perish in the vse , by fire , or by age , or by sicknesse , or by death ; but no such thing can happen to those treasures which are laid vp in heauen . Many haue houses , and lands , and riches , and friends , to day in very good securitie as the world thinketh , and by to morrow they are gone , or sold , or wasted , or stolne , or dead , or turned to another minde , but they that haue once laid vp the Treasures of a good life , and a good Conscience in heauen , shall bee sure to finde them there , and to enioy them for euer : for they are so kept to his vse , that no Theefe can euer steale them from him . And howsoeuer some vaine and presumptuous Persons will not sticke through greedinesse of gaine , to vndertake ( for a quantitie of money ) to secure a mans goods at sea , or at land , yet considering the miserable vnquietnesse that mans life is exposed vnto , and the vniuersall disagreement and warre that is betweene man and all the Creatures in the world , yea , betweene the Creatures themselues , nay more , betweene man and man in all estates and degrees : nay more than that , between euery man in himselfe . I see no reason , why any man should be so vnwise , as to promise vnto himselfe any secure enioying of any worldly commoditie , or why another should so confidently ( or desperately rather ) vndertake to secure any mans goods or estate , when as hee cannot secure himselfe one minute of an houre to an end . And first , for the miserable and vnquiet estate of this life , I see not what can bee said more to discouer the same , then hath beene already said by Petrach that learned Italian Oratour , the substance of whose discourse , concerning this point , I thinke will not bee lost labour to lay before thee , which briefly is this : that considering the vncertaine and sodaine chaunces & changes , whereunto the affaires and estates of men are subiect , nothing can be more fraile , nothing more vnquiet then the life of man. In other liuing creatures ( saith hee ) it is not so , and why ? because nature hath prouided for them a wonderfull kinde of remedy : but what is that remedy ? might not wee enioy it with them ? Oh no , for it is a certaine ignorance of thēselues , by reason wherof they inioy their life and being , in lesse misery , and more quiet then man doth , for in vs onely that haue degenerated , both our memory , & vnderstanding , our prouidence , and all the diuine gifts of our minde are conuerted ( or peruerted rather ) vnto our owne toile & destruction : for , are wee not haunted alwayes with vaine and superfluous , yea , with noysome and pestiferous Cares : which cause vs to bee grieued with the present time , to bee vexed with the time past , and to bee afraid of the time to come ? If our life were well gouerned , it were the most happy and pleasant thing that wee possesse , but now so many causes of miseries and nourishments of sorrowes doe wee daylie heape together , that we make our life a wretched and wofull toile , whose Entrance is blindnes , whose Progresse is labour , whose End is sorrow , and the whole Course error . What Day doe we passe oue● in rest and quietnes ? or rather that we finde not more painefull and troublesome then other ? What Morning haue we euer passed so merry and pleasant , that hath not been ouertaken with some sorrow and heauinesse before night ? What perpetuall warre is it that wee make against Fortune ( as some speake which know not the diuine prouidence to be the gouernor of all things ) Wee onely being weakelings and vnarmed , take vpon vs to encounter a most fierce foe , in vnequall fight ; and bee againe ( as lightly as things of naught ) tosseth vs vp , and throweth vs downe , & turneth vs round about , and playeth with vs , so that it were better for vs to be quite o●ercome , then continually to bee had in scorne . And the cause heereof , is nothing else but our own lightnesse and daintinesse : for wee seeme to bee good for nothing else , but to bee tossed het●er and thither like a tennis-ball , being creatures of a very short life , of infinit carefulnes , and ignoraunt vnto what shore to fall with our ship , or vnto what resolution to apply our mindes . And besides the present euill , we haue alwayes somewhat to grieue vs behinde our backs , and before our eyes to make vs afraid : which thing hapn●th to no other Creature besides man , for vnto all others it is most perfect Securitie , to haue escaped that which is present . But wee in respect of our Wit and Vnderstanding of our minde , are in a continuall wrastling and strife with an enemie . Which being so , what safetie or securitie can wee looke for with our earthly pelfe ( notwithstanding all the bonds , and Bils , Euidences and Conu●aiances , and whatsoeuer deuise else by craftie heads can bee contriued ) when wee can by no meanes secure our selues of our selues in rest and quietnes one houre to an end . Now as touching the vniuersall disagreement and war , that is betweene man and the Creatures , and betweene the Creatures themselues , and between man and man , yea , and in euery man in himselfe , it is more then euident , for doe not the Stars moue against the Firmament ? Doe not the Elements which be of contrary qualities striue one against another ? Are not the Windes at continuall conflicts among themselues ? Doth not one time contend against another time , and one thing against another thing , and all things against vs ? The Spring is moist , the Summer is dry , the Haruest is pleasant , and the Winter sharpe : And this which is called change and alteration , is in very deed strife and disagreement , although by the diuine prouidence of almightie , they are made to agree together , against their owne nature , to serue mans turne , that man might serue him . These things vpon which we dwell , by which we liue and are nourished , which flatter vs with so many enticements , how terrible are they when once they begin to bee angry ? the earthquakes , shipwrackes , whirlewindes , raging fires , and mightie flouds , doe sufficiently declare . With what violence doth the Haile fall ? What force haue stormes and tempests ? What ratling of Thunder ? What rage of lightning ? What fury of the waues ? What blowing of the Sea ? What roaring of flouds ? what excursions of Riuers ? What recourse and concourse of clouds ? Our meates and drinkes which we take to nourish vs , if they be immoderately and excessiuely taken of vs , what seazures and forfaitures doe they make of Reason , Sence and Strength , yea , oftentimes of health and life it selfe ? There is no liuing Creature without war. Fishes , Foules , wilde Beasts , Serpents , Men , one kinde of these persecuteth another , none are at quiet . The Lyon followeth the Wolfe , the Wolfe the Dog , the Dog the Hare , and the Hare the greene Corne ; with what cra●t doth the ●oxe pursue our Lambs , and our Poultry ? What watching is there of Crowes and Kites about our Pigeon houses , and Broodes ▪ of Chickens ? And what assaults of Theeues is there against the priuie Chambers , and Closets of rich men ? What watching and warding is there in euery seuerall kinde , how great and diligent contention ? But though these cease , yet disagreement ceaseth not : for what hart-burning is there euen in Loue ? What disagreement in Marriage ? How many complaints , what suspicions are there amongst Louers ? What sighes , what paines , what contention betweene Masters and Seruants ? Yea , what bitter contention do we see betweene Parents and Children , and betweene Brother and Brother ? And as touching the loue of Parents , who are most tenderly affected towards their Children , yet how great their indignation is , it is euident , whiles they loue them that are good , and lament their case that are euill , and thus in a manner they hate while they loue hartely . Now among Friends although there be agreement in the words and ends , yet in the way , and in their actions what disagreement and contrari●tie of opinions and counsels is there ? What then shall a man hope for in hatred ? for there is Hatred in Loue , and Warre in Peace , and Dissention in agreement . If wee consider the orders of Bees in their Hiues , what thronging together , what noyse , what wars , not onely with their neighbours , but amongst themselues , what domesticall conflicts , and dissentions is there amongst them ? If we looke vpon the Doue , that innocent and simple bird , and which ( as some write ) hath no gall , with what battailes and disquietnesse , with what clamours and outcryes ( I pray you ) do they passe forth their life ? And now ( to meet with Christs instance againe ) How doth the Moth gnaw the cloth ? the Rot the post , and little Wormes by day and night fret through the bowels of Beames & huge Timber ? Againe , what an enemie is the Grassehopper to Hearbs , the Caterpiller to Fruites before they bee ripe , and the Fowles of the Ayre to ripe f●uites and graine ? what an enemie is the Mildew to the Vintage , the blasting to the Hearbs , the Canker to the Leaues , and the Moule to the rootes ? What should I speake of the hurtfull plentie of branches and leaues of Trees , against which the wakefull Husbandman giueth diligent attendaunce ? And what doth the continuall returne of Bryars and weeds , but minister perpetuall matter of toyle and strife ? I let passe the furious rage of showers of Raine , and heapes of Snow , and biting of Frosts , and violence of Ise , and force of Flouds , which many times shake whole Regions and Countries . But thou liuest amongst the Richer and more delicate sort perhaps , yet art not thou nor any of them without their discommodities and toyles , for how is their quiet silence , and sweet sleepe interrupted and troubled eyther with the cryings and screiches of Owles , or the continuall barking of Dogs all night against the Moone , or with the horrible outcryes and hellish clamour of Cats , meeting vpon the tiles and toppes of houses ? And on the day time they are annoyed with the common clamour and laughter of Fooles , then which nothing is more ridiculous , and the merriments of Drunkards , then the which nothing is more grieuous ? Then come the complaints of such as be at variance , and the Iangling & scoulding of old wiues . Ad hereunto the thronging and noyse of Iudgement● Hals vpon court dayes , the Altercations of Merchants , and such as buy and sell , together with the vaine Oathes and Protestations both on the one side and the other . Adioyne herevnto the sorrowfull singing of workmen to asswage their painefull trauaile . Finally , examine whatsoeuer there is , run through in thy mind all the Heauen , the Earth , the Sea , there is like contention in the top of the Skie , and the bottome of the Sea , and there is strife in the deep rifts of the earth , as wel as in the woods and Fields , and aswell is there perpetuall disagreement in the Desarts of sands , as in the streets of Cities . At the very beginning of the world there was a battell fought in the first Heauen , and those vanquished Angels ( now Diuels ) whilst they endeauour to bee reuenged vpon vs mortall men , that inhabite the earth , they procure vnto vs immortall warre of sundry temptations , with most hard and doubtfull businesse . And to gather all into a short summe , all things whatsoeuer hauing sence , or without sence , from the vppermost top of heauen , vnto the lowest center of the earth , and from the chiefest Angell , to the basest worme , there is continuall and euerlasting strife betweene them , what securitie then can be looked for of any thing in this world . As for man himselfe , the Lord and gouernour of all things , who onely by the rule of Reason , should bee able to guide in Tranquilitie , this swelling and troublesome sea , with what continuall strife is hee tossed , both externally with other things , as also internally with himselfe . As for the things that are outward , whereby man is tossed and turmoilde , they are innumerable and vnspeakable , euen from one man to another , and practised by one man against another : Homo homini Lupus , one man is become a Wolfe towards another . What mischiefe is there , that one man worketh not against another ? and all other harmes , by what meanes soeuer they happen , yet being compared with these , doe seeme but light discommodities . Who can number the disagreement of opinions , the variety of sects , the contentions of the learned , and the warres of Kings and Nations ? Who then can bee assured of the Truth ? Who can assure his peace long , if hee seeke no further for Peace and Truth then vnto this world ? But if thou or thy estate be called into question , as whose is not somtime ? thou wilt repaire to s●kilfull Grammarians , who can tell what Construction to make of euery things ; or to eloquent Rhetoricians , that can tell how to perswade much ; or to wittie Logitians , who can dispute thy cause well ; or to learned Lawyers , who can plead thy cause effectually , but then remember againe , what contentions are amongst Grammaians , not yet decided ? what conflicts among Rhetoricians ? what Quirks and quidities amongst Logitians ? what brabble and clamour amongst Lawyers ? who how well they agree the continuance of their Cliants causes doth euidently declare . And if thou sayest thou wilt haue Law for thy mony ▪ then remember first , that they will also haue thy mony for Law , and by that time the Law hath tryed thy cause , it may be , halfe thy estate and wealth must bee sharde amongst the Lawyers and their Clarkes , who hauing eaten the Oyster which made the strife , will returne thee the shell for recompence . Well then , thou wilt say , if thy wealth stand vpon so tickle a pinne , thou wilt looke to thy Health , and to that end thou wilt make much of the Phisition ; but then heare againe , make thou as much of him , as thou canst , bee sure of one thing , that hee will make as much of thee as hee can . And as for the agreement of Phisitions about diseases , their causes and their cures , let their Patients bee iudge , for that life which they haue pronounced to bee short , by their contentions they haue made most short . But if thy wealth & Health be so vncertaine , thou wilt then looke to thy Religion , and be assured that that shall be right and sound : thou doest well in so doing , but then thou must take heed thou hang not thy Faith or Religion vpon men , but vpon God , and his word , for else what deformitie and disagreement of opinions is there in the holy rites and religion of the Church , where Gods heauenly direction in his Word is neglected , and that not so much in the words of the learned , as in the weapons of the armed , and oftner tryed in the field then in the schooles ? But it may bee for more securitie of thy selfe and thy estate , thou wilt looke to the common life and affaires of men , and conforme thy selfe to the fashions of the most in house keeping , in building , in apparrell , in recreation , &c. But then remember againe , that if thou hast not light and Wisedome from Heauen , thou maist soone slip into the broad way that leadeth to Hell. And againe euen then thou wilt bee to seeke , so many windings and turnings thou shalt meete withall , for there are scarce two in a cittie that doe agree , both many things else , but especially the great diuersitie of their houses and Apparrell , doth declare , for who euer succeeded any man in an house , were hee neuer so rich and good an Husband , that hath not ( for all that ) changed many things in it ? so that looke what one man had a desire to build , another hath a pleasure to pull downe : witnesse hereof may bee the often changing of Windows , damming vp of Doores , and the skarres and new reparations that are done in old Wals. Nay more , is not euery mans opinion & Iudgement contrary to himselfe ? whilst ( according to the saying of the Poet ) He pulleth downe , and buildeth vp , and changeth that which was square into round . By which it may appeare that almost no man can agree with another man , nor yet with himselfe . To these may bee added the contention that is oftentimes without an Aduersary , as of Sriueners with Parchment , with Inke , with Pens , with Paper , before they can make them serue their turne , and many the like ? What a coile haue Souldiers ( not with their enimies onely ) but with their owne Horses and Armour , when as the horse waxeth obstinate , and their Armour wayeth them downe ? What businesse haue they that speak , and those that write at the mouth of another , whilest the one through earnest intention speaketh many things vnperfect , and the other through ignorance , or vnskilfulnes , or a flitting & vnconstant wit misconstrueth those things that are perfect ? Againe , what Conflicts haue Infants with fals , Children with their Bookes , and Young men with pleasures and vnruly affections ? Yong men are indeed to bee pittied , for there are no kinde of men that would seeme to bee more merry , and none indeed are more miserable and sorrowfull . And againe , in what danger are Women in Childe-bearing ? what wrastling haue men continually with Pouertie and Ambition ? What great carking & caring for more then is needful for liuing ? And finally , what euerlasting warre haue old men with old age and sicknesses ? and all other persons with death also , and ( that which is more grieuous then death it selfe ) with the continuall feare of death ? But to omit this external strife ( which is one while with Aduersaries , and another while without an Aduersarie ) how great is the internall Contention , not onely against another , but euen against our selfe , euery one enduring a continuall war euen in the secret closet of his minde ? With how diuerse and contrary Affections doth the mind striue against it selfe ? with how variable and vncertaine motion of minde is euery man drawne , sometime one way , sometime another ? hee is neuer whole , nor neuer one man , but alwayes dissenting and deuided in himselfe . Now hee willeth , by and by hee will not that which hee would before : now hee liketh , by and by hee misliketh : now hee loueth , by and by hee hateth : now hee flattereth , presently he threatneth : now he iesteth , and presently is in good earnest : here hee beginneth , there hee leaueth off : now hee admireth , by and by hee disdaineth : one while hee goeth forward , and straight way he turneth back again , and such like , then the which there can bee nothing imagined more vncertaine , and with which the life of man ebbeth and f●oweth more turbulently , from the beginning to the ending without intermission . And what tempests and madnes is there not in these foure passions , to hope or desire , and to reioice , to feare , & to be sorry , which trouble the poore and miserable minde by driuing it with sodaine windes and gales , far from the Hauen , into the middest of most dangerous Rocks ? And therefore say not as some doe , that thou wilt trust no body but thy selfe , or what thou hast once resolued vpon , no man shall alter thee from it , for they selfe are most variable , and thine owne false hart will bee the first that shall betray thee . And therefore to conclude and returne where wee began , sith the life of man is so full of misery and vnquietnesse , sith there is so little agreement , nay , so much strife and contention betweene all things created , sensible and insensible , and all against man , and sith there is so much discord and iarring in all estates and degrees of men , and lastly , in euery particular man , with himselfe , how canst thou now that art a Christian ( and induced with any sparke of Heauenly light ) set thy heart vpon the world , or any thing that is in the World , to make it the study of thy braine , the care of thy minde , or the ioy of thy heart , sith in this world as there is nothing of any Excellency , or Perpetuitie , so likewise is there nothing of any Securitie or safety , but all exposed to perill , danger and losse ? But in heauen it is otherwise , looke what Treasures thou sendest thether before thy ▪ dying day , thou shalt bee sure to haue them secured vnto thy vse for euer , and why ? surely because they are with thy GOD and most louing Father , where no Theefe can breake through and steale . As this Doctrine should cause vs to leaue our doting vpon this World , so it seru eth to stay the troubled Conscience from drooping vnder his sins , ● and from despairing of Gods mercy , for though thy Si●nes bee many and great , yet thy Treasure is sure in heauen , and there is thy Comfort . Haddest thou euer any Peace of Conscience , any Comfort in Christ , any Ioy in the holy Ghost , that same abideth still in heauen for thee : and that which thou haddest here , was but an earnest of that which is laide vp for thee there . But thou canst not see it , nor feele it , thou canst not pray so effectually as thou wert wont to doe , &c. What then ? yet it is in Heauen and nothing can take it from thee . God doth not keepe our Treasure from Mothes and Theeues , to let the Diuels deceiue vs of it , no , no , it is sure for euer . When the Childe abuseth such things as his Father bestoweth vpon him , they are taken from him and laid vp till another time ; and though the foolish Childe would haue them still in his sight , yet that may not bee , the wisedome of the father will not suffer it : so God dealeth with his Children , as touching the gifts and graces of his Spirit , and the vse of them . The similitude applyeth it selfe : It sufficeth Iacob to heare that his sonne Ioseph was a liue , though hee saw him not : so it should much comfort vs , to know that our Sauiour Christ liueth in vs , though wee alwaies feele him not alike . I once loued the word of God ( thou wilt say ) and was zealous for the glory of God , and did beleeue his promises , and did reioyce in the exercises of Religion , and prayed continually , and grieued heartely for my sinnes ; Oh then I had Treasure in heauen , now all is gone , my Spirit is dull and heauie , I cannot pray , nor meditate with that feeling and comfort , that I was wont to feele . But doe the Lord no iniurie : doe not measure his grace by thy feeling : while Sathans messenger did buff●t Paul , that blessed Apostle could not so sensibly feele Gods grace as before , but cryed out , Oh wretched man that I am , who shall deliuer mee ? So whiles temptations doe buffet vs , wee are benummed and know not well , how it is with vs in respect of Grace , but yet Gods grace doth vphold vs for all that Whiles Sathan sifted Peter , Christ prayed for him that his Faith might not faile , but it was more then Peter felt , and so it is with the rest of Gods Children at some times . These buffetings and siftings are tokens of Gods fauour , yet secret in vs for the time , for whom doth Sathan most desire to sift of all the Apostles ? surely none so much as him that before had made the best confession of Christ. And none are more buffeted then they that haue receiued the greatest Graces . Ye shall sorrow ( saith our Sauiour Christ ) in the World , but in mee yee shall haue ioy , and your ioy shall no man take from you , no nor Diuell , nor Angell , nor God himselfe , for if wee beleeue not , yet God is faithfull ( saith Saint Paul ) and not deny himselfe . And againe , The foundation of God abideth sure , and hath this seale . The Lord knoweth who are his , and let euery one that calleth on the name of the Lord les●is depart from iniqui●●e , to shew that if wee depart from iniquitie , wee shall our selues also know that wee are the Lords , yea , and to that end wee ought to call on the name of the Lord Iesus , that by his grace wee may depart from iniquitie . And in so doing we may say as the Apostle saith , I know whom I haue beleeued , and I am perswaded that hee is able to keepe that which I haue committed Vnto him against the day of Christ. And whereas thou complainest that thou canst not pray , know that yet for all that the Spirit of God may bee in thee , For the Spirit ( saith Paul ) helpeth our infirmities for we know not how to pray as we ought , but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with ●ighes , which cannot be expressed , to shew that when the hearts of Gods Children are oppressed with burdensome Temptations , which stop the course and passage of our Prayers , that then the Spirit of God makes a supply by sighes and grones . But if Gods spirit were in thee ( thou sayest ) thou shouldest feele it working in thee some heauenly and spirituall work . True it is , and so hee doth , for euen the sighes and grones of a troubled spirit , are the workes of Gods spirit , and euen the hungring after righteousnesse , is no lesse the work of Grace , then the hauing of righteousnesse . And the work of Gods Spirit is oftentimes more secret in thee then thou art aware of : for could God take a Rib out of Adams side while hee slept , and neuer felt it , and cannot God put his Spirit into thy hungry and heauie Soule , and keepe it there as a Liger , while thy Faith sleepeth , and thou not feele it ? God dealeth with his Children as Ioseph dealt with his Brethren , who knew them well enough , but for a time would not bee knowne of them , yea , and put their money into their sacks more then they knew of , and at last made himself knowen vnto them . Gods spirit is called the Comforter , and his words are the words of Comfort . Sonne bee of good cheare , thy sinnes are forgiuen thee , Hee hath thy pardon with him in thee , and when thou hast most neede , hee will deliuer it thee , and thou shalt see it , with ioy and great gladnes . In thee meane time , that hee is in thee know by this , that thou dost not hate the Lord , but loue him and hast an holy desire , with some earnest endeauour to serue him , to liue honestly , and to keepe a good Conscience in all things , and art afraid of falling away . And surely all good desires are of the Lord. Waite the Lords leysure with Patience , seeke for Peace , which though thou canst not finde awhile , yet by Prayer thou must wayte on the Lord , and say , Lord because there is mercy with thee that thou maist bee feared , I will wayte on thee , euen as the eye of a Maid seruant waiteth on the hand of her Mistresse , I will condemne my selfe of folly , and say , O my Soule , why art thou cast downe , wait on God , for hee is thy present help and thy God. And thus shalt thou bee restored to the ioy of thy Saluation . And as Iob after his manifold tryals , had both of Gods goodnesse , of Sathans malice , his friends vncharitableness , and his owne weakenesse , had all seauen folde restored vnto him againe : So thou after thy supposed losse of heauenly Treasure , shalt finde heauenly treasure plentifully restored vnto thee againe . When Christ stept aside from his earthly father and Mother , to doe the businesse of his heauenly Father , hee meant to come againe , but in the meane time they sought him with heauy hearts , and at the last , they found him in the Temple , disputing with the Doctors , to their great ioy and astonishment : So Christ sometimes doth as it were step aside from vs , to the end wee may seeke after him , and wee may perhaps seeke him with heauie harts , but yet at the last , we shall finde him with great ioy , for they that sowe in teares , shall surely reape in ioy . Thou hast heard what high commendations are giuen of the Christians heauenly Treasure ; doest thou beleeue it ? then lay vp thy treasure in heauen , say not as the buyer doth , it is naught , it is naught , for if thou couldst obtaine it , with the losse of all the world , thou mightst and wouldst brag of thy bargaine . But alas , how few regard this ? The poorer sort care not , but for backe and belly , and neuer repaire with good will to the house of God , but when they thinke to receiue an almes , like the criple at the gate of the Temple , or like the people that followed Christ , to haue their bellies filled of free cost . Others come to the sermons and prayers of the Church , but loaden with their sins , & their mindes cumbred with pleasures & cares of this world , to whom the house of God is as a house of correction , and they sit there to bee whipped , and euery sentence of the Preacher , that crosseth their delights , or beloued sinnes , is as so many lashes and ierkes tormenting and tearing their guiltie Consciences . Others againe , make the Lords house as it were a market place , repairing thether onely to muze and studie of the prizes of their commodities , or to make some bargaines , or to doe some busines with some whom they haue appointed to meete there . Others againe , make the house of God their play house , and the Pulpit the Theater , the Preachers are their fooles , and Scripture phrases are their Iests , to make themselues merry withall . And others goe to the Lords house as children goe to schoole , the one for feare of the rod , and the other for feare of Lawes and Presentments , whereupon the Prouerbe is growen , as willingly as euer I went from schoole , but these may say , as willingly as euer I went for Church , but alas poore soules , long it will be before any of these kinde of hearers , get any heauenly Treasure , except they seeke after it , with better mindes and affections . But now , as wee haue heard these Treasures commended for their Excellencie , for their Perpetui●y , and Security , so it will not bee amisse , to consider of the Place wher we must seeke for them , of the Time when , of the Manner how to lay them vp , and lastly of the Reason why : All which are questions necessarie , for the Serpent commended knowledge , but withall shewed a wrong way thereunto : so all commend the heauenly Treasure , but all take not a right course to obtaine it , therefore saith the Apostle , Sorunne that yee may obtaine . Christ is the Treasure and Treasurer . And this Treasure is in the ship of Christ , that is his Church , and no where else . The Ministers of the Church or Masters of the Assembly ( as Salomon calleth them ) are the factours . Now in what roome to search , or in what Vessell , is the question ? In Ierusalem there were many chests , yet but one Ark , that had the holy things and sacred Monuments in it . Though there were many Waters , yet was there but one Poole of Siloam , in which Lepers were cleansed . In Christs Ship bee many places , but the place of the treasure is but one . Saint Paul saith it is in earthen Vessels , so say wee too , meaning the Ministers of the Gospel , because we are in shew contemp●ible and in substance brittle . These vessels haue a booke that will shew all , if any man can open it , and vnderstand it , and it is the Word of God , contayning the holy Scriptures of the old and new Testament , which Christ would haue vs to search , because they beare witnesse of him , and containe in them eternall life . Like a Merchants bill they are , which sheweth what commodities are in the ship . This booke hath ben by gods prouidence mightily & miraculously preserued from time to time from burning , drowning , and loosing , and this priuiledge it hath , that it endureth for euer , and when heauen & earth shall faile , yet not one iot or title thereof shall fall to the ground . The places then that wee must frequent if wee will finde this Heauenly Treasure , are the holy Assemblies of Gods people , where God is called vpon by the publike Prayers of the Saints , the Word is truely taught , and the Sacraments sincerely ministred , for the working and increasing of faith , and not the conuenticles of Schismatikes , who haue seperated themselues from the publike assemblies of Gods Church , and are at open defiance with their mother the true Church of Iesus Christ , who first brought them to that knowledge and Faith that they haue , if in truth and soundnesse they haue any at all . That which must discouer vnto vs this heauenly Treasure , is the holy Bible , and sacred Scriptures of God , and not the reuelations of Anabaptists , nor the Dreames of the Familie of Loue , nor the Iewes Ta●mud , nor the Turks Alcaron , nor the Popes Portuise , nor the Tridentine Counsels , nor the Traditions or decrees of the Church of Rome , all which will leade vs to trash , but not to Treasure ; to hell , but not to heauen ; to the flesh , but not to the spirit , and so from God to the Diuell . And being come now to the place , and hauing found the Booke that will rcueale this Heauenly Treasure , what must wee doe ? Search the Scriptures , saith our Sauiour Christ , to shew that there is some hidden Trasure in it more then is seene outwardly , or more then they make shew of , and so there is . And therefore the Word is preferred before Gold , albeit most men had rather haue Gold then the Word : but Da●id could say that of Gods Word , which he could not doe of Gold , nor all the world besides , and that was this , Except thy word had beene my comfort in my Affliction , I had perished . And Salomon auoucheth that man to bee blessed that findeth wisedome , and him happy that getteth Vnderstanding , and doubteth not to yeeld this for his reason , That the marchandise thereof is better then the Marchandise of Siluer , and the gaine thereof is better then Golde . It is more precious ( saith he ) then Pearles , and all things that thou canst desire , are not to be compared vnto her . Length of dayes is in her right hand , and in her left hand riches and glory . Her pathes are the pathes of pleasure , and all her wayes prosperitie . Shee is a Tree of Life to them that lay hold on her , and therefore blessed are they that receiue her . But to see these are required very heauenly and spirituall eyes , euen the eyes of a liuely ●aith ; for carnall sence cannot comprehend them , and worldly wisedome cannot conceiue them , yea , many laugh at vs , because we seeke for life in the death of Christ , grace in his curse , righteousnesse in his condemnation , and comfort in his holy Gospell . Verely ( say they ) so floweth cold water out of a burning Furnace , and so springeth light out of darknesse , and hereupon they conclude , that none are more foolish then wee , which hope for Life at a dead mans hand , which aske forgiuenesse at a condemned person , which fetch the grace of God out of one that was accursed , and flye for refuge to the Crosse , as to the onely author of euerlasting Saluation , which are all the Treasures that the word of God doth offer vs , and therewithall laughing at our simplicitie , they think themselues very sharp-witted , but alas they want the chiefest thing in true wisedome , namely , the feeling of Conscience , and the ●eare of God-Let vs but enter deeply into our selues , and so soone as wee acknowledge our owne wretchednesse , the way for vs vnto Christ , and for Christ vnto vs , will bee by and by paued and made l●uell , for as to the attaining of humane Sciences , is requisite a fine and well furnished wit , so to this Heauenly Philosophie is required a subdued minde , for what tast can there bee where is lothing ? As many then as will not willinglie bee deceiued and perish , let them learne to begin with this l●sson , to know that they haue to doe with God , to whom they must giue accompt , let them set before their eyes , that iudgement seat , that makes euen the Angels to tremble , let them hearken to their owne conscience , bearing witnesse against them , let them not harden their harts against the pricks of sinne , and then they shall find nothing in the death of Christ to bee ashamed of . And let not their astonishment bee a stumbling blocke to vs , but rather let vs bee carryed from the humane nature of Christ , to the glory of his Godhead , which may turne all curious questions into admiration : And let vs goe from the death of Christ , to his glorious resurrection , which may wipe away all slaunder of his Crosse : Let vs passe from the weakenesse of the flesh , to the power of the Spirit , which may swallow vp all foolish thoughts : And let vs still pray with holy Da●id , that the Lord would open the eyes of our Vnderstanding , that wee may see the wondrous things of his word ; for not euery one that readeth the booke of God , doth come to the Treasure , for it is like a Nut with a double shell , both which must bee broken before the kernell can bee found ; or like a Chest with many locks , and euery one must be opened before the Treasure can bee met withall . To which end the Lord hath appointed Preaching and Preachers , and endued them with the tongues of the learned , and all to open the hidden Treasures of the Gospell of Christ. To which must bee ioyned a diligent eare , a minde to meditate , and a sober tongue , to confer with thy Pastor and familie , and an humble Spirit , to bee enformed and reformed by the counsell of God. These meanes are called digging , and searching , laborious exercises indeed , to shew what paines and diligence must bee vsed in searching after the heauenly Treasure . My Sonne ( saith Salomon ) if thou wilt receiue my words , and hide my commaundement within thee , and cause thine eares to hearken vnto Wisedome , and incline thine heart vnto Vnderstanding , if thou callest after Knowledge , and cryest for Vnderstanding , if thou seekest for her as for Siluer , and searchest for her as for Treasures , then shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God. But if wee bee negligent , backward , and indifferent or luke-warme , then will it fare with vs , as with Laodicea , wee shall thinke wee are rich , and increased with goods , and haue neede of nothing , when indeed wee are wretched , and miserable , and poore , and blind , and naked . And alas so it is with too too many and therefore when you come into their houses , if the booke of God bee there , you shall finde it couered ouer with much rubbill , and drosse , as Cards and Tables , merry Tales with sorry or sorrowfull tailes , profane and scurrilous discourses , and paultry pamphlets , and such like stuffe , which domineere ouer the booke of God , as the Iewes did ouer Christs in Pilates hall ; all which should bee swept out of doores , or sacrificed in the fire : and as for such humorists as do nothing but feede mens humours with idlenesse , and ply them with the pleasures of sinne , to the losse of their precious time , which should bee spent in seeking of the heauenly Treasure , say vnto them as Christ did vnto Peter , when hee solicited him against the will of God , vnto carnall courses , Turne thee behind me Sathan , thou art an offence vnto mee , and sauourest not the things of God. The next thing to bee considered is , the time of gathering and laying vp this heauenly Treasure , for there is a time for all things , saith the holy Ghost . All in time , saith the World , hereafter when old age comes , or when sicknesse comes , or at the houre of death . It is not good to bee too forward in Religion , or to meddle too soone with matters of God and Godlinesse , for a yong man may prooue an old Diuell . But heare what God saith , thou foolish man. Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth , before the euill dayes come vpon thee , and the dayes whereof thou shalt say I haue no pleasure . And Esai cryeth out vnto thee , saying : Seeke the Lord while hee may be found , and call vpon him while hee is nigh at hand , to shew vs that the Lord will not alwayes bee found , much lesse when wee thinke good , neyther will the dayes of olde age and sicknesse bee like the dayes of youth and health , for then shall wee feele our selues vnfit and vntoward to seek after these things , in two regards : first , in regard of naturall infirmities and bodily paines which will hold thy mind occupied about meanes of ease , as Phisicke and such like . Secondly , in regard of that strong hand which sin through long custome will beare ouer thy soule , euen to the hardning of thy heart , for custome of sinne , breedeth hardnesse of heart , and hardnesse of heart begetteth impenitencie , as the Apostle sheweth in the second to the Romanes . But the speciall time of gathering and laying vp this heauenly Treasure , is the holy Sabboth , and other times of holy assemblies , and generally whensoeuer thou art called forth , to heare the Word preached vnto thee , or hast any occasion to exercise thy Faith , in the workes of Charitie and pietie . Then comes the Angell to stirre the Poole , step in then , if thou wilt doe thy selfe good , for afterward will bee too late , Whosoeuer carelessely neglecteth the Sabbaoth of the Lord , and presumptiously giueth God the slip in the holy Assemblies , as many car●all Christians doe , who mistrusting God with their estate , thinke it no sin to spend the Sabbaoth day in their worldly affaires , or vaine exercises , well may they with Esau get a sup of pottage to stay their hungry mawes withall if God doe not crosse their enterprises , and curse their labours ( as oftentimes hee doth ) but surely their heauenly Birth-right is for●aite by the bargain , and but bankroupts they proue in the heauenly Treasure of a Christian . They heape vp , but it is nothing but wrath against the day of wrath . The Sabboth day is especially appointed for gathering of heauenly treasures , Remember therefore that thou keepe it holy as the Lord comminandeth , p●etend not a necessitie of breaking the 〈◊〉 rest , where 〈◊〉 is apparant , as the manner of some is when 〈◊〉 a faire Sabboth day , they must work , for feare of Raine , but consider thou whose heart is buryed vnder thy loafe , and wilt needs bee rich by deceiuing the Lord of his right , consider I say , hath not the Lord prouided for thee when it hath rained ? and darest thou not trust him when it is faire ? did he euer deceiue any that trusted him with their estate , while they walked reuerently in his feare , and carefully kept his commandements ? what indignitie then and dishonor is this that thou offrest vnto the most high , in that thou darest not trust him with thy body , whiles thou seekest for the good of thy Soule ? And how doest thou thinke to answere this geare , when thy conscience shall bee summoned to answere therevnto , before that Iudgement Seat , which maketh the very Angels and Celestiall Powers to tremble ? Oh consider of these things betimes , and the Lord 〈◊〉 thy drowsie soule . And aboue all , beware of sorting thy selfe with profane company , which will cause thee to loose thy time , and dull the edge of the Spirit , decay thy graces , and make thee to treasure vp sinne against the day of vengeance , for one sinne admitted with loue and liking , letteth out many graces and maketh hauock of all thy vertues . Now the manner how to lay vp this heauenly Treasure , commeth next to be remembred , and that is done three waies . First , by relieuing of the Lord Iesus Christ in his members , which stand in neede of help , Sell that you ha●e ouerplus ( saith Christ ) or that you can sp●are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and giue to the poore . Make you bags which waxe not old . Luke 12. 33. to shew that when a man giueth almes to the poore , hee doth but take it out of one purse and put it into another , out of bags that waxe old , and put it into bags that waxe not old , and in so doing saith Christ , thou shalt finde treasure in heauen , in so doing I say , but not for so doing , as Papists teach , If thou wilt be perfect ( saith Christ to the rich yong man ) goe and sell that thou hast and giue to the poore , and what you doe to them , I take it as done vnto my selfe , for saith our Sauiour Christ , when they my poore members were in prison , I was in prison ; when they were hungry , naked , and cold , &c. I was hungry , naked and cold , and therfore what you did to them , you did to mee . To the like effect speaketh the Prophet Esai , If ( saith hee ) thou deale thy bread to the hungry , and bring the poore that wandreth into thy house , and couer the naked when thou seest him , then shall thy light breake forth as the morning , and thine health shall grow speedely , thy righteousnesse shall goe before thee , and the glory of the Lord shal embrace thee . These bee sweet encouragements and necessarie , because poore people are vnable to recompence the kindnesse of those that bestow any thing vpon them ; and as they are vnable , so for the most part , they are very ingratefull , and their vnthankfulnesse doth not a little discourage many , who would otherwise bee more beneficiall then they are . And in these respects , men had rather venture their goods vpon any other thing , then vpon the poore . For ( say they ) quod ingrato feceris perijt : It is cast away which is giuen to vnthankfull persons : but howsoeuer it bee that many of the poorer sort , bee both wretchedly vnthankfull , and miserably vnable to repay thee , yet if thou giuest them for Christ his sake , in whose name commonly they aske it , thou shalt finde it againe in heauen . But it may bee , thou wilt be content to giue part of thy ouerplus to the poore , so thou maist reserue the other part to bestow on thy pleasure , but beware thou deceiue not thy selfe , for all thy ouerplus is for the poore , when thy familie is prouided for , thy debts paid , and all Dueties that thou owest to the Church and Common-wealth , thy Prince and Countrie are de●●ayed , that which remaineth is for the poore , to play for that is to cast lots vpon the Garment of Christ , Ne fundis parcendum est , ( sayeth Cal●sin , Euen of a mans ground and Inheritance a Christian man must deuide , some to poore Schollers , some to scholes of learning , some to the Ministry of the Gospel , some to maimed souldiers , some to poore hospitals , & in all to Christ , & he that giueth but a cup of cold water to the poore members of christ , hauing no more to giue , shall not loose his reward . The second way to lay vp Treasure in heauen , is by suffring constantly and patiently for Christ , when thou art thereunto lawfully called and required , and that two wayes : First , thou must suffer the word of Christ which is the sword of the Spirit , to hew and cut thy sinnes , and bee content with patience , to endure the sifting and fanning of the Gospell , for except the dead and superfluous branches be cut off , we can neuer bring forth fruit in Christ. Secondly , wee must resolue to endure all outward crosses and losses , for the euerlasting Truth of Christ , for hee that will saise his life ( saith Christ ) shall loose it , and he that will loose it for my sake and the Gospell , shall saue it . And if wee suffer with him ( saith S. Paul ) wee shall also raigne with him . If wee belong to Christ , wee must looke for tribulation , and anguish , and persecution , and famine , and nakednesse , and perill , and sword , all which will try their force , to see if they can seperate vs from the loue of Christ. Yea , wee must looke for his sake , to bee killed all the day long , and to bee counted as sheepe for the slaughter . But in all these things ( saith the holy Apostle ) wee are more then conquerours , through him that loued us . And therefore wee faint not , but though our o●tward man perish , yet th' inward man is renued daily . For our light affliction which is but for a moment , causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent waight of glory . While wee looke not on the things which are seene , but on the things which are not seene . This point will bee scarce welcommed , or well liked , of nice and daintie professours of the Gospell , which must neuer goe to Gods house , but when the Sunne shineth , the waies are faire , and no Winde is stirring , to blow vpon them ; and when they are there , they must heare nothing but pleasing things , their sinnes must not bee touched , much lesse can they endure to haue the cutting knife of Gods law , laid to the throat of their sinne . And if all the world doth not applaud and commend their zeale , and good deeds , they soon are discouraged , & stand stone stil , like the winde mill that goeth no longer then the winde bloweth , no scoffe or reproach , no persecution or trouble can they endure for the Truths sake , what Treasure can these lay vp by their daintinesse in heauen ? The third way to lay vp Treasure in heauen , is while thou liuest here vpon earth , to grow in the powerfull and liuely knowledge of Christ crucified , & by a liuely apprehensiue faith to make thy selfe sure of all his benefits , in comparison of whom , thou oughtst with the blessed Apostle , to esteeme all the world but drosse and dung . Now to effect this , we must consider the merite of Christ , the vertue of Christ , and the example of Christ , and what benefit wee haue by euery one of them ; as that worthie man of God M. Perkins , hath both learnedly & heauenly declared , the somme whereof , I will breefly recall into thy minde . Christ is to bee considered , as the common Treasurie and store-house of Gods Church , for God hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in Christ. Eph. 1. 4. And in him are all the Treasures of Knowledge & Wisdome hidden . Col. 2. 3. And of his fulnesse●wee all recei●e grace for grace . Iohn . 1. So that all the blessings of God without exception are conuayed vnto vs from the Father by Christ , and so must they bee receiued and no otherwise . But concerning the benefits of Christ wee are to learne further two things : first , what they are : Secondly , how or in what manner to vse them . His benefits are three : Merit , Vertue , and Example . The Merit of Christ is the value of his death and passion , whereby he hath obtained to vs Reconciliation And this Reconciliation hath two parts : first , Remission of sinnes , Secondly , acceptation to eternall life , and both for the merit of Christ imputed . This benefit must bee knowen not by conceipt , nor carnal presumption , but by the inward testimonie of gods Spirit . To attaine to the infallible assurance of this benefite we must call to minde the promises of the Gospell touching remission of sins , and the gift of eternall life to the Faithfull . Secondly , wee must endeuour by the assurance of Faith to apply them to our owne hearts . And thirdly , wee must vse often exercises of Inuocation and repentance , for by our crying to God for reconciliation commeth the assuraunce thereof . And if it so fall out that a man in temptation , feele nothing but the furious wrath of God , yet euen then against all reason and feeling , hee must hold to the merit of Christ , and know that God is a most louing father to them that haue a care to serue him , euen at that instant when he sheweth himselfe a most fierce and terrible enimie , which Iob knew right well when hee said , If the Lord should kill mee , yet I will trust in him . From the benefite of Reconciliation proceede foure benefites . First , that excellent peace of God , which passeth all Vnderstanding ▪ Phil. 4. And that hath sixe parts : first , peace with the Trinitie , for being Iustified by Faith , we haue peace with God. Rom. 5. 1. Secondly , Peace with Angles , who do ascend and descend vpon the Sonne of man. Iohn . 1. 51. and all for the good of Gods Church . For the Angels doe incampe about those that feare the Lord. Psal. 34. And like Nurses doe beare them in their armes . Psal. 90. 12. that they hurt not their foot against a stone . All this seruice which the Angels performe vnto the faithfull , proceedes of this , that the faithfull being in Christ , are pertakers of his merit . Thirdly , peace with the Faithfull , for , the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe , and the Leopard shall lye with the Kid , and the Calfe and the Lyon , and the fat beasts together , and a little child shall lead them . Esay . 11. 6. Fourthly , peace with a mans selfe , and that is : first , when the Conscience washed in the bloud of Christ , ceaseth to accuse a man : secondly , when the will and affections are obedient to the minde , enlightened by the Word and Spirit of God , and this is that which the Apostle meaneth , when hee saith , Let the peace of God rule in your hearts . Col. 3. 15. Fiftly , Peace with our enimies , and that two wayes : first , in seeking Peace with all , hurting none , but doing good to all : secondly , in that God restraineth their mallice & inclineth their hearts to peace . Sixtly , Peace with the Creatures . Psal. 91. 13. Thou shalt walk vpon the Lyon and the Dragon , &c. And in that day ( saith the Lord ) I will make a co●enant for them , with the wild Beasts , and with the foules of the heauen , & with that that creepeth vpon the earth , &c. Hos. 2. 18 If therefore wee see God against vs , our owne Conscience against vs , the Angels against vs , the Faithfull against vs , the wicked against vs , the Creatures against vs , let vs examine this point , of Reconciliation , and if all bee with vs , let vs know that it is the benefit of Christs merit . The second benefit of Christs merite , is recouery of that right , which man hath to all the Creatures , the which Adam lost to himselfe & all his posteritie . 1. Cor. 3. 22. Whether it be the world , or life , or death , or things present , or things to come , all are yours , and you Christs . The right way of knowing this benefit is this , when God giueth meat & drinck , &c. we must not barely consider them , as blessings of God , for that very Heathen men can doe , which know not Christ , but as proceeding from the loue of God in Christ. And so often as wee vse the Creatures , this point must come to minde , for blessings conceiued a part from Christ , are misconceiued . Whatsoeuer they are in themselues , they are no blessings to vs , but in and by Christs Merits : for this cause it is not sufficient generally to know Christ to be our Redeemer , but wee must learne to see him and acknowledge him in euery particular gift & blessing of God. If men when they behold their meates and drincks , could by faith behold in them the merit of Christs passion , there would not bee so much gluttony and drunkennes as there is . If the like in their houses and lands , their would not bee so much fraud and deceipt , in●ustice and oppression . Also noble birth , without new birth is but vanitie . The like is to bee saide of phisicke , sleepe , health , libertie , recreations , and very breathing it self . Therefore it is meete , that with our earthly recreation wee ioyne spirituall medi●ation of the death of Christ , then would there not bee so many vnlawfull sports and delights , and so much abuse of lawfull Recreations as there is , and this wee ought to do , for , Christ is all in all things . Col. 3. 11. The third benefit of Reconciliation , is that all crosses , and afflictions cease to bee curses and punishments to them that are in Christ , and are onely corrections & trials , because Christs death hath taken away all , and euery part of the curse of the law . In all crosses Christ is to bee knowne on this manner , iudge of them as chastisements or tryals , proceeding not from a reuenging Iudge , but from the hand of a louing father , and therefore they must be taken in and with the merit of Christ , as meanes sent of God , to keepe vs from being dampned with the wicked world , if otherwise , wee take them as curses , and punishments . And hence it followeth , that Subiection to the crosse , or hand of God in all crosses , is a marke of the true church of Christ. The fourth benefit of Reconciliation , is , that Death is properly no death , but a rest , or sleep . Death therefore is to bee considered not as it is set forth in the Law , but as it is altred by the death of Christ , and when death commeth , wee must looke vpon it through Christs death as through a glasse , and thus it will appeare to bee but a passing from this life to euerlasting life . The second benefit of Christ , is the benefit of his Vertue . The Vertue of Christ , is the power of his Godhead , whereby hee createth new ha●ts in all that beleeue in him . This Ve●tue is double : First , the power of his death . Secondly , the power of his resurrection : by the first , hee freed himselfe from the punishment and imputation of our sins . By the second , hee raised himselfe from Death to Life . The benefit of Christs diuine power is great to all the faithfull : for , the same power which freed him from the punishment and imputation of our sins , setueth also to mortifie and crucifie the corruptions of our wils , mindes and affections . And the same which raised him from death to life , serueth also to raise those that belong to Christ , first from their sinnes in this life , secondly , from the graue , in the day of iudgement . The knowledge of this double Vertue , must not bee onely in the braine , 〈◊〉 experimentall in the heart , that is , to feele the power of Christs death killing sinne in them , that wee might bee able to say with Paul , Wee li●e not , but Christ liueth in vs. This was one of the most excellent things which pau● sought for . Ph● . 3. 10. I have counted al things but dung , that I may know him , & the vertue of his resurrection . The way to know it , is to cast off the old man , which is corrupt , through deceiu●able ▪ lusts . Ephe. 4. 22. The third benefite of Christ , is the benefite of his example , for Christ is to be knowen , not onely as a redeemer , but also as a patterne of all good ●ueties , to which we ought to conforme our liues . Christ is to bee followed of vs , in the practise of euery good duety , that may concerne vs , without exception 〈…〉 Our conformitie with Christ is , first in the framing of our inward life : secondly , in the practise of outward and morrall dueties . Conformitie in spirituall life , is not by doing that which Christ did vpon the crosse , and afterward , but a doing of the like by a certaine kinde of imitation , and it hath foure parts . First , a spirituall Oblation , for as hee by prayer resigned himselfe vp to bee a sacrifice to the iustice of his father . So we in prayer must resigne our selues wholy to the Seruice of God. Secondly , a spirituall crucifying of our selues , for as hee bare his owne Crosse , so must wee denie our selues , and take vp all crosses that come euery day . Againe , as hee crucified his flesh , so must wee crucifie the body of sinne . Gal. 5. 24. They which are Christs , haue crucified the flesh with the lusts and affections . He with a speare was wounded , we with the sword of the spirit must wound sinne to death , and labour by experience to feele the very death of it , and bury it . Thirdly , a spirituall Resurrection : for as he came out of his graue , so wee must come out of our sinnes , as out of a most loathsome graue , to liue to God. This worke cannot bee done at once but by degrees , as God shall giue grace . Fourthly , a spirituall ascention , by a continuall eleuation of the heart and minde to Christ , sitting at the right hand of God. If yee be risen with Christ , seeke those things which are aboue . Col. 2. Conformitie in morall Dueties is generally , to bee holy as he is : specially to bee like vnto him in foure Vertues , that is , in Faith , Loue , Meeknesse , and Humilitie . In Faith , for as he when he apprehended the wrath of God , wholy stayed himselfe vpon the ayde , and good pleasure of his father , euen to the last : so must wee depend wholy on Gods mercy in Christ , as with both hands , in peace , and trouble , in life and pang of death . And not let goe our hold , no though wee feele our selues , as it were , descend to Hell. Secondly , in Loue , for hee loued his enimies more then himselfe . Ephes. 5. 2. Walk in Loue , euen as Christ loued vs , and hath giuen himselfe for vs , &c. The like Loue ought wee to shew , by doing seruice to all men , in the compasse of our callings , and by being all vnto all , that wee might do them all the good we can both for body and soule . 1. Cor. 9. 19. Thirdly , in Meekenesse , Mat. 11. 28. Learne of mee , &c. His Meekenesse appeared in bearing Patiently all In●uries and abuses , and suffering the curse of the Law without grudging , submitting himselfe to his fathers will in all things : So must wee , and the more wee follow him herein , the more wee are like him in his Death and Refurrection . Fourthly , in his Humilitie , for being God , hee became man for vs , and of a man a worme , that is troden vnder foot , that hee might saue man. Phil. 2. 5. Let the same mind be in you , that was in Christ , who being equall with God , tooke vpon him the shape of a Seruant , and humbled himselfe euen to the death of the Crosse. Here is to be obserued , that the example of Christ hath something more in it then any other hath , or can haue , for it doth not onely shew vs what wee ought to doe , but it is both a remedie against many vices , as also a motiue to many good Dueties : as for example , the serious consideration that the very Sonne of God himselfe suffered all the wrath of God , and curse of the Law for our sins , is the most effectuall meanes to stir vp our hearts to a godly sorrow for them , to which end , euery man must bee perswaded that hee was the man that crucified Christ , that hee is to bee blamed as well as Herod , Pilate , and the Iewes , and that his sinnes were the nayles and speares that pearced Christ. Againe , if Christ for our sinnes shed his bloud , and if our sinnes made him sweate drops of bloud , why should not wee shed bitter teares for our sinnes ? Hee that findeth himselfe so dull and hardened , that the passion of Christ doth not humble him , is in a lamentable case . Againe , when thou art sicke and in paine , thinke how light these are , being compared to the Agony and bloudy Sweate , the Thorn● and Nayles which Christ endured : when thou art wronged & abused , turne thy eie to the crosse , consider how meekly Christ bare it , and prayed for them that put him to death : When thou art tempted with Pride and Vaine-glory , consider how for thy sinnes , Christ was mocked , despised and condemned : when thou art moued with anger and desire of reuenge , think how Christ gaue himselfe to death to saue his enimies , when they most cruelly set themselues against him , and these meditations being mingled with faith , will ease thy minde . And hence ariseth ( sayth M. Perk. ) a three-fold knowledge : first , of God : secondly , of our neighbour : thirdly , of our selues . Of God , for if wee would know him to our Saluation , wee must know him in Christ crucified , for God of his owne nature is inuisible , and is reuealed to vs onely in Christ , in whom hee sets foorth his Iustice , Wisedome , Goodnesse , and Prouidence . Heb. 1. 3. Col. 1. 3. whatsoeuer out of Christ commeth to vs in the name of God , is a flat Idoll of mans braine . The second knowledge that ariseth from the former meditations , is of our neighbours , that is , those that are of gods Church . They are to bee knowen of vs in this manner . When wee are to do any Duetie to them , wee are not barely to respect their persons , but Christ crucified in them , and them in Christ , Saul , Saul why , &c. when the poore come for reliefe , it is Christ , that commeth to our dores , and saith I am hungry , therefore let our compassion bee towards them as towards Christ. The third knowledge is of our selues , and the right knowledge of our selues , ariseth of Christ crucified , in whom and by whom wee come to the knowledge of fiue speciall things : First , the grieuousnesse of our sinnes , and our miserie in regard of them , for if wee consider our offences in our selues , wee may bee deceiued , because our conscience being corrupt often erreth in giuing testimonie , and so it seemes but little , but if sinne bee considered in the death and passion of Christ , whereof it was the cause , and the vilenesse thereof measured by the vnspeakable torments endured by him , the least sinne will appeare to be a most grieuous sinne indeed . Secondly , by this wee know that men beleeuing in Christ , are not their owne , but wholly both body and soule belong to Christ. Thirdly , that euery true beleeuer hath this being from Christ , not as hee is a man , but as hee is a new man. Fourthly , that all good works done of vs , proceede from the vertue , and merit of Christ crucified . Ioh. 15. 2. Fiftly , that we owe vnto Christ an endlesse debt , for hee was crucified onely as our suertie and pledge , and in the spectacle of his passion , wee must consider our selues as the chiefe debters , we owe him all our selues for the paines that hee endured , to set vs most miserable bankroupts at libertie , from Hell , Death , and the Diuell , but 〈◊〉 when doe wee beginne to pay it ? Thus wee see what benefits we haue by Christ crucified , and in what manner wee ought to vse them , but alas , but few haue treasured vp this knowledge of Christ , as they ought , for herein faile both the Papist , and the common Protestant . The Popish Churches though in word they confesse him , yet doe they not know him as they ought , for in their Sermons they vse the passion , as a means onely to stirre vp pittie and compassion towards Christ , and hatred of Pilate , the Iewes , and Iudas , &c. But the seruice of God which in that Church , stands now in force , by the Cannons of the Counsell of Trent , defaceth Christ crucified , in that first the Passions of Martires are made meritorious ; secondly , the very word and signe of the Crosse , is their onely refuge and help ; thirdly , the Virgine Mary is made the Queene of heauen , and a mother of Mercy , who may commaund her Sonne ; fourthly , they giue religious adoration to dumbe stocks , & Crucifixes made by the hands of men . The common Protestant also commeth short , for three causes , for first though in Word they confesse him to bee a Sauiour , that hath redeemed them , yet indeede they make him a patron of their sinnes : Secondly , they take knowledge of his merit , but little regard the vertue of his death , and resurrection , in mortifying of their sinfull lusts and affections : thirdly , they vsually content themselues generally and confusedly to know Christ to be their redeemer , neuer once seeking in euery perticuler estate of life , and blessing of God , to feele the benefit of his passion . What is the cause of all the securitie in the world , and that men are not touched for their sins ? surely because they did neuer yet seriouslie consider that Christ in the Garden , lay groueling vpon the earth , sweating of bloud , &c. for their offences . Againe oppressours of the poore , neuer knew that their sinnes drew out the hart bloud of Christ. Againe proud persons puffed vp with strange atire , neuer consider that Christ was not crucified in gay atire , but naked , that hee might beare the whole shame and curse of the Law for vs. These and such like , whatsoeuer they say in word , if we respect the tenor of their liues , are flat enimies of the crosse of Christ , and tread his precious bloud vnder their feete . So farre Perkins . But if thou wilt haue the Treasures of Christ in heauen , thus thou must learne to know and feele Christ crucified , and the benefits of his Merit , Vertue and Example , and thus must thou come to the knowledge of God , of thy neighbour , and of thy selfe , in Christ crucified , euen whiles thou art here vpon earth ; which feeling knowledge is a sauing knowledge , euen an excellent portion of heauenly Treasure , imparted to the true Christian in this life , and is a pledge of endlesse and infinite treasure prouided for him in the life to come , and so much for the wayes and meanes of laying vp treasute in heauen , which are by giuing to the poore Members of Christ , by suffering patiently for the truth of Christ , and by growing in the sauing knowledge of Christ crucified . In laying vp Treasure after this sort , we shal prooue good Alcumists . An Alcumist they say can turne lead into gold , or out of Lead or other mettals extract Golde , which many haue practised to their vtter vndoing . The Pope is the cunningest Alcumist it is thought that the world hath , for hee can of a pound of Lead , make an hundred pound of Gold , for all his Buls and Pardons are sealed with lead , but what fooles are they that turne their Gold into Lead , or what calues rather that buy his Buls so deare ? But lay vp Treasure as hath beene shewed thee before , and thou shalt turne earth into heauen , corruption into incorruption , Gold into godlinesse which is great gaine , labour into rest , sorrow into ioy , pouertie into riches , and thy cottage into a kingdome , euen the kingdome of heauen . Now followeth the reasons of Christs Commandement , For where your Treasure is there will your heart bee also . A Reason of great force as if hee should say , for this cause chiefly you ought to lay vp your treasure in heauen , that God may haue your heart , which cannot bee vnlesse you lay vp your Treasure in heauen , for our hearts will bee where wholy their Treasure is . Here wee are taught , that no man can loue the Lord with his heart , that seeketh and placeth his happinesse in earthly things , but onely those whose ioy and felicitie is in heauen , and the heauenly graces of the Lord Iesus Christ. Worldlings make no doubt but that they may , and doe serue God , and loue God with their heart , yea , and haue as good ● hart to God as any whatsoeuer , though they follow the world , & heare not sermons , although they keepe not the Sabboth so precisely as others do , which will not worke or play then , though they neuer meddle with the Scriptures , but bee vtterly ignorant of the wayes and will of God. But Christ here sheweth that they are al deceiued , by a general principle that neuer faileth . Wher the treasure is there will be the hart , and wher the hart is , there is the Treasure of the hart , wherupon it followeth that they doe wholy renounce heauen , that do seeke for happinesse here below , and if they set their harts vpon heauenly things , it cannot be that they should esteeme of them no better , or frequent them no oftner , then they doe . The Philosophers haue most exactly ( so much as the Star-light of nature would giue them leaue ) disputed of the happines or chiefe wel-fare of man. And no meruaile , for who doth not desire to bee happy , and to win that hold , are all mens Sences , and Wits mustred and marshalled , because it is the onely true treasure , For where the Treasure is , there will the hart be , but most men doe mistake the matter , while they seeke for happinesse in the flesh , which is not to be found but in the spirit , & while they confesse that it is in God , yet runne after the Diuell for it . When some seeke for it in Honour , Ambition is made generall of the field , and doth commaund the minde : while others seeke it in worldly profite , Couetousnesse doth inuade the soule , taking vp euery roome for worldly desires , and noysome lusts , which doe eat out the heart with cares , and drowne men in perdition : others seeking for it in carnall pleasure and sensualitie , cry one to another , come let vs eate and drinck , and bee merry , for to morrow wee shall dye : and in the meane time the brute beast in that regard is more happy then such Epicures , for that more freely , without any shame or feare hee enioyeth the pleasure of carnall sensualitie , then they doe . But if we were once soundly perswaded of our happines in heauen , it would bee an easie matter to tread the World vnder foote , and to haue our mindes mounted vp to heauen . If the loue of God bee our Treasure , and through the spectacles of a liuely faith , wee can read our names regestred in the booke of life , and descry our happinesse to be hidden in Christ ; if the spirit of Adoption doth certifie our spirits that God is our Father , and wee are his children , and with the same certificate shall deliuer vs a discharge against sinne , death and hell , then will our harts feede vpon heauenly meditations , and our soules hunger and thirst after righteousnesse , wee will then account all but dung , that wee might winne the Lord Iesus Christ. And then as the Hart brayeth for the riuers of water , so will our soules long for the presence of the Lord : And then the Word of God will bee the ioy of our harts , and wee will desire to bee dissolued ; and to bee with Christ , for where the Treasure is , there will the hart bee also : And vntill then wee shall sauour nothing but earthly vanities . Therefore when S. Paul would draw the faithfull to the studie of a heauenly life , he doth propound Christ vnto them , in whom onely all true felicitie is to bee sought , If yee bee risen with Christ ( saith hee ) set your minds on things aboue , and not on things which are below , as if hee should haue said , it is an absurd and base thing for christians to haue their mindes grubling on the earth , whose Treasure is hid in heauen , and that is his reason , for yee are dead ( saith hee ) and your life is hid with Christ in God. Hence we may further learne , in what a miserable case they are , whose harts are set vpon earthly things , which are subiect to Mothes , and Theeues , Rust ▪ and other such manifold mischiefes . A cousening match it is of the diuels owne making , hee is subtill , and sheweth men the world and the glory of it , the Court and the brauery of it , Honour and the fame of it , iniquitie and the profit of it , sinne and the pleasure of it , as it were his daughters with their dowrie . On the other side , wee are simple and beleeue him , presently our hart is a match , for them , and happy hee thincks himselfe that can get one of them , and to breake it off is a hard matter . Their affections are fixed vpon a liking , they haue taken , and although God himselfe forbid the banes , yet it is to no purpose , for they haue made a vowe , they haue spoken the word , and their harts are setled , and there is no remouing of them . And thus men doe runne despe●ately vpon their owne ruine , like the fool● that goeth laughing to the stocks , and all for want of due consideration , for if wee did but consider : first the basenesse : secondly , the wretchednesse : thirdly , the vanitie : and lastly , the daunger of this foolish match , wee would not set our harts vppon any thing that is in this world . How base a Worldling is . HOw base and vile a thing for a christian heart to be wedded to worldly things , may appeare by this , that man at the first , was created in innocency & holines , and in Christ is restored to the same againe , of all creatures hee is now the most noble , crowned with glory and honour , but a little inferiour to the Angels , hauing all things subiect vnto him , and all things are to doe him seruice , as the Angels to guard him , the Sonne of God to ransome him , the word of God to instruct him , the spirit of God to guid him , the children of God to visite him , the graces of God to adorne him , and ●he Kingdome of God to enrich him . And this is the estate of a Christian. Now for him that is so honourably descended , so highly aduanced , so dearely redeemed , and so mightely enriched , to haue his hart closed vp in some old wal , or locked vp in an iron Chest , or diging in the ground , like a Swine or Mole , or hunting after Vaine-glory , as after a feather , or wedded to vaine delights , or bathing in filthy pleasure , cannot bee iudged but for a very base thing , and matter of great indignitie . It is not for a Noble mans sonne to addict himselfe to the conditions of the vulgar sort , nor for a heroicall spirit , or man of great place , to besot himselfe in Ale-house pastimes : nor for honest persons , to ioy in the company of filthy packs : neither is it for a Christian mind , who is truely noble , and altogether heauenly , to set his hart vpon earthly things , which at the best are but vanitie and vexation of spirit . Therefore let Christians say as the Apostle saith : When I was ● childe I spake as a childe , I vnderstood as a childe , I thought as a childe : but when I became a man , I put away childish things : so when I was an earthly worldling ▪ I spake as a worldling , I vnderstood as a worldling , I studied as a worldling , worldly things onely , but when I became a right Christian indeed , I put away worldlinesse , and set my heart vppon Treasure that is in heauen . And therefore as Nehemiah ( when he considered the place of Magistracie and rule wherein hee was ) said , Should , should , a man as I flye ? so thou wilt say that art a true Christian , and considerest thy excellent calling , and what thou are borne againe vnto by grace , should such a man as I , bee an earth-worme ? and thus wee see how the dignitie of a Christian , sheweth how base a thing it is , to set the heart vpon earthly vanities , where Moths fret , Rust eate , & Theeues dig through and steale . How miserable a Worldling is . AS nothing is more base and sordid , so nothing is more miserable then to set the heart vpon earthly things , for that is to subiect the Prince to the Subiect , the Maister to the Seruant , or a Tyrant rather , who commaundeth both all the sences of the body , and all the powers of the soule without any rest at all . Salomon saith , it is intollerable for a seruant to beare rule , if intollerable then miserable and much to bee pittied . Paul saith : They that will bee rich fall into temptations and snares , and into many noysome and foolish lusts , which drowne men in perdition and destruction . Money is not vnfitly resembled in an Emblem by some to a Queene aduanced on a Chariot , which is drawne by a couple that represent the golden fooles of the world , Periculum & Pauor , Perill and Feare : the first draweth the Chariot in a coller stickt full o● Daggers with the points inward , and going bare footed vpon sharpe thornes : the other draweth with a sad countenance , and a gnawing conscience , still casting his eye backward to see who is neare , the attendants of this Golden Queene are bloudy Murther , spoyling Theft , frantick Folly , and hart gnawing Enuy , all couered with her vaile . The speach that she is receiued with is this following . Te bijugi inuectam curru exitiale periclum Sollicitusque pauor Regina pecunia ducunt . At quia stultitiam , furtum , caedesque cruent as Velas , cunctorum hinc in te spes firma recumbit . In English thus : Both danger deepe and gastly feare are yokt to draw thy Chariot O golden Queene : For fooles , & theeues , & bloudy murdring mates , thou with thy vaile dost hide from being seene , For which sole cause the harts and hopes of all In thee reposde haue alwayes firmely beene . This is true , yet of greater authoritie is that of the Apostle , to the same effect , The desire of money is the root of all euill , which while some haue lusted after , they erred from the faith , & pearced themselues through with many sorrowes , to shew that a man cannot set his heart vpon transitorie things , except hee will bee a murtherer of his owne soule , and liue in continuall sorrow , for earthly treasures and pleasures are lined and stuffed with sorrowes , not a few but many , not easie but sharp and pearcing , not a little way , but quite through to the very hart . Lo , thus is the worldling tormented on euery side , like one rolled in a barrell of nailes . Sathan sheweth onely the glory of the world , but Paul the sorrowes of the world ; Sathan the hony , but Paul the sting ; Sathan the honor , Paul the dishonour , to teach vs what course wee must take to auoid , or to make void this miserable match . What greater misery then to haue , and bee neuer satisfied ? Crescit amor nummi , &c. The desire of money encreaseth , as the heape encreaseth . Here is no end of gathering , as in the Dropsie there is no end of drinking , because by continuall drinking the thirst is more kindled , but no whit quench●d . How vaine a worldling is . AS the worldling is most base and miserable , so nothing is more vaine , for what greater vanitie then to bee addict●d or deuoted to those things which cannot performe that which is expected from them ? which are of so short continuance , which are so little while possessed , & are no mans lesse then his that gathereth them : such are all earthlie things , and hee that lusteth after them , to set his hart vpon them , is like those vaine fooles that lust to eate of painted grapes ; or rather like the rich foole in the Gospell , who hauing enlarged his Barnes , cryeth out , like one in a dreame , and bids his soule now take rest ( for indeed hee had found but little rest before ) and his reason is , because hee hath now goods inough for many yeers , but as he was thus dreaming of many yeeres goods and rest , a voice comes and awakes him and tels him plainly that he doth vtterly mistake the matter , Thou foole ( saith hee ) this night shall they fetch away thy Soule , and then whose goods shall those be that thou hast gathered ? So is it ( saith Christ ) with him that gathereth riches to himselfe , and is not rich in God. This vanitie is well set out by the holy Ghost , when Salomon saith , there is an euill sicknesse , namely , ●iches reserued to the hurt of their owners , and these riches perish by euill trauaile . And this is also an euill sicknesse ( saith the man of experience ) that in all points as hee came , so shall hee goe , and what profit hath hee that he hath trauailed for the winde ? I haue also seene a man ( saith he ) to whom God hath giuen riches , and treasures , and honour , and he wanteth nothing for his soule of all that he desireth , but God giueth not power to eate thereof , this is vanitie and vexation of spi●it . As this vanitie is a vexation to the spirit of man , so is it no lesse grieuous to the spirit of God , for that contrary to the minde of our heauenly father , we bestow our loue so fondly , vpon that which cannot help vs. The commandement saith , wee must honour our parents ; now amongst other things tending to the honour of our earthly parents , this is not the least , for a child to require the consent of his parents in bestowing of himselfe in marriage ; and to marrie against their mindes , especially when there is reason to the contrary , cannot bee but a great dishonour offred to our parents . But what earthly parents haue so great interest in their children , as God hath in vs ? what childe oweth such dutie to his earthly parents , as wee owe to God ? If I be your father ( saith the Lord ) where is my honour ? as if hee had said , if you depend vpon me for your prouision , and looke for my blessing , how is it that you set your harts vpon my creatures , & not vpon mee , knowing that my minde is so much against such foolish bestowing of your selues ? as though I could not or would not fill your harts with as much ioy and gladnesse , as my creatures can doe , and more too . Therefore saith Paul to Timothy , Charge them that are rich in this world , that they bee not high minded , and that they trust not in vncertaine riches , but in the liuing God. How dangerous worldliness is to the Soule . THere is no truer Nobilitie , then to be a citizen of the heauenly Ierusalem , sonne and heire to the most high , all which is defaced and abolished , if the hart lie buried in earthly things . There is no sounder ioy , then the ioy of the holy ghost , which is a fruit of Faith , & is grounded on the loue of God , but this cannot bee relished or tasted by him , whose hart doth cleaue to this miserable bondage of worldly cares . There are no such goods as the sanctifying graces of the holy ghost , which onely make a man truely happy , as to cleaue vnto God by faith , to loue the Lord from the hart , to worship him in spirit and truth , and to bee wholly vnited vnto him . But far is hee from these things , whose hart is set vpon earthly goods : At the Sermon , his minde runneth after his couetousnesse , and with his mouth hee maketh iests , both of the doctrine and Doctor , because hee liketh neither the one nor the other ; like the Pharises which mocked Christ when hee spake against couetousnesse , because themselues were couetous . When the Sermon is done , they forget al , because their harts wer choked with the thorny cares of the world : if they fall to reporting of the Sermon , it is with additions and detractions , mistakings and falsify cations , most strange to heare , as if the Preacher had ben mad , or drunke , or in some dreame , when he spake . Thus the word of life and grace , which is a sweet sauour of life , vnto life eternall , to the regenerate and spirituall minde , yeeldeth a most fearefull sauour of death , vnto death euerlasting , to the carnall & worldly minded man. Seeing therefore to bestow the hart & affection vpon earthly things , is proued to be a match so base , and vnbeseeming the dignitie of a Christian , so wretched and miserable , so vaine and deceiptfull , so dishonourable to God , and preiudiciall to our owne saluation , let vs labour by earnest prayer and holy meditation , to haue our mindes purged from this euill sicknesse of worldly loue , and neuer giue the Lord any rest , vntill by zealous prayer wee haue obtained of his diuine Maiestie the wings of a liuely Faith , whereby our heauie harts , and dull spirits may bee mounted vp aloft , to seeke for our Treasure in heauen , and then indeed shall wee bee heauenly minded , for where the Treasure is , there will the hart bee also ▪ How to iudge by the heart whether ● mans Treasure be in heauen or no. THere be certaine signes in the hart , whereby a man may iudge of his estate to come , as there be in the skie , to know what weather shall happen : when the skie is red in the Euening , men say , faire weather : when it is red & lowring in the morning , it is a signe of foule weather : when a cloud riseth out of the West , they say , a shower is comming : when the South-winde bloweth , a signe of heat . By obseruing how Ionathan shot his arrows , Dauid knew how Saul stood affected towards him : by the holding out of the golden Scepter , Hester knew shee was in the Kings fauour : by the budding of the Trees wee know that Summer is come : by the sound of the Vessell the emptinesse or fulnes thereof is perceiued : by the beating of the pulses , the distemperature of the body is discerned . And by the affections of the heart , which are the pulses of the soule , the hearts Treasure is discouered , and where it lyeth , for God that hath giuen men signes to know the state of the body , the alteration of weather , and the mindes of other men , hath also giuen certaine notes and signes to discerne the state of the Soule by . Yea , Christ doth condemne them for Hypocrites , which will not iudge of themselues , as well as of other things . Hipocrites ( saith hee ) Yee can discerne the face of the Earth , and of the Skie , but why discerne yee not this time ? yea , and why iudge yee not of your selues what is right ? But how may that be ( will some say ) or how may a man know by the affections of the heart , where the hearts treasure is ? Then mark the way of wisdome , and learne to bee wise , when the Lord Iesus heard one answeare discreetely , he said vnto him , Thou art not farre from the kingdome of God , to shew that discreet answeres in matters of religion are signes of grace . When Zacheus did with heart obey Christ , and with reuerence receiue Christ , and in charitie releiue Christ , & in conscience of his wrongs done , was ready to restore where hee had wrongfully receiued , the Lord Iesus said vnto him , This day Saluation is come into thy house : to shew that true conuersion is a certaine signe of Life and Saluation . By this I know ( saith Dauid ) that thou louest mee O Lord , because my enimies doe not triumph ouer mee : to shew that euen enimies are for signes & tokens of gods fauour . By this shall all men know that yee are my Disciples ( saith our sauiour Christ ) ●f yee loue one another : to shew that christian loue is for a signe of gods loue , but not a cause thereof as Papists teach . And by the heart a man may know whether his part be in the booke of life , and whether his soule shall bee bound vp in the bundell of the righteous or no : For where the treasure is , there will th● heart bee also : that is , there will be the ioy and delight of the heart , the loue and de●ire of the heart , the care and longing of the heart , for the heart in this place is put for the affections of the heart or soule . If then thou wouldest know whether thy Treasure bee in heauen or hell : see where thy heart doth most ●aunt , and whereabout it is most employed . If Christ be the man & the matter whom thy soule loueth , if his Gospell bee the ioy of thy soule , & his commandements thy harts delight ; if for loue of his name , and zeale to his glory , thou fearest more to offend him then all the world besides , and art for his sake , content to endure with patience all the Tribulations & crosses that the hands of wicked men can loade vpon thy backe ; if thou canst finde thy heart resolued to drink of his cup , and to bee baptised with his Baptisme ; & if thou bee bent to stand more zealously for his glory , then for thy own life ; and if thy heart bee refreshed , when thou thinkest on his death , and art hartely desirous of his comming to Iudgement : then happy and blessed art thou , the king of kings hath put forth his golden Scepter vnto thee , thou art in his fauour , the fruitfull Tree of Grace hath budded in thy hart , the Summer time of thy refreshing is approching , and the Lord delighteth in the fruit of thy faith : thy treasure is in heauen , thy prouision is gone before , & thou shalt follow after , yea more , if thy heart doth mourne and grieue for thy owne vntowardnesse , and the sinnes of other men , thou art marked by Gods owne Secretary , his sauing Angell hath set thee apart , that the destoyers ● may not meddle with thee , if they meete thee in their way . And as Christ said to Nathaniel : Dost thou beleue because I said I saw thee vnder the figge Tree ? thou shalt see greater things then these : Soe do you beleeue because I say , by the hart you shal know whether your treasure be in heauen ? you shall see greater things then yet you doe , for now wee see but in part , and we know but in part ; but hereafter wee shall know as wee are knowne : in the meane time take these things as the first fruites of the spirit , which are but th● least part of the haruest , or as an earnest penny in assurance of millions not to bee numbred , for certainly , where the hart is , there is the treasure , but how great a treasure , no eye hath seene , nor eare hath heard , nor tongue can expresse , nor hart can conceiu● . On the other side , if thy hart hath no ioy in the gospell of Christ , nor delight in the commandements of God , if thou haue no zeale for the glory of God , no desire to pray , nor longing for the coming of Christ , then feare , for where thy treasure is , there will thy heart be also . If thou hast more felicitie in worldly vanities , then in heauenly vertues , if vaine company bee more welcome vnto thee , then such as feare the Lord , if thy study be onely how to liue heere , & thy cares and communications be altogether ●arthly and prophane , then suspect thy estate not to bee good , and know that thy hollow sound bewrayeth an emptie vessell , thy figge tree hath nothing but leaues , all thy Termes are but vacations , and as for treasure in heauen thou hast none , for they that are occupiers there , haue their harts wholly employed there , and as they looke for great aboundance when they come thether , so they finde an earnest thereof in their harts heere , al● is holy , and heauenly , comfortable and happie , for righteousnesse and truth hath looked downe from heauen vpon them , and mercy and peace haue embraced each other in their soules , and heauen holding their treasure doth also hale and draw their harts thither likewise . Now then let vs see how our harts stand affected , for there is a sure witnesse and pledge eyther of Hell or of Heauen . But how shall wee know whether our hearts be in heauen , and Gods holy spirit be in our hearts ? Surely a needfull question ; for euery one wil say as the yong man in the Gospel , all these things I haue obserued from my youth , and that he loueth God aboue all , yea hee would be sorry else , but the Prophet Ieremie saith , that the heart is deceiptfull & wicked aboue all things , who can know it ? and therefore to be suspected & examined as Dauid aduised : Examine your hearts vpon your beds , euen secretly before God , and free from all lets and encombrances : Wouldest thou then know thy heart , examine all her attendants , and vnder officers wherabout they are chiefly employed , as thy Tongue , thy Eares , thy Eyes , thy hands and feet ; for out of the abundance of the hart the mouth speaketh , that is , the tongue will shew how the hart is affected , my hart is enditing of a good matter ( saith the Psalmist ) and presently followeth , my tongue is the pen of a ready writer . Againe in another place , My hart was hot within me and I spake with my tongue . A good man ( saith our Sauiour Christ ) out of the good treasure of his hart bringeth forth good things . If there be abundance of loue to God , the tongue will still bee speaking in commendation of his praises , and setting forth his greatnes , his goodnes , his iustice , his holines , his wisdome and mercy , &c. as the Church in the Canticles , Oh let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth , for thy loue is better then wine , that is , better then all pleasant and profitable things . If there bee abundance of ioy and delight in the commandements of God , thy lips will declare the Iudgements of his mouth ; If there be abundance of feare to offend against God , or the Godly , thou wilt set a watch before thy mouth , and thy feet shall carry thee speedely from euill company ; If there be abundance of zeale in thy hart ; then will thy tongue be enflamed with a holy fire for the truth ; If thy hart doth abound with desire and longing for the presence of the Lord , then thou wilt still be wishing , and striuing to visit his house here , and to meete him in the clouds . In a word , the whole course of a mans life , his speach , his countenance , his company , his exercises , his watchfulnesse , his habite , his dyet , his building , his purchasing , his children , his seruants , his buying & ●elling , his trading & sporting all wil bewray of what country hee is , and whither his hart is trauailing , as Iehu was knowne by his marching . Wel may he vse the world for necessities sake , but it shall be as though he vsed it not , like an In to bait in ▪ but not to abide in : he may see therin , and salute those that passe by , but the hart still holdeth on his course to his heauenly country , and saith as Christ said in the gospel , when he knew that his enimies were not far off , Arise , let vs goe hence , here is no abiding for vs , On the contrary , if couetousnes ; ambition , vncleane lusts , pride , en●ie , mallice , profanenes , or the like , doe abound in thy hart , thy tongue , thy countenance , thy company , & all will bewray it . Out of the mouth will flie vnsauery Iests , thy mind will run like a wilde horse vp and downe in the world . When Christ is deuiding of heauenly doctrine , then commeth the worldling and interrupteth him , with Maister deuide the inheritance between me & my brother . And as Christ himselfe by scribling on the ground , shewed that hee did not regard what the malicious Iewes said , when they came to accuse the adultresse woman : so at the table , when grace is in saying , or at the temple in the holy exercises of religion ; the worldlings minde being not on those things , wil bewray the same euen by the very motions of their fingers , or by their looking about vpon some other thing But hipocrits will make as great a shew as any , and spin a very fine thred , saying also as that yong bragger in the Gospell , willing to iustifie himselfe , all this haue we done . And so they wil , and may in pollicy , but not in true pietie ; from the braine perhaps , but not from the heart ; of the abundance of braine , that is , wittie and cunning inuention : the tongue of the hipocrit speaketh good things , and keepeth good company , and frequenteth the word & Sacraments , not of loue , nor zeale , nor desire to glorifie God , for that is the store of a good heart , which hee wanteth , but onely like a crafty Fox , and cunning pollitician , ●asteth in his braine which way to bring his purpose to passe , & so serueth the time that the time may serue his turne . And therfore as occasion serueth , hee is a right temporizer , commending with his tongue that which hee condemneth in his heart , like the diuell who confessed Iesus Christ to be the son of God , whom he loued not : but his heart in the meane time frameth mischiefe and deceipt , a de●● it is for infernall furies , and a cage of vncleane birds ; it delighteth in vain exercises , & vaine company , and is fraught like a ship with vile thoughts , he is a man of Beliall that hath lewde things in his heart , and when time , company , and occasion serue , wil of this abundance , both speak & do lewdly . Two notable examples of such ware , doth the scripture afford vs , the one is in the harlo● pleading before king Salomon : the other is in Herod . The holy story saith , two har●ots pleaded hard , aswell to cleare themselues of the death of that childe , that was ouerlaid , as to iustifie the claim that was made by each of them to the suruiuing child : wel to decide the controuersie about the liuing child , the king calleth for a sword , & commandeth it to be cut in peece● , & diuided betweene them , knowing right well by the wisedome which God had giuen him , how nature would worke in the true mother . The dissembling monster thinking that the King had ment as he said , said as hee said , & yet no otherwise then as she would haue had it : the other from the aboundance of naturall affection was content ra●her to loose her interest in her owne childe , then that the poore infant should innocently be depriued of his life : So hipocrites , and true professours make both one shew and plead both for the truth , as they would make the world beleeue , but vpon occasions offered in time and place , the difference will easily appeare . The other example is of Herods dealing towards the Wise men ▪ which came from the East they came in simplicity of heart , shewing plainly the end of their comming and confessing boldly that they had seene Christs star in the East ▪ but Herod like a Foxe very polliti●ely beareth a part in their song , but harbouring at the same instant a bloudy Tragedy in his hart , which hee meant to haue acted so soone as hee should learn wher Christ was borne . The like dissembling is to be found in another Herod , & Herodias , in Mat. 14. 2. Iohn the Baptist was great with the multitude , therfore Herod wil seeme to heare him gladly , yea to reu●rence & commend his doctrin , this was in Herods head , but let Iohn tell him of his perticular sinne , ( as he did ) and then it will appeare what is in his hart , not Iohn but Herodias , not holines but whoredome , & that shall this busie controller ( as the world speaks of Preachers ) well know to , for to prison he must goe , & were it not for feare of the multitude hee should dye too . Herodias is as cunning as Herod , for so long as the King doth reuerence Iohn Baptist , she will not seeme to mislike him greatly , especially before the King , yet she hath a quarrell against him , & in her hart she wisheth his head off , onely she watcheth a fit time , which fell out iust vpon his birthday , solemnized with all riot and excesse , she sends in a wanton Damosell , instructed & prepared before with a harlots impudent face , to daunce before the King and his company ; the profane hipocrite is so far pleased with her sport , that he ( forgetting himself , his honor , & the vnstinted appetite of a shameles woman ( whose hart is subtill , & her waies so moueable and intricate that they cannot bee knowen ) bids hir aske but what she wil , & it shal be giuen her , as the manner of all hipocrites is , for though Herod heard Iohn gladly , & shewed some kinde countenance to him for the time , yet the wicked & lasciuious works of the flesh , do please him better then all the holy doctrines and Se●mons that Iohn taught , as appeareth by his large offer . For though he heard Iohn baptist , yet was he neuer ●o f●ee ha●ted towards him , as hee was now to a tripping Minion , but after the manner of courting gallants , and Protestants at large , who will perhaps sometime inuite the Preacher to a dinner , and tell him that he is a good man , & doth wel to tell men of their faults , and if we do not follow your sayings , and the good counsel● ( say they ) it is worse for vs ▪ & so with a cap and a gentle congie they bid him farewel . But Herodias his sweet hart , shall haue his hart ▪ and the golden Misers , and pleasant companions shall please them so , that nothing shal be thought too deere for them . Well now is the time , to know both their harts , for these pleasing placeboes , with their tripping trulles , care not a straw for any preaching , but in their harts wish all ( except their mealy mouthd Prophets which neuer goe without a slickstone in their pocket ) hangd out of the way . And till sit time serueth , they can daunce after times pipe , but if time change his note , they will also change their coppy , and will make better Christians then euer . Herod was to daunce after their pipe ( if Gods grace be not the more abounding ) euen to the bitter perfecuting and disgracing of Gods poore Ministers and seruants , yea they haue the skill to watch the time at a feast , at a dauncing reuell , or a gossips meeting , to winne their harts de●ire , and make better then Herod , to doe that they will be sorry for afterward . Therefore let men take heed , that they be not deceiued by such hipocrites , and that they deceiue not themselues , whiles they professe religion from the head , and not from the hart . But some will say , a man may be religious in hart , and yet fall away from grace , and so come to no assurance of treasure in heauen , because it is said in the Gospell , that some receiued the word with ioy , and yet fel away : now ioy is an affection of the hart ; and ioy in the word is a fruite of the spirit . Gal. 5. therfore it seemeth y ● though a man hath a religious heart , yet hee may fall away , & consequently one cannot tell by his heart whether he hath any treasure in heauen or no. But that ioy that S. Matthew speakes of , is rather a liking or wondring at the heauenly doctrine , as at some strange and excellent thing , then any sound or setled reioycing in God who speaketh in his word And ioy is to be distinguished , for it is eyther carnall and temporary , or spirituall and permanent . A carnall man reioyceth many times at a Sermon , for the preachers rare inuention , or his varietie of phrases , or the sharpnes of his wit , or the artificiall conuaiance of the matter , or his excellent gift of vtterance and boldnes , or because hee heard some touched that hee was not friends withall , but not for the simplicitie and euidence of the truth ; nor for any reformation that he felt wrought in himselfe ; nor for any hatred of sinne ; or loue of righteusnes , that the word wrought in him ; for commonly such kinde of reioycers or admirers of men , goe presently from the Sermon with the dog to eat vp their vomit , and Swine-like to tumble in their mire again . Such were many of Iohns auditours , such were many of Christs auditors , such were most of Ezechiels auditours : and such are too many of our auditours , which flock at the first to a man for nouelties sake , to see whether they shall be clawed with a curry-combe ▪ or smoothed with a slik-stone . Such are they that haue the word of God in respect of persons : and such are those fantasticks , that will buy a booke onely for the merry conceits , that are in it , and not for the matter ▪ like children which ioy in a booke with a faire couer , and reioyce more at the gaies or gawdy letters , then any thing else in the booke ▪ be it neuer so good . The spirituall man reioyceth , for that God hath found out his sinne , and feeleth the hand of God reforming his heart ; he reioyceth for that he perceiueth Sathan dispossessed and his life amended , his soule hee findeth humbled , and his affections bridled , himselfe won to God and his familie with him , and for this hee reioyceth like the conuerted Iaylor , who reioyced for that he and all his houshold beleeued in God. But now the afflicted soule is to be satisfied who complaineth with the Spouse of Christ in the Canticles , that shee hath sought him whom her soule loueth , euen by night in her bed she hath sought him , but she cannot finde him , that is , the conscience afflicted with the wounds of sin , cannot find in her hart any assurance of Gods fauour , in the remission of her sinnes . But for answere we say , that there is an earnest penny & pawne of Gods loue in that hart , though as it were , sealed vp in a bag , and in time it shall be opened , and perceiued : for first , the very seeking after the loue of God is a speciall fauour of God , and an euident token that the spirit of God is there , for that proceedeth not of flesh and bloud , Seeke yee my face ( saith the Lord ) my hart answered ( saith Dauid ) thy fa●e will I seeke , hee doth not say , thy face will I finde , but seeke , to shew that seeking of gods fauour is a grace of God , as well as finding of God● fauour , Seeke and yee shall find ( saith Christ ) to shew that finding comes after seeking . Seek the Lord ( saith Esay ) while he may be fouud , and call vpon him while he is nigh at hand : to shew that God is sought for by inuocation or calling vpon his name , long before hee is found , or felt gracious vnto vs , but euen then he is nigh at hand , or else we could not call vpon him : for it is euen his spirit that sends forth our prayers , and helps them with sighes and grones , and if hee did not help and heaue vp our dull and drowsie spirits , we should neuer once flutter towards heauen , but euen lye like dead blocks , sencelessely groueling vpon the ground . Again , Christ is in the hart of the troubled spirit , for asmuch as the loue of Christ is there , for the saith , whom my soule loueth , which very loue that thou bearest to Christ , is a note of the sanctifying spirit of God. Againe , thou desirest to feele the assurance of Gods loue , which desire is also a pledge of the spirit of grace . A man may feare God in some sort , and ioy in the things of God for a time , in some carnall respect , & desire with the sluggard , Balam● like to dye the death of the righteous , and yet not loue the Lord , but the loue of God , & desire of his fauour makes all sure . Fourthly , if thou feele it not yet as thou wouldest , then vse the meanes of Preaching , Reading , Prayer , Conference , Meditation , and patiently waite the Lords leasure , as Dauid saith to his Soule , Waite on God and be not so cast downe , for he is thy present help , and thy God. As a sicke man taketh meat & drink , and phisick , though it goeth against the stomacke , and his stomacke so weake that it casteth vp all againe , yet hee hath a desire to brooke it , and doth striue to keepe it , and at last it worketh strength : so is it with the sick & distempred Soule . There is a defect in the stomacke , or in the pallat , or in some other part of the body , which hindreth the working of corporall phisick ; so in the inward man , there may be a defect in the vnderstanding which may bee darkish & cloudy , or in the vtterance which may be slow , or in the memory which may be obliuious , or in the Faith which may be weak , or in the repentance which may be dull , or in the will which may be waiward , or in the Loue which may be cold , yet in all these remaine a double com●ort : first , these graces are in truth in thee , for thou vnderstandest aright , and remembrest the best things , and beleeuest the word , and repentest in truth , with hatred of sinne , and louest God and his word euen for themselues : and secondly , so much as thou vnderstandest , knowest , remembrest , beleeuest & louest , thou affectest & embracest in hart vnfainedly , and desirest to grow in them , and to practise them , all which are blessed signes of the grace of God. And lastly , if thou didst once feele the forgiuenes of thy sinnes , and God fauourable vnto thee in his sonne Christ , and now wantest that feeling , know that for some iust cause , it is taken from thee , either to humble thee , or to make thee more thankfull when thou feelest so great grace bestowed vpon thee , or to make it come againe vnto thee , after thy humiliation , & tryall of thy patience , with greater ioy & sweetnes , for ioy restored is sweeter then ioy continued . That God that hath vouchsafed of his great goodnesse to shew vs in some measure , the difference betweene the treasures of the earth , and the riches of his kingdome , and by giuing vs the one doth allure vs to loue and accept of the other , giue vs grace so to seeke and vse the one , that in the end of our race wee may obtaine the other , and that for his infinite mercies sake in Iesus Christ our Lord and all sufficient Sauiour , to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost , be giuen all honour and glory , with power and dominion , for euer and euer , Amen . FINIS . Errata . Fol. 1. b. line 13. read thornes . fol. 23. b. l. 8. read ballist . l. 24. r. Prayer . fol. 25. l. 24. r religions dowry . fol. 32. b. l. 5. r. the almightie . l. 20. r. bellowing . fol ▪ 65. b. l. 12. r. such a man. Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A17320-e340 1. Tim. 6. 9 The scop & summ● of this Text. The parts of the Text. Ioh. 6. 27. Luk. 12. 33 Mat. 10. 9 Mat. 6. 25. Treasure 1. King. 5 Pro. 2. 4. Mat. 13. Mat 13. ● Mat. 12. ● ●sa . 33. 6 ●uk . 6. 45. ●uk 12. 33 Cor. 4. 7 Cor. 2. 9 Pro. 2. 4. 1 King. 10 22 Gen. 37. 28 Chap. 39. 1 Gen. 41. 35 Ioh. 6. 12. 1 Cor. 12. 14 Tim. 5. 8. Prouerbs . Thessalo . Luk. 12. 33 ● Thess. 3. 10 Ioh. 6. 27. Psal. 90. 10 Mat. 2 28. Hes. 3. 5. 6 Sam. 1. Cor. 15 Luk 12. 19 Mat. 22. 5. Luk. 14. 18 Gen , 25. 32 Heb. 12. 16 Christs Reason . The miserie of a worldling Mat. 16. Luke . 12. Dan. 4. Weedes . ●hil . 3. 18. Act. 14. 15. 18. Virg. Aen. lib. 1. Eccles. 1. Vse . 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. The Affirmatiue part . Heauenly Treasures are to bee preferred in three respects , viz. 1. Excellencie . 2. Securit● 3. Perpetuitie . Of the excellency of the Christians Treasure . Obiect . Answere . Col. 2. 3. Eph. 1. 3. Iohn . 1. 16. Act. 17. 28. Cant. 5. 8. Cant. 5. 8. Verse . 9. Verse . 10. 11 12 13 14 15 16 Apo. 21. 2 Verse . 11. 12 14 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 1. Cor. 2. Apo. 3. 18. Pro. 8. 10. Pro. 16. 16 Pro. 3. 13. 14 15 16 17 18 Phi. 3. 20. Apo. 4. Christs ship described . Eph. 6. Act. 3. 6. The cornmodities of the Gospell . Earthly Treasure . doth follow the heauenly . Mat. 6. 33. 1 King 3 12. 13 Ruth . 4. 4. 5 1 Tim. 4. 8 Apoc. 22. 2 Mal. 3. 10. Mat. 5. 2 Cor. 4. Mat. 17. Psal. 32. 10. Mat. 25. 20 1 Tim. 1. 19. Of their Perpetuity Milo. Mal. 4. 2. Ioh. 2. Of their Security . 3 Bees . Fran. Petrach . de remedijs vtriusque fert . Nothing more frail or vnquiet than the life of Man. Memory , Vnderstanding and prouidence peruerted vnto our own toile &c. Cares . Grieued . Vexed . Afraid . Entrance blindnes . Progresse labour . End sorrow . Course error . Day . Morning . War with Fortune . Better ouercome then bee had in continual scorne . The cause , our ●owne lightnesse . Vniuersal discord betweene man & the Creatures . Of the Elements . No Creature without war. Of Loue and Mariage . Masters & Seruants . Parents & Children . Friends . Bees . Doues . Moth. Rot. Wormes Sparrow . Mildew . Moule . The toiles of the richer sort . Of Man against Man. Lawyer● for thy Wealth ▪ Phisitions for health . Strife for Religion . To doe n● the most doe . Horace . Diruit , ●dificat , mutat quadrata rotundis . Contention without an aduersary . Scriueners . Souldiers . Speakers & writers . Infants . Children . Yong men Women . Old men● Of the internall strife in a mans self . Vse . Obiect . Answ. Obiect . Answere . 2. Cor ▪ 12. Rom. 7. Luk. 22. 32 Ioh. 16. 20 1. Tim. 2 13 Verse . 19. 2. Tim 1. 12 Rom. 8. 26 Obiect . Answere . Heb. 13. How mos●men goe to Gods house . Foure circūstances . 1 Place . 2 Time. 3 Manner how . 4 Why. 1. Cor. 9. 24 2. Cor. 4. Ioh. 5. 39. Ioh. 5. 39. Psa. 19. 10 Ps. 119. 92 Pro. 3. 13. 14 15 16 17 The crosse of Christ an offence to some . How to auoid the former offence . Prou. 2 , 1● 2 3 4 5 Reu. 3. 18. Of the time when to lay vp . &c. E●cles . 9 Eccle. 12. ● Esa. 55. 6. Rom. ● . 1. Iohn . 5● Euill company how dangerous Eecle . 9. 18 How to lay vp heauenly treasure . Luk. 12. 33 Mar 19. 21 Mat 25. 34 Esa 58. 7. Necessary encouragements , and why , Ouerplus for the poore . Cal. Har. Ma● 10. 42 The 2 way to lay vp , &c. Ioh. 15. Mat. 10. 39 Rom. 8. 17 35 36 37 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18 The third way to lay vp , &c. Phil. 3. 10. Ephe. 1. 4. Col. 2. 3. Iohn . 1. Iob. 13. 15 Esa. 11. 6. Dan. 1. 9. Psal 91. 13 Hos. 2. 18. The secōd benefite . The third benefice . The 4 benefite , Of Christs Vertue . Of Christs example . Consormitie in morall duties . Faith. Loue. Meeknes . Humility . Acts. 9. A true Christian a good Alcumist . Verse . 21. The secōd part containing the reason of the Commandement . Summū Bonum . Col. 3. 1. 2. Verse . 3. Foure things to be considered in this match ● . Basenesse 1. Cor. 13. 11 Nehe. 6. 11. Prouerbs . 1. Tim. 6. ● ● . Tim. 6. 10. Luk. 12. Eccle. 5. 12 15 Cap. 6. 1. A dishonour to God. ●al ▪ 1. 6. ● . Tim. 6. 17 Eze. 33. 31 Luk. 16. 14 Mat. 16. 3 Luk 12. 5● Luke . 12. 56. 57. Mar 12. 34 Luk. 19. Psa. 41. 11 Ioh. 13. 34 ●omfortable 〈◊〉 . Ez●ch . 9 ▪ 4 Ioh. 1. 50. 1. Cor. 2. 9 Mat 1● Ier. 17. 9. Psal. 4. Mat. 12. 35 Psal. 45. 1 ●sal . 39. 2. lat ▪ 12. 35 Can. 1. 1. Ps. 119. 13 Psal. 42. 1. Luk. 12. 13 oh . 8. 6. Obiect . Answere . 1. King. 3 ▪ Mat. 14 Obiect . Mat. 13. 20 Gal. 5. 22. Answere . Act. 16. 34 Obiect . Cōscience afflicted . Cant. 5. 1. Answere . Psal. 27. 8. Matth. 5. Esa. 55. 2 3 4 Psal. 43. ●imile . 
A37244	----	A work for none but angels & men that is to be able to look into and to know ourselves, or a book shewing what the soule is, subsisting and having its operations without the body ... : of the imagination or common sense, the phantasie, sensative memory, passions, motion of life, the local motion, intellectual power of the soul ... Thomas Jenner has lineas composuit. Davies, John, Sir, 1569-1626. 1658 Approx. 102 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 24 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A37244 Wing D410 ESTC R27853 10174979 ocm 10174979 44697 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A37244) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 44697) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1381:13) A work for none but angels & men that is to be able to look into and to know ourselves, or a book shewing what the soule is, subsisting and having its operations without the body ... : of the imagination or common sense, the phantasie, sensative memory, passions, motion of life, the local motion, intellectual power of the soul ... Thomas Jenner has lineas composuit. Davies, John, Sir, 1569-1626. Jenner, Thomas, fl. 1631-1656. 39 p., [6] p. of plates : ill. Printed by M.S. for Thomas Jenner, London : 1658. Prose version of Sir John Davies' poem Nosce te ipsum--LCCP. Includes "What heaven is, vindicated from the vulgar mistakes and gross conceivings of many" (p. 29-39) which is attributed to Thomas Jenner by LCCP. Reproduction of original in the Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. 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Salvation. 2005-12 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-04 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-06 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2006-06 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A WORK For none but ANGELS & MEN THAT IS , To be able to look into , and to know our selves . OR A BOOK Shewing what the SOULE Is , Subsisting and having its operations without the Body ; it s more then a perfection or reflection of the Sense , or Temperature of Humours ; Not traduced from the Parents subsisting by it self without the Body : How she exercises her powers in the Body the vegetative or quickning power of the Senses . Of the Imagination or Common sense , the Phantasie , Sensative Memory , Passions , Motion of Life , the Locall Motion , Intellectuall powers of the soul . Of the Wit , Understanding , Reason , Opinion , Judgement , Power of Will , and the Relations betwixt Wit and Will. Of the Intellectuall memory , which is the Souls store-house , wherein all that is laid up therein , remaineth there even after death and cannot be lost ; that the Soule is Immortall , and cannot dye , cannot be destroyed , her cause cease●h not , violence nor time cannot destroy her ; and all Objections answered to the contrary . Thomas Jenner has lineas composuit . In faelix qui pauca sapit spernitque doc●ri Such knowledge is too wonderfull for me , it is high , I cannot attaine unto it , Psal . 139.6 . LONDON : Printed by M. S. for Thomas Jenner , at the South-Entrance of the Royall EXCHANGE . 1658. Of the Soule of Man , and the Immortality thereof . Why , since the desire to know , did corrupt the roote of all mankind , did my parents send me to Schoole that my minde might be inriched therewith ? for when our first parents cleere and sharpe reasons eye , could have approached the eternall light , as the Intellectuall Angells , even then the Spirit of lies suggests , that because they saw no Ill , therefore they were blind and breathed into them a curious wish , which did corrupt their will : for that ill they straight desired to know , which ill was nothing but a defect of good , which the Devill could not shew while man stood in his perfection ; so that they were first to doe the Ill , before they could attaine the knowledge of it ; as men by tasting poyson know the power of it , by destroying themselves . Thus man did ill to know good , and blinded reasons eye to give light to passions eye , and then he saw those wretched shapes of misery , and woe , nakednesse , shame , and poverty by experience ; Reason grew darke and could not discern the fair formes of God and truth , and mans soul which at first was fair , spotlesse , and good sees her selfe spotted , hanted with spirits impatient to see her own faults ; therefore turnes her selfe outward , and sees the face of those things pleasing and agreable unto her sences , so that she can never meet with her selfe . The lights of Heaven , which are the fair eyes of the World , they looke down upon the World to view it , and as they run and wander in the Skies , they survey all things that are on the Center , yet the lights mine eyes , which see all objects farre and nigh , look not into this little world of mine , nor see my face in which they are fixed since nature fails us in no needfull thing , why doe I want means to see my inward selfe , which sight might bring me to the knowledge of my selfe , which is the first degree to true wisdome , that power which gave me ability to see externals , infused an inward light , to see my self by means of which I might have a perfect knowledge of my own form . But as the eye can see nothing without the light of the Sun , neither can the mind see her self without Divine light , for how can art make that cleere which is dim by nature , and the greatest wits are Ignorant both where she is , and what she is , one thinkes her to be Air , and another fire , and another Blood , defused about the heart , and that she is compounded of the Elements , Musitians say our soules are Harmonies ; Physitians , the complexions . Epicures makes them swarmes of Atomes , which by chance fly into our Bodies , some again that one soule fills every man , as the Sun gives light to every star , others that the name of soule is a vain thing , and that it is a well mixt body : and as they differ about her substance , so , also where her seate is , some lift her up into the Brain , others thrust her down into the stomack , some place her in the heart , and others in the liver . Some say that she is all in all , and all in every part , and that she is not contained , but containes all , and thus the learned Clerkes play at hazzard , and let them say , it is what they will ; there be some that will maintain it , the only wise God to punish the pride of mens wits , hath therefore wrought this confusion , but he that did make the Soule of nothing , and restor'd it when fallen to nothing , that so we might be twice his ▪ can define her subtle forme and knowes her nature and powers : To judge her selfe she must transcend her selfe , for fetterd men cannot expresse their strength , but now in these latter dayes , those Divine Mysteries which were laid in darkness , are brought to light : and this Lampe of God which doth defuse it selfe through all the Region of the braine , doth shew the immortall face of it . VNDERSTANDING . I once was Aegle ey'ed full of all light . Am owle eyd now as dim as darke as night , As through a glasse or Cloud I all thinges vew . Shall on day see them in there proper hue . MEMORIE . A com̄on Jnne all com̄ers to reteyne . A Siue where good run̄e out & bad remayne . A Burrow with a thousand vermine hydes . A Den where nothinge that is good abides This she doth when from particular things she abstracts the Universall kinds ; which are immateriall and bodilesse , and can be lodged no where else but in the minde . And thus from divers acts and accidents which fall within her observation ; she abstracts divine power and virtue ; again , how can she know severall bodies if she were a body ; the eye cannot see all colours at once , nor the tongue relish all tasts at one time , but successively : nor can we judge of Passion except we be free from all passions , nor can a Judg execute his office well if he be possest of either party , if lastly this quick power were a body , were it as swifte as fire or winde , which blowes the on one way , & makes the other a spier , her nimble body yet in time must move , & not slide through all places at an instant , she is nigh and far above , beneath , in poynt of time which thought cannot devide , she is as soon sent to China , as to Spain , and returnes as soon as sent , she as soon measures the heavens as an ell of Silke . As then the soule hath a substance besides the body in which she is confinde ; so hath she not a body of her own , but is a spirit , and a minde immateriall . Since the body and soul have such diversities , we may very well muse how this match began : but that the Scripture tells us , Zachariah 12.1 . sayth the Lord , which stretcheth forth the Heavens , and layeth the foundations of the Earth , and formeth the Spirit of man within him ▪ he makes the body of Earth , and in it a beam of heavenly fire , now in the wombe before the birth , inspires in all men their soules , and without a mother sends dayly millions into the world which neither from eternity , nor at once in one time lay them up in the Sunne or Moone , nor in some secret cloyster where they sleepe till they be awaked , neither did he make at first a certain number , infusing part in beasts , and part in men , and being unwilling to take further pain would make no more ; so that the widdow soul should be married to the next body that should be born , and so by often changing mens souls should pass from beasts to men , these are fond thoughts ; since there are far more born then dye , then thousand soules should be abortive , or others deaths should supply their soules ; but as nature Gods handmaid doth create bodies in time distinct and in due order , so God gives soules the like successive date , which himselfe formes in new bodies , which himselfe makes of no materiall thing , for unto Angels he hath given no power either to forme the shape , or bring the stuffe from Air or Fire , nor in this doth he use natures service , for although she can bring bodyes from bodyes , yet she could never traduce soules from soules , as light springs from light , and fire from fire as some learned fathers that were great lights of old did hold , for say they , how can we say that God made the soule , and yet not make him the Author of her sinne , for in her lies the corruption , for Adams body did not sin but his soule , and so brought the body to corruption , So we would fain make him the Author of the wine , if we knew whom to blame for her dreggs ; none were yet so grosse , as to contend for this , that soules may be traduced from bodyes , between whose natures there is no proportion , but many subtle wits have justified that soules may spiritually spring from soules , which if the nature of the soul be tryed would even in nature prove as grosse , for all things that are made are either of naught , or of something that is already made of naught , no Creature ever formed ought , for that is proper for the Almighty ; if then the soule make another soule , she must take it of some former stuffe or matter , but there is no matter found in the soule : then if her heavenly forme doe not agree with any matter in the World , then must she needs be created of nothing , and that is only proper to God alone ; again , if soules doe beget soules , 't is either by themselves , or the bodies power , if by themselves what hinders them but that they may engender soules every hour , if by the body , how can understanding and will joyne with the body in this act ; only since when they doe their other works , they doe abstract them themselves from the body ; moreover , if soules were begotten of soules , they should move and change into each other , but motion and changes brings at last corruption , and then how should it be immortall ? If lastly soules did use generation , then they should spread incorruptible seed ; and then what becomes of that which they doe loose , when the acts of generation doe not speed ? but if the soule could cast spirituall seed yet she would not , because she never dies ; mortall things desire to breed their like that so they might immortalize their kinde , therefore the Angels who are call'd the sons of God neither marry nor are given in marriage , their spirits and ours are of one substance , and have one father the Lord of Heaven . Who would at first that in each other thing , earth , and water , living souls should breed , but mans soul which he would make their king , should immediately be produced from himselfe ; and doubtless when he took the Woman from the side of the man , he alone inspierd the soul , for t is not said he did devide mans soul , but took flesh of his flesh , and bone of his bone ; and lastly , God being made man for mans sake , and like him in all , save only in sin , tooke his body from the wombe of the Virgin but all agree , God formed his soule within ▪ him then is the soule from God , so say the Pagans which saw by natures light , her heavenly kinde , naming her kin to God , and Gods bright ray , a Citizen of Heaven , confind to the earth . This cloud may be further cleerd by heavenly light , for questionlesse God made her , and made her good , and ingrafted her in the body there to grow , which though it be corrupted flesh and blood , yet can it not bring corruption to the soule ; yet this soule at first made good by God , and not corrupted by the evill of the body , yet in the womb is accurst and sinfull ere she can judge by wit or chuse by will , yet God is not the Author of her sinne , though of her being ; and if we dare judge him in this , he can condemn us , and yet be cleere himselfe , first God from eternity decreed , what hath been , is , or shall be done , and that every man in his turne should run his race of life , and did purpose to make all soules that ever have been or shall be , and that they should take there being in humane bodies , or not to be at all ; was it then fit that such a weake event , weaknesse it selfe , the sin and fall of man should prevent his execution , and councells fixed , and decreed before the world began , and that one penall law broke by Adam , should make God breake his own eternall law ; and revoke the setled order of the world , and change all formes of things which he foresaw ; could Eves weake hand extended to the Tree , rent a sunder that Adamantive chain , whose golden linkes of causes and effectes remain fixt to Gods own chare ; O could we see how cause doth spring from cause , how they are mutually linckt and foulded , and that on disagreeing stringe doth rather make then marr the harmony , and at once view how death is brought by sin , and how a better life doth arise by death , how in one his justice is seen , and his mercy in the other , we would praise this his decree a wise and right : but we measure time by first and last , and see the sight of things successively , when the Lord sees all at once and at an instant he sees all things in himselfe as in a glasse , for from him , and by him , and through him are all things . His sight is not discorsive by degrees , but he seeing the whole , seeth every single heart . He looks on Adam as a roote , or spring and on all his heires as Branches , and streames ; and sees all men as one man , though they dwell in sundry Nations and Cit●es ; and as root and branch makes but one Tree , and the spring and streame make but one River , so that if one be corrupted the other is corrupted also ; So when the Root and Fountaine of man kinde did draw corruption and Gods curse by sin , this was a charge that did binde all his off-springe , and so they all grew corrupted : as when the hand sins , the man offendes , for part from whole in this , the law doth not sever : so Adams sin extends to whole mankinde , for all natures are but part of his Therefore this sin of kind was not personall , but reall and hereditary ; the guile and punishment whereof must pass by course of nature and law : for as that easie law was given to all , to Ancestor , to heir first and last , so the transgression was generall , in our law we see some foot steps of this which take her root from God and nature : Ten thousand men make but one corporation , and these and their successors are but one , and if they gain or loose their liberties , they harme and profit not themselves alone , but their Successors : and so the Ancestor and all his heirs , if they should increase as the Sand , their advancements and forfitures are still but one , his civill acts doe binde and harme them all . There are a Crew of fellowes J suppose , That angle for their Victualls with their nose As quick as Beagles in the smelling sence To smell a feast in Paules 2 miles from thence . Trueth and a Lye did each a Lodging lack , And to a Gallants Eare their course did take : Trueth was put by , ( being but meanly clad ) And in the Eare , the Lye the Lodging had . Next she useth the smell in the nostrels , as into them at first God breathed life , so now he makes his power to dwell in them , to judge of all Aires whereby we live and breath , this sence is Mistress of an Art , to sell sweete perfumes to soft people , yet it imparts but little good , for they have the best smell that cannot away with any perfumes , yet good sents doe awake the fancy , refine the wit , and purifie the Braine , and old devotions did use incense to make mens spirits , more apt for divine thoughts . Lastly , the power of feeling which is lifes roote , which doth shed it selfe through every living part , and extends it selfe from head to foot by sinewes ; as a net covering all the body , or much like a spider which setteth in the midst of her web , and if the outmost thread of it be touched she instantly feels it by the touch ; we discern what 's hard , smooth , rough , what 's hot , and cold , and dry , and moyst , these are the outward instruments of the soule , and the Guards by which every thing must passe into the Soule , or aproacheth unto the minds intelligence , or touch wits looking-glasse ; the Fantasie , yet these Porters which admit all things themselves , neither discern nor perceive them , one Common power which sits in the forehead brings together all their proper formes ; For all those Nerves which carry spirits of Sense , and goe spreading themselves to the outward Organ , are there united as their Center , and there they know by this power those sundry formes , the outward Organs present things doe receive , the inward sence retayne the things that are absent , for she straightwayes transmits what she perceives unto the higher Region of the Brain . Where sits the Phantasie which is the hand maid neer to the minde , and so beholds and discerneth them all , and things that are divers in their kinde compounds in one : weigheth them in her Ballance , and so some she esteemes good , and some ill , and some things neuterall , neither good nor bad , this busie power is working night and day , when the outward sences are at rest , a thousand light and phantasticall dreames with their fluttering wings keeps her still awake ; yet all are not alwayes afore her , she successively intends this and that , and what she ceaseth to see she commits to the large volume of the memory ; This Lidger Book lyes behinde in the Brain , like Janus eye , seated in the Poll , and is the storehouse of the minde , which much remembers and forgets more , here sences apprehension ends as a stone cast into the Pond of Water , one Circle makes another , till at last it toucheth the Banke . But although the apprehensive power do pawse , yet the motive virtue is lively , and causeth passions in the heart , as joy , griefe , fear , hope , love , and hate ; and these passions bring forth divers actions in our lives , for all actions without the light of reason proceed from passion ; but since the powers of sence lodge in the Brain , how comes passions from the heart , it ariseth from the mutuall love and kind intelligence betwixt the Brain and the Heart . From the kinde heat which raigns in the heart , from thence the spirits of life takes their beginning , these spirits of life ascending to the brain causeth a sensablenesse , and imediately judgeth whether it be good or ill , and sends down to the heart where all affections dwell a good or ill report , and if it be good , it causeth love , and longing hope , and well assured joy ; If it be ill , it anoyes the heart with vexing grief , and trembling , fear , and hatred . Now if these naturall affections were good , or if we had such strength of reason , and especially grace for to rectifie natures passion we might be happy , and not so often miscarry as we doe , for we were but blocks without them ; besides there ariseth another motive power out of the heart , which are the vitall spirits , born in arteries , and causeth continuall motion in all parts , it makes the pulses to beate , and lunges respier , and holdes the sinewes like a Bridle , so that the body retires ; or advanceth , turns or stops as she strains or slackens them , thus the soule tunes the bodyes instrument , with life and sence fit instruments , being sent by the body , although the actions doe flow from the soules influence , sometimes I will this , yet I have not a power to expresse the working of the wit and will , for though their roote be knit to the body , yet use not the body when they use their skill . WILL. Free to all ill , till freed to none but ill Now this I will anon the same I nill Appetite ere while , ere while Reason may Nere good but when Gods Spirit beares y e sway To these high powers there is a store-house , where lyeth all Arts , and generall reasons which remaine unto the soule even after death which cannot be washed away by any Loethean flood of forgetfulnesse . This is the soule and these be her virtues , which although they have their sundry proper ends , and one exceed another , yet each one doe mutually depend on the other , our understanding is given us to know God , and he being known , our will is given us to love him , but he could not be known to us here below , but by his word and workes which we receive through the sences , and as the understanding reapes the fruit of sence , so the quickning power feeds the sences , and while they do thus dispence their severall powers , the best needeth the service of the least , even as the King serves the Magistrate , and the commons feed them both , the Magistrate preserves the commons by the power they have from their Prince ; The quickning power would be , and there it rests , the sences are not contented only to be , but would be well , but the soul desires endlesse felicity ; these three powers doe make three sorts of men , for one sort of men desire as plants only to fill themselves , and some like beasts think the world is only to take their pleasure in it , and some men as Angels love to live in contemplation , therefore the 〈…〉 turned some men into flowers , others into beasts , 〈…〉 to Angells , which still travill , and still rest . Yet these three powers are not three soules , but one as one , and two or both contained in three , 3 being one number by it selfe alone ; a shadow of the blessed Trinity . These meditations may draw from us this acclamation , What is man that thou adornest him with so bright a minde , madest him over all thy creatures a King , and an Angels Peer ? O what hast thou inspierd into this dying flesh , what a heavenly life , power , and lively life , spreading virtue , and a sparkling fire ! In other workes of thine thou leavest thy print , but in man hast written thine own Image ; there cannot be a creature more divine , this exceeds mans thought , to consider how highly God hath raised man , since God became man , the Angels are astonisht when they view and admire this mistery , neither hath he endowed man with these blessings for a day , neither do they depend on this life , for though the soule was made in time , yet lives for aye , and though it had a beginning , yet hath no end Her only end , is never ending blisse , and that consisteth in beholding the eternall face of the Almighty , who is the first of causes , and last of ends , and to doe this she must needs be eternall , then how sencelesse or dead a soul hath he that thinks his soul dieth with his body , or if he think not so , yet would fain have it so , that he might sin with the more security ; Although light and vicious persons say our soules are but a smoake , or Aiery blast , which while we live playes within our nostrills , and when he dies turns to winde , although they say so , yet they know not what to think , for ten thousand doubts doe arise in their minds , and although they strive against their consciences , there are some sparkes in their flintey breasts , which cannot be extinct , which though fain they would , yet cannot be beasts ; but whoso makes a merror of his minde ▪ and with patience views himselfe within , shall cleerly see the soules eternity , though all other beauties of the soule be defaced because of his sin . For first , we find an appetite in every mans mind to learn and know the truth of every thing , this is connaturall and born with him , on which the essence of the soul depends , she hath a native might with this desire to finde out the truth of every thing , if she had time the innumerable effects to sort a●ight , and to climbe by degrees from cause to cause ; but sithence our lives slide so fast away through the winde , as the hungry Eagle , or as the ships which leaves no print of their passage , of which swifte little time we spend while some things we strain through the sences , that our short race of life is ended ere we can attain the principles of skil , so that either God who hath made nothing in vain , in vain hath given this appetite and Flower , or else our knowledge which is begun here , must be perfected in heaven . To one whole kind the Allmighty never gave a power , but most part of that kinde did use the same , as though some eyes be blind , yet most eyes can see perfectly , so though some be lame in their limbs , yet most can walke , but no soule can know the truth in this life so perfectly , as it hath power to doe ; if then perfection is not to be found here below , he must ascend higher where it is to be obtained . Again , how can she but be immortall , when with the motion of her will and understanding she still aspiers to eternity , and is never at rest tell she attaineth thereunto ; water in conduit pipes can arise no higher then the well head , from which they springe . Therefore since she doth aspier to the Almighty she must be eternall , the nature of all moveable things , are to move to things of their own kinde , as the earth downward , and the fire ascends tell both touch their proper elements ; and as the thirsty earth suckes her moysture from the Sea to fill her empty veines , and so glides along her grassie plaines , she stayes long as loath to leave the land , out of whose sides she came , she tasts all places , and turns on every hand , unwilling to forsake her flowery bankes , yet nature doth so carry and lead her streames , that she makes no finall stay tell she return into the bosome of the Ocean . Even so the Spirit of God doth secretly infuse into this earthy mould our soules , which at first doth behold this world , and at first her mothers earth she holdeth dear , and embracerh the world and worldly things , she flyes close to the earth , and hovers here , and mounts not up with her celestiall winges , and cannot light on any thing which doth agree with her heavenly nature , she cannot rest nor fix her thoughts , neither can she be contented with any thing , for who ever found it in honour , wealth , or pleasure ; and having his health , ceased to wish , or having wisdome , was not vexed in minde , as a Bee that lights on every flower , and sucks and tasteth on all , but being pleased with none at last ariseth and sores away , like Noahs dove flyes into the Arke from whence she came . When Hearing , Seeing , Tasting , Smelling's past : Feeling ( as long as life remaines ) doth last Mayde reach my Lute , J am not well indeede : O pitty-mee , my Bird hath made mee bleede . FANCIE . Ape-like I all thinges imitate , Dreame-like I them vary-straite . New proiects fashions I inuent , All Shapes to head & harte present . Hence it is that Ideots , although they have a mind able to know the truth , and chuse that which is good , if she could find such figures in the Brain , as she might find provided , she were in her right temper , but if a frensie doe possesse it , it so blots and disturbes the formes of things , Phantasie proves altogether vain , and brings no true relation to the understanding , then the soule admits all for truth , and buildes false conclusions , flyes the good , and persewes the Ill , beleeving all that this false spie propounds , but purge the humours , and appease the rage which wrought this distemper in the Phantasie , then will the wit which never had disease , discourse as it ought , and judge discreetly , for the eye hath its perfect power of sight , although the streame be troubled , then these defects are in the sences , and not in the soule , she looseth not her power to see , although her windowes be choked with mists , and clouds , the imperfections are not in the agent , but instrument , the soule hath one intelligence in all ; in infants , and old men , although too much moysture be in the brain of the one , and too much drinesse in the other , which makes them that they cannot attain the outward printes of things , then the soul wanting work is idle , and we call the one childishnesse , and the other dotage ; yet the soule hath a quick and active wit , if she had apt tooles to worke withall , and stuffe , for give her but Organs fit , and objects fair , give but the aged man the sence of the younge man , and she will straight way shew then her wonted excellency , and as an old harper , although he hath all his Crochets in his Brain , yet can he not expresse it when the gout is in his fingers ; then dotage is no weaknesse of the minde , but of the sense , for if that did wast , we should find it in all old men , but most of them even at their dying houre have a minde more quick and lively , and use their understanding power better then in their youth , and their dying speeches are admired . But it may be further objected , if all her Organs dye , then hath the soule no powers to use , and is extincte because she cannot reduce them to act , and if her powers be dead , then what is she , for some power springes from every thing , and actings proceed from them , therefore kill her power , and act , and destroy her . It s very true , the death of the body is the destruction of the sences , so that she cannot use those faculties , although their root still rest in her substance , but as the body when it lives by the wit and will , can judge and chuse without the aid of the body , so when the body can serve her no longer , and her sences are extinct , yet can she discourse in heavenly contemplation all alone , of what she hath heard and learned : and as a man that hath good horsemanship , and can play well on a lute , if thou take both horse and lute away , yet he still retains his skill , and can put that forth if they be returned unto him , when the body revives they shall be able to fulfill all their wanted offices . But it may be further objected , How shall she employ her self , seeing all her sences be gon ? she may keep and enjoy what she hath got , but hath no means to understand or to get more , then what doe those poor soules which get nothing , or those that cannot keep what they have got , like lives which let all out , these soules must sleepe for want of exercise . See how man argues against himselfe ; Why should we not have other means to know ? as children in the wombe live by the navil , but being come forth are nourished otherwise , children if they had use of their sences , and could hear their mothers tell them , that in a short time they should come from thence , they then would fear their birth , more then we fear our death , and would cry out , that if their navill strings were cut , how should their lifes be preserved ? since no other conduit brings their food ; and if a man should reply unto those babes , and tell them when they come into this fair world , they shall see the Sun , Moon and Stars , Sea and earth , and meet with ten thousand dainties , which they shall take in with pleasure in their mouthes , which shall be cordiall as well as sweet and their little limbs shall grow unto tall bodies they would thinke it a fable , as we doe of the Story of the Golden age , or as among us many sensuall spirits hold the world to come a feined stage , yet those infants shall find it true . So when the soule is born , for death is nothing but the soules birth , she shall see ten thousand things beyond her imagination , and know them in an unknown manner , them shall she see no more by spectacles , nor hear no more by her double Spies , her selfe in instant will all things explore , for every thing is present to her , and lyes before her . But still it may be objected , if the soules departed doe live , why do they not return to bring us newes of the strange world wherein they see such wonders , vain man we doe beleeve that men live under the Zenith of both the frozen poles , although none come from thence to tell us : So cannot we have the like faith of our soules , the soule hath no more to doe here , then we have to returne into our mothers womb , what man did ever covet it , although we all come from thence : and that shewes the soule hath a good being that they never desire to come hither again ; doubtlesse such soules as mount up so high as to see their Creators face , holds this in so base an account , as that she looks down and scorns this wretched place . As for such as are detruded to hell , if they would come here , yet they cannot , but still there are some wicked ones as say , that politick men have spread this lye of heaven and hell only to make men virtuous , so then it seems morall virtues be good , but they speake this for their private gain , for that is the standing of Common-wealths , wherein their private benefit is interrested , but how can that be false that the Christian , Jew , Turke , Persian , Tarter , Canibal hold to be true , this doctrine entred not into the ear , but is native in the breast , if death should destroy man for whose sake all things was made , then should he be more miserable then Dawes , Trees , and Rockes , which last longer then he who is taken away at an instant , but blessed be that great power that hath blessed man with longer life then heaven and earth , and hath infused into man mortall powers not subject to the grave , for although the soul seeme to bear about it her grave , and almost buried alive in this world , she needs not to fear the death of the body , for when this shell is broke , there comes forth a chicken , for as there are three essentiall powers of the soule , the quickning power , and power of the Sence , and also of reason , there be also three kinds of life defined her , in her due season to perfect them all ; The first life which is vegitive is that nursing power spent in the wombe , where when she finds defects of nourishment , she expells her body and growes too bigge for that place , and comes into the world where all his sences are in perfection , where he finds flowers to smell , and fruits to tast , sees sundry formes , and hears varieties of sounds , and when he hath past somtime upon this stage , his reason begins to be awaked , which although she springes when sences begin to fade by reason of age ; yet can she make here no perfect practice . Then doth the aspiring soul leave the body , which we call death , but were it known to all what life our soules receive by this death , they would rather call it a birth , or Gaole delivery ; for in this third life reason will be so bright , as her sparkes will be like the Sun beames , and shall the reall ●●ght enjoy of God , being still increast by divine influence . Then let us take up this acclamation : O ignorant poor man , what bearest thou lockt up in the casket of thy breast , what Jewels and what riches , and what heavenly treasure hast thou in so weak a chest . Looke into thy soule and thou shalt see such virtues , honour , and pleasure , and whatsoever is counted excellent in this life . Thinke of her worth , and then know that God did mean thy worthy mind should embrace worthy things ; Blot not her beauties with unclean thoughts ; neither dishonour her with thy base passions ; destroy not her quickning power with surfeitings and drunkennesse ; let not her sensitive power be mar'd with sensualities and fleshly desires ; & let not her serious thoughts be employed on idle things , and enslave not her will to vanity , and whensoever thou thinkest of her eternity , have not this evill thought of her , that death is against her nature , no assure thy selfe it is a birth in which she is brought forth to a better being , and when thou comest to dye , sing and rejoyce as a swan , that thou art a going to blisse ; if thou have faith to beleeve in Jesus Christ that thy sinns may be forgiven thee , and whereas before thou did'st fear as a child which is in the darke , fear not now having this light brought into thee : and now O thou my soule turn thine eye inward , and view the rayes and beams of thy divine forme , and know that whilst thou art clouded with this flesh of thine , thou canst not know any thing perfectly ; study the highest and best things , but retayne an humble thought of thy selfe , cast down thy self , and strive to raise the glorious and sacred name of thy Maker and blessed Redeemer ; use all thy powers to praise that blessed power which gives thee power to be , and also power to use those powers thou art endewed withall , and thus shut up all and say , O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God , how unsearchable are his Judgments , and his wayes past finding out , Of him and through him , and to him are all things , to whom be glory for ever . FINIS . WHAT HEAVEN IS , VINDICATED From the Vulgar mistakes , and grosse conceivings of many ; some of which mistakes is mention made in this Title , the rest of them manifested and enlarged in the ensuing Treatise . AS I. Mistake of Heaven is , that fancey the happinesse of Heaven to consist only in things without them , and look upon it only as an outward place , and not as an inward state and disposition of the Soule . II. Grosse conceit of Heaven is , as if it were nothing but a Theatre , a place of sights and showes , and God himselfe were nothing but a more Pompious spectacle , there to be gazed upon by these bodily eyes , whereas we are never at a distance from him , but only in the dispersion ▪ multiplicity , distraction , and scattering of our bo●●●s , and in the dissimilitude , and disproportion of our soules unto him . III. Another Vulgar and common mistake is that God doth not require any endeavours or activity of ours in the businesse of Heaven , and that he deales with us in matters of Grace and Glory , as meere stocks , and stones , and inanimall creatures , and not in any way suitable to us as free and rationall , for although we cannot make alive the new man in us yet we may concur to the killing , and destroying of the old , by refusing to satisfie the lusts and cravings of it . IIII. Neither are we to entertain this conceit , that God hath found out any other way to save his people from Hell and destruction , without saving of them from their sins and wickednesses . Infaelix cujus nulli sapientia prodest . What Heaven is , vindicated from the Vulgar mistakes and grosse conceivings of many . False Gospellers undermine the true righteousnesse of God , and make the Gospel nothing else but a slight imagination ; we should not entertain any such conceit , as if Christ came with any new devise to bring men to heaven without the hard labour of mortifying their lusts , as if the intent of his coming was to promulgate ease and liberty to the flesh , and by his being crucifyed for us upon the Crosse , to excuse our crucifying the old man in our hearts , as if he had found out a way to save his people from hell and destruction , without saving of them from their sins and wickednesses 1. The possibility of attaining that righteousnesse that is required of us in the Gospel it is by the power of Christ attainable , or else none could enter into the Kingdome of Heaven . He that is born of God sins not , for his seed remaines in him , and he cannot sin , because he is born of God , and must we needs say that he that is born of God can and may doe nothing else but sin ? is the immortall seed of Gods holy spirit , of Gods eternall word in the hearts of true believers , is nothing else but the seed of the Serpent , and the Cockatrice Eggs , it is possible that the divine nature that the Scripture speaks of , should be nothing else but the nature of the Devil , that Gods holy spirit in us shou●d make us habitations for it selfe to dwell in , and yet suffer us at the same time to be vessells of sin and Satan ; is the end of the holy Gospel not at all to free us from sin by the power of Christ , but only to spread a Purple vaile over us , not all to destroy the works of the Devill in us , but only to cover them from Gods avenging eye ; Is the end of the Gospel nothing else , but to paliate over the diseases of our corruptions , which remain in us ever sence the fall , and not at all to cure them . If so then , surely the reason of this is either , because Christ is not able to overcome sin and Satan in us , as the Manikees of old dreamed , or else because he is not willing , and that is a greater disparagement to him then the former , for the other robbs him only of the Glory of his power , but this spoyles him of the Glory of his goodness ; as if Christ should envy that to us , which of all other things is the most necessary to make us happy ; or as if God were not as carefull to advance his Kingdome of light , here in the world , as the Devill is to inlarge his Kingdome of darknesse , as if God did not love his own butifull Image , his own son and nature , but would willingly suffer it to be choaked and smothered here in the world by those Fiends of darknesse , whom he hath long since lockt and fettered up in chains of darknesse , and reserved for the judgment of the great day . Say's the Philosopher no man sets up a marke on purpose that men might misse it , and shall God set up this marke of righteousnesse in the Gospel as a Butt for us to aime at , for this very end and purpose , that all the world should misse it ; Can he that is the faithfull and true God put such a trick of fraud and mockery upon his creatures ? No surely , righteousnesse , evangelicall righteousnesse is the only thing intended per , see in all Gods Commandements , and sin which is nothing else but a missing of the marke , comes in by accident , sin is that which God will either destroy and banish out of the World by the clear discovery of his truth in the hearts of men , or else he will at last chain it in the bottomlesse pit to all eternity , and make the blacknesse of it to be a soyle to set off the glory of his justice . But it is suggested by some , that Christ will not therefore bestow any true righteousnesse , holinesse , or sanctification upon a Saint , on purpose that he might keep him humble , as if the only way to make men truly humble , were to make them wicked , and as it men would be so much the more proud , by how much the more holy , and made truly partakers of the image of God. Away then w●th this fond conceit , whereby we doe nothing else but gratifie mens lusts ; And smother and extinguish the life of God in the world , it is the sluggard that sayes there is a Lion in the way , but the true beleever saith , Who art thou O great mountain before , Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain , nay , the truth it selfe saith , All things are possible to them that beleeve , we may undoubtedly by the power of God in us , prevaile every day more and more over the power of sin and Satan , the weapons of our warfare are very powerfull and able to batter down the strong holds of Satan in our hearts ▪ he that is indeed born of God shall overcome the world , and the flesh , and the Devil to , by the power of God in him , he shall destroy the law of sin in his members , by the true Law ▪ the Law of the Spirit of life , and if we should with unfeigned simplicity of heart apply our selves to God , and resigning up our selvs to him , to be taught & led by him , we should certainly find that his free spitit would inwardly lead us into all wayes of obedience , and that it would be as naturall and as delightfull to us , to walke on in those pleasant pathes of holinesse and righteousnesse , as ever it was to wander in those crooked wayes of sin and wickednesse ; nay the true Regenerate christian , is so far from delighting secretly in the wayes of sin , as the false hearted hypocrite thinks he doth , that there is nothing that more hurts and wounds his soule , then that he hath not a more lively sence of evill ; for the divine life in him being a delicate and tender thing hath the most quickest sence of any thing that is contrary to it , and is most ingenious and industrious for selfe preservation against it , wisdome is easie to the wise , sayes Solomon , and her wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse to them , and all her paths are peace , and sin is the most ugly and forlorn thing in the world Let not therefore these evill spyes that bring an evill report upon this Land of Promise , dishearten and discourage us , but let us goe on in the Power of God and his strength , and exercise our faith in this , not only that we shall be freed from Fire and Brimstone here after , but that we shall be delivered from the power of sin , and Satan in our own hearts , this is that faith whereby we overcome the world ; and if we had more of this faith in the power of Christ to destroy our corruptions in us , and to tread down Satan under our feete , and all that fond and ungrounded confidence , that God intends to save us while we continue under the power of sin , we should goe on more successefully and prosperously in the way to Heaven . And it is a dangerous mistake now under the Gospel , to conceive that God will save men out of a fond affection towards them , without renuing of their natures , and begetting his own son the new Creature in their hearts . Meerly for beleeving this very thing , that they shall be saved , as if it were possible for men to be made happy , without being delivered from the power of sin , which is all one , as if we should say that it were possible for men to be saved without salvation , surely such as these think heaven nothing else but a meer place without them , a fine glistering place , whose gates are of pearl , and the walls of Jasper , and the bottome paved with starrs , a very Turkish Paradise , for had they once tasted of the true pleasures of the soule purg'd from sin , and really establisht in the life of God , they would then see so much deformity in sin , that they would not accept of heaven upon such terms as those that is to be placed in an outward heaven , without the inward change and renuing of their mindes , without the conforming of their soules to the Image and likenesse of God ; I am sure a true Saint would not take heaven on such conditions as these are , that he might enjoy all the outward pleasures that are possible , that he might have a shining glistering body , that he might tread upon Stars , and flye upon the wings of the winde , that he might converse with Cherubims and Serafims , Angels and arke Angels , if all this while he must continue filthy within , full of noysome and stincking lusts , voyd of divine wisdome that purges and purifies the soule , having a darke and sottish minde , unruly affection , continually strugling and quarrelling within . God he may indeed dispence with the punishment that belongs to sin , he may forgive and pardon in respect of punishment , but he can never account those truly holy , that are truly wicked , and bond slaves to sin and Satan . Now this can never make us happy to be freed only from the punishment of sin ; we can never be happy , till we be made pertakers of the life of God himselfe , till we have the same minde and life in us that is in God himselfe . If God should account us righteous , except we were truly possessed of a righteousnesse within us , I may speak it with reverence , this could doe us no good , no true christian would be contented with it , no more then a man that is sick , could be contented to be accounted whole , or one that is poor and naked , could be contented to be accounted rich and cloathed , no more then one that is frozen in a cold winter night , could be contented to be accounted hot , nothing without us can make us really happy , till we be inwardly made pertakers of the Image of God. But it is very plain and easie to discover the ground of these mistakes , because carnal men desire not so much to enjoy heaven , as to be freed from hell , or if they desire heaven they desire nothing at all in it , but only their own ease and carnall pleasure , it would serve their turn well enough , if they could but have an artifice to get their sins pardoned , that they might be freed from the punishment that is due to them , and might be admitted into a sensuall heaven , though they live to all eternity under the power of sin and wickednesse , and never have the lest tast of the true heavenly Manna , nor any knowledge of the name written on the white stone , which no man knowes but he that hath it , and therefore it will serve these mens turnes well enough , if they may be freed from the punishment of sin , while they love sin with all their hearts , The true hearted christian is really departed out of wicked Sodom , out of this noysome state of sin , he is not so much solicitus about his state , as about his life , that he may still continue that heavenly life that is begun in him , he is not so anxious about his justification in a proposterous method , as about the sanctification of his heart and affection ; that is the best way to be assured of his justification , he feeles the divine life in him , and that he knowes can never sink him to hell , he drinkes of the true springs of everlasting life , and knowes he shall never see death , he is not so much perplext about his future salvation , because he findes he is already saved , because it selfe hath taken him upon its wings , and carries him away swiftly far from the region of death and Hell. I beseech you let us not deceive our selves , without such an inward frame of spirit as this is , that is really crucifyed to the world , and planted into Christ , sucking life and influence from him . God himselfe with what he can do without us , would never make us happy . Besides the destroying of this corrupt , naturall , and fleshly life , we must also have a new and spirituall life begotten in us ; For as Christ and the divine nature did assume the humane nature to it selfe , so likewise in every christian the divine life , or the life of God must as it were assume the humane and created life of man , and totally act it and inforce it , this is the essence of the new creature , this is the life and soul of christianity , the marrow and quintessence of all religion , to have a life wrapped up in man , that is the very life of God himselfe , and whosoever doth not pertake of this life , whatsoever opinion he entertains in religion , whatever outward forms of discipline he contends for , whatever sects he belongs to , he is either carnall or devilish . For nothing of mans is pleasing unto God , but that that God workes in man , and by man , and whatsoever workes with God according to that that is in God , this is in a manner one spirit with God himselfe , and whatsoever it doth , it doth it in Forma Dei , that is , God using this mans soule and life , and abilities , doth act it in him . But whatsoever perticular created life , lives otherwise then the eternall life of God lives , this sets up it selfe against God , and this is the life of corrupt nature , and the life of the Devill , this is sin and nothing else , to live otherwise then the eternal life of God lives , and this was that that Christ came into the world to destroy , and how doth he doe this ? surely no otherwise then by bringing Gods own life into the humanity ; Again , for he himselfe was nothing else but a Tabernacle of God pitched amongst men , nothing but a humane nature acted , and disposed , and guided by the life of God , so that whatsoever Christ lives , God lives in him , now this must not only be done by Christ without us , but the same also must be done within us . One grosse mistake among men , that yet pretend much to Religion that is very prejudiciall to the advancement of this spirituall righteousnesse that the Gospel requires of us , and that is a conseite that men have whereby they think that salvation is a meer outward work , and therefore may be wholly effected by outward means , whereas it is nothing else for the substance of it , but the inward transforming of our selves into the likenesse of God , the reall translating of us out of the life of nature , into the divine life , or life of God , or the begetting of a new and heavenly life in the soule of man , that is the very same that doth every way agree with the life of God himselfe ; I say it with reverence God himselfe cannot make us happy by any thing without us , but only by forming his own nature and likenesse in us , they are carnall and earthly minded men , and no way suitable to the state of glory and happinesse , that fancy the happinesse of heaven to consist only in things without them , and look upon it only as an outward place , and not as an inward state and disposition of the soule ; I say therefore that salvation it is an inward thing , and consists chiefly in being saved from our sins , and being delivered from our own life , and being translated out of the Kingdome of darknesse into the Kingdome of light and righteousnesse , and it is not a Heaven without us , though never so glorious and glistering a place , nay , it is not God without us that can make us truly and really happy , but it is God inwardly , setting himselfe in our soules , and so dwelling in us that our sins may be so ruled and guided by the life of God , as the members of our bodies are acted by our soules , and when this is once done , we shall at once live both the life of God , and injoy the joy , peace , and happinesse of God himselfe , which will all at once flow in upon us , I would not be mistaken , I doe not here deny but that there be some other inferiour circumstances belonging to the state of happinesse , as the changing of these vild bodies of ours , and instead of this earthly tabernacle that weighs down the minde , as Solomon speakes , when as our soules were as it were now buried in a heepe of flesh , they shall receive an other more divine Tabernacle that Paul calls a spirituall body , a more fit companion for our soules , and many other such things answerable hereunto , I say these things I doe not deny , but yet all these things are of an inferiour nature , and all depend upon the former , the inward frame and disposition of the soule , in which the substance of heaven and hell consist . Now this being well consider'd and understood , it is very plain that to thinke we can be saved without inward righteousnesse , meerly by something done without us , without the inward and reall change of our soules ; is all one as to thinke we can be saved without salvation , or we can be made happy without the possession of happinesse , though we must still remember the only procuring cause of our salvation , is the death sufferings and satisfaction of Christ , who was made a propitiation for our sins , this is therefore the reason for which this inward righteousnesse before spoken of is to be urged in the Gospel ▪ not as if we could thereby merrit any thing at all at the hands of God , for we can merrit no thing , but there is nothing that God himselfe can bestow upon us in heaven better , then the partisipation of his own life and nature , this inward change of the soul , this new creature is salvation it self , and if we be not possessed of it in some measure here , we have little reason how ever we may fondly flatter our selves to think it shall be done hereafter , that is the first mistake that I shall take notice of , that we are apt to conceive that salvation is an outward worke , and may be wrought only by outward means . 2. There is another mistake that is very neer a kin to that in matters of religion , and that is , when we seek for God we looke for God wholly abroad without our selves , whereas the only way to finde God is to turn our selves inward , and to looke for him in the bottome of our own soules , for if we could be carried up beyond the spheares , and pry into every corner of the starrs in heaven above , certainly we should as little find God there as we did on earth , if we could find God any where abroad without us , this could not make us happy , for then God would be really at a distance from us , but our happinesse consists in such a reall communion with God , as our Saviour discribes , 17 Joh. 22. The glory which thou gavest me , I have given them , that they may be one as we are one ; I in them , and they in me , that all might be made perfect in one : The heaven where God dwells in , and where alone he is to be found , is in a regenerate soul , and he that will indeed find God and be united to him , must not gaze and gad abroad , and turn his eyes wholly outward , but he must look to find him within , Intimis animis , for there he may at once both see him , feele him , taste him , and be united to him , God is never distant by place from us , for in him we live and move and have our being , but all our distance from him is only in the dispersion , multiplicity , destractions , and scatterings of our hearts , and in the dissimilitude and disproportions of our soules unto him , and when these things are once removed , then God appears to us who was never absent from us , but only our eyes are now unvailed to see and behold him , God is every where alike to him that can feele him , he is only not present to him that cannot receive him , as the sun shines not in a house where the curtains are drawn , and the windowes stopt up . This is the reason why many have so much adoe to finde God , because they look for him as a corporall thing , they still imploy their fansies and imaginations to finde him without , and send them a roving , gadding , and wandering abroad after God , and have such naturall and grosse conceits of heaven , as if it were nothing but a Theatre , a place of sights and shows , and God himselfe were nothing but a more pompeous spectacle , there to be gazed upon by these bodily eyes ; God I say is to be sought by a Christian within his own soule , and the way to find him there is , not by knowledge ; or study , or speculation , but by a leaving off all things , even our own wit and knowledge , and especially our lives , and by abstracting of our selves from the love of the world , and of our selves , and dying to them , and then out of this death will spring the true and heavenly light in which alone God is seen and known . 3. There is yet another mistake that is very vulgar and common , and that is , that men are generally very apt to conceive that God doth not require any endeavours , any activity of ours at all in the businesse of Religion , and that God deales with us in matters of grace and spirituall things , as meer stockes , and stones , and inanimal creatures , and not in a way suitable to us , as we are free and rationall ; This I conceive to be another mistake that damps and choakes mens endeavours of subduing and mortifying their lusts , for by this means we lazily ly down under the burden of our sins , and think we may cast the blame of our wickedness upon God himselfe , he hath not given us strength , he hath not given us power and ability , this is a strong castle of sin , in which men are apt to garison themselves against all the hearty exhortations and instructions which the Word of God , and the messengers of God bring unto them , whereas the Scripture every where calls upon us , to work out our salvation with fear and trembling , to make our calling and election sure , to gird up the loyns of our minds , to fight the good fight of faith , and Christ himselfe tells us , That he with his spirit stands at the doore and knocks , if any man open , and will hear his voyce , I will come into him , saith he , and sup with him , and he with me ; It is true , indeed it is not in our power to make our selves new creatures , to be regenerate and born again when we please , but as our Saviour tells us , the winde blowes where it listeth , and thou hearest the sound thereof , and canst not tell whence it comes , nor whither it goeth , so is every one that is born of the Spirit , but yet let us not deceive our selves , though this change in us be a new birth , and we cannot make our selves the sons of God , no more then we can make our selves the Sons of men , we can indeed but Pati Deum , lye down and suffer while he prints his own Image on our hearts , while he forms himselfe in our soules ; yet notwithstanding let us not deceive our selves , there is something for us to doe , and that the Scripture every where calls upon us for , and that is , not to make provision for the flesh , to fulfill the lusts thereof , to put off the old man that is corrupt , according to the deceitfull lusts , to mortifie and subdue this body of death , that we carry about us , for though we cannot make alive the new man in us when we please , yet we may concurr to the killing and destroying of the old , by refusing to satisfie the lusts & cravings of it , & then by looking up to heaven , & imploring Gods assistance that he would come down upon us the second time , & breath into us the breath of supernaturall life , we have therefore many gracious promises made to us in the Gospel , on purpose to incourage us to faith in God , that he will be always ready to prevent us with his goodnesse , & to remove the wretched infidelity of our hearts , whereby our confidence in God is choaked & all heavenly endeavours are dampt in us , the whole Gospel was written to this end & purpose , to destroy this infidelity , and assure us that we may come to God , & that he is a rewarder of those that seek him . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A37244-e200 That the soul is created i●mediately by God , Zach. 12.1 . Erroneus opinions of the Creation of soules . That the soul is not traduced from their parents . Reasons drawn from nature . Matthew 19. Reason drawn from divinity . Smelling . Feeling . The Immagination or common sence . The Phantasie . The sensative memory . The passions of sence . Motion of life . Locall motion . The Intellectuall powers of the soul . The Intellectuall memory . An Acclamation . That the soul is immortall , and cannot dye . Reason 1. Drawn from the desire of knowledge . Reason 2. Drawn from the Motion of the Soule . The Soul compared to a River . Objection . 
A38580	----	Nor truth, nor error, nor day, nor night, but in the evening there shall be light, Zach. 14. 6, 7 being the relation of a publike discourse in Maries Church at Oxford between Mr. Cheynel and Mr. Erbery January 11, 1646. Erbery, William, 1604-1654. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A38580 of text R26470 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing E3234). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 54 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 16 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A38580 Wing E3234 ESTC R26470 09475518 ocm 09475518 43228 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A38580) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 43228) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1308:31) Nor truth, nor error, nor day, nor night, but in the evening there shall be light, Zach. 14. 6, 7 being the relation of a publike discourse in Maries Church at Oxford between Mr. Cheynel and Mr. Erbery January 11, 1646. Erbery, William, 1604-1654. Cheynell, Francis, 1608-1665. [4], 22 p. s.n.], [London : l647. Contains only Erbery's arguments. Reproduction of original in the British Library. eng Theology, Doctrinal. Salvation. A38580 R26470 (Wing E3234). civilwar no Nor truth, nor error, nor day, nor night; but in the evening there shall be light. Zach. 14. 6, 7. Being the relation of a publike discourse Erbery, William 1647 11363 7 0 0 0 0 0 6 B The rate of 6 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the B category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-04 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-04 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-11 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2004-11 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-01 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Nor Truth , nor Error , Nor Day , nor Night ; But in the Evening There shall be Light . ZACH. 14. 6 , 7. BEING The Relation of a PUBLIKE DISCOURSE IN Maries Church at OXFORD , BETWEEN Mr. Cheynel , and Mr. Erbery . January 11. 1646. Printed in the Yeer . 1647. TO THE READER . WHen the little Book was open in the hand of the Angel , the Angel cryed , as when a Lion roareth , and seven thunders uttered their voices , &c. That is , when there was a powerful appearance of the Mystery of Christ ; when the Mystery of God ( which before was sealed , Revel. 5. but afterwards to be finished and fully manifested ) began to be opened , and that so powerfully , even to the terror of the Christian world , and of the Churches also ( for the seven thunders respect the seven Churches ; that 's all the Christian Churches under Antichristian Apostacy ) I say , when the little Book began to be open , John began to write , &c. that 's our weakness ; when any light breaks forth in us , any new discovery of Truth be made out to us by the teachings of God in us , we begin presently to be Teachers of men , to write , to publish it in Pulpit and Print , or in our private Teachings . This was Johns weakness also ; who was therefore commanded to seal those sayings , and write them not , till he had eaten the Book , and better digested that heavenly secret , The Mystery of God , and of Christ ; afterward , he was to Preach it , and Prophesie to Nations , Tongues , People , and Kings . This is another Mystery in the next Chapter , where that prophesying begins . Those two witnesses who prophesie in sackcloth , signifie a few Saints , who yet make a full witness , witnessing Christ in Spirit , and against the spirit of Antichrist : These are the two Olive trees as having their teachings immediately from God , Zach. 4. 11 , 12. And these are the two Candlesticks , the true Church in Spirit ; for the seven Candlesticks were faln , and removed out of their place through the Apostacy ; but these two witnesses have the Testimony of Jesus , which is the Spirit of prophecy , Revel. 19. 10. Which Spirit is that fire going out of their mouth , devouring their adversaries , and that spirit of Antichrist , appearing in several forms , the Dragon , the first beast , second beast , Babylon , the great whore , all is but the various appearances of that one spirit of Antichrist in the Christian Church , for there Antichrists seat ever was , and is , set up this day , though in a more glorious form , which is but the flesh of the whore , whose flesh is now fairer , and her forms , her array more fine in scarlet , &c. Revel. 16. 4. Yet these two witnesses in sackcloth ( who were also in former ages ) these few poor persecuted Saints still stand up , burning her flesh with fire , and by their prophesying , though in silence , plague men by shutting Heaven , that the rain ( or waters from above ) the Teachings of God , fall not on their fellowships , and turning their waters into blood , their formal worships , and teachings of men from below , into the blood of a dead man , Revel. 16. 3 , 4. And all this those two witnesses do , as oft as they will , which needs must be none else , but Christ in them , God in their flesh , coming forth in power and Spirit from them , plaguing and tormenting them which dwell on earth , ( i. e. ) earthly Christians and Churches also . For this , the two witnesses suffer ( their sufferings being shadowed forth by that sackcloth , and bitterness of the Book in their belly ) yet all this is but the sufferings of their flesh , and filth of it ( as 't were in the belly ) but yet they suffer with Christ , and Christ suffers in them ; for they are slain where our Lord was crucified , that 's ( spiritually ) fleshly Jerusalem , Christian carnal Churches , where spiritual Saints , and Christ in Spirit is still slain and crucified : but after three dayes and a half , ( that 's a little longer then Christ in flesh lay buried ) the spirit of life enters into those dead and unburied witnesses , who rise with Christ , and Christ riseth in them ; yea , they ascend in glory , a greater glory ( at least in the Letter ) then Christ ascended ; for none but Disciples and friends , were witnesses of his Resurrection , and saw him ascend ; but the ascension of the Saints , their very enemies shall behold . The sum of all is this , That which this man writes , he writes not as a clear Truth to publish to the world , not to put off his Earth , that heap of Heresie and Blasphemy cast upon him by enemies , to bury his name and make it rot ; nay , he is content to lie unburied yet , to the loathing of his person ; that the people who dwell on earth , may look on , rejoyce , and glory over his dead C●●cass , lying in the streets of the great City . 'T is well , if Truth shall rise in them that Read . Farewell . The Relation of a publike Discourse and Dispute at OXFORD , January 11. between Mr. Cheynel and Mr. Erbery , who spake thus : CHristian friends and fellow Souldiers , and worthy Schollars also ; I am your servant : I am called this day to come here in publike , from my private walkings ; not by my desire or seeking , but as sought out and drawn forth by a twofold cord , a publike charge ; and a private challenge : The charge was publikely given out in a Pulpit , of Heresie and Blasphemy against me ; the challenge was privately sent unto me , by word , and writing also , in a Letter from Master Cheynel , that I should give him a meeting in the Schools , or some meeting place in the University ; the place appointed is Maries Church , where I now present my self to wait on you all , and to answer what shall be objected , or to desire a satisfactory Answer to this my Quere I am questioned for . That which I have in private , I also profess in publike ; whatever I spake was not spoken as a Minister by outward call , though twice I was made one ; nor as a guifted man , knowing Christ , though once I was accounted some body by others , and by my self also : but now I am nothing ; know nothing ; and let all men know so of me : that I can neither see nor speak ( as Ministers , or gifted men should ) with any clearness in my self , or conviction to others ; but inquiring onely , and seeking the Lord our God , and David our King . This is that condition the Church shall be brought unto , into a Wilderness , where no path nor company shall be to walk with ; but being left alone , the Saints shall be all set in a seeking way , as the Prophets have foretold , That about Babylons destructions , and their deliverance from thence , Judah and Israel , those who were a divided Kingdom in Church-fellowships , shall come together in one , to seek the Lord their God , and the way to Zion ; that i● , not the way to Church , as the Churches this day are divided about , by a confused preposterous way ; seeking that first which should be last , ( as if they had found the knowledge of the Lord God already ) but first seek the Lord their God , and then the way to Zion ; that is , to know God dwelling in us , and our selves the habitation of God ; for this is Zion . Another Prophet points at a time , that all the Saints shall be left for many dayes without a King , and without a Prince , and without a Sacrifice , and without an Image , and without an Ephod , and without a Teraphim : that is , without all publike Worship or Ministery , true or false ; false they will not , and true they cannot have , [ not a King , or Prince ] that is not meant of crowned men or Civil Magistrates , but as I conceive , an Ecclesiastike , or Church Ruler , Officer , or Minister of Christ , to go before them ; nor yet a Sacrifice or Ephod , or any Church Ordinance among them , no not the least means of knowledge or enquiry left ; for an Ephod was the least Ordinance under the Law ( as all Ordinances under the Gospel , are legal also : ) by an Ephod men that were not Ministers or Priests might enquire of the Lord in doubtful cases , or in a distress as David did , and as men do now a dayes seek by fasting and prayer ; but this also at last shall be taken from the Saints , and they shall fit still in submission and silence , waiting for the Lord himself to come and reveal himself to them ; then they shall return and seek the Lord their God , and David their King , and fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter dayes : that is , every Saint is yet running about , changing their wayes , and gadding abroad after one of these three , Men , Means , and Self . But the Saints after they are wearied out with their whoredoms , shall return to their first husband , to God their Maker ; of whom they first proceeded and came forth , and shall see God in their flesh ; that is , David their King . This I have been seeking , and by seeking I finde in the Scriptures , these seven things taught by the Spirit . First , That Christ is a mystery , Col. 4. 3. Secondly , That the mystery is Christ in us the hope of glory , Col. 1. 27. Thirdly , That the riches of the glory of this mystery was kept secret , since the world began , hid from ages and generations , and not made known to the sons of men , Rom. 16. 25. Fourthly , That this mystery of Christ in us the hope of glory , was manifested by revelation to the Apostles , and Prophets , and primitive Saints by the Spirit , Ephes 3. 3 , 4. Col. 1. 26. Fifthly , That what was manifested to them of the mystery of Christ , was onely made known in part then to the Saints , yea , to the Apostles themselves ; who as they knew but in part , and had the knowledge onely as of children , so they knew Christ , but as the childe Jesus ; that is , they were not come to the knowledge of the Son of God , to a perfect man , to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ , or full age of Christ ; that is , in the mystery to know the Son of God so in them , and themselves in the Son , as tall and high in stature as he , and taken up in the glory of the Son , and with him into God himself : For that which was manifested visibly to men in the dayes of his flesh , that Christ was made of a woman , formed and conceived in a Virgin , brought forth and born into the world , living in Judea , dying in Jerusalem , rising and ascending into Heaven ; all this was the manifestation of the mystery of Christ in us the hope of glory , which was a truth from the beginning of the world , though not manifested to the Saints , before Christ came visibly in flesh : yet then , even before Christ was in the flesh of the Saints , he was all in all , Christ the same to day , yesterday , and for ever ; formed in them , brought forth in them , living in them , and suffering in their flesh , as well as in the Saints afterwards . Christ in David , was the knowledge and faith of David ; and Davids faith and knowledge , was the knowledge of the Son of God , and faith of the Son of God , who lived also in David , as well as in Paul , in whom as Christ was speaking so in David also ; yea , as Christ was all in all , Christ onely acting in them , doing all their works in them , so Christ suffered in them as the Lamb really slain from the foundation of the world . In Abel , the first beleeving Saint , Christ was slain ; and as Paul said of himself , I fill up what is behinde of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh : So the Saints who were also from the beginning , suffered what was before of the afflictions of Christ in their flesh . Thus Christ hath been the onely man of sorrows , and is still suffering , till he shall rise in us . This neither Peter nor Paul had attained to , to know Christ risen in them : Paul knew in part Christ , and him crucified , and desired to know also more fully the fellowship of his sufferings ( yet he knew not this so as those , Revel. 12 11. Who overcame by the blood of the Lamb , who saw their sufferings to be the sufferings onely of the Son ) But as for Christ risen in him , the resurrection of the dead , Paul knew not , nor was yet perfect , knowing not himself and the Son , one perfect man : Neither did Peter ( though he suffered for Christ , and Christ in him ) see the day of Christ , or Christ as the day star risen in his heart ; no , this was not to be revealed till the last times : When Christ should be so conceived and brought forth of a woman ( the weakest Saint ) that the weakest Saint should see , not onely Christ in them the hope of glory , Christ formed in them , brought forth in them , living in them , dying in them ; but Christ rising in them , and revealing himself so gloriously , as if he should say , I am the root , and the off-spring of David , the bright and morning Star . I am he , who was , and is , and is to come ; I was all in all in David before ; I was his root , from whom alone sprang up all that he did , said , or suffered ; all Davids fruit and glory rose up from Christ in him , and returned to the root , to Christ in Davids lowest and most dead estate ; so Christ is the off-spring also , and is also that to the Saints to day , as he was to David yesterday , their substance , strength , and song : But Christ in the Saints will be as the morning Star , and rise in more glory yet , when the new heaven and new earth shall be , and new Jerusalem shall come down out of heaven , that is , when God shall dwell with men on earth . Sixthly , This mystery of Christ in us the hope of glory , of God manifest in man● flesh , which was manifest , and in part made known to the Apostles and primitive Saints before , hath been hid again from ages and generations , ever since the apostacy and spirit of Antichrist came into the world with power , and so hath been kept secret since the ( Antichrstian ) world begun , and not made known to the sons of men . This is plainly foretold in the old Prophets , and in that last Prophet of the New Testament , who speaking of things to come in the apostacy and dayes of Antichrist , saith , That he saw a book written within , and on the backside sealed with seven seals ; and no man in heaven or earth , nor under the earth , was able to open the book , nor to look thereon , Revel. 5. 1 , 3. This Book is the mystery of Christ , the Word of God , and the Book of God , in whom both the will and good Will of God , are written , and by whom all the counsels , decrees , and deep things of God are declared ; the mysteries of heaven , and all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge , are hid in him , yet manifested , as I said , to the Apostles and Prophets , and primitive Saints : But the Book was since sealed , and that with seven seals ; that is , perfectly sealed , and sealed from the seven Churches ; that is , from all the Churches comprised under the number of seven ( for the seven seals hath reference to those seven Churches ) now no Church ; yea , no man in heaven or earth , or under the earth , none in Church-fellowship , or not in fellowship ; no man of never so high apprehension , or deep discoveries of spiritual things could open or read the Book , or look thereon , that 's more ; not look thereon , that is since the apostacy ; no man hath had scarce an outward knowledge , not a knowledge of the mystery of Christ in the Letter , much less in the Spirit ; not seen what was written without , much less within . This the old Prophets spake by the Spirit also , Isai. 8 16 , 17 Binde up the Testimony , seal the Law among my Disciples : The Testimony is the Book , the Word in the Letter , the Law is the Spirit , the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ ; the mystery of Christ both in the Letter and Spirit of life , were bound and sealed , and that from the Disciples of Christ ; and therefore as John wept , so Isaiah waits for him who hides his face from the house of Jacob , and looks for him ; that is , for Christ , in whose face the glory of God shines , that was hid from the whole Church , the house of Jacob . So Isaiah 29. 10 , 11. The vision of all is become as a Book that is sealed , that neither learned , nor unlearned could read it : Neither Prophet , nor Ruler , nor Seer , no Prophet in the Church , no Ruling Elder , nor the most seeing spiritual Member of the Church could see it to the Mystery , nor look thereon ; yea , the v●sion of all , nothing was seen , not in the Spirit , scarce in the Letter , the Reason is given , Verse 13. Because the fear of me is taught by the precepts of men ; that is , the knowledge and worship of Christ was taught by mens traditions , forms framed , by old Creeds and Councels , new Catechisms and Confessions of Churches ( as if the Scriptures and Spirit , were not sufficient to teach men all the knowledge of God and Christ clear enough ) therefore God proceeds to do a marvellous work and wonder , The wisdome of their wise men shall perish , and the understanding of the prudent shall be hid ; that both Fathers , Doctors , and Divines could not read the Book , nor look thereon ; yet there is a promise , Verse 18. That in that day the ears of the deaf shall hear the words of the Book : They that erred in spirit shall come to understanding , and they that murmured , shall loarn doctrine , Verse 24. Seventhly , That Book which was sealed before , shall be open again , and so it is , Revel. 10. 1 , 2. There the little Book is open . The mystery of Christ in us , is called a little Book , in opposition to those huge Tomes and mighty Volumes of Fathers , Councels , and Commentators , Treatises , &c. which have been all the dayes of Antichrist ; But in the day of Christ , when Christ shall appear in the Saints , then shall the Mystery be but a little Book ; ' ti● no more then God manifest in mans flesh ; if a man could manifest this Mystery to the World , as the Apostles could , there would be an end of the Church controversie this day ; for without controversie , great is the mystery of godlinesse , God manifest in flesh , &c. But this is that I would say , That the mystery of God shall be more gloriously revealed in the last times , after Antichrists destruction and deliverance of the Saints from the apostacy , then ever it was by the Apostles themselves at first . This I have shewn more fully in our private speakings , and shall , if called to , give a publike account . But now it is enough , that when the seventh Angel begins to sound , the mystery of God shall be finished , as he hath declared by his servants the Prophets , Revel. 10. 7. What is the mystery of God , but the man Christ Jesus ? — how that man is God ; how God is manifest in mans flesh ; this hath been declared by the Prophets more fully , then in the writings of the Apostles , excepting John ; and he gives but some hints of that high and heavenly Mystery , which the Scriptures of the Prophets do more gloriously speak out , by whom the Mystery is revealed , though not to them , Rom. 16. 27. 1 Pet. 1. 13. compared . And as the Prophets did minister not to themselves , but to the Apostles ; so the Apostles do minister many things of the mystery of Christ , not to themselves , but to us in these last times , to whom the mystery of God shall be fulfilled , which was to them revealed but in part , Revel. 10. 7. I date not say , that any thing of this Mystery is revealed to me , nor yet dare I deny the teachings of God : But what I have taught , as I would no man to trust me ; so I wish all men to try me , and to hold fast that which is good : This is all that I know of this yet , if yet I know any thing : First , That the Son and the Saints make one perfect man , and that the fulness of the Godhead dwells in both , in the same measure , though not in manifestation . Secondly , That the fulness of the Godhead shall be manifested in the flesh of the Saints , as in the flesh of the Son . These two things , which others see as Heresie and Blasphemy , seems to me as Truths , both in Scriptures , and by that Spirit which speaks in me : If any man can convince me by proofs or power of Argument , I shall submit and be silent . But because I am forcibly commanded and called forth to speak in publike , I shall according to the power of God in me , do these two things : First , Prove the Doctrines by plain Scriptures . Secondly , Then propound my Arguments from thence . My proofs for the first are from Christ and his Apostles , both to me teach this one thing , viz. That the fulness of the Godhead dwells in the Saints , as in the Son , in the same measure , though not in the same manifestation , he being in this last sense Anointed above his fellows , and God manifest in flesh ; But seeing we are his Brethren , we have the same divine Nature , our Fathers Nature as full in us as he : and we being his body and fulness also , though the Oil first appear powred forth on the head , yet it runing down to his hem , all his Members are anointed with him ; yea , though the crown be onely put on the head , yet every member is crowned also with it ; and though there shall be but one King in all the Earth , yet all the Saints shall raign on earth also : How could this be , that so many shall raign at once , and yet but one King , if the Saints and the Son were not one perfect man ? And that the fulness of the Godhead is in both , in the same measure ; Christ himself witnesseth in those words , John 14. 1. Let not your hearts be troubled : ye beleeve in God , beleeve also in me . The Saints before Christs beleeved on God in Covenant , but not on God in Christ ; that was the mystery which Moses himself saw not , nor should see the glory of God in the face of Christ ; for all that doctrine of Free-grace and Mercies , &c. was but Gods back parts : but now saith Christ , Ye beleeve in God , beleeve also in me ; that is , beleeve on God by me ; for as Christ is onely the Way to the Father , Verse 6. so the Father onely is the end and ultimate object of all our Christian knowledge , faith , and worship : therefore Christ addes this Verse 2. In my fathers house are many mansions ; what is the Fathers house ? but the Father himself , God himself , the fulness of the Godhead : there are mansions in it ; there is not onely a mansion for me saith Christ , in God , but mansions for you also in him , I go to prepare a place for you : But how doth he prepare a place for them in the Godhead with himself ? Why , 't was by going to God , going to the Father to receive the promise of the holy Spirit . Why ? Christ received the Spirit before in the fullest measure ; yea , but not in that full manifestation : he was the Son before , but not declared so to be the Son of God , but by the resurrection ; God was in his flesh at his first conception , but God was not so manifest in flesh , till he was received up to glory , and received the promise of the Spirit , to shed it forth also on every beleever to bring them to God also : For if I go , I will come again , and receive you to my self , that where I am ye may be also . 'T is not meant of his coming to judgement in the end of the world , nor of our receiving to himself in the end of our lives after death , as men conceive and comment : but when he should come in Spirit , he would receive them to himself , take them up to his own glory , to be in the Godhead with him ; that where I am ye may be also : Therefore it follows , Verily , verily , he that beleeveth on me , the works that I do shall he do also , and greater works then these shall he do , because I go to the Father : that is , he that beleeveth on me , as saith the Scriptures ; that beleeveth so on the Son , that he seeth himself with the Son in God , and God in him , as in the Son ; he shall do greater works then the Son did in the dayes of his flesh : as we see Peter did convert more at one Sermon , then Christ did all his life long ; and the Apostles gave the Spirit by the laying on of hands , which Christ did not whilest he lived in flesh : Again saith he , John 14. 18. I will not leave you comfortless , I will come to you , I will not leave you Orphanes , or fatherless , you shall have a father as well as I , when I come to you in spirit , ( not his coming at the last day , that was a long time , the Apostles should not live to that , but ) yet a little while and the world seeth me no more , but ye see me : The world a carnal Christian can see no further then Christ in flesh , when that is gone the world sees him no more , but ye see me . How ? Because I live , ye shall live also ; that is , ye see me in God , and living in God onely ; and because I live , ye shall live in God also ; For our life is hid with Christ in God , as Paul saith : 'T is in God our life is , and as the Son lives , for 't is with Christ , though this be yet hid : But in that day ye shall know that I am in the Father , and you in me , and I in you , John 14. 20. That is , in the day of Christs coming , and appearing in us , we shall know that as he is in the Father , and hath his being in God onely , so we also shall see , that we are in him , and he in us ; and that we have the same being in God : We shall appear with him in glory , 1 Joh. 3. 2. This is plainer expressed , John 17. 21. In Christ his last prayer to his Father for those given him ; Neither pray I for these alone ; but for them also that shall beleeve on me through their word , ( beleeve in the sense before said ) That they all may be one , as thou Father art in me , and I in thee ; that they also may be one in us : One in Glory , one in the Godhead ; so it follows , John 17. 22. The glory which thou gavest me , have I given them . What 's the glory which the Father gave him ? God himself , the Father gave himself , as 't is Verse 5. And now Father , glorifie me , with thine own self , the glory which I had with thee before the world was : That glory was then given , and that glory which God gave the Son , the same is given the Saints : The glory is given already to them , though they enjoy it not , nor that glory revealed in them , nor the Godhead yet manifest in their flesh : Therefore Christ prayes there , not for the matter of glory , as if that were not yet ; but for the manifestation of that glory . What 's the glory ? First , Perfect union ; That they may be one , as we are one ; as perfectly and fully one . Verse 23. I in them and thou in me , that they may be perfect in one , that the world also ( as well as they ) may know that thou hast sent me , and hast loved them , as thou hast loved me . That 's the second part of glory ; The same love God bears to the Saints , as to his beloved Son , as hearty and as high a love , as intense , and eternal for extension also , as full expressions of love go forth from God to the Saints , as to the Son ; yea , more in the Letter is said of them , though it be the same love in Spirit with the Son also . How do the Prophets powre forth all the tender heartedness , and truest love of God on the Saints saying , besides many other woing words , that he their Maker , is their Husband , and they his Hephzibah and Beula : that there land shall be married also to him ; that is , that he will manifest himself in their flesh , ( that 's their land ) and make it one with himself , then love them as his Son : as a Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride , so shall thy God rejoyce over thee , yea , joy over thee with singing too , as another Prophet addes , resting in his love . Why ? Because the Lord thy God is in the midst of thee , God in our flesh : This again is a third story of that glory the Saints are taken up with the Son , not onely perfect union with the Father , and sulness of love , but living for ever also with the Son in God ; for that 's the meaning of that Verse 24. Father , I will that they also whom thou hast given me , may be with me where I am ; in the same mansion , in the same place ; that is , ( as I said ) in the fulness of the Godhead ; in all the fulness of God , that they may behold this , he sayes , That this may be manifest to them , and the world also ; for the Saints sit with the Son already in heavenly places , yea , are with him at the right hand of God , and therefore are said to dwell in Heaven ; whom therefore the Dragon doth blaspheme , even God and his Tabernacle , and them that dwell in Heaven ; that is , the Saints who are the Tabernacle of God , in whom God dwells ; and so they blaspheme God in them , calling them for this blasphemers . But let us hear what the Apostles of Christ can say for this . Paul prayes for the Ephesians , That they may comprehend with all Saints , what is the bredth , and length , and depth , and height ; and to know the love of Christ , which passeth all knowledge , that they may be filled with all the fulness of God , Ephes. 3. 18 , 19. Here 's a great word and wonderful Glory , a Mystery that hath all dimensions in it ; such a height , that no carnal man can reach unto ; a depth that none can dive into ; a length that none can compass the end thereof ; and such a bredth , that none can comprehend with all their vast understandings ; yet he prayes , that they with all Saints of the lowest size , the least capacity may comprehend and know the love of Christ that passeth all knowledge ; that is , the love of God in Christ , ( as the Geneva notes well ) that we may be filled with all the fulness of God ; that is , that all the fulness of the Godhead , may be manifest to them and others also : That he prayes for , For they were already filled with all the fulness of God . Again , the Apostle is plainer in his proof , Col. 2. 2 , 9 , 10. where he speaking of the mystery of God , and of the Father , and of Christ , so we read , but falsly as in other places of this nature ; as if there were first God , the divine Nature , then the Father , then Christ ; whereas 't is in Greek , The mystery of that God and Father , there 's the first , and then of Christ , as also 1 Thes. 3. 11. Now God himself , and the Father ; 't is , now that God himself and Father , or as the Geneva reads in both places , the mystery of God even the Father , that 's the first part of the mystery ; then the mystery of Christ is the second , what 's that ? In him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily . And ye are compleat in him ; compleat , 't is in the Greek , ye are filled ; with what ? with all fulness of the Godhead , as we shewed before , Ephes. 3. For as it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell in the Son , so it s his pleasure the same fulness and measure should dwell in the Saints ; though the Son hath in all things the preeminence in manifestation , yet the fulness of the Godhead shall be also manifested in the Saints ; which is my second to prove , That the fulness of the Godhead shall be also manifest in the flesh of the Saints , as in the Son . This , John , as he did in his Gospel , so in his Epistles makes plain to me at least . Beloved , now are we the sons of God , but it doth not yet appear what we shall be ; but we know that when he shall appear , we shall be like him ; for we shall see him as he is : When he shall appear , that is , in us , when that glory shall be revealed in us : Then we shall be like him , that is , appear with him in glory , in the same glory of the Son , we shall be like him : For we shall see him as he is ; the Saints under the Gospel saw Christ in Spirit , and the glory of God shining forth in his face , yet onely in a glass darkly ; but after the apostacy , no man at all could see the least glimsp of that glory , or look into the Book , The Mystery of Christ , or look thereon , but after the apostacy ; and falling away being full , the day of Christ follows immediately , and then we shall see him as he is ; how is that ? we shall see him in God , even the Father , and in us also , and our selves in him , and with him living in God , as I said , The Saints shall be seen in the Son : this is called by Paul , The manifestation of the sons of God : the glorious liberty of the sons of God ; For if the Son ( that is in us ) make us free , we shall be free indeed , John 8. 36. Therefore , as the first falling away , and apostacy of Churches , was in doctrine , not in worship ; so the first doctrine which was darkned with the smoke of the bottomless pit , with the spirit of Antichrist , it was the Sun : The Son was darkned , and so the Father also ; for he that denieth the Son , the same hath not the Father . Now here 's the first deceit of Antichrist in denying the Father and the Son , 1 John 2. 22. No Protestant or Papist denies this , say they : But Antichrist is a liar ; though in a form of words father , and son is confessed ; yet in truth , in power , and spirit , they deny both . They deny the Father in the Son , and deny the Son in the Saints ; denying God in Christ , and the Father all in all in his flesh : For God , even the Father , the everlasting Father , was born and brought forth in that flesh ; God in flesh lived with men , and in flesh God gave his life for men , purchasing the Church with his own blood ; 't was God rose , and God ascended in flesh ; yea , the Son was nothing , but as he was in God ; the Son could do nothing of himself , but the Father in him did all the works ; and as God was in Christ , and God all in all in his flesh , so Christ in us all in all in our flesh ; Christ the man-childe is brought forth in us , liveth in our flesh , suffers in us , and shall rise in us , and we shall ascend also with him ; for as the two witnesses ( those few Saints who yet are a full witness for Christ , and against Antichrist ) were killed in the City where our Lord was crucified , Revel. 11. 8. That 's spiritually in the Mystery , being crucified with Christ in their flesh ; so those Saints are said to rise , Verse 11. and to ascend , Verse 12. Secondly , Antichrist denies Christ to be come in flesh , 1 John 4. 3. Not to come in flesh of the Virgin made of a woman ; this all carnal Christians confess in their Creed : But Antichrist denies Christ to be come in our flesh , and our flesh to be anointed of God , and with God ; for that 's Christ the anointed of God , God manifest in flesh : Now God was ever manifest in the flesh of the Saints , though they knew it not before ; and the flesh of the Saints is the anointed of God , anointed with all the fulness of God ; for so it follows . 1 John 2. 20. Ye have an unction from the holy One , whereby ye know all things ; that is , as he that is born of God sinneth not at all , because the seed remaineth in him , there is a principle , the Son , the Word , the immortal Seed is in them : so he that is born of God , in whom God is brought forth , knoweth all things ; because there is a power in him , God in his flesh teaching him all things , that 's the unction . Therefore 1 John 2. 27. the anointing abiding in the Saints , teacheth them all things , and they need not that any man teach them , &c. that is , while they abide in the anointing , and attend on God in them , and hearken to the Father as the Son did , As I hear , I judge , and I speak to the world the things I have heard of him : I can do nothing of my self , but as my Father hath taught me , I speak these things . Thus the Son had no Tutor or Teacher , but the Father , God in his flesh ; if the Saints saw this fulness in themselves , the fulness of God anointing their flesh , this would free them from that bondage to Men , Means , and Ministers . This is Babylons destruction ; first by mutual divisions , Isaiah 10. 26. as the Churches divided : secondly , by the manifestation of the anointing , the discovery of Christ in the midst of the Church , God in their flesh : In that day ( the day of Christ ) his burden shall be taken from of thy shoulder , and the yoke from of thy neck , and the yoke shall be destroyed , because of the anointing , Isaiah 10. 27. This is the glorious liberty of the sons of God , the manifestation of the sons of God , which we hope for , God to be manifest in our flesh , then Christ comes in flesh : and thus , if the Son shall make ye free , ye shall be free indeed ; but ye are of God , little children ( the least Saint is of God , as the Son is of the Father ) and ye have overcome them ; that is , ( the wisest and most powerful Impostors of Antichrist ) for greater is he in you ; then he that is in the world ; that is , Christ in you , God in your flesh ; who is greater then all ; whose very foolishness and weakness is wiser and stronger , then all the strength and wisdom of men , and whose wisdom and strength shall be manifest also in the most foolish and feeblest Saints . This John in the Revelation more cleerly yet reveals ; for as he saw the Son in the midst of the Saints , Christ in the midst of the Church ; so he shows that all the power of the Son , the glory and honor of the Son , shall be manifested in the Saints . Not to speak of the old Prophets , who are aboundant in holding forth this glory , The sons of them that afflicted thee , shall come bowing unto thee ; and all they that despised thee , shall bow themselves , down at the soles . of thy feet , and call thee the City of the Lord ; that is , the Saint in whom God dwells : And therefore , as at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow ; that is , to God in him , for that 's his name ; so saith God , to me shall every knee bow , to me in the Saints ; and therefore , Revel. 3. 9. The Lord God saith , I will make them of the Synagogues of Satan , that say they are Jews , and are not , but do lie : behold , I will make them to come and worship before thy feet , and know that I have loved thee ; that is , as the world shall know that the Father loves the Saints as the Son , Joh. 17. 23. So the apostatized Churches ; that is , the Synagogues of Satan ; for Peter himself was called so , when he savored the flesh , the things of man , more then of God : So the Jews , that is , legal Church members , who have belied themselves into a liberty they have not , boasting because of their fleshly forms , and fellowships , that they are above other Saints ; these false Churches shall come down and worship at the feet of scattered Saints , who are gathered up into Christ , and with Christ into God ; they shall worship not them , but God in them , and confess that God is in them of a truth . The Spirits power , and honor , and glory , as I said , shall be manifested in the Saints . First , His power , Revel. 2. 26 , 27. He that overcometh , to him will I give power over the nations , and he shall rule them with a rod of iron ; and as the vessels of a Potter shall they be broken in peeces , even as I have received of my Father . See here the power of the Son , manifested in the Saints ; for so the second Psalm speaks of the Son , The Kings of the earth , and the rulers , stand up against the Lord , and against his Christ ; who is Christ the anointed of God ? But the Saints with the Son , Verse 3. Who would think that poor Saints should have such power , yea , such honor have all the Saints , as to binde Kings in chains , and Nobles with links of iron ; and to execute the judgement written of the Son , Psal. 149. 8 , 9. Who beleeves that all the blood shed , and slaughters this day in the world ; the dashings of Kings and Kingdoms one against another , is done by the Saints , though they stir not , but are quiet in the land ; yet the Lord goes forth of them , working all , and wasting all by them , by the weakest Saints . Thou worm Jacob , thou shalt thresh mountains , and beat the hills to chaff : that is , as another Prophet phraseth it , O Jacob , that is , the weakest Saints ; for Israel is the name of power , but Jacob , thou art my battle-ax and weapons of war , with thee will I destroy Nations , and dash Kingdoms in pieces like a Potters vessel : This the Saints have done , and do still , God in them doing all in all : Though this be not yet manifest in them , nor to the world , yet it shall be , saith the Scripture , The Saints shall have the same power manifest in them as in the Son . Secondly , The honor also of the Son shall be manifest in the Saints ; He that overcomes , shall sit with me in my throne ; as I overcame , and am set down with my Father in his throne . Revel. 3. 21. What 's the throne of Christ , but the honor given him of God , to raign and to judge also ? The Saints shall have both , not onely a rod or scepter of Iron to break Nations , but a scepter of Gold , of Righteousness to rule Nations ; and that Nation which will not serve thee , shall perish , and be utterly wasted : Who will not serve God in the Saints ? But then again , The Saints shall judge also with Christ ( not by approbation onely , as Gentlemen who sit on the bench with the Judge ) but the Saints as the Son shall sit in the same judicial throne : The Saints shall judge the world , yea , Angels ; not onely the world , common Churches , with all their worships , but the Angels of Churches also the Saints shall judge ; as Christ judged none more hardly then the Priests , and Elders of the people . Thirdly , He that overcometh shall inherit all things , and I will be his God , and he shall be my Son . Here 's the glory of the Son ; that he is appointed heir of all things , Heb. 1. This glory is given to the Saints also , though the Saints know it not , no more then a crowned Childe in the cradle knows he is a King . Here 's the mystery of Christ , and of a beleeving Christian also : Who is he that overcometh the world ? but he that beleeveth that Jesus is the Son of God , beleeveth in that sense I said before . 'T is strange , that the Saints who dare not judge any man , yet are said to judge all things , and to be judged of no man ; that they who hurt no man , should be said to destroy all men ; that those who have nothing , should be said to be heirs of all , and inherit all things ; how could this be ? but that the Son is in them , God in their flesh ; and so he is their God , and they are not onely his sons , but his Son . This seems to be a truth in it self , though not manifest to them till they overcome . This overcoming is seven times repeated , Revel. 2. and 3. and once more here , Revel. 21. 7. There 's a mystery in that also , in this overcoming , what is it , and what is the thing to be overcome ? In a word , 't is the number and name of the Beast that the Saints must get victory of , Revel. 15. 2. But what 's the Beast , his name , and number ? 't is the number of a man , that 's more mysterious yet : But sure 't is cleer , That every man is brutish in his knowledge ; and though vain man would be wise , yet man is born but a wilde Asses colt ; yea , Man in honor understandeth not , but is like a beast that perisheth : So that man is the Beast , who counts himself wise , or to have the knowledge of a man , which the wisest man , even Agur the Prophet would not own , when he was to speak of Ithiel , and Ucal ; that is , of Christ , and God in Christ ; for Ithiel is the same with Immanuel , God with us ; and Ucal is a name , signifying power , as Christ is the wisdom of God , and power of God : So then , when man sees onely of the humanity in himself , the wisdom of man or power of man , and sees not God all in all , and the Godhead in him ; This is the Beast , this the number of his name , the number of a man ; when we shall overcome this , this manhood , this self , and submit to the Godhead in us ; when we shall see God onely manifest in our flesh , and the flesh nothing , profiting nothing , having no power , nor wisdom ; when thus we deny our selves , follow me , saith Christ ; follow him who is our forerunner , and gone before into the holiest , into the fulness of the Godhead with him ; then we are said to overcome and inherit all things . God is our God , and we are his Son , then this shall be manifest ; for Revel. 22. 3. we shall see his face , and his name shall be in our foreheads , as the Fathers name with Christ , Rev. 14 1. so the name of Christ also shall be read in our foreheads . Men shall see the Saints as the Son , That 's his new name , which he will write on us ; and we shall be called by another name , by a new name , which the mouth of the Lord shall name . Mens mouthes have still formed new names on the Saints , as from the beginning so of late : In Queen Maries dayes , the Saints suffered as Protestants ; in Queen Elizabeths as Professors ; in King James's as Puritans ; in King Charli's as Separatists ; in our days as Sectaries , Heretikes , and Blasphemers : But the Lord God will give us a new name shortly himself , when ye shall leave your name as a curse to my chosen ; for the Lord God shall slay thee , and call his servants by another name , Isaiah 65. 15. So far concerning the proof of those Truths , so far as I conceive them to be . Now I shall come to the Arguments , which are three ; the first from the Old Testament , the second from the New , the third from both : The first Argument is from Isaiah 61. thus , Those who are the anointed of God with Christ , to preach the Gospel to the world , whom the world shall own as the onely Ministers of God , and honor as the Son , they have all the fulness of the Godhead as the Son : But the Saints are the anointed of God with Christ , to preach the Gospel to the world , and the world shall own them as the onely Ministers of God , and honor them as the Son . Therefore the Saints have all the fulness of the Godhead with the Son . There are four parts in the Argument to prove in this Chapter . First , The Saints are the anointed of God with Christ , that 's plain , Isaiah 61. 1 , 3. The same spirit or oyl powred forth on the Son , is powred forth on the Saints , and that in the same fulness : For secondly , They are anointed with him to preach the Gospel to the world ; the Spirit was on him , that he might preach to the world , and they shall preach to the world also ; for they shall build the old wastes , and shall raise up the former desolations , they shall repair the waste cities , the desolations of many generations , Verse 4. What wastings hath war made , not onely in the visible world , but the invisible ? in the inward man are more wastes ; and for many generations , men have been desolated of that glory once given them . Now to repair all things in the world visible and invisible , to build up the ruines made , not by Rome , but even by the most reformed Churches ; to raise up a new building , a city for God to dwell in , this is the work of the Son onely , yet the Saints shall do it also ; but I beleeve the world shall be a little more wasted first . Thirdly , The world shall then own the Saints as the onely Ministers of God . Verse 6. Ye shall be called the Priests of the Lord , and men shall call you the Ministers of our God . Fourthly , All that see them shall acknowledge , that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed , Verse 9. Now the blessed Seed is Christ , Gal. 3. 16. He speaketh not of Seeds , as of many , but of One , the Seed , which is Christ . All the Saints being many ( in fl●sh ) make up but one Christ ( in Spirit ) ; yea , God even the Father that eternal Spirit , shall be manifest in their fl●sh , as in his : That not onely themselves shall see it ; but all men shall say , that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed . This full Discourse , and first Argument of Mr. Erbery is set forth , not that any man should approve , but prove it ; not to justifie himself , but to be judged of all . He will not mention any thing in the Dispute at present , being content to suffer in silence , and fit still in his own abhorrency , while others walk in their honor , and applause , which he doth not envy them ; for they have their reward , and he his wages , That all men speak evil of him ; yet could he with a few words wipe of all his personal wrongs , but then he should be sprinkle others with some spots and shame , which he is loth to do . Let the true God who judgeth righteously , cleer up all mens falshoods ( and truth also ) in his due time . This is all he hath now to say , That as he first professed , he knew nothing , nor maintained any thing as Dogmatical , but onely delivering his minde , drawn out to speak , because he should not be silent ; so he confesseth himself not yet carried out of the way of further inquiry , and seeking the Truth , that God shall teach him , and not men ; wishing all the Saints were in that way , to cease from man , whose breath is in his nostrils ; for wherein is he to be accounted of ? especially now , when the number of the Beast may be read ( in mens foreheads ) to be the number of a man : And the Lord alone to be exalted in that day . Well , when wise men erre , and the Princes of Zoan are become fools , that is , the chief leaders in ( spiritual ) Egypt are causing to erre , and wander ; there is a way , a high-way , that wayfaring men , though fools , shall not erre therein . If any man would be wise still , he dares not call him fool ; but as for him who hath found himself a fool already , and sees himself be-wildernessed as a wayfaring man , seeing no way of man on earth , nor beaten path to lead him , let him look upward and within at once , and a high-way , the way is found , Christ in us , God in our flesh : Waite here a while for that Spirit and Power from on high to appear in us , walking in the Spirit of holiness , love and peace ; and at last , yea , within a little , we shall be led forth out of this confusion , and Babylon , wherein we yet are not cleerly knowing , Truth nor Error , Day nor Night ; but in the Evening there shall be Light . Cant. 1. 7. Tell me ( O thou whom my soul loveth ) where thou feedest , where thou makest to rest at noon . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A38580e-190 Revel. 10. 1. Verse 2. Verse 3. Verse 7. Verse 4. Verse 4. Vers. 10. Vers. 11. Reve. 11. Verse 3. Verse 4. Verse 5. Verse 6. Verse 8. Vers. 11. Vers. 12. Acts 10. 43. Notes for div A38580e-590 Jere. 50. 2 , 4. Vers. 5. Hosea 3 4 , 5. 1 Sam. 23. 9. Zach. 8. 19. Hos. 3. 5. Jere. 2. 36. Hosea 2. 6 , 7. 1 Cor. 13 11. Acts 4. 27 , 30. Eph. 4. 13. Psal. 22. 22. Heb. 2. 12 , 13. Gal. 1. 16 and 2. 20. and 3. 1. crucified in you . Gal 4 19 and 5. 27. and 6. 15. 2 Cor 13. 3. Heb. 2. 11 , 12 , 13. Rev 13. 8 Col. 1. 24. Isai. 63. 9 1 Cor. 2 2. Phil. 3. 11 , 12 , 14 2 Pet 1. 19. 1 Pet. 1. 13. Isa. 66 7. Jere. 31. 22. Rev 12. 5 compared Isai. 26. 19. and 60 , 1 , 2. Rev. 22. 16. Revel. 21. 3. Isai. 29. 14. Heb. 2. 11. 2 Pet. 1. 3 , 4. Zach. 14. 9. Revel. 5. 10. Exod. 33. 18. Acts 2. 33. John 14. 3. John 14. 12. Joh. 7. 38 and 17. 20 , 21. Act. 2. 41 and 3. 19. Col. 3. 3. Isa. 54. 5. Isai. 62. 4 , 5. Zeph. 3. 17. Revel. 13. 6 , 7. Col. 2. 9 , 10. 1 John 3. 2. Col. 3 4. John 14. 19 , 20. Rom. 8. 18 , 19 : 1 Tim. 4. 1. Revel. 9. 2. Joh. 2. 22. Isai. 9. 6. Matth. 1. 23. Acts 20. 28. 1 John 3. 16. Psal. 68. 1 , 17 , 18. John 14. 10 , 20. 1 John 4. 4. John 5. 30. John 8. 28. 1 John 4. 4. Zach. 12. 3 , 8. Rev. 1. 13 Isai. 60. 14. Mich. 7. 16 , 17. Zach. 8. 23. Isai. 41. 14 , 15. Jere. 51. 20 , 21. Isai. 60. 12. 1 Cor. 2. 3. Rev. 21. 7. 1 John 5. 5. Revel. 13 18. Psal. 49. 20. Prov. 30. 2 , 3. Revel. 3. 12. Revel. 22. 4. Isa 62. 2. Isai 65. 15. Isai. 2. 11 , 22. Reve. 13. 18. Isai. 19. 2 , 13 , 14. Isai. 35. 8. 
A29532	----	Three links of a golden chain, or, Three of the principal causes of mans salvation viz, God giving his elect unto Christ, their coming unto Him, His receiving of them, doctrinally opened and practically applied as it was lately delivered unto the Church of God at Great Yarmouth / by John Brinsley. Brinsley, John, 1600-1665. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A29532 of text R23814 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing B4732). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 151 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 44 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A29532 Wing B4732 ESTC R23814 07911995 ocm 07911995 40368 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A29532) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 40368) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1198:14) Three links of a golden chain, or, Three of the principal causes of mans salvation viz, God giving his elect unto Christ, their coming unto Him, His receiving of them, doctrinally opened and practically applied as it was lately delivered unto the Church of God at Great Yarmouth / by John Brinsley. Brinsley, John, 1600-1665. [5], 81 p. Printed by S. Griffin for Richard Tomlins, London : 1659. Reproduction of original in the Union Theological Seminary Library, New York. eng Bible. -- N.T. -- John VI, 37 -- Sermons. Salvation -- Sermons. A29532 R23814 (Wing B4732). civilwar no Three links of a golden chain, or, Three of the principal causes of mans salvation viz, God giving his elect unto Christ, their coming unto Brinsley, John 1659 28149 133 165 0 0 0 0 106 F The rate of 106 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the F category of texts with 100 or more defects per 10,000 words. 2003-10 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-10 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-11 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2003-11 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-12 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THREE LINKS OF A GOLDEN CHAIN : OR , Three of the Principal Causes of Mans Salvation . Viz. God giving his Elect unto Christ , their Coming unto him , his Receiving of them . Doctrinally Opened , AND Practically Applied . As it was lately delivered unto the Church of God at Great Yarmouth . By JOHN BRINSLEY , Minister of the Gospel there . Luk. 14. 17. Come , for all things are now ready . London , Printed by S. Griffin for Richard Tomlins , and are to be sold at the Sign of the Bible in Pye-Corner . 1659. To all that call upon the name of Iesus Christ in the Town of Great Yarmouth . ( Dearly beloved of the Lord ) THis Text being by an unknown hand put into mine , with an earnest request that I would in publick handle the latter part of it , I not knowing what providence there might be in this Motion , nor yet where to pitch upon a moro useful Subject , undertook the whole Verse , which having passed through in the audience of some of you , I do now present to the view of you all . Whereunto I have been induced , as for the furtherance of your faith , by pressing and directing that greatest of Christian duties , your coming unto Jesus Christ , so for the confirming and establishing of you in the truth against some of those Errors of the Times , which having unhappily prevailed in some other places , begin also to creep in amongst you , I mean those of the Universalists and Free-willers ( as they are vulgarly called . ) Against these ( as I have heretofore , and that ( through Grace ) not without some successe done against some other ) I have here ( having a just occasion for it from the Text ) born witnesse . And to this I shall desire you to hearken , that so you may not be carried away with this wind of Doctrine . So I presume to call that Doctrine , which is so much cried up this day by some ( and those not a few ) who understand it not , the Doctrine of Universal Redemption . A Doctrine at the first hearing very plausible to vulgar apprehensions ( none more ) whilest it pretendeth to elevate , to lift up and magnifie the Grace of God , and Merit of Christ , by such a boundlesse enlarging of them . But upon stricter examen , it will be found guilty of what it is here charged with , of Elevating this Grace , and this Merit , in another sense , derogating from them , and extenuating of them . Vpon which ( besides many other just grounds ) let me perswade you to be wary how you hearken to it , or give entertainment to those that bring it , Is it not enough for you , or any other ( what is here positively and clearly held forth in this Text ) that Whosoever they are that come unto Jesus Christ ( receiving him as their Saviour and Lord ) they shall be received by him , obtaining from him that great benefit of his death ? This do ye build your souls upon , putting them upon this way , and then my soul for yours , they shall not miscarry . In the mean time , as for any other latitude , or extent of the Fathers or Sons Intentions , whether , and ( if so ) in what way , reaching to all , or confined only to a select company , leave it ( as safely you may ) to the more acute disquisition of the Schools , to which there is indulged a liberty of disputing , what being not so easie for vulgar heads to apprehend , is not so safe for them to determine . Blessed be God , you have so much of Christ , and of Gods gracious purpose towards all repenting and believing sinners in and through him clearly , and convincingly held forth unto you , as that you shall not need to trouble your heads about any such dubious intricacies , as are by some ( who , it may be , would seem to be somebody ) presented to you , and with some colour of zeal obtruded upon you under the notion of important truths . Let it be my desire and earnest request to you , that you would make much of old truths , those Doctrines , which you have received , not lightly and readily receding from any of them , not without clear and s●rong convictions . And among other not from those concerning Election and Redemption ; which have been so fully vindicated ( as in former Ages , so in this last ) by divers eminent , both for learning and true pietie , as ●hat it may well be wondered at , that the Bucklers should still be held up against them . This that you may do ( among other ) is one end of my putting this small Treatise into your hands : Which commending to the blessing of him , who gave it to me , I rest Your servant in the Lord , JOHN BRINSLEY . Great Yarmouth , Iune 1. An. Dom. 1657. Three Links OF A GOLDEN CHAIN . JOHN 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me ; and him that cometh unto me , I will in no wise cast out . THE words are part of a Sermon Preached by our blessed Saviour to some of the Iewes in the Synagogue , the publick meeting-place for religious worship in Capernaum . So much we may learn from the 59th verse of the Chapter , [ These things said he in the Synagogue , as he taught in Capernaum . ] In this Sermon he dealeth with these his Auditors , as by way of Information and Instruction , shewing them who , and what himself was , and what their duty was in reference to him , viz. to believe on him , so also by way of Objurgation and Reprehension , taxing and reproving them ( many of them ) for not doing what was their duty , not believing , not acknowledging him to be what he was , notwithstanding that they had seen him and his works , been eye-witnesses of the admirable effects of his divine power , as in that miracle which a little before he had wrought , the multiplying of loaves and fishes , so in many other . This he chargeth upon them in the verse next before the Text , v. 36. [ But I said unto you , that ye also have seen me , and believe not . ] But how came this to pass , that they should be so blind , so stupid , as seeing what they did , yet not to acknowledge him to be what he was , not to believe on him ? For this we have a Reason subjoyned in the words which I have now pitched upon . Thus it was with them , in as much as they were not in the number of those that were given to him by his Father . Which if they had been , there would have been other terms betwixt him and them than then there were : They would have come unto him after another manner than now they did ; non tantùm pedibus . sed & affectibus , not only with the feet of their Bodies , but also of their Soules , receiving and embracing him ; which if they had done , he would have been as ready to do the like to them . [ All that my Father giveth me shall come unto me ; and him that cometh unto me I wil in no wise cast out . So Expositors generally , almost universally ( as the Jesuite Maldonate , though against his will , taketh notice of it ) conceive of the coherence and dependance of these words with and upon the former . Going along with them , take we notice in them of three particulars , three things worthy the taking notice of , being ( as it were ) three of the principal hinges upon which our Eternal happiness depends and hangs , three Links of that Golden Chain ( as our Mr. Perinks calls the Order of the causes of mans Salvation . ) The First whereof is Gods gracious Donation , his giving some amongst the sons of men to his Son Christ [ All that the Father giveth me . ] The Second , Mans effectual vocation , his bringing home to Christ [ All that the Father giveth me , shall come unto me . ] The Third , Christs ready Acceptation , his receiving and imbracing those who are thus given to him , and thus come to him [ And him that cometh unto me , I will in no wise cast out . ] Answerably to which Particulars we may draw forth the Text into three Doctrinal Propositions or Conclusions . 1. There are some among the sons of men given by God the Father unto his Son Christ . 2. All those who are so given , shall come unto him . 3. Those who so come he will in no wise cast out . Three Doctrines of great Importance : Let me crave your best attentions whilest I deal with them severally . Begin with the first . There are some among the sons of men given by God the Father unto his Son Christ . ] All that the Father giveth me ( saith the Text . So then , there are some that are given to Christ by his Father . Ob. Some ( you may say ) given to him by his father ? what , were not all things his before ? Christ being the Son , had not he an equal interest in all things with his Father ? Ans. Yes , he had so , as God ▪ Upon this account we find them making claim to an universal interest in whatever his Father had , Iohn 16. 15. All things that the Father hath are mine . Christ being the Eternal Son of God by generation , he communicateth with him , as in his Essence , so in all his Properties , and Interests . All thine are mine , and mine are thine ( saith he to his Father ) Iohn 17. 10. But here in the Text we are to look upon him as Mediator , as God-Man . And so we shall find him in the capacity of a Receiver ; receiving whatever he hath from his Father . Thus he is said to have received life from him , Ioh. 5. 26. As the Father hath life in himself , so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself ; that is , to be the fountain and well-spring of eternal life . And in like manner he hath received Authority and Power from him . The Father hath given him authority to execute judgment , because he is the Son of man . ( So it there followeth in the next verse ) v. 27. As the Son of God he hath Authoritie in and of himself ; but as the son of man he receiveth it from his Father . The power which he hath as Mediator , is a delegated power , given to him . All power is given to me in heaven and ●arth , Mat. 28. 18. Given to him by his Father . Thou hast given him power over all flesh , John 17. 2. And thus giving ●ower and authority to this his Son , he also giveth unto him some to be his subjects , over whom he may exercise that Authority . All that the father giveth me ( saith the Text ) So then there are some who are given by God the Father unto his Son Christ as Mediator . Obj. But the Question still runs on ; what , only some ? Are not all so given to him as Mediator ? all men , yea and all other creatures ? Ans. Yes , in a general way they are so , given to him as to a Soveraign Lord , to be ordered and disposed of by him as it pleaseth him . The Father loveth the Son , and hath given all things into his hand : ( So Iohn the Baptist tells the Iewes ) John 3. 35. And our Saviour himself taketh notice of the same ; Iesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hand , John 13. 3. All thing●s are delivered me of my Father , Mat. 11. 27. Thus , as all other creatures , so all the sons of men are given unto him . But there are some among them who are given to him in a more peculiar way , to special ends and purposes , that they may be to him {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , a peculiar people ( as they are called , Tit. 2. 14. ) given to him not only as a Soveraign , but a Saviour , not only to be governed , but saved by him . Thus are all , and only Gods Elect given unto Christ by his Father . They being first the fathers , he then giveth them to his son Christ . Mark it ; Two particulars . The former of which here is implyed , the latter expressed . 1. They are Gods , God the Fathers , how else should he give them to another , to his son ? So are all the sons of men in a general way . Being his Creatures , they are in his hands to be disposed of as i● pleaseth him . Clay in the hands of the Potter ▪ That is the similitude made use of by the Prophet Ieremie to set forth the absoluteness of Gods power in disposing of Nations , Jer. 18. 6. Behold , as the Clay in the Potters hand , so are ye in my hand , , O house of Israel . And the Apostle maketh like use of it to set forth the same absolute power of God in disposing of all particular-persons , as to their Eternal estates , Rom. 9. 21. Hath not the potter power of his clay ( saith he ) of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour , and another unto dishonour ? to make some vessels for honourable services , for state and ornament , or to eat and drink in , others for base and servile uses . Such an absolute power hath God over all the sons of men . They being all one lump , all alike corrupted in Adam , equal sharers in his Transgression , and alike heires of his Corruption , God looking upon them in that estate , it was now in his power , and at his choise to destinate and appoint them to several ends , some to everlasting life , others to everlasting shame and contempt . Even as a Prince ( it is Musculus's comparison , writing upon the Text ) having a company of Rebels & Traitors in custody , all alike guilty of death , he pardoneth some of them , receiving them ( it may be ) into grace and favour , whilest in the mean time he leaveth others to the Law , to receive the just reward of their Rebellion . And who shall herein charge him with injustice ? Even such is Gods dealing with the sons of men in respect of their eternal estates . They being all involved in the transgression of their first Parent , sinning in him , and so alike guilty of death , he leaveth some to receive their just demerits , whilest he maketh others the objects , not only of his Mercy , but also of his grace and favour ; which he hath done meerly out of his own will . I will have mercy on whom I will shew mercy , and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion . So Paul citeth that of Moses , Exo. 33. 19. Rom. 9. 15. Thus hath God an absolute power and liberty to dispose of all the sons of men , as to their eternal estates , looking upon them in that corrupt mass , that lapsed condition . Yea , shall we rise higher , and with the Supralapsarians ( as some at this day , from their difference in judgment from others about this point , are called ) and look upon man in his pure naturals , as not yet fallen , meerly as Gods creature , simply and absolutely considered ; yet here shall we find that which will sufficiently vindicate God in his proceedings and dealings with him . It was the plea of that Housholder in the Gospel , when some of his labourers whom he had hired into his Vineyard , quarrelled with him about the unequal distribution of their wages , What ( saith he ) is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own ? Mat. 20. 1● . So do men look upon that which they have a Property in , they make account they have power and liberty to dispose of it as it pleaseth them . And so indeed they justly might , were that property absolute ( which none of the son● of men have in whatever they enjoy . ) Now such is the Interest which God hath with all the sons of men , who being his Creatures , live and move , and have their being in and from him , he hath an absolute property in them ; and consequently an absolute power over them , so as he may dispose of them , not only in regard of their temporal , but eternal estates , as it pleaseth him . And out of this plenitude of power it is , that he electeth some , whilest he rejecteth others ; chooseth some to be vessels of mercy , predestinating them to obtain salvation , whilest he passeth by others by a Negativ ▪ Reprobation , or Praeterition , leaving them to themselves , and by a Positive Reprobation ordering them to just condemnation for sin . Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy , and whom he will he hardeneth ( so the Apostle concludes it ) Rom. 9. 18. They are the former sort of these we have now to deal with , Gods Elect people , who ( as I said ) may be called his people , and that upon a special , a peculiar account . The Lord knoweth them that are his ( his by Election ) 2 Tim. 2. 19. ( saith our Saviour , speaking to his Father of his Apostles ) Iohn 17. 6. Thine , not by a pious kind of disposition ( as Grotius fouly corrupteth that Text ) but by a gracious pre-election . And such are all those who are given to Christ to believe on him , and to be saved by him ; they are Gods chosen ones , a chosen generation ( as St. Peter hath it , 1 ▪ Pet. 2. 9. ) chosen by him out of the world before the world was . As he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world , Eph. 1. 4. And thus are they his people . Even as the peopl● of Israel were in an outward and visible way , whom Moses tells , Deut. 7. 6. Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God ; the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself . So are all Gods Elect ones , in an inward and invisible way . God having set a special love upon them , and chosen them , they are his people . And being thus his by Election , now ( in the third place ) in order to the executing and bringing to pass his gracious purpose towards them , he giveth them to his Sonne Christ . Thine they were , and thou gavest them to me , ( saith our Saviour there of his Apostles ) Ioh. 17. 6. And so is it with all those who are ordained to eternal life , being God the Fathers by Election , he giveth them unto his Son Christ . So we find believers frequently described ; as in the verse next but one after the Text , v. 39. This is the Fathers will which hath sent me , that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing . And so in that 17. of Iohn , the Disciples are divers times set forth under that Periphrasis [ Those whom thou hast given me ] v. 9 , 11 , 12. And so all other believers , all that then did , or afterwards should believe on him ; Of them speaketh the 24th . v. Father , I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me . All believers are given to Christ . Quest . But how are they said so to be ? Ans. To this it may be Answered ; they may be said so to be two wayes , Intentionally , and Actually . Intentionally before time ; Actually in time . 1. Before time , in Gods eternal purpose and decree . In his Decree of Election . God ordaining them to the end , to obtain salvation , ordaineth them also to the meanes , giving them unto his Son Christ , choosing them in him . So saith the Apostle in tha● Text forecited , Eph. 14. As he hath chosen us in him . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} In Christ , whom God his Father constituted and appointed to be ( as it were ) the Head and Root of the Election , into whom his elect people were by his decree ( as it were ) ingrafted ( as all mankind by nature was into the sixst Adam ) that so they might be made partakers of those saving benefits by and through him , of Grace here , and Glory hereafter , as before all men were of sin and death brought in by the first Adam . Thus they are given to Christ before time . 2. In time , in the execution of that decree , when they are brought actually to believe on Christ , to receive him as their Saviour and Lord . Behold , I , and the children whom the Lord hath given me , saith Christ speaking of his Disciples ( as that Text is by many expounded ) Isa. 8. 18. And upon this account our Saviour saith of his Apostles in some of those Texts forecited , Iohn 17. 9 , 11. that they were given to him by his Father , viz. actually given to bel●eve on him , to follow him , to own and acknowledge him for their Lord and Master . Quest . Now of which of these shall we understand our Saviour here to speak in the Text ? Ans. Here Expositors are not all agreed ; Some understanding it of the latter of these . So Grotius , who interprets it of an effectual giving , Gods preparing men for Christ , and working faith in them , in such ( saith he ) as have a precious disposition thereunto . And so Carthusian conceives it may be here looked upon ; All that he giveth me ] i. e. ( saith he ) such as by his secret inspiration he inclineth to come unto me . And so Maldonate , and some other Romish Commentators would have it . But this were to confound these two parts of the Text , Gods gracious Donation , with mans Effectual Vocation , his Giving with mans coming , which are here set forth as two distinct acts , the one of them antecedaneous to the other , going before , as in Order , so in Time ▪ All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me ▪ Gods giving goeth before mans believing . Others there are who put both together , Gods Election before time , and his calling in time : So Gorran . But others , and that more rightly , restrain it rather to the fo●mer of these , Gods giving before time in his decree of Election . So our Protestant Divines generally look upon it , not without the co●sent of some Romanists . And with them I shall choose to go along , as I assure my self I warrantably may , hereby understanding ( as judicious Diodate , and our own Annotator● have it ) all Gods Elect ; who are given unto Christ by God his Father before they come to him , before they actually believe on him . And hence it is that our Saviour speaking of the Elect among the Gentiles , he calleth them his sheep , John 10. 16. Other sheep have I which are not of this fold , them also must I bring , and they shall hear my voice , Though as yet they were not come into his fold , they did not own him for their Shepherd , yet he had an interest in them , they were his sheep , given to him by God his Father . Quest . And wherefore did God thus give his elect people unto Christ ? Ans. Here , for further illustration I might shew you the several ends of his Donation ; the principal whereof is , that he might be a Prince and a Saviour unto them saving and delivering them out of the hand ; of all their enemies , Sin , Satan , Hell , Death , and bringing them to everlasting life . This is the Fathers will which hath sent me , that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing , but should raise it up again at the last day , John 6. 39. Thou hast given him power over all flesh , that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him , John 17. 2. These are the principal Ends , to which there are many other that are subordinate : God giveth his elect unto Christ , that he may perform unto them that three-fold Office , of a Prophet , a Priest , a King . A Prophet , to make known to them the mind and will of his heavenly Father . A Priest , to reconcile them unto God by his death , and to keep them in grace and favour with him by his Intercession ▪ A King , to govern them as his subjects in his Kingdom of grace , and afterwards to bring them to reign as Kings with himself in his Kingdom of glory . But I shall not give way to any further inlargements upon this subject , remembring that this first Proposition is here only implyed . Make some Application of it . Which ( in the first place ) may be directed by way of Information . In which way it may be useful to us for the rectifying and setling of our judgments in some controverted points concerning those two great Doctrines of Election and Redemption . 1. Touching Election , we may here take notice of divers particulars . 1. That it is not Vniversal , of all Mankind . Which if it were , it were no Election . The very word [ Election ] importeth and signifieth a separating and culling of some from the rest . Elegit qui è multis aliquos legit . To choose , is to take some out of many . And such is Gods Election ; his choosing of some out of the world of mankind , and giving them to his Son Christ to be saved by him . All that the Father giveth me ( saith the Text ) clearly intimating that all were not given unto him , but a part , a select company , some out of mankind . Election is not Vniversal . True indeed , there is ( as Augustine somewhere saith ) Inter electos specialis quaedam universitas , a kind of special universality among Gods Elect , in as much as they are gathered out of all conditions of persons , in all Nations , through all the Ages of the world , out of which is made up this {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , this All here in the Text . But yet this All is but some , some among mankind . Election is only of some . 2. And that ( 2ly ) of some particular individual persons . This Arminians ( at least some of them ) deny , making Election to be only Axiomatical , not Personal , a choosing and designing of the meanes not of the Persons . God hath ( say they ) made choise of the way and meanes to bring men to salvation by , viz. by believing on his Son Jesus Christ ; and he hath ordained , that who so they are that shall apply themselves to the use of ●hat meanes , they shall be saved . But the Text here speaketh more , All that the Father giveth me . ] clearly intimating a Personal Election , a giving of some individual persons unto Christ . Hence was it that some of these Capernaites , some among the rest , did not believe on him , as some others did , because they were not given to him as those others were . They were such as God had no such gracious purpose towar●ds ; they did not belong to his Election of grace . Election is not Vniversal , nor yet only Axiomatical and Indefinite . 3. Nor yet ( in the third place ) simply conditional . So again Arminians would have it ; that men should be Elected upon the condition pf their believing and persevering ; so as it resteth in their power to null and make void the decree . But the Text here speaketh it otherwise . Telling us that those whom God electeth , he giveth unto his Son Christ ; giveth them unto him , not if they shall believe on him , but that they may believe on him , and so be saved by him . 4. Again , Election is not only to the End , but also to the Meanes . God electing his people unto life , he by the same decree giveth them unto Christ , that they by believing on him , may be saved by him , so ordaining them to the Means as well as the End . This for Election , which being the first Link in the Golden Chain , the first and main wheel in the work of mans salvation , the first in the order of the Causes thereof , must be set right , rightly apprehended , otherwise the other links or wheels , the subordinate causes will not rightly and orderly follow . In the second place , make we the like Observation touching the Doctrine of Redemption , that it is not any more universal than Election . So indeed some , and not a few , at this day would have it , who cry up this Doctrine , as if it were the very Basis and ground-work of all Religion , That Christ died , and died alike for all . But how will this comply and agree with this Text ? where our Saviour speaketh of a certain select company , which were given to him by his Father . All that the Father giveth me ; ] clearly intimating that there were some among mankind whom God having a gracious purpose towards , gave them to his Son Christ , that he should undertake for them , do what he did for them , that he should be a surety for them , making satisfaction for them , redeeming them . Such was the Fathers intention , his will ; not that Christ should die for all ; If so , he would have given all to him , but for some . And this will Christ came to perform . In the volume of thy Book it is written of me , Loe , I come to do thy will O God , Heb. 10. 7. I came down from heaven not to do mine own will , but the will of him that sent me ( saith he in the verse after the Text , v 38. ) That is , to redeem and save those , all those , and only those , whom God my Father hath given me . Thus it is ( as Divines justly determine it ) The work of the Son in Redemption , doth not exceed the work of the Father in Election . Such is the order of working betwixt the Persons in the Trinity , as of being ; the Son being from the Father , worketh from him . This he doth as the Son of God ; And the like he doth as the Son of man , as Mediator . His work was to do his Fathers work . I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do ( saith he to his Father ) Ioh. 4. 17. Now what that work was we have seen , viz. he had imployed himself for the good and benefit of those whom his Father had given him , for whom he was now ready to lay down his life . So then , Redemption is not Vniversal . As for those Texts which seem to speak it so , they admit of a fair construction consistent with this truth . As that of the Apostle , 1 Tim. 2. 6. where it is said , that Christ gave himself a Ransom for all . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , that is , for this [ All ] here in the Text , All those whom his Father had given him ; who are elsewhere called many , Mat. 20. 28. The Son of man came to give his life a ransom for many ; viz. his Elect : who are also elsewhere called a world , 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself ; that is , the world of his Elect , made up of Iewes and Gentiles . And so look we upon the Text , which of all other ( as our last Translation renders it ) seemeth to speak most fully for the Adversary . Heb. 2. 9. where it is said of Christ , that he by the grace of God tasted death for every man . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , for all , that is , still , for this {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , this All herein the Text , All and every one whom his Father had bestowed upon him ( as Diodate rightly expounds it . ) Thus doth this word [ All ] here , as sometimes elsewhere , denote the universality , not of Mankind , but of Gods Elect. For them it was , and only for them that Christ intentionally died . I lay down my life for my sheep , saith the obvious Text , Ioh. 10. 15. Which ( whatever evasions are sought out to elude it ) speaks this truth so clearly , so fully , as putteth it beyond contradiction , whilest it restraineth the Intent on of Christ , in laying down his life , unto a select company , his sheep , viz. those that were given him by his Father . Which truth being thus bottomed , I desire you to take notice of , that you may not be carried away with that wind of Doctrine , that plausible error which is so taking with many at this day , who cry up the Doctrine of universal Redemption as the most comfortable truth , and glorious Doctrine that can be held forth , tending highly ( as they apprehend ) to the magnifying of the grace and mercy of God , and merit of Christ , which are thus extended unto all . But herein how are they mistaken ? In thus extending this grace , how do they extenuate it ? Of all Doctrines I know none that in truth more derogates from this grace of God in Christ , than this ; whilest it asserts alike respect to all , that all being alike given to Christ by his Father , are alike owned by him ; the Redemption and Salvation of all alike intended by both , of Esau as of Iacob , of Iudas as of Peter , so as the one is not more beholding to God and Iesus Christ than the other . This ( whatever any may conceive ) is in truth no small derogation from , and extenuation of this grace , which being confined ( as it ought to be ) to a narrower channel , riseth higher . Being restrained only to a certain number , a small number ( comparatively ) of Gods Elect , it is thereby rendred the more glorious . And so let it be in the eyes of all the Lords people , to whom God hath evidenced and made known this his gracious purpose , that they are in the number of those whom he hath thus given to his Son Christ , Let them give unto him the glory of this his Grace , Free Grace . Such it was , as I have shewen you : All men being alike in Adam , in the same state and condition by nature , all alike children of wrath , that God should single out some , some few , to make them objects of his grace , ingrafting them into another stock , the stock of the second Adam , giving them unto his Son Christ , to be reconciled , redeemed , and saved by him , whilest he passed by others , the greatest part , leaving them to themselves , to work out their own everlasting condemnation , and to receive the just reward of their demerits ; this he did meerly out of his own good pleasure , his free grace , there being no other motive out of himself that might induce him to it : Let him then have the glory of it from all those who apprehend their interest in it . Let them acknowledge the freenesse . And as the freeness , so the Greatnesse of it , admiring and adoring it , blessing and magnifying God for it . Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ , who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places ( or things ) in Christ ; According as he hath chosen us in him , Eph. 1. 3 , 4. Indeavouring to express their thankfulness unto him , by walking answerably thereunto , living to the praise and glory of God and Iesus Christ . This is that which the Apostle presseth upon his Corinthians , 1 Cor. 6. 19 , 20 Ye are not your own , &c. Therefore glorifie God in your body , and in your spirit , which are Gods . And so let me press it upon you all you , who lay any claim to an interest in this blessed priviledge , of being thus given to Christ . Know you now that ye are no longer your own , at your own dispose , so as to serve what Masters you please ; No , you are Christs . So Paul tells those his Corinthians , 1 Cor. 3. 23. Ye are Christs . And so are all believers ; and that by a double right , as of purchase ( of which he there speaketh in that former Text , Ye are bought with a price , the blood of Christ ) so of Donation , being given unto him by God his Father . And being thus his , now live to him . None of us liveth to himself , and no man dieth to himself ( saith the same Apostle , Rom. 14. 7 , 8. speaking de jure , what Christians ought to do ; ) For whether we live we live unto the Lord , or whether we die we die unto the Lord . And O that all of us may thus live and thus die ; not to our selves , but to Iesus Christ , shewing our selves his loyal subjects , and obedient servants in our lives , seeking his honour and glory , and then yielding up our selves unto him in our death , being ready to die for him , if he should call us to that service . This let all of us do who expect any benefit by him , and that , as upon the account of what Christ himself hath done for us , in redeeming us , so of what God the Father hath done for us , in giving us unto him . Thus I have done with the first of these Propositions , which holdeth forth unto us this gracious Donation , Gods giving of his Elect people unto Christ . Come we now to the second , which informes us that All those who are thus given unto Christ by his Father , they shall come unto him . ] Here is the second Proposition , which sets forth unto us Mans effectual Vocation following upon Gods Election , as an undoubted consequent of it . So the Apostle sets it forth in that known Text , Rom. 8. 30. Whom he did predestinate , them also he called . Which in effect speaketh the same thing with this of our Saviour here [ All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me . ] Quest . How come unto him ? Ans. For the explicating of the Phrase , we may take notice of a two-fold coming unto Christ ( even as there is a two-fold Calling ) the one outward and formal , the other inward and real . 1. There is an outward and formal coming unto Christ , which is common to all that make a profession of his name . Thus do Hypocrites and formal Professors come unto him , who being led and drawn by some sinister respects , hold forth this profession . Thus did these Capernaites here come unto Christ , they flocked to him , and followed after him . But wherefore was it ? Not out of any true respect they had to his Person or Doctrine , but for some outward advantage which they expected from him , viz. that they might be fed by him . So he himself , who knew their thoughts and intentions , chargeth it upon them , v. 26. of this Chapter [ Ye seek me not because ye saw the miracles , but because ye did eat of the loaves . ] It was not his Doctrine , or works , that they regarded , but their own bellies . And in such a way there are many that come unto Christ , who were never given to him by his Father ; even all Carnal Gospellers , who profest themselves the followers of Jesus Christ , take upon them the profession of his name , but it is not ou● of any true inward respects which they have unto him , but out of some by and sinister ends for their own Credit or Profit , or for fashion-sake . Such followers Christ had many in the dayes of his flesh . And many such he hath wherever he cometh , wherever his Gospel is preached . But let we these go as they come ; not owned by God before they come , nor any more owned for this their coming . 2. In the second place there is a coming to Christ , which is Inward and Real . When men come to him non tantùm pedibus , sed & affectibus ; not only with the outward , but inward man ; come to him with their hearts and soules , out of an inward respect and entire affection which they bear unto him . Thus did some of his followers , his Disciples , at this time come unto him , looking upon him as the bread of life . And thus do all true Believers come unto him , who come to him as a Saviour and a Lord , receiving him , believing on him . This is the coming of which our Saviour here speaketh in the Text . All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me ] that is , Believe on me . So the 35th verse explaines it . He that cometh unto me shall never hunger , and he that believeth on me shall never thirst ; ] where the latter word is Exegetical and Expository to the former . To come unto Christ ▪ is to believe on him . Such is Faith ; as it is the Eye , and Hand , and Mouth , so also the Foot of the Soul . As the Eye , whereby the soul beholdeth Christ , looketh up unto him , as they did to their Brazen Serpent ; and the Hand , whereby it taketh hold of him ; and the Mouth , whereby it feedeth on him , eateth his flesh , and drinketh his blood ; so the Foot , whereby it cometh unto him , cometh to him as to a Saviour and Redeemer , expecting salvation only by and through him , desiring to have Union and Communion with him . This it is to believe on Christ , and this it is to come unto him . A Metaphorical expression , fitly setting forth the nature of Faith , saving , justifying Faith . Which is ( as I said ) A coming of the soul unto Christ . Even as those Patients of his of whom we read in the Gospel , feeling their own infirmities , and hearing of his fame , and expecting to partake of the like benefit from him that others had done , they come unto him , casting themselves down at his feet , imploring his aid , some of them touching him , as that Haemorrhoisse , that woman with the bloody issue is said to have done , who coming behind him touched the hem of his garment ( which she did , as with her finger , so with her faith ) by which meanes she drew from him that sanative vertue by which she was healed , Mat. 9. 20. Even thus doth the soul come unto Christ by faith ; being made sensible of its own wretched condition by reason of sin , and apprehending the fulnesse that is in Christ , fulness of Merit , and fulness of Spirit , whereby he is able to work a perfect cure for it , by taking away both the guilt and power of sin , and procuring eternal salvation for it , now , renouncing all other confidences , i● betaketh it self unto him as to an alone all-sufficient Saviour , laying hold upon him , ●esting upon him , that so it may be made par●aker of his Merits , his Benefits . This it is ●o come unto Christ , thus to believe on him . And thus do they come unto him who are given to him by his Father . They , All they , and Only they , both comprehended in this word , [ All ] All that my Father giveth me shall come unto me . [ All that ] {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , A word of the Neuter Gender , Omne , or Quicquid , All or whatever . Which some look upon as Emphatical , importing more exactly an Vniversality than the Masculine Gender would . All , whatever ] that is , not only Iewes , but Gentiles ( whose Conversion Cyril conceives to be hereby insinuated ) and that not a few of them , but many . But we shall not need to stand upon this Criticism . Look we upon the word , as the generality of Expositors do ; the Neuter Gender here put for the Masculine , which we shal find to be an usual Enallagie in Scripture . Grotius here giveth us two instances for it . The one , 1 Cor. 1. 27. Where the Apostle speaking of weak and unwise persons ( such as the world accounts so ) he calls them {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , the foolish things , and weak things of the world . The other , Rev. 21. last , where , speaking of the New Ierusalem , it is said , There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , No common , or unclean thing , i. e. no impure and unsanctified persons . So here , All that , or every thing , that is , every person , of what Nation , Sex , Quality , and Condition soever ; whether Jew or Gentile , male or female , bond or free , rich or poor . Of such extent is the Decree of Gods Election , as also of Christs Redemption , tho●gh neither of them Vniversal as to singula generum , all particular persons , yet both of them so as to genera singulorum , All sorts of persons . There is neither Iew nor Greek ( that is , neither Iew nor Gentile ) there is neither bond or free , there is neither male nor female , for ye are all one in Christ Iesus , Gal. 3. 28. These make some difference as to Men , not so to God and Iesus Christ . As the Father hath Elected , so the Son hath Redeemed some out of all these . Thou hast Redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred , and tongue , and people , and Nation ( so sing the 24. Elders ) Rev. 5. 9. Of such latitude and extent is this [ All ] here in the Text , of which our Saviour ●aith , All that my Father giveth me shall come unto me . Shall come ] and that Certainly . So our Saviour here layeth it down , not as a Probable , but as a Certain , an indubitable truth . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , Ad me veniet . Not , venire potest , or veniat ; not He may come , or let him come , but he shall come ; asserting and concluding it as a most certain thing . Quest . But how cometh it so to be ? How cometh it to pass that there should be such a certainty herein , that all and every of those who are thus given to Christ , should thus come unto him , that all that are Elected should believe on him ? Ans. For Answer , Know that we are not to expect any ground or reason hereof in and from themselves ; as if there were any thing in their natural dispositions that should incline them hereunto rather than others . As if they were of themselves wiser than others to know what belonged to their eternal wellfare . No , herein all are alike . Gods Elect before their Conversion , are no wiser than others . We our selves also were sometimes foolish ( saith the Apostle ) Tit. 3. 3. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , without understanding . Non intelligentes rerum divinarum ( as Grotius well explaines it ) having no understanding in divine matters . So was it with the then believing Gentiles , at whom the Apostle is conceived there principally to have an eye . But not only with them , but with the Iewes also . Paul ( though before his Conversion as intelligent as most of his time ) yet he rankes himself in the number . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , We . And so is it with all the Elect people of God , before his Grace come to put a difference betwixt them and others , there is no difference as to their understanding in divine and heavenly mysteries . And as for wordly wisedom , if there be a difference , commonly it lieth on the other side . God hath chosen the foolish things of the world ( saith the Apostle in that Text even now cited ) 1 Cor. 1. 27. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , for {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , foolish things of the world , that is , foolish persons , so accounted in and of the world . And in the verse there foregoing he tells us , v. 26. Not many wise men after the flesh , are called to believe on Christ , men worldly wise . Herein those who are given to Christ , they sometimes , oft-times , fall short of others . How is it then that they come unto him , whilest others keep off from him , being strangers or enemies to him ? Ans. 2. The Ground and Reason hereof , being thus wholly out of themselves , we shall find it partly in God the Father , and partly in his Son Christ . In God the Father , who hath 1. Decreed it , given them to Christ by his Eternal Decree . Now Gods decrees are ( like as is said of those Lawes of the Medes and Persians ) unchangeable . unalterable . I am the Lord , I change not , Mal. 3. 6. Men are mutable ( the best and wisest of them ) they change and alter their purposes upon second thoughts . So doth not God . His Counsel shall stand , Isa. 46. 10. So shall this his Eternal Counsel , his Decree of Election . The foundation of God standeth sure , saith the Apostle speaking of this Decree , which is the first ground-work of Mans salvation layed by God himself , 2 Tim. 2. 19. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , a sure and steady foundation , not to be shaken , much less overturned . Gods decrees being passed , must come to passe . Thus it is , even in things wherein there is the greatest contingencie as to secondary causes , yet if we look at this first cause , there is a necessity in that contingencie . Things must happen as they do . All that are given unto Christ by God his Father , must , and shall come to him ; the absolutenesse of Gods decree requires it should be so . 2. And ( 2ly ) as God hath Decreed it , so he effecteth it . Having elected some to salvation by Christ , he doth not only propound and offer Christ unto them , so leaving it to the liberty of their own will , whether they will come unto him , believe on him , or no ; but he causeth them to come unto him , drawing them . No man cometh unto me ( saith our Saviour ) except the Father , which hath sent me , draw him , v. 44. of this Chapter ; that is , powerfully and effectually work upon him . For so we are to understand the word there . Not as if God did offer any violence to any in bringing them to Christ , in forcing them to come to him against their wills . No , as the will of man cannot be forced ( which if it should be , it should cease to be a will ) so neither doth God work upon any in the work of Conversion in any such way ; but in a sweet and swasory way , congruous and agreeable to their liberty and nature , Drawing them with the cords of a man ( as the Prophet hath it , Hos. 11. 4. ) yet powerfully and effectually , of unwilling making them willing . So much the word in the Text imports , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , shall come , viz. willingly . And thus doth God the Father work upon all those whom he hath given to his Son Christ , all his Elect people , making them willing to believe on him . Which he doth by revealing him unto them , and in them . Thus was Paul ( that chosen vessel ) as he is called , Acts 9. 15. ) brought unto Christ . When it pleased God to reveal his Son in me ( saith he ) Gal. 1. 16. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , not only by me ( as some have construed it ) or yet to me , but in me , that is , ( as Beza , after the Greek Scholiasts , explaines it ) by an inward and effectual Revelation , not only to his Ear , but to his Heart . The like doth God to all his Elect people , having by his decree given them to Christ before time ; he thus revealeth him to them , and in them in time , teaching and instructing them by his Word and Spirit . By his Word outwardly , by his Spirit inwardly ▪ And so teaching them , he draweth them , sweetly overpowering their wills , making them willing to come unto him . So our Saviour himself giveth the reason of it , v. 45. of this Chapter . It is written in the Prophets , And they shall all be taught of God ( All Gods Elect ) Every man therefore that hath heard , and hath learned of the Father , cometh unto me . Gods Elect , whom he hath in his Eternal Decree given to his Son Christ , being thus effectually taught of him by his Word and Spirit , revealing Christ to them and in them , now they come unto him . This it is that maketh the Decree to bring forth , even Gods effectual operation , in calling those whom he hath predestinated , as the forecited Text hath it , Rom ▪ 8. 30. Whom he predestinated , them also he called . ] Called , not only outwardly by his Word , for so many are called who were never chosen ( as our Saviour declareth it , Mat. 20. 16. ) but inwardly , causing them to believe on his Son . Thus doth God call all those whom he hath predestinated , working faith in them . Which is his Gift . By grace ye are saved through faith , and that not of your selves , it is the gift of God , Eph. 2. 8. It ] as salvation it self , so that faith whereby men are saved , it is the gift of God . Though it be in them , yet not of them . Both Habit and Act are from God . To you it is given not only to believe ( saith Paul to his Philippians , intimating that this was given them ) Phil. 1. 29. This is his Gift , and his Work . This is the work of God , that ye believe on him whom he hath sent ( so our Saviour tells the Iewes , v. 29. of this 6th of Iohn . ) Tò {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , The work of God , not only required and commanded of him , but also wrought by him ( as our New Annotator explaines it . ) Which it is in all his Elect ; this being not only a Consequent , but a fruit , depending upon , and issuing from their Election . As many as were ordained to eternal life , believed , Acts 13. 48. God ordaining to the End ( salvation ) he ordaineth also unto the meanes , which is faith in Jesus Christ . And having ordained to it , he worketh it ; so bringing them to Christ whom he hath given to him . And thus you see how the certainty of this Event , of all Gods Elect coming to Christ , depends upon God the Father , upon his Will and Work ; his Will in appointing them , his Work in causing them to believe on him . 2. And ( in the second place ) as God the Father hath a special Efficiency in this , so also hath God the Son , his Son Christ , who being of Counsel with his Father as God , as Mediator he seeth to execution of his Counsels ; specially of this his great Counsel , touching the salvation of his elect people , who being given unto Christ , they are known to him , 2 Tim. 2. 19. The Lord ( the Lord Christ ) knoweth them that are his ; viz. by Election . So was Paul , though then a Persecutor , yet he was known to Christ to be a chosen vessel . He is a chosen vessel unto me ( so he tells Ananias concerning him ) Acts 9. 15. And so are all others , though before their Conversion not known to others , nor yet to themselves that they are given to Christ , yet they are known to him . And being known to him , he taketh care of them , and that first to bring them home unto himself , to bring them as subjects into his Kingdom , as sheep into his fold . Other sheep have I which are not of this fold , and them also must I bring , and they shall hear my voice , saith he , meaning his Elect among the Gentiles , whom he would in his time bring into his Kingdome of grace , causing them to believe on him . And so dealeth he by all those who are given him by his Father . They being by nature all of them lost sheep , wandring in the by-paths of sin , leading to destruction , not having so much as an animum revertendi , any disposition , any inclination of returning , of coming unto Christ the shepherd of their souls , he seeketh them . The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost , Mat. 18. 11. poor lost sinners . Such Jesus Christ came to seek . And being in Heaven , he hath now an eye to them , such among them as are given unto him . Whilest they do not seek after him , yet he seeketh after them , drawing them to himself . This doth God the Father , ( as you have heard . ) And thus also doth Christ . When I am lift up ( saith he ) I will draw all men unto me , John 12. 32. Christ being lift up , first upon the Crosse , then upon the Throne , set at the right hand of his Father , he then saith he would draw all men to himself . What he had before done to the Iewes , he would now do to Iewes and Gentiles , drawing his Elect out of both , bringing them to believe on him . This he hath in all Ages done . But now under the Gospel he doth it more vigorously than ever , by setting up his Standard , holding forth himself in the preaching of the Gospel , and withall sending forth his Spirit , which accompanying the Word , maketh it effectual . Thus is Iesus Christ as the Loadstone to the Iron , by a secret vertue , the vertue of his Spirit attracting his Elect people ; who being thus drawn by him , do now willingly come unto him . Draw me , and we will run after thee ( saith the Church unto Christ , Cant , 1. 4. promising a willingness in all her members to follow him upon his putting forth his effectual power in them . ) And upon this ground also it may be concluded , that All those who are given to Christ by his Father , they shall come unto him . All they . And ( secondly ) Only they . So much is here implyed : This being here rendred as the Reason why these Capernaites did not come unto Christ , did not believe on him , ) because they were not given to him by his Father . Ye have seen me and beleive not , How so ? why All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me ] . All they , and only they . Of which number whilest ye are not , I cannot wonder that ye do as you do , stand out against me , not coming into me , not believing on me . A thing which none but those who are given to Christ by God his Father will or shall ever do . Quest . And why not ? Ans. The ground hereof you have heard it already . This is Gods work , which man cannot do of himself . No not so much as will to come unto Christ . It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do ( saith our Apostle to his Philippians . ) Phil. 2. 13. As the Act of faith , so much more the Habit , is Gods work his Gift . And this gift he bestoweth only upon his Elect Thence is it called their faith ; The faith of Gods Elect. Tit. 1. 1. So called , not because thereby men are made Gods Elect , dear unto him ( as Grotius fouly perverts that Text ) but because it is peculiar unto Gods Elect , saving faith being wrought only i● them , the Doctrine of faith , the Gospel , being really imbraced only by them . As for others , being left to themselves , they will not , they cannot come unto Christ , believe on him . No man cometh unto me Except the Father that sent me draw him ? Except he put forth that effectuall power of his , which he doth not for any but those upon whom he hath set a peculiar love , his Elect ones . But I shall dwell no longer upon the Doctrinal part come we to make some Application of this Truth . Which let it be directed ( as the former ) First by way of Information : And so it may serve . 1. To confirm what was before declared touching those Doctrines of Election and Redemption , that neither of them is Vniversal . So much Calvin rightly inferrs from hence . Quum dicit venire quicquid datur , inde colligimus non omnes dari . Whereas Christ here saith , that All that are given to him shall come unto him . From hence we may conclude ( saith he ) that all are not given to him , Elected in him to be redeemed by him , in as much as all do not come to him ; which were they so given to him , they should certainly do . An Argument so convincing , as I know not what can be more . 2. In the second place , take we notice from hence , that God doth not pred●stinate upon the foresight of faith . So Arminians would have it , that God foreseeing who they are that will come unto Christ , receive him , believe on him , he thereupon predestinateth them to obtain salvation by him . But this Text speaks it otherwise , making their coming to Christ not the ground or cause of Gods Predestination , but the fruit and consequent of it . All that the Father giveth me . ( viz. by way of Predestination ) shall come unto me , to believe on me . Thus are Gods Elect predestinated to believe , not because they believe . 3. Again ( in the third place ) take we notice from hence , that Faith is not left as a Contingent thing , left to the liberty of mens will , whether they will believe or no . But it is determined who they are that shall believe , viz. they , all they , and only they , who are given to Christ by his Father : All , and only Gods Elect , who being given to Christ before time , they shall certainly come to him in time ; believe on him . All they , and only they . But here before I go any further , let me cover the pit which some may think I have now opened . vindicating this Doctrine from some misconstructions which some possibly be ready to make of it . Of these I shall take notice of two or three . Obj. 1. Is it so that All and Only they shall come unto Christ , whom God his Father hath given to him ? Doth not this then excuse those who do not come unto him ? May not they justly take up this for their plea , that they were never given to him ? Ans. To this I find divers Answers returned ( as by Chrysostome , ( who moveth this doubt ) so by some others , which I shall not trouble you with . In brief ( for I do not intend to inlarge upon any of these Controversies ) let it suffice . This can be no just plea for those who shall take it up and make use of it , in as what herein they do , they do it willingly . Their rejecting and refusing of Christ being offered and tendered unto them , is in them a voluntary act , whereunto they are no wayes compelled , and so renders them without excuse . Neither is Gods Decree of Reprobation , his not giving them to Christ , properly the Cause of this Infidelity and Disobedience in them . True it is , it is an Antecedent to it , but not properly the Cause of it . That instance , which I find made use of by some in this case , illustrates it well . The absence of the Sun in the night-season , is an Antecedent to , but not the proper Cause of the freezing of the water , which cometh from the coldness of the Air . Even so is it here . Gods Decree of Reprobation ( as it is called ) his not giving some men to Christ , it is Antecedent to their Infidelity , but not properly the Cause of it , which is their own Corruption . Their not coming unto Christ , to believe on him , is indeed a Consequent of Gods Nonelection , his not giving them unto him , but not properly the effect of it . So as this is no excuse for them , who in refusing of Christ offered to them , do it voluntarily , and willingly . Obj. But ( in the second place ) Is not this a dangerous Doctrine , tending to make men careless and regardless of their spiritual estates ? If it be so that all that are given to Christ shall certainly come to him , all that are within the compass of Gods Election shall be made partakers of such an effectual vocation , why then should any trouble themselves about this ? why may they not take their course , and live as they list ? If they be in the number of those that are given to Christ , If they do belong to Gods Election ; they shall come to him , they shall be brought to him . Ans. A desperate Inference , speaking terror and horror to all those who shall dare to take it up , and make such use of it . Of all signes and evidences of a man that is not given unto Christ , that is not within the compass of Gods Election , I do not know a more fearful one than this , when any one shall thus turn this grace of God into wantonnesse . And therefore take heed how you give way to such wretched reasonings , how you give entertainment to any such a thought . Taking notice that God doth not bring men to Christ against their wills . And they who are not willing to come unto him when he is offered and tendered to them , what know they whether ever they shall have a second invitation ? Just is it with God to withhold his grace from those who thus reject it , and to harden their hearts confirming them in their infidelity , who have first hardened their own hearts against the tenders of grace and mercy in Christ . This is that which our Evangelist St. Iohn saith of the Iewes , John 12. 37. Though Christ had done so many miracles before them , yet they believed not on him . And why not ? how came they to be so stupid ? The reason is rendered , v. 39 , 40. Therefore they could not believe , because Isaias said , He hath blinded their eyes , and hardened their hearts , &c. They had first wilfully shut their own eyes against the light of the Gospel , maliciously withstanding and rejecting of Christ . And thereupon God in his most just and righteous judgment giveth them over to a reprobate sense , taking from them those abilities which they had of believing unto salvation . O take heed that the like do not happen to any of you ! which you may justly expect , shall you dare upon this , or any other pretence whatever , to reject and refuse the gracious offers of Christ tendred to you . Obj. 3. But ( in the third place ) may not this Doctrine minister matter of despair to some drooping spirits , who may thus reason against themselves . If only they shall come unto Christ who are given to him by God the Father , then with what confidence can they come to him , not knowing whether they be of that number , which they fear they are not ▪ and if so , then all their attempts and endeavours this way will be to no purpose . Hereupon they fear that they shall never come to him , to receive any benefit by him and from him . Ans. For Answer to this , know we that this is a wrong way of reasoning , to begin with Gods decrees , which being secret to us , and hidden from us , until God shall be pleased to make them known in and by the execution of them , may perplex and trouble , but no wayes profit or advantage any by their immediate enquiries into them . And therefore let none attempt to unlock that Cabinet , to look into that Ark . Secret things belong unto the Lord , but revealed things to us and to our children , Deut. 29. 29. Now what Gods revealed will is , that all either do , or may know , viz. that they should come unto his Son Christ , that they should believe on him . This is the Commandement , that we should believe on the name of his Son Iesus Christ , 1 John 3. 23. And to this command we have a gracious promise here annexed . They who so come unto Christ shall not be rejected . [ He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out . ] Now then , wherefore should any perplex and trouble their spirits in searching after that which they shall never in any other way find whether they be given to Christ . Why do they not rather in obedience to that great Gospel-command , and in confidence of so gracious a promise , put their soules upon this way , apply themselves to the doing of what is so required of them ? viz. To come unto Iesus Christ . Which let me now press upon all and every of you by way of Exhortation , that you would come unto Iesus Christ . This is that which he himself inviteth all to do , Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden , And again , Iohn 7. 37. In the last day , that great day of the Feast , Iesus stood and cried , saying , If any man thirst , let him come unto me . And let all hearken to this Invitation , closing with it . Many Arguments and Mot●ves might I make use of to press this Motion , to set on this Exhortation . In no other way is life to be expected . Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life ( saith our Saviour to the Iews ) John 5. 40. They went to Moses , seeking salvation by the works of the Law ; but alas , it was not there to be found . I am the way , the truth , and the life , John 14. 6 Christ is the only true way which leadeth unto eternal life . This is life eternal , to know thee the only true God , and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent , Joh. 17. 3. To know God in Christ , this is the saving knowledge . Comin● unto Christ , you shall find a fulnesse in him , so as you shall not need to seek any thing out of him . He that cometh unto me shall never hunger ( saith the verse next but one before the Text ) v. 35. he shall find a full satisfaction in me . Here , and only here is true rest and peace to be found . Come unto me ye that labour , &c. and ye shall find rest to your souls . Here is that wine and milk to be had , which the Prophet Isai speaketh of , Isa. 55. ● . whatever is requisite for the refreshing and nourishing of the Soul . But I shall confine my self to that one Argument which I have here put into my hand . Hereby shall you come to know that you are given to Christ by God his Father . This is the one and only way whereby you may come to be assured of Gods gracious purpose towards you , that your names are written in the book of life , that you are in the number of Gods Elect. A thing which it standeth all Christians in hand to make sure unto themselves . Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure . ( So St. Peter presseth it upon those to whom he writeth ) 2 Pet. 1. 10. And who is there among you but would be glad to have this assurance ? Now in what way may this be obtained ? Why , in vain it is to think of ascending up into Heaven , there to search the Rolls and Records of Eternity . Only then put your selves upon this way of coming unto Iesus Christ . Hereby may a Christian come to be undoubtedly assured hereof . So much we may learn from the Text . All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me . So then , invert the words . All that do come unto Christ , are given to him by his Father . Thus may Christians safely pass a Notiore ad ignotum , from that which is known to what is otherwise unknown , reasoning from their Vocation to their Election , from their coming to Christ to their being given to him . As for their coming unto Christ , that is a thing which they may certainly know . The heart cannot be a stranger to its own Affections , especially if they be intense . If there be an earnest desire , a longing of the soul after Christ , an earnest desire of Union and Communion with him , an intense love to him , so that the soul is enamoured with him , a serious and ●ixed resolution in the heart to rest upon him , to trust in him for the pardo● of sins and eternal salvation ( all which accompany a true saving faith ) the soul cannot be ignorant of it . This is a thing which upon the enquiry every one may know of his own heart , whether he hath thus come to Christ , thus received him . How else is it that the Apostle putteth his Corinthians upon this trial ? 2. Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the faith . Prove your own selves , know ye not your own selves how that Iesus Christ is in you ? And once knowing this , now may they conclude , and that certainly , that they are within the compass of Gods gracious Election , that they are by him given to his Son Jesus Christ . Which let every of us ( I say ) labour in this way to make sure to our selves . The world being divided into two parts , one part given to Christ , the other part left to Satan , the Prince of this world , see we to which of these it is that we belong , whether to Christ or Satan . Is it so that we have renounced Satan , abandoned his service , and given our selves to the Lord Jesus , taking him for our Saviour and Lord , now may we conclude that we are in the number of them whom God hath given to him , appointed to salvation by and through him . Only see that this our coming to him be Inward and Real . Not such as the coming of these Capernaites was , who came unto Christ , but it was ( as I shewed you ) out of a by and sinister respect . And thus surely do the greatest part of Christians at this day come unto him . They make a profession of his name . But wherefore is it ? why they do it pro formâ , for fashion-sake , or they expect some outward advantage by it : They follow Christ , as these Capernaites did for the loaves . Take heed it be not so with us . If we come unto Christ , see that we come with upright and sincere hearts , out of an earnest desire of having Union and Communion with him . So coming unto him , now take this as an evidence of Gods gracious Donation , that we are by him given to his Son , as also of Christs gracious reception . So coming unto him , we shall not be rejected of him . So it followeth in the last branch of the Text . And him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out . ] There have we the third and last Proposition , or Doctrine . Those who come unto Christ he will in no wise cast out . ] {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ( or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . Non ejiciam for as . To open the Phrase , To Cast out , properly it imports an Ejection , or Expulsion , a casting out of some place or company . Thus we read how the Iewes cast Stephen ont of the City . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , Act. 7. 58. And our Saviour out of the Synagogue , John 9. 34 , 35. They cast him out ( saith the Text ) {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , viz. out of the Synagogue ( as the 22. verse explaines it . ) And in such a sense do some here understand it . I will in no wise cast out . ] That is ( say some ) out of my Kingdom of Glory . So Augustine here looketh upon it . Hither it is that all those who are given to Christ , all Gods Elect , shall come , they shall come unto him in his Chamber of presence , his magnu● penetrale , ( as he calls it ) that is , his Marriage-chamber , and being once entred there , he shall never eject , never cast them out again . But this Maldonate excepts against , as not being so proper to this Text , where Christs promise is unto those who come to him by faith . Now there is no room for , no use of faith in heaven , where all shall live by sight . We walk by faith , and not by sight , saith the Apostle , 2 Cor. 5. 7. intimating faith to be proper for earth , and sight for heaven , where faith and hope shall be swallowed up of vision and fruition . And therefore let we that go , though in it self a truth . And not unlike is that Interpretation of Cyril , who understands this of the last Iudgment , at which time all wicked and ungodly ones , all unbelievers , shall be cast out . So our Saviour tells the unbelieving Iewes , Math. 8. 12. The children of the Kingdom ( meaning them who looked upon themselves as such , being the only people then under a visible Covenant ) shall be cast out into outer darknesse . And so shall it be with all other ungodly persons . Then shall Christ say to the Goats on his left hand , Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire , prepared for the Devil and his Angels , Mat. 25. 41. But so shall it not be with his Elect his Sheep , whom he shall then set upon his right hand , speaking to them in another language , Come ye blessed of my Fathtr , inherit the Kingdom prepared for you , &c. v. 34. Then shall not they be cast out , but admitted and received into those everlasting mansions . Which is also there set forth in the same Chapter under the Parable of the wise and foolish Virgins ; the one of which are said to be kept out , the other received into the Mariagechamber , v. 11 , 12. fitly representing the different entertainment of believers & unbelievers at the day of the general Judgment . A truth also , but liable to the same exception with the former ( which also the aforesaid Author puts in . ) The coming which our Saviour here speaketh of , is by faith . B●t so shall not men come unto him at that day . The souls of Gods Saints being once entred into their glory , living by sight ( which they do being separated from their bodies ) they shall henceforth have no more use of faith . Now abideth faith ( saith the Apostle , 1 Cor. 13. 13. viz. whilest we live here ; not so after death , not so at the last Iudgment , when men shall see and feel what now they do , or will not believe . So then , what our Saviour here saith of his not casting forth those that come to him , must be understood of this life . Those who here come unto him by faith , believing on him , he will in no wise cast out . Quest . But yet the Question runs on . How not cast them out here ? Ans. To this Grotius returnes an Answer , that they being thus come unto Christ , he will not for his part cast them out of his Kingdom of grace , being entred as Schollars into his School ( from whence he conceives this Expression to be borrowed ) he will not expell them . Thus ( saith he ) do froward School-masters sometimes deal by their Schollars , expell them without any just desert . But so will not Christ deal by his Schollars , those that come to him , being once his , they shall ever be so for all him , continuing and abiding with him if they will . But this savouring rankly of the Arminians , founding mans perseverance in Grace upon the liberty of his own will , I reject it as unsound . More solidly ( to hold you no longer in suspense ) by Casting out here understand we rather a Rejection than an Ejection , a Repelling than an Expelling . [ Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out . ] Non repudiabo , non repellam , I will not refuse and reject him , but will receive and embrace him , bidding and making him welcome . So may we most fitly look upon the phrase here , as having a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in it , intending more than it speaks , importing a gracious reception , with a loving and lasting entertainment . Thus will the Lord Iesus Christ receive all those that come unto him by faith , he will own them , and entertain them as his , and that for ever . Two things conceived to be comprehended under this Expression . 1. He will receive them , entertain them . [ Him that cometh unto me I will not cast out . ] Even as a publick Host ( saith Maldonate ) should say the like terms , If any man come to me , I will not cast him out , his meaning would be apprehended to be , not I will not cast him out of my house having once received him in , ( whereof no man would make any doubt ) but that he will not refuse any such guests , but would readily receive them into his house , bidding them welcome , giving entertainment to them , making provisions for them . And in such a sense understand we our Saviour here , where he maketh the like Proclamation , [ Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out . ] That is , I will not refuse nor reject him , but will readily receive him into my house , my Church , where I will receive and make him welcome , giving entertainment to him , providing for him whatever shall be requisite in order to his salvation , applying to him the merit of my death , making him a sharer in the benefit of my Intercession , communicating unto him Grace here , and Glory hereafter . Such a Reception it is that Christ here promiseth to all those that come unto him , that believe on him . And this will he certainly perform to them . Whoever they are that come unto him , they shall not be rejected of him . So was it with those who came to him in the dayes of his flesh for the cure of their bodily infirmities , we do not read that he refused , that he rejected any of them , or that he sent them away without what they came for . Great multitudes followed him , and he healed them all ( saith the Text , Mat. 12. 15. ) True indeed , for that woman of Canaan , who came to him in the behalf of her daughter ( of which you have the story , Math. 15. ) at the first he seemed to give her a repulse , but it was only for the trial and exercise of her faith and patience , wherein she persevering , he gran●s her request ; Be it unto thee even as thou wilt ( saith he ) v. 28. And the like may they expect who come unto him upon a spiritual account , for the cure of their soul-maladies , for the taking away the guilt and power of sin , and for the obtaining of eternal salvation by him , he will not reject them . However he may for a time , for the like exercise of their faith , hold them off , yet he will not cast them out ; he will receive them , he will embrace them . Even as he dealt by those Infants that were brought to him in the arms of others , presented to him for his blessing , He took them up in his arms ( saith the Text ) and layed his hands upon them and blessed them , Mark 10. ●6 . Not repelling them , as his Disciples did ; they looking upon it as a matter of trouble , and a thing beneath their Master , not suitable to his excellency and greatness to meddle with young children , they rebuked those that brought them ; But ( saith the Text ) when Iesus saw i● , he was much displeased , and said unto them , Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not , v. 13 , 14. thereby declaring his readiness to receive all those whoever they are that shall come unto him to seek and receive any spiritual benefit from him . Whoever they are that desire communion with him , he will have communion with them . This is that which he tells the Laodicean Angel , Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the door , and knock , If any man hear my voice , and open the door , I will come in to him , and sup with him , and he with me . Whoever they are that hear Christ knocking at the door of their hearts and consciences , by his Word , and the motions of his Spirit , if they shall open unto him , receiving and entertaining him by faith , he will unite himself to them , vouchsafing to them a sweet communion with himself . Him that thus cometh unto him , to have communion with him , he will not cast out . Obj. But what say we then to the guest in the Parable ? He came to the Mariage-feast , came to have communion with Christ , yet we find him cast out . Bind him hand and foot , and take him away , and cast him into outer darkness ; that is the doom which the King there passeth upon him when he came to see the guest , Mat. 22. 13. Ans. To this an Answer is soon returned by consulting the verse there next following , which giveth us an account of the ground of this his ejection . For many are called , but few are chosen , v. 14. Many called outwardly to an outward visible communion with Christ , who are not truly given to him , are not in the number of Gods Elect. And in this number was this guest , who here crowded in for companies sake , a hypocrite joyning himself to the visible Church , not being that in truth which he made profession of . So much we may learn from the 11th verse , which informs us that he had not on the wedding garment ; he was one that was not regenerated , one that had not put on Christ by faith . And therefore no wonder that he was cast out . So shall all Hypocrites be sooner or later . But so shall not they who come unto Christ in sincerity . So coming to him he will receive them . 2. And receiving them ( in the second place ) he will retain them . So much also is conceived to be implied in this phrase , I will not cast him out ] he shall be with me , dwelling with me , having an everlasting communion with me . He that eateth my flesh , and drinketh my blood , dwelleth in me , and I in him ( saith the 56. v. of this Chapter ) whereof the Text is part . Those that receive Christ by faith ( for that is meant by eating his flesh , and drinking his blood ) he will not only come and sup with them , but dwell in them , having a constant and continued communion with them . Having once received them into grace and favour with himself ( which he doth upon their believing on him ) he will never cast them out of it . Herein ( saith Musculus ) doth this our King differ from other Kings and Princes , who are often inconstant in their affections , loving to day , loathing to morrow . What more common with them than to cast their favourites out of favour ? But so will not the Lord Christ do by his favourites . Those whom he once affecteth , he never rejecteth . Having loved his own which were in the world , he loved them unto the end ( saith our Eavngelist ) Ioh. 13. 1. Not only his Disciples , but all his Elect ( who are there called his own , in as much as they were given to him by his Father ) having set a peculiar affection upon them , he continued it to them unto the end , the end of his life , expressing it , as by taking care of them , keeping them , Whilest I was with them in the world , I kept them in thy Name ; Those that thou gavest me I have kept , John 17. 12. so by dying for them . And like affection doth he still bear to all those , who being given to him , come to him , believe on him . Loving them once , he loveth to the end , to the end of their lives , and to eternity ; once affecting them , he will never cast them out of his affection . Thus you see that it is so . Those that come unto Iesus Christ he will not cast them out ; he will both receive , and retain them as his . Quest . And why will he do so ? Ans. For this take two or three Reasons , or Grounds . 1. This is his Fathers will , that he should thus receive those whom he giveth unto him . This is the Fathers will which hath sent me , that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing ( v. 39. of this Chapter . Now with this will doth Christ perfectly and exactly comply . I came down from heaven , not to do mine own will , but the will of him that sent me , v. 38. And hereupon it is , that he so readily and constantly embraceth all those who being thus given to him by his Father , come unto him . 2. As this is his Fathers will , so his own disposition inclineth him to it . He being a gracious , a merciful , a tender-hearted Saviour , he pitieth the condition of poor perishing sinners . When he was here upon earth , the story tells us , how when he beheld the City ( of Ierusalem ) he wept over it , Luke 19. 41. Taking notice of the sad condition of it , what a dreadful judgment hung over the head of that people , his heart melted into tears ▪ And with such an eye of tender pity and compassion doth he look upon poor sinners lying in their natural estate , and therupon he readily receiveth those that come to him , accepting the least beginnings of faith . This is that which the Prophet Isai fore told of him , Isa. 42. 3. A● r●ised reed shall he not break , and smoking flax shal he not quench . Such is the clemency of Jesus Christ in dealing with poor sinners , that where he seeth any good desires , any beginnigs of grace , though never so weak and slender , he is ready to accept them . Being herein like that Roman Emperour , of whom it is reported , that whoever came to him , he never sent them away discontented . Thus whoever they are that come unto Jesus Christ , come unto him in sincerity , such is his Cl●mency , his Gentlenesse , he will in no wise cast them out . 3. Which if he should do in the third place ) it would be cross to the end of his coming into the world , his taking upon him the office of a Mediator , which was to seek and to save that which was lost ( as he tells Zacheus ) Luke 19. 10. Now coming to seek after those that seek not after him ( I was found of those that sought me not , saith the Prophet Isay , setting forth Gods preuenting mercy in calling of the Gentiles , Isa. 65. 1. ) he will not reject those that come unto him . This being his work , to bring in lost soules into his Kingdom of Grace ( which it is , Other sheep have I which are not of this fold , them also must I bring , John 10. 16. ) He will not re●use them when they come unto him . But to dwell no longer upon Doctrinal Confirmation or Illustration , Come we now to Application . Where ( in the first place ) let me again take up that former Motion , pressing what before I propounded , exhorting and perswading all to come unto Iesus Christ . This is the great and principal errand about which the Ministers of Christ are , or ought to be imployed . They are the servants sent forth to call the guests unto that great Supper , their Master putting this word into their mou●hes , Say unto them that were bidden , Come , Luke 14. 17. their chief work being to perswade men to come unto Jesus Christ , to have communion with him . And this let me press upon all you this day . For which , what greater encouragement can you have than that which Christ himself here holdeth forth to you ? even the assurance of a gracious Reception . Were subjects assured of the like from the●●Princes , that coming to them they should not be rejected , but graciously received , who is there but would have recourse to them as occasion were offered ? Now this assurance have all poor sinners from Iesus Christ , that coming to him they shall have a gracious reception from him , he will bid them welcome , Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out . In no wise ] So our last Translation doth well express the Emphasis in the Original . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , two Negatives , which in the Greek do vehementiùs negare , import a more earnest and vehement Negation . Nequaquam ejecerim , I will at no hand , in no case , in no wise , cast him out . Which let it serve to confirm and establish the hearts of poor sinnners i● the assurance of a gracious acceptation from Jesus Christ upon their coming unto him . Obj. I but ( may some say ) I am unworthy of any such acceptance , a poor , vile , miserable , worthless creature , having nothing to commend me to the world , much less unto Christ . Outwardly mean , nay and inwardly vile ; a poor sinful creature , who see nothing in my self but what may justly render me odious and abominable in the sight of God and Jesus Christ . How then can I hope that I should find such a welcom from him upon my coming to him ? Ans. Well , be it so as is alledged , yet be not discouraged ; for which again mark the Text . Him that cometh unto me ] Tòv {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , Him ] the word is indefinite , yea universal , comprehending all , excepting none . Be he what he will , of what nation , sex , quality , or condition soever ; Jew or Gentile , male or female , bond or free , rich or poor , though a dog , scarce worthy to gather the crums under the table , though not worthy of the least common mercies , much more unworthy to have union and communion with Jesus Christ , yet coming to him they shall be welcome to him . Herein doth he differ from the Common Host which before I spake of , who , however he keepeth open doores for all comers , yet unless they that come bring money with them to pay for what they call for , they shall not be welcome to him . It is otherwise with the Lord Iesus , who not expecting to be any gainer by those that come to him , will make all that come welcome , though they bring nothing with them to make them so . For this , that known Proclamation is express , Isa. 55. 1. Ho , every one that thirsteth , come ye to the waters , and he that hath no money , come ye , buy and eat , yea come buy wine and milk without money , and without price . Thus doth Iesus Christ invite all poor sinners to come unto him , to have a free communion with him . What though they have neither money nor monies worth ? nothing to purchase their welcome , to make them worthy , yet let them come unto him . Which doing , let them rest assured they shall not be cast out . The truth whereof many great sinners have found upon their own experience . So did that Woman of whom we read in the Gospel , Luke 7. 37. ( whether Mary Magdalen ( as it is commonly taken ) or rather some other ( as is most probable ) is uncer●ain . ) Behold a woman in the City , which was a sinner ( saith the Text ) v. 37. that is , a great , a notorious sinner , a known strumper , a harlot , whom every one could point at ; as the Pharisee , who had then invited Jesus to his house did , wondering that Christ should not know what manner of woman she was , This man , if he w●re a Prophet ( saith he ) would have known who , and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him , for she is a sinner , v. 39. A notorious sinner , a lewd woman ; yet coming unto Christ , and expressing her good affection unto him , how welcome was she to him ? receiving from him what she came for , the forgiveness of her many and great sirs ; Her sins which are many , are forgi●●n ( so our Saviour there tells Peter ) v. ●7 . Obj. I but ( may some say ) there was a Reason why Christ should bid her welcome ; she was one that loved him much ( as it there followeth ) expressing her affection to him by the Present which she brought him , A Box of precious ●intment , which she bestowed upon him ( as the verse there forego●ng informs us . ) But as for me , I have no such present to bring unto him , no Box of Oyntment for him . Ans. But hast thou teares for him as she had ? truly peni●tent tear●s ? Hast thou a broken and contrite hear● to present unto him ? a heart broken with true godly sorrow so●●in ? If so , stand not upon any other present . Thou desirest not sacrifice , else would I give it ; thou delightest not in burnt-offering , The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit , a broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise ( saith the man after Gods own heart ) Psal. 51. 16 , 17. And hast thou such a heart in thy bosom ? though thou have nothing in thy hand , yet come unto Jesus Christ . Obj. But I have done much against him . Ans. And had not Paul done so ? whom Christ himself from Heaven chargeth with persecuting of him ; Saul , Saul , why persecutest thou me ? Acts 9. And so much he confesseth against himself . I was a Blasphemer , a Persecutor , &c. Whereupon he concludes himself to be the chief of sinners , 1 ●im . 1. 13 , 15. yet coming unto Christ he obtained mercy from him ; which was done ( as he there saith ) that he might be a pattern for them who should after believe on him . Obj. I , but I have rejected Christ , being offered and tendered unto me again and again , stopped my ear against his Word , and quenched the motions of his Spirit , refusing him when he came to me . And may not I look for a just retaliation , that he should reject me when I come to him ? Ans. Yet still consult the Text . Him that cometh unto me ] Be he what he will , though a rebellious and obstinate sinner . Obj. I , but I am an Apostate , who have cast out Iesus Christ after that I had ●eceived him , and given entertainment to him , having returned to my former sinful wayes and courses which I had sometimes abandoned . Now doth not the Apostle exclude all such from any hopes of benefit by him ? What else means that known Text , Heb. 6. ● . where speaking of such , he saith , It is impossible they should be renewed again unto repentance , seeing they have crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh , &c. Ans. For this know , that it is spoken of a wilful and universal Apostacie , a malicious and despiteful contemning and opposing of Christ and his Gospel , by those who were once convinced of the truth thereof , which is properly the sin against the Holy Ghost . Now as for such , who thus crucifie Christ afresh , and put him to open shame , doing that in Affection and Conversation , which the Iews did in Action , Treading under foot the Son of God , counting the blood of the Covenant , wherewith they were sanctified , an unholy thing , and doing despite to the Spirit of Grace ( as the same Apostle further describeth the same sin , Cap. 10. v. 29. ) As for such ( I say ) just it is with God to give them up to an impenite●t heart , to a reprobate sense , so as that they should never seriously think of coming to Christ any more . But as for this , it is hoped it is not your case . Obj. Yea , but I do not know but i● may be , and I fear it is . Ans. But why do we fear so ? Be not wicked overmuch ( saith the Preacher , Eccl. 7. 17. viz. in thine own apprehension ( as the Text may be expounded ) which some are , whilest they make their condition worse than really it is . So do not you . But for the cure of all these feares , put your soules upon this way of coming unto Christ . Which if God shall incline your heart to do , now take this as an evidence that you are not under the guilt of that uupardonable sin , but rest assured that upon your coming to him you shall find mercy from him . Him that cometh unto me ( though a Backs●ider , an Apostate , ( the worst of Christians , or of men ) I will in no wise cast out . The reason why desperate Apostates receive no benefit by Christ , is not because he will not receive them , but because they will not come unto him . Only come unto him , and fear not . Quest . But how shall I so come unto him , as that I may be assured that I shall not be cast out , not rejected by him ? Ans. A useful Question , which I wish were in the heart of every of you seriously to propound to your selves . For Answer whereunto , in brief take these few and plain Directions . 1. That you may come unto Christ , you must first hear of him . Encline your ear , and come unto me ( saith the Lord ) Isa. 55. 3. And this must they do who would come unto Christ , they must encline their ear , they must be a●quainted with the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning him . Every man therefore that hath heard , and learned of the Father , cometh unto me ( saith our Saviour ) v. 45. of this Chapter . In this way ●t ●s that God the Father bringeth men to his Son Christ , by teaching and instructing them in the Doctrine of the Gospel . With out which there is no coming unto him , no believing on him . How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard ? Rom. 10. 14. A necessary preparation for the soule in coming to Christ ; it must first have the eye opened , the understanding enlightned with the knowledge of him , to know who , and what he was , and is , what he hath done , and what he hath suffered , and to what end , and what benefit they may expect from him , and in what way they shall come unto him . Thus it is , God doth not bring men blindfold to Christ , but he first openeth their eyes , and taketh the vail off from their hea●ts , making a discovery of him to them . As for ignorant soules , who know nothing of Christ , they are not in a capacitie of com●ing to him . 2. Thus hearing of Christ them ( in the next place ) be convinced of the need you have of him ; which till a man be , he will never come unto him . This it was that brought those impotent and diseased persons unto him in the dayes of his flesh , even the sense of their own bodily infirmities . And this it is which putteth the soul upon coming to him , even the sense of its own sinfulness and misery . Which labour you to be throughly convinced of , that you may see and fell your lost undone condition without him ; that you may be truly and throughly sensible of the burden of sin . Such , and only such they are that Christ inviteth to come unto him . Come unto me all ye that labour , and are heavy laden , Mat. 11. 28. viz. under the burden of sin , groaning under it , earnestly desiring to be freed from it , both from the guilt and power of it . 3. Being thus in measure fitted and prepared for Christ , now hearken to his Invitation and Command , calling you to him , requiring you to come to him . This it was that made Peter so adventurous to come unto his Master upon the water ; Lord ( saith he ) Bid me come unto thee upon the water , Mat. 14. 28. Now , this word every poor sinner which is in measure prepared , hath ▪ he hath a command from Christ to come unto him . Come unto me ( saith he ) which is to be looked upon not only as an Invitation , but an Injunction . 4. And hearing this Word , now forthwith apply your selves to yeild a ready obedience to it . So did Peter ; No sooner did he hear that word from his Masters mouth , Come , but presently leaving the ship wherein he was , he casts himself into the Sea . And the like do you . Hearing this word of command from this your blessed Saviour , requiring you to come unto him , now stand not to reason with flesh and blood , but renouncing all other confidences , betake your selves unto him , resolving to break through all difficulties , come what will come , to make towards him . Among other renounce your own righteousness . Like as the Story tells us of blind Bartimaeus , when sitting by the high-●ay-side , and crying after Iesus then passing by , he heard him call him to come unto him , he presently casting away his garments ( saith the Text ) rose and came to him , Mark 10. 50. Even thus do you , hearing Christ calling you to come unto him ( which he doth in his Word ) now arise and cast away your garments , even all impediments , as the garments of sinful lusts , the rotten rags of the old Adam , so the garment of your own righteousnesse . This it was that Paul cast overboard , made loss of his own righteousnesse , that he might come unto Christ , that he might win him , Phil. 3 8 , 9. The like do you , that you may be cloathed with that white garment , the righteousness of Christ , come naked unto him . That you may be filled by him , come empty to him , That you may be enriched by him come poor to him , bring no money with you ▪ Remember that Proclamation forenamed ; Come , buy wine and milk without money . ] They who come unto Christ bringing money in their hands , I mean any thing of their own , whereby they may think to purchase an interest in him and his benefits , set them expect no better welcome than what Simon Magus found from Simon Peter , when he came to him proffering him money to buy the Holy Ghost with , Thy money perish with thee ( saith he ) Acts 8. 20. Would you be welcome to Christ , so come to him , as to be received of him ; come empty to him , emptied of your own righteousness , renouncing all confidence in whatever of your selves you have done or can do . 5. And thus making towards him then ( in the last place ) Cast your selves upon him , give up your selves unto him , receiving him in that double relation of a Saviour and a Lord . Thus doth God his Father hold him forth to all that will come to him . And thus do you receive him , not only as a Saviour , believing , resting upon the all-sufficiency of his merit for the pardon of your sins , and eternal salvation , but also as a Lord , submitting to him , giving up your selves , as to be saved , so to be governed by him . And so coming unto him , now be you assured of a welcome , a free and gracious reception . Only see ( what I touched upon by way of Caveat before ) that this your coming be Real , not Formal . Remembring that forenamed Guest in the Parable , who coming to the Marriage-Supper without a wedding garment , was cast out with disgrace . And so shall all Hypocrites be sooner or later . However for a time they may pass for members of the Church , mingling themselves among the people of God , enjoying the same priviledges , having Communion in the same Ordinances with them , yet he who seeth and knoweth them , will in his time discover them , and discovering , eject them , to their everlasting shame and confusion . Take heed that none of you be found in this number . If you come unto Christ , let it be in a cordialway , in sincerity and truth . And so coming , now take up the Comfort which our blessed Saviour here lets fall . You shall not be cast out , not by him . He will not reject , but receive and embrace you , owning you for his , taking you into his protection and care , so as you shall not miscarry . Committing your soules unto him , they shall be in safe custody ; and he will give entertainment to you , providing for you whatever shall be requisite in order to your everlasting happiness . And will Christ thus receive you , What matters it then who they are that reject you ? will he take you in , what matters it ●hen who they are that cast you out ? This ( i● may be ) doth the World . This is that which the Apostle complaineth of . We ( saith he , speaking of himself and other the Apostles of Jesus Christ ) are made the filth of the world , and are the off-scouring of all things , 1 Cor. 4. 13. And such oft-times is the portion of Gods Saints here . They are the worlds Off all , the worlds Outcasts ( as the Psalmist and the Prophet Isai , speaking of the dispersed Iewes , calleth them the Outcasts of Israel , Psal. 147. 2. Isa. 56. 8. ) Yet let not not this discourage , as long as they are not so to Christ . He hath received them , and having received them , he will not cast them out . And will not he cast them out ? why then they may be sure his Father will not . He having Committed all Iudgment to the Son ( as we have it , Iohn 5. 22. ) he will not reverse what he doth . Those whom his Son acquits , he will not condemn . Those whom his Son receiveth and giveth entertainment to , he will not cast out . Being welcome to the Son , they shall for his sake be welcome to the Father . And what matters it then what they are to others ? though others cast them out , out of Church ? So did the Ie●es by all those that made a profession of the name of Christ , they cast them out of their Synagogues , John 9. 22. Excommunicated them . And the like doth that man of sin , that Antichrist of Rome by all the true Professors of the Gospel , he by his thundering Excommunications casteth them out of the Church . And the like do other Sects ( as the Anabaptists , whom Musculus here instanceth in ) those that are not of their way , that will not joyn with them , they pronounce them to be none of Christs sheep , none of his subjects , no true members of the Church . But let not Christians be scared with these bruta fulmina , these mock-thunderbolts . So long as Christ himself owneth them , let not them regard whoever they are that cast them out . Co●ing to Christ , and believing on him , they have communion with him in his Kingdome of Grace here , and shall have communion with him in his Kingdom of Glory hereafter . This by way of comfort to all who do come to Christ . On the other hand ( in the third place ) here is a word of terror to all those who will not come to him . All wicked and ungodly persons , such as have Christ offered and tendered to them , and they are invited to come unto him , yet they refuse and reject him . With those Guests in the Gospel , they have something or other to take them off from him , so as they do not regard to seek out after Vnion and Communion with him . For all such , let them make account of a just retaliation , to be rejected by him . So much is here insinuated in the the Text . Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out . Intimating , that those who do not come unto him , he will cast them out . Not coming to him here , he will cast them out hereafter . At that last and great day , when they , and all others , shall be brought before him , then shall he pass the sentence of a final Rejection and Ejection upon them . Not owning them . This is that our Saviour giveth the Iewes to take notice of ( as by the aforesaid Parable of the foolish virgins , Mat. 25. so again ) L●ke 13. 25. Where he sheweth them how vain a thing it would be for them another day to plead those priviledges which then they stood so much upon . When once the Master of the house is risen up ( saith he ) &c. Then shall ye begin to say , We have eaten and drunk in thy presence , and thou hast taught in our streets ( so , as it were taking acquaintance of him . But mark what followeth . ) But he shal say , I tell you I know you not whence you are , depart from me all ye workers of iniquitie . Though they should then court him , yet he tells them he would take no acquaintance of them . And the like let all wicked and ungodly men , whether openly or secretly such , not only profane persons , but hypocrites , expect and look for . When the door of grace and mercy is shut ( as after this life it shall be to them ) then may they knock , but in vain ; whatever they can plead for themselves will be to no purpose . All the outward priviledges which here they have enjoyed , will be no advantages to them . That they have lived under Ordinances , wherein they have had an outward visible Communion with Christ , not only hearing his Word , but partaking of his Sacrament , there eating and drinking in his presence , this will make nothing for them , but much against them . This is that which they must then make account to hear from the mouth of Iesus Christ , I tell you I know you not , depart from me ye workers of iniquity . Thus shall he then cast them out , who would not here receive him in . They that would not here receive him into their hearts , that he might rule there , he will not then receive them into his house , his Kingdom , there to dwell and reign with himself , but he shall then cast them out into that outer darkness , where shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth . And in so doing who shall charge h●m of injustice , or yet rigour ? That wicked men are excluded and cast out ( as at that day they shall be ) they can charge it upon none but themselves . Not upon Christ . It was not he that first rejected them , he offered himself to them , and was ready to receive them upon their coming to him . That they are cast out they may thank themselves . Such was their stubbornness , they would not come when they might ; and therefore their exclusion is just . Thy destruction is of thy self ( saith the Lord to Israel , Hos. 13. 9. And so is this their exclusion . Because thou hast rejected the Word of the Lord , therefore he hath also rejected thee . ( saith Samuel to Saul ) 1 Sam. 15. 23. And so may it be said unto them . Because you rejected the Lord Christ here , would not hearken to him , would not receive him ; therefore he hath also rejected you . Here is terror . In the fourth and last place , having heard what is the mind of Jesus Christ here , let me now propound him as a pattern for imitation to all those who own him , and desire to be owned by him , let them be like minded with him . Let the same mind be in you , which was also in Christ Iesus ( saith the Apostle to his Philippians ) Phil. 2. 5. And so say I to you , all of you , and whoever they are that profess the name of Jesus Christ , Be you like-minded with him . And that , as in other respects , so 1. in this , of receiving and embracing those who are given to him , and come to him , even all true believers , such as professing the faith of Christ , walk answerably to that profession . Seeing Christ is pleased to own them , to receive and embrace them , so do you . Do not you cast out any of those whom he saith he will not cast out , but receive them into your hearts , and , as occasion is , into your houses , making much of them , delighting in them . So did David ; My goodnesse ( saith he ) extendeth not unto thee , O Lord , but unto the Saints that are in the earth , the excellent , in whom is all my delight , Psal. 16. 3. And so let it be with us . However we converse occasionally with others , the men of this world which cannot be avoided so long as we are in the world , as the Apostle yeilds it , 1 Cor. 5. 10. ) yet let our delight be in the Saints . And let our goods also ( according to our abilities and their necessities ) extend unto them . They being near to Christ , let them be dear to us . Let us in no wise cast them out ; but let them have a room in our hearts ; which let it be as an open house to receive all those who have aliquid Christi , any thing of Christ in them . Seeing Christ hath received them , so do we . It matters not what otherwise they be , though despicable as to the world , in regard of the meanness of their outward condition , or inward abilities , yet let them not be so to us . Such they are whom God oft-times maketh choise of to give to his Son Christ . Hath not God chosen the poor of this world ( saith St. Iames ) Jam. 2. 5. God hath chosen the weak things of the world ( saith St. Paul ) 1 Cor. 1. 27. Homines de●plebe , persons weak as in estate , so in parts . And such they are whom oft-times we may see forwardest in coming to Christ . Such they were who most an end followed him in the dayes of his flesh , to whom he Preached . Go and shew Iohn ( saith he to those Disciples of his ) the poor have the Gospel Preached unto them , Mat. 11. 5. Persons of inferiour rank and quality , the vulgar , common sort of people . Them , the Teachers of those times , Pharisees and Lawyers , contemned and vilified , calling them Populum te●rae , the people of the earth , having a Proverb in use among them ( a proud and a foolish one , as Grotius writing upon that Text justly censures it ) Spiritum non requiescere nisi super divitent , The spirit resteth only upon the rich mans head ; so as they disdained to teach and instruct them . But so did not our blessed Saviour . He most commonly made choice of them for his Auditors , finding his Ministery most powerful and effectual among them . And so did h●s servant the Apostle St. Paul after him , who tells his Corinthians , Not many wise men after the flesh men carnally and worldly wise ) not many mighty , not many noble are called . And if so , take we heed how we despise any of them upon the account of the meanness of their outward condition , or inward abilities . If they be dear to Christ ( which they are , if they be such as are come to him , believe on him ) let them be so also to us . Yea , though infirm and weak in grace . Though bruised reeds and smoaking flax , yet do not break , do not quench them . This will not Christ do , let not any other dare to do it . Who hath despised the day of small things ? ( saith the Prophet Zacharie , speaking concerning the building of the material Temple ) Zach. 4. 10. This did not God , who favoured and intended to bless and prosper those weak beginnings : And therefore let not any others do it . So say I concerning this spiritual Temple ; which is built in the hearts of those who are given to Christ , true believers , who are the Temple of God ( as the Apostle sometimes calls them , 1 Cor. 3. 16 , 17 , &c. ) Who shall here despise the day of small things ? This will not Iesus Christ do ; this let not any of us do . Where there is any thing of Christ , own it ; making much of the least beginnings of grace ; where we apprehend them to be in truth and sinceritie . Which , as it concerneth all , so in a special manner the Ministers of the Gospel , whom Christ hath made ( as it were ) his door-keepers in his house , his Church , having put the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven into their hands , as the key of Doctrine , so of Discipline , let them see that herein they imitate their Master , not turning either of these keys against any of those that would come to Christ . This it was ( as I shewed you ) that our Saviour rebuked his Apostles for , their rebuking of those that would have brought young children unto him , Mark 10. 14. Let not the like be charged upon any of the Ministers of Christ , that they should be any wayes instrumental in keeping back any that would come unto him , so as to discourage them by their Doctrine , or repel them by their Discipline . Obj. But how is it then that you do so , may some happily here say ? ) How is it that you repel and reject those from coming to have communion with Christ in the Sacrament of his Supper , who are willing to come ? Ans. But who are they ? It may be such as are not fitting to come to that Ordinance . Such was that Guest in the Parable fore-named , forward to come to the Supper , but not fitting . And such it may be are they , persons whose lives and conversations ( being scandalous ) do proclame to the world , that they are such as have not put on the wedding garment . And being such , if the servants shall cast them out , the Ministers of Christ refuse and reject them , it is no more than what their Master both allowes and requires them to do . Reply . Yea , but they are such as Christ himself will not cast out , being such as the Father hath given unto him , and such as are come to him , believing on him , such as making a Profession of faith walk answerably to that profession . Ans. But ( if such ) who is it then that casts them out ? Sure I am , not the Ministers in this place . If any such be kept from this Ordinance , it is not they that have cast them out . No , their desire hath been , and is , that all those who are hopefully such , such as are come unto Christ in such a way , should come to his Table , to have Communion with him in this Ordinance . Only they desire they should come to it in an orderly way , not so as to make a gap for others to break in upon it who have no right to it . So as if any so qualified want this Ordinance , they must charge it upon themselves , not us , who desiring to imitate our Lord and Master , shall not willingly cast out any to whom he saith , Come . But having lately had occasion to fall upon this Vindication ; I shall not insist upon it again . In the second place , whilest we receive those that are given to Christ , and come to him , let us also ( in imitation of him ) receive those who are given to us , and come to us . Which let it be applyed in a special manner to those whom God hath set over others ; to Magistrates , Ministers , Parents . 1. For Magistrates , whether Supreme or subordinate , let them be like-minded towards those whom God giveth to them , by his providence putting them under their Government , themselves also being willing to submit thereunto , let not them cast them out , out of their protection , but receive them , and take care of them , improving their Authority and Power for their security and welfare , both temporal and spiritual , doing Iustice to them . It was Absaloms insinuation to the people , when he aspired to the Crown , O saith he ) that I were made Iudge in the Lana ▪ that every man which hath any suit or c●use might come unto me , and I would do him justice , 2 Sam. 15. 4. What he politickly there promiseth , let all Rulers and Governors really and cordially perform . Those who come to them for justice , let them do it them , hearing their grievances , righting their wrongs , not rejecting , not slighting them , though never so mean . This is that which the Lord calleth for from the Iudges of Iudah , Isa. 1. 17. Seek judgment , relieve the oppressed , judge the father less , plead for the widow . And this let all Magistrates and Rulers do ; those that are in such a way given to them , committed to their c●arge , and come unto them ; submitting to their Government , let them not cast them out . 2. In like manner for Ministers ; those whom God hath given to them , put under their charge , being such as come unto them , attending upon their Ministery , professing a voluntary submission thereunto , let not them cast them out , or cast them off , neglecting their duties towards them . It was that which Eliab said to his brother David , when he came up to see the Battel ; With whom ( saith he ) hast thou left those few sheep in the wildernesse ? 1 Sam. 17. 28. so checking and reproving him for neglecting of his charge . What he spake to him by way of disparagement in scorn and contempt , let it be seriously hearkened to by all the Ministers of Christ . He having made them his Shepherds , committed his sheep , his people unto them ; let them take heed how they neglect or cast off the care of them , leaving them in the wildernesse of this world , exposed to so many dangers by reason of their spiritual enemies . This will not their Master do , the Lord Christ the great Shepherd of the sheep , He calleth his own sheep by name , and leadeth them out ( as he saith of himself ) Iohn 10. v. 3. that is ( as Diodate explaines it ) his care is not only for the general body of his Church , but it extendeth it self also to every particular member , as need requireth , leading them forth into green pastures , providing for them spiritual refection and comfort . And ( as it there followeth ) when he putteth forth his own sheep , he goeth before them ; ] that is , guiding and protecting them , being alwayes present with them , and vigilant over them , going before them in Doctrine and Example , ( as our new Annotation hath it . ) This Christ did when he was here upon earth , therein setting a pattern for all his Ministers , his undershepherds , who according to their ability are to do the like to the sheep , the people committed to them . Those whom God hath given to them , coming to them , let them not cast them out . 3. And the like may be said for Parents , to whom God hath given children , they coming to them in a way of duty and obedience , let not them cast them out . This David speaks of , as a thing possible and supposable ( though himself had not experience of it ) Psal. 27. 10. When my father and my mother forsake me ] that is though they should . And so it sometimes is , natural Mothers forget their Children . Can a woman forget her sucking child , that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb ? Yea , they may forget ( saith the Lord , &c. Isa. 49. 15. A thing too frequent ; but wherever it is found , most unnatural ; a shame to Heathens , much more to Christians , who looking upon their children as given them of God , are not to cast them out , not to leave them as the Ostrich doth her eggs in the sand , forgetting that the foot may crush them , or that the wild beast may break them ( as the careless nature of that creature is described ) Iob 39. 14 , 15. but to take care of them for their education and subsistance , providing for them necessaries and conveniences , specially if they be such as come unto them in the way of submissive obedience . Obj. But what if they cast off the●r Parents ? Ans. Why yet both Nature and Religion obligeth the Parent not wholly ●o cast off them , but to look after them ( as David did after his Absolom ) seeking their return to them . Which if they shall find , then are they to receive them . So did the Father of the Prodigal , of whom the Parable tells us , When he was afar off , his father saw him , and had compassion , and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him , Luk. 15. 20. Such affections should there be in natural Parents to their children . Being given to them by God , and coming to them , they are not to cast them out . Yet one word more , and that for all Christians , who have here also a pattern for their imitation , teaching them in all things to comply with the will of their heavenly Father . This let them do in regard of their outward temporal estates . Being confidently assured of what our Saviour here saith , that All that their Father giveth them shall come unto them , things shall come to pass according to his all-disposing providence , let them quietly and contentedly submit thereunto . Only serving that providence in the use of lawful meanes , let them accept what he giveth them , reacheth forth to them , resting contented with their Fathers portion . Not greedily scraping and gathering they care not in what way , by what meanes , so laying hold upon that which God never gave ●hem . A point which Musculus ( writing upon this Text ) applyeth in a particular way to the Kings and Princes of the earth , for whom he wisheth that they would all make use of these words , saying with themselves what their Saviour here doth , that All tha● their Father giveth them shall come unto them . And thereupon rest contented with what they have , putting up the sword into the shea●h , not seeking the enlargement of their Territories and Dominions ( as too often they ●o ) whereby they set the world on fire , filling it with confusion and blood . And what he saith to them in special , let me say unto all Christians in general , wishing that every of them would make the like use of these words , each one saying within himself , Whatever my Father giveth me shall come unto me ; What portion my Father allotteth me I shall have , and so rest contented therewith , be it more or less . And making such use of the former part of this Text , let them take heed of abusing the latter , which covetous persons ( as Musculus notes upon it ) will be ready to do , who hearing that all that the Father giveth them shall come to them , they thereupon resolve to get what they can , but to part with as little as they may , No , that which cometh unto them they will in no wise cast out . This was Nabals resolution , when Davids messengers came to him for some relief for their Master in his straits , what ( saith he ) Shall I then take my bread and my water , and my flesh which I have killed for my shearers , and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be ? 1 Sam. 25. 11. Such Nabals there are too many every . where , whose resolution is , whatever God giveth them not to cast it out in such a way . True indeed ( as the same Author further noteth ) there is such a use which may lawfully and warrantably be made of these words , viz. that those to whom God giveth estates , they are not to cast them out by prodigal and luxurious spending and squandring of them , but in a provident way to preserve them ; yet in the mean time , what God calleth for , either for pious or charitable uses , let them not be unwilling to part with . So was Abraham with his son , whom God had given to him , yet he was not unwilling to give him to him again . In like manner are Christians to deal with their estates ; where God calleth for them , they are not to withold them ; so resting contented with , and thankful for their fathers portion . Yea , though happily it be not every wayes answerable to what they could desire . It was a weakness in Abraham , who in the want of one blessing ( a Son ) seemed to slight all other mercies . When the Lord by way of encouragement said unto him , Fear not Abram , I am thy shield , and they exceeding great reward , he presently and passionately replies , Lord God , what wilt thou give me , seeing I go childless ? Gen. 15. 1 , 2. Let there not be the like murmuring or repining thought in any of the Lords people . In the want of some one desired mercy , let them not cast out all others by a slighting and undervaluing of what they have received . What they have , let them know it is that which their Father hath given them ; and so looking upon it as their fathers portion , let them receive it contentedly , thankfully . And what they do as to mercies , let them do the like also as to Crosses and Chastisements ; taking notice that whatever their Afflictions be , they are no other than what their Father hath given them , layed out for them , let them quietly submit to them . Herein also hath their blessed Lord and Saviour set them a pattern , who , however he deprecated that bitter cup which he saw coming towards him , praying again and again that it might passe from him , yet still he resolves his will into the will of his Father ▪ Neverthelesse not as I will , but as thou wilt , Math. 26. 39. And again , v. 42. O my Father , if this Cup may not passe away from me , thy will be done . And afterwards , when Peter drew his sword for his rescue , he taketh him off , declaring what his own resolution was , The cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it ? Joh. 18. 11. And herein let him be a pattern for us , every of us . Looking upon every Cup of affliction which is put into our hands , as the Cup which our Father hath given to us , let us not cast it out nor refuse to drink it . Not seeking by any indirect and unlawf●l wayes and meanes to shut out , or shake off whatever trials the Lord shall be pleased to exercise us with , but quietly and contentedly submit to his dispensations , both in regard of the kind , and measure and continuance , not choosing our own rod , but in all submitting to the will of our heavenly Father : Thus suffering in an obediential way , as our blessed Saviour did , now may we comfortably expect the like issue that he had , even a gracious supportation under it , and a happy deliverance out of it . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A29532e-180 Qui statuunt Christum non magis pro iis qui salvantur , quàm pro iis qui pereunt , mortuum esse , quanquàm videntur extendere meritum Christi , reipsâ ●amen id adeò imminuunt , ut omnino nihil ipsi relinquu●t quod meritus sit . Joh. Cocceius de Foedere Cap. 90. Sec. 163. Notes for div A29532e-570 Coher●●●● Tantae contumaciae causam esse dicit quod reprobi sint . Calvin in loc. Quorsum hoc dicatomnes ferè consentiunt , reddi èausam , cur illi quibuscum loquebatur ad se non venirent , i. e. in se non crederent . Maldonat . Com●in loc. Division . Prop. 1. Some given unto Christ by his Father . How given to him . How only some given to him . Gods elect his people : Gods absolute power over the sons of men to dispose of them as to their eternal estate . Considered after the fall . Haud secùs quàm si Princeps quisquam flagitiosos aliquot ac morte dignos carcere concluso teneat , &c. Muscul. Com. in loc. Before the fall . Gods elect how called his people . Pietatis quodam affectu : Grot. Annot ▪ ad loc. Gods Elect gīven to Christ . Intentionally , ●●fore time . Actually , in ●●me . The former here understood . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} his cum affectu aliquo intelligitur . G●ot . ad loc. Tradit autem pater cum effectu Christo eos qui pietati student . Idem ibid. Quos per inspirationem internam inclinat ad me . Carthus . Com. in loc. Dariâ Patre est docibilem esse Dei . Maldonat . ad Text. Omne quod dat mihi pater per aternam electionem , & temporalem vocati●nem . Gorran . Enac . in Text . Dorandi verbum peri●dè valet ac si dixisset Christus , Quos elegit Pater , &c. Calvin in Text . Donat ] viz. pro aeterno suo decreto eligens in me ad vitam aeternam . Piscat. Schol. ibid. Innuit hoc verbum , quod Deus ab aeterno aliquos elegerit , &c. Ferus ibid. Velquos ab aeterno elegit , & praedestinavit in me . Carthus . ibid. Wherefore God gave his Elect unto Christ . Applic. Information touching the Doctrines . Of Election . That it is not universal . Not only indefinite . Nor simply conditional . Of Redemption , which is not universal more than Election . Texts seeming to make Redemption Vniversal how to be understood Christ died ●●tentionally only for the Elect . Grace extenuated by extending it . Vse 2. The grace of Election glorious grace . Prop. 2. All who are given to Christ shall come to him . A two-fold coming to Christ . Outward and formal . Inward and Real . Coming to Christ , believing on him . Faith , the coming of the soul unto Christ . Thus all Gods Elect shall come unto Christ . Omne ] in Neutro genere exactius Vniversitatem significat quàm in Masculino . Tolet : Vt majorem significet Vniversitatem , Maldon . Omne , ut ostendat ex variis gentibus venturos ad eum . Ferus in loc. Cyrill . lib. 3. cap. 39. Insi●●at etiam his verbis multos credituros in Christum , Tolet ; Com. ad loc. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ] Neutrum pro Masculino , aut Communi . Grot ad Text. And that Certainly . Non dicit ad me venire potest , aut ad me veniat , sed per affirmationem , Ad me veniet . Mu●cul . in loc. Quest . The ground of this certainty . Ans. Not in themselves . Non est hoc naturali cuidam dispositioni dandum . Muscul. ibid. Ans. 2. But in God the Father , & Jesus Christ . In God the Father , who Hath decreed it . Sicut qui palatia struunt solent firma subjicere fundamenta , ità Deus ●noliens civitatem illam aeternam , decreta quaedam substravit , velut fundamenta , quae manent inconcussa . Gro● . in loc. Effecteth it . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , i. e. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . Hieron Erasmus , Grot. in loc. Videtur eo dicendi genere significari dei gratiam coelitùs in animum ipsum illabi ut & Graeca etiam Scholiae Annotarunt . Beza Gr. Annot. ad loc. In Jesus Christ who executeth his Fathers Counsels Only Gods Elect come unto Christ . Man cannot come of himself . Per quam homines ●iunt Electi D●i . id ▪ est , Deo charissimi . Gro● . in loe . Applic. Information . The former Doctrines touching Election and Redemption confirmed . Calvin in Text . Predestination not upon the foresight of saith . Faith not contingent . Per hoc ●utem quod dicit . Quod dat mihi pater , ost endit quoniam non contingens res est credere in Christum . A quinas in Text. ex Chryso●t . Hom. 44. Quibus verbis intelligit fidem non esse in arbitrio hominum , ut promis cuè vel fortuitò hic & ille credant . Calvin ad Text. Hoc ipso innuit , fidem non oriri ex viribus liberi arbitrii , sed ex gratuitâ Electione Dei . Piscat. Analys. in Text . This Doctrine cleared from ●●sconstructions . No excuse for unbelievers . Vide Tolet Annot in Text . Reprobation not the cause of infidelity . No ground for security and carelesness . A desperate inference . No ground of Despair . A wrong way of . reasoning to begin with Gods decrees . Gods revealed Will mans Rule . Temeritatis est velle pervestigare divini consilii arcanum . Hoc faciendum est quod praecipit Deus . Praecipit autem credi in Christum . Ferus Annot. in Text. Vse 2. Exhortation to all to come unto Christ . Motives to it . Coming to Christ , an assurance of being given to him . Adhaerens Christo certus es de praedestinatione tuâ Ferus Annor in Text. Coming to Christ , a thing which may be known . Quid enim cordi nostro perspectius esse po●erit , quam quod non ●isi corde ; ●oque ardenti & ●upido geritur . Musc. Com. in Text. Christiās make sure their Election by coming to Christ . See that this Coming be real . Vix quaeritur Iesus propter Iesum . August . in Joh. 6. 26. Prop. 3. Casting out , what . Augustines Interpre●ation not allowed . Quale est illud intus , unde non exitur foras ; Magnum penetrale , & dulce secretum . August . Tract in loc. Cum dicit , ad me venit , non significat ad se in coelo , ubi fides non est . Maldon in Text . Nor yet Cyrils . Non enim illuc homines ad Christum per fidem venient , de quo adventu his loquebatur . Maldon . in Text . Grotius's Supposition rejected as unsound . Non faciam ut morosi Magistri , non expellam eum , nempè si perpetuò voluerit meus esse , per me non stabit quo minus sit . Grot. Annot. in Text. The true sense of the phrase here . Neminem a● me venientem repellam , omnes admittam , omnes amplectar . Ruper●us ad loc. & Maldon , &c. Non repudiabo , sed benevolè excipiam , & in ●ternum servabo . Piscator Schol. in loc. Two things comprehended under it . Christ will receive those that come to him . Quemadmodum si publicus dicat Hospes , neminem qui ad hospitium venerit , ejiciam . Mald. ad loc. And the Infants brought to them . The Case of the Guest in the Parable cast out from the Mariage-Supper , resolved . Christ receiving those that come to him retaines them with him . Non solum amanter ad se venientes suscipit , sed susceptos it● constanter ac perseveranter complectitur , tuetur & conservat , ut nunquaui illos abjiciat . Aliud est Principum hujus seculi ingenium , &c. Musc. Com. in Text. Reas. 1. This is the Fathers will . Reas. 2. Christs clemency inclining him hereunto . Reas. 3. To reject those that come , were cross to the end of his coming . Vse 1. The grand duty p●essed , of coming to Christ . Obj. 1. Objections answered . Mans own unworthiness . Experiences of great sinners coming to Christ . Obj. 2. Having nothing to bring to Christ . Obj. 3. Having done much against him . Obj. 4. Rejecting of him being offered . Obj. 5. Apostatizing from him . Obj. 6. The sin against the holy Ghost by some unjustly charged upon themselves . Quest . How to come unto Christ so as to be received of him . Ans. Dir. 1. Hear of him . Dir. 2. Be convinced of the need of him . Dir. 3. Hearken to his invitation and command . Dir. 4. Yeild a ready obedience to it . Mans own righteousness to be renoun●ed . Dir. 5. Take Christ as Saviour and Lord . Caveat . Make sure our coming to Christ be real . Vse 2. Comfort , comers to Christ shall be received by him . Christ receiving , it matters not who rejects . The Father will not reject whom the Son receiveth . Causeless Excommunications not to be regarded . Contrà istam utrorumque tàm Anabaptistarum , quàm Papistarum temeritatem communiendae sunt praesenti Christi or aculo eorum conscientiae , qui vel ab illis vel ub ist is excommunicantur . Muscul. Com. in Text. Vse 3. Terror to wicked men , they shall be cast out . Vse 4. Christ a pattern for the Christians imitation . In receiving those that are given to him . Though outwardly mean . Proverbium stultum & superbum , Grot. Annot in Mat. 11. 5. Though weak in Grace . In special applyed to the Ministers of Christ , who are not to reject any that come to him . A Cavil answered about Ministers not receiving all to Sacramental Communion . Repelling of any fit for Communion not justly charged upon the Ministers in this place . Christians to receive what God giveth to them , applyed in special . To Magistrates who are not to eject their subjects . To Ministers , who are not to neglect their people . To Parents , who are not to cast out their children , specially if obedient . What to be done to those that are disobedient . Christians in all things to comply with the will of their heavenly Father . Resting contented with what he giveth them . Applyed in special to the Rulers of the world . Et utinam Principes nostri dictum hoc Christi usurparent , ac verâ fide quisque ips●rum diceret , Omne quod dat mihi Pater ad me veniet ; ut modus esset bellorum istorum , quibus inter se dilatandis regnorum suorum pomaeriis tumultuantur , & orbem coedibus replent . Muse . Com. in Text. In general to all Christians . This Doctrine how abused by covetous persons . Cavendum verò ne animus {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} avaritiae suae ac {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} praet●●tum ex hoc loco colligat , dicens ; Quicquid ad me venerit , non ejicio foras . Mnse . ibid. Men not to cast our their estates by wasting of them . Christianus certe donae Dei non temere abjiciet . ut etiam hîc dicere queat ; Quicquid ad me venerit non ejicio fords . Idem . ibid. Interea tamen illa ex fide ergd Deum in usus necessarios tàm proximi , quàm suos dispensabit , conteutusque illis erit , qualia qualia sint , Idem . Christians to be contented with and thankful for their Fathers portion , though not answerable to their desires . Christians to comply with Gods will in their afflictions and sufferings . 
A13997	----	The high-vvay to heauen: or, the doctrine of election, effectuall vocation, iustification, santification and eternall life Grounded vpon the holy Scriptures, confirmed by the testimonies of sundry iudicious and great diuines, ancient and moderne. Compiled by Thomas Tuke. High-way to heaven. Tuke, Thomas, d. 1657. 1609 Approx. 258 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 113 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2006-06 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A13997 STC 24309 ESTC S102479 99838262 99838262 2635 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A13997) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 2635) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1086:10) The high-vvay to heauen: or, the doctrine of election, effectuall vocation, iustification, santification and eternall life Grounded vpon the holy Scriptures, confirmed by the testimonies of sundry iudicious and great diuines, ancient and moderne. Compiled by Thomas Tuke. High-way to heaven. Tuke, Thomas, d. 1657. [10], 194 p. Printed by Nicholas Okes, dwelling neere Holborne bridge, London : 1609. Imperfect; lacking pages 145-146. Reproduction of the original in the British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Election (Theology) -- Early works to 1800. Salvation -- Early works to 1800. 2005-06 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-09 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-02 Ali Jakobson Sampled and proofread 2006-02 Ali Jakobson Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE HIGH-VVAY To Heauen : OR , The doctrine of Election , effectuall Vocation , Iustification , Sanctification and eternall Life . Grounded vpon the holy Scriptures , Confirmed by the testimonies of sundry iudicious and great Diuines , Ancient and Moderne . Compiled by THOMAS TVKE . LONDON , Printed by NICHOLAS OKES , dwelling neere Holborne bridge . 1609. TO THE WORshipfull Maister IOHN Leuesen Esquire . SIR , many and great are the Priuiledges of the Faithful , and farre more excellent then any , which either are , or can be granted by any mortall Monarch whatsoeuer . For first , they were a elected of almightie God freely from all eternity to be partakers of his grace in this world , and to be inuested with immortall glory in the world to come . Secondly , when they had reuolted from God , and were become the vassals of the Diuel , b dead in sinnes , and the children of wrath , God in 〈…〉 c recall and gather them , and redeemed them from their seruitude with the d bloud of his owne and only sonne Christ Iesus , who was e made sinne for vs , that wee might be made the righteousnes of God in him , assuming our iniquitie to himselfe , and imputing his righteousnesse vnto vs. f Magnum ( autem ) est , quod peccata remissa sunt , sed maius est quòd per sanguinem Dominicum remissa sunt . Now it is much that we should be redeemed by God , who were Runna gates from God : but that we should be redeemed by the bloud of g God , by the bloud of the sonne of God , who was h perfect God & i perfect man , of the same substance , honor and ant●quitie with the Father ; this commends the wonderfull k loue of God vnto vs , and is a fauour that all the world besides doth want . Thirdly , God doth l refine and reuiue them , breathing into them the breath of life , the spirit of sanctification , who doth reforme , purge and alter them , ruinating the cursed workes of the Diuell , and repairing , rectifying , and adorning them by grace with goodnes . Fourthly , m God doth ( when hee pleaseth ) bath them in the waters of sorrow , and try them in the furnace of affliction , to correct and clense them , & that his graces in them may appeare more fresh and shining , as flowers doe in a shower , or as the Moone doth in the night . Finally the n Lord will one day translate them out of the wide and wast Wildernes of this wicked and wofull World , and will safely bring them into celestiall Canaan , where they shall liue for euer with him in ful freedome from all euill , and in perpetuall fruition of all felecity , so that as nothing shal be found in Hell , which shal be desired , so nothing shal be desired in Heauen , which shall not be found . Ibi laetitia sine tristitia , locus sine dolore , vitasine labore , lux sine tenebris : ibi iuuentus semper vigescit , & nunquam senescit : ibi dolor nunqum sentitur , nec gemitus vnquam auditur : ibi tristitia nunquam videtur , sed aeternum gaudium possidetur : ibi est summa & certa tranquillitas , tranquilla faelicitas , foelix aeternitas , aeterna beatitas & beata o Trinitas . There shal be mirth without mourning , a life without labor & day without darknes , eternall happines & happy eternity . Ibi nec malitia , nec militia : ibi nec poena , nec poenitenria : ibi nec peccatum , nec perditio . There is neither sinne , nor sorow : neither penalty , nor penitency : neither foe , nor fighting : neither corruption , nor contention : amity , and no enmity : faith , and no fraud : godlines , and no guile : loue without lust ● wisedome without wilines : simplicity without simulation : perpetuall solace , and solacious perpetuity , prosperous security , and secure prosperity ; Ibi nil intus , quod sastiolatur : nil foris , quod appetatur : ibi rex veritas , lex charitas , possessio aeternitas . There we shall neither lothe , nor long for . The King is veri●y , the law charity , the possession eternity ; yea the fruition of the eternall God , who will be p ( Mel in ore , melos in aure , & i●bilus in corde ) All in all to them that loue him . These things you may take a further view of , if you please , by perusing this little ●ractate : which I dedicate to you as a testimony of my desire of your proficience in holy learning . And thus hoping of your kind acceptance thereof , I commend it to you , and both it and you to the Lord ; desiring him to honor you with his grace , 〈◊〉 you may so know him in your youth , as that you may be knowen of him in your age , and that seruing him like a faithfull Souldier against sinne and all sinnefull vanities in the Church militant , you may raigne also like a noble Victor with him in the Church Triumphant . February . 16. 1608. Your Worships in the Lord , to be commanded , THOMAS TVKE . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eduardi Smithi ad Lectorem . Laesciuae fa●iem Veneris laudare vetustas Respersam naeuo garrula saepè solet . Exhibet iste liber veneres naeuo sine castas , Es laetam quicquid sternat ad astra Viam . Eiusdem ad Momum . Nigro si tibi mos bene facta notare lapillo , H●● omnis maculis pagina sparsa foret : Vanae at sicarpas tantummodo somnia Mome , Crede tuss maculis non locus vllus erit . Eiusdem ad Auctorem . Ergò age , pensentur tibi tot mercede labores A Eternà , dignam saecula nostra negant . Exhibe , tende , doc● , condigna , salubria , Verae , Christo , ●uibus , cunctos , carmin● , voce , stylo . The names of such as are alledged in this booke , beside the Scriptures . A AMbrose Angelome Anselme Aquinas Aristotle Augustine B Bede & Beza Bellarmine Bernard Bradford Bu●anu● Basill C Caluin Cicero Chrysostome Clemens Alex Cameracensis Cyprian Cyrill D Danaeus F Fox Fulgentius G Greenham Gregorie H Hugo & Haimo H●ome I Innocentius Isidore Isychius Iustine K K●●ke ma● L Lacta●tiu● Luth●r M P. Martyr O Origen P Per●iu● P●●lp●t Piscator Polanus Primasius Pr●●p●r R Radulphus Roffensis Rogers Remi●i●s Roil●●● S Sedulins & Sturmius T Tertullian Theodulus Trel●atius Tyndall V Vrsinus VV Willet OF GODS ETERnall Election . CHAP. I. The word Election hath fiue significations . Three reasons to pro●ue that there is an Election to life . Two reasons prouing the necessary vse of this Doctrine . Foure reasons to shew that Ministers should teach it . Three duties to bee done concerning the handling of it . ALL men are by a certaine instinct of nature desirous of knowledge , and account ignorance euill and vnseemely , like a defectiue body , or a light-lesse house . For knowledge is the eye of the minde , the light of the soule , the ornament of grace and nature , and such riches , as will swimme with the master , when he suffers shipwracke , and sees his whole estate to sinke before his eyes . Now the more excellent and commodious a thing is , the more worthy it is of our knowledge . Therefore it is discommendable and vncomely for any man to bee ignorant of himselfe , and of the causes , the meanes and maner of his eternall saluation , and redemption from horrible and intolerable miserie . To further this knowledge , my purpose is , out of the Scriptures , and by the helpe of sundry learned and orthodoxall Writers , briefly to treat of Gods Election , and the Execution of it : and so we shal ( as in a Glasse ) behold , what course the Lord hath in his wisedome taken to manifest his grace vnto vs ▪ and to make vs partakers of his glory . Before I shew what election is , I thinke it not amis●e . 1. To shew the significations of the word , because it is ambiguous . 2. To proue that there is an Election . 3. And that the doctrine thereof ought to bee learned . 4. As also to shew that it ought to be preached to the people . 5. and in what maner . For the first ; this word Election ( or Chusing ) hath fiue significations . First it signifies the chusing and assuming of a man to some worke or office . So Saul was chosen to bee a King and Iudas to be an Apostle : and of this Election is that speech of Christ to bee vnderstood ; Haue not I chosen you twelue , and one of you is a Diuil ? Secondly , it is taken for that Election , whereby the Lorde doth make choise of a nation to bee his people ▪ vpon whom he will bestow his lawes and ordinances , and more singular loue-tokens , then vpon many other . Thus the Israelites were Gods elect , though amongst them were many reprobates . For this election was temporall in part , and but a Remnant in comparison were elected as touching that eternall decree of life . Thirdly it signifieth the eternall decree of God for the separating and adopting of some men to euerlasting life . Fourthly , it sometimes signifies the execution of this decree , or the separation of certaine men in time by effectuall vocation Fiftly , it signifies in that speech of Paul , ( The election hath obtained ) the Elect themselues , as Circumcision is vsed sometimes for Circumcised . Bu● we here vse it in the third signification . And so much for the word . Now that there is such an Election , it is euident by these reasons . First by expresse testimonies of holy Scripture . Many are called , but few are chosen . I know ( saith Christ ) whom I haue chosen . So many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued . Endeuour to make your election sure . Hee is blinde that cannot see the shining of the Sunne at Noone . Secondly , the Scripture sheweth that there is a Reprobation ; therefore , vnlesse wee shall say that all are reprobates we must needs grant an electiō . Thirdly , the Scripture setteth forth vnto vs the cause , the perpetuitie , the benefits and tokens of it : which were to no purpose if there were no election at all . Lastly , we haue the consent of the Church in all ages . It is ( saith Augustine ) horrible blasphemie to deny Predestination . Hauing now prooued that there is an Election , I come in the third place to prooue the necessitie of learning & vnderstanding this doctrine ; which I will do with these two reasons . The first is this . That doctrine ought to bee learned , which serues to declare Gods glorie . But the doctrine of election doth manifest the glory of God. For first , it sheweth that we are elected to the honour of God , and to the praise of his glorious grace . Secondly , it argues and illustrates his essentiall properties , as his omnipotencie , omniscience , eternity , mercy . Thirdly , this doctrine doth both demonstrate and defend the free grace of God against all contrariant heresies and errors , and will arme vs against many impetuous enemies of the truth ; therefore it is a doctrine worthy to be learned . Secondly , that Doctrine is necessarily to bee learned , which is profitable to vs in the course of Christianity : but the doctrine of election will auaile vs much in the running of this race . For first , it releiues our faith against diffidence , shewing that our saluation hangs not like a Meteour in the ayre , but is firmely fixed vpon the loue of God in Christ . Secondly , it furthereth our Spirituall ioy , in that it teacheth that the loue of God is Constant , and his decree concerning our welfare is Eternall . Thirdly , it eclipseth the pride of the heart , shewing that Gods dignation , and not mans dignitie , his fauour & not mans faith , his mercie and not mans merit is the fountaine and foundation of mans felicitie . Fourthly , it prouokes vs to true gratitude and the practise of all good works : because it teacheth to ascribe our saluation wholly to the grace of God , and not to our owne goodnesse : as also that wee were elected to bee holy , and not to follow the swinge of the flesh , and to goe a whoring after our owne lusts . Fiftly , this doctrine ministers comfort to vs , and helpes our pacience in aduersitie . For it teacheth that wee are predestinated to weare the crowne of thornes with Christ , as well as the crowne of glory : and that , as wee are couered with the grace of God as with a Canopy , whiles wee liue in this world , so wee shal be honoured with immortall glory in the world to come ; therefore this doctrine ought to be learned and remembred . Fourthly , it is fit for Ministers to acquaint their people with this doctrine . The reasons are these . First Christ and his Apostles , and some of the olde Prophets haue commended this doctrine vnto the Church , and did teach it the people . But it were grieuous sacriledge to depriue the poore people of that , which GOD doth vouchsafe them ; and transcendent impietie to denie the preaching of that in the Church , which God doth teach in his word for the good of the Church . For whatsoeuer is written in the word , it is written for our learning , that through the consolation of the Scripture we might haue hope . Secondly , the Gospell ought to be preached vnto all , both learned and vnlearned : but the doctrine of Election is a principall part of the Gospel ; yea the whole Gospell is inclosed within the ●osome of this doctrine , if we respect both the decree it selfe , and the execution and accomplishment of it together : therefore it ought to bee promulged and made 〈…〉 vnto all . Thirdly , this doctrine is very vsefull and solatious , and may be applyed to many notable purposes . For it shewes vs the true causes of all our happinesse . Secondly , it confuteth the Pelagians , who ascribe saluation to mens owne strength and merits : and vtterly ouerturneth the opinion of Election for works , or faith foreseen . Thirdly , it serues to correct the course of those that hinder their owne happinesse by their presumption , diffidence , incredulity , prophanenesse , sensuality , and other irregular and irreligeous courses . Fourthly , it proues the deity of Christ . For in that hee hath elected vs vnto life , we conclude that he is very God. Fiftly , as it testifieth the loue of God vnto vs : so likewise it serues to enflame vs with loue towards him . For who would not loue him , of whom hee is so loued and to whom hee is so much obliged ? And to omit many vses which might be made of this doctrine , it shewes the great power and authoritie that God hath ouer men , in making choise of whom hee list to bee his vessels of honour , and temples for his Spirit to inhabit . And finally it teacheth vs to loue our brethren , who are elected by the same God , and for the same ends that we our selues are . Fourthly , Ministers are by Pauls example bound to teach their people the whole counsell of God , and to keepe backe nothing which is commodious : therefore they must teach them this doctrine . Lastly , Ministers must not suppresse or keepe backe that which is reuealed , but rather proclaime and diuulge it . For things reuealed ( as this is ) belong to vs and to our children for euer , as Moses writeth . Yea , they ought to do it the more diligently , that they may preserue them frō those infectious errors , which many turbulent and erroneous spirits doe publish to the world , and stay them from abusing this so holy a doctrine ( as many doe ) to licentious & luxurious liuing . The iudgement of Caluin is worthy to bee embraced , who saith ; We shall neuer be throughly perswaded that our saluation ●oth flow from the Fountaine of Gods free mercie , vntill we bee acquainted with his eternall Election . The Scripture is the Schoole of the holy Ghost , wherein as nothing is omitted necessarie to be knowen , so nothing is taught , but that which is expedient for a man to know . We must therefore beware that we do not keepe the faithfull from that which the Scripture deliuereth concerning Predestination , le●t we seeme maliciously to defraud them of that , which God doth affoord vnto them , or reprooue his Spirit as if hee had reuealed things fit for some considerations to be concealed . The fift and last thing to be considered , is the maner of propounding and handling of this doctrine . Here these duties must be obserued . First , that this doctrine bee deriued onely from the word of God , and not fetcht from the forge of mans braine . For the word is a sure Rule to direct our vnderstanding . And it is the cheifest point of sobrietie to make GOD our Schoole-master when we learne , and then to leaue learning , when he leaues teaching . When he leaues speaking , then wee should leaue inquiring . Hee which curiously pries into Gods secrets , runnes himselfe into an inextricable labyrinth , and findes not that wherewith his curiositie may be satisfied . Secondly , this doctrine ought to bee deliuered in conuenient and fit tearmes , that the trueth thereof may be discerned , and no point obscured , and that the sublimitie and maiestie thereof be not eclipsed and debased . Thirdly , it is fit that before this doctrine be preached to the people , the Minister do first acquaint them with more familiar points of Religion , that his labours may be more prosperous and beneficiall . These things haue beene deliuered by way of a Preface . I will now speake of the decree of Election , and of the Execution of it . CHAP. 2. What Election is . There bee two distinct acts thereof . The causes of it , Efficient , Materiall , and Formall . Three ends thereof . Sixe effects of it . Two subiects of it . Fifteen prerogatiues of the Elect. 〈◊〉 properties of Election . Many signes thereof are set downe . ELECTION to euerlasting life is the speciall decree of God touching the conferring of eternall saluation by Christ the Redeemer , to certain men , of meere mercie and good will. Or , The degree of Election is that , whereby God hath appointed some vnto his glorious grace , in the obtaining of their saluation and celestiall life by Christ. Or it is ( as Augustine teacheth ) the preparation of a free donation , whereby God hath made vs vessels of mercie before the creation of the world , vnto the adoption of the sonnes of God by Iesus Christ . In the decree of Election there are two distinct preordinations , or acts of the diuine counsell ; the former concerning the end , the latter concerning the meanes tending vnto the end . This the holy Ghost seemeth to haue taught most clearely , Rom , 9.11 . where he saith ; That the purpose which is according to Election , might remaine firme . By which we see a distinction put betwixt the purpose of God & his election . And in Rom. 8.29 , 30. The decree is expresly distinguished from the execution of it , which the Apostle placeth in vocation , iustification and glorification . The first act in the decree of Election is a part of the diuine purpose , whereby God doth assume certaine men to be created ( passing by all other , ) vnto his euerlasting loue and fauour , and by assuming them doth make them vessels of mercy and honour . The second act is the purpose of sauing or of conferring glorie ; whereby God doth ordaine and separate the same men being to fall in Adam , vnto saluation and celestiall glory . These two acts must not be seuered , but distinguished . The former is of men to be created , and the latter is of men , that are both created and corrupted . By the former , men are ordained vnto grace : and by the latter , the meanes are subordained , whereby grace may be conferred and declared . For this latter prepares a way for the complement and execution of the former . The efficient cause of Election , or the Electour is God Almightie , Father , Sonne , and Holy Ghost For such workes , as are wrought by God vpon the creature , are common to the three persons , the maner of working peculiar to each of them being reserued . And the Scripture expresly sheweth that the Father & the Sonne did elect vs , Eph. 1.4 . Iohn 15.16 . For howsoeuer Christ himselfe is elected , as hee is our Mediatour , yet as hee is the eternall Word or Sonne of the Father , he doth elect as well as the Father . Now seeing the worke of election belong to them , we may not exclude the holy Ghost , who hath one common Godhead with them . The cause which mooued God to elect those which are elected , was his meere good will , and nothing els , as appeareth by these reasons . First by the word of God. Hee hath ( saith Paul ) predestinated vs according to the good pleasure of his will. At this time also a reseruation is made according to the election of grace . Secondly , if Christ did not merite as he was a man , to bee vnited to the person of the word , and to bee borne wholy voyd of sin , there is no cause for vs to thinke but that our election vnto life is of the free grace of God. But Augustine doth confidently and most truely teach , that the man-head of Christ was thus aduanced for no merit of worke thereof , but freely had it . Therefore it is absurde to thinke that we were not elected of Gods free grace . Thirdly , if the Patriarch Iacob was elected by grace ▪ then Election is of grace : but the former is true , as Paul doth witnesse , Rom 9. ●1 . Before the children were borne , and when they had neither done good nor euil , that the purpose of God might remaine according to election , not by works , but by him that calleth , it was said vnto her , the elder shall serue the yonger . Therefore we also are elected of grace . Fourthly , God hath elected vs ( as the Apostle teacheth ) for the commendation of his glorious grace : but if election bee not of ●race ▪ then grace deserues not all the praise , but we ourselues haue something whereof wee may glory . Fiftly , let vs consider the iudgement of antiquitie . Augustine saith ; A● he ( that is Christ ) 〈◊〉 predestinated to be our head , so are we● to bee his 〈◊〉 hers . Humana hic merita 〈…〉 . Le● mens merit● h●●e 〈◊〉 silent , which perished in Adam . 〈◊〉 ; And let the grace of God be●●e the ●way and raigne . And againe ; In one and the same cause one 〈◊〉 forsaken , & another is taken ( 〈◊〉 assumitur , gratia pr●stante , non merito ) in mercie , and not of merit . And againe ; He hath elected none worthy , but by electing him he hath made him worthy . It is the grace of God , whereby he hath elected me , not because I am worthie , but because it vouchsafed to make me . Videte charissimi : See ( my beloued ) how that hee doth not elect men good , but maketh those to be good whom he hath elected . And elsewhere he saith , that God loued no other thing in Iacob , then his owne free mercy . He loued Iacob by his free mercie , and hated Esau by his iust iudgement . Hierome also speaking of Iacob and Esau saith , that the election of the one and the reiection of the other , doth not demonstate their merits , but the will of the Elector and reiector : and further also confesseth that it is in the power and will of God to elect or reiect a man , without good or euill workes . Angelome also saith , that Christ hath predestinated some to eternal libertie , quickning them by his gracious mercie . Finally , this trueth will appeare , if wee shall remooue the false causes which might seeme to perswade God to chuse vs for his people . First , therefore we are not elected for foreseene 〈◊〉 , as these arguments ensuing will sufficiently prooue vnto vs. First , God is the primarie and principall authour of all his actions . Now the supreame and first ground or author , depends of no externall ground or beginner . But God should depend of an externall ground , if hee could not elect whom he would , vnlesse faith did mooue him . Secondly , euery cause is before the effect : now Faith is alter Election , as the Holy Ghost sheweth when hee sayth : So many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued . It was well sayd of one , Christ first apprehends vs : and this apprehension of his workes in vs the apprehension of faith , whereby we lay hold vppon him . Faith is a meane , which tends to the end , wherunto the elect are ordained . Wherefore seeing that Election must needs be before the end , it must also bee before Faith , which is a meane leading to the end . Thirdly , faith is not the cause of vocation and iustification , moouing God to call and iustifie , therfore it is no impulsiue cause of election . For ●he cause of the cause , is the cause of the thing caused . If faith then were the cause of Election , it should be also the cause of vocation which is an effect thereof . But it is not so , as the Apostle teacheth , Tit. 5. ● . Lastly , the Scripture no where saith , that we are elected for fore-seen faith . What reason then haue wee to beleeue it ? Wee conclude therefore that wee are not elected for faith : and with Iustine Marti● wee call those blest : Qui sunt praesciti vt crederent , Which are fore-knowne that they should beleeue . And we say according to Augustine , that those are elected ( Non qui eliguntur quia crediderunt , sed qu● eliguntur vt credant ) which are elected to beleeue , not because they haue beleeued . I haue obtained mercie ( saith Paul ) that I should bee faithfull : Non quia fidelis ●ram : not because I was faithfull , as Augustine speaketh . Secondly , we are not elected for any fore-seene workes . For first the Apostle excludes all workes , from being the causes either of election or of reprobation Rom. 9.11 , 12. And teacheth that Election is not in him that runneth , that is , it is not to be attributed to his industrie or indeauours . Secondly , good workes can merite nothing of God , because he is the author of them , and they are due vnto him , and are not equiualent and proportionable to his grace . Thirdly , we are elected that we should be holy , and should doe good works ; & therefore it were absurde to imagine that good workes did mooue God to elect vs. Hierome saith : The Apostle saith not he hath elected vs — Cum essemus sancti , whē we were holy , sed vt essemus , but that we should be holy . And Augustine saith . The election of grace doth not onely preuent or go before mens works , but before faith , whence all good works do flow . Thirdly , Election is not made for the wil of mā , or for that mā would it . For the Apostle painely professeth , that it is not in him that willeth , but in God , which sheweth mercie . By will , is meant the cogitation , desire or endeuour of our minde , which the holy Ghost excludeth from Election . Secondly , the will of man is not eternall , and therefore cannot be the cause of eternall election . For the efficient cause must goe before the effect in time , or at least in nature . But the will of man is not in nature before Gods election , much lesse then in time . Lastly , if we were elected for our owne will , many grosse absurdities would ensue . First , the grace of God should bee subiect to mens wills , as Prosper affirmeth : that is , the grace of Election should be inferiour to the will of man , as the effect is to the cause : the will of man should bee more excellent then the grace of God. Secondly , it were ( as Prosper saith ) to make the beginning of saluation to bee in him that is saued . Thirdly , it were in mans power to be either an elect , or a reprobate if he would . Fourthly , all certaintie of Election would be taken away , seeing the will of man is instable and vncertaine . Fiftly , election would be casuall , as depending vppon the will of man , which is mutable , and so God should be made an Idol of Fortune , that is , he should chuse if man would , and not chuse if man would not . We conclude therefore that the will of man , is not the efficient cause of Election . Fourthly , God doth not elect any man for his birth or beauty , or for any prerogatiue or excellencie in his person ▪ For God is no accepter of persons : and these things are not before Election , but come after it . Secondly , that which Moses saith of the generall election of all the Isralites , may bee as truely sayd of the speciall election of all true Isralites , that God hath not chosen them for their multitude , but of his own loue , nor for any dignitie in them , but of his owne meere mercie . We see God respected not the eldership of Cain , but choose Abell : hee regarded not the riches of N●bal , the wisedome of Achitophel , the beauty of Absolom , the comlinesse of Saul , the princely blood of Iezebel , neither were all the seed of Abraham elected , as was Abraham . It is God , who makes vs meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saintes , and not any prerogatiue or dignitie in vs. We call Christ our Sauiour , because he by his dignitie and merit hath deserued our saluation of God for vs : euen so wee might be called our owne Electors , if we did mooue God to elect vs by our dignities or prerogatiues . Finally God respects not these things in sauing vs , therefore neither in electing vs. For if they did mooue God to elect vs , they should also perswade him to redeeme and saue vs , which is against the Scripture in many places . Finally , the merit of Christ is not the efficient or impulsiue cause of election , though it be of saluation . For the efficient cause of election , which is without beginning , must also bee without beginning : but the merit of Christ is not frō eternitie : therfore it is not the efficient cause of eternall election . Secondly , if Christ himselfe , as Mediator , was elected frō all eternity , then his merit is not the cause of electing . but the former is true out of Peter , the latter therefore is also true Thirdly , the effect of eternall election is not the cause thereof : but the merit of Christ is the effect of election . For God did not elect vs , because Christ was to die for vs : but on the contrarie , Christ did therefore die for vs , because God had elected vs in him . Therefore the merit of Christ is not the efficient cause of Gods election . Wherefore we do conclude , and with Caluin we doe auerre according to the truth , ( Hoc consilium quoad Electos in gratuita eius misericordia fundatum esse ) that the foundation of Gods Election is laied in his free mercie . He will haue mercie , on whom he will , and chuseth whom he pleaseth . And so much for the efficient and impulsiue cause of election . The materiall cause , or matter of Election is threefold : first in which , that is in Christ the Mediatour : secondly about which , & that is about certaine men : thirdly of which it doth consist , ( of which last wee now entreat ) and that is the counsell of God. For election is nothing but the counsell of GOD , for the separation of some men to eternall life . The formall cause is the ordination , assumption and separation of certaine men from all others , to the fruition of present grace and future glory . The ends of Election are three . The former concernes God , that doth elect : the 2. latter concerne those that are elected . The first is the glory of God , and the celebration and declaration of his mercy . Rom. 9.23 . That hee might declare the riches of his glorie vpon the vessels of mercie , which he hath prepared vnto glorie . Eph. 1.6 . He hath chosen vs to the praise of his glorious grace . The glory of God is the supreme end of all things , therefore of election . And if we be commanded to make it the scope of all our actions , wee need not doubt but that God doth aime at it in all his . The second end of Election is , that we should bee holy and blamelesse before God. Augustine saith well ; He chose vs not because we were then holy , neither yet because wee would hereafter prooue holy : but he rather chose vs to this end , that in the time of grace we might be holy through good works . The third end , is the saluation and glory of the Elect. Therefore they are sayd to be Ordained to eternall life , and prepared vnto glorie , and chosen vnto saluation . We may not thinke that Election is the absolute wil of God without any end . It were impietie to attribute such a will to God , as hath no scope or end proposed to it . For if nature doe nothing in vaine , or to no end and purpose , much lesse doth God. The effects of Election are the meditation of Christ , adoption , vocation , sauing faith , iustification and glorification , which comprehendeth two things : first regeneration or sanctification : in which is conteined perpetuall repentance ( that is , auersion from all euill , and conuersion vnto God ) loue , righteousnesse , the hatred of sinne , the study of good workes , calling vpon God , true humilitie , a desire to see Christ , constancie in professing the true faith to the last gaspe . For Gods Election is the roote of all the gifts of God in vs : and the foundation of all his sauing benefits . Secondly , glorification comprehendeth in it the complement and fruition of all glory in the life to come : that is , of all holines and happinesse with the Lord foreuer . The Subiect of Election is double . The first , is the subiect in whom we are elected . This subiect is Christ : Hee hath chosen vs in him , saith Paul. Now we are not elected in Christ , as hee is God , or the Word simply so considered . For in this respect he is our Elector , as he saith himselfe , I know whom I haue chosen . Neither are wee elected in him , as a meere man. For a meere man was not fit for vs to bee elected in . But we are elected in him , as he is God-man , our Head and eternall Mediator , in whom God hath placed all spirituall blessings , which hee would communicate to vs in his good time . And wee are elected in Christ , because we were not capable in ourselues of so great excellencie . He only ( as Polanus truely teacheth ) is the fit meane , in whom we were elected , considering that by election , there is made an vnion and coniunction of vs with God the electour . Caluin alleaging that speech of Paul , ( He hath chosen vs in Christ ) saith that it is all one , as if he had said that God , because he found nothing wor●hie of his election in all the seed of Adam , did therefore turne his eies vnto his Christ , that hee might elect members as it were out of his bodie , whom hee would take vnto the fellowship of life . It were therefore very absurd to dream of any election out of him ; hee being the foundation of the execution of Election in respect of the beginning , meanes and end . The other subiect , is the Obiect of Election , or the persons that are elected . And these are not all the sonnes of Adam , without exception of any . For first , hee that taketh all and refuseth none , cannot properly be said to chuse . For election supposeth a reiection . He which makes a choice , refuseth some . Secondly , whom God electeth , hee doth also glorifie . But all are not glorified : therefore all are not elected . Thirdly , sauing faith is peculiar to the Elect , and not common to all , and is a true effect of Gods election . Now many being destitute of true faith for euer , it must needs bee that they are also out of Gods election . Fourthly , the Scripture shewes that some are elected , and some refused , Rom , 11.7 . The Elect haue obtained it , but the rest are blinded . God hath made the wicked for the day of euill . Gregory saith well : Deus miro mod● , God being the creator of all alike , hath admirablie fore-elected some , and forsaken others . Now why God electeth not all ( Ne quaeramus scrupulosius , si errare nolumus , Aug. ) If we would not erre , wee must not be too curious in enquiring . Aquinas saith truely , God hath no reason but his will , why he should elect some to glory and cast away others . Neither doth God offer the lest iniury , though he doe not chuse all , because he is not tyed to chuse any . His Lordship is ouer all , his authoritie is absolute , he may doe with his owne what he will. Who can hinder him ? Wee are all to him as clay in the hand of the Potter . Hee will haue mercie on whom hee will , and whom hee will hee hardeneth . The rich man of a rout of beggars sets his loue on one , and passeth by the rest without wronging any . A man entertaines one into his house , and passeth by many other without any iniury done vnto them ; and shall we thinke that God may not lawfully chuse or refuse whome he pleaseth ? God ( saith M. Green-ham ) is debtour to none , and therefore sheweth mercie to whom he will. Wee may assure our selues that his reasons are most iust , though vnknowen to vs. For the depth of his counsels cannot be sounded . Therefore Gregorie saith well ; Let no man desire to search out the cause why one is elected , when another is repelled , because his iudgements are vnsearcheable , and his waies past finding out . Seing then all men are not elect men , let vs see who are the elect , and what their number is . For the first , whosoeuer is , or shall bee saued , the same is vndoubtedly elected . For both these propositions are infallibly true . 1. Whosoeuer is elected shall be saued . 2. And whosoeuer is or shall be saued , is elected . Now these are vndoubted Notes of saluation . First , to esteeme the word of GOD more then our appointed food , Iob 23 12. And to couer to be fed with it , that we may grow therby . 1. Pet. 2.2 . Secondly , to be swift to heare , slow to speake , and slow to wrath , laying apart all maliciousnesse , and the excrements of sinne , and receiuing with meekenesse the word that is grafted into vs , that it may saue our soules . Iam. 1.21 . Thirdly , to meditate in the word night and day , and to alienate our selues from the counsels and wayes of the wicked . Psal . 1.1.2 . Fourthly to walke vprightly before God , and to be of a pure and sincere spirit . For blessed are those that are vpright in their way . Psal . 119.1 . And blessed are the pure in spirit , for they shall see God. And this sinceritie and puritie of heart may bee discerned by these two notes . First when wee haue respect vnto all the commandements of God , labouring to know them if wee doe not : and if wee doe , to doe after them according to the measure of grace wee haue receiued . Secondly , if we be desirous and labour to vse all and euery one of those meanes , which God hath ordained in his word , to bring vs vnto puritie of heart : and if in doing these things , we simply and singly seeke to approoue our selues vnto God , without either looking for praise or profit , rebuke or losse from men , and when wee seeke not chiefly these outward things at Gods hands , Greenham . The second thing to bee considered , is the number of the elect , concerning which , these 3 , conclusions are worthy to be weighed . First , that the elect , considered apart simply by themselues , are exceeding many , constituting the whole Church of God , which is the mysticall body of Christ . Many shall come ( saith Christ ) from the East and West and shall sit downe with Abraham , Isaac , and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen . Paul saith that by the obedience of Christ Many shall be mad righteous . Iohn saith he saw an Innumerable Multitude of all nations and tongues , which stood before the Lambe , clothed with long white robes , and palmes in their handes . Augustine saith , ( Electorum quidam quasi ●●ndus est ) that there is as it were a certaine world of the Elect. And Ambrose saith that there is in the Elect 〈◊〉 fore-knowne ( Specialis quaedam vniuersitas ) à speciall kinde of vniuersalitie , ( vt de toto mundo totus mundus ) That the whole World out of the whole world , and all men from all men seeme to be taken vnto life . So then we say that the number of Gods elect considered by themselues alone is great . Secondly , the Elect in comparison of the Reprobate and damned are but few . For straite is the way of life , and few there be that finde it . And many ( saith Christ ) are called , but fewe are chosen . Christs Flocke is but a little flocke . And Paul out of Esay saith , that though the number of the children of Israel were at the sand of the sea ( as indeed they were ) yet shall but a remnant be saued . Which point must bee well considered , because some haue imagined that God hath elected all . But if this were true , then either all should be saued , or else God is changeable , and doth alter his purpose of himselfe : or els is ouercome and drawne to change it by some other , which things cannot but offend a iudicious and godly eare . Thirdly , the number of the Elect is certaine and defined . God knowes them all , and they can neither bee diminished nor increased . It is truely said of Trelcatius , Electorum & reproborum numerus & numeratus certus est , qua●uis vterque nobis non certo compertus . The number of the Elect is certaine , both how manie they are , and who they are , although it bee not certainely knowen to vs. God knowes them and their number , though man doe not . This was also the iudgement of Augustine , who speaketh thus ; These things I speake of them , who are predestinated vnto the kingdom of God ( Quorum it a certus est numerus , vt nec addatur eis quisquam , nec minuatur ex eis ) Whose number is so certaine , that neither any can be added to them , nor taken from them . Hauing now spoken of the persons that are elected , it will not bee amisse briefly to set downe their prerogatiues , which no reprobate can partake of . First , God knowes them , and approues and loues them . Now if the grace of earthly Princes be in so great request , what price can be set of his loue , who is the Prince of all Princes , and the grand Commander of all the world ? Secondly , a liuely and true sauing faith pertaines to them onely : and therefore Paul calles it the faith of the elect ; & the scripture saith , that so many as were , ordained to eternal life beleeued . Caluin saith that faith is a singular pledge of Gods fatherly loue , layed vp in store for those his sonnes , whom he hath adopted . And this gift is very excellent . For by Faith we liue , by Faith wee walke , by Faith wee are iustified and our heartes purified , by it wee vanquish the world , and without it , it is vnpossible to please God. Thirdly , effectuall vocation and conuersion vnto God belongs not to the Reprobate , but to them , Whom 〈◊〉 hath fore-knowen and predestinated , them he calleth . Fourthly , the redemption from sinne and miserie , and the righteousnesse which is by Christ is theirs , and theirs alone , Is . 53.6 , 12. 1. Cor. 1 30 Gregorie saith well ; Pro electorum vit● vsque admortem se tradidit author vitae : The Lord of life laied downe his life , that they might liue , which were elected vnto life . And Angelome , saith ; Quae est gens in terra alia what other people is there in the earth ( praeter populum electum ) besides the elect : for which God , the sonne of God , vouchsafed to come into this world as into Egypt , that taking vppon him the shape of a seruant , he might redeeme vnto himselfe with his blood an acceptable people studious of good workes . Fiftly , they onely are adorned with the speciall graces of the spirit : they onely are sanctified and renewed . Isidore saith ; Spirituall grace is not distributed vnto all ( sed tantummodo electis donatur ) but is giuen to the elect onely . Nature ( saith Augustine ) is common to all men , but not grace . Sixtly , saluation belongs to none but to them . Rom. 11.7 . What then ? Israel hath not attained that he sought : but the Election ( that is the Elect ) hath obtained it , and the rest haue been hardened . Faith in Christ is theirs onely : and he that beleeueth in him shall be saued , but he that will not shall be damned . As the Elect are the onely true members of the Church militant : so they shall be the onely members of the Church triumphant . Therefore wee may boldly say with the Psalmist ; Blessed is that Nation , whose God is Iehouah , euen the people , that he hath chosen for his inheritance . Blessed is the man whom thou chusest and causest to come vnto thee . Seuenthly , none of the Elect shall be whollie seduced , nor vtterly decline and perish . For Christ takes it for granted that the Elect cannot be seduced , and saith concerning his sheepe ; I giue vnto them eternall life , and they shall neuer perish , neither shall any plucke them out of mine hand . And the Lord hath promised to stand by them , and to put his feare into their hearts , that they shall not depart from him . Surely ( saith the Psalmist ) the Lord will not faile his people , nor forsake his inheritance . Gregorie saith that temtation doth hide the light of righteousnesse in the heart of the elect oftentimes ( sed non interimit ) but puts it not out , and makes it pale & quiuer ( sed funditus nō extinguis ) but doth not extinguish it altogether . Saint Augustine saith well ; Peters faith failed not in his heart , when open confession with the mouth failed him . Eightly , God doth cause his Angels to protect and guard them : The Angel of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him , and deliuereth them . And as Paul speaketh , they are ministring spirits , sent foorth to minister all for their sakes , which shal be heirs of saluation . Augustine saith , This also I esteeme a very great benefit , in that the Lord hath giuen me an angel of peace to keepe me from my birth to my death . Ninthly , God shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet , and they shall gather together his Elect from the foure windes , and from the one end of the heauens vnto the other . Christ also when he comes to iudgement , will set them on his right hand , and say ; Come yee blessed of my father , take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world . But hee will place the Reprobate on his left hand , and pronounce vnto them the dolefull sentence of condemnation , saying ; Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire , which is prepared for the Deuill and his Angels . Tenthly , the Elect shall iudge the Reprobate . Know ye not ( saith Paul ) that the Saintes shall iudge the world ? Know ye not that wee shall iudge the Angels ? Their faith and pietie shall condemne the wicked , and bereaue them of excuse : and as the Iustices sit about the Iudge ▪ at the As●ses , so shall the Elect attend vppon CHRIST at the last iudgement , and shall subscribe vnto his sentence , and applaud his proceedings . Moreouer , all men , but especially all ministers ought to indure all things for their sakes . I suffer all things ( saith Paul ) for the Elects sake , that they might also obtaine the saluatiō , which is in Christ Iesus with eternall glorie . Againe , God will auenge his Elect , though he seeme slow in reuenging those wrongs , that are done vnto them : For they that touch them , doe touch the apple of his eie . Furthermore , God for the loue he beareth to his Elect , hee will shorten the dayes of crueltie and calamitie . For the Elects sake ( saith Christ ) which hee hath chosen , hee hath shortned those daies of tribulation . Moreouer , the Elect fight with the Lambe , against Antichrist and his kingdome , which shall by the Lambe be ouercome . For he is Lord of Lords , and King of Kings : and they that are on his side , are called , and chosen , and faithfull . Besides , the Elect need not dread death and damnation . For as the Apostle speaketh , Who shall laie any thing to the charge of Gods Elect ? It is God that iustifieth who shal condemne ? Finally , the Elect may bee assured in this life of their eternall election vnto life : Therfore Peter exhorts vs to make our Election sure : and the holy Ghost sets downe the notes of those , that are the true members of the Church , and shal rest vpon Gods mountaine . Now this certaintie may bee had two wayes . First , by the inward testimonie of Gods spirit , which giues testimonie to our spirit , that wee are the sonnes of God. Secondly , be the effects of election ( as are the fruits of the spirit mentioned by Paul ) which God appropriateth vnto his Elect , and which are as a ladder , by which we may assend as it were vp into heauen , & easily discerne if we bee elected . Because ( as one well saith ) Election includeth the means ▪ therefore we must determine of it by the meanes . The Apostle saith , that whom God foreknew , he did also predestinate to bee like to the image of his sonne , and doth call , iustifie , and glorifie them . Therefore by conuersion we may hence inferre that those are elected , whom he doth conforme vnto his sonne , and effectually call , iustifie and regenerate ; these being necessarie meanes , by which God doth accomplish his eternall election . Now this prerogatiue is the greater , and more to bee respected , for these reasons . First , because the Elect may haue better assurance of his election to saluation , then anie man can haue of the things hee holdeth in this life by seale , writing , witnes , or any other way , that Law can deuise or prescribe . Secondly , the longer wee liue , the better we may be assured : the longer this assurance is inioyed , the stronger we may finde it . Thirdly , this certentie doth beger exceeding ioy . For what can raise the like ioy in our hearts , as this , that wee know that we shall see the good pleasures of the Lord in the land of the liuing , and shall haue an house not made with handes , but eternall in the heauens ? And what greater ioy can any man desire to enioy , then to be assured that he is elected to eternal ioy ? Fourthly , this assurance is the more excellent , considering the woe of the Reprobates which want it , and the wearisome sights and inexplicable terrors of such as are swallowed vp of dispaire . Fiftly , this priuiledge is the more to be accounted of , because we may enioy it dayly through our life , and for that the longer we be partakers of it , the sweeter it is vnto vs. Lastly , this assurance is an infallible argument of true faith , by which wee come to Christ , we approch to the Father , and hasten to heauen . For faith is an enemie to doubting and incredulitie , and is an vndoubted certenty or perswasion . Thus much concerning the subiects of Election . It remaineth yet to speak of the properties and signes thereof , and thence wee passe to the accomplishent of it . The properties of it , are especially three . First it is most free , without all obligation , conpulsion , externall instigation , or preuision of future preparations , merits , faith . For hath not the Potter libertie ouer his clay , to make of the same lumpe , one a vessell vnto honour , and another a vessell to dishonour ? Who can compell the Almightie ? Or what is before his will ? Why did he make no more worldes then one ? Why did he make choise of the Israelites aboue all nations ? Why made he no more kindes of creatures , or set no more Sunnes to shine in the heauens ? Who art thou , that thou darest dispute with God ? The will of God ( saith Austen ) is the cause of all things that are . And Hugo saith that of Gods will , which is the cause of all things , there is no cause . Deus est liberrimum agens . God is a most free Agent , and doth whatsoeuer he will. Therefore Aquinas saith well ▪ that the difference betwixt the saued and the damned , proceedes from the principall intentions of the first Agent . Secondly , the decree of Election is from all eternitie , not onely before we did beleeue , but before wee were . Gods Election and reprobation was past vpon Iacob and Esa● before they were borne , and ere they had done good or euill . And the Apostle teacheth , that God did chuse vs before the foundation of the world . Sedulius ▪ saith that God purposed with himselfe ( ante omnia mundi tempora ) before the beginning of the world to saue those that beleeue . In like manner also S. Austen saith ; He fore-knew vs before he made vs , and elected vs in his fore-knowledge ( Cum n●ndum fecisset ) when yet he had not made vs. And againe ; intra mundum facti sumus , & ante mundum electi sumus : wee were made after the world , but wee were elected before the world . For ( as one saith well ) like as Dauid was annointed and appointed to be king , long before he entred to his kingdome : and as Moses was designed to be the deliuerer of Israel , forty yeeres before he exercised his office : so the Elect of God , were long agoe ordained to saluation , though the accomplishment thereof they must expect with patience . Thirdly , the election of God is constant , perpetuall , immutable , and inuiolable . For the principles and first grounds of things , are stable and vnmoueable : and that which is contingent , mutable , and vncertaine is therefore barred from being an originall or ground . Now the decree of election is the foundation and scaturidge of saluation ; therefore it is certaine , stedfast and vnchangeable . Secondly , God the author of Election is an immutable , vnresistable and constant Agent , or Architecht , and doth seriously and effectually separate and elect some men vnto himselfe , & therfore his decree cannot but bee fulfilled . Thirdly the Scripture is euident in auouching this truth . My counsell ( saith the Lord ) shall stand . The foundation of God ( saith Paul ) remaineth sure . The decree of Election is called a foundation for two causes . First , because it is the beginning and well-spring of our saluation , and of all the meanes tending to saluation . Secondly it is so termed , for the surenesse and firmnesse of it , because the same is neuer shaken , but remaines immutable . For euery foundation hath this necessarie condition , that it bee strong and steddy , so as that the rest of the building may stay vpon it surely , and not be remoued . And such a firme foundation is Gods election . For whosoeuer are elected , shall still remaine elected , and shall neuer bee reiected . This is my fathers will ( saith Christ ) that of all which he hath giuen me I should loose nothing . Those whom he loued euer , hee loueth for euer . Firmissime tene : Hold ( saith S. Augustine ) most assuredly , and nothing doubt at all ( Neque perire posse aliquem ) that neither any of those can perish , whom God hath predestinated vnto the kingdome of heauen , nor that any of those can by any meanes come , whom he hath not predestinated vnto life . Now if none of the Elect can perish , then Gods election remaineth constant . So much for the properties : the Signes of Election are many . First , the loue of God is the ground of election . And Gods loue is best knowne by his best gifts ; the best things hee reserueth for those whom he best loueth . As Ioseph sent vnto Beniamin more messes of meate , and gaue him richer giftes , and more costly suites of apparell , then to the rest of his brethren : so the Lord bestoweth the best gifts vpon his owne children . Now the graces of regeration , the spirituall gifts of faith , hope , and loue , are without all comparison the most principall . Therefore he that hath faith , hope and loue , may assure himselfe of Gods loue , and that hee is ( in electorum albo ) in the ranke and roll of Gods elect ; these being infallible tokens , and vndoubted effects of Election , and fore-runners of eternall life . Secondly , there is ( as one hath excellently deliuered ) a knowledge in God , whereby he knowes who are his : and this knowledge brings foorth an other knowledge in vs , whereby wee know God for our God. There is an election in God , which works in the Elect another election , wherby they chuse God for their God. The loue whereby God loueth vs , workes in vs another loue , wherby we loue God. Christ first apprehends vs , & this apprehension of his , works in vs the apprehēsion of faith , wherby we lay hold vpon him . Hoec ille . If these things therefore be in vs , we may conclude infallibly that we are the elect of God. For they are the fruits of his loue & the works of his spirit , & therfore irrefragable testimonies and tokens of Election . The sun by his light shines vpon vs , and by the same light we view and behold the sunne . To conclude ; these also are sure signes of Election , which I will set downe as I finde them in the workes of that zealous Preacher . 1. A rebuking of sinne inwardly , a pouertie of spirit from thence , and a mourning therefore . 2. A being cast downe in our owne conceit , and a meeknesse wrought therby to beare our punishment . 3. An hungring after the righteousnesse , which is in Christ , and a prizing of it aboue all earthly things . 4. A musing vpon ▪ and a desire to thinke and speake of heauenly things . 5 A conflict of the flesh and spirit , & therein by practise , the power of the spirit getting the vpper hand . 6. A purpose vnfeined ( vpon strength receiued ) of vowing ones selfe wholly to the glory of God , and good of our brethren . 7 A resignation of our selues into Gods handes . 8 An expecting of the dayly increase of our soules health , and our bodyes resurrection . 9. An acknowledgement of our offences , with a true purpose to leaue them . 10 The forgiuing of our enemies , and a delight in Gods saints . 11. A desire that after death the Church of God may florish and haue all peace . 12. A spirit without guile : that is , an vnfeined purpose alwayes to doe well , howsoeuer our infirmities put vs by it . Now though a man shall not find all these things alwayes in him , there is yet matter of true comfort , if hee finde any : It is sufficient to prooue it true fire , and not painted if there bee smoke or heate onely , though no flame : If there be but breath , it is ynough to shew life , though the body stirre not , and one Apple is sufficient to prooue the tree to liue : so one good and constant motion or resolution of grace , is sufficient to prooue a mans election vnto glory . By this wee may know that wee belong to God , if we finde any impression of the grace of God in vs. But if all these signes be wanting , yet wee may not dispaire , but commend our selues to the grace of God , and vse the meanes of saluation . For a man may be elected , though for a time he liue vnconuerted , and in his sinnes , as wee see by the examples of Paul , and of the thiefe vpon the Crosse . Though this be true , that Whosoeuer is conuerted is elected : yet this is not true , that Whosoeuer is not conuerted , the same is not Elected . Because the Elect may be for a time aliants from God & vnregenerated , as were the Ephesians , Corinthians , Colossiās : yea al mē are such by nature . Hauing thus described Election , I proceed to the accomplishment , or execution of it . CHAP. III. What the execution of Election is . Foure Arguments to prooue the ordination of the meanes : These meanes are common or speciall . Of the former there be two . And of the latter two . THE Execution of Election , is the dispo●●tion , vsing and application of all secondarie causes or means , by which as by certaine degrees or steps , God doth accomplish his decree , and come to the end of it . For wee must know , that as God doth ordaine the end , so he doth subordaine and apply the meanes , which tend vnto the end . This the Lord sheweth by that speech in Hoseah ; I wil heare the heauens and they shall heare the earth , and the earth shall heare the corne , ●he wine and the oyle , and they shall heare Israel . Euen so , as God hath by his election appointed certaine persons to saluation : he doth likewise appoint and apply the meanes , and makes them walke in the way , which leades to saluation . The trueth of this assertion is euident , by these 4. reasons following First , none of the yeeres of vnderstanding were euer saued without the regeneration of the Spirit , without faith in Christ , without repentance towards God , without loue to the Saintes , and finall perseuerance ; for these things are euery where vrged in the Scriptures : therefore the Elect were predestinated vnto these means , by which they might come vnto eternall life , which is their end . Secondly , God threatens eternall destruction to the wicked and vnbeleeuers , but promiseth eternall happinesse to all penetent , faithfull , righteous and godly men , which perseue in pietie vnto the end : therefore b● these meanes of Predestination the Elect doe clime vp to heauen and attaine to life . Thirdly , the Apostle doth expresly place effectuall vocation and iustification , betwixt predestination and glorification as the fore-runners and antecedents of it . Fourthly , the very word Predestination , doth teach as much . For predestination is not onely the preparation , constitution , and ordination of the end , but of the meanes also , which tend vnto the end . Predestination ( saith Augustine ) is the preparation of the benefit of God , by which those are most certainely deliuered , who are deliuered . And Aquinas saith , that three things are of be considered in predestination ; the Destination of the counsell , the execution of the same , and the meanes ( causas medias ) of the execution . These two principles are therefore to be remembred . First , that Whosoeuer are elected to eternall life as to the end , the same are also elected and ordained to the meanes of that end . Secondly , that the First cause doth not abolish or take away the second . Thus wee haue shewed , that God doth execute his decree of Election by meanes , and that the meanes and the end are inseparably conioyned . These Meanes are of two sorts . Some are such as serue for the execution of the decree , both of Election and Reprobation indifferently . Others serue onely for the Execution of Election , by which the Elect are distinguished from the Reprobate . Those common meanes are two ; the creation of man , and the permission of his fall , or his fall permitted . The Creation of man is the forming of man , according to the image of God , but yet in a changeable condition . Here we must remember these 2. things . First , that God created the substance of soule and body , and that he gaue them certaine faculties & powers , and that withall there was placed in them true righteousnes , knowledge & holines without any prauitie , distēper , or iniquitie . But yet ( as Cyrill truly speaketh ) Our father Adam was of a mutable disposition , and had by nature habilitie to loue iustice and hate iniquitie , and contrariwise to embrace iniquitie and to refuse iustice . For God properly and by himselfe is constant and immutable : and if any thing else continue constant it is through him , who is bound to none , but will doe whatsoeuer hee will. A Gold-smith makes a costly Iewell , beset with pearles and precious stones , and voyd of all deformitie , but yet so makes it , that if it fall , it may be crackt and broken : so God made man most perfect , and garnished his nature with excellent graces , and gaue him power to continue in the same perfection if hee would : yet did he not make him so vnchangeable but that hee might both fall , and by falling breake and loose his excellencie , as the euent declareth . Secondly , we must know that Adam was no priuate person , but represented all mankinde . And therefore we stood and fell with him . For hee was the root and we are his branches : he was the spring , and we the streams : he was as the head , and wee are as the members . As the King , his Nobles , Knights and Burgesses doe represent the whole realme in the Parliament : euen so did Adam represent the person of his whole posteritie . Whatsoeuer he receiued of God , he receiued it for himselfe and for all his progeny : and what he lost , he likewise lost for himselfe and for them all ; as wee see a man by high treason doth taint his blood , and disgrace his posteritie . Iustine saith : By sinning Adam made his posteritie obnoxious vnto death , & made them ( vniuerso ) All guiltie of his first offence . The Lord ( saith Gregorie ) did so make Adam , as that he might procreate children without sinne , if hee continued in the obedience of his Creator : but because the soule of man refused to obey her Lord , the procreation of children is in sinne . Wee see now that Creation is a meane of the execution of Gods election . For a man must first be , before he can be saued . Yet it is no speciall , or peculiar meanes . For all that are created shall not be saued , some shall be damned . All men ( saith Prosper ) are of God created : but of this vniuersalitie ( or companie ) some are to bee damned with the Diuell : others shall raigne with Christ . The Permission of the fall is that , whereby God suffred Adam and his sonnes to reuolt , & fall into sinne , and did not hinder the fall , which he could haue done , if it had so pleased him , But hee would not hinder it , because such was his pleasure for certaine causes best knowne vnto himselfe . In the meane , let no man thinke that God was iniurious . For 1. he was not indebted to vs to confirme vs by his grace ▪ & to keepe vs from declining . 2. this fall was by God permitted , for the greater benefit of all his Elect. For their glory procured by Christ ( which had neuer been , if man had neuer fallen ) doth farre surpasse the glorie , which was giuen them in their creation . Great are the euils ( saith Gregorie ) which wee suffer by reason of that first offence : but what faithfull man would not indure greater , rather then want so great a Redeemer ? Thirdly , though God ( not bound to let ) did permit this fall , yet it is not to be ascribed vnto him , as to the cause thereof . For hee did not incline his heart to sinne : hee did not infuse the least corruption into his soule : neither did hee with-draw any grace before inspired into him : but hee fell by his free-will , through his owne default , at the perswasion and suggestion of the Diuell . Tertullian saith truely ; As God brought man into the state of life : so man brought himselfe into the state of death . The beginning and root of sinne is in our selues , saith Basil . It cannot be ( saith Austen ) that hee which raiseth vs from sinne , should make vs fall into sinne . Thou art not a God ( saith Dauid ) that loueth wickednes : neither shal euil dwel with thee Man therefore ( as Fulgentius saith ) hath the cause of his iniquitie in his owne proper will , & not frō Gods predestination . If any man decline from iustice and pietie , he runnes head-long of his owne will , hee is drawne by his owne concupiscence , he is beguiled through his perswasion : Nihil i●i Pater : the father hath no oare in this boat , the Sonne is no agent of this sinne , the holy Ghost is no worker of this wickednesse . And though we should say , that God willed that reuolt ; yet we must know that God did not will it ( positiue ) so as to produce , effect , or giue being to it : but ( negatiuè & desere●do ) because his will was to leaue Adam to himselfe , and not to preserue him from reuolting , that he might bee prooued by temptation , and that it might appeare what the creature is able to doe , when the Creator shall with-draw the staffe of his grace , and cease to support . Therefore we conclude with Clemens , That the fault of mans chusing of that which was forbidden , is not to be transferred ( or ascribed ) vnto God. Thus we see the second meanes of the Execution of Election , Which is a very necessary meane . For if a man had not fallen , then had there been no place for vocation , iustification by Christ , and sanctification by the Spirit . But though this meane is necessarie , yet it is not appropriated to Election ▪ because then all that fell , should be restored . But as Ambrose saith : Liberatur par● hominum , parte pereunte : as some are deliuered , so some are destroyed . The wicked ( saith Iob ) are kept vnto the day of destruction . The righteous onely shall be saued . CHAP. IIII. What effectuall Calling is ? the parts causes , effects , subiects , place , time , maner , properties and signes of it , are declared . THvs much concerning the common meanes , seruing for the execution of Gods Election . The speciall are these three , Effectuall Voca●ion , Iustification , and Glorification ; that is , ( as Trelcarius saith ) The gracious beginning , proceeding , and the glorious accomplishing and consummation of the blessings of God. For the first : Effectuall vocation ( or calling ) is an action of God translating men from the kingdom of darkenesse to his owne Kingdome . And it is two-folde● Extraordinary , and Ordinary . Extraordinary vocation , is an immediate and speciall worke of the Spirit , whereby without outward meanes hee smiteth the heart , and inwardly speaketh to the soule , and by the infusion of grace doth make the heart to answere his call , and drawe neere vnto him . This calling without the ministerie of the word , is very rare and vnusuall . But the Lord , that is aboue meanes , is not tyed to meanes , but can worke without meanes , when it pleaseth his Maiestie so to doe . Effectuall vocation , which is ordinary , is that , Whereby God calleth out of darkenesse into his marueilous light , from the power of Sathan vnto God , those whom he knew from eternitie , and predestinated vnto life , of his meere fauour , by the promulgation of the couenant of grace , or preaching of the Gospell . Or ; It is , when grace is not onely offered , but giuen also by God through the effectuall working of his Spirit in our heartes : which is the beginning of grace in vs , hee himselfe laying the first foundation of it , by giuing power to receiue the word , to mingle it with faith , and to bring foorth the fruites of new obedience , This ordinary effectuall calling hath two parts ; Inuitement and Admission . Inuitement , is when God offers remission of sinnes , and life euerlasting to them that beleeue : Outwardly , by the preaching of the Gospell : Inwardly , by the inspiration of heauenly desires . Admission is , when men are entred into the kingdome of grace : and it is either outward , or inward . Outward admission is made in Baptisme . Inward admission is , when men are taken out of old Adam , and by faith ingraffed in to Christ ; . For by this insition into Christ , men are made reall members of Gods kingdome : Haec ille . For the better conceiuing and vnderstanding of this Calling , these points ensuing are worthy our consideration . The efficient cause of effectuall Calling is Almightie God. By him we are called vnto the fellowship of his Sonne . He hath called vs vvith an holy calling . Yee are ( saith Peter ) a chosen generation , that ye should shew foorth his vertues that hath called you . And againe , As hee which hath called you , is holy , that is , God : so Iude 1. But here we must beware that wee doe not separate the persons . For it is a worke common to the Trinitie . One saith well : God the Father ( doth call vs ) in Christ by the Spirit : for he is absolute Lord of all his Creatures , and therefore he may call out of the kingdome of darkenesse into his owne kingdome whom he will. His instruments are the Ministers of the word , and therefore are called Conorkers , Fathers , Sauiours . His ordinary outward meanes , is the preaching of the Gospell . Hee hath called you by our Gospell , saith Paul. The Law serues to prepare the heart for grace : but it is the oyly drops of the Gospell , that by the power of the Spirit doe soften the heart and make it supple and pliable : it like Balme doeth reuiue and comfort the heart . The Gospell is the power of God ( that is the instrument of Gods power ) to saluation to all that beleeue . Afflictions also , losses , cros●es , sicknesse , good examples , and the like , are by Gods blessing good preparatiues of grace : but the preaching of the Gospell is the proper instrument of the Spirit , for the effecting of grace . By it , God speakes to the eare of the soule , and by it as by a Pipe , hee conueyes his graces into the cisterne of our hearts . Now GOD , when hee calles a man , performes a double worke of grace . First , he doth illuminate vs by his holy Spirit , infusing a new and heauenly light into our minde , being so blind before , as that it , neither saw , nor could see the things which doe belong to the spirit of God. The naturall man ( saith Paul ) perceiueth not the things of the Spirit of God , for they are foolishnesse vnto him , neither can he know them . In like manner also in the will , which is altogether peruerse , and wholly fallen from God , he worketh an vprightnesse , and in all the affections a new holinesse . Hence proceeds that new man , which is created after God in righteousnesse , and true holinesse . Secondly , he causeth vs being enlightned and thus changed , to apprehend his mercy , to desire and affect our amendement , and to answere vnto his call , like Dauid : VVhen thou saidst Seeke yee my face , mixe heart answered vnto thee , O Lord , I will seeke thy face . When God had pierced Dauids eare with the augur of his Spirit , he answered , Lo , I come . The primary cause , or the foundation of this vocation is the free grace of God. For this Vocation is of gift , and not of merit : of Grace , and not of Nature , God calling whom he will , and againe , whom he will , either not calling , or not calling them effectually . The Apostle saith , that hee hath called vs with an holy calling , not according to our works , b●t according to his own purpose & grace . The meritorious cause of this effectuall Calling , is the merits of Christ . For Christ hath merited in our behalfe that the Holy Ghost should bee sent into vs , to illuminate and adorne our hearts with his graces . The matter whereof this Vocation doth consist , is a speciall , powerfull and inward worke of the Spirit . The forme , and ( as it were ) the life and soule thereof , is the illumination and information of the mind , and an efficatious bending , conforming and working of the heart & wil , whereby it becomes obedient to the voice of God , and returnes ( as it were ) an audible and liuely Eccho into his eare . The end is double : first , the glory of God , and the commendation of his mercie , to whom we must ascribe both grace and nature , and of whom we haue receiued our soules and bodies , yea , and the very soule of our soules , which is his Spirit . The second end of this vocation is our deliuerance and translation out of ignorance , infidelitie , sensualitie and rebellion , vnto spirituall grace and glory . For we are called out of darknesse into light , that we might walke in light , and no longer serue the Prince of darknesse . We are called out of the world , vnto God : to the end that wee should relinquish the lusts of the world and serue God , that walking vprightly before him in this world , wee may reigne ( like Princes ) with him in the world to come . The effects and fruites of this Calling are ; a reformed iudgement , a fleshy heart , a yeelding vnto the Lord , a s●ight from the works of darknesse , an attentiue and hungry eare , a spirituall relishing and receiuing of the solacious and sweete promises of the Gospel . When a skilfull Musitian hath once strung , tuned , and strucke his instrument , it sends out many pleasant and sweet soundes : so when the Lord hath once breathed his Spirit of life in at the nostrils of our soules : when he hath once tuned the strings of our sinfull hearts , and hath toucht them with the finger of his spirit , he makes them send forth many delectable and harmonious sounds , wherein he takes delight . When Christ had cried to Lazarus , being dead , and said , Lazarus Come foorth ! He forthwith reuiued , and came foorth of the graue . So when Peter had said to dead Tabitha ; Tabitha arise ! She opened her eies immediatly , and sate vp . Euen so , when he shall vouchsafe to call a man with his powerfull voice , and shal effectually speake vnto the heart and say , Arise thou that sleepest in thy sinne , come foorth of the graue of iniquitie , stand vp , and walke in the wayes of righteousnes . his call is so mightie , and his word so powerfull and vnuanquishable , that the man to whom hee doth so speake , must needs awake , arise , come foorth and walke . The voice of the Lord ( saith Dauid ) is mightie : the voice of the Lord breaketh the Cedars : it deuideth the flames of fire : it maketh the Wildernesse to tremble , and discouereth the Forrests . These are the effects of that voice . In like maner , the voice which God speaketh to the eare of the soule in his effectuall Vocation , is so mightie and so glorious , as that it rendeth the heart and makes it tremble , it discouereth the soule and diuides in twaine , and peirceth into the most secret places of it . And looke as at the sound of the seauen Trumpets the wall of Iericho fell flat downe : and as at that efficatious voyce of Christ , saying I am he , his enemies that came to apprehend him , went away back-ward and fell to the ground : euen so when Gods voice shall sound in a mans eare , and when Christ shall speake effectually vnto the heart , the walles of hell shall reele and totter , the fortresses of iniquitie shall be ruinated , the castles of sinne shall be cast downe , our spirituall enemies shall bee driuen backeward , the strong man Satan shall bee fettered , and his cursed workes dissolued . These are the admirable effects of this glorious voyce : these are the worthy workes of Gods effectuall Calling . We may therefore iustly say ; The voyce of the Lord is mightie , The voyce of the Lord is glorious and bringeth wonderfull things to passe . The subiects of this effectuall vocation , or the persons , that are effectually called , are not all of all sortes and fexes without exception of any , but the Elect of God. And therefore Paul saith that God hath called those , whome he did fore-know and predestinate . And Esay saith ; all thy children shall be taught of the Lord : hee saith not All without exception , but all the children of the church . As many ( saith Luke ) as were ordained vnto eternall life beleeued , that is , were called vnto the faith . Knowledge is not common to all . It is not giuen to All to vnderstand the mysteries of the kingdome : these things are hid from most of the wise of this world , & reuealed vnto babes . Now if knowledge be giuē to some , & not to others , then consequently faith . For they which haue not known cannot beleeue . And if all men do not beleeue , then all men are not called . For sauing faith is an indissoluble companion of effectuall vocation : and by faith wee answere Gods heauenly Calling . All that are effectually called , are also iustified : but we are iustified only by faith : therefore iustifying faith may not bee seuered from those that are so called . Now All men haue not faith therefore all men are not called . Furthermore , all that are called , shall bee saued , and shall perseuere vnto the ende in grace . Therefore Augustine saith , that to those that are predestinated to the kingdom of God ( as all , that are effectually called , are ) is giuen the gift of perseuerance , and that the Church on earth looseth none , but those that are wicked , and admitteth none into heauen , but such as are good . Now all men doe not perseuere , therefore all are not effectually called : all are not glorified , therefore all are not pertakers of this kinde of calling . Finally , God vouchsafes not an outward calling vnto all : all men haue not heard of the Gospel , and therefore it may seeme absurde , that God should vouchsafe an inward calling vnto All , seeing hee doth not vouchsafe an outward by the preaching of the Gospell . Yea ▪ this were to make grace as large as nature , or ( as Peter M●ryt● speaketh ) to turne grace into nature , if we should say , that God did effectually call all . We conclude therefore that the Elect are the onely Subiect● of this vocation . For ( as Ha●●o speaketh , the Lord hath not drawen nor doth draw all men to himselfe , but ( omnia electa ) all that are elect , both of all kindes and countries . And forsaking those ( as Beda writeth ) whom hee knoweth not for his owne , he turnes himselfe to visite and illustrate their hearts , whom hee hath predestinated to eternall life . In like manner Cameracensis truely saith , that he giues some gifts of speciall grace to one , which he giues not to another ; as faith , and the grace that makes a man gracious , and such as are the effectes of Praedestination : and such an one is effectuall Calling . The subiect , or place wherein this worke of the spirit is performed , is the heart and minde . For the Holy Ghost by this worke doth enlightē the mind to see , and incline , and mollifie the heart to yeeld , and to make answere to his call . The Termini or things from which , and vnto which we are called , are darknesse and light , vice and vertue , prophannesse and holinesse . For as Paul saith ; God hath not called vs vnto vncleannesse , but vnto holines : and hath deliuered vs out of the power of darknesse , and translated vs into the kingdome of his deare Sonne . And Peter likewise sheweth , that this our calling is from darkenesse vnto light . As by our outward calling wee are taught to relinquish the workes of darknesse , and to follow vertue and godlines ( for this the Gospell teacheth ) euen so by our inward and operatiue calling , we are by God instructed , and caused to abandon sinne , and to pull our neckes out of the Diuels yoke , and to disclaime his wayes , and on the contrarie to listen and yeeld to God , and to subiect our selues vnto his will. The things then from which God doth call vs , are Sinne , Sathan , and the World. For these are enemies to his glory , these coniure against his kingdome , these are enemies to our peace and welfare , & labour the downesull and destruction of our soules . The state whereunto we are called , is light , God himselfe , and that blessed condition of man in Christ . For this condition is most excellent and happy , replenished with much ioy , many comforts , and peace vnspeakeable . Wee are called to holinesse and grace , which are vndoubted forerunners of happinesse and glory . We are called to God , the father of lights , the fountaine of felicitie , the wel-spring of life , the giuer of all grace , in whose presence is the fulnesse of ioy : and at whose right hand there are pleasures for euermore . The time of this calling , is either generall , or particular . The generall time , is in this life before death . For after death there is no calling , neither outward nor inward . God offers and confers his grace in this life onely : this is the time of mercy : after this life there is nothing but the expectation and possession either of happinesse , or of misery without possibilitie of mutabilitie . The particular time of any mans caling is not reuealed , but layed vp in the secret counsell of God , in whose hands times and seasons are . Yet the extent of the time is large enough , thogh stinted , euē the time of this life : some the Sixt houre , some at the Ninth , and others at the Eleuenth . Dauid , Iohn Baptist , and Timothie were called yong ; Onesimus , the Ethiopian Eunuch , and S. Augustine were men growne , and the Thiefe was called vpon the Crosse , ready to die . Here further wee must vnderstand , that when God did first beginne this worke of grace , wee are no way A gents , being dead in sinnes , but meere Patients , God himselfe being the onely Agent before he hath reuiued vs by his spirit . When a man is dead , chafe him and r●bbe him , put Aquavitae into him to warme him at the heart : when this is done , take him by the hand , plucke him vp , and bid him walke : for all this be will not stir the least ioint , neither can he . All chafing and rubbing , all speech and perswasion , and all helpes in the world be in vaine , vnlesse the soule bee restored to the bodie . Euen so , no perswasions offered to the minde , nor good desires to the will are of any moment till the image of God standing in holinesse , which is a conformitie to the will of God , and the very soule of our soules , begin to be restord . First , God must illuminate the minde with a new light , and he must imprint in the will , a new qualitie or inclination , and in the heart new affections : and hee must giue to the will the act of wel-willing : and so a man being reuiued , and the wil being acted and mooued by God , who workes the will and the deed , it also acteth and moueth by his grace . And thus the will is not meerely passiue , but passiue and actiue also : first passiue , and then actiue . And herevpon it is , that Prosper saith ; That which is repaired in vs , is not repaired without vs. For when God doth call and conuert vs , after that hee hath quickened vs by his Spirit , hee doth make vs answere his call and desire to come and turne vnto him . So then by the way , let vs remember to magnifie the grace of God , and to say as Austen saith ; That I fell , it was of my selfe : but that I rose , it was of thee . Gregorie saith , that our good desires themselues are ministered vnto vs through the grace of God. Anshelmus saith : A te habeo defi●erare : a te habeo impetrare : That I doe desire , I haue it of thee : and that I doe obtaine , it is of thee . He ( saith Augustine ) worketh both to will and to worke , by ministring most effectuall power vnto the will. He preuenteth the vnwilling , that he may be willing , and pursues him that is willing , that he will not in vaine . And so much for the time of Vocatiō . The Properties thereof are foure . First , it is most free . For God calleth whom he pleaseth . Hee vouchsafeth grace to whom he listeth . We may not ( saith Aquinas ) inquire why he should conuert these , and not those : because this depends vpon his bare pleasure . Therefore Augustine vpon Iohn saith ; If thou woulst not erre , then doe not desire to determine wherefore he should draw this man , and not that . And againe he saith ; Of two wicked persons that are of yeeres , why the one is so called , as that he followeth the Caller , and the other either not called at all , or not so called , as that hee followeth him that calles him , his iudgements are vnsearchable . He calleth effectally whom he will : & he hardens whom he wi●l . And albeit he call many with an outward calling , to whom he vouchsafeth not his operatiue and inward calling , yet wee must not acaccuse him of crueltie or iniustice , but rather admire his iudgements . It was well said of that holy man ; Wilt thou dispute with mee ? Wonder with mee , and exclame O the depth ! Let vs both consent in feare , lest wee perish in errour . God is our soueraigne Lord , and tyed by no bond to any man. Wee cannot finde him out : he is excellent in power and iudgement , and abundant in iustice : and we know him not . Secondly , this vocation is an irreuocable , constant and vncheangeable act of Gods Spirit . Those that are once effectually called by God , man continue so for euer . For the gifts and Calling of God are without repentance . God is faithfull ( saith Paul ) by whom y● are called , Who shall also confirme you vnto the end , that ye may bee blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus . And to the Philippians he saith ; I am perswaded that ●e , that hath begun this good worke in you , vvill performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ. Like as Zerubabel did both lay the foundation of the Temple , and finish the worke : so God will establish and make perfect the worke begun in vs at our vocation . Therefore Augustine boldly affirmeth that those are not in this Calling , which do not perseuere vnto the end . Now the reason why those that are thus called , do not fall away , is foure-fold . The first is Gods election , which is vnchangeable , and therefore also faith and other the fruits of election cannot be wholly lost and ruined . This ( saith Chrysostome ) is the propertie of faith ( nunquam penitus decidit , aut omnino turbatur ) it neuer wholly perisheth , neither is it altogether troubled . The second is the promise of God in the couenant of grace ▪ in which hee promiseth that hee will stand by vs , and make vs also to stick to him . The third is the intercession of Christ , who hath prayed effectually for our cōseruation in the world . And the fourth is because we are the members and subiects of Christ , who is a puissant and gratious Prince , and a most perfect and blessed Head , and therefore we may be sure that hee wil protect and preserue his subiects , profligate and extirp their enemies , and conuay spirituall sense and motion by his spirit into all his members . So that if they fall , yet they shall not fall away : if they sin , yet they sin not with full consent of will. For they hate & nill in part the euill , which they wil : and they doe not make a trade of sinning , but the spirit remaining in them , causeth them to returne to God , and to recouer themselues by true repentance . To conclude this property ▪ God , when hee calles a man hee performes these foure workes of grace First he quickens him and giues him power to answere his call . Secondly , hee giues an execution of this power , and makes him to answere . Thirdly , he giues continuance of that power : yea and addes a fourth , which is an execution of that continuance : and so it comes to passe that none of Gods Called do fall quite away ▪ but though they fall ▪ yet shall they not be cast off , for God putteth vnder his hand . Thirdly this vocation is a very excellent worke of God. For first , it is an vndoubted token of election : for God by his vocation doth ( as Caluin teacheth ) manifest his election , which otherwise he keepeth hidden in himselfe . And therefore effectuall vocation may be properly called the Testification of Gods election . Secondly , Vocation is the first act of grace vpon the heart . Now the first light and libertie which a close prisoner se●s and enioies , is most ioyous and solacious . Thirdly , God ( as Augustine speaketh ) by his election did adopt his people to be as sonnes : but yet we see that the● take not possession of so great a benefit , vntill they be called : on the contrarie , we set that those which are called , doe now enioy a certaine communication of their election . Vocation puts vs into an actuall possession of Gods loue . Fourthly , God by calling his elect , doth ( as Caluin affirmeth ) admit them into his familie , and centoine himselfe vnto them that they may be one . Fiftly , this inward vocation is an infallible pledge of saluation For God denies the speciall efficacie of his spirit to the reprobate for the illustration of his soueraigntie and glorie ; and appropriates it vnto his Elect for the demōstration of his mercie . Sixtly , the excellencie of the Agent doth oftentimes cōmend the act . But it is that great God , who swayeth the scepter of the whole world , and dwelleth in the light that no man can atteine vnto , it is hee that inhabiteth eternity , & spanneth the heauens with his fist , who calleth vs with this calling . God , that commanded the light to shine out of darkenesse , is he , which hath shined in our hearts , to giue the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus Christ . He , and he onely is our effectuall Caller , and neither man nor Angell . Seuenthly , this calling is an argument of admirable power in God , & of his infinite mercie to vs. For as he shewed his power in creation , in making things to bee that before were not : euen so hee manifests his power in his effectuall vocation , in calling men ( that were dead in sin , and worse then nothing by their owne deserts ) to liue the life of grace , and in breathing into them the breath of life , which was vtterly expired by their fall in Adam . Yea the Lord may seeme to exhibit more power when he calles men , then when he did create him : for at his creation there was none to hinder him : but at his vocation there were many hinderers & great impedimēts , ( though all inferiour vnto GOD ) . There is the Diuel and his suggestions : there is the World and her incantations , scandals and allurements : & there is our owne flesh , the rebellious corruption of the heart . All these God must vanquish , and he must perswade and incline our wils , and of nillers make vs willers , before he perfit and accomplish in vs this his glorious and thrice-happy worke of grace . Secondly this calling is a notable testimony of his grace and mercie to vs ▪ in that it pleased him to shine vpon vs with the light of his spirit , and to cast his gratious eies vpon vs , who were by sin more loathsome then a carion , and more stincking then any dunghil . What are wee , that God should bee mindful of vs , and visit vs with his grace ? The Starres are vncleane in hi● sight : how much more man a Worme , euen the son of man , which is but a worme ? As God declared his goodnes in creation by communicating a beeing vnto things , that had no beeing : euen so the same God doth manifest his mercy in vocation by ministring life vnto those , that before were miserable , and void of life . And indeed there is more goodnes shewed , more grace exhibited in restoring a man out of his grieuous and inextricable miserie , and in curing him of his cursed blindnesse , then in giuing him a beeing , hauing none before , & in making him to see , hauing no sight . To raise a dead soule from the death of sin vnto a supernaturall life , is a greater worke of mercy , then to raise a dead body from bodily death to liue a naturall life . Eightly , this effectuall calling doth farre surpasse our naturall propagation or procreation . For in this we are but taken ( as it were ) out of our father Adam : but in the other wee are both taken out of the first Adam wholy corrupted , and set also into the second Adam Christ Iesus , Who of God is made vnto vs vvisedome , righteousnes , sanctification and redemption . Lastly , this calling ( that the excellencie thereof may yet appeare ) ratifies all our couenants with God. Men in their Baptisme enter couenant with God , but often start from it , and will not stand to it , so as the couenant is onely made . But when as a man is effectually called , the couenant is not onely made , but truely accomplished , and that on mans part , Haec clariss● Perk The fourth and last propertie of effectuall vocation , is that it may be discerned by certaine signes thereof . This estimation or discerning of it , is two fold , infallible , and coniecturall . Coniecturall discerning or determining of it , is especially when in our iudgement of charitie wee deeme of others , as of the called of God , by their outward profession and conuersation in the world . And thus Paul cals the Romanes & Corinthians Sancts by calling , whereas notwithstanding it is not vnprobable , but that there were some hypocrites among them . For visible Churches are like a uet , where in is taken both good fish and bad : or a barne , wherein is cockle and good corne : or a garden , in which grow both stincking weeds and pleasant flowers , the nettle as well as the rose . The certaine and infallible discerning and determination made of effectuall vocation , is either when by a speciall and extraordinary reuelation from God , one man discernes & determines infallibly of the calling of another : this ( I say ) is performed , whē it is performed by a special work of God. For he alone vnderstandeth the heart . For what man knoweth the things of a man , saue the spirit of a man which is in him ? All is not gold that glisters . The heart is deceitfull & wicked aboue all things , who cā know it ? I the Lord search the heart and try the reiues . Or else secondly , this infallible determination and discerning is made , when a man determines of , and discernes his owne vocation by certaine workes of Gods spirit , which are infallible testimonies and tokens of it , and by which we may make our calling sure , as Poter would haue vs. The signes of effectuall Calling are these . First , the Calling of God works in vs another call , whereby wee call vpon him , and seriously seeke vnto him and desire his grace . Now to desire the helpe of grace is the beginning of grace . To call vpon God constantly and sincerely for his grace , is a worke of grace , and therefore an vndoubted token of our calling vnto grace . Secondly , the attentiue hearing of the word is a marke of our effectuall vocation . For as a man is iudged to be sicke and diseased , when his stomack cannot brook nor digest wholesome meats : so the soule of that man cannot be sound , to whom the word of God hath no pleasant tast . But when a Man can say with the Prophet Dauid ; Thy word is sweeter to me , then the hony or hony combe : by this we may gather an assured trust that wee are giuen vnto Christ , if we do continue in hauing delight still . For otherwise a sicke man may haue some while a relish of his meat , when there is some intermission of the disease , but it holdeth not long ; so is it with them that haue for a while some tast of the word of God , and afterward fall away ; Haec Clariss . Will. Thirdly , the Sheepe of Christ are such , as are called home out of the vast wildernesse of this world vnto Christ their sheepheard . Therefore by what notes these Sheepe are discerned , by the same a man may know his calling . Christ saith , that his sheep know him , heare his voyce , and follow him . If therefore we know , acknowledge and embrace Christ , if wee heare and hearken vnto his voyce to doe it , if we study to resemble , imitate and follow him in loue , meekenesse patience , humilitie , iustice , fidelitie , trueth , confidence and compassion , we may assure our selues that wee are his Sheep , effectually called home into his fold . Furthermore , the Romanes are by Paul entituled the called of Iesus Christ . The Corinthians are said to bee Saints by calling . The Thessalonians ( some of them at lest ) were effectually called . Now Paul saith of the called Romans , that they obeyed from the hear● vnto the forme of the doctrine , whereunto they were deliuered . Of the called Corinthians hee saith , that in all things they were made rich in Christ , and were not destitute of any gift : and that howsoeuer some of them were before their calling notorious sinners committing ●orrible and transcendent enormities ●et now since their calling they were rashed and sanctified and so become new men . And as concerning the Thessalonians he saith , that the Gospel was not to them in word onely , but also in power , and much assurance , and that they became followers of him and of the Lord , and receiued the word in much affliction , with ioy of the holy Ghost , and turned to God from Idoles to serue the liuing and true God , and increased in faith and mutuall loue , and were patient & faithfull in al their persecutions & afflictions . So then if with the Romanes we performe heartie obedience to the word : if with those Corinthes , we be rich in spirituall graces , and haue purged our heartes by true repentance from our former iniquities ▪ if we be mortified and renewed : if like those good Thessaloniās we receiue and beleeue the Gospell , if we follow the Lord & his faithfull embassadours , if we entert●ine the word with ioyfulnesse notwithstanding all afflictions , if we turne to God from all our owne Gods , our owne delights and vanities , to which wee had wedded our heartes , if our faith increase , and our loue abound , and if we haue patience and faith ( as they had ) in all our crosses and afflictions , then may we assure ourselues that wee are effectually called , as they were . Finally , Peter , exhorting vs to giue diligence to make calling sure , addeth that if we doe these things wee shall neuer fall . Now what these things are hee sheweth ; to wit , that they would ioint vertue with their faith , and with vertue knowledge , & with it temperance and with temperance patience , & with patience godlines , & with it brotherly kindnes , and with brotherly kindnes loue . If therfore these graces shine within vs , and bee fast rooted in our hearts , and vnited in our liues , we may assure our soules of our effectuall calling ▪ if we do these things , we shall neuer fall : and if we shall neuer fall , then may wee safely conclude that God hath effectually called vs to light and glorie . And thus much concerning effectu-vocation , which is the first meane whereby God executeth his eternall Election . CHAP. 5. What Iustification is . All the causes of it . Fiue effects of it . The subiects and time of it . Fiue properties thereof . Foure tokens of it . THE second is Iustification . For those , whom hee calleth effectually in time ▪ hee also iustifieth actually in time . To iustifie is to repute or account one iust . Pro. 17.15 . He which iustifieth the wicked , that is ▪ he which reputeth and iudgeth him to be iust , is an abomination to the Lord. Luke 16.15 . You iustifie your selues before men ; that is , You would be esteemed iust . To be iustified is to be cleared , or to bee reputed , iudged , and pronounced iust . To be iustified then before God , is to be reputed and esteemed righteous in his sight . Iustification therefore ( in his proper significatiō ) is an Acceptance , wherby God esteemeth vs as righteous being receiued into fauour . Or Iustification is a iudiciall and gracious worke of God , by which hee iudgeth the Elect ( being in themselues obnoxious to the accusation and curse of the Law ) to be iust by faith for Christ through the imputation of his iustice , and that vnto the praise of his glorious grace , and to their owne saluation . The principall efficient of Iustification is God the Father , in the Sonne , by the holy Spirit : For who can forgiue sinnes but God alone ? It is God that iustifies . I ( saith the Lord ) euen I , am hee that putteth away thine iniquities . It 〈◊〉 meet that he should be our pardoner , who was our Creator , and that he should bee the giuer of grace , who was to all the author of nature . It is his office to absolue the guiltie , by whose iustice hee was made guiltie : It belōgs to him to pronounce a man to be iust , whose will is the rule of iustice : it is his prerogatiue to giue sentence of life and death , because he is by nature , right , and office the highest Iudge . The instrument , whereby the benefit of Iustification is offered and proclaimed , is the Gospel : which therefore is called the word of life , the word of saluation , the word and ministerie of Reconciliation . The outward instruments ▪ whereby our iustification is sealed and confirmed to vs , are the two Sacramentes , and thereupon Circumcision is called the Seale of the righteousnesse of faith . The inward Sealer of our iustification is the Holy Ghost , who testifieth and sealeth it to our consciences so as that we may perswade our hearts of it The Ministers , and liuely instruments , for the proclaiming , testifying and pronouncing our iustification to vs are the Messengers and Prophets of the Lord , according to that of Christ ▪ whose sinnes ye remit , they shall be remitted to them : and whose ye retaine they shall be retained . The onely internall instrument , whereby we apprehend and receiue the grace of iustification offered vnto vs by God , is a true sauing faith . Iustifying faith is a gift whereby wee apprehend Christ and his benefits . Or , it is a worke of Gods Spirit in the heart , whereby we receiue and lay hold on Christs obedience , for the pardon of our sinnes with God , and his accepting of vs as righteous in his ●ight . The authour of faith is God. For vnto vs It is giuen to beleeue . This is the worke of God ( saith Christ ) that yee beleeue in him whom hee hath sent . Faith both begun and finished is the gift of God , as Austen truly teacheth . The proper forme and life of faith is not charitie , which is a distinct gift of God , and a fruite of vnfeigned Faith , but the Apprehension and Application of Christ , and his benefites vnto our selues particularly . The proper obiect of a sauing faith is Iesus Christ , God-man , and Mediator betwixt God and man , Remigius saith ; My whole faith is in Christ : by him alone I beleeue that I am iustified and saued . And Beda saith ; The scope of my faith is Christ : the end ( or marke ) of my faith ( whereat it aymeth ) is the Sonne of God. Now to be iustified by faith , is to be iustified of God for the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith : or ( as Caluin speaketh ) he shall be iustified by faith , who being excluded from the righteousnesse of works , apprehendeth the righteousnesse of Christ by faith , wherewith he being inuested doth appeare in the sight of God as righteous , and ●ot a sinner . So that faith doth iustifie in respect of her obiect onely , and not as any meritorious or proper efficient of iustification . Euen as the hand that receiueth the treasure which is giuen , doth not make the receiuer rich , but the treasure it selfe : so neither the worke or action of faith doth iustifie vs , but Christ himselfe , whom we doe apprehend . And this faith , be it weake or strong , is yet able to receiue the righteousnesse of Christ : euen as a palsie or shaking hand , may receiue a iewel of a king as truely , though not so firmely , as the hand that is whole and sound . And further , this sauing faith is the onely hand , whereby wee doe receiue Christ and his merites . No man is iustified by the workes of the Law , but by the faith of Iesus Christ . Basil saith ; This is to glorie in the Lord , when a man doth not boast of his ovvne righteousnesse , but doth acknowledge that hee is destitute of true righteousnes , & that he is iustified by faith alone in Christ . Chrisostom saith ; Without faith no man hath obtained life : but I am able to shew that a faithfull man both liued and obtained the kingdom of heauen without workes . For the thiefe did onely beleeue , and was iustified . It was well said by Roffensis ▪ Fides faeta bonis operibus , iustificat ante partum : Faith being bigge with good works , doth iustifie a man before it bring them forth . For as S. Augustine saith ; Good works doe not goe before him , that is , to be iustified , but follow him that i● already iustified . And though good workes must neuer bee seuered from faith in the person iustified , yet they must be sundred in the act of iustification . Though the eie bee not alone , yet it sees alone : and though the head consult & inuent alone , yet it is not alone , but ioyned to the body : so though faith be not alone in the faithfull man , yet it alone doth iustifie . And thus wee see how to esteeme of faith , the Sacraments , and the Ministers of God , alwaies remembring to ascribe our iustification vnto God , Father , Sonne , and Holy Ghost , as the proper and principall efficient thereof , as the Scriptures teach vs ▪ and confessing with Primasius , that God doth iustifie the wicked ( per solam fidem ) by faith alone , and not by workes . The internall impulsiue cause of Iustification ( which mooueth God to iustifie vs ) is his grace and meere beneuolence and not our works past , present , or to come , how glorious so euer . Paul saith , we are iustified freely by his grace , And Augustine saith , that it is the ineffable grace ●f God , that hee which is guilty should be iustified . Because all men are shut vp vnder sinne : the saluation of man ( as Anselme saith ) doth not now consist in the merits of men , but in the mercie of God. Yea Bellarmine himselfe ingeniously confesseth that by reason of the vncertenty of our owne righteousnesse , and the danger of vaine glory ( Iutissimum est ) it is the safest course to repose our ( fiduciam ) Whole confidence ( in solu De● misericordia ) in the Sole mercie and goodnesse , of God. Now then we must not imagine that this grace of God is procured by our workes , but that it doth proceed freely from the Lord. No merit of man ( saith Anselme ) doth goe before the grace of God. Thou hast done no good ( saith Augustine ) and yet remission of sinnes is giuen thee . Let thy works be marked , and they are found euill . If God should reward those workes according to their due ▪ he should condemne them . But God doth not giue thee the punishment that is due , but giues thee grace , which is not due . And againe he saith ; The grace , without which neither Infants , nor men of yeares can be saued , is not payed by deserts , but giuen without desert : and thereupon is called grace . The externall impulsiue cause ▪ or meritorious efficient of our iustification is not our owne workes , virtues or obedience . First because they bee the Lords due , by vertue of many bonds . When we haue done all that is biddē vs , we haue done but our due , no more then wee were bound to due . Now shall wee thinke that the discharging of one duetie can satisfie Gods iustice for the omission of many dueties , and the commission of many faults ? Secondly , all our righteousnesse is as a stained cloth ▪ Gregorie saith , All m●ns righteousn●s i● found to be vnrighteousnes , ●f God strictly iudge it . Our very iustice being brought to the rule of Gods iustice , is iniustice : & that stinketh in the s●uerity of the Iudge , which shineth in the estimation of the Worker . And albeit our good works are perfit in respect of the Spirit , from whom thee first flow , yet are they polluted when they passe from vs , because they rū through our corrupted hearts and wils , as faire water which runnes through a dirty channell : Shall wee now say that our perfect righteousnesse can merit any thing of that righteous Iudge , before whose iustice nothing polluted can stand vncondemned ? Wo vnto the laudable life of men ( sath A●gustine ) if God should examine it and lay aside his mercie . Thirdly , our best actions are not answerable to the benefits of iustification . But in reason hee which meanes to merit any thing , must bring that which is equal to that which hee seekes to merit . fourthly he that wil merit of another , must not thinke to merit of him , vn●esse he bring some thing of his owne to merit with , and not that which is his , of whom hee doth intend to merit . But all our vertues , our Faith and good workes are Gods ( so farre as they bee good ) and not ours . For what haue we , which wee haue not receiued ? Without me ( saith Christ ) Ye can d●e nothing . Of our selues we are not able to thinke one good thought When we e●ther beleeue or worke , though that faith be ours , and albeit the workes ●e ours , yet when we haue them , we haue them not of our selues , but they are giu●n of God. Whatsoeuer ( saith Augustine ) Cornelius wrought well ( Totum D●o dandam est ) it must all be ascribed vnto God , lest any mā happily should exalt himself . Therfore it is absurde to think we merit any thing by good deedes Fiftly , good workes in nature follow Iu●tification . Augustine saith ; Iustification goes before the doers of the law . M●● being iustified by beleeuing , begin af●erwards to liue righteously . And Saint Paul saith that God doth iustifie the Vngodly . By which then it is plain● that no man is iustified for his works . Finally , wee haue the sentence of the Scriptures with vs , and the iudgement of the auncient Church . Wee haue beleeued in Iesus Christ ( saith Paul ) that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ , and not by the workes of the lame : because that by the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified . God both saued vs , not according to the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done , but according to his mercie . Ambrose saith : Let no man glorie in works , because no man is iustified by his works . Augustine faith : The vngodly is iustified by faith without the merits of good workes . Primasius saith : It is Gods purpose to iustifie the wicked by faith alone , without the workes of the law , or any other merits ( of ours ) whatsoeuer . H●mini● iustitia , indulgentia De● . Gods pardon ( saith Bernard ) is mans righteousnesse . My merit ( saith hee ) is Gods mercie . Wee conclude therefore ▪ saying with Ambro●e ; Wee are not iustified by works ▪ but by faith : because fleshly 〈◊〉 is an impedimēt to work : and with Primatius , God doth iustifie the vngodly , but not by works , which ●e wanteth . For if he should iustifie him according to workes , he must be punished , and not deliuered . The externall mo●●er then and meritorious efficient of our Iustification is Christ by his obedience . For God made him to be sinne for vs , who knew no sinne , that ●e should be made the rightousnesse of God in him . Wee are iustified through the redemption , that is in Christ Iesus , whom God hath set foorth to bee a reconciliation , through faith in his blood ▪ Augustine saith ; Christ alone hath 〈…〉 the punishment for vs without his 〈◊〉 demerits , that we might obtaine grace by him without good merits . Christ ( saith Basill ) is true righteousnesse , vvho is made vnto vs of God , righteousnesse , vvisdom ▪ sanctification and redemption . As the 〈◊〉 couered the dike and the Decalogue : so he couereth 〈◊〉 sinne , and hee hides our bodies and soules from the furious indignation and vengeance of God. Now the obedience of Christ , is two-fold ▪ actiue and passiue . The former stands in his perfite fulfilling of the Law : the latter is contained in his passion both in life and death . By the passion of Christ our sinnes are remitted . Therefore Peter sa●th : that he bare our sinnes vpon the Crosse . And Iohn likewise saith : that he washed v● from our sinnes in his blood . And long before them the Prophet Esay saith : that he was vvounded for our transgressions , and by his stripes we are healed . Remission of sins ( saith Chrysostome ) is on the blood of Christ . His death ( saith Am●●ose ) is the iustification of sinners . By it gods iustice is fully satisfied , his wrath is appealed , and ●ll punishments temporall and eternall deserued by sin are quite remoued . By his fulfilling of the Law we are reputed and esteemed righteous . For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes vnto euerie one , that beleeueth . ●e was made vnto vs of God righteousnes . By the obedience of this one , mani● shall be made righteous . Lord ( saith Bernard ) I will remember thy righteousnes onely : for that is also mine . For thou art made vnto me righteousnes of God. Now this his righteousnesse is not ours , but his originally , & is made ours by Gods tree imputation . It is imputed to vs & by God accounted ours ( Christ being our Suretie , and standing in our stead ) and so appropriated to vs , as if we had performed it in our owne persons . Bernard saith that the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed to vs. And againe ; the iustice of another is assigned vnto man , because he wanted his owne . The satisfaction of one is imputed vnto all . And no mā must thinke it strange that the obedience of Christ could satisfie for the disobedience of all the Elect , & make them to bee reputed righteous with God. For in that it was the obedience of God , that is , of that holy man , who was true God , it was of endlesse merit , & of inualuable value with the Lord. The perfection and merit of this obedience comes from the dignity of his person , that did obey . And though iustification bee through Christ , yet God may bee sayed to iustify freely , because it comes freely to vs , wee doe nothing for it : and because also it was his free loue , which moued him to send his sonne to suffer for our sins and to fulfil the Law fully for vs. Neither must any man imagine that Christ did not fulfill the Law for vs , but for himselfe onely , and consequently that his actiue obedience is not imputed to vs. For Christ is not onely our redemption , but he is also the perfection of the Lawe for vs that beleeue in him . Whereupon it is that Ambrose saith ; He hath the perfection of the Law , who beleeueth in Christ . Moreouer Whole Christ is giuen vnto vs with his benefits . Otherwise , if his Passiue obedience were onely imputed to vs , it would follow that ha●fe Christ were onely giuen vs ( Patientem , non Agentem ) to wit , as he is a Patient , and not an Agent , or dooer of those things , which are pleasing to his Father , and ( auferentem peccat● ) onely as he takes away sin and death , and not ( aff●rentem iustitiam ) bringing righteousnes . But he was not borne for himselfe , but for vs , and was giuen vnto vs , that hee might both doe for vs the things that were to be done , and suffer the things , which were to be suffered . Againe ▪ Christ as man fulfilled the Lawe for ▪ himselfe : that hee might be in both natures an holy high Priest , & so continue . Neuerthelesse as Mediatour , God and Man , hee became subiect to the Law , and in this regard he did not fulfill t●● Lawe for himselfe , neither was he bound so to doe . Neither must this seeme strange to any , that the Law should both exact obedience , and the penalty too . For howsoeuer in the state of innocency , the Law threatned the penaltie , and onely exacted obedience : yet since the fall , it doth both exact obedience , & the punishment . The threatning of the Law exacts the punishment : the precepts exact obedience . And albeit Christ hath kept the Law fully for vs , yet none must from thence conclude , that therefore we are not bound to keepe the Law. ●hat ( saith one ) which Christ did , we are not bound to doe for the same end , and in the same maner . Now he fulfilled the law in way of redemption and satisfaction for vs : and so doe not we fulfill the Law , but onely in the way of thankefulnesse for our redemption . And though we be bound to obey the Lawe , yet wee must not thinke that God will reiect our obedience for the weakenes of it , as hee would haue reiected Christs , if his had beene imperfect . For he was our Mediatour , and therefore his obedience was of necessitie to be most perfect , or else Gods iustice had not been satisfied , and so we had perished : and besides , all our imperfections and defects whatsoeuer are couered with his perfection as with a vaile , and so our weake obedience is accepted , and not contemned . Finally for our comfort we must know , that if we respect the Trueth of that righteousnes , which is imputed to vs , weare accounted as truly righteous before God , as Christ himselfe is : but if we regard the quantity and subiect , Christ is more iust , thē we , Because he is originally and actually righteous , but we by imputation : he is subiectiuely iust and by inherency , but we by application & relation in him and vnto him . And yet we must not therefore thinke our selues to be redeemers . For his obedience is imputed to vs onely for our owne redemption , and not as it is the price of redemption for all the Elect. As for example , Christs righteousnes is imputed to Peter , not as it is the price of redemption for All , but as it is the price of redemption for Peter . And so much for the efficient causes of our Iustification . The matter of iustification ( according as are the parts thereof ) is twofold ; Remission of sins , and Gods accepting of vs as righteous men . Remission of sins is a gracious act of God , whereby for the merit and satisfaction of Christ he doth perfectly forgiue both the fault and punishment . Therefore Paul saith that by him wee haue redemption through hi● blood , euen the forgiuenes of sinnes according to his rich grace : and that there is no condemnation to thē , that are in Christ Iesus , who hath by himself purged our sins , and by whom the Father hath recon●iled v● vnto himselfe . Now it were absurd to thinke that the punishment is ret●ined , when the sin is remitted : For if the proper cause bee defaced , then the effect thereof must needs be also abolished . If the bodie bee remoued , the shadow thereof remaines not . So if sin bee pardoned , the punishment is remitted . As for the crosses , which the faithfull suffer , they are to bee reputed curses or penalties of vengeance inflicted of God as of an ireful & direful Iudge , but they are to be esteemed onely as tryals , or as punishmēt of castigatiō imposed of god , as a louing father desiring the welfare & weldoing of his childrē . As many as I loue ( saith the Lord ) I rebuke & chasten : He scourgeth euerie sonne , vvhich he receiueth . If therefore ye be vvithout correction , whereof all are partakers , then are ye bastards , and not sonnes . Novv no chastening for the present seemeth to bee 〈◊〉 , but grieuous : yet afterward it bringeth the 〈◊〉 fruit of righteousnes , vnto thē which are thereby exercised . The Lord tries vs by afflictions , as gold is tried in the furnace with fire . He keeps vs by the crosse within our limits , as water is held in with bankes . And with the thorny hedge of troubles & vexations hee keepes vs within our owne walkes and pastures , being by nature giuen to break out and stray . Therefore Dauid saith , Before I was afflicted I went astray : but now I keepe thy word ▪ it is good for mee , that I haue beene afflicted , that I may learne thy statutes . Blessed is the man , whom thou chastisest . For it is certaine , God scoureth away the infirmities of his Saincts by many afflictions . It is the Lord , which sendeth crosses to his children to saue thē , that they freese not with the wicked world in their dregs . For this end ( saith Cyprian ) the Lord rebuketh , that hee might amend vs : to this end he mends , that he might saue vs. Augustine saith that sorrowes before pardon of sins are the punishments of sinners : but after pardon , they are the trials and exercises of iust men . And so for death it selfe , the sting and strength thereof , which is sin , is abolished by the death of Christ vpon the crosse , & therefore is to bee reputed but as a triall or chastisement , whereby the Lord doth teach vs humilitie and the flight of sinne , and doth exercise and proue our faith , fortitude and patience . And though in respect of sinne it be the entrance of Hell , yet through the death of Christ , it is become the gate of heauen , and as Cyprian speaketh ( Ianua vitae ) the dore of life . It doth ( as it were ) conuey vs out of the wildernes into Canaan , out of a troublesome Sea into a quiet hauen , and out of earth into heauen , from woe to weale , and from men to God : yea it becomes the death of sinne , that first gaue life to it . We conclude therefore this truth with Vrsinus , saying , God doth not hate vs , neither hath he a will to punish vs for those sins for which Christ hath sufficiently satisfied : in whom also we haue remission of those , ( sins of omission ) and all other our sins , so that by his onely merit we are reputed righteous before God. The second part of Iustification is Gods gracious acceptation , wherby he doth for the merit of Christs actiue obedience by faith receiued of vs , account vs iust and pure , and honours vs with the crowne of life . And in this respect we may truely be sayed to be iust , perfect and holie men : because we stand clothed with the most perfect righteousnes of Christ , which is reputed ours , in which , appearing before our heauenly father , wee doe receiue a blessing , as Iacob did of Isaack , hauing on his elder brothers garmēts . Neither must it seeme strange vnto vs that we should be accepted righteous for the righteousnes of an other . For albeit this righteousnesse be Christs , primarily and by way of inherence , yet it is ours by Gods donation and by the application of faith ; As the paiment of our debt is another mans , so farre forth as it is discharged by him : but it is our payment , as it is imputed to vs. Aquinas saith well : The head and the member is as one mysticall person , and therefore the satisfaction of Christ pertaineth to all the faithfull , as to his members . The forme or formall cause of Iustification is not faith , loue , nor any other vertue , neither is it an infused quality , or habituall sanctity inherent in vs. For this were to confound iustification and sanctification , which are very different acts , as wee shall hereafter shew . But the righteousnesse of Christ imputed , considered as it is imputed of God , is the forme of iustification . Or , the proper and onely true forme of iustification is the free imputation of the righteousnes of Christ , by which the merit and obedience of Christ are applied to vs by vertue of that neare communion , whereby he is in vs and we in him . Now God is said to impute the righteousnes of Christ vnto a man , when hee doth adiudge , decree and giue it to him , and account and reckon it as his owne , and for the merit and worthines of it doth pardon & acquite him , and repute him righteous . O sweete exchange ( saith Iustin Martyr ) O vnsearchable vvorkemanship , O benefits surpassing all expectation , that the iniquity of manie should be couered in one iust person , and that the iustice of one should make manie , that are vniust , to be reputed iust . If one ( saith Bernard ) did die for all , then all died : to wit that the satisfaction of one might be imputed vnto all , as that one bare the sins of all . Now Christ bare our sins and was made sin for vs , not as if our sins had beene infused into him , and had beene inherent and inhabitants in him , but because they were imputed to him , and reputed his , as if they had beene committed by him , he supplying our place , as our Surety and Mediator : euen so his righteousnes is made ours , not as though it were infused or translated into vs as a thing inherent and inhabiting in vs , but because it is reputed ours and imputed freely to vs , as if wee our selues had wrought it in our owne persons . And of this opinion was S. Augustine , We are the righteousnes of God in him , as he is sin in vs , to vvit , by imputation . With whom consenteth Vrsinus , the imputation of the righteousnes of Christ is not the transfusion of righteousnes or of qualities into vs , but the absolution from sins in the iudgement of God , for the righteousnes of an other . For iustification and remission of sins are the same . For to iustifie is for God not to impute sin vnto vs , but to accept vs for righteous , & to absolue or pronounce vs iust for the righteousnesse of Christ imputed . The end of Iustification in respect of God , is the glory of God in an admirable composition of iustice and mercie ; of iustice , because hee would haue his sonne to satisfie for our sins , rather then that they should escape vnpunished ; and of mercie , because it pleased him to impute and appropriate the satisfaction of his sonne vnto vs , rather then we wretches should be destroyed . But some will perhaps imagine that God shewed neither iustice , nor mercie : no iustice , because he punished an innocent for the nocent , & set his teeth on edge , whereas they had eaten the soure grapes : and no mercie , because hee forgaue none without a satisfaction . It is true indeed that the innocent was punished : but yet it was done willingly , and not by constraint ▪ and he was of the same nature with the nocent , and was also such a potent innocent , as that he did satisfie the iustice of the Iudge to the vtmost , and conquer all his punishments with facilitie . Neither must we deeme the mercie of God to be withheld , or not exhibited because he did not forgiue without a satisfaction For first , it was of his sole benignitie and perfect mercie , without the preuision of any merit , that he came to satisfie , who made the satisfaction for vs. Herein ( saith Iohn ) is that loue , not that we loued God , but that he loued vs , and sent his sonne to be a reconciliation for our sins . Secondly , it is his grace that hee doth apply the satisfaction of his sonne vnto vs , who were disposed thereunto by no gift , or merit . Thirdly , we must consider that Gods iustice is so infinitely absolute , as that we could not bee iustified without a Mediator . God could not forgiue sinne without a satisfaction . For otherwise what need was there that the soone of GOD should be brought ( as he was ) to such horrible miserie and to such an accursed death ? A kinde father would try any way , rather then he would expose his owne and onely sonne to extreame terrors and miserie . And lest any man should imagine that it is in Gods power to remit or to reteine sinnes like debts , we must know that there are two kinds of debts . For there is a debt , which eclipseth and hurteth the honour of the Creditor : and there is also a debt which doth not touch it . If the debt do not hurt his honour , it may vvith great encrease of honour be rmitted vvithout any recompence at all , as vvhen a king forgiueth his seruant the debt of some thousands of c●ovvnes . This debt , as it did not hurt the maiestie of the king , so it might be forgiuen vvithout anie hurt to his maiestie . But if debts doe hurt the honour and maiestie of the Creditour , and doe directlie impugne his nature and glorie , vvithout doubt they cannot at his pleasure be remitted vvithout satisfaction . And such debts are sins , at vvhich infringe the rule of Gods eternall vvill , & are enemies to it , so as that they cannot be purged and forgiuen vvithout a penaltie , but Gods iustice and vprightnes vvill bee diminished . But yet though his mercie could not shoulder out his iustice , or any whit eclipse it , yet his iustice did not bereaue him of his mercie . For of his ovvne meere mercie hee found out the way to redeeme and saue vs , when we did not so much as thinke of any such thing , and therefore as we ought to admire the seueritie of his iustice : so we should also magnifie his endles grace and mercie . The endes of Iustification in respect of our selues are ▪ that we may be pleasing vnto God , that wee may haue peace of conscience , and true tranquilitie of minde , that being redeemed from miserie wee might bee saued , and finally that wee should striue against the streame of our owne corruptions , and keepe a constant course in pietie : or ( to vse the words of Zacharie ) That wee being deliuered out of the handes of our enemies , should serue him without feare all the daies of our life , in holinesse and righteousnesse before him . For Christ gaue himselfe for vs , that wee should be zealous of good vvorkes : and bare our sinnes on the crosse , that vve being dead to sinne , should liue is righteousnesse . To this end ( saith Bucanus ) are wee iustified by faith for Christ , that the old man being abolished by the efficacie of Christ crucified , Christ may liue in vs , and wee by the study of good workes , may shew our selues thankefull vnto God for so great a benefite . Therefore Paul almost in all his Epistles , drawes his doctrine of sanctification and good workes , out of the doctrine of Faith or Iustification , as the effect out of the cause , or as an necessarie consequent from the Antecedent : H●c , ille . In like maner Augustine saith : Christ died for the vvicked , but not that the wicked should remaine dead , but that being iustified , they should be conuerted from vvickednesse , beleeuing in him vvhich iustifieth the vngodly . For God hateth impietie . And againe : Grace doth iustifie ( or hee iustifies by grace ) that he which is iustified might like iustly ▪ So then one maine end of our iustificatiō is , that abandoning all iniquitie we should lead our liues in sanctitie ▪ The effects and consequents of Iustification are diuers . The immediate effect of Iustification is adoption , by vvhich the Elect doe now actually please God , as his sonnes and coheires of Christ For so soone as the Electare absolued from their sinnes , they are foorthwith adopted into the right ●nd priuiledges of the children of God. A second effect of Iustification , is peace of conscience : to wit , when we perceiue our selues to be deliuered from our sins , before Gods iudgemēt seat , and the iudgement of our owne conscience . For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ : and being iustified by faith , wee haue peace vvith God , euen that peace , vvhich passeth all vnderstanding : whereas there is no true peace to the wicked : but they are like the raging sea that cannot rest , vvhose waters cast vp mudde and mire : or else they are structen with a spirituall Apoplexcy , which hath reaued them of all true sense , and are so benummed in their conscience , that they can feele nothing till it be roused and awaked . Thirdly , our iustification makes vs haue accesse to God by prayer , with confidence to be heard for Christ For sinne was the Make-bate and wall of partition , betwixt God and vs : now our sinnes are done away , when wee are iustified , and therefore with boldnesse wee may approach vnto the throne of Grace . We haue now receiued the Spirit of adoption , by vvhich vvee cr●e Abba Father : that is , by vvhich vve conceiue very good hope in him , to vvhom wee pray like suppliants , that hee will in fatherly affection tovvard vs , giue vs th●se things vve stand in need of . Fourthly , Iustification begets patience in afflictions , and makes a man reioice in the middest of tribulations . Being iustified by Faith , wee haue peace to Godward ▪ Neither that only , but also we reioice in tribulations , knovving that tribulation produceth patience : to wit , through the perswasion of our reconciliation vnto God , and our assurance that all things , how bitter and grieuous soeuer , doe worke for the best vnto them that loue God , and are pleasing to him . Lastly , Glorification is an inseparable companion , and a notable effect of Iustification . Being freed from sinne and made seruants vnto God , yee haue your fruit in holinesse , and the end euerlasting life . The obedience of Christ by grace imputed to vs , and by Faith receiued of vs , workes in vs a desire , care , and endeuour to obey God. His death for which our sins are remitted , works in vs another death , whereby wee die to sinne ▪ And his glorious righteousnesse , wherewith wee are inuested , and made to bee reputed righteous , doth merit for vs eternall life and glorie . The subiect of Iustification , or the persons , that are iustified , or to whom Iustification doth belong , are the Elect of God , & the sheep of Christ : euen all that are predestinated vnto life . For therefore the Scriptures speak on this sort : The Lord hath laied vpon him the iniquitie of vs all . I laie dovvne my life for my sheepe . Whom hee did predestinate , hee hath also iustified . Who spared not his owne Sonne , but gaue him for vs all : how shall he not vvith him giue vs all things also ? But for what vs ? ( saith Augustine ) Euen for them vvhich are fore-knowen , praedestinated , iustified and glorfiied . Haimo saith : Christ hath taken avvaie in the Elect , not onely originall sinne , but all actuall offences also , and hath moreouer giuen the euerlasting life Radnulphus also saith : that the blood of the High-priest Christ vvas the expiation of all Beleeuers . I adde further , that the Elect are the onely persons , to whom this worthy worke of God belongs , and none but they . First , the Scripture is euident : By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie Manie . He bare the sinne of manie . His blood vvas shed for manie for the remission of sins . Hee vvas once offered to take awaie the sinnes of manie The Scripture saith , Manie , and not All , without the exception of any . Thou shall call his Name Iesus : for he shal same his people from their sinnes . Now all are not his . For his people are his sheep : and his sheepe are the deuils Goaets : all are not his sheepe . Yee beleeue not , ( saith Christ ) for yee are not of my sheepe . Some men haue neuer faith , therefore some are neuer iustified . Secondly for whom Christ did not pray , for them hee did not sacrifice : because to intercede and to sacrifice are conioyned . But Christ prayed onely for the Elect and for Beleeuers , and in praying , did offer himselfe to the Father . I praie for them ( saith Christ ) I praie not for the world , but for them , which thou hast giuē me : for they are thine . And for their sakes I sanctifie my selfe . I praie not for these alone , but for them also which beleeue in me . Origen saith accordingly ( Hom. 9. in Leuit. ) that Christ prayth Onelie for those which are the Lordes portion . Augustine saith : There is a world of the damned : for this world Christ praieth not . And there if a world of those that are to be saued : for this world Christ praieth . And likewise Cyrill : The Lord Iesus putting a difference betwixt his and such as were not his : for those onelie ( saith he ) I praie , which keepe my word and haue taken my yoke . For to whom he is a Mediatour and High-priest , on them only he bestowes the benefit of Meditation Therefore the Elect and faithfull are only iustified & redeemed by Christ . Thirdly , Christ gaue himselfe , that he might sanctifie to himselfe a peculiar people , that is , a people selected out of others as a precious treasure , and his owne proper goods . Therefore it was not Christs intention , to giue himselfe to be a ransome for all , and euery one alike . Lastly , regeneration and life eternall belong not to all . All men doe not die to sinne , and liue to God : and the kingdome of God shall be giuen to them , for whom it is preprared . Many shall be excluded . Therefore all are not iustified . For they that are iustified , shal be also glorified . Isychius saith ; that Christ who suffered for vs , hath deliuered vs from sinne and from the bondage of it . And Augustine more plainly : Euerie one that is generated , is damned : and no man is deliuered , but he , that is regenerated . And againe , God gaue a great price , & bought those , whom he doth reuiue . It is manifest therefore that the Elect are onely partakers of the merits of Christ , and iustified in the sight of God. For whereas Christ is said to take awaie the sinnes of the world , here the vvorld only : that is , the vniuersall cōpanie of the Elect , which are taken from all degrees and callings in the world , is to he vnderstood . For there is as it were a little world of the Elect. Eusebius saith ; Christ hath suffered for the saluation of the vvorld of those , that shal be saued . And S. Augustine hauing made a distinction of Worlds ▪ saith ; that this vvorld , which God doth reconcile vnto himselfe in Christ , and which is saued by Christ , and to which euerie sinne is remitted through Christ , is elected ou● of the maligning , damned ; and defiled world . And though the Apostle say that hee gaue himselfe a ransome for all men : yet we must in no wise therefore conclude , that all are iustified without exception . For the word All , ( as Aristotle in his Politiques hath obserued ) signifieth either euerie one in particular , and then it is takē distributiuely : or else Not each particular , and then it is taken collectiuelie , & signifieth anie , not ech : many & not al without exception of any . Whereas then the Apostle saith ▪ that Christ gaue himselfe a ransome for All : he meaneth al beleeuers , of what condition or coūtrey soeuer . Neither 〈◊〉 it any new thing that the word All should be taken in such a sense , seeing the like examples may be found : as in Luk. 11.42 . Woe be to you , Pharisies , for you , ●●the mint , & rue , and ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) all hearbes that is , hearbs of euerie kinde . So Christ is said to heale Euerie disease , that is , all kinds of diseases . All Iudea is said to goe out to Iohn Baptist . Multi & Omnes in Paulo idem sunt . Manie ( saith Sedulius ) and Al are the same with Paul. It is true indeed ( I grant ) that the obedience of Christ ( being the obedience of God ) was in it self sufficient to haue procured the Iustification of all without exception : but if wee respect either Gods decree , or Christs intention , it is appropriated to the Elect , and belongs to none but them . Innocentius saith : His blood was shed in regard of efficiencie for those onely which are predestinated : but for all men in respect of sufficiencie . In like manner Aquinas : the merit of Christ was alike to all in regard of sufficiencie , but not as concerning efficacie . Howsoeuer his blood and merits were in themselues sufficient for the iustification and saluatition of all men , yet they did not effectually procure them for all , but onely for the Elect , to whom they were ordained and intended , and of whom alone they can bee rightly receiued and embraced . Now those that are iustified , must be considered in a double condition . One , according to nature , the other according to supernaturall grace . According to nature they are sinners ( for he iustifieth the vngodly , Rom. 4.5 . ) and therefore obnoxious to the accusation , and malediction of the Law ( for cursed is euery man that continueth not in al things , which are witten in the Law to doe them . ) But according to supernaturall grace , they are beleeuers : or ingrafted into Christ by faith . For the righteousnesse of God , is made manifest by the faith of Iesus Christ Vnto all , and vpon all that beleeue . And 〈◊〉 much for the persons , whom God doth iustifie . The time of Iustification is in this life , with some sooner , and with others later ; but with none at all after this life is ended . Vrs●inus saith well , Remission of sins is giuen to all the Elect and to them alone . Yet all the Elect haue not alwaies remission of sinnes : but all Beleeuers haue it alwaies , because they onely haue remission of sins , who beleeue that they haue it . But this the Elect do and alwaies beleeue : but then first , when they are conuerted , and indued with faith . Yet in respect of the fore-determined purpose of God , they haue alwaies remission of sins . And a●beit , sanctification doe often by some fruits thereof appeare before iustification , yet this in nature is before the other Wee see the light vsually before the Sunne in the morning : and the brooke doth often offer itself vnto our eies before the spring . The Properties of Iustification are fiue . First , it is most excellent : and that in respect of the Iustifier , which is God : 〈◊〉 respect also of the meritorious efficient thereof , which is Christ and in regard of those admirable effects which it doth pro●u●e , one amongst the rest is this , which I adde vnto the former , whereof wee haue already spoken : to wit , that it giues a man the right vse of the good creatures of God which he hath created to be receiued with thanksgiuing of them that beleeue ▪ ●or vnto the pure ( which men are ▪ when they be purged by faith in the bloud of Christ ) ●l things are pure : but vnto the that are defiled ( as euery one is , vntill God doe iustifie him ) and are vnbeleeuing , is nothing pure , but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled . The Reprobates therefore and Vnbeleeuers abuse the giftes of God , rather then vse them . Therefore ( as Danaeus speaketh ) God doth fatten them in this world as H●gs for the slaughter . On the contrary , those that are now iustified by faith in Christ , doe vse them lawfully . For they are fed of God , as his house-hold seruants . They are not theeues and Vsurpers of them as the wicked are , but they hold them as lawfull heires and owners of the world : 〈◊〉 . Secondly , Iustification is a most free act ▪ performed freely by God without coaction , or the least inducement by any dignitie present , or foreseen to be in vs hereafter . For being absolute Lord of all , hee may shew mercie on whom he lists . We are by nature all the children of wrath , and the vi●●als of the deuill , destitute of all true grace and subiect to the curse : and therefore it is a wonder that wee are not all consumed . We must needs then confess , that the free grace of God in Christ hath made the difference . Chrysostom according to the Scripture truely saith : that God of his grace alone doth iustifie our kinde , and not through our good deeds , labours , nor recompence . And Theodulus saith : Christ is the Author of righteousnesse , to them that beleeue in him , euen vnto them that had done nothing righteouslie . Here then by the way wee may remember , that our Iuctification is free , in regard of vs , that did not deserue it : and free also in respect of God , who did freely deuise & dispose the means therof and freely workes faith within vs , by which wee doe apply it to vs. But it is not free , but iustly performed in regard of Christ , who by his all-sufficient merits did deserue it , and by desert acquire it . Thirdly , Iustification is one absolute , entire , and indiuiduall act . It is once onely acted essentially and directly in this life , although it it bee diuers times renewed and applied a fresh : to wit , when the person iustified doth fall into sin , and repent . Now though Iustification bee a most perfect and plenary worke of God , yet we come to the full perswasion of it but by degrees : and though God at once forgiue a man his sinnes by an absolute act , which admits neither increase nor decrease ▪ yet that man receiues his pardon by such a faith , or such a perswasion of faith , as is not alwaies one , but sometimes stronger , sometmies also weaker , ebbing and flowing like the salt waters , sometimes appearing , and some times hidden , like the sun , with a thicke mist or duskie cloud . Fourthly , Iustification is an immutable , inuiolable and irreuocable a●● of God. Peccata semel remissa nunquam redeūt : sins being once remitted , are neuer after called into question . And he that is once of God for Christ reputed righteous shall be reputed righteous foreuer . If it sho ▪ d be otherwise , it were either long of God or of our selues ; but not of God , who is on changeling : I am the Lord , I charge not : nor of our selues : for we are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation , and so gouerned by his spirit , as that we neither doe sinne , nor can sinne with full consent of will , and without the reluctation and conflict of the spirit . The Godly and vngodly doe oftentimes commit the same offence if we respect the act , but it is not the same , if we consider their maner of acting it . The godly sinne against their conscience : but not against their full conscience . But the vngodly sinne against their 〈◊〉 ●●conscience , and that ●ully : And therefore albeit a man that is iustified ▪ fall into some grieuous sin , as Dauid did , yet grace is not vtterly put out , neither hath he lost the benefit of his iustification ▪ thogh for a time he feele it not . Now this property of immutabili●ty is very rare and excellent by much to be preferred to all earthly things ▪ For Riches remaine not alway● ▪ nor the the crowne from generation to generation . Fauour i● deceiptfull and beautie i● vanitie . The fashion of this world passeth away . And what 〈◊〉 life ? It is euen a vapor that appeareth for a little 〈◊〉 , and afterward● vanish●th away . For all flesh is grasse : and all the glorie of man is as the flower of grasse . The grasse withereth ▪ and the flower fa●leth away : but the iustification of a sinner remaineth for euer ▪ It is enacted and enrolled in heauen it shall not bee repealed and obl●ter●ted vpon the earth . Fiftly , Iustification may be perceiued & knowne , and that three waies . First by the suggestion of Gods spirit . Secondly by faith ▪ which is a certaine assurance or perswasion of the loue af God in Christ . Now a man may assure himselfe of faith , ●f the●● two things be in him . First if he loue God for God himselfe , and his neighbour truely , as himselfe . For lo●e accompanies faith , as the light doth the sunne . Indeed it proceedes f●om faith : and as Gr●gor●● saith ▪ Quantum 〈◊〉 , ta●tu●● 〈◊〉 . As is our faith 〈…〉 our loue . Secondly , a man may assure himselfe of Iustifying faith if he doe striue against his doubtings , and with an honest heart doe will to beleeue , and vnfeignedly desire to be reconciled vnto God , and do with a●l , constantly vse the good meanes , that God hath ordeined to beget and encrease faith . For God accept● the wil to beleeue for faith it selfe , and the will to repent , for repentance . The reason hereof i● plaine . Euerie supernaturall act presupposeth a supernaturall povver or gift : and therefore the vvill to beleeue and repent , presupposeth the povver and gift of faith , and repentance in the heart . Thirdly a man may come to bee assured of his Iustification by certaine vnfallible tokens and 〈◊〉 of it : some whereof I will here set down . The first is a ioy most vnspeakable and glorious , wherewith our hearts must needs be rauished , when we see ●ur selues by the righteousnesse of Christ of the free grace of God ▪ redeemed from death , deliuered from hell , and freed f●om the fearef●ll condemnation of the wicked . The second is the peace of conscience . While sin and the guilt of sin remained , there was no peace nor quietnes to be found , but feare within ▪ terrours without , and troubles on euerie side . But when our sins are once nayled to the crosse of Christ , and forgiuen vs , then the windes are layed , the waues are setled ▪ the sea is calmed , the soule is quieted , and imparked within the pales of peace . Thirdly ( that no man may thinke fleshly sottishnes , and the stupour of the spirit to be found securitie & true tranquillity ; being indeed but like a ca●me be●ore some violent , no o●●●agious temp●st ) wee may know that our peace is good , and that 〈…〉 f●●●●on is past with God , ●f w● 〈◊〉 a promptitude and 〈…〉 to d●e that which is good . 〈…〉 a man doth finde 〈…〉 for the forgiuenes of si●nes , 〈◊〉 loue of God constraineth 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 ●●y : which hee conceiueth ▪ 〈…〉 him , and putteth life into h●m for 〈◊〉 pe●●o●mance of those things , whic● are pleasing vnto God. His vnderstanding , is inlightned ▪ his iudgement is refo●●ed , his affections are b●●●r●d , his ioies are in heauen , his desire are to Christ-ward ▪ his walke is t● Canaan , his course to Ierusalem , 〈◊〉 his anger is consumed vpon his own● corruption . For we must know 〈◊〉 when God doth in p●te ri●hteousne● vnto a man to preuent his d●m●●tio● by sin , then hee doth also inf●se righteousnes into him to ●inder the ●●●●nation of sin . Therefore Paul ioyne● both together , when hee saith that Christ is made vnto vs righteousness● 〈…〉 and redemption : and when hee t●ls his Corinths , that they are v●●sh 〈…〉 and iustified So then he that ci●cumciseth the fore skin of his heart by true repentance , he that wa●●eth against all his lusts , & truely st●●●h to serue the Lord in all his p●ec●p●s ▪ he may know for certain● that God ha●h cut the cords of his sinnes , and hath cast them all behind● him But ●●●●e are manie circumcised to 〈◊〉 not to the Lord : they are the cir●u●●●sion of the King and of the Queene they leaue ma●y grosse sins p●●●shable by imprisonment , but for others as great , but not p●nal , they passe ouer . These men must know what so long as they addict themselues to their knowne enormities without repentance , they are out of the kingdome of Christ & are not clothed with the robes of his righteousnes , but co●●red with the rotten rags of their owne wickednes For those , that are in Christ , vvalke not after the flesh , but after the Spirit . They , th●t a●e ●is , haue crucified the flesh vv●th the affections , & the lusts . But to liue in sin , is to take sin downe from the crosse , and to put life and spirit into it . Finally , as S. Iohn teacheth , we know that we are translated from death to life ( which is in our iustification ) because vve loue the Brethren . For it is impossible for him rightly to loue a righteous man in Christ , who is not as yet himselfe made righteous by Christ . But when a man is once ●●s●ified by God , he will then begin to loue a iust man for God. Loue lo●es his like . One iust man will loue another . Martin Luther faith that a man may try and know whether h● be incorporated into Christ , or not , by this , that as hee feeleth his heart cheered and sweetned by the feeling of Gods promises and fauour written in his hart , so such a man ( as no man is but he , that is iustified ) ha●h forthwith regard of his Neighbour , and helpeth him as his Brother , careth for him , lendeth him , giueth him , comforteth & coun●elleth him ; yea and briefly , hee is greeued if there bee none , towards whom he may be se●uice●ble : hee is patient , tractab●e , and truly friendeth all men : he doth not esteeme the tēporall pleasure and pride of this life , he iudgeth no man , hee defameth no man , he interpreteth all things to the best part . Finally , when as he seeth not the matter go well with his neighbour as that he fainteth in faith , waxeth cold in loue , he prayeth for him , he reproueth him according to his calling : hee is sorely greeued if any man commit any thing against God or his Neighbour . And all this proceedeth from the roote and iuice of Gods grace , for that the bountifulnes , loue and goodnes of Christ , hath sprinckled and replenished his heart with sweetenes and loue , that it is a pleasure and ioy for him to do good to his Neighbour , and is greeued for his sins , as Samuel for Saul . By these and such like workes of grace , a man may come to a certaine knowledge of his Iustification . Which how well worthy it is of our knowledge , they can best tell , which feele . the comfort of it most . And let no mā thinke it imp●ssible to bee discerned by man , because it is performed by God without man. For though it be acted by God in heauen , yet it produceth many notable graces in man vpon the earth , by which it may be perceiued as a vine by her grapes , or as a lamp by her light . Neither let vs be induced to thinke that iustification is a changeable or reuokable act of God , and that a iustified man may fall from grace and perish , and that therefore there can bee no certaintie made of the continuance of it . For nothing can separate vs from the loue of God , wherewith hee loueth vs in Iesus Christ our Lord. Who hath redemed vs with his blood . Hee ( saith Aug. ) who hath bought vs for so great a price , will not that they should perish , whom hee hath bought . Master Tyndall saith thus . Christ is thine , and all his deeds are thy deeds : Christ is in thee , and thou in him : neither canst thou be dāned , except Christ be damned with thee . Wee conclude therefore according to the trueth ▪ that as Iustification is irreuocable , so it is discerneable . Let him doubt ( sath M. Philpot ) of his faith , that listeth : God giue we alwaies grace to beleeue that I am sure of true faith , and fauour in Christ . And so much concerning iustification , the second meane ordeined for the execution and demonstration of ●●ds eternall Election . ●rga Dei bonitas veniam nō dimidiabi● , Aut nihil , aut totum , to lachrymāte dabis . CHAP. VI. What sanctification is . All the causes of it are expressed . Four effects of it . The subiects , termes and time of it . Nine properties thereof . Ten tokens of it . THE third thing , wherein the Apostle placeth the execution of the decre of Election , is Glorification . Whom he hath foreknowne , predestinated , effectually called and iustified , them ●e hath also glorified . Glorification is the communication or free donation of true holinesse and happinesse to them , that are elected , called and iustified . For glorie comprehendeth in it both holines & happinesse . Holines is one degree of happinesse , and happines is the highest degree of holinesse . No man is holy , but the same is happy : and no mā can be happy , but he must bee holie Grace is the inchoation of glorie , and glorie is the consummation of grace He that sits in the throne of grace , is truely intituled to the crowne of glorie : and it is one point of glorie to be a man of grace A gracious man may be rightly stiled a glorious man. Glorification then comprehendeth in it two things , Sanctification in this world , and the collation of eternall happinesse in the world to come . Of both these we will intreat in order . Sanctification or Regeneration is a benefit of God , whereby our corrupt nature is renewed to the image of god by the Holy Ghost , Polan . Part. The lib. 1. Or sanctification is an inward change of a man iustified wherby the image of God is restored in him . Hippocrates saith of Phisick that it is an adiection , and a subraction ; & Adiection of things wanting , and a Subtraction of things redounding in the bodies of men . Euen so sanctification is a remouing of the corrupt humors of our soules , and an adiection or infusion of spirituall graces , which are wanting . It was excellently said by one . The wise men ( saith he ) which were expert in nature , could say that in euerie generation there is a corruption . And we see that the seede sowen is much changed before it grow vp , and beare fruit . Then needfull it is that in regeneration there be a corruption of sin , so that as the seed in the ground , so sinne in our mortall bodies may decay , that the new man may be raised vp , the Spirit of God taking possession of our soules . Now this transformation of a man is very requisit to saluation . For without holines no man shall see God. If wee will not liue to God by grace vpon the earth , wee shall not liue in glorie with him in the heauens . If wee will not die to sin in this world , wee shall not escape death , the wages of sin , in the world to come . If we doe not liue to God in holinesse in this life , wee shall not liue in happines with God in the life to come . It is not onely necessary in him that is to be saued , that sinne be abolished by remission , but that it bee likewise mortified by regeneration . Neither is it onely requisit that a man stand righteous by the imputation of righteousnesse , but that a man also be righteous by the infusion of righteousnes . Sanctification is not deriued to vs from our parents . For parents must be considered two waies . First as they are Man , the children of Adam . Secondly as they are holy men , sonnes of the second Adam : and thus they doe not beget their children , though their holinesse bee a meanes to make them to be reputed holy with men , and accounted the children of the Church . But they produce their children as they are men , and corrupted in their father Adam , and so conuey nature corrupted in Adam to them , although they be regenerated . Take wheat , make it as clean as you can , sowe it and it will come vp , not as it was sowen , but in stalk , blade and eare , and it brings vp as much chaffe , as euer it did , though none vvere sowen with it . Euen so parents though sanctified by grace , do bring forth childrē , that are vnholie . But the fountaine and proper Efficient of our sanctification and holines is almightie God , whose workemanship we are , created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes , and who ( in mercie ) hath translated vs out of the kingdome of darknes into the kingdome of his beloued sonne , in whom he hath quickned vs through his loue , and hath lifted him vp with his right hand to giue repentance vnto Israel . And albeit our Sanctification be the worke of the whole Trinitie , yet it is immediately performed by the holy ghost : therefore by a peculiar epithet hee is called Holy , and we are said to be borne of the Spirit , who is also compared vnto seede , and vnto fire and vvater . Vnto seede , because of his vertue , as it vvere of seede , the faithfull are renevved , and created nevv men , that beeing dead to sin they might liue vnto God. Vnto fire , first because he doth eat out the drosse of sin , and consume our lusts , and so refine vs : secondly because he doth enlightē our mindes , and shine like a lamp , & shew vs the way , wherein wee ought to walke : and lastly because he doth set vs on heat , and inflame vs vvith a zeale of Gods glorie , vvith a care of our duetie , and vvith a loue of all mankinde . And vnto Water , because he doth refresh vs , & extinguish our spiritual thrist , and because he doth vvater vs being destitute of all the iuice of life , and make vs fertill , and ( finally ) because he doth wash avvay the filth of our hearts , and is povvred out like vvater vpon Beleeuers . In like maner also he is compared to the Northerne and Southerne windes , to the Northerne , because he doth pinch & dry the luxurious humours of our hearts , and coole the vnnaturall heate and swelling pride of our soules , and kil those wormes of wickednes , which ly ( as it were ) at the very roote of our hearts . And to the Southerne , because hee doth comfort vs with his warme blasts , and moisten vs with his sweete showers , and dissolue our frost bitten affections , & make vs to sprout vp and looke fresh like flowers . The meritorious cause of sanctification is Iesus Christ , who by his death and obedience hath merited for vs , th●t the holy Ghost should bee giuen vs to refine and purge vs. And therefore he is said to be made of God vnto vs Sanctification . As by Adam our nature is corrupted : euen so by Christ it is restored . The Ministers of the word are gods liuely Organs , which he vseth to draw men out of the territories and regimēt of the Diue● into the kingdome o● his sonne ▪ Paul is said to be sent to conuert the Gentiles from darkenes vnto light : & to the Corinths he saith , In Christ Iesus I haue begotten you by the Gospell . The instruments , which he vseth to this purpose are the word and sacraments . Gods word is compared to fire and to an hammer . For through his blessing it doth breake our marble hearts , and burne vp our sin like stubble , and kindles in vs a zeale of his glorie , & a true loue of righteousnes . And by the foolishnes of preaching it is his pleasure to saue them , that beleeue . And as concerning the sacraments , they represent and seale vnto vs our insition into Christ , our new birth , and our progresse and spirituall nutrition vnto eternall life . The matter of Sanctification , are the parts whereof it doth consist . The parts or actes of sanctification are two ; the Remotion of euill , or Mortification , and the Substitution of good , or Vi●ification . Mortification is a part of Sanctification , whereby the power , strength , and tyrannie of originall sinne is weakned , and also by little and little abolished . The ground wherof is the power of Christs God-head , or the efficacie of his death , which being by faith applyed , is as a Corafine to consume the corruption of our nature . Viuification is the second part of our Regeneration , when as wee are raised vp to a new spirituall life , that we might liue vnto righteousnes . Or it is a work of the spirit , by which true Christian habits , virtues , and dispositions are infused & encreased in vs. And this substitution of good , or Quickening is , Where Christ dwels and raignes in our hearts by his spirit : so as we can say , we hencefoorth liue not , but Christ in vs. The ground of this , is the vertue of Christs resurrection , or the power of his God-head raising vp his Man head , & releasing him of the punishment and tyrannie of our sinnes : which vertue and power is as a Restoratiue to restore and quicken vs , that we might liue vnto God in holinesse and newnesse of life . Mortification then is of the Old● man , which is the vitiositie and distemper of our nature deriued from Adam the first . Viuificatiō is of the New man , which is the nature of man refined and restored to the image of God : and this is deriued from Adam the second , in whom are hid all the tre●sures of wis●●● ▪ knowledge and holinesse . The forme of Sanctification is the very translation and alteration of the heart and life : or a spirituall reduction and conuersion of a man by God from the vncleannes of sinne , to true puritie and Christian sanctitie . The endes of our Sanctification are the glorie of God , the saluation of our soules , the edification of our Brethren , the beautifying of our honorable prosession and calling , the silencing of Athiests and prophane Mockgods , the alluring of others vnto God & godlines , & that we might bee something like God our father ▪ and Christ our elder brother , and gather assurance to our soules that we● are in the state of life . The effects of Sanctification are first the true loue of God , our selues , and our neighbours . Secondly , a serious desire to doe all good duties , and to auoyd all the courses of sinne and wickednes . Thirdly it makes him , that is sanctified , to couet and labour for the renouation and conuersion of others . Finally , it is the roote of all those good fruites wee bring foorth and beare . For if the fountaine bee altogether corrupt and foule , the waters must needs be also naught and fithy . For who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse ? There is not one . But when a man is once truely sanctified , though not fully , the good workes he doth , are then truely holy , though not fully . The Subiects of Sanctification , or or the persons sanctified , are such as are elected , called and iustified : and therfore the Apostle saith , that whom God predestinated , called and iustified , he did also glorifie . These and none but these are truely sanctified . For God sanctifies those only , whom he maketh to be Temples of his spirit : but all men are not such : yea , there are a number in the world , that sit in perpetuall darknesse , and worship the very deuill . Indeed a Reprobate may seeme holy , but he is not holy , but is like a faire apple rotten in the heart : or to a wound that hath a skin drawen ouer it , but yet festers inwardly . And they may liue amongst Gods holy one ( as Frogs and fishes in one pond ) but they are not of them , but indeed pertaine to another state . And finally , Christ is sanctification to those onely , to whom hee is wisedome , righteousnesse , and redemption : which he is not vnto all , but vnto his owne people onely . Now why Christ doth not communicate holinesse vnto all , as Adam did corruption , the reason is , because the maner , by vvhich Adam doth communicate his euils vnto all and euery one , is naturall , to wit , generation , and humane nature : but the maner by which Christ doth communicate his benefits , is supernaturall : to wit , faith , and the grace of God , whereof all men are not pertakers : for it dependeth on Gods Election . Therefore whosoeuer haue humane nature , the same are sinners . But they onely are renewed , who are possessed of faith . Furthermore , those which are sanctified , must be considered in a twofold estate : first , as they are in themselues till God doe worke vpon them , and that is , lothsome and vgly , dead in sinnes and trespasses . Euen when we were dead in sins , hath hee quickned vs together in Christ . Secondly , as they are made by grace , & that is a royall priesthood , an holy nation , and the Temples of God , and of his Spirit . Finally , these things are worthy to be knowen concerning the regenerate . First , their Countrey , which is heauen : Secondly , their Parents , to wit , the holy Ghost and the Church : Thirdly , their Essentiall parts , these are an intelligent soule and an organicall body : Fourthly their food , which is the word of God : Fiftly , their disposition or condition , & that in the minde is a diuine light , and reformation in heart : Sixtly their war-fare or indeuours , which is the flight of the pleasures of the flesh , and of fleshly vanities : Seauenthly their Religion , and that is true godlinesse , and faith in Christ : Lastly their consummation , which is eternall life . The obiects , or two termes of Sanctification , are corruption and sinne to bee diminished and extirped : and Christian holinesse to bee planted , inpired and augmented . The subiect in vvhich this sanctification is wrought , is the vvhole man according to both soule and body , yea , and life also . Yet here by this way we must obserue that sanctification doth not alter the ve●y substance of a man , but onely his corupt and sinfull qualities . It rectifieth , but abolisheth not affections . It corrects and moderates mirth , and sorow , and such humane passions , but takes them not quit away , It tunes the iarring strings of a mans heart , but it breakes them not in peeces . Euen as the fall of man did not abolish a mans essence , but corrupt his faculties , euen so the raising vp , and the renouation of a man doth not a●ter his very substance , but doth onely change his corrupted qualities and powers . Now the Sanctification of the soule consist first in the alteration of the minde , whreby ignorance is by little and little abolished , and the mind inlightened to know the true God and his mercie in Christ , and to know a mans selfe and to see his secret corruptions againg the ●aw , and to know how to behaue himselfe vnto God and man : a● also to approoue the things of God , and to minde and meditate on things spirituall and celestiall . Secondly it consists in the renouation of the will. Which is when God giues grace truely to will good : as to beleeue , fear , and obey God. But yet this will is weake and not without resistance and contention made by the flesh , Thirdly , it consistes in the sanctification of the memorie , which is an openesse by grace to keepe good things , specially the doctrine of saluation . Fourthly , it stands in the regeneration of the conscience , as when it is fitted to giue true testimony to a mans heart of the remission of his sinnes , and of his care to serue God. Fiftly , it consists in a spirituall transformation of the affections , as loue , ioy , sadnes , anger , feare and such like , whereby a man that is iustified , doth so temper them by his reason refined , and by the light of the Law , with the helpe of Gods Spirite , that they doe not breake out ( as in the wicked , that giue the reignes to their lusts ) but may bee held in some good order ; howbeit in this life , this is done with much strife & reluctation , and is rather affected then effected . Sixtly , it consists in the sanctificatiō of the appetite or desires , by which a man iustified obtaineth conformitie with good reason and Gods law in the desiring of meat , and in other things which appertaine to the appetite : Or the sanctification of the appetite stands in the holy ordering of our desires in meat , drinke , apparell , riches , & . And in the practise of three main vertues : sobrietie , chastitie and contentation : by which the appetite must be gouerned . Sobrietie , is a continence from superfluous meat and drinke ▪ and from a wilfull macerating and afflicting of the body . Chastitie is a continencie from wandering lusts , and from all impuritie , both in wedlock , and out of it . Contentation is when a man is contented with his present estate ▪ whether rich or poore , noble or inglorious . Paul saith , I haue learned in whatsoeuer state I am , therewith to be content . I can bee abashed , and I can abound : euery where in all things I am instructed , both to be full , and to be hungrie , and to abound , and to haue want . Lastly , the sactification of the soule consists in a Christian resolution , and constant indeauour with al our forces to please God , and to testifie our loue vnto him in the seruing of our neighbour ▪ and seeking our owne saluation : and withall flatly denying of our selues : Which is , first , when we hold God to be wiser then vve are , that so wee should bee both directed , and disposed of by him . Secondly , when vvee account him more carefull for vs , then we our selues can be , and so rest vvell satisfied vvith vvhat condition of life soeuer he sets vs in . The Sanctification of the body is that , wherby the members thereof are made fit instruments for the soule regenerated to worke the workes of God with ; it being become obedient to the minde illumined and the heart reformed , through the worke of the Spirit , who now hath made it the Temple of his holinesse , whereas before it was a slaue to the flesh , and a shop of iniquitie and vncleannesse . The Sanctification of the life is a visible reformation of it , when as it is dedicated to God and good duties , those sinnes being abandoned , which reigned in it in former times . And so much for the Subiects of Sanctification● where remember that this worke of the Spirit is wrought in the whole man : and that it belongs onely to the faithfull and Elect of God. Ciuill moralities , outward formalities , and such graces , as doe onely bridle and represse sinne , may befall the reprobate : but Christian vertues , and such graces , as doe supplant and suppresse sinne in our soules , such works of the Spirit ▪ as doe reuiue and restore Gods image , are appropriated to beleeuers . The time wherein Sanctification is wrought , is in this life ; in some sooner , in others later , but in none after this life , if wee respect the beginning of it , and not the finishing . For it is begunne euer before death , and neuer after . He that would be saued in the life to come , must bee sanctified in this life . None liue like victorious Princes in the Church triumphant , but such as haue bene courageous soldiours in the Church militant . The properties of Sanctification are many . First , it is a most gracious and free worke of the Lord , without all obligation or merit of ours . For the Spirit of God bloweth with his blasts of grace both when , how and where he listeth . And the Apostle teacheth vs that our quickning and saluation , is through the great loue and grace of God. It is not giuen vs ( saith Augustine ) for any merit ( to wit of ours ) that we are borne againe of vvater and of the Spirit : but it is freelie giuen : and if faith haue brought vs to the lauer of regeneration , we must not therfore think that we gaue somthing before , that sauing regeneration might be giuē as in the vvay of recōpence . Secondly , this new birth is so needfull , as that without it we cannot bee saued . The kingdome of grace is the suburbs of the kingdome of glorie : he therefore , that walkes not through the suburbs , shall neuer enter into the Citie : a man must be in the kingdom of grace , or else he shall neuer be admitted into the kingdome of glorie : no grace , no glory : no holinesse , no happinesse , no heauen , no heauenly honour . Except a man bee borne againe , hee cannot see the kingdome of God , neither in this world nor in the world to come . There are ( saith Augustine ) certaine beginnings of faith , like vnto conceptions : but yet , that a man may come to eternall life , it is not onely needfull that he be conceiued , but that he bee also borne . Thirdly , Sanctification is an vnresistable act of the Spirit . For when the holy Ghost doth seriously intend to sanctifie a man , hee doth so worke vpon him , that hee shall willingly yeeld , how vnwillingly so euer his will be by nature . On vvhom God shevveth mercie ( saith that learned Father ) he doth so call him , as hee knovveth conuenient for him , that hee may not reiect him , vvhich calleth to him . The same may be said concerning sanctificatiō . Fourthly , our Regeneration is but once begun , howsoeuer our holinesse sometimes increaseth , and sometimes decreaseth . The Scripture speaketh but of one new birth . As there is ( saith Austen ) one fleshlie generation , neither can there be made a returne into the vvombe : so is there one spirituall regeneration . Semel enim nascimur , semel quoque renascimur , We are once borne , and we are once born anew . We are but once brought forth by our naturall mother , once begotten by our naturall father : so wee are but once begotten of our heauēly father , and but once brought foorth and borne of our spirituall mother , which is the Church . Fiftly , Sanctification is an infallible argument of eternall saluation . Grace is the testification of glorie : and glory is the promised compensation of grace . Godlinesse hath the promise of this life , and of that vvhich is to come . When vve haue receiued mortification and sanctification is hansels of Gods mercies , thē may vvee hope for heauen : for they that haue receiued grace , shall also receiue glorie . And as we haue behaued our selues in the kingdom of grace in this world , so it shal be done vnto vs in the kingdom of glorie in the world to come . Holinesse is a signe of honor : and the more we haue of holinesse , the more wee shall haue of honour . Sixtly , sanctificatiō is a very excellent & commodious worke of God. First because it is wrought by his own finger , & by his own hand engrauen vpon the tables of our harts . Secondly that it is a Reformation and change according to the vvhole law of God , and containes in it the seeds of all good duties . Thirdly , because without it our life is most vile and despicable , wholly corrupt and sinfull . For ( as Augustine saith ) hovv can hee liue iustly , that is not iustified ? Hovv can he liue holily , vvho is not sanctified ? Or hovv can hee liue at all , who is not raised vp to life ? Seauently , Sanctification is in this life imperfect . Sinne is not all at once consumed : but the scum thereof is almost continually boiling and walloping in vs , foming out much filthy froth and stinking sauours . If vve say ( saith Iohn ) that vve haue no sinne , vvee deceiue our selues , and trueth is not in vs. There is none so holie ( saith Gregorie ) vvhich hath not in him some corruption which hee may lament . No man ( saith Lactantius ) can be vvithout sinne so long as he is burthened with the garment of his flesh . Death must end the conflict betwixt the flesh and the spirit . So long as we liue sinne will not die . I●ie will liue , till the Oke bee hewen downe . Before there be an vniuersal clensing , there must bee a dissolution of nature . The body must first rot before grace shall raigne without disturbance . It is true indeed , that the corruption of our nature is abolished in Baptisme in respect of guilt and condemnation , but not in regard of existence . Concupiscence ( saith Ambrose ) is taken avvay in Baptisme ( Non vt non sit , sed ne obsit ) Not as touching the being of it , but in that it shall bee no impediment of saluation to them , that are baptised with water and the holy Ghost . For it is to such no Prince , but a Rebell only : it neither shall damne them , nor dominere within them . But as a Serpent cut in diuerse peeces hath but certaine reliques of poison , and remnants of fiercenes in the maimed members & mangled parts thereof , and is not able to exercise the like violence to a man , as when it was whole and perfitlie membred : so howsoeuer s●me relicks of sinnes remaine in our old , but in our martired Adam , yet it hath no such force or fiercenesse to preuaile against vs , at vvhen it vvas in perfit age , beeing then like to a mightie Monarch , rather then to a poore prisoner . And although those that are regenerated may bee termed iust and perfit , yet it is onely in comparison of the wicked , who are in bondage vnder sinne , & respect of Imputatiue righteousnesse : and for that they are perfect because ( like Infants ) they haue all the parts of a Christian ▪ and not the perfection of those parts . All the seeds of sauing graces are sowen in their harts , but they haue not the ●ull groath of them in this life . No man is so vvashed , but he may haue dusty feete , trauelling after his washing . And as Ans●lme speaketh , The bodie of sin is destroyed , not that in bred con●upiscence should be on the suddaine consumed and quite extirped i● the very flesh , that liueth : but that it may be no let to him , that is dead , in whom it was , vvhen he vvas aliue . It is destroied not from hauing a beeing vvhiles vve are aliue , but that vve should not be compeld to serue it . Sin shall be , but it shall not be to raigne , but rather that the regenerate man may vex and afflict it like a most odious enemy , and cut off ( as it were ) the hands and the feet thereof , ( as Adonibezeks were by the Israelites ) till at length it be cleane defaced . The trueth of that which hath beene spoken , will euidently bee seene by this comparison . Take a vessell full of vvater : let a portion be taken out , and an equall portion of hot vvater be put in , it becomes luke-vvarme all of it , partly hot , and partly cold : euen so euerie man is a vessel of vvater filled vvith corruption to the bri●● : if a part of his corruption be taken avvay , and a proportionall part of holinesse put instead of it , the vvhole man becomes partly holie , partly vnholie . And albeit holinesse and sin be contrary , yet may they be both in one subiect as light and darknes in the aire at the twilight , beeing there remis●y & neither of them predominant or absolute victour , but remaining in continuall combat . Now the reasons , why the Lord doth not finish mans sanctification in this life , may be these . First , that we might seeke after perfection more earnestly , and couet it more ardently . Secondly that despising this world , we might the more affect our heauenly life , as knowing that our perfect sanctification shall not bee wrought till wee come into heauen . Thirdly that we might be humbled and exercised in faith , patience , prayers , and skirmi●hing with the flesh , & might not wax proud with a conceipt of perfectiō , but daily pray , Enter not into iudgement vvith thy seruant , O Lord , Forgiue vs our trespasses . Caluin saith , that our reparation is not finished all at once , but that God doth abolish the corruption of the flesh by degrees i● his elect , That they may exercise themselues in repentance all their life , and know that of this vvarfare there is no end , but i● death . Fourthly the Lord thus doth tha● we might exercise and take notice o● our spirituall wisedome and Christian fortitude and magnanimity , in defeating the wiles of sin and the plots of the Diuell , and in contending ( like couragious Kings ) against all our spirituall aduersaries , and finally in disdaining to giue place to the flesh , that abominable and filthy wretch . Fifthly , the Lord doth hereby demonstrate his liberty and absolute authoritie ouer vs , that he is not bound vnto vs by any bond of duetie to perfit his graces in vs in this life . For then it should be iniustice in him not to do it . But God is righteous in all his waies , and holy in all his vvorkes , and can not offer the least iniustice . Sixthly God thus doth to manifest his mercie to vs , & to teach vs thankfulnesse to him , who pardoneth our weake obedience , and accepteth of our poore holinesse & imperfect perfection . There are with God two courts of Iustice . The first is the Kings bench , where there is strict iustice : the other is the Chancerie , where there is a mitigation of that strict course of Iustice . In the first Court there is none found iust : in the second court of acceptation some are accepted for iust men . In this Court God accepteth our vnperfit holines , our poore indeauours , our weake resolutions , our imperfect desires , motions and meditations , if they be faithfull , and entire , and directed to the right ends ; and for his Christ doth pardon all their defects . Which argueth mercie on his part , & claimeth gratitude on ours . Lastly the Lord thus doth to demonstrate his prouidence and power in protecting and conseruing vs against so many puislant & pernicious enemies , as we are begirt with ; notwithstanding our great vnworthines , weaknesses and imperfections . And so much for the seuenth property of Sanctification . Eightly , this worke of the Spirit is neuer cleane extinguished . The gifts of God are without repentance . The graces of God are not in his children as morning mists , but as well builded tovvers to continue all assaults . As he hath begū the worke of sanctification , so he will make an end of it . For what should hinder ? His good will is constant , & his might is ouer all . Sin , Sathan and all the enemies of our soules whatsoeuer are with him as chaffe before a whirlewinde ▪ or as flax before a flame of fire . His eie is waking and allseing , his wisedome is infinite , his essence euery where , and his mercie endureth for euer . What then can , what shall hinder his worke ? He hath ioyned vs to Christ , who shall disioyne vs ? He hath wedded vs vnto himse●fe , what can diuorce vs ? He is with vs , who can be against vs ? Christ is our King , and we are his subiects , we neede not therefore doubt of his fauour and protection . He is our Architect , hee hath built vs vpon a rocke , and hath said that hell gates shall not preuaile against vs. Wee are the Temples of Gods spirit , who is no idle , nor regard lesse Inhabitant . Our holinesse ( I confesse ) may suffer an eclipse and be diminished , but it shall neuer be fully wasted and abolished . For God will confirme vs by his grace . He ( saith Augustine ) who makes men good , doth make men to perseuere in good . And therefore out state by Christ is surer then our condition was in Adam . For though he was made perfectly good , yet he had not the grace of perseuerance in that good . But to vs it is giuen to perseuere . Beleeuers are of the bone & flesh of Christ : novv there is no part of the bone and flesh of Christ that dieth . They that are sanctified , are reserued vnto Christ , and therefore they shall not fall away from Christ . They beleeue in Christ : but faith ( as Chrisostome saith ) is petra fixa & infracta ) a rock fixed and inuiolable . It will shine ( like a starre ) in the night of aduersitie , and sauours most ( like Camomell ) when it is troden vppon . Hope is the anchor of the soule ▪ it wil endure both windes and waues . And loue is strong as death . Charitie ( saith Austen ) vvhich may be left , vvas neuer true . Whosoeuer is borne of GOD sinneth not , neither can he sin , because he is borne of God. If a sanctified man cannot sin with a full swinge of the will , and if hee cannot liue long in sin without repentance , then assured he cannot fall from grace and perish . It is our Fathers good pleasure to giue vs the kingdome of heauen , and therefore we shall not misse it . It remaineth thē as an vndoubted trueth that the work of sanctification shall neuer be demolished , and that a sanctified man shall neuer perish . Master Bradford saith well , Our blindnes and corrupt affections doe often shadovv the sight of Gods seede in Gods children , as thogh they were plain Reprobates : Whereof it commeth that they praying according to their sense , but not according to the truth , desire of God to giue them againe his Spirit , as though they had lost it , and he had taken it away : which thing God neuer doth indeede , although he make vs to thinke so for a time . And so much for this eight property . Ninthly , sanctification may be discerned . The childe of God may be sure of his new birth . The Apostle saith , know ye not that ye are the Temple of God , and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you ? know ye not that your bodie is the Temple of the Holy Ghost that is in you ? know ye not your owne selues , how that Iesus Christ is in you , except ye be reprobates ? It is possible then that these may be knowne . Know for a certaine ( saith Master Bradford ) that as the Diuel goeth about nothing so much as to bring you in doubt whether you be Gods child : so vvhatsoeuer sh●ll moue you to admit that dubitation , bee assured the same to come of the Diuell . This assurance of our Sanctifi●ation may be obtained ▪ not onely by the inward suggestion of the holy Ghost assuring our spirits of the same , but also by certaine vndoubted testimonies and tokens of it : some whereof : will here annex . First , He that committeth sin is of the Diuel : but vvhosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not . Wherefore if we doe not commit sin with full consent of will : if when we doe sin , we doe not continue in it , but recouer our selues by true repentance , as Peter did , then may we know that we are not the Diuels slaue but Gods childe . Secondly , vvhosoeuer beleeueth that Iesus is that Christ , is borne of God. It is then a certaine token of a mans regeneration to beleeue distinctly that Iesus the sonne of Marie is that anointe● king , priest and prophet , which God hath raised vp for the saluation of hi● soule , and of the rest of Gods Elect. Thirdly , Euerie one vvhich ●ouet● him vvhich did beget , loueth him also vvhich is b●gotten of him . Whosoeuer therefore doth truely loue the childe of God for his fathers sake doth loue God himselfe : And euerie one that loueth , is borne of God , and knoweth God. Fourthly , All that is borne of God , ouercommeth this world , that is , saith M. Beza , whatsoeuer striueth against the commandements of God. Wherefore if a man vanquish the vanities , the vaine allu●ements , and allur●ing enchan●ments and wicked obstacles of the world , and keepe a constant course in pittie , he is vndoubtedly the true childe of God , and a verie Saint . Fiftly , He that is begotten of GOD , keepeth himselfe , and that wicked one toucheth him not . When a man then doth keep continuall watch and ward ouer his heart , and is circumspect in his walking , & begi●ds himselfe with the armour of God , and is fearefull to offend him , he doth giue an vndoubted testimonie of sauing grace within him . Sixtly , when a man will rather forsake the world , then God , hee doth plainely shew that hee is not of the world , but belongs to God , and to his kingdome . Seuenthly , to grieue for sin because it offends God , and hurts his owne soule , is a notable signe of a mortified heart . Eightly , a sanctified man doth manifest the grace of his heart by sanctifying the name of God , and by conuersing with sanctified men , as also by seeking the sanctification of others . For ( bonum est sui diffusiuum ) a good man doth loue to communicate his goodnes , and not to keepe it lockt vp in his owne breast . Ninthly , it is an infallible signe of holinesse , when a man doth more and more ●ontend against his owne vnholinesse , and labours continually to draw nearer and nearer vnto God by holynesse . Lastly , to feele our inward corruptions , a desi●e to be●●b●● 〈◊〉 ●hem , an auoiding of the occasions o● sinne , and an anger against ourselues for our sinning doe euidently shew that the Spirit of God hath taken possession of our hearts , and hath begun to worke a most happy change w●thin vs. Where these graces are , there i● also the God of grace , the Spirit of grace , a man of grace , a true dying vnto sin , and a liuing vnto God , sinne is dismounted , the sinner is renewed : for Gods image is restored . CHAP. 7. Three things vvherein Iustification and Sanctification agree . Seuen points in vvhich they dissagree . BY this which hath beene said we may easily see wherein Iustification & sanctification concord and differ . They agree , first , in their efficient cause : for God is the author of them both through the merit of Christ . Secondly they haue one instrumētall cause , vvhich is faith● of the former , by receiuing it : and of the latter by effecting it . Thirdly they agree in their scope and end . For they both 〈◊〉 tend to one end : 〈◊〉 iustification , as the cause : and sanctification , as the way . Now as they doe accord in some things , so they discord againe in other : & their difference may appeare in these things ensuing . First , in that iustification is out of a man ; sanctification is within him . Secondly , iustification absolueth a sinner , and makes him stand righteous at the barre of Gods iudgement ; sanctification cannot do this . Thirdly iustification brings peace of conscience ; so doth not sanctification , but followeth that peace . Hac ille . Fourthly , iustification consists in the imputation of righteousnes ; sanctification in the infusion of righteousnes . Fiftly iustification is acted at once , sanctification is done by degrees : holinesse is not made vp at once like a pellet in a mould , but successiuelie , & at leisure . Wee are neither perfect men , nor perfect new men in our full dimensions , so soone as we are borne . Our perfection in this life consisteth rather in the pardon of sin , then in the perfection of sanctity . But iustification in this life is perfect . Sixtly they differ in respect of the maner in which they are wrought . For iustification is wrought by the right of donation : but sanctification is by the way of alteration . Lastly they differ in regard of durance . For Iustification shall haue an end with this life ; but sanctification shall continue for euer . And thus much for Sanctification , the first part of our Glorification . CHAP. VIII . What Eternall life is . The causes of it . Three effects of it . Who shall liue this life , where and when . Seuen properties of it . Two signes thereof are expressed , and the tractate is concluded . THE second part o● degree of Glorification actiuely taken , is the collation of eternall happines in the world to come . This happinesse is that glorious estate of Gods saints , which is prepared for them in the heauens : and it is called Eternall life . Eternall life ( as Vrsinus doth describe it ) is the eternall being of a Regenerate and glorified man : vvhich being is to haue the image of God restored , according to which , man vvas at the first created , that is , to bee indued vvith perfect righteousnesse , wisdome , and felicitie , or vvith the true knovvledge and loue of God ●●●ed vvith eternall ioy . Or m●re ●●●fly ▪ It is a perfect conformitie of man with God , consisting in ●●e true and perfect knowledge and loue of God , and in the glorie of both soule and bodie . The primarie efficient cause of this glorious condition is God of hi● ●●●re fauour , without any merit of ours ▪ For as Christ teacheth it is our Fathers good pleasure to giue vs the kingdome . We are saued ( saith P●●●● , ) by grace ▪ not according to the vvorkes of righteousnesse vvhich vve had done , but according to his mercie he saued vs. The meritori●us ▪ Efficient of our life and happinesse is Christ alone , without any personall desert of ours . Therefore he is called the Life . And the Apostle doth expresse it notably , when he saith that the Wages of sinne is death , but euerlasting life is the gracious gift ( Charisma ) of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Bernard saith : No man can deserue eternall life by his merits . Eternall life ( saith Haymo ) is paied to none of debt , but is giuen of free mercie . When a● ( saith Anselme ) the Apostle might haue said , euerlasting life is the vvages , he chose to say , but euerlasting life is the gift of God , that vve might hereby perceiue that God doth bring vs to eternall life , not for our merits , but for his ovvne mercie . We must therefore ascribe all to the mercie of God , and to the merit of our Sauiour . Let vs not ( saith Gregorie ) trust in our vveepings , nor in our vvorks , but in the allegation ( or intercession and pleading ) of our Aduocate . And again , Not relying vpon my merits , I doe beseech thee to saue me , but presuming vpon thy sole mercie I hope to obtaine that , which I do not by my merits . And albeit eternall life be called a Revvard , yet it is not of merit , but of mercie , not causallie as procured by them , but consequentlie , following thē as a recompence of our labours . Let this ( saith Caluin ) be grounded in our heart , that the kingdome of heauen is not a stipend of seruants , but an inheritance of sonnes : which they onelie shal obtain which are adopted of God to be sons , & for no other cause then for this adoption , which depends only of the mercie of God in Christ . The instrumental cause offe●ing and proclaiming saluation is the Gospel . The instrument receiuing and applying it is faith . The cause sealing it inwardly to our soules is the spirit of God. The externall and instrumentall seales thereof are the two sacraments . Thus we see the Efficients of our eternall life , and are taught to say with Ber. that good workes are the waie to the kingdom , but not the cause of reigning . The matter whereof this life consisteth , are those admirable good things , which God hath prepared , and which Christ hath purchased for the Elect , Which for any wit of man to conceiue , for any tongue to relate , or for any pen to set downe is altogether impossible . What tongue can tell ( saith Gregorie ) and what vnderstanding can comprehend how great the ioies may be of that celestiall citie ? It is not in man to vnderstand ( saith S. Basil ) : For there shall be things , which eie hath not scene , nor care heard of , neither hath it entred into the heart of man , what things God ha●h prepared for them that loue him . ) Neuerthelesse we will set downe some of them , as wee finde them reuealed and deliuered to vs. In that life the●e shall be no earthly or sinfull miserie . There shall be no sinne at all , no sicknesse , no sorrowes , no disease nor maladie , on crosse , no curse , no vexation , nor calamitie , no defect nor deformitie , no tumults , nor troubles , no paine ▪ nor penurie . All teares shall be done away , al euils remoued , al sinne abolished , all wants supplyed . And againe in this life there shall be a perfect plenarie and perpetuall possession of all good things , euen of GOD himselfe , who is goodnesse it selfe , and who will bee all in all vnto all his Elect There shal be perfection of knowledge , no de●ect in loue , happie in mortalitie , certaine securitie ▪ constant amitie and secure tranquilitie . The soule shal haue perfection of vertues , the bodie shall be ful of beutie ▪ strength and agilitie : the whole man shall inioy fellowship with God , fellowship with the lamb fellowship with the Angels , a happy societie , a sweet communion . All holinesse all happinesse , all ioyes shall be inioyed . To conclude : wee shall raigne like kings with the king of kings for euer with fulnesse of grace in our hearts and a dia●em of glorie on our heades , celebrating an euerlasting Sabboth , and singing an Allelu●●h to the Lord for euer . The form● of this life is that vnspeakable splendor , and that most excellent order , and well ordered excellencie of that happie condition . The end● of this life are , first : that God might manifest and ( ipso f●ct● ) fully ratifie his exceeding loue vnto vs. Secondly , that we might inioy the full fruit of Christs death & passion Thirdly , that we may receiue the ●eward of our labours , and know that it is not i●vaine to serue God. And lastly , that wee might acknowledge the wonderfull mercie of God vnto vs , and celebrate his name for euer . The effects of this life are these , first by reason of it we are made like vnto the Angels . Secondly , wee are by it become to bee actually partakers of the dignitie of Christ . Thirdly , it can not but produce wonderfull gratitude in those which doe inioy it . The Subiects or the persons that shall liue this life , are the Elect and obedient children of God. For the reprobate shall be tormented in endlesse , easlesse , and remediles tortures . The place in which this life shall bee led is the Paradise of God , the highest heauens . The time is after this life , for the soule immediately ▪ and for both soule and bodie after the day of iudgement . The properties of this life are many . First , the saluation of them that beleeue is more sure , thou the whole frame of heauen and earth : because it is founded in the vocation of God , which is without repentance , in the counsell of separation and in the pleasure of God. Secondly , it is a most holy life . For in it wee shall be compleat and without spot and wrinkle . Thirdly , it is a most delectable and sweet life . For ( as Bernard truely speaketh ) VVhatsoeuer is amiable , it shal be there , and nothing shall be awaie , which shall be desired . Fourthly , it is an all-sufficient life . For it shall stand in need neither of meat , drinke , clothing , sunne , moone , nor any other helpe of this life . VVe shall be satisfied with God , and hee shall content vs fully . Fiftly , this life i● vnconceiuable : it cannot bee throughly discouered or described by any . VVho ( saith Bernard ) can comprehend in this life , how great the glorie of the Saints of God shall bee in the life euerlasting ? Sixtly , this life is an euerliuing life : it shall continue world without end . As the terrors , and the most terrible and horrid torments of the wicked shall continue alwayes : so shall this solatious and sweet life of the godly . Their death shall neuer see life : and the life of these shal neuer see a death . The death of those and the life of these are euer●liuing , and neuer-dying . Lastly this life may be discerned in this life of him , that shall liue in it in the life to come VVe know ( saith Paul ) that if our earthlie house of this tabernacle be destroied , we haue a building giuen of God , in house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens . These things ( saith Iohn ) I haue vvritten vnto you that ye may know , that ye haue eternall life . I am sure ( saith Iob ) that my redeemer li●●th , and hee shall stand the last on the earth : and though after my skinne , wormes destroy this bodie , y●t shall I see God is my fl●sh : whom I my selfe shall see , and 〈…〉 shall behold . VVhen I awake ( saith Dauid ) I shall bee satisfied with th●●e image , that is when I rise from the dead , as ●●ca●● doth interpret it . By th●s it appea●eth that a mā may know his future happinesse . The S●●●● of et●rnall life are two The first is true faith in Christ . For whosoeuer beleeueth , shall not perish , but shall be saued . The second are good workes performed with an vpright heart , in conscience of Gods commandement , and to an honest end . The Psalmist asking who shall rest on Gods holy mountaine , receiueth answere as by oracle from heauē , that he shal there rest , that walketh vprightl● , and worketh righteousnes , and speaketh the truth from his heart . Thus saith the Lord , aske for the old way , which is the good way , and ye shall find rest ●●r your soules . Life ( saith Salomon ) is in ●he way of righteous●●● , and in that path-way there is n● death . And our Sauiour sheweth that those are the Blessed of his Father , and shal inherit eternall happiness● , who manifest their loue to his af●●●cted members by their workes of me●cie , and he that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet , shall receiue a Prophets reward : and he that receiueth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receiue the reward of a righteous man. Thus now we see in part what our eternall glorie shall bee in the world to come , wherewith we shall be all replenished , though not all alike : euen as wee see vessels different in bignes may bee all of them filled full to the top , though one of them hold mor● then another . As wee haue excelled one another vpon the earth in grace , so we shall excell one another in heauen in respect of glorie . If wee haue gone before others in discharging of our duetie in this world , we shall also surpasse them in dignitie in th● world to come . They that be wise shall shine indee● As the brightnes of the Firmament : but they that turne many to righteousnes , shal● shine as the starres for euer and euer . Now the GOD of peace , that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus , the great Shepheard of the sheepe through the blood of the euerlasting couenant , make vs meete to doe his will in all good workes , that hauing serued him in this life in the kingdome of grace , we may also raigne with him in the life to come in the kingdome of glory , Amen . Trin. vni Deo Gloria . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A13997-e60 a Ephe. 1. b Ephe. 2. c d Per. 1.19 Reu. 5.9 e 2. Cor. 5 21. f Chrys . in ●phe . 1. ser . 1. g Act. 20.28 . h Rom. 9 5. i Ion. 1 2. & 10.30 . k Ion. 4.9 Rom. ● . 8 l ●ud 1. 2. Thesa . 9.13 . Ezek 3● . 1 Cor. 6.11 m Heb. 1.6 n Rom. 2.78 . 2. Cor. 5.1 . 2. Tim. 8. o August . p Bernard Notes for div A13997-e2050 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Aristot. N●scire & malum & ●urpe duci●us , Cic. 1. Offic. Luke 6.13 . Iohn 6.70 ●ur●n de praed . ● o● . 36. Que. 2. Deut. 4.37 & 77. Psal . 705.6 Polan de praedest . ●uc . & Pol. ibid. Rom. 11.7 Tit. 1.10 . Matth. 20 15. Iohn 13 . 1● . Act. 13. ●8 2. Pet. 1 . 1● Pro. 16.4 . Mal. 1.3 . Iude. 4. Prayedestinationē nega●e ●mmani●●st blasthemia . ug . 1● . 6. ●ypog . Vid. H●b . ●turm . de ●raed . Thes . 1. Ier. 31.3 . & 32 ▪ 40. 2. Tim. 2.19 Tit. 3.5 . Eph. 1.4 Rom. 8. ●● Polanus & ●●rmius de praed . Rom. ●5 . 4 Matth. 28. Mark. 16. Polan . ibid Act. 10. Deut. 29.9 . Instii lib. 3 ▪ c. 2● . ● 1 Ibid sect 3 Vide Aug. lib. 1. de praedest . sa● . c. 20. Caluin . ibid. Keck . Syst Theol. l. 3. c. 1. Perk de praed . Aug. de fide ad P. cap. 35. ●eck . ibid. ●erk . de ●raed . p. 9.10 Opere Trinitat●s ad 〈…〉 . Aug. Is . 42.1 . Matth. 12.18 1. Pet. 1.20 . 1. Iohn 5.7 Ephe. 1.5 Rom. 11.5 Tom. 7. lib. 7 de prae . C 15 Polan . de praed . ●ag . 3● Eph. 1.6 . Aug ibid. Contra Iul. Pel. Tom. 7. Contra Iul. ●elag . l. 5. c. 3 Tract . 86. in Ioh. Epist . 105. ad Sex. In Enchir. ad Laur. c 98. Ad Hebid. Quaest . 10. In cap. 8. lib. 2. Regum . Keck . Syst Theol. l. 3. c. ● . Quicquid est causa causae , est etiam causa causati . Contr● 〈◊〉 . Tom 1. l. 1. ●e praed . sanct . c. 17. 1. Cor. 7.25 Cap. 3. Ephe. 1.4 . Apolog. ad Ruffin . Rom. 9.16 . Polan . lib. de praed . Polan . ibid. Rom. 2.11 Deut. 7.7 . Col. 1.12 . Polan . lib. de praedest . pag. 45. Instit . l. 3. ● . 21. s . 7. Rom. 9.15 . Bucan loc . 36. Quaest . 32. Sturm de praedest . Thes . 6. 1. Cor. 10.13 . Ephes . 1.4 . Act. 13.48 . Rom. 9.23 . 2. Thes . 2.13 . Ephe. 1. Act. 13. Rom 8. Polan . de praed . pag. 60 Perk. in Gal. c. 4. Polan . de praed . pag. 59 Ephe. 1.4 . Io● . 13.18 . Cal. Inst . i. 3. c. 22. s . 1. de Praed . Gal. ibid. Perk. de praedest . Note ; man simply considered is the obiect of election in respect of the preordination of the end : but man corrupted if we regard the ordination of the meanes , that tend vnto the end . Rom. 8.30 . 2. Thes . 2.13 . Tit. 1.1 . 2. Thes . 3.2 . Pro. 16.4 . Comment . in 1. Reg. ●ap . ● . Sum. 1. part . quaest . 23. art . 5. Rom. 9.18 . Expos . in Iohn c. 37. Greenham These notes may be better inserted towardes the end of the ●racta●e , where the notes of eternall life are set downe . Matth. 5.8 . Ephes . 5.23 Matth. 8.11 Rom. 5.19 Reu. 7.9 Lib. 3. de doct . Christ . cap. 34 Lib 1. de voc . gent. Matth. 7.11 Math. 20. ●6 . Luke 12.32 Rom. 9.27 Is . 10.27 Heb. 11.12 Instit . lib. 2 Decor . ● gra c. 13 ▪ 2. Tim. 2.19 . Tit. 1.1 . Acts. 13 ▪ 48 Instit . l. 3. ● . 22. s . 10. Rom. 8.30 Homil. in Ezeck . In 2. Reg. cap. 7 Col. 3.12 Sent. l. 2. c. 5 De verb. Apost ser . 1 Ioh. 3.16 Mark. 16.16 Psal . 33.12 Psal . 65. ● Matth. 24.24 . Iohn 10.28 Ier. 32.40 . Psal . 94.14 . In 7. cap. Ioh. Psal . 34.7 . Heb. 1.14 ▪ Lib. 1. ●● . 12 . Matth. 24. ●1 . Matth. 25.33 , 34 , 41. 1. Cor. 6.2 , 3. ● . Tim. 2.10 Luke , 18 7 , 8 Zach. 2 , 8 Mar. 13 20 Reu. 17.14 . Rom. 8 33 1. Ioh. 5.13 ● . Pet. 1.10 Psal . 15 Rom. 8.16 Gal. 5.22 Keck . Syst . The. l 3.42 . Rom. 8.30 M. Rogers pag. 496. ●hrys ser . le fide . Rom. 4.20 Heb. 11.1 Rom. 9.21 Degen . cont . Man.l. ● . c . 2. Hugo de S. Vict. Is . 46. Sum. 1. par qu. 23. art . 5 Rom. 9.11 Ephes . 1.4 In Tit 1 Lib 5 de craedest . D. Willet . in Ioh 17. lect . 16. Iam. 1.17 Mal. 3.6 Is . 46.10 . 2. Tim. 2.19 . Vrsin de Chr. rel . par . 2 Kek. l. 3 Syft 7 Theol. Ioh. 6.36 Ioh. 13.1 De fide c. 35 D. Willet on Ioh 17. ●ect . 15. Gen. 43.34 Gen. 45.22 M. Perk. on Gal. 4. v 9 M. Green●ham . Perk. ibi . Ephe. 2.1 1. Cor. 6.11 Col. 2.13 1. Pet. 4.3 sen . 6.5 Hoz . 2.21 . turmius de ●redest . Thes . 8. Rom. 2.9 . Ezek ▪ 18.21 Rom. 8.30 Sturm . 16. Keck . Theol● lib 3. Gen. 1.27 Eccle 7.31 Cyr. l. 8. Thes . ● . 1. Isa . 46.10 . In Triph. In Psal . Poenit. Prosp . Resp . ad cap. Gal Expos . in 1. Reg. cap. 4. Lib. 2. aduers Marc. In ser . quod Deus , &c. Aug. ad Art. 14. ●sal . 5.4 Lib. 1. ad Monim . Aug. ad 10. Art. Lib 4. Stre Iob. 21.30 Insti lib. 2. Perk on Gal c. 5. ver . 13. Rolloc . de voc . c. 1. Perk on Iude. v. 1. M. Perk. on Gal. 5 . 1● 1. Cor. 1.9 . 2. Tim 1.9 1. Pet. 2.9 . 1. Pet. 1.15 M. Perk. on Gal. 5.13 . 2. Thes . 2.14 . Rom. 1.16 Rolloc . de voc . c. 1. ● . Cor. 2. l 24 Ephe. 4.24 Psal 27.8 Psal . 40.6.7 Gal. 1.15 . ●relc . Instit . l. 2. 2. Tim. 1.9 . 2. Thes . 2.14 Ioh. 11.43 , 44 Acts 9.40 Psal . 29 Thunder . Iosh . 6.20 . Iob. 18.6 . Rom. 8.30 ●s . 54.13 Acts 13.48 M. Perk. on ●ude 1 Matth. 13.1 . Matth. 1● . ● . ●olan . de ●raedest . ●olleck de voc . c ●● . Rom. 8.30 Gal. ● . 6 ● . Thes 3.2 Rom. 8.30 . Decor . & gra● . c. 12 epist . 163 ●oc . com . clas 3. c. 1 In 1. Tim. cap. 2 Lib 1. in Isa . cap. 1 In lib. sent . 1 , 4 , 12. art . 2 1. Thes . 4.7 Col. 1.13 . 1. Pet 2.9 Tit. 2.14 Rolloc . de voc . t. 1. Iam. 1.17 Psal . 16.11 . M. Perk. on Iude. 1. Acts 1.7 Ephe. 2.1 Perk on Matth. 23 37 Phil. 2.13 . Contra collat . 12 In soliloq . c. 15. l. 3. in 1. Reg. 7. De medit . Red. c. ● . De lib. arb . c. 16. ●n . hir . c. 23. Contra gent. l. 1. c. 44. Lib. 3. c. 161. Lib. de bono pers . cap. 8 Aug. de verb. Apost . Serm. 11. Iob. 37.23 . & 36.26 . Rom. 11.29 Rom. 11.26 ● . Cor. 18 7. Phil. 1.6 . Willet on Iude. Lect. 1 Zach. 4.9 . Epist . 39 ad Paulin. Perk. on Iude. 1. Rom. 1. in . 1. Tim. 1. ser . 32.42 . Iohn , 17.11.15 . ●0 . Rom , 7 , 29 Psal . 37.24 . Instit . lib. 3 cap. 24. l. 2 Ad Paul in epist . 106. Caluin . 16. Cal. eod . cap sect . 2. 1. Tim. 6.16 2 Tim. 1.9 . 2 Cor. 4.6 . ●ob , 25 , 5 , 6 1 Cor. 1.30 M. Perk. on Iu●e . 1. 2. Pet. 1.10 . Rom. 1.6.7 . ● Cor. 1.2 Cor. 2 . 1● ser . 17 , 9 10. 2. Pet. 1.10 Aug. de cor . & grat . c. 7. D Willet on Ioh. 17.6 . Psal . 19.10 . & 119.14 , 3 Iohn 10. Rom. 1.6 . 1. Cor 1.2 . 2. Thes . 2.14 . Rom. 6.17 . 1. Cor. 1.5 , 7. 1. Cor. 6.9 , 10 , 11. 1. Thes . 1.5 , 6 , 9. 2. Thes 1.3 , 4. 2. Pet. 1.10 . Vers 5.6.7 . Rom. 8.30 . Cal. inst . l. 3. c. 11. s . 2. Trelc . Instit . l. 2. Mark. 2.7 . Rom. 8.33 . Is . 43. ●5 . Greg in Psal . poen . Trelc . Inst . l. 2. Acts. 5.20 . Act. 13.16 . 2. Cor. 5. ●8 . Rom. 4.11 . Matth. 18.18 . Perk. on gal . 2.20 . Phil. 1.29 . Ioh. 6.29 . De praed . c. 9. 1. Cor. 13.13 . 1. Tim 1.5 . Ioh. 1.12 . Gal. 3.14 . 1. Tim. 2● ▪ In 10. Psal . Li. 2. in Mar. ● . cap. 8 Instit . l 3. c. 11 s . 2. ●ucan Loc. 31. quaest . 35 Gal. 2.16 . Ser. de humil . Serm. de fide & luce 〈◊〉 . Non preced●nt iustifi●andum sed sequuntu●●ustificatum . Matth. 6.12 Eph. 4.32 . 1. Cor. 6.11 . In Rom. 4. & 5. Rom. 3.24 . In Psal 30 Comment in Rom. c. 11 De inst . l. 5. c. 7. In 5. c. Rom 〈◊〉 Psal . 31. Do not & grat . cont . Pel. cap. 4. Luk. 17.10 . Mor. 〈◊〉 6 ▪ ● 14. & l. 21. c. 15 & lib. 5. ●7 . Lib. 9 con●es . cap. 13 1. Cor 4.7 . Ioh. 15 5. Fulg. l 1. ad Mon. Lib. ● . de bono pers . c. 7. De spir . & lit . c 26. Expo . inclinat ep . ad R●m Rom 4.5 . Gal. 2.16 . T it 3.5 . Epist . 71. In Psal 67 In Rom 8 Serm. in C●●nt . 23. Ser 61 in Cant. De Vita ●eata & la● . In 4. c Rom. 2. Cor. 5.21 Rom. 3.24 Ad Ponif . ● . ● . c. 4. 〈…〉 ●iuin● 〈◊〉 . Pe●k . on Gal. 216.6 . 1. Pet. 2.24 Reu. 1.5 . Esa ●3 . 5 ●om 3 , in Marc. ●n . 4 , cap ad Galat. Rom. 10 4 ● . Cor. 1.3 ▪ Rom. 5 , 1 , Serm in Cant. 6.1 ▪ Serm. ad ●il Temp. Ep. 190. Act. ●0 . 28 Iohn . 3.16 , Rom. 10.4 . ●ucan . Lo● 31. qu. 14. 〈◊〉 . 9 ▪ 6 ●●k on Gal. 2.16 . M Perk. ibid. ●re●● . ● stit lib. 2. Perk ref . Cath. Ephe. 1 , 7 Rom. 8.1 . Heb. 1.3 . 2 Cor. 5 , 1 Reu. 3.19 . Heb. 12.6 . ● . 11. Psa . 119 . 6●71 ▪ Lib , 4. Ep. 4. De p●n , et confe● . 1 Cor , 15 56. Rom , 4.25 , De Christ . rel . par . 2. Gen 27.15 27. Bucan Loc. 31. qu. 27. Bucan . Loc. 31. qu. 22. Rom. 4 , 2 , Phil , 3 , 9 , Trel● . Instit . lib. 2. Epist . ad Diog● . Epist . 190. ad Innoc. 2 Cor. 5.21 . Euchi . cap , 41. In explic . cat . a Pare● edit . 1589 page . 448. Ob. Ans . 1 Ioh. 4.10 Note . Reck. Syst , The , li , 3. c , 3 Luke 1.74.75 . Tit. 14. 1. Pet. 2.2 4 Loc. 31. quast . 44. Tom. 4. lib. 1 ad simplic . Resp ad 2. quaest . Reck Syst . Th. li. 3. c. 7 Rom. 8 1. Rom. 5.1 . Col. 4.7 . Is 57.20 . Rom 8.15 . ●eck . 16. Rom. 5.1 , 3 Rom 8.28 . Rom. 6.22 . Is 53.6 . Ioh. 10.15 Rom 8.30 , 32. In Io● . ●ract . 45. In c. 5. ad Rom. In Leuit. l. 17. c. 2. Is 53.11 , 12 Matth. 26.28 . Heb. 9.28 . Matth. 1.21 . Ioh. 10.26 . Perk. de praed . Ioh. 17.9 , 19 , 20. This is don by sacrificing himself , and making his sacrifice meritorious . In Io● lib 11 cap. 14. Perk. de praed . Matth. 20 23. Reu. 22.15 Rom. 8.30 . In Leuit. l. 6. c. 23. Serm. 44. de ver . 6. Apost . Serm 109. D. Willet ●n Ioh. 17. ● Ioh. 1.29 . Hist . l. 4. c. 1● Tract . 87. in Ioh. 1. Tim. 26. Pol. t. l. 2. c. 2. Piscat . dis . 〈◊〉 . de praed . quaest . 1. par . 49. Matth. 4.23 Matth. 3 5 in Epist . ad ●●m . c. 5. Lib. 4 de Myst . missae . cap. 4. Su●●m . de v●●it . Matth. 26. v. 7. Trelc ▪ inst . l. 2. Gal 3.10 . Rom. 3.22 . Rom. 4.5 . Rom. 3 25 Ephe. 5.2 . 1. Tim. 4. ● Tit. 1.15 . De nat . h●m . l. ● . c. ●8 . Dan ibid. Ephes . 2.3 Orat. 4 〈◊〉 . Rom. 3.24 In ep . Rom Keck . Syst , ●he , li , 3. c , ● Mal. 3.6 . ● . Pet. 1.5 . ● . Ioh. 3.9 Stur● de ●praed ▪ Thes 12. Pto. 27.24 Pto. 31 . 3● . ● Cor 7.31 〈◊〉 . 4. ●4 . Is . 40.6 . 1 Pet. 1.24 1 Tim. 1.5 . M. Perk. ●● Galat. 2. ●6 M. Greene ●am . Greenham . 1 Cor. 1 30. 1 Cor. 6 ●● M Greenha . Rom. 8. ● Gal. 5.2 1 Iohn . 3 . 1● Rom. 8.39 . Serm , 109 ●ex . page 1248. Fox . page . 1825. Aquinas ait Deum nos du ●s●r●er glorificasse . 1. per. ●rofectum virtutis & gratia . 2 per exaltationem gloriae . Lib , de flatibus . M. Greeneham . Heb. 12.14 . Ezek. 18.31 Rom. 6.23 . 1 Cor. 7.14 M. Perk. on Iude. 1. Ephe. 2 , 10 Col. 1.13 . Eph. 2.4.5 Act. 5.31 . 1 Iohn , 3 , 5 1 Iohn , 3 , 9 Matt , ● , 1 , Bucan Loc. 3. q , 27 , Greenham . Bucan , ibid ▪ Ioel. 2 , 28 Is , 44 , 3 Cant. 4 , 16 , 1 Cor , 1 , 30 Act , 26 , 17 , 1 Cor , 4 , 15 Ier. 23.29 . 1 Cor. 1.21 M. Perk. o● Iude. ● . Polan . part . Theol. l. 1. Perk. ib. Col. 2.3 . Rom. 8.30 . 1. Cor. 1 30 Danaeus de n●t . l. 2. c. 16 Ephe. 2.5 . 1. Pet. 2. 9 1. Cor. 3.16 , 17 Dan. ib. e● Grynaeo . ● . Thes . 5.23 . M. Perk. on ●ude . 1. Perk. ib. Perk. ib. Keck . Syst . Tho. 3.6.9 Perk. ib. Polan . part . theol . l. 2. Polan . ib. Col. 4.11.12 . Perk. ib. 1. Cor. 6.19 Ephe. 2.4.8 Lib. 2. de praedest . san . cap. 15. Ioh. 3.3 . Lib. 1. ad Simplic . q. 2. Aug. 16. Tract . in Ioh. 11. c. 12. 1. Tim 4.8 . Greenhā . Perk. on Gal. 5.3 . Lib , 1. ad Simp. q 2. 1. Ioh. 1.8 . Li. 3. in ● . Reg. 6. Li. 6 : cont . gent. c. 13. Greenh . M. Greenh . Remeg . in ps . 24. In 6 c. Ro. Iudge . 1.6 . M. Perk on Iude 1. Vrsine . Psal . 143. ● Mat. 6.12 . Reuel . 1.6 . Psal . 145.17 . M. Greenh . Ius censoriū ▪ ●us pratori● . Rom. 11.29 Greenh . Phil. 1.6 . Hos . 2.19 . Mat. 16.18 1. Cor. 6.1 9. ● . Cor● . 8. De cor . & gra● . cap. ●2 . M. Pe●r●o● Gal. 3. Iude 1. Hom. 1. in 2. Tim. 1. Heb 6.19 . Cant. 8.6 . Decr. de pae . ●it . d. 2. c. 2. 1. Ich. 3 9. Luk. 12.32 . ●o● . pag. 1655. 1. Cor. 3.16 . 1. Cor. 6.19 . 2. Cor. 13. Fox . pag. 1640. ● Ioh. 3.8 7. Mark. 14. ●● 1. Ioh. 5.1 . 1. Ioh. 5.1 . 1. Ioh. 4.7 . 1. Ioh. ●4 . 1. Ioh. 5.18 . Eph. 6.12 . ●ucan . Loc. 31. q. 31. M. Perk. on . Iude. 1. Trele ▪ Instit . lib. 2. Trele . ibid. Luk. 12.32 . Ephes . 2.8 ▪ Tit. 3.5 Ioh. 14 . 1● . Rom. 6.23 Serm 10. de An●●nt . Super euang ●e●tuag . Rom. 6. In Ezech 〈◊〉 . 7. ●n Psal 1. Peni● . ●●st . l. 3. c. 18 s . 2. Rom. 1.16 . ●7 . ●ph . ● . 8 . Greg. in Euang . In Psal . 45. Reu. 27. ● Reu. 22 3 Reu. 21.4 . Reu 21 3 1 Cor. 13.12 . 1 Ioh. 3.2 1 Cor. 13.10 . Phil. 3.21 . 1 Cor. 15.12 . Reu. 22 4 1 Thes . 4.17 . Dan. 12.3 . Psa . 16.1 ▪ ● . Reu 22.5 Is . 66.23 Mat. 22.30 Reuel . 21.7 . Math. 25.45 Is . 66.24 . 2. Cor. 5.1 . Reuel . 14.13 . M. Perk. on Gal. 1.15 . Rom. 17 . 2● ▪ Reue. 21 2● Reu. 22.5 . Math. 25 . 4● 2. Thes . 1.9 . Rom. 2.7 . Dan. 12.2 . ● . Cor. 5.1 . Ioh. 5.13 ●ob . 19.25 26 ▪ 27. Psa . 17.15 . ●oc . ●9 . ●uaest . ●3 . Iob. 3.16 . Mar. 16.16 Psal . 15.1 . Ier. 6.16 . Pro. 12.26 . Math. 25. Mat. 10 . 4● Dan. 12.3 . 
A41786	----	The quæries examined, or, Fifty anti-queries seriously propounded to the people called Presbyterians Occasioned by the publication of Fifty queries, gathered out of the works of Mr. Rich. Baxter. By J. B. Wherein the principal allegations usually brought to support infant-baptism are discovered to be insufficient. By T. G. Grantham, Thomas, 1634-1692. 1676 Approx. 92 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 28 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A41786 Wing G1543A ESTC R223637 99833926 99833926 38404 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A41786) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 38404) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1833:1) The quæries examined, or, Fifty anti-queries seriously propounded to the people called Presbyterians Occasioned by the publication of Fifty queries, gathered out of the works of Mr. Rich. Baxter. By J. B. Wherein the principal allegations usually brought to support infant-baptism are discovered to be insufficient. By T. G. Grantham, Thomas, 1634-1692. [2], 43, [1] p. [s.n.], London : printed in the year of our Lord 1676. T. G. = Thomas Grantham; J. B. = John Barret, whose work is being attacked by the author. Quire F is a cancel. Reproduction of original in the British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. 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Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Barret, John, 1631-1713. -- Fifty queries, seriously propounded to those that question, or deny infants right to baptism -- Early works to 1800. Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691 -- Early works to 1800. Infant baptism -- Controversial literature -- Early works to 1800. Baptists -- Controversial literature -- Early works to 1800. Salvation theology -- Early works to 1800. 2007-11 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2007-11 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-02 Robyn Anspach Sampled and proofread 2008-02 Robyn Anspach Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE QUAERIES Examined , OR , FIFTY ANTI-QUERIES Seriously Propounded to the PEOPLE called PRESBYTERIANS . Occasioned by The Publication of FIFTY QUERIES , Gathered out of the Works of Mr. RICH. BAXTER . By J. B. Wherein the Principal Allegations usually brought to support Infant-Baptism are Discovered to be Insufficient . By T. G. PROV . XIX . 21. There be many Devices in a Mans heart , nevertheless the Council of the LORD that shall stand . Mr. Baxter more Reas . p. 69. The true Method of one that would Arrive at certainty , and not deceive himself and others , is to begin at the bottom , and discern things in their nearest and most certain Evidences , and afterward to try the By-Objections as he is able : And not t● Por●first upon the Objected difficulties , and judge of all the cause by those . LONDON , Printed in the Year of our Lord 1676. The QUAERIST Examined . OR , Fifty Anti-Queries seriously Propounded to the People called Presbyterians , &c. Presbyterian . Query 1. WHether under the Covenant of Works , if Adam had not sinned , Innocents should not have been holy to God , and so Members of the Innocent Church or Kingdom of God ? Baptist . Antiquery 1. Whether this be not a groundless and unlearned Query ? for seeing the word Church , as used in the Holy Scriptures , signifieth A People Called out , namely , from another people , out of what people should they have been called , had the whole world been in the state of innocency ? And seeing no man can tell whether any man should have had Authority committed to him in matters of Religion , or whether God should immediately have exercised his own Government ; Neither yet in what capacity children should have come into the world , whether endowed with knowledge or otherwise ; whether therefore it concern or become any man , to let his fancy rove about in such an unknown and unknowable case . And thereupon , 1. Suggest how Infants should be concern'd or not concern'd in matters of Religion ? And how can any thing be concluded from such an imagination , as imitable for us about Infant Church-membership ? And whether we are not like to have a bad superstructure , when the foundation is a meer fancy ? Presbyterian . Query 2. Whether God was any more obliged to order it so , that the Children of Righteous Parents should have been born with all the Perfections of their Parents , and enjoyed the same Priviledges , than he was obliged in making the Covenant of Grace , to grant that Infants should be of the same Society with their Parents , and have the Immunities of that Society . Baptist . Antiquery 2. More obliged : Whether it be not in vain to suppose , that God was obliged at all in either of those cases , seeing he is absolutely free to do whatsoever he pl●aseth with his own ? And what ground have you to believe , that some Infants were more concern'd then others in m●tters of Religion , by vertue of any Covenant made with Adam ? And what society was Infants capable of with Adam , by vertue of any Covenant made with him after his fall ? C●rtis the Scripture is silent as to these matters , Presbyterian . Query 3. Whether we have any reason , when the design of Redemption is the magnifying of Love and Grace , to think that Love and Grace are so much less under the Gospel to the Members of Christ , then under the Law to the Members or Seed of Adam , as that then all the Seed should have partaken of the same Blessings with their righteous Parents , and now they shall all be turned out of the Society , whereof the Parents are Members ? Baptist . Antiquery 3. Whether you your selves do not lessen the magnifying Love of God in Mans Redemption , whilest in respect of Infants you would restrain it to the seed of such Parents as are in Covenant with God , yea to such Infants as partake with them in Practicals of Religion , which you seem to intend by the Blessings you speak of . But who denies any Blessing to Infants under the Gospel , which was their portion under the Law made with Adam ? And how were Infants Members of the society of the seed of Adam , more then of the society of the Baptists ? shew the difference if you can . Presbyterian . Query 4. Whether though our Innocency be lost , Parents be not Parents still , and have not as much interest in Children , and whether God have reversed this natural Order ? and if God change not his Order therein , whether Parents be not as capable of consenting to grace for their children , as they were of being innocent for them ? Baptist . Antiquery 4. Whether there be any that question whether Parents be Parents still , or what need of such Enquiries ? Or what do you mean by Gods natural Order ? If you mean natural Religion , then shew us what Infants are bound ro in matters of Religion by natu●e , or what this natural Order ties Parents to do to their Infants , upon the account of Practicals in Religion , which we omit ? And whether Parents could be innocent for their Infants , if their Infants were not innocent as well as they ? and if not , how should their consenting to grace be the Childs consent ? And whether it will not as well hold retro , that the Parents consenting to wickedness is the Childs consent ? And whether this do not give the Parents the power to save or damn their Infants ? And can such Councils stand with the Wisdom , Justice , or Mercy of God ? Presbyterian . Query 5. Whether Infants be not included in the first Edition of the Covenant of Grace made with Adam ? ( Gen. 3. 15. ) Whether unless it can be proved that Infants are none of the Womans S●ed , we must not take that Fundamental Promise to extend to Infants ? And was she not thereby obliged to l●st her self , and all her Infant-Progeny in the Redeemer's Army , against the Proclaimed Enemy , and to teach her Posterity to do the like ; And did they not continue visible Members of Christs Army and Kingdom , till such time as they violated that Fundamental Obligation , and as the Seed of the Serpent , fought against Christ and his Kingdom , for Satan and his Kingdom ? Baptist . Antiquery 5. Whether the Baptists do not as clearly assert Infants Right to the Grace of God in the first Edition of the Covenant , made with Adam , as any whatsoever ? And if by the Seed of the Woman you understand all that are saved , who then questions Infants belonging to that seed ? But where is the Woman bound to List her Infants in the Redeemers Army , or where shall we finde them visible Members of Christs Army in the first Edition of the Covenant ? Are not these meer words without Authority of Scripture ? or where did Infants ever fight for , or against the Serpent ? and if not , why do you make them the Seed of the Serpent , and Fighters against the Kingdom of Christ ? And if you say , you speak not these things of Infants quatalis ; Then whether you have not transferr'd the Question , and so it is impertinent ? Presbyterian . Query 6. VVhether in that first Proclamation of Grace to fallen man , or in the first Promise of Redemption to sinners , Gen. 3. 15. An Infant of the VVoman be not Promised to be General , and Head of the Church ? And whether the Promise of an Infant Head , doth not declare Gods Mind , that he will have Infants Members , because the Head is the principal Member , &c. Baptist . Antiquery 6. Whether Christ in his Infancy was not as truly God as Man ? and whether there be any Parity between the Infants you speak of and Christ , seeing he was able even then to vanqu●sh the greatest Adversary ? And if by the Redeemed Church , you mean the whole number of the saved , who doubted but Infants were of the Redeemed Church ? But how doth it follow , that all that are to be saved , ought to be mitted to practical Ordinances in the visible Church ? seeing then all Infants ( for ought you know ) have the same right , which yet you d●ny ; but why so ? are you sure they are not within the verge of Christs Redemption ? And though Christ was once an Infant , yet where do you finde tha● he was then a Member of the Gospel Church ? Was he not born under the L●w ? Gal. 4 4. and born King of the Jews , Mat. 2 2. and according to the state of the Jew●sh Church , an Infant migh be both a Member and a Prince ; And was not the Ki●gly Office in Israel a Type of Christ ? But what is this to he order and state of the Church under the Gospel ? And fur●her , tho●gh Christ an Infant was bo●n Head of the Church as aforesaid , yet in 〈◊〉 Infant st●te , he did not intermeddle with the exercise of the least par● of h●s Authority . And then whether it be not more r●tional to say , that seeing Christ the Head of the Church did not act●ally poss●ss , or at least not use any part of that Power , as an Infant , or while he was an Infant ? It s therefore unreasonable , th●t Infants ( supposn ●h●y were as truly bo●n Memb●rs of his Church , as he wa● born King of the Jews ) should be concern'd in the actual possession of Ordi●ances in Infancy ? And what if we grant that Infants may be disciples by designation , a Christ was King , Priest and Prophet by designation , ( ●ho●gh the Cases not al●ke easie to prove ) yet seeing Christ was not a Prophet ( as you confess ) in actu exercito , how came you to be so bold to bring Infants to the ex●rcise of Baptism ? And why can you not rather content your selves with the designation or ded●ca●ion of your Infan●s to God by Prayer , and make them disciples in actu exercito , when they are able ? And whether you may not as well repute th●m thus among disciples , and as safely conclude them to be in the Covenant of Grace , and of the Redeemed Church without Baptism , as without the Lords Supper ? Sith it s said , Except ye eat of the flesh of the Son of God , and drink his blood , ye have no life in you ; as well as it is said , Except a man be born again of water , &c. he cannot enter in●o the Kingdom of God. And whether Dr. Taylor , a Learned Pedobaptist do not ingeniously confess , That the Wit of Man is not able to shew a difference in these cases ? Presbyterian . Query 7. Why are those two Titles put on those two distinct Generations . ( sc●l . the Posterity of Cain , and the P●st●rity of Seth ) calling one the Sons of God , ●nd the others the Daughters of men , Gen. 6. 2. But that the one was a Generation s●parated from the Church from their Birth , ( their Progenitors being cast out before them ) when the other was the seea of Saines not cast out , &c. Baptist . Antiqu. 7. Whether this Text Gen. 6. 2. be not ambiguous , insomuch that your own Doctors are not agreed about the Exposition thereof ? But supposing it to respect the Posterities of Cain and Se●h , yet whether it can be meant of Infants , seeing they committed none of these si●s , in taking Wives , &c. And whether your Exposition do not damn all Infants proceeding from Cain●s Posterity , and consequently all the Infants of all Nations which profess not the true Religion ? And supposing that the Infants of godly Parents are in some sense more immediately related to the Church , then the Infants of Pagans by reason of the Prayers and Designation of their Parents , and the opportunities of Education ? yet what makes this for any actual Participation of Ordinances in the Church , and what one Ordinance did the Infants of these Sons of God partake of ? And Sith the Scripture is wholly silent of any such thing , whether this do not more strongly conclude against Infant-baptism then for it ? And whether it be needful to say any thing to the latter part of this Query , seeing we grant all , and somthing more then this Text will prove , though we deny them actual right to Ordinances ? And whether the common or equal overthrow of these Generations , in respect of the Infants of both , do not evidently shew , that as to the business of their salvation , they were in the same condition ? And then whether it be safe for us to conclude , that the wickedness of any Progenitors have any further effect upon the Infant-ch●ldren then to expose them to external calamities , seeing Christ died to redeem them from the condemnation brought upon them by Adam ? Rom. 5. 18. Presbyterian . Query 8. Whether it was not the same Church be●or● , and after Abrahams time ; that was called the Tents of Sem ? Gen. 19. 27. Was not the Jewish Church denominated the Tents of Sem ? A●d does it not hence appear , that the Church-Priviledges of that People did not begin with or from Abraham , but that they were b●for● ? And how was it the same Church that was of S●m , and of Abraham , if it had not the same sort of Members or Materials ? &c. Baptist . Antiqu. 8. Though it be true , that the Church is the same in some sence , from the beginn●ng of the world to the end ; yet whether it may not truly be said also , not to be the same in divers respects ? And whether the Cov●nant as made with No●h , Gen. 9. do not differ from the Cov●nant as ma●e w●th Adam , though both was made with all mank●nd , and is affirmed to be the C●venant of Grace by Mr. Baxter . And whether there was not yet a further difference b●tween these and the Covenant as made with Abraham ? Gen. 17. the former being made with all manking , and never yet abrogated , ( as saith Mr. Baxter ) . The other was made with Abraham and his Seed , distinct from the rest of Mankind , but as they should be Profelited thereto ? And though the Church may be denominated the Tents of Shem , b●th before and after Abraham , yet whether this conclude there was to be no alteration of the state of the Church under these times respectively ? And whether in any of the Tents of Shem , before Abrahams time , so much as any one Infant can be found admitted to the Practical Part of any Ordinance in the Church , which was peculiar to her as such ( for as touching Prayer , it is a moral duty , and to be made for all men . ) And whether thus boldly to suppose a thing without the least shew of proof , be not a plain begging the main thing in Question ? And though it be never so true , that the universal redeemed Church consist of the same Materials in all Ages , yet whether it be not evident that that God made a difference , as to the time of dispensing Ordinances to them ? As first no Practical Ord●nance or 〈◊〉 dispensed to any Infant that we read of till Abrahams time ; and though then Circumcision was ordained for Males , yet not for all the Male Children , for all under eight days of Age were prohibited , and yet you grant th●y were in that Covena●t , nor any Rite at all for the Females , who yet were of the same Church ? And whether under Moses they were not admitted to other Rites also , as the Pass●over , Sacrifices and other holy Feast , of the Jews ? We therefore ask you why the Infants of converted Gentiles are not in as good a condition , without any Rite or Ceremony , as the Infants of all the faithful from Adam to Abraham ? And whether those Infants before Abraham were not a happy as the Infants of Abraham ? And then doth it not follow , that the Infants of faithful Gentiles , are as happy without Circumcision , or any other Rite or ●eremony whatsoever , as Abrahants was under a Ceremony , seeing God hath not ohliged them to any in the days of the Gospel , o● since the Ab●ogation of the Law and Circumcision ? Presbyterian . Query 9. Whether if we could shew no written Law or Promise at first constituting the Duty , or granting the Priviledge of Church-Member ship , it were the least disparagement to our Cause , as long as we can shew those following , Laws which presuppose this ? If Moses at the end of that 2000 years the Church of God had bin without any written Law , found all the Infants of Church-Members in Possession of this b●n●fit 〈◊〉 what n●ed was there of a new Law about it ? Or why should God promise it as a new thing ? Baptist . Antiqu. 9. Whether if there be any such Law , you would not have she wed us where it is , longere this day ? and whethen you do not now grant in effect there is no such written Law ? And what n●ed you thus to query , seeing we deny no lawful thing to Infants , to be done for them by their godly Parents , but only oppose your doing that for which you have no Law ? Presbyterian . Query 10. Whether there being certain Proof in Scripture of Infants Church-Membership , but none except that before , alledged from Gen. 3. that makes any mention of the beginning of it , but all speaking of it as no new thing ; we have not great reason to assign its beginning , which from Gen. 3. is before spoken of ? Baptist . Antiqu. 10. Why do you say that Gen. 3. 15. makes mention of Infants Church-Membership , ( otherwise then what we allow ) Is here the least hint of your mode of making Infants Church-Members , that is , doth this place bid you admit them to any Ordinance ? As for the gracious Covenant here made with Adam . do we not grant that it extends to Infants , yea , we say with Mr. Baxter , it was never abrogated ? Presbyterian . Query 11. Is it not unquestionable , that the Covenant of Grace made to Abraham the Father of the Faithful , comprehended Infants for Church-Members ? And was 〈◊〉 not the same with that Gen. 3. 1. 5. But in some things clearlier opened ? Were not both these the Covenant of Grace and free Justification by Faith in the Redeemer ? And did not the Covenant made to Abraham and his Seed , comprehend Infants ? And should not the same Promise , expressed more concisely be expounded by the same expressed more sully ? Baptist . An. 11. Though it be unque stionable that the Covenant of Grace did extend to Infants , Gen. 3. 15. as well as in Abrahams time , yet there was a vast difference in respect of ceremonies . And whether the difference between the Baptists and P●dobaptists be not chi●fly ( if not only ) about imposing Ceremonies upon Infants ? And whether it be not evident that what Ceremonies the Word of God did even assign to Infants , we allow them , respecting the time of their duration , and only oppose your imposing Ceremonies upon Infants , for which you can assign no Authority in the Holy Scriptures , as is confessed by many Pedobaptists . See Mr. Baxters Cure p. 7. Presbyterian . Query 12. Whether ( though the Hebrews had their Peculiarities ) it be at all credible , that the Infants of that one small Countrey only should be so differently de●lt with by God , from all the World else , even Enoch's , Noah'● , Sem's , and all from Adam to the end of the World , that these Infants only should be Church-Members , and n● others . Baptist . Antiqu. 12. Whether this Query ( as indeed almost all the rest ) do not mis the true state of the Case , seeing the Baptists may and do in a good sence acknowledge Infants to be related to the Churc● . viz. by Redemption , Pious Dedication to God. &c. And seeing you grant the Hebrew , had their Peculiarities , in what thing could it be but in external Rites and Ceremonies , especially concerning Infants ; And shew us , if you can , any one Nation under Heaven , from the beginning of the World to this day , to whom God gave any Law to bring their Infants to any Rites either Legal or Evangelical . And sith Circumcision was forcibly put upon Infants , we ask whether you be able to prove , that any Person whatsoever are to be forced to Baptism , which Augustine tells us . Infants do strive against with great crying , from whence he infers they have no Faith. Lib. de Pe●cat . Mer. & Remis . chap. 28. Presbyterian . Query 13. What can be more absurd , then to maintain a Transient Fact ( as Mr. T. hath done ) making Infants Church-Members , without any Law , Promise , ●r Covenant-Gra●t of God giving them R●ght ? Whether a Gift that was never given be not a contradiction ? ( V. p. 32 , 35 ▪ 39 44 , 45 , 151. ) And if there was any such Promise , or Covenant-Grant of Infant 's Church-Membership , when , or where was it revoked ? Baptist . Antiqu. 13. Whether these things be surely suggested against Mr. T , and whether you ought not to have set down his opinion in his own words ? and whether he doth not mainly oppose himself against Mr. Baxter's Pretended Law for Infant Church-Membership and Baptism , whiles yet he denies not Infants a saving Promise , or the Promise of saving Prepriety in God. Antipedobapt . 3. Part. p. 33. And whether that Book was ever answered by Mr. Baxter , or ever will by any other ? Presbyterian . Query 14. Was it only the Infants of the Hebrews , or of those that were at their absolute dispose , that were Church-Members ? VVere not the Infants of free Proselites Church-Members too ? Baptist . Antiqu. 14 , What need of this Query ? who doubts but that as many others as became Jews by being Proselited to the Law , were Circumcised according to the Law ? But where do yo● find , that any , either Jews or Gentiles , when they were baptized , had any , obligation to baptize their children and servants also ? Presbyterian . Query 15. VVas it not then the Duty of all the Nations round about , that could have Informati●n of the Jewish Religion , to engage themselves , and their Children to God by Circumcision ? And did not many of the People in Hester's time become Jews , Hest . 8. 17. who yet were not under their Government ? And is it not well known , that this was to be circumcised , they and their little ones , ( as the Proselites were ) and so to keep the Law of Moses ? And whether the circumcised Servants of Israel , sold away to another Nation , and so separated from the Civil state of Israel , did eo nomine cease to be Church-members , though they for sook not God ? And ●o of the Infants , if they were sold in Infancy ? And so whether Infants might not be Church-members , that were not of the Jews Common-wealth ? Baptist . Antiqu. 15. Although other Nations had the liberty to become Jewes , yet whether they were under such an obligation , as that they must become Jewes , or else not be saved , is worthy consideration ; and whether the contrary will not be found true , when the case of Cornelius , Act. 10. and of the Gentiles , Rom. 2. are duely considered , whereas the one is accepted as fearing God and working Righteousness , as much as the Jew upon the account of his Jewish Worship ? And the other Gentiles generally , who did by Nature the things contained in the Law , were counted the Circumcision , so as to judge the Jew , who only had the Circumcision in the flesh ? and not only so , but so as to be accepted of God , as far ( at least ) as the Righteousness of the Law would avail the Jew ? And whether the Infants of these devout Gentiles was not free from any obligation to Circumcision , or any other external Ceremony ? And whether there be not an evident difference between the Law and the Gospel in this , the one being fitted to the Jewish Nation only , so as to be capable of an orderly observation there only ? And the Gospel fitted sor the observation of all Nations equally , and consequently all Nations equally obliged to the full and orderly Profession thereof ? Presbyterian . Query 16. VVere not the Israelites Children Members of the universal visible Church , as well as of the Congregation of Israel ? As he that is a Member of the City is a Member of the Kingdom and a part of a part , is a part of the whole ; so was not ever member of the Jews Church also a member of Gods universal Church ? Baptist . Ant. 16. Whether it be well said to call the universal Church visible , And whether the universal Church did not contain many thousands such , as Job , Cornelius , &c , who were neither Jews by Nature nor Religion ? And whether no Infants might be said to be Members of the universal Church , who were not Members of the Jewish Church ? and if not , how shall they be saved , seeing Christ is only the Saviour of his body finally ? Presbyterian . Query 17. Was there ever any true Church , or Ecclesiastical Worshipping Society appointed by God in all the World since the Fall , but the Church of Christ ? Were not Infants therefore either Members of Christs Church , or of no Church of Gods Institution ? Was not Moses Christs Vsher , and Moses Church and Christ's Church one according to God's Institution ? Baptist . Antiqu. 17. Whether this Query be not either captious , or else impertin●nt ? for though it should be granted , that the Church of Christ was the same in some sence from the beginning , yet who knows not that the time and way for admission of the Members thereof to external Ceremonies , was not always the same ? And who doubts but the Church was always of Gods Institution ? But doth it therefore follow , that the Ordinances Instituted therein , belongs to Infants ? might they not have the Passeover , as well as Circumcision , in the Mosaical Church , and yet have neither the Lords Supper nor Baptism in the Christian Church ? you deny them the one , why may not we as well deny the other ? Baptist . Query 18. Whether was Abraham made a Member of the Church by Circumcision , or circumcised because a Member of the Church ? The like of Infants born in his House ? And how can the ceasing of Circumcision prove Infants Church-Membership ceased , any more then it can prove their Church-Membership began with Circumcision ; or that Women were not Church-Members , because not circumcised ; or that all Israel was unchurched in the VVilderness , when they were uncircumcised for fourty years ? Baptist . Antiqu. 18. Although Abraham was in the Church of God essentially by faith , yet whether formally in that Church-st●te , vvhich God was then about to settle , till circumcised , vvill not , I suppose , be hastily affirmed ? and how can Infants be said to be in the Church , as Abraham then was , seeing they have no faith as he had ? And whether the Jewish Church-state did not cease de jure , when Circumcision so ceased ? And then whether that state of Infant Church-Membership did not also cease ? And like as the ceasing of the Passeover de jure , was the ceasing of Infants right to any such Ordinance , even so we ask why the ceasing of Circumcision de jure , is not as truly the ceasation of Infants right to any such Ordinance ? certainly , if Gods Word assign any Ordinances in lieu of the former , the place where 't is written would have b●en known to this day ? Presbyterian . Query 19. VVhether the blessing of Abraham consists not chiefly in this , that God Promised to be a God in Covenant with him , and his Seed ? And how are the believing Gentiles blessed with faithful Abraham , and Heirs of the same Promise , if their Infants are not also comprehended in the same Covenant ? Baptist . Antiqu. 19. Whether the blessing of Abraham , ( if you understand it of eternal life ) were not the blessing of the Fathers that were before him ? And whether that blessing did not belong to their Infants ? And whether their Infants were Partakers with them in any Rites or Ceremonies of instituted worship ? And if not , then , why may not the Infants of the Gentiles partake of the blessing of Abraham , though not concern'd in Rites or Ceremonies ? or whether you think the blessing of Abraham is confined to Ceremonies in respect of Infants , if so , shew us what Ceremonies these are ? Presbyterian . Query 20. Whether in that great Promise , Gen. 12. 3 Tribes , Kindreds , Families , do not most certainly comprehend Infants ? As it was to such Families that the Promise was made before Christ , as to the Jewish Church ? VVhat warrant have we to understand Families or Tribes otherwise , when the same Promise is made to the Gentiles ? Baptist . Antiq. 20. Whether you ought not to distinguish in this great Promise , the things which are eternal from the things that were but for a time ? And then whether you can ima●in● , that all the temporal blessings , rites and ceremonies , ●oncern●d any Nation , as it concerned the seed of Abraham after the flesh ? But if by this Promise you understand it as the Apostle Paul doth , Gal. 3. 16. th●n we doubt not but all the Kindreds of the Earth are con●●●n'd in it ; and then whether we do not sufficiently comprize the ●●ntiles therein ? But how can Abrahams Rites and C●remonie● be part of this blessing to the Gentiles , which are abrogated long ago ? Presbyterian . Query 21 , Whether the second Commandment , Exod. 20 , 5 , 6. doth not contain a standing Promise , and discove●y of Gods Resolution , concerning the children of all that love him , whether Jews or Gentiles , to whom this Commandment belongs ? whether God meaneth not that his Retribution to Parents that love or hate him , shall extend to their children as such ; unless they interrupt it at Age by their own Acts ; and if to their children qua tales , then whether not to Infants ? Baptist . Ant. 21. Whoever doubted but that Infants are advantaged many ways , in the blessings which God bestows on them that fear him ? and accordingly greatly disadvantaged by the wickednefs of their Pa●●nts , even so as to bear their Fathers iniquities many times , as is evident in the overthrow of the old world , the Cities of Sodom and Samorrah , &c. yet whether the blessing or mercy of eternal life to ●nfants , depend upon the Parents love to God ? And whether the ●amnation of Infants depend on the wickedness of their Parents ? ●nd whether the bless●ngs of the second Commandment belong 〈◊〉 to the Church as such , or whether all men that follow the ●ules of Morality , are not within the reach of these blessings also ? ●nd then how should Infant Church membership and Baptifm be 〈◊〉 blessings of the second Commandment seeing this Law concerns 〈◊〉 men as m●n being part of the Moral Law , and is not proper to ●he Church only ? Presbyterian . Query 22. VVhether any without the Church are secured of Gods mercy by P●omise ? And whether mercy be not Promised to the children of the F●ithsul as such ? ( See P●al . 102. 28. and 103. 17. Prov. 20. 7. Isa . 61. 8 , 9 and 65 23 &c ) ? Baptist . Antiqu. 22. Whether God hath not said that his ways are all equal ? And whether this do not secure Infants of Gods mercy , though not baptized ? ( for otherwise we say Infants are of the Redeemed Church ? when God saith , That the Son shall not bear the iniquity of the Father , and every one shall bear his own iniquity , whether this be not a promiss of mercy to Infant Children , and that in respect of Etern●l Life ? And whether the Query be not near a kin to that position of the Papists when they say , Out of the Church there is no Salva●ion , Restraining that word Church to Visible or Actual Professors only ? And why must these five quotations be applied to Infants only , sith the things spoken of these Children , Seed , or Off-spring , are mostly such as are exclusive of Infants ? Presbyterian . Query 23. Whether these Promises in the making of them were limited to a certain time when they were to cease ? Or whether they have been since revoked ? Baptist . Suppose these Promises yet remain , as we doubt not but they do , sith they are not entail'd upon the Jewish Nation , ( at least the three first Quotations , ) How will this avail to the point in hand ? Are all the blessings of God to the Infant Off-spring of those that fear him , &c. bound up in your supposed Church-membership and Baptism ? Presbyterian . Query 24. If it was on the Jews Rejection of Christ , that they were broken off from being Gods People , were those thousands of Jews that believed in Christ so broken off ? If not , then whether were not the Children of all believing Jews Church-members in Infancy ? Or otherwise , was it not somewhat else then Vnbelief that brake them off ? Baptist . Antiqu. 24. Whether was those that cried , His blood be upon us and our Children , thereby rejecting the great Mess●nger of the Covenant , ●ustly broken off ? And whether the renting of the Vail of the Temple , did not shew the abrogation of the Covenant and the Legal Ministry ? whether was Saul broken off when he persecuted the Church causing many to blaspheme ? And how could the Jews lawfully be married to Christ , if Moses was not now removed , without being called an Adulteress ? And then whether those thousands of Jews which believed were not first broken off , so as to plead no longer upon this issue , We are Abrahams Children , we are free-born , &c. And to look upon Circumcision and whatsoever was gain to them on a legal acco●nt , to be loss for Christ ? or is there any other way to be graffed in to the Church of Christ , but by faith ? Nowtherefore seeing the Jews were in no better case then th● Gentiles , Circumcision being now nothing , even as uncircumcision was nothing , b●ta new creature ? then whether all the Infants of the Jews now ceas●● to be m●mbers of any visible Church , seeing ●heir Parents had de jure lost their Memb●rship ? Presbyterian . Query 25. Were not the Infants of the Christian Jews the day before their Conversion Members of the Jewish Church , and of Gods universal Church , ( of which the Jews were but a part ? and doth it not sound strengely , that such Infants as were the day before Members of the Jewish Church , and of Gods universal Church , should be put out of the Jewish and the whole visible Church , by the faith of their Parents , or without unbelief ? Either it was a Mercy to be a Member , of the Church , or not : If it was no mercy , then will it not follow , that the unbelieving Jews lost nothing by being broken off ? If it was a mercy , how did the Christians Children forfeit it ? Baptist . Antiqu. 25. Whether we have not sufficiently shewed , that the Infants of the Jews were now no Members of the Jewish Church , that being now abrogated , and the Gospel Church state confirmed by the death of Christ , and the pouring out of the Holy Ghost ; neither could two distinct Church states stand together de jure . And then whether it be not a great mistake for the Q●aerist to suppose the Jews were a part of Gods universal Church , when in truth they were no Church at all ? and therefore whether the wonder which he makes about the Jews Infants which believed , be not groundless ? And yet whether the Infants of the believing Jews were not in a far better estate , then when their Parents were unbelievers , sith the Curse they then had imprecated , was now removed ? Also whether it was not a mercy , that both Parents and Infants were set free from Circumcision , which whatever it was before , now ceased to be a mercy to any man , because it was an obligation to the yoke of bondage , and rendred Christ unprofitable to such as should now receive it ; and consequently a Release from that Church-Membership according to the Law , was a great mercy to Infants , who still retain Membership in the invisible Church , as they did before Circumcision was in being ? Presbyterian . Query 26. Whether it be credible , that he who came not to cast out Jews , but to bring in Gentiles , breaking down the Partition-wall , and making of two one Church , would have a Chureh of so different form and constitution , that the Church at Jerusalem should have Infant-Members , and the Church at Rome should have none ? That the Jews Infants should be Members , and not Gentiles ? If the Jews were broken off by unbelief , should they not be graffed in again upon their Repentance of Faith ? And so should not every repenting believing Jews Infants be Church-Members ? Or otherwise how would their graffing in answer to their breaking off , should they be but in part graffed in ? Baptist . Antiqu. 26. Whether it be not a great mistake to say , that Christ came to make the Jew and Gentile one Church , otherwise then by taking away the Jewish Church , and making all things new , 2 Cor. 5. 17. &c. And whether this might not be done without setling any of the Practical Ordinances upon Infants as under the Law ? If otherwise , why have you not shewed us where Christ hath required Parent● to get their Infants baptized ? and where he forbade them to be brought to Imposition of Hands , the Table of the Lord , &c. If the denial of the first make our Infants no Members of the Church , doth not your denial of the other two , which do as generally pertain to Members of the Church , make yours none also ? And if the Church at Jerusalem , Rome , &c. had any Infant-Members therein , in the sence wherein you would have them Members , why do you not name some one Infant so made a Member , sith you know it would suffice , Wherher if the Jews grafting in , must in all Points answer to their breaking off , their Infants must not come to other Ordinances as well as Baptism ? or will you say Infants cannot partake with their Parents of salvation without Baptism ? or whether was the Infants of the Jews exposed to damnation by their Parents unbelief ? And if so , what is become of all their Infants ever since ? Presbyterian . Query 27. Was not Christ Church Spiritual before his Incarnation ( when it took in Infants ) and gathered in a spiritual way ? Was not ●he visible frame of the Jewish Church set up and erected by the Father of Spirits , and were not spiritual Duties commanded then ▪ upon Promises of spiritual blessings , even lise eternal ? How will any prove that it was a blemish to the old frame , that Infants were Members ? What was the Church the worse for Infants Rights ? If it be no blemish , why must it be done away ? Baptist . Antiqu. 27. Though it be true , that Christs Church was always spiritual in some measure , and his services such also ; yet whether it be not also true , that the Church under the Law of Moses was carnal , in respect of the spirituality of the Church under the Gospel ? Does not the Apostle say , 2 Cor. 3. These two Ministrations differ as much as Letter and Spirit differeth ; and that the glory of the one had no glory in respect of the glory which excelleth ? And is it not then rational , that the Churches concern'd under these Ministrations respectively should differ aecordingly ? And though it was no blemish to the Jewish Church , to have Infants Partakers of their Ordinances , which are called carnal , yet whether it be not a more perfect state , when the Church do al● know God , from the least to the greatest of them ? And whether this be not the state of the Church under the Gospel , according to Gods Appointment ? Heb. 8. 10 , 11 , 12 , 13. And whether that which is less perfect ought not to vanish away when that which is more perfect is come . In that he saith a new Covenant , he hath made the first old , now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away , Heb. 8. 13. Presbyterian . Query 28. In what regard were the new frame better , supposing the casting out of Infants , which were in the old ? How doth Infants Relation detract from its Spirituality ? Do not the adult come in by ●he same kind of consent for themselves , as they make for their Infants ? And do not the Adult blemish the Church with more carnal sins then Infants do ? Would any Kingdom be more excell●nt , if all Infants were disfranchised ? Does not Nature teach all Kingdoms on Earth , to take them f●r Members , though but Infant-Members ? Baptist . Antiqu. 28. Whether it be necessary to say Infants are cast out of that whereof they were never possessed , to wit , the use of Ordinances in the new frame of the Church ? Or how can Infants be said to be a spiritual seed ? How are they living stones , built up a spiritual house ; to offer spiritual sacrifices in a Gospel sense ? Or how are your Infants a more spiritual seed then our Infants ? And whether any other are by Christs Order to partake in Gospel-Ordinances , then such as therein worship God spiritually ? And whether hence it be not clear , that the way of making Infants Church-members do not detract from the spirituality of the new frame of the Church ? Also where hath God required the Adult to consent for their Insant Church m●mbership in this new frame ? And whether the comparison between an earthly Kingdom and the Ghurch of Christ be any way fitting , seeing Infants have as much need of the priviledge of humane Laws , for the preservation of their Lives and Rights as grown persons ? But how stand they in need of the Laws of the Church , ( and particularly Baptism ) for the preservation of their souls . And whether this similitude may not be emproved against you , seeing Infants , though Members of Kingdomes , yet are excused from all duties personal wbatsoever , and then why may they not be reputed of the Kingdom of God , and yet exempt from the duties of his Kingdom ? or how come they to be concern'd so much in that one duty of Baptism , and no other whatsoever ? Presbyterian . Query 29. Whether any Jew at age was a Member of the old Church without professing faith , ( in the Articles then necessary to salvation ) Repentance and Obedience ? And wherein the supposed new call and frame doth in this differ from the old , save only that a more full and express Revelation of Christ requireth a more full express Faith ? Is it not evident , that they were to profess consent to Gods Covenant , which who so denied Asa would put to death ? And was not circumcision a covenanting Act ? And did they not thereby prosess to take God for their God ? Or would God else have taken them for his People ? And would not renouncing God have cut them off ? Baptist . Antiqu. 29. What is become now of your Infant Church-membership ; if when grown up they cease to be Members upon that account ? Were the Jews Infants twice made Members of their Church ? Or is every renewing the Covenant , ( as in the case of Asa , ) making men Members of the Church ? But where did the Church ever admit one Member to her communion by Baptism without Profession ? or where did she ever decree , that those who would not submit to her new frame should be put to death ? And whether in this the new frame of the Church do not greatly differ from the old ? Presbyterian . Query 30. Whether Gods Law obligeth not Persons to devote themselves , and their Infants to God , by consenting to Gods Covenant for themselves and them ? Whether it was not the duty of the Israelites to engage and devote their children to God in Covenant ? Whether this be not evident from the Penalty ( even to be cut off from his People ) annexed for the non-Performance ? ( And whether this be not as much our Duty still ? ) Does not the Law of Nature bind us to give to every one his own due ? and are not Infants God's own due ? Does not the Law of Nature bind Parents to give them up to God by acknowledging his right , with a free resignation and dedication of the Inf●n● to God as his own ? Baptist . Antiq. 30. Where are Christian Parents required to devote their children by consenting to any Covenant for them ( or in their stead , as the Jews were in matters of Religion : and what penalty hath God imposed on them that devote not their Insants by sprinkling them as you do ? And whether we do omit the duty of devoting our children to God in any thing wherein the Law of God or Nature obligeth us , ( abating us all what must be abated ) ? And who denies Infants to be capable of Infant-relation , obligation or right , or who opposes their being devoted to God in their capacity ? and whether this be not a meer noise of words , as if all that do not as you do , do lay a side their care and duties towards Infants ? And where is the institution of your publick way ? Have we not a more certain instituted way to devote them to God by Prayer , and to educate them in his fear , as they are capable , then you have to cross or sprinkle them ? Presbyterian . Query 31. Whether Anabaptists themselves , all of them that are truly pious , do not vertually ( though not actually ) devote their children to God , and consent to their Covenant-relation , while they vehe●ently plead against it ? Baptist . Antiqu. 31. Whether you do not greatly wrong your self , and those you call Anabaptists , in saying , they vehemently plead against devoting their children to God ; yea sure , they do it actually as far as Gods Word requires ? And can you believe , that there is no way to devote children to God but in your way ? How then did Adam , Enoch , Scth , Noah , &c. devote their children to God ? And it would do well also if you could shew us how they consented to any Covenant for their Infants , more then we do ? or prove if you can , that you your selves do consent to the Covenant of Grace for your Infants , more then we whom you call Anabaptists ? Does not Eusebius Pamphilius count Christianity as old as Adam ? l. 1. c. 1. And doth not Tertullian say , Enoch justissimum non Circumcisum nec Sibbatizantem , &c. Enochan upright man was translated by God , though he were not circumcised , neither yet did observe the Sabba●h . --- Vt aeternitas candidatis , &c. To the end , that he who did aspire to Eternity might shew us , that we might please God without the burthen of Moses Law. And what Law ( save the La● of Circumcision ) did ever require Infants to be brought to Practical Ordinances in the Church of God ? Presbyterian . Query 32. Is it not a desperate undertaking , and dare any adventure on it , to justifie all the World before Christs Incarnation , except the Jews , from the guilt of not dedicating their children to God ? And do not they that say there is no Law in this case , say there is no Transgression ? A●d dare any in like manner undertake to justifie at the Bar of God all the VVorld since Christs Incarnation from the guilt of sin , in not dedicating their children'to Christ , and entring them into his Covenant as Members of his Church ? Dare any maintain that all the World is sinless in this respect ? Baptist . Antiq. 32. Whether this be not a very unwise Query ? As if none of the Fathers did dedicate their Infants to God , unless they brought them to some Practical Ordinance in the Church , which is the only thing you do so complain of ? And how , I pray you , did Abraham , Isaac and Jacob dedicate their female Infants to God , sith we finde no Practical Ordinance for them in Infancy ? or who goes about to justifie the World , if they do not as the Law of God and Nature wills them to do for their Infants ? And may we not well justifie all men , for not doing that which the Law of God never required ? Presbyterian . Query 33. Is it not a great Benefit and Priviledge to be a visible Church-Member of Christ as Head of the Church , and of his Church as visible ? Is it not abenefit in it self ( besides the Consequents ) to be visibly united and related to Christ and his Body ? Is not such a Relation to God the Father , Son and Holy Ghost , and to the Church , an honor ? And how great is the misery of a contrary state ? And if Infant Church-membership were no benefit , then how were they that had it , ( when they came to Age , or their Parents in the mean time ) obliged to any thankfulness for it ? Will any say , that neither they nor their Parents were obliged to thankfulness upon this account ? Baptist . Antiqu. 33. What benefit is it to bring Infants to that which God requires not of them ? or whether it be any loss to them till God requires it ? And seeing you make your Pedo-rantism this all in all , shew us what benefit or priviledge you had when sprinkled , more then the Infants of a pious Baptist ? And what is that benefit that all who are sprinkled by the Papists ▪ do receive , which you ratifie for good Baptism ? Or how are their Infants Church-members more then ours ? And whether our children when grown up , have not a fairer way to the Purity of Christianity , in that they are not entangled with such Traditions ? Presbyterian . Query 34. Is it not certain that Infants are capable of this benefit , if God deny it not , but will give it them as well as the aged ? And is it not certain , that they are actually Members of all the Commonwealths in the World ? ( perfecte , sed imperfecte membra ) And does not Nature seem actually to have taught most people on Earth , to repute their Infants in the same Religiou● Society with themselves , as well as in the same Civil Society ? Baptist . Antiqu. 34. That Infants are capable of what God will give them is very true ; And we therefore ask , whether Infants be not as capable of the Lords Supper as Baptism , if the Lord will give it them ? And as far as Gods Will is , that Infants should be related to his Church , we doubt not of their capacity for it . And why is the order of Commonwealths so much insisted on in this case ? Are we to fetch our Rules for dispensing Ordinances in the Church , from the Civil Policie of Nations ? We desire you still to show us what the Law of Nature obligeth us to do for our Infants , which we do not ? Is both the Law of God and Nature broken by all that bring not their Infants to be crossed or sprinkled as you do ? sure you can never make this good . Baptist . Query 35. Whether according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace , God will not vouchsafe to be their God , and take them for his people , ( that are in a natural , or Law-sense ) willing to be his people , and take him for their God ? And whether the Infants of believing Parents are not thus willing ? When Infants cannot be actually willing themselves in a natural sense , must not the reason and will of another be theirs in Law-sense , that is , of the Parents , have the full dispose of them , and are warranted by the Law of Nature to choose for them ( for their good ) till they come to the use of reason themselves . Whether in Gods acceptance the Child doth not thus truly consent by the believing Parents , and doth not Covenant with God , as a Child covenanteth and consenteth reputatively among men , who by his Parents is made a Party in Contract , as in a Lease for his Life , or the like ? And so granting the Relation of Church-membership , to be founded in a mutual contract , covenant or consent betwixt God and us , yet must not this consent on our part differ according to the different age and capacity of Infants , and the adult ? Were not the Israelites Infants Church-members , who consented not actually in their own persons , but virtually , and reputatively ? Baptist . Antiqu. 35. We still require you to shew where this Law is , that obligeth Christians to will the baptizing of their Infants , and that will warrant the baptizing of one Person by vertue of anothers will ? And why may not a reputative Baptism serve as well as a reputative Covenant , sith the Covenant is greater then Baptism ? And whether this be an advised speech , that the Parent hath the whole disposal of his Child in matters of Religion ? And who must judge what is good for his Infant in religious matters ? Must not Gods Word do this ? And shew us what command we have omitted , in not bringing our Infants to the Font as you do ? Or do you think that your instance of a Lease , is sufficient to rectifie mens consciences in matters of this nature ? And what if some of the Jews had failed to consent for their children , were they therefore not in Covenant ? sure it was the Law , not the Parents consent , that regulated these matters . Neither do we finde , that the Israelites were bound to repent and believe in the Person of the child , and accordingly to make profession in his Name , when circumcised , as you do at the Font when you pretend to baptize your Infants , when yet you baptize them not , seeing Sprinkling cannot be truly called Baptism ? Presbyterian . Query 26. Whether it be not the duty of Parents by the Law of Nature , to accept of any allowed or offered benefit for their children ? the Infant being not sui Juris , but at his Parents dispose in all things that are for his good , have not the Parents power to oblige their children to any future duty or suffering , that is certainly for their own good ? And so may they not enter them into Covenants accordingly ? And is it not unnaturally sinful for a Parent to refuse to do such a thing , when it is to the great benefit of his own child ? And doth it not deserve to be called the unthankful Error , that opposeth Childrens Rights , and Blessings ? Baptist . Antiqu. 36. Whether this Query be not the same in effect , which we have had again and again ? And we would know what offered benefits the Infant of the Pedobaptists meet with , among the Papists , or your selves either , which we received not , meerly for this cause of not doing to our infants , as they and you are pleased to do ? And whether it were not as reasonable for Parents to be baptized in the childs stead , as to profess faith and repentance for him ? And whether it be reasonable for a Parent to oblige his Infant to be of his opinion and practice , and to suffer for the same ? And what Law of God requires this , and whether this may not be called the unreasonable errour ? Presbyterian . Query 37. VVhether it may be thought , or any dare maintain , that the Covenant of Grace giveth no conditional Right to any Infant in the World ? Are they all excluded ? And why ? Are they worse then their Parents ? If it give any Right to Infants conditionally , as it doth t● Parents , must it not be on a condition to be performed by the Parents , or such as are so far entrusted ? Or can this be called a Covenant , for God only to say [ I will save all such Infants as I elect ] and yet offer Salvation to none of them in the World on any condition , nor give a title to any Person that can be known by themselves or others ? Would it not be to confound the Decree of God with his Covenant ? And what Right or Hope doth this give to Christians for their children more then to Pagans ? Baptist . Antiqu. 37. Whether it may be thought that God should require the conditions of the Covenant of grace on them , which he knows can observe none at all ; or whether it be his will , that the grace of that Covenant should depend upon others observation of the Conditions for them ? And whether this be not to put the salvation of Infants out of his own hand , and into the hand of such as commonly neglect their own ? And is not this to expo●e poor Infants to ruine , whose Parents generally are so far from keeping , that they are strangers to the Conditions of this Covenant ? And where are we taught to doubt the salvation of the Infants of Pagans ? or to conclude ours only are in the state of salvation ? And is it not much more secure to hope the salvation of Infants on the Ground of Christs dying for them , and rising again for their Justification ▪ then upon any Practical in Religion ? And where did God ever since the beginning of the World , give any Ordinance to be necessary to the salvation of any Infant in the World ? Can you believe that the cutting off of the uncircumcised Man-child , was a cutting off from salvation ? how then were all the Infants saved which were born to the Israelites for fourty years together , such of them , I mean , as died during that time ? And why may not Infants as well be made righteous without any thing done on their part , as they were made sinners without any thing done on their part ? Will not the second Adams obedience salve the first Adams disobedience ? And may not poor Infants better plead in the day of Judgement what Christ did for them , then what your Godfathers or Proparents did for them ? Presbyterian . Query 38. Though all that are saved , are saved by the meritorious righteousness of Christ , by way of free Gift ; yet whether the condition be not a suteable acceptance ? And why may not a Parent accept a Donation for his Child , who hath no will to accept it for himself ? Shall he be certainly shut out unto damnation ? Or shall he have that gift absolutely which is conditional to all others ? Or is he not concerned in the Donation at all ? And have not Infants guilt and misery from their Parents ? And though Life and Pardon be by Christ only , yet is it not congruous , that the meer condition of acceptance may b● Performed by the Parents , ( while they cannot accept for themselves ? ) Baptist . Antiq. 38. Whether the meritoriousness of Christ is not as available to save Infants without any mans acceptance thereof for them ▪ Or whether hath God ty'd the salvation of any person to the acceptance of another ? And whether these be not unreasonable and unscriptural conceits ? And whether it be not for want of better Grounds for Infant-Baptism , that you thus continually tautologize , varying little from that which you have said once and again ? Presbyterian . Query 39. ( Whether it be no advantage for children to be under an early engagement to God , and Jesus Christ ? ) Whether to dedicate them betimes to God , doth not tend to secure God's right and childrens good , and to prevent their sin and misery ; they being thus under a double Obligation , which they may be minded of betimes , and which may hold them more strongly to their duty , and disadvantage the Tempter that would draw them off from God , &c ▪ Baptist . Antiqu. 39. Who is against as early an engagement of children to God as can lawfully be made ▪ and do not the Baptists engage their children to God as soon as they can , by Prayer and Supplication whiles Infants ; and then by the best education they are able when docible ? But whether any thing be done to purpose in your judgement ( when yet all is done that can be done ) unless it be rantized in your way ? And whether it be not b●tter to leave the event of their accepting Baptism to the wise dispose of God , then to do it per force in Infancy , without Precept from God ? Also whether the Infant-Baptism be such a means to propagate Religion as you suppose , may be seen , when you consider how in the darkness of Popery , Pedobaptism was more common then now , but Christianity much less ? And name one if you can , that was bettered in Christian vertue by Pedobaptism ? we think we can name one , and that your self , which is worse for it , for had you not that to rest on , you would probably desire to put on Christ in baptism ? whether it be not the fittest time to be buried with Christ in baptism , when we are dead with him from the rudiments of the world , or whether it be reasonable to bury sinners therein till they be dead to sin ? and whether it can profit any person to be baptized , unless he have the answer of a good conscience , by the Resurrection of Christ from the dead , 1 Pet. 3. therein ? Presbyterian . Query . 40. Whether it can be proved , that ever there was one Age or Church ( particular ) on Earth since Adam , till about 200 years ago , that the Anabaptists rose , wherein Infants de facto were not Members of the Church ? Baptist . Antiqu. 40. Whether in your sense of making Infants Members of the Church de facto , it can be proved there was any one so made a Member from the beginning of the World till Abrahams time ? and whether John Baptist , Christ , or any by his order , did receive Infants into the Church de facto . And whether the Baptist do not better prove the Antiquity of their faith and practice in baptism then any Aedo baptist in the world ? and doth not your conscience tell you , that the baptism of Men and Women , upon profession of faith and repentance , is beyond the reach of contradiction ? whilest M. Baxter himself confesses Infant-baptism to be so difficult , that many of its Assertors , both Protestants and Papists , are forced to confess it cannot be proved by the Scriptures ? See his Cure p. 7. And seeing you and we are generally agreed , that our way both for subject and manner is out of dispute , clear in the Scriptures ; and you confess by the Pen of Mr. Baxter , that yours is very difficult , is it not reason the difficult way should give place to the clear and evident way ? Presbyterian . Query 41. VVhether it can be proved , that ever there was any one I●fant of true Church-members , that was not rightfully a Church-member himself from the Creation till Christ's days ? Or from the Creation till this day ; except the Anabaptists , who reject the benefit , whose case we will not presume to determine ? Baptist . Antiqu. 41. Whether this Query be not the same we had before ? and whether what is said to it , may not also suffiee to this ? Presbyterian . Query 42. Seeing that Infants have been de facto Church-members from the Creation to this day ( as far as any Records can lead us ) Is it likely , that the Lord , and Head , and all-sufficient Governour of his Church , would have permitted his Church till now , to be actually made up of such subjects , as in regard of Age be disallowed , and suffered his Church to be wrong framed till now ? Or is it a reasonable , modest and lawful undertaking , to go about now in the end of the World to make God a new framed Church . as to the age of the Subjects ? And is it not more modest and safe , to live quietly in a Church of that frame , as all the Saints of Heaven lived in , till the other day , as a few Anabaptists did attempt an Alteration ? Baptist . Antiqu. 42. Whether it be not utterly untrue , that Infants were Members of the Church de facto , i.e. to be brought to partake of Ordinances Practical in the Church , save only from Abraham to the end of the Law ? And whether all the Pedobaptists in the world have not hitherto been unable to shew any one instance before Abraham , or since the Law was abrogated , so much as one Infant admitted to any such Ordinance in the Church of ●od , according to what the Scriptures afford in thi● 〈◊〉 ? And ●●●her it be not as modest in us to labour to restore ●●ptism to its pure use in the Church , both in respect of the subject and manner of Administration thereof , as it was for the Protestants to do the like in respect of the Lords Supper ? Also whether your pretending the Authority of the universal Church , be not the same figment , with which the Papists deceived themselves and others ? And how can you pretend the universal Church , when the Primitive Church is on our side ? Presbyterian . Query 43. Whether considering Christs own Infant-Mem●●rship , and his kind reception of Infants , and his chiding those that would have kept them off , and his offers of taking in all the Jewish Nation , ( Matth. 23. 37. ) and that they were broken off by unbelief , and consequently the Seed of Believers broken off from the Church Vniversal , and that whole Housholds are oft said to be baptized , and that Paul pronounceth Believers children holy , and that Christ ( Mat. 28. ) commanded his Ministers , as much as in them lieth , to disciple all Nations baptizing them , & c ? Baptist . Antiqu. 43. Whether Christs Infants Church-membership did not pertain to the Jewish Church only , Gal. 4. 4. born under the Law only , &c. And whether he was not about 30 years when he entred in our Profession , Heb. 3. 3. The Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Christ Jesus . See Luke 3. And then whether his example be not flat against you ? Also whether Christs only praying for Infants , and not baptizing them though brought to him , neither ordering any other to do it that we reade of , do not shew us that Infants may be under the blessings of Christ without baptism ? And whether you may not tremble to presume to do more then he did , or appointed to be done ? Are you wiser then he ? Also whether it lies within the power of any Minister to disciple an Infant ; or shew us one Infant with you , or any Pedo-baptist ever made a disciple ? or be pleased to come and make my Infants disciples if you can , and I promise you I will assist you what I can in the baptizing them ? and not only so , but do my best to employ you elsewhere , I speak it seriously . And whether this would not do more to decide the Controversie , then all the Books that are written by any of you ? and if you cannot do this , how will Matth. 28. 19. warrant you to baptize Infants , sith its plain that discipling goes before baptizing ? and how disciples are to be made we think it best to learn of Jesus , John 4. 3. How think you ? Do you indeed believe , that any person being of the Nation , entitles them to● b●ptism ? why then who is not a fit subject , seeing all Infants ●nd men too are of one Nation or another ? and if there be other Qualifications necessary , whether to be taught be not one of the chief of them ? and why do you say we take Infants away from Christs Church , because we baptize them not ; are they in it before baptized ? if so , how do we take them away ? Presbyterian . Query 44. In summ , whether 1. God would not have Parents devote their children to him , and enter them according to their capacity in his Covenant ? 2. Whether also he doth not accept into his Covenant all that are faithfully thus devoted to him , and be not peculiarly their God , that such children are holy ? 3. Whether they are not as certainly Members , according to an Infant-capacity , of the visible Church , as they are of all Kingdoms under Heaven ? 4. Whether there be not far more hope of their salvation , then of those without ? 5. Whether the Covenant doth not make their salvation certain , if they so die ? 6. Whether the Invest●ure and Solemnization of their Covenant with Christ should not be made in Infancy , & c ? Baptist . Antiqu. 44. In summ , 1. Whether we do not as much to our Infants ( in our capacity ) as Christ did to the Infants which were brought to him ? and will not that sati●fie , unless we go from him to follow you ? And as to the business of the Covenant , let us hear what Mr. Baxter saith , More R●●s . p. 86. All Mankind is brought by Christ under a Covenant of Grace , which is not vain or repealed by God , but as their abuse of the grace of the Covenant may cast them out ; for as a Covenant of entire Nature was made with all mankind in innocent Adam ; so a Covenant of grace was made with all mankind in lapsed Adam , Gen. 3. 15. in the Promised Seed ; and renewed again with all ma●kind in Noah , &c. And now we ask whether our Infants according to this account of the Covenant of Grace be not in it without bapti●m , fith they have not abused the grace of the Covenant ? and whether baptism be not far more proper , when after they have corrupted themselves by sin , they come to humiliation , and so to enter into this Covenant upon the termes of the Gospel ? Whether your Exposition of the universal Church , upon Mat. 28. 19. do take in the Practice of the Apostles in pursuance of that Commission to the Acts of the Apostles , and the Exposition of the Baptists ? and if not , then you either deny us to be of the universal Church , or else you have not the Exposition of the Church universal ? Presbyterian . Query 45. How inconsiderable a Part of the universal Church do the Anabaptists hold Communion with ? And do they not unchurch almost all the Churches on Earth ? ( may we not think , that they rob Christ of more them nine Parts of ten of his Kingdom , or Church universal ? V. p. 305. ) Baptist . Antiqu. 45. Whether upon Luthers revolt from the Pope , you were not upbraided with holding communion with an inconsiderable part of the universal Church ? why do you take up the Papists weapons ? Did not that pious man that succoured Athanasius in the time of the Arrian persecution answer the Objection well , when he said , The cause of truth is not therefore empaired , because I am alone ; --- Glory not therefore in multitudes , for it is not the multitude but the cause that justifieth or condemneth ? Also whether we may not also conclude , that many are of the universal Church , which do not communicate with us or your selves ? and yet whether the separation from many Pedobaptists will not justifie our separation from you more clearly ? Presbyterian . Query 46. Whether they can possibly hop● , that ever the Church on Earth will unite upon their terms , of rejecting all their Infants from the visible Church , and renouncing all our Infant-Rights and Benefits conferred by the Baptismal Covenant of Grace ? Baptist . Antiqu. 46. Whether this be in effect to say , What will these feeble Jews do ? And why may we not hope that this great mistake of yours may vanish , as well as that great mistake of Austin , and the generality of men prosessing Christianity , who brought Infants also to the Lords Table , and that for many hundreds of years together , and defended it by as plaufible reasons as any you have for baptizing them ? Could God reform so great and general an errour , forced on by Learning and Authority of eminent men ; And shall we think this thing only too hard for God ▪ our small number shall not make us doubt , for we know God doth great things by small means . And what Baptismal grace do we desire you to renounce , when we only defire you to mend an errour ; Did the twelve disciples , Acts 19. renounce any baptismal grace , when ( according to the Interpretation of the Ancients ) they were baptized again ? Surely Reformation is no errour . Presbyterian . Query 47. And whether if they continue to the Worlds end to separate from almost all the Churches and unchurch them , their Employment will not be still to serve the great Enemy of Love and Concord , against the Lord of Love and Peace , and against the Profperity of Faith and Godliness , and against the welfare of the Church and Souls , and to the scandal and hardning of the ungodly ? Baptist . Antiqu. 47. Whether the separation is not justly chargeable upon those which cause divisions and offences , by asserting and maintaining such errours , as being admitted , the way of God must be corrupted , or laid aside ? and whether these are not the men , that ( at least unawares ) serve the design of the great enemy , and whether you are not guilty of the fault wherewith you would charge us ? P●esbyterian . 48. Whether too many well-meaning , but weak Christians , are not disaffected to lawful and warrantable things in the Worship of God , meerly because they see such as are ungodly use and own them ? And whether if God should but let us have a King and other Rulers , that were against Infant-Baptism , and singing of Psalmes , &c. and would make Laws for their own way , and impose it on others , so that the ungodly multitude should fall in with them , it would not presently cure many that are now for such Opinions ? Baptist . Antiqu. 48. Whether many , but weak Christians , would hold to the errou● of Infant-sprinkling , but meerly because J. B. and Mr. Baxter , &c. do so . And whether this be not as much weakness of the one hand , as the case put by you on the other ? and whether both ought not to be amend●d ? And whether the latter part of this Query do not shew , that to follow the greatest number is not always the best way ? And why then would you discourage us by our Paucity ? And whether such Confiderations might not have discouraged the Apostles , seeing they were to alter the state of Religion in the Jewish Church , yea , throughout the whole world ? Presbyterian . Query 49. Whether Mr. Baxter in the second and third part of that his second defence of our Infants Rights , have not sufficiently detected the great and notorious untruths in Fact and History , wherewith Mr. H. D. Treatise of Baptism , and Reply to Mr. Willes is fully stuffed . Baptist . Antiqu , 49. Whether Mr. D. and Mr. Tombes have not sufficiently detected Mr. Baxters mistakes in many of his Works 〈◊〉 Infant-baptism . and particularly in Mr. Tombes his Felo de se . Also whether Mr. Wills exceptions against Mr. D. are not well foiled by Mr. D. in his twofold Defence of his Treatise of Baptism ; And whether Mr. Baxter did ever yet , or ever will accept of Mr. Tombes his serious Challenge lately made in these words . I Challenge him to set down distinctly his Theses , concerning the Grace he meanes , the Covenant of Grace , what and whose it is , how it is bap , iswal , what are the rights and benefits conferred to Infants by it , using words in their proper sence and genuine notions , and then without Questions , Exclamations , Flirts , Suppositions improved , set down his Scriptures , and form his Arguments substantially --- and then I doubt not but learned and accurate Disputants will see his folly , &c. Postscript to Mr. D. second Reply p. 267. Presbyterian . Query 50. Whether the Anabaptists schism , or separation from Communion with our Churches be not worse yet then their simple Opinion ? And whether it be not desirable , and possible , that some may be found out , and terms laid down , in which good and sober men on both sides would agree and hold Communion ? Baptist. Antiqu. 50. Whether the Papists may not on fairer Grounds Query thus with the Protestantt , then you can do with us , especially when the Cause you manage against us is so doubtful in the judgement of its best friends ▪ as we shewed in our Preface ; and here we shall further add what Mr. Y. notes in his first Reply , p. 126. Mr. Chillingworth ( saith he ) in his Answer to Knot 's Charity maintain'd , part . 1. c. 3. § . 44. p. 152. saith , The doctrine of Infant-baptism is of that sort , of which the Scripture is silent . And the Oxford-Divines , in their Reasons os the present Judgement of the University , &c. June 1. 1674. Do. sect . 4. p. 9. say , That without the Consent , Judgment and Practice of the universal Church , ( which they distinguish from the Scriptures ) they should be at a loss when they are called upon for proof of the baptizing Infants . Now this considered with what Dr. Taylor saith , Dissuasive from Popery , p. 118. That it is certain , there is no universal or prime Tradition for baptizing infants , then whether you may not more securely forbear baptizing your Infants , till endowed with knowledge and faith , then to do it without . And in the mean time retain your opinion about their being in the Covenant of Grace , and let Christs Ministers or your selves pray for them after the example of Christ . And whether this might not be a more likely way for a lasting Peace between the Baptists and the Pedobaptists , and more consonant to the Scriptures then the way propounded by you ? And seeing it shall come into your hearts to make some Overtures for peace , we desire you would prosecute that needful Work. And whether it may not better be done by personal Conference in a friendly and Christian manner , then by writing Books one to another . And whether the Baptists have not offered this , and bin rejected by you in such their tenders of friendship ? May these Queries and Antiqueries have an effectual tendency to the increase of Love and Chirstian Friendship , and if not , whether it had not been better they had been unwritten ? FINIS . The Postscript . Shewing that Infant-baptism is contrary to the Command of Christ . REceiving lately in Writing a Proposition from a Minister of the Church of England , to which I sent him certain Arguments , to prove what is denied in the said Proposition ; I shall here offer the same to Consideration . The Proposition is this , Prop. Infant-baptism is not contrary to the Command of Christ . Contra. Infant-baptism is contrary to the Command of Christ . Arg. 1. If Infant-baptism be not contrary to the Command of Christ , then it is of divine Institution , But Infant-baptism is not of divine Institution , Ergo , Infant-baptism is contrary to the Command of Christ . The Major is true , because there is only one Baptism instituted by Christ . The Minor is true , because no man can shew any divine Institution of Infant-baptism . Arg. 2. If infant-baptism be not contrary to the Command of Christ , then it agrees with Christs Commission for the perpetuity of Baptism , Mat. 28. 19. But Infant-baptism is not agreeable to the Commission from the perpetuity of Baptism , Mat. 28. 19. Ergo , Infant-baptism is contrary to the Command of Christ . The Major is true , because Christ commanded nothing contrary to his own Commission . The Minor is true , sith no man can shew any Agreement between the Commission and Infant-baptism . Arg. 3. If infant baptism be not contrary to the Command of Christ , then it is agreeable to the practice of the Apostolical Churches , But infant-baptism is not agreeable to the practice of the Apostolical Churches . Ergo , Infant-baptism is contrary to the Command of Christ . The Major i● true , because the Apostolical Church did observe all that Christ commanded in the case of baptism . The Minor is true , because no man can shew , the Apostolical churches did baptize so much as one Infant . Arg. 4. If infant-baptism be not contrary to the Command of Christ , then it is the baptism of Repentance for Remission of sin . But infant-baptism is not the baptism of repentance for remission of sins ; Ergo , Infant-baptism is contrary to the Command of Christ . The Major is true , because christ commanded no baptism , but the baptism of repentance for Remission of sins , Acts 2. 38. and Eph. 4. 5. The Minor is true , because Infants have all the Remission needful in Infancy , without repentance , else they can have no Remission . Arg. 5. That which hath in a great measure , and naturally tends wholly to make void the baptism commanded by Christ , is contrary to the Command of Christ . But infant-baptism hath in a great measure , and naturally tends wholly to make void the baptism commanded by Christ . Ergo , infant-baptism is contrary to the Command of Christ . The Major is true , because Christ commands nothing to make void his own command . The Minor is true , for where Infant-baptism is generally rcceived , there believers baptism ceaseth . Arg. 6. If infant-baptism be as unreasonable , as to baptise persons when they are asleep or dead , then it is contrary to the Command of Christ . But infant-baptism is as unreasonable as to baptize persons when they are asleep or dead . Ergo , Infant-baptism is contrary to the command of Christ . The Major is true , because Christ commanded nothing that is unreasonable , I mean , that which is really so according to truth , and not in mans judgement only . The Minor is true , first becaufe those who baptize Infant● do usually do it when they are a●leep ; Secondly , because the Grounds usually insisted on for infantbaptism , will as well justifie the baptizing Persons asleep or dead ; ● mean , such only as have known and believed in the Lord Jesus ; yea , the Scripture may seem ( according to Interpreters , to hint some such thing to have been done in the Christian Church , and he not approve it ) but no such intimation touching any Infant . Arg. 7. That practice which renders the practice of Christ and his true followers , ( who were baptized in Rivers , or much water ) superfluous or ridiculous , and which agreeth not with the word baptize , when used in the New Testament to express the Act done in that Ordinance , is contrary to the Command of Christ . But the sprinkling of Infants now used by the Presbyterians , renders the practice of Christ and his true followers , ( who were baptized in Rivers or much water ) supersluous or ridiculous , and agreeth not with the signification of the word Baptize , when used to express ( according to the New Testament ) the Act done in that Ordinance . Ergi , Infant-baptism is contrary to the command of Christ . T●e Major is evident , because Christ would command nothing to reflect dishonour upon his own practice , The Minor is true , because if sprinkling a little water on the face only be su●ficient , then immersion or dipping in the River must needs be superfluous , &c. neither can the word Baptize and Rantize , with any equity of speech or good sence , be used to ezpress the same action . Thus , though we justly refuse infant-baptism , because no man can prove it commanded by Christ , yet that we may more effectually perswade our Countreymen , to admit of the restoration of this Ordinance to pristine integrity , we have offered these Arguments to shew how contrary to Christs Command is that darling Tradition os Pedobaptism . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A41786-e7880 From the institution of baptism . From the institution of Bapt●sm From the practice of the first Church . From the necessity of Repentance , where sin is washed away baptismally . From the ill consequence of Infant-baptism . For the unreasonableness therof . From the dishonour i● offereth to Christs practice . 
A54070	----	To friends in England, Ireland, Scotland, Holland, New-England, Barbado's, or any where else where the Lord God shall order this to come, in the tender spirit of life and love, greeting Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679. 1666 Approx. 24 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 7 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2006-02 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A54070 Wing P1211 ESTC R22406 12742975 ocm 12742975 93157 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A54070) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 93157) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 727:30) To friends in England, Ireland, Scotland, Holland, New-England, Barbado's, or any where else where the Lord God shall order this to come, in the tender spirit of life and love, greeting Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679. 12 p. s.n., [S.l. : 1666] Caption title. Signed: Isaac Penington (p. 11). Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Christian life. Salvation. 2005-09 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-09 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-11 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2005-11 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-01 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion To Friends in England , Ireland , Scotland , Holland , New-England , Barbado's , or any where else where the Lord God shall order this to come in the tender Spirit of Life and Love , greeting . O Friends , IN the pure love of God , and fresh Breath of his living Spirit , is it now on my heart to write unto you , in fear , in tenderness , in meltings and true sence of Spirit ; and the Lord God so guide my heart and words , as that they may reach the witness in the hearts of all that shall read , and may be felt by that to be purely of God , and not at all of the birth , will , or wisdom of the flesh . I remember , I remember , O Friends , and it is in my heart to put you in remembrance of the cloudy , dismal and dark day , wherein the Shepherd of Israel 〈◊〉 our Souls , and what condition we were in , when he caused the Light of Life to shine upon our Tabernacles , and to spring up in us . O the desolation , the desolation that our Souls were in , in that day ! O the wandrings up and down , the seekings , huntings , mournings , bitter complaints , and deep distresses for want of our God , and for want of the guidance of his good Spirit ! Who can utter now what was then felt of the thickness of darkness , of the misery , the loss , the dreadful captivity that poor Souls were entangled and wraped up in ? O how acceptable was the Visitation of God then ! how deep was the sence of his tender Mercy in visiting ! how glad was the Soul then of the living Path revealed ! how unfainedly did it cleave unto the Lord , and embrace the measure of his Life revealed inwardly to the mind ! how did it fear ! how did it wait ! how did it watch against the Enemy , and cry to the Father for his help ! how beautiful were the Feet , and how pleasant the visitations of them , who brought the tydings of this Life and Peace ! What love , what unity , what embracing one another in this life , was then witnessed in the hearts of one another ! and where this lives and grows to this day , O how precious is that Vessel ! but where the Life in any is departed from , where another thing ( of another nature ) hath entered and been entertained by any , there it is not so ; but there the love is grown cold , the mind changed , the goodness of the Lord forgotten , and the poor Soul again entangled in that which formerly it felt some release and deliverance from . Now , that the Enemy would endeavour to entangle the minds of the Redeemed , and to draw them back from the Lord , and his pure measure of Life in the heart , towards Perdition again , that is not to be questioned , it being his Nature and Property so to do ; and that he would use , not only his strength , but also all his subtilty & deceiveableness to affect this ( his aim being at the Church and Redeemed of God , more then at the World ) appearing as an Angel of Light , in motions like Light , in wayes like Life , this is not to be doubted neither ; for how else could he gain upon that , whose eye is towards , and whose aim is after the Lord ? But this is the great thing for my heart , and the hearts of Friends , to be exercised in , to wait on the Lord , in his true Light , clearly to discern how far we have been assaulted by this Enemy ; and how far the Lord hath preserved us from his assaults , or suffered him to prevail upon us ; for he hath prevailed in former Ages , under the ministration of the Law in the Prophets dayes , and under the ministration of the Gospel in the Apostles dayes ; yea , and I must needs say , he hath also prevailed in our dayes , on all that have not watched in the pure Fear , and been preserved by the pure Power of the Lord. Now doth it not concern every one to look up to the Lord , to guide his heart in searching , that he may truly understand his state ? that , if he can witness the preservation of the Power , he may sing praise to the Power ; but if he hath been betrayed and come to a loss , he may seek after the Power of Life again , and wait for deliverance and restoring by it . For with the Lord God is Mercy and Bowels , and he seeketh after and saveth the Lost , not once onely , but again and again ; onely here is the great danger of Souls , when they are ignorant of their Captivity , and judge in themselves , and are guided by that , which should be judged down and destroyed in them ; When Darkness is the light and leader in the Mind , O whither doth that Soul travel ! how doth it judge , think , act ! how sure doth the Enemy hold it in his Bonds and Chains ! how easily doth he prejudice it against that , which is of God and for its good ; and incline it to think favourably of that , which only appeareth to be of God , but is not , and is to its hurt . Now Friends , there were three things on my heart this morning , which sprang up in true sence and demonstration of God's Spirit , as subtil engines , which the Enemy hath endeavoured to make use of to hurt our Souls ; which any that have been entangled in , have received hurt by , and those that have escaped , have cause to bless the Name of the Preserver of ISRAEL . The first is this , By getting in Persons prejudices against those whom the Lord hath chosen , and pleaseth to make use of in Ministring to his People . Precious is the Ministry that is in the Spirit , for the building up in Life , as well as for begetting . How doth the Enemy strive to prejudice the World against them , that there may be no begetting to God from amongst them ? And how doth he also endeavour to raise prejudices among the Begotten , that he may interrupt , and ( if possibly ) stop their building up ? The second is this , To draw men from eying and subjecting to the present dispensation , by an earnest looking after and waiting for another , or further . The security and blessing of the Soul lies in the present dispensation , in bowing to God there , in being diligent under the exercises of his Spirit therein . Now that which draws the mind another way , from the present exercise , from belief in the present gift , under a specious pretence of waiting for somewhat more glorious to appear , betrayes and deceives , in thus turning the mind out of the Path which God holds forth and guides into , towards expectation of a Path as yet to be revealed . The third is this , Under a pretence of sticking to the enlightning & guidance of ones own measure , to set up a sense and judgement in the mind , both concerning persons , practices , and things , which is not truly of the measure , but secretly instilled into and raised up in the mind , contrary to the pure measure of Life . All these have I not onely seen in Spirit , but been forely assaulted with ; and that they have not prevailed upon me , even to destruction , is the tender mercy and kindness of the Lord unto me ; and in that tenderness and love , for the preservation of others do I write these things : And indeed , I have somewhat in my heart to say singly and nakedly concerning each of these , which the Lord guide and bless to the conditions of those who stand in need thereof . First , Concerning those prejudices which the Enemy is apt to lay before the minds of Friends concerning those whom the Lord hath chosen to minister to them in the Power of his Truth , I shall say this : Look over the former dispensations of God ; There were false Prophets under the Law , and false Apostles and Ministers in the time of that dispensation of the Gospel , who did strive and labour hard to disturb , undermine and overturn the Building and Work of God in the Spirits of his People then ; but did God suffer the True Prophets under the Law , or his True Apostles to fall and lose their Ministry ? And is not this present dispensation pure and living , and able to preserve both the Instructers and Instructed in the Lord ? It is natural to the Enemy to suggest such a thing ; but let all that fear the Lord and love his Truth , take heed how they entertain such a suggestion . Besides , he that hath felt the pure Power in his heart , and waited to be carried through the work of it , and hath been carried through and brought into the dominion , and set as a Pillar in the Temple of the Lord ; it is not easie ( if possible ) for him to fall , the Lord having undertaken for him , that he shall go no more forth , as Rev. 3. 12. But let me say this to thee , O Soul , who ever hast entertained this prejudice , Thou , through prejudices and suggestions judgest them fallen ; but do not they , in the true Eternal Light of the Spirit of Life , see thee fallen ? Nay , if thou couldst but retire to the pure measure that at first quickened thee , mightest not thou feel thy own fall ? To the second , Of drawing out the mind to look after another or further dispensation , I have this to say : Consider what this dispensation is ; Is it not of the Seed it self ? Is it not of the Light , Life and Power of the Father , manifested in the Seed , and in the Soul through the Seed ? Is not the sence quick , and the love pure , where this is felt ? What wouldst thou have , poor Soul ? O that thou feltest the virtue and power of this , surely thou wouldst then find , that thou mightest sit down here in the Peace , Purity , Power , Dominion and Perfection of Life ; for it is all in the Seed , and to be revealed to thee , and become thine , as thou art gathered into the Seed , and the Seed opened in thee . Besides , are there not many that have witnessed , and that can witness from God , that this is the dispensation which is to go through the whole earth ? and shall it be laid aside in the beginning of its work ? If there had been a Law given , which could have given Life , ( said the Apostle ) Righteousness should have been by the Law. God doth not change . When he hath brought forth that which will do the thing , why should he change it ? Now of the ability of this , there are many witnesses ; Yea it hath brought forth Life and Righteousness in those that have been subject to it , and was once owned as the desire of our Souls , and became a covering to our eyes that we could look no further ; our hearts in the sense and life of Truth , being satisfied that this was the very thing we had long mourned after , and waited for . O that which begets another sense in any of us , ( under what pretence or appearance soever ) let it be the abomination of our Souls , that we hearken not , nor give the least entertainment to it , lest by it we be betrayed of our portion in the blessed Treasure and Inheritance . To the third I say ; It is a standing Truth , the Standard we were invited to , and to which we are to keep for ever , even the measure of Life in our own Vessels : This will justifie us in our subjection to whatever it reveals ; and its justification will stand , whatsoever any man else shall say to the contrary . But this is at unity in it self , and never opposeth the motion or appearance of Life in another . Now this is certain , the Enemy will appear as neer life and its motion , as he can ; and if I receive his appearance , I am not subject to the measure of life in me , but to him under his deceitful appearance . Therefore if that , which appears like Life in thee , contradict a practice or appearance of Life in others , ( who were in the Truth before thee , and are in the growth thereof far beyond thee ) oughtest thou not to be sober in Spirit , and to wait in fear , lest thou shouldest be deceived , lest thou shouldest exalt Self and the Enemy in thee , and not the Truth ; yea lest thy heart should grow hard , and thy neck stiff against those who are over thee in the Lord , and so thou lose the benefit of their watching over thee and counsel to thee , and of Gods preservation ? For out of the Truth , in the deceitful appearance , there is no preservation , nor true Light , nor justification of Life , but self conceit fleshly confidence , and the justification of a mans own spirit ; and his wisdom then gets up , and exalts it self , as if it were the right thing . The Lord gave the measure of Life to thee , and the Lord also hath given Fathers , Guides , Instructers , Watchmen , in his Israel . These have a service from the Lord towards thee , who knoweth that thy Soul hath need of that service ; now if the Enemy can prejudice thee against , and withdraw thee from the use of what thou needest , art thou not in danger of falling and miscarriage ? Dost not thou set up the measure of Life in thee ( if not another thing ) beyond its place , state and growth ? And can any thing grow and thrive out of the Order and Wisdom of God ? Nay , nay , the very measure of life it self will this way come to wither and die in thee , and another thing live in its place , and the Sword of the Lord will be drawn against thee , and thou wilt be cut off from the Body , and also from him who is the quickner and preserver of the Body . Therefore my Friends , as the Enemy watcheth to deceive and destroy , so the Lord keep our Souls in the true Watch and looking up to him , who ( to those that fear him ) discovereth the deceit , and preserveth from the snare . And this is witnessed concerning the measure of Life in the heart , and the way of its acting and operation , that it alwayes acts in its place , even in due subjection to the Father of Spirits , and to his Life in others according to its growth : for there is no rent nor division in the living Body , no setting up one measure of Life against another measure , or one motion of Life against another motion , or one practice against another , but all there is in the unity , in the love , in the tenderness , in the sence , in the peace , in the dominion , in the subjection ; and that which differeth or dissenteth from the Life , interrupting the Union and Uniformity in the Life , is not of the Life ; which when it is every-where cast out , Life to Life will answer every-where ; which day my Soul breatheth and waiteth for , even the day wherein Life alone shall live and reign in every Vessel , and all the devices and snares of the Enemy not be able to enter upon , or catch any of God's little simple-hearted ones ; but still by the power of Life rising in clearness against them , be thrown back upon the Enemy , to his torment and disadvantage . And O dear Lambs , consider how easie it is for you to mistake , err , & wander from the Truth ; and do not refuse the care , watchfulness and tender counsel of those who were instrumental to beget you to , and are yet over you in the Lord. Alas , how easie is it for the Enemy to deceive your simplicity , and get between you and your Life ; and then ye are liable to miss-see and miss-act in all ye do , and to follow the Enemy , as if he were your right guide ; and to fight against , and resist him who is your true Leader , as if he were your Enemy . The Life in you is to be your Guide and Leader , as it groweth up and receiveth ability , strength and dominion from the Lord ; but the Heir is to be under Tutors and Governour , till the time appointed of the Father . And the Seed is meek , humble , tender , lowly , sensible of its own state and weakness , and subject to the exaltation , dominion and pure authority of Life in others where the Lord hath so exalted it . That which is otherwise in you ( which is high , exalted , conceited of it self , and not subject to every degree of Life in others , according to its state ) is another thing , which is not of the true kind , but onely under a guize appears to you as the true ; and as it gets entrance , corrupts your hearts from the true , & destils its poyson into your Spirits , which ye believing , entertaining and feeding upon , as if it were the true , grow up in his poysonful nature ( losing the pure nature and fellowship of the Body ) and are travelling whither ye are not aware , being gone from that which at first gathered , into that which through subtilty hath deceived , appearing to you as if it was still the same , and that ye still keep to it , but others are departed ; whereas the thing is clean contrary in the sight of the Lord , and in the sight of those who keep to the Annointing , and see with his eye . Therefore , O dear Lambs and Babes , what need have we to wait , in tender sence , for the Lord's preservation of us in that Nature , Spirit and Life , whereof we were begotten , and wherein we were taught , that there we may still learn and keep to the true teaching , in the innocency and simplicity of love , and not hearken to the wisdom and reasonings of another spirit , who lieth at watch to catch the mind with his wiles , and draw from the true thing . Mark how we learned at first ; Was it not in a Nature , by a secret instinct and inclination of our minds towards the Life , and the Path , Wayes and Practises thereof , whereinto the Body ( which before had been gathered ) was led and walked before us ? The same Life , when it maketh us part of the flock , bringeth us into the same footsteps ; and there we walk with them , in the unity of the same Life , and sence of the same Leader ; but if the Enemy can at any time draw us from this sence , and from the belief and practices or practice , which we received in this sence , ( even out of the limits of this nature and its naturalness ) how easie is it for him to perswade us to question right things in our minds and understandings , as if they were wrong , ( darkening our eye , and causing us to overlook and forget the leading and motion , which we had in the true sence and nature , from the Annoiting it self ) and so confidently to think and conclude , that we took up such or such a practice by imitation , and have held it up in form ? whereas the Lord ( who forgetteth not what and how he hath wrought in us ) knoweth that we took it up in the sence and leading of his Truth , and are now tempted from that in the reasoning subtilty , which we formerly practised in the true innocent simplicity . And thus getting into us a belief and entertainment of his snare , he draws us from that which at first led us , and from the practices we were at first led into , to hearken to him and follow him , who instructeth us in a way we were not instructed in before while the Lord instructed us ; and so destroyeth his Nature , and the Work of his Spirit in us , dividing us both from the Head and living Body ; and so our standing , growth , sence and judgement is altered , and we are neither to the Lord what we were before , nor is he to us what he was before ; for he hates that Spirit in all its appearances , and cannot have unity with the Souls that are entangled by it . Therefore , dear Friends , as we prize our gathering to and abiding with the Lord , and the enjoyment of his Love , Peace , Joy and Presence at present , and the Crown and Inheritance of Life with him for ever ; so let us fear , so let us watch , so let us cry unto him , to be preserved by him , which gathered us , in that into which he gathered , and not by any means betrayed ( through subtilty of the Enemy ) into another thing , where the life of the Body ( and union with the Body ) cannot possibly be witnessed , nor the true justification of the Lord , but only an appearing justification of a man 's own spirit , which must afterwards come under condemnation . Ye , who are in the living and true sence , will feel my love , tenderness and faithfulness in what I write ; and ye who are not , the Lord God of Bowels pitty , and recover out of the snare and wrong judgement , that ye may feel it ; and feeling that which is true , may be joyned to it , drinking of its virtue and preservation , and live ; which is the earnest desire of my Soul to the Lord , who am From Alisb . Prison , the 14th . of the 5th . month , 1666. Your Brother and Companion , in the tribulations and mercies which attend the Living . Isaac Penington . POSTSCRIPT . DEar Friends , Brethren , Lambs and Plants of the most High , it is in my heart to add one thing , which I have been deeply exercised about , and have received help from the Lord in , wherein I am truly willing ( in faithfulness and tenderness ) to be helpful to any of you that stand in need thereof , as the Lord shall give me ability and opportunity ; It is this , Among other things , wherewith the Enemy endeavoureth to reproach those whom the Lord hath sent forth amongst us , he maketh use of this , as if they wanted Bowels and Tenderness . Now Friends , I beseech you consider it , that the Enemy may not thus enter you ; Did not the Lord consider of his work , and whom he sent forth in this his service and labour of Love ? Doth he not know the need of bowels and tenderness in them , and would be not especially furnish them therewith ? Yea , have they not bowels from , and in the Lord ? and doth not the eye that is open see , and acknowledge their bowels , and bless the Lord for them ? I have lately been often warmed in the true sence of it , and have felt , that therein I have not blessed his Name in vain ; but the thing is so in the sence of Truth , and so acknowledged before the Lord , in that which erreth not : Onely as true judgement and severity hath its proper place in the Lord as well as his Mercy ; 〈◊〉 made use of by him towards his people , as all by experience know , so must it be in them also who bear his Image , who must know , in his Wisdom and Authority , whom to smite with his Rod and sharp Reproofs , and when , and whom to cherish in the tenderness and meltings of Love. And this is also love and tenderness ( and hath sweet and precious vertue and usefulness in it , both for the recovery and restoring of those whose condition calls for the sharp stroke , and for the preservation of the rest ) though it doth not so appear to that , which by no means can endure the judgement , but would have the tenderness and mercy which belongs not to it ; for the mercy is to the broken , to the humble , to the meek , to the afflicted and bo●●●down ones under the sence of judgement ; not to the stiff and stubborn against the righteous judgements and testimonies of the Lord. And my Friends consider , Could the Lord carry on his glorious Work , in the hearts of his Children , without his judgements ? Or can they , who are sent by him , possibly carry on his work among his people , without making use of 〈◊〉 pruining-knife , to cut off that which sprouted out unnaturally and unseasonably , which ( if it be let alone ) will draw away the sap from that which should be fed and nourished with it . Dear Friends , the Lord give you a true sence , that in his Light , Life , Wisdom and Presence ye may justifie what is of him , discerning between things that differ , and not call any thing that is evil ( as the tenderness which is out of him is ) good , nor any thing that is good ( as the judgment and severity which is of him is ) evil , but may rightly distinguish between the nature of things , knowing every thing that is of God , and owning it in its place . Alisb . Prison the 29th . of the 6th . month , 1666. THE END . 
A40009	----	A guide to the blind pointed to, or, A true testimony to the light within wherein some men are reproved, others counselled and encouraged, but all (who are ignoranr [sic] of their true guide) directed to the path of life : with a friendly call to all notionists and high professors of religion, in what form soever, to come speedily down from their pinacles, lest they fall into temptation : also some queries to the persecuting ministers of the Church of England / vvritten for the truth sake by T.F. Förster, Thomas. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A40009 of text R37821 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing F1607). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 119 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 48 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A40009 Wing F1607 ESTC R37821 17058082 ocm 17058082 105843 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A40009) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 105843) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1616:1) A guide to the blind pointed to, or, A true testimony to the light within wherein some men are reproved, others counselled and encouraged, but all (who are ignoranr [sic] of their true guide) directed to the path of life : with a friendly call to all notionists and high professors of religion, in what form soever, to come speedily down from their pinacles, lest they fall into temptation : also some queries to the persecuting ministers of the Church of England / vvritten for the truth sake by T.F. Förster, Thomas. [16], 89 [i.e. 79] p. Printed for the author, and are to be sold by O. Calvert ..., London : 1659. Attributed by Wing to Forster. Error in paging: p. 78-79 misprinted 88-89. Imperfect: pages stained and tightly bound, with some loss of print. Reproduction of original in the British Library. eng Church of England -- Controversial literature. Society of Friends -- Doctrines. Salvation. A40009 R37821 (Wing F1607). civilwar no A guide to the blind pointed to. Or, A true testimony to the light within. Wherein some men are reproved, others counselled and encouraged, Forster, Thomas 1659 22485 28 0 0 0 0 0 12 C The rate of 12 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the C category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2008-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2008-05 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-08 John Pas Sampled and proofread 2008-08 John Pas Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A Guide to the Blind Pointed to . Or , a true TESTIMONY TO THE Light within . Wherein some men are reproved , others counselled and encouraged , but all ( who are ignorant of their true Guide ) directed to the path of Life . With a Friendly CALL to all Notionists and high Professors of Religion , in what Form soever , To come speedily down from their Pinacles , lest they fall into temptation . Also some Queries to the persecuting Ministers of the Church of ENGLAND . VVritten for the Truths sake by T.F. The darkness is past , & the true Light new shineth , 1 Joh. 2.8 . See therefore that ye walk circumspectly , not as fools , but as wise , Eph. 5.15 . London , Printed for the Author , and are to be sold by G. Calvert , at the Black-spread Eagle near the west ; end of Pauls , & N. Brooks at the Angel in Cornhil , 1659. THE PREFACE . READER , ALthough I have bin for many yeers a true seeker of the kingdom of Heaven , yet had I been one who had sate in the seat of the scorner , or been disobedient unto the Light or motion of Gods Spirit upon those Waters in me , ( which had neer over-whelmed my Soul ) I should have remained ( as most men still do ) in darkness , even until now ; or else been like unto those who are a sleep in sin , neither knowing , nor beleeving any other state attainable in this life , who yet notwithstanding are bold to say , They see : But blessed be the Lord God , I am not of their unbelief , but of that faith which overcomes the World , Sin , and the Devil . Friend , If thou art such a one , to wit , a sinner , and beleevest thou canst not be otherwise here , and yet will presumptuously say , Thouseest : Know thou , That Christ Iesus came to make thee blind , and that those who are blind , ( and sensible of it ) might see : And thou who art a sleep in sin , and dead whilest thou livest , Arise and listen thou to the voice of Christ , and to his knock in thee , if thou wilt live , to God , open the door of thy heart unto him betimes . He it is who calls to sinners to be pure , and to be perfect as our heavenly Father is : He it is who cryed out to Jerusalem to be gathered under his wing ; and he also if thou will be gathered , would gather thee : O refuse him not , for he it is who hath called me out of darkness into light , and caused me to listen to his still voice within me ; and he it is who calls to thee also to return and live , saying to thee , as he did to Israel , Why will ye die , O House of Israel ? Now , that thou mayest know I am none of those that cry , Lohere , Or , Lo●hers ; nor of the many Sects and divided Judgments in this Nation , I shall briefly tell thee how many by-wayes I have past through , and how restless I was in them all , till I came to own the light of Christ in me . First , As to my Education , I must tell thee , it was such a was in the fear of the Lord , into which I admonish thee to hasten , and therein continue all the dayes of thy life : for I assure thee , there is no safety but in that state , and in the pure life of innocency from which all men by disobedience are fallen : It 's not talking of the holy life , but living it , that can give thee an entrance into Paradice ; for the flaming Sword is turned against the transgressor , so , that he cannot touch the tree of life , much-less eat thereof ; but with the Serpent must feed upon dust all the dayes of his life : O , Make haste Friend , to the life of Obedience , and come down from the barren Mountains lest thou die , for there is no bread to be had there : Consult no longer with the Serpents carnal reasonings in thee , nor with his numerous and busie Agents without thee , perswading thee , that purity is not to be attained here . Oh! that thou wouldest consider , that the Soul which sinneth must die ; and that , as the tree falls , so it lyes : that there is no Repentance in the Grave ; nor any other Way to life , but by keeping the Commandments of God . Friend , Thy Enemy is within thee , therefore look at home , keep the Watch well there , and ( if thou canst ) pray that thou enter not into temptation : for the Devil now goes about roaring like a Lyon , and is seeking whom he may devour Oh! beleeve not those that say , The best of Gods Children cannot be free from sin in this life ; for I declare to thee , they are all of the black Army of Satan , and for the support of his kingdom are they come to fight , and to make War with the Lamb and his followers , who walk with him in white . Remember thou , That without holiness no man shall see God , and that the pure in heart , and they only , can see him . And thou who art flown high in thy comprehension of aiery Notions without life , thou must descend and dwell in the Low-valley , where once thou hadst some sooting ; for thy safety is there , and no where else : Come thou into the cool of the day , and hear Gods voice unto thee , who chargeth thee with eating of the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil : Thou hast lost thy state of happiness by hearkning to the Woman [ thy fallen Reason ] who is not to speak in the Church , for thou hast suffered to be marr'd the holy Creation of God in thee , and there is no way lest now for thee but to come to Christ Jesus , the light of the world , and life of man ; He it is , though thou hast despised him [ because his appearance is low in thee ] who must repair the breach between God and thee : but if thou reject him who is thy light , and who would be thy leader , thy stare is worse then fallen Adams was : thou art now one with the Angel of false light : Darkness will be thy portion [ as it is his ] for evermore . Friend , What I have further to say in this Preface , may give thee some light of the crooked-wayes thou art not to walk in , and therefore shall proceed to give thee an accompt of my wandring steps , which the Lord hath now brought to my remembrance , even from my Child hood . The fear of God , I say , was before me , even from my Youth , so that when I was but a School-Boy , I durst not omit my Morning and Evening Sacrifice of Prayer to God , upon any pretence whatsoever : Never did I swear an Oath but once , since I was born , and that was upon great provocation by a lewd Boy , when I was about twelve yeers of age : But such was the goodness of God to me then , that presently after . I had spoken the word , I found trouble in my Conscience , and condemnation for it many yeers after . My Companions were mostly such as were sober , and freest from scandal ; and I can truly say , I remembred my Creator in the dayes of my Youth , and was a true seeker of the Kingdom of Heaven from such time as I had an understanding to believe there was such a Kingdom to be sought after . And when I came to be about 16. yeers of age , I then began to Pray out of my usual Form , as finding nought but deadness in my Form of Prayers , which I had got , so that by little and little I Prayed by rote ; and I encreased in yeers , I applyed my self to Reading Sermon-Books , and often to Hear and Write Sermons after the choicest of the Presbyterian-Way , whom I conceived then were most Orthodox . Early did I rise , to Read and Meditate of God , whom I then look'd on at a distance from me , [ as most men do ] but he was in this place , and I knew if not : the Lord was with me in all my crooked-wayes and preserved me , but I saw him not , nor what it was that breathed in me after God : I did not know it was the seed of God which was in bondage and groaned to be delivered into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God . Often did I with Tears beg for pardon of my sins , and assurance of my Salvation , which I prized above all the world , and did often say within my self , That if I could but gain Assurance of that , I could be content to be miserable in this World as long as I should live in it . Company , was many-times a burthen unto me , and to be retired and much alone was my great delight , that so I might freely breath forth my Soul to God for the assurance of his Love , and to be freed from everlasting burnings . The consideration of Eternity was often in my mind , and many-times would this voice sound in me , Arise ye dead , and come to judgement . But alas ! What hope of Assurance could I have of my Salvation , whilest I gave Faith to such Teachers as affirmed , That , the best of Gods Saints cannot be free from sin in this life : and in the same breath also said , That the least sin deserved the torments of Hell fire for ever . May not a poor Soul [ who presseth after holiness , ] truly say , They are miserable Comforters ? Oh! who can be assured of his Salvation , or gain Assurance thereof , that beleeves false Doctrine to be true , and instead of living the Holy life , believes it is not attainable ? Can any man be assured of his Salvation whilest he is a sinner ? surely no : and if no Assurance , then surely no Salvation : for the Soul that sinneth must die , and without holiness , no man shall see the Lord . By this and such like Doctrine , was my life made very uncomfortable : and though I knew little by my self to deserve the torments of Hell . [ being alwayes of a sober life , and free from the gross pollutions of this world . ] Yet the fear of Hell was a contimsa 〈…〉 torment unto my mind , insomuch , that I often wish'd I had never been born , or that there had been no God to punish me . Yet I can truly say , Religion was my chief businss and my great delight was in hearing Sermons , receiving the Sacrament , ( as they call it , ) to be often conversant in Fastings , and frequent in outward Worships , and carnal Ordinances , ( all which perish with the using ) so that I never could have enough of them , Tears was my delight , and mourning in secret was a refreshing to my Soul and when I could not weep , I prayed : and when I could not pray , I wept ; and sometimes I prayed and wept , till I had wept my self to silence before the Lord : and when I neither could weep nor pray , then trouble and perplexity seized on my Spirit , and I should begin to fear the danger of a hard heart , and that the Spirit of Prayer was taken from me . Blasphemeus thoughts would sometimes surprize me , and the terrors of Hell get hold upon me , and how to escape I knew not No comfort could I receive from any of my Teachers , for when by the best of their marks and signs I judged my self in a safe condition , yet the witness of God would rise through all that false peace which they had spoke to me , and accuse me of being a sinner . And this was my case for many yeers , and my condition was very unsafe , ( as all theirs is , who are yet in Egypt , leaning upon men , and forsaking the Lord . ) But the Lord God after long seeking to him in secret , seeing my integrity , and that the desire of my Soul was after him , and to be holy as well as happy , He mercifully brought me out of Egypt , and delivered me from those cruel Taskmasters & Builders of Confusion , and set me at liberty to travel towards the Holy Land : for in all the Land of Egypt I found no outward Guide to lead me out of my Egiptian darkness , though something within me would often groan , and say , Return unto thy rest O my Soul : thus , I say , the Lord pitying my soul , pardoning my sins , winking at my ignorance , and bottling up my tears , set me free from bondage . That , being delivered out of Egypt , and journying towards Canaan , I met with divers sorts of Travellers , with whom I had converse & acquaintance : As , first , with those of the Independent-way , but finding , after a short time , that there was little difference between them and the others , and that the path they went in was too broad , and would not bring me to rest : I forsook them and travelled forward towards those men of the Baptized-way , who for some season I heard and observed : but finding that the main stress of their Argument ( that their Way was right ) was , because they submitted to the Ordinance of Baptism , pleading difficulty ( if not impossibility ) for any to come to Canaan unless they were re-baptized , I search'd into the Doctrine of Baptisms also , wherein I found , That Water-Baptism , or Johns Baptism was but onto Repentance , which was effected in me already , and that it could not wash away my inward●ilth , and therefore must decrease : And I considering , that the Apostle saith , There is ( now ) but one Baptism ; to wit , that of the Spirit : and that , that is the only Baptism for every Christian to be Bapized with , ( if he will be cleansed , and purged from sin . ) And considering that Iesus himself Baptized none ; and that Paul saith he came not to Baptize , but to Preach the Gospel . And that this Ordinance was only Apostolical , and not relating , to Christians now . I left them and their Water , and travelled towards those called Notionists with whom , after I had travelled a while , I began to conclude them to be the men that I must walk with ; and so followed them as seeing more of truth , ( to wit , in the Notion of it ) then in any I had met with before , and was much enlightned : but after I had been with them a while , I found I could not Pray as I was wont to do , and so began to fear I was now further from the right way , then ever I was before ; and being now come to the red Sat , I had a lingring and secret longing to the Garlick and Onions of Egypt again , yet the Lord kept me from going back into Egypt , ( where was no light at all ) but I walked in the Wilderness to and again for many yeers together , filling my head with Notions , and comprehending of Mysteries , which were very pleasant and delightful unto me . Thus I wandred up and down from one tree of knowledge to another , and in many a by-path I trod , seeking for rest , but found none : and though the Spirit of innocency often cryed in me , Return , return , and come into the narrow-way which leads to life ; yet I flattered my self that I had been there already , and that I was now come to the Borders of Canaan : one while , conceiving my self there , and set down with Abraham , Isaac , and Jacob in the Kingdom : but by and by , a branch from the old Root would arise in me , and break forth into passion , rash , and hasty words , and overturn all my Confidence again , and give me to understand I was not in that Kingdom , for that there was nothing of Pride , or Passion , self-conceit or vain laughter , or foolish and idle talking and jeasting , but giving of thanks , and rejoycing in the Lord continually : and that they who were in that kingdom were led by the Spirit , lived in the Spirit , and walked in the Spirit , and were at rest in the Lord , injoying the fellow ship and society of just mens Spirits . Now , that I was not here , I was clearly convinced often , and instead of enjoying this state ; I had the other set before me , as my Condition ; and the Lord let me see how my poor Soul was be-wildred : And then after 14 years wandring up and down , I began to see and find my way out and not till then : Then I saw my self at a loss , and in the dark ; and was made to confess , That if I had perished in the Wilderness , yet the Lord was righteous in my destruction , because that when he would have led me by the gentle motions of his Spirit , and Light in me yet I Refused it , and went forth to men , chusing the tree of Knowledge , and neglecting the tree of Life , for my ●ood . But , blessed be the God of Israel , ( who is not a barren wilderness to those that seek him in truth and singleness of heart ) He shewed unto me the way that I should walk in , to wit , The strait and narrow ●ath , which leads to Canaan ; and that by a foolish people in the Worlds esteem , was I directed the way to eternal life . But after I was perswaded of the way to life , and convinced of the truth as it is in Jesus , and after the seed of the Kingdom began to stir in my earthly tabernacle , and to take root to my heart , then the Enemy came in the form of an Angel , and set me on a suddain upon the Pinacle of the Temple , where I was made to beleeve , I saw over all the Children of truth , and was ready to sit down there also : But after the Lord in his rich Mercy had let me see my danger , and how I had been misled by the Angel of false Light : He directed me to the low valley , there to abide , and assured me , that if I would be a true Disciple of Christ indeed , I must take up the Cross daily and follow him , and be obedient to his Light in my Conscience which convinceth of the most secret sin . And now , that I may bring in my Testimony to the truth which was once delivered to the Saints , and which now is again made known to the Children of the most High ; and , That I may set to my Seal to the Doctrine of the Cross : I here Declare , to all the Sects up on earth , and to all people , high and low , Professor , or Prophane , That the despised people whom the scorners of this age , call QVAKERS , are the true Disciples of Christ Jesus : viz. Such amongst them as are faithful followers of the Lamb , and obedient Children of the Light , which lighteth every man that cometh into the world . By them is the Everlasting Gospel preached again to the Sons and Daughters of men : and blessed are all those that hear and obey the sound thereof . The glad tydings of Salvation I say is preached by them , and whosoever he be that shall bring any other Gospel , is disowned by all the true Disciples of Jesus , and Sons of the Light . They are the Sheep of Christ , and amongst them is the true Shepherd of Israel known , and he goes in and out before them . To them , and in them hath the Light of the world appeared , and the life of men communicated himself ; and I must say , I sate in darkness till I heard them . These are they who having past through all forms , are come into the power , and are knit together into one body , whereof Christ Jesus is head . These are they who take up their daily Cross , and follow him . These are they who pass through great tribulation , and through many and fiery tryals . These are they who are the true Worshippers , who worship the Father in spirit and in truth , and love not their lives unto death . These are they who are Redeemed from the Earth , though upon it : These are they that are come to Mount Sion , and to the City of the living God , and to the innumera 〈…〉 of Angels , and to the Spirits of just and 〈…〉 and to the General Assembly of the fir 〈…〉 se Names are written in Heaven : These are 〈…〉 who are Sons of God , and are led by the infallible spirit into all truth : These are they who are joint-Heirs with Christ whose fellowship is with the Father and the Son in the Spirit , and they shall Reign with him for ever and ever : Glory be to his Name for evermore Friend , by these , I say , was I directed to obey the light in my Conscience , which convinceth of sin , when nothing else can , and to which they direct all men ( who are in the dark ) to follow : In so doing was I brought out of darkness , into his marvelous Light , Glory be to the Light , and to the La●● for evermore . Thus I have given thee a short account of my journey so far , and now can boldly say with David My hearts is fixed ; my heart is fixed , and I have nought to do now , but to give thanks , and to follow the Lamb of God whithersoever he goes . And now Friend , let me ask thee , Is the Lord the desire of thy soul ? And dost thou pant and breath after him , as the Hart doth after the Water-brooks Is truth in the inward parts the thing thou would have ? And art thou indeed and in truth a true seeker of the Kingdom , and restless till thou findst it ? Then let me advise thee , Seeke the Lord where he may be found , to wit , in thy own heart , for that it his Temple , and there will he dwell if thou be upright : I say , the tabernacle of the Lord is with men , and there only will he be found : Scourge then out those Buyers and Sellers that dwell there ; suffer not the House of God to be a den for Thieves and Robbers to reside in , for whilest thou givest entertainment unto them , the Lord will not make his abode with thee : Put therefore the evil thing out of thy Camp , that so thou mayest receive a blessing , enjoy the good , and live for evermore . Thine for the Truths sake , THO. FORSTER . THE CONTENTS . 1. THat God is now known by his Name Light , as heretofore by his Names Jehovah , Elohim I am , &c. And that God's First dayes work in the dark Soul of Man is , the creating of Light . 2. That man true Guide is within him , Or the Light of Christ in Man , is the true guide of the Soul . 3. A word of Reproof to all that say , The Light of Christ in man , is natural , carnal , or an insufficient Guide . 4. A word to all that say Revelation is ceased , and that the Saints must not expect such glorious manifestations now , as were in the primitive times : With a few Queries for the enlightning the blind Eyes of such as say , That No man hath the infallible Spirit now . 5. Counsel to him that feels the wright of sin , and groans for deliverance , but yet complains for mans of power . 6. A word of Hope for the Persecuting Magistrate , if his day of Grace be not already past ; also some it is . 7. A view of false Doctrine , and a Reproof to false Teachers , who beast that they have the Original , and yet are ignorant of the Word of Life , and quickning Spirit within . 8. Direction for all those that wait for the coming of their Saviour , and how they may know him when he appears . 9. Encouragement to the weary Traveller , ( whose journey is towards Canaan ) To follow the Light and Lamb of God to the Holy Land of Rest ; But not to go before it . 10. A Word touching the Resurrection , and who they are that are risen with Christ , and shall reign with him : And by whom 〈◊〉 is seen , in his spiritual appearance , and where . A GUIDE TO THE BLIND Pointed to . That God is now known by his Name LIGHT as heretofore by his Names Jehovah , Elohim , I am , &c. And that Gods first dayes work in the dark Soul , ( or little world of Man ) is creating of Light . THE Message which the beloved Disciple of Christ hath declared to the Saints , is this , That God is ●●ght , and that in him is no darknesse , 1 Joh. 1.5 . This also is my Message unto thee , God is Light ; and whatsoever is to be known of him , is manifest in man , Rom. 1.19 . To thee then who art still in the dark , and knowest not this truth , or if thou knowest it , obeyest it not , to wit , the Light within ; Thou ( I say ) art not yet come to the first dayes work of God in the dark Chaos of thy own heart ; for the same way doth the Lord proceed with his creature Man ( in the creation of him to good works ) as he did with the whole Universe , to wit , First bring him out of darkness into his marvelous light . God when he made the World , created the Heaven and the Earth , and the Earth was without form , and darkness was upon the face of the deep ; And in this state is man in his first Creation ( through the fall ) without form , and darkness is upon him : But when the Spirit of God moved upon the Waters , and said , Let there be Light , there was light ; and the Light he called Day , and the Darkness he called Night and the Evening and the Morning were the first Day . Now consider Friends , all you who disown the Light , calling it natural , carnal , darkness , and insufficient to guide you ; What do you judge of your present state and condition ? Are you not like the Chaos ? And is not your little World without form , and void ? And is not darkness upon the face of your deep imaginations , until the spirit of God move upon your Waters of instability , and his Light spring forth in your understandings from his holy Spirit ? Oh that you who reject the Light would consider this , that you are so far from rest , that you are not yet come to the first dayes work of God in your own hearts ! How can you say as the Disciples and followers of Christ do , That it is God that worketh all his works in you , and for you ? How can you number your selves amongst the children of Light , when you refuse the Light to work in you , and rebel against it ? Have you not read in the holy Scriptures , That Christ did not work many miracles in his own Countrey , because of the peoples unbelief there ? I do not say , he could not work them ; but this I affirm , The Lord compels none to serve him in the dark ; but when he hath enlightened man with his own Light ( with which he enlighteneth every man that cometh into the World ) man is at his choice whether he will follow and obey the light , yea or no : I say , the Lord doth not force the Will of man to obedience , but woes him , and beseecheth him to be reconciled , knowing the great misery which will justly and inevitably follow the rebellious and disobedient soul . Oh! that I could perswade all men to obedience , that so they may eat of the Tree of Life , which by transgression man is falne from , and which he cannot touch lest he dye . And now let none say that he is not enlightened , or that he wants power , upon the penalty of condemnation for ever ; for the Lord requires nothing of man but what he hath given him full power to do , all power in heaven and in earth being in the Son , and this Son of power is freely offered to every man that will receive him ; For God so loved the world , that he gave his own Son to dye for lost man , that he might live ; I say , he is freely given a light to the Gentiles , and a Guide to them , as well as a Glory to his people Israel , and none are excluded who are willing to come unto him . And thou that deniest the Light , Whose workmanship art thou ? And whose Works are wrought in thee ? Are they not Works of darkness , and thou the son of perdition ? Oh! suffer not the Devil any longer to delude thee by his evil Instruments , and to work his works in thee ; but endeavour thou to be made light in the Lord ; for thou wert not made to serve the Devil , but to be a Temple for Gods holy Spirit to dwell in . Mans true Guide is within him ; Or , The Light of Christ in Man is the true Guide of the Soul . PAUL that eminent Apostle of Christ , and Son of the Light , hath declared , That whatsoever is to be known of God , is manifest in man , ( as is said already ) Rom. 1.19 . Let none then say , Lo here , or lo there ; but if they should , hear what our Saviour Christ faith , Go not after them , nor follow them , for the kingdom of God is within you , Luke 17.21 . Now if the Kingdom be within , then of necessity must mans guide be there also . That Christ is the Light and Guide of man , see Joh. 1.9 . & Joh. 14.6 . and that he is in his Saints , read Col. 1.27 . And in Rom. 8.10 . the Apostle saith , If Christ be in you , the body is dead because of sin ; and again , If the spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead , dwell in you , be that raised up Christ from the dead , shall also quicken your mortal bodyes by his spirit that dwelleth in you , Ver. 11. and Ver. 9. If any man hath not the spirit of Christ , he is none of his . And again , If Christ be not in you , then are you reprobates , 2 Cor. 13.5 . By all which places it is most evident , That Christ is the light of man , and that he lighteth every man that cometh into the World , of what Countrey or Nation soever , and none can deny this unless he will unman himself , and say he is not of the race and generation of manking . So then it is clearly demonstrated to him that can read the Scriptures , That Christ is the Saints Guide , and that he is their hope of glory , in them . And thou that deniest Christ in man to be his Guide , thou art either a reprobate , or no man : For Friend , this is my Testimony for the Lord , ( and it is the Testimony of thousands at this day , blessed for ever be his Name ) That Christ within is man's true Guide , and also man's true Light to walk by , and that in him is life , and the life is the light of men , and that this light shineth in darkness , and the darkness did not comprehend it ; read 1 Ioh. 4.5 . Yet now if any shall say he is in the light , and hateth his Brother , he is in darkness , and knoweth not whether he goeth . To thee then who art a hater of thy Brother , assure thy self that thou art none of the Children of Light , not have I any thing to say to thee but this , Thou art condemned already ; as well by the Light within thee , as by the children of Light without thee ; For God is love , and he that dwelleth in love , dwelleth in God , and God in him , 1 Joh. 4.16 . But to the poor soul who is ignorant of his true Guide , and is willing to follow him if he knew where to find him , my counsel to him is this , Look at home ; for thy Saviour is near unto thee , and blessed art thou if thou canst believe it , and obey him . To thee I say , that art seeking thy Saviour with all thy heart , and art restless till thou find him , Know for thy comfort that he is near to thee , and to every one that is of an upright heart , and is even in thy heart , and in thy mouth , Rom. 10.8 . Seek him not then at a distance from thee , or in any outward thing , for he that justifies thee , is near unto thee ; and if ever thou find him in truth , thou wilt say as Iacob did , That he was in this place , and thou knewest is not . Wouldst thou have thy Saviour and thy Guide to lead thee by his un-erring and infallible spirit ? Then cease from man , ( whose breath is in his Nostrils ) and turn to the living God with whom onely the Well-springs of life are to be found . Salvation is not to be had from the Hills , nor from the Mountains , neither from this divided judgement , or that ; but from Jesus alone , who is in his Saints the hope of glory , and is the Saviour of all men , but especially of them that believe . I say , The Tabernacle of God is with men , and though he be the High and Holy one that inhabiteth Eternity , yet is his dwelling also with him that is of a lowly heart , and trembleth at his Word . The spirit of Christ in man is the true Guide , all others are false ones ; his Light in man is the true light , al others are false ones . Oh be not so willingly blind as not to see it , nor so wilfully ignorant as not to know it . He it is that condemneth sin in the flesh , and reproves man for a vain thought , or wanton look , when nothing without him can . Turn in the eye of thy mind than , and hearken to his checks and daily reproofs in thee ; Knowest thou not that the state of reprobation belongs to him that hath not Christ in him ? Friend , thy Saviour is within thee , and if ever thou know him aright , it must be there ; for there , O there it is that thee and I have crucified him that is Lord of life ; and this is that Jesus whom the Jews crucified at Jerusalem , but is now crucified by the false Christians , within them , and by them put again to an open shame , as their Streets , Market-places , Cities , Towns and Villages do declare , by stocking mocking , stoning , cruel whipping , long imprisoning , and persecuting unto death , his Members . But now is come ( and is coming ) a day of tryal upon all prosessions whatsoever , and all professors must now be tryed whether their faith be true or feigned none must escape the siery tryal , but the judgement of the Lord will pass upon all , high and low , great and small , poor or rich , airy notions as well as carnal Ordinances , ( which all perish with the using ) and now seen thorough in this day of light ; for the Sun ( which hath long sate in a Cloud ) is arisen to discover the inward subtilty and hypocrisie , as well as the outward superstition and idolatry of all hearts . Bring thy Works then to the light of Christ Jesus in thy own conscience , that so they may be manifest whether they are wrought in God or nou ; for he that hideth his sin , shall not prosper . And thou who art a sinner , and believest that thou canst not be freed from them , because the blind guides have told thee so , there is little ground for thee to hope for mercy ; for the sinner cannot stand before the Lord , nor the wicked in the Congregation of the righteous ; nor can any unclean thing enter into Heaven : Know thou , that it is sin that crucifies thy Saviour , who though he bear with patience the sinners burthen for a time , ( being pressed therewith as a Cart with sheaves ) yet thou wilt one day find he will cast off the heavy burthen upon the sinners own back , which ( when the Lord hath done striving with him ) will be too unsupportable for him to bear . Oh that no poor soul would suffer himself to be mislead and deceived by blind Guides in a matter of so great concernment as the everlasting salvation or damnation of their immortal souls ; for the Light of Christ Jesus hath appeared unto thousands and discovered their Egyptian darkness and false Doctrine , and can prove them to be such builders as reject the Corner-stone , and declare lyes in the Name of the Lord : And for which appearance of Christ in his Saints , glory be given to the Father , & to the Son , through the blessed Spirit for evermore . Christ Jesus is to be known within by all who will approve themselves no reprobates , and so to be within them , as to live his life of meekness , of patience , of long-sufferance , of mercy and compassion , of goodnese , of gentleness , of wisdom and godly fear , of self-denial , of perseverance , of faith , of hope , of love , and whatsoever else are the fruits of his spirit and presence in us . Friends , 'T is not a Christ without that will save you , but the same Christ which dyed at Jerusalem , must live in us , and we in him ; and so must we know him even to lead and guide us out of all error , sin and vanity , into all truth , righteousness , and stability , if we ever know him to salvation ; I know your minds have been abroad , and peradventure yet are , ( as mine was ) but I never knew my Saviour ( whom I sought without ) until I turned my mind inward , and found him there ; No more can ye . If them art still abroad wandring upon the barren Mountains , O come down , for I am well assured there is no food there for thy hungry soul ; The day I say is far spent , and the night at hand , wander no longer in the coasts of Egypt , and Land of darkness , where no Light is , nor true Guide to lead thee , but hasten into the low Valley , search deep into the bottom of thy heart , come to Meekness , Patience , and humility of spirit , and there , O there wilt thou meet with thy true Guide , and that Light which alone can lead out of darkness all the faithful followers of it . Reproof to him that faith the Light within is natural , and that the Light of Christ was carnal and darkness , ( as some have affirmed . ) THou knowest not what thou sayest , O man , that sayest the Light is natural , carnal , or insufficient , nor whereof thou affirmest : Hast thou been a Teacher or Hearer in England for many years , and a professor of Religion , and yet knowest not Jesus ? Take this for thy portion ( thou who despisest the riches and goodness of the Lord in his Son Christ ) The Light or Talent ( which thou now hast shall be taken from thee , and thou ( the unprofitable servant ) cast out into outward darkness , vvhere shall be nothing but weeping , wailing , and gnashing of teeth , because thou hast rejected the Light within , which is Gods Witness in every man , and hast judged and denied it ; Know this , That thou by it shalt be condemned for ever : I say , the day of Grace and long-suffering of the Lord ( which would now lead thee to repentance ) will not alwayes last ; the Light , or Candle of the Lord in thee will not alwayes shine , but the night of darkness ( in which thou shalt ever remain ) will overtake thee , where thou shalt be shut up in Chains for evermore ; then , oh then it vvill be too late to vvish thou hadst not slighted the light in thy conscience , and called it carnal , darkness and insufficient ; for it now is , and then will be more then a thousand Witnesses against thee . The Light of Christ ( I say ) is not carnal , is not darkness , is not insufficient to lead blind man out of darkness into the marvelous light of the Lord ; for by it , and it alone have I been lead from the one into the other , and can set to my seal of a truth , That God is light , and Christ is light , and that his light is in every man , and it is , and will be the condemnation . That Light is come into the World , but men love darkness rather then light , because their deeds are evil and ful of darkness . Friend , This I am bold to declare , as in the Light of the Lord , That there is no other way to be saved from eternal darkness , but by coming unto Christ the light of the World , and walking in his light ; if so thou do , as he is in the light , then , and not till then shalt thou have fellowship with the children of Light , and the blood of Jesus will cleanse thee from all sin . Some Queries to them that say Revelation is ceased , and that the Saints must not now expect such glorious manifestations as were in the primitive times ; and that say no man hath the infallible Spirit now . MAny there are who in this state of darkness do believe and say , That Revelation is ceased , and that the infallible Spirit is not now known amongst the Saints ; and that they are not to expect such glorious manifestations now , as were in the primitive times : The ignorance and gross darkness of such I cannot but bewail , and for the opening of their understandings , shall propound unto them some Queries . As first : Whether is not Christ the same to day , yesterday , and for ever ? and the holy Spirit the same , and as operative , quick and powerful now , as ever ? Or hath it lost its powerful operation now ? Is the Lords love to his Saints less now , then before ? Or is his hand shortned that he cannot save to the uttermost as well now as ever ? Where is it said ( which ye so boldly affirm ) That Revelation is ceased , or shall ever cease , from the Saints or Spouse of Christ ? Hath not the Lord promised that in the later dayes he will pour out his Spirit upon all flesh , and his sons and his daughters shall prophesie ? And hath not John said , That the light of that day shall be as seven dayes , and that there shall be no need of a Candle , nor light of the Sun , for the Lord God shall be the light thereof . What is it that in the night of darkness ( when thou art lying upon thy bed of Adultery and carnal pleasure , sporting thy unsatiable soul in the lusts of the flesh ) discovers and reveals the wickedness of thy heart unto thee ? What is it that in the day time checks thee for thy wanton eye and pride of life , when none without perhaps dares accuse thee ? What is it that discovers unto thee ( in thy Chamber of Imagery ) the secret Adultery of thy heart , when no outward eye sees thee ? What is it that brings to thy remembrance things past , as if they were but yesterday , and sets thy secret sins in order before thee ? What is it that tells thee thou hast committed the sin against the Holy Ghost , and for which thou canst never receive pardon when committed ? Oh! how is it that thou shouldst suffer the instruments of Satan to work such a belief in thee , and so far to put out the eye of thy Faith , and of thy reasonable soul also , as not to see thy self in a delusion , when the Scriptures do positively say , That no man knows the Father but the Son , and him to whom the Son wil reveal him , Matth. 12.27 . Tell me ( poor soul ) whether thou canst be so ignorant of the Scriptures as not to know this , That he that worships the Father , must worship him in spirit ? Dost thou not know that the holy spirit is a spirit of Revelation wheresoever it is ? Dost thou not know that , that is its work in man , and that if thou hast not this Spirit of Christ , thou art none of his ? Friend , it 's an infallibly sign thou deniest the spirit , that sayest Revelation is ceased , it being its proper Work . And thou that sayest , No man hath the infallible Spirit now ; Let me ask thee also , Hath the Lord no people in this Age to bear testimony to his Truth ? Do none know the Lord novv ? And are none in the Way of Truth ? Is this thy Faith ? Then knovv thou for certain , thou art led by a spirit of delusion ; and whilest thou thus believest , thou canst never come to the truth , nor be led by the Spirit of Truth ; for the Children of God are all guided by the infallible spirit so long as they be faithful followers of it , and they live in the spirit , and walk in the spirit , and talk in the spirit , and act in the spirit ; all which is a Riddle to thee , and impossible for any to open , unless he have the gift of Faith to believe in the mighty Power of God , which is the Son of God . Friend , whosoever thou art that art of this perswasion , I must declare unto thee from the Lord , Thy Faith is but Faney , thou art still in Aegypt , and like to perish in the Wilderness . O be perswaded to search the Scriptures , and to believe in Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of the Faith of his Disciples , of Whom thou art none , as thou now stands ; forbear thou to make mention of the holy and infallible Spirit of Truth ; ( which ( in their several measures ) all possess who are taught of God ) until thou are freed from the spirit of Error , and come out from the fleshly apprehensions of the Divine Truth , to see the infallible things of God by the eye of living Faith ; and if you come to know the Lord & his truth , your rotten foundations must be removed , and your Faith built upon the Rock of Ages . Dost thon think that because thy heart is filled with unbelief of the mighty Power of God , and because thou knowest not the secrets of the Lord revealed unto thee , ( in regard thou art not come into his fear ) that therefore the Lord doth not reveal his secret to any ? No , no , thou are miserably deluded and bereft of the right use of thy understanding by Satan and his Minister ; for know thou , the Lord is as merciful now as ever , as good now as ever , and as free to reveal himself and his secrets unto those that fear him , now , as ever he was . Canst thou be ignorant of this , That the Lord reveals his secrets to them that fear him ? Or that the secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him , Psal. 25.14 , Or , ( Prov. 3.32 . ) That his secret is with the Righteous ; And Amos 3.7 . That the Lord will do nothing , but he revealeth his secret unto his servants . Friend , There is no way to come to the knowledge of God , but by the Revelation of the Son of God in us , witnessing with our spirits , whose children we are : And all that I shall say further to thee herein , is this , My soul shall weep in secret for thee , and and thy Teachers who have caused thee to err , ( they themselves not knowing the truth ) by saying , Revelation is ceased , when there is no other way to know God by . A Word of Counsel to him that feels himself loaden with his sins , and groans for deliverance , but complains that he wants power . ART thou laden with the burthen of thy sins ? And dost thou mourn in secret , praying to God for case and pardon ? Or , Art thou black with lying in the mire and filthy pollutions of this , World , so that thou art ready to say , From the crown of my head , to the sole of my foot , I am full of wounds and putrified sores , and would fain be made clean ? Art thon possest with the spirit of error , and ignorant of the truth of God ? And wouldst thou be acquainted with the Spirit of God to guide thee into all truth , and lead thee into the path of holiness ? Wouldst thou be freed from the spirit of pride , self-love , passion , and emulation towards thy Neighbour ? Art thou covetous of gain , and earthly-minded , and dost not do to another as thou wouldst be done unto , wanting the Royal Law of Love to be thy Rule ? Art thou possest not onely with one evil spirit , but Legions , and seest no power to resist the least assault of the Enemy ? Then be thou counselled ( by one who hath felt the weight and burchen of most of these evils , and seen deliverance in a measure ) to own the light in thy conscience , and that will open unto thee a door , of hope , and shew thee a Fountain where Judah and Jerusalem Jew and Gentile , Christian and Heatheu , Profane and Professor , high and low , rich and poor , may wash in , and be made clean , yea , and from all their filthiness may they be cleansed : And if thou do so , viz. own the Light in thy conscience , and obey it , it will lead thee to holiness . And thou that complainest for want of power against sin , I tell thee , and do affirm unto thee , whoever thou art , Thou hast power , unless ( with the unjust Steward ) thou hast buryed it in thy corrupt heart , and made no improvement of it , and the Lord for thy unsaithfulness hath taken it from thee , and given it to him who hath been a better husband of his gift then thou hast been : For this I say , That the Lord hath given a Talent ( or measure of himself ) to every one to profit withal , which is his light in every conscience , the which whosoever doth not improve , shall have it taken from him , and he be cast into utter darkness ; for there is a day vvhen the Candle of the Wicked shall be put out , and he shall have no light to vvalk by , though he seek it , and that vvith tears : Remember Iudas , and be vvarned by him to be faithful to thy Master , and to obey him , even whilst the Light shines upon thee , and would guide thee , least thy repentance be too late , as his was , and thou be with him called a Son of Perdition ; but if thou obey the Light in thy conscience which convinceth thee of sin , I declare unto thee as a Word from experience of the mighty Power of God , and of its powerful working there , That it will not only give thee power against gross corruptions , but against vain thoughts and idle words ; and though thy sins be red like crimson , they shall be as Wool ; and as red as scarlet , they shall be as white as snow : Be willing therefore , and obedient , and thou shalt eat the good of the Land ; but if thou refuse , and rebel , thou shalt be devoured with the Sword : The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it . Some Hope left for the persecuting Magistrate of England , ( if his Day of Grace be not past already . ) PEradventure thou mayest say unto me , I have been a Civil Magistrate and a great Persecutor of the Saints ( 〈◊〉 the Most High God ) who have few or none on earth to plead their cause ; how shall I find mercy from the Lord , for I am the greatest of sinners ? That when the Servants and Messengers of the Lord have come into our Cities , Towns , Villages , or Market-places to preach repentance , and declare against sin , and to bring the glad tydings of the Gospel into our quarters , ( where it was never preached before ) I have not been so sober unto them as the Gadarenes were to Christ , who ( when he came to cast out unclean spirits , and to do them good , they ) entreated him to depart out of their coasts ; but I instead of entreating , have compelled them , not with mild perswasions , but with cruel and merciless stripes upon their naked bodies , with stockings , stonings , beatings , long and tedious imprisonmets , and other bitter usage which for shame I cannot mention ; And ( as if this had been too little ) I have caused some of them to be scourged twice or thrice for not bowing to my corrupt Will , and worshipping me with their Hats off ; or for speaking to our blind Guide , ( who calls himself a Minister ; ) And all this I have done contrary to the Law of the Land too ; and when I have so done , I have with Passes sent them away as Vagabonds and Wanderers , not suffering them ( though sufficient men , and of good Estates near us ) to have a place in our quarters to dress their sore stripes & deep wounds which my bloody Executioners . have made upon their innocent and harmless bodyes ; nor yet a place wherein to rest their aking heads , except in stocks , dungeons , close holes of little ease , or filthy and stinking Goals amongst thieves and murtherers , where many of them have finished their testimonies by death . Now saith the guilty Magistrate , This is the truth of my condition , and thus have I served the Embassadors of Christ Jesus , ( whom the malicious World cannot accuse of evil ) and my case is lamenable , and the worse , because what I have done was through the instigation of our Gospel-Minister , ( as he called himself ) ●nd to please him , who otherwise would not suffer me to be at rest , crying out against them , that they will undo us , and our generation after us , and render our Gospel to be Antichristian , and our selves false Prophets , ( as indeed we are ) and will make our nakedness and ignorance appear to all sober men if they be tollerated ; But that which is more considerable then all this , I am afraid I have sinn'd the sin against the Holy Ghost , which can never be forgiven , and how shall I escape the damnation of Hell . Friend , Is this thy case indeed ? And art thou guilty so deeply , as this in truth makes thee ? 'T is sad indeed : Yet consider , and for thy comfort I have this to say unto thee , St. Paul was as great a Persecutor of the Saints as thou possibly hast been , and as mad against them as the most of you have been , or can be ; yet when the Light appeared to him , and struck him from his horse or beastly nature of persecution , he presently fell to the earth , and with trembling and astonishing , said , Lord , what wilt thou have me to do ? He did not ( as the blind Guides of this age ) say , That the Light of Christ was natural and insufficient to guide him out of his darkness , but he became obedient to the Light immediately ( though he saw no body ) consulting neither with flesh nor blood , nor yet running to Gamaliel a great Doctor ( under whom he had been brought up ) for counsel ; but forthwith ceased from the sprit of persecution , and obtained mercy : So he being obedient to the Light , became a true Disciple of Jesus , and Preacher of the everlasting Gospel , Acts 9. And now ( oh Magistrate ) know this , That though thou hast been the greatest persecutor of the Saints amongst thy numerous Brethren , and hast persecuted them until death , ( as many in England have been for conscience-sake within these few years , under a pretence of maintaining the Popish and Antichristian Law for Tythes , and suppressing of Hereticks ) yet there is some hopes of mercy for thee also , if thou canst in truth say , That what thou didst , then hast done ignorantly . But if this be not thy case , but hast wilfully transgressed and rebelled against the Light in thy conscience , then , O then ●hy condition is sad indeed , and thou with the blind Guides ) art of all men most to be pittyed ; Examine therefore ●y own heart in secret , and if thou findest that thou hast been a wilful Persecutor of Gods Servants , cry mightily unto the Lord that the iniquity of thy heart may be forgiven thee , and possibly thou mayest find hopes ( upon thy unfeigned confession and resolution to turn to the Lord , and obey the Light within thee ) to obtain Mercy . Cease , I say , from that Spirit of Persecution , and become obedient for the future , if peradventure thy fins may be blotted out . A view of false Doctrines , Or , A Word of Reproof to false Teachers , who boast that that they have the Original , and yet are ignorant of the word of life . FRiends , to you all I speak , ( who disown the Light of Christ within , and count it a low thing ) a wo is pronounced unto you , for your light is turned into darkness , and your sweet into bitter , and for the present see not your way before you ; the whole World lyes in wickedness , and darkness is upon the faces of all who are led by you , who preach for hire , and divine for money , contrary to the prophets phets and true Ministers of Christ ) you preach false Doctrine , and practice persecution , and therefore are you none of the children of Light , nor Ministers of the everlasting Gospel . You say , That the best of Gods servants cannot be free from sin in this life ; whereas the holy Scriptures say , Without holynesse no man shall see the Lord : Christ himself hath preached perfection , and hath commanded his Disciples to be perfect as their heavenly Father is perfect ; but you say , No , perfection is not to be attained here ; You say , ( many of you ) That the Light of Christ in the conscience is natural , not considering that he himself is spiritual , and that his Light must of necessity be so too . You say , Revelation is ceased ; not considering this , That no man knows the Father but the Son , and him to whom the Son will reveal him . You say , No man hath the infallible Spirit now ; not considering , That he that hath not the Spirit of Christ , is none of his ; For where-ever the Spirit of Christ is , it must needs be infallible ; and you that have not the infallible Spirit , you are none of Christs ; and if so , then consider with your selves whose childrern you are , and what spirit guides you , and whither ; for it cannot lead you into all truth , nor any part thereof . Some of you have been heard to say , That the Devil is the Power of God , and that the Gospel is not the Power of God no more then a Rose Cake ; and further , That the Light of Christ Jesus is carnal and darkness . Friends , I hope better things of many of you ; but assuredly , this Doctrine is damnable and pernicious to the souls of men : And therefore I warn you to forbear preachihg in the Name of the Lord , whilst you are of this Faith , which I affirm is of the Devils , and not of the Saints , ( whose faith overcomes the World ) and who believe they must be holy as God is holy , and perfect as their heavenly Father is perfect , in their several measures : They know that the Son of God is the Light of the World and life of men , and is not darkness , carnal , natural , or insufficient to lead them to purity , as you declare . And because I wil not bore the ears ( as I may say ) of the hearers , or bring to the Readers remembrance your multitude of Errors , Heresies and false Doctrines ; nor trouble him with a view of all your ungodly practices at once ; I shall be sparing , as hoping you may return from whence you are fallen , and repent , but shall hereafter , if God will , propound a few queries unto you , whereby you may see your selves in some few particulars of your Doctrine and practice . Friends , Is preaching for hire , and persecution of your Neighbour , for conscience-sake to be miantained by Scripture ? Is throwing men into Gaols , and stealing of their Goods , to be maintained by the Scriptures ? Is your taking up the carnal Weapons to defend your Gospel with , when your spirituall Weapons will not do , to be maintained by Scripture ? Did Christs Ministers ever rebel against the Civil Magistrate , and teach men so to do , as many of you have done of late , instead of being subject to the higher Powers ? For my own part I wonder not hereat , as knowing that that spirit which at present guides you , teacheth rebellion and disobedience as well to God as to man . Furthermore : You say you are Ministers of the Gospel , and yet have perswaded people to believe that the Commandments of God cannot be kept . Reader , to thee who art of this perswasion with them , be but moderate , and let me ask thee this question ; For what end ( thinkest thou ) were the Commandments given by God ? Were they to be read onely , or to be painted upon the Steeple-house Walls ? Will that please the Lord ? Or were they not given to be kept by his servants , who enter into life ? Hath not the Lord said , He will write them upon his peoples hearts , never to be blotted out ? Or can any man be blessed that doth not keep them ? Tell me , Doth any man require that of another , which he knows he cannot perform and do ? And wilt thou make the Lord so hard a Master , as to require obedience of man if it were not in his power to give it , or that the Lord had not impowered him ? Friend , even as the Serpent beguiled Eve , so art thou by blind Guides ; He drew our first Parents into disobedience by going out to hearken to his subtilty , and so left their innocency ; and thou being now in disobedience , he would keep thee there by his evil instruments . O take heed of the Serpents brood , who say , The Commandments of God cannot be kept , for they are false prophets that so teach ; but assure thy self , That if ever thou enter into life , thou must keep the Commandments : David could keep them under the Law , and said , That the Commandments of the Lord were not grievous ; My soul ( saith he ) hath kept thy Testimonies , and I love them exceedingly : And again saith he , I have done thy Commandments : And again he saith , I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies : Read Psal. 119 , 166 , 167 , 168. Now Friend consider the promise of the Lord concerning his people , by the the mouth of his Prophet Zechariah , That in the day of the Lord , He that is feeble amongst them shall be as David , and the house of David shall be as God , Zech. 12.8 . And as the keeping of the Commandments is the entrance into life , so are they pronounced blessed that keep them , Rev. 22.14 . & psal. 119.2 . & Prov. 8.32 . And saith St. John , Hereby we know that we know him , if we keep his commandments , 1 Joh. 2.3 . But he that saith , I know him , and keepeth not his commandments , is a lyar , and the truth is not in him , Ver. 4. And again , Whatsoever we ask ( saith he ) we receive of him , because we keep his commandments , and do , those things which are pleasing in his sight , 1 John 4.22 . and he that keepeth his commandments , dwelleth in him , and he in him , Ver. 24. Such then as say that the commandments of God cannot be kept , are hereby proved to be Lyars , false prophets , and deceivers . Come out therefore from among them , and be thou separate from such unclean men , for the lyar shall not enter into the Kingdom , nor any unclean or imperfect thing . Friends , I even tremble to think on your condition , who break the Commandments of God , and teach men so to do , you are so far from the Way , the Truth and the Life , that unless you speedily repent and turn to the Lord , you will have your portion with hypocrites , where is weeping , wailing , and gnashing of teeth for evermore . My direction then to you also ( before it be too late ) is , To own the Light in your consciences ; and submit to its checks when you are reproved by it ; and know this , That whilst it reproves you for your fins , the day of Grace is not yet past , nor hath the Lord given over striving with you ; but when you feel no checks of conscience when you do evil in thought , word , or deed , then be assured your day is past , and you are sealed up for destruction . I say unto you therefore again , Own the Light within you while you have it , and take it for your Guide , for you are gone a whoring from God , and the Spirit of Truth and Holiness you know not . O do not any longer abuse this Light , this Lamb of God , for you will one day find him to be the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah , who when his Wrath shall be kindled against you , you must be consumed for ever . And now to you who say , We are the Learned Ministers of England ; We have the Tongues ; We have the Originals , and we have the many Languages , and therefore we are best able to interpret the Scriptures . To you I say this , That the holy Scriptures are a sealed Book to all that are not taught of God by the Revelation of his spirit , which you falsly and ignorantly say is ceased ; therefore it is that the unlearned Doctors and others , the University-men of this age , wrest them to their own destruction ; therefore it is , that there are so many Errors , Heresies , Opinions , Sects , and divided Judgements amongst you , and those who are called Christians . Friends , if you be ignorant of the true Original of all things , to wit , the infallible and unerring Spirit of God by which the holy Scriptures were wrote , you want the key of true knowledge which should open them unto you , and you ( with all your learning ) must stay without , when the simple whom God teacheth , and whom you despise , can give you the true meaning and mind of God's Spirit , shall enter in . Oh! remember that the Jews had the Original Tongues before you , and spoke them naturally , and more then that , they had amongst them the true Original himself , even Christ Jesus , the Alpha and Omega , the first and the last , and yet they crucified him , and chose a Thief and a Robber before him ; I wish from my very soul it were not so with you , chusing Hebrew , Greek , Latine , and other Tongues , before the naked and simple truth of God ; I say , Christ Jesus was to the Jews a stumbling block , and to the wise Greeks foolishness ; So is he this day to you , whilst you are crying up Learning and humane Wisdom , and despise the still and low voice of Christ in you , which speaks not in the Words of mans Wisdom . Oh ye men of Learning in all the Wisdom of this World ! When will you cease to tumble over your many and dusty Volumes of corrupted Authors , to find out that Truth which lyes buryed within you ? Oh cease a while from searching into them , and try whether you can find your Names written in the C●mbs Book of life ; if not , mourn and ●●●●●nt , for your condition of all others is most to be pittyed , in regard of the great loss that is to come upon you ( you having much to lose ) Now that I may not leave you without hope , as those who perish in their sins , my advice to you is , To turn to the light in your consciences , and be obedient unto it for unless ou so do , you can never come to the Key of David , which opens , and no man shuts , and shuts , and no man opens ; Wait at Wisdoms Posts , ( which is the true fear of the Lord ) from which you are all departed , who are gone from the light within , and are seeking Salvation in outward things ; for the least Babe of Light sees thorough you , and can discover your darkness . A Direction for all such as wait for the coming of their Saviour in spirit , and how they may know him when he appears . CHrist's first appearance to the World was in flesh , and the fleshly eye saw him , but his second appearance is in spirit , which no fleshly eye can behold and live ; for as the Lightning cometh from one part of Heaven to lighten another part under Heaven , so shall the coming of the Son of man be , and blessed are all they who wait for his second coming , to wit , without sin , unto salvation ; for his second , coming is to put an end to sin , to finish transgression , and to bring in everlasting righteousness . He that hath an ear to hear , let him hear . Now if thou wouldst plainly know the signs of his coming unto thee in particular , then know this , That when he comes 't is to convince thee of sin , and to make a separation between thee and thy former Lovers , ( be they who or what they will be ) there is not a darling or dalilah to be spared , though never so dear or near unto thee , but all must be crucified , yea , and thy own life must be lost too , if ever thou wilt find it in God . Friend , the life of a Christian is hid with Christ in God , and there is no finding of it but by going out of self ; for know this , That before Christ Jesus proclaims peace to the soul , he sets the man at variance with himself , and makes him war against the Enemies of his peace within him , ( not without him . ) To thee then who art at ease in the flesh , hugging the spirit of self-love , and of this World , ( which lyes in wickedness ) and art courting the great men thereof for private respects , as honor and preferment , or the like ; know thou , thou art not yet come to the spiritual Warfare , nor dost thou know the coming of Christ to thee , as a Saviour , which every man must witness before he can be a true Souldier in the Army of the Lamb , or witness redemption from the Spirit of Bondage . My direction then unto thee , is , To watch for the coming of Christ , ( who cometh as a Thief in the night ) that when he comes , thou mayest not be found sleeping in sin , nor snorting in the vain delights and pleasures of this life , ( which are but for a moment : ) Christ stands at thy door , and knocks , O give him entrance and suffer not his Locks to be wet with the dew of the morning ; Suffer not ( I say ) the evil one to make such a noise in thy soul , as to drown the low voice of Christ in thee , who saith , I am meek and lowly of heart , learn of me . Let it not be said of thee , He came unto his own , and his own received him not . Encouragement to the weary Traveller ( whose Journey is towards Canaan ) to follow the Light and Lamb of God to the Holy Land of Rest ; but not to go before it . VVHosoever thou art that art come out of Aegypt , ( the land of darkness , where the blind lead the blind ) and hast a purpose and good will to travel to the holy Land , thou must gird up the loins of thy mind , and with a holy Resolution be content to pass through all the fiery tryals thou maist meet with , and never sit down until thou shale arrive at perfect rest in God : And that thou maist not loosethy Way , be thou advised to follow thy Guide , and go not before him ; for no longer then thou art a follower of the Lamb , canst thou go aright , or walk in safety . Many there are who be come out of Aegypt , and have made some progress towards Canaan ; but because the Guide to rest makes no haste , he being meek and lowly , and is a gentle Leader of his Lambs , ( and those that are with young ) therefore it is that many times the followers go before their Leader , and through haste lose their Way . Be thou warned therefore , who art but a young Traveller and follower of the lamb , that thou leave not thy true Guide , nor wander from him , lest thou come into Aegypt again , ( as some have done ) and so peradventure never find thy Guide more . Friend , if ever thou thinkest to be victorious , thou must follow the Lamb ; for assure thy self , the Enemy will assult thee on every side , and endeavour thy destruction ; for know thou , That 't is through sufferings and often conflicts with the Enemy , that thou must pass , yea and become a Conqueror too , befoer thou must come to reign ; The daily death thou must witness , and the daily Crosse must be born , before the Crown of Victory can be obtained ; I say , Thou must follow thy Leader and Captain of Salvation , through all difficulties , if thou wilt be victorious . And for thy encouragement , be assured of this , He will never leave thee nor forsake thee . In the light of the Lord then , and as faithful followers of the Lamb , let us jurney towards our Land of Rest with unwearied minds ; for assuredly , The Land is good , and will abundantly reward the Traveller upon his arrival there , above what he could ask or think . Many there are whom I believe are gone forth with an honest intent to travel ehither , and finding the Way strait , and the journey long , and the Difficulties many , have sate down by the way ; but let such know , there is no truerest on this side Canaan . Others there are who have gone forth to view the holy Land , and as the false spyes of the Land of Canaan did , so have these , even brought up an evil report upon the good Land , and have told people , There is no attaining of it in this life , for that the Cities are walled , the Enemies are mighty and numerous , and too strong to be overcome , These have told people , the holy life is unattainable , and that as long as they live , they cannot be free from corruption ; and these sit down without hope , and shall never enter . But yet notwithstanding there is encouragement enough for the faithful Traveller , when he remembers that there were two , to wit , Caleb and Joshua , who were true Spyes , and that notwithstanding the multitude of false Spyes that went forth to view the Land , these as faithful Witnesses For God brought in their Testimony , and said , Let us go up at once , and possesse it , for we are well able to overcome it . And these for their faithfulness to the Lord ( notwithstanding the false Spyes ill report of the good Land ) were brought to possess the Land which flowed with Milk and Honey , but the rest perished in the Wilderness for their unbelief , and their children were wanderers there fourty years . Now Friend , It is observable and very remaakrble , That Caleb and Joshuah ( who did enter ) had another spirit then the false , Spyes had , ( and followed the Lord fully ) to wit , the Spirit of Faith , which overcomes the World , and all the Enemies therein , to the soul of men , so that the Believer and his Seed shall possess the holy Land , when all the unbelievers shall perish in the Wildcrness , Numb. 14. And as for the glory of this holy Land , or New Jernsalem , ( of which Canaan was a Type ) and the Riches thereof none wil doubt , but all Will confess the Land is good , though some say too good to be obtained here , or possessed in this life ; I say as to this I cannot but bring in my testimony , and declare , They are all false Spyes , and false prophets , that say the Enemies of mans soul are not to be overcome in this life , and that the holy life is not attainable ; for he that gives Victory over one sin , ( which I witness ) will give victory over all sins if I and thou be faithful Warriers in the Army of the Lamb . I say , our Captain is able to make war wth the Enemy , and not onely give us victory , but also an entrance into the Holy of holies within the vail here , where no false prophet can enter , but him who is the Priest for ever after the order of Melehizedeck . Therefore friends , go chearfully on your way in believing ; the Enemy is as well before as behind ; look not back , neither turn to the right hand , nor to the left , but press forward , and in due time you shall reap , if you faint not . 'T is the Faith of the Saints which overcomes the World , and all difficulties which the honest Traveller shall find in his Journey towards the holy Land . And that none may be discouraged that he meets with troubles and tryals , let him remember , The greater his tryals are , the stronger had his Faith need be ; and the bitterer his Travels are , the sweeter will his Rest be . If some of the Servants of the Lord have through experience said , That the sufferings of this present life are not worthy the glory that shall be revealed , what will they be able to say when in is revealed ? It is better to suffer affliction with the people of God , then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season . Therefore let us proceed on our journey with unwearied minds , and in the strength and power of the Lord make war against all the Enemies of our Souls , following our Leader , and in the end we shall be more then Conquerors . And because there are many pretenders to holiness , who with fair speeches do deceive the hearts of people , and by enticing words of mans Wisdom seduce many a well-meaning and honest-hearted Traveller , who is ever and anon ready to question whether his way be right . I do advise thee as thou lovest life , and tenderest the true rest of thy weary soul , keep close to thy Leader , whose voice is low , speaking in thee , saying , Go not forth , wander not ; for this I declare , That whilst thou art unturned to thy Guide within thee , or art listening to the loud Voice and found of big Words without ( as I have been ) thou canst finde no rest , though thou travel hard to obtain it . A Word concerning the Resurrection . THE Lord is risen indeed , and hath appeared unto many , among whom I am come to give you notice , ( though a most unworthy Messenger ) That he is now come to exalt his Son in his saints . and set him upon his holy hill ; glory for evermore . But many there are who with Martha do look for the Resurrection at the last day without , and so put the day of his Resurrection in them , far from them , ( as believing no such thing ) and saying , How can this be ? when in the mean time Christ lyes slain in some of them ; and others are so far from the holy Life of Christ , that they are dead in trespasses and sins , and some twice pluckt up by the roots , neither knowing their Saviour within them , nor Without them . Art thou one that knowest nothing of the resurrection of Christ in thee , then know that thou art not to look out to a day without thee , for the resurrection of Christ , but in Spiritual Sodomand Aegypt , where he lyes still crucified , art thou to expect his resurrection , to wit , in thy own wicked heart . Christ before his resurrection from the Grave , told Martha , and said , I am the the Resurrection and the life ; he that believeth in me , though he were dead , yet shall he live ; and that he that liveth and believeth in him , should not dye : Dost thou believe this ? Arise then , thou that art asleep in thy grave of sin , fleshly ease , or carnal delights , and hearken to the voice of the Son of God in thee , & live ; for he who called Lazarus out of his grave of earth , ( being naturally dead ) to life again , will raise thee also , and call thee out of thy spiritual grave of sin and denth , if thou hearken to his Voice , and obey his Call in thoe . Christ Jesus after his resurrection , appeared unto many of his Disciples with out them , and they knew him not ( he being spiritual ; ) and after he had by many signal Testimonies made himself known unto them to be Jesus , a Cloud received him out of the sight of those that stood looking after him ; Whereupon it was told them by two men who were in white , that said , To men of Galilee , why stand ye here gazing ? The same Iesus which hath been taken up from you into heaven , shall in like manner come again to wit , in a Cloud ; for so he went up . Now this ( Friend ) is a Mystery to the wise and learned men of this World , ( oh that they knew it ) That the light of the World , and life of men should come in a cloud ; but so it is , and they are utterly ignorant of this mysterie , though to the children of Light it is made manifest and revealed by the Spirit . They can tell you that as Christ's first appearance to the World was in the flesh , and the fleshly eye saw him ; so his second appearance is in Spirit , and no fleshly eye can behold him , he being now a spirit . You then who are looking for the Resurrection of your Saviour with the eye of the first Adam , ( which is natural , and to come without you ) know you , that your eyes will fail you , and your expectations be in vain ; for him whom you look for , is a spirit , and invisible to all but to the Spiritual man . And While you are looking for his coming to be hereafter , the spiritual man can tell You he is already come , and converseth with him daily ; and this is the reason that the Saints and Servants of Christ ( who do his Will ) can endure stocking , stoning , mocking , cruel whipping , and tedious imprisonment : Why ? Because they have seen & conversed with Jesus , who by his power enables them to suffer what man can do unto them ; He that hath an ear to hear , let him hear . But thou maist say unto me , Is there no other Resurrection of Christ then what is in man ? And are we not to look for the coming of Christ , and the Resurrection of our Bodies also at the last day ? For an answer to this , Friend , consider that the resurrection of Christ without , was there where he had been entombed or buried , and there was he to rise again , that so a testimony thereof might be given to the unbeliever , and as encouragement and strengthening to the Faith of those that did believe therein . Now Friend , so it is , Christ is risen in his Saints , and hath appeared unto them there , even as he rose from the Grave , and appeared to his Disciples , and others without ; and though thou wouldst give large money to us to make false Reports of his Resurrection , yet we cannot but must tell you all , Christ is risen from the grave of our souls , where he was once , buryed with earthly-mindedness and the cares of this World ; but the Grave being able to hold him no longer , he is come forth , and is manifest to thousands in this age , who at first when he appeared to them without , to wit , in carnal Ordinances , they knew him not , but he being now come in spirit according to his promise , we cannot but declare it unto you , being the things which our ears have heard , our eyes seen , and our hands handled of the Word of Life , that so ye might have fellowship with us . And thou who lookest for the resurrection of thy carnal body , I shall not contradict thee in thy faith , nor do I deny the resurrection of the body , nor shall I say to thee any other thing then what Paul said to to the Corinth , THOU FOOL , That which thou sowest is not quickned except it dye ; and that which thou sowest , thou sowest not that body that shall be , but bare grain , perchance of wheat or some other corn ; but God giveth it a body as it pleaseth him . First come to the life of Jesus in thy self , and when thou canst say , Now I live , yet nor I , but Christ liveth in me , thou shalt better understand the Resurrection of the Body ; For the natural man discerns not the things of God , because they are spiritual ; Then , and not till then thou shalt know the first and second Resurrection . A Friendly Call to all Notionists , Separatists , and high Professors of Religion , in what form soever , ( or out of form ) to come down from their Pinacles of imagination , lest they fall , and rise no more . Friends , Come all down from your seats , you sit in slippery places , and are in great danger and peril of your lives , who though you have had many Allarums to call you away , you are still asleep in spiritual pride or airy notions , without life . What do you mean ? Will you suffer the Angel of false light to be your guide , whilst the glorious light of Christ , and glad tydings of the everlasting Gospel ( declared almost every where in the Nation ) to pass by you , and take no notice of it ? I cannot but pitty your souls , seeing the great delusion you are in . Poor hearts ! you are got too high to sit in safety , for the God of Heaven and Earth will dwell with none who are not poor in spirit , and tremble not at his Word : I say , if you would have the Lord to dwell with you , you must all become Tremblers . O remember that self-exaltation was the fall of Lucifer , ( that Angel of false Light ) and so will be the fall of all who are not meek and lowly in heart , and abide not there . It 's the Devil's Work to elevate the mind of man above his measure , and that he may accomplish it , he perswades the man he can shew him all things in a Mystery , and set him where he may see beyond the reach of others on a sudden , deluding him with this old bait , That he shall be as God , knowing good and evil . Thus he deluded Eve , and so he will do every simple heart who keeps not in the pure fear of the Lord , but goes forth to hear the voice of the stranger ; For , had Eve kept to her measure , and been contented therewith , the Devil could not have beguiled her ; but she going forth , was by a temptation mislead , and so lost her innocent state , and her true Guide within her . And now the Serpent being the subtillest of all the Beasts of the Field , and perceiving that man is eager of knowledge , and desirous to comprehend all things in himself in a mysterie , ( it being too low a thing for so noble a creature to go out for knowledge ) he sets himself in the seat of God , and exalteth himself in man , lifting him up also above the pure Seed of God which lyes buryed in man , and sets at naught poverty of spirit , perswading him he is beyond the first Principles of Religion , and above the Doctrine of the Cross , and that he is now at rest in God , when indeed , and in truth , poverty of spirit the man hath ( peradventure ) never yet known , nor the true fear of the Lord neither , or if he hath , he is made to believe that there are higher things to be known then the mystery of the Cross , and so suffers the Devil to delude and blind him . Poor heart ! Thy delusion is strong indeed , and thy condition most to be lamented : Where dost thou find that the fear of the Lord is a low dispensation , whenas man is to abide therein all the day long ? I say , though it be day with man , yea noon-day , where the Flock of Christ are at rest ; yet the fear of the Lord is never to be left , it being part of the Everlasting Gospel which the Angel preached , saying , FEAR GOD , Rev. 14.6.7 . What 's the reason ( Friends ) that you stand so far off , and keep at such a distance from those that dwell in the Valley , where the cross is dayly to be born , so long as you have a vain thought to be subjected , or a high look to be brought down ? Is it not because you think your selves higher , and taller by the head and shoulders then your Brethren ? and that they are but dwarfs in knowledge in comparison to you ? Is it not because you look on the Cross to be a low attainment , and that you are wearing the crown ? Friends , let me be plain with you ; How came you into the fear of the Lord ? Did that which brought you in , lead you out again ? Surely no , the Work of the Lord is perfect , and stands for ever ; and the true Members of Christ Jesus call not this high , or that low , but they know that if any man will be great amongst them , he is to be servant to all ; I say , the Members jar not , nor clash not one against another , but there is a most sweet harmony in the body , without any discord at all ; the highest doth not say to the lowest , I have no need of thee ; nor the lowest doth not say so to the highest : But friends , is it not because you have felt the Cross too heavy for you to hear , having once taken it up , and laid it down again ? Or is it because you would shun judgement , which you must come to again , and love it too , before you can meet with the Lord in peace ? Peradventure thou thinkest thy self some wise man in knowledge , and so hast been accounted in thy generation ; and for thee to become a fool , or to come back again after so great a profession of Christ as thou hast made , would be to thy dishonor , and shame would cover thy face . If thus thou reasonest , know this , Thou art thy own Enemy , and thou lovest the praise of men more then the glory of God , or the salvation of thy own soul . And since you cannot deny but the poor receive the Gospel , & the rich are sent empty away , ( with all their words of mans Wisdom ) How comes it to pass , that the plain and naked Truth of God preached in power , and practised in simplicity , is of no more account amongst you ? Friends , be not deceived in your selves , for you cannot deceive us : The Light of Christ Jesus in us hath discovered you all to be out of the way , who own it not . Are you sent of God who cry , Lo here , or low there , as some of you do , and creep into Chambers and private places , & there speak with your doors shut ? Is this ( in times of freedom ) like the practice of the true Ministers of the Gospel , who preach the glad tydings thereof to all , inviting all , and beseeching all to receive it , that so all might come in , or be left without excuse ? Can any of you say , you preach the everlasting Gospel by the Revelation of Christ Jesus in you ? Or do you not confess your selves to be fallible , and such as preach from a large comprehension of what you have heard or read , ( peradventure from H. N. or Jacob Behem ) & c ? Is what you preach , of God ? And are all your springs in him ? If yours be the everlasting truth of God , come forth , and declare your Message to all ; for truth seeks no corners : The Kingdom of Heaven is like a draw-net , which being cast into the sea , receives all that comes in , but treasures up none but the good fish ; if then you would be Fishers of men , come to the sea-shore , stand in an open place , and cast in your Nets into the seas of Confusion of this World ; prick people to the heart by your powerful Ministration , and convince thousands of their Errors , Heresies , and false Opinions , ( which they received and suckt in by the false prophets and Ministers of Antichrist ) as the true Ministers of Christ in the primitive times did , and still do . But if you doubt whether yours be the true Gospel , or another , My counsel to you is , CEASE to declare it in the Name of the Lord ; for nothing shall profit the hearers but what is declared in the eternal Spirit of God without doubting . Wait in silence then until you have received power from on high , which when it is received and declared , shall put to silence the gain-sayers , and stop the mouth of the evil doers . Friends , for the Seed's sake in you I desire to speak , therefore suffer me ( though a fool ) to be free with you . Have you known the fools state , ( which all that will be truly wise must come to ? ) if not , hasten thither apace , for mans Wisdom is foolishness with God , and and keeps him truly in that which is but folly : Oh! What will all thy carnal Wisdom ( though in a mystery ) and high notions avail thee , so long as thou art got above that which leads to true Wisdom , and makes wise unto salvation those that are fools for Christ ? Are you those that have got in thorough the strait Gate ? and do you walk in the narrow path , which leads to life , and which few find ? Or are you not indeed those who have striven ( for a time ) to enter , but could not ? Take heed you be not left out . Have you bid Farewel to the friendship of this World , & to the manners , fashions , vain customs , and delights thereof ? Or are you not still alive in them all ? Have you born the cross till every idle world and vain imagination be slain and crucified ? Or are you not those who have felt it too heavy to bear , and so laid it down again ? Are you as Beacons upon a Hill ? And do you give light to all that see your conversation ? Or have you not put your light in a dark Lanthore not suffering it to shine forth , lest you your selves should be discovered ? Are you not those who preach and hear from a large comprehension , but your selves far from the life of what you hear or speak ? Have you the power as well as the words of truth ? Or are you uot those who have lost the power you once had , ( as the Devil hath done ) and retained the notion onely , which he is the supporter of ? Are you indeed , and in truth arrived at the dispensation of Love , as you pretend , or third degree , of the holy life ( as you call it ) which loves its Neighbours good as its own , and stoops to the meanest Babe in Christ , as well as walks with the grown man . Friends , the Well of Life lyes low , and you must dig deep to find it ; high words without the power , are as the blustering winds , which do more harm then good ; but its the still low voice where God is heard , and the sheep of Christ follow it . 'T is true , the Doctrine of the Crosse was once in my esteem , but a low and mean dispensation , and the disciples thereof , ( as I thought ) in a pitifull and sad condition , but this was in the time of my exaltation with you , when I had got above the pure and meek seed of Jesus which was kept under in me , but blessed be the Lord , who hath brought down the Mighty from his Seat , and set me on the Rock of ages . On which , if ever you know stability , you must be brought ; which Rock Christ , which followed the Israelites the wilderness and refreshed them ; wh 〈…〉 Rock is the food of Angels , as well as every hungry soul . If any of you h 〈…〉 this bread , you know that in the m 〈…〉 of famine you shall have enough , a 〈…〉 that your water is sure ( coming out the rock ) if so , I say , Eat , O friends , drink abundantly O beloved , Go no more forth . But you who are still upon the Mountains , you must come down , and dwell in the low Valley before you can find safety . You must walk in the narrow path which leads to life , before you can come to rest ; and to the spirits of just men made perfect you must be joyned . Peradventure some of you may say , you are now upon the Mount with Jesus and have seen his transfiguration , and do say in your hearts , It is good to be here : if so , yet boast not ; For you must all come down from the Mount , as the Disciples of Christ , and as Christ himself did , and live here below . Nay though you have been wrapt up into the third heaven , as Paul was , and heard things unutterable , yet the cross must be born , and the Thorn in the flesh felt by all who are lifted up above their measures . To your measures herefore , of the gift of God all come ; Boast not of any thing , which you have ●t attained through the death of the Cross ; for if you do , you will suffer loss . ●any of you have set your selves at the ●pper end in the room , Oh be sure you be not without your wedding garments left the Master send you forth as unworthy guests ; you seem to be eager to tast of the Supper of the Lord , and some of you are giving and taking it in beggarly elements . All such are to know they are not yet past the shadow , be their pretence what it will be , much lesse come to the substance of all things which puts an end to types and shadows . The voice in me cryes , keep low ; abide in the fear of the Lord ; for there is the beginning of true wisdome . High words will no longer beguile the true Israelite ; for in him there is an eye open , which sees and can discern spirits , and an ear that can hear the shepherds voice from the stranger . The stranger or false messenger's voice saith , I comprehend all mysteries ; I am past the first & second dispensation ( to wit the fear and the faith ) and I am arrived at the third , which is Love ; I have born the crosse , and now wear the crown . Is this thy voice indeed ? then know , thou art the Antichrise whom God will destroy with the breath of his mouth ; whosoever thou art that cryest up one dispensation by way of boasting , and sets it against another , thou art doing the Devils work , and endeavouring to make a rent , where nothing but unity and peace ought to be ; for one mans state in Christy ( though but the babe ) is not to be set against another , no more then Christ is to be divided . But now on the contrrary the true Shepherds voice saith , I am meek and lowly of heart , learn of me , and be little in your own eys : This voice calls out of the world , it stills the waves when they rage it binds the strong man in chains , and Nobles in fetters of iron , by its meekness , patience , gentleness and long-suffering ; Therefore friends , come all down into the true fear of the Lord , where this is to be witnessed , and no where els . Your knowledge in misteries and large comprehensions of divine things , unlesse your practice be answerable , doth but fit you for the scourge with many stripes . I say while you are upon your Pinacles , the inward beauty of the Temple , you can never behold , nor see the glorious presence of the Lord who fits therein . Hasten therefore to the porch , where wisdomes voice is to be heard , and become Doore-keepers therein ( which keeps out sin and vanity ) that so an entrance may be made unto you into the holy of ho-lies . For this I declare to you all , That no more of the true knowledge of God have you attained , then what you have learned and known through the death and daily cross of Christ Jesus . And now to thee who hast been once enligtened , and hast tasted of the heavenly gift , and been made partaker of the holy Ghost , and tasted of the good word of God , and the powers of the world to come . Content not thy self with these refreshments , nor feed thou upon them ; for they will passe away as the lightning , but live thou upon the bread of life it self , from which these refreshings have proceeded ; for that 's it , and it alone , which can nourish the Soul up to eternal life . I say again , keep low , and patiently run the race that is set before thee , and through perseverance thou shalt gain the Crown . Some Queries to my old friends , the Ministers of the Church of England . FRiends , I come not now to question you , ( as to my self ) nor yet your Faith and Hope in God , being fully satisfied concerning you and your Ministry , and also of your Call thereunto , having well known and heard the chief amongst you for many years together ; Yet for the sakes of those heaps of people that pin their faith upon your sleeves , and take all for granted that you declare unto them for truth , believing your lives also to be unblameable ; I shall mildely propound unto you these ensuing Queries , charging you as you would be accounted Ministers of Christ , and are willing to observe the Apostles direction of rendring a reason of your hope to every one that shall ask you ; to make it appear in your answer , by what fruits you may be known . 1. VVHether was your Call to your Ministry from God , yea or no ? ( as the true Ministers of the Gospel ever was , and will be . ) Or was it not a place of preferment to a comfortable maintenance , ( as you call it ) and to get a Trade to live by , that called you ? And whether if that maintenance were removed , you your selves would not soon come to silence , and your Ministry quickly fall to the ground ? 2. Whether or no did ever the true Ministers of Christ , or any of them , go to the Arm of Flesh for aid , to uphold their Doctrine , and force a Maintenance from people contrary to their consciences , as you do ? 3. Whether are you not respecters of persons , honouring and fawning upon those men most , who can promote you to the greatest Benefices ? And do you not remove from one quarter to another , where the greatest gain is to be had , often leaving your flock when you are assured of greater wages from other Masters ) or because you may not sheer them to their very skins ? 4. Whether do you not rend and tear mens Goods from them , to the value of ten times more then your unreasonable and Antichristian demands are , ( under a pretence of a Popish Law for maintenance and trebble damages ) and yet come forth , and say you are Gospel-Ministers , and the workman is worthy of his hire , though the true Husbandman never set you to work ? 5. Whether is the spirit of cruel and bitter perjecution , ( in which many of you are found and which none of you ( that I hear ) have declared against ) be the spr●●● of a true Minister of Christ , or the spirit of Antichrist ? 6. Whether have you not stirred up the Beast , ●nd instigated the corrupt Magistrate by the Rage , Envy and Malice of this persecuti●g spirit , ( in you both ) to stock , beat , mock , and most cruelly whip , and imprison until death the free-born people of the Na●●on , because they could not for conscience sake sat is fie your Lusts and greedy appetites with that Popish Maintenance by Tythes ; or otherwise , because they have spoken to you as they were moved of the Lord in your places of idolatry and false Worship ? 7 Whether are you not the greatest Opposers of Authority , and Disturbers of the publike peace that are in the Nation , obstructing the setling of the Common-wealth , and Reeping it from being a free Nation , when as you take up Arms and carnal Weapons to fight against the civil Magistrate , whom in all just things you ought to obey , and preach subjection unto ? 8. Whether is it not the height of ingratitude , pride , and rebellion in you , to kick against your Governors and Feeders , and set them at naught who are your supporters in your Trades , for filthy lucre ? Oh ye seed of Evil-doers ! when will you you see your wickedness against the Lord , ( your true Husband , from whom you have gone a whoring , and entertained strange Lovers ) and return to him by true repentance for your many great and crying sins ? 9. Whether is your Gospel free , and without charge , as the true Ministers of Christs was and still is , or do you no buy it ( and your abilities to preach ) at Schools , Colledges , Universities of Arts , Sciences , and humane Learning ? 10. Whether is the incorruptible seed of God in all men yea or nay ? And 11. Whether is that seed of God in Man sufficient to guide man to his true rest ? Or is there any thing besides that , which can lead man into the path of life , and enable him to walk therein ? 12 , With what did the Lord say he would search Jerusalem , and where was it ? 13. Whether is not the Spirit of God in man , the Candle of the Lord , with which he Will search all men ? and whether if once it he put out or removed , the soul be not left in eternall darknesse ? 14. Whether if man obey not the Light , or Candle of the Lord in him ( which shews him the evil of his way , and judgeth him for a vain thought , when nothing else can ) it will not be his condemnation for ever ? 15. Whether do you know the word of life in the heart , and quickning Spirit within , from the dead letter without ? 16. Whether of these two , ( viz. ) the writings of the holy men of God and their experiences of God declared unto others , or the Spirit it self , by which those writings were penned , is mans true Guide , and infallible Rule to walk by . 17. Whether is the quickning and powerful Spirit of God in man ( by which he became a living soul ) subjected to a dead letter ? Or is that which was from Eternity of lesse esteem , because it is in man , then the thing which hath proceeded from it , and in comparison thereof , is but as yesterday ? Oh blush , and be ashamed , ye Builders of Babel , &c. that you have refused the Corner stone , and Well of life , and hewn unto your selves empty cisterns that will hold no water , I mean your University-Learning , and have prefe red a dead letter , before the living word of God . 18. Whether do you in deed and in truth own the holy Scriptures ? If so , how comes it to passe that you preach so contrary thereto , saying , Revelation is ceased , And that the Saints cannot be free from sin here : That perfection is not attainable in this life ; And that the Commandments of God cannot be kept : And that no man now hath the infallible spirit ? Can any one of these be proved by Scripture : if so make it appear , if not , stop your mouths , and forbear to take the holy name of God into your polluted lips , till you have learned the truth as it is in Jesus . 19. Whether can man by all his Learning open the holy Scriptures , yea or no ? or can he by all his study , pains or humane industry get the true knowledge of God in Jesus Christ ? 20. Whether is the Knowledge of the whole body of your Divinity sufficient to empower man to conquer the least sin , or subdue the smallest corruption in him ? 21. Whether is the learning of the two Universities of Oxford and Cambridge ( on whose legs you yet stand ) necessary for the begetting , encreasing or perfecting in the truth , the true Disciples of Iesus Christ ? if not , whether are they now employed to a right use ? 22. What have you to say , why the said Universities , and all the Colledges therein , should not be converted to pious and charitable uses , as Hospitals , Alms-houses , and places to set the poor at work in , when as instead of being Universities of Piety , they have been places of contention , pride , idleness , ignorance and idolatry . 23. Whether are not the two Universities Cages of unclean Birds , and of foul and hatefull Spirits , when as those who proceed from thence are so infections as to hold forth a necessity of living in pollution , whilest they live , saying , it cannot be otherwise ? 24. Whether instead of seeking the Kingdome of heaven within you , and teaching men so to do , Yot do not seek and teach it to be sought without ? And whether you be not searching into the fallible sayings of old authors , and sweeping your University-Libraries and Temples made with hands to find the lost groat , which lies hid in your own houses , or earthly Tabernacles ? 25. Whether are not false Teachers , the Cause of so many Errors , Heresies , Sects and divided judgements , as are in the Nation ? and whether it is like to be otherwise , whilest false Doctrine is so frequently preached , and the Fomenters thereof upheld by a Law ? 26. Whether do you not take upon you to be Heads of Colledges , Churches , Congregations , and Assemblies , and so make many heads , and many Masters , when as Christ Iesus saith , his Spouse or Church is but one , and he is the Head thereof ? 27. Whether do you not ( as much as in you lies ) divide the body of Christ by your many Sects and select Societies , when as the Saints , though many Members , are but one body , united in Christ ? 28. Whether in truth and singlenesse of heart can any of you say , That the fruits you are known by , are love , joy , peace , meekness , long sufferance , gentlenesse , self-denial , faith , patience , temperance , moderation , and the like ? or are not your fruits contrary to all these , and the root of the first Adam still growing in you ? 29. Whether have you been born again of the incorruptible seed ? and are you entred into the Kingdome of heaven , where none comes but such as are dead to this world , and the friendship thereof ? or are you not still shut out , as unbelievers , & c ? 30. Whether are you not those that shut up the Kingdome of heaven against men , and neither go in your selves , nor suffer others ? And whether insted of preaching the Gospel , and glad tidings of salvation , you deny it not , and preach down that which should give an entrance thereinto , which is the Light of Christ in every conscience , and which is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world . Know ye not , that the whole Creation groaneth to be delivered from under the power of the Beast , and false Prophet , to wit , the corrupt Magistrates , and the persecuting and Antichristian Ministers of the Nations ? Do ye not know that these have had Dominion over the Saints of the most high God , for many hundred years past , doing and executing their own pleasures upon the bodies and estates of the children of God as well in our dayes by cruel tortures untill death , as in Queen Maries dayes , upon the Martyrs that suffered , burning then , who ye notwithstanding could not worship the Beast nor his image , nor give their power to the Dragon , which all the world have wondred after . Do ye not know that the Man-child hath been caught up to God , the wo●an fled into the Wildernesse , and the Devil had the power over all Nations ? If not , then know , the time is now hasting , that the Man-child is coming to rule the Nations with a rod of iron ( and to some he is already come ) and all must bow to his righteous Scepter ; for he will rule in righteousness , and all the sturdy Oaks must be hewn down , the proud and lofty looks of man must fall , and his tyrannicall and unjust power be taken from him ; The Lilly of the Valley must be exalted , and the Beast and false Prophet cast alive into the Lake where they shall be tormented for ever and ever . Let none of you now ( for my love to lost man ) be so scandalous , as to say , I disown Magistracy and Ministry ; for if you do I here again in the presence of the Lord , and before all the world pronounce you to be Lyers and false Prophets ; for I so far own both the true Magistracy and Ministry , which is of God , that I well know and am assured , the Nations cannot be happy till both are establisht in righteousnesse and true Judgement , in the fear of the Lord , I say , till truth and , righteousnesse be set up , false Doctrine , error and heresie disowned by those men in power , and the false Prophet and the Beast cast alive into the Lake , The truth Will be suppressed , and the Ministers of the Gospel persecuted , yea though Christ Jesus himself should come again in the flesh , the Professors of this age would call him deceiver , and be as ready to whip , scourge , and imprison him to death , as they have done his members , But blessed for ever be the holy name of our God , the false Prophet is known by his life and Doctrine , and the beastly nature in all persecuting Magistrates is seen and discovered , so that let their Profession be what it will be , they are made manifest and cannot hide themselves from the eye of the Lord , nor from the discerning Spirits of his Saints , who do his will , and who worship him in Spirit and in truth . Friends ! the dreadfull day of Gods fiery indignation hangs over your heads , and will inevitably fall upon you without speedy Repentance , and this the servants of the Lord see , and forwarn you of in love to your souls ; but you like blind Balaam see not the sword drawn against you , and ready to cut you off : You are blinder then the dumb Asse , who saw the sword hang over his Masters head , when he himself did not ; Oh read your portion in the 11. Zech. 17. and take it to ye ; for unlesse you spedily repent and turn to the Lord , you will surely have it ; where the Prophet of the Lord pronounceth a Woe to the Idol-shepherd , saying , The sword shall be upon his arm , and upon his right eye , his arm shall be clean dryed up , and his right eye shall be utterly darkned . Friends , every mans work must be tryed by fire , of what sort soever it be , therefore let none of you think to escape the fiery tryall ; for our God is righteous , and will reward every man according to his work . THE END . 
A41842	----	The great salvation offered and tendered first, by Christ himself, and then by his holy apostles, with the inevitable destruction of all that neglect it : in the sermons, reprinted / by that eminent servant of Christ, Mr. Andrew Gray ... Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656. 1694 Approx. 90 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 29 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-08 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A41842 Wing G1614 ESTC R39448 18419624 ocm 18419624 107525 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A41842) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 107525) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1634:14) The great salvation offered and tendered first, by Christ himself, and then by his holy apostles, with the inevitable destruction of all that neglect it : in the sermons, reprinted / by that eminent servant of Christ, Mr. Andrew Gray ... Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656. [8], 48 p. Printed by George Swintown and James Glen ..., Edinburgh: 1669. Errors in paging: p. 16 misnumbered 19. Imperfect: stained, and slightly faded, with print show-through. Reproduction of original in the British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Church of Scotland -- Sermons. Salvation -- Sermons. Sermons, English -- 17th century. 2004-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-02 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-04 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2004-04 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-07 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE Great Salvation Offered and Tendered , First , by Christ himself , and then by his Holy Apostles , with the inevitable Destruction of all that neglect it . In two Sermons , Reprinted . By that eminent Servant of Christ , Mr. Andrew Gray , formerly Minister of the Gospel in Glasgow . Isaiah 52. 7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings , that publisheth peace , that bringeth good tidings of good , that publisheth Salvation . London , Printed for H. Barnard in the Poultrey . 1694. TO THE READER . Christian Reader , BLessed were those days , when Christians , whether frown'd or smil'd upon by the World , lived by Faith , and walked in Holiness and Love ; and Ministers sought the things of their Lord and Master , Iesus Christ , and not their own : When Gospel-Truth was plainly declared by the Preachers , and Reverendly received , and not wantonly debated by Hearers ; When Gospel Ordinances were prised and used for the Enjoyment of God in them ; When Iesus Christ was all in all in Mens Religion . And when the Holy Ghost went forth sensibly in Calling , Furnishing , and Countenancing Ministers in their Work. A great measure of this Blessedness did the Western Parts of Scotland Enjoy , especially from the Year 1651 to 1660. Amongst the many bright and shining Stars in Christs Right Hand , which he set upon his Candlesticks , in that part of Brittain , two Youths deserve everlasting Remembrance in the Church , Mr. Hugh Binning , and Mr. Andrew Gray . The former Lived but to the twenty sixth year of his Age ; of whose Labours , though several excellent things are Published , his Discourses of some of the Principles of Christian Religion , deserve Special Regard . They have been often Printed , and their Depth , Gravity and Excellency deserves a larger Commendation than I can give them . Mr. Andrew Gray , his Contemporary , dyed in the twenty second year of his Age. He was Born of a Noble Family , bred up at the Vniversity , where he profited signularly in Learning , and Polished the excellent Parts God had given him . The Saving Grace of God reacht him about the nineteenth year of his Age , and at twenty he was called and setled in the Ministry of the Gospel at Glasgow ( a bright Candlestick in that day ) with Mr. James Durham , and Mr. John Carstairs , Ministers of the New Testament , of singular Worth. After two years painful and successful Labours there , the Lord called him to his Rest. His singular Gifts for Preaching , his charming way of Delivery both in Voice and Action , the power he was endowed with , and the great success on Mens Hearts , that commonly attended his Labours , were so Eminent , that he was followed by Multitudes wherever he Preached , more than any other Minister in that Land in his Day , and became the blessed Instrument of the Converting of many to the Faith of Christ. What is Printed of his Sermons , was principally by the Notes taken by some of his Hearers , sometimes compared with what he Wrote himself , which render them but lean Sceletons of the Discourses of a Minister under such singular Influences and Assistance of the Holy Ghost , as he usually was , in his Work. It is well known what Imperfections attend such posthumous writings and what allowances judicious persons read them with . How these two came forth alone , thou shalt know . A worthy Christian in Lancashire being much taken with Mr. Gray's Sermons , he design'd to reprint these two , concerning The Great Salvation , and to give some hundreds of them to his poor Neighbours , for their Souls good . This Gentleman finding that the first Publishers of them were two Ministers in Edinburgh , one of them being my honoured Father , and I also bearing his Name , he did not know but that I was one of the persons that first sent them to the Press ; and therefore he desired me to Preface to them . I told him his mistake , and that I being very young when Mr. Gray dyed , could Testify no more of my own Knowledg , but that I had seen him in my Fathers House and Pulpit , and that I do well remember the high Character be had from all the godly Ministers and Christians that knew him , and that his Death was lamented bitterly , as a publick Calamity , and a Prognostick of evil to come . Although another might be more fit than I to Commend them to the Publick ; and if it had been put to my cheice , I might have pitched on something else of this Author , or of another , for that Chritable end , driven at , yet seeing every one is to be left to their own Liberty in good works of this nature , I would neither divert his design , nor deny his request . These two Sermons , now again published , contain no matters or point of Controversy , ( except the main things of the Gospel , be so accounted in this Age , wherein angry contention is more minded by many , than solid Believing and Holy walking ) They hold forth the greatest of Truths , and best of Tidings ( The great Salvation wrought out compleatly by the Son of God our Saviour . ) They warn gravely of the greatest , commonest and most Damning of all Sins ( the neglecting thereof . ) They earnestly call to the most important of all Gospel-Duties ( the believing acceptance of this Saviour with his great Salvation . ) May some of the same Power from on High , accompany thy Reading of them , that did attend the Preaching of them , is the desire of Thy Servant in the Gospel , Ro. Trail . A SERMON Concerning the GREAT SALVATION . Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation , which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord , and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him ? THis everlasting Gospel which is preached unto you , is that glorious Star , which must lead us to the place where blessed Christ doth lye . This Gospel and glad tidings of the great salvation , is come near unto you : And Christ is standing at the everlasting doors of your hearts , desiring that ye would open unto him . There is that one great request , which Heaven this day hath to present unto you , and it is ; that ye would at last embrace this great salvation freely offered by him . It is the thing for which ye are called to mourn this day , that since the dayes of your fathers , and since the beginning of your own dayes , ye have stopped your ears from the sweet and chaunting voice of this blessed Chamber . Ye would never dance to Christ when he piped : Neither would ye weep to him when he lamented . But to come to the words which we have read unto you : The Apostle ( in the former Chapter ) had been discoursing most Divinely of the matchless and incomparable excellencies which are in our Lord Jesus : And in the first verse of this second Chapter , he draweth forth an Exhortation from his former Doctrine , which in short is this , That they would take heed to the Blessed Doctrine of the Gospel , and not at any time to let it slip out of their minds ; and that they would keep this Gospel as a jewel of great price , and would not sell it , but that they would be induced to buy it . And this Exhortation he presseth by two Arguments . The first Argument is in the second verse , where he saith , If the word spoken by Angels was stedfast , and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward , &c. This is , if the transgression of the Law which was delivered but by the Ministry of Angels , and every disobedience to it was so severely punished ; let that provoke you to take heed that ye transgress not the precious Gospel which was spoken by the Lord himself . The second Argument is in the words which we have read unto you , and it is taken from the certain and infallible stroak of the justice of God , which shall come upon those who slight this great salvation ; it is impossible ( saith he ) that there can be a City of refuge for those who slight this great salvation . Now in the words which we have read , there are these six things to be considered . I. First , That is an evil incident to the hearers of this precious Gospel and great salvation , to slight and undervalue it : This is clearly presupposed in the words ; otherwise there had been no ground or access for the Apostle to threaten so terrible things against the slighters of it . II. The second thing to be considered in the words , is , that the stroak and ruine of those who slight this great salvation , is certain and infallable , it will surely come upon them ; this is clear from those words , How shall we escape ? As if he had said , there is no imaginable way for us to escape , if we neglect ( this ) so great salvation ; we may have a City of refuge when we are pursued by the Law , or when we are pursued other ways by the justice of God ; but if once we slight this great salvation , there remaineth no city of refuge ( no door of escape left open ) unto us ; for where will the person flee that slighted this great salvation ! III. There is this third thing whereof we shall take notice from the words , that the stroak of the justice of God cometh justly upon them who slight this great salvation ; and truly it is a most equal and reasonable stroak ; which is also clear from the words , How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ? where he puts it home to their consciences , as if he had said , think ye not that it is just and righteous that ( if ye slight the great salvation . ) there should not be a door of escape left open unto you : He putteth the question home to their conscience to answer , yea , or no. IV. The fourth thing to be considered in the words , is this , that the slighting this great salvation is a sin that hath many aggravations which attend and wait upon it . And it hath two great aggravations from the words which I have read ; the first great aggravation in that word of the Text , graet salvation ; as if he had said , if it were not a great salvation , you might have some cloak or excuse for your slighting of it ; but seeing it is such a great and external salvation , there is now no cloak left for your sin . The second aggravation is from the certainty of this salvation , in these words , which at first began to be spoken by the Lord , and confirmed unto us by those that heard him , viz. His Apostles ; whereby he telleth them this great salvation is no notion nor fancy ; but a most certain , sure and real salvation , which yet they flight . V. The fifth thing whereof we shall take notice from the words , is this , That there are no persons ( be whom they will , Minister or people ) who slight this great salvation , that shall have a door of escape . Hence it is that the Apostle putteth himself among the rest , saying , How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ? that is , How shall I Paul escape if I neglect so great salvation , and so frustrate the grace of God! VI. Sixthly we would take notice of this from , the words , That not only heart-dispising of this great salvation , but even also the very neglecting of it hath a certain infallible and unspeakable ruine attending upon it . Now before we begin to speak to any of these six things , ( which we have observed from these words ) there are these two things whereunto we shall speak a little for clearing of the words ; first , what is meant here by great salvation : Secondly , how it is said that Christ was the first preacher of it . First , we conceive that by the great salvation is understood the Gospel , as is clear , Ephes. 1. 13. where it is called the Gospel of our salvation ; and Acts 13. 26. it is called the word of this salvation ; so that by the words of this salvation is understood the Gosgel , and those precious offers which are contained in it . And we conceive it may be called a great salvation , in these eight respects . I. First , it is called the great salvation in respect of the price which was laid down for it ; there being no less price laid down to purchase this great salvation , than the blood of the Son of God. From whence then doth salvation flow unto you ? it comes running to you in a stream of the blood of the Son of God ; this is clear , Heb. 9. 12. Neither by the blood of Goats and Calves , but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place , having obtained eternal redemption for us . II. Secondly , it is called a great salvation in respect of the many difficulties and oppositions which lie in the way of bringing it about . What great impediments ( suppose ye ) lay in Christs way before he could accomplish and bring about this great salvation ? Was not the Justice of God to be satisfied ? was he not to dye , and to be made like unto one of us ? was he not to lie in the grave ? and was he not to bear the torments of hell before this great salvation could be accomplished and brought to pass ? there were such impediments in the way of bringing about this great salvation , that if all the Angels in heaven had been set to work , they had been all crushed under it ; had it been but that one great impediment to satisfie the justice , and pacifie the wrath of God , even that was a pass , through which none could go but the eternal Son of God. It was so guarded , that none durst to adventure to enter it ( much less could any win through it ) save he onely who was mighty to save . III. Thirdly , it is called a great salvation in respect of that high estimation which the Saints have of it . O what an high estimation have the Saints of this Gospel salvation ! there is no mercy which they think comparable to this ; all other mercies are but little Zoars in comparison of this great mercy and Gospel salvation . IV. Fourthly , it is called a great salvation in respect of those noble effects which this salvation bringeth about and produceth . Some of the great effects of the Gospel , David hath cleared , Psa. 19. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. Is not this a great effect ( of this Gospel salvation ) to bring us out of nature into an estate of grace ? And that is an effect of this great salvation . Is not this a great effect to make us who were enemies , become friends ? And that is an effect of this great salvation . Is not this a great effect to make us who were moving in the way to hell , move in the way to heaven ? And that is an effect of this great salvation . Is not this a great effect to make us who were far off , to be now made near ? And yet that is an effect of this great salvation . And is not this a great effect to make us who were darkness become light in the Lord ? And that is the great effect of this Gospel-salvation . Yea , I may say , time would fail me to tell all the great effects of this great salvation . But O will ye come and see , and that will best resolve the question unto you , what the noble effects of this great salvation are . V. Fifthly , it is called a great salvation in respect of the great advantages which do redound to the person who embraceth it . First , is not heaven a noble advantage ? and that is the gain which attendeth the embracers of this great salvation . Secondly , Is not Jesus Christ a notable advantage ? And yet he is the advantage which attendeth the embracers of this great salvation . 3dly , is not eternal communion with God a noble advantage ? and that advantage attendeth the embracers of this great salvation . 4thly , is not eternal liberation from the body of death a great advantage ? and that attendeth the embracers of this great salvation . Fifthly , is not eternal singing in the enjoyment of God a great advantage ? and that attendeth the embracers of this salvation . Sixthly , is not eternal seeing of God as he is , a great and noble advantage ? And yet this ( as all the former ) attendeth the embracers of this great salvation . Yea , would ye be rich ? O then embrace this great salvation . Would ye be honourable ? Come and embrace this great salvation . Would ye be eternally happy ? O then come and partake of this great salvation . VI. Sixthly , it is called a great salvation in respect of all other salvations that ever were accomplished . There was never a salvation or victory obtained by any General or Captain ( unto a Land or people ) that could have the name of great salvation in comparison of this . VII . Seventhly , it is called a great salvation in respect of the authority of it ; we have spoken of the greatness ( as to the meritorious cause ) of it , and how great things it doth effectuate ; and also in respect of the authority of it , it is a great salvation . Would you know who is the Author of this great salvation ? it is Christ. Hebr. 5. 9. He became the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him . And must not this salvation be sutable to him who is the Author of it ? this is one of the most noble and irradiant beams of the Majesty of the Son of God the Mediator , that he is the Author of this great salvation . VII . Eighthly , it is called a great salvation in respect of the continuance and duration of it . It is not a salvation which is but for a day ; but it is an eternal salvation , Hebr. 9. 12. He obtained eternal Redemption for us . Now the second thing whereunto we shall speak for clearing of the words , is this , viz. How it is said that Christ was the first preacher of this eternal salvation . We do not think that the words are thus to be understood , that the Gospel and this great salvation was never preached before Christ came in the flesh ; but we think the meaning of the words may be one of these three : if not all of them . I. First , That all the preaching of this great salvation under the Law , did come very far short in the point of fulness , in comparison of Christs preaching of it ; therefore is Christ said to be the first preacher of this great salvation ; as if he had said , I know Adam he preached of this great salvation ; and Enoch he preached of this great salvation ; and the twelve Patriarchs they preached of this great salvation ; and all the Prophets who went before Christ , and are now in heaven , they preached of this great salvation ; but all their preaching deserved not the name of preaching in comparison of Christs ; for never man spake as he spake . Thus Christ was the first great preacher of this great salvation . II. Secondly , This may be the meaning of it , that Christ was the first preacher of this great salvation in respect of his clear way of preaching of it ; for he was the first preacher of it without types and shadows ; he was the first preacher of it clearly and fully , with so much demonstration and power of the Spirit . III. Thirdly , The meaning of this ( that Christ was the first preacher of this great salvation ) may relate to his appearing to Adam in Paradise when he became the first and great preacher of this salvation , when he did speak that word unto him , The seed of the woman shall tread down the head of the Serpent . The first glorious preaching of this great salvation was when Christ preached to Adam in Paradise . And that was the first and glorious morning of this blessed Gospel . Now we shall speak a little to the first of these six things which we have observed from these words ; viz. That there are many within the visible Church who are neglecters and slighters of this great salvation ; ( do ye not all take with it ? ) it is clear , Matth. 23 towards the close ; and chap. 20. 5. where those persons being invited to come to the marriage , or feast of the Gospel , it is said of them they made light of it ; which are the same words in our Text : And Luke 14. 18. when they were invited to come , it is said , They all with one consent began to make their excuse ; and Isa. 28. 2. This is the rest wherewith ye shall make the weary to rest , this is the refreshing ; yet they will not hear . Now is there a person here , who dare deny this charge , that he is a slighter of this great salvation ? I confess I am afraid that you will not take with it ; therefore I shall propose eight sorts of persons who are slighters of this great salvation , and I charge you as you will answer to God one day , that you search your hearts , whether you be among the number ( in the catalogue ) of the slighters of this great salvation . I. The first sort of persons who are slighters of this great salvation , are those persons who go about to establish their own righteousness , and will not submit to the righteousness of Christ ; ( in a word ) it is that sort of persons who think they may win to heaven by a Covenant of Works , and will not take the Gospels way of travelling to heaven in the Covenant of Grace . And surely there is not a person here who hath not that cursed inclination to be as little obliged to Christ ( for his salvation ) as he can ; we would go to heaven without the way , which is Christ. And ( believe me ) there are many in this Congregation who go thus about to establish their own righteousness . And I shall propose six sorts of persons who fall under this first rank . 1. The first sort are those who trust on their own civility , and think that will carry them to heaven ; those are the persons who go about to establish their own righteousness . Say they , I defie the world to say any thing to me , I was overmore an honest man and I trust therefore that I shall go to heaven ; but I say to thee , ( O Atheist that thou art ) thou shalt never win to heaven by those means , till thou come to Christ with this , All my righteousness is like filthy rags . 2. The second sort are those who build their confidence upon their denial of their good Works , but yet come never this length to make use of Jesus Christ. 3. The third sort are those who build their confidence upon their duties ; they think they will come to heaven by their good prayers , by their reading , and by their fasting , ( like unto that Pharisee , Luke 18. 11. ) I thank God I am not like other men ; for I fast twice in the week , I pay tithes of all that I possess : But I say unto thee , thy duties will never bring thee to heaven if Christ he not the end of all thy duties , nor can you perform a duty without him ▪ 4 , The fourth sort of Persons who fall under this first rank of slighters of the great salvation , are those who trust on their convictions ; if they have once been convinced of their sin and miserable estate , they think there is no more to do , Christ will never reject them , so they sit down and build their hope upon those convictions . 5. The fifth sort of persons are those who build their confidence upon their resolutions ; say they , oftentimes I have resolved to be a better man than I am , therefore I think ( which is the fearful delusion of many ) that God will accept the will for the deed ; but it had been good for many such a word had not been in the Bible ; or that their cursed eyes had never read it . But know this that though thou hadst as strong resolutions as Peter , or as good wishes as Balaams had , if thou never labour to bring them to practice , God shall say to thee , Depart from me , I know you not : Any of you who build upon your resolutions , you will build upon a sandy foundation , these being many times a goodness but like the morning dew , 6. And the sixth sort of persons who fall under this first rank of slighters of the great salvation ( and wherein the evil is most subtil ) are those who build their salvation upon their graces ; these also go about to establish their own righteousness ; but I say to such , Their graces cannot be the foundation of their hope , though they may be as evidences to strengthen their hope . Now are there none here who fall under this first rank of slighters of the great salvation ? or are there none here who will confess that they have gone about to establish their own righteousness ? I say to thee who wilt confess , put a rope about thy neck , and come to Christ ; for he is a merciful King : I say to thee , Come to Christ with this , All my righteousness is like filthy rags ; and if thou wilt come with this in sincerity , he shall say , Bring forth the white robe and put upon him . If thou canst be brought to speak that in sincerity to Christ , there shall be no more betwixt Christ and thee , but Come and cloath him with the whole robe . II. Secondly , Those persons slight the great salvation , who delay their taking hold of the precious offers of the Gospel : for there are many ( when we preach this Gospel , and when we hold out the great salvation to them ) who say , I will follow Christ , but I must first go home and bury my father ; ( and so they delay to take hold of this great salvation ) But I say to you ( whoever you be ) that thus delay to take hold on this great salvation , you are the slighters of it . Is there a person within these doors who dare but acknowledge that he hath slighted this great salvation , and delayed to embrace it ? O tell me what do your consciences speak ! Are there any but they most acknowledge they come under this second rank ? And I say , to you who have thus delayed , will you yet embrace it ? I say even unto you who are old men ( now past sixty years , and have slighted this great salvation so long ) yet this day this great salvation is offered unto you : What say you to it ? O what do you say to this offer ? Are ye saying , I must now delay ( and not receive this great salvation ) till my Harvest be by and over ? I say unto thee , that the Harvest of the wrath of God is ripe , and he shall put in his sickle , and cut thee down . I will say no more to those who thus slight this great salvation , but this , Why 〈◊〉 and ye all the day in the Market place idle , and doing nothing . O will you at last be induced to take and embrace this great salvation before it be hid from your eyes . III. Thirdly , Those persons are the slighters of this great salvation , who complement with Christ when they are invited to come and partake of it : And say silently ( to the Minister , or rather to their own consciences ) I pray you have me excused at this time ; as those , Luke 14. 18. But I would only ask of such , Have you any lawful excuse why you will not come and partake of this great salvatiou ? is there any person here that hath any lawful excuse to present ? I shall never take that off your hand , Have me excused . But be sure of this , I shall never excuse you , but accuse you ; therefore I desire that those persons who have slighted the great salvation , by complementing with Christ , that they would complement no more with him at all , but now embrace it . IV. The fourth sort of persons who slight this great salvation , are these who give way to discouragements and unbelief , so that they will not come and partake of this great salvation : I say , such of you are slighters of it , and Christ will esteem you such . Oh if ye knew the worth and vertue of this great salvation , there would not be a temptation ( you could meet with ) that would hinder you from embracing it , but if thou couldst not answer these temptations , thou wouldst not own them . I say unto such undervaluers and slighters of the great salvation as discouraged persons . ( And those who stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children ) that when you cannot answer your objections , which hinder you from closing with Christ , I entreat you disown them , as if ye heard them not : Say ye , Think ye this lawful ? I say it is both lawful and expedient , for it was the practice of believing Abraham ; He considered not his own body being dry as an old stick , nor the deadness of Sarahs womb . He did not consider these things which might have been objections to keep him from believing . He might have started at these two objections ; Alas , I am old ; and that objections could he not answer ; and my wife is past child-bearing ; neither could he answer that objection . What then did he with them ? He slighted them both , and considered them not . Secondly , I would say this to you who thus slight it because of discouragements ; If ye did know the worth of the great salvation which is in this Gospel redemption that is offered unto you , although ye had an army of objections to go through , ye would go through them all , To get a drink of the water of this well of Bethlehem . V. The fifth sort of persons who slight his great salvation , are those who will not do so much as take care , and give pains to hear this great salvation offered unto them ; for there are some persons who ( if they come to the Church ) desire to sit farthest off , and so never take care to hear a word of this great salvation : and such are dreadful slighters of it . Like unto these mentioned , Ier. 6. 10. To whom shall I speak and give warning , that they may hear ? Behold their ear is uncircumcised , and they cannot hearken , Isa. 28. 12. But they would not hear , Jer. 7. 10. who say we are delivered to do all these abominations : Yet they did come and stand before him , in the house which was called by his name . VI. Sixthly , Those persons are slighters of this great salvation who ( when they hear it ) are no more ( nay not so much ) affected with it , than if we were telling unto them the most senseless history of Thomas the Rymer , or some other old fable . Like unto these mentioned , Ier. 6. 10. The word of the Lord is unto them a reproach , they have no delight in it . I would pose you all , as in the sight of the Author of this great salvation ( men or women ) did you ever set your selves ( or took ye ever pains ) to bring up your hearts to the love of this great salvation ? Was it ever the rejoycing of your hearts that Christ dyed and rose again ? I do certainly believe it ( and I am perswaded ) that there are decrees past in Heaven against many of you , That in hearing ye shall hear , but not understand ; and in seeing ye shall see , and shall not perceive : For God hath made your hearts harder than the Flint or Adamant ; so that ye 〈◊〉 refuse to return when he doth exhort you . Believe me ( if I may so 〈◊〉 ) I think there is as much probability that the stones in the wall would hear ( if we would speak to him ) as soon as many of you . VII . Seventhly , Those persons are slighters of this great salvation , who did never complain that they wanted a right to this great salvation . I hope some of you are now convinced that ye never came within the compass of this great salvation : I say yet unto you , if ye did never spend one hour in secret weeping and lamenting , because ye had not aright to this Gospel redemption , it is but too probable you never had yet a right to it . Yea , know it , that such of you would little care to let precious Christ depart without any grief of heart : I think if this were voiced within this house to day , whether or not shall Christ go and depart , I doubt if there would be many heart-dissenters , though many tongue dissenters : Oh , I fear , there would be many hearts here , saying , O Christ , depart and go thy way : Yea , there are many Gadarens here , who prefer their kine and swine to precious Christ , and would beseech him to go out of their coasts . VIII . Eighthly , Those persons slight the great salvation , who never took pains to engage their hearts to take hold of Christ and the Gospel . Christ is near to you this day : The great salvation is near to you , and is now , even now offered unto you , therefore are there any who will take pains to lay hold on it ? I obtest you all who are here , by the beauty and excellency of him , who is the Author and of this great salvation , that ye come and partake of it ; I obtest you by all the Joyes of Heaven that ye embrace this great salvation ; I obtest you by all the terrours in Hell that ye embrace it ; I obtest you by the promises of the everlasting covenant that ye embrace it ; I obtest you by all the curses which are written in this book of the covenant that ye embrace it . I obtest you by the love you owe to your immortal souls , that ye will once be wise , and come partake of this great salvation . May I now have it , saist thou ? Yea , I say unto you all , ye may have it to day , ye may be partakers of it before ye go hence : And so before I proceed any further , I do in the name and authority of him who sent me here to day , and is the Author of this great salvation , freely offer it unto you to day . But I know there will be eight sorts of humors ( within this house today ) in relation to this great salvation , which now is offered unto you . 1. I think there will be some of Gallio's disposition here to day , that will care for none of these things : Yea , there are many here who will not give a fig for this rich offer of the great salvation . But , I say , Cursed be that person who putteth on Gallio's temper ( to day ) that will care for none of these things . 2. I fear there will be many of Pilates humour here ( to day ) who will say , they find nothing against the man ; yet will cry forth , Take him and crucifie him . They find no fault with Christ , and yet will be content that he be crucified . Now can ye say any thing against Christ , who is the Author of this great salvation ? Produce your strong arguments ; Are there any here who have any thing to say against him ? I am here to answer in his name ; I hope there is not one here who hath any thing to say against the Author of this great salvation . And why then do ye not take him ? See unto your selves that there be none of Pilates humour here to day , that will cry out , Ye find nothing in Christ why he should not be received , and yet will be content that he be crucified . 3. There will be many of the Jews humor here to day , who cry forth , Away with Christ , away with Christ , and give me Barabas . But oh , what a hellish word is that ! Away with spotless Christ , away with transcendent Christ , and give us the world . Now are there any here who will be so gross slighters of this great salvation ? Will ye slight this great salvation , and embrace your idols , which shall once prove a crown of thorns unto you ? 4. There will be some of Felix humor sound here to day , that will say , O Christ go away at this time , and I will here thee at a more convenient season : But I say unto you who will not hear me to day , nor embrace this great salvation , I shall defie all the Ministers in Scotland to assure you , that ye shall get another offer , if ye send me away to day ; There is not one that can or dare engage that the great salvation shall be in your offer any more . Therefore , I say , let none of Felix temper be here to day , that will say , they will hear Christ at a more convenient season . 5. There will be some of Balaams temper to day , who will desire to dye the death of the righteous , and to have their last end like his ; yet they desire not to live the life of the righteous : But I say unto you , ye shall never dye the death of the righteous , if ye live not the life of the righteous . 6. There will be some of you here to day , who ( I hope ) at least will be of Agrippas humor , that will say , Thou hast almost perswaded me to be a Christian : I say unto thee , O wilt thou quickly out with that word almost , and put in that word altogether , and say , O precious Christ , Thou hast altogether perswaded me to be a Christian : However , if thou come no greater length , I intreat thee come this length , that so thou mayst cry out , I am almost perswaded to embrace Christ the great salvation , and may be ere long ye will come further . 7. There will be some of Iudas temper here to day , who will betray Christ for thirty pieces of silver . Yea , some would sell Christ , Heaven , their Idols and all , for less then thirty pieces of silver . 8. I think there will be many of Esaus profane temper here to day , who will sell their birth-right for a mess of pottage . Now will ye enquire at your selves , Am I the person that will give my birth-right for a mess of pottage ? doth my heart say , I will sell my birth right , because I am hungered and ready to dye , what will it profit me ? give me a mess of pottage , and I will quit my birth-right . I know it , there are not a few such here to day : Therefore I intreat you enquire at your selves what is your humor . Oh shall the great salvation that ye have flighted so long , be slighted this day also , and shall there be none to embrace it ? Oh enquire and stand in awe , lest the wrath of the most high pursue you . Now I shall give you these seven considerations , which may provoke you not to slight , but embrace this great salvation . 1. The first consideration , That the not embracing this great salvation is one of the greatest acts of folly that can be , Ier. 8. 9. They have rejected the word of the Lord , ( and immediately it is subjoyned ) And what wisdom is in them ? And so Solomon doth assure you they cannot be wise who neglect this great salvation , Prov. 1. 7. Fools despise wisdom and instruction : Therefore may not I say unto you , be who ye will , ( though ye were the greatest heads of wit in all this place ) ye are but stark fools as long as ye neglect this : But would you be wise indeed , and wise unto eternal life ? Then I intreat you come and embrace this great salvation . 2. The second consideration to provoke you not to slight the great salvation , is this , that the ruine and destruction of the slighters of it , is most certain and infallable , Ier. 11. 11. Where ( speaking of slighting the covenant , which is indeed this same great salvation ) there is a Therefore put to the threatning . Therefore thus saith the Lord , I will bring evil upon them which they shall not be able to escape . I defie you all , who are the slighters of this great salvation , to find a back door , when Justice shall pursue you : for there is no door to escape if ye embrace not this great salvation : But the earth will disclose your iniquity , and heaven will declare your sin . 3. Thirdly , Let this consideration provoke you not to slight this great salvation , that Christ is exceeding serious , and earnest that ye should embrace it : And I think that Isa. 28. 23. speaketh out his exceeding seriousness , where four times he beggeth of his hearers , that they would give ear and hear his voice , saying , Give ear and hear my voice , hearken and hear my speech . What needeth all these exhortations ? but that Christ is most serious that they would embrace the great salvation . And O , that there were a person here to day , as serious to the bargain as Christ is ! But be who ye will that flight this great salvation , [ believe me ] the day is coming wherein ye shall cry out , Alas for my slighting of it ! Wilt thou therefore think presently with thy self ( O thou slighter of this great salvation ) what wilt thou say of thy slighting it ? When the Devil shall be leading thee in thorow those dark gates of hell ! O slighter of the Gospel , how many alasses wilt thou cry , when thou shalt be passing thorow these dark gates into thy everlasting prison ? Wilt thou not then cry out , O me ( a slighter of the everlasting salvation ) whether am I now going ? Alas now for my slighting the Gospel ! And as thou passest thorow , thou shalt meet with numbers of miserable comforters ; there is not one in that prison , who can comfort thee ; but many dreadful a lasses shalt thou then both cry and hear , if thou embrace not this great salvation . 4. Fourthly , Let this provoke you not to slight the great salvation , that ye will get it for a very look : O ye within this house to day , ye will get this great salvation for one look , Isa. 45. 22. Look unto me and be saved , all the ends of the earth ; for a very look ye will get this great salvation , and do ye ever think to get Heaven at a lower rate ? 5. The fifth consideration to provoke you not to slight this great salvation any more , is this , There is not one of you who is a slighter of it , but your slighting it shall increase your immortal bonds . Man or Woman , be who thou wilt , when thou art slighting this great salvation , thou art but plating a cord wherewith to bind thy soul eternally in these unquenchable flames , Isa. 28. 22. Be ye not mockers , lest your bonds be made strong . I say therefore unto you , old men , mock not , lest your bonds be made strong : Old Women , near unto your graves , mock not , lest your bonds be made strong : Young men , be ye not mockers , lest your bonds be made strong : Young Women , who are in the flower of your time , mock not , lest your bonds be made strong : but now alas , will there for all this be a person here to day who will be a moker of this great salvation ? 6. The sixth consideration to provoke you not to slight this great salvation any more , is this : Ye know not but that your days may be near unto a close , I say , you know not but the day of the preaching of this great salvation may be near unto a close . What knowest thou O man or Woman , but this shall be the last Sermon that ever thou shalt hear concerning this great salvation ? and yet for all this , shall we be sent away without one consent to embrace or receive it ? O will ye be perswaded to look to Christ , and so to take him ? 7. The seventh consideration to provoke you not to slight the great salvation , is this , that there is a five fold salvation comprehended under this great salvation . 1. The first is this , come and partake of this great salvation , and thou shalt have salvation from thy idols . And hereby I do proclaim liberty this day ▪ unto captives . I am sent forth this day with the Keyes of your Prison-house , to open your prison doors unto you , if ye will embrace this great salvation . Play unto you , O ye prisoners , come forth and show your selves ; for the Keyes of your prison-house are with us to open your prison doors unto you ; therefore O come forth and embrace this great salvation . Will there be any ( shall I think ) here that will refuse to come forth ? O go forth and flye from the land of your captivity , and from the house of your bondage . 2. Thou shalt have salvation from thy darkness and from thy ignorance . I say unto you , who understand no more of God then the stones in the wall , I command you to come forth , and partake yet of this great salvation , and unto you shall light arise ; even the day spring from on high and visit you . 3. If ye will come and partake of this great salvation , ye shall have deliverance from all your fears . Dost thou fear that thou shalt be poor ? Come and partake of this great salvation , and thou shalt be delivered from it . Art thou afraid of hell ? Come and partake of this great salvation , and thou shalt be delivered from that fear . Art thou afraid at the wrath of God ? Then come ( I say ) and partake of this great salvation , and thou shalt have redemption from that and all thy fears ; With him is plenteous redemption , and he can make thee quiet from the fear of evil . 4. If thou wilt come and partake of this salvation , thou shalt have deliverance from all thy anxieties , and from all thy cares : Ye are now careful and anxious about many things ; come and partake of this great salvation , and it will make you careful but onely for the one thing necessary . 5. If ye will come and embrace the great salvation offered unto you this day , ye shall be helped before ye go hence to sing that song , O death where is thy sting , O grave where is thy victory ! Now O will ye come and embrace this great salvation , and ye shall be more then conquerors thorow Christ who loveth you . Are there therefore any here to day that would have victory over the Devil , and over their own heart ? Then come and embrace this great salvation , and then your victory is certain . But now to press home this great salvation upon you a little further ; There are nine sorts of Persons who are invited to come and partake of this great salvation offered this day : And I charge you answer to your names when ye are called , and delay not to come . 1. First , I invite and call here to day , all who are willing to come and embrace this great salvation . Now are there any of you here to day , who are called willing ? Then I invite you to come aud embrace this great salvation , Rev. 22. 17. Whosoever will , let him come : But Oh , are there none here to day who are named willing ? I intreat you if there be any , do not deny your name , but come when ye are called and embrace this great salvation . 2. Secondly , Those persons who thirst for it , are invited to come , and partake of this great salvation , Rev. 22. 17. Let him that is athirst come . Now if there be any here who are named thirsty , let them come and partake of this great salvation , and they shall be satisfied . 3. Thirdly , are there any moneyless folk here to day ? Let them come and partake of this great salvation . Are there no monyless folk here to day ? I mean not that money or coin in your purses ; but want ye money ? That is , Want ye righteousness ? Then I pray you come and partake of this great salvation . I say , are ye so poor that ye have nothing but the fear of hell ? then I pray you come . If there be any here who have nothing to commend them to Christ , but necessity : I say unto all such , O come , come , come , and partake of this great salvation . 4. Fourthly , Those persons are invited to come ( and I wish there were many such ) who are weary ; but oh ! Are there none here to day who are called weary ? Are you not weary in pursuit of your sins ? If there be any such here to day , I say unto you , O weary folk , Come , come , come , and partake of this great salvation , and of this excellent Gospel-redemption that was purchased at so dear a rate . 5. Fifthly , Those who are heavy-loaden are invited to come , ( and I think all of you may answer to this name ) are you heavy-loaden ? O then come ! But are there none here who are heavy-loaden with sin , with misery , and estrangement from God ? If there be any such here , I say unto thee , old man or young man , be who thou wilt , O come and partake of this great salvation . 6. Sixthly , Are there any here to day who are called blind ? I say , if there be any of you who think you want eyes to see the precious excellencies of Christ , I invite you to come and partake of this great salvation . 7. Seventhly , Are there any who are called lame here to day ? I say unto such , O come , come , come , and partake of this great salvation ; for weare sent forth to day to call in the blind and the maimed , and the lame , that they may come and embrace this great salvation ; therefore are there none here to day who may be called such ? Are you neither blinde nor lame ? I hope many of you will not deny that you are such ; therefore I say unto you , O blind , halt and maimed , Come , come , and partake of this great salvation . 8. The eight sort of persons invited , are those who are sick ; therefore if there be any sick folk here to day , be who you will , I say unto you , O come and partake of this great salvation ; for the whole need not the Physician , but the sick . 9. Ninthly , Are there any here to day who know not their name , or their condition ? I say unto you , O nameless folk , Come and partake of this great salvation ; Come to Christ for the knowledge of your souls condition ; Come as a nameless one , and he shall not reject thee , though thy case were so evil that thou couldst not give it a name ; for of all that come unto him he sendeth none away . Now where do you find your name and sirname ? O do you not know it ? I hope now you may know ; therefore I entreat you answer to it , and so come away and partake of this great salvation . But I am afraid there be many strong iron bars in the way of some of you , which you cannot win over . Ah , how fast are some souls locked in Satans snare ! And therefore I shall speak a little for discovering of those bars that hinder from embracing this great salvation , that so you may be the better helped to remove them . I. The first great iron bar which keepeth folk romembracing this great salvation , is the bar of ignorance ; and I am afraid that this ( as a mighty bar ) hindereth many of you : You are ignorant of your selves , and of the condition of your souls ; you are ignorant of the Law , and of its severity and you are ignorant of the precious Gospel in its condescendency . O pray unto God that for Christs sake he would break that great bar of ignorance ; for till that be done , Christ may take up that complaint , Ierem. 5. 4. Surely they are foolish , they know not the way of the Lord , nor the judgment of their God. I say this bar of ignorance keepeth you from embracing this great salvation . II. The second bar which keepeth many from closing with Christ , is , the bar of presumption ; for some will cry out , What need have I to embrace the great salvation ? Have I it not already ? But I say unto thee , O fool , thou art ( by all appearance ) yet in bondage . O that this evill bar of presumption were put away ; for it is one of the greatest impediments which lieth in the way of your embracing this great salvation that is in your offer to day : Therefore I say unto you , if you will come no further , I intreat you come this length , to confess that you want this Gospel-salvation , and that you are indeed strangers to this Redemption purchased by Christ. III. The third bar that keepeth persons from embracing this great salvation , is the bar of unbelief ; you belie●e not what we say to you about this great salvation ; I know that some of you are of the Stoicks and Epicures humor , who cry out , What meaneth this man ? he seemeth to be the setter forth of some strange God. But I say unto you , I am not the setter forth of any strange God , but it is Jesus of Nazareth whom I preach unto you . Alas , some of you think this great salvation to be some morning dream , or some golden fancy : But I say unto you it is neither a dream nor fancy ; but a real truth that we preach unto you . IV. The fourth bar that keepeth persons from embracing this great salvation , is the bar of discouragement ; this strong bar keepeth many so fast , that they cannot embrace this great salvation , though it be freely offered unto them . I shall say no more to you who are such , but counsel you to do as those four Lepers did , 1 Kings 7. 4. who sate at the gate of Samaria ; who said , Why sit we here till we dye ? if we say , We will enter into the City , then the famine is in the City , and we shall dye there ; and if we sit still here , we dye also . Now therefore come , and let us fall into the Host of the Syrians ; if they save us alive we shall live , and if they kill us we shall but dye . Even so say I unto you , that if you abide in the state of unbelief , you shall surely be undone ; therefore go forth ; for you know not but God may work a great salvation for you ; and if you will quit your unbelief , and close with Christ in the offer of this great salvation ( by faith ) you shall have no more to do but eat and drink , and divide the spoil . V. The fifth bar which with-holdeth persons from embracing of this great salvation , is the bar of unwillingness ; Ye will not come to me that ye may have life . And alas , this is an iron bar indeed , by which all that are in hell have barred themselves out of heaven . Alas , shall you be such wretches also ? O what a dreadful sound is that ? Woe unto thee O Ierusalem ; Wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be ? Ah , Turn you , turn you , why will you dye ? Why will you sligh this great salvation ? O will none of you this day embrace it ? VI. The sixth bar that with-holdeth persons from embracing this great salvation , is the bar of worldlymindedness : Many of you are so fixed to the World , that you cannot come and close with this great salvation . I may allude to that word spoken of Saul , 1 Sam. 10. 22. that he hid himself among the stuff ; for many have buried and nested themselves in the midst of the world , that they cannot embrace this great salvation . VII . The seventh bar which keepeth many from embracing this great salvation , is the bar of hardheartedness ; there hath such a stupidity and hardness of heart seized upon many , that let Christ preach as he will to them ( by his Word , or by other dispenations ) they are no more moved , than if his Word and dispensations were a thousand miles from them . O that strong bar of hardness of heart , when shall the Omnipotent hand of God break it ? VIII . The eight bar that hindereth many from embracing this great salvation , is the bar of sloathfulness : Many of you cannot be at the pains to embrace it ; but I say unto you , there is but small pains in the way of godliness : I say unto you , it may so easily be had , that it is in your offer to day ; and if you will , you may put forth your hand and take it . Consider therefore what you will do . O will you despise it ? I say , will you still neglect and despise it ? will you but read that dreadful word ? Acts 13. 40 , 41. Behold ye dispisers , and wonder , and perish : Tell me freely , Would you have us to return this answer to him who sent us , that you are despisers of the great salvation ? Say to it , are there none of you who ( for all this ) will consent to partake of this great salvation ? O captives and prisoners , and you who are in the bonds of Satan , Will you come and partake of this great salvation , and you shall be made free ? I have an act of release for you to day ; if you will come and make use of it , you shall be set at liberty . But , oh shall the prison doors be cast open , and yet none come forth ? But that I may come to a close , I say yet unto you , O poor Prisoners ; go forth , go forth , and partake of this great salvation . Oh will you not come foth ? What holdeth you in ? the foundation of your prison-house is shaken to day ; therefore if you will but come forth , and cast a look to Christ , your very shackels shall fall off your hands , and you shall be as those who were never bound . Now I leave this with you , and to make you think upon it , I shall speak these five words to you , and I intreat you think upon them . 1. First , I have excellent tydings to tell you ; ( I hope some of you will give ear to them ) viz. there is a great person come here to day , and that is the Mighty Author of this great salvation , who hath brought everlasting righteousness with him , desiring you to make use thereof ; it is his desire that you would take his excellent gifts at his hand . These I say are the tydings that I have to preach unto you ; and I hope never to be declared a lyar for what I preach unto you : I say yet unto you , that Christ the Author of the great salvation desireth to give it freely unto you , if you will but take it . But O will you not take it ? I think if you did see an hundred men lying in prison or dungeon without all light , bread or water , and a great Prince coming to them , saying , I desire you all to come forth , and partake of this great liberty which I bring unto you ; and every one of them should answer , I scorne to come forth at this time ; would you not think them exceeding great fools ? And yet I fear this act of great folly falls out in many of your hands to day ; that when Christ hath given us the keys of your prison doors , and they are opened , you will not come forth : But I must intreat you yet to come forth and shew your selves . For who knoweth but we may be commanded to shut your prison-doors again , and to seal them with seven seals , with an unalterable decree from heaven , never to be recalled ! Wherefore O ye prisoners , Go forth , go forth from your prison house . 2. Secondly ; I would say this to you , that it is not without much ground that this salvation ( offered to yon ) is called a great salvation . I know a little paper of two or three sheets might contain all the salvations that ever any man obtained ; but the world would not be able to contain all the books which might be written to the commendation of this great salvation ; yea , ( unto any who will embrace it ) I say ; First , if thou find not this salvation above thy faith , then go thy way when thou art come : But I know thou wilt finde it both above thy faith and hope . Secondly , if thou find it not above thy desires when thou art come unto it , then go thy way again ; but were thy desires as the sand upon the Sea shoar , thou shalt always find more in this salvation than ever thou couldst desire . Thirdly , if this salvation be not above what thou canst conceive , then go thy way when thou art come to it ; but think of it as thou canst , it shall always be above thy thoughts of it . Fourthly , if this salvation be not above thy opinion of it , then go thy way when thou art come unto it ; but I know thou wilt find it far above thy opinion of it . Therefore seeing it is so great a salvation , as that all the world could not contain all the books that might be written in the commendation of it ; O will you embrace it , even to day , while it is in your offer ? 3. Thirdly , I would say this unto you , Be perswaded that there is no sin that will more provoke the Majesty of God to punish you , than the sin of slighting this great salvation . Bring forth these murderers , saith the Lord , ( of the slighters of this invitation ) and slay them before me . I entreat you inquire at your own hearts what you will answer when you are reproved for slighting of it . Old men , will you ask at your own hearts what you will answer to Christ when he shall propose that question to you , Why slighted you the great salvation ? Old women , what will you answer when he shall say to you , Why slighted you the great salvation ? Young Men and young women , inquire at your own hearts , what you will answer , when Christ shall say to you , why slighted ye the great salvation ? Can ye imagine any answer to that question ? O dreadful shall that wrath of God be , that shall be executed upon the slighters of this great salvation ! 4. Fourthly , I would say this unto you , that Heaven is waiting to hear what exhortation the offer of this great salvation doth get among you . Here is the great salvation , here is the offer of it , and here is the commendation of it ; what say you to it ? Is it not an excellent salvation ? is it not a free salvation ? is it not a great salvation ? is it not an eternal salvation ? Why then do ye not welcome it ? Can any of you say any thing to the discommendation of it ? I know you cannot ; Yea , I dare say , your own hearts are admiring it as most excellent ; and therefore , O will ye accept it ? Alas , shall there be none here who will be found accepters of this great salvation , so freely offered to day ! 5. Fithly , I would say this to you , let all the Angels praise him who is the author of this great salvation . All the Saints round about the throne praise him who is the author of this great salvation . All those who are expectants of heaven , praise him who is the author of this great salvation . All ye to whom this offer is made , praise him who is the author of this great salvation . O heaven praise him who is the author of this great salvation , O all ye fowls of the air , praise him who is the author of this great salvation . O fire , hail , snow , vapours , stormy winds , and tempests , praise him who is the author of this great salvation . All the tribes of the earth , praise him who is the author of this great salvation ; our own soul praise him who is the author of this great salvation , and all that is within us , bless him , who is the author of this great salvation . O who would not praise him , who is the author of this great salvation ? Are there any here that will refuse to commend him ? O think upon him , and let not this be a day of slighting him . Now where are your hearts at this time ? I will tell you where many of your hearts are ; they are thinking upon the World : But I am sure there are not many of them thinking upon this great salvation . Now what resolution mind ye to go away with to day ? Oh , have ye no resolution beyond what ye had when ye came hither to day ; Are there any here who have this resolution , To whom shall we go , but to him who is the author of this great salvation , who alone hath the Words of eternal life ? Even the Lord breath it upon you . Or is this your resolution , that through Christs strength ( forsake him who will ) ye will never forsake him ? Or have ye this resolution ? That ye will esteem more highly of this great salvation then ever ye did ? O that the Lord would keep these in the in the imaginations of the thoughts of your hearts for ever . But as for you who have no resolutions to embrace this great salvation , O wherewith shall I commend it unto you ? Do not your own necessities commend it ? But if nothing can perswade you to come away and embrace it , then this place shall be an heap of witnesses against you ? for it hath heard all the words of the law which he hath spoken unto you , John 24. Oh cast your eyes upon these pillars of the house and stones in the walls . I take them as so many witnesses , that they may speak and testifie against you in the great day of the Lord , if ye neglect this great salvation to day . Therefore as ye go away , be thinking upon it , and whether or not ye mind to embrace it now while ye may have it ; This day I have set life and death before you : I have set before you both the great salvation and the great damnation ; And O that ye had understanding in all these things , that ye being wise might be provoked at last to embrace this great salvation , the which we do yet again entreat you to think upon . Is not heaven looking upon you at this time , to see what ye will do with this great offer of salvation , which I have this day from the Lord presented unto you ? Now to him that can perswade you to embrace this great salvation , this gospel redemption , this blessed mystery , into which the Angels desire to pray , to him who can bring you back from the pit , and can enlighten you with the light of the living : To him , who hath the keys of your prison , Who can open , and none can shut , and can shut , and none can open : To him , Who hath all power in Heaven and in Earth communicate , to him who can deliver you from the power of the Grave , and can set you free from all your enemies , we desire to give praise , Amen . SERMON II. Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so , great salvation , which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord , and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him ? THere are two great and most ordinary complaints in these dayes . 1. There are many who complain , that their estates and persons are in bondage , and that they are sold for Slaves to the hands of strangers : But O that we could also turn over the complaint to this , that our souls are in bondange , and that we are yet in the gall of bitterness , and in the bond of iniquity , that so we might be provoked to long for the great salvation that is in our offer ! 2. There are many complaining ( and not without much cause ) that there is now such a toleration of errours : But O wilt thou complain also of this , that within thy heart there is a toleration of lusts ; is there not an act of toleration concluded in thy breast , that the devil and all his company may reign in thee at pleasure . Oh ha●e ye not need of great salvation ? Shall I tell you , that Christ is courting you to embrace it , and that he putteth on all his most glorious robes , and manifesteth himself unto you , a a suitor making offer of himself and of his great salvation ! O tell me , have ye seen him ? Or do you think to see him this day ? What robes hath he on ? There are five glorious robes wherewith he clothes himself when he condescendeth to manifest himself to his people . First , He cometh to his own with the garments of salvation , according to that word , Zach. 9. verse 9. Kejoyce , O dauhter of Sion greatly , shout O daughter of Jerusalem ; for behold thy King cometh unto thee , he is just and having salvation ; Ay , your King is come here to day , and will ye not fall in love with him when he is cloathed with the garments of salvation ? Can ye ever have a more conquering sight of Christ than when he is cloathed with such an excellent robe , and offering you salvation ? Secondly , He appeareth to his own sometimes in garments dyed in blood , according to that word , Isa. 63. verse 1. 2. Who is this that cometh up from Edom with dyed garments in blood , as one that treadeth the Wine Fat ! And now I say to you that will not look to Christ when he appears in the garments of salvation , have ye a heart to refuse him that hath fought such a combat for you , who hath trode the wine press alone , and hath stained all his garments with the blood of thy enemies ? or is there any here , who dare refuse his salvation , when they see how he treadeth his enemies in anger , and trampleth them in his fury , and thus sprinkleth their blood upon his garments ? O tremble at this sight , and seek quarter from him in time , or he shall dye his garments with the blood of thy mortal soul. Thirdly , Christ appeareth unto his own , being cloathed with these humble robes of condescendency , when he came in the similitude of sinful flesh . O what a sight was that , to behold the Prince of Heaven cloathed with our nature ? What a sight was that to behold him that was cloathed with light as with a garment ; to be cloathed with our infirmities , yet he condescended to cloath himself thus , that we might have access unto him , and be partakers of his gifts : O can we refuse him , when love hath thus pressed him to put on the beggars weed , that he might say to worms ye are my brethren , and my sisters ! Fourthly , Christ sometimes manifesteth himself being cloathed with the garments of beauty and ravishing majesty ; such was the sight that the Spouse got of Christ , Song 2. verse 3. As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood , so is my beloved among the Sons ; and Song 5. when she saw him white and ruddy , and the Standard-bearer of ten thousand ; And such was that joyful sight of him , when his garment was as the light , and white as the Snow , which he had at the transfiguration , when these glorified ones did come [ as it were ] Ambassadours from that higher house to make him a visit . And fifthly , Christ he sometimes appeareth to his own in robes of dreadful majesty , and terrible highness and loftiness , when the soul upon the first sight of him remains dead , and there remains no more life in them ; such was the sight Daniel got , in his tenth Chapter , and such was the sight that Iohn got of Christ , Revel . 1. verse 17. And I would ask of all that are here , what a sight have ye gotten of Christ to day ? in which of all these robes have ye seen him ? It is true , we are not to look for the extraordinary sights of him ; but yet if ever thou hast seen him in any of his wooing , robes , sure he hath appeared matchless ; and how then shall ye then refuse him ? But now to come to the words I was speaking unto you of ; The first thing in the words [ to wit ] That there are many who live under the offer of this great salvation that do slight it , and do not embrace it : And now I shall only add a few things further unto you . 1. Let me propose a few considerations to perswade you to embrace this great salvation : God forbid we go away before we embrace this gospel salvation : and therefore I charge you in his name , go not away before ye embrace it . And to press it home upon you , there are these eight or nine properties of this great salvation that is offered unto you this day . And first , it is a free salvation ; ye have no more a do but to put forth your hand and take it . O come and take it ! Christ hath foughten for this salvation , and there is no more required of you but to come and reap the fruits of his victory ; Who ever will let him come ; there is nothing that should move you to stay away : O captives , bond-slaves to Satan , O prisoners of hope ! will ye come and partake of the great salvation ? What holds you from coming away and partaking of it ? it is freely offered unto you : Ay , believe it , Christ requires no more of you , but that ye should come and take it out of his hand ; if we consent to obey , the bargain is ended ; ye shall eat the good of the land , Isa. 1. Secondly , This great salvation , is a compleat salvation that is offered unto you to day ; this is clear , Luke 1. verse 71. That we might be saved from our enemies , and from the hands of all that hate us . There is not any enemy that is in thy way , but if thou wilt come and partake of the great salvation , thou mayest have victory over it ; so compleat a salvation is it that is in your offer this day . O shall we pass away and not embrace it ! O shall our cursed hearts undervalue this compleat salvation that is come to your door ? Believe it , salvation is near unto you , ioye will take it . Thirdly , It is a wonderful salvation ; it is such a salvation as the Angels desire to pry into it , and it is such a salvation , that all the Prophets desired to pry into it : It is almost six thousand years since all the Angels in Heaven fell into a sea of wonder at this great salvation . It is almost six thousand years since Abel fell into a sea of wonder at this great salvation ? And what think you is his exercise this day ? He is even wondering at this great salvation . Would you ask at all the Angels in Heaven , would they not all say , O embrace the great salvation ! Would ye ask at all the Saints that are above , would they not advise you to embrace the great salvation ? Should ye ask at Adam , would he not say , O embrace this great salvation ? Could ye ask at Abel , would he not say , O embrace the great salvation ? And would not all the Patriarchs say unto you , O embrace the great salvation ? And do not all that have tasted of the sweetness of it , cry out unto you , Come and embrace the great salvation . The fourth property of this salvation is , that it was bought at an exceeding dear rate , it is a dear salvation , Would you know the difference between Christs coming to this salvation , and your coming to it ? it is this : Christ was forced to travel through all the Armies of the Justice of God. He was forced to drink of the cup of the wrath of God , before he could come to purechase this great salvation ; and now what is requird of you to obtain this ? we may say no more , but put out your hands and take it . Will ye look to the price that was laid down for this salvation ? there is not a wound in the body of Christ , but it saith , This is a dear salvation : There is not a reproach Christ met with , but it saith , O is not this a great salvation ! there is not a necessity that he was put into , but it saith , is not this a great and dear salvation ! O Sirs , will ye not come and take this great salvation , this dear salvation ? What must I give for it , say ye ? I say , ye must give nothing for it ; come and take it without money and without price ; It was dear to Christ , but it shall be cheap unto you . O , is it not cheap unto you ! I assure , if you will come to the market to buy the great salvation , there is none of you that needeth to stand for the price of it . O come and take it , and have it , and there shall be no more priceing . Fifthly , It is an everlasting salvation , that ye shall enjoy the fruits of throughout eternity , as is clear Heb. 9. 13. He became the author of eternal redemption unto us ; it is a salvation that the Devil can never be able to take out of your hand ; if ye take it , ye shall never be robbed of it again . O come and partake of this great salvation , whereby the gates of hell shall never prevail against you . Sixthly , It is a noble and honourable Salvation ; it is not to be taken out of one slavery to another , but it is to be taken out of prison that we may reign , Luke 1. 71. compared with vers . 74. it is , That we being saved may serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life . I say , Come , come , and partake of this great salvation , that your glory may be increased , and that ye may be exalted above the Kings of the earth . Seventhly , It is a most advantagious salvation : What are the advantages of any salvation that are not to be found in this ? Is there not peace to be found in through this salvation ? is there not liberty to be found through this salvation ? is there not eternal enjoyment of God to be found through this salvation ? Yea , all salvations are in this one salvation . Lastly , It is a royal salvation , for it cometh to us from and through the Son of God : Christ is the author of it , and we conceive Christ may be said to be the author of this salvation , in these respects . 1. He is the meritorious cause that did procure it , it was the price of his blood that was laid down for to purchase this great salvation . 2. He is the fountain from whence it floweth , according to that word which we have cited , Heb. 5. 9. He became the author of eternal salvatiou . 3. He is the person that fitteth our Spirits for the partaking of it , and it is he that removeth mountains out of the way , that we may have fair access unto the great salvation . 4. It is he that must perswade our hearts to embrace and to take hold of it ; He standeth without , and cryeth to the heart to embrace this great salvation : and he standeth within , making the heart cry out , Content , I will embrace the great salvation . He is indeed the person that commendeth and doth point forth this great salvation unto us , he is the noble Minister of it ; it began first to be preached by him . Now is there any of you that have fallen in love with the great salvation , that ye may try your selves ? I shall give you some evidences of the persons that are near unto this great salvation . 1. Is thy estymation of the great salvation increased , be what it was in the morning when thou camest hither ? is thy estimation of the great gospel salvation a foot higher then it was in the morning ? I say unto thee , thou art not far from the great salvation , come away . 2. Is thy desire after the great salvation increased , be what it was in the morning ? Hath thou stronger desires after the great salvation then before thou camest hither , that is an evidence thou art not free from it . 3. Is thy thoughts of thy necessity of the great salvation greater than they were ? Thinkest thou that thou hast more need of the great salvation than ever thou thoughtest before ? And is thy opinion and thoughts of saving thy self , less than they were before thou camest hither ? Art thou forced to cry out , None but Christ can save me ; I say thou art not far from the great salvation ; wilt thou come away ! O that you would once seal this Conclusion with much heart-perswasion , I am undone without Christ , I am undone without Christ , who is the Author of this great salvation : Are there any of you that are sensible that you are in the fetters of sin , and in the bonds of iniquity ? Are you brought to the conviction of this , that you are yet in the gall of bitterness ? I say if thou be brought to this length , to be sensible of thy bonds , and art crying out , O Redeemer hasten and come away ; I say , if thou be sensible , of thy bonds and imprisonment , and crying out , O thou that wast anointed from eternity to proclaim liberty to the captives , and the opening of the prison to them that are bound ; O hasten and come away and redeem me , even poor me ; sinking , sinning , perishing , self destroying me ; thou art not far from the great salvation . 4. Art thou a person who beginneth to weep because thou hast been so long a stranger to Christ , and the great salvation ? Old men that are here , How long have you been strangers to the great salvation , and to the Author of it ? Now will you shed one tear for your estrangement ? and cry out , Woe is me that Christ and I have been so long a sunder ? I say , if thou hast come that length , thou art not far from the great salvation ; Come away : O pitty your selves , make haste , make haste , and come away . But now in the third place , let me give you some evidences by which you may know more clearly whither or no you have embraced this great salvation , that you may know your selves , and that you walk not down to your grave with a lye in your right hand . The first evidence of a person that hath embraced the great salvation , is , that he will have an high esteem of the Saviour and Author of the great salvation : Hast thou a matchless esteem of matchless Christ the Saviour of the world ? that is a speaking evidence unto thee , thou art a partaker of the great salvation : Art thou come to this length , that thou cryest out , None but Christ , none but Christ ! It is a speaking evidence , that thou art come to be a partaker of the great salvation , when thou canst cry out that word , Exod. 15. 2. The Lord is my strength and my song , he alone is become my salvation : if Christ hath become thy salvation , then it is like he hath become thy song . I would ask this of you , Were you ever brought this length , that you durst nor adventure to praise Christ alone , but was forced to call in all the creatures , and say , O magnifie the Lord with me ; O that is an evidence that you have embraced his salvation . Secondly , Those who have embraced the great salvation , will study to maintain and keep their grips of it ; they would study to hold fast so precious a Jewel ; this is prest , Gal. 5. 1. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free ; yea , they will study to walk suitably to this noble mercy , at least , they will strive and endeavour to do it , as is also prest in that same verse . I say , if thou hast been made a partaker of the Gospel of salvation , thou wilt strive to keep thy self from the power of those things that once triumphed over thee . Thirdly , A person that is a partaker of the great salvation , will have a high esteem of this mercy and salvation ; so Paul when he speaketh of it here , he cannot but put some note of excellency to it , calling it the great salvation ; Therefore I say , if thou hast embraced the great salvation , thou wilt have so high esteem of it , that not to be so subjected to it as thou shouldst , or to be in subjection to the power of thy lust in any measure , will be thy burden and affliction ; the man will be sorry when he is brought forth from the house of his bondage unto the red Sea ; he will be sorry , that when he should have songs of triumph over his Idols put in his mouth , that they should sing songs of triumph over him . Fourthly , A person that hath embraced the great salvation , he will be longing sometimes for the day when this salvation shall be compleat , when he shall sing that song with that numerous multitude which cannot be numbered , Revel . 7. 9. O what a day shall it be , when thou shalt begin to sing that song ! after this ( saith he ) I beheld , and lo a great multitude of all people which no man could number , of all people , nations and languages , stood before the Throne , and before the Lamb , cloathed with white robes , and palms in their hands , and they cryed ; and how cryed they ? They cryed with a loud voice . They would not mutter the song , nor sign silently ; but cryed with a loud voice : And what did they cry ? they cryed with a loud voice , Salvation unto our God who sitteth up the Throne , and to the Lamb. I would only ask of you that are partakers of the great salvation , what songs shall be put into thy mouth when the waters of Iordan shall divide themselves , that the ransomed of the Lord must pass thorow ! when thou shalt sing that song Psal. 115. 1. Not unto us , not unto us , but unto thee belongs the glory of our salvation . O what a day shall that be , when that excellent song shall be put into thy mouth ! yea , what a day shall it be when thou shalt be cloathed with those excellent garments that are made mention of , Isa. 6. 10. for he hath cloathed thee with the garments of Salvation ; and he hath covered thee with the robe of righteousness . O what robes are these ? Did you ever see such excellent robes as these must be ? I think we will misken our selves ; O do you not think we will misken our selves , when we shall put on those excellent robes ! Now therefore is the bargain closed , or will ye go away before ye take this great salvation ? Dare ye go out at these doors and neglect the great salvation ? I would ask this of you , think ye it will not be most sad , that Christ should tell this in Heaven of you to night , I was preached to a pack stones , that none of them would love me ! Will ye not be feared that this report shall be carryed back to Heaven of you ! for what report can Christ carry back but this ? Now is the cord of this great salvation let down unto you , is there none of you that will take a gripe of it ! will ye flighter after it ? will ye make this a rejoycing day in heaven , that is a fasting day unto you ? and the way to make it so , is , to embrace the great salvation . Now what say ye to it , old men ? let me speak to you , and ask your thoughts of the great salvation ; Gray Hairs should be a crown of glory if it be found in the way of righteousness ; old men , speak your minds , that young men may not have your bad example : What say ye of this salvation ? Is it not a most glorious salvation ? is it not a most excellent salvation that is in your offer ? I intreat you speak your minds , tell Christ ye are content to take the great salvation ; otherwise , whoever he be that will not partake of this gospel salvation , I in the name and authority of Christ our Master , denounce eternal and irrevocable war against him ; put on your harness , ye shall not boast when ye put it off again ; the wrath and fury of God shall come upon you to the uttermost if ye embrace not this great salvation : Other wars are but for a time ; the greatest Captains that ever the earth did carry , are now laid down in the sides of the Pit , and their swords broken under their head . Armies of ten hundred thousand , a hundred years time have laid them all in their graves , and ended all their contests ; but there is no discharge of this war that shall be concluded betwixt Christ and you : it shall become an eternal and most terrible war , which shall be but beginning when time is ended . Now peace or war , which of them will ye choose ? Dare ye send a charge to Christ , and say ye will defie him ? I am afraid there will be two things that many of us shall report to day . First , I am afraid there will be many that will give Pharaohs repot to the offer of the great salvation ; and say , Who is the Lord , that I should obey him ? I tell you who he is , He is glorious in holiness , fearful in praises , doing wonders . O embrace him before he go hence , and give not Pharaohs report , lest ye be drowned in the Sea of his wrath , whence there shall be no recovery . Secondly , I fear there will be many here to day , that will give Demas report to this precious offer : I will go and forsake Christ , and embrace this present world : O bad exchange ! Cursed be he that shall make it ! Will ye be of Demas humour . I fear there hath been many of that humour of a long time ; but I entreat you once be wise before ye die . I confess that proverb , Old fools , are twice fools : I think old men that will not embrace the great salvation , I think ye are triple fools . What wait ye for ? is there any thing can afford you any satisfaction but this great salvation ? Now are ye convinced old men , that Christ is waiting for your answer , I intreat you before ye go hence , speak your minds what ye think of the great salvation : is it not a lovely salvation ? is it not lovely now ? What say ye to it ? I am to go away , and the offer is to be taken up at this time , and it is hard to say , if ever ye shall have an offer again . I would only say this to you , and be sure of it ; though I should never be a partaker of this great salvation , yet I shall be a witness against you that are not partakers of it . I tell and declare unto you , I shall be a witness against you , if ye embrace not the great salvation ; Now old men , are ye perswaded to embrace it ? let me obtest you by the beauty of Christ , come and partake of the great salvation , ye that are travelling upon the borders of eternity : Now if ye will give no more , give this , will ye go home and think upon it ? I shall not be uncharitable , nor enter to judge your thoughts . I fear there shall be many declared and found guilty amongst us , that we have declared unto heaven we will not embrace the great salvation , but have troden the blood of the Son of God under foot . Now I entreat you every one of you , ask of your selves if ye be the persons that will presume in your hearts to do so . Now I shall leave it with you , let it not be a witness against you : I shall leave it with this ; O come away , old men , young men , old women , and maids ; come and embrace this precious gospel salvation . Ye may say , ye bid us come ; but we cannot come : I desire no more of you , but to come with this ; Lord I am content to come , but I cannot come : Come once to that : for if once ye be content to receive it , it will not be long before ye be able to receive it . Now shall Christ depart , and will none of you say ye are content to take him , will ye charge your own consciences with this ; 〈◊〉 I content to take Chrst and the great salvation ; O blest , blest , blest be he that is the author of this great salvation , and blest be he that gets any of the ends of the cord of the great salvation , that we sink not under the wrath and fury of the Lord ! Come and embrace this great salvation ; and again I say , come and embrace it ; for what can ye have if ye want it ; and what can ye want if ye have it ; I shall say no more , but close with that word , Isa. 62. vers . 21. Behold , the Lord hath proclaimed to the ends of the World , to those that are far off : What hath he proclaimed , Say ye to the Daughter of Sion , Behold thy salvation cometh , behold it cometh ! I say to you that are the ends of the World , Salvation is brought hear unto you , Stout-Hearted and far from Righteousness , the great salvation is brought near unto you , and will ye send it away ! Oh consider what ye are doing . And to him that can perswade you to embrace the great salvation , we desire to give praise . FINIS . 
A45134	----	A letter to George Keith concerning the salvability of the heathen together with a testimony to the same doctrine, as long held and not newly taken up, out of several former books of him that writ it / by J.H. Humfrey, John, 1621-1719. 1700 Approx. 88 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 19 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A45134 Wing H3684 ESTC R25550 09012231 ocm 09012231 42224 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A45134) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 42224) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1287:10) A letter to George Keith concerning the salvability of the heathen together with a testimony to the same doctrine, as long held and not newly taken up, out of several former books of him that writ it / by J.H. Humfrey, John, 1621-1719. Keith, George, 1639?-1716. 36 p. Printed and sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster, London : 1700. Reproduction of original in the British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Salvation outside the church. 2005-05 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-10 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-06 Ali Jakobson Sampled and proofread 2006-06 Ali Jakobson Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A LETTER TO George Keith , CONCERNING The Salvability of the Heathen . Together with A Testimony to the same Doctrine , as Long held , and not Newly taken up , out of several former Books of him that writ it . By his Respectful Neighbour , J.H. If therefore the Doctrine of Christ hath demonstrated to all Nations the same God , whom the Ancients , even before Moses , have served , there is no doubt but that we are made Partakers with them of the same Divine Worship ; and having moreover the same common Religion , it is manifest that we shall likewise enjoy the same Blessedness , or Benediction . Eusebius de Demonstratione Evangelii . L. 1. C. 5. London Printed , and Sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster , 1700. A Letter to George Keith , &c. Mr. George Keith , UNderstanding that you came to live near me , I was willing to be acquainted with you , as a Person learned , and whose Converse is profitable ; but I am sorry to find you so engaged , and hot in your Opinion ( though Zeal in a good Cause is commendable ) that you cannot let another differ from you without Anger ; when , if he be angry too , whom you differ from , there must be Contention : Which is to be avoided , by a prudent Man. Prov. 17.14 . Look , you George , You and I do believe a Salvability for some Heathen : You and I , for all that , do believe , That no Man is , was , or ever can be saved , but through the Name Mediation , or Redemption of Jesus Christ ; neither of us are Deists therefore , but both Christians . You proceed further , and say , That no Man ever was , is , or can be saved , but by Faith in Jesus Christ , and the knowledge of him Crucified , and Risen again . Here I must differ from you ; for though Redemption be Universal , and it is true , That no Man ever could , or can be saved without the Benefit thereof : Yet must we not make the Redemption of Christ , or the Benefit of his Death , and our Knowledge of it , to be Commensurate . God forbid it should be so , for then indeed no Heathen could be saved . In your Truth Advanced , p. 40. you very candidly declare , That to conclude all Gentiles , however diligent they have been , to live up to their Illumination , to be finally and irrecoverably Lost and Damned , is a rash and uncharitable Opinion : And in the same page , you say , I do positively affirm , according to the Scriptures , That Eternal Salvation is to be had only through Faith and Knowledge of Christ crucified , and raised again . This is to maintain two things , inconsistent with one another : And here I ask'd you therefore , how you could make out the Mystery ? And you answered me , That you had three ways to do it ; Two of them you expressed , but because they were to me unsatisfactory , I can remember neither ; and the third , upon which you lay'd most stress , you would not deliver , thinking me at present not like to receive it . I very much desire to know what that reserve was ; but what you have in your Book , and in the same Page , I see . Though God giveth this Knowledge and Faith ( say you ) ordinarily , by preaching and reading the Scriptures , yet I nothing doubt , but that God hath inwardly Revealed it to divers without . I cannot but remember , upon this , what you told me , That when W.P. put this Question to you , and pressed you with it , as unanswerable , asking you , how you could hold any Heathen to be saved , seeing you do maintain , that a Faith in Christ without , is necessary to Salvation ? You answered him , That the Light within is sufficient for the Revelation . When you told me this , I could not but commend it , as a present ingenious Repartee , ad hominem , or to a Quaker ; but that is no answer to me , or any other Man , that is no Quaker ; nor fit for you to own , as good ; for then it renders you still to be one of them , who take Enthusiasm for your Guide . W.P. would never have declared you an Apostate , over the Head of you , for this saying , That you nothing doubt , but God doth inwardly Reveal whatsoever is of necessity to be believed , without Preaching or Reading : Whereas I , for my part , am so far from an assent to you , that I am perswaded to the contrary , by those express words of the Apostle , How shall they believe in him , of whom they have not heard ? And how shall they hear without a Preacher ? Rom. 10.14 . We read in the Acts of the Eunuch , that Man of Authority , a Proselyte , reading in Isaiah , Philip asks him , Understandest thou what thou readest ? And he answered , How can I , except some Man should guide me ? Acts 8.31 . From whence we may see , that though the Prophets speak of Christ in many places ( and in none more amply than in this ) yet the Readers understood them not , nor indeed could they ; the Understanding being reserved till the time of the Apostles , who had the Spirit ( with-held till Christ was Glorified , John 7.39 . ) to enlighten them with that Knowledge , which they were to communicate to us . The Knowledge of Christ , and Faith in him , is indeed a Treasure ; and those Riches of the Gospel , which , as to the times before , were unsearchable ; for it was to them a Treasure in the Field , Hid ( in those Ages ) till Found by the Apostles , through the Revelation thereof by the Spirit , for the Publication of the same to the World. And this is to be noted , for a matter exceeding remarkable , That though God had declared to Abraham , that in his Seed all Nations should be blessed ; whereby the Gospel is said to be Preached to him , Gal. 3.8 . Yet was the Preaching the same by Peter to the Gentiles such a strange thing , to them who were of the Circumcision , that they contended with him for going to the Uncircumcised , as what ought not to be done , until Peter rehearsed from the beginning , and expounded in order to them , the Visions that he and Cornelius had , and how the Holy Ghost fell upon them before he Baptized them ; which put them to silence , so that they held their peace , and glorified God , saying , Then hath God also unto the Gentiles granted Repentance unto Life , Acts 11.18 . This was the thing they wondered at ; this the Mystery hid from them , ( the Apostle so calls it ) though Preached so long ago to their Father Abraham himself , That the Gentiles should be fellow Heirs , and of the same Body , and partakers of his Promise in Christ by the Gospel . Ephes . 3.6 . I deny not therefore but the Old Testament ▪ Scripture speaks of Christ , and that so fully , as to his Person , his Office , his States of Humiliation and Exaltation , that Christ , in his appearing to the two Disciples going to Emmaus , did shew them , how Moses , and all the Prophets , speaking concerning him , fore-told that he was to suffer , and so to enter into his Glory , Luke 24.26 . St. Peter likewise preaches the same , That unto him gave all the Prophets witness ; collecting from thence , that through his Name , whosoever believes in him shall receive Remission of Sins , Acts 10.43 . Nevertheless , it is very manifest , that the Jews understood not these things , prophesied of Him ; nor yet the Prophets that prophesied them ; seeing they ministred those things ( says the Apostle ) not to themselves , but to us , which are reported by them that preach the Gospel , ( 1 Pet. 1.12 . ) and therefore he hath it before , That they prophesied of the Grace which should come , or was to come , and not then come , ( v. 10. ) St. Paul accordingly lets the Romans understand , ( Rom. 16.25 , 26. ) how the Gospel therefore was mainly a Revelation of the Mystery which was kept secret since the World began , that now is made manifest , and by the Scriptures of the Prophets , according to the Commandment of the Everlasting God , made known to all Nations for the Obedience of Faith : That is as much as to say , God by his Spirit hath opened those Prophecies to these first Preachers , commanding them to Reveal the same to the World , for Confirmation of what Christ said and did , suffer'd , and rose again ; they being such as abode with him , as Eye and Ear-Witnesses of the same . For which cause ( says he again , Ephes . 3.1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6. ) . I Paul , the Prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles ; if you have heard of the Dispensation of the Grace of God , which is given me to you-ward ; how that by Revelation , he made known unto me the Mystery , — which in other Ages was not made known to the Sons of Men , as it is now revealed to his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit . The Knowledge of Christ dying , and risen again , as now revealed by the Gospel , that is , as dying for our Sins , and rising again for our Justification ; with the Application thereof , by Faith , we see plainly , was a Mystery , and not made known to the Sons of Men , till the times of the Apostles . It appears therefore , that the Redemption of Christ , and Benefits of his Death and Resurrection , must be of larger extent ▪ than the Knowledge of him ; for else , no Man in the World , till Faith came , till Christ , and the Gospel came , could ( as is said before ) have been saved . As for the Distinction here , which you used , of an Implicit and Explicit Faith , or Knowledge of Christ ; I count it but a yielding the Cause : For when we say , The Benefit of Christ's Redemption , and the Knowledge of Him , or Faith in Him , are not Commensurate ; we mean it , of such a Kowledge of him , or Faith , as is now preached by the Gospel ; that is , that Explicit Knowledge as was revealed by the Spirit to the Apostles , and by them made known , and so required of us , as necessary to our Salvation . And if this be granted , that such an Explicit Knowledge of Christ , and Faith in him , is not of the same Extent ( Necessitate medii ) with our Benefit by him , the Point is obtained : If you will not grant it , the matter is enforced , or proved , by this Text. A bare Implicit Knowledge of the Messiah to come , without an Explicit Knowledge of his Death and Resurrection , as now revealed , is a thing that could be of no more avail , to the Salvation of the Jews , than the Faith of a Gentile , only in God's Mercy , upon his Repentance ( which we see the Ninevites had ) without the Knowledge of Christ at all ; and if either the one or the other had Repentance unto Life wrought upon their Hearts , by the Spirit of God ( which is f●ee to operate where he will , for the Wind bloweth where it listeth , Christ himself says ) they were accepted only through the Satisfaction and Merits of our Redeemer ; whereof indeed they were both a-like Ignorant ; this being the Mystery of the Gospel , yet hid from the Sons of Men. I must confess , when I ask'd you , Whether you did , or could really believe , that every Jew and Heathen that ever was saved ( allowing the Salvability of such ) had a Faith in Christ's dying and rising ? And you said , You did verily believe so . I wonder'd at it , and told you , I lik'd you the better , as being a Man of a stronger Faith than I , who can believe no such thing , if I would never so fain . On the contrary , I do believe , that there never was any Man in the World , that had the Knowledge of Christ , Dying for his Sins , and Rising again for his Justification , so as to make Application of it to his own Soul , by Faith , as is required now of us under the Gospel , until the Prophecies , which the Jews had , were accomplished by Him ; that is , till after his Death and Resurrection . We are sure the Apostles knew nothing of his Death and Resurrection ( and consequently of his Satisfaction and Merit thereby ) though Christ did more than once tell them of it ; for indeed they were not yet under that Dispensation , as they should believe it . And when the Disciples undestood nothing thereof , for all the Scriptures , how can you believe that others did , or could understand their Meaning , before these Scriptures were fulfilled ? You ask ( in your Book ) Who taught Abraham , Job , our first Parents , but God and Christ , by the Holy Spirit in their Hearts ? I say the like , as to any good man that ever was among the Heathen , That it was God by his Spirit that wrought that Good in him , as in us . But I say also , that God did teach them , every one of them ( the one as well as the other ) so much , in their day , as was necessary to their Salvation , by such way and means as he thought best . But such a Faith and Knowledge of Christ , as is necessary to the Salvation of a Christian ( that is , one to whom the Gospel is preached and received ) I do by no means believe to be necessary to the Salvation of every Man on the Earth , that is , or ever was , saved ; no , nor to any one of those that lived before Christ came . We read in John , when Christ was going from his Disciples , and from the World , to his Father , he has these remarkable words : Ye believe in God , believe also in me , John 14.1 . Under that Dispensation the Jews and the Disciples were , before the Christian Dispensation was opened ; they were to have Faith in God , and to put their whole trust in him ; and it was that Faith , by which the Just Man was to Live. Hab. 2.4 . But the Dispensation was coming on , and is now come , when we must believe also in Christ . It was Life Eternal for the Jews to know God , the God of Abraham , to be the only true God , and to live in the Acknowledgment and Service of him : But now we are to know Jesus Christ also , and believe in Him whom he hath sent , John 17.3 . & 6.29 . In both places , note the word Sent , which was not of necessity to Salvation therefore , before he was sent . When Christ had finished the Work of our Redemption , by his Death on the Cross , and Risen again , he enter'd into that Kingdom , which John and He Preached , was at hand . All Power is given me , ( saith he ) in Heaven and Earth ; Go and Disciple all Nations . The Jews were under a Theocracy , and so God's People : It pleased him now to have that Kingdom enlarged , and the Gentiles brought into it , and to commit it to his Son ; so that the Church in the Wilderness is now Catholick , a Church over the World ; and the Law by which it is governed , is the same as was on foot since Adam fell ; but under a diverse Dispensation , Administration or Edition . Upon this account do we read of Cornelius , a devout Servant of God , though a Roman , Gentile , or Heathen , is commanded to send for Peter , to Preach to him the Gospel , which is the Scepter of Christ's Kingdom , and by Baptism , to receive his Allegiance , and declare him a Subject . From which Instance there is one Objection that by many is urged against the Salvability of any Heathen . If Cornelius ( say they ) could have been saved without an explicit Knowledge of , and Faith in Christ , Dying for his Sins , and Rising again for his Resurrection , this need not have been done . They urge besides , the Angel's speech , That Peter should tell him such words whereby He and his Household should be saved : But this is indeed standing on Words , more than Things : It was fit , it was meet , that so eminent a worthy Servant of God , as this , should be chosen out , to be first brought in , for a leading Example to other Gentiles , at the opening the Gospel Dispensation . It is to be more throughly considered , that since it pleased God , that this Covenant of Grace , which is the Covenant of Life and Salvation for Mankind ; according to which , every Man and Woman shall Live or Dye , as they perform , or not perform , the condition thereof , should have a diverse Administration ; we cannot but think it to be advantageous for any Man , to be brought under that Administration thereof , that is most perfect ; and such being this of the Gospel , Cornelius hath his gracious call into it . Not that Cornelius was out of a state of Grace and Salvation before , for it is plain that he was a Man that feared God , a Devout Man , his Prayer heard and accepted of God , which no Man can be but in the beloved , or through Christ's Satisfaction and Merits ; and such an acceptance , is an acceptance unto Life and Salvation . To say he was accepted , but not justified , is to speak without Book , and with prejudice : I am satisfied to the contrary ; and if you are not , I pray what think you of the Disciples ? I hope you believe that Peter , James , and John , Nathaniel and the rest , were in a state of Salvation , while under the Jews Administration , and understood not the Scriptures ( as is said before ) nor Christ hmself , when he spake of his Death and Resurrection ; and could have no Faith in him Dying for their Sins , and Rising again for their Justification then , as they had afterwards , when accomplished . Well , consider it then , Cornelius is one that fears God , and worketh Righteousness ; and performing the condition of the Covenant of Life , he is in a state of Salvation , according to that Administration of it , as the whole World is under : The Disciples likewise fear God , and work Righteousness , and are in a state of Salvation , according to the Jewish Administration ; they both being in such a state ; Cornelius hears Peter Preaching , and believes in Jesus Christ , lives up to the Gospel , and is now in a state of Salvation , according to the Covenant under the Christian Administration : The Disciples likewise Preach themselves , and they believe and live according as they Preach , and are in the same condition . What inconsistency is there here , but that the same Persons may be in a state of Grace , under one Administration of the Covenant , and under the other , when they are called from one into the other ? Abraham is called out of his Country , and he obeyeth ; God promises to make him a Nation , which shall inherit Canaan : He believes God , and his Faith is imputed for Righteousness : After this God appeared , and makes a Covenant with him , and requires Circumcision : Will any say here ? What need is there of this , seeing Abraham was in a justified State already ? No , indeed there was no need of this for that end ; but it is God's Will , that though Abraham is a Man that walked before God , and was Perfect , that is , Evangelically , and so in a saved State ; yet because here is a new Administration of the Covenant to be set up , it is the Command of God alone , is both the Rule and Reason for the doing . As for the Good and Benefit he shall have by it , Abraham is to be assured of that , seeing God who is good , and doth good , thought it good to be done . Abraham believes , and goes out of his Country , and is thereby justified : Abraham believes , and receives Circumcision , and is thereby justified : Abraham believes , and Offers up his Son Isaac , and is thereby justified : He received Circumcision , as a Seal of the Righteousness of that Faith which he had , when he was Uncircumcised : He is justified by the Obedience of Faith , in doing all , and his Justification by one , is no impediment to his being justified also by the other . The Angel's telling Cornelius , That he shall bear words whereby he shall be saved , is no more than Paul's saying , That the Gospel is the Power of God , to the Salvation of all that believe ; which is true , whether the Believer was in a State of Grace already or no ; whether he be a Jew or Gentile ; whether Cornelius , or the Disciples themselves of the Lord Jesus . If this be so , that a Heathen may be saved , you may say , Then is his Condition easier , and his State better , than that of the Jew or Christian : I Answer , This is not only False , because the Condition of Salvation ( to walk before God , and be Perfect ) being the same to all ; So much the lesser means that one hath thereunto , must needs make it to be so much the harder : But it is also Profane to say so , because the Apostle to the Romans is express , that the Advantage of the Jew is much every way above the Gentile , Rom. 3.1 , 2. And to the Hebrews he is express , That we Christians have a better Covenant than the Jew , Heb. 8.6 . The first and second Covenant he speaks of there , are nothing but the two Administrations of the Covenant of Grace ( the same in Substance , say our Divines ) in regard to the Jews , which preceded , and then to us Christians . If you will ask wherein the second Administration is better than the first , consult the common place of our Divines ; That I fix upon , as the result of them all , is , that these new Administrations did still afford more Means and Inducement to the bringing up their Hearts unto the terms of the Covenant of Life it self , by which it was only , that any were , or could be Saved . No doubt but there was more wrought on of the Jewish Nation , having the advantage of the Oracles of God ; and among us that have a fuller Revelation , ( in regard to our Saviour ) to come up to a sincere walking before God ( which are the terms , and the same I say to all ) than among the Heathen who are without them . There is one thing remains , which I remember you offered , that requires some more large Considerations , and it is this , That though you were willing to allow that some Heathen may be saved , you deny it to be by Covenant , but only uncovenanted Mercy ; and you cited the Bishop of Salisbury for it . That excellent Person , Bishop Burnet , in his Exposition of the Eighteenth Article of the Church , which pronounces an Anathema to them that hold any Man may be saved by the Law , or Sect he Professeth , unless he be a Christian ( which seems to be the sense of the Article ) distinguishes between the word , By and In. To be saved by a Law or Sect ( saith he ) signifies , that by the Virtue of that Law , or Sect , such Men as follow it may be saved : Whereas , to be saved in a Law , or Sect , imports only , that God may extend his Compassion to Men that are engaged in a false Religion . And this he appears to own , as not condemned by the Article . The ingenuous Bishop proceeds ; And seeing Faith in Christ is in the Gospel required , as necessary to Salvation , there is no question , he says , to be made , but that those that have the Gospel preached to them , and believe not in him , must be Damned : The difficuly is only concerning those who never heard of the Christian Religion . Here then the Bishop distinguishes again of Men in the Law , and without the Law , in the words of the Apostle , that is between the Jew and Gentile , Christian and Heathen ; and for the last , though they have not the Law written , they have it in their Hearts , and shall be judged according to their Consciences . This is fair ; but seeing Pardon of Sin is limited ( as he speaks ) to believing in Christ , and Salvation is only through Christ's Name , according to Scripture ; he distinguishes again thus : It is on the account of the Death ( or Sacrifice ) of Christ , that Men are Pardoned or Saved , but it 〈◊〉 not so plainly ●aid , that no Man can be saved , unless he hath an ●●p●icit Know●●●g● o● 〈◊〉 , together with a belief of it . That is in effect the same I said before , that the Redemption we have by Christ , and the Knowledge of him , is not to be reckoned Commensurate ; yet it is but unwarily said of him ( or too warily , as one that is in the Water , and feels not a bottom for his feet ) that Pardon of Sin is positively limited to believing in Christ , and thereupon to be forced to mince the matter thus [ It is not so plainly said ] in the words fore-going : Whereas , Pardon of Sin is limited to a believer in Christ only , as to such as have had a Preacher , as is before understood by himself : But the explicit Knowledge of Christ , as the Gospel reveals him , is not at all required of an Heathen Man , nor of any Man , as of necessity to Salvation before Christ came . Upon this supposition then , that this is not so clearly said in Scripture , as the other ; he comes to another Distinction , which he says , is to be made , as that which will clear the matter , and all difficulties in it . A great difference ( says he , I will cite all his words ) is to be made between a Foederal certainty of Salvation , secured by the Promises of God , and of this new Covenant in Christ Jesus ; and the extent to which the Goodness and Mercy of God may go . None are in a Foederal State of Salvation , but Christians : To them is given the Covenant of Grace , and to them the Promises of God are made and offered , so that they have a certainty of it , upon their performing those Conditions that are put in the Promises : All others are out of this Promise , to whom the Tydings of it were never brought . In this which is said by this worthy Bishop , there is thus much of Truth to be acknowledged and noted , That no Heathen or Jew under their Dispensations , had , or could have , such certainty upon their turning to God ( so as to draw near to him in full assurance of Faith ) that they should be accepted and saved , as Christians have , or may have upon the Revelation of Jesus Christ ; and for that reason , if there were no other , the Dispensation the Christian is under , is better than that of the Jew or Heathen , to reflect again on your Objection before . But to speak more fully to this matter otherwise , I think fit to remember the Doctrine commonly received ( I suppose , even by you , and the Bishop , if it be not out of your Minds . ) There is a double Covenant , the Covenant of Works , and the Covenant of Grace . The Covenant of Works was made with Adam , in Innoceney , which he broke , and none can keep , to be saved by it : There is therefore the Covenant of Grace , which was made with Adam faln , in the Promise of the Seed of the Woman , that is , of a Redeemer , and of Salvation , upon the terms of it . There is a Government consequently arises to God , from the right of Redemption , and that must be by this Law , or Covenant , seeing the other is of impossible performance . There is no Government but by a Law , and that must be such as the Subject is in a capacity of reward by the keeping , as of punishment by the breaking it , or else it is not righteous and meet . There is a diverse Administration therefore of this Covenant , or Law of Grace , according to the Revelation God hath made of his Will to the Sons of Men. What God reveals as his Will , must be believed and obeyed . Under the Administration of this Covenant to us Christians , God's whole design of Redeeming and Saving us by his Son , is fully revealed , and accordingly a Faith in him dying for our Sins , and rising again for our Justification , is required of us , as necessary to our Salvation : Under the Jewish Dispensation they believed a Messiah to come , and some Deliverance by Worldly Pomp and Conquest ( Acts 1.6 . ) but as for the Salvation of their Souls , by his dying for them ( or making Satisfaction to God for their Sins , by the Sacrifice of himself on the Cross ) they understood nothing , as appears by the Disciples aforesaid , Then he took the Twelve , and said unto them , Behold we go up to Jerusalem , and all things that are written by the Prophets , concerning the Son of Man , shall be accomplished : They shall put him to Death , and the third Day he shall rise again . And they understood not these things , and this saying was hid from them , neither knew they the things which were spoken . Likewise , it appears as much by their Rulers and Chiefest among them , For they that dwell at Jerusalem , and their Rulers , because they knew him not , nor yet the Voice of the Prophets , which are read every Sabbath day , they have fulfilled them , in condemning him . As for the Ancients , before Abraham and Moses , what Revelation they had of God's Will , Who can tell ? A Law they had written in their Hearts , which proves a Lawgiver , and they had Tradition : They believed a God , and that he was gracious to forgive the Sinner upon his Repentance , as appears by their Sacrifices ; and that if they lived uprightly , it should be well with them . Now if upon this , it pleased God to choose any one of them , as he did Abraham , when he was an Idolater , in Ur of the Caldees , and by his Spirit gave him an inward and effectual Call , by stirring him up to lay hold on God , and his Covenant , in a desire and endeavour to walk up to his Light within , or Knowledge he hath attained , with Sincerity of Heart and Life , which is performing the Condition of the Covenant of Grace , according to the Dispensation he is under ; although such a Man does not know upon what account Sin is expiated , God reconciled , and the Sinner saved ; yet is it certain , that this Man's Sins are pardoned , God reconciled to him , and his Soul in a State of Salvation , as well as the Christians , who hath the Explicit Knowledge of Christ's Death and Resurrection ; and that is , upon the same account as his , even through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant ; to wit , through the Covenant of Grace , preached and purchased for us by his Blood , the Death , Satisfaction , Mediation , Redemption of Christ Jesus ; so that if any held , or are willing to hold , a Salvability for the Heathen , and yet deny their Salvaon by Covenant , but by an uncovenanted Miraculous Mercy , they do but trip in plain Ground ; upholding a Doctrine that is Good and Generous , but without its Foundation : For there is no Way , nor ever was , but one Way ( which is this , by the Covenant of Grace , procured for us by Christ ) of Salvation to any Mortal under Heaven . As for them whom God hath left in Darkness ( says the Bishop , intending all the Heathen ) they are certainly out of Covenant , out of those Promises and Declarations that are made in it ; so that they have no foederal Right to be saved ; neither can we affirm , that they shall be saved . This , I must needs say , I take to be spoken without second Thoughts ; and I like nothing so inconsiderate , though in this excellent Person . There is no Man coming into the World so left in Darkness , but he hath a Light within , which if he lives up to , he is one of God's People , says the Quaker . There is no Man in the Earth , that loves God sincerely , I say for certain , can perish . The Quakers Doctrine , in this point , is to be preferr'd before the Bishops . I will say more , there is no Man in the Earth , Heathen or Christian , but he is a Subject of the Covenant , the Covenant of Grace ; and God is certainly his Governour by this Law , or Covenant , so far , that if he obeys him , answers it , and keeps it , or lives up to that Revelation of God's Will which he has , he hath , by performing the Condition , the Promise thereof accordingly to be saved ; and we may affirm that he shall . I must yet say further ( if it be farther ) That there is no Man on the Earth that is saved , but it must be by the Covenant , the Covenant of Grace , and the Promise of it . There is one Distinction therefore I must offer , which the Bishop hath not , and is wanting in the place , and I will be solemn upon it . It pleased God to call Abram out of his Country , to make him a Nation , and to give him Canaan ; and upon this account he is the first Elect we read of in Scripture . Thou art the Lord , the God , who didst choose Abram , and brought him out of Ur , in the Caldees . Neh. 9.7 . That is , in regard to his Posterity after him , who were Chosen of God to be a Peculiar People to him by a Covenant , which was a Political Covenant between him and them , as their Ruler . This Covenant required the mark of Circumcision in their Flesh , by way of Separation of that Nation from all others . Among all the Multitudes of People , thou hast gotten thee a People ; and unto this People thou gavest a Law that is approved of all , 2 Esd . 5.27 . Ye stand this day , all of you , before the Lord , to enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God , Deut. 27. Thou art a holy People unto the Lord thy God ; the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special People unto himself , above all People that are upon the face of the Earth , Deut. 7.6 . So again , Chap. 14. v. 2. A special People , a peculiar People . He hath not dealt so with other Nations , as he did to them , says the Psalmist . He hath shewn his Mind unto Jacob , his Statutes and Judgments to Israel , Ps . 147.19 , 20. To whom pertaineth the Adoption , and the Glory , and the Covenants , and the giving the Law , and the Service of God , Rom. 19.4 . By all which it appears , That God was their God , and they his People , by a Covenant that was Peculiar to them as the Seed of Abraham , with whom it began , and is called by Divines therefore the Covenant of Peculiarity ; which is to be distinguished in this respect from the Covenant of Grace that does belong to all Mankind , the Posterity of Adam ; the difference indeed being in regard to its divers Administrations . When the Scripture therefore does speak of the Gentiles , that they were , in respect to the Jews , without God in the World , without the Covenant , Aliens to the Commonwealth of Israel , without Hope , ( the hope of Israel ) without Christ , Strangers to the Covenant of Promise : We are to understand all this in regard to the Church State of the Jews ( which no Nation but the Jews were in ) as appears by all the Texts before-cited . They were without God : How is that ? As he was to the Jews a Peculiar Governour ; but not without God as Universal Soveraign of Heaven and Earth . Is he the God of the Jews only ? Is he not of the Gentiles ? Yea of the Gentiles also , Rom. 3.29 . Without the Covenant : How is that ? Without the Covenant of Peculiarity ; not without the Covenant of Grace , but under the Government of God by this Law , or Covenant , which is the Law of the Gospel , by which all Men at the great Day shall be judged : According to my Gospel , says the Apostle , Rom. 2.16 . That Law now cannot but be the Law we must Live by , ( as govern'd by God ) which we must be Judged by : That Law must be first Norma Officii , a Rule of Life ; which at last must be Norma Judicii , the Rule of Judgment . Well then , there is that Covenant ( which some call a Political , some a Peculiar , some a Subservient Covenant ) belonging to the Jews ( and now to us Christians also ) the Partition Wall being thrown down , who are therefore as the Jews were , called by Peter , a Chosen Generation , a Royal Priesthood , a Holy Nation , a Peculiar People , ( 1 Pet. 2.9 . ) and by Paul are said to be Grafted into their Olive ; that is , into the same external Covenant-Relation , ( Rom. 11.17 . ) and this the Heathen are without : But there is also the Covenant of Life , of Grace , of Salvation , or of the Gospel ; and this we are all under , Jew and Gentile , Christian and Heathen ; and though the Gentile came not in to the Jew to be Circumcised , and the Heathen come not in to us to be Baptized , that is , to the Profession of this Covenant , they are yet all under the Verge of it , in regard to Obligation ; and if any of them be wrought on by the Spirit , so as inwardly to enter into , and keep it , they are made Partakers of the Benefit , the Priviledge , the Promise of it , as well as the Christian . I have had lately sent me some certain Manuscripts to read , the Works of a Sedulous Divine I know not , an Anti-Arminian , Learned , Pious Man , who hath these words in one of these Manuscripts , which I will transcribe . Dr. Payne ( p. 513. ) says , It has been an uncharitable Question , Whether any of the Gentiles should be saved ? Now they cannot be saved in an ordinary way , by Vertue of the Christian Covenant , to which they have no Title or Claim : Yet God may in extraordinary Mercy let all Mankind have the benefit of it , and save them by Christ , though they know him not . Ans . It is certain , that all such of fallen Mankind , as be Penitent , and honour God by holy Love and Obedience , have , by God's holy Covenant in Christ , true Right to Remission of Sins , and the Kingdom of Heaven , and shall be saved ; they are really and indeed true Saints : But no one of fallen Mankind can be truly Penitent , and honour God by holy Love and Obedience , without special Grace : And special Grace God gives to none of fallen Mankind , save for the sake of Christ , who hath merited it for all the Elect , by Vertue of the Covenant between God and Christ , according to the fore-knowledge and purpose of God. These are the words of another ; and I am to give no more account of them than I please : But this I will add to them , That the Elect , which are to be gathered from the four quarters of the Earth , are , I believe , in some more places than where there are Christians . I return : To them pertain the Covenants , and the giving the Law. The Covenants of Circumcision , and that Covenant when he took them by the hand , to lead them out of the Land of Egypt ; and the Law and Ordinances given by Moses : These indeed , its true , did pertain to the Jews only , and not to any other People : But there was a Promise which belonged to them also , by which , when none of them were justifiable by their works , for by the deeds of the Law shall no Flesh living be justified , the penitent believing Jew was saved . The Promise was the Promise of the Woman's Seed , made to Adam fallen , and the same Promise made to Abraham ▪ that in his Seed should all the Nations of the Earth be blessed , which was the Substance of the Gospel preached to him , which is now preached to the World ; that is , the Promise of a Redeemer , who was then to come , and so was only in Promise , but now already come ; that Redemption obtained , and the Promise fulfilled . Again , As for the giving the Law , there is a Law which came from Mount Sinai , and it is true , this pertained to the Jew ; but there is a Law also from Zion , and that belongs to Jew and Gentile , Christian and Heathen . Out of Zion shall go forth a Law , and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem , Isa . 2.3 . This is the Law of the Gospel , and the same with the Covenant of Grace , of Life and Salvation : If there be any then that apprehend the Covenant of Grace to be made with Christ , in behalf of the Elect , and to belong only to them , I am not of their Opinion . The Covenant of Grace , I account , is God's Covenant with Mankind , and made with Adam fallen , in behalf of his Posterity ; and this is as good as expresly declared by Christ , Go , preach the Gospel to all Nations , to every Creature , or to all the World ; he that believes , or whosoever believes , shall be saved ; and he that believes not , shall be damned , Mat. 28.19 . Mark 16.15 , 16. This is likewise as good as exprest by St. Paul ; This is the Covenant I will make with the House of Israel , after those days , Heb. 8.10 . Who is the House of Israel , now the Partition Wall between the Jew and Gentile is down , but the whole World ? Besides , if Christ be Party , how is he Mediator ? A Mediator is to bring two Parties to Agreement . If God and Christ be the Parties , and not God and Man , how is he the Mediator between God and Men ? For there is one God , and one Mediator between God and Men , the Man Christ Jesus , 1 Tim. 2.5 . That the Redemption of Christ therefore is Universal , and the Effect of it , the Covenant , belongs to all , is not to be denyed ; nay , because the Covenant belongs to all , or because it must be granted , that Christ hath died for all , so far that he hath obtained an Universal Conditional Remission and Salvation , or a Law , or Act of Grace , that whosoever believes and Repents , or performs the Condition of the Gospel , shall be pardoned , and saved by the Gospel ; therefore must our Redemption by Christ be Universal . And if any persist to deny it , whosoever they be , though they see it not , ( for then they would not presume to do so ) they , in effect , do divest God , as Redeemer , of his Government over the World. This must appear , by what hath been said , to an intelligent Man. It is time for me then to come now to the Testimony I am willing to produce out of other Books I have formerly written , that this Doctrine may not appear strange , as newly taken up , or not consider'd as throughly as I could ; but by the Confirmation and Inculcation thereof , with the cumulative Light I bring out of them , it may find the willinger Admission , and give satisfaction to them that have free Minds , and are meet to receive it . Out of a Book , Entituled , The Ax laid to the Root of Separation . As God has made all things , so is he Universal Governour of his Creatures . The Government of God over his Creatures , that are Reasonable , must be a Moral Government , requiring Obedience from them upon Motives of Reward and Punishment . The Instrument of this Government must be his Law. The Law of God is either the Law of Nature , or his Revealed and Positive Laws . The Government of God is likewise double , Natural , or Conventional . The Natural Government of God over Men and Women , which he hath by right of Creation , is over all the World , as they are particular Persons , giving them the Law of Nature to Live by , that they may please him and be saved . This Law of Nature , is either the Law of Innocent , or Lapsed Nature . The Law of Innocent Nature , is that perfect Rule of Righteousness that was writ in Adam's Heart , when Created , requiring him to preserve his Innocency and Integrity upon pain of Death ; and it is called the Law of Works . The Law of Lapsed Nature , is the same Law with Mitigation , requiring the same Duty , but not as the Condition of Life ; accepting of the imperfect Service of Man , according to his present State , so long as it is performed in Sincerity of Heart towards God ; and is called the Law of Grace . As Man in Innocency had the Notices of the most Holy God , and his Duty writ in his Heart , or could gather it from the Light of his Reason , being to live perfectly in that State : So must the World , after Man's fall , and the loss of his Innocency , have some the Like Notices implanted there , or arising naturally from the Exercise of his Faculties , that God is good and merciful , and will not punish him if he Repent , but consider him according to his frail Condition ; and consequently , that he must now have no Government at all over him for Life and Salvation , or else that he must be under another Law than that of Innocency , or under other Conditions , in obeying it ; for else must every Man on the Earth Everlastingly Perish . Upon what account , or upon what ground , the Righteousness of God could stand in dealing with Man , when fallen , by another Law than that at first implanted in him in Innocency , was a Mystery hidden from the Foundation of the World , and not revealed , but Darkly , till the times of the Gospel . But the Belief that God was good , and would pardon the Sinner upon his Repentance , though they could not tell how , or upon what ground it was ( the way of Reconciliation through Christ being beyond the Ken of all Humane Understanding ) was General in the World ; as does appear in particular by the Ninevites ; as also by the Sacrifices for appeasing the Deity , which have been in use in all Nations . Not but they all are under the same Law as Adam was , ( the Law that was for our Nature cannot be altered ) but we are not under it upon the same terms . We are under it , so as we are bound to live according to it ; but we are not under it so as to be Justified or Condemned by it : We are under it as a Rule of Life , but not under it as the Rule of Judgment . There is One Religion therefore , Law or Rule , for all Mankind to obtain Life by , which being the Law of our Lapsed Nature , or Remedying Law , containing God's Grace administred to all the Earth , in a threefold State , of such as were , or are , without the Law , ( or before it ) and under the Law , and under the Gospel . As this Administration is threefold , so hath the Faith , which is the Condition thereof , been diversifyed . But now is the Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith. The Righteousness of God , is the Righteousness of this Law , which hath ever been a-foot in the World ▪ And though a Heathen hath not that Faith as is required of the Christian , in the Third Edition of it , or that which was required of the Jew under the Second ; yet hath he such a Faith as belongs to the First , such as the Ancients before Abraham had : And so long as that Faith he has does work by Love , or by sincere Obedience to God , according to the Light he has , it will justifie him , as well as that which is now farther required of us under the Gospel . It follows , that this Law ( being that which is given for Life , and so the one only true Measure of Religion to all the World ) must belong to the Government of God , which is Universal , and that is the Natural Government of God. The Government of God which is Conventional , is that Government which he hath taken over some certain Persons , as they are gathered or joyned together in Societies , unto which they are called out from the World , for the Glorifying his Name in that Worship or Service of him , which he hath instituted by his Positive Law , Precepts , Ordinances , ( I mean such as he hath any ways revealed to be his Will ) whether they be such as belong to the Law of Nature also , or such as do not ) in order to the taking , owning and acknowledging him for their God in a peculiar manner ; that is , in opposition to the Worship of any other God or Idols , and the serving him the true God in any other way , but what he hath appointed ; and their becoming thereby a Peculiar People to him , and so being under his Favour and Blessing , in regard to all the good things of this Life , and that which is to come . I do observe here , the Government of God which is Natural , is over all the World : This Government which is Conventional , is over some Persons only , called out of the World , into a peculiar Relation to God. That the One is over all , but considered as single Persons , taking in every Individual in the World ; the Other over some , and so over Singulars also , but considered as Incorporated , for the publick Service of God. That the One Government is by the Law of Nature , ( I mean , both of Lapsed and Innocent Nature : ) The Other is , by his Positive and Revealed ▪ Laws . That these Laws and Ordinances of God therefore , which he hath revealed , as they are more ▪ and as they are revealed otherwise , or farther than by the Light of Nature , or Natural Reason only , are a high Priviledge to such as they are vouchsafed to . What advantage then hath the Jew above the Gentile ? Much every way , chiefly because unto them was committed the Oracles of God , Rom. 3.1 , 2. He hath shewed his Mind to Jacob , his Statutes and Judgments unto Israel : He hath not dealt so with any other Nation , Ps . 147.19 , 20. This giving to a People his Oracles , or Positive Institutions , are advantagious upon this account , That they are means for obtaining his Blessing , or else there could be no such advantages in them . This Blessing of God must be look'd on , not only to concern Temporal things , but Spiritual and Eternal : For , seeing Man consists of a Body , and a Soul , and that Soul is Immortal , he cannot be blessed but in both ; and the great and principal Advantage therefore that we have by these Ordinances , or Government of God which is Conventional , must and does lie in being Means for the bringing Men up to the performance of the Terms of that Law , which God by his Government , that is Natural and Universal , hath made to be the Rule of Judgment to all Men , for Everlasting Life or Condemnation . Thus much as Introductory , out of that Book ; I come now to another . Out of a Book , call'd , Peaceable Disquisitions . There is a threefold Government ( in one , to speak accurately ) that God hath had in the World over Man , in reference to his chief end , the Salvation of his Soul. The first was , by the Law of Nature ; the second , by the Law of Moses ; and the third , by the Law of Christ . Before God gave his Law unto Israel , the whole World was under that Law which is written in the Heart ▪ God must govern Man by that only , when there was no other . This Law now writ in Man's Heart ( we are to know ) is two-fold ; for Nature coming under a double Consideration , as Entire and as Fallen , the Law must be double ; the Law of Innocent Nature ( or Law of Innocency ) and the Law of Lapsed Nature , which is the Law of Grace and Mercy towards Man , in regard to his fallen Condition . To express it more fully , there is Lex Naturae , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and Lex Connaturalis Gratiae ; the Law of Nature , and the Connatural Law of Grace , as Suarez hath it in his Book De Legibus . I am much pleased with the Terms , though I found not that he did well understand them , or explain them himself . Only thus much he says , That the Ancients , before Moses , who were govern'd by the Law of Nature only , must have this Lex Connaturalis Gratiae together with it , or comprehended under it , or else no Man then upon Earth could be saved ; which is a Truth so evident , as makes the Proof of that Law , by that Reason alone , to be good . When he terms this Law then Connatural , I understand by it , that this Law of Lapsed Nature , this Law of Grace , or Remedying Law , is written in the Heart of Man , in regard to his fallen Nature , no less than the Law of pure Nature it self was . The Law of Nature , as I take it , is the Dictates of right Reason , declaring to us our Duty to God , to our Selves , to our Neighbours ; and the Light of the same Reason will dictate to us , when we have fail'd in that Duty , to repent , and turn to God , with trusting in his Mercy , for pardon if we do so , and not else . We do find it legible in our Hearts , that God is good and wisely gracious to pity our Infirmities , and consider our lost Estate , and necessary Frailty , as that there is a God , and any Worship that is at all due to him . There is Mercy with thee , that thou should'st be feared . And these Characters , thus engraven in the Heart of Man , is the same Law of Grace in the Practical Contents , as is more largely Paraphrased on by the Prophets in the Old , and the Apostles in the New Testament . There is no difference at all in the Substance , ( as Divines speak ) but in the Administration . It is no otherwise than as a Book thrice Printed , the second Edition is larger than the first , and the third most compleat and perfect . This I will say , the Covenant was still on foot , the Condition , sincerity in walking according to their Light ; Men were judged by it , and many saved . Here only is the difference , that the Foundation , on which all this is laid , the Mediation , Sacrifice and Righteousness of Christ , comes not to be revealed but in Types , and darker Promises , till the Promulgation of the Gospel . Now , I say , that though the Heathen be not under ( or have not ) this Law of Grace , in the third and last setting out , or in the State under the Gospel , yet they are under it ( or have it ) in the State of the Ancients , or as they had it in the first Promulgation ; and upon Supposition , that any of them do , according to the Light they have , live up in Sincerity to this Law , I dare not be the Man that shall deny but through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ ( procuring this Law or Covenant for them , as for us , and all the World ) they shall be saved , even as we ; and we shall be saved , even as they . To them who by patient Continuance in well-doing , seek for it , Eternal Life . Not to leave this yet , I have learned from Cicero , That all Laws must be derived from the Divine Reason and Will. I have learned from others , That this Reason of God , in his Government of all things , agreeable to his own Nature , and the Nature of his Creatures , is the Eternal Law. I have learned from the Scripture , That there is a Law of Works , and a Law of Grace . I do learn by consequence , That these Laws ( as Frames of God's Government over Man ) must be Reconcileable with the Eternal Law , or the Reason of his Wisdom , and Justice , and Goodness ; the one of them being fit for the State of Man in Innocency , the other for his Lapsed Condition . How these Laws do now consist , and not consist , with one another , while the Scriptures say sometimes , that we are freed from the Law ; and sometimes , that it is Established ; sometimes , that not a tittle of it shall pass ; and sometimes , that we are not under the Law , but under Grace ; I do not intend here any full decision : I will draw only one chief Stroke towards it . The Law may be considered as the Rule of Man's Duty , or Measure of Good and Evil , according to his own Nature and God's ; or as the Instrument of God's Government over Man , or Measure of his Dealing with us , or Judging us according to our deservings . It cannot be conceived , but so long as the Nature of God and Man is the same , and Good and Evil ( which consists of agreeableness , or disagreeableness , to them both ) is the same , the Law of Nature must remain unchangeable , as the Measure of our Moral Actions : But as it is the Instrument of God's Government in the World , it is as certain , that through the Mediation of Christ ( who hath satisfied his Father for our breach of it ) it is relaxed , so as we are not dealt withal according to the Tenor of the Law , in the Matters of this Life , or of that which is to come . I distinguish these two things , A Rule of Life , and a Rule for Life . A Rule for Life is expressed in these words , He that doeth them shall live in them . We are freed from the Law on the latter account , we are made free to it in regard to the former . That is , we are under the Law , so as that we are still bound to live according to it ; but we are delivered from it , so as ( through Mercy , and the Merits of Christ ) we shall not be judged by it . There is Norma Vitae , and Norma Judicii . The Law is of force as a Rule of Life or Duty ; but we are not under it as a Rule of Judgment . We shall be Judged , says St. James , by the Law of Liberty ; and Paul says , According to my Gospel . Blessed be God for this good Truth . Now , that the Government of God over the whole World is by the Law of Grace , and not of Works ( thus much being said only for light in the way ) does appear , as the Sun or Moon in the Heavens . For God hath not left himself without Witness , in that he does good , and gives us Fruitful Seasons . These are Effects of his Mercy , which he could not shew to the World , as he does , if he dealt with it according to the Law of Works . When Abraham pleads with God for Sodom , that he would spare it if there were ten Righteous Persons there , it is manifest , that he must account of God's Government over the Earth , to be a Government of Grace . That the Righteous be as the Wicked , that be far from thee , ( says he ) shall not the Judge of all the Earth do Right ? If God should do but Right to the best of Men , according to the Righteousness of the Law of Works , there could be no such Pleading as this . Neither is there any Righteous , no not one , says the Scripture ; nor could God have accepted of Abraham himself for one , had there been nine besides , but upon the account of the Law of Grace . It is a Righteousness consisting in a Condecency of his Goodness and Mercy , and not in the Rule of his district Holiness that Abraham intends . When the Prophets call upon Israel to Repent , and to do Righteousness , that they may live , it is a perpetual Discovery , that God dealt not with them according to the Covenant of Works . The Law admits no Repentance , and there is no Righteousness that a Man can live by , according to the Law. It is such a Righteousness then they must mean still , which is the same with the just Man's Faith , whereby it is said he shall Live ; and that is the Righteousness of Faith , or Righteousness of God in the Gospel , which lies in a conformity to the Law of Grace . We are Righteous , according to this Law , when we perform the Condition : God is Righteous according to it , when he accepts us thereupon unto Pardon and Life . We have a most signal Instance in the Ninevites of these two things I do here stand upon . If God's Government over the Heathen was not by the Law of Grace , how could the Ninevites , by their Repentance have diverted his Judgments ? And if this Law had not been Connatural with Fallen Man , so as to be written in their Hearts , how could they trust in God , that upon their forsaking Sin , and their turning to him , they should find Mercy , and be saved from Destruction ? Both these things ( I say ) have , in this one Instance , their full Evidence . And what think we of Cornelius , the Centurion and Roman , how could his Prayers and Alms be accepted with God , if Cornelius as well as Paul , a Roman as well as a Jew , were not under the same Government of Grace , when there is nothing we do but is imperfect , and liable to a Curse , by the Law of Works ? And what shall we conclude then , from both Instances , but that which Peter , upon Conviction , himself concludes ? Of a Truth I perceive , that God is no Respecter of Persons , but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness , is accepted of him . There are three things go to a Law : That it be for the Publick Good , That it be the Will of the Lawgiver , That it be promulgated to the Subject . That the Law of Grace is good for the World , there can be no question ; that it is God's Will the World should be govern'd by it , appears by what is spoken ; and that this Law hath been promulgated to Mankind , appears both in the general Notice of it in Men's Hearts , ( I will write my Law in their Hearts , says God , in the New Covenant , as distinguished from that of Moses and in the express Declaration of God to our first Parents , that the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpent's Head ; and in his Covenanting with Noah , which must be understood , without dispute , in regard to all Posterity . Now , when such a Law hath been promulgated to Adam and Noah , as belonging to all the World , being to come of them , it must be proved , that this Law hath been somewhere , or at sometime , again repealed by God ; or else must every Man and Woman in the World be under this Government of God , according to it , and consequently be in a capacity of Salvation . I will , to these Reasonings , add one Syllogism : It is not the Hearers of the Law , but Doers , shall be justified . This is express in one Verse of the Second to the Romans . But some Heathen are Doers , though not Hearers of it . This is affirmed in the next Verse . For when the Gentiles , which have not the Law , do by nature the things contained in the Law , with the rest following . Ergo , Some Heathen are justified and saved . If any cavil , and say , That no Man is a Doer of the Law ; he must be answered , That the Apostle here speaks of such a doing only as is supposed to be among the Jews , that were godly , or Jews inwardly , in the Verses after . And I renew my Argument : They that are Doers of the Law , according to the Sense of such Texts , as make the keeping the Commandments of God necessary to Salvation ; such as when Christ says , If thou wilt enter into Life , keep the Commandments ; and such as when the Apostle says , ( as before ) They that by patient continuance in well-doing , seek for Glory , shall have Eternal Life ; that is , They who are Doers of it , as all that are Jews inwardly , and in the Spirit , do keep it , and no otherwise ; to wit , not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not according to the Rigour of the Law , but according to Acceptation , by the Equity of the Gospel ; they , I say , shall be justified and saved . But some Heathen are Doers of the Law in this sense , which is the sense of the Apostle . Ergo , Some Heathen are justified and saved . I confirm the M●nor by the words ensuing , that we may be sure we have the Mind of the Apostle : Therefore if the Uncircumcision keep the Righoeousness of the Law , shall not his Uncircumcision be counted for Circumcision ? And shall not Uncircumcision , which is by nature , if it fulfil the Law , judge thee , who by the Letter and Circumcision doest break the Law ? It follows , that such as these therefore are Jews inwardly , and in the Spirit ; though they were not Outward Jews , or in the Flesh , or of the Circumcision , as is apparent in the words already , and the last Verses . They that are Jews inwardly , and in the Spirit then , ( I follow my Argument ) though not outwardly so , and in the Flesh , do fulfil the Law , in the sense of this place , and are justified . But such are some of the Heathen here , according to the Apostle ▪ Ergo , Some Heathen are justified and saved . And what could be desired more full and convincing ? If i● were not for the first Verse which follows in the next Chapter ▪ which does yet add such abounding Confirmation to it , as I must profess my self perfectly struck with the Evidence , as with a Beam of Light , never to be withstood , or any more doubted : What advantage then hath the Jew above the Gentile ? These are the words . It cannot be imagined by me now , that this Question could be offered , after he had said thus much ▪ if there were such a difference between these two , as that one of them only was under a possibility of Salvation , and not the other . It is brought as an Objection to his foregoing Assertion , in this sense , That if this be true , there appears no difference in the matter , whether a Man be a Jew or a Gentile ; seeing he that hath the Law written only in his Heart , and keeps it ( that is , in sincerity ) shall have the benefit , and be saved , as well as he that hath it written in the Bible . The Apostle does as good as answer , This is true ; yet is there a difference , Chiefly because that unto the Jews were committed the Oracles of God. I interpret not these words , but give this Paraphrase : The Heathen were under the same Law of Grace for Life as the Jews , but the Jews advantage was , that they had it in the second Promulgation , with this priviledge of Ordinances ; and our advantage is the like over them , that we have it in the third and last Promulgation , by the Gospel . I argue then , once more : If this was the chief advantage the Jew had over the Gentile , that the one had the Oracles of God , and the other had not , then was there not this difference between them , that one was in a Capacity , and the other under an Impossibility of Salvation ; for this were an advantage of a far greater Nature . But this was the chief advantage . Chiefly because — Ergo. The Objections against this Doctrine are two : The one is from the Scriptures , which in many places in the New Testament , do require Faith in Christ , or Believing the Gospel , as the Condition of Salvation . He that believeth not , shall be damned . I answer , As the Apostle says of the Law , Now we know , that whatsoever things the Law saith , it saith to them that are under the Law : So say I of the Gospel , Whatsoever things , of this kind , the Gospel saith , it saith to those that are under the Gospel . Where the Gospel is preached , and Revelation is sufficient , so that Men wilfully reject it , such are left without excuse ; the case of such is dangerous indeed , and these Texts applicable to them : If you believe not that I am he , you shall dye in your Sins . But as for those who never heard the Gospel , or when the Revelation hath been insufficient for such Conviction , the case ( I hope ) is otherwise ; the case is , I think , as I have said ; and our good God will not require of any more than he hath given . The other Objection is from the Authority of Men , or of the Church more generally , that condemns this Opinion : But I account the Verdict of Christians , in this point , is for themselves , and so partial . I suppose it taken again upon trust , and followed by the most for want of Light ; and I believe also , that if they had but this Light only , that I offer , they would have determined as I do . It is true , I grant , as the Church thinks , That there is no Religion , by which a Man can be saved , but one only , that is the true Religion : But this is a great Truth here to be received , That Christianity in the Root , according to what is said , is the Universal Religion of Mankind ; ( whom therefore ye ignorantly worship , him declare I unto you ) so that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , they that live according to Reason , as Socrates , Heraclitus , and the like Men , were Christians , though they were not so called , according to Justin Martyr in his Apology . Which Doctrine , nevertheless ( to salve most fully the Eighteenth Article of the Church , at first mentioned ) is not to be harboured , but as it is compatible with this certain Position , That there is no way , for all that , under Heaven , whereby a Man is , was , or can be saved , but through the Name and Mediation only of our Saviour . For other Foundation can no Man lay , than that is laid , which is Christ Jesus . Out of a Book , concerning the Universality of Redemption , and two other Points . From the Universality of Redemption , there does arise a Government of Grace , which God hath over the whole World ; that is , a Government by the Law of Grace , which Christ hath purchased , as the Instrument of that Government , whereby Salvation is made possible to all Mankind , or whereby Pardon and Life are made attainable by all Men , on a Possible Condition . If you ask me , what that is , wherein this Possibility is placed ? This I perceive is a hard Question made , but I will answer easily : It is to be placed in the lowering the Condition to the capacity of the Persons , having the power and use of their Natural Faculties , so that whosoever he be that lives up sincerely to the Light that he has , shall be saved . Such is the Law of Grace ( I say ) purchased by Christ , by which we are Govern'd , and shall be Judged , that whosoever lives up to the Light and Means he has , in sincerity , shall be saved by it . I will add , Whosoever does but what he can , in order to his Salvation , is sincere ; and consequently the Condition must be possible : But seeing no Mortal does what he can , ( every Man can do more Good , and less Evil , than he does ) I say , If he does sincerely what he can ( which all the Elect from the four quarters of the Earth , and the Elect only , will surely do ) he shall have Life , notwithstanding all his Imperfections . This being premised , as to the possibility of the Performance then it self , it is founded in Dono Supernaturali a Viatore quocunque possibiliter recipiendo , secundum Legem Ordinariam , as the Schools speak . It is an Error ( one of them call'd Vulgar ) which hath reigned too long in the Christian Church , to think that none can be saved by the Name of Christ , who have not heard him preached to them ; or that the Extent of Christ's Death , and the Benefit of it , is Commensurate with the Knowledge of him . The Error hath arose through Carelesness of Divines , in not considering the Point , and the Partiality of the People to their own Religion . The Jew will have none but the Jews , the Mahometan none but the Mahometans , the Christian none but the Christians , to be saved . But I am hugely perswaded otherwise , that there are Millions that have been , and Thousands are living in the World , that have never known , and shall never know , how much they are beholding to Jesus Christ , till they come before him in Judgment , and then they shall know it to their Comfort ; and Christ will stay for his Thanks till that day , when that Comfort , and those Thanks , shall be Everlasting . To say , that any Man was , is , or can be , saved without Christ , is an Error indeed ; and if any one shall go to preach up the Salvability of the Heathen , without this Foundation ( that is to say , Lay any other Foundation than what is laid , Christ Jesus ) the Eighteenth Article of the Church does Anathematize that Person ( for such Ignorance is truly accursed : ) But that Article must not be thought to Curse or Condemn any that maintain Salvation alone by Christ , though he hold also that some Heathen may be saved . Let the Title of the Article give the Interpretation . Out of another Book of his , wherein some of the Articles of the Church are occasionally Explained . Art. 18. Of obtaining Eternal Salvation only by the Name of Christ . They are to be held accursed , that presume to say , That every Man shall be saved by the Law or Sect which he professeth , so that he be diligent to frame his Life according to that Law , and the Light of Nature : For Holy Scripture doth set out unto us , only the Name of Jesus Christ whereby Men must be saved . I observe , the Church hath but one Anathema in all her Articles , and that seems to be denounced here against all those who do or shall hold , that any Persons can be saved that are not Christians by Profession ; as if the Death of Christ , or the Benefits thereof , and the Knowledge of him , were Commensurate through the World. But God forbid ! I am out of doubt that God hath a Government over all Mankind , which is Moral , in order to Life or Salvation ; and that the Instrument of that Government must be the Law of Grace ( the Law of Innoceney becoming in the State of Lapsed Nature uncapable to that end ) which being at first Promulgated to Adam after his Fall , and to Noah , must belong to all his Posterity ; insomuch as every one ( whosoever he be ) that lives up in sincerity to this Law , according to the Administration of it he is under , shall be saved . For my Assent then to this Article , I do desire the word [ By ] may be especially noted . I could not assent to this Article if it were [ In ] in the Law or Sect he professeth , but being [ By ] I hold plainly , that if an Heathen , or any Person that never heard the Gospel , repents of his Sins , and trusts to a good God , and so lives up to the Law ( or Covenant ) of Grace , according to the first Edition of it , ( I say , if any such indeed do , Rom. 2.26 . Acts 10.35 . ) and thereby comes to be saved , it is by the Christian Religion , which he implicitly holds in Substance with us , and not by the Law and Sect he professeth , that he is saved . And this Salvation of his , is in and through the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ ( no less than ours is ) who procured that Law for them , and all the World , as well as for Abraham , and the Jews under the Old , and for us under the New Testament . A Note hereupon . Note here , that the Writer of this , being a Non-conformist Minister , Episcopally Ordained ; and holding Communion with his Parish-Church , as the old Non-conformists did , thought good to make a Trial for the recovery of the use of his Ministry , in Preaching an Occasional Sermon , when called , though without Benefice or Emolument , which requires farther Compliance ; did , in order to obtain a License , unto which an Approbation of the Thirty nine Articles is required by the Uniformity-Act , propose a Subscribing to them , with a Liberty of Explication , if that might be granted ; his Judgment being , That as all Impositions are to be taken in the Sense of the Imposers , these Articles must be taken in the Sense of the Compilers , or at least he must be construed so to take them , if he did Subscribe them without that liberty first granted , and declared . Upon this account he made for himself his Explications of all the Articles he scrupled , and the Bishop of Salisbury hath light upon the same Explication of this Eighteenth Article ( which is cited before ) as he Only this difference must be observed , That this Explications is reckoned satisfactory in point of Conscience by him , upon the supposition of a Liberty of Explication to be first granted ; but the Bishop proposes this Explication as satisfactory to a Clergy-Man for his Subscribing , without the grant to him of a Liberty to make it . There have been great Divines , who looking on the Articles , to be Articles for Peace , and not Articles of Faith , have thought it enough for their Subscription to them , that they engage to bear with , and not contradict them : This worthy Bishop therefore does honestly show , that this is a Sense too loose for the Clergy-Man , who is to declare , That what he Subscribes is his Opinion , and is bound to take every Arti●●e in the Literal and Grammatical Sense of it , as is enjoyned by the King's Declaration before the Articles . Upon this account the Bishop's distinction , between the words By and In , is proper , as easy , if the Authentick Sense be not to be stood upon , but a Literal and Grammatical Construction altogether . I would fain therefore ask the Bishop , whether a Literal and Grammatical Construction can be made to salve all the other Articles , as well as this ? I will propose two words in two Articles : The one is that word [ thorowly ] in the Eighth Article . The three Creeds ought Thorowly to be received and believed . If Thorowly , then in every part , then the beginning , the middle , and the end , of the Athanasian Creed , must be believed ; then must the Proem and the Conclusion be believed . Does the Bishop believe so ? If he indeed does not , then is that fair Grammatical Literal come-off to no purpose , in the Eighteenth Article , when he is gravell'd in the same matter in the Eight . The common Answer ( says the Bishop ) of the most eminent Men of the Church , is , That these Expressions are only to be understood to relate to those , who having the means of Instruction offered them , have rejected them — Upon such as do thus reject this great Article of the Christian Doctrine , concerning One God , and Three Persont , and that other concerning the Incarnation of Christ , are these Anathemaes denounced . This is well , exceeding well ; but is this a Literal Gramatical Construction ? Will the word [ thor●●ly ] so Literally and Grammatically be thus expounded ? The other word I have to propose , is the word [ Only ] in the Eleventh Article : That we are Justified by Faith Only , is a wholsome Doctrine . In the Literal Grammatical Construction this cannot be subscribed , because it is Litterally and Grammatically contrary to St. James , who says , Not by Faith only , but by Works also . In the Authentick Sense one may believe the Compilers meant , by Only , what Paul says , By Faith without Works ; which , by distinguishing Works , may be reconciled to St. James . If the Articles then must be subscribed in the Literal Grammatical Sense , what shall we do with them ? Subscribe them we cannot . Why they must , be let alone . The Truth is , these Articles , if conscienciously Subscribed , must be Subscribed in the Authentick Sense or Meaning of the Church , and so of the Compilers , and that construed Literally and Grammatically , which makes them the harder . They may remain therefore as standing still for the Articles of the Church , but without the Injunction of her Sons to Subscribe them . For no Man of a free Judgment , that will Subscribe nothing but what he understands and believes , will be able to bring his Ego libenter & ex animo , to do it . O quando ! Oh when will the time come , that we may have an Act for Comprehension , which may provide for the forbearance of such Subscriptions , Declarations , and Oaths , that the largest Exposition that can be made of them , does but render a Noli me tangere to Conformist and Non-conformist , and even to himself that makes , or hath made it ? There is a Threefold Interpretation , An Authentick , a Usual , and a Doctrinal Interpretation , according to Suarez De Legibus . The Authentick Interpretation of an Imposition , is the Exposition of it according to the Sense and Meaning of the Imposer ; and the Authentick Interpretation of the Articles is to understand them according to the Meaning of those who compiled them , and consequently of the Church which enjoyned them according to their Meaning . The Usual Interpretation of these Articles , who can tell ? But if any shall cite Chillingworth , and Arch-Bishop Usher , and say that any Interpretation of an Article , as it pleaseth the Taker , so long as he obliges himself not to contradict it , is that which is Usual ; I think he speaks true : But then this Usual Interpretation is not allowed the Clergy-Man by the Bishop , as is noted before , because it is loose and sinful , as he shews upon clear Reason ; and in this , the Bishop will have a good Conscience at the great Day . A Doctrinal Interpretation is the Explication of any Doctor , or Doctors , of the Church , concerning an Article , which is but Rational , and not inconsistent with the Scripture , and the Analogy of Faith , especially if it be ingenuous and candid , and sit to be received . Now if upon the Call of any Parliament , there should be occasion for the Convocation to sit , and they should make a Canon on purpose to authorize , declare and signifie , that the Subscription to the Articles which is enjoyned , is be understood , not in the Authentick or Usual , but only in a Doctrinal Interpretation ; then would this Book of the Bishop be of singular use , and highly to be approved : But if it serve only to justifie the imposing this Subscription , and continue it without a Liberty of Explication , or any such Canon , ( there being these two ways only , I can think on , to make the Imposition Conscionable ) I must declare what I apprehend , That this Book of the Bishop will be , and must needs be , a Snare unto many . I will add , That if it were writ with the Intention to uphold and continue the Subscription , ( which I believe not of this worthy Author ) or if it does but hinder the taking of it off , which was designed in the Convention Parliament , as this Bishop knows ; there is no Man will have more cause of regret , and to be more deeply touched at the Heart about the Book , than he himself , that hath so ingenuously and exquisitely wrote it . THE END . 
A30160	----	The Jerusalem-sinner saved, or, Good news for the vilest of men being a help for despairing souls, shewing that Jesus Christ would have mercy in the first place offered to the biggest sinners / by John Bunyan. Bunyan, John, 1628-1688. 1689 Approx. 220 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 97 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A30160 Wing B5545 ESTC R27236 09726034 ocm 09726034 44053 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A30160) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 44053) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1351:9) The Jerusalem-sinner saved, or, Good news for the vilest of men being a help for despairing souls, shewing that Jesus Christ would have mercy in the first place offered to the biggest sinners / by John Bunyan. Bunyan, John, 1628-1688. The second edition : [21], 168 p. : port. Printed and are to be sold by George Larkin, London : 1689. Reproduction of original in the Bodleian Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Sin. Salvation. 2005-02 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-05 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-06 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2005-06 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion JOHN BUNYAN . THE Jerusalem-Sinner Saved : OR , GOOD NEWS FOR THE Vilest of Men , Being a HELP for DESPAIRING SOULS : SHEWING That Jesus Christ would have Mercy in the first Place offered to the BIGGEST SINNERS . The Second Edition . In which is added , An Answer to those Grand Objections that lie in the way of them that would believe : For the Comfort of those that fear they have sinned against the Holy Ghost . By JOHN BVNYAN of Bedford . LONDON , Printed , and are to be Sold by George Larkin , at the Two Swans without Bishopsgates . 1689. Price Bound 1s . TO THE READER . Courteous Reader , ONe reason which moved me to Write and Print this Little Book , was , because , though there are many Excellent Heart-affecting Discourses in the World that tends to Convert the Sinner ; yet I had a desire to try this simple Method of mine : Wherefore I Make bold thus to Invite and Encourage the Worst to come to Christ for Life . I have been Vile my self , but have obtained Mercy , and I would have my Companions in Sin partake of Mercy too , and therefore I have writ this Little Book . The Nation doth swarm with Vile Ones now , as ever it did since it was a Nation . My Little Book in some places can scarce go from House to House , but 't will find a suitable Subject to spend it self upon . Now since Christ Jesus is willing to save the Vilest , why should they not by Name be somewhat acquainted with it , and bid come to him under that Name ? A great Sinner , when Converted , seems a booty to Jesus Christ ; he gets by saving such an one ; why then should both Jesus lose his Glory , and the Sinner lose his Soul at once , and that for want of an Invitation ? I have found through God's grace , good success in Preaching upon this Subject , and perhaps so I may , by my writing upon it too . I have , as you see , let down this Net for a draught , the Lord catch some great Fishes by it , for the magnifying of his Truth . There are some most Vile in all Mens eyes , and some are so in their own eyes too ; but some have their Paintings to shroud their vileness under , yet they are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do : And for all these , God hath sent a Saviour Jesus : and to all these the Door is opened . Wherefore prethee , Profane Man , give this little Book the reading . Come ; Pardon , ana a part in Heaven and Glory , cannot be hurtful to thee . Let not thy Lusts and Folly drive thee beyond the door of Mercy , since it is not lockt nor bolted up against thee . Manasseh was a bad Man , and Magdalen a bad Woman : To say nothing of the Thief upon the Cross , or of the murderers of Christ ; yet they obtained mercy ; Christ willingly received them . And dost thou think that those once so bad , now they are in Heaven , repent them there , because they left their sins for Christ when they were in the word ? I cannot believe but that thou thinkest they have verily got the best on 't . Why Sinner , do thou likewise : Christ at Heaven Gates , says to thee , come hither ; and the Devil at the gates of Hell does call thee to come to him , Sinner , what sayest thou ? Whether wilt thou go ? Don't go into the Fire , there thou wilt be burned ! Don't let Jesus lose his longing , since 't is for thy Salvation ; but come to him and live . One word more and so I have done . Sinner , here thou dost hear of Love , prethee don't provoke it , by turning it into wantonness . He that dies for slighting Love , sinks deepest into Hell , and will there be tormented by the remembrance of that evil , more than by the deepest cogitation of all his other sins . Take heed therefore , do not make Love thy Tormenter , Sinner . Farewell . THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK . THE Text opened , Page 3● The Badness of Jerusalem unparallel'd , they were the biggest sinners , P. 4 , 5 , 6. DOCTRINE . Jesus Christ would have Mercy ●ffered in the first place to the biggest sinners , p. 9 The Doctrine proved by many Scripture Instances , p. 12 , 13 , 14 The amazing Grace of God , p. 16 , 17 The Apostles keep to their Commission , and offer Mercy in the first place to the biggest sinners , p. 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 The Reasons of the Point . 1. BEcause the bigg●st sinners have most need of Mercy , p. 22 This is Illustrated , p. 24 , to 28 2. Because this redounds most to the spreading of the Fame of Christ , p. 29 Proved and amplified , p. 30 , 36 3. Because by thus doing , others are the more encouraged to come to Christ for Mercy . p. 37 Particular Instances of this , p 40 to 44 4. Because this is the way to weaken the Kingdom of Satan , p. 46 The biggest Sinners Satan's Colonels and Captains , ibid. The bigger sinner breads most of that horrible Vermin , Sin , p. 47 The Author's experience about it , p. 48 5. Because the biggest sinners are the best helps in the Church , when Converted , p. 50 This is Illustrated by several particulars , p. 51. to 56 6. Because such when Converted , are apt to love Christ most , p. 56 A pleasant Story of Martha and Mary , p. 61 , to 66 Christ has but little thanks for saving little Sinners , p. 66 7. Because Grace when received by such , finds matter to kindle upon more freely than it finds in others , p. 69 This is Illustrated by three or four Similitudes , p. 69 , to 70 A Note upon the Debauchery of the Youth of our Times , p. 72 8. Because by this means the finally Impenitent are left the m●re without excuse . p. 79 No ground for the Impenitent at Judgment , for an excuse from the greatnesse of their sins , why they came not to Jesus Christ , p. 78 Instances to convince them how it will go with th●m then , for neglecting the grace of God now , p. 79 , 80 APPLICATION . 1. BY this Doctrine we are shewed how to make a right judgment of the Heart of Christ to Men , p. 84 , 85 2. This shews also the Sufficiency of the Merits of Christ , p. 90 Such as his Merits are , such is his Grace , the one is seen by the other , p. 91 , to 93 3. Here is encouragement for you that think your selves the worst , yet to come to Christ , p. 93 Objections tonch'd upon and dissolved , to obstruct our coming to Christ , p. 94 , 95 4. An ●xpostulation with great Sinners to come to Christ , p. 102 Other Objections touched , p. 103 5. There is no ground for such to despair that would be saved by Jesus Christ , p. 106 Four kinds of Despairing , ibid. Three sorts of Despair reasonable , and to be allowed , p. 107 The badness of that Despair that keeps us off from closing with Christ , shewed in several Particulars , p. 111 , to 114 Despair the Devil's Master , p. 112 6. Since Christ doth offer means to the biggest Sinners , let them take heed that they lay right hold thereon , p. 115 Take heed of presuming instead of believing , p. 116 Faith , and Wild Faith , and how discovered , ibid. When Presumption puts its self in the place of Faith , p. 116 , 117 Three things to help the Jerusalem-sinner to know when to believe in Christ , p. 119 The design of Satan , p. 120 The danger of not Accepting , when Christ offers Mercy . p. 122 7. If it be so , then here is ground for those that are not Sinners of the largest size , to come to Christ for Mercy , p. 122 , 123 Objection answered , p. 123 A Man comparatively a little Sinner , made by Conviction a great one , p. 124 A lamentable cry for Pardon , a great thing with God , p. 125 A right Plea for Pardon lieth not in our numbring up , but ariseth from the sense of the greatness of Sin , p. 125 , 126 Heavenly Subtilty , p. 126 The comparison of little and great Sinners explained , p. 127 One of the comliest Sights in the World , p 127 , 128 A Caution to the great and little Sinner , p. 128 8. By this Grace of Christ is made appear the true reason of Satan's malice against him , p. 128 Who Satan makes use of to manage his despight against Christ. p. 129 How they stickle for Satan unawares to themselves . p. 130 , 131 9. Considering this mercifulness of Christ , let the Tempted harp hereon for their comfort and consolation , p. 133 Satan's Master-piece , his Club and Maul , ibid. The way to foil the Devil , p. 134 At what season the Passover was first eaten , p. 136 Nothing like Faith to help at a pinch , ibid. Faith the Eye , Hand , and Mouth of the Soul , ibid. 10. Here 's encouragement for such a● have in Word or Deed , spoke or done badly , in a day of Trial , p. 138 A comfortable Similitude for such , p. 138 Peter instanced , ibid. Promises for such , p. 139 An Objection answered , p. 140 Christ has Bags of Mercy yet never broken up , ibid. 11. Vse for Exhortation to Ministers and Christians to carry it to the World like their Master Christ , ibid. We should not be Austere , p. 142 We should not affect Wo●ldly Grandure , p. 143 We should in Life and Conversion be exemplary , p. 144 A gentle Reproof , ibid. The Conclusion , p. 146 An answer to those Grand Objections that lie in the way of them that would believe : For the Comfort of those that fear th●y have sinned against the Holy Ghost . p. 149 , &c. A Catalogue of Books , Printed and Sold by George Larkin , at the Two Swans without Bishopsgate . 1. SOlomon's Temple Spiritualiz'd : Or , Gospel-Light fetch'd out of the Temple at Jerusalem , to let us more easily into the Glory of New-Testament Truths : Wherein about Seventy Particulars relating to the Temple at Jerusalem , are Explained ; and what they signifie in Gospel-Times , U●folded , Brice Bonnd 1 s. 2. The Acceptable Sacrifice : Or the Excellency of a Broken Heart : Shewing the Nature , Signs , and Proper Effects of a Contrite Spirit , Price Bound 1 s. 3. A Discourse of the Building , Nature , Excellency and Government of the House of God : With Counsels and Directions to the Inhabitants thereof , Price Stich'd 4 d. 4. The Jerusalem-Sinn●r Saved : Or , Good News for the Vilest of Men : Being a Help for Despairing Souls : Shewing that Jesus Christ would have Mercy in the first Place offered to the Biggest Sinners . The Second Edition : In which is added , An Answer to those Grand Objections that lie in the way of them that would believe : For the Comfort of those that fear they have sinned against the Holy Ghost , Price Bound 1 s. All Four by John Bunyan of Bedford . 5. Instructions for Children : Or , The Child's and Youth's Delight : Teaching an easie way to Spell and Read True English : Containing the Father's Godly Advice , directing Parents in a Right and Spiritual Manner to Educate their Children : With a Christian Catechism , wherein all the Chief Principles of True Christianity are clearly Opened : Together with many other things both Pleasant and Useful for the Education of Children . Written by B. Keach Author of War with the Devil . Recommended to the Use of all Parents and Schoolmasters , by Hanserd Knollys , Price Bound 6 d. 6. The Tutor to True English : Or , Brief and Plain Directions , whereby all that can Read and Write may Attain to Orthography , ( or the Exact Writing of English ) as readily as if bred Scholars . Very much conducing likewise to the due Sounding and perfect Reading all sorts of Words used in the English Tongue . With an Introduction to Arithmetick , more easie than any yet extant . And several other Observations of General Use : Especially for the use of either Sex , and Forreigners . By Henry Care , Price Bound 1 s. 7. The Great Discovery : Or , A Golden Key to unlock the Greatest Points of Divinity contained in the Old and New Testaments : Wherein the Great Design of God for the Salvation of Sinners by Jesus Christ , in a Covenant-way , is more fully laid open and discovered , than has ever been hitherto done by any . By G. W. Price Bound 2 s. GOOD NEWS For the Vilest of Men. OR , A Help for Despairing Souls . Luke xxiv . 47. — Beginning at Jerusalem . THe whole Verse runs thus : And that repentance and remission of Sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations , beginning at Jerusalem . The Words were spoken by Christ , after he rose from the Dead , and they are here rehearsed after an Historical manner , but do contain in them a formal Commission , with a special Clause , therein . The Commission is , as you see , for the Preaching of the Gospel , and is very distinctly incerted in the Holy Record by Matthew and Mark. Go teach all Nations , &c. Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel unto every Creature , Matt. 28.19 . Mark 16.15 . Only this Clause is in special mentioned by Luke , who saith , That as Christ would have the Doctrine of Repentance and Remission of Sins preached in his Name among all Nations , so he would have the People of Jerusalem to have the first proffer thereof . Preach it , saith Christ , in all Nations : but begin at Jerusalem . The Apostles then , though they had a Commission so large as to give them Warrant to go and preach the Gospel in all the World , yet by this Clause they were limited , as to the beginning of their Ministry : They were to begin this Work at Jerusalem . Beginning at Jerusalem . Before I proceed to an Observation upon the Words , I must ( but briefly ) t●uch upon two things : Namely , 1. Shew you what Jerusalem now was . 2. Shew you what it was to preach the Gospel to them . So the first , Jerusalem is to be considered of , either , 1. With respect to the descent of her People : Or , 2. With respect to her Preference and Exaltation : Or , 3. With respect to her present State , as to her Decays . First , As to her Descent : She was from Abraham , the Sons of Jacob , a People that God singled out from the rest of the Nations to set his love upon them . Secondly , As to her Preference , or Exaltation , she was the place of God's Worship , and that which had in , and with her , the special ●okens and Signs of God's Favour and Presence , above any o●her People in the Word . Hence the Tribes went up to Jerusalem to Worship , there was God's House , God's High Priest , God's Sacrifices accepted , and God's Eye , and God's Heart perpetually , Ps●l . 76.1 , 2. Psal. 122.1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8. 1 King. 9.3 . But , Thirdly , We are to consider Jerus●lem also in her Decays ; for as she is to considered , she is the proper object of our Text , as will be f●rther shewed by and by . Jerus●lem , as I toId you , ●as the place and fea● of God's Worship , but now decayed , deg●n●rated , and apostatiz●d . The Word , the Rule of Worship , was rejected of them , and in its place they had put and set up their own Traditions : They had rejected also the most weighty Ordinances , and put in the room thereof their own little things , ( Mat. 15. Mark 7. ) Jerusalem was therefore now greatly backslidden , and become the place where Truth and true Religion was much defaced . It was also now become the very sink of Sin , and seat of Hypocrisie , and gulf where true Religion was drowned . Here also now reigned Presumption , and groundless Confidence in God , which is the bane of Souls . Amongst its Rulers , Doctors , and Leaders , Envy , Malice , and Blasphemy vented it self against the Power of Godliness , in all places where it was espied : As also against the Promoters of it ; yea , their Lord and Maker could not escape them . In a Word , Jerusalem was now become the Shambles , the very Slaughter-shop for Saints . This was the place wherein the Prophets , Christ , and his People , were most horribly persecuted and murdered . Yea. so hardned at this time was this Jerusalem in her Sins , that she feared not to commit the biggest , and to bind her self by Wish under the guilt and damning evil of it ; saying , when the had murdered the Son of God , His Blood be upon us and our Children . And though Jesus Christ did both by Doctrine Miracles , and Holiness of Life , seek to put a stop to their Villanies ; yet they shut their eyes , stopt their ears , and rested not , till , as was hinted before , they had driven him out of the World. Yea , that they might , if possible , have extinguished his Name , and exploded his Doctrine out of the World , they against all Argument , and in despite of Heaven , its mighty hand , and undeniable proof of his Resurrection , did hire Souldiers to invent a Lye , saying , His Disciples stole him away from the Grave ; on purpose that Men might not count him the Saviour of the World , nor trust in him for the Remission of Sins . They were , saith Paul , contrary to all Men : For they did not only shut up the Door of Life against themselves , but forbad that it should be opened to any else . Forbidding us , saith he , to preach to the Gentiles , that they might be saved , to fill up their sin alway , Matt. 23.35 chap. 15.7 , 8 , 9. Mar. 7. ● , 7 8 , Mat. 3 7.8 9. Joh. 8.33 , 41. Mat. 27.18 . Mar. 3.30 . Luk. 265. Mat. 23. 37. Luk. 13 33 , 34. Psal. 2.22 , 23. Chap. 4.10 . Mat. 27.25 Chap. 20.11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15. 1 Thes. 2.14 , 15 , 16. This is the City , and these are the People : This is their Character , and th●se are their Sins . Nor can there be produced their parallel in all this World. Nay , what World ! what People ! what Nation , for Sin , and Transgression , could , or can be comp●red to Jerusalem ! Especially if you joyn to the matter of fact , the Light they sinned against , and the Patience which they abused . Infinite was the Wickedness upon this account which they committed . After all their abusings of wise Men , and Prophets , God sent unto them John Baptist , to reduce them , and then his Son to redeem them ; but they would be neither reduced nor redeemed , but persecuted both to the Death . Nor did they , as I said , stop here ; the Holy Apostles they afterwards persecuted also to Death , even so many as they could , the rest ●he drove from them unto the utmost Corners . Secondly , I come now to shew you what it was to preach the Gospel to them . It was , saith Luke , to preach to them Repentance and remission of Sins in Christs Name . Or as Mark has it , to bid th●m repent and believe the Gospel , Mar. 1.15 . Not that Repentance is a cause of Remission , but a sign of our hearty reception thereof . Repentance is therefore here put to intimate , that no pretended Faith of the Gospel is good , that is not accompanied with it . And this he doth on purpose 'cause he would not have them deceive themselves : For with what Faith can he expect remission of Sins in the Name of Christ , that is not heartily sorry for them ? Or how shall a man be able to give to others a satisfactory account of his unseigned subjection to the Gospel , that yet abides in his impenitency ? Wherefore Repentance is here joined with Faith in the way of receiving the Gospel . Faith is that without which it cannot be received at all : And Repentance that without which it cannot be received unseignedly . When therefore Christ says , he would have Repentance and Remission of Sins preached in his Name among all Nations ; it is as much as to say , I will that all men every where be sorry for their sins , and accept of mercy at Gods hand thorow me , lest they fall under his wrath in the Judgment . For as I said , without Repentance , what pretence soever men have of Faith , they cannot escape the wrath to come . Wherefore Paul saith , God commands all men ev●ry where to repent ( in order to their Salvation ) because he hath appointed a day in the which he will Judge the World in Righte●usness by that man whom he hath ordained , Acts 17.30 . And now to come to this Clause , Beginning at Jerusalem : That is , that Christ would have Jerusalem have the first offer of the Gospel . 1. This cannot be so commanded , because they had now any more right of themselves thereto than had any of the Nations of the World ; for their Sins had divested them of all self-deservings . 2. Nor yet , because they stood upon the advance ground with the worst of the Sinners of the Nations . Nay , rather the Sinners of the Nations had the advanc●-ground of them . For Jerusalem was long , before she had added this Iniquity to her sin , worse than the very Nations that God cast out before the Children of Israel , 2 Chron. 33. 3. It must therefore follow that this Cl●use , B●gin at Jerusalem , was put into this Commission of meer Grace and Compassion ; Even from the overflowings of the Bowels of Mercy . For indeed they were the worst , and so in the most deplorable condition of any People under the Heavens . Whatever therefore their relation was to Abraham , Isaac , or Jacob , however they formerly had been the People among whom God had placed his Name and Worship , they were now degenerated from God , more than the Nations were from their Idols , and were become guilty of the highest Sins which the People of the World were capable of committing . Nay , none can be capable of committing of such pardonable Sins as they committed against their God , when they slew his Son , and persecuted his Name and Word . From these Words therefore thus explained , we gain this Observation ; That Jesus Christ would have mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners . That these Jerusalem Sinners were the biggest Sinners that ever were in the World , I think none will deny , that believes that Christ was the best Man that ever was in the World , and also was their Lord God. And that they were to have the first offer of his Grace , the Text is as clear as the Sun ; for it saith , Begin at Jerusalem . Preach , saith he , Repentance and remission of sins to the Jerusalem-sinners ; to the Jerus●lem-sinners in the first place , One would a-thought , since the J●rusalem-sinners were the worst , and greatest Sinners , Christ's greatest enemies , and those that not only despised his Person , Doctrine , and Miracles , but that a little before had had their hands up to the elbows in his Heart-bloud , That he should rather have said , Go into all the World , and preach Repentance and Remission of Sins among all Nations ; and af●er that , offer the same to Jerusalem . Yea , it had been infinite Grace , if he had said so . But what Grace is this ? Or what Name shall we give it , when he commands that this Repentance and Remission of Sins , which is designed to be preached in all Nations , should first be offered to Jerusalem , in the first place to the worst of Sinners : Nor was this the first time that the Grace which was in the Heart of Christ , thus shewed it self to the World. For while he was yet alive , even while he was yet in Jerus●lem , and perceived even among these Jerusalem-sinners , which was the most vile amongst them ; he still in his preaching did signifie that he had a desire that the worst of these worst should in the first place come unto him . The which he sheweth where he saith to the better sort of them , The Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdom of God before you , Matt. 21.31 . Also when he compared Jerusalem with the Sinners of the Nations , then he commands that the Jerusalem-sinners should have the Gospel at present confined to them . Go not , saith he , into the way of the Gentiles , and into any of the Cities of the Samaritans enter ye not : but go rather to the lost Sheep of the house of Israel , Matt. 10.5 , 6. chap. 23.37 . But go rather to them , for they were in the most fearful plight . These therefore must have the Cream of the Gospel , namely , the first offer thereof in his Life-time : Yea , when he departed out of the World , he left this as part of his last Will with his Preachers , that they also should offer it first to Jerusalem . He had a mind , a careful mind , as it seems , to priviledge the worst of Sinners with the first offer of Mercy , and to take from among them a People to be the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb. The fifteenth of Luke also is famous for this , where the Lord Jesus takes more care , as appears there by three Parables , for the lost Sheep , lost Groat , and the Prodigal Son , than for the other Sheep , the other Pence , or for the Son that said he had never transgressed . Yea , he shews that there is Joy in Heaven , among the Angels of God , at the repentance of one Sinner , more than over Ninety and nine Just Persons , which need no repentance , Luke 15. After this manner therefore the mind of Christ was set on the Salvation of the biggest Sinners in his Life-time . But joyn to this , this Clause , which he carefully put into the Apostles Commission to preach , when he departed hence to the Father ; and then you shall see that his Heart was vehemently set upon it , for these were part of his last words with them , Preach my Gospel to all Nations , but see that you begin at Jerusalem . Nor did the Apostles overlook this Clause , when their Lord was gone into Heaven : They went first to them of Jerusalem , and preached Christ's Gospel to them . They abode also there for a season and time , and preached it to no body else , for they had regard to the Commandment of their Lord. And it is to be observed , namely , that the first Sermon which they preached after the Ascension of Christ , it was preached to the very worst of these Jerusalem-sin●ers ; even to those that were the murderers of Jesus Christ , Acts 2.23 . For these are part of the Sermon ; Ye took him , and by wicked hands have Crucified and slain him . Yea , the next Sermon , and the next , and also the next to that , was preached to the self-same murderers , to the end they might be saved , Acts 3. 14 , 15 , 16. chap. 4 , 10 , 11. chap. 5 , 30. chap. 7.52 . But we will return to the first Sermon that was preached to these Jerusalem-sinners , by which will be manifest more than great Grace , if it be duly considered . For after that Peter and the rest of the Apostles , had in their Exhortation perswaded these Wretches to believe that they had killed the Prince of Life , and after they had duly fallen under the guilt of their Murder , saying , Men and Brethren , what shall we do ? He replies by an universal Tender to them all in general , considering them as Christ-killers . That if they were sorry for what they had done , and would be Baptized for the Remission of their sins in his Name , they should receive the gift of the Holy Ghost , Acts 2.37 , 38. This he said to them all , though he knew that they were such sinners . Yea , he said it without the least stick , or stop , or p●use of Spirit , as to whether he had best to say so or no. Nay , so far off was Peter from making an Objection against one of them , that by a particular Clause in his Exhortation , he endeavours , that not one of them may escape the Salvation offered . Repent , saith he , and be Baptized every one of you . I shut out never a one of you . For I am commanded by my Lord , to deal with you , as it were , one by one , by the Word of his Salvation . But why speaks he so particularly ? Oh! there were reasons for it . The People with whom the Apostles were now to deal , as they were Murderers of our Lord , and to be charged in the general with his Blood , so they had their various and particular acts of Villany in the guilt thereof , now lying upon their Consciences . And the guilt of these their various and particular acts of wickedness , could not perhaps , be reached to a removal thereof , but by this particular Application . Repent every one of you ; be Baptized every one of you , in his Name , for the Remission of Sins , and you shall , every one of you , receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost . Object . But I was one of them that plotted to take away his Life : May I be saved by him ? Peter . Every one of you . Object . But I was one of them that bare false Witness against him : Is there Grace for me ? Peter . For every one of you . Object . But I was one of them that cryed out , Crucifie , Crucifie him ; and that desired that Barabas the Murderer might live , rather than him . What will become of me , think you ? Peter . I am to preach Repentance and Remission of Sins to every one of you , says Peter . Object . But I was one of them that did spit in his face when he stood before his Accusers . I also was one that mocked him , when in anguish he hanged bleeding on the tree . Is there room for me ? Peter . For every one of you , says , Peter . Object . But I was one of them that in his extremity said , Give him Gall and Vinegar to drink , why may not I expect the same when anguish and guilt is upon me ? Peter . Repent of these your wickednesses , and here is remission of sins for every one of you . Object . But I railed on him , I reviled him , I hated him , I rejoyced to see him mocked at by others . Can there be hopes . for me ? Peter . There is for every one of you . Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ , for the Remission of Sins , and ye shall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost . Oh! what a blessed Every one of you , i● here ! How willing was Peter and the Lord Jesus , by his Ministry , to catch these Murderers with the Word of the Gospel , that they might be made Monuments of the Grace of God! How unwilling , I say , was he , that any of these should escape the hand of Mercy ! Yea , what an amazing wonder is it , to think , that above all the World , and above every body in it , These should have the first offer of Mercy ! Beginning at Jerusalem . But was there not something of moment in this Clause of the Commission ? Did not Peter , think you , see a great deal in it , that he should thus begin with these men , and thus offer , so particularly , this Grace to each particular man of them ? But , as I told you , This is not all . These Jerusalem-sinners must have this offer again and again ; Every one of them , must be offered it over and over . Christ would not take their first rejection for a denial ; nor their second repulse for a denial : But he will have Grace offered once , and twice , and thrice , to these Jerusalem-sinners . Is not this amazing Grace ! Christ will not be put off . These are the Sinners , that are sinners indeed . They are Sinners of the biggest sort , consequently such as Christ can , if they convert and be saved , best serve his ends and designs upon . Of which more anon . But what a pitch of Grace is this ! Christ is minded to amaze the World , and to shew that he acteth not like the Children of men . This is that which he said of old , I will not execute the fierceness of my wrath , I will not return to destroy Ephraim , for I am God and not Man , Hos. 11.9 . This is not the manner of Men ; Men are shorter winded ; Men are soon moved to take Vengeance , and to right themselves in a way of Wrath and Indignation But God is full of Grace , full of Patience , ready to Forgive , and one that delights in Mercy . All this is seen in our Text. The biggest sinners must First be offered Mercy . They must , I say , have the Cream of the Gospel offered . unto them . But we will a little proceed . In the Third C●apter we find , that they who escaped Converting by the first Sermon , are called upon again , to accept of Grace and Forgiveness for their Murder committed upon this Son of God. You have killed ; yea , you have denyed the Holy one and the Just , and desired a Murderer to be granted unto you . And killed the Prince of Life . M●rk , He falls again upon the very Men that actually were , as you have it in the Chapters following , his very Betrayers and Murderers , Acts 3.14 , 15. As being loth that they should escape the mercy of Forgiveness . And Exhorts them again to repent , that their sins might be blotted out , Ver. 19.20 . Ag●in , in the Fourth Chapter , he charges them afresh with this Murder , Ver. 10. But withall tells them , Salvation is in no other . Then like a heavenly Decoy , he puts himself also among them , to draw them the better under the Net of the Gospel ; saying , There is none other Name under Heaven given among men , whereby we must be saved , Ver. 12. In the fifth Chapter you find them railing at him , because he continued preaching among them Salvation in the Name of Jesus . But he tells them , That that very Jesus whom they had slain and hanged on a Tree , him God had raised up , and exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour , to give Repentance to Isra●l , and Forgiveness of Sins , Vir. 29.30 , 31. Still insinuating , that tho they had killed him , and to this day rejected him , yet his business was to bestow upon them , Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins . 'T is true , after they began to kill again , and when nothing but killing would serve their turn ; then they that were scattered abroad , went every where preaching the Word . Yet even some of them to hankered after the Conversion of the Jews , that they preached the Gospel only to them . Also the Apostles still made their abode at Jerusalem , in hopes that they might yet let down their Net for another draught of these Jerusalem-sinners . Neither did Paul and Barnabas , who were the Ministers of God to the Gentiles , but offer the Gospel in the first place to those of them that for their wickedness were scattered like Vagabonds among the Nations . Yea , and when they rendred Rebellion and Blasphemy for their Service and Love ; they replied , It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to them , Acts 1.8 . chap. 13.46 , 47. Nor was this their Preaching unsuccessful among these People : But the Lord Jesus so wrought with the Word thus spoken , that thousands of them came flocking to him for Mercy . Three thousand of them closed with him at the first ; and afterwards two thousand more ; for now they were in number about five thousand ; whereas before Sermons was preached to these Murderers , the number of the Disciples were not above a hundred and twenty , Acts 1.15 . chap. 2.41 . chap. 4 , 4. Also among these People that thus flocked to him for Mercy , there was a great company of the Priests , chap. 6.7 . Now the Priests were they that were the greatest of these biggest Sinners ; they were the Ringleaders , they were the Inventors and Ringleaders in the mischief . ' T●as they that set the People against the Lord Jesus , and that was the cause why the upro●r increased , until Pilate had given Sentence upon him . The chief Priests and Elders , says the Text , perswaded ( the People ) the multitude , that they should ask Barabas , and destroy Jesus , Mat. 27.20 . And yet behold , the Priests , yea , a great company of the Priests became obedient to the Faith. Oh the Greatness of the Grace of Christ ! ! That he should be thus in love with the Souls of Jerusalem-sinners ! That he should be thus delighted with the Salvation of the Jerusalem-sinners ! That he should not only will that his Gospel should be offered them , but that it should be offered unto them first , and before other Sinners were admitted to a hearing of it ; Begin at Jerusalem . Was this Doctrine well believed , where would there be place for a doubt , or a fear of the Damnation of the Soul , if the Sinner be penitent ; How bad a Life soever he has lived , how many soever in number are his sins ! But this Grace is hid from the Eyes of Men , the Devil hides it from them ; for he knows it is alluring ; he knows it has an attracting Vertue in it . For this is it , that above all Arguments can draw the Soul to God. I cannot help it , but must let drop another Word : The first Church , the Jerusalem - Church , from whence the Gospel was to be sent into all the World ; was a Church made up of Jerusalem-sinners . These great Sinners were here the most shining Monuments of the exceeding Grace of God. Thus you see , I have proved the Doctrine ; and that , not only by shewing you , that this was the practice of the Lord Jesus Christ in his Life-time ; but his last Will , when he went up to God ; saying , Begin to preach at Jerusalem . Yea , it is yet further manifested , in that when his Ministers first began to preach there , he joyned his Power to the Word , to the Converting of thousands of his Betrayers and Murderers ; and also many of the Ringleading Priests , to the Faith. I shall now proceed , and shall shew you , 1. The Reasons of the point . 2. And then make some Application of the whole . The Observation you know , is this , Jesus Christ would have mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners , to the Jerusalem-sinners ; preach Repentance , and remission of sins , in my Name , among all Nations , Beginning at Jerusalem . The Reasons of the Point are , First , Because the biggest Sinners have most need thereof . He that has most need , Reason says , should be helped first . I mean , when a helping hand is offered , and now it is . For the Gospel of the Grace of God is sent to help the World , Acts 16.9 . But the biggest sinner has most need . Therefore in reason , when Mercy is sent down from Heaven to men , the worst of men should have the first offer of it . Begin at Jerusalem . This is the reason which the Lord Christ himself renders , why in his Life-time he left the best , and turned him to the worst ; why he sat so loose from the Righteous , and stuck so close to the Wicked . The whole , saith he , have no need of the Physician , but the sick . I came not to call the righteous , but sinners to repentance , Mark 2.15 , 16 , 17. Above , you read , that the Scribes and Pharisees said to his Disciples , How is it that he eateth and drinketh with Publicans and Sinners ? Alas , they did not know the reason . But the Lord renders them one , and such an one as is both natural and cogent ; Saying , These have need , most need . Their great necessity requires that I should be most friendly , and shew my grace first to them . Not that the other were sinless , and so had no need of a Saviour : But the Publicans and their Companions , were the biggest sinners , they were , as to view , worse than the Scribes , and therefore in reason should be helped first , because they had most need of a Saviour . Men that are at the point to dye , have more need of the Physician , than they that are but now and then troubled with are Heart-fainting-qualm . The Publicans and Sinners were as it were , in the mouth of Death , Death was swallowing of them down ; and therefore the Lord Jesus receives them first , offers them mercy first . The whole have no need of the Physician , but the sick . I came not to call the righteous , but sinners to repentance . The Sick , as I said , is the biggest sinner , whether he sees his Disease or not . He is stained from Head to Foot , from Heart to Life and Conversation . This man in every mans judgment , has the most need of mercy . There is nothing attends him from Bed to Board , and from Board to Bed again , but the visible characters , and obvious symptoms of eternal damnation . This therefore is the man that has need , most need , and therefore in reason should be helped in the first place . Thus 't was with the People concerned in the Text , they were the worst of sinners , Jerusalem-sinners , sinners of the biggest size , and therefore such as had the greatest need : Wherefore they must have mercy offered to them , before it be offered any where else in the World. Begin at Jerusalem , offer mercy first to a Jerusalem-sinner : This man has most need , he is farthest from God , nearest to Hell , and so one that has most need . This mans sins are in number the most , in cry the loudest , in weight the heaviest and consequently will sink him soonest : Wherefore he has most need of mercy . This man is shut up in Satans hand , fastest bound in the cords of his sins ; one that Justice is whetting his Sword to cut off , and therefore has most need , not only of mercy , but that it should be extended to him in the first place . But a little further , to shew you the true nature of this Reason , to wit , That Jesus Christ would have mercy offer'd in the first place to the biggest sinners . First , Mercy ariseth from Bowels and Compassion , from Pity , and from a feeling of the Condition of those in misery , In his Love , and in his Pity , he saveth us , And again , The Lord is p●tiful , very petiful , and of great mercy , Isa. 63.9 . Jam , 5.11 . Now where Pity and Compassion is , there is yearning of Bowels ; and where there is that , there is a readiness to help . And , I say again , The more deplorable and dreadful the Condition is , the more directly doth Bowels and Compassion turn themselves to such , and offer help and deliverance . All this flows from our first Scripture proof , I came to call them that have need ; to call them first , while the rest look on , and murmur . How shall I give thee up , Ephraim ? Ephraim was a Revolter from God , a man that had given himself up to Devilism : A company of men , the ten Tribes , that worshiped Devils , while Judah kept with his God. But how shall I give thee up , Ephraim ? How shall I deliver thee Israel ? How shall I make thee as Admah ? How shall I set thee 〈◊〉 Zeboim ? ( and yet thou art worse than they : nor has Samaria committed half thy sins , Ezek. 16.46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51. ) My heart is turned within me , and my repentings are kindled together , Hos. 11.8 . But where do you find that ever the Lord did thus rowl in his Bowels for , and after any Self-righteous man ? No , no , they are the Publicans and Harlots , Idolaters and Jerusalem-sinners , for whom his Bowels thus yearn and tumble about within him . For alas ! poor Worms , they have most need of mercy . Had not the good Samaritan more compassion for that man that fell among Thieves , ( though that fall was occasioned by his going from the place where they worshipped God , to Jerico , the cursed City ) than we read he had for any other besides ? His Wine was for him , his Oyl was for him , his Breast for him ; his Pen●y , his Care , and his Swadling-bands for him ; for alas , Wretch ! he had most need , Luke 10.30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35. Zacheus the Publican , the chief of the Publicans , one that had made himself the richer by wronging of o●hers ; the Lord at that time singl●th him out from all the rest of his brother Publicans , and that in the face of many Pharisees , and proclaimed in the audience of them all , That that day Salvation was come to his ●ouse , Luke 19.1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8. The Woman also that had been bound down by Satan for eighteen years together , his compassions putting him upon it , he loosed her , though those that stood by snarled at him for so doing , Luk. 13.11 , 12 , 13. And why the Woman of Sarepta , and why Naaman the Syrian , rather than Widows and Lepers in Israel ; but because their conditions were more deplorable , ( for that ) they were most forlorn , and farthest from help , Luk. 4.25 , 27. But I say , why all these , thus named ? why have we not a Catalogue of some Holy men that were so in their own eyes , and in the judgment of the World ? Alas ! if at any time any of them are mentioned , how seemingly coldly doth the Record of Scripture present them to us ? Nicodemus , a Night-Professor , and Simon the Pharisee , with his Fifty Pence ; and their great ignorance of the methods of Grace , we have now and then touched upon . Mercy seems to be out of his proper Chanel , when it deals with Self-righteous men ; but then it runs with a full stream when it extends it self to the biggest sinners . As God's mercy is not regulated by Man's goodness , nor obtained by Man's worthiness ; so not much set one by saving of any such . But more of this anon . And here let me ask my Reader a Question : Suppose that as thou art walking by some Pond-side , thou shouldst espy in it , four or five Children all in danger of drowning , and one in more danger than all the rest ; judge which has most need to be helped out first ? I know thou wilt say , he that is nearest drowning : Why , this is the case ; the bigger Sinner , the nearer d●o●ning ; therefore the bigger sinner , the more need of mercy ; yea , of help by mercy in the first place . And to this our Text agrees , when it saith , Beginning at Jerusalem . Let the Jerusalem Sinner , says Christ , have the first offer , the first invitation , the first tender of my grace and mercy , for he is the biggest sinner , and so has most need thereof . Secondly , Christ Jesus would have mercy offered in the first place to the biggest sinners , because when they , any of them , receive it , it redound , most to the fame of his Name . Christ Jesus , as you may perceìve , has , put himself under the term of a Physician , a Doctor for curing of Diseases : And you know that Applause , and a Fame , is a thing that Physicians much desire . That is it that helps them to Patients , and that also that will help their Patients to commit thems●lves to their Skill for Cure , with the more confidence and repose of Spirit . And the best way for a Doctor or Physician to get themselves a Name , is in the first place to take in hand , and Cure some such as all others have given off for lost and dead . Physician● get neither Name nor Fame by pricking of Wheals or pi●king out Thistles , or by laying of Plaisters to the scratch of a P●n . Every old Woman can do this . But if they will have a Name and a Fame , if they will have it quickly , they must , as I said , do some great and desperate Cures . Let them fetch one to Life that was Dead ; let them recover one to his Wits , that was Mad ; let them make one that was born Blind , to See ; or let them give ripe Wits to a Fool ; these are ro●able Cures ; and he that can do th●s , and if he doth thus first , he shall have the Name and Fame he desires ; he may lye a B●d till Noon . Why , Christ Jesus forgiveth Sins for a Name , and so beg●ts of himself a go●d Report in the hearts of the Children of men . And therefore in reason , he must be willing , as also he did command , that his mercy should be offered first to the biggest Sinners . I will forgive their sins , iniquities , and transgressions , says he , and it shall turn to me for a name of Joy , and a praise , and an honour , before all the Nations of the earth , Jer. 33.8 , 9. And hence it is that at his first appearing he took upon him to do such mighty works . He got a Fame thereby ; he got a Name thereby , Mat. 4.23 , 24. When Christ had cast the legion of Devils out of the man of whom you read , Mark 5. He bid him go home to his Friends and tell it . Go home , saith he , to thy friends , and tell them how great things God has done for thee , and has had compassion on thee , Mark 5.19 . Christ Jesus seeks a Name , and desireth a Fame in the World ; and therefore , or the better to obtain that , he commands that mercy should first be proffered to the biggest sinners , because by the saying of one of them , he makes all men marvel . As 't is said of the man l●st mentioned , whom Christ cured toward the beginning of his Ministry : And he departed , says the Text , and began to publish in Decapolis , how great things Jesus had done for him , and all men did m●rvel , Ver. 20. When John told Christ , that they saw one casting out Devils in his Name , and they forbad him because he followed not with them : What is the answer of Christ ? Forbid him not , for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my Name , that can lightly speak evil of me . No , they will rather cause his Praise to be heard , and his Name to be magnified , and so put Glory on the head of Christ. But we will follow a little our Metaphor : Christ , as I said , has put himself under the term of a Physician ; Consequently he desireth that his Fame , as to the Salvation of sinners , may spread abroad , that the World may see what he can do . And to this end , has not only commanded that the biggest sinners should have the first offer of his mercy ; but has , as Physicians do , put out his Bills , and published his doings , that things may be read and talked of . Yea , he has moreover in these his blessed Bills , the Holy Scriptures , I mean , incerted the very Names of Persons , the places of their abode , and the great Cures that by the means of his Salvations he has w●ought upon th●m to this very end : Here is , Item , Such a one by my grace and redeeming Blood , was made a Monument of everlasting Life : And such a one by my perfect Obedience , became an Heir of Glory . And then he produceth their Names . Item , I s●ved Lot from the guilt and damnation that he had procured to himself by his incest . Item , I saved David from the Vengeance that belonged to him for committing of Adultery and Murder . Here is also Solomon , M●nasseh , Pet●r , Magdal●n , and many others made mention of in this Book . Yea , here are their Names , their Sins , and their Salvations recorded together , that you may read , and know what a Saviour he is , and do him honour in the World. For why are these things thus recorded , but to shew to Sinners what he can do , to the praise and glory of his grace ? And it is observable , as I said before , we have but very little of the Salvation of little sinners mentioned in God's Book , because that would not have answered the design , to wit , to bring glory and fame to the Name of the Son of God. What should be the reason , think you , why Christ should so easily take a denial of the great ones , that wear the Grandure of the World , and struggle so hard for Hedge creepers and Highway men , ( as that Parable , Luke 14. seems to import he doth ) but to shew forth the riches of the glory of his Grace to his praise . This , I say , is one Reason to be sure . They that had their Grounds , their yoke of Oxen , and their m●rriage Joys , were invited to come ; but they made their excuse , and that serv●d the turn . But when he comes to deal with the worst , he saith to his Servants , Go ye out and bring them in higher . Go out quickly and bring in hither the poor , the maimed , the halt , and the blind . And they did so . And he said again , Go out into the high ways , and Hed●es , and Compel them to come in , that my house may be fill●d , Luk. 14.18 , 19 23. These poor , lame , maimed , blind , hedge-creepers , and high way men , Must come in , Must be forced in . These , if saved , will make his Merits shine . When Christ was crucified , and hanged up between the Earth and Heavens , there was two Thieves crucified with him ; and , behold , he lays hold of one of them , and will have him away with him to Glory . Was not this a strange act , and a display of unthought-of grace ? Were there none but Thieves there , or were the rest of that company out of his reach ? Could he not , think you , have stooped from the Cross to the Ground , and have laid hold on some honester man if he would ? Yes , doubtless . Oh , but then he would not have displayed his Grace , nor so have pursued his own designs ; namely , to get to himself a praise and a name ; But now he has done it to purpose . For who that sh●ll read this Story , but must confess that the Son of God is full of grace ; for a proof of the riches ther●of , he left behind him , when upon the Cross , he took the T●ief away with him to glory . Nor can this one act of his be buried : It will be talked of to the end of the World to his praise . Men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts ; and will declare thy greatness . Th●y shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness , and shall sing of thy righteousness . They shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdom , and talk , of thy power . To make known to the Sons of men , his mighty acts , and the gl●rious Majesty of his Kingdom . Psal. 145.6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12. When the Word of God came among the Conjurers and those Sooth-sayers , that you read of Act. 19. and had p●evailed with some of them to accept of the grace of Christ , the Holy Ghost records it with a boast , for that it would redound to his praise ; saying , And many of them that used curious Arts , brought their Books toge●her and burned th●m before all men , and counted the price of them , and found it fifty thousand piec●s of Silver . So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed , Acts 19. 19 , 20. It wrenched out of the clutches of Satan , some of those of whom he thought himself most sure . So mightily grew the Word of God. It grew mightily , it incroached upon the Kingdom of the Devil ! It pursued him , and took the prey : It forced him to let go his hold ! It brought away captive , as Prisoners taken by force of Arms , some of the most valiant of his Army . It fetch back from , as it were , the confines of Hell , some of those that were his most trusty , and that with Hell had been at an agreement . It made them come and confess their deeds , and burn their Books before all men : So mightily grew the Word of God , and prevailed . Thus therefore you see why Christ will have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners . They have most need thereof ; and this is the most ready way to extol his name that rideth upon the Heavens to our help . But , Thirdly , Christ Jesus would have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners , Because by their Forgiveness and Salvation , others , hearing of it , will be encouraged the more to come to him for Life . For the Physi●ian by curing of the most desperate at the first , doth not only get himself a Name , but begets Encouragement in the minds of other diseased folk to come to him for help . Hence you read of our Lord , that after , through his tender mercy , he had Cured many of great Diseases , his Fame was spread abroad : They brought unto him all sick People that were taken with divers Diseases and Torments , and those which were poss●sse● with Devils , and those which were Lunatick and those that had the Palsie , and he healed them ; and there followed him great multitudes of People from Galilee , and Decapolis , and Jerusalem , and Judea , and from beyond Jordan , Mat. 4.24 , 25. See here , He first by working , gets himself a Fame , a Name , and Renown , and now men take Encouragement , and bring from all quarters their Diseased to him , being helped by what they had heard , to believe that their Diseased should be healed . Now , as he did with those outward Cures , so he does in the proffers of his Grace and Mercy ; he proffers that in the first place to the biggest Sinners , that others may take Heart to come to him to be saved . I will give you a Scripture or two , I mean , to shew you that Christ by commanding that his Mercy should in the first place be offered to the biggest of Sinners , has a design , thereby to encourage and provoke others to come also to him for Mercy . God , saith Paul , who is rich in Mercy , for his great love wherewith he loved us , even when we were dead in our sins hath quickened us together with Christ. ( by Grace ye are saved ) and hath raised us up together , and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus . But why did he do all this ? That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding R●ches of his Grace in his kindness towards us thorow Christ Jesus , Ephes. 2.4 , 5 , 6 , 7. See , here 's a design , God lets out his Mercy to Eph●sus of design , even to shew to the Ages to come , the exceeding Riches of his Grace in his kindness to them thorow Christ Jesus . And why to shew by these , the exceeding Riches of his Grace to the Ages to come thorow Christ Jesus ? But to alure them , and their Children also to come to him , and to partake of the same Grace thorow Christ Jesus . But what was Paul , and the Ephesian-Sinners ? ( of Paul we will speak anon ) These Ephesian-Sinners , They were men dead in Sins , men that walked according to the dictates and motions of the Devil , worshippers of Diana , that Effeminate Godd●ss : Men far off from God , aliens and strangers to all good things , such as were far off from that , as I s●id , and cons●quently in a most deplorable condition . As the Jerusalem-Sinners were of the highest sort among the Jews , so these Ephesian-Sinners were of the highest sort among the Gentiles , ( Ephes. 2.1 , 2 , 3. Acts 19.35 . Ephes. 2.11 , 12. ) W●erefore as by the Jerusalem-Sinners , in saving them first , he had a design to provoke others to come to him for Mercy ; so , The same design is here set on foot again , in his calling and converting the Ephesian-Sinners ; that in the Ages to come he might shew the ●xceeding Riches of his Grace , says he , in his kindness towards us thorow Christ Jesus . T●ere is yet one hint behind . 'T is said that God saved these FOR his love . That is , as I think for the setting forth , for the commendations of his love , for the advance of his love in the Hearts and minds of them that should come after . As who should say , God has had Mercy upon , and been Gracious to you , that he might shew to others for their encouragement , that they have ground to come to him to be saved . When God saves one great Sinner , 't is to encourage another great Sinner to come to him for Mercy . He saved the Thief , to encourage Thieves to come to him for Mercy . He saved Magdalen , to encourage other Magdalens to come to him for Mercy . He saved Saul , to encourage Sauls to come to him for Mercy . And this Paul himself doth say , For this cause , saith he . I obtained Mercy , that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a Pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting , 1 Tim. 1.16 . How plain are the words ! Christ in saving of me , has given to the World a Patern of his Grace , that they might see , and believe , and come , and be saved . That they that are to be born hereafter , might believe on Jesus Christ to life everlasting . But what was Paul ? Why he tells you himself , I am , says he , the chief of Sinners ; I was , says he , a Blasphemer , a Pers●cutor , an injurious Person : but I obtained Mercy , 1 Tim. 1.14 , 15. Ay , that 's well for you Paul ; but what advantage have we thereby ? Oh very much , saith he ; For , for this cause I obtained M●rcy , that in me First , Jesus Christ might shew all long suffering for a pattern to them which shall believe on him to life everlasting . Thus therefore you see that this third Reason is of strength , namely , That Jesus Christ would have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners , because , by their Forgiveness and Salvation , others , hearing of it , will be encouraged the more to come to him for M●rcy . It may well therefore be said to God , Thou delight●st in Mercy , and Mercy pleases thee , Mich. 7.18 . But who believes that this was Gods design in shewing Mercy of old ? Namely , That we that come after might take courage to come to him for Mercy ; or that Jesus Christ would have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners , to stir up others to come to him for Life . This is not the manner of men ! O God! But David saw this betimes , therefore he makes this one Argument with God , That he would blot out his Transgressions , that he would forgive his Adultery , his Murders , and horrible Hypocrisie . Do it , O Lor● , saith he , do it , And then will I teach Trans●ressors thy ways , and Sinners shall be Converted unto thee , Psal. 51.7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13. He knew that the Conversion of Sinners would be a work highly pleasing to God , as being that which he had designed before he made Mountain or Hill : Wherefore he comes , and he saith , Save me , O Lord ; if thou wilt but save me , I will fall in with thy design . I will help to bring what Sinners to thee I can . And Lord , I am willing to be made a Preacher my self , for that I have been a horri●le Sinner ; wherefore , if thou sh●lt forgive my great Transgressions , I sh●ll be a fit man to tell of thy wonderous Grace to others . Yea , Lord , I dare promise , that if thou wilt have mercy upon me , it shall tend to the glory of thy Grace , and also to the increase of thy Kingdom ; for I will tell it , and Sinners will hear on'● . And there is nothing so suiteth with the hearing Sinner , as Mercy : and to be inform'd that God is willing to bestow it upon him . I will teach Transgressors thy ways , and Sinners sh●ll be Converted unto thee . Nor will Christ Jesus miss of his design in profering of Mercy in the first place to the biggest Sinners . You know what work the Lord , by laying hold of the Woman of Samaria , made among the People there . They knew that she was a Town-Sinner , an Adultress . Yea , one that after the most audacious manner , lived in Uncleanness with a man that was not her Husband . But when she , from a turn upon her Heart , went into the City , and said to her Neighbours , Come : Oh how they came ! how they flocked out of the City to Jesus Christ ! Then they went out of the City , and came to him , and many of the Samaritans ( People perhaps as bad as her self ) believed on him , for the saying of the woman , which testified , saying , He told me all that ever I did ( John 4.39 . ) That word , He told me all that ever I did , was a great Argument with them ; for by that they gathered , That tho he knew her to be vile , yet he did not despise her , nor refuse to shew how willing he was to communicate his Grace unto her : And this fetched over , fi●st , her , then them . This woman , as I said , was a Samaritan-Sinner , a Sinner of the worst Complexion . For the Jews abhorred to have ought to do with them ( verse 9. ) wherefore none more fit than she to be made one of the Decoys of Heaven , to bring others of these Samaritan Wild-Fowls under the Net of t●e Grace of Christ. And she did the work to purpose . Many , and many more of the Samaritans believed on him , Verse 40 , 41 , 42. The Heart of man , tho set on Sin , will , when it comes once to a perswasion that God is willing to have Mercy upon us , incline to come to Jesus Christ for life ; witness those turn-a-ways from God , that you also read of in Jeremiah ; for after they had heard three or four times over , that God had Mercy for backsliders , they broke out and said , Behold , we come unto thee , for thou art the Lord our God. Or as those in Hosea did , For in thee the F●therless find mercy . ( Jer. 3.22 . Hos. 14.1 , 2 , 3. ) Mercy , and the revelation thereof , is the only Antidote against Sin. 'T is of a thawing nature : 't will lose the Heart that is frozen up in Sin : yea , 't will make the Unwilling willing to come to Jesus Christ for , Life . Wherefore do you think was it that Jesus Christ told the Adulterous woman , and that before so many Sinners , That he had not Condemned her , but to alure her , with them there present , to hope to find favour at his hands . ( As he also saith in another place , I came not to Judge , but to Save the World ) , for might they not thence most rationally conclude , That if Jesus Christ had rather save , than damn an Harlot , there was encouragement for them to come to him for Mercy . I heard once a story from a Souldier , who with his Company had laid Siege against a Fort , that so long as the Besieged were perswaded their Foes would show them no favour , they Fought like Mad-men ; but when they saw one of their Fellows taken , and received to favour , they all came tumbling down from their Fortress , and d●livered themselves into their Enemies hands . I am perswaded , did men believe that there is that Grace and Willingness in the Heart of Christ to save Sinners , as the Word imports there is , they would come tumbling into his Arms : But Satan has blinded their Minds , that they cannot see this thing . Howbeit the Lo●d Jesus has , as I said , that others might take Heart and come to him , given out a commandment that Mercy should in the fi●st place be offered to the biggest Sinners . Begin , saith he , at Jerusalem . And thus I end the third Reason . Fourthly , Jesus Christ would have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners , Because that is the way , if they receive it , most to weaken the Kingdom of Satan , and to keep it low●st in every Age of the World. The biggest Sinners , they are Satans Colon●ls , and Captains , the Leaders of his People , and they that most stoutly make Head against the Son of God. Wherefore let these first be conquered , and his Kingdom will be weak . When Ishbosheth had lost his Abner , his Kingdom was made weak , nor did he sit but tottering then upon his Throne . So when Satan loseth his strong men , them that are mighty to work Iniquity , and dextrous to manage others in the same , then is his Kingdom weak ( 2 Sam. 3. ) Therefore I say , Christ doth offer Mercy in the first place to such , the more to weaken his Kingdom . Christ Jesus was glad to see Satan f●ll like Lightning from Heaven , that is suddenly or headlong ; and it was , surely , by casting of him out of strong Possessions , and by r●covering of some notorious Sinners out of his Clutches , ( Luke 10.17 , 18 , 19. ) Samptson , when he would pull down the Philistians Temple , took hold of the two main Pillars of it , and breaking them , down came the House . Christ came to destroy the works of the Devil , and to destroy by converting Grace , as well as by redeeming Blood. Now Sin swarms and lieth by Legions , and whole Armies , in the Souls of the biggest Sinners , as in Garrisons : Wherefore the way , the most direct way to destroy it , is first to deal with such Sinners , by the Word of his Gospel , and by the Merits of his Passion . For Example , tho I shall give you but a homely one ; Suppose a Family to be very Lowzy , and one or two of the Family to be in chief the breeders ; the way , the quickest way , to clear that Family , or at least to weaken the so swarming of those Vermine , is , in the first place to sweeten the Skin , Head , and Cloaths of the chief breeders : And then , though all the Family should be apt to breed them , the number of them , and so the greatness of that Plague there , will be the more impaired . Why , there are some people that are in chief the Devils Sin-Breeders in the Towns and Places where they live . The Place , Town , or Family where they live , must needs be horrible lowsie , and as it were , eaten up with Vermin : Now let the Lord Jesus in the first place cleanse these great Breeders , and there will be given a nip to those swarms of Sins that use to be committed in such places throughout the Town , House , or Family where such sin-breeding Persons used to be . I speak by Experience ; I was one of these lowzy ones , one of these great sin-breeders ; I infected all the Youth of the Town where I was born , with all manner of youthful Vanities . The neighbours counted me so , my practise proved me so : Wherefore Christ Jesus took me first ; and taking me first , the Contagion was much allayed all the Town over . When God made me sigh , they would harken , and enquiringly say , What 's the matter with John ? They also gave their I various opinions of me : But as I said , Sin cooled , and failed , as to his full carrier . When I went out to seek the Bread of Life , some of them would follow , and the rest be put into a muse at home . Yea , almost the Town , at first , at times , would go out to hear at the place where I found good : Yea , young and old for a while had some reformation on them ; also some of them perceiving that God had mercy upon me ▪ came crying to him for mercy too . But what need I give you an Instance of poor I ; I will come to Manasseh the King : So long as he was a ringleading Sinner , the great Idolater , and chief for Devilism , the whole Land flowed with wickedness ; For he made them to sin , and do worse than the Heathen that dwelt round about them , or that was cast out from before them . But when God converted him , the whole Land was reformed . Down went the Groves , the Idols , and Altars of Baal , and up went true Religion in much of the Power and Purity of it . You 'll say , The King reformed by Power . I answer , doubtless , and by Example too ; for People observe their Leaders ; as their Fathers did , so did they , 2 Chron. 33.2 King. 17.41 . This therefore is another Reason , why Jesus would have mercy offered in the first place to the biggest sinners , because that is the best way , if they receive it , most to weaken the kingdom of Satan , and to keep it poor and low . And do you not think now , that if God would but take hold of the hearts of some of the most notorious in your Town , in your Family , or Countrey , that this thing would be verified before your faces ? It would , it would , to the Joy of you that are godly , to the making of Hell to sigh , to the great suppressing of Sin , the glory of Christ , and the joy of the Angels of God. And Ministers should therefore , that this Work might go on , take advantages to perswade with the biggest Sinners to come into Christ , according to my Text , and their Commissions : Beginning at Jerusalem . Fifthly , Jesus Cbrist would have mercy offered in the first place to the biggest sinners . Because such , when converted , are usually the best helps in the Church against temptations , and fittest for the support of the feeble minded there . Hence , usually , you have some such in the first plantation of Churches ; or quickly upon it . Churches would do but sorrily , if Christ Jesus did not put such Converts among them ; they are the Monuments and Mirrors of Mercy . The very sight of such a Sinner in God's House , yea , the very thought of him , where the sight of him cannot he had , is oft-times greatly for the help of the Faith of the feeble . When the Churches ( said Paul ) that were in Judea , heard this concerning me , that he which persecuted them in time past , now preached the Faith which once he destroyed , They glorified God in me , Gal. 1.20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24. Glorified God ] How is that ? Why , they praised him , and took courage to believe the more in the mercy of God : For that he had had mercy on such a great sloner as he . They glorified God [ in me ] They wondred that Grace should be so rich , as to take hold of such a Wretch as I was ; and for my sake believed in Christ the more . There are two things that great sinners are acquainted with , when they come to divulge them to the Saints , that are a great relief to their Faith. 1. The Contests that they usually have with the Devil at their parting with him . 2. Their knowledge of his Secret i● his workings . For the First , The biggest sinnes hav●●sually great contests with the Devil at ●heir parting 's ; and this is an help to ●aints . For ordinary Saints find afterwards what the vile ones find at first ; but when at the opening of hearts the one finds himself to be as the other , the one is a comfort to the other . The lesser sort of sinners find but little of this , till after they have been some time in profession ; but the Vile Man meets with his at the beginning . Wherefore he , when the other is down , is ready to tell that he has met with the same before . For I say , he has had it before . Satan is loth to part with a great Sinner . What , my true Servant ( quoth he ) my old Servant , wilt thou forsake me now ? Having so often sold thy self to me to work wickedness , wilt thou forsake me now ? Thou horrible Wretch , dost not know , that thou hast sinned thy self beyond the reach of Grace , and dost think to find Mercy now ? Art not thou a Murderer , a Thief , a Harlot , a Witch , a sinner of the greatest size , and dost thou look for mercy now ? Dost thou think that Christ will foul his fingers with thee ? 'T is enough to make Angels blush , saith Satan , to see so vile a one knoc● at Heaven gates● or Mercy , and wilt tho● be so abominable bold to do it ? Thus Satan dealt with me , says the great Sinner when at first I came to Jesus Christ. An● what did you reply , saith the Tempted ? Why , I granted the whole Charge to be true , says the other . And what , did you d●spair ? or how ? No ( saith he ) I said , I am Magdalene , I am Zicheus , I am the Thief , I am the Harlot , I am the Publican , I am the Prodigal , and one of Christ's Murderers : Yea , worse than any of these , and yet God was so far off from rejecting of me , ( as I found afterwards ) that there was musick and dancing in his House for me , and for Joy that I was come home unto him . Oh blessed be God for Grace , ( says the other ) for then I hope there is favour for me . Yea , as I told you , such a one is a continual Spectacle in the Church , for every one by , to behold God's grace , and wonder ! Secondly , And as for the Secrets of Satan , such as are Suggestions to question the Being of God , the truth of his Word , and to be annoyed with devilish Blasphemies : None more acquainted with these than the biggest sinners at their Conversion ; wherefore thus also they are prepared to be helps in the Church to relieve and comfort the other . I might also here tell you of the Contests and Battels that such are engaged in , wherein they find the beffettings of Satan , above any other the Saints . At which times Satan assaults the Soul with darkness , fears , frightful thoughts of Apparitions ; now they sweat , pant , cry-out , and struggle for life . The Angels now come down to behold the sight , and rejoyce to see a bit of Dust and Ashes to overcome Principalities and Powers , and Might , and Dominions . But , as I said , when these come a little to be setled , they are prepared for help for others , and are great Comforts unto them . Their great sins give encouragement to the Devil to assault them , and by these temptations Christ takes advantage to make them the more helpful to the Churches . The biggest sinner , when he is Converted and comes into the Church , say● to them all , by his very coming in , Behold me , all you that are Men and Wom●n of a low and timerous spirit ; you whose hearts are narrow , for that you never had the advantage to know , because your sins are few , the largeness of the grace of God. Behold , I say , in me , the exceeding riches of his grace ! I am a Pattern set forth before your faces , o● whom you may look and take hear● ▪ This , I say , the great sinner ●an say , to the exceeding comfort of 〈◊〉 the rest . Wherefore , as I have hinted before , when God intends to stock a place with Saints , and to make that place excellently to flourish with the riches of his grace ; he usually begins with the Conversion of some of the most notorious there abouts , and lays them as an Example to allure others , and to build up when they are converted . 'T was Paul that must go to the Gentiles , because Paul was the most outragious of all the Apostles , in the time of his unregeneracy : Yea , Peter must be he that after his horrible fall , was thought fittest , when recovered again , to comfort and strengthen his Brethren . See Luke 22.31 , 32. Some must be Pillars in God's House , and if they be Pillars of Cedar , they must stand while they are stout and sturdy sticks in the Forrest , before they are cut down , and planted or placed there . No man , when he buildeth his House , makes the principal parts thereof , of weak or feeble Timber ; for how could such bear up the rest ; but of great and able Wood. Christ Jesus also goeth this way to work , he makes of the biggest Sinners , Bearers and Supporters to the rest . This then may serve for another Reason , why Jesus Christ gives out in Commandment , that Mercy should in the first place be offered to the biggest Sinners , Because such when converted , are usually the best h●lps in the Church against temptations , and fittest for the support of the fe●ble-minded there . Sixthly , Another reason , why Jesus Christ would have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners , is , Because They , when converted , are apt to Live him most . This agrees both with Scripture , and Reason . Scripture says so . To whom much is forgiven , the same loveth much . To whom little is forgiven , the same loveth little , Luk. 7.47 . Reason says so . For as it would be the unreasonablest thing in the world , to render hatred for love , and contempt for forgiveness ; so 't would be as ridiculous to think that the reception of a little kindness should lay the same obligations upon the heart to love , as the reception of a great deal . I would not disparage the love of Christ ; I know the least dram of it , when it reaches to forgiveness , is great above all the world ; But comparatively , there i● greater extentions of the love of Chris● to one , than to another : He that has most sin , it forgiven , is partaker of the greatest love , of the greatest forgiveness . I know also , that there are some , that from this very Doctrine , say , Let us do evil , that good may come ; and that turn the Grace of our God into Lasciviousness . But I speak not of these , These will neither be ruled by Grace nor Reason . Grace would teach them , if they know it , to deny Ungodly Courses ; and so would Reason too , if it could truly sense the Love of God , Tim. 2 11 , 1● . Rom. 11.1 . Doth it look like what hath any Coherence with Reason or Mercy , for a man to abuse his Friend ? Because Christ died for men , shall I therefore Spit in his Face ? The Bread and Water that was given by Elisha to his Enemies , that came the Land of Israel to take him , had so muc● influence upon their Minds , tho Heathens , that they returned to their homes without hurting him : Yea , it kept them from coming again in a hostile manner into the Coasts of Israel , 2 Kings 6.19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23. But to forbear to Illustrate till anon ; one reason why Ch●ist Jesus shews Mercy to Sinners , is that he might obtain their Love , that he may remove their base affections , firm base objects , to himself . Now if he loves to be loved a little , he loves to be loved much ; but there is not any that are capable of loving much , save those that have much forgiven them . Hence 't is said of Paul , That he laboured more than them all , to wit , with a labour of love , because he had been by Sin more vile against Christ than they all , 1 Cor. 15. He it was that persecuted the Church of God , and wasted it , Gal. 1.13 . He , of them all , was the only raving Bedlam against the Saints : And being exceeding mad , says he , against them , I persecuted them even to strange Cities , Acts 26.11 . This raving Bedlam , that once was so , is he that now says , I laboured more than them all ; more for Christ than them all . But Paul , what moved thee thus to do ? The love of Christ , says he . It was not I , but the grace of God that was with me . As who should say ; O Grace ! 'T was such Grace to save me ! 'T was such marvelous Grace for God to look down from Heaven upon me , and that secured me from the wrath to come , that I am captivated with the sense of the rich●s of it . Hence I act , hence I labour ; For how can I otherwise do , since God not only separated me from my Sins and Companions , but separated all the powers of my Soul and Body to his Service ? I am therefore prompted on by this exceeding love , to labour as I have done ; yet not I , but the grace of God with me . Oh! I shall never forget his love , nor the circumstances under which I was , when his love laid hold upon me . I was going to Damascus with Letters from the High Priest to make Havock of God's People there , as I had made Havock of them in other places . These bloody Letters was not imposed upon me . I went to the High Priest and desired them of him , Acts 9.1 , 2. And yet he saved me ! I was one of the men , of the chief men that had a hand in the Blood of his Martyr Stephen , yet he had mercy on me ! When I was at Damas●us , I stunck so horribly like a Blood-sucker , that I became a Terrour to all thereabout . Yea , Ananias ( good man ) made intercession to my Lord against me , yet he would have mercy upon me ! Yea , joyned mercy to mercy , until he had made me a monument of Grace . He made a Saint of the , land perswaded me , that my transgressions were forgiven me . When I began to preach , those that heard me were amazed ; and said , Is not this he that destroyed them that called on t●is Name in Jerusalem , and came hither for that intent , that he might bring them bound to the High P●iest ? Hell doth know that I was a Sinner ; Heaven doth know that I was a Singer : Th● World also knows that I was a Sinner , a Sinner of the greatest size ; but I obtained mercy , Acts 9.20 , 21. Shall not this lay Obli●ation upon me ? Is not Love of the greatest force to oblige ? Is it not strong as Death ? Cruel as the Grave ? and hotter than the Coals of Juniper ? Hath it not a most vehement flame ? Can the Waters quench it ? Can the Floods drown it ? I am under the force of it , and this is my continual cry , What shall I render to the Lord for all the Benefits which he has bestow●d upon me ? Ay! Paul , this is something , thou speakest like a Man , like a man affected , and carried away with the love and gra●e of God. Now this sense , and this affection , and this labour , giveth to Christ the love that he looks for . But he might have converted twenty little sinners , and yet not found , for grace bestowed , ●o ●uch love in them all . I wonder how far a man might go among the Converted Sinners of the smaller size , before one could find one that so much as look any thing this wayward . Where is he that is thus under pangs of love for the Grace bestowed upon him by Jesus Christ ? Excepting only some few ; you may walk to the Worlds end and find none . But , as I sail , some there are , and so there has been in every age of the Church , great sinners , that have had much forgiven them . And they love much upon this account . Jesus Christ therefore knows what he doth , when he lays hold on the hearts of sinners of the biggest size . He knows that such an one will love more than many that have not sinned half their sins . I will tell you a Story that I have ●ead of Martha and Mary ; the Name of the Book I have forgot . I mean of the Book in which I found the Relation ; but the thing was thus : Martha , saith my Author , was a very holy Woman , much like Lazarus , her Brother ▪ but Mary was a loose and wan●on creature . Martha did seldom miss good Sermons , ●nd Lectures , when she could come at them in Jerusalem ; but Mary would frequent the house of Sports , and the company of the vilest of Men for lust . And though Martha had often desired that her Sister would go with her to hear her Preachers : Yea , had often entreated her with Tears , to do it , yet could she never prevail ; for still Many would make her excuse , or reject her with disdain for her Zeal and Preciseness in Religion . After Martha had waited long , tried many ways to bring her Sister to good , and all proved ineffectual . At last , she comes upon her thus . Sister , quoth she , I pray thee go with me to the Temple to day , to hear one preach a Sermon . What kind of Preacher is he , said she ? Martha replied , It is one Jesus of Nazareth , he is the handsomest man that ever you saw with your eyes . Oh! he shines in Beauty , and is a most excellent Preacher . Now what does Mary ? After a little pause , but goes up into her Chamber , and with her Pins and her Clouts , decks up her self as fine as her fingers could make her . This done , away she goes , not with her Sister Mar●ha , but as much unobserved as she could , to the Sermon , or rather to See the Preacher . The Hour and Preacher being come , and she having observed whereabout the Preacher would stand , goes and sets her self so in the Temple , that she might be sure to have the full view of this excellent Person . So he comes in , and she looks , and the first glimps of his Person pleased her . Well , Jesus addresseth himself to his Sermon , and she looks earnestly on him . Now at that time , saith my Author , Jesus Preached about the lost Sheep , the lost Goat , and the prodigal Child . And when he came to shew what care the Shepherd took for one lost Sheep , and how the Woman swept to find her Piece which was lost , and what Joy there was at their finding ; she began to be taken by the Ears , and forgot what she came about , musing what the Preacher would make on 't : But when he came to the Application , and shewed that by the lost Sheep was meant a great Sinner ; by the Shepherds care was meant God's love for great Sinners ; and that by the joy of the Neighbours , was shewed what joy there was among the Angels in Heaven over one great Sinner that repenteth ; She began to be taken by the Heart . And as he spake these last words , she thought he pitched his innocent Eyes just upon her , and looked as if he spake what was now said , to her . Wherefore her heart began to tremble , being shaken with affection and fear ; then her Eyes run down with tears apace ; wherefore she was forced to hide her face with her Handkerchief , and so sat sobbing and crying all the rest of the Sermon . Sermon being done , up she gets , and away she goes , and withal , enquired where this Jesus the Preacher dined that day ? And one told her , at the house of Simon the Pharisee . So away goes she , first to her Chamber , and there strips her self of her wanton Attire ; then falls upon her knees to ask God forgiveness for all her wicked life . This done , in a modest dress she goes to Simon 's house , where she finds Jesus set at Dinner . So she gets behind him , and weeps , and drops her tears upon his Feet like Rain , and washes them , and wipes them with the Hairs of her Head. She also kiss●d his Feet with her Lips , and anointed them with Oyntment . When Simon the Pharisee perceived what the Woman did , and being ignorant of what it was to be forgiven much ( for he never was forgiven more than Fifty Pence . ) He began to think within himself , that he had been mistaken about Jesus Christ , because he suffered such a Sinner as this Woman was , to touch him . Surely , quoth he , this Man , if he were a Prophet , would not let this Woman come near him , for she is a Town Sinner , ( so ignorant are all Self-righteous men of the way of Christ with Sinners ) But lest Mary should be discouraged with some clownish carriage of this Pharisee , and so desert her good beginnings , and her new steps which she now had began to take towards eternal Life , Jesus began thus with Simon . Simon , saith he , I have somewhat to say unto thee . And he saith , Master , say on . There was , said Jesus , a certain Creditor had two Debtors , the one owed him Five hundred Pence , and the other , Fifty . And when they had nothing to pay , he frankly forgave them both . Tell me therefore which of them will love him most ? Simon answered and said , I sup●●se he to whom he forgave most . And he said unto him , Thou hast rightly judged . And he turned to the Woman , and said unto Simon , Seest thou this Woman ? I entred into thy house , thou gavest me no Water for my Feet : But she hath washed my Feet with tears , and wiped them with the hairs of her head . Thou gavest me no kiss , but this Woman , since the time I came in , hath not ceased to kiss my Feet . My Head with Oyl ●hou didst not anoint , but this Woman hath anointed my Feet with Oyntment . Wherefore I say unto thee , Her Sins which are many , are forgiven , for she loved much ; but to whom little is forgiven , the same loveth little . And he said unto her , thy Sins are forgiven , Luk. 7.36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50. Thus you have the Story . If I come short in any Circumstance , I beg Pardon of those that can correct me . 'T is three or four and twenty Years since I saw the Book , yet I have as far as my memory will admit , given you the relation of the Matter . However , Luke , as you see , doth here present you with the Substance of the whole . Alas ! Christ Jesus has but little thanks for the saving of the little Sinners . To whom lit●le is forgiven , the same lovers little . He gets not Water for his Feet , by his saving of such Sinners . There are abundance of dry-eyed Christians in the World , and abundance of dry eyed . Duties too : Duties that never was wetted with the tears of Contrition and Repentance , nor ever sweetned wish the great Sinners box of Oyntment . And the reason is , such sinners have not great sins to be saved from ; or if they have , they look upon them in the diminishing-glass of the Holy Law of God. But I rather believe that the Professors of our days want a due sense of what they are ; for verily , for the generality of them , both before and since Conversion , they have been sinners of a lusty size : But if their Eyes be holden , if Convictions are not shown , if their knowledge of their sins is but like to the eye-sight in twilight , the Heart cannot be affected with that grace that has laid hold on the man , and so Christ Jesus sows much , and has little coming in . Wherefore His way is oft-times to step out of the way , to Jeri●o , to Samaria , to the Country of the Gaddarens , to the Coasts of Tyre and Sidon , and also to Mount Calvary , that he may lay h●ld of such kind of Sinners as will love him to his liking Luk. 19.1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. John 4.3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , &c. Mark 5.1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20. Matt. 15.21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28. Luke 23.33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43. But thus much for the Sixth Reason , why Christ Jesus would have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners ; to wit , because such sinners when converted , are apt to love him most . The Jerusalem-sinners were they that out-stript , when they were Converted , in some things , all the Churches of the Gentiles . They were of one heart , and of one soul , neither said any of ●hem , that ought of the things that they poss●ssed was their own ; neither was there any among them that lacked for as many as were possessors of Lands , or Houses , sold them , and brought the price of the things that were sold , and laid them down at the Apostles feet , &c. Acts 4.32 , 33 , 34 , 35. Now show me such another Pattern if you can . But why did these do thus ? Oh! they were Jerusalem-sinners . These were the Men that but a little before , had killed the Prince of Life , and those to whom he did , that notwithstanding , send the first offer of Grace and Mercy . And the sense of this , took them up betwixt the Earth and the Heaven , and carried them on in such ways and methods , as could never be trodden by any since . They talk of the Church of Rome , and set h●r in her Primitive state , as a Pattern , and Mother of Churches ; when the Truth is , they were the Jerusalem-sinners , when Converts , that out-did all the Churches that ever was . Seventhly , Christ Jesus would have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest sinners , beacause Grace , when it is received by such , finds matter to kindle upon more freely than it finds in other sinners . Great Sinners are like the dry Wood , or like great Candles , which burns best and shines with biggest light . I lay not this down , as I did those Reasons before , to shew , that when great Sinners are Converted , they will be encouragement to others , though that is true ; but to shew that Christ has a delight to see Grace , the Grace we receive , to shine . We love to see things that bear a good gloss , yea , we chuse to buy such kind of matter to work upon , as will , if wrought up to what we intend , cast that lustre that we desire . Candles that burn not bright , we like not ; Wood that is green will rather smother and spu●ter and smoak , and or●ok , and flounce , than cast a brave light and pleasant heat . Wherefore great Folks care not much , not so much for such kind of things , as for them that will better answer their ends . Hence Christ desires the biggest Sinner , in him there is Matter to work by , to wit , a great deal of sin ; for as by the Tallow of the Candle , the Fire takes occasion to burn the brighter ; so by the sin of the Soul , Grace takes occasion to shine the clearer . Little Candles shine but little , for there wanteth matter for the Fire to work upon ; but in the great Sinner , here is more matter for Grace to work by . Faith shines , when it worketh towards Christ , through the sides of many and great Transgressors ; and so does Love , for that much is forgiven . And what matter can be found in the Soul for Humility to work by so well , as by a sight that I have been and am an abominable Sinner ? And the same is to be said of Patience , Meekness , Gentleness , Self-denial , or of any other Grace . Grace takes occasion by the vileness of the man , to shine the more ; even as by the ruggidness of a very strong Distemper , or Disease , the vertue of the Medicine is best made manifest . Where Sin abounds , Grace much more abounds . Rom. 5.20 . A black string makes the Grace burn clear . Some say when Grace and a good Nature meet together , they do make shinning Christians ; but I say , when Grace and a great Sinner meets , and when Grace shall subdue that great Sinner to it self , and shall operate after its kind in the Soul of that great Sinner , then we have a shinning Christian ; Witness all those of whom mention was made before . Abraham was among the Idolaters when in the Land of Assyria , and served Idols with his Kindred on the other side of the Flood , Jos. 24.2 . Gen. 11.31 . but who when called , was there in the World , in whom Grace shone so bright as in him ? The Thessalonians were Idolaters , before the Word of God came to them ; but when they had received it , they became examples to all that did believe , in Macedonia and Achaia , 1 Thess. 1.6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son , are for having things seen , for having the Word of Life held forth . They light not a Candle that it might be put under a Bushel , or under a Bed , but on a Candlestick , that all that come in may see the light , Matt. 5.15 . Mar. 4.21 . Luk. 8.16 . chap. 11.33 . And , I say , as I said before , in whom is it like so to shine , as in the Souls of great sinners ? When the Jewish Pharisees dallied with the Gospel , Christ threatned to take it from them , and to give it to the barbarous Heathens , and Idolaters . Why so ? For they , saith he , will bring forth the Friends thereof in their season . Therefore I say unto you , The Kingdom of God Shall be taken from you , and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof , Mat. 21.41 , 43. I have often marvelled at our Youth , and said in my heart , What should be the reason that they should be so generally at this day debauched as they are ! For they are now Profane to amazement : And sometimes I have thought one thing , and sometimes another : That is , why God should suffer it so to be . At last I have thought of this : How if the God whose ways are past finding out , should suffer it so to be now , that he might make of some of them the more glorious Saints hereafter . I know Sin is of the Devil , but it cannot work in the world without permission : and if it happens to be as I have thought , it will not be the first time that God the Lord hath caught Satan in his own design . For my part , I believe that the time is at hand , that we shall see better Saints in the World , than has been seen in ●t this many aday . And this Vileness that at present does so much swallow up out Youth , is one cause of my thinking so : For out of them , for from among them , when God sets to his Hand , as of old , you shall see what penitent ones , what trembling ones , and what ●dmirers of Grace , will be found to profess the Gospel , to the glory of God by Christ. Alas ! We are a company of worn-out Christians , our Moon is in the Ware ; we are much more black than white , more dark than light ; we shine but a little ; Grace in the most of us , is d●cayed . But I say , when they of the●e debauched ones that are to be saved , shall be brought in ; when these that look more like Devils than Men shall be Converted to Christ , ( and I believe s●veral of them will ) then will Christ be ex●lted , Grace adored , the World prized , Sions Paths better trodden , and Men in the pursuite of their own Salvation , to the amazement of them that are left behind . Just before Christ came into the Flesh , the World was Degenerated as it is now ; The generality of the Men in Jerus●lem were become either high and famous for Hypocrisie , or filthy base in their Lives . The Devil also was broke loose in hideous manner , and had taken possession of many : Yea , I believe that there was never Generation before nor since , that could produce so many possessed with Devils , deformed , lame , blind , and infected with monstrous Diseases , as that Generation could . But what was the reason thereof ? I mean the reason from God ? Why one ( and we may sum up more in that answer that Christ gave to his Disciples concerning him that was born Blind ) was , that the Works o● God might be made manifest in them and that the Son of God might be glorified thereby , Joh. 9.2 , 3. chap. 11.4 . Now if these Devils and Diseases , a● they possessed Men then , were to mak● way and work for an approaching Chr●s● in Person , and for the declaring of hi● Power , why may we not think that now even now also , he is ready to come b● his Spirit in the Gospel to heal man of the Debaucheries of our Age ? I can not believe that Grace will take them a● for there are but few that are saved : But yet it will take some , even some of the worst of Men , and make Blessed ones of them . But O! how these Ringleaders in Vice , will then shine in Vert●e ! They will be the very Pillars in Churches , they will be as an Ensign in the Land ; The Lord their God shall save them in that day , as the Flock of his People , for they shall he as the Stones of a Crown , lift up as an Ensign upon the Land , Zech. 9.16 . But who are these ? Even Idolatrous Ephraim , and backsliding Judah , Ver. 13. I know there is groand to fear , that the Iniquity of this Generation will be pursued with heavy Judgments : But that will not hinder what we have supposed : God took him a glorious Church out of Bloody Jerusalem , yea , out of the chief of the Sinners there , and left the rest to be taken and spoiled , and sold Thirty for a Penny , in the Nations where they were Cap●ives . The Gospel working gloriously in a place , to the seizing upon many of the ringleading Sinners thereof , promiseth no security to the rest , but rather threatneth them with the heaviest and smartest Judgments ; as in the Instance now given , we have a full demonstration ; but in defending , the Lord will defend his People ; and in saving , he will save his Inheritance . Nor does this speak any great comfort to a decayed and backsliding sort of Christians , for the next time God rides Post with his Gospel , he will leave such Christians , behind him . But I say , Christ is resolved to set up his Light in the World ; yea , he is delighted to see his Graces shine , and therefore he commands that his Gospel should to that end , be offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners ; for by great Sins it shineth most : Therefore he saith , Begin at Je●usalem . Eighthly , And lastly , Christ Jesus will have Mercy to be offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners , For that by that means the Impenitent that are l●ft behind , will be at the Judgment , the more left without excuse . God's Word has two edges , it can cut back-stroke and fore-stroke . If it doth thee no good , it will do thee hurt ; 'T is the savour of Life unto Life to those that receive it , but of Death unto Death to them that refuse it , 2 Cor. 2.15 , 16. But this is not all , the tender of Grace to the biggest Sinners , in the first place , wi●l not only leave the rest , or those that refuse it , in a deplorable condi●ion , but will also stop their mouths , and cut off all pretence to excuse at that day . If I had not come and spok●n unto them , saith Christ , they had not had Sin ; but now th●y have no cloke for their sin , for their sin of persevering in Impenitence , Job 15.22 . But what did he speak to them ? Why even that which I have told you ; to wit , That he has in special , a delight in saving the biggest Sinners . He spake this in the way of his Doctrine , he spake this in the way of his Practice , even to the pouring out of his last breath before them , Luk. 23.34 . Now since this is so , what can the Condemned at the Judgement say for themselves , why Sentence of Death should not be passed upon them ? I say , what excuse can they make for themselves , when they shall be asked why they did not in the day of S●lvation come to Christ to be saved ? Will they have ground to say to the Lord , Thou wast only for saving of little Sinners , and therefore because they were great ones , they durst not come unto him ; Or that thou hadst not comp●ssion for the biggest Sinners , therefore I died in despair ; will these be excuses for them as the Case now standeth with them ? Is there not every where in God's Books sl●t contradiction to this , in multitudes of Promises , of Invitations , of Examples , and the like ? Alas , alas ! there will then be there millions of Souls to confute this Plea ; ready I say , to stand up and say , O! deceived World , Heaven swarms with such , as was , when they were in the World , to the full as bad as you . Now this will kill all plea or excuse , why they should not perish in their sins ; yea , the Text says , they shall see them there ; There shall be weeping , when you shall see Abraham , and Isaac , and Jacob , and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of Heaven , and you your selves thrust out . And they shall come from the East , and from the West , and from the North , and from the South , and shall sit down in the Kingdom of God , Luk. 13.28 , 29. Out of wh●ch company it is easie to pick such , as sometimes were as bad People as any now b●eathe on the face of the Earth . What think you of the first Man , by whose sins there are millions now in Hell ? And so I may say , what think you of ten thousand more besides ? But if the Word will not stifle and gagg them up , I speak now for amplification sake , the view of those who are saved shall There comes an Incestuous Person to the Barr , and pleads that the bigness of his Sins was a bar to his receiving the Promise ; But will not his mouth be stopt as to that , when Lot and the Incestuous Corinthian shall be set before him , Gen. 19.33 , 34 , 35 , 36. 1 Co● . 5.1 , 2. There comes a Thief and says , Lord ! my sin of Theft , I thought , was such as could not be pardoned by thee ! But when he shall see the Thief that was saved on the Cross , stand by , as clothed with beauteous Glory , what further can he be able to object ? Yea , the Lord will produce ten thousand of his S●ints at his coming , who shall after this manner execute Judgment upon all , and so convince all that are ungodly among them , of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him , Jude 15 , 16. And these are hard speeches against him , To say that he was not able or willing to save Men , because of the greatness of their sins , or to say that they were discouraged by his Word from Repentance , because of the heinousness of their offences . These things , I say , shall then be confuted ; He comes with ten thousand of his S●ints to confute them , and to stop their mouths from making objections against their own eternal damnation . Here is Adam the destroyer of the World ; he●e is Lot that lay with both his Daughters ; here is Abraham that was sometimes an Idolater , and Jacob that was a Supplanter , and Ruben that lay with his Fathers Concubine , and Judah that lay ●ith his Daughter-in-Law , and Levy and Simeon that wickedly slew the Sechemites ; and Aaron that made an Idol to be Worshipped , and that proclaimed a Religious Feast unto it . Here is also Rahab the Harlot , and Bathsheba that bare a B●stard to David . Here is Solomon that great Backslider , and Manasseh that man of Blood , and a Witch . Time would fail to tell you of the Woman of Canaans Daughter , of Mary Magdalen , of Matthew the Publican , and of Gideon and Sampson , and many thousands more . Alas , alas ! I say , what will these Sinners , do , that have , through their unbelief , eclipsed the glorious largeness of the mercy of God , and gave way to despair of Salvation because of the bigness of their sins . For all these , though now glorious Saints in Light , were sometimes Sinners of the biggest size , who had sins that were of a notorious hue ; Yet now , I say , they are in their shining and heavenly Robes before the Throne of God and of the Lamb , Blessing for ever and every , that Son of God for their Salvation , who dyed for them upon the Tree ; admiring that ever it should come into their Hearts once to think of coming to God by Chirst : But above all , blessing God for granting of them light to see those incouragements in his Testament ; without which , without doubt , they had be●n daunted and sunk down under guilt of Sin and Despair , as their fellow sinn●rs have done . B●t now they also are all Witness●s for God and for his Grace against an unb●lieving World ; for as I said , they shall come to convince the World of their Speeches , their hard and unbelieving words , that they have spoken concerning the mercy of God , and the merits of the Passion of his blessed Son Jesus Christ. But will it not , think you , strangely put to silence all such thonghts , and words , and reasonings of the Ungodly before the Barr of God ? doubtless it will ; yea , and will send them away from his presence also , with the greatest guilt , that possibly can fallen upon the Consciences of Men. For what will sting like this ? I have through mine own foolish , narrow , unworthy , undervaluing thoughts of the love and ability of Christ to save me , brought my self to everlasting ruine . 'T is true , I was a horrible sinner , not one in a hundred did live so vile a life as I , but this should not have kept me from closing , with Jesus Christ : I see now that there are abundance in Glory that once were as bad as I have been , but they were saved by Faith , and I am damned by Unbelief . Wr●tch that I am ! why did not I give glory to the Redeeming Blood of Jesus ? Why did I not humbly cast my Soul at his bless●d foot stool for Mercy ? Why did I judge of his ability to save me by the voice of my shallow reason , and the voice of a guilty Conscience ? Why betook not I my self to the holy Word of God ? Why did I not read and pray that I might understand , since now I perceive that God said then , He giveth liberally to them that pray , and upbraideth not , Jam. 1.5 . 'T is rational to think , that by such Cogitations as these , the unbelieving World will be torn in pieces before the Judgment of Christ : Especially those that have lived where they did or might have heard the Gospel of the Grace of God. Oh! that saying , It shall be more tolerable for Sodom at the Judgment , than for them , will be better understood . See Luke 10.8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12. This Reason therefore standeth fast ; Namely , That Christ , by offering mercy in the first place to the biggest Sinners , now , will stop all mouths of the impenitent at the day of Judgment , and cut off all excuse that shall be attempted to be made ( from the thoughts of 〈◊〉 greatness of their sins ) why they ca●● not to him . I have often thought of the day of Judgement , and how God will deal with sinners at that day : And I believe it will be managed with that sweetness , with that equitableness , with that excellent Righteousness , as to every sin , and circumstance , and aggravation thereof ▪ that men that are damned , before the Judgment is over , shall receive such conviction of the righteous Judgment of God upon them , and of their deserts of Hell fire , that they shall in themselves , conclude that there is all the reason in the world that they should be shut out of Heaven , and go to Hell-fire ; These shall go away into everlasting fire , Matt. 25.46 . Only this will tare , That they have mist of Mercy and Glory , and obtained everlasting damnation through their unbelief . But it will tare but thems●lves , but their own Souls ; they will gnash upon themselves : For in that , Mercy was offered to the chief of them in the first place , and yet they were damned for rejecting of it : They were damned for forsaking what they had a propriety in ; for , forsaking their Own Mercy . And thus much for the Reasons . I will conclude with a word of Application . The APPLICATION . FIrst , Would Jesus Christ have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest sinners ? Then this shews us how to make a right judgment of the heart of Christ to Men. Indeed we have advantage to guess at the goodness of his Heart , by many things ; as by his taking our nature upon him , his dying for us , his sending his Word and Ministers to us ; and all that we might be saved . But this of beginning to offer mercy to Jerusalem , is that which heightens all the rest ; for this doth not only confirm to us , that Love was the cause of his dying for us , but it shews us yet more the depth of that Love : He might have dyed for us , and yet have extended the benefit of his death to a few , as one might call them , of the best-conditioned sinners , to those who ( though they were weak , and so could not but sin ) yet made not a trade of sinning ; To those that sinned not lavishingly : There are in the World , as one may call them , the moderate Sinners ; the sinners that mix Righteousness with their Pollutions ; the sinners that , though they be sinners , do what on their part lies , ( some that are blind would think so ) that they might be saved . I say , it had been Love , great Love , if he had dyed for none but such , and sent his love to such : But that he should send out conditions of Peace to the biggest of Sinners ! yea , that they should be offered to them first of all ! ( for so he means when he says , Begin at Jerusalem . ) This is wonderful ! this shows his heart to purpose , as also the heart of God his Father who sent him to do thus . There is nothing more incident to Men that are awake in their Souls , than to have wrong thoughts of God ; Thoughts that are narrow , and that pinch and pen up his Mercy to scanty and beggarly conclusions , and ridged legal conditions ; supposing that it is rude and an intrenching upon his Majesty , to come our selves , or to invite others , until we have scraped and washed , and rubbed off as much of our dirt from us as we think is convenient , to make us somewhat orderly and handsome in his sight . Such never knew what these Words meant , Begin at Jerusalem . Yea , such in their hearts have compared the Father and his Son to niggardly rich Men , whose Money comes from them like drops of blood . True , says such , God has Mercy , but he is loth to part with it . You must please him well , if you get any from him : He is not so free as many suppose , nor is he so willing to save as some pretended Gospellers imagine : But I ask such , If the Father and Son be not unspeakably free to shew Mercy , why was this Clause put into our Commission to preach the Gospel ? Yëa , why did he say , Begin at Jerusalem ? For when men , through the weakness of their wits , have attempted to shew other reasons why they should have the first proffer of Mercy , yet I can prove ( by many undeniable Reasons ) that they of Jerusalem ( to whom the Apostles made the First offer , according as they were commanded ) were the biggest Sinners that ever did breathe upon the face of God's earth ( set the unpardonable sin aside ) upon which my Doctrine stands like a Rock , That Jesus the Son of God would have Mercy in the fi●st place offered to the biggest Sinners : And if this do●h not shew the heart of the Father and the Son to be infinitely free in bestowing forgiveness of Sins , I confess my self mistaken . Neither is there , set this aside , another Argument like it , to shew us the willingness of Christ to save Sinners ▪ For , as was said before , all the rest of the signs of Christ's mercifulness might have been limitted to Sinners that are so and so qualified ; but when he says , Begin at Jerusalem , the Line is stretched out to the utmost , no man can imagine beyond it , and it is folly here to pinch and pare , to narrow , and seek to bring it within scanty bounds , for he plainly saith , Begin at Jerusalem . The biggest Sinner , is the biggest Sinner ; the biggest is the Jerusalem-sinner . 'T is true , he saith that Repentance and Remission of sins must go together ; but yet Remission is sent no the chief , the Jerusalem sinner ; nor doth Repentance lessen at all the Jerus●lem-sinners crimes ; it diminisheth none of his sins , nor causes that there should be so much as half a one the fewer : It only puts a stop to the Jerusalem-sinners course , and makes him willing to be saved freely by Grace ; and for time to come to be governed by that bl●ss●d Word that has brought the Tidings of good things to him . Besides , no man sh●ws himself willing to be saved that repenteth not of his deeds , for he that goes on still in his trespasses , declares that he is resolved to pu●sue his own damnation further . Learn then to judge of the largeness of God's heart , and of the heart of his Son J●sus Christ , by the Word : Judge not thereof by feeling , nor by the reports of thy Conscience ; Conscience is oft-times here befooled and made to go quite besides the Word : 'T was judging without the Word that made David say , I am cast off from God's eyes , and shall perish one day by the hand of Saul , Psal. 3.1.22 . 1 Sam. 27.1 . The Word had told him another thing ; namely , that he should be King in his stead . Our Text says also , that Jesus Ch●ist bids Preachers in their preaching Repentance and Remission of Sins , Begin first at J●rusalem ; Thereby declaring most truly , the infinite largeness of the merciful heart of God and his Son , to the sinful Children of Men. Judge thou , I say , therefore of the goodness of the heart of God and his Son , by this Text , and by other of the same import ; so shalt thou not dishonour the gr●ce of God , nor needlesly fright thy self , nor give away thy Faith , nor gratifie the Devil , nor lose the benefit of his Word : I speak now to weak Believers . Secondly , Would Jesus Christ have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners , to the Jerusalem sinners ? Th●n by this also , you must learn to judge of the sufficiency of the merits of Christ ; not that the Merits of Christ can be comprehended , for that they are beyond the Conceptions of the whole World , being called The unsearchable riches of Christ ; but yet they may be apprehended to a considerable degree . Now the way to apprehend them most , is to consider what offers , after his Resurrection , he makes of his Grace to Sinners ; for to be sure he will not offer beyond the vertue of his Merits ; because as Grace is the cause of his Merits , so his Merits are the basis and bounds , upon and by which his Grace stands good , and is let out to Sinners . Doth he then command that his Mercy should be offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners ? It declares that there is a sufficiency in his Blood to save the biggest Sinners . The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all Sin. And again , Be it known unto you Men and Brethren , That through this Man ( this Man's Merits ) is preached to you the forgiveness of Sins , and by him All that believe are justified from All things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses , Acts 13.38 . Observe then thy Rule to make Judgement of the Sufficiency of the blessed Merits of thy Saviour ; if he had not been able to have reconciled the biggest Sinners to his Father by his Blood , he would not have sent to them ; have sent to them in the first place the Doctrine of Remission of Sins ; for Remission of Sins is through Faith in his Blood : We are justified freely by the Grace of God , through the Redemption that is in the Blood of Christ. Upon the square , as I may call it , of the worthiness of the Blood of Christ , Grace Acts , and offers Forgiveness of Sin to Men , Ephes. 1.7 . chap. 2.13 , 14. Colos. 1.20 , 21 , 22. Hence therefore we must gather , That the Blood of Christ is of infinite value , for that he offereth Mercy to the biggest of Sinners : Nay further , since he offereth Mercy in the first place to the biggest Sinners ; Considering also that this first act of his , is that which the World will take notice of , and expect it should be continued unto the end ; Also it is a disparagement to a Man that seeks his own Glory in what he undertakes , to do that for a spurt , which he cannot continue and hold out in : This is our Lord 's own Argument , He began to build , saith he , but was not able to finish , Luk. 14.28 , 29 , 30. Shouldest thou hear a Man say , I am resolved to be kind to the Poor , and should begin giving with handfuls of Guinea's , you would conclude that either he is wonderful rich , or must straighten his hand , or will soon be at the bottom of his Riches . Why this is the Case , Christ at his Resurrection gave it out that he would be good to the World ; and first sends to the biggest Sinners , with an intent to have Mercy on them . Now the biggest Sinners cannot be saved but by abundance of Grace , 't is not a little that will save great sinners , Rom. 5.17 . And I say again , since the Lord Jesus mounts thus high at the first , and sends to the Jerusalem-sinners , that they may come first to partake of his Mercy ; it follows that either he has unsearchable Riches of Grace and Worth in himself , or else he must straighten his hand , or his Grace and Merits will be spent before the World 's at an end . But let it be believed , as surely as spoken , he is still as full as ever ! He is not a jot the poorer for all the Forgivenesses that he has given away to great Sinners ; Also he is still as free as at first , for he never yet called back this Word , Begin at the Jerusalem-sinners . And as I said , since his Grace is extended according to the worth of his Merits ; I conclude , that there is the same vertue in his Merits to save now , as there was at the very beginning . O the Riches of the Grace of Christ ! Oh the Riches of the Blood of Christ ! Thirdly , Would J●sus Christ have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest sinners , Then here is encourag●ment for you that think , for wicked hearts and lives , you have not your fellows in the World ; yet to come to him . There is a People that therefore fear lest they should be rejected of Jesus Christ , because of the greatness of their sins ; when as you see here , such are sent to , sent to by Jesus Christ to come to him for Mercy ; Begin at Jerusalem : Never did one thing answer another more fitly in this world , than this Text sitteth such kind of sinners . As Face answereth Face in a Glass , so this Text answereth the necessities of such sinners . What can a Man say more , but that he stands in the rank of the biggest sinners ; let him stretch himself whether he can , and think of himself to the utmost , he can but conclude himself to be one of the biggest Sinners : And what then ? Why the Text meets him in the very Face , and saith , Christ offereth Mercy to the biggest Sinners , to the very Jerusalem Sinners . What more can be objected ? Nay , he doth not only offer to such his Mercy , but to them 't is commanded to be off●red in the first place ; Begin at Jerusalem . Preach Repentance and Remission of Sins among all Nations , beginning at Jerus●lem . Is not here incouragement for those that think , for wicked Hearts and Lives , they have not their fellows in the World ? Objection , But I have a Heart as hard as a Rock . Answ. Well , but this doth but prove thee a biggest sinner . Object . But my Heart continually frets against the Lord ? Answ. Well , this doth but prove thee a biggest sinner . Object . But I have been desperate in sinful courses . Answ. Well , stand thou with the number of the biggest sinners . Object . But my grey Head is found in the way of wickedness ? Answ. Well thou art in the rank of the biggest sinners . Object . But I have not only a base Heart , but I have lived a debauched Life ? Ans. Stand thou also among those that are called the biggest sinners . And what then ? Why the Text swoops you all ; you cannot object your selves beyond the Text : It has a particular message to the biggest sinners . I say , it swoops you all . Object . But I am a Reprobate ? Ans. Now thou talkest like a fool , and medlest with what thou understandest not : No sin ; but the sin of final impenitence , can prove a Man a Reprobate . And I am sure thou hast not arrived as yet unto that : Therefore thou understandest not what thou sayest , and makest groundless conclusions against thy self . Say thou art a Sinner , and I will hold with thee . Say thou art a great sinner , and I will say so too . Yea , say thou art one of the biggest sinners and spare not , for the Text yet is beyond thee , is yet betwixt Hell and thee ; Begin at Jerusalem , has yet a smile upon thee : And thou talkest as if thou wast a Reprobate , and that the greatness of thy sins do prove thee so to be ; when yet they of Jerusalem were not such , whose sins I dare say , were such , both for bigness and heinousness , as thou art not capable of committing beyond them ; unless now , after thou hast received Conviction that the Lord Jesus is the only Saviour of the World , thou shouldest wickedly and despightfully turn thy self from him , and conclude he is not to be trusted to for Life , and so crucifie him for a Cheat afr●sh . This I must confess , will bring a Man under the Black rod , and set him in danger of eternal Damnation , Heb. 6.6 . chap. 10.29 . This is trampling under foot the Son of God , and counting his Blood an unholy thing . This did th●y of Jerusalem , but they did it ignorantly in Unbelief , and so were yet capable of Mercy : But to do this against professed Light , and to stand to it , puts a man beyond the Text indeed , Act. 3 , 14 , 15 , l6 , 17. 1 Tim. 1.13 . But I say , what is this to him , that would fain be saved by Christ ? His sins did , as to greatness , never yet reach to the nature of the sins that the sinners intended by the Text , had made themselves guilty of . He that would be saved by Christ , has an honourable esteem of him , but they of Jerusalem preferred a Murderer before him ; but as for him , they cried , away away with him , 't is not fit that he should live . Perhaps thou wilt object , That thy self hast a thousand times pr●ferred a stinking Lust before him . I answer , Be it so , it is but what is common to Men to do ; nor doth the Lord Jesus make such a foolish Life a Barr to thee , to forbid thy coming to him , or a Bond to his Grace , that it might be kept from thee ; but admits of thy Repentance , and offereth himself unto thee freely , as thou standest among the Jerusalem-sinners . Take therefore incouragement , Man ; Mercy is , by the Text , held forth to the biggest sinners . Yea , put thy self into the number of the worst by reckoning , that thou mayest be one of the first , and mayest not be put off till the biggest sinners are served : For the biggest sinners are first invited ; consequently , if they come , they are like to be the first that shall be served . 'T was so with Jerusalem ; Jerus●lem-sinners were they that were first invited , and those of them that came first , ( and there came three thousand of them the first day they were invited , ) how m●ny came af●erwards , none can tell ) thy were first served . Put in thy Name , Man , among the biggest , lest thou art made to wait till they are served . You have some men that think themselves very cunning , because they put up their Names in their Prayers among them that feign it , saying , God , I thank thee , I am not so bad as the worst ; but believe it , if they be saved at all , they shall be saved in the last place . The first in their own eyes shall be served last , and the last , or worst , shall be first . The Text insinuates it , Begin at Jerusalem ; and Reason backs it , for they have most need . Behold ye therefore , how God's ways are above ours ; we are for serving the worst last , God is for serving the worst first . The Man at the Pool , that to my thinking , was longest in his Disease , and most helpless as to his Cure , was first healed , yea , he only was healed ; for we read that Christ healed him , but we read not then that he healed one more there , Joh. 5.1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9. Wherefore if thou wouldst soonest ●e served , put in thy Name among the very worst of sinners . Say , when thou art upon thy knees , Lord ! here is Jerusalem-sinner ! a sinner of the biggest size ! one whose burden is of the greatest bulk and heaviest weight ! one that cannot stand long without sinking into Hell , without thy supporting hand ! Be not thou far from me , O Lord : O my strength , hast thou to help me . I say , put in thy Name with Magd●l●n , with Manasseh , that thou mayest fare as the Magdalen and the Manasse●-sinners do . The Man in the Gospel made the desperate condition of his Child , an argument with Christ to haste his Cure : Sir , Come down , saith he , ere my Child die , Joh. 4 49. And Christ regarded his haste , saying , Go thy way , thy Son liveth , Ver. 50. Haste requires haste . David was for speed ; Deliver me speedily ; hear me speedily , answer me speedily , Psal. 31.2 . Psal. 69.17 . Psal. 102.2 . But why speedily ? I am in the Net , I am in trouble , my days consume like smoke , Psal. 31.4 . Psal. 69.17 . Psal. 102.3 . Deep calleth unto deep , necessity calls for help ; great necessity for present help . Wherefore I say , be ruled by me in this matter ; feign not thy self another Man , if thou hast been a filthy sinner , but go in thy colours to ●esus Christ , and put thy self among the most Vile , and let him alone to put thee among the Children , Jer 3.19 . Confess all that thou know●st of thy self ; I know thou wilt find it hard work to do thus ; especially if thy mind be legal ; but do it , lest thou stay , and be def●rred with the little sinners , until the great ones have had their alms . What do you think David intended when he said , his Wounds stunk and were corrupted , but to hasten God to have mercy upon him , and not to defer his Cure. Lord , saies he , I am troubled , I am bowed down greatly , I go mourning all the day long . I am f●eble , and sore broken by reason of the disquietment of my heart , Psal. 38.3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7. David knew what he did by all this , he knew that his making the worst of his Case , was the way to speedy help , and that a feigning and dissembling the matter with God , was the next way to a demurr , as to his Forgiveness . I have one thing more to offer for thy encouragement who deemest thy self one of the biggest sinners ; And that is , Thou art as it were , called by thy Name , in the first place , to come in for Mercy . Thou Man of Jerusalem , hearken to thy Call ; Men do so in Courts of Judicature , and presently cry out , Here , Sir ; and then they shoulder and croud , and say , Pray give way , I am called into the Court. Why , this is thy Case , thou great , thou Jerusal●m-sinner ; be of good chear , he calleth thee , Mark 10.46 , 47 , 48 , 49. Wny sittest thou still ? arise ; why standest thou still ? Come Man. Thy Call should give thee authority to come . Begin at Jerusalem , is thy call authority to come ; Wherefore up , and shoulder it , Man : Say , Stand away Devil , Christ calls me , stand away Vnbelief , Christ calls me : Stand away all ye my discouraging Apprehensions , for my Saviour calls me to him to receive of his Mercy . Men will do thus , as I said , in Courts below ; and why shouldst not thou approach thus to the Court above . The Jerusalem-sinner is first in Though , first in Commission , first in the Record of Names , and therefore should give attendance with expectation , that he is first to receive Mercy of God. Is not this an incouragement to the biggest sinners to make their Application to Christ for Mercy ? Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden , doth also confirm this thing , that is , that the biggest sinner , and he that has the biggest burden , is he who is first invited . Christ pointeth over the Head of thousands , as he sits on the Throne of Grace , directly to such a Man ; and says , Bring in hither the maimed , the halt , and the blind ; Let the Jerusalem-sinner that stands there behind , come to me . Wherefore since Christ says come , to thee , let the Angels make a lane , and let all Men give place , that the Jerusalem-sinner may come to Jesus Christ for Mercy . Fourthly , Would Jesus Christ have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest sinners ? Then come thou Profane Wretch , and let me a little enter an argument with thee ; Why wilt thou not come to J●sus Christ , since thou art a Jerusalem-sinner ? How canst thou find in thy heart to set thy self against Grace , against such Grace as offereth Mercy to thee ? What Spirit possesseth thee , and holds thee back from a sincere closure with ●hy Saviour ? Behold God groaningly complains of thee , saying , But Israel would none of me . When I called , none did answer . Psal 81.11 . Isa 66.4 . Shall God enter this Complaint against thee ? Why dost thou put him off ? why dost thou stop thine ear ? Canst thou defend thy self ? When thou art called to an account for thy neglects of so great Salvation , what canst thou answer ? Or doest thou think thou shalt escape the Judgment ? Heb. 2.3 . No more such Christs ! There will be no more such Christs , sinner ! Oh! put not the day , the day of Grace , away from thee ! If it be once gone , 't will never come again , Sinner . But what is it that has got thy Heart , and that keeps it from thy Saviour ? Who in the Heavens can be compared unto the Lord ? Who among the Sons of the Mighty can be likened unto the Lord ? Psal. 89.6 . Hast thou , thinkest thou , found any thing so good as Jesus Christ ? Is there any among thy Sins , thy Companions , and foolish Delights , that like Christ , can help thee in the day of thy distress ? Behold , the greatness of thy sins cannot hinder ; let not the stubbornness of thy Heart hinder thee , Sinner . Objection , But I am ashamed . Answer , Oh! don't be ashamed to be saved , Sinner . Object . But my old Companions will mock me . Ans. Oh! don't be mocked out of Eternal Life , Sinner . Thy stubbornness affects , afflicts the Heart of thy Saviour . Carest thou not for this ? Of old , He beheld the City , and wept over it . Canst thou hear this , and not be concerned ? Luke 19.41 , 42. Shall Christ weep to see thy Soul going on to destruction , and wilt thou sport thy self in That way ? Yea , shall Christ , that can be eternally Happy without thee , be more afflicted at the thoughts of the loss of thy Soul , than thy self , who art certainly eternally miserable if thou neglectest to come to him ? Those things that keep thee and thy Saviour , on thy part , asunder , are but Bubbles ; the least prick of an affliction , will let out , as to thee , what now thou thinkest is worth the venture of Heaven to enjoy . Hast thou not Reason ? Canst thou not so much as once soberly think of thy dyi●g hour ? or of , whether thy sinful life will drive thee then ? Hast thou no Conscience ? or having one , is it rocked so fast asleep by Sin , or made so weary with an unsuccessful calling upon thee , that it is laid down , and cares for thee no more ? Poor Man , thy state is to be lamented . Hast no Judgmemt ? Art not able to conclude , that to be saved , is better than to burn in Hell ; and that Eternal Life , with God's favour , is better than a Temporal Life in God's displeasure ? Hast no affliction but what is bruitish ? what , none at all ? No affection for the God that made thee ? What , none for his loving Son that has shewed his love , and dyed for thee ? Is not He●ven worth thy affection ? O poor Man ! which is strongest , think'st thou , God or thee ? If thou art not able to overcom● him , thou art a fool for standing out against him ; Mat. 5.25 , 26. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. He will gripe hard , his Fift is stronger than a Lions Paw ; take heed of him , he will be angry if you despise his Son ; and will you stand guilty in your Trespasses , when he offereth you his Grace and Favour ? Exod. 34.6 , 7 , 〈…〉 10 , 29 , 30 , 31. Now we come to the Text , Beginning at Jerusalem . This Text , though , it be now one of the brightest Stars that shineth in the Bible , because there is in it , as full , if not the fullest offer of Grace that can be imagined , to the Sons of Man● , yet to them that shall perish from under this Word , even this Text will be to such , one of ●he hottest Goals in Hell. This Text therefore will save thee , or sin● thee ; there is no shifting of it : If it saves thee , it will set thee high ; if it sinks thee , it will set thee low . But , I say , Why so unconcerned ? Hast no Soul ? Or dost think thou mayest lose thy S●ul , and save thy self ? Is it not pity , had it otherwise been the Will of God that ever thou wast made a M●n , for that thou settest so little by thy Soul ? Sinner , Take the Invitation ; Thou art called upon to come to Christ : Nor art thou called upon but by order from the Son of God , though thou shouldest happen to come of the biggest sinners : For he has bid us off●r Mercy , as to all the World in general , so in the first place , To the Sinners of J●rusalem ; or to the biggest sinners . Fifthly , Would Jesus Christ have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest sinners ? Then this shews how unreasonable a thing it is , for men to despair of Mercy . For those that presume , I shall say something to them afterward . I now speak to them that Despair . There are four sorts of Despair . There is the despair of Devils ; There is the despair of Souls in Hell ; There is the despair that is grounded upon Mens Deficiency ; And there is the despair that they are perplexed with that are willing to be saved , but are too strongly born down with the burden of their sins . The despair of Devils , the Damneds despair , and that despair that a Man has of attaining of Life , because of his own Deficience , are all unreasonable . Why should not Devils and Damned Souls d●spair ? Yea , why should not Man despair of getting to Heaven by his own abilities ? I therefore am concerned only with the fou●th sort of Despair , to wit , with the despair of those that would be saved , but are to strongly born , down ●ith the burden of their sins . I say therefore to thee that art thus , And w●y Despair ? Thy despair , if it was reasonable , should flow from thee , because found in the Land that is beyond the Grave ; or because thou certainly knowest that Christ will not , or cannot save thee . But for the first , thou art yet in the Land of th● Living ; and for the second , thou hast ground to believe the quite contrary Christ is able to save to the uttermost , them that come to God by him ; and if he were not willing , he wou●d not have commanded that Mercy i● the first place should be offered to the biggest sinners . Besides , he hath said , A●d l●t him that is athirst come , and whosoever will , l●t him take the Water of Life Fre●ly ; that is , with all my heart . What gro●nd now is here for Despair ? If thou say●st , The number and burden of my sins . I answer , Nay : That is rather a ground for Faith ; because such an one above all others , is invited by Christ to come unto him , yea , promised Rest and Forgiveness if they come , Matt. 11.28 . What ground then to despair ? Verily none at all . Thy despair then is a thing unreasonable , and without footing in the Word . But I have no ●xperience of God's love , G●d has given me no comfort , or ground of hope , though I have waited upon him for it many a day . Thou h●st experience of God's love , for that he has opened thine eyes to see thy sins ; and for that he has given thee desires to be saved by Jesus Christ. For by thy sense of Sin thou act made to see thy poverty of Spirit , and that has laid thee under a sure ground to hope that Heaven shall be thine hereafter . Also thy desires to be saved by Christ , has put thee under another Promise , so ●here is two to hold thee up in hope , though thy present burden be never so heavy , Matt. 5 3 , 6. As for what thou sayest , as to God's silence to thee , perhaps he has spoken to th●e once or twice already , but thou hast not perceived it , Job 33.14 , 15. However thou hast Christ Crucified , set forth before thine eyes in the Bible , and an invitation to come unto him , though thou be a Jerusalem-sinner , tho thou be a biggest Sinner ; and so no ground to despair . What if God will be silent to thee , is that ground of despair ? Not at all , so long as there is a Promise in the Bible that God will in no wise cast away the coming sinner , and so long as he invites the Jerusalem-sinner to come unto him , Job . 6.37 . Build not therefore Despair upon these things , they are no sufficient foundation for it , such plenty of Promises being in the Bible ; and such a discovery of his Mercy to great sinners of old , especially since we have withall a Clause in the Commission given to Ministers to Preach , that they should begin with the Jerusalem-sinners in their offering of Mercy to the World. Besides , God says , They that wait up●n the Lord , shall renew their strength , they shall mount up with wings like Eagles ; but perhaps it may be long first , I waited long , saith David , and did seek the Lord , and at length his cry was heard : Wherefore he bids his Soul wait on God , and says , for it is good so to do before thy Saints , Psal. 40.1 . Psal. 62.5 . Psal. 52.9 . And what if thou waitest upon God all thy days ? Is it below thee ? And what if God will cross his Book and blot out the hand-writing that is against thee , and not let thee know it as yet ? Is it fit to say unto God , Thou art hard-hearted ? Despair not . Thou hast no ground to d●spair , so long as thou livest in this World. 'T is a sin to begin to despair before one sets his foot over the threshold of Hell-gates . For them that are there , let them despair and spare not ; but as for thee , thou hast no ground to do it . What! Despair of Bread , in a Land that is full of Corn ! Despair of Mercy when our God is full of Mercy ! Despair of Mercy , when God goes about by his Ministers , beseeching of Sinners to be reconciled unto him ! 2 Cor. 5.18 , 19 , 20. Thou scrupulous fool , where canst thou find that God was ever false to his Promise , or that he ever deceived the Soul that ventured it self upon him ? He often calls upon Sinners to trust him , though they walk in darkness and have no light , Isa. 50.10 . They have his Promise and Oath for their Salvation , that flee for refuge to the hope set before them , Heb 6.17 , 18. Despair ! When we have a God of Mercy , and a Redeeming Christ Alive ! For shame forbear : Let them despair that dwell where there is no God , and that are confined to those Chambers of Death , which can be reached by no Redemption . A Living Man despair ! When he is chid for murmuring and complaining ! Lam. 3.39 . Oh! so long as we are where Promises swarm , where Mercy is proclaimed , where Grace reigns , and where Jerusalem-sinners are priviledged with the first ofter of Mercy , it is a base thing to despair ! Despair undervalues the Promise , undervalues the Invitation , undervalues the proffer of Grace . Despair undervalues the ability of God the Fath●r , and the redeeming Blood of Christ his Son : Oh unreasonable Despair ! Despair makes Man God's Judge ; 't is a Controller of the Promise , a Contradicter of Christ in his large offers of Mercy : And one that undertakes to make Vnb●lief the great manager of our Reason and Judgment , in determining about what God can and will do for Sinners . Despair ! It is the Devils fellow , the Devils master ; yea , the Chains with which he is captivated and held under darkness for ever : And to give way thereto in a Land , in a State and Time that flows with Milk and Honey , is an uncomely thing . I would say to my Soul ; O my Soul ! this is not the place of Despair , this is not the time to despair in : As long as mine eyes can find a Promise in the Bible ; as long as there is the least mention of Grace , as long as there is a moment left me of breath or life in this World ; so long will I wait or look for Mercy ; so long will I fight against Unbelief and Despair . This is the way to honour God and Christ : this is the way to set the Crown on the Promise ; this is the way to welcome the Invitation and Inviter ; and this is the way to thrust thy self under the shelter and pro●ection of the word of Grace . Never despair so long as our Text is alive , for that doth sound it out , That Mercy by Christ is offered in the first place to the biggest sinner . Despair is an unprofitable thing , 't will make a man weary of waiting upon God , 2 King. 6.33 . 'T will make a man forsake God , and seek his Heaven in the good things of this world , Gen. 4.13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17. 'T will make a man his own tormenter , and flounce and fling l●ke a wild Bull in a net , Isa. 51.20 . Despair ! It drives a man to the study of his own ruine , and brings him at last to be his own Executioner , 2 Sam. 17.23 . Matt. 27 3 , 4 , 5. Besides , I am perswaded also , that Despair is the cause that there are so many that would fain be Atheists in the World : For because they have entertained a Conceit that God will never be merciful to them ; therefore they labour to perswade themselves that there is no God at all , as if their misbelief would kill God , or cause him to cease to be . A poor shift for an Immortal Soul , for a Soul who liketh not to retain God in its knowledge ! If this be the best that Despair can do , let it go , Man ; and betake thy self to Faith , ●o Prayer , to wait for God , and to hope , in despight of ten thousand doubts . And for thy encouragement , take yet ( as an addition to what has already been said ) these following Scriptures ; The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him , in them that hope in his mercy , Psal. 147.11 . Whence note , They fear not God , that hope not in his mercy . Also , God is angry with them that hope not in his Mercy ; for he only taketh pleasure in them that hope . He that believeth , or hath received his Testimony , hath set to his Seal that God is true , Joh. 3.33 . But he that receiveth it not , hath made him a liar , and that is a very unworthy thing , 1 Joh. 5.10 , 11. Let the Wicked forsake his ways , and the Vnrighteous man his thoughts ; and let him return to the Lord , and he will have mercy on him ; and to our God , for he will abundantly multiply pardons , Isa. 55.7 . Perhaps thou art weary of thy ways , but art not weary of thy thoughts ; of thy unbelieving and despairing thoughts : Now God also would have thee cast away these thoughts , as such which he deserveth not at thy hands , for he will have mercy upon thee , and he will abundantly pardon . O fools ! and flow heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken , Luk. 24.25 . Mark you here , showness to believe is a piece of folly . Ay! but sayest thou , I do believe some , and I believe what can make ag●inst me . Ay , but Sinner , Christ Jesus here calls thee fool for not believing All. Believe All , and despair if thou canst . He that believes All , believes that Text that saith , Christ would have Mercy Preached first to the Jerusalem-sinners . He that believeth All , believeth all the Promises and Consolations of the Word ; and the Promises and Consolations of the Word , weigh heavier than do all the Curses and Threatnings of the Law. And Mercy rejoyceth against Judgment . Wherefore believe All , and Mercy will to thy Conscience , weigh Judgment down , and so minister Comfort to thy Soul. Th● Lord take the Yoke from off thy Jaws , since he has set Meat before thee , H●s . 11.4 . And help thee to remember that he is pleased in the first place to offer Mercy to the biggest sinners . Sixthly , Since Jesus Christ would have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest sinners , Let Souls see that they lay right hold thereof ; lest they notwithstanding , indeed come short thereof . Faith only knows how to deal with Mercy ; wherefore put not in the place thereof Presumption . I have observed , that as there are Herbs and Flowers in our Garden● , so there are their Counterfeits in the Field ; only they are distingui●hed from the other by the Name of Wild Ones . Why , there is Faith , and Wild Fai●h ; and Wild Faith is this Presumption ? I call it Wild Faith , because God never placed ●t in his Garden , his Church ; 't is only to be found in the Field , the World. I also call it . Wild Faith , because it only grows up , and is nourished where other wild notions abounds . Wherefore take heed of this , and all may be well : For this presumptuousness is a very heinous thing in the eyes of God : The Soul , saith he , that shall do ought presumptuously ( ●hether born in the Land or a stranger ) the same reproacheth the Lord ; And that Soul shall be cut off from among his people , Num 15.30 . The thoughts of this made David tremble , and pray , That God would hold him back from presumptuous sins , and not suffer them to have dominion over him , Psal. 19.13 . Now this Presumption , Then put its self in the place of Faith , when it tampereth with the promise for Life , while the Soul is a stranger to Repentance . Wherefore you have in the Text , to prevent doing thus , both Repentance and Remission of Sins to be offered to Jerusalem , not Remission without Repentance : For all that repent not shall perish , let them presume on Grace and the Promise while they will , Luk. 13.1 , 2 , 3. Presumption then is that which severeth Faith and Repentance , concluding that the Soul shall be saved by Grace , though the man was never made sorry for his sins , nor the love of the Heart turned therefrom . This is to be s●lf-willed , as Peter has it . And this is a despising the Word of the Lord , for that has put Repentance and Faith together , Mark 1.15 . And because he hath despis●d the Word of the Lord , and hath broken the Commandment , that Soul shall utterly be cut off : his iniquities shall be upon him , Numb . 15.31 . Let such therefore look it , who yet are , and abide in their sins ; for such , if they hope , as they are , to be saved , presume upon the grace of God. Wherefore Presumption and not hearkning to God's Word , are put together , D●ut . 17.12 . Again , Then men presume when they are resolved to abide in their sins , and sins , yet expect to be saved by God's grace through Christ. This is as much as to say , God liketh of Sin as well as I do , and careth not how men live , if so be they lean upon his Son. Of this sort are they that build up Zion with Blood , and Jerusalem with Iniquity ; That Judge for reward , and teach for hire , and Divine for mony , and lean upon the Lord , Mic. 3.10 , 11. This is doing things with an high hand against the Lord our God , and a taking him , as it were , at the Catch ! This is , as we lay among men , to seek to put a trick upon God , as if he had not sufficiently fortified his Proposals of Grace by his holy Word , against all such kind of fools as these . But look to it , Such will be found at the day of God , not among that great company of Jerusalem-sinners , that shall be saved by Grace , but among those that have been the great abusers of the grace of God in the World. These that say , Let us sin that Grace may abound , and let us do Evil that Good may come , their Damnation is just . And if so , they are a great way off of that Salvation that is by Jesus Christ presented to the Jerusalem sinners . I have therefore these things to propound to that Jerusalem-sinner that would know , if he may be so bold to venture himself upon this Grace . First , Dost thou see thy sins ? Secondly , Art thou weary of them ? Thirdly , Wouldst thou with all thy heart be saved by Jesus Christ ? I dare say no less , I dare say no more . But if it be truly thus with thee , how great soever thy sins have been , how bad soever thou feelest thy heart , how far soever thou art from thinking that God has mercy for thee ; thou art the Man , the Jerusalem-sinner , that the Word of God has conquered , and to whom it offereth free Remission of sins , by the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ. When the Jayler cried out , Sirs , What must I do to be saved ? The answer was , Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ , and thou shalt be saved . He that sees his sins aright , is brought to his wits-end by them , and he that is so , is willing to part from them , and to be saved by the grace of God. If this be thy Case , fear not , give no way to Despair , thou presumest not , if thou believest to life everlasting in Jesus Christ. Yea , Christ is prepared for such as thou art . Therefore take good courage and believe . The design of Satan is to tell the Presumptuous , that their presuming on Mercy is good ; but to perswade the Believer , that his believing is impudent bold dealing with God. I never heard a presumptuous man in my life , say that he was afraid that he presumed ; but I have heard many an honest humble Soul say , that they have been afraid that their Faith has been Presumption . Why should Satan molest those whose ways he knows will bring them to him ? And who can think that he should be quiet when men take the right course to escape his hellish snares . This therefore is the reason why the truly humbled is opposed , while the Presumptuous goes on by Wind and Tide . The truly humble , Satan hates , but he laughs to see the foolery of the other . Does thy hand and heart tremble ? Upon thee the Promise smiles ; To this man will I look says God , even to him that is poor , and of a co●trite s●irit , and trembles at my Word , Isa. 66.2 . What therefore I have said of Presumption , concerns not the humble in Spirit at all . I therefore am for ga●hering up the S●ones , and for taking the Stumbling-blocks out of the way of God's People ; and fore-warning of them that they lay the stumbling block of their Iniquity before their faces , and that are for presuming upon God's mercy ; and let them look to themselves , Ezekiel 14.6 , 7 , 8. Also our Text stands firm as ever it did , and our Observation is still of force , That Jesus Christ would have mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners . So then , let none Des●air , let none Presume ; Let none despair that are sorry for their sins , and would be saved by Jesus Christ : Let none Presume , that abide in the liking of their sins , though they seem to know the exceeding grace of Christ ; for though the door stand wide open for the reception of the Penitent , yet 't is fast enough barr'd and bolted against the presumptuous sinner . Be not deceived , God is not mocked , whatsoever a man sows , that he shall reap . It cannot be that God should be wheadled out of his Mercy , or prevailed upon by lips of dissimulation ; He knows them that trust in him , and that sincerely come to him by Christ for mercy , Nahum . 1.7 . It is then , not the abundance of sins committed , but the not coming heartily to God by Christ for Mercy , that shuts men out of doors : And though their not coming heartily may be said to be but a Sin ; yet 't is Such a Sin , as causeth that all thy other sins abide upon thee unforgiven . God complains of this . Th●y have not cried unto me with their heart ; They turned , but not to the most High. They turned feignedly , Jer , 3.10 . Hos. 7.14 , 16. Thus doing , his Soul hates ; but the Penitent , humble , broken-hearted Sinner , be his Transgressions red as Scarlet , red like Crimsom , in number as the Sand ; though his transgressions cry to Heaven against him for Vengeance , and seem there to cry louder than do his Prayers , or Tears , or Groans for Mercy ; yet he is safe . To this man God will look , Isa. 1.18 . chap. 66 , 2. Seventhly , Would Jesus Christ have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners ? Then here is ground for those , that as to practice , have Not been such , to come to him for mercy . Although there is no Sin little of it self , because it is a contradiction of the Nature and Majesty of God ; yet we must admit of divers numbers , and also of aggravations : Two Sins are not so many as three ; nor are three , that are done in ignorance , so big as One that is done against light , against knowledge , and Conscience . Also there is the Child in Sin , and a Man in Sin that has his Hairs gray , and his Skin wrinkled for very Age. And we must put a differen●e betwixt these Sinners also . For can it be , that a Child of Seven , or ten , or sixteen years old , should be such a Sinner , a Sinner so vile in the Eye of the Law , as he is who has walked according to the course of this World , forty , fifty , sixty , or seventy Years ? Now the Youth , this Stripling , though he is a Sinner , is but a little sinner , when compared with such . Now I say , If there be room for the first sort , for those of the biggest size ; certainly there is room for the lesser size ? If there be a Door wide enough for a Gyant to go in at , there is certainly room for a Dwarff . If Christ Jesus has Grace enough to save great sinners , he has surely Grace enough to save little ones . If he can forgive five hundred pence , for certain he can forgive fifty , Luk , 7.41 , 42. But you said before , that the little sinners must stand by , untill the great ones have received their grac● , and that 's discouraging ! I answer , There are two sorts of little Sinners such as are so , such as feign themselves so . There are those that feign themselves so , that I intended there , and not those that are indeed comparatively so . Such as feign themselves so , may wait long enough before they obtain Forgivenness . But again , A Sinner may be comparatively a little sinner , and sensibly a great one . There is then two sorts of greatness in sin ; greatness by reason of number , greatness by reason of throughness of conviction of the horrible nature of Sin. In this last sense , he that has but one sin , if such a one could be found , may in his own eyes find himself the biggest sinner in the world . Let this Man , or this Child , therefore put himself among the great sinners , and plead with God as great sinners do , and expect to be saved with the great sinners , and as soon , and as hearttily as they . Yea , a little sinner , that comparatively is truly so , if he shall graciously give way to Conviction , and shall in God's light , diligently weigh the horrible nature of his own sins , may yet sooner obtain Forgiveness for them at the hands of the heavenly Father , than he that has ten times his sins , and so cause to cry ten times harder to God for Mercy . For the grievousness of the Cry is a great thing with God ; for if he will hear the Widdow , if she cries at all , how much more if she cries most grievously ? Exod. 22.22 , 23. It is not the number , but the true sense of the abominable nature of Sin , that makes the Cry for Pardon lamentable . He , as I said , that has many sins , may not cry so loud in the ears of God , as he that has far fewer ; he in our present sense that is in his own eyes the biggest sinner , is he that soonest findeth mercy . The offer Then is to the Biggest sinner , to the biggest sinner First , and the m●rcy is first obtained by him that first confesseth himself to be such an one . There are men that strive at the throne of Grace for Mercy , by pleading the greatness of their Necessity . Now their Plea , as to the prevalency of it , lieth not in their counting up of the number , but in the sense of the greatness of their sins , and in the vehemency of their cry for Pardon . And it is observable , that though the Birth right was Rubins , and for his foolishness , given to the Sons of Joseph ; yet Judah prevailed above his Brethren , and of him came the Messias , 1 Chron. 5.1 , 2. There is a heavenly subtilty to be managed in this matter . Thy Broth●r came with subtilty and hath taked away thy blesing . The blessing belonged to Esau , but Jacob by his diligence made it his own , Gen. 27.35 . The offer is to the biggest sinner , to the biggest sinner first , but if he forbears to cry , the sinner that is a sinner less by far than he , both as to number and the nature of transgression , may get the blessing first , if he shall have grace to bestir himself well ; for the loudest Cry is heard furthest , and the most lamentable , pierces soonest . I therefore urge this Head , not because I would have little sinners go and tell God that they are little sinners , thereby to think to obtain his Mercy ; for veily , so they are never like to have it : For such words declare , that such a one hath no true sense at all of the nature of his sins . Sin , as I said , in the nature of it , is horrible ; though it be but one single sin as to act ; yea , though it be but a sinful thought ; and so worthily calls for the damnation of the Soul. The Comparison then , of little and great Sinners , is to go for good sense among men : But to plead the fewness of thy sins , or the comparative harmlesness of their quantity before God , argueth no sound knowledge of the nature of thy Sin , and so no true sense of the nature or need of Mercy . Little Sinner when therefore thou goest to God , though thou knowest in thy Conscience , that thou , as to acts , art no Thief , no Murderer , no Whore , no Liar , no false Swearer , or the like , and in reason must needs understand , that thus thou art not so profanely vile as others ; yet when thou goest to God for Merey , know no mans sins but thine own , make mention of no mans sins but thine own . Also labour not to lessen thy own , but magnifie and greaten them by all just Circumstances , and be as if there was never a Sinner in the World but thy self . Also cry out as if thou wast the only undone Man ; and that is the way to obtain God's Mercy . It is one of the comeliest Sights in the world , to see a little Sinner commenting upon the greatness of his sins ; multiplying and mul●iplying them to himself ; till he makes them in his own eyes bigger and higher than he seeth any other man's sins to be in the World ; and as base a thing it is to see a man do otherwise , and as basely will come on 't , Luk. 18.10 , 11 , 12 , 13. As therefore I said to the great Sinner before , let him take heed lest he presumes : I say now to the little Sinner , let him take heed that he don't dissemble : For there is as great an aptness in the little Sinner to dissemble , as there is in the great one . He that hideth his sins shall not prosper , be he a sinner little or great , Prov. 28.13 . Eighthly , Would Jesus Christ have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners ? Then this shews the true cause why Satan makes such head as he doth against him . The Father and the holy Spirit are well sp●k●n of by all Deluders and deceived Persons ; Christ only is the Rock of Offence . Behold I lay in Zion a stumbling-Stone and a Rock of Offence , Rom. 9.33 . Not that Satan careth for the Father or the Spirit more than he careth for the Son , but he can let men alone with their notions of the Father and the Spirit , for he knows they shall never enjoy the Father or the Spirit , if indeed they receive not the Merits of the Son. He that hath the Son , hath Life ; he that hath not the Son of God hath not Life , however they may boast themselves of the Father and the Spirit , 1 J●hn 5.12 . Again , Whosoever transgresseth , and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ ▪ hath not God : He that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ , hath both the Father and the Son , 2 John 9. Christ , and Christ only is he that can make us cap●ble to enjoy God with Life and Joy to all eternity . Hence he calls himself The Way to the Father ; The true and l●ving Way , Joh. 14.6 . Heb. 10.19.20 . For we cannot come to the Father but by him . Satan knows this , therefore he hates him Deluded Persons are ignorant of this , and therefore they are so led up and down by Satan by the nose , as they are . T●ere are many things by which Satan has taken occasion to greaten his rage against Jesus Christ. As first , His love to Man , and then the many expressions of that love ▪ He hath taken Man's nature upon him ; he hath in that nature fulfilled the L●w to bring in Righteousness for Man ; and hath spilt his Blood for the Reconciling of Man to God ; he hath broke the neck of Death , put away Sin , destroyed the works of the Devil , and got into his own hands the Keys of Death : and all these are heinous things to Satan . He cannot abide Christ for this . Besides , he hath eternal Life in himself , and that to bestow upon us ; and we in all liklihood are to possess the very places , from which the Satans by transgression fell , if not places more glorious . Wherefore he must ne●ds be angry . And is it not a vexatious thing to him , that we should be admitted to the Throne of Grace by Christ , while he stands bound over in Chains of Darkness , to answer for his Rebellions against God and his Son , at the terrible day of Judgment . Yea , we poor Dust and Ashes must become his Judges , and triumph over him for ever ; and all this , long of J●sus Christ ; for he is the Meritorious Cause of all this . Now though Satan seeks to be revenged for this , yet he knows it is in vain to attack the Person of Christ , he has overcome him ; therefore he tampers with a company of silly Men , that he may Villifie him by them . And they , bold fools as they are , will not spare to spit in his face . They will rail at his Person , and deny the very Being of it ; they will rail at his Blood ; and deny the Merit and Worth of it . They will deny the very end , why he accomplished the Law , and by figgs , and tricks , and qui●ks , which he helpeth them to , they set up fond N●mes and Images in his pl●ce , and give the glory of a Saviour to them , Thus Satan worke●h under the Name of Christ ; and his Ministers under the name of the Ministers of Righteousness , And by his Wiles and Stratagems he undoes a world of men ; But there is a Se●d , and they shall serve him , and it shall be counted to the Lord for a Generation . T●ese shall see their sins , and th●t C●rist is the Way to Happiness . These sh●ll venture themselves both Body and Soul upon his Worthiness . All this Satan Knows , and therefore his rage is kindle● the more . Wherefore ac●ording to his ability and allowance , he assaulteth , tempteth , abuseth , and stirs up what he can to be hurtful to these poor People , that he may , while his time shall last ; make it as hard and difficult for them to go to eternal Glory as he can . Often-times he abuses them with wrong apprehe●sions of God , and with wrong apprehensions of Christ. He also casts them into the Mire , to the reproach of Religion , the shame of their Brethren , the derision of the World , and dishonour of God. He holds our hands while the World buffets us ; he puts Bear-skins upon us , and then sets the Dogs at us . He bedawbeth us with his own Fome , and then tempts us to believe that that bedawding comes from ourselves . Oh! the rage and the roaring of this Lion ! and the hatred that he manifests against the Lord J●sus , and against them that are purchased with his Blood ! But yet in the midst of all this , the Lord Jesus ; sends forth his Herrald to proclaim in the Nations , his love to the World ; and to invite them to come in to him for Life . Yea , his Invitation is so large , that it offereth his Mercy in the first place to th●●iggest Sinners of every Age , which augments the Devils rage the more . wherefore , as I said before , fret he , sume he , the Lord Jesus will divide the Spoil with this great one ; yea , he shall divide the Spoil with the strong , because he h●th poured out his Soul unto death , and was numbred with the Transgressiors , and bare the sin of many , and made Interc●ssion for the transgressors , Isa. 53.12 . Ninthly , Would Jesus Christ have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners ? Let the Tempted harp upon This string for their h●lp and consolation . The Tempted wherever he dwells , always thinks himself the biggest Sinner , one most unworthy of eternal Life . This is Satans master Argument ; Thou art a horrible Sinner , a Hypocrite , one that has a profane heart , and one that is an utter stranger to a work of Grace . I say , this is his Maul , his Cl●h , his Master-piece ; He doth with this , as some do by their most inchanting Songs , sings them every where . I believe there are but few Saints in the World that have not had this temptation sounding in their Ears . But were they but aware , Satan by all this , does but drive them to the Ga● out at which they should go , and so escape his roaring . Saith he , Thou art a great Sinner , a horrible Sinner , a profane hearted Wretch one that cannot be match● for a Vile one in the Country . And all this while Christ says to his Ministers , offer Mercy in the first place to the biggest Sinners . So that this Temptation drives thee directly into the Arms of Jesus Christ. Was therefore the Tempted but aware , he might say , Ay Satan , so I am , I am a Sinner of the biggest size , and therefore have most need of Jesus Christ : Yea , because I am such a wretch , therefore Jesus Christ calls me ; yea , he calls me first : The first proffer of the Gospel is to be made to the Jerusalem sinner : I am he , wherefore st●nd back Satan , make a lane , my right is first to come to Jesus Christ. This now would be like for like . This would foil the Devil : This would make him say , I must not deal with this man thus ; for then I put a Sword into his hand to cut off my head . And this is the meaning of Peter , when he saith , Resist him stedfast in the Faith , 1 Pet. 5.9 . And of Paul when he saith , Take the Shi●ld of Faith , wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the Wicked , Ephes. 6.16 . Wherefore is it said , Begin at Jerusalem , if the Jerusalem sinner is not to have the benefit of it ? And if I am to have the benefit of it , let me call it to mind when Satan haunts me with the continual remembrance of my sins , of my Jerusalem-sins . Satan and my Conscience says , I am the biggest sinner , Christ offereth Mercy in the first place to the biggest sinners . Nor is the manner of the Offer other but such as suiteth with my mind . I am sorry for my sin ; yea , sorry at my heart that ever sinful Thought did enter , or find the least entertainment in my wicked mind : And might I obtain my Wish , I would never more that my heart should be a place for ought but the Grace , and Spirit , and Faith of the Lord Jesus . I speak not this to lessen my Wickedness ; I would not for all the World , but be placed by mine own Conscience in the very front of the biggest Sinners , that I might be one of the first that are beckoned by the gracious Hand of Jesus the Saviour , to come to him for Mercy . Well Sinner , thou now speakest like a Christian , but say thus in a stron● Spirit in the hour of Temptation , and then thou wilt , to thy commendation and comfort , quit thy self well . This improving of Christ in dark hours , is the Life , though the hardest part of our Christianity . We should neither stop at Darkness , nor at the raging of our Lusts , but go on in a way of venturing and casting the whole of our Affair for the next World , at the foot of Jesus Christ. This is the way to make the Darkness Light , and also to alay the raging of our Corruption . T●e first time the Passover ●as eaten , was in the night ; and when Israel took Courage to go forward , though the Sea stood in their way like a devouring Gulf , and the Host of the Aegyptians follow them at the heels ; yet the Sea gives place , and their Enemies were as still as a stone till they were gone over , Exod. 12.8 . chap. 14.13 , 14 , 21 , 21 , 22. chap. 15 , 16. There is nothing like Faith to help at a pinch ; Faith dissolves Doubts , as the Sun drives away the Mists . And that you may not be put out , know your time , as I said , of believing is always . There are times when some Graces may be out of use , but there is no time wherein Faith can be said to be so . Wherefore Faith must be always in exercise . Faith is the eye , is the mouth , is the hand , and one of these is of use all day long , Faith is to see , to receive , to work , on to eat ; and a Christian should be seeing or receiving , or working , or feeding all day long . Let it rain , let it blow , let it thunder , let it lighten , a Christian must still believe : At what time , said the good man , I am afraid , I will trust in thee , Psal. 56.2 , 3. Nor can we have a better encouragement to do this , than is by the Text set before us , even an open heart for a Jerusalem Sinner . And if for a Jerusalem-Sinner to come , then for such an one , when come . If such a one To Be saved , then for such a one that Is saved . If for such a one To be pardoned his great transgressions , then for such a one who Is pardoned these , to come daily to Jesus Christ too , to be cleansed and set free from his common Infirmities , and from the Iniquities of his holy things . Therefore let the poor Sinner that would be saved , labour for skill to make the best Improvement of the grace of Christ to help him against the temptations of the Devil and his Sins . Tengthly , Would Jesus Christ have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners ? Let those men consider this , that ( have , or ) may in a day of trial have spoken or done what their Profession or Conscience told them they should not , and that have the guilt and burden thereof upon their Consciences . Whether a thing be wrong or right , Guilt may pursue him that doth contrary to his Conscience . But suppose a man should deny his God , or his Christ , or relinquish a good Profession , and be under the real guilt thereof ? Shall he therefore conclude he is gone for ever ? Let him come again with Peter's tears , and no doubt but he shall obtain Peter's Forgiveness . For the Text includes the biggest sinners . And 't is observable , That before this Gl●use was put into this Commission , Peter was pardoned his horrible Revolt from his Master . He that Revolteth in the day of Trial , if he is not shot quite dead upon the place , but is sensible of his Wound , and calls out for a Chyrurgion , shall find his Lord at hand to pour Wine and Oyl into his Wounds , that he may again be healed . And to incourage him to think that there may be Mercy for him : Besides what we find Recorder of Peter , you read in the Acts , some was through the violence of their Trials , compelled to Blaspheme , and yet are called Saints , Acts 26.9 , 10 , 11. Hence you have a Promise or two that speaks concerning such a kind of Men , to incourage us to think that at least some of them shall come back to the Lord their God. Shall they fall , saith he , and not arise ? Shall they turn away , and not return ? Jer. 8 4. And in that day I will assemble her that halteth , and I will gather her that was driven out , and her that I have Afflicted . And I will make her that halteth a Remnant , and her that was cast off , a strong Nation ; And the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion for ever . What we are to understand by her that halteth , is best expressed by the Prophet Elijah , Mic. 4.6 , 7. Zeph. 3.19 . 1 Kings 18.21 . I will conclude then , that for them that have halted , or may halt , the Lord has Mercy in the Bank , and is willing to accept them if they return to him again . Perhaps they may never be after that of any great esteem in the House of God , but if the Lord will admit them to favour and forgiveness : O exceeding and undeserved Mercy ! See Ez●k 44.10.11 , 12 , 13 , 14. Thou then that mayest be the Man , Remember this , that there is Mercy also for thee . Return therefore to God , and to his Son , who hath yet in store for thee , and who will do thee good . But perhaps thou wilt say , He doth not save all Revolters , and therefore perhaps not me . Answer , Art thou returning to God ? If thou art returning , thou art the Man. R●turn ye back sliding Children , and I will heal your back slidings , Jer. 3.22 . Some , as I said , that Revolt , are shot dead upon the place , and for them , who can help them ? But for them that cry out of their Wounds , 't is a sign they are yet alive , and if they use the means in time , doubtless they may be healed . Christ Jesus has bags of Mercy that was never yet broken up or unsealed . Hence it is said , he has goodness laid up ; things reserved in Heaven for his . And if he breaks up one of these bags , who can tell what he can do ! Hence his Love is said to be such as passeth Knowledge , and that his Riches are unsearchable . He has , no body knows what ; for no body knows who ! He has by him in store for such as seem in the view of all men , to be gone beyond recovery . For this the Text is plain . What Man or Angel could have thought that the Jerusalem-sinners had been yet on this side of an impossibity of enjoying Life and Mercy ? Hadst thou seen their actions , and what horrible things they did to the Son of God : Yea , how stoutly they backed what they did , with resolves and endeavours to persevere , when they had killed his Person , against his Name and Doctrine : And that there was not found among them all that while as we read of , the least remorse or regret for these their doings : Couldst thou have imagined that Mercy would ever have took hold of them , at least so soon ! Nay , that they should , of all the World be counted those Only meet to have it offered to them in the very first place ! For so my Text commands , saying , Preach Repentance and Remission of Sin among all Nations , Beginning at Jerusalem . I tell you the thing is a Wonder , and must for ever stand for a Wonder among the Sons of Men. It stands also for an everlasting Invitation and Allurement to the biggest Sinners to come to Christ for Mercy . Now , since , in the Opinion of all Men , the Revolter is such a one ; if he has , as I said before , any Life in him , let him take incouragment to come again , that he may live by Christ. Eleventhly , Would Jesus Christ have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners ? Then let God's Ministers tell them so . There is an Incidence in us , I know not how it doth come about , when we are Converted , to contemn them that are left behind . Poor fools as we are , we forget that we our selves were so . Tit. 3.2 , 3. But would it not become us better , since we have tasted that the Lord is gracious , to carry it towards them so , that we may give them Convincing ground to believe , that we have found that Mercy which also sets open the Door for them to come and partake with us . Ministers , I say , should do thus , both by their Doctrine , and in all other respects . Austerity doth not become us , neither in Doctrine nor in Conversation : We our selves live by Grace ; Let us give as we receive , and labour to perswade our fellow-sinners which God has left behind us , to follow after that they may partake with us of Grace . We are saved by Grace , let us live like them that are gracious . Let all our things ( to the World ) be done in Charity towards them , Pity them , Pray for them , be familiar with them for their good . Let us lay aside our foolish , worldly , carnal grandure ; Let us not walk the Streets , and have such behaviours as signifie we are scarce for touching of the poor ones that are left behind , no not with a pair of Tongs . It becomes not Ministers thus to do . Remember your Lord , he was familiar with Publicans and Sinners to a Proverb . Behold a gluttonous man , and a Wine-bibber , a friend of Publicans and Sinners , Matt. 11.19 . The first part , concerning his gluttonous eating and drinking , to be sure was an horrible slander ; but for the other , nothing was over spoke truer of him by the World. Now why should we lay hands cross on this Text , that is , choose good Victuals , and love the sweet Wine better than the Salvation of the poor Publican ? Why not familiar with sinners provided we hate their spots and blemishes , and seek that they may be healed of them ? Why not fellowly with our Carnal Neighbours ? If we do take occasion to do so , that we may drop , and be yet distilling some good Doctrine upon their Souls ? Why not go to the poor Man's House , and give him a Penny , and a Scripture to think upon ? Wh● not send for the Poor to fetch away , at least , the Fragments of thy Table , that the Bowels of thy fellow-sinner my be refresht as well as thine ? Ministers should be Exemplary : But I am an inferiour Man , and must take heed of too much medling . But might I , I would meddle with them , with their Wives , and with their Children too . I mean not this of all , but of them that deserve it , though I may not name them . But , I say , let Ministers follow the steps of their blessed Lord , who by Word and Deeds shewed his Love to the S●lvation of the World , in such a carriage as declared him to prefer their Salvation before his own private Concern . For we are commanded to follow his steps , who did no sin , neither was guile found in his mouth . And as I have said concerning Ministers , so I say to all the Brethren , carry it so , that all the World may see , that indeed you are the Sons of Love. Love your Saviour ; Yea , shew one to another that you love him , not only by a seeming love of Affection , but with the love of Duty . Practical Love is best . Many love Christ with nothing but the lick of the Tongue . Alas ! Christ Jesus the Lord ; must not be put off thus : He that hath my Commandments , and keepeth them , saith he , he it is that loveth me , Joh. 14.21 . Practical Love , which stands in Self-denial , in Charity to my Neighbour , and a Patient enduring of Affliction for his Name : This is counted Love. Right Love to Christ , is that which carries in it a provoking Argument to others of the Brethren , Heb. 10.24 . Should a Man ask me how he should know that he loveth the Children of God ? The best answer I could give him , would be in the Words of the Apostle John ; By this , saith he , we know we love the Children of God , when we love God , and keep his Commandments , 1 Joh. 5.2 . Love to God and Christ , is then 〈◊〉 , when we are tender of his Name ; and then we shew our selves tender of his Name , when we are afraid to break any the least of his Commandments . And when we are here , then do we shew our love to our Brother also . Now we have Obligation sufficient thus to do , for that our Lord loved us , and gave himself for us , to deliver us from Death , that we might live through him . The World , when they hear the Doctrine that I have asserted and handled in this little Book , to wit , That Jesus Christ would have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners ; will be apt , because themselves are Unbelievers , to think that this is a Doctrine that leads to Looseness , and that gives liberty to the Flesh ; but if you that Believe , love your Brethren ; and your Neighbours truly , and as you should , you will put to silence the ignorance of such foolish Men , and stop their mouths from speaking Evil of you . And , I say , let the love of Christ constrain us to this . Who deserveth our Heart , our Mouth , our Life , our Goods , so much as Jesus Christ , who has bought us to himself by his Blood , to this very end , that we should be a peculiar Pe●●le , zealous of good Works ? There is nothing more seemly in the World , than to see a Christian walk as becomes the Gospel ; nor any thing more unbecoming a Reasonable Creature , than to hear a man say , I believe in Christ , and yet see in his Life , Debauchery and Profaneness . Might I , such men should be counted the basest of men ; such men should be counted by all , unworthy of the Name of a Christian , and should be shunned by every good man , as such who are the very Plague of Profession . For so it is written , We should carry it towards them . Whoso has a Form of Godliness , and deny the power thereof , from such we must turn away . It has oft-times come into my mind , to ask , by what means it is , That the Gospel Profession should be so Taunted with Loose and Carnal Gospellers ? And I could never arrive to better Satisfaction in the matter , than this , Such men are made Professors by the Devil , and so by him put among the rest of the Godly . A certain Man had a fruitless Figg-Tree planted in his Vineyard ; but by whom was it planted there ? Even by him that sowed the Tares , his own Children , among the Wheat , Luke 13.6 . Matt. 13.37 , 38 ▪ 39 , 40. And that was the Devil . But why doth the Devil do thus ? Not of love to them , but to make of them Offences and Stumbling blocks to others . For he knows that a loose Professor in the Church , does more mischief to Religion , than ten can do to it that are in the World. Was it not , think you , the Devil that stirred up the Damosel that you read of in Acts 16. to cry out , These are the Servants of the Most high God , that shew unto us the way of Salvation ? Yes it was , as is evident , For Paul was grieved to hear it . But why did the Devil stir up her to cry so ? But because that was the way to blemish the Gospel , and to make the World think that it came from the same hand as did her Sooth-saying and Witchery , Ver. 16.17 , 18. Holiness , O Lord , becomes thy House for ever . Let therefore , whoever they be that profess the Name of Christ , take heed that they Scandal not that Profession which they make of him , since he has so graciously offered us , as we are Sinners of the biggest size , in the first place , his Grace to Save us . HAving thus far spoken of the riches of the Grace of Christ , and of the freeness of his Heart to imbrace the Jerusalem-sinners ; it may not be amiss to give you , yet , as a caution , an intimatimation of one thing , namely , That this grace and freeness of his Heart is limited to time and day ; the which , whoso overstandeth , shall perish notwithstanding . For , as a King , who of Grace , sendeth out to his Rebellious People an offer of Pardon , if they accept thereof by such a day , yet beheadeth , or hangeth those that come not in for mercy until the day or time be past : So Christ Jesus has set the Sinner a day , a day of Salvation , an acceptable time , but he who standeth out , or goeth on in Rebellion beyond that time , is like to come off with the loss of his Soul , 2 Cor. 6.2 . Heb. 3.13 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19. chap. 4.7 . Luk. 19.41 , 42. Since therefore things are thus , it may be convenient here to touch a little upon these particulars . First , That this Day , or Time , thus limited , when it is considered with reference to this or that man ; is , oft-times undiscerned by the person concerned therein , and always is kept secret as to the shutting up thereof . And this in the wisdom of God is thus , to the end no man , when called upon , should put off turning to God to another time : Now , and to Day , is that and only that which is revealed in Holy Writ , Psal. 50.22 . Eccles. 12.1 . H●b . 3.13 , 16. And this shews us the desperate hazzards which those men run , who when invitation , or conviction attends them , put off turning to God to be saved till another , and as they think , a more fit season and time . For many by so doing , defer this to do , till the day of God's patience and long-suffering is ended : and then , for their Prayers and Cryes after mercy , they receive nothing but mocks , and are laughed at by the God of Heaven , Prov. 1.20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29. Isa. 65.12 , 13 , 14 , 15. chap. 66.4 Zech. 7.11 , 12 , 13. Secondly , Another thing to be considered is this , namely , that the day of God's grace with some men , begins sooner , and also sooner ends than it doth with others . Those at the first hour of the day , had their Call sooner than they who were called upon to turn to God at the sixth hour of the day ; yea , and they who were hired at third hour , had their Call sooner than they who were called at the eleventh , Matt. 20.1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 6. 1. The day of God's patience began with Ishmael and also ended , before he was twenty years old . At thirteen years of age he was Circumcised ; the next year after , Isaac was born ; and then Ismael was fourteen years old . Now that day that Isaac was weaned , that day was Ishmael rejected : and suppose that Isaac was three years old before he was weaned ; that was but the seventeenth year of Ishmael ; wherefore the day of God's grace was ended with him betimes , Gen. 17.24 , 25. chap. 21.2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 8 , 9 , 10. Gal. 4.30 . 2. Cains day ended with him betimes , for after God had rejected him , he lived to beget many Children , and build a City , and to do many other things . But alas , all that while he was a Fugitive and a Vagabond . Nor carried he any thing with him after the day of his rejection was come ; but this doleful language in his Conscience , From God's Face shall I be hid , Gen. 4.10 , 11.12 , 13 , 14. 3 Esau , Through his extravagancies would needs go sell his Birthright , not fearing ( as other confident fools ) but that yet the blessing would still be his , after which he lived many years , but all of them under the wrath of God , as was , when time came , made appear to his destruction ; for when he would have inherited the bl●ssing , he was rejected , for he found no place of r●pentance , though he sought it carefully with tears , Heb. 12.14 , 15 , 16. Many instances might be given , as to such tokens of the displeasure of God against such as fool away , as the Wise Man has it , the prize which is put into their hand , Prov. 17.16 . Let these things therefore be a further caution to those that sit under the glorious sound of the Gospel , and hear of the Riches of the Grace of God in Christ to poor sinners . To slight Grace , to despise Mercy , and to stop the Ear when God speaks , when he speaks such great things , so much to our profit , is a great provocation . He offereth , he calls , he woes , he invites , he prays , he beseeches us in this day of his Grace to be reconciled to him : yea , and has provided for us the means of reconciliation himself : Now this despised , must needs be provoking ; and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But some man may say unto me , Fain I would be saved , fain I would be saved by Christ : But I fear this day of Grace is past , and that I shall perish , notwithstanding the exceeding riches of the Grace of God. Answer , To this doubt I would answer several things . First , With respect to this day . Secondly , With respect to thy desires . Thirdly , With respect to thy fears . First , With respect to the day ; That is , whether it be ended with a man , or no. 1. Art thou jogged , and shaken , and molested at the hearing of the Word ? Is thy Conscience awakened and convinced then , that thou art at present in a perishing state , and that thou hast need to cry to God for M●rcy ? This is a hop●ful sign that this day of Grace is not past with thee . For usually they that are past Grace , are also in their Conscience past feeling , being feared with a hot iron . Eph. 4.18 , 19. 1 Tim. 4.1 , 2. Consequently those past grace , must be such as are denied the awakening fruits of the Word Preached . The dead that hear , saies Christ , shall live ; at least wise Christ has not quite done with them ; the day of God's patience is not at an end with them , John 5.25 . 2. Is there in thy more retired condition , Arguings , Struglings , and Strivings with thy Spirit to perswade thee of the vanity of what vain things thou lovest , and to win thee in thy Soul to a choice of Christ Jesus , and his heavenly things ? Take heed and rebel not , for the day of God's grace and patience will not be past with thee , till he saith , His Spirit shall strive no more with thee ; for then the wo comes , when he shall depart from them ; and when he saies to the means of Grace , Let them alone , Hos. 4.17 . chap. 9.12 . 3. Art thou visited in the Night seasons with dreams about thy state , and that thou art in danger of being lost ? Hast thou Heart-shaken apprehensions when deep sleep's upon thee , of Hell , Death , and Judgment to come ? These are signs that God has not wholly left thee , or cast thee behind his back for ever . For God speaks once , yea twice , yet man perceives it not ; in a Dream , in a Vision of the Night , when deep sleep falls upon man , in slumberings upon the Bed ; then he openeth the ears of men , and sealeth their instruction , that he may withdraw man from his purpose ( his sinful purposes ) and hide pride from man , Job 33.14 , 15 , 16 , 17. All this while God has not left the sinner , nor is come to the end of his patience towards him , but stands , at least , with the door of Grace , a chair in his hand , as being loth , as yet to bolt it against him . 4. Art thou followed with affliction , and dost thou hear God's angry voice in thy afflictions ? Doth he send with the affliction an Interpreter to shew thee thy vileness ; and why , or wherefore the hand of God is upon thee , and upon what thou hast ; to wit , that it is for thy sinning against him , and that thou mightest be turned to him ? If so , thy Summer is not quite ended ; thy Harvest is not yet quite over and gone . Take heed , stand-out no longer , lest he cause darkness , and lest thy feet stumble upon the dark mountains ; and lest while you look for light , he turn it into the shadow of death , and make it gross darkness , Jer. 8.20 . chap. 13.15 , 16 , 17. 5. Art thou crossed , disappointed and waylaid , and overthrown in all thy foolish ways and doings ? This is a sign God has not quite left thee , but that he still waits upon thee to turn thee . Consider , I say , has he made a hedge , and a Wall to stop thee ? Has he crossed th●e in all thou pu●test thy hand-unto ? Take it as a call to turn to him , for by his thus doing , he shews he has a mind to give thee a better portion . For usually when God gives up men , and resolves to let them alone in the Broad Way , he gives them ●ope , and lets them have their desires in all hurtful things , H●s . 2.6 , 7 , 8 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14. Psal. 73.3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12. Rom. 1● . 9 . Therefore take heed to this also , that thou strive not against this hand of God : but betake thy self to a serious enquiry into the causes of this hand of God upon thee , and encline to think , 't is because the Lord would have thee look to that , which is better than what thou wouldest satisfie thy self wi●hall ▪ When God h●d a mind to make the Prodigal go home to his Father , he sent a Famine upon him , and d●nied him a Belly-full of the Husks which the Swine did eat . And observe it , now he was in his strait , he betook him to consideration of the good that there was in his Fathers House ; yea , he resolved to home to his Father , and his Fa●her dealt well with him ; he received him with Musick and Dancing , because he had received him safe and sound , Luk. 15.14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32. 6. Hast thou any inticing touches of the word of God upon thy mind ? Doth , as it were , some holy word of God , give a glance upon thee , cast a smile upon thee , let fall , though it be but one drop of its savour upon thy Spirit ; yea , though it staies but one moment with thee ? O! then the day of Grace is not past ! The Gate of Heaven is not shut ! Nor God's Heart and Bowels withdrawn from thee as yet . Take heed therefore , and beware that thou make much of the Heavenly Gift , and of that good word of God of the which he has made thee tast . Beware , I say , and take heed , there may be a falling away for all this ; but , I say , as yet , God has not left thee , as yet he has not cast thee off , H●b . 6.1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8. Sec●ndly , With respect to thy desires , what are they ? Wouldst thou be saved ? Wouldst thou be saved with a thorow salvation ? Wouldst thou be saved from guilt , and filth too ? Wouldst thou be the servant of thy Saviour ? Art thou indeed weary of the service of th● old Master the Devil , Sin and the World ? And has these desires put thy Soul to the flight ? Hast thou through desires betaken thy self to thy heels ? Dost fly to him that is a Saviour from the wrath to come , for life ? If these be thy desires , and if they be unfeigned , fear not : Thou art one of those Runaways which God has commanded our Lord to receive , and not to send thee back to the Devil thy Master again , but to give thee a place in his House , even the place which liketh thee best . Thou shalt not deliver to his Master , saies he , the Servant which is escaped from his Master unto thee . He shall dwell with thee , even among you in that place which he shall chuse , in one of thy Gates where it liketh him best ; thou shall not oppress him , Deut. 23.15 , 16. This is a command to the Church , consequently to the Head of the Church ; for all commands from God come to her through her Head. Whence I conclude , that , that as Israel of old was to receive the Runaway-Servant who escaped from a Heathen Master to them , and should not dare to send him back to his Master again : So Christ's Church now , and consequently Christ himself may not , will not refuse that soul that has made his escape from Sin , Satan , the World and Hell , unto him ; but will certainly let him dwell in his House , among his Saints , in that place which he shall choose , even where it liketh him best . For he saies in another place , And him that cometh to me , I will in no wise cast out . In no wise , let his crimes be what they will , either for nature , multitude , or the attendance of aggravating circumstances . Wherefore if thy desires be firm , sound , unfeigned , to become the saved of Christ , and his servant : Fear not , he will not , he will in no wise put thee away , or turn thee over to thy old M●ster again . Thirdly , As to thy fears , whatever they are , let that be supposed which is supposed before , and they are groundless , and so of no weight . Object . But I am afraid I am not el●ct , or chosen to salvation , though you called me fool a little before for so fearing . Answ. Though election is , in order , before calling , as to God , yet the knowledge of Calling must go before the belief of my Election , as to my self . Wherefore souls that doubt of the truth of their Effectual Calling , do but plunge themselves into a deeper labyrinth of confusion that concern themselves with their election ; I mean , while they labour to know it before they prove their Calling . Make your Calling , and so your Election sure , 2 Pet. 1.4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. Wherefore , at present , lay the thoughts of thy Election by , and ask thy self these questions ; Do I see my lost condition ? Do I see salvation is no where but in Christ ? Would I share in this salvation by Faith of him ? And would I , as was said afore , be throughly saved , to wit , from the filth , as from the guilt ? Do I love Christ , his Father , his Saints , his Word and Ways ? This is the way to prove we are Elect. Wherefore , sinner , when Satan , or thine own heart seek to puzzle thee wi●h Election ; say thou , I cannot tend to talk of this point now , but stay till I know that I am called of God to the fellowship of his Son , and then I will shew you that I am Elect , and that my name is written in the Book of Life . If poor distressed souls would observe this Order , they might save themselves the trouble of an unprofitable l●bour under these unseason●ble and So●l-sinking doubts . Let us therefore , upon the sight of our wretchedness , fly and venturously leap into the Arms of Christ , which are now as open to receive us into his Bosom , as they were when nailed to the Cross. This is coming to Christ for Life aright ; this is right running away from thy Master to him , as was said before . And for this we have multitudes of Scriptures to support , incourage , and comfort us in our so doing . But now let him that doth thus , be sure to look for it , for Satan will be with him to morrow , to see if he can get him again to his old service ; and if he cannot do that , then will he enter into dispute with him , to wit , about whether he be elect to Life , and called indeed to partake of this Christ , to whom he is fled for succour , or whether he comes to him of his own presumptuous Mind . Therefore we are bid , as to come , so to Arm our selves with that Armour which God has provided ; that we may resist , quench , stand against , and withstand all the Fiery Darts of the Devil , Ephes. 6. 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , l5 , 16 , 17 , 18. If therefore thou findest Satan in this Order to march against thee , remember that thou hadst this Item about it ; and betake thy self to Faith and good Courage ; and be sober , and hope to the End. Object . But how if I should have sinned the sin unpardonable , or That called the sin against the Holy Ghost . Answ. If thou hast , thou art lost for ever : But yet before it is concluded by thee that thou hast so sinned , know that they that would be saved by Jesus Christ , through faith in his blood , cannot be counted for such . l. Because of the Promise , for that must not be frustrate : And that saies , And him that cometh to Christ , he will in no wise cast . And again , Whoso will , let him take of the Water of Life freely , Joh. 6.37 . Rev. 21 6. chap. 22.17 . But , I say , how can these Scriptures be fulfilled , if he that would indeed be saved as before , has sinned the sin unpardonable ? The Scriptures must not be made void , nor their truth be cast to the ground . Here 's a Promise , and here 's a Sinner ; a Promise , that saies he shall not be cast out that comes ; and the sinner comes , wherefore he must be received : Consequently , he that comes to Christ for life , has not , cannot have sinned that sin for which there is no forgiveness . And this might suffice for an answer to any coming soul , that fears , though he comes , that he has sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost . 2. But again , He that has sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost cannot come , has no heart to come ; can by no means be made willing to come to Jesus Christ for life ; for that he has received such an opinion of him , and of his things , as deters and holds him back . 1. He counteth this blessed Person , this Son of God , a Magician , a Conjurer , a Witch , or one that did , when he was in the World , what he did , by the power and spirit of the Devil , Mat. 9.34 . Mat. 12.24 , 25 , &c. Mar. 3.22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30. Now he that has this opinion of this Jesus , cannot be willing to cast himself at his foot for life , or to come to him as the only way to God , and to Salvation . And hence 't is said again , that such an one puts him to open shame , and treadeth him under foot , that is , by contemning , reproaching , vilifying , and despising of him , as if he were the vilest one , or the greatest Cheat in the World : and has therefore , as to his esteem of him , called him accursed , crucified him to himself , or counted him one hanged , as one of the worst of Malefactors , Heb. 6.6 . and chap. 10.29 . 1 Cor. 12.3 . 2. His Blood , which is the meritorious cause of mans redemption , even the blood of the everlasting Covenant , he counteth an unholy thing , or that which has no more vertue in it to save a Soul fro● sin , than has the blood of a Dog , Heb. 10.29 . For when the Apostle saies , he counts it an unholy thing ; he means , he makes it of less value than that of a Sheep or Cow , which were clean according to the Law. And therefore must mean , that his blood was of no more worth to him in his account , than was the blood of Dog , an Ass , or a Swine , which always was , as to sacrifices , rejected by the God of Heaven , as unholy , or unclean . Now he who has no better esteem of Jesus Christ , and of his Death and Blood , will not be perswaded to come to him for Life , or to trust in him for Salvation . 3. But further , all this m●st be done against manifest Tokens to prove the contrary , or after the shining of Gospel Light upon the soul , or some considerable profession of him as the M●ssias , or that he was the S●viour of the World. 1. It must be done against manifest tokens to prove the contrary ; and thus the reprobate Jews committed it , when they saw the works of God which put forth themselves in him , and called them the works of the Devil and Beelzebub . 2. It must be done against some s●ining light of the Gospel upon them . And thus it was with Judas , and with those , who after they were enlightned , and had tasted , and had felt , something of the powers of the World to come , fell away from the Faith of him , and put him to open shame and disgrace , Heb. 6.5 , 6. 3. It must also be done after , and in opposition to ones own open profession of him . For if after they have escaped the pollution of the World through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ , they are again intangled therein , and overcome ; the latter end is worse with them than the beginning ; for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness , than after they have known it , to turn from the holy Commandment , ( which is the Word of Faith ) delivered unto them . 4. All this must be done openly , before witn●sses , in the Face , Sight , and View of the World , by Word , and Act. This is the sin that is unpardonable ; and he that hath thus done , can never , 't is impossible he ever should be renewed again to repentance , and that for a double reason ; first such an one doth say , he will not ; and of him God saies , he shall not have the benefit of Salvation by him . Object . But if this be the sin unpardonable , why is it called the sin against the Holy Ghost , and not rather the sin against the Son of God ? Answ. It is called the sin against the Holy Ghost , because such count the works he did , which were done by the Spirit of God , the works of the spirit of the Devil : Also because all such as so reject Christ Jesus the Lord , they do it in despight of that testimony which the Holy Ghost has given of him in the Holy Scriptures ; for the Scriptures are the breathings of the Holy Ghost , as in all other things , so in that testimony they bear of the Person of the Works , Sufferings , Resurrection , and Ascention of Jesus Christ. Sinner , This is the sin against the Holy Ghost . What saist thou ? Hast thou committed it ; nay , I know thou hast not , if thou wouldst be saved by Christ. Yea , 't is impossible thou shouldst have done it ; if indeed thou wouldst be saved by him . No man can desire to be saved by him , whom he yet judgeth to be an Impostor , a Magician , a Witch . No man can hope for redemption by that Blood which he yet counteth an unholy thing . Nor will God ever suffer such an one to repent , who has after light , and profession of him , thus horribly , and Devil-like , contemned and trampled upon him . True , Words , and Wars , and Blasphemies against this Son of Man are pardonable ; but then they must be done ignorantly and in unbelief . Also all blasphemous thoughts are likewise such as may be passed by , if the Soul afflicted with them , indeed is sorry for them , 1 Tim. 1.13 , 14 , 15. Mar. 3.28 . All but this , Sinner , all but this ! If God had said he will forgive one sin , it had been undeserved Grace : But when he saies , he will pardon all but one , this is grace to the height . Nor is that one unpardonable otherwise , but because the Saviour that should save them is rejected and put away . Jacob's Ladder , Christ is Jacob's Ladder that reacheth up to Heaven , and he that refuseth to go by this Ladder thither , will scarce by other means get up so high . There is none other name given under Heaven among men , whereby we must be saved . There is none other Sacrifice for sin than his ; he also , and he only , is the Mediator that reconcileth men to God. And , Sinner , if thou wouldst be saved by him , his Benefits are thine ; yea , though thou art a great and Jerusalem . Transgressor . FINIS . 
A45564	----	A sad prognostick of approaching judgement, or, The happy misery of good men in bad times set forth in a sermon preached at St. Gregories, June the 13th, 1658 / by Nathaniell Hardy ... Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A45564 of text R334 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing H743). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 80 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 21 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A45564 Wing H743 ESTC R334 13650069 ocm 13650069 100975 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A45564) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 100975) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 789:29) A sad prognostick of approaching judgement, or, The happy misery of good men in bad times set forth in a sermon preached at St. Gregories, June the 13th, 1658 / by Nathaniell Hardy ... Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670. [8], 32 p. Printed by A.M. for Joseph Cranford ..., London : 1658. Errata: p. [8] Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. eng Bible. -- O.T. -- Isaiah LVII, 1 -- Sermons. Salvation -- Sermons. Salvation -- Early works to 1800. A45564 R334 (Wing H743). civilwar no A sad prognostick of approaching judgement; or, The happy misery of good men in bad times. Set forth in a sermon preached at St Gregories, J Hardy, Nathaniel 1658 11789 6 45 0 0 0 0 43 D The rate of 43 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the D category of texts with between 35 and 100 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-06 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-06 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-07 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2004-07 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A Sad Prognostick OF Approaching JUDGMENT ; OR , THE HAPPY MISERY OF GOOD MEN IN BAD TIMES . Set forth in a Sermon Preached at St Gregories , June the 13th 1658. By Nathaniell Hardy , Minister of St Dyonis Back church . PSAL. 12. 1. Help Lord , for the godly man ceaseth , for the faithfull fail from among the children of men . Philo Jud. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . LONDON , Printed by A. M. for Joseph Cranford at the Sign of the Kings Head in St Pauls Church-yard , 1658. To the READER . IHave too often ( and not without regret ) beheld those monstrous births which have been forced into the world by the unskilfull and injurious Midwifry of Scriblers , Stationers , and Printers , often the death of their pretended Parents ; Indeed , who would not be troubled to see the innocent Names of eminent Divines made ( as it were ) to do pennance in the Printers Sheets , for the incontinency of their wanton Auditors , who between the Pen and the Press , beget and bring forth a Bastard brood of Sermons , which they must Father ? How greatly that Reverend man of God Dr. John Hewit ( since his suffering death ) hath upon this account suffered from his seeming Friends , is obvious to every intelligent eye ; witness two Books of Sermons Printed and published under his Name , and ( notwithstanding some of them appear to be translations out of French Authours ) pretended to be his ; which was done too , both against a special Caveat entered in Stationers-Hall by his honourable Lady and Advertisements in print by two of his worthy Friends , viz. Dr. Wild , and Mr. Barwick , whose Names have been made use of without their privity or consent ; to stand in place and shew of Licensers of those Sermons , which they utterly disown , and desire by this meanes publiquely to disclaim . This having been the Lot of so many Preachers of the Gospel , and those men famous in their Generation , I do not much wonder , and am the less troubled that it is mine ; only I must needs resent ( yet not without a readiness to forgive ) the impudence of those , who have , as to were , ravished my Sermon before my face , dealing so injuriously by me whilest alive . By this I plainly foresee what is to be expected when I am dead : The consideration whereof , hath been , and is one cause enducing me to appear so often in Print , that what is ( I ingenuously confess ) but very imperfect at the best , may not however come forth mangled hereafter . I hope the Candid Reader will not think his patience abused , whilest I shall in a few words inform him how much I have been abused in this kind . Some years ago came forth a little Manual of several Prayers , whereof that , to which my Name is affixed , is for the most part made up of such expressions , which ( how good soever they may be in themselves ) were not wont to be used by me , as appeareth by that Prayer , which ( for this Reason ) I prefixed before the first part of my Exposition upon St. Johns first Epistle . I met this last Summer with a Book called The Herball of Divinity , upon the Title page whereof ( the Authours Name being concealed ) my Name is affixed to great Letters , to a part of a sentence with which I began a Sermon preached at St. Gregories on Low Sunday last , upon that Text which is pla●ed in the front of that Discourse , namely the 26th of Isaia . and the 19th verse . For this cause ( very probably ) that the unwary Reader might believe it to be mine . Within these few weeks , I have perused a Discourse in part mine , and but in part ( as will appear by the ensuing Sermon ) Printed and published without my knowledge . Indeed , I heard a flying Rumour , and received a namelesse Letter , threatning the publication of it , but I was not willing to believe any would be so audacious , till now I see it . It is true , my Name is not exprest ; but it is said to be a Sermon Preached at that place , and on that day , and upon the Text , where , when , and on which I preached : And which proclaimeth the insolence of these Publishers , though they never had any conference with me , either before or since my preaching , yet they presume to know my thoughts , in that it is said to be Intended for the solemnization of Doctor Hewits Funerall : whereas in truth , I was engaged to preach that turn at St. Gregories before the Doctors death ; yea , when there was some hopes of his life . And though I deny not but that sad Providence intervening , occasioned me to pitch my thoughts on that subject ; yet had I intended it for his Funerall , I justly could , and certainly should , have given a farre more ample Character of his worth . If now the Reader shall desire to know what was my reall intent in Preaching this following Sermon at that time , the close of it will informe him , that it was no other then what ought to be one end of all Preaching , namely , to bring the People to Repentance . And observing a generall sadnesse of Compassion upon their spirits , I was willing so to frame my Discourse , that through Gods Grace , a sorrow of Compunction might accompany it . What was then Preached , and hath been hitherto withheld from the Presse ( partly out of a mean Opinion of the Work it self , and partly out of a just desire not to exasperate ) I am now necessitated to publish for my own Vindication , and that what was the Preachers aim may be effected upon all who then heard , or shall now read it , is and shall be his earnest and uncessant request at the Throne of Grace . Amen . NATH. HARDY . Errata . Page 31. line 5. for confidence read conscience . THE Sad PROGNOSTICK OF Approaching JUDGMENT . ISAIAH 57th Chapt. Verse the first . The righteous perisheth , and no man layeth it to heart , and mercifull men are taken away , none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come . OUr Prophet Isaiah in his two and twentieth Chapter , tels us of a day wherein the Lord God of Hosts cals to weeping and mourning , and though ( since every day is a day of sinning ) every day ought to be a day of mourning ; yet there are four special daies wherein God expects this duty from us : The day of any hainous wickednesse committed by our selves or others . The day of any grievous judgment , either national or personal inflicted . The day wherein the wicked prosper , and the ungodly triumph . And The day wherein any of Gods faithful and eminent servants are snatcht away and cut off by death . It is not many daies ( Beloved ) since there was such a day , and of such a day it is my Text speaks ; the want of a due and serious consideration whereof , moved our Prophet to take up this bitter lamentation , The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart , &c. This sad and sorrowfull complaint looks two waies , to the Godly , and to the Wicked ; bewailing the misery of the one , and bemoaning the iniquity of the other , that the persons of the godly were destroyed , and the hearts of the wicked hardened . That ariseth from grief , this from grief mixed with anger ; both very vehement , as appeareth by the multiplication of several clauses to the same sense . God grant that I in handling , and you in hearing , may have the same holy passions which our Prophet had in uttering this dolefull ditty , The righteous perisheth , and no man layeth it to heart , &c. Begin we with the complaint concerning the Godly , which we find to be both amplified and mitigated ; Amplified in two Clauses , The righteous perisheth , The mercifull men are taken away : Mitigated in one , they are taken away from the evil to come . In the inlarging of the complaint , we shall consider the Godly mans disposition and condition . That really very good , this seemingly very bad ; both characterizedin two words : His disposition , in those two , righteous and mercifull ; his condition in those two , perisheth and taken away : Of each a word . 1. The first thing we are to take notice of , is the Godly mans disposition . And that 1. As described in the word righteous , a word which being in the Hebrew in the singular number , and having an Article prefixt , is by some Expositours peculiarly applied to Christ , as if this verse were a Prophesie of his death . Indeed , to him especially and primarily doth this title of righteous belong . There is none righteous , no not one , ( saith the Psalmist . ) Except one , ( saith the Father ; ) meaning Christ , who is perfectly and originally righteous : in which respect the Prophet Malachy cals him the Sunne of righteousness . Righteousness in us , like light in the Moon , hath its spots and imperfections : We at best , are but Starres of righteousness , which shine with a borrowed light : Christ , like the Sunne , hath in himself a fulness of grace , of which we receive grace for grace . Of this righteous person it is true , that he perished in the opinion , and was taken away by the rage of his enemies : Nay , which too truly answereth the text , he died unlamented by the generality of the people ; So that he might well have uttered upon the Cross those words of the Church , Is it nothing to you all that pass by ? Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me , wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger . But when I observe the other Character to be in the Plurall number , mercifull men , I rather incline to understand this word though in the Singular , as nomen collectivum , refering not to one , but many , and accordingly those Prophets and Messengers of the Lord , together with the other of his faithfull servants which were slain in the dayes of Manasseh , who shed innocent bloud untill he had filled Ierusalem with bloud from one end to the other , are conceived by Expositors to be those whom the Prophet here bemoaneth . If it shall be now enquired in what notion this term righteous was attributed to them , and may be affirmed of every godly man ? I answer , they are righteous in a three-fold sense , Really , Interpretatively , Comparatively . 1. Every godly man is really righteous , inasmuch as 1. His person is justified through our Lord Iesus Christ , who is therefore called by the Prophet Jeremy , the Lord our righteousness , and is said by the Prophet Isaiah , to cover us with the robe of righteousness , and by St Paul , to be made of God unto us righteousness . Thus as all men are sinners in the first , so are all believers righteous in the second Adam . This is that righteousness which is purely Evangelicall , and is called the righteousness of faith , because the righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith : Hence it comes to pass that as the Father elegantly , Quod lex operum monendo imperat , lex fidei credendo impetrat ; that righteousness which the Law requireth , faith obtains . 2. His nature is renewed after the Image of God , which St. Paul tells us consists in righteousness and true holiness : in this respect it is that believers are said to partake of the ( or rather a ) divine nature by the Apostle Peter , and to be born of God by the Apostle John , because after a sort they are righteous as God is righteous : well may the name righteous be given , where the new divine nature is conferred , which maketh us of unholy , holy , of vicious , vertuous , of unjust , righteous . 3. His life is reformed , and in some measure ordered according to the rule of righteousness , the Word of God ; He that doth righteousness saith Saint John , is righteous ; every good man doth righteousness , though not exactly , yet sincerely ; his aim and endeavour is to give God and man their due , tribute to whom tribute , custome to whom custome , fear to whom fear , honour to whom honour belongeth . 2. Every godly man is righteous interpretatively , inasmuch as being justified by Christ , and sanctified by the Spirit , God doth account , accept of him as righteous . The same word in the Hebrew signifieth upright and perfect ; to teach us that upright persons are ( for Christs sake ) accepted of God , as if they were perfect . Well might the Prophet , well may we call them righteous , whom God calls so ; and we find upon record , Noah , Iob , with others , to be commended by God himself as righteous . 3. Every godly man is righteous comparatively , in respect of the wicked among whom he lives : thus these of whom our Prophet here speaketh , being compared with those voluptuous Epicures mentioned in the end of the former Chapter , might well be stiled righteous . Look how the Saints are said to be worthy ; so they may be said to be righteous , Quantum ad comparationem caeterorum , to wit in comparison of others . Indeed on the one hand the most holy man compared with God and Christ is unjust and impure , and therefore it is when the Saints have look't upon God , they abhor themselves . But on the other hand compared with the wicked , they are justly esteemed righteous : when the actions of the good and the bad are set together , the prayers , tears , fasts , and alms of the one , by the oaths , jollities , cursings , and oppressions of the other , they become so much the more conspicuous ; and as although silver be far below gold , yet it is very precious in comparison of lead and iron ; so the servants of God , though infinitely short of his purity and righteousness , are righteous if compared with the ungodly and profane . 2. Having discovered to you the first Character of righteous ; proceed we to a view of the second , which is mercifull . According to the Hebrew , it may be read men of mercy and good will , and so construed either passively or actively . 1. In a passive sense , men of mercy and good will , are those upon whom God will have mercy , and to whom he beareth a singular good will , The Lord is good unto all , and his tender mercies are over all his works ( saith the Psalmist ) there being no creature so mean and base , which giveth not a Specimen of his goodness , but yet his delights are with the sonnes of men , and his love to mankind , is greater then to any of his creatures : upon which account the Psalmist saith a little before , Lord , what is man , that thou takest knowledg of him , or the sonne of man that thou makest account of him ? And as God hath a more special love to man then any other creatures , so he hath a more peculiar love to the righteous then any other men ; in which respect the Psalmist saith elsewhere , Thou Lord wilt bless the righteous , with favour wilt thou compass him as with a Sheild . In this construction , there is very good use to be made of the word in this Scripture . 1. Partly to inform us , that they who perish in this world , may yet be Gods favourites . Men are apt to think that God should not let the wind blow upon his darlings , but they are deceived , his love is not a Motherly and cockering , but a Fatherly and prudent love . Benjamin was not the lesse regarded by Joseph , because the Cup was found in his sack : We must not infer from the presence of outward afflictions , the absence of divine affection . When he who was the righteous one , of whom the Father said , This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased , was a man of sorrowes , and acquainted with griefs : Yea , upon the Cross , breathed forth that dolefull language , My God , my God , why hast thou forsaken me ? as being left by God , to the will of his enemies . Let us not doubt , but that righteous persons , though they perish by the malice of men , are yet in favour with God . 2. Partly to comfort righteous ones in the midst of all their sufferings , considering that while the world frowns , God smiles . Though the cold wind of persecution blow , yet the Sun-beames of divine affection shines upon them : Though they are rejected as dross by men , yet they are accounted by God as his Jewels . What matters it for mens hatred , so we have Heavens love ? This may make the righteous not only contented but cheerfull in suffering the cruelty of their enemies , that they are the men whom God markes out for the objects of his mercy . 2. But though this construction be pious and congruous , yet I rather incline to the active notion of these words ; so much the rather , because of that parallel place in the Prophet Micah , where it is said , The good man is perished out of the earth . In this sense , men of mercy , are such as exercise mercy towards them that are in misery . Mercy in its general notion , is alienis miserijs condolere easque proviribus sublevare ; a tender condolence with others miseries , and a ready willingness to succour them according to our ability . Such is the activity of this grace , that it runs through the whole man . In the understanding , it is a serious consideration how we may do good . The liberal man ( saith the Prophet ) deviseth liberal things . His thoughts are taken up with consulting for the relief of the distressed . In the memory , it is a continual setting the miseries of our Brethren before us . The mercifull man forgetteth the injuries that are done to himself , and remembers the miseries that are suffered by others ; he still thinketh he heareth them groaning , and seeth them bleeding . In the will and affection , it is a sweet sympathy , whereby we do nolle malum , velle bonum , nill the evil , and will the good of another . The mercifull mans heart aketh for his Brethren , and he resents their sufferings , as if they were his own . Nor doth mercy only retire it self into the chambers of the soul , but looketh out at the windowes , and goeth out of doors for the succour of the afflicted . It opens the eye to see and search out the miserable , which , beholding them ; maketh report to the heart , and that being affected with sorrow , causeth the eye to drop down teares ; it quickneth the ear to attend and listen to the cries of the calamitous , like the tender Nurse , which heareth the least whimpering of the Child : It unlooseth the tongue to speak a word in season , pleading with God and man for them : It puts under the shoulder to bear a part of the burden , according to that Apostolical counsel , Bear you one anothers burdens . It unclaspeth the hand to relieve , and knocketh off the fetters from the feet : so that they are ready to go , nay runne in behalf of the miserable . In one word , the mercifull mans head is full of thoughts , his heart of sorrowes , his eyes of teares , mouth of Prayers , and hands of gifts . Thus every truly godly man is not only just , but good , righteous , but mercifull : He puts on viscera , bowels of mercy and tender compassions towards them that are afflicted ; he is ready to do opera , works of mercy , according to his power . By the one , he draws out his soul to the hungry ; by the other , he reacheth forth his hand to the needy . Righteous men know that almes is the poor mans due , and mercy is a debt they owe to the miserable : no wonder if they are carefull to pay it . And look how far the misery of the distressed reacheth , so far the mercy of the righteous extendeth ; both to the souls and bodies of others . Namely , they are men of mercy , especially to the souls of others ; instructing the ignorant , confirming the weak , counselling the doubtfull , warning the unruly , perswading the obstinate , and comforting the grieved . Nor are they unmindfull of the bodies of others , cloathing the naked , feeding the hungry , refreshing the thirsty , visiting the sick , and entertaining the stranger . Nor is their mercy only confined to friends , but enlarged to foes : They are men of good will , even to those that bear them ill will : They do good , where they have received evil : They requite injuries with courtesies , and want not compassion for those who are the instruments of their passion . Whilest then the Jesuited Saints wear the red Coat of blood and cruelty , let Gods holy ones be cloathed in the white of innocency and pitty , and whilest their zeal flames in fury , let our love shine in mercy . Whatever they pretend , they are no other then Sonnes of Belial , who delight in blood ; who slay the Fatherless and the widowe , and make Persons , Families , may Nations , miserable . He hath shewed thee , O man , what is good , and what the Lord thy God requireth of thee , but to do justly , and to love mercy , and to walk humbly with thy God ? So we read in the Prophecy of Micah , Sow to your selves in righteousness , and reap in mercy , that is the Prophet Hosea his counsel . Christs blessed ones , are such as hunger after righteousness , and withall are mercifull . And here the Characters of a godly man are righteous and mercifull . I have done with the first branch , which is the Saints pious disposition , I now hasten to 2. His Calamitous condition , which is represented in those words , perisheth , and taken away . The first word perisheth , which is of a large acception , may be capable of an harsh construction , and such as cannot be predicated of a righteous man ; in which respect Eliphaz said to Job , Remember , I pray thee , who ever perished being innocent , or where were the righteous cut off ? That ye may therefore rightly understand the meaning of the phrase , know , that there is a three-fold perishing . The first belongs neither to the righteous , nor to the wicked ; the second is proper only to the wicked ; the third is common to the righteous , with the wicked . 1. Perishing in its most strict notion , is transitus ab esse ad non esse , a passage from being to not being ; an utter extinction , a totall annihilation . And in this sense only the beast perisheth , which dying , is resolved into its first principles , and at last into nothing . Though therefore the wicked man is said to be like the beast that perisheth , yet he doth not perish like the beast ; Indeed , it were happy for him if he might : For though some endeavour by their Metaphysical notions , to prove a miserable being , better then no being , yet they must give us leave to say with our Saviour , It were good for that man he had never been born . Nor is it to be doubted , but that the damned heartily wish , not to be at all , but ( alas ) it cannot be . 2. There is a perishing , which is peculiar to the wicked , and this is two fold ; either perishing in his name , or perishing in his person . 1. Only wicked men perish in their names , whilest their memorial is cut off from the earth . Though the righteous die , yet their names live : That malice which takes away their life , cannot extinguish their memory ; but the wicked perish , so as to be wholly forgotten , or remembred with infamy : so true is that of the wise man , The memory of the just is blessed , but the name of the wicked shall rot . 2. Only wicked men perish in their persons , that is , soul and body . This is that perishing , which is opposed by our Saviour to eternal life ; and is sometimes called the second death . In this sense , to perish , is to be eternally miserable ; to be ever perishing , and yet never perished . And thus , Who ever perished being righteous ? Indeed St Peter saith , the righteous are scarcely saved , but there is a great deal of differenre between scarcely , and almost : Though he is scarcely saved , that is , not without great difficulty , yet he is saved by Gods mercy from this perishing . 3. But lastly , There is a perishing which is common to the rightcous and the wicked , and thus the righteous as well as the wicked perish , by the miseries of life , and at length by death . 1. They perish by the miseries of this life ; in which sense , perishing is opposed to prospering : Good men are exposed to dangers in this world , as well as the bad ; nay , more then the bad . That chosen vessel St Paul , reckons a multitude of dangers which befell him in this life , where he tels us , that he was in perills of waters , in perills of robbers , in perills of his own Countrey-men , in perills by the Heathen , in perills in the City , in perills in the Wilderness , in perills in the Sea , in perills among false Brethren ; and surely what befell him , is incident to the most righteous persons . 2. They perish by death . In this sense the Disciples meant it , when they cried , Master , we perish . Thus Elihu expounds it , when he saith , All flesh shall perish together , and men shall turn again unto dust . And this our Prophet intends , when he saith , the righteous perisheth . If you shall ask , why dying , which is only a separation of the soul from the body , not an annihilation of either , is called a perishing ? I answer : 1. It is a perishing , though not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , yet {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , in reality , yet appearance ; though not secundum rei veritatem , according to the verity of the thing , yet secundum communem sensum , according to the opinion of the vulgar . When any man dyeth , whether good or bad , he seemeth as one that were perished . And though ( as our blessed Saviour telleth us ) all live to God , yet as Musculus glosseth upon the text , In mundi judicio , in the judgment of the world , they perish . 2. It is a perishing , though not absolutè , yet respectivè , absolutely yet respectively ; it is a perishing as to this world . When any man dieth , as well righteous as wicked , he so perisheth , as that he shall never again live here : Upon which account it is said , Man giveth up the Ghost , and where is he ? Yea , holy Job saith of himself , I go whence I shall not return . This is that which is expres't in that parallel Scripture to this , where the Prophet saith , The good man is perished out of the earth . He is not perished , so as not to be at all , yet he is perished so , as to be no more upon earth . And this is all that the Prophet meanes , when he saith , the righteous perisheth . 2. This will yet further appear , if you look upon the other word , where it is said , That mercifull men are taken away . As the providence of God in nature , hath made those members double , which are most usefull , as the eyes , ears , hands , and feet , that if one fail , the other may supply ; so the wisdome of God in Scripture , hath coupled Phrases together , that if the one be obscure , the other may explain ; If the one be harsh , the other may molisie it . It is so here ; whereas that phrase of perishing is somewhat dark and rugged , here is another word , taking away , which seryeth very much to qualisie and illustrate it . The Hebrew word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} hath a double Construction , both which are here made use of , namely to gather , and to take away . Calvin reads it Colliguntur , mercifull men are gathered . Death seemeth to be a scattering , and so a perishing , but indeed it is a gathering , when men die , especially good men , they are gathered . So that in this sense it is a great allay to the bitterness of the other word perisheth . 2. Lapide with others-read it auferuntur , with which our translation agreeth , are taken away , and no doubt it is the most genuine rendring of the word in this place , since this Hebrew word , where it signifieth to gather , is usually joyned with the Preposition signifying to , whereas here in the very next clause it is joyned with a Preposition signifying from , and therefore most fitly translated , taken away . And now that which the Prophet intends by this phrase , is to note two things , 1. In general , by taking away , is meant dying , obitus , abitus , death is often called a going away , a departure , and thus it mollifieth the former word , perisheth , letting us see that it is not an extinction , but only a remotion , an abolition , but an ablation ; when we die , we do not cease to be at all , only we change our place , and are taken away out of this world . 2. More particularly , by taking away is meant a violent death , a dying , when in course of nature a man might have lived long ; it is one thing for a candle to go out of it self , and another to be blown out by the wind ; it is one thing for a flower to wither , and another to be blasted ; it is one thing for a tree to fall , and another to be plucked up by the roots : Finally , it is one thing for a man to go away , and another to be taken away from any place ; those are Emblemes of a natural , these of a violent death In this notion this word addeth something to the former phrase , namely , the manner of the death , The righteous perisheth , and that not in a natural way , but is taken away by the hand of violence . The result of what hath been said on this first general , amounts to these two things . 1. That righteous and mercifull men perish , and are taken away by death . Indeed it is said of Enoch , God took him that he should not see death , so was Eliah ; and had God so pleased , he might have exempted all righteous men from death , but then neither his power in raising them to life , would have been so illustrious , nor their faith and hope in believing and expecting a Resurrection , so conspicuous , in which latter respect the Father saith well , that had good men been priviledged from death , Carni quidem faelicitas adderetur , adimeretur autem fidei fortitudo , though it might have been some kind of advantage to the frailty of our flesh , yet it would much have detracted from the strength of out faith : In great wisdome therefore hath God so ordered it , that righteous and mercifull men , as well as others , should walk through the valley of the shadow of death . Indeed our Saviours assertion is universall , He that keepeth my sayings shall not see death , but he meaneth the second death ; and so else where he explaineth himself , when he saith , He that believeth in me shall not die for ever . True it is , Solomon tells us , that righteousness delivereth from death , but it is from the evil , not from the being of death , death indeed is an advantage to a good man , yet still die he must : But this is not all which the Prophet here intends , since this perishing and taking away by death , being that which is appointed for all , seemeth not to be a matter of much lamentation ; and therefore th●t which no doubt is further aimed at in these expressions , is , 2. That sometimes righteous and mercifull men perish , and are taken away by a violent death . Indeed it is that which is threatned by God as a curse upon wicked , especially bloud-thirsty and deceitfull men ; it is that which Malefactors are sentenced to by the justice of the Judge ; but yet withall it is that which may and sometimes doth befall Gods own servants ; nay which is more strange , and yet is many times true , the righteous are taken away , whilest the wicked remain . Solomon observed it in his time , There is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness , and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness ; yea which is yet most sad , but very frequent , the righteous perish by the wicked , and that for righteousness sake , and the mercifull are taken away by cruell hands , and that for pietyes sake : wicked men never want malice in their hearts , and sometimes ( through divine permission ) have power in their hands to take away the liberties , estates , and lives of the righteous . One of the first good men that was in the world began this bitter cup , which many both men of God and other godly men have since pledged . It was the complaint of the Church in the Old Testament , and St. Paul taketh it up as most truly applicable to the Church of the New , For thy sake we are killed all the day long , and are accounted as sheep for the slaughter . This is that which the wise God suffers to come to passe for many excellent ends . That wicked men by such bloody acts , may fill up the measure of their sins , and thereby at once hasten and heighten their punishment . That good men may have occasion of exercising and manifesting many graces particularly , the length of their patience ; the height of their courage ; and the depth of their charity . When a man endureth to the end , suffering even death it self , patience hath its perfect work . That 's a Resolution indeed which maketh a man faithfull to the death , and enableth him to look upon its pale visage with confidence . There cannot be greater charity then to forgive my enemy ; especially when he persecuteth me to the death . So that when righteous men perish violently , their graces flourish gloriously . That hereby righteous men may be fully conformable to the righteous one , the Messiah , concerning whom this Prophet foretelleth that he should be cut off ( as the tree is by the ax ) from the land of the living . And in respect of which the Apostle chargeth those Jews , that by wicked hands they had taken and slain him . Finally , That by so perishing , the Religion which they profess , may be honoured , and the God whom they serve , glorified . Since though both these are in some measure effected by doing well , and living uprightly , yet much more by suffering ill , and dying cheerfully in a righteous cause . And now what should the consideration hereof teach us , but 1. That certainly there is another world besides this , wherein a difference shall be put between the righteous and the wicked ; between him that feareth God , and him that feareth him not . Here the righteous perish as well as the wicked ; nay , the righteous perish , and the wicked prosper , and the mercifull are taken away by the wicked . But shall it be so alwaies ? Will not the Judge of all the world do right ? Will there not be a Reward for the righteous ? Yes doubtless . And since in this world all things fall alike to all , and for the most part it fareth better with the wicked then the godly , it necessarily followeth that there is a state after death , wherein the righteous judgment of God in punishing the wicked , who now prosper , and recompensing the righteous , who now perish , shall be made manifest . 2. That it is a needfull prudence , in righteous and mercifull men , to improve their time and Talents in serving God , and doing good to others whilest they live . They must perish at last by a natural , they may be taken away soon by a violent death ; and when they perish , all ability and opportunity will be taken away of doing good works , either of piety or pitty , justice or mercy . Oh then , how great industry and celerity is needfull in putting forth themselves to the utmost for God , their souls , their Brethren whilest they live ! that they may do much in a little time , according to that sage advice of the wise man , Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do , do it with thy might , for there is no work , nor device , nor knowledge , nor wisdome , in the grave whether thou goest . 3. That sowing in righteousness , and reaping in mercy , they would not be discouraged from the apprehension of this perishing and taking away . I am afraid such thoughts as these do sometimes arise in the minds of men : How dieth the wise man even as the fool , the righteous as the wicked ? Let me live never so well , I must perish : Nay , my conscientious walking may occasion my ruine . How much better is it to spend my daies in pleasure , and indulge to my lusts whilest I live , since I can but die at last ? But far be such reasonings from wise and righteous men , especially when we consider how great a mercy the very perishing of the righteous , and taking away of the mercifull is ; which will appear , if we proceed to the 2. Mitigation of the complaint , as it is expressed in the close of the verse , The righteous are taken away from the evil to come . There are ( according to the known distinction of the Schooles ) two sorts of evil , the one of sin , and the other of punishment ; and it is true in reference to both . 1. When righteous men die , they are taken away from the evil of sin , into which they are prone to fall , so long as they live . Nusquam tuta est humana fragilitas , saith St. Herome , Humane frailty is never safe . In this world we are continually assaulted , and sometimes captivated ; but death puts us out of all danger ; we shall be tempted no longer , and sinne no more . 2. But no doubt it is the evil of punishment which here the Prophet intends , and thus it may admit of a double notion . 1. They are taken away from those ordinary personal evils , to which they , with the rest of mankind , are subject in this world . The best men whilest they live here , are exposed to a●hes , paines , sicknesses , losses , crosses ; manifold troubles and miseries : But when they die , all teares are wiped away from their eyes : Feares removed from their hearts : They rest from their labours , so St. John . They enter into peace ; they rest in their beds , so our Prophet in the very next verse . 2. But that which is here principally meant , is , that the righteous and mercifull are taken away by death , from some extraordinary and publipue evil of Judgement , which is to come upon the place where they live . Those words of the Prophet , Come my people , enter thou into thy chambers , shut thy doors about thee ; hide thy self as it were for a little moment , while the indignation be overpast ; are by some expounded of the chambers of the grave , in which God is pleased to hide his people , before he cometh forth of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the world . Indeed , this is not alwaies the dispensation of Divine Providence . Sometimes the righteous are taken away in the common calamity , together with the wicked . The fruitfull and barren trees are blown down at once by the same wind of Judgment . Perhaps , good men , have by sinfull complyances , been involved in the national guilt , and no wonder if they are also involved in the notional punishment . Sometimes the righteous are delivered from the common misery , and yet not taken away by death . Whilest the whole world is overwhelmed with a deluge of waters , Noah is preserved alive in the Ark . When Sodome is to be destroyed , Lot is sent to Zoar : And when Jerusalem is to be overthrowne , the godly are admonished to go to Pella . That Promise in the Psalms , hath been sometimes literally and fully verified in a time of pestilential infection , A thousand shall fall on thy right hand , and ten thousand on thy left , but it shall not come night thee . God sets a mark upon the mourners , and the destroying Angel passeth by them as he did by the Israelites houses in Aegypt . And then sometimes the righteous are taken away by death , before the general desolation come . Thus God dealt with Josiah that good King , before the captivity of Israel : St. Austin ( that godly Father ) before the destruction of Hippo ; and Luther that eminent Dr. before the devastation of Germany . Before I go any further , it will not be amiss to take notice how this truth unfolds the riddle , and cleareth the seeming injustice of Divine Proceedings . We ofttimes see , and seeing , wonder ; nay , perhaps repine at it , that good men are taken out of , whilest wicked men continue in this world . But surely this can be no just cause of casting any blemish upon Divine Dispensations , when we consider that On the one hand the wicked are preserved , but it is for the evil to come . They escape for a time , that some remarkable Judgment may fall upon them . As the voice told that wicked wretch , when sleeping under a rotten wall , it awaked him , and saved him from the ruine . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , I saved thee from the wall , reserving thee for the wheele . On the other hand , the righteoas are indeed taken away , but it is from the evil to come . So that whilest the wicked mans preservation is a curse , the good mans perishing is a favour . God spareth the one in anger , and taketh away the other in mercy . Indeed , Righteous men are taken away from the evil to come , upon a double account . 1. Ne veniat , That the evil which is to come upon the place may not come upon them : God will not have his righteous ones to be spectators of , nor sufferers in those ruines , which his justice hath decreed to inflict upon the wicked for their sinnes . This is rendered as the reason why that immature death befell Josiah who was slain in the battell that he might not see the evil which was coming . 2. Ut veniat , That the evil may come and be inflicted on the place : for ( Beloved ) you must know that whilest righteous men live , they are very prevalent with God by their prayers and tears to keep off judgement : Unus homo plus valet orando , quam mille pugnando , one righteous man can do more by prayer , then a thousand by armes . Let me alone saith God to Moses , that my wrath may wax hot against this people , Fatetur se Moysis orationibus teneri , so the gloss : God seemeth to confess that his hands were as it were tied by Moses his Prayer , so that he could not punish that idolatrous people . I can do nothing ( said the Angel to Lot ) whilest thou art here , Good men stand in the gap to turn away the wrath of God from the Nation where they live : and therefore when God is resolved , and the time prefixed is accomplished , that he will destroy a people , he suffereth the wicked to fill up the measure of their sinnes , by killing his servants : or else he appoints some other meanes by which they are removed out of this world from the evil to come . The Meditation of this truth affords matter of 1. Comfort to the righteous , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , said the Greek Poet , Whom God loveth , he dyeth young . Certain it is , that when God cuts off any righteous ones betimes , or permits them to be cut off by their bloody enemies , though these do it in malice , he suffers it in love . For ( tell me ) is it not a mercy to be put into a safe harbour , before the stormy tempest arise ? To get into the House , before the thunder and lightning rain , and hail fall ? This is Gods design in taking away his Servants , and therefore they have reason to bid death welcome . Indeed , the strongest consolation against death , is the consideration of the terminus ad quem , to what the righteous are taken , even that good , and bliss , and glory to come . They are taken to an innumerable company of Angels , to the spirits of the just men made perfect . They are taken to a Palace of Glory ; a Paradise of Pleasure ; and a Mansion of Eternity . Finally , they are taken to the Beatifical Vision of the face of God , and the full fruition of his glorious presence . But withall it is confortable to reflect on the terminus a quo , from what they are taken , from the evil , misery , and calamity to come , upon the place where , and people among whom they lived . 2. Terrour to the wicked . Nothing more usual with ungodly men , then to rejoyce when the righteous are taken away from among them . They had rather have their room then their company ; as being desirous to be rid of them . Hence it is , that they are not only glad of , but many times very active in taking away the righteous . They do not account themselves safe whilest the godly are among them But oh what fools are they , and how grossly deceived ! Rejoyce not against me , O mine enemy , saith the Church . So may every Sonne of the Church . Little cause have the wicked to rejoyce : Nay , instead of laughing they have more cause to weep , when the righteous are taken away . For if the righteous be taken away from , it must needs follow that their taking away , is a sign of evil to come . So that the death of the godly , is a sad Prognostick of the destruction of the wicked . What a wall is to a Town , an hedge to a Field , a pillar to an House , that is a righteous man to the place where he liveth . And therefore as men , when they intend to take the Town , batter the walls ; to lay waste the Field , pluck up the hedge ; to pull down the House , take away the pillar : So Almighty God , when he designeth to pluck up , to overthrow , and to pull down a Kingdom or a Nation , he first removeth his own Servants . Wicked men look upon the good , as thornes and pricks to offend them , whilest they have more cause to account them as Chariots and Horse-men to defend them . They think themselves most secure and happy , but indeed they are then nearest to misery and ruine , when the godly are taken from them . By taking away the righteous , they intend a courtesie to themselves , but it is in truth , as a courtesie to the good ; so an injury to themselves : Though yet such is the blindness of their minds , they will not see ; and the hardness of their hearts , that they will not consider it . Which leads me to the Other part of the text , the Complaint which the Prophet taketh up against the wicked in these words , No man layeth it to heart , none considering . It might be here taken notice of in general , that the sin which the Prophet declaimeth against , is not positive but negative . Not the bloody taking away of righteous ones ; not the cruel rejoycing at their fall , but the not laying it to heart . Indeed , to be an Instrument of , or laugh at the calamity of the godly , making their tears our wine , their ruine our sport , is abhominable . But though we be not in the seat of the scorners , yet if we be not in the posture of mourners , it is justly culpable . Thus Dives is charged by our blessed Saviour , not with oppressing Lazarus , by taking any thing from him , but not relieving him ; in giving something to him . There are sins of omission as well as commission . There are breaches of the negative as well as of the afffirmative Precepts . We sin as well ( though not so much ) in not doing the good required , as in doing the evil prohibited . Not only the wastfull Steward , but the unprofitable Servant , shall be cast out . The Vine that bringeth sorth no grapes , shall be cut down as well as that which bringeth forth wild grapes . Those whom Christ will at the last day set at his left hand , are not accused with any evil or unjust acts they did , but only with neglect of those charitable acts they ought to have done . Oh , let us make conscience of not doing , as well as doing . To let this go , the sinne in particular reproved , is , not laying to heart , and considering the death of the righteous : Concerning which I shall briefly discover three things ; the nature , the extent , and the guilt of it . 1. The Nature of the sin , what it is , will the better appear , if we observe the Emphasis of the words ; the one whereof considering , is an act of the Judgment , weighing things in the ballance of Reason : the other , laying to heart , refers to the affections , Since then any thing is laid to heart , when we are deeply affected with it . These do one infer the other ; since what we affect , we take into consideration , and by considering , we come to be affected . Whilest I was musing , the fire kindled , saith David . The consideration of any object , causeth sutable affections ; If delightfull , joy , if hurtfull , sorrow , The fault then here characterized , is , that though the righteous were taken away before their eyes , yet they did not lay it to their hearts . And though they could not but take notice , yet they would not consider it ; at leastwise not so seriously and affectionately as they ought 2. The Extent of this sin , will be the more evident , if we observe the several Circumstances by which it is aggravated . 1. It was not the death of any , but a righteous man ; not of one , but of many mercifull men : and some of those , men of God , and yet it was not laid to heart . 2. These righteous and mercifull ones , did not die a natural death , but were taken away , when yet they might have lived ( in course of nature ) many yeares longer ; and done a great deal of service for God in their Generation . And yet this was not laid to heart by them . 3. This taking away the righteous by death , did portend no lesse then ruine and misery to come , and that upon themselves : And yet they were so stupid as not to consider it . 4. And which enlargeth the Complaint , their fault was general : None considered , none laid to heart . That is very few , as else-where ; There is none righteous . By which phrase is intimated , though not a nullity , yet a paucity ; not one of many were sensible of the losse , a spiritual Lethargy had seized upon the most , and the disease was become Epidemical . 3. The Guilt of this sinne , how great it is , will be manifest in a three-fold respect . 1. In regard of God , it argueth want of Piety . Almighty God hath placed us in this world , as upon a Theater , that we might take notice of the various passages of his Providence . So that not to regard his works and consider the operation of his hands , cannot but highly provoke him . Indeed , they are equally bad , not to regard the sounding of his word in our eares , and not to observe the appearances of his works in our eyes . Among his many Providential works , none more observable then the taking away of the mercifull . For certainly , if a sparrow fall not to the ground , much less doth a Saint , without Divine permission . If the hairs of his head are numbered , surely his head cannot be taken off , without a special Providence . Indeed , the perishing of a righteous man , is a work at once , both of Gods mercy and Judgment . Mercy to him , Iudgment to the wicked . And not to consider such a work , so as to lay it to heart , must needs be a great sin against him . 2. In regard of the righteous , it argueth want of pitty . To him that is afflicted ( saith Job ) pitty should be shewed from a friend ; And especially to him that is persecuted to the death . We may observe among beasts , ( even swine ) a sympathy ; so that when one is killed , the rest are troubled : And shall there not be among men ? Didicimus cum homines simus alienis calamitatibus moveri , nothing more humane , then to be moved with compassion towards them that are under sufferings . So that it is not only impiety , but inhumanity . 3. In regard of the persons themselves , it argueth want of wisdome . When the righteous perish , and mercifull men are taken away , it is a losse to them who remain . They loose the light of their good Example , the benefit of their Prayers . And should not this be considered ? Nay , it is not only a losse , but ( as hath been already expressed ) it is a dolefull presage of ruine : And shall it not be laid to heart ? So that it argueth a sensless stupidity not to consider what is so much our own concernment . By all which it appeareth an impious , an inhumane , and unnatural sinne which our Prophet bemoaneth , when he saith , The righteous perisheth , and no man layeth it to heart , and mercifull men are taken away , none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come . Oh then , be we all exhorted to the contrary duty . Solomon the wise , seemeth to promise himself , that when the living are in the house of mourning , they will lay it to heart . And if we ought to lay to heart the death of any , much more of righteous men : and especially , when either Josiah the King , or Eliah the Prophet , or Zacharias the Priest , are taken from us . Though the Sun is not much observed by us whilest it shineth , yet if it be in an Eclipse , who doth not take notice of it ? Oh , let not the Eclipse , and much lesse the setting of any of Gods eminent servants passe by unregarded ! Let us then consider and lay to heart the death of the righteous , 1. Recordando , by keeping a Register of the death of the Godly in all ages , but chiefly in the age wherein we live ; both as to the quality of the Persons , and the manner of their death . 2. Lamentando , by bewailing their removall from us : Not in respect of them , to whom death is a favour , but in regard of our selves , who may in their departure , sadly foretell approaching misery . 3. Imitando , by following the good example both of their life and death , so far as we are called to it . By which means , their death will not only be their gain , but ours . 4. Preparando , by fitting our selves for that evil which their death foretells , that whilest the simple passe on and are punished , we may like prudent men fore see the evil , and hide our selves : or rather God may hide us , either by preserving us in it , or by taking us away ( as he hath other of his servants ) before the vengeance come . And now ( Beloved ) least I and you should be guilty of the sinne , against which my text declaimeth , give me leave in a few words to put you in mind of the death of that righteous and mercifull man of God , who hath been lately taken from us . Titles , which I hope none will envy him , since if we look no further then his death , we shall find just occasion of applying them to him . As for the cause of his death , it concerneth not me to meddle with it ; I shall leave the censure of it to that day , when all the Judgment of men shall be scanned over . But I trust none will be offended , if I take notice of the manner of his death ; The righteous ( saith Solomon ) is as bold as a Lyon . And again , The righteous hath hope in his death . And surely , it was the confidence of a well led life , that made him so meekly bold , humbly confident at his death ; the righteousness of his way , which filled him with cheerfulness at his end . Of all acts of mercy , none greater then the remitting injuries , and forgiving enemies : and how great a measure he had of this grace , those charitable lines which were read at his Funerall , and the sweet words he uttered on the Scaffold , abundantly testifie . I want both time and tongue , to give you a Narrative of his life , which was a constellation of many bright Stars , many excellent Graces which were obvious to all that knew him throughout the whole course of his conversation . This righteous and mercifull man is now perished from the earth , and taken away from us ; but so , as that I have good reason to believe he is removed to that place of bliss , where he enjoyeth the society of Saints and Angels ; yea , of God himself . And now ( Beloved ) let it not be said , Out of sight out of mind . We can no longer enjoy him , but ( I hope ) we shall not forget him ; especially not you ( my Brethren ) among whom he hath spent his paines , and exhausted his strength , to do your souls Good . Do you ( I beseech you ) consider and remember how often you have beheld him in this holy Mount : how many wholesome Reproofs , Counsels , and Comforts you have heard from him , and withall reflect upon your own unthankfulness for , unprofitableness under his and the labours of others of Gods faithfull Servants among you . Finally , do you , and let us all seriously lay to heart what a sad presage the death of this good man is of ruine and destruction , whilest me thinketh he saith to us this day in the words of his Saviour , Weep not for me ( I am taken away from the evil to come ) but weep for your selves , upon whom evil is likely to come , unless by your reall and speedy repentance you prevent it . And now I am come to the end of my Sermon , and that which was my end in Preaching it ; to stirre up both my self and you to consider the death of this Righteous man : not so , as to be imbittered against the Instrument by whom it hath been effected , but against our selves for our sinnes which have procured it ; that this dolefull losse may be an occasion of our sorrowfull Repentance , and that Repentance may prevail with God to avert those Judgments which hang over us , to continue his faithfull Labourers among us , and restore his ancient blessings to us ; which God grant for his mercies sake in Jesus Christ . Amen . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A45564e-2900 Isa. 22. 12. Gen. 1. Partic. 1. Lap. in loc. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Psal. 14. 2. Aug. ibid. Mal. 4. 2. Joh. 1. 16. Lam. 1. 12. 2 King. 21. 16. Lap. Sanct. Musc. in loc. Jer. 23. 6. Isa. 61. 10. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Ambros. Eph. 4. 24. 2 Pet. 1. 4. 1 Joh. 5. 1. 1 Joh. 3. 7. Rom. 13. 7. Gen. 6. 8. Job 1. 1. Isa. 56. ult. Ambros. in Apocal . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Psal. 145. 9. Psal. 144. 3. Psal. 5. 12. Mat. 3. 17. Mic. 7. 2. Isa. 32 8. Gal. 6. 2. Mic. 6. 8. Hos. 10. 12. Mat. 5. 7. Job 4. 7. Psal. 49. 20. Mat. 26. 24. Prov. 10. 7. Joh. 4. 16. 1 Pet. 4. 17. 2 Cor. 11. 26. Luk. 7. 7. 24. Joh , 24. 15. Luk. 20. 38. Musc. in loc. Job 14. 10. 10. 21. Mic. 2. 2. Calv. in loc. Lap. in loc. Heb. 11. 4. Ambros. Joh. 8. 51. 1. 26 Prov. 10. 2. Psal. 55. 22. Eccles. 7. 15. Psal. 44. ●2 . Rom. 8. 33. Isa. 53. 9. Eceles. 9. 10. Quest . Answ. Hier. Ep. ad Eustoch. Rev. 14. 16. Isa. 57. 2. Isa. 26. 20. Psal. 91. 4. Ezek. 9. 4. ● Exo. 32. 10. Gen. 19. 22. Hebr. 12. 22 , 23. Gen. 2d . Psal. 39. 3. Psal. 14. 1. Psal. 26. 4. Job 6. 14. Eccles. 7. 2. Prov. 22. 3. Dr John Hewit who died June 8. and was buried in the Church of St Gregories the ●●th day of that moneth . Prov. 28. 1. 14. 32. 
A39265	----	The Protestant resolved, or, A discourse shewing the unreasonableness of his turning Roman Catholick for salvation Ellis, Clement, 1630-1700. 1688 Approx. 201 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 42 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A39265 Wing E569 ESTC R6293 12142679 ocm 12142679 54867 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A39265) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 54867) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 761:8) The Protestant resolved, or, A discourse shewing the unreasonableness of his turning Roman Catholick for salvation Ellis, Clement, 1630-1700. Sherlock, William, 1641?-1707. The second edition. [3], 80 p. Printed for William Rogers ..., London : 1688. Includes bibliographical references. Also attributed to William Sherlock. cf. DNB. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Catholic Church -- Controversial literature. Salvation. 2003-06 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-06 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-07 Rina Kor Sampled and proofread 2003-07 Rina Kor Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-08 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Imprimatur , Liber cui Titulus , [ The Protestant Resolved , &c. Mar● . 12. 1687. Guil. Needham RR. in Christo P. ac D. D. Wilhelmo Archiep . Cant. a Sacr. Dom. THE Protestant Resolved : OR A DISCOURSE Shewing the UNREASONABLENESS Of his Turning Roman Catholick FOR SALVATION . The Second Edition . LONDON : Printed for William Rogers , at the Sun over-against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet . MDCLXXXVIII . No Necessity for a Protestant to turn Roman Catholick for Salvation . WE are all I hope thus far argeed , That sincere Christianity is the sure Way to Salvation . That to be saved , we must have the Hearts , and not content our selves with the bare Name and naked Profession of Christians . That the Authority of God and Divine Truth , and no worldly or carnal Concern must sway and govern our whole Conversation . If we be not religious in good earnest , resolving and endeavouring to honour God in Heart and Life , according to the Holy Gospel of our Blessed Iesus , it 's no matter to us what Religion we profess , or to what Church we join our selves . Wickedness and Hypocrisy , through what Church soever our Way lieth , lead assuredly to Hell. A wicked Protestant and a wicked Papist will in Hell be of the same Communion . True Christianity is none other but that which was taught at first by Christ and his Apostles , and all they who believe and live according to their Doctrine shall be saved . Herein again we are all I suppose agreed . And if so , I think it very reasonable we should agree as well in that which I now add . It is not material to enquire whether a Man be of the Church of Rome , or of the Church of England , to find whether or no he may be saved ; but he that would satisfy himself of the possibility of Salvation in the Way wherein he now is , ought to enquire whether he believe and live according to the Doctrine taught by Christ and his Apostles ; seeing they who do this are good Christians , what other Names soever Men may bestow upon them , and all that are such shall be saved . If therefore I may be able to satisfy my self that I believe , and live according to the Doctrine deliver'd by Christ and his Apostles , I have no reason to doubt of the Possibility of my Salvation in the Way wherein I now am , tho it were so , that I had never heard to this day of any such Thing as a Church headed by a Pope or Bishop of Rome . And I am yet somewhat confident that a Man may believe and live according to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles , and never hear of a Bishop of Rome ; because once Men certainly did so , and yet were saved . The next thing therefore that I have to do , is to enquire by what Means I may certainly know , what was the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles ; for by the same Means whereby this may be known , I may also know the certain Way to Salvation . If there be no such Means left us , we are all Fools in professing a Religion , the certain Doctrine whereof can by no means be known . If such Means there be , there must be some certain Records safely convey'd down from their Time to ours ; for by what other Means we at this distance of so many hundred years should be certainly inform'd what they taught , is by me unconceivable . These Records then are to be diligently searched into , and impartially examined , and whosoever is found to believe and practise according to the Doctrine in those Records contained , may be concluded to be in the Way to Salvation . Such certain Records we have , even the Books of the holy Evangelists and Apostles , which ( together with the Books of the Old Testament ) we call the Holy Scripture . In this we are all again unamimous , both Papists , and Protestants agree , that the Doctrine in these Books contained is the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles , and Divine Truth . Whence it certainly follows , that whatsoever Doctrine is contrary to the Doctrine contained in these Books , whether it it be taught by Papists or Protestants , is to be rejected as none of the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles . It ought not therefore to satisfy me , that this or that Doctrine is taught by the Church of Rome , or by the Church of England ; for by which of them soever it be taught , if it be found contrary to the Doctrine of the holy Scripture , it is by the Consent of both Churches to be rejected . Now seeing we Protestants take this holy Scripture , and it only , for the Rule of Faith and Life ; it is certain , that holding to this Rule , we do not err either in Belief or Practice : while on the other side we cannot be sure , thot they do not err in both , who receive another Rule ; till it appear that the other Rule which they receive , is as true and certain as ours is acknowledged to be . Our part of the Rule , and that which indeed we take to be the whole , being granted us ; all the Question is about their part of it . Ours is on all hands granted to be most sure and certain , their 's alone remains disputable ; and therefore I cannot yet see any reason , why I should think their Way safer than our own , except it can be safer to follow an uncertain than a certain Rule , which I think no body will be so hardy as to affirm . The Rule which they of the Roman Communion advance against ours , is that of Tradition . I am therefore next to to consider , First , what they understand by it : And , Secondly , what greater reason I can find to perswade me , that it is safer to trust to it , whether singly , or in Conjunction with our own , than to our own alone , which is the holy Scripture . This Tradition consists of such Doctines of Faith and Practice as are supposed to have been taught either by Christ himself , or being dictated by the Holy Ghost to his Apostles , were delivered by them to the Church , not in Writing , but in Word only , and so have successively been handed down from Father to Son , unto the present Age. And these are all according to the Council of Trent to be received with equal affection of Piety and Reverence , as the holy Scripture . Now I confess , if it may appear as evidently to me that Christ or his Apostles left such Doctrines to the Custody of the Church , of equal necessity to the Salvation of Christians , with those that are written in the Scpipture , as it doth that they left us these which are written in the Scripture ; and if I may be well assured , that these very Doctrines which the Church of Rome now holds , and pretends to an Authority of imposing upon all Christendome , are indeed the very same which were at first ( as abovesaid ) deliver'd to the Church , I can see no reason why I should not be bound to believe the one as firmly as the other . For seeing it is the Authority of the first Preachers of it , and not barely the Writings of it , that bind me to believe the Doctrine ; if I can be equally assured , that as well what is unwritten as what is written , was preach'd by them , as necessary to the Salvation of Mankind , I must needs also own an equal Obligation upon me to believe them all alike . But neither of these could I ever see clear'd , nor can I conceive any hope that I shall hereafter . And seeing the proof of both lies wholly upon them , who affirm both ; I cannot be obliged to believe them , till by such proof they have convinced me . In the mean time , it seems enough to me , that God himself was pleas'd to signifie to the World his Will in writing , which I cannot imagine why He should do , had he not intended we should learn his Will from what is written , and not from any unwritten Tradition . And I am the more confirm'd in this Opinion by this , that he did not use this way of revealing his Mind unto Men at the first , nor till after the World had had a very long time to discern by experience the Unfaithfulness of unwritten Tradition . So that this and some other Considerations whereupon the Papists use to ground their Arguments against both the Necessity and Perfection of the Scripture , seem to me very fully to evince both the one and the other ; and so to leave no room at all for their unwritten Traditions as any part of the Rule of Faith and Life . Yet , seeing they , who are always preaching this Doctrine to us , That there is no Salvation for them that are not of their Communion , preach it not as a private Opinion of their own , or of some few others in that Communion ; but as the generally received Doctrine of that Church , which pretends to be no less than Infallible ; it concerns me so much the more to use all possible diligence , to find out what Truth there may be in this Assertion . And that , not only because I shall thereby discern the necessity of changing my Religion to make sure of my own future Happiness ; but also , because the Determination of this one Point will at once put an end ( as it seems to me ) to all the Disputes that are now between the Papists and Us. If I can find it true , that no Man can be saved out of that Communion , I shall be a Fool to trouble my self with the Study of the Scriptures , and seeking out for my self in them a Way to Heaven ; when I may be sure , by stepping over the Threshold out of the one Church into the other , to meet with an Infallible Iudg , whom if I do but follow , I cannot go amiss . And to dispute any longer with my self , whether I should do so or not , would but shew me fitter for Bedlam than for any Church ; seeing none but the maddest Man alive would dispute for Damnation . On the other side , if I shall find it false , that a Man cannot be saved out of that Communion , I must needs be convinced that the Roman Church , which hath determined it for a certain Truth , hath already err'd both in Faith and Charity , and that having erred , she is not Infallible : and being not Infallible , by her own Confession cannot be that One , Holy , Catholick and Apostolick Church , out of which there is no Salvation . So that as this Assertion of that Church shall be found to be , true or false ; even so will the Popish Religion appear also to be . But here I meet with a very great Difficulty in my way , as I am going to seek out the Truth or Falshood of this Assertion ; that however I may be able to satisfy my self , yet I shall never ( for ought I can see ) be able to satisfy them who are the Authors of it , any other way , than by a total Submission of my own Iudgment and Conscience too to their Determination , and a blind Obedience to their Will. The Dispute ( as is evident ) is between two Churches , the one whereof challengeth to it self the big-swoln Prerogative of being the Lady and Mother of all Churches ; a Sovereign Authority of prescribing to the Faith of all Christians ; the Right and incommunicable Priviledg of being the Sole and Infallible Iudg of all Controversies in Religion ; finally , an unquestionable Power of defining and declaring to all the World the true and only Terms of Salvation . Now , that this Roman-Mother and Mistress-Church , sole Commandress and Infallible Iudg , having already in the fulness of Power determin'd it , and by her Supreme Authority imposed an Oath upon her Subjects to maintain it , That none out of her Communion can be saved , should after all this , in pure Condescension to Men declared Hereticks , divest her self of her Authority , lay aside her Infallible Definitions , come down from the Tribunal and the Throne of Iudicature and Majesty , and stand at the Bar submitting her self and the whole Cause to an indifferent and equal Trial , is a thing as little to be hoped for , as it is yet unagreed upon by what Law , Iury or Iudg the Controversy should be decided . And truly on the other side , it seems to me altogether as unreasonable in her to accept , That we Protestants of the Church of England , tho we pretend to nothing of this Exorbitant Power over Her or other Churches , or of determining Disputes for all the World , should yet , upon a naked Summons from Her , whose Authority we question , and see no reason to acknowledg , forthwith subscribe to the Sentence of our own Condemnation , without any fair and legal Process , or indeed so much as yield to a Trial , where our professed Adversaries must be at once the Law-makers , Accusers , Witnesses ; and yet this is most notoriously our Case . What course now in this Case can be taken by us ? The Church of Rome tells us expresly and peremptorily , We cannot be saved out of her Communion . Must we believe her without any more ado ? That 's indeed the way to make a short end of all our Differences , for then we must yield to be Her 's , or else run headlong to Damnation : But if we believe her not ( as for my part I know not how we can do , till we see some reason why we should do so ) the Dispute ( for ought I can see ) is like to be endless . For no such reasons can , or ought she to give us , if she will be constant to her self , and stand to her own Principles , ( as will plainly appear anon ) and if she desert her own Principles , she must yield her self to be fallible , and not the true Church ; and then in vain is all talk of Reasons , why they that are not of her Communion should be damned . However , suppose it be pretended ( as indeed it is ) that we have had sufficient Reasons given us , why we ought to believe her in this Point . This then is the present Question between us , Whether she hath given us sufficient reason for this , or no. She confidently affirms it , We as confidently deny it . She calls us obstinate Hereticks for denying it , and lays many a heavy Curse upon us : We for this think her a very unreasonable and imperious Mistress , usurping an Authority over us , which God never gave her . Who I wonder shall now be thought fit to decide this Dispute ? She will be tried and judg'd by no other but her self ; for She is resolv'd to be Sole and Infallible Iudg in all Controversies of Religion : That is in plain terms , She will accuse us , and she will leave us no room for our own Defence ; She will condemn us , and she will not permit us to question the Iustice of her Sentence . She tells us , we are bound to believe her , and obey her , or else we must die eternally for it . We desire some reason may be brought to convince us of this Duty : and she tells us again , she is our Supreme and Infallible Mistress , and Mother , and Iudg ; and so the Conclusion is , We must believe she hath this Supreme Authority and Infallibility , because she is Supreme and Infallible ; which we can yet see no reason to believe , and therefore cannot believe ; and because we cannot believe it , we are declared to be Hereticks , and in a State of Damnation . Seeing then , that the Church of Rome will by no means recede from her Claim to this Supremacy and Infallibility ; it seems plain to me , that there is no possibility of satisfying her any way whatsoever but by yielding my self up intirely to her without any farther dispute . But because I cannot do this , without violence to my Conscience , and incurring that very Damnation , which she would persuade me thereby to prevent ; I must of necessity leave her a while to satisfy her self about the Truth and Charity of this Doctrine as she can ; whilst I for my own private Satisfaction take into a very serious Consideration these two things . I. Whether I can discern any solid ground to hope , that I may be saved , as I am now a Protestant of the Church of England . II. What more hopeful way to Salvation the Church of Rome can me put into , should I enter into her Communion . If the result of this double Enquiry shall be , that I really think my self in a fair way to Salvation where I am already , and cannot discern any more hopeful way to it in the Church of Rome ; I must needs accout my self bound in Conscience , and under the Penalty of Damnation , to steer my course according to the best Light I shall be able , by such a diligent and impartial Inquiry , to attain unto , and content my self with that Religion , which seems best and safest to me , till some better and safer can be found . SECT . I. The first thing I am to inquire into , is , What good ground of hope I can discern that I may be saved as I am a Protestant . And here the first thing I am to consider is , what I mean by the Name of Protestant , as it is own'd by the Members of the Church of England , and as I can heartily answer to it . By a Protestant I understand no other but a Christian , adhering firmly both in Faith and Practice to the written Word of God , and protesting against both the Faith and Practice of the Papists , and all others whatsoever , so far only , as they are either repugnant to the Holy Scripture in any thing , or ungrounded on the same in things pretended by them necessary to Salvation . Such Protestants do we of the Church of England profess our selves to be , as is apparent unto all , from the 6 th of our XXXIX Articles , affirming , That the Scriptures contain all things necessary to Salvation ; so that whatsoever is not read therein , nor may be proved thereby , is not to be required of any Man , that it should be believed as an Article of Faith , or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation . This is our very first Principle , as we are called Protestants , and such an one I do heartily profess my self ; neither see I yet the least cause to doubt of my Salvation , whilst by the Grace of God I live answerably to this Profession . For that the Protestant Religion built upon this Principle is a safe Religion , is I think altogether as plain , as that Christianity it self , pure and unmix'd , is the Way to Salvation ; because 't is plain , that this Religion we profess , holding to this Principle , can be nothing else but pure and unmix'd Christianity , being that , and no other , which is contained in the Holy Scripture . Is then the holy Scripture the Word of God or not ? Was it given unto us of God to be the Rule of our Religion , that is , of our Faith , Worship , and holy Conversation , or was it not ? If * Bellarmine may be credited , this is the Declaration of the Catholick Church , both in the third Council of Carthage , and also in that of Trent . The Books of the Prophets and Apostles are the true Word of God , and the sure and stable Rule of Life . And as he shortly after adds , The most sure and safest Rule . Now , whether it be the compleat , perfect and adequate Rule , as we constantly affirm ; or only a partial Rule , or but some part of it , as the Papists contend ; it self , when diligently consulted , will be best able to inform us . For it is on all hands granted to be the Word of God , which cannot lie ; and therefore unquestionably true in all things what soever it teacheth us ; and of those many excellent things which it very plainly teacheth , its one Perfection and Sufficiency is one , and for my present Satisfaction very considerable . I find in the first place , that God himself writ the Ten Commandments , the compleat Rule of Piety and Iustice , with his own Finger , Exod. 31. 1 , 18. Deut. 9. 10. & 10. 2 , 4. That he commanded them to be written on the Posts and Gates , Deut. 6. 9. & 11. 20. That Moses wrote all the Words of the Lord , Exod. 24. 4. and deliver'd the Writing to the Priests to be read unto the People , Deut. 31. 9. And that the King was to have by him a Copy of it for his Direction , Deut. 17. 18. I find many Curses denounced against the Breakers of it , Deut. 28. 58. and Blessings promised to them that keep it , Deut. 30. 10. I find it was expresly forbidden to add unto it , or to aiminish from it , Deut. 4. 2 , 12 , 32. To turn from it to the right-hand or to the left , Josh. 1. 7. And that the good Kings were careful to order all things according to it , and to reform what had been amiss by it , 1 Chron. 16. 40. 2 Kings 22. 13. And therefore I do not wonder to hear the Psalmist , saying , The Law of the Lord is perfect , converting the Soul , Psal. 19. 7. nor to find Isaiah sending Men to the Law , and to the Testimony , saying , If any speak not according to this Word , it is because there is no Light in them , Isa. 8. 20. Again , I find our Blessed Saviour himself , and his Apostles after him , very frequently appealing and referring their Hearers to that which had been written in the Books of Moses , in the Psalms , and in the Prophets . They have Moses and the Prophets , let them hear them , saith Abraham in the Parable , Luk. 16. 29. Search the Scriptures ( saith Christ , Joh. 5. 39. ) for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life , and they are they which testify of me . I find that St. Luke , writing his Gospel , gives his Theophilus this good reason for it ; That thou mightst know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed , Luk. 1. 4. The things which are most surely believed among us , v. 1. all things of which himself had perfect understanding from the very first , v. 3. I find St. Iohn , who wrote last of all the Apostles , affirming , that tho Iesus did many other Signs , which are not written in that Book of his , yet these are written , that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God , and that believing we might have Life through his Name , Joh. 20. 30 , 31. And finally I find St. Paul asserting the Perfection of the Holy Scripture as fully and plainly as any Man can speak , 2 Tim. 3. 15 , 16 , 17. saying , That the Holy Scripture is able to make a Man wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Iesus . That all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God , and is profitable for Doctrine , for Reproof , for Correction , for Instruction in Righteousness , that the Man of God may be perfect , throughly furnished unto all good Works . Now what more can we desire , than to be made wise unto Salvation ? And we are here plainly told , that the holy Scripture is able to make us so . What more can be needful to direct us in the Way to Salvation , than what we may learn from the Scriptare ? It is profitable for our Information and Establishment in the Truth , for the Confutation of Error and Heresy , for the Correction of Vice and Wickedness , for our Instruction in Righteousness . It is so profitable for all these purposes , that thereby the Man of God , the Pastor and Teacher may be made compleat , and well furnish'd for all the branches of his Office , all the works of his holy Calling . In short , it is able to bring us to Faith in Christ Iesus ; And whosoever believeth in him , shall not perish , but have everlasting Life ; Joh. 3. 16. Furthermore ; from the same Scripture I also learn , that Unwritten or Oral Tradition hath ever been found too deceitful a thing to be relied on for so great a matter as Salvation . I find that before the Flood , notwithstanding the long Lives of Men , the few Principles of Natural Religion , and the easiness of learning and remembring things so agreeable to humane Nature , yet all Flesh had soon corrupted his Way upon the Earth , Gen. 6. 12. and every Imagination of the Thoughts of Man's Heart was only evil continually , v. 5. And after the Flood , the whole World was quickly over-run with Idolatry : So ill was the Doctrine which had been preach'd by Noah and his Sons , preserved by Oral Tradition . Nay , I find , that after God was pleas'd to give the Iews his Will in Writing , their Teachers had so corrupted the Doctrine of God with their Traditions , that it was a great part of our blessed Saviour's business , to rescue it from those Traditional Corruptions . He reproves the Scribes and Pharisees for transgressing the Commandments of God by their Traditions , Mat. 15. 3. shewing them how they had made it of none effect by the same , v. 6. And that in vain they worshipp'd God , teachiag for Doctrines the Commandments of Men , v. 9. And St. Paul warns the Colossians to beware of being deceived through Philosophy and vain Deceit , after the Tradition of Men , after the Rudiments of the World , and not after Christ , Col. 2. 6. And the special occasion of writing most of the Epistles , yea and the Gospels too , seems to be the Danger that Christians were in of being seduced by false Teachers , from the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles , under the pretence of Tradition . Such were the Wolves in Sheeps cloathing , Mat. 7. 15 False Apostles , deceitful Workers , transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ , 2 Cor. 11. 13. Pretending to another Gospel , Gal. 3. 6. Men of Sleight and cunning Craftiness , lying in wait to deceive , Eph. 4. 14. From what I find in the Scripture , I must needs conclude , till I be better inform'd , that it is a sufficient Rule for us to go by ; and that , so long as we hold us to it alone , in our Faith and Practice , there can be no necessity of resorting to the Church of Rome , for that unto which our Bibles at home can direct us . The Scripture is the Word of God , and sure Rule of Faith , saith the Infallible Church of Rome , if Bellarmine may be believ'd : This holy Scripture is able to make us wise unto Salvation , saith the this Infallible Scripture ; and we take no other but this Holy and Infallible Scripture for the Rule of our Faith and Religious Practice , say we Protestants . What now should hinder me to infer from hence , that if the Scripture be the Word of God , we Protestants are very well as we are ; for we have the Word of the Infallible God , and if it may stand us in any stead , the Word of the Infallible Church ( as she will needs be accounted ) to assure us , that adhering to the holy Scripture , we are in the ready and sure way to Salvation . Farther yet , as I am a Protestant of the Church of England , I do declare in the words of our VIIIth Article , That the three Creeds , Nice Creed , Athanasius Creed , and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creed , ought throughly to be received and believ'd ; for they may be proved by most certain Warrants of Holy Scripture . Seeing then , we receive and throughly believe the same Creeds , and no other , which the Church of Rome her self professeth to believe ; and which were thought by the Catholick Church of Christ , for above 400 Years after the first planting of Christianity , to contain all Points of Faith necessary for the Salvation of Christians ; I think I have hence gather'd this farther Confirmation of my Assurance , that we Protestants are in the direct Way to Salvation ; that we are of the very same Religion , and no other , in all the necessary Points of Christian Faith , whereof the Catholick Church evidently was in the first and purest Ages of it . In the four first General Councils no other Articles of Faith were held needful to be believed by Christians , but those of these Creeds , which we entirely own and believe . Either then it is true , That these three Creeds contain all necessary Points of Christian Faith , or it is not . If it be true , we are safe enough , and can with no colour of Reason be said to err in Faith , or to deserve the Name of Hereticks . If it be not true , then were all those Primitive Christians as much Hereticks as we are , and knew no more , than we do , what belong'd to the Salvation of Christians . And strangely partial is the Church of Rome in approving the Faith of those Councils , which one of their most famous Popes and Saints is said to have reverenced as the four Gospels , and yet to condemn ours , tho in all Points the very same . Especially when the Third of those Councils , held at Ephesus in the Time of Pope Celestine , did expresly decree , That it should not be lawful to utter , write , or compose any other Faith , besides that which had been defined by the Holy Fathers congregated in the Holy Ghost in the City of Nice . Ordering , that all they should be punish'd , who tender'd any other to such as had a desire to be converted to the Knowledg of the Truth , whether they were Gentiles , Jews , or of any other Heresy . Whereby 't is plain , that the Fathers in this third Council did conclude that Creed to comprehend the entire Faith of a Christian , And indeed a Man would think that the Council of Trent had in the Beginning of it been altogether of the same mind , when of the same Creed it thus declared it self ; That it is that Principle wherein all that profess the Faith of Christ do necessarily agree , and the Firm and Onely Foundation against which the Gates of Hell shall not prevail . I may , I think , upon these Considerations , without more ado , be very well satisfied of the Safety of the Protestant Religion . The Papists themselves must grant , That whatsoever we believe or practise , as of necessity to Salvation , really is so ; and therefore , that we do not err either in our Faith or Practice , whilst we live according to our own Principles . For if we err in either , so far do they err also ; and not they only , but all the Christian World. And here we may press them with their own way of Arguing , and to much more purpose , than they are wont to use it against us . When they would convince us that their Religion is the safer , they are wont thus to argue ; That Religion is the safer , wherein , by the Confession of both Sides , a Man may be saved : but both Sides confess , that a Man may be saved in the Popish Religion , and both Sides do not confess that a Man may be saved in the Protestant Religion : therefore the Popish Religion is the safer . Supposing now this way of arguing for the Safety of their Religion from the Confession of both Parties be of any strength , as they must suppose it to be , who so often and confidently use it ; then must the like Argument from the same Medium , be altogether as strong for us . I would only beg of them to grant me this , ( and I hope they will not say my Request is unreasonable ) That that Religion is the safest , all the Doctrines whereof are the truest . If they will not grant me this , they must grant it safer to hold some false Doctrines than all true . But if they think this absurd , then must they give me leave thus to argue ; That Religion is the safest , wherein all Doctrines held or taught , as necessary to Salvation , are , by the Confession of both Sides , certainly true . Now both Sides confess , that all Doctrines , held or taught in the Protestant Religion , are certainly true ; and both Sides do not confess , that all Doctrines held and taught in the Popish Religion are certainly true : therefore the Protestant Religion is the safer . The same Articles of Faith , the same Rules and Precepts of Life , the same Acts of religious Worship , the same holy Sacraments , the same holy Orders of Ministers , which we have ; the very same have they also . But they have many things of all these sorts , which we have not ; no nor any other Christians , but those of their own Communion . And therefore to strengthen my Argument , yet more I say , If that Doctrine and Practice be the safest , wherein all good Christians agree ; we are sure that ours is the safest , because all good Christians do agree in them ; and that theirs is not safe , because all good Christians do not agree in them . Nay let me add this more : Our Religion is either safe and true , in all things pretended by us necessary to Salvation ; or there is no such thing as a safe and true Christian Religion in the World visibly professed ; and if so , it will follow , that Christ hath no true visible Church upon Earth , which I am confident no Papist will say . The Consequence is plain , because all Christians all the World over , that make any Figure of a Church , hold the same both Faith and Practice with us , in what we account necessary to Salvation , the Church of Rome it self not excluded . Tho it be very certain , that we positively and affirmatively hold nothing in Faith or Practice , as necessary to Salvation , but what is held by the Church of Rome her self , and all other Christian Churches ; yet will not the Men of that Church allow us any possibility of being saved , whilst we are Protestants . And he , who of late hath been at some Pains to represent the Papist to us in his fairest Dress , hath labour'd as hard in this Point , as in any other , to shew that his Church is not uncharitable in the Doctrine She delivers concerning our desperate Estate . Now although I am not enquiring , whether this Doctrine be charitable or uncharitable , but only whether it be true or false ; yet , for my better Satisfaction , I will examine all that he saith to this purpose . He tells us , His Church doth nothing herein but what she hath learn'd of Christ and his Apostles . And if he can shew me this , I must needs be fully satisfied , being verily perswaded they never taught any thing uncharitable or untrue . To shew this , he tells us , how Christ , Mark. 16. 16. hath said , He that believeth and is baptised , shall be saved ; but he that believeth not , shall be damned . And this is all his Church delivers in this Point . If this be all She delivers , we cannot call her uncharitable for it , for we our selves willingly subscribe to this Sentence of our Blessed Saviour . Only we think , he did not here teach and authorise the Church of Rome to say , That all who are not of her Faith and Communion , shall be damn'd ; tho she knows they believe all that Christ sent his Apostles to teach them . I do not find in the Roman Ritual , that the Church of Rome in the Baptising either of Infants or adult Persons , uses or requires any other Confession of Faith , but that only of the Apostles Creed , which is the same we use ; and if to beleive and be baptised in this Faith , be enough for the Salvation of Papists , why is it not enough also for Protestants ? And if the Additional Articles of the Trentine Faith , and P. Pius his Creed be necessary to Salvation , why is there no mention made of them in the Roman Order of Baptism ? He adds that of St. Paul , ( 1 Tim. 4. 1 , 2 , 3. ) where foretelling of some who in later times would come and preach a Doctrine , forbidding to marry , and commanding to abstain from Meats , which God hath created to be received ; he brands them with the infamous Title , of Men that depart from the Faith ; giving heed to seducing Spirits , and Doctrines of Devils . And several other Places of Scripture he then produceth , to shew that Hereticks , such as they that affirmed the Resurrection to be past already , or denied that Jesus is the Christ , &c. are in a State of Condemnation . Other Texts of Scripture he brings , wherein Christians are charged to be unanimous , and condemned for causing Strife and Divisions , warn'd to maintain Unity , and not to hearken to false Teachers and Seducers , &c. But I find not by all this , that St. Paul or any of the Apostles , taught the Church of Rome , which both forbids to marry , and commands to abstain from Meats allow'd of God ; which teacheth divers Doctrines , whereof we find not any thing in the Scripture , to condemn those for Hereticks , that adhere wholly to the Doctrine of the Scripture ; or for Schismaticks , who hold Communion with all Christians , so far as they keep to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles ; and divide from the Church of Rome , no farther , than in those Points only wherein they cannot hold her Communion and the Doctrine of Christ too . I do not see , but after the same rate , as he here defends the Charity of his Church , he might also defend her Iustice , if She should pretend , that because Christ commanded his Disciples to fetch him another Man's Ass and her Colt ; She did but what he taught , in taking away other Mens Goods , and giving no other reason for it but this , that she hath need of them . What the Papists say more , to shew that we can have no Saving Faith , is one of these two things . Either , first , That it is not an entire Faith , there being ( as they say ) many necessary Articles which we believe not : Or , Secondly , That it is no right-grounded Faith , seeing it is not built upon sufficient Authority , that is to say , on the Authority of the Catholick Church . Their first Objection to the Protestant Faith is this , That it is no entire Faith. And here I am told by the Representer , There is no more hopes for one that denies obstinately any one Point of Catholick Faith , tho he believes all the rest ; than there is for one that keeps Nine of the Commandments , with the Breach of the Tenth . Now this seems to me no great Encouragement to change the Communion of the Church of England for that of Rome , if an entire Faith and an entire Obedience be but equally necessary . I wish with all my Heart I could be as sure , that the Church of Rome doth not break the first Commandment , by her Invocation of Saints , and Adoration of the Host ; and the second Commandment , in her Adoration of Images and the Cross ; as I am sure , that the Church of England neither obstinately denies any Article of the Catholick Faith ; nor countenanceth the Breach of any one of the ten Commandments , as that Church seems too much to do , whilst she takes no little Care , that the People may not know them all . We stedfastly believe the whole Scripture , so far as we are able to understand it explicitly ; and when we do not implicitly , we receive the three Creeds , which have ever been thought to contain the entire Faith of a Christian : wherein then is our Faith partial or defective ? I must consider that anon : at present , seeing Obstinacy , according to our Adversaries , is a necessary ingredient of an Heretick ; I can easily assure my self , tho I do not see how 't is possible for me to satisfy them , that I am no Heretick ; for I certainly know , that I am very desirous to be throughly inform'd , and to be brought to a right understanding of all necessary Truths ; and am still in a readiness , and full preparation of Mind , to believe any one or all of their Articles , whensoever they shall please to prove the Truth of them , either by Scripture , or by unquestionable Apostolical Tradition . I am sure therefore , I deny not obstinately any one Point of Catholick Faith. But till they vouchsafe me the proof I desire , I must content my self with the Scripture , which is able to make wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Iesus , and not in the Pope of Rome , nor in the Roman Church . And yet I find , that it is for this especially , that we are call'd Hereticks , that we adhere only to the Scripture ; and that they often explain their meaning , in bestowing that Title on us , by calling us Scripturists and Gospellers ; and ridicule us for talking of only Scripture . But when I consider , that this is the Fundamental Heresy wherewith we are charged , I cannot but a little wonder at it ; and find less cause than ever , to think we can be Hereticks indeed , or that they can call us so any otherwise than in jest . Can they grant the Scripture to be the Word of God , and the Gospel to be the Power of God unto Salvation ; and yet in earnest call us Hereticks for being Scripturists and Gospellers ? If , submitting our Faith in all things to the Scripture , we can be Hereticks ; then must the Scripture teach Heresy , and cannot be the Word of God. What a Contradiction is this in Papists , to call us Scripturists and Hereticks ; which is in effect to say , That we adhere only to the Infallible Truth of God , and yet are guilty of obstinate Error in the Faith ? What is it then wherein our Faith is defective ? It is in this , that we do not believe all that the Church of Rome propounds to be believed . This indeed would make us Papists , but whether it would make us better Christians than we are already , is not so certain . A Papist ( saith the Representer ) is one that lives and believes what is prescribed in the Council of Trent . But this Rule of the Papists Faith came into the World ( as we think ) too late , almost by fifteen hundred Years , to be the Rule of the Christian Faith ; and therefore he could not have represented his Religion to us with greater disadvantage than here he doth . We cannot conceive how so small a handful of Prelats , most of them Italians , sworn Vassals to the Bishop of Rome , assembled together at Trent fifteen hundred Years after Christ's preaching , and wholly limited and directed in all their proceedings by the Will and Command of Him , whose Authority was the principal thing in question , and submitting all at last to Him alone , should come by that immense Authority , to command the Faith of the Christian World , or what Commission they could shew from Christ , the Supream Lawgiver , to prescribe Laws of Faith and Life to all Christendom . And we can as little conceive , how this pretended Council , could at once confirm all the General Councils , and among the rest , that of Ephesus before mention'd ; yea , and declare the Nicene Creed to be the firm and only Foundation , and yet contrary to the Decree of that Ephesine Council , and not very consistently to it 's own Declaration , decree so many more Points , than that Creed contains , as necessary to be believed . Moreover , if this be the great Oracle we must consult , as our surest Guide to Heaven ; where must we meet with him , that can give us the certain Sense of its General and Ambiguous Responses ? The learnedst of the Romish Church are not yet well agreed about it ; and if the English Representer , or French Expounder have had the luck to hit it , I am sure , that many heretofore , who thought themselves as wise as either of them , have strangely miss'd it : Or else that Council , and the Religion call'd Popery , hath several Faces for several Times and Countries , and in one place and time , shall look like it self , and in another shall be made to look as like the Protestant Religion , as the Artificial Painter dares make it . But that which here put us to a stand in this , That as the Pope at first taught that Council to speak ; so hath he reserved the Interpretation of its Decrees to the See Apostolick , or himself only ; and He is not always pleas'd in plain terms to let us know his Mind ; and if he should , for once , speak out plainly , it will be a little hard for him to assure us , that none of his Successors shall hereafter contradict him ; unless he can satisfy us , that he has as well the Gift of Prophesying , as that of defining and interpreting . However , it is for not believing the new Articles of Trent , that we are accounted Hereticks , and out of the way to Heaven . And the reason is , because these Articles are supposed to be as firmly grounded on the Word of God , as any of those old ones which we believe : For the Word of God ( saith the Council of Trent ) is partly contain'd in the Books of Scripture , and partly in Traditions unwritten ; these are to be received with the same affection of Piety and Reverence ; and therefore he that disbelieves any Article grounded upon unwritten Tradition , is no less a Heretick , than he that disbelieves what is written in the Books of Scripture . If I knew how to be satisfied concerning the Authority of this Council , I could easily tell what Credit I should give to this , which it so confidently affirms . But so long as I cannot discern the reason of it's pretended Authority , I am a little apt to suspect , that it was not the clearness of this Principle that moved it to make so many either unscriptural or antiscriptural Decrees ; but rather the desire it had of vindicating its unscriptural Doctrines and Practices , that made it necessary to espouse such a Principle . And indeed when I well consider it , I am not a little comforted by it ; that this equalling unwritten Tradition with Scripture , which is the very Basis of the Romish Religion , is one of the most incredible things in the World of it self , and as destitute of any tolerable Evidence , whence it may gain any Credit to it self . It must needs seem very strange to any considering Man , That the wise God should leave us a Rule in writing , on purpose to direct us how to honour Him , and attain to Salvation ; and give it this Commendation , that it is able to make wise unto Salvation ; and yet omit a great many things altogether as necessary to those ends , as those that are written ; and without the Belief and Practice whereof , those that are written can no whit avail us ; and yet never so much as once tell us in all that Writing , whither we should go to seek and learn them : Nay , that he should omit therein the principal Point of all , and without which all that is either written or unwritten can signify nothing , that is , to tell us , That the Roman Church is the only true Church , the only sure and Infallible Interpreter of all that is written ; and the only faithful Keeper of all that is unwritten ; from the Mouth whereof we must receive all saving Truth . This I think is a thing that must needs be very hard for any one to believe , that believes the Infinite Wisdom , Goodness and Veracity of God. And how it can ever be made evident , that there are such necessary unwritten Traditions , or that these , which the Church of Rome holds , are they ; I think no Man living can imagine . I am sure if the Papists way of reasoning be good , it 's safer not to believe this . For all Sides consent , that the Scripture which we have is the certain Word of God ; but all Sides are not agreed , that unwritten Traditions are the Word of God ; therefore it is safer to believe the Scripture only to be the Word of God , and not Traditions . We hold us to Scripture , and the Papists grant that to be the safest Rule ; their greatest strength lies in unwritten , or ( as they are wont to speak ) Oral and Practical Traditions ; which in plain English , is no more but Report and Custom ; and whether there can reasonably be thought any certainty in these , equal to that of the written Word of God given by Divine Inspiration , can be no hard matter for a very weak Understanding to determine . That which makes these unwritten Traditions of the less Credit with me , is the assurance I have , that a pretence to them , and a vain confidence in them , hath produced much Error and Division in the Church . 'T is well known , how far , and how long the Errors of the Millenaries , and of administring the Eucharist to Infants ( to mention no more ) prevail'd on this account . And the early Schisms betwixt the Roman and Asian Churches , about the keeping of Easter ; and the hot Contests between the Roman and African Churches about rebaptizing Hereticks , were occasion'd , and upheld by Pretences on all hands to Tradition . This was the only Refuge of old for Hereticks , when they were confounded by the Scripture , to take shelter under Tradition : whence Tertullian call'd them Lucifugas Scripturarum , Men who shunn'd the Light of the Scriptures . Again , saith he , They confess indeed that the Apostles were ignorant of nothing , and differed not among themselves in their preaching ; but they will not have it , that they revealed all things to all ; for some things they deliver'd openly to all , some things secretly and to a few ; and that because St. Paul useth this saying to Timothy , O Timothy , keep that which is committed to thy trust . And again , that good thing which is committed to thee , keep . Irenaeus also makes mention of Hereticks who affirm'd , That out of the Scriptures the Truth could not be found out by them who understood not Tradition , because it was not deliver'd by Writing , but by living Voice ; for which cause also St. Paul said , we speak Wisdom among them that are perfect . St. Augustine in his 97th Tract upon Iohn , saith , that all the most foolish Hereticks , who desire to be accounted Christians , used to colour their audacious Fictions with a pretence from that Sentence of the Gospel , Joh. 16. 10. I have many things to say unto you , but you cannot bear them now . Thus did the Hereticks of old both plead Tradition , and sought to strengthen their Plea by such places of Scripture as these ; which are the very same , that the Papists produce to the same purpose , as may be seen in Bellarmine , and others . But I find that the Orthodox Fathers of the Church were of another Mind . The things which we find not in the Scriptures ( saith St. Ambrose ) how can we use them ? Ambr. Offic. l. 1. c. 23. Let those of Hermogenes his Shop ( saith Tertullian ) shew that it is written . If it be not written , let them fear that Woe design'd for those that add or take away . Irenaeus saith , that what the Apostles had preach'd , the same afterwards by the Will of God they deliver'd unto us in the Scriptures , to be the foundation and pillar of our Faith. St. Hierome against Helvidius , calls the Holy Scriptures the only Fountain of Truth . Let us bring ( saith St. Austin ) for trial , not the deceitful Ballances , where we may hang on what we will , and how we will , at our own pleasure ; saying , this is heavy , and this is light ; but let us bring the Divine Ballance of the Holy Scriptures , and in that let us weigh what is heavier ; nay , let us not weigh , but let us own the things already weighed by the Lord. And elsewhere , The Holy Scripture ( saith he ) fixeth the Rule of our Doctrine . And indeed the excellent sayings of the Antients to this purpose are so well known , that I should be very vain to cite any more here . If now , after all this , I should suppose , what I can by no means yet grant , that God having order'd the Scriptures to be written , and said so much in the Commendation thereof ; they do not yet contain all things necessary to Salvation , but that some part of those necessary things ( as both some Hereticks of old , and Papists now would have it believed ) was only whisper'd privately into the Ears of the Apostles , as Mysteries unfit at that time to be communicated to vulgar Christians ; and that the Apostles ( tho they were commanded by Christ to preach upon the House-tops that which he had told them privately in the Ear , Mar. 10. 27. ) did not yet think themselves obliged to obey this Command in writing all that was necessary ; but rather to conceal for a time , a considerable part of that mysterious Doctrine . Yea , suppose that this was one principal use of St. Peter's Keys , to lock up all these Mysteries in the Cabinet of the Churches Breast ( let the Church signify what it can ) to be communicated to the World , in after-Ages by piece-meal , so as she should find Men prepar'd by a blind credulity to receive them . Yet after all , I must needs think , that we are too hardly dealt with to be called Hereticks for not believing these things , till something be produced , whereby we may be assur'd , either that these things which they commend to us come indeed from Christ & his Apostles , or that we are obliged to take the Church of Rome's word for a good Assurance . It seems to me a very unreasonable thing , that we should be condemn'd as obstinate , for not believing things never sufficiently proved , whilst we know and declare our selves prepared in Mind to yield upon the first rational Conviction . Why should not that Church have the charity to forbear her Censures , till she have tried the strength of her Arguments ? Why was the Council of Trent , contrary to the Custom of other Councils , so liberal of her Curses , and so sparing of her Reasons ? One good Reason would do more to make us of her Communion than a thousand Anathema's . Would not a Man suspect that they have no good Reasons to shew , who keep them so close ? The plain Truth is , there have been such vain Pretences to Tradition in all Ages , one contradicting another , that it seems impossible in this Age to discern between true and false . Did not Clemens Alexandrinus call it an Apostolical Tradition , that Christ preach'd but one Year ? And did not Irenaeus pretend a Tradition , descending from St. Iohn , that Christ was about fifty Years old when he was crucified ? And do the Papists accout either of these to be true ? Many things might be named , which for some time have been received as Apostolical Traditions , which the Church of Rome will not now own to be so . And those which she owns , she can no more prove to be so , than those she hath rejected . It were easy to shew this , even from abundance of their own Writers , who assert the Perfection of the Scripture , and complain of the Mischief this pretence to Tradition hath done ; and who confess , they cannot be proved to come from the Apostles . But I shall now content my self with the ingenuous Confession of the Bishops assembled at Bononia , in their Counsel given to P. Iulius the 3 d. We plainly confess ( say they ) among our selves , that we cannot prove that which we hold and teach concerning Traditions , but we have some conjectures only . And again ; In truth whosoever shall diligently consider the Scripture , and then all the things that are usually done in our Churches , will find there is great difference betwixt them ; and that this Doctrine of ours is very unlike , and in many things quite repugnant to it . What said Erasmus long since on the 2 d Psalm : They call the People off ( saith he ) from the Scriptures unto little humane Traditions , which they have honestly invented for their own Profit . And Peter Suter , a bitter Adversary of his , hath these words ; Since many things are delivered to be observed , which are not expresly found in Holy Scripture , will not unlearned Persons , taking notice of these things , easily murmur ; complaining that so great Burdens should be laid upon them , whereby the Liberty of the Gospel is so greatly impaired ? Will they not also easily be drawn away from the observance of Ecclesiastical Ordinances , when they shall find that they are not contained in the Law of Christ ? And must we be Hereticks for not believing these so uncertain Traditions ? Must our Faith be accounted defective and not entire , meerly because we do not believe what no Man can make us understand to co come from God ? This seems very hard . It is now time for me to consider the second Objection made against our Faith , which is , That it is not rightly grounded , it is not built on the Authority of the Church , that is , the Church of Rome . And indeed so much weight I find laid upon this one Point , that I have some reason to think , that they , who have been very forward at all times to give such liberal allowances of implicit Faith to their Friends at home , would be contented with a very small measure of explicit Belief in us , if we would once be taught to ground our Faith aright , on the sole Authority of that Church . It seems to me , that for the talk about it , they are no such rigid Exactors of an entire explicit Faith in order to Salvation , but that if we will explicitly believe this one fundamental Point , the Supreme Authority of the Roman Church over all Christians , they will deal very favourably with us in most others ; and excuse our Ignorance easilier , than they can perswade us to be content to be ignorant . I think I have very good reason to believe this , because I know they can have no reason to reject them that believe but this one Point ; for when once this great Gobbet is swallow'd down , the Passage will be so well open'd , that all other Points of Faith either go down with it , or will slip after it without the least straining or grutching . The Authority of God himself , speaking in Scripture , will be of no farther consideration to us ; for that we must suppose to be included in the Authority of our Mother the Church . And whatsoever we shall thence-forward perceive to be the Will of our Mother , we must without all scruple , conclude it to be also the Will of our Father . The Representer hath lately told us , that tho the Scripture ( which is the Word of our Heavenly Father ) may be the Law ; yet the Mother , the Roman Church , is the Iudg. Having learn'd from her the sense of the Scripture , we are obliged to submit to this , and never presume on our own private Sentiments , however seemingly grounded on Reason and Scripture , to believe or preach any new Doctrine opposite to the Belief of the Church . And there 's reason for this , if it be true which he elsewhere tells us , That a Man may very easily frame as many Creeds as he pleases , and make Christ and his Apostles speak what shall be most agreeable to his humour , and suit best with his Interest , and find plain proofs for all ( he means in Scripture ) ; the truth whereof ( as of all other Points of Doctrine ) stands ( as he saith ) upon the same Foundation of the Churches Tradition , which if it fail in one , leaves no security in any . This is indeed to advance the Church to the very top-branch of all Authority , and to make the holy Scripture as very a Nose of Wax , and as Leaden a Rule , as any of that Church ever thought it : seeing a Man may form and work it into Creeds of all fashions , and find plain proofs in it for any odd Humour , or carnal and Worldly Interest . This then ( as far as I can learn by him ) is the only way for me to be a thorow Papist , and a good Catholick , I must lay aside my Reason , and the Scripture , and heed no more what either of these tell me ; only I must have my Ear open to the Voice of the Church , and be wholly at her teaching and command , and I shall be safe enough . Upon the most serious consideration of the Character which the Papist is pleas'd to give us of himself , I cannot find what it is , for which they of that Church are so severely bent against us Protestants ; save only , that we will not , like tame Animals , without any understanding of our own , learn to come and go at a whistle ; or trot on the Road as we are driven , and stoop to take on our Backs whatever Load it shall please the Roman Church to lay upon us , confessing her to have absolute and uncontroulable Authority over our Faith. The standing out against the Catholick Church makes Men Hereticks , and without erring against this , no Man is guilty of Heresy , said the Iesuit Fisher , in his Answer to certain Questions propounded to him by King Iames I. This then is the only Heresy to disown the Authority of the Roman ( for that he calls the Catholick . ) Church . Again , saith he , One fundamental Error of the Protestants , is their denying the Primacy of St. Peter and his Successors , the Foundation which Christ laid of his Church , necessary for the perpetual Government thereof . And again , He that forsakes the Church , puts himself into a dead and damnable State , and may have all things besides Salvation and Eternal Life . Bellarmine speaks out , and tells us very plainly , No Man can , tho he would , be subject to Christ , and communicate with the Celestial Church , that is not subject to the Pope . If then we believe this Authority of the Roman Church , we believe all ; and if we believe not this , we believe nothing at all , in the Papists account ; or to any better purpose , than to our own Damnation . So that without this Belief our Faith shall never pass for an entire Faith ; and when we once believe this , it shall never be any more question'd , whether it be entire or no. Now it seems a very hard matter to believe this great Point of Faith , till very good Reasons be given us for it ; and yet ( it should seem ) the want of such Reasons will not excuse us from being Hereticks , and in a State of Damnation , no not tho we be never so ready to believe it , when we shall have Reasons given us for it . For he is an Heretick ( we are told ) who thinks any thing against the Definition of the Church ; yet stands so affected , that he will think the contrary , if he be convinced by Arguments , or if the matter be propounded to him by a Learned Man. And on the contrary , if we do believe this , we can hardly be Hereticks , whatever Errors we believe , or this Belief draws us into . For if a Rustick ( saith Cardinal Tolet ) believe his Bishop about the Articles of Faith , teaching him some Heretical Doctrine , he merits by believing ; altho it be an Error . So weighty a Point is this , of believing the Authority of the Roman Church , and grounding our entire Faith upon it ; that I perceive I am concern'd above all things to examine it throughly : and this I shall have fitter opportunity to do now I am come to the second thing propounded . SECT . II. Hitherto I have been considering , what ground I have to hope for Salvation , as I am a Protestant , and of the Church of England . I am now in the next place to enquire , Whether I can find any Reason to believe , that the Church of Rome can put me into a more hopeful Way to it , should I turn Papist , and be of her Communion . Now , seeing I have already found , that the great Reason , why we are held uncapable of Salvation as now we are , is this ; That we have no entire Faith ; and the Defect in our Faith is this , That we believe not all the Articles of the Roman Faith ; and that which makes it necessary for us to believe all those Articles , is the Authority of the Catholick , that is , as they interpret , the Roman Church , to declare and define what things are necessary to the Salvation of Christians ; I perceive I have no more to do for my full Satisfaction in the present Inquiry , but to consider , what Reason I can have for the owning and submitting to this Authority . And to discern this , I think this Method fittest to be taken : I will inquire into three things ; I. What things are implied in that Submission to this Authority which is required of me . II. What the Grounds and Reasons are whereon this Authority is founded , and which should perswade me to submit . III. Where this Authority may be found , and to whom I must submit . And this is all , I think , that I need to do ; for I can never think fit to submit my Faith and Conscience , and to trust my Salvation to an Authority , which either requires of me such things as are unreasonable , or can produce no Reason for it self , or is so lodged in Obscurity as it cannot be found . I. I cannot leave the Communion of the Church of England , and enter into that of Rome , in obedience to an Authority which commands me to do things unreasonable , agreeing neither with the Nature of Mankind , nor with the undoubted Principles of Religion . If therefore the Church of Rome require such things of me , I must be a Protestant still , and protest against that Authority , which She pretends to . And for ought I can yet see , I cannot submit to her Authority , but upon the hardest and most unreasonable Terms in the World. I must renounce my Reason and my Iudgment , I must no longer trust my Senses , I must either lay aside , or learn to speak dishonourably of God's Word ; I must not believe a Word that God hath spoken , without that Church's Leave ; I must embrace a Religion , for which , according to that Church's Principles , no Reason can be given to convince me ; and when I have thus learn'd to do all things without Reason , I must do , what with Reason I can never do , believe all Men whatsoever , and how piously soever they otherwise live , if they be not of the Roman Communion , to be in a State of Damnation . If I be deceiv'd in any thing of all this , I shall be very glad to know it ; and I have only this to say for my self , that they were Roman Catholicks , who should know their own Religion best , that have deceived me ; and if I may be deceiv'd by hearkening to them , whom that Church sends abroad to make us Converts , I shall be the less encouraged hereafter , to embrace her Communion upon their Perswasions . Whether all , who are already of her Communion , either own or know all this , it concerns not me to enquire ; but I think it a Debt of Charity , that I owe them , to think , ( till they tell me the contrary ) that they do not ; and that , if they did , they would not long continue where they are . However , till they , who taught me these things , shall either confess their own Error , or shew me my Mistake , I must needs think them all true ; and therefore also account it much safer for me to continue a Protestant , than to turn Papist , whatever it may seem , or be to others . First , I think nothing can be plainer , than that it is more safe to act like understanding , and discreet , considering Men , than otherwise ; or , that the Religion , which alloweth Men so to do , is safer than that which doth not allow it . Now the Protestant Religion alloweth Men to make use of their Reason and Iudgment , to discern between Truth and Falshood , Good and Evil ; which the Roman Religion ( as it seems to me ) will not allow ; and therefore it must needs be the safer Religion . Christ certainly came not into the World to save Sinners by destroying , but rather by restoring and perfecting Human Nature . His business was not to deprive us of the use of the most noble Faculty which God had given us ; but to rectify that , and all the rest , after they had been depraved by Sin. His Gospel was not preached to close up the Eye of the Soul , the Understanding , and so to lead Men blindfold to Heaven ; but to open Mens Eyes , and to furn them from Darkness to Light , Act. 26. 18. The Apostles preach'd , to teach us how to offer unto God a Reasonable Service : Rom. 12. 1. And Christ expects , that his Sheep should be able to discern the voice of him their Shepherd , from the voice of Strangers ; and , avoiding them , to follow him only ; Iohn 10. 4 , 5. St. Peter exhorts Men , to be always ready to give a Reason of the Hope that is in them ; 1 Pet. 3. 15. And St. Paul bids Men prove all things , and hold fast that which is good ; 1 Thess. 5. 21. And St. Iohn exhorts , not to believe every Spirit , but to try the Spirits whether they be of God ; 1 Joh. 4. 1. How any Man shall be able to do all this , and much more , which as a Christian he is obliged to do , and not be allow'd the free use of his Reason and judging Faculty , I am sure , no Man can tell me ; neither indeed how he can be of any Religion at all ; for before he can really be of any Religion , he must choose it ; and choose it he cannot , till he have rationally consider'd and judg'd of it , and of the Reasons which must move him to the choice of it . And in Truth , to deny a Man the free use of his Reason and Iudgment in Religion , is to turn him into a Beast , where he should be most a Man ; and either to make it impossible for him to be of any Religion at all , and to serve God like a Man ; or else to say in effect , That Christian Religion is altogether a most unreasonable thing , and proper only to unreasonable Creatures . Now the Writing Men of the Roman Church tell us nothing more frequently , than that no private Man ought to be allow'd to judg for himself in matters of Faith ; that to allow this , is to set the Gate wide open to all Heresies ; that every Man is bound to sumbit and captivate his Understanding and Iudgment to the Iudgment of the Church , that is , to all the Definitions of ( as they call it ) the Roman-Catholick Church . Whatsoever this Church affirms , we must believe to be true ; and whatsoever She commands , we must chearfully obey , seem the thing to our own private Reason never so false , or never so wicked . We must not dare to examine the Truth or Lawfulness of her Decrees or Determinations , tho Reason and Scripture too , seem to us to be against them , as we have been lately taught by the Representer ; for as we receive from Her the Books , so from Her only we are to receive the Sense of Scripture . Hence it is , that they define a Heretick , to be one that obstinately opposeth the Sentence of the Church . The Doctrines of Fathers ( Bellarmine some-where tells us ) may be examined by Reason , because they teach but as private Doctors ; but the Church teaches as a Iudg , with all Authority , and therefore no Man may dispute the soundness of her Doctrine . This then is the first step I must take , if I will go over to the Church of Rome ; I must resolve to see no longer for my self with my own Eyes , but give my self up to be led by the Church , never questioning the Way I am to go in , so long as she leads me . And truly so far as I am yet able to discern with my Protestant Eyes , it is but needful to close the Eye of Reason before-hand , when I am about to go , where I must otherwise see such things as no Reason can indure . It was therefore very ingenuously spoken ( as I have heard ) of Mr. Cressy , when he said , that the Wit and Judgment of Catholicks , is to renounce their own Judgment , and depose their own Wit. Yet if this be true , I must beg his Pardon , if I dare not yet imitate his Example , or follow him thither , where ( according to him ) I can have nothing to do , but to run headlong upon any thing without Wit or Fear . Reason he is pleased to call a hoodwink'd Guide ; and following it , all we can hope for , is , that we may possibly stumble into the Truth or Church . Possibly ( it should seem ) a Man may stumble upon it with his Eyes in his Head ; and truly , I dare not pull them out , lest I should stumble on a blind Leader , and we should both fall into the Ditch . Secondly ; Whensoever I resolve to enter into the Roman Communion , I fear I must also bid farewell to my Senses ; or resolve never any more to trust them , no , not about those things , which are the proper Objects of Sense ; to discern which , God gave me my Senses ; and of which it will be impossible for me to have any distinct knowledg without them . How unreasonable and dangerous a thing this is , I must needs be very sensible , if I be not resolved already to hearken no more to my Reason . If I must no longer credit my Eyes about Shape and Colour , nor my Ears about Sounds and Words , nor my Nose about Smells , nor my Palate concerning Tasts , nor my Hands and Feeling about Hot and Cold , Hard and Soft ; I shall not know how to believe , that God gave me all these Instruments of Sense to any purpose at all ; I am sure , I cannot think my self in a comfortable and safe Condition . I know not to what end our Blessed Saviour should bid St. Thomas , Handle and see him ; or how his Faith could be thereby confirmed , if such Senses are not to be trusted : nor why the Apostle should hope to have the more Credit given to their Narratives , by telling us they were Eye-witnesses of the things they relate ; 2 Pet. 1. 16. Luke 1. 2. Nor why St. Iohn ( 1 Ioh. 1. 1. ) should talk so much of hearing , seeing and handling , as things qualifying them for bearing witness . What a Christian am I like to be , if I can have no Assurance of what I see or hear ; if I may not trust my Eyes when I read the Scripture , nor my Ears when I hear the Instructions of my Teachers ? How could the first Christians be sure themselves , or assure us , that Iesus is the Christ , if in hearing his Words , and seeing his Miracles , and reading the Prophets , they might not safely trust their Senses ? If Sense be not to be trusted , all Teaching must be by immediate Inspiration ; and Faith comes not by hearing , as St. Paul affirms it doth ; and the Infallible Church can teach no more than we , except she can teach without Speaking or Writing , or any thing that is to be understood by Hearing or Seeing ; and so Oral and Practical Tradition can be of no more use to us , than to the Blind and Deaf . On this Supposition , I may easily mistake a Harlot for my Mother , and stumble into Babylon instead of Hierusalem , hearken to the Voice of the Wolf instead of the Shepherd , eat and drink Poison instead of wholsome Food , and feel no Pain nor Loss when my Eyes are pluck'd out . Now if the Church of Rome do not command us to renounce all Credit to our Senses , she cannot command us to give any Credit to her Doctrine of Transubstantiation . And I fear , without our believing this Point , she will not admit us to her Communion . We believe already a Real Presence of that which we see not , yet will not this serve , unless we believe also a Real Absence of that which we both see , handle , taste and smell . In the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist , I am commanded to believe that there is not any Bread , but Flesh ; nor Wine , but Blood ; and yet there I see , smell , taste and feel both Bread and Wine , and nothing else . I hear it read , that our Blessed Saviour took , blessed , brake and gave Bread and Wine ; and of the same he said , Take , eat and drink . I hear St. Paul again and again ( 1 Cor. 11. 26 , 27 , 28. ) speak of eating and drinking the Bread and the Cup. And yet I must not trust any of these five Senses , but against the clearest Evidence and Testimony of them all , I must believe ( if I can ) that there is neither Bread nor Wine , but that , which neither my Senses can discern , nor my Reason conceive , nor doth the Scripture any where say , the very Natural Flesh and Blood of Christ , under the Colour and Form , the Taste and Smell , and all other proper Qualities of Bread and Wine ; and yet neither that Colour , nor Form , nor Taste , nor Smell , nor any other Accident , which my Senses there perceive , are in the Flesh and Blood , tho there is nothing else there for them to be in . That tho I break and chew with my Teeth what I take and eat ; yet I break not , nor chew with my Teeth the Body of Christ ; and yet I take and eat nothing else . If I cannot believe this , I am told that I have not Faith enough , and only because I have yet Reason and Sense too much , to be of that Communion . This is another step that I must take in going over to the Church of Rome . And when I am got thus far , I may think it seasonable enough to lay aside the Scripture too : For what good Use I can make of it , without the free use of my Reason , and trusting my Senses , I do not understand . Thirdly , If I be a Lay-man , and not of so good credit with the Curate or Bishop , as to obtain a License ; that is , if I will not promise to adhere only to the Doctrine of the Roman Church , and take all that I read in that sense only , which she is pleas'd to give it ; I must not be suffer'd to read the Scripture at all , but must give away my Bible , upon pain of being denied the Remission of my Sins . And truly if I may be allow'd to read it upon no other terms , than of being thus tied up , to learn nothing by it , but what I am before-hand taught without it ; I shall think a License too dear , even at a very low rate ; if yet it may be obtain'd , as I find it question'd , whether it may or no , any where else , but in such places as a License to read some of their own , may prevent their itch of looking into our Translations . However , whether I be of the Lay or Clergy , if I will learn of them who are most busy in endeavouring my Conversion ; I am sure I must be taught to speak very dishonourably of the Word of God ; and this seems to be no more than the Religion commended to me requireth . I must needs here say , That nothing in the World doth ( and I think I may say , ought ) more to prejudice me against any Religion , than to find it constrain'd in its own Defence , to say undecent things of that which it grants to be the Word of God. And if I might be thought worthy to advise the Missionaries , they should not harp too much on this ungrateful String , if they would draw any after them that have the least Zeal for God's Honour . I am verily oerswaded , that the good Language they bestow upon the Scripture , hath kept more out of their Church , than ever their Arguments yet won . I will not now take notice of those too well known Encomiums bestow'd upon it , by some of their Communion , calling it a Nose of Wax , a Leaden Rule , a dead Letter , unsens'd Characters , and I am ashamed to say what more . I shall only observe what is ordinarily taught us and endeavour'd with much Art to be prov'd by their best , most modest , and generally approved Authors : as , That the Scripture is not Necessary ; that it hath no Authority as to us , but from the Church ; that it is an imperfect , an insufficient Rule ; that it is an obscure Book , and finally , a very dangerous one to be read by the People . I know very well , That the Representer , and others of them tell us , That the Papist believes it damnable in any one , to think , speak , or to do any thing irreverently towards the Scripture , and that he holds it in the highest Veneration of all Men living . I know also , that most of them , even whilst they are industriously proving all that I but now said , do yet labour to mollify and sweeten their own harsh Expressions , which they know must needs grate the Ears of all pious Persons . I am also verily perswaded , that many Papists have a very venerable esteem for the Scripture , and are not a little troubled to hear it reproachfully used . And yet I cannot see that highest Veneration for it , or that they speak not very irreverently of it , who speak no worse of it , than the Representer himself hath taught them , viz. That it is not fit to be read generally of all without License ; tho he gives this very good reason for it , Lest they should no longer acknowledg the Authority of the Roman Church ; or in his own words , No Authority left by Christ , to which they are to submit . As tho Men might be taught by the Scripture to be disobedient to any Authority which Christ hath set up in his Church . I cannot see any great Veneration he hath to the Scripture , in saying , They allow a restraint upon the reading of the Scriptures , for the preventing of a blind ignorant Presumption , or the casting of the Holy to Dogs , or Pearls to Swine , ( such too is his respect for Christians ) That he hath no other assurance that they are the Word of God , but by the Authority and Canon of the Church . That almost every Text of the Bible and even those that concern the most essential and fundamental Points of the Christian Religion may be interpreted several ways , and made to signify things contrary to one another . That it is altogether silent , without discovering which of all those Senses is that intended by the Holy Ghost , and leading to Truth ; and which are erroneous and Antichristian . That a Man may frame as many Creeds as he pleases , and make Christ and his Apostles speak what shall be most agreeable to his Humour , and suit best with his Interest , and find plain Proofs for all . That it alone can be no Rule of Faith to any private or particular Person . Certainly they who talk of the Scripture at this rate , have not the highest Veneration for it , of all Men living . They that say , and labour to prove , that the Scripture is not necessary , may well be supposed to think , that the Church of God might do well enough without it . And , tho to lessen the Odiousness of this Assertion , they are forced to confess it is a Lie , without the help of some such mental Reservation as this , So that God could not , if he pleas'd , preserve his Truth among Men , some other way than by writing it ; yet doth not this speak in them the like Veneration for the Scripture , as Protestants have , who down-rightly affirm it to be necessary . And it must needs sound ill to say , That the All-wise God hath been very careful to leave and preserve in his Church an unnecessary thing . Yea , 't is altogether as absurd to say , the Scripture is not necessary , because God could , if it had seem'd good to him , have preserv'd his Church and Faith without it : As it would be to say , that Plowing and Sowing , or Eating and Drinking are not necessary , because God could , if he pleas'd , make the Ground bring forth without the one , and preserve Man's Life without the other . Nor can it be imagin'd that any Man upon this account only , would venture to say , and attempt to prove the Scripture not to be necessary in a sense , wherein no Man ever affirm'd it ; if he were not so zealously bent upon lessening the Esteem which we have for it , that he will chuse rather to say nothing to the purpose , and dispute against no Body , than to be silent , and say nothing that sounds ill of it ; and that he thinks it needful for the ends of his Church so to do . In like manner , when they contend that the Authority of the Scripture is from the Church , which is the thing whereof at every turn they are forward enough to mind us ; they are forced again to make some Abatements to make it seem a Truth . 'T is true , they say , that consider'd in it self alone , it hath its Authority from God ; whereby they can mean no more , but that God is the Author of it ; but in relation to us , it hath its Authority from the Church . Now I would fain know , what any Man can understand properly by the Authority of the Scripture , but its relation to us , or the Power it hath to command our Faith in it , and Obedience to it , as the Word of God. And if it have all this Power from the Church , as is confidently affirm'd , then tho it self be of God , yet all its Authority is from the Church ; and it must needs be true , which was said by one of them , That it is of no more Authority than Livy or Aesop ' s Fables without the Churches Declaration . Thus is the Authority of God's Word made to depend upon the Authority of Men , and all our Faith is no more but humane Faith resting upon humane Testimony . And if the Authority which it hath to oblige us , be from the Church , I would know by what Authority it doth oblige the Church ; it is not sure , by any Authority from Her , for then I see no reason why the Church may not chuse whether she will receive it or no ; whilst yet I think , that it is only by the Authority of the Scripture that she can pretend to be a Church , and to have any Authority at all . However this I am sure of , that they who say the Scripture is to be receiv'd for the Churches Sake , have not so high a Veneration , either for it , or the Author of it , as they who say it is to be receiv'd for God's Sake . And in the next place , whether we , who say the Scripture is a perfect and sufficient Rule of Faith and Manners , containing all things necessary to Salvation ; or they , who say , 't is but a partial and imperfect Rule : We , who say ; 't is plain and easy to be understood in all things necessary ; or They , who say 't is dark and obscure , unable to inform and resolve Learners , Doubters , and Inquirers , and that even in Essentials and Fundamentals of Religion : Finally , Whether We , who say , it ought to be read and studied of all Men ; Or They , who say , it is not needful , yea , dangerous to be read of all , have the higher Veneration for the Holy Scripture , is no hard matter to determine ; if to commend a thing , may be said to be more Honour to it , than to disparage it . And tho here again , they use some Art and Colour to set off such ill-favour'd Sayings , as well as they can ; yet serves this to no other end in my Mind , but to make them more Ugly and Odious . They deny not ( for all this , they say ) the Perfection , Sufficiency , or Plainness of the Scripture , nor that it may be read by the People . What then is it they say ? They affirm , that it contains all necessary Truths , either Explicitly , or at least Virtually ; for some Truths it declares expresly , and yet so , as the Church alone must give the Sense ; and for all the rest , it plainly ( if the same Church may here also give the Sense ) sends us to the Church to learn them . Now I cannot ( for my Heart ) imagine what all this can signify , but only a desire to lessen the Scripture's Authority , as plausibly as they can . To me it seems very plain , that they make the Scripture just nothing , and the Church all in all . I think it here again , well deserves my Consideration , That the SCRIPTURE is very copious in declaring , and repeating too , over and over again , many necessary Points of Faith and Duty ; and not only necessary things , but many other things also it largely teacheth , which are by all granted to be of less moment and necessity to the Salvation of Men ; and all this it doth in as plain Words and Phrases , as can be used . And hence I find it very hard for me to believe , that the HOLY GHOST , by whose Inspiration it was Written , should do all this for our Instruction , and that in a Book written on purpose to make us wise unto Salvation , and by himself declared able so to do , and yet omit many things of greatest necessity to that end ; never so much as once , no not in any obscure manner , pointing out to us that Church , to whose Authority we must resort and submit . This were to leave us a Treasure closely lock'd up , and not to tell us where we may find the Key , that can let us in to it , and so we are neither the Wiser , nor the Richer for it . Whatsoever the PAPISTS are pleas'd to alledg for their speaking thus of the Word of the Blessed God , I confess I cannot think any better of their Religion for it . Let us say what we will in Commendation of holy SCRIPTURE , they will be sure to find something to say against it ; lest , I suppose , it should be thought , we can at any time speak Truth . And when we charge them for speaking dishonourably of the SCRIPTURE , they so interpret their Words , as they seem to say the same that we did , and which they blamed us for . What can be their meaning in this , but either to make the World believe that we are in an Error ; tho , when they come to Apologize for themselves , they are forced to confess it a Truth ; or that their Religion necessarily requires it of them in its Vindication , to vilify the SCRIPTURE ; tho by saying such things of it , as they acknowledge cannot be true , unless interpreted so , as to speak our Sense ? They must therefore in this , deal either very disingenuously with us , or very injuriously with the holy SCRIPTURE . For my part , I cannot believe , that Men professing the Christian Faith , and owning the SCRIPTURE to be the Word of GOD , could ever be persuaded to speak so , as but seemingly to vilify or disparage it , if their Doctrines could be any other way defended . Their Religion , I say , must need it , or they too little consult the Honour of their Religion , in needlesly uttering such Speeches , as stand in need of a very great measure of Charity , to think them less than Blasphemy . Fourthly , If any PROTESTANT dares venture thus far , towards the Church of ROME ; the next thing he has to do , is to resolve , not to believe one Word that GOD speaks , without that Church's leave . I am confident , that there are not many of our Lay-PAPISTS , that think themselves to be under this Obligation ; and that if they were sensible of it , they would make haste to break loose from it . But for my own part , I see not how I can enter into their Communion , but I must draw it upon my self . And this I think , would be to advance the ROMAN Church to as great a height in my esteem , as they in her , who are most zealous for her Infallibility , can desire . What more would they have , than that GOD himself , where they confess he speaks , should stand to their Church's Courtesy , whether or no he should be believed ? I know it will be said , They never disallow'd any man to believe GOD. But because all men cannot understand GOD speaking in the SCRIPTURE , the Church is appointed by Him to be his Interpreter . This I hear , and to me it sounds not well , That GOD should speak to Men things necessary for all to know , and which he commands all to learn and believe upon pain of eternal Damnation ; and yet not speak so intelligibly , as they may understand Him. Certainly , he that made the Tongue , and gave man Understanding , can speak ( if he please ) as Intelligibly as the Church , which cannot Speak or Understand at all , without his Help and Teaching . And considering his Infinite Goodness and Impartiality ; till he shall tell me so himself , I know not how to believe that he hath so much more respect to the Honour of the ROMAN Church , than to the Salvation of Mankind , that he would so deliver things belonging to Salvation , that no Man can be able to understand , and be the better for them , but he that resorts to that Church as God's sole Interpreter . And if indeed she be so , it must follow , that we cannot believe one Word that God speaks without her leave . For , therefore is she made God's Interpreter , because otherwise we cannot understand his Word ; and I am sure , what we cannot understand , we cannot believe . 'T is the Sense , they say , and not the Letter , is God's Word ; and this Sense is in the Church's Breast , and of Her alone we must learn it ; and therefore , till She give us leave , we cannot believe it , no not so much as , that JESUS is the CHRIST ; altho , till we believe this , we cannot believe that he hath a Church , and therefore cannot believe She is His Interpreter . I will not now inquire into the Reasons , Why this Church , which is God's sole Interpreter , takes so excellent a Course to make her Children understand God's Word . Why first , She keeps it in the Latin Tongue only , whereof the far greater number of them understand not one Syllable . Why secondly , She doth not give them some Infallible Translation , Interpretation , or Comment of the Scripture ; a thing very easie for an Infallible Interpreter to do ; and therefore , in my Opinion , must argue a great defect in her Charity , and much unfaithfulness in the discharge of her Trust , if she do it not . I am loath to ask such Questions as these , because I find it goes so much against the Hair to answer them . Indeed I think she doth not the latter for a very good Reason , because she cannot ; and 't is only her vain pretence to such a Power , that makes her inexcusable if she do it not . And the former she is concern'd to do , that they , who have the Word of God only in a Language which they cannot understand , may be constrain'd of necessity to depend upon her Instruction , and never to question her Authority , nor discern her Errors . Whilst they have nothing of the Word of God , but from her mouth , they can have no more of it , than what she gives them leave to have ; and therefore , can neither believe a Word of what GOD speaks , nor indeed that he hath spoken any thing but by her leave . God speaks very plainly , and intelligibly enough in the second Commandment , forbidding the Adoration of Images , as plainly , as he forbids to commit Adultery , or to Steal . And Christ spake very plainly , and as intelligibly , saying , Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God , and him only shalt thou serve , Matt. 4. 10. And again , when he said of the Eucharistical Cup , Drink ye all of it , Matt. 26. 27. as when he said , Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart , and thy Neighbour as thy self . St. Paul very plainly ordereth , that the publick Worship of God be perform'd in a known Tongue , and sheweth the great absurdity of using an unknown Tongue in God's Worship , 1 Cor. 14. And he speaks intelligibly enough , when he saith , Let a man examine himself , and so let him eat of that Bread , and drink of that Cup , 1 Cor. 11. 28. To say no more , we think it plainly enough said , of them that die in the Lord , that they rest from their labours , Rev. 14. 13. In all these things we hear God speak , and would fain believe him . But here the Church of ROME comes in with her Authority , and tells us , That , tho GOD have said , He only is to be worshipped , we must believe , that not he only , but also the Cross , Images , Saints and Angels , are to have a share in our Religious Worship . And say CHRIST and his Apostles what they please to the contrary , we must believe , that not all , but the sacrificing Priest ought to drink of the Cup ; that God's publick Worship is well perform'd in an unknown Tongue ; that we neither eat Bread , nor drink Wine in the Eucharist ; that all who died in the Lord , do not rest from their labours ; but that the most of them go into most dreadful torments . At this rate , for ought I can see , must I believe the Word of God , when I have once submitted to the Authority of the Church of ROME . Fifthly , It seems very hard for me to conceive how I should be bound under penalty of Eternal Damnation , to espouse a Religion , and submit to an Authority , for which no convincing Reason can be given me by them that invite me to it . What is it in any Religion , which can commend it before others to a man's Choice , but its Truth and Goodness ? And how should the Truth and Goodness of any Religion commend it to my Choice , till they be discover'd unto me , and I be rationally convinced that it hath them ? Whatever Truth and Goodnoss there may really be in the Religion called POPERY , I am sure they can be no motives to me to embrace it , till they be clearly laid open to my Understanding and Iudgment , that I may plainly discern them ; and therefore , if any PAPIST will take an effectual course to Convert me to it , he must by rational means convince me first , that his is the true Church , and her Doctrines sound and good . How he can do this upon his own Principles , I see not yet ; but rather think it a very gross absurdity in him to attempt it . He tells me often , that no private Person , such as I am , ought to judg for himself in Points of Faith , or therein to follow his own private Iudgment , tho to him grounded both on Reason and Scripture . He must not therefore in disputing with me , ( according to his own Doctrine ) bring either Reason or Scripture to convince me , for I must not trust my own private Iudgment , ( and I know no other that I have ) tho ( as it seems to me ) grounded both on Reason and Scripture . I must not judg for my self by either of them , whether what he commends to me by them , be true or no , and then I cannot imagine to what end he useth them in any dispute with me . He must resolve therefore , ( for ought I can see ) whenever he would convert me , to judg for me too , as well as dispute with me ; and then , if I cannot make a right Choice for my self , he may do it for me ; tho after all , whether his private Iudgment be any more to be trusted in such a case , than my own , I may possibly doubt . Either it is a matter of Faith , That the Church of ROME is the only true Church , and that She hath this Authority of determining for all Christians , which is the saving Faith of CHRIST , or it is not . If it be not , I may be safe enough , tho I believe it not ; and 't is ill done of PAPISTS to terrify me with these big Words , which are as false as terrible , That I cannot be saved without believing this . If it be a matter of Faith , then must I either be allow'd to judg for my self by my own private judgment in a matter of Faith , or all the PAPISTS endeavours to persuade me to believe it , are altogether vain , unless it be reasonable for me to believe a thing against my Reason and Iudgment . When he useth Arguments , I should think he meant thereby to convince me in my private Iudgment ; but it seems , 't is only to drive me out of it ; and that , if I may use it at all , it is only to this end , that I may conclude I have no use of it . All the Arguments in the World cannot convince me , till I judg of them ; and therefore no PAPIST can offer me a Reason why I should embrace POPERY , but he must contradict himself , and give me as strong a Reason , why I should not embrace it , because its Principles are false . It will be all one , as if he should say , I ought to be convinced by Reason , and yet I neither ought nor can be convinced by it . In urging his Reasons upon me , he intends they should convince me ; in denying me the Liberty of judging for my self by Reason , he denies that any Reasons can convince me ; because 't is plain , they cannot convince me before I have judged of them , and this I must do by my private Iudgment , or by nothing , for I have no other . But here I am told , We are allow'd to make use of our Reason to find out the true Church , which may Infallibly guide us into all saving Truth . All that is required of us , is this , that when we have once found this true Church , we presume no longer to judg for our selves , but captivate our Reason to the Infallible Iudgment of the Church . This is something , and yet it seems but extorted from them , to make a little more plausible , what to me seems one of the greatest pieces of Folly in the World ; I mean , the attempt of convincing men by Reason , who must not be allow'd to judg of the Reasons whereby they must be convinced . I find Reason , by a Traditionary Papist , compared to a dim-sighted Man , who used his Reason to find a trusty Friend to lead him in the Twilight , and then reli'd on his Guidance rationally , without using his own Reason at all about the way it self . Thus are we allow'd Reason to find out the Church of ROME , our sure Friend to guide us , and on whose Guidance we must rationally Rely , after we have captivated our Reason to her , and for her sake have resolved to use it no more . But now , if this Reason , which is to direct us to our Guide , be such a dimsighted thing , and as we heard before , Hoodwink'd too , so that whilst we follow it , we can have no more hope , than only that we may possibly stumble into the Catholick Church ; who will secure us , that we shall not in this Twilight mistake a treacherous Enemy for a trusty Friend ; and then , what shall we gain by our rational Reliance on him ? A dimsighted Man in the Twilight , may easily mistake one thing for another , else should he not much need a trusty Guide ; and why he may not mistake his Guide , as well as his Way , I do not yet know . But that I may be satisfied , how much I gain by this liberal Concession , to use my Reason and private Iudgment in inquiring after the true Church ; I will a little consider , how the PAPIST is wont to talk with me , when he would persuade me to take his Church for my only sure Guide . First , he tells me , There is but one true Faith ; and then , that this Faith must be held entirely ; next , that this entire Faith is nowhere to be found , but in the true Church . After this he begins again , and tells me , Christ hath a Church upon Earth ; That there is but one true Church ; That out of it there is no Salvation ; and lastly , That the ROMAN Church , and no other , is that one true Church out of which there is no Salvation . And till we have found that it is so , he will give us leave to judg for our selves . And I would thank him for this kindness , if he would allow me to enjoy the benefit of it , and to make any use of it ; otherwise it will look but like a Mockery . I desire therefore some clear convincing Evidence , That the ROMAN Church is the only true Church . He cannot to this purpose , produce the Consent of all Christians , for two parts in three deny it . Therefore he gives me a great many Marks or Signs , sometimes more , sometimes fewer , whereby the only true Church must be known from others , and spends a great many words in shewing me how they agree to the ROMAN Church , and no other . That wherein I would next have same Satisfaction , is , supposing that all his Marks agree to the ROMAN Church , and no other ; how I may know , that these are indeed the certain and incommunicable Marks and Proprieties of the only true Church ? To prove this , he betakes himself to the HOLY SCRIPTURE , and brings me thence some Texts , whereby he says , they are clearly proved to be so . I now , with a very hearty and sincere desire to learn the Truth , and with all diligent use of such helps , as I can come by , read and consider all these Texts , and cannot discern in them any Evidenee at all of the thing which they are brought to prove ; and therefore think it reasonable yet to call for some clearer proof . But now , when 't is come to this , I presently find , that his liberal Concession to make use of my Reason and private Iudgment to find out the true Church , amounts to no more than I at first suspected , that is just nothing : For here he retires to his Principle of PORERY , That I being a private Person , ought not to judg for my self , what is the Sense of those Texts of Scripture , but must submit my Reason and Iudgment , to the Iudgment of the Church ( yea , even before I have found the Church ) and without any dispute , receive the Sense of Scripture from her alone Thus he recals at once all that he had allow'd ; and undoes again , whatsoever he had been adoing , to persuade me to his Communion . He was giving me Reasons , which might convince me in my Iudgment ; and these at length resolve all into the Authority of the Scripture ; and yet , of this Testimony of the Scripture I must not Iudg ; and therefore by it I cannot be convinced of any thing , but this , that the Church of ROME is resolved to be Mistress of all Christians ; and thinks it enough to convince us that she is so , if whilst she sets some of her Sons to hold us up in empty talk of Scripture and Reason to no purpose , she step out from behind the Curtain , saying , Believe it , I am she . Now I cannot possibly see , whatever others may do , ( for I keep yet to my Protestant Principles of Judging for no man but my self ) how I can embrace POPERY upon any conviction from PAPISTS ; and I fear I must either take it without any Reason for it , or not at all . If I cannot know the ROMAN Church to be the only true Church , but by the Testimony of the SCRIPTURE ; and if I cannot understand the Testimony of the SCRIPTURE , till I receive the true Sense of it from the ROMAN Church ; and if I cannot take that for the true Sense of it , upon Her Declaration of it so to be , unless moved by her Authority , I must be persuaded to do the most unreasonable thing in the World , to my thinking ; to believe a Church to be the only true Church , for her own Authority , which I yet know no more , than I do her to be the true Church ; which , it is all along supposed , I do not know at all ; This I think not only unreasonable , but impossible . I must needs confess my self very hard to be persuaded of the tender goodness of that Mother , who , lest her Children should get hurt by the dimness of their sight , will needs pull out their Eyes , and keep them in her Pocket , till she has taught them to use them better . I am very loath to part with my Reason , how dimsighted soever , because I know not how to serve God without it . Yet if I should dare to venture thus far , may I now have leave to take my rest here ? If my dimsighted Reason help me to stumble into my Mother's lap , may I yet think my self safe there ? Not till I have learn'd her Charity too as well as her Faith , which the REPRESENTER tells us , She learn'd of Christ and his Apostles . Therefore , Lastly , I must believe , that all other Christians but PAPISTS , are in a state of Damnation . The Decree of P. BONIFACE the VIIIth , as now it stands in the common Extravagants , is well known to be this , We declare , say , define , and pronounce , That it is altogether of necessity to SALVATION , that every Creature be subject to the POPE of ROME . P. PIUS the II. in his Bull of Retractation , ( tho he was not altogether of the same mind ( as it seems ) before , whilst he was Aeneas Sylvius ) saith , He cannot be saved that doth not hold the Unity of the ROMAN Church . If so lusly a Decree , and so preremptory a Declaration of two POPES be too little , there is abundance more to this purpose to be met with , by him that has a mind to search for it : I only take notice at this time , that P. LEO the X th , in his Lateran Council , and his Bull therein read and pass'd , saith , We do renew and approve that same Constitution ( viz. of P. BONIFACE , but now mentioned ) , the present Sacred Council also approving it . And Lastly , P. PIUS the IV th , in his Bull , wherein he confirms the Council of TRENT , imposeth an Oath upon Ecclesiastical Persons , wherein they swear , That the HOLY CATHOLICK and APOSTOLICK ROMAN Church , is the MOTHER and MISTRESS of all Churches ; and that this is the true CATHOLICK FAITH , without which no man can be SAVED . Here 's enough in all Conscience for us PROTESTANTS to hear , and too much a great deal ( as I think ) for any man to believe . I think my self bound in Charity , to have the best Opinion I can of all men ; and therefore I dare not think , that all they who are called ROMAN CATHOLICKS , have throughly learn'd this Doctrine . There seems to me to be so much of Ill-nature in it , that I should think my self the worst natur'd man in the World , if I could believe that any considerable numbers of them , besides the Priests , are guilty of it . Many piously disposed Souls , are not so happy , as to have always the clearest Understandings , or the sincerest Teachers , but have better Hearts than either Heads or Guides . Their Zeal is too great for both their opportunities of Learning , and Patience to consider ; their earnestness of SALVATION , a thing very laudable in them , puts them into too much haste to deliberate long , and gives an advantage to some , who watch for it , to abuse them . Either a cunning JESUIT , or a canting FANATICK , will hope to make an easy Prey of such Persons ; for it matters not greatly of which sort the Tempter be , whilst the Temptation is the same : The Fish minds not the Fisher , but the Bait : Every Argument from either , is edged with a mighty Zeal and Importunity , and sharpned with the sinest and most penetrating Expressions of a most tender Compassion for perishing Souls . SALVATION is as confidently promised , as earnestly desired ; and whether it be to be had in the ROMANISTS Infallible Church , or in the SEPARATISTS purg'd and unmix'd Congregation , all 's a case , when once the man is made to think it cannot be had in the Church of ENGLAND . If they who are so easily Proselyted either way , would take time to look before they leap , and could but see into the consequents of those very Arguments which most prevail with them , and are made the Traps to catch them in , they would stand off a little , and ask a few Questions more , for their better Satisfaction ; before they could endure to think of entring into a Communion , which would oblige them , as ever they hope to be saved themselves , to believe that CHRIST hath no faithful Followers upon Earth , but a few Subjects of the POPE of Rome . I can easily perceive , by divers Books written by them who call themselves Converts , that the main Motive of their going over to the ROMAN Church , was this , That they could not hope to be saved in any other : And I find that most Arguments of late used , to persuade us to that Religion , look the very same way ; And it is this Doctrine alone , that hath put me upon this Enquiry for my own Satisfaction : For I must needs confess , that this Doctrine , which some acount so powerful a Persuasive to Popery , has always with me had the quite contrary effect to what I find it hath in them ; and has been , and is at this present to me , as strong a Dissuasive from it . If I can never be a PAPIST , till I can believe it , I am very confident , I shall never be one . I would leave the Church of ENGLAND the next Minute , should she require of me to believe , that all out of her Communion were in a state of Damnation ; and truly I think that most PROTESTANTS are of my mind . When therefore I found the REPRESENTER in good earnest to vindicate his Church in this one Point , I presently concluded , that he had writ his whole Book to no purpose ; for let him spend all his Oyl and Colours in painting POPERY to the best advantage , so long as this one Spot appears in her Face , she may possibly seem in her new Dress less terrible , but not one jot more lovely . Having told us , That no one can arrive to the true knowledg of the Catholick Faith , but by receiving it as proposed and believed by the Church of CHRIST ; and that the ROMAN CATHOLICK is the only true Church ; that whosoever denies any Article of her Faith , denies so much of CHRIST's Doctrine ; That whosoever hears Her , hears CHRIST ; and whosoever obstinately and wilfully is separated from Her , is in the same distance separated from CHRIST himself ; and finally , That God addeth to this Church daily , such as shall be saved : He hath told us enough to persuade us , that no PROTESTANT in the World could have done that Church a greater diskindness , than he hath done ; nor by any Misrepresentation of her , have worse Represented her . When the PAPISTS are pleas'd to ask us that unanswerable Question , as they account it , Where was your Religion before LUTHER ? They wish us withal , to take into our Serious Consideration , the state of our Forefathers , who lived and died in the Religion of the Church of ROME ; asking us , if we dare think , that they were all damn'd : We need not trouble our heads with shaping an Answer to so frivolous a Question , because we durst never yet be so hardy as to affirm , that all are damn'd , who live and die in the Communion of the Church of ROME ; but do openly declare to the World , that tho we think our own Religion the safest , yet many of that Communion have been heretofore , and many also are at this day , under such Circumstances , as encourage us to hope very well of them as to their future state . However if it so well deserve our Consideration , what 's become of our Forefathers ? doth it not as well deserve the Consideration of the ROMANISTS , what is become of many of theirs ? Yea , What will become of the greatest part of the Christian World , who live and die out of their Communion ? And if they would have us think the worse of the Reformation , left by thinking well of it , we should be wanting in Charity to our Fathers , which yet we are by it no way obliged to be ; should it not move them to think the worse of their Religion , that it constrains them to think so uncharitably , not only of their Fathers , but of all the World but themselves only ? How many most Eminent and Worthy Persons , How many great and famous Churches , must I be obliged , by embracing the ROMAN Faith , to believe excluded from SALVATION ? Upon these terms , I cannot see how 't is possible for me to be Reconciled to the Church of ROME , without professing my self an irreconcileable Enemy to all the Christian World besides . I must turn Hector , and call all other Christians , damn'd Hereticks . I must needs say , this appears not to me , like that Meek and Lamb like Spirit of the Blessed JESUS , which is given by him to his Dove-like Spouse , that thus Rants it in his pretended Vicars , and their Adherents . It seems not to be much a kin to that Christian Charity , which hopeth and believeth all things , and thinketh no evil , 1 Cor. 13. 7. I must make nothing of condemning all PROTESTANTS and PROTESTANT Churches , of what other Denomination soever ; and these alone are no inconsiderable part of Christians : These Hereticks ( saith Bellarmin ) possess many and ample Provinces , ENGLAND , SCOTLAND , ( and why not IRELAND ? ) DENMARK , SWEEDLAND , NORWAY ; no small part of GERMANY , POLAND , BOHEMIA , and HUNGARY ; he might have said also , of FRANCE , and HELVETIA . It was anciently the Custom , ( saith Tolet ) that the POPE did three days every year , tho now but once a year , viz. upon the Holy Thursday ( he means the Thursday immediately before Easter , call'd Coena Domini ) with great Solemnity , before all the People , thunder out his Sentence of Excommunication against all Hereticks , of what Name or Sect soever ; but against the Queen of ENGLAND ( which was then Q. Elizabeth ) by name ; with all their Believers , Receivers , Favourers , and Defenders ; against all that read their Books publickly or privately , with what intention soever , or under whatever pretence , tho there be no Error in them , or with a design to consute the Error , if there be any without his Holiness's License ; against the Keepers , Printers , and Defenders , in any manner , of the same ; against all Schismaticks , and such as pertinaciously withdraw themselves , and depart from their Obedience to the POPE ; against any one that shall so much as say , that Calvin was a good man ; against all that appeal from the Orders , Decrees , or Mandates of the POPE , to a future COUNCIL . And 't is very well known , that they are not all PROTESTANTS who have done so . Neither will this suffice , I must also condemn the whole GREEK Church , which how Ancient , and of how large Extent it is , is very well known : And some reason there seems to be for it ; For ( saith Bellarmin ) the Greeks in the year 451 , in the Council of CHALCEDON , consisting of 600 Bishops , endeavoured to make the Patriarch of CONSTANTINOPLE equal to the Bishop of ROME . And again , In the year 1054 , they pronounc'd the Bishop of ROME to have fallen from his degree of Dignity , and the Bishop of CONSTANTINOPLE to be the first Bishop . And tho he pretends that these Greeks were once reconciled to ROME in the Council of FLORENCE , yet he adds , that they always returned to their Vomit . No wonder therefore , if this GREEK Church cannot escape Damnation : And yet this poor Reprobated Church yields not to that of ROME in any of her own principal Marks of a true Church . I read that the Christians of her Communion , in NATOLIA , CIRCASSIA , MENGRELLIA , RUSSIA , GREECE , MACEDONIA , EPIRUS , THRACIA , BULGARIA , &c. do very near , if not quite , equal the number of those who are of the ROMAN Communion . And yet will not this be enough , unless we include in this Sentence of Condemnation , all the Assyrian Christians living amongst the Mahometans in BABYLON , ASSYRIA , MESOPOTAMIA , PARTHIA and MEDIA , with the Iacobites , Armenians , Egyptians , Aethiopians , and the vast Empire of the HABASSINES : All these I must look upon as cut off from CHRIST , merely for their disowning the POPE's Authority , tho they should be found Orthodox in all other points . And truly I know not how to get up to that height of Boldness , not to be afraid of condemning so many Christians , most of which have given , and do yet give to the World the most notable Testimony of Fidelity to CHRIST , that can be expected , in their constant sufferings for the sake of his holy Name and Gospel . After this Consideration of whole Churches , it seems needless for me to come down to that of single Persons , tho confessedly of greatest Note and Eminence in the Church of CHRIST , both for Learning and Piety . How St. Polycarp Bishop of SMTRNA , and a famous Martyr , who would not obey P. Anicetus , but still keep his Easter contrary to the custom of the ROMAN Church , and therein seem'd either as ignorant of his Duty , or as stubborn as any PROTESTANT : or how his Successor in that See , Polycrates , who desended himself and his Church so arrogantly against the Authority of the ROMAM Church , more than sufficiently declared by P. Victor , still pleading the Example of Polycarp , and Authority of St. Iohn , as tho he had never heard St. Peter was made Prince of the Apostles , or that the Bishops of ROME were his Successors in that Authority over all Churches . How Irenaeus and all his Fellow-Bishops of the Gallican Church , who so presumptuously took upon them to expostulate the matter with the same Victor , and in very homely terms to chide him for excommunicating those Asian Christians for not changing their Ancient Customs at his Command . How St. Cyprian the holy Bishop of Carthage , and Martyr , with his Bishops of Africa , Numidia and Mauritania , joining with him in so contumaciously resisting P. Stephen : The Sixty Bishops in the Milevitan Council ; or those Two hundred and Seventeen , whereof the famous St. Austin was one , who not only stubbornly rejected the Claim , but also manifestly demonstrated the Fraudulence and Forgery of three POPES , Zosimus , Boniface and Caelestine , about appeals to ROME . How all these shall be exempted from this Censure , I know not . Did not the later of these African Councils decree , That the Bishop of the first See ( meaning ROME ) should not be call'd the Prince of Priests , or chief Priest , or any such thing , but only the Bishop of the first See ? Did it not Excommunicate every Priest that should Appeal to ROME ? It seems to me , that St. Athanasius could have no great opinion of the Infallibility of P. Liberius , when , through fear , himself h●● forgot he had any such thing , and consented with the Arrians to the Condemnation of that holy Father . St. Hierom seems not to have had any thoughts of the POPES's Supremacy , when he said , That whereever there is a Bishop , whether at great ROME , or petty Eugubium , he is of the same Merit and Priesthood . Neither did either he or St. Austin seem to have had a just esteem for the Church of ROME's Authority , when they preferred that of the Eastern Church before it , in receiving the Epistle to the Hebrews into the Canon of SCRIPTURE . Above all , what must I think of their Great Saint . P. Gregory the First , who called the Title of UNIVERSAL BISHOP , a new Title , which none of his Predecessors ever used , a name of Vanity , a Profane Name , wicked , and not to be uttered , yea a Blasphemous ; saying , that whosoever desired it , shew'd himself to be the forerunner of Antichrist ? If I must believe this great POPE and SAINT , I know well enough what to think of most of his Successors in the Infallible Chair ; If I must not believe Him , why must I believe those who succeeded him ? Had not He and They one and the same Authority as POPES of ROME ? Believe both I cannot ; and disbelieving either , as all PAPISTS , no less than I , must disbelieve the one , I am no better than a Heretick , and uncapable of Salvation . Farther yet , I find that the African Council , but now mention'd , did alledg for it self the Sixth Canon of the First General Council held at NICE , which is this , Let the old Custom be kept through Aegypt , Lybia and Pentapolis , so that the Bishop of ALEXANDRIA have power over all these , because the Bishop of ROME hath also the like Custom . By this Canon these two Bishops seem to be made equal in Power . In the Fourth General Council held at Calcedon , and Ninth Canon , it is ordered , That if any Bishop or Clerk have a Controversie with the Metropolitan of that Province , they have recourse to the Primate of the Diocese , or certainly to the See of the Royal City of Constantinople , that the business may be ended there . This Council seems hereby to make the Bishop of Constantinople equal to the Bishop of Rome ; and this it did , notwithstanding great opposition made against it by P. Leo the First . So that I must involve in the same Censure of Condemnation some of the most Famous General Councils that ever were . This I am apt to think a very daring matter , and not rashly to be attempted . I have indeed been taught by our Blessed JESUS , that God will not forgive us , if we do not forgive our Brethren ; but I do not remember , where he hath taught me , that God will not SAVE us , except we believe that no man but a PAPIST can be SAVED . II. I have now consider'd s●●●e of the many Difficulties I am to struggle with , before I can get through to the Church of ROME . And truly they seem to me , whatever men of more strength and courage may think , little less than Insuperable . And yet after all this , if I may be convinced that the Authority of the ROMAN Church hath sufficient grounds of Scripture and Reason to support it , I must confess no Difficulty in my way ought to dishearten me from breaking through it . But then again , if I must believe that there is such an uncontrollable Power in the Church , in some One Church , in the ROMAN Church by name , yea , in the Bishop of that Church ; and if I must so believe this , that I must not leave in my Soul any room at all for the least Charitable thought of any man's Salvation , who believes it not : I think it no less than needful , that I have the Clearest and most undeniable Evidence in the World for what I believe , lest the Sentence of Condemnation should recoil upon my self for my Temerity and Uncharitableness . Indeed if this Church may be allow'd to bear witness to its own Authority , and such a Testimony be sufficient , I cannot want it . The Council of TRENT hath more than once call'd her , the Mother and Mistriss of all Churches . So Infallible in her Iudgment and Directions , so Absolute in her Dominion and Command she must be , that Her sole Authority must be warrant enough , and nothing else any warrant without it , for all things that belong to Christian Religion . Whosoever ( saith Becanus in his Compendium ) in matters of Faith and Religion followeth the true Church of Christ ( which he there proveth to be the Roman Church only ) cannot err about Faith and Religion , seeing the true Church of Christ is Infallible . And this we are told continually , as this Iesuit doth say , that this is the shortest Compendium of all Controversies . This then being to support the whole Fabrick of POPERY , had need to stand on firm ground . This ground I would now fain discover . Why then must we believe that the ROMAN Church hath this Sovereign Authority in Religion ? I must confess my self one of those sturdy Hereticks , that cannot believe without Reason . When I hear that Church telling me , she is Infallible , and hath all Power over all other Churches ; I cannot believe it till I have some better reason for it than this , That She must be all that , which She is pleased to say of her self ; and therefore must be Infallible and Omnipotent too , if She say it . And I am a little troubled to say , that this is all I can get out of her for my satisfaction , lest even PROTESTANTS should think I say incredible things of her , and that I have no other design , but to make all the Learned Men of her Communion seem ridiculous , in talking to us as to Children , always childishly . But it is not in my power , to make their Arguments better than they are ; nor Civil in me to teach them what to say ; and I am sure my Temporal Interest cannot at this time tempt me to oversee the strength of their Reasons . The very best Reasons I have yet met with , with how much Artifice and Sophistry soever they are dress'd up , amount to no more , nor better , in my opinion , than her own honest Word , that is , her own Authority and Infallibility for proof of her Authority and Infallibility ; and therefore I must either believe them both , before I can believe them , even whilst I am enquiring for a reason why I should believe them , or I must not believe them at all , nor with her consent be saved . The Missionaries tell us , they are willing to undergo any Pains or Difficulty to rescue us from damning Error ; and whilst they proceed in this Method , I have cause to believe them ; for I am confident , to prove their Church hath this Authority they contend for , is as great a Difficulty as they can meet with . If they should here offer us ( what is so much talk'd of by them ) the Testimony of the Universal Church , there is nothing more plain , than that they do but Mock us . For this can be nothing else but the Church of ROME's Testimony for her own Authority . It cannot , I say , be any thing else , because the thing they are proving is , That She alone is the One , Holy , Catholick and Apostolick Church : And were it any thing else , they would never discover it to us , because they would thereby give us an unanswerable Argument against what they would prove her to be ; for if they will shew us any other Church or Churches by the Testimony whereof Her Authority may be proved , we are thereby enabled to prove She is not the Only true Church out of which there is no Salvation . What then can this Testimony be ? Is it that of the First and purest Ages of the Church before POPERY was brought forth ? Not so to be sure , for POPERY was ( they say ) from the beginning , and glorieth of her Antiquity above all things . Is it the Testimony of all others in the World that profess Christianity ? It cannot be , for all these , if not of her Communion , are Hereticks , and in a state of Damnation for denying her Authority ; and were it possible for them to witness that to be which they deny to be , yet is their Testimony invalid , because they confess themselves Fallible , and this point of Faith cannot stand upon a fallible Testimony . By this 't is very clear to me , that the Testimony of the Catholick Church of Christ , if it be produced for the Authority of the Church of ROME , can be nothing else but the Church of ROME's own Word ; and I never doubted , but she hath a good word for her self , any more than I doubt lest it should be thought a good proof of her Authority . I have heard again much talk of Universal Tradition among ROMAM CATHOLICKS ; but if they alledg this for their Church's Authority , they give us only the same thing again in other Words . Universal Tradition can be nothing else but the Testimony of the Universal Church , and that must be the Church of ROME ; and so we are not advanced one step farther than we were before . The Credit we are to give unto Universal Tradition , depends on the Authority of the ROMAN Church , which we have not yet sound , but are enquiring after . If Fathers and Councils be brought in to Witness this Authority , all the noise they make will prove but the Voice of the ROMAN Church , crying her self up for the great Diana of the World , and thundring Anathema to all that will not fall down and worship her . Will she abide by the Testimony of either Father or Council , if they speak not what she has taught them , or against what she holds ? Or shall they be allow'd to over rule the Oral and Practical Tradition of the present Church of ROME ? Are Councils of any Credit more than the POPE's Confirmation gives them ? And are single Fathers of more Credit than they ? If not , we have yet no more but her own Word for her own Authority . If they bring us SCRIPTURE to prove this Authority , I must say , that as we reverence Fathers and Councils , so we adore ( with Tertullian ) the fulness of the SCRIPTURE , neither can we desire any better Proof , than its Testimony . Yet when I consider how these men use the SCRIPTURE ; I am at a stand to think , how they can in good earnest produce it as a Witness in this matter ; for after they have said almost all the ill they can of it , calling it imperfect , insufficient , obscure , unsens'd ; they seem to ridicule both it and us , when they bring it forth , thus disabled , for a Witness . Do not they tell us again and again , that both the Canon and the Sense of SCRIPTURE , depend , as to us , on the Authority and Interpretation of their Church ? And can its Testimony then possibly amount to any more than that Church's bare Word ? Do not they deny us a Iudgment of Discretion , whereby we should discern for ourselves , whether it speak fór or against their Church's Authority ? And will they yet produce it to convince us of the Authority by which alone we are both to receive and understand it ? It cannot be produced to convince us in our Iudgment , for we are not allow'd any use of our Iudgment in the Case . It must be only to convince themselves that we are Hereticks ; and I dare say , that may be done without the Scripture , as well as with it , whilst their Church must give the Sense of it . But because they know we magnify it , they will produce it , tho I cannot see to what other end , than to persuade us to take heed of trusting too much to it , or thinking it worth any thing , after it hath shew'd us the true Church . It must be believ'd no longer than it is authorized to speak by that Authority , which is to be proved by it ; so that by shewing us that Authority , it loseth all its own Authority for ever . For this ( saith Stapleton ) that God hath commanded us to believe the Church , we do not hang our Faith on the Authority of the Church , as upon the proper and sole cause of this Belief , but partly on manifest Scriptures , by which we are remitted to the teaching of the Church ; partly on the Creed , &c. This then is the end of producing the Scripture , that we may be convinced by it , that we are no longer to learn of it , after we are once brought by it to the knowledg of the Church's Authority , but thenceforward are to depend wholly upon the teaching of the Church , unto which it remits us . All the use then that we have of the Scripture , is to be guided by it to the Church of ROME ( tho it cannot do so much for us neither , but as that Church guides it ) ; and having thank'd it for its kindness , we are then to bid it good Night . Now seeing manifest Scriptures are promised us , to guide us to the ROMAN Church , I think it reasonable to expect , that they produce such Scriptures as are more manifest to us , than their Church's Authority , which is to be proved by them ; seeing it is by their Evidence I am to be convinced of that , which as yet is unevident to me . Neither ought the Sense of these manifest Scriptures depend upon the Interpretation or Authority of that Church , the Authority whereof they are brought to prove , as a thing to me not yet evident ; for so , I shall be still but where I was before ; and instead of manifest Scriptures , be shuffled off with the Church's bare Word ; I mean , with such Interpretations of Scripture , as I have no reason to receive , but by that Authority whereof I am yet , at least , in doubt . Now , that there are indeed no such manifest Scriptures , I am reasonably well assured before-hand . I have read the Scripture over and over , and find not the least mention therein made of this Authority of the ROMAN Church . The POPE of ROME , or his Supremacy , is never once named from the beginning of the Bible to the end ; nor can I meet with one Syllable touching either the Infallibility or Iurisdiction of Him , or his Councils , or of any kind of Subjection due to either , from all Christians . I cannot so much as find there , that ever there was any Bishop of ROME , or that there should be any there afterwards , much less that all Christians are to own that Bishop for their Head , and Christ's Vicar . And finding nothing of all this , I must needs wonder , how manifest Scriptures should be produced , to prove this Supreme Authority over all Churches . And yet , if there be such an Authority , and if it be so necessary for all Christians to believe it , and submit unto it ; I cannot but think that it ought to have been as manifestly declared in Scripture , as any other point whatsoever . St. Peter , in whom this Authority is said to have been first setled , saith not a word of it in his Epistles . St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans ; who should in all reason have been best acquainted with it , says nothing at all of it . To the Civil Magistrate , which the Church of ROME makes to be much inferior to the Church in Authority , they both teach us our Duty ; and strange it is , if they knew of any such thing , that they should not as plainly instruct us in our Duty to the POPE or Church of ROME wherein our Salvation , the main thing they were to take care for , is so deeply concern'd . But what are these manifest Scriptures at length ? I find our Blessed Saviour saying to St. Peter ( Matt. 16. 18. ) Thou art Peter , and upon this Rock I will build my Church , and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it . And I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven , &c. but I find not that all this , whatever it may signify , was manifestly said to the Bishops of ROME . The plain and obvious Sense ( saith Bellarmin ) of these words is , that we may understand the Primary of the whole Church to be promised to Saint Peter , under two Metaphors . And yet , by all the Light that he is able to afford me , I cannot discern in these words , whatever was promised to St. Peter , the Supremacy , much less the Monarchy of the Bishop of ROME over all Churches . And it is no wonder if a Protestant Heretick be so blind , when such eminent Persons as Origen , St. Austin , St. Hilary , Ambrose , Chrysostome and Cyril , could no more see it than I , as the learned Cardinal himself there confesseth . Nay , here 's not a word to assure us , that this Rock must needs be a Monarch invested with a Supremacy of Power over the whole Church , or that this Monarch must needs be the Bishop of ROME , or that the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against the ROMAN Church ; for all this , we must be beholden to that Church's own Word , or we shall never find it in this place . I find again , that Christ commanded St. Peter ( Joh. 21. 16. ) to feed his Sheep , and his Lambs ; as indeed it is the Duty of all Pastors of the Church to do ; and both St. Peter ( 1 Pet 5. 2. ) and St. Paul ( Acts 20. 28. ) tell us as much ; and so much the apter am I to doubt , whether the POPE be so much as a good Pastor of Christ's Sheep or no , seeing he takes so little care to Feed , and so much to Fleece them . I am sure I read of no more but one chief Shepherd , and Bishop of Souls , which St. Peter tells us , is Christ JESUS himself , 1 Pet. 2. 25. The Apostles were all Shepherds under Him ; but where is this manifest Scripture to shew that St. Peter was made Head-Shepherd , with Commission to Feed and Rule too , not only the Sheep , but the Shepherds also ? But especially , where is the Commission given to the Bishops of ROME successively for ever , to govern the whole Flock of Christ , with Soveraign Authority ? Feed the whole , I am sure he neither doth , nor can . Many great and wonderful things ( as Bellarmin tells us ) are said of St. Peter in the Holy Scripture , and very deservedly , for he was a very great and eminent Apostle . But the Scripture never saith , That he was a great Monarch , nor that he was Bishop of ROME , nor that he had a Throne , or but a Chair there ; and least of all , that this Imaginary Monarchy was to descend unto the next Bishop of ROME , and to his Successors for ever ; and that St. Iohn , who long out-lived St. Peter , became thereby subject to some of those Bishops , which did not well suit with the Dignity of an Apostle . I read those words of St. Paul , 1 Cor. 12. 21. The head cannot say to the feet , I have no need of you . But that the POPE is the Head , and all Christians , Kings , as well as others , the Feet ; I may possibly read in some such Iesuit as Bellarmin , but I am sure I shall never read it in the Scripture . Many more such parcels of Scripture as these , they give us ; but after the most serious perusal of them all , I profess I cannot find any thing like manifest Scripture for the Authority of the ROMAN Church . And therefore it seems yet as plain to me , as that Two and Three make Five , that the bare Word of that Church , without any kind of solid Proof , is all that she hath to shew for her Authority . She says great things of her self , and talks sometimes of Scripture , but much more of Fathers and Councils , and Universal Tradition , and indeed every thing that 's Venerable ; but when all is spell'd and put together , 't is but the Oral and Practical Tradition of the present Church , that is , her own very confident Asseveration . If we have a little Scripture for Fashion's sake , we must take it as she hath taught it to speak in her own Vulgar Latin , which the Council of TRENT was even then pleas'd to make the only Authentick Translation , when it was confessedly very faulty , and hath been since that divers times corrected . And then we must take it in her own Sense too , tho we know not well where we may be sure to find it . Her private Doctors she will not allow us to trust for it , nor indeed do we find them any better agreed about it , than others are , only they have for the most part either the Modesty or Cunning to refer all to the Iudgment of Mother Church , could they but tell us where to find it ; for she is loath , once for all , in some publick Comment , or Exposition of the Scripture , to tell us what it is . If we may be allow'd to hear the Testimony of the Fathers , she must stand at their Elbows , and prompt them what to say ; we must have them in her own approved Editions ; and if they have been at School long enough in the Vatican , or some Religious House , 't is probable they were reasonably well instructed in her own Language , before they were allow'd to go abroad again . However , ere they pass the Press , an Expurgatory Index can teach them either to Speak , or to be Silent , as she thinks most seasonable . Councils may be heard , but only such as have his Holiness's stamp upon them ; and how we can understand them any better than the Scripture , till he Interprets for us , is hard to say . So that all returns to this still , That we have her honest Word for her Authority ; and this is the sole Foundation , that I can discover of this prodigious Faith , which we must all have , or else perish eternally . III. And now , in the last place , seeing it is come to this , for ought I see , that I must rest upon her own Word , or nothing , for the Truth of her Sovereign Authority , and must upon peril of my own Damnation , take upon me this invidious Profession , to believe all men damn'd but PAPISTS , that I may enjoy the Blessing of my Mother ; I should be glad to know , that She her-self ( as Infallible as she is ) could but probably assure me , where this Word of her's may certainly be found . The REPRESENTER indeed ( in his confident way ) hath told me , That all the Members of his Religion ( however spread through the World ) agree like one man in every Article of their Faith. And if we would know for our learning , by what happy means this wonderful Agreement is effected , he tells us , It is by an equal Submission to the Determinations of their Church ; that is , as I understand it , by taking her bare Word for every thing . No one of them ( saith he ) tho the most learned and wise , ever following any other Rule in their Faith besides this , of unanimously believing as the Church of God ( or ROMAN Church ) believes . And if this be so , I wonder to what purpose their Learning and Wisdom can serve them , any more than their Iudgment and Wit , which they have renounced and deposed . However , if this be true Representing , I shall not , I hope , find it difficult to find out the Church's Word and Authority , on which my Faith must stand . Every Member of it , tho he have no more than the old Collier's Faith , can help me to it in any part of the World , for all agree like one Man in every Article , and therefore sure in this most fundamental one . But what now shall I think after this , if it should so fall out , that hardly one in a hundred of these Members know either where this Church of theirs is to be found , or what those Determinations of hers are , unto which they so unanimously submit ? Nay , what if their Church it self cannot tell them this ? When She hath said all She can , to inform both them and us , suppose it be still two to one , that we shall be mistaken in it , whatever we take to be the ROMAN Church , or her infallible Word ? This is it , that I am now , for a Close , to inquire into . It must needs seem more than a little absurd , and exceeding hard , to tye a man under pain of Damnation , to believe he knows not what , and what no body can certainly shew him ; I mean , a Power in the Church of ROME , which all men deny , but they of her Communion ; and about which , even they who are of her Communion , are so divided among themselves , that I do not see how ever they can agree about it . Is there no Dispute in that Church about this Power ? Have they not been even at Daggers drawing among themselves about it ? Is the Controversie yet decided ? Or can any one promise me that it ever shall ? There is a great Diversity among the Schoolmen ( saith our REPRESENTER ) in their Divinity-Points , and Opinions of such matters as are no Articles of Faith , and have no relation to it , but as some Circumstance or Manner , which being never defined by the Church , may be maintain'd severally , either this way , or that way , without any breach of Faith , or injury to their Religion . I will not stay here to ask him , what greater diversity he can find amongst the Members of our Church , than he here grants to be amongst PAPISTS ; nor why our Divisions being no greater than theirs , nor more nearly related to any Article of Faith , should be less consistent with the Unity of the Church ( as is commonly objected against us ) than theirs are : But I ask , whether the Supreme Authority of the ROMAN Church , be an Article of the ROMAN Faith , or no ? And again , whether all the Members of that Church , be as one man unanimously agreed about it , or no ? He will say , it may be , about the Article they are , as to the Substance of it , tho not as to all Circumstances : But now if it appear , that these Circumstances of the Power about which they differ , are such as the thing it self will be as good as nothing without them ; or if they be not as certainly known and believ'd , as the Power it self , I think it will follow , that all their agreement about the Thing , is as good as nothing too , till these Circumstances be also agreed upon . Thus it is then ; I must for my Salvation believe that , there is such a thing as a Supreme Power over all Churches , in the Church of ROME ; and in this all PAPISTS as one man unanimously agree ; but about the Circumstances of this Power , there is a great diversity of Opinions among them ; yet is this no injury to their Religion . Tho without a better agreement about these Circumstances , no man ( in my opinion ) can be able to satisfie me , what their Religion is ; for these Circumstances about which they differ , are no more but such inconsiderable things as these , Whence this Power is ; whether it be of God , or of Men ; of Divine or Human Right only ; whether it extends over all the World , or over all Christians only ; to Spiritual concerns only , or to Temporals also ; where it resides and is lodg'd ; in the Church-Diffusive , or all Christians , especially the Pastors ; or in the Church-Representative , or General Councils ; or in the Church Virtual , or the POPE of ROME . These petty Circumstances they differ about , and the Church it self knows not how to agree them ; but what 's all this to the Article it self , most firmly believ'd by all , that is , a Supreme Power in the Church ? All their Religion rests on the Determinations of their Church ; all the force of these Determinations to oblige the Faith of men , depend on this Supreme Power ; May not a man , however , well enough be assured of his Religion , tho no man can tell him , Whence this Power is , Over what it is , or Where it is ? Indeed , what other men can do , I know not ; but for my own part , I must needs think it a very hard matter to believe this Power , and to have any certainty of the Religion founded on this Power , without some better Information about these Circumstances of it ; and therefore before I can yield to be of that Religion , I must beseech that Church , which will not allow us to be saved , without an absolute Submission and Resignation of our selves to her Authority , to tell us , if not Whence ( which is yet the most material Circumstance of all the rest ) yet , at least , What and Where it is . There is challeng'd by this Church , a Power of over-ruling our Faith by her Infallible Iudgment , and a Power of commanding our Obedience by her Soveraignty . It will therefore concern me to ask , How I may be rightly inform'd in both these great branches of her Power , unto which my subjection is required upon pain of Damnation . 1. She claims a Power of Interpreting or giving the certain Sense of Scripture , of Iudging and finally Deciding all Controversies of Religion , of peremptorily Defining and Determining in all matters of Faith and Religious Practice ; so that all are bound , without any further dispute or search , to submit to all her Determinations and Decrees . INFALLIBLE then , we must believe this Church to be , and that she cannot Err in her Definitions of Faith and Manners : And yet where this INFALLIBILITY is to be found , is a Question she is not to this day able to resolve : In short , I find that this Infallible Church , which tells us that she cannot Err , when she is desired to make this apparent to the World , can tell us certainly , both How , and in What she can Err ; and in this I doubt not , but she is Infallible enough ; but who they are in all her Communion , or in what things it is , that they cannot err , this she could never tell us certainly , and yet it is this alone that can make her Infallibility , ( if she have it ) to be of any use to us . The REPRESENTER saith , That the PAPIST believes that the Pastors and Prelates of his Church , are Fallible ; that there is none of them ( and yet the POPE is one of them , and COUNCILS are made up of them ) but may fall into Errors , Heresy and Schism , and consequently are subject to mistakes . And further he tells us , That tho some allow the POPE the assistance of a Divine Infallibility , without being in a General Council ; yet he is satisfied 't is only their Opinion , and not their Faith , there being no obligation from the Church , of assenting to any such Doctrine . And tho he maintain the Necessity and Right of General Councils lawfully Assembled , yet is it not so plain , whether he count them infallible or no , by what he says in that Chapter of Councils . This we are told , That if any thing contrary to what Christ taught , and his Apostles , should be defined and commanded to be believed , even by ten thousand Councils , he believes it damnable in any one to receive it . But in the following Chapter , he speaks out , and says , That by the Assistance of the Holy Ghost , they are specially protected from all Error , in all Definitions and Declarations in matters of Faith : And this is true , tho he grants it possible , that the Pastors and Prelates there assembled , may be proud , ignorant , covetous , enormous sinners , and infamous for other vices , and at other times may prevaricate , make Innovations in Faith , and teach erroneous Doctrines . Now a man would think , That if all the Guides and Pastors of the Flock ( not one excepted ) may err , then the Sheep , which are bound to follow their Shepherds , may err also ; and if the Fallible lead the Fallible , 't is not impossible for both to err ; and who it is that is infallible , is hard to see . And again , seeing he tells us , That Christ committed the care of his Flock to St. Peter , and that the POPE or Bishop of Rome is in this charge , St. Peter ' s Successor , and that God assists those who have this charge , with a particular helping Grace , such as has a special respect to the Office and Function , and that such as was given to the Prophets , and to Moses , when he was made a God to Pharoah . I cannot see , but it must be as consequent to all this , that the POPE should be Infallible , as that a General Council is so , especially when it is his Approbation that gives force to its Decrees . Moreover , it is not easy to believe that God hath made a promise of Infallible Assistance to any number of Pastors and Prelates , who are no better qualified , than he supposes they may most of them be , with Pride , Ignorance , and Vice , Turbulence and Covetousness , and assembled , it may be , under an Heretical Pope , ( for such , 't is granted he may be ) and as vicious too , and ignorant as any of them . However , there are two things which make it very hard to find out this Infalliblility , where he sends us to seek it , in a General Council : For first , they must be lawfully assembled ; and next , they must determine nothing contrary to what Christ and his Apostles taught , otherwise 't is damnable to receive their Determinations . Now it will be hard for me to find out how lawfully they were assembled , and therefore as hard to believe all their Decrees as Infallible ; and , I fear , I must not be allow'd to examine their Definitions , whether they be according to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles , or no , lest I thereby seem to follow my own private Iudgment or Spirit , rather than the Infallible Iudgment of the Church Representative . This is all then that I can learn from his Discourse ; I must take it for a Truth , that this Infallibility is lodg'd in a General Council , and that it can determine nothing contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles ; and then I need not inquire whether it have done so , or no ; tho if it have done so , 't is damnable for me to receive its Determinations . But I will hear what others tell me . Bellarmin saith , That all Catholicks are thus far agreed , That the POPE , as he is POPE , in the midst of his Councellors , or together with a General COUNCIL , may Err , or Iudg amiss in matters of Fact. And if this be true , he may even so err in the whole Faith , as far as I can yet see ; for he may thus err in determining that there were such Men as Christ and his Apostles ; that any of them Preached , planted Churches , writ Books ; that these are their Books , or that St. Peter was at ROME , and was Bishop there ; left the Bishops of that See his Successors in all his Power ; that there hath been an uninterrupted Succession of Bishops in that Church ; that any unwritten Traditions concerning Faith and Manners were left to the Custody of the Church ; and many more such things , which were matters of Fact , and on which the Faith of that Church depends . Again he saith , That the POPE , as a private Doctor , may Err , even through Ignorance , in matters both of Faith and Manners . And thus the Church , whether Virtual or Representative , may err . But I would fain hear , wherein she cannot Err , and whether all Catholicks are agreed as well in that . The famous Chancellor of Paris , Gerson , Almain , Alphonsus a Castro , the Parisian Doctors , yea , and no less man than P. ADRIAN the VI th ( saith the same Author ) have taught , That the POPE , as he is POPE , may be a Heretick , and teach Heresy , when he desineth any thing without a General COUNCIL . And truly , If as a Man he may be a Heretick , I see no reason why he may not be so as a POPE , for I take the Man and the POPE to be here both one . But further , these last named will have this Infallibility or Iudgment to be in the Council , and not in the POPE . And Bellarmin tells us , That this Opinion is not properly Heretical , and for this good Reason ( which if it should not hold , they would lose a great part of their Church ) because they that hold it , are tollerated in the Church ; yet it seems erroneous , and next a kin to Heresie . It should seem by this , that an Error tollerated by the Church of ROME , is no Heresie ; but if not tollerated , it is . Indeed I know not well how ever she can Err Heretically at this rate , unless she will grow so unkind to her self , as not to tollerate her own Errors . The same Iesuit tells us again , That it was the Opinion of Albertus Pighius , ( and whether he was singular in it , or no , I shall not now ask ) That the POPE can by no means be a Heretick , or teach Heresie publickly , altho himself alone define any thing without a Council . And this Opinion he acknowledges to be probable , yet not certain . But I think 't is very certain that POPES have been Hereticks , either as condemned by , or condemning one another for Heresie . Lastly ( he saith ) the most common Opinion , and that for which he brings a multitute of Authors , is this , That whether the POPE can be a Heretick or no , yet he cannot any way define any Heretical thing to be believ'd by the whole Church . This he calls the most sure Opinion , tho they who are of it , seem not very well agreed among themselves about it : For some of them say simply , The POPE cannot err : Others speak it with this limitation , Proceeding maturely with the advice of his Council . But now , suppose he should be too hasty , and define something rashly of his own head ; Oh! That cannot be , ( saith Bellarmin ) for God will not suffer it . And yet I wish he could tell us , Why God may not as well suffer an Heretical POPE to define rashly , or indeed rather deliberately , according to his own Heretical Iudgment , as suffer him , to whom he hath committed the Charge of the whole Flock , to fall into Heresie . However , considering this variety of Opinions in the Church of Rome , concerning this Infallible Iudg , to which all must be subject in Matters of Religion , I begin to think with my self , with what satisfaction of Conscience I shall be able to live in that Communion . I must obey the Infallible Iudg , or else be damn'd : And who is this Infallible Iudg whom I must obey ? It is the Church of ROME ; this all can tell me with one consent ; but tho this were true , yet am I no wiser for it ; that whole Church never yet met to Iudg or Determine of any thing . Who is it then in this Church , to whose Iudgment I must submit ? It is the POPE alone , say some ; and yet these some are not agreed , whether he may not define some things rashly , without due advice , at least , when he is a Heretick , as some Popes have been , if Popes themselves may be believed ; and it seems not impossible , that an Heretick , obstinate in Error , may define something rashly and unadvisedly . It is not the POPE , but a General COUNCIL , say others ; and why these deserve not as much credit as the former , I know not ; for they are tolerated by the Church , and surely the Infallible Church will not for shame tolerate any dangerous Error . 'T is neither the One nor the Other , saith a Third Party , but a POPE in COUNCIL , or a COUNCIL confirm'd by a POPE ; and yet whether the Determinations of such a Church-Representative be of full virtue , till they have been universally receiv'd , is made a Question by a Fourth Party . Where are we now , after all this , to seek our Infallible Iudg ? Suppose a COUNCIL should define it as a matter of Faith , that the POPE himself is subject to a COUNCIL ; and again , that a POPE , yea a POPE in COUNCIL define the contrary , that the COUNCIL is subject to the POPE . This is no idle Supposition of an impossible or unlikely thing ; for whosoever knows what was done in the Councils of CONSTANCE and BASIL , consisting of as many Patriarchs , Archbishops and Bishops , as most of the Councils ever did ; and again , what afterwards pass'd in the Councils of FLORENCE , and the LATERAN , under P. LEO the X th , must know that such a thing , at least , once came to pass . Suppose then this which once was , and if the POPE could endure to think of a Free Council , might be again ; what should I have to ground any certain Faith upon ? I must still under Pain of Damnation , submit my Faith to the Iudgment of the Church . It is not , neither I believe ever will or can be agreed upon , which is the Iudgment of the Church , that of the COUNCIL , or this of the POPE , or the other of POPE and COUNCIL . The Contest is between those that will admit of no Iudg , and therefore of no Decision . Their Determinations already extant , are directly contrary one to another , yet both pretended to be of Faith. That both cannot be so , is plain ; and it may be neither is so . And whether the one or neither be so , if I would determine for my self , I make my self the Iudg of the Church's Definitions , even of those to which I must submit my Iudgment , or be damn'd . The other Branch of Power claim'd by this Church , is that of giving Laws to all Christians , unto which all that will be saved , must yield Obedience . About this I find no better Agreement among them , than about the former . There is so great a dispute among the Doctors ( saith one of them ) about the fulness of Ecclesiastical Power , and unto what things it extends it self , that in this matter few things are secure . Yet that such a Power there is , we must believe , or perish , tho none can certainly tell us what kind of Power it is , whether purely Spiritual , or Temporal also . And an Universal Power it must be , tho we cannot learn how far it reacheth , whether to all , or but some , either things or persons . It is held by many ( saith Bell. ) that the POPE hath by Divine Right , a most full Power over the whole World , in Matters both Ecclesiastical and Civil . And for this Opinion , he names Augustinus Triumphus , Alvarus , Pelagius , Panormitan , and others ; with whom their Angelical Doctor , Thomas of Aquine seems to consent ; In the POPE ( saith he ) is the Top-height of both Powers . Others say , That the POPE , as POPE , hath no Temporal Power at at all , neither can any way command Secular Princes , or deprive them of their Kingdoms and Principalities , tho otherwise they deserve to be deprived of them . For this Opinion , he names not so much as one of their own Communion ; why , I know not , unless it were , because he knew it to be an Opinion very unwelcome at ROME ; or because he thought there were but a few inconsiderable PAPISTS that held it . And therefore he fathers it upon the Hereticks , whose Loyalty to their Princes will better bear it . The REPRESENTER here tells us , He knows that the Deposing and King-killing Power has been maintained by some Canonists and Divines of his Church , and that it is in their Opinion lawful , and annex'd to the Papal Chair . And that some Popes have endeavour'd to act according to this Power . Yet is he not willing that Hereticks of any sort , should carry away the Honour , which Bellarmin bestow'd upon them , of a Loyal Religion ; but saith , That there are of his Communion three times the number , that publickly disown all such Authority ; that some Universities and Provincial Councils , have condemn'd it ; and that Popish Princes sit as safe on their Thrones , as others . Yea , and he will engage , that all Catholick Nations in the World , shall subscribe to the Condemnation of all such Popish Principles and Doctrines , and shall join with all good Protestants for the extinguishing them , with all that profess and practice them , and utter rooting them out of his Majesties three Kingdoms , and the whole Universe . I must do him right , notwithstanding all this ; for he hath not said , That the whole Church of ROME , or any General Council hath condemn'd this Doctrine ; or that it is by publick Authority , for the offence it gives , rased out of the Canon-Law , nor the LATERAN Council ; nor that Protestant Princes can sit as safely in Popish Countries , as Popish Princes may in Protestant Countries . And when he tells us , That the Sentence of the Supreme Pastor is to be obey'd , whether he be Infallible or no ; altho I have a great Opinion of the Loyalty of many PAPISTS , I durst hardly engage for his , if there should chance to be such a POPE again , as himself confesseth some have been . But what saith Bellarmin ? A third sort there is , that takes a middle way ; and he names not a few of them , himself being one of the number . These hold , that the POPE , as POPE , hath indeed no Temporal Power directly and immediately , but Spiritually only . And such as he makes it , there needs no more ; for it will serve his Holiness as well , and the Hereticks as ill , to all intents and purposes , yea even to the deposing of Princes , as the greatest Temporal Power in the World. For ( saith he ) by reason of this Spiritual , he hath also , at least indirectly , a Temporal Power , and that no less than the highest . And even as the Spirit or Soul hath Power over the Flesh , to Chastise , and even to deliver it up to Death , in order to the Spiritual ends of the Soul : So also may the POPE , tho not as an ordinary Iudg , yet as an extraordinary , in order to spiritual Ends , change Kingdoms , taking them from one , and giving them to another , abrogate the Civil Laws of Princes , and determine of their Rights . This I am sure is more than ever St. Peter had by Virtue , either of the Rock , or Keys , or Pastoral Staff ; and I am confident , he never thought of half this , when he charged all Men to submit to the King as SUPREME , 1 Pet. 2. 13. Nor when , v. 17. bidding us Honour all Men , love the Brotherhood , fear God , honour the King ; he omitted to mind us of the great Duty of all , the Subjection we must yield to his Successors , the Bishops of ROME ; especially , when he might well suppose we should have been much apter to have learn'd it of himself , than of any of his Successors . 'T is time for me now , I think , to consider , into what a Labyrinth I must run my self , by going over to the Church of ROME ; and how I can behave my self , when I come there . I am going into a Church , out of which , I am told , there is no Salvation ; yet I cannot foresee , that this Church her self can tell me surely , how I may be saved in it . Of this Church , I am told , I cannot be a Member to any purpose , if I be not in all things Subject and Obedient to the Supreme Head of it , the POPE . And subject to him I cannot be , if I actively obey not his Commands ; for passive Obedience is now become the despised Badg of a Heretick . But what the POPE's Power to command is , I can meet with no Body that can certainly inform me . It is an absolute Power over all the World , say some . No , ( say others ) but only over Christians , and in things Spiritual . Well , ( says the third Party ) tho it be directly and immediately only Spiritual , yet it is no less for that ; but in order to Spirituals , it reacheth over all , both Temporal Persons , Laws and Iudgments . All this Power is in me only , saith the POPE . You are too hasty , Sir , say some Councils , and the Doctors of France ; for the chief Power is by Christ himself given to the Council , and even to put down and set up POPES , as they would deal with Kings and Emperors . Which of these now must I believe and obey ? The Prince , under whose Government I live , may command me one thing ; and the POPE , my Spiritual Father , may command the contrary . How must I now do to bear my self evenly betwixt two such Masters ? I consult my Spiritual Guides , and take the best Advice I can get ; some say one thing , and some another ; and which to believe , I stand in need of another Guide to direct me ; nay , the Church it self , knew I where to find her , ( so visible is She ) could not tell me which is in the right . If I believe those , who tell me the POPE has no Power in Temporal matters ; then is my Prince in all such Matters to be obey'd , say the POPE what he will to the contrary . If I hearken to them , that tell me the POPE has a fulness of Power in all , both Temporal and Spiritual matters ; I must obey my Prince in nothing without the POPE's leave . If I listen to them , who say , The POPE's Power in Temporal matters , is indeed the highest Power ; yet indirectly only , and in order to Spiritual ends , then am I so far to obey it , and no farther . And here I am at as great a loss as ever ; for who shall judg for me , whether his Commands be needful for Spiritual ends or no ? It is very unlikely , that my Prince and the Pope should agree in the Determination of this Point ; and the difference being between them two , and their Commands , to whose award will they stand ? I must here necessarily be left to the Direction of my own , or some other private Iudgment , and which side soever I take , it is an even Wager whether I can be saved . I have been considering all this while for my self alone , and the satisfaction of my own Conscience . I presume not to judg for , nor of others . They who have more Light , and better Eyes , may go on more confidently ; 't is all my care , to go safely for my self ; and as inoffensively as I can to all others . I see many Wise men among ROMAN-CATHOLICKS , and I dare not say the contrary , but that they are of another Religion than I , because they are Wiser , and better able to chuse than I. If I chuse as wisely as I can for my self , I cannot do any better for my self , and I doubt not of being saved whilst I do so well . And if it should prove so , that I chuse the worse , he hath no reason to be angry with me , to whom I leave , and do not grudg the better . I cannot yet think it necessary to Salvation , to believe that Church Infallible , which not only in my opinion but in the Iudgment of all other Christians , ( and they are 〈…〉 and more ) hath often Erred , and doth very grosy 〈◊〉 many things ; and which , if we ask her , can her s●lf only tell us , who they be in her Communion , that can Err , but not who they be , that cannot . Nor can I think it safe to be of that Church , where I may not be allow'd to judg or try whether Error be taught me or no. I cannot think I am bound to Judg either my self or others in a state of Damnation , for not denying our Senses , or captivating our Iudgments to the Iudgment of an Infallible Church , which could never determine where her Iudgment or Infallibility is certainly to be found : Or for not obeying the Head of that Church , which hath sometimes no Head , sometimes many Heads , and is always uncertain which is her Head , or where it stands . If I must thus believe , and thus obey , no body can tell me what , and declare I do all this , or in the Judgment of that Church which must be believ'd Infallible , be no better for turning PAPIST ; then I verily think I am much safer , as I am a poor PROTESTANT . I am sure I may as safely , as I can freely , captivate my Iudgment both in Faith and Practice , to the Doctrine and Laws of the Blessed JESUS , whom all Christians unanimously acknowledg both the SUPREME and INFALLIBLE HEAD of the Universal Church . I will no longer lose my labour , in seeking an Infallible Guide , which almost every body can tell me of , but no man can certainly shew me . Instead of an Ecclesiastical Monarch on E●●●h , I will content my self with that Blessed and only Potentate , King of kings , and Lord of lords , whom his Father hath made Sole HEAD of the CHURCH , which is his Body ; who long since told us , that his Kingdom is not of this World , as , I fear , the POPE's too much is . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A39265-e240 * De verb. Dei. l. 1. c. 1. Tertul. de Praesct . c. 25. Iren. cont . Haer. l. 3. c. 2. Tert. adv . Hermog . c. 22. Iren. l. 3. c. 1. Aug. l. 2. cont . Donat . Pap. Repr . p. 35. Ibid. p. 37 , 38. Bel. de Eccles . l. 3. c. 5. Bonacin . de Lensur . D. 2. q. 5. p. 1. from Vasquez and others . Tol. Instruct . Sacerd . l. 4. c. 3. Instr. Sacerd . l. 1 ▪ c. 18. Prefat de Rom. Pontif. Stapleton Tripl . c. 15. De Rom. Pont. l. 1. c. 10. Almain . de Auth. Eccles. c. 3. 
A34599	----	A conference Mr. John Cotton held at Boston with the elders of New-England 1. concerning gracious conditions in the soule before faith, 2. evidencing justification by sanctification, 3. touching the active power of faith : twelve reasons against stinted forms of prayer and praise : together with the difference between the Christian and antichristian church / written by Francis Cornwell ... Cotton, John, 1584-1652. 1646 Approx. 178 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 89 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A34599 Wing C6335 ESTC R17280 13156313 ocm 13156313 98175 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A34599) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 98175) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 136:11) A conference Mr. John Cotton held at Boston with the elders of New-England 1. concerning gracious conditions in the soule before faith, 2. evidencing justification by sanctification, 3. touching the active power of faith : twelve reasons against stinted forms of prayer and praise : together with the difference between the Christian and antichristian church / written by Francis Cornwell ... Cotton, John, 1584-1652. Cornwell, Francis. [24], 57 p., [15], 80 p. Printed by J. Dawson, and are to be sold [by] Fr. Eglesfield ..., London : 1646. The second part: A description of the spirituall temple, or, The spouse prepared for the Lambe, the Lord Jesus" has special t.p. 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Liturgics -- New England -- Early works to 1800. 2006-08 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-08 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2007-06 Robyn Anspach Sampled and proofread 2007-06 Robyn Anspach Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A CONFERENCE M r. John Cotton HELD AT BOSTON With the ELDERS of NEW-ENGLAND , 1. Concerning gracious conditions in the soule before faith . 2. Evidencing Justification by Sanctification . 3. Touching the active power of Faith. Twelve Reasons against stinted forms of prayer and praise . Together with The Difference between the CHRISTIAN and Antichristian Church . Written by FRANCIS CORNWELL , a Minister of Jesus the Christ . London , Printed by J. Dawson , and are to be sold Fr. Eglesfield , at the Signe of the Mary-gold in Pauls Church-yard . 1646. TO THE HONOVRABLE AND True-hearted lover of his Countrey , Sir HENRY VANE Junior , Knight , sometimes Governour of New-England ; Treasurer of the Navie Royall , and a Member of the House of COMMONS . Sir , THe Churches of the Saints and the World , may not bee unfitly compared to the Pearle and the Pebble : though both of one naturall substance , earth ; yet the one of rare price , whose beauty is the sun-beames inclosed ; the other wanting it , is cast away as refuse . What maketh the Saint more excellent then his neighbour , seeing both are borne of flesh , both subject to the same corruptions , sicknesse , death , but this ? The Saints excellency is nothing else but the Image of Jesus Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse shining in him : For as the moone and starres derive their light from the sunne ; so all the wisdome , righteousnesse , holinesse a Saint hath , hee deriveth from Christ . Hence David the King doth so prize their fellowship , All my delight is in thy Saints , thine excellent ones that are in the earth , and them that excell in vertue . Yea , it is a sure note of a Citizen of Sion , that hee honours them that feare the Lord : Whereas worldly men without grace , are rendred in his eyes as vile . Hence the Spouse acknowledgeth that all her excellency cometh from plantation ; Let my Beloved come into his garden , and eat his pleasant fruit . Yea , Christ declareth to Nicodemus that a beleevers holinesse cometh from regeneration ; that in Christ hee may onely glory . How doth the Lord discover this his excellency to a beleever , by his calling , till that time hee lieth amongst the refuse of the world , as foolish , disobedient , deceived , serving divers lusts and pleasures , living in malice and envie , hatefull , and hating one another . But then the kindnesse and love of God to man appeared , by delivering him out of the kingdome of darknesse , and translating him into the kingdome of his deare Sonne . By which it is manifest , that hee is one of the Chosen generation , the royal priesthood , the holy nation , the peculiar people , whom hee hath called out of darknesse into his marvellous light . But when doth the Lord discover the truth of his calling to his conscience ? Then when hee giveth him precious faith ; for that onely distinguisheth him form the world that lieth in sinne . Gal. 3. 22. The Scripture concludeth ( father , mother , sonne , daughter , nay the infant that is borne of the most holiest parents ) all under sinne , that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ might bee given to them that beleeve . So that in that same houre the Lord giveth him faith , hee giveth him an evidence in himselfe , that hee loved him in Christ before he was borne , before hee had done good or evill , that hee hath justified him from all those things hee could not be justified by the Law , that hee hath purged his conscience from all dead works , that his person is accepted , his sinne discharged , and he hath a right to the purchased inheritance amongst them which are sanctified . Thus the love of Christ revealed to dye for him , to take away his iniquity , and reconcile him to God ; the Spirit given to take away his heart of stone , giveth him an heart of flesh , to cause to walke in his flatutes ; yea , and draweth his heart to yeeld obedience to every commandement of Jesus the Christ . The truth of this grace given , Right Worshipfull , you can give a true testimoniall ; for you were once in your naturall condition as well as others , till it pleased God who separated you from the womb , to call you by his grace , to reveale his Sonne in you ; you consulted not with flesh and bloud , but left your native soyle , ( in the persecuting times of the Prelates ) chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God ( according to the light they had received ) then to remaine in England and enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season . Yet there the Lord exalted your Worship to bee the Governour : And in that dawning light , coming forth out of mysticall Babylon , the Lord discovered much spirituall knowledge , of the riches of his free-grace in Jesus Christ , amongst you ; you being freed from the yoke of the Task-Masters heere , the Bishops , that kept you in bondage : you had liberty there to debate those Questions ; which the naming onely of them heere , would have rendred a man odious . But Satan that envieth the peace of the Saints ; stirred up a spirit of contention amongst you ; especially when these Queries came to be debated . 1 Whether there are any gracious conditions , or qualifications wrought in the soule before faith ? 2 Whether any man can gather his evidence of the assurance of his Justification from his Sanctification ? 3 Whether there bee an active power of Faith , and other gifts of grace in a Christian conversation ? The one side would not beleeve themselves justified , no farther then they could see themselves worke ; making their Markes , Signes , and Qualifications , the causes of their Justification . The other side , laid the Evidence of their Justification , onely by Faith in the free Promise : for there are foure things that makes remission of sinnes perpetuall to a beleever . First , The cause of Remission , the sacrificed Body of Christ on the Crosse , or accursed Tree ; Heb. 10. 4. By one offering , hee hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified . Secondly , The ground is a free promise tendred to us from God ; as to Adam , The Seed of the Woman shall breke the Serpents head , Gen. 3. 15. John. 3. 16. 1 John 4. 10. Thirdly , The meane is , Faith apprehending it , Phil. 3. 9. Fourthly , The Spirit of Christ sealing of it , Ephes . 1. 13. This truth revealed for the comfort of poore drooping Saints found great opposition ; But the good Lord , stirred up your gracious spirit , to countenance , and defend them in the midst of strong opposition ; and though you were sleighted , and set light by at the ende of your Government , as not worthy to be an assistant , with many other Instruments more ; yet the good Lord stood by you , and strengthned you , and delivered you from the hands of your opposers , perserved you from the dangers of the Sea ; and though at your returne to your Native Soyle , you lived like Joseph , a while , in a despised condition , yet the Lord raised you up to sit amongst Princes . So that though you were willing to lose life , friends , preferment , for Christ ; found you not then , life , peace , joy , in the Lord Jesus , which was better to you , then all worldly amity ; according to his owne promise , In the World you found affliction , but in him you found peace : And when you were called to be a Member of the high Court of Parliament , in our distressed and distracted times ; the Lord made you an ●nstrument to defect the Trecherous plot of those two brethren in evill ; Thomas Lord Strafford ; and William Lord Archbishop of Canterbu●y , that contrived the destruction of our fundamentall Lawes , ratified by the Statute of Magna Charta , by ●abouring to set up an Arbitrary Government , and keeping on foot a Po●ish Army , consisting of Irish Re●els , and others , to compell the faith●ull , and true-hearted Nobility , and loyall Commons of England , ●o subject themselves to their illegal Taxations : hazarding the losse of he favours of the King , Nobi●●ty , Parents , Friends , and Allyes , together with those places of Ho●our and Maintenance , the King of lemency had freely bestowed ; ra●●er then his Country should be ru●ed , and enthralled , by such accor●● 〈…〉 a branch of that goodly Caedar , under whose shade , the Innocent and oppressed , tender Consciences that stand for a through Reformation , agreeable to the Word o● God , find rest ) ever be forgotten , and left unrewarded ; God forbid : I● is worthy to be written on a Pilla● of Marble ; and recorded in the Chronicle : that after-ages may never forget to shew kindenesse , and mercy to your Noble Posterity that did not thinke your life ( together with your neerest relations deare unto you , so as to part with them , that you might purchase you Countries Liberty ; I cannot judge him Englands Friend , that enviet● your honour , and promotion ; Se●ing you are ( for the love you hau● shewed to Christ his Truth , and poore Members , together with you● Native Countrey ) worthy of double honour . Now ( worthy Sir ) seeing all your excellency is nothing else , bu● the Image of Jesus Christ , the Son of righteousnes shining in you . Dis●ain not to receive from the hand of a poore despised Instrument that presents this Treatise , The Learned Conference of Master John Cotton , that he had with the Elders , at the Bay of Boston in New England . Though I am the least of all Saints , not worthy to be called a Saint ; because ●n the time of the Prelats raigne ; I ●ided with them , in persecuting the Faith of Jesus Christ , and imprisoning of his Members ; But did it ●gnorantly , through unbeliefe , and when the Lord pierced my heart for it ; I trembling , cryed , What shall I doe ? The holy Spirit and the Bride said , Repent , and bee baptized in the name of Jesus , for the remission of sinnes , and I should receive the gifts of the Spirit , &c. Then Noble Sir , though I procrastinated it for a season , at last , I was not disobedient to the heavenly voice , but arose , and was Baptized ; For this cause , have beene much opposed by my old Friends , and Countrey-men ▪ But yet remaine a Loyall Cove●nanter , that standeth for a Reformation in England , and Ireland , a●greeable to the Word of God , and the best Reformed Churches : Seeing it is not the voice of the Churches , but Christ in the Churches we Convenented to hearken unto as Master Case his Sermon yet testifieth . First , To extirpate Popery ; ( which I apprehended at the taking of the Nationall Covenant ) was that Doctrine of Antichrist , which doth universally oppose the doctrine of Jesus the Christ . Affirming what Christ denieth ; and denying what Christ affirmeth . Secondly , Prelacy , viz. The Government of Arch-bishops , and Bishops , and all Ecclesiasticall Officers depending on that Hierarchy , Roote and Branch : as a Plant the heavenly Father hath not planted . Thirdly , Superstition : viz. Whatsoever is supra Statutum , that hath not the word of God to warrant it . Fourthly , Schisme : Namely , from all those that teach , and co●●sent not to the wholesome words , even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ , and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse ; from such I must withdraw , 1 Tim. 6. 3 , 5. Fifthly , Heresie : Even from all them that deny that Jesus is the Christ ; They are Antichrist that deny the Father and the Sonne . Whosoever denyeth the Sonne , the same hath not the Father , 1 Joh. 2. 22 , 23. Sixthly , That the Lord may be one : viz. Even the Lord Jesus the Christ , whom God raised from the dead , and ●et him at his owne right hand in the ●eavenly places ; Farre above all principality , and power , and might , and dominion , and every name that is named , not onely in this world , but that which is to come : And hath put all things under his feet , and gave him to be head over all things to the Church , Which is his body , the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all , Ephes . 1. 20 , 21 22 , 23. Seventhly , And his Name to ● one in the three Kingdomes : ( that is , as I conceive it ) his power , authority , and royall Commission must be exalted in all his Offices , to be the eternall King , eternall Prophet , and eternall Priest , in all things appertaining to the conscience : seeing the loyall Spouse of Christ hath no Head , no Husband , no Lord , no Law-giver , but royall King Jesus . That wee , and our posterity after us , may live in faith , and love ; and the Lord may delight to dwell amongst us . For the keeping of which Covenant , I had rather chuse to dye , then to deny the faith of Jesus the Christ : Knowing , that he which confesseth him before men , him he will confesse before his Father . But hee which is ashamed of Christ , ●nd his words , in this sinfull and adulterous generation , of him also shall the Sonne of man bee ashamed , when hee cometh in the glory of his Father , with the holy Angels , Mar. 8. 38. Thus I desire , in the first place , to give to God the things that are Gods ; and , in the next place , render to the high and honourable Court of Parliament , whereof your Honour is a Member , and to your King , when the Lord shall put it into his heart to returne unto his Parliament , and to joyne with you , all your dues , tributes , customes , feare , honour ; and subject my selfe to obey all your just , legall , and civill commandements : Knowing , that you set not up the Sword for nought ; but to be a terrour to them that doe evill , and a praise , a guard and defense , for them that doe well . Your poore Oratour at the throne of grace , that earnestly prayeth , that the Lord will give you , and the great Councell of the Kingdome , wisdome and prudence , to beare with tender Consciences , that desire to exalt Jesus the Christ in all his Royall Offices , FRAN. CORNWELL . Orpington , in Kent , the ninth Month , 1645. To all the Churches of Iesus the Christ , coming out of Mysticall Babylon , gathered , or scattered , that follow the Lambe , the Lord JESUS wheresoever he goeth . BEloved in CHRIST , Disdaine not to Read this Learned Treatise of Master John Cotton , of Boston in New-England , out of any prejudice thou mayest take against the person , or publisher of it . What if some judge him a Schismaticke ? yet he regardeth not mans rash censure : Seeing he can with holy Paul , that before his Conversion persecuted the Church of God , safely Apologise for himselfe ; Acts 24. 14. That after the way that you call Heresie , so worship I the God of my Fathers ; beleeving all things that are written in the Law , and in the Prophets . Verse 15. And have an hope toward God , which you your selves also allow , that there shall bee a resurrection of the dead , both of the just , and unjust . Verse 16. And herein doe I exercise my selfe , to have alwaies a Conscience void of offence toward God & towardman . But yet this I confesse unto you , that I am lesse then the least of all the Messengers of Christ ; for I am not worthy to bee called a Messenger , or Minister ; for I persecuted the Church of God , that professed the Faith of Jesus the Christ ; that held foorth all his Royall Offices , King , Prophet , Priest , according to his outward administration , in admitting of Members into his Spiritual Kingdome : And sided with the Antichristian Prelates , and Bishops , that denyed , that Jesus is the Christ , whom the Spirit of God calleth Lyars , and Antichristians , That denyeth the Father and the Sonne , 1 John 2. 22. For though I , with the Antichristian Bishops , and Priests , did acknowledge Jesus the Christ , our high Priest that ever liveth to reconcile us unto God ; yet wee have persecuted them that hold his Kingly and Propheticall Office to be eternall , aswell as his Priesthood , and the gathering of his Church according to his Royall Commission , Matth. 28. 18 , 19 , 20. Hence it is , that Christ divided , becometh no Christ to the divider ; this according to the Vulgar Latine , Solvere Jesum , to dissolue Jesus , that is , to receive him onely in part , and not in the whole , which is the spirit of Antichrist . Now when the Lord opened the eyes of my understanding , and convicted me of all the abominations I had done in my spirituall Captivity under Antichrist , especially , that I had crucified Jesus the Christ in his Members , being pricked in my heart , I trembling cryed , what shall I doe ? The Spirit and the Bride , the Lambes wife , said ; Repent , and be Baptized in the name of Jesus , &c. Then I gladly received the Word , was Baptized , and was added to the Church , Acts 2. 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42. Yet , by the grace of God , now I am , what I am ; And having from some Friends , received this Learned Conference , kept it by mee as a precious Diamond of great worth , from which my soule , through the great goodnesse of God , did reape much spirituall comfort . And did wait , hoping that some learned and faithfull friends of his , would long agoe have Printed a larger , and an exacter Copy of it : But finding none , ( I that am lesse then the least of all Saints ) could not any longer conceale it , but thought with my selfe , I was bound in Conscience to publish it , in this learned Age , wherein there is so much enquiry after truth , for the benefit of poore , hungry , empty , selfe-denying Spirits ; rather then such a Learned Tract of heavenly light , should alwaies lye in the dust , as unseene , and forgotten . For this cause alone , I have attempted ( Courteous Reader ) to present ●o thy view this Learned Treatise ; Not ●hat I have any relation to that Lear●ed man ; nor any command from him ●o doe it : But onely in love , that this his Learned Disputation might not bee ●uried in silence . Read it therefore ( Beloved in Christ ) not for his sake that publisheth it ; but for his sake that was ●he Author of it ; or rather for the God ●f Truths sake . For whose cause the Learned Author contendeth for the Faith in these daies , wherein the Gos●ell of Truth hath suffered so great Ec●lipses , through the rage and tyranny of the Popish Antichristian Prelates and Priests . Thine that earnestly desireth to exalt the Lord Jesus the Christ , in all his royall Offices FRAN. CORNWELL . A Conference that Mr. IOHN COTTON had with the Elders of the Congregations in New-England , touching three Questions that are here discussed on : 1. Touching gracious conditions , or qualifications , wrought in the soule before faith . 2. Touching the gathering of our first evident assurance of our faith from sanctification . 3. Touching the active power of faith , and other spirituall gifts of grace in a Christian conv●rsation . The first Question . WHether there be any gracious conditions , or qualifications , in the soule before faith , of dependance unto which , such promises are made ? Wee deny it , for these reasons . If there be any gracious conditions , or qualifications , wrought in us before faith of dependance ; then , before wee receive union with Christ : The reason is , For by faith of dependance it is , that wee first received union with Jesus Christ , Joh. 1. 12. But there be no gracious conditions wrought in us before wee received union with Jesus Christ ; Therefore there bee no gracious conditions , or qualifications , wrought in us before faith of dependance . Minor. If wee cannot bring forth good fruit , till wee be good trees ; nor become good trees , untill wee be grafted or united unto Jesus Christ ; then there can be no gracious conditions , or qualifications wrought in us , before wee receive union with Christ . But wee cannot bring forth good fruit , till wee become good trees ; nor become trees of righteousnesse , untill wee be grafted into Jesus Christ ; Therefore there bee no gracious conditions , or qualifications wrought in us , before we received union with Jesus Christ . The Proposition is cleare of it selfe , that wee cannot bring forth good fruit , untill we be good trees : Mat. 7. 18. A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit . Nor can we become the good trees of righteousnesse , of the Lords plantation , Isai . 61. 3. untill wee be grafted into Christ . Joh. 15. 4. As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe , except it abide in the vine , no more can yee , except yee abide in me . Verse 5. I am the vine , y●● are the branches ; hee that abideth in me , and I in him , the same bringeth forth much fruit : for without me ye can doe nothing . A second proofe of the Minor. If there be any gracious conditions , or qualifications wrought in us before union with Christ , then we may be in a state of grace and salvation , before we be in Christ : But that cannot be : Acts 4. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other ; for there is none other name under heaven given amongst men , whereby wee may be saved . If there be any gracious condition or qualification in us before faith , then there may be something in us pleasing unto God before faith : But there is nothing in us pleasing unto God before faith ; Heb. 11. 6. But without faith it is impossible for us to please him : for hee that cometh to God , must beleeve that hee is , and that hee is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him . But there must be some saving preparatives wrought in the soule , to make way for faith , and our union with Christ . For wee must be cut off from the old Adam , before wee can be grafted into the new : Wee must be dead to the first husband , before we can be married un●o another . To works of creation there need●th no preparation ; the almighty ●ower of God calleth them to be his people , that were not his people , 1 Pet. 2. 10. And by calling them to be so , hee maketh them to bee so . Rom. 9. 25 , 26. As hee saith inHosea , I will call them , My people , which were not my people ; and her , Beloved , which was not beloved . Verse 26. And it shall come to passe that ▪ in the place where it is said unto them , Yee are not my people , there shall they be called , The children of the living God. While Satan , the strong man , keepeth the house , Christ the stronger cometh upon him , and bereaveth him of his armour , and divideth the spole , Luke . 11. 21 , 22. Wee are dead to our first husband . the Law by the body of Christ , Rom. 7. 4. and therefore it is by the vertue of Christs death we have fellowship with Christ ; and that giveth the deadly stroak unto our first husband . The second Question . WHether a man may evidence his justification by his sanctification ? The state of the Question is thus unfolded . First , To take a mans sanctification , for an evident cause or ground of his justification , is flat Popery . Secondly , To take a mans sanctification , for an evident cause or ground of that faith whereby hee is justified , is utterly unsafe ; for faith is built ▪ upon Jesus , the Christ , the head corner stone , Ephes . 2. 20. Mat. 16. 16. and not upon works : A good work floweth from faith not faith from them . Thirdly , To take common sanctification , that is , such a reformation and a change of life as floweth from a spirit of bondage , restraining from sin , and constraining unto duty , and sometimes accompanied with enlargement and comforts in duty ; yet without the sense and feeling of the need of Christ , and before union with him , to take such a sanctification for an evident signe of justification , is to build upon a false and sandy foundation . Fourthly , That when a man hath first attained assurance of his faith , of his justification , by the witnesse of the Spirit of Christ , in a free promise of grace , made to him in the bloud of Christ , Acts 13. 38 , 39. hee may discern , and take his sanctification as a secondary witnesse , or an evident signe or effect of his justification . The Question being thus stated , I propound the Question thus ; Whether a man may gather the first evidence or assurance of his faith , of his justification , by his sanctification ? Wee hold in the Negative part . The first Argument . As Abraham came to the first assurance of his justification , so wee , and all that beleeve , as Abraham did ; for hee is made a patterne to us in point of justification : Rom. 4. 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone , that it was imputed to him ; V. 24. But for us also , to whom it shall be imputed , if we beleeve on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead . V. 25. Who was delivered for our offences , and raised againe for our justification . But Abraham came to his first assurance of his sanctification , not from any promise made thereunto , but from a free promise of grace ; Rom. 4. 18. Who against hope , beleeved in hope , that hee might become the father of many nations : according to that which was spoken , So shall they seed be . V. 19. And being not weak in faith , he considered not his own body now dead , when he was above an hundred yeares old ; neither the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe . Vers . 20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbeliefe , but was strong in faith , giving glory to God. Vers . 21. And being fully perswaded that what hee had promised hee was able to performe : Vers . 22. And therefore it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse . The promise was absolute , and free , So shall thy seed be as the stars of heaven : this hee beleeved with full assurance of faith , resting onely on the faithfulnesse and grace , and power of him that promised , Rom. ● . 21. Therefore wee , and all the children of Abraham , come to our first assurance of our Justification , not from our Sanctification , or from any promise made thereunto ; but ●●om the free promise of grace . The secoud Arguwent . No man can take his assurance of the faith of his Iustification : But as God will declare and pronounce him righteous in Christ Iesus . But God will not declare , and pronounce us righteous in Christ , upon the sight and evidence of our sanctification . Therefore we cannot take the assurance of the faith of our Iustification , from the sight and evidence of our sanctification . The Assumption is proved thus . If God justifieth us ( that is ) declareth , and pronounceth us to bee righteous , he doth then declare his owne righteousnesse , that he might be just ; Then he doth not declare us to be righteous in Christ , upon the sight and evidence of our sanctification , which is a righteousnesse of our owne . But when God justifieth us , that is , first declareth us , and pronounceth us to be righteous , he doth declare his owne righteousnesse ; that he might be just . Therefore he doth not first pronounce and declare us righteous upon sight , and evidence of our sanctification , which is a righteousnesse of our owne . The proofe of the Proposition . It will not stand with the righteousnesse of God to declare and pronounce a man just , upon the sight of such an imperfect righteousnesse , as our best sanctification is : And therefore when God declareth , and pronounceth us righteous ; He doth it not upon any sight of any sanctification , or righteousnesse of ours : But onely upon the sight of the perfect righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto us . The proofe of the Assumption . That when God justifieth us ( that is , when he first declareth , and pronounceth us to be righteous ) he doth declare his own righteousnesse , that he might be just , as Paul speaketh , Rom. 3. 26. and the justifier of him , which beleeveth on Jesus . And it is the speech of David , that when God declareth himselfe to bee just ; hee declareth onely the sinnefulnesse of the Creature , Psal . 51. 4. The third Argument . If the promise be made sure of God unto faith out of grace ; Then it is not first made sure to faith out of works . But the promise is made sure of God to faith out of grace , Rom. 4. 5. to him that worketh not , but beleeveth on him , that justifieth the ungodly , his faith is accounted for righteousnesse . Therefore the promise is not made sure to faith out of works . From the opposition of Grace , and Works , Rom. 11. 6 Aud if by grace then it is no more of workes ; otherwise grace is no more grace . The opposition standeth not onely betweene grace and workes , but beweene grace and the merits of works ; now no man ascribeth the assurance of faith in the promise to the merits of works . The opposition standeth not only betweene grace and the merits of works : but between grace and the debt due to workes ; For so the Apostle Paul expresseth it , Rom. 4. 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of graco , but of debt . If the assurance of faith of our justification , doe spring from sight of sanctification , it is by right of some promise made unto such a worke , and the right which a man hath by promise to a worke , maketh the assurance of the promise , but debt unto him : and then the promise is not sure unto him out of grace . The fourth Argument . If when the Lord declareth himselfe pacified toward us , he utterly shames us , and confounds us , in the sight and sense of our unworthynesse , and unrighteousnesse ; then he doth not give unto us our first assurance of the faith of our justification , upon the sight and sense of sanctification . But when the Lord declareth himself pacified towards us , he doth utterly ashame us , and confound us , in the sight and sense of our unworthynesse , and unrighteousnesse . Therefore he doth not first give us assurance of the faith of our justification , upon the sight and sense of our sanctification . The consequence is plaine from the Law of Contraries : For , if the Lord shame us with a sight and sense of sinne ; hee doth not then , first comfort and incourage us , with the sight and sense of sanctification . Minor is proved , Ezek. 16. 63. Rom. 4. 5. Ezek. 16. 63. That thou maist remember and bee confounded , and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame ; when I am pacified toward thee , for all that thou hast done , saith the Lord God. Rom 4. 5. To him that worketh not , but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly , his faith is accounted for righteousnesse . The fift Argument . When sanctification is not evident , it cannot be an evidence of justification . But when Justification is hidden , and doubtfull , Sanctification is not evident . Therefore Sanctification cannot be our first evidence of Justification . Minor. When Faith is hidden and doubtfull , Sanctification is not evident : But when Justification is hidden and doubtfull , Faith is hidden and doubtfull . Therefore when Justification is hidden and doubtfull , Sanctification is not evident . The first proofe of the Major . If Faith be the evidence of things not seene , then when Faith it selfe is hidden and doubtfull , which maketh all things evident , what can be cleare unto us . But Faith is the evidence of things not seene , Hebr. 11. 1. Therefore when Faith it selfe is hidden and doubtfull , Sanctification cannot be evident . The second proofe of the Major . If no Sanctification be true and sincere , but when it is wrought in faith : then neither can it be evident . But when it evidently appeareth to bee wrought in Faith : Therefore when Faith is hidden , and doubtfull , Sanctification cannot be evident . But no Sanctification is pure and sincere , but when it is wrought in Faith : nor cannot be evident , but when it evidently appeareth to bee wrought in Faith. Therefore when Faith is hidden and doubtfull , Sanctification cannot be evident . The sixth Argumont . Such a Faith as a practicall Sillogisme can make , is not a Faith wrought by the Lords Almighty power : For though Sillogismus ●i●em facit ; yet such a faith is but an ●umane faith ; because the Conclusion followeth but from the strength of reasonings , or reason ; not from the power of God , by which alone Divine things are wrought , Ephes . ● . 19. 20. Col. 2. 20. But the Faith which is wrought by a word , and a worke , and the light of a renewed Conscience without the witnesse of the spirit ; and ●efore it , is such a Faith as a practi●all Sillogisme can make . Therefore such a Faith as is wrought ●y a word , and a worke , or by the ●ight of a renewed Con●cience , without the witnesse of the Spirit , and ●efore it ; is not a Faith wrought by the Lords Almighty ●ower . The proofe of the Minor. From the condition of all these ●hree ; the Word , the Work , and the ●ight of a renewed Conscience ; they are all but created blessings , and gifts . There●ore cannot produce of themselves a word of Almighty power . Because the Word without the Almighty power of the Spirit is but a dead Letter ; and the Work hath no more power then the Word ; nor so much neither . For Faith cometh rather by hearing of a Word ▪ then by seeing of a Worke , Rom. 10. 17. And the light of a renewed Conscience , is a created gift of spirituall knowledge in the conscience . 1 Iohn 2. ● . Hereby we know that wee know him , that we keepe his Commandements . 1. John. 3. 14. Wee know wee have passed from death to life , because we love the Brethren . Vers . 19. Hereby we know we are of the 〈◊〉 . No better Answer need to be expected then what Calvin hath given in the exposition of these Scriptures ; who thus expoundeth them . Though every beleever hath the testimony of his Faith from his Workes , yet that commeth in a posteriori probatione , a latter , or , secondary proofe , instead of a signe . Therefore the assurance of Faith ( saith hee ) doth wholly reside in the grace of Christ ; and we must alwaies , saith he , remember , that it is not from our love to the Brethren , that we have the knowledge of our estate , which the Apostle speaketh of , as if from thence were fetched the assurance of salvation . For surely wee doe not know by any other meanes , that we are the Children of God : but because hee sealeth unto our heart by his Spirit , our adoption of us out of free-grace : and we by faith receive the assured pledge of him ▪ given in Christs love . Therefore as an addition , or inferiour helpe , for a prop unto faith , not for a foundation to leane on . Certaine it is , that those which ●ohn writ unto , were three sorts of ●en : Old men , Young men , and Babes : ●et there was none of them but did know their good estate , by the knowledge of the Father ; before they knew their good estat by their brotherly love : For even of Babe● ( he saith ) they knew the Father , 1 Ioh● 2. 13. And therefore by the rule o● relation , they knew their Son-ship● and adoption : And if it should be asked , how they knew it ; John telleth , By the unction they had receive● from Christ , ● Ioh. 2. 27. that is , b● the spirit it selfe , which taught them t● know all things ; which no created gifts of Sanctification could doe . Even in nature , children do● not first come to know their parents either by their lov● to their brethren or by their obedience to their parents ; but from their parents love descending on them : So we loved him because he first loved us , 1 Iohn 4. 19 ▪ Herein is love , not that we loved God , bu● that he loved us , and sent his Son to bee● propitiation for e●r sins , 1 Ioh. 4. 10. If Iohn could give sanctification fo● an evidence of adoption , to such a knew their good estate before by the witnesse of the Spirit ; this were but to light a Candle unto the Sunne ? Whether were it more absurd to light a Candle unto the Sunne , or to light a Candle to see to a mans eyes ; Now faith is instead of eyes unto the soule : By Faith Abraham saw the day of Christ , and rejoyced , ●hough it were a farre off , Ioh. 8. 56 : The same Apostle saith , that ●here bee six Witnesses that give ●ight and evidence unto our spiri●uall life in Christ : of which three ●e in heaven , and three on the earth ; ●nd the Spirit in both : yet he did ●ot thinke it a vaine thing to give ●he water of Baptisme , ( as out of ●he death and resurrection of Christ we receive the power to walk in new●esse of life , Rom. 6. 3. 4. ) as a witnesse ●fter foure of the greater lights . If you take Sanctification for a ●reated gift , it is indeed but a Candle to the Sunne . But when John ●aketh it , but to confirme faith , ●he meaneth then , the Spirit of God beareth witnesse in it : or else the testimony of sanctification , though it be a divine gift or work , yet it would not give a divine testimony , nor increase divine faith ; for the heavens and earth are divine and supernaturall works , yet they doe not give divine testimony of the Godhead , unlesse the Spirit of God himself doe beare witnesse in them . Therefore John giving sanctification for an evidence of a good estate , to such as already knew it , by the witnesse of the Spirit , is not a lighting of a candle to the Sunne ; but as the setting up of another window , though a lesser , to convay the same Sun light into the house another way . In 2 Pet. chap. 1. from verse 5. to 10. the Apostle exhorteth us , by adding one gift of sanctification to another , to make our calling and election sure . Let Calvin answer for me : This assurance ( saith hee ) whereof Peter speaketh , by adding grace to grace , is not in my judgement to be referred unto conscience , as if the faithfull did thereby before God know themselves called , and chosen ; but if any man will understand it , of making of it sure before men , there will be no absu●dity in this sense : Neverthelesse it might be extended further , that every one may be confirmed in their calling ; by their godly and holy life . But that is a proofe , not from ●he cause ; but from a signe , and effect . There be many conditionall promises in the Gospel , which are made to the gifts and duties of sanctification ; which are all in vaine , if poore drooping soules , finding such gifts , and duties of sanctification in themselves , may not take comfort from them , according to the promise . The conditionall promises are made to poore drooping soules , no● in respect of such conditions , or as they are qualified with such gifts and duties of sanctification ; but in respect of their union with Christ , to whom the promises belong , Gal. 3. 26 , 28 , 29. The fruits of such an union with Christ , such duties and gifts of sanctification be , when they be sincere : otherwise , if the promises were made to such soules , in respect of such conditions , then the reward promised would belong unto them , not of grace , but of debt , Rom. 4. 4. A promise made to any condition , after it be made , it becometh due debt to him , in whomsoever such condition is to be found : But therefore that such promises might be of grace , they are made to us , not as wee are indued with such and such conditions ; but as wee who have such and such conditions are united unto Christ . Whence it is , that such blessings offered in such promises , as they are tendered to us in Christ , so are they fulfilled to us in Christ . Whereupon , we look for the blessing , not in our gifts and duties ; but in going still unto Christ , for a clearer and fuller manifestation of him to us , and of comfort in him . As for example , A thirsty soule , to whom promise is made that hee shall be satisfied ; hee looketh not presently to be satisfied from his thirsting , nor from any right his thirsting might give him in the promise ; but hee looketh to be satisfied by going unto Christ , in drinking more abundantly of him by his Spirit , as Christ himself directeth such drooping soules to doe : and so we are to make use of such kind of promises ; Joh. 7. 37 , 38 , 39. No man can see his gifts and duties of sanctification in himselfe , but hee must first have seen Christ by faith , the Spirit of Christ enlightening his understanding in the knowledge of him . As in case of mourning , to which many promises are made , No man can ( with Evangelicall repentance ) mourne over Christ , and for himselfe , untill the Spirit work faith ; and by faith beholding Christ , hee hath seen him crucified , and by him , Zech. 12. 10. So then these conditions , and the promises made to them , doe not give us our first sight of Christ , nor the first glymyse of light and comfort from him ; but rather our sight of Christ , and some glympses of light and comfort from him , doth beget such conditions in us . Such conditionall promises are not in vain , though poore drooping soules have found no comfort by them , and though they cannot suck present comfort from them , and from their good conditions accordingly to them . Because these promises being discerned in a Covenant of free-grace made in Christ , by them doe work ( if they were not wrought before ) or at least confirme such conditions in the soule . As when God promised them to send a Redeemer out of Sion , unto them which turne from transgression in Jacob , Isai . 59. 20. the Apostle expoundeth it , That Christ shall come out of Sion , and shall turne away transgression from Jacob : which is as much as if hee should say , He shall work that condition which the promise was made unto . And this the Apostle maketh to be the meaning , and the blessing of the promise , according to the Covenant of grace , Rom. 11. 26 , 27. The promises are not in vain to such soules , in whom such good conditions are wrought ; because they direct them where they may find comfort , and satisfying to their hearts desire : to wit , not by clearing their good conditions in themselves ; but by coming unto Christ , and drinking a more full draught of his Spirit ; as Christ directeth thirsty soules to doe , Joh. 7. 37. If any man thirst , let him come to me , and drink . V. 38. Hee that beleeveth on me , ( as the Scripture saith ) out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water . V. 39. But this hee spake of the Spirit , that they which beleeve on him , shall receive . But why may not the holy Spirit breathe his first comforts into our soules , even on such conditions ? Is not this to limit the Spirit , who is free , and bloweth where hee listeth ? Joh. 3. 8. He doth not breathe his first comforts in such conditions , because he listeth not : it is not his good pleasure to give us our first comfort ( which is the comfort of our Justification ) from our owne righteousnesse , before hee give us comfort in the righteousnesse of Christ . The holy Spirit in all his dispensations to us ward , delighteth to receive all from Christ , rather then from us ; that so hee might glorifie Christ in us . The Comforter whom I shall send to you , hee shall glorifie me ; for hee shall receive of mine , and shew it unto you , Joh. 16. 14. Nor will he so much dishonour the righteousnesse and grace of the Father of glory , as first , to pronounce and declare us justified in the sight of our owne righteousnesse . In Mat. 7. from verse 16. to 20. The tree is knowne by his fruit . True , to others ; but not unto himselfe . If a tree could know it selfe , it would first come to know it selfe , by seeing upon what root it grew , before it came to see what fruit it did beare ; Joh. 15. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5. But this Doctrine is new , it is not ancient , nor gray-headed . The Doctrines of the Covenant of free-grace are ever new ; because they are the Doctrines of the New-Covenant , which can never waxe old : should it once waxe old , it would soone vanish away , Heb. 8. from vers . 8. to 13. though it be as ancient as Abraham , yea , as Adam ; for hee had his first comfort and assurance , in an absolute promise of free-grace , Gen. 3. 15. yet it hath ever seemed new in every age . Augustines Doctrine of Conversion , that is of grace , and not of free-will . Luthers Doctrine of Justification , that is of faith , not of works . Calvins Doctrine of Predestination , that is of grace , not of faith and works fore-seen : were all of them thought new Doctrines in their times ; and yet all of them the ancient truths of the everlasting Covenant of grace . And surely , for this Doctrine in hand , Calvin is as clear , as my hearts desire to God is wee all might be ; his words have been partly rehearfed before , in the answer of some Objections ; and partly in my large Answer to your Reply . Bellarmine taketh it to be the generall Doctrine of the Lutherans , That , Assurance of faith goeth before works , and doth not follow after , Institnt . lib. 3. cap. 9. And Pareus in answer unto him , saith , That though there be an assurance that followeth good works , yet the former assurance from the witnesse of the Spirit goeth before . And seeing they that are the chief Reformers of the Protestant Assemblies , doe generally make sanctification a fruit of faith , and doe define faith to be , A speciall assurance of mercy in Christ ; it must needs be out of controversie their judgement , That a man receiveth his first assurance , not from his sanctification , which they make to be an effect flowing from it ; but from an higher principle , even from the grace of the Father , and the righteousnesse of the Sonne , the Lord Jesus Christ ; and witnessed by the holy Spirit . Bilney , in the Book of Martyrs , in his Epistle to B. Tu●stall , relating the manner of his conversion , pro●ested , That when hee had wearied himself in many superstitious works of fasting , and Popish pennance , hee received at last his first assurance , from that place in Timothy , 1 Tim. 1. 15. hee calleth it a most sweet word unto him , This is a true saying , and worthy of all men to be received , Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners , of whom I am the chiefe . A word from an absolute promise , set home unto him by the ●oly Spirit , without respect of any sanctification formerly wrought or seene in him . Alas , how farre are they mistaken , that thinke the contrary Doctrine hath beene sealed with the bloud of Martyrs ? Zancheus his judgement , though he was a godly and an eminent learned man , yet I would not have named him , but that Mr. Perkins highly approved his discourse , and translated it , as a choyce piece , into his owne Volume , which maketh it obvious to every godly Reader , that studieth Perkins learned Workes ; Page 429. the first testimony , saith Zanchey ▪ and Por●ius , for him ; by which God assureth us of our election , is that inward testimony of the Spirit , of which the Apostle Paul speaketh , Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit witnesseth to our spirits , that wee are the sonnes of God ; And afterward comming to give some direction how a man may know , whether this testimony be true , and proceedeth from the holy Spirit , or no. Hee answereth , Page 433. three waies . First , A man may know it , first , by the perswasion it selfe . Secondly , By the manner of its perswasion . Thirdly , By the effects . For the first , the holy Spirit doth not simply say it , but doth perswade with us ; that we are the sonnes of God : And no flesh can doe it againe . By reasons drawne not from our worke , or from any worthinesse in us ; but from the alone goodnesse of God the Father , and the grace of Christ freely bestowed , and in this manner the Devill will never perswade any man. The perswasion of the holy Spirit is full of power ; for they which are perswaded that they are the sons of God , cannot , but must needs call him Father , and in regard of love to him do hate sinne ; and on the contrary , they have a sound hearty desire to do his Word and Will revealed . For the second Answer to the imputation of Novelty ; Either ( saith John Cotton ) I am exceedingly deceived , or it justly falleth upon the contrary Doctrine , and they are much mistaken that think otherwise ; I never read it to my best remembrance , in any Author olde o● new : that ever a man received his first evidence of the faith of his Justification , from his Sanctification ▪ unlesse it be one , ( whom I met with within these two dayes ) Printed within these two yeares , that maintaineth our first comfort of Justification from Sanctification . But ●enerally all our English Orthodox Teachers doe oppose it . Amongst the English Teachers one , for ought I know , did more ●dvance the Doctrine of Marks and ●ignes , then Master Nicholas Byfield , ●●d yet he himselfe professeth , that ●umane reason cannot beleeve such ●reat things from God , from any ●●ing that is in us : But onely be●use we having the Word of God ●suring such happinesse unto such ● lay hold upon the promises con●ined in it . So that it is that which ●eedeth Faith , or as he calleth it , ●e perswasion of our good estates●et notwithstanding , saith he , the ●●surance of Faith is much increased , ●●d confirmed by Signes ; the for●er part of which speech , touch●●g the first begettings of the assu●●nce of Faith , consenteth with me ; the latter , concerning the increasing and confirming of the assurance● argueth plainely his consent , thu● farre also , that he meant not that th● assurance of the Faith of Justification should spring from Sanctification : But when he would have th● assurance of Faith to bee increase● and confirmed by the light 〈◊〉 Signes , I would not refuse it ; 〈◊〉 by the assurance of Faith , h●● meanes onely assurance of Knowledge ; or if he meaneth onely a●surance of Faith , properly so ca●led , I would then put in this ca●tion . That then the Spirit of Go● himfelfe had need , by his owne t●stimony , to reveale our justificat●on unto us , and Gods free grace 〈◊〉 accepting us in Christ : or else it 〈◊〉 not Word , nor Worke , nor t●● light of a renewed conscience , th●● can increase , or confirme , the ass●rance of Faith of our Justificatio● ▪ But only the manifestation of Go● Free-grace , in a Divine testimony , ●atified by his owne good Spirit . The third Question is concerning the activenesse of Faith : The Controversie is WHether Faith concurre as an active instrumentall cause to ●ur Justification ? In the explicating of it , I must ●●rst speake what it is that justifieth ●●ee . First , we doe beleeve , that in our ●ffectuall calling , God draweth us to ●nion with Christ , Ioh. 6. 44. Sheding abroad his Spirit in our hearts , Rom. 5. 5. And working Faith in us 〈◊〉 receive Christ , Ioh. 1. 12. 13. And 〈◊〉 live by Faith upon him , Gal. 2. 20. Secondly , we are no sooner alive in Christ , but we are accounted of God ●s his adopted children in Christ , Gal. ● . 26. Ephes . 1. 5. and so are made heires of righteousnesse , Galat. 3. 29. God imputing the righteousnesse of his Sonne Jesus to us for our justification , Rom. 4. 23. 24. 25. As we were no sooner alive in the first Adam , but we became his children , and heires of his transgression ; God imputing the guilt of it to our condemnation . Now in this we all consent ; that in receiving the gift of Faith we are meerely passive . But yet a double Question heere ariseth . Whether in receiving of Chris● ( or the Spirit , who commeth into our hearts in his name ) we be meerly passive ? Whether our Faith bee active to lay hold upon the righteousnesse o● Christ , before the Lord doe firs● impute the righteousnesse of Christ unto us . Our Reasons are . If it be the spirit of Grace she● abroad in our hearts , that doth be● get Faith in us : then if wee were Passive in receiving Faith , wee are much more passive in receiving Christ , or the Spirit of Christ , that begetteth Faith : for if we have no life to be Active untill Faith come ; we have much lesse life to be Active before the Cause , and root of Faith come . But it is the spirit of Grace , shed abroad in our hearts , that begetteth Faith in us , Zech. 12. 10. Therefore if we be Passive in receiving Faith ; we are much more Passive , in receiving the spirit that begetteth Faith. If we bee active in laying hold on Christ , before he hath given us his Spirit : then we apprehend him , before he apprehend us : then wee should doe a good act , and so bring forth good fruites , before wee become good trees ; yea , and bee good trees before we be in Christ . But these are all contrary to the Gospell , Philip. 3. 12. 13. Matth. 7. 18. Iohn 15. 4. 5. Therefore wee bee not active in laying hold on Christ , before hee he hath given us his Spirit . Whether our Faith bee active to lay hold upon Christ for his righteousnesse , before the Lord do first impute the righteousnesse of Christ to us ; we conceive no. For these Reasons . If the sinne of Adam were imputed unto us for our condemnation , assoone as we were alive by naturall life before we had done any act of life , good or evill : then the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ is imputed unto us to our Justification , as soon as we be alive unto God by Faith , before wee have done any act of Faith. But the former is plaine , Rom. 5. 18. 19. Therefore the latter also . If our Faith be first active , to lay hold upon Christ for his righteousnesse , before God imputeth it unto us ; Then wee take Christs righteousnesse to our selves , before it bee given unto us . But that wee cannot doe , for in the order of nature , giving is the cause of taking ; unlesse wee take a thing by stealth . If our Faith be first active in laying hold on Christ for his rightenesse , before God impute it unto us ; then we doe justifie God , before he doth justifie us . For hee receiveth the testimony which God hath given of his Son : that God hath given us life in his Sonne , he hath set to his seale that God is true , Iohn 3. 33. And so he which justifieth God , as others that doe not receive the testimony , condemne God of lying , 1 Ioh. 5. 10. But we cannot Justifie God before he justi●e us ; no more then we can love him before hee first loved us , 1 Ioh. 4. 19. If our Faith be first active to lay hold on Christ for his righteousnes , before God impute his righteousnes unto us : Then wee are righteous men to act , and worke out our own righteousnesse , before we be righteous , by the imputed righteousnes of Christ . But we be to our best acts and workes of righteousnesse , unrighteous , till our sinnes bee pardoned , which is not untill the righteousnesse of Christ be imputed to us . In the order of nature , the object is before the act that is conversant about it : Therefore it is in the order of nature , before the act of our Faith. To beleeve on the name of Christ is an act of Faith ; To beleeve on the name of Christ , is to receive Christ , Iohn 1. 12. Therefore the receiving of Christ is by an act of Faith. The place in Iohn , upon which the weight of this Argument lieth , saith no more , but that they which received Christ in the second Aorist in the time past , doe beleeve on his name in the time present . Which we willingly grant ; that they who receive Christ , their faith becommeth active through him to beleeve in his name , that so they might receive him , and his righteousnesse . We are justified by Faith , Rom. 3. 28. When we are said to bee justified by Faith ; It is by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto us . Abrahams To credere , his act of beleeving , was imputed unto him for righteousnesse , Rom 4. 3. It is taken generally amongst the Learned , for a singular opinion of Master Wotton , that To credere , the act of beleeving should be imputed for rigteousnesse . For , indeed , the act of beleeving is neither a righteousnesse according unto the Law ; For the Law is perfect , Psal . 19. 7. Nor a righteousnesse according unto the Gospell ; For the act of beleeving is an act of our owne , though given of grace : But the righteousnesse of the Gospell is not an act of our own And therefore Paul desireth that he may be found in Christ , not having his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law , but that which is through the Faith of Christ , the righteousnesse which is of God by faith , Phil. 3. 9. to wit , the righteousnesse of Christ imputed . But this Doctrine is opposite unto the streame of all the Learned ; a passive Faith is not heard of amongst men , and they doe genenerally make Faith an instrumentall cause of their Justification . A passive Faith is rarely hard of out of my mouth , but yet the thing meant by it , is never rare in the writings of the learned , nor sometimes the word passive Faith. Two things are meant by the word of Faith , and may be said to be passive in our Justification , in a double respect . Because a habite of Faith may be called passive , before it putteth forth any act , and we are justified assoone as by an habit of faith we are alive in Christ ; in the first moment of our conversion , before Faith hath put forth any act : as we were all guilty of Adams sinne , before we were active to reach forth any consent unto it . Faith may be said to bee passive in our justification , because it doth not lay hold on Christ , to fetch Justification from him , till Christ have first laid hold on us , and imputed his righteousnesse to us ; and declared it unto us by his Spirit , in a free promise of Grace : And then Faith becommeth active , actually to receive Christs righteousnesse ; and actually to beleeve on it , either by way of dependance , or assurance . For the truth is , seengi wee are not justified , neither as it is a gift in us ; nor as it is an acting and working from us ; but in regard of his object , the righteousnesse of Christ whch it receiveth . Therefore which way soever Faith may receive Christ first or last , by the same way we may be justified by it . Now Faith of it selfe , even the habit of Faith is an emptying grace , and so is as an empty vessell , fit to receive Christ and his righteousnes . And both the act of Faith , whether of dependance on Christ , or of our assrance in Christ , carrieth us out of our selves unto him , and so maketh us fit to receive Christ , and his righteousnesse . Thus I have explained what I meane by a passive Faith. Let me shew you , that neither the Word , nor the naming of it , is an untruth from our best learned men of eminent worth for parts and abilities . Calvine in his Institutions , Lib. 3. cap. 3. Sect. 5. Quoad Justificationem . Ursinus in his Catechisme , Quest . 60 , Sect. 5. Potius Deum primum . Chemierius de fide , lib. 13. Chap. 6. Verissimum esse duo . Doctor Amesius in Medullam Theologiae , lib. 1. Cap. 26. Recepti Christi . Paul Banes on the Ephesians 2. Vivificant . He quicken us , since he acknowledge a passive receiving of Christ , he must acknowledge a passive Faith : for there is no receiving of Christ , but by Faith. In a Booke of choice English Sermons , that goeth under the name of Doctor Sybbs , and our Brother Hooker , and master Davenport , there one stiled the Witnesse of Salvation , on Rom. 8. 15. 16. where in Page 135. are these words : In Justification , Faith is a sufferer onely ; But in Sanctification , it worketh , and purgeth the whole man. As for our Learned men that doe generally make Faith an instrumentall cause of their Justifica●ion . I confesse it is true ; But I doe not understand them ( as Chenerius doth in the like case ) to meane no other kinde of causa ; then Cause sine qua non , or , Causa removens , or prohibens . For Faith keepeth the Soule empty of confidence in it selfe , and maketh a way for the receiving of the righteousnesse of Christ . Even as the poore ▪ Widdowes empty vessells made a way for the receiving the oye out of the Cruse ; whereas the fulnesse of the Vessell caused the stay . The good Lord empty us more and more of our selves , that wee may be filled with him , Out of whose fulnesse wee receive grace for grace , John 1. 16. Gloria sit soli Deo. Twelve Reasons laid down against prescribed and stinted Formes of Prayers or Prayses . BEcause it is against Gods glory , in stinting unto him such a daily measure of Service ( consisting of Prayer or Praise ) and so hindering the spirituall petitions and phrases , that otherwise would be , if Gods good gifts were used . It is against the dignity of Christ , which hath qualified his Saints with a proportionable measure of the gifts of the Spirit , for Prayer or Praise , 1 Cor. 14. 15 , 16. in making their gifts needlesse and uselesse , when they can serve themselves with Books , and Formes , without them . It quencheth the gifts of the holy Spirit ; because it hath no spirituall imployment for Prayer nor Praise in his spirituall house , 1 Pet. 2. 5. God is so jealous of his glory , that hee cannot endure his worship should be corrupted with the least mixture of man : Nadab and Abihu , for offering with strange fire which God commanded them not , were destroyed with fire from the Lord , Levit. 10. 1 , 2. Vzzah , for touching the Ark contrary to the order of the God of Israel , was smitten dead , and Israel had a breach made amongst them , 1 Chron. 13. 9 , 10 , 11. compared with 1 Chron. 15. 12 , 13. Jeroboam devised worship at Dan and Bethel , though hee pretended by it to worship the true God , and advance the worship of Jehovah ; yet hee worshipped nothing but the Devils , and Calves that hee made , 2 Chron. 11. 15. And it became a sinne to Jeroboam and his house , to destroy it root and branch , and all the Kings that countenanced and upheld it ; 1 Kin. 13. 34. 2 Kin. 17. 21 , 22 , 23. But such as feared the Lord amongst them , both Levites and Priests , left their Cities , and possession ; and of the people , such as set their heart to seeke the Lord God of Israel , came to Jerusalem : So Jeroboams Kingdome weakned ; but Rehoboam , that gave liberty of conscience to worship the true God , strengthened ; 2 Chron. 11. 16 , 17. Now , was God so jealous of his glory under the Law , that hee that ●inned against that worship which God by Moses prescribed , hee died without mercy ? how much severer punishment are they worthy of , that sinne against the Sonnes authority , seeing hee is Lord of the spiri●uall house , whose house are wee , Heb. ● . 6. And the heavenly Father commandeth us to heare him , Mat. 17. 5. and that in all things , or our soules must perish , Acts 3. 22 , 23 ? Now , if we worship God in prayer or praise ▪ or any other way , by any innovation or invention of man , let us heare what our Prophet Jesus saith In vaine yee worship me , teaching f●● Doctrines the Commandements of me● Esay 29. 13 , 14. Mar. 7 6 , 7 , 8. An● however it may seeme glorious 〈◊〉 our eyes , yet God hath set th●● stigma on it , That it is a vai●● worship . I cannot worship God in a stinte● forme of worship , in prayer , a●● praise , and the like , lest I make 〈◊〉 selfe guilty of the bloud of Christ . Christ by his death hath free me from the whole Ceremonia● Law , so that if I consent to rea● againe what Christ by his dea● hath abolished , I crucifie Chris● make my selfe gailty of his blou● and as much as in me lieth , exp●● him out of the Nation . Now , the Ceremoniall Law h● his constitution in Israel , either fro● Moses , or from God : Not from 〈◊〉 for hee was a servant in his ●ouse , and hee did nothing in the Tabernacle , nor about it , but what God shewed him , Exod. 25. 4. Acts ● . 44. But the Ceremoniall Law 〈◊〉 his originall law from God : Now , if the death of Christ were ●f that power , to put an end to the ●hole Ceremoniall prescribed ●orship , so that whosoever should ●are it again should crucifie Christ , ●nd make us guilty of his bloud , &c. ●hen , that death of Christ is of ●●rce , to put an end to mans Cerenoniall Worship : But the first is true ; Ergo , the ●●ter . The Consequence is denyed . That power which can disanull ●e greater , must needs disanull the ●●●er ; if the death of Christ put an 〈◊〉 to the heavenly Fathers Cere●oniall Worship , and in prayer and ●aise , at , or before the Ark , or in ●e Temple ; then it will put an ●nd to all mans devised Worship , unlesse you will advance the authority of man above God the Father . Col. 2. 20 , 21 , 22 , 23. If Christ by his death hath freed us from the rudiments of the world , the Mosaicall Ceremonies , why living in the world are wee intangled with ordinances , after the doctrine , traditions , and commandements o● men ? But they are set up for the glory of God. Not I , but Paul shall answer fom me ; They have a shew of wisdome , i● will-worship ; but it is onely a shew there is no substance in it . Wee harden the obstinate Papist in their superstition ; for they say and that truly , Wee received mo●● of our formes of prayer and prai●● from them . Wee rob the Spirit of his glory who is given to Saints to form prayer and praise in them , 1 Cor. 1● . 15 , 16. Rom 8. 26. Gal. 4. 6. Wee impose a burthen upon 〈◊〉 conscience to be practised , which God hath left arbitrary , to be used according to our necessities ; If we be afflicted , then pray ; if wee have tasted how bountifull the Lord hath been to us in blessings , then let us praise him ; Jam. 5. 13. If wee frequent devised formes of Worship in prayer or praise , we shall lay a stumbling block before a weak brother , and cause him to fall . Woe be to them that follow the way of Balaam , who taught Balack to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel , Revel . 2. 14. Jud. v. 11. Now offences must come , but woe unto the men by whom they come : It were better for me , that a milstone were hanged about my neck , and that I were cast into the sea , then that I should offend one of these little ones , Luk. 17. 1 , 2. If wee frequent devised formes of Worship in prayer or praise , we shall offend our consciences ; ( even so many of us as are Saints enlightned , to behold the beauty of his spirituall Worship , performed , or offered in his spirituall house , the Congregation of the faithfull united ; ) Now if our consciences condemne us , God is greater then our consciences , and hee will condemne us also , 1 Joh. 3. 19. for he knoweth all things . Therefore I say to you ( who blame us for not frequenting devised forms of Worship in prayer and praises ) as Shadrach , Meshach , and Abednego did to King Nebuchadnezzar , We are not carefull to answer you in this matter ; Our God whom wee serve is able to deliver us out of your hand : But if he will not , be it known to you , we will not serve your gods ; nor worship our God in that devised way that men set up , Dan. 3. 16 , 17 , 18. It one set form of spirituall Worship in prayer and praises had been needfull , Christ would have left one : But the Prophets , Christ , the Apostles , never prayed nor praised God by any set forme of Worship invented by man ; but by the powerfull worke of the holy Spirit , Rom. 8. 26. Gal. 4. 6. A set forme of Worship prescribed in prayer or praises , cannot in prayer expresse the severall necessities of Gods people ; for the more grace they have , the more they see their owne wants ; and the more sensible they are of their owne infirmities , corruptions , and sinnes . Neither can it in praises expresse the manifold experiences that the Saints daily observe of Gods mercifull dealing with them : Therefore a set Forme of prayer or praises to Gods Saints , and faithfull ones , principled with a spirit of prayer and praise , it is altogether unusefull ; 1 Cor. 14. 15 , 16. Soli Deo honor & gloria FINIS . A DESCRIPTION OF THE Spirituall TEMPLE : OR THE SPOUSE Prepared for the LAMBE , The LORD JESUS . Written by FRANCIS CORNWEL , a Minister and Servant of Jesus , the Christ , for the benefit of poore distressed conscences , in City and Countrey . LONDON , Printed by John Dawson . 1646. TO THE HONOVRABLE , and the true lover of all conscientious Covenantours , that stand up for a through Reformation , according to the word of our good God , in England , and Ireland , CORNELIUS HOLLAND Esquire , a Member of the House of Commons Assembled in Parliament . SIR , DAvid describeth the godly man , by his pleasure , and by his paines : First , the pleasure of the godly man , in these words : He delighteth in the Law of the Lord. Secondly , the paines of the godly man : And in that Law he meditateth day and night ; not only in the day appointed for man to labour in , but in the night also appointed for man to rest : the reason is , because it is his meat and drinke , to doe the will of his God. ( Honoured Sir ) The Word of Christ being the Rule of Englands Reformation ; the good Lord ( that writeth his Lawes in his peoples hearts , according to his new Covenant of Grace : Heb. 8. 10. ) put it into my minde , seriously to consider , What Schisme was , that I had covenanted against . And searching the Scriptures , I found it thus written , 1. Tim. 6. 3. If any man teach otherwise , and consent not to the wholesome words , even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ ; and to the Doctrine which is according to godlinesse . Vers . 4. He is proud , knowing nothing ; but doting about Questions , and strife of words ; whereof commeth envy , strife , raylings , evill surmisings . Vers . 5. Perverse disputings of men of corrupt mindes , and destitute of the truth ; supposing that gaine is godlinesse ; from such withdraw thy self . Yea , and after a further enquiry , to understand aright the things that are controverted amongst us ; by the good providence of the Almighty , I found two Texts of holy Scripture , setting forth two sorts of men , Diametrally opposing one another , as light doth darkenesse , truth doth falsehood ; the one th●s written : 1 John 5. 1. Whosoever beleeveth that Jesus is the Christ , is borne of God. And the other , thus ; 1 John 2. 22. Who is a lyar , but he that denyeth that Jesus is not the Christ , He is Antichrist , that denyeth the Father and the Sonne . And when I thought to understand the difference , it was to hard for me , untill I went into the Sanctuary of God ; where the Father of glory , of his good pleasure , revealed to me ( the most unworthyest of all his servants ) the truth of that ; which ( I conceive ) is the root of all our Controversies , and gave me to understand the meaning of the Scriptures , 1 John 5. 1. Whosoever beleeveth that Jesus is the Christ , viz. the eternall King , Prophet , Priest of the Church of the new Testament , ratified with his bloud , whom the Father of glory hath exalted to bee Lord and Christ , Acts 2. 36. and head , Ephes . 2. 20 , 21 , 22 , 23. Is borne of God. Seeing no man can say , ( that is confest ) that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Spirit , 1 Cor. 12. 3. Hence I find it written , Joh. 1. 11. Jesus came to his owne , but his owne received him not , that is , for the Christ , that Messiah which was to come : but onely for the Carpenters sonne ; Matth. 13. 58. The reason was , because none could understand that Mystery : but they onely to whom the Father of heaven revealed it , Matth. 11. 14. Hence , when Jesus demanded of his Disciples ? Whom doe men say that I the Sonne of Man am ? Peter answereth , thou art the Christ , the Sonne of the living God : Jesus answereth , Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona ; for flesh and blood hatb not revealed this unto thee ; but my Father in heaven . And thou art Peter , and upon this Rock ( Jesus the Christ , whom thou hast confessed ) I will build my Church , and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it , Mat. 16. 16 , 17 , 18. Many for fear durst not in those dayes confesse Jesus to be the Christ : Instance the Parents of the blind man : Because the Jewes had agreed , that if any did confesse , that hee was the Christ ; He should be put out of the Synagogue , John 9. 22. But so many as recived him ( viz. to be the Christ ) to them he gave power to be called the sons of God ; even to them that beleeve in his name ; which were borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh , nor of th● will of man , But of God , John 1. 12 , 13 ▪ And as for that other Text of the holy Scripture that doth universally oppose it the heavenly Father gave me thus to interpret it : 1 John 2. 22. Who is a lyar ( viz ●orne of the evill one , who is a lyar , and the father of lyes , and abode not in the truth , John 8. 14. But hee that denieth that JESUS ( whom hee confesseth dyed for his sinnes ; and rose againe the third day , according to the Scriptures ) Is not the Christ , viz. the annointed King and Prophet of his Church , in all his outward administrations and institutions , in admitting of Members into his spirituall Kingdome , according to his royall Commission , Matth. 28. 18 , 19. Mark. 15. 15 , 16. ( though he acknowledge him to be his eternall Priest that ever liveth , to make intercession to God for him , Heb. 7. 25. He is that Antichrist ( viz. an enemy and adversary to Jesus the Christ ) that denieth the Father and the Sonne , He that denieth the Sonnes Authority , to bee the eternall King , and his Commission to bee in force , Matth. 28. 18 , 19 , 20. Mark. 15. 15 , 16. and to be the eternall Prophet ; and his word to be the eternall rule for Doctrine and Gouernement ; aswall as his eternall Priest to reconcile him to God Denieth the Father , that sanctified the Sonne , and sent him into the World , John 10. 36. and raised him from the dead , and exalted him to bee Lord and Christ , Acts 2. 36. Hence it is ( my Honoured friend ) First , that in all my writings , I have studied to exalt Jesus the Christ , it being the Primitive . Faith once given to the Saints , Math. 16. 16. Secondly , to distinguish Jesus the Christ from all others named with the name of Jesus in Scripture Record : as Joshua is called Jesus , Hebr. 4. 8. &c. others . Thirdly , because I find the Scriptures giving that Title to him in divers places . John confesseth , I am not the Christ , John 1. 20. The Woman of Samaria said , I know the Messiah commeth which is called the Christ , John 4. 25. Apollos mightily convinced the Jewes , shewing by the Scriptures , that Jesus was the Christ , Acts 18. 28. Now that I received from the Lord , I could not but make knowne to you , You being one of the tender hearted Loyall Covenanters , a Member of that High and Honourable Court , under whose shade Conscientious Covenantours ( that contend for the faith of Jesus the Christ , once given to the Saints ) find rest . Know ( worthy Sir ) that the departure from the faith of Jesus the Christ , is a cause of so many Schismes , and Heresies maintained in the earth . Disdaine not therefore to read a little Treatise , called the Difference betweene the Christian , and Antichristian Church , Deliniated according to the Scripture Record , though the truth therein contained ( like the Two witnesses , Revel . 11. 3. ) have long mourned in Sackcloth : Yet if God give you an heart to receive it , It will be a Jewell surpassing all earthly Treasure . For if Iesus the Christ bee your Prophet to teach you , his heavenly Father will , Matth. 17. 5. Acts 3. 22. 23. He will then be your King to protect you , Matth 28. 20. Your Priest to intercede for you , Joh. 27. 20. Your Judge to acquit you , Joh. 12. 48. and if the love of Christ draw you to keepe all his Commandements ( though in the world you meet with af●liction for his sake ; yet in Christ you shall find peace ) for the Father , Son , and Spirit will dwell in your heart , and take it for the Sanctum Sanctorum , where they will abide to cheer and refresh you , Joh. 14. 23. And if you confesse , him in this world before men : He will confesse you before his Father , and proclaime it to your eternall peace and comfort , ( Euge bone serve ) Well done thou good and faithfull servant , enter into your Masters joy . Matth. 25. 21. Orpington in Kent ▪ the tenth Moneth , the first day , 1645. Yours , who contendeth for the faith of Jesus the Christ . FRANCIS CORNWELL To all loyall Covenanters , contending for the Faith of JESUS the CHRIST , once given to the Saints ; Mat. 16. 16 , 17. CVrteous Reader , be not too censorious concerning him that is the Publisher of this little Treatise , stiled , The difference between the Christian and Antichristian Church , as if hee condemned the Ages and Generations that are past , as in a lost condition ; because he saith they have built their house upon wood , and hay , and stubble , and not upon the sure rock Jesus the Christ : Farre be it from him to judge so ●ashly of the Ages and Generations past , or present , concerning their finall estate ; for ●ee is commanded to judge no man before ●he time , knowing that they stand and fall to their owne Master : And , wee shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ ; And then and there every one shall give an account for himselfe to God , Rom. 14. 4 , 10 , 12. Knowing , as it is recorded in the inspired Scriptures , that If any man build upon this foundation ( Jesus the Christ ) gold , silver , precious stones , wood , hay stubble ; Every mans work shall be made manifest : for the day shall declare it ; because it shall be revealed by fire : and th● fire shall try every mans worke . If any mans worke abide , which hee hath buil● thereon , hee shall receive a reward : If any mans work shall be burnt , hee shall suffer losse ; but himselfe shall be saved yet so as by fire , 1 Cor. 3. 12 , 13 , 14 , 15. Secondly , Know that the discovery of this truth was ( as the vision that is his for an appointed time ) and is become unto us , as the words of a book that is sealed , which men deliver to one that is learned , saying , Read this I pray thee : And h● saith , I cannot ; for it is sealed . And th● book is delivered to him that is not learned , saying , Read this I pray thee : An● hee saith , I am not learned , Esay 29. 11 , 12 ▪ So that it is not in him that is learned , no● in him that is unlearned , to discover the mystery of iniquity , by which Antichris● hath filled the Temple so full of smoak , that no man can see how to enter into it , unti● God enlighten him ; which caused the Lord Jesus in the dayes of his flesh , to break out into an Eucharistia of praise , looking on his Disciples , I thank thee , O Father , Lord of heaven and earth , that thou hast hid these things from the wise and learned , and hast revealed them unto babes . Even so , O Father , because it seemed good in thy sight , Mat. 11. 25 , 26. That the whole glory in discovering of truth to any , might be given unto God. Thirdly , Know ( gentle Reader , who art a searcher after truth in these inquiring times ) that the Publisher wrote this Treatise , to discover that the difference lieth not so much amongst us in point of Baptisme ; as it is about the Doctrine of the Faith of Jesus the Christ , the Sonne of God ; which whosoever beleeveth and confesseth , that Jesus the Christ is the Son of God , it is lawfull to baptize him , Act. 8. 36 , 37 , 38. And , to which Faith of Jesus the Christ , and Baptisme , the promise of receiving the gifts of the holy Spirit is given , Act. 2. 38 , 39. And though for publishing this mystery of Faith , which hath been hidden for some Ages and Generations that are past , hee suffer reproach and contempt from the hands and tongues of some ; yet , if the will of God be so , it is better hee suffer for well-doing , then for evill . Yet the love that hee beareth to the loyall Covenanters in the Nation , constraineth him to doe it , rather then his Country-men should ever remaine in blindnesse , under the power of Antichrist . Thine , who is the unworthiest of all the servants of Christ , ( who is content it should be said of his good name , that is as a precious oyntment , as Luther said of Moses his body , Let it die and rot , so God may be glorified , and Jesus the Christ exalted in all his royall Offices ; ) FRAN. CORNWELL . A DESCRIPTION Of the Spirituall TEMPLE . THe Spirituall Temple of the New Testament , the New Jerusalem which came downe from heaven , the Bride prepared for the Lambe , the Lord Jesus the Christ , Revel . 21. 2. may not be unfitly compared to the materiall Temple of Jerusalem , in the letter , whose foundation stone was of earth ; whose materials were hewen stones , compacted into one edifice or Tem●le : the furniture thereof was an Altar , a Sacrifice , and a Priesthood ; who were made after the law of a carnall Commandement , Heb. 7. 16. which was typicall , and was not to continue for ever ; but onely to the time of Reformation , and then the glory of it should vanish away . In which materiall Temple , none must come thither to worship , but the circumcised Jewes and Proselytes ; for the uncircumcised and unclean were an abomination , and must not enter in at the gates thereof ; Ezek. 44. 6 , 7. And for the defects the people of Israel and Judah committed in their worship , so long as they continued in their integrity , the high Priest went once every yeare into the Holy of Holiest , and that not without bloud , to offer up for himselfe , and for the errours of the people , Heb. 9. 7. Yea , and great were the priviledges that belonged to the Jewish Church : To them ( saith Paul ) pertained the adoption , and the glory , and the Covenants , and the giving of the Law , and the service of God , and the promises : Who are the fathers , and of whom , as concerning the flesh , Christ came , who is over all , God blessed for ever , Amen . Rom. 9 ▪ 4 5. But Christ being come an high Priest of good things to come , by a greater and a more perfect Tabernacle , not made with hands , that is to say , not made of this building , Heb. 9. 11. reareth up a spirituall structure , or house . 1. Whose Foundation was the living stone , who hath life in himselfe , Jesus the Christ , 1 Cor. 3. 11. Seeing other foundation no man can lay , save that is laid , Jesus the Christ , 1 Pet. 2. 4. For there is salvation in none other , Acts 4. 12. 2. The spirituall Materialls are such as are borne of water and of the Spirit , Joh. 3. 5. Who are they which are born of the Spirit ? Such men and women as through a Gospel Ministry are brought to beleeve , and manifest by their confession , that Jesus who was crucified , dead , and risen , is the Christ , is borne of God , 1 Joh. 5. 1. For no man can say ( that is , confesse ) that Jesus is the Lord , but by the holy Spirit : and being born of water , they are manifested to be lively stones , that have received life from Jesus the Christ , the living stone , 1 Pet. 2. 4. and fit spirituall materialls , to be set into the spirituall house , 1 Pet. 2. 5. 3. What is the Forme of this spirituall house ? Union : They which gladly received the word were baptized , and were added unto the Church ( and so were compacted into one spirituall house , whereof Jesus the Christ is Lord : Heb. 3. 6. But Christ as a Sonne over his owne house , whose house are we , if wee hold fast the confidence , and the rejoycing of the hope firme unto the end : ) And these continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine , and fellowship , in breaking of bread , and prayers , &c. Act 2. 41 , 42. The Furniture of this spirituall ●ouse of the new Testament , where●f Jesus the Christ is the King , Priest ●nd Prophet , is a Priesthood , Sa●rifice , and an Altar ; but all spiri●●all . First , The Priests , whether they ●e Male or Female , they are all ●ne in Christ , Gal. 3. 28. Yea , every ●ember of this spirituall house are ●ade Kings and Priests to God the Fa●her , Revel . 1. 6. Yea , and the whole Church united into a body , is a cho●●n Generation , a royall Priesthood , an ●oly Nation , a peculiar People ; that they ●●ould shew forth the vertues of him that hath called them out of darknesse into ●is marvellous light : Which in times ●ast were not a ●eople , but are now the people of God , 1 Pet. 2. 9 , 10. Secondly , The Sacrifices that ●●ese Priests offer , are all spiri●uall . 1. The first is Prayer , which the ●pirit of Christ formeth in the heart ●f a beleever , whereby hee layeth ●pen all his spirituall and temporall wants unto God his Father , in the name and mediation of Jesus Christ , through whom hee hath received a promise to bee heard , and to have his request granted ; Joh. 16. 23 , 24. 2. Secondly , Praise is a spirituall sacrifice , offered up unto God continually , that is , the fruit of our lips , giving thanks to his name , Heb. 13. 15. Which is done by praising God in Psalmes , and Hymnes , and spirituall Songs , which the Spirit o● Christ formeth in us , to sing , and make melody in our hearts to th● Lord , Ephes . 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. What is a Psalme ? It is a rehearsall of those special● mercies and particular experience● that the Lord hath done for a beleever , when his soule was brough● into great adversity ; and when the Lord delivered him , the Spirit o● God in the dayes of his mirth bringeth into his mind , and causeth him with heart and lips to blesse th● Lord in the Congregation , for his mercies received . Thus Hannah , that was barren , ●he Lord made to keep house , and ●o be the joyfull mother of a sonne , ●ingeth her song of praise , 1 Sam. 2. ● . My heart rejoyceth in the Lord , my ●orne is exalted in the Lord , my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies ; because ● rejoyce in thy salvation . Mary the mother of Jesus singeth her Magnificat ; My soule doth magnifie the Lord , and my spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour , Luk. 1. 46 , 47. So when the Lord had made good unto old Zacharias what hee had foretold him concerning his sonne John , Luk. 1. 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20. being filled with the Spirit , breaketh forth into his Eucharistia of praise , Luk. 1. 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel , for hee hath visited and redeemed his people . Yea , and old aged Simeon singeth his Nunc dimittis , Lord , let thy servant depart in peace ; for mine eyes have seene thy salvation . Nay , King David upon his har● warbles out the speciall mercies and favours , and deliverances Go● had done for his soule , Psal . 103 Blesse the Lord , O my soule , and 〈◊〉 within mee blesse his holy Name . Bles● the Lord , O my soule , and forget 〈◊〉 all his benefits . Who forgiveth all thi●●● iniquities : who healeth all thy diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction : who crowneth thee with lovin● kindnesses , and tender mercies , & ● Nay , the Psalmist exhorteth th● Traveller , the sicke man , and th● Mariner , to praise God for thei● speciall mercies received ; Psal . 107. Hence ( holy Paul saith ) I will pra● with the spirit , and I will pray wit● understanding also : I will sing wit● the spirit , and I will sing with under●standing also . Else , when thou shal● blesse with the spirit , how shall he whic● occupieth the roome of the unlearned ▪ say , Amen , at thy giving of thanks ? ● Cor. 14. 15 , 16. So that to sing blesse , and give thanks , in the language of holy Scripture , is all one . Hence , as spirituall Prayer is a Sacrifice , Psal . 141. 2. offered up unto God our Father in the name of Christ , to comfort , solace , and cure a sad and grieved spirit ; so spirituall praise is a Sacrifice , tendered to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ , through Christ , Heb. 13. 16. by a merry and rejoycing Spirit , for the speciall mercies and blessings spirituall , and temporall , that the Lord hath bountifully bestowed on him . According to that of the Apostle Iames , Is any afflicted amongst yo● , let him pray ? Is any merry amongst you , let him sing ? James 5. 13. 3. Thirdly , Sacrifice , is a bro●en and a contrite heart for his sins , and his dayly failings he hath committed against a crucified Jesus : when God powreth upon his people the Spirit of grace and supplication , Zech. 12. 10. The more the Spirit of Christ openeth the eyes of their spirituall understanding , to looke up by faith upon a Jesus , who for their sinnes was peirced , the more will their hearts bee pierced with godly sorrow for their sinnes , which bringeth repentance to salvation , never to be repented of , 2 Cor. 7. 10 , 11. and to loath themselves in their owne eyes , for all their spirituall and corporall abominations , Ezek. 36. Hence beleeving David the King , that sorrowed after a godly manner , for all his iniquities , said , The sacrifices of God are a troubled spirit : A broken and contrite heart for sinne , o● God , thou wilt not despise , Psalm 51. 17. 4. Sacrifice ; is a free , ready , and cheerefull contribution to the poor● and needy members of Christ Hebr. 13. 16. To doe good and distribute forget not , for with such a sacrifice God is well pleased , Phil. 4. 18. 5. Sacrifice ; is an holy life , which the Spirit of Christ formeth in us . Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you brethren upon the mercifulnesse of God , that yee present your bodies a living sacrifice , holy , and acceptable to God , which is your reasonable service . 1 Cor. 6. 20. Yee are bought with a price ; glorifie God therefore in body and spirits which are Gods. Thirdly , The Altar , that sanctifieth the person and the Sacrifice , and maketh them both acceptable unto God , Is Jesus the Christ . 1 Pet. 2. 5. Yee also as lively stones ( that have received life from Jesus the living stone ) are built up a spirituall house , and holy Priest-hood to offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God , through Jesus Christ . To this Spirituall House , or Church of the New Testament , gathered according to the royall Commission of King Jesus , Matth. 28. 18 , 19 , 20. as the Churches in Judea , in Rome , Corinth , Galatia , Ephesus , &c. were constituted . The Promises were made : First , that God would bee a Father to all those that did obey his voice , and come out from among the Jewes , Heathens , and Gentiles , and separate from their false waies , and superstitious worship , and touch not the uncleane thing , and he will receive you ; And yee shall be his Sonnes and Daughters , saith the Lord , the Almighty , 2 Corinth 6. 17 , 18. Secondly , for all the defects that these commit against his Spirituall worship , they have this promise ; The bloud of Iesus Christ , his Sonne , clenseth them from all their sinnes , 1 Iohn 1. 7. 1 Iohn 2. 1 , 2. Thirdly , So many as have been b●ptized into the name of the Lord Jesus ; ( that is , into the profession of Faith that the Apostles taught , to wit , that men should beleeve in a Crucified , dead , and risen Jesus , whom God hath exalted to be Lord and Christ ) had the promise of receiving the gifts of the holy Spirit . How prove you that to this Faith and Baptisme , the gift of the holy Spirit was granted . Repent , and be baptized every one of you , in the name of Jesus , for the remission of sinnes , and yee shall receive the g●fts of the holy Spirit . For the promise ( of giving the holy Spirit ) is to you , and to your children , ( as Joel the Prophet foretold ; ) I will powre out my spirit upon all flesh ; and your Sonnes and Daughters shall prophesie ; and your old men shall dreame Dreames ; and your young men shall see V●sions , and also upon the servants , and upon the handmaides , in those daies I will powre out my spirit , Joel 2. ●8 , ●9 . And all that are a farre off , even so many as the Lord our God shall call , verse 29. and to the twelve in Asia ●he promise was made good , Acts 19. 5 , 6 , 7. And when this Spirit is come , he will guid thee into all truth ; for he shall not speake of himselfe : but whatsoever he shall heare , that shall ●ee speake , and he will shew them things to come , John 16. 13. Yea to be to the whole Church , as a River that shall make glad the City of God , Psal . 46. 4. compared with John 7. 37. If any man thirst , let him come to me and drinke ; vers . 38. Hee that beleeveth on me , as the Scripture hath said , out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters . Vers . 39. ( But this he spake of the Spirit , that they that beleeve on him shall receive : For the holy Spirit was not yet given , because that Jesus wa● not yet glorified . ) But when Jesus was by the right hand of his Father exalted , he received of the Father th● promise of the holy Spirit ; He● hath shed forth this , which you now se● and heare , Acts 22. 33. Fourthly , All things that ar● lost and accursed to mankinde by the fall of the first Adam : are restored and sanctified to the use o● the beleevers , in and by the second Adam , Jesus the Christ . All thing● are yours : Whether Paul , or Apollo ▪ or Cephas , or the world , or life , or death , or things present , or things to come , all are yours , and yee are Christs , and Christ is Gods , 1 Cor 3. 21 , 22 , 23. Hence the unbeleeving wife is sanctified to the use of the beleever : And shee being an unbeleever dwelling with the beleeving husband is sanctified , to bring forth an holy Seed to the use of the beleever : though the childe be borne in sinne , and by nature the child of wrath , as the most prophanest Pagans are , Psal . 51. 5. Ephes . 2. 3. Void of understanding , not able to distinguish betwixt good and evill : Yet , Titus 1. 15 Unto the pure , all things are pure : Nay , the meat and drinke and the Creature which God hath created , are sanctified to his use ; 1 Tim , 4. 3 , 4 , 5. For every creature of God is good , and nothing to be refused ; If it bee received with thankesgiving : For it is sanctified by the Word and Prayer . What Priviledge hath the unbeleeving party , by dwelling and abiding with the beleever ? Great is the Priviledge , if he , or shee , will abide ; for living under them , where the holy Spirit breatheth , and his lips drop as the honey combe ; the sweet precious treasure of the Gospell of grace ; What knowst thou , oh thou beleeving husband , whether God will not make thee instrumentall to save thy wife ? though an unbeleever : Or what knowest thou , oh thou beleeving wife ? whether God will not make thee instrumentall to save thy husband ? 1 Cor. 7. 16. And when hee is converted , hee will blesse God for you , ( as David did for Abigail , in another case ) Blessed be the Lord for you , and blessed be your good counsell , for you have been an instrument to convert a soule from the errour of his way , and save a soule from death , and hide a multitude of transgressions . Is it not a greater Priviledge for an Infant to be borne of a beleever , then to be borne of a Jew , a Turke , or an Heathen ? yea ; For the Children borne of beleevers are brought up in holy instruction , and education from their childe-hood ( as young Timothy was taught in the Scriptures from his youth , by his mother Eunice ) seeing it is the charge , the holy Spirit hath laid upon beleeving Parents : Ephes . 6. 4. Fathers provoke not your children to wrath ; But bring them up in the nurture and feare of the Lord. Whereas if their Parents were Jewes , and Turkes , and Heathens , the Parents being without Christ , being Aliants from the Common-wealth of Israel ; and strangers from the covenant of Promise , having no hope , and without God in the world , Ephes . 2 12. Their children brought up with them , follow after Superstitious vanities ; and ferve dumbe Idolls , as their Teachers , and Fathers led them , ● Cor. 12. 1. Fiftly , They are people live under precious promises : And hee hath promised , that the eye of his providence shall bee over them , all their dayes for good : He biddeth them not distract themselves with immoderate carking care : For what they shall eate , or what they shall drinke , or yet for their bodies , what they shall put on . Reasons Christ giveth are two . First , Your heavenly Father knoweth yee have need of all these things . Secondly , But seeke yee first the Kingdome of God , and his righteousnesse ; and all these things shall be added unto you , Matth. 6. 33. Now the members of the Church of Christ , gathered according to Christs Institution , Matth. 28. 18 , 19 , 20. are the Children of the Kingdome ; and under the Promise , that God , as a Father , will provide for them ; Therefore they are exhorted to bee carefull for nothing : But in every thing , by Prayer , and Supplications , with thankesgiving , let their request be made knowne unto God , Philip. 4. 6. Hence the Apostle exhorteth the Church of ●he Hebrewes ; Let your conversation bee without covetousnesse ; and bee content with such things as yee have : For he hath said , I will never faile thee , nor forsake thee : So that we may boldly say , the Lord is my helper . And I will not feare what man shall doe unto me , Hebr. 13. 5 , 6. Sixtly , They are under the promise of Audience , whensoever they come to petition in the name of his Sonne Jesus the Christ , for what they want , be they few or many : Matth. 18. 19. I say to you , that if two of you ( beleevers baptized ) agree in earth , as touching any thing that they shall aske , It shall bee done for them of my Father in Heaven . Vers . 20. For where two or three are gathered together in my Name , ( that is , by his Power , Authority , and Royall Commission , he hath promised his presence ) there am I in the midst of them ; to heare and returne them an answer to their request ; yea , and to protect and preserve his Church , gathered in every Age , to the ends of the world . Thus at the Prayer of the Church , that was reproched , for holding forth the Faith of Jesus ; the gift of the holy Spirit was given , to speake the Word of God with boldnes , Acts 4. 31. At the earnest suit and intercession the Church made unto God , Peter the Apostle was released out of his Imprisonment , and brought to the house where they were praying , Acts 12. Seventhly , Lastly , there is no Society hath such Priviledges , as this Spirituall Ho●se , which is constituted according to the Magna Charta of the Gospel , Matth. 28. 18 , 19 , 20. Marc. 16. 15 , 16. though while they are in the Wo●ld , they are for the Faith of Jesus the Christ killed all the day long ( either in their good names , by r●proch , and ●lander ; or in their estates , by the ●ighty Nimrods of these oppres●●ng daies , they are exposed to plun●er and spoiling , which they are to ●ake patiently , Hebr. 10. 32. or in ●heir Liberties to be imprisoned , for ●ontending for the Faith of Jesus ●he Christ , 1 John 5. 1. Once given ●nto the Saints , or forbid to preach ●ny more in his name , as the Apo●tle Peter was , Acts 4 18. or to have ●heir lives taken violently f●om ●hem , as James the Apostle was by ●he Tyrant Herod , Acts 12. 2. 3. And accounted , But as sheepe for the slaughter , ( regarded no more by the Wolves in sheepes clothing , then the bloudy Butcher regardeth the life of his sheepe ; ) yet the poorest member amongst them is rich in faith , and heire of the Kingdome which God hath promised to them that love him , James 2. 5. Yea , and the whole body of beleevers , walking in that faith and order , Christ hath prescribed , with perseverance in the faith unto the ende , shall be more then conquerours , through him that loved them , Rom. 8. 36. Yea , next to the Paradise of glorie ; there is no Society like to this Spirituall Corporation of Saints , where the Lord will dwell in the middest of them , and give them light : Hence was the beloved Apostles Utinam , Oh that you had fellowship with us , 1 John 1. 3. Why was it such a Priviledge ? Truly , our fellowship is with the Father , and with his Sonne Jesus Christ : So that the Father , Sonne , and holy Spirit , and Saints , make up but one Society , or Family , where God will dwell , to comfort and solace them : the good Angels their guard , to protect and save them ( as they did once the Prophet Elisha from the troop of the Aramites , 2 King. 6. 17. ) seeing they pitch their tents round about them that feare him , Psal . 34. 7. And are sent forth to be ministring Spirits , to minister unto them that are heires of salvation , Heb. 1. 14. And when they die , they resigne their spirits to God that gave them , as the Proto-Martyr Stephen did , Lord Jesus receive my spirit , Acts 7. 59. to remaine in the mansion prepared for the spirits of just men departed . So that happy are the people that are in such a case ; yea , blessed are those Churches that have the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for their God. What is the Antichristian faith ? It is to deny that Jesus ( whom they confesse dyed to take away the sinnes of the world ) is the Christ . How prove you that ? 1 Joh. 2. 22. Who is a liar , ( viz. borne of the evill one , who is a liar , and the father of lies , and abode not in the truth , Joh. 8. 44. ) but hee that denyeth that Jesus is the Christ ? ( viz. the eternall King , Prophet , Priest of his Church , bought with his owne bloud ) hee is Antichrist ( an enemy and an adversary to Jesus the Christ ) that denyeth the Father and the Sonne . For he that denyeth the Sonnes authority , to be the eternall King and Prophet of the Church of the New Testament , to the end of the world , according to the royall Commission hee received from the Father of glory , when hee raised him from the dead , Mat. 28. 18 , 19 , 20. compared with Mar. 16. 15 , 16. aswell as his eternall Priest , that ever liveth to make intercession to God for him , Heb. 7. 25. hee denyeth the Father that sanctified the Sonne , and sent him into the world , Joh. 10. 36. and raised him from the dead , and exalted him to be Lord and Christ , Act. 2. 36. Ephes . 1. 20 , 21 , 22 , 23. What Congregations deny that Jesus is the Christ ? Even all such as build their house upon the hay and stubble of mans inventions , and not upon the precious stone , Jesus the Christ , in whom onely salvation is found , Act. 4. 12. Of which sort of builders are these : The first sort are those that build their house upon the person of Peter , and so successively upon the P●pe . These the Spirit of God discovereth to be foolish builders ▪ because there is no salvation in Peter , nor Pope : the Apostle Peter himselfe being the Judge to decide the controversie , Acts 4. 11. Peter speaking of Jesus the Christ , saith , This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders ▪ which is become the head of the corner . Ver. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other ; for there is none other name under heaven given amongst men , whereby wee must be saved . The second sort are those that build their house upon the Office of Peter , and so successively on the Officers : So that if the Officers united into a body in Councell erre , the whole Church that receiveth their faith , from their Edicts and Decrees , erre also . Now , that Councells may erre , and have erred , in things appertaining to God , appeareth in the 21. Article of the Church of England , by Law established ; as appeareth . Adoration of Images was established in the second Generall Councell of Nice . The Popish Clergy were advanced above all earthly Princes , by the Councell of Lateran . And Priests prohibited to marry , which is honourable amongst all men , Heb. 13. 4. by the said Councell . The late Trident Councell erred in many things grosly ; as in exalting the traditions of men to be of equall authority with the word of God ; Trident. Sess . 4. Decret . Together with the invocation of creatu●es . Or any other Councell , that should decree , that grace cometh by generation ; or , Beleevers should beget beleevers : or , Christians beget Christians : then the whole Church that build their faith upon such corrupt Councells may erre also . The third sort are all those that build their house upon another mans faith , and not basing or laying the foundation aright , on the Gospel faith ; to wit , to beleeve in a crucified , dead , and risen Jesus , whom God hath exalted to be the Christ : If they erre in the object of their faith , Jesus the Christ , though they owne him to be Jesus their eternall Priest , to make intercession to God for them ; yet if they deny him their eternall King and Prophet , in all his outward institutions , in admitting of members into his spirituall Kingdome , they build but on a sandy foundation , and not on the sure rock Jesus the Christ . These Congregations , when the storme of Gods ind●gnation bloweth upon them , it will faile them ▪ because they were so foolish as to build upon the sand , Mat. 7. 26. and not upon the immoveable rock Jesus the Christ ; seeing other foundations no man can lay , save that is laid , Jesus the Christ , 1 Cor. 3. 11. Paul calleth him , The corner stone , Ephes . 2. 20. Peter , The living stone , 1 Pet. 2. 4. Yea , The chiefe corner stone , elect and precious : hee that beleeveth on him shall not be confounded , 1 Pet. 2 6. Vnto you that beleeve ( in Jesus the Christ , hee i● precious , 1 Pet. 2. 7. Now , the true Spouse of Christ can have no communion with such as deny Jesus the Christ their onely Rock , in whom salvation onely i● found , Act. 4. 12. First , Because shee is a loyal● Spouse , that hath no head , no husband , no Lord , no Law-giver , in things appe●taining to the conscience , but royall King Jesus : no● will admit any other pretende● Spouse to have fellowship with h●r ▪ that is partly governed by the wor● of Christ , and pa●tly with the chaff● and straw of their owne traditions , in Gods spirituall worship , or in admitting of m●mbers into his spirituall house : Knowing , that in so doing shee should be found to be a Monster , that hath two heads ; o● else like to that proud harlot R●me , that hath a divided heart , that goeth a whoring after two husb●nds ; Christ , and Antichrist . Secondly , This loyall Spouse her love toward her husband the Lord Jesus the Christ , is tender and compassionate love ; shee cannot endure to heare her husband should bee spoyled of any of his royall dignities , either his Kingly or Propheticall , as well as Priestly Offices : Shee cannot with harlot Rome bee content with a divided Christ ; but with the true mother shee must joyn onely with them that will have a whole Christ , or no Christ . Christ her King , and his Commission to bee eternall , Mat. 28. 18 , 19 , 20. Christ her Prophet , whose voyce shee must onely heare ; as the Father of glory hath given her in charge to doe , Mat. 17. 5. Yea , and the extent how farre , in all things , whatsoever hee shall say ; Act. 3. 22. Knowing , the danger followeth , her soule shall be cut off from his people , Act. 3. 23. reckoned no sheep of his fold , Joh. 10. no Spouse of her royall husband , Ephes . 5. 24. as well as her eternall Priest , to make intercession for her , Heb 7. 25. because shee knoweth , Christ divided , becometh no Christ to the divider : And this , according to the Vulgar Latine , is solvere Jesum , to dissolve Jesus , to receive him onely in part , and not in the whole ; which is the spirit of Antichrist , &c. Lastly , The Christian Church , Christs loyall Spouse , knoweth that her royall husband is jealous of his glory , and will not endure his Worship should be corrupted with the inventions of man ; therefore shee deserteth the communion of all such as have forsaken Christ , the fountaine of living waters , and dig to themselves cisternes , broken cisternes , that will hold no water . Hence it is as possible for light and darknesse to agree in one subject , and the Temple of God , and I●ols : as the Church that hath Christ for her head , and the Word to bee the rule of her Doctrine , and Government . And those Congregations that are governed , partly by the Word of Christ , and partly by their owne T. aditions , should have communion together . But have Gods Elect in Babylon any power of themselves to returne out of the Land of their spirituall Captivity under Antichrist . Nay : Untill God enlighten them , that are darke ; and quicken them that are dead , and cause them to returne , by being obedient to a Gospel Ministery : as formerly he brought in our fore-fathers , which were Gentiles aswell as wee , and strangers from the common-wealth of Israel , and Aliants from the covenant of Promise , having no hope , and without God in the world , by opening their blind eyes : and turning them from darkenesse to light ; and from the power of Satan , unto God ; that they might receive the remission of their sinnes , and an inheritance amongst them which are sanctified by Faith in Christ Jesus , Acts 26. 18. Now as many as shall bee obedient to the voice of the Lord , will be unequally yoaked no more with unbeleevers , but wil become obedient unto the voice of the holy Spirit , and come out from amongst them , and be separate ; and touch no more any of the uncleane thing ; and then the Lord will make good his promise : To be a Father unto you , and yee shall be his Sonnes and Daughters . Having therefore these Promises ( dearely beloved ) Let us clense our selves ( even so many poore Iaphets , as God shall perswade to dwell in the Tents of Shem ; ) from all filthynesse , both of the flesh , and of the spirit , perfecting holynesse in the feare of the Lord , 2 Cor. 6. 14 , 17 , 18. Chap. 7 , 1. If all Churches come out of Babylon by degrees ; then you condemn all Churches that are not of your judgement ? We condemne no Churches that are built upon the tryed stone : the precious Corner Stone ; the sure Foundation , Esay 28. 16. Jesus the Christ . Seeing other foundation can no man lay , save that is layd Jesus Christ , 1 Cor. 3. 11. Whom Paul calleth the corner stone , Ephes . 2. 20. Peter , the living stone , 1 Pet. 2. 4. Yea , the chiefe corner stone , elect and precious , 1 Pet. 2. 6. For there is salvation in none other , Acts 4. 12. 2 And that holdeth the Gospell Faith : namely , that they beleeve in a crucified , dead , and risen Jesus ( through whom they obtaine remission of sinnes ) whom God hath exalted to be Lord , and Christ , viz. eternall King ▪ Priest ▪ and Prophet , and head of the body of his Church , Ephe. 1. 22 , 23. which must be preached among all Nations ; beginning at Jerusalem , Luke 24. 46 , 47 , 48. And constituted according to the Commission given to the Apostles , Math. 28. 19 , 20. which is left as a rule for the g●thering of all Churches , to the ends of the World ; seeing the Word of Christ is eternall . The word of the Lord endureth for ever ; and this is the Word , which by the Gospell is preache● unto you , 1 Pet. 1. 25. Yea , and after their apostasie , under the spirituall Babylonish captivity , to reforme any errour crept into the Churches of the old and new Testament : It was their holy custome , to reduce all things to their first Institution : Quod primum verum , th●t which was first is true , according to ertullians j●dgement . For instance , so 〈◊〉 David in the miscarriage of the Arke of God , 1 Chro. 15. 2. 12. 13. And it was zealous Iosiahs rule ( whom the Spirit of God so comme●deth in Scripture , that none was like before him for his Reformation ) 2 Chr● 34 31. The like example tooke Nehemiah after his returne from the Babylonish Captivity , Neh. 10. 29. To observe all the Commandements of the Lord , and the Statutes which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them to keepe . So in reforming of the particular Churches of the New Testament , whereof Jesus the Christ is head , King , and Prophet ( if ever they be rightly brought out of their Spirituall Babylonish captivity under Antichrist ) we must reforme all the Innovations , as the Lord Jesus himselfe reformed the long-spread errour of Bygamie and Polygamy . Non fuit sic ab initio , From the beginning it was not so , Matth. 19. 7 , 8. Yea , and we must so follow Paul ( as he followed Christ , 1 Cor. 11. 1. ) in reforming the abuses crept into the Church of Corinth , reducing all things to the first Institution : With a what I r●ceived from the Lord , that I delivered unto you , 1 Cor. 11. 23. We condemne none that are comming out of Babylon , that make enquiry after truth ( as the daughters of Ierusalem did of the Spouse , Cant. 5. 9. What is thy beloved more then another beloved ; oh thou fairest among women ? What is thy beloved more then others beloveds , that thou dost so charge us ? And tru●h being r●vealed to them , joyne with us in the practise of truth , ( as the Daughters of Ierusalem did with the Spouse , Cant. 6. 1. Whither is thy beloved gone , oh thou fairest among women ? Whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seeke him with thee ? ) The Spouse giveth them a gentle , and a loving direction , Cant. 6. 2. My beloved is gone into his garden , to gather Spic●s : to feed in the garden , and to gather Lillies . But wee onely condem●e those that deny Jesus the Christ ( though they owne him their eternall Priest , that ever liveth , to make intercession to God for them Hebr. 7. 25. ) yet they deny him their King and P●ophet in all his outward administrations , in admitting of members into his Spirituall Kingdome ; stablished ●ccording to Christs eternall Commission , Mat. 28. 18 , 19 , 20. and are ●uil● upon wood , hay , and stubble , 1 Cor. 3. 12. Now though these pre●end to come out of Babylon , yet they persecute , scof●e ▪ and deride all poore weake enq●i●ing soules , for seeking after the pure wayes of that spirituall Worship , that Jesus the Christ hath appointed , and established in all the Churches of the Saints , gathe●ed according to the P●imitive ▪ pattern Act. 2. 41 42 , 43. as the watchman ●id the Spouse , Cant. 5. 7. Wee condemne onely those that sinne through a wilfull contempt ; because the ev●ll of their halfe-way Reformation is discovered by them , whom God hath raised up to declare his truth in an evill day . Now , when these sorts of men shall bee so farre from repenting of all the evill that they have done to the servants of the Lord Jesus , in this kind , that they still persevere in persecuting them for the truth they deliver , ( as the Jewes did of old the Lord Jesus , and their own Prophets , as it is written , 1 Thes . 2. 14. For yee , brethren , became followers of the Churches of God , which in Judea are in Christ Jesus ; for yee have also suffered like things of your owne countrymen , even as they of the Jewes : Verse 15. Who both killed the Lord Jesus , and their owne Prophets , and have persecuted us , and they please not God , and are contrary to all men ; Ver. 16. Forbidding us to preach to the Gentiles , that they may be saved , that they may fill up the measure of their owne iniquity , that the wrath of God may come upon them unto the uttermost . ) Upon these sorts of men , not we , but the Lord Jesus hath set this dreadfull doome , This is the condemnation , that light is come into the world , and men love darknesse rather then light , because their deeds are evill . For every one that doth evill , hateth the light , neither cometh to the light , least his deeds should bee dis●overed , John 3. 19 , 20. Not wee , but the good Spirit of ●ur God condemneth all those that ●inger after false and Antichristian wayes : When Babylons down-fall ●s pronounced , R●vel . 14. 8. Babylon ●s fallen , it is fall●n , that great City ; because shee made all nations drunk with ●he wine of her fornications . V 9. Af●er that followed a third Angel , that cryed with a loud voyce saying , if any man ( be hee high or low , rich or poore , noble or ignoble , bond or free , male or female ) worship the Beast ( that Antichrist of Rome , that exalteth himselfe above all that is called God , or worshipped ) or his Image , ( that is , his Government , that receive their power and ju●isdiction from , in , or under him ) or his mark , ( viz. his Canons , Constitutions , Edicts ▪ or Decrees ) into their hands , ( viz. to fight , or write in the defence of them ) or into their foreheads , ( to plead or preach for them ) mark their doome , The same ( not that doe it ignorantly through un●belie●e , that are mislead by thei● Teachers ; but they which sinn against knowledge , obstinately to defend their Antichristian practices● shall drink of the wine of the wrath o● God , which is poured out without mix●ture into the cup of his indignation , an● they shall be tormented with fire an● brimstone in the presence of the hol● Angels , and in the presence of the Lamb● And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever : and they hav● no rest day nor night , who worship th● Beast and his image , and receive th● mark of his name , Revel . 14. 10 , 11● The good Lord of his great mercy grant to all those that belong to his election ( that linger after false and Antichristian wayes and practices ) repenting hearts , to forsake their sinnes , that none of that evill threatned fall upon them . Amongst which marks of the Beast , Is not the decree of Pope Innocentius the third ? Decret . Gregor . lib. 3. ●it . 42. cap 3. as Doctor Willet in his Synopsis Papismi de baptismo infanti●m , citeth : That whereas Circum●ision ( by the commandement of God ) was conferred upon the in●ants as well as the elder sort ; so Baptisme also , which succeedeth in ●he roome thereof , and is more generall to men and women , must ●e conferred to both . By which Decree , the Nations in name and title have been christianized , ( though ●n the power they have denyed it ) and have killed many a precious Saint , under the brand of Hereticks , for opposing it : whereby , the inhabitants of the earth have beene made drunk with the wine of her fornication , Revel . 17. 2. But the Spirit of God describeth the true Church , after Babylons down-fall , Revel . 14. 12. Here is the patience of Saints : here are they which keep the commandements of God , and the faith of Jesus . And is it not a commandement of God , that all Churches should be gathered according to the Commission of King Jesus ? Mat. 28. 18 , 19 , 20. Mar. 16● 15 , 16. Wee onely condemne those Churches ( that persecute Christ in his members , from city to city , ( as Saul did , Act. 26. 9 , 10. ) fo● keeping the commandements o● God , and the faith of Jesus , Mat● 16. 16. 1 Joh. 5. 1. ) as no true Churches of Christ ; but rather Synagogues of Satan : for , no hurtful thing shall be in the holy mountaine● Esay 65. 25. The wolfe and the lam● shal● fold together ; and the lion shall eat straw like an oxe ; and the dust shall the serpent eat : They shall not destroy in all my holy mountaine , saith the Lord● As likewise , Esay 11. 6 , 7 , 8 , 9. If the Churches that men now contend for ( coming out of Babylon by degrees ) should crucifie Christ in his members , for contending for the faith of Jesus the Christ , once given to the Saints , Mat. ●6 . 16 , 17 , 18. yea , reproach , whip , crop , and persecute them , for holding the Commission of their royall Master Jesus the Christ , Mat. 28. 18 , 19 , 20. that Antichrist by his Decretals , and Popish Councels , hath defaced , ( as of late the Arch-Prelate of England did some Worthies , that stood for a Reformation according to the light God discovered unto them ) then they in such an estate were no true Churches of Christ ; but Congregations that are hardened , and speake evill of the way before the multitude , and are to be separated from , Act. 19. 9. But if they be meek , and gentle , peaceable , and willing to bee instructed , inquiring after truth , it being discovered by the true Spouse ( whom God hath enlightened to direct them , ) wee contemne not those daughters ; but rejoyce in their fellowship , tender them as lambes of Christ , that have a longing desire to be added to that sheepfold , whereof ▪ Jesus is the true shepherd ; though as yet ignorant of the way of truth in many things ▪ But as for the neutrall party , tha● are neither hot nor cold , but luke-warme , God will spue them out o● his mouth , Revel . 3. 15 , 16. Whether the Church of Chris● is not now to be recovered out o● an Antichristian estate , that denyeth that Jesus is the Christ , 1 Joh● 2 , 22. and crucifieth Christ in hi● members ; as the Church of the New Testament in the Apostolicall times , was gathered out of th● Nationall Church of the Jewes ( that was of old once a true state untill they crucified Jesus the Christ in his humane nature ; whom God raised from the dead , and exalted him to be Lord and Christ , Act. 2. 36. ) i● God shall by his Gospel-Ministery wound and prick their hearts for their sinne of crucifying Christ in his members , that confesse the faith ●f Jesus the Christ , 1 Joh. 5. 1. ( as ●ee did once the Jewes that crucifi●d the Christ , their Messias , in his ●wne person , Acts 2. 37. ) so that ●●ey trembling cry out , Men and ●●ethren , what shall we doe ? Must not the Reply bee that ●oyce that the holy Spirit spake by ●e mouth of Peter , Repent , and be ●aptized every one 〈◊〉 you in the name of Jesus for the remission of sinnes : ●nd yee shall receive the gift of the ho● Spirit . For the promise is to you , and 〈◊〉 your children , and to them that are ●farre off , even so many as the Lord 〈◊〉 God shall call . And with many other words hee said , ( and must not ●ee doe so likewise ? seeing what●oever things ●ere written afore-time , were written for our learning , Rom. 15. ● . ) Save your selves from this unto●ard generation . Seeing the same wrath is fallen on them ( as was on ●he Jewes , for killing the Lord Jesus ●nd their owne Prophets , 1 Thes . 2. 14 , 15 , 16. ) seeing they crucifie Christ in his members , that contend for the faith of Jesus the Chris● ( as Paul did , Act. 9. ) Now so many as shall gladly receive this word and be baptized , shall be saved from wrath ; as Noah and his family were saved in the Ark , from perishing by water ; seeing it is written , by th● like figure Baptisme saveth , 1 Pet. 3● 20 , 21. The Reason is , first , Because th● time of our ignorance God hath winke● at ; but now ( seeing light is come and truth is revealed ) the Lord Jesus commandeth us every where to re●pent , &c. Acts 2. 38. Else our con●demnation will be heavie , Joh. 3 ▪ 19 , 20. This is t●e condemnation , ligh● is come , and men love darknesse mor● then light , because their deeds are evill , &c. Secondly , Because we have with Paul and the Jaylor , in the time o● our ignorance , beaten and perse●cuted Jesus the Christ in his mem●bers , that contend for the faith 1 Joh. 5. 1. and wee though within our selves we ought to doe something contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth ( as Paul did in the time of his ignorance , Act. 26. 9. ) If God shall by his good Spirit convince us of the evills that wee have done , so as that we trembling cry , Men and brethren , what shall we doe ? Must not the reply be , Repent ? &c. Act. 2. 38. Else , shall they not be disobedient to the voyce of the Spirit that speaketh ? seeing Paul and the Jaylor arose and were baptized , Acts 9. 18. & 16. 33. Thirdly , Because there is no promises of salvation to be found in the Antichristian states , that deny Jesus the Christ , 1 Joh. 2. 22. The Reasons are , First , Because all the promise of God are made over to them onely that beleeve in Jesus the Christ , 2 Cor ▪ 1. 20. Hee that beleeveth in the Sonne of God hath life , and he that beleeveth not in the Sonne of God , hath not life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him , John 3. 36. Secondly , Till we did beleeve in Jesus Christ , we were ( in respect of any visible calling ) without Christ ; being Aliants from the Common-wealth of Israel , and strangers from the Covenant of Promise ; having no hope , and without God in the world . But once beleevers in Christ , Yee who were sometime afarre off , are made nigh by his bloud , and through him have accesse by one Spirit unto the Father . And are no more strangers and forraigners : but fellow-citizens with the Saints , and of Gods houshold , &c. Ephes . 2. 12 , 13. 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22. Thirdly , Because they in denying the Sonnes authority to bee the King and Prophet of his Church in all his outward administrations , in admitting members into his spirituall kingdome , Math. 28. 19. 20. though they own him their Priest , that ever liveth to make reconciliation to God for them , Hebr. 7. 25. They deny the Father , that sanctified the Sonne , and sent him into the world , and raised him from the dead , and exalted him to be the Lord and Christ , Act. 2. 36. Ephes . 1. 20 , 21 , 22. Fourthly , Because the Antichristian state deny the Sonne , 1 Iohn 2. 22 , 23. Whom the Father of glory commandeth us to heare , Math. 17. 5. Yea , and the Apostle Peterciting the Testimony of Moses , saith , Truely Moses said to the Fathers , The Lord your God will raise up a Prophet from the midst of your bretheren , like unto me ; him shall yee heare in all things whatsoever he shall say : and the danger followeth . It shall come to passe , that every soule which refuseth to heare the voice of that Prophet , that soule shall be cut off from his people , Acts 3 , 22 , 23. The Reasons are these . First , If Jesus the Christ bee not our Prophet to teach us , hee will not be our King to protect us : Math. 28. 10. Teach them , saith Christ , to observe , all things that I command you : And loe , I am alwaies with you to the end of the world . Secondly , If Christ be no Prophet to teach us his heavenly Fathers revealed will , he wil be no Priest to intercede for us , Ioh. 17. 20. I pray not for these alone , but for all them that shall beleeve in me through their word . Now it is not their word that they speake , but what they have received from Christ to speake . Seeing it is written 2 Iohn 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ , hath not God : but he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ , hath both the Father and the Sonne . Verse 10. If there come any unto you , and bring not this doctrin , receive him not to house , neither bid him God speed . Verse 11. For hee that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evill deeds . Thirdly , If Christ bee no Prophet to teach us : Hee will bee no Judge to acquit us . Iohn 12. 48. Hee which rejecteth mee , and rece iveth not my words , hath one that judgeth him ; the words that I have spoken , the same shall judge us in the last day . And then like the wise Merchant , let us cast up our accouut , what it will profit us ? If by denying to heare the voice of our Prophet Jesus , we gaine the world , and in the meane season loose our precious soules . Knowing the Sonne of man shortly will come to judge the world : And then they which be ashamed of him , and his words , in this sinnefull and adulterous generation , of them will the Sonne of man be ashamed , when he cometh in the glory of his Father ▪ with all his holy Angels , Marke 8. 38. Fourthly , If we joyne with them that deny Jesus the Christ , I Iohn 2. 22. and will be partakers of their sinnes , wee shall bee partakers of their plagues , Revel . 18. 4. And for our unbeliefe , in persisting to persecute them , that contend for the faith of Jesus the Christ , Math. 16 ▪ 16 , 17 , 18. The wrath of God abideth on them , 1 Thess . 2. 14 , 15 , 16. Fiftly , There is no promise to any people , that deny the Faith and Baptisme of Jesus the Christ , that they waiting shall receive the gifts of the Spirit . But rather that they shall be given up of God to strong delusions , to beleeve a lye , 2 Thess . 2. 10. Because they received not the love of the truth , that they might bee saved . Verse 11. For this cause , God shall give them up to strong delusions to beleeve a lye . Verse 12. That all might bee damned that beleeve not the truth , but have pleasure to continue in unrighteous practises . 2 Thess . 2 10 , 11 , 12. But there is a promise to all poore enquiring soules , that in the time of their ignorance and unbeliefe , have denyed Jesus the Christ , their eternall King and Prophet , aswell as Priest , and now by the Spirit of God being convicted , that they are lyars and Antichristian , that deny the Father and the Son , 1 Iohn 2. 22. And being pricked at the heart , now trembling , cry out , Men and brethren what shall we doe ? The Spirit of Christ in the inspired Scripture , saith : Repent , and be baptized ▪ every one of you in the name of Iesus for the remission of sins , and yee shall receive the gifts of the holy Spirit , Acts 2. 38. We have an instance of twelve Disciples found at Ephesus , baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus , and and Paul laid his hands on them , and they spake with new tongues , and Prophesied , as Ioel the Prophet foretold , Ioel 2. 28. I will powre out of my Spirit upon all flesh , &c. But were those Disciples Paul found at Ephesus ( that had beene baptized by Iohn the Paptist ) rebaptized by Paul ? In answering this objection , I conceive : First , there was a vast difference betweene Faith and Baptisme ; Iohn preached before the suffering , death , and resurrection of Christ : And the Faith and Baptisine Christ commanded his Disciples to preach after his Resurrection , Luke 24. 46 , 47. Secondly , Iohn the Baptist preached the Baptisme of repentance ▪ saying , that they should beleeve on him that was to come after him , Acts 19. 3 , 4. Whom Christ himselfe declareth to his Apostles , being come in the flesh that he must goe up to Ierusalem , fall into the hands of sinners , bee killed , and the third day rise againe , but th● Disciples understood it not , though it were declared to them , and they were afraid to aske him , Mark. 9. 31 , 32. Much more John understood not , that Christ should dye , and rise againe from the dead . First , because it was not revealed to him , though John sent two of his Disciples to demand of him , Whether it were he that should come , or shall we looke for another ? Christ answereth , Goe tell John , the blind see he deafe heare , the dead are raised , and the poore the Gospell is preached , and lessed is he that is not offended in me , Math. 11 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6. Secondly , Christ saith of John : This was that Elias that was to come , ●hat should prepare the way before him , Mal. 3. 1. Thirdly , Hee was the greatest Prophet borne amongst women : for he saw him come in the flesh , and said to two Disciples , Behold that Lamb ●f God which taketh away the sinnes of he world , John 1. 29. Yet hee that is he least member in the kingdom of heaven is greater then John : because after the death and resurrection of Christ , they could preach and declare that great myst●ry of godtinesse , 1 Tim. 3. 16. that Iohn the Baptistnever knew . But the Apostles after the resurrection of Christ , he having opened their understanding , that they might understand the Scriptures , said unto them , That it behoveth , Christ to suffer , and rise againe the third day , that repentance and remission of sinnes should bee preached in his name , amongst all Nations , beginning at Ierusalem : and yee are witnesses of these things , Luke 24. 46 , 47 , 48. Again , Iohn the Baptists baptisme , was the Baptisme of water onely but had no promise of the holy Spirit annexed , as himselfe confesseth , Math. 3. 11. I indeed baptize you with water to repentance : But he that commeth after mee is mightier then I ▪ he shall Baptize you with the holy Spirit and with fire . Secondly , The holy Spirit wa● not to bee given in his full measure untill Christ was glorified . Iohn 7. 39 compared with Acts 2. 33. But to the Faith and Baptisme the Apostles preached after the death , and resurrection , and ascention of Christ into glory , there was a promise of giving the gifts of the holy Spirit , Acts 2. 38. Repent , and b● Baptized , every one of you in the nam● of Iesus for the remission of sinnes : and yee shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit : as the Prophet Ioel foretold , Ioel 2. 28. and the twelve at Ephesus received , Acts 19. 6. I affirme , that the twelve at E●hesus , that had beene Baptized by Iohn , or his Disciples Ministry , were re-baptized by Paul , or them that were with him in the time of his Ministery ; for these ensuing Reasons . First , In respect of the different dispensations . The Faith and Baptisme that these twelve had received from Iohn , or his Disciples Ministerie , though it was a saving Faith all the dayes of Iohn and his Disciples Ministry , yet it was not a saving Faith after the death , and resurrection , and ascention of Christ into glory , in the time of Pauls Ministery : For Iohn and his Disciples preached the Baptisme of Repentance ; saying , that they should beleeve on him that was to come after him ▪ that was in Jesus Christ , that was to bee crucified . But Paul and Timetheus preached , that Jesus indeed is come , and crucified , dead , and risen , through whom all that beleeve shall have remission of sinnes , Acts 13. 38 , 39. 1 Cor. 15. 3 , 4. Secondly , Because this Faith that they had received from Iohn , or his Disciples , in the time of Pauls Ministery would not save them : Because they denyed the Resurrection of Christ from the dead : Looking onely for him to come , and to be crucified ; and were ignorant that he was crucified , dead , and risen : And then according to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit , by the mouth of Paul , 1 Cor. 15. 14. If Christ be not risen , our Faith is vaine , and our Preaching is vaine . Thirdly , If the Faith and Bap●isme of Iohn , that declared that there was a Jesus to come to bee Crucified ; and the Faith and Baptimse of Paul that declareth that Christ dyed for our sins , according to the Scriptures , and rose againe the third day according to the Scripture , 1 Cor. 15. 3 , 4. Be all one for substance ( as some of the Learned amongst us affirme ) then are wee found false witnesses of God , because wee have testified of God ; that he hath raised up his Sonne Iesus Christ , whom he ●aised not up if the Faith and Bap●isme of Iohn be in force at his day , ● Cor. 15. 15. Fourthly , If the Faith and Bap●isme of Iohn be in force under the time of Pauls Ministery , Acts 9. 3 , ● . Then was the preaching of Paul vaine , and the faith of all that received his Gospell , ( to wit , That Christ dyed for our sinnes , according to the Scriptures , and rose againe the third day , 1 Cor. 15. 3 , 4. ) vaine , and ●hat they were yet in their sinnes , 1 Cor. 15. 16. 17. Neither were the gifts o● the Spirit then given : For they wer● not to be shed forth until Christ wa● risen and ascended up into glor● Acts 2. 33. which is blaspemous to imagine , or to divulge and declare abroad . For these Reasons , I conceiv● there was a nullity of the Faith an● Baptisme of John , which was to continue but till the death and resur rection of Christ : And the twelve in Asia were re-baptized into th● Faith of a crucified , dead , and risen Jesus , whom God exalted to b● the Christ . And Paul layd his hand on them , and they received the hol● Spirit , Acts 19. 5. 6. May it not rather bee , that with Apollos , they were more fully instructed what it was to bee Baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus . Nay ; Because there was as vast a difference , according to the distin●●ion I formerly layd downe , be●weene the Faith and Baptisme of ●ohn and his Disciples before the eath of Christ , and the Faith and ●aptisme of Paul ; and ●he residue of the Apostles after the death and resurrection of Christ : As now is ●etwixt the Jewes at this day : and ●s that truely beleeve in Jesus the Christ , 1 Joh. 5. 1. Whosoever beleeveth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. For the Jewes at this day be●eeve ( as John and his Disciples then taught , That they should beleeve on him that should come , Acts 19. 4. ) even in that Messiiah whom they wait ●or . And we beleeve ( as Peter and Paul then taught ) That Christ indeed is come , and crucified , dead , and risen , and exalted to bee the Christ , Acts 2. 36 Ephes . 1. 20 , 21 , 22 , 23. So that , if the Jewish Faith be not a saving Faith at this day ; Seeing they looke for a Messiah to come : when indeed hee is already come , and crucified , dead , risen and ascended to glory ; So that we wait now for a Saviour from heaven , Jesus that shall deliver us from the wrath t● come , 1 Thess . 1. 10. Neither coul● the Faith of those twelve Disciples Paul found at Ephesus bee a saving Faith in the time of his Ministery because Christ was come ( though they were ignorant of it , being a that time in Asia ) and had finished all those things that were written of him in the Law of Moses , the Prophets , and the Psalmes , Luke 24. 44. But as neither the twelve Disciples of Christ could not understand that all things were fulfilled of him : untill hee had opened their understandings , that they might understand the Scriptures : And then they rightly understood the end of his suffering , death , and resurrection : namely , That repentance , and remission of sinnes , should bee preached in his name among all Nations , beginning at Ierusalem , Luke 24. 45 , 46 , 47 , &c. So neither could these twelve Paul found at Ephesus know it ; because , they had not heard , whether there were any holy Spirit , yea , or nay ; and so were ignorant of the death , and resurrection of Christ , untill the Lord was pleased by his good Spirit to open their understanding , by the ministery of Paul ; therefore it is written , When they heard it , they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus , Act. 19. 5. Was there any necessity that they should be Re-baptized ; would not a more perfect instruction have served ? Nay : Because those twelve were departed into Asia , after they had received the Faith and Baptisme of John , and were ignorant whether there were any holy Spirit yea or nay , Acts 19. 2. Because Johns Faith and Baptisme ( as I have formerly shewed ) had no promise of giving the gifts of the holy Spirit , Mat. 3. 11. If they therefore should continue in the Faith and Baptisme they had received from John , they had no promise that waiting they should receive the gift of the holy Spirit . But to the Faith and Baptisme that Peter and the residue of the Apostles preached , there was a promise of giving the gifts of the holy Spirit , Acts 2. 38. And when these twelve which had been baptized by John , or his Disciples , heard it , they submitted them selves , and were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus ; ( viz. into that profession of Faith Paul preached , 1 Cor. 15. 3 , 4. ) And when Paul had laid his hands on them , the holy Spirit came upon them , and they spake with new tongues , and prophesied ; and the men were about twelve , Acts 19. 5 , 6. Such an instance likewise wee have in Samaria ; Philip preaching the things concerning the Kingdome of God , and the name of Jesus Christ , and they were baptized both men and women , Act. 8. 12. When the Apostles which were at Hierusalem heard it , they sent Peter and John unto them : And when they were come down , they prayed , that they might receive the holy Spirit : ( For as yet hee was fallen upon none of them , onely they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus ) Then they laid their hands on them , and they received the holy Spirit , Acts 8. 14 , 15 , 16 , 17. So that by the examination of these texts of holy Scripture , it appeareth to me , that these twelve that were formerly baptized by Iohn , and then afterwards by Paul were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus ; and then the Lord according to his owne free promise , Acts 2. 38. gave them the gifts of his holy Spirit , by his ordinance of Imposition of hands ; that the earth might bee filled with his glory , and his Church replenished with gifts meet for the ministery , Ephes . 4. 11 , 12. But was Andrew and the other Disciple Iohn baptized , Re-baptized by the Disciples of Jesus the Christ ? Nay : Because that Faith which Iohn preached and baptized into , and the Faith and Baptisme that Jesus and his Disciples preached before his sufferings , death and resurrection , was all one in substance , and to one peculiar people , the Jewish Nation . Mat. 3. 2. Iohn preached , Repent , for the kingdome of heaven is at hand . So did Jesus , Mat. 4. 17. Repent , for the kingdome of heaven is at hand . So Christ commanded the twelve , As yee goe , preach , saying , The kingdome of heaven is at hand , Mat. 10. 7. Likewise the seventy , The kingdome of heaven is come nigh unto you , Luke 10. 9. Peter and all the Disciples were ignorant of the death and resurrection of Christ , untill he was risen from the dead , Mar. 9. 31 , 32. compared with Luk. 24. 6 , 7 , 8. They wait for the fulfilling of the promises as well as Iohns Disciples , Luke 24. 19 , 20 , 21 , 22. But were the twelve Disciples of Christ , and the seventy , Luk. 10. that had accompanied with him from the time of Iohns Baptisme untill the time of Christs ascension into glory , that had been baptized , were they also Re-baptized after the death and resurrection of Christ ? The Answer is , Nay : Because they had the promise of the holy Spirit to be given them , without any more baptizing with water . Acts 1. 5. Iohn truly baptized with water , but yee shall be baptized with the holy Spirit not many dayes hence . And the Lord made good his word of promise , they were filled with the holy Spirit , when the dayes of Pentecost were fully come , Acts 2. 2 , 3 , 4 , 5. Thus I have answered the Objections . Because , If two Disciples of Christ agree together in earth , touching any thing that they shall ask , they have promise it shall bee done for them of his Father in heaven , Mat. 18. 19. But there is no promise to any people in faith and order , but a people agreed : Reas . 1. Because two cannot walk together unlesse they be agreed , Amos 3. 3. neither can the heart of two beleevers truly consent to pray together , unlesse they bee agreed touching the things they will ask of the Father of glory . Reas . 2. Difference of opinion causeth difference of affection , and is an occasion of many deare and precious soules to withdraw communion ; as is to be seen in Barnabas and Paul , dissenting about the choyce of a companion , the contention grew so hot , that they separated the one from the other , Acts 15. 37 , 38 , 39 , 40. Two or three Disciples of Christ , gathered together in his name , ( that is , by his power , authority , and royall Commission ) where-soever , ( whether in the mountaine , or in the desert , or in ship , or in the dungeon ) there will Christ be in the midst of them , to heare and grant their petitions , or deliver them out of trouble ; as he did Peter out of the prison , at the intercession of the Church , Act. 12. To all such as walk in this Gospel faith and order , the Lord Jesus hath promised a greater manifestation of his presence , and Spirit , Joh. 14. 26. And John in the Island of Pathmos ●ound it , Revel . 1. 9 , 10. Yea , and to all them that love him and keep his commandements , the Father and the Sonne hath promised to owne their poor hearts to be his Temple and Palace , where hee will abide and dwell ; Joh. 14. 23. Lastly , All such as are congregated in Gospel faith and order , have a promise from King Jesus , of Royall Protection in their greatest dangers , Heb. 13. 5 , 6. So that with the Prophet Habacuck they can glory in Christ , in their greatest extremities , Hab. 3. 17 , 18. Though the vine doe not yeeld her fruit , and the fatnesse of the olive faile , and the herd perish from the stall ; yet will I joy in the Lord , and rejoyce in the God of my salvation . But is there any hope to see the Nation of England reformed according to the Primitive pattern , founded upon the word of the eternall Truth ? Ephes . 2. 20. Yea. First , Because there was never a more exact Covenant taken in no Realme , or Nation , since the dayes of zealous Josiah , 2 Chron. 34. 31. and Nehemiah , Nehem. 10. 29. than is in these our dayes , to see a through Reformation in England and Ireland , according to the word of God ; and to extirpate Popery , Prelacy , Superstition , Schisme , He●esie , in Doctrine , Worship , and Discipline ; that the Lord should be one , and his Name one , in the ●hree Kingdomes . So that we are ●ot to leave so much as an hoofe behind us of any Superstition , or Romish relique , or any humane Tradition , in Gods worship , to be ●etained ; though it have remained ●nder the venerable garbe of An●iquity , Universality , and Unity , ●he three great pillars of the Roman Hierarchy . Secondly , Because there are in ●he Synod some learned , pious , ten●er , conscientious men , that in the ●ayes of the cruell and ambitious Prelates ( like the Priest and Levites , 〈◊〉 the dayes of idolatrous Jerobo●m , that served the Devils and the Calves hee made , 2 Chron. 11. 13 , 14 , ●5 . ) left all their maintenance , and went and lived in a strange land , to enjoy the liberties of a good conscience , and worship the Lord Jesus according to the light they had received ; that are at this day truly sensible , what a burden th● Penall Statutes have beene in ou● Land , in former times , to tende● consciences , that desire ( without any sinister ends ) to see a Reformation according to Gods word ▪ therefore will never consent t● have such a Penall Law enacted ( as the Prelates of England onc● obtained by fraud and policy , in the dayes of Richard the Second to kill the English Subjects , that would declare the whole truth o● God , so farre as it was revealed to them , and keep a good conscienc● toward God and man : which occasioned the death of some of th● Nobility , Gentry , and Ministery in the Nation ; with many other of inferiour rank . Thirdly , There are in the hig●● and honourable Court of Parliament , some such conscientious tender-hearted men , that in the Pre●ates dayes left , if not sold , their ●ossessions , to goe into a desolate ●ildernesse , to worship the Lord ●esus in spirit and truth , according ●o the light God revealed unto ●hem ; and many other were fol●owing after , that are truly sensi●le , that it hath ever been a plot of the Bishops and Priests to labour ●o enthrall the English Nobility , and Commons in Parliament , to ●●ake Lawes to kill and imprison ●he conscientious in the Land , that ●oe desire to worship the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in spirit and ●ruth , according to his revealed will in his owne word , under the spe●ious pretences of unity , and uniformity in the worship of God : as ●he Statutes of K. Henry 8. K. Edward 6. Q. Mary , and Q. Elizabeth , ●eclare . Fourthly , It is obvious to every well-affected Subject in the English Nation , that when our Brethren that noble , ancient , warlike Nation the Scots , contended for a Reformation according to the light they ha● received , and casting off Rome proud Papall and Prelaticall Government , with all their devise● formes of Worship , they must hav● dyed ; the English Prelates had s● farre incensed his Majesty against them , and raised large summes o● money toward the levying of a● Army , to kill and destroy them had not the Lord by his special● providence prevented it . Fifthly , When the Lord opened the eyes of our deare and thric● noble Patriots of our Countrey assembled in Parliament , to make a solemne Protestation , to oppos● all Popery and Popish innovations , and to extirpate Episcopacy root and branch , as a Plant th● heavenly Father never planted ; Then evill counsell prevailed with the King to withdraw from his Parliament , and under the pretence of a Guard to protect his Person , to make warre against his Parliament , that they should dye : But our faithfull Nobles , and true hearted Commons in England reply , Shall our Ionathans dye ? who have in part freed our consciences from Roman Traditions , and ancient corrupt Festivals , and covenanted with us for a pure Reformation agreeable to the word of our good God , and have preserved our estates and liberties from an Arbitrary Government ; shall they dye which have wrought such a deliverance in the Land ? they shall not dye : we will bleed our selves before an haire shall fall from their heads , if either wee with our persons , prayers , counsells , states , or swords can prevent it . And hath the Lord given such a blessing to our endeavours , that God hath made the righteous of the Land , ( next to the Lord ) a wall of defence to the Parliament ; shall it ever therefore enter into the heart of loyall and tender-hearted Covenantors to have such hard thoughts ; that the Parliament will ever consent to burden us any longer with unjust Penall Statutes , who have thought nothing too deare for them , but have jeopardized lives and livelyhods for their preservations . Especially , they being sensible what a burden such penall Lawes have been to tender Consciences , and what an hinderance they are for propagating truth . Sixtly , All the faithfull in the Parliament know but in part ; and the more they tast of the honey of Gods eternall truth , the more their eyes are enlightened to see , they have not as yet attained to a full Reformation . And if now they should build but upon the least hay and stubble , they should not onely suffer losse ; but lay a foundation of a new rent in the Ages and generations to come : yea , and looke what unjust Penall Statutes they impose now ; may perhaps fall as heavy upon their Posterity , as sometime did upon that famous Lord Cobham , that gave his consent to the Statute of Lolordi , and afterward was put to death for a Lolord . Seventhly , The Lord hath added such a blessing to the pious endeavours of the Parliament , that they have discovered many things to be ●ruth ; that the Learned Prelates in former times adjudged to be Heresies : As the parity of the Ministery . Superstitious formes of devised Worship , called Divine . Superstitious Festivals , formerly esteemed holy Feasts , now taken away , that men may follow their honest labour six daies , and Sanctifi● a Seventh , as a day of holy re●● to the Lord ; being now the first day of every weeke ; as the holy Scripture hath left us a rule of practise to observe and doe , Act 20. 7. And hee which hath begu● this great and happy Worke of Reformation by this Parliament : we are confident , will never leave them untill hee hath made them instruments , either to perfect it ; or a● least , to give to all his faithfull Daniels , libertie of Conscience , to worship the Lord in Spirit and truth according to his will revealed against whom they can object nothing , unlesse it bee in the matte● that concerne the spirituall worship of their God ; Seeing the● have learned to give Caesar his due Tribute , Custome , Feare , Honour ; Yea and lay downe their lives , rathe● then just and lawfull Magistrate should not be maintained among us , and obeyed in all their just , Legall , and Civill commandements . Knownig , they carry not the Sword for nought , but for the punishment of them that doe evill , and for the praise , and defence of them that doe well . Lastly , the wrondrous power of the Spirit of grace , in enlightning darke mindes with the knowledge of his Truth ; and scattering the knowledge of it , all the Kingdome over , in Cities , Countreyes , and Campe , and causing men of singular parts of learning to bring their gifts toward the building up of Zion ; and powring out of his Spirit ( as Ioel the Prophet foretold , Ioel 2. 28. ) upon all sorts of people , both young , and old ; rich , and poore ; which is to mee a plaine demonstration , that the Lord will never leave us , untill he hath made his new Jerusalem , the praise of the whole earth , and prepared the Spouse , the Lambes wife ; Yea , and advanced Jesus the Christ once againe upon the Throne , to be the Head , King , Priest , and Prophet of his Church , according to the ancient Prophesie of David , Psal . 2. 6. Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion . Gloria soli Deo. FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A34599-e230 1 Cor. 14 27 Ephes . 4. 24 1 Cor. 1. 30 Psal . 16. 3. Psal 15. Cant 4 16. Joh. 3. 5. Tit. 3. 3. Col. 1. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Heb 15. 1. Rom 9 11. Act. 13. 39. Heb. ● . 14. Act 26. 1● . Eccl. 36. 25. 26. Gal. ● . 15 , 1● . 〈…〉 Mat 22. 21 Rome . 13. 7. ● Pet. 2. 14 Notes for div A34599-e1610 Quest . 1. Reas . 1. Reas . 2. Object . Answ . 1. Quest . 2. 〈◊〉 Answ . Object . 1. Answ . 1. Answ . 2. Object . Answ . 1. Answ . 2. Answ . 3. Object . 2. Answ . Object . 3. Answ . 1. Answ . 2. Answ . 3. Reas . 1. Reas . 2. Object . Answ . Object . 4. Answ . Object . 5. Answ . Answ . 2. Quest . 3. Quest . 1. Quest . 2. Reas . 1. Reas . 2. Quest . 2. Reason 1. Reas . 2. Reas . 3. Reas . 4. Reason 5. Object . 1. Answ . Object . 2. Answ . Object . 3. Answ . Object . 4. Answ . Notes for div A34599-e6240 Reas . 1. Object . Answ . Object . Answ . Notes for div A34599-e7210 Psal . 1. 2. Notes for div A34599-e8140 Quest . Answ . Quest . Answ . Psal . 141. 3. Quest . Answ . Quest . Answ . A Quest . Answ . Quest . Answ . 1 ▪ Tim. 3. 15. Mat. 6. 25. Reas . 1. Object . Answ . Quest . Answ . Quest . Answ . Quest . Answ . Quest . Answ . Object . Answ . 1. Quest . Answ . Reas . 1. Reas . 3. Object . Answ . Object . Answ . Answ . 2. Reas . 1. Reas . 2. Reas . 3. Reas . 4 , 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Object . 2. Answ . Object . 3. Answ . Object . 4. Answ . Reas . 7. Reas . 8. Reas . 9. Reas . 10. Quest . Answ . Reas . 2. Reas . 5. Reas . 6. Reas . 7. 
A45360	----	The sacred method of saving humane souls by Jesus Christ by Henry Hallywell ... Hallywell, Henry, d. 1703? 1677 Approx. 150 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 64 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A45360 Wing H466 ESTC R13918 11839267 ocm 11839267 49779 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A45360) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 49779) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 32:15) The sacred method of saving humane souls by Jesus Christ by Henry Hallywell ... Hallywell, Henry, d. 1703? [8], 116 p. Printed for Walter Kettilby ..., London : 1677. Reproduction of original in Bodleian Library. Marginal notes. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). 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Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Salvation -- Early works to 1800. 2008-04 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2008-06 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-07 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2008-07 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE SACRED METHOD OF Saving Humane Souls BY JESUS CHRIST . By Henry Hallywell Minister of the Gospel at Ifeild in Sussex . 1 Cor. II. vii . But we speak the wisdome of God in a mystery , even the hidden wisdome which God ordained before the World unto our Glory . LONDON , Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's Head in S. Paul's Church-Yard , 1677. THE PREFACE TO THE READER . Reader , THere are very few Books of what quality soever , though it be but an ordinary Pamphlet that passes the Press , without some fair bespeaking the Reader ; wherefore in conformity to the Custome , I am to advertise Thee that the Design of these following Papers is to shew the excellency of the frame and constitution of the Gospel , or that Sacred Method by which God brings Men to Heaven by his Son Jesus Christ ; which very thing to the considering and judicious , is a testimony sufficient of the Divinity of it , there being such abundant evidence of the choicest Attributes of the Deity , his Goodness , Wisdome and Power in the contexture of it . For when I consider ( who is the Author of the Evangelical Oeconomy , namely , the Blessed Son of God , that Eternal Logos , who has expressed such an Infinite Wisdome in the frame of Heaven and Earth , I cannot but think , that what is there so largely diffused and spread abroad , is , as it were , summ'd up and contracted into a living Image , and beautiful Representation in the frame of the Gospel . And certainly the Introduction of the Christian Religion , and the regenerating the World by it , being set off in the Scriptures by the glorious Appellative of Creation , and Jesus the Blessed Author and Finisher of it , stiling himself the beginning of the Creation of God , i. e. of the Evangelical Dispensation , the spirit of God does clearly intimate to us , that the Goodness , Wisdome and Power of the Divinity , are more eminently and transcendently displayed in the Recovery of Mankind by the Gospel , than in their first Production . So that if it be a Piece of our Duty ( as certainly it is ) to think the most honourably and magnificently of the works of God's hands , it were a sinful debasing that sacred Project and Contrivance , which was laid before the Foundation of the World , to let our conceptions of it dwindle into some poor and trifling Design , and make such a pitiful Representation of it , as shall be unworthy that Eternal Wisdome , the Creatress of all things , to interess it self withal . For nothing is more sure , than that the Gospel is so contrived , as may most of all do honour to God , and promote the welfare and happiness of Mankind . And upon this Ground and Foundation , I have built the following Discourse , which whoever will take the pains to peruse , I desire him to lay aside his Prejudices , and not to charge every thing that he shall find disagreeing with his present sentiments and perswasions , with the opprobrious and invidious term of Heresie : For by this means , it comes to pass , that Religion is made only to serve an Interest , and wait upon a Faction , and the grand Interest of Christianity is indeed hugely disserved by such oblique Arts and unwarrantable Insinuations . It shews Men indeed to be affected with a mighty Zeal , but it is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that bitter zeal , which the Apostle tells us , is an effect of that wisdome that descends not from above , but is earthly , sensual , devilish . But I am very incurious of the censures of angry and peevish Men , being secure in the sense of having endeavoured to do honour to God , by begetting in Men right Apprehensions of his Nature , and according to my mean Ability , promoted the Offices and Duties of a Virtuous life , by shewing the necessity of them , in order to our everlasting Happiness . And with this Advertisement , I remit the Reader to the Discourse it self . Farewell . IMPRIMATUR Hic Liber ( cui Titulus , The Sacred Method of , &c. ) GEO. HOOPER R mo D no Arch. Cant. à Sac. Dom. 21. Nov. 1676. THE SACRED METHOD OF Saving Humane Souls BY JESUS CHRIST . THE Christian Religion is frequently called by Saint Paul a Mystery , wherein it is very probable he might allude to the Mysterious Rites of the Gentile Superstition , as the Eleusynia , or some such secret and mysterious Actions of the Pagan Religion . And in opposition to these , the Apostle declares to the World a higher Mystery , and teaches us that Christianity in all respects exceeds the most sacred and venerable Actions of Paganisme . For although the Heathen Mystagogi pretended a high and noble design , and boasted the end of their Sacred Mysteries to be the leading and conducting the Initiati to the Presence and Fruition of the worshipped Deity , or in plainer terms , the everlasting Blessedness of Mens Immortal Souls ( the sole priviledge and prerogative of the Christian Mystery , the Gospel of the Son of God ) yet they failed infinitely in the way and means of accomplishing this so excellent a purpose , the whole procedure being bottom'd upon an uncertain Foundation and doubtful evidence , and no better than an Histrionical Representation brought on by those delusive Spirits , who affected a Divine Honour , whereby instead of perfecting and bettering , they really vitiated and debauched the minds of Men , and made their most recondite and sacred Rites little better than practices of Filthiness and Uncleanness . In which regard the Christian Oeconomy is justly stiled by the Apostle a Mystery of Godliness , whose end is not only the highest perfection of Humane Souls , but every where in all its parts breathes the exactest holiness and purity of Body and Soul , as the only way to attain an Immortal Blessedness and Felicity . By this Mystery then of the Gospel , we are not to understand a dark and intricate Riddle , contrived only to amuze and dazle the minds of Men , and which when explicated and unfolded , has no greater likelihood of benefiting the knower , than Samson's Riddle of feeding the Philistines : but we are to conceive by it a sacred and recondite Method of saving Humane Souls , that is , of purifying their minds to such degrees and measures , as may render them capable of an entrance into the highest Heavens . Great is the Mystery of Godliness , i. e. the Way and Method of saving Mankind by the Gospel , is indeed wonderful and admirable . For the sacred plot of the Gospel was not then framed or laid , when it was promulgated and manifested to the World , but lay hid in the bosome of an Infinite Understanding , from ages and generations , and is expresly called by the same Apostle , the mysterious and recondite wisdome of God , which he ordained before the World , whose projection and contrivance was from the out-goings of Eternity . So that in this Affair of the Gospel , we are not to look for any thing mean , low and shallow , but for something which may be worthy of God , an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a design which may evidently and clearly display the highest Perfections of God its Author . For the better illustration of which , we may consider , that in the contrivance , conduct and management of the Gospel , there is a clear and manifest demonstration of the Infinite Goodness , Wisdome and Power of God. I. A manifestation of Infinite Goodness . The Heavens and the Earth , and all the capacities of Immense space , declare an Infinite Goodness , but the clearest and most sensible demonstration of it , is in this Mystery of the Gospel , wherein that boundless love which has dispersed it self through all the orders and degrees of life , shines forth with a full and perfect lustre and glory . Here it is that we behold that Love , which liberally fills and sustains all things , more powerfully exerting its Blessed Nature , in cementing the Ruines , and rearing up the Foundations of a new World ; for as in the first Creation , an Eternal and Energetical love diffused it self in the Production of whatever was made , so the same Goodness moves , as it were , a second time in the stupendious renovation of lapsed Souls , in the Evangelical Mystery and Oeconomy . Which Truth may yet receive a further Evidence by these Gradations . 1. The more perfect any life is , the more it desires to diffuse and communicate it self . God is love , says St. John , and he is the highest and most perfect life ; now love is the most diffusive and communicative Principle in all the World , and the firmer any being is radicated in love , the nearer approaches it makes to that most excellent life and nature of God , whose beneficence and kindness the whole Creation tastes of Self-love , or the love of the Carkass , the Bodily life restrains and contracts the free Exertions of the Mind , and therefore the Apostle sets it as a note of degeneracy , narrowness and anxiety , when Men shall be lovers of themselves and corporeal pleasures , in opposition to that Universal and Intellectual love , which is the great Law of Rational Beings , and by which our Minds are made wide as the World , and carried forth in Benignity and Kindness to all the Creatures , as they more or less partake of the Divine Life and Nature . God is infinite Goodness , and all the Creatures are but the issues and emanations of his exuberant Fecundity and Life , and do more intimately depend upon him , than Faculties and Actions upon the Principles from whence they flow . It was not necessity or need , nor any greedy and thirsty desire of receiving praise and glory from them , that was the cause of the production of Men and Angels , but only the Fulness of God's own Goodness , which alone moved him to that chearful Approbation of the Works of his Hands , when he saw his own life diffused in such variety of Beings . And if we will do honour to God , and speak according to our own faculties , we may add life to this Demonstration , from the inward sense and experience of every good Man , who never finds a more inward joy and satisfaction of spirit , than when he is carried out in desires , and aspirations of Benignity and Kindness towards the whole Creation . Nor does he look upon this , as any Argument of Righteousness , that he is at any time , in a more happy state and condition than others , for he could be willing that all the World were as happy as himself , did he not see strong and evident Reasons in the wise Administration of Providence , why it should not be so . Something of this excellent Temper , we find in those Passionate Eruptions of Spirit , recorded in the Scriptures of Holy men , who seem to be altogether transformed into love : Blot me out of thy Book , ( says Moses : ) and I could be content to be accursed from Christ ( says St. Paul ) for my Brethrens sake : Nay , I am verily perswaded , that he who is once throughly baptized into this spirit of Universal love , would be contented to be eternally separated from the Presence of God , so that he might be without sin , if by that means the whole Intellectual Creation might be made happy . Now if we can reason any thing of God from those Perfections we find in our selves , we must needs conclude the highest and most perfect life to be most diffusive and communicative of it self . 2. Goodness is so much the more excellent , as the Objects are more noble , about which it is conversant . All things feel the effects of Divine Goodness , according to their different Measures and Proportions , and by how much the Rational life hath more objective reality than the sensitive , by so much are the Emanations of Goodness of more worth and excellency communicated to the one , than those diffused upon the other . As a Man is a more noble Creature than a Brute , so is the Goodness concerned with him , higher and of greater value , than that exercised upon a Beast . God is the Father of Spirits , and for that very Reason will not be implacable and irreconcileable to his own dear off-spring , but though he chastise and scourge them for their bold and audacious revolt from his blessed Nature , yet will not cast off for ever , but in his sorest corrections remembers mercy . Hence is that Prophetical Speech of the end of Christ's Death , that it should be for the gathering together the scattered Sons of God : though the Souls of Men had voluntarily forsaken God , and travelled into a strange Land , though their Iniquities had scattered them into far distant places from their own Home , yet an everlasting Goodness followed them still , and carefully sought the Reduction of those disobedient Sons of God , who had divided and separated themselves from him . 3. By how much the more fatal , desperate and universal the evil is , by so much the more glorious is the Goodness imployed in the recovery of the Creature from it . Sin and wickedness is the misery , not of a part only , but of the whole Race of Mankind ; and this their Degeneracy became so fatal , that it brought Darkness and Death it self upon all their better Faculties , and placed them in an utter Incapacity for ever of recovering themselves by their own solitary power and effort , into that state of immortality and life , which sin had deprived them of . — Death passed upon all men , ( says St. Paul ) for that [ or forasmuch as ] all have sinned . So that all Mankind , by their fall from God , were under the Reign , Dominion and Power of sin and death , and out of this thraldome and captivity , no Man could extricate and deliver himself , whereby their condition became very deplorable and desperate . But Divine Goodness , that it might shew it self more conspicuously and gloriously to the World , has brought on a more chearful scene of things under the Gospel , rescuing Men from the Power of sin and death , and delivering them from the Tyranny of the Devil , through the meritorious Death and Passion of Jesus Christ , who by his Glorious Resurrection hath fully declared himself a Powerful Conqueror of all his Enemies , assuring Mankind of their re-enjoyment of Immortality , and redeeming them from their Captivity under the Empire of Sin and Death , and translating them into the peaceful Kingdome of Life and Righteousness . Now as the desperateness of the Disease magnifies the skill of the Physician , so the fatal and universal Degeneracy of the Sons of Men , commends the transcendent love of God in their Recovery and Redemption . Greater love than this can no Man show , than to lay down his Life for his Friend , but herein has God commended his love to us , in that while we were Enemies to God and righteousness , and strangers to his life , Christ dyed for us . Such is that Testimony and Witness , which our Saviour bears to Divine Love and Goodness ; every word of which is strangely emphatical : So [ in such a wonderful and transcendent manner ] God [ the great Lord of all Beings , who stands not in need of any of his Creatures , but is Infinite Fulness and Happiness to Himself ] loved [ first and without any Motive or Occasion of this love given from us ; herein is love , not that we loved God , but that he loved us ] the World [ not only the particular Nation of the Jews , with whom formerly he entred into Covenant , but the whole Race of Mankind , Christ becoming a Propitiation for our sins ( says the Apostle , the best Interpreter of himself , 1 Joh. 2.2 . ) and not for ours only , but also for the sins of the whole World ] that he gave [ delivered unto Death freely , and that upon no other Motive or Invitation , but that of his own Eternal Goodness and Love ] his only begotten Son [ not a Servant , or an Angel , not an adopted , but his own Natural Son , that Son who is one with himself , and in whom he is well pleased , as the obedience of Abraham was more grateful to God , when he with-held not his Son , his only Son from him . ] The whole Gospel is a Design and Contrivance of Infinite Love and Goodness ; a palpable Pledge and Assurance of which , was , the sending of Jesus Christ from Heaven : He that spared not his own Son , says the Apostle ; as if he had said , The delivering up of our Lord Jesus Christ , to be an Expiatory Sacrifice for the sins of Men , is so high a Demonstration of Infinite Love , that it begets in us a confident Assurance and full Perswasion , that the same goodness will not fail of bestowing upon us , whatever may possibly contribute to our everlasting Happiness , as far as our Natures are capable of . The summe of all is this , that to Infinite Goodness we owe not only the Production , but the continual Preservation of our Beings , not only the freeing us from a certain Misery , and a just and deserved Punishment , but the receiving us into grace and favour , and investing us with a Happiness much bigger than our hopes and expectations , even the Eternal enjoyment of Himself in Heaven . And that this should be wrought and effected by Jesus Christ , the only begotten Son of God , who left the Sacred Mansions of Heaven , and veiled his Glory under a clould of Flesh and Blood , and while he lived upon Earth , endured the contradictions of sinners , the bitter reproaches of vile and ungodly Men , and at last suffered an Ignominious and accursed Death upon the Cross , What is it but an everlasting Monument of Divine Goodness ? such a high Demonstration of Infinite Love , as may well make us cry out with wonder and amazement , Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us ! 2. Secondly , in the Frame and Mystery of the Gospel , there is a clear Demonstration of Infinite Wisdome . To them who are called ( says the Apostle ) Christ the Power and the Wisdom of God : i. e. Though the preaching of the Gospel were a stumbling block to the Jews , and accounted but foolishness by the Greeks , the one expecting their Messiah to be an earthly Prince , and dreaming of nothing but worldly Felicity , and the other counting it not worth the hearing , because not agreeing with the Principles of that vain Philosophy they had addicted themselves to ; yet to those who were docible , tractable and obedient , there appeared an Infinite Wisdome , and an Eternal Understanding : they could not look into it , but they beheld ( as the same Apostle speaks ) the mysterious and recondite wisdome of God , which he ordained before the World , that is , whose sacred plot and contrivance was not then framed or laid , when it was first promulgated and manifested to the World , but lay hid in the bosome of an Infinite Understanding from all Eternity . 'T is true , the loveliness and glory of this great Wisdome appears not so evidently to all , partly from their own carelesness and negligence , in not arriving to that measure and degree of Holiness , which may fit and qualifie them for a clear discerning of it : Hence the Apostle says , that he speaks wisdome among them that are perfect , such as were well grown in the practice of the Offices and Duties of Christianity ; such as had senses exercised to discern good and evil , Heb. 5.14 . and partly , through the great Corruption , Depravity and Degeneracy of the minds of others , which put them into an utter Incapacity and Impossibility ( while they remain such ) of understanding Divine and Heavenly Truths ; for the natural [ animal or sensual ] man receives not the things of the spirit of God. But where these Impediments are removed , and the spirits of Men aptly disposed for the Reception of so great a Blessing , such Persons behold with enravishment and joy the exact strokes and perfect lineaments of an Eternal Wisdome . Which Wisdome appears , 1. In the Admirableness of the Contrivance of the Gospel . Christianity carries with it such evident Proofs of an Incomprehensible Wisdome , that those sagacious Creatures , the Angels , imploy themselves in searching into it : And surely it must needs be an admirable piece of Wisdome , and a wonderful Contrivance , that must draw those Blessed Creatures to look into it . Now the Wonderfulness and Admirableness of the Evangelical Plot and Contrivance , for the Salvation of Humane Souls , shews it self , 1. In finding out a way , whereby God might demonstrate , both his just and implacable hatred of sin , and his exuberant Love and Goodness in saving Men. Sin is no part of God's Creation , nor any thing of the true Nature of the Soul , but an extraneous and adventitious Being , brought first into the World by the Devil , the great Enemy of Mankind . It is the Destruction and Ruine of the Workmanship of God's own hands , and being so infinitely contrary to his Sacred Life and Nature , it is no wonder , if he bear an irreconcileable hatred against it , and seek by all means , the driving it quite out of the World. But although God , by reason of the Infinite Purity and Holiness of his Nature , could not look with any favourable eye upon sin , yet his Almighty Love pitied his Creatures , and his bowels yerned over them , being , as it were , grieved and troubled at the heart , that they should be miserable for ever . Wherefore , God , through his Eternal Wisdome , resolved upon a course , which should both effectually extirpate and eradicate sin and evil out of the World , and yet reduce those strayed souls , which through it , had revolted from his blessed Life and Nature , to a participation of it again . And this he hath done , by sending his own Son into the World , to become an Expiatory Sacrifice for the sins of all Mankind . For should God have cast Men off for ever , and thrown them into Hell , though he had still been Just and Righteous in his Actions , and declared but a high dislike of that , which his Essential Holiness could never patronize or countenance , yet his Goodness and Love had not so conspicuously and gloriously appeared . * On the other hand , should God have received the World into grace and favour , forgiving their Iniquities , without any previous satisfaction for sin , though he might have done this , without any breach of the Eternal Purity and Justice of his Nature , yet he had not so sensibly affected the minds of Men , with his just aversation of sin , nor so effectually discovered to them , his Anger and Displeasure against all evil and wickedness . But now in the Death of Jesus Christ , God has reconciled Goodness and Holiness , Justice and Mercy , punishing sin , and yet saving the sinner . Behold therefore , and wonder at the Ineffable Goodness , and Transcendent love of God! Could not Man redeem his Brother , and give unto God a Ransome for him ? No surely , for that Sacrifice , that is presented and offered up to God , must be without spot and blemish ; but when the Lord looked down from Heaven , upon the Children of Men , he beheld them all gone aside , and become filthy , so that there was not one that did good , no not one . But if this might not be , yet , could not God have declared his will to us by an Angel , by a Voice from Heaven , or by uniting himself to the Angelical Nature ? Certainly he might , but none of these ways could have been with such endearing circumstances , with such sensible Testimonies of dear Compassion and Benignity , as enravish ingenuous Minds into sutable Returns and expressions of love . Jesus Christ therefore , the Delights of his Father , the Brightness of his Glory , and the express Image and character of his Person , took flesh and dwelt among us . He that was in the form of God , clothed with all the Majesty and Glory of the supramundane life , yet emptyed himself of all this unspeakable Felicity , and took upon him the form of a Servant , i. e. an Earthly , or a body of flesh and blood , in opposition to that state , which he before called , the form of God ; and being found in that servile scheme , he humbled himself , and became obedient unto Death , even the Death of the Cross . What higher expressions of love , can Humane Understandings possibly conceive , than these ? The endearing love of Friends could never give any greater evidence of it self , than that they lay down their lives one for another : but such was the transcendent love of Jesus , that he dyed for Rebels , for Apostates from that sacred life of God , to which alone the Soveraign Command and Rule both of Heaven and Earth , does of right belong . Behold him a Man of sorrows , exposed to the envy , hatred and malice of the cruel and unbelieving Jews , and yet , so inwardly affected with tenderness and commiseration towards them , that he omits nothing , which a Heart enflamed with love and compassion , could do to make them happy . And though God , in his Eternal Wisdome , foresaw the accursed Disposition of the Jewish Nation , who , as they had been heretofore thirsty after the blood of the Prophets and righteous Men , so now would never leave , till they had satiated their Revenge , in the Blood of his only begotten Son , yet he delivers him up into their hands : for , so the Apostle speaks , that they had taken , and by wicked hands crucified and slain [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] him , that was given out of the protecting hand and providence of God , to the will of his Enemies . A love which the Tongues of Men and Angels are never able sufficiently to express . And as the Infinite love of God appears , in this way of saving Men by Christ Jesus , so his severity and hatred against sin , is no less manifest and conspicuous ; for in that , God spared not his own Son , but delivered him up to Death , it is a sufficient proof and Argument of his utter Detestation of all sin and evil . No circumstance of his bitter Passion , but speaks forth the heavy wrath and indignation of God against sin . When he came into the Garden of Gethsemane , where began the first Scene of his Tragical Passion , the Scripture tells us , that he was sore amazed and very heavy , and this inward grief , and ineffable trouble of his soul , he expresses in that Passionate speech to his Disciples , My Soul is exceeding sorrowful , even unto Death , not only extensively , such as must last , till Death it self do end it , but likewise intensively , so great , as is usually at the very point of Death . And whence arose this sorrow ? It was not out of any cowardly fear of pain and death , for knowing all things that should come upon him , yet with a firm constancy and sedate Resolution of mind , he comes to his implacable Enemies at Jerusalem ; and when he was betrayed in the Garden , he willingly offers himself into their hands , I am he . Though certain it is , our Blessed Saviour , bearing about him our Humane Nature , was likewise subject to all the harmless Passions and affections of it , and was so far from that Stoical stubbornness and insensibility , that his Passive and tender Constitution filled him with grief , and yielded to the fear of pain and Death . Nor did his sorrow proceed from any displeasure of God against his Person ; for he being perfectly obedient , and fully and exactly conformable to his Fathers will ; it could not be , that he should groan under the anger and wrath of God. Nor was it altogether Bodily pains that made him so , but there was something extraordinary ; As , 1. A withdrawing the sensibleness of Divine Assistance from him . As the Sun at our Saviour's Crucifixion , though not disjoyned from the World , yet for a time deserted the World , by withdrawing his light from it . And although this withholding the sensibleness of the Divine Presence , was done without any Aversation and dislike of the Person of our blessed Lord , which not only before , but at that very instant , was tenderly beloved of God , yet the Apprehension of it could not but make him bemoan his case , in that sad exclamation ; My God , my God , why [ or how ] hast thou forsaken me ! 2. Because , then all the Powers of Hell and darkness were let loose upon him . The Prince of Darkness , with his accursed Legions , did then ( as we may reasonably suppose ) appear to him , in the most affrighting and dreadful forms , and by the Permission of Divine Providence , exerted and tryed the utmost of their Insulting Rage , in these their last and most furious Assaults ; the Conquest and Victory over whom being to be atchieved , not by the Divine Power , but by the Piety and Obedience of our Saviour , he falls into an Agony , and an Angel descends from Heaven , to strengthen and comfort his fainting Soul in these horrendous Conflicts . 3. Christ suffering for Men's sins , must needs have a distinct Apprehension of the manner , measure and odiousness of them , and beheld all this with a bleeding heart , forasmuch as he saw himself cast into those sad circumstances , bruised for the iniquities , and wounded for the transgressions of Mankind . All which put together were sufficient Causes of the highest grief and sorrow . Consider now , Jesus Christ , the eternally beloved Son of God , sorrowful and amazed , sweating drops of Blood in his Agony , bereaved of the sensibleness of Divine Assistance , conflicting with the utmost Rage and Insultation of the Devil , and dying a Painful and Ignominious Death upon the Cross , and it gives the highest Demonstration of God's implacable Hatred against all sin , that possibly can be imagined . 2. The admirableness and wonderfulness of the Evangelical plot and contrivance , declares it self , in rendring this Way and Method effectual for the salvation of Men. That it should not be lost labour , or a work to no purpose , alarming the World with great hopes and expectations , and at last become abortive , or prove nothing but a windy birth , but that it should really attain the end , for which it was designed , that is , that men should receive benefit by it , and be eternally saved . To this purpose three things are necessary ; 1. That what God requires , be in it self possible . 2. That Man be endued with a sufficient power . 3. That some allowance be made for our Infirmities . 1. First , I say , that the Commands of the Gospel be possible : For it were the most unreasonable and Tyrannical thing in the World , to exact that of another , which we know he is in no Possibility of performing ; and therefore , being a thing so abhorrent and repugnant to the natural reason and equity of Mankind , it is at no hand to be attributed to God , whose very Nature is the most perfect and living Law of Justice . Wherefore , the Gospel being given to be the Religion of all Mankind , and for no other end , but their everlasting Benefit and Blessedness , we cannot but imagine all the duties and commands required of them , to be possible to be done ; for otherwise it would be so far from contributing to their advantage , that it would be but an Exprobration of their misery , and a Tyrannical and Arbitrarious Insultation over their calamitous condition . Nay , we are assured , that the laws of Righteousness required of us by the Gospel , are not only possible , but gracious and easie , and that from the mouth of the Blessed Author and giver of them ; My yoke ( says he ) is easie , and my burden is light : and the beloved Apostle has left it upon Record , that the commands of God are not grievous , that is , they are not insupportable burdens , too heavy for the nature of Man to bear , nor are they fetters and shackles of Iron , contrived only to ensnare and make the Creation miserable , but such gracious Precepts and Constitutions , as are in themselves immutably good , and so infinitely agreeable to the true and proper , that is , the Intellectual Nature of Man , that he can no sooner understand his own happiness , but he would chuse them , if they had never been commanded . The Wisdome of God never interesses it self in unprofitable things , which surely this must have been , if the Observance and Practice of the Injunctions of the Gospel had been in it self impossible . Besides , supposing such intolerable and impracticable things imposed upon the reason of Mankind , it would subvert all future rewards and punishments . As for Rewards , there could be no such thing , for Rewards are only upon the consideration of Duty , and there can be no duty , where the commands are impossible : Nor can there be any equitable exaction of Punishment , because the Law it self is not feasible and practicable , and so the transgression becomes necessary and inevitable , and no more in the power of Men to help , than to hinder their being born into the World. Wherefore , upon the whole matter , unless the Gospel contain only such things as are possible , it is certain , no man can be accountable for them , unless we will suppose God such an Arbitrarious Being , as acts by no other Law , than that of his own Will and Authority , which is all one , as for a Man to think to get himself a name of Power and Soveraignty , by going about all day , and treading upon a few poor Worms . And certainly it is all one to have no notion and apprehension of God at all , and to think so meanly of him , and so much below the excellency and dignity of his Blessed Nature and ●erfections . But here it will be objected , that if the commands of the Gospel be not only possible , but easie and gracious , how comes it then , that Men are not presently made good , and all the World become true Christians ? To this , I have these things to reply . 1. That God forces none to be good , but having made us Rational Creatures , he has endued us with a free Principle . And without this , there would be no such thing as Moral Goodness upon Earth ; for that which a man is compelled and forced to , by the irresistible Determination of an exterior Principle , is neither good nor evil in reference to him because it was not a true exertion of his will , but an act of something without him . And therefore should God irresistibly bend and incline the wills of Men to the Laws and Practice of Vertue , it would take away the distinction of good and evil , and Men would be what they are , by a fatal necessity , and not by choice . Moreover , should God forcibly make Men good , it would rather destroy , than recover the Nature of Mankind , and make them more imperfect Creatures , than they are already . It is the glory of our faith , that being tryed , it be found unto praise and honour ; but what praise can be due to that , which is performed by the violent constraint of an uncontroulable Power ? There would be little reason for the Scripture ( says a worthy Prelate ) so much to magnify the grace of faith , as being so great a Vertue , and so acceptable to God , if every one were necessitated to it , whether he would or no. 2. True Religion has a great disagreement with our present sinful Natures . Christianity came into the World to curb our extravagant desires , to restrain the sinful and exorbitant affections of the Animal life , and to draw off our minds from the fading and inchanting Beauties of sense , to the living and Immortal forms of righteousness and truth . And it is no wonder if it be accounted troublesome and uneasie to a carnal mind , when its whole design is to let out the corrupt life and blood of the old man , and to renew men into that faultless nature , sin and wickedness had destroyed . Religion is not such a formidable and difficult thing , such an insuperable task in it self , but because 't is an affliction to our natural life , to do violence to our lusts and bodily Passions , therefore sensual and hypocritical Persons judge it to be hard , troublesome and uneasie . But 3dly , Men generally distempered as they are , have no mind to set upon Religion in good earnest . They are for the most part in love with sin , and Vice is become customary and natural , and because 't is some trouble to root out and extirpate an habitual corruption , therefore they fairly lay Religion by , as a thing too austere and unpleasant . So that there is not so much difficulty in Religion , as in bringing men to entertain firm purposes and resolutions of embracing it , that is , of bettering their lives by it . Were but Men sincere in their endeavours after holiness , and the participation of the nature of God , the pretended roughness and asperity of Religion would quickly wear off , and they would see , that its ways are ways of pleasantness , and all its paths peace . By which it appears , that notwithstanding all the objections of our sensual and animal life , that it is possible , nay easie for us to become sincere Christians , and that the commands of God are so far from being Tyrannical and grievous , that they are the most agreeable to our Intellectual and Rational Natures . 2. It is necessary that Man be endued with a sufficient Power . For though the conditions of salvation be in themselves possible , yet if we be not put into a capacity , and endued with power from on high , sufficient for the performance of them , we are never the better . Though the walking of a Mile be a thing possible and feasible , yet it is impossible for him that has lost the use of his Legs . If Christ , when he cured the Impotent and Lame in the Gospel , by bidding them , Rise up and walk , had not at the same time confirmed and strengthned their feeble Limbs , his command had been utterly ineffectual . So although we , through our own fault , are fallen into a state of sin and misery , weakness and imperfection , yet if God intend to better our condition , and to recover us to our former life and health , he must confer upon us such a Power , as may make his Design effectual . It is confessed , that all Mankind have utterly disabled themselves for the attainment of everlasting Blessedness , by their own naked and solitary endeavours ; but God , out of his free goodness and love , making a new Covenant with the World , and propounding certain terms and conditions , upon which they may again be made happy , it is altogether repugnant with his Infinite Wisdome and Justice to require of Men the performance of these Conditions , without enduing them with a sufficient strength for that purpose . Should God offer life and salvation upon the terms of the Gospel , and yet never endue us with an ability to embrace and accept of them , it would not be a design worthy of him , nor agreeable with those serious professions and Desires of our Immortal Happiness . For the fuller Illustration of this , we must know , that God hath always declared his delight in the Felicity , and his aversation of the misery and destruction of his Creatures , and lest we should question the reality of this his love , he has confirmed it with an Oath : As I live , saith the Lord God , I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked . And this fervent desire of the good and welfare of the World , moved him to enter into a Covenant with them in Christ Jesus . Now , as in all mutual compacts , and stipulations between Parties , there are terms and conditions on both sides , and each Party obliges himself to the performance of something : So in this great Indenture or Covenant , which God has made with the World , he is graciously pleased to oblige himself to do something for us , and we are likewise tyed to the observation of certain Articles and conditions required on our part . And this notion of the Gospel seems to be intimated by the Apostle , 2 Tim. 2.19 . The Foundation of God standeth sure , having this Seal , the Lord knows who are his . And let every one that names the Name of Christ , depart from iniquity . Where , give me leave to insert , what a very learned Man observes , concerning the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which our Translation renders [ foundation . ] That the Hebrew word , to which it answers in the Rabbinical Dialect , is used for Tabulae contractûs , a Bill of contract , and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies , the Compact or Covenant of God ; for the very mentioning of a Seal here , implyes a Bill of Contract : for Bills of Contract had their Seals appendant to them ; each side whereof had his Motto , the one suiting with the one party contrahent , the other with the other . To this the Apostle here alludes , God's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , says he , standeth sure , ( that is , God's Bill of Contract , or his Chirographum ) having a Seal according to the manner ; the one side whereof carries this Motto , The Lord knows them that are his , i. e. he will never fail to own those who continue faithful to him ; the other this , Let every man that names the name of Christ , depart from iniquity : which if he do not , he forfeits all the Priviledges , which he might otherwise hope for , from this Covenant of the Gospel . And this God's entring into a Covenant , is in other terms expressed , by being reconciled to the World , God was in Christ , reconciling the World unto himself , not so , as to take all Men immediately into Heaven , but so far as to put all Mankind , by the Gospel , into a capacity of salvation . To which end and purpose , amongst other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or Gratuitous Donations which God hath freely engaged himself to bestow , this is one very considerable , the giving of all men sufficient power and strength to inable them to perform his will and commands , so as he will accept of . Which very thing is made a part of God's holy Covenant , that he would grant unto us , i. e. that he would give us power , as the word is used , Revel . 11.3 . or qualify us with a sufficient strength and ability , to serve him in holiness and righteousness , before him , all the days of our lives . For the further proof of this , I shall offer these two Arguments . 1. That it is necessary that God should impower all Men to whom the Gospel is preached , with a sufficient ability to perform what is required in it , that he may manifest his Intentions of saving all the World to be real . The Apostle tells us , that God is the Saviour of all men , and how he can be so , unless he put all Men , some way or other into a capacity of salvation , I profess my self not able to understand : Now what is it to put any one into a capacity of salvation , but to place him in that way , and to provide for him all those means which shall be necessary and effectual for the obtaining that glorious end ? Hence the same Apostle informs us , that God would have all men to be saved , that is , as far as lyes in him , and may be consistent with the Nature of Rational Creatures , and that it may appear there is nothing wanting on God's part to make them happy . Wherefore those who deny to the greatest part of Mankind such a Participation of the assistance and grace of God , as may place them under a capacity of obtaining Heaven , seem to me to question the reality and sincerity of God's Design and Intention of saving all the World by Christ Jesus . For if the purpose of God , in sending Jesus Christ into the World , was , that he should tast● death for every man , and that the World through him might be saved , it was likewise undoubtedly a part of this purpose , that they should all be qualified and impowered with such ability , the faithful actuating of which should certainly attain that end for which it was designed . And that God should intend the salvation of all Mankind , and promulgate this his Intention , and alarm the hopes and expectations of all the World , and yet deny them that , without which they cannot be saved , is utterly irreconcileable with those apprehensions , which we ought to have of the Divine Nature . 2. That all Men might thereby be accountable to God. No Man can be accountable for any more than he has received , and if there were any number of Men to whom the Gospel were faithfully preached , and the means of salvation made known , and yet were always left destitute of a power and ability of believing and acting , according to the prescriptions of it , they would be so far from being left without excuse , or having their mouths stopped , that their Apology would be as reasonable , as if God should expostulate with them for not creating the World , or raising the Dead . For if they never were so much as put ●nto a capacity of believing , how can they be justly punished as Infidels ? But because the righteous Governor of Heaven and Earth , cannot but do that which is just and equal , and that all men to whom God has communicated the Gospel , shall be accountable to him for it , therefore we are assured that all of them , at some time or other , were endued with such a measure and degree of God's powerful assistance , as should inable them to do what he required of them , and so as he would accept of . This is the condemnation , ( says our Blessed Saviour , Joh. 3.19 . ) not that all the World was in a state of Darkness , but that Light , that is , the Gospel , is come amongst them , and by It they are put into a capacity , not only of discovering , but of coming out of their sins , and they loved darkness rather than light , that is , preferred the satisfaction of their own corrupt lusts , before a sincere obedience to the will of God. And methinks , the Righteousness of God's Dispensation with Men in this kind is evidently prefigured , in that Parable of the Vineyard , Isai . 5. which is alike applicable to the state of things under the Gospel , as it was then to the Jewish Church : the planting it in a fruitful soil , the careful manuring and cultivation of it , implying all necessary means for the increase and growth of Men in grace and vertue , whereby might very well have been expected such Wine , as might chear and exhilarate the heart of God and man , but when , after all this pains , it brought forth nothing but wild Grapes , then God determines upon the just destruction of it , and for the Equity and Justice of this Procedure , appeals to the Consciences of Men , What could have been done more that I have not done ? But against this it is objected , that if all Men under the Gospel are put into a capacity of salvation , whence then comes the different entertainment of it , and Why is it that all Men are not effectually convinced and wrought upon by it ? For the solution of this difficulty , I shall return , 1. That of Origen , that to an effectual perswasion there is required not only that the Perswader offer such things as are apt to beget belief , but likewise a sutable disposition and tractable frame in him that is to be perswaded . So that the Reason why many Men do not entertain and believe the Gospel , is not that the Gospel is unfurnished of perswasory Arguments , or that God is wanting in any thing on his part , but because they reject and refuse those things which do in others , and might in them ( if it were not for their own obstinacy ) produce faith and belief . As ( says the Father ) the most eloquent Orator that ever spake may perswade in vain where he meets with a stubborn and refractory disposition . It is sufficient therefore that the Gospel suggests and offers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such rational Arguments and Motives as are proper to beget Belief in Moral Agents , but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perswasibility , or the Act of being perswaded is a work of Mens own . For proof of which the Father cites these Scriptures , Gal. 5.8 . Perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you . And Isai . 1.19 , 20. If ye be willing and obedient , ye shall eat the good of the Land : but if ye refuse and rebel , ye shall be devoured with the Sword. Which account Origen seems to have taken out of Irenaeus , Facere enim proprium est benignitatis Dei , fieri autem proprium est hominis Naturae . Si igitur tradideris ei quod est tuum , id est fidem in eum & subjectionem , percipies ejus artem , & eris perfectum opus Dei. Si autem non credideris ei , & fugeris manus ejus , erit causa imperfectionis in te , qui non obedisti , sed non in illo qui vocavit . 2. The Assistance and aid of the grace and spirit of God under the Gospel is not by Omnipotency or Power at large , but such a concurrence as leaves to Men the liberty of their own wills , as is manifest from several places of the sacred Scriptures , Joh. 5.40 . Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life . Though our blessed Saviour spake as never Man spake , and wrought such Miracles as never Man did , beyond which nothing can be offered to make the Gospel credible , yet those contumacious Jews would not receive him . And of the Pharisees and Lawyers it is said , Luk. 7.30 . That they rejected the counsel of God against themselves , that is , the merciful purpose or design of God towards them in making provision for their salvation , as well as the rest of the Jews . 3. It is necessary that some allowance be made for our infirmities . For though a mighty Power engage it self on our behalf , yet if God should be extreme to mark what is done amiss , if he should take advantage of every frailty and miscarriage , who then could be saved ? Hence it is that our merciful God considering our frame , and remembring the imperfection of Humane Nature , is willing to abate and strike off much of our account upon that stock , and treats with us not according to the degrees of an Angel , but the measures of a Man , not after the highest rigor , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , according to equity which is the truest and most perfect Justice . For herein consists the excellency of the Gospel Covenant , in that under it 1. God allows of our Repentance for past sins . 2. Accepts of our sincerity for the time to come . It was part of that Commission which Christ gave his Apostles before his Ascension into Heaven , that they should Preach repentance and remission of sins in his Name among all Nations : which they faithfully observed , offering life and salvation to those that crucified the Son of God , provided they would repent of this their heinous crime and become new Creatures . Repent and be converted , that your sins may be blotted out . It is the great comfort the Christian Religion brings guilty sinners , in that it assures them of the love of an offended God , that their past sinful lives shall not ruine or exclude them from his favour , but that now in this day of mercy and peace , if they will return unto him by a speedy Repentance , he will be merciful to their Unrighteousness , and will remember their iniquities no more . The Conscience of Mens own guilt makes them afraid , and like Adam , run from the Presence of God ; wherefore to prevent those misgiving thoughts of the Nature of God , which Mens sinful hearts possessed them withall , and for the future to take away all jealousies and suspicious fears out of their Minds , God is pleased to publish a Declaration of Pardon and Indulgence to all Penitent Persons , giving them all imaginable security of his Propensity and readiness to be reconciled , and of his unfeigned desire and willingness to accept of their Persons upon their serious and hearty detestation of their former sins and evil courses . And to the end that Men may be perfectly convinced that God is not inexorable and implacable , and that he consults not his own Glory in any other way than that of the Creatures good and advantage , he vouchsafes out of his undeserved favour and grace to accept of our Sincerity for the time to come ; the knowledge of which is therefore imparted unto Men by the Gospel to settle their Minds and quiet their Consciences , which otherwise upon every failure in their Duty would perpetually torment them with the fear of God's everlasting Anger and Displeasure . By sincerity , I mean such a frame and constitution of spirit , whereby our whole Souls are faithfully carried out in obedience to the will of God , so far as it is made known to us . These things I write unto you ( says the beloved Apostle ) that ye sin not , that is , It is the design of the Gospel perfectly to abolish all sin , and therefore it requires Mens utmost caution and endeavour against it . But because Men may fall into sin through the improvidence and short-sightedness of Humane Nature , or through the sudden incursion of a Temptation , and the Violence and importunity of it ; yet let them not cast away their confidence , nor sink under their load and dye , for if any man thus sin , we have an Advocate with the Father , a royal Agent at the right hand of God , who makes intercession for us , not as in the days of his flesh by offering up Prayers with strong crying and tears , but by Virtue of that Power and Authority of ruling his Church according to his own Pleasure , dispensing his favours and saving Men by the mercies and compassions of the Gospel , which Prerogative he purchased and merited for himself by his bitter Death and Passion . For God does not exact of us a perfect , unsinning Obedience , so as never to fail in our duty , or offend in the least tittle or circumstance , but he requires of us a perfection of sincerity , the not giving way to any known sin , or doing that upon deliberation , which a Man's conscience tells him is a breach and violation of the Law of God , though there be never so great Temptations to it . This is that which the Scripture calls by the Names of the New Man and the New Creature , when we love and serve God with our whole hearts , and retain such a clear sense of the deformity of sin , and the loveliness of Virtue , as makes us studiously prosecute the one , and detest and abhor the other . And though this sincerity of heart may be accompanied with meekness and imperfection , yet it is such as God has graciously promised to accept of , and to wash away those lesser frailties and infirmities in the Blood of Christ . This state of mind is an everlasting Fountain of Peace and Joy , a spring of Eternal contentment and satisfaction . It supports us in all dangers , carries us undauntedly through all difficulties , and fills our souls with an enravishing calmness and tranquillity . It is certainly the best Companion and the surest Friend in all the World : for when the Clouds gather and a storm arises , and the face of things in this lower Region becomes troubled and confused , yet our sincerity never leaves us , but in the most formidable and dismal appearance of Nature puts on a chearful countenance , and looks abroad and meets the greatest dangers with a high and generous resolution , being confident of this , that that everlasting goodness which folds the whole Creation in tender Arms , will never disdain or cast away a sincere Person , nor despise him who unfeignedly and bewailing his weakness prosecutes that which is simply and absolutely the best . 2. A second thing wherein the Excellency of Divine Wisdome appears , lyes in the manner of the manifestation of the Gospel to us . God was manifest in the flesh , says St. Paul , that is , the wonderfulness of the mystery of the Gospel consisted in this , that God took upon him our flesh and blood . God communicated his will to us by sending down his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh , ( Rom. 8.3 . ) that is , in a body of flesh and blood . I shall not here insist upon those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , those various ways and divers manners by which God spake to the Fathers of old , communicating his will to them sometimes by Dreams and Visions , by a Voice from Heaven and the Apparitions of Angels , but consider that way which God hath chosen of manifesting himself to the World in these last days by his Son , which as it best sutes with the Evangelical Dispensation , so it discovers to us that manifold wisdome the Apostle speaks of , Eph. 3.10 . a Wisdome that displays it self in several ways and manners , and yet all tending to one great end and purpose , namely the recovery of Men from sin to a state of Purity and Holiness . For in this great design of instructing the World by the Incarnation of our blessed Saviour , we discover the evident Traces and Footsteps , 1. Of a condescending Wisdome accommodating things to our Apprehensions and Capacities . The delivery of the Law on Mount Sinai was usher'd in with a terrible and amazing solemnity , the Mountain quaking and vomiting out pitchy Clouds of smoke and globes of Flame , a fiery Tempest or Whirlwind roaring with formidable peals and claps of Thunder , together with the prodigious sound of a Trumpet rending and tearing the Heavens , so that Moses himself exceedingly fear'd and trembled : But the Gospel being wholly a design of Mercy and Love carries with it no terrors and affrightments , but is composed of the kind invitations of Peace and comfort , the Mount Sion wherein the resplendent glory of the first-born is displayed , shining only with the gentle beams of an attractive and pleasing light , and Jesus the blessed Mediator of this New Covenant with his extended Arms proclames his willingness to embrace and receive the World which he has reconciled to God with his own blood . This is that Oeconomy which the Apostle calls the foolishness of preaching , not as if it were so in it self , but because 't is a way of condescending wisdome , wherein God stoops down to our apprehensions , and frames things so as we may understand them , and receive an infinite benefit by them . For Man , partly from the frame and constitution of his Nature consisting of Body as well as Soul , but much more from his fall and descent into this lower life becomes wonderfully affected with gross Phantasms and Exterior Representations . Whence it comes to pass that we do more easily and frequently conceive of things as they appear to sense than as they are in themselves , when apprehended by a more discerning Principle . Wherefore the Infinite Wisdome of God that makes not its Operations in a way of Absolute soveraignty and immensity of Power , forcing the Creatures against those inbred Principles she hath placed in them , but sweetly and powerfully directs them in a steady way of congruity and proportionateness to the natures of things , being to work out Man from this low contracted state , the sad Region of sin and Death , to a participation of Immortality and more free emanations of Divine life , contrived a way most sutable and agreeable to the shallow capacities and faculties of Humane Souls . God would not appear to us in a flame of fire , nor speak by an Angel in a body of pure Air , but in the Form of a Servant clothed with our Humane Flesh , and subject to all the harmless Passions of our Nature , that he might more kindly disenslave us from the cruel Tyranny of sin and Satan . For let us but consult with our own Reasons , whether this be not a greater Incitation and more powerful inducement to Men to believe and obey the Declarations of the Divine Will , to exhibit to them some extraordinary and remarkable Person that should by the fullest demonstrations and sensible signs prove himself to be the Eternal Son of God , and by sweetly compulsive Motives even to the suffering a barbarous and shameful Death attract Humane Minds to the Imitation of his Virtues and following his steps , than that God should by any of those forementioned ways manifest himself in effects of Benignity or Displeasure . The whole Nation of the Jews discover the sense of Mankind in such a case , when being affrighted with the terrors accompanying the descent of God upon the Mount , they said unto Moses , speak thou with us and we will hear , but let not God speak with us lest we dye . For , 1. Considering the world partly from themselves , and partly from the cunning of Satan , so much addicted and given over to the belief of sense , had not Christ visibly appeared and conversed with Men , the Gospel could never have captivated Humane Understandings with such irresistible evidence , or wrought in them such a full perswasion of the things it taught , as we see it hath done . Should the great Pillars of the Christian Faith , I mean the Apostles and Disciples of the Holy Jesus have laid its first ground-work upon the hearing of some voice , or perswaded their Auditors ( as Numa Pompilius and some other Heathen Law-givers ) from the converse they had with some Angel , that their Doctrine was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 delivered to them from Heaven , and had God for its Author , yet how hardly would Men have embraced it upon these accounts , especially considering those imminent and apparent Dangers they were likely to incur upon the profession of it . How ill resented is that great Doctrine of our Blessed Saviour Self-denyal and Resignation among vulgar spirits , and how difficult a thing is it to bring off degenerated Hearts from the Interests of the World ? and is it likely then that Men should be so prodigal of their dearest Blood , as to sacrifice it to an uncertain Rumour and Report , which every Impostor is able to pretend ? But to see the meek Lamb of God made in our own likeness , having left the sacred Mansions of Light and Glory , and clothed himself with our frail Mortality , to behold him ( I say ) testifying by many Miracles and irrefragable Arguments through the whole course of his abode on Earth , and at last taking it upon his Death , that he was the Son of the ever-living God , and came down from Heaven to make known to Men that God was reconciled to the World through him , this must needs strike our Imaginations more forcibly than whatever else the wit of Man could possibly conceive . 2. The Gospel was intended to transform and work our Natures into that which is the flower and perfection of the Divine life , that is an universal love : to call off our minds from those little Interests they are apt to espouse by looking upon themselves as so many particular Beings divided and separated from the rest of the World , and created only for themselves and their Private concernments , and to beget in them an universally extensive charity by widening their Capacities to the Dimensions of the whole Creation . By which we are taught not to think it enough that our love ascend in copious flames to Heaven , unless it likewise descend in due measures and degrees upon all Mankind . And indeed it is impossible for a Man that is throughly baptized into this spirit of Universal love , to have any self designs in opposition to the general good of the whole World , but he must needs be infinitely desirous and pleased to see the life and nature of God communicated to all Beings capable of receiving of it . And this love is so strong and vigorous that it firmly unites it self to all in whom it finds any true likeness and resemblance of the Divine Image , and so far endears them to it self , as to constrain us to lay down our lives for the Brethren . But certainly this Flame could never have burnt so bright if it had not been raised and quickned by that sensible demonstration of inimitable affection in the Death of the Holy Jesus . For what greater incouragement could there be to oblige and unite Mens souls to one another , than that their love should first be kindled from Heaven by that great and unparallel'd Exemplar of noble Charity , who laid down his life to expiate the crimes of his own and his Fathers Enemies ? 2. Of a congruity and complyance with the state and condition of Mankind both in respect of 1. Moral 2. Natural Evils . First , in respect of Moral Evils : The degeneracy and fall of Mankind from God made them Slaves and Vassals to sin and Satan ; for the busie Tempter being not able to work upon them by external force and violence , drew their wills into consent by craft and specious solicitations , till at last he had so far enlarged his Kingdom , as to bring the whole Race of Mankind under his Dominion . Wherefore the Gospel being designed to free Men from that unnatural Bondage , and to restore them to their true liberty , it does in all points confront the ways and methods by which their Captivity was compassed and effected . It had been a small matter by a high hand , and by an Infinite Power at large , to have destroyed the Devils Kingdom , but herein appeared an excellent Wisdome , so to lay the Ground and Foundation of this glorious purpose of the salvation of the World , that the Politick Prince of Darkness might be taken in his own craftiness , and lose this his Empire and Dominion by the same methods by which he at first obtained it . The Woman being first in the Transgression , and bringing sin and Death upon all her Off-spring , that Divine Wisdome that draws light out of darkness , and Order out of Confusion , decreed that the seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head , that is , that Christ who is the Seed of the Woman , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by Nature , and his Members , who are so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by spiritual engraftment into him , should dispossess the Devil of that Power , Soveraignty and Principality which he holds over the World by sin . According to this early Declaration of Men's Recovery , Jesus Christ the true Seed of the Woman comes into the World , and by walking exactly contrary to his Enemy , restores to the World what they lost by the first Adam . And whereas the Devil managed his Kingdom of sin and Death with all imaginable Tyranny and Insultation over poor Mortals , our Blessed Jesus was so far from requiring Humane Blood to be sacrificed to him , that out of a deep sense of our Calamity he parted with his own Blood for the life of the World. A more effectual and agreeable course could never have been taken than this , that the Captain of our salvation should visibly appear and conquer the Kingdom and Powers of Darkness in that Nature which the first Adam ruin'd and destroyed . Secondly , in respect of Natural Evils : Though it be no disgrace nor shame to be made a Man , yet he that deeply reflects upon Humane life , shall find it at the best very calamitous and standing in need of much Pity and Compassion . We are born into the World helpless and weak , and as if we did presage our own future miseries , the first actions of our life are spent in crying and tears : Our very Bodies are a sad load and burden upon our Spirits , inclining them to many foolish lusts and passions , subject to many Pains , Diseases and Death , insomuch that many good and holy Men have in passionate streins bewailed their stay and continuance here on Earth , Woe is me that I sojourn in Meseck , and have my habitation in the Tents of Kedar ! and , O wretched man that I am , who shall deliver me from this body of Death ! Now none can so affectionately pity , nor so intimately resent the distress of another , as he that hath smarted and suffered under the same calamity : Therefore says the Apostle , We have not an High-Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities , by reason of the great distance , disproportion and sublimity of his Nature , but was in all points tempted like as we are , yet without sin , that is , manifested and declared himself to be a true Man , by being subject to all the harmless affections and infirmities of humane flesh and blood ; forasmuch therefore as he became our Brother , by taking upon him the same Natural condition , he must needs be throughly apprehensive and sensible of our state , and so the more apt to sympathize with and commiserate poor Mortals , and by that powerful soveraignty to which he is exalted , act for us and send down relief from Heaven to us . For though the Infinite Essence of God pervade the whole World and all the Creatures live within it , and therefore must needs feel and know the inmost Energies , Motions and stillest Actings of all Beings ; yet it affords not such a sensible comfort to Humane minds , as to behold the Son of God taking upon him our Nature , and by that Union and Proximity assuring us of his Tenderness and Compassion towards us . For he took not on him the nature of Angels , being unwilling to be so far removed from us , but took on him the Seed of Abraham . Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren , that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest — for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted , he is able to succour them that are tempted . 3. A third thing , which demonstrates the excellency of Divine Wisdome in the dispensation of the Gospel , consists in the fitness and sutableness of it to the end for which it was designed . For things are so much the more excellent , by how much the congruity and fitness is greater for the accomplishing their end and purpose . Now the great intent and design of God in the Gospel being ( as I have said ) the everlasting blessedness of Humane Souls , the more congruously and fitly disposed it shall be found to be for the obtaining this effect , the greater is the glory of the Divine Wisdome interessing and concerning it self about it . This aptness and sutableness is seen , 1. In that the Gospel is furnished with all those Arguments that are requisite to approve it self worthy of Belief to all Rational Persons . To this two things are necessary . 1. The attestation of God himself . 2. Rational evidence and conviction . For whatever is attested of God , and hath his Seal affixed to it , is by the general consent of all Men to be looked upon and entertained as infallibly true : Veracity being an Essential Attribute and Perfection of the Divine Nature . St. Paul discoursing of the mystery of Godliness tells us that Christ and Christianity was justified by the spirit , i. e. owned , approved and recommended to the World by the spirit of God. And this God's recommendation of our blessed Saviour to the World , as a Person commissioned and invested with full Authority to declare his will unto Mankind , was done at several Times and in divers manners . 1. At the Baptism of our Saviour , Mat. 3.16 , 17. when the Heavens were opened , and the spirit of God descended upon him , and a Voice from Heaven proclaiming him the beloved Son of God in whom he was well pleased . And this manner of Divine Revelation by a Voice from Heaven , as it was the most ancient , so the most honourable way of God's communicating his will to Mankind , Exod. 20.22 . Ye have seen that I have talked with you from Heaven . For what the Jews relate of the Bath-kol , are for the most part fabulous , or else Magical and Satanical Delusions . Certain it is ( as a very learned Author observes ) there is not the least mention in the Holy Scriptures of a Voice speaking from Heaven , between the giving of the Law and the Baptism of our Saviour . And it were very strange if God withdrawing those ordinary ways of revealing his Will under the second Temple , should yet continue the most noble of all , by speaking to Men from Heaven . And that we may not think there was any plot or combination between John the Baptist and our Saviour Christ , it is said , Joh. 1.33 . that John knew him not , but had this sign given him , that upon whom he should see the spirit descending and remaining on him , that same was the true Messias and Saviour of the World. And to this Voice our Lord himself appeals , Joh. 6.27 . Him hath God the Father sealed , i. e. visibly approved and owned Christ from Heaven , to the end that he having this wonderful attestation of God himself might be believed on in the World , and his Doctrine as unquestionably received as the Letters of a King , when his Seal is affixed to them . 2. Another confirmation of Christ and his Doctrine was at his Transfiguration . Mat. 17.5 . A Voice comes out of the cloud , which said , This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased , hear ye him . And this St. Peter brings as a Demonstration of the Truth of the Gospel , For we have not followed cunningly devised Fables , when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ , q. d. We have not imposed upon the Minds and Spirits of Men , as the manner of cheaters and deceivers is , but have delivered to you such things as we have seen and heard , being eye-witnesses of his Majesty ; For he received from God the Father honour and glory , when there came such a Voice to him from the excellent Glory , This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased : And this Voice which came from Heaven we heard , when we were with him in the Holy Mount. 3. God approved our Lord Jesus by inabling him to work Miracles , which is such a clear Testimony of the Divine Mission of our Saviour , that both Jews and Gentiles ought to be convinced by it . To the Jews it ought to be Convictive from their own Law , Deut. 18.22 . When a Prophet speaks in the Name of the Lord , if the thing follow not nor come to pass , that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken — Which Rule was given them to discern true Prophets from false ; for if the Prophet brought to them a New Doctrine , and confirmed it by supernatural and miraculous Operations , though he commanded them something contrary to the Law , yet if he perswaded nothing but the worship of the One true God of Israel , they ought to obey him , forasmuch as there could be no greater Evidence of the Divine Testimony and Approbation , than by inabling such a Man to work Miracles . And though this General Rule might be applyed to all the Jewish Prophets , yet did it more particularly respect the coming of the Messias , there being none more conspicuous and illustrious for all those signs by which God would have the Prophet that speaks in his Name to be known than Jesus Christ . Nor is it of less moment and argument to the Gentiles , for Miracles being such unquestionable evidences of the Interposition of a Divine Power , it follows that whoever shall lead a sincere and unblameable life , and teach nothing but the worship of the true God and the conscientious practice of Virtue , and for the confirmation of this his Doctrine shall work Miracles , we ought to believe him sent from God. This was it which convinced Nicodemus , We know that thou art a Teacher come from God , for no man can do these Miracles that thou doest except God be with him . He saw that Jesus Christ professed and commanded only the worship of the true God , and that he exhorted only to the practice of real Righteousness and Holiness , and therefore that those great Miracles which he wrought , exceeding the power of evil spirits , were a sensible Demonstration that he was sent from God. It may now not improperly be inquired , Whether Miracles are always necessary to beget belief of the Divine Authority of a Doctrine : and how far they are so ? To this I answer , that Miracles to some Persons and in some Circumstances are proper means to beget assent ; for that they are not always convictive , appears from the Incredulity of the Jews , whom neither the frequent and stupendious Miracles of our Saviour , nor of his Apostles could perswade , but notwithstanding this powerful way of conviction , they put the Master to death as a Malefactor , and murder his Servants : I say therefore that to some Persons and in some circumstances , Miracles are proper means to beget Faith. 1. They are necessary means to them who have been constantly used and trained up by Miracles . Such were the Jewes , who received their Law in a miraculous manner , the Divinity of which was frequently afterwards attested by Miracles , and upon any great and notable defection of the People to Idolatry , God was pleased to reduce them by sending and inabling a Prophet to work Miracles . Now it is very unreasonable to think that the Gospel which should introduce and make so mighty a change in the Judaical Oeconomy should gain belief of them , unassisted of miraculous evidence and testimony , who were already in possession of a Law which God himself had so often owned and set his Seal to by Miracles and supernatural Operations . Hence it came to pass that the Jews demanded of Christ a sign , Joh. 2.18 . forasmuch as he called God his Father , and carried himself in the way of a Prophet , they require him to evidence this his Authority by some miraculous Actions , which our blessed Saviour both promises and fulfils by raising himself from the Dead . 2. Miracles do more powerfully strike the senses , and so are more apt to beget belief in them , who are not capable of a rational apprehension and dijudication of Truth . Hitherto we may refer Christ's upbraiding Chorazin and Bethsaida , If the mighty works which were done in them , had been done in Tyre and Sidon , they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes , that is , they would very probably have done so : for they lying under a great and inveterate Ignorance , and being so perfectly enslaved to sense , were more likely to have been rouzed out of their blockishness and stupidity by miracles which so forcibly strike the imagination , than by the most Rational Discourse to which they had so little vital congruity and agreeableness . And it is very observable , that the Apostles never wrought a Miracle , but upon an urgent occasion and great necessity , where they found their Auditors capable and apprehensive : When the great Apostle of the Gentiles , S. Paul , came to Athens , a place long famous for all Polite Learning , he makes an excellent Metaphysical Discourse , and proves the Unnaturalness and Unreasonableness of Idolatry , by such Principles as were common to , and Universally received by the Intellectual nature of Man. And indeed a Rational conviction seems more clear and evident than a miraculous One , by how much the Innate Idea's and Dictates of the Understanding are more sure and constant , than the perplexed motions of a Versatile Imagination . And we find that the Jews evaded the force of our Saviour's Miracles , by saying they were done by the power of the Devil , and though Lazarus come to them from the Dead , yet they did not believe , but sought to murder him , and a perverse spirit will find various Artifices to elude the Assent which a Miracle commands from us . But now Humane Reason being in all Men one and the same , it is more likely to prevail when advantageously propounded , from that antecedent sutableness and Harmony there is between it and all Truth . And without doubt our blessed Saviour himself seems to intimate , that the Assent which is extorted upon the working of Miracles , is much less generous and Noble , than that which is gained from the Understanding , by the Native evidence and beauty of Truth : Except ye see signs and wonders , ye will not believe ; whereas the Facility of the Samaritanes is commended , who believed on Jesus upon his own Discourse , though he did no Miracle among them . And besides all this , Christ says expresly , that the very Nature and frame , the Sanctity and Majesty of the Doctrine he propounded , was alike sufficient to render the Jews inexcusable , as the unparallel'd Works he performed in their Presence . If I had not come and spoken to them , they had not had sin ; but now they have no cloak for their sin . Again , If I had not done amongst them the works which none other man did , they had not had sin . Wherefore to us who have Moses and the Prophets , the Discourses of our Blessed Saviour , and the Writings of his Apostles transmitted , if we shall yet be incredulous , it is as likely and probable we shall still continue so , though one come to Us from the Dead . For , 1. We have already all things , pertaining to life and godliness , perspicuously delivered in the Holy Scriptures , and this Doctrine at the first delivery of it , was sufficiently confirmed and attested by Miracles and Supernatural Actions , the History of which is made as credible to us , as any Records of things can be , which we our selves were not Spectators of . Now , if we can believe any Histories of former Ages , any Records of Times past , we have the same Reason to believe the History of the Gospel , and he that sincerely credits that , will be as much confirmed in the Religion he professes , by those Miracles he finds long ago wrought to evidence its Divine Authority , as if they were done now at this present before his eyes . Blessed are they who have not seen , and yet have believed . 2. To desire new Miracles for the begetting of Faith , is to question the Wisdome of God in the Contrivance of the Gospel . For either the Scriptures are sufficiently confirmed and attested , by the Miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles , to beget Faith and Credence in any unprejudiced and disinteressed Person , or they are not . If they are , it is in vain to require the Reproduction of Miracles in its behalf . If they are not , we then call in question the wisdome of God , as if he either knew not the Natures and Constitutions of Men , or did not foresee what was sufficient to work belief in them . 3. The perpetuating Miracles for every Man's Conviction , would destroy and make useless their Rational Faculties . For the Christian Religion is a manifestation of the highest Reason that ever the World had any cognizance of , and all its Parts and Doctrines are every way fitted to Rational Capacities : But now Miracles being only Convictive to sense , if for the confirmation of every Article of Religion , there must be the concurrent Testimony of a Miracle , all Appeal to our Reason and Intellectual Faculties were useless and supervacaneous . 4. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead , was a notable suffrage and testimony of his Divine Mission . It is the highest instance of Divine Providence watching over and carefully superintending the Person of our Holy Lord and Master , which though it permitted Him to fall into the Hands of wicked and cruel Men , who bereaved him of his Innocent Life , yet forsook him not in Death and the Grave , but justified and approved the Design and Cause he managed in the World by dismantling those Infernal Prisons , and bringing Him up to life again . And this the Apostle takes as an eminent Declaration of the Divinity of Jesus , who though according to that mortal and frail state he took upon him in the World , became a Man of the Seed of David , yet in regard of that Spiritual and Celestial condition , which he obtained by the Resurrection from the Dead , was manifestly declared the glorious and powerful Son of God. For we cannot think that God would do so much for an Impostor , or that the Divine Power would so highly concern it self in raising him from the Dead , and thereby owning him in so singular and eminent a manner , if he had not spoken in his Name , and done all things by his Authority and Commission . 5. Another Instance of the Divine Approbation of the Doctrine of our Saviour , appears in sending down the Holy Ghost after his Ascension into Heaven . This Mission of the Holy Spirit , Christ promised his Disciples before he left the World , and signally performs it upon the Day of Pentecost . And this very thing is brought by the Author to the Hebrews , as an Indubitable Confirmation of the Gospel : How shall we escape , if we neglect so great salvation , which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord , and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him : God also bearing them witness ( approving and owning the Doctrine of his Son Jesus ) both with signs and wonders , and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost , according to his own will. God is brought in here as a Witness to the Truth of the Gospel , and his Testimony is the Mission of the Holy Ghost , by whom the Apostles were inabled and furnished with divers gifts and miraculous Powers for the conviction of the World , that Jesus was the beloved Son of God and Saviour of Mankind . And this Redargution of the World was made a part of the Advocateship of the Holy Spirit by our Lord , When he is come he will reprove the World of sin , because they believe not on me , that is , he shall take upon him the defence of my cause , and convince the World of their great sin in slaying me a true Prophet , who came to declare the will of God unto them . Of righteousness , because I go to my Father , and ye see me no more ; that is , he should make it appear that I was just and innocent , though condemned as a Malefactor , and that I was owned and approved of God in that he visibly took me up into Heaven . Which plentiful effusion of the Holy Spirit in such a wonderful manner , whenas he had been withdrawn from the Jews as to those extraordinary and Prophetical gifts for the space of four hundred years , was a Testimony clear as the Sun that Jesus was the true Messias , the beloved Son of GOD , and therefore that they ought to have believed on Him. 6. Lastly , Christ was approved by the Spirit of Prophecy . Their want of understanding and incredulity of the Prophetick Oracles , was that for which our Saviour upbraided his two Disciples , O Fools and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken . Whereby we are informed that the Prophets had long ago given , not only a character and description of the Person , but of the Doctrine , Death , Burial and Resurrection of the Messiah ; and these Prophecies being so directly applicable to Jesus and to none else , it was an unquestionable proof that he was the true Messiah , and that the World ought to believe on him . This Argument St. Peter makes use of against the Jewes ; To him give all the Prophets witness — q.d. If you believe not us the Apostles of Jesus , yet believe your own Prophets , who unanimously point out and refer to this Jesus , whom we preach to you . And thus St. Paul pleads for the Gospel , Act. 26.22 . that he taught no other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come . By all these several ways , it is very apparent that God hath born witness to Christianity , and approved and owned the Person and Doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ , which is the first thing required to the credibility of the Gospel , namely the Attestation of God himself . 2. The Second is Rational Evidence and Conviction . The most Noble Faculties of the Soul of Man are the Understanding and the Will , and that Religion bear a Rational Evidence and Conviction , it must be fitted with Arguments that must convince the Understanding , and perswade the Will to a due Reception and entertainment of it . Now the proper Object of the Understanding is Truth , from whence it follows that Christianity must be true that it may be believed . For the Truth of Religion , I shall refer to those Learned Authors , who have purposely handled that Argument , and brought as clear Evidence as the thing it self is capable of : And he that cannot believe without a Mathematical certainty , declares himself to be very absurd and disingenuous , and may upon the same grounds as well expect the same Demonstrative Evidence for the affairs of Humane life , or to prove the Truth of the Chronicles of the Kings of England , or France , that is , he is so strangely unreasonable , as to desire such proof , as the nature of the things will not bear , though in the mean time he have the highest evidence , and most unquestionable assurance of the Truth of Religion , that the thing it self is capable of , that is , a Moral certainty . For the Mind of Man may be as indubitably assured of the Truth of a Moral Proposition , as of a Mathematical or Physical one , although there be not the same way of Probation in all . As for Example , This is a self-evident Truth in Morals , and needs no other light , but that of its own to gain Assent ; That in those things which we have not seen nor experienced our selves , we ought to believe them that say they have seen and experienced , provided they live up to their profession , and are not moved to it by secular respect . Which if it be not assented to , we must be Scepticks even in ordinary affairs and transactions of Humane life , we must not believe there is such a Place as Constantinople , nor credit any thing but our own Eyes and Ears , and say in a larger sense than ever the Psalmist did , that all men are lyars . See more of this in Bishop Wilkins Principles of Natural Religion . Now for the Will , that Religion may have a full and compleat entertainment in the Soul of Man , there must be something likewise to work upon that Wherefore to make a thing eligible , it must have the appearance of Good , that is , it must have a sutableness , congruity and harmony with the Intellectual Nature of Man , and a tendency to promote the perfection thereof ; And such is the Christian Religion in its whole Frame and Contexture . For let us consider , who it is that owns , and has interessed himself , as the Blessed Author of the Evangelical Oeconomy , even the Eternal Logos and Wisdome of God , that Almighty Mind which has closely contracted , and deeply seal'd upon all Intellectual Agents , that large and diffusive wisdome , that is seen in all the Parts of Heaven and Earth . And to think that Christianity should be in any of its Parts unreasonable , is to imagine this to be the only Unreasonable thing , that ever the Divine Wisdome was the Author of , and this alone of all his numerous Off-spring to be unlike the Father . The Gospel does in the most intimate manner derive it self from Christ the Eternal Son of God , and is especially owned and superintended by him , as being the repairing that work which he alone made , and which he alone can rectifie : and to imagine that an Infinite Reason should propound any thing to us that were unreasonable , is as fond as to say that cold can flow from fire , or darkness positively ray from the bosome of light . Jesus Christ did not bring a Religion into the World , to perplex our minds and dazle our understandings , but for the real good and behoof of the lapsed Creation , to form our minds according to his own Image , and to regenerate our spirits into a living nature of Truth and Righteousness , which Design were utterly lost , if there were not in Christianity a perfect symphony , congruity and agreeableness with our Intellectual Natures . Besides , let any Man but consider , how the Will is allured and solicited to Action , and he shall find , that it is then the most vigorously tempted forth , when something is propounded , which has a Natural sutableness and harmony with those Constitutive Principles , of which we are made : but on the contrary , it is naturally averse to , and not at all concerned with that , to which it hath no vital sympathy or concord . Which is an evident sign that Christianity is not only agreeable to , but perfective of our Rational Powers . What can be more agreeable to the true Nature of Man than Righteousness ? What more sutable to his higher and Diviner Faculties than Truth and Goodness ? These beautiful and glorious Forms shone bright in our Souls , before Vice and Sin had covered and overspread them , and forced our Minds into a Preternatural state . Now Christianity is design'd for the Recovery of Us to our Pristine Health and Rectitude , and tends to the enlargement of our better Powers , and the Recovery of them from that narrow and contracted state , sin and evil had brought them to . Vice and Wickedness are none of God's Creation , but are Obliquities and Aberrations from those Rules and Laws he implanted in us , and therefore as it is impossible the Soul should have any proper agreement with sin , because 't is none of its Nature , so she must needs , on the other hand , sensibly embrace and acquiesce in the Principles and Precepts of Holiness , from that Vital Cognation they bear to her own Moral Being . There is no capacious and generous Mind , but will find it self wonderfully affected and inamour'd with the loveliness of Christianity , there being nothing found , but Principles of the highest worth and nobility , and whatever else may speak true excellency and perfection . The Gospel is nothing , but God manifested in the Flesh , an eternal Mind clothed with the condescensions of Humane Nature , shewing us the Beauty and Pulchritude of that life , from which we had so foully apostatiz'd and degenerated , and confirming and re-establishing that Happy league , which was once between our Souls and Righteousness . By the tenor of which sacred Institute , we are obliged to great measures and degrees of Holiness , to Sobriety and Temperance , Chastity and Purity , to be strict observers of the Rules of Justice and Equity , full of good nature and the desirable fruits of tenderness and compassion ; in a word , we are injoyned no other things in Religion , than what the best and bravest spirits the World ever knew , have always accounted the flower and summity of Rational Natures . And do not all considering Men , find the greatest ease and satisfaction of Mind , in the exercise of these things ? And whence comes this Heavenly calm and serenity of Soul , but only from that gratefulness and symmetry , that is between such things and our Intellectual Man ? so that the more earnestly we attend to them , the more fully are we transformed into their lovely Image and likeness . True Christianity is so far from debasing , that on the contrary it infinitely exalts them , by setting them at a true proportion to their proper Objects , and raising them to such a state , as all wise Men have ever acknowledged the highest Happiness and Perfection of the Soul of Man. I have now shown the fitness and sutableness of the Gospel , to the end for which it was designed , in that it is furnished with all those Arguments of Credibility , that may beget Assent in Rational Persons : but its aptness and accomodateness to that great purpose of Men's salvation , may further be demonstrated in that , 2. Secondly , It is so attemper'd to Humane Nature , that Men shall certainly believe , and yet no violence done to their Wills. For Men being Moral Agents , must be dealt withall according to their Natural Powers and Faculties , and this makes the Method of saving Humane Souls by the Gospel , to be indeed a Work of Wisdom and Counsel , whereas if God should by his Omnipotency force them to a Belief and Obedience of it , it would not have been so much an effect of Wisdome , as of absolute and uncontrollable Power . Now herein appears the Glory of Divine Wisdome , in the choice of such means and ways , as shall effectually bring to pass its end and purpose , and yet no violence and force offered to that Nature in whose behalf it acts . As therefore to assert , that there is no necessity of the assistance of the grace and spirit of God , in our progress in Virtue and Holiness , but that Men may be good by the strength of the Powers of Nature , is directly repugnant to the frame of Christianity , delineated in the Holy Scriptures , and the sense of the Universal Apostolick Church of Christ ; so to think that the Operation of God's Spirit upon the Hearts of Men , is by an External Impetus and Force , is no less precarious and absurd , than the other is wicked and abominable . I shall therefore wave the first of these , as not being at all concerned with it , but directly supposing the contrary ; and only discourse so far of the concourse and energy of the Spirit of God upon the minds , will and affections of Men , as is evidently declared in the Holy Scriptures . And here I humbly conceive , that the Sacred Writings do no where declare the concurrence , or operation of the Spirit of God upon Men's Souls , to be by an Omnipotent Power at large , such as was shown in the Creation of the World , or Resurrection of the Dead , and which supposes us so altogether passive , as not to be in the least measure capable of promoting , or hindring our own good ; for this were to destroy that noble faculty of Humane Souls their Will , and render all their Actions fatal and necessary : Whereas the Christian Religion was intended to heal and cement , to joyn and confirm the dislocated and disordered powers of our Souls , not to take them away , to perfect and compleat , not to extirpate and eradicate their very Nature and Being . No Man acknowledges the actions of Brutes or Engines , or the results of our Animal and irrational powers capable of Moral Goodness ; because they act fatally and necessarily ; and such would the actions of Mankind be , if they were produced by an irresistible Power . A power and assistance then it is certain God has given us , and that of his Holy Spirit under the Gospel , but the manner of his Operation is not absolute and unconditionate , but hypothetical , like the great conciliating and formative Principle of God in Nature , requiring certain terms and previous Dispositions and Qualifications , without which it is as vain to hope for the compleat efformation of Christ within us , as to expect the Rudiments of the Body of an Animal , to be formed out of a piece of Brass or Marble . For though we do not distrust the Power of God , but believe he is able to raise himself up Children out of the very stones of the Fields , and to change and alter the Natures of things as he pleases ; yet since we find him framing and guiding them , not according to Will and Power alone , but according to the Counsel of his Will , we are likewise ascertain'd , that in the conducting Humane Souls to Heaven , God works sutably to their Natures and Capacities , and in such an orderly Way and congruous Method , as supposes the Presence of an Infinite Wisdome and Counsel in the Management of it . And this not only appears from the consideration of the frame of Humane Nature , which in its choicest part is wholly Intellectual , and therefore not to be forced by an outward violence , but moved and drawn ( as the Scriptures speak ) with bands of love , and cords of a man , that is , by Rational means and perswasive Arguments , whose force and strength must lye in their Congenerousness and sutableness with the Ancient Idea's and Inscriptions of Truth upon our Souls , but is likewise manifest , 1. From the resistibility of the Operations of the Spirit of God. And for a demonstrative and convictive Evidence of this , we need look no further than the preaching of the Son of God , while he conversed with the World and dwelt amongst us , who though he were the Essential wisdome of his Father , and his Discourses full of Life and Power , who himself was transcendently anointed with the Spirit of God , and able and willing to bestow the same , according as the needs and necessities of Men required , yet Jesus , the Author and finisher of the salvation of Men , was not always succesful , but oft-times that precious and Immortal seed , which he sow'd , fell upon a Rock , and there were some that rejected the Counsel of God against themselves , and Many believed not on him , and others went back , and walked no more with him . Shall we say now that the Spirit of God did not accompany those excellent Sermons of Jesus Christ ? If it did , his Energy and Operation was not Absolute and Unconditionate , since it was repulsed , and took no effect on many . Or is it not rather plain , that the cause lay in the stubborness and obstinacy of their own wills , according as Christ himself tells the Jews , I would , but ye would not ? A like form of Speech God uses to their rebellious Ancestors , Because I have purged thee , and thou wast not purged , that is , I have done my part towards it , but thou wouldst not do thine . Nor can I imagine , if the work of Men's Conversion depended so wholly upon the Power of God , that no precedent Qualifications were necessary to invite the Spirit of God to fall to work , why Men's obstinate incredulity should debar Christ from working Miracles , as we find it did ; or why he should not require a tractable frame of mind , as a precedent Qualification , for the exertion of his Almighty Power in the cure of spiritual , as well as corporal diseases . Nay , the Apostles and Disciples of our Saviour were so far from imagining an irresistible Power , accompanying the outward Word , that St. Stephen tells the Jews , they did resist the Holy Ghost , even as their Fathers did . 2. From those Arguments , the Spirit of God makes use of , under the Gospel , wherein Men are treated with according to their Rational Natures , and wrought off from Vice and sin , to a firm and permanent adhesion to Virtue , by kindness and love , by hopes and fears , by the inevitableness of impendent mischiefs , and by the security of future rewards . Which Oeconomy had been altogether supervacaneous , if God had engaged his Omnipotent Power to make Men good . Under the Gospel we are perswaded to Holiness and Righteousness , by the easiness , pleasantness and satisfaction of such a state , to which our minds being once arrived , they feel a full and entire Acquiescence and ineffable joy ; a Pleasure resulting from the connaturality and agreeableness of those Beautiful Forms , with the inmost sense of our own Souls . And because the dispositions of Mankind are various and different , some being incouraged to Action , out of a Principle of Gratitude and innate Nobility ; others not easily won , but by Advantage and Interest ; others again not without menaces of a severe and uneasie Discipline : therefore God in the Evangelical Dispensation , hath interwoven the most effectual and cogent Arguments , to meet with each of these tempers in Men. To the first , he propounds the consideration of the Death and Passion of his only begotten Son , who being in the form of God , and dwelling in the Immortal Mansions of Light and Glory , yet out of that dear and ineffable love and compassion , which he always bare to the race of Mankind , was content to banish himself from those Blessed Regions , and put on our Servile Scheme , being born into the World a helpless Infant , subject to perpetual sorrows and afflictive circumstances , leading an obscure and contemptible life , befriended of few , and at last dying upon that uneasie Bed of sorrows , the Cross , that so his Death might be an Expiatory Sacrifice for the sins of the World. Which cannot but enravish every Ingenuous Breast , and fill it with the highest and most faithful love , to so kind and compassionate a Saviour . But there being almost as few of this sort of Men , as there were of old of those that embraced Virtue for it self , and esteemed it eligible , though divested of all appendant Rewards , therefore that Eternal Wisdome which has interessed it self in the Frame and Conduct of the Gospel , propounds an advantageous Portion to the sincere and unblameable Professors of Piety and Holiness , and assures them that their labour shall not be in vain , but that their sorrows shall find refreshment , their hardships and difficult enterprises , ease and pleasure , and their faithful Perseverance in Righteousness be recompenced with the Happiness of possessing glorified and Immortal Bodies in the highest Heavens . And if it shall happen , the minds of Men to be deaf to all the charms of Gratitude and Advantage , to the Allectives of good Nature and Interest , and there be no way left to awake them out of their stupidity , but by the Voice of Thunder , then Jesus Christ the Soveraign of Men and Angels , is represented to Us in Scripture , coming in the Clouds of Heaven , attended with Thousands of Angels , to take Vengeance on those that have not known God , nor obeyed his Laws and Commands : And by his Powerful Operation , the Seeds and Principles of Fire shall be excited , and that quick and Active Element insinuate and pervade all the Commissures and Parts of the Earth , and a Deluge of Flame , as once of Waters , shall overspread the Face of the World. Into which sulphureous and burning Lake , the Devil and his Angels , and all those who in this life delight in wickedness , and cast the fear of God behind their backs , shall be plunged to Eternal Ages . These are the Arguments which are dispersed up and down , and urged in the Holy Scriptures , as so many tyes and bands , to engage us to a faithful and peremptory prosecution of the indispensable Laws of Righteousness and Truth , and which as well in their own Nature , as in the manner and way of their Proposal , do evidently declare that they are not fatal and necessary , but moral Instruments of propagating and diffusing the Life and Nature of God , and as all other Rational means of Perswasion , may by an obstinate and perverse spirit be slighted and contemned . And certainly the Nature of the thing it self requires it should be so ; for if the whole conduct of Mens souls , in order to their salvation , were nothing but the effects and emanations of a peremptory and uncontrollable Power , there would be no place left for those large Encomium's of Wisdome in this great affair , Wisdome being Inventrix Mediorum , and then most of all discovers its excellency , in fixing and determining upon such ways , as shall operate effectually , and yet congruously and agreeably to the Nature of Men , Moral Agents requiring Moral Instruments , to allure and invite them to Action . But lest any Man should carelesly mistake me , and think that what I have said , tends to the invalidating and weakning our belief of the Powerful Assistance of the Spirit of God , I do confidently affirm , That no Man ought , or can attribute his beginning , progress and continuance in goodness , to his own solitary effort or powers , but to the benign and auspicious influence of the Divine grace and spirit . It is he that forms in us the Life and Nature of God , that makes us Holy , Righteous and Good , enlightning the Eyes of our Minds , that we may see the inestimable riches of the Gospel , and convinces us of the Truth of the Great Promises of Salvation . It is He that daily by a Vital Energy purges and refines the minds of Men from all filthiness and uncleanness , and consecrates their hearts as Holy Temples unto God. It is he that continually burns up and consumes our unruly lusts , and breathes upon the Sacred Life of God in our Souls , fanning it into a flame of love , that we dwell in God and God in Us. Through his mighty Power we are secured from our Spiritual Enemies , leading us with a Pillar of a Cloud by Day , and a light of Fire by Night , till he bring us to Heaven the true Land of Canaan . But in all this , the Divine Spirit does not pull and draw us like stocks and stones , nor offer any irresistible violence to our wills , nor must we expect that God should do all the work for us while we sit still , but we must do it for our selves , only he has graciously promised to concur and lend us his hand and his assistance . Work out your salvation ( says the Apostle ) with fear and trembling , for it is God who works in you both to will and to do , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , of his good pleasure , or according to your desire , that is , God stands ready to help you with Power and Ability to do it according to your desire , or as you desire it of him , and we are to take care that we actuate that Power , which of his gracious bounty he confers upon us . Which very thing makes us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cooperate with God , as the Apostles are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 labourers together with God in the Dispensation of the Gospel . Having now discovered the Great Influence of the Divine Goodness and Wisdome in the Work of Man's Salvation , it remains likewise that I now shew , how the Power of God has interessed and concerned it self in the same : For the Apostle tells the Corinthians , that he Preached Christ to them , not only the Wisdome , but the Power of God. And again , to them who are saved , the preaching of the Cross is the Power of God. Now this Power manifested it self , 1. In raising our Blessed Saviour from the Dead . Thus St. Paul says , that Jesus was declared the Son of God with power , by the Resurrection from the Dead , that is , God did own and publickly declare him to be his beloved Son , in that powerful manner of raising Him from the Dead . And again , he calls it the mighty power of God which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the Dead . For when the Jews had crucified our Saviour , the Cause of the Gospel , as to all Humane Appearance lay dead and buried with him as a lost and undone Cause , insomuch that the Disciples themselves were brought to this , We trusted it had been he that should have redeemed Israel , so little hopes and expectations had they of a new state of things , when they saw their great Master dead upon the Cross . But suffering Virtue being so illustrious an object of the Divine Providence , God who owned and approved our Lord Jesus all the time of his life , would not now suffer his Credit and Reputation to lye at stake being dead , and therefore notwithstanding the malice of the Jews , and the envious diligence of the spirits of Darkness , asserts and maintains the Truth of his Mission , by bringing him up to life again . The impious care and industry of his Enemies , made the glory of our Saviour's Innocence so much the more clear and conspicuous : they look upon him as an Impostor , and having heard him afore speak of his Resurrection , they endeavour by all means to hinder it , that they might blast his Memory and bury his Honour with Disgrace ; therefore they roll a great Stone to the Mouth of the Sepulchre , sealing it , ( probably with the Signet of Pilate ) and setting a Band of Souldiers to watch about his Grave . But God that loved his Son Jesus to his Death , and took the care of Him when he was laid in the Grave , disappointed the hopes and expectations of the Jews , and made their malicious contrivances subservient Testimonies to the Truth of his Resurrection . A mighty Angel comes down from Heaven , at whose Presence and awful Majesty the Keepers trembled , and the Earth it self was moved , and rolls away the Stone and sits upon it , and the stupendious Power of the Divinity shakes the Territories of Night and slumber , and dismantles the Prisons of the Grave , and restores to our Saviour that Life the Jews bereaved him of , notwithstanding all their fraudulent Practices and Machinations . A palpable Indication of the mighty and efficacious Power of God , who alone can call the things that are not , and quicken and enliven the Dead , beyond all Humane Thoughts and Apprehensions . 2. The Power of God in the Gospel , has been very notable in the Destruction of the Devils Kingdom . When Mankind began to apostatize from God , and fall into Idolatry , he gave them over to the Tyranny and Dominion of the Prince of Darkness , as a just Punishment of their wilful Adhesion to his Counsels and Inspirations , and for Reasons reserved in the Depth and Abyss of Divine Providence , permitted all the World ( save that he selected himself a Church out of the Posterity of Abraham ) to be abused by the Devil , and to lye under that servitude and slavery , till the coming of Christ into the World. But when the Son of Righteousness was risen , the Nations of the Earth soon saw and walked in his light , and the Prediction of our Blessed Saviour became verified and fulfilled in the Ruine of the Devils Kingdome , whose lapse and fall was like lightning from Heaven . For notwithstanding the mutual Combinations and Confederacies of the Kings and Potentates of the Earth against the Lords anointed , and his Disciples and Followers , notwithstanding the furious Rage of Satan , in stirring up and raising many cruel and bloody Persecutions against the Church , yet the Word of God grew mightily and prevailed so far that the whole Roman Empire at last became Christian , whereby the Devil utterly lost his hold , his Oracles being silent , and his whole Worship destroyed . And surely had not the Christian Religion been of God , it could never have so Universally prevailed against such Potent opposition of Men and Devils . The hand and Power of God was visibly and eminently discovered in the ample Diffusion and high success of the Gospel , which from such weak and small Beginnings ran and was glorious , captivating the Minds of Men to the obedience of Christ's Laws , and bringing the World under the Scepter of his Kingdome . Which Destruction of the Devils Rule and Dominion over Mankind , being in so great a measure already accomplished by the preaching of the Gospel , and that Powerful Assistance that attended it from Heaven , shall receive its full and final completion , when the Mountain of the Lord's house is exalted upon the tops of the Mountains , and all Nations flow unto it : that is , when both Jews and Gentiles shall unite themselves under the Banner of the crucified Jesus . And now that I am discoursing of that signal overthrow of the Devil's Kingdome by Christianity , or the Gospel under the Powerful conduct of the Lord Jesus , whereby he became dispossessed of his Usurped Dominions , and those who had so long time been his Slaves and Vassals , returned to the Loyalty and Obedience they owed to their Natural Soveraign , I cannot forbear to insert a Conjecture of the Pious and Learned Mr. Mede , concerning the American , or New World. That those Countries were first Inhabited since our Saviour and his Apostles times , and not before ; yea perhaps some Ages after : there being no signs or foot-steps found amongst them , or any Monuments of older Habitation , as there is with us . That the Devil being impatient of the sound of the Gospel , and the Cross of Christ in every part of this old World , so that he could in no place be quiet for it , and foreseeing that he was like at length to lose all here , bethought himself to provide him of a Seed , over which he might reign securely , and in a Place , Vbi nec Pelopidarum facta neque nomen audiret . That accordingly he drew a Colony out of some of those barbarous Nations , dwelling upon the Northern Ocean , ( whither the sound of Christ had not yet come ) and promising them by some Oracle to shew them a Country far better than their own , ( which he might soon do ) pleasant , large , where never Man yet inhabited , he conducted them over those Desart Lands and Islands ( which are many in that Sea ) by the way of the North into America ; which none would ever have gone , had they not first been assured there was a passage that way into a more desirable Country . Namely as when the World Apostatized from the Worship of the true God , God called Abraham out of Chaldee into the Land of Canaan , of him to raise him a Seed to preserve a light unto his Name : So the Devil when he saw the World Apostatizing from him , laid the Foundations of a new Kingdome , by deducting this Colony from the North into America , where since they have increased into an innumerable Multitude . And where did the Devil reign more Absolutely and without Controll , since Mankind fell first under his clutches ? And here it is to be noted , that the story of the Mexican Kingdome , ( which was not founded above 400. Years before ours came thither ) relates out of their own Memorials and Traditions , that they came to that Place from the North , whence their God Vitzliliputzli led them , going in an Ark before them : and after divers Years Travel , and many stations ( like enough after some Generations ) they came to a Place which the sign he had given them at their first setting forth pointed out , where they were to finish their Travels , build themselves a City and their God a Temple ; which is the Place where Mexico was built . And though the Devil in those Quarter , and such other Parts of the World seem to Lord it alone over abused Mankind without any controll and opposition , yet the Son of God to whom the uttermost Parts of the Earth are promised for an Inheritance , will at length lay a Powerful claim to his own Possessions , and take out of the hands of his Grand Enemy , by the pure and uncorrupt Propagation of the Gospel , that Soveraignty which he exercises over those Desolate People . For as Christ in the Days of his Flesh by his Powerful and efficacious Word , commanded the Devils out of their usurped Habitations in the Bodies of Men , as a Praeludium of that Universal Conquest he should hereafter obtain ; so will he after such Periods of Divine Providence fixed and determined by his All-comprehensive Wisdome , go forth with his Legions of Light , and recover those wretched Mortals out of the Hands of the spirits of Darkness , by whom they have been captivated and seduced at their Will. Nor is this a bare Airy Notion or Fancy , but a thing to be hoped and prayed for upon very Rational Grounds , it being nothing but the enlargement of the Kingdome of Truth and Righteousness , and the Dissemination of that Holy and Blessed Life of God , to which Mens Souls have a Natural Cognation , though for the present bent and forced out of their true state and Position . 3. The Power of God will Discover it self in a very eminent manner , in raising all Holy Men from the Dead , and rewarding their faithful services with Immortality and Life at the last Day . The last enemy that shall be destroyed ( says the Apostle ) is Death : And when God shall think fit to put an end to the Generations of Men , and conclude the Scene of the affairs of this World , then shall the Holy Jesus descend from Heaven with a shout , with the Voice of the Archangel , and with the Trumpet of God , and the Dead shall be raised and presented each one in the Visible and Individual Personality they bare in this World , before the Judgment-Seat of Christ , to receive for the things done in their Bodies , whether good or bad : and they that have done good shall come forth to the Resurrection of life , and they that have done evil to the Resurrection of Damnation . Which final sentence at the Conclusion of that dreadful Appearance shall be executed accordingly , the Wicked being plunged into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone , but the Righteous , through the gracious Bounty and stupendious Operation of their merciful Redeemer , shall be taken up into the Regions of Immortality and life , where their Corruptible Bodies shall put on Incorruption , and be transformed into the similitude of the Glorious Body of the Son of GOD , through that mighty Power whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself . And though this Transcendent state and Portion may very well be thought too big for our humble Hopes and Expectations , and exceed all that we can do or suffer , yet since God is pleased of his Infinite Bounty to promise , we have no Reason to distrust his Faithfulness and Truth in the Performance of it , since he has moreover given us a palpable Pledge and Assurance of it in the Resurrection of our Blessed Saviour from the Dead , and because he lives we may be confident we shall live also . Christ is risen from the Grave , having conquered Death by dying , and is ascended into the pure and peaceable Habitations of Glory , therefore all his Members who are united to Him in the inseparable bands of Faith and Love , shall feel the effects of his Powerful Life in immortalizing their very Bodies , which shall then be absorpt into the Great Vortex of Eternity , where both Body and Soul shall be deckt with such a refulgent Light and Glory , as shall cause them to shine as the Sun and Stars for evermore . So that what the Poet fabulously speaks of the Apotheosis of Daphnis , shall much more be verified in the Translation of every good Man into the Kingdome of Heaven . Candidus insuetum miratur limen Olympi , Sub pedibusque videt nubes & sidera Daphnis . Having thus far brought this Discourse towards an end , and displayed the Goodness , Wisdome and Power of God in the Gospel , the great Instrument of the blessedness of Mankind , it becomes our duty to receive it with the highest and most honourable thoughts and apprehensions ; not to let our Conceptions dwindle into something low and mean , and unworthy of the Nature of God , who hath so intimately concerned himself in it . For whatever , whether Opinion or Practice , lessens that esteem and veneration Men ought to have of the Works of God , is a high Affront and Injury , and an Unworthy Derogation from the Perfections of the Divine Nature ; whereas nothing shallow , trifling and contemptible can ever be a sutable Object of Divine Goodness , Wisdome and Power : much less can there be any thing such in the Evangelical Oeconomy , which was designed for so great a Work and so Universal and general a Good , as the Immortal Happiness of Humane Souls . The very light of Reason it self teaches us , that we ought to speak worthily of God , and to have due and right Apprehensions of his Nature , the Excellency of which , though it were in a great measure stamped and ingraved upon the Minds of Men at their first Creation , yet is more clearly and sensibly discovered under the Gospel , than by any other Dispensation since the World began . And as we are to take care that our thoughts and expressions be agreeabe and becoming so great a Mystery , so are we concerned vigorously to prosecute that which is the Grand Intent , scope and aim of the Gospel , that is our progress and growth in Virtue and Holiness ; to perfect our Minds in true Goodness , by a sincere Practice of all the indispensable Laws and Rules of Righteousness . For however Men may please themselves in expounding Christianity in an Opinionative and Notional way , in peculiar Phrases and Terms of Art , as if Religion were a thing deduced and borrowed from the Schools ; yet certain it is , that the true Life of God , which our Holy Lord and Master Jesus Christ came to disseminate and propagate by the Gospel , is not a bare sound of Words , but an inward Principle of Life and Power , elevating and raising the Souls of Men from all childish toyes and follies , to a manly and generous Apprehension of Righteousness and Virtue , advancing their Rational to a compleat and entire command and superiority over their sensual and Animal Powers and Faculties , and begetting in them such a lively sense of whatever is absolutely good and holy , as may at last reduce their thoughts , words and actions into an entire conformity to the Divine Will. And forasmuch as this Heavenly Life consists in the sincere Prosecution and Practice of Virtue , and that Morality and Virtue are depressed beneath the concerns of Christianity , by those who pretend a more free Exaltation of Grace , as it will not be Impertinent to the present Discourse , so I am sure 't is infinitely necessary for every Man to contribute his Pains , in stopping and damming up that Flood of Wickedness and Immorality , that has broken in upon the World , by shewing the Indispensable Necessity of the Practice of Morality , that true Religion and Virtue are at no such Mortal Jarrs , but that whoever is false and Hypocritical , to the sincere and Conscientious Practice of it , though he flie to Heaven in his vain Dreams and Imaginations , and talk of the Vision of God , and an Immediate Communion and Converse with Him , yet he has neither seen nor known Him , and is so far from being a true Christian , that he has very little of the Life of Christianity dwelling in him . As I desire not therefore to charge any Man with the Evil Consequences of his Opinion , but charitably suppose that he holds fast to the Foundation , and whatever Tendency his Opinions may have in their Consecutions , that yet in their Primary Intention , he designs not the discountenancing of unfeigned Piety ; so neither would I , nor can by any considering Person be upbraided , with setting and exalting Works above the Grace of God , as will appear , when I have a little explicated and unfolded those Termes , which have of late raised such hideous storms and Tragedies . By [ Virtue ] therefore I mean that Power of the Soul , which so rules and governs all the Animal motions and inclinations , that she does every where , and in every thing constantly and unmoveably follow that which is best . As for the word [ Grace ] all the Notions of it in the Sacred Dialect ( as a Learned Critick observes ) spring from that Primary Notion of it for Charity or Liberality . Wherefore the Participation of the Divine Nature , being the highest Perfection and Accomplishment of the Soul of Man , and the ultimate end of Christianity it self , all those Acts which have a Natural Tendency to the furtherance and attainment of so high and glorious a purpose are stiled Virtues , they being nothing but the Powerful Exertions of the Soul in the subjugation of its Corporeal Passions , that it may with ease and constancy follow that which is simply Best : and Graces , because they are the free , undeserved and Gratuitous Donations of him , whose Almighty and Beneficent Spirit pervades the whole Order and Comprehension of Intellectual Agents , refining and purifying the Minds and Spirits of the lapsed Creation , and every where attempting the Replantation of that Beautiful Image , Sin and Vice had obliterated and defaced . Now for the Term [ Moral ] remaining to be explained , I conceive it may signifie , Whatever contains in it an Eternal , Immutable and Indispensable Obligation . By Eternal , Immutable and Indispensable , I exclude from it all Temporary Constitutions and Positive Sanctions , though deriving their Authority from GOD Himself . I add Obligation , to difference Moral Truths from Speculative and Theoretical ; for there may be many Physical and Mathematical Notions , which may properly be called Eternal and Immutable Verities , which yet lay no necessary Obligation upon Us. That what is once moved will continue to move till something hinder it , is alike an Eternal and Immutable Verity with this , That every Man is to honour his Parents , but the One layes a necessary Obligation upon the Soul , whereas the other does not . Wherefore though the subject of all Truths whatever , and so of Moral Ones , be the Perceptive and Intellectual Part of the Soul , yet the sole and Adequate Object of Morality seems to be the Immutable Idea's and Reasons of Good and Evil. And so far forth as the Soul exercises it self in the Discrimination of Moral Entities , it is called by the Name of Conscience . So that the mistake seems to arise from hence , that Men distribute Humane Actions , in reference to Religion , into Moral and Evangelical , whereas Moral is not opposed to Evangelical , but to Thetical or Positive . But to give some further light to this business , we may consider these two things . 1. That the sincere Practice of Morality is a part of the Condition required of us under the Gospel , in order to our Justification . For unless the Practice of Moral Virtue be no part of the Divine Will revealed to Us in the Gospel , it must necessarily follow , that so far as it is made a Condition of the Covenant of the Gospel , so far it is required in order to the Justification and Acceptation of our Persons before God. For though we are said in Scripture to be justified by Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ , yet we are not to understand by this , an empty , bare and naked Faith , but such a Faith as is perfected and consummated by Love , which the Apostle Saint James expresses by Works , that is , such a Faith as is not meerly Notional and inactive , but productive in the Soul of a New and sincere Obedience . And what more frequent Instances does the Scripture bring of our Faithful Conformity to the Will of God , than in our Constant Exercise and Practice of Moral Virtue ? Insomuch that Saint Paul sayes , that those who neglect the sincere observance of Morality and Virtue , will easily be induced to turn Hereticks , and deny the Faith , Holding faith and a good conscience , which some having put away , concerning faith have made shipwrack . So indispensably necessary is a Virtuous Conversation to our Participation of the Blessed Life and Nature of GOD , that no Man can be understood to be a Partaker of the Divine Nature , who does not live soberly , righteously and godly in the World. For what sign does he give of a Spirit renewed and changed into the Compassionate Nature of the Lord Jesus , who can willingly pain and grieve and afflict his Brother ? What Specimen does he produce of a sincere Conformity to the Eternal Laws of Justice and Righteousness , who can knowingly and wittingly over-reach and defraud his Neighbour ? Or what Evidence does he offer of a Mind desirous to be renewed into a state of Angelical Purity and Holiness , who makes it his business and seeks for all Occasions to gratifie his Carnal Appetite in the full enjoyment of all Sensual Pleasures , that may be had without manifest Diseases ? Or is it possible to conceive the Life and Nature of GOD , that Life of Universal Holiness and Purity , Justice and Goodness , without the Exercise of these and such like Virtues ? 2. That the Maturity and Ripeness of Religion , consists in having a sensible Discernment of Good and Evil in a Moral sense . The full knowledge of the Mysteries of Christianity ( as the Author to the Hebrews tells Us ) belongs to them that are of full age , that is , such as are arrived to the Perfection and Maturity of Religion , and these Persons he describes in the next words , to be such as have a Vital relish and sensible Discernment of good and evil , Who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil . That there are Natural Differences between good and evil , is as evident and apparent as the Difference between health and sickness : For as health is nothing but the right and Natural Constitution of all the Parts of the Body ; and Sickness the Oppression , Distortion and Deviation from it : So is it in the Soul of Man. It s true and proper Nature , is that healthful Temper and Constitution wherein God at first Created it : But now Sin and Evil is a forcing it into a Preternatural State , the driving it into a Disease and Distemper , and the putting its Powers and Faculties into Jarring and Discord . And that these Differences are nothing but the Vital relishes and sensations of the Soul of Man , in that double Capacity and Resolution of Rational and Animal , or in the Sacred Dialect of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inward and outward Man , or the Flesh and Spirit , I think is as evident to any Considering and Judicious Person . Now this Maturity and Ripeness of Religion discovers it self , 1. In a particular knowledge of the Difference between Good and Evil , so as to be able to distinguish what is from the Flesh and Animal , and what from the Spirit and Rational Life . 2. In a ready Application of this to all the Passages of our Lives . For that Blindness of mind the Apostle speaks of , to which the Gentiles as a just Punishment of their former carelesness were given up , does fully express the Necessity of this Discriminative Sense and Discerning between Good and Evil. For when once the Criterion , or Perceptive Faculty has lost its Tenderness and Sensibility , and the Mind becomes Reprobate , then Darkness and Light , Good and Evil , Bitter and Sweet are all one . Then it is ( as in the above mentioned place ) Men are dedolent and past feeling , and having no other Law , but that of the Corporeal Life , become insatiable in Impiety , and work Wickedness with greediness : which surely as it is the most deplorable condition the Soul of Man can fall into , so ought most carefully to be avoided by endeavouring after a particular Distinction , and clear knowledge of the Notices , Emanations and Suggestions of the Flesh and Spirit . And as this inward Sense is not to be stifled , so neither to remain useless and idle , but to extend it self and have an Influence upon all our Actions . It must be fanned and kept alive by sincere Devotion , and a constant and Habitual Practice of Virtue , by which at length it will become a Powerful and Vital Principle , begetting in us a true relish of Righteousness and Holiness , that we may not only talk and maintain an Artificial and Mechanical Religion consisting of Words , or the running the same Circle of outward Performances and Duties , but may be really regenerated and formed into a new Nature , and act out of choice , and from the innate Loveliness and Beautifulness of Virtue . For by bringing our Actions to this Test and Rule , and applying them to the Natural Difference and Distinction of Good and Evil , it will keep us from all deliberate Violations of the Laws and Prescriptions of Holiness . By this , Wickedness and Sin will appear in its Natural Dress and Genuine Colours , and its Ugliness and Deformity be rendred so manifest , that our Wills and Affections will not easily be drawn into a Compliance with it , and the various Passages of our Lives freed and discharged from the least Appearance of Evil. FINIS . BOOKS Printed for , and sold by Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's Head in S. Paul's Churchyard . DR . More 's Reply to a late Answer to his Antidote against Idolatry , with the Appendix . 8 o. H. Mori Opera Theologica . Fol. Spenceri dissertatio de Vrim & Thummim . 8 o. Frederici Lossii Observationes Medicae . Octavo . Speed's Epigrammata Juvenilia , in 4 Partes divisa , Encomia , Seria , Satyras & Jocosa . Octavo . Doctor William Smith's Unjust Man's Doom . Octavo . Two Sermons at the Assizes in Suffolk . Oct. Two Sermons at Norwich : May 3. and May 29. 1676. Quarto . Mr. Hallywell's Discourse of the Excellency of Christianity . Oct. Account of Familism , as it is revived and propagated by the Quakers . Oct. Some Opinions of Mr. Hobbes considered , in a second Dialogue between Philautus and Timothy . Oct. Breerwood's Enquiries into the Diversities of Languages . Oct. Mr. Allen's Mystery of Iniquity unfolded , or the false Apostles and Authors of Popery compared , &c. Oct. Animadversions on Mr. Ferguson , about Justification . Oct. Friendly Address to the Nonconformists , beginning with the Anabaptists . 8 o. Mr. Lamb's stop to the course of Separation , Oct. Sherlock's Discourse of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Octavo . Defence and Continuation of the Discourse , &c. Octavo . Answer to a scandalous Pamphlet , entituled a Dialogue between Satan and Sherlock . Quarto . Dr. Worthington's Great Duty of Self-resignation to the Divine Will. Oct. Mr. Hotchkis Discourse of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to Us , and our Sins to Him. Oct. Gage's Survey of the West Indies . 8 o. Dr. Goodall's Vindication of the Colledge of Physicians . Oct. Smith's Pourtract of old Age. Oct. Webster's History of Metals . Quar. Dr. More 's Remarques upon two late Ingenious Discourses , the one an Essay of the Gravitation and Non-gravitation of fluid Bodies , the other Observations touching the Torricellian experiment . 8 o. Sydenham's Observationes Medicae . 8 o. An Account of Mr. Ferguson's Common-Place-Book in two Letters between Mr. Sherlock and Mr. Glanvil . Quar. Dr. Grew's Comparative Anatomy of Trunks , together with an Account of their Vegetation grounded thereupon : Octavo . THE END . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A45360-e140 Rev. 3.14 . Jam. 3.14 , 15. Notes for div A45360-e430 1 Tim. 3.16 . Col. 1.26 . 1 Cor. 2.7 . 1 Joh. 4.8 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 3.2 , 4. Joh. 11.52 . Joh. 3.16 . 1 Joh. 4.10 . Gen. 22.12 1 Cor. 1.24 1 Cor. 2.7 . 1 Cor. 2.6 . 1 Cor. 2.14 1 Pet. 1.12 Isai . 63.15 . * Sine hoc holocausto poterat Deus tantum condonasse peccatum ; sed facilitas veniae laxaret habenas peccatis effrenibus quae etiam Christi vix cohibent passiones , quae vix sceleratos animos à voluptatum faece avellunt . Cyprian . sive Author libri de Cardinal . Christi Oper. Serm. 14. Sic Zanch. lib. 2 de Incarnat . c. 3. q. 1. Etsi verò Deus servare nos poterat solo suo Imperio , peccata simpliciter ex suâ misericordiâ condonando : noluit tamen — Phil. 2.6 , 7 , 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Act. 2.23 . Mar. 14.33 Mat. 26.38 Luk. 9.51 . Joh. 18.5 . Mat. 11.28 1 Joh. 5.3 . Princ. of Nat. Rel. lib. 1. c. 3. Ezek. 33.11 . Mr. Mede . 2 Cor. 5.19 . Luk. 1.74 . 1 Tim. 4.10 1 Tim. 2.4 Heb. 2.9 . Joh. 3.17 . lib. 6. contr . Cels . p. 315 lib. 4. c. 76. Luk. 24.47 . Act. 3.19 . 1 Joh. 2.1 . 1 Cor. 1.21 Exod. 20.19 . 1 Joh. 3.16 . Gen. 3.15 . Heb. 4.15 . Heb 2.16 , 17 , 18. Gen. 21.17 . Vid. Deut. 4.33.36 . Dr. Lightfoot . 2 Pet. 1.16 , 17. Joh. 3.2 . Mat. 11.21 Acts 17. Joh. 4.18 . v. 42. Joh 15.22 , 24. Joh. 20.29 . Rom. 1.4 . Ch. 2.3 , 4. Joh. 16.8 , 9 , 10. Luk. 24.25 . Act. 10.43 . See Dr. More 's Enchiridion Ethicum . Eph. 1.11 . Hos . 11.4 . Luk. 7.30 . Joh. 12.37 . Joh. 6.66 . Mat. 23 37 Ezek. 24.13 . vid. Isai . 65.12 . Mar. 6.5 , 6. Act. 7.51 . Phil. 2.12 , 13. 2 Cor. 6.1 . 1 Cor. 3.9 . Rom. 1.4 . Eph. 1.20 . Lib. 4. Epist . 43. Joh. 5.29 . Dr. Hammond . 1 Tim. 1.19 Heb. 5.14 . Eph. 4.18 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Eph. 4.19 . 
A60624	----	The day-spring from on high visiting the world, or, Gods salvation revealed and the way of redemption declared, and the way opened into the everlasting rest also the two births discovered and their several image, and the enmity that is betwixt them : with the lambs appearance in glory and his power and government exalted / by William Smith. Smith, William, d. 1673. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A60624 of text R30147 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing S4295). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 34 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 9 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A60624 Wing S4295 ESTC R30147 11252756 ocm 11252756 47140 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A60624) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 47140) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1450:15) The day-spring from on high visiting the world, or, Gods salvation revealed and the way of redemption declared, and the way opened into the everlasting rest also the two births discovered and their several image, and the enmity that is betwixt them : with the lambs appearance in glory and his power and government exalted / by William Smith. Smith, William, d. 1673. 16 p. Printed for Thomas Simmons ..., London : 1659. Reproduction of the original in the British Library. eng Salvation. Society of Friends. A60624 R30147 (Wing S4295). civilwar no The day-spring from on high visiting the world: or Gods salvation revealed, and the work of redemption declared, and the way opened into the Smith, William 1659 7287 8 0 0 0 0 0 11 C The rate of 11 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the C category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2005-04 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-09 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-01 Ali Jakobson Sampled and proofread 2006-01 Ali Jakobson Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE DAY-SPRING from on high visiting the WORLD : OR Gods Salvation revealed , and the work of Redemption declared , and the way opened into the Everlasting Rest. ALSO The two births discovered , and their several Image , and the enmity that is betwixt them . WITH The Lambs appearance in Glory , and his Power and Government Exalted . By WILLIAM SMITH . LONDON , Printed for Thomas Simmons , at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate , 1659. THere is a dark night of Apostasie over the Earth , in wch the world are asleep upon there beds of ease , and their eyes are not opened to behold the wondrous works of God , neither can they believe it though it be declared , for they will neither see with their eyes , nor hear with their ears , nor understand with their hearts , but stands despising the work of the Lord , and the appearance of his righteousness ; Therefore doth the Lord God utter his voice from his holy hill , and the sound thereof goeth forth into the world , and the words reacheth unto the ends of the Earth , that all may awake and behold the salvation which now is revealed in the springing of the day , for the acceptable time is come , the morning Star is risen , the day is dawned , the Son of righteousness shineth , and it is from on high revealed , that the eyes of all might be opened who have so long slept the sleep of death , that they might see their Saviour , whose Name is Jesus the begotten of God , the brightness of his glory , and expresse Image of his person , in whom is the fulness , and unto whom all power is given , the Father is well pleased in him , and none comes to the Father but by him , there is none besides him nor any like unto him , who is full of grace and truth , look unto him all ye ends of the Earth , for the day of your visitation is come , in which the grace of God appeareth , be ye all turned unto it , that your eyes may be opened to see the love that God hath unto you , for God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son who is the light of the world , in whom the promise of grace is fulfilled in breaking the Serpents head , and recovering out of his snare , he it is that doth redeem , who is not of the world , but Redeemes out of the World all that believe in him , for he worketh the work of God , and destroyes the work of the Devil , and casts out the man of sin , he fans the Nations with his hand , and purgeth the floor by his mighty power ; Kings shall bow before him , Nations shall tremble , the mighty men shall fall , and Princes shall be broken by his might , who is now appearing in power and great glory to Judge the world in righteousness , unto him doth the Law and Prophets witness , unto whom he was revealed , and in his life they prophesied , and spake of the glory that was in him , which was to be revealed unto ages to come , and is now broken forth in these last dayes , and is beheld as the glory of the onely begotten of the Father , and the Law and Prophets have their end in him , and are all fulfilled by him who is come to perfect the work of God , and he hath the witness both of the Law and Prophets , therefore unto him look , who is salvation to the ends of the Earth , who visits you in this his day , and reacheth unto you with a manifestation of light , that you may therein see the evil of your doings and come to repentance , that the true light may lead you , which is manifest from God unto you , that thereby you may come out of darkness , death and bondage , to know the Redemption which by the Lord is wrought , and plentifully revealed in this his day , and put not this from you to ages past ( for therein you deceive your selves ) but all look near , and see what you can witness of Redemption from your vain conversation , and salvation from your sin , for it is not you● talk of what God hath done in times past for others , and what great salvation unto them appeared , and how they were saved , that will save you , or Redeem you , but to have your minds turned unto that which they was Redeemed by , and saved in , and to feel the the power of it to work effectually in you as it did in them who were true witnesses of it ; for what will it profit you to read of the great deliverance wrought by the out-stretched arm of God , for Jacobs seed out of Egypts bondage , if you find not the same work wrought in you by the same power , you are not in their deliverance , but are still in bondage , and are kept in that which they was delivered from , and so his work was wrought upon the blind , the Lepers , and the lame , and the blind received sight , the Lepers was cleansed , and the lame walked , and this you may read as it is declared , and yet may your eyes be blinded , and your leprosie not cleansed , nor your ancle bones strengthened , you may read of the promises and the consolation which they had who did believe in them , and yet may you be out of them and miss the consolation that they found in them who believed in that unto which all the promises was made , for all the promises of God are yea and Amen in Christ Jesus ( mark ) yea and ●men are all the promises in Christ Jesus , in whom they stand sure ; and all your reading and talking of these things declared , and saying these promises you believe in , and you apply them by faith , and so receives the comfort , it will not stand you in stead in the needful time , for whilst you talk of faith , and applying the promises by faith , you deceive your selves in your imaginations , being yet in your sins , and out of the faith of the Son of God which purifieth the heart , and so you are out of the condition of those who lived in the promises , and knew them to stand sure in the seed ; Therefore all unto the light come , and in it wait , that you may feel the same power to work in you , and bring the same thing to passe in you , as it hath done in ages before you , that whilst you talk of liberty by Christ Jesus , your selves may not be found servants unto sin , and in bondage to corruption , for of whatsoever a man is overcome , unto the same is he in bondage , & if you be found servants unto sin , you are in bondage to it , & not in the freedom of the Son , so all having sinned , all must unto the light be turned , and by it be Redeemed and know the power of it to work true freedom into the glorious liberty , before any can truly say that they are set free , for all must stand as they are before the Lord ; therefore think not your selves to be above what you are , least whilst you think that you are something , you prove nothing , and so deceive your selves ; fore there is a groaning felt in you under the bondage of corruption , and unto that doth the breathings of life reach , that the heavy burden might be undone , and the oppressed set free , which in you is pressed as a cart that is full of sheaves , & by you in bondage kept , for unto the Lord of life are you found enemies and fighting against him , and hates to be reformed by him , though long he hath striven with you , and now is the Lord God holding forth plenteous Redemption , and making known his salvation , and in his good & perfect gift is visiting all people , that all may turn unto the light , and come out of darkness and depart from evil , which is made manifest in the light , and so come to feel the Redemption of of God in your selves , and the operation of his Spirit which worketh the work of God , and bringeth forth fruit unto holiness , for as in sin you abide , you are not redeemed , neither knows Christ nor the working of his power , but abides in the unbelief and in darkness , and brings forth unfruitful works thereof , the imagination of your hearts being alwayes evil , and that you love , and hates the light which doth reprove , and will not come to it , which doth as truely work in power as it is believed in , as ever it did in ages past , and salvation is as truly felt in the leadings of the light , as they felt it who declared of it , and were called out of darkness into it ; so it is of concernment unto every one to prove themselves , that the pure rejoycing you may have in your selves and not in another , for the Lord God is visiting all in the light , and hath given a manifestation of the Spirit unto every man to profit withall , then the gift of God you are not to neglect in your selves , but are to take heed unto it , and every motion of it , that your minds may be ordered in it , and lead by it to the knowledge of the living God , whom to know is life eternal , and none did ever come to the knowledge of him , but as they was turned to the light , and heeded the light which shone in their hearts , in which the knowledge of his glory is manifest in the face of Christ ; and do you think to come to the knowledge of God by another way , be ye tryed in this ye Priests and Professors and all people , if the knowledge of the true God you be come unto , whom to know is eternal life , are you come to know this , or are you not in that knowledge which can never come to know the true God ? be honest with your selves all of you , and see if you become to that in wch the knowledge of his glory hath been revealed from the beginning , for now it is the same as ever it was , and it changeth not , but is witnessed through ages and generations to be always the same , without any variableness , for that which Abel was guided by , and in which he offered up a sacrifice in righteousness , the same guided Noah , and in it he preached righteousness , the same appeared unto Abraham , and he believed in it and was guided by it , and rejoyced to see it and it was counted unto him for righteousness , and in this was secrets revealed unto the Prophets , Moses lived in it , and by the manifestation of it was the Creation opened to his understanding , and he saw to the beginning , and so declared in the openings of life , and all the holy men of God were inspired by it , and gave forth the Scriptures in the motion of it , he that hath ears to hear let him hear , for this was a perfect guide unto all that believed in it before writings was , and all the words that are written , do bear witness unto the word which was in the beginning with God , and it was God , and they had all Redemption by him , and salvation in him who believed , and this was a guide unto the righteous from the beginning , and would you have another guide now ? you have lost that which guides holy men , and righteous men , and gives them the knowledge of the living God , and you feel that you want a guide to bring you to God , but takes not heed to that which is manifest from him , which doth reprove you as you are out of the way , and would lead you in the way of life would you turn unto it , but you hating the reproof of it , doth not come to know it , and so you follow a guide which leads you in the way of death ; for that which guided Abel , Noah and Abraham , and all the holy men in times past , when they had no visible thing to be a guide unto them in the way of life ; it is the same now , and as sufficient now as ever it was , and they were made holy and righteous in it , and were accepted of God ; And would you be better then they were , who were righteous men , and holy men , redeemed from the earth , and saved by the Lord , and were accepted of him ? Consider of this , for there is not another Rule besides Christ who is given for a Leader , that he may be Salvation unto the ends of the earth ; therefore all come unto him , and in his light believe , that you may feel his power to work in the inward parts and purifie your hearts , for there is a measure given unto every one of you , that doth reprove you in secret as your minds be after evil , be ye turned unto it , that you may feel the work of it , to cast off the weight that lyeth upon you , and the sin that so easily besets you , that the seed out of bondage may arise and come forth ; for as the light is believed in , so is the power felt , to rend the vail and scatter the clouds , and makes mountains fall and hills melt , and is dreadful to Pharaoh and all the Egyptians ; he that is wise in heart may read how he is acquainted in his own particular with the operation of Gods Spirit , for Redemption is plentifully revealed in this present age as in times past , and many bear true witness of it , who hath felt his power that worketh in the day , who hath made known his Salvation , and revealed his glory , and brought many sons and daughters unto it , where they know the truth that maketh free , and are redeemed from the earth , and saved by the Lord , and their minds are after heavenly things , and they worship God day and night in his Temple , and gives glory unto him that sits upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever ; and this is the true birth that is born of God , whose Image is heavenly , and he works the work of God , and all that believe in him are saved by him ▪ for the Devils work he doth destroy , and the sin he takes away , and that is done by him which no other could do , and so doth the Redee●●● live , and the stone Elect is known that is pretious , which all the wise builders set at nought , and are bringing forth false births in their own wills , which bears the image of the earthly , and neither redeems nor saves from sin , but they abide in darknes and brings forth the works thereof , and are in the house of bondage kept , and knows not the Rest and Peace in God ; and so all people who he from the light , they are from the guide that leadeth in the way of life , in which secrets are revealed , and the Mystery opened , and though such swear the Lord liveth , they swear falsly , for his life they know not , but are enemies to it , and every appearance of it , and so brings forth their own conceivings and preaches it for Doctrine , and stands in similitudes and likenesses , forms and imitations , where the false birth is exalted and the fleshly mind puft up which breaks forth in appearance , and makes a great shew of godliness , and in that glories , but the power is denied , and Christ is rejected , and his appearance persecuted by this fleshly birth ; Therefore doth the Word of Power reach unto you all , ye High-priests and professors , that unto the light you may be turned , and have your understandings opened to know the Scriptures , that you may learn of him of whom the Scriptures testifie , for he is the power of God unto Salvation to all that believe , and he will teach you truth in the inward parts , and make you to be of understanding hearts , to know Redemption by him and Salvation in him , who gives true freedom out of bondage , and leadeth into the Fathers love where all fears are cast out and doubtings removed , the flesh being subdued and the false birth crucified , his righteousness is received in whom the Father is well-pleased , and this is the day of Redemption which from the beginning was and is now witnessed to be the same , and so declared in the Spirits power and not in words which mans wisdom teacheth , for that is earthly and cannot reach unto things above , nor know the Mystery of the heavenly , and that makes the world so ignorant of the things of God , because they are from the Spirit of God , in which secrets are revealed , and in which the Mystery is opened , and the onely true God known , and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent , which none can comprehend or know with that which is in the transgression , and at enmity with God , though words they may have , and in them be puft up , yet from the life they are found , and in their carnal minds are at enmity against it ; Therefore miserable will all your Comforters be , who knows not the Consolation of Israel , and in the day of calamity your strength will fail and your hearts faint , and it is coming upon you , and will be heavy upon your heads ; And who then will remove it or take it from you , who knows not Christ within you ? Therefore all know this from the Lord , that form without power will not save you , nor the Letter without the life will give you peace , and if either be found amongst you , let your doctrine and practise be examined , and let it be tryed what image it bears , for you wanting the life and power of God , your birth is fleshly , and born of the flesh and of your own wills , and not of the Will of God ; Therefore arise and depart , for it is not your rest , you are polluted , and your image is defiled and must be destroyed , for he appears against you whose Image is heavenly , and you must be taken and slain before him , because you will not that he should reign over you , for he is destroying Antichrist with the brightness of his coming , and with the sword of his Spirit is he slaying the wicked , and all flesh is but as grass before him , for he is blowing upon all your glory , and it fades away and dies as the untimely fruit , and if your eyes were not blinded , you might see the arm of God dashing you one against another , and breaking you in pieces as potsherds of the earth , and scattering you as the Sun scatters the morning clouds , and this is the day of glory which shineth forth in brightness , and discovers all your emptiness in the Son of righteousness , who is risen in power , and gone forth rejoycing , and all your idols of silver and gold must be broken down by him , and the carved works of your own hands must fall before him , for his Image is heavenly , though you have marred it and sees no comeliness in it that you should desire it , because the worlds glory is not upon it , therefore cannot you believe that it is he , but puts him to open shame , and with your sensual wisdom crucifies him , and under your earthly carnal minds buries him , and sets your own life above him , and so is our Lord crucified in the streets of spiritual Sodom and Egypt , where he is trodden under foot and despightfully used ; consider if ye be not found enemies to God , who hates the Light , and loves your evil deeds better , walking after the flesh and satisfying the lust thereof , and sets the lust above the life , which makes the seed to groan under the bondage of corruption , bearing the earthy image which is in the transgression ; Now all be awakened , for the day is come , and the true light shineth in which the Fathers love is manifested , and plenteous Redemption witnessed , be ye turned unto it all ye ends of the earth , for there is not another Saviour but he that is born of God , and comes into the world to redeem out of the world , and take away the sin of the world , in whom the Fathers bosom is opened , and his love tendered unto all people that none might perish , but that all might come and be saved , he that can receive it let him , for this is the onely begotten of the Father , which is come in power and great glory , to put an end to sin , and destroy the work of the Devil , that the bands may be unloosed and the Prisoner freed , and every captive redeemed by his outstretched arm ; this is good tid●ngs unto the poor , Salvation is come , that the mourners may be comforted and the feeble strengthened , that all who breath after God , may walk with him in the light of the living ; Now let all flesh be silent , for God is risen the glory of all flesh to stain , and Nations and Kingdoms to subdue , Who stands exalted above him , and brings forth a birth that is not of his begetting , but is of Hagars seed , and riseth up against him , and is at open enmity with him despising and rejecting , reproaching and reviling , crucifying and slaying the appearance of him who is the express Image of the Father ; Now let all be measured with the line of true Judgement , and then it will be seen unto whom this condition will reach , and who they be that are in the enmity , and in that exercises cruelty against the Lord of glory , disdaining and scorning , reproaching and persecuting the life of righteousness , the day of tryal is come , the Throne is prepared for Judgement , and He that Judgeth Right sits upon it , who is the Lord of Hosts ; come ye Priests and Professors appear before him , and stand your tryal , he will do you no wrong , but will pass true Judgement , according to the evidence which shall be given in by the Just witness in your Conscience , and then will you stand guilty before the Lord , for the sentence will pass against you , and the Judgement will fall upon on you , and a Just recompence of reward will be given unto every one of you , and this is in the breathings of Gods love declared unto you , that you may once turn before repentance be hid from your eyes , for you have oft been warned , and still you have refused it , and hated to be reformed ; now look unto him whom you pierce , let your joy be turned into heaviness , and your laughter into mourning , that you should so despise him who would have you to be saved , and so evil intreat him who hath so long suffered and been patient towards you ; Now stand still in the pure fear of God , that you may come to see Salvation , which is so plentifully revealed and made known in the breakings forth of the love of God in the light , that you may come to witness Redemption by him who is the way to the Father , whose coming is prepared as the morning , to give light unto such as be in darkness , and this will be known unto you all , that it is not want of love from God which will be the Condemnation , but your hating the light which from his love is made manifest unto you , for a manifestation of the Spirit there is given unto you all , that you thereby might profit , and who joyns to the Spirit , joyns to the Lord , and denies the evil deeds , and comes out of imitations , and over all false births to the birth immortal , before which the false birth dies and comes to an end , and all imitations withers and consumes away , and in that are you glorying , which the Spirit of the Lord is blowing upon and blasting , and though you be heightened in your glory , and stands as if you were rich , and had need of nothing , yet are you fathomed to the bottom , and your ground is tried , and you are seen to be poor and miserable , and the wo doth reach unto you who are covered , but not with the Spirit of the Lord ; Therefore come down you high and lofty ones , who have climbed up another way then by the door , you are thieves and robbers , and have stollen words from your neighbours which is not your own , and have sowed them together , and made you a covering , and in it stands decked as a painted harlot , yet will not all this hide you from the pure eye of God , for he is enquiring after you , and his voice reacheth unto you , and in the cool of the day he comes to see where you are , you being erred from him , and out of Communion with him , for Adam was fallen from God , when it was said unto him , where art thou , read in the fear of God , and trie your waies and doings , O ye Priests and professing people , and see where you are , whether in the innocencie , or subtiltie , in the life , or in knowledge , covered with righteousnesse , or with leaves , bearing the image of the heavenly , or the image of the earthly , in which of these are you consider , for the day of visitation reaches unto you all who be out of the way of life ; put off your coverings , for they will not hide you , nor be a defence unto you , for now doth the Lord appear against you , and his controversie is with you all , and the day hastens towards you that burns as an oven , and all the proud and the wicked must be the stubble , and it will burn and there shall be none to quench it ; therefore be not you deceived , for God will not be mocked , he sees your wayes and doings , and you cannot hide your Councel from him , though many things you do he hath no pleasure in them , neither doth he require them at your hands , he is weary of your meetings , and your prayers he heareth not , though you make many of them ; but heaven is shut upon you , and the showers doth not fall , and so you are a parched heath that brings forth no fruit , neither doth your will-worship and fained humilitie make you stand approved in the sight of God , neither do you please him , nor are your performances accepted , for you walk after the flesh , & satisfies it in the lust , and so joines to the harlot , and commits whoredom , and brings forth a child of whoredom , and the son of an adulteress woman which is at enmitie with the seed of life , and persecutes the birth that is born thereof . But now is the Lord redeeming his chosen , and unto the good land is bringing of them , in which all wars ceaseth , and every one comes to know a quiet habitation in the lot of their own inheritance , and possesseth their own portion with joy and gladnesse , and fits under their own vine where none makes them afraid , for into the holy city many are come , where the Lambs government is known , who is set upon his throne , and in great power doth he reign , to subject the kingdoms of the world ; for he is the Lord , and all must worship him , who in his glorie doth appear , and of whose government there is no end , for he hath taken to him his great power , and ruleth , and with his own arm doth he scatter the proud , and with his own arm doth he gather the humble , and in his hand doth lead them into the holy City , where he is King for ever , and makes all wars to cease , and seales an everlasting decree of peace ; this is the new Jerusalem come down from God out of heaven , where there is , no● curse nor sorrow , nor hell , nor death , but the glory of the Lord fills it , and the Lamb is the light thereof , in which many walk who are by his power redeemed from the earth , and are made to sing songs of deliverance , and gives glory unto him that sits upon the throne , and unto the Lamb for evermore ; and this is the rest prepared for the people of God , into which many are entered , and many are pressing in the light of the Lord ▪ Therefore arise you wearied ones , and forth of Egypt depart , the day of God reacheth unto you , that out of darknesse you might come , in which you have long sojourned as in a strange Land , and under a strange government , where you are oppressed , and evil intreated , arise and come forth , the day of Redemption is come , and he who is the light of the world makes himself known , and his visitation reacheth unto all ; Stay not behind him , but his out-goings waite to know , who leads in his light , and will not leave you in darknesse , nor under Pharaohs power , but will ease you of your burdens , and break open the house of bondage , and free you from oppression , and guide you in the way prepared to the everlasting rest ; gird up the loines of your minds , for salvation is near you ; stand still and see it , for the day hath appeared in which Gods arm is revealed , by which the Sea is divided , and Pharaohs host destroyed ; therefore who is Pharaoh , and what is his power that he should withstand God , is not he the King of Aegypt , & his power the power of darknesse ? & is not the Lord the King of glory , and his power made known in the light , which is a plague to Pharaoh and his house ? for God is making his power known upon him , because he is his enemie , and stands in his heard heartednesse against him , the hand of God smites him , and the breath of the Almightie is kindled against him ; and that is come to passe concerning him which all the Inchanters of Aegypt cannot do : Therefore a warning this is from the Lord God unto all that be his enemies , and are found fighting against him , and resisting the light of the Lamb , that you may all repent and turn to the Lord , before utter destruction come upon you ; for God confounds all your devices , and brings to nought all your Inventions , though you sit as Kings in Aegypt , yet from thence is God bringing you down , and makes your Councels to be of none effect , your great host cannot save you , nor all your horses and Chariots defend you from the outstrethed arm of God , who is smiting your first-born throughout , and you must know that there is no God like the God of Israel ; Therefore cease thy cruelty thou violent beast , whose power is in the dark , in which thou hast long Reigned , and also made war with the Lamb and his followers , and shed innocent blood , with which thou hast made thy self drunk , and yet art not satisfied , but still thirsts for more ▪ how hast thou been exalted , & set up in thy glorie , that the world hath wondered after thee , and hath said , who is like unto thee , who is able to make war with thee ? for the power of the Nations hath been given unto thee , and from thence hast thou had thy life ; but now thou must know that there is one above thee , in whom all power is , who subdues the Nations under him , and takes away thy life from thee , that thy strength faileth thee , and all thy beautie goeth from thee , and thou appearest an ill favoured harlot , for now thou art seen within , and thy nakedness doth appear , thy covering is removed , that thou canst not hide thy self any longer , and now doth he rise against thee , that maketh warre in righteousnesse , who with great power is come , the pure and undefiled One , who upon his throne over all doth reign , thy heads and horns to break , and to redeem his chosen from thee , whose power is filled with cruelty , and thou shalt know that the Lamb in his power reigneth . Therefore let Sion rejoyce , and the daughters of Judah be glad , because of Gods righteous judgements , who is pleading the cause of the innocent , and executing vengeance upon the beast , destroying his marks and names ; his heads and horns ( let him that readeth understand ) Rejoyce ye Saints , and all you holy ones , for the Lamb is exalted in dominion , and of his government there is no end ; for he is King of Kings , and Lord of Lords , and the holy hill of Sion is his throne , and there he doth reign with the Scepter of his righteousnesse , and executes true judgement upon the heathen who are in their rage against him , and would not that he should reign over them , he is taking vengeance on them all , and he will be eased of them , because they are his adversaries , for none shall prosper that fights against Sion ; for the time is come that God will have mercy upon her , and out of the dust she is arising , and the oyle of joy is given for mourning , the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse , therefore all you tender ones , whose face is Sion-ward , walk in the light of the Lamb , and follow him whithersoever he goes , stand in the innocency and meeknesse of him , and know his strength to gird you about , and feel his power to obtain the victory ; for you God hath visited in his everlasting love , and made known his salvation in you , and given you to believe and also to suffer for his sake ; all keep in the word of his patience , and let patience have her perfect work , that ye may be perfect and entire , wanting nothing , but stand compleat in him , who is the head , and fear not the reproach of men , neither be afraid of their revilings , but be ye clothed with humility , and put ye on the garment of Righteousness , and shew your selves in the Lambs meekness , that his own life in you may preach to the world , and his own innocence may shine thorow the vessel , that God in you may be glorified , and your hearts in God may be comforted ; and in that all dwell which God hath revealed in you , and keep your minds down in the stillness , that over all the Lamb you may feel , his goverment everlasting in you to set up , and his righteous Scepter over you to reign , and so in the Kingdom all lye down , where the Lamb is exalted upon his throne , and know the righteousness and peace that is therein ; for there is gladness of heart obtained , and the everlasting rest prepared , unto which you are redeemed , and are by the Lord a people saved , therefore be ye all joyned together in the Lords love , and there abide in the holy fear , that the teachings of the Lamb you may alwayes hear , and that you may feel his hand to knit you together , and bind you up in the bundle of life , and so to be made perfect in one , that his image you may bear who is without sin , and in his life reign over hell , and know your bodies prepared to do his will , that with one heart and minde you may serve him , and feel your increase in him , that you may grow up together into the measure of his fulnesse , whose life is perfect , pure , and holy ; and let none look back again , nor turn aside to either hand , but keep to that which leads in the way , and feel it to prepare the way before you , that out of all Reasonings you may be kept , and out of all snares preserved , that so you may walk worthy , ( in the power of God ) of the high calling whereunto he hath called you , and in his power live to his praise , for God hath done wonderful things for you , and his own outstretched arm hath brought great things to passe , who hath reached unto the mighty , and brought them down from their seat , and hath exalted that of low degree , and out of bondage hath delivered you , and leads you in a way that you did not know ; go on rejoycing , and be ye faithful unto death , for the Lords goodnesse goeth before you , and the everlasting rest is prepared for you , and into the good land will the Lord bring you where the milk honie floweth , and the fountain of life openeth , in which strength is renewed , that there is neither wearinesse , nor faintnesse , but everlasting joy and gladnesse ; therefore be ye comforted in the Lords love ye dear children of light , for the world seeth not that which God hath prepared for you , nor knowes not the food which you feed upon , for it is hid from their eyes ; but blessed are your eyes , for they see , and the things which God hath prepared for you are unto you revealed by his spirit , there be you all stayed , and wait to feel him carry on the work which in you he hath begun ; and he will make bare his arm for you , and drive out all enemies before you , and settle you in a quiet habitation , and cover you with his wing , and preserve you under his shadow , and in the Kingdom prepared will he establish you , and seal an everlasting decree of peace unto you ; and this is your portion ye tender ones , who have denied your selves , and the worlds glory , and have no inheritance therein , but followes the Lamb in faithfulnesse , and walks in the paths of Rigteousnesse ; your portion is durable riches , and your inheritance that which never fades away ; for the Kingome is everlasting , and he that reignes therein endureth for ever , and of his government there is no end . THE END . 
A60641	----	A manifestation of the love of God unto all such as are convinced of truth and do not obey it. Smith, William, d. 1673. 1663 Approx. 18 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A60641 Wing S4315 ESTC R32689 12746228 ocm 12746228 93252 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A60641) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 93252) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1536:43) A manifestation of the love of God unto all such as are convinced of truth and do not obey it. Smith, William, d. 1673. 8 p. s.n., [London : 1673] Caption title. Signed at end: William Smith. Place and date of publication suggested by Wing. Reproduction of original in the Harvard University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Society of Friends -- England -- Pastoral letters and charges. Inner Light. Salvation. 2005-04 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-05 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-09 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2005-09 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A Manifestation OF THE LOVE of GOD unto all such as are convinced of TRUTH , and do not Obey it . THE breaking forth and dawning of the day is very pleasant unto such as have long walked and been wearied in a night of darkness , for by the appearance of the day there is a discovery of the crooked paths in which there hath been a sore travel whilst darkness over-spread ; and in some measure there have many seen this day to dawn , and it hath been pleasant to them in its appearance , as making those things manifest , which in the darkness they could not see , and by the manifestation many have been convinced of the evil deed of darkness , and also of the Truth ; and so , the day-spring from on high hath visited , to give light to many that sat in darkness , by which they see what is good and what is evil : but all have not obeyed , and therefore many are yet covered with darkness , notwithstanding they are convinced , and the Seed is yet in bondage though the Light hath shined ; for many may be convinced of evil and not forsake it , and they also may be convinced of what is good and not come to live in it ; and this is for want of obedience to the Light which visiteth and convinceth , and that is the ground why darkness standeth and the Seed is burdened , for none can come out of darkness but in the Light which reproves it ; and though People may be convinced of all the deeds of darkness , and the evil of them , yet if they do not obey the Light which convinceth , and deny those deeds which the Light reproveth , there is a continuance in them , notwithstanding there be a convincement in the conscience to the contrary : and this is a disobedient state , by which the Light is denyed and not the darkness , and unto this state there are many stripes belong ; for they that know their Masters will and do it not , they must be beaten with many stripes : Therefore you that be convinced with the Light , and are not yet come into obedience , so as to deny that which you are convinced is evil , and to live in that which you are convinced is good , be mindful to answer the requirings of God , and keep close to the Light which convinceth you of that which is evil , and so love the Light and obey it , as to confess it and bear testimony to it ; and whatsoever would let or hinder you for obeying , deny it , and take up the Cross unto it ; for many stumble at the Cross , by which they are hindred from obeying the Truth , and that which stumbles at the Cross , will deny Christ when he should be confessed ; and they which deny him before men , he will deny them before his Father which is in Heaven : ( so mark ) there is none that are to expect that Christ will confess them before his Father in Heaven , but as they confess him before men upon earth , and so come to be his Witnesses upon Earth , in a true and faithful testimony , by denying the darkness , and confessing him the Light ; and this is the Cross which must be taken up before there be a true Disciple ; for they that deny not themselves , and take up the Cross and follow Christ , they are not his Disciples ; so a Disciple is known by self-denyal , and submitting to the daily Cross , that is a mark of a Disciple , for by that they are known to follow Christ in his Light , as Children of obedience : now many may be convinced and yet not come to be Disciples , because they do not obey the Light unto self-denyal , nor submit unto the daily Cross , and so keep that life and nature living which is to be crucified ; and such never come , in that state , to be Gods Witnesses upon earth , though they be convinced of what is Truth ; therefore all are to examine what it is that hinders you from obeying the Truth , for if you do not search it out with the Light , and so deny it , and take up the Cross unto it , you will find it to be a hinderance to you all your dayes , and so you will never come to confess Christ before men , but , on the contrary , deny him ; and then what will he do for you before his Father in Heaven , but as you have done unto him before men upon Earth ? Now as you mind the Light which convinces you , it will let you see every particular thing that hinders you from obeying ; for the Light will search unto it , and find it out , and make you sensible of it , and then you will see that you are in love with something more than Christ , and that you do not answer the Light as Children of Obedience , and so every particular thing which hinders you from obeying , will be manifest in the Light , as you mind it ; and there you will know whether you love Father or Mother , Wife or Children , Houses or Lands , worldly Honour or Esteem , more then you love Christ , and how they have hindred you from obeying the Truth , and how scorn , and reproach , and persecution , which such suffer as live in the Truth , how those things have hindred you from obeying it ; and so you will come to see in your selves what is the hinderance , as you mind the Light with which Christ enlightens you , and by which he convinceth you . For , have you not purposed sometimes to draw nigh , and have not those things hindered you ? and when ye have purposed to go forward , have they not drawn you back again ? and doth not the Seed of God travel in pain , as being oppressed with that nature which you should deny and crucifie ? and is not that Hagar and her Son , which is to be cast out ? for Hagars Son must not inherit with Isaac who is the Heir of Promise : therefore all wait in the Light with which Christ Jesus doth enlighten you , and be faithful to every manifestation of the Light in you ; that as you are perswaded that Christ doth enlighten you , so you may be perswaded to obey the Light which doth convince you , and so through obedience came to witness Redemption and Salvation by his Power : for as you yield your selves servants to obey him , he will turn you , and convert you , and work deliverance for you , and there you will know him in his power , who is able by his power to subdue all things to himself ; and as you come to be converted by his power , you will feel his virtue and goodness in a sweet savour , for he loveth the Children of obedience , who are willing to turn unto him ; and in your obedience unto him , his Life will rise in you , and there you will know the streams with which he refresheth Chosen ; and if you yet love him and follow him , you will come to know the River which maketh glad his Heritage ; for until you be converted and turned unto God through obedience to the Light , you neither taste nor feel the virtue of his Life , but sit in the Land of Famine and sore drought , and there you are as dry and unfruitful branches , that cannot bear fruit for want of nourishment ; for until you obey the Light , and come out of Darkness , you are rooted in a bad ground , and bring forth unsavoury fruit , and whilest that standeth , the good Seed is hindred from sprouting forth in its own nature , and there can be no fruit to Gods glory , but what the Seed brings forth in its own nature ; for in the Seed is the Testimony by which God is glorified , and all born of the Seed are Gods Witnesses upon earth , and they are not ashamed to confess the Truth before men ; for where any are convinced of Truth , and are ashamed to confess it , there is not faithfulness unto that which convinceth , and so the Power is not felt that beareth testimony with boldness : and this maketh many to conform unto that which they are convinced is not the Truth ; and to deny that which they are convinced is the Truth ; so that where they should confess , they deny ; and where they should deny , they confess ; and here the testimony falleth , and the hands of evil doers are strengthened , and the disobedient bring trouble upon their own consciences , for there is no true peace with God in a disobedient state . But some may say , We see many that have long professed the Truth , that do not so fully answer all things in a clear Testimony ; and we also see others , that seemingly did bear a large Testimony , and yet are turned again into the course of the world : And seeing some fail , and others fall , we are ready to question , whether it be really Truth in the ground , because Truth is able to preserve either from failing or falling ? If thou give way , and joyn unto such reasonings and questionings , thou mayest soon be hindred from obeying the Truth ; yea if thou wast going forward , such things would draw thee back again , and some have suffered loss in that very place ; for it is the work of the enemy to draw the eye abroad to keep his own Kingdom standing at home , and to effect his design , he sets his own work in others to be viewed ; for if thou that makest such an Objection , dost but mind the Light and Truth in thy own Conscience , and keep thy eye into that , thou wilt see and discern that such failings and fallings come to pass by yeelding to temptations , by which the mind is enticed and drawn from the Truth , and so thou wilt see the Truth stand clear in it self notwithstanding such things may happen unto some that have long professed it : For by such questionings the Enemy labours to hinder thee from obeying the Truth in thy self , because some that have professed it fail in performance , and others fall back and abide not ; now if thou mind the Truth in thy self , thou wilt see that such things are not of or from the Truth , but of the Enemy ; and thou wilt also see that it is the Enemy in thee which draws out thy mind to look abroad , and thereby to hinder thee from minding and obeying Truth in thy self ; and if he can work his work , he then saves his own Kingdom , and holds thee Captive under his power ; but if thou mind the Light in thine own Conscience , thou wilt see what Truth is in it self , and if thou love it ; to obey and follow it , thou wilt witness a going forward in it , and that will take away all occasion of stumbling from before thee , and the Testimony of Truth will spring and live in thee , and as thou livest in that , it will preserve and keep thee ; and then the failings and fallings of such as do not live and abide in the Truth , will not come nigh thee , and so thou wilt witness a growth in the Truth , though some may fail and others may fall ; and that will cause thee to be more in love with Truth , because it preserves thee ; for the danger lyeth in looking forth , by which the Enemy hath an advantage to deceive , and so the eye is more abroad , and taking notice of what others do amiss , than it is at home to behold Truth in its own naked simplicity , innocency and purity ; and then the Enemy begetteth hard thoughts of Truth , because some fail and others fall , and that must needs hinder from obedience to the Truth , where it is so . Therefore seeing the Enemy hath such cunning devices to deceive thee , thou shouldest watch to the Light with which Christ Jesus doth enlighten thee , and wait in the Light for power to resist thy Enemy , and so when he would break in upon thee , the Light will lift up it self a standard against him , and then thou wilt know where the Cross standeth , and what is to be crossed when it moveth ; and as thou abidest in the Cross to every motion that would draw out thy mind from the Truth , so thou wilt come to receive Truth in its own power , life and virtue , and in the Truth thou wilt receive strength to go forward through all oppositions that would hinder thee , or drive thee back , and the Light and Power will take away stumbling-blocks from before thee , if thou be willing to go forward in obedience , and that will make the yoke easie to thee , and the way plain before thee ; and then thou wilt come to feel what Truth is in it self , and what it is unto thee , and that will put the Questioner down , because thou art come to understand that to be true which he questioneth . Oh therefore love the Truth , as nothing may hinder thee any longer from obeying it ; for if thou so love it , thou wilt be drawn by it to live in it , and bear . Testimony to it , and that will free thee from those burdens which thou bearest in the disobedience ; for whilest the corrupt and disobedient nature liveth above the Seed , there is a burdened Conscience , and a wounded Conscience , and a troubled Conscience ; but as the Light is obeyed , it worketh by its own power , and purgeth out corruptions , by which the oppressed cometh to be eased : And so thou wilt come to receive Faith in the power , and thereby get victory over the world , and over the flesh , and over the devil , which is thy Enemy ; and then thou wilt come to witness a growth in grace and godliness , and the Seed will bring forth the fruit of its own nature in thee , and thy Testimony will be found to Gods glory , and that will multiply peace and blessing upon thee ; therefore let not the world entangle thee , nor scorn or reproach discourage thee , nor persecution affright thee , but yeeld thy self to obey the Light with which Christ Jesus doth enlighten thee , for it will be better for thee to suffer affliction with the People of God , than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season ; but if thou run with the multitude to do evil , thou wilt fall into the same destruction , and then thy sorrow will be heavy upon thee , and thy perplexity a perpetual misery . Oh that thou wouldest consider the things which belong to thy peace , before calamity come upon thee , and do not stand at such a distance from the Light which convinceth thee ; for now there is a door open , and thou knowest not how soon it may shut upon thee ; and now is the day of salvation , and thou art not sure how long it may be continued to thee : therefore believe in the Light whilst thou hast the Light , that thou mayest be a child of Light ; for until thou come to be a child of Light , and to walk in the Light , thou art not in the Saints fellowship and inheritance , though with the Light thou be convinced ; So wait to learn of the Light as thy Teacher , and follow the Light as thy Leader , that thou mayest not only stand in the knowledge of what thou shouldest deny , but deny it ; nor only stand in the knowledge of what thou shouldest live in , but live in it : And so ungodliness and worldly lusts will die , and righteousness and godliness will spring up and live , and in that nature thou wilt bear a right Image after him that hath created thee ; and as thou learnest thou wilt understand more perfectly ; for by learning , thy understanding will be opened and informed , and that will make thee of a good understanding in heavenly things ; Therefore be mindful to learn of Christ Jesus as thy Teacher , and follow him as thy Leader and Way unto God , for none can come to the Father but by him , nor none can inherit Life but who are born of him ; and as thou waitest to learn , thy understanding will be enlarged , and then live in that which gives thee understanding , and so thy ignorance will vanish away , and sound wisdom will take place , and thou wilt there see Christ Jesus in the beauty of his holiness , and receive consolation in the virtue of his Life , and so thou wilt be able to bear testimony to him from a good understanding of him ; and if thou here stand faithful , he will be with thee in all trials which come upon thee because of thy Testimony , and thou wilt know a hiding-place in stormes , and a sure refuge in distress ; for as thou receivest Christ Jesus in his Light , and in his Light abidest , thou art with him of whom it is said , that he liveth , and there thou hast darkness under thy feet as a foot-stool and treadest upon the high places of the Earth , by which thou comest to be unloosed from all entanglements , and to be freed from all burdens , and to rejoyce in the glorious Liberty ; and so thou comest to sit down in a quiet habitation , and in a sure dwelling , and to feel the presence of the Lord God , and peace and satisfaction in it . And as some may be hindred from obeying the Truth , in not minding to follow it , so some may be hindred from obeying the Truth in running forwardly before it ; and so one may lie questioning and lingring , and the other may run hastily in presuming ; and this is a disobedient state as is the first ; For if there be not a standing in the fear , there may be an intruding into those things which have not been seen , and thereby the fleshly mind may vainly be puffed up ; and where this commeth to pass , there is not a holding of the Head , from which all the Body , by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together , increaseth with the increase of God. And so a hasty and forward willer and runner is in the same state of disobedience as is the backward Lingerer ; for the Light is not minded as a Leader by either ; And in this disobedient state of intruding and presuming , the Seed of God is held in great bondage with corruption . So all are to mind the Light by which they may see their present states and conditions , and what the Light maketh manifest to be a hinderance from obeying the Truth , to deny it and take up the Cross unto it , and then the Light will draw such forward , as are questioning and lingering , and pull such back again as are intruding and presuming ; and so the way of peace and life will be witnessed by all such as are obedient , and the Lord God will manifest himself unto them , and shew them his salvation , and they will find a sure resting place in him that lives for ever ; and here every one will know not only a good beginning , but also a good ending , and then they will finish their course in joy , and not in grief and sorrow ; and so all walking in true obedience to the Light , there is no occasion of stumbling , nor no occasion of failing or falling , either by lingring or presuming ; but as the Light convinceth , so it will lead , redeem and save ; and that is the gathering power , and preserving power of the Lord , and in that is the unity and fellowship of the Saints ; and the mind which humbleth it self unto it , and liveth in it , is directed and ordered by it to the praise and glory of Almighty God. William Smith . THE END 
A64267	----	A vvarning to the nations to lay aside all prejudice and enmity the ground of strife and wars and to come and embrace the light, Christ Jesus ... Taylor, Thomas, 1618-1682. 1667 Approx. 20 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 6 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A64267 Wing T592 ESTC R11166 11994934 ocm 11994934 52082 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A64267) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 52082) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 829:13) A vvarning to the nations to lay aside all prejudice and enmity the ground of strife and wars and to come and embrace the light, Christ Jesus ... Taylor, Thomas, 1618-1682. 11 p. s.n., [London : 1667] Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Caption title. Signed on p. 11: Thomas Taylor. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. 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Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Salvation. Society of Friends -- Doctrines. 2004-07 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-07 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-08 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2004-08 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A WARNING TO THE NATIONS , To Lay aside all Prejudice and Enmity , The Ground of Strife and Wars ; And to come and Embrace the Light , Christ Jesus , that they may see themselves , and come to be Saved and Healed , and United in the Love of God. THe Indignation of the Lord is upon all Nations , and his Fury upon all their Armies ; he will greatly distress the Inhabitants of the World ; he will now plead the Cause of his Covenant of Light against all those that withstand his Glorious Appearance , and Work of Restoration , in this the Day of his Mighty Power , wherein he is giving the Kingdom of his Everlasting Peace to Israel's Seed under the whole Heavens , who fear his Great Name , and tremble at his Almighty Word of Life , which shakes not onely Earth , but Heaven also : And now is the Lord God Almighty bringing forth his Glory to light , and creating the New Heavens and new Earth , wherein dwells Righteousness , according to his Promise , Isa. 65. 17 , &c. wherein the People beat their Swords into Plough-shares , and their Spears into Pruning-hooks , never to learn War any more ; but every one now that believes in the Truth , Christ Jesus , the Light and true King of Righteousness and Peace , shall sit under him , the true Vine , and none to make them afraid , Isa. 2. 2 , &c. And now , even now is the Lord God Almighty arisen , & got up into his high Throne of Majesty and Everlasting Glory to Raign ; and of this his Peaceable Kingdom , which he hath begun to set up in his Trembling People , there never shall be End. The true Israel of God is now coming up out of the spiritual Egypt indeed , to possess the true Land of Promise , the Inheritance and free Gift of our God ; and no Inchantment shall now stand against God's Spiritual Host , nor Divination against the Redeemed of the Lord , who have known his Wonders in the Deep , and known the Out-goings of God's Power against Pharaoh , and all his Host in the Red Sea of his Fiery Indignation . And now will God be exalted in Judgment , and avenged in Righteousness upon all Nations and People under Heaven , who hold the Truth in Unrighteousness , and will not that God's Holy Son Christ Jesus the Light should reign , though he be come to Reign and Judge in the Earth . For to him , the Light who lighteth every man that cometh into the World , is all Power in Heaven and Earth given . And his Light shines freely into all your Hearts , O all People of the Earth ; and shineth in the thickest Darkness to make manifest the Creator's Will to all your Consciences , though your Darkness , O People , comprehends it not ; but it comprehends you , and all your dark Wayes , and destroying Thoughts ; and lets you see plainly , That for all your great Workings , and toilsom Labour in an Out-side Profession in your Earthly Wills , you have wrought no Deliverance in the Earth ; but your Souls Enemies still stand in strength . And it lets you see , that for all your Striving , and Fighting , and Killing and Spoiling , and Destroying one another about Earthly Things , you have done no good at all ; but brought God's Judgments upon all your Souls , and pierced your selves through with many Sorrows . And therefore the Heavenly Voice sounds through the Earth , and calls aloud in your Ears , and knocks at the Door of your Hearts , O all People of the World , High and Low , Professor and Prophane , Jews and Gentiles , Christians , so called , and Turks ; Arise , Arise , Awake , Awake , turn in your Minds to the pure Light of Jesus Christ the Judge of Quick and Dead , the Son of the eternal God , Creator of Heaven and Earth , who died for your Sins , and rose again to give you a New , Holy and Everlasting Life in himself through Faith in his Name . And behold , he lives for evermore . And all see and search diligently in your selves , what you know of his Holy Life made manifest in you , to destroy the Body of Sin and Death in you , which in the dayes of Darkness hath filled your Vessel , and brought your very Soul , Mind and Heart into the Thraldom of that Wicked One , who is called the Devil and Satan , & compassed with Terrors & Fears & Affrightments your very Life , and whole Man , because of the Wrath of the Almighty , which you by your Sinful , and Unrighteous , and Unholy and Cruel Doings both against God , and your Neighbour have stirred up against you . And behold , the Earth languisheth because of these things ; And the Children of Light , who are redeemed to God , out of these sore Evils & grievous Plagues do mourn for you , and bewail your Misery Night and Day , as well knowing in the Light of the Lord , what your woful End will be , if these Bryars and Thorns and noisome Weeds ( the proper Fruits of the Curse ) be still suffered to grow in you , and cumber God's Ground . Oh! how nigh unto cursing is that Field , which God's Rain rains upon , and yet brings forth no better Fruit , then Killing , and Slaying , and Spoiling , and Cousening , and Cheating , and Defiling , and Oppressing one another , besides Lying , and Swearing , and Cursing , and Drunkenness , and Pride , and Persecution of God's Righteous Seed , with all other Abominations of the World against the Holy Light , &c. Checks and Reproofs of the good Spirit of the Almighty , both in their own Consciences , and the Mouth of God's Servants , and Holy Witness of Truth in the Scriptures ; which notwithstanding all these their Abominations many of them profess to be their Rule . But know , O Man , whoever thou art , or whatsoever Profession thou art of , that that 's thy God and Ruler , and Father , and Teacher , and Way , whose Commands thou lovest , and whose Works thou dost and whose Will in the inward of thy Mind thou closest with : as Christ said to those Lyars , false Accusers and Murderers in his Day , Joh. 8 , 44. &c. Ye are of your Father the Devil , for his Works ye will do ; he was a Lyar & Murderer from the beginning . So thou that goest from he Light of God in thee , which shows thee thy Sin , and the Evil-Lustings & Desires of thy Flesh and Mind , thou goest from God , and from his Fear , and from the Way of Peace : And so , thou going from this , and joyning to Evil Motions of Sin in thy Flesh and corrupted Mind , thou joynest to the Devil , and so bringest forth Sin , which is the Devils Work ; and the Wages of every such Work is Death . And so in the very moment of time , in which thou dost the Evil Work , whatsoever it be ( contrary to God's Light in thee ) thou dyest the Death ; and so remainest dead from the Life of God , and his blessed Righteousness , until the Day of true Repentance and Amendment of Life : And then what will it profit thee to have gained the World , or Victory over thy Neighbour , or Satisfaction to thy Lusts to the Loss of thy Soul's Life ? Therefore Arise , Arise , Awake , Awake , O all Nations and People ! come forth to the Judgment of this great Day of God Almighty : For now is the effect of every Vision to be known and felt in the Earth , and the High Towers of the City of Confusion , the Mystery Babylon the Great , the Mother of Harlots , shall fall to the Ground ; and the Mountain of the House of the Lord shall be exalted over all ; yea , the Lord alone , and his Righteousness , & Truth , and Peaceable Kingdom on the Top of all shall stand ; and no Weapon formed against him and his People shall ever prosper any more . And how is it , O all Nations , Kings and People , that ye are not yet willing after so long a time knocking at the Gates of your Cities and Doors of your Hearts , that ye will not open to the King of Glory , Christ Jesus , the Light , that lighteth every one that cometh into the World , that he may come in , and be Judge , Lawgiver and King in the midst of you , that the Desire of all Nations may come , and be Head in all ? For what is it that the Soul that God hath made in all Nations doth desire , but to see it self unburthened of that grievous Corruption , which hath defiled it , and to be delivered from that Body of Sin and Death , which hath and doth so imbondage it from the beginning , until the Day of Christ's Power be known within , to work the Work of God , and to destroy the Work of the Devil , and to save the Soul from its Sin , and to present it spotless to God , which is the true Salvation indeed ? Now this is my Witness for God amongst the Servants and Redeemed of the Lord this day , whom the World in Scorn calls Quakers ( who am a Sufferer with them for the Kingdom of God's sake ) That there is none can thus know the Day of Christ's Power to Salvation , but as they believe and receive that Light of God and Christ , which they be freely enlightened withal , which shines in their very Hearts and Consciences , which searcheth their very Hearts and Reins , and maketh manifest to man his Thoughts , and from which none can hide any thing ; but all things are naked and bare before him , the Light Christ Jesus , who lighteth every man that cometh into the World , Jew and Gentile , one and other , who searcheth the most hidden things of man , and brings them forth to the Judgment of his Righteousness . For though the Night may hide the Adulterer and the Thief from man , it hides them not from God ; there is one Nigh in the Heart and Conscience , that tells Man and Woman all that ever they have done , and do daily do , even their secret Thoughts ; Is not this the Christ of God , the true Messiah ? that was to come , and is come , and dwells amongst us , and we look not for another , and of his Fulness , have all we received , and do daily receive , who believe in his Light , which shines in our Hearts , according to the Scriptures of Truth . And this the Fulness of our Blessed God and Saviour Jesus Christ , the Light , is it which filleth all that come to him with all spiritual Blessings , and Heavenly good Things ; and without whom all is Darkness , Emptiness , Death and Desolation , as all the poor , deceived , lost Sons and Daughters of the faln Adam do sooner or later know , and are made to confess . But Blessed are they that consider of things in time , and say things to heart , before it be too late ; For there are but Twelve Hours in a day , in which men may work , saith Christ , and then the Night cometh , in which no man can work : But the Door will be shut upon all who have slighted and neglected the Day of their Visitation . Oh England ! England ! and all Lands far and near , that you had known , or could yet believe the things that belong to your Everlasting Peace , before they be hid from your Eyes . Therefore turn ye , turn ye at the Reproofs of God's Wisdom and Spirit of Light and Truth , which sounds through all , and lets you see the Vanity and Evil of all your Works , and Fraialty of all your Lives , how soon the Thread of your Life is cut off ; and then , where are the great Emperors and Kings , with all their Crowns ? And where are the great Captains and Commanders , with all their Bloody Victories ? And where are the wise Ahithophels and cunning Counsellors of the Earth , with all their Admirers ? And where are the covetous Oppressors , with all their Houses full of the Spoils of the Innocent ? Yea , in that day , where is all the Glory and Lusts of the World , with all the Lovers of it ? Surely in Darkness and Misery shall they lie down together , and Death shall have Dominion over them , even all who have not believed in the Light , Christ Jesus , and who have not followed him in the Regeneration , that they might be saved ; but have spent their dayes in the Pleasures and Lusts of the present Evil World to De u ction . Now therefore , O all People , Hearken to the Counsel of the Lord in this your Day , and learn of the Lamb , the Light , who calls you to Repentance from all your grievous Wayes . How long shall the Spirit of the Lord strive with you ? when will you cease learning War , and Destruction , and Oppression , and Spoil ? O when will you beat your Swords into Plow-shares . and your Spears into Pruning-Hooks ? O when will you go and say one to another , one Neighbour to another , and one Nation to another , Come let us all be humbled before the Lord God of Heaven and Earth , who made us all of one Blood , to dwell together upon the Face of the Earth in Truth , Goodness and Love to serve one another , and so as Branches of one Tree to receive Life , and Vertue , and Power from our God into our Souls , to strengthen us unto his holy Work ; who came not to destroy Men's Lives , but to save them ; whose Kingdom is not of this World , and therefore is not set up or maintained with carnal Weapons , Violence and Spoil ; but by the Eternal Spirit of our God , whose Fruit is in all Goodness , and Righteousness and Truth ? And let not the wicked Devil , the Destroyer , deceive us any more by his Lyes and Delusions ; but let us all with one Heart and Soul resist his Temptations . When he perswades us to seek to be great in the Earth , and be avenged on them we count our Enemies , let us not hearken to him ; but let us overcome their Evil with Goodness ; and not to seek the Destruction of their Persons , or spoil of their Estates , as the Heathens do that know not God ; but let us follow the Example of Jesus Christ , God manifest in Flesh , who when he was reviled , reviled not again , but prayed for such as despightfully used him . O come , let us follow this meek Lamb in Righteousness and Truth , and learn of him in our Heart , who is Meek and Lowly , that we may find Rest for our Souls ; Who rebuked his Disciples , who would have had Fire to come down from Heaven to destroy the Samaritans , that would not at that time receive Christ. For what knowest thou , O Man , but the Samaritans may in time , come to a better Mind ; and then thou wilt see it was thy Will , and not God's , that desired their Destruction in their Sins . For Christ would have all to be saved , and come to the Knowledge of his Truth : But many will not come to him , that they might have Life , and so their Destruction is of themselves and their Condemnation just . And who are those now therefore that withstand the Doctrine of the Truth , which said , love your Enemies ; and seek not the Destruction of their Persons , and the Spoil of their Estates ; but seek by good Doctrine and good Life to bring them out of their Sins : And if they will not , but rather hate thee for thy good Will , be content ; thou hast quitted thy own Soul , and art clear of their Blood ; And so thou becomest a Sufferer with Jesus Christ , and shalt reign with him in due time . I say , who are these now on the Earth , that withstand Truth , and continue in the hateful destroying Wayes of the old Jews and Gentiles , but such as will not be counselled by the Lamb of God , the Suffering Seed , who said , Learn of me , for I am meek and lowly in Heart : But are Men of corrupt Minds , who account Gain , and Worldly Honour , and Promotions more then Godliness , who cryes Peace to themselves in their Sins : And that same Spirit in them which cryes that false Peace in them , is the same that stirs them up to Kill , Destroy , Oppress and Spoil one another for Selfish and Worldly Ends. But the Lord is arisen to judge all these Evil Things and to redeem a Seed to serve him , as in the beginning of the Gospel , before Antichrist the Murderer got up amongst them , that professed Christ in Words , but denyed him in Deeds ; who had a Name that they lived , but were Dead from that true Life , which was in Christ Jesus , whom in Words they professed . And though the Passage we feel now to be as hard of coming from amongst the false Christians and Turks , as it was for the first true Christians to come from amongst the Jews and Gentiles ; Yet the Almighty Power of our God is able over all , and through all to carry us on to the end , whom he hath called and saved with a mighty Salvation ( ever-praised be his Name ) and who will yet save his Beloved Seed Israel , and gather them from the East and West , and from the North and South to sit down with Christ in his Kingdom : And this is no ill News to any , but who are glewed to Deceit , and married to Iniquity ; But it is good News and Glad-Tidings indeed to all that love their Souls , and the Honour and Glory of Truth more then the things of this perishing World. And I could desire that all who are apt to reason , as the Jews did , when they heard the Declaration of the Gospel of Peace , and Kingdom of God , which stands in Righteousness and Peace , saying , If we let this go on , then the Romans or Others will come and take our Place and Nation . I say , that they would consider , That the very Course which they , to wit the Jews , in the Denyal of the Truth took for saving of themselves , brought utter Destruction upon them and their Nation . But what l●● shall vain man in his foolish faln Wisdom and earthly Reasoning think to be Wiser then God , and to have a greater Care and Love to the Creation , then God himself , who made it , hath ? What! shall Angels at the Birth of Christ sing , Glory to God on high , and Good-will to men ; and yet when the Way of God in Christ is published , for bringing this great Work of Salvation to pass , vain man must come in with his False Mind , and say , This is the way to confound all Order , and destroy all Good ; And that this Doctrine turneth the World up-side down ; And that the Messengers of Christ are pestilent Fellows , and Movers of Sedition ? O Earth , Earth ! Tremble before the Lord ; for thou shalt never have Peace in thy own wayes , thou shalt never be saved by thy own Strength , thou shalt never be established by thy own Counsels , thou shalt never have true Peace , nor any Plenty within thy Borders , until thou believest the Gospel , which saith , Learn of Christ , whose Kingdom is not of this World , and whose Weapons are not Carnal , but Spiritual , mighty through God ; not for the pulling down of outward Walls and Bodies , but for raizing , and pulling down , and destroying the strong Holds of Sin and Satan in the Hearts and Lives of the Children of men : For after that , saith the Apostle , The World by Wisdom knew not God ; it pleased God by the Foolishness of Preaching ( to wit , such Doctrine as this , which is a Cross and Stumbling-block to all corrupt Flesh ) to save them that believe . So lay things to heart , ye people of the World , and Inhabitants of all the Earth ; for God's Purpose is not to exalt any man or men of this World , or to glorifie any Flesh ; but to exalt his own Son , Christ Jesus , the heavenly Man , the Lord from Heaven , the Truth overall , of whose Kingdom and Government there shall be no End. And all that obey his Voyce , and for Obedience thereunto are made willing to Suffer with him , shall Raign with him for evermore : But all others , whether they be called Christians or Turks , or whatever else , shall be as the Dust or Chaff before the Wind to be scattered , as the Lord by his Spirit from the beginning has said , and at this time speaketh in his Servant . Thomas Taylor . THE END . 
A65480	----	The word of God to all the elect number with a few words in a deep lamentation over the seed of life, to its tender father concerning them that have transgressed in Israel. West, Thomas, of Hertford. 1664 Approx. 15 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 4 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-08 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A65480 Wing W1392 ESTC R217334 99829011 99829011 33446 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A65480) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 33446) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1860:14) The word of God to all the elect number with a few words in a deep lamentation over the seed of life, to its tender father concerning them that have transgressed in Israel. West, Thomas, of Hertford. 7, [1] p. s.n., [London : 1664?] Caption title. Signed at end: Thomas West. Hartford the 17th day of the second month. 1664. Imprint from Wing. Reproduction of the original in the Friends House Library, London. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Quakers -- Early works to 1800. Repentance -- Early works to 1800. Salvation -- Early works to 1800. 2004-03 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-03 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-04 Jonathan Blaney Sampled and proofread 2004-04 Jonathan Blaney Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-07 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion The word of God to all the Elect number with a few words in a deep Lamentation over the seed of Life , to its tender Father concerning them that have transgressed in Israel . DEar blessed precious Lambs and Babes , ye children of the most high God , holy innocent and undefiled , I feel a Remnant a very small Remnant , that are but few in number , with whom my life dwells in pure unity never to be separated , that God Almighty hath gathered and is gathering in this day of his mighty power from amongst all people , nations , kindreds , Countreys tongues and languages , upon the face of the whole Earth , who shall be one of a Family and two of a Tribe , which is but very few in number , even you shall shine , as the lights of heaven , glorious as the Sun , cleer as the Moon , Glittering and sparkling as the Stars . Yea , the very brightness of your pure light , and beauty of your glory shall shine from corner to corner , and from end to end of all the world , that so all nations may see , and hear yea dread tremble and fear . But you must and shall come through many and great tribulations and be refined even as the pure gold , that is seven times tried in the fire , and must have your garments died in the blood of the Lamb , and be clothed in fine Linning clean and white , mark that , it must be clean and white there must be no filthyness neither any defilement : not one spot nor blemish , for if there be while that remaineth , Mark while any spot remaineth thou maiest not be suffered to dwell with the Lamb and to follow him whethersoever he goeth , who is of more purer eyes then to behold iniquity , so the pure Virgin state every perticular must witness before the heir of life can be born to whom all power belongs in Heaven and in Earth and power sufficient to withstand the power of the wicked one in all his temptations can never be received till he the heir of life is born up in dominion over all , and hath the government upon his shoulders , and now may not the cry of many be who hath been long convinced even as the cry of some of the Disciples was when the Lord said , he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him as the living Father hath sent me , and I live by the Father even so he that eateth me shall live by me , shall live by me , this is that bread that came dovvn from Heaven , not as your fathers did eat Manna and are dead , he that eateth this bread shall live for ever . Did they not then cry out this is an hard saying who can abide the hearing of it , and did not many of his Disciples from that very time go back and forsake him , and walked no more with him , then said Jesus to the Twelve , Will yee also go away then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go , thou hast the words of Eternal life , and vve believe and are sure that thou art Christ the Son of the living God. My dear Friends , I do not write thus to you onely as it is the Scriptures Language neither because you know it not already but even as the Lord hath given it me in his own eternal word of Life and power , therefore every one search your own hearts try your selves even all the secret motions of your minds and all your deep thoughts , and see with the light of Christ in you whether or no your hearts are upright , and approved of in the sight of the Righteous God. Who searcheth secretly all your hearts and tryes your reins whose name is the Lord of Host the Almighty and wonderful Counseller and Conquerer very dreadful and terrible to all his enemies before whom , and in whose presence ye are all naked and bare , to whom you must all give up your accompts whether Just or Unjust and the time is near at hand : Therefore my Dear friends , see that every one of you lay true Judgement to the line , and Righteousness to the Plummet , and all Judge your selves least you be Judged and try with the pure holy Light in your own Consciences whether or nay , ye are of that number as is before mentioned for verily and in Gods name I am made bold in his everlasting authority and endless dominion to declare it , none other shall dwell with the Lambe in the new City Sion for ever more , therefore O weigh it in the deep Considerations of your pure mind . For I do proclaim it in the name of the Lord our God and shall be ready to seal it with my Dearest blood , yee have already received the first and last and greatest Messuage or dispensation that ever was is or ever shall be , therefore look not for another but always in that you have already received grow and increase , holding fast that you have and letting nothing of it go least another take your Crown and to rob you of your honour , even the pure holy and undefiled Light , and whosoever shall presume to declare of any other or a greater dispensation then that which hath been declared of already let him or them to you be accursed for evermore if an Angel or Angels from heaven for such do and will pervert the way of God , and so will strive , to lead poor simple innocent persons , people after them into their own pernissious ways quite contrary to the way of God where they shall never know peace for their immortal souls , but they who dwell in the everlasting light truly fearing his dreadfull name and evermore trembling in his pure presence at the word of his Power who is God , blessed for ever more Amen , Even they and none but they shall sing the song of Moses and the Lambe for evermore , for they onely are found worthy , worthy , worthy , to sit upon the Throne Judging and ruling amongst the twelve Tribes of Israel for ever more who hath been and ever shall be taught by the Lord , and have learned the pure Language from his own Mouth and speaks no other words then he hath taught you , even you are the pure virgins indeed who must alwaies dwell with the Lamb in the presence of his Grace singing praises and sounding fourth Hallelujah's to him that sits upon the Throne , who was slain by our sins but is now become our eternal Resurrection who onely is worthy to receive of all his blessed number power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing , World without end , Amen . So all dear Lambs dwell with the Lord , that you may at all times walk with him in the deeps where you may evermore behold his Glory , that so in his living presence yee may be refreshed in all times of need , even eating of the living bread when yee hunger and Drinking of the pure Fountain when you are athurst that so all may be wholy satisfied and none to go forth but that all may dwell within where your strength is that is able to support you now and for evermore . That so great may be your unity in the pure spirit that in unfeigned love and holy fellowship , your hears mindes souls and spirits may be lincked Joined and united together in one bond in the band of Peace and in the Covenant of Life never to be seperated from the presence of the living God nor one from another so in patience possess ye your own hearts and dwell together in the meek seed of life where in the deeps you may feel the inocent life of your dear suffering brother . A Word to the Transgresser O All Mighty , all Powerful , God of Power of Heaven and Earth who in the Majesty of thy Power and strength of thine Almightiness , art risen by the strength of thine Arm to plead with all that are back-sliding in Israel and in this Cause wherein thou hast been provoked by a backsliding People , whom thou by a mighty hand and outstretched arm hast brought out of the Land of Darkness and from the house of Bondage , who have again Provoked thee : Even in the Wilderness and also in the good Land : And now although Moses and Samuel should stand before thee : and although thy Righteous Servants should petition to thee never so much yet thou wilt not hear as concerning this thing whereby thou hast been provoked , neither wilt thou be intreated by us , but certainly thou wilt arise and plead strongly with them all because they have so grieved thy good spirit in so often provoking and sinning against thee . Yet O holy righteous father thy own blessed suffering seed is very tender and I know t is very Pretious in thy sight , O our Dear Father , and is not its inocent tender babelike cry in the meekness of thine own spirit aloud unto thee O spare dear Lord , O spare thy People for blessed Abraham , thy servants sake , and for the sake of the seed of thy Covenant with whom and to whom all thy Promises are as yea and amen for evermore , oh remember , Dear Lord remember and keep not thine Anger for ever . oh let it be but in thy fatherly pitty a tender gentle Chastisement to draw them nearer to thee then ever , that so they may have great cause to bless and honour thy great name now and for evermore Amen . And as I was thus in my Measure very quiet and very still innocently in peace and in joy with my Maker he shewed me Concerning thee O Israel that some within thy Borders had caused and do yet cause thee to erre , the effects of which cause will and shall bring sad tediousnesse to them in thee O Israel who have so highly offended the righteous pure unchangable God ; in minding poor changable man beyond what he is or ever was or ever shall be while he is here in this bodie , I tell thee O Israel that which hath been seen concerning this matter hath so highly provoked God that he will not easily be reconciled to them in thee who have thus offended , nay nay but for this offence thou must be Chastized and Greatly afflicted and now in this day have ye not throne down one and set up another , and is there not now a very great cause given unto us to bear in remembrance at all times the words of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ concerning that evill slothfull servant , but if that evill slothfull servant shall say in his heart my Lord delaieth his comming and shall begin to smite his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunken , the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him , and in an hour that he is not ware of : Oh consider this all you that have stolen a side from the deep sence and from feeling of your first love wherein there was no evill neither any Guile , that so with speed you may return and receive him as in the beginning that so love unfained may spring up in your hearts and life and vertue abound in you that ye may be Grafted into the true Vine to receive of its pure sap and vertue before you are wholly cut off as drie and fruitless withered branches , O Remember this every on that hath forgoten God , and with speed return least he arise in his Mighty power and Cut you asunder and appoint you your portion with hypocrites there shall be weeping and wailing Gnashing of teeth , and as the daies of Noah was so shall the comming of the son of man be . Friends it is sealed in my heart by the Eternal spirit of the Lord. These be the daies he spake of , and are not many now to the great Griefe of the pure spirit , Marrying and given in Mariage not being moved of the Lord , and is not the Arke of God prepared and preparing , and is there safty any where else save only in the Arke and should not all make hast thither , Namely into the Arke of God before the flood over take you which I can assure you all , is very near O let every one that readeth understand , and is not the righteous life of Noah now Preaching to all while the Arke of God is preparing that are Making merry , Namely eating and drinking Marrying and giving in Marriage , bulding Planting and inhabiting as though the day of the Lord should never over take you being out of the fear of the Lord and dread and awe of his holy Name , alass , alass , how many have been sporting themselves against the faithfull Ministers and true messengers of God , who have often told you in tears and in deep lamentations such a day would assuredly overtake many and how faithfull have they been in Laying it before you and Charging it upon you to watch always , and pray continually , least you enter into temptation but oh how have you slighted them and have not many amongst you in your own Immaginations Judged one and Condemned another whom God hath Eternally sealed in the Everlasting Covenant of life and peace for ever more : and are you still indeed so blinde to thinke that the Lords eye is not open beholding these things yes verily he taketh true and perfect notice of them all and his blessednesse is vexed there with and his good spirit is grieved and the holy seed is greatly oppressed Even as a cart is pressed with sheaves , and now there is heard a deep and Lamentable morunfull cry sounded in the Eares of its tender Father because of these things . Oh my burthen , my burthen , my greife , my greife , my lamentation , my lamentation , my sorrow , my sorrow , my Mourning , my Mourning , yea my very soul dwells in heavinesse and I am even bowed down down down , my tears are many my sighes are very deep my Groans are very heavy my travell is in the depths of sorrow , concerning thee , O thou beloved City part of whose walls are broken down yea and verily the Enemie shall and will be suffered to pray upon thee because of the great Iniquitie that is found amonst many in thee . Oh gird on sackcloath and sit in ashes ye carlesse daughters that are therein , and morun and weep yea waile and lament that so the Lord in mercy may yet return and for his own blessed name sake and the seed of his covenant have mercie upon you and show kindnesse to you before the day of your tender visitation be wholly past away . THis is given fourth in the pure Life of Virginity and in Love unfeigned that thinketh no evil wherein there is no Guil , but is without fault before the Throne of the Lamb for ever more through a broken heart in tender loving Issues streaming from the Fountain of Life through the Deep travels of my wearried soul to the holy crying breathing seed in the Living commandement of the Almighty powerful God of all Wisdome life and vertue that filleth heaven and Earth . To be read in the fear of the Lord amongst all the Congregations and Assemblies of the people of God called Quakers . By a Servant of the Lord and a Sufferer for the Testimony of Jesus Thomas West . Hartford the 17 day of the second Month. 1664. 
A65304	----	The one thing necessary Preached in a sermon at Pauls, before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, and the aldermen of the City of London, Aug. 31. 1656. By Thomas Watson, minister of Stephens Walbrook, London. Watson, Thomas, d. 1686. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A65304 of text R220893 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing W1134A). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 82 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 41 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A65304 Wing W1134A ESTC R220893 99832278 99832278 36750 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A65304) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 36750) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2102:23) The one thing necessary Preached in a sermon at Pauls, before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, and the aldermen of the City of London, Aug. 31. 1656. By Thomas Watson, minister of Stephens Walbrook, London. Watson, Thomas, d. 1686. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A65304 of text R220893 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing W1134A). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread [8], 72 p. printed by E.M. for Ralph Smith, at the Bible in Cornhil, neer the Royal Exchange; and Thomas Parkhurst, at the three Crowns at the lower end of Cheap-side against the Conduit, London : 1658. Copy tightly bound with slight loss of print; some print show-through. Reproduction of the original in the British Library. eng Sermons, English -- 17th century. Salvation -- Early works to 1800. A65304 R220893 (Wing W1134A). civilwar no The one thing necessary. Preached in a sermon at Pauls, before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, and the aldermen of the City of London, Watson, Thomas 1658 15188 26 200 0 0 0 0 149 F The rate of 149 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the F category of texts with 100 or more defects per 10,000 words. 2003-12 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-12 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-02 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2005-02 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE ONE THING NECESSARY . Preached in a SERMON At Pauls , before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor , and the Aldermen of the City of LONDON , Aug. 31. 1656. By Thomas Watson , Minister of Stephens Walbrook , LONDON . The second Edition . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . Ignatius . Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape , if we neglect so great salvation . LONDON , Printed by E. M. for Ralph Smith , at the Bible in Cornhil , neer the Royal Exchange ; And Thomas Parkhurst , at the three Crowns at the lower end of Cheap-side against the Conduit . 1658. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE IOHN DETHICK , Lord Mayor of the City of LONDON . Right Honourable , IT was not in my thoughts to have published this Sermon ( I looked upon it as too home-spun ) but in regard it was your Lordships request to me at the first , and I have since received an invitation from your Honourable Court to that purpose , I knew not how to deny , lest while I did shun your loving commands , I should fall under your just censure . My Lord , it was my designe in this Sermon to call you off from the empty high-flown notions , and litigious , disputes of these times , to look after that which is more solid , and wherein , I am sure every man is very neerly concerned , Viz. the working out his salvation , Opus non pulvinaris , sed pulveris ; a work it is that may call forth the most spiritful vigorous actings of the soul in the prosecution of it ; pingimus aeternitati . — That work had need be well done which is for eternity . My Lord , this is the true wisdom , to be wise to salvation * ; By this godly policy we shall go beyond all the Politicians of the times ; we shall escape hell , we shall be raised to the true {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of honour ; God will be our Father , Christ our Brother , the Spirit our Comforter , the Angels our Companions ; when we die we shall carry a good conscience with us , and leave a good Name behinde us . I shall not further expatiate ; I desire this Sermon may come under your Honours Patrociny ; some little addition you will finde in the end of it , which I had before prepared for you , but wanted time to serve it in ; The Lord enoble you with his Spirit , and crown you with soul-prosperity , which shall be the prayer of him , who is Your Honours in all Gospel-service , Tho. Watson . From my Study at Steph. Walbrook , Octob. 15. 1656. Phil. 2. 12. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling . IF there be any thing excellent , it is salvation ; if there be any thing necessary , it is working out salvation ; if there be any tool to work with , 't is holy fear ; work out your salvation with fear . The words are a grave and serious exhortation , needful , not onely for those Christians which lived in the Apostles time , but may fitly be calculated for the meridian of this age wherein we live . In the Text observe , First the manner of insinuation . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . My beloved ] The Apostle did labour by all means to ingratiate and wind himself into the hearts of the Philippians . He prescribes a Gospel-pil , & dips it in sugar , that it may go down the better . He labors to possess the Philippians of this maxim , that whatever he did speak to them about their souls , was purely in love . Sometimes he steeps his words in tears , and speaks weeping ; * Sometimes he dips them in honey . Paul knew how to reprove ; it was part of his office , and a piece of his spiritual Chyrurgery ; Rebuke them sharply , * or as the Greek word is , cuttingly ; * but when he had done launcing , he knew how to pour Wine and Oile into the wound . He holds forth the breast as a nurse , and is willing not only to impart his sermon to the people , but his soul . * And herein the Apostle Paul se● a Copy to all the Ministers of Christ . Their hearts must be fired not with heat of passion , but love towards their people . They are Christs ambassadors , and must come with an olive-branch of peace in their mouths . If I speak with the tongue of Angels , and have not love , I am as sounding brasse , and a tinckling Cymbal , 1 Cor. 13. 1. 'T is better to love as a Pastor , then speak as an Angel . Love is that flos deliciarum , that flower of delight which should grow in the heart , and send forth its perfume in the lips of every Minister . 'T was said of Origen , Cujus ex ore non tam verba quam mella profluere videbantur . Those which come in a spirit of meeknesse to their people , are like to do most good ; the more they are {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , the more they are {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ; knotty hearts will be soonest wrought upon by love ; the fire will go where the wedge cannot : The Thunderbolt may break , but the Sun melts : * when love sends forth its sweet influence , it melts a sinner into tears : the joints being hard and stiff , the rubbing them with oyl doth supple them ; the best way to supple an hard heart , and make it tender , is to ply it with this oyl of love . And thus much for the manner of insinuation . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} My beloved . I proceed now to the exhortation it self ; work out your own salvation with fear and trembling . Which words do branch themselves into these three particulars . First , The Act , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} work out . Secondly , the Object , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} your own salvation . Thirdly , the modus , or the manner how we should work it out , Cum timore & tremore , with fear and trembling . I shall speak principally of the two first , and draw in the other briefly in the applicatory . The Proposition is this , That it should be a Christians great work to be working out his salvation . The great God hath put us into the world as into a vine-yard , and here is the work he hath set us about , The working out salvation ; there is a parallel Scripture to this , 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure . When estate , friends , life cannot be made sure , let this be made sure . The Greek word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} * signifies to study , or beat the braines about a thing . * This word in the Text {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} work out , implies two things . First , a shaking off spiritual sloth . Sloth is pulvinar diaboli , a pillow on which many have slept the sleep of death . Secondly , it implies an uniting and rallying together all the powers of our soules that we may intend the business of salvation * . God hath enacted a Law in Paradise , that no man shall eat of the Tree of life , but in the sweat of his browes . That which is in the Text , called working , hath various appellations in Scripure . First , Sometimes it is called Striving , Luk. 13. 29. Strive to enter in at the strait gate , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} : strive as in an agony , or bloody sweat . Secondly , sometimes it is called Seeking , Mat. 6. 33. Seek ye first the Kingdome of God , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . As a man that hath lost a treasure , seeks diligently for it . We have lost salvation . Adam by eating the tree of knowledge , lost the tree of life . Now seek , take Davids candle and lanthorn , and search for salvation . The word seek , ( as a learned writer notes ) signifies to pursue a thing with inflamed desires , as a condemned man desires a pardon . Thirdly , Sometimes it is called running in a race , 1 Cor. 9. 24. So run that ye may obtaine , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . The Apostle seemes to allude to the games of Olympus , which were celebrated every fifth year in the honor of Jupiter ; in those games they did put forth all their strength . Whence that phrase , pulvere Olympico desudare . 'T is along race from earth to Heaven ; lay aside all weights of sinne which will hinder you in the race , and reach forward with a winged swiftnesse to lay hold upon the mark . Fourthly , Sometimes it is called offering violence to Heaven , Matthew 11. 12. The Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence . There must not only be diligence , but violence ; we must not only pray , but pray fervently , Jam. 5. 16. not only repent , but be Zealous and repent , Rev. 3. 19. not onely love , but be sick of love , Cant. 2. 5. This is offering violence ; the Greek word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is a Metaphor taken from a Castle that holds out in a siege , and will not be taken but by storme : So the Kingdom of Heaven holds out against a supine lazy Christian , and will not be taken but by storme . I proceed now to the reasons enforcing this holy sweat and industry about salvation ; and they are three ; we must work out salvation , because of , 1. The Difficulty 2. The Rareness 3. The Possibility of this work . The difficulty of this work , it is a work that may make us labour to the going down of the sun of our life . * Now this difficulty about the work of salvation will appear four manner of wayes . First , from the nature of the work . There is a metamorphosis to be wrought . 1. The heart is to be changed . The heart is the very nursery of sin . * 'T is the magazine where all the weapons of unrighteousnesse lie . 'T is a lesser Hell . The heart is full of antipathy against God , * It is angry with converting grace ; now that the byasse of the heart should be changed , what a work is this ! * How should we beg of Christ , that he who turned the watet into wine , would turn the water , or rather poison of nature into the wine of grace ? Secondly , The current of the life is to be altered . That the Tyde of sin , which before did runne so strong , should be turned , this is not easie . That the sinner which before was failing hel ward , and wanted neither winde nor tyed to carry him , should now alter his course , and sail to a new port , Hic labor , hoc opus , this is a work indeed . The water may easily be dam'd up , but no art or industry can make it run backward in its own channel . It was by a miracle that the River Jordan was driven back . To see the earthly man become heavenly ; to see a sinner move contrary to himself in the wayes of Christ and holinesse , is as strange as to see the earth fly upward , or the bowl run contrary to it's own byasse . Secondly , salvation-work is difficult in regard of the deceits about the work . The heart is ready to take many false stiches in this work of salvation . It hath the heart of self-deceit ; like those that can cog a Die ; Therefore Austin cryes out , The heart is a great deep . The heart is apt to deceive about this work of salvation 2 ways . First , It will often make a man take morality for grace . Alas , morality is but nature refined , old Adam put in a better dress . A moraliz'd man is but a tame devil . There may be a fair stream of civility running , and yet much vermin of pride and Atheisme lie at the bottom ; The garnishment of moral excellencies is but the setting a garland of flowers upon a dead man . How easie is it to be deceived in the businesse of salvation , and with Ixion to embrace a cloud instead of Juno ? Civility is not grace , though it be a good wall to plant the vine of grace against . Secondly , The heart will be ready to deceive us in this work of salvation , and make us take a shew of grace for grace . Pliny saith , there is a Berylstone resembles the true Diamond . So there is something that looks like grace , which is not ; There are two graces which help much to the working out salvation , and we are soon deceived in them . First , Repentance . True Repentance is when we weep for sin quatenus sinne ; when we weep for it as it is a defiling thing , it blots the Image of God , staines the virginity of the soul ; as it is an act of unkindness , it is a kicking against the breasts that give us milk : but how easie is it to prevaricate in this ? 1. Many think they repent , when it is not the offence , but the penalty troubles them ; not the Treason , but the bloody axe . 2. They think they repent when they shed a few tears ; but though this ice begins to melt a little , it freezeth again ; they go on still in sinne ; many weep for their unkind dealings with God , as Saul did for his unkindness to David ; He said to David , thou art more righteous then I ; for thou hast rewarded me good , whereas I have rewarded thee evil : 1 Sam. 24. 17. And he lift up his voice and wept , ver. 16. But for all this he followes David again , and pursues after him , 1 Sam. 26. Secondly , So men can lift up their voice and weep for sinne , yet follow their sinnes again . * Thirdly , others forsake sinne ; but still they retain the love of it in their hearts . Like the Snake that casts the coat , but keeps the sting ; There is as much difference between false and true tears , as between channel water and spring water . Secondly , Another grace conducible to salvation , is faith ; but how easily are men cozened with a counterfeit pearl ? There is this deceit about faith , when men apply the promises of the Word , but not the precepts . * the promise is salvation , the precept is working out ; They will take the one , but not the other : as if a Physician should prescribe two receipts to his Patient , a Pill and a Julip , he will take the Julip because it is pleasant , but not the Pill : Many will take Christ as a Saviour , but refuse him as a Prince ; receive his benefits , but not submit to his Lawes ; This is to put asunder what God hath joined together . There being therefore such mistakes and deceits about this work of salvation , we had need be the more cautious , and curious in this work . Thirdly , the difficulty about salvation-work ariseth from the remoraes and hindrances of this work . These hindrances are either , 1. From within , viz. the flesh : This is a slie enemy . The flesh cries out for ease ▪ it lusts against the Spirit , * Gal. 5. 17. We are bid to crucifie the flesh , * Gal. 5. 24. but how many wounds must we give with the sword of the Spirit , before the flesh will be perfectly crucified ? 2. We meet with hindrances in this work from without . 1. Tentations ; our whole life , saith Austin , is a tentation . We tread among snares ; there is a snare in company , recreation ; yea , our table is of a snare * ; Satan is still fishing for our souls : How often doth he lay a train of tentation to blow up the fort of our grace ? The Apostle tells us o● his fiery darts * , Ephes. 6. 16. Tentations are called darts for their swiftnesse , they are shot in suddenly ; and fiery for their terriblenesse , they are shot like flashes of fire into the soul which do amaze and afright ; and doth not this retard the work o● Salvation , and make it difficult ? 2. Reproaches ; this sect is every where spoken against , Act. 28. 22. The old Serpent is ever spitting his venome at Religion , and the professors of it . I may allude to that , 1 Cor 10. 1. All our fathers were under cloud : All the Saints of old have passed to Heaven under a cloud of contumely and reproach ; the world puts them in their black book , whom God will put in his Rubrick : The throat of the wicked is an open Sopulchre * , to bury the good names of professors in . Those who have been the antesignani , the ensignbearers of Religion , and have carried her colours , 1. Sometimes have been traduced and slandered . Paul was reported to be a seditious man , 2 Tim. 2. 9. The Popish Rhemists traduced Calvin , and fathered upon him this opinion , that God was the Authour of sinne , and that he died cursing ; though Beza , who was an eye-witness , and wrote his life and death , confuted that slander , and relates what a comfortable end he made : Martin Bucer , that blessed man , who cried out , in an holy triumph , I am Christs , and the devil hath nothing to do with me ; yet the Papists slanderously report of him , that he should deny Christ to be the Messiah come in the flesh ; but he who was the Orator at his Funeral , was his compurgator . The like slander did the Jesuites in Burgundia raise of Beza , that holy man ; they say , that he perceiving death to be at hand , renounced his former profession of the Gospel , and was perfectly reconciled to the Church of Rome . This was so false , that Beza , who lived after the slander went abroad , did himself with great indignation refute it . 2. Sometimes the Saints have had the trial of cruel mockings , Heb. 11. 36. Cyprian was called in a jeer Coprian ; Athanasius , Satanasius ; David was the song of the drunkards , Psal. 69. 12. I doubt not but Noah had many a bitter taunt when he was building the Ark so many years before the flood , they would laugh at him , and censure him for an old doting fool , that would be wiser than all the world besides . Thus when we see the flood of Gods wrath coming upon the world , and we begin to build the Ark , and work out salvation , men will be venting their scorne and derision : What ? you will be holier than others , more precise than needs ? all this serves to retard salvation work , and make it difficult . 3. A third remora or hindrance in this work is open violence ; Gal. 4. 29. as he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit , even so it is now ; no sooner doth a man give up his name to Christ , and seriously set upon the working out his salvation , but the world raiseth her train-bands , and sets all the Militia of hell against him . Gods Church is like Abrahams ram tied in a bush of thornes ; witnesse the ten persecutions in the time of Nero , Domitian , Trajan , &c. a man strictly holy is the white that is shot at ; if the worlds musick will not prevaile , it hath its furnace ready ; 2 Tim. 3. 12. be assured , Christ and his crosse are never parted . It is with us in our building for heaven , as it was with the Jews in their building the wall . Every one with one of his hands wrought in the work , and with the other hand held a weapon , Nehem. 4. 17. So we must not only be builders , but warriers ; with one hand we must work , and with the other hand hold a weapon , viz. the sword of the Spirit , and fight the good fight of faith ; this is another hindrance in the work ; no sooner do we begin to set out for heaven , but bonds and afflictions abide us , Acts 20. 23. The world sounds an alarum , and no cessation of armes till death . 4. That which makes salvation-work hard , is , 't is a slippery work . Look to your selves that we lose not those things which we have wrought , * Joh. 2. 8. This work falls down almost as fast as we build . An ordinary artificer , when he hath been at work , he finds his work the next morning just as he left it ; but it is not so with us ; when we have been working out salvation by prayer , fasting , meditation , and leave this work a while , we shall not find our work as we left it , a great deal of our work is fallen down againe . We had need be often called upon to strengthen the things , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , which are ready to dye , Rev. 3. 2. no sooner is a Christian taken off frō the fire of the Sanctuary , but he is ready to cool and freeze again in security . He is like awatch , when he hath been wound up towards heaven , he doth quickly unwinde to earth and sinne again . * When the gold hath been purified in the furnace , it remaines pure ; but it is not so with the heart ; let it be heated in an Ordinance , let it be purged in the furnace of affliction , it doth not remaine pure , but quickly gathers soile and corruption ; we are seldom long in a good frame : All this shews how difficult the work of salvation is ; we must not only work , but set a watch too * . Quest . 1. But why hath God made the way to heaven so hard , why must there be this working ? Answ. 1. To make us set an high estimate upon heavenly things . If salvation were easily come by , we should not have valued it to its worth . If diamonds were ordinary , they would be slighted ; but because they are hard to come by , they are in great esteem . Tertullian saith , that when pearles grew common at Rome , they wore them upon their shoes , which was the next way to tread them under feet . Salvation is such a pearl as God will not have slighted ; therefore it must be acquired by holy industry . God loves not that the price of spiritual mercies should fall ; they that will have this precious flower of salvation , must gather it in the sweat of their brows . 2. We must work and take pains that we may be fitted for heaven ; a father will give his son the inheritance , but first he will give him education , that he may be fit for it . God will settle salvation upon us , but first , he makes us meet for the inheritance , * Col. 1. 12. While we are working we are running and fitting for heaven ; sinne is weakening , grace is ripening ; while we are in combate , we are fitting for the Crown . First , you season the vessel before you pour in the wine ; God wil season us with grace , before he poures ●n the wine of glory . * Quest . 2. But if there must be this working , how is it said that Christs yoak is easie* ? Answ. To the fleshly part it is hard , but where there is a new and holy principle infused , Christs yoak is easie * ; 't is not a yoak , but a Crown , When the wheeles of the soul are oiled with grace , now a Christian moves in the way of Religion with facility and alacrity . A childe delights in obeying his father ; it was Pauls heaven to serve God . I delight in the Law of God in the inner man ; Rom. 7. 22. and how swiftly is the soul carried upon those wings ! Christs service is freedome ; therefore the Apostle calls it , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , a Law of liberty , Jam. 1. 25. To serve God , to love God , to enjoy God , is the sweetest liberty in the world ; Christ doth not , as Pharaoh make his people serve with rigor , Exod 1. 13. but he layes upon them the constraints of love , 2 Cor. 5. 14. His precepts are not burdens , but priviledges ; not fetters , but ornaments . Thus his yoak is easie , but to an unregenerate man the yoak hath a nail in it , it galls and vexeth * ; nay , so far as corruption prevails , the best heart findes some reluctancy . And so much for the first reason , the difficulty of the work . The second Reason why we must put forth so much holy sweat and industry about salvation , is , because of the rareness of this work ; but few shall be saved ; therefore we had need work the harder , that we may be in the number of these few . The way to hell is a road way ; the cawsey of it is paved with riches and pleasure ; it hath a golden cawsey , therefore there are daily so many travellers in it ; but the way to heaven lies out of the road , 't is an unbeaten path , and few can finde it * the criers up of universal grace , say , that Christ died intentionally for all ; but then , why are not all saved ? can Christ be frustrate of his intention ? Some are so grosse to aver that all shall actually be saved : But hath not our Lord Christ told us , That the gate is straite , and few there be that finde it ? Mat. 7. 14. how all can go in at this gate , and yet but few find it , seems to me a Paradox . The drove of men goes to the shambles ; but a remnant shall be saved , Rom. 9. 27. The whole diece is cut off and goes to the devil , a remnant only saved ; most of the world are wind-falls . That olive-tree , Is. 17. 6. with two or three olive-berries on the top of the uppermost bough may be a fit emblem of the paucity of those that shal be saved . Satan goes away with the harvest , God hath only a few gleanings . In this great City , if it should go by vote and by pole , the devil would carry it . Some of the learned observe * , that divide the world into thirty equal parts , nineteen of those thirty are overspread with Heathenish idolatry , six of the eleven remaining with the doctrine of Mahomet , so that there remaines but five parts of the thirty where is any thing of Christianity ; among those Christians so many seduced Papists on one hand , and formal Protestants on the other , that surely but few are saved . It being thus , it should make us strive the more , tanquam pulvere olympico , that we may be of the number of those few who shall inherit salvation . The third Reason why we should put forth so much vigor about the work of salvation , is , because of the possibility of the work . Impossibility kills all endeavour ; Who will take pains for that which he thinks there is no hope ever of obtaining ? but there is hope in Israel concerning this * Salvation is a thing feasible , it may be had ; O Christians , though the gate of Paradise be strait , yet the gate is open . 'T is shut against the Devils , 't is yet open to you ; who would not croud hard to get in * ? 'T is but paring off your sinnes , 't is but unloading some of your thick clay * ; 't is but asswaging the swelling humour of your pride , and you may get in at the strait gate . This possibility , nay probability of salvation may put life into your endeavour . If there be corn to be had * , why should you sit starving in your sins any longer ? Use 1. Information , it shews us that salvation is not so facile a thing as most do imagine ; many do phancy a fine easie way to heaven ; a sigh , or tear , or Lord have mercy , will save them ; these are in a golden dream . The text tells us of working out salvation . * Basil compares the way to heaven to a man going over a narrow bridge , if he treads never so little aside , he falls in and drowns . He that thinks the way is easie , was never yet in the way . There are so many precepts to obey , so many promises to beleeve , so many tentations to resist , that we shall not finde the way easie : There must not only be diligence , but violence . Beloved , heaven-gate is not like that iron-gate , Acts 12. 10. which opened to Peter of its own , accord ; no , there must be knocking and striving . Jacob obtained the blessing in the garments of Esau . Esau in the Hebrew signifies working * ; if you would weare this embroidered garment of salvation , you must have it by working , Work out your salvation . Hannibal forced a way for his Army over the Alpes ; we must force our way to glory through difficulties . I like the impress one gave , viz. a hand with a pick-axe digging a way through a rock , with this Motto , inveniam aut faciam , either I will find a way , or make it ; we must to heaven through sweat & blood . There 's nothing got without hard labour ; You cannot have the world without labour , and would you have Christ and salvation ? Do men dig for lead , and not much more for gold ? 'T is observable that Adam in Paradise was not idle , but did dresse the vine-yard . The Angels themselves , though they are glorious Spirits , yet they are Ministring Spirits . * God hath put this diligence into creatures void of reason . The Bee is a most industrious creature ; all of them have their several work to do in the Hive . Some of the Bees do trim the honey , some work the wax , some frame the comb , and others lye sentinel at the doore of the Hive to keep out the drone . Is the Bee so industrious by the instinct of nature in the working of honey ? Oh how industrious ought we to be in the working out salvation . Use 2. Reproof , out of this text as out of a spiritual quiver , I may draw several arrows of reproof . 1. It reproves them that prefer other things before salvation ; who labour more for the bread that perisheth ; than for salvation . Their chief care is how to live in the world , and get a present subsistence ; All the labour of a man is for his mouth , Eccles. 6. 7. The body shall be tended and looked after , which is but the brutish part , but the poore soul is kept to hard commons ; This is for Christians to turne Heathens , Matth. 6. for after all these things the Gentiles seek . * We must altiora sapere . God never sent us hither only to weare fine clothes , * or fare sumptuously every day , but that we should drive a trade for salvation ; If this be not done , we have shot beside the mark all this while ; We have but trim'd the Scabbard , but let the soul , that blade of admirable mettle , rust and canker . 2. Branch , it reproves such as in stead of working stand all the day idle in the vineyard . * They have some faint velleities , they wish for salvation , but do not work . The idle Christian is like a Souldier that hath a good mind to the spoile and treasure of a Castle , but is loth to put himself to any trouble , or hazard ; men could be content to have salvation if it would ( like those ripe figs ) Nahum . 3. 12. fall into the mouth of the eater . The sluggard puts his hand in his bosome , Prov. 19. 24. and is loth to pluck it out though it be to lay hold of a Crown . They stretch themselves ( saith the Prophet ) upon the beds of Ivory , Amos 6. 4. men had rather lye upon a soft bed , than go to heaven in a fiery Chariot of zeal . * Chrysostom cals idlenesse the root of despaire ; an idle Christian ravels out his time unprofitably . He stands in the world for a cipher , & be assured God writes down no ciphers in the book of life . An idle person is a fit subject for the Devil to work upon . We do not use to sow seed in fallow ground , but the Devil sows most of his seed of tentation in hearts that ly fallow . Hierom observes of the crabfish ; that when the oister opens her self , the Crabfish flings into her mouth a little stone that the oister cannot shut her self again , and so the Crab devoures her : The Devil like this Crab when he takes men gaping ( as t is usual for them that are idle ) then he throwes in his stones of tentation , and so devoures them . 3 , Branch , it reproves such as instead of making Religion a work , they make it a play ; these are they that have found out a new way to Heaven , who make the way easier than ever Christ made it ; Such as tell us , that there is no Law to a believer ; and if there be no Law , then no Transgression ; and if no Transgression , then there needs no repentance . Between the Arminian and the Antinomian it is a very short cut to heaven ; The Arminian saith we have power of our selves to believe , and the Antinomian saith that a believer is not under any Law , he is bound to no duty , Christ hath done al for him ; So that by taking this stride , he is presently in heaven : If this Doctrine be true , then every day is a play-day , and the Apostle mistook himself , when he said , work out your salvation . 4. Branch , It reproves them that instead of working out their salvation , do dispute away their salvation ; 1. Such as dispute against the authority of Scripture , and would make our faith a fable . 2. Such as dispute against the immortality of the soul , and so at once would pull down the court of conscience . 3. Such as dispute against the divinity of Christ . This may be called indeed the doctrine of Devils * . T is a doctrine diametrally opposite to that Scripture , 1 John 5. 20. We are in him that is true , even in his son Jesus Christ . This is the true God . Which Text is a Bulwark against the Socinian . O! the patience of God that those who open their mouthes blasphemously against Christ , the earth doth not open her mouth and swallow them up . That such should have any connivance ( if not more ) who dare impugne the divinity of the Sonne of God , is a lamentation , and shall be for a lamentation . Some of the best Heathen Writers * affirm that there were Edicts and punishments enacted by Heathen Princes and States in matters of Religion . An Heathen would not suffer his god to be blasphemed ; and shall Christians suffer it ? Branch 5. It reproves them , who instead of pursuing their own salvation , pursue their own destruction . These are profane persons who go to Hell in the sweat of their browes * 1. Drunkards ; what they get in the Temple , they lose in the Taverne ; they steep the Sermons they hear in wine . Woe to the drunkards in Ephraim , Esay 28. 1. I may change the word , and say , the drunkards of England * There is a kind of wine you call lacrymae , which signifies tears : Such a wine the damned drink of , which is burn'd with the wrath of God , and this shall be the drunkards cup . 2. Swearers : these swear away their salvation . The Swearer it seemes hath but bad credit ; he must stake down an oath , or none will trust him ; but let him remember , he runnes his soul into a Praemunire . Swear not at all * ; If we must give an account for idle words , shall not idle oaths be put in the count-book ? When the scab breaketh forth in the lip , that man is to be pronounced unclean . Every oath is a wound given to the soul , and every wound hath a mouth to cry to Heaven for vengeance . Some are boil'd up to that height of wickednesse , that like mad dogs , they flie in the face of Heaven by cursing ; and let a Minister tell them of their sinne , let him but go about to bring them home again , as the Law did provide one should bring home his neighbours Asse when he went astray * , and they will kick against the reproof . Like lime , by pouring on the water of a reprehension , they are the more enflamed . These are upon the spur to damnation ; but I will not touch this pitch any longer . 3. Adulterers ; the adulterers heart like the swearers tongue , is set on fire of hell . Creatures void of reason will rise up in judgement against such . 'T is reported of the Stork ( that chaste creature ) that it confines it self to its own nest ; and if any of the Storks leaving his own mate , joynes with any other , the rest fall upon him , and pluck his feathers from him . God would have the adulterer put to death , Deut. 22. 22. Gregory observes concerning the stream of fire and brimstone poured upon Sodom , God sent that noisome plague to let them see the filthinesse of their sinne . This sinne of adultery is a soul-damning sinne , 1 Cor. 6. 9. the adulterer like the flie , doth so long flie about the candle , that at last he singeth his soul . This sinne , though it begins Comical , it ends Tragical ; will it not be bitterness in the end ? 2 Sam. 2. 26. This sweet calme is before an earthquake ; after the womens hair , come the lions * teeth . Branch 6. It reproves them who put off this great work of salvation till they are past their labour . They put off repenting till old age and sicknesse . 1. Till old age * ; when they are fit for no other work , then they will begin this . Old age is no good age to repent in . When the fingers are stiff , 't is ill learning to play on the Lute : when the heart is grown hard and stiff in wickednesse , 't is but ill tuning the penitential string : a tender plant is easily removed , but 't is hard to pluck up an old tree that is rooted . An old sinner that hath been a long time rooting in sinne , is hardly plucked out of his natural estate . In matters of salvation 't is dangerous to adjourne * ; the longer men go on in sin , the more full possession Satan hath of them ; the longer poison stayes in the stomack , the more mortal . 'T is a madnesse to put off the work of salvation till evening and sun-set . The night cometh when no man can work * . It were a very unwise course for a Mariner , while the ship is sound , the tackling strong , the winde favourable , the Sea calme , to lie idle at anchor ; and when the ship begins to leak , and the tempest to rise , now to launch forth and hoise up sailes for a Voyage : so is he who neglects the time of health and strength , and when old age comes , and his tackling is even broken , now begins his voyage towards Heaven . 'T is very questionable whether God will accept of our repentance when it is so late . He calls for the first-fruits , and do we think to put him off with the gleanings ? this was not the least reason why God rejected Cains offering , because it was so long before he brought it . In processe of time Cain brought the fruit of the ground * , or as the original is more emphatical , at the end of many dayes * ; It seemes it was stale before he brought it . How unworthy is this , for men to give the devil their strength and marrow , and then come and lay their old bones upon Gods Altar ? 'T is true , God may shew mercy at last , but such runne a desperate hazard ; a sinner in the time of his old age , sleeps between death and the devil , as Peter slept between two souldiers * : 2. Till sicknesse ; he were very unwise , who being to go a long journey , should lay the heaviest load on the weakest horse . What imprudence is it to lay the heavy load of repentance on thy self , when infeebled by sicknesse ? when the hands shake , the lips quiver , the sinews shrink , the heart faints ? Perhaps thou shalt have no time of sicknesse ; perhaps not the use of thy senses ; perhaps God will deny thee his grace , and then where is thy repentance ? 'T is just , that he who forgets God in the time of health , God should forget him in the time of sicknesse . Branch 7. It reproves them who begin to work , but do not work out their salvation . 'T is not enough to begin well ; Non tantum facite sed perficite ; 't is Justinians note ; Some have , like Jehu , driven furiously in Religion , but within a while their chariot-wheels have been taken off . We live in the fall of the leafe ; divers we have observed , who did once put forth fair blossomes , and give good hopes of their conversion , but their Spring is turned into Autumn ; they have left off working for Heaven ; a signe the motion was but artificial , not vital . Israel hath cast off the thing that is good * . Such as were once diligent and zealous in Prayer , hearing , holy Conference , now they have left off the thing that is good ; they have tired in their march to Heaven * . I have often thought there are many may be resembled to Nebuchadnezzars image * , at first they seemed to have an head of gold ; they looked like glorious professors ; then afterwards they seemed to be silver , then brasse , then iron , and clay ; they have at last degenerated into sinne : Thus like fair mornings they have been soon overcast . Epiphanius observes of the Gnosticks , at first they seemed to be a strict holy people , but afterwards they fell to libertinisme * . Some are grown so impudent , that they brag of their Apostasie ; time was when they did read and pray in their Families , but now they thank God they are grown wiser , and they surcease from these duties ; just as if you should hear the Devil boast , that once he was an Angel of light , but now he is turned an Angel of darkness : Apostates are the richest spoiles that Satan goes away with ; these he will hang up in hell for triumph . Such as have left off working , let them read that thundering Scripture , 2 Pet. 2. 21. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousnesse , then after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment . By leaving off working , they unravel all they have done before ; they lose their reward . He that runnes half the race , and then faints , loseth the Garland . Use 3. And so I proceed to the next Use which is of Exhortation , to perswade you all in the bowels of Christ to set upon this great work , the working out your salvation . Beloved , here is a plot for Heaven , and I would have you all in this plot ; rally together all the powers of your soules ; give neither God nor your selves rest , till you have made your election sure . Christians , fall to work , do it early , earnestly , uncessantly . Pursue salvation as in a holy chase ; other things are but matters of conveniency , salvation is a matter of necessity . Either you must do the work that Christians are doing , or you must do the work that Devils are doing . Oh you that never yet took one stitch in this work of salvation , now begin . Religion is a good trade if it be well followed . Be assured there is no salvation without working . But here I must lay down a Caution to prevent mistakes . Caution . Though we shall not be saved without working , yet not for our working . We do not work out salvation by way of merit . Bellarmine saith , we merit Heaven ex condigno ; no , though we are saved in the use of means , yet by grace too , Ephes. 2. 5. There must be ploughing and sowing the ground , but yet no crop can be expected without the influence of the Sunne : So there must be working , but no crop of salvation can be hoped for without the Sun-shine of free grace : 'T is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdome , Luk. 12. 32. Give ? why might some say , we have wrought hard for it ? I , but Heaven is a donative ; though you work for it , yet it is the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , the good pleasure of God to bestow it . Still look up to Christs merit ; it is not your sweat , but his blood saves . That your working cannot merit salvation , is clear , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . 'T is God that works in you to will , and to do , ver. 13. 'T is not your working , but Gods co-working . For as the Scrivener guides the childs hand , or he cannot write ; so the spirit of God must afford his auxiliary concurrence , or our work stands still ; how then can any man merit by working , when it is God that helps him to work ? I should now , having laid down this Caution , re-assume the Exhortation , and perswade you to the working out salvation ; but I must first remove two Objections which lie in the way . Object . 1. You bid us work out salvation ; but we have no power to work . Answ. 1. 'T is true , we have not power : I deny that we have libertatem arbitrii * , man before conversion is purely passive . Therefore the Scripture calls it cor lapideum , a heart of stone , Ezek. 36. A man in his pure naturals , can no more prepare himself to his own converting , then the stone can prepare it self to its own softning . But yet when God begins to draw , we may follow . Those dry bones in Ezekiel could not of themselves live , but when breath came into them , then they lived and stood upon their feet , Ezekiel 37. 10. Quest . But suppose God hath not dropt in a principle of grace ? suppose he hath not caused breath to enter ? Answ. Yet use the means . Though you cannot work spiritually , yet work physically ; do what you are able , and that for two reasons . 1. Because a man by neglecting the means , doth destroy himself . As a man by not sending to the Physician , may be said to be the cause of his own death . Secondly , God is not wanting to us when we do what we are able . Urge the Promise , Seek and ye shall find , Mat. 7. 7. Put this bond in suit by Prayer ; you say you have no power , but have you not a Promise ? Act so far as you can . Though I dare not say as the Arminian , when we do exert and put forth nature , God is bound to give grace ; yet this I say , Deus volentibus non deest , God is not wanting to them that seek his grace ; Nay , I will say more , he denies his grace to none but them that wilfully refuse it * . The second Objection is this ; but to what purpose should I work ? there 's a decree past , if God hath decreed I shall be saved , I shall be saved . Answ. God decrees salvation in a way of working * . Origen in his book against Celsus , observes a subtil Argument of some who disputed about Fate and Destiny . One gave counsel to his sick friend not to send for the Physician , because ( saith he ) it is appointed by destiny whether thou shalt recover or not . If it be thy destiny to recover , then thou needest not the Physician ; if it be not thy destiny , then the Physician will do thee no good : The like fallacy doth the Devil use to men ; he bids them not work ; if God hath decreed they shall be saved , they shall be saved , and there is no need of working ; if he hath not decreed their salvation , then their working will do them no good ; this is an Argument fetched out of the Devils topicks . But we say God decrees the end in the use of meanes ; God did decree that Israel should enter into Canaan , but first they must fight with the sonnes of Anak . God decreed that Hezekiah should recover out of his sicknesse , but let him lay a fig to the boyl , Isa. 38. 21. We do not argue thus in other things . A man doth not say , if God hath decreed I shall have a crop this year I shall have a crop . What need I plough , or sow , or manure the land ? No , he will use the means , and expect a Crop. Though the blessing of the Lord makes rich , Prov. 10. 22. Yet it is as true , the diligent hand makes rich , Prov. 10. 4. Gods decreeing is carried on by our working . And thus having removed these Objections out of the way , let me now perswade you to set upon this blessed work , the working out your salvation ; and that my words may the better prevail , I shall propound several Arguments by way of Motive to excite you to this work . The first Argument or Motive to working , is taken from the preciousnesse of the Soul * ; well may we take pains that we may secure this from danger . The soul is a divine sparkle kindled by the breath of God . It doth out-ballance the world , Mat. 16. 26. If the world be the Book of God ( as Origen calls it ) the soul is the Image of God . Plato calls the soul a glasse of the Trinity . 'T is a bright mirror in which some refracted beams of Gods wisdom and holiness do shine forth ; the soul is a blossom of eternity . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} God hath made the soul capable of communion with himselfe . It would banquer the world to give half the price of a soul . How highly did Christ value the soul when he sold himself to buy it * ? O then , what pity is it , that this excellent soul , ( this soul for which God called a Councel in heaven when he made it * , ) should miscarry and be undone to all eternity ? who would not rather work night and day , than lose such a soul ? The Jewel is invaluable , the losse irreparable . 2. Holy activity and industry doth enoble a Christian * . The more excellent any thing is , the more active . The Sunne is a glorious creature , it never stands still , but is going his circuit round the world . Fire is the purest element , and the most active ; 't is ever sparkling and flaming . The Angels are the most noble creatures , and the most nimble , therefore they are represented by the Cherubims , with their wings displayed . God himself is actus purissimus , ( as the Schoolmen speak , ) he is a most pure act : Homer saith of Agamemnon , that he did sometimes resemble Jupiter in feature , Pallas in wisdome , Mars in valour ; by holy activity we resemble God who is a most pure act . The Phaenix flies with a coronet on its head ; the industrious Christian wants not a coronet ; his sweat enobles him ; his labour is his ensigne of honour . Solomon tells us that drowsiness cloaths a man with rags ; Prov. 23. 21. Infamy is one of the rags that hang upon him ; God hates a dull temper . We reade in the Law , that the Asse ( being a dull creature ) must not be offered up in Sacrifice . Spiritual activity is a badge of honour . 3. Working out salvation is that which will make death and heaven sweet to us . 1. It will sweeten death . He that hath been hard at work all day , how quietly doth he sleep at night ? you that have been working out salvation all your lives , how comfortably may you lay down your head at night in the grave , upon a pillow of dust in hope of a glorious resurrection ? this will be a death-bed cordial . 2. It will sweeten heaven . The more paines we have taken for heaven , the sweeter will it be when we come there . 'T is delightful for a man to look over his work and see the fruit appear * . When he hath been planting trees in his Orchard , or setting flowers , 't is pleasant to behold and review his labours : Thus in heaven , when we shall see the fruit of our labours , the end of our faith , salvation , 1 Pet. 1. 9. This will make heaven the sweeter . The more paines we have taken for heaven , the more welcome it will be ; the more sweat , the more sweet . When a man hath been sinning , the pleasure is gone , and the sting remains * ; but when he hath been repenting , the labour is gone , and the joy remains . 4. Yet you have time to work . This text and Sermon would be out of season to preach to the damned in hell . If I should bid them work , it is too late , their time is past ; 't is night with the devils , 't is yet day with you ; Work while it is day , John 9. 4. If you lose your day , you lose your soules . There is not only {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . This is the season for your souls . Now God commands , now the Spirit breaths , now Ministers beseech , and as so many bells of Aaron would chime in your souls to Christ . Oh improve your season ; this is your seed-time , now sowe the seeds of faith and repentance . If when you have seasons , you want hearts ; the time may come when you have hearts , you shall want seasons . Take time while you may ; the Mariner hoists up his sailes while the winde blows ; never had a people a fairer gale for heaven than you of this City , and will you not set forward in your voyage ? What riding is there to the Tearm , I warrant you the Lawyer will not lose his Term ? Oh my brethren , now is the Tearm-time for your souls , now plead with God for mercy , or at least get Christ to plead for you . Think seriously of these foure things . First , our life doth unravel apace . Gregory compares our life to the mariner in a ship going full saile ; We are every day sailing apace to eternity . Secondly , The seasons of grace though they are precious , yet not permanent . Abused mercies will , like Noahs dove , take their wings and fly from us . Englands golden houre will soon run out ; Gospel-blessings are very sweet , but very swift . Now they are hid from thine eyes , Luk. 19 42. We know not how soon the Golden Candlestick may remove . Thirdly , There is a time when the spirit hath done striving . * There are certain spring-tydes of the spirit , and these being neglected , possibly we may never see another tide come in . When conscience hath done speaking , usually the spirit hath done striving . Fourthly , the losse of Gospel-opportunityes will be the hell of hell . When a sinner shall at the last day think with himself , O what I might have been ! I might have been as rich as the Angels , as rich as heaven could make me . I had a season to work in , but I lost it . * This , This , will be as a vulture gnawing upon him , this will inhance , and accent his misery . And let all this perswade you speedily to work out your salvation . Fifthly , you may do this work and not hinder your other work ; working out salvation and working in a calling are not inconsistent . And this I insert to prevent an objection . Some may say , but if I work so hard for heaven I shall have no time for my trade . No sure , the wise God would never make any of his commands to interfere ; as he would have you seek his Kingdom , Mat. 6. 33. so he would have you provide for your family , 1 Tim. 5. 8. you may drive two trades together . I like not those that make the Church exclude the shop , that swallow up all their time in hearing , but neglect their work at home . * 2 Thes. 3. 11. They are like the Lillies of the field which toile not , neither do they spin . * God never sealed warrants to idlenesse . He , both commands and commends diligence in a calling . Which may the rather encourage us to look after salvation , because this work will not take us off our other work . A man may with Caleb follow God fully , Numb. 14. 34. and yet with David follow the ewes great with young ; Piety and industry may dwell together . Sixthly , The inexcusablenesse of those that neglect working out their salvation . Methinks I hear God expostulating the case with men at the last day , after this manner , why did ye not work ? I gave you time to work , I gave you light to work by , I gave you my Gospel , my Spirit , my Ministers , I bestowed Talents upon you to trade , I set the recompence of reward before you , why did ye not work out your salvation ? Either it must be sloath or stubbornesse . Was there any work ye did of greater concernment ? You could work in brick , but not in gold ; What can you say for your selves why the sentence should not passe ? Oh how will the sinner be left speechlesse at such a time , and how will this cut him to the heart to think with himselfe he neglected salvation , and could give no reason for it . Seventhly , the unexpressible misery of such as do not work out salvation . Those that sleep in spring ; shall beg in harvest ; After death , when they look to receive a full Crop of glory , they will be put to beg , as Dives for one drop of water . Vagrant persons that will not work , are sent to the house of correction : Such as will not work out salvation , let them know hell is Gods house of correction that they must be sent to . If all this doth not prevaile , consider lastly what it is we are working for , none will take paines for a trifle ; We are working for a Crown , for a Throne , for a Paradise , * and all this is comprized in that one word salvation . Here is a whet-stone to industry . All men desire salvation . 'T is the Crown of our hopes ; We should not think any labour too much for this . * What paines will men take for earthly Crowns and Scepters ! And suppose the Kingdomes of the world were more illustrious then they are , their foundations of Gold , their walls of pearl , their windows of Saphire , what were all this to that Kingdom we are labouring for ? We may as well span the firmament , as set forth this in all its splendor , and magnificence . Salvation is a beautiful thing , it is as far above our thoughts as it is beyond our deserts . Oh how should this add wings to our endeavours ! The merchant will run through the intemperate Zones of heat and cold for a little prize * . The Souldier for a rich booty will endure the bullet and sword , he will gladly undergo a bloody spring for a golden harvest ; oh then , how much more should we spend our holy sweat for this blessed prize of salvation * ! And so having laid down some Arguments by way of Motive , to perswade us to this work ; I shall now propound some means by way of direction to help us in this work ; and here I shall shew you what are those things to be removed which will hinder our working , and what are those things to be prosecuted which will further it . 1. We must remove those things which will hinder our working out salvatiō . There are six bars in the way to salvation which must be removed . 1. The intanglements of the world . While the foot is in a snare , a man cannot run . The world is a snare * ; while our feet are in it , we cannot run the race set before us , Heb. 12. 1. If a man were to climb up a steepy rock , and had weights tyed to his legs , they would hinder his ascent ; too many golden weights will hinder us from climbing up this steepy rock that leads to salvation . While the mill of a trade is going , it makes such a noise , that we can hardly hear the Minister lifting up his voyce like a trumpet . The world choaks our zeale and appetite after heavenly things ; the earth puts out the fire ; the musick of the world charmes us asleep , and then we cannot work . In mines of gold there are killing damps , O how many souls have been destroyed with a damp arising from the earth . The second bar in the way to salvation is sadnesse and unchearfulness : when a mans heart is sad , he is unfit to go about his work ; he is like an untuned instrument . * Under fears and discouragements we act but faintly in Religion . David labours to chide himselfe out of this spiritual melancholy , Why art thou cast down O my soul ? Psalme 42. 5. Cheerfulnesse quickens ; the Lacedemonians used musick in their battles to excite their spirits and make them fight more valiantly . Cheerfulnesse is like musick to the soul , it excites to duty , it oyles the wheels of the affections : cheerfulnesse makes service come off with delight , and we are never carried so swift in Religion as upon the wings of delight . Melancholy takes off our chariot-wheeles , and then we drive on heavily . The third bar in the way to salvation is spiritual sloth . This is a great impediment to our working . It was said of Israel , they despised the pleasant land , Psal. 106. 24. What should be the reason ? Canaan was a Paradise of delight , a type of heaven ; I , but they thought it would cost them a great deal of trouble and hazzard in the getting , and they would rather go without it , they despised the pleasant land . Are there not millions among us who had rather go sleeping to hell , than sweating to heaven ? I have read of certain Spaniards that live neare where there is great store of fish , yet are so lazy that they will not be at the pains to catch them , but buy of their neighbours : such a sinful stupidity and sloth is upon the most , that though Christ be near them , though salvation is offered in the Gospel , yet they will not work out salvation . Slothfulnesse casts into a deep sleep , Prov. 19. 15. Adam lost his rib when he was asleep ; many a man loseth his soul in this deep sleep . The fourth bar in the way to salvation is an opinion of the easinesse of salvation ; God is merciful , and the worst come to the worst , it is but repent . 1. God is merciful ? it is true , but withal he is just ; he must not wrong his Justice by shewing mercy ; therefore observe that clause in the proclamation , Exod. 34. 6. he will by no means clear the guilty . If a King did proclaim , that only those should be pardoned who came in , and submited to his Scepter ; could any stil persisting in rebellion claim the benefit of that pardon ? O sinner , wouldst thou have mercy , and wilt not disband the weapons of unrighteousness ? 2. 'T is but repent . But repent ? It is such a but that we cannot hit unlesse God direct our arrow . Tell me O sinner , is it easie for a dead man to live and walk ? Thou art spiritually dead , and wrapt up in thy winding sheet , Eph. 2. 2. Is regeneration easie ? are there no pangs in the new birth ? is self denial easie ? doest thou know what Religion must cost , and what it may cost ? it must cost you the parting with your lusts , it may cost you the parting with your life ; Take heed of this obstruction . Salvation is not per saltum ; thousands have gone to hell upon this mistake . The broad spectacles of presumption have made the strait gate seem wider than it is . The fifth bar in the way to salvation is carnal friends . 'T is dangerous listning to their voyce . The Serpent did speak in Eve . Jobs wife would have called him off from serving God , doest thou still retaine thine integrity ? Job . 2. 9. what still pray and weep ? here the devil did hand over a tentation to Job by his wife . Carnal friends will be calling us off from our work . What needs all this ado , lesse pains will serve ? We read that some of Christs kindred , when they saw Christ so earnest in preaching , would give him a check , Mar. 3. 21. his friends went to lay hold on him ; our friends and kindred would sometimes stand in our way to heaven , * and judging our zeal madnesse , would lay hold of us and hinder us from working out our salvation . Such friends Spira met with ; for advising with them , whether he should revoke his former opinions concerning Luthers Doctrine , or persist in them to the death , they wished him to recant , and so openly abjuring his former faith , he became like a living man in hell . The sixth bar in the way to salvation is evil company * . They will takes us off our work ; the sweet waters lose their freshnesse when they run into the salt ; Christians lose their freshnesse and savourinesse among the wicked ; Christs Doves will be sullied by lying among these pots * . Sinful company is like the water in a Smiths forge , which quencheth the iron , be it never so hot ; such cool good affections . The wicked have the plague of the heart * , and their breath is infectious . They will discourage us from working out our salvation ; just as he who is a suitor to a woman , & is very earnest in his suit , there comes one , and tels him , he knows something by the woman of ill report , some impediment ; the man hearing this , is presently taken off , & the suit ceaseth ; so 't is with many a man who begins to be a suitor to Religion , fain he would have the match made up , & he grows very hot and violent in the suit , and falls a working out his salvation ; but then there come some of his confederates , and they tell him they know something by Religion that is of ill report . This Sect is everywhere spoken against * . There must be so much strictness & mortification that he must never look to see good day more ; hereupon he is discouraged , & so the match is broken off . Take heed of such persons , they are devils covered wth flesh ; they are ( as one saith ) like Herod , who would have killed Christ-as soon as he was born : Thus when Christ is , as it were , beginning to be formed in the heart , they would in a spiritual sense kill him . And thus I have shewn you the bars that lie in the way to salvation , which are to be removed . I proceed now in the 2d . place to lay down some helps conducible to salvation . The first is in the Text , fear and trembling * . This is not a fear of doubting , but a fear of diligence . This fear is requisite in the working out salvation . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , Let us fear lest we come short * ; fear is a remedy against presumption . Hope is like the cork to the net , it keeps the soul from sinking in despair ; and fear is like the lead to the net , it keeps the soul from floating in presumption . Fear is that flaming sword that turns every way to keep out sin from entring * ; fear quickens ; 't is an antidote against sloath . Noah being mov'd with fear , prepared an Ark * . The traveller fearing least night should overtake him before he gets to his journeys end , spurs on the faster . Fear causeth circumspection ; he that walks in fear , treads warily ; fear is a preservative against Apostasie ; I wil put my fear in your hearts , & you shall not depart from me , Jer. 32. 40. The fear of falling , keeps us from falling ; Fear is the hadge and livery of a Christian . The Saints of old were men fearing God * . It is reported of holy Anselm , that he spent most of his thoughts about the day of Judgment . Blessed is he that fears alwayes , Prov. 28. 14. Fear is a Christians garrison , the way to be secure is always to fear ; This is one of the best tools for a Christian to work with . Secondly , another great help in working out salvation is love . Love makes the work come off with delight ; seven years labour seemed nothing to Jacob , because of the love that he did bear to Rachel . Love facilitates every thing * . It is like wings to the bird , like wheels to the Chariot , like sails to the ship , it carries the soul on swiftly and chearfully in duty ; love is never weary ; It is an excellent saying of Gregory , let but a man get the love of the world into his heart , & he will quickly be rich . So do but get the love of religion into your heart , and you wil quickly be rich in grace . Love is a vigorous active grace , it despiseth dangers , it tramples upon difficulties ; like a mighty torrent it carries all before it . This is the grace takes heaven by violence . Get but your hearts well heated with this grace , and you will be fitted for work . A third thing conducible to salvation , is , work in the strength of Christ . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me , Phil. 3. 13. never go to work alone . * Sampsons strength lay in his hair . And a Christians strength lies in Christ . When you are to do any duty , to resist any tentation , to subdue any lust , set upon it in the strength of Christ ; some go out against sin in the strength of resolutions and vowes , and they are soon foiled : Do as Sampson , he first cried to Heaven for help , * & then * having taken hold of the Pillars , he pul'd down the house upon the Lords of the Philistines . When we engage Christ in the work , and so take hold upon the Pillar of an Ordinance , we then bring down the house upon the head of our lusts . Fourthly , Work low ▪ be humble , think not to merit by your working . Either Satan would keep us from working , or else he would make us proud of our working . God must pardon our works before he crowns them . If we could pray as Angels , shed rivers of tears , build Churches , erect Hospitals , and should have a conceit that we merited by this , it would be as a dead flie in the box of perfume , it would stain and ecclipse the glory of the work . Our duties like good wine relish of a bad cask , They are but glittering sins . Let not pride poison our holy things ; when we have been working for Heaven , we should say as good Nehemiah , Remember me O my God , concerning this , & spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy * . 5. Work upon your knees ; be much in Prayer . Beg the Spirit of God to help you in the work ; make that prayer , awake O North-wind , and come thou South , blow upon my garden * . We had need have this spirit blow upon us , there being so many contrary winds blowing against us , & considering how soon holy affections are apt to wither . The garden hath not more need of wind to make its fruit flow out , then we of the spirit , to make our graces flourish . Philip joynd himself to the Eunuchs * Chariot ; Gods Spirit must joyn it self to our Chariot ; As the Mariner hath * his hand to the stern , so he hath his eye to the star . While we are working we must look up to the spirit ; what is our preparation without the spirits operation ? what is all our rowing without a gale from Heaven ? The spirit lifted me up , Gods Spirit must both infuse grace and excite it . We read of a wheel within a wheel , Ezek. 1. 16. The spirit of God is that inner wheel that must move the wheel of our endevor . To conclude all , pray to God to bless you in your work ; the race is not to the swift , nor the battel to the strong , Eccles. 9. 11. nothing prospers without a blessing ; & what way to obtain it but by prayer ? T is a saying of one of the antients , The Saints carry the keys of Heaven at their girdle . Prayer beats the weapon out of the enemies hand , and gets the blessings out of Gods hand . Lastly , work in hope ; the Apostle saith , he that ploughs shall plough in hope , 1 Cor. 9. 10. hope is the souls anchor , Heb. 6. 19. Cast this anchor upon the promise ; & you shall never sink . * Nothing more hinders us in our working then unbelief . Sure saith a Christian , I may toil all day for salvation , and catch nothing . What ? is there no balm in Gilead ? Is there no mercy-seat ? Oh! sprinkle faith in every duty , look up to free-grace , fix your eye upon the blood of Christ ; would you be saved : to your working join believing . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A65304e-300 * 1 Tim. 5. 13. Notes for div A65304e-490 I The manner of insinuation . * Phil. 3 18 * Tit. 1. 13. * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . Magdebur . ceut . 3. * Non fulmen sed flumen . 2 The Exhortation . Doct. * Verbum satagite significat angi & distorqueri sollicitudine alicujus aei perficiendae . Lorinus . * Beza . Ar. Montanus . 1 Otium excu●ere 2 Vires exerc●re . Jans nius * Ad summas usque vires tanquam pro vita & morte luctan●um Cor● 〈◊〉 Rem acerrimè expctere . Beza . * Dan. 6. 14. Ex natura operis . * Fomes peccati . Bern. * Rom. 1. 30. * Quanto agone opus est , quantis vigiliis & lachrymis . Ex fallacia operis . Grande profundum est homo . Aug. * Ille vere plangit commissa , qui non committit plangenda . Aug. * Fides non ●ligit objectum . Ex impeditione operis . 2. Ab intra * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . Chiys . 2. Ab extra * Ps. 69. 22. * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} * Rom. 3. 13. 4. Ex lubricitate operis . * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} * Saepemens ad coelum erigitur , oculosquein radios solis defigit justitiae , gravata autem infirmitate carnis de coelo ad teram descendit . Bern. de modo vivendi . Serm. 53 * Mat. 27. ut . Quest . 1. Resp. 1. * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} * Quest . 2. Answ. * Jugum leve & suave . Trem. * Psal 2. 3. Reas. 2. * Non cuivis contingit adire Corinthum . * Brerew . enquir . * Ezr. 10. 2 * Non tantum agite sed satagite Lorinus . * Hab. 2. 6. * Gen. 42. 2. Use 1. Inform . * Non est ad astra mollis è terris via * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Livy . Omnia pro laboribus Jupiter vendidit . * Heb. 1. 14 Use 2. Reproof . 1. Branch . * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . Chrysostome . 2. Branch * Ma● . 20 , 6 * Nullo modo capit porta illa caelestis divitiis o●ustus , luxu d●stentos , torpore ●anguidos , fastu elatos , sed per la bores & jejunia saeculi fallentis illecebras vincentes . Brugensis . 3. Branch ▪ Branch . 4. * 1 Tim. 4. 1 * Aristotle Livy , Plutarch . 5. Branch . * Impii quam strenuè serviunt diabolo . Cyp. * Ebri●s dum absorbet vinum , absorbetur a viuo . Ambrose . * Mat. 5. 34 * Exod. 23. 4. * Rev. 9. 7. 6. Branch . * Sero nimis te amavi domine . Aug. * Si aurum tibi offeram , non mihi dicis cras veniam , sed jam exi●is ; nemo differt , nemo excusat : salus promittitur & quis festi●at ? Ambrose Serm. de elemosy●a . * Joh. 9. 4. * Gen. 4. 3. * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} * Act. 12. 6 Ser. Qui dat poenitenti veniam , non semper dat peccanti poenitentiam . Aug. Branch 7. * Hos. 8. 3. * Pejùs est recidere quàm incidere . Bern. Serm. 54. sup . cant. * Dan. 3. * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Use 3. Qui in ●abore ho●inum non ●nt , in la●ore daemo●um erunt . Bern. Caution . Object . 1 Answ. 1. * Lorinus . Quest . Answ. * Joh. 5. 40 Object . 2. Answ. * 2 Thes. 2. 13. Arg. 1. * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Mac. hom 26. Phocilides * O anima redempta sanguine , deputata cum angelis capax beatitudinis ! Bern. * Gen. 1. 26 Arg. 2. * Labor splendore decoratur . Cicero . * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . * Praeterit jucunditas non relitura , & manet anxietas non peritura . Aug Arg. 4. * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Ignatius . Epist. 7. ad Smyrnens * Vita hominis est similis naviganti , &c. Greg. * Gen. 6. 3 * Pessimum istud virbū habuisse Plautus . * 2 Thes. 3. 11. * Mat. 6. 28 Psal. 78. 71. Arg. 6. Arg. 7. Arg. 8. * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . Ignatius . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Menand. * Nullus labor durus nullū tempus longum quo aeternitatis gloria comparetur . Hierom. * Extremos currit mercator ad indos . Horace * Mercedian tantae par labor esse potest ? Verinus . Removenda . * Divitiae saeculi sunt laquei diaboli . Bern. * Animae functiones tolluntur in mania , depravatur in melancholia . here de Sax. Tract. de melanch . * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . Igna. Ep. 12. ad Rom. * Mclius est habere malorum odium quam consortium . Bern. * Ps. 68. 13. * 1 King. 8. 38. * Act. 28. 22. Promovenda . * Gemma pretiosa pietas , sed faci è surripit●r nisi à timore custodiatur . * Heb. 4. 1. * Est janitor animae , Petrus Cellensis . * Heb. 11. 8. * Mal. 3. 17 Si vis esse securus , semper time . * Omnia facilia habenti charitatem . Aug. * Vis geminata fortior . * Judg. 16. 28. * Tum insiluit Spiritus Domini . * Vaelandabili vitae hominum si remota misericordia cam Trutina discuties . Aug. * Neh. 13. 22. * Cant. 4. ult. * Act. 8. 29 * Manus ad clavum , oculus ad coelum . Ezek. 3. 14 * Spes facit ut cultis mandentur semin , torris . * Ps. 33. 18. 
A29523	----	The Christians cabala, or, Sure tradition necessary to be known and believed by all that will be saved : a doctrine holding forth good tidings of great joy, to the greatest of penitent sinners : with a character of one that is by John Brinsley ... Brinsley, John, fl. 1581-1624. 1662 Approx. 346 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 113 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A29523 Wing B4710 ESTC R3986 12499294 ocm 12499294 62640 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A29523) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 62640) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 307:20) The Christians cabala, or, Sure tradition necessary to be known and believed by all that will be saved : a doctrine holding forth good tidings of great joy, to the greatest of penitent sinners : with a character of one that is by John Brinsley ... Brinsley, John, fl. 1581-1624. [8], 216 p. Printed for George Sawbridge ..., London : 1662. Errata: p. 216. Reproduction of original in Union Theological Seminary Library, New York. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Salvation -- Early works to 1800. 2003-10 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-11 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-12 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2003-12 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE CHRISTIANS CABALA , OR , SURE TRADITION : Necessary to be KNOWN and BELIEVED , By all that will be SAVED . A Doctrine holding forth , Good Tidings of Great Joy , to the greatest of PENITENT SINNERS . With a CHARACTER of one that is truly Such . As it was lately held forth to the CHURCH of GOD , at Great YARMOUTH . By Iohn Brinsley , Minister of the Gospel there . LONDON , Printed for George Sawbridge , at the Sign of the Bible on Ludgate-Hill , 1662. To all that Love The Lord JESUS CHRIST in Sinceritie , Within the Town of GREAT YARMOUTH ; Grace and Peace . ( Much esteemed in the Lord ) IT is now Thirty seven years , since I was by a Divine Providence , sent to exercise my Ministeriall Function among you ; my first entrance within your Walls , being upon the same day that your late Dread Soveraign KING CHARLES the First , was there with great Solemnitie , and with the Universal Acclamation and Joy of all that were present , Proclaimed . And of this my entrance , I hope I may without boasting say unto you , what Paul doth of his , unto his Thessalonians , 1 Thes. 2. 1. that it hath not been altogether in vain . It having been my desire to follow his steps , in making what improvement I might of such liberty and opportunity as the same providence hath been pleased to put into my hand , in speaking to you the Gospel of God. And that these my poor labours might be the more effectual , not dying in the ●…are , not perishing in the hearing , I have adventured to expose some of them to a publick view ; that so , by this Sacrifice offered up unto God and his Church , being dead , I might yet speak , and preach being silent . And upon the same account it is that I do now send these Meditations after them : Wherein you shall meet with a Subject , which ( if you will believe your Apostle ) is worthy of all acceptation . Such I am sure is the matter here held forth ▪ what ever the manner of handling it be ; it containing in it , the sum and substance of the Gospel , which being brought home , as here it is by this chosen Vessell , by a particular Application , it cannot but bring abundant Consolation to the Soul of every truly penitent sinner : Such experience had this our Apostle of it ; and so have many others after him . Among whom I meet with a memorable instance in that renowned Martyr of Christ , Mr. Thomas Bilney , who in a Letter of his to Cu●…bert Tonstall Bishop of London , ( as Mr. Fox in his Martyrology hath Related it ) giveth this account of the manner and means of his own Conversion . Hearing ( saith ●…e ) of the New Testament , which was first set forth by Erasmus , and understanding it to be eloquently done by him , being allured rather for the Latin then for the word of God , ( for at that time , I knew not what it meant ) I ●…ought it even by the good providence of God , as I do now well understand and perceive . And at the first read●…ng ( as I remember ) I chanced upon ●…his Sentence , ( O most sweet and comfortable Sentence to my Soul ) the first Epistle to Timothy the first Chapter , It is a true saying , and worthy of all men to be embraced , that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners , of whom I am the chief . This one sentence through God's instruction and inward working , which I did not then perceive , did so exhilarate my heart , being before wounded with the guilt of my sins , and being almost in despaire , that immediately I felt a marvellous comfort and quietness , insomuch , that my bruised bones leaped for joy . Thus have you a Probatum est affixed to this Receipt , which being taken in , and rightly digested , I doubt not but it will be found a Soveraign Cordial to whoever it is that shall make use of it . Onely take heed that your Souls be duly prepared for it , by a true sight and sense of sin , that so you may see and feel , the need you have of Iesus Christ , and be excited willingly to receive him , not only as a Saviour , but also as a Soveraign ; to be Ruled and governed , as well as Saved by him . Being thus disposed , now let me invite you to come , and suck this Breast of Consolation , which you have here held forth unto you , receiving and lodging this Divine truth in your hearts , remembring it , meditating of it , believing it , applying it to your selves , and practising what you are here directed and excited to ; which whilest you do , let my prayers go along with my poor endeavours , that through the concurrence of grace , they may be made effectual unto you , and who ever else shall make use of them , for that end for which they have been designed . In the assured hope whereof I rest , YARMOUTH , March 30. 1662. Your Servant in the Work of the Lord , JOHN BRINSLEY . READER , THere is lately Printed a Learned , Pious , and Practical Commentary upon the whole Gospel of St. Mark ; wherein the Text is Logically Analysed ; The meaning of the Holy Spirit , clearly and soundly Opened ; Doctrins naturally Raised ; All seeming differences between this and the other Evangelists Reconciled ; And many important Cases of Conscience Resolved , By Mr. George Petter . Published at the desire of above 200. Learned Divines , Signified under their Hands . Also , An Exposition of the whole Epistle to the Hebrews , wherein the Text is cleared , Theopolitica improved , The Socinian Comment Examined , By Mr. George Lawson , Rector of More , in the County of Salop. Also , The Running of the Christian Race with Patience , By Mr. Iohn Brinsley . Prayer , and Praise . A twofold Tribute to be paid ▪ by all Loyal Subjects , to their Supream and Subordinate Soveraign . By Mr. Iohn Brinsley . The Rich Fool , Being an Exposition of that Parable , Luke 12 : 16. 22. By Nehemiah Rogers , Minister of the Gospel of Christ. A Posing Question , Put by the wise Man , viz. SOLOMON , to the wisest of Men , concerning making a Judgment of Temporal Conditions . By Benjamin Baxter , late Minister of the Gospel in Worcester . All to be sold , by George Sawbridge , at the Signe of the Bible on Ludgate-Hill . THE CHRISTIANS CABALA ▪ OR , SURE TRADITION , Necessary to be KNOWN , & BELIEVED , by all that will be SAVED . 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful saying , and worthy of all acceptation , that Christ Iesus came into the world to sa●…e sinners , of whom I am chief . THis Portion of Scripture , ( as I remember , and so I presume do some , if not many of you ) about twenty years since , I took up , and spent some time upon in this place . I now reassume and take it up again ; which I am induced to do , not so much by the Season , as by the Subject ; that being such , as cannot be too much , or too often spoken of , A word never out of season , containing in it , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , spoken of by the Angel , Luke 2. 10. that joyful News , good tidings of great joy to all people , even to the greatest of penitent sinners . So this chosen Vessel , the blessed Apostle , the great Doctor of the Gentiles looked upon it , who here mindeth his Timothy , and all others to whom this his Epistle should come , of a saying , a Doctrine , which , as it was sweet and comfortable to himself , so it would be to all them , who should make the like use of it that he had done . This is a faithful saying , and worthy of all acceptation , that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners ; of whom I am chief . In which words ( not to spend time about connexion , and dependence upon what went before ) we shall take notice of two things ; The Doctrine , and the Application . The Doctrine , which is first commended , then Propounded . Commended by way of Preface ; and that , first from the Veritie , then from the Dignitie of it . From the Veritie , [ This is a faithful saying ] ; from the Dignitie , [ and worthy of all acceptation ] , Propounded , [ Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners ] . The Application followeth , wherein the Apostle bringeth home this General to himself in Particular , ranking himself in the list and number of these sinners which we had spoken of , yea , in the forefront of them , [ of whom I am chief ] . Let these be the parts of the Text , upon which I shall ( through Divine assistance ) insist severally ; yet more briefly upon the former , that I may enlarge upon the latter , the Applicatory part , which in this review , my eye is chiefly upon . Begin we with the Doctrine , & therein with the commendation of it ; which is the very same with that which we find affixed to that other Doctrine , Chap. 4. v. 9. of this Epistle , where the Apostle , holding forth the great advantage that cometh unto Christians from true Piety and Godliness ; Godliness is profitable unto all things , having the promise of the life that now is , and of that which is to come ; he subjoynes , This is a faithful saying , and worthy of all acceptation . And so here he maketh use of the same commendation , only in a different order , prefixing it by way of Preface or Introduction . Not unlike a Trumpet , sounded before the publishing of a Royal Proclamation , which serveth to make way for it , to call people to the hearing of it , and to command attention to it . Of such use is this Elogium , this high commendation which the Apostle here giveth of this Doctrine , which he intended to propound , serving to excite all to give the more earnest attendance to it . Which use , Calvin ( writing upon it ) willeth all to make of it . And not without cause , doth this our Apostle thus ussher in this Doctrine , and make way for it ; it being a Mystery which will not easily pierce , and readily sink into the heads and hearts of men , to be so received as it ought to be . The natural man ( as he tells his Corinthians , 1 Cor. 2. 15 ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receiveth not the things which are of God. Spiritual mysteries he receiveth them not into his understanding rightly to apprehend , or conceive of them ; nor into his judgement throughly to be convinced of the truth of them , so as firmly to believe them ; much less into his heart , his will and affections , to close with them , to imbrace them . Such is the Doctrine here propounded and published , even that great mystery of Godliness , ( as the same Pen styleth it , 1 Tim. 3. 16. ) The Doctrine of Salvation by Christ. A Doctrine , though worthy of all , yet finding little credence and acceptation in the world . And therefore the Apostle , to prepare the hearts of men for the receiving of it , sets this high commendation upon it , commending it , first from the Veritie , then from the Dignitie of it . Touch upon each . 1. For the Veritie of it . [ This is a faithfull saying ] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , sermo fidelis , i. e. verus , a true saying . So we have it rendred , Cap. 3. v. 1. of this Epistle . And so our former Translation readeth it here , This is a true saying . Sermo certus , ( as Beza hath it ) ; A sure and certain Saying . Such are not all the sayings of men , not of the wisest , no nor yet of the best of them . What the Psalmist said in his haste , in his passion , Psal. 116. 11. I said in my haste , All men are lyars ; The Apostle speaketh it advisedly , Rom. 3. 4. Let God be true , and every man a lyar . Such are men , lyars all , Passively and Actively . Being subject to be deceived themselves , they are subject to deceive others . Their words , their sayings , are not alwayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , true and certain . But such are all the sayings , all the words which we meet withal in the Word , the Scripture . The Scripture being ( as Saint Iames calleth it , Iam. 1. 18. ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word of Truth . There is not a saying there but is a true saying , not a word , but is a faithful word . Such are the words of the Law , and such are the words of the Gospel ; such are the Threatnings , such are the Promises , such are the Prophecies , which there we meet with ; all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , true words , faithful sayings . Write ( saith the Spirit ) for these words are faithful and true , Rev. 21. 5. And they must needs be so , being the words of that God , who is the God of Truth , ( as we find him sometimes styled , Deut. 32. 4. Psal. 31. 5. Isa. 65. 16. ) Truth it self . The words of that Word , the Essential Word , the Eternal Son of God , who is , ( as he is called , Rev. 1. 5. ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , That faithful Witness . Such is he , and such are his words , all faithful words . Among all , none deserving this Encomium , this commendation , more than this Evangelical word , the Doctrine of the Gospel , the sum whereof we have comprised in these few words in the Text , Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners . Which is , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. ▪ e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a faithful saying , worthy to be credited , to be believed . So it was by the Fathers under the Old Testament , who beheld it only a far off in the Promise : though they dyed before they received it , yet they believed it , living in the faith of it , and dying in the faith of it . These all dyed in the faith , not having received the promise , saith the Apostle , Heb. 11. 13. speaking of the Patriarchs , who died in the faith , as firmly believing that Promise concerning the Land of Canaan , which God had made to them ; so that great promise concerning the Messia , who was to come into the world : whose day Abraham is said to have seen , ( as our Saviour tells the Jews ) Ioh. 8. 56. In this faith they lived , and in this faith they dyed . So fully were they assured of the truth thereof , that they were not afraid to take their death upon it , to dye in the faith of it . So certain was this saying to them , who beheld it only in the promise . Whereupon it was , that the Prophet Isay speaking of this , of Christs coming into the world , he speaks of it , as a thing already done : To us a Child is born , to us a Son is given , Isa. 9. 6. How much more ▪ certain then may it be unto us , who look upon it in the performance , not as a thing to be done , but done . What was promised to them , is made good to us ; what they looked and waited for , we have received . So as the Apostle might well say , what here he doth , This is a faithful saying , &c. But I shall not spend time in confirmation of this truth , which among Christians were but a needless labour . Never was truth ( excepting only that of a deitie , that there is a God , which is attested by every creature ) compassed about with such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a cloud of witnesses as this . To this truth , gave all the Prophets witness ; so Peter tells Cornelius and his company , Acts 10. 43. And to this truth gave all the Apostles witness . The one testifying that it should be done , the other that it was done . To this truth gave all those Types under the Law witness , being all Shadows of this Substance . To this truth have all the Saints of God in all ages of the world given witness . All that ever were , before the Law , under the Law , under the Gospel : Some , and many of them , sealing it with their blood ; all of them , pawning and adventuring their souls , their everlasting happiness upon it . Now if two or three witnesses be sufficient to establish a word , ( which with men ordinarily they are , as that Text tells us , Mat. 18. 16. ) how much more such a cloud of witnesses ? Never was truth more confirmed then this truth , The Doctrine of Salvation by Christ , that Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners . This is a faithful saying . 2. And , as faithful , so acceptable ; that is the second branch of the Commendation . This is a faithful saying , and worthy of all acceptation . So it cannot be said of all truths . Sometimes ( as Aquinas notes upon it ) a saying may be true , and yet a hard saying . Verus sed durus , This is a hard Saying , ( say the Disciples to their Lord and Master , discoursing to them concerning the Bread of Life , which he said was Himself ) Ioh. 6. 60. A true saying . This they would not , durst not , make any question of , receiving it from his mouth . But a hard saying , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , harsh and irksome to be heard , Who can hear it ? So it was to them , because they could not receive it , were not able rightly to apprehend and understand it ; the hardness being ( as Calvin well notes upon it ) in their hearts , not in the Doctrine delivered . Thus Sayings may be , and often are , true , but not grateful ; such are Reprehensions for the most part , being like wine poured into a green wound , which though proper and useful , yet it is searching and smarting : Though they carry never so much truth in them , yet they are seldome pleasing , seldome welcome : Paul reprehending his Galatians , he told them nothing but the truth , yet that truth which was spoken to them , was requited with enmity from them . Am I therefore become your enemie , because I tell you the truth ? ( so he expostulates it with them ) Gal. 4. 16. Thus it often falleth out : Veritas odium parit , Truth breeds hatred . All truths are not acceptable truths . But such is this Truth which our Apostle here holdeth forth , That Christ Iesus is come into the world to save sinners . It is a Doctrine which hath not more Truth then Sweetness in it ; deserving not more Credit than Acceptation . This is a faithful Saying , and worthy of all acceptation . Worthy of acceptation , and worthy of All acceptation . So I shall divide the words . 1. Worthy of Acceptation . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An acceptable word , worthy to be received , ( as the former Translation renders it ) . And not only received but approved , which ( as a Lapide notes ) the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importes . And well may it be said so to be , it being a good word , a good saying , containing in it , good matter . My heart is inditing a good matter , ( saith the Psalmist , speaking of the Kingly Office of Christ. Psal. 45. 1. ) I speak of the things which I have made , touching the King , ( as it there followeth ) . Such is the Doctrine of Salvation by Jesus Christ. It is a good word , containing good matter , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Gospel , that is , a good Spell , a good speech , ( which is conceived to be the Notation of the English word Gospel ) . A good Saying , containing good tidings . It is that which David saith of Ahimaaz , 2 Sam. 18. 27. He is a good man , and he cometh with good tidings . Much more truly , may it be said of Jesus Christ , and his coming into the world . Being himself Good , he came with good Tidings , tidings of Salvation . And what tidings like unto these tidings ? Good tidings of joy , of great joy ! So the Angell telleth the Shepheards at the Birth of this our Saviour , Luke 2. 10. Behold , I bring you good tidings of great joy . Tidings of Salvation , cannot but be tidings of Joy. Such are the tidings of temporal Salvation . They are good tidings . No words more sweet , more comfortable to nature than they . The Prophet Zachary , speaking of the promises of deliverance which God made to Ierusalem at the prayers of the Angel from their present sufferings , Zach. 1. 13. The Lord ( saith he ) answered the Angel that talked with me with good words , and comfortable words . How much more then the word of Eternal Salvation . And this is the word , the Saying , here held forth in the Text , Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners , to be unto them , the Author of Eternal Salvation , ( as that Text hath it , Heb. 5. 9. ) And how good is this saying ? Well may it then be said ( what here it is ) to be , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , worthy of acceptation . 2. Yea of All acceptation , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a General , an Universal , Acceptation , to be accepted by all men , and by all means ; both , implyed in this Expression . 1. Worthy to be accepted by all men . So it is , there being none but hath need of a Saviour , all being by nature lost creatures , ( as the Father saith of his Prodigal Son , This my Son was lost , Luke 15. 24. ) and , without a Saviour , a Redeemer , for ever lost . The news of a Saviour , such a Saviour , cannot but deserve a welcome entertainment from them . Behold , I bring you good tidings of great joy , which shall be to all people , ( saith the Angel there ) Luke 2. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , To all sorts of people , of what Nation , or Condition soever ; whether Jews or Gentiles , Bond or Free , Rich or Poor , Prince or Peasant . And to all of these sorts . There being not any one but cometh within this list of sinners , being so by nature , and by practise , and so justly obnoxious to the wrath of God , from which , they are no ways able to free themselves , they stand in need of a Saviour ; well then might the Apostle here say of this saying , This Doctrine of Christs coming into the world to save sinners , that it is worthy of all acceptation , to be accepted by all men . 2. And as by all men , so by all means . So the former Translation here renders it , This is a true saying , and by all meanes worthy to be received . And so Estius well explains it , Dignum quod modis omnibus amplectemur , worthy by all wayes and means , to be received and imbraced . Many wayes there are , whereby a saying may be received . It may be received into the Ear , it may be received into the Head , it may be received into the Heart . Into the Ear when men hear what is said ; into the Head , when they apprehend , understand , and believe , what they hear . Into the Heart , when they are affected with it . And all these wayes is this Saying , this Doctrine , worthy of Acceptation . 1. Worthy to be received into the Ear , by hearing of it , hearkning and attending to it . No Doctrine , so worth the hearing as this Doctrine , the Doctrine of the Gospel , the Doctrine of Salvation by Christ. No other Doctrine can make the hearers happy ; this can do it . Blessed are your ears for they hear , ( saith our Saviour to his Disciples ) Mat. 13. 16. And what was it that they did hear ? why that which their forefathers desired to hear , but could not . Many Prophets and Righteous men , have desired to hear those things which ye hear , and have not heard them , Verse 17. And what was that ? why , even this saying here in the Text , That Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners . This the Fathers before Christ , who waited for his coming , would gladly have heard ; but they heard it not . They indeed heard of his Coming , that he should come ; and believing it , they were made happy by it . But the Disciples , who saw Christ in the flesh , they heard and saw that he was come . And believing what they saw and heard , this made their eyes and ears , blessed and happy . No Doctrine , no Tidings , ( as I said ) can make the hearer happy but only this . And this can do it , viz. when , being let in by the Ear , it is conveyed to the Heart . Hereby the Spirit cometh to convey it self into the Soul , by the hearing of this Doctrine . This onely would I know , ( saith Paul to his Galatians ) ; Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law , or by the hearing of Faith ? Gal. 3. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…y the hearing of faith , that is , the Doctrine of Faith the Gospel Preached unto you , & heard by you . The sum whereof is wrapped up in this saying , That Iesus Christ came into the world to savesinners . A saying , worthy to be received into the Ear , by hearing of it , hearkning to it . 2. And as into the Ear , so * into the Head , worthy to be studied , that it may be rightly apprehended , and clearly understood . This being a great mystery , as our Apostle calleth it , cap. 3. verse last of this Epistle , Great is the Mystery of Godliness , God manifested in the flesh , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , The great Mystery , the true Cabala . Among the Iews there were many Mysteries , Doctrines which they received from their Fathers by way of Tradition . These they called by that Name of Cabala , ( which imports the same thing with this Greek word in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) signifying acceptio , a receiving of a thing , thereby meaning their Traditions , such Doctrines as by word of mouth were conveyed unto them from their Forefathers . And these Mysteries , these Traditions , were of high account among their Rabbies , their Doctors , and their followers , ( even as others of like kind , are at this day in the Church of Rome ) , these they studied and were well versed in them . But our Apostle willeth Christians to take notice , what was the true Cabala , the sure Tradition , which he here holdeth forth to them , as worthy of their study above all others ; even this great Mystery of Godliness , That Chri●… Iesus is come into the world to save sinners . This was a mystery which the Angels beheld not without admiration , as it there followeth , Seen of Angels , i. e. cum admiratione maxima , ( as Grotius rightly ) , with the highest admiration , as also with great satisfaction and contentment . No Mystery so worthy the looking into as this . So the Angels apprehended it , who are said to look into it , with an earnest desire . Which things , ( saith Saint Peter , speaking of the Mysteries of the Gospel ) the Angells desire to look into , 1 Pet. 1. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , they desire to prie , and look narrowly into them , as one that stoopeth and boweth down to look into a thing . So do they look into this Mystery , desiring still to look further into it , it being an Object , which they can never be weary of looking upon and into . No mystery so worthy to be known as this . This is Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , The excellency of the knowledg of Iesus Christ , ( as he calleth it ) Phil. 3. 8. No Doctrine so worthy to be known . Nor any more worthy to be believed than this . This being ( as you have heard ) a faithful saying , and so deserving credit and belief at the hands of all . Thus it is worthy to be received into the Head. 3. And so ( 3dly ) to be received into the Heart . Worthy to be imbraced , to be intertained with great joy and gladness , as also with gratitude and thankfulness . With joy . Thus were the Angels affected with it , though not so properly concerned in it . Seeing that Christ was come into the world upon this Errand , how did they rejoyce at it , a whole Quire , an Host of them , meeting together , and singing that Heavenly Anthem , that Hallelujah that we have , Luk. 2. 14. Praising God , and saying , Glory be to God in the highest , on earth peace , good will towards men ! How much more joyous then should these tidings be to the Sons of men , for whose sake , Christ is come into the world ? Great cause have they to rejoyce at the hearing of it . So did Abraham the Father of the faithful , by faith apprehending that Christ should come , Seeing his day , ( that is , his coming in the flesh ) he rejoyced at it , ( as that Text forecited tells us , Iohn 8. 56. ) And the like , ought all Christians , being his Children , to do . Hearing of this blessed day , that he is come , they are to entertain this good tidings with spiritual joy , rejoycing at it . And as with joy , so with gratitude and thankfulness . Thus did Zacharias entertain these glad tidings , as we find it in his Song , Luke 1. 68. Where Prophesying of what he saw to be then nigh at hand , the coming of Christ , and setting forth this great Mystery of Salvation by Christ , he breaks forth into that holy and affectionate Gratulation , Blessed be the Lord God of Israel , for he hath visited and redeemed his people : and hath raised up a Horn of Salvation , ( i. e. a Mighty Saviour ) for us in the house of his Servant David , &c. And with like affection we find the blessed Virgin , the Mother of our Lord , entertaining these tidings , Verse 46. of that Chapter , where she breaks forth into her Magnificat ; My Soul doth Magnify the Lord , and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour . Such is the Acceptation , that this saying , this Doctrine here in the Text , is said to be worthy of . And such let it find at all our hands , who this day hear of it . Let it be thus received by every of us ; in and by these , and all other wayes and means that it is capable of . That should be the Application , which I should make of what hath hitherto been spoken . But this I shall a little longer deferr , until I have somewhat more fully spoken of the Doctrine it self , as it is here propounded , which we have in the next words , Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners . A short Sentence , but yielding plenty of sweet and precious matter ; in the whole Scripture , no one more . For the better handling of it , I shall divide it into two distinct Propositions or Conclusions , 1. Christ Iesus came into the world : 2. He came into the world to save sinners . In the former we have his Iourny , in the latter his Errand . His Iourny , he came into the world . His Errand , shewing for what he came , and for whom he came . For what , to be a Saviour . For whom , to save sinners . Of each of these severally , though very briefly , having had occasion , and that lately , in passing through the Principles of the Oracles of God , ( as the Apostle calleth them , Heb. 5. 1 ●… . ) the Fundamentalls of Christian Religion ; to inlarge upon this Subject . Begin with the former . Christ Iesus came into the world . For the opening and explaining of ▪ which , I might unfold unto you these 4. Particulars . Who it was that came , How he is said to have come , From whence he came , and whither he came . But a few words of each . Q. 1. Who it was that came ? A. Christ Iesus ( saith the Text ) . Two Names given to the world's Saviour . The former his Name of Office , Christ ; which word ( as the Hebrew Messias also doth ) signifieth Anointed . So we find him often called , the Anointed , the Anointed of the Lord , 1 Sam. 2. 35. Psal. 2. 2 , &c. One Anointed by God his Father , ( as St. Peter saith of him , Acts 4. 27. ) being ordained and appointed by him to a threefold Office , Sacerdotal , Prophetical , Regal ; to be a Priest , a Prophet , and a King to his Church ; and indued with a fulness of all Graces and Abilities , for the discharge thereof : Having the Spirit poured out upon him , Given unto him not by measure , ( as that Text hath it ) Iohn 3. 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; that is , Abundantly : He being Anointed with the oyle of gladness above his fellows , ( as the Psalmist saith of him ) Psal. 45. 7. The other his Proper Name , given him at his Circumcision , as our Christian names ( as we call them ) are at our Baptism , Iesus , that is a Saviour . So the Angel interprets it , giving unto Ioseph the reason of imposing it , Mat. 1. 27. Thou shalt call his name Iesus , for he shall save his people from their sins . Here is the Person , of whom the Text saith that he came . Q. 2. And how is he said to have came ? A. For Answer , we may take notice of diverse comings of Christ mentioned in Scripture . Of which there are three most obvious , His coming in the Flesh , His coming in Spirit , His coming in Glory . His coming in the Flesh , to take our nature upon him . Every Spirit that confesseth , that Iesus Christ is come in the Flesh , is of God , 1 John 4. 2. His coming in the Spirit , to dwell in the hearts of his people , to have a sweet Communion with them . If any man hear my voice , and open the door , I will come in unto him , Rev. 3. 20. His coming in Glory . Behold , he cometh with Clowds , Rev. 1. 7. Behold , I come quickly , Rev. 22. 12. I come to Judgment . Now , it is the first of these which we meet with here in the Text ; The coming of Christ in the Flesh , his taking the nature of Man upon him , that , in that nature , he might execute the Office , and do the work , of a Mediator . Thus he came . Q. 3. But from whence came he ? A. That is the third enquiry , which we find not expresly resolved in the Text , but implyed . So it is , in every Motion , and every Mutation ; there are two terms , the terminus a quo et ad quem , In a journy , a man cometh from one place to another : In a change of condition , a man passeth from one state to another . So was it here , Christ in his Incarnation , he came down from Heaven ; So that Antient Creed tells us . And it is no other then what Christ himself tells his Disciples , Iohn 16. 27. I am come forth from the Father . So he did according to his Divinity , as the Son of God , which yet , is warily to be understood . Not that he thus came from Heaven , by any locall mutation , any change of place ; for as God , he was infinite in essence , filling all places in Heaven , and Earth , ( as the Lord himself tells us , Ier. 23. 24. ) and so could not properly be said to leave the one , or come to the other . But onely by a change of state . So it was , that for a time , he divested and disrobed himself ( as it were ) of that Glory and Majesty , which he had with his Father , before the world was , ( of which he speaketh , Iohn 17. 5. ) putting on the nature of man , taking it into a personal Union with his Godhead , being manifested in the flesh , ( as the Apostle expresseth it ) 1 Tim. 3. last . Thus he came down from Heaven , humbling Himself , taking upon him , the form of a Servant , and being in likeness of man , ( as we have it ) Phil. 2. 7. Thus , as to his Divinity , he may be said to have come from Heaven . The second man , is the Lord from Heaven , ( saith the Apostle , speaking of Christ , who in regard of his Godhead , was of a Celestial Original ) 1 Cor. 15. 47. But in respect of his Humanity , as Man , he may be said to have come from the womb of his Mother . There did he lodg for a time , the wonted time according to the course of nature ; which being expired , he came forth , as the rest of the Sons of men do . Q. 4. And whither did he come ? A. That is the last Particular ; which the Text resolves , He came into the world . I am come forth from the Father , and am come into the world , ( saith the Text forecited ) Iohn 16. 28. that is , into this inferiour world : where , for a time , as man , yea , as God-man he lived , and conversed with the Sons of men , dwelling with them . The word was made flesh , and dwelt amongst us , John 1. 14. Thus you see his Iourny . As briefly of his Errand . Where we shall take notice of those two things ; For what he came , and for whom . 1. For what it was that he came ; which was , that he might be a Saviour of the world , He came into the world to save it . This was the proper end of his first coming . To this end did God his Father send him . We have seen , and do testify , that the Father sent the Son , to be the Saviour of the world , 1 John 4. 14. And to this end , He himself came , making this his Design . The Son of man is come , to save that which was lost , ( saith He of himself ) Mat. 18. 11. Not to Iudge and Condemn the world . This was neither his Fathers design , nor His : Not his Fathers , God sent not his Son to condemn the world , but that the world through him might be saved , John 3. 17. Not His , I came not to judge the world , but to save the world . This indeed , shall be the end of his Second coming , to judg the whole world , and to condemn a great part of it ; but the end of his first coming , was to save it . This was the thing , which he properly and directly intended . True it is , he was , and is an occasion of the falling and perishing of some . So old Simeon tells Mary , Luke 2. 34. Behold , this Child is set for the fall and rising again , of many in Israel . And the like the Apostle St. Peter , ( taking it from the Prophet Isay ) saith of him , 1 Pet. 2. 8. where speaking of Christ , he calleth him , A stone of stumbling , and a rock of offence . But this is onely by accident , through the unbelief , and disobedience of those that will not receive Him , ( as he there giveth the reason of it ) . Hereof Christ is onely the occasion , not the cause . This was a thing not intended by him , in his coming into the world . His Errand was to Save : Had it not been for this , he would never have left the Bosom of his Father . He came into the world , to save the world : The world of mankind indefinitely considered , or the world of his Elect. To Save them , From what ? why , from their Sins . Thou shalt call his Name Iesus , for he shall save his people from their sins ; ( saith that Text forecited ) . From the Guilt and Power of them . The former , by his Merit imputed to them ; the latter , by his Spirit imparted to them . To save them from the wrath of God , and from Eternal Condemnation ; and to obtain for them Everlasting Salvation : In which two , consisteth this Salvation , which Christ came to procure for his people . The former part whereof is Privative , to free them from the wrath of God. [ Even Iesus , which delivered us from the wrath to come , 1 Thes. 1. last ] and from everlasting Condemnation , [ There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus , Rom. 8. 1. ] . The latter part is Positive , a procuring of Eternal Salvation . Being made perfect , he became the Author of Eternal Salvation , unto all them that obey him , Heb. 5. 9. This was the end of Christs coming into the world , to be a Saviour , such a Saviour , a perfect Saviour , Christ Iesus is come into the world to save . 2. To save whom ? That is the other Particular . To save sinners . Such are all men by nature , Jews , and Gentiles , all under sin . So the Apostle chargeth , and proveth it , Rom. 3. 9. All guilty of Original Sin , having Adams sin imputed to them ; In whom all have sinned , ( so that Text may fitly be read , Rom. 5. 12. ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Being in Him , as Branches in the Root , they sinned in Him. And have his Corruption , imparted and derived to them . And as of Original , so of Actual sin . There is not a just man upon earth , that doth good and sinneth not , Eccl. 7. 20. In many things we offend all , Jam. 3. 2. None but may be called , as the people of the Jews are by the Prophet Isay , cap. 48. 8. Transgressours from the Womb. But among these , some are greater sinners than others . Not only Peccatores , but Peccatosi . So this word in the Text , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often rendred by Stephan in his Lexicon ; and so it properly signifieth , Habituated Sinne●…s , such as live in sin , and make a trade of it ; Notorious Sinners . So Aretius here looketh upon it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicuntur Notorii Peccatores . And so we find it often used , as where Publicans and Sinners are put together , ( as frequently they are ; ) by sinners , we are to understand great sinners , such as the Publicans generally were . And thus that woman ( vulgarly taken for Mary Magdalen ) is called a sinner , Luke 7. 39. A woman in the City which was a sinner , came unto Iesus . A woman of notorius levitie , a bad liver ▪ Such she had been in truth , and this she was now throughly convinced of , bewailing her condition with tears , wherewith she washed the feet of her Saviour , ( as there we find it ) . And such are the sinners that Christ is here said to come into the world to save . Sinners , all sinners , being as she was , convinced of their sinfulness . Now , though the greatest of sinners , yet being truly penitent , Christ came to save them . This is that which our Saviour tells the Pharisees , Mat. 9. When they were offended ( as the story tells us they were ) at his eating , & conversing with Publicans and Sinners ; He willeth them to take notice , that this was the end of his coming into the world , to be a Physitian , not to the whole , but to the sick , Verse 12. to call , not the Righteous , but Sinners to Repentance , Verse 13. As for them , the Pharisees , they being in their own apprehensions ( though nothing less in truth ) whole and sound , just and righteous , no sinners ; he had nothing to do with them , neither must they expect any benefit from him . No , they were sinners , sinners , such as were sick of sin , seeing and feeling themselves so to be , that he came to Save . So may we fitly look upon the word , here in the Text , Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners , such sinners . Thus have I , with what brevity might be , dispatched the Doctrinal part of these two Propositions or Conclusions . That which now remains is the Application , which I shall direct three wayes , by way of Information , Consolation , Exhortation . 1. By way of Information or Instruction , we may from this one Saying , this one Doct●…ine , learn many ; from hence deducing and collecting diverse truths worth the taking notice of ▪ As , 1. Touching the two natures in the Person of Christ , ( both which Aquinas conceiveth here to be intimated to us ) His Divinity , his Humanity . His Divinity , according to which he had a subsistence , a Being , before his Incarnation , before his coming into the world . How else should He be said to come into it ? This imports ( as I shewed ) a change , though not of place , yet of state . His Humanity , he came into the world , this inferior world , being there manifested in the flesh , living and conversing there with men , after the manner of men ; which cannot properly be said of his God-head , which being Infinite , filleth Heaven and Earth , and so is not capable of being consined to any place . This is proper to his Humanitie . 2dly . From hence ( as the Jesuite à Lapide well observes ) may be inferred the invalidity and inefficacy of the Law , whether Ceremoniall or Morall , for the saving of any . Could Moses have done this , Jesus Christ should not have needed to come into the world , which he did upon this very accompt , to do that for the Sons of men which Moses could not do ; to procure that Justification and Salvation for them , which they could never have expected by the Law. What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh , God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh , and for sin , ( or by a Sacrifice for sin , as the Margin in our Translation well explains it ) condemned sin in the flesh , that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us , Rom. 8. 3. 4. So it was : Man being fallen , by his fall he became weak , not being able now to fulfil the Law , so as to obtain Justification and Salvation by it . And thereupon it was that Christ took the Nature of man upon him , that in that Nature , he might do what mere Man could not do , that so the righteousness of the Law , which could not be fulfilled by man , might this way be fulfilled in Him. 3dly . In the 3d place , See here ( what the foresaid Author al●…o mindeth us of ) the heinous nature of sin ; what a desperate disease it is , that must have a Physitian to come from Heaven to cure it ; other way of cure there was none . All the Men and Angels in the world , could do nothing to it . They were all ( as Iob saith of his friends , Iob 13. 4. ) Physitians of no value . But the Son of God must come from Heaven to undertake this cure . Magnus de coelo venit Medicus ( saith Augustine ) quia magnus per totum orbem jacebat aegrotuus . The great Physitian cometh down from Heaven , because man ▪ upon earth was desperately sick , in a hopeless and helpless condition , had He not stept in . Which ( as the same Father there applies it ) should make all that hear it afraid of sin , as a most deadly disease , not to rest and lye down in it , not to sleep in strato peccati , in the bed of sin , but to give ear to what Paul saith to them , Ephes. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest , and arise from the dead , and Christ shall give thee light . 4ly and lastly , Here ( as in a Glass ) behold we , ( what we can never look too much , nor yet enough , upon ) the Grace , the wonderful Grace , of God towards the Sons of men . The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation , hath appeared to all men , ( saith the Apostle ) Tit. 2. 11. The Grace of God , His great Goodness and Mercy ; that bringeth Salvation , eternal Salvation by and through Christ , hath appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , illuxit , it hath shined forth , clearly manifesting it self , and that to all men , all sorts of men , without distinction of Nation , Sex , Age or Condition . This it hath done , in this coming of Iesus Christ into the world to save sinners . In nothing more , in nothing so much . Many wayes hath the Grace and Favour of God , appeared unto mankind . It did so in his Creation , in making him little lower than the Angels , and Crowning him with Glory and Honour , making Him to have Dominion over the works of His hands , and putting all things under His feet , ( as the Psalmist sets it forth ) Psalm . 8. 5. 6. In making Him after his own Image . So God created man in his own Image , in the Image of God created he Him , Gen. 1. 27. As like unto his Maker , as a Creature could be . But behold , this Grace shineth more clearly in his Redemption , in finding out a way , such a way and means as he did , for the delivering of him from Hell and Death , and the procuring of his eternal Salvation . No Grace like this , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , this saving Grace of God. Behold here ( what you have lately heard more largely of , from that Text , Gal. 4. 4. ) The Grace of God the Father , in sending his Son upon this Errand . When the fulness of time was come , God sent forth his Son , made of a Woman , made under the Law , to redeem them that were under the Law , that we might receive the Adoption of Sons . What an expression of Love was this ? In this was manifested the love of God towards us , that God sent his only begotten Son into the world , that we might live through him , 1 John 4. 9. Herein is love , not that we loved God , but that he loved us , and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins , Verse 10. Behold love , wonderful love ! So God loved the world , that he gave his only begotten Son , &c. John 3. 16. Such an expression of Love as never was . Herein did his kindness appear . After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared , Tit. 3. 4. viz. The kindness of God the Father , who is there ( as often elsewhere ) called God our Saviour ; and that , as upon some other accompts , so chiefly upon this , because He sent His Son upon this Errand , to procure and effect Salvation for the Sons of men ( as Grotius well expounds it ) . Herein did His Love , His Kindness appear ; His Grace , His Rich Grace , the exceeding Riches of his Grace ! So our Apostle ( not knowing how to speak highly enough of it ) sets it forth , Ephes. 2. 7. That he might shew the exceeding Riches of his Grace , in his kindness towards us in Christ Iesus , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , exceeding all our apprehensions . Such was that Grace which God the Father shewed to the Sons of men , in his kindness towards them in Christ Jesus , in sending him to be a Saviour for them . Many things there are , which do highly commend and set forth , this Grace of God to us . Three of which , and three Principal , we have a hint of in the Text. 1st . Take we notice whom it was that he sent , Christ Iesus ; his Son , his own son : He spared not his own Son , but delivered him up for us all , Rom. 8. 32. Yea , his only Son , his only begotten Son , ( as that obvious Text forenamed hath it ) Ioh 3. 16. God had many Sons , some by creation ; such were the Angels , whom we find called the Sons of God , Job 38. 7. Such was Adam , which was the Son of God , Luke 3. last . And he hath many sons by Adoption , to which he Predestinated them from Eternity , Eph. 1. 5. But he had but one son by Generation . This was Iesus Christ , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the onely begotten Son of GOD. A Jewel more dear than all the World besides . Yet God , his Father , spared him not , but put him upon this service , to be a Saviour to lost Mankind . And what love was this ? Hereby did Father Abraham manifest the sincerity and height of his Affection to his God , that having but one Son , he was willing to part with him , to offer him up at his Command . Now I know that thou fearest God , seeing thou hast not withheld thy son , thy only Son , from me ; ( saith the Angel to him ) Gen. 22. 12. And in the like way , hath God the Father manifested his Affection to the sons of Men , ( that being but a Type of this ) in not withholding his son , his only son , from us ; but giving Him for us , to take our Nature upon him , to doe and suffer what he did , for our sakes . 2dly . Take we notice for whom it was that Christ was sent , for sinners ( saith the Text ) , men who nothing less then deserved such a favour at the hands of God , they being not onely strangers , but enemies to Him. When we were enemies , we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son , Rom. 5. 10. And how doth this commend the Love of God to us ? God commendeth his love towards us , that while we were yet sinners , Christ dyed for us , ( Verse 8. of that Chapter ) . 3dly . To these add the Benefit which Christ came to procure for these sinners , which is Salvation to save sinners . To save them ( as you have heard ) from the wrath of God , and from everlasting Damnation . And to procure for them everlasting Happiness and Blessedness . Salvation , the greatest of benefits that man was capable of receiving , comprehending under it , Iustification , Sanctification , Glorification . Wonderful was this kindness in God the Father , thus to send his only Son , for such unworthy creatures upon such an accompt . II. And behold no less in God the Son. That being thus sent , he should come as he did . That , coming forth from his Father , leaving his Bosom ( as it were ) in which he had lain from Eternitie ; he should come into the world , taking upon him the nature of man , yea , the form of a Servant , so humbling himself as he did . What a favour ? specially that he should come into such a world , where he well knew what entertainment he should meet with , how he should be rejected ! So he was by those whom he looked upon as his own people : He came unto his own , and his own received him not , Joh. 1. 11. The people of the Iews , who were God's own peculiar people , whom he had chosen out of all Nations of the World , ( You onely have I known ) ; yet so ungrateful were they , that when this Son of God , being sent by his Father upon such an Errand , came to tender his service unto them , they would not receive him , they would not acknowledge him to be the Messias . Thus was this living Stone ( the Foundation-Stone ) though chosen of God and precious , yet disallowed of men , ( as St. Peter hath it , 1 Pet. 2. 4. ) He was despised and rejected of men , a man of sorrows acquainted with grief ; and we hid , as it were , our faces from him , he was despised , and we esteemed him not , ( so the Prophet Isay , foreseeing what entertainment the Messiah ▪ the Lord Jesus , should meet withal , in and from the world , setteth it forth ) Isa. 53. 3. Thus was he sleighted through the whole course of his life . And in the end of it how-abused ? Crowned with Thorns , Buffeted , Spit upon , and after Crucified ; suffering that painful , shameful , accursed Death of the Cross. Now , all this he foresaw before he came into the world , as he foretold it when he was come into it . So he did to his Disciples , Luke 17. 25. The Son of man must suffer many things , and he rejected of this Generation . And at another time , he giveth them a particular accompt of what things he should Suffer . So we find it , Mat. 20. 17. where going up to Ierusalem , we read how he took the Twelve Disciples apart in the way , and said unto them , Behold , we go up to Ierusalem , and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief Priests , and unto the Scribes , and they shall condemn him to Death , and shall deliver him to the Gentiles , to Mock , and to Scourge ; and to Crucifie him . All this he knew before it came to pass , yea , before he came into the world , he knew what measure he should meet with , in it . Yet for all this he came into this world to undertake this service , He came into the world to save sinners ; Such ungrateful wretches as there he met with . Thus it was , ( as Augustine excellently sets it forth ) . Homines desperate aegrotabant , &c. Men were desperately sick , and by reason of their sickness having lost their Reason , they fell foul upon their Physitian , striking of him , yea killing him ; yet for all this , when he was thus used by them , he was still a Physitian to them . Vapulabat & curabat , he was beaten by them , yet a curer of them . Patiebatur phreneticum , nec deserebat aegrotum , He patiently bore with his frantick patient , not deserting him in his sickness . Tenebatur , alligabatur , percutiebatur , irridebatur , suspendebatur ; & medicus erat ; He was held , he was bound , he was smitten , he was mocked , he was hanged upon the Cross ; and yet for all this , he was and would be a Physitian , even to them by whom he was thus used , making a Medicine of his own Blood , for the curing of them that shed it . And , ô what Clemency , what Love , what Favour was this to every of us , who hear this saying here in the Text , That Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners , such sinners ! Admire we this Grace , this riches of Grace , this exceeding riches of Grace , which this our Saviour hath herein shewed to such unworthy creatures ! This , by way of Information or Instruction . In the 2d . place , by way of Consolation : Is Christ Jesus come into the world , and that upon this Errand , to save sinners ? What comfort doth this speak to all truly penitent sinners ? Penitent sinners , I say . Such , and only such they are to whom this Consolation belongeth . Not to all sinners , not to such as are obdurate and impenitent , such as live and lie in sin , making a trade of it , Let not such snatch at any crumb of this Bread of Life , any morsel of this Consolation . All the comfort that I can from hence give unto them , is only this , that there is a possibility of Salvation for them . Herein are they one degree more happy , or rather less miserable , than the Devills and damned Spirits , which being cast into the Prison of Hell , are there fast bound in those everlasting chains of Darkness , reserved to the judgement of the Great day , ( as St. Peter , and St. Iude , set forth the condition of the fallen Angels , 2 Pet. 2. 4. Iude v. 6. ) in a desperate condition past praying for , shut out from all hope , all possibility of Salvation . So is it not as yet with you , you obstinate sinners . How soon it may be so , that you know not ; going on in your sinful wayes and courses , you may be surprized and snatcht away by Death , ( as many daily are ) and that will cut off the thread of your hope , putting you into the like condition , beyond all possibility of Mercy . But as yet , I shall not wholly shut the door of hope against you . Some hope as yet you have , though not so long as you continue such . Living and dying without Repentance there is no hope for you . Let not any such then pervert and abuse this Saying , this Doctrine of Christs coming into the World. True , he came into the World to save sinners , but not such as you are ; not obstinate sinners . As for such , What have they to do with Grace ? What have they to do with Mercy ? What have they to do with Salvation ? Let them look for that which waits for them , Indignation and Wrath , Tribulation and Anguish , which shall be upon every soul of Man that doth Evil ( as the Apostle tells them , Rom. 2. 8 , 9. ) This is the portion of Obstinate sinners , such as make Iesus Christ , and his coming into the world , to be ( as it were ) a pander to their Lusts , from hence taking occasion to continue in Sin ; let them never look to have any benefit by his coming . He shall one day come to be their Iudge ; he never came to be their Saviour . All the comfort which distilleth from this Breast of Consolation , that springs from this Fountain , this Well of Salvation , is appropriated to the broken-hearted , truly penitent sinner ; to such as being convinced of Sin , feel the weight and burthen of it , being weary , and heavy-laden under it ; desiring earnestly to be freed and delivered from it ; and that not only from the guilt and punishment , but also from the power , and inbeeing of it ; being like affected with this our Apostle , who crieth out , O wretched man that I am , who shall deliver me from this body of death ? Rom. 7. 24. Such as desire to be saved , not only from Death and Hell , but also from sin ; To such sinners , all such , and only such , doth this faithful Saying speak abundant and everlasting Consolation . For your sakes did the Eternal Son of God come into the world , to seek and to save such as you are . And therefore lay you bold on this comfort which is here held forth unto you , not fearing to bring it home , and make Application of it to your selves . It matters not what your sins have been or are , what for number , what for nature , how many , how great , let not all this discourage . Behold here a Plaister as large as the Soar ; a Cordial which being taken down , will serve to bear up the heart against fainting , Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners . Let not thy sins then deter thee from laying hold upon this Salvation ; which as it was merited for thee , so is it held forth and tendred to thee by this thy Saviour . Thou art a sinner , a great sinner , let not this drive thee from Iesus Christ , but to him . Such they are whom he came to Save . Wer 't thou not such a one thou couldest have no benefit by him . This it is that maketh thee a Subject capable of receiving benefit from him . As for those righteous persons , who are so in their own eyes , their own apprehensions , Christ will have nothing to do with them , neither let them expect to be the happier for him . The proud Pharisee goeth as he cometh , whilest the poor self-condemning Publican , goeth away justified . I tell you , ( saith our Saviour , speaking by way of Parable unto certain which trusted in themselves , that they were righteous , as the 9th verse hath it ) This man went down to his house justified rather than the other , Luke 18. 14. The one came justified , viz. in himself , boasting of his own righteousness , but goeth away a sinner ; the other cometh a sinner , confessing himself so to be , but goeth away justified , viz. by God , being absolved from all his sins . The one cometh empty , but goeth away full , the other cometh full , but goeth away empty . He hath filled the hungry with good things , and the rich he hath sent empty away , ( saith Mary in her Song ) Luke 1. 53. Great comfort to all truly penitent , humbled , broken hearted , self-condemning sinners . For such as you it was that Iesus Christ came into the world , to be a Saviour unto you . Only see that you do not judge your selves unworthy of this Salvation , by neglecting of it . How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation ? Heb. 2. 3. much less by rejecting of it , putting it from you . This was that which Paul and Barnabas charged upon the Iews as a high contempt ; that word which had by them been Preached to them , they put it from them , so judging themselves unworthy of everlasting Life , Acts 13. 46. This did they by their rejecting , not receiving of this Doctrine , the Doctrine of Salvation by Christ , thereby shewing themselves to be unworthy of it . And the like do all they , who hearing this faithful saying worthy of all acceptation , this saving Doctrine ; do not receive it , embrace it , bringing it home to themselves , and making a right use of it . Such neglect , such contempt , let every of us beware of , giving unto this Doctrine , this faithful Saying , such acceptation as it is worthy of , even All acceptation . Let that be the word of Exhortation , which give me leave to press with what earnestness I may or can ; we have all of us , as at other times often , so now again heard of this faithful Saying , That Christ Iesus is come into the world to save sinners . This we have received into the Ear , O but suffer we it not to die there , to vanish in the hearing ; but give we unto it ( as I said ) such acceptation , as it is worthy of , even all acceptation , receiving it by all wayes and means . By all wayes ( I say ) , meaning all lawfull and useful wayes . Such are not all the ways wherein this Doctrine is by some received . Let me ( by the way ) give you a hint of one or two of them , giving you withal a Caveat that you do not so receive this Saying . 1. Receive it not by way of doubtful Disputation . In such a way this our Apostle forbiddeth Christians to receive their weak brethren , Rom. 14. 1. Him that is weak in the faith receive you , but not to doubtful Disputations . Not troubling and disquieting them with needlesse and uselesse scruples , with Ambiguities and Perplexities . And in such a way let not us receive Iesus Christ , nor this Doctrine concerning his Coming into the world , by troubling our selves or others with needless and useless Questions , over-eagerly contending about , what cannot certainly be determined . Of these , let me take notice of two or three . 1. Such is that Controversie concerning the time of his coming : When it was that he came into the world , that he was Born , upon what day , or in what week , or in what month ; which , though it hath been by learned Heads , with all possible Industry , searched into , and by some over-eagerly debated ; yet can it not be certainly determined . So , that great Critick passeth his censure upon it , Unius Dei est , non hominis , definire . This is a thing which God alone can do . And our Church , whilest in its Liturgie for several dayes , it still maketh use of the same words , That God gave his Son [ as this day ] to be Born of a pure Virgin : It seemeth to intimate unto us , that though it had appointed a day for the celebrating of the memorial thereof , yet it did not bind us to believe , that that was the precise day of His birth . Which our late Reverend Bishop yieldeth , not to be certainly known . This is a Secret which God hath thought fitting to be concealed from us ( upon what account , I will not say : ) And therefore , Be we not overcurious in our enquiries after it . Let it be enough for us ( which we are sure of ) that a time there was ; a time precisely set down , and appointed for his Coming ; and when that fulness of time was come , God sent forth his Son ( as the Apostle tells us , Gal. 4. 4. ) This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a faithful saying , requiring our firm Belief . But so doth not that circumstance of Time ; which being not tanti , of any great concernment , leave we it as we find it , not troubling our selves , or others , about it . 2. And , little better is that which some have made a matter of Debate ; Whether if man had not sinned , Christ should have come into the world . This ( a ) Aquinas , ( and after him Estius ) writing upon the Text taketh notice of . Which he , following the generality of the Fathers and School-men , here and elsewhere , determines Negatively . And so doth our ( b ) Mr. Calvin , therein opposing Osiander , who contended for the Affirmative . And this they do , not without a probable Argument from the Text , which tells us , That Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners . So then , * had there been no sin , there had been no need of his coming . Tolle morbum , & medicinâ non erit opus ( saith the Gloss upon it ) Take away the disease , and there shall be no need of the Physitian , or Medicine . So , take away sin out of the world , and there should have been no need of Christs coming into the world . But this we may well look upon as a Point not worth the debating , inasmuch as it maketh a Supposition contrary to Gods Ordination , according to which all things , that are , come to pass ( as the same * Author well concludes it . ) 3. And such is that other , about the Necessity of Christs coming , Whether it was necessary that he should come , and undertake this work ? Whether some other way might not have been found for the effecting hereof ? A curious and vain enquiry . Sure we are , we could never have found another way . And this is the way which God , in his infinite Wisdom , hath pitched upon . So as there is none other Name under Heaven given among men , whereby we must be saved , ( as St. Peter tells the Iews , Acts 4. 12. ) ; no other way or means appointed by God for our Salvation . And here let us rest . 4. And to these I might add that other Debate about the extent of Christs Death ▪ whether he thereby intended an Universal Redemption . This we know it lately hath been ( I wish it may not still so be ) eagerly contended for by Arminius and his followers . And probably among other Texts of Scripture , they may call forth this for the maintaining of it , where it is said , That Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners . Now such are all men , and therefore Christ came to save all . A needless contest . It is enough that he came , to save all such sinners as we have heard of , all truly penitent sinners ? In this we are all agreed ; and in this let us rest . In such a way , Let us not receive this Saying , this Doctrine ; not by way of doubtful Disputation . Much less ( in the 2d place ) so receive it as to abuse it to our own Destruction . So do some ( as I have hinted already ) and it is to be feared , not a few , who make use of this Doctrine , as a Pillow , to sleep securely upon in the bed of sin . Hearing that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners ; From hence they take liberty to continue in sin . Far be this from us . What shall we say then ? ( saith the Apostle ) shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound ? God forbid , Rom. 6. 1 , 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Let it not be . Far be it from any of us , to give entertainment to such a thought ; thus Spider-like to suck Poyson from this sweetest Flower . This is the readiest way to shut us out from ever receiving any benefit from Christ , who ( as the Text saith ) came into the world to save sinners ; to save them ( as you have heard ) from their sins ; and that from the power , as well as from the guilt and punishment of them . They who are not Saved from the former of these , let them never look to be saved from the latter . In such wayes then , take we heed of receiving this Saying . But ( now to proceed in the Exhortation propounded ) Receive we it in all lawful and useful wayes , yielding it such acceptation as it is worthy of . Having heard it with the outward Ear , now receive we it into the inward Man , into our heads and hearts . Such entertainment we are ready to give to our welcome guests ; we account our best rooms mean enough for them ; we will not suffer them to stand without , or yet admit them only into the Hall , but receive them into the Parlour . Now , behold here the best Guest we can give entertainment to , the Lord Iesus , who came from Heaven upon the welcom est Errand , the procuring of our Salvation ! O suffer him not to stand without , as Iews , and Turks , Pagans and Infidels do ; who being professed enemies to Christ , will give no entertainment to Him ; or yet , as persons grosly & wilfully ignorant , who hear of Him , but regard not to know Him ; to know what he Was , what he hath Done , what he Suffered . Nor yet , think we it enough to let him into the Hall , the outward room of the Soul , which is the mode of meer formal Nominal Christians , who content themselves with a General and Superficial knowledge of this mystery of Godliness ; Let us receive him into the Penetralia , into our inwardmost rooms , setting open all the doors of our Souls , those everlasting doors ( as the Psalmist calls them ) Psal. 24. 7. doors of Eternitie , which is mystically to be understood of the Souls of the faithful . Set we open these Doors that the King of Glory may enter in ; Receiving Iesus Christ and this Doctrine concerning him , ( as I said ) into all the inwardmost rooms of our Souls , into our Understandings , Iudgments , Memories , Wills , Affections ; All which , This Saying is worthy of . 1. Into our Understandings , that we may have a right apprehension of the Doctrine of Christs Incarnation . A Doctrine necessary to be known by all that would have benefit by Him and by his Coming . Rest we not our selves contented then , with such a general knowledg as I spake of , to know that Christ is come into the world ; but seek after a clear and distinct knowledg of this mystery , to know what that Christ was , how he came , whence he came , whither he came , to what end he came , and for whose sake he came , and how he hath effected the work he came which about . 2. And understanding this , Labour to be throughly convinced of the truth hereof ; so receiving this Truth into our Iudgments looking upon it as a Faithful Saying , yielding a full and firm assent and consent unto it . Not entertaining any doubtful hesitations concerning it . All which our Apostle here maketh it his design to expectorate , and drive out of the hearts of Christians , holding forth this unto them as a most infallible Doctrine , laying it as a sure foundation , which they may safely build upon . And so do we , taking this for an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a Principle of our Religion , the truth whereof is not to be questioned ; Every of us labour thus to get our hearts established in the belief hereof . 3. Thus receiving it into our Understandings and Iudgments , Receive we it also into our Memories , lodging and laying it up there as a most precious Treasure of inestimable value , and singular use . Remember it , and make use of it as occasion shall be offered . Holding it forth as a Buckler , for the repelling of those fiery Darts , those Satanical Temptations , which he is ready to inject , for the disquieting and troubling the Souls of poor sinners with the apprehension of their sins , The Quantitie and Qualitie , the Multitude and Magnitude , the Number and Nature of them , which being let into the Soul without a Divine support , may be enough to sinck it into the Gulph of Desperation . Against all these , oppose we this faithful Saying ; Remember the Consolation it holdeth forth , That Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners . A true Catholicon , a Soveraign Cordial , proper for what ever Faintings the Soul may be subject to . 4. Thus lodging it in our Memories , Receive we it also into our Wills and Affections , imbracing it , resting upon it , rejoycing in it , and being thankful for it . 1. Imbracing it , as the most acceptable , the most welcome Tidings that ever were brought unto the world . Had not Iesus Christ come into the world , better we had never come into it . Were it not for the Sun , what were the world but a Dungeon ? And were it not for this Sun of Righteousness , which is risen upon earth , we must have sate in darkness to all Eternitie . His coming is our reviving . Even as the coming of the Sun in the Spring time is unto Hearbs and Plants , which before were seemingly dead ; such is the coming of Jesus Christ unto us , who , without Him , were in a state of Death , really dead . How welcome then should the tidings hereof be unto us ? How ready should we receive this Doctrine ? O , were this Doctrine to be Preached to the Spirits in Prison , to the Divels and Damned Souls in Hell , That Jesus Christ was come to save them , how welcome would it be unto them ? And why not unto us , who , were it not for this Coming , should erelong be in their condition ? 2. And thus imbracing it , now rest upon it ; making it the sheat-Anchor of our Souls hope , riding by it in all storms , flying unto Iesus Christ , receiving him as our Saviour , clasping him in the arms of our Faith , resting upon him for Salvation . This is true justifying saving faith ; not barely to believe him , to believe that Christ is come into the world , but to believe in Him , and on Him. God so loved the world , that he gave his only begotten Son , that whosoever believeth on him , should not perish , Joh. 3. 16. He that believeth on him , is not condemned . Vers. 18. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life ; Vers. 36. Still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in eum , in him , on him . As for believing him , this is no more than the Divels do . I know thee who thou art , the Holy one of God , ( saith that unclean Spirit ) Mark 1. 24. Will we have any benefit by him , see that we believe on him ; receiving him as our Saviour , casting our Souls upon the all sufficiency of his Merit , there resting for the pardon of all our sins , and the Salvation of our Souls . 3. And thus resting upon him , now rejoyce in him , in this his Coming . Rejoyce greatly , O Daughter of Sion , shout for Ioy , O Daughter of Ierusalem , behold thy King cometh unto th●… he is Iust , and having Salvation , ( saith the Prophet Zacharie to the Church ) Zach. 9. 9. This coming of Christ in the Flesh is a matter of great Joy ( as you have heard . ) And so let it be entertained by us . Rejoyce we in this our King and Saviour . Rejoycing not with a carnal and sensual joy ( such as that joy is wherewith the memory of this great benefit is by some , and too many , celebrated at this Season of the year : ) but a spiritual joy , sutable to the benefit which he came to procure for us , which is spiritual and eternal Salvation . In the apprehension hereof , let all true Believers , who have received Christ into their hearts , exsult and rejoyce ; rejoycing in this their God and Saviour ( as Mary saith she did , Luke 1. 47. ) joyning in consort with that multitude which , attending upon him in his Coming to Ierusalem , cryed , saying , Hosannah to the Son of David , Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord , Hosannah in the Highest ! Mat. 21. 9. 4. And thus rejoycing in it , Be we thankful for it , really thankful ; studying how to express our gratitude for so great a Favour . Not by letting loose the raines to all kind of licentiousness ; which hath been , and I fear still is , the practice of too many , who at this Season of the year , take greater liberty to abuse the Creatures of God , and to waste , and mis-spend their precious time , in vain , if not sinful , Recreation●… and Disports , than at any other times ; as if the end of Christs coming had been , not to bind Satan , but to let him loose ; not to save sinners from their sins , but to indulge them in them . Not so ; but by endeavouring to walk answerably to so great a favour , so as becometh the redeemed of the Lord. All of us taking out and practising that Lesson , which our Apostle telleth us , this Grace of God teacheth us , Tit. 2. 11. The Grace of God which bringeth Salvation , hath appeared to all men , ( this saving Grace of God , in sending his Son upon this Errand , which hath now under the Gospel appeared to all men , not only Jews , but Gentiles ) teaching us , that , denying ungodliness and worldly lusts , we should live soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world . To this end it was , ( as you have heard ) That Christ came into the world to save sinners , to save them from their sins , from the power as well as from the guilt of them ; to redeem them from all iniquity ; Who gave himself for us , that he might redeem us from all iniquity , and purifie unto himself a peculiar people , zealous of good works , ( as we have it ) Tit. 2. 14. that , being delivered out of the hands of all our enemies , ( our Spiritual enemies , Sin , Satan , Hell , Death ) we might serve him without fear , in holiness and righteousness , before him , all the dayes of our life , ( as Zacharias hath it in his Song ) Luk. 1. 74 , 75. And thus have I now done with the former part of the Text , the Doctrine as it is here both commended and propounded . Now pass we to the latter , the Application which the Apostle here maketh of this Doctrine to himself . This is a faithful saying , and worthy of all acceptation , that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners , [ of whom I am chief . ] The Second Part. Here have we that which my eye was chiefly upon , when I now took this Text in hand ; wherein our Apostle bringeth home this general Truth , which he had before propounded and commended , to himself , by a particular Application . Therein * ( as Aretius well observes ) setting us a Patern for our Imitation , teaching us what use we are to make of the Scriptures , and of all the sayings therein conteined . And specially of those saving Truths , which there we meet with . Not contenting our selves with a general notion of them , but bringing them home to our selves , making them our own , by such a special and particular Application . Without this , the most saving Truths will not be saving to us . A Medicine , though never so Soveraign a Plaister , though never so Sanative , yet if onely looked upon , and so layed aside , if not taken down , if not applied , in an ordinary way it will do the Patient no good . The most saving Truths , the most cordial and comfortable promises in the Book of God , if not brought home to a man's self , will be of no avail to him . It is the Application of these Truths , these faithful Sayings , that maketh them effectual . Particular Persons , receive no benefit from general Doctrines , without such a particular Application . This use then make we of all those Truths , which we meet withal in the Book of God. The Instructions , Counsels , Threatnings , Promises , which are there held forth ; suffer we them not to lie by us , think it not enough to read them , or hear of them , and to yield a general assent to them , but bring them home , make them our own . So doth our Apostle here in the Text , having held forth this Doctrine unto others , of Christs coming into the world to save sinners , he reflects upon what he had said , bringing it home to himself , ranking himself in the list , yea in the forefront of those sinners , whom Christ came to save . Of whom I am chief , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Quorum Primus ego sum , Of whom I am First . The First ? What then , was Paul the first of sinners ? were there not others before him ? Surely yea , Quot homines tot peccatores , so many men as there had been , so many sinners . The first man , and the first woman , they were the first sinners . How then saith Paul here , that he was the first ? In Answer to this , Aquinas here tells us of certain Hereticks , who dreaming of a Pythagorical Metempsuchosis , a transmigration , a flitting of Souls out of one body into another , they conceived that the Soul of Adam , the first man , might be transmitted into Pauls body , and so upon that accompt , he might say of himself , that he was the first sinner , having in himself the Soul of the first man. But this is but a Dream and so we leave it , which ( if need were ) might be sufficiently confuted ( as that Author observes ) from that one Text of the Apostle , Rom. 9. 11. where speaking of Children not born , he describeth them to be such as had neither done good nor evil . So then , the Soul is not before the Body . But letting that go . More genuinely . Paul saith here of himself , that he was the first of sinners ; Primus non tempore , sed magnitudine , ( so the Author aforesaid , and diverse others , after Augustine , rightly resolve it : ) the first not in time , not in order , but in respect of the magnitude and greatness of his sinnes . So are we here to understand the word ( as often elswhere ; ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the first , that is , the greatest , the chief of sinners , ( as our Translation hath it ) Of whom I am chief . But , so looking upon it , the Question is yet unresolved . For , how saith the Apostle this ? or how could he say it of himself , that he was the chief of sinners ? What , were there not others , who had been , ( or were ) as great , or greater sinners than he ? How then saith he , that he was the chief ? To this it is answered by some , and diverse ; This he speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Hyperbolically , out of his great modesty and Humility , so thinking , and so speaking of himself . And so looking upon it , Let him herein again be propounded as a pattern for the imitation of all Christians ; teaching them how to think , & how to speak of themselves , meanly , lowly , preferring others before themselves . So runs this our Apostles direction , Phil. 2. 3. In lowliness of mind , let each esteem other better than himself . Ita jussit , ita gessit . This he would have others do ; and this , Himself here doth ; so not only giving us a Rule , but setting us a Pattern . Paul , what he was the Churches of God well know ; a Chosen Vessel , an eminent Saint , an eminent Apostle ; one of the choisest Instruments that ever Christ made use of ; eminent for Gifts , eminent for Graces ; yet he , when he cometh to speak of himself , how doth he undervalue himself ? Sometimes professing , and acknowledging himself to be the meanest of the Apostles , and not worthy of that Honour . I am the least of the Apostles , that am not worthy to be called an Apostle ( saith he ) 1 Cor. 15. 9. And sometimes the meanest of Saints . Unto me , who am less than the least of all Saints , is this grace given , Eph. 3. 8. And here he acknowledgeth himself to be the chief of sinners . Thus speaking of his Gifts and Graces , he thinks he cannot speak too meanly of them ; but speaking of his sins , he thinks he cannot speak too highly of them . He is not more in extenuating the one , then in aggravating the other : Such was his Modesty , such was his Humility . Maximus Doctorum , maximus peccatorum . Though he was an Apostle , a great Apostle ; yea , without disparagement to any , inferiour to none , ( which we find him elsewhere standing upon ) being by his Adversaries put upon it , to Vindicate his Reputation , he sticks not to equalize himself with the very chiefest Apostle : I suppose ( saith he ) I was not a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles , 2 Cor. 11. 5. And again chap. 12. v. 11. In nothing am I behind the very chiefest Apostles ; meaning Iames , and Iohn , and Peter , ( whose Disciples and Followers diverse then professed themselves to be ) yet here he reckons himself among the chief of sinners , nay , of sinners The Chief . Thus was he ( as Aretius here saith of him ) in peccato maximus , in ministerio minimus , ubique tamen inter homines magnus ; though every where highly esteemed of among men , yet in his own apprehension , the least of Saints , and the greatest of Sinners . In himself nothing . So he there tells his Corinthians in the Text last named ; where , whilst he extolleth his Ministry , he debaseth himself . In nothing am I behind the very chiefest Apostles , though I be nothing . Nothing out of Christ , nothing in himself , of no worth , no value . Such mean thoughts should Christians entertain of themselves , thinking more meanly of themselves , than of others . So doth that wise Agur , Prov. 30. 2. Surely ( saith he ) I am more brutish than any man , and have not the understanding of a man. Agur , a Prophet , divinely inspired , ( as the Verse foregoing there seemeth to intimate , where those Sayings of his , in that Chapter , are called his Prophecy ) a wise and learned man , indued with a great measure , not only of Natural and Moral , but of Divine knowledge ; yet see how he undervalues himself , how meanly he thought of himself . And the like did Asaph , or David ( uncertain whether ) , whom we find confessing to his God , So foolish was I , and ignorant ( saith he ) I was , as a Beast before thee , Psal. 73. 22. And after the same mode did our Apostle here speak of himself , acknowledging himself to be not onely a sinner , or a great sinner , but the chief of sinners . In which Expression , let not any think , or suspect , that he spake of himself otherwise than he meant and thought . It is Mr. Calvines Caveat which he giveth upon it ; Cave ne existimes , modestiae causâ Apostolum mentitum esse ; Far be it from any to entertain a thought , that Paul here should , out of modesty , speak otherwise than he thought and meant . And whilst we do not , nor dare not , censure or suspect him upon any such account , see that we our selves be not at any time guilty of the like . Take heed of such vain , airy , empty complements , as are too common with some , who will speak ( it may be ) meanly of themselves , when as they think nothing less ; haply debasing themselves , that so they may draw the greater and higher commendation from others . Far was this from our Apostle . Certainly , this Confession of his , had not more modesty than sincerity , not more humility than reality in it . What he here acknowledgeth , he did it not with his Tongue , or Pen onely , but with , and from his Heart . A hearty confession it was , ex intimo cordis sensu deprompta , ( as Calvin saith of it ; ) fetched even from the bottom of his Heart , springing from an inward sense and feeling of what he confessed . But if so , the Question will yet run on , How could Paul say and think thus of himself , that he was the chief of Sinners ? When he spake this , he was a Iustified person , having his sins pardoned , and forgiven him ; and this he was assured of . Besides , as he was Iustified , so he was sanctified : How then could he say , that he was the chief of sinners ? Of whom I am chief . To this it is Answered ; Paul here speaks not of what he now was , but of what he had been : Not of what he now was by Grace , but what by Nature , and what by Practise , before such time as the Grace of God met with him . True it was , there was now a great and wonderful change wrought in him ; he was not now the same man that sometime he was . Now I live , ( saith he ) yet no more I , Gal. 2. 20. No longer that Saul which heretofore he was , but much changed , and altered ! So was that other Saul ( King Saul ) of whom we read , how that the Spirit of God coming upon him , ( the spirit of Prophecy ) he was turned to another man , ( as Samuel tells him it should be done to him , 1 Sam. 10. 6. ) And so was this Saul much more , whose name was altered from Saul to Paul ; giving him , and others , to take notice , that he was now turned to another man , wonderfully changed from what he was . Such a change there was in him , in respect of his quality and condition . He who was a sinner , a great sinner , was now a Saint . He who was a Persecuter , was now a Preacher , an Apostle . But this was the work of Grace in him . So himself looked upon it ; By the grace of God I am that I am , ( saith he ) 1 Cor. 15. 10. That he was Called , Justified , Sanctified , that he was a Preacher , an Apostle , this he ascribeth all to Free Grace ; not to any thing in himself , nor to any thing that he had done . Of himself he was a sinner , a great sinner : and such he should still have continued , had not the Grace of God met with him , & wrought such a change in him . So that here , reflecting upon his former condition , looking upon himself as he was before his Conversion , he maketh this free and ingenuous confession and acknowledgement , That he was a great Sinner , I , the chief of Sinners . Q. Why , but yet how could he say this of himself , that he was then the chief of sinners ? Look upon him before his Conversion , and see what we can find in him that should deserve so severe a Censure : What ? was Paul , ( or Saul , for that was then his Name ) then a Debauched , Scandalous , Prophane , Impious Person ? Not so ; his Life and Conversation was not tainted with any foul Vice , or sinful Enormity . No , clean otherwise ; his life was then unblamaeble , nay very strict and regular ; He had then a respect to the Law of his God ; yea , a more than ordinary Respect , being zealous for it , a zealous Professour , and a zealous Practiser of it . And that not only for the Ceremonial part of it , wherein ( as he tells his Galatians ) he was a great proficient , beyond others of his time : Ye have heard ( saith he ) of my Conversation in time past , how I profited in the Iews Religion , above many of my equals in my own Nation , being more exceedingly zealous of the Traditions of my Fathers , Gal. 1. 14. But also for the Moral part , ordering his Life and Conversation according to that Rule , walking regularly , and unblameably . So much he tells his Philippians , chap. 3. v. 6. Touching the Righteousness which is in the Law , blameless . Such he then was , a man of an innocent and blameless life & Conversation . And not only so , but endued also with many excellent Moral Vertues , as Justice , Temperance , &c. And what ? he the chief of sinners ? a man so ordered , so tempered , so qualified ? To this , Calvin and some others , retur●… Answer well . He was then indeed a friend , a great friend then to the Law , but an enemy to the Gospel ; standing for the one , but opposing the other ; zealous for Moses , but as zealous against Christ ; an Unbeliever , a Persecuter , not imbracing but rejecting this excellent Doctrine , which here he speaketh of , the Doctrine of the Gospel , the Doctrine of Salvation by Iesus Christ. He was then , one of those Antichrists which St. Iohn speaketh of , 1 Ioh. 4. 3. & 2. v. 7. Denying Christ to be come in the flesh . Not receiving him , not believing on him , but blaspheming him in his Person , and persecuting him in his Members , in all that professed his Name . So we have it recorded , Acts 8. where the Story tells us , how he being then called , Saul consented to Stephen's death , vers . 1. and how he made havock of the Church , entring into every house , and , haling men and women , committed them to prison . And after , chap. 9. v. 1 , 2. breathing out Threatnings and Slaughter , against the Disciples of the Lord , he went unto the high Priest , and desired of him letters , that if he found any of this way , whether they were men or women , he might bring them bound to Ierusalem . Such was his zeal then against Christ , and against the Doctrine of the Gospel , and all the true professors of it . And this was the sin which here he chargeth so heavily upon himself , as the chiefest of sins , making him the chief of sinners . This it was that made him think so meanly , so vilely of himself as he did , to account himself the least of the Apostles , not worthy to be an Apostle , Because ( saith he ) I persecuted the Church of God , 1 Cor. 15. 9. And so here to call himself the chief of sinners , in as much as he had been ( as he declares in the verse next but one before the Text , vers . 13. ) a Blasphemer , a Persecuter , Injurious . Thus it was . Nemo acrior inter Persecutores , ergo nemo pejor inter peccatores , ( as Augustine hath it ) . Among all the Persecutors of his time , none more fierce , more eager than he ; and therefore among all sinners , none greater than he . So it is , Among all sins , there is none greater than the sin of Infidelitie . This is Calvins observation , which he from hence taketh up , and not without ground . This is the sin , that bringeth upon a man the greatest guilt , and maketh him one of the greatest sinners , even the sin of Infidelitie ; specially when it is accompanied with obstinacie , and contumacie , and pertinacie 〈◊〉 as Paul's sin here was ) : now there is no sin like this sin , this sin against the Gospel . Sins against the Law may be great sins , some of them greater than other , some crying sins , of a heinous and horrid nature : But none of them like this sin against the Gospel , Infidelitie , when it is ( as I said ) accompanied with obstinacy ; when men will not receive Christ , being offered and tendred unto them , but reject him , and will not believe on him . This is The sin . When the comforter shall come ( saith our Saviour to his Apostles ) , he shall reprove the world of Sin , of Righteousness , and of Iudgment : Of sin , because they believe not on me , Joh. 16. 8 , 9. Intimating this to be the sin , the greatest sin that shall lie most heavy upon the world . No sin like this sin . If I had not come and spoken unto them , they had not had sin , ( saith he of the Iews , in the Chapter foregoing ) Ioh. 15. 22. Had not Christ come unto them , and made himself known to them , they had had no sin comparatively , not so great sin to answer for , as now they had . This is the condemning sin . This is the condemnation , that light is come into the world , and men loved darkness rather than light , Joh. 3. 19. Iesus Christ , who was the true Light , being clearly revealed , as he is , under the Gospel , the not receiving , but rejecting of him , This is the condemning sin , laying those that are guilty of it , under the just sentence of Cond●…nation . He that believeth not , is condemned already , ( saith the verse there foregoing , verse 18. ) . He is so , being layed under the sentence of Condemnation , as for his other sins , Original and Actual , so in special for this , his not believing . No sin like obstinate Infidelitie ; when men shall shut their eyes against the Light , will not receive Christ , and the Doctrine of Salvation by him , but oppose it , and according to their power persecute it . This was Pauls sin , and it was such a sin as weighed down all his legal Righteousness , making him , in his own estimation and account , the worst , the vilest , the greatest , the chief of Sinners . Which let it be taken notice of , and seriously considered ; and that , As by all of us , that we may be convinced of the greatness of this sin , this sin of Infidelity , whereof there is none of us , but in some degree or other stand guilty : So in special , 1. By meer civil Persons , who look after nothing but the Righteousness of the Law. So they may but approve themselvs legally , and morally righteous as to the world , they regard not that Evangelical Righteousness , whereby they may come to stand righteous before God : So long as they do but yield an outward obedience to the Law , they regard not the obedience of Faith. Whilest they are just , and sober , and temperate , and chaste , innocent , and harmless in their lives , they think that shall pl●… for them , that shall justifie them . So did that Young man in the Gospel , who , when our Saviour had repeated to him the duties of the second Table , Thou shalt do no Murder , Thou shalt not commit Adultery , &c. He presently replyeth , All these things have I kept from my youth up , Mat. 19. 20. Having yielded an external obedience to what the Law required , he thought this was sufficient for his Justification and Salvation . And so do many others . But alas ! herein how far are they deceived ? All this may a man do , and yet for all that , be among the chiefest of Sinners . An instance whereof we have in the Text. Paul was ( as you have heard ) an exact Walker , a strict observer of the Law , blameless in his Life and Conversation ; and yet for all that the chief of sinners . Which , I beseech you , to take notice of , who build your hopes of Salvation upon the sandy foundation of your own Righteousness , your good Doings , your good Meanings ; you are not as other men , ( as that Pharisee in the Temple said of himself , thanking God for it , God , I thank thee , that I am not as other men are , Extortioners , Unjust , Adulterers , &c. Luke 18. 11. ) you are not tainted and polluted with the crying sinns of the Times ; you are no Drunkards , no Swearers , no Unclean or Unrighteous persons ; your Lives are Blameless , and your Conversations Harm●… ; and you do ( it may be ) some , and many good Duties , as giving of Almes , &c. And therefore you hope it shall go well with you , that God will own , and accept you as righteous . Alas , for all this you may be sinners , and great sinners still : I , and such you are , if you refuse to yield obedience to the command of the Gospel . The Gospel-Commandement is the great Commandement . This is His Commandement , That we should believe on the Name of his Son , Iesus Christ , 1 John 3. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , The Commandement , that Commandement which Christians ought to have a respect to in the first place . And Obedience to this Command , is the most acceptable obedience . Paul telleth his Romans , that he had received Grace , and Apostleship ( i. e. the gift of being an Apostle ) for the obedience of the Faith , Rom. 1. 5. that he might be an instrument to bring the Gentiles to yield obedience to the doctrine of Faith , the Gospel . Not to yield obedience hereunto , is the greatest disobedience . This is that which he chargeth upon the Iews , that they had not obeyed the Gospel , Rom. 10. 16. Many of them had obeyed the Law , seeking Righteousness by their Conformity thereunto ; They followed after the Law of Righteousness , ( as he saith of them in the chapter foregoing , ver . 31. ) seeking righteousness by their obedience to the Law. But they had not obeyed the Gospel . And this he chargeth upon them as ●…he highest Contempt , the greatest Disobedience ; that they , going about to set up , and establish their own Righteousness , did not , would not , submit themselves to the Righteousness of God , ( as he tells them , chap. 10. ver . 3. ) that is , to seek Justification in Gods way ; that way which he had laid out for them , viz. by receiving Christ , and Believing on him . And is not this the case of some , and I fear too many among us ? ( Pardon me if I take liberty a little to insist upon this so needfull a point . ) All their care is to hear what Moses saith unto them , to yeild obedidience to the Law ; whilst in the mean time they listen not to the Voice of Christ , the Voice of the Gospel ; they regard not the obedience of Faith , but trample upon Christ , and the doctrine of Salvation by him ; not receiving , not embracing it , not laying hold upon it , not seeking Justification and Salvation by it . Now as for all such , let them know that it is not all their legal Righteousness , that shall be able to justifie them before God. Before men it may , ( in which sense St. Iames tells us of a Iustification by works , Jam. 2. ) but before God it cannot , it shall not . Having no other Righteousness but this , they shall still stand as Sinners before him ; yea , as great sinners . In this rank ( continuing in this their Infidelity ) they will be found at that great Day . The wicked servant in ●…e Gospel , is said to have his portion appointed him with unbelievers , Luke 12. 46. intimating such to be the chief of Sinners . Such they will be found at that great day . No sin will then be more deeply censured than this . Then will it be as easie , nay , more easie , for Pagans and Painims , who never heard of Christ , than for unbelieving Christians , who reject Christ , and trample this precious pearl of the Gospel under their feet . Here is the first sort whom I would have to take notice of this Doctrine ; meer Civil persons . 2. And to these , joyn we such vain-glorious Hypocrites , as make a shew of Religion , being zealous for the outside , the Ceremonial part of it , ( as Paul was of the Traditions of his Fathers . ) None more observant of external Formalities than they . In the worship and service of God , Who seemingly more Devout than they ? yet in the mean time , they are no true friends to Jesus Christ , having no inward acquaintance with him . 3. But what shall we then say to those that are Enemies to him ? not only not receiving him into their Hearts , but opposing him ; yea , and according to their power Persecuting him , and his . This was Pauls case ( as you have heard whilest he was Zealous for the Ceremonies of the Law , he was an imbittered enemy against Christ , a Blasphemer , a Persecuter , speaking evil of the Way of Christ , and persecuting all that he found of that Way . And for this , he here censures , and condemns himself to be the chief of Sinners . Who ever they are , that in any degree stand guilty in the like kind , let them take it home to themselves ; so as , being convinced of the greatness of this their sin , they may come to judg themselves for it ( as he did ) , and so by judging and condemning of themselves , they may prevent the Lords Judgment ; and obtain Mercy , as he also did . Thus you see , whereupon it was the Apostle passeth this Censure upon himself , confessing and acknowledging , that he was the chief of sinners . Why , but it may be alledged , that , what Paul herein did , he did it ignorantly . So much he himself asserts in the verse next but one before the Text , vers . 13. I was so and so , But ( saith he ) I did it ignorantly ; not intending any evil , nor suspecting that what he did was evil ; only he was carried on with a blind inconsiderate zeal , thinking that he did God good service in that which he did . So he tells Agrippa , Acts 26. 9. I verily thought with my self , that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Iesus of Nazareth . And might not this have pleaded an excuse for him ? A. Not so : Ignorance , however in some cases it may extenuate the sin , yet can it not acquit the sinner . Especially , where it is ( as it is called ) Ignorantia vincibilis , a vincible ignorance ; when a man hath means whereby he may come to the knowledg of the Truth . Such was Pauls ignorance , he might have known that Iesus Christ was the true Messiah . This he might have learned from the Prophets and Apostles , as also from those works which did sufficiently testifie of him , the Miracles which were wrought by him , and by his Apostles , for the confirming of that Doctrine which was by him Preached : So as his ignorance of this Truth was in it self culpable and inexcuseable ; and consequently , could not excuse this sin of his , in opposing the Truth of God , in Persecuting Christ in his Members , as he did . Notwithstanding this , yet was he in so doing a sinner , a great sinner , the chief of sinners . Which let it be taken notice of , by such who are ready under such a pretence , to palliate and excuse the like sins in themselves . What they did , they did it ignorantly , or they did it out of a good intention , though rashly and unadvisedly , &c. And therefore they think this shall excuse them before God and men . Not so . Before men , haply it may , but not so before God. For all this , they are sinners still . Ignorance may excuse à tanto , but not à toto ; in part , but not in whole . Sins of ignorance , are sins still . The Apostle tells us , how the high Priest under the Law , offered Sacrifices for the errours of the people , Heb. 9. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , super ignorantiis , ( as Eras●…us , and the vulgar Latine render it ) for their ignorances , their sense of Ignorance . And therefore let not any think that this plea will hold good at the bar of Gods Justice , if they shall come to be tried there . True it is , it may make them more capable of Pardon , upon their suing it out , ( as Paul there saith of himself , that he obtained Mercy , because he did what he did , Ignorantly , v. 13. ) : but it cannot acquit , and discharge them of the Sin. Paul was still a Sinner ; I , in his own apprehension , the chief of Sinners . But the Knot is not yet untied , the point not fully cleared . Paul was a sinner , a great sinner , let that be granted ; yet how was he the chief of sinners ? Were there not others as great , if not greater than he ? What , had there not been many that had been guilty in the very same kind before him ? having as great a hand in opposing and persecuting of Christ , as ever he had ? What say we to Herod , who sought to murder Christ in his Cradle , upon which account ( to make sure of him ) he caused all the children in Bethleem , and the coasts thereof , from two years old and under , to be slain , Mat. 2. 16 ? And so to those others , ( probably his Instruments ) who are there said to have sought the young childs life , vers . 20. And what say we to the chief Priests and Scribes , of whom we read , that they sought how they might kill him , Luk. 22. 2 ? And what to Iudas , who ( as it there followeth ) communed and bargained with them for a sum of mony , to betray that his Lord and Master into their hands ; which being ingaged in , he sought opportunitie to do , v. 4. 6. and afterwards did it ? And what say we to Herod and Pilate , who had a hand in condemning him ? And what to the Iews , who used him so inhumanely and barbarously as they did , putting a Crown of Thorns upon his head , reviling and spitting upon him , buffeting him , and afterwards Crucifying him ? which , however some of them did it ignorantly , ( as our Saviour , making the most charitable construction of it , saith of them , Father forgive them , for they know not what they do , Luk. 23. 34. ) yet , can it not be so thought of all : Some of them doing what they did out of implacable malice . And what , were not these as great , nay greater sinners than Paul was ? who did what he did ignorantly . How is it then , that he here chargeth himself so deeply , that he was the chief of sinners ? To this , I find diverse Answers returned . Some ( in the first place ) look upon Pauls sin as more general , rea●…hing further than theirs did . Iudas his sin in betraying , and theirs in Condemning and Crucifying of Christ , it was more particular , extending only to his Person ; but Paul's , reaching to the whole Church . Others ( in the second place ) conceive that Paul might be more zealous , more active and stirring , more fierce than any of them . Besides ( thirdly ) he had more light , at least , greater means of knowledg then the most of them . But ( as Aquinas notes upon it ) all these will not resolve the doubt , in asmuch as Pauls sin was still a sin of ignorance , but some of theirs of malice . Aquinas himself therefore ( in the Second place ) he would evade it thus . Paul here calleth himself the chief of Sinners ; that is , ( saith he ) not of All sinners , but of Saved sinners . Of such it is that he here speaketh . Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners , of whom ( of which saved sinners ) I am chief . As for Iudas , and Herod , and Pilate , and other of the malicious Iewes , they had not found the like Mercy that he had done . They were sinners , but damned sinners , not saved by Christ. Now of all such ( saith he ) Paul here reckons himself the chief . But neither can this be looked upon as satisfactory ; in as much it layeth too great a restraint upon the words of the Text , which must be understood indefinitely , of all sinners . Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners ; tendring , and offering Salvation unto all . And of all these sinners Paul here acknowledgeth himself to be the chief . More genuinely then ( in the Third place ) Paul was the greatest of sinners in his own apprehension : Being best acquainted with his own sins , and most sensible of them : Peccata mea certius scio , & gravius pondero ( saith Carthusian well ) , He did more certainly know , and more sensibly feel his own sins , than the sins of others . 1. More certainly know them . As for the sins of others , he looked upon them at a distance , a far off , knowing them onely by Hear-say ; In the mean time , not knowing all the circumstances accompanying them , which might either aggravate , or extenuate them . But for his own sins , these he was well acquainted with , his eyes being fully opened , and having a great measure of Light , which breaking forth into his Soul , he had now a full discovery of them , so as he was powerfully , and thorowly convinced of them : hereby he was made throrowly acquainted , as with the Streams , so with the Fountain ; as with the several Acts of sinne which he had perpetrated , and committed , so with the fountain of corruption from whence they Issued : And both these he took notice of in himself , which he could not do in others . As for the outward acts of sinne in others , these he might either see , or hear of ; but as for the fountain of Corruption , that mass and body of sin in them , that he could not be privy to . Thus was he better acquainted with himself , than with others ; and with his own sins , than theirs : having a more clear , and full sight of the one , than of the other . So he had , whilest ( as I said ) he beheld the one near hand , the other afar off . Now things which we behold near hand , we behold them in their full proportion , whereas things seen at a distance ▪ seem much less than they are . As a Hawk flying a high pitch , her shape is lessened , being seemingly far less than when she was upon the Fist , or Pearch . Whereas the Moon , though one of the least of Stars , yet seemeth far to exceed them in Magnitude , because not so remote , but nearer to the Earth than they . So was it with Paul's sins ; they were nearer to his eye , than the sins of others , and therefore seem'd greater to him , than the sins of any other . Besides , they were set off ( as I may say ) by the greatness of that Grace and Mercy which he had tasted of . Contraries , they do mutually illustrate each other , as that common Maxim tells us , Contraria juxtà ●…e posita magis elucescunt . White and Black being set together , make each other appear the more . And surely Paul having obtained Mercy , tasted of those exceeding riches of Grace , which God had shewn to him in his kindness towards him in Christ Iesus , in the Pardoning and Forgiving of his sins , & receiving him into so great Favour ; this made his sins to appear unto him so much the more sinful . Even as it is with a Traytor having plotted Treason against his Prince , against his Person or Government , and being Convicted of it ▪ and condemned for it , if his Prince out of his special Grace shall please , not only to pardon his Crime , but to receive him into Grace and Favour , admitting him to some place of trust and nearness about his Person : certainly , if there be any ingenuitie in such a person , this cannot but make him see the foulness of his Errour , and make the Treason seem more horrid unto him , than ever the Rigour of the Law , if Executed upon him , would have done . Thus was it with this our Apostle . Paul had taken up Arms against Christ , and against his Church , shewing himself a Rebel , an enemie to his Person and Government , exercising all the Acts of Hostility that he could upon his Subjects , and that for his cause , whom he thus Maligned , that he would even have pulled Him out of his Throne , if his power would have reached unto it . Now , this sin Christ pardoneth unto him , giving him his Pardon under Seal , assuring him of it . And not only so , but he receiveth him , into special Grace and Favour with himself , entertaining him as a Servant , a Servant by Office , admitts him to a place of near attendance , preferring him to the highest Office in his Court , to be an Apostle , a chief Apostle , conferring many great and signal Favours upon him : No wonder then , that he having now a true spirit of Ingenuitie in him , ( such is the Spirit of God ) should look upon his former course as most vile , most sinful , and that he should thus deeply charge himself to be the chief of sinners . The Story tells us of Peter , how , when at his Masters Command , after so long labour in vain , having ( as he saith ) toyled all the night and taken nothing ; he had again cast in his Net , and thereupon , haled such a wonderful draught of Fishes ; hereupon beholding the Power of Christ , who hereby shewed that he had all the Fishes of the Sea at his command ; When he saw it , he fell down at his knees , ( saith the Text ) saying , Depart from me , for I am a sinful man , O Lord , Luk. 5. 8. Peter was a sinful man before , and he knew himself so to be . But now , beholding the Power and Soveraignty of his Lord and Master , thus wonderfully manifested , this makes him reflect the more upon himself ; and so wrought in him , a greater , a deeper apprehension of his own vileness , his own sinfulness . And thus was it with this our Apostle St. Paul. Having had greater experience , as of the Power , so of the Grace and Mercy of Christ , than others , in pulling him as a firebrand out of the flames , in working so great a change in him , this maketh him to reflect the more strongly upon his former course , and breeds in him a deeper apprehension of the heinous and horrid nature of his former Practises , causing him to charge himself so home as here he doth , to accuse and condemn himself as the chief of sinners . Thus , he saw his own sinfulness , more than the sinfulness of others , being better acquainted with his own sins , then with the sins of others . 2. And again , as he saw them , so he felt them . As for the sins of others , he might see them , or hear of them , but he could not feel them . His own he both saw and felt . Seeing the foul and horrid nature of them , he also felt the weight and burden of them , which he did not of others . And this again , made him think his sins greater than the sins of any other . Cuique gravissimum suum onus , ( saith Aretius upon it ) . Every one thinks his own burden heaviest , which he carries upon his own shoulders ; his own Affliction , the soarest and greatest . Behold , and see , if there be any sorrow like my sorrow which is done unto me , wherewith the Lord hath Afflicted me , ( saith the Church ) Lam. 1. 12. A man that is pained in the head , or teeth , or eyes , ( as à Lapide illustrates it ) he is ready to say , and think , that there is no pain like his pain . And he giveth this reason for it , Because he knoweth his own pain by sense and experience , and others , only by speculation and report . He heareth of the one , but he feeleth the other ; and so he is most sensible of his own . Even thus was it with the blessed Apostle here . He had without question , heard of the sins of others , and he saw them to be great sins ; I , but he feeleth his own . He had felt the burden of his former sins , and he still felt the weight of that body of sin , which he yet carried about with him . And this it was that made him thus to think , and thus to speak of himself , as the greatest , the chiefest of sinners . Behold here then , the true disposition of a gracious Soul , a Character of a truly penitent sinner , He is frequent in remembring , forward in acknowledging , and se●…ere in censuring of his own sins . All these we see in this chosen Vessel , this blessed Apostle here in the Text , who having occasion to make mention of sinners , he presently reflects upon himself , calling to remembrance his own sins ; and remembring them , he acknowledgeth them ; and acknowledging them , he censures them and himself for them , and that most severely ; confessing and professing himself to be not only one of that number , a sinner , but one of the chief of them , a great sinner , nay the greatest , the chief of sinners . And the like disposition shall we find in every truly gracious Soul , every true penitent sinner . Haveing tasted of the Grace of God in the pardon of his sins , and in changing and renewing of him , he is ever after a frequent Remembrancer , an ingenuous Confessor , a severe Censurer of his own Sins . An Observation , which ( as you see ) , is Tripartite , made up of three distinct Branches ; every of which , will yield us some fruit worth the gathering . That I may not grasp too much at once , I shall single them forth one by one , insisting upon each severally , and that , both by way of Doctrine and Application . Begin with the first . A gracious Soul , is a frequent Remembrancer to its self , frequent in reflecting upon it's own sinful wayes and courses . It is the speech of the Church , Isa. 59. 12. Our Transgressions are with us , and as for our iniquities , we know them . And the like may be said of every truly penitent sinner ; his Transgressions are with him , and as for his Iniquities , he knows them . Taking special notice of them , he is frequent in remembring of them . So was it with the man after God's own heart , holy David , whom we shall find frequently striking upon this string . His sins were ever and anon in his eye , so as he took notice both of the number and nature , the multitude and magnitude of them . Thence are those passionate complaints of his which we meet with , that his Iniquities were gon over his head , Psal. 38. 4. That they were more than the hairs of his head , Psal. 40. 12. Thus did he keep a remembrance of them , even of such sins as were long before committed . So he did of the sins of his youth , which we find him deprecating , earnestly begging of God , that he would not remember them , Remember not the sins of my youth , Psal. 25. 7. thereby shewing , that he himself had not forgotten them , he remembered them . So he did some sins in special , as viz. that foul sin of his in the matter of Uriah ; that sin was never out of his sight . My sin ( saith he , speaking of that sin ) is ever before me , Psal. 51. 3. It was ever in his eye and thought . I , but it may be said : David at this time was in great trouble of mind for that sin . And no wonder then , that he should remember that which he could not forget ; that sin of his , lying so heavy upon his Conscience . And as for his condition at that time , when he complained so of his sinnes , that they were gon over his head , he was then under a great distress , under some soar Affliction , the Arrows of the Almighty stuck fast in him , and his Hand pressed him soar , ( as he complains , Psal. 38. 2. ) And so was it with the Church in the place forecited ; she was at that time in great calamity and distress , lying under the Judgments of God for her sins , ( as she there sets it forth in the verses foregoing , Isa. 59. 9 , 10 , 11. ) Now , no wonder that their sins should be brought to their remembrance at such a time . Iosephs brethren having been for three dayes in ward , then they remembered the evill that they had done to their brother , Gen. 42. 21. And no wonder if the Church , lying under so great Calamity ; and David in so great distress , such affliction of Body and Spirit ; should remember and call to mind their sins . What great matter is this ? Who would not do it at such a time ? In their Affliction , they will seek me early , ( saith the Lord of Rebellious Ephraim and Iudah , the people of Israel ) Hos. 5. verse last . To go further then ; God's Saints have been frequent in remembring their sins , not only whilest God hath set them before them , and made them to possess them , ( as Iob speaketh of himself , Iob 13. 26. Thou writest bitter things against me , and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth , that is , Thou bringest them to my remembrance , by dealing so severely with me . Not only at such times , when their iniquities have took hold of them , so as they have not been able to look up under them , ( as David there saith of himself , Psal. 40. 12. ) But when all things have gone well with them , after such time as they have sued out the pardon of their sins , have been assured of their Reconciliation with God , and so have injoyed a quiet and comfortable condition in all respects : Yet , even then , they have been much in reflecting upon their sins , in calling them to mind upon all occasions . For an instance hereof , we shall need no other then this our Apostle . Paul , upon his Conversion , he had all his sins pardoned , and that Pardon sealed up in his Soul , so as he was fully assured , that all the wrong that he had done unto Christ and to his Church , it was now forgotten in Heaven , and should never be charged upon him . His Cognizance hereof , he expresseth in the verse next but one before the Text , Vers. 13. I was so and so , ( saith he ) but I obteined mercy , ( which he repeats again in the Verse after the Text , Vers. 16. ) that is , to have these , and all other my sins pardoned and forgiven to me . This was Paul now assured of , that God had blotted out all these sins of his , out of the Book of his Remembrance , so as they should never be charged upon him . Yet for all this , he himself cannot forget them . Upon all occasions he reflects upon them , and takes occasion to speak of them . So we may see it in those obvious Texts , Act. 22. 4. chap. 26. 10. 11. 1 Cor. 15. 9. Gal. 1. 13. Ephes. 3. 8. and so here again in this Chapter , as in the 13. verse , so again in this Text , where the mentioning of sinners , causeth him to reflect upon himself , to remember and consider , what a one he was before his Conversion . And thus fareth it with truly penitent sinners , how ever God upon their Repentance , blots their sins out of his own Book , and casts them behind His back , remembring them no more ( as he promiseth , Isa. 43. 25. ) yet doth he not blot them out of their book , the book of their Remembrance , nor cause them to cast them behind their backs . Still They remember them , and cannot forget them . True , ( you may say ) where the sins have been foul , gross , and scandalous sins , heynous and horrid sins ; no wonder now if they stick by a man , and be often brought to his remembrance . Such were Davids sins in the matter of Uriah , Adultery and Murder . And such were Pauls sins in blaspheming of Christ and persecuting his Saints , crying-Sins . No wonder if such sins as these did stick by them , & were ever before them . But this is not the case of all . Some and many there are , who do not stand guilty of any such sins , their lives have been more innocent and blameless , they have been kept from such foul & gross evils . What ? are they also to have such a frequent remembrance of their sins ? Surely , Yes . There being ( in the Ist. place ) few or none but at some time or other , have fallen into some such fins , as they have cause in a special manner , to remember all their dayes . However , ( 2dly ) they have a body of sin in them , which they carry about with them , a mass of corruption , strongly enclining them to evil , which is continually ready to break forth , if it were not by a supernatural power restrained . Besides , ( 3dly ) they have many secret inordinate lusts , which , though they do not break forth into the outward act , yet oft times they have inward workings in the Soul. Now these require a frequent reflecting upon , to be often had in remembrance . So they have been by the Saints of God. Iohn the Baptist , was an holy man , sanctified in his Infancy , as the Angel tells his Father Zacharias of him , Luk. 1. 15. He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost , even from his mothers womb ; Sanctified ( as Ieremie is said to have been , Ier. 1. 5. ) before he came forth of the womb . A Saint from his birth . And such , questionless , he was in his life , holy and blamless , free from grosser evils , yet was not he unmindful of the corruption of his nature , and the errors of his life . So much may be collected from that speech of his , to our Saviour , who tendring himself to his Baptism , Iohn tells him , I have need to be baptised of thee , Mat. 3. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Ego necesse habeo , ( as Beza translates it ) , it is not only expedient , but necessary for me , that I should be baptised of thee . And why so ? why , that by Him he might be washen from all fins , Original and Actual , which he had then in remembrance . But I shall not need to seek for any other instance than this in the Text. This blessed Apostle , he was much exercised and taken up , not onely with the Remembrance of these grosser Sins committed before his Conversion , but even with the Sight and Sense of his present Corruption , and daily Failings . So much we may learn from his own mouth : as elsewhere , so especially in that Seventh of the Romans ; where ( not personating any other , but speaking of himself ) we find him passionately bewailing , and bemoaning his condition ; not in regard of the Evils of his former course , but of his daily Infirmities , his sinful Omissions and Commissions , ver . 15. What I would , that I do not ; but what I hate , that I do : ver . 19. The good that I would , that I do not ; but the evil which I would not , that I do . And so out of the strength of Corruption working in him , and sometimes prevailing against him . I finde ( saith he ) a Law , that when I would do good , evil is present with me , ver . 21. I see a Law in my Members , rebelling against the Law of my Mind , and bringing me into captivity to the law of Sin , which is in my Members . Thus was this precious Saint much taken up , not onely with reflecting upon his former sinnes before Conversion , but with considering his present condition . In the sense and apprehension whereof , he therebreaks forth into that passionate complaint , Ver. 24. O wretched man that I am , Who shall deliver me from the body of this Death ? And so here in the Text , Iesus Christ came into the world to save Sinners , of whom I am chief . Not onely was , but am , a Sinner , a great sinner still . Thus were his sins ever before him ; sins before Conversion , and sins after Conversion . And so is it in measure with every Gracious soul , being truly Penitent for sin ; it cannot forget it , it is frequent in the Remembrance of it . And it cannot be otherwise , the Eyes of such a one being ( in the First place ) throughly opened . The man whose eyes are open ( saith Balaam of himself ) Numb . 24. 3. Meaning either his Bodily eyes , which being closed whilst he was in a Trance , were now opened ; or rather the eyes of his Mind , which were now opened , to behold , and fore-see those future events , which before were hid from him , and others . It may be applied to every true Convert ; Every such a one is a man whose eyes were shut , but now they are open : the eyes of his Understanding being opened , to see the true Nature of Sin , and to see it in himself ; to see the sinfulness of his Nature , and of his Life . 2. And his Understanding being thus Enlightned , his Conscience is withal Awakned , so as That doth the Office , for which it was placed in the Soul , being as a faithful Register , recording and remembring the several Acts of sin . 3. And again , ( Thirdly ) the True Penitent sinner hath been pricked at his heart : As is said of those new Converts , Acts 2. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , They were pricked in their Hearts ; deeply affected with the Sense of those Sins , whereof they were by Peter's Sermon convinced . And so in measure are all true Penitent Sinners . Being convinced of their Sins , they are in like manner affected with grief and sorrow of Heart for them . Now that which goeth near a mans Heart , maketh a deep and firm impression upon the Memory , so as it cannot easily be forgotten . These , and many other Reasons might be given , Why a Regenerate person should be so mindful of his own sins : and that more than the sins of others . The sinnes of others , however they both may , and ought to affect a Christian , upon the seeing , or hearing of them ; yet they come not so near the Heart , they make not so deep an Impression upon the Soul , as a mans own Sinnes do . Thus have I done with the Doctrinal part of this first Branch : Which now , bring we home to our selves , by way of Application . Let that be directed onely two Wayes ; By way of Conviction , By way of Exhortation ▪ 1st . By way of Conviction . Is this the Disposition of a truly Gracious Soul , a true Penitent sinner ? How many then are there , who may from hence be convinced , that they are none of this number , being such , as seldom , or never , reflect upon their own sinfulness ; or , if they do , they do it not in a right way and manner . Of these , I shall reckon up four or five several sorts . 1. Some there are , and many , whose Consciences were never yet awakened , their eyes were never yet opened to see their own sinfulness , the sinfulness of their natures , and errours of their lives . Such a dead sleep hath seised upon them , that nothing will awaken them . Notwithstanding that their sins , being ( it may be ) crying sins , cry loud in their ears ; yet they hear them not . Notwithstanding that the Iudgments of God against those sins , and against them for them , have been by his Ministers thundered out in their ears , enough to shake and rend the most rocky heart ; yet they stir not them . Notwithstanding , that their sins have taken hold upon them , and broke forth upon them in many terrible and remarkable Judgments , pointing out their sins unto them ; yet they affect them not . Still they go on in their way , being stupid and sensless , never brought to consider the state and condition they are in ; never brought to fix a serious thought upon any of their sins , though never so foul , never so open and scandalous . Others see them , the world cryeth shame on them , yet themselves are not at all touched with the sense of them . Such a dead sleep ( as I called it ) is fallen upon them . And well may it so be called . When a man cannot be awakened by hallowing in his ears , by pricking , and pinching , and smiting of him , we conclude he is in a desperate Lethargie , a dead sleep . And is not this the case of many stupid Souls among us ? Word , Threatnings , Iudgments ; Word Pronounced , Threatnings Denounced , Judgments Executed ; yet all stir not them . Still they lie in sin , go on in sin without sense , without remorse , never reflecting upon themselves , upon their hearts or lives , to consider the evil of them . This is that which the Lord complaineth of in the people of Hierusalem , Jer. 8. 6. I hearkened and heard , but they spake not aright , no man repented him of his wickedness , Saying , What have I done ? Every one turned to his course , as the horse rusheth into the Battle . Such was their general securitie and stupiditie ! none of them had any remorse , or touch at all in their Consciences for any of their sins , so far forth , as but to think once seriously with themselves , What it was that they had done ; But like a fierce headstrong horse , which hearing the sound of the Trumpet , and seeing or smelling the Battle a far off , doth with much violence , notwithstanding what his Rider can do to hold him in , in a full Carier make towards it , and rusheth into the midst of it . Such was the eagerness of that people to the pursuit of their sinful wayes and courses . And so is it with too many every where : Whatever can be said or done to them , yet still they will hold on their course , nothing can bring them to a serious consideration of the evil thereof . So far are they from that tenderness of Conscience , which was in this our blessed Apostle , and is to be found in measure in every regenerate person , ( who having tender hearts ( as Iosiah is said to have , 2 Chron. 34. 27. ) the least hint is enough to bring their sins to remembrance ) that nothing will stir , nothing will awaken them . Certainly a fearful state , a desperate condition , a clear evidence , that they are ( as the Apostle saith of his Ephesians before their conversion , Ephes 2. 1. ) dead in trespasses and sins ! 2. A Second sort there are , who have been , and it may be are , in measure awakened , but they labour what they can , to lull themselves a sleep again . God hath , it may be , at some time , upon some occasion , begun to bring their sins to their remembrance and to set them before them . Happily , upon the hearing of some powerful Sermon , upon the feeling or fearing of some terrible Judgment , their consciences have begun to be awakened , and thereupon their sins have begun to stare them in the face . They have been in measure convinced of the evil of their former wayes , and have felt some horror of conscience for them . But hereupon what do they ? why presently do what they can to get their consciences a sleep again ; take all the courses they can to charm their sins , to silence and stay the clamour of them , or to stop their ears against them , that so they may never hear more of them . To this end they even study the Art of Oblivion and Forgetfulness . 1. Shunning , as much as may be , all means that might disquiet their consciences , by bringing their sins to their remembrance . Upon that account declining , as much as they can , a searching , and a Powerful Ministry . A thing , which they can by no means endure . What have I to do with thee , thou man of God ? Art thou come to call my sin to remembrance ? It is the speech of the Widow of Sarepta , speaking in a passion to the Prophet Eliah , 1 King. 17. 18. So it is : the Prophets of God , his Ministers powerfully dispensing the Word , denouncing the Judgment of God , they bring the sins of wicked men to their remembrance , and therefore they cannot away with them . This it was , that made Ahab to decline Micaiahs Ministery and to hate his person ; because ( as he himself giveth the reason of it ) , he did not prophesie good concerning him , but evil , 1 King. 22. 8. He would not flatter , and smooth him up in his sins , ( as the rest of his false Prophets did ) but dealt plainly with him , being to him a faithful Remembrancer , to put him in mind of them . And this it was , that made Faelix so weary of hearing Paul's Sermon , Act. 24. 25. Paul preaching to him of Righteousness , and Temperance , and Iudgement , ( a subject which he liked not to hear of , being conscious to himself of his own flagitious and wicked Life ) put him into a trembling fit , his Conscience beginning to be awakened ; which he could by no means endure . And is not this the case of some , and too many amongst us ? Being desirous to lull their Consciences asleep , and to go on in their sinful ways & courses without disquietment , they thereupon baulk , and , as much as may be , decline the powerful Ministry of the Word ; at least , not enduring that their darling sins should be medled with . I charge you , O ye daughters of Hierusalem , that ye stir not up , nor awake my Love till he please , ( saith the Spouse concerning her Well-beloved ) Cant. 2. 7. And the like charge could some be content to give to the Lords Watchmen , the Ministers of Christ , That they should not stir , or disquiet their Beloved Lusts ; which if they do , they cannot bear , they cannot endure it at their hands . Herod could be content to hear Iohn the Baptist , and in many things he heard him gladly , ( as it is said of him , Mark 6. 20. ) but when he commeth to meddle with his Herodias , telling him ( as he did , ver . 18. ) That it was not lawful for him to have his brother's Wife ; now this must not be endured , Iohn must presently to the Prison , and at Herodias his request have his Head cut off , ( as the Story there sets it forth ) . Such is the Genius of too many every where ( I wish there may be none of them found among you ) , they purposely decline all wayes and means , which might bring their sins to their remembrance . 2. And on the other Hand , they make use of all kind of Opiates ; use all the means they can devise , or think of ; to put and keep their Sins out of their Remembrance . To that end , either with Cain , falling to building of Cities , Gen. 4. 17. they plunge themselves into all kind of Worldly employments ; or with Solomons fool , running into the house of Mirth , Eccles. 7. 4. betake themselves to merry Jovial company , give themselves up to the following of Vain Sports and Recreations ; seeking , by this means , to drive away the Evil spirit of an awakened Conscience , and to drown the noise and clamour of their Sins ; even as those Idolaters are said to have done the cryes of their Children , which they Sacrificed in the Vallie of Hinnom , with the noise of Drums , or other Instruments , ( from whence it had the name of Topheth , coming from the Hebrew word Toph , which signifieth Tympanum , a Tymbrel , or Drum ) . Now these are far from Pauls disposition here in the Text , who was willing to take all occasions to put him in minde of his Sins . A Third sort there are , who have attained what the former desired , and endeavoured ; having been awakened , they are fallen asleep again . Time was , when their Consciences were Pricked , they were convinced of the Evil of their wayes , which had begun to breed some Repenting and Relenting thoughts in them ; but now they are ( as I said ) fallen asleep again , having put away the Remembrance of what they had been for a time somewhat affected with ; so as it hath now hapned to them , according to the Proverb , ( which St. Peter speaketh of , 2 Pet. 2. last ) The Dog is turned to his own Vomit , and the Sow that was washen , to the wallowing in the Mire . They are returned to their former Course , so as now they go on again as securely as ever , forgetting the things that are behind . As Paul saith of himself in a clean contrary sense , in his doing of Good , Forgetting those which are behind , and reaching forth to those things which are before , I press towards the Mark , &c. Phil. 3. 13. Even so is it with them , in acting and committing of Sin , they forget the sins which are Behind , the sins of Youth , and the sins of Riper age , which , it may be , they have been formerly convinced of ; and they press forwards to the making up of the full measure of their Iniquities . A Fourth sort there are , who do , it may be , at sometimes remember their sins , but it is very seldome , and then against their wills . Never but at such times , as when God is pleased to set their Sins before them , making them to possess them , bringing them to their Remembrance , by Writing bitter things against them , inflicting upon them some severe Judgement . Now , it may be , they cast some glances upon their Sins , looking upon them as the fewel that have kindled this Fire . Even as that Widow of Sarepta did in the Text even now cited , 1 Kings 17. 18. Her son being Sick , and the Prophet coming to her , now she remembreth her Sin , which she apprehended might have brought that threatned Judgement upon her and hers : Art thou come unto me ( saith she ) to ▪ call my Sin to Remembrance ? But no sooner is the storm over , but they cast their sins behind their backs again , remembring them no more ; in times of Prosperity , never so much as thinking of them . In this , like some bad Debtors , who never think of what they Owe , but when they are under Arrest , or at least see the Sergeant . To these , yet adde another sort , worse than all the former . They , it may be , do look back , and call their former sins to their remembrance ; but how ? not remembring them as they ought to do ; not looking upon them as Sins , to repent of them , and to be humbled for them , to shame and condemn themselves for them ; but only ( it may be ) as tricks of youth , ( as they call them ) and so making light of them . Nay , it may be , remembring of them to Boast of them , to Glory in them , ( as those Idolaters are said to do of their Idols , Psal. 97. 7. ) or pleasing , and tickling themselves ( as it were ) with the thought and remembrance of those sins , which now they want opportunity , or ability , to act over again . Of all the rest , these are the worst . Now to speak a word or two to all of these , in special to those secure sinners , such as go on in a course of Sin , never reflecting upon themselves , and such as are so far from this frequent Remembrance , that they ( as I said ) study the Art of forgetfulness , accounting it their happiness to forget their Sins ; and consequently cannot endure to be put in minde of them : Let all such but seriously consider these two things , which will serve to convince them of the folly and madness of this their Course . 1. That all their sins are Registred , and put upon Record . So they are , and that both in Heaven , and upon Earth . In Heaven in Gods Book , the book of his Remembrance . Upon Earth , in their own Book , the book of Conscience . In both these Books , are their sinnes entred and recorded : And that so as , whilest they hold on this course , they cannot be Blotted out , they cannot be Forgotten . 1. In Gods Book : As David saith of the members of his Natural body , In thy Book are all my members written , Psal. 139. 16. so may a Wicked man say of his sins , The members of that body of Sin in him , they are all written in Gods Book , the book of his Remembrance . There are the Names of all Gods Saints entered , as the Prophet Malachy tell us , Mal. 3. 16. A book of Remembrance was written before him , for them that feared the Lord , and that thought upon his Name . And there are the Names of all wicked & ungodly men entred : And , as their Names , so their Sinnes . Every particular Act , with every particular Circumstance , being all come up into Remembrance before God. So the Angel tells Cornelius concerning his Good works ; his works ▪ of Piety and Charity , his Prayers and Almes : Thy Prayers and thine Almes ( saith he ) are come up for a memorial before God , Acts 10. 4. And so may it be said of the Wicked works of every wicked and ungodly man ; his Swearing , his Drunkenness , his Uncleanness , &c. they are all come in Remembrance before God , all Entred into his Book ; and that so as they cannot , by any means , be blotted out , ( save onely by the Blood of Christ , and the Tears of true Repentance ) nor yet worn out ▪ This being a Record for Eternitie . God's Remembrance , is an everlasting Remembrance . In this remembrance are the Righteous ; The Righteous shall be had in everlasting Remembrance , Psal. 112. 6. Men may forget them , but so will not God. And in such a remembrance shall all wicked men and their wicked works be ; they shall be had in everlasting remembrance . So they shall be with God : however they themselves may forget their own sins , and the world may forget them ; yet God , whilest his Justice is not satisfied , He will not , He cannot . What a folly then is it in them , to go about to forget them , so long as God remembers them ? Were it so , that they could blot them out of their own Book , the book of their Conscience ; yet as long as they stand upon Record in God's Book , what will this avail them ? What will it advantage a Debtor to cross his own book , so long as his Debts stand charged in his Creditor's . 2. But ( in the 2d . place ) the sins of wicked men , as they are entered in God's Book , so in theirs . As in the book of his Remembrance , so in the book of their Conscience . In this book ( I say ) they are entered ; I , and so entered , as that they cannot blot them out . Blur them they may , but blot them out they cannot . Conscience is a Record for Eternitie . What is written there , is written with indelible Characters , such as none but God alone can blot out . Thence it is that David maketh his prayer to God , that he would blot out his Transgressions , Psal. 51. 1. This David himself could not do ; as , not out of God's Book , so not out of his own , not out of the book of his Conscience . No , do what he could , still his sin was before him ( as he complaines , vers . 3. ) . All that men can do in this case , is but to keep this book shut , ( which for a time haply they may ) ; but to blot out what is written in it , this they cannot do . They may do this , for a time , out of their memorie ; but not out of their Conscience . What is written in the Memorie , is written oft-times in Water ; but what is written in Conscience , is written in Marble . Thus are the sins of wicked men , entered and Recorded in these two Books , whereof , the one is a true Counterpane of the other . And being thus entered here , these Books ( in the 2d . place ) shall one day be opened . However , for a time , they may be shut and closed up , so as men do not take notice of what is written in them ; yet , they shall not ever be so . A time will come , when they shall be both opened . 1. God's Book shall be opened . However for a time he may keep silence , seeming to connive at wicked and ungodly men , as if he took no notice of their sins , or had forgotten them ; yet , sooner or later , he will open his Book , and make them to read what is written there , setting their sins in order before them . This , the Lord willeth every presumptuous sinner to take notice of , Psal. 50. 21. These things hast thou done , ( saith he ) and I kept silence ; thou thoughtest , I was altogether such a one as thy self , but I will reproove thee , and set them in order before thine eyes , Psal. 50. 21. This will God do , sooner or later . He will open his Book , and , opening it , he will also open the eyes of all wicked and ungodly men , so as they shall not but read what is there written . They shall not then be able any longer , to avoid the looking and thinking of their sins , no more than King Balshazzer could the beholding of the hand writing upon the wall , Dan. 5. 5. 2. I , and their own Book shall be opened , the book of Conscience . That may be shut and sealed up for a time , but it shall be opened sooner or later . Conscience , though a sleep for a time , it shall be awakened . And then it shall do it's office , bringing the most secret sins of wicked men , to their remembrance ; setting their sins before them , so , as either to drive them to God by Repentance , ( as it did David ) , or to the Divel by Desperation , ( as it did Cain and Iudas ) . What a bootless thing is it then , for men to study the Art of forgetfulness ? to decline the remembrance of their own sins , when as they are so entred into both these Books , which shall one day be thus Opened ? Q. But when , when ? saith the prophane Wretch , when shall this be ? A. Why , either sooner or later : soon enough , and too soon , to the cost of all secure sinners . 1. It may be in this life . Haply in time of Health and Prosperity , in the mid'st of their greatest jollity , when they least think of it . So was it with Belshazzar , when he was carrowzing in the mid'st of his cups , and least dreamed of any such matter , then did the hand-Writing appear to him . And thus God can come unto men , and sometimes doth , in the midst of their outward prosperitie , then awakening their Consciences , then representing their sins unto them ▪ 2. But if not then , yet in time of Affliction , in time of Sickness , at the hour of Death , when the Judgments of God have seized upon them , and Death , his Sergeant , hath laid hold upon them , they being then under Arrest , ready to be carried to the Prison of Hell , to be brought before the Tribunal of Jesus Christ , there to give an accompt of what they have done in the flesh ; then doth God often open the Book of Conscience , and make men to see those Sins , which before they had shut their eyes against , setting them before them in the most hideous shapes , calling to remembrance all those sins , which they so long time had studied to forget . 3. But if not so , if the Book of Conscience be not opened in this life , but men carry it closed and sealed out of the world with them , ( as oft-times it falleth out ) , yet both that and the other Book , God's Book , shall certainly be opened hereafter ; viz. at the Day of Iudgment . At the day of Particular , more fully at the day of the General Iudgment . Then shall these Books be opened . This St. Iohn tells us he saw in a Vision , Rev. 20. 12. I saw ( saith he ) the dead , small and great , stand before God , and the Books were opened . And what books were these ? why , even both these Books which I have spoken of , God's Book , and Man's Book ; the Book of God's Remembrance , and man's Conscience : Both shall be opened at that great Day . And then shall all the sins , that wicked and ungodly men have done , be brought to their remembrance . Those sins , which here they cast behind their backs , shall then be set before their faces . Those sins , which here they study to forget , they shall then remember them . Those sins , which here they turned away their eyes from , they shall then behold them , yea , and that with open face . That which the Apostle saith of true Believers , and of that clear Vision , which they shall one day have , of Divine and Heavenly Mysteries , viz. at the last and great day , 1 Cor. 13. 12. Now we see through a glass darkly , but then face to face ; with open face , beholding things as they are , it may be said of all wicked and ungodly men , and of their sins . Now they behold them through a glass , and that a false glass , and they see them darkly ; Conniventibus oculis , winking at them , not willing to behold them in their true colours as they are , to have a true sight and sense of them . But they shall , at that day , that day of Wrath , and Revelation of the Righteous Iudgment of God ( as the Apostle calleth it , Rom. 2. 5. ) thus behold them with open face , having a full sight of them . Then shall all their sins be set before them , and so set before them , as that they shall for ever stare in their faces , being unto them , a matter of horrour and terrour to all Eternitie . O consider this , all you who are now so loath to look upon your sins , to look upon them as truly penitent sinners do , but account it your happiness to forget them Be you convinced of the greatness of your folly herein , and withall of the wretchedness of your state and condition , being hereby sufficiently discovered . This , by way of Conviction . In the 2d . place , by way of Exhortation , let all be excited herein , to propound this our Apostle , as a Pattern for their Imitation ; remembring their own sins , as he did hi●… . Which , ( that it may take place the better ) let it be directed to two sorts of persons ; Such as never yet knew , what it was to remember their sins aright ; and such as have remembred them , and repented of them . Begin with the former . 1. Secure and impenitent sinners , such , whose Consciences were never yet throughly awakened , let them be excited to reflect upon themselves ▪ upon their former sinful wayes and courses , to call their sins to remembrance . Which I beseech you lend an ear unto , all you who are of this number ; of which , I fear there are too many every where . To excite you whereunto , do but consider that this is the next , nay , the only way , to have your sins forgotten . For you to remember them , is the only way to have God to forget them . If you forget them , he doth , and will remember them . If you remember them , he will forget them . Only , see that you remember them in a right way , seriously , with sorrow and shame . This is the right remembrance of sin , when men remember their sinful wayes , and are ashamed of them . This is that which the Lord saith , his people , the people of the Jews should do , Ezek. 16. 6. when he should make good his Covenant to them , and establish it with them , viz. upon their Conversion , Then ( saith he ) thou shalt remember thy ways , and be ashamed , Vers. 61. Remember , and be confounded ( as t●…e last verse there hath it ) . Thus doth the tr●…y penitent sinner remember his sins , he remembers them , and is ashamed of them , self-confounded for them , loathing , and abhorring them , and himself for them . So the Lord saith , that his people Israel should do , when he should bring them again into their own Land , restoring them from their Captivity , Then ( saith he ) ye shall remember your wayes , and all your doings , wherein ye have been defiled , and ye shall loath your selves in your own sight , for all the evils which ye have committed , cap. 20. of that Prophecie , vers . 43. Repeated again , cap. 36. vers . 31. And thus , see that you remember your sins . Looking back upon them , not as Lot's Wife did upon her Sodom , which she may be conceived to have left against her will , sorrowing , that she and it were parted , and that she might not return to it again ; for which cause she was turned into a Pillar of Salt , made a Monument to all posterity , ( as the Story tells us ) Gen. 19. 26. Thus do aged sinners , sometimes look back upon their sins , their sins of youth , which they have left , ( or rather , which have left them ) not being ashamed of them , or sorrowing for them , but pleasing themselves in the remembrance of them , sorrowing rather that they have been forced to part with them . Thus do they remember their sins , as they do their friends being dead , mourning over their Graves , lamenting their death , sorry that they could live no longer with them . Now , as for such a Remembrance , far be it from every of you . Would you have God to forget your sins , see that you remember them with sorrow and shame ; loathing and abhorring them , and your selves for them . So look upon them , as a sick Patient doth upon his Vomit , which his stomack being disburdened of , the very sight or smell of it , is loathsome to him . Remembring them , be ashamed of them , and confounded in your selves for them . Taking notice ( which let it serve for a second Motive ) , that this is the onely way to prevent everlasting Confusion at the last and great Day . Those that will not remember their sins here , shall remember them there ; those that will not remember them with shame here , shall behold them with shame there ; those that will not be confounded for them here , shall be confounded for them at that day , They shall then be ashamed , and also confounded all of them ; they shall go to confusion , ( as the Prophet saith of the makers of Idols , Isa. 45. 16. ) O then ! Be awakened , and stir up your selves to such a serious remembrance of your sins . And this do you speedily . Not deferring the remembring of them , as too many do ; who , as long as health and strength are continued to them , they go on securely , not willing to trouble themselves with the thought of their sins . No , when the evil day cometh , then it will be soon enough to do this ; In time of sickness , at the hour of death , this is the time which they have designed to this work . A time of all other , most improper for it . So , many a one hath found it , and so let them make account to do , who ever they are , who shall put off the remembrance of their sins till then . Haply , at that time ( 1st . ) thou mayest want power to do this , not having the use of memorie . Or ( 2dly . ) having power , thou mayest want a will ; though thou hast a head , thou mayest want a heart : God often ( yea , for the most part ) denying his Grace at that time , to those that have slighted the former offers of it But ( 3dly . ) though thou hast both power and will , yet , how sad and terrible will the remembrance of thy sins be then unto thee , when thou shalt come to look death in the face , and be under the Arrest of that grim Sergeant , thy body , ready to be carried to the prison of the Grave , and thy Soul ( without infinite Mercy ) to the prison of Hell ; there to make satisfaction for those sins which thou hast committed , but not repented of ? O sad remembrance of sin ! when , being thus arrested , and called to give up thy accompt , thou shalt remember thy sins , but canst not remember thy repentance ; canst remember thy Debts , but cannot shew thy Acquittance ; shalt remember how thou hast provoked God by a continual course of sin , and so made thy self justly obnoxious to his everlasting Wrath and Vengeance , but canst not remember that ever thou suedst out thy pardon ; this will be a sad Remembrance . To prevent the horror and terror hereof then , Remember your sins now . Now , whilest health and strength last , now whilest you have time for the suing out your Pardon , Now remember them . Which , that you may do , ( for Direction briefly ) Begg it of God , that he would open your eyes , that he would in a kindly way , set your sins in order before you , bringing them to your remembrance , causing you to know them . This is that which Iob desireth from his God in his Passion , Job 13. 23. Lord , ( saith he ) make me to know my transgression and my sin . And the like do you , upon serious thoughts , begg it of God , that he would make a full discovery of your sins to you . So it is , unless He be pleased to do this for you , you will never behold them as they are , nor remember them as you ought . And therefore be earnest in begging this Mercy , ( A Mercy , which maketh way for all saving Mercies , for pardoning Mercie , healing Mercie , ) that the Lord would be pleased , to discover your sins unto you , making you acquainted with your Selves , with the sinfulness of you Natures , Hearts , and Lives . Which , that he may do , Wait upon him in the use of such means , as whereby he ordinarily effecteth this work . The chief whereof , is the publick Ministry of his Word . Hereby doth God open the eyes of poor sinners . Paul , was sent by God unto the Gentiles upon this Errand , To open their eyes , to turn them from darkness to light , from the power of Satan unto God , that they might receive forgiveness of sins , &c. ( as the Lord tells him ) Act. 26. 18. And how was he to do this ? Why , by his Preaching , his Preaching of the Word to them . Herein are God's Ministers his Instruments ( as he was ) in doing of this work , in giving sight to the blind ; in making men to see and know their sins . This is the work which the Lord putteth his Prophet Ezekiel upon , cap. 16. 2. Son of man ( saith he ) cause Ierusalem to know her Abominations . And this is the work of God's Ministers his Interpreters , ( as to shew unto man his uprightness , of which Elihu speaks , Iob 33. 23 ; so ) to convince him of his sinfulness . And therefore , that you may come to see and feel this ; attend upon this Ordinance of God , and that with care and Conscience , that you may hear what God will say to you by his Ministers . Not being offended at them , when they come to touch upon your sins , as Ahab was with Michaiah , Herod with Iohn the Baptist , and Foelix with Paul , ( of whom I spake before ) ; but , Be willing to hear of them , that so you may be convinced of them , and brought to remember them in a truly penitential way . This for the former sort , such as never yet knew , what it was to remember their sins aright . In the second place , for them who have remembered them , and seriously repented of them , let them also be excited , frequently to reflect upon them . It is a mistake , if any shall think ( what our Antinomians of late time did ) that when once a man hath repented of his sins , and sued out his pardon for them , he should then cast them behind his back , so as to remember them no more . Our Apostle ▪ St. Paul , he had repented of his sins committed before his Conversion , his Infidelity , Obstinacy , Blasphemy ; his opposing of Christ , and Persecuting of his Saints . Being hereof convinced in an extraordinary way , by a Voice from Heaven ; Christ himself calling unto him , Saul , Saul , why persecutest thou me ? Act. 9. 4. he had seriously repented of them . And he had sued out his pardon for them , having it under Seal , being assured that he had obtained Mercy ( as here he declares it once and again , in the verse next but one before , and the verse after the Text ) : Yet , notwithstanding this , upon all occasions ( as you have heard ) , he is ready to reflect upon those sins , and to call to minde his forepast condition . Let it not then content any of us , that we have remembred our sins , that we have been humbled for them , and that by believing on Christ , we have obteined the pardon of them , but still take all occasions to reflect and look back upon them , to call them to minde again . Specially our special sins , which have been of greater magnitude then other . So the Lord tells his people Israel they should do , when he was pacified towards them for all the evil that they had done , then , they should remember it , Ezek. 16. vers . last . Why , but it may be said , To what purpose is this ? or , What benefit shall a Christian reap in so doing . Here are two Queries , to which I shall return Answers severally . In which Answers we shall fall in , with divers Arguments and Motives , which will be of use , to press and set on the Exhortation . For the former . Wherefore should a Christian do this ? Having once repented of his sins , and sued out the pardon of them , Why should he disquiet himself in calling them to mind again , in rubbing over an old soar ? I Answer , this a Christian is to do upon diverse accounts , for diverse Ends , and Redsons : Instance in 4. of them . 1. For the making sure of his Repentance , that he may know it to be sound and true . All Repentance is not true Repentance . It is with sins as with wounds : Wounds may be skinned over , and yet not healed ; Sins may be sorrowed for , yea , and absteined from , yet not truly repented of . To this end therefore , a Christian should be frequent in reflecting upon them , to see whether he hath truly repented of them or no. Even as a man , by rubbing and chafing of the soar , he trieth whether it be healed or no ; even so by this means , a Christian may come to judg of his Repentance , whether it was sound or no , by calling his sins to his remembrance , rubbing , and pressing them , ( as it were ) by a frequent reflecting upon them ; which doing willingly , it may be to him an evidence that it is so . A wound that is only skinned over , will not endure the handling ; the touching of it , puts the patient to pain . Where men cannot endure to have their sins touched , by themselves or others , to be put in minde of them , it is an evidence those sins are not healed , never truly repented of . Sins healed , will endure the touching . Upon this accompt , Christians ought to be frequent in reflecting upon their sins , for the assuring of the truth of their repentance . 2. And as for the assuring , so ( 2dly . ) for the renewing and increasing of it . It is a mistake , if any shall think Repentance to be onely one particular act , the work of an hour , or a day , or the like ( as Papists look upon their Penance ) . No , it is an habitual work , the work of a Christians life-time , and so to be frequently renewed . A work which a Christian can never do too much , or yet enough Certainly , he that thinks he hath repented enough , never yet repented aright . In this sense , the Repentance of a Christian may be called , Repentance to be repented of , because not so perfect as it ought to be . Those , who are the greatest proficients , and have made the greatest progress in this work , yet they fail in this as in all other duties , falling short of repenting as they ought to do . And therefore ought to take all occasions for the renewing of their repentance ; and to that end , they are frequently to call to mind their former sins , that they may mourn over them afresh , renewing their former sorrow for them . Which , however it may have some bitterness in it for the present , yet it will make way for great joy and comfort to the Soul. So it is , the joy of a Christian ariseth out of sorrow , sorrow for sin ; and ordinarily it is proportioned to it . As it was with Eliahs Sacrifice , 1 King. 18. 33. 38. after he had caused water in great abundance , three several times , to be poured about the Altar , then came forth the Fire . Thus , after a Christians sorrow for sin , his joy ariseth . And as the one is increased , so oft-times is the other . The Harvest answereth the Seed time . They that sow in tears , shall reap in joy , Psal. 126. 5. Never a truly penitential tear , that the remembrance of sin draweth from the eye , but ordinarily God answers and recompenceth it with a suitable proportion of joy and comfort to the Soul. In the 3d. place , Christians are to be frequent in remembring of their sins , that they may get assurance of the pardon of them , that they may get their pardon Sealed up unto their Souls . A pardon , is not ever as soon sealed as granted . A Christian may have his sins pardoned in Heaven , yet not so in his own Conscience , wanting the assurance thereof . And upon this accompt , he ought to have his sins frequentlie in his eie . Upon this accompt , among other , he is daily to pray for the forgiveness of them , as our Saviour directeth us to do in that form of prayer which he hath given us , where this is one of the six Petitions , Forgive us our Trespasses , meaning not onely our daily sins , ( as we pray for our daily bread ) but all the sins of our lives past , that so we may still gain a further and clearer evidence , and assurance of the pardon of them . This use David made of his sins being ever before him , it put him upon the earnest seeking of the assurance of his pardon , that , that cloud being dispelled , the light of God's countenance might come to shine upon his Soul ; which he earnestly sueth for in that Penitential Psalm of his , Psal. 51. Make me to hear the voice of joy and gladness , vers . 8. Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation , vers . 12. Thus are Christians to reflect upon their sins , that they may get the pardon of them Sealed . 4thly , and lastly , Remember them , that they may get them thorowly healed ; that they may be freed and delivered , as from the guilt , so from the power of them . A disease may be cured , and yet there may be some relicks of it in the bodie ; which , if not looked to , may incline it to a Relapse . Thus , a sin may be repented of and pardoned , and yet there may be some remainders of it in the Soul , which , if not looked unto , may break forth again . And upon this accompt a Christian is to remember it , that he may get strength against it . Such use also David made of his sins being ever before him , it putteth him upon seeking unto God , that he would throwly wash him from his iniquity , and cleanse him from his sin , Psal. 51. 2. freeing him both from the guilt and power of it : And that he would create in him a clean heart , renewing a right spirit within him , vers . 10. And , that he would establish him with his free Spirit , vers . 12. Thus are Christians to have a frequent eie upon their sins , as Patients have upon their soars , to see that they may not break forth again . To these ends and purposes ( among others ) are Christians to be frequent in this exercise . Which whilst they are , it will be very beneficial to them , and that diverse ways . That is the second thing which I propounded to shew you , What profit , what benefit a Christian shall reap from this practise . Much every way . Were there no other , than what I have made mention of already , the attaining of that Four-fold end ; The knowing of the truth of their Repentance , The renewing and increasing of it , The getting of assurance of the pardon of their Sins , And strength against them : These were enough to answer , and recompense , all the Points that a Christian shall take in this way . But besides these , take we notice of Four more : Four considerable benefits accruing from this practice . It will be of great use unto a Christian , to make him , 1. Humble . 2. Thankful . 3. Watchful . 4. Pitiful . Humble in Himself ; Thankful to his God ; Watchful over his Sin ; and Pitiful towards Others . All , benefits of singular Excellency and Worth ! Touch upon them briefly . Frequent remembrance of a mans own ▪ Sins will be of speciall Use , to make , and keep him Humble . So it is , that there is in the Heart of every man , naturally an accursed root of Pride , which is very apt to spring and sprout forth , being watered ( as it were ) with all the common Favours and Blessings that God poureth out upon him , of what kind soever they be , Good things of Fortune ( as they were called ) , of Nature , of Grace , ( I mean common Grace ) ; Birth , Beauty , Riches , Honours , gifts and endowments of the Mind ; any of these , not being Sanctified , are apt to puff up the Soul , to breed a Tympany in it . Now the frequent remembrance of Sins will be of special use to prevent it , to make the Soul humble , and keep it humble . Such Use the Church tells us she had of it , ( as Montanus , and the Vulgar Latine render the word in that Text , Lam. 3. 19 , 20. Remembring my Affliction , and my misery , ( saith our Translation ) ; my Affliction , and my Rebellion , my Transgression , ( say they ) which sense the word in the Original will well bear , as we find it rendred , 1 Sam. 20. 30. ) the Wormwood , and the Gall , ( that is , the bitterness of both ) my Soul hath them still in remembrance , and is humbled in me . Incurvatur , it is bowed down . The soul of man naturally is Proud , apt to be inordinately lift up in him . Now the Remembrance , as of former Afflictions which he hath lain under ; so of former Sins which he hath fallen into , will be of special use to humble it , to make it keep so . This effect it had in and upon this our Apostle , ( as you have heard . ) The remembrance of his former Sins made him Vile in his own eyes . This it was that made him think and speak so meanly of himself , to account himself the least of the Apostles , unworthy to be one of that number , ; the least of Saints , nay , less than the least of them , ( as the Text hath it , Ephes. 3. 8. ) Because ( saith he ) I persecuted the Church of God , 1 Cor. 15. 9. Thus it was : As the Buffetings of Satan , ( of which he speaketh , 2 Cor. 12. 7. ) those temptations wherewith he was exercised after his Conversion ; so the remembrance of his former Sins committed before his Conversion , was to him of great use to keep him from being exalted above measure ; a thing which by reason of the many and great priviledges now conferred upon him , he was subject to , and in danger of . Thus God sometimes suffers his Chosen Vessels , those whom he purposeth to make some special use of , and to confer some signal Favours upon , to fall into some great Sin , or sins , haply in their Youth , it may be Afterwards , that so the Remembrance of them may be a means to keep their Spirits in a humble frame and temper , from being inordinately lift up in them ; being to them as the Peacocks black Leggs are vulgarly conceived to be unto him ; which looking down upon , he presently letteth fall his proud Plumes . Here is the first of those Benefits , which a Christian may reap from this reflecting upon his Sins . A benefit of singular Use ; there being nothing more dangerous to the Soul , than this spiritual Tympany . 2dly . As it will be of great Use to make men Humble , so Thankful . As Humble in themselves , so Thankful to their God. A fruit naturally growing upon this Branch . Remembrance of former sins Repented of , and Pardoned , it calleth to mind two things ; Gods Goodness , our own Unworthiness . Gods goodness in sparing of us ; not taking us , as the Scribes and Pharisees tell our Saviour that woman was , whom they brought before him , Iohn 8. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in the very Act of sinne , and so bringing us to answer ( as they did her ) before His Tribunal , for those Sins which we wanted Grace , and space to Repent of . Nor yet onely sparing us , giving us a time to Repent , but also working that Repentance in us , and , upon our Repenting , Pardoning them ; and instead of punishing us according to our deservings , conferring many special Graces and Favours upon us ; of all which ▪ of the least of which , we were altogether unworthy . Both these , the remembrance of former sins calleth to mind . And so doing , it cannot but be a special means to raise up the Heart to a Thankful apprehension , and acknowledgment thereof . Of such Use was it to this blessed Apostle , as we may take notice from the 12. & 13. verses in this Chapter , where calling to mind his former sins , he presently breaketh forth into blessing and magnifying of Iesus Christ for his rich Grace and Mercy towards him ; I thank Christ Iesus our Lord , who hath enabled me , for that he counted me faithful , putting me into the Ministry , who was before a Blasphemer , a Persecutor , Injurious : but I obteined mercy . So again , vers . 17. Having here confessed himself to be the chief of sinners , and after declared what God had done for him , how he had made him a Patern to all that should hereafter believe on him ; he thereupon in the next words breaketh forth into that affectionate Gratulation , Now , unto the King Eternal , Immortal , Invisible , the only wise God , be Honour and Glory , for ever and ever , Amen . Thus , the reflecting upon our sins after that we have obteined Mercy , it will be a means as to cause us to take shame to our selves , so to give glory to God , the Glory of his Grace and Mercy in sparing us , in pardoning us , and conferring so many undeserved favours upon us . It will be of special use to make us thankful . And ( 3dly ) as thankful , so watchful , watchful over those and the like sins . The remembrance of dangers formerly escaped will make men the more warie , they will take heed how they come nigh that fire , in which they have before been burnt or scorched , or that precipice from which once they fell , or passing that way wherein they have fallen among Thieves . Thus , Christians having their sins in remembrance , and mainteining in their Souls , a sight and sense of them , it will be of special use to them , to make them more cautelous & wary , to take heed of all the occasions of them of coming near unto them . As for the Soul , that hath banished the sense and remembrance of it's sins , it careth not , what sins it rusheth upon and runs into . Paul , speaking of the Gentiles , he saith of them , that being past feeling , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , postquam dedoluerunt ( as Beza renders it ) ●…aving cast away all sense of , and sorrow for sin , they then gave themselves over unto lasciviousness , to work all uncleanness with greediness , Ephes. 4. 19. The best way then to be kept from sin , is to maintein the sense of it in the Soul. To which end , the frequent reflecting upon sins past , will conduce much . By this means it was , that David kept himself from his iniquitie , ( as he saith he did , Psal. 18. 23. ) from the sin which he was most inclined to , by having it frequently in his remembrance . Fourthly and lastly , The frequent reflecting upon our own sins , will be a special means to make us more pittiful and charitable towards others . Not to be so ready to espie their faults , nor so harsh and rigid , in censuring them for their failings and infirmities . What is the cause , why Hypocrites are so quick-sighted in espying , and so forward in judging and censuring of others ? Surely , it is the want of reflecting upon themselves ; They see the mo●…e that is in their brothers eye , but consider not the beam that is in their own eye , ( as our Saviour saith of them ) Mat. 7. 3. Surely , were men more busied at home , more taken up with remembring and considering their own failings , their own sins , what they have been , what they have done , they would be more pittiful , more tender-hearted towards others . It is the Apostle's Argument which he putteth into Titus his mouth , willing him to make use of it , in disswading Christians from being too censorious towards their Brethren , or any other whosoever , but to induce them to deal tenderly and gently with them , Tit. 3. 2 , 3. Put them in mind ( saith he ) to speak evil of no man , ( that is , wrongfully , or causlesly , whether by aspersing of them , or detracting from them ) , to be no brawlers , but gentle , shewing all meekness unto all men ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , all men : non tantum adversus fidei consortes , sed etiam adversus contradictores , ( as Grotius well explains it ) not only such as profess the same faith with themselves , but such as are adversaries to it . Even these he would have private Christians , ( for of such he there speaketh , not of Titus himself , and the Ministers of Christ , who yet , ( as our new Annotator hath it ) are to do nothing in rage or passion , but with a spirit of meekness , shewing all meek●…ess unto all men , Gentiles as well as Jews , Enemies as well as Friends ; but of private Christians ; the word in the Original being of the plural number , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) to deal gently with , not being too rigid in censuring them , much less in wholly despairing of them . But shew meekness , all meekness , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , omnem , i. e. summam lenitatem , Great meekness and gentleness towards them . And why so ? For ( saith he ) we our selues were sometimes foolish , disobedient , deceived , serving divers lusts , &c. vers . 3. Certainly , the more a man reflects upon himself , and the better acquainted he is with his own heart and life , the more pittiful and tender-hearted , the more compassionate he will be towards others . To proceed no further : These benefits may a Christian reap from the reflecting upon himself , the frequent remembrance of his own sins . Which , let it induce every of us , to exercise our selves herein . Which yet , let it be warily and rightly understood . Not that I would have Christians to stand continually poring upon their sins , so fixing their thoughts upon them , that their hearts and spirits should be inordinately dejected , and cast down in the remembrance of them . This God requires not , neither ought Christians to give way to it . David was a man , much in the remembrance of his sins , yet , he would not give way to such soul-dejections and disquietments , for which , we find him checking himself in those two Psalms , 42. and 43. where we have the same Expostulation thrice repeated , Why art thou cast down , O my Soul ? Why art thou disquieted within me , & c ? Christians , should not so look upon their sins , as that they should give way to such dejections of Spirit , as may render their condition uncomfortable to themselves and unserviceable to others . In this case , that of the Preacher takes place , Eccles. 7. 17. Be not over-much wicked , that is , judicio tuo ( as Iunius expounds it ) , in thine own apprehension and judgment . In such a sense it is , that in the verse there foregoing , he biddeth us not to be over-righteous or over-wise ; Be not Righteous over-much , neither make thy self over-wise ; that is , do not think thy self so to be . So , here in this verse , which is subjoyned as an Antitheton , set in opposition to the former , Be not over-much wicked , viz. in thy own apprehension . And let ▪ me applie it unto you , ( I mean all , and only such as are trulie penitent sinners ) ; Be not you in this sense wicked over-much , stand not poreing too much upon your sins , sorrowing over them , as the Apostle saith , the Heathen did over their dead , 1 Thes. 4. 13. as haveing no hope . Onely upon occasions call them to remembrance , making use hereof , to those ends and purposes which I have now spoken of . And as we are to do this at other times ; so then , more especially , when God calleth , us to the humbling of our Souls before him , and to seek his Face , for the removing or diverting of some judgment felt or feared . Now , at such a time to call to mind our sins , is an excercise most fit and proper , being now Opus diei in die suo , a work done in season . And this , do we all of us now this day , being a day of Solemn Humiliation , so appointed to be by publick Authority , wherein , the whole Nation is required to seek God in a Solemn manner , for the diverting and preventing , as of such other Judgments , which we may justly fear to hang over the head of the Nation , so in special of that which is already in part broke forth upon us , ( whereof the poor , as elsewhere , so in this place , not a few of them , are very sensible , whose necessitous condition , I shall commend to your charitable consideration , desiring you to extend your free and liberal contributions to their relief , which is also a work of the day ) and doth further sadly threaten us , viz. The Iudgment of Famine , which , by reason of the unseasonableness of the Season , may justly be feared . This is the work of the day . For the furthering whereof , let all of us now call to mind our own sins . I do remember my faults this day , ( saith Pharoahs Butler unto him ) Gen. 41. 9. And the like let every of us do . Sure we are , this is the provokking Cause , as of other Judgements , so of this . He turneth a Fruitful Land into Barrenness , for the Wickedness of them that dwell therein , Psal. 107. 34. Call we our selves then every one of us to account for our sinnes this day , humbling our selves in the sight and presence of God for them , that so , we remembring them , God may be pleased graciously to forget them , and forgive them , so as not to charge them upon the Head of the Nation . In doing hereof , we shall much promote the service of the Day ; and much help forward the great business both of Church and State , which is now in the hands of the Great Council of the Land. Certainly the great Stumbling-blocks that lie in the way of Mercy , they are the Sinnes of the Nation . O Let every of us , put to our hands this Day to the removing of them , by taking out of the way , as much as we can , the sinnes of others , Humbling our selves for them , and seeking the Pardon of them ; however our own sinnes , by calling them to mind , Humbling , Shaming , and Condemning our selves for them ; withal , putting them away in the full purpose and resolution of our Souls , never more to give entertainment to them . Thus wash we , and make we our selves clean , putting away the evil of our doings from before the eyes of our God , ( as he requires his People to do , Isai. 1. 16. ) ; And then do we , what in the next words he allowes them to do , Come , let us Reason together , &c. begging from him Mercy for our selves , and the Nation , being hopefully and comfortably assured that the Lord will smell a Sweet savour of rest from this our Sacrifice ; and that both Church and State shall find it the best service we could perform unto them , which the Lord enable every of us to do . Thus I have done with the first of these three Branches , I pass now to the second . THe truly Penitent Sinner , as he is frequent in Remembring , so forward in acknowledging of his own sins . So was Paul. Having here occasion to make mention of Sinners , he calleth to remembrance his own sinnes , and Remembring them , he Acknowledgeth them ; confessing himself to be a Sinner , a great sinner , yea , the chief of Sinners ; Of whom I am chief . The like disposition and practice we find in the Man after Gods own Heart , holy David . As his sinnes were often in his eye , so he was ready to acknowledge them . I acknowledged my Transgression , and my Sinne was ever before me ( saith he ) Psal. 51. 3. Such a frequent Remembrancer , and ingenuous Confessor of his Sinnes was he : And such are all truly Penitent sinners . And it cannot be otherwise : Their hearts ( in the first place ) being full ( as it were ) with the sight , and sense of Sinne , they must have vent . The Story tells us of Ioseph , Gen. 45. ver . 1 , 2. how that , his heart being full , as it was , with the remembrance of what his Brethren had done to him , and his Affections towards them , he could not contein , he could not refrain himself before all that stood by him , but he shed Tears abundantly ; yea , ( the company being gone ) he wept aloud . He could not but give vent to that affection wherewith his heart was full . And David tells us the like of himself , Psal. 39. 3. My heart ( saith he ) was hot within me ; while I was musing , the fire burned : then spake I with my tongue . So it is with Affections , ( as it is with Fire ) the heart being full of them , they will not be smothered , they will not be kept close ; they will seek vent , and be ready to break forth , as occasion is offered . And so will these Holy Affections in the heart of a truly Penitent sinner , his Sorrow for sinne , his Hatred and Indignation against sinne ; his heart being full of them , it will be seeking vent , ready to break forth in a humble , and hearty Confession and Acknowledgement of it . Again , in such a Soul , the Bed of sinne ( as I may say ) is broken . Now , as it is in the Body , if the bed of Worms be broken , they are ready to come away ; and such tough and viscous humours as are coagulated in the Stomack , being dissected , they are easily evacuated . Even so in the Soul ; If the Bed of peccant Humours , of sinful Lusts be there once broken , the Works of Satan dissolved , ( as Saint Iohn saith , that Christ was manifest to this end , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ut dissolvat , That he might dissolve , ( or destroy ) the works of the Devil ; that is , our Sinnes , which are destroyed by dissolving of them , as many things are , 1 Iohn 3. 8. ) as in measure they are in every truly Regenerate person , in whom the Power of Sinne is broken ; they will now be ready to break forth , and come away , ( as I may say ) by way of Confession , and Acknowledgement . Thus you see that it is so , and how it cometh so to be . For further Explication , and Illustration , propound we these two useful Enquiries touching this Acknowledgement which Penitent sinners are so forward in . 1. To whom they are so ready to make this Acknowledgement . 2. What kind of Acknowledgement it is that they make . For the First , To whom they are so ready to make this Acknowledgement . A. For Answer , Know we that the acknowledgment of Sin , is either unto God , or Man. The former , to God , either publickly , or privately ; the latter , to Man , either secretly , or openly . Secretly , either to the Ministers of God , or to other private Christians . Openly , which is either Regular , injoyned by the Church , or Occasional and Arbitrary . All these wayes Sinne is confessed and acknowledged : And all these wayes a sinner truly Penitent will be ready to acknowledge his sinnes . 1. In the first place unto God. The Prodigall sonne in the Gospel , upon his return to his Father , at his first meeting with him , after that his father had expressed his fatherly Affection unto him , presently he breaks forth into a humble acknowledgement of his sinnes unto him , Father I have sinned against Heaven , and in thy sight , Luke 15. 21. This is the first thing that a poor sinner doth , when once he is brought home unto God , and hath in any measure tasted of his Grace and Mercy , he presently falleth down before Him , in an humble acknowledgment of his Sinnes unto him . This will he do at his first Conversion , and this he is ready ever after to do upon all Occasions , renewing his Acknowledgements of sinne , as sinnes themselves are renewed . So did David ; I acknowledged my Transgressions , ( saith he in the Text forenamed ) Psal. 51. 3. And to whom was it that he acknowledged them ? Why , firstly and principally to his God , whom he had offended . So he explaines it in the verse following , Against thee onely have I sinned ; that is , against him immediately and properly : And therefore to him it is that he acknowledged his Sinne. So he elsewhere declareth it , Psal. 32. 5. I acknowledged my Sinne unto Thee , and mine Iniquity have I not hid ; I said I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord , &c. And this will every truly Penitent sinner readily do . Apprehending how he hath offended and provoked his God by his sins , he will be ready to acknowledge them unto him . And this will he do ( as I said ) both Publickly and Privately . Publickly , joyning with the Congregation in the publick confession and acknowledgment of Sinness ; and that both in Confessions ordinary and extraordinary . And as Publickly , so Privately , when there is no other witnesse but God and his own Conscience , then will he be ready to acknowledge his Sinnes . And that again , both in his daily , and ordinary Prayers , as also at other times of extraordinary Humiliation . All these I might show you , how they have been both injoyned and practised ; injoyned by God , and practised by his Saints . But I shall not dwell upon this , the Text leading me rather to that other kind of Acknowledgement , which is before , or unto , Men. And thus true Penitents will be ready to acknowledge their Sinnes . And that ( as I said ) sometimes Secretly , sometimes Openly . 1. Secretly , or Privately , either unto the Ministers of God , or unto private Christians , viz. at such times as they are by them charged with their Sins , and in a friendly way Admonished of them , or Reproved for them . In this case , ( for I speak not now of that Confession of Sinnes , which is after a sort extorted , and drawn from a man by , or through trouble of Mind , and Conscience , in which Christians not onely may , but ought ( when other means avail not ) to repair either unto the Ministers of God , as most fit for such a purpose , being his Interpreters ; or else to some wise and faithful Friend that is able to minister a word of Advice and Comfort to them , opening and discovering their Sinnes unto them ; even as the Sick man doth his secret troubles to his Physitian or Chirurgion . I speak not of this now ; but onely of the Acknowledgement of Sin unto others , when it is charged upon them by way of Admonition , or Reprehension . In this case ( I say ) the Soul that is truly Penitent for sin , will be ready to confess , and acknowledge it . So was it with David , Nathan no sooner cometh unto him , and chargeth his sin upon him , discovering to him the heinousness of it , but presently he makes confeson of it . I have sinned against the Lord , 2 Sam. 12. 13. This would not Saul do . When Samuel cometh unto him in the like way , charging him with that act of disobedience of his , in sparing Agag & the best of the spoil , contrary to God's expresse Commandement ; he was far from any such ingenuous acknowledgment ; but doth what he could to hide it , as we may see , 1 Sam. 15. 13 , 14 , 15. Thus , wicked and ungodly men , being charged with their sins , they will either hide them by denying them , or defend them , or excuse them , or extenuate them what they can ; it may be , falling out , and quarrelling with the persons that shall strike upon this string , medling with their sins . So did Cain with God himself , when the Lord came to him , and asked him where his Brother was , whom he had murdered , he replieth , I know not : Am I my Brothers keeper ? Gen. 4. 9. First , seeking to hide his sin , then quarrelling with his Maker , who came to charge it upon him . And even so are some ( too many ) ready to deal with the Ministers of God , when they come to touch upon their sins , whether publickly or privately , they are ready to quarrel with them about it , as if they took too much upon them . So did the people of Israel , upon whom the Prophet Hosea , among other their great sins that they were guilty of , chargeth this as the chief , This people are as they that strive with the Priest , Hos. 4. 4. They would endure no reproover , no , though it were a Priest , or Prophet , a Minister of God , that had Authoritie from him , to do what he did . Thus are some ready to oppose the Ministers of Christ , who , though they be their spiritual Physitians , yet they will not endure that they should meddle with their diseases ; which if they do , it may be they will ever after hate and maligne them , as Ahab did Micaiah . And hating them , they will smite them with their tongues , and be ready to contrive what mischief against them they may . So did the Iews against their Ieremiah , as himself sets it forth , Ier. 18. 18. Then said they , Come , and let us devise devices against Ieremiah , &c. Come , and let us smite him with the tongue , and let us not give heed to any of his words . So is it with presumptuous sinners . But it is far otherwise with those that are truely penitent . They being in themselves convinced of their sinnes , they will be ingenuous in the confessing and acknowledging of them , when they are charged upon them by way of Admonition or Reprehension , whether by the Minister of God , or any other . And as they will be ready to do this secretly and privately , so also openly and publiquely . And that 1. In a Regular way , if called thereunto , and required to do it by the Discipline and Authority of the Church . Thus did that incestuous Corinthian : being Excommunicated for that great sinne of his , he manifests his repentance , by acknowledging of his sinne , and by his abundant sorrow for it . Whereupon , lest he should be surcharged and swallowed up therewith , the Apostle willeth the Church to forgive him , to receive him to Communion , and to comfort him , 2 Cor. 2. 7. And such a confession and acknowledgment of sinne , sinners truly penitent , ( where the Censures of the Church are rightly dispensed according to Christs Institution ) neither ought to be , nor yet will be , averse from , but ready to submit unto , that so they may give satisfaction to the Church , by the confession of their Sinnes , and profession of their Repentance , which they have , by their evil Example , offended and scandalized . 2. But leaving that also , the acknowledgment which the Text leadeth us more directly to , as it is an open , so an Arbitrary Acknowledgment . And in this kind and way , we shall find sinners truly penitent , to be forward , and ready , to acknowledge their sins : And , that both upon their Conversion , and after it . 1. Upon their Conversion . Thus we read of the hearers of Iohn the Baptist , how they were baptised of him , confessing their sinnes , Mat. 3. 6. Being convinced of their sinnes , by his Ministery , and his Preaching unto them , they could not contain ; but they came unto Iohn , not onely confessing their sins unto him , in a private and clancular way , ( as Maldonate , and other Romish Expositors would have it , making this a ground for their auricular Confession ) , but publickly and openly before the people ; which the word in the Original , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , imports , ( as Beza and Pareus observe ) . And the like , we read of those Converts at Ephesus , Act. 19. 18. Being wrought upon , by the Miracle which they had seen ; Many of them came ( saith the Text ) and confessed , and shewed their deeds ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , confessing them , not secretly but openly . Among whom , some and many of those , who have used curious ( that is Magical ) Arts , making Divinations , by Judicial Astrology , They brought forth their Books , and burnt them before all men , in the presence of all the people , ( as the next verse there hath it , vers . 19. ) . So powerful is the work of Gods Grace , in the hearts of true Converts , it will make them willing and ready to acknowledg their sins . 2. And this they will be ready to do , not only at their first Conversion , but ever after . Sins committed before Conversion , or after , they will be forward in confessing , and acknowledging of them . This we may see in David , Solomon , Paul. Take we these three Instances . All of them being persons of Eminencie , two of them Kings , the other an Apostle ; yet , see how forward they were all of them at this work . David a King , and so subject to no Superior Power , that could injoyn such an acknowledgment of sin unto him ; yet , see how he taketh it upon himself , making a voluntarie confession and acknowledgment of his sinne ; That great sinne of his in the matter of Uriah , whereby he had given so great scandal to the Church , he maketh ▪ a free and open Confession of it before the Church . To that purpose , compiling and penning that Penitential Psalm , Psal. 51. Which he committed and delivered to the Chief Musitian , ( as the Title of the Psalm informs us ) , that by him it might be published in the Temple , and there ever after kept , and so be not only a Testimony of his Repentance to the Church in that present age , to which he desired to give Satisfaction , but a Monument of it in all succeeding Ages , to the end of the world . And what David the Father did , the like did Solomon his Son after him . Having fallen foully and scandalously , to the great Offence of the Church , over which God had made him Supream Governour ; he afterwards penneth , and publisheth to the world , that Penitential Retractation , his Book of Ecclesiastes , wherein , he freely and ingenuously confesseth before all the world , the vanity and sinfulness of his former ways and courses . Thus did these two Kings , doing that voluntarily , which no power upon Earth could have compelled them to . And the same , did this our Apostle Saint Paul. Having been before his Conversion , an open and bitter Enemie to the Truth , speaking evil of the Doctrine of the Gospel , and doing all the mischief that he could , to all that professed it ; being Converted , and brought home to Christ , he was ever hereafter an Ingenuous Confessour . Having his former sins ever in his eye , he had them also ( as I may say ) at his tongues end , ready to confess and acknowledg them upon all occasions . This we find him doing at Ierusalem , before the Chief Captain , in a great and promiscuous Assembly of all sorts of persons , I persecuted this way unto the death ( saith he ) , binding , and delivering into prison , both men and women , Act. 22. 4. &c. And the like he did again at Cesarea , in a very Solemn Audience , before Festus and Agrippa , and Queen Bernice , the Chief Captains , and principal Men of the City , Act. 26. 10. I did many things ( saith he ) against the Name of Iesus of Nazareth , many of the Saints did I shut up in Prison , and when they were put to death , I gave my voice against them , and punished them often in every Synagogue , and compelled them to Blaspheme ; and being exceedingly mad against them , I persecuted them even unto strange Cities ; such Cities as were not within the Territories of Iudea ; as Damascus , &c. and so therein going beyond his Commission . Thus did he confess his sins by word of mouth . And the like he did by Writing , acknowledging them under his hand , making a publick Record of them , that all the Churches of God might take notice of them . This he doth in his Epistle to the Corinthians , 1 Cor. 15. 9. and to his Galatians , Gal. 1. 13. And so here in this Epistle to Timothy , in this chapter , where we find him not onely making a general Confession , which he doth in the Text , charging himself to be the chief of sinners , but particularly , pointing out his sinnes what they were , vers . 13. I was a Blasphemer , a Persecutor , Injurious , &c. Thus free and open was Paul in these acknowledgments , not regarding who or what they were , that took notice of these his consessions , whether Friends or Enemies , Good or Bad ; nor caring how often he made them : taking all occasions to do it , as if he had thought he could never do it often enough . Behold we then in him , and these other Paterns , the true disposition of a Gracious Soul , o●… a truly penitent sinner ; one that hath truly repented of his sinnes , and hath tasted of the grace and mercy of God , in the pardoning and forgiving of them , he will ever after be ready to confess and acknowledge them ; and that not onely to God , but also to Men , and that not onely Secretly , but Openly , as occasion is offered . Q. But what , ( you will say ) , Is every Christian bound to imitate these Paterns , to follow their Example , doing as they did , making such an open confession and acknowment of his sinnes ? 1. To this I Answer , 1. In some cases he may be ; as , viz. 1. where the sinnes have been open . Open sinnes , as they call for open Reprehension , Them that sinne rebuke before all , that others also may fear , ( so Paul willeth Timothy to do ) 1 Tim. 5. 20. that is , that do sin openly , to the publick scandal of others , ( as Beza , and some others expound it ) ; so for open Confession , and acknowledgment . Such had Davids , such had Salomons , and such had Paul's sinnes been , sinnes that all the Churches rung of . You have heard of my conversation in times past , ( saith he to his Galatians ) Gal. 1. 13. how I did so and so . They had heard of his Sinnes , and therefore they shall hear of his Repentance , testified and declared by his hearty confession and acknowledgement of those sinnes . 2. Again ( 2dly . ) , where the Glory of God , or the Publick Good requires it , there , though the sinnes have been private , and secret , yet the acknowledgement of them ought to be publick , where the glory of God requires it . Upon this ground Ioshuah requires Achan to make an open Confession of that sinne which he had done secretly . My son , ( saith he ) give glory to God , and confess unto Him , and tell me what thou hast done , Josh. 7. 19. ( where the publick good requires it . Upon this ground Ionah confesseth and acknowledgeth his sinne unto the Marriners , for the saving of those that were in the Ship with him : Ionah 1. 12. I know ( saith he to them ) that for my sake this great Tempest is come upon you . But ( in the second place ) we speak not here of what all Christians are bound to do , but , what upon occasion , being Penitent sinners , they will be ready to do . This was Paul's case in the Text. This acknowledgement of his was spontaneous , and voluntary , he being induced thereunto by no other respect , but onely out of his desire to take shame to himself , and give glory to God. In special , the glory of his Grace , which having been so gloriously manifested in , and upon him , in receiving so great a sinner to Mercy , he desireth to take all occasions to extol and magnifie . And to that end it is , that he maketh such frequent mention of his sinnes ; making such open confessions and acknowledgements of them . And upon this ground great Sinners specially , having tasted of the like Mercy in pardoning their sinnes , they will be ready upon all . occasions to acknowledge them , that so they may declare , and set forth the riches of Gods Grace exercised towards them . Come , and hear , all ye that fear God , and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul ( saith David ) Psal. 66. 16. And thus a Penitent Sinner having tasted of saving Mercy , in the pardoning and healing of his Sinnes , he will be ready ever-after , to declare , and set forth , what God hath done for his Soul. To which end , as occasion is offered , he will be forward in the confessing and acknowledging of his Sinnes . But , What kind of Acknowledgement is that which he maketh ? That is the second Question propounded . A Question of great consequence and importance , and that for the differencing and distinguishing of this from other false , and counterfeit Acknowledgements . Even wicked and ungodly men may , and sometimes do , upon occasion , confess and acknowledge their sinnes . So did , Cain ; Mine iniquity is greater than it can be forgiven , ( so our Margin readeth it , following Montanus , and others ) Gen. 4. 13. So did Pharaoh ; I have sinned ( saith he to Moses once and again ) Exod. 9. 27. 10. 16. So did Saul . I have sinned against the Lord ( saith he to Samuel ) 1 Sam. 15. 24. And so did Iudas . I have sinned in betraying innocent Blood , ( saith he to the Chief Priests ) Mat. 27. 4. ) And the like , meer carnal men will sometimes be ready to do . Being charged , and pressed by the Ministers of God , or others , especially when the Hand of God lyeth Heavy upon them ; now they will be ready to assent unto what Paul here saith of himself , confessing themselves to be sinners , great sinners ; yea , the chief of Sinners . Thus we may sometime meet with Pauls words , coming out of the mouths of those , who never knew what Paul's spirit meant . They will , upon occasion , acknowledge their sinnes , who never knew what it was to Repent of them . How then shall we distinguish betwixt the one , and the other ? The acknowledgement of a sinner truly Penitent , and that which cometh from a spirit of Hypocrisie in a wicked , or carnal man ? In Answer hereunto , let me present you with some few properties of this sincere Acknowledgement , whereby it may be discerned from that which is false and counterfeit . In all which I shall still have an eye to the Confessor here in the Text , this blessed Apostle , illustrating each particular from his practice and example . The acknowledgment of the true Penitent sinner is ( first ) Voluntary , and Free. So it is ; though injoyned , yet not extorted , not constreined . Such is the Hypocrite's acknowledgement for the most part : extorted and drawn from him against his will , either by some Iudgement of God , present or imminent , felt or feared ; or by the Rack of a tormenting Conscience . Such was Pharaohs confession to Moses , drawn from him ( as water is out of a Still , or Lymbick , by the fire put under it ) by the Judgements of God , which he and his people lay under . And such was Iudas's confession to the Chief Priests , extorted from him by the rack ( as I said ) of a tormenting Conscience . In such cases , even the worst of men will sometimes confess and acknowledge their sinnes , which at other times , when their condition is quiet , and prosperous , they will hardly be brought to do ; Like a man that is sick , being at Sea , and so emptieth his stomack freely ; but no sooner comne a Shoar , but he is well again , and all is quiet . But it is otherwise with the True Penitent . In acknowledging of sinne , he is a Volunteer , doing what he doth ( as Peter would have Ministers to feed their flocks , 1 Pet. 5. 2. ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not by constraint , but willingly . Such are Gods People in all the services they do unto Him , or for Him ; they are a willing people . Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy Power , Psal. 110. 3. When God exerciseth his power , the power of his Grace , upon a poor Sinner , changing and renewing him , bringing him home to himself , then he cometh unto him willingly , freely pouring forth his Soul before him in a voluntary confession and acknowledgement of his Sinnes . Willingly confessing unto God , and not unwillingly unto Men. And this he is ready to do , not onely in times of Distress , but even then when his condition is , in all respects , most Comfortable . Such is the acknowledgement which here we meet with in the Text. Paul , when he uttered these words , he was in a quiet and comfortable condition ; under no distress , whether outward , or inward , in body or mind ; yet even then he remembred his sinnes , and remembring them , he acknowledgeth them . Which also , ( as I have shewn ) he was ready to do upon all occasions , at all other times . His readiness , and forwardness herein , manisesting , that these his Confessions were not extorted , but voluntary . Extorted Confessions ( such as those upon the Rack ) are seldom true ; ever suspicious . True confession , and acknowledgement , whether to God , or Man , will be free and voluntary . And so ( in the second place ) Ingenuous and full . Such is not the Hypocrites confession . If he be drawn to an acknowledgement of his sinnes , yet therein you shall find him , for the most part , very partial , and sparing ; as much as may be , concealing and hiding them . Even as Solomon saith of the Sluggard , Prov. 19. 24. He hideth his hand in his bosome , and is loath to put it forth , to bring it to his mouth . Thus dealeth the Hypocrite with his sinnes : his beloved , his darling sinnes , he hideth them in his bosome , concealing them as much as may be , loath to bring them to his mouth , to bring them forth by an open acknowledgment of them . Where he cannot hide them , he will endeavour to excuse them ; varnishing , and colouring them over with some fair and specious pretences . Where he cannot excuse them , he will seek to extenuate them , that they may not seem so great and foul as they are . Where he cannot excuse , or extenuate them , he will endeavour to evade them , by shifting them off from himself to some other . So little ingenuity is there to be found in his Confessions . All these we shall find in that acknowledgment which Samuel drew from King Saul , 1 Sam. 15. The Prophet coming to him , to charge upon him , that foul act of his , in sparing Agag , and the best of the Spoil , contrary to Gods express command ; he first thinketh to hide his sin , by courting of the Prophet , and by his avowing , and boasting of his Obedience : Blessed be thou of the Lord , ( saith he ) I have performed the Commandement of the Lord , v. 13. Therein dealing like Solomons Adulteress , who eateth , and wipeth her mouth , and saith , I have done no wickedness , ( as he saith of her ) Prov. 30. 20. When this would not serve his turn , but he saw that his sinne was discovered , and found out , the Prophet convincing him of it , by too plain an evidence , What meaneth then this bleating of the Sheep in my ears , and the lo●…ing of Oxen which I hear ? ver . 14. Then he falleth to his shifting , shuffling it off from himself , and laying the blame wholly upon the People , ( even as A●…ron also once did , when Moses charged him with making , and setting up of the golden Calf , he puts it off to the people ; Let not the Anger of my Lord ▪ wax hot , ( saith he ) thou knowest the people that they are set on Mischief , Exod. 32. 22. so he ) The people spared the best of the Sheep , and of the Oxen , ver . 15. And thus devolving , and turning it off from himself , withall he seeketh to colour over both his Act and theirs , setting a fair gloss upon it , guilded it over with a pretence of Piety , The people spared the best of the Sheep and Oxen , to Sacrifice unto the Lord thy God ; ( as it there followeth ) . When that would not serve , but that the Prophet , dealing plainly with him , had both shewen him the heinous nature of that sinne , calling it Rebellion , and comparing it to the sin of ▪ Witchcraft and Idolatry , Vers. 23. and charged it home upon him , telling him , how he had therein rejected the word of the Lord , for which , he must expect a just Retaliation to be rejected by him ; Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord , he hath also rejected thee from being King , now he is brought to confess and acknowledg his sin , I have sinned , &c. But see still how he goeth about to mince and extenuate it , pleading , that what he had done , he had done it through fear ; I transgressed the Commandment of the Lord and thy words , because I feared the people , &c. Vers. 24. Whereupon , when he could no longer plead , Not Guilty , he pleadeth his Pardon of Course ( as it were ) : Now therefore , ( saith he ) I pray thee pardon my sin , Vers. 25. So far was Saul from any Ingenuity in this his Confession ! And so shall we still find it with Hypocrites , in their confessions and acknowledgments . Seldom or never is it , that they will deal plainly and simply , whether with God or Men in this case . But deal with both , as Ananias and Sapphira did with the Apostles , Act. 5. 2. They come and bring the price of their possessions , which they had sold , and lay it down at the Apostles feet , But they kept back part of it . Thus dealeth the Hypoerite in his confessions . Being , it may be , drawn to it , he will come and bring his sins , and lay them down as it were at the feet of God and Men , in a seemingly humble confession and acknowledgment of them , but it is with some Reservation ; still he keepeth back part of them , hiding and concealing some sins , or at least some Circumstances . But it is otherwise with the truly penitent sinner . He will be Ingenuous , confessing his sinnes , and not hiding them , laying them open before God and Men , in their own colours ; so giving Glory to God , and taking shame to himself . Such a Confessour was this our Apostle . In his confessions and acknowledgments how ingenuous was he ? So we find him , confessing not only those sinnes wherein he was Principall ; as , his procuring Letters from the Rulers , to Persecute the Saints , and his Executing that Commission to the full , with great fury and rage , yea , going beyond it , which he sets forth ( as I have shewen you ) to the full , in those Texts forecited , Act. 22. 19. & 26. 10 ; but even those , wherein he was any wayes Accessarie : As his consenting to the death of some of the Martyrs ; When they were put to death , I gave my voice against them ( so it there followeth in the Text last named ) . And in particular , concerning the Proto-Martyr Stephen . And when the blood of thy Martyr Stephen was shed , ( saith he ) I also was standing by , and consenting to his death , and kept the rayment of them that slew him , Act. 22. 20. Thus was he ready to confess what ever he had done in way of opposition against Christ , wherein he had had a hand or finger , been either Principal or Accessarie . So ingenuous was he in his acknowledgments , both to God and Men. And such will the acknowledgment of the truly penitent sinner be , Ingenuous and Full. 3. And being thus Ingenuous , it will also be particular . Not only in a General way . Such , for the most part , are the acknowledgments of Hypocrites , and of meer Carnal persons . They will ( it may be ) sometimes take up Paul's words here in the Text , confessing and acknowledging , that they are sinners , great sinners , but this is only in a general way , not with reflection upon any particular sinne or sinnes , that they charge upon themselves . Herein , not unlike to King Nebuchadnezzar , who had dreamed a dream , and was much troubled about it , but when his wise Men came to ask him what it was , he could not give them any accompt of it , Dan. 2. 5. Even so faieth it with many poor carnal wretches . In time of sickness , they will then ( it may be ) pretend at least to great trouble of minde for their sins , breaking forth into confessions and acknowledgements , that they are sinners , great sinners , ( the case is ordinarie ) : but come to ask them , What particular sinne or sinnes , they are that trouble them , that lie so heavy upon their Consciences , this they cannot tell . Now , as for such a confession of sin ; it may be looked upon but as a Dream , a Delusion , no true Confession . True Confession will be particular . Not , but that a good confession may be made in general words . So runs the acknowledgment here in the Text ; [ I am the chief of sinners ] . But still it is in reference to some particular sinne or sinnes , which are in the eye of the penitent Confessour ▪ whilest he maketh that general confession . Thus was it with our Apostle here in the Text. His confession , indeed runs in general tearms , that he was the chief of sinners , but it is with a reference and respect unto those particular sinnes , which he had confessed and acknowledged by name , but two verses before , I was a Blasphemer , a Persecutor , &c. This is the confession of a true penitent sinner : though the tongue may utter that confession i●… general tearms , yet the heart even at the same time particularizeth , having an eye to some particular sinne , or sinnes , from which that confession immediately ariseth , and without which , it could not be a hearty confession . The Maxim is true , not more in Philosophy ▪ than in Divinitie ; Genera nec agunt , nec patiuntur , Generalities never throughly affect a man. It must not be meerly a general notion ▪ of sinne , but a distinct apprehension of some particular sinne , or sinnes that will work upon the heart aright , so as to draw from it , a cordial and affectionate acknowledgment of sinne . And such again is the confession of the true Penitent . sinner , ( Take that for a fourth Property ) a cordial and affectionate Acknowledgement : not meerly Verbal , and Formal . Such is the Hypocrite's confession , a Tongue-Confession ; an acknowledgement from the Teeth-outward , meerly verbal , and formal . So may the Confessions of Papists , for the most part , be looked upon , which they make to their Priests , striking their hands upon their Breasts , and crying out , Mea culpa , mea culpa ; My sinne , my sinne ; whilst their Hearts ( it may be ) are not affected with what they make shew of . And such , and no better , it is to be feared , are the acknowledgements of some , and not a few among us , in the Confession of sinnes , which they make in the publick Congregation . Therein they draw nigh unto God with their Mouth , and honour him with their Lips , ( as the Lord saith of his people the Jewes , Isa. 29. 13. ) Offering up the Calves of their lips unto him , ( as the Prophet speaks , Hos. 14. 2. ) in saying after the Minister , repeating the words of the Confession . But in the mean time their hearts are far removed , and estranged from him , being no wayes affected with what their Tongues utter , and pronounce . And even so is it , in their private Confessions . They make them but a Lip-labour . It may be making use of some Set-form , composed by themselves , or others , they only repeat the words in a Formal , and Customary way , but without any inward ▪ affection ; their Hearts not being touched with the sense and feeling of what their Tongues utter , and confesse . Now , as for such Confessions , being heartless Sacrifices , they are odious , and abominable unto God ; who , as he 〈◊〉 cheth the Heart , so he requireth It ▪ without it , not regarding what ever Sacrifices can be offered up unto Him. Thou desirest not sacrifice , thou delightest not in burnt-offering , ( saith the Psalmist , not any service that is meerly external ) : The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit ; a heart kindly broken with the sense of Sin , Psal. 51. 16 , 17. And such are the Sacrifices which are offered up by the Penitent Sinner to his God. All his Prayers , all his Confessions , they come from a broken and a contrite Heart ; be●…ng hearty Confessions , ●…affectionate Acknowledgements . Such we shall find the confessions of this our Apostle , which we so frequently meet with , breathing forth a great deal of inward Affection ; expressing both sorrow and shame , indignation and detestation . And such are the acknowledgements of the True Penitent , attended , and accompanyed with Sorrow and Shame . With sorrow ; I will declare mine iniquity , ( saith David ) and I will be sorry for my sinne , Psal. 38. 18. With Shame ; the Publican making his confession in the Temple , he doth it with shame : Standing afar off ( in some remote part of the outward Court of the Temple ) he would not so much as lift up his eyes unto Heaven , being ashamed of himself , Luke 18. 13. And so with Indignation and Detestation ; Thus Paul speaking of what he had done , his forwardness in persecuting of the Saints , Act. 26. 11. I was ( saith he ) exceedingly mad against the Saints : A speech savouring of great Indignation against himself . And thus Iob saith that he Abhorred himself , and Repented in dust and ashes , Job 42. 6. And Paul speaking of his Corinthians , sheweth how they shewed themselves True Penitents , by their Indignation , and Revenge ; Indignation against their Sin , and Revenge which they took upon themselves for it , 2 Cor. 7. 11. And to these is ever joyned a serious resolution of abandoning the sinne confessed ; never more to return to it again , but to forsake it . Who so confesseth , and for saketh his sinnes , shall have mercy , ( saith the Wiseman ) Prov. 28. 13. Such was that confession which good Shecaniah made unto Ezra in ▪ the name of the people , Ezra . 10. 2 , 3. We have trespassed against our God ( saith he ) and have taken strange Wives , &c. Now , therefore let us make a new Covenant with our God , to put away all these strange Wives , &c. And thus Elihu , in Iob , describeth the confession of a true Penitent , Iob. 34. 31 , 32. Surely , it is meet to be said unto God , I have borne chastisement , I will not offend any more : That which I see not , teach thou , If I have done iniquitie , I will do no more . Such is the confession of the true Penitent , Cordial and Affectionate . Here is a fourth Property . Take but one more , and that briefly . Being thus Cordial , it is also Filial . Such is the Confession which he maketh to his God ; not servile . Such is the confession of the Hypocrite oft-times , a servile , a slavish confession , the fruit not of love to God , but of fear ; and that not of a Reverential , but a Slavish fear . Such was Balaams Confession which he maketh , Numb . 22. 31 , 34. when he saw the Angel stand before him with a drawn Sword , then he cryeth out , I have sinned . And so it is with some wicked and ungodly wretches , being in a strait , ( as he was ) , stopped in their course ; the Angel of the Lord meeting them ; ( as he did him ) with a drawn Sword , some Judgment of God threatning them , it may be , Death it self staring them in the face , so as they apprehend themselves ready to drop into Hell ; now they will confess , and acknowledg their sinnes . But this they do not out of any love to God , or hatred of their sins , but meerly out of a slavish fear : It may be in a despairing way , as Cain and Iudas did . Now , in this the acknowledgment of a true penitent sinner differs ; that , is a filial acknowledgment : Such was that of the Prodigal Son , who cometh unto his Father , as a Father ; making his Confession to him under that Notion , Father , I have sinned against Heaven , and in thy sight , Luk. 15. 21. And thus the penitent sinner comes unto his God , confessing his sinnes unto him , not simply , as to a Iudge , from whom he expects nothing but severity of Justice , ( as Achan did his sinne to Ioshua , Josh. 7. 20. ) but as unto a Father , with some apprehensions of mercy . Thus are the confessions of a truly penitent sinner , ordinarily attended and accompanied with some apprehension of mercy ; ( I say ) , either with the present sense of it , as Pauls confession here was , to which he subjoynes , But I obteined mercy . Or with the hope of it : So runs that confession , which Shecaniah there maketh , Ezra 10. 2. We have transgressed , &c. Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing . To proceed no further ; Put these together , and hereby may the sincere confession and acknowledgment of the truly penitent sinner , be discerned from that which is false and counterfeit . And so you have both these Questions resolved . That which now remains of this , is the Application . Which I shall direct , ( as in the former Branch ) onely two wayes , by way of Conviction , Exhortation . 1. By way of Conviction . Is the true penitent such a Confessor , so forward and ready in such a way , to confesse and acknowledge his sinnes , both to God and Man ; how many then from hence may be convinced , that they are as yet , none of this number ; that they are as yet in a state of impenitency ; that they are as yet in their sinnes , lying under the guilt and power of them ? Diverse sorts there are , who come within the verge and compass of this Conviction . Let me take notice of some of them . Which whilest I do , let me desire you , all of you , to go along with me , trying and examining your selves , whether you be not of this number . In the first place , Some there are , who do not , as yet , know themselves to be sinners ; they were never convinced of their sinnes , never convinced of the sinfulness of their nature , never convinced of any such remarkable evils , whether in their hearts or lives , as should need any such serious confession and acknowledgment . So is it with some morall civil Iusticiaries , whose lives not having been stained , with such open , such foul and scandalous sinnes as they see in others ; hereupon they are well opinionated of themselves . They are not as other men are , ( as the Pharisee said of himself , Luk. 18. 11. ) no Swearers , no Drunkards , no Adulterers , &c. so as they scarce see wherein they are sinners , much less great sinners . Very far are they from making any such confession and acknowledgment of their sinnes , as Paul here doth of his . Now , as for such , let them know , that not having as yet been convinced of their sinnes , they must needs be in them , lying under the power , and under the guilt of them . This is the first work that the Spirit of God worketh in the heart of a regenerate person . It is to him , a Spirit of Conviction ; when the comforter is come , ( saith our Saviour ) he shall reprove ( or convince 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) the world of sin , Joh ▪ 16. 8. This is the work of the Spirit , and it is the first work . Certainly , the Soul which never yet knew what this work meant , must needs be far from any such ingenuous acknowledgment , as here we meet with in the Text. Paul , before he came to make this confession , that he was the chief of sinners , he had seen a light from Heaven shining round about him ; and falling , to the earth , he heard a voice saying unto him , Saul , Saul , why persecutest thou me ? ( as we have the story ) Act. 9. 3 , 4. He had a strong , a clear , and powerful Conviction , discovering to him , and throughly convincing him of , the evil of that course which he then took . And thus must it be with every poor sinner . Before ever he will be brought to an ingenuous confession and acknowledgment of his sinnes , he must see a light from Heaven , discovering them to him ; and he must hear a voice from Heaven , convincing him of the sinfulness of them ; and he must be struck down to the earth , humbled in the sense of his own Vilenesse , before ever his heart will be brought to such a frame and temper , as here we find in this our Apostle ; to be ready thus to confess and acknowledg his sinnes , both to God and Man , upon all occasions . Certainly , they who never yet knew what this Spirit of Conviction meant , are as yet , far from being ingenuous Confessours , and consequently , may conclude themselves to be in a state of impenitency . In the second place ; Another sort there are who have been convinced of their sins , which yet , they will not be brought to confess and acknowledge . Convinced ( I say ) they have been , being guilty ( it may be ) of some foul , open , and scandalous sinnes , whereof they have been convinced , not onely by the light of the Word , but even by the light of Nature ; which light is sufficient to make a discovery of some , of many sinnes , specially of those against the second Table . This is the work of the Law , written in the hearts of men , ( as the Apostle saith of it , Rom. 2. 15. ) which whilest it directs them to many Duties , it cannot but convince them of many Sinnes . Rectum est index sui & obliqui . Yet , for all this , they will not be brought to a confession and acknowledgment of what they cannot but be convinced of . No , though charged upon them by the Ministers of God , again and again , yet for all that , they will not be brought to confess their sinnes ; no , not so much as unto God. Is it not the case of some , of many profane wretches ? ( I wish there may be none of them within the hearing of it , or , if there be , that it may sink into their hearts ) ; They are such as cannot but be convinced of their sinful wayes and courses , being ( as the Apostle saith of obstinate Hereticks , Tit. 3. 11. ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , self-condemned ; their own consciences bearing witness , and their thoughts accusing them , ( as he speaks of the Gentiles , Rom. 2. 15. ) their sinnes being of a horrid nature , staring them in the face ( as it were ) ; yet for all that , the time is yet to come , that ever they should go into the presence of God , there to spread their sinnes before him , ( as Hezekiah did Senacheribs blasphemous Letter , Isa. 38. ) to humble themselves at his footstool , by confessing and acknowledging their sinnes . This is a course , a practise , which they are meer strangers to , never yet knew what it meant . And not confessing their sinnes unto God , they are very farre from acknowledging them unto Men ; from whom their main care is to hide them , ( as Achan did his Wedge of Gold , and Babylonish Garment , which he hid in his Tent , Iosh. 7. 22 ) . And if they be found out , and charged upon them , What do they then ? Why either deny them , ( as Gehazi did his running after Naman to receive a reward from him , which his Master Elisha had refused ; when his master asked him , Whence comest thou ? he said , Thy servant went no whither , 2 King. 5. 25. ) so adding sinne unto sinne . Or else excuse , it may be defend , what they have done . By no means they will be brought to take the blame and shame of Sinne to themselves . Let such take notice how farre they are from Pauls disposition , who upon all occasions shews himself forward , and ready , to confess and acknowledge against himself his former sinnes ; that so , taking shame to himself , he might give Glory to God. Never was he more ready to take unto himself the praise of his good deeds when he was a Pharisee , than now he is to take both the blame and shame of his evil ones , being a Christian. Certainly the Soul that will not be brought to the confessing , and acknowledging of those sinnes whereof it is convinced , must needs be in a state of Impenitency , lying under the power , and guilt of sinne . A third sort there are , ( I shall hasten what I may ) who it may be at some times , and upon some occasions , will confess and acknowledge their sinnes ; but their acknowledgements are not sincere , but hypocritical , and counterfeit . And such they will appear to be , if brought to the Test , tryed by the Touchstone of that five-fold Property which I have held forth to you . 1. Either they are not Voluntary , and free , but extorted . They will not confess but when they are brought to the Rack ; never but when they are in some Strait , having some Judgement of God lying upon them , or threatning them . Then , it may be , God and Men shall hear of them , and from them , then they will confess against themselves . Whereas at other times they are wholly silent in this way . 2. Or else ( in the second place ) there is no ingenuity in their Confessions . And thence is it , that , if they be drawn to confess , and acknowledge ought against themselves , they deal very partially , hiding their sinnes what they may , seeking to excuse , colour , extenuate , shift them off to others ( as you have heard ) not willing to lay them forth open and naked , and so to deal plainly either with God or Man. Still they will be keeping back part . 3. Or ( thirdly ) their Confessions are onely in the gross , in a general way , without any distinct reflection upon any particular sins , which draws from them that acknowledgement . 4. Or ( in the fourth place ) they are meerly verbal , and formal , without any true inward sense and feeling of the sinnes which they confess , and acknowledge . 5. Or else ( in the last place ) what they do , is altogether in a despairing way , without either sense , or hope of Mercy . All these ( as I have showen you ) they are evidences of a false and counterfeit Acknowledgment . And yet such , and no better , are the Confessions which the greatest part ( it is to be feared ) do rest contented with . Never regarding to get their hearts brought to such a voluntary , ingenuous , particular , cordial , and filial Acknowledgment , as might evidence to themselves , and others , the truth of their Repentance . There is yet a fourth sort , and that is the worst of all , such as will make Confession ( or rather Profession ) of their sinnes , but not as sinnes ; not confessing them with sorrow and shame , with indignation and detestation , with a serious purpose and resolution of forsaking and abandoning of them , ( as the true Penitent doth ) but rather boasting of them , and glorying in them . I wish there were none such to be found among Christians at this day ; such as glory in their sinnes ; which they shew not , as Beggars do their Soars , to move pity and compassion in the Beholders , but as Souldiers do their Wounds and Skars which they have received in some honourable Service ; accounting it their Honour , their Glory , that they have been the chief of sinners . Such monsters of Men there have been , and I fear yet are , men so hardned in their sinful wayes and courses ; so far given over to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to a Reprobate minde , ( as the Apostle saith of the Gentiles , Rom. 1. 28. ) so far past all sense and feeling , ( as he saith of some , Ephes. 4. 19. ) as that they are not ashamed to declare their sinnes . They declare their sinne as Sodom ( as the Prophet saith of the People of the Iews , Isa. 3. 9. ) : Making their boast thereof , as those Idolaters did of their Idols , Psal. 97. 7. And as Lamech did of his Cruelty and Bloodshed , Gen. 4. 23 , 24. Yea , it may be , boast of that which they never did . Surely , a greater height of impiety , than is to be found in the Devils Kingdom , in Hell it self . There , those damned Souls , they complaine and cry out of their sinnes , and curse the time that ever they committed them . As for boasting of them , glorying in them , they are far from it . Now , as for such , let them know , that this their boasting , their glorying , ( shall I speak it in the Apostle's Language to his Corinthians in another case , 1 Cor. 5. 6. ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , it is not good ? Nay , it is most horrid , most impious . Such an impiety as hath a woe , a most dreadful woe attending upon it . ( Hear , and tremble at it , you , who stand in any degree guilty in this kind ) . They declare their sinne as Sodom , and they hide it not , ( saith the Prophet , speaking of the Iews in the Text forecited , Isa. 3. 9. As they shewed it in their deeds , so they spared not to publish it with their tongues , not in way of confession , as David , Psal. 32. 5. but in a way of profession as Lamech , Gen. 4. 23 , 24. ( as our new Annotator explains it ) . Thus did they declare their sinnes as Sodom , as the men of Sodom ; who openly professed , what they commonly practised or intended . But what follows ? Woe unto their souls , for they have rewarded evil to themselves : By these wicked courses , they draw down the Vengeance of God upon their own heads . Oh , far be this from any one of us ! The shameful parts of the body , nature teacheth to hide and cover them . If any shall be so immodest as to discover them to open view , we should presently conclude him to be either mad or drunk , not himself . What is it then to uncover the nakedness , and filthiness of the Soul ? And not onely to uncover it , but to boast of it , to glory in it . As for such , well may we say of them , what the Apostle doth of those voluptuous belly Gods , Phil. 3. 19. that their glory is their shame . So is it now , and so they shall find it another day , at that great day , when ( as he there saith of them ) Destruction shall be their end . Paul , confessing his sinnes here in the Text , he doth it openly , before God and Men , but he doth it upon another account , viz. That he might take the shame of them to himself . And herein propound we him , as a Patern for our Imitation . Be we all of us such Confessors , ready and forward upon all occasions , to confess and acknowledg our sins , as he was . Let that be the word of Exhortation , which ( as in the former Branch ) might be directed to two sorts of persons ; First , to such as never yet knew , what a true confession and acknowledgment of sinnes meant . Secondly , to such as have been practisers in this way . But I shall put them both together , pressing this duty upon all . Those which never yet did it , let them set upon it . Those who have done it , let them be frequent in it . This is that , which the Lord calleth for from his people , the people of the Iews , Jer. 3. 13. Onely acknowledge thine iniquity . And this he expecteth and looketh for , at the hands of all those ▪ that look for mercy from him ; that they should confess and acknowledg their iniquities . And this do we all , and every of us . Sure I am , there is none of us but have just cause to do it . Though we be not so great sinners as Paul was , yet sinners we are , and great sinners , all of us . And so looking upon our selves , confesse we our sinnes . This do we ( in the first place ) unto God. This is the confession , which Scripture most urgeth and calleth for , at the hands of all , as being the most necessary confession . My Son , give , I pray thee , glory to the Lord God of Israel , and make confession unto him , ( ●…aith Ioshua to Achan ) Josh. 7. 19. I said , I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord , ( saith David , Psal. 32. 5. ) Confession unto others , it may be at some times , and in some cases , useful , and profitable , but this , at all times necessary . A Doctrine , far differing from that of the Church of Rome ; which runneth almost wholly , upon another kind of confession , viz. Auricular confession ( as they call it ) confession made in the ears of the Priest. This is the Confession which they so much cry up , making it a main part of their Religion ; insisting so much upon it in all their Tracts and Catechisms , calling , and accounting it a Sacrament , and making it one of the Essential parts of true Repentance , imposing it strictly upon All , and requiring it as a matter , not only of Expedience , but of absolute Necessity , ( where it may be done ) ; without which , no man can receive Absolution , or Remission of his Sinnes , or have any entrance into the Kingdom of God. In this , the Doctrine of our Church , is ( and may it ever so be ) far dissonant from , and contrarie to theirs . Which , however in some cases it alloweth , and upon good grounds , approveth the Confession of sinnes unto the Ministers of God , as expedient and useful ; yet , Confession unto God , and onely that , it holdeth to be of absolute Necessity ▪ And so looking upon it , let every of us thus confesse our sinnes ; confesse them unto Him. Which do we , in Publick , in Private ; doing it in such a manner , as it may be acceptable unto Him , and profitable to our selves . To which end , have we an eye to that fivefold Property which I mentioned before . 1. See that our Confession be Voluntary and Free. Bring we our hearts willingly to the work . See that our Confession come from us , like Water out of a Spring ; not like Water out of a Still , which is forced by fire . Not deferring , and putting it off till the Evil day . Better do it now , than stay till God bring us to the Rack , and so extort a confession from us . Extorted confessions , being ( as I said ) ever suspicious , they will yield little comfort to the Soul : What herein we do , do it willingly . 2. And ( 2dly . ) , do it Ingenously . Acknowledge we our sinnes unto God , and hide them not . A bootlesse and vain attempt , to go about to hide our sinnes from him , in whole , or in part , before whose Eyes , all things are naked and open , ( as the Apostle tells us , Heb. 4. 13. ) . In our Confessions therefore , deal plainly and openly with him . Shewing our selves as ready to confess our sinnes unto him , as we would be to receive mercy from him . Do it ingenuously and fully . 3. And do it Particularly , not resting contented with an Implicit Confession , which ( as one saith ) is little better than an Implicit Faith ; not thinking it enough , to confess and acknowledge that we are sinners , great sinners ; but deal particularly and distinctly , producing our particular sinnes , laying them before the Lord , specially the chief of them . 4. And ( in the 4th . place ) do it Cordially . Let our Confessions , be not onely Tongue , but Heart-Confessions . See that we be inwardly affected with the sense and feeling of those sins which we confess . 5. And ( in the last place ) let our Confessions be Filial , come we unto God , not onely as a Iudge , but as a Father ; laying hold upon his Mercy in Christ , for the pardon of those sinnes which we confesse . Thus , confesse we our sinnes unto God. To excite and stir us up whereunto , take we notice , that this is the way to mercy . The onely way , and the sure way to it . Scripture is expresse for both . The onely way , I am merciful ( saith the Lord ) , onely acknowledge thine iniquitie , Jer. 3. 12 , 13. as if he had said , Other way there is none for thee , or any other , to obtain Mercy at my hands , but this . The sure way . So much these promises import : He that confesseth , and forsaketh his sinnes , shall have mercy , Prov. 28. 13. If we confess our sinnes , God is faithful and just to forgive us our sinnes , and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness , 1 Joh. 1. 9. God having ( as it were ) bound himself by Promise , upon Confession of sinnes , to bestow Remission ; now , it standeth not onely with his Mercy , but with his Iustice to do it . Not that confession can merit pardon at the hands of God , more than at the hands of men , but onely in regard of His gracious promise , which having made , he will be faithful in the performance of . This is the way , the sure and onely way to find Mercy . A way , which God himself hath layed out ; and a way which his people have ever taken for the obteining of it , both for themselves and others ; and a way , wherein they have ever found what they sought for . All these I might show you , if need were . And besides this , I might show you diverse other benefits , redounding to the penitent sinner from this practise . This is the ready and onely way to ease the heart , being burdened with sinne , thus , to poure it forth before God , in such humble and hearty confessions and acknowledgments . The opening of our grief unto a friend , is an ease to the heart , much more to do it unto God. When I kept silence , ( saith David ) my bones waxed old , through my roaring all the day long , Psal. 32. 3. Whilest he hid his sinne , he could have no rest ; he roared through pangs of Conscience : but , confessing it , his Soul was quieted ; he thereby obteined what he then sought for , Pardon and Remission ; I said , I will confesse my transgressions unto the Lord , and thou forgavest the iniquitie of my sinne , ( so it followeth ) vers . 5. Let these Motives induce us to be willing to confess our sinnes unto God. And ( 2dly . ) , upon occasion , be not unwilling to do it unto Men. 1st . Privately , whether to the Ministers of God or others . Confess your sinnes one to another , ( saith Saint Iames , Jam. 5. 16. ) that is ( say some ) , to those Elders which were to be sent for , of whom he speaks in the verses foregoing , or ( as others more generally look upon it ) to them , or any other faithful Brethren . This are Christians to do ( as I have showen you ) in two cases . 1st . When they feel sinne lying heavy upon their Souls , and find no ease by other endeavours . And ( 2dly . ) , when any sinne is charged upon them by others , by way of Christian Admonition or Reprehension . In these cases , Christians are to deal freely and ingennously , confessing their sinnes unto others , such as may be fit to have them Communicated to them , being Wise and Faithful . By which means , they may come to have the benefit , as of their Counsels , so of their Prayers . Confess your sinnes one to another , and pray one for another , ( as it there followeth ) . 2. And as Privately , so also Publickly , and Openly ; whether it be in a regular way , if justly required so to do by Lawful Authority ; or in a Spontaneous and Voluntary way . Such as have been open , and scandalous Sinners , sinning before others , to the offending , or endangering of them , let them be , as occasion is offered , ready to confesse their sinnes before others . That so 1. They may give Glory to God , ( as Ioshua in the Text fore-cited requires Achan to do ) ; the glory of his Iustice , acknowledging him to be Just , and Righteous , in what ever he hath done , or shall do against them , though it were in their everlasting condemnation . O Lord , righteousness belongeth unto thee , ( so Daniel begins his Confession ) Dan. 9. 7. And so the glory of his Grace and Mercy , in sparing them , receiving them to Mercy . Upon this ground it was , ( as I have shown you ) that Paul was so forward , and frequent in his Confessions . 2. And ( secondly ) that giving glory to God , they may take shame to themselves . O Lord , Righteousness belongeth unto thee , but unto us confusion of face ( so Daniel there goeth on ) . This ( as I have showen you ) true Penitent sinners will readily take unto themselves ; and upon this account they are so ready to make these Open confessions . That which deterrs , and keeps off others from it , brings them off to it . Carnal men , out of a carnal respect which they have to their credit and reputation in the World , they are averse to it . And hereupon they will stand upon their Justification , Denying , Excusing , Extenuating , Evading what they can , ( as you have heard ) . But upon this accompt , the penitent sinner is forward in it , that , whilest he gives glory to God , he may take shame to himself . This is God's due , and his ; and so apprehending it , he is willing thus to give the one , and take the other . 3. And again ( thirdly ) , This let them do , for the satisfaction of those , whom by their sinnes they have scandalized , and offended , or endangered . 4. As also to set a Patern unto others , who stand guilty of the like sinnes . All these , let them be as so many inducements , to draw them to such free and open Confessions . Wherein , let them take heed that they deal sincerely and uprightly . Not doing this out of any base sinister respects , as thinking thereby , to gain credit and repute from any , which is odious Hypocrisy . But doing it , as in the presence of God. Thus did Paul preach the Gospel of Christ , ( as he tells his Corinthians , 2 Cor. 2. last . ) . And thus no question he made these open confessions against himself , Not as many , who deal deceitfully , but as of sincerity , as in the sight of God. And such let all our confessions and acknowledgments be ; to whomsoever they are made , whether to God or Man. See that they be not meerly verbal and formal , much less Hypocritical , but Sincere and Cordial . And that we may attain to be such true confessors , ( to give you some directions briefly ) ; Let our first work be , to get a true sight , a right knowledge of sin , a speculative knowledge of the nature , and kinds of sin , to know what sinne is , and what is sinne . Now , this knowledge is not to be attained , but by and from the Law. By the Law , is the knowledge of sinne , ( saith the Apostle ) Rom. 3. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a clear , distinct , effectual knowledg , such a knowledg as bringeth forth an Acknowledgment . So much the word in the Original is conceived to import , which we find sometimes so rendred by our Translators , as , 2 Tim. 2. 25. Tit. 1. 1. Acknowledgment . Now , such a knowledge of sinne , [ as I said ] is not to be attained , but by the Law , from the Word . As for the light of nature , that may , and will discover unto man some sinnes , but this light is insufficient and defective . For , [ 1st . ] , it will not discover all sinnes . Sinnes against the Second Table it may , but not so many of them against the First Table ; which are indeed the greatest sinnes . Grosse sinnes it may , not other . Actual sinnes it may , which are the Branches ; but not Original sinne , which is the Root of all sinne . This through-discovery of all sinne , is onely by the Law. And therefore saith the Apostle , I had not known sinne , but by the Law , Rom. 7. 7. Non ita exacte nossem , [ saith Grotius ] , I could never have known it so exactly and fully , as now I do . Many sinnes there were , that the light of nature could not have discovered unto him : Specially that Mother-Sinne , the Root of all Sinne , that sinful Concupiscence , of which he speaks in the words following , I had not known lust , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Concupiscence ) , except the Law had said , Thou shalt not lust . Besides , sinnes against the Gospel , ( such as Pauls sinnes were , which here he confesseth ) , the light of Nature cannot discover them ; this must the light of the Word do . And again , discovery of sinne by the light of nature , is not an effectual discovery . It never so enlightneth the eye , as that it rightly affecteth the heart , affecteth it with true sorrow for sinne , so as to drive the sinner unto God , to seek and sue for Mercy , in such a way as he may obtein it . This is proper to the Word . And therefore make we use of this Light , labouring to get a true understanding of , and insight into , the Law of God , that so we may attain such a knowledge of sinne , to know ( as I said ) , what sinn●…s , and what is sinne . Without this , there will be no true Confession . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must go before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Cognitio before Agnitio , Knowledge before Acknowledgement . 2dly . Having attained some measure of this general knowledge , the next work must be , to get a particular Conviction . Paul had not onely a light shining round about him , ( as you heard ) , but he also heard a voice from Heaven , saying unto him , Saul , Saul , why persecutest thou me , Act. 9. And so it is not enough for a Christian to have the light of the Word shining round about him , to have a general knowledge of sinne , but he must be particularly convinced of his own sinnes . To that end , therefore , bring we our selves to the Law. Behold we our own faces in that Glass . Bring our lives thither , bring our hearts thither , comparing the one with the other ; laying both to that Rule , that so by the straightness of the one , we may discover the obliquity and crookedness of the other . Thus did Paul , he brought himself , his heart and life to the Law , and by that means , he came not onely to attain the knowledge of sinne in a general way , but to see his own sinfulness , the sinfulness of his Nature , and the sinfulness of his Life ; as his former sinnes acted before his Conversion , so the Body of sinne , which still remained in hi●… ▪ In the sense and apprehension whereof , he so passionately cryeth out in the close of that Chapter , Rom. 7. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , O wretched man that I am , Who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? Thus , seek we after such a Conviction , which till we attain , we will never be brought to a right confession and acknowledgment of sin . Thence was it , that Nathan taketh this course with David : First , convincing him of his sinne , which he doth , by propounding to him the Parable of the Ewe-Lamb , and so by that means , brings him to that Confession which there he made , 2 Sam. 12. 3dly . Being convinced of sinne , then ( in the third place ) seek after some measure of Compunction and Contrition , that so we may not onely have a sight , but an inward sense and feeling of our sinnes , and so be humbled in the sense of them . Paul , did not only see a light shining about him , and hear a voice speaking unto him , but he was also struck to the ground , [ as you have heard ] . And so must a poor sinner be , before ever he will be brought to a right confession of his sinnes . Seek we for this also in measure . This it was , that drew Iohn the Baptist's , and Peters , and Pauls hearers , to those open confessions which they made , they were pricked in the hearts for their sinnes . 4thly . Being thus humbled for sinne , and feeling some measure of Compunction , now labour in the next place , to get some apprehensions of mercy , to raise up the Soul ; if not in the sense , yet with the hope of M●…cy . Till this be done , our confession will never be such as it ought to be . It will never be Voluntary and Ingenuous , till ▪ it be Filial . Fear , slavish fear , it straitneth the heart , causeth the spirits to retire , and run inward [ as it were ] . Apprehensions of Mercy , will melt , and inlarge , and dissolve it [ as it were ] ; and so draw forth the Soul , to free and ingenuous confessions , and acknowledgments . 5thly . In the fifth and last place , seek we unto God for that his free Spirit , [ as David calleth it , Psal. 51. 12. ] that , That may be in us a spirit of confession . It is that , which the Lord maketh promise of to his people , Zach. 12. 10. I will poure upon them , the Spirit of Grace and Supplications . His Spirit , which is the gift of his Grace , [ and therefore called the Spirit of Grace ] should so inwardly affect them with the sense of his Mercies , as that they should freely poure out their Souls before Him , in true penitent confessions of their own sinnes , whereof formerly they had not been sensible . And this Spirit seek we from God. Even such a Spirit of Grace and Supplications , which may put our hearts into such a confessing frame and temper , as that they may be ready upon all occasions , to break forth into humble and hearty confessions and acknowledgments of our sinnes , both before God and Men. By this means it was , that Paul was now become such a forward and ingenuous confessor of his own sinnes . Which , confessing , he also censureth , and that severely , acknowledging himself not only a sinner , but a great sinner ; yea , the chief of sinners . That is the third particular Branch , of the general Observation , to which I now come . THe Penitent sinner , as he is a frequent Remembrancer , and a forward Confessour , so also a severe Censurer ; severe in censuring of his own Sinnes , and himself for them . An Observation which I find the learned Grotius taking up from that parallel Text , Luk. 5. 8. where Peter maketh the like Confession , that Paul here doth . Having seen that Miracle which Christ had wrought , in blessing his labour beyond all expectation , giving him such a draught of Fishes , as the like he had never before seen or heard of , he thereupon falleth down at his knees , saying , Depart from me , I am a sinful man. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Peccatosus , a sinner , a great sinner . So much that word [ as you have formerly heard ] imports ; as we may take notice from that Text of Saint Peter , 1 Pet. 4. 18. If the righteous scarsly be saved , where shall the ungodly and sinner appear ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Where the word sinner , being opposed to a Righteous person , it imports , a wicked and ungodly person , with whom it is there joyned , an habituated sinner . So we find it used by our Apostle in the ninth verse of this Chapter , whereof the Text is part . Where he saith , that the Law was not made for a righteous man , but for the lawless and disobedient ; for the ungodly , and for sinners , for unholy , and prophane . Where , by sinners , we are to understand ▪ such as the rest there spoken of are , wicked , and ungodly ; unholy , and prophane persons , such as make a trade of sinne , ( as Beza there expounds it ) , Veluti aliquam peccandi artem exercentes , such as the Poet Hesiod ( saith he ) calleth , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , such as made sinne their work , habituated and notorious sinners . Now what ? Was Peter such a one ? Nothing lesse , he was , then , a truly pious and godly Man , as appears by his Demeanure to his Lord and Master Christ , his readiness to do what ever he should command him ; which he professeth and practiseth in the verses foregoing , vers . 5. 6. How was it then , that he should passe so severe a Censure upon himself , that he was a sinner , such a sinner , a sinful man ? Why , thus it is , none are more ready to pass censures upon themselves , than those that deserve them least . Probi animi vel maximum ●…st indicium severissimam in se censuram exercere , ( saith that Author ) ; There is not a greater Evidence of a Pious and Gracious Soul , than to be severe in Censuring of it self . Such a one was this our Apostle Saint Paul , ( as the same Author there taketh notice of it , paralleling him with Peter , in this confession which here he maketh ) . Notwithstanding that before his Conversion , he was morally blameless in his life and conversation , and now an eminent Saint ; yet he passeth this Censure upon himself , that he was , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the first , the chief of Sinners . And such Censurers shall we find other of the Saints of God to have been , severe in censuring of themselves . Hence is it , that in their Confessions and Acknowledgements we shall find them aggravating their sinnes to the heighth , indeavouring what they could to express and set forth the Heinousness , the Greatness of them . So we find David confessing and acknowledging of that sinne of his , in Numbering of the People , 2 Sam. 24. 10. His heart smiting him for what he had done , he breaks forth into the Acknowledgement of it , confessing that he had therein not onely sinned , but greatly sinned . And David said unto the Lord , I have sinned greatly in that I have done . And what was it that he had done ? Why , he had caused the People , through his Dominions , to be numbered ; to have a Muster-role taken of all those that were fit to bear Armes , if occasion should require it . And what , Was this so great a Sinne ? In appearance it was not , it being no more than what , out of a Politick respect , he might do ; and what others before him ( in likely-hood ) had frequently and usually done . But David , knowing his own heart , and being privy to his own intentions and aimes in doing what he did ; that he had done it , not onely out of a Vain curiosity , when as there was no need that he should do it , but also out of a principle of Pride , and carnal confidence , having therein made flesh his Arm , trusting in the Multitude of his People ; hereupon he not onely confesseth the sinne , but censureth it as a very great sinne ; withall censuring himself to have therein done foolishly , very foolishly , as it followeth in the close of that Verse , I have done very foolishly . However , in this action , I seemed to my self to have been very prudent and politick ; yet now I see that it was no better than extream folly , seeing I swerved out of the way of thy Commandements , through pride , and carnal confidence . And not unlike is that other confession of his , which he maketh in the matter of Uriah , Psal. 51. where he not only in express tearms acknowledgeth the Fact which he had done , his going into Bathsheba , ( as he calleth it in the Title of the Psalme ) his committing Adultery with her ; but he aggravateth it to the full , setting forth the Foulness and Heinousness of it , which he doth by multiplying of words about it , calling it Iniquity , Transgression , Sinne , Evil ; an exaggeration of words , serving and tending to the aggravation of his sinne . Withal , he accuseth and condemneth himself before God , for that sinne , clearing , and justifying of him , as touching what he had already done , in taking away his Child ; so also , touching what he had threatned by the Prophet Nathan , that he would do unto him , viz. That , the Sword should never depart from his house , 2 Sam. 12. 10. And so touching whatsoever else he should please to do unto him , however he should punish him or his , yet , still he acknowledgeth , how he had deserved all , justifying of God. This we shall find in the fourth verse of that Psalm , where confessing how he had therein sinned against God , Against thee , thee onely have I sinned , and done this evill-in thy sight ; he subjoyneth , That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest , and be clear when thou judgest Which words are commonly ( and I think not amiss ) looked upon as a Reason , why he thus made this confession to his God , viz. That he might give unto him the glory of his Justice , in what ever he had spoken and threatned against him , or in what ever judgments and punishments , he should lay and inflict upon him . Such a severe Censurer was David of his own sinnes , and of himself for them . And the like shall we find in diverse others ; As in Daniel , who confessing his own , and the peoples sinnes , Da●… . 9. he first aggravateth them , to that end , multiplying of words , ( as David there did ) , making use of variety of expressions , Vers. 5. We have sinned , and committed iniquity , and have done wickedly , and have rebelled , &c. thereby , setting forth both the multitude and magnitude of their sinnes . Then he censures himself , and them for them , acknowledging what they had justly deserved thereby , even shame and confusion of face ; O Lord ( saith he ) , righteousness belongeth unto thee , but unto us confusion of faces , as at this day , v. 7. which he repeats again in the verse following , with some amplifications . O Lord , to us belongeth confusion of face , to our Kings , to our Princes , and to our Fathers , because we have sinned against thee . Such a confession of sinne it is that King Solomon prescribes unto all penitent sinners , 1 King. 8. 47. If they shall repent , and make supplication unto thee , saying , We have sinned , and done perversly , we have committed wickedness , &c. As if he should say , We cannot sufficiently express , how heinous our sins are . And such confession , being truly penitent , they will be ready to make , We see it in the Prodigal , upon his return to his Father , Luk. 15. 21. Father ( saith he ) , I have sinned against Heaven , and in thy sight , and am no more worthy to be called thy Son. Where see , how he first aggravateth his fault , acknowledging that in what he had done , he had sinned against Heaven , that is , against God , who dwelleth in the Heavens ; not onely against his earthly Father , whom he had immediately offended , by his lewd and extravagant courses , but also against his Heavenly Father , whose Laws he had transgressed . Then he passeth Censure upon himself , adjudging and acknowledging himself , worthy to be cast off by his Father , unworthy to be any longer owned by him , as his Son , I am no more worthy to be called thy Son. So far was he from excusing himself , or from any wayes mincing , or extenuating what he had done . What ever others might think of it , who might impute it to the levitie of his youth , and so make leight of it , he censures it , and himself for it , as deserving not onely a frown , or a check from his Father , but an utter abdication and abjection . So severe will true Penitents be , in Censuring of their own sinnes , and themselves for them . Looking upon themselves : as vile unworthy wretches . So did Iob , Behold , I am vile , ( saith he ) Job 40. 4. He was so in his own eyes . Abhorring themselves , ( as he saith afterward of himself , cap. 42. vers . 6. ) Loath●…ng themselves in their own sight , for all the ●…vills which they have done , ( as the Lord ●…aith his people should do , Ezek. 20. 43. & 36. 31. ) viler than others . Surely I am more brutish than any man , ( saith wise Agur ) , Prov. 30. 2. Thus severe are penitent sinners , in censuring of themselves . Q. And how is it that they are so ? A. To this I have ( as I remember ) returned some answer before , giving you the heads of some Reasons for it . Let me touch upon some of them again . 1st . They are best acquainted with themselves , they know themselves . Know ye not your own selves , ( saith Paul to his Corinthians ) 2 Cor. 13. 5. This , all Regenerate Persons in measure do . Having their eyes opened to the beholding , as of what they are by Grace , to which end the Spirit it given them ( we have received the Spirit of God , that we should know the things which are freely given us of God , 1 Cor. 2. 12. ) ; so of what they are by Nature , to the beholding of the corruption of their hearts , and the errours of their lives . These they know . Our transgressions are with us , and our iniquities we know them , ( saith the Church ) Isa. 59. 12. And so know them , as they do not , cannot , know the sinnes of others . In themselves ( as you heard before ) they take notice of the body of sinne , the mass of sinful corruption which is in them , which in others they see not , but by reflecting upon themselves . Thus they may see it . Even 〈◊〉 in water , face answereth to face , so the heart of man to man , ( saith Solomon ) Prov. 27. 19. The face which a man seeth in the water , or in a glass , it is in all points like unto his own , of the same feiture , colour , complexion . Even such a similitude there is between the hearts , of one man , and another . How ever Grace maketh a change , making men new Creatures , differing from themselves , and so from others ; yet , by nature there is no difference , as the Apostle tells us , Rom. 3. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , There is no difference ( or distinction ) , all have sinned , and come short of the Glory of God. That is , ( as some expound it , and as we find these words [ the Glory of God ] used by the same Apostle , 1 Cor. 11. 7. ) having all alike sinned in Adam , they are alike deprived of the Image of God , wherein man was at the first Created , consisting in Holiness and Righteousnes ; and consequently , all alike infected with Original Corruption , which is the Image of Satan , all alike disfigured and deformed . So as a man reflecting upon himself , he thereby cometh , after a sort , to see what is in another , Ex suo ingenio aliorum ingenia aestimans , measuring others by himself , guessing at their Corruption by his own . But this he seeth onely in a Glass , by reflexion from his own heart , and consequently his knowledg hereof is not so clear and certain , as that which he hath of himself . As for his own corruption , that he is well acquainted with , being sensible how indisposed he is to what ever is good , how pro●…e to all manner of evil . And as he knoweth his own heart , better than he doth the heart of any other , so also his life , as his inward Corruption which is the Fountain , so his actual sinnes which are the Streams . These he knoweth better than he doth the sinnes of any others . Many sins he must take notice of in others , but of more in himself . Mine iniquities are more than the hairs of my head , ( saith David ) Psal. 40. 12. This a man may say of himself , rather than of another , being ( as the Penitent sinner is ) a diligent and constant observer of himself , observing his daily slips and infirmities , his daily commissions and omissions , which he cannot do in another . In others , he taketh notice onely of their open sinnes , in himself , of his secret sinnes ; which , as they are more in number , so they may be more heinous in nature than the open sinnes of others . And besides , observing his own sinnes , he knoweth the nature and quality of them , better than he can do of the sins of others . In others , he taketh notice of the outward Acts of such or such sinnes , seeing them , or hearing of them ; but in himself , he taketh notice also of the circumstances accompanying his own sinnes , which many times exceedingly do aggravate them . So as whereas he doth but guess at the greatness of other mens sinnes , judging them by the outward appearance , he Weigheth his own . Even as the Lord is said to weigh the wayes of men , Isa. 26. 7. Thou most upright doest weigh the path of the just . Pondering all their goings , ( as the Wiseman saith of him ) , Prov. 5. 21. The wayes of man are before the eyes of the Lord , and he pondereth all his goings . Taking exact notice of all their Actions , weighing them , as Hannah hath it in her Song , 1 Sam. 2. 3. The Lord is a God of knowledge , and by him Actions are weighed . And as their Actions , so their Hearts and Spirits . The Lord weigheth the Spirits ( saith the Wiseman ) , Prov. 16. 2. repeated , cap. 21. 2. Like as the Goldsmith that weigheth his Gold , he taketh exact notice of every grain ; so doth God ponder and weigh all the actions , words , and thoughts of Men , as their good works , so their sinnes ; taking notice of every circumstance that may make them either lighter or heavier , extenuate or aggravate them . And thus doth the true penitent sinner desire to weigh and ponder his own sinnes , considering not onely the sinnes themselves , but the circumstances wherewith they are attended , which oft-times are great aggravations . And so by putting these grains into his own ballance , which he cannot do in anothers , his own sinnes in his apprehension , come to weigh down the sinnes of others ; though haply in themselves not so heavy as others . Thus is he better acquainted with himself than with others , with his own heart and life , with his own sinnes , his own inward Corruption , the pravity of his Nature , the Rebellion of his own Will , the Inordinacy of his own Affections , as also with his own actual sinnes , both as to the number , and nature of them . And hence is it , that he cometh to be so censorious towards himself , judging his own sinnes more , and greater than the sinnes of others ; and so himself , a greater sinner than others . Besides this , ( in the second place ) as he seeth and weigheth his own sinnes , so he feeleth them ; Which he doth not the sinnes of others . The sinnes of others he taketh notice of by the Eye , or Ear ; either by hear-say , or at the most being an eye-witness of them , and so knoweth them onely by speculation , but his own sinnes he feeleth them . Feeling the Body of sinne stirring in him , even as Rebecca selt the two twins stirring and striving in her Womb , Gen. 25. 22. thus doth he feel Corruption striving and struggling with Grace ( of which Paul complains , Rom. 7. ) Besides , he feeleth his Actual sinnes , which , it may be , lye heavy upon his Soul. As David saith his sinnes did upon him . Psal. 40. 12. Mine iniquities ( saith he ) have taken hold upon me , so that I am not able to look up ; which may be understood , not onely of the Judgements of God , which then lay upon him , whereof his sinnes were the cause , but even of his sinnes themselves , which lay heavy upon his Soul. And so is it in measure with all true Penitent sinners , they are such as either do feel , or have felt the weight and burden of their sinnes , being weary , and heavy laden with them , as our Saviour giveth a Character of them . Mat. 11. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , such as labour under the sense of sinne , feeling it lying upon them as an intolerable burden . And this again maketh them think their own sins greatest . So it did Paul here ( as you have heard ) . He saw and heard of the sinnes of others , but they did not lie upon him as his own did , and therefore he judgeth himself to be the chief of sinners . Cuique gravissimum est onus quod suis impositum est humeris , ( saith Aretius forecited , upon the Text ) . Every one is ready to think that burden heaviest that lyeth upon his own shoulders , and his own pain to be the greatest . See if there be any sorrow like my sorrow , ( saith the Church in the Text forecited ) , Lam. 1. 12. That which a man knoweth by sense and feeling , it maketh a deeper impression upon his heart , than what he knoweth onely by Speculation . Many other Reasons might be given , why penitent sinners should have such apprehensions of their own sinnes . Among other , their hearts are tender , as Huldah the Prophetesse said of good Iosiah , 2 Chron. 34. 27. Because thine heart was tender , &c. And such in measure is the heart of every truly penitent sinner . Now , a tender heart is affected with the least touch . Besides , ( as you have heard before ) , they are such as have begun to taste of mercy . Now , that maketh their sinnes to appear the more sinful to them , even as the tasting of any sweet thing , will make that which is bitter , to seem more bitter . The sweetnesse of God's Grace and Mercy in Christ , being tasted by the Soul in the pardon of sinne , it maketh sinne to be the more bitter unto it . But I shall no longer dwell upon Illustration . That which now remains for the closing up of this point is only the Application , which I shall again direct as in the two former Branches , onely those two wayes ; By way of Conviction , by way of Exhortation . In the first place by way of Conviction . Is this the property of a sinner truly penitent , to be so severe in censuring of his own sins , and himself for them ; how many upon this ground , may justly be censured as being none of this number ? 1st . Such as instead of censuring , do flatter themselves ; and that whilest in the mean time , they are very ready to censure others . As for others , none are more censorious of them than they , very quicksighted they are , in prying into their lives , nay into their hearts , ready to censure both , and that most severely , nay , rigidly and uncharitably . Ready to pass a sharp censure upon the moates , the least infirmities and failings which they spie in others . And not onely censuring the faults , ( which they do beyond all proportion of merit ) , but the persons also for the faults sake , condemning them for Hypocrites . But , in the mean time , they are gross flatterers of themselves . Not espying the beams in their own eyes , overlooking many gross evills in themselves , applauding themselves , as if all were well with them , and that there were nothing in them that should deserve a Censure . Such were the Pharisees of old , none more ready to censure others than they . So did he the Publican in the Gospel , blessing God , that himself was not such a one as he , and others were . God I thank thee , ( saith he ) I am not as other men are , &c. or even as this Publican , Luk. 18. 11. And thus is it with many , too many , they are very quicksighted towards others . As it is observed of the most ravenous and mischievous birds , birds of prey , they are usually most quicksighted : So is it with the worst and wickedest of men , none more ready to find fault with others , whilest they see none in themselves . Now as for such , let them take notice how far they are from the temper and disposition of this our Apostle here in the Text. Paul , whilest he was Saul a Pharisee , no question he thought as well of himself as any other , he was then , highly opinionated of his own Righteousness , that he was not as others ; if a sinner , yet not so great a sinner as others were . But now being brought home to Christ , and having his eyes opened , he cometh to see more evil in himself , then in any other ; whereupon he passeth this severe censure upon himself , that he was not onely a sinner , but a great sinner , yea , the chief of sinners . Certainly they , who do not see any thing in themselves that deserve a censure , and that a sharp one , they may well conclude , that as yet , they have not had their eyes opened , they have little or no acquaintance with themselves . Did they but throughly know themselves , they would see so much at home , as would make them less censorious abroad . So is it with a truly gracious Soul ; a truly penitent sinner , the more holy he is , the more humble , the more gracious , the less censorious of others , where there may be any hope . The Story tells us , Ioh. 8. of those Scribes and Pharisees , which brought that poor woman taken in the Act of Adultery before our Saviour , however , they were all of them guilty of the like , or of some as great sinnes as she was , as appeared by their shrinking and stealing away , after they had heard what our Saviour said to them , He that is without sinne among you , let him first cast a stone at her , vers . 7. Now they which heard it ( saith the Text ) , being convicted by their own Conscience , went out one by one , vers . 9. ) yet how harsh and rigid were they against her , as in accusing , so in censuring of her ; urging the Law , which required that such should be stoned , which they would have speedily executed , without any further hearing . So rigid were they against her . But so was not our Saviour . However he himself knew no sinne , being free from all sinne , both Original and Actual ; holy , harmless , undefiled , separated from sinners , ( as the Apostle saith of him ) , Heb. 7. 26. yet , see how mildely , how gently , how tenderly he was pleased to deal with her , telling her , that seeing there were no witnesses present , to prove what they charged her with , he would not condemn her , onely willing her to go away and sinne no more , Vers. 11. Certainly , they who are so harsh , and uncharitable , in censuring & condemning of others , either never considered , or else have forgotten , what themselves are , or were . Which if they did but seriously think of , it would teach them that Lesson which the Apostle willeth Titus to presse upon his Cretians , and that upon this ground , Tit. 3. 2 , 3. Put them in mind ( saith he ) to speak evil of no man , ( that is , not without just cause ) , but to be gentle , shewing meekness unto all men ; For we our selves were sometimes foolish , disobedient , deceived , serving diverse lusts and pleasures . This would make men more severe in censuring themselves than others . A second sort there are , who ( it may be ) will be content to pass a censure upon themselves , but they are very sparing in it . That they are sinners they will acknowledge , but what ? Great sinners ? not so , much lesse the chief of sinners . Here they will plead what they can for themselves , for the extenuating of their sinnes , and excusing of themselves ; making use of diverse Pleas for that end and purpose . I shall instance in three or four of the most usual . 1. Though they be sinners , and have their faults , yet , they are not such as others are . There are others as bad , nay , worse than they . And to make this good , they single out some persons grosly scandalous , comparing themselves with them , blessing God that they are not so bad as they . Thus did the Pharisee even now spoken of , comparing himself with the Publican , one of the vilest sort of persons that then were . So were the Publicans accounted amongst the Iews , being servants to the Romans , whose yoak the Iews could not endure , Officers imployed by them , for the gathering in of their tribute , which they did for the most part with greatest rigour , grating upon the people , by exacting more than their due , and so making what advantage of their places they could . Hence it was that they came to be of so ill repute as they were , to be reckoned among the worst of men . Thus we find Publicans and Sinners put together , Mat. 9. 10 , 11. And elsewhere Publicans and Harlots , Mat. 21. 31. intimating them to have been an infamous company . Now , with him doth the Pharisee there compare himself , as also with other notorious sinners . Which doing , he blesseth God that he was not so vile , as he and they . God I thank thee , I am not as other men are , Extortioners , Unjust , Adulterers , or even as this Publican , Luk. 18. 11. And the like are many , very ready to plead for themselves . Comparing themselves with persons notoriously scandalous , they applaud themselves in this , that they are not so bad as they , none of the chief of sinners . 2d . A second Plea is , that if they be sinners , and great sinners , guilty ( it may be ) of some foul and scandalous sinnes , yet therein they are not alone , they are but as others , they have done no otherwise then some have done before them , and others will do after them . They are flesh and blood as well as others , and therefore , if they have fallen , they make the less of it , because it is a thing incident to all . And to this purpose , it may be , they will not spare to make use of Scripture , perverting and abusing it to their own destruction ; which telleth them , how that in many things we offend all , Jam. 3. 2. And how the just man falleth seven times , i. e. often , as into sufferings , so into sinnes , Prov. 24. 16. So as there is not a just man that doeth good , and sinneth not , Eccl. 7. 20. Withall , taking up the examples and instances of holy men , eminent Saints of God , whose sinnes stand upon Record in Scripture , some of them very foul and horrid , making use of them , if not for the excusing , yet for the extenuating of their own . 3. A third of these Pleas is , Though they have fallen into such and such sinnes , yet they did it not willingly , out of any love or liking they had to the sinne , but through infirmity , being , it may be , entised and drawn into it by evil company , upon whom they are willing to transferre their sinnes , that they may shift them off from themselves . So Adam did his eating of the Apple , which he put upon his Wife , The Woman whom thou gavest to be with me , she gave me of the Tree , and I did eat , Gen. 3. 12. And so did Saul his sparing of Agag , which he putteth upon the people , ( as you have heard ) 1 Sam. 15. 24. 4. A fourth and a last Plea , ( to name no more ) is , They have fallen , and fallen foully , but they could not help it , being over-powered by Satan , whose temptations were so strong , that they could not resist them , and so they would charge the fault rather upon him , than themselves . So did the Woman at the first , The Serpent beguiled me , and I did eat , Gen. 3. 13. And the like do these her children , by this means , thinking at least to extenuate their sinnes , as if they in the acting and committing of them , had been onely Instruments and Accessories . These , and many the like Pleas and pretences , do carnal men oft-times find out , making use of them , if not to defend , yet to extenuate their own sinnes , and so to excuse themselves , if not in whole yet in part ; that so they may not seem so vile in their own eyes , as in truth they are . But in so doing , how unlike are they to the Apostle here in the Text ? Paul , if he would have gone about such a work , the excusing or extenuating of his sinnes , how many Pleas might he ▪ have taken up ? He was not the first Persecutor , nor the onely Persecutor , no , nor yet the greatest Persecutor . There were then others besides him , and there had been others before him , some of them as violent as ever he had been . Besides , what he had done , he had done it out of Ignorance , not knowing what he did , nor Whom it was that he opposed . Nay , what he did , he did it out of Zeal for God. Besides , in what he did against the Church , he was instigated and set on by Satan , who raised those Persecutions . And as by Satan , who had the chief hand in it , so by others his Instruments , who put him forward upon that work . But see how he layeth all these aside . However , he took notice of some , if not all of them ; As of his Ignorance , I did it Ignorantly : And of his good Intention , I verily thought with my self , that I ought to do many things , contrary to the Name of Iesus of Nazareth , Act. 26. 9. Yet , he is far from making any such use of them , but he chargeth his sinnes home upon himself , Censuring them , and himself for them ; and that most severely , according as the nature of his sinnes required , acknowledging himself , to be the chief of sinners . And herein again , let every of us set Him up as a Patern for our Imitation . Let that be the Word of Exhortation , wherewith I shall conclude this point . Be we all of us such Censurers of our selves . As for others , take we heed of being rash and forward in censuring of them . Iudge not , that ye be not judged , ( saith our Saviour in his Sermon upon the Mount ) , Math. 7. 1. Which , let it be rightly and warily understood . Not but that Christians may censure the sinnes of others . This , Publick persons not onely may do , but ought to do , both Civil and Ecclesiastical , whom God hath made Censores morum , Judges and Censurers of the manners of others ; yea , and this may private Christians also in some cases lawfully do . In case the sinne be open and scandalous , they may censure and condemn it for a sinne in whomsoever it is , and that according to the nature of it . But being private persons , let them be sparing in censuring of the persons of others , specially in censuring them for such weaknesses and infirmities as they espie in them . Taking heed of being rash , or rigid , and uncharitable in their censures of others , whether of their Persons or Actions . Here let that of the Apostle take place , Rom. 14. 4. Who art thou that judgest another mans servant ? To his own master he standeth or falleth ; which we have seconded by Saint Iames , cap. 4. vers . 12. Who art thou that judgest another ? In judging and censuring of others , be we sparing and wary ; in the mean time turning our censures upon our selves . Which , as it will be more safe , so more useful . Be we strict inquisitors into our own hearts and lives . Bring both to a scrutinie , and to a censure . And herein spare not to excercise our severity . Not that I would have Christians to be over-harsh against themselves , so as to pass too rigid censures upon their own persons or actions . It is the Preacher's advice , ( as you heard before ) , Be not wicked over much , Eccles. 7. 17. i. e. judicio tuo , in thine own judgment . An extream , which sometimes good and gracious Souls are subject to . Out of a deep apprehension which they have of their own sinnes , their weaknesses , and their wants , they are ready to passe harsh censures upon themselves , sometimes adjudging themselves to be Hypocrites , sometimes charging upon themselves , that great and unpardonable sinne , the sinne against the Holy Ghost ; which notwithstanding they are very farr from , being such as desire nothing more then to hearken to the Motions and Dictates thereof . In this , Christians must be wary and tender ; whilest they are not uncharitable towards others , they must take heed of being so to themselves . In the mean time , let them not forbeare to judge and censure themselves , to passe censure upon their own sinnes , their inward and secret corruptions , their outward and actual Transgressions , their sinful Commissions and Omissions . And herein let them be impartial , not conniving at any thing in themselves , not looking upon their own sinnes through false glasses , but beholding them as they are , let them passe a righteous judgment upon them , judging and censuring themselves for them , according to their ▪ demerit . And this let every of us be exhorted to do . Motives hereunto take one or two instead of many . 1. This is the next , and onely way to prevent Gods Censures . If we would judge our selves , we should not be judged of the Lord ( saith the Apostle to his Corinthians ) 1 Cor. 11. 31. Hereby may many temporal Iudgements be prevented ; However , that Eternal Iudgement : As for Temporal Iudgements , they may , and oft-times do befall those who have thus prejudged themselves . So was it with David ; notwithstanding that he had judged himself for that sinne of his in numbring the People , acknowledging that he had therein sinned greatly , and done very foolishly ; yet he hath a three-stringed whip held forth to him , a three-fold judgement offered to him to take his choice of , Famine , Sword , or Pestilence , one of which he must feel of . Yet by this means we may come to escape that dreadful censure , the sentence of Eternal Condemnation , which shall be passed upon all those who never thus judged themselves at the last day . This praejudicium will prevent that Iudicium . Thus fore-judging our selves , we may prevent the terrour of that last Judgement . Again , this is the way to ease our selves of the burden of sinne , by thus burdening our selves with it . Allevat penitus errores , qui ipse se onerat ( saith Ambrose ) . He who thus burdens himself , with charging his sins home upon himself ; by so doing , he shall lighten the burden of sinne , that it will not lie so heavy upon his Soul , as otherwise it would . To be thus Heavy-laden , is the way to Rest , Mat. 11. 28. This is the way , the next way to obtein Mercy at the hands of God. It was the way which Benhadads servants took to find mercy from the King of Israel , to come to him with Ropes upon their heads , 1 King. 20. 31. So censuring and condemning themselves aforehand as Capital Offendors , having deserved death . No readier way to find Mercy at the hands of God , than for a man to be thus his own judge , and to be thus severe against himself . In quan●…um non peperceris tibi , in tantum tibi Deus , crede , parcet . By how much lesse sparing thou art to thy self , ( saith another of the Antients , Tertullian ) by so much the more sparing ( believe it ▪ ) thou shalt find God to be unto thee . This is the next way to sue forth a Pardon . So David apprehended it , who maketh use of this as an Argument to move God to shew mercy to him , in the pardoning of his sinne , his acknowledging that he had sinned greatly , and done very foolishly . Now , beseech thee O Lord ( saith he ) , take away the Iniquitie of thy servant , for I have done very foolishly , 2 Sam. 24. 10. A strange Argument one would think to make use of , to such a purpose , to induce God to shew mercy to him , by aggravating his sinne in such a manner . Carnal reason would have thought it might have been a more likely way to have pleaded some excuse , and to have extenuated his sinne what he could . Not so , David apprehended this as the right way , and so he sound it ; not to go about to hide or extenuate , but to lay open , and to aggravate his sin to the height . In this the case is different betwixt God and Man. Before men , offendors are oft-times acquitted by the means of such Pleas , and excuses as they make use of . It is not so with God. With him , he that covereth his sinne ( seeketh to conceal it , or to excuse it ) , shall not prosper , ( as the Wiseman telleth us ) , Prov. 28. 13. not prosper in his suit for mercy at the hands of God. Would we obtein mercy from him , do not deal deceitfully with him . But deal we impartially betwixt him and our own Souls , charging our selves home , in giving in our accounts to him . Not taking the like course that that unjust Steward in the Gospel put his Masters debtors upon , in giving in their accounts unto him , that for an hundred , one shonld set down fifty , another eighty , ( as we have it in the Parable ) Luke 16. 6 , 7. This we find there commended in him as a politick device , tending to his and their advantage ; but so will it not be found in those that shall give in the like accounts to their God. Their diminishing will be an augmenting of their Debt . And therefore in this case deal we plainly , charging our selves to the utmost . This is the onely way to procure a gracious , and full discharge from God. Let these few Motives suffice . To which I might also ( as before ) sub-join some Directions , shewing you how Christians may attain unto this , to be such severe censurers of themselves . In order to which , the first work to be done , is , to get acquaintance with our selves ; to know our own hearts and lives , to know our sinnes , what they are ; how many , how great . To which end a serious , and frequent , examination is requisite ; taking special notice of our special sinnes , as Paul here did of his . And , knowing them , to feel them ; specially to feel that Body of sinne within us , that mass of corruption , which virtually conteins in it the Seeds of all sinnes . By this means we shall come to see that in our selves , which will make us ready to pass such a severe censure upon our selves , as Paul here doth , That we are sinners , great sinners , even the chief of Sinners . But I shall not proceed any further in the prosecution of this useful Observation , which hath taken me up a great deal more time than I intended to have bestowed upon it , when I first took it up . There is yet one thing behind , wherein I shall be Brief . I have hitherto looked upon these words of the Apostle , as simply considered in themselves . It yet remains , that I should look upon them in a relative way . This I gave a touch upon , and but a touch , in my entering upon them . Let me now do it a little more fully , looking upon them , as relating to what went before , to the words immediately foregoing ; Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners , of whom I am chief : That is , One , and a chief one , of those sinners whom he came to save . Thus doth he bring home that general Doctrine , ( as before I shewed you ) making it his own by a particular Application . Therein teaching Christians what they are to do ; not to rest contented with a general , and Speculative knowledge of the Do●…ine of the Gospel , the Doctrine of Salvation by Jesus Christ , to know and believe , that Christ came into the world to save sinners ; but thus to bring it home to themselves , making it their own by a particular Application . This are they to do , ( as you have heard before ) by all such Truths as they meet withal in the Book of God ; Precepts , Prohibitions , Exhortations , Comminations , Consolations ; that they may be usefull unto them , they are in such a way , to bring them home to themselves . And this they are to do in speciall by this saving Truth , upon the right knowledg whereof , depends their everlasting Salvation ; This is life eternal , that they may know thee , the onely true God , and him whom thou hast sent , Iesus Christ , John 17. 3. That it may be saving to those that hear it , it must be brought home by such a particular Application . Such an Application doth this our Apostle make of it , as here in the Text , so elsewhere ; as Gal. 2. 20. The life which I now live in the flesh , I live ( saith he ) by the faith of the Son of God , who loved me , and gave himself for me . Not onely who gave himself for us , ( as elsewhere he speaketh ) , Tit. 2. 14. and Rom. 4. 25. Who was delivered for our Offences , and rose again for our Iustification ; that is , for us men in General , us believers in Special , but for me in Particular . Thus doth he apply the benefit of Christs death and passion to himself in particular ; and the like are all true penitent sinners to do This is true Faith , that faith whereby a sinner cometh to be justified before God. Therefore , we conclude that a man is justified by ●…aith , ( saith the Apostle ) , Rom. 3. 28. And what faith is this ? Why , faith in Jesus Christ , The faith of the Son of God , ( as he calls it , Gal. 2. 20. ) believing in him , on him . Such a faith it is that Christ calleth for at the hands of his Disciples , Ye believe in God , believe also in me , Joh. 14. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Believe on me . And such a faith it is that God commandeth at the hands of all . This is his Commandment , that we should believe on the name of his Son Iesus Christ , 1 Joh. 3. 23. which is done by applying his merits to our selves . And again , as a Christian is hereby justified , so it is hereby that he liveth . That he liveth here upon earth . The just shall live by his faith ( saith Habukkuk , cap. 2. vers . 4. ) His faith in God's word and promises . This is the Anchor which he rides by in all storms and stresses which here come down upon him , his Faith resting upon the promises of God ; specially upon this great promise , the promise of Life and Salvation by Christ. So Paul lived , as he there telleth us , The life which I now live in the flesh , I live by the faith of the Son of God. Whilest he lived in this frail mortal body , ( for so are we to understand that his living in the flesh , not his living after a carnal and fleshly manner , but his living a natural life here upon earth ) this life he now lived , by the faith of the Son of God , resting and relying upon him , in all estates and conditions , committing himself unto him , and by his Faith , drawing Ver ▪ tue from him , whereby he was inabled to live unto him , to live a spiritual life whilest he was yet in the flesh . And as a Christian liveth by this faith here , so it is by this faith that he shall live hereafter . Understand it rightly . Not that he shall so live by it in Heaven , as here he doth upon Earth . No , here we live by faith , there by sight , ( as the Apostle tells us , 2 Cor. 5. 7. ) seeing and enjoying what now by faith we hope for . But this is the onely way and means to bring us unto Eternal life , thus to believe in , and on , Jesus Christ. God so loved the world , that he gave his onely begotten Son , that whosoever believeth in him , ( or on him , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) should not perish , but have everlasting life , Joh. 3. 16. This is the true and only saving faith , Believe on the Lord Iesus , and thou shalt be saved , ( saith Paul to the Iailour ) Act. 16. 31. But I shall not enlarge upon it . Briefly , by way of Application . Where I might take occasion to cast a stone at the dangerous Errour of the Church of Rome ; which maketh faith to be onely a general assent to the truth of what is revealed in the Scripture , and held forth by the Church . And so for justifying saving faith , they look upon it as no more but a believing of the doctrine of the Gospel concerning Jesus Christ , as that he was the Son of God , made man , and that he came into the world to save sinners , &c. In the mean time , as for such a particular Application ; this they make to be the work not of Faith , but of Hope . But them I shall pass by , only chargeing that upon them , which our Apostle did upon some Hereticks in his time , who d●…nyed the Resurrection of the Dead , 2 Tim. 2. 18. That , concerning the Truth they have erred , and have overthrown the faith of some , of such as hearken to them , whom they teach to trust in a broken Reed . Which let not us do , Let not us rest in such a general faith , but as we desire to receive any benefit from Christ , bring we him home by such a particular Application of his Merits to our selves . Q. But how shall we be able to do this ? when as Christ did not intend , that the Merit of his Death should be effectual to all , how shall we know that we are in the number of those whom he came into the world to Save ? As for Paul , he might know this , having a speciall Revelation for it , but how shall we come to know it , to be assured of it ? A. For Answer briefly ; Are we in measure such as Paul was ? Truly Penitent sinners , such as have been throughly convinced of our sinnes , such as have judged and condemned our selves for them , such as see and feel the need we have of a Sav●… our , and such as are willing to receive Christ upon Gospel-tearms ; to take him not only as a Saviour , but also as a Soveraign , being as willing , and desirous to be ruled and governed , as to be saved by him ? Is it so , that God hath thus revealed his Son to us , and in us , as Paul saith he had done to him , Gal. 1. 16 ? If so , now stand not to confer with flesh and blood , ( as he there saith he did not ) . Neither be we disobedient to this Heavenly Vision , as he tells King Agrippa he was not , Act. 26. 19. ) But hearken we to the command of God , ( the Commandement , as St. Iohn there calleth it , 1 Iohn 3. 23. This is the Commandement , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that great Gospel-Command ) which is , That we should beleeve on the Name of his Son In obedience to this Command now come we unto Iesus Christ , and lay hold upon him , beleeving on him for Life and Salvation , being confidently assured , that , He came into the world to Save us . And being assured hereof , now despair not of obteining this Benefit by and through Him. It matters not what our sinnes have been ; what for Number , what for Nature ; though never so many , never so great ; though we have been the chief of Sinners , yet Despair not . Such a one had Paul been , yet Repenting , and Beleeving on Jesus Christ , he obteined Mercy : Which he did , ( as he saith in the words after the Text ) That in him Christ Iesus might shew forth all long-suffering for a Patern to them , that should hereafter beleeve on him to everlasting Life . And so let him herein be to every of us . Onely see that we be changed , as he was ; changed not onely in our Name ( as he was from Saul to Paul ) in our outward Profession , but inwardly changed ; changed in our hearts and Lives , that we may be able to say , and make good , what he there doth , Gal. 2. 20. that we now live , yet no longer we ; not what sometimes we were , but made new Creatures , finding Christ dwelling in our Hearts by Faith , and working in us by his Spirit , conforming us unto Himself in his Death and Resurrection ; so as we daily die to Sinne , and rise to newness of Life . Being such now , what ever we have been , yet comfort we our selves with the Remembrance of these words of the Apostle ; every of us saying after him , This is a faithful saying , and worthy of all acceptation , That Christ Iesus came into the world to save Sinners , of whom I am chief . And thus shall I now dismiss You and the Text ; in the Handling whereof , I have , by a Divine Providence , found the Loaves multiplyed , my Meditations much enlarged , beyond expectation . My desire now is , and shall be , that they may be sanctified and blessed unto my Self , and You , for those Ends for which they were intended . For which let us Pray . FINIS . READER , THere is lately Printed , an Exposition on the Parable of the Rich Fool , Luk. 12. 16 , 22. By Mr. Nehemiah Rogers . The same Author that formerly hath written upon the Parable of the Lost-Son , Lost-Sheep , and Lost-Groat , Luk. 15. Also , upon the Parable of the Creditor and Debtor , Luk. 7. And on the Parable of the Samaritane , Luk. 10. And , on the Parable of the Friend at Mid-Night , Luk. 11. And , on the Parable of the Figg-Tree , Luk. 13. All which are to be sold by George Sawbridge , at the Bible on Ludgate-Hill , 1662. ERRATA . PAge 43. line 12. for It is , read Is it . P. 45. l. 32. for the work he came which about , r. the work which he came about . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A29523-e940 December 29. 1661. Parts of the Text Doctrine . Application . The D●… ctrine Commended Praefati●… haec nobi●… sit insta●… Buccin●… son●…ntis ad publicandum gratiae Christi pr●…conium . Calv. Com. 〈◊〉 Text. 1. From the Veritie of it . The Doctrine of the Gospel , the word of Truth . Compased about with a cloud of witneses . From the Dignity of it Quin potius in illorum cordibus ●…rat durities , non in sermone . Calv. Com. in loc . 1. The Doctrine of the Gospel worthy of Acceptation . Groecum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat non tantum acceptionem vel acceptationem , sed & approbationem , Corn a Lapide in Text. 2. Worthy of All Accep●…ation 1. To be received by all Men. 2. By all means . Estius Com. in Text. Into the Ear , worthy to be heard . * Into the Head worthy to be studied and believed . Cabala Heb●…aice idem est quod Acceptio i. e. accepta Doctrina & traditio a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Kibbet i. e. accepit , &c. Corn. a lapide in Text. q. d. Iudaei jactant suam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i. e. Traditionem & Cabalam , sed nugosam et fabulosam ▪ ego veram et certam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i. e. Traditionem & Cabalam a Christo ipso acceptam , v●…bis trado , &c. a Lap. ibid. Into the Heart worthy to be entertained , with Ioy. With Gratitude Application . Divided into 2. Conclusions . Christs Iourny Errand . Christs Iourny , touching which , 4 particulars opened . Q. 1. Who it was that came . Q. 2. How he came . Q. 3. From whence he came . Q. 4. Whither he came . 2. Christs Errand . For what he came : to be a Saviour . For whom he came to save Sinners . Some greater sinners than others . Christ came to save the greatest of Penitent sinners . Use 1. By way of Information : 4. Doctrines deduced 1. Touching the two natures in Christ. [ In mundum venit ] exprimi●… duplicem naturam , sc. Divinitatis , in qua erat antequam in mundo appareret ; & Humanitatis , in qua apparuit : Aquin. Com. in Text. 2. The invalidity of the Law. Contra Iudaeos , significat Legem , & Legis caeremonias inefficaces esse ad salutem ; illam enim attulit Christus , Corn. a Lapide Com. in Text. 3. The hainous nature of sin . Hine discimus enormitatem peccati . Idem ibid. Augustine Serm. 9. de verbis Apostoli . Cum audis Christum venisse in hunc mundum ut peccatores salvos faceret , noli dormire in dulci strato peccati , sed audi Paulum dicentem , Surge qui dermis , & illuminabit te Christus . Ibid. 4. The wonderful Grace of God to mankind . 1. The Grace of God the Father in sending of Christ. Grotius Annot. in 1 Tim. 1. 1 Set forth in 3 Particulars . 1. The Person sent , his Son. 2. For whom he was sent : for sinners . 3. The benefit to be procured by Him , Salvation . 2. The Grace of God the Son , in coming upon such an Errand . Homines desperate aegrotabant , & ipsa agritudine quia mentes perdiderant , etiam medicum caedebant : Ille autem etiam cum occideretur medicus erat , &c. August . ubi supra . Use 2. Consolation to all , and only Penitent Sinners . Penitent sinners to apply this Doctrine to themselves . And only they . This Salvation not to be rejected , or neglected . Use 2. Exhortation . Receive we this Doctrine . Receiving it by all lawful and useful wayes . Some wayes not such : wherein this Doctrine is not to 〈◊〉 recei●… 4. Needless and useless Questions touching Christs coming . 1. touching the time of his coming . Scaliger de emend Temp. * Bishop Halls Letter concerning the Feast of the Nati●…itie . 2. Whether if man had not sinned , Christ should have come . a ) Aquin. Sum. p. 3. Q. ●… A. ●… . 3 ( b ) Calv. Instit. lib. 2. cap. 12. * Cessante sine principali , cessat eff●…cius . C. a Lapid . in Text. Nulla causa fuit ve●… Christo Domino , nisi , percatores salvos facere . August . de verbis Apost . Serm. 9. Si homo non periisset , filius hominis non venisset . Ibid. Serm. 6. * Haec Quaestio non est magnae authoritatis , quia Deus ordinavit fienda secundum quod res fienda crant . Aquinas in Text. 3. Whether his Coming was Necessary . 4. whether he intended an universal Redemption . 2. Not so , as to abuse it . This Doctrine how to be received . 1. Into the Understanding , having a clear knowledg of it . 2. Into the Judgment firmly believing it . 3. Into the Memorie , remembring it . Proinde quoties nobis i●… mentem veniet ulla de peccatorum remissione dubitatio , hoc velut clypeo fortiter eam repellere discamus . Calvin . Com. in Text. 4. Into the Will and affections 1. Imbracing it . 2. Resting upon it . 3. Rejoyceing in it . 4. Being truly thankful for it . Part 2d . Pauls particular Application of this general Doctrine to himself . * Obs. A Patern for our Imitation . Communi regulae sese involvit : atque hic verus Scripturae usus est ut nobis applicemus salutaria , quo spem habeamus de salute nostra . Aret. Com. in Text. Reas. Application maketh saving Truths effectual . Applic. Paul , the first of sinners . Q. How said so to be . A. An Heretical Dream . Hic dicit Haereticus , quod anima Adae fuit in Paulo , & transivit de corpore in corpus . Aquin. Expos. in Text. A. 2. Paul the first , that is the greatest of sinners . * Quid ergo est primus ? antecedens omnes , non tempore , sed magnitudine August . in Psalm . 70. Q. How Paul saith this of himself . A. Hespeaks Hyperbolically out of his great Humility . Dictum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex summa modestia : Grotius Annot. in Text. Hoc dicit ex humilitate . Aquin. Obs. Christians to think & speak meanly of themselves . Christians to prefer others before themselves . Paul not speaking otherwise of himself than he thought . Christians to beware of such Complements . Veram hic non 〈◊〉 quam humilem confessionem edere voluit , Atque ex intimo cordis sensu depromptam . Calvin . Com. in Text. Q. Paul was now an eminent Saint . A. He speaks of what he had been before his Conversion . Q. Paul , before his Conversion was morally righteous . A. He was then a friend to the Law , but an enemy to the Gospel . August . de verbis Apostoli . Serm. 9. Obs. No sin like obstinate Infidelity . His verbis admonemur quam grave sit apud D●…um , & ●…rox crim●… , Infidelita●… : p●…sertim ubi acce●…t ●…bstinatio & saeviendi rabies . Calvin . Com. in Text. Applic. Persons in some degree guilty of this sin . 1. Meer civil Persons , resting in their moral righteousness . A mans own Righteousness a sandy foundation . Too many hearkning more to Moses , than to Christ. 2. Vain-glorious Hypocrites . Inde colligere promptum est , quid valeant coram Deo omnes hypocritarum pomp●… , dum contumaciter Christo resistunt . Calvin . Com. in Text. 3. Enemies to Christ , persecuting Him , and His. Q. Paul sinned ignorantly A. Ignorance though it may extenuate the sin , yet it doth not acquit the sinner . Applic. Sin not to be palliated under pretence of Ignorance . Q. Were there not others as great , or greater Sinners than Paul Ans. 1. Pauls sin more general than theirs . Videtu●… quod Judas fuit major . Sed quidam dicunt , quod peccatum Pauli generalius fuit , quia contra totam Ecclesiam . Aquin. in Text. Sed hoc nihil est , quia Paulus in Incredul●…tate , & multi Judaei persequebuntur ex Malitia . Ibid. A. 2. Paul the chief of Saved sinners . Maximu●… inter peccatores salvatos . Ibid. A. 3. Paul the chief of sinners in his own apprehension . 1. Being best acquainted with him●…elf . The greatness of Pauls sins set off by the greatness of Gods Mercy shown to him . 2. Paul felt his own sins . Sicuti qui gravi dentium , capitis , vel oculorum dolore laborat , dicit nullum dolorem hoc esse majorem , s●…d suum c●…nnium esse maximum , quia scit : suum sentit per experientiam , aliorum vero dolores tantum consider●… per speculationem . C. A. Lap. in Text. Obs. General Observation . Divided into 3. Branches . 1. Branch The penitent sinner , a frequent Remembrancer of his own sins Obj. Not only in time of distress . A. But in the most quiet condition . Obj. Not only such as have been scandalous sinners . A. Few but have fallen into some such sins . All have a body of sin in them . Many inordinate lusts working inwardly All these Paul remembred . Reas. 1. The Penitent sinner hath his Eyes opened . 2. His Conscience awakened . 3. His Heart pricked . Use 1. By way of Conviction , divers discovered to be no true Penitents . 1. Such whose Consciences were never awakened 2. Such as seek to lull their Consciences a●… sleep again . 1. Shunning all means that might awaken them . 2. Using means to put their sins out of their remembrance . 3. Such as having been awakened are fallen asleep again . 4. Such as remember their sins , but seldom , and then against their wills . 5. Such as remember them but are not humbled for them . A word to awaken secure sinners . 1. Their sins are registred in two Books . 1. In Gods book , the book of his Remembrance . 2. In their own book , the book of Conscience . ●… . Both these Books shall be opened . 1. Gods Book . 2. The book of Conscience . Q. When these Books shall be opened . 1. It may be in this life , in time of Prosperity . 2. In time of Affliction , at the hour of Death . 3. At the day of Judgement . Use 2. Exhortation , exciting to the remembrance of Sinne. Directed to two sorts of Persons . 1. Secure Sinners . Motive 1. This is the only way to have sins forgotten . Caution 1 See that it be a right remembrance . Motive 2. The only way to prevent everlasting Confusion . Caution 2 This to be done speedily . Direct . 1. Begg it of God , that he would bring our sins to our remembrance . Direct . 2. Wait upon him in the Ministry of his Word . 2. Penitent sinners excited to a frequent remembrance of their sins . Two Questions resolved . Q. 1 ▪ Wherefore a penitent sinner should do this ? A. For the making sure his Repentance . 2. For the renewing and increasing of it . The Remembrance of sin , though bitter , maketh way for sweet joy . 3. To get assurance of the pardon of them . 4. To get them throughly healed . Q. 2. What benefit redoundeth from this practice . A foursold Benefit . 1. To make and keep the Soul humble . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rebellionis meae , Montan. Transgressionis meae . V. L. 2. To make Men thankful . 3. To make them watchful over themselves . 4. To make them pittiful towards others . Caution . Christians not to pore too much upon their sins so as to give way to inordinate dejections . Sins to be remembred in a special way , at special times . Ian. 22. 1661. A day of Solemn Humiliation . 2. Branch . The Pe nitent sinner forward in acknowledging his own Sinnes . Reas. 1 ▪ His Heart is full with the sense of Sinne. Reas. 2. The Bed of Sin is broken in him . Two Questions resolved . Q. 1. To whom is he so ready to make this acknowledgement . 1. Unto God Both publickly and privately . ●… 2. Unto men 1. Secretly , or Privately . 2. Openly and Publickly . 1. In a Regular way . 2. In a spontaneous way . Upon their Conversion . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est aperta & clara voce Conliteri : Paraeus ad loc ▪ Declarat palam profiteri . Beza . Ever after . Three Eminent Confessours . David . Solomon . Paul. Q. whether all Christians be bound to follow these Paterns . A. 1. In some cases they are , as where the sins have been open . peccantes intellige cum publico offendiculo . Beza . Gr. Annot. in loc . 2. Where Gods glory ▪ & the publick good require it . A. 2. Penitent sinners , though bound , yet ready to make open confessions . Q. 2. What kind of acknowledgement it is that the Penitent sinner maketh . A. Five Properties of a true acknowledgement . 1. It is Voluntary , and Free. 2. Ingenuous , and Full. ●… . Particular . A good Confession made in general words , but with reference to particular sins . 4. Cordial and Affectionate . True Confession accompanyed with Sorrow & Shame With a serious purpose of forsaking the sin confessed . 5. Filial . Use 1. By way of Conviction . Many discovered to be no true Penitents not being true Confessours . 1. Such as were never convinced of sin . 2. Such as being convin ced , will not be brought to confess . Not unto God. Much less to Men. 3. Such as confess , but not truly . False Confession tried by a five-fold Touchstone . They are not voluntary , but extorted . Not ingenuous , but partial . Only general . Verbal , and formal . In a despairing way . 4. Such as in stead of Confessing , make Profession of their sins , boasting in them . Damned Souls , far from such boasting . Use. 2. All Exhorted , to be such Confessours as Paul was 1. Confessing unto God. Auricular Confession not necessary . See that it be a right Confession suiting with that fivefold Property . Voluntary . Ingenuous . Particular . Cordial . Filial . Motive . This the only and sure way to obt●…in Mercy . This , the ready & only way to ea●…e the heart 2. Confesse unto Men. Privately Openly . Scandalous sinners , to make open Confession . That they may give glory to God. Take shame to themselves . Give Satisfaction to those , whom they have offended or in dangered . Herein to deal sincerely ●…ir . 1. Get a general knowledg of sinne . 2. A particular Conviction . 3. Compunction and Contrition . 4. Some apprehension of Mercy . 5. Begg from God , his free Spirit . Branch 3. The Penitent sinner , a severe Censurer of himself . Quest. Resp. 1. . He is best acquainted with himself . With his own Hea●…t . With his own li●…e . The pe nitent sinner weigheth his own sins . Resp. 2. He feeleth them Resp. 3. His heart is tender ▪ Resp. 4. He hath tasted of Mercy . Use 1. By way of Conviction , divers ●…ensured to be no true penitents . 1. Such as are ●…tterers of themselves , whilest they are censorious of others . 2. Such as are sparing in their censuring of themselves . Diverse Pleas made use of by such , for the extenuating of their sinnes . 1. Others greater sinners than they . 2. They are but as others . 3. They have sinned through infirmity 4. They could not resist Sarans Temptations . Paul , sar from making use of any such Pleas. Use. 2. Exhortation . Let all Christians , be such self censurers of themselves . Yet , not being rash , or over-rigid in these censures . Mot. 1. This the way to prevent God's Censures . Mot. 2. To ease the Soul of the burden of sinne ; and to procure the pardon of it . Directions . These words looked upon in reference to the former . Obser. The Doctrine of Salvation by Christ , to be particularly applied . Resp. 1. This is true justifying saith . 2. Hereby a Christian liveth upon earth . 3. Hereby he shall live here after . Use 1. The Doctrine of the Church of Rome confuted Use 2. Christians to bring home Christ , with his Merits to themselves . Q. How Christians may know that Christ came to save them A. By being truly Penitent Sinners . Let not such Despair of Mercy , though the chief of Sinners . 
A59623	----	Salvation by grace and never the less of grace, tho it be through faith and not without it in several sermons on Eph. II, viii / by John Sheffield. Sheffield, John, 1654?-1726. 1698 Approx. 139 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 62 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A59623 Wing S3065 ESTC R10848 13787951 ocm 13787951 101811 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A59623) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 101811) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 849:10) Salvation by grace and never the less of grace, tho it be through faith and not without it in several sermons on Eph. II, viii / by John Sheffield. Sheffield, John, 1654?-1726. [8], 108, [4] p. Printed by S. Bridge for Tho. Parkhurst ..., London : 1698. Caption title: Salvation of grace. Advertisement on p. [1-4] at end. Reproduction of original in Union Theological Seminary Library, New York. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Bible. -- N.T. -- Ephesians II, 8 -- Sermons. Salvation -- Sermons. Salvation -- Early works to 1800. Sermons, English -- 17th century. 2004-06 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-06 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-07 Jonathan Blaney Sampled and proofread 2004-07 Jonathan Blaney Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Salvation BY GRACE . And Never the Less of GRACE , Tho it be through FAITH And not without it . In several Sermons on EPH. II. vsii . By John Sheffield . Rom. 4. 16. Therefore it is of Faith , that it might be by Grace . LONDON : Printed by S. Bridge , for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chapel , M DC XCVIII . To my Beloved Friends the Members and Auditors of my Congregation . Dearly Beloved , THese Discourses when first meditated , were designed chiefly for your Instruction and Edification in Faith and Holiness ; and was never intended to be made more Publick , than the Auditory to whom they were Preached ; but many of those that heard them , having oft expressed their Desires that they might be Published , hoping that themselves should reap further , if not more Benefit by a deliberate Reading , than the bare transient Hearing of them . And withal , hoping that what they had found beneficial to themselves might be so to others ; and when after some considerable Delay some did continue to enquire when they might expect it ; these Things did at length prevail with me , to consent to the Publishing of them ; though not without some Reluctancy : Both because I judged the work it self not fit for Publick view , especially in a Time when we are so full of good Books , and many more excellent ones than this can be supposed to be , lye by neglected . And also , because I have been much pleased with that common saying , Bene vixit qui bene latuit ; and the Advice that a Grave and Pious Person when Dying , gave to his near Relation , that he would endeavour to pass through the World without making any great noise as he went. For indeed a noise is troublesome , but especially if it be a contentions one . But this small Tract I hope will be far enough from administring any occasion of that Nature ; if I could foresee that it was like to do so , it should never come abroad . For alas ! we have too much of that already . You have it here offered to your Eye , the same as it was to your Ears , without any Alteration ; bating only some few Excerptions where they might be spared without prejudicing the Sence , that I might gratifie your Desire with as little Charge to you as might be . If I am not mistaken , you have here ( though very briefly ) the true Doctrine of Salvation by Grace betwixt the extreams on both Hands ; however weakly it be handled . For I am Confident , that many weak People , who think they do exalt Grace , do greatly dishonour it , and strip it of its principal Glory , while they set it in Opposition to Evangelical Holiness and Obedience ; and therefore my earnest Prayer to God for you , and all the People of God , is the same with the Reverend Mr. Flavell , saith he , God preserve all his People from the gross and vile Opinions of Antinomian Libertines , who cry up Grace and decry Obedience ; who under specious Pretences of exalting a naked Christ upon the Throne , do indeed strip him naked of a great Part of his Glory , and vilely dethrone him , thus far Mr. Flavell : You have here ( as I Iudge ) the true Doctrine of Grace , in a Plain and Easie Method and Stile , suited to the Capacities of the Meanest ; and if this do contribute any thing to the setling of your Minds in the Truth and against Errors on either Hand ; and to the furtherance and increase of your Faith and Holiness , I have my End and Design . If you and others of Christs Servants do but reap this Fruit by it , I matter not what others shall say of the Author , or the Work it self . And that you may do so , is and shall be the earnest Prayer of him , who is ambitious of no greater Thing in the World , than to be the Servant of Christ , and of your Souls , for his Sake , John Sheffield . Books Sold by Mr. Tho. Parkhurst . All Mr. Nath. Vincent's Works , particularly mentioned at the End of this Book . THE Divine Conduct : Or , Mystery of Providence , its Being and Efficacy asserted and vindicated : All the Methods of Providence in our Course of Life open'd , with Directions how to apply and improve them . The Fountain of Life open'd , or a Display of Christ in his Essential and Mediatorial Glory ; containing Forty two Sermons on various Texts . Wherein the Impetration of our Redemption by Jesus Christ is orderly unfolded , as it was begun , carried on , and finished by his Covenant Transaction , mysterious Incarnation , solemn Call and Dedication , blessed Offices , deep Abasement and Supereminent Advancement . A Treatise of the Soul of Man , wherein the Divine Original , excellent and immortal Nature of the Soul are opened ; its Love and Inclination to the Body , with the necessity of its Separation from it , consider'd and Improved . The Existence , Operations and States of separated Souls both in Heaven and Hell immediately after Death , asserted , discussed , and variously applied , &c. All by Mr. John Flavell . SALVATION OF GRACE . EPHES. II. viii . For by Grace are ye saved thro' Faith , and that not of your selves , it is the Gift of God. THE Apostle tells these Ephesians , Chap. 1. 16. That he did not cease to give Thanks to God , and Pray for them : To give Thanks for what God had already wrought in them , and done for them ; and to pray for a greater increase of the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation , that they might know what is the Hope of their Calling , and what the Riches of the Glory of the Inheritance ; and the surpassing greatness of his Power towards them that Believe , ver . 18 , 19. which he compare to that mighty Power which raised Christ from the Dead , to the End of the first Chapter . And Chap. 2. ver . 1. He shews , what was the Effects of this exceeding greatness of Power towards them , which was the quickening of them , when they were dead in Trespasses and Sins ; and the preserving and increasing that Life , and perfecting of it in Glory , and that they might be sensible how mighty a Power was exerted towards them , he shews how sad their Case was ; Dead in Sin , and Children of Wrath , ver . 1 , 2 , 3. Both legally and spiritually Dead ; Dead in Sin , and Dead through Sin , or by Reason of Sin ; dead to God , and to all spiritual and saving good ; and liable by guilt to Eternal Death . But if this be our Case , how or by whom are we saved and delivered out of it ? Why , this is wrought by the exceeding greatness of God's Power , which he had spoken of . But what was the impulsive or moving Cause ? Why , his own Grace ; and here the Apostle doth in this Text and Context , heap up many words , much of a like Import and Signification , as if he could never enough express the greatness and freeness of the Grace and Mercy of God towards Sinners : Rich in Mercy , great Love or much Love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ver . 4. And exceeding Riches of Grace , ver . 7. By Grace ye are saved thro' Faith. We have here two Things . 1. The principal impulsive or moving Cause of the Salvation of Sinners , and that is Grace . 2. The Way or Means of our being made actual Partakers of this Salvation of Grace , and that is through Faith. To explicate the Terms ; First , What is meant by Grace ? There are several Acceptations of this word Grace , but two most notable . 1. It is sometime taken for Gods free Favour and good Will. 2. And sometimes for the Effects of it in us . But here it is meant in the first Sence ; the free Favour , good Will , or good Pleasure of God. Here are several Words in this Text and Context , that do all express the impulsive , moving Cause of our Salvation ; and every one hath something peculiar in it , the more fully to set forth the free Favour , gracious Pleasure , and good Will of God in the Business , of the Salvation of Sinners . 1. Here is Love and great or much Love , which Notes a great or ardent Desire and Affection to any Thing or Person , and such as the Person loving doth rest or take pleasure in , and so some derive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as it is expressed , Zeph. 3. 17. He will rest in his Love. 2. Here is Mercy , and rich Mercy , that Notes Gods great Pity and Compassion towards those that are miserable , God loves the Angels , and is gracious to the Angels , but he is not said to be merciful to them , because they never were miserable . 3. Again , here is Grace , and exceeding Riches of Grace , and that Notes the freeness of Gods Love and Kindness , whereby he doth Things freely , without merit or desert , Grace doth all gratis without any precedent Debt or Obligation . 2. Are saved , some say that is inchoate and so would limit it to Justification . But other learned Expositors , as Zanch. Simpli . and Beza , say here is intended not only Justification , but whole and compleat Salvation , as is manifest from the whole Context ; in ver . 7. of the former Chapter , he saith , we have forgiveness of Sin , in which is included Justification , and that of Grace . And then Chap. 2. ver . 1 , 5. There he speaks of Sanctification , and adds , that this was by Grace ; and now again in the Text , he saith , For by Grace ye are saved , quasi dicat , all the steps and degrees of Salvation from the beginning to the end , from first to last is of Grace . Through Faith or by Means of Faith , Faith being the means , dispositive Condition , Qualification , or Instrument of our receiving or being actually Partakers of it . And that not of your Selves , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , there is some Difference amongst Expositors , what this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , doth refer to , some think to the whole Sentence , quasi dicat , and this , that you are saved is not of your Selves ; but rather I should think with other Expositors , that it doth refer to Faith , that is the immediate antecedent , Ye are saved by Grace , through Faith , and this Faith , hoc ipsum , this very Thing is not of your selves . Doct. I. That the principal Efficient and first moving Cause of a Sinners Salvation , from first to last is the free Grace of God. Doct. II. That we receive and partake of Salvation , of Grace , through Faith , or by means of Faith. Doct. III. That Salvation being through Faith , doth not hinder or oppugn its being of Grace , for Faith it self is of Grace , or the Gift of God which is the same ; nay , Faith is so far from being opposite to Grace , or making it to be less of Grace , that the Apostle saith , Rom. 4. 16. It is of Faith , that it might be by Grace . This great Work of the Salvation of Sinners , the Scripture sometimes ascribes to God the Father ; thus he is called , God our Saviour , and it is God that Justifies : And sometimes to Christ the Mediator , therefore was his Name called Jesus , a Saviour , because he shall save his People from their Sins ; and again , sometime we are said to be saved by Grace , as in the Text and elsewhere ; and sometime by Faith ; as Christ said to that Woman , Thy Faith hath saved Thee ; and the Apostle to the Jaylor , Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved , and thy House . You see the Scripture useth these several forms of speaking , in the Matter of Salvation ; God saves us , and Christ saves us , and we are saved by Grace , and saved by Faith ; and every one of these have a distinct Notion in the business of Salvation ; and yet not one opposite to another , but one subordinate to another ; and all do admirably Consent and Agree , and do not in the least interfere or clash . When God is said to be our Saviour , that Notes , that he is the first Fountain and Original , the principal Author and efficient Cause of it . And when we are said to be saved by Mercy , or Grace , that shews us , what was the first internal moving Cause , that it is his own free Favour or good Will , without any Merit or Desert in the Sinner . And when Christ is called our Saviour , and said to save us , that shews the principal medium , the meritorious Cause through or for whose sake God vouchsafes his Mercy and Grace , and the blessed Effects of it to us ; thus the very Words before the Text , and Tit. 3. 6. Again , when Faith is said to save us , that Notes the qualifying Condition , or receptive Disposition , whereby we are made , qualified , disposed and meet subjects of the Salvation that Gods free Grace doth give , and Christs Merit hath purchased for us . It is the principal Efficient , first moving Cause of a Sinners Salvation , that I shall speak to from this Text ; which from first to last is the free Grace of God. Which Grace , that we may the better see ; understand what a State we are all in by the fall ; and that is in this Context , dead in Sin , legally and spiritually Dead . Legally Dead , or as it is in other Terms , under the Curse , Children of Wrath. And spiritually Dead , or Dead in Sin , dead to God , and Holiness , and all spiritual and saving good ; having no more Inclination or Disposition to any spiritual and gracious Acts , than there is in a Dead-man to the Actions or Comforts of Life ; again Dead in sin , as fast bound , chained , and inslaved under the Power of fleshly vicious and sinful Dispositions , and habits , as a Dead-man is by Death , from ever rising by his own Power , such are we in a spiritual Sence . If we have what is our due , that is Death , Eternal Death ; but if we be saved , that is of Grace and Favour . It is God that is the principal Author and Efficient of Salvation . But if you ask , what moved him to it ? why he would so concern himself for the Recovery and Salvation of lost and miserable Sinners ? Why , it was only his own Grace , and free Favour that moved him to it . Consider Salvation in all the Parts of it , in all the Degrees and Steps that lead to it from first to last , and you shall see that Grace doth all . 1. It was of his Grace that he gave his Son to be our Saviour ; the Scripture every where Attributes it to the Love of God , to lost Sinners , that he gave his Son Jesus Christ to be their Saviour , John 3. 16. God so loved the World , that he gave his only begotten Son. Rom. 5. 8. God commended his Love to us , in that while we were Sinners Christ dyed for us . Heb. 2. 9. But we see Jesus — that by the Grace of God he should taste Death for every Man ; this Grace and Favour of God in providing us a Saviour , is exprest in all those Scriptures , that speak of God giving his Son , and sending him into the World , to be a Saviour , and a Propitiation for our Sins . Gal 4. 4. But when the — God sent his Son made of a Woman , &c. 1 John 4. 9 , 10. And this providing , and giving a Saviour for us , can be put upon no other account , but the free Grace and Favour of God towards us , for we deserved that God should have sent an Executioner from Heaven , to execute the just Penalty of his broken Law upon us : As he sent an Angel to destroy the first-born of Egypt , and into the Camp of Assyria , that slew one hundred fourscore and five thousand Men in one Night . I say , we might rather have expected , that God should have sent an Executioner of his Wrath amongst us , and not a Saviour to save us from it . If God had dealt with us in Justice , according to our Deserts , we had then been as the fallen Angels are , bound in Chains of Darkness , without Hope or Possibility of Deliverance ; it is only his Grace and free Favour that makes all the Difference that there is betwixt us and them . 2. It was of his Grace , that in Christ , and for the sake of Christ , he hath made and offered to us a New Covenant , a better Covenant that offers Pardon , and Life , and Salvation , upon easier Terms , than the first Covenant did ; hence it is called by way of Distinction , and Eminence , the Covenant of Grace , and the Gospel of the Grace of God. 1. Partly because free Grace hath the principal Hand , and Stroke in the making of it ; hence the Covenant is called by the Name of Mercy it self , Mic. 7. 20. God might , had he so pleased , have dealt with us , upon the Terms of the old broken Covenant , and since we had violated the Precept , he might with rigour have executed the Threatning . Justice deals with Men according to Desert , but it is Grace that gives that which is not due . 2. It is fitly called the Covenant of Grace , partly because of the abundant Riches of Gods Grace that it doth reveal , and make known to the World ; the Infinite Power , and Wisdom of God , was gloriously Displayed in the Creation ; his Righteousness and Holiness ; the exact Justice and Purity of his Nature in the Perfection of his Law ; but the Rich and Abundant Grace , and Mercy of God , was not made known to the World , at least not so gloriously , but by the New Covenant , Tit. 2. 11. 3. Again , it is fitly called the Covenant of Grace , because of the gracious Effects of it , or the great , free Favours , and Blessings that it confers upon all that are under it , and interested in it ; it Pardons those that are guilty of the Violation of the first Covenant , it forgives the Debt of Punishment , that the first Covenant did exact ; it justifies and acquits those that the first doth condemn ; it saves those that by the first were Sentenced to Everlasting Destruction . It is Gods Instrument , whereby he gives many great , unspeakable , and undeserved Blessings and Priviledges , to miserable and lost Sinners ; as a King doth by his Charter , grant many Priviledges and Immunities to a Corporation . Why so , the New Covenant is Gods Charter of Grace , whereby he gives the great and invaluable Priviledges , of Pardon and Peace with God , Justification , Adoption , Eternal Glory and Happiness to Sinners , that are altogether undeserving of these Things ; nay , that by the first Covenant deserve the contrary . It is a Covenant of Grace , because the Grace , Favour and Good-will of God doth freely give all the Benefits and Priviledges , that it doth contain , and doth confer upon the Children of Men. 4. Again , it is a Covenant of Grace , as it promiseth , and gives Grace , to perform whatsoever it requires , as a Condition of its subsequent Benefits . 3. It is of meer Grace that any are elected and chosen to obtain Salvation by Christ. And this is the Spring of all that special Mercy that some of the lost Children of Men receive , more than others . That there is a Christ , a Saviour , given to the lost World , a new and better Covenant , made and offered to undone Sinners for their Acceptance ; this is Grace , and rich Grace , vouchsafed to the humane kind in general , which is not done to the fallen Angels . We Children of Men have a Saviour , provided and given for us , when they have none , we are through the Grace of God in Christ under a better Covenant than that we broke ; while they are held strictly bound to the Terms of their broken Covenant . But now Election , that is a more special and distinguishing Grace still , this is a Grace vouchsafed , to some of the Children of Men and not unto others . That there is an Election whereby God from Eternity , doth pick and choose some from amongst the rest of Mankind , whom he will actually bring to Salvation by Christ , in the way and means that he hath appointed in the Gospel , cannot be denied without manifest Violence to the Scriptures ; and this is meerly of his Grace , and good Pleasure , Eph. 1. 5 , 6. Rom. 11. 5 , 6. Grace is the sole Spring of this Election , it is not out of any foresight of Merit ; or Desert in those that he chooses , any more than in those that he passeth by . He did not choose any to Life and Salvation , because he foresaw that they would believe ; or more readily comply with the Gospel Offer and Call , than others ; as some say : No , God did not choose any because he foresaw that they would believe , or be more Holy and Obedient than others , but that he might make them so , Eph. 1. 4. Rom. 8. 29. What he saith of the the whole Nation of the Israelites , is true of every Elect Soul , Deut. 7. 7 , 8. But here take Notice , that though God doth of rich Grace , and the meer good pleasure of his Will , choose some to life , and not out of a foresight of their Faith , or Holiness , or good Improvements ; yet it doth not therefore follow , that he doth of his meer Will and Pleasure decree to damn any , without any consideration of their Sin and Demerit ; for there is a vast difference betwixt these two , Election to Life and Salvation ; and ordaining to Wrath and Perdition : for in the one viz. That execution of his Wrath and Justice , he acts as a righteous Governour , and deals with Men according to his Laws , that he gave them for their rule ; but in the other he acts as a gracious Benefactor and free dispencer of his own Gifts , and so may without Partiality , or Injustice , or wrong to any , bestow his free Benefits and Favours , upon whom , and in what measure , and degree he please . 4. Effectual calling , which is another link in the golden chain of salvation , is of grace , 2 Tim. 1. 9. Who hath saved us and called us with a Holy Calling , not according to our Works , but according to his own Purpose and Grace . As the Heirs of Salvation are distinguished from others , by Election , in the Bosome and secret Purpose of God from all Eternity ; so they are in time distinguished from others , by Regeneration and Effectual Calling ; and this you see is of Grace too ; not upon the account of any Worth , Merit , or Desert in them that are Called and Regenerated , more than in others that are not so : though the ordinary way whereby God Calls and Converts any , is in the Use of the Means that he hath appointed for that end , and in the serious diligent Attendance upon them , yet even that is of Grace too ; Grace disposes the hearts of some to use the Means of Salvation , while others do neglect and slight them ; and Grace , that is a more Common Grace , makes some serious and diligent therein , or else they would be as vain and heedless , and slighty in them as any others ; it is Grace that leads Men on step by step from one thing to another , from Ignorance to Knowledge , from Carnal Security to a Conviction of their undone and lost Estate , and from Conviction to Conversion , and a hearty Closure with Christ upon the Gospel Terms ; Grace hath a secret , powerful , though oft an undiscerned hand , in leading a straying Sinner unto Christ , and in turning a carnal , worldly Heart to fix it self upon God , as its end and chief Good. As a River or Fountain , that runs a great way under-ground unseen , but at last breaks out into view upon the surface of the Earth ; so Election is a secret , that is a great while hidden and undiscerned , but in the Effectual Calling and Conversion of a Soul , then it doth as it were appear above ground , in its precious and saving Fruits and Effects . This Effectual Calling is the beginning of Salvation in us , all that we have before that , is no more than what many may have that perish for ever . many have great Knowledge of Divine things , and Convictions , and some superficial Joy in the Word and Ordinances ; as the stony-ground-hearers , and yet perish at last ; but when we are Effectually Called , and truly Converted , then we begin to be saved , then we pertake of those things that accompany Salvation , as the Apostle speaks ; then we taste the delicious Fruits of Grace , then we experience its powerful , and saving Effects in and upon our selves ; then the Day-Star arises in our hearts ; then the blessed Day of Grace begins to dawn , and we see the light of it , and feel the Warmth of the Sun of Righteousness , refreshing and healing our Souls . Now that this is of Grace , and not from the good Improvement onely of the Natural Power in some , more than in other , doth thus appear . 1. From the plain direct Assertion of Scripture , Rom. 9. 16. It is not of him that wills , nor of him that runs , but of God that sheweth mercy . 1 Cor. 5. 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another ? If any could reply , and say , that he by the meer Power or Improvement of Nature , had made the difference for the better betwixt him and another , or that he had acquired any spiritual Indowment or gracious Disposition that was not the Free Gift of Grace to him ; that would quite invalidate and overthrow the Apostles Argument in that place ; but the Apostles Argument is undoubtedly good ; Ergo. 2. That Effectual Calling is of Grace and Favour , doth appear from the manifest arbitrary distinction that it makes , in those those that are the Subjects of it ; we see that Grace doth pick and cull out , here one and there another , arbitrarily ; oft we see those called that have less Helps and Advantages for Salvation , while those that have greater are left still in their Sate of Sin and Death ; and those that to all appearance seem less prepared for Grace , while those that have greater are passed by ; as our Saviour saith , Two shall in be the same House , or Bed together , the one taken and the other left ; so Grace doth manifestly in the Dispensation of it in the Gospel . Oft we see the Children of the same Parents , that have the same Education , Instruction , and Advantages everyway , yet one taken , and another left ; those that sit under the same Ministry , and hear the same Sermons , yet one taken and another left ; Grace doth pick and cull out , here one and there another , and leaves others that to all appearance , was in as good , nay , a better Preparation to receive Grace . As our Saviour saith I thank thee O Father , that thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them to Babes ; and for what reason ? why ; because it so pleased Thee . 3. But there are some extraordinary Instances of Conversion , that will put it past all doubt , that it is Grace , and Free Grace that makes the difference betwixt one and another , and not the good Improvement of natural Power ; who will say that Paul while he was a Persecutor , and a Blaspemer , and in the height of his Rage against Christ , and his People and interest , was in a greater Preparation for Grace , than that young Man in the Gospel , of whom it is said Christ loved Him , and said he was not far from the Kingdom of God , and yet for ought we do know , he never entred into it ; and is it likely that the Thief upon the Cross , or the Samaritan Woman that lived in Adultery , was in a greater preparation for Grace , than those many that followed Christ up and down from Place to Place to hear his Heavenly Doctrine ? and yet it is said of them , Joh. 6. that They went back and walked no more with Him. All must confess , whether they are wiling or not , that it was pure Grace , and Free Grace that in these , and many such like Instances , doth make the difference , and not the good Improvement of Nature . I readily acknowledge , that it is not Gods usual way , to take Persons as it were reeking-hot out of their Sins , into a State of Grace and Favour ; to call Men to himself while in the neglect of his Instituted Means ; and as it were , fighting against Him. Well ; but it is the same Grace , that extraordinarily calls some few ; and ordinarily calls most in the serious and diligent Use of his Appointed Means . If it be beyond all Question , that it is meer Grace that calls some that were running away from God as fast as they could ; none ( that considers what the consequences will be ) will venture to say , that it is not the same Grace , that calls all that are called , though in a different way : God meets with some few in the midst of their Career of Sin , that none shall be able to deny the efficiency of his Grace in the work , but his most usual , ordinary way , wherein he calls most , is in a serious , close attendance upon Ordinances , that his Wisdom may be glorified , together with his Grace , in blessing Means that he hath appointed and useth for that End. 5. Justification is of Grace , which is another link in the Golden Chain of Salvation . Justification is God's accounting us righteous and dealing with us as righteous Persons , in discharging us from the Curse of the Law and Eternal Condemnation , for the sake of Christ's Meritorious Sacrifice and Righteousness made ours by Faith. And this is an act of Gods Free Grace towards us , Rom. 3. 24. being Justified freely by his Grace and Tit. 3. 7. That is of Grace or Favour , when a Benefit or Priviledge is bestowed that was not due , that could not in Justice be claimed , thus the Apostle opposeth Grace and Debt , Rom. 4. 4. Now our due is Death and Wrath ; it was just and due , that we should suffer the Penalty of that Law which we had violated . but God instead of executing the Penalty and Curse of the Law , which we had deserved ; for the sake of Christ and his Righteousness , he doth freely acquit and discharge us of it ; he accounts us righteous , and deals with us as righteous Persons , for the sake of Christ , whom in Justice he might have condemned and executed as guilty and rebellious Sinners . 6. Sanctification is of Grace , now Sanctification , as it is distinguished from Regeneration and Conversion , is but the further increase and improvement , the further strengthening and confirming , that Principle or Seed , or Habit of Grace , that was first given , and infused in our Effectual Calling ; and therefore all the Parts of it , such as Faith , Love , Resignation to God , Trust and Dependance upon him , Subjection to his Governing and Disposing Will ; these and such like , that are the parts of Sanctification , are called the Graces of the Spirit , because Grace doth freely give and bestow , both the first Principle , and the after increase and improvement of them . It is good , saith the Apostle , that the heart be established with Grace ; and why called Grace ? but because it is the fruit and effect of Gods free Grace and Favour to us . 7. Perseverance , and holding on to the end in Faith and Holiness is of Grace too ; the same hand that works the Principle of Faith and Holiness at first , doth constantly cherish and preserve it , that it do not fail or be extinct ; as Conservation is said to be a continued Creation , that is , God puts forth the same Almighty Power in preserving his Creatures in their being , as he did at first in bestowing it upon them ; so the same Grace and Favour is renewed and continued , in the exercise , increase , and persevering in Grace to the end , as was at first put forth , in the working of it . And hence our Saviour prays for his Disciples , John 17. 11. Holy Father ! Keep them through thy Name . 1 Pet 1. 5. Kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation . Phil. 1. 6. He that hath begun a good Work in you will perfect it . Alas ! should Grace turn us off to shift for our selves , and look to our selves alone ; ( after it hath brought us into a State of Grace , and to an Interest in Christ and his Covenant ) we should quickly prove Bankrupts , and lose all again . Such is the strength of remaining Corruption within , and of Temptations and Alurements without ; and such is the Subtilty , Malice and Power of the Devil to manage all to the best advantage against our Souls ; that if Grace did not keep it's hold of us we should quickly make Shipwrack of Faith , and a good Conscience , and our Souls too . Grace in the Souls of the best , but especially in young Converts , is like a Spark of Fire in the midst of a Heap of Ashes , that if the kind Breath of Grace did not constantly cherish and keep it in , it would quickly be extinguished . 8. The Eternal Reward of Glory and Happiness in Heaven is of Grace too , this we have in the Text , By Grace ye are saved : That is compleatly , Tit. 3. 5. Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done , but according to his Mercy he saved us . Rom. 6. 23. The Gift of God is Eternal Life . After all that we have done in a patient continuance in well doing , and working out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling , and persevering in Faith and Holiness to the end ; yet Eternal Life is a free Gift after all this ; though it be in some Sence a Reward , yet that makes it nevertheless a Gift in it self , Jude 21. Looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus unto Eternal Life ; thus you see , that the Salvation of guilty Sinners is from first to last of Grace ; Grace begins , and carries it on , through the various steps and degrees of it in this Life ; and Grace perfects and compleats all at last too ; the Scripture doth delight to compare the new Creation to a beautiful and stately Building , wherein Grace doth all , laies every Stone in it from first to last ; Grace laies the Foundation and the chief Corner Stone , which is Redemption by Christ and our Election in him , 1 Pet. 2. 6. Behold I lay in Sion a chief Corner-Stone — and Grace carries on the Building , and Rears up the Walls , in Effectual Calling , Sanctification and Perseverance therein ; and the Roof and Top-stone of Eternal Life and Glory is laid on with shouting , crying Grace , Grace unto it ; as it is said of the second Temple , Zach. 4. 6 , 7. Thus as one well saith , the New Man is from the Sole of the Foot , to the Crown of the Head , all made up of Grace , and all the Links in the golden Chain of Salvation , are all of pure beaten and massy Grace . 2. I shall now shew you the Properties of this Grace , or the Epethites that are given to it , for the Scripture doth not only call it Grace , but it gives many Epethites to it , the better to shew its Nature , and the more fully to discover and manifest its Glory . 1. It is free Grace , self-moving Grace , that fetches not its Motives and Inducements of any thing it bestows from Man , as a deserving and procuring Cause , but it Acts towards us , and bestows its Gifts and Blessings upon us of its own , free , gracious and bountiful Inclination , Grace it self , signifies the freeness of the Gift ; for Grace is as much as Gratis , and doth all Gratis , that is freely . As a Gift signifies the freeness of what is bestowed ; so God is said to give Christ , and give Faith , and give Repentance , and give Eternal Life , and give the Heavenly Kingdom ; one would think that these Words themselves should sufficiently express the freeness of Grace : So true is that common saying , What is freer then Gift ? Yet the Scripture doth frequently adjoin the Word Free , and freely , to Grace , and Gift , as if it could never enough set forth , how Free the Grace of God is in the Salvation of guilty , and Dead Sinners , Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his Grace . Ver. 32. How shall he not with him freely give us all Things ? And to this Sence do some expound that Scripture , John 1. 16. Of his fulness have we received , Grace for Grace , that is Grace for Graces sake ; indeed there is nothing that we receive from God , all things that tend to Salvtion , the Principle , the Degrees of it , and Salvation it self at last ; but as to the Thing it self , it is altogether a Free Gift of God to us , though as to the Order of confering , some of Gods Gifts do require a preceding Disposition and Qualification in the Subject ; which is also a Gift of Grace too . 2. The Grace whereby we are saved is a large and an abundant Grace , thus the Scripture doth not only call it Grace , but abundance of Grace , Rom. 5. 17. Yea , and exceeding abundant , 1 Tim. 1. 14. The word abundant , is supra modum , not a short , narrow , scanty Grace , but a Grace that overflows , and exceeds all Measure , a Grace that cannot be measured , or fully comprehended , whose Dimensions cannot be founded or fathomed ; and so likewise it is called , Riches of Grace , Eph. 1. 7. Nay , exceeding Riches of Grace , Eph. 2. 7. Now Riches you know speaks great Plenty , Largeness , Fulness , and Abundance , of the Things that we speak of ; and it is rich and abundant Grace considered either as it is in God , or as to the Fruits and Effects of it as bestowed upon us . This Grace of God is an everspringing and over flowing Fountain-Grace , nay an Ocean Grace , that hath neither Banks nor Bottom ; as doth appear . 1. From the great unworthiness and very ill deserving of those that are the Objects of it ; alas ! we were not small Offenders , but such as had provoked , dishonoured , and contemned God in a very high manner ; we were not only Sinners , but lothsome Sinners , such as his Holy Eyes could not but abhor ; not only lothsome Sinners , but Enemies , and that is worse still ; it is less for a Man to shew kindness to an unworthy , unlovely Person , than to a to a mortal Enemy ; nay , we were not only Enemies , but stubborn Enemies , proud contemptuous Enemies , that neither did seek nor desire his Favour , now the worse those are that are the Objects of his Grace ; the more abundant is that Grace , that extends it self to them . It is less in the King , to extend his Favour to an ordinary Malefactor ; than if he should do it to a profest Enemy to his Crown and Dignity ; and it is less to shew Favour to Enemies that sue and intreat for it , than to contemptuous Enemies that seem to scorn and slight it : Why , such were we all when Gods Grace and Favour first shone upon us : O! the superabundant Riches of Grace . 2. The abundant Riches of Grace doth appear from the number and greatness of our wants and miseries that it supplies ; and of our Sins that it Pardons and Forgives . Alas ! if it was not a rich and abundant Grace ; our slights and neglects of it , our resistings and strivings against it , our unworthy carriage under it ; our repeated sinning after Pardon received ; our violating the Obligations even of Mercy and Grace it self ; our often breaking our solemn Vows and Promises , of new and better Obedience ; So that had it not been an exceeding abundant Grace , it had been wearied and tired out before this Time ; as God saith of the old World , when he saw that the wickedness of Man was exceeding great , it is said , That it repented him , that he had made Man , and it grieved him at his very Heart , Gen. 6. 6. So were not his Grace towards us an exceeding abundant Grace , our many Provocations , Frowardness , and ill Returns would have made him repent before now , that ever his Grace did take in hand , to recover and save such untractable , froward , and ungrateful Wretches as we . 3. This Grace of God whereby we are saved is a wise Grace too , a Grace that in the Dispensation of it , or the bestowing of its Fruits and Effects upon us , doth discover and manifest the unsearchable Depths of Gods Wisdom , as well as of his Love and Goodness ; Eph. 1. 7 , 8. — According to the Riches of his Grace wherein he hath abounded towards us in all Wisdom and Prudence . Here you see , that it is Grace , and rich Grace that is the rise and spring of all , that lost and undone Sinners do receive from God , and in this , Grace God abounds towards us , but it is in all Wisdom and Prudence ; now I conceive the meaning to be this , that though it be free Grace and Favour in God that is the Spring of all that we receive , yet an infinite and unsearchable Wisdom , doth order , direct , and appoint the way and manner of its being communicated and bestowed upon us ; Grace saves us , but Wisdom dispences it in such a way and order , as doth most exalt the Glory of the Divine Majesty , and that not only of some , but of all his Perfections ; and yet so , as that the Creature is most strongly obliged and ingaged to his Duty too , viz. to the greatest Subjection to God , and dependance upon him : Grace doth all in the business of Salvation , and yet in such an Order and Method , that Man is not left to his own Will , to live as he list ; n● nor allowed or indulged in Sloth and Carelesness , in Negligence or Indifferency : But contrarily is obliged more strongly then ever , to the closest adherence to God and Obedience to his Commands ; here is the Wisdom of Grace , that while it doth all , and we can do nothing without it ; and the whole Glory of our Salvation must be ascribed to Grace ; and nothing to our selves ; yet our Obligations to Duty , are not the less , but the greater ; while Grace saves us freely , yet it obligeth us to the greatest seriousness and diligence in working out our own Salvation with Fear and Trembling . Yea , to strive , and fight , and run , and give all Diligence to make our Calling and Election sure . The Wisdom of Grace might be shewed at large , both in the Impetration , and the Application of Salvation ; as in reconciling the Justice and Mercy of God ; and the Honour of God as Rector , and of his violated Law ; together with the Impunity and Happiness of the Sinner . And in the Application ; in making God and Christ to be all in all , in the business of our Salvation , and yet in such a wise way and order , that Mans Duty in seeking , and praying , and waiting : Yea , and that in the closest Attendance upon God in the use of his appointed Means , and in the Duties of Holiness and Obedience , is not vacated or made needless thereby ; but contrarily is more strongly inforced than it could have been any other way . There are too many look only at the freeness of Grace , and never consider the Wisdom of it , whereas this is the Thing that most of all fills the Angels with wonder , Eph. 3. 16. — Might be known the manifold Wisdom of God. 1 Pet. 1. 12. — Which Things the Angels desire to look into ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , it signifies , such a narrow intent prying , as we use to do into a curious Piece , wherein we discern a wonderful deal of Art and Skill ; and were the Wisdom of it , but considered and understood by us , it would make us say with the Apostle , O the Depths of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God , how unsearchable ! &c. All the Perfections of God , do mutually reflect a Luster upon each other , so here the Wisdom of Grace doth not in the least diminish its freeness ; but greatly adds to the Glory of it . 4. The Grace whereby we are saved is a Pure and Holy Grace ; in that while it imbraces the Sinner with a most free and abundant Favour ; yet without the least Countenance or Favour to Sin it self ; tho it pardon the Sinner , yet it doth not spare , but most severely punishes the Sin ; nay , it discovers the greatest hatred and abhorrence of Sin , while it shews the richest and most abundant Favour and Kindness to the Sinner : Though it Pardon the greatest and worst of Sinners , and multiplies Pardons in blotting out Sins that are numberless , and for quality of the most Crimson dye ; yet it doth this in such a way that it gives not the least Countenance , or Incouragement to any to Sin or to continue in it ; nay , the rich Grace displaied upon Mount Sion doth more effectually suppress and destroy the Reign of Sin then all the Fire and Thunder of Mount Sinai ; though it Pardons Sin freely , yet it doth it in such a way and order , that it doth more powerfully restrain and awe the Soul from continuing in the Practise of it ; then all the terrible Threats of Wrath in the Law , Tit. 2. 11 , 12. The Grace of God that brings Salvation — teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts , and to live soberly , righteously and godly ; hence when God proclaims his Name so full of Grace and Mercy , Exod. 34. 6 , 7. — Mercyful , gracious , long-suffering , abundant in Goodness and Truth , forgiving Iniquity , Transgression and Sin , ( yet it is added ) and that will by no means clear the Guilty . Psalm 99. 8. — Thou wast a God that forgavest them , but tookest Vengeance of their Inventions ; those emblematical appearances of Christ , that we read of , Rev. 1. 13 , 14 , 15 do not obscurely shew his Holiness and Purity , his Hatred and Revenges of Impenitence and Disobedience commixt with his Love , and Grace , and Kindness to Sinners . Here you see him represented in his Priestly Garments , ver . 13. which shows his Love and Grace to Sinners , in his Sacrifice and Intercession ; but ver . 15. His Feet as it were Brass that burns in a Furnace , which shews his fiery Wrath and Indignation against all impenitent ones : Hence it is manifest , that those who do from the freeness and abundance of Grace take incouragement to Sin , never had any Experience of this Grace in themselves . 5. The Grace whereby we are saved , is a powerful Grace , Eph. 1. 19. — And what is the exceeding greatness of his Power to us-ward , who believe ; it is an exceeding Power that Grace puts forth , in the Conversion and Salvation of carnal , and dead Sinners . It overcomes the Resistance and Opposition that the carnal , corrupt will , assisted by the Devil and all that the Powers of Darkness can make against it . It is a mighty Power indeed , that of Stones raises up Children to Abraham , that raiseth dead Sinners to Life , that have not only , like Lazarus , lain four Days in the Grave ; but that have lain many Years rotting in their Filth and Putrefaction ; that is a mighty Power , that makes dry and dead Bones to live ; which makes a Holy Temple for God himself to dwell in , of that Heart , which was a sty of every filthy and unclean Lust. Were not this Grace whereby we are saved , an Almighty Grace , we had been all to this Day , yea , and for ever , rotting in the Grave of our Sins , bound in the Chains of guilt and Death ; and as it is a mighty Power that first raises us to a spiritual Life , so it is the same mighty Power that keeps us still , through Faith unto Salvation , 1 Pet. 1. 5. I shall briefly open the other two Points , and then Apply all together . 1. What is the meaning of this Salvation being through Faith. The meaning is this , that God and Christ in the Gospel Covenant , do require Faith on our parts , in order to our being actual Partakers and Possessors of this Salvation ; which Gods Grace doth freely give , and Christ hath merited for us ; our actual Interest in and claim to this Salvation , is suspended till we believe ; which is the same that our Saviour himself saith ; when he commissioned his Apostles to Preach the Gospel of Salvation to the lost World , Mark 16. 16. Go Preach the Gospel — He that believes shall be saved , and he that believes not shall be damned . It is freely offered and given by God and Christ in the Gospel Covenant , but Faith is required as a necessary Disposition , in all that shall actually receive and partake of it . 1. Sincere Faith , which is the unfeigned Consent of the Heart to receive and close with Christ upon the Terms of the Gospel Covenant , is necessary to our first Interest and Title to it ; that is , before a Soul is brought to this believing or closing with Christ , it is ( as to the special and principal Effects and Fruits of it ) but a Grace offered , a Christ , a Saviour , and Salvation offered and tendered ; but when we believe then it is a Salvation begun in us , then we actually partake of some of the saving Fruits and Effects of this Grace , and have a just Title and Claim to compleat Salvation , to be given us in Gods Time and Way . 2. The continued Exercise of , and persevering in this Faith , and the necessary Fruits of it ; Holiness and sincere Obedience to Christ and his Commands , is necessary to our final and compleat Salvation ; that is , to our full Deliverance from Sin and Satan , Death and Hell ; and our Possession of Eternal Life and Happiness , not that one who truly believes , if he should Dye the next Day of Hour , before the Performance of any one further Act of Holiness and Obedience ; would want any Thing , to qualifie him for compleat Salvation ; no , you must not understand it so . For true Faith , as it justifies the Believer at the very Moment of his believing ; so it would save him if he should Dye the next Moment : But if God gives us further Life and Time , Perseverance in Faith and Holiness to the very end of our Lives , is necessary to continue our Right and Title to Salvation ; as Faith was at first to the obtaining of it . Hence are those Promises of compleat Salvation to continued Perseverance in Faith and Holiness , Rom. 2. 7. To them who by patient Continuance in well doing seek for — Eternal Life . James 1. 12. Blessed is he that indures Temptation , for after he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of Life . Rev. 2. 10. Be thou faithful to the Death , and I will give thee a Crown of Life . 2 Pet. 1. 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11. Give Diligence to add to your Faith Vertue , and to Vertue , Knowledge , &c. — for so an entrance shall be ministred unto you , into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour : And those Threats on the other Hand to those that do not Persevere . Heb. 10. 38. — If any Man draw back , my Soul shall have no Pleasure in him . Heb. 12. 14. — And Holiness , without which no Man shall see the Lord. What I shall say to the last Point of Doctrine , ( viz. That Salvation being thro' Faith , doth not hinder or oppugn its being of Grace ) shall be in answering three Questions or Objections , that may be made against its being of Grace . Quest. 1. How is our Salvation of Grace , since it is not without the Merit and Satisfaction of Christ ? But before I come directly to Answer this , I must Premise something for the better Understanding of this Matter which is this . That the Scripture , speaking of the Salvation of Sinners , as it doth assert that it is of Grace ; so we frequently meet with this Phrase that it is through Faith , and elsewhere most frequently , that it is thro' Christ. It is of Grace through Faith , saith the Text , 2 Tim. 3. 15. — Wise unto Salvation , through Faith in Christ Jesus . Heb. 6. 12. — Who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises . And elsewhere we find that Salvation and all the Parts of it are said to be through Christ , Rom. 3. 24. — Through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus . Eph. 1. 7. — Redemption through his Blood. Tit. 3. 5 , 6. — But according to his Mercy he saved us — which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour ; in these , and many other Scriptures , you may observe , that Grace , Mercy , or Love , as it is a Love of Benevolence or Good-will ; is at the Head or Top of all ; which is Gods gracious Free , Propension and Inclination to do good to us , to Pardon and Save us ; this you see is at the Head of all , and before all ; but the Effects and Fruits of it , is said to be given to us sometimes through Christ , through his Blood , and through his Redemption , and sometimes through Faith ; and yet these hinder not its being of Grace . 1. Salvation is through Christ with respect to God giving and bestowing of it , that he may give such great and undeserved Mercies and Benefits to Sinners , in a way becoming himself , becoming of his Wisdom , Holiness , and Justice , which could not be , if they were given absolutely without respect to the Redemption and Satisfaction of Christ. 2. And it is said to be through Faith , with respect to our receiving and being made actual Partakers of these Benefits , of Pardon , Life , and Salvation : We must receive these great and undeserved Benefits through Faith , and partake of them only by Faith ; that we may in our very partaking of them , honour both the Father and the Son , both our Supream Rector , and Redeemer ; that is we must receive and partake of them in such a way , wherein we shall acknowledge , admire , and adore the Love and Mercy , the Wisdom , Holiness , and Justice of God the Father : Together with the Love , Grace , Condescension , and Kindness of our Saviour and Redeemer . God gives Salvation through Christ and his Redemption , that he may give as becomes himself , so as becomes , an infinitely Wise , Holy , and Just Governour ; and we must receive or partake of it only through Faith , that we may receive it as becomes our selves , that is , as becomes miserable , guilty , lost , and undone Sinners ; we must receive the Salvation of Grace , in such a way , wherein our very receiving , is an acknowledgment that our selves are nothing , and that God and Christ is all ; that even when we receive a Pardon , we shall at the same time , yea , in the same Act acknowledge that we deserve to be condemned ; and that Gods Grace freely bestows all upon us for the sake of the Redemption and Satisfaction of Christ ; so much in the general , and which will afford Light for the solving of the following Questions or Objections . Obj. 1. How is our Salvation of Grace , and of such free Grace , when it is not without the Merit and Satisfaction of Christ , when so great a Price , as the Life and Blood of the Son of God , was exacted by God , and paid by Christ for the Purchase of it ? Ans. The Socinians will easily answer this in their way , for they say that our Pardon and Salvation ; is meerly an Act of Dominion and Favour ; and not procured by the Sufferings of Christ , as a Punishment and Satisfaction for our Sins : For they say that Christs Sufferings was no Punishment for our Sin , nor any proper Satisfaction to Divine Justice ; and that our Sin was no antecedent inpulsive Cause of Christs Suffering , nor his Sufferings any meritorious Cause of our Pardon or Salvation . But this cannot be admitted , without subverting the whole Gospel , and destroying the very Foundations of the Christian Religion ; for this makes the whole Mediation , Death and Sufferings of Christ to be in vain , or of very little use ; for they assign but little , if any thing more , to the Death of Christ then what may be attributed to the Death and Sufferings of the Martyrs . This therefore must be acknowledged that the Death and Sufferings of Christ were a Punishment for our Sins , a proper Satisfaction to Divine Justice , a price of our Redemption , and yet that our Pardon and Salvation is of Grace notwithstanding . For the right Understanding of which it is necessary to shew . 1. How or in what Relation God is chiefly to be considered in this business of the Redemption and Salvation of Sinners . 2. What is the Reason and Use of Christs Sufferings . 1. God in the Business of Redemption , is to be considered principally as the supream Ruler and Governour of the World ; infinitely Wise , Holy and Just , who was greatly offended and provoked by Sin ; and his Law and Government slighted , dispised , and trampled upon by Sinners ; and yet of his own infinitely good and gracious Nature , was propense and inclined to shew Pity and Mercy , yea , to deliver and save his miserable Creatures , that had made themselves so by their Sin and Apostalie . But this could not be effected without some way or medium , whereby the Honour of God's Law ; and of his Wisdom , Justice , and Holiness , as the righteous Governour of the World shall be secured and preserved ; for God can do nothing unjustly , nothing unwisely , or unholily ; but should he of meer Grace and Favour without any Punishment of Sin , or a sufficient Satisfaction to his Justice , have pardoned the Sin of Man , there would have lain great Imputations against his Wisdom , and Holiness ; his Truth and Justice , and such inconveniences as would have reproached , if not subverted his Government . It may not be amiss to give you alight touch of this ; for I design to not insist upon it so largely as it might be . 1. If God should have pardoned and saved Sinners without a Satisfaction , this would have reflected upon his Wisdom ; for since he had with infinite Wisdom and Counsel made a Law for the Government of his Creatures ; with a Penalty annexed , in case of Disobedience ; how could it stand with his Wisdom to suffer the Contempt and Violation of it , and of his own Authority therein ; to go altogether unpunished ? What ? to have his Law trampled upon ; and as it were made void assoon as made ; if he should suffer this to go unpunished , he would seem to disregard his own Law , in the Sanction of it , as much as his Creature had done the Precept of it . Again should he suffer the Violation of of his Law to go altogether unpunished ; would it not seem as if he now saw Reason to alter his Mind ; since he saw good not to exact that Punishment he had denounced . 2. And if he should have exacted no Punishment or Satisfaction for Sin , there would lye a great Impeachment against his Justice and Wisdom together ; for , either Sin did deserve Punishment , and as great a Punishment as was threatened , or it did not deserve it . If it did not deserve it , then it was unjust to enact it in the Law : But if it did deserve it , as no doubt it did ; then upon the entrance of Sin Justice must necessarily require , that either the Punishment threatened , or an equivalent , and such as shall be full Satisfaction be exacted . And here observe , that though a Creditor , may freely forgive a Debt ; that is owing to him without Injustice , yet a Governour in many Cases connot forgive a Criminal without Injustice , because Punishments are in some Cases absolutely necessary , for the keeping up a due Reverence and Regard of the Governour , and of his Laws . And likewise for the good of the Common-wealth , the preserving of due Order , and the securing of the Lives and Properties of the Subjects ; why ; God is here to be considered as the righteous Governour of the World. 3. And there would lye an Impeachment against his Truth and Veracity too ; for having threatened such a Punishment for the Violation of his Law ; would not his Veracity be called into Question if none was exacted . 4. And from all these there would arise a great inconveniency and disorder in the future Government of the World ; for Men would hence take occasion to imbolden themselves in Sin ; and flatter themselves with Hopes of Impunity in it ; for they might thus Reason ; if God did once , without any Satisfaction , shew mercy to his sinning Creatures , and that contrary to the Sentence of his own Law , then why may he not do so again ? And , if it be not inconsistent with his Nature , and governing Justice , to let one Sin go unpunished ( and that such a one as did quantum in se spoil the design of his works assoon as made ) then why not another , and another , and so Men would be incouraged to Hope , that notwithstanding all the threatenings of Gods Law , that yet they might have Peace though they did walk on in the ways of their own Hearts . Nay ; and it would lay a Foundation for Men to distrust and be suspicious , of the certainty and stability of his Promise too ; for if God do disregard the threatning of his Law , then why not the Promise too ; and so both the stability of his Promise , and the awe and terrour of his Threats , would be mightily shaken at once ; the wicked imboldened and hardened in Sin , with Hopes of Impunity , notwithstanding all his Threats . And the Comforts and Confidence of the Righteous weakened notwithstanding all his Promises . These and many more such like great inconveniencies and disorders would necessarily have followed if Sin should have been pardoned , and Sinners saved without a Satisfaction to the Justice of God. These Things are necessary to understand the Reason and Use of Christs Sufferings . 2. And now here comes in the Necessity , and Reason of Christ Sufferings ; not that God was so delighted with the Blood and Sufferings of Christ , meerly considered as Sufferings ; that he would sell his great Benefits to us , for the Blood of his innocent Son : nor to incline God to be merciful , that was before averse to it . No ; but since he was propense to shew Mercy , he might in this way do it , without any prejudice to his other Perfections , because in the Death and Sufferings of Christ , there is a sufficient salvo for the Honour of his Law and Government , and of his Wisdom , Holiness , and Justice ; so that now his Mercy and Kindness is exercised in pardoning of guilty Sinners , without any Impeachment of the Honour of his other Perfections ; he can now be just as well as merciful in Pardoning , and holy as well as pitiful and kind in Sparing . And his rich and free Grace in pardoning and saving Sinners in this way doth thus appear . 1. In that this way for the Satisfaction of his own Justice , and for the vindicating the Honour of his Law and Government , was of his own finding out and provideing ; the Scripture every where attributes the contrivance of Redemption to God himself , Job 33. 24. — I have found a ransome ; God did out of his own Treasure provide for the Satisfaction of his own Justice ; the giving of Christ to be our Redeemer , was the Fruit of his free self-moving Love and Grace , Joh. 3. 16. God so love the World that he gave his Son. 2. His Grace appears in accepting of what Christ did and suffered for us , so as thereupon , and for the sake of Christ to Pardon and Acquit us , when we beleive in him ; for though the Suffering of Christ , were abundantly sufficient to make Satisfaction ; yet it is of the free Grace of God to accept them on our behalf ; for in that very Thing there is a Relaxation of the Law , for that did threaten every Offendor in his own Person , and none else . 3. Nay here seems to be a more abundant Grace and Love in giving Pardon and Salvation through Christ , then if he had given it as a meer Act of Dominion and Favour , without any Satisfaction to his Justice . For you see that the Sufferings of Christ was not to purchase Gods Love of Goodwill to us , for that was Antecedent to the Sufferings of Christ , and the moving Cause of his giving Christ ; but the true Reason of Christs Sufferings is , that the Honour of his Law and Government , and of all his Perfections might be secured and provided for , in the exercise of his Grace , and pardoning Mercy towards us . Now that he should give his only begotten and dearly beloved Son ; to be so humbled and abased , to undergo such Shame and Misery and Death for us , this was of all others the highest Instance and Demonstration of his Grace and Love to us ; it was impossible that he should be merciful at a dearer Rate , or shew his Love and Kindness in a more stupendious Way . We have a story of Zaleucus King of Locris , that when his own Son was found to have transgressed a Law , that threatened the loss of both Eyes to the Offendor , the King resolves to execute the Law , to save that from Contempt ; and yet withal to shew Mercy and Kindness to his Son , and that by this means , he consented to have one of his own Eyes put out to save one of his Sons Eyes ; now will not all acknowledge that herein he shewed his Love to his Son , more than if he had freely remitted the whole Penalty . Why , thus it is here , God hath shewed his Grace and Love to us much more in giving his Son , and saving of us through his Satisfaction , than if he had done it as a meer Act of Dominion and Favour . So much in Answer to the first Objection . Obj. 2. How is Salvation by Grace , since it is only by or through Faith , and not without it ; since such a Condition , Disposition or Qualification is necessary to our actual receiving or partaking of it . Ans. 1. Grace and Faith are not inconsistent , not opposite or contrary one to another , so that it may be , and is , nevertheless of Grace , though it be only through Faith and not without it ; for , Faith , is no procuring , meriting , or deserving Cause of Salvation , only a necessary Disposition to our receiving of it ; viz. that which makes us duely qualified and disposed Subjects ; as the Sun Communicates its Light freely , but the Window-shuts must be removed before it can inlighten our House and Dwelling ; and as the taking away of the Window-shuts is no Cause of the Suns-light , only it removes that which did hinder its shining into our House ; so it is in this Case , Faith is but like the unstoping of the Window , the removing that which did hinder the healing and saving Beams of Grace from shining into our Souls . 2. Faith as to the most vital and essential Act of it ( which is the Consent or Choice of the Heart and Will ) is but a hearty , thankful Acceptance of the Gift of Grace , according to its proper Nature and Use ; for when you do heartily and sincerely Consent to take Christ , for all the ends and uses that he is offered to you for , in the Gospel , then are you Believers indeed , and Christ and Salvation is yours in Right and Title ; when you thankfully accept of Christ to save you from Sin , as well as from the evil Consequents and Miseries that follow it , then Christ is yours , and Salvation is yours in Title ; now I hope a Gift is nevertheless free , though it be given to none but those that are willing to receive it , yea and to those only that will heartily and thankfully receive it . If the King Pardon a Traytor on Condition that he will thankfully Accept it , and Promise to Rebel no more , but become a Loyal Subject , I hope he Pardons freely though upon such a Condition ; if you give any thing to the Poor on this Condition , that they reach forth their Hand to receive what you give , and be thankful to you for it , would you not reckon that you give freely ? and nevertheless freely , though you require that they should thankfully receive your Alms : Why , thus is our Salvation of Grace , though it be only through Faith and not without it , for Faith is but our hearty , thankful , receiving of the Gift according to its Nature and Use. Obj. But it may possibly be objected against this , that many carnal and ungodly Men would gladly accept of Salvation , and yet they are not therefore saved , nor have any Right or Title to it . Ans. Take notice , that I say , that Faith is but a hearty , thankful , accepting of the Gift according to its proper Nature and Use ? and is any carnal and ungodly Man , while such , heartily willing and desirous to accept it so ? No , he is not , nor can he be , while he remains carnal and ungodly ; But you will say , He is willing to accept of Salvation : Yea , no doubt , but what sort of Salvation ? Not the Salvation of the Gospel ; not that Salvation that is Purchased and Offered by Christ. At most , he desires only a part , but not the whole of it ; he would be saved from Hell , but he would not be saved from Sin ; he abhors and loaths that part of Salvation , as much as he doth wish for , and desire the other . No doubt , there are none but would be saved from the Miseries of the Damned , from Everlasting Burnings , and Chains of Darkness ; but there are Thousands that would not be saved from their vain , carnal , earthly , sensual , and selfish Disposition of Mind and Heart . Alas ! All that we can do , we cannot perswade Men to this , we cannot by all manner of Arguments and Intreaties , prevail with Men to be willing to be saved from these : And Salvation from these and such like evil and carnal Dispositions , is a great and Principal Part of the Salvation of the Gospel . Again , There are many that are willing to accept of Christ ; but how ? Not wholly and intirely , as he is offered in the Gospel ; they would have him to Pardon them , but not to rule overthem ; they would have him to save them from the Guilt of Sin , and the Curse for Sin ; but not from the Power and Dominion of it : They would , with all their hearts , have him to make them happy , but not to make them holy , not to conform them to the Image of God ; No , in this respect they hate him , as much as they desire him in other respects ; they would have Christ to be to them a Hiding Place from the Wind , a Refuge and Shelter from the Storms of Wrath , but they would not not have him as a Physician to heal their diseased Souls of their inordinate love of Self and the World , and Creature-comforts , of their Sensuality , and Selfishness . Thus when it comes to be examined , it will be found , that there is not a carnal Man in the World that is truely willing and desirous of Salvation , in the true and full sence of it . 3. Faith it self is the Gift of God , though it be but a hearty thankful acceptance of the Gift , according to it 's proper Nature and Use , yet such is the Pravity and Corruption of our Nature , such is the Carnality , Earthliness , Sensuality of our Dispositions , naturally , that we should never consent to this , unless Gods special Grace did incline and perswade us to it . Did not God give us Faith we should never have it . All the Intreaties , Promises , Threatenings of the Gospel would never perswade our hearts to it without the special Grace of God ; all the Arguments taken from God or our Selves , from Life and Death , Heaven and Hell , everlasting happiness or misery , would never prevail with the carnal , corrupt Heart of Man to believe , without the powerful , efficacious Grace of God : This is clear from many express Testimonies of Scripture , the Text saith , it is not of our selves , it is the Gift of God. Phil. 1. 29. unto you it is given — to beleive in him — Isa. 53. 1. Who hath believed our report ; and then follows as a reason of it , to whom hath the Arm of the Lord been revealed . Now tho God give Salvation to none but Believers , yet since Faith it self is his Gift too , that makes it to be nevertheless of Grace still . Indeed was Faith a Disposition , acquired meerly by the power of Nature , or onely by our own Diligence and Industry in the Use of Means , without the Grace of God ; then it would lessen the Glory of Grace indeed ; and at best make it to be partly of Grace , and partly of our Selves . But it is not so ; Faith that doth qualifie and dispose us for Salvation , is Gods Gift as well as Salvation it self ; Grace gives all , both the Disposition to receive , and the consequent Benefit received too . But he always gives it in this wise , and holy Way and Order , that he makes one Gift to be the necessary Qualification to dispose the Soul for the receiving of another : He gives Repentance , to dispose the Soul to receive Forgiveness of Sin ; gives Faith , to dispose the Soul to receive the great benefits of Justification and Adoption ; gives Holiness and Purity of Heart , to dispose the Soul for Communion with God and the everlasting Injoyment of him ; and he always observe this Order and Method , in bestowing the great and saving Gifts of his Grace , and never varies it . So that those shall never have the Gift of forgiveness of Sin , that have not first the Gift of Repentance ; and those shall never have the Gift of Salvation that have not first the Gift of Faith and Holiness . Obj. 3. But if Salvation be by Grace though it be through Faith , ( which is but the hearty , thankful , acceptance of the Gift ) yet how is compleat Salvation , that is the Possession of Eternal Life and Glory of Grace ; when so much Care and Diligence and persevering Continuance in the Duties of Holiness and Obedience , is required in order to the Possession of it . Ans. 1. It must be acknowledged , that the greatest Diligence and Seriousness in the Duties of Holiness and Obedience , and Continuance therein to our Lives end , are required to our compleat Salvation ; yet this is not opposite to Grace , nor make Salvation to be ever the less of Grace . That these are necessary , see what the Scripture saith , Phil. 2. 12. Work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling . Rom. 2. 7. To them who by patient continuance in well doing — Eternal Life . Heb. 12. 14. follow — and Holiness without which no Man shall see the Lord. 2 Pet. 1. 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10. And besides this giving all Diligence , add to your Faith , Vertue — It discovers great ignorance for any to call the Preaching of , and Pressing of Holiness and Obedience , as such , legal Preaching : For if so , never was greater legal Preachers heard then the Apostles Peter and Paul. Nay , if the meer pressing of such Duties be legal Preaching , then our Saviour himself was a legal Preacher too , Luke 13. 24 , 27. Strive to enter in at the strait gate . — Mat. 5. 16 , 17 , 19 , 20. and Mat. 7. 24. He that hears these sayings of mine , and doth them — And what Sayings were these ? why , those excellent Precepts of Holiness and Obedience that he had Preached to them in his Sermon upon the Mount ; whence it is plain , That it is not the pressing of the Duties of Holiness and Obedience that makes Preaching to be Legal Preaching ; but it is the Ends and Uses that they are pressed for , that must denominate it : If they are pressed for Gospel-Ends and Uses , that is Gospel-Preaching ; and I see not how the Gospel can be truly Preached without the pressing of them in their place ; and if any do pretend to Preach the Gospel without it , they either Preach not Christ's Gospel , or but by the Halves ; but if any do press the Duties of Holiness and Obedience for Legal-ends and purposes , that is Legal Preaching indeed . But tho Holiness and sincere Obedience are necessary to Eternal Life and Salvation , yet it is nevertheless of Grace ; for whosoever sets Grace and Evangelical Holiness and Obedience , in opposition one to another , they set Christ , and his Word or Gospel against it self , and make it to speak Contradictions ; and they ignorantly lessen , and reproach and degrade that Grace which they would seem to exalt ; for Salvation is never the less of Grace , tho Holiness and Obedience are necessary , as the Means and Way to attain it ; which will thus appear . 1. Because Evangelical Holiness and Obedience is it self a Gift of Grace , even as Faith is ; for Faith is the Root and Principle of all true Obedience ; and all Holiness and Obedience is the Natural and Necessary Fruits and Products of it : So that Holiness and Obedience are given virtually in the Gift of Faith it self ; when God gives a principle that necessarily produces such and such Effects ; he truely gives those Effects themselves in giving of the Principles ; as he that gives you a Tree that naturally and certainly will bear such Fruits , he gives you the Fruit in giving of you the Tree ; as in Creation God gave Man a Principle of Reason , which doth principally Difference him from bruit Creatures ; why now in giving him this principle of Reason he gave all the following Acts of Reason , whereby a Man Acts in a higher and more excellent way than the Bruits are capable of , why thus it is here . 2. But further , Grace doth not only give the Principle of Holiness and Obedience ; but Grace doth still continue to actuate the Principle , and concurs to the Production of every individual Act of Holiness and Obedience . Grace doth not turn us off to Trade with the Stock that is first given and bestowed upon us , but it daily gives forth , and communicates renewed influxes to us ; there is an exciting quickening Grace , that stirs us up when we are dull , and rouses us up to a Holy Diligence and Fervour when we are Drowsie and Slothful ; and there is helping , aiding , or assisting Grace , given forth to every renewed Act of Obedience ; Without me , saith Christ , you can do nothing ; And if you abide in me , as the Branch in the Vine , then you shall bring forth Fruit , but not else , John 15. Phil. 2. 13. — For it is God that Works in you both to will and to do of his own good Pleasure ; hence it is most plain that Salvation is of Grace , notwithstanding such Care and Diligence in the Dutys of Holiness and Obedience be necessary in order to it : For you see that Evangelical Holiness and Obedience it self is of Grace . 3. Further still , the more Holy and Obedient any are , the more Grace do they receive from God , and the more they are beholden to Grace , and the greater Obligations they have to Praise and Admire the Riches of it towards them ; for the more Holy and Obedient any are , the more large and bountiful is Grace in its Gifts to them , 1 Cor. 15. 10. By the Grace of God , I am what I am , and his Grace bestowed upon me , was not in vain , for I laboured more abundantly than they all — and to this Purpose , we have a saying of St. Augustine , the more any one doth , the more Holy and Obedient he is , the more is he a Debtor to the Grace of God. Mr. Rutherford in his Book of the Covenant of Grace , p. 198. Speaking of the difference betwixt Gospel Obedience , and that of Adam in Innocency ; saith , in Gospel Obedience , we offer more of the Lords own , and less of our own , because he both Commands , and gives us Grace to obey . You may hence see , what strange Preachers of Grace they are ( if such there be , as is said ) that set it in Opposition to Evangelical Holiness , and Obedience . For , alas ! they do ( unwittingly no doubt ) lessen Grace and deny many of its greatest Gifts , and strip it of a principal Part of its Glory , while they think they do exalt it . This whole Matter may be illustrated by a Similitude or two . Suppose a Nobleman takes a Beggar from the Dunghil , designing to make him his Heir ; or to give him an Estate of many hundreds or thousands per Annum ; but before he will bestow it upon him , he will make him an accomplished Man , fit to be useful and serviceable in his Countrey , or else he will not give it him ; and in Order hereunto , he is at a great deal of Pains , and Care , and Charge , in educating of him , at the Schools , and at the University , and the Inns of Court ; and when he is compleatly accomplisht , he gives his Honour and Estate to him ; now doth this make his Gift to be ever the less , or the less free , because he gave him the former Gift of his Education , and made that a Condition of his receiving the other ? Will not all Men acknowledge , that his Bounty , was so far from being the less , that it was really the greater for it : That the Gift of his Education , did much the more inhance his Bounty and Kindness to him , than if he had given him his Estate alone without it ; and that he was much the more obliged and beholden to him , in that he gave him not only his Estate , but his Education too . Why , really this is our Case , should God give us Heaven , without Holiness ( was that possible ) his Grace would be unspeakably less to us than it is ; in first making o● us Holy and Obedient , that we may thereby be made fit and meet to injoy it . Again , suppose a Coundemned Traytor , that is likewise Sick of a Mortal Disease , that if he Dye not by the Hand of Justice , he is sure quickly to Dye of his Disease ; now is it not a far greater Grace and Favour of the King , to procure him a Physician and Pay for his Cure , and to Pardon his Crime too ; than it would be only to Pardon his Crime and leave him to Dye of his Disease ? Why , this is our very Case , we are Diseased as well as Condemned Sinners ; and were our Crimes pardoned , and our Diseases not cured we should be miserable still , but the rich , free , and abundant Grace of God , doth not only Pardon our Crimes , but heals our Diseases too , by making of us Holy and obedient . USE of Information . 1. If it be so , that it is by Grace that we are saved ; then this is directly against the Doctrine of the Merit of our good Works , for Grace and Debt are directly opposed by the Apostle as inconsistent , Rom. 4. 4. and Rom. 11. 6. Grace doth not destroy our Obligation to Works of Holiness and Obedience but increases it , and lays greater Obligations upon us than ever ; but it quite overthrows the Merit and Desert of them ; or their being any way procuring , and deserving Causes of Salvation ; Grace obliges more strongly than ever , to the greatest Diligence , Industry and Endeavour in the Practise of them ; but when we have done all that we are able , we must renounce all in Point of Desert , and say , we are unprofitable Servants . 2. If Salvation be of Grace , then this likewise overthrows that Doctrine of the Power of Nature or Free-will ; as being sufficient and able of it self for Conversion without the Grace of God ; for these two are inconsistent , that it should be of Grace , and yet that the Power of Nature should be sufficient , without Grace , and therefore the other must be false . It is not of him , that wills nor of him that runs , but of God that shews Mercy ; And who made thee to differ from another , or what hast thou that thou hast not received ? 1 Cor. 4. 7. and Phil. 2. 13. It s God that Works in you both to will and to do of his own good Pleasure . 2. But let us come to some Use of this Doctrine that may be more for our Practice ; Of you that have heard this Doctrine , that The Salvation of Sinners is of Grace , I reckon there are these two sorts of you . Some that have had as yet no Experience of the saving Effects of this Grace in your selves ; and others of you that have had Experience of it . Now let us consider , what Direction and Instruction this Doctrine of Gods Grace may afford to both these sorts ; to the one sort , in Order to their getting into a State of Grace and Salvation ; and to the other sort , in Order to their furtherance and increase in Grace and Holiness and Comfort ; there is much in it for the Instruction and Help of both sorts , if God give you but Wisdom and Skill , and Hearts to draw it out . But I would first say something to both in general ; and then shew what Instruction there is in it to both more particularly . 1. In general , let me Caution all Persons whatsoever to take special heed , that they do not wrest and abuse this Doctrine of the Grace of God ; we have great need of this Caution , because of that marvelous Proneness , that there is in all Men to it . Partly through the ignorance and weakness of our Understanding ; and especially through the carnal , selfish , and corrupt Disposition of our Hearts ; 1. Most Mens Understandings are so weak , that they think those things to be opposite or inconsistent that are not so , but are subordinate ; as Gods Grace and Mans Duty , and his Care and Diligence in the use of Means ; and all our Natures are so corrupt , that we are apt to turn the most precious Doctrine of Grace into Poyson to our Souls ; as the Spider sucks Venome out of the most sweet and wholesome Plants and Flowers that be . The Apostle knew very well , how prone Men are to wrest and abuse the Grace of God ; and therefore , when he had been discoursing largely of the riches and freeness of it in the former Chapters , he subjoyns a Caution against the abusing of it , Rom. 6. 1. What shall we say then , shall we continue in Sin , that Grace may abound ? God forbid . And Jude 4. We are told that many did turn the Grace of God into Lasciviousness ; therefore when ever this Doctrine of Gods Grace is Preached , all have need to be Cautioned against the abuse of it . And for a Caution against it , consider these two Things . First , To wrest and abuse Grace is of all Sins the most provoking to God. Secondly , And the most Dangerous and Pernicious to Mens Souls . 1. The Abuse of Grace is of all Sins the most provoking to God , as we say , Corruptio optimi est pessima , the abuse of the best Things is of all other the worst , and doth most heighten and aggravate the Sin and Guilt of those that do so . If it be so hainous a Sin to abuse the Mercies of Gods common Providence , such as his Benignity , Patience and Long-suffering ; so as thereby to be more bold and fearless in sinning against him , when they should be led thereby to Repentance and Thankfulness ; as it is Rom. 2. 4 , 5. Then how much more hainous , and crimsondyed a Sin must it needs be , to wrest and abuse his Grace that brings Salvation , that offers Salvation , that tends to Salvation , that aims at and designs our Salvation , that is the first moving and efficient Cause of Salvation to us : What can be imagined worse than for Men to be evil , and the more evil because God is good to them ! It is a Sin to return evil for evil to Men ; and what is it then to return evil to God for the greatest good of all ? There is nothing so provoking to a Man , as to have his free Love and Kindness abused and turned against himself , or to an end quite contrary to what he designed it , and so it must needs be to God ; to abuse his Grace seems to be a greater Sin than to distrust his Power , or to slight his Authority , or to trample upon his Laws ; you only have I known of all the families of the Earth , therefore I will punish you for your Iniquities . 2. To abuse Grace is of all others the most pernicious and destructive to Mens Souls ; for this closes up the Fountain of all our Blessings , this makes Grace it self a Mans Enemy ; and then who or what shall Plead for him ; and Justice will not fail to avenge the quarrel of abused Grace , nay Grace it self will complain of the Wrong , and solicite for Vengeance upon the Abusers of it . If the only thing that can recover the Sinner , be abused , so that he falls the lower thereby , that will be an irrecoverable fall indeed ; If a Man make Mercy and Grace it self his Enemy , then who or what shall be his Friend ? But how or wherein is Grace abused ? 1. The Doctrine of Grace is notoriously abused , when Men from hence do think that they are exempted or discharged from the Law , as a Rule to govern their Hearts and Practices by ; this abuse may arise from a misunderstanding of that passage of the Apostle Rom. 6. 14. Ye are not under the Law but under Grace . As if Grace , and the Law , was in all respects , opposed to one another , because they are in some ; as if because God doth acquit a Believer from the condemnation of the Law , therefore we are discharged from all Obedience to it . Our corrupt Hearts are very ready to imbrace such Doctrines of Libertinisme and Licentiousness , as the Apostle shews by adding in the very next Words , v. 15. What then shall we sin , because we are not under the Law , but under Grace ? God forbid . It is very pleasing to our carnal fleshly part to hear that Grace doth discharge us from all Obligation to the Law ; that it hath no directing , regulating Power over a Believer . But this is a gross abuse of Grace ; for when the Apostle saith that we are not under the Law ; it is true in several Sences , but it is manifestly false in this Sence , that we are under no obligation by it as a rule of life . The true sence how we are not under the law is this . 1. We , that is Believers , are not under the condemning Power of the Law ; but are by Grace freed from the Curse and Condemnation of it , 2. We are not under the Law as a Covenant of life and salvation : We are not under the Law as to the rigid exaction of perfect , sinless obedience , as the only Term or Condition of Salvation . No , though perfect Obedience is still a Duty ; yet through Christ and for his sake , sincere Obedience is accepted . But now , because we are not under the Law , in these respects it doth by no means follow that we are not under it as a Rule , or because it hath no condemning Power , that therefore it hath no regulating Power , over us ; you shall see , that this Apostle , that saith , we are not under the Law , yet saith , that in other respects , He is under the Law. 1 Cor. 9. 21. Being not without Law to God , but under the Law to Christ not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and the Apostle James saith , If any break the Law in one point , he is guilty of all , Jam. 2. which plainely shews that all are under the Moral Law as a Rule of Life , nay this Apostle when he had said We are not under the Law , but under Grace ; the very next words shew , that he means it in a restained Sence ; and that he did not mean that we are from under the Law as a Rule of Duty , Rom. 6. 15. What then , saith he , shall we Sin because we are not under the Law , but under Grace ? God forbid ; as if he should say , you must not so understand it , as if we were discharged from all Obligation of Duty by the Law ; for if so , the Caution had been needless , for where there is no Law there ▪ is no Transgression . Again , to say that we are not under the Law as a Rule of Duty , is an high abuse of Grace , because this is contrary to , nay , doth destroy the essential relation of the Creature , as a Creature , to God ; for our State and Condition as Creatures , is necessarily a State of Subjection to God ; God is essentially related to us as our Governour , and we to him as his Subjects ; but he is no Governour , if he have no Law to govern us by ; nay , he hath no Creature , no not the highest Angels , that are under no law . The Angels , they have many Immunities end Priviledges above us , yet they are not exempt from Duty , or from a Law. Psalm 103. 20. — Ye his Angels that do his Commandments hearkening to the voice of his Word . 2. Grace is abused when it is pretended to the excluding of a cautious fear of sinning , or an awful reverential fear of the Divine Majesty . This abuse may arise from a misunderstanding that Scripture 1 John. 4. 18. there is no fear in love , for perfect love casts out fear , which the Apoctle plainly means of a servile slavish Fear , a distracting , tormenting , dispairing Fear ; but not of an awful Fear of God ; nor of a cautious Fear of offending him , as is manifest by a multitude of other Scriptures both in the Old and New Testament . For though we have , through Grace , freedom and boldness of aoeess to God , yet it is still with reverence , and godly Fear . Nay , the more Grace , the greater Reverence of God , and the greater Fear of sinning against him . Heb. 11. 28. let us have grace — Psalm . 130. 4. there is mercy with thee that thou mayst be feared , Hos. 3. 5. they shall fear the Lord and his goodness , which is a Prophesie of Gospel times ; the Grace and Goodness of God , is so far from making men presumptuous , that it is greater matter of reverence , and holy trembling ; nay , this fear of reverence is so far from being abolished by the Gospel , that it continues even in Heaven amongst the Angels and blessed Spirits , it being an essential and necessary respect of the Creature as such , to his Creator . 3. Grace is abused when it is pleaded to make Repentance and Sorrow for Sin needless , as if Humiliation and sorrow for sin was a legal duty ; whereas Repentance and all the acts of it are purely Gospel . For the Law knows no such thing ; it neither did require it , as a means of Pardon and Life , nor admits it ; and the Apostle speaks of it as a Duty , especially appropriated to the Gospel ; and more evidently known and discerned to be a Duty , and to be practised , as the Gospel-light shone clearer and brighter , Acts 17. 30. But now — now since the Preaching of the Gospel , in a special manner , he commands all men every where to repent . Nay , the most genuine Repentance and Sorrow arises from a sence of the Love and Mercy of God in Christ , Zachary , 12. 10. 4. Grace is abused , When thereupon Men take encouragement to be more careless and remiss in Duty ; more slight and negligent in the use of God's Ordinances , and all appointed Means in order to Salvation : When , because we are saved by Grace , Men thence conclude , that their Care and Diligence in Praying , Hearing , Seeking , and Waiting upon GOD in the use of his appointed Means of Salvation , is vain , and to little purpose . This is a most horrid abuse of Grace , when it is used to make void God's own Ordinances and Institutions ; and to teach and imbolden Men to slight and neglect them . For wherefore did GOD institute the Ordinances of Worship , and command all a diligent Attendance upon him , in the Duties of Hearing , Reading , Praying , and such like , if He did not intend that his Grace should be communicated this way to Sinners , and ordinarily , not without them : As he gives His Grace freely , so he appoints the Way and Means , in which he will communicate it , and that is in the serious and diligent use of His Own Ordinances , Isa. 55. 2 , 3. Incline your ear and come unto me , hear and your soul shall live . Prov. 1. 23. & 8. 34 Blessed is the man that heareth me , watching daily at my Gates , waiting at the Posts of my Doors . GOD will be met with in his own way ; and ordinarily he communicates his Grace according to our Diligence in the Use of Means ; and to plead the efficacy of Grace for the slackening and abating our Diligence in the Use of Means , is to turn God's Grace against himself , against his own Honour and Worship ; and the making void his own Institutions , as vain and needless things . 5. But Grace is worse abused still , When , because our Salvation is of Grace , Men therefore think that there is nothing at all for them to do , no Duty incumbent upon them , for the putting themselves in the way of it ; no obligation to make use of their natural Faculties , with such external Means of Salvation as God affords them , in order to the obtaining Salvation ; this is such an abuse , that in effect , it discharges a Carnal Man of his obligations to his Maker , and strips God of his Authority and Dominion over his Creatures ; and denies all that Duty and Homage that the Rational Creature , as such , do owe to God ; for if Man have no Duty that he ought , and is bound to do , then it will follow , either that God hath no Right to command him any ; or at least , that he hath appointed him no Duty wherein he should endeavour the glorifying of God , and the Salvation of his own Soul ; and if so , then God doth not Govern him according to his Nature . It is a very great abuse of Grace , to plead it to the lessening of our Duty , but much more when it is pleaded for the utter abolishing of it ; and sure all Men must needs see the absurdity of this , that a Man should be obliged in point of Duty , to use his Rational Faculties in the lower Affairs of the World , and to act like a Man in buying and selling , and all the Concernments of the Bodily Life , and yet be under no obligation to use his thinking , reasoning , reflecting , considering Power in that which is the great and main end of his Being , the glorifying of God , and the saving of his own Soul. Now , that all these fore-mentioned , and such like , are gross abuses of the Grace of God , will be further manifest , from this one Consideration , That Grace doth not discharge us from , no , nor lessen any obligation to Duty and Obedience to God , that Man was under before ; but instead of that , it lays us under greater obligations than ever ; for it superinduces or superadds this very great obligation to love , fear , serve , honour and obey God , to all the rest that we were under before : GOD is essentially related to us , as our Maker , Owner , Ruler and Benefactor ; and the obligations that arise from hence , are un-alterable , can never cease or be lessened ; ( though some positive Duties may be changed or abolished , as God pleases . ) Grace doth discharge no Man from any obligation that these relations and benefits lays him under ; but it superadds one more to all the rest , which in some sence is greater than all the rest , and that is a free and gracious Redemption , and recovery from a self-procured Misery and Ruine ; now there cannot be a greater absurdity , nor wickedness sure , than for Men to imagine , and plead that their obligations to Duty are less , when they are manifestly greater than before ; that the addition of a greater Benefit should make void or lessen our former obligations ; which is as wise and as just reasoning , as if a Man should say , That the casting of more weight into the Scale , doth make that , and all that was in before , to stand for nothing ; as if Absolon , when he Rebelled against David , should plead , That his free favour in pardoning him the Murder of his Brother Amnon , did discharge him from his obligations that he was under to David , as he was his natural Father , a loving and indulgent Father , and his rightful Ruler and Sovereign . Third Use. If it be by Grace that we are saved , then let us see what direction and instruction this Doctrine affords to those that are yet in a graceless State , in order to their getting into it . 1. You that have yet had no experience of the saving fruits and effects of this Grace in your selves ; labour to be sensible of , and affected with the sadness of your Case . Is it not a sad Case , that of the Showers of Grace that fall so plentifully in the dispensation of the Gospel , that none hath yet dropt into your Souls ? That you should be like Gideon's Fleece , wholly dry , when the Ground round about you is moistened , and refreshed with the Dews of Heaven ; that many are saved , while you are yet in your sins ; many that sit under the same Ministry , hear the same Sermons , are made partakers of those things that accompany Salvation , while you have felt no such Influences and Operations by the same Word . I am confident you would think it a sad Case , if the Meat and Drink which nourishes and refreshes others , should neither nourish nor refresh you at all , but you should starve and pine away , and die for want of nourishment in the midst of Plenty : But it is a much more sad Case , if that Word that is through Grace effectual to the Salvation of others , hath no such effects upon you ; that many round about you , are of darkness made light in the Lord , while you are in darkness still , though in the midst of light ; that while others are reconciled to God , and brought nigh to him , you that enjoy the same Word and Means of Grace , are as far off from God as ever , and still in your Enmity against him . O! Labour to get your hearts deeply affected with the sadness of your Case , and this would be a good step towards the mending and bettering of it . Methinks , your own thoughts should suggest to you many things that might make you groan and lament the sadness of your Case , while you are utter strangers to the saving effects of Grace . 2. If it be by Grace that we are saved , then consider , that your Case , though it be sad , yet it is not hopeless and remediless ; though it be dangerous , it is not yet altogether desperate : Think thus with your selves , if all that are saved are saved by Grace , then why may not I hope that it may , one time or other , cast its Skirt over my nakedness , and shed its benign influence over my soul ; since Grace saves all that are saved , it saves freely , and none for any Merit or Desert in them , none for any worth or worthiness that it sees in them more than in others ; think with your selves , Grace hath saved Thousands and Millions of Sinners that were as bad as I , as great sinners , and as old sinners as I ; that had as much neglected and slighted , and sinned against it , and abused it as I have done . Why , as it is really a humbling and affecting Consideration , to see many and many saved , while you are yet in your sins ; so there is really , in this very thing some ground of hope and incouragement too : Is it not some ground of Hope to think that such and such were dead to sin as I am , but at last were made alive ; were in a lost State and Condition , but at last were found by Grace ; they were sometimes carnal , worldly and disobedient , ( as I am ) but at last , Grace did renew and change them ; and therefore I will wait and hope that Grace may sometime shed its benign influences upon me . 3. If it be by Grace that we are saved , then you hence see where it is that you are to seek for Salvation ; You see you must go to GOD for it , and cry to him , and pray and beg of him for it . Whoever is saved , it is the Gift of God to them , and a Gift of his Free Grace and Favour , yet not so as to exclude our seeking or begging of it ; nay , it so much the more strongly obliges and engages us to seek it , and pray to him for it . When GOD promises Israel , that he would give them a new heart , yet , saith he , for all this will I be enquired of , by the House of Israel to do it for them , Ezek. 36. 37. and our Saviour saith , ask and ye shall have , seek and ye shall find , and though Grace gives all freely , yet it will be sought unto , and inquired after , and as it is elsewhere , ask of me , and I will give thee ; so God will have his Grace asked , intreated and sought for ; now , have you not either neglected this crying unto God , and intreating of his Grace ? or else have you not done it in a careless , slighty and customary manner ? You have , it may be , used other Means , such as Reading and Hearing the Word , but have you not neglected to Pray , and cry unto God for his Grace to bless it , and make it effectual to you ? Saving Benefits are principally to be obtained upon your Knees , in earnest Prayers and Crys to the GOD of all Grace . Oh! That you would try this Course , every day to solicite the Throne of Grace , and never give over your Suit till God give you an Answer of Peace ; If you want necessary Food for your Bodies , and can no otherwise get it , you will ask it of those that have it to give ; yea , and will not easily take a Denial for such things ; and should you not much more ask of God saving Grace for your Souls , for he only hath it to bestow upon you . 4. If it be by Grace that we are saved , then as this directs you where to seek it , even of the God of all Grace ; so it directs what is your chief Argument and Plea that you must make use of with him , viz. his own rich Mercy and Free Grace ; you must beg of God Mercy for Mercies sake , and Grace for Grace's sake : This is the Principal Argument that Sinners have to plead with GOD , His own Grace and Mercy : but this contains many Arguments under it , all which are ultimately and reductively a pleading of Grace . And as I do here put all Graceless Persons upon praying and crying to God for his Grace , as their undoubted Duty , and as a Means appointed by GOD , in order to their obtaining of Grace ; so I will shew you what Arguments all may use , yea , and ought to use with God in seeking his saving Grace . 1. You may plead with God , That you are his Creatures , he made you , his Power gave you these Beings that you have . This is a good Argument , or else we should never find it so often made use of in Scripture . When we cannot plead a special Interest and Relation to him , as our reconciled God and Father in Christ , yet we may plead our general Relation to him as his Creatures , and he our Maker ; thus Job 10. 3. Is it good unto thee that thou shouldst oppress , that thou shouldst despise the work of thy hands ? And ver . 8. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me , and Ps. 119. 73. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me , give me understanding that I may learn thy Commandments . Job 14. 15. Thou shalt call , and I will answer thee , thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands . Isa. 64. 9. But now O Lord — We are the Clay , and thou art the Potter , we are all the work of thy hands , be not wroth , very sore , &c. though it be no good Argument with Men , to ask one gift because they have given us another , yet it is with God. Go to him and say , behold Lord , I am thy Creature , thy Power hath made me , and thy Grace only can new make me , destroy not the work of thy own Hands &c. 2. You may plead the end of your Creation , which was that you might serve him your Maker in a pleasing and acceptable manner ; go to him then and plead this ; Can you not say , Lord thou hast shewed me , that the very end of my Being is that I might please and serve thee which in this corrupt and depraved state I am in , I can never do , without thy renewing and sanctifying Grace . O , that as thou hast magnified thy Power in making of me out of nothing ; so let thy Grace be magnified in recovering a lost and undone Creature , in reconciling an apostate Creature to thy self ; deny not the help of thy Grace to recover a depraved , corrupted Creature , that would fain answer the end of his Being , that would fain be capable of that Work and Service thou madest him for . Lord I would fain fill up the place in thy Creation that thou hast set me in , and not be an unprofitable Drone or a useless Burden in it . 3. Your may plead your own Misery , as Ps. 79. 8. Let thy tender Mercy prevent us , for we are brought very low . While Persons are under the Means of Grace and Salvation , Misery is a good Argument to plead with a gracious and merciful God ; plead then your Misery with God : say , Lord , I am a lost Creature , an undone Creature , laiden with Guilt and Sin , and like to be lost and undone for ever , if thy Mercy pity not , if thy Grace do not help and save me in time ; my Misery is such , that none can help or save me but thou ; and if thou save not I must perish for ever . Say , tho as I am an Apostate sinner , I am a most deserving object of thy Wrath , yet as I am a miserable lost creature , here is a fit object for thee to glorifie thy Grace and Mercy upon . Will it not be the Glory of thy Mercy to Pity and Help the miserable ? and will it not be the Glory of thy Grace to save such as deserve thy Wrath ? 4. You may plead your own weakness and inability to help or save your selves ; that you can do nothing without him ; nothing that will be to any purpose , or that will be of any avail to Salvation , without his special Grace . Say , Lord I have destroyed my self , I confess : but in thy Grace alone , is all my Hope and Help ; thou knowest , that I have such an hard Heart that none but thou can soften ; such an Iron Sinew in my Will that none but thou can bend ; such a carnal , corrupt , earthly Temper , and Disposition , that none but thou can renew and change it . O , let thy Mercy Pity , and thy own Grace move thee to help a miserable lost Creature , that has no help in himself or in any other besides thee . 5. You may plead the very End and Design of Redemption ; which was the Glory of his free Grace and Mercy , in the recovery and Salvation of miserable and lost Sinners . Say , Lord didst not thou contrive the Work of Redemption , and send thy Son into the World , and deliver him up to Death , for this very End and Design , that thy Grace , together with other of thy Perfections , might be glorious in pardoning , justifying sanctifying and saving of depraved , guilty , and lost Sinners . Now behold here a miserable lost Child of Adam , didst thou not send thy Son that thy Grace might be glorified in the Salvation of such , and will not thy Grace be as glorious in saving of me , as of any other ? O , be not Angry with the Prayer , stop not thine Ears against the cries of thy poor lost Creature , that begs but for such things , as are suitable and agreeable to thy own gracious Design . Thus you see what Arguments all may use with God. 5. If it be by Grace that we are saved , then if you would partake of it's saving Influences , this directs you to lye in the way of it ; that is , exhibite the greatest Seriousness , Diligence , Earnestness in the Use of Gods appointed Means that possibly you can ; for as Grace gives all freely , and chooses it 's own Objects upon whom it will bestow it's Gifts : so it chooses and appoints it 's own Way and Means , wherein and whereby it will communitate it's saving fruits and Effects to Men , and these are the Word and Ordinances , and Duties of Holiness and Worship . Hence the Gospel is called , the Gospel of the Grace of God ; and the Ordinances of Worship are called , the Means of Grace ; not only because , the Grace of God , is therein revealed and made known ; but also because , it is thereby , in the serious diligent and reverend Use of them , communicated and bestowed upon carnal , blind , and dead Sinners , for the inlightening , sanctifying and saving them ; therefore here you must lie and wait for it , as the impotent Man did at the Pool of Bethesda , waiting for the Motion of the Waters : There was a healing Vertue communicated , but it was by those Waters and no others . So Grace doth communicate it's healing , sanctifying , and saving Virtue ; but it is by it's own chosen and appointed Means , and no other . As it is the influence and blessing of Heaven , that give us the Fruits of the Earth ; but this only by blessing Mans Labour and Industry in Plowing and Sowing , and never without it , so it is here . Carnal Hearts are apt to draw a quite contrary Conclusion from hence ; and to say , if it be Grace that saves us , then we have the less , if any thing , to do our selves . But you see the contray Inference to this of theirs is clear viz. that we should not do the less our selves , but rather the more , because Grace saves us , as the Apostle saith , Work out your Salvation with Fear and Trembling , for it is God that Works in you both to will and to do . A strange Inference ! some would think , and yet it is very clear , as you may see in other things , the Husbandman , when the season fits him doth bestir himself the more , in plowing , and sowing , and gathering in the Fruits of the Earth ; because he knows he hath not the Season in his own Power ; and all his Labor and Industry without that , will signifie nothing at all ; so here , if it be Grace that must save us , if ever we be saved : Then you have great Reason , to bestir your selves in using the Means wherein Grace communicates it self . 6. If Grace saves us , then as you must use the Means that are of it's appointing , so you must use then dependently , with an Eye to Grace for its Blessing upon them , to make them successful . Grace is too little eyed , too little sought unto , too little depended on in the Use of Means , and therefore the Success is for the most part accordingly . Persons in hearing the Word eye Men that are Instruments , but eye not God and his Grace which is the Life and Soul of all Ordinances . Persons eye Men and not God , depend more upon Mens Parts and Abilities , than upon Gods Grace and Blessing , and therefore they find in Ordinances , what a Man can do , and no more : And what is that ? Why , a sound in their Ears , but no powerful Effects and Operations upon their Hearts ; a little pleasing of the Fancy , with some light , superficial touches upon the Affections but no renewing , sanctifying Change of the Soul. But was Gods Grace more eyed , and more depended on , in the use of his Ordinances , we should doubtless see its saving Fruits and Effects , more plentifully , and more ordinarily communicated than now they are . Men speak but to the Sences , it is God only that can speak to the Heart ; Men may argue with the Will , but it is the Grace of God only , that can incline and perswade it ; and therefore , as those that built the Wall of Jerusalem , wrought with the Trowel in one hand , and the Sword in the other ; so you must , as it were , work in the diligent use of Gods appointed Means and Ordinances , with the one hand ; and with the other lift up to Heaven , for his Grace to bless them to you : Thus if Grace saves us , then you must be sure to eye Grace , and depend upon it for Success in the use of Means . 7. If it be by Grace that we are saved , then here is great incouragement , against the difficulties that attend the Conversion and Salvation of a Sinner ; the difficulties are great , both from the Malice and Power of Satan , the Opposition of an alluring and insnaring World , and especially from the carnal and corrupt Temper and Disposition of our own Hearts : all these together , do cast such Impediments and Rubs in our Way , that it were enough , utterly to discourage all Attempts and to make us to sit down in Despair , if we had no greater Power than our own to trust to , or depend upon ; but here is your Incouragement , that it is Grace that saves us , and therefore those things that are Difficulties with us , are none with God ; those things that are impossible to be overcome by your own Strength , are easily superable by an Almighty Grace . When our Saviour told his Disciples that is was easier for a Cammel to go through the eye of a Needle , than for a rich man to be saved ; they were amazed at it , and said , who then can be saved ? why ? saith our saviour those things that are impossible with Men , are easie with God. Most Men , while they are in Ignorance and Carnal Security ; Strangers to God and themselves too ; they think it an easie thing to be saved , but when once their Eyes come to be opened , and their Consciences convinced of their dead , lost , and undone State ; how dead their Hearts are to God and Holiness ; how powerful Corruption is , and how weak and unable they are to conquer it , then they are ready to say , alass ! who can be saved ? Why , here is great incouragement for you , that though Conversion-work be above your own power , and the power of any meer Creature , yet Grace can inlighten your darkness , quicken your deadness and overcome your resistance . As for instance , when the Soul considers its own earthly , carnal Temper and Disposition ; how disinclined and averse it is to God and Holiness , and all Spiritual and Divine things ; it is ready to say , how shall this heart of mine ever be made to love God above all , and to delight in Him and his Service ? why , here is Incouragement , God that made the heart , can Master it ; can renew and change it ; he can of stones raise up Children to Abraham ; he can make dry and dead bones live , he can breath Life into a dead Soul ; he can make a Temple for himself , of the most filthy and unclean Heart that is ; he that made Heaven and Earth of nothing , can turn a heart of Stone into flesh ; he can turn the most earthly , carnal , sensual temper that is , into a holy , heavenly Disposition ; he can stamp his own Image and Likeness upon a slave of Sin and Satan . Thus since it is by Grace that we are saved ; then notwithstanding all Difficulties , here is great Incouragement to use his appointed Means ; to pray , and wait , and strive in hopes of Success , and a good Issue ; for were the difficulties more , and greater than they are , yet they are not insuperable to an Almighty Grace . 4. If it be by Grace that we are saved , than what use should those make of this Doctrine that have already tasted and experienced , the saving Fruits and Effects of Grace in themselves ? it will afford much for their furtherance and increase in Grace and Holiness . 1. If we are saved by Grace ; And have you experienced the saving Effects of it , in your Selves , then you have Reason to be humbled ; Pride , self-conceitedness , and over-weaning Thoughts of our selves , is a thing most hateful in the Eyes of God , most contrary to his Nature , and his Law. God resists the Proud ; and he is said to know the Proud afar off . But Humility , is a thing of great Price and Value in his Eyes , 1 Pet. 3. 4. Yea the humble Spirit , is a Habitation that he makes choice of , as a Seat of his special Residence : Isa. 57. 15. And therefore , God hath contrived , the whole business of our recovery and Salvation by Christ , in such a Way and Method , as shall most effectually hide Pride from Man ; Salvation is of Grace from first to last , that the loftiness of Men may be humbled , and the Lord alone exalted . It is true , if Gods Grace has taken hold on your Hearts , and begun a sanctifying , saving Work upon you ; if he hath begun to Form you after the Divine Image and likeness , he hath highly exalted you indeed ; he hath lifted you up from the Dunghil , and set you with Princes , yea higher than the Princes of the Earth in true Worth and Dignity . But yet , though God hath thus highly exalted you , there is no Reason or Cause in all this why you should exalt your selves , or be puffed up with high Thoughts or Conceits of your selves , for it is Grace that hath done all this for you , and not you your selves ; it is Gods free Gift to you , and not any worth or desert of yours . Therefore oft reflect upon the Apostles Question , What hast thou that thou didst not receive ? 1 Cor. 4. 7. O! therefore walk humbly , be low in your own Eyes , and this will be pleasing in the sight of God. This will be to Answer the very Design of Grace in its great Gifts to you ; this will make you more fit for Communion with God ; this will make your Souls a Temple that he will Delight to dwell and walk in ; and this will dispose you to receive more , and more Grace from him ; He resists the Proud , but gives Grace to the Humble . 2. If it be so , that we are saved by Grace , then let Grace have the Glory of all that it hath wrought in you , and done for you . Gods own Glory is his great End and Design in all his Works ; it is that which above all things else , he is most tender and Jealous of . He freely communicates his choicest and greatest Gifts to Men ; but his Glory , he will give to none ; that the reserves wholly and solely to himself ; and the Glory of his Grace is the great Aim and Design of his redeeming and recovering Work , Eph. 1. 6. To the Praise of the Glory of his Grace , &c. Take heed then , that you do not rob Grace of any of its Glory . We are very prone to ascribe to our selves , as it is said of the Atheist , tho' he doth not speak out with his Tongue , yet he saith in his Heart , there is no God ; So though we speak not out , yet we are apt to have such Thoughts in our Hearts ; as if God did see something more or better in us than in others , as if we were better disposed and prepared for Grace than others ; or that we were more serious , diligent and industrious in the use of Means than others ; or that God did foresee that we would bring more Glory to him than others ; that we are prone to such self ascribing Thoughts , doth appear by that Caution that is given to Israel , Deut. 9. 4. speak not in thine Heart saying — for my righteousness , the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land &c. It is likely , before your Conversion , you was more serious , diligent and industrious in the use of Means than many others ; but it was a more common Grace , that made you so ; that brought you to that : Grace gave you that first , in order to his bestowing of his more special . and excellent Gifts upon you . O! therefore see to it that you rub every filing of this Gold , off from your own Fingers ; and let Grace have the Glory of all , that it has wrought in you ; say , not I , but the Grace of God that was with me , and therefore not unto us , not unto us , but to thy Name be the Praise . As the Moon shines not by its own , but a borrowed Light ; so there is nothing excellent in you above others ; no holy , heavenly Inclination or Disposition in you , but what is a Gift of Grace to you : Your breathing after God is an Effect of his breathing upon you first . Say then , with the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 9. 10. I am not worthy to be called an Apostle , because I persecuted the the Church , but by the Grace of God , I am , what I am . So say you , I was a carnal , dead Sinner , but by the Grace of God , I am alive ; I was a lover of Pleasures more than a Lover of God ; but by the Grace of God , my carnal , earthly Heart , is in some measure sanctified , and changed , and turned towards God , and Holiness , and Heaven . I was foolish and disobedient , and slighted Christ , and his saving Benefits , as much as any others ; but by the Grace of God my hard Heart is somewhat softened , my Stuborness and Resistance over come , my Enmity taken away , my aversness to Christ , in some measure turned , into a desiring , loving , and seeking of him . 3. Are we saved by Grace ; and hath Grace begun a saving Work upon you , then walk thankfully too . Every Benefit calls for thankfulness ; and then much more , saving Benefits ; which are the greatest of all others . Has Grace made you to differ from others that are still in the Gaul of Bitterness , and the Bond of Iniquity . Nay , has Grace made you to differ , so much from your Selves ; from what you sometime were ; and should you not be thankful for it ? Has Grace brought you out of Darkness into a marvelous Light , brought you out of a state of Bondage , and Slavery to the Devil and Sin ; into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God ? Of Dead , has made you alive ; of strangers , has made you nigh to God ; of Enemies , hath reconciled you to him , and made you his adopted Children ; of cursed , condemned ones , has brought you into a state of Pardon and Justification ? Oh! what Reason have you to be thankful ? Let your Tongues , and your Lives to , continually speak your thankfulness , for such , and so great Mercy . Say then with the Psalmist , Bless the Lord , O my Soul , and forget not all his Benefits , &c. Psalm 103. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4. And that you may be excited to Thankfulness , consider these Things . 1. Consider the greatness of this Mercy , of all the Mercies that God bestows upon the Children of Men , saving Mercies are the greatest , and the best ; if Grace has saved you , or given you such Things as do accompany Salvation , that is more than all other Blessings laid together . Indeed all Gods Mercies are great , considering how undeserving we are of them ; but saving Mercy , is like the Sun among the other Planets , that outshines all the rest , and darkens their Glory when it comes into view . 1. When Grace saves us , that is a greater Benefit than Creation it self ; as the Redemption of the World by Christ , is a greater Work , and doth discover more of the Wisdom , Power , Love , and goodness of God to Mankind , than the Creation of the World. And the making of any Soul , actually a Partaker of saving Benefits , is a greater Gift , than the giving of it a Being in Creation . Now consider , do you not think your selves greatly obliged to bless God for your Beings ; that he made you something , that were nothing ? That he made you Men and Women , and not Toads or Serpents ? Surely , if you Love your selves , if you value your Lives and Beings ; or any of your Creature-Comforts and Injoyments ; Then you must needs bless God that made you what you are , out of nothing . Ah! but how much more , should you bless God , that of his special Grace and Love , hath translated you from Darkness to Light ? from Death to Life ; from Slavery to Liberty ; from Wrath and Curses to Favour and Blessedness ? for to be under these evils , was worse than to be nothing ; and these Blessings are better , than meer natural Life and Being without them . Alas ! What good would your Creation have done you , since the Fall , without sanctifying and saving Grace ; it would but make you capable of greater Misery . Better a thousand Times , never to have been Born , than to be a Vessel of Gods Wrath ; and a Companion of Devils and damned Fiends in Everlasting Burnings . 2. When Grace saves you it doth unspeakably more for you than the bestowing of all the outward Blessings of this Life upon you ; Health , Riches , Honour and Friends , with other Injoyments and Comforts of this Life , are great Mercies ; but they are unspeakably short of renewing and saving Grace ; you that have healthful , and comely Bodies , when you look upon any decriped , maimed , deformed , monstrous Persons , do you not admire the goodness of God that hath not made you such ; but is it not worse to have blind , deformed , monstrous Souls , than to have such Bodies ? and is it not a greater Mercy , to have your deformed Souls beautified and made comely with the Divine Image , than to have comely Bodies ? The same may be said of Riches , and all other worldly Injoyments ▪ All external and worldly Injoyments , are but for a while , and alas ! How little a while too ? When you come to Dye , what becomes of bodily Strength , and Beauty ? of worldly Honours , Riches , and Friends ? Alas ! when you are going into another World , if you look back upon these Things , you will see them all shrinking away from you ; and leave you to go alone , as to any Comfort you are like to have of them . Of how short a continuance is the difference betwixt the Rich and the Poor ; the honourable and the bafe , the healthful and sickly ? But sanctifying and saving Grace , will stick by you when every Thing else will leave you ; that is Beauty will never decay , that is Riches you can never loose ; that is an Everlasting Foundation , upon which shall be built an immortal undecaying , never ending Glory and Happiness ; saving Mercy is such as Death it self can not separate or divide you from . 3. Saving Mercy is unspeakable Mercy indeed , if you consider the greatness of the Misery it secures and delivers you from . It is impossible to know , how great a Mercy saving Grace is , unless you know what direful Misery all that are yet unsaved , are under and liable to ; and alas ! the Misery of those that are yet unsaved , is such as no Tongue can express . For the present , they are hateful to God , have a fearful Load of Guilt upon their Souls ; a numberless number of Sins upon the score , which must all be accounted for . And they are every Moment , in danger of droping into the bottomless Gulf of Misery ; alas ! those that are yet altogether unsaved , are not sure to be one Day or Hour out of Everlasting Burnings ; when they close their Eyes at Night , they are not sure , but they may open them in Hell flames ; they are condemned already , there wants nothing but the executing stroak to make them extreamly and remedilessly miserable ; why , this was once your Case , but saving Grace has now put you into a happier and securer State ; and should not such a Mercy as this affect your Hearts , and excite you to thankfulness for it . 4. Saving Grace will appear to be a great Mercy indeed , if you consider how great Happiness it further disposes and prepares you for . And what is that ? Why , for the Possession of Heaven , for the Society of Angels and blessed Spirits in Glory ; yea , for Fellowship with God and Christ , and a perfect Everlasting Injoyment of him , for the being ever with the Lord , and seeing of him Face to Face . And will you not be thankful for such a Mercy as this ? 2. To excite you to Thankfulness , consider the freeness of this Grace that has saved you . What Motive or Inducement did Grace see in you more than in others , that it should pick you out as a Vessel of Mercy , while it hath left others , so many others , still under Wrath and the Curse ? Why , it saw nothing more in you to move and incline its kindness , and Love towards you than in thousands of others , that are still left to ripen themselves for Destruction ; no Reason can be given of Gods Love and Kindness to you more than to any others ; but that Rom. 9. I will have Mercy upon whom I will have Mercy ; and that which our Saviour saith , Thou hast hid these Things from the Wise and Prudent , and hast revealed them to Babes ; and why , the only Reason is , because it so pleased thee ; if such free Grace as this will not Provoke you to Thankfulness , what will ? Look upon others , that are still in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity ; that slight Christ and his Grace , that delight themselves in the high Road to Perdition , that sport themselves with Sin and Damnation ; that hear Sermons , but are little more moved with them than the Seats they sit on . And say , I was once as they are , and had been so to this Day , had not Grace been more kind and merciful to me than to them . 3. To excite your Thankfulness , consider what Pains and Patience Grace was at with you , before your carnal , backward , and perverse Hearts were prevailed with . How long did the Spirit of God strive with you in vain ! How oft did he go away grieved because you slighted and resisted his Holy Motions ! How long did Christ knock at the Door of your Hearts , before you would open to him ! How long did he follow you and woe you by the offers and Promises of his Word , and the Motions of his Spirit , before he could gain your Consent ! How often did you shut your Eyes against Light , and stifle Convictions , and quench the Beams of the Spirit ; and break one Band and Cord after another , that Grace had fastened upon your Consciences , like resolute Souldiers , that are beaten from one Fort , fly to another , and will never yield , till they have none left to fly to . Ay , did not you deal thus with God ? Did not Grace meet with all this and more Resistance from you , in turning your perverse Hearts from Creatures to God , from Sin to Holiness , and from Self to Christ ? And yet Grace bore all patiently at your Hands , and continued to follow you still , and would never leave you , till it had overcome your Resistance and Opposition , and with an Almighty Arm pluckt you as a Brand out of the Burning . O , how free and rich was Gods Grace toward you , that would not leave you , notwithstanding your long and obstinate Resistance , and striving against it : That would not suffer you to be miserable , when you your self was so loath and backward to be saved . 4. Consider , saving Mercy is vouchsafed but to a very few comparatively ; alas ! But to few of those , that injoy the Means of Grace and Salvation ; nay , many that have had the very same Means , and heard the very same Sermons that you have done , and yet the Spirit of Life from God hath quickened you , while those that sat by you remain dry and dead Bones still : Nay , that very Sermon that Grace made effectual to quicken and save you ; others were no more moved with it , than the Earth they trod upon . So much for the Third Inference , walk Thankfully . 4. If you are saved by Grace , then Walk fruitfully ; let it be your Care and Endeavour to Honour Grace in your Lives and Conversations ; Paul when he had said , By the Grace of God , I am what I am ; he presently adds , And his Grace bestowed upon me was not vain , for I laboured more abundantly than they all , 1 Cor. 15. 10. Thus , do you labour to Honour Grace , by the Holiness , Purity , and Heavenliness of your Lives and Conversations ; let it be seen , by your whole Practice , by your Converse and Dealing with all Men , what a great , what a wonderful , what an excellent Change Grace has made in you ? Alas ! you will greatly dishonour Grace , if you profess to be partakers of it , and yet appear to be no better Men than you were before . And Honour the Gospel , that is the Channel in which Grace doth run by esteeming and loving of it ; and in your Place by incouraging the Preaching of it , and Sinners Attendance upon it all you can ; invite others to those Waters where you have found healing for your own Souls . 5. And Lastly , If you are saved by Grace , then continue in a close Attendance upon Grace , and a diligent waiting for its further Influences , in the use of its appointed Means for the compleating of the Work that it has begun upon you . You are yet but begun to be saved , there is a great deal more to be done upon you before the Work be compleated . Most of you are yet got but a little way out of Egypt , and have many Stages to go before you come to the Land of Promise . And Grace hath not yet put its last Hand to the greatest Saint , that is yet on this side Heaven ; therefore let all continue seeking , and waiting diligently for its further Influences in his own appointed Way ; Till he that has begun a good Work in you , has finished and compleated it according to his own Promise , Phil. 1. 6. FINIS . Books written by the Late Reverend Mr. Nath. Vincent , are Sold by Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside , near Mercers-Chappel . WOrthy Walking : Pressed upon all that have heard the Call of the Gospel : From Eph. 4. 1. I therefore the Prisoner of the Lord beseech you , that ye walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith ye are called . The Spirit of Prayer : Or , a Discourse , wherein the Nature of Prayer is open'd , the Kinds of Prayer are handled , and the right manner of Praying discovered : Several Cases about this Duty are Resolved : From Eph. 6. 18. Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit , &c. Unto which is added , a Direction for the Attaining the Gift of Prayer : That Family-Duty may not be omitted , nor Secret Duty discouraged through Inability of Utterance and Expression . A Heaven or Hell upon Earth : Or , a Discourse concerning Conscience ; on Acts 24. 16. Herein do I exercise my self to have a Conscience , &c. The True Touchstone ; which shews both Grace and Nature : Or , a Discourse concerning Self-Examination , by which both Saints and Sinners may come to know themselves . Whereunto are added sundry Meditations relating to the Lords Supper . The more Excellent Way to Edifie the Church of Christ : Or , a Discourse concerning Love : The Design of which is to Revive that Grace ( now under such decaies ) among Protestants of ALL Persuasions . The Conversion of the Soul : Or , a Discourse Explaining the Nature of that Conversion which is sincere ; and Directing and Perswading all to cease their Loving Sin and Death , and to Turn to God and Live. A Warning given to Sinners to prepare for Judgment , to flee from Wrath to come , and turn from All Sin ; but especially the Sin which does most easily beset them . The Little Childs Catechism : In which the Principles of the Christian Religion are in plain Words and short Answers laid down , and suited to the Memories and Understandings of Little Children . Whereunto are added several short Histories , which may both please and profit them , as also Directions how to Pray . The Principles of the Doctrine of Christ : Or , a Catechism , in which is contained the Sum of the Christian Religion ; or what is necessary to be believed and done in order to Salvation . The Answers being but Seventeen in number ; and in very plain words , easie to be understood . Unto which is added , a Catechism for Conscience ; wherein the Consciences of the Ignorant , the grosly Profane , the Young , the meerly Moral , and the Hypocrites , are examined , in order to their Instruction and Awakening ; and the Consciences of the sincere Christians are tried in order to their Peace and Comfort . The Saints Triumph over the Last Enemy : In a Sermon Preached at the Funeral of that Zealous and Painful Minister of Christ , Mr. James Janeway . Unto which is added , His Character . His sore Conflict before he died : And afterwards , His Triumphant manner of departing from Earth , to the Heavenly Inheritance . On 1 Cor. 15. 55. O Death , where is thy sting ? — Israels Lamentation at the Death of a Prophet . In a Sermon Prophet at the Funeral of that Holy , Learned , and Painful Minister of Christ , Mr. Thomas Cawton . And now published at the earnest Desire of the Hearers . On 1 Sam. 25. 1. And Samuel died , and all the Israelites were gathered together , and lamented him . — A Funeral Sermon : Occasioned by the Death of Mr. George Baker . First Preached , and then Published , at the earnest Desire of his Relations . On 1 Pet. 1. 17. — Pass the Time of your Sojourning here in Fear . The Great Change : Discoursed of in a Funeral Sermon , occasioned by the Death of Mrs. Martha Thompson , late Wife of Captain William Thompson in Wapping . On Job 14. 14. — All the Days of my appointed Time will I wait till my change come . A Present for such as have been Sick and are Recovered ; Or , a Discourse concerning the Good which comes out of the Evil of Affliction . Being several Sermons , Preached after his being raised from a Bed of Languishing . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A59623-e180 Fountain Life , p. 435. 
A66386	----	The certainty of divine revelation A sermon preached at St. Martins in the Fields, Feb. 4. 1694/5. Being the second of the lecture for the ensuing year, founded by the honourable Robert Boyle, Esquire. By John Williams, D.D. chaplain in ordinary to His Majesty. Williams, John, 1636?-1709. 1696 Approx. 53 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 22 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A66386 Wing W2695A ESTC R220000 99831440 99831440 35903 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A66386) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 35903) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2121:10) The certainty of divine revelation A sermon preached at St. Martins in the Fields, Feb. 4. 1694/5. Being the second of the lecture for the ensuing year, founded by the honourable Robert Boyle, Esquire. By John Williams, D.D. chaplain in ordinary to His Majesty. Williams, John, 1636?-1709. Boyle, Robert, 1627-1691. The second edition corrected. [4], 39, [1] p. printed for Ri. Chiswell, and Tho. Cockerill: at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard; and at the Three Legs in the Poultrey, London : M DC XC VI. [1696] With an initial imprimatur leaf dated Feb. 4. 1654/5. and signed Guil. Lancaster. With a final advertisment page. Reproduction of the original in the Trinity College Library, Cambridge. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. 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Salvation -- Early works to 1800. 2005-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-01 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-04 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2005-04 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion IMPRIMATUR , Feb. 4. 1694 / 5. Guil. Lancaster . The Certainty of Divine Revelation . A SERMON Preached at St. Martins in the Fields , Feb. 4. 1694 / 5. BEING THE Second of the LECTURE For the Ensuing YEAR , Founded by the Honourable ROBERT BOYLE , Esquire . By JOHN WILLIAMS , D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty . The Second Edition Corrected . LONDON : Printed for Ri. Chiswell , and Tho. Cockerill : At the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard ; and at the Three Legs in the Poultrey . MDCXCVI . HEB. I. 1 , 2. God who at sundry times , and in divers manners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets , hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son. IN which Words I have observed there is , I. A Description given of Revelation , 't is God's speaking , and declaring his Will to Persons chosen for that purpose . II. The Certainty of it ; 't is by way of Declaration , and taken for granted , God who at sundry times , and in divers manners spake , &c. III. The Order observed in delivering this Revelation ; it was at sundry times , and in divers manners : In time past by the Prophets , and in the last days by his Son. It was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in parts , and in several Periods and Manifestations ; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by Illapses , Visions , &c. IV. The Perfection and Conclusion of all , 't is in the last days by his Son ; the Heir of all things , &c. Under the first I have shewed , 1. What we mean by Revelation , in contradistinction to Natural Light. 2. The Possibility of it . 3. The Expedience , Usefulness , and Necessity of it . It is the Second I am to proceed to , viz. The Certainty . Under which I shall shew , I. That God has reveal'd himself ; or that there has been such Revelation . II. The Difference between Pretended and Real Revelation . III. That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament contain such a Revelation , and have upon them all the Characters necessary and belonging to such Revelation . I. That there has been a Divine Revelation . What I have principally in my eye , is the Proof of the Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures ; but for the present I shall lay that aside , and take my rise towards it from such general Principles and Observations as are founded upon Reason ; or such particular Instances and Matters of Fact as manifestly proceeded from Revelation . And accordingly I shall dispose of what I have to say in Proof of it , under these Four Heads ; as we have for it , 1. A Rational or Moral Evidence . 2. A Natural . 3. A Traditionary , or Testimony . 4. A Supernatural . First , Moral : Where in the first place I take for granted what I have before proved , viz. That a Divine Revelation is Expedient , Useful , and Necessary ; and upon that Supposition shall attempt to prove the Certainty of it . I acknowledge , where the Necessity is created by our own fault , there lies no obligation upon the Creator to provide a Remedy ; and since the Necessity Mankind is now in , proceeded from their Apostacy , that Necessity can in reason be no just Plea for it , nor a sufficient Excuse in the want of it . When Man was created in such a state as made Revelation a necessary Help to his Reason , God immediately afforded him such an extraordinary Manifestation of himself : But when he forfeited that Divine Gift , he could have no allowable Right or Claim to it ; For to him that hath , and improves what he hath , shall be given ; but to him that hath not , and takes no care to preserve and improve it , may justly be denied what was otherwise fit and necessary for him to have . This indeed is the Case , if rigorously stated ; but considering the miserable Circumstances Mankind were in after the Fall , more especially through want of a Revelation , we may reasonably conclude , That the Goodness of God would no less incline him to give it , than if he had been obliged to it by a special Grant , Promise , or Covenant . Decrees are Secrets lock'd up in the Breast of Almighty God ; and whatever Good is therein intended , how beneficial soever they may be in the Event , yet afford no Satisfaction to us , till they are opened and revealed : And though the Redemption of Mankind were decreed , and were according to Circumstances to operate , and in due season to be fully executed , yet what would They have been the better , if for 4000 Years together that Decree had lay hid in the Bosom of the Father , and the Decree had never been a Promise , and that Promise had never before that time been reveal'd unto them ? So that had we no such Promise upon record , as , The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head ; yet however , we might be as sure that there was some such kind of Revelation made to Adam , some Promise of Forgiveness , when God did intend to Redeem him and all Mankind , as there was a Design to Redeem them : It being as necessary toward their present Comfort to have a Revelation of that Mercy in their Redemption , as Redemption it self was necessary toward their Happiness . And this will farther be confirmed , if we consider what has been before proved in the former Discourse , That all men have had a Sense of the Want of a Revelation ; and have been possess'd with an earnest and impatient desire of obtaining it ; which being a desire becoming Human Nature , useful and fit to be cherish'd , it is not to be conceiv'd , that where there is provision made to answer all sensible and natural Appetites throughout the Creation , that this no less importunate , though supervenient Desire , should have no regard paid to it , but be suffered , like Aetna , to be always burning within , tormenting , as it were , the Bowels of Mankind with an unquenchable Fire , or an unsatiable Desire of knowing what was not to be known , and of obtaining what was not to be obtained . This is a State that the Consideration of God's Goodness will not admit us to suppose ; and we must therefore necessarily conclude , That the same Divine Power and Wisdom that made Man a Reasonable and Inquisitive Being , and has allowed him a World of Wonders to employ that Faculty in the Contemplation of , hath also provided for that Noble Desire of knowing what the Will of his Maker is , and what relates to his own Eternal Welfare ; and that is , by a Revelation . Indeed without this , 't is with him as with one that is born Blind , that whatever other Evidence he may have of the Being of a God , wants one of the most convincing of all , which is , The Wonders of an Almighty Power and Incomprehensible Wisdom , conspicuous in the Frame of Nature , and the visible parts of the Creation : So whatever sense men , that have only Reason for their Guide , may have of the Mercy and Goodness of God ; whatever they may observe in the Course of his Providence to confirm them in the Belief of it ; whatever Hopes they may have of it , from the general Notion of the Divine Nature ; whatever Desire they may have of it , from a sense of their own Misery , yet they want that Evidence of it , which , as we find by constant experience , alone can satisfy and compose their doubtful and distracted Minds , and that is Certainty , or , which is the same , Revelation ; by which and nothing less , That Certainty is to be attained . And therefore we have just reason to believe that was not wanting to the First Ages of the World : For the same reason we have to believe God to be good , the like reason we have to believe that he did after that manner make himself known in those early times from the first to Mankind . But it may be said , What is all this Reasoning to Matter of Fact ? For if after all , there has been no such Revelation , or no Proof can be made of it , That is more than a Thousand Speculative Arguments for it . And besides , supposing there was once a Revelation , what was that to those Ages and Nations that afterwards wanted it , and were condemned , as it were , to sit in darkness , and the shadow of death ? The last of these is not to be denied , and so I shall first of all consider it . And in answer to it it shall suffice to say for the present , That if there has been such a Revelation made known to the World , and all due care taken by the Almighty and Beneficent Creator for the Preservation of it , and it afterwards be damnified , or corrupted , or in fine , utterly lost , through the Negligence or Perverseness of men themselves , the Fault of the Miscarriage wholly rests upon them . The making known the Revelation , was an extraordinary Case , and is a voluntary Act of Grace and Favour in Almighty God ; the Preservation of it is the ordinary Case , and belongs to Men : and when once the Extraordinary Case becomes Ordinary , God leaves it to its proper and natural Course , to Second Causes , to Human Prudence , Care , and Inspection . Thus it is with Reason , the Noblest Principle of Human Nature , which if not attended and nurtur'd , may degenerate into Stupidity , and a kind of Brutality . As it happen'd to some Nations in the Southern Parts of Africa , West-Tartary , and West-Indies , that notwithstanding the Characters of an Almighty Being legibly stamped upon the Face of the whole and every part of the Creation , have so far degenerated , that it has been questioned , Whether they have had any Notion or Sense of a God , or any sort of Worship for him . And so it is in the case before us : For as God had made a special Revelation of himself to Adam after as well as before the Fall , so he took a very effectual way for the Conveyance and Preservation of it , by the Longaevity of those Patriarchs with whom it was deposited , and who were to take care that it might be preserv'd inviolable : Three of which alone fill'd up the first Period of 1656 Years , from the Creation to the Flood ; viz. Adam , Methuselah , and Noah : So that Methuselah lived 243 Years with Adam , ( for so old was he when Adam died ; ) and Noah lived 600 Years with Methuselah ( for so old was Noah when Methuselah died , and the Flood came . ) And four again of the Fathers after the Flood ( tho the Extent of their Lives was shortned ) fell in with the 856 Years from the Flood to the giving of the Law by Moses at Sinai : So that Abraham is well supposed to have lived 150 Years with Shem , Jacob about 20 with Abraham , Levi 60 Years with Jacob , and Amram the Father of Moses lived in the Time of his Grandfather Levi. Now what course , in the Circumstances and the State the World was at that time in , could be more fit , if duly observed , for conveying the matter of a Revelation through the several Periods and Ages of the World , so far as Personal Teaching was sufficient ? And especially , when the Things revealed , and after this manner to be delivered from Age to Age , were of Importance sufficient to oblige both Teacher and Scholar ; and withal so Few , as might without any Difficulty be retained . And therefore , if notwithstanding the Method taken by Almighty God for the registring what he had revealed , in the memories of men , and for delivering it down to future Ages , there was afterwards no care taken on their part , and no reasonable provision made for conserving such a Revelation , but that in process of time , it was either totally obliterated , or vilely corrupted , the Miscarriage was ( as I have said ) wholly chargeable upon such as by their Negligence or Wickedness made Mankind to sin , in not delivering , or not faithfully delivering down to Posterity what they themselves had received in its Original Purity from their Ancestors . The Case is indeed very lamentable , but what is not to be helped , without Almighty God alters the Nature of things , turns them out of their proper and ordinary Course , and acts solely by his own Power and Prerogative , either without or above the Agency of Second Causes . Which is no more with reason to be expected , than that when God has made the Earth in its own nature fertile , and capable of yielding all things necessary for man's subsistence , with Cultivation ; that He should also be obliged to continue it in the same state it was created in ; and when by the Sloth and Stupidity of men it brought forth nothing but Thorns and Thistles , should miraculously make every Tree that is pleasant to the sight , and good for food , and whatever was beneficial and necessary , to grow out of the Ground , as at first , and before there was a Man to till the ground . Now if this be unreasonable for Man to expect , it is so then in the case of Revelation , which God had committed to the Custody of Men themselves , and made them whose Interest it was , to be the Conservators of it . Having thus far considered the Case of those that had not , or have no Revelation , I shall return to the Main Point , which is , To shew that there has been such a Revelation . And that brings me to the IId . Sort of Proof , which I call Natural , as it belongs to things Natural , and is opposed to what is of mere Institution , ( which I conceive to be equivalent to Revelation ) : And they are Speech , and common Notions . 1. Speech : For which there is in Man a Natural Capacity , and Organs admirably contrived and disposed ( as we see by experience . ) But now there is a vast difference in that case betwixt Us and other Creatures ; for other Creatures have not only Organs as we have , fitted for their proper Notes , but at once have all those Organs in Tune and in Operation ; so that whatever they would signify in their way , and according to their kind , they immediately thereby express : But though the Organs of Speech in us are as exquisitely framed , yet we gradually grow up to the use of them ; and again , can never apply them , or know how to use them , without some precedent Instruction . And therefore it has been the Opinion of many , That without hearing others speak , we should be eternally dumb * ; as the Experiment of Psammeticus King of Egypt shews † , ( if true ) of shutting up Two Children in separate Caves , where they never heard one Articulate Word , and so could use none . So that now Man must be taught , and as he is taught , so he speaks . But we will put the case in which there was no Human Instructor , and yet the Person spoke as articulately , and had the free use of Words , and knew as well how to express his mind by them from the very first , as if he had had the best Helps for it in the world , and had been never so long a time versed and practised in it ; and that Person was Adam , who was created in a full Age , and had none before him ; and yet must as soon have Words for use , and Skill how to use them , as he had to give Names to the Creatures , according to their several kinds . For without this , what Conversation could he have with Eve , or what Comfort could he take in her presence , ( for it was not to be call'd Society ) ; and what a Dejection must there be in each of them , when all other Creatures had their Notes for understanding each other , according to the Species they were of , but they themselves alone were mute . So that though 't is not expresly said , That Adam and Eve had any Discourse ; yet 't is as certain from the reason of the thing , as it is that God spake to them , or the Serpent and Eve spake together . But 't is certain Adam must then be self-instructed , or be instructed by God : He must then invent a Language of himself , or he must be taught by him that made him . If he was to teach himself , how could he know that he was able to speak ; or how can we think he would begin his Conversation by an attempt that way ? For 't is highly probable , that they would first have began with dumb signs , or some external motions ( as we see those ordinarily do , that have no Words which others can understand ) ; or if they should at length have found out such an Expedient , and formed some Articulate Sounds , yet what a tedious course would this have been , and how long before it could be wrought into a Language , that they could first Think of Words , and then Remember them , and then Use them , and then fall into Discourse ? Don't we find how difficult it is to learn to speak a Foreign Language , when we have all Advantages for it , by Instruction and Discourse with those that speak it ? But suppose Two Persons wholly strangers to one another , and of a Language as different as Chinese and English , should meet together , and be constrained by Circumstances , being without other Society , to converse with each other ; though each had a Language of their own , and knew how to speak and form Words for Pronunciation , yet how long would it be before they could fix the Words for it , and to have a Term for every thing they were to discourse about ; to invent and agree upon it , and then to remember them , and then to use them ? And then much more will the difficulties increase , were these Two in the case of Adam and Eve , and to beat out the Track which never any walked in before ; to invent Speech it self , and Words to be spoken , and sufficient to express the Thoughts of each other , so as to make Company , and that Company agreeable , acceptable , and useful . This must have been the work of Time , if it had been practicable ; and the Difficulty of it would have made each others Company a Burden rather than a Pleasure , till such time as they could come to a mutual understanding of one anothers minds and inclinations . And therefore to make them meet helps for each other , it was of Necessity that they should have an extraordinary Power communicated from Heaven , and be enabled by that Instinct as soon to speak , as the other Creatures are in a course of Nature to utter such Voices as are suitable to their kind , or as Mankind are to express their Passions of Joy or Sorrow , by Laughter or Tears . So that 't is not without reason , I rank the Gift of Speech among those things that are of a Divine Infusion , and so equivalent to Revelation . 2. Another Instance of this kind , is what is usually called Common Notions , or Natural Impressions : Common Notions , because they are common to all Mankind ; and Natural Impressions , because they are conceiv'd not to be acquired by any Human Means , such as Education and Instruction , Observation and Experience ; but are imprinted on our Nature by an Immediate and Supernatural Power . That there are such Notions as all Mankind do agree in , is undeniable ; such as the Belief of a God , an Adoration to be given to him ; and that there is an essential difference between Good and Evil , so that Good cannot by any art or endeavour be made or esteemed to be Evil , nor Evil Good : For as the Natures of the things themselves cannot be altered , so neither can our Conceptions of them . It is as undeniable , That these Notions or Impressions are so early to be discovered , and do so grow up with our Reason , that they seem not to be the Effects of our Reason , but rather to be antecedent to it ; and that it is rather what we Find , than what we Chuse ; what belongs to our Nature , than what we add to it . And accordingly as we have a Notion , so a Sense of those things , antecedent to all Reasoning and Instruction , which we call Conscience , excusing or else accusing , according to the nature of the things , whether good or evil . Now as the Nature of the things must be before our Conception of them , so both must be before we pass this practical Judgment upon them : And if we do exercise this Faculty antecedent to all Instruction , then so must the Sense of the things be , about which it is exercised . So the Apostle , Rom. 2. 14. When the Gentiles which have not the law , do by nature the things contained in the law , these having not the law , are a law unto themselves : Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts , their conscience also bearing witness , &c. Which is exactly agreeable to the Phrase of the Wisest among them ; So Aristotle calls it , the Natural , Common , and Unwritten Law. But above all , Cicero ( who best knew the sense of the Philosophers , and how to express it ) doth speak fully to this point , both as to the Universality of these First Notions , and the agreement in them by all Mankind ; both as to the nature and rise of them . There is , saith he , a certain Law , not written , but native to us , which we have not learned , received , nor read : But we have taken and derived it from Nature it self ; to which we were not Taught to be conformed , but Made ; it was not by Institution , but Infusion . This , in another place , he saith all men have by a certain Anticipation , and calls them innate Cogitations ; and will allow it to come from no less a Power than what is Divine . We have , saith he , received a Conscience from the Immortal Gods , which cannot be plucked away from us . So that whatever Improvement these Notions and Impressions may receive from an after Instruction , yet they seem to be implanted in us by the same Power that made us reasonable Creatures , who no more could leave himself without Witness in our Minds , than in the Works of Nature . And being thus antecedent to our own Reasoning , or other information , can proceed from no other a Principle than Revelation doth , and is therefore equivalent to it . III. There is a Traditionary Proof of Revelation , which is by Testimony , or by such Instances as are a part of the Revelation ; and of which , as I conceive , no tolerable account can be given , if they are not allowed to be of Divine Institution . In order to which , 1. I observe , That the Want of a Revelation in any particular Nation or Age , is not an Argument sufficient to prove that there never was any Revelation . For Revelation being more especially of things not knowable by the mere Light of Nature , may be lost , while the Light of Nature remains . It being in this case much as it is in Matters of History , which may be derived from one Generation to another , and especially by Registers and Memorials : But if a former Generation be careless and slothful , or the Records not faithfully wrote or kept , the Matters of Fact in one Age are irrecoverably lost in the next , or turned into Fables . Of which the Earliest Times are too manifest an Instance ; and for which reason Varro did not divide them amiss , into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , obscure or unknown , and fabulous . Which lasted till the First Olympiad , and that was , at soonest , Anno Mundi 3173 ; when the Historical Age , according to him , begins . Now as the want of such Histories will not prove that there never were any such , and much less that there were no Matters of Fact for the furnishing such Histories : So though there be no Revelation , or no Memorials of such a Revelation , in some particular Nations or Ages , it will not necessarily follow that there never was any such Revelation made to the World. 2. When I propose the Proof of a Revelation , I would not be understood so much as to suppose , That there was from the beginning , or before the Time of Moses , a Pandect or Collection of Divine Revelations ; but only that there were Inspired Persons to whom God did ( as occasion served ) reveal himself in sundry times and divers manners , such as Adam , Enoch , Noah , &c. 3. Where there has been or is no Revelation , or pretence to it ( if any such Age or People ever were ) yet there are or have been in those Ages or Nations , certain Footsteps of such a Revelation ; and which whereever they are found , are as evident Marks of such a Revelation , as Pillars or Crosses found in a Countrey at present uninhabited , are , that there have been some persons that have been there before , and have erected those Monuments . 4. I account such Usages , Rites , and Principles , to proceed from Revelation , that have no foundation in Reason , and the nature of the thing , but are correspondent to what we call Revelation ; and which can well have no reason at all assign'd for them , if not the Reason given in that Revelation : Such are Expiatory Sacrifices , and other things relating to Divine Worship . 5. This is the more confirmed , if such Usages , Rites and Principles have been observed , practised , and believed , in Nations that have had no relation one to another , no Commerce or Communication , nor sometimes knowledge of one another ; for then they must arise from some common Head , from whence they were ab-originally dispersed among the several Branches of the same Stock . When one People has been mixed with another , as the Jews and Egyptians ; or derived from another , as the Colchi from the Egyptians ; or there have been Commerces and Confederacies , Wars and Conquests , 't is no wonder they intermingle in several Rites and Observances . Of this we have a notorious Instance in Circumcision , which by the abovesaid means came to be received by several Nations , as the Ethiopians , Egyptians , and Colchi , the Phoenicians , and some of the Syrians , as Herodotus shews * . But when the Usages , Rites , and Principles have been as well found where there has been no Communication , as where there has ; 't is no less a sign they descend from one and the same Original , than when the Waters of the Seven Branches of the River Nilus have one and the same Taste and Colour , without any Communication , that they do all descend from the Main Stream . In like manner , if we find , suppose , among the Seventy Nations ( into which 't is said Mankind was divided , upon the Confusion at Babel ) several of the same Rites and Usages , generally speaking , concurring with those of what we call Revelation , we must conclude , That they were observed before that Dispersion , and were wholly owing to as early an Institution . Among the Instances that I shall make use of for the Proof of a Revelation , I shall begin with those that relate to Divine Worship , such as Time , Sacrifices , &c. 1. Time. That there is some particular Portion of Time to be set apart for the Publick Worship of God , either by Divine Appointment , or Humane Consent , is absolutely necessary , when it is to be the Act of a Society ; for Worship , without some time for such Society to convene and assemble in , must inevitably end in Confusion and Dissolution . And therefore as God created the World as a Temple to exhibit and manifest himself in , and created such Beings as should in their several Stations celebrate his Praise ; so when he had finished all his Work , he established that Day which he rested upon , to be from thenceforward devoted to that Service ; as we may see the Institution , Gen. 2. 2. I call this an Institution ; for when could that be more seasonably instituted by Divine Authority , than at the Close of the Creation , when the Sanctification and the Reason of it were so immediately connected ; God blessed and sanctified it , because in it he had rested from all his work ? It being not probable that there should be at that time no Institution , when the Reason for it is expresly given ; or that there should be no present Obligation to observe it , when there was an Institution . If God had no sooner finished his Work , but he sanctified the Day following , 't is evident that the Obligation to observe it must begin with the Institution : And if he sanctified it , because on that Day he rested , 't is as evident the Institution did begin with the Reason of it . And then how improbable is it that God should bless and sanctify a Particular Day , and yet for the space of Two thousand Years together should leave that Day in common with the other Days of the Week , without any distinction ? How improbable again , that it should be first instituted and made a Duty to the Jews only for a Reason that equally concerned all Mankind as well as them , because he rested ; and for a reason existent from the first , as well as in the time when it was instituted at Sinai ? 'T is highly unreasonable to add one Prolepsis to another , and to heap Figure upon Figure , when there is no necessity for it , contrary to all the Rules of a Just Interpretation . Now if this be an Original and Primaeval Institution , we have one Instance of a Divine Revelation , so far as the Scripture is of Authority ; and surely we may demand in its behalf , to have as much regard paid to it as we give to Prophane Histories . But however , we are not without a concurrent Testimony from them also in this particular . For it is manifest that there hath been of great Antiquity such a Distribution of Time as we call a Week of Seven Days ; and which is more to our purpose , That the Seventh Day was a Festival and Religious Day . This Lucian doth more than intimate ; and long before him , Solon , who calls it Most Holy Day , in his Elegies , quoted by Eusebius * ; and one earlier than he , Homer , who calls it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , The Holy Day . But Calimachus , Homer , and Linus , are still more particular , for they say it was because all the Works of Creation were then finished . So Homer , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and 't is therefore called by Linus , The Birth-day of the World. Now there is nothing in Nature to point to this ; for there is no more to be observed from the Motion of the Heavens for such a Septenary distribution of Time , or Division into Weeks , than there is for the dividing of a Day into Hours : And consequently it must proceed from some Institution , and from a very early Institution , because of what I have observed from the fore-cited Authors , who are of great Antiquity , especially Homer and Linus : For Homer is supposed to have lived in or about the time of Saul , in the Year of the World 2940 , and Linus in the time of the Judges , about the Year 2570. The consideration of which doth make it probable , that these Ancient Poets owed their Information to the general Tradition of the World , rather than to the Jews . Indeed Aristobulus the Jew , from whom Eusebius drew the abovesaid Testimonies , saith , these Poets had borrowed them from the Jewish Books . But if it be consider'd how little the Jewish Books , the Scriptures , were known to the World before the Translation of them by the Seventy into Greek , which was about 300 Years before the Birth of our Saviour ; or how little the Opinions of the Jews themselves before the Captivity were known abroad , it will hardly be conceived , that these things should be known so early , and spoke of so positively by the Greek Poets , Homer and Linus , within so short a time after the Institution of the Sabbath at Sinai , as these two lived ; for Linus must have lived within less than half an hundred Years after the time of Moses ; and Homer in less than 400. Where if we take the lowest term , that of Homer , the Jews were hardly in a setled State , and no more in a Condition , than they were disposed in their Temper , or permitted by their Religion , to inform other Nations in the Articles or Mysteries of their Religion . So that it seems very evident , that the Observation of the Seventh day for the Service of God , was an ancient and general Opinion , and especially of those who may be best presumed to understand what had been the sense of Mankind in the Ages before , or those in which they lived . And if this was the Opinion of those early Times , conformable to the History of Scripture , we have sufficient reason to offer this as an Instance of a Revelation . 2. Another instance of Revelation is Sacrifices , and especially those of Expiation . Amongst all the Rites and Usages relating to Divine Worship , there are none that exceed these in their Antiquity ( except the Sabbath ) or Extent . For we no sooner read of God's Reconciliation to Mankind , but that they offer'd Sacrifice ; no sooner of Noah's Deliverance and Escape out of the Deluge , but he offer'd Sacrifice : And without doubt , as it begun , so it continued , and was as much dispersed and observed among Mankind before the Flood , as after it . But how probable soever it is , that this Rite was thus universally observed before , yet That we are not so certain of , as we are of the Observation of it after the Flood , when there was no Age nor Nation where it was not to be found , how dispersed soever they were ; of which no tolerable Account is to be given , unless it be allowed to have been in use before the Dispersion at Babel , and that it was of Divine Institution . It must have been , I say , in use before that Dispersion ; for how could all Nations fall into one and the same Practice , and have the same Opinion of Sacrifices , when there is nothing in the Nature of the thing to lead them to it , if it had not been , that they had all descended from one Blood , from one Family , from one Body ; by which means it was conveyed into all the several Branches issuing from it , and went along with them where ever they went. Now the question is , Whence this should arise , and what gave it this universal Acceptance and Authority ? whether the Invention of some Eminent Persons , suppose , in those early Times ? or whether it was by Revelation from God , and of his special Institution ? There seems no great reason to think this Service should proceed merely from the Invention of Men , even of those pious and well-disposed Persons , since ( as I have said ) there is nothing in the nature of the thing to lead to it . For how could it be supposed that this should be acceptable to Almighty God , which in it self holds no Conformity , nor is at all suitable to his Nature ? Will I eat the flesh of bulls , and drink the blood of goats ? is a true representation of it . It might become a sanguinary sort of Daemons , or false Gods , and wicked Spirits , to be pleased with the Fumes and Reakings of the Bleeding Sacrifice , as the Heathens generally thought : But men of any understanding would rather chuse a reasonable Service for the God that made them reasonable Creatures , and might presume another sort of Sacrifice would be more acceptable to him than this , and acceptable without it , viz. a Sacrifice of Praise and Prayer , of a pure Mind , and a good Life , which the wiser Heathens did in their Opinion exceedingly prefer . But as for the Sacrifices and Blood of Beasts , such Philosophers as Pythagoras and Plato spoke of them often with regret and displeasure ; and others wonder'd how they first came into the World , as Porphyry , that wrote expresly against them . What Expression could thereby be given , suppose , of mens gratitude to God for their Being , and their Preservation ? Who of all Mankind is fo stupidly credulous , so foolish , that can think the Gods delighted with such a present of Bows , Gall , and Blood , which a hungry Dog would scarcely touch ; and that they should repay the favour to those that offer it ? said an ancient Heathen Poet , cited by Porphyry . But if we descend to Expiatory Sacrifices , who could think that the Blood of Bulls and of Goats could take away sin , and that God would accept of that as a fit Compensation for their Crimes ; the Blood of a Brute for that of a Man , the Life of one that is not in its own power , instead of him that was ? And if men were so weak as of their own accord to offer it ; can we think the Almighty Creator would accept of what was for it self only unbecoming his Majesty , and be so highly delighted with it , as to testify his Acceptance of Abel's by the descent of a Miraculous Fire to consume it ; and to smell a sweet savour upon Noah's Oblation ; to appoint it as a sign of his Covenant with Abraham ; and lastly , to embody it into the Mosaical Institution ? It was enough , one would think , that the Majesty of Heaven and Earth hath accepted of the good will of the first Inventors , how poor and low soever the Invention was ; but it was too great a Condescension to do by these as the Heathens by their Heroes , to translate them into the number of their Deities ; too much to have such a Mark of the Favour of Heaven , as none of the Divine Institutions could have more . But why should we think so meanly of those Antediluvian Patriarchs , of Adam and Abel , Enoch and Noah , &c. the first Inventors or Encouragers of this way of Worship ? At this rate happier far were the Inventions of Adah , Jubal , and Tubal-Cain , that taught others how to order Cattel , to handle the Harp and the Organ , to work in Brass and Iron ; for these did serve either the Necessities or Pleasures of Mankind , and were suitable to their nature and condition : But to offer Bestial Sacrifices to an Infinite Spirit , was as if we should present Mankind with the Entertainments and Pleasures of the Brutes ; and so it cannot be thought that Men ( how low soever their Understandings were ) would think the Blood of Beasts a decent Present to their Creator , which indeed would not be so to their Superiors here . But we have another sort of Character of those Holy Men , who were Persons of great Knowledge and vast Experience ; who both received their Religion from the Almighty , were the great Props and Stays of it in their Generation , and to whom the care of transmitting it to Posterity was committed ; and for which reason , as well as others , God seemed to have protracted their Lives to so vast an Extent . They were such as were eminent for their Piety ; as Abel's Faith is one of the renowned Instances , Heb. 11. and Enoch is said to walk with God , and was in an extraordinary way rewarded for it . Such again were they as were endued with the Spirit of Prophecy , as Adam , Abel , Enoch , Noah . And therefore it cannot in reason be supposed that ever they should think the offering the Blood , and burning the Flesh of a Beast , to be a fit expression of their Gratitude to Almighty God , or a means to obtain his Favour by way of Expiation for their Sins , without his Institution . It is then ( as far as I conceive ) evident , that Sacrifices , of what kind soever , were not invented by men . But if they were not invented by men , How came they to be admitted , and at last so much to obtain in the world ? I answer , They were of God's own Institution ; and therefore were received by the Patriarchs , and accepted by himself . But then it may reasonably be demanded , Why they should be thus honoured by a Divine Legislation and Authority , when it is allowed that they are in themselves not suitable to his Nature ? I answer , They were instituted as those Sacrifices were Typical , and had respect to a greater Sacrifice , that of Christ. And therefore 't is observable , That as Almighty God for the Comfort of Adam , and preventing his Despair , ( as has been before shewed ) did immediately after his Expostulation with him , and Sentence pass'd upon him , reveal his intention to pardon him , and the Means by which it was to be procured and ratified , The Seed of the Woman : so in consequence of this , and to shew their Faith in that Promise , we read in the next Chapter , of their Sacrifices and Offerings which they brought unto the Lord , as a Representation of what they for their Apostacy had deserved , and should have suffered , had not the Divine Mercy interposed . Now if we have represented this aright , we have a fair account of an Expiatory Sacrifice , and how it came to take such place among men , and to be so universally received . We have a reason again how and why it came to be framed into the Law of Moses ; and why those Sacrifices and the Rites belonging to them , were made a principal part of it , and have thereby a Key to unlock many Mysteries in that Law , and to answer many Difficulties about it , when it is a shadow of good things to come . By this means again we come to understand the special Providence of God , that this was so much preserved and so universally dispersed and received among mankind . By this means again we have a fair account how the Doctrine of the Cross , and the Notion of our Saviour's Death as an Expiatory Sacrifice , came to be soon entertained among the Gentiles ; for being of God's Institution , as he preserved it , so being thus preserved , it became an excellent introduction , and prepared Mankind for the belief and reception of our Redemption by Christ. To the same Original may the First Fruits , Priesthood , and Tenths be referr'd ; the first of which was observed from the time of Abel , Gen. 4. and the two last long before the time of the Mosaical Law ; and therefore are to be derived from an ancient Institution . But because it may be thought these Instances may be liable to exception , forasmuch as they are sometimes disputed among those themselves that do contend for a Revelation , I shall proceed to IV. Sort of evidence , which is Supernatural , and that is either it self a Revelation , or the Proof of it ; of the former is Prophecy ; of the latter , Miracles . 1. Prophecy , or the foretelling of things to come ; whatever time they are to exist in , near or remote . I add this latter Clause to it , to prevent all Exception , and to distinguish Prophecy truly so called , from Sagacity , or Human Providence ; which from Precedent Observations and proximate Causes , may be often fortunate in its Conjectures or Predictions . But now as to Infinite Power all things are alike possible and easy , and there is nothing great or little , more or less , with respect to it ; so to Infinite Knowledge , to which one day is as a thousand years , and a thousand years as one day , all things , the remotest as well as nearest , are alike present ; and there is nothing distant or near with respect to it . And therefore whereever the true Spirit of Prophecy is , the same Power that can foretell what shall happen to morrow , could , if he so pleased , as easily foretell what shall happen a Thousand Years hence ; since all things are alike naked and opened unto him with whom we have to do . Now this sort of Knowledge can proceed from nothing less than him , who as he knows all things , so has all Causes in his own Power , and can foresee how they will operate , and what shall be the Event of such Operations , or can dispose them to it as he pleaseth , whatever the Causes be , whether ( as we usually say ) they are Voluntary , Necessary , or Contingent ; and being thus peculiar to him , and his sole Prerogative , 't is no less than a Species of Divine Revelation . And therefore as none can know the Certainty of such Futurities and Events but God ; so none can foretell them but such as he is pleased to reveal them to ▪ From whence it was that Plato somewhere calls Prophecy , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a Communication or Fellowship with God. For suppose now we should set before us any Epocha or Character of Time , which the Prophecy respects ; the 160. Years from Isaiah's naming of Cyrus , to his Decree for building Jerusalem , Isa. 44. 28. Or the 350. Years from the Prophet's naming Josiah , to the time he defiled those Idolatrous Places , 1 Kings 13. 2. 2 Kings 23. 16. Or the 490. Years in Daniel's Weeks , from his time to the Death of Messiah Dan. 9. 2. 4. What an infinite number of intercurrent Passages must there be before it be brought in its proper season to its accomplishment ? And how amazing a sight would it be , if we could lay our hand upon the Clue of the Prophecy at its first setting out , and follow it , making its way through all Oppositions and Interferings , to the last Period and Completion ! But then if we turn our Thoughts to the chief Subject of Revelation , the Prophecy of the Incarnation of our Saviour , as it began immediately upon the Fall , and passed along through the 61 Generations , for 4000 Years together , it would be like the dispersed Parts of a Human Body , to the Time and State of the Resurrection , that are carried safe and entire through all Transformations ; and at last when the Sea and the Grave are called upon to give up their dead , all the Atoms and Particles are recalled from their several Vehicles or Tribes they were joined to , and fall into the same Composition as before in this present state . Much such a Subject have we before us , which after various Windings and Turnings , and an Infinite Succession of Causes and Events ; we read , That it might be fulfilled — and as it was spoken by the mouth of the holy Prophets , which have been since the world began , Luk. 1. 70. So that as many Prophecies as we have , or the world ever had , so many Evidences have we of a Supernatural and Divine Revelation . And this all Mankind have had a belief of , as is manifest from the Oracles they consulted upon all emergent occasions ; many of which were very ancient , as Herodotus tells us that of Jupiter Hammon in Lybia was . I acknowledge that these were full of Imposture , and were despised for it by the Wiser part of the Heathens , such as Tully , ( Lib. 1 , 2. de Divinat . ) and detected , as Eusebius shews , ( Praepar . Evang. l. 4. Init. & l. 9. c. 5. ) And I mention these , not that I esteem them of any Authority ; rather the contrary ; but to shew what the World thought of Prophecy , and that even those Philosophers who diverted themselves with the Mistakes and Impostures of their own Oracles , never questioned whether ever there were any true Prophecy ; but always allowed it , and took it for granted . So that the Impostures of their own Pretenders never engaged them so far , as to call in question the Veracity of all Prophecy , or to deny it where it was able to justify it self . 2. Sort of Supernatural Evidence , is Miracles . But of that , God willing , I shall Discourse afterwards . Thus far I have endeavoured to shew , That there has been a Revelation , antecedent to , or where there was no Written Revelation : And the Arguments and Instances have been such as were proper to those Circumstances ; such as we are led to by the Light of Nature , and Human Observation : And therefore though they receive Light and Confirmation from a Written Revelation , are not supposed to depend upon it for their Evidence . And if this Point has been hereby made out and proved , we then find that God has at sundry times and in divers maners , revealed himself to mankind by the Prophets and inspired Persons , from the beginning through the Ante-diluvian and Post-diluvian Times , till the Promulgation of a Written Law by Moses . If it be said , That these are far from amounting to a Certainty , and from giving us an Infallible Assurance of a Revelation , since some of them are disputed even among those that own a Revelation ; as the Original of the Sabbath , and Sacrifices ; and at the most are but Probable Arguments . 1. I answer , Probability is a fair Step to Certainty ; and I may after all affirm , That the Account here offered is the best that can be given o those Instances : 2. There are such Arguments as are taken from the Consideration of God's Nature ; and there cannot be a stronger , than what is fetch'd from the nature of things . 3. There are other Instances that are equivalent to a Revelation , and can proceed from no lower a Principle ; such are Speech and Common Notions ; the former of which in the Circumstances before recited , must be from Divine Inspiration , and the latter from a Divine Impression . 4. There are those things which when they accompany what we call a Revelation , prove the Truth and Certainty of it ; and being recorded in a Written Revelation , become of the Body of it , and they are Miracles . 5. There are others that are the Matter of Revelation , and they are Prophecies , especially such as are carried along in a continued Train , and mutually confirm each other . 6. There are others that are not only consonant to what we own to be a Revelation , but to Human Testimonies ; and being confirmed by both , are of great Authority . All which laid together , give us , I may say , unquestionable Evidence , That there has been a Revelation , or that God has made himself and his Will known to the World by Persons chosen out , and inspired , and commissioned by him . And this is a good Preparative and Introduction for what is to follow , viz. That there is a special Revelation , and that Revelation recorded and transmitted by Writing to the World ; which is a Point in Reserve , and that will in order be discoursed of . FINIS . BOOKS Printed for Richard Chiswell , and Thomas Cockerill . RVshworth's Historical Collections : The Third Part , in Two Volumes ; containing the Principal Matters which happen'd from the Meeting of the Parliament , November 3. 1640. to the End of the Year 1644. Wherein is a particular Account of the Rise and Progress of the Civil War , to that Period . Fol. 1692. Dr. John Conant's Sermons , Octavo . Published by Dr. Williams . The Possibility , Expediency , and Necessity of Divine Revelation . A Sermon preached at St. Martins in the Fields , Jan. 7. 169 4 / 5. at the Beginning of the Lecture for the Ensuing Year . Founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle , Esquire . By John Williams , D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty . 4to . D r WILLIAMS's THIRD SERMON AT Mr. BOYLE'S Lecture , 1695. Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A66386-e230 * V. Postellus , lib. de Orig. c. 4. † Herodotus , Enterpe . c. 2. Ad Nicom . l. 4. c. 5. l. 5. c. 9. l. 8. c. 1. Rhet. l. 1. c. 10 , 13 , 15. Pro Milone . L. 1. de Nat. Deor. & L 2. de Legib. Pro Cluentio . * Clio. cap. 36 , 37. Enterp . cap. 104. V Bochart Geogr. Saci . Phaleg . l. 4. c. 31. * Praepar . l. 13. c. 12 , p. 667 Psalm 50 ▪ 13. Euseb. Praepar . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . lib. 2. Sect. 58. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . So Theodotion . Gen. 4. 20. Gen. 4. 25. Gen. 9. 26. Jude 14. 2 Pet. 2. 5. Gen. 3. & 4. Gen. 14. 18. 20. 
A66409	----	The possibility, expediency, and necessity of divine revelation a sermon preached at St. Martins in the Fields, Jan. 7. 1694/5 : at the beginning of the lecture for the ensuing year, founded by the honourable Robert Boyle, Esquire / by John Williams ... Williams, John, 1636?-1709. 1695 Approx. 40 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 19 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A66409 Wing W2718 ESTC R2129 12498271 ocm 12498271 62586 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A66409) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 62586) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 951:85) The possibility, expediency, and necessity of divine revelation a sermon preached at St. Martins in the Fields, Jan. 7. 1694/5 : at the beginning of the lecture for the ensuing year, founded by the honourable Robert Boyle, Esquire / by John Williams ... Williams, John, 1636?-1709. Boyle, Robert, 1627-1691. [4], 29, [1] p. Printed for Ric. Chiswell ... and Tho. Cockerill ..., London : 1695. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Half title: Dr. Williams's first sermon at Mr. Boyle's lecture, 1695. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Revelation -- Sermons. Salvation -- Sermons. Sermons, English -- 17th century. 2007-06 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2007-07 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2007-11 Elspeth Healey Sampled and proofread 2007-11 Elspeth Healey Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion D r. WILLIAMS's FIRST SERMON AT M r. BOYLE'S Lecture . 1695. IMPRIMATUR , Jan. 26. 1694 / 5 ; . Guil. Lancaster . THE remaining Sermons for this Year will be Preach'd at St. Martins , the First Mondays of February , March , April , May , September , October , and November . The Possibility , Expediency , and Necessity of Divine Revelation . A SERMON Preached at St. Martins in the Fields , Jan. 7. 1694 / 5. AT THE Beginning of the LECTURE For the Ensuing YEAR . Founded by the Honourable ROBERT BOYLE , Esquire . By JOHN WILLIAMS , D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty . LONDON : Printed for Ric. Chiswell , at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard : And Tho. Cockerill , at the Three Legs in the Poultrey . M DC XC V. TO THE Most Reverend Father in God , THOMAS Lord Archbishop of Canterbury . Sir HENRY ASHHURST , Knight and Baronet . Sir JOHN ROTHERAM , Serjeant at Law. JOHN EVELYN , Senior , Esquire . TRUSTEES by the Appointment of the Honourable Robert Boyle , Esquire . MOST HONOURED , HAving by your Generous Election entred this Year upon the Lecture founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle , the Great Encourager of Piety and Learning , it becomes me in Obedience to your Order , and according to the Intent of the Deceased , to Present You with the First-fruits of my Labour . The Subject I treat of is of Vniversal Concernment to the Christian World , and is to be handled with Reverence and Care : The former I shall all along keep in my eye , and the latter I shall not neglect , as far as in me lies : But whatever Defects your Better Judgments shall espy throughout these Composures , I hope the same Goodness that disposed you to place me in this Sphere , will incline you to overlook ; and to accept of the Sincere Endeavours of , MOST HONOURED , Your most Faithful and Humble Servant , JOHN WILLIAMS . HEB. I. 1 , 2. God who at sundry times , and in divers manners , spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets , hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son. THERE are Two ways by which Mankind may attain to the Knowledge of Divine Things ; namely , Natural or Supernatural . Natural is what we have springing up with our Faculties , or what we attain by Natural means , by Sight , Observation , and Experience , by Tradition ( which is the History of others Knowledge and Experience ) ; and lastly , by Reason and Argument , deducing Effects from their proper Causes , or finding out the Cause by its Effects : As for instance ; Thus we come to the Knowledge of God by observing the Frame of the World , by the Series , Order , and Course of Things , which could never be without some Cause to produce them , and that Cause no less than One Infinitely Powerful and Wise . Thus we Argue , That there is a Soul in Man distinct from the Body , and surviving a Separation from it ; forasmuch as there are such Operations as are not Competent to Matter ; and that there is such a desire of Immortality placed in Mankind , as would make the Flower and Choicest part of the Visible Creation , the most Miserable , if there was no Capacity in the Soul for such a State , or no such State for a Soul capable of it . Such Inferences as these , are as Natural to a Reasonable Mind , as those Observations are which we make from the reports of Sense ; and are therefore deservedly accounted Branches of Natural Religion . Now this kind of Knowledge is more or less evident , is stronger or weaker , according to the capacities and dispositions of Mankind , and according to the opportunities and means they have of Information . And therefore a Philosopher that sets himself to enquire into the Mysteries of Nature , and to observe the Curiosity , Order and Beauty of its Fabrick , may , in Reason be supposed to be more confirmed in the Belief of a God , and more disposed to Serve and Adore him , than he that is ignorant ; as he that understands Painting or Carving , can more observe and applaud the Ingenuity and Skill of the Artist , than he that is unacquainted with it . But after all , so much is the Subject above our reach , and so dark and intricate are all our Reasonings upon it , that the Sagest Philosopher , in the conclusion , is left as unsatisfied as the meanest Peasant ; and perhaps more unsatisfied with his Knowledge , and the deep and unfathomable Abyss he sees before him , than the other is with his Ignorance ; so far making good what Solomon observes , He that increaseth knowledge , increaseth sorrow , Eccles . 1. 18. So that there needs some brighter Light than that of Nature , to conduct us to Happiness , and bring us to a compleat and entire Satisfaction ; and that is a Supernatural Knowledge , a Knowledge that is not to be obtained by the ways aforesaid , by Enquiry and Observation , but by inspiration and Revelation from Almighty God. And this is the Subject of the Text. God who at sundry times , and in divers manners , spake in time past by the Prophets , hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son. In which Words we have , 1. A Description given of Revelation , it 's God's speaking to the Fathers , &c. that is , it is God's delivering his Mind to Mankind by Persons chosen for that purpose , and peculiarly fitted for it by Inspiration . Such were the Prophets in time past , and the Son in the last days . 2. The certainty of it ; it is by way of Declaration , God who at sundry times , and in divers manners , spake , &c. The Apostle takes this for granted , as having been sufficiently proved , and so needs no farther confirmation . So it was in times past , when God spake by the Prophets ; and so it was in the last days in the Revelation of the Gospel , which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord , and was , saith our Apostle , confirmed unto us by them that heard him : God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders , and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost , Chap. 2. 3 , 4. And therefore as Moses did not think himself obliged at the entrance into his Divine Work , to prove there is a God , and that God made the World , when there is such an inbred knowledge of a Deity implanted in human Nature , and such clear and undoubted evidences of it throughout the Universe ; but supposes and asserts it , In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth : &c. So after such manifest proofs of the Divine Authority of both the Prophetical and Evangelical Revelation , the Apostle would not so much as suppose any doubt in the minds of those he wrote to ; but begins his Epistle , with a certain Majesty becoming an Inspired Author , God who at sundry times , &c. 3. The Order observed in delivering that Revelation , it was at sundry times , and in divers manners . At sundry times , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or in several parts ; which may refer either to the several Ages and Periods , viz. The Patriarchal , Mosaical , and Prophetical ; or to the several Manifestations of Divine Revelation through those Ages and Periods ; from the first Embryo of it in Adam , to the close of it in John the Baptist ; in whom the time past ended , and the last days began . In divers manners , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , according to the manifold ways the Divine Spirit thought fit to communicate it self ; whether by Illapses on the Persons Inspired , or by Raptures , Visions , Voices , &c. 4. The Perfection and Completion of Divine Revelation ; God hath in these last days spoken by his Son. So that what was gradually , and at sundry times , delivered in time past to the Prophets , was at once intirely and perfectly Revealed by the Son of God , whom he hath appointed heir of all things . Under the First of these I shall shew , 1. What we mean by Revelation . 2. The possibility of God's Revealing himself so to the Creature , that the Creature shall certainly and evidently know that it is God that speaketh . 3. The Expediency , Usefulness , and Necessity of a Revelation , with respect to the Circumstances Mankind are in . Under the Second I shall shew , 1. That as it 's possible for God to Reveal himself , and Expedient and Necessary for man that there should be a Revelation ; so God has actually thus Revealed himself at sundry times , and in divers manners by the Prophets , through the several Periods before spoken of , and in the last days by his Son. 2. I shall consider the difference between a real and pretended Revelation , and how we may distinguish the true from the false . 3. I shall shew , that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament contain the matter of Divine Revelation , and have upon them the Characters belonging to it . Under the Third , 1. I shall consider the several ways by which God did Reveal himself in times past by the Prophets , as by Illapses , Inspirations , Visions , &c. 2. I shall endeavour to shew the difference between Divine Inspirations , and Diabolical Illusions , Natural Impressions , and Delusory Imaginations . 3. I shall consider the several Periods before the Law , under the Law , and under the Gospel ; and the gradual progress of Revelation from first to last , from the lower to the higher degree , and the perpetual respect one had to the other . 4. I shall consider why God did thus gradually , and at sundry times , proceed in Revealing his Will to Mankind ; and why he did not at the first Communicate his Will to them as fully , and perfectly , as he did in the last days by his Son. Under the Fourth , I shall shew the Perfection of the Gospel-Revelation , and that there is not to be any other Revelation till the End cometh when our Lord shall be revealed from heaven , and shall deliver up the kingdom to the Father . I have chosen thus at once to lay in Order the Scheme of what I intend ( God granting Life and Assistance ) to pursue ; that so the dependance of one upon another , and the assistance each Point gives to the other throughout the whole , might be the better observed . I. I am to begin with Revelation . 1. Where I am to consider , What we mean by Revelation ; which is nothing else in the first Notion , but the making known that which before was a secret ; so things revealed and secret , are opposed , Deut. 29. 29. And when it 's applied to a Religious use , it 's God's making known Himself , or his Will , to Mankind , over and above what he has made known by the Light of Nature and Reason . Here we may observe , that there are Three Classes , into which whatever is the Object of our Knowledge may be reduced . 1. There are things of pure and simple Nature , and knowable by the Light of it , without Revelation ; of this kind is the Knowledge of God by the Effects of a Divine Power and Wisdom in the world ( as has been shewed ) of which the Apostle treats , Rom. 1. 20. The invisible things of him , from the creation of the world are clearly seen , being understood by the things that are made , even his eternal Power and Godhead . 2. There are things of pure and simple Revelation , that are not knowable by the Light of Nature , but only by Revelation ; and if not Revealed , are never in this state ( at least ) to be known or found out by Mankind ; of this sort is the Salvation of the World by Jesus Christ , which was not discoverable by Men or Angels ; so the Apostle describes the Mystery of it , Ephes . 3. 9 , 10. Which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God , — to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places , might be known by the Church the manifold Wisdom of God. So 1 Pet. 1. 12. 3. There are things partly of Nature , and partly of Revelation , discoverable by the Light of Nature , but imperfectly , which we see , as it were , through a glass darkly ; and so they need Revelation to give them farther Proof and Evidence ; of this the Apostle gives an instance , 2 Tim. 1. 10. when he saith our Saviour brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , making it as evident as the Light ; whereas before it was rather wished for , than certain , as was the case of the Heathens ; or much involv'd in Types , as among the Jews , Heb. 4. 3 , &c. So that Revelation , of which sort soever it is , is Supernatural , and is only from God. 2. I shall shew the Possibility of a Revelation , and that Almighty God , if he so pleases , can so Reveal himself to the Creature , that the Creature shall certainly and evidently know that the Revelation comes from God. This one would reasonably think should need no proof ; and I shall therefore briefly touch upon it , tha● I may proceed to the Third , which I principally intend to make the Subject of this present Discourse . I say it 's possible for God to Reveal himself to his Creatures . ( 1. ) Why should this be questioned , when we every day see men mutually discover their Minds each to other ; and by the use and direction of certain Organical Powers , signify their Intentions , Desires , and Commands ? And why may not the Creator Reveal his Will to the Creature , when one Creature thus can do it to another ? ( 2. ) Why should this be questioned , when we may be certain Evidences know that a person is sent from God ? And then certainly the person that produces such Evidences as are to the satisfaction of others , may himself be satisfied of the truth of his own Commission , and the certainty of a Divine Revelation . The former , that others may be satisfied concerning a Mission from God , is evident from such things declared , which none but God could Reveal , as Prophecies ; and such things done , which none but God , in man , could do , as Miracles . Where these are , they are as evident Proofs of a Revelation and Mission from God , as the works of Creation are a Proof a Divine Agent . The works of Creation prove a God , because they are worthy of such an Infinite Cause , and what none but such a Cause could produce : And when such things are discovered , which none but an Omniscient Being could discover , and such things done , which none but an Almighty Power could do ; we are , by a Parity of Reason , as sure that there is such a Revelation by which such things are made known , and in confirmation of which such mighty Works are done . ( 3. ) If this be questioned , it must be from a deficiency in God to impart such a Revelation to man ; or that there is an incapacity in man to receive it . But how can God's Power herein be questioned that he can Operate thus on the Soul , when he both Created it , and is thoroughly acquainted with all the secret springs of Motion , all the tendencies and inclinations , all the thoughts and desires of it , and consequently must be supposed to have a Power of directing it as he pleases ? And how can there be any incapacity in man , when as to the matter he can both receive it , and deliver it as he received ; and as to the manner , it 's in a way suitable to his Faculties , and is therefore call'd here , God's speaking to the Prophets , which is so as the other may understand . This is a matter so evident , that it has been generally believed throughout the world among the Heathens ; and therefore nothing more common than to have Oracles , Places where they were wont to consult their Deities , as well as the Jews had theirs : A Subject I am not at present concerned in , but it 's sufficient to shew what has been the sense of all Ages in this case : And which even those that would call this in question , in part consent to , while they grant somewhat equivalent to it , if not a branch of it , I mean Prophecy ; which when it falls not within the Power of any Natural Causes , is the product of what is Supernatural , and what the Prophet must then receive from a higher hand , God. Grant this , and the whole will follow ; for if it be possible in one case , it 's possible in all , to one and the same Infinite Power . 3. I am to Consider the Expedience , Usefulness , and Necessity of a Revelation ; for that is here supposed , when it 's said , God spake in time past , and in these last days ; that is , from the beginning of the world to that time . Now Revelation is a means extraordinary ( as has been shewed ) and consequently such as the means are , such must the case be , extraordinary ; for God , not doing any thing in vain , cannot be supposed to use extraordinary means , where the case is ordinary , and may as well be served by ordinary means . Thus it is in Miracles , which are acts above the common standard of Nature , and are then only exerted , when nothing less will engage the Attention of Faith of Mankind . And so it is in Revelation , which is to the Light of Reason , what Miracles are to the common Law of Nature , Supernatural and Extraordinary ; and consequently where Almighty God takes that course for the Information of Mankind , it shews that there is some deficiency or corruption that calls for it , and makes it expedient and necessary . As it was with Adam at his first Creation , who being an utter stranger to himself , and the world he was at once brought into , without some further kind of Information , instead of a pleasure he might have taken in viewing the glorious Fabrick of the Heavens , and the variety of Creatures in the Earth , must have been full of Amazement and Confusion . For in so wide a Scene as was before him , Where must he begin , or where could he hope to end ? How divided must he be in his own Mind ? What a cold and dry Speculation would it have been , if he had hit upon it , to have concluded , with that Modern Philosopher , Cogito , ergo sum ; I think , therefore I am ? He indeed felt himself to be , but how he came to be , he knew not ; for he saw nothing about him that could either be supposed to have given him that Being , or could tell him how he came by it . He saw he had a Body , and a Body that obsequiously moved as he pleased to direct and determine ; but what that Body was originally made of , he could not possibly tell : For how could he suppose such warm , soft , and tender Flesh , those firm and well compacted Joynts , those radiant and sparkling Eyes ( which he had as other living Creatures ) that moveable and limber , and well-complexioned matter of which his Body consisted , should be formed out of cold , moveless , crumbling , and shapeless Earth ? He felt his Body move , and pliable in all its motions to his Will , and quick as Thought to answer his Mind , but what that inward Principle was that moved it , he was wholly ignorant ; nor could he possibly , of himself at that instant , conceive that there was an inward Immaterial Spirit that was vitally United to a Gross and Material Body , that was the Principle of all , and was as distinct from the Body in it's Nature and Subsistence , as if it were not United at all to it . He might observe the Creatures about him of different sorts , that there were certain Notes that each Kind had , and all were known and understood among themselves ; but that notwithstanding they were all dumb to him , and he to them ; and what it was that made the difference , he could not understand . When he pleased himself in the Contemplation of the Heavens above , and that glorious Luminary that gave ( as he perceived ) Light to all about him ; he could not tell whether it was an intelligent Being , and that as it gave Light to all , so it was Superior to them : And when that set , he knew not but he was to be inclosed in perpetual Darkness . When a heavy Stupidness began to seize himself , and he was forced to submit to the power of it , he knew not but it was to end that Life , which was that day began , and that he was to close his Eyes , and conclude his Life together . So that though he had what we call Reason , and suppose it as his Body , in its prime ; yet even that Reason must have been his Torment for a while ; when it made him inquisitive , but could not give him satisfaction . To prevent which disorder and confusion he would otherwise be in , at the first opening of his Eyes and his Mind together , as it was necessary that he that was to begin the world , should be Created in a full Age and Strength ; and that he that was alone , should have a present power and faculty of Elocution and forming of Words for the Conversation he was to have with the Help designed for him ; so it was requisite that he should have some immediate Inspiration , to inform him of what was necessary for him to know as to God , himself , and the World ; and which he could not have known without such Inspiration , or the slow and tedious compass of Observation ; and so must have waited for satisfaction till time and experience had formed his Judgment , and made him a wise Philosopher . But this Adam was at the first , and so forthwith knew whom it was that he was to own as the Author of his Being , and of what his Body was made , and by what means an Intelligent Spirit came to be inclosed in a Material Body ; and could as soon resolve all those perplexing doubts , which otherwise he would have been assaulted with , as he understood at first sight that Eve was bone of his bone ; and knew how to give Names to the Creatures suitable to their Natures , Gen. 2. 19 , 23. But now the reasons for such an Inspiration to Adam were personal , belonging to him alone ; but after what manner the Divine Wisdom would have imparted the Knowledge of it self to Adam's Posterity , if he and they had stood and continued in a state of Primogenial Innocency ; or whether there would , in those Circumstances , have been any need of a Supernatural Inspiration after the Revelation made to Adam , from whom they might have Infallibly received it ; no more concerns us , than it doth to know how Mankind would then have been disposed of when they were not to Dye , but to have subsisted in the same State , Body and Soul inseparably United : Those are among the secret things which belong unto God ; but things revealed belong unto us . We must therefore alter the Scene , and consider Mankind in a State of Imperfection and Depravation ; and there we shall find Revelation absolutely necessary as a remedy against a fourfold Mischief , which , without it , would unavoidably ensue ; As with respect to the Confusion Adam was in by reason of Guilt ; The Danger he was in from his Enemy , The Subtile and Malicious Serpent ; The Ruin that threatned him from the impotency and disorder he found in his Faculties ; which like a Dislocation in the Limbs , though fit in themselves for Action , yet being removed out of their Sockets are not capable of discharging their Functions . This being the State of Fallen Man , there was need of a Supervenient Revelation to recover him , as well as it was the determination of the Divine Goodness to design it . There was need of this to comfort him under the sense of his Apostacy and the Guilt he had contracted , to prevent his Despair : To fortify him against the power of his insolent and triumphant Adversary , and to aid him under his contracted disability , for preventing his Discouragement : And to caution him against the sad effects of his Depravation , or the falling into a repetition of a new disobedience , for preventing his Presumption . For these Reasons Almighty God so soon interposed in the Garden by a new Revelation of Himself , and Instructed him in his gracious design to restore him to Favour , and in the method he would observe for that purpose , inwhat he saith to the Serpent , Gen. 3. 15. I will put enmity between thee and the woman , and between thy seed and her seed : it shall bruise thy head , and thou shalt bruise his heel . Thus the Gospel was Preached to Adam , who was the first Prophet to whom the Mystery of Salvation was revealed ; to which those places in the New Testament seem to refer , Luke 1. 70. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets since the world began ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , from the beginning , so Acts 3. 21. This was the case of Adam , and the exigence he would have been in , without this immediate and comfortable Revelation . And the Condition of his Posterity would have been worse than his , without a Revelation ; had this Revelation died with this their Progenitor , and not have been transmitted to them . For besides the state of Guilt , which must equally have invaded them as it did him , and what Conscience in them could no more quietly digest , than in him ; there were several disadvantages they laboured under , which he did not . As if we consider Adam in a bare State of Nature ( without any Supernatural provision ) he had this advantage above his Posterity , that being Created in a full Age , he was free from all prepossessions of Sense or Education ; and in the first moment of his Being , had his Reason clear in the fountain of it , like the Sun in its Meridian Glory ; and all his Faculties bright , and as ripe at once for Observation and Reflection , as his Body was for Action . But his Posterity growing up from their Infancy among sensible Objects , from thence would ( in a meer course of Nature ) have received all their Information ; and by slow degrees from things Visible , must have argued themselves into the Belief of things Invisible ; and from the Effects of a Supreme Cause , to the Supreme Cause it self ; which in the Apostle's Words , Acts 17. 27. would be to seek the Lord , if haply they might feel after him , [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as men blundering in the dark ] and find him . In such danger would the fundamental Principles of Natural Religion have been , if there had been no Revelation to prevent it : And this was the reason of such a provision by Inspired Persons , to preserve those Principles alive and safe ; of the number of whom Abel is accounted , and therefore called a Prophet , Luke 11. 50. and Enoch , Jude 14. and Noah 2 Pet. 2. 5. But now as the Rays of the Sun , the farther they are projected , grow weaker and weaker ; so it was in the derivation of these Principles , which lost very much of their primitive lustre ; and notwithstanding the certainty of the evidence , the credibility and authority of those Holy Patriarchs ; Vice , like a deluge , broke in upon the world , so that every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts ( generally speaking ) was only evil continually , Gen. 6. 5. And if now when there was a Revelation , and a Revelation seconded by the Authority of such Eminent Persons , the World so soon grew Corrupted , What would it not have been , if there had been no such Revelation , or no such Curators of it ? And this the World was soon sensible of after the Flood ; for notwithstanding so late and astonishing an instance of the Divine Vengeance , yet in their several Dispersions , for want of a Revelation , they lost the sense of the true and great Principles of Religion ; some , as the Chaldeans , turning it into a vain Inquiry into the Influences of the Heavenly Bodies ; others placing their Religion in ridiculous and opprobrious Superstitions , as the Egyptians ; others pleasing themselves in nice Disputations , and the Vanity of new-discovered Deities and Religions , as the Greeks : And all acting in Divine matters , as if they were in inextricable Labyrinths , being distracted , and eternally divided about the Origine of the World , whether it were Eternal , or Accidental , or the Product of a Divine Power ; about the Origine of Evil ; about the Government of the World , whether it be by different Deities , Good or Evil ; or whether by none , but be wholly Acted by the levity of Chance , or the immutable Law of Destiny and Fate . So that in process of time the World was brought into the condition of Elymas , Acts 13. 8 , 11. that once had the advantage and pleasure of Sight , but upon the opposition made to St. Paul , immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness , that he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand . Too close a Representation of the condition of Mankind in that Degenerate State , who because that when they knew God , they glorified him not as God — but became vain in their imaginations ; their foolish heart was darkned , Rom. 1. 21. Of which darkness and confusion in matters of the greatest importance , the World , the Commonalty as well as the Philosophical part of Mankind , was sensible , and of the necessity of a Revelation , or somewhat beyond Nature , Reason and Argumentation , to remove these difficulties , to inform them of what they could not otherwise know , and to clear up to them what they did know but imperfectly . Of which I shall offer some undeniable Instances . 1. They universally complained of the loss they were at , and of the insufficiency of all their Maxims and Principles , of all their Enquiries and Speculations , to give them any tolerable satisfaction ; so that they were in nothing more divided , than about what Happiness is , as St. Austin from Varro has shew'd : And therefore there was somewhat further necessary to satisfy them , or else they must for ever remain unsatisfied . 2. There was nothing more desired than a Revelation , and therefore they were prone to hearken to all pretences to it ; and when they conceived , or were made to believe it was a Revelation , they were in nothing more obsequious and pliable . So that to gain Authority to his Laws , and to keep the People Quiet and Orderly , Numa Pompilius did then ( as Mahomet of latter years ) pretend he had all by Revelation from the Nymph Egeria . And of such Authority was this pretence , that as Tully saith , There was nothing so absurd which was not maintained by some of the Philosophers ; so I may say , There was nothing so foolish , or wicked , which was not an ingredient in the Worship they gave to their Deities . Insomuch , as the nature of things should be perverted , Reason and Humanity should be abandoned , and God himself be made worse than those that Worshipped him , in compliance with their pretended Revelations . What Beastiality and Lewdness ! what Savage and Barbarous Practices and Rites were allowed and required ! The Blood of Captives , and of their own Children , must be a Libation ; nay , even Suicide was not only Honourable , but a Religious Martyrdome , if the Oracle commanded it ; and they chose rather to be unnatural to the highest degree , than not to be Obedient to Divine Revelation . Now of what authority must that be , which should over-rule the Laws of Nature , and so infatuate Mankind , that they should not be able to espy the Imposture ? And what could thus impose upon them , if they were not sensible of the imperfect state they were in , and the need they stood in of some higher Principle and , greater Light to direct them , than that of Nature ? 3. There was no Nation without a Revelation , that is , without some pretence to it , and which they generally vouched for their Rites and Religious Observances ; from whence it was that there was scarcely a People of any note in the more Civilized parts of the World that had not their Sibyls , such as were accounted to be the mouth of their God ; to be sure none in any part of the known world without an Oracle , that they repaired to , and whose Injunctions they readily Obeyed . The use I make of all this is to show , what a sense Mankind had of a Revelation , and what all the World has thought Expedient , if not Necessary , which was the thing to be proved . From what has been said , we may observe , I. What a Happiness it is to have a Revelation , by which Mankind are brought out of darkness into a marvellous light ; and from an endless and fruitless Enquiry , Who will shew us my good ? are placed in a quiet and full possession of it . If there be no Revelation , we are , as it were , with ut God in the world ; and know not whether that Divine Power be our Friend or our Enemy ; or whether it shall be exerted to our Good or our Ruine . If there be no Revelation , we are still in our sins , and have no Sanctuary against the accusation of our own embittered Consciences , the fears of our own guilty Minds , or the Justice of an incensed Deity . If there be no Revelation , we have no hope , and can have no comfort in our Death , and no assurance of Immortality after it . If there be no Revelation , we are in a perpetual maze , as if we were at Sea without Star or Compass , and knew not what course to take to gain our Harbour . So thoughtful and pensive , so confounded and lost is Mankind without this , that if I were to chuse whether I would have no Revelation , or a false one , for the quiet of my own mind ( did I believe the false one to be true ) I would rather chuse the content of the latter , than the distraction of the former , and leave it to my own reason to rectify the manifest mistakes in it , rather than have my hovering Reason to be my constant affliction under the want of Revelation . But Blessed be God that there is no cause for such a supposition , and that we have all the reason in the world to believe there is a Revelation ; a Revelation that is such as all Mankind would desire , that touches upon all points necessary to our comfort and entire satisfaction , as to the Nature and Will of God , the Present and Future State of Mankind , the Providence that Governs this World , and the Rewards of another . A Revelation , where all the parts of it agree together , and bear a conformity to the Nature of things , to the Holiness , Justice , and Mercy of God , and to the Reason of Mankind ; where there is a System of the best Principles , and a Scheme of the best Rules and Directions ; and which , like the Book of Nature , the more it 's viewed and consulted , the more do the lively Characters of a Divine Hand and Wisdom appear in the Composure . A Character this is that the Book of Scripture exactly answers . For what holy Precepts ! what heavenly Promises ! what useful Examples ! what excellent Encouragements do the Sacred Pages abound in ! Such as are sufficient to direct us in every point of our Duty , to inform us in every necessary Truth , to establish our Hearts in every condition of Life , to enable us to encounter all the difficulties of it with Resolution , and to bear all the evil of it with Patience . Here behold God Reconciled to Mankind , the trembling Sinner Pardoned , the Weak sustained , the Doubtful satisfied , and nothing wanting on God's part to make us Happy , if we are not wanting in a fit disposition of Mind to receive it . So that if there be any Revelation , it is the Christian ; if that be not a Revelation from God , there is no Revelation in the World ; And if that be a Revelation , that only is so , and there can be no other . II. Such as the Revelation is , such is the Obligation ; the Authority it receives from God , the Obligation lies upon us to Obey as well as Believe it . The times of ignorance God winked at , and overlook'd ; but now he commandeth all men every where to repent , Acts 17. 30 ▪ He hath commanded them by a Revelation , which is of universal concernment , and extends its Authority over the World. So that a Bad man is no better or safer for a Revelation , how perfect soever it be , and how great soever the advantages of it are , than he that is without Revelation ; nay , so much the worse , as the latter is a state of Unbelief , the former of Disobedience ; this errs without his will , but the other with it . And therefore if the Heathens , who had only the Book of Nature to read , and a blundering Reason for their Guide , were yet so far inexcusable , because that when they knew God , they glorified him not as God , Rom. 2. 21. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation ? which at the first was spoken by the Lord , and was confirmed by those that heard him ; God also bearing them witness , &c. Heb. 2. 3 , 4. What remains then , but since the Grace of God , in the Revelation of the Gospel , hath appeared unto all men , that we be thereby taught to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts , and to live soberly , righteously , and godlily in this present world . And then we may comfortably look for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God , and our Saviour Jesus Christ , who gave himself for us , that he might redeem us from all iniquity , and purifie unto himself a peculiar people , zealous of good works , Tit. 2. 11. FINIS . Books Printed for Richard Chiswell and Thomas Cockerill . RVshworth's Historical Collections : The Third Part in Two Volumes : Containing the Principal matters which happened from the Meeting of the Parliament , November 3 , 1640. to the end of the Year , 164● Wherein is a particular Account of the Rise and Progress of the Civil War to that Period . Fol. 1692. Dr. John Conant's Sermons , Octavo . Published by Dr. Williams . 
A26695	----	A sure guide to heaven, or, An earnest invitation to sinners to turn to God in order to their eternal salvation shewing the thoughtful sinner what he must do to be saved / by Joseph Alleine. Alleine, Joseph, 1634-1668. 1688 Approx. 371 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 99 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A26695 Wing A977 ESTC R28088 10390310 ocm 10390310 44948 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A26695) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 44948) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1372:22) A sure guide to heaven, or, An earnest invitation to sinners to turn to God in order to their eternal salvation shewing the thoughtful sinner what he must do to be saved / by Joseph Alleine. Alleine, Joseph, 1634-1668. [14], 180 p. Printed for Tho. Parkhurst, London : 1688. Reproduction of original in the British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Conversion -- Early works to 1800. Salvation -- Early works to 1800. 2002-02 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2002-03 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2002-04 TCP Staff (Michigan) Sampled and proofread 2002-04 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2002-05 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A Sure Guide TO HEAVEN : OR An Earnest Invitation to Sinners to turn to God , in order to their Eternal Salvation . Shewing the thoughtful Sinner what he must do to be saved . By Ioseph Alleine late Minister of the Gospel at Taunton in Somersetshire . John 3. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God. LONDON , Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns , at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercers Chappel . 1688. TO THE READER That would be safe and happy . IF it were only possible thou mayst live hereafter , and be called to account in another world for what thou dost in this , it would be thy wisdom to take the safest course , and not to run the constant hazard of being dragg'd by death to Iudgment , before thou wert prepar'd to meet thy Iudge . But another Life , and a Judgment to come , are more than possible ; there is an high probability , yea as great a certainty as can with reason he expected , that death will not put an end to thy being , that thou shalt live after the return of thy body to the Earth , and that then thou shalt be tryed , and sentenced to such an happiness or misery , as will be incomparably greater than any thing , nay than all thou didst ever feel or see , hear of or imagine . These weighty Truths are taught and establisht in some measure by the Light of Nature , but much more clearly and firmly by the Oracles of God in the Holy Scriptures . Besides what they say of the different states of separated Souls , they plainly teach , and strongly assert , That God hath appointed a time in which he will judge the whole world by the Mediator Jesus Christ ; that that great Mediator who is God as well as Man , will descend from Heaven , attended by its glorious Inhabitants , with triumphant Acclamations to his Royal Throne ; that a mighty Voice will cite all that ever dwelt on Earth to make their personal appearance ; that that awakening and commanding Summons shall be presently heard and obeyed by the dead , and they with the quick then remaining alive , shall all stand before the Judgment Seat ; that after a throughly searching and impartial tryal , which will reach mens several talents , trusts and opportunities of getting and doing good , and their most secret actions , words and thoughts , every one shall receive an unalterable Sentence of Absolution or Condemnation ; and that then such as are approv'd and absolv'd , shall inherit an heavenly Kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world , be like the Angels their delightful Companions , converse with their most amiable and loving Saviour , beholding and partaking of his glory , yea resemble , see and enjoy God himself in compleated Holiness , and everlasting Bliss : And those on the other hand , that are reprobated and damn'd shall never be admitted into the Regions of Light , nor yet be favour'd with a glimpse thereof ; but suffer with Devils in the blackness of darkness for ever , the perpetual gnawings of the Worm that dieth not , and the extreme torments of unquenchable fire . Seeing then these things cannot be denied , thou must be guilty of such woful abuses of reason as far exceed all the extravagancies of them that want it ; thou must be most grosly foolish , most unnaturally cruel to thine own Soul , to thy whole self , if thou dost not earnestly desire to be one of those unto whom the Lord shall say , Come ye blessed , and not , Depart ye cursed ; if thou dost not readily welcom , and diligently use any proper helps for the avoiding of the heaviest endless misery , and for the attaining of the purest , vastest , everlasting happiness . And such helps are now offered thee in this little Book , which hath a taking tincture of the excellent Author's flaming love to God , and useful Charity to the Souls of men ; and now it is in thine hand , let me tell thee , it cannot be refus'd the reading , or rea● without doing what it so plainly teacheth and affectionately urgeth , but at thy greatest peril . If thou wilt not be at a small expence of time and pains to read it over , if after the neglect of so many means of instruction this also be rejected , how justly mayst thou be destroyed for lack of knowledge ? How soon may the things which belong unto thy peace be hid from thine eyes ? A continued wilful want of understanding is large ground for fear , lest he that made thee should not have mercy on thee , and he that form'd and redeem'd thee should shew thee no favour : If thou readest , but dost not practise what Scripture and Reason so pathetically plead for , the increase of thy knowledge will increase thy sorrow , because it will aggravate thy sin ; for to him that knows his Lords will , how and why to do good , and doth it not but the forbidden evil , to him 't is heinous , inexcusable sin , for which he is liable to be beaten with many stripes , in constant dreadful danger of severer punishment . I hope therefore thou wilt peruse so short a discourse , and art not unwilling to do it in such a manner as to grow acquainted with , and be perswaded to thy great duty , and which is inseparable from it , thy greatest advantage ; and that thou may'st not fail thereof , is the design of the following Directions . 1. Pray in the name of Christ as thou art and shalt be enabled , for the more effectual assistances of the Holy Spirit . Such is the corruption of our nature , that it utterly disables to make a saving use of outward means without inward aids . Unless the Spirit by his powerful operations work thee into a serious teachable temper , set home the attempts of Gods Messengers , and give them an efficacy far beyond their own , the most concerning truths and weightiest arguments can never be so represented and inforc'd , as to overcome thy sensual , worldly inclinations , rescue thee from the dominion of sin and Satan , and bring thee back to God. Thou must therefore pray , and that with becoming apprehensions of the great God , due regard to the gracious Mediator , deep shame and sorrow for the ●ins thou confessest , ardent desires of all the grace thou beggest , and faithful improvements of such measures as thou hast already received . And if thou thus askest , with fervent importunity and persevering constancy , thou wilt undoubtedly find that God bade thee not to seek his face in vain . As our Lord warrants us to argue , Luke II. If a man will not deny a Friend what he is importunate for , and if a Father will grant his Son what he asks and wants , much more will thy Heavenly Father give thee the Holy Spirit for all needful purposes , to produce all those effects in thee , that are truly necessary for thine Eternal Salvation . 2. Consider seriously what thou readest , and work it on thy Soul as far as thou art concern'd therein . Medicines for the Body will operate though they are not thought of ; but Spiritual Remedies for the mind require its co-operation with them ; the clearest explications , fullest proofs and strongest motives about matters of nearest and greatest concernment will not do the Soul any good , unless by thinking it apply them , and extract their vertue ; nor will the Spirit heal its lamentable Diseases , if his influences be not answer'd with suitable endeavours . Work then as he works in and with thee ; take into most serious consideration whatever is apt to promote thy recovery ; lay those things closest to heart which are likeliest to cure the hardness thereof ; inculcate and urge them , and withal cry mightily unto him , who is able , and no less willing to help thee , till thou feelest his gentle force , and comest to a conquering resolution , that thou must and wilt do as thou art advis'd , till thou dost not only assent to the course propos'd as fit to be taken , but art steadily determin'd , that it is best for thee , that it is absolutely necessary , and must effectually be prosecuted ; that by the grace of God thou wilt thoroughly change thy heart and life , and so escape from the greatest evil , and make sure of the chiefest good . 3. When thou hast seriously consider'd and resolv'd , proceed presently to practise , with all thy might , and without the least delay . 'T is commonly a work of some time to alter the temper of the Soul , and change the course of the life ; and according to God's usual methods , the longer thou hast been accustom'd to do evil , the more time and pains will be requisite , to break the force of stubborn lusts , to weaken and subdue vitious habits , and to gain those of grace and goodness , to travel back the way thou hast gone wrong , and to get out of it into the path of life . 'T is well then if there be days enough before thee to do the one thing needful , to be sure thou art not certain of an hour to spare , the loss of so small a part may prove the loss of all . Besides , if thou putt'st off thy reformation though but for a little while , 't is a sign thou dost not really intend it at all , for thou purposest against conviction to add sin to sin at present , and how can that consist with an hearty design of growing good afterward ? Delude not therefore thy self with such a desperate cheat , but imitate the Royal Ps●lmist , When thou hast thought on thy ways turn thy feet unto Gods testimonies ; Make haste and delay not to keep his Commandments . 4. Remember that conversion unto God is but the beginning of thy duty , that thou must afterward obey him all the days of thy life , and that there is no other way to preserve an interest in his favour , and a right to the great expressions thereof . They are the largest and the last discoveries of Divine Grace , that teach thee to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts , to live soberly , righteously and godly in this present world , and so doing to look for the blessed Object of thy hope ; they plainly enough warn thee against drawing back unto perdition ; they threaten a final rejection if thou deniest thy Saviour in words or works , and they oft direct and command thee to seek for glory and honour , and immortality , by patient continuance in well-doing ; to be faith ful unto death whatever it cost thee , that thy Lord may give thee a crown of life : These may seem hard sayings , but they contain nothing like a reasonable discouragement . There 's misery more than enough in Hell to necessitate a prevention by any temporary labours , wants and suff●rings , and an abundantly sufficient happiness in Heaven to encourage a stedfast perseverance in the work of the Lord , though it were more harsh and grievous than sinners imagine . And even at present , Religion is not without a reward , yea thou wilt find it , if thou triest as thou shouldst , a reward to it self , when the main difficulties at first are over , thy duty will grow daily easier , it will have many pleasures mixed with it , and become at length it self the greatest . It will not abridge thy appetites of any desirable gratifications , but give them a new delicious relish of the Fountain from which they flow . Instead of the girds and twinges of a bad Conscience , and dread of an after-reckoning , 't will settle peace within , and fill thee with comfortable reflections and joyful hopes ; and a loving , thankful , praising obedience will by degrees become thy sweetest employment . Therein thou may'st draw still nearer to God , delight thy self in , and receive from him the desires of thine heart , thou may'st walk always in the light of his countenance , and feed on his loving kindness , which is better than life . In short , before thou ascendest to Heaven thou may'st be in an Heaven on Earth , and find by happy experience , that the way to have all thou canst wish hereafter , is to be and do what is best for thy self here . Useful Questions , whereby a Christian may every day examine himself . Psal. 4. 4. Commune with your heart upon your beds . EVery Evening before you sleep ( unless you find some other time of the day more for your advantage in this work ) sequester your self from the World , and having set your heart in the presence of the Lord , charge it before God to answer to these Interrogatories . For your Duties . Q. 1. Did not God find me on my Bed , when he looked for me on my knees ? Job 1. 5. Psal. 5. 3. Q. 2. Have not I prayed to no purpose , or suffered wandring thoughts to eat out my duties ? Mat. 15. 8 , 9. Jer. 12. 2. Q. 3. Have not I neglected or been very overly in the reading Gods holy word ? Deut. 17. 19. Josh. 1. 7 , 8. Q. 4. Have I digested the Sermon I heard last ? Have I repeated it over , and prayed it over ? Luke 2. 19 , 51. Psal. 1. 2. and 119. 5 , 11 , 97. Q. 5. Was there not more of custom and fashion in my family-duties than of Conscience ? Psal. 101. 2. Jer 30. 21. Q. 6. Where in have I denied my self this day for God ? Luke 9. 23. Q. 7. Have I redeemed my time from too long or needless visits ; idle imaginations , fruitless discourse , unnecessary sleep , more than needs of the World ? Eph. 5. 16. Col. 4. 5. Q. 8. Have I done any thing more than ordinary for the Church of God , in this time extraordinary ? 2 Cor. 11. 28. Isa. 62. 6. Q. 9. Have I look care of my company ? Prov. 13. 20. Psal. 119. 63. Q. 10. Have not Ineglected or done something against the duties of my Relations , as a Master , Servant , Husband , Wife , Parent , Child , &c. Eph. 5. 22. to chap. 6. V. 10. Col. 3. 18. to the 4. V. 2. For your Sins . Q. 1. Doth not sin sit light ? Psal. 38. 4. Rom. 7. 24. Q. 2. Am I a mourner for the sins of the Land ? Ezek. 9. 4. Jer. 9. 1 , 2 , 3. Q. 3. Do I live in nothing that I know or fear to be a sin ? Psal. 119. 101 , 104. For your Heart . Q. 1. Have I been much in holy Ejaculations ? Neh. 2. 4 , 5. Q. 2. Hath not God been out of mind : Heaven out of sight ? Psal. 16. 8 Jer. 2. 32. Col. 3. 1 , 2. Q. 3. Have I been often looking into mine own heart , and made conscience even of vain thoughts ? Prov. 3. 23. Psal. 119. 113. Q. 4. Have not I● given way to the workings of pride , or passion ? 2 Chron. 32. 26. James 4. 5 , 6 , 7. For your Tongue . Q. 1. Have I bridled my Tongue , and forced it in ? Jam. 1. 26. Jam. 3. 2 , 3 , 4 , Psal. 39. 1. Q. 2. Have I spoken evil of no man ? Tit. 3. 2. Jam. 4. 11. Q. 3. Hath the Law of the Lord been in my mouth as I sate in my house , went by the way , was lying down , and rising up ? Deut. 6. 6 , 7. Q. 4. Is there no company I come into , but I have dropped something of God , and left some good savour behind ? Col. 4. 6. Eph. 4. 29. For your Table . Q. 1. Did not I sit down with no higher end than a beast , meerly to please my Appetite ? did I eat and drink to the glory of God ? 1 Cor. 10. 31. Q. 2. Was not my Appetite too hard for me ? Jude 12. 2 Pet. 1. 6. Q. 3. Did not I arise from the Table without dropping any thing of God there ? Luke 7. 36 , &c. Luke 14. 1 , &c. John 6. Q. 4. Did not I mock God , when I pretended to crave a blessing , and return thanks ? Acts 27. 35 , 36. Mat. 15. 36. Col. 3. 17 , 23. For your Calling . Q. 1. Have I been diligent in the duties of my Calling ? Eccles. 9. 1 Cor. 7. 17 , 20 , 24. Q. 2. Have I defrauded no man ? 1 Thes. 4. 6. 1 Cor. 6. 8. Q. 3. Have I dropped never a lye in my shop , or trade ? Prov. 28. 6. Eph. 4. 25. Q. 4. Did not I ra●hly make , nor falsly break some promise ? Psal. 106. 33. Josh. 9. V. 14 , &c. Psal. 15. 4. An Addition of some brief Directions for the Morning . D. 1. If through necessity or carelessness you have omitted the reading and weighing of these questions in the Evening , be sure to do it now . D. 2. Ask your self , what sin have I committed ? what duty have I omitted ? against which of these Rules have I offended in the day foregoing ? and renew your repentance , and double your watch . D. 3. Examine whether God were last in your thoughts when you went to sleep ; and first , when you awoke . D. 4. Enquire whether your care of your heart and ways doth increase upon your constant using of this course for self-examination ; or whether it doth abate , and you grow more remiss . D. 5. Impose a task of some good meditation upon your selves while you are making ready , either to go over these Rules in your thoughts , or the heads of the Sermon you heard last , or the holy meditations for the purpose in the practice of Piety , or Scudder's daily walk . D. 6. Set your ends right for all that day . D. 7. Set your watch , especially against those sins and temptations that you are like to be most incident to that day . THE CONTENTS . I. What Conversion is not , and correcting some Mistakes about it . II. What Conversion is , and wherein it consists . III. The Necessity of Conversion . IV. The Marks of the Unconverted . V. The Miseries of the Unconverted . VI. Directions for Conversion . VII . Motives to Conversion . VIII . Conclusion . IX . Counsel for Personal and Family-Godliness . This same Book is Printed in large Octavo of a bigger Print for ease of Antient Persons . Whereunto are annexed diverse Practical Cases of Conscience Judiciously Resolved . Printed for Tho. Parkhurst , &c. An Earnest Invitation to Sinners to Turn to God in order to their Eternal Salvation . DEarly Beloved , and longed for , I gladly acknowledge my self a debter to you all , and am concerned , as I would be found a good Steward to the Houshold of God , to give to every one his Portion . But the Physician is most solicitous for those Patients , whose case is most doubtful and hazardous , and the Father's bowels are especially turned towards his dying Child . The numbers of the unconverted souls among you , call for my most earnest compassions and hasty diligence to pluck them out of the burning , Iude 23. and therefore to these first I shall apply my self in these lines . But whence shall I fetch my arguments , or how shall I choose my words ? Lord , wherewith shall I woo them ? wherewith shall I win them ? Oh that I could but tell ! I would write unto them in tears , would weep out every argument , I would empty my veins for Ink , I would petition them on my knees , verily ( were I able ) I would . O how thankful I would be , if they would be prevailed with to repent and turn . How long have I travelled in birth with you ? how frequently have I made suit to you ? how often would I have gathered you ? how instant have I been with you ? this is that I have prayed for , and studied for , for many years , that I might bring you to God : Oh that I might but do it ! Will you yet be intreated ? Oh what a happy man might you make me , if you would but hearken to me , and suffer me to carry you over to Jesus Christ ! But , Lord , how insufficient am I for this work ! I have been many a year wooing for thee , but the Damsel would not go with me . Lord , what a task hast thou set me to do ! Alas , wherewith shall I pierce the scales of Leviathan , or make the heart to feel that is hard as a stone ; hard as a piece of the nether Milstone ! Shall I go and lay my mouth to the grave , and look when the dead will obey me and come forth ? Shall I make an Oration to the Rocks ? or declaim to the Mountains , and think to move them with arguments ? Shall I give the blind to see ? From the beginning of the world was it not heard that a man opened the eyes of the blind ; But thou , O Lord , canst pierce the scales and prick the heart of the Sinner . I can but shoot at rovers , and draw the bow at a venture , and do thou direct the arrow between the joynts of the harness , and kill the sin , and save the Soul of a sinner , that casts his eyes into these labours . But I must apply my self to you , to whom I am sent : yet I am at a great loss . Would to God I knew how to go to work with you ! would I stick at the pains ? God knoweth you your selves are my witnesses , how I have followed you in private , as well as in publick , and have brought the Gospel to your doors , testifying to you the necessity of the new birth , and persuading you to look in time after a sound and thorough change . Beloved , I have not acted a part among you , to serve my own advantage : your Gospel is not yea● and nay . Have you not heard the same truths , from the Pulpit , by publick labours , and by private letters , by personal instructions ? Brethren , I am of the same mind as ever , that holiness is the best choice , that there is no entring into Heaven , but by the streight passages of the second birth , that without holiness you shall never see God , Heb. 12. 14. Ah my beloved ! refresh my bowels in the Lord. If there be any consolation in Christ , any comfort of love , any fellowship of the Spirit , any bowels and mercies , fulfil you my joy . Now give your selves unto the Lord , 2 Cor. 8. 5. Now set your selves to seek him . Now set up the Lord Jesus in your heares , and set him up in your houses : Now come in and kiss the Son , Psal. 2. 12. and embrace the tenders of mercy . Touch his Scepter and live ; why will you die ? I beg not for my self ; but fain I would have you happy : This is the prize I run for , and the white I aim at . My soul's desire and prayer for you is , that you may be saved , Rom. 10. 1. The famous Lycurgus , having instituted most strict and wholesom Laws for his people , told them he was necessitated to go a Journey from them● and got them to bind themselves in an Oath , that his Laws should be observed till his return . This done , he went into a voluntary banishment , and never returned more , that they might , by vertue of their Oath , be engaged to the perpetual observing of his Laws . Methinks I should be glad of the hard conditions which he endured ( though I love you tenderly ) so I might but hereby engage you throughly to the Lord Jesus Christ. Dearly beloved , would you rejoyce the heart of your Minister ? Why then , embrace the Counsels of the Lord by me : forgo your sins : set to prayer : up with the Worship of God in your families : keep at a distance from the corruptions of the times . What greater joy to a Minister , than to hear of souls born unto Christ by him , and that his Children walk in the truth ? 2 Iohn 4. Brethren , I beseech you suffer friendly plainness and freedom with you in your deepest concernments . I am not playing the Orator , to make a learned speech to you , nor dressing my dish with eloquence , wherewith to please you . These lines are upon a weighty errand indeed , viz. to convince , and convert , and to save you . I am not baiting my hook with Rhetorick , nor fishing for your applause , but for your souls . My work is not to please you , but to save you ; nor is my business with your fancies , but your hearts . If I have not your hearts , I have nothing . If I were to please your ears , I could sing another song . If I were to preach my self , I would steer another course ; I could then tell you a smoother tale : I would make you pillows , and speak you peace ; for how can Ahab love this Micaiah that always prophesies evil concerning him ? 1 Kings 22. 8. But how much better are the wounds of a Friend , than the fair speeches of the Harlot , who flattereth with her lips , till the Dart strike through the liver , and hunteth for the precious life ? Prov. 7. 21 , 22 , 23. and Prov. 6. 26. If I were to quiet a crying infant , I might sing him to a pleasant mood , and rock him asleep . But when the Child is fallen into the Fire , the parent takes another course ; he will not go to still him with a song or trifle . I know if we speed not with you , you are lost . If we cannot get your consent to arise , and come away , you perish for ever . No Conversion , and no Salvation : I must get your good will , or leave you miserable . But here the difficulty of my work again recurs upon me . Lord choose my stones out of the Rocks , 1 Sam. 17. 40 , 45. I come in the name of the Lord of Hosts , the God of the Armies of Israel . I come forth like the stripling Goliah , to wrestle , not with flesh and blood , but with Principalities and Powers , and the Rulers of the darkness of this world , Eph. 6. 12. This day let the Lord smite the Philistine , and spoil the strong man of his Armour and give me to fetch off the captives out of his hand . Lord choose my words , choose my weapons for me , and when I put my hand into the bag , and take thence a stone , and sling it , do thou carry it to the mark and make it sink , not into the forehead , 1 Sam. 17. 49. but the heart of the unconverted sinner , and smite him to the ground , with Saul in his so happy fall , Acts 9. 4. Thou hast sent me , as Abraham did Eliezer , to take a wife unto my master thy Son , Gen. 24. 4. But my discouraged soul is ready to fear the woman will not be willing to follow me . O Lord God of my Master , I pray thee send me good speed this day , and shew kindness to my Master , and send thine Angel before me , and prosper my way , that I may take a wife unto thy son , Gen. 24. 12. That as the servant rested not till he had brought Isaac and Rebekah together , so I may be successful to bring Christ and the souls of my people together , before we part . But I turn me unto you . Some of you do not know what I mean by conversion , and in vain shall I persuade you to that which you do not understand , and therefore for your sakes , I shall shew what this Conversion is . Others do cherish secret hopes of mercy , though they continue as they be ; and for them I must shew the necessity of Conversion . Others are like to harden themselves with a vain conceit , that they are converted already , unto them I must shew the marks of the unconverted . Others because they feel no harm , fear none , and so sleep upon the top of the mast ; to them I shall shew the misery of the unconverted . Others sit still , because they see not their way out ; to them I shall shew the means of conversion . And finally for the quickening of all , I shall close with the motives of Conversion . Chap I. Shewing the Negative , what Conversion is not , and correcting some mistakes about it . LET the blind Samaritans worship they know not what , Ioh. 4. 22. Let the Heathen Athenians superscribe their Altar unto the unknown God , Acts 17. 23. Let the guileful Papists commend the mother of destruction , Hos. 4. 6. for the mother of devotion : they that know mans constitution , and the nature of the reasonable souls● operation , cannot but know , that the understanding having the Empire in the soul , he that will go rationally to work , must labour to let in the light here . Ignoranti● non est consensus . And therefore that you may not mistake me , I shall shew you what I mean by the conversion I pers●●de you to endeavour after . It is storied , that when Iupiter let down the golden Chaplets from Heaven , all of them but one were stolen : Whereupon ( lest they should lose a relique of so great esteem ) they made five others so like it that if any were so wickedly minded , as to steal that also , they should not be able to discern which was it . And truly my bel●ved the Devil hath made many counterfeits of this Conversion ; and cheats one with this , and another with that ; and such a craft and artifice he hath , in this mystery of deceits ; ( that if it were possible ) he would deceive the very Elect. Now that I may cure the damnable mistakes of some , who think they are converted when they are not , as well as remove the troubles , and fears of others , that think they are not converted when they are ; I shall shew you the nature of conversion , both negatively , or what it is not ; and positively what it is . We will begin with the Negative . 1. It is not the ta●ing on us the Profession of Christianity . Doubtless Christianity is more than a name . If we will hear Paul , it lies not in word , but in power● 1 Cor. 4. 20. if to cease to be Jews and Pagans , and to p●t on the Christian Profession had been true Conversion● ( as this is all , that some would have to be understood by it ) who better Christians than they of Sardis and Laodicea ? These were all Christians by profession , and had a name to live , but because they had but a name , are condemned by Christ , and threatned to be spewed out , Rev. 3. 1. 16. Are there not many that name the name of the Lord Jesus , that yet depart not from iniquity ? 2 Tim. 2. 19. and profess they know God , but in works deny him ? Tit. 1. 16. And will God receive these for true converts , because turned to the Christian Religion ? What , converts from sin , when yet they do live in sin ? 'T is a visible contradiction . Surely if the lamp of profession would have served the turn , the foolish Virgins had never been shut out , Mat. 25. 3 , 12. We find not only professors but Preachers of Christ , and Wonder-workers turned off , because evil workers , Mat. 7. 22 , 23. 2. It is not the being washed in the laver of Regeneration , or putting on the badge of Christ in baptism . Many take the press-money , and wear the Livery of Christ , that yet never stand to their colours , nor follow their leader . Ananias and Saphira , and Magus were baptized as well as the rest . How fondly do many mistake here , deceiving , and being deceived ! dreaming that effectual grace is necessarily tied to the external administration of Baptism ( which what is it , but to revive the Popish Tenent , of the Sacraments working grace , ex opere operato ? ) and so every Infant should be regenerated not only ( Sacramento tenus ) sacramentally , but really and properly . Hence men do fancy , that being regenerated already , when baptized , they need no further work . But if this were so , then all that were baptized ( in their infancy ) must necessarily be saved : because the promise of pardon and salvation is made to conversion and regeneration . Acts 3. 19. 1 Pet. 3. 4. Mat. 19. 28. Our Calling , Sanctification , ( as to the beginnings of it ) on Conversion ( which are but the same thing , under different conceptions and expressions ) is but a middle link in the golden chain , fastned to election at the one end , and glorification at the other , Rom. 8. 30. 2 Thes. 2. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 2. The silver cord may not be broken , nor the connexion between Sanctification and Salvation , between grace and glory , impiously violated , Mat. 5. 8. if we were indeed begotten again , it is to an inheritance incorruptible reserved in heaven for us , and the divine power is engaged to keep us for it , 1 Pet. 1. 5. And if the very regenerate may perish at last in their sins , we will no more say , that he that is born of God , his seed remaineth in him , and that he cannot sin , 1 Ioh. 3. 9. i. e. unto death , nor that it is impossible to deceive the very elect , Mat. 24. 24. And indeed were this true , then we need look no farther to see our names written in Heaven , than only to search the Register , and see whether we were baptized : then I would keep the certificate of my baptism , as my fairest evidence for Heaven , and should come by assurance of my gracious state , with a wet finger ; then men should do well to carry but a certificate of their baptism under the Registers hand , when they died ( as the Philosopher would be buried with the Bishops Bond in his hand which he had given him for receiving his alms in another world , ) and upon sight of this , there were no doubt of their admission into Heaven . In short , if there be no more necessary to conversion or regeneration , than to be turned to the Christian Religion , or to be baptized in infancy , this will flie directly in the face of that Scripture , Mat. 7. 14. as well as multitudes of others . For first we will then no more say , strait is the gate and narrow is the way ; for if all that are baptized , and of true Religion are saved , the door is become heavenly wide , and we will henceforth say , wide is the gate , and broad is the way that leadeth unto life ; for if this be true , whole Parishes , yea whole Countries , and whole Kingdoms may go in a breast , and we will no more teach , that the righteous is scarcely saved , or that there is need of such a stir in taking the Kingdom of Heaven by violence , and striving to enter in . Surely if the way be so easie as many make it , that there is little more necessary , than to be regenerated in our baptism , and cry God mercy , and be absolved by the Minister at our end ; 't is more ado than needs to put our selves to such running , and seeking , and knocking , and fighting , and wrestling , as the word requires as necessary to Salvation . Secondly , if this be true , we will no more say , Few there be that find it ; yea we will rather say , Few there be that miss it : we will no more say , that of the many that are called , but few are chosen , Mat. 22. 14. and that even of the professing Israel , but a remnant shall be saved , Rom. 11. 5. If this Doctrine be true , we will not say any more with the Disciples , Who then shall be saved ? but rather who then shall not be saved ? Then if a man be called a brother , ( that is a Christian ) and be baptized , though he be a fornicator , or a ●ailer , or covetous , or a drunkard , yet he shall inherit the Kingdom of God , 1 Cor. 5. 11. 1 Cor. 6. 9 , 10. But the Arminian will reply ; such as these though they did receive regenerating grace in Baptism , are since fallen away , and must be renewed again , or else they cannot be saved . I answer , 1. That there is an infallible connexion between regeneration and salvation , as we have already shewed , and I itch to be farther evidencing but that 't is against designed brevity . 2. Then men must be born again , which carrys a great deal of absurdity in its very face . And why may not men be twice born in nature , as well as in grace ? Why not as great an absurdity to be twice regenerated as to be twice generated ? But 3. and above all , This grants however the thing I contend for , that what ever men do , or pretend to receive in baptism , if they be sound afterwards to be grosly ignorant , or profane , or formal , without the power of godliness , they must be born again , or else be shut out of the Ki●gdom of God. So then they must have more to plead for themselves , than their baptismal regeneration . Well , in this you see all are agreed , that be it more or less that is received in baptism , if ( when men come to years ) they are evidently unsanctified , they must be renewed again by a through and powerful change , or else they cannot escape the damnation of Hell. Friends and Brethren be not deceived God is not mocked ; Gal. 6. 7. Whether it be your baptism , or what ever else that you pretend , I tell you from the living God , that if any of you be a prayerless person , Ioh. 15. 14. or unclean , or malicious , or covetous , or riotous , or a scoffer , or a lover of evil company , Prov. 13. 20. in a word , if you are not holy , strict and self-denying Christians , Heb. 12. 14. Mat. 16. 24. you cannot be saved , except you be transformed by a further work upon you , and renewed again by repentance . Thus I have shewed , that it is not enough to evidence a man to be regenerate , that he hath been baptized , effectual grace not necessarily accompanying baptism , as some have vainly asserted . But I must answer one Objection before I pass . Object . The Sacraments do certainly attain their ends , where man doth not ponere obi●em , or lay some obstruction , which infants do not . Sol. I answer , it is not the end of Baptism to regenerate , 1. Because then there would be no reason , why it should be confined only to the seed of Believers , for both the Law of God and the nature of Charity , requires us to use the means of conversion for all , as far as we can have opportunity . Were this true , no such Charity as to catch the children of Turks and Heathens , and baptize them , and dispatch them to Heaven out of hand ; like the bloody Wretches , that made the poor Protestants ( to save their lives ) to swear they would come to Mass , and that they would never depart from it , and then put them forthwith to death , saying , They would hang them while in a good mind . 2. Because it presupposeth regeneration , and therefore cannot be intended to confer it . In all the express instances in Scripture , we find that baptism doth suppose their repenting , believing , receiving the Holy Ghost , Acts 8. 37. Acts. 2. 38. Acts. 10. 47. Mark 16. 16. And to imagine , that baptism was instituted for an end of which not one of the first subjects was capable ( for they were all adult persons and supposed to have faith and repentance according as they professed , and their Children were not baptized till after them , in their right , ) were no little absurdity . Were this Doctrine true , baptism would make Disciples , but we find it doth bespeak them such before-hand , Mat. 28. 19. 3. Because Baptism , being but a Seal of the Covenant cannot convey the benefits , but according to the tenour of the Covenant , to which it is set . Now the Covenant is conditional , therefore the Seal conveys conditionally . The Covenant requires faith and repentance , as the condition of the grand benefits , pardon , and life , Acts 16. 31. Acts 3. 19. And what the Covenant doth not convey but upon these conditions , the Seal cannot . So that Baptism doth presuppose faith and repentance in the subject , without which it neither doth , nor can convey the saving benefits ; otherwise the Seal should convey contrary to the tenour of the Covenant to which it is affixed . 3. It lies not in a moral righteousness . This exceeds not the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees , and therefore cannot bring us to the Kingdom of God , Mat. 5. 20. Paul , while unconverted touching the righteousness which is in the Law blameless , Phil. 3. 6. None could say black is thine eye . The self-justiciary could say , I am no Extortioner , Adulterer , Unjust , &c. Luke 18. 11. Thou must have something more than all this to shew , or else ( however thou mayest justifie thy self ) God will condemn thee . I condemn not morality , but warn you not to rest here . Piety includes morality , as Christianity doth humanity , and Grace reason . But we must not divide the tables . 4. It consists not in an external conformity to the Rules of Piety 'T is too manifest , men may have a form of godliness , without the power , 2 Tim. 3. 5. Men may pray long , Mat. 23. 14. and fast often , Luke 18. 12. and heav gladly , Mark 6. 20. and be very forward in the service of God , though costly and expensive , Isa. 1. 11. and yet be strangers to Conversion . They must have more to plead for themselves , than that they keep their Church , and give alms , and make use of prayer to prove themselves sound Converts . No outward service but an hypocrite may do it ; even to the giving all his goods to the poor , and his members to the fire , 1 Cor. 13. 3. 5. It lies not in the chaining up of corruption , by education , humane laws , or the force of incumbent affliction . 'T is too common and easie , to mistake education for grace ; but if this were enough , who a better man than Iehoash : While Iehojadah his uncle lived he was very forward in Gods service , and calls upon him to repair the house of the Lord , 2 Kings 12. 2 , 7. But here was nothing more than good education all this while : for when his good Tutor was taken out of the way , he appears to have been but a wolf chained up ; and falls on to Idolatry . 6. In short , it consists only in illumination , or conviction , in a superficial change , or partial reformation . An Apostate may be a man enlightned , Heb. 6. 4. and a Felix tremble under convictions , Acts 24. 25. and a Herod amend many things , Mar. 6. 20. 'T is one thing to have sin alarm'd only by convictions , and another to have it captivated and crucified by converting grace . Many because they have been troubled in conscience for their sins , think well of their case ; miserably mistaking conviction for Conversion . With these Cain might have passed for a Convert , who ran up and down the world , like a man distracted under the rage of a guilty conscience , till with building and business he had worn it away , Gen. 4. 13 , 14. Others think , that because they have given , off their riotous courses , and are broken off from evil company , or some particular lust , and reduced to sobriety and civility , they are now no other than real Converts , forgetting that there is a vast difference between being sanctified , and civilized : and that many seek to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven , Luke 13. 24. and are not far from it , Mark. 12. 34. and arrive to the almost of Christianity , Acts 26. 28. and yet fall short at last . While conscience holds the whip over them , many will pray , hear , read , and forbear their delightful sins : but no sooner is this Lyon asleep , but they are at their Vomit again . Who more religious than the Iews , when Gods hand was upon them ? Psal. 78. 34 , 35. but no sooner was the affiction over , but they forgot God , and shewed their Religion to be a fit , ver . 36 , 37. Thou mayst have disgorged a troublesome fin , that will not sit in thy stomach , and have escaped those gross pollutions of the world , and yet not have changed thy swinish nature all the while , 2 Pet. 2 , 20. 22. You may cast the lead out of the rude mass , into the more comely proportion of a plant , and then into the shape of a beast , and thence into the form and features of a man ; but all the while it is but lead still . So a man may pass thro' divers transmutations , from ignorance to knowledge , from profaneness to civility , thence to a form of Religion ; and all this while he is but carnal and unregenerate , while his nature remains unchanged . Application . Hear then O sinners , hear as you would live ; so come and ●ear ; Isa. 55. 3. Why would you so wilfully deceive your selves , or build your hopes upon the sand ? I know he shall find hard work of it that goes to pluck away your hopes . It cannot but be ungrateful to you , and truly it is not pleasing to me . I set about it as a Surgeon , when to cut off a putrified Member from his well Beloved friend ; which of force he must do , but with an aking heart , a pitiful eye , a trembling hand . But understand me , Brethren , I am only taking down the ruinous house , ( which will otherwise speedily fall of it self , and bury you in the rubbish ) that I may build fair , and strong , and firm for ever . The hope of the wicked shall perish , if God be true of his word Prov. 11. 7. And wert not thou better , O sinner , to let the word convince thee now in time , and let go thy false and self-deluding hopes , than to have death too late to open thine eyes , and find thy self in hell , before thou art aware ? I should be a false and faithless Shepherd , if I should not tell you , that you who have built your hopes upon no better grounds , than these forementioned , are yet in your sins . Let your conscience speak ? what is it , that you have to plead for your selves ? Is it that you wear Christ's livery ? that you bear his name ? that you are of the visible Church ? that you have knowledge in the Points of Religion ? are civilized , perform religious duties , are just in your dealings ; have been troubled in conscience for your sins ? I tell you from the Lord , these pleas will never be accepted at God's Bar. All this , though good in it self , will not prove you converted , and so will not suffice to your salvation . Oh look about you , and bethink your selves of turning speedily and soundly . Set to praying , and to reading , and studying your own hearts ; rest not , till God hath made thorough work with you ; for you must be other men , or else you are lost men . But if these be short of Conversion , what shall I say of the profane sinner ? It may be , he will scarce cast his Eyes , or lend his Fars to this discourse . But if there be any such reading , or within hearing , he must know from the Lord that made him , that he is far from the Kingdom of God. May a man be civilized and not converted ; where then shall the Drunkard , and Glutton appear ? May a man keep company with the wise Virgins , and yet be shut out ? Shall not a companion of fools much more be destroyed ? Prov. 13. 20. May a man be true and just in his dealing , and yet not be justified of God ? What then will become of thee , O wretched man , whose conscience tells thee thou art false in thy trade , and false of thy word , and makest thy advantage by a lying tongue ? If men may be enlightned , and brought to the performance of holy duties , and yet go down to perdition , for resting in them , and sitting down on this side of conversion ; what will become of you , O miserable families , that live as without God in the world ? and of you , O wretched sinners , with whom God is scarce in all your thoughts : that are so ignorant , that you cannot , or so careless , that you will not pray ? O repent and be converted ? break off your sins by righteousness ; away to Christ for pardoning and renewing grace : give up your selves to him , to walk with him in holiness , or else you shall never see God. Oh that you would take the warnings of God! In his name I once more admonish you . Turn you at my reproof , Prov. 1. 23. Forsake the foolish , and live , Prov. 9. 6. Be sober , righteous , godly , Tit. 2. 12. Wash your hands you sinners , purifie your hearts ye double minded , Iames 4. 8. Cease to do evil , learn to do well , Isa. 1. 16 , 17. But if you will on , you must die , Ezek. 33. 11. Chap. II. Shewing positively what Conversion is . I May not leave you with your eyes half open , as he that saw men as trees walking , Mark 8. 24. The word is profitable for Doctrine , as well as reproof ; 2 Tim. 3. 16. And therefore having thus far conducted you by the shelves and rocks of so many dangerous mistakes , I would guide you at length into the Harbour of truth . Conversion then ( in short ) lies , in the thorow change both of the heart , and life . I shall briefly describe it in its nature and causes . 1. The Author , it is the spirit of God ; and therefore it is called the sanctification of the spirit ; 2. Thes. 2. 13. and the renewing of the holy Ghost , Tit. 3. 5. Yet not excluding the other Persons in the Trinity : For the Apostle ●eacheth us , to bless the father of our Lord Jesus Christ , for that he hath begotten us again ; 1 Pet. 1. 3. and Christ is said to give repentance to Israel ; Acts 5. 31. and is called the everlasting Father , Isa. 9. 6. and we his seed , and the Children which God hath given him , Heb , 2. 13. Isa. 53. 10. O blessed Birth ! Seven Cities contended for the Birth of Homer : but the whole Trinity fathers the new creature . Yet is this work principally ascribed to the Holy Ghost , and so we are said to be born of the Spirit , Iob. 3. 8. So then it is a work above man's power . We are born , not of the will of the flesh , nor of the will of man ; but of God , Iohn . 1. 13. Never think thou canst convert thy self . If ever thou wouldst be saveingly converted , thou must despair of doing it in thine own strength , Ier. 13. 18. It is a Resurrection from the dead , Rev. 20. 5. Eph. 2. 1. a new creation , Gal. 6. 15. Eph. 2. 10. a work of absolute omnipotency , Eph. 1. 19. Are these out of the reach of humane power ? If thou hast no more than thou hadst by thy first birth , a good nature , a meek and chast temper , &c. thou art a very stranger to true Conversion . This is a supernatural work . 2. The moving Cause is Internal , or External . The Internal mover is only free grace . Not by works of righteousness which we have done : But of his own mercy he saved us — by the renewing of the Holy Ghost , Tit. 3. 5. Of his own will begat he us , Iam. 1. We are chosen and called unto Sanctification , not for it , Eph. 1. 4. God finds nothing in a man to turn his heart , but to turn his stomach : enough to provoke his loathing , nothing to provoke his love . Look back upon thy self , O Christian : Take up thy verminous rags : Look upon thy self in thy blood , Ez. 16. 6. O reflect upon thy swinish Nature , thy filthy swill , thy once beloved mire , 2 Pet. 2. Canst thou think without loathing of thy trough and draugh ? Open thy Sepulchre , Mat. 23. 27. Art thou struck almost dead with the hellish damp ? behold thy putrid soul , thy loathsome members . O stench unsufferable , if thou dost but sense thy own putrifaction ! Psal. 14. 3. Behold thy ghastly visage , they crawling Iusts , thy slime and corruption . Do not thine own Cloaths abhor thee ? Iob 9. 31. How then should holiness and purity love thee ? Be astonished O Heavens at this , be moved O Earth , Ier. 2. 12. Who but must needs cry , Grace ! Grace ! Zech. 4. 7. Hear and blush you Children of the most high ; O you unthankful generation ! that free grace is no more in your mouths , in your thoughts ; no more adored , admired , commended by such as you . One would think you should be nothing but praising and admiring God , whatever you are . How can you make a shift to forget such grace , or to pass it over with a slight and seldom mention ; What but free grace should move God to love you , unless enmity could do it , or deformity could do it , unless vomit or rottenness could do it ? How affectionately doth Peter lift up his hands ? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ , who of his abundant mercy hath begotten us again . 1 Pet. 1. 3. How feelingly doth Paul magnifie the free mercy of God in it ? God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us ; hath quickened us together with Christ ; by grace ye are sa●ed , Eph. 2. 4 , 5. The External mover is the merit and intercession of the blessed Iesus . He hath obtained gifts for the rebellious , Psal. 68. 18. and through him it is , that God worketh in us , what is well pleasing in his sight , Heb. 13. 21. Through him are all spiritual blessings , bestowed upon us in Heavenly things , Eph. 1. 3. He interceedeth for the Elect , that believe not , Iohn 17. 20. Every Convert is the fruit of his travel , Isa. 53. 11. O never was Infant born into the world with that difficulty , that Christ endured for us . How emphatically he groaneth in his travel ; All the pains that he suffered on his Cross they were our birth pains , Acts 2. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the pulls and throws that Christ endured for us . He is made sanctification to us , 1 Cor. 1 30. He sanctified himself ( that is , set apart himself as a sacrifice ) that we may be sanctified , Iohn 17. 19. We are sanctified through the offering of his Body once for all , Heb. 10. 10. 'T is nothing then without his own bowels , but the merit and intercession of Christ , that prevails with God to bestow on us converting grace . If thou art a new creature , thou knowest to whom thou owest it , to Christ's pangs and prayers . Hence the natural affection of a believer to Christ. The Foal doth not more naturally run after the Dam , nor the Suckling to the Dugs , than a Believer to Jesus Christ. And whither else shouldst thou go ? If any in the World can shew that for thy heart that Christ can , let them carry it . Doth Satan put in , doth the World court thee ? Doth sin sue for thy heart ? Why , were these crucified for thee ? 1 Cor. 1. 13. O Christian , love and serve the Lord whilst thou hast a Being . Do not even the Publicans love those that love them ? And shew kindness to them that are kind to them ? Mat. 5. 46 , 47. 3. The Instrument is either Personal , or Real . The personal is the Ministry . I have begotten you to Christ through the Gospel , 1 Cor. 4. 15. Christ's Ministers are they that are sent to open mens eyes , and to turn them to God , Acts 26. 18. O unthankful World , little do you know what you are doing , while you are persecuting the Messengers of the Lord. These are they whose business is ( under Christ ) to save you . Whom have you reproached and blasphemed ? Against whom you have exalted your voice , and lifted your eyes on high ? Isa. 37. 23. These are the servants of the most high God that shew unto you the way of salvation● Acts 16. 17. and do you thus requite them , O foolish and unwise ? Deut. 32. 6. O Sons of ingratitude , against whom do you sport your selves ? against whom make you a wide mouth , and draw out the tongue ? Isa. 57. 34. These are the Instruments that God useth to convert and save you , and do you spit in the face of your Physicians , and throw your Pilots over-board ? Father forgive them , for they know not what they do . The Instrument Real is the word : We were begotten by the word of truth : This is it that enlightens the eyes , that converteth the soul , Psal. 19. 7 , 8. that maketh wise to salvation , 2 Tim. 3. 15. This is the incorruptible seed , by which we are born again , 1 Pet. 1. 23. If we are washed , 't is by the word , Eph. 5. 26. if we are sanctified , 't is through the truth , Iohn 17. 17. This generates faith , and regenerates us , Rom. 10. 17. Iam. 1. 18. O ye Saints , how should you love the word ? for by this you have been converted : O ye sinners , how should you ply the Word ? For by this you must be converted : No other ordinary means but this . You that have felt its renewing power , make much of it while you live , be for ever thankful for it . Tie it about your Necks , write it upon your hands , lay it in your bosoms , Prov. 6. 21 , 22. When you go let it lead you , when you sleep let it keep you ; when you wake let it talk with you : Say with holy David , I will never forget thy precepts , for by them hast thou quickened me , Psal. 119. 93. You that are unconverted , read the word with diligence , flock to it , where powerfully preached , fill the porches , as the multitude of the impotent , blind , halt , withered , waiting for the moving of the water , Iohn 5. 3. Pray for the coming of the spirit in the word . Come off thy knees to the sermon ; and come to thy knees from the Sermon . The seed doth not prosper because not watered by prayers and tears , nor covered by meditation . 4. The final cause is mans salvation , and Gods glory , We are chosen through sanctification to salvation● 2 Thes. 2. 13. Called that we might be glorified , Rom. 8. 30. but especially , that God might be glorified . Isa. 60. 21. that we should shew forth his praises , 1● Pet. 2. 9 , and be fruitful in good works , Col. 1. 10. O Christian , do not forget the end of thy Calling , let thy light shine , Mat. 5. 16. Let thy Lamp burn , let thy Fruits be good , and many , and in season , Psal. 1. 3. Let all thy designs fall in with Gods , that he may be magnified in thee , Phil. 1. 20. Why should God repent that he hath made thee a Christian , as in the time of the old world , that he made them men ? Gen. 6. 6. Why shouldst thou be an eye-sore in his Orchard , Luke 7. by thy unfruitfulness ? or a son that causeth shame , as it were a grief to thy father , and a bitterness to her that bare thee , Prov. 17 , 25. Prov. 10. 5. O let the Womb bless thee that bare thee , Prov. 17. 21. He that begets a fool doth it to his sorrow ; and the father of a fool hath no joy . 5. The subject is the elect sinner , and that in all his parts and powers , members , and mind . Whom God predestinates , them only he calls , Rom. 8. 30. None are drawn to Christ by their calling , nor come to him by believing , but his Sheep , those whom the father hath given him , Iohn 6. 37 , 44. Effectual calling runs parallel with eternal election , 2 Pet. 1. 10. Thou beginnest at the wrong end , if thou disputest first about thine election . Prove thy Conversion , and then never doubt of thine election . Or canst thou not yet prove it ? Set upon a present and thorough turning . Whatever God's purposes be , ( which are secret ) I am sure his promises are plain . How desperately do rebels argue ? If I am elected I shall be saved , do what I will ; if not , I shall be damned , do what I can . Perverse sinner , wilt thou begin where thou shouldest end ? Is not the word before thee ? What saith it ? Repent and be converted , that your sins may be blotted su● , Acts 3. 19. If you mortifie the deeds of the body , you shall live , Rom. 8. 13. Believe and be saved , Acts 16. 31. What can be plainer ? Do not stand still , disputing about thine election , but set to repenting and believing . Cry to God for converting grace . Revealed things belong to thee , in these busie thy self . 'T is just ( as one well said ) that they that will not feed on the plain food of the word , should be choaked with the bones . Whatever Gods purposes be , I am sure his promises be true . Whatever the decrees of Heaven be , I am sure , that if I repent and believe I shall be saved ; and that if I repent not , I shall be damned . Is not here plain ground for thee , and wilt thou yet run upon the rocks ? More particularly , this change of conversion passes throughout in the whole subject . A carnal person may have some Shreds of good morality , a little near the list , but he is never good throughout the whole cloth , the whole body of Holiness and Christianity ; Feel him a little further near the ridge , and you shall see him to be but a deceitful piece . Conversion is not repairing of the old building , but it takes all down and erects a new structure : it is not the putting in a patch , or sowing on a list of holiness ; but with the true convert , holiness is woven into all his powers , principles , and practice . The sincere Christian is quite a new fabrick , from the foundation to the Top-stone , all fire-new . He is a new man , Eph. 4. 24. a new creature . All things are become new , 2 Cor. 5. 17. Conversion is a deep work ; a heart work , Acts 2. 37. and 6. 14. it turns all upside down , and makes a man be in a new world . It goes throughout with Men , throughout the Mind , throughout the Members , throughout the Motions of the whole Life . 1. Throughout the Mind . It makes an universal change within . First , it turns the ballance of the judgment , so that God and his Glory do weigh down all carnal and worldly interest , Acts 20. 24. Phil. 1. 20. Psal. 73. 25. It opens the eye of the mind , and makes the Scales of its Native Ignorance to fall off , and turns men from darkness to light , Acts 26. 18. Eph. 5. 8. 1 Pet. 2. 9. The man that before saw no danger in his condition , now concludes himself lost and for ever undone , Acts 2. 37. except renewed by the power of Grace . He that formerly thought there was little hurt in sin , now comes to see it to be the chief of evils ; he sees the unreasonableness , unrighteousness , the deformity and filthiness that is in sin , so that he is affrighted with it , loaths it , dreads it , flies it , and even abhors himself for it , Rom. 7. 15. Iob 42. 6. Ezek. 36. 31. He that could see little sin in himself , and could find no matter for confession ( as it was said of that learned Ignoramus Bellarmine , who it seems while he knew so much abroad , was a miserable stranger to himself ) that when he was to be confessed by the Priest , could not remember any thing to confess ; but was fain to run back to the sins of his youth : I say he that could not find matter for confession , unless it were some few gross and staring evils , now sin reviveth with him , Rom. 7. 9. he sees the rottenness of his heart , and desperate and deep pollution of his whole nature : he cries , unclean , unclean , Lev. 13. 45. Lord purge me with Hyssop , wash me throughly , create in me a new heart , Psal. 51. 2 , 7 , 10. He sees himself altogether become filthy , Psal. 14. 3. corrupt , both root and tree , Mat. 7. 17 , 18. he writes unclean upon all his parts and powers , and performances , Isa. 64. 6. Rom. 7. 18. He discovers the nasty corners that he was never aware of , and sees the blasphemy , and theft , and murder , and adultery that is in his heart , which before he was ignorant of . Heretofore he saw no form , nor comliness in Christ , no beauty that he should desire him ; but now he finds the hid treasure , and will sell all to buy this field . Christ is the pearl he seeks , sin the puddle he loaths . Now according to this new light , the man is of another mind , another judgment , than before he was : Now God is all with him , he hath none in Heaven nor in Earth like him , Psal. 73. 25. He prefers him truly before all the World ; his favour is his life ; the light of his Countenance is more than Corn , or Wine , and Oyl , ( the good that he formerly enquired after , and set his heart upon , Psal. 4. 6 , 7. ) Now let all the world be set on one side , and God alone on the other ; Let the Harlot put on her paint , and gallantry , and present her self to the soul ( as when Satan would have tempted our Saviour with her ) in all the glory of her Kingdoms , yet the soul will not fall down and worship her ; but will prefer a naked , yea a crucified , persecuted Christ before her , Phil. 3. 8. 1 Cor. 2. 2. Not but that a Hypocrite may come to yield a general assent to this , that God is the chief good : yea the wiser Heathens ( some few of them ) have at last stumbled upon this , but there is a difference between the absolute and comparative judgment of the understanding . No hypocrite comes so far as to look upon God , as the most desirable and suitable good to him , and thereupon to acquiesce in him . This was the Converts voice , The Lord is my portion , saith my soul : Whom have I in Heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth , that I desire besides thee . God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever , Psal. 73. 25 , 26. Lam. 3. 24. Secondly , it turns the byass of the Will , both as to means and end . ( 1. ) The intention of the Will is altered , Ezek. 36. 26. Ier. 31. 33. Esay 26. 8 , 9. Now the man hath new ends and designs . Now he intends God above all , and desires and designs nothing in all the world so much , as that Christ may be magnified in him , Phil. 1. 20. He accounts himself more happy in this , than in all that the earth could yield , that he may be serviceable to Christ , and bring him glory in his generation . This is the mark he aims a● that the name of Jesus may be great in the world , and that all the Sheaves of his Brethren may bow to this Sheaf . Reader , dost thou view this , and never ask thy self , whether it be thus with thee ? Pause a while , and breath on this great concernment . 2. The Election also is changed , so that he chooses another way , Psal. 119. 30. He pitches upon God , as his blessedness , and upon Christ as the principal , and holiness as the subordinate means to bring him to God , Iohn 14. 6. Rom. 2. 7. He chooses Jesus for his Lord , Col. 2. 6. He is not meerly forced into Christ by the storm , nor doth he take Christ for bare necessity , as the man begged from the gallows , when he takes the wife rather than the halter : but he comes off freely in the choice . This match is not made in a fright as with the terrified conscience or dying sinner ; that will seemingly do any thing for Christ , but doth only take Christ , rather than Hell : but he deliberately resolves , that Christ is his best choice , Phil. 1. 23. and would rather have him to choose , than all the good of this world , might he enjoy it while he would . Again , he takes holiness for his path : He doth not out of meer necessity submit to it : but he likes and loves it . I have chosen the way of thy Precepts , Ps. 119. 173. He takes God's testimonies not as his bondage , but as his heritage , yea his heritage for ever , v. 111. He counts them not his burden , but his Bliss , not his cords , but his cordials , 1 Iohn 5. 3. Psal. 119. 14 , 16 , 17. He doth not only bear , but take up Christ's yoke : He takes not holiness as the stomach doth the loathed potion , ( which it will down with rather than dye ) but as the hungry doth his beloved food : Now time passes so sweetly with him ( when he is himself ) as that he spends in the exercises of holiness ; these are both his a●●●ent , and element , the desire of his eyes , and the joy of his heart , Iob 23. 12. Psal. 119. 82 , 131 , 162 , 174. Psal. 63. 5. Put thy conscience to it as thou goest , whether thou art the man ; O happy man , if this be thy case ; But see thou be thorow and impartial in the search . Thirdly , It turns the bent of the affection , 2 Cor. 7. 11. These run all in a new channel . The Iordan is now driven back , and the water runs upward against its natural course . Christ is his Hope , 1 Tim. 1. 1. this is his prize , Phil. 3. 8. here his eye is , here his heart is . He is contented to cast all over board ( as the merchant in the Storm , ready to perish ) so he may but keep this Jewel . The first of his Desires is , not after gold , but grace , Phil. 3. 13. He hungers after it , he seeks it as silver , he digs for it as for hid treasure ; He had rather be gracious , than be great ; he had rather be the holiest man on earth , than the most learned , the most famous , most prosperous . While carnal , he said : Oh if I were but in great esteem , and rolled in wealth , and swim'd in pleasure , if my debts were paid , and I and mine provided for , then I were a happy man ; but now the tune is changed . Oh , saith the convert , if I had but my corruptions subdued , if I had such measures of grace , such fellowship with God , tho' I were poor and despised , I should not care , I should account my self a blessed man. Reader , is this the language of thy soul ? His Ioys are changed . He rejoyceth in the ways of God's Testimonies , as much as in all Riches , Psal. 119. 14. He delights in the Law of the Lord , wherein once he had little favour . He hath no such Joy , as in the thoughts of Christ , the fruition of his company , the prosperity of his people . His Cares are quite altered . He was once set for the World , and any scraps of by time , nothing ( too often ) was enough for his soul. Now he gives over caring for the Asses , and sets his heart on the Kingdom . Now all the cry is , What shall I do to be saved ? Acts 16. 30. His great solicitude is , how to secure his soul. Oh! how he would bless you , if you could but put him out of doubt of this ! His Fears are not so much of suffering , but of sinning , Heb. 11. 25 , 27. Once he was afraid of nothing so much as the loss of his estate , or esteem , the pleasure of friends , the frowns of the great : Nothing sounded so terrible to him as pain , or poverty , or disgrace . Now these are little to him , in comparison of God's dishonour or displeasure . How warily doth he walk , lest he should tread on a sn●●e ? He feareth alway , he looks before and behind ; he hath his eye upon his heart , and is often casting over his shoulder ; lest he should be overtaken with sin , Psal. 39. 1. Prov. 28. 14. Eccles. 2. 14. It kills his heart to think of losing Gods favour ; this he dreads as his only undoing , Psal. 51. 11 , 12. Psal. 119. 8. No thought in the world doth pinch him , and pain him so much , as to think of parting with Christ. His Love runs a new course . My love was crucified ( said holy Ignatius ) that is , my Christ. This is my Beloved , saith the Spouse , Cant. 5. 18. How doth Augustine often pour his loves upon Christ. O Eternal Blessedness , &c. He can find no words sweet enough . Let me see thee , O light of mine eyes . Come , O thou joy of my spirit ; Let me behold thee , O the gladness of my heart . Let me love thee , O life of my soul. Appear unto me , O my great delight , my sweet comfort , O my God , my life , and the whole glory of my soul. Let me find thee , O desire of my heart . Let me hold thee , O love of my soul. Let me embrace thee , O heavenly Bridegroom . Let me possess thee . His Sorrows have now a new vent , 2 Cor. 7. 9 , 10. The view of his sins , the sight of a Christ crucified , that would scarce stir him before , now how much do they affect his heart ? His Hatred boils , his Anger burns against sin , Psal. 119. 104. He hath no patience with himself ; he calls himself fool , and beast , and thinks any Name too good for himself , when his indignation is stirred up against sin , Psal. 73. 22. Prov. 30. 2. He could once swill in it , with too much pleasure , now he loaths the thought of returning to it , as much as of licking up the filthiest vomit . Commune then with thine own heart , and attend the common and general current of thine affections , whether it be towards God in Christ above all other concernments . Indeed sudden and strong commotions of the affections and sensitive part , are oft-times found in Hypocrites , especially where the natural constitution leads thereunto , and contrariwise , the sanctified themselves are many times without sensible stirrings of the affections , where the temper is more ●low , dry and dull . The great inquiry is , whether the judgment and will be standingly determined for God , above all other good , real or apparent : and if the affections do sincerely follow their choice , and conduct : though it be not so strongly and sensibly , as is to be desired , there is no doubt , but the change is saving . 2. Thorowout the Members . Those that were before the instruments of sin , are now become the holy utensils of Christ's living Temple , Rom. 6. 16. 1 Cor. 3. 16. He that before made , as it were , a baud or a barrel of his body , now possesseth his vessel in sanctification , and honour , in temperance , chastity , and sobriety , and dedicated to the Lord , 1 Thes. 4. 4. Gal. 5. 22 , 23. 1 Cor. 6. 19 , 20. The Eye that was once a wandring Eye , a wanton Eye , a haughty , a covetous Eye , is now employed , as Mary , in weeping over her sins , Luke 7. 38. in beholding God in his works , Psal. 8. ● . in reading his word , Acts 8. 30. in looking up and down for objects of Mercy , and opportunities for his service . The Ear that was once open to Satans call , and that ( like a vitiated Palate ) did relish nothing so much as filthy , as at least frothy talk , and the Fools laughter , is now bored to the Door of Christs House and open to his discipline . It saith , Speak , Lord , for thy Servant heareth . It cries with him , Veniat verbum Domini , and waits for his word ●s the Rain , and relishes them more than the appointed food , Iob 23. 12. than the Honey , and the Honey-Comb , Psal. 19. 10. The Head , that was the Shop of worldly designs , is now filled with other matters , and set on the study of God's will , Psalm . 1. 2. Psal. 119. 97. and tho Man beats his head , not so much about his gain , but about his duty . The Thoughts and Cares that now fill his head are principally , how he may please God , and flie Sin. His Heart , that was a Sty of filthy lusts , is now become an Altar of incense , where the fire of divine Love is ever kept in , and whence the daily Sacrifice of Prayer and Praises , and sweet Incense of holy desires , Ejaculations , and Anhelations are continually ascending , Psal. 108. 1. Psal. 119. 20. Psal. 139. 17 , 18. The mouth is become a Well of Life , his Tongue as choice Silver , and his Lips feed many ; Now the Salt of Grace hath seasoned his Speech and eat out the Corruption , Col. 4. 6. and cleansed the mouth from his filthy Communication , Flattery , Boasting , Railing , Lying , Swearing , Backbiting , that once came like the flashes proceeding from the Hell that was in the Heart , Iames 3. 6 , 7. The Throat , that was once an open Sepulchre , Rom. 3. 13. now sends forth the sweet Breath of Prayer , and holy Discourse , and the man speaks in another Tongue , in the Language of Canaan , and is never so well , as when talking of God , and Christ , and the matters of another World. His Mouth bringeth forth Wisdom , his Tongue is become the silver Trumpet of his Makers Praise , his glory , and the best member that he hath . Now here you shall have the Hypocrite halting . He speaks it may be like an Angel , but he hath a covetous eye , or the gain of unrighteousness in his hand . Or the hand is white , but his heart is full of rottenness , Mat. 23. 27. full of unmortified cares , a very Oven of Lust , a Shop of Pride , the Seat of Malice . It may be with Nebuchadnezzar's Image , he hath a Golden Head , a great deal of Knowledge : but he hath Feet of Clay , his Affections are Worldly , he minds earthly things , and his way and walk are sensual , and carnal , you may trace him in his secret haunts , and his footsteps will be found in some by-paths of sin . The work is not thorowout with him . 3. Thorowout the Motions , or the Life , and Practice . The new Man takes a new course , Eph. 2. 2 , 3. His Conversation is in Heaven , Phil. 3. 20. No sooner doth Christ call by effectual grace , but he straightway becomes a follower of him , Mat. 4. 20. When God hath given the new heart and writ his Law in his mind , he forthwith walks in his Statutes , and keeps his Judgments , Ezek. 36. 26 , 27. Though sin may dwell ( God knows a wearisome and unwelcome guest ) in him , yet it hath no more Dominion over him , Rom. 6. 7 , 14. He hath his fruit unto holiness , Rom. 6. 22. and though he makes many a blot , yet the Law and Life of Jesus is that he eyes , as his copy , Psal. 119. 30. Heb. 12. 2. and hath●●n unfeigned respect to all God's Commandments , Psal. 119. 6. He makes Conscience even of little sins and little duties , Psal. 119. 113. His very infirmities which he cannot help , though he would , are his souls burden , and are like the dust in a man's eye , which though but little , yet are not a little troublesome . [ O man dost thou read this , and never turn in upon thy soul by self-examination ? ] The sincere Convert is not one man at Church , and another at home , he is not a Saint on his Knees , and a Cheat in his Shop : he will not Tithe Mint and Cummin , and neglect Mercy and Judgment , and the weighty matters of the Law ; he doth not pretend Piety , and neglect Morality , Mat 23. 14. but he turns from all his sins , and keeps all Gods Statutes , Ezek. 18. 21. though not perfectly . ( except in desire and endeavour ) yet sincerely , not allowing himself in the breach of any , Rom. 7. 15. Now he delights in the word , and sets himself to Prayer , and opens his Hand , ( if able ) and draws out his Soul to the hungry , Rom. 7. 22. Psal. 109. 4. Isa. 58. 10. He breaketh off his Sins by Righteousness , and his Iniquities by shewing Mercy , to the poor , Dan. 4. 27. and hath a good Conscience , willing in all things to live honestly , Heb. 13. 18. and to keep without offence towards God and Men. Here again you shall find the unsoundness of many Professors , that take themselves for good Christians . They are partial in the Law , Mal. 2. 9. and take up with the cheap and easy duties of Religion , but they go not thorow with the work . They are as a Cake not turned , half toasted , and half raw ; It may be you shall have them exact in their words ; punctual in their dealings ; but then they do not exercise themselves unto Godliness ; and for examining themselves , and governing their hearts , to this they are strangers . You may have them duly at the Church ; but follow them to their Families , and there you shall see little but the World minded ; or if they have a Road of Family Duties ; follow them to their Closets , and there you shall find their Souls are little looked after ; It may be they seem otherwise religious , but bridle not their Tongues , and so all their Religion is in vain , Iam. 1. 26. It may be they come up to Closet and Family Prayer ; but follow them to their Shops , and there you shall find them in a Trade of Lying , or some covert and cleanly way of deceit . Thus the Hypocrite goes not thorowout in the course of his Obedience . And thus much for the subject of Conversion . 6. The Terms are either from which , or to which . 1. The Terms from which we turn in this motion of Conversion , are Sin , Satan , the World and our own Righteousness . First , Sin. When a Man is converted , he is for ever out with Sin , yea with all sin , Psal. 119. 128. but most of all with his own Sins , and especially with his Bosom Sin , Psal. 18. 23. Sin is now the Butt of his indignation , 2 Cor. 7. 11. he thirsts to bathe his hands in the blood of his Sins . His Sins set a broach in sorrows . It is Sin that pierces him and wounds him , he feels it like a Thorn in his side , like a prick in his Eyes , he groans and struggles under it , and not formally , but feelingly cries out , O wretched Man ! he is not impatient of any burden so much as of his sin , Psal. 40. 12. If God should give him his choice , he would choose any affliction , so he might be rid of Sin. He feels it like the cutting gravel in his Shoes , pricking and paining him as he goes . Before Conversion he had light thoughts of Sin : he cherished it in his Bosom , as Uriah his Lamb ; he nourished it up , and it grew up together with him ; it did eat as it were of his own Meat , and drank of his own Cup , and lay in his Bosom , and was to him as a Daughter : but when God opens his Eyes by Conversion , he throws it away with abhorence , Isa. 30. 22. as a man would a loathsome Toad , Which in the dark he had hugged fast in his Bosom , and thought it had been some pretty and harmless bird . When a man is savingly changed , he is not only deeply convinced of the danger , but defilement of sin : and O how earnest is he with God to be purified : He loaths himself for his sins , Ezek. 36. 31. He runs to Christ , and casts himself into the Fountain for sin and for uncleanness , Zech. 13. 1. If he fall what a s●ir is there to get all clean again ? He flies to the Word and washes , and rubs , and rinches ; labouring to cleanse himself from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit : He abhors his once beloved sin , Psal. 18. 23. as a cleanly nature doth the Trough and Mire , wherein he sees the Swine delight . The sound Convert is heartily ingaged against sin● He wrestles with it , he wars against it . He is too often foiled , but he never yields the Cause , nor lays down the Weapons ; but he will up and to it again , while he hath breath in his body . He will never give quiet possession , he will make no peace ; he will give no quarter , he falls upon it , and fires upon it , and is still disquieting of it with continual alarms . He can forgive his other Enemies , he can pitty them , and pray for them , Acts 7. 60. but here he is implacable , here is he set upon revenge : he hunteth , as it were for the precious life ; his Eye shall not pitty , his Hand shall not spare , though it be a right Hand or a right Eye . Be it a gainful Sin most delightful to his Nature , or support to his Esteem with carnal Friends , yet he will rather throw his gain down the Ke●nel , see hi● credit fall , or the Flower of pleasure wither in his hand , than he will allow himself in any known way of sin , Luke 19. 8. He will grant no indulgence , he will give not toleration , but he draws upon sin wherever he meets it , and frowns upon it with this unwelcome salute , Have I found thee , O mine Enemy ! Reader , hath Conscience been at work , while thou hast been looking over these Lines ? Hast thou pondered these things in thine heart ? Hast thou searched the Book within , to see if these things be so ? If not , read it again , and make thy Conscience speak whether or no it be thus with thee . Hast thou crucified thy Flesh with its affections and lusts ; and not only confessed , but forsaken thy sins ; all sin in thy fervent desires , and the ordinary practice of every deliberate and wilful sin in thy life ? If not , thou art yet unconverted . Doth not Conscience fly in thy Face , as thou readest , and tell thee that thou livest in a way of lying for thy advantage , that thou usest deceit in thy Calling , that there is some way of secret wantonness that thou livest in ? why then , do not deceive thy self , thou art in the gall of bitterness , and bond of iniquity . Doth not thy unbridled Tongue , thy brutish Intemperance , thy wicked Company , thy neglect of Prayer , of hearing and reading the Word , now witness against thee , and say , We are thy works , and we will follow thee ? Or if I have not hit thee right , doth not the Bird within tell them , there is such or such a way , that thou knowest to be evil , that yet for some carnal respect thou dost tolerate thy self in , and art willing to spare ? If this be thy Case , thou art to this day unregenerate , and must be changed or condemned . Secondly , Satan . Conversion binds the strong man , spoils his Armour , casts out his Goods , turns men from the power of Satan unto God , Acts. 26. 18. Before , the Devil could no sooner hold up his Finger to the Sinner , to call him to his wicked Company , sinful Games , filthy Delights , but presently he followed , like an Ox to the Slaughter , and a Fool to the correction of the Stocks , as the Bird that hasteth to the prey , and knoweth not that it is for his life . No sooner could Satan bid him lie , but presently he had it upon the top of his Tongue , Acts 5. 3. no sooner could Satan offer a wanton Object , but he was stung with lust . The Devil could do more with him than God could . If the Devil say , Away with these Family Duties , be sure they shall be rarely enough performed in his house . If the Devil say , Away with this strictness , this preciseness , he will keep far enough from it : If he tells him there 's no need of these Closet Duties , he shall go from day to day , and scarce perform them . But now he is converted , he serves another Master , and takes quite another Course , 1 Pet. 4. 4. he goes and comes at Christ's beck , Col. 3. 24. Satan may sometimes catch his foot in a Trap ; but he will no longer be a willing Captive . He watches against the Snares and Baits of Satan , and studies to be acquainted with his devices . He is very suspicious of his Plots , and is very jealous , in what comes athwart him , lest Satan should have some design upon him . He wrestles against Principalities and Powers , Eph. 6. He entertains the Messenger of Satan as men do the Messenger of Death . He keeps his Eye upon his Enemy , 1 Pet. 5. 8. and watches in his duties , lest Satan should put in his Foot. Thirdly , The World. Before a sound faith , a man is overcome of the World. Either he bows down to Mammon , or idolizes his reputation , or is a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God , 2 Tim. 3. 4. Here 's the root of Mans misery by the fall ; he is turned aside to the Creature instead of God , and gives that esteem , confidence and affection to the Creature , that is due to him alone , Rom. 1. 25. Mat. 10. 37. Prav . 18. 11. Ier. 17. 5. O miserable Man ! What a deformed Monster hath sin made thee ? God made thee little lower than the Angels , Sin little better than the Devils , Iohn 6. 70. and 8. 44. a Monster that hath his Head and Heart , where his Feet should be ; and his Feet kicking against Heaven , and every thing out of place ; the World , that was formed to serve thee , is come to rule thee ; and the deceitful Harlot hath bewitched thee with her enchantments , and made thee bow down and serve her . But converting Grace sets all in order again , and puts God in the Throne , and the world at his Footstool , Psal. 73. 25. Christ in the heart , and the World under Feet , Eph. 3. 17. Rev. 12. 1. So Paul , I am crucified to the World , and the World to me , Gal. 6. 14. Before this change all the cry was , Who will shew us any ( worldly ) good ? but now he sings another tune , Lord list thou up the light of thy Countenance upon me , and take the Corn and Wine whoso will , Psal. 4. 6 , 7. Before , his hearts delight and content was in the World ; then the Song was , Soul take thine ease , eat , drink , and be merry , thou hast much Goods laid up for many Years ; but now all this is withered , and there is no comliness that he should desire it , and he tunes up with the sweet Psalmist of Israel , The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance ; the Lines are fallen to me in a fair place , and I have a goodly heritage . He blesses himself , and boasts himself in God , Psal. 34. 2. Lam. 3. 24. nothing else can give him con●ent . He hath written Vanity and Vexation upon all his Worldly Enjoyments , Eccles. 1. 2. and loss and dung upon all humane Excellencies , Phil. 3. 7 , 8. He hath life and immortality now in chase , Rom. 2. 7. he trades for grace and glory , and hath a Crown incorruptible in pursuit , 1 Cor. 9. 25. His Heart is set in him to seek the Lord , 1 Chron. 22. 19. and 2 Chron. 15. 15. He first seeks the Kingdom of Hearen and the Righteousness thereof , and Religion is no longer a matter by the by with him , but the main of his care , Mat. 6. 33. Psalm 27. 4. Now the gawdy Idol is become Nehushtan , 2 Kin. 18. 4. and he gets up and treads upon it , as Diogenes trampling on Plato's hangings , saying Calco , Platonis fastum . Before the World had the swaying interest with him ● he would do more for gain than godliness , 1 Tim. 6. 6. more to pleasure his friend ; or his flesh , than to please the God that made him , and God must stand by till the world were first served ; but now all must stand by ; he hates father , and mother , and life , and all in comparison of Christ , Luke 1. 26. Well then , pause a little , and look within : Doth not this nearly concern thee ? Thou pretendest for Christ ; but doth not the world sway thee ? Dost thou not take more real delight and content in the world , than in him ? Dost not thou find thy self better at ease when the World goes to thy mind and thou art encompassed with carnal delights , than when retired to prayer and meditat on in thy closet , or attending upon God's Word and Worship ? No surer Evidence of an unconverted State , than to have the things of the World uppermost in our aims , love , and estimation , Iohn 2. 15. Iames 4. 4. With the sound convert Christ hath the supremacy . How dear is this name to him ? How precious is its savour , Cant. 1. 3. Psal. 54. 8. The name of Jesus is engraven upon his heart , Gal. 4. 19. and lies as a bundle of Myrrh between his Breasts , Cant. 1. 13 , 14. Honour is but air , and laughter is but madness , and Mammon is fallen like Dagon before the Ark , with hands and head broken off on the threshold , when once Christ is savingly revealed . Here is the pearl of great price to the true Convert ; here is his treasure , here is his hope , Mat. 13. 44 , 45. This is his glory , my beloved is mine , and I am his , Gal. 6. 14. Cant. 2. 16. O 't is sweeter to him to be able to say , Christ is mine , than if he could say the kingdom is mine , the Indians are mine . Fourthly , Your own Righteousness : Before Conversion , Man seeks to cover himself with his own Fig-leaves , Phil. 3. 6 , 7. and to lick himself whole with his own Duties , Mic. 6. 6 , 7. He is apt to trust in himself , Luk. 16. 15. and 18. 9. and set up his own Righteousness , and to reckon his Counters for Gold , and not submit to the righteousness of God , Rom. 10. 3. But Conversion changes his mind ; now he casts away his filthy Rags , and counts his own Righteousness , but a menstruous Cloth : he casts it off , as a Man would the verminous Ta●ters of a nasty Begger , Esay 64. 7. Now he is brought to poverty of Spirit , Mat. 5. 3. complains of and condemns himself , Rom. 7. and all his inventory is , Poor , and miserable , and wretched , and blind , and naked , Rev. 3. 17. he sees a world of iniquity in his holy things , and calls his once idolized Righteousness , but flesh , I and loss , and dogs-meat , and would not for a thousand Worlds be found in himself , Phil. 3. 4 , 7 , 8 , 9. His finger is ever upon his sores , Psal. 51. 3. his sins , his wants . Now he begins to set a high price upon Christs Righteousness ; he sees the need of a Christ in every duty , to justifie his person , and justifie his performances , he cannot live without him ; he cannot pray without him ; Christ must go with him , or else he cannot come into the presence of God ; he leans upon the hand of Christ and so he bows himself in the house of his God. He sets himself down for a lost , undone man without him . His life is hid in Christ , as the life of man in the heart . He is fixed in Christ , as the roots of the tree spread in the earth for stability and nutriment . Before the news of a Christ was a stale and sapless thing ; but now how sweet is a Christ ? Augustine could not relish his before so much admired Cicero , because he could not find the name of Christ ; how pathetically cries he , Dulcissime , amantis . benignis . caris . &c. quando te videbo ? quando satiabor de pulchritudine tua ? Medit. c. 37. O most sweet , most loving , most kind , most dear , most precious , most desired , most lovely , most fair , &c. all in a breath , when he speaks of and to his Christ ; in a word , the voice of the Convert , is with the Martyr , None but Christ. 2. The terms which , are either ultimate , or Subordinate and Mediate . The ultimate is God the Father , Son , and Holy Ghost , whom the true Convert takes , as his All-sufficient and eternal blessedness . A Man is never truly sanctified , till his very heart be in truth set upon God above all things , as his portion and chief good . These are the natural breathings of a believers heart : Thou art my portion , Psal. 119. 57. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord , Psalm . 34. 2. My expectation is from him , he only is my rock , and my salvation , he is my defence : in God is my salvation and my glory , the Rock of my strength , and my Refuge is in God , Psalm 62. 1. 2 , 5 , 6 , 7. Psalm 18. 1 , 2. Would you put it to an issue whether you be converted or not ? Now then let thy soul and all that is within thee attend . Hast thou taken God for thy happiness ? Where doth the content of thy heart lie ? Whence doth thy choicest comfort come in ? Come then and with Abraham lift up thine eyes Eastward , and Westward , and Northward , and Southward , and cast about thee , what it is , that thou wouldst have in Heaven or Earth to make thee happy . If God should give thee thy choice as he did to Solomon , or should say to thee , as Ahashuerus to Esther , What is thy petition , and what is thy request ? and it shall be granted thee , Esther 5. 3. What wouldst thou ask ? go into the gardens of pleasure , and gather all the fragrant flowers from thence ; would these content thee ? Go to the treasures of Mammon ; suppose thou might'st lade thy self while thou wouldst from hence : go to the towers , to the trophies of honour : what thinkest thou of being a man of renown , and having a name like the name of the great men of the earth ? Would any of this , all this suffice thee , and make thee count thy self a happy man ? If so , then certainly thou art carnal and unconverted . If not , go farther ; w●de into the divine excellencies , the store of his mercies , the hiding of his power , the deeps unfathomable of his All-sufficiency : Doth this s●it thee best , and please thee most ? Dost thou say , 'T is good to be here ? Mat. 17. 4. Here I will pitch , here I will live and dye ? Wilt thou let all the world go , rather than this ? Then 't is well between God and thee : Happy art thou , O man , happy art thou that ever thou wast born . If a God can make thee happy , thou must needs be happy ; for thou hast avouched the Lord to be thy God , Deut. 26. 17. Dost thou say to Christ , as he to us , Thy Father shall be my Father , and thy God my God ? John 20. 17. Here is the turning Point . An unsound professor never takes up his rest in God ; but converting grace does the work and so cures the fatal misery of the fall , by turning the heart from its idols , to the living God , 1 Thes. 1. 9. Now says the soul , Lord , whither should I go ? Thou hast the words of eternal life , Iohn 6. 68. Here he centers , here he settles . O 't is as the entrance of Heaven to him , to see his interest in God When he discovers this , he saith Return unto thy rest , O my soul , for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee , Psalm 116. 7. and it is even ready to breath out Simons Song , Lord , now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace , Luke 2. 29. and saith with Iacob , when his old heart revived at the welcome tidings , It is enough , Gen. 45. 28. When he sees he hath a God in Covenant to go to , this is all his salvation and all his desire , 2 Sam. 23. 5. Man , is this thy case ? Hast thou experienced this ? Why , then blessed art thou of the Lord. God hath been at work with thee , he hath laid hold on thy heart by the power of converting grace , or else thou couldst never have done this . The Mediate term of Conversion is either Principal , or less Principal . The Principal , is Christ , the only Mediator between God and Man , 1 Tim. 2. 5. His work is to bring us to God , 1 Pet. 3. 18. he is the way to the Father , Iohn 14. 6. the only plank on which we may escape ; the only door by which we may enter , Iohn 10. 9. Conversion brings over the soul to Christ , to accept of him , Col. 2. 6. as the only means to life , as the only way , the only name given under Heaven , Acts 4. 12. He looks not for salvation in any other but him ; nor in any other with him , but throws himself on Christ alone ; as one that should cast himself with spread arms upon the Sea. Here ( saith the convinced sinner ) here I will venture , and if I perish , I perish : If I d●● , I will die here . But Lord suffer me not to perish under the pitiful eyes of thy mercy . Intreat me not to leave thee , or to turn away from following after thee , Ruth 1. 16. Here I will throw my self , If thou kick me , if thou kill me , Job 13. 15. I will not go from thy door . Thus the poor soul doth venture on Christ , and resolvedly adhere to him . Before Conversion the man made light of Christ , minded the Farm , Friends , Merchandise , more than Christ , M●t. 22. 5. Now Christ is to him as his necessary food , his daily bread , the life of his heart , the staff of his life , Phil. 3. 9. His great design is , that Christ may be magnified in him , Phil. 1. 20. His heart once said , as they to the Spouse , What is thy Beloved more than another ? Cant. 5. 9. He found more sweetness in his merry company , wicked games , earthly delights , than in Christ. He took Religion of a fancy , and the talk of great enjoyments for an idle dream . But now to him to live , is Christ. He sets light by all that he accounted precious , for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ , Phil. 3. 8. All of Christ is accepted by the sincere Convert . He loves not only the Wages , but work of Christ. Ro. 7. 12. not only the benefits , but the burden of Christ : He is willing not only to tread out the corn , but to draw under the yoak : he takes up the commands of Christ , yea and Cross of Christ , Mat. 11. Mat. 16. 24. The unsound closes by the halves with Christ ; He is all for the Salvation of Christ ; but he is not for sanctification : he is for the priviledges , but appretiates not the person of Christ. He divides the offices and benefits of Christ. This is an error in the foundation . Whoso loveth life , let him beware here . 'T is an undoing mistake , of which you have been often warned , and yet none more common . Jesus is a sweet name , but men love not the Lord Jesus in sincerity , Eph. 6. 24. They will not have him as God offers , To be a Prince and a Saviour , Acts 5. 31. They divide what God hath joyned , the King and the Priest. Yea , they will not accept the Salvation of Christ , as he intends it ; they divide it here . Every man's vote is for Salvation from suffering , but they desire not to be saved from sinning . They would have their lives saved , but withall they would have their lusts . Yea , many divide here again , they would be content to ha●e some of their sins destroyed ; but they cannot leave the lap of Dalilah , or divorce the beloved Herodias . They cannot be cruel to the right eye , or right hand ; the Lord must pardon them in this thing , 2 Kings 5. 18. Oh be infinitely tender here ; your souls lie upon it . The sound Convert takes a whole Christ , and takes him for all intents and purposes , without exceptions , without limitations , without reserves . He is willing to have Christ , upon his terms , upon any terms . He is willing of the dominion of Christ , as well as deliverance by Christ ; he saith with Paul , Lord , what wilt thou have me to do ? Acts 9. 6. Any thing Lord. He sends the blank to Christ to set down his own Conditions , Acts 2. 37. Acts 16. 30. The less Principal is the Laws , Ordinances , and ways of Christ. The heart that was once set against these , and could not endure the strictness of these bonds , the severity of these ways , now falls in love with them , and chuses them as its rule and guide for ever , Psalm 119. 111 , 12. Four things ( I observe ) God doth work in every sound Convert , with reference to the Laws and Ways of Christ , by which you may come to know your estates , if you will be faithful to you own souls ; and therefore keep your eyes upon your hearts , as you go along . 1. The Iudgment is brought to approve of them , and subscribe to them , as most righteous and most reasonable , Psal 119. 112 , 128 , 137 , 138. The mind is brought to like the ways of God , and the corrupt prejudices that were once against them , as unreasonable , and intolerable , are now removed . The understanding assents to them all , as holy , just , and good , Rom. 7. 12. How is David taken up with these excellencies of Gods Laws ? How doth he expatiate in their praises both from their inherent qualities , and admirable effects , Psalm 19. 8 , 9 , 10 , &c. There is a twofold judgment of the understanding ; Iudicium absolutum , & comparatum . The absolute judgment is , when a man thinks such a course best in the general , but not for him , or not under the present Circumstances he is in , pro hic & nunc . Now a godly mans judgment is for the ways of God , and that not only the absolute , but comparative judgment ; he thinks them not only best in general , but best for him . He looks upon the rules of Religion , not only as tolerable , but desireable , yea more desireable than gold , fine gold , yea much fine gold , Psalm 19. 10. His judgments are setledly determined , that 't is best to be holy , that 't is best to be strict , that it is in it self the most eligible course ; and that 't is for him the wisest and most rational , and desireable choice . Hear the godly mans judgment , I know O Lord , that thy judgments are right . I love thy Commandments above Gold , yea above fine Gold ; I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right , and I hate every false way , Psalm 119. 127 , 128. Mark he did approve of all that God required , and disallowed of all that he forbad , Righteous O Lord , and upright are thy judgments . Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous , and very faithful . Thy word is true from the beginning , and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever , Psalm 119. 86 , 160. 162 , 163. See how readily and fully he subscribes , he declares his assent , and consent to it , and all and every thing therein contained . 2. The desire of the heart is to know the whole mind of Christ , Psalm 119. 124 , 125 , 169. Psalm 25. 4 , 5. He would not have one sin undiscovered , nor be ignorant of one duty required . 'T is the natural and earnest breathing of a sanctified heart , Lord if there be any way of wickedness in me , do thou discover it . What I know not teach thou me , and if I have done iniquity , I will do it no more . The unsound is willingly ignorant , 2 Pet. 3. 5. loves not to come to the light , Iohn 3. 20. He is willing to keep such or such a sin ; and therefore is loth to know it to be a sin , and will not let in the light at that Window . Now the gracious heart is willing to know the whole latitude and compass of his makers Law , Psalm 119. 18 , 19 , 27 , 33 , 64 , 66 , 68 , 78 , 108 , 124. He receives with all acceptation the word that convinceth him of any duty that he knew not , or minded not before , or discovered any sin that lay hid before , Psalm 119. 11. 3. The free and resolved choice of the will is determined for the ways of Christ , before all the pleasures of sin and prosperitys of the World , Psalm 119. 103 , 127 , 162. His consent is not extorted by some extremity of anguish , nor is it only a sudden and hasty resolve , but he is deliberately purposed , and comes off freely in the choice , Psalm 17. 3. Psal. 119. 30. True , the Flesh will rebel , yet the prevailing part of his Will is for Christ's Laws and Government ; so that he takes them not up as his toil or burden , but his bliss . 1 Iohn 5. 3. Psalm 119. 60 , 72. When the unsanctified goes in Christs ways , as in Chains and Fetters , he doth them naturally , Psalm 40. 8. Ier. 31. 33. and counts Christs Law his Liberty , Psalm . 119. 32 , 45. Iames 1. 25. He is willing in the beauties of holiness , Psalm . 110. 3. and hath this inseparable Mark. That he had rather ( if he might have his choice ) live a strict and holy life than the most prosperous and flourishing life in the world , 1 Sam. 10. 26. There went with Saul a band of men whose hearts God had touched . When God touches the heart of his chosen , they presently follow Christ , Mat. 4. 22. and ( tho drawn ) do freely run after him● Cant. 1. 4. and willingly offer themselves to the service of the Lord , 2 Chron. 7. 16. seeking him with their whole desire . 2 Chron. 15. 15. Fear hath its use ; but this is not the main Spring of Motion with a sanctified heart . Christ keeps not his Subjects in by force , but is King of a willing people . They are ( through his grace ) freely resolved for his service , and do it out of choice , not as slaves , but as the Sun or Spouse , from a Spring of Love , and a Loyal Mind . In a Word , the Laws of Christ are the Converts Love , Psalm 119. 159 , 163 , 167. desire , ver . 5 , 20 , 40. delight , ver . 77 , 92 , 103 , 111 , 143. and continual study , ver . 99 , 79. Psalm 1. 2. 4. The bent of his course is directed to keep Gods Statutes , Psalm 119. 4 , 8 , 167 , 168. 'T is the daily care of his life to walk with God. He seeks great things : he hath noble designs , though he fall too short . He aims at nothing less than perfection : he desires it , he reaches after it , he would not rest in any pitch of grace , till he were quite rid of sin and had perfected holiness , Phil. 3. 11 , 12 , 13 , 14. Here the Hypocrites rottenness may be discovered . He desires holiness ( as one well ) only as a Bridge to Heaven , and enquires earnestly , what is the least that will serve his turn ; and if he can get but so much as may just bring him to Heaven , this is all he cares for . But the sound Convert desires holiness for holiness sake , Psalm 119. 97. Mat. 5. 6. and not only for Heaven's sake . He would not be satisfied with so much as might save him from Hell ; but desires the highest pitch . Yet desires are not enough . What is thy way and thy course ? Is the drift and scope of thy life altered ? Is holiness thy trade , and religion thy business ? Rom. 8. 1. Mat. 25. 16. Phil. 1. 20. If not , thou art short of sound Conversion . Application . And is this , that we have described , the Conversion that is of absolute necessity to salvation ? Then be informed . 1. That strait is the gate and narrow the way that leadeth unto life . 2. That there be but few that find it . 3. That there is need of a Divine power , savingly to convert a sinner to Jesus Christ. Again , then be exhorted , O man that readest , to turn in upon thine own self . What saith Conscience ? Doth it not begin to bite ? Doth it not twitch thee as thou goest ? Is this thy Judgment , and this thy Choice , and this thy way , that we have described ? If so , then 't is well . But doth not thy heart condemn thee , and tell thee , there is such a sin thou livest in against thy Conscience ? Doth it not tell thee , there is such and such a secret way of wickedness , that thou makest no bones of ? Such or such a Duty , that thou makest no Conscience of ? Doth not Conscience carry thee to thy Closet , and tell thee how seldom prayer , and reading is performed there ? Doth it not carry thee to thy family , and shew thee the charge of God , and the souls of thy children and servants , that be neglected there ? doth not Conscience lead thee to thy Shop , thy Trade , and tell thee of some mystery of iniquity there ? Doth it not carry thee to the Ale-Shop , or to the Sack-Shop , and round thee in thine ear for the loose Company thou keepest there , the precious time thou mis-spendest there , for the talents of God which thou throwest down this Sink , for thy gaming , and thy swilling , &c. Doth it not carry thee into thy secret Chamber , and read thee a Curtain Lecture ? O Conscience do thy duty . In the name of the living God I command thee discharge thine office . Lay hold upon this sinner , fall upon him , arrest him apprehend him , undeceive him . What , wilt thou flatter and sooth him , while he lives in his sins ? Awake , O Conscience . What meanest thou , O sleeper ? What , hast thou never a reproof in thy mouth ? What , shall this soul die in his careless neglect of God and Eternity , and thou altogether hold thy peace ? What , shall he go on still in his trespasses , and yet have peace ? O rouse up thy self , and do thy work . Now let the Preacher in the bosom speak . Cry aloud and spare not , lift up thy voice like a Trumpet ; let not the blood of this Soul be required at thy hands . Chap. III. Of the Necessity of Conversion . IT may be you are ready to say , what meaneth this stir ? And are apt to wonder , why I follow you with such earnestness , still ringing one lesson in your ●ars , That you should repent and be converted , Acts 3. 19. But I must say unto you , as Ruth to Naomi , Intreat me not to leave you , nor to turn aside from following after you , Ruth 1. 16. Were it a matter of indifferency , I would never keep so much ado . Might you be saved as you be , I would gladly let you alone . But would you not have me solicitous for you , when I see you ready to perish ? As the Lord liveth , before whom I am , I have not the least hopes to see one of your faces in Heaven , except you be converted . I utterly despair of your salvation , except you will be prevailed with to turn throughly , and give up your selves to God in holiness and newness of life . Hath God said , Except you be born again , you cannot see the Kingdom of God , Iohn 3. 3. and yet do you wonder , why your Ministers do so plainly travel in birth with you ? Think it not strange , that I am earnest with you to follow after holiness , and long to see the Image of God upon you . Never did any , nor shall any enter into Heaven by any other way but this . The Conversion described is not an high pitch of some taller Christians , but every soul , that is saved , passes this universal change . It was a passage of the Noble Roman , when he was hasting with Corn to the City in the famine , and the Mariners were loth to set sail in foul weather , Necessarium est navigar● , non est necessarium vivere . Our voyage is of more necessity than our lives . What is it that thou dost account necessary ? Is thy Bread necessary ? Is thy Breath necessary ? then thy Conversion is much more necessary . Indeed this is the ●●num necessarium , the one thing necessary . Thine Estate is not necessary ; thou maist sell all for the Pearl of great price , and yet be a gainer by the purchase , Mat. 13. 46. Thy life is not necessary ; thou maist part with it for Christ to infinite advantage . Thine esteem is no● necessary ; thou maist be reproached for the name of Christ , and yet happy , yea much more happy in reproach than in repute , 1 Pet. 4. 4. Mat. 5. 10 , 11. But thy Conversion is necessary , thy damnation lies upon it , and is it not needful in so important a case to look about thee ? Upon this one point depends thy making , or marring to all eternity . But I shall more particularly shew the necessity of Conversion in five things ; for without this , 1. 〈◊〉 being is in vai● . Is it not pity thou shouldst be good for nothing , an unprofitable burden of the earth , a wart , or wen in the Body of the universe ? Thus thou art , whilst unconverted , for thou canst not answer the end of thy Being . Is it not for the divine pleasure thou art and wert created ? Rev. 4. 11. Did not he make thee for himself ? Prov. 16. 4. Art thou a man , and hast thou reason ? Why then bethink thy self , why and whence thy Being is . Behold God's workmanship in thy body , and ask thy self , to what end did God rear this fabrick ? Consider the noble faculties or my Heaven-born soul : to what end did God bestow these excellencies ? To no other , than that 〈◊〉 shouldst please thy self , and gratifie thy senses ? Did God send men , like the Swallows , into the World , only to gather a few sticks and dirt , and build their Nests , and breed up their young , and then away ? The very Heathens could see farther than this . Art thou so fearfully and wonderfully made , Psal. 139. 14. and dost thou not yet think with thy self , surely it was for some noble and raised end ? O man , set thy reason a little in the Chair . Is it not pity such a goodly fabrick should be raised in vain ? Verily thou art in vain , except thou art for God. Better thou hadst no Being , than not to be for him . Wouldst thou serve thy end ? Thou must repent , and be converted . Without this thou art to no purpose , yea , to bad purpose . First , To No purpose . Man unconverted , is like a choice instrument , that hath every string broke , or out of tune . The Spirit of the living God must repair , and tune it , by the grace of regeneration , and sweetly move it by the power of actuating grace , or else thy prayers will be but howlings , and all thy services will make no Musick in the Ears of the most Holy , Eph. 2. 10. Phil. 2. 13. Hos. 7. 14. Isa. 1. 15. All thy powers and faculties are so corrupt in thy natural State , that except thou be purged from dead works , thou canst not serve the living God , Heb. 9. 14. Tit. 1. 15. An unsanctified man cannot work the work of God. 1. He hath no skill in it . He is altogether as unskilful in the work , as in the word of righteousness , Heb. 5. 13. There are great mysteries as well in the practices , as principles of godliness : now the unregenerate knoweth not the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven , Mat. 13. 11. 1 Tim. 3. 16. You may as well expect him that never learn'd the Alphabet to read , or look for goodly Musick on the Lute , from one that never set his hand to an instrument , as that a natural man should do the Lord any pleasing service . He must first be taught of God , Iohn 6. 45. taught to pray , Luke 11. 1. taught to profit , Esay 48. 17. taught to go , Hos. 11. 3. or else he will be utterly at a loss . ] 2. He hath no strength for it . How weak is his heart ? Ezek. 16. 30. He is presently tired . The Sabbath what a weariness is it ? Ma● . 1. 13. He is without strength , Rom. 5. 6. yea stark dead in sin , Eph. 2. 5. ] 3. He hath no mind to it ; he desires not the knowledge of God's ways , Iob 21. 14. He doth not know them , and he doth not care to know them , Psalm 82. 5. He knows not , neither will he understand . ] 4. He hath neither due instruments , nor materials for it . A man may as well hew the Marble without Tools ; or Limn without Colours , or Instruments , or build without Materials , as perform any acceptable service without the graces of the Spirit , which are both the Materials , and Instruments in the work . Alms giving is not a service of God , but of vain glory , unless dealt forth by the hand of divine love . What is the prayer of the lips without grace in the heart , but the carcass without the life ? What are all our confessions , unless they be the exercises of godly sorrow and unfeigned repentance ? What our petitions , unless animated all along with holy desires , and faith in divine attributes and promises ? What our praises and thanksgivings , unless from the Love of God , and a holy grattiude , and sense of God's mercies in the heart ? So that a man may as well expect the trees should speak , or look for Logick from the brutes , or motion from the dead , as for any service holy and acceptable to God , from the unconverted . When the tree is evil , how can the fruit be good ? Mat. 7. 18. Secondly , To Bad purpose : The unconverted soul is a very cage of unclean birds , Rev. 18. 2. a Sepulchre full of Corruption and Rottenness , Mat. 23. 27. a loathsome carkass full of crawling Worms , and sending forth a hellish and most noisome favour in the nostrils of God. Psalm 14. 3. O dreadful case ! Dost thou not yet see a change to be needful ? would it not have grieved one , to have seen the golden consecrated Vessels of God's Temple turned into quaffing bowls for drunkenness , and polluted with the Idols service ? Dan. 5. 2 , 3. Was it such an abomination to the Jews , when Antiechus set up the picture of a Swine at the entrance of the temple ? How much more abominable then would it have been to have had the very Temple it self turned into a Stable , or a Stye , and to have the holy of holies served like the house of Baul ; to have the Image of God taken down , and be turned into a draught-house ? 2 Kings 10. 27. This is the very case of the unregenerate ; all thy Members a●e turned into instruments of unrighteousness , Rom. 6. 19. Servants of Satan ; and thy in most powers into receptacles of uncleanness , Eph. 2. 2. Tit. 1. 15. You may see the goodly guests within , by what comes out . For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts , Murders , Adulteries , Fornications , Theits , False witness , Blasphemies , &c. This black guard discovers what a Hell there is within . Oh abuse unsufferable ! to see a Heaven-born soul abased to the filthiest drudgery , to see the glory of Gods creation , the chief of the ways of God , the Lord of the Universe , a lapping with the prodigal at the trough , or licking up with greediness the most loathsom vomit . Was it such a lamentation , to see those that did feed delicately , to sit desolate in the streets ? and the precious Sons of Sion , comparable to fine gold , to be esteemed as earthen Pitchers ; and those that were cloathed in Scarlet , to embrace dunghils ? Lam. 4. 2 , 5. And is it not much more fearful , to see the only thing that hath immortality in this lower world , and carries the stamp of God , to become as a vessel wherein there is no pleasure , Ier. 22. 28. ( which is but the modest expression of the vessel , men put to the most sordid use . ) Oh indignity intolerable ! Better thou wert dashed in a thousand pieces , than continue to be abused to so filthy a service . II. Not only man , but the whole visible creation is in vain without this . Beloved , God hath made all the visible creatures in heaven and earth for the service of man , and man only is the spokesman for all the rest . Man is in the universe , like the tongue in the body , which speaks for all the Members . The other creatures cannot praise their Maker , but by dumb signs and hints to man , that he should speak for them . Man is , as it were , the high Priest of Gods creation , to offer the Sacrifice of praise for all his fellow creatures , Psal. 147. and 148. and 150. The Lord God expecteth a tribute of praise from all his works , Psalm 103. 2. now all the rest do bring in their tribute to man , and pay it in by his hand . So then , if man be false , and faithless , and selfish , God is wronged of all , and sha●l have no active glory from his works . O dreadful thought to think of ! That God should build such a world as this , and lay out such infinite power , and wisdom , and goodness , thereupon , and all in vain , and man should be guilty at last , of robbing , and Spoiling him of the glory of all . O think of this , while thou art unconverted , all the Offices of the creatures to thee are in vain ; thy meat nourishes thee in vain , the Sun holds forth his light to thee in vain , the Stars , that serve thee in their courses by their most powerful , though hidden influence , Iudges 5. 20. Hos. 2. 21 , 22. do it in vain ; thy Cloaths warm thee in vain ; thy Beast carries thee in vain : in a word , the unwearied labour , and continual travel of the whole Creation ( as to thee ) is in vain . The service of all the creatures , that drudge for thee , and yield forth their strength unto thee ( that therewith thou shouldst serve their Maker ) is all but lost labour . Hence the whole Creation groaneth under the abuse of this unsanctified world . Rom. 8. 22. that pervert them to the service of their lusts , quite contrary to the very end of their Being . III. Without this , thy Religion is in vain . Jam. 1. 26. All thy religious performances will be but lost ; for they can neither please God , Rom. 8. 8. nor save thy soul● 1. Cor. 13. 2 , 3. Which are the very ends of Religion . Be thy services never so specious , yet 〈◊〉 hath no pleasure in them , Isai. 1. 14. Mal. 1. 10. Is not that man's case dreadful , whose sacrifices are as Murder , and whose prayers are a breath of abomination ? Isa. 66. 3. Prov. 28. 9. Many under convictions think they will set upon mending , and that a few prayers and alms will salve all again ; but alas , sirs , while your hearts remain unsanctified , your duties will not pass . How punctual was Iebu ? and yet all was rejected , because his heart was not upright , 2 Kings 10. with Hos. 1. 4. How blameless was Paul ? and yet being unconverted all was but loss . Phil. 3. 6 , 7. Men think they do much in attending God's Service , and are ready to twit him with it , Isa. 58. 3. Mat. 7. 22. and set him down so much their debtor , when as ( their persons being unsanctified ) their duties cannot be accepted . O soul , do not think , when thy sins pursue thee , a little praying and reforming thy course will pacify God : thou must begin with thine heart . If that be not renewed , thou canst no more please God , than one that having unspeakably offended thee , should bring thee his vomit in a dish to pacify thee , or having fallen into the mire , should think with his loathed embraces to reconcile thee . It is a great misery to labour in the fire . The Poets could not invent a worser Hell for Sisyphus than to be getting the Barrel still up the Hill , and then that it should presently fall down again and renew his labour . God threatens it , as the greatest of temporal judgments , that they should build and not inhabit , plant and not gather , and their labours should be eat up by strangers , Deut. 28. 30 , 38 , 39 , 41. Is it so great a misery to lose our common labours , to sow in vain and build in vain ? how much more to lose our pains in Religion to pray and hear , and fast in vain ? This is an undoing and eternal loss . Be not deceived . If thou goest on in thy sinful state , though thou sho●ldst spread forth thine hands , God will hide his eyes ; though thou make many prayers , he will not hear , 〈◊〉 . 1. 15. If a man without skill set about our work , and marr it in the doing , though he take much pains , we give him but small thanks . God will be worshipped after the due order , 1 Chron. 15. 13. If a servant do our work , but quite contrary to our order , he shall have rather stripes than praise . Gods work must be done according to Gods mind , or he will not be pleased ; and this cannot be , except it be done with a holy heart , 2 Chron. 25. 2. IV. Without this , thy hopes are in vain , Job 8. 12 , 13. The Lord hath rejected thy Confidence , Ier. 2. 37. First , Thy hopes of Comfort here are in vain . 'T is not only necessary to the safety , but comfort of your condition , that you be converted . Without this you shall not know peace . Isai. 59. 8. Without the fear of God , you cannot have the comforts of the Holy Ghost , Acts 9. 31. God speaks peace only to his people , and to his Saints , Pal. 85. 8. If you have a false peace , continuing in your sins , 't is not of Gods speaking ; and then you may guess the Author . Sin is a real Sickness , Isai. 1. 5. Yea the worst of sickness , 't is a Leprosie in the head , Lev. 13. 44. the plague in the heart , 1 Kings 8. 38. 't is brokenness in the bones , Psal. 51. 8. it pierc●●h , it 〈◊〉 i● racketh , it tormenteth , 1 〈◊〉 ● . 10. A man may as well expect ease , when his ●●scases are in their strength , or his bones out of joynt , as true comfort , while in his sins . O wretched man , that canst have no ease in this case , but what comes from the deadliness of the disease● You shall have the poor-sick man , saying in his lightness , he is well ; when you see death in his face . He will needs up and about his business , when the very next step is like to be into the grave . The unsanctified often see nothing amiss , they think themselves whole , and cry not out for the Physician , but this shews the danger of the●r Case . Sin doth naturally breed distempers and disturbances in the soul●● What a continual tempest and commotion is there in a disconte●ted mind ? What an eating evil is inordinate care ? What is passion but a very feaver in the mind ? What is lust but a fire in thē bones ? What is pride but a deadly tympany ; or covetousness but an un●atiable and unsufferable thirst ? Or malice and envy but venom in the very heart ? Spiritual sloth is but a scurvy in the mind , and carnal security a mortal lethargy ; and how can that soul have true comfort that is under so many diseases ? But converting grace cures , and so eases the mind , and prepares the soul for a setled , standing , immortal peace . Great peace have they that love thy Commands , and nothing shall offend them , Psal 119. 165. They are the ways of wisdom that afford pleasure and peace , Prov. 3. 17. David had infinitely more pleasure in the word , than in all the delights of his Court , Psal. 119. 103 , 127. The Conscience cannot be truly pacified , till soundly purified , Heb. 10. 22. Cursed is that peace , that is maintained in a way of sin , Deut. 29. 19 , 20. Two sorts of peace are more to be dreaded than all the troubles in the world ; peace with sin , and peace in sin . Secondly , Thy hopes of Salvation hereafter are in vain : yea , worse than in vain , they are most injurious to God , most pernicions to thy self ; there is death , desperation , blasphemy in the bowels of this hope . 1. There is death in it . Thy Confidence shall be rooted out of thy Tabernacles ( God will up with it root and branch ) it shall bring thee to the King of Terrors , Iob 18. 14. tho thou maist lean upon this house it will not stand . Iob 8. 1● . but will prove like a ruinous building , which when a man trusts to ; it falls down about his ears . 2. There is desperation in it . Where is the Hope of the Hypocrite , when God takes away his soul ? Iob 27. 8. Then there is an end for ever of his hope . Indeed , the hope of the righteous hath an end , but then 't is not a destructive , but a perfective end ; his hope ends in fruition , others in frustration , Prov. 10. 28. The godly must say at death , It is finished , but the wicked , It is perished ; and in too sad earnest bemoan himself , ( as Iob in a mistake ) Where now is my hope ? He hath destroyed me , I am gone , and my hope is removed like a tree , Job 19. 10. The righteous hath hope in his death , Prov. 14. 32. When nature is dying , his hopes are living , when his body is languishing , his hopes are flourishing ; his hope is a living hope , 1 Pet. 1. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but others a dying , yea a damning , soul-undoing hope . When a wicked man dieth , his expectation shall perish , and the hope of unjust men perisheth , Prov. 11. 7. It shall be cut off , and prove like the Spiders Web , Job 8. 14. which he spins out of his own bowels , but then comes death with the broom , and takes down all , and so there is an eternal end of his confidence , wherein he trusted . For the eyes of the wicked shall fail , and their hope shall be as the giving up of the Ghost , Job 11. 20. Wicked men are setled in their carnal hope , and will not be beaten out of it . They hold it fast , they will not let it go . Yea but death will knock off their fingers . Though we cannot undeceive them , death and judgment will. When death strikes his dart through thy liver , it will let out thy soul and thy hopes together . The unsanctified have hope only in this life , 1 Cor. 15. 19. and therefore are of all men most miserable . When death comes , it lets them out into the amazing gulf of endless desperation . 3. There is blasphemy in it . To hope we shall be saved , though continuing unconverted , is to hope we shall prove God a liar . He hath told you , that so merciful and pitiful as he is , he will never save you notwithstanding , if you go on in ignorance , or a course of unrighteousnes , Isa. 27. 11. 1. Cor. 6. 9. In a word , he he hath told you , that whatever you be or do , nothing shall avail you to Salvation without you be new creatures , Gal. 6. 15. Now to say God is merciful , and we hope he will save us nevertheless , is to say in effect , we hope God will not do as he saith . We may not set God's Attributes at variance . God is resolved to glorifie mercy , but not with the prejudice of truth , as the presumptuous sinner will find to his everlasting sorrow . Object . Why but we hope in Jesus Christ , we put our whole trust in God , and therefore doubt not but we shall be saved . Ans. 1. This is not to hope in Christ , but against Christ. To hope to see the Kingdom of God , without being born again , to hope to find eternal life in the broad way , is to hope Christ will prove a false Prophet . 'T is David's plea , I hope in thy word , Psalm 119. 81. but this hope is against the word . Shew me a word of Christ for thy hope , that he will save thee in thine ignorance , or prophane neglects of his service , and I will never go to shake thy confidence . 2. God doth with abhorrence reject this hope : Those condemned in the Prophet , went on in their sins , yet ( faith the Text ) they will lean upon the Lord , Mic. 3. 11. God will not endure to be made a prop to men in their sins : The Lord rejected those presumptuous sinners , that went on still in their trespasses , and yet would stay themselves upon the God of Israel , Isa● 48. 1 , 2. as a man would shake off the briars ( as one said well ) that cleaves to his garment . 3. If thy hope be any thing worth , it will purifie thee from thy sins , 1 Iohn 3. 3. but cursed is that hope , which doth cherish men in their sins . Object . Would you have us to despair ? Answ. You must despair of ever coming to Heaven as you are , Acts 2. 37. that is , while you remain unconverted . You must despair ever to see the face of God without holiness , but you must by no means despair of finding mercy , upon your thorough repentance and conversion ; neither may you despair of attaining to repentance and conversion , in the use of Gods means . V. Without this , all that Christ hath done and suffered will be ( as to you ) in vain , John 13. 8. Tit. 2. 14. that is , it will no way avail to your salvation . Many urge this as a sufficient ground for their hopes , that Christ died for sinners : but I must tell you , Christ never died to save impenitent and unconverted sinners ( so continuing ) 2 Tim. 2. 19. A great Divine was wont , in his private dealings with souls , to ask two questions , 1. What hath Christ done for you ? 2. What hath Christ wrought in you ? Without the application of the Spirit in Regeneration , we can have no saving 〈◊〉 ●●rest in the benefits of Redempt●on . I tel● you from the Lord , Christ himself cannot save you , if you go on in this estate . I. It were against his trust . The Mediator is the Servant of the Father , Isa. 42. 1. shews his commission from him , acts in his name , and pleads his command for his justification , Iohn 10. 18 , 36. Iohn 6. 38 , 40. And God hath committed all things to him , entrusted his own glory , and the salvation of his elect with him , Mat. 11. 27. Iohn 17. 2. Accordingly , Christ gives his Father an account of both parts of his trust , before he leaves the world , Iohn 17. 4 , 6 , 12. Now Christ should quite cross his Fathers glory , his greatest trust , if he should save men in their sins ; for this were to overturn all his counsels , and to offer violence to all his attributes . First , To overturn all his Councels ; of which this is the order , that men should be brought through sanctification , to salvation , 2 Thes. 2. 13. He hath chosen them , that they should be holy , Eph. 1. 4. They are elected to pardon and life through sanctification , 1 Pet. 1. 2. If thou canst repeal the Law of Gods immutable counsel , or corrupt him , whom the Father hath sealed , to go directly against his Commission , then and not otherwise , maist thou get to Heaven in this condition . To hope that Christ will save thee while unconverted , is to hope that Christ will falsify his trust . He never did , nor will save one soul , but whom the Father hath given him in election , and drawn to him in effectual calling , Iohn 6. 34 , 37. Be assured , Christ will save none , in a way contrary to his Fathers will , Iohn 6. 38. Secondly , To offer violence to all his attributes . 1. To his Iustice. For the righteousness of Gods judgment lies , in rendring to all according to their works , Rom. 2. 5 , 6. Now , should men sow to the flesh , and yet of the Spirit reap everlasting life , Gal. 6. 7 , 8. where were the glory of divine Justice , since it should be given to the wicked according to the work of the righteous ? 2. To his holiness . If God should not only save sinners , but save them in their sins , his most pure and strict holiness would be exceedingly defaced . The unsanctified is in the eyes of Gods holiness , worse than a Swine or Viper , Mat. 23. 33. 2 Pet. 2. 23. Now what cleanly nature could indure to have the filthy Swine Bed and Board with him in his Parlour , or Bed-chamber ? It would offer the extreamest violence to the infinite purity of the divine nature , to have such to dwell with him . They cannot stand in his judgment , they cannot abide in his presence , Psalm 1. 5. Psalm 5. 4 , 5. If holy David would not endure such in his house , no nor in his sight , Psalm 101. 3 , 7. shall we think God will ? Should he take men as they be from the Trough to the Table , from the Harlots lips , from the Stye and Draff , to the glory of Heaven , the world would think God were at no such a distance from sin , nor had such dislike of it , as we are told he hath● they would conclude , God were altogether such a one as themselves ( as they wickedly did , but from the very forbearance of God , Psal. 50. 21. ) 3. To his Veracity . For God hath declared from Heaven . That if any shall say he shall have peace , tho' he should go on in the imagination of his heart : his wrath shall smoak against that man , Deut. 29. 19 , 20. That they ( only ) that confess , and forsake their sins , shall find mercy , Prov. 28. 13. That they that shall enter into his Hill , must be of clean hands and a pure heart , Psal. 24. 3 , 4. Where were Gods truth , if notwithstanding all this , he should bring men to Salvation without Conversion ? O desperate sinner , that darest to hope , that Christ will put the lye upon his Father , and nullifie his word to save thee ! 4. To his Wisdom . For this were to throw away the choicest mercies , on them that would not value them , nor were any way suited to them . First , they would not value them . The unsanctified sinner puts but little price upon God's great Salvation , Mat. 22. 5. He sets no more by Christ than the whole by the Physician , Matthew 9. 12. he prizes not his balm , values not his cure , tramples upon his blood , Heb. 10. 29. Now would it stand with wisdom , to force pardon and life , upon them that would give him no thanks for them ? Will the all-wise God ( when he hath forbidden us to do it ) throw his holy things to Dogs , and his pearls to Swine , that would ( as it were ) but turn again , and rend him ? Mat. 7. 6. This would make mercy to be despised indeed . Wisdom requires that life be given , in a way suitable to God's honour , and that God provide for the securing his own glory , as well as Man's felicity . It would be dishonourable to God , to set his Jewels on the snouts of Swine ( continuing such ) and to bestow his choicest riches on them , that have more pleasure in their swill , than the heavenly delights that he doth offer . God should lose the praise and glory of his grace , if he should cast it away on them , that were not only unworthy , but unwilling . Secondly , They are no way suited to them . The Divine Wisdom is seen in suiting things each to other , the means to the end , the object to the faculty , the quality of the gift to the capacity of the receiver . Now , if Christ should bring the unregenerate sinner to Heaven , he could take no more felicity there , than a Beast if you should bring him into a beautiful room , to the Society of learned men , and a well-furnished Table : when as the poor thing had much rather be grazing with his fellow-brutes . Alas , what should an unsanctified creature do in Heaven ! He could take no content there , because nothing suits him . The place doth not suit him , he would be but piscis in arido , quite out of his element , as a Swine in the parlour , or a Fish out of water . The Company doth not suit him . What communion hath darkness with light , corruption with perfection ? Filth and rottenness , with glory and immortality ? The imployment doth not suit him : The Anthems of Heaven fit not his mouth , suit not his ear . Canst thou charm thy Beast with Musick ? Or wilt thou bring him to thy Organ , and expect that he should make thee melody , or keep time with the skilful Quire ? Or had he skill , he would have no will , and so could find no pleasure , no more than the nauseous stomach in the meat , on which it hath newly surfeited . Spread thy Table with delicates before a languishing Patient , and it will be but a very offence . Alas , if the poor man think a Sermon long , and say of a Sabbath , What a weariness is it ? Mal. 1. 13. how miserable would he think it , to be held to it to all eternity ? 5. To his immutability , or else to his Omnisciency , Omnipotency . For this is enacted in the Conclave of Heaven , and enrolled in the decrees of the Court above , that none but the pure in heart shall ever see God , Mat. 5. 8. This is laid up with him , and sealed among his Treasures . Now if Christ , yet , bring any to Heaven unconverted , either he must get them in without his Fathers knowledge , and then where is his Omnisciency ? Or against his will , and then where were his Omnipotency ? Or he must change his will , and then where were his Immutability ? Sinner , wilt thou not yet give up thy vain hope of being saved in this condition ? Saith Bildad , Shall the earth be forsaken for thee ? Or the rocks moved out of their place ? Job 18. 4. May not I , much more reason so with thee ? Shall the Laws of Heaven be reversed for thee ? Shall the everlasting foundations be overturned for thee ? Shall Christ put out the eye of his Fathers Omnisciency , or shorten the arm of his eternal power for thee ? Shall divine Justice be violated for thee ? or the brightness of the glory of his holiness be blemished for thee ? Oh the impossibility , absurdity , blasphemy , that is in such a confidence ! To think Christ will ever save thee in this condition , is to make thy Saviour to become a Sinner , and to do more wrong to the infinite Majesty , than all the wicked on Earth , or Devils in Hell ever did , or could . And yet wilt thou not give up such a blasphemous hope ? II. Against his word . We need not say , Who shall ascend into Heaven , to bring down Christ from above ? Or who shall descend into the deep , to bring up Christ from beneath ? The word is nigh us , Rom. 10. 6 , 7 , 8. Are you agreed that Christ shall end the controversie ? Hear then his own words ; Except you be converted you shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven , Mat. 18. 3. You must be born again , John 3. 7. If I wash thee not , thou hast no part in me , John 13. 8. Repent or perish , Luke 13. 3. One word , one would think , were enough from Christ ; but how often and earnestly doth he reiterate it , verily , verily , verily , verily , except a man , be born again , he shall not see the Kingdom of God , Iohn 3. 3 , 5. Yea , he doth not only assert , but prove the necessity of the new birth , viz. from the fleshliness and filthiness of man's first birth , Iohn 3. 6. by reason of which , man is no more fit for Heaven than the Beast is for the Chamber of the Kings presence . And wil● thou yet believe thine own presumptuous confidence , directly against Christs words ? He must go quite against the Law of his Kingdom , and Rule of his Judgment , to save thee in this estate . III. Against his Oath . He hath lifted up his hand to heaven , he hath sworn , that those that remain in unbelief , and know not his ways ( that is , are ignorant of them , or disobedient to them ) shall not enter into his rest , Psalm 95. 11. Heb. 3. 18. and wilt thou not yet believe , O sinner , that he is in earnest ? Canst thou hope he will be forsworn for thee ? The Covenant of Grace is confirmed by an Oath , and sealed by blood , Heb. 6. 17. Heb. 9. 16 , 18 , 19. Mat. 26. 28. But all must be made void , and another way to heaven found out , if thou be saved , living and dying unsanctified . God is come to his lowest and last terms with man , and hath condescended as far as with honour he could , hath set up his Pillars with a Ne plus ultra . Men cannot be saved , while unconverted , except they could get another Covenant made , and the whole frame of the Gospel , ( which was established for ever , with such dreadful solemnities ) quite altered ; and would not this be a distracted hope ? IV. Against his honour . God will so shew his love to the sinner as withal to shew his hatred to sin . Therefore he that names the name of Jesus must depart from iniquity , 2 Tim. 2. 19. and deny all ungodliness ; and he that hath hope of life by Christ must purifie himself as he is pure , 1 Iohn 3. 3. Tit. 2. 12. otherwise Christ would be thought a favourer of sin . The Lord Jesus would have all the world to know , though he pardon sin , he will not protect it . If holy David shall say , Depart from me all you workers of iniquity , Psal. 6. 8. and shall shut the doors against them , Psal. 101. 7. shall not such much more expect it from Christs holiness ? Would it be for his honour , to have the dogs to the table ? or to lodge the swine with his children ? or to have Abraham's bosom to be a nest of Vipers . V. Against his Offices . God hath exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour , Acts 5. 31. he should act against both , should he save men in their sins . It is the Office of a King. Parcere subjectis , & debellare superbos . To be a terrer to evil doers and a praise to them that do well , Rom. 13. 3 , 4. He is a Minister of God , a revenger to execute wrath on him that doth evil . Now should Christ favour the ungodly ( so continuing ) and take those to reign with him that would not that he should reign over them , Luke 19. 27. this were quite against his Office : He therefore reigns , that he may put his enemies under his feet , 1 Cor. 15. 25. now should he lay them in his bosom he should cross the end of his regal power . It belongs to Christ , as a King to subdue the hearts , and slay the lusts of his chosen , Psalm 45. 5. Psalm . 110. 3. What King would take the rebels , in open hostility , into his Court ? What were this but to betra● Life , Kingdom , Government and all together ? If Christ be a King , he must have homage , honour , sub●ection , &c. Ma● . 1. 6. Now to save men while in their natural enmity , were to obscure his Dignity , lose his Authority , bring contempt on his Government , and sell his dear-bought rights for nought . Again , as Christ should not be a Prince , so neither a Saviour , if he should do this . For his Salvation is spiritual , he is called Jesus , because he saves his people from their sins , Mat. 1. 21. So that should he save them in their sins , he should be neither Lord nor Jesus . To save men from the punishment , and not from the power of sin , were to do his work by halves , and be an imperfect Saviour . His Office , as the Deliverer , is to turn away ungodliness from Jacob , Rom. 11. 26. He is sent to bless men in turning them from their iniquities , Acts 3. 26. to make an end of sin , Dan. 9. 24. so that he should destroy his own designs , and nullifie his offices , to save men abiding in their unconverted estate . Application , Arise then , what meanest thou O sleeper ? Awake , O secure sinner , left thou be consumed in thine iniquities , Say as the Lepers , If we sit here we shall die , 2 Kings 7. 3 , 4. Verily , it is not more certain that thou art now out of hell , than that thou shalt speedily be in it , except thou repent and be converted , there is but this one door for thee to escape by . Arise then , O sluggard , and shake off thine excuses . How long wilt thou slumber , and fold thine hands to sleep ? Prov. 6. 10 , 11. Wilt thou lie down in the midst of the Sea , or sleep on the top of the mast ? Prov. 23. 34. There is no remedy ; but thou must either turn or burn . There is an unchangeable necessity of the change of thy condition , except thou art resolved to abide the worst of it , and try it out with the Almighty . If thou lovest thy life , O man , arise and come away . Methinks I see the Lord Jesus laying the merciful hands of an holy violence upon thee ; methinks he carries it like the Angels to Let , Gen. 19. 15 , &c. Then the Angels ●●●st●ned Lot , saying , Arise , lest thou be consumed , And while ●he ling●ed , the men laid hold upon his hand , the Lord being mercifull unto him , and they brought him without the City and said , Escape for thy life . stay not in all the plain , escape to the mountain , lest thou be consumed . Oh how willful will thy destruction be , if thou shouldest yet harden thy self in thy sinful states But none of you can say , but you have had fair warning . Yet methinks I cannot tell how to leave you so : It is not enough to me to have delivered my own soul. What , shall I go away without my errand ? Will none of you arise , and follow me ? Have I been all this while speaking to the wind ? Have I been charming the deaf Adder , or allaying the tumbling Ocean with arguments ? Do I speak to the trees or rocks , or to men ? to the tombs and monuments of the dead , or to a living auditory ? If you be men , and not senseless stocks , stand still , and consider whither you are going : if you have the reason and understanding of men , dare not to run into the flames , and fall into hell with your eyes open : but bethink your selves , and set to the work of repentance . What! men , and yet ●un into the pit , when the very beasts will not be forced in ! What , endowed with reason , and yet dally with death and hell , and the vengeance of the Almighty ! Are men herein distinguished from the very brutes , that they have no foresight of , and care to provide for the things to come ; and will you not hasten your escape from eternal torments ? O shew your selves men , and let reason prevail with you ; Is it a reasonable thing for you to contend against the Lord your Maker ? Isa. 45. 9. or to harden your selves against his word ? Iob 9. 4. as though the strength of Israel would lie ? 1. Sam. 15. 29. Is it reasonable that an understanding creature should lose , yea live quite against the very end of his Being , and be as a broken pitcher , only fit for the dunghill ? Is it tolerable , that the only thing in this world that God hath made capable of knowing his will , and bringing him glor● , should yet live in ignorance of his Maker , and be unserviceable to his use ; yea should be engaged against him , and spit his venom in the face of his Creator ? Hear , O Heavens , and give Ear , O earth , and let the Creatures without sense be judge , if this be reason , that man , when God hath nourished and brought him up , should rebel against him , Isa. 1. 2. Judge in ●our own selves : Is it a reasonable undertaking , for bryars and thorns , to set themselves in Battle against the devouring sire ? Isa. 27. 4. or for the Potsherd of the earth to strive with his Maker ? If you will say , this is not reason , surely the eye of reason , is quite put out . And if this be reason , then there is no reason that you should continue as you be , but 't is all the reason in the world , you should forthwith repent and turn . What shall I say ? I could spend my self in this argument . Oh that you would but hearken to me ! that you would pre●ently set upon a new course ! will you not be made clean ? When shall it once be ? What! will no body be perswaded ? Reader , shall I prevail with thee for one ? Wilt thou sit down and con●ider the forementioned arguments , and debate it , whether it be not best to turn ? Come and let us reason together . Is it good for thee to be here ? Wilt thou fit still , till the tide come in upon thee ? Is it good for thee to try whether God will be so good as his word ? and to harden thy self in a conceit , that all is well with thee , while thou remainest unsanctified . But I know you will not be persuaded , but the greatest part will be as they have been , and do as they have done . I know the drunkard will to his vomit again , and the deceiver will to his deceit again , and the lustful wanton to his dalliance again . Alas , that I must leave you where you were ; in your ignorance or looseness , or in your lifeless formality and customary devotions ! however , I will sit down and bemoan my fruitless labours , and spend some sighs over m● perishing hearers . O distracted sinners ! What will their end be ? What will they do in the day of visitation ? Whither will they flee for help ? Where will they leave their glory ? Isa. 10. 3. how powerfully hath sin bewitched them ? How effectually hath the God of this world blinded them ? How strong is their delusion ? How uncircumcised their ears ? How obdurate their hearts ? Satan hath them at his beck . But how long may I call , and can get no answer ? I may dispute with them year after year , and they will give me the hearing , and that is all . They must and will have their sins , say what I will. Though I tell them there is death in the Cup , yet they will take it up . Though I tell them 't is the broad way , and endeth in destruction , yet they will go on in it . I warn them , yet cannot win them . Sometimes I think , the mercies of God will melt them , and his winning invitations will overcome them : but I find them as they were● : Sometimes , that the terrour of the Lord will persuade them ; yet neither will this do it . They will approve the word , like the Sermon , commend the Preacher ; but they will yet live as they did . They will not deny me , yet they will not obey me . They will flock to the word of God , and sit before me as his people , and hear my words ; but they will not do them . They value and will plead for Ministers ; and I am to them as the lovely Song of one that hath a pleasant voice ; yet I cannot get them to come under Christ's Yoke . They love me , and will be ready to say they will do any thing for me ; but for my life , I cannot persuade them to leave their sins to forgo their Evil Company , their intemperance , their unjust gains , &c. I cannot prevail with them , to set up prayer in their Families and Closets , yet they will promise me , like the forward Son , that said , I go Sir , but went not . Mat. 21. 30. I cannot persuade them to learn the principles of Religion , though else they will die without knowledge , Iob 36. 12. I tell them their misery ; but they will not believe but ●tis well enough ; If I tell them particularly I fear for such reasons their State is bad , they will judge me censorious ; or if they be at present a little awakened , are quickly lull'd asleep by Satan again , and have lost the sense of all . Alas for my poor hearers ! Must they perish at last by hundreds , when Ministers would so fain save them ? What course shall I use with them that I have not tryed ? What shall I do for the daughter of my people ? Jer. 9. 7. O Lord God help . Alas shall I leave them thus ? If they will not hear me ; yet do thou hear me . Oh that they might yet live in thy sight ! Lord save them , or else they perish . My heart would melt to see their houses on fire about their ears , when they were fast asleep in their Beds : and shall not my soul be moved within me , to see them falling into endless perdition ? Lord have compassion , and save them out of the burning . Put forth thy divine power , and the work will be done : but as for me I cann't prevail . Chap. IV. Shewing the Marks of the Unconverted . VVHile we keep aloof in generals there is little fruit to be expected . It is the hand-fight that does execution . David is not awaken'd by the Prophet's hovering at a distance , in parabolical insinuations : he is forced to close with him , and tell him home , Thou art the man. Few will , in words , deny the necessity of the new Birth ; But they have a self deluding confidence , that the work is not now to do . And because they know themselves free from that gross hypocrisie , that doth take up Religion merely for a colour to deceive others , and for the covering of wicked designs : they are confident of their sincerity , and suspect not that mor● close hypocrisie ( where the greatest danger lies ) by which a man deceiveth his own soul , Iam. 1. 26. But mans deceitful heart is such a matchless cheat , and self delusion , so reigning and so fatal a disease that I know not whether be the greater , the difficulty , or the displicency , or the necessity of the undeceiving work that I am now upon . Alas for my unconverted hearers ! They must be undeceived , or undone ; but how shall this be effected ? hic labor , hoc opus est . Help , O all-searching light , and let thy discerning eye discover the rotten foundation of the self-deceiver ; and lead me , O Lord God , as thou didst thy Prophet , into the Chambers of Imagery , and dig brough the wall of Sinners hearts , and discover the hidden abominations that are l●king out of 〈…〉 the dark . O● send thine Angel before me , to 〈◊〉 ●undry Wards of their hearts , as thou didst before Peter , ●●d make ever the Iron G●●es to fly open of their own accord . And as Jonathan no sooner tasted the Hon●y , but his eyes were ●●lightned ; so grant O Lord , that when the poor decei●ed ●●●ls with whom I have to do , shall cast their eyes upon the●e lin●s , their minds may be illuminated , and their consciences convinced and awakened , that they may see with their eyes , and hear with their ears , and be converted , and thou ●ayst heal them . This must be premised , before we proceed to the discovery , that it is most certain men may have a confident perswasion , that their hearts and states be good , and yet be unsound . Hear the Truth himself , who shews in Laodicea's case , that men may be wretched , and miserable , and poor , and blind , and naked , and yet not know it , yea they may be confident they are rich and increased in grace , Rev. 3. 17. There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes , and yet is not washed from their filthiness , Prov. 30. 12. who better perswaded of his Case , than Paul , while yet he remained unconverted ? Rom. 7. 9. So that they are miserably deceived , that take a strong confidence , for a sufficient evidence . They that have no better proof , than barely a strong perswasion , that they are converted , are certainly as yet ●●rangers to Conversion . But to come more close ; as it was said of the adherents of Antichrist , so here ; some of the unconverted carry their Marks in their foreheads , more openly ; and some in their hands , more covertly . The Apostle reckons up some , upon whom he writes the sentence of Death , as in these dreadful Catalogues , which I beseech you to attend with all diligence , Eph. 5. 5 , 6. For this you know , that no whoremonger , nor unclean person , nor covetous man , who is an Idolater , hath an inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words , for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the Children of disobedience . Rev. 21. 8. But the fearful and unbelieving , and the abominable , and Murderers , and whoremongers , and sorcerers , and idolaters , and ●ll liars , shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone , which is the second death . 1 Cor. 6. 9 , 10. Know you not , that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God ? be not deceived , neither fornicators , nor idolaters and adulterers , nor effeminate , nor abusers of themselves with mankind , nor thieves , nor covetous , nor drunkards , nor revilers , or extortioners , shall inherit the Kingdom of God ? See Gal. 5. 19 , 20 , 21. Wo to them that have their names written in these bed-rolls : such may know , as certainly as if God had told it them from Heaven , that they are unsanctified , and under an impossibility of being saved in this condition . There are then these several sorts , that , past all dispute , are unconverted , they carry their marks in their foreheads . 1. The unclean . These are ever reckoned among the Goats , and have their Names , whoever be left out , in all the forementioned Catalogues , Eph. 5. 5. Rev. 21. 8. 1 Cor. 5. 9 , 10. 2. The Covetous . These are ever branded for Idolaters , and the Doors of the Kingdom are shut against them by Name , Eph. 5. 5. Col. 3. 5. 1 Cor. 6. 9 , 10. 3. Drunkards . Not only such as drink away their reason , but withal , yea , above all , such as are too strong for strong drink . The Lord fills his mouth with woes against these , and declares them to have no inheritance in the Kingdom of God , Isa. 5. 11 , 12 , 22. Gal. 5. 21. 4. Liars . The God that cannot lye hath told them that there is no place for them in his Kingdom , no entrance into his hill ; but their portion is with the Father of lies ( whose children they are ) in the Lake of burnings , Psal. 15. 1 , 2. Rev. 21. 8 , 27. Iohn 8. 44. Prov. 6. 17. 5. Swearers . The end of these , without deep and speedy repentance , is swift destruction , and most certain and unavoidable condemnation , Iam. 5. 12. Zech. 5. 1 , 2 , 3. 6. Railers and Back-biters , that love to take up a reproach against their Neighbour , and fling all the dirt they can in his face , or else wound him secretly behind his back , Psal. 15. 1 , 3. 1 Cor. 6. 10. 1 Cor. 5. 11. 7. Thieves . Extortioners , Oppressors , that grind the poor , over-reach their Brethren , when they have them at an advantage , these must know , that God is the avenger of all such , 1 Thes. 4. 6. Hear , O ye false and purloining and wastful servants : Hear , O ye deceitful tradesmen , hear your sentence . God will certainly hold his door against you , and turn your treasures of unrighteousness into the treasures of wrath , and make your ill-gotten silver and gold , to torment you like burning Metal in your Bowels , 1 Cor. 6. 9. 10. Iames 5. 2 , 3. 8. All that do ordinarily live in the prophane neglect of God's Worship , that hear not his word , that call not on his name , that restrain prayer before God , that mind not their own , nor their families souls , but live without God in the world , Ioh. 8. 47. Ioh. 15. 4. Psal. 14. 4. Psal. 79. 6. Eph. 2. 12. and 4. 18. 9. Those that are frequenters and lovers of evil company . God hath declared , he will be the destruction of all such , and that they shall never enter into the hill of his rest , Prov. 13. 20. Psalm 15. 4. Prov. 9. 6. 10. Scoffers at Religion , that make a scorn of precise walking , and mock at the messengers and diligent servants of the Lord , and at their holy profession , and make themselves merry with the weakness and failings of professors : Hear , ye despisers , hear your dreadful doom , Prov. 19. 29. 2 Chron. 36. 16. Prov. 3. 34. Sinner , consider diligently , whether thou art not to be found in one of these ranks ; for if this be thy case thou art in the gall of bitterness , and bond of iniquity ; for all these do carry their marks in their foreheads , and are undoubtedly the sons of death . And if so , the Lord pitty our poor congregations ; Oh how little a number will be left , when these ten sorts are set out ! Alas on how many doors , on how many faces must we write , Lord have mercy upon us ! Sirs , what shift do you make to keep up your confidence of your good estate , when God from Heaven declares against you , and pronounces you in a state of damnation ? I would reason with you , 〈◊〉 God with them ; How canst thou say , I am not polluted ? Jer. 2. 23. See thy way in the valley , know what thou hast done . Man , is not thy conscience privy to thy tricks of deceit , to thy chamber pranks , to thy way of lying ? Yea , are not thy friends , thy family , thy neighbours , witnesses to thy prophane neglects of Gods worship , to thy covetous practices , to thy envious and malicious carriage ? may not they point at thee , as thou goest , there goes a gaming Prodigal ; there goes a drunken Nabal , a companion of evil-doors ; there goes a Railer , or a Scoffer , a loose-liver ? Beloved , God hath written it , as with a Sun-beam , in the book out of which you must be judged , that these are not the spots of his Children , and that none such ( except renewed by converting grace ) shall ever escape the damnation of Hell. Oh that such of you would now be perswaded t● repent and turn from all your transgressions ; or else iniquity will be your ruin ! Ezek. 18. 30. Alas for poor hard'ned sinners ! Must I leave you at last where you were ? Must I leave the tipler still at the Ale-bench ? Must I leave the wanton still at his dalliance ? Must I leave the malicious still in his venom ? And the drunkard still at his vomit ? However you must know that you have been warned , and that I am clear of your blood . And whether men will hear , or whether they will forbear , I will leave these Scriptures with them , either as thunderbolts to awaken them , or as searing Irons to harden them to a reprobate sence , Psal. 68. 21. God shall wound the head of his enemies , and the hairy scalp of such a one , as goeth on still in his trespasses . Prov. 29. 1. He that being often reproved hardneth his neck , shall suddenly be destroyed , and that without remedy . Prov. 1. 24 , &c. Because I have called , and ye refused , I have stretched out my hand , and no man regarded , &c. I will mock at your calamity — when your destruction cometh as a whirlwind . And now I imagine , many will begin to bless themselves , and think all is well , because they cannot be spotted with the grosser evils above mentioned . But I must further tell you , that there are another sort of unsanctified persons , that carry not their marks in their foreheads , but more secretly and covertly in their hands . These do frequently deceive themselves and others , and pass for good Christians , when they are all the while unsound at bottom . Many pass undiscovered , till death and judgment bring all to light . Those self-deceivers seem to come even to Heaven's gate with confidence of their admission , and yet are turned off at last , Mat. 7. 22. Brethren , Beloved , I beseech you deeply to lay to heart , and firmly to retain this awakening consideration : That Multitudes miscarry by the hand of some secret sin , that is not only hidden from others but ( for want of observing their own hearts ) even from themselves . A man may be free from open pollutions , and yet die at last by the fatal hand of some unobserved iniquity . And there be these twelve hidden sins , by which souls go down by numbers into the Chambers of death . These you must search carefully for , and take them as black marks ( wherever they be found ) discovering a graceless and unconverted estate . And as you love your lives , read carefully , with a holy jealousie of your selves , lest you should be the persons concerned . 1. Gross Ignorance . Ah how many poor souls doth this sin kill in the dark , Hos. 4. 6. while they think verily they have good hearts , and are in the ready way to Heaven ! This is the murderer that dispatches thousands in a silent manner , when ( poor hearts ! ) they suspect nothing , and see not the hand that mischiefs them . You shall find whatever excuses you have for ignorance , that 't is a soul-undoing , evil , Isa. 27. 11. 2 Thes. 1. 8. 2 Cor. 4. 3. Ah would it not have pitted a man's heart to have seen that woful spectacle , when the poor Protestants were shut up a multitude together in a Barn , and a Butcher comes with his inhumane hands warm in humane blood , and leads them one by one blind-fold to a Block , where he slew them ( poor Innocents ! ) one after another by the scores in cold blood ? But how much more should our hearts bleed , to think of the hundreds in great Congregations , that ignorance doth butcher in secret , and lead them blind-fold to the Block ? Beware this be none of your case . Make no pleas for ignorance . If you spare that sin , know that that will not spare you . Will a man keep a Murderer in his Bosom ? 2. Secret reserves in closing with Christ. To forsake all for Christ , to hate father and mother , yea , and a mans own life for him , this is a hard saying , Luke 14. 26. Some will do much , but they will not be of the Religion that will undo them ; they never come to be entirely devoted to Christ , nor fully to resign to him : They must have the sweet sin : They mean to do themselves no harm : They have secret exceptions , for Life , Liberty , or Estate . Many take Christ thus hand over head , and never consider his self denying terms , nor cast up the cost ; and this error in the foundation marrs all , and secretly ruins them for ever , Luke 14. 28. Mat. 13. 21. 3. Formality in Religion . Many stick in the bark , and rest in the outside of Religion , and in the external performances of holy duties , Mat. 23. 25. and this oft-times doth most effectually deceive men , and doth more certainly undo them , than open looseness ; as it was in the Pharisees case , Mat. 23. 31. They hear , they fast , they pray , they give alms , and therefore will not believe but their Case is good , Luke 18. 11. whereas resting in the work done , and coming short of the heart-work , and the inward power and vitals of Religion , they fall at last into the burning , from the flattering hopes , and confident persuasions of their being in the ready way to Heaven , Mat. 7. 22 , 23. Oh dreadful case ; when a man's Religion shall serve only to harden him , and effectually to delude and deceive his own Soul● 4. The prevalency of false ends in holy duties . Mat. 23. 25. This was the bane of the Pharisees . Oh how many a poor soul is undone by this , and drops into Hell , before he discerns his mistake ! He performs good duties , and so thinks all is well , and perceives not that he is actuated by carnal Motives all the while . It is too true that even with the truly sanctified , many carnal ends will oft-times creep in ; but they are the matter of his hatred and humiliation , and never come to be habitually prevalent with him , and to bear the greatest sway , Rom. 14. 7. But now when the main thing that doth ordinarily carry a man out to religious duties , shall be some carnal end , as to satisfie his conscience , to get the repute of being religious , to be seen of men , to shew his own gifts and parts , to avoid the reproach of a prophane and irreligious person , or the like ; this discovers an unsound heart , Hos. 10. 1. Zech. 7. 5 , 6. O Christians , if you would avoid self-deceit , see that you mind , not only your acts , but withal , yea , above all , your ends . 5. Trusting in their own righteousness , Luk. 18. 9. This is a soul undoing mischief , Rom. 10. 3. When men do trust in their own righteousness , they do indeed reject Christ's . Beloved , you had need be watchful on every hand , for , not only your sins , but your duties , may undo you . It may be you never thought of this , but so it is , that a man may as certainly miscarry by his seeming righteousness , and supposed graces , as by gross sins ; and that is when a man doth trust to these as his righteousness before God , for the satisfying his justice , appeasing his wrath , procuring his favour , and obtaining of his own pardon : for this is to put Christ out of office , and make a Saviour of our own duties and graces . Beware of this , O professors ; you are much in duties , but this one fly will spoil all the Ointment . When you have done most , and best , be sure to go out of your selves to Christ , reckon your own righteousness but rags , Psalm 143. 2. Phil. 3. 8. Isa. 64. 6. Neh. 13. 22. 6. A secret enmity against the strictness of Religion . Many moral persons , punctual in their formal devotion , have yet a bitter enmity against preciseness , and hate the life and power of Religion , Phil. 3. 6. compared with Acts 9. 1. They like not this frowardness , nor that men should keep such a stir in Religion . They condemn the strictness of Religion , as singularity , indiscretion , and intemperate zeal , and with them a lively Preacher , or lively Christian , is but a heady fellow . These men love not holiness , as holiness , ( for then they would love the height of holiness ) and therefore are undoubtedly rotten at heart , whatever good opinion they have of themselves . 7. The resting in a certain pitch of Religion . When they have so much as will save them ( as they suppose ) they look no further , and so shew themselves short of true Grace , which will ever put men upon aspiring to further perfection . Phil. 3. 13. Pro. 4. 18. 8. The predominant love of the World. This is the sure evidence of an unsanctified heart , Mar. 10. 37. 1 Iohn 2. 15. But how close doth this sin lurk oft-times under a fair covert of forward profession ? Luke 8. 14. Yea such a power of deceit is there in this sin , that many times when every body else can see the man's worldliness , and covetousness , he cannot see it himself , but hath so many colours , and excuses , and pretences for his eagerness , on the world , that he doth blind his own eyes , and perish in his self-deceit . How many professors be here , with whom the world hath more of their hearts and affections than Christ ? Who mind earthly things , and thereby are evidently after the flesh , and like to end in destruction ? Rom. 8. 5. Phil. 3. 19. Yet ask these men ; and they will tell you confidently , they prize Christ above all , God forbid else ! and see not their own earthly mindedness for want of a narrow observation of the workings of their own hearts . Did they but carefully search , they would quickly find that their greatest content is in the world , Luke 12. 19. and their greatest care and main endeavour to get and secure the world , which are the certain discovery of an unconverted sinner . May the professing part of the world take earnest heed , that they perish not by the hand of this sin unobserved . Men may be , and often are kept off from Christ , as effectually , by the inordinate love of lawful comforts , as by the most unlawful courses , Mat. 22. 5. Luke 14. 18 , 19 , 20 , 24. 9. Reigning Malice and Envy against those that disrespect them , or are injurious to them , 1 Ioh. 2. 9 , 11. O how do many that seem to be religious remember injuries , and carry grudges , and will return men as good as they bring , rendring evil for evil , loving to take revenge , wishing evil to them that wrong them , directly against the rule of the Gospel , the pattern of Christ , and the nature of God , Rom. 12. 14 , 17. 1 Pet. 2. 21 , 23. Neh. 9. 17. Doubtless where this evil is kept boiling in the heart , and is not hated , resisted , mortified , but doth habitually prevail , that person is in the very gall of bitterness , and in a state of death , Mat. 18. 34 , 35. 1 Iohn 3. 14 , 15. Reader , doth nothing of this touch thee ? Art thou in none of the forementioned Ranks ? O search and search again ; take thy heart solemnly to task . Woe unto thee , if after all thy profession thou shouldst be found under the power of ignorance , lost in formality , drowned in earthly mindedness , envenomed with malice , exalted in an opinion of thine own righteousness , levened with hypocrisie , and carnal ends in Gods service , imbittered against strictness : this would be a sad discovery that all thy Religion were in vain . But I must proceed . 10. Unmortified Pride . When men love the praise of men , more than the praise of God ; and set their hearts upon mens esteem● applause and approbation , it is most certain they are yet in their sins , and strangers to true conversion . Iohn 12. 43. Gal. 1. 10. When men see not , nor complain of , nor groan under the pride of their own hearts , it 's a sign they are stark dead in sin . O how secretly doth this sin live and reign in many hearts , and they know it not , but are very strangers to themselves ! Iohn 9. 40. 11. The prevailing love of pleasure , 2 Tim. 3. 4. This is a black mark . When men give the flesh the liberty that it craves , and pamper , and please it , and do not deny and restrain it : when their great delight is in gratifying their bellies , and pleasing their senses ; whatever appearance they may have of Religion , all is unsound , Rom. 16. 18. Tit. 3. 3. A flesh-pleasing life , cannot be pleasing to God , They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh , and are careful to cross it , and keep it under , as their enemy , Gal. 5. 24. 1 Cor. 9. 25 , 26 , 27. 12. Carnal security , or a presumptuous and ungrounded confidence , that their condition is already good , Rev. 3. 17. Many cry , Peace and safety , when sudden destruction is coming upon them , 1. Thes. 5. 3. This was that which kept the foolish Virgins sleeping , when they should have been working ; upon their Beds , when they should have been at the Markets , Mat. 25. 5 , 10. Prov. 10. 5. They perceived not their want of Oyl , till the Bridegroom was come ; and while they went to buy , the door was shut . And O that these foolish Virgins had no successors ! where is the place , yea where is the house almost , where these do not dwell ? Men are willing to cherish in themselves , upon never so slight grounds , a hope that their condition is good , and so look not out after a change , and by this means perish in their sins . Are you at peace ? Shew me upon what grounds your peace is maintained . Is it a Scripture peace ? Can you shew the distinguishing marks of a sound Believer ? Can you evidence that you have something more than any Hypocrite in the world ever had ? If not , fear this peace more than any trouble ; and know that a carnal peace doth commonly prove the most mortal enemy of the poor soul ; and while it smiles and kisses , and speaks it fair , doth fatally smite it , as it were under the fifth rib . By this time methinks I hear my Reader crying out with the Disciples , Who then shall be saved ? Set out from among our Congregations all those ten ranks of the prophane , on the one hand , and then besides , take out all these twelve sorts of close and self-deceiving Hypocrites on the other hand , and tell me then , whether it be not a remnant that shall be saved . How few will be the Sheep that shall be left , when all these shall be separated , and set among the Goats ? For my part , of all my numerous hearers , I have no hope to see any of them in Heaven , that are to be found among these two and twenty sorts that are here mentioned , except by sound conversion they be brought into another condition . Application . And now , Conscience , do thine office , Speak out , and speak home to him that heareth or readeth these lines . If thou find any of these marks upon him , thou must pronounce him utterly unclean , Levit. 13. 44. Take not up a lie into thy mouth : speak not peace to him , to whom God speaks no peace . Let not lust bribe thee , or self-love , or carnal prejudice blind thee . I subpoena thee from the Court of Heaven , to come and give in evidence : I require thee in the name of God to go with me to the search of the suspected house . As thou wilt answer it at thy peril , give in a true report of the state and case of him that readeth this Book . Conscience , wilt thou altogether hold thy peace at such a time as this ? I adjure thee by the living God , that thou tell us the truth . Mat. 26. 63. Is the man converted , or is he not ? Doth he allow himself in any way of sin , or doth he not ? Doth he truly love , and please , and prize , and delight in God above all other things , or not ? Come put it to an issue . How long shall this soul live at uncertainties ? Oh Conscience , bring in thy verdict . Is this man a new man , or is he not ? How dost thou find it ? Hath there passed a thorough and mighty change upon him , or not ? when was the time , where was the place , or what was the means , by which this thorough change of the new birth was wrought in his Soul ? Speak Conscience : Or if thou canst not tell time and place , canst thou shew Scripture Evidence , that the work is done ? Hath the man been ever taken off from his false bottom , from the false hopes , and false peace wherein once he trusted ? Hath he been deeply convinced of sin , and of his lost and undone condition , and brought out of himself , and off from his sins , to give up himself entirely to Jesus Christ ; Or dost thou not find him to this day under the power of ignorance , or in the mire of prophaneness ? Hast thou not taken upon him the gains of unrighteousness ? Dost not thou find him a stranger to prayer , a neglecter of the word , a lover of this present world ? Dost not thou often catch him in a lie ? Dost not thou find his heart fermented with malice , or burning with lust , or going after his covetousness ? Speak plainly to all the forementioned particulars : Canst thou acquit this man , this woman , from being any of the two and twenty sorts here described ? If he be found with any of them , set him aside , his portion is not with the Saints . He must be converted and made a new creature , or else he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. Beloved , be not your own betrayers , do not deceive your own hearts , nor set your hands to your own ruin , by a wilful blinding of your selves . Set up a tribunal in your own breasts . Bring the word and conscience together . To the Law and to the Testimony , Isa. 8. 20. Hear what the word concludes of your estates . O follow the search , till you have found how the case stands . Mistake here , and perish . And such is the treachery of the Heart , the subtilty of the Tempter , and the deceitfulness of Sin , Ier. 17. 9. 2 Cor. 11. 3. Heb. 3. 13. all conspire to flatter and deceive the poor soul , and withal so common and easie it is to be mistaken , that it 's a thousand to one but you will be deceived , unless you be very careful , and thorough , and impartial in the enquiry into your spiritual conditions . Oh therefore ply your work , go to the bottom , search as with candles , weigh you in the ballance , come to the Standard of the Sanctuary , bring your Coin to the Touch-stone . You have the archest Cheats in the world to deal with : a world of counterfeit Coin is going , happy is he that takes no Counters for Gold. Satan is master of deceits , he can draw to the life : he is perfect in the trade : there is nothing but he can imitate . You cannot wish for any Grace , but he can fit you to a hair with a Counterfeit . Trade wearily , look on every piece you take , be jealous ; ●rust not so much as your own hearts . Run to God to search you , and try you , to examine you , and prove your reins , Psalm 26. 2. Psal. 139. 23 , 24. If other helps suffice not to bring all to an issue , but you are still at a loss , open your cases faithfully to some godly and faithful Minister , Mal. 2. 7. Rest not , till you have put the business of your eternal welfare out of question , 1 Pet. 2. 10. O searcher of hearts , put thou this soul upon and help him in the search . Chap. V. Shewing the Miseries of the Unconverted . SO unspeakably dreadful is the case of every unconverted soul , that I have sometimes thoughts , if we could but convince men , that they are yet unregenerate , the work were upon the matter done . But I sadly experience , that such a spirit of sloth and slumber ( Rom. 11. 8. Mat. 13. 15. ) possesses the unsanctified , that though they be convinced that they are yet unconverted ; yet they oft-times carelesly sit still , and what through the avocation of sensual pleasures , or hurry of worldly business , or noise and clamour of earthly cares , and lusts , and affections , Luke 8. 14. the voice of Conscience is drowned , and men go no farther than some cold wishes , and general purposes of repenting and amending , Acts 24. 25. It 's therefore of high necessity , that I do not only convince men , that they are unconverted ; but that I also endeavour to bring them to a sense of the fearful misery of this estate . But here I find my self aground at first putting forth . What Tongue can tell the Heirs of Hell sufficiently of their misery , unless 't were Dives's in that flame , Luke 16. 24. Where is the ready Writer , whose Pen can● decipher their misery , that are without God in the World ? Eph. 2. 12. This cannot fully be done , unless we knew the infinite Ocean of that bliss and perfection which is in that God , which a state of sin doth exclude men from . Who knoweth ( saith Moses ) the power of thine anger ? Psal. 90. 11. And how shall I tell men , that which I do not know ? Yet so much we know , as one would think would shake the hear● of that man , that had the least degree of spiritual life and sense . But this is yet the more posing difficulty , that I am to speak to them that are without sense . Alas this is not the least part of man's misery upon him that he is dead , stark dead in trespasses and sins , Eph. 2. 1. Could I bring Paradise into view , or represent the Kingdom of Heaven to as much advantage as the tempter did the Kingdoms of the world , and all the glory thereof , to our Saviour : or could I uncover the race of the deep and devouring Gulph of Tophet in all its terrors , and open the Gates of the infernal furnace , alas he hath no eyes to see it , Mat. 13. 14 , 15. Could I paint out the Beauties of Holiness , or glory of the Gospel to the life ; or could I bring above-board the more than Diabolical deformity and ugliness of sin , he can no more judge of the loveliness and beauty of the one , nor the filthiness and hatefulness of the other , than the blind man of colours . He is alienated from the life of God , through the ignorance that is in him , because of the blindness of his heart , Eph. 4. 18. He neither doth nor can know the things of God , because they are spiritually discerned , 1 Cor. 2. 14. His eyes cannot be savingly opened , but by converting grace , Acts 26. 18. he is a Child of darkness , and walks in darkness , 1 Ioh. 1. 6. yea the light in him is darkness , Mat. 6. 2 , 3. Shall I ring his knell , or read his sentence , or sound in his ear , the terrible trump of Gods Judgments , that one would think should make both his ears to tingle , and strike him into Belshazzar's fit , even to appale his countenance , and loose his joynts , and make his knees smite one against another ? Yet alas ! he perceives me not , he hath no ears to hear . Or shall I call up all the Daughters of Musick , and sing the Song of Moses , and of the Lamb ? yet he will not be stirred . Shall I allure him with the joyful sound , and the lovely Song , and glad tidings of the Gospel ? with the most sweet and inviting calls , comforts , cordials , of the divine promises , so exceeding great and precious , it will not affect him savingly , unless I could find him ears , Mat. 13. 15. as well as tell him the news . Shall I set before him the feast of fat things , the wine of wisdom , the bread of God , the tree of life , the hidden Manna ? he hath no appetite for them , no mind to them , 1 Cor. 2. 14. Mat. 22. 5. Should I press the choicest grapes , the heavenly clusters of Gospel priviledges , and drink to him in the richest wine of Gods own cellar , yea of his own side , or set before him the delicious hony-comb of Gods Testimonies , Psal. 19. 10. alas , he hath no tast to discern them . Shall I invite the dead to arise and eat the banquet of their funerals ? No more can the dead in sin favour the holy food wherewith the Lord of life hath spread his table . What then shall I do ? shall I burn the brimstone of hell at his nostrils ? or shall I open the box of Spikenard , very precious● that filleth the whole house of this universe with its perfume , Mark. 14. 3. Iohn 12. 8. and hope that the favour of Christ's ointments , and the smell of his garments will attract him ? Psal. 45. 8. Alas ! dead sinners are like the dumb Idols , they have mouths , but they speak not ; eyes have they , but they see not ; they have ears , but they hear not ; noses have they , but they smell not ; they have hands , but they handle not ; feet have they , but they walk not : neither speak they through their throat , Psal. 115. 5 , 6 , 7. They are destitute of all spiritual sense and motion . But let me try the sense that doth last leave us , and draw the Sword of the word ; yet lay at him while I will ; yea though I choose mine arrows out of God's quiver , and direct them to the heart , nevertheless he feeleth it not ; for how should he , being past feeling ? Eph. 4. 19. So that though the wrath of God abideth on him , and the mountainous weight of so many thousand sins , yet he goes up and down as light as if nothing ●iled him . Rom. 7. 9. In a word he carries a dead soul in a living body , and his flesh is but the walking Coffin of a corrupted mind , that is twice dead , Iude 12. rotting in the slime and putrefaction of noisom lusts , Mat. 23. 27 , 28. Which way then shall I come at the miserable objects that I have to deal with ; who shall make the heart of stone to relent ? Zech. 11. 12. or the lifeless Carkass to feel and move ? That God that is able of Stones to raise up Children unto Abraham , Mat. 3. 9. that raiseth the Dead , 2 Cor. 1. 9. and melteth the Mountains , Nah. 1. 5. and strikes water out of the Flints , Deut. 8. 15. that loves to work like himself , beyond the hopes and belief of man , that peopleth his Church with dry bones , and planteth his Orchard with dry sticks ; he is able to do this . Therefore I bow my knee to the most high God , Eph. 3. 14. and as our Saviour prayed at the Sepulchre of Lazarus , Iohn 11. 38 , 41. and the Shunamite ran to the man of God for her dead Child , 2 Kings 4. 25. so doth your mourning Minister kneel about your graves , and carry you in the arms of prayer to that God in whom your help is found . Oh thou all powerful Iehovah , that workest , and none can lett thee , that hast the keys of Hell and of death , pitty thou the dead souls that lie here intombed , and roll away the grave stone , and say as to Lazarus , when already ●tinking , Come forth . Lighten thou this darkness , O inaccessable light , and let the day-spring from on high , visit the darksome region of the dead to whom I speak : for thou canst open the eyes that death it self hath closed . Thou that formedst the ear , canst restore the hearing . Say thou to these ears , Ephphatah , and they shall be opened . Give thou eyes to see thine excellencies ; a taste that may relish thy sweetness ; a scent that may savour thine Ointments , a feeling that may sence the priviledge of thy favour , the burden of thy wrath , the intolerable weight of unpardoned sin , and give thy servants command to prophesie to the dry bones , and let the effect of this prophesie , be , as of thy Prophet , when he prophesied the valley of dry bones into a living Army , exceeding great , Ezek. 37. 1 , &c. The hand of the Lord was upon me , and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord , and set me down in the midst of the valley , which was full of bones ; He said unto me , prophesie upon these bones , and say unto them , O ye dry bones , bear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones , Behold I will cause breath to enter into you , and ye shall live . And I will lay sinews upon you , and will bring up flesh upon you , and cover you with Skin , and put breath in you , and ye shall live , and ye shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded , and as I prophesied , there was a noise , and behold a shaking , and the bones came together bone to his bone . And when I beheld , Lo the sinew● and the flesh came up upon them , and covered them above , but there was no breath in them , Then said he unto me , Prophesie unto the wind , prophesie son of man , and say unto the wind : Thus saith the Lord God , Come from the four winds , O breath and breathe upon these slain , that they may live , So I prophesied as he commanded me , and the breath came into them , and they lived , and stood up upon their feet , an exceeding great army . But I must proceed , as I am able , to unfold that misery , which I confess no tongue can unfold ; no heart can sufficiently comprehend . Know therefore that while thou art unconverted . 1. The infinite God is engaged against thee . It is no small part of thy misery , that thou art without God , Eph. 2. 12. How doth Micah run crying after the Danites ; You have taken away my Gods , and what have I more ? Judges 18. 23 , 24. O what a mourning then must thou lift up , that art without God , that canst lay no claim to him , without daring unsurpation ! Thou mayst say of God , as Sheba of David ; We have no part in David , neither have we inheritance in the Son of Jesse , 2. Sam. 20. 1. How pittiful and piercing a moan is that of Saul in his extremity ; The Philistines are upon me , and God is departed from me , 1. Sam. 28. 15. Sinners , but what will you do in the day of your visitation ? whither will you flee for help ? where will you leave your glory ? Isa. 10. 3. What will you do when the Philistines are upon you ? When the World shall take its eternal leave of you ; when you must bid your friends , houses , lands , farewel for evermore ? What will you do then , I say , that have never a God to go to ? Will you call on him , will you cry to him for help ? alas he will not own you , Prov. 1. 28 , 29. he will not take any knowledge of you , but send you packing , with an I never knew you . Mat. 7. 23. They that know what 't is to have a God to go to , a God to live upon , they know a little , what a fearful misery it is to be without God. This made that holy man cry out , Let me have a God , or nothing . Let me know him and his will , and what will please him , and how I may come to enjoy him , or would I had never had an understanding to know any thing , &c. But thou art not only without God , but God is against thee , Ezek. 5. 8 , 9. Nah. 2. 13. Oh if God would but stand a neuter , though he did not own , nor help the poor sinner , his case were not so deeply miserable . Though God should give up the poor creature to the will of all his enemies , to do their worst with him ; though he should deliver him over to the tormentors , Mat. 18. 〈◊〉 that devils should tear and torture him to their 〈◊〉 most power and skill , yet this were not half ●o fearful . But God will set himself against the sinner ; and believe it , 'T is a fearful thing , to fall into the hands of the living God , Heb. 10. 31. There●s no friend like him , no enemy like him . As much as Heaven is above the Earth , Omnipotency , above Impotency , Infinity above Nullity , so much more horrible is it to fall into the hands of the living God , than into the paws● of Bears or Lions , yea Furies , or Devils . God himself will be thy tormentor ; thy destruction shall come from the presence of the Lord , 2 Thes. 1. 9. Tophet is deep and large , and the wrath of the Lord , like a river of Brimstone , doth kindle it , Isa. 30. 33. If God be against thee , who shall be for thee ? If one man sin against another , the Judge shall judge him ; but if a man sin against the Lord , who shall intreat for him ? 1 Sam. 2. 25. Thou , even thou , art to be feared ; and who shall stand in thy fight , when once thou art angry ? Psal. 76. 7. Who● is that God , that shall deliver you out of his hands , Dan. 3. 15. Can Mammon ? Riches profit not in the day of Wrath , Prov. 11. 4. Can Kings , or Warriors ? No , they shall cry to the Mountains and Rocks to fall on us , and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne , and from the Wrath of the Lamb , for the great day of his wrath is come , and who shall be able to stand ? Rev. 6. 15 , 16 , 17. Sinner , methinks this should go like a dagger to thine heart , to know that God is thine enemy . Oh whither wilt thou go , where wilt thou shelter thee ? There is no hope for thee , unless thou lay down thy weapons , and sue out thy pardon , and get Christ to stand thy friend , and make thy peace . If it were not for this , thou mightest go into some howling wilderness , and there pine in sorrow : and run mad for anguish of heart and horrible despair . But in Christ there is a possibility of mercy for thee , yea a proffer of mercy to thee , that thou mayst have God to be more for thee , than he is now against thee . But if thou wilt not forsake thy sins , nor turn thoroughly and to purpose unto God , by a sound Conversion , the wrath of God , abideth on thee , and he proclaims himself to be against thee , as in the Prophet , Ezek. 5. 8. Therefore , thus saith the Lord God , Behold , I , even I , am against thee . I. His face is against thee . Psal. 34. 16. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil , to cut off the remembrance of them . Wo unto them whom God shall set his face against . When he did but look upon the host of the Egyptians , how terrible was the consequence ? Ezek. 14. 8. I will set my face against that man , and will make him a sign , and proverb , and will cut him off from the midst of my people , and you shall know that I am the Lord. 2. His heart is against thee : He hateth all the workers of iniquity . Man , doth not thine heart tremble to think of thy being an object of God's hatred ? Ier. 15. 1. Though Moses and Samuel stood before me , yet my mind could not be towards this people , cast them out of my sight , Zech. 7. 8. My soul loathed them , and their souls also abhorred me . 3. His hand is against thee , 1 Sam. 12. 14 , 15. All his Attributes are against thee . First , His Justice is like a flaming Sword unsheathed against thee . If I whet my glittering Sword , and my Hand take hold on Judgment , I will render vengeance to mine adversaries , and will reward them that hate me . I will make mine arrows drunk with blood , &c. Deut. 32. 40 , 41. So exact is Justice , that 't will by no means clear the guilty , Exod. 34. 7. God will not discharge thee , he will not hold thee guiltless , Exod. 20. 7. but will require the whole debt in person of thee ; unless thou canst make a Scripture claim to Christ and his satisfaction . When the enlightned Sinner looks on justice , and sees the ballance in which he must be weighed , and the sword by which he must be executed , he feels an earth-quake in his Breast . But Satan keeps this out of sight , and perswades the Soul while he can , that the Lord is all made up of mercy , and so lulls it asleep in sin . Divine justice is very strict ; it must have satisfaction to the utmost farthing ; it denounceth indignation and wrath , tribulation and anguish , to every soul that doth evil , Rom. 2. 8 , 9. It curseth every one that continueth not in every thing that is written in the Law to do it , Gal. 3. 10. The justice of God to the unpardoned sinner , that hath a sense of his misery is more terrible than the sight of the Bayliff or Creditor to the bankrupt debtor , or than the sight of the Judge , and Bench to the Robber , or of the Irons and Gibbet to the guilty Murderer . When Justice sits upon life and death , Oh what dre●dful work doth it make with the wretched sinner ? Bind him hand and foot , cast him , into utter darkness , there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth , Mat. 22. 13. Depart from me , ye cursed , into everlasting fire , Mat. 25. 41. This is the terrible sentence that Justice pronounceth . Why sinner , by this severe Justice must thou be tryed ; and as God liveth , this killing sentence shalt thou hear , unless thou repent and be converted . Secondly , The holiness of God is full of antipathy against thee , Psal. 5. 4 , 5. He is not only angry with thee ( so he may be with his own Children ) but he hath a fixed , rooted , habitual displeasure against thee ; he loaths thee , Zech. 11. 8. and what is done by thee , though for substance commanded by him , Isa. 1. 14. Mal. 1. 10. As if a man should give his servant never so good meat to dress : yet if he should mingle filth , or poyson with it , he would not touch it . Gods Nature is infinitely contrary to sin , and so he cannot but hate a sinner out of Christ. O what a misery is this , to be out of the favour , yea , under the hatred of God! Eccles. 5. 4. Hos. 9. 15. that God can as easily lay aside his Nature , and cease to be God , as not be contrary to thee and detest thee , except thou be changed and renewed by grace ! O sinner , how darest thou to think of the bright and radiant Sun of purity , upon the beauties , the glory of holiness that is in God! The Stars are not pure in his sight ; Job 25. 5. He humbleth himself to behold things that are done in Heaven , Psal. 11. 3. 6. O those light and sparkling eyes of his ! what do they espy in thee ? and thou hast no interest in Christ neither , that he should plead for thee . Methinks I should hear thee crying out astonished , with the Bethshemites , Who shall stand before this holy Lord God ? 1 Sam. 6. 20. Thirdly , The power of God is mounted like a mighty Cannon against thee . The glory of Gods power is to be displayed , in the wonderful confusion and destruction of them that obey not the Gospel , 2 Thes. 1. 8 , 9. He will make his power known in them , Rom. 9. 22. How mightily he can torment them : For this end he raiseth them up , that he might make his power known , Rom. 9. 17. O man , art thou able to make thy party good with thy Maker ? No more than a silly Reed , against the Cedars of God , or a little Cock-boat against the tumbling Ocean ; or the Childrens Bubbles , against the blustring Winds . Sinner , the power of Gods anger is against thee , Psal. 90. 11. and power and anger together , make fearful work . 'T were better thou hadst all the world in arms against thee , than to have the power of God against thee . There is no escaping his hands , no breaking his prison : The thunder of his power who can understand ? Iob 26. 14. Unhappy man that shall understand it by feeling it ! If he will contend with him , he cannot answer him one of a thousand . He is wise in heart , and mighty in strength ; who hath hardned himself against him , and prospered ? Which removeth the Mountains and they know it not , which overturneth them in his anger : Which shaketh the earth out of her place , and the pillars thereof tremble : Which commandeth the Sun , and it riseth not , and sealeth up the Stars . Behold he taketh away , who can hinder him ? who will say unto him , What dost thou ? If God will not withdraw his anger , the proud helpers do stoop under him , Iob 9. 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , &c. And art thou a fit match for such an antagonist ? O consider , this you that forget God , lest he tear you in pieces , and there be none to deliver you , Psal. 50. 22. Submit to mercy . Let not dust and stubble stand it out against the Almighty . Set not Briars and Thorns against him in Battle , lest he go through them , and consume them together ; but tay hold on his strength , that you may make peace with him , Isa. 27. 4 , 5. Wo to him that striveth with his Maker , Isa. 45. 9. Fourthly , The wisdom of God is set to ruin thee . He hath ordained his arrows , and prepared the instruments of death , and made all things ready , Psal. 7. 12 , 13. His counsels are against thee , to contrive they destruction , Ier. 18. 11. He laughs in himself , to see how thou wilt be taken and ensnared in the evil day , Psal. 37. 13. The Lord shall laugh at him , for he seeth that the day is coming . He sees how thou wilt come down mightily in a moment ; how thou wilt wring thine hands , and tear thine hair , and eat thy flesh , and gnash thy teeth for anguish and astonishment of heart , when thou seest thou art fallen remedilesly into the pit of destruction . Fifthly , The truth of God is sworn against thee , Psal. 95. 11. If he be true and faithful thou must perish , if thou goest on , Luke 13. 3. Unless he be false of his word , thou must die , except thou repent , Ezek. 33. 11. If we believe not , yet he abideth faithful , he cannot deny himself , 2 Tim. 2. 13. That is , he is faithful to his threatnings , as well as promises , and will shew his faithfulness in our confusion , if we believe not . God hath told thee , as plain as it can be spoken , That if he wash thee not , thou hast no part in him , John 13. 8. that if thou livest after the flesh , thou shalt die , Rom. 8. 13. That except thou be converted , thou shalt in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven , Mat. 18. 3. and he abideth faithful , he cannot deny himself . Beloved , as the immutable faithfulness of God in his promise and oath , afford Believers strong consolation , Heb. 6. 18. so they are to Unbelievers , for strong consternation and confusion . O sinner , tell me , what shift dost thou make to think of all the threatnings of Gods word , that stand upon record against thee ? Dost thou believe their truth , or not ? If not , thou art a wretched in●idel , and not a Christian ; and therefore give over the name and hopes of a Christian. But if thou dost believe them , O heart of steel that thou hast , that canst walk up and down in quiet , when the truth and faithfulness of God is engaged to destroy thee ! That if God Almighty can do it , thou shalt surely perish and be damned . Why man , the whole book of God doth testifie against thee , while thou remainest unsanctified : It condemns thee in every leaf , and is to thee , like Ezekiel's roll , written within and without with lamentation and mourning and woe , Ezek. 2. 10. and all this shall surely come upon thee , and overtake thee , Deut. 28. 15. except thou repent . Heaven and Earth shall pass away , but one jot , or tittle of this word shall never pass away , Mat. 5. 18. Now put all this together , and tell me , if the case of the unconverted be not deplorably miserable As we read of some persons , that had bound themselves in an oath , and in a curse to kill Paul : So thou must know , O sinner , to thy terrer , that all the Attributes of the Infinite God are bound in an oath to destroy thee , Heb. 3. 28. O man , what wilt thou do ? Whither wilt thou fly ? If Gods Omnisciency can find thee , thou shalt not escape . If the true and faithful God will save his Oath , perish thou must , except thou believe and repent . If the Almighty hath power to torment thee , thou shalt be perfectly miserable in Soul and Body to all eternity , unless it be prevented by thy speedy Conversion . II. The whole Creation of God is against thee . The whole Creation ( saith Paul ) groaneth and travelleth in pain , Rom. 8. 22. But what is it that the Creation groaneth under ? Why , the fearful abuse that it is subject to , in serving the lusts of unsanctified men . And what is it that the Creation groaneth for ? Why , for freedom and liberty from this abuse ; for the creature is very unwillingly subject to this bondage , Rom. 8. 19 , 20 , 21. If the unreasonable and inanimate creatures had speech and reason , they would cry out under it , as bondage unsufferable , to be abused by the ungodly , contrary to their natures , and the ends that the great Creator made them for . It is a passage of an eminent Divine ; The liquor that the drunkard drinketh , if it had reason as well as a man , to know how shamefully 't is abused and spoiled , it would groan in the Barrels against him , it would groan in the Cup against him , groan in his Throat , in his Belly , against him . It would fly in his Face , if it could speak . And if God should open the mouths of the Creatures as he did the mouth of Balaam's Ass , the proud mans garments on his back would groan against him . There is never a creature but if it had reason to know how 't is abused , till a man be converted , it would groan against him . The land would groan to bear him , the air would groan to give him breathing , their houses would groan to lodge them , their beds would groan to ease them , their food to nourish them , their clothes to cover them , and the creature would groan to give them any help and comfort , so long as they live in sin against God. Thus far he . Methinks this should be a terror to an unconverted soul , to think that he is a burden to the Creation , Luke 13. 7. Cut it down , why cumbreth it the ground ? If the poor inanimate creatures could but speak , they would say to the ungodly , as Moses to Israel Must we fetch you water out of the Rock , ye rebe's ? Numb . 2. 10. Thy food would say , Lord , must I nourish such a wretch as this , and yield forth my strength for him , to dishonour thee withall ? No. I will choak him rather , if thou wilt give me commission . The very air would say , Lord , must I give this man breath , to set his tongue against Heaven , and scorn thy people , and vent his pride and wrath , and filthy communication , and belch our oaths and blasphemy against thee ? No , if thou but say the word , he shall be breathless for me . His poor Beast would say , Lord , must I carry him upon his wicked designs ? No , I will break his bones , I will end his days rather , if I may have but leave from thee . A wicked man , the earth groans under him , and Hell groans for him , till death satisfies both , and unburdens the earth , and stops the mouth of Hell with him . While the Lord of Hosts is against thee , be sure the Hosts of the Lord are against thee , and all the creatures as it were up in arms , till upon a mans convertion , the controversie being taken up between God and him , he makes a convenant of peace with the creatures for him , Iob 5. 22 , 23 , 24. Hos. 2. 18 , 19 , 20. III. The roaring Lyon hath his full power upon thee , 1 Pet. 5. 8. Thou art fast in the paw of that Lion , that is greedy to devour ; In the snare of the Devil , led captive by him at 〈◊〉 will , 2 Tim. 2. 26. This is the spirit that worketh in 〈◊〉 Children of disobedience , Eph. 2. 2. His Drudge● they are , and his lusts they do . He is the Ruler of the darkness of this world , Eph. 6. 12. that is , of ignorant sinners that live in darkness . You pitty the poor Indians , that worship the Devil for their God , but little think that 't is your own case . Why , 't is the common misery of all the unsanctified , that the Devil is their God , 2 Cor. 4. 4. Not that they do intend to do him homage and worship , they will be ready to defie him , and him that should say so by them ; but all this while they serve him , and come and go at his beck , and live under his government . His servants you are , to whom you yield your selves to obey , Rom. 6. 16. Oh how many then will be found the real servants of the Devil , that take themselves for no other than the Children of God ? he can no sooner offer a sinfull delight , or opportunity for your unlawful advantage , but you embrace it . If he suggest a lie , or prompt you to revenge , you readily obey . If he forbid you to read , or pray , you hearken to him , and therefore his servants you are . Indeed he lies behind the curtain , he acts in the dark , and sinners ●ee not who setteth them on work ; but all the while he leads them in a string . Doubtless the L●ar intends not a service to Satan , but his own advantage : yet 't is he that stands in the corner unobserved , and putteth the thing into his heart , Acts 5. 3. Iohn 8. 44. Questionless Iudas when he sold his Master for money , and the Chaldea●s and Sabeans when they plundred Iob , intended not to do the Devil a pleasure , but to satisfie their own covetous thirst : yet 't was he that actuated them in their wickedness , Iohn 13. 27. Iob 1. 12 , 15 , 17. Men may be very slaves and common drudges for the Devil , and never know it ; nay they may please themselves in the thoughts of a happy liberty , 2 Pet. 2. 19. Art thou yet in ignorance , and not turned from darkness to light ? Why thou art under the power of Satan Acts ●6 . 18. Dost thou live in the ordinary and wilful practice of any known sin ? Know that thou art of the Devil , 1 Iohn 3. 8. Dost thou live in stri●● or envy , or malice ? verily he is thy Father , Io● . 8. 40. 41. O dreadful case ! However Satan 〈…〉 his slaves with divers pleasures , Tit. 3. 5. 〈…〉 to 〈◊〉 them into endless perdition . 〈…〉 with the ●pple in his Mouth , 〈…〉 thou seest not the deadly sting 〈…〉 that is now thy temprer will be one 〈…〉 could b●● give thee to see how 〈…〉 how filthy 〈…〉 thou gratified , all whose pleasure is to set thee on work to make thy perdition and damnation sure , and to hear the 〈◊〉 hotter and hotter , in which thou must burn for millions of mi●●ions of Ages . IV. The 〈…〉 like a Mountain upon thee . Poor Soul ● Thou feelest it not , but this is that which seals thy misery upon thee . While unconverted , none of thy sins are blotted out , Acts 3. 19. They are all upon the score against thee : Regeneration and remission are never separated ; the unsanctified are unquestionably unjustified and unpardoned , 1 Cor. 6. 11. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Heb. 9. 14. Beloved , it 's a fearful thing to be in debt , but above all in God's debt : for there is no arrest so formidable as his ; no prison so horrible as his . Look upon an enlightned sinner , who feels the weight of his own guilt , oh how frightful are his looks , how fearful are his complaints ? His comforts are turned into Wormwood , and his Moisture into Drought , and his sleep departeth from his eyes . He is a terror to himself and all that are about him , and is ready to envy the very stones that lie in the Street , because they are senseless , and feel not his misery ; and wishes he had been a Dog , or a Toad , or a Serpent rather than a man , because then death , had put an end to his misery , whereas now it will be but the beginning of that which will know no ending . How light soever you may make of it now , you will one day find the guilt of unpardoned sin to be a heavy burden . This is a Milstone that whosoever falleth upon it shall be broken , but upon whomsoever it shall fall it shall grind him to powder , Mat. 21. 44. What work did it make with our Saviour ? It pressed the very blood ( to a wonder ) out of his veins , and broke all his bones : and if it did this in the green tree , what will it do in the dry ? Oh think of thy case in time . Canst thou think of that threat without trembling , Ye shall die in your sins , John 8. 24. Oh better were it for thee to die in a Goal , die in a Ditch , in a Dungeon , than die in thy Sins . If death , as it will take away all thy other Comforts , would take away thy sins too , it were some ●itigation . But thy sins will follow thee , when thy friends leave thee , and all worldly enjoyments shake hands with thee : Thy sins will not die with thee , 2 Cor. 5● 10. Rev. 20. 12. as a prisoners other debts will ; but they will to judgment with thee , there to be thine accusers , and they will to Hell with thee , there to be thy tormentors . Better to have so many fiends and furies about thee , than thy sins to fall upon thee and fasten in thee . Oh the work that these will make thee ! O look over thy debts in time ! How much art thou in the Books of every one of Gods Laws ? How is every one of Gods Commandments ready to arrest thee , and take thee by the throat for innumerable Bonds that it hath upon thee ? What wilt thou do then , when they shall altogether lay in against thee ? Hold open the eyes of conscience to consider this , that thou mayst despair of thy self , and be driven to Christ , and fly for refuge , to lay hold upon the hope that is set before thee , Heb. 6. 18. V. Thy raging l●sts do miserably enslave thee . While unconverted thou art a very servant to sin , it reigns over thee , and holds thee under its dominion , till thou art brought within the bond of Gods Covenant , Iohn 8. 34. 36. Tit. 3. 3. Rom. 6. 12 , 14. Rom. 6. 16 , 17. Now there 's no such Tyrant as sin . Oh the filthy and fearful work , that it doth ingage its servants in ! would it not pierce a mans heart to see a company of poor creatures drudging and toiling , and all to carry together faggots and fuel for their own burning ? Why , this is the employment of sins drudges . Even while they bless themselves in their unrighteous gains ; while they sing and swill in pleasures , they are but treasuring up wrath and vengeance for their eternal burnings ; they are but laying in Powder and Bullers , and adding to the Pile of T●pher , and slinging in Oyl to make the flame rage the fiercer . Who would serve such a Master , whose work is drudgery , and whose wages is death ? Rom. 6. 23. What a woful spectacle was that poor wretch possessed with the legion ? Would it not have pitied thine heart to have seen him among the Tombs , cutting and wounding of himself ? Mark. 5. 5. This is thy case , such is thy work . Every stroke is a thrust at thine heart , 1 Tim. 6. 10. Conscience indeed is now asleep ; but when death and judgment shall bring thee to thy senses , then wilt thou feel the raging smart and anguish of every wound . The convinced sinner is a sensible instance of the miserable bondage of sin . Conscience flies upon him , and tells him what the end of these things will be ; and yet such a slave is he to his lusts , that on he must , though he see it will be his endless perdition ; and when the temptation comes , lust gets the bit in his mouth , breaks all the cords of his vows and promises , and carries him headlong to his own destruction . VI. The furnace of eternal vengeance is heated ready for thee , Isa. 30. 33. Hell and destruction open their mouths upon thee , they gape for thee , they groan for thee , Isa. 5. 14. waiting as it were with a greedy eye , as thou standest upon the brink , when thou wilt drop in . If the wrath of a man be as the roaring of a Lion , Prov. 20. 2. more heavy than the sand , Prov. 27. 3. what is the wrath of the infinite God ? If the burning furnace heated in Nebuchad●●zzar's fiery rage , when he commanded it to be made yet seven times hotter , were so fierce as to burn up even those that drew near it , to throw the three children in Dan. 3. 19 , 22. How hot is that burning Oven of the Almighty's fury ? Mal. 4. 1. Surely this is seventy times seven more fierce . What thinkest thou , O man , of being a saggo●in Hell to all eternity ? Can thine heart endure , or can thine hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee , saith the Lord of Hosts ? Ezek. 22. 14. Canst thou dwell with everlasting burnings ? Canst thou abide the consuming fire ? Isa 33. 4. When thou shalt be as a glowing Iron in Hell , and thy whole body and soul shall be as perfectly possessed by Gods burning vengeance , as the fiery sparkling Iron , when heated in the ●iercest forge ? Thou canst not bear God's whip , how then wilt thou endure his scorpions ? Thou art even crushed , and ready to with thy self dead , under the weight of his finger , how then wilt thou bear the weight of his loyns ? The most patient man that ever was , did curse the day that ever he was born , Iob 3. 1. and even wish death to come and end his misery , Iob 7. 15 , 16. when God did but let out one little drop of his wrath . How then wilt thou endure when God shall pour out all his Vials , and set himself against thee to torment thee ? when he shall make thy conscience the tunnel , by which he will be pouring his burning wrath into thy soul for ever ; and when he shall fill all thy powers as full of torment , as they be now full of sin ? When immortality shall be thy misery , and to die the death of a brute , and be swallowed into the gulf of annihilation , shall be such a felicity , as the whole eternity of wishes & an Ocean of tears shall never purchase ? Now thou canst put off the evil day , and canst laugh and be merry , and forget the terror of the Lord , 2 Cor. 5. 11. but how wilt thou hold out , or hold up , when God will cast thee into a bed of torments , Rev. 2. 21 , and make thee to 〈◊〉 down in sorrows ? Isa. 50. 11. When roarings and blasphemy shall be thine only musick , and the wine of the wrath of God , which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his indignation , shall be thine only drink ? Rev. 14. 10. When thou shalt draw in flames for thy breath , and the horrid stench of sulphur shall be thy only perfume ? In a word , when the smoak of thy torment shall ascend for ever and ever , and thou shalt have no rest , night nor day no rest in thy conscience , no ease in thy bones , but thou shalt be an execration , and an astonishment , and a curse , and a reproach for evermore ? Ier. 42. 〈◊〉 O sinner , stop here ; and consider . If thou art a man , and not a senseless block , consider . Bethink thy self where thou standest , why upon the very brink of his ●urnace . As the Lord liveth , and thy soul liveth , there is but a step between thee and this , 1 Sam. 20. 3. Thou knowest not when thou lyest down , but thou mayest be in before the Morning , thou knowest not when thou risest , but thou may 〈◊〉 drop in before the Night . Darest thou make light of this ? Wilt thou go on in such a dreadful condition● as if nothing ailed thee ? If thou puttest it off , and sayest , this doth not belong to thee ; look again over the foregoing Chapter , and tell me the truth , are none of these black marks found upon thee ? Do not blind thine eyes , do not deceive thy self : see thy misery while thou mayst prevent it . Think what 't is to be a vile cast-out , a damned reprobate , a vessel of wrath , into which the Lord will be pouring out his tormenting fury , while he hath a Being , Rom. 9. 22. Divine wrath is a fierce , Deut. 32. 22. devouring Isa. 33. 14. everlasting , Mat. 25. 41. unquenchable fire , Mat. 3. 12. and thy soul and body must be the fuel upon which it will be feeding for ever , unless thou consider thy ways , and speedily turn to the Lord by a sound conversion . They that have been only singed by this fire , and had no more but the smell thereof passing upon them ; Oh what amazing spectacles have they been ! Whose heart would not have melted , to have heard Spira's out-cries ; to have seen Chaloner that monument of Justice , worn to Skin and Bones , Blaspheming , the God of Heaven , cursing himself , and continually crying out , O Torture , Torture , Torture , O Torture , Torture , as if the flames of wrath had already took hold on him ? To have heard Rogers crying out , I have had a little pleasure , but now I must to Hell for evermore ; wishing but for this mitigation , that God would but let him lie burning for ever behind the back of that fire ( on the earth ) and bringing in this sad conclusion still , at the end of whatever was spoken to him , to afford him some hope , I must to Hell , I must to the furnace of Hell , for millions of millions of Ages ? O if the fears and forethoughts of the wrath to come be so terrible , so intolerable , what is the feeling of it ? Sinner , 't is but in vain to flatter you , this would be but to toll you into the unquenchable fire ; know ye from the living God , that here you must lie , with these burnings must you dwell , till immortality die , and immutability change , till Eternity run out , and Omnipotency is not longer able to torment , except you be in good earnest renewed throughout by sanctifying grace . VII . The Law dischargeth all its threats and curses at thee , Gal. 3. 10. Rom. 7. Oh how dreadfully doth it thunder ? It spits fire and brimstone in thy face . Its words are as drawn swords , and as the sharp arrows of the mighty , it demands satisfaction to the utmost , and cries Justice , Justice . It speaks Blood and War , and Wounds , and Death against thee . Oh the Execrations , and Plagues , and Deaths , that this murdering piece is loaded with ( read Deut. 28. 15 , 16 , &c. ) and thou art the mark at which this sno● is levelled . O man , away to the strong hold , Zech. 9. 12. away from thy sins , haste to the sanctuary , the City of refuge , Heb. 13. 13. even the Lord Jesus Christ , hide thee in him , or else thou art lost without any hope of recovery . VIII . The Gospel it self bin deth the sentence of eternal damnation upon thee , Mark 16. 16. If thou continuest in thine impenitent and unconverted estate , know that the Gospel denounceth a much forer condemnation , than ever would have been for the transgression only of the first Covenant . Is it not a dreadful case to have the Gospel it self fill its mouth with threats , and thunder , and damnation ? To have the Lord to roar from Mount Sion against thee ? Ioel 3. 16. Hear the terror of the Lord. He that believeth not shall be damned ; except ye repent ye shall all perish , Luke 13. 3. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world , and men love darkness rather than light , Iohn 3. 19. He that believeth not , the wrath of God abideth on him , Ioh. 3. 36. If the word spoken by Angels was stedfast , and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward , how shall we escape , if we neglect so great salvation ? Heb. 2. 2 , 3. He that despised Moses's Law died without mercy : Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy , that hath trampled under foot the Son of God ? Heb. 10. 28 , 29. Application . And is this true indeed ? Is this thy misery ? Yea , 't is as true as God is . Better open thine eyes and see it now , while thou mayst remedy it , than blind and harden thy self , till , to thine eternal sorrow , thou shalt feel what thou wouldst not believe ; and if it be true , what dost thou mean to loyter , and linger in such a case as this ? Alas for thee , poor man , how effectually hath sin undone thee , and deprived and despoiled thee even of thy reason to look after thine own everlasting good ? O miserable Caitiff , what stupidity and senselesness hath surprized thee ? Oh! let me knock up and awake this sleeper . Who dwells within the walls of this flesh ? Is there ever a soul here , a rational understanding soul ? Or art thou only a walking Ghost , a senseless lump ? Art thou a reasonable soul , and yet so far brutified , as to forget thy self immortal , and to think thy self to be as the beasts that perish ? Art thou turned into flesh ? that thou savourest nothing but gratifying the sense , and making provision for the flesh ? Or else having reason to understand the eternity of thy future estate , dost thou yet make light of being everlastingly miserable ? which is to be so much below a brute , as it is worse to act against reason , than to act without it . O unhappy soul , that wast the glory of man , the mate of Angels , and the image of God! that wast God's representative in the world , and hadst the supremacy amongst the creatures , and the dominion over thy Maker's works ! Art thou now become a slave to sense , a servant to so base an Idol , as thy Belly ? for no higher felicity than to fill thee with the wind of mans applause , or heaping together a little refined earth , no more suitable to thy spiritual , immortal nature , than the dirt , and sticks ? Oh , why dost thou not bethink thee where thou shalt be for ever ? Death is at hand , The Iudge is even at the door , Jam. 5. 9. Yet , a little while and time shall be no longer , Rev. 10. 5 , 6. And wilt thou run the hazard of continuing in such a state , in which if thou be overtaken , thou art irrecoverably miserable . Come then , arise , and attend thy nearest concernments . Tell me whither art thou going ? What , wilt thou live in such a course , wherein every act is a step to perdition ? And thou dost not know , but the next night , thou mayst make thy Bed in Hell ? Oh! if thou hast a spark of reason , consider and turn , and hearken to thy very friend , who would therefore shew thee thy present misery , that thou mightest in time make thine escape , and be eternally happy . Hear what the Lord saith ; Fear ye not me , saith the Lord ? Will ye not tremble at my presence ? Jer. 5. 22. O sinners do ye make light of the wrath to come ? Mat , 3. 7. I am sure there is a time coming , when you will not make light of it . Why , the very Devils do believe and tremble , James 2. 19. What! you more hardned than they ? Will you run upon the Edge of the Rock ? will you play at the hole of the Asp ? will you put your hand upon the Cockat●ice's den ? Will you dance about the fire , till you are burnt ? or dally with devouring wrath , as if you were at a point of indifferency , whether you did escape it , or endure it ? O madness of folly ! Solomon's mad-man , that casteth fire-brands and arrows , and death , and saith , Am I not in jest ? Prov. 26. 18. is nothing so distracted as the wilful sinner , Luke 15. 17. that goeth on in his unconverted estate without sense , as if nothing ailed him . The man that runs on the Cannons mouth , that sports with his blood , or le ts out his life in a frollick , is sensible , sober and serious , to him that goeth on still in his trespasses , Psalm 68. 21. For he stretcheth out his hand against God , and strengthneth himself against the Almighty . He runneth upon him , even upon his neck , upon the thick Bosses of his Buckler , Job 15. 25 , 26. Is it wisdom to dally with the second death , or to venture into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone , Rev. 21. 8. as if thou wert but going to wash thee , or swim for thy recreation ? Wilt thou , as it were , fetch thy vieze , and jump into eternal flames , as the children through the bon-fire ? What shall I say ? I can find out no expression , no comparison whereby to set forth the dreadful distraction of that soul , that shall go on in sin . Awake , awake , Eph. 5. 14. Oh sinner , arise and take thy flight . There is but one door that thou mayst fly by , and that is the strait door of conversion and the new birth . Unless thou turn unfeignedly from all thy sins , and come in to Jesus Christ , and take him for the Lord thy righteousness , and walk in him in holiness and newness of life ; as the Lord liveth , it is not more certain that thou art now out of Hell , than that thou shalt without fail be in it , but a few days and nights from hence . O set thine heart to think of thy case . Is not thine everlasting misery or welfare that which doth deserve a little consideration ? Lo●● again over the miseries of the unconverted . If the Lord hath not spoken by me , regard me not . But if it be the very word of God , that all this miser● lies upon thee , what a case art thou in ? Is it for one that hath his senses , to live in such a condition , and not to make all possible expedition for preventing his utter ruin ? O man , who hath bewitched thee , Gal. 3. 1. that in the matters of the present life thou shouldst be wise enough to forecast thy business , foresee thy danger , and prevent thy mischief , but in matters of everlasting consequence shouldst be slight and careless , as if they little concerned thee ? Why , is it nothing to thee to have all the Attributes of God engaged against thee ? Canst thou do well without his favour ? Canst thou escape his hands , or endure his vengeance ? Dost thou hear the creation groaning under thee , and hell groaning for thee , and yet think thy case good enough ? Art thou in the paw of the Lion , under the power of corruption , in the dark and noisome prison , fetter'd with thy lusts , working out thine own damnation ; and is not this worth the considering ? Wilt thou make light of all the terrours of the Law ; of all its curses , and thunderbolts ; as if they were but the report of the Childrens pot● guns , or thou went to war with their paper pellets ? dost thou laugh at hell and destruction , or canst thou drink the envenomed Cup of the Almighty's fury , as if it were but a common portion ? Gird up now thy lovns like a man , for I will demand of thee , and answer thou me , Iob 40. 7. Art thou such a Leviathan , as that the scales of thy pride should keep thee from thy Makers coming at thee ? Wilt thou esteem his Arrows as straw , and the instruments of death as rotten wood ? Art thou chief of all the Children of pride , even that thou shouldst count his darts as stubble ; and laugh at the shaking of his spear ? Art thou made without fear , and contemnest his barbed Irons ? Iob 41. Art thou like the horse that paweth in the valley , and rejo●ceth in his strength , who 〈◊〉 out to meet the armed men ? Dost thou mock at fear , and art not affrighted , neither turnest back from Gods sword ; when his quiver ratleth against thee , the glittering spear and the shield ? Iob 39. 21 , 22 , 23. Well , if the threats and calls of the word will not fear thee , nor awaken thee , I am sure death and judgment will. Oh what wilt thou do when the Lord cometh forth against thee , and in his fury falleth upon thee , and thou shalt feel what thou readest ? If when Daniel's enemies were cast into the Den of Lions , both they and their wives and their children , the Lions had the mastery of them , and brake all their bones in pieces , ere ever they came at the bottom of the Den , Dan. 6. 24. what shall be done with thee , when thou fallest into the hands of the living God ? When he shall gripe thee in his Iron arms , and grind and crush thee to a thousand pieces in his wrath ? Oh do not then contend with God. Repent and be converted , so none of this shall come upon thee ; Isa. 55. 6 , 7. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found , call ye upon him while he is near . Let the wicked forsake his way , and the unrighteous man his thoughts , let him return unto the Lord , and he will have mercy on him , and to our God , for he will abundantly pardon . Chap. VI. Containing DIRECTIONS for Conversion . Mark 10. 17. And there came one , and kneeled to him , and asked him , Good Master , what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life ? BEfore thou readest these Directions , I advise thee , yea , I charge thee before God , and his holy Angels , to resolve to follow them ( as far as Conscience shall be convin●●d of their agreeableness to Gods word , and thy estate , and call in his assistance and blessing that they may succeed . And as I have sought the Lord , and consulted his Oracles what advice to give thee , so must thou entertain it , with that awe , reverence , and purpose of obedience that the word of the living God doth require . Now then attend . Set thine heart unto all that I shall testifie unto thee in this day ; for it is not a vain thing , it is your life , Deut. 32. 46. This is the end of all that hath been spoken hitherto , to bring you to set upon turning , and making use of Gods means for your conversion . I would not trouble you , nor torment you before the time with the forethoughts of your eternal misery , but in order to your making your escape . Were you shut up under your present misery , without remedy , it were but mercy ( as one speaks ) to let you alone , that you might take in that little poor comfort , that you are capable of here in this world . But you may yet be happy : If you do not wilfully refuse the means of your recovery . Behold , I hold open the door unto you , arise take your flight ; I set the way of life before you , walk in it , and you shall live and not die , Deut 30. 19. Ier. 9. 16. It pities me to think you should be your own Murderers , and throw your selves headlong , when God and men cry out to you , as Peter , in another Case , to his Master , Spare thy self . A noble Virgin , that attended the Court of Spain , was wickedly ravished by the King and hereupon exciting the Duke her Father to revenge , he called in the Moors to his help , who when they had executed his design , miserably wasted and spoiled the Country , which this Virgin laying so exceedingly to heart , shut her self up in a Tower belonging to her Father's house , and desired her Father and Mother might be called forth ; and bewailing to them her own wretchedness , that she should have occasioned so much misery and desolation to her Country , for the satisfying of her revenge , she told them she was resolved to be avenged upon her self . Her Father and Mother besought her to pity her self and them , but nothing could prevail , but she took her leave of them , and threw her self off the battlements , and so perished before their faces . Just thus is the wilful destruction of ungodly men . The God that made them beseecheth them , and cryeth out to them , as Paul to the distracted Jaylor , when about to murder himself , Do thy self no harm . The Ministers of Christ forewarn them and follow them , and ●ain would have them back . But alas ! No expo●tulations , nor obtestations will prevail ; but men will hurl themselves into perdition , while pity it self looketh on . What shall I say ? would it not grieve a person of any humanity , if in the time of a reigning plague he should have a receipt ( as one said well ) that would infallibly cure all the Country , and recover the most hopeless patients , and yet his friends and neighbours should die by the hundreds about him , because they would not use it ? Men and Brethren , though you carry the certain Symptoms of death in your faces , yet I have a receipt that will cure you all , that will cure infallibly . Follow but these few Directions , and if you do not then win Heaven , I will be content to lose it . Hear then , Oh sinner , and as ever thou wouldst be converted and saved , embrace this following counsel . Direct . I. Set it down with thy self , as an undoubted truth , that it is impossible for thee ever to get to Heaven in this thy unconverted state . Can any other but Christ save thee ? And he tells thee he will never do it , except thou be regenerated and converted , Mat. 18. 3. Iohn 3. 3. Doth he not keep the keys of Heaven ? And canst thou get in without his leave , as thou must , if ever thou comest thither in thy natural condition , without a sound and thorough renovation ? Direct . II. Labour to get a thorough sight and lively sense and feeling of thy sins . Till men are weary and heavy laden , and pricked at the heart . and stark sick of sin , they will not come to Christ in his way for ease and cure , nor to purpose enquire , What shall we do ? Mat. 11. 28. Acts 2. 37. Mat. 9. 12. They must set themselves down for dead men before they will come unto Christ , that they may have life , Iohn 5. 40. Labour therefore to set all thy sins in order before thee . Never be afraid to look upon them , but let thy spirit make diligent search , Psal. 77. 6. Enquire into thine heart and into thy life , enter into a thorow examination of thy self , and of all thy ways , Psal. 119. 59. that thou mayst make a full discovery , and call in the help of God's Spirit , in the sense of thine own inability hereunto , for it is his proper work to convince of sin . Iohn 16. 8. Spread all before the face of thy Conscience , till thine heart and eyes be set abroach . Leave not striving with God , and thine own soul , till it cry out under the sense of thy sins , as the enlightned Ja●lor , What must I do to ●e saved ? Acts 16. 30. To this purpose . Meditate of the numerousness of thy sins . David's heart failed when he thought of this , and considered that he had more sins than hairs , Psal. 40. 12. This made him to cry out upon the multitudes of Gods tender mercies , Psal. 51. 1. The loathsome carcass doth not more hatefully swarm with crawling worms than an unsanctified soul with filthy Iusts . They fill the head , the heart , the eyes and mouth of him . Look backward , where was ever the place , what was ever the time , in which thou didst not sin ? Look inward , what part or power canst thou find in soul or body , but it is poisoned with sin ? What duty dost thou ever perform into which poison is not shed ? Oh how great is the sum of thy debts , who hast been all thy life long running upon the hooks , and never didst , nor canst pay off one penny ? Look over the sin of thy Nature , and all its cursed broad , the sins of thy life . Call to mind thy Omissions , Commissions , the sins of thy thoughts , of thy words , of thine actions , the sins of thy youth , the si●s of thy years , &c. Be not like a desperate Bankrupt , that is afraid to look over his Books . Read the Records of Conscience carefully . These Books must be opened sooner , or later , Rev. 20. 12. Meditate upon the aggravations of thy sin , as they are the grand enemies against the God of thy life , against the life of thy soul ; in a word , they 〈…〉 publi●k enemies of all mankind . How do David , Ezra , Daniel and the good Levites aggravate their sins , from the consideration of their injuriousness to God , their opposition to his good and righteous Laws , the mercies , the warnings that they were committed against , N●● . 9. Da● . 9. Ezra 9. O the work that sin hath made in the world . This is the enemy that hath brought in death , that hath robbed and enslaved man , that hath blacked the Devil , that hath digged Hell ; Rom. 5. 12. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Iohn 8. 34. This is the enemy that hath turned the Creation upside down , and sown dissention between man and the creatures , between man and man , yea between man and himself , setting the sensitive part against the rational , the will against the judgment , lust against conscience , yea worst of all , between God and man , making the lapsed sinner both hateful to God , and a hater of him , Zech. 11. 8. O man , how canst thou make so light of sin ? This is the Traytor that sucked the blood of the Son of God , that sold him , that mocked him , that scourged him , that spit in his face , that digged his hands , that pierced his side , that pressed his soul , that mangled his body , that never left , till it had bound him , condemned him , nailed him , crucified him , and put him to open shame , Isa. 53. 4 , 5 , 6. This is that deadly poyson , so powerful of operation , as that one drop of it shed upon the root of mankind , hath corrupted , spoiled , and poisoned , and undone his whole race at once , Rom. 5. 18 , 19. This is the common Butcher , the bloody Executioner , that hath killed the Prophets , burnt the Martyrs , murdered all the Apostles , all the Patriarchs , all the Kings and Potentates , that hath destroyed Cities , swallowed Empires , butchered and devoured whole Nations . Whatever was the weapon that 't was done by , sin was it that did Execution , Rom. 6. 23. dost thou yet think it but a small thing ? If Adam and all his Children could be digged out of their Graves , and their Bodies piled up to Heaven , and an inquest were made , what matchless murderer were guilty of all this blood ; it would be all found in the skirts of sin . Study the nature of sin , till thy heart be brought to fear and loath it . And meditate on the aggravations of thy particular sins , how thou hast sinned against all God's warnings , against thine own prayers , against mercies , against corrections , against clearest light , against freest love , against thine own resolutions , against promises , vows , covenants of better obedience , &c. charge thy heart home with these things , till it blush for shame , and be brought out of all good opinion of it self , Ezra 9. 6. Meditate upon the desert of sin : It cryeth up to Heaven : It calls for vengeance , Gen. 18. 21. It s due wages is death , and damnation . It pulls the curse of God upon the Soul and Body , Gal. 3. 10. Deut. 28. The least sinful word or thought , lays thee under the infinite wrath of God Almighty , Rom. 2. 8 , 9. Mat. 12. 36. Oh what a load of wrath , what a weight of curses , what treasure of vengeance have all the millions of thy sins then deserved ? Rom. 2. 5. Iohn 3. 36. Oh Judge thy self , that the Lord may not ●udge thee , 1 Cor. 11. 31. Meditate upon the deformity , and desilement of sin . 'T is as black as Hell , the very image and likeness of the Devil drawn upon the Soul , 1 John 3. 8 , 10. It would more affright thee , to see thy self in the hateful deformity of thy nature , than to see the Devil . There is no mire so unclean , no vomit so loathsome , no carcass or carrion so offensive , no plague or leprosie so noisom as sin , in which thou art all inrolled , and covered with its odious filth , whereby thou art rendred more displeasing to the pure and holy nature of the glorious God , than the most filthy object , composed of whatever is hateful to all thy senses , can be to thee , Iob 15. 15 , 16. Couldst thou take up a Toad into thy bosom ? Couldst thou cherish it , and take delight in it ? Why , thou art as contrary to the pure and perfect holiness of the divine nature , and as loathsome as that is to thee , Mat. 3. 33. til● thou art purified by the blood of Jesus , and the power of renewing grace . Above all other sins fix the eye of Consideration● on these two . 1. The sin of thy nature . 'T is to little purpose to lop the branches , while the root of original corruption remains untouched . In vain do men lave out the streams , when the fountain is running , that fills up all again . Let the Axe of thy repentance ( with David's ) go to the root of sin , Psal. 51. 5. Study how deep , how close , how permanent is thy natural pollution ; how universal it is , till thou dost cry out with Paul's ●ee●●ng , upon thy body of death , Rom. 7. 2. Look into all thy parts and powers , and see what unclean vessels , what fi●es , what dunghills , what sinks they are become . He● miser , quid sum ? vas ster quilimi 〈…〉 faetore & horrorc . August . 〈◊〉 . c. 2. The heart is never soundly broken , till throughly convinced of the heinousness of original sin . Here fix thy thoughts . This is that , that makes thee backward to all good , prone to all evil , Rom. 7. 15. that sheds blindness , pride , prejudice , unbelief into thy mind , enmit● , unconstancy , obstinacy , into thy will ; inordinate heats and colds into thy affections ; insensibleness , benummedness , unfaithfulness into thy conscience , slipperiness into thy memory , and in a word , hath put every wheel of thy soul out of order , and made it of an habitation of holiness to become a very hell of iniquity , Iames 3. 6. This is that that hath defiled , corrupted , perverted all thy members , and turned them into weapons of unrighteousness , and servants of sin , Rom. 6. 19. that hath filled the head with carnal and corrupt designs , Mic. 2. 1. the hand with sinful practices , Isa. 1. 15. the eyes with wandring and wantonness , 2 Pet. 2. 14. the tongue with deadly poison , Iames 3. 8. that hath opened the ears to tales , flattery , and filthy communication , and shut them against the instruction of life , Zech. 7. 11● 12. and hath rendred thy heart a very mint and forge for sin , and the cursed womb of all deadly conceptions , Mat. 15. 16. So that it poureth forth its wickedness without ceasing 2 Pet. 2. 14. even as naturally , freely , and unweariedly , as a fountain doth pour forth its waters , Ier. 6. 7. or the raging Sea doth cast forth mire and dirt , Isa. 57. 20. And wilt thou yet be in love with thy self , and tell us any longer of thy good heart ? O never leave meditating on this desperate contagion of original corruption , till with E●hraim thou bemoan thy self , Ier. 31. 18. and with deepest shame and sorrow smite on thy breast as the Publican , Luke 18. 13. and with Iob abhor thy self , and repent in dust and ashes , Iob 42. 6 , 22. The particular evil that thou art most addicted to . Find out all its aggravations . Set home upon thy heart all Gods threatnings against it . Repentance drives before it the whole herd , but especially sticks the arrow in the beloved sin , and singles this out , above the rest , to run it down , Psal. 18. 23. O labour to make this sin odious to thy soul , and double thy guards , and thy resolutions against it , because this hath , and doth , most dishonour God and endanger thee . Direct . III. Strive to affect thy heart with a deep sense of thy present misery . Read over the foregoing Chapter again , and again , and get it out of the Book into thine heart . Remember when thou liest down , that for ought thou knowest , thou mayst awake in flames , and when thou risest up , that by the next night thou mayst make thy bed in Hell. Is it a just matter to live in such a fearful case ? to stand tottering upon the brink of the bottomless Pit , and to live at the mercy of every disease , that if it will but fall upon thee , will send thee forthwith into the burnings ? Suppose thou sawest a condemned wretch hanging ove● Nebuchadnezzar's burning fiery furnace , by nothing but a twine thread , which were ready to break every moment , would not thine heart tremble for such an one ? Why thou art the man : This is thy very case , O man , woman , that readest this , if thou be yet unconverted . What if the thred of thy life should break ? ( Why , thou knowest not but it may be the next night , yea the next moment ) where wouldst thou be then ? Whither wouldst thou drop ? Verily upon the crack but of this thred , thou fallest into the lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone where thou must lie scalding and sweltering in a fiery Ocean , while God hath a Being , if thou die in thy present Case . And doth not thy soul tremble as thou readest ? Do not thy tears bedew the paper , and thy heart throb in thy bosom ? Dost thou not yet begin to smite on thy breast , and bethink thy self what need thou hast of a change ? O what is thy heart made of ? Hast thou not only lost all regard to God , but art without any love and pity to thy self ? O study thy misery , till thy heart do cry out for Christ , as earnestly , as ever a drowning man did for a Boar , or the wounded for a Chirurgeon . Men must come to see the danger , and feel the smart of their deadly sores and sickness , or else Christ will be to them a Physician of no value , Mat. 9. 12. Then the man-slayer hastens to the City of refuge , when pursued by the avenger of blood . Men must be even forced and fired out of themselves , or else they will not come to Christ. ●Twas distress and extremity , that made the Prodigal think of returning , Luke 1● . 16 , 17. While L●●o●icea thinks her self rich , increased in goods , in need of nothing , there is little hope . She must be deeply convinced of her wretchedness , blindness , poverty , nakedness , before she will come to Christ for his gold , raiment , eye-salve , Rev 3. 17 , 18. Therefore hold the eyes of conscience open , amplifie thy misery as much as possible . Do not flie the sight of it , for fear it should fill thee with terror . The sense of thy misery is but as it were the suppuration of the woun● , which is necessary to the Cure. Better ●ear the torments that abide thee now , than feel them hereafter . Direct . IV. Settle it upon thy heart , that thou art under an everlasting inability ever to recover thy self . Never think thy praying , reading , hearing , con●●●sing , amending will do the Cure. These must be attended ; but thou art undone if thou restest in them , Rom. 10. 3. Thou art a lost man , if thou hopest to escape drowning upon any other plank● but Jesus Christ , Acts 4. 12. Thou must unlearn t●y self , and renounce thine own wisdom , thine own righteousness , thine own strength , and throw thy self wholly upon Christ , as a man that swimmeth casteth himself upon the water , or else thou canst not escape . While men trust in themselves , and establish their own righteousness , and have confidence in the flesh , they will not come savingly to Christ , Luke 18. 9. Phil. 3. 3. Thou must know thy gain to be but loss and dung , thy strength but weakness , thy righteousness rags and rottenness , before there will be an effectual closure between Christ and thee , Phil. 3. 7 , 8 , 9. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Isa. 64. 6. Can the lifeless carcass shake off its grave cloths , and loose the bonds of death ? Then mayst thou recover thy self who art dead in trespasses and sins , and under an impossibility of serving thy Maker , ( acceptably ) in this condition , Rom. 8. 8. Heb. ●1 . 6. Therefore when thou goest to pray , or meditate , or to do any of the duties , to which thou art here directed , go out of thy self , call in the help of the Spirit , as despairing to do any thing pleasing to God , in thine own strength . Yet neglect not thy duty , but lie at the pool , and wait in the way of the Spirit . While the Eunuch was reading , then the Holy Ghost sent Philip to him , Acts 8. 28 , 29. when the Disciples were praying , Acts 4. 31. when Cornelius and his friends were hearing , Acts 10. 44. then the Holy Ghost fell upon them , and filled them all . Strive to give up thy self to Christ : Strive to pray , strive to meditate , strive an hundred and an hundred times , try to do it as well as thou canst , and while thou art endeavouring in the way of thy duty , the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee , and help thee to do , what of thy self thou art utterly unable unto , Prov. 1. 23. Direct . V. Forthwith renounce all thy sins . If thou yield thy self to the contrary practice of any sin , thou art undone , Rom. 6. 17. in vain dost thou hope for life by Christ , except thou d●part from iniquity , 2 Tim. 2. 19. Forsake thy sins , or else thou canst not find mercy , Prov. 28. 13. Thou canst not be married to Christ except divorced from sin . Give up the Traitor , or you can have no peace with Heaven . Cast the head of Sheba over the wall . Keep not Dalilah in thy lap . Thou must part with thy sins , or with thy soul. Spare but one sin , and God will not spare thee . Never make excuses , thy sins must die , or thou must die for them , Psal. 68. 21. If thou allow of one sin , though but a little , a secret one , though thou may'st plead necessity , and have a hundred . shifts and excuses for it , the life of thy soul must go for the life of that sin , Ezek. 18. 21. and will it not be dearly bought ? O sinner , hear and consider . If thou wilt part with thy sins , God will give thee his Christ ; Is not this a fair exchange ? I testifie unto thee this day , that if thou perish , it is not because there was never a Saviour provided , nor life tendred , but because thou preferredst ( with the Jews ) the Murderer before thy Saviou● , sin before Christ , and lovedst darkness rather than light , Iohn 3. 19. Search thy heart therefore with Candles , as the Jews did their Houses for Leaven , before the Passover : Labour to find out thy sins , enter into thy Closet , and consider , What evil have I lived in ? What duty have I neglected towards God ? What sin have I lived in against my Brother ? And now strike the darts through the heart of thy sin , as I●ab did through Absalom's , 2 Sam. 18. 14. Never stand looking upon thy sin , nor rolling the morsel under thy tongue , Iob 20. 11. but spit it out as poyson , with fear and detestation . Alas , what will thy sins do for thee , that thou shouldst stick at parting with them ? They will flatter thee , but they will undo thee , and cut thy throat , while they smile upon thee , and poyson thee while they please thee , and arm the justice and wrath of the infinite God against thee . They will open Hell for thee , and pile up fuel to burn thee . Behold the Gibbet that they have prepared for thee . Oh serve them like Haman , and do upon them the Execution , they would else have done upon thee . Away with them , crucifie them , and let Christ only be Lord over thee . Direct . VI. Make a solemn choice of God for thy portion and blessedness , Deut. 26. With all possible devotion and veneration avouch the Lord for thy God. Set the world with all its glory , and paint , and gallantry , with all its pleasures and promotions on the one hand , and set God with all his infinite excellencies , and perfections on the other , and see that thou do deliberately make thy choice , Iosh. 24. 15. Take up thy rest in God , Iob. 6. 68. Set thee down under his shadow , Cant. 2. 3. Let his promises and perfections turn the scale against all the world . Settle it upon thy heart that the Lord is an all-sufficient portion , that thou canst not be miserable , while thou hast a God to live upon , take him for thy shield and exceeding great reward . God alone is more than all the world . Content thy self with him . Let others carry the preferments and glory of the world , place thou thy happiness in his favour , and the light of his countenance , Psal. 4. 6 , 7. Poor sinner , thou art fallen off from God , and hast engaged his power , and wrath against thee . Yet know that of his abundant grace , he doth offer to be thy God again in Christ , 2 Cor. 6. 17 , 18. What sayest thou man ? Wilt thou have the Lord for thy God ? Why , take this counsel , and thou shalt have him . Come to him by his Christ , Ioh. 14. 6. Renounce the Idols of thine own pleasures , gain , reputation , 1 Thes. 1. 9. Let these be pulled out of the Throne , and set Gods interest uppermost in thine ●eare . Take him as God , to be chief in thine affections , estimations , intentions ; for he will not endure to have any set above him , Rom. 1. 24 , Psal. 73. 25. In a word , thou must take him in all his Personal Relations , and in all his Essential Perfections . First , In all his Personal Relations . God the Father must be taken for thy Father , Ier. 3. 4 , 19 , 22. O come to him with the Prodigal , Father , I have sinned against Heaven , and in thy sight , and am not worthy to be called thy Son , but since of thy wonderful mercy , thou art pleased to take me● , that am of my self a dog , a swine , a devil , to be thy child , I solemnly take thee for my Father , commend my self to thy care , and trust to thy providence , and cast my burden on thy shoulders . I depend on thy provision , and submit to thy corrections , and trust under the shadow of thy wings , and hide in thy chambers , and ●ly to thy name . I renounce all confidence in my self , I repose my confidence in thee , I depose my concernments with thee . I will be for thee , and for no other . Again , God the Son must be taken for thy Saviour , for thy Redeemer and Righteousness , Iohn 1. 2. He must be accepted as the only way to the Father , and the only means of Life , Heb. 7. 25. O then put off the rayment of thy captivity , on with the wedding garment , and go and marry thy self to Jesus Christ. Lord I am thine , and all that I have , my body , my soul , my name , my estate . I send a bill of divorce to my other lovers . I give my heart to thee , I will be thine undividedly , thine ever lastingly . I will set thy name on all I have , and use it only as thy goods , as thy loan during thy leave , resigning ad to thee . I will have no King but thee : Reign thou over me . Other Lords have had dominion over me : But now I will make mention of thy name only , and do here take an o●th of fealty to thee , promising and vowing to serve , and love , and ●ear thee , above all competitors . I disavow mine own righteousness , and despair of ever being pardoned and saved for mine own duties , or graces , and lean only on thine all-sufficient sacrifice and intercession , for pardon , and life , and acceptance before God. I take thee for mine only guide and instructer , resolving to be led and directed by thee , and to wait for● thy counsel , and that thine shall be the casting voice with me . Lastly , God the Spirit must be taken for thy sanctifier . Rom. 8. 9 , 14. Gal. 5. 16 , 18. for thine Advocate , thy Counsellor , thy Comforter , the teacher of thine ignorance , the pledge and earnest of thine inheritance , Rom. 8. 26. Psal. 73. 24. Iohn 14. 16. Eph. 1. 14. Iohn 14. 26. Eph. 4. 30. Awake thou Northwind , and come thou S●●th , and blow upon my Garden , Cant. 4. 16. Come , thou Spirit of the most high● here is a house for thee , here is a Temple for thee . Here do thou rest for ●ver ; dwell here , and rest here . Lo , I give up the possession to thee , full possession . I send thee the keys of my heart , that all may be for thy use , that thou mayst put thy goods , thy grace into every Room . I give up the use of all to thee , that every faculty , and every member may be thine i●●●●ument , to work righteousness , and do the will of my Father which is in Heaven . Secondly , In all his essential per●ections . Consider how the Lord hath revealed himself to you in his word : will you take him as such a God ? O● sinner , here 's the blessedest News that ever came to the sons of Men. The Lord will be thy God , Gen. 17. 7. Rev. 21. 3. if thou wilt but close with him in his excellencies . Wilt thou have the merciful , the gracious , the sin-pardoning God , to be t●● God ? O yes , ( saith the sinner , ) I am undone else . But he farther tells thee , I am the holy and sin-hating God. If thou wilt be owned as one of my people , thou must be holy , 1 Pet. 1. 16. holy in heart , holy in life . Thou must put away all thine iniquities , be they never so near , never so natural , never so necessary to the maintaining thy fleshly interest . Unless thou wilt be at defiance with sin , I cannot be thy God. Cast out the leaven , put away the evil of thy doings , cease ●o do evil , learn to do well , or else I can have nothing to do with thee , Isa. 1. 16 , 17 , 18. Bring forth mine enemies , or there is no peace to be had with me . What doth thine heart answer ? Lord I desire to have thee as such a God. I desire to be holy as thou art holy , to be made partaker of thy holiness . I love thee , not only for thy goodness and mercy , but for thy holiness and parity . I take thy holiness for my happiness . Oh! be to me a fountain of holiness : set on me the stamp and impress of thy holiness , I will thankfully part with all my sins at thy command . My wi●ful sins I do forthwith forsake ; and for my infirmities that I cannot get rid of , though I would , I will strive against them in the use of the mea●s . I detest them , and will pray and war against them , and never let them have quiet rest in my soul. Beloved , whosoever of you will thus accept of the Lord for his God , he shall have him . Again , he tells you ; I am the All-sufficient God , Gen. 17. 1. Will you lay all at my feet , and give it up to my dispose , and take me for your only portion ? Will you own and honour mine All-sufficiency ? Will you take me as your happiness and treasure , your hope and bliss ? I am a Sun and a Shield , all in one : will you have me for your all ? Gen. 15. 1. Psal 84. 11. Now what dost thou say to this ? Doth thy mouth water after the Onions and Flesh-pots of Egypt ? Art thou loath to exchange the earthly happiness , for a part in God , and though thou wouldest be glad to have God and the World too , yet canst thou not think of having him , and nothing but him , but hadst rather take up with the earth below , if God would but let thee keep it , as long as thou wouldst ? This is a fearful sign . But now if thou art willing to sell all for the Pearl of great price , Mat. 13. 46. If thine heart answer , Lord I desire no other portion but thee . Take the Corn , and the Wine , and the Oyl whoso will , so I may have the light of thy Countenance . I pitch upon thee for my happiness , I gladly venture my self on thee , and trust my self with thee . I set my hopes in thee , I take up my rest with thee , let me hear thee say , I am thy God , thy Salvation , and I have enough , all I wish for . I will make no terms with thee , but for thy self . Let me but have thee sure , let me ●e able to make my claim , and see my Title to thy self , and for other things , I leave them to thee , give me more or 〈◊〉 , any thing or nothing , I will be satisfied in my God. Take him thus , and he is thine own . Again , he tells you ; I am the Soveraign Lord : If you will have me for your God , you must give me the supremacy , Mat. 6. 24. I will not be an underling . You must not make me a second to sin , or 〈◊〉 worldly interest . If you will be my people , I must have the rule over you . You must not live at your down list . Will you come under my yoke ? Will you bow to my government ? Will you submit to my discipline ? to my word ? to my rod ? Sinner , What sayest thou to this ? Lord I had rather be ●t thy command , than live at mine own list , I had rather have thy ●ill to be done , than mine , I approve of and consent to thy Laws , and account it my priviledge to lie under them . And though the flesh rebel , and often break over bounds , I am resolved to take no other Lord but thee . I willingly take the Oath of thy supremacy , and acknowledge thee for my Liege Soveraign , and resolve all my days to pay the tribute of Worship , Obedience , and Love , and Service is thee , and to live to thee , as the end of my Life . This is a right accepting of God. To be short , he tells you ; I am the true and faithful God. If you wi●l have me for your God , you must be content to trust me , 2 Tim. 1. 12. Prov. 3. 5. Will you venture your selves upon my word , and depend on my faithfulness , and take my bond for your security ? Will you be content to follow me , in poverty , and reproach , and affliction here , and to see much going out , and little coming in , and to tarry till the next world for your preferment ? Mat. 9. 21. I deal much upon trust , will you be content to labour , and suffer , and to tarry for your returns till the Resurrection of the Just ? Luke 14. 14. The womb of my Promise will not presently bring forth ; will you have the patience to wait ? Heb. 10. 36. Now Beloved , what say you to this ? Will you have this God for your God ? Will you be content to live by faith , and trust him for an unseen happiness , an unseen heaven , an unseen glory ? Do your hearts answer , Lord we will venture our selves upon thee , we commit our selves to thee : We roll upon thee , we know whom we have trusted , we are willing to take thy word , we will prefer thy promises before our own possessions ; and the hopes of Heaven before all the enjoyments of the Earth . We will wait thy leisure . What thou wilt here , so that we may have but thy faithful promise for Heaven hereafter . If you can in truth , and upon deliberation , thus accept of God , he will be yours . Thus there must be in a right conversion to God , a closing with him suitable to his excellencies . But when men close with his mercy , but yet love sin , hating holiness and purity , or will take him for their Benefactor , but not for their Soveraign ; or for their Patron , but not for their Portion , this is no thorow , and no sound Conversion . Direct . VII . Accept of the Lord Iesus in all his Offices , with all his inconveniences , as thine . Upon these terms Christ may be had . Sinner , thou hast undone thy self , and art plunged into the Ditch of most deplorable misery out of which thou art never able to climb up . But Jesus Christ is able and ready to help thee , and he freely tenders himself to thee , Heb. 7. 25. Iohn 3. 36. Be thy sins never so many , never so great , of never so long continuance , yet thou shalt be most certainly pardoned and saved , if thou dost not wretchedly neglect the offer that in the name of God is here made unto thee . The Lord Jesus calleth unto thee , to look unto him and be saved , Isa. 45. 22. to come unto him , and he will in no wise cast thee out , Iohn 6. 37. Yea he is a suitor to thee , and beseecheth thee to be reconciled , 2 Cor. 5. 20. he cryeth in the streets , he knocketh at thy door , he wooeth thee to accept of him , and live with him , Prov. 1. 20. Rev. 2. 30. If thou diest 't is because thou wouldst not come to him for life , Iohn 5. 40. Now accept of an offered Christ , and thou art made for ever . Now give up thy consent to him , and the match is made , all the world cannot hinder it . Do not stand off because of thine unworthiness . Man , I tell thee , nothing in all the world can undo thee , but thine unwillingness● Speak man , art thou willing of the match ? Wilt thou have Christ in all his celations to be thine ; thy King , thy Priest , thy Prophet ? Wilt thou have him with all his inconveniences ? Take not Christ hand over head , but sit down first , and count the cost . Wilt thou lay all at his feet ? Wilt thou be content to run all hazards with him ? Wilt thou take thy lot with him , fall where it will ? Wilt thou deny thy self , take up thy Cross , and follow him ? Art thou deliberately , understandingly , freely , fixedly , determined to ●●eave to him in all times , and conditions ? If so , my soul for thine , thou shalt never perish , Iohn 3. 16. but art passed from death to life . Here lies the main point of thy salvation , that thou be found in thy covenant-closure with Jesus Christ , and therefore if thou love thy self , see that thou be faithful to God and thy soul● ere . Direct . VIII . Resign up all thy powers and faculties , and thy whole interest to be his . They gave their own selves unto the Lord , 2 Cor. 8. 5. Present your bodies as a living Sacrifice , Rom. 12. 1. The Lord seeks not yours , but you . Resing therefore thy body with all its members to him , and thy soul with all its powers , that he may be glorified in thy body and in thy spirit which are his , 1 Cor. 6. 20. In a right closure with Christ , all the faculties give up to him . The Judgment subscribes , Lord thou ●t worthy of all acceptation , chief of ten thousand : Happy is the man that fin●eth thee . All the things that are to be desired , are not to be compared with thee , Prov. 3. 13 , 14 , 15. The understanding lays aside its corrupt reasonings and cavils , and its prejudices against Christ and his ways . It is now past questioning and disputing , and casts it for Christ against all the World. It concludes , it 's good to be here , and sees such a treasure in this field , such value in this pearl , as is worth all , Mat. 13. 44. Oh here 's the richest bargain that ever I made , here 's the richest prize that ever man was offere● , here 's the sovereignest remedy that ever mercy prepared , he is worthy of my esteem , worthy of my choice , worthy of my love , worthy to be embraved , 〈…〉 , admired for ever more , Rev. 5. 12. I approve of his 〈◊〉 his terms are rightteous & reasonable , full of equity and mercy . Again the will resigns . It stands no longer wavering , nor wishing and woulding but is peremptorily determin'd : Lord thy love hath overcome me , th●● h●st won me , and thou shalt have me : Come in Lord , to thee I freely open , I consent to be saved in thine own way , thou shalt have any thing , thou shall have all , let me have but thee . The memory gives up to Christ : Lord here is a store-house for thee . Out with this trash , lay in thy trea●ure . Let me be a granary , a repositor● of thy truths , thy promises , thy providences . The Conscience comes in ; Lord I will ever side with thee . I will be thy faithful Register , I will warn when the sinner is tempted , and smite when thou art offended . I will witness for thee , and judge for thee , and guide into thy ways , and will never let sin have quiet in this soul. The affections also come in to Christ. O saith love , I am sick of thee . O saith desire , now I have my longing . Here 's the satisfaction I sought for . Here 's the desire of Nations . Here 's bread for me , and balm for me , all that I want . Fear bows the knee with awe and veneration . Welcome Lord , to thee will I pay my homage . Thy word and thy rod shall command my motions . Thee will I reverence and adore , before thee will I fall down and worship . Grief likewise puts in , Lord thy displeasure and thy dishonour , thy peoples calamities , and mine own iniquities shall be that that shall set me abroach , I will mourn when thou art offended , I will weep when thy cause is wounded : Anger likewise comes in for Christ : Lord nothing so enrages me , as my folly against thee , that I should be so befooled and bewitched as to hearken to the flatteries of sin , and temptations of Satan against thee . Hatred too w●●● side with Christ. I protest mortal enmity with thine enemies that I will never be friends with thy foes , I vow an immortal quarrel with every sin . I will give no quarter , I will make no peace . Thus let all thy powers give up to Jesus Christ. Again , thou must give up thy whole interest to him . If there be any thing that thou keepest back from Christ it will be thine undoing , Luke . 14. 33. Unless thou wilt forsake all ( in preparation and resolution of thy heart ) thou canst not be his Disciple . Thou must hate Father and Mother , yea and thine own life also in comparison of him , and as far as it stands in competition with him , Mat. 10. 37. Luke 14. 26 , 27 , &c. In a word , thou must give him thy self , and all that thou hast without reservation , or else thou canst have no part in him . Direct . IX . Make ch●ice of the Laws of Christ as the rule of thy words , thoughts and actions , Psal. 119. 30. This is the true Converts choice . But here remember these three rules . 1. You must chuse them all . There 's no coming to Heaven by a partial obedience ; Read Psal. 119. 6 , 128 , 160. Ezek. 18. 21. None may think it enough to take up with the cheap and easie part of Religion , and let alone the duties that are costly , and self-denying , and grate upon the interest of the flesh . You must take all or none . A sincere Convert , though he makes most conscience of the greatest sins and weightiest duties ; yet he makes true conscience of little sins , and of all duties , Psal. 119. 6 , 113. Mat. 23. 23. 2. For all times , for prosperity , and for adversity , whether it rain or shine . A true Convert is resolved in his way , he will stand to his choice , and will not set his back to the wind , and be of the religion of the times . I have stuck to thy testimonies , I have enclined my heart to perform thy statutes alway , even to the end . Thy testimonies have I taken , as an heritage for ever , Psal. 119. 31 , 111 , 117 , 44 , 93. I will have respect unto thy statutes continually . 3. This must not be done hand over head , but deliberately and understandingly . That disobedient Son said , I go ●ir , but he went not , Mat. 24. 30. How fairly did they promise ? All that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee , we will do it ; and it 's like they spake as they meant , but when it came to tryal it was found that there was not such a heart in them , as to do what they had promised , Deut. 5. 27 , 29. If you would be sincere in closing with the laws and ways of Christ , First , Study the meaning , and latitude and compass of them . Remember , that they are very spiritual : they reach the very thoughts and inclinations of the heart ; so that if you will walk by this rule , your very thoughts and inward motions must be under government . Again , that they are very strict and self-denying , quite contrary to the grain of your natural ine●inations , Mat. 16. 24. You must take the strait gate , the narrow way , and be content to have the flesh curbed from the liberty it desires , Mat. 7. 14. In a word , that they are very large : For thy Commandment is exceeding broad , Psal. 119. 96. Secondly , rest not in generals ( for there 's much deceit in that ) but bring down thy heart to the particular commands of Christ. Those Jews in the Prophet seemed as well resolved as any in the world , and call'd God to witness , that they meant as they said : But they stuck in generals . When Gods command crosses their inclination , they will not obey , Ier. 42. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6. compared with Chap. 43. v. 2. Take the Assemblies larger Catechism , and see their excellent and most compendious exposition of the Commandments , and put thy heart to it . Art thou resolved in the strength of Christ , to set upon the conscientious practice of every duty that thou findest to be there required of thee , and to set against every sin that thou findest there forbidden ? This is the way to be found in Gods statutes , that thou maist never be ashamed , Psal. 119. 80. Thirdly , Observe the special duties that thy heart is most against , and the special sins that 't is most inclin'd unto , and see whether it be truly resolved to perform the one , and forgo the other . What sayest thou to thy bosom sin , thy gainful sin ? What sayest thou to costly and hazardous , and flesh displeasing duties ? If thou hal● est here , and dost not resolve , by the grace of God , to cross thy flesh , and put to it , thou art unsound , Psal. 18. 23. Psal. 119. 6. Direct . X Let all this be compleated in a solemn Covenant between God and thy soul , Psalm 119. 106. Neh , 10. 29. For thy better help therein , take these few Directions . First , Set apart some time , more than once to be spent in secret before the Lord. 1. In seeking earnestly his special assistance , and gracious acceptance of thee . 2. In considering distinctly all the terms or conditions of the Covenant , expressed in the form hereafter proposed . 3. In searching thine heart , whether thou art sincerely willing to for sake all thy sins , and to resign up thy self , body and soul unto God , and his service , to serve him in holiness and righteousness , all the days of thy life . Secondly , Compose thy Spirit into the most serious frame possible , suitable to a transaction of so high importance . Thirdly , Lay hold on the Covenant of God , and rely upon his promise of giving grace and strength , whereby thou may'st be enabled to perform thy promise . Trust not to thine own strength , to the strength of thine own resolutions , but take hold on his strength Fourthly , Resolve to be faithful , having engaged thine heart , opened thy mouth , and subscribed with thy hand unto the Lord , resolve in his strength never to go back . Lastly , Being thus prepared , on some convenient time set apart for the purpose , set upon the work , and in the most solemn manner possible , as if the Lord were visibly present before thine eyes , fall down on thy knees , and spreading forth thine hands toward Heaven , open thine heart to the Lord in these , or the like words . O Most dreadful God , for the Passion of thy Son , I beseech thee accept of thy poor Prodidigal now prostrating himself at thy Door ; I have fallen from thee by mine iniquity , and am by Nature a Son of Death , and a thousand-fold more the Child of Hell by my wicked practice : But of thine infinite Grace thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ if I will but turn to Thee with all my Heart : Therefore upon the Call of thy Gospel , I am now come in , and throwing down my weapons , submit my self to thy Mercy . And because thou requirest , as the Condition of my Peace with Thee , that I should put away mine Idols and be at defiance with all thine Enemies , which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against Thee , I here from the bottom of my heart renounce them all , firmly Covenanting with thee not to allow my self in any known sin ; but conscientiously to use all the means that I know thou hast prescribed , for the death and utter destruction of all my corruptions . And whereas I have formerly inordinately and idolatrously let out my affections upon the World , I do here resign up my heart to Thee that madest it , humbly protesting before thy Glorious Majesty , that it is the firm resolution of my heart , and that I do unfeignedly desire Grace from Thee , that when thou shalt call me hereunto , I may practise this my resolution through thy assistance , to forsake all that is dear unto me in this world , rather than to turn from thee to the ways of sin ; and that I will watch against all its temptations , whether of Prosperity , or Adversity , lest they should withdraw my heart from thee : beseeching thee also to help me against the temptations of Satan , to whose wicked Suggestions I resolve by thy grace never to yield my self a Servant . And because my own righteousness is but menstruous rags● I renounce all confidence therein , and acknowledge that I am of my self a hopeless , helpless , undone creature , without righteousness or strength . And forasmuch as thou hast of thy bottomless Mercy offered most graciously to me wretched sinner , to be again my God through Christ , if I would accept of thee : I call Heaven and Earth to record this day , that I do here solemnly avouch thee for the Lord my God , and with all possible veneration , bowing the neck of my Soul under the feet of thy most Sacred Majesty , I do here take thee , Lord Iehovah , Father , Son , and Holy Ghost , for my Portion , and chief good , and to give up my self , Body and Soul , for thy Servant , promising and vowing to serve thee in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of my life . And since thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ , the only means of coming unto thee , I do here upon the bended knees of my Soul accept of him as the only new and living way , by which sinners may have access to thee , and do here solemnly joyn my self in Marriage Covenant to him . O Blessed Jesus , I come to thee hungry and hardly bested , poor and wretched , and miserable , and blind , and naked ; a most loathsom , polluted wretch , a guilty , condemned Malefactor , unworthy for ever to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord , much more to be solemnly married to the King of Glory , but sith such is thine unparallel'd love , I do here with all my power accept thee , and do take thee for my Head and Husband , for better for worse , for richer , for poorer , for all times and conditions , to love , honour , and obey thee before all others , and this to the death ; I embrace thee in all thine offices : I renounce mine own worthiness , and do here avow thee to be the Lord my Righteousness , I renounce mine own wisdom , and do here take thee for mine only guide ? I renounce mine own Will , and take thy● Will for my Law. And since thou hast told me that I must suffer if I will reign , I do here Covenant with thee to take my Lot , as it falls , with thee , and by thy grace assisting , to run all hazards with thee , verily supposing that neither life nor death shall part between thee and me . And because thou hast been pleased to give me thy holy laws , as the rule of my life , and the way in which I should walk to thy Kingdom , I do here willingly put my Neck under thy Yoak , and set my shoulder to thy burden ; and subscribing to all thy Laws , as holy , iust , and good , I solemnly take them as the rule of my words , thoughts and actions , promising that though my flesh contradict and rebel , yet I will endeavour to order and govern my whole life according to thy direction , and will not allow my self in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my duty . Only because through the frailty of my flesh , I am subject to many failings ; I am bold humbly to protest , That unallowed miscarriages , contrary to the setled bent and resolution of my heart , shall not make void this Covenant , for so thou hast said . Now Almighty God , searcher of hearts , thou knowest that I make this Covenant with thee this day , without any known guile , or reservation , beseeching thee , that if thou espiest any flaw or falshood therein , thou wouldst discover it to me , and help me to do it aright . And now glory be to thee , O God the Father , whom I shall be bold from this day forward , to look upon as my God and Father , that ever thou shouldst find out such a way for the recovery of undone sinners . Glory be to thee , O God the Son , who hast loved me , and washed me from my sins in thine own Blood , and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer . Glory be to thee , O God the Holy Ghost , who by the finger of thine Almighty Power hast turned about my Heart from Sin to God. O dreadful Iehovah , the Lord God Omnipotent , Father , Son , and Holy Ghost , thou art now become my Covenant friend , and I through thine infinite Grace , am become thy Covenant Servant , Amen . So be it . And the Covenant which I have made on Earth let it be ratified in Heaven . The AUTHORS Advice . THis Covenant I advise you to make , not only in Heart , but in Word ; not only in Word , but in Writing ; and that you would with all possible reverence spread the Writing before the Lord , as if you would present it to him as your Act and Deed. And when you have done this , set your hand to it . Keep it 〈◊〉 a Memorial of the Solemn Transactions that have passed between God and you , that you may have recourse to it in Doubts and Temptations . Direct . XI . Take heed of delaying thy Conversion , and set upon a speedy and present turning . I made haste , and delayed not , Psal. 119. 60. Remember , and tremble at the sad instance of the foolish Virgins , that came not till the door of mercy was shut , Mat. 25. and of a convinced Felix , that put off Paul to another season , and we never find that he had such a season more , Acts 24. 25. O come in while it is called to day , lest thou shouldst be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin ; lest thy day of grace should be over , and the things that belong to thy peace should be hid from thine eyes . Now mercy is wooing of thee . Now Christ is waiting to be gracious to thee , and the Spirit of God is striving with thee . Now Ministers are calling , now Conscience is stirring ; now the Market is open , and Oyl may be had , thou hast opportunity for the buying . Now Christ is to be had for the taking . Oh! strike in with the offers of Grace . Oh! now or never . If thou make light of this offer , God may swear in his wrath thou shalt never tast of his Supper , Luke 14. 24. Direct . XII . Attend conscientiously upon the Word as the means appointed for thy Conversion , James 1. 18 , 19. 1 Cor. 4. 15. Attend , I say , not customarily , but conscientiously ; with this desire , design , hope and expectation , that thou mayest be converted by it . To every Sermon thou hearest , come with this thought , Oh , I hope God will now come in . I hope this day may be the time , this may be the man by whom God will bring me home . When thou art coming to the Ordinances , lift up thine heart thus to God. Lord let this be the Subbath , let this be the Season , wherein I may receive renewing Grace . Oh let it be said , that to day such a one was born unto thee . Object . Thou wilt say , I have been long a hearer of the word , and yet it hath not been effectual to my Conversion . Ans. Yea , but thou hast not attended upon it in this manner , as a means of thy Conversion , nor with this design , nor praying for , and expecting of this happy effect of it . Direct . XIII . Strike in with the Spirit , when he begins to work upon thy heart . When he works convictions , O do not stifle them , but joyn in with him , and beg the Lord to carry on convictions to conversion . Quench not the Spirit ; do not out-strive him : do not resist him . Beware of putting out convictions by evil company , or worldly business . When thou findest any troubles for sin , and fears about thine eternal State , beg of God that they may never leave thee till they have wrought off thy heart throughly from sin , and wrought it over to Jesus Christ. Say to him , Strike home , Lord , leave not the work in the midst . If thou seest that I am not yet wounded enough , that I am not troubled enough , wound● me yet deeper , Lord. O go to the bottom of my Corruption , let out the life-blood of my sins . Thus yield up thy self to the workings of the Spirit , and hoise thy Sails to his gusts . Direct . XIV . Set upon the constant and diligent use of serious and fervent Prayer . He that neglects prayer , is a prophane an unsanctified sinner , Iob 15. 4. He that is not constant in prayer , is but an Hypocrite , Iob 27. 10. ( unless the Omission be contrary to his ordinary course , under the force of some instant temptation . ) This is one of the first things Conversion appears in , that it sets men on praying , Acts 9. 11. Therefore set to this duty . Let never a day pass over thee , wherein thou hast not , Morning , and Evening , set apart some time for set and solemn prayer in secret . Call thy family also together daily and duly , to worship God with thee . Wo be unto thee if thine be found amongst the families that call not on Gods name , Ier. 10. 25. But cold and lifeless devotions will not reach half way to Heaven . Be fervent , and importunate . Importunity will carry it . But without violence the Kingdom of Heaven will not be taken , Mat. 11. 12. Thou must strive to enter , Luke 13. 24. and wrestle with tears and supplications , as Iacob , if thou meanest to carry the blessing , Gen. 32. 24. comp . with Hos. 12. 4. Thou art undone for ever without grace , and therefore thou must put to it , and resolve to take no denyal . That man that is fixed in this resolution ; Well I must have grace , and I will never give over , till I have grace , and I will never leave seeking and waiting , and striving with God , and mine own heart , till he do renew me by the power of his grace ; this man is in the likeliest way to win Grace . Obj. But God heareth not sinners , their prayer is an abomination . Ans. Distinguish between sinners . 1. There are resolved sinners : their prayers God abhors . 2. Returning sinners ; these God will come forth to , and meet with mercy , though yet afar off , Luke 15. 20. Though the prayers of the unsanctified cannot have full acceptance ; yet God hath done much at the request of such , as at Ahab's humiliation , and Ninevehs Fast , 1 Kings 21. 26. Ionah 3. 8 , 9 , 10. Surely thou mayst go as far as these , though thou hast no grace : and how dost thou know but thou mayst speed in thy suit , as they did in theirs ? Yea , is he not far more likely to grant thee , than them ; since thou askest in the Name of Christ , and that not for temporal blessings , as they , but for things much more pleasing to him , viz. for Christ , Grace , Pardon , that thou mayst be justified , sanctified , renewed and fitted to serve him ? Turn to these soul incouraging Scriptures , Prov. 2. 1 , to 6. Luk. 11. 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13. Prov. 8. 34. 35. Is it not good comfort , that he calleth thee ? Mark 10 49. Doth he set thee on the use of means , and dost thou think he will mock thee ? Doubtless , he will not fail thee , if thou be not wanting to thy self . O pray and faint not , Luke 18. 1. A person of great Quality having offended the Duke of Buckingham , the Kings great Favourite , being admitted into his presence after long waiting , prostrates himself at his feet , saying , I am resolved never to rise more , till I have obtained your Grace's favour , with which carriage he did overcome him . With such a resolution , do thou throw thy self at the feet of God. 'T is for thy life , and therefore follow him , and give not over . Resolve thou wilt not be put off with bones , with common mercies . What though God do not presently open to thee ? Is not grace worth the waiting for ? Knock , and wait , and no doubt but sooner or later , mercy will come . And this know , that thou hast the very same encouragement to seek and wait , that the Saints now in glory once had : for they were once in thy very case . And have they sped so well ? and wilt thou not go to the same door , and wait upon God in the same course ? Direct . XV. Forsake thy evil Company , Prov. 9. 6. and forbear the occasions of sin , Prov. 23. 31. Thou wilt never be turned from sin till thou wilt decline and forego the temptations of sin . I never expect thy Conversion from sin , unless thou art brought to some self-denial , as to fly the occasions . If thou wilt be ●ibling at the bait , and playing on the brink , and tampering and medling with the snare , thy soul will surely be taken . Where God doth expose men in his providence , unavoidably , to temptations , and the occasions are such as we cannot remove , we may expect special assistance in the use of his means . But when we tempt God by running into danger , he will not engage to support us , when we are tempted . And of all temptations one of the most fatal and pernicious , is evil company . Oh what hopeful beginnings have these often stifled ! Oh the souls , the estates , the families , the towns that these have ruined ! How many a poor sinner hath been enlightned , and convinced , and hath been just ready to give the Devil the slip , and hath even escaped his snare and yet wicked company have pull'd him back at last , and made him seven fold more the Child of Hell. In one word , I have no hopes of thee , except thou wilt shake off thy evil company . Christ speaketh to thee , as to them , in another case ; If thou seek me , then let these go their way , Joh. 18. 8. Thy life lies upon it : Forsake these , or else thou canst not live , Prov. 9. 6. Wilt thou be worse than the beast , to run on , when thou seest the Lord with a drawn sword in the way ? Numb . 22. 33. Let this sentence be written in Capitals upon thy Conscience , A COMPANION OF FOOLS SHALL BE DESTROYED , Prov. 13. 20. The Lord hath spoken it , and who shall reverse it ? And wilt thou run upon destruction , when God himself doth forewa●● thee ? If God do ever change thy heart it will appear in the change of thy company . Oh fear , and fly this Gulf by which so many thousand souls have been swallowed into perdition . It will be hard for thee indeed , to make thine escape . Thy Companions will be mocking thee out of thy Religion , and will study to fill thee with prejudices against strictness , as ridiculous and comfortless . They will be flattering thee , and alluring thee ; but remember the warnings of the Holy Ghost , My Son , if sinners entice thee , consent thou not . If they say come with us , e●st in thy lot among us ; walk not thou in the way with them , refrain thy foot from their path . Avoid it , pass not by it , turn from it , and pass away . For the way of the wicked is as darkness , they know not at what they stumble . They l●y wait for their own blood ; they lurk privily for their own lives . Prov. 1. 10. to the 18. Prov. 4. 14. to the 19. My soul is moved within me , to see how many of my hearers are like to perish both they and their houses , by this wretched mischief , even the haunting of such places , and company , whereby th●y are drawn into sin , Once more I admonish you , as Moses did Israel , Num. 16. 26. And he spake unto the Congregation , saying , Depart , I pray you , from the Tents of these wicked men . Oh! flee them as you would those that had the Plague-Sores running in their fore-heads ; these are the Devils Panders , and Decoys ; and if thou dost not make thine escape , they will toll thee into perdition , and will prove thine eternal ruin . Direct . XVI . Lastly , Set apart a day to humble thy soul in secret , by fasting and prayer , to work the sense of thy sins and miseries upon thy heart . Read over the Assemblies Exposition of the Commandments , and write down the duties omitted , and sins committed by thee against every Commandment , and so make a Catalogue of thy sins , and with shame and sorrow spread them before the Lord. And if thy heart be truly willing to the terms , join thy self solemnly to the Lord in that Covenant , set down in the IXth . Direction , and the Lord grant thee mercy in his sight . Thus I have told thee , what thou must do to be saved . Wilt thou not now obey the voice of the Lord ? Wilt thou arise and set to thy work ? Oh man , what answer wilt thou make , what excuse wilt thou have , if thou shouldst perish at last through very wilfulness , when thou hast known the way of life ? I do not fear thy miscarrying , if thine own idleness do not at 〈◊〉 undo thee , in neglecting the use of the means , that are so plainly here prescribed . Rouze up , Oh sluggard , and ply thy work . Be doing , and the Lord will be with thee . A Short Soliloquy for an Unregenerate Sinner . AH wretched man that I am ! What a condition have I brought my self into by sin ? Oh! I see my heart hath but deceived me all this wh●●e , in flattering me , that my condition was good . I see , I see , I am but a lost and undone man ; for ever undone , unless the Lord help me out of this condition . My sins ! My sins ! Lord , what an unclean , polluted wretch am I ! more loathsome and odious to thee , than the most hateful Venom , or noisome carcase , can be to me . Oh! what a Hell of sin is in this heart of mine , which I have flattered my self to be a good heart ? Lord , how universally am I corrupted , in all my parts , powers , performances ? All the imaginations of the thoughts of my heart , are only evil , continually . I am under an inability to , averseness from , and enmity against any thing that is good ; and am prone to all that is evil . My heart is a very sink of all sin : And Oh the innumerable hosts , and swarms of sinful thoughts , words , and actions , that have flown from thence . Oh the load of guilt that is on my soul ! My ●●ad is ●ull , my heartfull , my mind and my members , they are all full of sin . Oh my sins ! How do they stare upon me ! How do they witness against me ! Wo i● me , my Creditors are upon me , every Commandm●●● taketh hold upon me , for more than ten thousand 〈◊〉 Talents , yea ten thousand times ten thousand . How endless then is the sum of all my debts ? If this whole world were filled up from Earth to Heaven with paper , and all this paper written over , within and without , by Arithmeticians : yet when all were case up together , it would come unconceivably short of what I owe to the least of Gods Commandments . Wo unto me ! for my debts are infinite , and my sins are increased . They are wrongs to an infinite Majesty : And if he that committeth Treason against a silken Mortal , is worthy to be racked , drawn and quartered : What have I deserved , that have so often lifted up my hand against Heaven , and have struck at the Crown and Dignity of the Almighty ? Oh my sins ! my sins ! Behold a Troop cometh ! Multitudes ! Multitudes ! there is no number of their Armies . Innumerable evils have compassed me about : Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me ; they have set themselves in aray against me . Oh! it were better to have all the Regiments of Hell come against me , than to have my sins to fall upon me , to the spoiling of my soul. Lord , how am I surrounded ? How many are they that rise up against me ? They have beset me behind and before : They swarm within me and without me : They have possessed all my powers , and have fortified mine unhappy soul , as a Garison , which this broo● of Hell doth man , and maintain , against the God that made me . And they are as mighty , as they be many . The Sands are many , but then they are not great : The Mountains great , but then they are not many . But wo is me ! my sins are as many as the Sands , and as mighty as the Mountains . Their weight is greater than their number . It were better that the Rocks and the Mountains should fall upon me , than the crushing and insupportable load of my own sins . Lord , I am heavy loaden ; let mercy help , or I am gone . Unload me of this heavy guilt , this sinking load , or I am cr●●hed without ●ope , and must be pressed down to Hell. If my grief were thorowly weighed , and my sins laid in the balances together , they would be heavier than the Sand of the Sea , therefore my words are swallowed up : They would weigh down all the rocks and the hills , and turn the balance against all the Isles of the Farth● O Lord , thou knowest my manifold transgressions , and my mighty sins . Ah my Soul ! Alas my Glory / Whither art thou humbled ? Once the Glory of the Creation , and the Image of God ; now , a Lump of filthiness ; a Coffin of rottenness , replenished with stench and loathsomness . O what work hath sin made with thee ? thou shalt be termed Forsaken , and all the rooms of thy faculties Desolate , and the name that thou shalt be called by is , Ichabod , or , Where is the Glory ? How art thou come down mightily ? My Beauty is turned into deformity , and my Glory into shame . Lord , what a loathsome Leper am I ? The Ulcerous Bodies of Iob or Lazarus were not more offensive to the eyes and nostrils of men , than I must needs be to the most holy God , whose eyes cannot behold iniquity . And what misery have my sins brought upon me ? Lord , what a case am I in ? Sold under sin , cast out of Gods favour , accursed from the Lord , cursed in my body , cursed in my soul , cursed in my name , in my estate , my relations , and all that I have . My sins are unpardoned , and my ●oul within a step of death . Alas ! What shall I do ? Whither shall I go ? Which way shall I look ? God is frowning on me from above ; Hell gaping for me beneath ; Conscience smiting me within ; temptations and dangers surrounding me without . Oh , whither shall I flee ? What place can hide me from Omnisciency ? What power can secure me from Omnipotency ? What meanest thou , O my soul , to go on thus ? Art thou in league with Hell ? Hast thou made a Covenant with Death ? Art thou in love with thy misery ? Is it good for thee to be here ? Alas what shall I do ! Shall I go on in my sinful ways ? Why then certain damnation will be mine end : and shall I be ●o besotted and bemadded , as to go and sell my soul to the flames , for a little Ale , and a little ease , for a little pleasure , or gain , or content to my flesh ? Shall I linger any longer in this wretched estate ? No , if I tarry here , I shall die ; What then ? Is there no help , no hope ? None except I turn , Why , but is there any remedy for such woful misery ? Any mercy after such provoking iniquity ? Yes , as sure as God's Oath is true , I shall have pardon , and mercy yet , if presently , unfeignedly , and unreservedly I turn by Christ to him . Why then I thank thee upon the bended knees of my soul , O most merciful Jehovah , that thy Patience hath waited upon me hitherto : For hadst thou took me away in this estate , I had perished for ever . And now I adore thy grace , and accept the offers of thy mercy . I renounce all my sins , and resolve by thy grace , to set my self against them , and to follow thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life . Who am I , Lord , that I should make any claim unto thee , or have any part or portion in thee , who am not worthy to lick up the dust of thy feet ' Yet since thou holdest forth the golden Scepter , I am bold , to come and touch . To despair , would be to disparage thy mercy ; and to stand off when thou biddest me come , would be at once to undo my self , and rebel against thee , under the pretence of humility . Therefore I bow my soul to thee , and with all possible thankfulness accept thee , as mine , and give up my self to thee , as thine . Thou shalt be Soveraign over me , my King , and my God : Thou shalt be in the Throne , and all my powers shall bow to thee , they shall come and worship before thy feet . Thou shalt be my Portion , O Lord , and I will rest in thee . Thou callest for my heart . O that it were any way fit for thine acceptance ! I am unworthy , O Lord , everlastingly unworthy to be thine . But since thou wilt have it so , I freely give up my heart to thee : Take it ; it is thine . Oh that it were better ! But Lord , I put it into thine hand , who alone canst mend it . Mould it after thine own heart ; make it as thou wouldst have it , holy , humble , heavenly , soft , tender , flexible , and write thy Law upon it . Come , Lord Jesus , come quickly : Enter in triumphantly : take me up to thee for ever . I give up to thee , I come to thee , as the only way to the Father , as the only Mediator , the means ordained to bring me to God. I have des●royed my self , but in thee is my help . Save Lord , or else I perish , I come to thee with the rope about my Neck . I am worthy to die , and to be damned . Never was the hire more due to the servant , never was penny more due to the labourer , then Death and Hell , my just wages , is due to 〈◊〉 for my sins . But I fly to thy merits , I trust alone to the value and virtue of thy Sacrifice , and preva●●●cy of thine intercession . I submit to thy teaching , ● make choice of thy Government . Stand open 〈…〉 doors , that the King of Glory may come in . O thou spirit of the most high , the comforter and sanctifier of thy chosen ; come in with all thy glorious train , all thy courtly 〈◊〉 , thy fruits , and graces . Let ●●e be thine habitacion . ● I can give 〈◊〉 But what is thine 〈◊〉 already ; but here with the poor Widdow , I cas● my two mi●es , my soul , and my body into thy treasury ; fully resigning them up to t●●●e , to be sanctified by thee , to be servants to thee . They it all ●e thy Patients , Cure thou their Malady ; they shall be thy Agents , Govern thou their Mo●●c●s . Too long have I served the world , too long have I hearkned to Satan , but now I renounce them all , and will be ruled by thy Dictates , and Directions , and guided by thy Counsel . O blessed Trinity ! O glorious Unity ! I deliver up my self to thee ; receive me ; write thy name , O Lord , upon me , and upon all that I have as thy proper goods . Set thy mark upon me , upon every member of my body , and every faculty of my soul. I have chosen thy precepts . Thy law will I lay before me : This shall be the Copy , which I will keep in my eye , and study to write after . According to this rule do I resolve , by thy Grace , to walk : After this law shall my whole man be governed . And though I cannot perfectly keep one of thy Commandments , yet I will allow my self in the breach of none . I know my flesh will hang back : But I resolve , in the power of thy Grace , to cleave to thee , and thy holy ways , what ever it cost me . I am sure I cannot come off a loser by thee , therefore I will be content with reproach , and difficulties , and hardships here , and will deny my self , and take up my Cross , and follow thee . Lord Jesus thy Yoke is easie , thy Cross is welcome , as it is the way to thee . I lay aside all hopes of worldly happiness . I will be content to tarry till I come to thee . Let me be poor and low , little and despised here , so I may but be admitted to live , and reign with thee hereafter . Lord , thou hast my heart and hand to this agreement . Be it as the laws of the Medes and Persians , never to be reversed . To this , I will stand ; In this resolution , by Grace I will live and die . I have sworn and will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments . I have given my free consent , I have made my everlasting choice . Lord Jesus confirm the Contract , Amen . Chap. VII . Containing the Motives to Conversion . THough what is already said of the Necessity of Conversion , and of the Miseries of the Unconverted , might be sufficient to induce any considering mind to resolve upon a present Turning , or Conversion unto God : Yet knowing what a piece of desperate obstinacy and untractableness the heart of man naturally is , I have thought it necessary , to add to the means of Conversion and Directions for a Covenant-closure with God in Christ , some Motives to perswade you hereunto . O Lord , fail me not now at my last attempts . If any soul hath read hitherto , and be yet untouched , now Lord fasten in him and do thy work ; Now take him by the heart , overcome him , perswade him , till he say● thou hast prevailed , for thou wast stronger than I. Lord ; didst thou not make me a Fisher of men ? And have I toiled all this while and caught nothing ? Alas that I should have spent my strength for nought ! And now I am casting my last ; Lord Jesus , stand thou upon the Shore , and direct , how , and where I shall spread my Net , and let me so enclose with arguments the souls I seek for , that they may not be able to get out . Now Lord for a multitude of souls I Now for a full draught● O Lord God , remember me I pray thee , and strengthen me this once , O God. But I turn me unto you . Men and Brethren , Heaven and Earth do call upon you , yea Hell it self doth preach the Doctrine of Repentance unto you . The Angels of the Churches travel with you , Gal. 4. 19. the Angels of Heaven wait for you , for your repenting and turning unto God. O sinner , why should the Devils make merry with thee ? Why shouldst thou be a morsel for that devouring Leviathan ? Why should Harpies and Hell-Hounds tear thee , and make a feast upon thee , and when they have got thee into the Snare , and have fastened their Talons in thee , laugh at thy destruction , and deride thy misery , and sport themselves with thy damnable folly ? This must be thy case , except thou turn . And were it not better thou shouldst be a joy to Angels , than a laughing stock and sport for Devils ? Verily if thou wouldst but come in , the Heavenly Host would take up their Anthems , and sing , Glory be to God in the Highest ; the Morning Stars would sing together , and all the Sons of God shout for joy , and celebrate this new Creation as they did the first . Thy Repentance would , as it were , make Holy-day in Heaven , and the glorious Spirits would rejoice in that there is a new Brother added to their society , Rev. 22. 9. another Heir born to their Lord , and the lost Son received safe and sound . The true penitents tears are indeed the Wine that cheareth both God and Man. If it be little , that Men and Angels would rejoice at thy Conversion , know that God himself would rejoice over thee , even with singing , and rest in his love , Luke 15. 9. Isa. 62. 5. Never did Iacob with such joy weep over the N●ck of his Ioseph as thy Heavenly Father would rejoice over thee , upon thy coming in to him . Look over the Story of the Prodigal . Methinks I see how the Aged Father lays aside his estate , and forgets his years : Behold how he runneth ! Luke 15. 20. Oh the haste that mercy makes ! The Sinner makes not half that speed . Methinks I see how his Bowels turn , how his compassions yearn . ( How quick-sighted is love ! ) Mercy spies him a great way off , forgets his riotous courses , unnatural rebellion , horrid unthankfulness , debauched practices ( not a word of these ) but receives him with open Arms , clasps about his Neck , forgets the nastiness of his Rags , kisses the Lips that deserve to be loathed , the Lips that had been joined to Harlots , that had been commoners with the Swine , calls for the fatted Calf , the best Robe , the Ring , the Shooes , the best cheer in Heavens Store , the best attire in Heavens Wardrobe , Luke 15. 6 , 9 , 23. yea the joy cannot be held in one breast , &c. others must be called to participate : the friends must meet and make merry . Angels must wait but the Prodigal must be set at the Table under his Fathers wing . He is the joy of the feast : He is the sweet subject of the Fathers delight . The Friends sympathize , but none knows the felicity the Father takes in his new born Son , whom he hath received from the dead . Methinks I hear the Musick and the Dancing at a distance . Oh the Melody of the Heavenly Choristers ! I cannot learn the Son● , Rev. 14. 3. But methinks I over-hear the burden , at which all the harmonious Quire with one consent strikes sweetly in , for thus goes the round at Heavens Table , For this my Son was dead , and is aliv● again ; was lost , and is found , Luke 5. 23 , 24 , 32. I need not farther explain the parable . God is the Father , Christ the Cheer , his Righteousness the Robe , his Graces the Ornaments , Ministers , Saints , Angels the Friends and Servants , and thou that readest ( if thou wilt but unfeignedly repent and turn ) the welcome Prodigal , the happy instance of all this grace , and blessed subject of this joy and love . O Rock ! Oh Adamant ! What! not moved yet ? not yet resolved to turn forthwith , and to close with mercy ? I will try thee yet once again : If one were sent to thee from the dead , wouldst thou be perswaded ? Why , hear the voice from the dead , from the damned , crying to thee that thou shouldst repent . I pray thee that thou wouldst send him to my Fathers house , for I have five Brethren , that he may testifie unto them , lest they also come into this place of torment . If one went unto them from the dead , they will repent , Luke 16. 27 , 28 , &c. Hear , O man , thy Predecessors in impenitence Preach to thee from the infernal Gibbets , from the Flames , from the Rack , that thou shouldst repent . O look down into the bottomless Pit. Seest thou how the smoak of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever , Rev● 14. 11. How black are the Fiends ? How furious are their Tormentors ? 'T is their only musick to hear how their miserable Patients roar , to hear their bones crack . 'T is their meat and drink , to see how their flesh frieth and their fat droppeth , to drench them with burning metal , and to rip open their bodies , and to pour in the fierce burning brass into their bowels , and the recesses and ventricles of their hearts . What thinkes● thou of those chains of darkness , of those instruments of cruelty ? Canst thou be content to burn ? Seest thou how the worm gnaweth , how the oven gloweth ? how the fire rageth ? What say'st thou to that River of Brimstone , that dark and horrible vault , that gulf of perdition ? Wilt thou take up thy habitation here ? O lay thine ear to the door of Hell. Hearest thou the curses and blasphemies , the weepings and the wailings , how they lament their folly , and curse their day ? Mat. 22. 13. Rev. 16. 9. How do they roar and ●ell , and gnash their teeth ? How d●ep are their gronas ? How feeling are their mo●ns ? How unconceivable are their miseries . If the sh●ieks of 〈…〉 , and Abiram , were so terrible ( when the Earth 〈◊〉 asunder , and opened her mouth , and swallowed them up , and all that apper●ained to them , ) that all Israel fled at the cry of them , 〈◊〉 16. ●3 , ●4 . Oh how fearful wor●id the cry be , if God should take off the covaring , from the mou●h of Hell , and let the cry of the damned aseend in all its te●ror among the Children or men ? And of all their moans and miseries , this the piercing , killing emphasis and burden , for ever , for ●v●r . Why , as God liveth , that made thy soul , thou art but a few hours distant from all this , except thou repent and be converted . Oh! I am even lost and swallowed up in the abundance of those arguments that I might suggest . If there be any point of wisdom in all the world , it is to repent and come in , if there be any thing righteous , any thing reasonable , this is it . If there be any thing in the world that may be called madness , and folly , and any thing that may be counted sottish , absurd , brutish , unreasonable , it is this , to go on in thine unconverted estate . Let me beg thee , as thou wouldst not wilfully destroy thy self , to sit down and weigh , besides what hath been said , these following Motives , and let conscience speak , if it be not reason , that thou shouldst repent and turn . 1. The God that made thee doth most graciously invite thee . First , His most sweet and merciful nature doth invite thee ; Oh the kindness of God , his working bowels , his tender mercies ! they are infinitely above our thoughts , higher than heaven , what can we do ? Deeper than hell , what can we know ? Iob 11. 7 , 8 , 9. He is full of compassion , and gracious ; long suffering , and plenteous in mercy , Psal. 86. 15. This is a great argument to perswade sinners to come in . Turn unto the Lord your God , for he is gracious and merciful , ●low to anger , of great kindness , and repenteth him of the evil . If God would not repent of the evil , it were some discouragement to us , why we should not repent . If there were no hope of mercy , it were no such wonder , if rebels should stand out ; but never had Subjects such a gracious Prince , such Piety , Patience , Clemency , pity to deal with , as you have . Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity ? &c. Mic. 7. 18. Oh sinners : See what a God you have to deal with ; if you will but turn , He will turn again , and have compassion on you , he will subdue your iniquities , and cast all your sins into the depth of the Sea , V. 19. Return unto me , saith the Lord of Hosts , and I will return unto you , Mal. 3. 7. Zech. 1. 3. Sinners do not fail in that they have too high thoughts of Gods mercies , but in that , 1. They overlook his Iustice. 2. They promise themselves mercy out of Gods way . His mercy is beyond all imagination , Isa. 55. 9. great mercies , 1 Chron. 21. 13. manifold mercies , Neh. 9. 19. tender mercies , Psal. 25. 6. sure mercies , Isa. 55. 3. everlasting mercies , Psal. 103. 17. Isa. 54. 8. and all thine own , if thou wilt but turn . Art thou willing to come in ? Why the Lord hath laid aside his terror , erected a Throne of Grace , holds forth the golden Scepter : Touch and live . Would a merciful man slay his enemy , when prostrate at his feet , acknowledging his wrong , begging pardon , and offering to enter with him into a Covenant of peace ? Much less will the merciful God. Study his Name , Exod. 34. 7. Read their experience , Neh. 9. 17. Secondly , His Soul encouraging calls and promises do invite thee . Ah what an earnest suiter is mercy to thee ! how lovingly , how instantly it calleth after thee ! how passionately it wooeth thee ! Return , thou back-sliding Israel , saith the Lord , and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you ; for I am merciful , saith the Lord , and I will not keep anger for ever . Only acknowledge thine iniquity . Turn O back-sliding children , saith the Lord , for I am married unto you : return and I will heal your back-slidings . Thou hast plaid the Harlot with many Lovers , yet return unto me , saith the Lord , Jer. 3. 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 22. As I live , saith the Lord God , I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that he turn from his way and live ; turn ye , turn ye , from your evil ways , for why will ye die , O house of Israel ? Ezek. 33. 11. If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed , and keep all my statutes , and do that which is lawful and right , he shall surely live , he shall not die . All his transgressions that he hath committed , they shall not be mentioned unto him : in his righteousness that he hath done shall he live . Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions , so iniquity shall not be your ruin . Cast away from you all your transgressions , and make you a clean heart , and a new spirit , for why will ye die , O house of Israel ? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth , saith the Lord God , wherefore turn your selves , and live ye , Ezek. 18. 21 , 23 , 30 , 31 , 32. Oh melting , gracious words ! The voice of a God , and not of a man ! This is not the manner of men , for the offending Sovereign to sue to the offending traiterous varlet . Oh how doth mercy follow thee , and plead with thee ! Is not thy heart broken yet ? Oh that to day you would hear his voice ! 2. The Doors of Heaven are thrown● open to thee ; The Everlasting Gates are set wide for thee , and an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven administred to thee . Christ now bespeaks thee , ( as she her Husband ) Arise and take possession , 1 Kings 21. 15. View the glory of the other world as set forth in the map of the Gospel . Get thee up into Pisgah of the promises , and lift up thine eyes westward , northward , southward , and eastward , and see the good land that is beyond Iordan , and that goodly mountain . Behold the Paradise of God , watered with the streams of glory . Arise and walk through the land , in the length of it , and in the breadth of it , for all the land which thou seest , the Lord will give it to thee for ever , if thou wilt but return , Gen. 13. 14 , 15 , 17. Let me say to thee , as Paul to Agrippa , Believest thou the Prophets ? If thou believest indeed , ●o but view what glorious things are spoken of the City of God , Psal. 87. 3. and know , that all this is here tendred in the name of God to thee . As verily as God is true it shall be for ever thine , if thou wilt but throughly turn . Behold the City of pure transparent Gold , whose foundations are garnished with all manner of precious stones , whose gates are pearls , whose light is glory , whose temple is God. Believest thou this ? if thou dost , art thou not worse than distracted that wilt not take possession , when the gates are flung open to thee , and thou art bid to enter ? O ye sons of folly , will ye embrace the dunghills , and refuse the Kingdom ? Behold , the Lord God taketh you up into the mountain , shews you the Kingdom of Heaven , and all the glory thereof , and tells you , All this will I give you , if you will fall down and worship me : If you will submit to mercy , accept my Son , and serve me in righteousness and holiness . O fools , and slow of heart to believe ! will you court the harlot , will you seek and serve the world , and neglect the eternal glory ? What! not enter into Paradise , when the flaming sword , that was once set to keep you out , is now used to drive you in ? But you will say , I am uncharitable , to think you infidels and unbelievers . Why , what shall I think you ? either you are desperate unbelievers that do not credit it , or stark distracted , that you know and believe the excellency and eternity of his glory , and yet do so fearfully neglect it . Surely you have no faith , or no reason ; and I had almost said , conscience should tell you so , before I leave you . Do but attend what is offered you , Oh blessed Kingdom ! A Kingdom of glory , 1 Thes. 2. 1. a Kingdom of righteousness , 2 Pet. 3. 13. a Kingdom of peace , Rom. 14. 17. an everlasting Kingdom , 2 Pet. 1. 11. Here thou shalt dwell , here thou shalt reign for ever ; and the Lord shall set thee in a throne of glory , Mat. 19. 28. and with his own hand shall set the Royal Diadem upon thine head , and give thee a Crown not of thorns ( for there shall be no sinning nor suffering there , Rev. 21. 27. 22 , 3 , 4 , 5. ) not of Gold ( for this shall be viler than the dirt in that day ) but a Crown of Life , Iames 1. 12. a Crown of righteousness , 2 Tim. 4. 8. a Crown of glory , 1 Pet. 5. 4. Yea thou shalt put on glory as a robe , 1 Cor. 1. 15. 53. and shalt shine like the Sun in the firmament in the glory of thy Father , Mat. 13. 43. Look now upon thy dirty flesh , thy clay , thy worms meat : this very flesh , this lump , this carcase shall be brighter than the Stars , Dan. 12. 3. In short , thou shalt be made like unto the Angels of God , Luke 20. 36. and behold his face in righteousness , Psal. 17. 15. Look in now and tell me , dost thou yet believe ? If not , conscience must pronounce thee an infidel , for it is the very word of God that I speak . But if thou say , thou believest , let me next know thy resolutions . Wilt thou embrace this for thy happiness ? Wilt thou forgo thy sinful gains , thy forbidden pleasures ? Wilt thou trample on the worlds esteem , and spit in the harlots face , and stop thine ears at her flatteries , and wrest thee out of her embraces ? Wilt thou be content to take up with present reproach and poverty , if it lie in thy way to Heaven , and follow the Lord with humble self-denyal , in a mortified and flesh-displeasing life ? If so , all is thine , and that for ever . And art not thou fairly offered ? Is it not pity but he should be damned , that will needs go on and perish , when all this may be had for the taking ? In a word , wilt thou now close with these proffers ? Wilt thou take God at his word ? Wilt thou let go thy hold-fast of the world , and rid thy hands of thy sins , and lay hold on eternal life ? If not , let conscience tell thee whether thou art not distracted , or bewitched , that thou shouldst neglect so happy a choice , by which thou mightest be made for ever . 3. God will settle unspeakable priviledges at present , upon thee , 1 Cor. 3. 22. Heb. 12. 22 , 23 , 24. Though the full of your blessedness shall be deferred till hereafter , yet God will give you no little things in hand . He will redeem you from your thraldom , Iohn 8. 36. He will pluck you from the paw of the Lyon , Col. 1. 13. the serpent shall bruise your heel , but you shall bruise his head , Gen. 3. 15. He shall deliver you from the present evil world , Gal. 1. 4. Prosperity shall not destroy you ; Adversity shall not separate between him and you , Rom. 8. 35 , 37 , 38. He will redeem you from the power of the grave , Psal. 49. 15. and make the King of Terrors a messenger of peace to you . He will take out the curse from the Cross , Psal. 119. 71. and make affliction the fining-pot , the fan , the physick , to blow off the chaff , purifie the metal , and purge the mind , Dan. 12. 10. Isa. 27. 9. He will save you from the arrest of the Law , and turn the curse into a blessing to you , Rom. 6. 14. Gal. 3. 14. He hath the keys of hell and death , and shutteth that no man openeth , Rev. 3. 7. and 1. 18. and he will shut its mouth , as once he did the Lions , Dan. 6. 22. that you shall not be hurt of the second death , Rev. 2. 11. But he will not only save you from misery , but install you into unspeakable prerogatives . He will bestow himself upon you , he will be a friend unto unto you , and a father to you , 2 Cor. 6. 18. he will be a Sun and a Shield to you , Psal. 84. 11. in a word , he will be a God to you , Gen. 17. 7. and what can be said more ? What you may expect that a God should do for you , and be to you , that he will be , that he will do . She that marries a Prince , expects he should do for her like a Prince , that she may live in a suitable state , and have an answerable dowry . He that hath a King for his Father or Friend , expects he should do for him like a King. Alas , the Kings and Monarchs of the Earth , so much above you , are but like the painted Butter-flies amongst the rest of their kind , or the fair coloured Palmer-worm amongst the rest of the worms , if compared with God. As he doth infinitely exceed the glory and power of his glittering dust , so he will beyond all proportion exceed , in doing for his Favourites , whatever Princes can do for theirs . He will give you grace and glory , and withhold no good thing from you , Psal. 84. 11. He will take you for his Sons and Daughters , and make you Heirs of his promises , Heb. 6. 17. and establish his everlasting Covenant with you , Ier. 32. 40. He will justifie you from all that Law , Conscience , Satan , can charge upon you , Rom. 8. 33 , 34. he will give you free access into his presence , and accept your persons , and receive your prayers , Eph. 3. 12. Eph. 1. 6. 1 Iohn 5. 14. He will abide in you and make you the men of his secrets , and hold a constant and friendly communion with you , Iohn 14. 23. Iohn 15. 15. 1 Iohn 1. 3. His ear shall be open , his door open , his store open at all times to you . His blessing shall rest upon you , and he will make your enemies to serve you , and work about all things for good unto you , Psal. 115. 13. Rom. 8. 28. 4. The Terms of mercy are brought as low , as possible , to you . God hath stooped as low to sinners , as with honour he can . He will not be thought a fautor of sin , nor stain the glory of his holiness , and whither could he come lower than he hath , unless he should do this ? He hath abated the impossible terms of the first Covenant , Ier. 3. 13. Mark 5. 36. Acts 16. 31. Acts 3. 19. Prov. 28. 13. He doth not impose any thing unreasonable , or impossible , as a condition of life upon you . Two things were necessary to be done , according to the Tenour of the first Covenant by you . 1. That you should fully satisfie the demands of Iustice for past offences . 2. That you should perform personally , perfectly , and perpetually the whole Law for the time to come . Both these are to us impossible , Rom. 8. 3. But behold Gods gracious abatement in both . He doth not stand upon satisfaction , he is content to take off the surety ( and he of his own providing too ) what he might have exacted from you , 2 Cor. 5. 19. He declares himself to have received a ransom , Iob 33. 24. 1 Tim. 2. 6. and that he expects nothing but that you should accept his Son , and he shall be righteousness and redemption to you , Iohn 1. 12. 1 Cor. 1. 30. And for the future obedience , here he is content to yield to your weakness , and remit the rigour . He doth not stand upon perfection ( as a condition of life , though he still insists upon it as due ) but is content to accept of sincerity , Gen. 17. 1. Prov. 11. 20. Though you cannot pay the full debt , he will accept you according to that which you have , and take willing for doing , and the purpose for the performance , 2 Cor. 8. 12. 2 Chron. 6. 8. Heb. 11. 17. and if you come in his Christ , and set your hearts to please him , and make it the chief of your cares , he will approve and reward you , though the vessel be marred in your hands . Oh consider your Makers condescention . Let me say to you , as Naaman's servant to him : My Father , if the Prophet had b●d thee do some great thing , wouldst then not have done it ? how much rather , when he saith unto thee , wash and be clean ? 2 Kings 5. 13. If God had demanded some terrible , some severe and rigorous thing of you , to escape eternal damnation , would you not have done it ? Suppose it had been to spend all your days in sorrow in some howling Wilderness , or pine your selves with famine , or to offer the fruit of your bodies for the sin of your souls , would you not have thankfully accepted eternal redemption , though these had been the conditions ? Yea farther , if God should have told you , you should have fryed in the fire for millions of ages , or been so long tormented in Hell , would you not have gladly accepted it ? Alas , all these are not so much as one sand in the glass of eternity . If your offended Creator should have held you but one year upon the rack , and then bid you come and forsake your sins , accept Christ , and serve him a few years in self-denial , or lie in this case for ever and ever : Do you think you should have stuck at the offer , and disputed the terms , and have been unresolved , whether you were best to accept of the motion ? O sinner return and live ; why shouldest thou die , when life is to be had for the taking , and mercy should be beholding to thee ( as it were ) to be saved ? Couldst thou say indeed , Lord , I know that thou wast an hard man , Mat. 25. 24. thou hadst some little excuse ; but when the God of Heaven hath stooped so low , and bated so far , if now thou shouldst stand off , who shall plead for thee ? Obj. Notwithstanding all these abatements , I am no more able to perform those conditions , ( in themselves so easie ) of faith and repentance , and sincere obedience ; than to satisfy and fulfil the Law. Answ. These you may perform by Gods grace enabling , whereas the other are naturally impossible in this state , even to believers themselves . But let the next consideration serve for a fuiler answer . 5. Wherein you are impotent , God doth offer grace to enable you . I have stretched out my hand , and no man regarded , Prov. 1. 24. What though you are plunged into the ditch of that misery , from which you can never get out ? Christ offereth to help you out ; he stretcheth his hand to you , and if you perish , it is for refusing his help . Behold I stand at the door , and knock : if any man open to me , I will come in , Rev. 3. 20. What though you are poor , and wretched , and blind , and naked , Christ oftereth a cure for your blindness , a cover for your nakedness , a remedy for your poverty , he tendreth you his righteousness , his graces , I counsel thee to buy of me gold , that thou mayst be rich , and white rayment , that thou mayst be cloathed , and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve , that thou mayst see , Rev. 3. 17 , 18. Do you say the condition is impossible , for I have not wherewith to buy ? You must know , that this buying is without money , and without price , Isa. 55. 1. This buying is by begging , and seeking with diligence and constancy in the use of God's means , Prov. 2. 3 , 4. God commandeth thee to know him , and to fear him . Dost thou say , Yea but my mind is blinded , and my heart is hardened from his fear ? I answer , God doth offer to enlighten thy mind● and to teach thee his fear : that is presented to thy choice , Prov. 1. 29. For 〈…〉 hated knowledge , and did not choose the fear of the Lord. So that now , if men live in ignorance and estrangement from the Lord , it is because they will not understand , and desire not●●e knowledge of his ways , Job 21. 14. If thou cryest after knowledge , if thou sea●e●t her as Silver , &c. Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord , and find the knowledge of God , Prov. 2. 3 , 4 , 5. Is not here a fair offer ? Turn you at my reproof . Behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you , Prov. 1. 23. Though of your selves you can do nothing , yet you may do all through his Spirit enabling you , and he doth offer assistance to you . God bids you wash and make you clean , Isa. 1. 16. you say you are unable as much as the L●●pard to wash out his spots , Ier. 13. 23. yea but the Lord doth offer to purge you , so that if you be fi●thy still , 't is through your own wilfulness , Ezek. 24. 13. I have purged thee , and thou wast not purged , Jer. 13. 27. O Jerusalem , wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be ? God doth wait when you will be made clean , when you will yield to his motions , and accept of his offers , and let him do for and in you , what you cannot do for your selves . You do not know how much God will do upon your importunity , if you will but be restless and instant with him , Luke 11. 8. and 18. 5. If God hath not bound himself by express promise to wicked men , to give them grace in the diligent use of the means , yet he hath given them abundant encouragement to expect it from him , if they seek it earnestly in his way . His most gracious nature is abundant encouragement . If a rich and most bountiful man should see thee in misery , and bid thee come to his door , wouldst thou not with confidence expect , at thy coming to find some relief ? Thou art not able to believe , nor repent : God appoints thee to use such and such means , in order to thy obtaining faith and repentance : doth not this argue that God will bestow these upon thee , if thou doest ply him diligently in prayer , meditation , reading , hearing , self-examination , and the rest of his means ? Otherwise God should but mock his poor creatures , to put them upon there self-denying endeavours , and then when they have put hard to it , and continued waiting upon him for grace , deny them at last . Surely if a sweet natured man would not deal thus , much less will the most merciful and gracious God. I intended to have added many other arguments , but these have swoln under my hands , and I hope the judicious reader , will rather look upon the weight than the number . The Conclusion of the whole . AND now , my brethren , let me know your minds , What do you intend to do ? Will you go on and die , or will you set upon a thorow and speedy conversion , and lay hold on eternal life ? how long will you linger in Sodom ? how long will you halt between two opinions ? 1 Kings 18. 21. Are you not yet resolved whether Christ or Barabbas , whether Bliss or Torment , whether the land of Cabul , 1 Kings 9. 13. or the Paradise of God be the better choice ? Is it a disputable case , whether the Abana and Phar●har of Da●●●us , be better than all the streams of Eden ? or whether the vile puddle of sin , be to be preferred before the water of life , clear as Cristal , proceeding , out of the throne of God and of the Lamb ? Can the world in good earnest do that for you , that Christ can ? Will it stand by you to eternity ? Will pleasures , titles , lands , treasures , descend with you ? Psal. 49. 17. 1. Tim. 6. 7. If not , had you not need look after somewhat that will ? What mean you to stand wavering , to be off and on ? Foolish Children ! how long will you stick between the womb and the world ? Shall I leave you at last no farther than Agrippa , but almost perswaded ? Why you are for ever lost , if left here . As good not at all , as not altogether Christians . You are half of the mind to give over your former negligent life , and to set to a strict and holy course : you could wish you were as some others be , and could do as they can do . How long will you rest in idle wishes , and fruitless purposes ? When will you come to a fixed , full , and firm resolve ? Do not you see how Satan gulls you , by t●mpting you to delays ? How long hath he toll'd you on in the way of perdition ? How many years have you been purposing posing to amend ? What if God should have taken you off this while ? Well , put me not off with a dilatory answer : Tell me not of hereafter . I must have your present consent . If you be not now resolved , while the Lord is treating with you , and wooing of you , much less are you like to be hereafter , when these impressions are worn out , and you are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin . Will you give me your hands ? Will you set open the doors , and give the Lord Jesus the full and present possession ? Will you put your names into his Covenant ? Will you subscribe ? What do you resolve upon ? If you are still upon your delays , my labour is lost , and all is like to come to nothing . Fain I would , that you should now put in your adventures . Come , cast in your Lot , make your choice : Now is the accepted time , now is the day of thy salvation ; to day if you will hear his voice . Why should not this be the day from whence thou shouldest be able to date thine happiness ? Why shouldest thou venture a day longer , in this dangerous and dreadful condition ? What if God should this night require thy soul ? O that thou mightest know in this thy day , the things that belong unto thy peace , before they be hid from thine eyes ! Luke 19. 42. This is thy day , and 't is but a day , Iohn 9. 4. Others have had their day , and have received their doom ; and now art thou brought upon the stage of this world , here to act thy part for a whole eternity . Remember , thou art now upon thy good behaviour for everlasting . If thou make not a wise choice now , thou art undone for ever . Look what thy present choice is , such must thine eternal condition be , Luke 10. 42. Luke 16. 25. Prov. 1. 27 , 28 , 29. And is it true indeed ? is life and death at thy choice ? yea 't is as true as truth is , Deut. 30. 19. why then , what hinders but that thou shouldest be happy ? Nothing doth or can hinder , but thine own wilful neglect , or refusal . It was the passage of the Eunuch to Philip ; See here is water , what doth hinder me to be baptized ? So I may say to thee : see , here is Christ , here is mercy , pardon , life , what hinders but that thou shouldst be pardoned , and saved ? One of the Martyrs as he was praying at the stake , had his pardon set by in a box ( which indeed he refused , deservedly , because upon unworthy terms . ) But here the terms are most honourable and easie . O sinner , wilt thou burn with thy pardon by thee ? Why do but forthwith give up thy consent to Christ , to renounce thy sins , deny thy self , take up the Yoak and the Cross , and thou carriest the day , Christ is thine , pardon , peace , life , blessedness , all are thine : and is not this an offer worth the embracing ? Why shouldest thou hesitate , or doubtfully dispute about the case ? Is it not past controversie , whether God be better than sin , and glory better than vanity ? Why shouldest thou forsake thine own mercy , and sin against thine own life ? When wilt thou shake off thy sloth , and lay by thine excuses ? Boast not thy self of to morrow , thou knowest not where this night may lodge thee , Prov. 27. 1. Beloved , now the holy Spirit is striving with you . He will not always strive . Hast thou not selt thy heart warmed by the word , and been almost perswaded to leave off thy sins , and come in to God ? Hast thou not felt some good motions in thy mind , wherein thou hast been warned of thy danger , and told what thy careless course would end in ? It may be thou art like young Samuel , who when the Lord called once and again , he knew not the voice of the Lord , 1 Sam. 3. 6 , 7. but these motions and items are the offers , and essays , and calls , and strivings of the spirit . O take the advantage of the tide , and know the day of thy visitation . Now the Lord Jesus stretcheth wide his arms to receive you . He beseecheth you by us . How movingly how meltingly , how pitifully , how passionately he calleth ! The Church is put into a sudden extasie upon the found of his voice , The voice of my beloved , Cant. 2. 8. O wilt thou turn a deaf ear to his voice ? It is not the voice that breaketh the Cedars , and maketh the mountains to skip like a Calf , that shaketh the Wilderness , and divideth the flames of fire , it is not Sinai's Thunder ; but the soft and still voice . It is not the voice of Mount Ebal , a voice of cursing , and terror ; but the voice of Mount Gerizim , the voice of blessing , and of glad tidings of good things . It is not the voice of the Trumpet , nor the noise of War , but a message of peace from the King of peace , Eph. 6. 15. 2 Cor. 5. 18 , 20. Methinks it should be with thee as with the Spouse ; My soul failed when he spake , Cant. 5. 6. I may say to thee , O sinner , as Martha to her Sister . The Master is come , and he calleth for thee , Iohn 11. 28. Oh now with Mary arise quickly , and come unto him . How sweet are his invitations ! He cryeth in the open concourse , If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink , Iohn 7. 37. Prov. 1. 21. He broacheth his own body for thee . O come and lay thy mouth to his side . How free is he ! he excludeth none . Whosoever will let him come and take the water of life freely . Rev. 22. 17. Whose is simple , let him turn in hither . Come eat of my bread , drink of the wine which I have mingled . For sake the foolish , and live , Prov. 9. 4 , 5 , 6. Come unto me , &c. Take my yoak upon you , and learn of me , and ye shall find rest unto your souls , Mat. 11. 28 , 29. Him that cometh to me , I will in no wise cast out , John 6. 37. How doth he bemoan the obstinate refuser ? O Jerusalem , Jerusalem , how often would I have gathered by Children , as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings , and ye would not ! Mat. 23. 37. Behold me , behold me : I have stretched out my hands all the day to a rebellious people , Isa. 65. 1 , 2. O be perswaded now at last , to throw your selves into the arms of love . Behold , O ye sons of men , the Lord Jesus hath thrown open the prisons , and now he cometh to you ( as the Magistrates once to them , Acts 16. 39. ) and beseecheth you to come out . If it were from a Palace , or a Paradise that Christ did call you , it were no wonder if you were unwilling ( and yet how easily was Adam tolled from thence ? ) but it is from your prison Sirs , from your Chains , from the Dungeon , from the Darkness that he calleth you , Isa. 42. 6 , 7. and yet will you not come ? He calleth you unto liberty , Gal. 5. 13. and yet will you not hearken ? His Yoak is easie , his Laws are Liberty , his Service Freedom , Matth. 11. 30. Iames 1. 25. 1 Cor. 7. 22. and ( whatever prejudices you have against his ways ) if a God may be believed , you shall find them all pleasure and peace , and shall tast sweetness and joy unutterable , and take infinite delight and felicity in them , Prov. 3. 17. Psal. 119. 165. ● Pet. 1. 8. Psal. 119. 103 , 111. Beloved , I am loth to leave you . I cannot tell how to give you over . I am now ready to shut up , but fain I would drive this bargain between Christ and you , before I end . What! shall I leave you as I found you at last ? Have you read hitherto , and are not yet resolved upon a present abandoning all your sins , and closing with Jesus Christ ? Alas , what shall I say ? What shall I do ? Will you turn off all my importunity ? Have I run in vain ? Have I used so many arguments , and spent so much time to perswade you , and yet must sit down , at last in disappointment ? But it is a small matter that you turn me off : You put a slight upon the God that made you ; you reject the bowels and beseechings of a Saviour , and will be found resisters of the Holy Ghost , Acts 7. 51. if you will not now be prevailed with to repent and be converted . Well , though I have called you long , and ye have refused , I shall yet this once more lift up my voice like a Trumpet , and cry from the highest places of the City , before I conclude with a miserable Conclamatum est . Once more I shall call after regardless sinners , that , if it be possible . I may awaken them . O earth , earth , earth , hear the word of the Lord , Jer. 22. 29. Unless you be resolved to die , lend your ears to the last calls of mercy . Behold , in the name of God I make open proclamation to you . Hearken unto me , O ye children . Hear instruction , and be wise and refuse it not , Prov. 8. 32. 33. Ho , every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters , and he that hath no money , come ye , buy and eat ; yea , come , buy wine and milk , without money and without price . Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread , and your labour for that which satisfieth not ? Hearken diligently unto me , and eat ●e that which is good , and let your soul delight it self in fatness . Incline your ear and come ye unto me ; hear and your soul shall live , and I will make an everlasting● Covenant with you , even the sure mercies of David , Isai. 55. 1 , 2 , 3. Ho , every one that is sick of any manner of disease or torment , Mat●h . 4. 23 , 24. or is possessed with an evil spirit , whether of pride , or fury , or lust , or covetousness , come ye to the Physician ; bring away your sick . Lo , here is he that healeth all manner of sickness , and all manner of disease among the people . Ho , every one that is in debt , and every one that is in distress , and every one that is discontented , gather your selves unto Christ● and he will become a Captain over you . He will be your protection from the arrests of the Law ; He will save you from the hand of Justice . Behold he is an open sanctuary to you , he is a known Refuge , Heb. 6. 18. Psal. 48. 3. Away with your sins , and come in unto him , lest the avenger of blood seize you , lest devouring wrath overtake you . Ho , every ignorant sinner , come and buy eye-salve that thou may'st see , Rev. 3. 18. Away with thine excuses ; thou art for ever lost , if thou continuest in this estate , 2 Cor. 4. 3. But accept of Christ for thy Prophet , and he will be a light unto thee , Isa. 42. 6. Ephes. 5. 14. Cry unto him for knowledge , study his word , take pains about the Principles of Religion , humble thy self before him , and he will teach thee his way , and make thee wise unto salvation , Mat. 13. 36. Luke 8. 9. Iohn 5. 39. Psal. 25. 9. But if thou wilt not follow him , in the painful use of his means , but sit down , because thou hast but one talent , he will condemn thee for a wicked and slothful servant , Mat. 25. 24 , 26. Ho , every prophane sinner , come in and live : Return unto the Lord , and he will have mercy upon thee . Be in●●eated . Oh return , come : Thou that hast filled thy mouth with oaths , and execrations , all manner of sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven thee , Mark 3. 28. if thou wilt but throughly turn unto Christ , and come in . Though thou wast as unclean as Magdalen ; yet put away thy Whoredoms out of thy sight , and thine adulteries from between thy breasts , and give up thy self unto Christ , as a vessel of holiness , alone for his use , and then , though thy sins be as 〈◊〉 , they shall be as wooll , and though they be as crimson , they shall be as white as snow , Luke 7. 37. Hos. 2. 2. 1 Thes. 4. 4. Isa. 1. 18. Hear , O ye drunkards , How long will you be drunken ? put away your wine , 1 Sam. 1. 14. Though you have rolled in the vomit of your sin , take the vomit of repentance and heartily disgorge your beloved lusts , and the Lord will receive you , 2. Cor. 6. 17. Give up your selves unto Christ , to live soberly , righteously and godly ; embrace his righteousness ; accept his government ; and though you have been swine he will wash you , Rev. 3. 6. Hear O ye loose companions , whose delight is in vain and wicked society , to sport away your time in carnal mirth and jollity with them , come in at wisdoms call , and choose her , and her ways , and you shall live , Prov. 9. 5 , 6. Hear , O ye scorners , hear the word of the Lord : Though you have made a sport at godliness , and the professors thereof ; though you have made a scorn of Christ , and of his ways ; yet , even to you doth he call , to gather you under the wings of his mercy , Prov. 1● 22 , 33. In a word , though you should be found among the worst of that black roll , 1 Cor. 6. 9 , 10. yet , upon your through Conversion , you shall be washed , you shall be justified , you shall be sanctified , in the name of the Lord Jesus , and by the spirit of our God , ver . 11. Ho , every formal professor , that art but a luke-warm and dough-baked Christian , and restest in the form of godliness , give over thy halving , and thy halting , be a throughout Christian , and be zealous and repent , and then though thou hast been an offence to Christ's stomach , thou shalt be the joy of his heart , Rev. 3. 16 , 19 , 20. And now bear witness , that mercy hath been offered you . I call Heaven and Earth to record against you this day , that I have set before you life and death , blessing and cursing ; therefore choose life , that you may live , Deut. 30. 19. I can but woo you , and warn you : I cannot compel you to be happy , if I could , I would . What answer will you send me with to my Master ? Let me speak unto you as Abrahams servant to them , and now if you will deal kindly and truly with my Master , tell me , Gen. 24. 49. O for such a happy answer , as Rebekah gave to them , Gen. 24. 57 , 58. And they said we will call the damsel , and inquire at her mouth : And they called Rebekah , and said unto her , Wilt thou go with this man ? and she said I will go . O that I had but thus much from you ! Why should I be your accuser , Mat. 10. 14 , 15. who thirst for your salvation ? Why should the passionate pleadings and wooings of mercy be turned into the horrid aggravations of your obstinacy and additions to your misery ? Judge in your selves . Do you not think their condemnation will be doubly dreadful , that shall still go on in their sins , after all endeavours to recall them ? Doubtless , it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon , yea for Sodom and Gomorrah , in the day of Iudgment , than for you , Mat. 11. 22 , 24. Beloved , if you have any pity for your perishing souls , close with the present offers of mercy . If you would not continue and increase the pains of your travelling Ministers , do not stick in the birth . If the God that made you have any Authority with you , obey his command and come in . If you are not the despisers of grace , and would not shut up the doors of mercy against your selves , repent and be converted . Let not Heaven stand open for you in vain . Let not the Lord Jesus open his wares , and bid you buy without money and without price , in vain . Let not his Ministers and his Spirit , strive with you in vain , and leave you now at last unperswaded ; lest the sentence go forth against you , The Bellows are burnt , the Lead is consumed of the fire , the Founder melteth in vain . Reprobate Silver shall men call them , because the Lord hath rejected them , Jer. 6. 29 , 30. Father of Spirits , take the heart in hand that is too hard for my weakness . Do not thou have ended , though I have done . Half a word from thine effectual power , will do the work . O thou that hast the Key of David , that openest when no man shutteth , open thou this heart as thou didst Lydia's and let the King of glory enter in : And make this soul thy captive . Let not the tempter harden him in delays . Let him not stir from this place , nor take his eyes from these lines till he be resolved to forgo his sins , and to accept of life upon thy self-denying terms . In thy name , O Lord God , did I go forth to these Labours , in thy name do I shut them up . Let not all the time they have cost , be but lost hours ; let not all the thoughts of heart , and all the pains that have been about them , be but lost labour . Lord put in thine hand into the heart of this Reader , and send thy Spirit as once thou didst Philip , to join himself to the Chariot of the Eunuch , while he was reading the word . And though I should never know it while I live , yet I beseech thee , Lord God , let it be found at that day , that some souls are converted by these labours , and let some be able to stand ●●r●h and say , that by these ●ers●asions , they were won unto thee . Amen , Amen . Let him that reade hsay , Amen . Mr. Alleine's Counsel for Personal and Family-godliness . BEloved , I despair of ever bringing you to salvation without sanctification : Or possessing you of happiness , without perswading you to holiness . God knows I have not the least hope ever to see one of your faces in Heaven , except you be converted and sanctified , and exercise your selves unto godliness . I beseech you study personal godliness , and family-godliness . 1. Personal godliness . Let it be your first care to set up Christ in your hearts . See that you make all your worldly interests to stoop to him , that you be entirely and unreservedly devoted unto him . If you wilfully , and deliberately , and ordinarily harbour any sin , you are undone , Psal 68. 21. Ezek. 18. 20. See that you unfeignedly take the Laws of Christ , as the rule of your words , thoughts , and actions ; and subject your whole man , members and mind faithfully to him , Psal. 119. 34. Rom. 6. 13. If you have not a true respect to all Gods Commandments , you are unsound at heart . Psal. 119. 6. Oh study to get the Image and impress of Christ upon you within . Begin with your hearts , else you build without a foundation . Labour to get a saving change within ! or else all external performances will be to no purpose . And then study to shew forth the power of godliness in the life . Let Piety be your first and great business . 'T is the highest point of Justice , to give God his due . Beware that none of you be a Prayer-less person ; for that is a most certain discovery of a Christless and a graceless person of one that is a very Stranger to the fear of God. Psal. 14. 4. I●b 15. 4. Suffer not your Bibles to gather dust . See that you converse daily with the word , Iohn 5. 39. That man can never lay claim to blessedness , whose delight is not in the Law of the Lord , Psal. 1. 1 , 2. Let meditation and self-examination be your daily exercise . But Piety , without Charity , is but the half of Christianity , or rather impious hypocrisie . We may not divide the Tables , See therefore that you do Justly , and love mercy , and let Equity and Charity run like an even thread , throughout all your dealings . Be you temperate in all things , and let Chastity and Sobriety be your undivided companions . Let Truth and Purity , Seriousness and Modesty , Heavenliness and Gravity , be the constant ornaments of your speech . Let patience and humility , simplicity and sincerity , shine out in all the parts of your conversations . See that you forget and forgive wrongs , and require them with kindness , as you would be found children of the most High. Be merciful in your censures , and put the most favourable construction upon your brethrens carriage , that their Actions will reasonably bear . Be slow in promising , punctual in fulfilling . Let meekness and innocency , affableness , yieldingness and courtesie , commend your conversations to all men . Let none of your relations want that love and loyalty , that reverence and duty , that tenderness , care and vigilanc● , which their several places and capacities call for . This is throughout godliness . I charge you before the most high God , that none of you be fourd a swearer , or a lyar , a lover of evil company , or a scoffer , or malicious , or covetous , or a drunkard , or a glutton , unrighteous in his dealing● unclean in his living , or a quarreller , or a thief , or a backbiter , or a railer : For I denounce unto you from the living God , that destruction and damnation is the end of all such , Prov. 13. 20. Iam 5. 12. Rev. 21. 8. 1. Cor. 6. 9 , 10 Gal. 5. 19 , 20 , 21. 2. Family godliness . He that hath set up Christ in his heart , will be sure to study to s●t him up in his house . Let every family with you be a Christian Church ; 1 C●r . 16 19. every house a house of prayer ; let every housholder say with I●shua , I and my ●●●se wi●● serve the Lord ; Josh. 24. 15. and resolve with David , I will walk within my house with a perfect heart , Psal. 101. 2. Let me press upon you a few duties . In general . First , Let Religion be in ●●●r families , not as a matter by the by ( to be minded at leisure when the world will give you leave ) but the standing business of the house . Let them have your prayers as duly as their meals . Is there any of your families , but have time for their taking food ? wretched man ! canst thou find time to ●at in , and not find time to pray in ? Secondly , Settle in upon your hearts , that your souls are bound up in the souls of your family . They are committed unto you , and ( if they be lost through your neglect ) will be required at your hands . Sirs , if you do not , you shall know , that the charge of souls is a heavy charge , and that the blood of souls is a heavy guilt . O man , hast thou a charge of souls to answer for , and dost thou not yet be●tir thy self for them , that their blood be not found in thy skirts ? wilt thou do no more for immortal souls than thou wilt do for thy beasts that perish ? what dost thou do for thy children , and servants ? thou providest meat and drink for them , agreeable to their natures , and dost thou not the same for thy beasts ? thou givest them mediclnes , and cherishest them when they be sick , and dost thou not as much for thy swine ? More particularly . 1. Let the solemn reading of the word and singing of Psalms , be your family exercises , Isa. 34. 16. Ioh. 5. 39. Psal. 118. 15. [ See Christ singing with his family , viz. his Disciples , Mat. 26. 30 Lu 9. 18. ] 2. Let every person in your families be duly called to an account , of their profiting by the word heard or read , as they be about doing your own business . This is a duty of consequence unspeakable , and would be a means to bring those under your charge , to remember and profit by what they receive . See Christs example in calling his family to an account , Mat. 16 , 11 , 13 , 15. 3. Often take an account of the souls under your care , concerning their Spiritual estates ; [ Herein you must be followers of Christ. Mat. 13. 10 , 36 , 51. ●ark 4 10 , 11. ] make inquiry into their conditions , insist much upon the sinfulness and misery of their natural estate , and upon the necessity of regeneration and conversion , in order to their salvation . Admonish them gravely of their sins , encourage beginnings . Follow them earnestly , and let them have no quiet for you , till you see them in a saving change . This is a duty of high consequence , but ( I am afraid ) fearfully neglected . Doth not Conscience say , thou art the Man ? 4. Look to the strict sanctifying of the Sabbath by all your housholds , Exod. 20. 19. Lev. 23. 3. Many poor families have little time else . O improve but your Sabbath days as diligently in labouring for knowledge , and doing your Makers work , as you do the other days in doing your own work , and I doubt not but you may come to some proficiency . 5. Let the Morning and Evening Sacrifice of solemn Prayer , be daily offered up in all your families , Psal. 92. 1 , 2. Exod. 30. 7 , 8. Luke 19 , 10. Beware they be not found among the families that call not upon Gods name , for why should there be wrath from the Lord upon your families ? Ier. 10. 25. O miserable families , without God in the world , that are without family Prayer ! what ! have you so many family sins , family wants , family mercies , what ! and yet no family Prayer● ? how do you pray with all prayer and supplication , if you do not with family Prayer ? Eph. 6. 18. Say not , I have no time , What , hast thou all thy time on purpose to serve God , and save thy soul ? and yet is this it for which thou canst find no time ? find but a heart , and I will find time . Pinch out of your meals , and sleep , rather than want for Prayer . Say not My business will not give leave . This is the greatest business to save thy self , and the souls committed to thee . Besides , a whet will be no let . In a word the blessing of all is to be got by prayer , Ier. 29. 11 , 12. 2 Sam. 7. 29. and what is thy business without Gods blessing ? say not , I am not able . Use the one talent , and God will increase , Mat. 25. 24. &c. Helps are to be had , till thou art better able . But if there be no other remedy , thou must join with thine abler neighbour , God hath special regard to joint-prayer , Iam 5. 4 10 19 Ac●s 12. 5 , 10 , 12. 2 Cor. 1. 11. and therefore you must improve family advantages for the performing of it . 6. Put every one in your fami●●●s upon private prayer . Observe whether they do perform it . G●t ●hem the help of a form , if they need it , till they are able to go without it . Direct them how to pray , by mindi●g ●hem of their sins , ●ants , and mercies , the materials of prayer . This was the practice of Iohn , and of jesus , Luke 11. 1 , 2 , &c. 7. Set up Catechising in your families , at the least once every week . Have you no dread of the Almighties charge , that you should teach these things diligently to your children , and talk of them as you sit in your houses , &c. Deut 66 , 7 , 8 , 9. & 4. 9 , 10. & 11 18 , 19 , 20. and train them up in the way wherein they should go , Prov 22. 6. the margin . Hath God so commended Abraham , that he would reach his children and houshold , Gen. 18. 19. and that he had many instructed Servants , Gen. 14. 14. see the margin , and given such a promise to him thereupon , and will not you p●t in for a share , neither in the praise , nor the promise ? Hath Christ honoured Catechi●ing with his presence , Lis. 2. 46. and will you not own it with your practice ? Say not , they are careless , and will not learn : What have you your authority for , if not to use it for God , and the good of their souls ? You will call them up , and force them to do your work ; and should you not at least be as zealous in putting them upon Gods work ? say not , they are dull , and are not capable : If they be dull , God requires of you the more pains and patience , but so dull as they are , you will make them to learn how to work ; and can they not learn as well how to live● Are they capable of the mysteries of your Trade , and are they not capable of the plain Principles of Religion ? well , as ever you would see the growth of Religion , the cure of Ignorance , the remedy of Prophaneness , the downtal of Error , fulfil you my joy in going through with this duty . Will you answer the calls of divine providence ? would you remove the incumbent , or prevent the impending calamities ? would you plant nurseries for the Church of God ? would you that God should build your houses , and bless your substance ? would you that your children should bless you ? that your servants should bless you ? Oh then set up Piety in your families as ever you would be blessed , or be a blessing ; let your hearts and your houses be the temples of the living God , in which his worship ( according to all the forementioned directions ) may be , with constancy , reverently performed . Prov. 29. 1. He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy . Oh be wise in time that you be not miserable to Eternity . Books lately Printed for Tho. Parkhurst , &c. 1. A Discourse concerning Old Age tending to the Instruction , Caution and Comfort to the Aged . By Rich. Steel Minister of the Gospel . 2. BApris●●● 〈◊〉 Renewed , being some Meditations on Psalm 〈◊〉 By O. Heywood M. A. FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A26695-e1890 The terms of our Communion are either from which , or to which . The terms from which we must turn , sin , Satan , the World and our own Righteousness , which must be thus renounced , The Terms to which we must turn , are either ultimate or mediate . The ultimate is God the Father , Son and Holy Ghost , who must be thus accepted . The mediate terms are either principal , or less principal . The principal is Christ the Mediator , who must thus be embraced . The least principal are the Laws of Christ which must be thus observed . 
A67769	----	The seduced soul reduced and rescued from the subtilty and slavery of Satan ... by R. Junius ... Younge, Richard. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A67769 of text R34120 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing Y181). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 40 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 7 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A67769 Wing Y181 ESTC R34120 13807896 ocm 13807896 101999 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A67769) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 101999) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1055:31) The seduced soul reduced and rescued from the subtilty and slavery of Satan ... by R. Junius ... Younge, Richard. 12 p. Sold onely by James Crump ... and by Henry Cripps ..., [London] : [1660] R. Junius is a pseudonym for Richard Younge. Caption title. Place and date of publication suggested by Wing. Imperfect: pages stained. Reproduction of original in the Huntington Library. eng Salvation -- Early works to 1800. Sin -- Early works to 1800. A67769 R34120 (Wing Y181). civilwar no The seduced soul reduced, and rescued from the subtilty, and slavery of Satan, that bloody devouring dragon, and vowed enemy of all mankind. Younge, Richard 1654 6861 34 0 0 0 0 0 50 D The rate of 50 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the D category of texts with between 35 and 100 defects per 10,000 words. 2005-08 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-09 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-03 Ali Jakobson Sampled and proofread 2006-03 Ali Jakobson Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE SEDUCED SOVL reduced , and rescued from the Subtilty , and Slavery of Satan , that bloody devouring Dragon , and vowed Enemy of all Mankind . Together with Provision that none may be disappointed of their end , by mistaking their way : would men but now hearken unto Christ , as they would have Christ another day , hearken unto them . By R. Junius , in reference to Levit. 19. 17. Isa. 58. 1. Prov. 1. 20. to the end , and 14. 12. Acts 11. 14. 1 Tim. 4. 16. James 1. 21. Jude 23. CYprian brings in Satan , triumphing over Christ in this manner ; As for my followers , saith he , I never laid down my life to redeem them , as Christ hath done for his ; I never promised them so great reward , as Christ hath done to his : and yet I have more followers then Christ , and they do far more for me , then his do for him . And indeed , To whom we yield our selves as servants to obey , his servants we are to whom we obey ; whether of sinne unto death , or of obedience unto righteousnesse , Rom ▪ 6. 16. And in case we do the Devils works , we are the Devils servants , as our Saviour affirms , John 8. 34 , 44. Again , it is the abstract of Religion , to imitate him whom we worship . Neither are we worthy to be called Christians , except we imitate Christ , and square our lives according to the rules he hath given us , Luke 14. 26. 2 Pet. 2. 19. 2 Cor. 5. 17. 2 Tim. 2. 19. Who then shall compare mens lives with Christs life , or those rules set down in his Gospel , but must be forced with Lynacre to confesse ; That either the Gospel is none of Christs , or very few amongst us are Christians . Observe it I pray , for it falls heavy on many thousands , that think they are Christians beyond all exceptions . 2 But to bring this point more close , and home to mens consciences . We read , That the greatest number go the broad way to destruction , and but a few the narrow way that leadeth unto life , Matth. 7. 13 , 14. That the whole world lieth in wickednesse , 1 John 5. 19. That the number of those whom Satan shall deceive , is as the sand of the sea , Rev. 20. 8. That many are called , and but few chosen , Matth. 20. 16. & 22. 14. That though the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea ; yet onely a remnant of them shall be saved , Rom. 9. 27. Sad predictions ! How then does it concern every man of us , to be-think our selves , whether we be of that small number , and to mistrust the worst , as all wise , and sound-hearted Christians use to do , Matth. 26. 21 , 22. And indeed , they are Texts of Scripture , that would make the most in these dayes to tremble ; Yea , they could not ( without Gods great mercy ) but be swallowed up of their own confusion , were they not spiritually blinde and deaf , and dead . For experience shews , that amongst those that call themselves Christians , scarce one of an hundred , whose knowledge , belief , and life , is answerable either to the Gospel , their Christian profession , or the millions of mercies they have received . Yea , notwithstanding the Holy Ghost tels us in the word ; and we hear the same daily ; That every man shall be judged according to his works , be they good or evill , Rev. 20. 13. & 22. 12. That we shall give an account at the day of judgement for every idle word we speak , Matth. 12. 36. That there needs no other cause of our last and heaviest doom , then Ye have not given , ye have not visited , &c. Matth. 25. 41. to 46. That the righteteous shall scarcely be saved , 1 Pet. 4. 18. That many shall seek to enter in at the straight gate , and shall not be able , Luke 13. 24. That no unrighteous person shall inherit the kingdome of God ; but shall have their part and portion in that lake , which burneth with fire and brimstone , which is the second death , 1 Cor. 6. 9 , 10. Gal. 5. 21. Revel. 21. 8. That except our righteousnesse exceeds the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees , ( who were no mean men for outward and formal performances ) we shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven , Math. 5. 20. And that without holinesse , no man shall see the Lord , Heb. 12. 14. ( which Scriptures if they be true , what manner of persons ought we to be ? in all holy conversation and godlinesse , as the Apostle speaks , 2 Pet. 3. 11. ) Yet most men live , as if the Gospel were quite contrary to the rule of the Law : As if God were neither to be feared , nor car●d for : As if they were neither beholding to him , nor afraid of him , both out of his debt and danger ; Yea , as if there were no God to judge , nor Hell to punish , nor Heaven to reward , I cannot think of it without astonishment . But to all these , let me add one thunder-bolt more out of Gods Artillery , which you shall finde , Deut. 29. where he expresly tels us , that he will not be merciful ( I pray mark it ) unto such as flatter themselves in an evill way , but that his wrath and jealousie shall smoak against them , and every curse that is writ in his Book shall light upon them , &c. vers. 19 , 20. And that if we will not regard , nor hearken unto him when he cals upon us for repentance : He will not heare nor regard us , when in our distresse and anguish we shall call upon him for mercy ; but even laugh at our destruction , and mock when our fear cometh , Prov. 1. 24. to 33. Neither is salvation more promised to the godly , in any part of the Bible , Old Testament , or New , then eternal death and destruction is threatned to the wicked . For though to all repentant sinners he is a most merciful God ; yet to all wilful and impenitent sinners , he is a consuming fire , and a jealous God , Heb. 12. 29. Deut. 4. 24. These are dreadful threats , from the mouth of an Almighty , and terrible God , who is Truth it self , and cannot lie . Neverthelesse , mens obdurate and adamantine hearts , brawned and hardned with the custome of sinne , will tremble and relent no more at the hearing of them , then the seates they sit on , or the stones they tread on . Their supine stupidity is no more capable of excitation then the Sea Rocks are of motion , or the billows of compassion . They are like the Catadupans , inhabitants of the Cataracts , who hear not the roarings of Nilus . As Drums and Trumpets ( we know ) and that loud rupture of the aire with Ordnance , is but like soft musick to the eares of some fleshed souldiers , hardned with often successe . And the reason is , they will rather hearken to their own deceitful hearts , and believe Satan , that would gull them of their soules , and plunge them into eternall torments , then they will hearken to , or believe the God of Truth . And the reason of this reason is , when men reject all g●od meanes , and refuse to serve the true God , he in justice gives them over to the false to be taught , and governed by him ; for which you have an express place , 2 Thes. 2. 10 , 11 , 12. And likewise an example thereof in Ahab , 1 King. 22. 20. to 23. Yea , how could I here inlarge ? as would you know , why many men in this , and other ages before us , have been such superlavive monsters in wickedness , as striving after perfection of evill , counting it the greatest honour to commit the greatest sinnes , and being sorry , as it were , that they could not commit a sinne beyond president , and be like their father the Devill , Such as blasphemous and impudent Pharoah , who being bloodied with his unresisted tyranny , could belch out defiance in the face of heaven , saying , who is God ? Or Nicanor , who being perswaded from cruelty upon the Sabbath-day , in that God had appointed it holy ; answered , if God be mighty in Heaven , I am also mighty on Earth : Though the same tongue that spake it , was cut into little pieces and flung to the Fowls : and the same hand that smote , was cut off , and hung before the Temple . Or as Pope Hildebrand , who asked the Sacrament of Christs body before all the Cardinals , how he should destroy Henry the Emperour ; and having no answer , flung it into the fire , saying , Co●ld the Idoll gods of the Heathens tell them what should succeed in their enterprizes , & canst not thou tel me ? how others could wholly spend and imploy their time , & strength , and meanes ? how they should take such pains , and be at such cost , to commit robberies , rapes , cruel murthers , treasons ? blow up whole States ? depopulate whole Towns , Cities , Countries ? Seduce millions of soules , as Mahomet and the Pope have done ? make open War against the Church of God , as Herod , Antiochus , and others have done ? persecute the known truth , as Julian the Apostate did ? Invent all new vices they could , and destroy the memory of all ancient vertues , as Heliogabalus did ? make it their trade to swear and forswear , if any wil hire them , as our Post● knights do ? Not unlike those Turkish Priests , called Seitie , and Cagi , who for a double Ducket will make a thousand false oaths before the Magistrate , and take it to be no sinne , but a work deserving praise , by lies , swearing , and for-swearing , to damnifie Christians what they can . Or would you know why our Land ( notwithstanding we excell all Nations under heaven , for meanes of light and grace ) hath such monsters ? as upon an hours warning will lend Jezabel an oath , to rob poor Naboth of his li●e and vine-yard ? Such Vultures , irreligious Harpies , that have consciences like a Barn-door , that seldome awake but to do mischief . Some men and women , that will be Bawds to their own Wives and Daughters ? ( But , ô that the Sun should shine upon her , that will sell for gain unto Hell that body which she brought forth , with so much pains and danger to this earth . Certainly , there was never woman more deserved to be call'd the Devils Dam then shee . ) Why , there are some that dare the day to witnesse their ungodlinesse , and do their villanies to be seen of men ? That Zim●i like , dare bring Whores to their Tents openly . Yea , like Absalom , dare spread a Tent on the top of the house , and go in to their Concubines in the sight of all men . I have my selfe heard a cauterized Gallant boast of his lying with women of all conditions , save witches , and protest that should be his next attempt . Yea , how often shall you hear old men glory of their fore-past whoredoms , boast of their homicides , cheats , and the like ? Yea , if it be possible , make themselves worse then ever they were : and rather then want matter of ostentation , they will boast of the foulest vices ; For their excrements , they account ornaments , and make a scarfe of their halter . Again , others there are , who like them of Gibeah , Judg. 19. and the Sodomites , Gen. 19. are not content with the common way of sinning ; but are mad with a prodigious lust ; Being forth the men , that we may know them , vers. 5. Let any reasonable man judge , whether they could be thus desperately wicked , if the just and true God had not for their rebellious and damnable wickednesse , in rejecting him , given them up to be ruled by the false ; namely , the god of this world , and all wicked men in it . Even as a just Judge having passed sentence upon some heynous Malefactor , gives him up to the Jaylor , or Executioner , as you may see by sundry places , 2 Tim. 2. 26. Ephes. 2. 2. John 13. 2. Acts 5. 3. 1 Chron. 21. 1. Gen. 3 1. to 6. Rev. 2. 10. Gen 3. 15. John 8. 44. & 12. 31. & 14. 30. 2 Cor. 4. 4. Ephes. 2. 2. But to enlarge yet more , how many amongst us have their consciences so feared up with the custome of sin , that they had rather be confounded , then reformed : That will grudge to be stayed in their way to Hell ? ( whereby they become wilfull murtherers of their own souls . ) Yea , they will flie upon those that shall oppose their perdition , and more then spurne at Christs Messengers , that are sent to save them , ( which is to strike at him , whose message they bring : ) And others so reprobate , that their utmost endeavour is , to damn others souls with their own . These are your seducing drunkards , devisers and broachers of damnable errours ; Projectors of unknown villanies , exemplary leaders into wickednesse ; who Jeroboam , or Mahomet-like , cease not to sinne , and tempt , and damne , though they cease to live : For though they die , they leave their sinne behinde them , and that propagates , who resemble a malicious man sicke of the plague , who runs into the throng to disperse his infection ; whose sinne seems to out-weigh all penalty . Others there are , that through a presumptuous confidence , think they may run upon score with Satan , and sin boldly and freely , because Christ is able to pay all ; so making Christ a bolster , or Patron of sin . Yea , they will also boast , what a strong faith they have ; when yet they fall short of the very Devils in believing : For they believe the threats that are written in the Word , and tremble for feare , Jam. 2. 19. Again , others you have , so civilly righteous , that they see no need they have of a Saviour : and the lesse sensible they are , the more sick they are ; for as nothing is more easily broken , then those things that are most hard : so notorious offenders are nothing so hard to be convinced and converted , as the civilly righteous , that seems to live un-reproveably . Lastly , to passe by those many millions of soules , who are so invincibly ignorant , that remaining so , it is impossible they should be saved ; for they do not know wherein they have broken this or that Commandement in particular ; what wicked hearts they have by nature , nor what need they have of a Saviour . Nor to say any thing of that , which cost the lives of so many thousand Israelites , I mean murmuring , and unthankfulnesse , which is the sin of almost who not ; and such a sinne as few , even of the better sort of Christians have the wit to consider . To passe by these ( I say ) how many through prejudice , so blinde their own eyes , that they will decoct everything the godly do or say into poyson : Yea , they will not onely pick strawes , to put out their own eyes withall ; but they even protest against their own conversion , as esteeming , and accounting all Religion , and Devotion meer foolishness . Yea , they will scoffe at the meanes to be saved , and make themselves merry with their own damnation : So that good counsel to them , is but offering Aqua-vitae to the dead . A man would admire and wonder how mens soules should be so drowned in their senses ; how any one that is endowed with a reasonable soule , should be of so reprobate a minde , as most men are ; did not the frequency of sin take away the sense of sin . As ô how the soule , that takes a delight in lewdnesse , is gained upon by custome ▪ do not all cauterized sinners , drunkards , blasphemers , defrauders , and the like ? Yea , and civill men too , account it a crime to be holy ? or to have a tender conscience ? or to be so careful to serve their Redeemer ? as themselves are industrious to serve the Devill , and satisfie their own hearts lusts . Yea , and custome hath so bleared them , that they cannot distinguish nor discern the true visage of things . Yea , the most of men amongst us so delude themselves with mistakes , and false surmises , against Religion , and the religious , that piety and goodnesse is so despised ; loosenesse and prophanesse so set by , and defended , by some ignorantly , by others maliciously : and this also by reason of long custome runs so deep and strong , that wee can never look to have it mended , untill Christ comes in the clouds . What this may bring upon us , onely the Lord knows , and knows to prevent : But sure I am , it hath already been so long neglected , and so little opposed and laid to heart ; that it hath almost over-grown both corn and good hearbs . Insomuch that the wickednesse of the greater part , hath brought such a scandall upon the better part : That our Religion is even abhorred of the Heathen . And how can it other , then cut the hearts of those that have felt the love of Christ ? to heare him so wounded at home with oathes and blasphemies , abroad with reproaches ; who is the life of their lives , and the soul of their souls . Speake we must , endeavour what we can . Cry aloud , saith God , spare not , lift up thy voyce like a trumpet , and shew my people their transgressions , and the house of Jacob their sins , Isa. 58. 1. But alasse , little comes of it ; For let all the Ministers unanimously say what can be said , blinde sensuallists will confute all that can be alleadged ; with God is merciful . And Christ died for all . Onely believe and thou shalt be saved ; no matter how they live : a reprobate , yet common errour : as thinking with Eunomius , that faith without works will serve : Insomuch that every drunken beast , and blasphemer , thinks to speed as well , and goe to Heaven , as soon as the best . One mindes nothing but his cups , another nothing but his coyne , a third onely his Curtizan ; yet all these promise to meet in Heaven . The Jewes thought we may put away our wives , we may sweare , we may hate our enemies , we may kill the Prophets , subject the Word of God to our traditions , and follow our own wayes . Why ? Abraham is our father , John 8. 39. But by their leave , Christ calls them bastards , and findes out another father for them , ver. 44. Ye are of your father the Devill , and the lusts of you● father ye will do . Prophane Libertines , such as account not themselves well , but when they are doing ill . Yea , the most covetous oppressors , who may say as Pope Leo did , I can have no place in Heaven , because I have so often sold it upon Earth . Every man of them hopes to have bene●i● by the Gospel , when they will not be tied to the least little of the Law . But if Christ be not our King to govern us , he will neither be our Prophet to fore warn , nor our Priest to exp●ate . Except we forsake our sins , God will never forgive them . Yea , he hath sworn by an oath , that whomsoever he redeemeth out of the hands of their spirituall enemies , shall serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of their lives . Neither can it consist with his Justice , to pardon such as continue in an evill course of life . Neverthelesse , there is scarce a wicked man upon Earth , but he thinks to go to Heaven . But what 's the reason ? consider that , and you will cease to wonder . For what the Apostle speaks , 2 Cor. 3. is appliable unto all natural men . Their mindes were blinded ; For untill this day remaineth the same vaile upon their hearts , un-taken aw●y in the reading of the Old Testament , which vail , when they shall turn to the Lord , shall be taken away in Christ , vers. 14 , 15 , 16. Here you see they have a vail or curtain drawn over their hearts , which keeps them from the knowledge of Gods Word : But that 's not all ; They have so hardned their hearts with a customary sinning , even from their infancy , that a man were as good speake to a stone , as admonish them , Jer. 6. 10. & 5. 3. Zach. 7. 12. Jude 12. Ez●k. 11. 19. Thirdly , the Gospel is hid unto them , because the god of this world hath blinded their mindes , lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them , as the same Apostle speaks , ●Cor. 4. 3 , 4. Finally , they have Phraoh's curse upon them , a hard heart , and a seared conscience : so that they are no way capable of yielding to , or hearing God speak by his Ambassadors , say they what they will . Whence it is , that St. Cyprian useth these words : It is as much lost labour ( saith he ) to preach unto men the things of God , before they are humbled with the sight of their wants , as to offer light to a blinde man , to speak to a deaf man , or to labour to make a brute beast wise . See Revel. 3. 17. In the mean time thoughts of Eternity never trouble them ; They are at peace with Satan , the world , and their own consciences ; have made agreement with Hell , and with Death ; they satisfie their lusts to the full : So like men sleeping in a Boat , they are carried down the stream of this world , untill they arrive at their Graves-end [ Death ] without once waking to be-think themselves , whether they are going [ to Heaven or Hell . ] They slumber , and suppose themselves good Christians ; their faith is but a dream , their hope but a dream , and so of their obedience and whole Religion , all is but a dream . They have repentance in conceit , they serve God well in conceit ; and they shall , if they look not to it , goe to Heaven onely in conceit , or in a dream , and never awake , until they feel themselves in the burning lake . For he that makes a bridge of his own shadow , how can he choose but fall into the water . In which case , what heart would it not make to bleed , that hath any Christian blood in his veins , to see what multitudes there are that go blindfold to destruction , and no man offer to stop or check them ; before they arrive there , from whence there is no redemption . I remember St. Bernard useth these words ; Had we stood by , saith hee , when Adam was between the perswasion of his wife , and the precept of his God , when the one said , Adam eate , and the other said , Adam eate not ; for if thou dost , Thou shalt die the death , and all thy posterity . Had it been an ill office to have cryed out , and said , ô Adam , take heed what thou dost ! Or would he have had cause to complain of being prevented ? I trow not , Yea , I think it had been a seasonable piece of high friendship , and none can deny it . I remember also what a Merchant once did ; he comes to his friend upon the Exchange , and fals to boxing him , with these words ; I have often enough told you of your whoring , but you will never leave it . Know you not , that it will p●ove your ruine in the end ? 〈…〉 h●ld to be a little crackt in brain , & perhaps you will think 〈…〉 often times , from the rarest and quickest agitations of 〈…〉 the most distempered and out-ragious frenzies , there want●●g 〈…〉 a pegs turne to passe from the one to the other : So in mad mens 〈…〉 see how fitly folly suiteth , and meets with the strongest operation 〈…〉 . Yea , who knows not , how un-perceivable the neighbour-hood is between folly , and the liveliest elevations of some mens wits . And indeed , when I consider , how our carnal friends will curse us ( when they come in hell ) that we did not our utmost endeavour to stop them . I could afford to lay hands upon a Drunkard , a Blasphemer , or a Murtherer to stay 〈◊〉 , from the evill he is going to commit . Yea , to kneel down upon my knees , and beg of him , that he would not so desperately damn his own soul . And indeed could , a man save his friends soule by so doing ( as possibly he might , Jude 23. Jam. 5. 26. 1 Tim. 4. 16. ) he needed not much to care , though the world reputed him a mad man , or spent their verdicts on him . O my brethren think of it , before it be too late ! and seriously consider what one soule is worth , and what you would take to be in that condition with them , as you were once . ( For I speak to enlightened souls ) Yea , how should not the very thought of it , make all that are got out of Satans clutches , to plot , study , and contrive all they can , to draw others of their brethren after them ? We read , that Andrew was no sooner converted , and 〈…〉 Christs Disciple , but instantly he drew others after him to the same faith , John 1. 41. and the like of Philip , vers. 45. And of the woman of Samaria , John 4. 28. to 41. And of Peter , Luke 22. 32. Acts 2. 41. and 3 Chap. & 4. 4. And so of all the Apostles . Yea , Moses so thirsted after the salvation of Israel ; that rather then he would be saved without them , he desired the Lord to blot him out of the book of life , Exod. 32. 32. And Paul to this purpose saith , I could wish my self to be separated from Christ , for my brethren , that are my kinsmen according to the flesh : meaning the Jewes , Rom. 9. 3. And indeed , all heavenly hearts are charitable . Neither are we of the Communion of Saints , if we desire not the blessednesse of others ; it being an inseparable adjunct , or relative to grace ; for none but a Cain will say , Am I my brothers keeper ? Yea , where the heart is thankful , and inflamed with the love of God , and our neighbour ; this will be the principal aime : As by ●y si●s , and bad example , I have drawn others from God ; so now I will 〈…〉 I can , draw others with my selfe to God . Saul converted , will build up as fast , as ever he plucked downe ; and preach as zealously as ever ●e persecuted , and we are no what thankful for our own salvation ▪ if we do not look with charity and pity upon the grosse mis-opinions , and mis-prisions of others , and at least do something for the saving of those poor , ignorant , & impotent wretches , that are neither able nor willing to help themselves . Neither needs there ( as one would think ) any spurring or prompting of the thankful or charitable to this duty . And what though we cannot do what we would ? yet we must labour to do what we can to win others ; not to deserve by it , but to expresse our thanks . Besides , it were very dishonourable to Christ not to do so : did you ever know , that wicked men , Thieves , Drunkards , Adulterers , Persecutors , false prophets , or the like , would be damned alone ? no , they mis-lead all they can , as desiring to have com-panions . Yea , the Tharisees would take great pains , compasse sea and land , to make others twofold more the children of hell then themselves , as our Saviour expresly witnesseth , Matth. 23. 15. which may cast a brush upon our cheeks , who are nothing so industrious to win souls to God . Therefore what a worldling would do , to get himselfe an hundred pounds , that a Christian should do to win a soule to Christ : Or he is unthankful to his Redeemer , that hath done , and suffered so much for him . But I have known a very small matter , ( with Gods blessing upon the meanes ) as the lending of a Book to an acquaintance , or towling him to hear an efficacious Sermon , prove the saving of his soul . And that hath been a greater cause of rejoycing to both parties ; then others have , when their corn and their wine increaseth , Psalm 4. 7. Weak means shall serve the turne , where God inten●s successe . Even a word seasonably spoken ( God blessing it ) like a Rudder , sometimes steers a man quite into another Course . Antiocl●us by hearing from a poor man , all the faults which he and his Favourites had committed , carried himself most vertuously ever after . Antoninus amended his future life and manners , by onely hearing what the people spake of him . The very crowing of a Cock occasioned Peters repentance . Augustine , that famous Doctor , was converted , by onely reading that Text , Rom. 13. 13. Let us walke honestly , as in the day-time , &c. Learned Junius , with reading the first Chapter of Saint Johns Gospel , was wonne to the faith of Christ . And Melancthon much a●ter the same manner . I have read of two famous Strumpets , that were suddenly converted , by this onely Argument , That God seeth all things , even in the dark , when the doors are shut , and the curtains drawn . Bilneys Confession , converted Latimer : yea , Ad●i●nus was not onely converted , but became a Martyr too , by onely hearing a Martyr at the Stake alleadg that Text , Eye hath not seen , nor eare heard , &c. 1 Cor. 2 9. Yea , even those Iewes that crucified the Son of God , were converted by hearing those few words of Peter , Acts 2. And it pleased God , when I , my self , was in as hopelesse a condition , as any ; That a poor mans perswading me to leave reading of Poetry , and fall upon the Bible , was a meanes of changing my heart , before I had read out Genesis , being but twenty years of age . Whom I more blesse God for , then for my Parents , from whom I received life . And this ( because I know no better way , to expresse my thankfulnesse to him , who hath freed me from frying in Hell-flames , for ever and ever ; then by endeavouring to win others from Satans Standard to Christs ) makes me doe the like to others . And that is by giving and lending well-chosen Books , fit and proper for the parties condition , whether he be meerly civill , or vicious ; a Scoffer , Swearer , excessive Drinker , Miser , Oppressor , Prodigal , or the like . And have sometimes found the same so succesful , that it hath put me upon a more generall , and publique piece of service , that may extend it self to thousands , if men have but halfe that affection to spirituall , and eternall riches , namely , wisdome , grace , and glory ; as they have to temporary , and transitory . I know well , that a great many will spend more time and money in an Alehouse in one day , then in Gods service , or upon their souls , in many moneths . Yea , ( as if the best part : were least to be cared for . ) How many thousands will bestow more upon their very Hair , or upon a needlesse , Indian wanton weed , in one moneth , then upon God , and their souls in a whole yeare . A signe how they love him , who laid down his life to redeem them ! And how wise , and thankfull they are , though these also dream they are good Christians , true Protestants ; and perhaps are so accounted by the most . As he that hath but one eye , may be King amongst the blinde , and the commonnesse of offenders , may even benumbe the sense of offending . And I take this their little regard of God , their owne soules , and honesty withal , not onely to be the cause of mens prospering no better , but likewise of their sadnesse , complaining , melancholy , and discontent , ( as one of these two ( poverty , or melancholy , ) is commonly the lot of every impenitent person . ) For how should they have merry hearts , that have not good consciences . But all are not alike , ●linde , sensuall , ingratefull : For though some by losse of conscience , are become Atheists ; and by loss of reason , Beasts ; and though they that have no reason , will hear none , ( whereof you have a lively instance or president , at the conclusion of this discourse , purposely set there to be sunn'd and scorn'd ) yet others there are , will be more ingenuous , I meane , they have not been too long sick to be recovered ; to whom a word or two by way of advice . Such therefore as had not rather live in the Darknesse of Egypt , then in the light of Goshen : Such as would not ( with those foolish virgins , Matth. 25. ) lose their inheritance , to save charge of the conveyance . And ( with that Rich fool , Luke 12. ) be disappointed of their end , by mistaking their way , let them at least , lay out the third part of a shilling upon these three new Books . An Experimental Index of the Heart . A short and sure way to Grace and Salvation . The Tryal of true Wisdome . As treating upon the most needful subjects , and being purposely projected and contrived for their eternall wel-fare , that are altogether mindlesse of their own : And possible it is , that many thereby may receive more good , then at present they have the wit to wish for , or desire : it being sage , seasonable , and wholsome Instruction , to prevent Destruction . And that no man may imagine it a matter of benefit : the Projector ( contrary to other Projectors ) will not onely lose thereby ; but in case any shall repent their bargain , the Venders of them ( Henry Cripps in Popes-head Alley , and Iames Crump in Little Bartholmews Well-yard ) shall return them their money when they please . A Charge drawn up against Drunkards , in a clearer print , that themselves also may read it . THe Drunkard is a strange Chymaera , more prodigious then any Monster ; Being in Visage a Man , but a Brotheus : in Heart , a Swine : in Head , a Cephalus : in tongue , an Aspe : in Belly , a Lump : in Appetite , a Leech : in Sloth , an Ignavus : a Ierff , for excessive devouring ; a Goat , for Lust ; a Syrene , for Flattery ; a Hyaena , for Subtilty ; a Panther , for Curelty . In envying , a Basiliske : in Antipathy to all good , a Lexus : in hindering others from good , a Remora ; in Life , a Salamander ; in Conscience , a Ostrich ; in Spirit , a Devill ; 1 In surpassing others in sin . 2 in tempting others to sin . 3 In drawing others to Perdition . Even the most despicable piece of all humanity , and not worthy to be reckoned among the Creatures which God made . These being small picces , are sold onely by James Crump , in Little Bartholmews , wel-yard ; And by Henry Cripps , in Popes-head Alley . FINIS . 
A57960	----	Two discourses; viz. A discourse of truth. By the late Reverend Dr. Rust, Lord Bishop of Dromore in the Kingdom of Ireland. The way of happiness and salvation. By Joseph Glanvil, chaplain in ordinary to His Majesty Rust, George, d. 1670. 1677 Approx. 202 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 100 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A57960 Wing R2368 Wing Q836 ESTC R218562 99830144 99830144 34594 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A57960) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 34594) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2018:17) Two discourses; viz. A discourse of truth. By the late Reverend Dr. Rust, Lord Bishop of Dromore in the Kingdom of Ireland. The way of happiness and salvation. By Joseph Glanvil, chaplain in ordinary to His Majesty Rust, George, d. 1670. Glanvill, Joseph, 1636-1680. Way of happiness and salvation rescued from vulgar errours. [18], 34, [12], 26, 35-138, p. 399, [1] p. : ill (metalcut) printed for James Collins, in the Temple-passage from Essex-Street, London : 1677. With an engraved frontispiece. "A discourse of truth." by Dr. Rust has a separate dated title page on pg. [5]. "The way of happiness and salvation.." by Joseph Glanvil has a separate dated title page on pg. [1] (second sequence); text and register are continuous despite pagination; includes imprimatur page and final page of advertisment; published separately as Wing (2nd ed.) Q836. Reproduction of the original at the Bodleian Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. 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Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Faith -- Early works to 1800. Salvation -- Early works to 1800. Theology -- Early works to 1800. 2002-05 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2002-05 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2002-06 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2002-06 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2002-07 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Iohn . 14. 6. Jesus saith vnto him , I am the way , and the truth , and the Life , &c TWO DISCOURSES ; VIZ. A DISCOURSE OF TRUTH . By the late Reverend Dr. RVST , Lord Bishop of Dromore in the Kingdom of Ireland . The Way of HAPPINESS And SALVATION . By Joseph Glanvil , Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty . LONDON , Printed for James Collins , in the Temple-passage from Essex-Street . 1677. A DISCOURSE OF TRUTH . By the late Reverend Dr. RVST , Lord Bishop of Dromore in the Kingdom of Ireland . Together with a LETTER , giving an Account of the Author and the Book : Written by JOS. GLANVIL , Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty . LONDON , Printed for James Collins , in the New Temple-passage from Essex-street , 1677. A LETTER Concerning the Subject and the Author . SIR , I Have now perused , and returned the Manuscript you sent me ; it had contracted many and great Errours in the Transcription , which I have corrected : I was enabled to do it by a written Copy of the same Discourse which I have had divers years in my Hands . The Subject is of great and weighty importance , and the Acknowledgment of the Truths here asserted and made good , will lay a Foundation for right conceptions in the Doctrines that concern the Decrees of God , For the first Errour , which is the ground of the rest , is , That things are good and just , because God Wills them so to be ; and if that be granted , we are disabled from using the arguments taken from natural Notions , and the Attributes and Perfections of the Divine Nature , against the Blackest and most Blasphemous Opinions that ever were entertained concerning Gods proceedings with the Sons of Men. If there be no settled Good and Evil , Immutable and Independent on any Will or understanding , then God may have made his reasonable Creatures on purpose to damn them for ever . He may have absolutely decreed that they should sin , that he may damn them justly ; He may most solemnly and earnestly prohibit Sin by his Laws , and declare great displeasure against it ; and yet by his ineluctable Decrees Force men to all the sin that is committed in the World : He may vehemently protest his unfeigned desire of their Life and Happiness , and at the same time , secretly resolve their Eternal Destruction ; He may make it his Glory and Pleasure to triumph eternally in the torments of poor Worms , which himself hath by his unalterable and irresistible Will made miserable ; yea ( as the discourse instanceth ) he may after his Decrees concerning the Salvation of the Elect , after the death of his Son for them , and the mission of his Spirit to them , and after all the promises he hath made to assure them ; thrust them also at last into the dreadful Regions of Death and Woe ; I say if there be no immutable respects in things , but Just and Vnjust , Honourable and Dishonourable , Good and Cruel , Faithful and Deceitful , are respects made by meer arbitrarious will , it will be in vain to dispute from Them against any such dismal Opinions : yea it will be great folly to argue for the Simplicity of the Divine Nature against the vile conceits of the old Anthropomorphites , and the Blasphemies of the present Muggletonians , of God's having a Corporal shape , Parts and Members , if there be no necessary Independent Connexion , Immensity , Spirituality and Perfection ; but this being establish'd , that there are immutable respects in things , and that such and such are Perfections , and their contrary Defects and imperfections , hence it will follow , that it is impossible the forementioned Doctrines can be true concerning God , who cannot lye , cannot deny himself : viz. He being Absolute and Infinite Perfection , cannot act any thing that is Evil or imperfect ; But all the expressions in Scripture , that at first sight look towards such a sense , must be interpreted by the general Analogy and course of them , which declares his Infinite , Immutable Excellencies ; and these Notions of himself , which he hath written on the Souls of Men. So that the Subject of this little Discourse , is of vast Moment , and the truth asserted in it , is , I think confirmed with an irresistable Strength and force of Reasoning ; and not to be convinced by it , will argue either great weakness of Vnderstanding , in not perceiving consequences that are so close and plain , or great obstinacy of Will , in being shut up by prejudices , and preconceiv'd Opinions against Light that is so clear and manifest . The Author was a Person with whom I had the Honour and Happiness of a very particular acquaintance ; a man he was of a clear Mind , a deep Judgment and searching Wit : greatly learned in all the best sorts of Knowledge , old and new , a thoughtful and diligent Enquirer , of a free Vnderstanding , and vast Capacity , join'd with singular Modesty , and unusual Sweetness of Temper , which made him the Darling of all that knew him : He was a Person of great Piety and Generosity ; a hearty Lover of God and Men : An excellent Preacher , a wise Governour , a profound Philosopher , a quick , forcible , and close Reasoner , and above all , a true and exemplary Christian. In short , he was one who had all the Qualifications of a Primitive Bishop , and of an extraordinary Man-This I say not out of kindness to my Friend , but out of Justice to a Person of whom no Commendation can be extravagant . He was bred in Cambridge , and Fellow of Christ's Colledge , where he lived in great Esteem and Reputation for his eminent Learning and Vertues ; he was one of the first that overcame the prejudices of the Education of the late unhappy Times , in that Vniversity , and was very Instrumental to enlarge others . He had too great a Soul for the trifles of that Age , and saw early the nakedness of Phrases and Phancyes ; He out-grew the pretended Orthodoxy of those days , and addicted himself to the Primitive Learning and Theology , in which he even then became a great Master . After the return of the Government , the excellent Bishop Taylor , foreseeing the vacancy in the Deanery of Connor , sent to Cambridge for some Learned and Ingenious Man , who might be fit for that Dignity : The motion was made to Dr. Rust , which corresponding with the great Inclination he had to be conversant with that incomparable Person : He gladly accepted of it , and hastn'd into Ireland , where he landed at Dublin about August 1661. He was received with much Respect and Kindness by that great and good Bishop , who knew how to value such Jewels ; and preferr'd to the Deanery as soon as it was void , which was shortly after . He continued in that Preferment during the Bishops Life , always dearly lov'd , and even admir'd by him . At his Death ( that sad stroke to all the Lovers of Religion and Learning ) he was chosen for the last solemn Office to his deceased Father and Friend ; and he preach't such a Funeral Sermon as became that extraordinary Person and himself . It hath been since published , and I suppose you may have seen it , upon the lamented Death of Bishop Taylor , which hapned August 13 th 1677. The Bishopricks were divided : Dr. Boyle Dean of Cork , was nominated Bishop of Downe and Connor ; and Dr. Rust Dean of Connor Bishop of Dromore ; he lived in the Deanery about six years , in the Bishoprick but three ; for in December 1670 he dyed of a Fever ( in the prime of his years ) to the unspeakable grief of all that knew his Worth , and especially of such of them as had been blest by his Friendship , and most sweet and indearing Conversation : He was buried in the Quire of his own Cathedral Church of Dromore , in a Vault made for his Predecessour Bishop Taylor , whose sacred Dust is deposited also there : and what Dormitory hath two such Tenants ? This is the best account I can give you of the Work and the Author : and by it you may perceive his Memory deserves to live , and this Product of him : but there is so much reverence due to the Manes of so venerable a Person , that nothing should be hastily published under his honour'd name : I know , had he designed this Exercitation for the Publick , he would have made it much more compleat and exact than we now have it : But as it is , the Discourse is weighty , and substantial , and may be of great use . As it goes about now in written Copiesit is , ( I perceive ) exceedingly depraved , and in danger of being still worse abused ; the Publication would preserve it from further corruptions . However I dare not advise any thing in it , but this , that you take the judgment of that Reverend Doctor you mention ( the deceased Authors Friend and mine , ) and act according as he shall direct . I am , Your real Friend Jos. Glanvil . A DISCOURSE OF TRUTH . TRUTH is of aequivocal signification , and therefore cannot be defined before it be distinguish't . It is two fold ; Truth in things , which you may call Truth in the Object : and Truth in the Vnderstanding , which is Truth in the Subject . By the first I mean nothing else but that Things necessarily are what they are : By the second that there are mutual respects and relations of Things one unto another . Now that Things are what they are , and that there are mutual Respects and Relations Eternal , and Immutable , and in order of Nature antecedent to any Understanding either created or uncreated , is a thing very plain and evident ; for it 's clearer than the Meridian Light , that such Propositions as these , Homo est animal rationale , Triangulum est quod habet tres angulos , are not arbitrarious dependancies upon the Will , Decree , or Understanding of God , but are Necessary and Eternal Truths ; and wherein 't is as impossible to divide the Subject , and what is spoken of it , as it is for a thing not to be what it is , which is no less than a Contradiction ; and as indispensible are the mutual respects and relations of things both in Speculatives and Morals . For can it be imagin'd that every . Argument can be made a proportioned Medium to prove every Conclusion , that Any thing may be a suitable means to Any end ? that any object may be conformable to any Faculty ? Can Omnipotence it self make these Propositions that twice two are four , or that Parallels cannot intersect , clear and convincing Arguments to prove these grand Truths , That Christ came into the World to dye for Sinners , and is now exalted as a Prince and a Saviour at the Right Hand of God ? Is it possible that there should be such a kind of Geometry , wherein any problems should be demonstrated by any Principles ; quidlibet ex quodlibet ; as that a Quadrangle is that which is comprehended of four right Lines : Therefore the three Angles of a Triangle are equal to two right ones ? Can the infinite Wisdom it self make the damning of all the Innocent & the unspotted Angels in Heaven a proportionate means to declare and manifest the unmeasureableness of his Grace and Love , and goodness towards them ? Can Lying , Swearing , Envy , Malice , nay hatred of God and goodness it self , be made the most acceptable Service of God , and the readiest way to a mans Happiness ? And yet all these must be true , and infinitely more such contradictions than we can possibly imagine , if the mutual respects and relations of things be not Eternal and Indispenfible : which that they are , I shall endeavour to prove ; and in order to it First , we must premise that Divine Vnderstanding cannot be the Fountain of the Truth of things ; nor the Foundation of the references of one to another . For it is against the Nature of all Understanding , to make its Objects ; it is the nature of Understanding , ut moveatur , illuminetur , formetur : &c. Of its Object , ut moveat , illuminet , formet : Intellectus in actu primo hath its self unto its object , as the Eye unto the Sun ; it is irradiated , inlightned and actuated by it : And Intellectus in actu secundo , hath its self unto its objects , as the Image to that it represents ; and the perfection of Understanding consists in being actuated by , and in an adaequate Conformity to its object , according to the nature of all Idea's , Images or Representations of things . The Sum is this , No Idea's or Representations are the things they represent ; all Understanding is such ; therefore no Understanding doth make the Natures , Respects and Relations of its Objects . It remains then , that absolute , arbitrarious and independent Will must be the Fountain of all Truth ; and must determine the References and Dependencies of things : which assertion would in the First place destroy the Nature of God , and rob him of all his Attributes . For then it 's impossible that there should be such a thing as Divine Wisdom and Knowledge , which is nothing else but an apprehension of common notions , and the natures and mutual respects and relations of things . For if the Nature of God be such , that his arbitrarious imagination that such and such things have such and such natures and Dependencies , doth make those things to have those Natures or Dependencies , he may as easily Unimagine that Imagination ; and then they that before had a mutual Harmony , Sympathy and Agreement with one another , shall now stand at as great a distance and opposition . And thus the Divine Understanding will be a mere Protaean Chymaera , a Casual Conflux of intellectual Atomes : Contradictions are true , if God understands them so , and then the foundation of all Knowledge is taken away , and God may as truly be said to know nothing as every thing ; nay , any Angel or Man may as truly be said to know all things , as God himself ; for then every thing will be alike certain , and every apprehension equally conformable to Truth . These are infallible consequences , and a thousand more as absurd as these , if contradictory Propositions may be both true : and whether they be so or no , it 's a meer casual Dependance upon the Arbitrarious pleasure of God , if there be not a necessary immutability and eternal opposition betwixt the being and the not being of the same thing , at the same time and in the same respect . Likewise all those Truths we call Common Notions , ( the Systeme and Comprehensions of which , is the very Essence of Divine Wisdom ; as the conclusions issuing from them , not by any operose deduction , but a clear intuitive light , are the very Nature of Divine Knowledge , if we distinguish those two Attributes in God ) I say , all these propositions of immediate and indemonstrable Truth , if these be only so , because so understood by God , and so understood by God because he pleased so to have them , and not because there is an indispensible relation of Harmony and Proportion betwixt the Terms themselves ; then it is a thing meerly casual , and at the pleasure of God to change his former apprehensions , and Idea's of those Truths , & to make their contradictories as Evident , Radical and Fundamental as themselves but even now were ; and so Divine Wisdom and Knowledge will be a various , fickle and mutable thing , a meer tumult & confusion : all these consequences infallibly flow from this certain Principle , that upon a changeable and uncertain Cause , Effects must needs have a changeable and uncertain Dependance . And there is nothing imaginable in it self more changeable and uncertain than Will not regulated by the dictates of Reason and Understanding . If any deny these Consequences and Deductions , because they suppose that God is mutable and changeable ; I answer , by bringing this as another absurdity , that if there be no indispensable and eternal respects of things , it will rob God of his Immutability , and unchangeableness : for if there be no necessary dependence betwixt Vnchangeableness and Perfection , what should hinder , but that if God please to think it so , it will be his perfection to be changeable ; and if Will , as such , be the only principle of his Actions , it is infallibly his Perfection to be so . For 't is the perfection of every Being to act according to the principle of its Nature , and it is the nature of an arbitrarious Principle to act or not , to do or undo upon no account but its own will and pleasure ; to be determined , and tied up , either by it self , or from abroad , is violent and contranatural . And therefore from this Principle , that absolute and soveraign Will is the Spring and Fountain of all Gods Actions , It was rightly inferr'd by a late Pamphliteer , that God will one day damn all Mankind , Good and Bad , Believers and Unbelievers , notwithstanding all his Promises , Pretensions or Engagements to the contrary ; because this damning all mankind in despight of his Faithfulness , Justice , Mercy and Goodness will be the greatest advancement of his Soveraignty , Will and Prerogative imaginable . His words are , God hath stored up Destruction both for the Perfect and the Wicked , and this does wonderfully set forth his Soveraignty ; his exercising whereof is so perfect , that when he hath tied himself up fast as may be , by never so many promises , yet it should still have its scope , and be able to do what it will , when it will , as it will : here you have this principle improved to the height . And however you may look upon this Author as some new Light , or Ignis fatuus of the times , yet I assure you in some pieces by him set forth , he is very sober and rational . In the next place , to deny the mutual respects and rationes rerum to be immutable and indispensible , will spoil God of that universal rectitude which is the greatest Perfection of his Nature : for then Justice , Faithfulness , Mercy , Godness &c. will be but contingent and arbitrarious Issues of the Divine Will. This is a clear and undeniable Consequence , for if you say these be indispensible perfections in God , for instance , if Justice be so , then there is an eternal relation of Right and Equity betwixt every Being and the giving of it , that which is its propriety ; if Faithfulness , then there is an indispensible agreement betwixt a promise , and the performance of it ; if Mercy , then there is an immutable and unalterable suitableness and harmony between an indigent Creature , and pity and commiseration ; if Goodness , then there is an everlasting Proportion and Symmetry between fulness and its overflowing and dispreading of it self , which is the thing denyed : for to say they are indispensibly so , because God understands them so , seems to me extream incogitancy ; for that is against the nature of all understanding , which is but the Idea and Representation of things , and is then a true and perfect Image , when it is exactly conformed to its object : and therefore , if things have not mutual respects and Relations eternal and indispensible , then all those perfections do solely and purely depend upon absolute and independent Will , as Will ; And consequently , it was and is indifferent in it self that the contrary to these , as , Injustice , Vnfaithfulness , Cruelty , Malice , Hatred , Spite , Revenge , Fury ; and whatever goes to the constitution of Hell it self should have been made the top and highest perfections of the divine Nature : which is such Blasphemy as cannot well be named without horror and trembling , for instead of being a God , such a nature as this is , joyned with omnipotency would be a worse Devil than any is in Hell. And yet this is a necessary and infallible consequence from the denial of these mutual respects and relations of things unto one another , to be eternal and unchangeable . And as by the denial of these , the Nature of God is wholly destroyed , so in the second place , the mind of Man would have no certainty of Knowledge , or assurance of Happiness . He can never come to Know there is a God , and consequently not the Will and Mind of God , which if there be no intrinsecal and indispensible respects and relations of things , must be the ground and foundation of all Knowledge : for what means or arguments should we use to find out , or prove a Divine Nature ? It were folly and madness to sit down and consider the admirable contrivement and artifice of this great Fabrick of the Universe ; how that all natural things seem to act for some end , though themselves take no Cognizance of it : How the Sun by its motion and situation , or ( which is all one ) by being a Centre , of the Earths Motion , provides Light and Heat , and Life for this inferiour World , how living Creatures bring forth a most apt composure and structure of parts and members , and with that a being endued with admirable Faculties , and yet themselves have no insight into , nor consultation about this incomparable Workmanship ; how they are furnished with Powers and Inclinations for the preservation of this Body when it is once brought into the World ; how without praevious deliberation they naturally take in that Food which without their intention or animadversion is concocted in their Ventricle , turned into Chyle , that Chyle into Blood , that Blood diffused through the Veins and Arteries , and therewith the several Members nourished , and decayes of strength repaired ; I say , the gathering from all these ( which one would think were a very natural Consequence ) that there is a wise Principle which directs all these Beings unknown to you , in their several motions , to their several ends , ( supposing the dependance and relations of things to be contingent and arbitrarious ) were a piece of folly and incogitancy ; for how can the Order of those things speak a wise and understanding Being , which have no relation or respect unto one another , but their whole agreement , suitableness and proportion is a meer casual Issue of absolute and independent Will ? If any thing may be the cause of any effect , and a proportionate mean to any end , who can infer infinite Wisdom from the dependence of things and their relations unto one another ? for we are to know that there is a God , and the Will of that God before we can know the mutual Harmony , or Disproportion of things ; and yet , if we do not know these principal respects that things have among themselves , it is impossible we should ever come to the knowledge of a God : for these are the only arguments that any Logick in the World can make use of to prove any conclusion : But suppose we should come to know that there is a God , which , as I have demonstrated , denying the necessary and immutable truth of common Notions , and the indispensible and eternal relations of things is altogether impossible . However , let it be supposed ; yet how shall we know that these common Notions , and principles of natural instinct , which are the foundation of all Discourse and Argumentation , are certain and infallible Truths ; and that our Senses , ( which with these former Principles , we suppose this Divine Nature to have given us to converse with this outward world ) were not on purpose bestowed upon us , to befool , delude and cheat us ; if we be not first assured of the Veracity of God ? and how can we be assured of that , if we know not that Veracity is a perfection ; and how shall we know it is so , unless there be an intrinsecal relation betwixt Veracity and perfection ? for if it be an arbitrarious respect depending upon the Will of God , there is no way possible left whereby we should come to know that it is in God at all ; And therefore we have fully as much reason to believe that all our common Notions and Principles of natural instinct , whereupon we ground all our reasonings and discourse , are meer Chymera's to delude and abuse our faculties ; and all those Idea's Phantasms and Apprehensions of our external senses , we imagine are occasioned in us by the presence of outward objects , are meer Spectrums and Gulleries , wherewith poor mortals are befooled and cheated ; as that they are given us by the first Goodness & Truth to lead us into the Knowledge of himself and Nature . This is a clear and evident consequence , and cannot be denyed by any that doth not complain of darkness in the brightest and most Meridian Light. And here you have the foundations laid of the highest Scepticism ; for who can say he knows any thing , when he hath no bassion which he can raise any true conclusions ? Thus you see the noble faculties of man , his Mind and Understanding , will be to no end and purpose , but for a Rack and Torture ; for what greater unhappiness or torment can there be imagined , than to have Faculties , whose Accomplishment and Perfection consists in a due conformation unto their objects , and yet to have no objects unto which they may be conformed ; To have a Soul unmeasurably breathing after the embraces of Truth and Goodness , and after a search and enquiry after one and the other , and to find at last they are but aiery empty and uncertain Notions , depending upon the arbitratious determinations of boundless and independent Will ; which determinations she sees it beyond her reach ever to come to any knowledge of ? Here you have likewise the true Foundations of that we call Rantism , for if there be no distinction 'twixt Truth and Falshood , Good and Evil , in the nature of the things themselves , and we never can be assured what is the mind and pleasure of the supream and absolute Will ( because Veracity is not intrinsecally and ex natura rei , a Perfection , but only an Arbitrarious , if any Attribute in the Deity ) then it infallibly follows , that it is all one what I do , or how I live ; and I have as much reason to believe that I am as pleasing unto God , when I give up my self unto all Filthiness , Uncleanness and Sin ; when I swell with Pride , Envy , Hatred and Malice &c. as when I endeavour with all my Might and Strength to purge and purifie my Soul from all pollution and defilement both of Flesh and Spirit ; and when I pursue the mortification of all my carnal Lusts and Inclinations : And I have fully as much ground and assurance , that the one is the ready Way to Happiness as the other . And this is another branch of this second Absurdity , from the deniall of the intrinsecal and eternal respects and relations of things , that a man would not have any assurance of future Happiness ; for though it be true indeed , or at least we fancy to our selves that God hath sent Jesus Christ into the world , & by him hath made very large and ample promises , that whosoever believes in him and conforms his life unto his Precepts , shall be made heir of the same Inheritance and Glory which Christ is now possessed of and invested with in the Kingdom of his Father , yet what ground have we to believe that God does not intend onely to play with and abuse our Faculties , and in conclusion to damn all those that believe and live as is above expressed ; and to take them only into the Injoyments of Heaven and Happiness , who have been the great Opposers of the Truth , and Gospel , and Life and Nature of Jesus Christ in the world : for if there be no eternal and indispensible Relation of Things , then there 's no intrinsecal Evil in Deceiving and Falsifying , in the damning the Good , or saving obstinate and contumacious Sinners ( whilst such ) notwithstanding any promises or threatnings to the contrary : and if the things be in themselves indifferent , it is an unadvised Confidence to pronounce determinately on either side . Yea further , suppose we should be assured that God is Verax , and that the Scripture doth declare what is his Mind and Pleasure , yet if there be not an intrinsecal opposition betwixt the Being and not being of a thing at the same time , and in the same respect ; then God can make a thing that hath been done , undone ; and that whatever hath been done or spoken either by himself , or Christ , or his Prophets , or Apostles , should never be done , or spoken by him on them ; though He hath come into the world ; yet that He should not be come ; though he hath made these promises , yet that they should not be made ; though God hath given us Faculties , that are capable of the enjoyment of himself , yet that he should not have given them us ; and yet we should have no Being , nor think a thought while we fancy and speak of all these contradictions ; In fine , it were impossible we should know any thing , if the opposition of contradictory terms depend upon the arbitrarious resolves of any Being whatsoever . If any should affirm , that the terms of Common Notions have an eternal and indispensible relation unto one another , and deny it of other truths , he exceedingly betrayes his folly and incogitancy ; for these common Notions and principles are foundations , and radical truths upon which are built all the deductions of reason and Discourse , and with which , so far as they have any truth in them , they are inseparably united . All these consequences are plain and undeniable , and therefore I shall travel no further in the confirmation of them . Against this Discourse will be objected , that it destroys God's Independency and Self-sufficiency ; for if there be truth antecedently to the Divine Understanding ; the Divine Understanding will be a meer passive principle , acted and inlightned by something without it self , as the Eyes , by the Sun , and lesser objects , which the Sun irradiates : And if there be mutual congruities , and dependencies of things in a moral sense , and so , that such and such means have a natural , and intrinsecal tendency , or repugnance to such and such ends , then will God be determined in his actions from something without himself , which is to take away his independency , and Self-sufficiency . The pardoning of Sin to repenting Sinners seems to be a thing very suitable to infinite Goodness and Mercy , if there be any suitableness , or agreement in things antecedently to Gods Will ; therefore in this case will God be moved from abroad and as it were Determined to an act of Grace . This will also undermine and shake many principles and opinions which are look'd upon as Fundamentals , and necessary to be believed : It will unlink and break that chain and method of Gods Decrees , which is generally believed amongst us . God's great plot , and design from all eternity , as it is usually held forth , was to advance his Mercy and Justice in the Salvation of some , and Damnation of others ; We shall only speak of that part of Gods design , the advancement of his Justice in the Damnation of the greatest part of mankind , as being most pertinent for the improving of the strength of the objection against our former Discourse : That I may do this , He decrees to create man , and being created , decrees that man should sin , and because , as some say , man is a meer passive principle , not able , no not in the presence of objects , to reduce himself into action , Or because in the moment of his creation , as others , he was impowered with an indifferency to stand or fall ; Therefore , lest there should be a frustration of God's great design ; he decrees in the next place , infallibly to determine the Will of man unto Sin , that having sinned he might accomplish his Damnation ; and what he had first , & from all eternity in his intentions , the advancement of his Justice . Now if there be such an intrinsecal relation of things , as our former Discourse pretends unto , this design of God will be wholly frustrated . For it may seem clear to every mans understanding that it is not for the Honour and Advancement of Justice to determine the will of man to sin , and then to punish him for that Sin unto which he was so determined ; Whereas if God's Will , as such , be the only Rule & principle of actions , this will be an accommodate means ( if God so please to have it ) unto his design . The Sum is , We have seemed in our former discourse to bind and tye up God , who is an absolute and independent Being , to the petty formalities of Good and Evil ; & to fetter and imprison freedom , and liberty it self , in the fatal and immutable chains , and respects of things . I answer . This objection concerns partly the understanding of God , and partly his Will ; As for the divine understanding , the Case is thus ; There are certain Beings , or natures of things which are Logically possible ; it implyes no contradiction that they should be , although it were supposed , there were no power that could bring them into being ; which natures , or things , supposing they were in being , would have mutual relations of agreement or opposition unto one another , which would be no more distinguished from the things themselves , than Relations are from that which founds them . Now the Divine Understanding is a representation , or Comprehension of all those natures or beings thus logically , and in respect of God absolutely possible , and consequently it must needs be also a comprehension of all these Sympathies , and Antipathies , either in a natural or a moral Way , which they have one unto another : for they , as I said , do necessarily , and immediately flow from the things themselves , as relations do , posito fundamento & termino . Now the Divine understanding doth not at all depend upon these natures , or relations though they be its objects ; for the nature of an object doth not consist in being motivum facultatis , as it is usually with us , whose apprehensions are awakened by their presence ; but its whole nature is sufficiently comprehended in this , that it is terminativum Facultatis ; and this precisely doth not speak any dependency of the faculty upon it , especially in the divine understanding ; where this objective , terminative presence flows from the faecundity of the Divine nature : for the things themselves are so far from having any being antecedently to the Divine understanding ; that had not it been their exemplary pattern , and Idea , they had never been created , and being created they would lye in darkness ; ( I speak of things that have not in them a principle of understanding , not conscious of their own natures , and that beauteous harmony they have among themselves ) were they not irradiated by the Divine understanding , which is as it were an universal Sun that discovers and displayes the natures and respects of things , and does as it were suck them up into its beames . To the second part of the Objection , the strength whereof is , that to tye up God in his actions to the reason of things , destroys his Liberty , Absoluteness , and Independency . I answer , it is no imperfection for God to be determined to Good ; It is no bondage , slavery , or contraction , to be bound up to the eternal Laws of Right and Justice : it is the greatest impotency and weakness in the world to have a power to evil , and there is nothing so diametrically opposite to the very being and nature of God ; Stat pro ratione voluntas , unless it be as a redargution and check to impudent and daring inquirers , is an account no where justifiable . The more any Being partakes of reason and understanding , the worse is the imputation of acting arbitrariously , & pro imperio . We can pardon it in Women and children , as those from whom we do not expect that they should act upon any higher principle , but for a man of reason and understanding , that hath the Laws of goodness and rectitude ( which are as the Laws of the Medes and Persians that cannot be altered ) engraven upon his mind , for Him to cast off these golden reins , and to set up arbitrarious Will for his Rule and Guide , is a piece of intolerable rashness and presumption . This is an infallible rule , that liberty in the power or principle is no where a perfection , where there is not an indifferency in the things or actions about which it is conversant : And therefore it is a piece of our weakness and imbecillity , that we have natures so indetermined to what is good . These things need no proof , indeed cannot well be proved , otherwise than they prove themselves : for they are of immediate truth , and prove themselves , they will , to a pure unprejudiced mind . 2. Our former Discourse doth not infer any dependency of God , upon any thing without himself ; for God is not excited to his actions by any foreign , or extrinsecal motives ; what He does , proceeds from the eternal immutable respects , and relations , or reasons of things , and where are these to be found , but in the Eternal and divine Wisdom ; for what can infinite Wisdom be , but a steady , and immoveable comprehension of all those natures and relations : and therefore God in his actions , does not look abroad , but only consults , ( if I may so speak ) the Idea's of his own mind . What Creatures doe , is but the offering a particular case , for the reducement of a general principle into a particular action ; or the presentment of an occasion for God to act according to the principles of his own nature ; when we say that God pardoneth Sin upon repentance , God is not moved to an act of grace from any thing without himself ; for this is a principle in the Divine Wisdom , that pardon of Sin to repenting sinners , is a thing very suitable to infinite goodness , and this principle is a piece of the Divine nature : therefore when God upon a particular act of repentance puts forth a particular act of grace , It is but as it were a particular instance to the general rule , which is a portion of Divine perfection , when 't is said , to him that hath shall be given , and he shall have abundance , the meaning is , He that walks up unto that light , and improves that strength , that God hath already communicated unto him , shall have more abundant incomes of light and strength from God : It doth not follow that God is moved from without to impart his Grace . For this is a branch of Divine Wisdom ; it is agreeable to the infinite goodness of God , to take notice of , and reward the sincere , though weak endeavours of his Creatures , after him ; so that what is from abroad is but a particular occasion to those divine principles to exert , and put forth themselves . Thus have we spoken concerning the truth of things . It follows that we speak Concerning Truth in the power , or faculty , which we shall dispatch in a few words . Truth in the power , or faculty is nothing else but a conformity of its conceptions or Idea's unto the natures and relations of things , which in God we may call an actual , steady , immoveable , eternal Omniformity , as Plotinus calls the Divine Intellect , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which you have largely described by him . And this the Platonists truly call the intellectual world , for here are the natures of all things pure , and unmix'd , purged from all those dregs , refined from all that Dross and alloy which cleave unto them in their particular instances . All inferiour and sublunary things , not excluding man himself , have their excrescencies , and Defects , Exorbitances , or privations are moulded up in their very frames and constitutions . There is somewhat extraneous heterogeneous and preternatural in all things here below , as they exist amongst us ; but in that other world , like the most purely fined gold , they shine in their native and proper glory . Here is the first goodness , the benigne Parent of the whole creation , with his numerous off-spring : the infinite throng of created Beings : Here is the fountain of eternal Love , with all its streams , and Rivulets : Here is the Sum of uncreated glory , surrounded with all his rayes , and beams : Here are the eternal , and indispensible Laws of right and Justice , the immediate and indemonstrable principles of truth , and goodness : Here are steady and immoveable rules , for all cases and actions , however circumstantiated , from which the Will of God , though never so absolute , and independent from everlasting to everlasting , shall never depart one Tittle . Now all that truth that is in any created Being , is by participation and derivation from this first understanding , and fountain of intellectual light . And that truth in the power or faculty is nothing but the conformity of its conceptions , or Ideas with the natures and relations of things , is cleare and evident in it self , and necessarily follows from what hath been formerly proved concerning the truth of things themselves , antecedently to any understanding , or will ; for things are what they are , and cannot be otherwise without a contradiction , and their mutual respects and dependencies eternal and unchangeable , as hath been already shew'd : so that the conceptions and Ideas of these natures and their relations , can be only so far true as they conform and agree with the things themselves , and the harmony which they have one to another . FINIS . THE WAY OF HAPPINESS And SALVATION Rescued from Vulgar Errours . BY JOSEPH GLANVIL Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty . LONDON , Printed for James Collins , in the Temple-passage from Essex-Street , 1677. Imprimatur , Sam. Parker . April 9th 1670. To the Right Honourable Charles Lord Herbert , Eldest Son to the most Honorable HENRY Lord Marquis of WORCESTER . My Lord , ALthough I have not had the Happiness to see your Lordship since your very tender years , by reason of your distance in Foreign parts ; yet I have heard so much of your great Improvements in Knowledge and Vertue , that I cannot slip this occasion to congratulate your early Fame , and the hopes , or rather Assurance you give of being an extraordinary Person . For that season of Life which so many others pass away in Frolicks , and Riot , and vain Amours ; In Raillery , and the wanton Essays of Buffooning & Versifying Wit , ( which contemptible childishness the youth of the present age seems to value as the highest Perfection ) your Lordship wisely , and worthi'y imploys in gaining those real Acomplishments , which may fit you for Publick Service , in that high Station in which Providence hath set you . My Lord , you are descended from an Ancient Stock of most Noble Progenitors , and are the immediate Son of a Lord and Lady , whose Vertues may inspire all who have the Honour and Happiness to be related to them , with the Noblest Thoughts and Endeavours ; and doubtless a generous Ambition prompts your Lordship to appear worthy the Glories of such Ancestors . Nobility is the mark of the favour of Princes , and when 't is adorn'd with intellectual and moral Excellencies , it hath then the Signatures of God upon it , and the Personal gives Lustre to the Hereditary Greatness . Secular Honours extort outward shews of Respect and Homage ; while the unsuitable Dispositions of such as are painted with misplaced Titles , make them Objects of the real scorn of their pretended Adorers ; But the Nobleness of a wise and Vertuous Spirit commands inward Venerations , and hath a large Empire over the Souls of Men. Knowledge is a Beam of the Coelestial Light , and Vertue a Branch of the Divine Image ; Great Excellencies in themselves , and true Accomplishments of humane Na ure : In both your Lordship hath out-done your few years and given a Pattern to young Noblemen , how to imploy their Youth Honourably and Becommingly , to the Reputation of their Quality , and Families ; and their own Happiness and Glory . But , my Lord , there is a Perfection beyond these , or more properly , 't is the height and perfection of them , and that is Religion : this makes Honourable in both Worlds ; and enters those that are truly possest of it , among the Nobility of God. I doubt not but your Lordship hath taken care to season your Active and Considerate Youth with the Study and Practice of this best Accomplishment : such a Dedication of the first Fruits to our Maker is most just in it self , most acceptable to Him , and will be most comfortable to the Person that makes the Offering . Your Lordship is by the Bounty of Providence incircled with all Circumstances of Earthly Felicity ; Piety and a Religious Life will procure the Divine favour , bless all your Injoyments in this World , and assure infinitely better in another . There dwells our Happiness , and Religion is the way to it . This is the Subject of the little Book with which I here humbly present your Lordship . If it may contribute any thing to your Service , in these highest Concerns , it will be a mighty Pleasure , and Satisfaction to , My Lord , Your Lordships Most humble and most obedient Servant , Jos. Glanvil . The Preface . THis Discourse was first printed about six years ago ; since which time it had the fortune of a stoln Edition in Scotland . The ocasion of its Publication was this , I being desired to preach at a neighbour-City , recollected the last Sermon I had delivered to mine own people , and made use of that : some of the Hearers , that thought themselves fit Judges , misapprehended my meaning in divers things , and past Sentence upon their own mistakes as mine : this induced me to transcribe it out of my memory ; which I did while it was yet fresh in my mind , exactly as to the matter , though possibly with some small difference as to the frame of words , and with some additions at the end : The Copy was accidentally seen by a near Relation , who desired it should be publish'd , which I permitted ; and do it now again at my Bookseller's Instance . Luke 12. 24. Strive to enter in at the strait Gate : For many , I say unto you , shall seek to enter in , and shall not be able . The Way OF HAPPINESS AND SALVATION . WHEN I consider the goodness of God ; and the merits of his Son , our Saviour ; and the Influences of the Holy Spirt ; and all the advantages of the Gospel ; The certainty of its Principles , the reasonableness of its duties , the greatness of its ends , the suitableness of its means , the glory of its Rewards , and the Terrour of its punishments ; I say , when I consider these , and then look upon Man as a reasonable Creature , apprehensive of Duty , and interest , and apt to be moved by hopes and fears ; I cannot but wonder , and be astonisht to think , that notwithstanding all this , the far greater part of men should finally miscarry , and be undone . 'T is possible some such Considerations might be the occasion of the Question propounded to our Saviour in the verse immediately foregoing the Text. — Lord , are there Few that be saved ? God is Love , and all the Creatures are His , and man a noble sort : He is the Lover of Men , and Thou art Redeemer of Men ; and though Man hath offended , yet God is propense to pardon , and in Thee he is reconciled ; He is desirous of our happiness , and Thou art come into the world to offer , and promote it ; and the Holy Ghost is powerful and ready to assist our endeavours ; We were made for happiness , and we seek it ; And — Lord , are there Few that be saved ? The Text is Christ's return to the Question , Strive to enter in at the straight Gate ; for many , I say unto you , will seek to enter , and shall not be able . In which words we have three things . ( I ) An Answer imply'd ; straight is the Gate . ( II ) A duty exprest , strive to enter . ( III ) A Consideration to engage our greater care and deligence in the Duty ; For many will seek to enter , and shall not be able . By the Gate , we may understand the entrance , and all the way of Happiness , and that is , Religion ; By the straightness of it ; the Difficulties we are to encounter . By striving ; earnest and sincere endeavour : By seeking ; an imperfect striving . And from the words thus briefly explain'd , These Propositions offer themselves to onr Consideration . I. There are many and great difficulties in Religion , The Gate is straight . II. The difficulties may be overcome by striving , Strive to enter . III. There is a sort of striving that will not procure an entrance , For many will seek to enter in , and shall not be able . I begin with the First in order , viz. That there are many and great difficulties in Religion ; And to what I have to say about it , I premise this negative Consideration . That , The Difficulties of Religion do not lye in the Vnderstanding . Religion is a plain thing , and easie to be understood . 'T is no deep subtilty , or high-strain'd notion ; 't is no gilded phancy , or elaborate exercise of the brain ; 'T is not plac'd in the clouds of Imagination , nor wrapt up in mystical cloathing ; But 't is obvious and familiar , easie and intelligible ; First preach't by Fishermen and Mechanicks , without pomp of speech , or height of speculation ; addreft to Babes and Plebeian heads ; and intended to govern the wills of the honest , and sincere ; and not to exercise the wits of the notional , and curious . So that we need not mount the wings of the wind to fetch Religion from the stars ; nor go down to the deep to fetch it up from thence ; For 't is with us , and before us , as open as the day , and as familiar as the light . The great Praecepts of the Gospel are cloathed in Sun-beams , and are as visible to the common eye , as to the Eagle upon the highest perch . 'T is no piece of wit or subtilty to be a Christian , nor will it require much study , or learned retirement to understand the Religion we must practise . That which was to be known of God , was manifest to the very Heathen , Rom. 1. 19. The Law is light , saith Solomon , Prov. 6. 13. And 't is not only a single passing glance on the eye ; but 't is put into the heart , and the promise is , that we shall all know him , from the greatest to the least . Our duty is set up in open places , and shone upon by a clear Beam ; 'T was written of old upon the plain Tables of Habakkuk , Hab. 2. 2. So that the running Eye might see and read : And the Religion of the H. Jesus , like himself , came into the world with Rays about its Head. Religion , I say , is clear , and plain , and what is not so , may concern the Theatre , or the Schools ; may entertain mens Wits , and serve the Interests of Disputes ; but 't is nothing to Religion , 't is nothing to the Interest of mens Souls . Religion was once a Mystery , but the Mystery is revealed ; And those things that we yet count Mysteries , are plainly enough discover'd as to their being such as we believe them , though we cannot understand the manner how ; and 't is no part of Religion to enquire into that , but rather It injoyns us meekly to acquiesce in the plain declarations of Faith without bold scrutiny into hidden things . In short I say , the difficulties of Religion are not in the Vnderstanding ; In prompto & Facili est aeternitas , said the Father ; The affairs of eternity depend on things Easy and Familiar . And I premise this to prevent dangerous mistakes . But thoug Religion be so facile and plain a thing to be understood , yet the way to Heaven is no broad , or easie Path ; The Gate is straight enough for all that ; and I now come to shew what are the real difficulties of Religion , and whence they arise . 1. One great Difficulty ariseth from the depravity of our Natures . The Scripture intimates , That we are conceived in sin , Psalm 55. 5. Transgressours from the Womb. Isaiah 48. 8. And Children of Wrath. Ephes. 2. 3. And we find by Experience that we bring vile Inclinations into the Wold with us . Some are naturally Cruel and Injurious ; Proud and Imperious ; Lustful and Revengful ; Others , Covetous and Unjust ; Humoursome and Discontented ; Treacherous and False : And there is scarce an instance of habitual vice , or villany , but some or other are addicted to it by their partieular Make and Natures : I say , their Natures , for certainly it is not true what some affirm , to serve their Opinions , in contradiction to Experience ; That Vices are not in Mens natural Propensions ; but instill'd by corrupt Education , evil Customs and Examples : For we see that those whose Education hath been the same , do yet differ extreamly from each other in their inclinations ; And some , whose Breeding hath been careless and loose , who have seen almost nothing else but Examples of Vice ; and been instructed in little , besides the arts of Vanity and Pleasure ; I say , there are such who notwithstanding these their unhappy circumstances , discover none of those vile Inclinations , and Propensions , that are in others , whose Education hath been very strict and advantageous . This I think is enough to shew that many of our evil habits are from Nature , and not from Custom only . And yet I cannot say that Humane Nature is so debaucht , that every Man is inclin'd to every Evil by it : For there are those , who by their Tempers are averse to some kind of Vices , and naturally disposed to the contrary Vertues ; some by their Constitutions are inclined to hate Cruelty , Covetousness , Lying , Impudence and Injustice , and are by Temper , Merciful , Liberal , Modest , True and Just. There are kinds of Vices which our Natures almost universally rise agaisnt , as many Bestialities , and some horrid Cruelties ; and all men , except Monsters in Humane form , are disposed to some Vertues , such as Love to Children , and Kindness to Friends and Benefactors . All this P must confess and say , because Experien̄ce constrains me ; and I do not know why Systematick Notions should sway more than that . But notwithstanding these last concessions , 't is evident enough that our Natures are much vitiated , and depraved ; and this makes our business in the way of Religion , difficult . For our work is , to cleanse our Natures ; and to destroy those Evil Inclinations ; to crucifie the Old Man ; Rom. 6. 6. and to purge out the old Leven ; 1 Cor. 5. 7. This is Religion , and the Way of Happiness , which must needs be very difficult , and uneasie . For the vices of Inclination are very dear , and grateful to us ; They are our Right Hands , and our Right Eyes , and esteemed as our Selves : So that to cut off , and pluck out these , and to bid defiance to , and wage War against our selves ; to destroy the first born of our Natures , and to lop off our own Limbs ; This cannot but be very Irksom and Displeasant Imployment , and this is one chief business ; and a considerable thing that makes Religion difficult . II. Another Difficulty ariseth from the Influence of the Senses . We are Creatures of sense , and sensible things do most powerfully move us , we are born Children , and live at first the life of Beasts : That Age receives deep Impressions ; and those are made by the senses , whose Interest grows strong , and establisht in us before we come to the use of Reason ; and after we have arrived to the exercise of that , sensible objects still possess our Affections , and sway our Wills , and fill our Imaginations , and influence our Vnderstandings ; so that we love , and hate ; we desire and choose , we fancy , and we discourse according to those Impressions ; and hence it is that we are enamour'd of Trifles , and fly from our Happiness ; and pu●sue Vexation , and embrace Misery ; and imagine Perversely , and reason Childishly : for the influence of the Body and its Senses are the chief Fountains of Sin , and Folly , and Temptation : Upon which accounts it was that the Platonical Philosophers declaim'd so earnestly against the Body , and ascrib'd all Evils and Michief to it ; calling vice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , corpore● Pestes , material Evils , and bodily Plagues . And the Apostle that understood it better , calls Sin by the name of Flesh , Gal. 5. 17. Works of the Flesh , Gal. 5. 19. Law of the Members , Rom. 7. 23. and cries out upon the Body of this Death , Rom 7. 24. And now this is our natural Condition , a state subject to the prevalent influences of Sense , and by this means to Sin and Temptation ; and 't is our Work in Religion , to mortifie the Body , Rom. 8. 13. and to cease from mkaing provision for the Flesh , Rom. 13. 14. and from fulfilling the Lusts thereof , Gal. 5. 14. To render our selves dead to the prevalent life of Sense and Sin , Rom. 6. 8. and 11. 5. and to arise to a new Life , Rom. 6. 4. The Life of Righteousness , and Faith , Hab. 2 4. A Life that hath other Principles , and other Pleasures ; other Objects , and other Ends , and such as neither Eye hath seen , nor Ear heard , nor any of the Senses perceived . Yea , this is a Life that is exercised in contradiction to the Judgments of sense . It s Joy , is Tribulation ; Jam. 1. 2. It s Glory , Reproaches ; 2 Pet. 4. 14. It s Height , is Lowness ; Luke 14. 11. It s Greatness , in being Meanest ; Matth. 20. 27. And its Riches , in having Nothing ; 2 Cor. 6. 10. To such a Life as this , Religion is to raise us ; and it must needs be difficult to make us , who are so much Brutes , to be so much Angels ; us , who seem to live by nothing else but sense , to live by nothing less ; This with a witness is an hard , and uneasie Work , and another difficulty in Religion . III. A Third proceeds from the natural Disorder and Rage of our Passions . Our Corrupt Natures are like the troubled Sea , Isa. 57. 20. And our Passions are the Wa●e of that Ocean ; that tumble and swell , and keep a mighty noise ; they dash against the Rocks , and break one against another ; and our Peace and Happiness is shipwrackt by them . Our Passiions make us miserable . We are sometimes stifled by their Numbers , and confounded by their Disorders , and torn to pieces by their Violence ; mounted to the Clouds by Ambition , and thrown down to the deeep by Despair ; scorcht by the flames of Lust , and overwhelmed by the Waters of unstable Desire ; Passions fight one against another , and all against reason ; they prevail over the Mind , and have usurpt the Government of our Actions , and involve us in continual Guilt and Misery . This is the natural State of Man ; and our work in the way of Religion , is to restrain this Violence , and to rectifie these Disorders , and to reduce those Rebellious Powers under the Empire and Government of the Mind , their Soveraign . And so to regain the Divine Image , which consists much in the order of our Faculties ; and the Subjection of the Brutish , to the reasonable Powers . This , I say , Religion aims at , to raise us to the perfection of our Natures , by mortifying those Members , Col. 3. 5. our unruly Passions and Desires ; and crucifying the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts ; Gal. 5. 24. And thereby to make us humble in Prosperity , quiet in Adversity ; meek under Provocations , steady amidst Temptations , modest in our Desires , temperate in our Injoyments , constant to our Resolutions , and contented in all Conditions . Here is our great Business , and our Work is this : And certainly 't is no easie thing to bring order out of a Chaos , and to speak a Tempest in a Calm ; to resist a Torrnt , and to stop and turn the Tyde ; to subdue a Rebellious Rabble , and to change them from Tyrannical Masters , to Modest and Obedient Servants : These , no doubt , are works of difficulty enough , and these must be our Imployment in the way of Religion ; and on this score also , the Gate is straight . IV. Our Work in Religion is yet more difficult , upon the account of Custom , to which we are subject , and by which we are swayed much . This is vulgarly said to be another Nature , and the Apostle calls it by that name , 1 Cor. 11. 14. Doth not Nature it self teach you , that if a Man have long Hair , it is a shame unto him ? By the word Nature , the best Interpreters say only Custom is meant ; since long Hair is not declared shameful by the Law and Light of Nature , taken in its chief and properest sense : For then it had never been permitted to the Nazarites : But the contrary custom , in the Nations that used it not , made it seem shameful and indecent . There are other places in Scripture and ancient Authors , wherein Nature is put for Custom : But I must not insist on this ; the thing I am about is , that Custom is very powerful ; and as it makes a kind of Nature , so , many times it masters and subdues it . Wild Creatures are hereby made gentle and familiar ; and those that naturally are tame enough ; are made to degenerate into wildness by it . And now besides the original depravities of our Natures , we have contracted many vitious habits by corrupt and evil usages ; which we were drawn into at first by pleasure and vanity in our young & inconsiderate years , while we were led by the directions of sense : These , by frequent acts , grow at last into habits ; which though in their beginning they were tender as a Plant , and easie to have been crusht or blasted , yet time and use hardens them into the firmness of an Oak , that braves the Weather , and can endure the stroak of the Ax and a strong Arm. Now to destroy and root up these obstinate customary evils , is another part of our Work. And Religion reacheth us to put off concerning the Old Conversation , the Old Man , Eph. 4. 22. and to receive new Impressions and Inclinations ; to be renewed in the spirit of our Minds , 5. 23 and to put on the New Man , 5. 24. To make us new Hearts , Ezek. 18. 31. and to walk in newness of Life , Rom. 6. 4. This we are to do , and this we may well suppose to be hard work ; the Scripture compares it to the changing the Skin of the Aethiopian , and the Spots of the Leopard , Jer. 13. 23. and elsewhere . How can they do good , that are accustomed to do evil ? Jer. 13. 23. 'T is hard , no doubt ; and this is another difficulty in Religion . V. The Power that Example hath over us , makes the way of Religion difficult . Example is more prevalent than Precept , for Man is a Creature given much to Imitation , and we are very apt to follow what we see others do , rather than what we ought to do our selves . And now the Apostle hath told us , That the whole World lies in wickedness , 1 Joh. 5. 19. and we sadly find it : we cannot look out of doors , but we see Vanity and Folly , Sensuality and Forgetfulness of God ; Pride and Covetousness , Injustice and Intemperance , and all other kinds of Evils : These we meet with every where , in Publick Companies , and Private Conversations ; in the High Ways , and in the Corners of the Streets . The Sum is , Example is very powerful , and Examples of Vice are always in our Eyes ; we are apt to be reconciled to that which every one doth , and to do like it ; we love the trodden Path , and care not to walk in the Way which is gone in but by a few . This is our Condition , and our work in Religion is , to overcome the strong Biass of corrupt Example ; to strive against the Stream , to learn to be good , though few are so , and not to follow a Multitude to do Evil , Exod. 23. 2. This is our Business ; and this is very Difficult . VI. The last Difficulty I shall mention , ariseth from Worldly Interests and Engagements . We have many Necessities to serve , both in our Persons and our Families . Nature excluded us naked into the World , without Cloathing for Warmth , or Armature for Defence ; and Food is not provided to our Hands , as it is for the Beasts ; nor do our Houses grow for our Habitation , and comfortable abode . Nothing is prepared for our use without our Industry and Endeavours . So that by the Necessity of this State , we are engaged in Worldly Affairs : These , Nature requires us to mind , and Religion permits it ; and nothing can be done without our Care ; and Care would be very troublesome , if there were not some Love to the Objects we exercise our Cares upon : Hence it is , that some Cares about the things of this world , and Love to them is allowed us ; and we are commanded to continue in the Calling wherein God hath set us , 1 Cor. 7. 20. and are warned that we be not slothful in Business , Rom. 12. 11. We may take some delight also in the Creatures that God gives us , and love them in their degree : For the animal Life may have its moderate Gratifications ; God made all things , that they might enjoy their Being . And now , notwithstanding all this , Religion commands us to set our Affections upon things above , Col. 3. 2. not to love the World , 1 Joh. 2. 15. to be careful for nothing , Phil. 4. 6. to take no thought for to morrow , Mat. 6. 34. The meaning of which Expressions is , That we should love God and Heavenly things , in the chief and first place ; and avoid the immoderate Desires of Worldly Love and Cares . This is our Duty : and 't is very difficult : For by reason of the burry of Business , and those Passions that Earthly Engagements excite ; we consider not things as we should , and so , many times perceive not the Bounds of our Permissions , and the Beginnings of our Restraints ; where the allowed Measure ends , and the forbidden Degree commenceth : what is the difference between that Care that is a Duty , and that which is a Sin ; Providence and Carking ; and between that Love of the World which is Necessary and Lawful , and that which is Extravagant and Inordinate ? I say , by reason of the hurry we are in , amidst Business and worldly Delights , we many times perceive not our Bounds , and so slide easily into Earthly-mindedness and anxiety . And it is hard for us , who are engaged so much in the World , and who need it so much , who converse so much with it and about it , and whose time and endeavours are so unavoidably taken up by it ; I say 't is hard for us , in such Circumstances , to be crucified to the World , Gal. 6. 14. and to all inordinate Affections to it : to live above it and to settle our chief Delights and Cares on things at great distance from us , which are unsutable to our corrupt Appetites , and contrary to the most relishing Injoyments of Flesh ; which Sense never saw nor felt , and which the Imagination it self could never grasp . This , no doubt , is hard Exercise , and this must be done in the way of Religion ; and on this Account also , it is very difficult . Thus of the First Proposition , That there are great Difficulties in Religion . I come now to the Second . II. THat those Difficulties may be overcome by striving ; which imports both the Encouragement and the Means ; That they may be vanquisht , and how . ( I. ) That the Difficulties may be subdued , is clearly enough implyed , in the Precept ; we should not have been commanded to strive , if it had been impossible to overcome . God doth not put his Creatures upon fruitless Undertakings : He never requires us to do any thing in order to that , which is not to be attained . Therefore when he was resolved not to be intreated for that stubborn and rebellious Nation . He would not have the Prophet pray for them , Jer. 7. 16. Pray not for this People , for I will not hear thee . He would not be petitioned for that , which he was determined not to grant . He puts not his Creatures upon any vain Expectations and Endeavours ; nor would he have them deceive themselves by fond Dependences . When one made this Profession to our Saviour , Lord , I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest . Christ tells him , that he must expect from him no worldly Honours or Preferments ; no Power or sensual Pleasure , no , not so much as the ordinary Accommodations of Life . The Foxes have Holes , and the Birds of the Ayre have Nests , but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head. Luk. 9. 5 , 8. He would not have the man that likely might look for these , upon the opinion of his being the Messias , in the Jewish sense , one that should at last , whatever the meanness of his Condition was at present , appear as a Mighty , and Triumphant temporal Monarch ; I say , our Saviour would not have the Man follow him for that , which he had not to bestow upon him . Since then that he who would not put us upon fruitless labours , hath commanded us to strive to enter ; 't is evident , that an entrance may be procured into the Gate by striving , and that the Difficulties may be overcome . The next thing in my Method is to shew , How ; the manner is implyed in the Text ; and exprest in the Proposition , viz. By striving ; and by this , is meant , a resolute use of those means that are the Instruments of Happiness . They are three , Faith , Prayer , and active Endeavour . ( 1. ) Faith is a chief Instrument , for the overcoming the Difficulties of our way . And Faith in the general , is the belief of a Testimony ; Divine Faith the belief of a Divine Testimony ; and the chief things to be believed , as encouragements and means for a Victory over the Difficulties in Religion , are these ; That God is reconciled to us by his Son ; That he will assist our weak endeavous by the Aids of his Spirit ; That he will reward us if we strive as we ought , with immortal Happiness in a World of endless Glory . By our belief of God's being reconciled , we are secured from those fears , that might discourage our approaches and endeavours , upon the account of his Purity and Justice . By the Faith of his Assistance , all the objections against our striving , that arise from the greatness of the Difficulties , and the disproportionate smalness of our Strength , are answered . And from our believing eternal rewards in another World , we have a mighty motive to engage our utmost diligence , to contest with all difficulties that would keep us from it . What satisfaction is there , saith the believer , in the gratification of my corrupt Inclinations and Senses , in comparison with that , which ariseth from the favour of God , and an Interest in his Son ? What difficulties in my Duty , too great for Divine Aids ? What pains are we to undergo in the narrow and difficult way , that the Glory which is at the end of it , will not compensate ? What is it to deny a base Inclination that will undo me ; in obedience to him that made , and redeemed me ; and to despise the little things of present sense , for the hope of everlasting enjoyments ; Trifting pleasure , for Hallelujabs ? What were it for me to set vigorously upon those Passions that degrade my noble Nature , and make me a slave and a beast , and will make me more vile , and more miserable ; when the Spirit of the most High is at my right hand to assist me ? Why should my noble Faculties , that were designed for glorious ends , be led into infamous practices by base Vsages , and dishonourable Customs ? What is the example of a wicked , sensual , wretched World , to that of the Holy Jesus ; and all the Army of Prophets , Apostles and Martyrs ? What is there in the World , that it should be loved more than God ? and what is the Flesh , that it should have more of our time and care , than the great interests of our Souls ? Such are the Considerations of a mind , that Faith hath awakened ; and by them it is prepared for vigorous striving . So that Faith is the Spring of all ; and necessary to the other two Instruments of our Happiness . Besides which , it is acceptable to God , in it self , and so disposeth us for his gracious helps , by which we are enabled to overcome the Difficulties of our way . While a man considers the Difficulties only , and weighs them against his own strength , let him suppose the Liberty of his Will to be what he pleaseth , yet while 't is under such disadvantages , that will signifie very little ; and he that sees no further , sits down in discouragement ; But when the mind is fortified with the firm belief of Divine help , he attempts then with a noble vigour , which cannot miscarry , if it do not cool and faint . For he that endures to the end , shall be saved , Mat. 24. 13. Thus Faith sets the other Instruments of Happiness on work , and therefore 't is deservedly reckoned as the first ; and 't is that which must always accompany the exercises of Religion , and give them life and motion . ( II. ) Prayer is another means we must use , in order to our overcoming the Difficulties of the way . Our own meer , natural Strength is weakness ; and without supernatural helps those Difficulties are not to be surmounted . Those Aids are necessary , and God is ready to bestow them on us ; For He would have all men to be saved , and to come to the Knowledge of the Truth , 1 Tim. 2. 4. But for these things he will be sought unto . And 't is very just , and fit that we should address our selves to him by Prayer , to acknowledge our own insufficiency and dependence , on him for the mercies we expect ; and thereby to own Him for the giver of every good and perfect gift ; and to instruct our selves how his favours are to be received and used , viz. with Reverence and Thanksgiving : This , 't is highly fit we should do ; and the doing it prepares us for his blessings ; and he fails not to bestow them on those that are prepared by Faith and Prayer ; For he giveth liberally and upbraids not ; And our Prayers are required , not as if they could move his will , which is always graciously inclined to our Happiness ; But as it 's that tribute which we owe our Maker and Benefactor ; and that without which 't is not so fit he shonld bestow his particular favours on us . For it by no means becomes the Divine Majesty , to vouchsafe the specialties of his Grace and Goodness to those , that are not sensible they want them ; and are not humbled to a due apprehension of their weakness and dependence . But for such as are so , and express their humble desires in the Ardours of Holy Prayer , God never denies them the assistances of his Spirit : For if ye being evil ( saith our Saviour ) know how to give good gifts unto your Children , how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to those that ask Him ? Mat. 7. 11. And These Divine Helps obtain'd by Faith and Prayer , and join'd with our active constant endeavour , will not fail to enable us to overcome the Difficulties , and to procure us an entrance at the straight Gate . And so I come to the Third Instrument of our Happiness , which is implyed in striving , viz. ( III. ) Active Endeavour , in which Repentance and the fruits of it are implied ; Both Faith and Prayer are in order to this ; and without it neither can turn to account . For Faith without works is dead , Jam. 2. 20. and Prayer , without endeavour fruitless ; yea indeed , in the Divine Estimate , it is none at all : 'T is bodily exercise ; no Prayer . For when we invoke Gods help , we desire it , that we may use it ; Divine Grace is not a Treasure to lay up by us , but an Instrument to work with ; and when we pray that God would assist us in our endeavours , and endeavour not at all , we mock God , and trifle with him in our Prayers : Endeavour then is necessary , and necessary in a degree so eminent , that this is always included in Faith when 't is taken in the highest and noblest Evangelical sense , viz. for the Faith which justifies and saves ; for that comprehends all those endeavours , and their fruits , whereby we are made happy . We must not expect that God should do all ( exclusively ) in the work of our Salvation . He doth his part , and we must do ours ; ( though we do that , by his help too . ) He that made us without our selves , will not save us without our selves , said the Father . We are commanded to seek , Mat. 7. 7. To Run , 1 Cor. 9. 24. To fight , 1 Tim. 6. 12. To give diligence , 2 Pet. 1. 10. These all import Action and Endeavour . And that endeavour must not be only a faint purpose , or formal service ; but it must be imployed in the highest degree of Care and Diligence . The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence , Mat. 11. 12. and this violence must not be used in an heat , and sudden fit only , that cools and dies , and contents it self with having been warm for a time : But it must be a steady and constant course of activity , a continual striving to overcome the remaining difficulties of the way . We must endeavour vigorously and constantly ; and in that , ( after our Faith is strengthened by deep consideration , and Divine assistance implored by ardent Prayer ) our course is , ( 1. ) To abstain from all the outward actions of Sin , and to perform the external acts of the contrary Vertues . To cease to do evil , Isa. 1. 16. is the first step . When the Publicans askt John the Baptist , Luke 3. 12. what they should do ; His direction was , that they should not exact , vers . 13. and to the Souldiers , asking the same question , he answers , Do Violence to no man , verf. 14. These were the sins of their particular Professions , which were to be quitted , before any thing could be done higher . We have ordinarily more power over our actions , than our habits , and therefore we should begin here , and resolve deeply , by divine help , to cut off those supplies that feed vitious inclinations ; for wicked habits are maintain'd by actions of Wickedness ; when they ceafe , the inclinations grow more faint , and weak : and when we are come but thus far , to have confined our lusts , we shall be encouraged to proceed to destroy them . 'T is said , There is no great distance between a Princes Prison and his Grave ; The saying is most true in the case of Tyrants and Vsurpers ; and the habits of sin are both ; when they are restrain'd , they are not far from being destroyed , if we imploy our endeavours , and the divine aids , as we ought . This then must be done First , and the other part of the advice must be taken with it , viz. we must practise the outward actions of the contrary Vertues . We must do well , when we cease to do evil . When we turn from darkness , it must be to light , Acts 26. 18. Not from one kind of darkness to another . When we cease to opprefs , we must be charitable ; when we leave to tyrannize over our inferiours , we must be kind and helpful to them . When we forbear to slander , we must speak all the good we can of our Neighbour . The outward actions of Vertue are in our power ; and 't is somewhat to come so far as this : What is more , viz. The inward love and delight in goodness , will succeed in time , if we persevere . 'T is not safe for us to propose to our selves the greatest heights at first ; if we do , we are discouraged , and fall back . God accepts even of that little , if it be in order to more . He despiseth not the day of small things , Zech. 4. 10. If thou dost well , shalt thou not be accepted ? Christ loved the young man who had kept the external part of the Commandments , Mark 10. 12. If he had had the courage to have proceeded ; what he had done , would have steaded him much . The inward love of Vertue and Holiness is promoted by the outward exercises of them , and hereby the contrary evils are both pined and thrust out . Thus of the First thing that Endeavour implies ; upon this must follow , ( 2. ) An attempt upon evil habits , viz. Those that have been super-induced on us by Carelesness and Temptation , bad Customs and evil Company . Every victory is a means to another ; we grow stronger , and the enemy weaker by it . To have overcome the outward acts of sin , is a beginning in our spiritual warfare ; but our chief enemies are the habits ; these must be attempted also , but with Prudence ; wild Beasts are not to be dealt with by main strength ; Art and Stratagem must be used in this War ; and 't is good policy , I think here , to fight the least powerful foes first , the contracted habits , before we fall on the inbred natural Inclinations . While our forces are weak , 't is dangerous setting upon the strongest holds , viz. the vices of Complexion , which are woven into our very Natures . If a man apply all his force where he hath not resolution enough to go through with what he undertakes , he receives a foyl , and 't is odds but he sits down and faints . Prudence therefore is to be used , where we distrust our strength : Fall upon Sin , where 't is weakest , where it hath least of Nature , and least of Temptation ; and where we have arguments from Reputation and worldly Interests wherewith to war against it . If we prevail , we are heartned by the success : Our Faith and Resolution will grow stronger by this experience , when we have triumph't over the sins of evil Custom , Example , and sensual Indulgence . And when that is done , we must remember that 't is not enough that those habits are thrust out ; others must be planted in their room : when the soyl is prepared , the seed must be sown , and the seeds of vertuous habits , are the actions of vertue . These I recommended under the last head , and shall say more of the introducing of habits , under one that follows on purpose . ( 3. ) The next advance in our endeavours , is , In the Strength of God , and in the Name of his Son , to assault the greater Devils , and to strive to cast out them ; I mean the Sins of Complexion , and particular Nature . This is a great work , and will require strong Faith , and many Prayers , and much Time , and great Watchfulness , and invincible Resolution : Imploy these heartily ; and though thou now and then mayst receive a foyl , yet give not off so , but rise again in the strength of God , implore new aid , and fortifie thy self with more considerations , and deeper resolves ; and then renew the Combat upon the encouragement of Divine Assistance , and Christ's Merits and Intercession , and the promise that sin shall not have Dominion over us , Rom. 6. 14. Remember , that this is the great work , and the biggest difficulty ; if this be not overcome , all our other labour hath been in vain , and will be lost . If this root remain , it will still bear poysonous fruit , which will be matter for Temptation , and occasion of continual falling ; and we shall be in danger of being reconciled again to our old sins , and to undo all ; and so our latter end will be worse than our beginning , 2 Pet. 2. 20. Or , at least , though we stand at a stay , and satisfie our selves with that ; yet though we are contented , our condition is not safe . If we will endeavour to any purpose of duty , or security , we must proceed still after our lesser conquests , till the sins of Complexion are laid dead at our feet . He that is born of God , sinneth not , and he cannot sin , 1. Joh. 3. 9. Till we come to this , we are but strugling in the Birth . Such a perfection as is mortifying of vitious temper , is I hope attainable , and 't is no doubt that which Religion aims at ; and though it be a difficult height , yet we must not sit down this side : At least we must be always pressing on to this Mark : if Providence cut off our days before we have arrived to it , we may expect acceptance of the sincerity of our endeavours , upon the account of the merits of our Saviour : For he hath procured favour for those sincere . Believers and Endeavoureres , whose Day is done before their work is compleated ; this I mean , of subduing the darling sins of their particular Natures . But then if we rest , and please our selves with the little Victories and Attainments , and let these our great Enemies quietly alone , 't is an argument our endeavours are not sincere , but much short of that striving , which will procure an entrance into the straight Gate . The next thing ( and 't is the last I shall mention ) which is implyed in striving , is , ( 4. ) To furnish our selves , through Divine Grace , with the Habits and Inclinations of Holiness and Vertue . For Goodness to become a kind of Nature to the Soul , is height indeed ; but such a one as may be reacht : the new Nature , and new Creature , Gal. 6. 15. are not meer names . We have observ'd that some men are of a Natural Generosity , Veracity and Sweetness ; and they cannot act contrary to these Native Vertues without a mighty Violence : why now should not the New Nature be as powerful as the Old ? And why may not the Spirit of God , working by an active Faith and Endeavour , fix Habits and Inclinations on the Soul , as prevalent as those ? No doubt , it may , and doth , upon the Diviner Souls : For whom to do a wicked , or unworthy Action , 't would be as violent and unnatural , as for the meek and compassionate temper to butcher the innocent ; or for him , that is naturally just , to oppress and make a prey of the Fatherless and the Widow . I say , such a degree of perfection as this , should be aim'd at , Heb. 6. 1. and we should not slacken or intermit our endeavours till it be attain'd . In order to it , we are to use frequent meditation on the excellency and pleasure of Vertue and Religion ; and earnest Prayer for the Grace of God ; and diligent attendance upon the publick worship ; and pious Company and Converses : For this great design , these helps are requisite , and if we exercise our selves in them as we ought , they will fire our Souls with the love of God and Goodness ; and so at last , all Christian Vertues will become as natural to us , as si● was before . And to one that is so prepared , the Gate of Happiness will be open , and of easie entrance ; the difficulties are overcome , and from henceforth the way is pleasant and plain before him , Prov. 3. 17. Thus I have shewn , that the formidable difficulties may be overcome , and How : 't is a plain course I have directed , that will not puzzle mens understandings with needless niceties , nor distract their memories with multitndes . Let us walk in this way , and do it constantly , with vigour and alacrity ; and there is no fear , but in the Strength of God , through the merits and mediation of his Son , we shall overcome , and at last enter . I had now done with this general Head , but that 't is necessary to note three things more . ( 1. ) Those Instruments of our Happiness which we must use in striving , viz. Faith , Prayer , and active Endeavour , must all of them be imployed . Not any one singly , will do the great work ; nor can the others , if any one be wanting . If we believe , and do not pray ; or pray , and do not endeavour ; or endeavour , without those , the Difficulties will remain , and 't will be impossible for us to enter . ( 2. ) We must be diligent in our course : If we do not exercise Faith vigorously , and pray heartily , and endeavour with our whole might , the means will not succeed ; and 't is as good not at all , as not to purpose . The Difficulties will not be overcome by cold Faith , or sleepy Prayers , or remiss Endeavours : A very intense degree of these is necessary . ( 3. ) Our striving must be constant ; we must not begin , and look back , Heb. 10. 38. or run a while , and stop in midd course , 1 Cor. 9. 24. and content our selves with some attainments , and think we have arrived , Phil. 3. 14. If we do so , we shall find our selves dangerously mistaken . The Crown is at the end of the Warfare , & the Prise at the end of the Race . If we will succeed , we must hold on : The life of one that strives as he ought , must be a continual motion forwards ; always proceeding , always growing . If we strive thus , we cannot fail ; if any of these qualifications be wanting , we cannot but miscarry . And hence no doubt it is , that many that seek to enter , shall not be able , and the presumed sons of the Kingdom are shut out , Mat. 8.12 . They seek , and are very desirous to be admitted ; They do some thing , and strive ; but their striving is partial , or careless , or short ; by reason of which defects , they do not overcome , and shall not enter . This is a dangerous Rock , and perhaps there are as many undone by cold and half striving , as by not striving at all . He that hath done some thing , presumes he is secure ; He goes the round of ordinary Duties , but advanceth nothing in his way ; He overcometh none of the great Difficulties , none of the Habits or depraved Inclinations ; He is contented with other things that make a more glorious shew ; though they signifie less ; and perhaps despiseth these , under the notion of Morality ; and so presuming , that he is a Saint too soon , he never comes to be one at all : such are the Seekers that shall not be able to enter : Their seeking imports some striving ; but 't is such , as , though it be specious , yet it is imperfect , and will not succeed . And hence the Third Proposition ariseth , that I proposed to discourse . ( III. ) THat there is a sort of Striving that will not procure an entrance : implyed in these words , For many will seek to enter in , and shall not be able . 'T is a dangerous thing to be flattered into a false peace ; and to take up with imperfect Godliness ; to reconcile the hopes of Heaven to our beloved sins , and to judge our condition safe upon insufficient grounds . This multitudes do , and 't is the great danger of our days ; Men cannot be contented without doing something in Religion ; but they are contented with a little . And then they reckon themselves godly , before they are vertuous ; and take themselves to be Saints , upon such things as will not distinguish a good man from a bad . We seek after Marks of Godliness , and would be glad to know , how we might try our state : The thing is of great importance ; and if the Signs we judge by are either false , or imperfect , we are deceived to our undoing . Meer Speculative mistakes about Opinions , do no great hurt ; but errour in the Marks and Measures of Religion is deadly . Now there are sundry things commonly taken for signs of Godliness , which though they are something , yet they are not enough ; They are hopeful for beginnings , but nothing worth when they are our end and rest . They are a kind of seeking aud imperfect striving ; but not such as overcometh the difficulties of the way , or will procure us an entrance at the Gàte . Therefore to disable the flattering , insufficient Marks of Godliness , I shall discover in pursuance of the Third Proposition , How far a man may strive in the exercises of Religion , and yet be found at last among those seekers that shall not be able to enter . And though I have intimated something of this in the general before , yet I shall now more particularly shew it in the instances that follow . And in these I shall discover a Religion that may be called Animal , to which the natural man may attain . ( I. ) A Man may believe the Truths of the Gospel , and assent heartily to all the Articles of the Creed : and if he proceeds not , he is no further by this , than the faith of Devils , Jam. 2. 19. ( 2. ) He may go on , and have a great thirst to be more acquainted with Truth ; He may seek it diligently in Scripture , and Sermons , and good Books , and knowing Company ; And yet do this , by the motion of no higher Principle , than an inbred Curiosity , and desire of Knowledg ; and many times this earnestness after Truth , proceeds from a proud effection to wiser than our Neighbours , that we may pity their darkness ; or the itch of a disputing humour , that we may out talk them ; or a design to carry on , or make a party , that we may be called Rabbi , or serve an Interest : and the zeal for Truth that is set on work by such motives , is a spark of that fire that is from beneath : 'T is dangerous to a mans self , and to the publick Weal of the Church and mankind , but the man proceeds , and is , ( 3. ) Very much concern'd to defend and propagate his Faith ; and the Pharisees were so in relation to theirs , Matt. 23. 15. and so have been many Professors of all the Religions that are , or ever were . Men naturally love their own Tenents , and are ambitious to mould others judgments according to theirs . There is glory in being an Instructer of other men ; and turning them to our ways and opinions : So that here is nothing yet above Nature ; nothing but what may be found in many that seek , and are shut out . But , ( 4. ) Faith works greater effects than these , and Men offer themselves to Martyrdom for it ; This , one would think , should be the greatest height , and an argument that all the difficulties of the way , are overcome by one that is so resolved ; and that the Gate cannot but be opened to him . And so , no doubt it is , when all things else are sutable : But otherwise these consequences by no means follow . St. Paul supposeth that a man may give his Body to be burned , and not have Charity , without which his Martyrdom will not profit , 1 Cor. 13. For one to deny his Religion , or what he believes to be certain , and of greatest consequence , is dishonourable and base : and some out of principles of meer natural bravery , will die rather than they will do it ; and yet , upon other accounts be far enough from being heroically vertuous . Besides , the desire of the glory of Martyrdom and Saintship after it , may in some be stronger than the terrours of Death : and we see frequently , that men will sacrifice their lives to their Honour and Reputation ; yea to the most contemptible shadows of it . And there is no passion in us so weak , no lust so impotent , but hath , in many instances , prevail'd over the fear of dying . Every Appetite hath had its Martyrs ; and all Religions theirs ; and though a man give his Body to be burnt for the best , and have not Charity , viz. Prevalent love to God and Men , it will not signifie : So that Martyrdom is no infallible mark , nor will it avail any thing , except sincere endeavour to overcome the greater difficulties , have gone before it . Thus far Faith may go without effect : and yet one step further . ( 5. ) Men may confidently rely upon Christ for Salvation , and be firmly perswaded that he hath justified , and will make them happy . They may appropriate him to themselves , and be pleased mightily in the opinion of his being theirs . And yet notwithstanding this confidence may be in the number of those seekers that shall not enter . For Christ is the Author of Eternal life , only to those that obey him , Heb. 5. 9. and to obey him , is to strive vigorously and constantly , to overcome all our sinful Inclinations and Habits . And those that trust he will save them , though they have never seriously set about this work , deceive themselves by vain presumption , and in effect say , that he will dissolve or dispense with his Laws in their favour . For he requires us to deny our selves , Mar. 8. 34. To mortifie the body , Rom 8. 13. To love enemies , Mat. 5. 44. To be meek , Mat. 11. 29. and patient , Jam. 5. 8. and humble , 1 Pet. 5. 7. and just , Mat. 7. 12. and charitable , Heb. 13. 16. and Holy , as he that called us is holy , 1 Pet. 1. 15. And he hath promised to save upon no other terms ; For all these are included in Faith , when 't is taken in the justifying sense , and this is the Way of Happiness and Salvation : If we walk not in this , but in the paths of our own choosing , our relying upon Christ is a mockery , and will deceive us . We may indeed be confident , and we ought , that he will save all those that so believe as to obey him ; but may not trust that he will save us except we are some of those . To rely upon Christ for our Salvation , must follow our sincere and obedient striving , and not go before it . The mistake of this is exceeding dangerous , and I doubt hath been fatal to many . The sum is to rely on Christ , without a resolute and steady endeavour to overcome every sin and temptation , will gain us nothing in the end but shame and dissappointment : For 't is not every one that faith unto him , Lord , Lord , shall enter into Heaven , but he that doth the will of his Father which is in Heaven . Mat. 7.21 . The foolish Virgins relyed upon him , and expected he should open to them ; Lord , Lord , open to us , Mat. 25. 11. but he kept them out , and would not know them , v. 11. Thus of the First imperfect Mark of Godliness ; A man may upon the account of meer Nature , arrive to all the mentioned degrees of Faith ; and yet if his endeavours in the practice of Christian vertues be not suitable , he will certainly come short at last . ( II. ) A man may be very devout , given much to Prayer , and be very frequent and earnest in it ; He may have the gift of expressing himself fluently , without the help of Form or Meditation : yea , and so intent and taken up in these exercises , that he may as it were be ravish't out of himself by the fervours of his Spirit ; so that he really kindles very high Affections as well in others , as in himself : And yet if he rests in this , and such like things as Religion , and reckons that he is accepted of God for it ; if he allow himself in any unmortified lusts , and thinks to compound for them by his Prayers , he is an evil man notwithstanding , and one of those seekers that shall not be able to enter . The Pharisees , we know , were much given to Prayer : They were long in those Devotions , and very earnest in them often repeating the same expressions out of vehemence . Ignatius Loyola , founder of the Jesuites , was a man almost ecstatical in his Prayers ; and Hacket the Blasphemer , executed in the days of Queen Elizabeth , was a person of Seraphical Devotion , and would pray those that heard him even into transports . Basilides the cruel Duke of Mos●o , is said to have his hands almost continually lifted up in Prayer , except when they were imployed in some barbarous and bloody Execution : And we have known and felt one not much unlike him . There are infinite instances in our days of this dangerous sort of evil men . And we may learn hence , that the greatest gift of Prayer , and earnestness and frequency in it , is no good mark of Godliness , except it be attended with sincere , constant and vertuous endeavours . For some men have a natural spice of Devotion in a Religious Melancholy , which is their temper ; and such have commonly strong Imaginations and zealous affections , which when they are heated , flame forth into great heights and expressions of Devotion : The warm Fancy furnisheth words and matter readily and unexpectedly , which many times begets in the man a conceit that he is inspired , and that his Prayers are the breathings of the Holy Ghost ; or at least , that he is extraordinarily assisted by it ; which belief kindles his affections yet more , and he is carryed beyond himself , even into the third Heavens , and Suburbs of Glory , as he fancies , and so he makes no doubt , but that he is a Saint of the first rank , and special favourite of Heaven ; when all this while , he may be really a bad man full of Envy and Malice ; Pride and Covetousness ; Scorn and ill Nature ; contempt of his Betters , and disobedience to his Governours . And while it is so , notwithstanding those glorious things , he is no further than the Pharisee . Hearty and humble desire , though imperfectly exprest , and without this pomp , and those wonders , is far more acceptable to God , who delights not in the exercises of meer Nature Psal. 147. 10. but is well pleased with the expressions of Grace in those that fear him . So that a sincere and lowly-minded Christian that talks of no immediate incomes , or communications ; and perhaps durst not , out of reverence , trust to his own present conceptions in a work so solemn , but useth the help of some pious form of words sutable to his defires and wants , who is duly sensible of his sins , and the necessity of overcoming them ; and is truly and earnestly desirous of the Divine aids , in order to it : such a one as this Prays by the Spirit , and will be assisted by it ; while the other doth all by meer Nature and Imitation , and shall not have those spiritual aids which he never heartily desires nor intends to use . This , I think , I may truly and safely say : But for the Controversie between Forms and Conceived Prayers , which of them is absolutely best , I determine nothing of it here . And indeed I suppose that in their own nature , they are alike indifferent , and are more or less accepted , as they partake more or less of the Spirit of Prayer , viz. of Faith , Humility and holy desire of the good things we pray for ; and a man may have these that prays by a Form ; and he may want them that takes the other way , and thinks himself in a dispensation much above it . So that my business is not to set up one of these ways of Devotion against the other , but to shew , that the heights and vehemencies of many warm people in their unpremeditated Prayers , have nothing in them supernatural or Divine , and consequently , of themselves , they are no marks of Godliness : which I hope no one thinks I speak to discredit those pious ardours that are felt by really devout Souls , when a vigorous sense of God , and Divine things , doth even sometimes transport them : Far be it from me to design any thing so impious ; my aim is only to note , that there are complexional heats raised many times by fancy and self-admiration , that look like these , in persons who really have little of God in them ; and we should take care that we are not deceived by them . Thus far also those may go that shall not enter . I add , ( III. ) A man may endeavour somewhat , and strive in some degree , and yet his work may miscarry , and himself with it . ( 1. ) There is no doubt , but that an evil man may be convinced of his sin and vileness , and that even to anguish and torment . The Gentiles saith the Apostle , Rom. 2. 14. which have not the Law , shew the works of the Law written in their Hearts , their thoughts in the mean time accusing , or excusing one another . Conscience often stings and disquiets the vilest sinners ; and sometimes extorts from them lamentable confessions of their sins , and earnest declamations against them . They may weep bitterly at their remembrance , and be under great heaviness and dejection upon their occasion . They may speak vehemently against sin themselves , and love to have others to handle it severely . All this bad men may do upon the score of natural fear , and self love , and the apprehension of a fature judgment . And now such convictions will naturally beget some endeavours : A convinced understanding will have some influence upon the will and affections . The mind in the unregenerate , may lust against the Flesh , as that doth against it . So that ( 2. ) such a meer animal man may promise , and purpose , and endeavour in some pretty considerable measure ; but then , he goes not on with full Resolution , but wavers and stops , and turns about again ; and lets the law of the members , that of death and sin , to prevail over him . His endeavour is remiss , and consequently ineffectual ; it makes no conquests , and will not signifie . He sins on , though with some regret ; and his very unwillingness to sin , while he commits it , is so far from lessening , that it aggravates his fault : It argues that he sins against conscience and conviction ; and that sin is strong and reigns . 'T is true indeed , St. Paul , Rom. 7. makes such a description seemingly of himself , as one might think concluded him under this state ; he saith vers . 8. That sin wrought in him all manner of concupiscence : vers . 9. That sin revived , and he died : vers . 14. That he was carnal ; and again ; sold under sin , vers . 20. That sin dwelt in him , and wrought that which he would not : vers . 23. That the Law of his Members led him into captivity to the law of Sin : and vers . 25. That he obeyed the law of sin . If this be so , and St. Paul , a regenerate man , was in this state , it will follow , that seeking and feeble endeavour , that overcometh no difficulty , may yet procure an entrance , and he that is come hitherto , viz. to endeavour ; is safe enough though he do not conquer . This objection presseth not only against this head , but against my whole Discourse , and the Text it self . Therefore to answer it , I say , That the St. Paul here is not to be understood of himself ; He describes the state of a convinced , but unregenerate man , though he speaks in the first person ; a Figure that was ordinary with this Apostle , and frequent enough in common speech : Thus we say , I am thus , and thus , and did so , and so , when we are describing a state , or actions in which perhaps we , in person , are not concerned . In this sense the best Expositors understand these expressions , and those excellent Divines of our own , Bishop Taylor , and Dr. Hammond , and others have noted to us , That this description is directly contrary to all the Characters of a regenerate man , given elsewhere by this , and the other Apostles . As he is said to be dead to sin , Rom. 6. 11. Free from sin , and the servant of Righteousness , Rom. 6. 18. That he walks not after the Flesh , but after the Spirit , Rom. 8. 1. That the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus , hath made him free from the Law of sin and death , Rom. 8. 2. That he overcometh the world , Joh. 5. 4. He sinneth not , 1 Joh. 3. 6. He hath crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts , Gal. 5. 24. Which Characters of a truly regenerate person , if they be compared with those above-cited out of Rom. 7. it will appear , that they are as contrary , as 't is possible to speak , and by this , 't is evident that they describe the two contrary states . For can the regenerate be full of all manner of concupiscence , and at the same time be crucified to the Flesh , and its affections and lusts ? one in whom sin revives while he dies ; and yet one that is dead to sin ? carnal , and yet not walking after the flesh , but after the Spirit ? sold under sin , and yet free from sin ? Having sin dwelling in him ; and a captive to sin ; and obeying the Law of sin ; and yet free from the law of sin and death ? how can these things consist ? To tell us , 'T is so , and 't is not so , and to twist such contradictions into Orthodox Paradoxes , are pretty things to please Fools and Children ; but wise men care not for riddles that are not sense . For my part I think it clear , that the Apostle in that mistaken Chapter , relates the feeble , impotent condition of one that was convinced and strove a little , but not to purpose . And if we find our selves comprised under that description , though we may be never so sensible of the evil and danger of a sinful course , and may endeavour some small matter , but without success , we are yet under , that evil , and obnoxious to that danger : For he that strives in earnest , conquers at last , and advanceth still , though all the work be not done at once . So that if we endeavour and gain nothing , our endeavour is peccant , and wants Faith or Prayer for Divine aids , or constancy , or vigour ; and so , Though we may seek , we shall not be able to enter . But ( 3 ) an imperfect Striver may overcome sin in some Instances , and yet in that do no great matter neither , if he lies down , and goes no further : There are some sins we outgrow by age , or are indisposed to them by bodily infirmity , or diverted by occasions , and it may be by other sins ; and some are contrary to worldly Interests , to our credit , or health , or profit ; and when we have in any great degree been hurt by them in these , we fall out with those sins , and cease from them , and so by resolution and disuse , we master them at last fully : which , if we went on , and attempted upon all the rest , were something : But when we stop short in these petty victories , our general state is not altered ; He that conquers some evil appetites , is yet a slave to others ; and though he hath prevailed over some difficulties , yet the main ones are yet behind . Thus the imperfect Striver masters , it may be , his beastly appetite to intemperate drinking , but is yet under the power of Love and Riches , and vain Pleasure . He ceaseth from open debauchery , but entertains spiritual wickedness in his heart : He will not Swear , but will backbite and rail : He will not be Drunk , but will damn a man for not being of his opinion : He will not prophane the Sabbath , but will defraud his Neighbour . Now these half conquests , when we rest in them , are as good as none at all . Then shall I not be ashamed , when I have regard to all thy Commandments , saith the Kingly Prophet , Psal. 119. 6. 'T is shameful to give off , when our work is but half done ; what we do , casts the greater reproach upon us for what we omit . To cease to be prophane , is something as a passage , but nothing for an end . We are not Saints as soon as we are civil . 'T is not only gross sins that are to be overcome . The wages of sin is death , not only of the great and capital , but of the smallest , if they are indulged . The Pharisee applauded himself , that he was not like the Extortioners , Adulterers and Vnjust , nor like the Publican , that came to pray with him , Luk. 18. 11. and yet he went away never the more justified . The unwise Virgins were no profligate Livers , and yet they were shut out . He that will enter , must strive against every corrupt appetite and inclination . A less leak will sink a Ship , as well as a greater , if no care be taken of it . A Consumption will kill , as well as the Plague ; yea sometimes the less Disease may in the event prove more deadly , than the greater ; for small distempers may be neglected , till they become incurable ; when as the great ones awaken us to speedy care for a remedy . A small hurt in the finger slighted , may prove a Gangreen , when a great wound in the Head by seasonable applications is cured . 'T is unsafe then to content our selves with this , that our sins are not foul and great , those we account little ones , may prove as fatal , yea they are sometimes more dangerous : For we are apt to think them none at all , or Venial infirmities that may consist with a state of Grace , and Divine favour ; we excuse and make Apologies for them , and fancy that Hearing , and Prayer , and Confession are atonements enough for these . Upon which accounts I am apt to believe , that the less notorious Vices have ruined as many as the greatest Abominations . Hell doth not consist only of Drunkards , and Swearers , and Sabbath-breakers : No , the demure Pharisee , the plausible Hypocrite , and formal Professor , have their place also in that lake of fire . The great impieties do often startle and awaken conscience , and beget strong convictions , and so sometimes excite resolution and vigorous striving ; while men hug themselves in their lesser sins , and carry them unrepented of to their Graves . The sum is , we may overcome some sins , and turn from the grosser sorts of wickedness , and yet if we endeavour not to subdue the rest , we are still in the condition of unregeneracy and death , and though we thus seek , we shall not enter . ( 4. ) A man may perform many duties of Religion , and that with relish and delight , and yet miscarry . As , ( 1. ) He may be earnest and swift to hear , and follow Sermons constantly from one place to another , and be exceedingly pleased and affected with the Word , and yet be an evil Man , and in a bad state . Herod heard John Baptist gladly , Mark 6. 20. and he that received the seed into stony places , received it joyfully , Mat. 13. 20. Zeal for hearing doth not always arise from a consciencious desire to learn in order to practise , but sometimes it proceeds from an itch after novelty and notions , or an ambition to be famed for Godliness ; or the importunity of natural conscience , that will not be satisfied except we do something ; or a desire to get matter to feed our opinions , or to furnish us with pious discourse ? I say , earnestness to hear , ariseth very often from some of these ; and when it doth so , we gain but little by it : yea , we are dangerously tempted to take this for an infallible token of our Saintship , and so to content our selves with this Religion of the Ear , and to disturb every body with the abundance of our disputes and talk , while we neglect our own Spirits , and let our unmortified affections and inclinations rest in quiet , under the shadow of these specious services . So that when a great affection to hearing seizeth upon an evil man , 't is odds but it doth him hurt ; it puffs him up in the conceit of his Godliness , and makes him pragmatical , troublesome and censorious ; He turns his food into poyson : Among bad men , those are certainly the worst , that have an opinion of their being godly ; and such are those that have itching ears , under the power of vitious habits and inclinations . Thus an earnest diligent hearer , may be one of those who seeks , and is shut out . And so may ( 2. ) He that Fasts much , and severely : The Jews were exceedingly given to fasting , and they were very severe in it . They abstained from all things pleasant to them , and put on sackcloth , and sowre looks , and mourned bitterly , and hung down the head , and sate in ashes ; so that one might have taken these for very holy , penitent , mortified people that had a great antipathy against their sins , and abhorrence of themselves for them : And yet God complains of these strict severe Fasters , Zach. 7. 5. That they did not Fast unto him ; but fasted for strife and debate , Isa. 58. 4. Their Fasts were not such as he had chosen , to loose the bands of wickedness , to undo the heavy burden , and to let the oppressed free , vers . 6. But they continued , notwithstanding their Fasts , and God's admonitions by his Prophets , to oppress the Widow , and Fatherless , and Poor , Zach. 7. 10. Thus meer natural and evil men sometimes put on the garb of Mortification , and exercise rigors upon their Bodies and external persons , in exchange for the indulgences they allow their beloved appetites ; and while the strict Discipline reacheth no further , though we keep days , and Fast often , yet this will not put us beyond the condition of the Pharisee , who fasted twice in the week , as himself boasted , Luke 18. 12. And , ( 3. ) An imperfect striver may be very much given to pious and religious discourses : He may love to be talking of Divine things ; especially of the love of Christ to sinners , which he may frequently speak of with much earnestness and affection , and have that dear name always at his tongues end to begin and close all his sayings ; and to fill up the void places , when he wants what to say next ; and yet this may be a bad man , who never felt those Divine things he talks of ; and never loved Christ heartily as he ought . 'T was observed before , that there are some who have a sort of Devoutness , and Religion in their particular Complexion ; and if such are talkative ( as many times they are ) they will easily run into such discourses , as agree with their temper , and take pleasure in them for that reason ; As also for this , because they are apt to gain us reverence , and the good opinion of those with whom we converse . And such as are by nature disposed for this faculty , may easily get it by imitation and remembrance of the devout forms they hear and read : so that there may be nothing Divine in all this ; nothing but what may consist with unmortified lusts and affections : And though such talk earnestly of the love of Christ , and express a mighty love to his name , yet this may be without any real conformity unto him in his Life and Laws . The Jews spoke much of Moses , in him they believed , and in him they trusted , John 5. 45. His name was a sweet sound to their ears , and 't was very pleasant upon their Tongues ; and yet they hated the Spirit of Moses , and had no love to those Laws of his which condemned their wicked actions . And we may see how many of those love Christ , that speak often and affectionately of him , by observing how they keep his Commandments , John 14. 15. especially those of Meekness , Mercy , and universal Love. Thus imperfect Strivers may imploy themselves in the external offices of Religion : I have instanced only in Three , the lik may be said of the rest . And to this , I add , ( IV. ) That they may not only exercise themselves in the outward matters of duty , but may arrive to some things that are accounted greater heights , and are really more spiritual , and refined . To instance . ( I. ) They may have some love to God , Goodness , and good Men. The Soul naturally loves Beauty and Perfection ; and all mankind apprehend God , to be of all Beings , the most beautiful and perfect ; and therefore must needs have an intellectual love for him : The reason that that love takes no hold of the passions in wicked men , is , partly because they are diverted from the thoughts of Him , by the objects of Sense ; but chiefly , because they consider him as their enemy , and therefore can have no complacency or delight in him , who they think hath nothing but thoughts of enmity , and displeasure against them . But if once they come to be perswaded ( as many times , by such false marks , as I have recited , they are ) that God is their Father , and peculiar Friend ; that they are his chosen , and his darlings , whom he loved from Eternity , and to whom he hath given his Son and his Spirit , and will give Himself , in a way of the fullest enjoyment ; Then the Love that before was only an esteem in the understanding , doth kindle in the affections by the help of the conceit of Gods loving them so dearly , and the passion thus heated , runs out , even into seraphick , and rapturous Devotions ; while yet all this , is but meer animal love , excited chiefly , by the love of our selves , not of the Divine Perfections . And it commonly goes no further , then to earnest expressions of extraordinary love to God in our Prayers and Discourses , while it appears not in any singular obedience to his Laws , or generous and universal love to mankind : which are the ways whereby the true Divine Love is exprest : for , This is the love of God , that we keep his Commandments , saith the Apostle , 1 John. 5. 3. And as to the other , thus , If we love one another , God dwelleth in us , and his love is perfected in us , 1 John 4. 12. And on the contrary , If a man say I love God , and hateth his brother , he is a lyar , John 4. 20. Charity then and universal obedience are the true arguments and expressions of our love to God ; and these suppose a victory over corrupt inclinations and self-will . But the other love which ariseth from the conceit of our special dearness to God upon insufficient grounds ; that goes no further then to some suavities , and pleasant fancies within our selves ; and some passionate complements of the Image we have set up in our imaginations . This Love will consist with Hatred and contempt of all that are not like our selves ; yea , and it will produce it : those poysonous fruits , and vile affections may be incouraged , and cherish'd under it . So that there may be some love to God in evil men : But while self-love is the only motive , and the more prevalent passion , it signifieth nothing to their advantage . And as the imperfect striver may have some love to God , so he may to piety and vertue : every man loves these in Idea . The vilest sinner takes part in his affections with the vertuous and religious , when he seeth them described in History or Romance ; and hath a detestation for those , who are character'd as impious and immoral . Vertue is a great Beauty , and the mind is taken with it , while 't is consider'd at a distance ; and our corrupt interests , and sensual affections are not concern'd . 'T is these that recommend sin to our love , and choice , while the mind ftands on the side of vertue : with that we serve the Law of God , but with the flesh the Law of Sin , Rom 7. 25. So that most wicked men , that are not degenerated into meer Brutes , have this mental and intellectual love to goodness : That is , they approve , and like it in their minds , and would practise it also , were it not for the prevalent biass of flesh and sense . And hence it will follow likewise , That the same may approve and respect good men ; They may reverence and love them for their Charity , Humility , Justice and Temperance , though themselves are persons of the contrary Character ; yea , they may have a great and ardent affection for those that are eminently pious and devout , though they are very irreligious themselves . The conscience of vertue , and of the excellency of Religion , may produce this in the meer natural man , who is under the dominion of vile inclinations and affections ; and therefore , neither is this a good mark of godliness . Our love to God & goodness will not stead us , except it be prevalent . And as the love described , may be natural , and a meer animal man may arrive unto it : So , ( 2. ) He may to an extraordinary zeal for the same things that are the objects of his love . Hot tempers are eager , where they take either kindness or displeasure . The natural man that hath an animal love to Religion , may be violent in speaking , and acting for things appertaining to it . If his temper be devotional and passionate , he becomes a mighty zealot , and fills all places with the fame of his godliness : His natural fire moves this way , aud makes a mighty blaze . Ahab was very zealous , & 't is like 't was not only his own interest that made him so , 2 Kings 10. 16. The Pharirisees were zealous people , and certainly their zeal was not always personated , and put on , but real ; though they were Hypocrites , yet they were such , as , in many things deceived themselves , as well as others . They were zealous for their Traditions , and they believ'd 't was their duty to be so . St. Paul while a persecutor , was zealous against the Disciples , and he thought he ought to do many things against that name . And our Saviour foretells , that those zealous murderers that should kill his Saints , should think , They did God good service in it , John 16. 2. So that all the zeal of the natural man is not feigning , and acting of a part ; nor hath it always evil objects . The Pharisees were zealous against the wickedness of the Publicans and Sinners . Zeal , and that in earnest , and for Religion may be in bad men . But then , this is to be noted , that 't is commonly about opinions or external rites , and usages , and such matters as appertain to first Table Duties , while usually the same men are very cold , in reference to the Duties of the Second : And when Zeal is partial , and spent about the little things that tend not to the overcoming the difficulties of our way , or the perfecting of humane nature , 't is a meer animal fervour , and no Divine Fire . And the natural man , the Seeker that shall not enter , may grow up to another height that looks gleriously , and seems to speak mighty things . As , ( 3. ) He may have great comforts in religious meditations , and that even to rapturous excesses . He may take these , for sweet Communion with God , and the joys of the Holy Ghost , and the earnest of Glory , and be lifted up on high by them , and enabled to speak in wonderful ravishing strains ; and yet notwithstanding be an evil man , and in the state of such as shall be shut out . For this we may observe , That those whose complexion inclines them to devotion , are commonly much under the power of melancholy ; and they that are so , are mostly very varius in their tempers ; fometimes merry , and pleasant to excess ; and then plung'd as deep into the other extream of sadness and dejection : one while the sweet humours enliven the imagination , and present it with all things that are pleasant and agreeable ; And then , the black blood succeeds , which begets clouds and darkness , and fills the fancy with things frightful and uncomfortable : And there are very few but feel such varieties , in a degree , in themselves . Now while the sweet Blood and Humours prevail , the person whose complexion inclines him to Religion , and who hath arrived to the degrees newly discours'd of ( though a meer natural man ) is full of inward delight , and satisfaction● and fancies at this turn , that he is much in the favour of God , and a sure Heir of the Kingdom of Glory ; which must needs excite in him many luscious , and pleasant thoughts : and these further warm his imagination , which , by new , and taking suggestions still raiseth the affections more ; and so the man is as it were transported beyond himself ; and speaks like one dropt from the Clouds : His tongue flows with Light , and Glories , and Communion , and Revelations , and Incomes ; and then , believes that the Holy Ghost is the Author of all this , and that God is in him of a truth , in a special way of Manifestation and Vouchsafement . But when melancholick vapours prevail again ; the Imagination is overcast , and the Fancy possest by dismal and uncomfortable thoughts ; and the man , whose head was but just before among the Clouds , is now groveling in the Dust : He thinks all is lost , and his condition miserable ; He is a cast-away , and undone ; when in the mean while , as to Divine favour he is just where he was before , or rather in a better state , since 't is better to be humbled with reason , then to be lifted up without it . Such effects as these do meer naturalpassions and imaginations produce , when they are tinctured and heightned by religious melancholly . To deny ones self , and to overcome ones passions , and to live in a course of a sober Vertue , is much more Divine than all this . 'T is true indeed , and I am far from denying it , that holy men feel those joys and communications of the Divine Spirit which are no fancies ; and the Scripture calls them great peace , Psal. 119. 165. and joy in believing , Rom. 15. 13. and the peace of God that passeth all understanding , Phil. 4. 7. But then , these Divine Vouchsafements are not rapturous , or ecstatical : They are no sudden flashes that are gone in a moment , leaving the Soul in the regions of sorrow , and despair ; but sober lasting comforts , that are the reward 's and results of vertue ; the rejoycings of a good conscience , 2 Cor. 1. 12. and the manifestations of God to those rare souls , who have overcome the evils of their natures ; and the difficulties of the way , or are vigorously pressing on towards the mark , Phil. 3. 14. But for such as have only the forms of godliness I have mentioned , while the evil inclinations and habits are indulged , ( whatever they may pretend ) all the sweets they talk of , are but the imagery of dreams , and the pleasant delusions of their fancies . THus I have shewn how far the meer animal Religion may go , in imperfect striving : And now . I must expect to hear , ( 1. ) That this is very severe , uncomfortable Doctrine ; and if one that shall eventually be shut out , may do all this , what shall become of the generality of Religious men that never do so mtch ? And if all this be short , what will be available ? who then shall be saved ? To which I Answer , That we are not to make the measures of Religion and Happiness our selves ; but to take those that Christ Jesus hath made for us : And he hath told us , That except our Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees , we shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven , Mat. 5. 20. Now the Scribes and Pharisees did things in the way of Religion , that that were equal to all the particulars : I have mentioned ; yea they went beyond many of our glorious Professors , who yet think themselves in an high form of Godliness . They believed their Religion firmly , and Prayed frequently and fervently , and Fasted severely ; They were exact , and exceeding strict in the observation of their Sabbaths , and hated scandalous and gross sins ; and were very punctual in all the duties of outward Worship ; and in many things supererrogated and went beyond what was commanded : Such zealous people were They ; and They separated from the conversations and customs of other Jews , upon the account of their supposed greater Holiness and Purity . These were heights to which the Pharisees arrived ; and a good Christian must exceed all this : And he that lives in a sober course of Piety and Vertue ; of self Government , and humble submission to God ; of obedience to his Superiours , and charity to his Neighbours : He doth really exceed it , and shall enter , when the other shall be shut out . So that , when our Saviour saith , that the Pharisaick Righteousness must be exceeded , the meaning is not , That a greater degree of every thing the Pharisees did , is necessary ; but we must do that which in the nature and kind of it is better , and more acceptable to God , viz. That whereas they placed their Religion in strict Fastings , an nice observations of Festivals ; in lowd and earnest Prayers , and zeal to get Proselytes ; we should place ours , in sincere subjections of our wills to the will of God ; in imitation of the life of Christ , and obedience of his Laws ; in amending the faults of our natures and lives : in subduing our Passions , and casting out the habits of evil : These are much beyond the Religion of the Phanatick Pharisee ; not in shew and pomp ; but in real worth , and divine esteem . So that , upon the whole , we have no reason to be discouraged , because They that do so much are cast out ; since , though we find not those heats , and specious things in our selves which we observe in them , yet if we are more meek and modest , and patient , and charitable , and humble , and just , our case is better ; and we have the Power of Godliness , when theirs is but the Form ; And we , whom They accounted Aliens and Enemies shall enter ; while they , the presumed friends and domesticks , shall be shut out . But ( 2. ) I expect it should be again objected against this severity of Discourse , That our Saviour saith , Mat. 11. 20. That his yoke is easie , and his burden is light : which place seems to cross all that hath been said about the Difficulties of Religion . And 't is true it hath such an appearance , but 't is no more ; For the words look as cross to the expressions of the same Divine Author ; concerning the straightness of the Gate , and narrowness of the Way , as to any thing I have delivered from those infallible sayings . Therefore to remove the semblance of contrariety , which the objected Text seems to have to those others , and to my Discourse , we may observe , That when our Saviour saith , that his yoke is easie , the word we read is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifieth very good , excellent , gracious ; and the meaning I suppose is , That his Precepts had a native beauty and goodness in them ; That they are congruous and sutable to our reasonable Natures , and apt instruments to make us happy ; In which sense , this expression hath no antipathy to the Text , or to any thing I have said . And whereas 't is added , [ My Burden is light ] I think by this , we are to understand , That his Commands are not of that burdensome nature , that the Ceremonies of the Jewish Laws were : Those were very cumbersome , and had nothing in their nature to make them pleasant and agreeable ; whereas his Religion had no expensive , troublesome Rites appendant to it ; nor did it require any thing but our observation of those Laws which eternal Reason obligeth us to , and which of our selves we should choose to live under , were we freed from the intanglements of the World , and interests of Flesh. So that neither doth this Objection signifie any thing against the scope of my Discourse . AND now I descend to the Improvement of what I have said ; and the things I have to add will be comprehended under these two Generals ( 1. ) Inferences , and ( 2. ) plain Advice in order to practise . I begin with the Inferences and Corollaries that arise from the whole Discourse . And , ( 1. ) We may collect , What is the state of Nature ; and What the state of Grace . We have seen that 't is the great business of Religion to overcome evil Inclinations , and the prevailing influence of sense and passion , and evil customs and example and worldly affections ; And therefore the state of Nature consists in the power and prevalency of These . This is that the Scripture calls the Old man , Eph. 4.22 . The Image of the earthy , 1 Cor. 15. Flesh , Gal. 5. 17. Death , Rom. 7.24 . Darkness , Joh. 3. 19. and old leven , 1 Cor 5. 7. On the contrary , The state of Grace is a state of sincere striving against them ; which if it keeps on , ends in Victory . And this is call'd Conversion , Acts 3. 19. and Renovation , while 't is in its first motions ; And the Divine Nature , 2 Pet. 1. 4. the Image of the Heavenly , 1 Cor. 15. 20. The Spirit , Gal. 5. 16. Light , Ephes. 5. 8. and Life , 1 Joh. 3. 14. when 't is arriv'd to more compleatness and perfection . For our fuller understanding this , we may consider , That Grace is taken ( 1. ) for Divine favour ; ( 2. ) for Christian Vertue . As it signifies Divine favour , so it is used , ( 1. ) For those helps and aids God affords us , viz. the Gospel , Joh. 1. 17. and the influences of his Spirit , 1 Cor. 12. 9. In this sense we are deliver'd from the state of Nature by Baptism , viz. We are intituled to divine helps , which is a kind of regeneration ; for we are born in a condition of importence , and weakness , and destitution of spiritual assistances ; This is the world of meer nature ; But then in Baptism , we are brought into the world of the Spirit , that is , are put under its influences , and are assured of its aids , and so are morally born again ; Not that this Regeneration alone will save us , without our endeavours ; it imports only an external relation , and right to priviledges , and by these we may be powerfully assisted in our striving , if we use them . But then ( 2. ) Grace , as it signifies divine favour , implies his special love and kindness , such as he vouchsases to holy and vertuous men ; so that we may observe that there may be a distinction between a state of Grace , and a state of salvation . A state of Grace , in the former sense , is a condition assisted by the influences of Gods Spirit , and all baptized persons are in that . But if they use not those helps , they are not in Gods special favour ; and so not in a state of Salvation . But when those assistances are duly imployed , and join'd with our sincere endeavour , then the person so using them , is in a state of Salvation also ; and in God's special love and favour . Thus of the state of Grace in the first sense , as taken for divine favour . ( 2. ) The word is also used for Christian Vertue , 2 Pet. 3. 18. and Vertue is call'd Grace , because 't is wrought in us by the assistance of Gods Spirit and the light of the Gospel , which are divine favours ; and to be in a state of grace in this sense , is to be a virtuous man , which supposeth divine aids , and intitles to divine love . These things I have taken an occasion thus briefly to state ; because there is oft-times much confusion in mens discourses about Grace and Nature , from which much trouble and many controversies have arisen . And by what I have said also in these brief hints , the doctrine of our Church in the office of Baptism , may be understood clearly , and will appear to be very sound and true , notwithstanding the petty exceptions of confident Dissenters . ( II. ) I may infer , That the great Design of Religion and the Gospel is to perfect humane nature . The perfection of our natures , consists , in the subjection and subordination of the affections and passions to the Mind , as it is enlightned , and directed by the divine Laws , and those of Reason . This is the state of integrity , in which we were first made ; and we lost it by the rebellion of our senses and inferiour powers , which have usurpt the government of us ever since . Here is the imperfection , and corruption of our natures . Now Religion designs to remove and cure these ; and to restore us to our first , and happy state . It s business is not to reform our looks , and our language ; or to model our actions , and gestures into a devout appearance ; not only to restrain the practice of open prophaness and villany ; nor to comfort us with the assurance of Gods loving us we know not why : But to cure our ill natures , to govern our passsions , to moderate our desires , to throw out pride and envy , and all uncharitable surmisals , with the other spiritual sorts of wickedness ; and thereby to make us like unto God , in whom there is no shadow of sin , or imperfection ; and so to render us fit objects of his delight , and love . So that whatever doth not tend to the making us , some way or other really better : better in our selves , and better in all Relations , as fathers , and children , and husbands and wives , and subjects , and governours , and neighbours , and friends , is not Religion ; It may be a form of Godliness , but 't is nothing to the life , and power . And where we see not this effect of Religion , let the professor of it be never so high and glorious in his profession , we may yet conclude that either his Religion is not good , or that he only pretends , and really hath it not . This I take to be a consideration of great moment and great certainty , viz. That Christian Religion aims at the bettering and perfecting of our natures . For the things it commands relate either to worship or virtue . The instances of external worship are prayer , and praise ; both which are high acts of gratitude and justice , and they fit us for divine blessings , and keep us under a sense of God , and prepare us for union with him , which is the highest perfection of which the creature is capable . Thus the outward acts of worship tend to our happiness ; and the inward do infinitely the same . These are , Faith , and Love , and Fear . Faith in God supports and relieves us in all afflictions , and distresses . The love of him is a pleasure and solace to us in all losses and disappointments , since he is an object most filling , and satisfying ; and one that cannot be lost , except we wilfully thrust him from us . Fear of God hath no torment ; 'T is no slavish dread of his greatness and Power ; but a reverence of his perfections , and a lothness to offend him ; and this disposeth us also for the communications of his grace , and love , Ps. 85.9 . And this it doth by congruity , and its own nature ; which is to be said likewise of the others . So that they would make those happy that practise them , whether they had been positively enjoyn'd , or not ; And though no express rewards had been annext unto them . There are other two acts of worship which Christianity requires , which are instituted and positive , & respect Christ our Lord ; They are , the Sacraments ; Baptism , and the Lords Supper ; both which are holy Rites of high signification ; and seals of an excellent Covenant between God and us , assuring us of pardon of sins , and all divine favours , upon the conditions of our Faith. and repentance ; and more firmly obliging us to holy obedience , and dependence ; The only way in which we can be happy . Whence we see briefly , that all the parts of worship which Christianity binds upon us , tend to our perfection and Felicity . And all the vertues that it commands do the same ; both those that respect us in a personal capacity , and those others that relate to us as members of Societies . Thus humility , recommended Mat. 5. 3. Meekness blest , ver . 5. purity , ver 8. are vertues that accomplish our particular persons , and make us happy in our selves . For of Pride cometh Conteution , Prov. 13. 10. And a great part of our troubles arise from stomach and self-will ; which humility cures . Meekness also takes away the occasion of the numerous mischiefs we run into through the rage and disorder of our passions ; and 't is in it selfe a great beauty and ornament , since it ariseth from the due order , and goverment of our faculties . Purity which comprehends temperance of all sorts , frees us from the tormenting importunity of those desires that drag us out of our selves , and expose us to sin , and folly , and temptation , and make us exceeding miserable ; besides which it is a perfection that renders us like unto God , and the blest Spirits of the highest rank . And Christian vertues do not only accomplish , and make us happy in our particular persons , but they do the same in our publique capacities , the more publick capacity also ; They dispose us to a quiet obedience to our governours without murmuring , and complaining ; and thereby the publique peace is secured ; and all good things else in that . But there are other vertues that Christianity enjoyns , which have a more direct tendency to the happiness of others , as Justice , Mat 7. 12. Charity , 1 Cor. 13. Loyalty . Rom. 13. and all other publique vertues may , I think , be comprehended under these . Where there is no Justice , every man preys upon another , and no mans property is safe , Where Charity is wanting , Jealousies , hatreds , envying , back-bitings , and cruelties abound , which render the world deplorably unhappy . Where there is not Loyalty and conscionable submission to Governours , the publick is upon every occasion of commotion , involv'd in infinite miseries , and disasters . So that all the precepts of our Religion are in their own nature proper instruments to make us happy ; and they had been methods of Felicity to be chosen by all reasonable creatures , though they had never been required by so great , and so sacred an Authority . These things I have said , because I could not choose but take this occasion to recommend the excellency , and reasonableness of our Religion ; And I have done it but only in brief hints , because it ariseth but upon a Corollary from my main subject , and from this I infer further . ( III. ) That Christanity is the height , and perfection of morality . They both tend to the real bettering , and accomplishment of humane nature : But the rules and measures of moral Philosophy were weak and imperfect till Christ Jesus came ; He confirmed and enforced all those precepts of vertue , that were written upon our hearts ; and cleared them from many corruptions that were grown upon them , through ignorance and vice , the glosses of the Jews , and false conceits of the Gentiles ; and he inforced them anew by his Authority and the knowledge he gave of divine aids , and greater rewards , and punishments , than were understood before ; yea he enlarged them in some instances ; such as , loving enemies and forgiving injuries . Thus Christ Jesus taught morality , viz. the way of living like men ; And the 5. Chapture of Mathew is an excellent Lecture of this kind . So that to disparage morality , is to disgrace Christianity it self ; and to vilifie one of the ends of Christs coming into the world . For all Religion and all duties respect either God , our neighbour , or our selves ; & the duties that relate to these two last , are acknowledg'd moral vertues . The Apostle St. James counted these Moralities of visiting the Widow and Fatherless , to be the pure Religion and undefiled . Jam. 1. 17. And the prophet Micah intimates , that those moral vertues of Justice and mercy were some of the main things that God required of us Micah 6. 8. Our Saviour saith that the whole Law is summ'd up in these two , to love God with all our souls , and our neighbour as our selves , Math. 22. 13 which latter contains the duties of morality . And that which the grace of God in the Gospel teacheth , according to St. Paul is , to live soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world , Tit. 2. 11 , There is no godliness without morality . All the fruits of the Spirit reckon'd up Gal. 5. 22. are moral vertues . And when we are commanded to grow in grace , 2 Pet , 3. 18. vertue is partly understood . For one branch of what is call'd Grace in us , is moral vertue , produced by divine aids , Christian principles , and incouragements ; though 't is true , the word is extended to those duties that relate immediately to God also . By which we see how ignorantly , and dangerously those people talk , that disparage morality as a dull , lame thing of no account , or reckoning . Upon this the Religion of the second Table is by too many neglected ; and the whole mystery of the new Godliness is lay'd in frequent hearing , and devout seraphick talk , luscious phancies , new lights , incomes , manifestations , sealings , in-dwellings , and such like . Thus Antinomianism , and all kinds of Phanaticism have made their way by the disparagement of morality , and men have learnt to believe themselves the chosen , pretious people , while their hearts have been full of malice , and bitterness , and their hands of violence , while they despised dominions , and spake evil of dignities , rebel'd against the Government , destroyed publique peace , and endeavoured to bring all into misery and confusions . 'T is this diabolical project of dividing morality from Religion that hath given rise and occasion to all these villanies . And while the Practisers of such things have assumed the name of the only Godly , Godlyness it self hath been brought into disgrace by them ; and Atheism incouraged to shew it self , in open defiance to Religion , Yea , through the indiscretions , and inconsiderateness of some preachers , the phantastry , and vain babble of others , and the general disposition of the people to admire what makes a great shew , and pretends to more than ordinary spirituality ; things are , in many places , come to that pass , that those who teach Christian vertue & Religion , in plainness and simplicity without sensless phrases , and fanyastick affectations , shall be reckon'd for dry moralists , and such as understand nothing of the life , and power of Godliness . Yea , those people have been so long used to gibberish and canting , that they cannot understand plain sense ; and vertue is become such a stranger to their ears , that when they hear : it spoken of in a pulpit they count the preacher a broacher of new divinity ; and one that would teach the way to heaven by Philosophy : And he escapes well , if they do not say , That he is an Atheist ; or that he would reconcile us to Gentilism , and Heathen Worship . The danger and vanity of which ignorant humour , the contempt of morality , is apparent in the whole scope of my Discourse , and therefore I add no more concerning it here ; but proceed to another Inference , which is . ( IV. ) That Grace and the new nature , make their way by degrees on the Soul ; for the difficulties will not be removed nor the corrupt nature fubdued all at once . Habits that grow by repeated acts , time , and continuance , will not be expelled in a moment . No man can become greatly evil or good , on a sudden . The Path of the just shines more and more to to a perfect day , Prov. 4. 18 , We do not jump from darkness into full light , We are not fully sanctified and converted in an instant . The day begins in an insensible dawn , and the Kingdom of heaven is like a grain of Mustard seed , Mat. 13. 31. It doth not start up presently to the stature of a tree . The Divine birth begins like the Natural , in an imperfect embryo . There are some seeds of Knowledge and Goodness that God hath sown in our natures ; these are excited by the Divine Grace and Spirit to convictions , which proceed to purposes ; these to resolutions , and thence we pass to abstinence from all gross sins , and the performance of outward Duties ; and so at last by degrces , to vigorous attempts , for the destruction of evil habits and inclinations . When Grace is arrived to this eminent growth , 't is very visible , as the Plant is when 't is above the ground . But the beginnings of Conversion are not ordinarily perceived . So that to catechize men about the punctual time , and circumstances of their Conversion , is an idle device , and a great temptation to vanity and lying . Who can tell the exact moment when the night ends , and the dawn enters ? 'T is true indeed , the passage from the excesses of Wickedness , which begins in some extraordinary horrors and convictions , is sometimes very notable ; but 't is not so in all , or most . The time of St. Paul's conversion was eminent , but that change was from great contrarieties and miraculous , and therefore 't is not to be drawn into instance . Both the beginnings and minute progressions of Grace , are usually undiscerned : We cannot see the Grass just putting out of the earth ; or actually growing ; but yet we find that it doth both . And Grace is better known in its fruits , than in its rise . By their Fruits ye shall know them , saith our Saviour , Mat. 12. 33. and the same way we may know our selves . ( V. ) We see that there is an Animal , as well as a Divine Religion : A Religion that is but the effect and modification of complexion , natural fear and self-love . How far these will go , we have seen , and how short it will prove in the end . The not noting this hath been the sad occasion of deceiving many . Some observing great beats of zeal and devotion in the modern Pharisees , take these to be the Saints and good people ; believing all the glorious things which they assume to themselves : When others , that know them to be envious and malitious , unjust , and covetous , proud and ungovernable , and cannot therefore look on them as such choice holy people , are apt to affirm all to be hypocrisie and feigning . In which sentences , both are mistaken for want of knowing that there is a meer Animal Religion , that will produce very specious and glorious effects ; So that though the Pharisee Prays vehemently , and Fasts severely , and talks much of the love of God , and delights greatly in hearing , and pious . Discourse , and will suffer all things for what he calls his Conscience ; yet he is not to be concluded a Saint from hence , because the meer Animal Religion may put it self forth in all these expressions . And though this Professor be a bad man , proud and covetous , malicious and censorious , Sacrilegious and Rebellious , yet we cannot thence be assured that he is an Hypocrite , in one sense , viz. such an one as feigns all that he pretends : But we may believe that he is really so affected with Hearing and Praying , and devout Company , as he makes shew , and yet for all this , not alter our opinion of his being an evil man : since the Animal Religion will go as far as the things in which he glories . There is nothing whereby the common people are drawn more easily into the wayes of Sects and Separations , than by the observation of the zeal and devotion of those of the factions : These they take to be Religion , and the great matters of Godliness , and those the religious and only godly people . And so first they conceive a great opinion of them , and then follow them whithersoever they lead . For the generality of men are tempted into Schism and Parties , not so much by the arguments of dissenters , as by the opinion of their Godliness , which opinion is grounded upon things which may arise from the meer Animal Religion , and very commonly do so . This they understand not , and by this ignorance are betrayed into the snare of Separation , to the disturbance of the Peace of the Church , and their own great hurt and inconvenience . Whereas could they be made to know and consider , that complexion and natural passions may bring forth all these fruits , they might be secured by this means against the tempting imposture ; and learn that Meekness and Patience , Affability and Charity , Justice , and a Peaceable , humble temper , are better arguments of Saintship than all these . Thus a great mischief might be prevented ; and there is another that might be remedied by the same Observation : The inconvenience is this , While the enemies of Factions object Hypocrisie to them , affirming that all they do and say , is meer personating and pretence ; they confirm and settle those people in their way ; for many of them know , that they are in earnest , and consequently , that their opposers are mistaken in their judgments concerning them ; by which they are better establisht in their own good opinion , and hardned against conviction whereas , did they consider such things as I have suggested , about the Animal Religion , and grant to them that they may be serious , believe themselves infinitely , and feel all those Warmths , which they pretend , and yet be evil men , and far enough from being Godly ; Did they shew them , that all their zeal and Devotion , and more and greater than theirs , may arife from a principle that hath nothing Divine and supernatural in it : They would thereby strike them in the right vein , and bring them down from the high perch , whereon , by their false marks , they had placed themselves ; and thereby disabuse them , and prevent the abuse of others . ( VI. ) We see how we may know our state , whether it be that of Grace and Life ; or the other sad one of Vnregeneracy and Death . The state of Grace is a motion towards the recovery of the Divine Image , and a perfect victory over our selves , and all corrupt inclinations and affections , The state of Vnregeneracy and Death , is the continuance under the power and prevalency of sense , passion , and evil habits . Now when 't is question'd by our selves in which of these states we are ; it must be supposed that we are arrived at something of Religion : For the grosly wicked cannot but know what their condition is . And the way I would propose to those others , who are yet uncertain , is this , viz. To take notice , Whether they really design , and make any progress in Goodness . Every motion indeed cannot be felt or perceived ; but if we go on , though never so insensibly , time will shew that we are grown . If we consider what are our particular defects , and studiously apply proper instruments to remove them : if we find success in those indeavours , and that we are better this year than we were the former ; That our Passions are better governed , and our inordinate affections more restrained , and our evil habits and inclinations less powerful with us , 't is an infallible sign , that we live and are in a state of Grace ; that we shall at last arrive to a perfect man in Christ Jesus , Eph. 4. 13. and shall ●attain if we faint not , 2 Cor. 4. 1. whereas on the other hand , if we come to some hopeful pitch , and stand still there ; if sin and temptation be as powerful with us now , as they were a year ago , and our inclinations and passions just at the same pass ; we are in a bad state , and dead . While the Plant grows , it lives , and may become a great tree , though at present it be but small : whereas that whose stature is bigger , and more promising , if it proceeds not , decayes and comes to nothing . Though we are imperfect , if we are striving and going towards perfection , God overlooks our . Infirmities , and pardons them for Christ's sake . This is our sincerity , and an effect of true Faith. But if on the other hand , we think our selves well , and do not always attempt forwards , our state is bad , and our sins will be imputed : Be our pretences what they will , our Faith is not sincere , and will not stead us . When we get to a certain pitch in Religion , and make that our state , 't is an argument that our Religion was meerly Animal ; and but a mode of complexion , self-love , and natural fear . When we overcome some sins , and are willing to spare and cherish others , 't is a sign that we are not sincere in our attempts upon any , and that what we have done , was not performed upon good and divine motives . Sincerty is discovered by growth , and this is the surest mark that I know of Tryal , So that we have no reason to presume , though , as we think , we have gone a great way , if we go not on . Nor on the other side , have we any to dispair , though our present attainments are but small , if we are proceeding . The buds and tenderest blossoms of Divine Grace , are acceptable to God ; when the fairest leaves of the meer Animal Religion are nothing in his esteem . This is a great advantage we have from the Gospel , that imperfection will be accepted , where there is sincerity ; whereas according to the measures of exact and rigorous Justice , no man could be made happy in the high degree of glory , but he that was perfect , and whose victories were absolute . ( VII . ) It may be collected from our Discourse , Wherein the Power of Godliness consists , viz. In a progress towards perfection , and an intire victory over all the evils of our Natures . The Forms of Godliness are not only in the ceremonies of Worship , and external actions of feigned Piety ; But all the fine things of the Animal Religion are of this kind ; and they are the worst sort : By the grosser Forms men hardly deceive others ; by these they effectually gull themselves . So that many that vehemently oppose Forms , are the greatest Formalists . Forms of Worship may well agree with the Power of Godliness ; whenas zeal against Forms , may be a Form it self ; whatever makes shew of Religion , and doth not make us better , that 's a Form , at least to us . There are Spiritual Forms , as well as those of the other sort , and these are most deadly . Poyson is worst in Aqua Vitae . He that speaks his Prayers ex tempore with vehemence and lowdness , if he strive not against his ill nature and self-will , is as much a Formalist , as he that tells his Prayers by his Beads , and understands not one word he saith . And those that run away from Forms in Churches , meet more dangerous ones in Barns and private corners . Orthodox Opinions , devout Phrases , set Looks , melting Tones , affected Sighs , and vehement Raptures , are often meer Forms of Godliness , that proceed from the Animal Religion , which it self is a Form likewise . O that the observers of so many motes in their Brethrens eyes , would learn to throw out the Beames of their own ! The Form of Godliness that pretends it self to be no more , is not so hurtful : But the Formes , that call themselves the Power , are deadly . 'T is the Formality and Superstition of Separatists that keeps on the Separation : They contend for phancies and arbitrary trifles ; We for order and obedience . The people are abused by names , and being frighted by the shadows of Superstition and Formality , they run into the worst Formality , and silliest Superstition in the World. The Kingdom of Heaven consists not in meats and drinks , Rom. 14. 17. neither in Circumcision , nor Vncircumcision , 1 Cor. 7. 19. not in zeal for little things , nor in zeal against them ; both the one and the other are equally formal . The power of Religion lies in using Divine aids heartily and constantly , in order to the overcoming the Difficulties of our way . This Godliness is not exercised so much in reforming others , as our selves : The chief design is to govern within , and not to make Laws for the World without us , This is that Wisdom that is from above , which is pure and peaceable . Jam. 3. 17. It makes no noise and bluster abroad , but quietly minds its own business at home . So that certainly the best men have not always had the greatest fame for Godliness ; as the wisest have very seldom been the most popular . They are the effects of the Animal Religion that make the biggest fhew . The voice of true Religion is heard in quiet , it sounds not in the corners of the street . The power of Godliness is seen in Justice , Meekness Humility , and Charity , things that look not so splendidly as the Spiritual Forms . And thus of the Inferences and Corollaries that may be drawn from my Discourse , which though they cannot all be inferred from any of its minute and seperated parts , yet they lie in the design and contexture of the whole . I Come now to the Advice for Practice . The way of Happiness is difficult , but the difficulties may be overcome by striving . A little will not do ; many seekers are shut out ; what remains then , but that we perswade our selves to strive , and that diligently ; with constant resolution and endeavour ? We were made for Happiness , and Happiness all the World seeks : Who will shew us any good ? Psal. 4. 6. is the voice of all the Creatures . We have sought it long in emptiness , and shadows ; and that search hath still ended in shame and disappointment . Where true substantial Felicity is we know , and the Way we know , Joh. 14. 4. It is not hid from us in Clouds and thick Darkness ; or if it were , 't were worth our pains to search after it . It is not at so great a distance , but it may be seen , yea , it may be brought so neer as to be felt . Though the way is streight , yet 't is certain ; or if it were otherwise , who would not venture his pains upon the possibility of such an issue ? Many Difficulties are in it ; but our Encouragements and Assistances are infinite . The love of God , and the gift of his son ; the blood of Christ , and his intercession ; the aids of the Spirit , and the directions of the Gospel ; the Invitations and Promises , the rare Precepts , and incomparable Examples of those holy men that have gone before us : These are mighty helpes and great motives to assist us in striving , and to quicken us to it . Let us then arise in the strength of Faith , and in the encouragement of those aids , and attempt with courage upon the Difficulties of our way . Let us ingage our deepest Resolutions , and most diligent endeavours . Here is no need to deliberate , the things are necessary , the benefits unspeakable , and the event will be glorious . It is no Question , I hope , whether God , or the Creature is to be first chosen ; whether Heaven or Hell be better ? and therefore there is no cause that we should stay and consider ; we cannot be rash here , we cannot hurt our selves by a too sudden ingagement ; we have delayed too long already , and every moment we sit still , is one lost to our Duty , and our Happiness . Let us resolve then , and begin with courage , and proceed with diligence , 't is our End and Felicity for which we are to strive ; and every thing is active for its End and Perfection . All Creatures are diligent in serving the Designs of Providence ; the Heavens are in restless motion , and the Clouds are still carrying about their fruitful Waters ; the sluggish Earth it self is always putting forth in variety of Trees , and Grass , and Flowers ; the Rivers run towards the Sea , the Brooks move towards them , and the Sea within it self . Thus all things even in inanimate Nature may mind us of acting towards our end . And if we look a little higher , the Beasts of the Field , the Fowls , and Cattel , and creeping things are diligent in striving after the good and perfection of their Natures , and Solomon sends the Sluggard to those little Insects , the Ant and Bee , to teach him activity and diligence , Prov. 6.6 . And shall the Beasts act more reasonably than the professed Sons of Reason ? May it not shame us , that we need Instruction from the Creatures that have no understanding ? With what face can we carry our heads so high , and look down with contempt upon inferiour Animals , when they live more wisely and more regularly than we ? The Sum is , All things are incessantly moving towards an End ; and Happiness is ours , which therefore should ingage our most careful Thoughts , and most active Endeavours We are sollicitous and diligent about things of infinitely less moment , and in effect of none , viz. uncertain Riches , sensual Pleasures , and worldly Honours ; though the way to these is sufficiently difficult and uneasie , yet we are not discouraged ; we attempt all those Difficulties with an obstinate Courage , though without promise of any equal assistance , or assurance of success . We are often defeated in our pursuits , and yet we go on . We are overmaster'd by cross events , and yet we try again . We miss our happiness , when we have attain'd our end , and yet we are as active in courting disappointment another time ; either we attain not the things we seek , or find no true satisfaction in them , or they die in our hands presently , and yet we strive . And doth not this activity about uncertain , unsatisfying Trifles , shamefully reprove our Negligence in reference to our great End , Happiness and Perfection ? In striving for which we have all the powers of Heaven to aid us , and the Word of God , and the Blood of his Son , and the experience of all that ever try'd , to assure us that we shall neither fail of the things we seek , nor of the pleasure that we expect from them . And why then do we lazily sit down , and with the Sluggard say , There is a Lion in the way , while we despise greater discouragements , when vain things are to be sought ? The Merchant doth not give off , because there are Storms , and the numerous Dangers of the Deep to be met with in his way to the Indies ; nor the Souldier lay by his Arms , because of the hazards and toils of War. And do we act courageously for petty purchases ; and faint and despond when we are to strive for Crowns and eternal Glories ? 'T is true indeed our own natural strength is small , in proportion to the Difficulties we are to encounter ; but the Grace of God is sufficient for us , 2 Cor. 12.9 . and we may do all things through Christ that strengthens us , Phil. 4. 13. Nature is weak , and imperfect , but we are not left in the condition of meer nature : For we are not under the Law but under Grace , Rom. 6. 14. We are under the influences of the holy Spirit , which will remove the mountains , and plain the way before us , if we take care to engage those aids by Faith and sincere endeavour . For this we may be sure of , that God will never be wanting to us , if we are not so unto our selves , So that the case as to our natural inability , and the assistance of Gods Spirit , seems to be thus . A man in a Boat is cartied from the Harbour he designs , by the violence of the Current ; he is not able only by playing the Oar , to overcome the resistance of the Tide ; but a gen tle Gale blows with him , which will not of it self carry him up against the Torrent : Neither of them will do it single : But if he hoist the sail , and use the Oar too , this united force prevails ; and he gets happily to the Harbour , This methinks resembles our Condition ; we are carried down the Torrent of evil inclinations and Affections , our own unaided powers are too little for that great force : but the Holy Spirit is with us , It breaths upon us , and is ready to assist , if we are so to use it , and by the superaddition and ingagement of those blessed Aids , there is no evil in our natures but may be overcome . So that we have no reason to be discouraged at the apprehension of our impotence , out of weakness we shall he made strong Heb. 11. 24. If we imploy our Talent , though it be but a very small one , we shall have more , Mat. 25. 29. And if we accept of those divine helps , and use them , what was before , to meer natural consideration , uneasie , will be pleasant and sweetly relishing . One of the greatest Difficulties in the way of Religion , is to begin : the first steps are roughest to those feet that have been unaccustomed to it . The helps and manifold incouragements we shall meet with in the Progress , will render it more agreeable and delightsome . Those very toils will be grateful ; there is scarce any great sense of pleasure , but where there is some Difficulty and Pain . Even our Work it self will be Wages . And 't is not only the End of Wisdom that is pleasantness , but the very way , Prov. 3. 17. So that though we are call'd upon to strive , and to run , and to fight , ( which words import Labour ) yet we are not required to Quit our pleasures , but to change the objects of them ; to leave the delights of Swine for those of Angels ; sensual for spiritual Satisfactions . Thus all things encourage , and invite us to strive ; God calls upon us , and our own Interests call ; Christ Jesus came to ingage us to this Work , and the Holy Spirit waits to assist it . If notwithstanding all this , we sit still , our Negligence will be inexcusable and fatal : or if we arise and go a little forward , and then lay us down to take our ease and rest , our state ( in the judgment of one that knew ) will be worse , more desperate , and excuseless , 2. Pet. 2. 21. I Conclude all then , in the words of the Blessed Apostle , 1. Cor. 15. Therefore my beloved Brethren , be ye stedfast , unmoveable , always abounding in the work of the Lord , forasmuch as ye know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord : To him be Glory and Honour henceforth , and for ever . Amen . FINIS . Books published by Mr. Glanvil . ESSAYES on several important Subjects in Philosophy and Theology . Seasonable Reflections and Discourses in order to the Cure of the Scoffing and Infidelity of a degenerate Age. Lux Orientalis ; being a modest Philosophical Enquiry into the Doctrine of Pre-existence . Catholick Charity , recommended in a Sermon before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London . A Fast-Sermon on the King's Martyrdome . An Earnest Invitation to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper . The Way of Happiness , represented in its Difficulties and Encouragements , and free'd from many popular and dangerous mistakes . 
A65610	----	The redemption of time, or, A sermon containing very good remedies for them that have mis-spent their time shewing how they should redeem it comfortably / by William Whately ... ; now published for general good by Richard Baxter. Whately, William, 1583-1639. 1673 Approx. 126 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 66 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A65610 Wing W1590 ESTC R38583 17802451 ocm 17802451 106619 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A65610) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 106619) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1109:4) The redemption of time, or, A sermon containing very good remedies for them that have mis-spent their time shewing how they should redeem it comfortably / by William Whately ... ; now published for general good by Richard Baxter. Whately, William, 1583-1639. Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. [36], 94 p. Printed for Francis Tyton ..., London : 1673. Preface signed: Rich. Baxter. Reproduction of original in the Cambridge University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Redemption. Salvation. Christian life. 2003-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-02 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-06 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2003-06 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-08 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE REDEMPTION OF TIME OR , A SERMON containing very good Remedies for them that have mis-spent their time : shewing how they should redeem it comfortably . By WILLIAM WHATELY , Preacher and Minister of Banbury in Oxfordshire . Now published for general good by RICHARD BAXTER . Psalm 90.12 . Lord teach us to number our daies , that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom . LONDON , Printed for Francis Tyton , at the Three Daggers in Fleet-street . 1673. THE PREFACE . THE usual vice of humane nature , to be weary of good things , when they grow old and common , and to call for novelties , is especially discernable in mens esteem and use of Books . Abundance of old ones are left neglected to the worm● and dust , whilest new ones of far less worth are most of the Book-sellers trade and gain . It is not easie to give a reason of it , but it is not to be denyed , that this age hath few such Writers as the last , either controversal or Practical . Even among the Papists , there are now few such as Suarez , Vasquez , Valen●●● , Victoria , Penottus , Ruiz , Alvarez , Bellarmine , &c. And among us , too few such as Iewel , Whittaker , Reignolds , Field , Usher , White , Challoner , Chillingworth , &c. which the Papists understanding , would fain have the monuments of these worthies forgotten ; and are calling for new answers to the schisme that have been so long agoe confuted ; to keep those old unanswerable writings , from the peoples hands . And thus doth the envious enemy of holiness , by the Practical writings of those holy men who are now w●th God. The solid , grave , and pious labours of Rich. Rogers , Perkins , Greenham , Deering , Dent , Smith , Dod , Hildersham , Downame , Sam. Ward , Hall , Bolton , Dike , Sto●ke , Elton , Tailor , Harris , Preston , Sibs , Ball and many more such , are by the most neglected , as if we were quite above their parts ; But it were well if more injudicious or undigested writings possessed not their room . Though I may hereby censure my self as much as others , I must needs say , that the reprinting of many of our Fathers writings , might have saved the labour of writing many later Books , to the greater commodity of the Church . Among the rest , I well remember that even in my youth ( and since much more ) the writings of Mr. Whateley were very savoury to me : especially his New-Birth , his Care-cloth , and his Sermon of Redeeming Time. And finding this last now hardly to be got , when yet the necessity of it is increased , and knowing of no other , that hath done that work so well , I have desired the Printer to vindicate it from oblivion , and benefit the world with the reviving of so profitable ( though small ) a Treatise . I must so far venture on the displeasure of the guilty , as to say , that the doleful condition of two sorts of persons , the SENSUAL GENTRY , and the idle Beggars , is it that hath compelled me to this service : but especially of the former sort , who though slothful , may possibly be drawn to read so small a Book : What man that believeth a life hereafter , and considereth the importance of our busin●ss upon earth , and observeth how most persons , but especially our sensual Gentry , live , can chuse but wonder that ever Reason can be so far lost , and even self-love and the care of their own everlasting state , so laid asleep , as mens great contempt of Time declareth ! Ladies and Gentlewomen , it is you whom I most deeply pity and lament : Think not that I am too bold with you : God , who employeth us on such service , will be bolder with you than this comes to . And Christ was bold wi●h su●h as you , when he spake the Histories or Parables of the two Rich men in Luke 12. and Luke 16. And when he told men how hardly the Rich should enter into the Kingdom of Heaven . And Iames was b●ld with such when he wrote , Chap. 5. Go too now , ye Rich m●n , weep and ●owl for your miseries that shall come upon you : Your Riches are corrupted , and your garments Mo●heaten : Your gold and silver is cankered , and the rust of them shall be a witness against you , and shall eat your flesh as it were fire , &c. — Yee have lived in pleasure on earth , and been wanton : Ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter . — And he was neither ignoble nor unlearned , but of Honourable birth , and the Orator of an University , who was so bold with the English Gentry ( when they say , they were much wiser and better than they are ▪ now ) as to be speak them thus — ( Herbert's Church-porch . ) " Fly Idleness ; which yet thou canst not flye . " By dressing , mistressing , and complement : " If those take up the day , the Sun will cry " Against thee ; for his light was only lent : " God gave thy soul brave wings ; put not those feathers " Into a bed to sleep out all ill weathers . " O England ! full of sin , but most of slo●h ! " Spit out thy phlegm , and fill thy breast with glory ! " Thy Gentry bleats , as if thy native cloth , " Transfus'd a sh●epishness into thy story . " Not that they all are so , but that the most , " Are gone to grass , and in the pasture lost . " This loss springs chiefly from our education , " Some till their ground , but let weeds choak their son : " Some mark a Partridge ; never their childs fashion : " Some ship them ●ver , and the thing is done . " Study this art : make it thy great design : " And if Gods Image move thee not , let thine . " Some great estates provide ; but do not breed " A mast'ring mind ; so both are lost thereby . " Or else they breed them tender ; make them need " All that they leave : this is flat poverty . " For he that needs five hundred pounds to live , " Is full as poor as he that needs but five . When I peruse the map of Sodome in Ezek. 16 49 , 50. methinks I am in an infected City , where instead of [ LORD HAVE MERCY ON US ] is written on the GENTRY's doors [ PRIDE , FULNESS OF BREAD , ABUNDANCE OF IDLENESS , UNMERCI●U●NESS AND ABOMINATION . ] B●hold this was the iniquity of thy s●st●● ●od me , pride , fulness of bread , and abundance of idleness was in her , and in he● daughters , neither did she strengthen the ●a●d of the poor and needy : and they were haughty and committed abomination before me ] The title over the leaves of these verses might be [ THE CHARACTER OF THE SENSUAL GENTRY . ] Mistake me not , I am so far from accusing all the Rich and Honourable , that I must say it is as a testimony against the rest , that I know many such who spend their Time as fruitfully and diligently as the poor ( though in another sort of service : ) And such might the rest have been if their Bodies had not got the mastery of their Souls . It is not your PRIDE or FULNESS of BREAD that I am now to speak of , but your IDLENESS . Many of the old Philosophers thought that when sickness or age had made one unserviceable to the Common-wealth , it was a shame to live , and a duty to make away themselves ; as being but un●rofi●able burdens to the world . Christians are not of their mind , because it is a mercy even under pain to have time of preparation for another world , and because we may serve God in Patience and Heavenly desires and Hope , when we cannot serve him by an active life : But Christians and Heathens will proclaim those persons , to be the shame of Nature , who wilfully make thems●lves unprofitable , and live in their hea●●h a● if they were d●s●bled by sickness ; and are condemned by their se●suality to a prison , or a grave : so that their Epitaph may be written on their door , HERE LYETH SUCH A ONE , rather than it can be said that Here he liveth . O what a rock is a ha●dened heart ! How can you chuse but tremble when you think how you spend your dai●s ? and how all this time must be accounted for ? That those that have a death and judgement to prepare for , a Heaven to get , a Hell to scape , and souls ro save , can waste the day in careless idleness , as if they had no business in the world , and yet their consciences never tell them what they do , and how all this must be reviewed ? Compare together the life of a Christian , and of a fleshly bruit , and you will see the difference . Suppose then both Ladies and Gentlewomen of the same rank : The one riseth as early as is consistent with her health ; with thoughts of thankfulness and love , her heart a●so awaketh , and rise●h up to him that night and day preserveth her : she quickly dispatcheth the dressing of her body , as intending no more but serviceable warm●h , and modest decency : and then she betaketh her self to her closet , where she poureth out her soul in confession , supplication , thanksgiving and praise to God , her Creator , Redeemer and Sanctifier : And as one that delighteth in the Law of the Lord , she reverently openeth the sacred Scriptures , and readeth over some part of it , with some approved Commenta●y at hand , in which she may see the sense of that , which of her self she could not understand : What is plain , she taketh in , digesteth ▪ and layeth up for practice : And that which is too hard for her , as a humble learner she waiteth in patience , till by her Teachers help in time she can come to understand it . As she hath leisure , she readeth such holy Books , as interpret and apply the Scriptures , to inlighten her mind , and resolve her will , and quicken her affections , and direct her practice . And as she liveth in an outward Calling or course of Labour , in which her Body , as well as her Mind , may have employment , she next addresseth her ●elf to that ; she looketh with prudence and carefulness to her family ! she taketh care of her servants labours , and their manners : Neither suffering any to live in idleness , nor yet so over-labouring them , as to deny them some time to read the Scriptures , and call upon God , and mind their souls : She endureth no prophane despisers of Piety , or vicious persons in her house : She taketh fit seasons to speak to her servants such sober words of holy counsel , as tend to instruct and save their souls : She causeth them to learn the principles of Religion in some Catechism , and to read such good Books as are most suitable to their capacity . In her affairs , she avoideth both so●bid parsimony , and wastful prod●gality ; and is thrifty and sparing , not in covetousness , but that she may do the more good to them that want : She indulgeth no excess or riotousness in her house , though the vices of the times should make it seem need●ul to her honour . If she want recreation , or have leisure for more work , she steps out to her poor Tenants and neighbours houses , and seeth how they live , and what they want , and speaketh to them some sober words of counsel about the state of their immortal souls , and stirreth them up to a holy ●ife : She caus●th the sou●s of the poor to bless her , and is an example of piety to all about her . But h●r special care and labour is in the education of her children ( if she have any : ) She watcheth over them , lest the company , and example , and language of ungod●y persons should infect them . She causeth them to read the Scriptures , and other holy Books , and to learn the princip●es of Rel●gion , and tea●heth them how to call upon God , and give him thanks for all his mercies : She acquainteth them with the sins of their depraved natures , and laboureth to humble them in the sense th●reof : She opene●h to them the Doctrine of mans salvation by Christ , and the necessity of a new birth , and of a heavenly nature : She disgraceth all sin to them , especially the radical master-sins , even ignorance , unbelief , selfishness , pride , sensuality and voluptuousness , the love of this world , and unholiness of heart and life : She sweetly and seriously insinuateeth into them the love and liking of faith and holiness ; and frequently enlargeth her spèech to them of the Greatness , Wisdom , and Goodness of God , and what he is to man , and how absolute●y we owe him a●l the service , obedience and love , that our faculties can possibly perform : She sweetneth their thoughts of God and Godliness , by telling them what God hath done for man , and what he will be to his own for ever : and by acquainting them with the reasons of a holy life , and the folly of ungodly men , and what a beastly thing it is to be sensual , and to pamper and please this flesh , which must shortly turn to dust , and to neglect a soul which must live for ever . She remembreth them oft that th●y must die , and telleth them how great a cha●ge death makes , and how the charge of Regeneration must prepare us for it : She op●●●eth to ●hem the blessedness of holy souls , that shall be for ever with the Lord , and the misery of the damned , who cast away themselves , by the wilful neglect of the tim● of their visitation . In a word , it is her dai●y care and calli●g , to prepare her children for the service of God , and to be blessings to the world in their generation , and to be happy themselves for evermore : and to destroy and prevent that sin and wickedness , which would make them a plague and curse in their generation . Her meals are not lxurious nor long , nor her feastings unnecessary , to the wasting of estate , or precious time ; but seasonable , frugal , charitable and pious , intended to promote some greater good . She keepeth up the constant performance of religious duties in her family ; not m●●king God with formal complement ; but wo●sh●pping him in reverence and serious devotion , reading the holy Scriptures , and seriously calling upon God , and singing to him Psalms of praise . If her mind need recreation , she hath some profitab●e history , or other fruitful books to read , and variety of good works , and a seasonable diversion to the affairs of her family , instead of Cards and D●ce , and the abused fooleries of the sensual world : When she is alone , her thoughts are f●uit●ul to her self ; either examining her heart and life , or looking seriously into eternity , or rejoycing her soul in the remembrance of Gods mercies , or in the foresight of endless blessedness with him , or in stirring up some of his graces in her soul. When she is with others , her words are savoury , sober , seasonable ; as the oracles of God for piety and truth , tending to edification ; and to administer instruction and grace to the hearers , and rebuking the idle ta●k , or filthy scurrility ? ●r backbiting of any that would corrupt the company and discourse . At evening she again returneth to the more solemn worshipping of God , and goeth to rest , as one that still waiteth when she is called to rest with Christ , and is never totally unready for that call . Thus doth she spend her daies , and accordingly doth she end them , being conveyed by Angels into the presence of her Lord , and leaving a precious memorial to the living , the poor lamenting the loss of her charity , and all about lamenting the removal of a pattern of piety and righteousness , and loving holiness the b●tter , ●or the perfume of such a heavenly and amiable an example . On the other side , how d●fferent is the life of the sensual Ladies and Gentlewomen to whom I am now writing . When they have indulged their sloth in unnecessary sleep , till the precious morning hours are past , they arise with thoughts as fruitless as their dreams : Their talk and time , till almost half the day is gone , is taken up only about their childish trifling ornaments : so long are they dressing themselves , that by that time they can but say over , or joyn in a few formal words , which go for prayer , it is dinner time ( for an Image of Religion some of them must have , lest conscience should torment them before the time . ) And when they 〈◊〉 sate out an hour or two at dinner , in gratifying their appetites , and in id●e talk , they must spend the next hour in talk , which is as idle : A savoury word of the life to come , must not trouble them , nor interrupt their fleshly converse : Perhaps they must next go to Cards or Dice , and it may be to a Play house , or at least , on some uprofitable visitation , or some worthless visitors that come to them , must take up the rest of the afternoon , in frothy talk , which all set together comes to nothing , but vanisheth as smoak : And they chuse such company , and such a course of life , as shall make all this seem unavoidable and unnnecessary , and that it would run them into contempt and great inconveniences if they did otherwise . If they look after their affa●●s , it is meerly through covetousness : But more usually they leave that care to others , that they may do nothing that is good for soul or body : They use their servants , as they do their beast● , for their service only ; and converse with them as if they had no souls to save or lose : They teach them by their example to speak vainly , and live sensually , and to forget the life to come : Their children they love but as the bruits do their young : They teach them how to bow and dance , and carry themselves decently in the sight of men ; but never labour to heal their souls of ignorance , unbelief and pride ; nor open to them the matters of everlasting consequence : But rather perswade them that serious holiness is but hypocrisie , and the obedience of Gods Laws is a needless thing . They teach them by their example to curse , and swear , and lye , and rail , and to deride Religion , or at least , to neglect God , and life eternal , and mind only the transitory vanities of this life : They leave them to Satan , to wicked company and counsel , and to their fleshly lusts and pride , and when they have done , take care only to get them suffi●ient maintenance , to feed this sensual fire while they live : They train them up for the service of sin and Satan , that at age they ; may have Igno●ance and Vi●e s●fficient to make them the plagues and misery of their Country , and to engage them in enmity against that Gospel and Ministry which is against their lusts ; that rebelling against Christ , they may have at last the reward of Rebels , instead of salvation . In a word , they do more against their poor childrens souls , than all their enemies i● the world ; if not more than the Devil himself could do , at least ▪ they most eff●ctually serve him , for their childrens damnation . Thus do they spend their daies , and at night conclud● them as carelesly as they begun them : And at death ( without a true conversion ) shall end them as miserably as they spent them sinfully : And while they are pampering their flesh , and saying , I have enough , I will eat , d●ink and be merry , they suddainly hear , Thou fool , this night shall thy soul be required , and then whose shall all this be which thou possessest , Luke 12.19 , 20. And when they have a while been cloathed in Purple and Silks , and fared s●mptuosly every day , th●y must hear at last , Remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things , and Lazarus evil things : but now he is comforted , and thou art tormented . And when the Time which they now despise is g●ne , O what would they give for one other year or hour of such time , to do the work which they now neglected , Luk. 16.24 , 25 , 26. Matth. 25.8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12. Is there not a great difference now between these two sorts of persons , in the expence of Time. And is it any wonder if there be a difference in their rewards . In Matth. 25.30 . It is not on●y [ cast the whoremonger , the drunkard , the perjured , the persecutor ] but [ cast the unprofitable servant into outer ●arkness ; there shall be weeping a●d gnashing of t●eth . ] Compare , I beseech you , the Time which you spend , 1. In idleness . 2. In excessive sleep . 3. In adorning you . 4. In feasting and long meals . 5. In curiosity and pomp , employing most of your servants time in impertinences , as well as your● own . 6 In excessive wordly cares . 7. In vain company and idle talk . 8. In vain thoughts . 9. In sensual recreations , in cards , dice , huntings , hawkings , playes , Romances , fruitless books , &c. I say compare this Time , with the Time which you spend in examining your hearts and lives , and trying your title to eternal life , in bewailing sin , and begging mercy of God , and returning thanks and praise to your great Benefactor , in instructing your children and servants , in visiting the sick , relieving the poor , exhorting one another , in meditating on Eternity and the way thereto , in learning the word and will of God , and in the sanctified labours of your outward calling ; and let your consciences tell you , which of these hath the larger share ? And whether those things which should have none , and those which should have little , have not almost all ? And whether God have not only the leavings of your flesh ? Gentlemen and Ladies , I envy not your pleasures : I have my self a body with its proper appetites , which would be gratified , as well as you ? And I have not wanted opportunity to grat●fie it . If I thought that this were the most manly life , and agreeable to reason , and that we had no greater things to mind , I could thus play away my Time as you do . But it amazeth me to see the worlds stupidity that people who are posting away unto Eternity , and have so much to do in a little time , and of such unconceivable importance , can yet waste their dayes in sleeping , and dressing , and feasting , and complementing ; in pastime and playes , and idle talk , as if they were all but a dream , and their wits were not so far awakened as to know what it is to be a MAN. And to increase our pity , when they have done they ask , [ What harm is there in cards and dice , in stage-playes and Romances ? Is it not lawful to use such and such recreations ? ] suppose they were all unquestionably lawful , Have you no greater matter that while to do ? Have you no more useful Recreations ? that will exercise your bodies and minds more profitably , or at least with less expence of Time ? To a sedentary person , Recreation must be such as stirs the Body : To a Labouring person , variety of good books and pious exercises is a fitter recreation than cards and dice. Is your Recreation but as the Mowers whe●ting of his sythe ? no oftner , nor no longer than is necessary to fit you for those Labours and duties , which must be the great and daily business of your lives ? If this be so , I am not reprehending you ; But I beseech you consider , Have you ●o● souls to regard as well as others ? Have you not a God to serve ? and his word and will to learn and do ? Have you not servants and children to instruct and educate ( And O what a deal of labour do●h their ignorance and obstinacy require ? Have you not death and judgement to prepare for ? Have you not an outward calling to follow ? ( Though I say not that you must do the same labours as the poor , I say that you mast labour and be profitable to the Common-wealth ) Have you not many good works of Charity to do ? And will you leave the most of this undone , and waste your time in playes , and cards , and feasts , and idleness , and then say [ what harm is in all this ? and are they not lawful ? ] O that the Lord would open your eyes , and shew you where you must be ere long , and tell you what wo●k you have here to do , that must be done , or you are lost for ever ; and then you would easily tell your selves , whether playing and fooling away precious Time be lawful for one in your condition ? If your servan●s leave most of their work undone , and spend the day in cards , and stage-playes , and feasting , an● in merry chat , and then say , Mada● , are not cards , and playes , and jesting lawf●l ? ] Will you take it for a satisfactory answer ? And is it not worse that you deal with God ? It is a most irrational and ungrateful errour , to think that you may spend one hours time the more in Idleness , because that you are Rich. The reason were good , if labour were for nothing but to supply your own bod●ly necessities : But do you not believe that God is your Lord and Master ? and that he giveth you not an hours time in vain , but appointeth you work for every hour ? ( except your necessary rest ; ) And that your time and wealth are but his talen●s ? And bethink your selves whether a servant may say , I will do less work than my fellow servants , because I have more wages ? And whether you may do less for God , because he giveth you more than others ? But of this I have said so much in my Preface to my Book called [ The Crucifying of the world ] that I shall now dismiss it . And what I have said especially to the Rich , ( who think their loss of Time no sin , ) I must say also to all others , O value Time before it 's gone ! Use it before it 's taken from you ! Dispatch the work that you were made for : Repent and turn to God unfeignedly : Prepare for death without delay : Time will not stay ; nor will it ever be recovered : Were it not lest I should write a Treatise instead of a Preface , I would especially press this on all these following sorts of people . 1. Those that are young , who have yet the flower of their Time to use , that they cast it not away on child●sh vanity or lust● . 2. Those that have lost much Time already , that they shew the sincerity of their Repentance , by Redeeming the rest , and lose no more . 3. Those that are yet ignorant , ungodly and unprepared for death , and the world to come ; O what need have these to make haste , and quickly get into a safer state , before their Time be at an end . 4. Those that in sickness resolved and promised , if God would recover them , to redeem their Time. 5. The weak and aged , who nature and sickness do call upon to make haste . 6. The poor and servants , whose opportunities for spiritual means are scant , and therefore have need to take them when they may ; especially on the Lords day . Those that live under excellent helps , and advantages for their souls ; which if they neglect , they may never have again . 8. And those that by Office or Power have special opportunity to do good . All these have a double obligation to value and redeem their Time. But because in my Book called NOW or NEVER , I have already urged these to dilige●ce , I shall only add this one request , to sportful Youth , to sensual B●uites , to the idle sort of the Gentry , to impenitent loyterers , to Gamesters , and to all that have Time to spare , that they will soberly use their reason in the answer of these following Questions , before they proceed to waste the little Time that is remaining , as vainly as they have done the rest . And I earnestly beseech them , and require them , as in the sight and hearing of their Judge , that they deny me not so friendly and reasonable a suit . Quest. 1. Do you consider well the shortness and uncertainty of your Time ? You came but lately into the world , and it is but a very little while till you must leave it . The glass is turned upon you : and it is uncessantly ●unning . A certain number of motions your Pulse must beat , and beyond that number it shall not be permitted to strike another stroke . Whatever you are thinking or saying , or doing , you are posting on to your final state : And O how quickly will you be there ! suppose you had seventy years to live , how soon will they be gone ? But you are not sure of another hour . Look back on all your Time that is past , and tell me whether it made not haste ? And that which is to come , will be as hasty . Will not the tolling of the Bell instruct you ? Will not graves and bones , and dust instruct you ? While many are hourly crouding into another world , will conscience permit you to be idle ? Doth it not tell you what you have to do , and call upon you to dispatch it ? Can you play away your time , and idle it away , whilest the bell is tolling , whilest the sick are groaning , whilest every pulse and breath is telling you , that you are hasting to your end ? Do you consider what a wonder of providence it is , that all your humours , parts and organs , that so many arteries , nerves and vains , should be kept in order one year to an end ? If you have no pains or sickness to admonish you , do you not know what a fragile thing is fl●sh ? which as the flower fa●leth , doth hasten to corruption and to dust ? How short is your abode in your present dwelling like to be , in comparison of your abode in dust and darkness ? And can you have while now to waste so many hours , in the adorning , the easing and the pampering of such a lump of rottenness , and forget the part that lives for ever ? Must you stay on earth so short a time , and have you any of this little time to spare ? Yea so much of it as you daily waste , in idleness , play and vain curiosity ? Quest. 2. Do you sober●y consider , what work you have for all your time ? and on how important a business you come into the world ? Believe it , O man and Woman , it is to do all that ever must be done , to prepare for an everlasting life ? Endless Joy or misery is the certain reward , and consequent of the spending of your present Time ! And O that God would open your eyes , to see how much you have to do , in order to this eternal end ! You have ignorant minds which must be instructed , and knowledge is not easily and quickly got ! Poor Ministers of Christ can tell you that , who with many years labour can scarce bring one half a Parish to understand the very Principles of the Christian Religion . You have souls depraved by original sin , and turned from God , and enslaved to the world and flesh ; and these must be renewed and Regenerate : You must have a new and holy nature , that you may have a new and holy life . How many false opinions have you to be untaught ? How many weighty lessons to learn ? How many pernicious customs to be changed ? How many powerful corruptions to be mortified ? How many temptations to be overcome ? How many graces to be obtained ? and then to be exercised , and strengthened , and preserved ? Is it easie to get a solid faith ? a tender heart ? a faithful conscience ? a fervent desire and love to God ? a quieting confidence and trust ? a well guided zeal ? and preserving fear ? an absolute resignation , self-denyal and obedience ? a hatred of all sin ? a love to holiness ? a fitness and ability for every duty ? a love to our neighbour as our selves ? a true love to our enemies ? a contentedness with our condition ? a readiness and joyful willingness to die ? a certainty of the pardon of all our sins , and of our title to e●ernal happiness ? a longing after the coming of Christ ? a publick spirit , wholly devoted to the common good ? Is it nothing to do all that whi●h y●u ●ave to do , in meditation , in self-examinati●n , ●● prayer , in educating children , in teaching and governing your families ; in all duties of your other relations ? to superiours ? to inferiours ? to equals ? to neighbours ? to enemies ? to all ? Is it nothing to order and govern your hearts ? your thoughts ? your passions ? your tongues ? Alas , sirs , have you all this to do ? and yet can you have while to sl●g , and game , and play and fool away your Time ? If a poor man had but six pence in his purse , to buy bread for himself and for his family , and would give a groat of it to see a Poppet-play , and then dispute that Poppet-playes are lawful , how would you judge of his understanding and his practice ? O how much worse is it in you ( as the case is more weighty , ) when you have but a little uncertain Time , to do so much , so great , so necessary works in , to leave it almost all undone , and throw away that Time , on cards and playes and sensuality and idleness ? I tell you , Time is a most pretious thing : more pretious than gold , or jewels , or fine cloaths ; and he is incomparably more foolish , that throws away his Time , than he that throws away his gold , or trampleth his cloaths or ornaments in the dirt . This , this is the foolish pernicious prodigality . Quest. 3. Have you deeply considered that everlasting condition is , which all your Time is given you to prepare for ? Doth it not awaken and amaze thy soul , to think what it is to be for ever ; I say , for ever , in Ioy or Misery ? in Heaven or Hell ? one of these will certainly and shortly be thy portion , whatever unbelief may say against it ? O what a heart hath that stupified sinner , that can ●idle away that little Time , which is allotted him to prepare for his everlasting state ? That knoweth he shall have but this hastly life to win or lose eternal Glory in , and can play it away as if he had nothing to do with it ? and Heaven and Hell were indifferent to him ? or were but insignificant words ? Quest. 4. What maketh you so loth to dye , if Time be no more worth than to cast away unprofitably ? The worth of Time , is for the work that is to be done in Time ? To a man in a palsie , an Apoplexie , a madness , that cannot make use of it , it is little worth ; If you were sick and like to die this night , would you not pray that you might live a little longer ? I beseech you cheat not your souls by willful self-deceit . Tell me , or tell your consciences , How would you form such a prayer to God for your recovery if you were now sick ? Would you say , Lord give me a little more Time to play at cards and dice in ? Let me see a few more Maskes and playes ! Let me have a little Time more to please my flesh , in idleness , feastings and the pleasures of worldliness and pride ! Did you ever find such a prayer in any Prayer book ? Would you not rather say , Lord vouchsafe me a little more time to repent of all my loss of time , and to redeem it in preparation for eternal life , and to make my calling and election sure ? And will you yet live so contrary to your prayers , to your consciences , and to reason it self ? Quest. 5. Is the work that you were made for hitherto well done ? Are you regenerate and rènewed to the Heavenly nature ? Are you strong and stablished in grace ? Have you made sure of pardon and salvation ? Are your hearts in Heaven ? and is your daily coversation there ? And are you ready with well grounded hope and peace , to wellcome death , and appear in judgement ? If all this were done , you had yet no excuse for idling away one day or hour , because there is still more work to do , as long as you have time to do it . ( and if this were done , you would have that within you , which would not suffer you to cast away your time . ) But for these men or women to be passing away Time in ●loth or vanity , who are utterly behind hand , and have lost the most of their lives already , and are yet unregenerate , and strangers to a new and heavenly life , and are unpardoned and in the power and guilt of sin , and unready to die , and shall certainly be for ever lost , if they die before that grace renew them , I say again , for such as these to be sporting away their Time , is a practice which fully justifieth the holy Scriptures , when they call such persons , Fools , and such as have no understanding , unless it be to do evil , and succesfully destroy themselves . Quest. 6. Do you think if you neglect and lose your Time , that ever you should come again into this world , to spend it better ? If you idle away this life , will God ever give you another here ? If you do not your work well , shall you ever come again to mend it ? O no sirs , there is no hope of this . Act this part well , for as you do it , you must speed for ever ; There is no coming back to correct your errours . I have elsewhere told you , that it must be Now or Never . And yet have you Time to spare on Vanity ? Quest. 7. Do you mark what dying men say of Time , and how they value it ? ( unless they be blocks that are past feeling . ) How ordinarily do good and bad then wish , that they had spent Time better , and cry out , O that it were to spend again ? Then they are promising , O if it were to do again , we would spend that time in heavenly lives , and fruitful obedience , which we spent in curiosity , idleness and superfluous sensual delights Then they cry , O that God would ●enew our Time , and once more try us how we will spend it . Alas sirs , why should w●se men so much differ in health and sickness ! Why should that time be vi●ified now , which will seem so precious then ? Quest. 8. How think you the miserable souls in Hell would value Time , if they were again sent hither , and tryed with it again on the terms as we are ? Would they feast it away , and play it away as you do now ; and then say , Are not playes and cards and feasting lawful ? Every fool will be wise too late , Matth. 25 . 3● 8 , 11. Bethink you what their experience teacheth them , and let warning make you wise more seasonably , and at a cheaper rate . Quest. 9. Do you believe that you must give an account of your Time ? and that you must look back from Eternity on the Time wh●ch you now spend ? If you do , what account will then be most comfortab●y to you ? Had you not rather then find upon your accounts that all your hours have been spent to the best advantage of your souls , than that abundance of them have been cast away on fruitless toyes ? Will you have more comfort then in the hours which you spent in Heart-searching , and H●art-reforming and learning and practising the word of God , or in those which you spent upon needless sports , curiosity or idleness ? Do now as you would desire you had done . Quest. 10. How do you now wish that you had spent the Time which is already past ? Had you not rather that it had been spent in fruitful holiness and good works , than in idleness and fleshly pleasures ? If not , you have not so much as a shadow of Repentance ; and therefore can have no just conceit that you are forgiven ? If yea , then why will you do that for the Time to come , which you wish for the time past that you had never done ? And hereby shew that your Repentance is hypocritical , and will not prove the pardon of your sin ? For so far as any man truly Repenteth , he is resolved not to do the like , if it were to do again , under the like temptations . Quest. 11. Do you know who attendeth you while you are loitering away your Time ? I have elsewhere told you , that the patience and mercy of God is waiting on you : that Christ is offering you his grace , and the holy spirit moving you to a wiser and a better course ; that Sun and Moon and all the Creatures here on earth , are offering you their service : Besides Ministers and all other helpers of your salvation : And must all these wait upon you while you serve the flesh , and vilifie your Time , and live as for nothing ? Quest. 12. Do you consider what you lose in the loss of Time ; That time which you are gaming or idling away , you might have spent in entertaining grace , in heavenly converse , in holy pleasures , in making your salvation sure . And all this you lose in your lose of Time : which all your sports will never compensate . Quest. 13. Is the Devil idle while you are idle ? Night and day he is seeking to devour you : And will you , like the silly bird , sit chirping and singing in your wanton pleasures , when the Devils gun is ready to give fire at you ? If you saw but how busie he is about you , and for what , you would be busier your selves for your own preservation , and less bu●ie in doing nothing than you are . Qu●st . 14. Do you really take Christ , and his Apostles and Saints , to be the fittest pattern for the spending of your time ? If you do not , why do you usurp the name of Christians : Is he a Christian who would not live like Christians ? or that taketh not Christ for his Master and Example ? But if you say , Yea ; I pray you then tell us how much Time Christ or any of his Apostles , did spend at cards , or dice , or stage-playes ? how much ●n curiosity about dressing and superfluous ornaments , about unnecessary pomp and courtship ; how much in sluggishness , idleness and vain discourse ? or how much in furnishing their bodies , their attendants , their habitations with matter of splendour and vain glory ? Did they waste so much of the day , in nothings , and need-nots as our slothful sensual Gentry do ? Or did they not rather spend their time in holy living and fervent praying , and in doing all the good they could to the souls and bodies of all about them ? and in the labours of a lawful bodily employment ? Write after this copy ; rather than after that which is set by the sensual fools of the world , if you make any account of Gods acceptance ! Do as the Saints did , if you will speed as they ; or else for shame never honour their names and memorials to your own condemnation ! If you will spend your Time as the flesh and the world teach you , rather than as Christ hath taught you , you must look for your payment from the flesh and the world . And why then in Baptism did you renounce them and vow to follow Christ ? Be not deceived , God is not mocked , for whatsoever a man soweth , that shall be also reap ; For he that soweth to his flesh , shall of the flesh reap corruption : but he that soweth to the spirit , shall of the spirit reap life everlasting , Gal. 6.7 , 8. Bethink you what the reason was that the ancient Fathers and Churches , so much condemned the going to the spectacles of Theaters ; and why the Canons made it such a crime for a Minister to play at dice ( Read Dr. Io. Reignolds his cloud of witnesses of all sorts against stage-playes . ) Reader , if thou think this counsel or reprehension too precise or strict , grant me but this resonable request , and I have my end [ Live in the World but with a soul that is awake , that soberly considereth what haste Time maketh , and how quickly thy glass will be run out ; how fast death is coming , and how soon it will be with thee ? What a work it is to get a carnal unprepared soul to be renewed and made holy , and fitted for another world ; What a terrible thing it will be to lie on a death-bed with a guilty Conscience , unready to die , and utterly uncertain whither thou must next go , and where thou must abide for ever ! Foresee but , what use of thy present times will be most pleasing or displeasing to thy thoughts at last , and spend it now but as thou wilt wish thou hadst spent it ; and value it , but as it is valued by all when it is gone ; Use it but as true Reason telleth thee will make most to thy endless happiness , and as is most agreeable to the ends of thy Creation and Redemption ; and as beseemeth that man who soberly and often thinketh what it is to be either in Heaven or Hell for ever , and to have no more but this present short uncertain life , to decide that question , [ which must be thy lot ? ] and to make all the preparation that ever must be made for an endless life ] I say , do but thus lay out thy Ti●e as Reason should command a Reasonable creature , and I desire no more . I have warned thee in the words of truth and faithfulness ; The Lord give thee a heart to take this warning ! Thy compassionate Monitor , Rich. Baxter . Sept. 23. 1667. THE REDEMPTION OF TIME . Ephes. 5.16 . Redeem the Time , because the dayes are evil . WHilest I bethought my self of a portion of holy Writ to treat upon , that might hold some agreement with the present season ; this short sentence offered it self unto my mind . At the first I rejected it as impertinent , but after a second and more serious view , methought it was the most fit Scripture that I could make choice of , on this occasion : for howbeit it hath pleased the common sort of men , to stile these festival dayes with the name of good times ; yet by reason of the gross abusage , to which the corruption of men hath made them subject , they may very well receive an alteration of their title , and in a quite contrary phrase , be termed evil dayes ; yea , and that in the highest degree of all , the worst of dayes . Now in this time wherein time is so lavishly mis-spent , I hope it cannot seem unconvenient , or untimely , to give a brief exhortation concerning the right use of Time. These words which I have read , lead us into that path : being part of an exhortation begun in the former verse . There in general he had exhorted them to be most strictly carefull of their wayes , and to direct their course of life in such respective sort , as they might deserve the name of wise , not unwise men : commending herein unto them and us , that very strictness and preciseness , wherewith the world hath now long since pickt a quarrel and fallen out . And because this was but a general rule , he seconds it with some particulars , by which we may be led on to the like instances in other matters . The first of these specials is placed in the well disposing o● Time , in this verse : Where having set down the duty of Christians in this behalf , he backs it with a reason ; which in it self and to a spiritual understanding , is most sound and firm ; but to the carnal judgement of a carnal man , is void of all soundness and reason . The duty is , to buy out the Time , to traffique with it , as men do with wares ; and when it is in other mens hands ( as I may say ) to give something ( yea , any thing ) that we may get it into our own hands for good uses . He means , that we should use our greatest care and diligence ( even that which we would employ in matters most nearly concerning us ) to win all the time we possibly can , for the duties of Religion and Godliness . His argument to confirm this exhortation , is taken from the contrary , ( if we look on it with a carnal eye , it will seem inconsequent , halting , and not able to bear up the Conclusion ) it is , because the days are evil : that is , the customs and manners of the greatest part of men that live , are wicked and lewd . Now because the number and rout of the world is so strongly bent to all manner of ungodliness , as that they have even tainted the time itself , and corrupted the very dayes ; the Apostle would therefore have the Ephesians , and all other Christians so much the more industrious , to take all seasons and occasions for the bettering of themselves . Because other men are naught , and stark naught , therefore ought faithful Christians to be good , and very good , and to turn all opportunities to this end and use , that they may be furtherances to make them good . The world would have framed a more crooked conclusion from this ground , and have said , Because men are so generally and extremely bad , ( for that is noted in saying , the days are evil ) we must therefore needs strain courtesie a little , and not be too strict , lest we should be over much different from other men , and incur the by-name of Singularists . But the Apostle telleth us , that because the waves of men are excessively disordered , and full of naughtiness , we should bestow so much the more pains , that we might not be carried down the violent stream and deluge o● unsanctified living ; and unto this intent should earnestly watch , and diligently take all good occasions of getting and doing good . You see in part the meaning of this short sentence , which containeth a few words indeed , but is stuft full of worthy matter , which ( according as my weakness can attain ) I shall strive to spread before your eyes , unfolding it in such manner , as that you may perceive the things , that lay therein closely wrapped up before . Doct. The point which the words offer to our consideration at the first sight , is this , That all Christians ought to be very good husbands for their time . Good hours and opportunities are merchandize of the highest rate & price : and whosoever will have his soul thrive , must not suffer any of these bargains of Time to pass him , but must buy up , and buy out all the minutes thereof . No man of trade can be more careful to chaffer , and deal in the most gainful things that pertain to his occupation , than we should be to deal in this ware of Time , wherein every Christian is , or should be a well taught and practised dealer . As such kind of men ( if they can either make mony themselves , or borrow it of their friends , yea ; or else ( such is the greediness of men ) ( take it up of the Usurer ) will not let slip any commodity wherein they have skill , and are perswaded that it will bring in large profit within a short time of return : so should every good man use all diligence ( for diligence is in stead of mony here , and care in stead of coin ) to gain every day , every hour , and every minute , ( so much as may be possible ) from all unprofitable actions , and over-worldly affairs , to bestow the same on the duties of Religion and godliness . This being such a parcel of ware , as if it be wisely bestowed , when it is heedfully gotten , will come i● again with both hands full of profit for recompence of ones pains taken i● that behalf . This self-same exhorta●tion , this same Apostle delivers in s● many words unto the Colossians , whe● he saith , Walk wisely towards them that are without , and redeem the time ▪ Col. 2 , 5. See how Paul , an old beaten and experienced dealer in these matters for the soul , doth neither forget nor neglect to teach his apprentices ( as I may call them ) the very secrets and mysteries of the trade of good living , whereof this is one , even the thrifty laying out and getting in of time : which being repeated to the Colossians , ( as well as delivered to these Ephesians ) comes with a double charge upon our minds , to make us heedful in these bargains . And that excellent petition of Moses ( the man of God ) doth mean nothing else but this , when in other words he saith , Teach me so to number my days , that I ●ay apply my heart to wisdom , Ps. 90. ●2 . For he means , that God would enable him with grace , so seriously to consider of the shortness of this life , and the transitoriness of this present world ; as that he might take all occasions , and use all means to bend his heart to the seeking and obtaining of the true knowledge of God and himself , and so the true fear of God , which is the beginning of wisdom . And the want of this husbandry Christ doth mournfully lament in the City of Ierusalem , setting out unto us also the grievous and dismal effects and consequents of this heedlesness , in regard of taking time , and using the fit opportunity : O ( saith he ) if thou hadst even known , at the least in this thy day , those things that pertain unto thy peace ! but now are they hid from thine eyes , &c. Luke 9.42 . as if he had said , Hitherto thou hast had the means to learn what made for thy good , and what might have prevented thy ruine ; and if thou hadst but even at this last hour marked and considered them , thou mightest have escaped these fearful judgements : but now that thou hast been all this while wanting to God , he will hereafter be wanting to thee ; thou shalt never have any true knowledge of these things , nor ever avoid these miserable calamities . Because they did not use time , whilst time did serve , to repent and turn to God , therefore after , it was too late , God would not hear them nor help them . They that refuse the good offer of a good bargain from God , shall not have this bargain offered again at their pleasure : yea God will not deal with them at their leisure , that would not deal with him at his leisure . And Wisdom ( in Solomon's wise book of Proverbs ) speaks to this effect of ungodly men , Prov. 1.24 , 25 , 26 , 27. That when their misery comes , she will laugh at them , because when she gave her good instructions to prevent this misery , they laughed at her . The neglect of taking the fit time and occasion to follow Wisdom's wholesome counsel , and to come when she calls , plungeth scornful men into such a depth of misery , as that there is no means of recovery . For when wisdom laughes a man to scorn , whither shall he repair for succour ? And to this intent ( of husbanding our time well ) notable is the saying of the same Apostle in another place , bidding us , whilst we have time , do good to all , Gal. 6.10 . as much as if he had told us , that time must so much the rather be bestowed in doing good , ( and then it is redeemed ) because we have no such great store of it , as we do foolishly imagine . The vessel of time is not so full , ( as most men dream ) nay , it will soon come to the bottom : 't is then wisdom to spare betime , and not in the very dregs and lees . All these places do in most plain manner confirm the point , viz. that every Christian must be very saving and thrifty of his time , that is , must convert all occasions to the good of his soul , and furthering of his reckoning , not suffering by his will any hour or minute ( more than needs must ) to be laid out in any thing , but matters that may fit him for a better life . This is in truth to have ones conversation in Heaven , when one upon the least occasion is ready to make one step further thitherwards : when one gives all his time to God , but so much as may be more especially to religious exercises , and such things as do after a peculiar sort make for a better life ; not letting slip any means of furtherance , that is offered him this way . Now for your better direction in this saving thrift , and for the more full understanding of this point , and more ●●sie practising of this needful duty , ●● purpose to stand some while in shew●●g these two things . First , from that time is to be redeemed . Secondly , what the time is which must be redeemed . For the first , we must understand , that there be five Hucksters of time , very Cormorants and Ingrossers of this precious ware , which betwixt them ( for the most part ) get up all the hours of mens lives , not suffering the soul to enjoy so much as an hour for its own use , upon the best occasion to benefit it self . These thieves , when I have told you their names , I will discribe more at large . They be , 1. Vain sports . 2. Vain speeches . 3. Immoderate sleeping or sluggishness . 4. Vain thoughts . Lastly , Immoderate following of worldly businesses and affairs . Play , ●watling , sleeping , foolish thinking , excessive rooting in the earth . Now for these fond sports ( amongst which I comprehend riotous feasting and belly-chear , a companion 〈◊〉 gaming , for the most part , and als● that trifling and womanish diseas● of curiousness in putting on apparel for these ( I say ) it is easie to prov● that they do eat up these good hours which otherwise would much inrich the soul of man. Solomon ( th● wisest of meer men that lived sin●● Adam ) hath set it down as a su●●● rule ( that never fails , scarce ever admits exception ) That he which love● pastime shall be poor , and he that love● wine and oyl shall not be rich , Prov. 21.17 . If this saying be understoo● only of the body , it is most true for these things will make a man extremely reedy in the midst of larg● possessions , and plenteous revenues ▪ But if we apply it to the soul , ( as see no cause why it may not be applied to both ) it is most universally true . He that is so wedded to his pleasures , and besotted upon vai● ●elights , as that the current of his ●●fe is carried that way , or else too ●reat a part of the stream is turned ●hither ; shall be destitute of under●tanding , shall have a naked , ragged , ●●atter'd soul : and that comes , because he hath not used his time well , by the right employment whereof he might have got wealth for his better part ; I mean , unto his mind and heart . A threed-bare heart , needy of knowledge , comes from a voluptuous life stuffed with pleasures . And the Prophet Isaiah cries out , Chap. 5.12 . with a woful and a better cry against those which had the Timbrel , the Pipe , and the Harp in their feast , but would not regard the work of the Lord : all their dayes were taken up in eating and drinking , in banqueting and feasting , in good chear and merry-making ; so that there was no time to meditate and think on those afflictions , whereby God did warn them to repentance and amendment ; which is most contrary to this duty of redeeming the time for all this time is even lost and cast away . And had we no other proo● than our own experience in this behalf , would it not manifestly convince , that he which desires to redeem the time , must flie these vain delights and sports ? For do we not plainly see , what a canker it is in a number of mens lives ? when ( many days ) they bestow three or four hours together , yea , half the day , if not the whole , in Dicing , Carding , Bowling , Shovel-board , of the like idle ( if not wicked ) exercises ? doth not this waste and pour forth time over-lavishly ? Or can that man have so much rest and quiet , or so much fitness and opportunity to do good to his soul , as his wise care in cutting off these needless recreations , or vexations rather , would have afforded him ? For these vain pleasures are n●t alone mischievous hinderers of this thrift , in ●hat they consume the very hours ●hemselves , but as much , or more also , in that they dissettle the heart ; and pull the affections out of joynt : so that a man is driven to take as much pains to set his heart to a good exercise , as would well have dispatched the duty , had he not been thus unfitted . Now what a miserable loss is it when a man is robbed of his time , and of his heart both at once ? and by both kept from reading , praying , medi●ating , examining his heart ; or any such good exercise for his souls advantage . Wherefore if any man would so prevent these vain and foolish sports , that they should not spoil him of his heart and hours : let him observe these two rules in his sports , and then he shall do well in these respects . First , ( this being presupposed , that he do not use any recreations , but those which he can prove to be in themselves lawful : ) First , I say , for the beginning of recreation ; let every man know , that recreation must follow labour , for the most part : or 〈◊〉 at any time it go before it , it must be very little , only to fit one for labour . The Lord allows a man no sport● ( though never so lawful in it self ) until such time as his body or mind do stand in need of it ; chiefly when they have been busied in some such honest affairs , as by wearying them , have made them unfit to further labour , so that they must again be fitted there●o by recreation . Until pains-taking have made the body or mind not so well able to take pains , there is no allowance ordinarily for r●creation . All our sports and recreations , if we will use them well ( I speak of those which are lawful ) must be to our body or mind ; as the Mowers whetstone or rifle is to his Sythe , to sharpen it when it grows dull . He that when his Sythe is dulled , will not ( upon a desire to do more work ) take time to whet it , shall cut less , and with more pain , and more unhandsomely than he need ●o do ; so he , that when his body or mind is tyred or heavy , will not use some honest refreshing , shall do less , and with less dexterity than he might . But on the other side , if the Mower should do nothing from morning to noon , or from noon to night , but whet , whet , whet , rubbing his Sythe , he would both marr the Sythe , and be counted an idle work-man also , for losing his dayes work ; so he that will run after the most honest delights , when neither the weariness of his body , nor heaviness of mind requires the same ( but only upon a fond lust or longing after them ) shall in time destroy his wit and strength , and in the mean seas●n marvellous unthriftily mis-spend his time . Therefore let not a man begin the day with play , though never so lawful , unless his body 〈◊〉 mind require some necessary exercis● to make it more apt for his calling He that sets into the day sportingly shall be sure to go through it , eith●●●umpishly or sinfully , much more 〈◊〉 he spend all the day from morning to night in playing ; let it be never so much holy-day , or have he what other excuse he will. This rule is for beginning of sports . The second is for the measure and continuance of them , where this is a general and a firm direction ; that it is not lawful for a man in an ord●nary course , to spend more time in any pastime , upon any day , than in religious exercises . I mean chiefly private religious exercises ; I say , it is utterly unlawful to bestow a larger time any day upon the most lawful delight , than in private religious exercises , or at least in a customable course so to do . This is plainly proved by that which Christ speaks to 〈◊〉 , saying , Mat. 6.33 . First seek ●he Kingdom of God , and the righteousn●ss thereof . You see here commanded to prefer the seeking of Hea●en , before any oth●r thing whatsoever ; ●o let that have the chief place in our souls , and in our lives . Now he that first seeks the Kingdom of Heaven , cannot bestow more time in sports of any sort , than in those things which do directly make for the obtaining , of eternal life , and that righteousness which will bring one thereunto ; such as are , hearing and reading the Word , praying , meditating , examining the heart , conferring , and the like . And surely this is a most equal thing , that the most needful duty should have the most time bestowed upon it . Yea , and it is a most easie rule to all sorts of men , that have seasoned their hearts with the true fear of God. For if a mans calling lye in bodily works , then the very ●●●rcises of Religion are a refreshing to his body , in that he doth for the space while they continue , desist from his bodily labour , ( and his calling affords sufficient stirring of the body for health ; ) so that if he be religiously minded , and have indeed set his delight on God , he may well give as much time to these actions , as to any carnal sports . But if any mans calling lye in study , or such like labour of the mind ; first , the change is a great refreshing , and variety a delight ; and then there be religious exercises , which will refresh the mind as well as any sports ; and for so much exercise as health requires , it is not long in using , because nature is here , as in other matters , content with a little , howsoever men seek excuses by belying her : so that at the least , an equal portion of time must be allotted to God and Religion : as to sports and delights , even of Students , if they will first seek the Kingdom of God. Therefore let a man measure out the time of sporting and recreating himself , by the time he takes to pray , to read , to meditate , to sing Psalms , to con●●rr of good things , or the like ; and ●how that he hath not liberty from God to employ ordinarily so much ●ime , never to employ one minute ●ore , in the most unoffensive sports , ●●an in these services of God. Now ●et a man conform himself to these two ●ules : Begin not to play , till need of ●ody or mind crave it : Con●inue not ●ports longer than a man hath , or ●hall Continue some godly private ●xercise of Religion , and he shall save ●is time well from his first Thief . Now comes to be considered the ●ext spender , or rather robber of ●ime , that is , idle twatling or bab●ing ; and concerning this , our Saviour Christ deals plainly with us , saying That of every idle word which men shall speak , they shall give account at the day of judgement : think well of this sentence , and lay up every wordpunc ; Thou must not alone give account of thy works , but also of thy words : thou must not alone be called to a reckoning for moving of thy hand , foot , or whole body , but of thy tongue also : and that not alone for wicked words , sinful words , harmful words , speeches in themselves infectious and rotten ; but for idle and waste words , and not only for a number of idle words , for a whole throng or fleet of them , but for every idle word . Now then if there be an account to be given , and a reckoning to be made for these rubbish speeches , judge , if it be not a want of redeeming the time , to lay it out in such a thing as will bring a sore and heavy burden afterwards without repentance to cast it off ; and judge if he which makes much of time had not need take much heed of this ill-spent breath . Not alone then wicked speaking ( when one bel●heth forth lewd and filthy words , not slanderous and backbiting talk , ( when one whispers of his neighbours faults behind his back , utt●ring ( perhaps ) also lying reports , and fathering that upon him wh●ch he never d●d or meant ; ) but even vain , needless , and ●●profi●able words , 〈…〉 to no good or wh●●●som● 〈…〉 on body ) are a mis-s●●●ding of 〈◊〉 , and contrary to th●s ●r●c●pt ; and therefore also to be 〈◊〉 of him that is this way 〈◊〉 dispos●d . N● 〈◊〉 can talk idly , but he casts himself 〈◊〉 a double damage , even the loss of a word , and the loss of time ; two great losses , what ever m●n imagine of th●m : And therefore the Apostle Paul also finds fault with a certain sort of women that were pratlers , which would go from house to house , twa●ling and babling out fro●hy speech that was good for nothing , which fault he condemns as a ma●ter something worse than idleness , or doing nothing , when one talks toyes or trifles , and speaks shadows or gawds that yield no profit . Such twatling cuts out the heart of good time , for it hath seldom any measure , it creeps by little and little over a great part of the day , and sometimes of the night . How many winter nights do men suffer themselves to be robbed of , by this childish babling ? And in the fourth verse of this Chapter the Apostle forbids foolish speaking and jesting : The one is a roving discourse , gathering together a great deal of chaffie geer , that will feed no man : a busie , but absurd prosecuting of a headless and footless tale ( as we may call it in our phrase . ) The other is a setting of ones self , and sharpning of his wit , to coyn pretty and witty scoffs and conceits that may move laughter , and for this end only : both these are condemned , as unlawful , and unbeseeming Christians . There must be a difference made betwixt a smooth and pleasant uttering of ones mind in seemly phrases , and good and delightful terms and manner ; and this whetting of the wit , to bandy and toss sharp and brinish taunts and quirks . Now this pleasantness of the most honest sort is not to b● used as a custom , but in the nature of a refreshing , when men are dulled for better matter . For laughter being a power of Gods creating , and wholesome to the body , and therefore lawful , it cannot be unlawful in a seemly sort , harmlesly to move laughter by words ; but it must not be jesting : one must not give himself to it , and make it his occupation for an hour or two together . Now none can be ignorant , how great an hinderance this vain speech is to the well imploying of time . For do we not see , that in many places , whole dayes are cast away in the deep gulf of roving , and unprofitable runnagate-babling to no purpose ? And that whole meals are devoured in gibing and jesting , if without taking the sacred name of God in vain , and hurting ones brothers name , ( which is very seldom , yet excessively , and not without thrusting out better ma●●er , which is a grievous faul● . Wherefore that we may be well armed against this robber , let us observe diligently these two rules : First , Let us make conscience of our words , & of the moving of our tongue , knowing it to be a necessary duty that God hath imposed upon us , to have our words always gracious , and seasoned with salt ; always good for the matter , and tempered with wisdom for the manner . Which precept the Apostle adds presently after this , of redeeming the time ( to the Collossia●s ) Col ▪ 4.5 . as an t●ble part of it . The Law of Grace then must be the bridle of our tongue , and Wisdom must raign in our mouths , so that we speak nothing but that which may be for some profit to our own or others soul or body , being f●ly temp●red to the present circumstances of time , place , &c. where and when we speak . For the words are gracious , not alone when they tend to the further edification of the soul in some matter of Religion ; but also when they be busied about ones honest outward affairs , and lawful calling , this being a great furtherance to godliness , that a man may know how ( and accordingly practise it ) to follow his calling with dexterity and wisdom . Now he that would not have unnecessary trifling words steal into his heart , and out of his mouth , and so spoil him of good seasons , must set it down , as a thing to which his conscience is bound , ( as well as not to lye , swear , or slander ) not to speak one word , whereof he cannot give some reason from the good that he doth aim at in speaking of it . And every man must know , that having let slip such a word , he hath committed such a sin , as makes him lyable to Gods judgement , and the sentence of condemnation . The want of resolving the heart thus , causeth many to take liberty to their tongues , ( and harmful liberty it is ) and yet to think they have done no harm to themselves in so doing . And therefore the common excuse of such twatlers is this : I hope that it is no harm : yea , but what good was it ? If it were not directed to some good , it hath done harm , for it hath broken Gods Commandment , and set thy self deeper in debt than thou wast before , thou hast one trespass more to answer for , before Gods Tribunal : no man shall ever avoid this puddle , that will not be perswaded it is a damnable sin to step into it . First then , labour to convince thine heart , and frame thy practice to this rule in all speaking . Secondly , for honest comely mirth in speech , ( besides that it must not relish of lust , nor savour of malice and prophaneness , for then it is worse than idle words ) it ought to be bounded with this rule ; namely , that it be used as a means to quicken our selves or others against some natural heaviness or deadness , by which the heart is made unapt for better conference , and other exercises of more profitable use ; and when this effect is brought to pass , that laughter hath scattered the mist of dulness from off the heart and mind ( or if no such occasion be offered ) then let mirth and natural laughter give place to his betters : otherwise coming into a continued custom , and shouldering out more needful communication , it takes the name and nature of jesting , and is a thing much unbeseeming the stayedness of a Christian. Thus the tongue may be bound from dealing falsly with the heart , and cousening the soul of good hours and occasions . Now followeth the third devourer of time , and that is immodera●e sleeping or sluggishness . The wi●e King Solomon have a great hatred to this Thief , and gives many warnings and caveats ; whereby men might learn to take heed of it . The bed is a very cunning and slie cousener , that useth a pleasing trick to deceive a man , and robs him , under shew of friendship . Now Solomon hath made ▪ a most fit description of a sluggard caught by the whiles of sleep and sloth ; setting him out to the light , Prov. 6.9 , 10 , 11. where he brings him in roaming himself , and rubbing his eyes with an unwilling hand , uttering broken and sl●epy sentences , as one not half awake . First , he calls him up ( as it were ) saying ; How long wilt thou sleep , when wilt thou rise out of thy sleep ? As if he had said Ho , Sir , it is time to get up ; what not out of your b●d yet , at this time of the day ? Then mark the drowsie , slumbring , and senseless answer : A little sleeps , a little slumbers , ( for the Original hath the words in the plural nember , well befitting a sluggard ) a little folding of the hands to sleep . See how speaking of sleep all is in the littles ; and though he names sleeps , yet it is but a little in his conceit . He tells not when he will rise , but he cannot rise yet ; and when he ha●h had enough , and too much already , then he must have a little more , begging for sleep as one would beg for bread . He asks a little , because he would not be denyed . First , He must have sleeps ; and having slept , he must have slumbers , and having slumbred , he must fold his hands , and roam and tumble himself . Behold a sleeper in his colours ; and mark what answer Solomon gives , he spends no more time to call him up , but tells him his doom as he lies in his bed ; Therefore thy poverty comes as a traveller , and thy necessity as an armed man. As if he had said , Well , be it so , if you will needs , sleep on , take your belly-ful of sleep , but know , that sith you shew such skill in begging sleep , you shall even become a beggar for it ; sith you will have you fill of sleep , you shall have little enough of any wealth ; poverty will pursue you , and overtake you ; it will follow you , and surprize you ; it will make haste and strike home , you cannot run from it , nor resist it , it comes with speed and with force ; it will take you in bed , where you cannot flie away from it , nor drive it from you : and what he saith of outward poverty , is most certain of inward penury ; a sluggard hath so much the less grace ; by how much he hath the more sleeps and slumbers . So the same wise King hath set out a sluggard in another place , saying , that a sluggard tumbles himself on his bed , as the door on the hinges , Prov. 16.14 . that is , he is still there , and there must be such a do before he can be removed from off his couch , as if one were to lift a door off the hooks , a man must come with leavers to heave him off : call him , waken him , bid him rise , &c. all is little enough to rear him . This sluggish humour ( you see ) is condemned long ago , for a mis-spender of time . And surely it is not alone very dangerous , in regard of the quantity and muchness of the time which it filcheth ; but also in regard of the quality and goodness : for it ordinarily feeds gluttonously on the very fat of time , it eats the very flower of the day , and consumes the first fruits of our hours , even the morning season . After sleep hath made strong what labour hath weakned ; after that nature hath been well refreshed , and the revived spirits come with a fresh supply of strength and nimbleness to serve the body and the mind : then for want of exercise all grows dull again , as a band of Souldiers , that grow effeminate by lying in garrison without labour all the Summer . Thus it robs one of the principal and most seasonable time , when the mind and body were both in the greatest fitness to read , pray , meditate , or to dispatch and cast any matter of ones calling : it is a thief that robs one , not of his baggage stuff , but even of his gold and jewels , ( for some time is better than other , as much as some metal is better than others ; and this always for the most part takes away the most precious ) yea , it hath one trick as much , and more dangerous than the former : If a man give himself to sluggishness , it will often follow him to the Church , and close up his eyes and ears , both of body and mind , from hearing and marking those most wholesome exhortations , which like so many Pearls , God's messenger with a liberal hand , according to the pleasure of his Lord , doth sca●ter amongst men , that who so will may take them up . The time of Preaching and Expounding the Word , with applying it , is the time of harvest , it is God's market day ; nay , it is his dole or prin●ely congie , when he gives gifts freely , and those of great worth too , unto those that will take them . How can it chuse but be a great hinderance to a mans estate to sleep in harvest , and to be in bed at such a time , when so much wealth is bestowing ? Therefore this sleep , you see , is a most crafty and pernicious deceiv●r , and doth with much cunning over-reach a man , taking from him , for the most part , the morning time , and the time of hearing , two the most profitable seasons , and the most worthy to be rede●med of all others . Now against the deceit of this false companion , a man may defend himself by following these two rules . First , it is not lawful for any man , upon pretence of leisure from business , to take more sleep than is required for the strengthening and refreshing of his nature . The measure of ones sleep , or lying in bed , must not be according to ones business , bu● so much as his nature requires , for the better enabling of it to perform the duties of his calling , and of religion . Indeed a man may , and ought to break his sleep , and stin● himself in this regard , when important business , either for the soul or body , do press upon him ; but no man must take more sleep than is requisite for the sufficient refreshing of nature , upon vacation of necessary affairs . The reason of this is plain : It is a sin to strain and stretch natural things for the serving of lust , beyond that end for which they were created and ordained . Now sleep , and lying in bed , was ordained for the strengthening of nature , and for the repairing of the spirits diminished by labour ; wherefore it must not be drawn beyond this end , to the satisfying of a sluggish humour . So that , as it were a fault for a man to sit and cram himself with meat , till his stomach would turn back the morsels , because no business did call him from the table : so it is a sin to give ones self to immoderate sleeping or slugging in bed , ( as our-word is , to sleep compass ) because no urgent matter doth call him up . This is to be on the bed , as a door on the hinges , that one cannot rise till a leaver come ; that is , something even almost of necessity . It is wicked to ●urfeit on sleep , as well as on meat . So then , it shall be a great help against sluggishness , to know that God allows not any man to be sluggish , ●nd therefore to accustome ones self to timely rising : for in this one thing , custom hath as much power almost as in any thing , so that look what is ones use , that he shall hardly refrain . He that doth customably forsake his bed , so soon as he fe●ls his nature fresh , and his spirits quickned , shall with ease keep on in so doing . But he that takes liberty to laze himself , and dull his spirits for lack of use , shall find the more he sleeps , the more he shall be drowsie , till he become a very slave to his bed , and make sleep his master . So a healthful body , by confessing it to be his duty , ( and through custom , though hard at first ) drawing unto it a nature , may have the morning at command . And this is the first rule . Secondly , For time of hearing the Word , he that would not be troubled ▪ with such sluggishness then , must look that he do use meat , and drink , and sleep moderately , in the first season of it ; and then strive to quicken himself against carnal heaviness and sorrow , by prayer and meditation before-hand : which two things will keep a heathful body in such good temper , that s●ee , shall not ordinarily oppress it in this most sacred exercise . Now follows the fourth Thief to be arraigned , and that is , Idle thoughts . Mans imaginations will be working , and tossing conceits up and down almost continually . Now all men by nature are so tainted with the sickness of vanity , that their minds will run willingly after nothing else , but that which vanity begets . And for this cause men have taken up a Proverb , to dazle their eyes , ( if it might be ) that this might not seem a ●●u●● . They say , tha● Thought is free ; a● though one should never answer for idle though●s . And it is the common excuse of men to say , They think no harm ; as though it were enough , to hatch no mischievous and harmfull conceits , notwithstanding they do exceed in idle and unprofitable imaginations . Whereby it may be seen , that men are so far from reforming this fault , and avoiding this thief , that they will not take it for a fault , nor esteem it as a thief of time . But this swallows up most of our solitary hours , when men are in bed , or alone in the night season , and cannot sleep ; or when they be journeying and walking without company , they cannot then possibly talk with others , when no man is present : yet their mind doth busie it s●lf in idle talking with it self , casting a thousand fond things before ones eyes ; as , wha● if this should be ? or , what if that should come to pass ? and much ado to little purpose . This roving and frisking of the fantasie ( like a wanton calf let loose from the st●ll ) is a f●●ting worm , that eats out a great deal of most mens time , so that they cannot redeem it for the profit of their hearts . This puts by good meditations , and suggests featherly and light stuff , that hath no good substance in it ; froth and some , which is not nourishment to the mind , but rather poison , in that it fills it full of wind ; and a windy heart is no less burdensome that a windy stomach . This casts out the cogitation of God's benefits , that one may not be thankful for them ; it shoulders away the thought of ones own sins , that he may not renew his godly sorrow and repentance for them ; it justles out the consideration of God's graces , that we cannot set our affections on fire , to long and labour after them . And in all th●se respects , it takes away the benefit of much good opportunity . For every time a man is alone , separated from all company and outward business , there is an excellent occasion of furthering his own soul , offered unto him . If any thing grieve him , he may freely disburden his heart into God's bosome ; if he faulted any way , he may have full and free scope to confess and bewail it ; if he want any good thing , there is l●isure and place in as effectual manner , and with as many words as one can , to beg it of the Lord. Thus great riches might come to the soul by a well spent solitariness : but vain cogitations do deprive a man of all this , and do so blow up the mind with that which is nothing , as it grows swollen , like the flesh of him which hath the dropsie , so that it may well be called the dropsie of the mind . Now for a help against this vanity of the mind , breaking forth in idle thoughts and phancies ; first , we must take the counsel of Solomon , to keep the heart with all diligence . The heart is that which must be narrowly looked unto , that evil and unprofitable thoughts rise not up in it . Here must be the special care to prevent , first breeding and ingendring of sin in the most inward parts . This Thief will be still filching and stealing time continually , do what one can . Wherefore a watchful and wary eye must be had thereunto , and a diligent guard must be set before the heart , to keep out such imaginations from entring , as be like Rogues and Vagrants , worth nothing , and alwaies come to steal something . When a man makes conscience of his thoughts , and observes them to what end they tend , this will be an excellent help to keep them from wandring ; whereas if one will follow the Proverb , and esteem them as free , they will never be kept from a busie fondness , like Ants in a Mole-hill , that run up and down , hither and thither , and do nothing . Then in the second place , we must labour to be provided before-hand , of some profitable matter or subject , whereunto to bend the thoughts in solitariness ; something that tends to the glory of God , and our own good , either in the matters of the Soul , or the lawful affairs of the body , must be let into the Soul , to take up the room , that the busie Fancies may be the better stopt out . And indeed the Lord hath provided a Christian of good store of such matter , if he be not wanting to himself . For there is nothing that offers it self to any of our senses , which doth not also offer to our mind ( if it were not stark blind ) some glorious attribute of God to be seen and considered of . So that to want occasion of good thoughts in this variety of matter , as to want light at noon-tide , that proceeds from nothing but from want of eyes . But this is a great help to him , that can see to set his Soul a work first on the good things . For if one have let his heart loose at first , he shall not ( without much pains and toyl ) catch it again , and have it within command . Thus doing , a great part of vain cogitations shall be cut off . Now comes to be handled the fifth and worst of all the five consumers of time ; which is so much the more dangerous , because it is in some honest reckoning among most men ; and is esteemed as the right Lord and true owner of that time , which for the most part it holds by usurpation and injury . This is the immoderate care of the world , and of things of this life , though in themselves honest and lawful , when a man doth wind himself into such a labyrinth and maze of affairs , as he cannot get out at fit times to spiritual and religious duties , at least not to those which are private : when the heart is so surcharged with bargains and purchases , and buying and selling , and building , and such like ; that God and goodness , Christ and salvation , Heaven and Hell , come not into a mans mind once in a day , scarce once in a week ; or at least , 〈◊〉 they come , they be quickly shut o●t , and have no long nor quiet entertainment there : when the Soul is overwhelmed with caring , thinking , devising , and striving how to grow great h●re , and is so tossed in the gulf of earthly matters , that it cannot come to land ( as it were ) to settle it self in any proportion , to think how it may grow great in Heaven , and how it may get possession of ●he true treasure . This is a wondrous consumer of good hours , digging them all into the dunghill of this World. Christ finds fault with this in the Parable ; the men bidden to the Feast , had Farms , and Oxen , and Wives , and such matters in hand , ( business forsooth of more importance than so ) and therefore could not come , Matth. 22. And the thorny ground had so much carking and caring how to live , that it doth even choak the Word , the good seed could not grow thereby , Matth. 13. And the Lord complains of them of the captivity of Iudah , Hag. 1.13 . that they could find time to build their own houses , yea and to ciele them too ; but they sa●d , it was no time to build the house of God : so this sin do●h ingross all the time to it self , and will not give elbow-room to any good exercise , especially to any private exercises , without which the publick are but as meat without digestion ; and yet it comes like an honest and approveable thing , painted wi●h the name of thriftiness and pains in ones lawful calling . To fence our selves against this ravenous and lurking fault , we must binde our selves to these three rules , which all depend upon the rule of Christ , that bids us first seek the Kingdom of God , first in time , and first in affection , Matth. 6.33 . And again , lay up your treasure in Heaven . v. 20. Hence ( I say ) three rules may be collected , to which he that would not be spoiled of good occasions to the Soul by worldliness , must more and more frame himself and his life . That first is , that no man suffer himself to enter upon so many businesses , or any so eagerly , as that his ordinary affairs should hinder himself , or his Family from the performance of ordinary Religious exercises . The common and daily matters of this world , in any mans Calling whatsoever , should not draw him , or his Family , from common and daily duties of Religion ; such are reading , praying , meditating , and religious observing of the Sabbath : for here a man must take care for his houshold , as well as for himself , that he do not hinder them from taking convenient time to pray , and read , &c. by forcing upon them an over-great burden of ordinary businesses . For if the Soul be to be preferred before the Body , and Heaven before Earth ; then those customable matters that pertain to the saving of the Soul , must be set before , much more stand equal with the things that pertain to the Body . Secondly , the extraordinary works of our calling ( if any fall out ) must not barr us from the extraordinary works of Religion . As for example , Harvest , and Hay-●ime , or the like , are extraordinary times for the business for the Body : so preparation to the Sacrament , fasting ( if need so require ) and such like , are extraordinary works for the Soul ; now as the care of inning ones Corn or Grass , must not keep him from taking time to prepare himself to the Sacrament , or to fast at his need : so the receiving of the Lords Supper is matter of more than ordinary use for the Soul ; and some needful journey stands in the like manner for the Body , but a man must rather def●r his journey ( if it may be put off without over-much hinderance to him ) than omit the receiving of the Lords Supper . The same rule must be kept in all other particulars . For if the Soul be more worth , and must be more carefully attended on than the body ( as it is no reason the Handmaid should take place of the Mistress , ) then those things which do after a peculiar manner concern the good and profit thereof , must not be neglected for such as do more specially help the state of the body outwardly . Lastly , if some outward duty of Religion have been put off from the time , wherein it should be performed , by some sudden and unexpected business , that required such haste ( as in such case ordinary duties of Religion may be deferred ) then some ordinary business of less weight must ( in recompence ) give place to that exercise afterwards , and a man must find time for that , whether it be reading , praying , or meditating , by leaving undone ( for that space ) something that may be better spared . And thus you have heard what be those special evils which lie in wait to cousen us of our good time , and how they may be prevented . And so the first part is handled ; namely , from what Time is to be redeem●d . Now follows to shew , what it is that is to be redeemed , and so you shall fully know wherein this duty consists . Now by Time , the Apostle means two things : First , the very passing away of hours and minutes , the space and leisure of any thing ; and Secondly , the good occasions or opportunities that fall out in this space . For the word in the Original , signifies not alone the very sliding of minutes , but the space considered also with some special fitness , that it hath for some good , which we call the season of it . Now for the first , it shall not be needful to say any more , being that every one knows , that every thing must have some space wherein to be done . And he that will avoid the five fore-named evils , shall never want time , or the space wherein to do or get good . But for the occasions and fit opportunities that fall out , now for this , now for that , in this space , it is some more skill to find them out , and make use of them . Now these seasons are all of two sorts : First , such whereby a man may more easily get some good to himself : Secondly , such , whereby a man may with more fitness and ease do some good . Of the first sort , namely , seasonable opportunities to get good , I will name three particulars which are most needful to be considered , and by proportion of which , any man may come to the knowledge of other like . The first , when God continues the Gospel , offering daily the Word and Sacrament , and calling to repentance and amendment of life ; this is the season of repenting ; this is the harvest wherein we may reap Christ , if we be not negligent ; this is the acceptable year of the Lord , in which one shall be received , if he return . Whilest Wisdom lifts up her voice ; whilest her messengers come daily to invite us ; whilest her gates stand open , and her dinner stands ready drest , whilest her message is done unto us : all this time if a man will strive and endeavour to turn from his sin , to leave his folly , and forsake his scorning , he shall be a welcome guest , she will accept him , help him , and give him an encrease of grace , till he become strong with her mea●s . Whosoever lives under the preaching of the Gospel , hath this priviledge annex●d to the outward teaching , that if he will but strive and pray to God , to give him strength to repen● and 〈◊〉 his waies and turn to him , God will ( upon his promise ) hear his prayers and assist him : but when the Gospel is gone , then the da●● is past , a man may call and not be heard , and cry and not be regarded . So then every man rede●ms th●s season of the Gospel , when he gi●es himself to consider seriously of those ●●ults which he finds in himsel● , and hears sharply reproved in the Word , and hereupon resolves to forsake them , and doth not only his own b●st endeavour , but earnestly call upo● God for his hel● , with●u● which his p●wer is bu● weakness ●●d ineffectual ▪ when he doth also duly ponder upon the holy Commandments that he hears preached , and those exhortations that are daily sounded in his ears to move him to do such duties as God requires , and hereupon concludes with himself to set about this work , and craves the strength of God to bear him through in the same . And when he doth advisedly think of the promises that are generally proclaimed , and labours to get some assurance that he is such a one to whom the right of these promises appertain : thus doing , I say , one redeems the time wisely , and makes his advantage of the Gospel while it continues , which is a thing that all men should do : but so rare in the world , as that it is wonder the Lord hath so patiently continued his loving voice , when men scoff at it and will not hear . The Lord hath and doth send his Prophets amongst us , as he did among the Jews , rising up early , and sending them , which with all earnestness do proclaim the dangerous event that shall follow upon prophaneness , neglect , and contempt of Gods word , breaking of his Sabbath , rayling , wrathfulness , whoredom , wantonness , covetousness , thieving , oppressing , slandring , lying , and such like : yet how many run on in these evils presumptuously , rushing like the horse into the battle , with an unreasonable boldness , Not fearing any danger , and shutting their ears against these reproofs , as the deaf-Adder doth , that they may not be moved by them to amendment : ah , how contrary is this to redeeming the time ? If any man have hitherto lost the season , let him now grow wise , and even at this time turn to God , and beg power to forsake these sins . How often and how earnestly are men exhorted to all good works by the continual voice of God , speaking unto them by his servants ? to read the word of God daily ; to pray privately ; to meditate upon the Word , to watch over their dayes ; and to call themselves to a reckoning every day for the faults committed in the day ; yet who regards this voice ? who marks these exhortations ? where is one , that hath enjoyned himself to some constancy in praying , reading , and the fore-named duties ? This is to sleep in harvest , a most foolish practice and unwise ; wherefore whilest there is yet a little time left , whilest we have the light , let us walk in it , that we be not overtaken with darkness . He that hath not yet begun , let him be sorry that he hath put it off so late , and now set foot into these wayes of God , whilest God sets out his Word as a candle to direct him , and as his hand to lead him by . The promises of God are in like sort published amongst us . Happiness is held up as a reward of all true hearted Christians , and the crown of life is proposed to those , which are sound and faithful members of Jesus Christ. And yet as ●●●ugh all w●r● sure to get it , or it w●re not worth ●eeking●y any , the most men slatter themselves in their sins , and will n●●ds promise these good things to themselves , when they have no assurance or proof out of Gods word , whereby to lay claim or title to them . This is a grievous and a dangerous neglecting of time . And if any have not yet made sure work this way , let him even now set about it , whilest the Word as a touch-stone is before him , by which he may try himself , and which will make him such a one as he should be , if he will strive to follow it , and pray for ability to be ruled by it . So then whilest God holds out his benefits , and stands with his arms open to accept us , let us take his benefits , and be perswaded to come unto him in good earnest ; let it be too late to travel when midnight shall come , instead of noon day● ▪ This is the first and chiefest opportunity of getting good : namely , to joyn with the Gospel , and follow it with our endeavours and prayers , by which it shall be made effectual unto us . The second opportunity of getting good , is in time of youth and health , whilst the vigour and strength of the body and mind is fit for labour , and capable of instruction . And Solom●n in his book of Penance , viz. Ecclesiastes , bids , Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth , before the evil days come . These days of youth and health are good days , when he which will use them , hath his memory stedfast to call to mind his evil ways that he may bewail them , and to treasure up good instructions and promis●s that may guide and comfort him , when the limbs will joyn with the mind , and the mind hath the body as a fi● instrument to seek the Kingdom of Heaven , if a man will address himself unto it : but the days of old age and sickness fail much of the commodious fitness for good ; the memory is cracked , the head and understanding is weak , and especially the time of sickness is so filled with pain , so shaken with distractions , and incumbred with griefs and sorrows , that one is nothing fit to repent , or pray , or hear , or to do any such thing . Now when a man in the prime of his days , and in the fulness of his health , will give himself to seek heaven , will hear the Word , and meditate upon it , and apply it to himself , will confess his sins , and force himself to bewail them ; will pray to God for good things , and set the whole course of his life in a right frame ; he hath well taken opportunity , and he shall have rest in his latter days , much quiet and contentment , at least much strength and assistance in his sickness , because he hath something in store against the time of want . But alas , how do the common sort of men bewray their monstrous folly in this behalf ? What more common than that sottish and bruitish speech , at least such ignorant and profane thoughts , men will repent when they be old , and cry God mercy when they feel themselves sick , and amend all when they be ready to go out of the world ? and foolish man , thou knowest not whether thou shalt die suddenly , whether thou shalt have thy wits and senses , or whether thou shalt have power of heart to make the least colour of repentance in those extremities . How many have died suddenly ? how many sottishly ? and yet how do men , for all these warnings , defer the best business , namely , the work of repentance and turning to God , ( which will require the whole strength of the soul ) to the worst and most crasie time of sickness or old age ? As if a prisoner , at what time a man was offering him a pardon , and calling upon him to take it , some good space before the Assizes , should say , Nay , let me alone , I will not look after my pardon , till immediately before I am to come before the Judge : this were a most fond part , especially if it were so , that the thief knew not whether the next day should be the day of his arraignment or no : so the case stands betwixt the Lord and us . If any man therefore hath been so little careful of his own eternal good , as to put off repentance and conversion till that dead time , or doth foster any such harmful conceit in his heart , let him now cast it out , and now that he hath his health and strength , upon better deliberation take in hand this work . Be not so extremely mad , as to give more time to the devil than to God , especially to give the principal time . He were a foolish traveller , that would willingly gallop all the day quite contrary to his way , and being told of it , would answer , When it draws towards Sun-set , I will turn into the right way . Why be men thus blockish for their souls , that knowing themselves to be out of the way of life , will yet of purpose defer to set their feet into the right path , till sickness of age , when the Sun of their life is at the point of setting ? Ah , let our Proverb teach us more wit , Make hay while the Sun shines . Turn , turn , whilst thou hast health and strength , use all to get repentance and salvation . The last chief opportunity of getting good , is , when a man hath company , and is in the society of some godly wise man , able to give sound counsel and direction , able to answer all doubts , objections , and scruples of ones mind , now there is a fit opportunity to grow in wisdom , to be resolved of all doubts , and to seek direction . So then , a man ought not to suffer bashfulness , or other foolish matters to put by that good communication , whereby he might inrich his soul. It is a special favour of God , that any man can come where his servants are that have excellent gifts ; and he doth deprive himself of much good , that will not seek to benefit himself by them . When the Woman of Samaria perceived Christ to be a Prophet , she proposed her doubt unto him , albeit he was a stranger . When Iohn Baptist might be come to , the publicans and sinners came and asked what they should do . Whilst the Jayler had Paul in his keeping ▪ he came to ask that needful ●uestion , What shall I do to be saved ? So if there be any man whose heart is perplexed with some doubt , or over-burdened with some temptation , or over-master'd by some sin , it is a part of ●●od discretion for such a one to go and se●k the advice of some able Christian or wise man , before that either himself be too far gone , or he want the opp●rtunity of such a counsellor or helper . These be three special occasions of obtaining good to a man 's own soul from things without him : In all which , to take the time is a most commendable point of wisdom , but to be negligent , is such folly as Solomon reproves , when he saith , That a fool hath a price in his hand to get wisdom , but he wants a heart . Oh that men would beware of this heartlesness , and take heed of losing their price , by which they might get wisdom . Now come to speak of the occasions of doing good , and these are either in others , or in themselves . First , in others , and that for their soul and body . Sometimes a man shall find a kind of tractableness in those with whom he hath to deal , that their ears stand open , and they are ready to drink in an exhortation or reproof , by reason of some affliction that is upon them , or some need they have of our help , or such like occasion . Here is time for a kind and sound admonition , then a man ought in all love , and yet with all plainness , to follow the occasion ; striking ( as our proverb is ) whilst the iron is hot , speaking when he sees him in the melting vein , ready to take all well , and in good part . And so Elihu notes , that when a man is brought to his dea●h-b●d , and to abhor all worldly delights , then his ears are bored , and then there is w●rk for an interpreter : before the bones clattered , and the mourners looked for the funeral , an interpreter was despised , but now his words are observed . Thus a man may do much good to his neighbours or servants soul , if he wait for a time when he is fit to receive admonition , and then gives him it ; as the husbandman in dry weather waits for a shower of rain , and then sets in his plow. Again , for the body , sometimes one shall meet with one that hath true need , that is in distress for his bodily estate , and doth indeed want relief ; this is an occasion and fit time to shew liberality , now a man must open his purse , and be ready to give freely ; I mean not , that every time a man meets a beggar , he should be giving , ( for to those a man should not give , but in the very extremity of necessity ) but if our brother hath been afflicted by any loss through fire , or such like , ( that he do not make himself needy by idleness , but it comes upon him by some hand of God ) here is an object fit for mercy , and here one may be seasonably liberal ; here is an Altar , offer the sacrifice of alms upon it , which is a thing wherewith God is well pleased . Some other time sparing may be more fit , but now is a season to be more free of gift , and openhanded . There is an occasion of doing good offered in others , wherein I have named these two particulars , that every man might accordingly take notice of other like . Then , there is also occasion of doing offered in ones self , whether by some outward thing that befals him , or by some inward stirring of the mind and affections : as outwardly when a time comes in , wherein we have received some more special benefit ; this should provoke us to more thankfulness by remembrance of the benefit . Thus this time of Christ's Nativity should ( if any way ) be celebrated , that it might turn to an occasion of of more hearty thanksgiving , and more true obedience unto Christ , that gave himself for our sins , and took our nature upon him , that in it he might bear our iniquities . So when we be in the enjoying of Gods Creatures , whilest we be eating and drinking , or such like , here is a special season to lift up the heart to God , and to kindle a flame of praise by this fuel , that our thanks might be so much the more earnest , by how much we have a more present feeling of Gods mercy , and do even taste how good he is . On the other side , a man is sometimes pressed with a sore cross and affliction that pincheth his Soul , here is a very fit occasion of humbling ones self , and examining ones heart : for in these afflictions God calls to humiliation for the most part , which duty being performed , after , a man may rejoyce in his afflictions , but whilst the burthen of the cross is heavy , here is a notable means to ●urther one in the work of humiliation ; and if one can take the time when God smites , he may ( at least he ought ) cause his heart to stoop before him with more ease , than when he was at more ease for his body . Again , sometimes a man hath a more inward stirring of his affections , which he cannot have at another time ; this must be followed , greedily taken , sometimes at the Sermon , or upon some other occasion , a man hearing or thinking of his sin , and the punishment due thereunto , having a kind of pricking in his heart , and some touch of remorse within him , his conscience begins to tell him that all is not well , and he grows to some orderly conclusion ; sure I will now be sorry for this fault , and amend it : now if one will follow this motion , and go after God when he calls ( for this is one of his inward callings ) and not shoulder it out with fond mirth , but nourish it by a plain confession of his sin to God , and an hearty begging of grace and strength from him , to do that which he now sees he should do ; this will come to godly sorrow , and so t● repentance : but else if he choak it and quench it , it will vanish , and the heart will be more hard frozen in the dregs of sin . So that if there be any , whose heart at this time at the speaking of these words , whose Soul smites him for his swearing , lying , Sabbath-breaking , whoredom , drunkenness , gaming , covetousness , railing , or the like sin ; let him when he is gone out of the Church , cast himself down in the presence of God confess this is his sin or sins freely , without dissembling ; labour to be more sorrowful for them than ever he was , and pray to God to pull him out of this mire . This if he do , he shall take the time , he shall be a Convert , the Lord will receive him , as the unthrifty Prodigal Son was received , and by redeeming the time he shall find redemption to his soul. But if he despise this admonition of God , his soul shall be more seared than before , his heart shall be delivered to a greater hardness and senselesness than ever before , and so be further off from repentance and life . But alas , the frantick dealing of men in this case is too palpable , and to be wondred at , when Gods word strikes upon them , when they feel the keenness of it , when the threatnings have cut , so that they smar● for it ; then they run to dicing , carding , drinking , dancing , &c. as it were of set purpose to drive away the Spirit of God , that was coming towards them to heal their Soul. None is so mad to take such courses for his body , that when he feels the sore to smart , then to run from the Physician , and cover it over with a clout , or strive to forget it : yet for their Souls a number deal so senselesly in this thing as much as in any other , verifying that name which the Holy Ghost hath given unto them , when he terms them mad 〈…〉 it is a property 〈…〉 mad man , that fe●ling 〈…〉 hate the Physician 〈…〉 him that would 〈…〉 of us which have 〈…〉 so mad , would return now to their minds , and to God to be healed ! Again , sometimes a mans hear● is stirred up with an inward and secret rejoycing or gladness . Then saith Saint Iames , If any man be merry , let him sing Psalms , Jam. 5.13 . now he shall do it with a chearful courage indeed ; and therefore David would in such a case rise at midnight to sing a Psalm , rather than he would lose the season , when it would relish with him so well . Sometimes also a man or woman shall feel a secret pensiveness growing over his heart , so that it even melts , as the ground that thaws after a frost , and he could even weep abundantly , tears offer themselves in a full measure . Here is an excellent occasion of renewing ones repentance . Now whatever be ones company , whatever be the matter in hand , except it be of absolute necessity , let him leave it off , and betake him to his Chamber or some secret place , let him fall on his knees ; now let him open his mouth , and acknowledge his sins against himself , giving vent to his grief , and turning all to godly sorrow , whatsoever the occasion was at first . Thus if any body do , his repentance shall receive a notable encrease : but if he pass it over , his heart will not answer his desire another time . Further more , sometimes a mans heart is earnestly moved with some hungry desire to enjoy some grace of God , and great longing after some Christian vertue : Now let him in the heat and flame of his desire address himself to prayer ; then one shall send up such piercing cries , and give such a loud knock against the gates of Christs mercy , that he cannot choose but hear , and send one back wi●h an Alms , as it were ; thus he redeems the time : But else his desires will be so cold and chill at another time , that he shall scarce thrust a Petition out of his lips , and then these drop down at his feet , and do him little good . And thus in every other ( through the turning of our affections ) we must follow Gods Spirit , yea , or nature when it leads us , wisely turning all to spiritual uses . And thus you may perceive what it is to redeem the time , and how it may be attained . Now let us come to some brief Application of the Point . Vse . First , this Point thus explained , meets with a number of imperfections even in the best , and him that is most careful of his ways ; of which we are now to take notice , and purpose amendment , if we have not hitherto considered of them . For this is a fault to which a man ( even in a good measure spiritual ) is subject , for want of redeeming the time , that he comes to that lazy pass now and then , as he hath nothing to do , nothing whereabout to settle himself . It is a carnal unsettledness in a Christian to be so negligent of his time , as that he should have any minute of time , which he knows not how to bestow upon some good and profitable use . The Lord offers such a multitude of occasions to do and receive good , that if we could with wisdom take them , there is no hour passeth us , in which we might not do or get some good . And if there be nothing else , yet this is something whereabout he hath good occasion to be busied , even to fall out with himself , because he hath nothing ( I mean , he sees nothing that he hath to do . ) Sometimes , if men see their servants standing idle and unbusied , they can ask them with a kind of indignation , What , can you find nothing to do ? And sure the Lord might come with this question divers times to us , and say , as it is in this Parable . Why stand you all the day idle ? asking whether the World were so empty of occasions , and our selves so perfectly well , as that we can find nothing to do ? But there is no hour passeth us , which we should not find fit for some good thing , if we could catch the opportunity before it be turned , and did not harm our selves for want of diligent redeeming the time . Yet there are other faults , of which Christians are to be warned : as to begin with the last first . How many be there that are so stuffed with worldly businesses , and yet are greedy of more , as that they cannot find leisure one hour in a day , nay , scarce in a week , to bestow upon rea●ing , praying , meditating or conferring ? Yea , as though time were made for nothing but to seek wealth and transitory things , so it is the chiefest of their care . It appears that such labour not for conscience , but for gain , because they cannot break off ordinary labours so long , as well to perform ordinary duties of Religion . Many may say ( with grief enough if they did well ) that their hands are so full of the world , as that they can scarce through the week , take the Bible into their hands to read any thing therein , unless perhaps it be in the Church at some publick meeting . Thus , men which are born to a better inheritance , are content to w●ar out themselves in the earth , as if they were to perish in the earth with other baser creatures . Here is one fault to be amended then : let no Christian bestow so much time in the world , as that he cannot find sufficient to seek Heaven and the things thereof . Then for the matter of sports , methings some Christians should even shrink , before the word of reproof comes to them , when they may think of so many hours spent such a day at bowls ; so many ( it may be ) the next day in shooting ; so many the third day in shovel-boord , or the like exercises : haply in themselves not unlawful , and when they come to reckoning for religious exercises , the count comes in very slowly , but the minutes or quarte●s , some half quarter of an hour , or thereabouts bestowed such a day in praying alone , and some three or four days after , about a quarter of an hour in reading ; and ( it may be ) the next week , some half quarter more in meditation : and thus if the expences of time were written in our debt-books , as they be in Gods ; we might even blush to read so many Items for pleasure and sport , and scarce one or two in a side for private religious exercises . Then for our words : may we not hang down our heads with shame , to think that God made our tongues , and we speak scarce one word in an hundred to his glory ? Idle words , even many of those whom we are to regard as Christians , count them no faults , neither come to rep●n● for them ; it was but a word out of the way , say they . But this power to speak ( being a gift peculiar to men above all beasts ) ought to be more preciously regarded , than that it should be abused for base trifles . Then for idle thoughts ; who makes question of them almost ? Alas we do not remember that God hath searching eyes and fierce , which pierce into the depth of ones soul. We dream that thoughts are not so much , and spare our selves in our unthriftiness , when we should deal more religiously with our selves . Lastly , some might be reproved for too long lying in bed , and spending more hours in slugging or sleeping , ●han health and strength doth require : many perhaps will think that it is left to their own pleasure , and that the Preacher is too busie , if he take upon him to teach them when to rise , as though it were no fault to over-sleep themselves . Indeed some old and sickly mens bodies must take it when they may ; but for the greatest part of men , if they knew what good the first half hour of the early morning spent in religious exercises would bring them , they would not love sleep so well , as for it to neglect them . It is well said , He that seeks me early , shall find me , and it well may be literally understood . Therefore ( brethren ) there is none but may see a fault in himself in these respects some or all of them , and happy is he that resolves to mend it . Therefore if you will take good counsel , do thus when you come home . Think , alas , if time must be reckoned for , and should be redeemed , how far am I behind hand with God , that ( what for sleep , what for play , what for idle babling , what for vain thoughts , and excessive worldliness ) I cannot make a good account of the fortieth , yea , of the hundredth part of my time ? And then grieve because thou hast been such an unthrift of time , and now begin carefully to spare before all be gone . But now here is a reproof more sharp for some others , that are not willing to hear of that ear . Tell them they must not spend a whole day , or a whole night in playing and sporting . What not at Christmas ? ( say they ) why , you are too precise : well , but yet vouchsafe to consider a little what God speaks . Thou sayest this is too much preciseness , and so saith the world ; but the Apostle bids to walk precisely or warily , redeeming the time : and he that will take time to card or dice , and to use lawful recreations immoderately ( I mean so , as to be at his play the greater part of the day , and it may be some , if not the most of the night too ) shall pay full dearly for it : either he must repent , and undo this with much grief and sorrow of heart , or else he must smart for it hereafter worse in Hell. I would not deal over sharply with thee : but take Gods loving admonition , and let him have one tenth part of the four and twenty hours : yea , more a good deal than so , now that thou hast more leisure than ordinary . And here is yet a kind of people that are to be rigorously handled , such as are all gamesters , that spend no one hour waking , but upon pleasure : the world calls them scatter-goods , and the Lord will call them scatter-hours , that do mispend both goods and hours . Such ( let them think of themselves how the● will ) as do make gaming the greatest part ( if not all ) of their occupation , must be content to hear that they have no portion in Heaven , as they can keep no portion in earth . How can one have treasure in Heaven , that never laid up any there ? If God hate a gamester ▪ so that he will not give him good clothes to his back , ( now he had ●reamed tha● he shall be clothed with ●●g● ) he will much less afford him a seat in Heaven . And howsoever for a time they ruffle it out , and be clad better than their more laborious neighbours , yet this trade will surely undo them , for they have brought this peril upon themselves , that either God must not be true , or they must not be rich , he must forfeit his truth , or they their goods , besides their name and soul : wherefore let such as have hitherto given their days to such an unsanctified and inordinate course , surcease from the practice of their lewdness ; and both in conscience for their souls sake , & in discretion for their goods sake , resolve to become better husbands of time , lest their gaming on earth , bring beggary to their latter days , and damnation to their souls for ever . Lastly , Let all good Christians be admonished to make precious account of their time , and with much carefulness to take the seasons and opportunities of God , according as they have heard it is their duty . Christians either indeed purpose to learn , or make a shew of such a purpose when they come to Church . Ah , that we might all learn this thrift , and practise it as we have heard : begin to day , and hold on still . Now is a time of remembring the most admirable work of Christs incarnation , when he was made flesh of the Virgin to purge us from sin , and save us from wrath by the shedding of his blood , and sufferings which he endured in his flesh . Give not all ( ah , why should we give any of it ? ) this time to play , chiefly to bezeling , surfetting or wantonness , but take some space to consider of the greatness of this benefit , and to be thankful proportionably thereunto . I would I might hope to prevail with any by this exhortation : but howsoever , it is needful to be spoken , that none may have occasion to pretend ignorance . You see or might see your duties in this behalf ; and in practising the same shall find the benefit of it . But fools will scorn admonition , and those that have accustomed themselves to lust , will not be entreated to pull their necks from out their hard yoke , and to serve a better Master ; nay , so foolish are a number , that they think to do Christ great honour in spending the day whereon they imagine that he was born , and some few that follow it , in more than ordinary riot and sinful excess ; as though he were a God that loved iniquity , and were delighted with drinking , and swilling , and gaming , and swearing , and surfetting , and all disorder : but those that know Christ , know full well that he is not pleased with such pranks . Wherefore if we will spend a day to Christ , spend it more religiously and soberly than all other days , not more prophanely and luxuriously . We should neither forget his birth ; but when we observe some special time of remembring it , shew that we remember his goodness by doing good , more honour to his name , not by committing more rebellion against him . And to conclude , as at this time so at all times , let all men that would have their souls well furnished with inward substance , play the good husbands in taking time and opportunity . Whensoever we find any fit occasion of getting or doing good in our selves or others , let it not slip , but lay hold upon it , and use it . It is joyful to th●nk ( if we could think of it seriously ) what commodity this thrift would bring ; how much knowledge and godliness might he get , that would keep his tongue and heart carefully to good matters ? What a large treasure of good works might he have , that would be ready whensoever his neighbours necessity called for help , to stretch our his hand for his relief ? And when he saw him fit for an admonition , would wisely bestow it upon him ? How full of grace should his old age and sickness be , that would give his health to God , and his first years to the service of his soul ? How great acquaintance might he get in the palace of Wisdom , that would come to her at her first call , and enter so soon as the doors were set open ? How many sins might a man leave , and how much power should he get over all sin , that ( when his heart smites him ) would turn to God by prayer and confession ? What great grace would affliction bring , if a man would settle himself to humiliation , and gage his heart in time of affliction ? How much thankfulness might he have , that would lift up his heart to God in the fruition of blessing ? How many fervent prayers might he store up in heaven that would not fore-slow time , when he feels his desires earnest ? how comfortably might he weep over Christ , and how plenti●ully , that would take the tide of tears , and turn all pensiveness to this use ? and how many sweet and chearful Psalms might a Christian sing , if he would turn all his mirth into a Psalm ; and offer it up to God ? O what a large encrease of grace would this care bring ? how should his souls thrive , that would be thus husbandly ? Surely as the common speech hath commended a little land well tilled , before much more ground that is carelesly dressed : so the weaker means with this care , would be more available to enrich the heart , than are the strongest without it . It is not the greatness of ones living that makes one rich ; but the good employing and wary husbanding of it : so it is not the greatness of the means , but the diligent redeeming of time , to make use of the means , that makes the soul wealthy . But if great means joyn with great care , the encrease will be so much the more large , as a large living with good husbandry . But alas , hence comes it , that some in the store of all good means of salvation , are very beggars and bankrups , because of their negligence to take the time and fit season . They let pass all good opportunities , and care not for any occasion for the soul , and how can their soul thrive ? Wherefore let every true-hearted Christian learn this wisdom , and practise it , as ever he desires to store his soul with that wealth , which will make him glorious in the eyes of God , and much set by even in heaven among the Angels . And thus much for this time , and this duty of redeeming the time . FINIS . 
A76826	----	The condemned mans reprieve, or Gods love-tokens, flowing in upon the heart of William Blake, a pentient sinner, giving him assurance of the pardon of his sins, and the enjoyment of eternall happinesse, through the merits of Christ his saviour. Recommended by him (being a condemned prisoner for man-slaughter within the statute) unto his sister, and bequeathed unto her as a legacy. Blake, William, prisoner in "Exon Jayle" This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A76826 of text R207110 in the English Short Title Catalog (Thomason E705_18). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 26 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 9 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A76826 Wing B3154 Thomason E705_18 ESTC R207110 99866181 99866181 118445 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A76826) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 118445) Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 109:E705[18]) The condemned mans reprieve, or Gods love-tokens, flowing in upon the heart of William Blake, a pentient sinner, giving him assurance of the pardon of his sins, and the enjoyment of eternall happinesse, through the merits of Christ his saviour. Recommended by him (being a condemned prisoner for man-slaughter within the statute) unto his sister, and bequeathed unto her as a legacy. Blake, William, prisoner in "Exon Jayle" 16 p. printed by Richard Bishop, London : Anno Dom. 1653. Annotations on Thomason copy: "once my family servant" inserted with a caret between 'Blake,' and 'a pentient'; "J [sic] July. 14" . Reproduction of the original in the British Library. eng Blake, William, -- prisoner in "Exon Jayle" -- Early works to 1800. Salvation -- Early works to 1800. A76826 R207110 (Thomason E705_18). civilwar no The condemned mans reprieve, or Gods love-tokens, flowing in upon the heart of William Blake,: a pentient sinner, giving him assurance of t Blake, William, prisoner in "Exon Jayle." 1653 5280 5 0 0 0 0 0 9 B The rate of 9 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the B category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2007-06 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2007-06 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-03 Elspeth Healey Sampled and proofread 2008-03 Elspeth Healey Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE Condemned Mans REPRIEVE , OR Gods Love-Tokens , flowing in upon the Heart of WILLIAM BLAKE , a penitent Sinner , giving him Assurance of the pardon of his Sins , and the Enjoyment of Eternall Happinesse , through the Merits of Christ his Saviour . Recommended by him ( being a condemned Prisoner for Man-slaughter within the Statute ) unto his Sister , and bequeathed unto her as a Legacy . Galathians 6. 14. 17. God forbid that I should glory save in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ , by whom the world is crucified unto me , and I unto the world . LONDON , Printed by Richard Bishop , Anno Dom. 1653. The condemned Mans Reprieve . Gods tokens of Love , sealed and lockt up in the heart of a Saint , by the Spirit of God , with the key of Love : The riches of Gods grace flowing in upon the soul of a Saint , expressed with joy and thankfulnesse to his abillity , finding himselfe unable to speak what sweet tast , what infinite consolation , he finds in Christ Iesus . VVHat tempests ! what fiery darts of Sathan have been thrown at me ! what wounding of conscience ! what flames of Hell fire flashing in my face upon remembrance of my sinnes , which I have acknowledged to my God , in prayers and tears ! how long did I pray and desire others to pray for me , before I could finde comfort ! how long did the Devill lead me away captive in sins which I knew not to be sin , when I thought I had comfort , and it was no true comfort ! till thou O my most lust and Loving God didst by the convincing power of thy Spirit , discover to thy poor creature his own emptinesse , and vilde condicion by nature , I had both selfe love and spirituall pride within me ; how willingly would the Divell have posted mee to Hell with those sinnes , hadst not thou , O my God , humbled me , and made me see my self in the looking glasse of thy Word , with thy Spirit , I was meere vanity , as the dust that fleeth away ! I confesse to thee ( my most just God ) my repentance was not true , my sorrow and tears thou regardest not , because I was selfe , till thou threwest me down in my selfe , and madest me humble ; I perceive thou delightedst not in mee , nor had I such delight as now , ( I blesse thy Name ) I do find ; and doe here set down in writing to the praise of thy Name , to the exalting the eternal infinite mercies of thee my Eternal Loving God in Jesus Christ ; living in me to the sole praise of thy Name : how long was I under the spirit of bondage ! how long did I fear the grand enemy of mankind the Devil ! but Lord thou hadst compassion upon me when I was afar off , and how sweetly at last in the midst of tears , and groans , didest thou come and refresh my fainting soule with a still , low , but sweet voyce , Sonne be of good choar , thy sins are forgiven thee : how often Lord hast thou turned my tears of sorrow into tears of joy ! what comfort hast thou given mee in my prayers , when I found by faith in thee , comfort from thee ! how hast thou strangly , and powerfully , with faith in the Lord Jesus taught me to pray unto thee , with thine own Spirit ! how hath my soul often melted into tears from the apprehensions of thy Love , and many manifest tokens of thy Love ! thou hast put my tears into thy bottle , my heart makes an ekko , as thou emptiest it , so thou fillest it again , and every heart-tear sounds a heart-filling joy , Blessed are they that mourn , for they shall be comforted : oh what a calm doe I feele in my soul in my meditacion of thee ! and yet Lord , when I look back upon the World , and my own natural thoughts and consultacions with flesh and blood , what rough & tempestious waves , do arise in my mind ! but Lord I trust in thee , and did I not constantly servently call aloud to thee in my prayers , ( Lord help me or I perish ) it were impossible I should be saved : and how could I find such joy in tribulacion , didest not thou keep up my heart by true saving Faith in thee my God , in and through Jesus Christ the true consolacion of my poor soul , in this weak creature ? O my God , I cannot expresse thy Love to my poor soul , it is infinite ! I am but finite , I can but wonder , and not enough , thou breathest into me full streams of thy Love : how doth my soul earnestly desire to empty it selfe in thee ! the more I expresse to thee , the more thou fillest me , how lovingly dost thou refresh my soul with thy blessed Spirit ! and how blessedly my soul yeeldeth to the love of thee my Love , by thy Love in me : my Love , my Joy what melody do I hear ! what sweet low musick , doth thy Spirit sound in my heart ! O that thou wouldest make it an Instrument , that it live yet till it breath forth its sound , and praises to thy Name : name me for one of thy faithful servants to whom thou intendest to say , well done my good and faithfull servant : Lord not my will , but thy Will be done by me thy poor , and unworthy servant , on Earth , as it is in Heaven , Lord I am thine , do with me what thou wilt , Lord let mee heare thy voyce , let me know it , that I may run willingly if thou call , presently let me be ready with my wedding garment , to meet thee sweet Jesus , if thou bid me stay , give me patience , let thy Will be done by me , in me , with me , doe what thou wilt Lord I am thine , command willingnesse in me to obey thee in all thy Commands , command what thou wilt my faith is such in thee , thou wilt enable me ; thou wilt not forsake them that trust in thee , Lord my trust is wholly in thee , Lord thou knowest I am feeble , and weak , but thou art strong and powerful , oh my God uphold me with thine Almighty power , that I fall not from thee : I am vilde and impure , mutable , but oh my God thou art holy , and just , pure , unchangable immutably good , my cheifest good ; my God I am uncertain , but thou art certainly my most mercyful God : my wayes are not like thy wayes : O that thou wouldest direct my feet according to the revealed Will of thee my God , but ( O my God ) I have not kept thy Statutes , I have walked out of the way in the Wildernesse of sin , but ( sweet Jesus ) thou sweetly tellest me thou art the way , the truth , and the Life , I will therefore lay hold on thee , thou hast promised me thy Love ; I am thine , stay me , I am sick : thou art my life , comfort me , or I shall die , warme my soul that it cool not , cherish me my Love , my heart will elce fayl me , O God make me constant , faithfull , as thou art faithfull , give me more golden apples of thy Love ; give , that I may give thee the praise of thy Love , give me yet more of the riches of thy grace , that I may be liberall to others , as thou art liberall to mee , expresse more of thy Love to me , that I may extoll thee in my expressions to others , who are thy Saints and Servants , who are part of my life , thou hast made us one in thee and thou art one in us , thou art the Vine , we but branches , O make us fruitfull , water our hearts , bathe our souls in the Ocean of thy Love , open the Fountain of thy Love , that we may swim pleasantly in the streams of thy Love , till we come to thee the water of Life , the head Spring of all our joy , with thee for evermore . O my God , what joy doe I already see by the eye of my Faith ! I know not where I am ; I see but dim light , but my comfort is , I shall come to more glorious light , I shall one day see thee perfectly , enjoy thee more fully ; I feel the reflexes and the glittering Sun-beames of thy Love sweetly warming my soul ; my eyes are watery with looking up to thee , the very apprehension of thy Beauty , the Sun-beames of thy Love force teares from my eyes , thou art the cause I weep , and joy of my weeping , thou makest mee weep with thy Love , I am sick with thy Love , and thou healest me with it , thou emptiest and fillest me , thou throwest me down , and liftest me up , how doth thy Love play with my soul ! and how doth my soul play and delight it selfe with thy Love ! my Love , my Joy , hide not thy selfe from me , but hide me in thee , let mee finde thee alwayes in mee , that I may alwayes finde my selfe in thee ; let me heare thy voyce pronouncing me faire , then shall I enjoy all thy hidden treasures , all thy vast possessions , all thy sparkling Beauty , glorious Holinesse , divine Wisdom ! make sure to me thy promises , thy all-in-all in me , that I may be all in thee , who am thine : What need I fear , that have thee for my Defence , that hast made mee more then a Conqueror through thee , therefore I shall want nothing ; who shall lay any thing to my charge , being thou hast freed me from my sins ? what should daunt me , or discourage me , that doe enjoy thy Love ? thou possessest my soul , and defendest me from my enemies with thy power : What shall separate mee from thee , who art my God , and I am thy creature ? the Law cannot pronounce me cursed , for my Saviour hath kept it for me , and so pronounceth me blessed ; I am no more my own , I am Christ's , and he is mine , he died for mee , he hath mortified sin in mee , he hath subdued my sins in me , I finde no more pronenesse to sinne , my desires are made conformable to thine , I desire no longer to live in my selfe , but in thee my Christ ; I regard not iniquity in my heart , the love of my Christ makes mee loath my selfe and my base corruptions , I have a base esteem of my selfe , I have a perfect hatred of sin , that I see lives in me , I live not in it ; the death of my Beloved that once died for mee , hath mortified my sinnes , they have no rule over me , my Love , my Christ is my Ruler by his Spirit , I can accept of no other Guide ; though sinne be in me , yet I am out of my sinnes in my Christ . O World , O Flesh , O Divell , let mee alone , you have nothing to doe with me , let me serve the Lord my God , for I am his , I was yours too long , get you gone , I command you in the name of my beloved Christ ; though it be true that I did often transgresse the Law , yet my Saviour he hath pleaded for mee , he hath procured a pardon for all my sinnes , and sealed it , he hath set his hand to it , and hath put it safe lockt up with the key of his Love , in my heart by his Spirit , all the Divels in Hell can never get it from me ; I fear not , you can but kill my bodie , you can doe no more ; the Lord will raise me up again at his comming , and then my corruptible bodie will be made incorruptible , and this bodie which is mortall shall be made immortall , and glorious ; then will this his Spirit which bids me write , here come againe and own me , by the vertue of my Beloved shall I be raised up again to meet the Lord my God , with joy and rejoyceing , to the praise and glory of his great and holy Name ; this is true , for Christ himselfe ( in whom only I trust for Salvacion ) hath told me so , whatever you plead against me it is to no purpose , for I have a righteous Advocate at Gods right hand ; nay further , I have Gods discharge within mine own heart , which is my acquittance , you have nothing to require ( O Law ) but death the wages of sinne , that pray take whensoever it pleaseth God you shall have it , as for my soul my God by his free Grace hath clasped it in his armes of mercy , I am his darling his jewell , J see plainly that he delighteth in mee , hee lives in me by his Spirit , and I in him by my Faith : although I have ( I confesse ) broken the Law , yet Jesus Christ kept it , and he hath satisfied the justice of God it makes as much to my discharge , as if I had kept it my selfe ; as my Saviour was beloved of God the Father , so am I through faith in him : You 'l say I transgresse the Law daily in thought , word , or deed , I say no , it is not I but sin that dwelleth in me : I have a bad neighbour , but Christ will give mee patience and courage to war against my enemie , it shall have no power , it may take the best Saint cowardly and unawares , but I blesse God I have strength from Christ by his Spirit that beats him out of doores , he lodgeth not in my heart , I have no room but for my Love , my Christ , I am wholly his , and hee is mine ; for should I regard iniquitie in my heart , the Lord would not heare my praiers , I see by the eye of my faith that I am freed from sin , though not free from sinning , I will rejoyce though sin dwell in my flesh , O my beloved Christ , I see there is more good in thee for me , then there is evill in sin against me : O my eternall God , thou art more pleased with mee thy poore creature for my Christ thy Son's sake , then ever thou were displeased with me for my sins sake , O my God I lay them all open before thee , I confesse and forsake them , to come to thee my God for mercy ; thou hast promised mee forgivenesse , forsake me not my God , for I am resolved ( by the assistance of thy Spirit ) never more to forsake thee ; do not thou leave me comfortlesse , but support me by the Almighty power of thy Spirit within me : how odious doth sin appear to my soul ! how fain would the enemy of my soul undermine it , and weaken my faith in thee ! what strivings , and subtill temptacions , hath the Devil to ensnare the soul of thy Servant if he could ! how fearfull am I when I think of any thing but thee ! be thou therefore the continual meditacion of my heart ; how fearfull am I to look on , orcommune with the World , or the vanities of the World , least they should draw away my minde and affections ! but Lord I blesse thy holy name I see thy Love and mercy in this , thou lettest me see all things besides thee to be vanity and vexacion of Spirit , O let me see thee and delight in nothing but thee : instead of thinking of vain transitories , let thy Servant meditate , as now , so alwaies , of glorious eternities : and O sweet God , let me think upon my sins , and the vildnesse of my base heart , to humble me in the sight of my own nothingnesse , lay me low , to raise me high in faith , to rely wholly on thee , O that I might never act but as thy faithfull servant , as becoming thy Son , that I may be able to cry unto thee Father ; though my actions seem to me ( as they are ) unfaithfull , yet Lord thou art faithfull , a Father to me in Jesus Christ ; oh sweet God that thou wouldest cause the sight of my sins to be as a means to kill sin in me , let it make much to my sorrow , that my heart is false , but let it make much more to my joy , that thou ( my joy my God ) art true ; let it sad thy Servant , that I am so sinfull , but let it much more rejoyce my soul that thou my Lord Christ art holy , oh let the Love of thee be my love , that thy holinesse may be made mine , when wilt thou oh my God ? thou art my comfort , thou wilt shortly set me free , that by thy strength I may triumph over this body of death : oh my God though sin break off somtimes my communion , yet let i● never seperate my union with thee : how dost thou make me rejoyce even while I mourn over sinnes because I see through Faith in thee sweet Jesus they can bee no prejudice to my everlasting safety in thee , so much I perceive thou lovest mee , for thou wouldst not have given me so much Faith in thee , didst not thou love me : my Love I am thine , and thou art mire , I have vowed to thee , and thou wilt make mee faithfull as thou art faithfull , because I trust in thee . O my God let mee have more encouragment from thee , then discouragement from sin ; for though my sins reach the clouds , yet I see by the eye of my faith the mercies of thee my God are above the Heavens ; though my sins do overflow me , yet the free graces of my God overflow my sins : Oh sweet Jesus let thy Love and Righteousnesse so cover my sinnes and imperfections , that the Lord may see no iniquity , which thou hast not satisfied for , and pleaded for , and procured pardon for me that am thy servant . Oh my God thou knowest my wants , and troubles , suffer me at no time to be troubled at them , let me bid all welcome , thy will be done , though thou cause sorrow , yet wilt thou have compassion according to the multitude of thy Mercies ; when my outward comforts eb let me feel the high Springs of my inward joy , and consolacion in thee , flowing in upon my soul : drown thou all my sorrowes in the Ocean of thy Love : O my God though I am not the subject of comfort , yet is my comfort sure in thee the object of my faith , Lord I perceive thou laidst it for me , when thou laidst it from me , thou lettest me see by the Sun-shine of thy Love , what this imprisonment , malice of men , persecuting me meaneth , as liberty , or the best contentment : I will not therefore be discontented , I could not be content , did I not see it is thy Will , it is thy Will that I desire to conforme my selfe unto , so come what will 't is welcome : Oh my God let me have any thing or nothing , let me abound with friends or have none , let me rejoyce or be sorrowful , let me be in prison or at liberty , let me live or dy , it is all one to thy servant ; for Lord thou knowest , I account nothing my joy but thee my God , and to be in all things as thou wilt have mee ; O my God I desire not to bee at my own dispose or choyce ▪ my choyce is thee , to rest quiet in thy determinacion ; though thou send me comforts , yet will I not account them my comfort , but thee my comfort , though I have no outward comfort , yet thou hast not left me comfortlesse , though I passe through many sorrowes and tribulacions , yet by the light of thy grace thou dispercest the clouds of my sins , and lettest mee see my way , its Heaven-ward to thee . Deare sister , wouldest thou have such enjoyments ? seek then , and thou shalt finde , but thou must seek diligently , remove all lets and impediments , that may hinder thy sweet union a●d comunion with my Christ , he is worth seeking , worth finding , trifle not away your precious time with the things of the World , know that God allowes Dogges under the table such bones to pick . But let Jesus Christ be thy daily bread , let it be thy meat and drink , to doe the Will of our Heavenly Father : by this you may perceive ( if Christ incline your heart ) and see by the ey of your faith in Christ & finde the way to Heaven is by Christ , by him only : saith he to you , I am the Way , the Truth , and the Life ; one of the fathers ( I remember ) saith ; the Way , without which we wander : the Truth , without which we shall run into error : the Light , without which we shall sit in darknesse : there is no other reason I can give to any that are out of Christ why they are out , but it is becaus● of their unbeleif , they doe not beleive on him ; every one is apt to sayl do , let me ask that man or woman then , did you willingly and readily obey his voyce ? how doe you love him ? do you testifie your love by your actuall obedience , to the utmost of your abillities to keep his commandements ? are you out of your selves ? do you live above the World ? have you left off feeding upon the vanities thereof ? are you fed with the bread and waters of life ? are you delighted with the riches of Gods Grace , accompting no want like to the want of grace ? doe you not more minde the riches of the World , the devices and desires of your own base treacherous hearts deceitfull carnall hearts , more then the Will and Minde of my God ? in breif , wou●d'st know whether thou art in Christ then have regard to him ; where the treasure is , there the heart will be also . My dear sister , let not the World ( which leads away captive so many ) draw thee away : let all thy sences bee lockt up in thy soul , and let that be full of Christ , let thine eyes be delighted in the reading of the Word of God : let your ears be stopt from hearing those things which savour not of graces which edefie not , but hear readily dilligently the tru & sound speakings of God , listen to the sweet low voyces , and secret whispers of his Spirit : tast how sweet Iesus Christ is to hungry and thirsty souls ; smell how sweet his garments are : feele the smooth , fine , wrought , and silken linning of the Saints ; see you minde what I have taken pains to write you ; hear , tast , smell , see , feele , in your soul that you have in your body , the markes of my sweet Jesus ; Gall : 6 and 17 verse , and then you will not accompt , or call gold and silver , riches ; nor advancement , honour ; nor learning , wisdom ; you will bee rich , honourable , and wise without them , within your selfe all in Christ , Christ in you ; and you will see all the glory of the World , but skin-deep ; a Sun blast defaceth it , like Time , not abiding , passing away ; a mear nothing but vanity and vexation of Spirit : pomp is but fancie , gold but dust , fame but breath , praise but a blast , the worlds sweet is bittrernes : have you not found it so ? its love , lovelesse ; its splender , darknesse ; its fullnesse , emptinesse ; it s all , nothing , but vanity , and pray what 's that ? a Saint may as well live and feed on the wind , as on the things of the World , it may fill the fancy and starve the soul , it may starve and leave the soul empty of grace ; therefore have I bid the World fare-well welcome Heaven upon Earth , I have no comfort no happinesse nothing without thee sweet Iesus , I am thine , and thou art mine . Oh my dear Sister , beleeve me for my Christ's sake , there is no consolacion but in my Christ ; love nothing , look upon nothing , enjoy nothing , have no contentment in any thing but what is of him , from him , and by him , all to his praise : let God have all the glory in Christ , let him be glorified for all , Iohn 1. 16. beware of spirituall pride , thy selfe-flattering heart , rest not upon what you have received : read Rom. 11. 6. Ephes. 2. 8. 9. build not your Tabernakle here , let not that be your light , but let God be your light ; eye not your comforts so much as the God of comfort ; look not so much on your graces as on the God of grace , repose your selfe in nothing , quiet your selfe in nothing but in God himselfe : our graces are but wedding attire , oyl in lamps ; joy and consolacion but wedding chear , we are not satisfied with it , the soul is infinite : Work out your Salvacion with fear and trembling , untill you come to enjoy God fully , in the very bosum of Christ , co-heires with him : the seeds of his word sown in our hearts here , are but gleanings to what wee expect ; our best summer dayes here are but as nipping winters , in comparison of that everlasting summer : we look to enjoy an eternitie of the Sunny-shinings of Gods face , love , and glory , to shine upon us in glory with and to him for ever . Those rivers of joy wee swim in here towards him , are but as a few drops in comparison of that heigth and depth , length and bredth , that bottomlesse Ocean of his Love laid up in Christ for us ; our greatest light here below , is but as a dark Vault to God and the Lamb : He is the light of that Citie unto which thy Brother is going , endeavor to get in at the strait gate , remember it is not every one that calleth Lord , Lord , shall enter , but hee that doth the will of our Heavenly Father which is in Heaven : be pressing forward to the mark of our high Calling , to arrive to the knowledge of that Love which passeth knowledge , to apprehend our God as wee are apprehended of God : Rest not ( dear Sister ) till you come to Heaven , where our faith shall be seeing , and our hope possession . Observe , let your love bee pure for God , seek not God for heaven , but heaven for God , that heaven which is God who is the heaven of heavens : God only in all , above all , and beyond all : let him be our all-in-all in our Lord Jesus Christ , by whom wee are more then conquerors ; to whom only ( as is most due ) bee ascribed by thee and mee , the sole glory and praise of this my writing to thee : I beseech the Lord , to give us heavenly wisdom , to understand spiritually the will and minde of God revealed in his Word : so I pray daily , fervently , and sincerely , for thee and all the Saints and Servants of God , with faith in the Lord Jesus , whose servant I am , and in him , Thy assured loving Brother WILLIAM BLAKE . Exon Iayle June 25. 1653. 
A66686	----	The mysterie of God, concerning the whole creation, mankinde To be made known to every man and vvoman, after seaven dispensations and seasons of time are passed over. According to the councell of God, revealed to his servants. By Gerrard Winstanley. Winstanley, Gerrard, b. 1609. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A66686 of text R218568 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing W3048). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 104 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 35 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A66686 Wing W3048 ESTC R218568 99830150 99830150 34600 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A66686) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 34600) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1942:18) The mysterie of God, concerning the whole creation, mankinde To be made known to every man and vvoman, after seaven dispensations and seasons of time are passed over. According to the councell of God, revealed to his servants. By Gerrard Winstanley. Winstanley, Gerrard, b. 1609. [8], 60 p. printed by I.C. for Giles Calvert, at the Black-spread-Eagle, at the west end of Pauls, London : 1649. Reproduction of the original in the Union Theological Seminary Library, New York. eng Creation -- Early works to 1800. Judgement of God -- Early works to 1800. Salvation -- Early works to 1800. A66686 R218568 (Wing W3048). civilwar no The mysterie of God, concerning the whole creation, mankinde. To be made known to every man and vvoman, after seaven dispensations and seaso Winstanley, Gerrard 1649 19733 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 B The rate of 2 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the B category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2005-08 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-09 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-10 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2005-10 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-01 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE MYSTERIE OF GOD , Concerning the whole Creation , MANKINDE . TO BE Made known to every man and VVoman , after seaven Dispensations and Seasons of Time are passed over , According to the COUNCELL of GOD , Revealed to his Servants . By Gerrard Winstanley , Psal. 145. 13. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom , and thy Dominion endureth throughout all generations . Rom. 11. 26. And so all Israel shall be saved , as it is written , There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer , that shall turn away ungodlines from Iacob . London , Printed by I. C. for Giles Calvert , at the Black-spread-Eagle , at the West end of Pauls , 1649. To my Beloved Countrey-men of the County of LANCASTER . DEar Country men , when some of you see my name subscribed to this ensuing Discourse , you may wonder at it , and it may be despise me in your heart , as Davids Brethren despised him , and told him it was the pride of his heart to come into the Battell , &c. but know , that Gods works are not like mens , he doth not alwaies take the wise , the learned , the rich of the world to manifest himself in , and through them to others , but he chuseth the despised , the unlearned , the poor , the nothings of the world , and fills them with the good things of himself , when as he sends the empty away . I have writ nothing but what was given me of my Father ; and at the first beholding of this Mystery , it appeared to be so high above my reach , that I was confounded and lost in my spirit ; but God , ( whom I believe , is my teacher , for I have joy and rest in him ) left me not in bondage , but set me at liberty , and caused me to see much glory in these following truths ; and when God works none can hinder . It may be some things herein may seeme very strange at the first reading and you may crie out , an error ; an error ; for this is usuall , when the flesh cannot apprehend and be are a truth of God , it brands it for an error , and rejects it as a wicked thing ; as the Jewes , because they could not behold God in Christ , did breake out in bitternesse of spirit against Christ , calling him a deceiver , and that he preached blasphemy , and error , & never rested till they had killed him ; & our Lord Christ told his disciples , that he had many things to speak to them , but they were not able to bear them as yet . And this I speak in experience , that many truths of God , wherein I now see beauty , my heart at the first hearing rose against them , and could not beare them ; and therefore , if what I have writ meet with such hard entertainment in any of your hearts , it is no wonder , for I know that the flesh that is in you , lusts after envy , but it is part of your bondage which God will deliver you from in due time : You shall finde that I call the whole power of darknesse by the name Serpent , which dwells in , and hath taken every man and woman captive , and that God through his Sonne Christ will redeeme his own workmanship , mankinde , from it , and destroy the Serpent onely ; but do not count this a slight thing ; for when God lets you see into the Mystery of this iniquity , in the least degree of it , it will prove too hard for you , and you will be nothing but death , curse , and misery . Therefore , as you desire that God would manifest love to you , and make you free , be not offended to hear , that God , who is love it self , hath a season to manifest his love to others that are lost , and quicken them that were killed , while you were made alive , and that fell further under death , when you that were lost are redeemed an houre or two before them . Iesus Christ shed his bloud wilingly for them that did put him to death ; and the Saints of God rejoyced , that Paul their bitter persecutor , was received to mercy with themselves : Why then should you be offended , and thinke you are miserable , if your persecutors and enemies should in Gods time be delivered from under the curse , and partake of the glory of the City , together with you . It is much for the glory of God for him to redeeme , not part onely , but all mankinde from death , which his own hands made , it is his revealed will so to do , therefore let it be your joy that the will of your Father is , and shall be fulfilled ; and do not thinke the Saints are made unhappy , and God dishonored , if he heale them that were lost , and that did not enter into the City , in the beginning of the great day of judgment , for as he is honored in saving you of the Citie that were lost : so he will be honored in redeeming these that lye under the power of the second death . and that entred not into the City , seeing there was no difference between you and them , till the will of God made the difference , in taking you at the first and leaving them till the last houre ; for Christ gave himself a ransome for all , to be revealed in due time . God doth not reveale his love to all at one time but when he will ; and God hath some thing to do after the resurrection , as he hath , and will yet do much before that day . Well , I leave , not questioning , but if any of you be unsatisfied with what I have writ , that you will speak to me , and I hope God will be my wisdom and strength to confirme it ; since I had writ it , I met with more Scriptures to confirme it , so that it is not a spirit of private fancie , but it is agreeable to the written Word . Farwell . Your Country-man , that loves the life of your Soule , Gerrard Winstanley . These Particulars , and such like are contained in this Discourse . VVHat Mankinde was , is , and shall be . What the Serpent is , that caused Adams fall , and whence he sprang . The Serpent is not Gods Creature . What the bondage of death is , that Adam or all mankind lies under . What the good , and what the bad Angels are . God hath cast the twofold murderer out of heaven , and what that is . God will subdue the Serpent , not under part , but under the whole Creation , Mankinde . When all creatures , except Man , are to be dissolved into nothing . Seven Dispensations which God will have Mankind to passe through before he subdue the Serpent under the feet thereof , and what they are . The Citie Sion , or the Elect , are in gathering up to God in six of those dispensations , in every season of time ; and in the seventh the mystery of God shall be finished , and not till then . The Citie Sion , or the Elect , shall first be taken up to God , afterwards they that were cast into everlasting fire , while the Elect were in gathering , shall be redeemed , and partake of the glory of the Citie . What is meant by everlasting fire , and the word , for ever and ever , so often used in Scripture . God is honoured in the salvation of Beleevers , and in the losse and shame of unbeleevers . Gods judging the serpent , is mankinds redemption What the day of Judgement is . Though lost man drink the top , yet the Serpent shall drink the dregs of Gods judgment , before the Son can deliver up the Kingdom to the Father . What the first and second death is , or the first resurrection , and second death . What the Bookes are that must be opened at the great day of judgement . God hath been judging the Serpent since Adams fall , and will still sit upon the Throne till the last day be finished , & yet all but one day of judgment God hates none but the Serpent and his seed ; hee loves every branch of mankinde , and in his owne seasons wil manifest his love to every one , though to some at the ninth , some at the tenth , and some at the last houre . God hath given a time , times , and halfe time to the Serpent now in the latter dayes to reigne in these . How the Serpent under the names of Beast , Whore and false Prophet , makes use of that time God hath given him . The bitternesse that is in mens spirits in these dayes , is the smoak of the Serpents torment , the restlesnesse of that wicked one day and night , and beginning of his sorrowes . Three scruples against this mystery of God answered A seasonable advice in the close . The Mystery of GOD , concerning the whole Creation , MANKINDE . What mankinde is , was , ana shall be . WHen God had made Adam , there was then two Beings , distinct the one from the other , that is , God himselfe , that was an uncreated Being , and the Humane Nature , that was a created Being : And though Adam was pure and spotlesse , yet he had no other wisdome , beauty , and power , but what God had created . God himself , who is the infinite & endless Being , did not dwell bodily in Adam , as he did dwell bodily in the Humane Nature , Jesus Christ , the second Adam , in after-times ; but a pure created wisdome , beauty , and power , did rule , dwell , and act in that created Humanity . And after God had made Adam , he put him into a Garden , called Eden , which was full of Trees , Hearbs , Creatures , for pleasure and delight , that he should dresse it , and live contentedly in the use of all things therein ; which indeed is the History to the creatures capacity . Yet thereby God declares , That Adam himselfe , or that living flesh , mankinde , is a Garden which God hath made for his own delight , to dwell , and walk in , wherein he had planted variety of Hearbs , & pleasant Plants , as love , joy , peace , humility , knowledge , obedience , delight , and purity of life . But all these being created qualities , and a Being distinct from the Being of God ; God knew and saw , that there would spring up as a weed , and the first fruits of it likewise , an inclinable principle , or spirit of self-love aspiring up in the midst of this created , living Garden , and in the midst of every plant therein , which is indeed , aspiring to be as God , or to be a Being of it selfe , equall to , and yet distinct from God ; as we see by visible experience in every creature , as Horses , Cowes , Beares , and the like , there appeares an inclinable disposition to promote it selfe , or its own Being : But this is but the fruit or invention of the creature after he was made , God did not make it . Now as the purest water being let stand , does in time putrifie , so I say , God knew that the first fruit that this created Being would bring forth , would be an aspiring desire to be equall , or like to God himselfe , which if the creature delighted in , and so ate , or satisfied himselfe in his own fruit , he should die ; but if he forsook his own invention , and stuck close to God , acknowledgeing his Being to be his life , and all in all , then he should live . Therefore God made it under a law , that the creature might know himselfe to be a creature , and acknowledge God his maker to be above , to whose command he was to subject himselfe ; for when God had made him a pure living creature , very good , and a being distinct from the being of God , yet in the image of God , like two trees from whence fruit should grow , for Adam would bring forth fruit to maintain his created being equall with God ; and God would bring forth fruit to maintain his uncreated being , and to swallow up all other beings into himself , and he to become all in all to every Creature that he made . Now saith God , I have made thee the Lord of all my Creatures , and for thy use I made them ; and thou mayest make use of any that pleases thine eyes , and eat of the fruit of any tree that delights thy taste , excepting the tree of knowledge of good and evill that stands in the middle of the Garden , and of that thou shalt not eat ; for in that day that thou eatest thereof , thou shall die the death . And this is the Law or Covenant that I have made between me , that am a Being of my selfe ; and thee , that art a Being created by me . Now when Adam had taken of the tree of knowledge of good and evill , that was in the Garden of Eden , the History , and did eat of it : It declares , that he did eat likewise , and especially of the forbidden fruit that aspired up in himself the living Garden of Eden the mystery , and gave way with content and delight to that aspiring selfishnesse within himselfe , to be as God , knowing good and evill ; for eating implies delight and satisfaction : for Adam did not onely eat of the tree in Edens Garden , but he had a secret tickling delight arising in him , to be a more knowing man then God made him , and thereby began to reject God ; and not being content with the Being God made him in , which if hee had been content with , he had acknowledged God all in all , and the onely infinite and one Being , that shall stand unmoveable . But he eats , delights in that aspiring Weed , ( or Mystery of Iniquity ) for himselfe to have a Being above , equall to , or distinct from God : So that the ground of Adams fall , arises up first in Adams heart , as fruit growing up from a created Being ; for in that it was in his heart to doe evill , God imputes it to him for evill . Well , this selfishnesse in the midle of the living garden , Adam , is the forbidden fruit , and this is called the Serpent , because it windes it selfe into every creature , and into every created faculty , and twists it self round about the Tree , Mankind . And when Adam put forth his hand to take , and eat of the fruit of the Tree , in the History , his hand was guided thereunto by this Serpent , whose secret whisperings he delighted in : And truly this delight in selfe , was the eating , and it was the chiefe forbidden fruit that grew up in the middle of the living garden , Adam , which God forbad him to eat of , or delight in : But Adam did begin to delight in that inward fruit of wickednesse ; and then by the motion thereof , took the fruit of the Tree in the middle of Eden , and delighted his outward senses therewith , and so brake the Law and Covenant of God , fell from his purity , and died , according to the word of his Maker , That in the day thou eatest , thou shalt dye . And all the faculties and powers of that living created Being , Adam , are now become absolute rebellions , and enmity it selfe against the Being of Godl●… And that garden of pleasant plants , Adam , is become a stinking dunghill of weeds , and brings forth nothing but pride , envy , discontent , disobedience , and the whole actings of the spirit , and power of darknes . And if the creature should bee honoured in this condition , then God would be dishonoured , because his command is broke , and yet the creature remains glorious , therefore he died . And if so be the creature be utterly lost and perish , and this garden should never be so dressed , as to bring forth fruit to Gods delight , then likewise God would suffer dishonour , because his work is spoyled in his hand , and there is no hopes of recovery . But the work of God shall be restored from this lost , dead , weedy , & enslaved condition , and the fruit of the created Being shall utterly perish and be ashamed . And things being thus considered , God is pleased to lead us to see a little into these two mysteries : First , the mystery of Iniquity , or work of the Serpent , which was the aspiring fruit of pride , and selfe-love , that sprung up in the created Being , to be as God , and so to be an absolute Being of himself , as God is an absolute Being of himselfe ; and so this selfe-honouring would sit in Gods Temple , that is , the humane Nature , which God made a Garden for Himselfe to walk in ; and if that Spirit of Self-love could not be destroyed , and the Humane Nature recovered from that bondage , God would suffer much dishonour ; because he being glorious and happy in himselfe , hath made a creature to be a vexation and scourge to him , and cannot subdue it . And this mystery of iniquity , or power of darknesse , hath , does , and will fight against the Being of God , till it be taken out of the way , and quite subdued ; as the Father hath promised he will subdue it under the feet of his Sonne , the Humane Nature . Then secondly , God leads us to the mystery of himselfe , and makes us able to see into the knowledge of that great work that hee is in working : and that is , to destroy this Serpent out of the flesh , and all Beings , that is enmity against him , and to swallow up his Creature Man into himselfe , that so there may bee but one onely pure , endlesse , and infinite Being , even God himselfe all in all , dwelling and walking in this garden , Mankinde , in which he will plant pleasant fruit trees , and pluck up all weeds . Cant. 4. 16. Since Adam fell , to this present day , wee see the wisdome , power , and affection that dwels and rules in Man , leads him any way , either to just or unjust actions , so that Selfe may be preferred , not caring whether God be honoured , yea , or no . Now the mystery of God is this , hee will destroy and subdue this power of darknesse , under the feet of the whole Creation , Mankinde , and every particular branch , Man and Woman , deliver him from this bondage and prison , and dwel in his own House and Garden himselfe ; so that the wisdome , power , love , life , beauty , and Spirit of truth that dwels and rules in Man , may be God himselfe , even the Lord our Righteousnesse , and no other being or power , but himselfe . And as God did dwell bodily in the Humane Nature , Jesus Christ , who was the first manifestation of this great mystery of God , so when his work is compleated , he will dwell in the whole Creation , that is , every man and woman without exception , as he did dwell in that one branch , Jesus Christ , who is the pledge , or first fruits . And therefore you shall finde , that when Adam had broke the Covenant , and died by the Law , God did not denounce an utter destruction , without recovery to the Creation , Mankinde , which was his own work , which his own wisdome and power did produce and bring forth . But he pronounces the finall curse against the Serpent , or mans work , which was the fruit that sprung up in , and was acted both inwardly and outwardly by the Creation , or created Being , in rebellion against the Being of God : Therefore sinne is properly mans owne act . The words of the Father run thus , speaking to the Serpent : I will put enmity between thee and the woman , and between thy seed and her seed , it shall bruise thy head , and thou shalt bruise his heele : So that the Serpent must be killed ; for bruise his head , and he dies . Now the curse that was declared to Adam , was temporary : That he should undergoe sorrows , and suffer a bruising in his out-member ; but not a killing , though Adam had killed himselfe : so that he hath brought himselfe under the bondage ; God will not strike him now he is downe , and make his death without recovery , but God will destroy death , and quicken Adam , or Mankinde againe , that we may all see our salvation is from God , though our misery was from our selves , that so whosoever glories , may glory onely in the Lord . And now by the way mind one thing , That when this Serpent rules , and causes the creature to act , such actings become the creatures losse & shame ; but when God acts in the creatures life , glory , and redemption ; to advance selfe , and deny God , is the creatures death . But to deny self , and to acknowledge God , is the creatures life ; before Adam acted Rebellion , this aspiring spirit of pride , to be as God , led the humane nature , to disobey God ; And ever since the fall , the same selfish spirit , leads every man and woman captive at his will , and inslaves them in that prison , and bondage , and darkness , to walk in wayes directly contrary to the God of light : and yet many times perswades them , that they do God good service ; let a man read , hear , study , preach , pray , perform actions of Justice ; yet if God be not mercifull to the man , this power of darkness will deceive him ; making him to conceit or think he pleases God , when the truth is , he serves but selfe all the time , it is so full of secret strong delusions . Therefore I say , the mystery of God is this , God will bruise this Serpents head , and cast that murderer out of heaven , the humane nature , wherein it dwels in part , as in the man Christ Jesus : And he will dwell in the whole creation in time , and so deliver whole mankind out of that bondage . This I see to be a truth , both in my own experience , and by testimony of scripture , as God is pleased to teach me . As first , by experience , I shall instance in my self , who am a branch of Adam ; or part of the humane creation : And I lay under the bondage of the Serpent , my own invention , as the whole creation does from Adams fall , and I saw not any bondage ; but since God was pleased to manifest his love to me , he hath caused me to see that I lay dead in sin , weltring in blood and death , was a prisoner to my lusts , for though through his grace , I saw pride , covetousness , envy , uncleanness , ignorance , injustice , and the whole body of unbelief , working and ruling in me ; yet I was ashamed men should know it , this selfish spirit sought to hide himself so close ; and still made provision to have the will of these lusts satisfied in me . And before God manifested his love to me , I delighted in the favour of these weeds , but since God revealed his Son in me , he lets mee see , that those things wherein I did take pleasure , were my death , my shame , and the very power of darkness , wherein I was held , as in a prison ; so that although I felt this deadly body , or wicked one act within me , and although I have been troubled at it , sighed and mourned , strove against it , and prayed against it ; yet I could not deny self , and the more I used meanes to beat him down , as I thought , the more did this power of darkness appear in me , like an overflowing wave of wickedness , drowning me in slavery , and I saw I was a wretched man , wrapped in misery , I mourned that I was so rebellious against God , and I mourned to see I had no power to get out of that bondage of selfishness . And so I continued till God was pleased to pul me out of selfish striving & selfish actings , & made all meanes lie dead before me , and made me dead to such means as I made use of , and thought that deliverance must come that way : And so made me to lie down at his feete , & to waite upon him , & to acknowledg , that unless God did swallow me up into his own being , I should never be delivered , for I saw that the power within me strived to maintain its being , against the being of God ; and all that while I was a stranger to God , though among men , I was a professor , as I thought , of God . But now God hath set me free from that bondage , so that it rules not , though sometime it seemes to face me , like a daring corquered enemy , that cannot hurt . And likewise God causes me to see with much joy and peace of heart , into this mystery of himself , that his eternall councel , which was grounded upon the Law of love , himself , was not to destroy me , nor any of his own creation ; but only the Serpent , which is my work , or the first fruit that sprung up out of the creation ; which is our bondage , and that he himself will become my self , and liberty , and the life and liberty of his whole creation . And in these two things he hath caused me greatly to rejoyce . First , I see and feele , that God hath set me free from the dominion and over-ruling power of that body of sin . It raines not as a King , though sometimes it appeares creeping in like a slave , that is easily whipped out of doores by strength of God . Secondly , I rejoyce in perfect hope and assurance in God , that although this Serpent , or murtherer do begin , by reason of any temptation , or outward troubles , to arise , and endeavour to act in rash anger , in pride , in discontent , or the like , as sometimes it does , yet every appearance of this wicked one in me becomes his further ruine , and shall never rise to rule and enslave me as formerly ; for God thereby takes the occasion to call me up higher into himself , and so makes me to see and possess freedom , in my own experience from him , every day more and more ; I am not still a captive , in a being of darkness distinct from God , but God hath freed me therefrom , and taken me up into his own being ; so that now his wisdom , his love , his life , his power , his joy and peace , is mine , I glory here , I can glory no where else . And here I wait upon God with a sweet peace , under reproaches , under losses , under troubles of the world , being that dispensation of his patience which God will have me wait upon him under , till I partake of the full enjoyment of this inheritance , which I have fully , in hope and assurance , but in possession , but in part . And as God is pleased thus to deal with me , or with any branch of Adam , in the same kind ; so he hath caused me to see , and to rejoyce in the sight , that he will not lose any of his work , but he will redeem his own whole Creation , to himself , and dwell , and rule in it himself , and subdue the Serpent under his feet , and take up all his Creation , Mankind , into himself , and will become , the only , endless , pure , absolute , and infinite being , even infinitely for ever all in all , in every one , and in the whole , that no flesh may glory in it self , but in the Lord only . But this mystery of God is not to be done all at once , but in severall dispensations , some whereof are past , some are in being , and some are yet to come ; but when the mystery of God is absolutely finished , or , as the Scriptures say , The Son hath delivered up the Kingdom to the Father , this will be the upshot or conclusion , that Gods work shall be redeemed , and live in God , and God in it ; but the creatures work without God , shall be lost and perish , Man , Adam , or whole Creation of Mankind , which is Gods work , shall be delivered from Corruption , Bondage , Death , and Pain , and the Serpent that caused the fall , shall only perish , and be cast into the lake ; and God will be the same in the latter end , accomplishing what in the beginning he promised , that is , to bruise the Serpents head , and subdue him under the feet of his Son , the humane nature , wherein he will walk , as a Garden of pleasure , and dwell himself for ever . I shall now in the next place mention some Scriptures as a Testimony that does countenance this truth , that God will not lose any part of his Creation , Mankind , but will redeem and preserve it , both in particular , & in whole , and will destroy nothing but the Serpent , that wicked one , that would be a being equall to , or above God ; but Gods work shall stand , and the creatures work shall perish and suffer losse . The first Scripture I shall mention , is , 1 Cor. 3. 13. Every mans Work shall be made manifest , for the day shall declare it , because it shall be revealed by fire : and the fire shall try every mans work , of what sort it is . That is , whether it be of God , or of the Serpent . If any mans work abide , he shall receive a reward , that is , he shall live in God , and God in him , because God in the man , was the strength of his work , If any mans work shall be burned , he shall suffer losse , but he himself shall be saved , ( mark this ) yet so , as by fire ; not by materiall fire of purgatory , but by the bright , and clear coming of God into this man , whose indwelling presence , like fire , burnes up the stubble of mens own inventions , and purges the drosse from the gold , & divides between the marrow and the bone , that is , makes a separation between his own work and mans work . So likewise Rev. 20. 10. And the Devill , or murderer , that deceived the Nations , was east into the lake of fire and brimstone , and v. 14. And death and hel were cast into the lake of fire : the Nations were not cast in at this time , for this Scripture I believe points out the great day of Judgment , when Nations shall be delivered out of that fire , and there shall be no more curse , death , sorrow , nor pain lie upon any part of the Creation , but all teares shall be wiped from its eyes , and the Serpent only shall perish in the Lake ; for after that the City-work is finished , and the number of the Elect gathered in , and established in glory ; then the dispensations of God , who is the tree of life , send forth a healing vertue to the Nations , and then the Nations likewise that are saved , or those that were lost , while the City or Elect was in gathering , do now bring their glory into the City likewise ; for every man shall be saved , saith God through Paul , without exception , though some at the ninth houre , some at the tenth houre , and some at the last houre ; and this salvation of every man , or the making of the whole creation , a pure River of the water of life , cleer as Cristall , proceeds from the throne of God and the Lamb , that is , from the judgment seat of God , judging , condemning , and killing the Serpent , and so restoring his own creation to purity and life . So likewise 2 Cor. 5. 4. For we in this Tabernacle do groane , being burdened , not for that we would be uncloathed , but cloathed upon : that mortality might be swallowed up of life . By mortality here , is not meant the laying of the body in , or raising of it out of the dust or grave , but it is the very death which Adam , by disobeying , fell under , and that is the death of his purity , or pure being , which is a falling from God into a being directly opposite to the being of God ; as rottonness of flesh , is death to soundness of flesh , darkness is the death to light ; for whereas before the fall , Adam knew God , loved and acknowledged God , and was in every part so pure , as God said , Behold , it is all very good , but after the fall he became envious , proud , disobedient , full of all lusts and concupiscence of evill , even as we find by experience our bondage ; and so from a friend , he fell to be enmity against God , of a pure creature , he became unclean , and of a Child of Gods delight , he fell to be a Child of wrath ; and of a pure garden , he became a stinking dunghill ; and this is the death or mortality , which not only Adam in particular , but all the branches of Adam , men and women , lie under . Even under a corrupt Being . Now this rottennesse , or death , under which the whole Creation is fallen , and lies in bondage too , it is that Serpent , or power of darknesse which Paul desires might be swallowed up of life ; that is , that God , who is life , would be pleased to come and dwell in him , and in his creation , and so cast out that mortality , or strong man that is so strongly armed : and this is the Serpent that God hath pronounced the dreadfull curse against ; for this is mans work , and it must bee destroyed . I conceive God calls it mans own invention , because it was the first fruit that the creature brought forth ; after he was made , and left to himselfe , even this aspired and sprung up in him , to which he gave consent to promote Selfe , and become as God . I shall onely mention one Scripture more , though I beleeve I could bring above a hundred Scriptures that doe countenance this truth . And if you seriously minde what you read , you shall finde that this is the Royall blood that runs through the golden veines of the writings of the Prophets and Apostles : It is Rom. 8. from vers. 19. to 26. but for shortnesse sake I shall mention onely the 21. and 22. verses , Beeause the creation it self also shall be delivered ( as well as we that are members of the elected Citie ) from the bondage of corruption , into the glorious liberty of the children of God : For we know ( by our experience ) that the whole creation ( of which we are branches ) groaneth and travelleth in pain together untill now . By Creature , or whole Creation , I see it to be a cleare and soul-comforting truth , to be only mankinde , for whose use , or for the time that God hath determined to finish this great designe , to make his garden Man , a garden of pleasure to himselfe , when he hath plucked up all the weeds , and so husbanded the ground , that weeds shall never grow again . I say , all the time , God hath made all other creatures for mans use , or rather to serve his own providence , while he is in working this great mystery about man , and when the work is finished , then all other creatures shall bee dissolved into nothing as at first ; for as God is a Spirit , he delights in spirituall things , but these outward creatures were made for the pleasure , profit , and use of man , while he is carnall , and stands in a Being distinct from God : and when man is made spirituall , and swallowed up in life , or taken up into the Being of God , there will then be no more use or need of these outward creatures , as Cattell , Corn , Meat , Drink , and the like ; nor of Sunne , Moon , nor Starre , nor of Creature-light , either literall or mysticall ; for God and the Lamb shall dwell in the Citie , and in the whole Creation , and be the light thereof , as the Lord Christ said , In that day you shall know , that I am in my Father , and you in Me , and I in you . And , labour not for the meat that perisheth , but for that which endures to eternall life . Some may say , If this be true , that God will save every one , then I will live , and take my pleasure in sin , and eat , drink , and be merry , and take all delights while I live , for I am Gods workmanship , and he will not lose his own work , I shall be saved . But if he will not lose his work , yet thy work shall perish , think upon that ; and truly I beleeve that the Serpent in thee , will make such a merry conclusion , and cry down this truth of God for an errour presently in others , because it beares testimony of his destruction , as the Jewes called Christ a deceiver , or a man of errors , and killed him , because he bore witnesse that their deeds were evill . Well , make that conclusion and take liberty to sin , yet for all that know , thou enslaved creature , that thou shalt be brought to judgement , and thou shalt not escape punishment ; for though sinne be sweet in thy mouth , as it was in Judas , to take the 30 pieces of silver , and to act treachery against his Master , it wil be bitternesse in the belly , as it was to him ; for the jealousie of the Lord shall burn hot against thee , so that thou shalt cal upon the mountains to cover thee from his presence , and wish that thou hadst never been born ; and all the sorrowes spoke of in Scripture , shall overtake thee , and such presumptuous sinners as thou art ; and thy joy shall be turned into mourning , and thou shalt be cast into the everlasting fire , which God hath prepared and appointed for the Serpent and his seed , or for the Devil and his Angels : and while thou art in it , the worm of thy gnawing conscience shall never die , nor the fire of Gods wrath , or the sense of his anger upon thee , shall never goe out , and shall be a pain more intollerable , then the plucking out of the right eye , or the cutting off the right hand . But now lest scruples should arise in others , as though I writ contradictions , or as though I made God changeable . First , to bid a sinner depart into everlasting fire , and yet afterwards take him out again . Now to give answer hereunto . First know , that this was and is the great mystery , worke , and counsell of God , after he had made a visible creature , in a pure Being , distinct from himselfe , his purpose being to destroy all the inventions and actings of this creature , that did spring up and arise from the creatures Being , as a creature , and not from Gods acting in the creature : and God foresaw that the first buddings of this creature would be a desire to maintain it Selfe , or Creature-Being , and so cast God off ; therefore God made him under a Law , that if his creature did consent to that selfish desire , he should die ; if not , he should have lived a pure Being still , though distinct from God , yet under his protection , as a Creator . Now every thing that is in , or about the Creature , that is of God , shall stand ; but every thing that is in , or from the creature , that is not of God , shall fall and perish . Therefore to proceed a little further , that this truth may shine in its own beauty , God does teach me to see , that every action , or dispensation of God , is called a Spirit , or an Angel , and every action , or aspiring principle that rise up in Adam , which led him to disobedience , it pleased God that it should have a Being , and likewise be called a Spirit , but it is a dead Being , and a Spirit of darknesse , quite opposite to the God of Light and Life , and God gives it the name of Serpent , Dragon , Murtherer , wicked one , and unclean Spirit , because it twisted it selfe into the middle of the Creation , and was an aspiring to be like God , but God did not make the nature of it ; for it was the first fruits of a created Being , without God . Now God is pleased to make known himself in divers dispensations in the carrying on of this great work of his . As first , he declares himselfe by way of a Law , In the day thou eatest , thou shalt die ; now this Law , though it was holy , just , and good , yet it was a killing word , or the killing Letter , for it took hold of Adams disobedience , and flew him ; so that word , Thou shalt dye , because flesh , for all flesh broke the Covenant in Adam , and all flesh died , and all humane flesh was cast under that dispensation of death , and the more we stirre to climb up to God by the workes of the Law , the more we intangle our selves in death ; for by the workes of the law no flesh shall be saved . And here is two murtherers which mankind is to be delivered from , before it can live again ; First , this word of the Law , which is holy , just , and good , which ties the creature onely to acknowledge the Being of God , and no other : when the creature began to minde another Being , this righteous Law killed him ; for it is not the King , but the Kings Law that hangs an offender ; and if the rigorous Law stands still in force , no flesh can be saved , because every man and woman are selfish , and minds a sinfull Being , opposite to God , therefore the condemning power of the Law is to be taken away . The second murtherer is the Creatures own invention , or aspiring spirit to be as God , knowing good and evill , or to maintain Selfe , and this killed the creature , and threw him under the curse of the righteous Law , because this would be a Being equall with God , and acknowledge another being besides God , whereas there is no other righteous Being to be acknowledged , but onely God , or what is in God , or God in it . Now in the first discovery of Gods counsell and purpose to the Creature , if he be redeemed , this compound murtherer must be cast out of heaven by a strong hand , and out-stretched arm of God , so that the Being of God might be preserved , the Law of God kept pure , and yet fallen man redeemed . As first , this dispensation of death , Do this , and live ; Do not this , and die , must be cast out of Heaven , that is , out of Gods hand , and God must not , in the redeeming of him , appeare to the creature under that dispensation : for if he doe , it will still hold the lost creature under death and bondage : and if the creature were made pure again , and left still to deale with the Law by his created strength onely , as Adam was , truly he would fall again ; for a meere created strength , being distinct from God the Creator , would fall again ; for no Being can stand pure , but such a created Being as God is pleased to dwell bodily in ; for every opposite Being will seek to advance it selfe . Therefore if God redeem his creature from death , he must appeare absolutely a God of love , under no other dispensation but the law of love , doing all in , and for the creature , and thus in the Gospel he does ; for this is the Spirit that quickens and saves the creature : and when this Word of Love was made Flesh , it was the first discovery from God , to assure the creature of his redemption from death ; and this was when Jesus Christ , or God was manifested in flesh , working , doing , suffering all things for the creature , pardoning , accepting , and taking the creature freely into communion with God , by Gods own power , and for his own name sake , promising never to remember disobediences any more , but would blot out that hand-writing , the Law , of Doe and live , not doe and die . And now the killing letter , or murderer is cast out of heaven , out of Gods hand , God will never have that to stand between him and his creature any more ; but hee himselfe , who is the Law of Love , even Love it selfe , will dwell and rule a King of Righteousnesse in the Creature , and be the Creatures wisdome , strength , life , joy , and comfort , and his All in All . But secondly , the other murderer , which is worse then this , must be cast out of heaven too , or else the creature cannot live , and that is the Serpent , or this aspiring spirit in him to promote Selfe : for so long as the creature acknowledges any other being but Gods , he is lost ; and truly I think none can be ignorant of this , that the spirit of selfishnesse is in himself , and in every man and woman , therfore it must be cast out of this heaven , Mankinde , before it can live again to God . When Jesus Christ , or God in Man appeared , then the word of Love was made flesh , That the seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head . And when Jesus Christ fought the great battell , or rather God and the Serpent did fight in heaven , that is in the creation , the man Christ Jesus , and God , or the anoynting , prevailed , he cast the Serpent out of heaven , out of that humane flesh which he took up as a part for the whole , or as an earnest of the Fathers love to all the rest ; for I beleeve that all temptations that Jesus Christ met withall , ( for in all things he was tempted like unto us ) they were but the strivings of the Serpent , as he did strive in Adam that fell , to maintain its being opposite to God ; but Jesus Christ , or the anoynting in flesh , being not a created power , but the power of God in that created humanity , did not consent as the first Adam did , for he with strong hand resisted the whispering of the Serpent , and would acknowledge no other Being but God , and so prevailed , and cast the Serpent out of flesh , and hath obtained a legall power to quicken whom he will , or to cast the Serpent out of what man or woman he will : so that it is this anoynting that sets us at liberty from the bondage of sin and the Serpent , and he himselfe becomes our life and strength , and the Lord our Righteousnesse . And when Michael our Prince had prevailed over the Dragon , then there were voyces and Songs heard in heaven , that is , in the creation , Mankind ; Now is come salvation and strength , and the Kingdome of our God , and the power of his Christ ; for the accuser of our Brethren is cast down , which accused them before God day and night . This song , I conceive , was sung by the Elect , the Citie Sion , or Saints of God , who are first enlightned , and they sing Glory to God in the name of the rest that shall be redeemed ; for the Serpent that accused the Creation before God , is cast out in part for the whole , or a part for an earnest peny to the whole . So that now mark , The Law of God that did accuse and condemne the offending creature , this is cast out of Gods hand , and hereafter he will be a God of love , in an intire dispensation of love ; I speak as God doth manifest himself now under the Gospel and as he ever will be when the creature is perfectly redeemed . And the Serpent , which is the Sting , or Worme to the Creatures conscience , because it was still acting a self-being , opposite to God , and then accusing the creature before God day and night , by the force of a condemning Law , for disobediences , which is the creatures bondage and misery ; for the spirit of sin within , this enslaves him , and the condemning Law , this casts him from God , and so throwes the sinner under utter darknesse and sorrow . I , but for the creatures comfort , this Serpent is cast out of heaven , the Creation likewise , and though for the present many poore creatures lie under the bondage , yet the time is drawing neer that they shal be delivered , and the wicked one himselfe , the Serpent , shall be cast into the Lake , and perish for ever . Indeed the Serpent would have Gods created work to die with him , for he knowes he must dye irrecoverably , but God will redeem his creature , and the Serpents head only shall be bruised , which will be his death . Well , this two-fold murderer is cast out of Heaven , that is , the condemning Law is cast out of Gods hand by Jesus Christ , the Law of grace and love ; and the Serpent is cast out of the creation in part , and shall be cast out of the whole when the Mystery of God is finished by the power of the same anointng , Jesus Christ ; for God the Father is reconciled , and he hath taken the creature into fellowship with himselfe : For God was in the Man Christ Jesus , reconciling the world , that is , mankind , to himself , not imputing their sins to them . Now this Mystery , or work of God is finished fully and compleatly in a two-fold sense , but not in a third , as yet ; and when this third term is finished , then the whole work is finished , and not till then . First , in Gods everlasting counsell and purpose , this worke was done from all eternity , before the foundation of the world was laid , and God declared so much , when he uttered this word , I will put enmity between thee and the woman , & between thy seed & her seed , he shall break thy head , and thou shalt bruise his heele . Here the Curse and Death is sealed up to the Serpent , but here is Mercy and Redemption sealed up to the creature ; the creature shall bee redeemed , but he shall goe through bruisings , or pain : Secondly , it is compleatly done in action , in the pledge and earnest-penny . When God was manifested in flesh , in the Man Christ Jesus , who was born of a woman . And this is the first fruit of the Fathers love manifested and sealed up to the whole Creation , Mankinde , that as he dwels bodily in that part of humane nature , Jesus Christ , so in time , according to his own counsell and pleasure , hee will dwell bodily in the whole creation likewise ; therefore saith Christ , I goe to my Father and your Father , to my God and your God ; and he doth not onely speak to his twelve Disciples , but to all others that shall beleeve through their word . And when the Kings of the Earth , and the Nations are healed by the leaves of the Tree of Life , and so bring in their glory into the City Sion , as it shall be in the latter end ; I beleeve there will not be a man that partakes of humane nature , nor woman neither , that shall not partake of faith & so beleeve in God through Christ the anointing , that fils all , and is all in all . But now in the third sense , the worke is not yet compleated in the whole Creation ; for God is pleased to doe this worke in length of time , by degrees , calling some at one houre , and some at another , out of the Serpents bondage , and the times and seasons God hath reserved to himself . Therefore in the further clearing of this Truth , God is pleased to shew forth six dispensations or discoveries of himselfe more , which he will have the creature to passe through before he finish his work , to cast the Serpent , Death , and Hell , into the Lake , and before he himselfe appeare to be the Tree of Life on each side , and in the middle of the pure River of the water of Life : which I conceive is the whole creation , Man , perfectly redeemed ; which River proceeded out of the Throne of God , and of the Lamb ; take notice of that . The second Dispensation , for there are seven Dispensations in the whole ▪ the first I have spoken of already , which was , when God gave the Law to Adam , as soon as hee had made him : And now the second lies in that first promise , or manifestation of love to the Creature , and curse to the Serpent , in these words , The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head , and this continued from Adam till Abraham . Then the third dispensation or discovery of God is more cleare then the former , for to Abraham he speakes more particularly ; he doth not still say in generall termes , The seed of the woman , &c. But in thy seed , Abraham , all nations of the earth shall be blessed , and so points-out more directly in what linage and generation of mankind , God would first appeare in to bruise the Serpents head ; and this dispensation continued from Abraham till Moses time , and our Fathers embraced these promises , and rejoyced in them . The fourth dispensation is from Moses , till God manifested himself in flesh , or till Jesus Christ was born of Mary , that was one of the house of David , of the linage of Abraham ; and this dispensation is more then the former , for God , by types , figures , ceremonies , and shadowes , did more manifestly set forth his love to his creature , and his wrath to the Serpent ; when the sacrifice was slain and offered , God received an attonement , it being a type of Gods in-dwelling in flesh , or a shadow of Christ , the Lamb , the substance of all those sacrifices . And when Achan that troubled Israel was put to death in the valley of Achor , the fiercenesse of Gods wrath was turned away . And I believe God doth teach us by the Prophet Hosea 2. 14. where he saith , I will give the valley of Achor for a doore of hope , which was the place of Achans death ; so when the Serpent , who is our trouble , is subdued and killed in the valley , humane flesh , then the dispensation of Gods anger is turned away from us . The fifth dispensation is from the time that God was manifested in flesh , in the person Jesus Christ , to the time that he appeared in the flesh and person of his Saints likewise ; and this is more cleare then the former , for Jesus the anointed , was the substance of all those types and shadowes of the Mosaicall Law , for now God doth manifestly appear to dwell in flesh , in his creature , and he hath broke the Serpents head , and cast him out of heaven ( his creation ) and now this Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world , that is , destroyes the Serpent , who is the sin that dwells in mankind , for now the life of God doth visibly appear to swallow up the death of the creature , and a manifest beginning to set the creature free from bondage ; and this dispensation of God was spoke of by the Prophets very often before it appeared , that a Child should be borne , a Virgin should have a son , which should be called Emmanuel , God with us ; and God would bring forth his branch , and the Redeemer should come out of Sion , that is the anointing that is in Sion the Church , shall in Gods time go forth to heal the Nations likewise ; now God throws down the shadowes of the Law and drawes his creature to eye Jesus , the anointed , or God manifested in flesh , and this is the appearance of visible Gospel , or of God himself , bringing glad tydings to men , and so worthily deserving everlasting honour and praise from all creatures . The sixth dispensation is , from the time that God appeared in the flesh of Saints , till the perfect gathering up of the Elect , which is called the Resurrection day , or the great day of Judgement . And this is still more cleare then the former , for though God appeared in the person Jesus Christ , who was a branch of mankind , yet we might still be in doubt , and lie under death still , if he there remain ; But God did not appeare in the man Christ Jesus only , but in the Saints likewise , according to his promise by Joel , in the latter dayes , I will power out my spirit upon all flesh , upon my Sons and Daughters , and young men shall see visions , and old men shall dreame dreames , and this was fulfilled in the Apostles , for the same spirit of Christ was sent down upon them , Acts 2. And I know , saith Paul , that I have the spirit of Christ ; And know ye not that the anointing dwells in you , except ye be reprobates . And again , We , saith Paul , that have received the first fruits of the spirit , we groane within our selves , waiting for the adoption , to wit , the redemption of our bodies . Now the Apostles in their first preaching , they preached Jesus , the anointed , or the Lamb , or God manifested in flesh , and this they saw and heard , and they could not but speak in the name of Jesus , and God commanded them so to do . But when God had fully declared himself in that dispensation , he sent forth his Apostles then to preach more spiritually ; and now , saith Paul , though formerly we have known Christ after the flesh , that is , God only manifested in that one man Jesus , the anointed , yet henceforth know we him no more , ( in such a restraint ) for now the mystery of God , which hath been hid from ages and generations past , is now revealed to his Saints in these last dayes , which is Christ , or the anointing in you , the hope of glory ; not only God manifested in the man Christ Jesus , but the same anointing , or tree of life in you likewise , according to that of the Prophet , A King shall reigne in the earth , that is , in mankind , and his name shall be called the Lord our righteousnesse : and again , The anointing which ye have received abideth in you , and ye need not that any teach you , for the same anointing teacheth you of all things . And truly I believe , that whosoever preaches from his book , and not from the anointing , and so speaking in experience what he hath seen and heard from God , is no Minister sent of God , but an hireling , that runs before he be sent , only to get a temporall living ; therefore O England , mind what thou dost , leave off to imbrace hirelings , that come in their own name , and receive such in love whom Christ hath sent in his name , and his Fathers . And in this dispensation we are to note two things ; first , when as John the Baptist prophesied , it was neither light nor dark , for it was between the legall worship that was falling , and gospel truths that were rising , upon the very parting of time between the shadowes of the Law of Moses , and the appearance of Christ the Lamb , who was the substance thereof ; and troubles and vexations began to arise in and among the strict professors of the Law , so that they could not be satisfyed till they had killed Christ , whom they called the man full of errors , that deceived the people . So now the Church is at a stand , and the worship is partly light , and partly dark ; some resting upon the bare letter , according to the example of Christ , and the Apostles only , which is a worship after the flesh , and was true , and was of God in the time of its dispensation . And others do acknowledg God , not exemplarily , but by the faith , the name , and anointing of Jesus Christ , ruling , teaching , acting , and dwelling in them ; therefore think it not strange , though some old professors , and the book-hirelings especially , be offended hereat , and brand the Saints for men full of errors , and seeke to suppresse their testimony ; it was so then , it will be so now , for the same spirit of the world , the Serpent , does still persecute the same anointing of God in this , as in the former dispensation ; but you Saints of God , be patient , waite upon God , this troubled sea , the Serpent , shall not over-whelm you , for stronger is he that is in you , then he that is in the world ; rejoyce , the time of your redemption drawes neere . And againe , think it not strange to see many of the Saints of God at a stand , in a wildernes , & at a losse , and so waiting upon God to discover himself to them ; many are like the tide at full Sea , which stands a little before the water runs either way ; and assure your selves , I know what I speak , you must be dead to your customes before you can run in the Sea of truth , or the River of the water of life ; some walk still according to example , and have either seene nothing , or very little of the anointing in them ; and some walk more in spirit and truth , as the same anointing of the Father , which dwells bodily in Christ , teacheth them , and leadeth them into all truth . The same anointing unites Christ and the Saints , and makes them but one mysticall body : I pray not for these alone , saith Christ , but for all that shall believe through their word , that they all may be one , as thou Father art in me , and I in thee , that they also may be one in us , I in them , and thou in me , that they may be made perfect in one , that is in thee , who art the only pure and holy being . Secondly , not , that under this dispensation is the time that the elect , which is so much spoken of in the Scriptures , are to be gathered into one City , and perfected , and this anointing is the Angell which God hath sent forth in these last dayes , to gather together his elect , from one end of heaven to the other , or out of every nation , kindred , tongue & people , in the earth . And where it is said , that God will send forth not his Angel , but his Angels , to gather his elect together , it points out the severall measures , or dispensations of the anointing , to every Saint , as God will , according to the measure of the guift of Christ . Now sometime God calls his elect by the name of one , in the singular number , and hereby God declares his first born , Jesus Christ , who is the head in the name of the whole body . As the Prophet writes , behold my Servant whom I have chosen , mine elect , in whom my soule delighteth : God hath not chosen the Serpent , or creature-invention to dwel in flesh , for this he hath rejected , and takes no delight in . But he hath chosen the anointing , or his own power and name to dwell in flesh , and this he delights in , therefore Jesus the anointed , is called the Son of God , in whom he is well pleased . And sometimes God calls his elect in the plurall number , as many , and then he declares the mysticall body , or the City , Sion , or those that he hath given to Christ , and whose names are written in the Lambs book . And in this 6. generall dispensation , these only shall be gathered into the City , and whosoever is not writ in the Lambs book of life , shall not enter in at this time and season of the Father , though there is a time and season known to the Father , when they shall be healed likewise , and enter in ; and eat of the heavenly Manna , the tree of life , that is in the middle of the City . Now this City Sion , which consists of head and members ; Jesus Christ and his Saints , who are all baptized into , and knit together by one spirit of God , the anointing . And this City God will redeeme first , or he will subdue the Serpent under the feet of this his Son first : All that do his Commandements , that is , have faith and love , these shall enter into the City , but the fearfull and unbeleevers , murderers , Idolaters , and every one that loveth , and maketh a lie , are without , and are cast into the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone , which is the second death , or the death of the Serpent , and the Serpent ruling in man is the first death which God redeemes us from . All those that were not found writ in the Lambs book of life , were cast into the lake of fire . Or as Mathew calls it , into everlasting fire . Or as Matthew calls it , into everlasting fire , and shall lie under that dispensation of wrath for ever , that is , all the time of this dispensation , or till the day of judgement be ended , that the Serpent , Death , and Hell , are cast into the Lake of fire , and that there shall no more curse lie upon the Creature , but from the judgement seat , or Throne of God ; the whole Creation being redeemed , shall flow forth a pure River of the water of life ; for every Dispensation is called a full period , or tearme of time , and an everlasting season . All this time that God is gathering together his elect , he hath given a time , times , and halfe time to the Serpent . Which in those threefold shapes and a halfe , or in those three dayes and halfe , he is called the Beast , or the Whore , and this time is given him to make warre , and to fight against the Prince of Princes , and his Saints , and to overcome them , and to waste and destroy the holy people mightily . And this appointed time is the yeare wherein the Beast lives , and God gives all advantages to the Beast , as riches , outward liberty , worldly power , and generally humane Authority into his hand . And puts no weapons into the hands of his Saints ; but faith , or the anointing , to fight against the reproaches , slanders , oppressions , poverties , weaknesse , prisons , and the multitude of temptations which the Beast , through her wit , malice , and power , casts upon the Saints , like a flood of water to drowne them . And to overthrow the work of God by great hand , if it were possible . Likewise the Serpent stirs up some , whom she deceives , to be seeming professors , outwardly religious , having a form of godlinesse , but through hypocrisie , pride , and selfishnesse , might dishonour God , discourage the tender Lambs of Christ , and bring an ill report upon the wayes of God . And hence it is that Israel of old were trampled upon by the Gentiles that were not in covenant . And hence it is , that the Beast must tread the holy City under foot 42 moneths . That in the day of judgement it may be said , that the Serpent had faire play given him , hee had all advantages , he had a long time given him to ingage warre . I , but God did beat him with his own weapons , and encounters with all the temptations , malice and hypocrisie of the Serpent , by the faith and patience of his Saints , and thereby fairly destroyes him , himselfe may be judge . But in the latter dayes , when the time , times , and halfe drawes to an end , then God sends forth severall dispensations , or Angels , as assistances to this sixth and great Dispensation , to poure out Vials of wrath upon all the glory of the Beast , and curses all his glory by seven degrees , and sounds forth seven Trumpets of glory to God , one after another ; which implies perfection of ruine upon every particular , blasting , cursing , or downfall of the Beast . And when these dayes appeare , then the rage of the Serpent increases , because his time growes short , and his violence , wrath , reproach , oppression , provocations and murders against the Saints are multiplied , and times grow very bad : for now iniquiry abounds , and the love of many in whom the Serpent dwels , waxes cold , and extreamly bitter , and mad against the Saints , in whom the anointing dwells , so that they gnash their tongues with vexation of spirit , and the smoak of their torment ascends upwards ( towards God and his Saints , that are above , not so much downward to such like themselves ) and that for ever and ever . By the doubling of this word , ever and ever , he declares that this misery continues untill the sixth Dispensation be ended , that is , the one for ever ; and all the time of the great day of judgement , that is the second for ever , and so they have no rest , day nor night , who worship the Beast and his Image , and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name ; here is the patience of the Saints , here are they that keep the Commandments of God , and the faith of Jesus : for truly the faith and patience of the Saints are tried to some purpose , while the Beast thus rages , and swels with malice against them . And I beleeve it will appeare more generally visible in time , to me it appears very plain , that the great bitternesse , envy , reproachfull languages , and expressions of malicious wrath , in and among men and women in these dayes , against others whom they brand Sectaries , by severall names , will prove part of the smoak of her torment , and part of the restlesnesse of her Spirit day and night , which is the beginning of her sorrowes ; for this is the raging Sea that casts out its own shame : and men in whom the Serpent dwels , speak evill of that they know not . Now all the time of this sixth Dispensation , God is declaring his great power , in pulling what fire-brands he will out of the Serpents hand , and he will take here one , and there one , as he pleases himself . And let the Serpent put forth all his wit and power , he shall not hinder the salvation of one man or woman , whom God hath chosen , and purposes to deliver from his bondage ; but he will save under every dispensation whom he will , and bring them into Sion , Neither shall the Serpent , nor any of his seed , ever attain communion with God by all his wit , learning , study , actings and power , but he shall perish , and all creatures in whom the Serpent reignes and acts , shall be lost and ashamed in their work , yet every man shall be saved in the end , yet so , as by fire . And here mind two things , First God is honoured in the salvation of beleevers , because he hath undertaken to pull them out of the Serpents hand , and to bind that strong man , and to bring in the Citie to himselfe , and to appeare in them first ; therefore it is said , That judgement begins at the House of God first , that is , God judges , condemnes , and casts the Serpent out of his elect , and saves the whole , and every member of that Citie , before he judge , condemne , and cast the Serpent out of them , that did not enter into the City , but were without , because their names were not written in that Lambs Book of life . Now for God to save some at one houre , and some at another , both when he will , and whom he will , and those scattered sheep of the House of Israel whom God hath chosen , these shall enter into the Citie , though all the wit and power of the Serpent strive to hinder them from entring , And those whom God hath not chosen , shall not enter into the Citie , though all the learning , study , and selfish and meritorious actings of the Serpent , strive to enter in never so much : It makes much for the honour of his Wisdome , Power , and Name . Secondly , God is honoured in the losse , death , or as the word is interpreted , damnation of unbeleevers ; for faith , or the anointing , which is born of God , and whereby the Saints overcome the World , is the power of God dwelling and ruling in Man : And unbeliefe is the Serpent , which is born of the flesh , and persecutes Christ till the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled ; and this power of darknesse is that which dwels and rules in the children of disobedience . Now both these are grinding at the Mill , and are at work for life in humane flesh ; and it advances the glory of God , That they shall live in whom his Divine power dwels , though they be full of weaknesse in themselves , and though they be compassed about with divers temptations , being despised of all , and regarded of none , but are the weak , the poore , the foolish things of the world . And it makes for the glory of God , that unbeleevers , in whom the power of the Serpent dwels , shall die , though they have all advantages , and means outward , as may be , and though they strive much by learning , study , & actings , as Israel of old did , who attained not to righteousnesse , though he sought after it greatly , because he sought for it as it were by the workes of the Law , and not by faith , that is , he sought for it in the strength of the Serpent , or selfishnesse , but not in the strength of God . Well , this sixth Dispensation is the gathering time , wherein God summes up the whole number of his elect ; and as every beleever hath fought his fight , kept the faith , and finished his course , they return to dust ; and the unbeleever he returns to dust , for as the one dies , so dies the other ; and as in this world all things come alike to all , we cannot tell either love or hatred by any thing that happens in this life ; and both return to dust alike , as if there were no other reckoning to be made of either . And so from Adams time , til the whole number of the elect be taken up to God , out of every nation , kindred , tongue , and people , out of which God in all ages of the world is pleased to choose some to be Members of his Son , or Citizens of Sion , and hath appointed in his Councel , that mankind shall increase in the world , and act a while , and then return to dust , and one generation passe away , and another come in the place ; but when the elect are gathered as wheat into Gods store-house , and the City made compleat , and the chaffe burned in the fire , and none enters into the City , but such whose names are written in the Lambs book of life ; and none enters into the lake of fire , but such as are not writ in the Lambs book ; so that Gods will under this dispensation is done ; then followes immediately the great day of judgment ▪ or the resurrection of mens bodies out of the graves . And this day of judgment is the 7. dispensation of God , and this day windes up the whole mystery of God , and makes the eternal councel of God compleatly manifest and true ; That the Serpents head is bruised , and the whole creation , Adam , redeemed from the bondage of death , and in this dispensation we are to mind two things . First , in this great day of the Lord he raises up the bodies of believers , and unbelievers out of the dust again , wherein he hath reserved them all the time of the battel , between the anointing and the Serpent , as a man would keep his jewels in a box for an appointed time . Secondly , God brings every man to judgement , and rewards every man according to his work , some rises to the resurrection of life , and others to the resurrection of losse and death : and the bookes were opened , as John writes ; that is , first the book of the mystery of iniquity , or the nature of the Serpent in flesh laid open , and made manifest to be a power and spirit of darkness , that strived to be a being equal with God , nay , above God ; but being weighed in the ballance , it is found too light . And then the book of the mystery of God , or the anointing of God in flesh , this is made manifest , and laid open to be the great power of God , and the spirit of truth , which hath advanced God to be the only one infinite being ; even God , all in all , and that besides him there is none . And then another book was opened , that is , the book of life and death , or the book of the Law , and of Judgment , which gives the sentence , Come ye blessed , inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world : and to unbeleevers , Go ye cursed into everlasting fire : And now every man is judged according to his works ; the anointing , or the righteous one , is rewarded with life , and all they in whom the anointing did dwell , who are the elect City , and spouse of Christ , are called blessed , and taken up into Gods Kingdome , that is , into love never to fall again . But the Serpent , the wicked one , is rewarded with death , and all those disobedient ones , in whom the Serpent dwelt , are cast into the everlasting fire , prepared for the Devill and his Angels ; this is a second part in the day of judgment , which is a trying of every mans work , and the establishing the City , which is the Lambs wife , in perfect glory , and in justly condemning the rest : and here God is glorified in the salvation of believers , and in the damnation , or losse of unbelievers ; for his work stands , and abides triall ; but mans work suffers losse , and is ashamed : But this is not the end , for as yet the Son hath not delivered up the Kingdom to the Father , for he must raign till all enemies be subdued , but death , curse , and sorrow is not yet quite subdued ; for it raignes over part of the Creation still , even over those poor creatures that were lost , or that did not enter into the City , but were cast into the lake of fire . The Serpent as yet holds a power , for there is part of Gods work not yet delivered from his bondage : And the Serpent would be glad , and it would be some ease to his torment , if any of Gods work might die and perish with him . As I have heard some say , that they would be content to suffer the misery of a new war in England , so that such as they mentioned , might suffer as well as they ; this is the spirit of the Serpent . I , but the Serpent only shall perish , and God will not loose a hair that he made , he will redeeme his whole creation from death . The spirit of darknesse cannot beare this speech , therefore reader observe thy heart , as thou readest , it will either close with a tender spirit of pitty and love herewith , or else swell and fret against it . Therefore in the third part of this great day of judgment , after the City work is finished , and the triall over , then does the tree of life , God himself that dwells in the City , and is the light , and life , and glory of it , send forth dispensations , or Angels , bringing love to heale the Nations , and to bring their glory into the City ; likewise that for the present lies under the dispensation of wrath , and throws the Serpent that deceived them , death , and hell , into the Lake , but there is no mention that the nations are cast therein , in this last casting in , for they are redeemed from it ; as the tree of life brought forth fruit every change of time , and age of the world , to heale the elect , the lost sheep , or City ; so in this last and great day it brings forth leaves to heale the Nations , or such as were not of the City ; their turne to receive mercy comes , though it be at the last houre ; And then all Israel , or whole creation , that groaned under the bondage of death , shal partake of the glorious manifestation of the Sons of God , for now the deliverer comes out of Sion , and shall turne away ungodlinesse from Jacob . Therefore saith John , I saw a pure River of the water of life , cleare as Cristall , proceeded out of the throne of God , and the Lamb . Now I conceive clearly that this pure River , is the whole creation , mankind , fully and compleatly delivered from death , and curse , as in that 3. verse . And this pure redemption proceedes from the throne of God and the Lamb , that is , from the judgment seat of God , judging , condemning , and bruising the Serpents head , and so setting his own work , mankind , free from that death and bondage . I shall mention one Scripture more that countenances this truth : And I looked , and behold a white cloud , and upon the cloud one sate like the Son of man ; having on his head a Crown of gold , and in his hand a sharpe sickle : And another Angel came out of the Temple , crying with a loud voice to him that sate on the cloud , saying , thrust in thy sickle and reape , for the harvest of the earth is ripe ; and he that sate on the cloud , thrust in his sickle on the earth , and the earth was reaped . And then another Angel came out of the altar , and cryed in the same manner , to him that had the sickle , as you may read . By a white cloud , I conceive is meant the City Sion , or spouse of Christ , that is arayed in pure and white , in whom there is no spot , for she is perfectly redeemed ; by him that sate upō this white cloud , is ment the whole anointing , or the great manifestation of God in one person , Jesus Christ ; And the severall Angels that cryed one after another , are severall dispensations , or discoveries of God , that proceed from Christ at several times , and seasons . Therefore the City being made white , now the manifestations of Gods love begin to appeare towards the earth , or nations , which entred not into the City ; now the time and season requires , that the sickle of Christ should be thrust into the earth , that is , that the brightness of Jesus Christ , the Lamb , might appear and shine forth upon the Nations also , as it did shine upon the City , And we see the conclusion in the 20. verse , And the wine-presse was troden without the City , ( mind that ) and blood came out of the wine-presse , even unto the horse bridles , &c. This phrase I conceive points out the utter ruine and destruction of the Serpent , that held the earth or Nations which were without the City , in bondage . But now the anointing , or the great dispensation of the love of God , hath reaped the earth as well as the City , and destroyed the Serpent there , as well as in the City ; the wine-presse , or the bruising of the Serpents head , and shedding his blood , was without the City ; and so both City and Country , City and whole earth of mankind , is made a pure River of the water of life , which proceeds from the throne of God and the Lamb . But here arise 3. scruples : First , is not God changeable saith one , In saying , go ye cursed into everlasting fire ; and yet afterwards takes them out againe ? I answer , this fire is the dispensation of Gods wrath ; and it is everlasting , without end to the Serpent ; it was prepared for him and his Angels ; and though God bid the unbeleevers depart into it ; yet he did not say , you shall lie there , and never be redeemed . But the scruple lies in the word everlasting , which I as well as you have taken it to be a misery without end to the creature . But I answer , that in scripture phrase , every dispensation of God was called an everlasting time ; as in the day of Moses , every service in the Temple that Aaron was to perform , God said it should be a Statute and a Law for ever , which notwithstanding ended to be a Law in the beginning of the next dispensation , or the appearance of Christ in the flesh ; and so , though God send unbelievers to lie under the dispensation of his wrath , and call it everlasting fire , it is but for the time of his dispensation , while he is finishing City work , and judging and rewarding every man , that is , the Serpent , and the anointing , according to their works : and after this , comes in their healing time and season , and these times and seasons the Father hath reserved to himself , the Son knowes them not . A second scruple is this ; Shall a man be ever delivered out of hell ? out of hell , saith some , there is no redemption . I answer , first , that there is no Scripture , as saith , out of hell there is no redemption , therefore the scruple is raised upon it without ground ; indeed the Prophet speaking , how that the living praise God , and the dead cannot , hath these words in preferring life before death : The grave cannot praise thee , death cannot celebrate thee , they that go down into the pit , cannot hope for thy truth . But secondly , to answer more directly , let us consider what hell is , and then whether any shall be delivered out that is there : Hell is called death , or a condition below life ; and this is twofold , either a death of purity , far below the nature of God , or a death of sorrows , which is a condition far below the comfort and joyes of God . Now every man and woman , as they are branches of Adam , have no purity in them , and therefore are in a hell far below the life and nature of God ; and likewise they are unavoidably subject to the sorrowes of that death , as an effect following the cause , therefore unavoidably subject to a condition far below the comfort and joyes of God . This is the condition of every man and woman , and they have no power for to deliver themselves , for God only is our Redeemer . And then it followes , that a man may be in hell , and yet may be delivered out ; for as in all this discourse past , it appeares , that as we spring from Adam , we do all lie under the bondage , and death , and power of the Serpent , which is one part of hell , and yet God delivers his elect from out of it ; and therefore it followes cleare , that if men are capable of so much mercy , being Gods creatures , as to be delivered from sin and death , which is one part of hell ; or of a condition below God , they are capable to be delivered through the mercy of the same God , from the sorrowes and paines that follow sin , both which are but the bondage of the Serpent , which God will deliver his creature from : this twofold death is the Serpents head , which God will bruise . A third scruple is , concerning the day of Judgement : Some think it is but one single day , of twenty foure houres long ; nay , some make it lesse , but the length of the twinkling of an eye , because the interpretation of Scripture runs thus , That in the twinkling of an eye , at the sound of the last Trumpet , the Dead shall be raised up to judgement . But to answer this phrase , Twinkling of an eye , it onely shewes that the day of judgement is very short in comparison of the dayes by-past ; like that in Rev. 8. 1. And there was silence in Heaven for the space of half an houre , which is not a direct halfe houre , according as men account , but it declares a very short time . Therefore I conceive , this is not a single day , of 24. houres , but a longer time ; while the Judge sits upon the judgement seat , judgeing the Serpent , so long time it is called a day of judgement , because that is the work of this day , or tearm of time , or the full length of that dispensation ; as formerly it was called the Day of Moses , which was the time while that dispensation of the Law continued in force , whereof Moses was the Mediator ; and so Abraham desired to see my Day , saith Christ , and saw it , that is , the day and time that Christ reignes as King in the power and law of Love , in and over the Saints , and this Paul calls the Day of Christs rest . And this in the truth of it , is that which we call the Sabbath Day , or Day of a Christians rest ; and it is not one day in seaven , still typicall , as the Jewish Sabbath was , but it is the constant reign of Christ in and over the Saints , which is their rest , and which indeed is the substance of the Jewish typicall Sabbath ; as David saith , Let the earth rejoyce , the LORD reignes . And , a King shall reigne in the earth , saith Jeremy , and his name shall bee called , The LORD our Righteousnesse . Now Christ , or the Anointing , doth not reigne one single day in the seaven in his Saints , but every day constantly , which is the substance of the Jewish single Sabbath ; therefore I wish that the Gentile-Christians could understand , that what the Jewes did in the type , these are to perform in the substance , and it is not for the Gentiles to worship in Types , as did the Jewes . Again , the time of the indignation , or while God suffers the Beast to reigne , is called , The Day of the Beast ; and God hath given her three Dayes and a halfe to tread the holy Citie under foot , or the space of 42 moneths , which is three shapes , three discoveries of the reigne of the Beast , or three degrees and half of the Serpents reformation from bad to worse , from open prophanenesse to close hypocrisie ; and not the single dayes of a week . And so here it is called the Day of Judgement , from the work and businesse of the day , or full length of that Dispensation , so that the great and generall day of judgment , from the time that the bodies of beleevers and unbelievers are raised out of the grave , till the Son deliver up the Kingdome to the Father , I beleeve is a long time , of divers yeares ; the full length or shortnesse of it , God onely knowes , and reserves the time and season of that secret to himselfe ; but it is called the day of judgement , while the worke of judgement lasts ; as in our language it is called the Day of Assizes , though the Sessions or businesse continue divers dayes . Now all this day the condemned creatures lie under the dispensation of wrath , under the curse , and under weeping , wailing , and gnashing of teeth for anguish , and this Hell , Sorrow , or Punishment , or Death , is everlasting , because it continues the full time of the dispensation , & the worm never dies all the time , the fire and sense of wrath shall never goe out all the time , the fire of lust shall still be burning , and the smoak of blasphemy shall ascend upward , and they shal have no rest day nor night , and the fire of Gods wrath shal still be scorching and consuming , which shall be an intollerable pain to the creature . Therefore if any man or woman take liberty to sin , let them know this is a truth , they shall be condemned and die , and depart into everlasting fire , and punished in that Hell , lie under the dispensation of wrath , and lie at Gods mercy for delivery , so that those that will not now wait upon God in his time of long-suffering , or in the dispensation of his patience ; they shal wait upon God whether they will or no in the dispensation of wrath , in sorrow , which is intollerable , which is the second death . The first death I conceive , and I clearly see a truth in it , is Adams death , or Adams bondage to the Serpent ; the second death is the Serpents death , after God hath judged him , which is to lie under the wrath of God without end . Now he that hath part in the first resurrection , that is , to be delivered from the bondage of the Serpent , and raised up from the death of sin , and so made alive to God through the Anointing ; over such a man , the second Death , or the endlesse dispensation of wrath , which is prepared for the Serpent , shall have no power . But if a man have not part in the first resurrection , and so enter not into the City new Jerusalem , he shall then tast of the second Death , which is the everlasting fire , prepared for the Serpent & his seed , and it shal have power over him , and he shall lie under it for ever , that is , till the dispensation change , or till the mystery of God be finished , that the Serpent , Death , and Hell is subdued , and cast into the Lake , and the whole Creation be set free , and the Son deliuer up the Kingdome to the Father , and God become all in all , as at the beginning he was , before any opposite power appeared against him . But doth not God sit upon the Throne of judgement before this great day of Judgement appear ? Yes , God & the Lamb have sate upon the judgement seat , or Throne , ever since Adam delighted in his own fruit , or consented to the Serpent , and God hath been judging the Serpent , and bruising his head in every dispensation of his , ever since that time , and casting the Serpent , that strong Man , out of his Elect. And by the powring out of the seven Vials , and the sounding of the seven Trumpets , declares how God hath been subduing the Beast , the Whore , and the false Prophet , which hath been the severall appearances of the Serpent under those names , by which he hath made warre with Christ and his Saints , so that God hath been about this work of judging the Serpent long before this day of judgment came . Then it seemes God hath two judgement dayes : No , it is all one ; for from Adams time till the Son deliver up the Kingdome to the Father , God hath sate upon the Throne , judging the serpent ; but it pleased God so to establish his counsell , that he would not finish this mystery in a short time , but in severall degrees of times and seasons , which he hath reserued in his own power : And this great and last day , is the conclusion of this work , that the serpent shall be subdued under the feet of the whole Creation , and be destroyed everlastingly , as it is written , Judgement begins at the House of God ; and if it begin at us , saith Peter , who are his Temple , his little Flock , his Royall Nation , his peculiar people , what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel ? Why truly they must come to judgement too , but in the last day , or in the end of time ; so that it is not two judgement dayes , but all one day . And so to wind up all , I shall desire men to mind one thing , That though God hath in Scripture declared seven great dispensations , or discoveries of his Counsel , and each one clearer then the other ; yet in every one of these God sends forth severall other dispensations , or Angels , for the carrying on of the work of that time , or season , which are discoveries of his glory ; for whatsoever comes from God is a Spirituall power , not a dead work , but a living . As whatsoever came first from Adam , it was a spiritual power , as pride , discontent , envie , and the whole body of unbeliefe , which slighted the being of God , and seekes to preferre a Creature-being before him . This discovery of Adam was a spiritual power , which is the very bondage which all creatures lie under , and it is an unclean and dead power , but not a living power . But whatsoever comes from God , is a particular Angel , or lesser dispensation , as an assistant to the greater . As for example , when God took flesh , and appeared in the Man Christ Jesus , it was the fifth great dispensation , and the Angel of Gods presence , and Michael our Prince , that stands before God for us . Yet his sufferings in that day , or season of time , was called the Dispensation of Gods patience , wisdome and love , &c. The strength of patience is an Angel of God . I mention this , because I know in my own experience , that if God set it home to others , as I find , it quiets the heart under what condition soever . If thou lie under sorrowes for sins , now know , that it is Gods dispensation to thee , wait patiently upon him , hee will work a good issue in his time , but not in thy time . If thou lie under the temptations of men , of losses , of poverty , of reproaches , it is Gods dispensation to thee , wait with an humble quiet spirit upon him , till he give deliverance . If thou lie under darknesse , emptinesse , and in a lost and wildernes-condition wait patiently ( it is his dispensation to thee ) till God speak ; for he will speak peace when thou thinkest least of it . If thou be filled with joy and peace through beleeving , wait with an humble thankfull heart still upon God , it is his dispensation to thee , and assure thy selfe , that now God begins to dispense out love to thee , he will still be feeding thee in dispensations , or discoveries of his love ; and he will never let thee lie under the sense of anger any more , for his freedome is a freedome indeed , to a full satisfaction ; the peace that he gives , none can , nor shall take away : And be sure he will never take it again , For the gifts and callings of God are without repentanct . And this is all I have to say concerning this truth . And I have done . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A66686e-680 Gen. 1. 31. Col. 2. 9. Gen. 2. 8 , 9. Cant. 4. 12. 16. Isaî. 58. 11. Gen. 3. 6. Ecces . 7. 29. Genes . 2. 17. Gal. 4. 5. 2 Cor. 5. 4. John 4. 34. 1 Kings 8. 18. Rom. 8. 7 Gen. 6. 5. Jer. 18. 4. Col. 1. 13. Isai. 66. 5. 2 Thes. 2. 4 , 5. 1 Cor. 15 25. Heb. 1. 13. 1 Cor. 15. 28. 54. Isai. 61. ● . Luke 4. 18. Jer. 23. 6 Prov. 8. 22 , 23. Gen. 3. 15 Heb. 2. 14. Luke 9. 23. 2 Tim. 2. 26. Rom. 8. 13. 1 Cor. 1. 13. 1 Cor. 15 24. 1 John 4. 15. 1 Cor. 3. 13. 2 Thes. 2. 8. Rev. 21. 24. Rev. 22. 1. 2. Ephes : 2. 3. Rom. 8. 19. Rev. 6. 14. Heb. 1. 11 , 12. Rev. 21. 23. John 14. 20. John 7. 12. Rev. 6. 15 , 16. Mat. 25. 42. 2 Cor. 3. 6. Rom. 3. 20. Isai. 25. 12. 2 Cor. 3. 7. 1 Joh. 4. 9. 1 John 4. 8. 15. Rev. 12. 8 , 9. John 1. 14. Rev. 12. 7. Mat. 4. &c. 2 Cor. 5. 19. Joh. 5. 21 Rev. 12. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 19 , 20. Col. 1. 9. 1 John 4. 15. Rev. 22. 1 , 2. Rev. 21. 24. Acts 17. Rev. 20. 14. Rev. 22. 1. Gen. 3. 15. Gen. 18. 18. Luke 1. 55. Heb. 10. 7. Josh. 7. 26. Hos. 2. 14. Rev. 5. 19. Rom. 8. 23. Acts 4. 2 Cor. 5. 16. Col. 4. 27 Jer. 23. 6 1 John 2. 27. John 5. 43. John 7. Mat. 24. Isa. 32. 12. &c. John 16. 13. 1 Cor. 12. 13. John 17. 20. Ephes. 4. 13. Esa. 42. 1. Mat. 24. 22. 31. Rev. 13. 8. &c. Rev. 20. 15. Rev. 22. 2. Rev. 21. 8. &c. Rev. 22. 14. 15. Rev. 20. 15. Rev. 22. 3. Rev. 20. 14. Dan. 8. 24 , 25. Rev. 16. 17. Rev. 12. 15. Rev. 11. 2 , 3. Rev. 14. 11 , 12. Rev. 16. Rev. 14. 11 , 12. Jude 13. 1 Cor. 3. 15. Rev. 20. 15. Luk. 13. 24. 1 Cor. 1. 27. Rom. 9. 32. Rev. 7. 9. John 5. 29. Rev. 20. 12. Mat. 2. 5 34. Rev. 20. 15. Rev. 21. 24. Rom. 11. 26. Rev. 22. 1. 3. Rev. 14. 14. &c. 2 Thes. 2. 7. 8. Rev. 19. 21. Levit. 16. 29. Num. 10. 8. Acts 1. 7. Isai. 38. 18. Heb. 4. Dan. 11. 36. Rev. 11. 2. 9. Acts 17. Rev. 14. 1 Cor. 15. 27. Dan. 8. 24. Rev. 19. 20. 1 Pet. 4. 17. Luk. 22 , 8. 
A71259	----	The characters of divine revelation a sermon preached at St. Martins in the Fields, March 4. 1694/5 : being the third of the lecture for the ensuing year, founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esquire / by John Williams ... Williams, John, 1636?-1709. 1695 Approx. 41 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 19 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A71259 Wing W2696 ESTC R1810 12497393 ocm 12497393 62561 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A71259) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 62561) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 951:73 or 1110:1) The characters of divine revelation a sermon preached at St. Martins in the Fields, March 4. 1694/5 : being the third of the lecture for the ensuing year, founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esquire / by John Williams ... Williams, John, 1636?-1709. Boyle, Robert, 1627-1691. [4], 32 p. Printed for Ri. Chiswell, and Tho. Cockerill ..., London : 1695. Half-title (p. [1]) reads: Dr. Williams's third sermon at Mr. Boyle's lecture, 1695. "Imprimatur" (p. [2]) dated and signed: March 6. 1694/5. Guil. Lancaster. Errata: p. 32. Duplicate copies appear on reels 951 and 1110. Reproduction of original in the Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. 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Sermons, English -- 17th century. 2005-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-03 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-04 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2005-04 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion D r WILLIAMS's THIRD SERMON AT Mr. BOYLE's Lecture , 1695. IMPRIMATUR , March 6. 1694 / 5. Guil. Lancaster . The Characters of Divine Revelation . A SERMON Preached at St. Martins in the Fields , March 4. 1694 / 5. BEING THE Third of the LECTURE For the Ensuing YEAR , Founded by the Honourable ROBERT BOYLE , Esquire . By JOHN WILLIAMS , D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty . LONDON : Printed for Ri. Chiswell , and Tho. Cockerill : At the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard ; and at the Three Legs in the Poultrey . M DC XC V. HEB. I. 1 , 2. God who at sundry times , and in divers manners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets , hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son. IN these Words there is , ( as I have shewed ) I. A Description given of Revelation , 't is God's speaking , or declaring his Will to Mankind . II. The Certainty of it ; 't is by way of Declaration , God who at sundry times , and in divers manners spake , &c. 'T is taken for granted , and that it needs no Proof . III. The Order observed in delivering this Revelation ; it was at sundry times , and in divers manners ; in time past by the Prophets , and in the last days by his Son. IV. The Perfection and Conclusion of all ; 't is in the last days by his Son. Under the First I have shewed , 1. What is meant by Revelation , in contradistinction to Natural Light. 2. The Possibility of it . 3. The Expedience , Usefulness , and Necessity of it . Under the Second I have shewed , 1. The Certainty of it ; or that there has been such a Revelation . 2. I shall now proceed to shew the Difference between Pretended and True Revelation ; or what are the Characters by which we may know Revelation to be True. In treating upon which , I shall premise , 1. That the proper Subject-matter of Revelation , called here God's speaking , being not self-evident , and out of the Road of Nature , requires some extraneous Principles to prove it by . Sensible Objects lye open to the Sense , and need no Proof ; for who ever thought it necessary to labour in proving there is a Sun in the Heavens ; that it rises and sets , and has its stated Times and Periods of Revolution ; which every man that has his Eye-sight knows and sees as well as himself ? And there are Rational Inferences which we make from precedent Postulata , that are as evident as the Principles from which they are deduced , and which all men alike agree in . But in matters of mere Revelation , there is no manner of Connection between them and what we know before , and are therefore never to be wrought out , or learned by the Book of Nature or Reason ; but are only to be understood and known , as God is pleased to communicate them . We might search and search eternally , and yet never have found out the Mystery of our Redemption ; that Mystery which not only the Prophets enquired and searched diligently , 1 Pet. 1.10 . but also the angels desire to look or pry into , ver . 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and were obliged to wait till the manifold wisdom of God was in its proper time made known to them by the Church , Eph. 3.10 . ( as has been before suggested ) . This then being the Subject of Revelation , 't is reasonable that this Revelation should have some other ways of Proof ; that what is thus Divine in its Discovery , should have a suitable Evidence to justify it . 2. The Matter of Revelation being thus of Divine Inspiration and Authority , must also be worthy of God , and of great Importance , and consequently requires a Proof suitable to the Nature and Importance of it . If the Matter in debate be inconsiderable , we are contented with probable Arguments , nor are we much concerned which way it is determined : As 't is indifferent whether the Sun or the Earth be the Centre , as long as we receive the benefit of both : Or whether our Diet nourishes , or Physick operates by Qualities , or the Texture of its parts , as long as we find the happy Effects of it : Let Philosophers and Naturalists write Volumes , and wrangle eternally about these disputable Points , I find not my self concerned , as long as my Interest is not affected nor concerned in the Quarrel . But when the matter is of no less consequence than my Eternal Happiness , it requires the most serious Thoughts and Attention to be satisfied which is the right , and which the wrong ; whether there be a Revelation , or which is the true , and which the false ; especially since there are different Pretenders to it . 3. Revelation being the Declaration of God's Will to Mankind , as he doth not require us to believe without sufficient Evidence , so it doth suppose that there is such Evidence , and that there are some Marks or Signs by which the Truth and Certainty of such Revelation may be known and proved . For otherwise every Pretender to Revelation would challenge our belief ; and we should not know but that the True Revelation might be the False , and the False the True. 4. There are some things so necessary and inseparably belonging to Revelation , that the want of them will utterly overthrow the Veracity and Authority of it , and yet without further Evidence they are not sufficient to prove it : Of this kind are Self-agreement , a Consonancy to the Principles of Nature , and to the true and certain Notions of Mankind concerning Good and Evil. We are certain if a Revelation fails in any one or more of these , that it is false , and not of Divine Inspiration : For the Light of Nature , and a true and right Notion of things , are from God ; and to suppose a Revelation to be opposite to these , is to make God contradict himself . Thus if we understand any thing , we know God to be infinitely Good and Holy , worthy of the profoundest and most solemn Adoration , because of the Perfections of his Nature , and his Good Will and Beneficence to Mankind . And therefore to sacrifice Men and Children , and to mingle the most Impure and Ludicrous Practices with the Worship paid to him , is rather an Offering to be presented to the most Beastly and Savage Daemons , than the Holy and Merciful Creator of all things ; and consequently cannot be of his Institution . In this case a Contradiction in the Nature of things , would be like a Contradiction in Terms , or a Contradiction in the Revelation it self . And therefore a Revelation that shall evidently contradict them , is a Revelation in Pretence only , it is not Divine . But tho these are thus necessary to Revelation , that the want of them is sufficient to detect what is false ; yet however it will not follow , That whereever these are [ that because a Sum of Doctrine agrees with it self , is consonant to the Light of Nature , and the right notion we have of things ] that it is therefore of Divine Revelation . For tho it is seldom but the Imposture fails in one or more of these , yet it may have all these Characters , and be a Doctrine of Men , of human Contrivance and Composure . And therefore there is somewhat farther requisite to the Proof of a Revelation , somewhat peculiar to it , and that so belongs to it , as not to be common to any thing with it . And that is a Point I shall now take into Consideration . Toward the clearer Proof of which I shall distribute it after a Threefold manner . 1. I shall consider the case of such as were themselves inspired , and to whom the Revelation was made , and how they could be satisfied of the Truth of such a Revelation . 2. The case of those that received the matter revealed immediately from the Persons inspired , and how they were to judge of the Truth of such a Revelation . 3. The case of those that lived in Ages remote from that of the Inspired Persons , and after that the Revelation was compleated , ( as was the case of the Jews more especially that lived between the time of Malachi , and John the Baptist ; and as the case is of all Christians since the Apostolical times ) and what Satisfaction and Evidence may there be expected in those Circumstances . 1. The Case of those that received the Revelation ; and how they themselves could be satisfied about the Certainty of such a Revelation . The Resolution of this Point belongs in part to the Third General , under which the Difference remains to be shewed between a Revelation and Imagination . But I shall not wholly refer it thither . There seems to be so near an Affinity between Revelation and Imagination ; and Imagination is so far operative in many Branches of Inspiration , that 't is very difficult to set out the bounds exactly , and to say , This is of Divine Inspiration , and this the effect of Fancy . But whatever it may seem to us that have no Sensation or Experience of such Divine Representations as the Prophets had ; and so 't is no more possible for us to describe it , than 't is for one that never had his Sight , to conceive what Light and Colour is : Yet as the blind man may be convinced that there are such things as Light , Colour , Figure , and Sight , by what he hears and observes from those that are about him , and that he converses with : So we may be as well assured that there was in Prophetical Schemes that powerful Representation on the part of the Divine Agent , and that clearness of Perception on the part of the Person Inspired , as would abundantly make good those Phrases of Vision and Speaking , by which it is described in Scripture ; and which may well be supposed as much more to advantage , as the Power that operated upon them was beyond that of mere Imagination . So that those Inspired Persons after such Illumination , might as well question what they heard or saw by the Natural Organs of Sense , as doubt of what was revealed to them by the Impressions made upon them through the Agency of the Divine Spirit . To deny this , is to deny that God can so communicate himself to an Intelligent Creature , that the Creature shall certainly know that it proceeds from his immediate Suggestion ; which I have before shewed it is unreasonable to question : And indeed what is no more to be questioned or denied because we our selves have no experience of it , than the Blind from their Birth can reasonably question or deny there is what we call Light and Colour ; or the Deaf , that there are Sounds , Voices , and Words , because they have no Notion or Idea of these things . Now if we think it reasonable that the Deaf and the Blind should notwithstanding a Natural Inaptitude and Incapacity in themselves , assent to what all Mankind besides do unanimously aver , and not call in question the Truth or Possibility of what is thus affirmed , because of their want of Sensation : So it is not fit or reasonable to think this way of Revelation never was , and cannot be , because we have not an experimental knowledge of such a Manifestation . For Almighty God can so clarify the Understanding by a Beam of Light let in from above , as shall be as evident a Proof of its Divine Original , as it is that the Light proceeds from the Sun the Fountain of it ; or as a Person himself is sure of the Truth of any Proposition , which by an Argument before unthought of , or unconsider'd , he comes to be fully convinced of , in spight of all former Prejudices and Opinions . So little Truth or Reason is there in a bold Assertion of a certain Author , That Revelation is uncertain , and never certain without a sign : And therefore , saith he , Abraham , Moses , and Gideon , asked a Sign , over and above Revelation . But it is far from being true , that those persons therefore desired a Sign , because they conceived the Revelation to be uncertain , or that they doubted of the truth of it ; but as a Sign was for the greater confirmation of their Faith , in some Points difficult to be believed , or in some very difficult Services , ( for Faith , as other Graces , is capable of Addition and Improvement ) . In which cases their asking a Sign is no more an evidence of their distrust of God , or a doubting of the Truth and Certainty of the Revelation , than God's confirming his Promise by an Oath , was an evidence that he thought not his Word sufficient without it ; or than Abraham could be supposed not obliged to believe upon a Promise alone , without that superabundant confirmation of an Oath , Heb. 6.17 . Thus it was even in the case of that Holy Patriarch , to which this Author refers ; where before ever he asked a Sign , he is said to have so believed in the Lord , that it was counted to him for righteousness , Gen. 15.6 , 8. his Faith was highly commended , and he is for that reason called the father of the faithful . So that Revelation may be certain when there is no Sign ; and the person was bound to believe it , and was obliged by it , as well where there was no Sign , as where there was . I grant when the Revelation comes at second hand to a person , and rests on Human Testimony , on the Ability and Sincerity of the Relater , or person supposed to be inspired , there needs some farther Evidence , some Sign or Signs , that are to be , as it were , the Credentials from Heaven ; since all men are liars , Psal. 116.11 . that is , may be deceived , or may deceive ; may either be so weak as to be imposed upon by their own Imagination , or the Imposture and Practices of Evil Spirits ; or be so wicked , as under the pretence of Revelation and Inspiration , to impose upon others . In such a case , no man's Affirmation or Pretence is ordinarily to be heeded , further than as he is able to produce such Testimonies as are really as Divine as he would have his Revelation accounted to be . But when a person is himself the Recipient to whom the Revelation is imparted , there is no absolute need of a Sign or further Evidence to ascertain the Truth of it to him ; when if God so pleases , the Revelation of it self might be made as clear as it could be made by the Sign . What need is there of a sign to prove that it is Day , when by the Light of it we see every thing about us ? Or to justify the Truth of a self-evident Proposition ? These are things in their own nature that need no proof . And when a Revelation has an Evidence of its own , as Truth has , it needs no other Light to discover it , no further Sign to prove it , for its own sake , and as to the Person to whom the Revelation is made . A Sign therefore makes no alteration in the Evidence ; for whether with a Sign , or without a Sign , the Revelation is to be believed ; for else they that had a Revelation without a Sign , were not obliged to believe , and the Revelation without the Sign had in effect been no Revelation ; since no one is obliged to believe , where there is no reason for it ; and there is no reason for it , where there is no Evidence , or that Evidence not sufficient . So that if it be asked , how a person shall himself be satisfied concerning the Certainty of a Revelation made to him , it will receive the same answer with that , How he shall be satisfied concerning the Truth of a Proposition , or a self-evident Proposition ; for the further Proof of which God may work a Miracle , and give a Sign , but the thing is the Proof of it self . But however , suppose a person never so well satisfied in what he calls Revelation , and that in his own opinion he is as sure of it as of his own Being and Existence ; yet what is this to others , that are concerned in that Revelation , if it be true , and as much bound to believe it , and be directed by it , as if they themselves had been in the place of that Inspired Person , and received it as he did , immediately from God ? This brings us to the Second Case . 2. The Case of those that did not themselves receive that Revelation immediately from God , but from the Person or Persons Inspired : And then the Question is , How these are to judge of the Truth of that Revelation ? A Revelation to another , how evidently and convincingly soever it may be represented to him , is nothing to me , unless I am fully assured that he has had such a Revelation : But that I cannot be assured of , unless it be by the like immediate Revelation , or by sufficient and uncontroulable Testimony . But it would be an unreasonable motion to demand that we be alike inspired , and have the same Revelation to confirm his Revelation ; for that would be as if one that was born blind should obstinately refuse to believe there is a Sun in the Firmament , or Day , or Sight , unless he has the same Visive Faculty with those that do affirm it . It might then as reasonably be required with Thomas , that we see the Print of the Nails , and put our hand into the Side , and have all actually brought home to our Senses , or else we will remain Infidels , and not believe . This would be to drive all Faith out of the world , and so it would be unpracticable . We must then take the Case for granted , and that it is as reasonable for us to believe , where there are sufficient Motives of Credibility , as if we were alike actually inspired as they to whom the Revelation was immediately conveyed . And here let us place our selves in those circumstances , as if we were to judge of the Truth or Falshood of a Revelation ; and consider what we our selves would in reason desire for our own satisfaction , when the Persons to whom this Revelation is made , stand ready to give it . And if I mistake not in judging for others by what I my self would desire , it may be resolved , 1. Into the Veracity , Sincerity , and Credibility of the Persons pretending to Inspiration . 2. Into the Matter or Subject of Revelation . 3. Into the Testimony produced for it . 1. The Credibility of the Person ; by which we understand his Probity and Sincerity ; his Capacity , Prudence , and Understanding , which render him worthy of Credit , and are meet and necessary Qualifications for a Divine Missionary . The being a Prophet to others , ( as those are to whom a Revelation is made , and that are inspired by Almighty God ) so as to teach and direct them in the stead , as it were , of God , whose Mouth and Representatives they are unto the People , is an Office of great Dignity , and requires somewhat of the Divine Image as well as Authority , to recommend them and their Message to others ; and therefore Prophets and Holy Men are in Scripture frequently put together , 2 Pet. 1.21 . Matth. 13.17 . implying that none were fit to be employed in so sacred an Office , that were not Persons of known Probity , and approved Integrity . I grant in the ordinary Cases , as there were Prophets bred up in the Schools or Nurseries of Learning and Morality , there might be such Persons as were employed without a strict regard had to these qualifications , as Messengers that carried an Errand by the order of their Superiour ; as 2 Kings 9.1 . I grant again , that God might and did sometimes upon some occasions , inspire such Persons as had none of these Qualifications to recommend them ; as he did Balaam : But then this was no more than when God opened the Mouth of the Ass , to rebuke the Madness of that Prophet ; and who was so over-ruled by the Divine Power , as against his will to bless those whom he came to curse ; which was so much the more considerable , as it was the Testimony of an Enemy . But as Revelation is a Divine Communication , and a Mark of Divine Favour , so it doth suppose in the nature of it , that the Person so dignified is duly qualified for it ; and which is so requisite in the opinion of mankind , that without it he would rather be accounted an Impostor , than a Messenger from God , and ordinarily have no more Reverence paid to his Errand than to his Person . And what has been thus said in general , as to the Morality and Virtue of Persons inspired , will hold in some degree as to their Prudence and Understanding , which is so necessary a Qualification , that the Divine Election of Persons for so peculiar a Sevice , doth in that way either find or make them fit . It is no wonder that a late Author maintains Revelation to be uncertain , when he saith that the Prophets were not endued with a more perfect Understanding than others , but only with a more Vivid Power of Imagination ; and that the Wisest of Men , such as Solomon , and Heman , &c. were not Prophets , but contrariwise Rusticks , and untaught Persons , and even despicable Women , such as Hagar . For if these and such as these were the only Persons employed in the Messages of Heaven to Mankind , and whom all the Revelation center'd in , there would be no improbable grounds of suspicion that they were mis-led into such an Opinion , by the Fascination of a working Imagination , and so it would be Fancy , and not Revelation . But what thinks he of Moses , a Person acquainted with all the Learning of the Egyptians , and richly accomplished with all Endowments requisite to compleat a Governor of a Numerous People , and to consolidate them into a settled Constitution ; and therefore has the Preference given him to all the most Famous and Ancient Lawgivers , by Plato , Pythagoras , Diodorus Siculus , & c. ? What thinks he of Joshua , that was bred up under the best Instructor , and that knew the Art of Government and Conduct in Peace and War ? What of Samuel , that from his Youth , and even Childhood indeed , commenced a Prophet , and was also the Judge of the whole Nation in unsettled and perilous times , Acts 3.24 . 13.20 . ? What of David , justly called a Prophet , Acts 2.30 . and whose Writings shew him to excel in all manner of Poetry and sublime Composures ? What , lastly , of Solomon himself , to whom , it 's said , the Lord appeared twice , 1 Kings 11.9 . in a more eminent manner ; and at other times , 1 Kings 3.5 . 6.12 . 9.2 . 11.11 . ? And if at other times God ( who is not confin'd in his Choice or Operations to the Capacity of Instruments ) was pleased to reveal himself to , and employ such Rusticks and Illiterate Persons as Amos , and afterward the Apostles , he gave them a mouth and wisdom , Luke 21.15 . and endued them with such extraordinary Gifts of Elocution and Magnanimity , as made them fit to appear before Kings , and to confront the Wisest of Philosophers , so as that of the Apostle was abundantly verified in them , 1 Cor. 1.25 , &c. That the foolishness of God is wiser than men , and the weakness of God is stronger than men , &c. But it is not only requisite that the Persons to whom the Revelation is made , and that are employ'd in delivering that Revelation to others , be Wise and Cautious , such as are capable of discerning , and not apt to be imposed upon ; but it is as requisite that they be Faithful and Sincere , and that will not impose upon others . For otherwise the more knowing they are , the more able are they by plausible Insinuations and Pretences to deceive . And what greater Evidence of this can be desired , than when the Persons Inspired live by the best Rules , as well as give them ? What greater Evidence , than when for the sake of publishing , propagating , and confirming the Truth of what they teach , they deny themselves of all the Pleasures , Profits , and Honours of this present life ; when though they knew before hand , that bonds and tribulation abide them , yet none of these things move them , neither count they their lives dear unto them ; but with admirable Patience , Resolution , and Constancy , expose themselves to the utmost Severities , for the hope of such Reward as they propose for their own and the Encouragement of others ? What greater Testimonies can be given of their Sincerity , and if not of the Truth , yet of their own Belief of it ? Who could with such Chearfulness invite the greatest Dangers , and with such a brave Magnanimity despise all the Threatnings of the most Potent Adversaries , and run the Gantelope , as it were , through the most formidable Persecutions , without the least Demur or Haesitation , if they themselves were not abundantly and fully convinced of the Truth , Excellency , and Necessity of that Doctrine they were thus commission'd to teach ? If these are not sincere , there is no Sincerity in the world . So that as far as the Credibility of the Persons is a Proof of a Revelation ; and so far as the Wisdom , Probity , and Sincerity of Persons , are a Proof of their Credibility ; we have an Evidence to rest upon , and a Character to try the Truth of a Revelation by . The 2 d. Proof in this Case , desirable and necessary toward a Satisfaction , is the Subject-matter of it ; I mean that which runs as it were a Vein through the whole Body of Revelation . There are some Revelations which concern particular Persons or Families , as that of the Angel to Hagar , concerning Ishmael and his Posterity , which neither made her a Prophet , nor were strictly of Concernment to the rest of the world . But when we enquire after the Matter of Revelation , it is principally the main Subject of it , such as the Law of Moses in the Old Testament , and the Gospel in the New. And here it may be reasonably expected , that the Revelation should be worthy of God , as it is a Revelation from him ; and what should be for the Advantage , Satisfaction , and Happiness of Mankind , as it is a Revelation to them . It is to be worthy of God , and what would become him to speak , dictate , and do , if he were himself to speak , dictate , and act . In all Relations and Descriptions there is a certain Decorum to be observed , with respect to the Nature , Condition , and Circumstances of the Things related and described , which makes up what is called Symetry and Proportion . But above all a due regard is to be had hereunto , in the Ideas and Notions we entertain , or the Representations we make of God , that they may be agreeable to the Dignity and Perfections of his Nature . And if in all our Conceptions of the Divine Being such a scrupulous Care is to be taken , that we judge not amiss of his Nature , Will , and Operations ; we cannot but suppose that in the Revelation of himself to Mankind , he who best and only knows himself , will give such a Representation of those , as is suitable to his Majesty and Authority ; and may ingenerate in the minds of men such an Awe , Reverence , and Regard , as is due from Finite , Created , and Imperfect Beings , to him that is Infinite , Uncreated , and in all Points absolutely Perfect . There we may well expect to find the most lively Characters of the Divine Perfections , as far as we are capable of conceiving ; where Justice and Power are set forth in all their Authority , and yet so temper'd with his Mercy and Kindness , as shall as well raise and quicken the Hopes , attract the Love , and establish the Comfort of Good Men , as administer matter of just Terror to the Wicked . There we may suppose the Mysteries of the Divine Counsels unlocked , and the Beauties and Harmony of the Divine Providence illustrated and described , as far as God's Government of the World , and the condition of Mankind in it will permit . There we may expect to find the best Principles , Rules , and Precepts , to inform and direct us in what we are to know and do ; the best Arguments and Motives for our Encouragement , and the best Means for the purifying and the perfecting of our Natures , and the making us as happy as we are capable ; and which shall as much exceed what we find in the Moralists , as Revelation is above Nature , and the Dictates of Almighty God are beyond the Prescripts of Human Wisdom . Such , in fine , as will lead us to God , make us like to him , and fit us for the enjoyment of him . So that as much as Virtue makes for the Good , Perfection , and Happiness of Men , so much should Revelation make for the Practice of Virtue by its Principles and Rules , its Precepts and its Arguments . Lastly , There we may expect to be satisfied about the chief Subjects of Human Enquiry , of what Mankind would not only desire , but what is best and most necessary for them to know . And what is there more material , and of greater Importance , than to be satisfied about the Origine of all things , and how they came at first to be ? What more desirable , than since God is infinitely good , and consequently could produce nothing that is in it self evil , than to know how the Nature of Mankind came to be corrupted ; and that where there is such a clear sense of the difference between good and evil , such Convictions following that Sense , such Memento's , and such Presignifications , such Reflections upon it , that there should be such a Potent Sway , Bent and Propension to Evil , that with all their Care it can never be prevented , or totally exterminated ? What more desirable , than to know what Nature and Reason of it self is insufficient for [ when we can get no further than a Video meliora proboque , &c. in the Apostle's Language , The good that I would , I do not ; but the evil which I would not , that I do ] may be otherwise effected ; that these Inclinations may be subdued , and Nature brought to a Regular State ? What more desirable , than to know how after all , God may be appeased , Forgiveness may be obtained , and that heavy load upon Human Nature , arising from the Guilt of a Man's Mind , may be removed ? Lastly , What more desirable , than to know the Certainty and Condition of a Future State , and how we may attain to the Happiness of it ? These and the like , used to be the Prime Questions which all , and especially the most thoughtful and considerate part of Mankind sought , but in vain , for Satisfaction in . And therefore since Revelation is to make up the Defects of Natural Light , and is as well for the satisfaction of Mankind , as to be worthy of God , we may reasonably expect that these should be the chief Subject of such Revelation . And a Revelation without this , that should leave Mankind in the same Circumstances of Ignorance and Dissatisfaction as they were in before such Revelation , is no more to be esteemed , than that Course of Physick , which after all Pretences to Infallibility , leaves a Person as much under the Power of his Disease , as before he followed those Prescriptions : It is no Revelation , and can have no Pretence to such a Venerable Title . But when the Subject is Great , Noble , and Sublime , thus worthy of God , and thus beneficial to Mankind : When there is an exact Concord between the Principles of Nature and Reason , and that all falls in with the true and just Notion we have of things . When there is an Harmony through the whole , we have good reason to say , This , if any , is the Revelation . And as far as these Characters belong to Revelation , so much reason have we to believe the Matter of Scripture to be such ; as I shall afterwards shew , when I come to examine the Revelation of Scripture by these Characters . 3. It would be very desirable toward the Confirmation of a Revelation , and for the Satisfaction of those that are required to believe it , that there be an Evidence and Testimony as Extraordinary , as the Matter Revealed is , and the Authority it rests upon ; such as the one is , such in reason ought the other to be : And that is Divine Attestation . A Divine Attestation I account that to be , which exceeds the Power , and is out of the Road of Nature ; for nothing less can change the Course , and alter the Law of Nature , but that which is above Nature , and gave Law to it ; and it must be somewhat above Nature , that can be a sufficient Witness to what is Supernatural . And this may justly be required to justify the Truth of a Revelation , and to distinguish it from Enthusiasm and Imposture . For when the Case is such as Moses puts it , Exod. 4.1 , &c. They will not believe me , nor hearken to my voice ; for they will say , the Lord hath not appeared unto thee ; there needs somewhat beyond a bare Affirmation , to support the Credit of the Revelation , and the Authority of him that pretends to it . And accordingly , he was endued with a Power of working Miracles , That , saith the Text , they may believe that the God of their fathers , Abraham , Isaac , and Jacob , hath appeared to thee . A sort of Evidence ( as that implies ) that is very necessary , and what may reasonably be demanded ; and which is a Proof of the highest nature , and what as all ordinarily can judge of , being a matter of Sense , so where it is true , what we are to be concluded by . The first thing then required and to be considered , is the Reality of the thing , That there is such an Alteration in the Course and State of Nature , which our own Senses will inform us in . The next thing is , That this Alteration cannot proceed from any Natural or Created Cause ; ( for that would be to set Nature above it self . ) The last thing is , That this Alteration in Nature is brought about for such an end , and is solely for the sake of that Revelation , and to give Testimony to it . Where this is , there is the Finger of God , and an Infallible Proof of the Truth and Certainty of what it is to witness to . Now let us lay all this together , and see what it amounts to ; viz. The Capacity , Ability , and Integrity of the Persons to whom this Revelation is made ; the Unanimity and Consent of Persons remote and distant in Time and Place ; the Usefulness and Reasonableness , the Excellency , Sublimity , and Perfection of the Doctrine they taught ; the Testimony given to them by such Operations and Productions as exceed the Power of Created Causes , and are wholly from the Supreme . Where these are concurring , and with one mouth , as it were , giving in their Evidence , we may say it is the Voice of God , and that it is his Revelation which carries upon it the conspicuous Stamp of his Authority . For God cannot be supposed to bear witness to a Falshood , and to set up that as a Light to direct men in their Enquiry , which is no other than an Ignis Fatuus , and tends to their unavoidable Amusement and Deception . But supposing those that were Cotemporaries with Inspired Persons , had all these concurring Evidences for their satisfaction , yet what is this to those that live in Times distant and remote from them , and have it only by Tradition of Persons uninspired ; or as contained in certain Books said to be wrote by Persons inspired ? This brings me to the last Point , which is , 3. The Case of those that live in After-Ages , when Inspiration is not pretended to , and Miracles have ceased , and so want those Advantages for their Satisfaction , which they that were coetaneous with Inspired Persons , might receive ; and yet being obliged alike to believe as the other , must be supposed to have sufficient Authority and Proof for what they are to believe . And then the Question is , What is that Evidence which will be sufficient for them to ground their Belief upon ? I answer 1. That if such have all the Evidence that can be in their Circumstances , they have what is sufficient , and what is to be presumed necessary . The Evidence is sufficient , if it proves there were Persons so Inspired ; that in confirmation of it they wrought Miracles ; and that those Persons wrote certain Books which contain the Records of those Revelations and Miracles ; and which Books are the same that now go under their Name . And if they have all the Evidence for this that in their Circumstances can be reasonably demanded , they have that which is sufficient . And what Evidence can be given of Matters transacted 1600 Years ago , but Testimony , and what is usually called Moral Evidence ? A way of Proof that is as certain as that we our selves were born , and born of such Parents , at such a time ; and that there is any such thing as Faith and Trust in Mankind . 2. Tho these of After-Ages want the Evidence those Cotemporaries of Inspired Persons had ; yet they have some Advantages above them . For they have not only the concurrent Evidence of all before them , and the Reasons of their Judgment that have been downwards from those times , the most considerable part of Mankind for Wisdom and impartial Consideration ; but having lived to see the whole Scheme of Revelation compleated , and at once plac'd in their view , 1. They can by that means compare one part with the other , and see how all agrees , and makes up one entire and coherent Body . 2. They can compare the Events already pass'd , with the Predictions , and see how all came on , and in their season are fulfilled , and how the former is still confirmed by the latter . In all which there appears an admirable Contrivance of the Divine Prescience , in describing those things so long before-hand , and of the Divine Wisdom and Power in carrying on the Prophetick Line through all the Stages of Second Causes , and an Infinite Variety of Events , to the last Moment of its Accomplishment ; and to all which a watchful Providence of the Almighty must constantly attend . 3. They have seen the Wonderful Success of the Gospel in Verification of Prophecy ; and notwithstanding all the Opposition made to it by the Power and Interest of the World , back'd with the Venom , Spite , and Malice of inveterate Enemies . 4. They have seen the Wonderful Preservation of it through all the various Scenes of Prosperity and Adversity ; and how miraculously it has been restored out of the lowest Abyss , when seemingly , and as to all outward appearance , beyond Recovery . So that we see how in every Case there are ways chalked out for our Satisfaction in this Argument of a Divine Revelation ; the Case of Latter Ages not excepted . And therefore , That Unbelief is now as inexcusable after the Times of Revelation , as in those times . We are apt to think , and sometimes to plead , That if we had lived in the Apostolical Age , when the Revelation was attended with the irrefragable Testimony of many Glorious Miracles , we should then have been inexcusable , if we had remained incredulous amidst those Instances of the Divine Power , or impenitent under the Force of such convincing Arguments ; and that the want of these may justly be pleaded for our Excuse . But this is much like those Jews , Matth. 23.30 . that said , If we had been in the days of our fathers , we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets ; when yet they were acted by the same Spirit . And I may say , Those that believe not now under all the Motives of Credibility , would not have believed , any more than the Jews did , that were Eye and Ear-Witnesses of our Saviour's Miracles and Doctrine , and yet remained to the last Incredulous . Such are incurable ; for if they hear not Moses and the Prophets , the Testimonies yet remaining , neither would they be persuaded , tho Christ and the Apostles rose from the dead , and the whole Process of that Testimony given by them , was afresh represented to them . The Best Man is the best Judge ; and the better he is , the more capable he is of Judging ; according to that memorable Saying of our Saviour , John 7.17 . If any man will do the will of God , he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God , or whether I speak of my self . Wherefore ( to conclude with that of the Apostle , James 1.21 . ) lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness , and receive with meekness [ and humility ] the ingrafted word , which is able to save your souls . But be ye doers of the word , and not hearers only , deceiving your own selves . FINIS . ERRATA . SErmon I. Page 18. Line 2. read Threefold . Sermon II. P. 11. l. 18. dele . Miracles . P. 15. l. 15. for II. r. 2. P. 24. Marg. add Praepar . l. 13. c. 12. P. 28. l. 23. after Poet r. quoted by Porphyry . P. 29. l. 24. r. Antedeluvian . P. 37. after line 12. add 2. Miracles ; of which hereafter . Sermon III. P. 3. l. 15. ( or pry ) in a Parenthesis . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A71259-e280 Theol. Polit. c. 2. Theol. Polit. c. 2. 
A65809	----	The practice of Christian perfection wherein several considerations, cautions, and advices are set down, for the perfecting of the saints, and completing them in the knowledge of Christ Jesus / by Thomas White ... White, Thomas, d. 1682. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A65809 of text R39071 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing W1852). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 137 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 98 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A65809 Wing W1852 ESTC R39071 18208955 ocm 18208955 107139 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A65809) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 107139) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1136:13) The practice of Christian perfection wherein several considerations, cautions, and advices are set down, for the perfecting of the saints, and completing them in the knowledge of Christ Jesus / by Thomas White ... White, Thomas, d. 1682. [32], 160 p. Printed by T.M. for Tho. Vere ..., London : 1651. Running title: A directory to Christian perfection. Imperfect: tightly bound and stained, with some loss of print. Reproduction of original in the Union Theological Seminary Library. eng Perfection -- Religious aspects. Salvation. Theology, Doctrinal. A65809 R39071 (Wing W1852). civilwar no The practice of Christian perfection wherein several considerations, cautions, and advices are set down, for the perfecting of the saints, a White, Thomas 1651 26896 11 10 0 0 0 0 8 B The rate of 8 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the B category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-10 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-10 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-11 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2004-11 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-01 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE PRACTICE Of CHRISTIAN PERFECTION . Wherein Several Considerations , Cautions , and Advices are set down , For the perfecting of the Saints , and completing them in the knowledge of CHRIST JESUS . By THOMAS WHITE , Minister of the Word of God . THES. 3. 10. Praying exceedingly , that we might see your face , and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith . London , Printed by T. M. for Tho. Vere , at the sign of the Angel , at the uper end of the old Daily . 1651. The Dedicatory PRAYER . LET not my Lord be angry , and I thy servant , which am but dust and ashes , will speak unto my Lord . Blessed God , unto the glory of thy Name I dedicate and consecrate all that I have , and do , and think , and speak , and am , and in particular this Treatise , beseeching thee to give me gifts , and strength , and wisdome , opportunity , and a heart to serve thee , that I may not be as a broken vessell . And I beseech thee , if thy servant hath found favour in thy sight , grant that whensoever any one shall read this Treatise , thou wilt set in with such over-powring workings of thy holy SPIRIT , that what they read may not be as a dead letter unto them , but that Thou wilt so prevaile with their hearts when they shall read it , that they may both understand and practise the things that belong to their peace . Grant this , and more , for his sake in whom thou art well pleased . Amen . To the Famous UNIVERSITIES of this Land , Grace , Mercy , Peace and Truth be multiplyed . MEn , Brethren , and Fathers , when I consider that all men generally by Nature , and Universities by designe desire and endeavour to Know , and yet generally all live crosse to that principle when they come to act in the matters of God , I cannot but be astonished : for though the knowledg of him be demonstrably the most excellent , yet , as the Apostle observeth , they like not to retain God in their knowledg , Rom. 1. 28. Arationall Tract of Insects , or any such thing , is bought , and read , and studied , admired and commended , whilest the Word of God is a Book which men are rather ashamed not to have , then delight to read and understand . Now the great mischief of doting upon the knowledg of the Creature , and despising the knowledge of the Creator , is , that as they did reprobate the knowledge of God , so God did give them up to a reprobate sense , as the Apostle speaketh in the following words . Wherfore , since the insatiable desire of knowledge and unsanctified learning is a snare , though it be looked upon as a harmlesse and an innocent thing , and in that respect the more dangerous , I shall crave leave to give some Christian advises for study . Adv. I . Get holiness before you get learning : for , 1. Except you be holy your learning it self is defiled and defileth . 2. It puffs up , It builds not up . 3. You must never think by Learning unsanctfied to learn the things of God , 1 Corin. 2. 14. Nor will the Socinians distinction serve , that it is meant of carnall debauched men , for it is not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . 4. If it were no hinderer it were far better , but it is an utter Enemy ; nay it is not only an Enemy , but Enmity , yea enmities , Romans 8. 7. And indeed , an enemy may be reconciled , but Enmity never . 2 Corinthians 10. 5. It builds strong holds and Syllogisms against Gospel truths , and accounts the knowledge of Christ an illiterate thing . Pardon me if I desire to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ , and him crucified . If I wrote to those that despise Learning , I should in that case shew them many great advantages humane Learning gives one , if sanctified , and that one might as well not make use of Riches as not of Learning in the service of God : yet since I write to you , whose great businesse is to get knowledg , I must say of that as it is said of Riches , If humane Learning increase , set not your hearts upon it . And though for a man to be holy is no hinderance but rather a furtherance to him in the getting of learning ; yet to be learned is a great hinderance to the getting of holinesse , that is , if he be first learned before holy . 5. Except you have holinesse , you will be subject to run out to the wild and ungodly studies of Jacob Boheme , Astrology , &c. for 't is grace that directs the choyce and moderates the use of studyes . 6. That of our Saviour carryes all before it , Matth. 6. 33. Seek ye first the Kingdome of God , and his righteousnesse , and all these things shall be added unto you . But alas ! how unproportionable and unsutable are the lives of Christians to the rule of Christ , and how few doe account it their businesse to be Christians ? But I have spoken of that in the following Treatise . II. Advice . Take heed of making an idol of humane Reason : and that you do when you make God and all his Truths do homage to it ; when you set Reason in the Throne , and bring Christ & his Truths to the Barr , to be judged by it . To shew the vanity of this , Consider , 2. Some things , even in the very wisdome of men would seem to be very folly , if so be the reason of their actions were not discovered to us . I am confident , that Sentence of Solomon concerning the two women would seem foolish , cruell , and unjust , if one had gone away so soon as ever that Sentence had been pronounced : for were it not very cruell and unjust to deprive a mother of her child ? an Infant of its life , for no default of either ? and foolish , for would not the living child be dead when it was divided into half ? and so each mother would have but two halfs of two dead Children in stead of one baving one whole dead child . And it would have required no lesse then Solomons wisedome to finde out the reason of that sentence , and it was one part of it to give such a sentence that might least seem to do what he intended , lest the mother that pretended to the living Childe , discovering his design , might give such an answer that should not discover what Solomon intended to manifest : So some of the wayes of God , the reasons of them are past finding out , except by the same wisdome that contrived them ; nay it may be , God doth some things on purpose to deceive humane reason , and that some of the reasons of his ways are so full of wisdome , that were they revealed , we were no more able to understand them , then a child of three yeers old , could understand some propositions in Euclid , Vietta , Cartes , Apolonius , or Archimedes . 3. It seems that God hath So ordered matters , that except we love him and his truths there shall be such objections , that the wit of man can never answer . I shall give you an instance of this both in the speculative and practicall part of Religion , Deuter. 13. ver. 1 , 2 , 3. If wee might discover the deceit of that prophet by humane reason or wisdome , without the love of God being in us , how could it prove whether wee did love GOD or no , if wee could finde out the fallacy of that deceit without love ? 2. In the 2d of Thessal . 2. 10 , 11. God will send strong delusions , that those which love not the truth , be they never so learned , shall not be able to know it ; for if so be it were said they should professe lyes , it might be , that they knew the truth though they professed the contrary ; but it is said , they beleeved lyes . Our saviour gives this reason why hee would manifest himselfe to his Disciples , and not to the world , viz. because the world did not love him , John 14. 22 , 23. For none will unbosome himselfe unto an Enemy , nor mayst thou think to master God by thy Learning , and know him whether he will or no ; for God must manifest himselfe , or else thou canst never know him , and he will not manifest himselfe to thee except thou love him , though thou beest never so learned or great a Politician , Mat. 11. 25. For you must understand , it is not a speculative knowledge , but a knowledge of acquaintance . So in that sense is that saying of our Saviour verified , Matth. 7. 23. And this knowledge of God is not got by study , but by prayer and meditation , by an inward strict communion with God , and the friends of God the Saints , but especially with Christ the Son of God , for he is the expresse image of God the Father , &c. Can we be acquainted with a man whether he will or no ? nor can we be throughly acquainted with a wise holy man , that is , we cannot know his wisdome and holinesse without much observing and pondering his words and actions ; nor can we much observe and be acquainted with any with whom wee do not dwell and have private Conference . Thou mayst know God to discourse of him , and to write learned tracts , yet if thou art not acquainted with God , at the last day God will not know thee : Therefore be much with God ; and to that purpose , I have one humble and earnest request to you , though I need not be very earnest to obtaine so small one , it is , that you would spend an hour every day in prayer , meditation , and searching out the inward spirituall corruptions of your owne heart , and an impartiall examining what interest you have in Christ , and such like spirituall exercises ; do not you say , How can you prove that we are bound to spend one hour every day ? For 1. Suppose God , when you goe to prayers , should answer you so , How can you prove that I am bound to give you such a mercy ? Thou mayst cause God to carry himselfe as froward by this froward answer ; for it is said , With the froward he will shew frowardnesse . 2. How wilt thou spend eternity in the admirings , adoreings and praysings of God , if an hour spent so , is now so irksome to thee ? how shall it then be thine Heaven , if it be now thine hell ? 3. Is it a friendly answer ? If a friend should come to desire a courtesie of you , do you so answer him ? how can you prove that I am bound to do it ? 4. Consider , This is the question of a slave to ask ; What must I do ? but the question of a friend and a child is , What may I doe to please my Father or my friend ? 5. Keepe this answer untill the World or the Flesh come unto thee ; give this answer to those thine enemies , and not to thy God . 6. Dost thou stand out ? Shall the great and holy God be ready and willing to meet thee , and have communion with thee as often and as long as thou pleasest , and shalt thou refuse ? It should be his part , one would think , to be hard to be intreatted , not thine : Shall he account it his riches to bestow mercies on thee , and thou account it thy trouble to receive them ? 7. Do but doe that which thou art bound to do ; viz. Love God with all thy soul , with all thy minde , and with all thy strength ; and then thou wilt ask , not , Why so much ? but , Why no more ? And indeed , when once thou hast found the sweetnesse and profit , thouthy self wilt not onely continue , but increase these holy duties : and that is the reason why I propose no more time , because I suppose this being spiritually spent , more will follow of it self . David wisheth us to taste and see how gracious the Lord is , not because he would not have us feed on him , but because if wee once taste how good he is , hee supposeth it needless to wish us to feed on him . 8. if thy friend comes to visit thee , thou wilt afford him an hour with thanks : he comes in his own name , but I come unto thee in my fathers , desiring thee to afford God as much ; if thou deniest , that saying of our Saviour belongs unto thee , John 5. 43. I am come in my Fathers name , and ye receive me not ; if another come in his owne name , him ye will receive . To conclude , I desire to speak one word more as to humane Learning , which I account of singular use for the understandiug of the word of God , and have doted on it as much as any , and love it still , as much as I dare , for I account the love of it dangerous , the use of it very advantageous ; and could I set down how far I have gone in it with the same spirit that Saint Paul doth set down , ( Phil. 3. ) his excellencies in leg all priviledges and righteousnesse , I would ; but I account it safer for me to be thought wholly ignorant , then to venture priding my self of that small knowledge I have : yet thus much I conceive of humane Learning , that besides the incertainty of it , there are many inconveniences incident to it . 1. Our thoughts are wholly taken up with it when wee are studying of it , which are not necessarily so in other employments ; for one may buy , and sell , and yet have our mindes often upon GOD , even in the very midst of those employments . 2. Men generally judge of the truths and wayes of Gods Worship according to that way of Learning wherein they excell : Those who excell in the Fathers and Church Histories , are subject to admit of the Truths and Wayes of GOD's Worship , because they are attested and warranted by them : Those who most excell in Phylosophy and Schoole Divinity , they make Reason the touchstone to try even Gospell truths by ; yet I doe much esteem of these Egyptian Jewells , so wee make not an Idoll of them , and fall downe and worship them . 3. And lastly , I finde it as hard a thing to deny humane Learning as to get it . Moses is much to be admired , who being brought up in all the Learning of the Egyptians , yet preached so plainely as you may see in Deuteronomy : and Paul , who preached so very plaine , that his adversaries objected it against him Consider what is said , and the Lord give you understanding in all things . Your Servant in the Lord , THOMAS WHITE . A DIRECTORY TO Christian Perfection . MATT. 5. VER. 48. Be ye therfore perfect , even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect . A Malicious Christian and a courteous Cynick , are expressions equally including contradiction ; yet notwithstanding , it is too manifest , that thousands that honour themselves with the name of Christians , dishonour God , and by their works deny their very name ; for if the least injury be offered them either in word or in deed , though in passion , how do they foame and rage , like the troubled Sea , while they are revenged of the injury ? But our Saviour here doth abundantly condemn , and give rules to the contrary , from ver. 43. to the end of the Chapter . A brief exposition whereof shall serve both for the prosecution of the point , and introduction to the text . In the 43. ver. our Saviour sayes , That you have heard that it hath been said , Thou shalt love thy neighbour , and hate thine enemy : our Saviour does not say that ever it was said so ; for there is not any place in Scripture where we are commanded to hate our enemy ; and there are three things wherein their glosse is faulty . First is , that they restrain the word Neighbour , to one of their own kindred or nation , which our Saviour fully confutes in the tenth of Luke , in the parable of the good Samaritan . Secondly , they leave out , as thy felfe . Thirdly , they put in , thou shalt hate thine enemy ; whereas there is nothing in the scripture for it , but many places against it : Exod. 23. ver. 4 , 5. If thou meetest thine enemies Ox or his Ass going astray , thou shalt surely bring it backe to him again . If thou seest the Asse of him that hateth thee lying under his burden , and wouldest forbear to help him , thou shalt surely help with him . And whereas some say it was to be meant of an Israelite , if he be an enemy , but not of those of other Nations , but that they might hate them ; the contrary is evident , Deut. 10. v. 19. Love ye therfore the strangers , for yee were strangers in the land of Egypt . Vse . The use of this is , That every one should read the Word of God , for if he only hears the Word , and searhes not the Scripture , he shal hear that many things are said in the Word of God , which are no where there to be found ; but divers times the cleane contrary . Argu. So the first argument against revenge is , that from the Alpha , & beginning of Genesis , to the Omega and Amen of the Revelations , there is not one syllable to warrant us in such practises , but they are diametrically opposite to the doctrine of the Gospel , as you have it in the next verse ; But I say unto you : as if Christ should say , Whatsoever thoughts your own corruption suggests unto you , or whatsoever men shal say unto you , it matters not , they are likely enough to blow the least sparke of contention into a flame ; they haply wil tel you , that if you bear one injury you invite another . But I say unto you , Love your enemies , besides , there is an Emphasis in the words , I and you ; for it hath the same force to move us to love our enemies , Mat. 11. 33. He that hath loved us , and gave himself for us when we were his enemies , may he not justly exspect and command from us that we should love our enemies ? that we should forgive an hundred pence when he commands us so to do , that hath forgiven us ten thousand talents . But to the further exposition of the following words , we are to love our enemies , be they never so many we must love them all , and be they never so much ones enemies , for here is no limitation put either in respect of their number or enmity , or in respect of our love ; it is not said how much we should love them , to shew that wee should love them without measure . Reas. Now the reason why love your enemies is put first , is because that this must have an influence upon all the rest ; we must bless them that curse us , do good to them that hate us , upon this very ground , and from this principle , because wee love them . But if our enemies curse us , then we are not to content our selves with a bare inward love to them , but we must shew our love by our outward expressions ; and as our enemies encrease in the manifestations of their enmity , so we must encrease in the manifestations of our love , and we must not only not curse again , or be silent , and neither blesse nor curse , but we must bless them that curse us : nor is it set down how much , how often , nor when we must bless , that we might put no limits to our blessing in any of these respects : and as before it is observed concerning our enemies , be they never so many , and never so much our enemies , we ought to love them ; for the same observations may runne thorow all the rest of the branches of this precept , nor doth our Saviour wish us to reprove those that curse us , but to blesse them . First , Because reproofs at such a time are very unseasonable ; for doubtlesse there is a time to reprove . Secondly , Generally because reproofs at such times when people are cursing of us , are a kind of revenge taken of them , especially , if it be before others ; for wee lay open their shame . Thirdly , Because this is the mildest , the secretest , and lovingest way of reproofe ; for I remember , the rule is given , that one should not , if one hears one speak a word of Latine wrong , tell him that he pronounces it not as it should be pronounced , much lesse to tell him that he is an Ignorant man , but speedily to take some occasion to speake that word right ; so here , if thine enemy speak false Christian language thy mildest way to shew him his errour , is by speaking those words right which he hath spoke wrong ; for by thy blessing him , thou doest in a milde manner shew that he should have blessed thee . The next branch is , that wee should do good to them that hate us : many are willing to give good words , but they will not do any good deeds to their enemies , they will serve God of that which cost them nought ; but in the Originall it is not , Do good to them that hate you , but do well ; to shew us that if we do our enemy good , yet if we do it in a churlish and scornfull manner , we do not observe his commandment : But if thine enemy shall have blocked up this way , because he scornes to receive , or by reason of his persecution hath disabled thee to bestow any temporall courtesie upon him , then take another way , and doe him that courtesie which he cannot reject ; for though one cannot give a man money who will not receive it , yet one may pray , and ones prayers may be powerfull to do our enemies good whether they will or no ; so that thou canst never be so impoverish'd by persecution , but thou art worth a prayer ; nor thine enemy can hardly be so obstinate , but thy prayers may fasten blessings on him : doe thine enemy as much good as thou canst , & what thou canst not do , desire God to do for him . It followes , That ye may be the children of your Father . First , it is not meant as if we could love our enemies before we were Gods children , or that this is the way to get adoption or regeneration ; for he calls God their Father when he wishes them to do thus , that they may be his children ; therefore the meaning may be thus : First , that you may be , id est , that you may be known to be both to your selves and others ; as it is said , We are justified by works , id est , our justification is knowne to our selves and others by works ; or so that you may be children , is meant , that since two wayes we are the children of God , by adoption , and sanctification ; in respect of sanctification we may have the image of God renewed more and more in us , and so in a qualified sense may be said more to be Gods children ; & in that sense we may attain to be more the children of God , id est , more like him . Secondly , None can be the children of God unless they love their enemies . Thirdly , That every one should strive both to be , and to know himselfe to be the child of God . Fourthly , That no man by nature is the child of God , since no man by nature can or does love his enemy , as it follows , which is in heaven . First , We can never love our enemies , so long as we are no more then the children of our earthly father . Secondly , That it is an heavenly thing to love ones enemies , and therfore ex diametro , an hellish thing to hate ones friends , and therfore to hate Gods people . 1. Because they are our friends . 2. They are heavenly . 3. This is the first motive to perswade to love , &c. And as it follows ; for he makes his Sun to arise . First , This is that second motive to the duty , id est , Gods Example ; and it stands thus ; If God who is greater then you , does bestow greater blessings upon those that are greater enemies , and between whom and him there is a greater distance , how much more should you love , & c ? Secondly , The Sun doth not arise of it selfe , that knows not what it does , nor is it of necessity that the Sun should arise ; of necessity , it is in respect of the Sun , not in respect of God , for he makes it to arise ; so that the Sun cannot choose but arise , but God might choose whether he would make it arise . Thirdly , These common blessings come not by chance , as well as not by necessity ; it is by Gods providence that we enjoy them . Fourthly , It shews the continuall concurrence and power of God with naturall causes , it is not like a clock , which when it is once wound up , will go of it selfe by the weight ; but as a pen , that writes not without the continuall guidance of the writer ; so God did not at the first create the World , Sun , &c. and so without his actuall concurrence to every particular act enable them to do it , so that the Sun did not arise at the first moment of its creation more immediately by the power and providence of God , then it does now , this advances Gods goodnesse ; for as one that hath setled maintenance upon ▪ an Hospitall for the poore , it argues not so much patience in him , to suffer the men there if they abuse him to receive their setled stipend , as it does for him daily to feed them with his own hand , and to put mony into one of their hands , while the other is lifagainst him . Fifthly , Or may not he make it be taken in this sense ? that all the creatures of God are enemies to the wicked ; the earth will not bear them , but open her mouth and swallow them ; the fire will not warme them , but consume them ; the Sunne will not give light unto them , as it did once in Egypt , while they had light in Goshen ; but God , as it were , renuente sole , doth make it arise upon the good and the bad ; it shews the great power of God , that not only the things on earth , but all the creatures in heaven and earth obey him : he that can make the Sunne arise , what can he not do ? Nehemiah 9. 6. As it followes ; His Sun to arise . First , à fortiori , it is a Motive to us to do good to our enemies . Reas. First , Because that which we give or bestow on them in respect of God , we have no right to , we are but his Stewards , and what have we that we have not received ? we have the possession of al those things we have , but not the disposing of them : in respect of the poor , to give them alms is charity , in respect of God it is justice . But you see here the Sun is called his Sun , he hath a ful title to it : if he therefore gives that which is his own , and is Lord of , much more should we deliver that , of which we are only Stewards , when he that is the Lord commands us . Secondly , Consider what he gives ; it is his Sun , the greatest of al temporal blessings in the world ; for we might longer live without food or raiment , then without the benefit of the Sun ; for without his heat all things would immediatly freeze to death : nay , not only by giving the wicked the benefit of the Sunne , they enjoy that heat which is necessary , for life , but they enjoy the light of the Sunne , which is a thing of ornament and pleasure , to make their life comfortable , Eccle. 11. 7. Therefore if God gives the wicked things of ornament , much more give your enemy bread , Romans 12. 20. No man not only cannot , but doth not offer to lay claime to the Sun : and as it follows , On the good and the bad : some will say , how can it be otherwise ? for if the Sunne shines upon the good , how can it but shine upon the bad also , since they are in one Kingdome , in one Towne , in one house ? but God is not necessitated to bestow this mercy upon the bad , though he bestowes it upon the good ; For de facto , God did make it darke in Egypt when it was light for three dayes in Goshen , though they were of the same Kingdome ; the cloud gave light to the Israelites in their March , and at the same time was darkness to the Egyptians , Exod. 14. 19 , 20. Besides , God can strike all wicked men with blindnesse , so that the Sunne shall be in respect of his light , as if it was not to them : and he might strike them with such a burning feaver as he threatens , Deuter. 28. 22. that for its heat the Sunne should be worse to them , then if it was not , and thousand other wayes known to the Lord . Secondly , We see that by common and temporal blessings , the good are not distinguished from the bad . Thirdly , It followes that wicked and unjust men are Gods enemies , and curse God , hate God , persecute God , and dedespitefully use him ; or else it would not follow from this example of Gods dealing with wicked men , that we should love our enemies , &c. For one might say , it is true , God makes his Sun to shine upon the bad and unjust , but though indeed they be Gods enemies , yet they do not hate him , curse , &c. as mine do me . Thirdly , That God may be said to blesse , and do good to those that are bad and unjust , Deut. 10. 17. Acts. 14. 17. And as it followes ; He sendeth rain . First , God bestows not one , but many blessings upon the wicked , he doth not only make the Sun to arise , but sends also the rain upon them ; nay , by bestowing this second blessing , he takes off that inconvenience which otherwise would follow upon the enjoyment of the first ; nay they do help mutually one another ; for the rain cooles the heat of the Sun , and the Sun warms the coolnesse of the raine , and both together make the earth fruitfull : from hence we may learn , First , To doe great and many benefits to our enemies . Secondly , Not to do them such courtesies that we know wil bring mischiefes upon them ; and to do them good in one thing , on purpose to do them hurt in another . Thirdly , We should do good to those that do not only not thank us for courtesies , but attribute it to others ; for God does so , he makes his Sunne to shine , and his raine to fall , not only upon those that are so bad as not to be thankful for them , but are so exceeding unjust as not to account God the Author of them . The observations concerning Gods making the Sunne to arise , &c. Mutatis mutandis , may agree to this later part of the verse ; this may also be observed , that God doth not only give temporall blessings to those that ask and come for them , but he sends his mercies home to their very doors ; for the cloudes that arise from the Sea , or other places , he causes his winds to carry them to their habitations . Besides , this may be observed , that one reason why our Saviour instances in these blessings rather then in others , may be , not only the reasons before , but this also , that we might never want a Motive to our doing good to our enemies ; for whether it raines , or shines , we have either the instance of Gods making the Sunne to shine , or his rain to fall upon wicked men ; as it follows , Vpon the just and unjust . First , It is not set down here as contradistinguished , as if there were some bad that were not unjust , and some unjust that were not bad ; nor is it meant , God makes his Sunne to arise on the bad , and sends his raine upon the unjust , bestowes some kind of these blessings upon some wicked , and the other kind upon other wicked men , but he bestowes both upon all ; as before it is not meant , we should love our enemies , but not love those that curse us ; or blesse those that cursed us , but not blesse those that hate us ; but as when God commands us to blesse them that curse us , and does not say , doe good to them that curse you , it is because blessing is directly opposed to cursing ; and so it is more likely to make him that curses see his error , because contraries being placed one by another , make each other more apparent , as it is before shewn , and as it followes ; for if ye love them that love you : The former argument was from the example of Almighty God , whom all confesse in all things to do well ; there he brings an argument from them whom all condemn , and the argument stands thus ; You all desire and expect to be rewarded for your workes , but none of you think that the Publicans shall have any reward , therefore neither you , if you love them that onely love you , for so do they . Secondly , It is good to make use of that evill opinion wee have of others , as a Motive to our-selves to be better . Thirdly , That the wickedest man may have something good in him , but nothing perfect ; and as it followes ; What reward have ye ? Christ doth not set it down positively , that they have no reward , but by way of Question to shew them that it is not onely his judgment , but their owne , for he appeales to their owne consciences ; and it shewes the manifestnesse of the truth , since self-love doth cast such a mist before our eyes when we are to judge of things concerning our selves , that except the truth doth shine very bright , we cannot behold it ; it is not said , what great reward , but what reward : to shew them that they should be so farre from expecting everlasting life , that they cannot expect any reward at all . Thirdly , It is not said , what reward shall yee have , but what have yee ; to shew that they are not to expect so much as a temporall reward for loving their friends . Fourthly , They have temporall blessings as Motives to obedience , but none by way of reward for obedience ; for it is not said , What blessings , but what reward have you ; for if one say of your righteousnes you do , Do not the Publicaus the same ? one may say of your blessings , Have not the Publicans the same ? Do not even the Publicans the same ? The Publicans were such as used to receive custome , tribute-money , and other taxes , and were men very odious to the Jewes , both for their injustice and oppression of them , and they were generally Heathens , because the Jewes did abhorre to have any hand in the oppressing of their own Nation ; nay , our Saviour joynes them with Harlots , Sinners , Heathens ; and if you salute your brethren onely , the word translated salute , signifies to kisse and embrace ; and our Saviour doth signifie by it all outward expressions of love . Secondly , By Brethren is meant our near kindred and acquaintance . Thirdly , this word only is to be referred as well to the former verse as to this ; and the observations ( mutatis mutandis ) upon that may he applyed to this . And so I come to the words of the text , Be ye perfect , &c. In the handling of these words , I shall shew these things . First , How we must be perfect as our Father which is in heaven is perfect . Secondly , in the pressing of Christian perfection , three things I shall set downe . First , Severall Considerations . Secondly , Severall Cautions . Thirdly , Severall Rules or Advises Before I come to the Exposition of the words , to shew how we must be perfect as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect , I must remove an Objection that quarrels against the perfection of this rule of perfection ; viz First , That this rule is too high : Secondly , It is dangerous : Thirdly , That it is imperfect and too short . First , It is too high : for what man or Angel is able to be as perfect as God ? It is not compatible to any created nature , for that being finite , cannot possibly be capable of infinite perfection ; for his glorious name is exalted above all blessing and praise , Neh. 9. 5. And the Lord is fain to dwell in thick darknesse , and therby doth connivere radios suae gloriae ; and the Angels also do cover their faces with their wings , or else they were not able to behold his glory , their understanding would be dazled : if therfore they are not able to behold his glory in its ful strength and vigour , how much lesse are they able to attain it ? how much lesse able are we that are sinfull dust and ashes , who are not able to behold ( that which is darkenesse in comparison of God ) the Sunne , to be perfect as God is perfect ? First , I answer , That we are here commanded to attaine the same kind , not the same degrees of perfection : it is not , Be as perfect as your Father ; but , be perfect as your Father ; we are to go in the same steps , though not aequis passibus , his example is the copy we should write by ; though it be impossible to write so curious an hand , yet we may write the same words &c. Secondly , It is an advantage to have so perfect a copy set us , though we cannot attain it , for who is there that learns to write , that blames the exactnesse of the copy he writes by ? And he that taketh aime and shooteth at the highest point or Zenith of the Heaven , will shoote higher with the same strength then he that shootes at a levell , or any other point besides . Thirdly , It addes to the holiness of any action , that we desire in that action to be like to God , and upon that ground to desire to be holy because God is holy . Secondly , You may say , it is a dangerous rule , for we may not strive to be like unto God in many things ; we may not desire our own glory as he doth ; Adam desiring to be like him , it was his sin and his fall . I answer to that , that there are two kinds of perfections in God , communicable and incommunicable : incommunicable are called those , not which the creature cannot have , but which the creature ought not to have , as to do all things for its own glory ; for a creature may do all things for its own glory , but ought it not so to do ; not onely because it is folly in the creature to do so ; for glory is a thing of ornament , & man is a poor creature that wants things necessary ; and it is folly for man to buy Jewels to adorn him , while he is ready to starve for want of garments to cloath him ; but it is because it is incommunicable to the creature ; that is , God and the creature cannot do things for their own glory without thwarting one another ; for if man do things for his own glory , then it must needs follow that he doth it not for the glory of God , and so thwarts the end that God proposeth to himselfe , and to all creatures , viz. his own glory : so that here when our Saviour commands us to be perfect as he is perfect , it is meant , that we should endeavour to attain those perfections which our having doth not hinder his having of them , as holinesse , patience , wisdom , &c. for our holinesse , be it never so great , makes not God lesse holy ; but the more we seek our owne glory , the more wee rob God of his . Secondly , I answer , that all these kinds of perfections which are incommunicable , are rather resultancies and consequences of perfection , then perfections ; for it is more proper to say , that because God is infinitely perfect , therefore all the heaven and earth should praise him ; then to say , because heaven and earth doth praise him , therfore he is infinitely perfect ; for the praises which are given unto him , are not the causes of his perfection , but his infinite perfections are the causes of his praises . Thirdly , It may be objected , That it is an imperfect rule , for it seems to come short . First , In respect of our relations ; as of husband , wife , child , subject , how can we have an example of God in these particulars , since he is not capable of these relations ? Secondly , in respect of duties ; we are to pray , to worship , to hear the Word . Thirdly , In respect of graces ; repentance , faith , hope , patience in afflictions ; all these are below him . I answer , First , that though we have not an example of any of these from God , considered in himself , yet we have of most of these from Christ , who was God as well as Man ; for we have an example , how to carry our selves in afflictions , of obedience both to God and man , and those relations which our Saviour left us no example of in a temporall way , yet in a mysticall way he hath : though he was not a Magistrate , nor an husband in a temporall way , yet in a mystical way he is both Lord and husband to the Church . And as for those graces which suppose sin , as repentance doth , our Saviour hath left us an example of those graces , which if we obtain , they wil certainly produce repentance in us , and enable to carry our selves in all duties and in all our relations as becometh Christians ; so that as one that should teach us to write , and set us exact Copies , we should not quarrell with him and say , that he hath been a defective Schoole-Master , because that some of those words that afterward we have occasion to write , were never in those Copies that he set us ; sufficient it is for him to vindicate himselfe and say , that I have taught you all those Letters , and all those severall joynings , which will spel and make up that word that you are to write , whatsoever it be ; so Christ hath left us an example of al those graces , which are able to spel and make up any duty or grace we stand in need of . there are the ingredients , of which all compositions may be made up , if we follow Christ in our love to God ▪ and our hatred to sin , our godly sorrow for sin wil necessarily follow , & be made up of these two ingredients , thogh Christ for his part had never any occasion to use such a composition for himself , having never need of that physick : and so I come , the jection being removed , to the prosecuting of the point , to shew how we should be perfect as our Father which is in heaven is perfect . First , in respect of the kinds of perfections , they must be spirituall and divine : carnall , corporall , or civill , or morall perfections are two low for a Christian to look at , especially to make it his business , or the marke he shootes at : morall vertues were the highest perfections of the Heathens ; but alas morall vertues transforme us not , they change not our natures , but only gild our rottennesse ; though one be never so good a natured man , as they call it , if one has not the divine nature , one is but a tame Divell ; for one is his child , if ones nature be not sanctified , and our person justified , and so become the childe of God by regeneration and adoption ; and the most excellentest act that is meerly , morally vertuous , is sinne , and cannot please God : Let me give a Simile to make this evident ; A great Emperour commands his Empresse to come to him , as Ahasuerus did Queen Vasthi ; his commands not prevailing , he entreats her , after that sends his Letters full of love and importunity , sends Embassadors after Embassadors , and lest those should fail , sends her many gifts very rich and magnificent , and thus he continues week , month , year after year , yet she utterly refuses ; but after her rejecting and slighting all these wayes of love from the Emperour her husband , there comes a base slave , from whose company her husband had especially forewarn'd her , because she had formerly committed folly with him , and dishonoured both her self and the Emperour , this adulterer and traytor speaks but half a word to her to go , and she presently without delay and with joy goes , when she perceives it would please the slave . What do you think now ? do you think the Emperor wil be pleased with her , coming upon those terms ? this is the case of all men that are no more then morally vertuous . God perswades us to be just , and to defraud no man , he entreats us , sends the Embassadors the Ministers unto us , giveth us mercy upon mercy , sends us his Word , his Epistles from Heaven , line upon line to perswade us to do justice , or to be temperate : not we , for his sake we will do nothing : The world comes , the world , which is a slave to Satan , for he is a Prince and Ruler of the darkness of this world ; the world , with which we have committed so often spirituall whoredom , and against which God hath so often and seriously forewarned us ; now only upon a supposition that we should please the world if we are just or temperate , we wil be intemperately temperate , if I may so say , even to macerate our bodies with fasting , for a good look of the world ; we do indeed in being temperate or just , do that which God commands , but far are we from pleasing him , considering the grounds from which we do it ; for can he be pleas'd that we should do more for a good look of the world , then we would for all the wayes of love that he took with us ; nay indeed , never to do any one action for his sake ; nay but before his face at the same time when we refuse all his entreaties , &c. to do it at the first word of the world ; therefore morall vertues , considering the ground upon which they were done , are sinnes before God ; therefore let us learn not to be vertuous as Philosophers were vertuous , but holy as God is holy . Secondly , The perfections of God are infinite , so must ours as farre as it is possible for creatures to attain ; our desires of holinesse must be without limits , we must not set bounds to our holinesse , saying , Hitherto shalt thou go , and no further : but we must alwayes hunger and thirst after righteousnesse . Thirdly , God hath all perfections , or rather is all perfections : so we must adde to our faith vertue , to vertue knowledg , to knowledge temperance , &c. We must receive from Christ grace for grace , as a child receives from his father limb for limb , part for part ; the same parts that the fathers body hath , the childs hath also , the same for number , figure , and position , though neither for strength , nor bignesse : and as God is the act of all possible absolute perfections , either in degree or in kinde , so we should endeavour to have those perfections that a creature of that kind is capable of . Fourthly , As the perfections of God are both inseparable from God , and from themselves , so should ours be also ; our wisdom must be holy , our holinesse innocent , our wisdom zealous and our zeal wise ; for we must not conceive that some of Gods actions are holy , others , wise , but all are all ; his wisdom is holy , just , & good ; his justice , holy , good and wise , and every attribute is as inseparably united to all the rest of his attributes , as any of them are to his Essence : as if there were an hundred Suns shining at once in the firmament , one could not say that one of these Sunnes shined in this part of the ayre , and another in that , but the light of every one of them would be in every point of the ayre ; nor could you possible take away the light of one of the Suns , and leave the rest , unless you could take away the Sun it self : so it is in Gods perfection : but thy glorious Name is exalted above all knowledge , above all blessing , and above all praise . Many men will be zealous , but without knowledg ; others will be wise , but without zeal ; and so their wisedomes come to be no better then carnal , sensuall , and divelish : the former zeal was that zeal of the Jews , Rom. 10. 2. The other wisedome was the wisedome of Pilate ; both of them crucified Christ . Lastly , For I do not intend to be large in these parallels , but make haste to presse the great point of Christian perfection ; we must be perfect as our Father which is in heaven is perfect , notwithstanding all hinderances or provocations to the contrary ; though God by his wisdome governs and orders all things , not a spire of grasse , or blade of wheat grows but by him , 1. Cor. 15. 38. Not a sparrow falls on the ground , nor an hair from our head , but by his providence ; not a lilly is cloathed in the field , nor a fowle of the ayre is fed but by him ; yet notwithstanding such an innumerable number of creatures , are both in respect of their essence and operations , nay even in respect of the smallest circumstances of either , are acted , governed , and ordered continually by his providence ; yet he doth no lesse know , love , and enjoy himselfe , then he did from all eternity , before there was any creature for his providence to watch over : so should we do , we should not have our thoughts lesse fixed on God , or our love lesse fervent ; our communion with God should be neither remitted nor intermitted by the imployments in the world ; Mothers that have their little children to look to , should be like the Angels , which alwayes behold the face of our Father which is in heaven , Mat. 18. 11. But I come ( as I promised ) to the great businesse of this Treatise . viz. The pressing of Christian perfection , which is almost forgotten , and nothing left of it but the forme of godlinesse ; and I shall referre the whole discourfe to these three heads . First , Severall Considerations . Secondly , Severall Cautions . Thirdly , Severall Advises . Considerations . 1. Consid. Let us consider what the word of God speaks in this matter , 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether ye eat or drinke , or whatsoever ye do , doe all to the glory of God : do we live up to the meaning of these words ? let us consider a little of it , and see the meaning of the words . First , We are to glorifie God in all our actions ; that is , wee ought in the secret of our hearts to admire and adore him , to have high thoughts of him , and sweet thoughts of him ; and to expresse it fully , we ought to honour him as God , Romans 1. Which he blames the Gentiles for not doing , That knowing him as God , did not honour him as God : to honour him but as we would honor the holiest man in the world , nay the highest Angel in Heaven , is nothing , and as great derogation to his glory , as to give his glory to them ; for to give the honour due unto God to a creature , and to give that that is due unto a creature unto God , are equally vitious : butlet us deal freely and openly with our own souls , Do we do so much , as that which if we did no more we were guilty of that great sin of the Heathens , which the Apostle in the forenamed place doth condemne ? do we honour God as much as we do honour an Angel , or an holy man ? let us but ask our own consciences , and they wil tell us . Would we do that in the presence of either of them as we do in the presence of God ; nay , of a child that is come to that understanding to distinguish between good and evill ? Secondly , By these words we are enjoyned that our words , actions , gestures , and all our carriages should be such , as may be sutable and fit to raise up those high thoughts of God in others , as we our selves have ; for instance ; in prayer we ought not only our selves to admire and adore our good and glorious God , but so to lift him up and hold forth his excellencies by our very expressions , pronounciations and gestures , that they may be such as not only may be sutable to our inward admirings of him , but fit to beget the same thoughts in all that hearus ; our loves should be like a flame , that takes hold of all that comes near it . Thirdly , We should , as much as in us lies , do all our actions , and speak all our words with an actuall intention by them to edifie others , & to cause them to glorifie the Lord . Now , how far we come short of this , we may even be confounded with shame to speak of it . The second place that sets down Christian perfection , is Phil. 3. 20. We should have our conversation in Heaven ; we should think with our selves how we should live when we come thither , or how those live that are there , or one would live that should come from thence to live on earth again ; how feelingly would they speak of God ? how fervently would they praise him ? how would their songs of praise be all flames of love ? how are they continually taken up with thoughts of admiration of the excellencies of God , of the love of God ? let us not dally with our selves or God , but consider with our selves whether we live in any measure sutable to such a life . But to proceed , let us consider another place , Eph. 3. 19. To say of such an one , that he is a godly man , the holy Spirit of God is in him , that he is ful of the Holy Ghost , that he is filled with all the fulness of God : if one went upon such relations and expressions to see him of whom they were spoken , doubtlesse one should come with great expectations to meet with one that was wholly taken up with thoughts of God , and if one spake any thing to him of God , doubtless one would expect that he should speak wonderful things of God , with so much admiration , such zeal , such love , with such feelings , that his very word would be able to enflame our hearts with love of God ; but if when one came to see such an one , he should entertain one with vain and idle jests , with discourses of the world , and spend the whole day generally in recreations , and somtime when he hath nothing else to do , go and spend half an hour in reading , or in praying ; and when he comes from those duties ( Iron wil be red hot if it be put into the fire for any time ) speak as savourly and with as much delight of the vanities of the world , as if he had spent his time not in prayer , but in admiring and gazing upon the beauty of the creature ; and if one should speak to him somthing of God , he should answer one overly , would ye not think in your own souls , is this that holy man you spoke of ? is he that man that was full of God ? But to proceed a little further , 2 Cor. 3. 18 ▪ the Apostle says of himself , and of Christians in his days , that they were transformed into the Image of God ; that is , lived the life of God , such a life as Christ lived when he was here on earth ; nay , the grace of God in them was in such an high degree , that it might be rather called glory then grace ; they lived as if they were of the Church triumphant , in respect of holinesse , though of the Church militant , in respect of afflictions ; their grace was of such an high degree , that it was more like glory , as was said before , then grace ; yet they did not content themselves with that neither , but made a progresse from glory to glory : Dear Brethren , are our Saviours words but winde ? and can we imagine that the lives of those that take upon them the names of Christians , are any whit sutable to these expressions ? many times have I thought of that saying of Erasmus , That since men could not bring the world to Christianity , they have brought Christianity to the world ; and those expressions and precepts that have been too strict to give us liberty to follow the vanities of the world , we have found out vain distinctions and expositions of the places , to make them signifie no more then we do , and to quiet our consciences , that they being deceived and laid a sleep , we might not be troubled with their clamours . Our Saviour says , That for every idle word we must give an account at the last day , Mat. 12. 36. The words are so plain , that it wil ask one a great deal of labour to find out such an exposition as might not be a continuall accuser of us in all companies , in all discourses : our Saviours example is the best exposition of this precept ; we do not read in all the Scripture , one word that he spake , but was some way or other to edification ; and yet how loose are wee in our discourses ; as if there were no such place of Scripture in the whole Bible as these words ? surely , our time would be better spent in praying to God for strength against our corruptions , then in studying to finde out excuses and intricate expositions of plaine places to justifie them . But you will say , that it is true , these are excellent things , if one could live so , it were a blessed life ; but alas who can doe it ? I answer ; First , If thou sayst thou canst not live thus , I ask thee how dost thou know ? didst thou ever try what might be done in this case ? didst thou ever make it thy businesse ? It may be thou hast had some perfunctory and carelesse desires , some cold prayers and faint endeavours ; but didst thou ever set thy self to it ? didst thou ever spend as much time , so many thoughts , with as much earnestnesse , to get acquaintance with God , as men in the world doe in their trades ▪ to get a little thick clay ? didst thou ever pray with half that earnestnesse for grace , as ambitious men do sue for places and preferments , or a condemned man for a pardon ? Didst thou ever seriously , and from the very bottom of thy heart and soul say , Well , by the blessing of God I wil not speak an idle word , nor imploy my self in things that profit not : hast thou said with David ? I have sworne and I will perform thy righteous Judgments , Psal. 119. 106. or as in the 20. or with the Apostle ; I fight not as one beating the ayr , but I press thorow towards the mark , and forget the things that are behind , &c. So that if thou shalt say that one cannot live thus , I say again , there is no question , thou canst not live holily , doing no more then thou doest ; neither the word of God , nor any one that knows the ways of God , ever said or thought that thou couldst upon these terms do any thing to purpose in the attainment of holiness : for our Saviour plainly says , We must strive to enter in at the strait gate ; and , that many shal seek to enter in ( with such seeking that comes not to the height of striving ) and shal not be able : if thou shouldest bid thy servant lift such a piece of timber , and he should go with his little finger to lift it , and not being able , should tell thee , that he could not lift it : wouldest thou not think that he mocked thee , in stead of obeying thee ? so when we shall complain of Religion , that it is too difficult a thing , we cannot attain it , and yet we will not so much as touch it scarce with one of our fingers ; may not God justly say , that we do but mock him , and unjustly murmur against his commands , complaining of their difficulty , when we never tried , in using the meanes he hath appointed us , what might be done ? Furthermore , Let us consider how far many of Gods servants , whose stories are recorded in the sacred Scriptures , have gon in this way of perfection ; it is said , that Enoch walked with God , and that Noah was perfect in his generations , and walked with God . Can we possibly think that these Expressions import no more then that sometimes when they had little or nothing else to do , they spent their time in prayer and meditation of divine matters ? or that they did no more then usually men do , in the morning spend some small time in prayer , and then take their leave of God all the day , as it were compounding with God for two or three prayers a day ? but doth it not much rather import a sweet , constant , and strict communion with God ? for doubtlesse Enoch found so much sweetnesse in his walk with God , that he could not be content with that communion that earth could afford him . And of all the Patriarks before the Flood , we read of none that lived so few years upon earth as Enoch did ; and doubtlesse those years which he did live were more tedious to him , to be so long absent from the full fruitition of God , then if he had lived ten times as long and had not tasted of those joyes , in comparison of which the pleasures of this world are but as the gall of Aspes . What thinke we of Abraham , Moses , David . and Daniel ? with how much faith , zeal , meeknesse , holinesse , breathings after God did they live ? What high expressions of joy , love , and heavenly desires are there in the Psalms ? What , doe we think all these holy Examples are set down in the Scripture to find us matter of discourse ? or that the wisedome of God set down an idaea of holinesse , as Plato hath done of a Common-wealth ? or were they not set down for our imitation ? thousands of expressions almost in the Psalmes we must make strange Hyperboles , and say , they were but Davids Rhetorick ; or else we must needs acknowledge that he was a Gyant in compariof us in spirituall matters . O what heavenly spirituall frame of heart had he ! surely his righteousnesse in comparison of Christs was but as filthy rags , but in respect of ours a glorious robe : and now I pray , what reason is there in the world , why we might not live as holily as they , but that we take it for granted , we cannot , and so never strive ; 't is true , to think our selves holier then the meanest Saint , is pride , but not to strive to be as holy as the highest Saint is sin : what means had they to attaine holinesse that we have not ? They had prayer , meditation , reading , hearing ; so have we : if their prayers and meditations were more servent , and more heavenly , who must we blame , God is not a barren wildernesse unto us , and his grace is as sufficient for us , as for them ; they had Circumcision , and the Passeover ; the brests of the new Testament are as full of graces as those of the old ; nay doubtlesse , in respect of meanes they are farre more abundantly glorious in our dayes then in theirs , in respect of the knowledge of Jesus Christ , and the mysteries of salvation : may we not say as our Saviour does , that of all that was born of Women , there was none like John the Baptist , and yet the least in the times of the Gospel , is , or may be greater then he ? and what enemies or hinderances have we that they had not ? Was Satan , the flesh , the world , all or either of these not their enemies as much as ours ? or had they better weapons and armour to fight against them then we have ? we have the armour of God , they could have no better ; if you shall say , you had a great family to provide for , weighty affaires and imployments lay upon you , and these are great hinderances : in all these they exceed thee , and yet they were no hinderances to them in comparison of that , generally they are to us ; Abraham drew three hundred out of his family to deliver Lot , besides what men , women , and children were left behinde . Job had also a great family , he was a Judge , and a Prince , and yet notwithstanding in all the whole world there was none like unto him . So David had a whole Kingdome to look to , besides continuall wars , and yet how often did he pray , every day ; how frequent was he in meditation ? without all question , did we make it our business to intreat the Lord for strength & grace to serve him , were we frequent & servent enough in such desires , did we seek for wisdome as for silver , and search for understanding as for hid treasures , we might do wonders in religion , in comparison of what we do . And if you shall say , that all these you speake of are Prophets . I answer , what then ? for the gifts of prophecy are not gifts of sanctification , but of edification ; they might have been as holy , and not have been Prophets , and they might have prophesied , and yet been workers of iniquity . But to returne to what we spake , surely if men had faith , and that wrought by love as it should do ; if we were as watchfull over our wayes as wee might be , if we were not wanting to our selves , and to God , ( for he is not wanting unto us ) we might live many days , without doing or speaking any thing that materially is a sin : I do assuredly know , that no one thought , word , or action , but in some respect or other is sinful , either the ground is not spirituall ; or not so spirituall ; the end is not heavenly , or not so heavenly ; we do not purely aim at the glory of God , nor purely do it out of obedience to God , and in the name of Christ , &c. as wee should ; therfore I do not say , we can live one minute without sinning against God ; but one may live many hours and dayes without doing such actions which materially and in their own nature are sins : as now for those which are accounted grosse sinnes in the world , and are so , as adultery , murder , theft , blasphemy , swearing ; it may be some of Gods people live their whole life without actually committing any one of them . What is meant by that that is said of Zachary and Elizabeth , that they lived blamelesse , Luke 1. 6. And what is meant by that of St Paul , 1 Cor. 4. 4. That he knew nothing by himself ? well , certainly those that love not to keep a strict communion with God , and love not the truth , may finde excuses enough to bolster themselves up in their carelesse walke ; nay , let them take heed , least they so provoke the Lord , that he sends them strong delusions to beleeve lies . It may be , they will plead the infirmities and falls of the Saints , Noahs drunkennesse , Davids adultery , Peters deniall , and so encourage themselves in their owne wickednesse ; surely these failings of the Saints are set downe as sands and rocks to avoyd , not as our Compasse whereby we should steer our course : 't is true , if after prayers and strivings against those sins , through the strength of our corruptions we fall into some sin , we may take comfort from the infirmity and failings of the Saints : but before our fall , what use have we of such failings , but onely rocks , as I have said : comforts they may be after , but not encouragements before ; otherwise our spots are not the spots of Gods people . 2. Consid. The second consideration is , that no art , science , or trade whatsoever , is attained without some yeares being Apprentice , or studying of it ; and can we imagine that we can attain to any measure of perfection in Religion , without spending either time or thoughts about it , but making it a thing meerly by the bie ? The unreasonablenesse of this conceit appears the more , if we consider , that wee have no such impediments to hinder us from the attainment of excelencies in Trades , Arts , and Sciences ; nay , those things that are hinderances in the attainment of holinesse , do further us in the attainment of such kind of excellencies : to be an excellent workman in any trade , or to be an excellent Physician , neither the world , nor our corruptions , nor Satan are against it ; the World generally doth promote and imploy such persons ; when they have an occasion to use any one of any trade or calling , they use the skilfullest , and so they are an encouragement to them : and for our corruptions , they do not hinder , but rather further , for wee pride our selves generally in such kind of excellencies : and if the World nor the Flesh be not , certainly Satan is not against them neither ; but against holinesse they are all enemies . Now if we should see a man rowing , having both wind and tide with him , and should row with all his might , and yet with much adoe come to such a place by night , and the next day being to row back again against winde and tide , should take no pains at all , but lie sleeping in the boat , as if the streame that was against him , should carry him back of it self , wee should much wonder at such a mans folly . Much more then may we wonder , when men shall spend so much pains , so many thoughts to get an estate ; and in things concerning God and eternity , should carry themselves as if they were either not worth having , or as if holinesse ( like weeds ) should grow of it self . 3. Consid. The third Consideration is , That there is no pain nor trouble in it's self in Religion , nor no true pleasure nor profit in sin ; or what pleasure or pain soever there is in them , it is so short and so small , that it deserves not the name of either : Do but truly and seriously consider , what pain or trouble is there in spending an hour , in reading , meditating , or praying , I speak to the most disadvantage ; for indeed , one should rather say , what wonderfull delight there is in a strict and constant communion with God in such duties : but let it be supposed it be troublesome , the trouble is nothing , but the comfort and the benefit is exceeding great ; when thou hast spent a day in humbling thy soul before God , I pray , next day , is it any pain or trouble to you ? in respect of them , it is as the way of a Serpent upon a stone , there is nothing of the trouble that did accompany those holy duties doth remain when they are ended , but the comfort and profit of them thou maist meet withall twenty years hence : and so for sin , the pleasure of it is momentany , but the guilt and sting of it is eternall ; the poor empty pleasures of sinne , what are they while they do continue ? but sure I am , they are bitternesse at the last . To have a guilty conscience , and a wounded spirit , but one hour in any extremity , as poor souls in desertion or despair have , hath so much horrour in it , that doubtlesse whosoever hath had any experience in such things , would not edure them for all the pleasures in the world for Methusalems age : But alas , we look not afar off , consider neither the end of holinesse , nor of sin ; nay to speak the truth , we consider not the essentiall excellency of the one , nor filthinesse of the other . 4. Consid. Fourthly , Consider that there is not the least sin , nor the least holy thought that shall vanish into aire , or into nothing ; for if God shal call us to account for every idle thought or word , shall not every holy thought or word , through his mercy , tend to our good also ? The wicked do treasure up wrath against the day of wrath ; as a man that should cast in every day many pieces of silver and gold into a room for twenty years together , or more , when he should come to look in that room at the twenty years end , he would finde many a piece which he had forgotten ; so it is with one that treasures up sin , when the book of conscience shall be opened at the last , day , and the baggs wherein God sealed up his sins , as Job speaks , how many sins will he meet withall that he never thought of , untill that day ? not one of them shall be lost that ever he cast in : so surely it will be with thee that treasurest up prayers and holy thoughts ; God doth as safely seale up them , as he doth the sins of the wicked : there is a book of remembrance writ of all thy good words , and there is a bottle to bottle up all thy teares : now how easie is it for thee to cast into this treasury a thousand holy thoughts a day ? to what a numberlesse number would they arise to in few years ? and by these not any businesse is hindred ; thou mayest ride , thou mayest eat and drink , thou mayest sell and buy , thou mayest walk for all them : now if every holy thought do adde something to thy grace here , and to thy glory hereafter , and since they do not hinder , but sweeten and sanctifie all imployments , why doest thou not treasure up these against the day of the Lord ? 5. Consid. Fifthly , Consider seriously the excellencies of the Scriptures ; for we are not sensible enough of their worth , nor do we firmly nor feelingly enough believe that they are the Word of God : Suppose that by some infallible arguments it might be demonstrated that there were a Prophet now in England , with what extraordinary care and observation would you observe his words that he spake in the Name of the Lord : if when thou wer● pouring out thy soul before God , humbly begging of him that he would discover to thee more the things that belong to thy peace , and thou shouldest have an Angel from Heaven coming unto thee , as one did to Cornelius ; or that our Saviour should himselfe speak to thee from Heaven , as he did to Paul , when thou shalt say as he did , Lord , what would'st thou have me to do ? With what reverence and attention would'st thou observe , and what obedience to a tittle would'st thou give to such Messages ? Wouldest thou not mark every word , and every syllable ? and wouldest not vary from them one jot . Well , thou shouldest give no lesse reverence nor obedience unto the Word of God , then unto them . If thy friend speaks to thee , or writes to thee , so thou art sure that it is his hand , they are both of equal authority with thee ; and why should not the word of God immediately spoken from Heaven , or written , be so too , of equall authority with thee ? to have an Angel from heaven to tel thee what thou should'st do , is a stronger temptation to pride ; but there is no more of reality in it to move thee to obedience , then there is in the written word : nay , may I not say lesse ? for the word of God is the rule by which we must judg their Messages ; and not their Messages the rule by which we must judg the Word of God ; for if an Angel from Heaven should preach another doctrine , let him be accursed . Now there is no reason , thou believing the Bible to be the Word of God , which we all professe , but thou shouldest with as much care endeavour to understand and practise what therein is written . If wee will do but as Luther did , that hee might understand Rom. 3. 25 , 26. fast and pray when wee finde any place of Scripture too difficult to be understood ; or when we found our corruptions so strong , that wee obeyed not when it is understood : If wee sought the Lord by prayer and fasting ( a duty generally neglected , and by some condemned , though by the Apostles commended and practised ) surely , wee should both understand more of the minde of God , and live more sutable to what what wee know . 6. Considerat . Sixthly , Consider , that howsoever we esteem it , it matters not , without question the enjoyment of God is infinite happinesse : for , doe but truly and really consider wherein doth the happinesse of Angels consist ; Doth it not consist in the vision , fruition , and union with God ? Is not God their all ? and shall he not be ours when we come thither ? How comes it to passe , that it is not so now ? Nay , it is so ; but how comes it to passe , that it is not so to us ? Either the Angels are deceived in making of it their happinesse ; or wee must be deceived in not making of it ours : we cannot have the face to say , That if the Angels knew what pleasure there were in eating and drinking , and other vain and wicked pleasures of the word , they would never spend their eternity in singing the praises , in beholding the face , and admiring the excellency of God ; yet though we are ashamed to say thus , yet by our lives we generally hold forth this blasphemy , and proclaime it to the whole world ; nay , let me raise this one step higher , the blessednesse , of God wherein doth it consist ? the creature is not his happinesse , but himselfe ; and if God be enough for himselfe , shall be not be enough for thee ? of dust and ashes , his enjoyment of himself , is his happinesse ; how comes it to passe that it is not thine ? God doth command , invite thee , entreat thee to enjoy him ; nay , indeed what is it that God requires of thee , but this , even to admire , love and enjoy him in the secret of thy soul ? thou wilt not , thou preferrest every trifle before him ; thou wilt go and see a carnall friend for carnall ends , rather then spend thy time in the enjoyment of him , who is the praise , and above the praise of men and Angels to all eternity ; pray to him , who onely can discover his love and excellencies to thee , that he would make thee taste of this hidden Manna ; that he would draw away the vail before thine eyes , that thou mayst be no longer ignorant of this truth ; that he would purge out those corruptions out of thy heart , that thou mayst relish and experiment the sweetnesse of it . 7. Consid. Seventhly , Consider that we have three enemies , the world , the flesh , and the Divel ; Consider this , I say , fully and feelingly ; for few there are that live so much as a tittle of this truth : or who lives as if the World was his implacable enemie ? for , do we not generally into all our actions put something of that poysonous ingredient , viz. a desire to please men , and to get their good word and will ? Wee ought not to scandalize any one , as much as in us lies ; we ought to be all things to all men ; but it is that we may gain them to God , not to our selves : If this truth was ingraven on our hearts , That it is as possible to go to heaven and please the Divel , as go to heaven and please the world : I say , if we were fully perswaded in our hearts of that Truth , we would neither wonder the World hates us , nor endeavour that it should love us : we should not endeavour nor cast away our pains to do that which is absolutely impossible : So then , if we resolve to be Christians , wee must neither fear nor care what the World can say of , or do unto us . And we should in all our actions of Religion , not so much as once bring it into our consideration , to think what men will say or do unto us , if we do so or so , except it be by their dislike to help our selves to know what is right ; for though it is not an absolute rule , yet it is a generall rule , that such a thing is right , because men generally speak against it : certainly , our desires and endeavours to please men , is one of the greatest snares in the world ; for generally we live so that we enslave our selves , and lose not only our Christian , but our naturall liberty for men ; but indeed if it was no more but our outward liberty , it was nothing , but we wound our consciences and offend our God , which is worth more then a thousand Heavens . Cautions . 1. Caut. First , Take heed of the perfunctory performance of holy duties ; for many mischiefs come by them . First , They puffe up , not edifie ; if thou powrest out thy soule before God in prayer , feelingly , spiritually , and faithfully , thou never departest without some spirituall profit ; but if thou dost it carnally and formally , thy prayers are but wind , and they puffe thee up ; for thy carnall heart would plead these carnall performances to thy conscience , and make thee beleeve , because thou hast many pieces of this counterfeit coyne , that thou art rich and wantest nothing , though thou art poor , and blind , and naked , and miserable ; for thy duties have not the right stamp , having neither the image nor superscription of God upon them , being neither performed for the glory of God , nor by the Spirit of God , nor in the name of Christ : and between carnall and spirituall duties , this is the difference , that we usually pride our selves in the one , and are humble by the other . Secondly , Which followes upon the former , we shall grow weary in time of performing carnal duties ; for needs must we be weary of these things from which we get no profit nor strength : when duties are dry brests unto us , it is no marvel if we are weary of drawing them ; by spirituall duties we get strength ; and such prayers do enable us to pray more ; but carnall prayers tire us . Thirdly , Consider the same time is spent in the one as in the other , whether thou hearest or prayest with zeal and attention , or without , it takes up the same time in the Publick Congregatition , though not the same profit . Fourthly , Consider that you spoyle both , by mixing the thoughts of worldly businesse with spirituall duties ; for thy outward performance of the duty keeps thy thoughts of businesse from coming to maturity , and the thoughts of worldly things keep thy prayers from doing thee any good , so that they spoil one another ; I mean , of those wandering thoughts that we let lie in our duties , for those that are resisted , and removed , and mourned for , do somwhat hinder , but not putrifie the duty ; for as the Wise man saith , That dead flyes cause the oyntment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour ; if one takes out a fly as soon as it is come into it , so much of the oyntment that sticks about the fly is lost , but the rest remains sweet and pure , as it was before : so wandering thoughts spoyle something of our prayers , though they be resisted and removed , they make a little hole in our prayer , by taking up that time which should have beene fill'd up with better thoughts ; but if they continue , they eat up the fat of those sacrifices , and make the sweet odours of our prayers noisome . But to conclude this Caution , if we were but in any measure sensible of the Majesty of him to whom , and the necessity of those things for which we pray , ( to instance in that duty ) for they are our life , and of the necessity of having them from God ; we need no other motives to deterre us from perfunctory performances . 2. Caut. Secondly , Take heed of worldly company , for whosoever delights in that , will find that he never comes out of it but worse then he comes into it ; for when one goes into such a company among whom there is nothing spoken of God , of Christ , or of the Spirit of the Word of God , and of spirituall experiences , where there is no spirituall duty performed ; except one be exceeding carefull to sequester ones mind from their discourses , and keepe a stricct communion with God in the secrets of our hearts , our graces , if they were strong , would grow weak ; and our corruptions , though they were weak , would grow strong ; and that spirituall advantage which you have got by many prayers , you will find will be lost in a little time spent in such company , except their discourses be as dry brests unto you , and as Meshech and Kedar were unto David ; they must either be a grief or sin unto them , except in some cases , as in case of businesse , thy particular calling , or charity , if thou comest as a Physician , either of their bodies or of their souls , then thou not only mayst , but oughtest to come unto them ; in such cases , our Saviour did frequently eat with Publicans and sinners , not out of any love he had to their worldly conversation , but to their conversion ; and this must be taken as a rule , He that knows not how to be alone , knows not how to be in company with profit . 3 Caut. Thirdly , Take heed of idleness ; for as the Wise man says , Seest thou one wise in his own eyes , there is more hope of a foole then of him . For to make such a man wise , there are two things to be done . First , You must bring him to that , that he may know himself to be ignorant , and then you must teach him wisdom ; wheras he that is ignorant and knows himself to be so , needs only the last ; so he that is in any honest employment , Satan hath two works to do to make him sin . First , He must get him to leave off what he is doing , and then perswade him to the evill that he tempts him to : as a bowle that is running must be first stopped , before it can be made to run the contrary way ; whereas the bowle that ●ies still may without stopping be cast what way one pleases : a bird that is flying one can hardly take any aime at , as one may at that which sits stil ; so Satan cannot levell his temptations so at a busie , as at an idle man : but I shall not prosecute this common place of idlenesse , but my main designe is to give you caution against spirituall idlenesse ; for that which is not taken notice enough of , that is not avoidied nor mourned for enough , is that we think that we are not idle , if we are busied in worldly imployments , if we are selling of wares in our shops , or riding of a journey , or busied in some such imployment of our particular calling . The man thresheth and plowes all day , and thinks that he is free from idlenesse ; but we should know , that if our thoughts are not imployed upon spirituall things when they may , it is the worst idleness of all : and very few worldly businesses there are that stand in need of the continuall intentions of our thoughts upon them ; for it is rather our love of the world that fixeth our thoughts upon worldly matters while we are imployed about them , then because they might not be done without halfe that intention of mind : doubtlesse , there are many disseminata vacua , in all imployments of the world , which might and ought to be filled up with spirituall thoughts ; and as it is with Bees , though they gather honey from a flower , they leave it as fragrant and as fresh as they found it ; so we gathering and mixing spirituall thoughts with and from our worldly businesse , we hinder it not at all ; for as a vessel that is full of sand will hold almost as much water as if there were no sand in it ; so when we are full of imployments , we may hold a thousand holy thoughts ; and as a ship can hardly be so fild with chests or other lading , but there will be so many corners unfild up , wherein Diamonds of such great value might be put in , that they would be more worth then all the lading of the Ship ; so those thoughts of God and spirituall things which we might have in the midst of our other employments , may be of farre greater value then they . Fourthly , Take heed of perfunctory and careless resisting of temptations ; but what thou dost in that particular , as in spirituall things , do it with all thy might ; for to think and weakly to resolve against sin , will not hinder , but aggravate thine offence ; and it is one of the Divels policies , to let a man alone to thinke of severall Motives , and make some faint resolutions against any sin , when hee sees that hee hath him fast enough ; for he knows , that the more Motives and Resolutions wee sin against , the more wee are hardened , and GOD is provoked : And as it is with a Town that is besieged , they will willingly let so many of their enemies in , as they know they are able to master : so Satan , when hee sees that the Motives and Resolutions that enter into the soul are too weak , hee willingly suffers them to enter ; for , perfunctory performance of duties , and feeble resisting of temptations are equally dangerous , if the later be not the worst ; by the former we get no spirituall good , and by the later we overcome no spirituall evill . 5. Caut. Take heed of making others sin , either by scandall , or being a temptation to them by example or provocation ; it is a good way , when one hath to deal with a passionate man , not onely to prepare our selves for the Combate by prayer and resolutions and keeping a strong guard upon our hearts , that we may not be overcome with passion , howsoever he shall use us , either in word or in deed ; but to take special care and to use all means to keep him from passion ; for there is a wretched joy that our hearts are subject to take in the sins of others , thinking them to be a foil to our innocency , to have others very passionate when we are very meek ; there is a secret delight that the heart is prone to take , but it proceeds from a desperate pride in us , who desire to have our excellencies made manifest , though with the dishonour of God and damnation of our brother ; but there is a great deal of hel in it , and charity rejoyceth not in ill . 1 Cor. 13. 6. Caut. Take heed of studying high speculative points whatsoever ; for when our thoughts are exceedingly intent in finding out truths , all the fire is in the top of the chimney , and none is left upon the hearth : generally high speculations leave the heart cold without devotion ; for generally there is a great deal of curiosity and pride in such studies , for commonly we desire to be accounted knowing men , in searching into whys and how 's of Gods works and truths ; as why God made the tree of knowledg of good and evill , and how there can be three persons , and but one God : therefore in all reading , joyn prayer , whether it be in the reading of humane or divine things , and take speciall care that the love of God go not out , nor grow cold in you . That which I have heard of one , is a good practice , that whatsoever book he was reading , every leafe that he turned over he would look what was become of his heart , and of God , and would not begin till he had sent up some prayers to the Lord for direction . Advises . 1. Adv. First , Concerning writing , many wayes thou art to employ that for thy advantage . First , Write down all those spiritual passages out of Sermons , books , discourses , wherin thou hast found most relish and spirituall profit . Secondly , Keep a Register of all the mercies that God hath bestowed upon thee , whether it be temporall or spiritual , but especially thy spirituall experiences , and his manifestations of his love , if ever the terrors of the Almighty was upon thee ; the wayes of Gods providence in supporting thee , and how , and when , and in what manner he delivered thee . And so for the discoveries of his love , and concerning the mercies God hath bestowed upon thee , how , and whether , and when he answers your prayers ; as also all the speciall ways of Gods providence to other spirituall persons , in temporalls or spirituals ; and when thou findest thy heart dull and cold in love , or weak in faith , these experiences of Gods goodnesse to thy selfe and others , will be an excellent means to enflame and strengthen thee . Lastly , Keepe a Diurnall of thy life in respect of the spirituall passages of every day ; set downe whether thou didst awake with God , or whether the world had the first fruits of thy thoughts , and how thou didst performe spirituall duties , whether with relish , fervency , or delights , or otherwise ; mark and set down when thy heart made any default , intermitting its communion with God , and all the severall sins that thou canst take notice of , that thou hast committed that day , and what mercies thou hast received ; and when there is any mercy that thou prayest for , some marke should be set untill thou hast an answer of that prayer from God , and that day the Lord gives thee that answer , make a reference from that day to the day of praying for that mercy . 2. Adv. Secondly , Choose some spirituall friend one or more , to whom thou mayst wholly unbosome thy self in all spiritual matters ; but a great deal of caution need to be had in this particular , he need to be one of a 1000 that thou choosest ; thus thou needest have a gr●at deal of Experince of his spirituall wisedome , humility , and experience of the ways of God ; for be he never so learned , though he understand all mysteries and all knowledge , though he hath never such excellent gifts of edification , yet if he be not an experienced Christian , thou wilt little benefit either by his society , or counsell ; for when he speaks of spirituall and experimentall truths , and the discourses of such truths are the very life of the communion of Saints ; I say , that his discourses concerning such matters , be he never so learned , if he be not experienced in them , will be without life or relish ; he will seldom speak of such things , but when he does it , it will be with so much heaviness , that thou mayst cleerly perceive he doth speak but by rote , and of things he delights not in ; and for his advise in spirituall matters , it must needs be very imperfect , for thousand cases may happen of which books speak nothing ; and having no other way to understand them , and direct thee , he will be at a losse ; as one that travels by a Map , and hath no other way to guide himselfe , he will meet with many turnings , that put him to a non-plus which way to take ; whereas he that hath often travelled that way is a farr safer guide : the truth is , we have no knowledge of God , or no saving knowledge of him , but what is by experience : To conclude therefore , if thou wilt choose a spiritual friend , choose such an one as magnifies Christ , and the spirit of God , and his teachings , and the word of God , and inward mortifications above outward , and that is an experienced wise and humble Christian , and thou shalt get a world of good by the converse of such an one ; for in doubts his wisdom and experience wil direct thee , in thy distresses hee will comfort thee , when thou art spiritually cold , his example and carriage in the performance of holy duties , his discourses of heavenly things , and the flames of his love wil set thee on fire . 3. Adv ▪ The third is diurnal examination , every night strictly to examine what thou hast done that day ; we read of God himselfe that every day he looked over his works : surely God hath no need to examine his works , but it is writ for our instruction , and doubtlesse the benefit and necessity of this examination are very great . First , We should find out our sins before they come to be customary , when they are but a day old , and before they have taken root in us , and so they will easily be pull'd up , and by faith , repentance , prayer , and resolutions against them , we shall easily get the victory over them , and through the help of God , who makes us more then conquerours : it is very likely , by the blessing of God , if David had not neglected the examining of his soul that day when he defiled Bathsheba , he would have discovered that abomination , and he would never have gone fo farre as to have added bloud and the rest of his abominations to his uncleannesse , and he would have watered h●s couch with his teares , which he had defiled with his adultery . The second advantage is , that we shall never lie in any sin unrepented of ; and there be many other inconveniences ( besides bringing it to a custome ) that come by sin lying on our souls unrepented of ; for it deads our prayers , cools our love , hardens our heart , makes us that we cannot come to God with that joy , with that freedome of spirit ; as when one hath done ones friend an injury , one is loth to see him . The third advantage is by dividing this great work of giving up our account , and making all even betwixt God and our selves , the work will be very easie ; which if we shall not doe it but at our death , or only yearly , it would be exceeding difficult , and almost impossible : as if some Merchant who had very great trading , should ballast his accounts of debts , receipts , of disbursements , &c. but once in seven years , it would be an intollerable burden ; besides , many things would be forgotten ; whereas it being done daily , his accounts are perfected with more ease , and fewer defaults . The fourth advantage is , that at thy death thou wilt have a world of comfort by taking this course ; for besides , thou art eased of that burthen of having all the accounts of thy life to make up then , thou hast a clear way to answer Satan , when he shall lay to thy charge any sins of thy former life ; for if he shall accuse thee , and say , do'st not thou remember , that such a year , and such a day , thou didst commit such a sin ? thou mayest answer him , and say , it is true , that such a day I did commit such a sin , but then that very night I mourned for it , and went not to bed before I had my pardon sealed with the bloud of Christ to my soul ; and when Satan shall not be able to lay to thy charge any debt of which thou hast not had an accquittance , nor any sin for which thou hast not had a pardon from the Lord , such fiery darts will have no power to wound thee : and this examination thou mayest make thus : Consider all the severall hours of the day , and how thou hast spent them ; when thou didst first awake , what didst thou think of ? when thou wert asleep , and thoughtest not of thy selfe , God thought on thee , and thou wert safe under the shadow of his wings ; When I awake , thou art with me , sayes David ; was not God with David when he was asleep ? yes surely ; for his being with him when he was awake , shewed that he was there before ; for it is not said , When I awake thou comest to me , but art with me . Well , but what are thy thoughts when thou first wakest ? are they of God , or of the World ? Thou shalt much discover the temper of thy heart by this ; those that are our very familiar acquaintance , we suffer them to come into our chamber before we are up : surely , God is a stranger to thee , if thou thinkest not of him , nor seekest him on thy bed ; then as the Apostle sayes , If the first fruits are holy , the whole lump is holy : so generally , as thy first thoughts are , such art thou all the day after : in the morning thou sayest , it will be foule weather , sayes our Saviour , for the skie is red and lowring ; so we may say of the day in respect of spirituall matters ; if thy morning thoughts be red and lowring , it will be foule weather in thy soule that day : and when thou readest over thy diary , thou shalt finde that those dayes when that thy waking and morning thoughts were full of God , that all the duties of that day , whether of thy generall or particulat calling , were full of God also . Well , what didst thou think of afterwards , didst thou keep thy thoughts close to God , untill thy morning exercise ? didst thou dresse thy soul , as thou didst dresse thy body ? Well , after that , what didst thou doe such an hour and such and hour , & c ? Or to help thee in this duty something more , examine at night thy works , words , thoughts , what they were every houre of the day . For thy works , consider what thy religious works , the works of thy particular calling , and thy recreations were . For thy prayers , hast thou not oomitted thy seven times a day , if thou hast attained with David to that number ? or how often soever thy set times are , hast thou not omitted them ? for I dare not discourage any one in observing set times , as if that could not be don lawfully . Wel , how hast thou prayed ? hast thou performed that duty as a task , or as a means ? hast thou bound up thy devotion to such a number of times of going to God ? or hast thou given God those prayers as a composition , or as the rent of the day , that thou mayest do with the rest , and spend the rest in vanity , as thou pleasest ? Or didst thou not much rather perform that duty of prayer as an act of communion with God for the present , and as an help for communion with God for the future ? Didst thou not by thy prayers intend and desire of the Lord power and strength not to depart from him ? What were thy prayers ? were they faithfull , fervent , reverent , humble ? What returns of thy prayers hast thou had this day ? Hast thou endeavoured to obtain those mercies and graces that thou prayedst for ? Thou mockest God , to pray for those things thou endeavourest not for ; and thou mockest thy self , to endeavour for those things thou prayest not for . For thy Meditation and reading the Word of God , how hast thou performed them ? What power have they had upon thy heart this day ? Hast thou been more faithfull , humble , charitable , & c ? What resolutions didst thou make ? and how hast thou kept them ? &c. Concerning thy reading the Scriptures and meditation , most of the things which are spoken concerning Prayer , may be applyed to these also : as , Didst thou meditate and read as a task , or as a means ? and so of the rest . Concerning the works of thy particular calling , have they not justled out the works of thy generall calling ? hast thou not unnecessarily omitted thy set times for spirituall duties ? or have not thy thoughts been taken up too much with them ? hast thou not left off thy communion with God ? God may be with thee in thy shop as well as in thy Closet . Againe , if thou art a tradesman , hast thou not took advantage of the necessity of the seller , and bought too cheape , and of the ignorance of the buyer , and sold two dear ? hast thou not sold thy conscience with thy wares ? Concerning thy recreations , have they not been unlawfull recreations in respect of the kinde ? hast thou not made a sport of sin , making that a recreation which should be thy grief ? making that thy delight , which should make a Christian weep ? have not thy recreations been unlawfull in respect of time ? have they not been unseasonable ? hast thou not used recreations , when thou shouldest have put on sackcloth , not being sensible of the afflictions of Joseph ? or have not thy recreations taken up too much time ? hast thou not made a vocation of recreation ? the best way is by prayer and by frequent communion with God , to attain to that spirituall frame of soul , that thou mayest go to God as David speaks , Psalm 43. ver. 4. to make God thy exceeding joy : so shall thy great businesse and designe that thou hast in the whole world be turned into a recreation ; and thou shalt need no other , but thou shalt be as those that are in heaven ; it shall be thy eternall businesse and delight to admire and praise God . What have thy words been ? thou must give an account at the last day for every idle word : how many hast thou spoken this day ? Where , when , and with whom hast thou discoursed , and what hath thy discourse been of ? Have thy words been to edification ? Remember what the Apostle says , That we must avoyd foolish talking and jesting , which is not convenient ; Hast thou not this day slandered , or spoken ill of thy neighbour ? if thou hast , besides thy humbling thy selfe before God , and asking pardon of him , make some recompence to thy neighbour , and put up as many prayers to God for him , as thou hast spoken evill words of him . For thy thoughts , what have they been ? Have not vain thoughts lodged in thee ? The fountain of all sinne are our thoughts ; if thou keepest them close to God , all the rest will follow , thy words and thy conversation will be spirituall also : Hast thou not had a thousand thoughts of God this day ? if thou hast not , thou hast lost that which is irrevocable : for though thou hast a thousand thoughts of God the next day , thy losse this day is not thereby recovered ; for thy having a thousand thoughts of God this day , doth not hinder thee from having a thousand thoughts next day , but rather further thee ; the more thoughts thou hast of God , the more thou mayst have ; and for thy thoughts of God , what have they been ? have they been fervent as well as frequent ? have thy thoughts of God been worthy of God ? or have not thy thoughts of God been such that thou shouldest have had of the world , and thoughts of the world such as thou shouldest have had of God ? 4. Adv. The fourth is Meditation , a duty of so great concernment , so much profit , that nothing but experience can make one know the benefit of it ; and the man of the greattest devotion , and of the heavenlyest affections , that we read of in all the Bible , though indeed , for matter of revelations , it may be , something more is spoken of others then of him , I mean David , was exceedingly versed in Meditation , and doth speak very much of it concerning his own practise , and commending it to others : you know very well , that he sets it down as the only , or at least the chief exercise of the blessed man , to meditate in the word of God day and night : he delights in the word of God , and therefore meditates in it ; and meditates in it , and therfore delights in it : One that walks in a garden , sees the beauty , and may smell sweetnesse of the flowers growing there ; but it is the Bee that gathers honey out of them : to read and study the Scriptures , hath a great deal of sweetnesse in it , but it is meditating on the Scriptures that brings the sweetest and lastingest benefit : the end of study is knowledge ; but the end of meditation is also holy affection and practice . Now that which I advise and direct in this particular , is , to know how to read and meditate on the holy Scriptures to our greatest spirituall comfort and advantage : and there are many Advises to this purpose . First , Take the Bible , open it , and read it with the same attention , reverence , and resolution to follow it , as if Christ living on the earth either by reason of sicknesse , or some other occasion , not being able to go to him thy self , thou shouldst send some speciall friend with thy humble desires to Christ , to advise thee what to beleeve and do , and Christ should send a Letter to thee by that friend . How exceedingly wouldst thou prize that Letter ? how wouldest thou rejoyce and long to read it ? how strictly wouldest thou observe every syllable ? Goe , take the Bible , open it , and do likewise . Wee do not read that ever Christ writ any thing with his own hand , save that which he wrote upon the ground , John 8. and what that was wee know not . And what might be the reason ? might not one , if not the chiefest reason be , lest we should dolize that place of Scripture , and despise the rest in comparison of that : it is not the hand , but the spirit of Christ that gives authority to Scripture : we have strange opinions of the bodily presence of Christ ; we think , had we lived in his dayes , we would have gone to him , and acknowledged our sins , and craved pardon and direction , and scarce doubt but we should have obtained both : but we consider no● we have as neer and as certain a way to obtain them now as then ; nay , we have the same way as they had ; for it was their faith that made them whole , and by faith we may be made so too in respect of spiritual diseases . So , if an Angel should bring a message from heaven to us , how would we observe and follow it ? The Scripture should be of as great power and authority with us , as that Message , and indeed more ; for if it were possible that such a Message should contradict any thing in the Scripture , the Scripture must be beleeved before it . But of this more largely in the fifth Consideration . Secondly , Read every verse in the Bible with this consideration , that the holy Spirit of God , when hee inspired the Apostle , Prophet , or other Pen-men of the holy Scriptures to write that place , did particularly intend thy good in it ; for wee must not conceive that the Scripture was written for their good only who lived in those times when those severall Books were published ; but to all ages , for every particular man that should live in those severall generations . The Scripture it self is plain in this particular ; Rom. 15. 4. For whatsoever things were written afore time , were written for our learning , that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope , Deut. 29. 29. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God , but these things which are revealed belong unto us , and to our children for ever , that we may do all the words of the Law . Nay , we read of a particular promise made to a particular person upon a speciall occasion ; if any part of Scripture were not to extend to every particular person that should live while the world lasts , one would think it should be that ; yet even that very promise the Apostle brings , even that , as a promise particularly to be applied to every Christian : compare but these places , Heb. 13. 5. Josh. 1. 5. The Scripture like a well made Picture looks upon every one in particular , so directly , as if it looked upon none else : we generally read the Scriptures as we hear Sermons , without a particular and personall application of them ; if a godly Minister should come home to any one of our houses , and take one aside , and tell one privately and feelingly , you professe your selves Christians , but there is little or nothing of Christianity appears in your lives , you live not as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ ; it would startle us ; we hear the same in the Pulpit , and we let it passe as a thing not concerning us : if one should come from an house of uncleanenesse , and hear a voice from Heaven , saying , Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge , it would strike terrour into that mans heart ; he reads the same words in the Scripture , and they are a dead letter to him . Thirdly , Read the Scripture to a right end for which it was written , not for custome , or that you might be able to discourse , and because you are ashamed to be ignorant of those things which you conceive every Christian should know , and having an occasion divers times in company to talk of such matters , then you would be loth to be able to say nothing ; but consider what end the Scripture was writ for , Rō . 15. 4 Rev. 3. 10. 1 Pet. 2. 2. 2 Tim. 3. 16. and many other places , set them down ; our knowledge , our affectionss , and our lives are quite out of frame , and thou must go to the holy Scriptures there to finde out directions to cure these distempers : and in a word , that thou may'st be able to know , admire , love , fear , trust , and serve God more then thou doest ; thou should'st never read any part of the word of God , without a particular intention to advantage thy selfe in these particulars by thy reading . Fourthly , Thou must humbly and earnestly pray to the Lord to give thee his Spirit to understand what thou readest in his Word ; take heed of going with thine own humane spirit , and in the strength of thy learning , to search out the deep things of God ; go to the shallowes of the workes , which wee call the works of Nature , and thou shalt finde that thou art not able to fathome them ; the winde thou hearest the sound thereof , but knowest not whence it comes , nor whither it goes ; and how canst thou presume to understand the great mysteries of God , which the Angels themselves desire to look into , without the help of the Spirit of God which teacheth wisdome secretly ? let thy desires be fervent , for the things written in the Word of God are thy life ; desire the Lord to give thee a powerfull , spirituall , and experimentall knowledge of the truths that thou shalt read . Fifthly , Promise to the Lord that if he will but reveal to thee his will , thou wilt do it , and obey him in it , whether it be good or evill ; Jer. 42. 6. whether it be pleasing or displeasing to thine own will : we do not use to tell any one a receipt to cure a disease he is sick of , if we know he is resolved not to take it ; nor do thou satisfie thy selfe with a neutrality , to finde thy selfe neither resolved to follow , nor not to follow what thou shalt understand : it is an hard thing when one whom God hath loved so much , shall give no other return of all his goodnesse but this , that he doth not finde his heart to hate and rebell against him : many people do little better then use the Scripture as a charme , they think by reading so many Chapters a day , they shall be cured of all spirituall diseases : had they not as good think , that by hanging some Chapters or two about their neck , they shall be cured of some corporall disease ? if one should have a receipt to cure the gout , and he should read it over every day twice or thrice , and think thereby to be cured , though he never took what was prescribed ; so it is with him that thinks the bare reading of the Word of God will do him any good without being , beleeving , and doing accordingly . Sixthly , When thou art thus prepared , read that place which thou intendest to meditate of , and consider what the true meaning of the place is , to thy understanding thereof before thou didst crave the assistance of the Spirit of God ; but if the place be knotty and hard to be understood , passe it by , for such places are not proper places of meditation , but of study ; thou must choose those places of Scripture as are fit for the affectionate , not the speculative part of Divinity , such as may more affect the heart , then busie the braine to understand it ; and thou must not be curious to raise nice observations from the words , but take those truths that lie open in the Text . First , Because those truths that lie hidden in one place of Scripture , are obvious in another . Secondly , Because when the braine is much imployed , the heart lyes dead without affections . Thirdly , Because that time thou spendest in finding out curious observations , may be farre more profitably spent in working thy heart to holy affections and resolutions , from some other truth that will presently occur from the words . Lastly , It shewes that there is not so great spirituall hunger after righteousness as there should be ; for hungry men do not use to stand and pick bones , when they have meat enough to eat . Seventhly , When thou hast raised any observation from the words , then thou art to put one of these three questions to thy selfe ; Do I thus ? Is it thus with me ? and , believe I thus ? One or two , or all of these will belong to every Text ; some to all , and all to some , as Luke 12. 32. Fear not little flock , it is your Fathers good will to give you the Kingdom : Do I thus ? that is , for the first branch , Fear not ; do I fear ? Then , Is it thus with me ? am I little in mine own eyes ? am I one of Christ's flock ? am I one of that small number that shall be saved ? Lastly , Do I believe this , that God will give the Kingdom of Heaven to such ? Eighthly , If thou doest find , that thou art , doest , or believest as the Word requires , give God the praise , humbly acknowledging that it is not thy doing at all , either that thou art , or doest , or believest what thou shouldest : and if thou findest that thou pridest thy selfe in stead of being thankfull , as if they were from thy selfe , or that by any of them as thine act thou mayest be justified , then doe but think in how many other things thou failest , and how even in these very particulars , if thou considerest either the measure , manner , ground , and end , thou shalt find them all to be defective , and thy best righteousnesse not onely to be ragged , but filthy too . Ninthly , If thou findest that either it is not with thee , or that thou dost not , or beleevest not as the Word requires , then , First , Humble thy self before the Lord , and desire pardon and help for the future . Secondly , Seriously consider what is the reason ( if it be that thou beleevest not ) why thou art not established in that truth : say to thy self , O my soul , God can neither be deceived , nor deceive , and that this is his word that we now read and meditate on , is more certain then any reason that can possibly be brought against it ; consider that generally the howe 's and whyes of Gods truths and works are the things that stumble us ; as , how can there be three persons and yet but one God ? and , why should God hate Esau , and love Jacob ? in those cases say to thy selfe , that for the whys and howe 's of Gods word and truths , it is curiosity and pride to enquire of them , except God does reveal them , and we ought to mortifie our desire of knowing them : as that of our Saviour takes place in this case ; Blessed are they that beleeve and see not . Thirdly , Think with thy self , if thou canst remember any other place or places that confirms the truth that thou doubts of . Fourthly , Know that that which thou art mainly to enquire of , is of the meaning of the Word of God , not of the truth of it ; for we are seriously to consider , whether such a place holds forth such a point , not ( it appearing to be the plaine meaning of the Text ) whether it be true or no , if it be a thing that thou doest not which thou shouldst do , or doest which thou shouldst not do ; then seriously consider what are the reasons and grounds of thy disobedience , and thou shalt find them to be either the pleasure , profit , or honour of the world ; and say , alas , O my soul , can we be so deceived as to be put off with vanities , such as by experience we have known to be vanities , and by faith much more ? Shall we leave an Heaven of joys , the God of mercies ? shall we leave Christ , who hath so loved us , that he left all , even the bosome of his Father , and emptied himself of all his glory , and filled himselfe with our misery ? shall we leave all these for these , vanities which we must leave , and will leave us ? Consider the impediments that hinder thee from doing thy duty ; consider the temptations and occasions of thy sin ; consider the means and motives to avoyd it : remove the impediments ; avoyd the occasions ; use the means ; and think of the motives to do that which the Lord commandeth : but thou must neither think to find out these , nor to use the means , or avoyd the occasions , &c. without imploring humbly and earnestly the direction and assistance of the Spirit of God , to assist and direct thee in the premisses ; for you must know , that you must find out and use spirituall Motives , or else thy very avoyding of sin is sin , when it is done upon carnall grounds or sinfull motives . Tenthly , When thou hast finished all thy Meditations , First , Thou art to entreat the Lord , that hee would work all these truths upon thy heart , and fasten them as a nail in a sure place , that his Word may not be a dry brest unto thee , nor thou a barren wildernesse unto it . Secondly , Thou art to blesse God for any spirituall frame of heart that is either wrought or discovered in thee by this Exercise . Lastly , Chuse some speciall truth or point ( in which thou are either most defective , or wherein thou hast found most relish , which thou hast most occasion to make use of that day ) and keep it by thee to think of ; and do as those that walk in a garden of fragrant flowers , if one may have leave , generally hee takes some along with him , to smell to the rest of the day : do thou binde up some spirituall truths out of thy Meditation , and do likewise . Last Adv. The last great Advice , and that which must serve for an Antidote , lest all the other Cautions and Advices being observed , they should be turned into poyson to us , is , that we should often meditate , and never be satisfied in our souls , until we come to a cleer Gospel experimental knowledg of Christ , without which indeed , we are not worthy of the name of Christians ; for are wee not call'd Christians from the very name ? And doubtles , if we have not a right knowledg of Christ , we shall make up a Christ to our selves of our prayers , and fastings , and almes , and repentance ; and woe be to that soul that at the last day shall have nothing to trust to but his graces and duties , which will accuse him in stead of pleading his cause : and two things especially we should endeavour to know of Christ ; first , the excellency of the person and mysteries of Christ . Secondly , the love of Christ . First , For the excellency of his person , though to say he was both God and man , is indeed to include all ; yet some few things I shall speak to manifest this point . First , That all his people do receive from him grace for grace ; John 1. 16. Now if we consider the vast emptinesse and spirituall wants of the people of God , we must needs conclude that he must be an Ocean of excellency that must continually supply them . Secondly , ( For I shall be very brief , setting down rather heads of Meditation , then Sermon-wise , to dilate upon them ) Consider the dignity of his sufferings ; for they did satisfie the Justice of God , and that could not be satisfied without somthing of infinite value ; nor could it have been done by him save only by reason of the dignity of his person . Thirdly , Consider how he suffered ; though the pains he suffered were exceeding great , yet was it without any abatement at all of his love of , and confidence in God ; for while he satisfied the Justice of God by his passive obedience , in suffering the penalty of the Law ; he also satisfied and fulfilled the righteousness of the Law , by his active obedience , which was a wonder full thing , that in the midst of all his agony and all his Fathers anger , while he was laying upon him the punishment of the iniquity of us all , and spared him not , that even then there should be no abatement at all of his confidence in , and love of his Father , but that he should love him and trust in him as much as at any other time ; for had there been any abatement , and had he not loved God then with all his soul , with all his might , and with all his strength ( and the same may be said of his trusting in God ) his sufferings could never have satisfied for sinne , but themselves had stood in need of forgivenesse . Fourthly , Consider that saying of our Saviour , John 14. 9. He that hath seen me , hath seen the Father : the speech of Philip is as if he should say ; Wee indeed see a great deal of holinesse and wisdom in thy words and actions , but would we could see the Father ; surely there would be a world of holinesse and wisdom in his words and actions ; if he would have lived amongst men as thou Lord hast done , surely then it had sufficed . Now our Saviours answer is as if he should say to Philip , If the Father himselfe had taken humane nature , and lived amongst men , he would not have spoke one word more , or otherwise , nor done one action more or otherwise then I have done , he would not , nay could not have spoke , or done more wisely then I have done ; So he that hath seen me , hath seen my Father . Fifthly , Consider that those who have had the greatest and highest revelations of divine things , have alwayes had the highest esteem of , and have most magnified Christ . Saint Paul , rapt into the third heaven , and saw and heard things there , which was neither possible , nor lawfull to be uttered ; yet no man speaks higher things of Christ then he , he desires to know nothing but Jesus Christ , and him crucified ; accounts all other knowledg but drosse and dogs meat ; such knowledge as dogs and swine , reprobates may have ; nay , one step further , the very Angels in heaven , though they have the beatificall vision , yet notwithstanding they desire to look into the great mysteries of the Gospel , 1 Pet. 1. 12. Therefore never think that thou hast attained to any measure of Christian knowledge before thou seest an excellency in Christ , and an heighth and depth in the mysteries of the Gospel ; which if thou shalt not do , say within thy self , it is so evident that nothing is more in the word of God , that Christ is the end of all the ceremoniall Laws , and all the Prophesies of the old Testament ; that all the Prophets , nay all the Angels give witness ; and the Apostle cleerly says , that there is no controversie of this matter of the greatnesse of Gospel mysteries , and therefore that I do not admire them , it certainly proceeds from my ignorance of them ; for if it proceeded from knowledge , without doubt the Apostles that had more knowledg then I , and the Angels which had more knowledg then the Apostles , would never have desired to have known more of them : And after thou hast wrought this upon thy heart , and art fully convinced of the truth of it , that there is no knowledg , not onely not so profitable , but not so sweet , nor so excellent as this , then humbly beseech the Lord that he would shew unto thee , teaching thee by his Spirit the deep things of God , and that he would not only do it to informe and enlighten thy understanding in , but to inamour thy will of the beauties of the mysteries of Christ : we stand doating and gazing upon hamane knowledge , which is but like a poor glow-worme compared to the Sun of righteousnesse ; but alas poor thing , it hath neither light nor heat , compared to the truths of the Gospel : and we must look upon Christ as the only author and finisher of our faith , and justifier of our persons ; though we do all that hath been mentioned , yet we must not so much as make our doings , or not doings the least ingredient in our justification : and as Solomon speaks concerning our wisdom , so we must do in the matter of holinesse ; Leane not to thine own wisdome , saith Solomon ; not onely not rely upon it , but lean on it : we must not partly trust in our own wisdom , and partly in the wisdom of God , but we must wholly rely upon his wisdom : so , we must not partly rely upon Christs merits , and partly upon our own ; but wholly on Christ : those sins which we do not commit , we are not innocent of ; and those holy duties that we do perform , we are not innocent in ; therefore neither can we escape hell , nor attain heaven by any thing that wee do , or not do : and the reason why wee either avoyd sin , or perform holy duties , or frequent ordinances , is not because thereby we shall be justified , but that thereby wee may glorifie God and Christ , and because therein wee have communion with Christ , and are made more conformable unto him , and made more capable of more of Christ . When we go to some stately Palace , where we have appointed to meet some deer friend whom wee love with our whole soul , though we have never so much entertainment there when we come , yet if wee neither see , nor enjoy the company of our so exceedingly loved and desired friend , wee rather weep then rejoyce , notwithstanding the feasts and buildings which wee taste and see : Prayer , hearing the Word , the Lords Supper , are stately Ordinances and rich Feasts ; yet if we meet not Christ there , they are but dry brests and barren wildernesses to a soul that loves Christ . Secondly , Now the main thing that hinders a poor soul from coming unto Christ , is , that it is not cleerly satisfied of Christs love and willingnesse to receive her : to this point therefore by the blessing of God I shall speak more largely , and as cleerly as the Lord shall inable me ; this therefore may be said to that point : Art thou not satisfied of the love and willingnesse of Christ to receive thee ? What can Christ say or do more then he hath done ? suppose Christ from Heaven should bid thee write downe what expressions soever thou wouldest or couldest invent , and bid thee call all the Saints in the whole world , and all the Angels in heaven , and bid you consult together , and write down the highest , fullest , cleerest , and largest expressions of love , and he wil set his hand and seal to them , would that satisfie ? surely God and Christ have done more ; for the Holy Ghost comes not short of the expressions of love of whatsoever the Angels in heaven could invent , thou hast his hand and seale to them in his Word ; thou wouldest be a ▪ looser if thou shouldest make another draught of love for Christ to set his hand to , and take that in stead of the expressions of love which he hath already ratified and confirmed by his Word , his Oath , his Seal , that thou mighest have strong consolation : Suppose that thou shouldest search the whole world to find out the fondest , lovingest and tenderest parent in the world , and when thou hast found her , thou shouldest observe with what love , care , and bowels of affection she carried her selfe towards her little Infant , how shee breaks her sleep , and even her very heart when her child is sick , and never complains of her pains and costs , and never thinks she can do or suffer enough for the little Infant : now if thou shalt say within thy self ; O that I was sure that God loved me as much as this woman loves her child : well , would that satisfie ? then be satisfied , God loves thee more : Isa. 49. 15. Can a woman forget her sucking child , that shee would not have compassion on the son of her womb ? yea they may forget , yet will not I forget thee : the Lord doth not say , can women ? but a woman , any woman : find out that woman which thou supposest is the most unlikely to forget her child , yet God is more unlikely to forget thee ; nay it is more possible that all the women of the world should forget their children , then God ; for though the question be put in the singular number , Can a woman ? yet the answer is in the plurall , not she may , but they may , they all may . Further again ; Suppose thou wert at the solemnizing of a marriage of the lovingest couple in the whole world , and shouldest observe with how much joy and love the Bridegroom carried himselfe toward the Bride , even in the midst and height of all his nuptiall solemnities ; wouldst thou not be satisfied if thou didst know that God did not only love thee with that tender love of compassion with which the lovingest mother in the world loves her Infant , but with that love of complacencie which the Bridegroom beareth to , and with which he rejoyceth over his Bride : whose love was equall to their espousals ? then be satisfied , for God doth so ; Isa. 62. 5. And as a Bridegroome rejoyceth over his Bride , so shall thy God rejoyce over thee : Nay surely , I may say , that the holiest Saint in the whole world , when by the clearest discoveries of Gods love unto him , his heart is most enflamed ; nay further , that the highest Angell in Heaven doth not love God so much , as God loves the poorest and meanest Saint in the whole world ; for God so loved the world , it is such a sic , that there is no sicut for it , not that of the Angels unto him ; nothing can expresse it to the ful , save onely the greatness of the gift which hee out of his love gave to , and for his pleople , even the Lord Jesus Christ . To conclude , Do but consider what Christ hath done , and if thou art fully satisfied of that , thou canst have no cause to have the least doubt of his willingnesse to do whatsoever more is to be done for thee ; for that which is to be done is nothing in comparison of that which he hath already done for those that are his . First , Nothing in respect of excellency , for the Apostle brings that in , He will much more give us all things : also for God to give thee Christ , is much more then to give thee Heaven : as to give thee Heaven is much more then to give thee all temporall blessings , Mat. 6. 33. If one that ought thee 10000 pounds , should have payed thee nine thousand nine hundered ninety nine , thou wouldest no whit doubt , but he will pay thee the residue , especially if it stood upon the forfeiture of his credit ; how much more shalt thou assure thy self of Gods doing for thee whatsoever is behind , since he hath already done so much ! Secondly , The great matter of difficulty is over ; indeed it cost Christ dear , and God the Father dear to redeem thee ; God spared not his own Son ; Christ spared not his bloud , nor his life ; he suffered hunger , cold , and nakednesse , and reproach , the painfull and shamefull death of the Cross to redeem thee ; but he lives for ever to make intercession for thee ; he needs not rise off from his throne , nor put off his robes of glory to carry on the remainder of thy work of salvation ; he sits at the right hand of God to make intercession for thee ; The Lord said unto my Lord , sit thou on my right hand until I make thy enemies thy footstool . Thirdly , The great matter of wonder is over also : That a great and mighty Monarch should marry a poor wretched and diseased woman , is a thing of great wonder ; but it s not so great a wonder that having married her , should make her partakers of all the glory and riches of his Kingdome ; nay indeed , it was a wonder if he should not . That Christ who is the Lord of glory should marry a poor sinful soul is a wonder ; but having married thee , that he should sanctifie thee , that he should present thee glorious , without spot or blemish , or any such thing , is no wonder ; nay it was a wonder if he should still suffer thee to go in rags , and never adorn thee with the Jewels of his grace , and set upon thy head the Crown of glory . Therefore comfort thy self with these truths : Now to him that hath done so much , and much more , be glory and honour for ever , Amen . FINIS . 
A67773	----	A short and sure way to grace and salvation being a necessary and profitable tract, upon three fundamental principles of Christian religion ... : how man was at first created, how he is now corrupted, how he may be again restored : together with the conditions of the covenant of grace, and to whom the promises of the Gospel belong ... / by R. Younge ... Younge, Richard. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A67773 of text R14649 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing Y185). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 84 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 12 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A67773 Wing Y185 ESTC R14649 13339037 ocm 13339037 99130 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A67773) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 99130) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 443:20) A short and sure way to grace and salvation being a necessary and profitable tract, upon three fundamental principles of Christian religion ... : how man was at first created, how he is now corrupted, how he may be again restored : together with the conditions of the covenant of grace, and to whom the promises of the Gospel belong ... / by R. Younge ... Younge, Richard. 22 p. Sold onely by James Crump ... and by Henry Cripps ..., [London] : 1658. Caption title. Place of publication from Wing. Reproduction of original in British Library. eng Salvation -- Early works to 1800. Covenant theology. A67773 R14649 (Wing Y185). civilwar no A short and sure way to grace and salvation; being a necessary and profitable tract, upon three fundamental principles of Christian religion Younge, Richard 1658 15112 160 0 0 0 0 0 106 F The rate of 106 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the F category of texts with 100 or more defects per 10,000 words. 2005-08 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-09 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-11 Elspeth Healey Sampled and proofread 2005-11 Elspeth Healey Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-01 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A SHORT AND SURE Way to Grace and Salvation ; Being a necessary and profitable Tract , upon Three Fundamental Principles of Christian Religion : which few do indeed know , and yet hee who knowes them not , cannot bee saved : Viz. How Man was at first Created . How he is now Corrupted . How he may be again restored . Together with the conditions of the Covenant of Grace , and to whom the promises of the Gospel belong . The which well learned , would keep millions out of Hell , that blindly throng thither . By R. YOUNGE of Roxwell in Essex . If our Gospell bee hid , it is hid to them that are lost : in whom the god of this world , hath blinded the minds of them which believe not : least the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ , who is the image of God , should shine unto them , 2 Cor. 4. 3 , 4. Sect. I. AS when God created the World , the first thing he made was Light , Gen. 1. 3. so when he makes us new creatures , hee first creates light in the understanding , whereby the poor soul may see his spiritual misery and wretchednesse ; which before ( by reason of that vail or curtain which is drawn over every natural man's heart , 2 Cor. 3. 14 , 15 , 16. ) he is so far from discerning , that with Laodicea he thinks himself rich , and to want nothing ; when yet he is wretched and miserable , and poor , and blinde , and ●aked of all spiritual endowments , Rev. 3. 17. 1 Tim. 6. 4. As for instance , it 〈◊〉 to be observed , ( can never be enough bewailed ) that generally through●…ut the Land people of all sorts ( young and old , rich and poor ) especially the poor ; are so invincibly ignorant , that ( remaining so ) it is impossible ( so far as I am able to judg by the word of God ; ) that ever they should be saved . As ask them these questions , How do you hope to be saved ? They will answer , By my praiers and good indeavors . Have you never broke this or that Commandement ? Thou shalt have no other gods but the Lord . Thou shalt not kill . Thou shalt not steal . Thou shalt not commit Adultery ? No , never they thank God . Are you proud ? No , not they , What should they bee proud of ? and many the like . As for Original sin , they know not what it means . Nor is there any convincing them , that they were born sinners into the world . Yea , let a Minister come to them upon their death-bed , and question with them about their estates , or ask them how their souls fare , and what peace they have ? What will be their manner of answering ? ( especially if they have not been notorious offenders ) Are they a whit troubled for Sin , either Original or Actual ? Or will they acknowledge themselves in a lost condition without Christ ? No , their consciences are at quiet , and they are at peace with themselves and all the world ; and they thank God , no sin troubles them , not ever did . They have been no Murtherers , no Adulterers , no common Drunkards ; neither have they been Oppressers . ( For they are so blinde and ignorant , that they think the Commandement is not broken , if the outward grosse sin bee forborn . ) Yea , will they say , I do not know that I have wronged man , woman , or child . I have been a Protestant , and gone to Church all my daies . Sect. II. § 2. Yea , so far are they from being sensible of their wants , that you shal hear them brag of their faith , works , and good meaning ; of their just and upright dealing , the goodnesse of their hearts , the strength of their faith , hope ; and that they never doubted in all their lives . Yea , that it were pity they should live , if they did not believe in Christ , and hope to be saved by him . The usual expressions of formal Christians , and Protestants at large ; who know not what faith , hope , or a good heart means , no more then Nicodemus knew what it was to be born again . All which answers and brags of theirs do imply , that they are as righteous as Christ himself , or Adamin the state of innocency : for he that can clear himself from pride , or the breach of any one Commandement , or from Original sin ; may clear himself from all sin whatsoever ; and if so , what need of Christ ? Yea , what possibility is there that ever such a soul should have any benefit by Christ ? who came not to call the righteous , ( viz. such as think themselvs so ) but weary and heavy laden sinners to repentance , Mat. 10. 6. ● ▪ & 15. 24. & 18. 11. 9. 12. 13. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Luke 1. 53. Sect. III. Again , this is an infallible truth , that without repentance there is no being saved ; and what hope of their serious and unfained repentance ? For sin must be seen , before it can be sorrowed for . A man must know himself sick , before he will seek to the Physitian . Yea , where is no discovery of the disease , the recovery of the health is in vain hoped for . Which makes Cyp● 〈◊〉 say , that it is as meer lost labour , to preach unto a man the things of God , 〈◊〉 fore he is humbled with the fight o● his wants : as to offer light to a blin● 〈◊〉 man , to speak to a deaf man , or to labour to make a bruit beast wise . Besides , if we look to be saved by any thing that we can do ; Christ can profit us nothing . For the Son of man is come to seek , and to save onely that which was lost : the lost sheep of the house of Israel , Mat. 18. 11. Luk. 19. 10. 1 Tim. 1. 15. even such as utterly despair in regard of all other helps . Nor is he any way fit for absolution , who finds not himself worthy of condemnation . We shal find no sweetnesse in Christs blood , till we feel the smart of our own sins . Yea , no men under Heaven are in so hoplesse a condition as they , who think to be saved by their performances , or any other thing or means , then by the righteousnesse of Christ alone . faring with them as it doth with unskilful swimmers : who when they begin to sink , if they catch hold of weeds in the bottom , the faster they hold , the surer they are to be drowned . Sect. IV. Fourthly and lastly , there needs no more to condemne these men , then their ignorance of such saving truths : especially in such glorious times of light and grace as these are ; wherein they may hear the . Word preached every day in the week , if they did not sleight and disregard it , which aggravates their sin exceedingly : For though it be enough , that God hath set down his will in his word most plainly , and we may read , or hear it read , ( were it at any rate ) and that the Epitome of the whole Law is writ in every man's heart . Whatsoever yee would that men should do unto you , even so do ye unto them , Mat. 7. 12. ( As it servs not a male factors turn , to plead ignorantiam juris , he knew not the Law of his Prince which he hath broken : for if the King have once proclaimed any thing , and the subject after sufficinet time of notefying his will , be ignorant of it ; at his own perill be it . ) Yet to be affectedly ignorant , and to shut their eies against the light of the Gospel , is by far more damnable : this is a sin with a witnesse . As what saies our Saviour ? John 3. 19. This is the condemnation : that light is come into the world , and men loved darknesse rather then light , because their deeds were evil . And so on the contrary , This is life eternal , to know thee the onely true God , and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent , John 17. 3. Besides , without knowledge , the minde cannot be good , as wise Solomon affirms , Prov. 19. 2. A man may know the will of God , and yet not do it ; but he cannot do it , except hee know it . Neither can he be born of God , that knoweth him not , 1 John 4. 7. nor can he love God , vers. 8. Whence that terrible text , Jer. 10. 25. Power out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not , Psal. 79. 6. And that other more terrible , 2 Thes. 1. 7 , 8. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming flie , to take vengeance on them that know not God . Whence the Prophet Isaiah is peremptory , It is a people of no understanding , therefore he that made them , will not have mercy upon them ; and he that formed them , will shew them no favour , Is a. 27. 11. Observe these Scriptu●es you ignorant souls , that think your ignorance will excuse you : and let not Satan , nor your deceitful hearts so delude you , as to think that God is in jest , where he saith , My people are destroied for lack of knowledge ; and because thou hast rejected knowledge , I will also re●ect thee , Hosea 4. 6. Or if you do , you shall one day finde him in earnest . For as you know not Christ here , so when you shall look for entrance into his Kingdome hereafter , he shall say unto you , Depart from me , I know you not , Mat. 25. 12 , 41. which will be but a sad saying ; And far better were it , that you were ignorant of all other things : which makes Saint Paul say , I desire to know nothing among you , save Jesus Christ , and him crucified , 1 Corinth . 2. 2. Sect. V. Now this being the case of millions in this City , and so all the Land over : what can we other then conclude , That few ( even amongst us ) shall be saved , as our Saviour affirms , Matth. 7. 13 , 14. & 20. 16. And that the whole world lieth in wickednesse , as Saint John speaks , 1 John 5. 19. And that the number of those whom Satan shall deceive , is as the sand of the Sea , Revel. 20. 8. & 13. 15 , 16 , 17 , Isa. 10. 22. Rom. 9. 27. Which being so , I hold my self bound to acquaint them , what every one must of necessity know , or they cannot be saved : the which I will do in a few lines , that all ( who will ) may have the benefit thereof . Wherefore let all such ( if they hve ears ) hear what I shall say unto them out of God's Word , in laying open those three fundamental principles before mentioned . Sect. VI . Touching the bounty and goodnesse of GOD in Man's Creation , these things would be known . 1. That God in the beginning made Man in Paradice , after all his other works ; that he might come as to a Sumptuous pallace ready furnished . 2. That he was made a compendium , and abridgment of all the other creatures : as being a little world of himself ; for whereas Planets have being , not life : Plants have life , not sence ; Beasts have sence , not reason ; Angels have being , life , reason , not sence ; Man hath all , and contains in him more generality then the Angels ; viz. being , life , sence , reason . 3. That as he was made Lord of , and had dominion over all ; so he did excell all other visible creatures . 1. In that he had a reasonable soul , 2. In that he hath a speaking tongue , 3. In that he was made upright , with his face lifted up to heavenward , 4. In that all things were made subject to him , 5. In that he was made after the Image of God , 6. In that his soul is immortal , 7. In that he was ordained to eternal glory . More especially we are to know , that as God made all things else for mans use and service : so he created man ( male and female ) more immediately for his own honour , and service ; and did accordingly adorn him with gifts , and abilities above all other visible creatures . For God made us , ( had not we un-made our selves ) after his own Image , endowing us ( as with reasonable , and immortal souls , so ) with perfection of all true wisdom , holinesse , and righteousnesse ; writing his Law in our hearts , and giving us ability to obey , and fulfill the same in every point ; and withall a power to stand , and for ever to continue in a most blessed and happy condition , free from all misery , and to enjoy a sweet , and blessed Communion with his Creiter . So that man was created very good , did clearly and perfectly know the whole will , and works of his Maker ; was able out of the integrity of his soul , and fitnesse of all the powers ; fully , willingly and chearfully to love , observe , and obey his Maker , in every tittle and circumstance he required , and to love his neighbour as himself : so that neither the minde did conceive , nor the heart desire , nor the body put in execution any thing , but that which was acceptable , and well pleasing unto God ; as these insuing Scriptures do plainly prove , Gen. 1. 26 , 27. 30. Eccles. 7. 29. Rom. 2. 14 , 15. Sect. VII . Which being so , how should it humble us , and make us ashamed of our present condition ; and withall set us on fire with a holy zeal , to out-strip and go before all the rest of the Creatures in obaying our Creator ; as far as he did make us out-strip them all in spiritual and divine excellencies ? whereas hitherto , they have out-stript and gone before us in a high degree : as for instance , Though we are bound to praise and serve God above any creature whatsoever : in that all the creatures were ordained for our sakes : yet heaven , earth , and sea ; all the elements , all the creatures , obey the word of God , and serve him as they did at first ; yea , call upon us to serve him ; onely men for whom they were all made , most ingratefully rebell against him . As if you consider it rightly , the obedience of insensible and bruit creatures unto the will of God , is a great check and reproof unto the disobedience of man . Man is the chiefest of creatures , and they the lowest ; yet do they as far exceed him in obedience , as he doth them in natural eminencie . The Stork , and the Swallow know their appointed times . The Oxe knows his owner , and the Asse his Masters crib ; the Sea moveth in a settled , and unmoving course ; the Stars fit their many changes , to a steddy rule answerable to the will of him that never changeth . The Lord by Moses but spake to the rock , and it gave water to the thirsty Israelites ; he but commanded the clouds to rain down Mannah ; and the winde to bring them in Qu●ils , for the satisfying of their hunger , and they did so . Yea , he but had the Ravens bring bread and flesh to Elijah , and they did it . In like manner did the winde and sea , Mat. thew 8. 27. the Lions , Dan. 6. 22. those two shee-Bears , a Kings 2. 24. the Fire , Dan. 3. 27. the Earth , Numb. 16. 29 , to 37. obey the voice of the Lord , and many the like spoken of in Scripture . But Man is wholly gone astray from his rule ; and not onley runneth from it , but against it : so that he is far worse , then things worse then himself . Which were it rightly considered , would be enough to melt an heart of Adamant : For was this the principal end , for which men were created in such a glorious condition ? That we might honour , love , and serve our Creator and injoy communion and happinesse with him for ever ; and are we so far from excelling the rest of the creatures , that we are become more disobedient , and rebellious to God , then any one of them , except Satan himself ? One would think it should make all , ( that thirst not after their own damnation ) not onely to hate , and dislike themselves for it : but force us with all possible speed and industry ; to seek out the cause , and how to recover our selves out of this wretched and damnable condition . Sect. VIII . But it will be demanded how this comes ● be so ? and what was the cause ? To which I answer ; God at first , entered into Convenant with our first parents as publick persons ; both in behalf of themselvs , and all that should proceed out of their loin● ; and so , that whatsoever gifts , privileges and endowments they had bestowed upon them , should be continued to them and theirs onely upon condition of their loyaltie , and personal obedience ( of which the tree of life was a pledge : ) and they should have and injoy them , or lose and be deprived of them , aswell for their off-sp●i●g , as for themselves , as they should keep , or transgresse his royal Law . But see how unworthily they demeaned themselvs , towards this their boun●●ul Maker and Benefactor ! For whereas God placed them in Paradice , and gave them free liberty to eat of the fruit of every tree in the Garden ; save onely of the tree of knowledge of good and c●i● , prehibiting them that alone , even upon pain of eternal death to them and theirs ; they most pe●fidi●usly contemned , and brake this Law ; which ( as sundry circumstances that do aggravate it shew ) was a most execrable and damnable sin . As observe the several circustances set down by Moses , to amplifie the foulnesse of their Fall : as , First , that they despised , and made light of the promise of God ; whereby they were commanded to hope for everlasting life , so long as they continued their loialty and obedience . 2. There was in it an unsufferable pride and ambition , in that he could not content himself with being Lord of the whole Universe : but he must be equal unto God ; and every way like his Maker . 3. What greater unbelife could there be ? when he gave more credit to the Serpent , in saying , he should not die ; then to God , who immediately before tells them , that if he did sin in eating the forbidden fruit , he should die . 4. In this sin was not onely unkindnesse not to be parallel'd : but wilful murther of himself , and all his posterity , whom he knew were to stand , or fall with him . 5. Herein was soul apostacie from God to the Divel : to whom ( charging God with lying , envy , malice , &c. ) he revolted , and adhered , rather then stick to his Maker . And to these might be added many the like circumstances , which grievously aggravate the sin of our first Parents , and make it so deadly in effect . For hereby it is , we not onely lost our blessed communion with God ; that the Image of God after which they were created , was forthwith abolished , and blotted out : but that many grievous miseries and punishments , came in the room of it : so that in the place of wisdom , power , holinesse , truth , righteousnesse , and the like ornaments , wherewith we had been cloathed : there hath succeeded these and the like : 1. This their sin hath filled our whole man with corruption . 2. It hath made us become vassals unto sin and Satan . 3. It hath disabled us from understanding the will , and observing the Commandements of the Lord . 4. It caused us to lose our right unto , and sovereignty over the creatures . 5. It makes our persons and actions unacceptable to God . 6. It hath cast us out of Gods favour , and made us liable , and subject to all the plagues and miseries of this life ; and to endlesse , eaflesse , and reme● dilesse torments in the life to come . Sect. IX . And the reason is , Our First Parents being the root of all man-kind ; and instead of all their posterrity before they had issue : And the covenant being made with them as publick persons ; not for themselves onely , but for their Posterity ; who were to stand , or fall with them : they being left to the freedome of their own wills , in transgressing the commandment of God by eatting the forbidden fruit , through the temtation of Satan : have made us , and all man-kind descending from them by ordinary generation , as guilty of their sin , as any heir is liable to his Fathers debt . Their act being ours ; as the act of a Knight , or Burgess in the Parlament House , is the act of the whole County , in whose name , and room they sit , and whom they represent : by which means our Nature is so corrupted , that we are utterly indisposed and made opposite , unto all that is spiritually good , and wholly inclined to all evill , and that continually : and have also lost our communion with God , incurred his displeasure and curse ; so as we are justly liable to all punishments , both in this life , and in the life to come . Now for the fuller confirming and amplifying of what hath been said , touching O●iginal sin ; take onely these ensuing Scrirptures , and Aphorisms , without any needlesse connexion ; that I may be so much the briefer . Sect. X. Amongst many others , the most pregnant Scriptures for the confirming of this point , I hold to be these : The Fathers have eaten sowr grapes : and the childrens teeth are set an edge , Jer. 31. 20. was a true proverb , though by them abused . By one man sin entered into the world , and death by sin : and so death passed upon all men , in whom all have sinned , Rom. 5. 12. to 21. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? not one , Job 14. 4. Sec Chap. 13. 14 , 15 , 16. We are all at an unclean thing , and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags , Isa. 64. 6. By the works of the Law , there shall no flesh be justified in his sight , Rom. 3. 20. There is no difference , for all have sinned , and come short of the glory of God , Rom. 3. 21 , 22 , 23. And God saw that the wickednesse of man was grea● in the earth ; and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was onely evil continually . And it repented the Lord , that he had made man , Genesis 6. 5 , 6. Both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin : As it is written , ther● is none righteous , no not one . There is none that understandeth , there is none that seeketh after God ; They are all gone out of the way , they are altogethe● become unprofitable , there is none that doeth good , no not one . Their throat 〈◊〉 an open sepulchre . the poison of Asps is under their lips , there is no fear of Go● before their eies , Rom. 3. 9. to 20. Out of the heart proceed evil thought● mur●bers , adulteries , fornications , thefts , false witnesse , blasphemies , Mat. 15. 19. see Gal. 5. 19 , 20 , 21. Whence come warrs , and fightings among you ? com● they not hence ? even of your lusts that war in your members , James 4. 1. Un●● them that are unbelieving is nothing pure : but even their minde , and conscien●● is defiled , Tit. 1. 15. I see another Law in my members , warring against the Law of my minde ; and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is my members , O wretched man that I am , who shall deliver me from the body of this death , & c ? Rom. 7. 14. to 25. where the Apostle speaks all this , and a gret deal more of himself ; see Ephes. 2. 2 , 3. Gal. 3. 10. Yet how many that g●ieve for their other sins , who are never troubled for their Original corruption : which should above all be bewailed , even as the mother and nurse of all the rest ; and thought worthy not of our sighs alone , but of our tears . For this is the great wheel of the Clock , that sets all the other wheels a moving , while it seems to move slowest . And never did any truly and orderly repent , that began not here : esteeming it the most foul and hateful of all , as David , Psal 51. 5. And Paul , crying out of it as the most secret , deceitful , and powerful evil , Rom. 7. 23 , 24. And indeed if wee but clearly saw the foulnesse , and deceitfulnesse of it ; we would not suffer our eies to sleep , nor our cye-lids to slumber , until a happy charge had wrought these hearts of ours ( which by nature are no better then so many styes of unclean Divels ) to become habitations for the God of Jacob . Sect. XI . We are the cursed seed of rebellious parents ; neither need we any more to condemne u● , then what we brought into the world with us . In Adam the root of all , we all so sinned ; that if we had no inherent sin of our own , this imputed sin of his , were enough to damne us . Our first Parents were the root , we are the branches : if the root be bitter , the branches cannot be better . They were the fountain , wee the springs : if the sountains be filthy , so must the spangs . Whence it is , that holy David cries out : Behold I was shapen in iniquity , and in sin did my mother conceive me , Psal 51. 5. Tantillus puer , tantus peccator , saith Saint Austin : when a little childe , I was a great sinner . As in the little and tender bud , is infolded the leaf , the blossom , and the fruit ; so even in the heart of a young child , there is a bundle and pack of folly laid up , as Solomon affirms , Pov. 22. 15. And as Moses speaks , The thoughts of man's heart are evil : even from his childhood , Gen. 6. 5. & 8. 21. We brought a world of sin into the world with us ; and were condemned . so soon as conceived : we were adjudged to eternal death , before we lived a temporal life . As admit thou hadst never offended , in the least thought , word , or deed all thy life : yea , admit thou couldst now keep all the Commandements , actually and spiritually ; yet all this were nothing , it could not keep thee out of Hell : since that Original sin which we drew from the loins of our first Parents , is enough to damn us . Sin and corruption are the riches that we bequeath to our children ; rebellion the inheritance that we have purchased for them , death the wages that we have procured them . God made us after his own Image ; but by sin we have turned the image of God into the image of Satan : Yea , like Satan we can do nothing else but sin , and make others sin too , who would not so sin but for us . As a furnace continually sparkles , as the raging Seafoams and easts up mire and diet , and as a filthy dunghill , does continnally reak forth , and evaporate ●●●ous ●do●● : so do our hearts naturally stream forth unsavery eructations , unholy lusts and motions , even continually . As , O the infinitely intricate windings and turnings of the dark labyrinths of man's heart ! who finds not in himself , an indisposition of mind to all good ; and an inclination to all evill ? O the strange monsters , the ugly , odious , hidious fiends ; the swarms , litters , legions of noisome lusts that are couched in the stinking sties of every one of our decetful hearts ! insomuch that if all our thoughts did but break forth into action , we should not com far short of the Divels themselvs . Sect. XII . And as the healthiest body is subject to the mortallest disease ; so there is no sin so odious , unto which of our selvs we are not sufficiently inclinable . For Original sin , in which we are all born and bred ; containeth in it self the seeds of all sins ; that fearful sin against the Holy Ghost it self not excepted . Such venemous natures we have ; that never was there any villany committed by any forlorn miscreant ; whereunto we have not a disposition in our selves . Insomuch that we ought to be humbled , even for those very sins from which we are in a manner exempt : For that Coins envy , Ishmaels scofing , Rabsh●ka's railing , Shimei's cursing , Senacheribs balsphemy , Doegs murther , Pharaohs cruelty , Sodoms lust , Judas his treason , Julians apostacie , &c. are not our sins , and as much predominant in us , as they were in each of them ; it is onely God's free grace and goodnesse . For all of them should have been thine and my sins , if God had left us to our selves . Lord faith Saint Austin , thou lust forgiven me those sins which I have done , and those sins which onely by thy grace I have not done : they were done in our inclination to them , and even that inclination needs God's mercy . If we escape temptation , it is his mercie ; if we stand in temptation , it is his mercie ; if our wills consent not , it is his mercie ; if we consent , and the act be hindered , it is his mercy ; if we fall , and rise again by repentance , all is his mercy . We cry out of Cain , Judas , Julian , the Sodomites : alas they are but glasses to see our own faces in : For as in water , face arswereth to face ; so doth the heart of man to man . Sayes Solomon Prov. 27. 19. even hating of God , is by the Holy Ghost charged upon all men . Rom. 1. 30. John . 15. 23. 24. 25. Wee are all cut out of the same piece , and as there is the same nature of all Lyons , so of all men There is no part , power , function or faculty , either of our souls or bodies , which is not become a ready instrument to dishonour God : our heart is a root of all corruption , a seed plot of all sin ; our eyes are eyes of vanity , our ears are ears of folly , our mouthes mouthes of deceit , our hands hands of iniquity ; and every part does dishonour God ; which yet would be glorified of him . The understanding which was given us to learn virtue , is apt now to apprehend nothing but sin ; the will which was given us to affect righteousnesse , is apt now to love nothing but wickednesse ; the memory which was given us to remember good things , is apt now to keep nothing but evill things &c. For sin like a spreading leaprosie , is so grown over us , that from the crown of our heads , to the sole of our feet ; there is nothing whole therein , but wounds , and swellings , and sores full of corruption . To be short , wee are as Trailors , condemned to suffer eternall torments in Hell-fire being only repricved for a time . Sect. XIII . And so much of Originall sin , which is the pravity , naughtiness , and corruption of our Nature . Psal. 51. 5. Now of actuall sin , which is the transgression of Gods law , 1 John . 3. 4. when evill thoughts are consented unto , and performed in outward deeds . James . 1. 15. Touching which we are to know , and take notice ; that The Law of God is spirituall , and therefore requireth , not only outward obedience in word and deed ; but also inward in mind and heart , and that chiefly : neither doth it forbid onely the committing of outward sins in word and deed ; but also all the secret corruptions of the mind , and heart . Rom. 7. 13 , 14 , 15. Matth. 5. 21 , 22 , 27 , 28. 1 John . 3. 15. Again where any duty is commanded , there the means which tend thereto are enjoyned : and where any vice is forbidden , there the occasions , provocations , and alurments tending thereto ; are also forbidden . Again , It is not enough to do that which is good for substance ; except wee do it well also , in regard of circumstances : as namely , that it flows from a pious and good heart , sanctified by the holy Ghost ; and be done in faith , obedience to the word , humility , saving knowledg , and sincere love to God , zeal of his glory , and a desire to edifie and win others : of which I might give you many examples ; as of the Jewes fasting Isa. 58. 3 , to 8. of those reprobates preaching in Christs name , and casting out devills Matth. 7-21 , 22 , 23. of Cains sacrificiing . 1 John 3. 12. He offered , and God abhorred ; because he cared not for the manner , to do it well ; God cared not for his offering , though the act was good . Simon Magus believed , Herod listned , Felix feared , Saul obeyed , Jezabell fasted , the Pha●●sees prayed ▪ but because they did not believe so , hear so , fear so , obey so , fast so , and pray so as God required , and as is before related , they were never the more regarded for what they did . For love is the fountain of obedience , and all externall obedience to God without inward love , is hyppocrisie : whereas Christ commends to his disciples , the care of keeping his commandements aright , as the utmost testimony of their love unto him , John . 15. 10. Sect. XIV . Which being so , how oft and how many wayes do we all offend ? For if we but narrowly look into our hearts and lives : we shall easily perceive , that there is not one of those righteous precepts , set down Exodus 20. which we have not broken , ten thousand times , and ten thousand wayes . Yea O God ( may the best of us say ) there is no vein in me , that is not full of the blood of thy Son ; whom I have crucifyed and crucifyed again , by multiplying many , and often repeating the same sin● ; there is no artery in me , that hath not the spirit of errour , the spirit of pride , of passion , of lust , the spirit of giddinesse in it ; no bone in me , that is not hardened with the custome of sin , nourished and supplied with the marrow of sin , no sinews , no ligaments , which do not tye and chain sin and sin together . Yea , If we but watch over our own hearts narrowly one day : we shall find an army of unclean thoughts and desires there , perpetually fighting against our souls . Whereby wee are continually tempted , drawn away , & inticed through our own concupiscence . As how many temptations come in by those Cink-ports the senses ? how many more by Satans injections ? presenting to the affections things absent from the sences ? but most of all by lust it selfe , ( a thing not created , yet as quick as thought ) tumblieg over a thousand desires in one houre : For the devill , and our flesh meet together every day , and houre ; to ingender new sins , which is the reason , our sins are counted among those things which are infinite : as the hairs of our head , the sands of the Sea , the stars of Heaven . We are swift to all evill , but to all good immoveable ; when we do evil , wee do it cheerfully , and quickly , and easily ; but if we do any good , wee do it faintly , and rawly , and slackly . We have used all our wisedome , to commit the foolishness of sin ; our whole conversation hath been to serve Satan , and fulfill the lusts of the flesh . We even suck in iniquity like water , and draw on sin as it were with cart-ropes : Isai. 5. 18. It hath been the course of our whole life , to leave that which God commands , and to do that which he forbids . The Word and Spirit may work in us some flashes of desire , and purposes of better obedience : but we are constant in nothing , but perpetuall offending ; onely therein we cease not : for when we are waking , our flesh tempts us to wickednesse ; if wee are sleeping , it sollicits us to filthinesse . What ever God commands , we do the contrary : We prophane his daies , contemne his Ordinances , resist his Word , grieve his Spirit , misuse his messengers , hate our reprovers , slander and persecute his people , seduce our friends , give ill example to our neighborurs , open the mouths of God's , and our enemi●s , to blaspheme that glorious Name after which we are called , and the truth we professe . Yea , we have done more against God in one week , then we have done for him ever since we were born : and whereas the least of Gods mercies , is greater then all the courtesies of men : we are not so thankful to him for them all , as we are to a friend for some one good turn . Sect. XV . Neither are we sufficient of our selves to think , much lesse to speak , least of all to do ought that is good , 2 Cor. 3. 5. Joh. 15. 4 , 5. There is so much wearisomnesse , pride , passion , lust , envy , ignorance , awkwardnesse , hypocrisie , infidelitie , vain thoughts , unprofitablenesse , and the like ; cleaving to our best actions to defile them : that even our praying , and fasting , and repenting ; our hearing , believing , and giving ; our holiest communication our most brotherly admonition , &c. are in themselves as filthy raggs , Isa. 64. 6. were they not accepted in Christ , covered with his righteousnesse , and washed white in his most pretious blood . Our very righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloth , Isa. 64. 6. What then is our sinfulnesse ? As bring we our lives to the rule ; Look how many sins are cherished , so many false gods there are chosen . Look how many creatures thou inordinately lovest , fearest , trustest , rejoicest in ; so many new gods hast thou coined : and wilt thou not th●n plead guilty , when the first and second Commandement arraigneth thee ? Thou canst not away with swearing ; but do'st thou reprove others for their swearing ? Didst thou never hear Sermons unpreparedly , irreverently , & c ? Does thy heart upon a Sabbath rest from wordly thoughts ? much more thy tongue from worldly speeches ? There is murther of the heart , hatred : Hast not thou murthered thy Neighbours soul , by thy negligence , perswasion , evil example , &c. Thou hast not stolne , but hast thou not coveted ? Hast thou been liberal to those that are owners of a part of thy goods ? hast thou not robb'd thy brother of his good name ? which is above silver and gold . Hast thou not robb'd God of his worship ? of his Sabbaths ? of his Tythes , &c. Lying , flattering , detracting , listning to tales ; yea not defending thy brothers good name , is to bear false witnesse . Hast thou kept the Tenth Commandement ? which condemns the very first motions of sins , springing out of our hearts , though presently rejected ; and a thousand the like : and yet for every drop of wickednesse that is in the life , there is a sea in the heart that feeds it . Sect. XVI . True , if thou lookest on thy sins in Satans false glasse , that will make them seem light , and contemptible ; but behold them in the clear and perfect glasse of Gods Law , and they will appear abominable . Which makes our Saviour call hatred , murther ; a wanton eie , adulterie , &c. Yea , consider thy sins rightly , and they will appear as the Judasses that betraied , the Souldiers that apprehended , bound , smote and wounded thy Saviour , as the gall and vineger in his mouth , spittle on his face , thorns on his head , nails in his hands , spear in his side , &c. This is the way to know thy self sinful : and as thus to know thy self , is the best Divinity , as Demonax said of Philosophy : so thus to aggravate thy sins in thine own sight , is the onely way to have them extenuated in the sight of God . Whence the more holy a child of God is , the more sensible he is of his own unholinesse ; thinking none so vilde as himself : as it fared with holy Job , Job 40. 4. & 42. 6. and with Isaiah , chap. 6. 5. & 64. 6. and with Saint Paul , 1 Tim 1. 15. Rom. 7. 14 , to 25. and with holy David , who almost in every Psalme so much bewails his sins , original and actual ; of omission and commission . Carnal men are onely troubled for those sins that appear to the world : but those in whom Christ i● formed a new , think they cannot be humbled enough for their evil thoughts , vain and unprofitable words , for the evil which cleavs even to their best actions ; for sins of omission , as the want of faith , and love , and repentance , want of the true fear of God , the neglect of preparation , and profitable hearing , of praying and reading in their families , of instructing their children and servants , of sanctifying the Sabbath , and seeing that all under them do the same ; their unfruitfulnesse under the means of grace , their not growing in grace and true wisdom , their not fearing a lie , an oath , and a hundred the like . And thus do all experimental Christians , all that have spiritual eies . The want whereof I take to be the cause of all desperate wickednesse : as what else but invincible ignorance is the cause , why wickednesse so abounds in every corner of the Land . Sin indeed at first was the cause of ignorance : but now ignorance is the cause of sin . Swearing , and lying , and killing , and stealing , and whoring abound : ( saith the Prophet ) because there is no knowledg of God in the land , Hosea 4. 1 , 2. It is a people that do 〈◊〉 their hearts , saies God ; Why ? Because they have not known my waies , 〈…〉 10. Ye● are dec●ived ( saith our Saviour ) because ye know not the Scriptures , neither the power of God , Matth. 22. 29. When Christ wept over Jerusalem , what was the cause ? Even their blindnesse . If thou hadst known ( saith he ) at the least in this thy day ; those things which now are hid from thine eies Luke 19. 42. Because men know not the wages of evil , therefore they do it : and because they would securely do it , therefore they refuse to know it . O that men knew , how good it is to obey ; to disobey , how evill ! for this would soon disp●rse and dispell all the black clouds of their reigning sins in a moment . If they were wise ( saith Saint Bernard ) they would fore-see the torments of Hell , and prevent them : but they that wander in by-paths , declare themselvs ignorant of the right-way of salvation , Rom. 3. 17. I grant . many that are wicked have a shew of wisdom : but let them seem to know never so much ; yet it is through ignorance that they do so ill . Sect. XVII . And so having given you , a short survey of our wretchedness , by reason of O●i●inal , sin and act●all transgressions ; by which we must confesse to have deserved double damnation I come now to declare the means , which God of his infinite goodness hath found out , both for the satisfying of his justice , and also freeing us from the guilt , and punishment of either . And that with asmuch brevity , as may stand with p●●spicuity . First in generall we must undoubtedly know , that the sole perfection of a Christian , is the imputation of Christs righteousness ; and the not-imputation of his own unrighteouness , as appears by the whole current of Scripture , of which a few . Even the Son of man , came to give his life a ransom for many . Mark . 10. 45. As in Adam all dye , so in Christ shall all be made alive . 1 Cor. 15. 21 , 22. As by one mans disobedience , many were made sinners : so by the obedience of one , shall many be made righteous , &c. Rom. 5. 18 , 19. As by the offence of one , the fault came on all men to condemnation : so by the justifying of one , the benefit abounded towards all men to the justification of life . Rom. 5. 18. Unto Jesus Christ that loved us , and washed us from our sins in his own blood . Revel. 1. 5. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son , cleanseth us from all sins 1 John . 1. 7. he is the reconciliation for our sins &c. 1 John . 2. 1 , 2. He hath made him to be sin for us , who knew no sin : that we might be made the righteousness of God in him : 2 Cor. 5. 21. He was delivered to death for our sins , and is risen again for our justification . Rom. 4. 25. Who his own self , ●●re our sins in his own body on the tree : by whose stripes we were healed . 1 Pet. 2. 24. He was wounded for our transgressions , he was broken for our iniquityes , the chastisement of our peace was upon him , and with his stripes we were healed Isa. 53. 5. Neither i● there salvation in any other ; for among men , there is given none other name vnder Heaven , whereby we must be saved . Acts. 4. 12. The wages of sin is death , but the gift of God is eternall life , through Jesus Christ our Lord . Rom. 6 23. I am the resurection and the life , be that believeth in me , although he were dead , yet shall he live . John . 11. 25. You hath he quickned , that were dead in trespasses and sins . Ephe. 2. 1. God so loved the world : that he gave his onely begotten Son , that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life . For God sent not his Son into the world , to condemn the world : but that the world through him might be saved . John . 3. 16. to 20. God commendeth his love towards us , in that while we were yet sinners , Christ died for us : much more then being now justified by his blood , we shal be saved from wrath through him . For if when we were enemies , we were reconciled to God , by the death of his Son : much more being reconciled , we shall be saved by his life , Rom. 5. 6 , to 11. read to the end of the Chapter . See more Joh. 1. 29. Acts 13. 39. Rom. 6. 4 , to 23. & 8. 2 , 3. & 10. 3 , 4. 1 Cor. 15. 56. Colos. 1. 14. Gal. 3. 22. Heb. 9. 28. 1 Pet. 1. 18 , 19 , 20. 1 Joh. 3. 8. Sect. XVIII . As Christ was a sinner , only by the imputation of our sins : so wee are just , onely by the imputation of his righteousness . Our good works ( were they never so many and rare ) cannot justify us , or deserve any thing at Gods hands : it is onely in Christ that they are accepted , and only for Christ that they are rewarded . Yea the opinion of thine own righteousness , makes thy condition far worse then the wickedest mans alive : For Christ that came to save all weary and heavy laden sinners ; ( be they never so wicked ) neither came to save , or once to call thee that hast no sin , but art righteous enough without him . As hear his own words to the proud Pharisees , who had the same thoughts of themselvs as thou hast . They that be whole need not a Physitian , but they the●● are sick . I am not come to call the righteous , but sinners to repentance . The ●●st sheep of the house of Israel , Mat. 9. 13. & 10. 6. & 15. 24. & 18. 11. Nor can any soul be so dangerously sick : as thou , who art least sensible of thy being sick . Briefly , untill with Saint Paul , thou renouncest thine own righteousness , seest thy self the greatest of sinners , art able to discern sin in every thing thou canst think , speak , or do ; and that thy very righteousnesse is no better then a menstruous cloth , Isa. 64. 6. thou canst have no part in Christ . And until Christ shall become thine by Regeneration , and a lively faith : Thou art bound to keep the whole Law , actually and spiritually with thy whole man , thy whole life ; or else suffer eternal death and destruction of body and soul in Hell for thy not keeping it . So that thou hast yet to answer ( and I pray mind it seriously ) for all the sins , that ever thou hast committed ; who art not able to answer for one of the least of them . For the wages of sin ( any sin , be it never so small ) is eternal death , Rom. 6. 23. Gal. 2. 16 , 19 , 20 , 21. Neither let Satan , nor thy own deceitful heart delude thee ; in thinking that thou hast faith , when thine own words declare the contrary . Nor would I ask any more evidence against thee in this , then thine own mouth : in saying , that thou never doubtest in all thy life : for this makes it plain , that thou never hadst faith , nor ever knewest what faith means . For he who never doubted , never believed : and Satan hath none so sure , as those whom he never yet assaulted . Sect. XIX . But this being a main fundamental point , which every man is bound to know : I will more particularly and fully explain it as thus : Man being in a most miserable , and undone condition ; by reason of Originall and actuall sin , and of the curse due to both ; being liable to all miseries in this life , and adjudged , to suffer eternall torments in hell-fire after death : having no possibility to escape , the fierce wrath of Almighty God : who had already pronounced sentence upon him . When neither Heaven Earth nor Hell , could have yielded any satisfactory thing besides Christ ; that could have satisfied Gods justice , and merited Heaven for us : then , O then ! God of his infinite wisdome and goodness , did not onely find out a way to satisfie his justice , and the Law : but even gave us his own Son out of his bosom ; and his Son gave himselfe to dye , even the most shamefull , painfull , and cursed death of the Cross to redeem us : that whosoever believeth in him , should not perish , but have everlasting life . John . 3. 16. A mercy bestowed , and a way found out ; that may astonish all the Sons of men on earth , and Angels in Heaven . Wherefore wonder at this , you that wonder at nothing ! that the eternall God would die , to redeem our worse then lost souls ; that we might not dye eternally ! O the deepness of Gods love ! O the unmeasurable measure of his bounty ! O Son of God , who can sufficiently extoll thy love , or commend thy pity or extoll thy praise ! It was a wonder that thou madest us for thy self ; more that thou madest thy self man for us ; but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thy selfe , that thou shouldest dye to save us . Which salvation stands , in two things . First in freeing and delivering us from Hell ; secondly , in the possession of Heaven , and eternall life . Christ by his death , merits the first for us : and by his obedience , fulfilling the law , merits the second . The parts of our justification are likewise two : the remission of our sins , and the imputation of Christs righteousness ; whereby we have freedome from all evill here , and the perfection of all good and happiness in Heaven . Insomuch , that all those Millions of mercies that we have received , from , before , and since , we were born , either for soul or body ; ( even to the least bit of bread we eat ) or shall injoy to eternity : Christ of his free grace hath purchased for us , with the price of his own pretious blood . For which see Psal. 68. 19. and 145. 15 , 16. and 75. 6 , 7. Hear this all you that care to be saved ! God will pardon all your sins , he will give you an eternal crown of glory in heaven , if you unfainedly repent , and wholly rely upon Christ for your salvation , by a lively faith ; and that because he is just : for although the Lord cannot in justice let sin go unpunished ; ( for the wages of sin is eternal death , Rom. 6. 23. death in the person , if not in the surety . ) Yet Christ hath sufficiently satisfied for all the sins of the faithful , and paid their debt even to the utmost farthing ; as is evident by Isa. 53. 4. 5. a Cor. 5. 21. Heb. 9. 26. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Rom. 3. 25 , 26. 1. Joh. 1. 7 , 9. and sundry other places . As , are we bound to perform perfect obedience to the Law ? Christ performed it for us . Were we for disobedience subject to the sentence of condemnation , the curse of the Law , and death of body and soul ? He was condemned for us , and bore the curse of the Law ; he died in our stead an ignominious death . Did we deserve the anger of God ; hee indured his Fathers wrathful displeasure , that so he might reconcile us to hi● Father and set us at liberty . He that deserved no sorrow , felt much ; that we who deserved much , might feel none . And by his wounds we are healed , Isa. 53. 5. Adam eat the Apple , Christ paid the price . I● a word whatsoever w● owed , Christ discharged ; whatsoever we deserved , he suffered , if not in the sel● same punishments ( for he being God , could not suffer the eternal torment● of Hell , ) yet in proportion , the dignity of his Person , ( he being God and man , giving value unto his temporary punishments ; and making them of more value and worth , then if all the world should have suffered the eternall torments of Hell . For it is more for one that is eternall to dye : then for others to dye eternally . Therefore was the Son of God made , the Son of man : that the Sons of men , might be made the Sons of God : and therefore was he both God and man : lest being in every respect God , he had been too great to suffer for man , or being in every respect man ; he had been to weak to satisfie God . And so much for explication of the Third Principle , mentioned in the beginning . Sect. XX But now coms the hardest part of my work to be performed . For admit the Natural man be convinced of the truth of these three fundamentall principles never so clearly : yet he will draw such a conclusion from the premisses ; that he will be never the better , for what bath been told him , yea he will decoct all , ( even the mercy , and goodness of God ) into poyson . For what wil such a one suggest to himself ? ( the Divell helping forward ) Let it be granted will he say , that I were every way wretched and miserable ; a great sinner , both originally and actually ; and likewise liable to all the plagues of this life , and of that to come : yet I thank God , I am well enough , so long as Christ hath p●y'd my ransom ; & freed me from all by a new Covenant ; the tenu●e whereof is , Believe and live : whereas at first it was , do this and live : to which I answer ; In Covenants and indentures between party and party : there are always articles , and conditions to be performed on the one side , aswell as promises to be fulfilled on the other , as saith Pareus . Now as God hath covenanted & bound himself by his word and Seal ; to remit thee thy sins , adopt thee his child by regeneration ; and give thee the kingdome of Heaven , & everlasting life by & for his Son's sake ; so Christ hath for , & on thy behalf undertaken ; yea thou thy self didst for thy part , bind thy self by covenant , promise and vow in thy baptism , that thou wouldest forsake the Devil and all his works , constantly believ Gods holy Word , & obediently keep his Commandements ; the better thereby to express thy thankfulness towards him , for so great a benefit . 1 Pet. 3. 21. Psa. 116. 12 , 13 , 14 And we know that in Covenants and Indentures : if the Conditions be not kept , the Obligation is not in force . Whereby millions ( Magus like ) after the water of Baptisme , ( which is a seal , of the Covenant of Grace ) go to the fire of Hell . Yea except we repent and believe the Gospell ; ( threats , and precepts ; aswell as promises ) that holy sacrament , together with the offer of grace : instead of Sealing to us our salvation ; will be an obligation vnder our own hand and seal against us ; and so prove a seal of our greater condemnation . Therefore the mayn question is , Whether thou art a Believer ? For although Christ in the Gospel , hath made many large , & precious promises : there are none so generall : which are not limited , with the condition of faith , and the fruit thereof unfained repentance ; and each of them are so tyed and entayled , that none can lay claim to them , but true believers , which repent and turn from all their sins , to serve him in holiness , without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. Isa. 39. 20. As for instance , Our Savior hath made publick proclamation . Mark . 16. 16. That whosoever shall believe , and be baptized , shall be saved : but mark what withal is added ; he that will not believe , shall be damned . Again , So God loved the world , that be gave his onely begotten Son ; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life , Joh. 3. 15 , 16. And that none may deceive themselvs , he addeth ; He that believeth on him is not condemned ; but he that believeth not , is condemned already : because he hath not believed in the name of the onely begotten Son of God . And this is the condemnation , that light is come into the world , and men loved darkness rather then light , Joh. 3. 19 , 20. And again , As many as received him , to them he gave power to become the sons of God ; even to them that believe on his name , Joh. 1. 12. Again , Hec● 5. 9. He is said to be the author of eternal salvation , unto all that obey him : not unto them which continue in their rebellious wickednesse , and never submit themselvs to be ruled by the scepter of his Word . Christ's blood ( saith Z●●c●ie ) was shed as well for ablution , as for absolution : as well to cleanse from the s●il and filth of sin , as to clear and assoil from the guilt of sin , Rom , 6. 5 , 6. God bath chosen us in Christ , before the foundation of the world : that we should be holy , and without blame before him in love , Ephes. 1. 4. They therefore that never come to be holy , were never chosen . He is said to have given himself for us : that he might re●eem us from all iniquity , and purge us to be a peculiar people unto himself , zealous of good works : Titus 2. 14. Luke 1. 74 , 75. Yea the Lord binds it with an ●ath , that whomsoever he redeemeth out of the hands of their spiritual enemies , they shall worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of their life , Luk. 1. 73 , 74 , 75. 1 Pet. 2. 24. and Titus 2. The grace of God which bringeth salvation , teacheth us ; that we should deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts , an● that we should live soberly , righteously and godly in this present world , vers. 12. By all which it is plain ; that as Christ's blood is a Charter of pardon ; so withall it is a covenant of direction : and hee that refuseth to live , as that covenant prescribes ; may perish as a malefactor that is hanged with his pardon about his neck . Sect. XXI . But alas , say what can be said ! carnall men ( who love their sins , better then their souls ) will answer all , yea confute whatever can be alleaged , with God is mercifull ; Or in case that will not serve , yet they have another shift , or rather the enemy of mankind , will furnish them with an ●vasion , telling them that they have a strong faith , good hearts , and mean well : they repent of their sins , have as good wishes and desires as can bee , are elected , hope to go to heaven as well ●s the best , &c. But to every of ●hese , I answer . First , true faith purifieth the heart , and worketh by love , consumeth our ●o ●●ptions , and sanctifieth the whole man throughout , so that our faith to God , is seen in our faithfulness to men ; our invisible belief , by our visi●le life . 〈…〉 holiness are as inseparable , as life and motion , the Sun and light , 〈…〉 , ice , and coldness , the sp●ing and greenness , the rose and sweetnes● , 〈◊〉 and ●ardness , cristall and cleerness , pitch and foulness , hony and sweetness . Again , faith believeth the threats of the Word ; together with the promises : Now thou who pretendest belief in the promises , shew my thy belief in the threatnings . For did'st thou believe the truth of those menaces , which God hath denounced against unclean , coveteous , am●itious , unjust , envious , malicious persons , and such like sinne●● : how du●st thou then so wallow in these sins , ●hat if God instead of Hell , had promised Heaven as a reward unto them ; thou couldest not do more then thou dost . Why shouldest thou deceive thy self with an opinion of faith ? when indeed thou believest not so much as the Devill does ; for hee believs [ namely the threatnings of the Word ] and ●rem●les for horror , Jam. 2. but thou goest on in sin , even mocking at the menaces ; and in the infidelity of thy heart , givest them the ●ve , saying ; no such thing shall befall thee . But Invadunt urbem , somno vino●u● sepultam ; when they shall say peace and safety , then cometh on them sudden destruction , 1 Thes. 5. 3. Though these persecutors of Christ , and murtherers of the Lord of life , were the Devills children ; as they were plainly told by tru●h it self , John 8. 44. yet they most confidently believed , and stiffly maintained , that God was their father , ver. 41. And to will the wo●st of men in these days , such as do nothing but sin , and make others sin , such as glory in , and maintain their sins . Again , as faith is wrought by Gods Spirit : so where it is wrought , it brings forth the fruits , of the Spirit , mentioned , Gal. 5. 22. 23. whereas presumption , as it is of the flesh ; so it b●ings forth the fruits of the flesh , ver. 19. 20. 21. But it is very easie to believ , thinks the sensualist ; yes , but why ? Satan troubles not such , for then hee who begot this presumptious faith in him , should be divided against himself . Nay Satan confirm● him in this his deceit . Besides this is a sure rule , that that perswasion only , which follows sound humiliation , is faith : that which goes before i● is presumption . And as Ambrose speaks , no man can repent of sin , but hee that believs the pardon of sin : nor none can believe his sins are pardoned , except hee hath repented . Besides how easie a matter soever thou thinkest it is to believe : hee that goes about it , shall find it as hard a work to believ the Gospell , as to keep the Law ; and onely God must inable to both , and yet so far as wee come short of either , so far forth wee have just cause to bee humbled ; if wee consider how God at first made us , and how wofully wee have unmade our selves . But Sect. 22. Secondly , as for their good hearts and meanings , they may think what they will ; but every wise ●an knows ; that the outward actions declare the inward intentions . A good conversion is proved by a good conversation . The●e is no heart made of flesh , which at some time or other ●elents not ; even 〈◊〉 and marble , will in some weather stand or drops . Men may flatter God with their mouthes , and wit● t●ei● tongues dissemble with him ; when their hearts are not upright with him , Psal. 78 , 3● . 37. and indeed they whose words and dee●●s are faulty and evill ; and yet plead the goodness of their hearts towards God : are like malefactors , who being convinced of thes● , or the like naughtiness , by plain evidence to their faces , do appeal to the testimony of such persons for their purgation , as they know cannot bee found . And in case the hearts of such men could bee seen of others , as their works and words are , their hearts would appear worst of all , as they do to God , who seeth them . Nor is any evill in the mouth or hand , which was not in the heart first of all , as the stream in the fountain . And let a vici●us man boast never so much of his good heart ; I will as soon believ him that saith he hath the Philosophers stone● and yet lives like a beggar : which two hang together like a sick mans dream . Wee have good hearts , and mean well ; alass poor ignorant souls ! for every drop of wickedness that appears in the life , there is an ocean in the heart . The heart of man is deceitfull above all things : and while hee thinks there is no deceit in it , even in that hee is most of all deceived . S●nners are like that peremptory Sexton , that said , howsoever the day goes , I am sure the clock goes rig●t . So that the Spanish Proverb does every way please mee : defienda medios demio , God defend mee from my self . Carnall men , are apt to boast of the goodness of their hearts : but a mans heart is as arch a traitor , as any hee shall meet withall 〈◊〉 trust it too much , and know it too little , is it fared with Leah , Gen. 30 18. and Hazaell 2 Kings 8. 12. 13. and Peter , Mat. 26. 33 Luke 22. 32. Mark 14. 29. And those Jews , Act. 2. 36. 〈◊〉 all this they will acknowledge in the end ; yea , prove by experience , that Heaven is full of good works ; Hell of good wishes ; and that the fetters whi●h sin makes , it must wear . Sect. XXIII . Thirdly , touching their repentance , my answer is True repentance for sin , is a turning from every sin , to the contrary good . In all true repentance is a change , both in the judgment from error to tru●h , and in the will from evill to good , and in the affections from loving evill , and hating good ; to love good and hate evill ; in the whole man from darkness to light , and from the power of Satan unto God . Without which change , no repentance , no being saved : The two main and essentiall parts of repentance are contrition or humiliation , and conversion or reformation . It is not true repentance , except humiliation and reformation go both together : for either of these single make but a half , or halting repentance . An unreformed sorrow , is but deformed : and a sorrow less reformation , is but a very sorry one . Humitation without reformation , is a foundation without a building : and reformation without humiliation , is a building without a foundation . Judas was grieved for murthering Christ , yet no change followed : hee fell to murthering of himself . It is not possible a man should truly grieve , and bee displeased for his sins ; and yet continue in them without ● change . Sect. XXIV . Fourthly , as for their assurance of salvation , it is upon a good ground as a 〈◊〉 the rest : for they s●mber , and suppose themselvs good Christians : ●●…e faith is but a dream , their hope but a dream , their charity but a dream , their obedience but a dream , their whole religion but a dream ; & so their assurance of salvation is but a dream , they have regeneration in conceit , ●epentance and righteousness in conceit , they serve God well in conceit , do the works of justice and piety in conceit , and they shall go to heaven only in conceit , or in a dream ; and never awake untill they feel themselvs in the flames of hell Every drunken beast , and blasphemer thinks to go to heaven : though none shall come there , nor once see God without holiness : which they abhor . One mindes nothing but his cups , another nothing but his coyn , a third onely his Curtiz●n : yet all these point to meet in heaven , but this is not the way thi●her . The lust of the flesh , the lust of the eyes and the pride of life , 1 John 2. 16. is a broad way , but not to heaven . Micha when hee had a Levite in his house , thought that God loved him , Judg. 17. 13. It is usuall with formalists , when they have the Sacrament in their belly , to think that all is well , as the Jews thought , wee may ●ut away our wives , wee may swear , wee may hate our enemies , wee may kill the Prophets , subject the Word of God to our traditi●ns , and follow our own ways . Why , Abraham is our father , John 8. 39. But by their leave , Christ calls them bastards , and finds out another father for them , ver. 44. Ye are of your father the Devill , and the lusts of your father ye will do . Profane Libertine● , such as account not themselves well , but when they are doing ill : yea , the most covetous oppressors , who may say as Pope 〈◊〉 did , I can have no place in heaven , because I have so often sold it upon earth ; every man of them hopes ( I confess with more confidence , then judgment ) to have benifit by the Gospell ; when they will not bee tyed to the least tittle of the Law . But if Christ bee not our King to govern us ▪ hee will nei●her bee our Prophet to fore-warn nor our Priest to expiate . Except we so sake our sins , God will never forgive them , yea hee hath sw●rn by an oath , that whomsoever hee redeemeth out of the hands of their spi●ituall enemies ; shall serve him in holiness , and righteousness all the days of their lives . Neither can it confist with his justice , to pardon such as continue in an evill c●u●se of life . If Christ hath freed us f●om the damnation of sin , hee hath also freed us from the dominion of sin . If with his blood hee hath quenched the fire of hell for us ; hee hath also quenched the fire of lust in us . Christs justifying blood , is given us by his sanctifying Spirit . He being consecrated , was made the authour of eternall salvation , unto all t●em ( and them onely ) that ob●y him , Heb. 5. 9. Of whomsoever a man i● overcome , even unto the same he is in bondage , 2 Pet. 2. 19 Have ye then no government of your passions , no conscience of your actions , no care of your lives : false hypocrites , yee do but abuse , and profane that name , which yee unjustly arrogate . Sect. XXV . But yet more to convince you , you go to heaven , when in sundry partlcula●s , you fall sho●t of many wicked reprobates recorded in Scripture ; as do bu● deal impartially with thy self , and tell mee thou civill Justiciary whether thou ever hadst the heart upon hearing the th●eatnings of the Word , to ●ele●t and humble thy self with Ahah ? to confess thy sins , and ●esire the people of God to pray for thee with Pharoah ? to bee affected with joy in hearing the Word , and practice many things , with Herod ? to ●ee zealous against sin , with Jehu ? willingly to part with a good part of ●hy goods , with Anarias ? ●o forsake the world & all thy hopes in it ; to fol●ow poor Christ , as Demus and others ? to venture thy life with Alexander the Copper-smith , in cleaving to the tru●h ? yea it is said of Judas himself ●hat hee repented , there is contrition ; hee saith I have sinned , there is confession , and hee restored the money again , there is satisfaction ; which is 〈◊〉 the Papists repentance : and yet hee is Judas the son of perdition still . Now tell me ? dost thou not com short of these , many such as these be wicked reprobates , and yet wilt thou pleas thy self in a fals conceit , of thine own happiness , who comest further behind them , then they do behind true christians ? If some that have journied in the wilderness to Kad●sh-barnea , shall yet never enter into Gods rest ; shall those that never left Egypt ? Is the stony ground reprobate ? and can the high-way ground bee good . There are three sorts of ground mentioned , Mark . 4. 4. 5. 6. 7. and the very worst of them receives the seed , yet all damned ; whither then shall the ●empest of Gods wrath drive them , that would never yet give the Gospell● religious ear . But vicious men , think God is all mercie ( as ●oggie ayr useth to represent every object far bigger then it is . ) when the Word tells us , that he is a consuming fire , and a ●ealous God , Deut. 4. 24. Heb. 12. 29 and when we ●hall find in Deut. 28. thrice as many curses as blessings . Dost thou expect to have him mercifull to thee , that art unmerci●ull , cruell , and bloody to ●im , to his , and thine own soul ? none that have eies in their heads and open , can be so sort●●● . But Sin is like the juic● of Poppie , called Opium ; which if the quantity exceed , b●ingeth the patient into a deep sleep , that he never awaketh . Sinners dream they are awake , but ind●ed they are ●ast asleep ; yea , with Sardi they are dead , while they think they are ●live . And indeed this misp●ision or mistake , this very opinion of being in ●afe good enough ; keeps a man out of all possibility of being bettered : ●or what we presume to have attained , wee seek not after . Yea this con●●ited righteousness , is the onely cause of all unrighteousness ; and many a man had been good , if he had not at present so thought himself . Untill Paul was humbled to the very ground ; trembling and astonished , he ne●er asked Jesus , what wilt thou have me to do . And the like of those Con●e●ts that were p●ickt in their hearts at Peters searching Sermon , upon their being convinced , that they were the murtherers of the Lord of life , Acts 2. vers. 36 , 37 , 38. Sect. XXVI . In the last place touching their Election , this is an infallible truth ; Whomsoever God hath appointed to salvation , to them he hath appointed ●he means also , which is holiness . I●deed a man may be so bold of his Pre●estination , as to forget his conversation ; so he may dream himself in Hea●en , and waken from that dream in Hell . God's purpose touching the end , include the means . Though God had promised Paul that his company should not be drowned ; yet he told the Mar●iners , that unlesse they kept in the ship , they should be drowned , Act. 2● . 22 , 23. 31. ●s if their safety should not be without means : Rebek●● had God's Oracle for Jacobs life , yet she sent him away out of Esau's reach . It was impossible for Herod to hurt the child Jesus , yet he must flie into Egypt . And so I have shewn in the last place , what are the conditions of the new Covenant , and to whom the promises belong ; which is all that I undertook . Now if men will yet go on , and perish in their impenitencie ; their blood be on their own heads , and not on mine , I have discharged my duty . Neverthelesse , least the single evidence that I bring from the Word of Truth , should not prove sufficient to gain your credence to what ha●h been spoken ; And because examples give a quicker impression then arguments , I have one thing more to crave of thee , which is of as great concernment , as all that I have hitherto spoken ; namely , that thou wilt also hear the confession of two parties ( in the ensuing , or second part of this Discourse ) that were lately in thy very condition ; though now by the infinite goodnesse of God they have their eies opened , and their hea●●s changed , to see and know , both what it is to be in the state of nature , and what to be brought into the glorious liberty of the sons God ; that so by a three-fold coard , you may be drawn to accept of salvation upon God's own terms ; whereas otherwise , you can no way escape his eternal wrath . The ensuing , or second part , which I would request you to read and mind , is ; A happie conference , between a Formalist converted , and a loose Libertine ; intituled , As Experimental Index of the Heart . And so much of the first Part , the second followeth . FINIS Sold onely by James Crump , in Little Bartholomews Well-yard ; and by Henry Cripps , in Popes-head Alley . 1658. 
A57386	----	The true way to the tree of life, or, The natural man directed unto Christ by Fran. Roberts ... Roberts, Francis, 1609-1675. 1673 Approx. 245 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 95 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A57386 Wing R1596 ESTC R31779 12256362 ocm 12256362 57552 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A57386) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 57552) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1513:5) The true way to the tree of life, or, The natural man directed unto Christ by Fran. Roberts ... Roberts, Francis, 1609-1675. [26], 163 p. Printed by T.R. for Geo Calvert ..., London : 1673. Reproduction of original in the Harvard University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Salvation -- Early works to 1800. Regeneration (Theology) Theology, Doctrinal. 2003-05 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-05 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-06 Rina Kor Sampled and proofread 2003-06 Rina Kor Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-08 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion The True way TO THE Tree of Life : OR , The Natural MAN DIRECTED UNTO CHRIST . By Fran. Roberts D. D. Pastor of the Church of Christ at Wrington in the County of Somerset . JOHN 14. 6. IESVS saith unto him ; I am the Way , The Truth , and the Life : No man cometh unto the Father , but by me . ACT. 16. 30 , 31. — Sirs , What must I do to be saved ? And they said ; Believe on the LORD IESVS CHRIST , and thou shalt be saved , and thine House . BERNARD . in Iubilo , &c. p. 1659. Antverp . 1616. JESU , Decus Angelicum , In auro d●sce Canticum , In ore me● mirificum , In Corde N●ctar Coelicum : Desidero te millies . Mi JESU , quando venies ? Me loetum quando facies ? Me de te quando suties ? LONDON , Printed by T. R. for Geo. Cal●ert , at the Golden Ball in ●uck Lane , 1673. THE Author 's Epistolary Exhortation , AND Paternal Charge , UNTO HIS CHILDREN . My Dear and beloved Children , WHat the Apostle Paul sometimes said with great affection touching Israel , his Brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh , that with like affection say I now touching You ; My Hearts desire and Prayer to God for you all is , That you may be saved a . O , that you might be so happy , as to hear that sweetest Sentence of Iesus Christ at the last day , directed unto you among the rest of his Elect Sheep at his right hand ; Come ye blessed of my Father , inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world b . And that you may be where Christ is ( which is far the best of all ) to behold his glory , and to be made conform to him in Celestial glory for evermore c . But you had need deeply to consider , That there are very many , great , and dangerous impediments unto Sinners eternal Salvation ; without removal whereof , the Salvation of poor Souls will be rendered not only difficult , but utterly impossible . A few of these principal Hindrances I shall briefly mention unto you for your information and instruction . That you may praise God for your deliverance from some of them : and pray to him for his effectual removal of all the rest in his due time . Some grand Hindrances of poor Sinners Salvation are these , viz. 1. The State of Sin and misery , in which all Mankind is involved by Nature , through the Fall of Adam , the Common root of all Mankind d , whence , All are , by Nature , dead in Sins and trespasses , and Children of wrath e . so that , they who are in the flesh , cannot possibly please God f . 2. Man's general Senslessness and ●in apprehensiveness by Nature , of the Sinfulness and wretchedness of his Natural condition . All Natural men being Children of the night and of darkness g . Having the understanding darkned , being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them , because of the blindness of their heart h . And from this senslesness of their Natural malady , it comes to pass , that they are ( till God open their eyes , and awaken their Consciences ) altogether regardless of the Supernatural Remedy . 3. A Sinful course of life and wicked Conversation , resulting from Mens Sinful state and condition . So that they walk according to the course of this world , according to the Prince of the power of the Air , the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience . — fulfilling the wills of the flesh and of the mind i . — and running to all excess of riot k . Now these , and like ungodly waies will ( without true and timely Repentance ) undoubtedly shut , all that walk therein , out of the kingdom of God for evermore l . 4. Habitual Hardness of heart and Impenitency , which are most dangerous fore-runners of Eternal Death and Destruction m : whereby all hardned and impenitent Sinners do treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath , and Reve●●tion of the righteous Judgment of God n . 5. That grand Soul-damning Sin of Vnbelief in Iesus Christ. Of this the Holy Ghost peculiarly and principally convincingly reproves the world ; of Sin , because they believe not in me , saith our Saviour o . This Sin he puts before others , saith Augustine , as if it were the alone Sin : because this Sin remaining , the rest are detained ; and this departing , the rest are remitted p . Vnbelief rejects Iesus Christ the onely Saviour : How then is it possible the Vnbelievers should be saved ? Our Blessed Saviour himself hath declared most plainly ; That , he that believes not shall be damned , Math. 16. 6. yea , That he is condemned already , because he hath not believed on the name of the onely begotten Son of God. — That , he who believeth not the Son should not see life , but the wrath of God abideth on him . Iohn 3. 18. 36. & 8. And he placeth the Unbelieving in that black Catalogue , which shall have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone , which is the second Death . Rev. 21. 8. 6. The Embracing of any False counterfeit and irreligious Religions , whether through Corrupt Education and evil Example of Parents q , or through Seducement of heretical Impostors and false Teachers r , or through the just judgment of God , 2 upon them that receive not the Love of the Truth that they may be saved , sending them strong delusions , that they should believe a lye , that they all may be damned who believe not the Truth s . And chiefly such false Counterfeit Religions , which are most predominant and bear greatest sway in the world , are these Four : viz. Heathenism , Mahume●ism , Judaism , and Antichristianism . By the poyson of which , it is much to be feared , far the greatest number of people in the whole world are deprived of Salvation , and perish . As divers of our Learned , Orthodox , and Religious Authors t have demonstrated . 7. The False Hypocritical and Conterfeit Entertaining of the onely true Religion , viz. The Christian Religion , leaves men still in a state of Damnation , though thereupon multitudes vainly presume and promise to themselves eternal Salvation . As , when men make a Profession of Christianity , without a sincere suitable Practice u : having Lamps , without Oyle . When they have onely a form of Godliness , but deny the power thereof x . Having a Name to live , but are dead y . When they attain to a Temporary Faith , believing for a time , but in time of Persecution falling away : Become partakers of many Common gifts and en dowments of the Holy Ghost , but of no true saving Graces of the Spirit : So that though they may have some flashes of joy in the use of Gods Ordinances , and may do many things , yet walk not , as the sincere Saints , in all the Commandements and Ordinances of God blameless z . Now such Persons , being meer Formal , not real Christians indeed , remaining ●as most in the visible Church do ) without effectual Calling , Conversion , Regeneration , and true Sanctification , cannot inherit the kingdom of God , as the Holy Scriptures do abundantly testifie a . Now therefore , my beloved Children , I earnestly exhort , charge and beseech you , by the mercies of God , As you tender the eternal welfare of your precious and immortal Souls , As you desire to be found in Iesus Christ , and favour with God when you die , and As ever you hope to be set at Christs Right hand among his Sheep , and to be Sentenced by Christ with them to his Everlasting Kingdom at that great and glorious day of his Appearing : That you use all possible Care , diligence , and endeavours , by the Grace and assistance of the Holy Spirit of God , against all these fore-mentioned impediments unto Salvation , and all such like , that they may be removed out of your way to happiness , and not be any hindrances at all to your Eternal Glory and Salvation . And that this may be the more effectually enterprized and performed by you , Let these Ensuing Instructions sink deep into your hearts , and be most studiously , seriously and sincerely pursued and practiced in your Lives . viz. 1. Be deeply and thoroughly Convinced of the extream Sinfulness and wretchedness of your Natural State and Condition in the first Adam b . How you were shapen in iniquity , and conceived in Sin c . Yea , dead in Sins and trespasses , and by Nature Children of Wrath , even as others d . And , How from this Original and Vniversal Corruption of your Natures , your whole course of life is answerably corrupted also : Every imagination of the thoughts of your hearts ( and consequently , every word of your mouths , and every Action throughout your lives ) being Evil , onely evil , continually evil , so long as you continue in your Natural state and condition e . So then , while you remain in the flesh , you cannot please God f : nor can have an● actual Hope of Salvation g , upon any solid ground . 2. Hence , you may evidently See , and must needs conclude ; That there is so great a necessity of a Supernatural Remedy , against this your Natural State of Sin and Misery , and against all the Sinfulness of your Natural Conversation , by the Application of Jesus Christ unto your Souls , and the Effectual operation of his Spirit to that End upon your hearts : That without such applying of Christ by Faith unto you h , and the operation of his Spirit in and upon you , by Effectual Calling , Conversion , Regeneration , Renovation and Sanctification , you can never Enter into the kingdom of God , and be Eternally Saved i . 3. Therefore , See that ye come unto Jesus Christ by Faith without delay , and Receive him as your onely All-sufficient Saviour , that is able to save you to the uttermost k ; Accepting him upon his own terms of denying your selves , taking up your Cross daily , and following him l . So Iesus Christ will be unto you , Wisdom , to guide you in the way to Heaven ; Righteousness , to wash away all your Sins by his bloud , and justifie you freely by his spotless Righteousness imputed unto you ; Sanctification , to furnish you sufficiently with all treasures of Grace out of his fullness of Grace ; and Redemption , to deliver you from all your bondage under Sin , Satan , the curse of the Law , the Wrath to come , and all your Spiritual Enemies m . O , thrice happy , Everlastingly happy shall you be , if once Iesus Christ become yours , and you his ! Then you shall be espoused to the best Husband in the world n ; The God and Father of Iesus Christ will be your God and Father o ; The Spirit of Christ will be your Com●orter p ; the Kingdom of Heaven shall be your Everlasting Joynture q ; yea All things , The World , and Life , and Death , and things present , and things to come , All shall be yours r Then , All things shall work-together for good unto you ; Sickness as well as health , Adversity as well as prosperity , Death it self as well as life s . Then , nothing in the world shall ever be able to separate you from the Love of Christ , or from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord t . Then , no Condemnation shall ever befall you in this or in the world to come u . O happy Souls that ever you were born , if you be born again , and Christ be formed in you ! Christ is the Desire of all Nations x : Let him be the Desire of your Souls . Christ is the chief among ten thousand y : L●t him be the Chief of your choice . Christs mouth is Sweetnesses , yea all of him is Desires z : O let your hearts be even ravished with him at all times . Say with that faithful Minister and Martyr of Iesus Christ , Mr. John Lambert , as he was now dying in the flames ; None but Christ , none but Christ a . In a word , I say to every one of you , as sometimes Bernard said unto one sweetly ; Let IESVS be alwaies in thine heart . — Let Him be unto thee thy meat and drink , thy sweetness and Consolation , thy Hony and thy Desire , thy Reading and thy Meditation , thy Prayer and thy Contemplation , thy Life and Death , and thy Resurrection b . For , Christ is All in All c . 4. Now , Forasmuch as true saving Faith in Iesus Christ is not of our selves , but the free gift of God d ; and ordinarily God is pleased to work it in the hearts of his Elect , Instrumentally , by the Hearing of his Word faithfully preached e , Efficaciously , by the Co-operation of his holy Spirit f ; by which Means also it is nourished and increased : Therefore , be ye all of you Diligent and Constant Hearers of the Word of Christ faithfully preached , Applying things spoken particularly to your selves , treasuring them up in good and honest hearts , and bringing forth the suitable fruit thereof by an Vpright practice in your lives g ; and take singular heed , that you never g●ieve , quench , or resist the operations , stirrings or motions of the Spirit of God in the use of his Word and Ordinances , or at any other times h . For Iesus Christ , by his Word and Spirit especially , stands at the door of your hearts and knocks , and if any will open unto him , he will come in unto him , and Sup with him and he with Christ i . 5. For the increasing also of your Inward Peace , Spiritual Ioy and Comfort , Give all di●igence to make your Calling and Election sure k ; Examining your selves frequently and seriously , whether Jesus Christ be in you yea or no l . But how shal● this be done ? By comparing your Hearts , Lives and Experiences with the written Word of God , through the assistance and guidance of Gods Holy Spirit . For , to this End the Word of God was written to us , and the Spirit of God is given to us , that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God m , and that we may know that we have eternal life n . And for your more ready help in this weighty business , you may make use of many Characters , marks , or Notes of Tryal , which I have at large laid down in sundry of my Printed Books o , which you have by you . Take heed you be not strangers to your own hearts , and Spiritual States . 6. As you have received Jesus Christ the Lord , so walk in him : rooted , and built up in him , and established in the Faith † . Be not Christians only in Name and outward Shew , but inwardly , sincerely , and in good earnest . So live and walk , as Christ in his word hath directed you to walk . Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts [ even all Sins against the first and second Table , ] living soberly [ towards yourselves ] , righteously [ towards man ] , and godly [ towards the Lord ] , in this present world p . Observe and keep all his Commandements q . Yield and present your selves , both Souls and Bodies living Sacrifices unto him r . Whether you live , live unto the Lord ; or whether you dye , dye unto the Lord ; that whether you live or dye , you may be the Lords s . So live and walk also as Christ hath given you an Example . Walk as Christ walked t . Walk in love , as Christ hath loved us , and hath given himself for us , a Sacrifice , an offering unto God , for a sweet smelling Savour u . Walk in Love towards Iesus Christ , as to love him beyond Father , Mother , Sister , Brother , or your own dearest lives x : For , he hath loved us , and washed us from our Sins in his own blood y . Walk in all well doing as Christ went about , doing good every where z : and imitate him also in innocent and patient suffering for well doing , commit●ing your selves and your Cause to him that judgeth righteously a ; for herein he hath left us an Example that we should follow his steps . 7. Remember the Lords-day-Sabbath , the first day of the week , ( unto which the seventh-day-Sabbath was translated by the Authority of Christ as appears by the after observation of that day by the Apostles and Apostolical Churches , ) to keep it holy b . This is the Princess and Queen of all dayes c , This is the Glory of all the week . For , As on this day our blessed Saviour Rose from the dead d triumphing victoriously over Death , Grave , Sin , and all our Spiritual Enemies : and thereby assured us of our Spiritual and Corporeal Resurrection by him e . As on this day our Saviour vouchsafed many of his apparitions to his Disciples , instructing them and giving them commandements concerning the Kingdom of God f . On this day the Holy Ghost was most miraculously poured forth upon the Apostles g . On this day the Apostles and primitive Churches held their solemn Assemblies for the publick worship of God h . This is the solemn Mart , and Market day for furnishing our Souls with all manner of Spiritual and Heavenly Provisions . This is that Solemn Season and sweet opportunity which Christ hath afforded and ordained for acquainting us with Himself and the Mysteries of his Kingdom , for maintaining our Communion with him in his Ordinances , for edifying and perfecting of us in all Spirituals . And as in the time of the Old Testament , The Sacrifices of the Sabbath-day were to be double to those on the week day i : So our Spiritual Sacrifices on the Lords-days are to be twice so much as on any other day of the week ; Especially , in Prayer and thanksgiving ; in Reading the Scriptures , in Hearing the word preached , in Partaking the Lords Supper , in Catechizing , in Shewing Mercy to the poor , &c. that so the sacred tincture and impressions of this day may remain fresh and lively upon your hearts all the week following . 8. Let every day of the week be managed by you in a Christian sort . To that End , Be sure to present unto the Lord your Morning and Evening-Sacrifice of prayer and praise to God continually : as God of Old appointed a Morning and Evening Sacrifice for every day in the week k . Holy David and Daniel Prayed thrice in a day l . Every day , open with God in the morning , and shut with God in the Evening , by some religious ejaculation or savourly meditation . Read daily some portion of Holy Scripture m , to keep up your acquaintance with God , with Iesus Christ , and his Spirit , and the mysteries of true Religion . And then follow the lawful affairs of your honest particular Calling , diligently and righteously n 9. Do ye Remember your Creator in the days of your youth , while the evil dayes [ of old age ] come not , nor the years draw nigh , when ye shall say , we have no pleasure in them o . Gods Eminent Saints have sought the Lord betimes , and addicted themselves unto Godliness while they were young . As , David , that man after Gods own heart , while he was but a Youth p . Josiah , that Phaenix . King of Iudah , while he was yet young , but sixteen years old , began to seek after the God of David q . And Timothy , so highly commended by the Apostle Paul , knew the Holy Scriptures from a Child , Gr. from his insancy r . God , in the time of the Law , called for the first ripe fruits of the field , and the firstlings of the flock , to be offered unto him s : to teach his people , how acceptable the first-fruits of our youth and life are to God. O how happy are they , that bear the yoke t of Christ in their youth ! Hereby , the flower of their age is best improved ! Hereby , thousands and ten-thousands of sins are prevented . Hereby , they gain the longer time , for walking with God , for growing in grace , for doing of good , for increasing of Spiritual Experiences , for treasuring up of Evidences and assurances of their Salvation , and of preparing themselves for Heaven and eternal Glory . 10. Herein alwaies exercise your selves to have a Conscience void of offence both towards God and Man u . That so living in all good conscience before God x , This may be matter of singular comfort and rejoycing to you , in your greatest afflictions and distresses , the Testimony of your Consciences , that in simplicity and godly sincerity you have had your Conversation in the world y . 11. Imploy and improve to the utmost all the Times and Talents , wherewith the Lord hath intrusted you , to his Glory , your own or others Benefit . That when the time of reckoning shall come , he may both command you and richly reward you , and not condemn and punish you with that wicked sloathful and improfitable Servant z . 12. Hold fast the Platt-form of Sound words , in Faith and Love , which is in Christ Jesus a . That so you may not be carryed aside with every wind of false doctrine b ; but may be the Children of the Truth . And to this End constantly retain in your Memories the Catechisme wherein you have been trayned up now a long time together . For , this is an excellent Brevial or Sum of the true Christian Religion , very useful to direct you both in the Faith and Practice , in the right wayes of God , against error and iniquity . 13. Stand not at a stay , much less go backward , in the affairs of Religion : But still grown in Grace , and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ c . Take heed of backsliding d . Having put your hand to Christs plow , Look not back : For then you will be unfit for the Kingdome of God e . Be stedfast , unmoveable , alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord , for as much as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord f . Be faithful to the death , and christ will give you a Crown of Life g . 14. Love God , Father , son and Holy Ghost , over all , with all your Heart , Soul , Mind and might h , and that especially for his own sake love such as are begotten of God , and true Christians indeed , chiefly for Gods sake , for Christs sake i . And see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently k : Especially , endeavouring to help and further one another in the way to heaven . 15. Finally , Set your affection on things above , not on things on the Earth : For all the things on Earth are meer l vanity and vexation of Spirit m , being vanity , they are empty shadows and bubles , that cannot continue , that cannot satisfie , but utterly disappoint you : By their disappointment , they become vexation of Spirit , heaps of thorns and briars unto you . But your true , lasting and Soul-satisfying Treasures are above ; there 's your Crown , your Kingdom , your Glory , your Eternal life , your Eternal inheritance , your Masters joy and pleasures at his right hand for Evermore ; there 's your sweetest and most glorious Saviour Jesus Christ at Gods right hand , and there 's your God in Christ , in whose immediate vision and compleat fruition the supream happiness of Heaven will consist for ever . Have therefore your Conversation in Heaven n , though for a while your conversation be on Earth : and look for your Saviour Jesus Christ from Heaven , to change your vile bodies and make them like to his own glorious body . Then there shall be no more Sin , Sorrow , Pain , Curse or Death . Then Christ will wipe all your Tears away o . Then your everlasting Jubilee will b●gin but shall never end . O how should we love his appearing , when all those things shall come to pass ! Make haste O beloved , and be as the Hind or the Roe upon the Mountains of Spices p . Even so come Lord Jesus q . These things , my beloved Children , I have earnestly desired to recommend unto you in order to your Eternal Salvation ; hoping that some of you have a true Spiritual sense and relish of them already . Now the God of all Grace imprint them indelibly upon the Tables of all your Hearts , that you may still remember them and conform your selves unto them , not onely while I am with you in this land of the living , but also after I shall be taken from you by Natures dissolution , and sleep in Jesus . And let him bless you with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly-places in Christ r for evermore . Amen . THE Natural MAN DIRECTED TO CHRIST . A Premonition to the Natural Man reading the ensuing Directions . WHoever thou art , that unto this present hour remainest still in thy Natural State in the Old Adam , unconverted unto God in CHRIST the last Adam ; or justly suspectest thy condition to be such ; and perusest these DIRECTIONS following : Read and understand , Vnderstand and Consider in thine Heart , Consider and Believe the Scripture Truths therein propounded , Believe and put in Practise the Scripture Rules therein recommended unto thee ; lest otherwise , what thou readest and art convinc'd in Conscience to be thy Duty , hereafter sting thine Heart , Rise up in judgment against thee , and condemn thee , both when thy Death Approacheth ; and at the Great day , when the Lord IESVS shall be revealed from Heaven with the Angels of his power , in flaming Fire taking Vengeance on them that know not God , and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord IESVS CHRIST 2 Thes. 1. 7 , 8. with Mat. 11. 20. to 25. and 12. 41 , 42. Directions , tending to conduct the Natural Man to CHRIST . I. Direction . A Waken and rouz up thy Soul and Conscience , O Sinful wretched natural Man , seriously to consider and deeply to lay to heart , How Sinful and miserable , the State and Condition of all Mankind since the fall , and of thine own Soul in particular , is , by Nature in the first Adam . compare together Rom. 3. 9. to 21. 1 Cor. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 5 , 6 , 7 , 8. Tit. 3. 3. and 1. 15 , 16. Eph. 2. 1 , 2 , 3. 1. The Sinfulness of Natural man's State ; what Words can enough express ! what thoughts of Man can sufficiently conceive ! who can understand his Errors ? Psal. 19. 12. The heart is ●●eeitful above all things , and desperately w●●ked , who can know it ? I the LORD search the heart ; I try the Reins . Jer. 17. 9 , 10. God alone , who cannot sin ▪ e●actly knows man's Sinfulness . From his word take a brief discovery of it . The Sinfulness of the Natural man's condition , Consists chiefly in these particulars . viz. 1. In the guilt of Adam's first Sin , Of Eating the forbidden fruit , contrary to Gods express Command , Gen. 2. 16 , 17. with Gen. 3. 6 , 7. Rom. 3. 9. 19. In which Eating ; Adam's 1 Unbelief of Gods word ; 2 Contempt of Gods command ; 3 Impious Consent of his most free-will ; 4 Proud aspiring to be as Gods knowing good and evil , Gen. 3. 5. 5 Apostacy from God ; 6 Disobedience of the whole man ; and 7 Ruine of himself and all his posterity ; are comprehended a This sin of Adam , being the Common Parent and Root of all mankind , ( as St. Augustine b well notes ) then virtually and seminally in his loyns , is imputed to and charged upon all his ordinary posterity , even upon all mankind ordinarily propagated form him , Rom 5. 12. — 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19. Act 17 26. ● Cor. 15. 21. 22. 45. 49. As Levi , who received Tithes is said to ●ay Tithes in Abraham to Melchizedeck , for that yet he was in the loyns of his Father Abraham when Melchizedeck met him . Heb. 7. 9 , 10. So then in Adams eating the forbidden fruit , all mankind did eat the forbidden fruit ; In Adam's Sinning , all his posterity Sinned ; In Adam's disobeying , all mankind disobeyed ; In Adam's falling , all his post●rity sell ; In Adams dying , all his Posterity dyed . And thou amongst the rest . And Therefore , in this Sense , thou wast a Sinner , algrievous Sinner before thou wast born , even from the foundation of the world . O thou Natural man ! Think of this , Lay this to Heart deeply , was it a small matter for Adam , and for thee and all Mankind in Adam , thus to Sin. Consider well the many and great Aggrevations of this first Sin of Man ; As 1. The Person who sinned : 2. Condition and State , wherein : 3. Place , where : 4. Time , when : 5. Law , against which : 6. Object , against whom : 7. And finally , The manifold and great Evils both of Sin and punishment ensuing thereupon ; ( all which I have elsewhere c at large illustrated , ) and then see , if ever Sin was perpetrated in this world , ( all things duly considered , ) so Sinful , Haynous , Horrid , inexcusable , and damnable , as this first Sin ! 2. In being wholly overwhelmed with Original Sin , ( so as is thought , it 's called by d Augustin ) contracted from lapsed Adam by Natural Propagation , Gen. 5. 3. Psal. 51. 5. Ioh. 3. 6. Iob. 14. 4. and 15. 14. This Original Sin Consists especially ● . In the privation or loss ( 1 ) of Man's Primitive Integrity or Original Righteousness concreated with him Gen. 1. 26 , 27. and 3. 6 , 7 , 8. Eccles. 7. 29. — All have sinned , and come short of the glory of God , Rom. 3. 23. ( 2 ) and of that sweet communion , which , ● in that integrity , he enjoyed with God , Gen. 3. 6 , 7 , 8 , 10. Whereupon man becomes Dead in Sin , Ephes. 2. 1. 5. with Gen. 2. 16 , 17. 2. In the Depravation , Pollution and Corruption of his whole nature : His whole Soul and all the faculties thereof ; His whole Body and all the Parts thereof , being universally defiled . — to them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure , but even their Mind and Conscience is defiled , Tit. 1. 15. See Gen. 6. 5. Ier. 17. 9. Rom. 3. 10. to 19. 2 Pet. 2. 14. Hence , From both these ensue two woful effects . 1. An Indisposition , and utter inability , yea an Opposition and Enmity , unto all Good. Rom. 5. 6. and 7. 18. and 8. 8. Col. 1. 21. Rom. 8. 7. and 5. 10. 2. An Universal pronity , Propensity or Proclivity unto all Evil. Gen. 6. 5. and 8. 21. Rom. 3. 10 , 11 , 12. 1 Pet. 4. 2 , 3 , 4. Original Sin , being the Root , Seed and Common Spawn of all Actual Sin in the World Iam. 1. 14 , 15. Ephes. 2. 1 , 2 , 3. The Holy Scriptures set forth this Original Sin by sundry remarkable Names or Phrases . It is stiled , 2. Iniquity wherein we were shapen , and sin wherein our Mothers conceived us . Psal. 51. 5. in regard of the Natural Propagation of it . 1 Sin. — That they are all under Sin. Rom. 3. 9. 1 Ioh. 1. 8. Rom. 7. 14. Because it is Sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the Sin of Sins , the mother and nurse of all Sins , virtually and seminally comprehending in it all sorts of Sins . 3 Sin dwelling in us , Rom. 7. 20. from the constant Inherence , Residence and Abode which it hath in all , yea even in the Regenerate themselves , ( to whom it is pardoned , and in whom it is in some measure mortified ) during this present life , Rom. 7. 17 , 18. 4 The Sin that doth so easily beset us . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Sin easily surrounding us , Heb. 12. 1. because it encompasseth Soul , Body , all our Faculties , Affections , Senses , Parts and whole Man. 5 The Law of Sin. Rom. 8. 2. and 7. 25. The Law of Sin in our members , Rom. 7. 23. because of the power and strength of Sin , which is resident in us : A Law is powerful and forcible . 6. The Body of Sin , Rom. 6. 6. because , as a Natural Body is compacted of many Parts , and hath divers proper Members set in it , whereby it acts : So sin Original hath many limbs , called Our members which are upon Earth , as Fornication , &c. Col. 3. 5. 7 Our Old man , Rom. 6. 6. Sin is so called , in Opposition to the New man , the Regenerate Part , and in distinction from our humane Natures : because our Corruption of Nature is from the first man the Old Adam ; as our Regeneration is from the Spirit of Christ the last Adam . 8 The Old Leven to be purged out , 1 Cor , 5. 7. called Leven , because as Leven levens and sowers the whole lump of Dow , So Sin original levens the whole man , sowers and infects the whole man. Old , from old Adam . 9. The flesh . Ioh. 3. 6. Rom. 8. 18. Gal. 5. 17. because , As Flesh is opposite to Spirit , So Original Sin is opposite to Grace . And because as flesh is man's basest and vilest part , Phil. 3. 21. So Original Sin is the vilest evil in man. Pause here , O Natural Man. Not only Adam's first Actual Sin is thine , being justly imputed to thee : But this Original Sin , thence contracted , is thine also , being naturally inherent in thee . It is the Disease , the Poyson , the Plague , the Leprosy of thy whole Nature . Thou art as full of it , as any Sink is full of filth , as any Serpent is full of venome , as any Toad is full of poyson . Thou art by Nature wholly defiled with it : universally captivated under the Dominion of it , and Spiritually Dead in it . And in this respect thy Condition is incomparably worse , than the Condition of any fowl , fish , bruit-beast , or creeping thing whatsoever . For , they have no Original Sin in them , and thou art all full of it . And is this thy natural Condition , a State to be rested in by thee● wherein thou art far worse than any Dog , Toad , Serpent , mean or vilest creature under the Sun ? Remember that of Augustine ; Every one is damned as Generated : None is delivered , but as Regenerated e . 3. In the H●ge Heaps ●nd Swarms of all thine actual Sins ( the poysonous fruit of Sin Original ) into which thou hast broken forth inconsiderately , from thy Birth until this very day , The sinfulness of thy natural Condition is mightily augmented and aggrevated , O Natural Man ! Think often in thy Retired hours , of the ●Variety , 2 Multiplicity , and 3 Extremity or Aggravations of thine Actual Sins . ( 1 ) The Variety and several sorts , of thine Actual Sins ; How manifold are they ? As actual , Sins in respect of the Subject , are distributed into Peccata Cordis , Oris , Operis , Sins of Heart , Word , and Work. ● In the Heart ; what corrupt imagination , Gen. 6. 5. what abominable , vain , Atheistical , blasphemous , prophane and polluted Thoughts Prov. 15. 26. What deadness , stupidity , defilement , S●aredness , &c. in the Conscience . Tit. 1. 15. 1 Tim. 4. 2. What Enmity , Perversness , crookedness , disobedience , rebellion , &c. in the will Ier. 44. 16 , 17. &c. Luke 19. 14. What impenitency , hardness , deceitfulness , hypocrisy , Earthiness , Disorder , Confusion , &c. in the Heart and Affections . Rom. 2. 5. 2. In thy words and tongue , What Vain-speaking , Swearing , Cursing , Lying , Blaspheming , Back-biting , Slandering , False-witness-bearing , &c. Exod. 20. 7. Mat. 12. 36. the Tongue is a world of iniquity — Iam. 3. 6. and every idle word must be accounted for at the day of Judgement , Mat. 12. 36 , 37. 3 In thy actions and works , though never so Religious in appearance , How dost thou miscarry in their Ground , Matter , Form , Manner , Circumstances and End , 1 Tim. 1. 5. Tit. 1. 15 , 16. Isai. 1. 10. &c. and 66. 3. Hag. 2. 14. Prov. 15. 8. So that in none of them thou canst please God. Rom. 8. 8. Yea and even in thy secular Actions , thou 〈◊〉 wholly Sinful , Prov. 21. 4. and 15. 9. And to this Distribution of Actuals into Sins of Heart , Word , and Works ; We may refer that of Sins into Inward , and Outward , Sins , in respect of the Law or Rule violated by Sin , are , 1 Sins of Impiety or Ungodliness , contrary to the first Table of the Decalogue 2 Sins of Iniquity Unrighteousness , or worldly Lusts , against the 2 Table , &c. Rom. 1. 18. Tit. 2. 12. Of Impiety there are many sorts of Sins , properly repugnant to the 4 first Commandements : Of Unrighteousness are many Sorts also contrariant to the 6 last Commandements . And this Distribution of Sins according to the ten Commandements is most accurate . Sins , in Respect of the Parts thereof , are 1 Sins of Omission , when duties prescribed are neglected ; and this is a Taking from Gods Law. Iam. 4. 17. Mat. 25. 42. &c. Rev. 2. 21. 1 Sam. 15. 2 , 3. 8 , 9. &c. 2 Sins of Commission , when things prohibited are Practised , as Gen. 2. 16 , 17. compared with Gen. 3. 6 , 7. Achan's sin , Iosh. 7. 1. 15. 20 , 21. 25 , 26. compared with Iosh. 6. 17 , 18 , 19. Sins , in respect of the Object offended and wronged , are ; 1 Sins against God , and repugnant to Piety . Rom. 1. 21 , 22. 28. 2 Sins against Man , against our Neighbour and contrary to righteousness , to equity . Pro. 14. 21. Gen. 4. 8. 3 Sins against a mans own self , contrary to Sobriety . 1 Cor. 6. 18. Prov , 20. 2. Touching the two first , See 1 Sam. 2. 25. Luke 15. 18. Touching all the three , See Tit. 2. 12. But Sin is otherwise against God , then it is against Man. Against God , as it is a Transgression of his Law : against man , only as it is a Damage or Injury . Sins , in regard of Time wherein they are acted , are 1 Sins of youth , Psalm . 25. 7. Eccles. 11. 9. 2 Tim. 2. 22. 2 Sins of riper age . Isai. 65. 20. Sins , in regard of Place and cognizance , are ; 1 Private or Secret , Psal. 19. 12. and 90. 8. Iosh. 7. 1. &c. 2 Publick and open , when Sin is perpetrated boldly , impudently , in the view of others . Isai. 3. 9. Numb . 25. 6 , 7 , 8. 2 Sam. 16. 22. Sins , in respect of their Power and Strength , are ; Reigning , or not Reigning Rom. 6. 12 , 13 , 14. Hither some refer the Distinction of Sin , into Mortal and Venial , not in the Popish Sense ; but in a sound Sense ; viz. As by Mortal Sin we may understand Sin reigning , which not repented of shall never be forgiven . And as by Venial Sin , we may understand , Sin not reigning , but in Christ upon repentance forgiven , and not bringing Condemnation though it deserve it . Rom. 8. 1. Sins , in respect of Degree , are Great , or Small , Ezech ▪ 5. 6. 8. and 8. 15. Ioh. 19. 11. Mat 5. 21 , 22. ( 2. ) The multiplicity of thine actual Sins ; how innumerable are they ! Are they not more than the hairs of thine head ; Psal. 40. 12. are they not numberless like the Sands ? and who can u●derstand his errors , how many they are ? Psal. 19. 12. If in one Sin , so many Sins are complicated : as in Adam's Sin f . Gen. 3. In Judas his Sin , Mat. 26 If in one day , in one hour , so many Sins in Thought , Word and Deed , are done by thee : If in one Prayer , &c. So many Sinful distractions , distempers , &c. are discovered : what millions , and Ten-thousand Millions of Millions of Sins proceed from thee in thy whole Life ? ( 3. ) The Extremity and Aggravations of thy Actual Sins , How many and great are they , Have not thy Sins been , Haynous , Crying Sins ? As , I Bloodshed Gen. 4. 10. 2 Sodom's Sins Gen. 18. 20 , 21. 3 Oppression Exod. 3. 7. 4 Deteyning Hirelings wages , Iam , 5. 4. according to the antient memorial verse g : Which I may thus do into English ; 1 Blood , 2 Sodom's Sins , 3 Oppressing Tyranny ; 4 Detaining Hirelings Hire , are Sins that cry . Sins against thine own Light ? Ioh. 9. 41. Luke 12. 47 , 48. Iam. 4. 17. Sins against the checks of thine own Conscience ? Mat. 27. 17 to 27. Sins against many Motions of Gods Spirit ? Act. 7. 51. Eph. 4. 30. 1 Thes. 5. 19. Sins against Gods rich Means of Grace ? Isai. 5. 1 to 8. Mat. 21. 33 to 45. Sins against the precious Blood of Christ ? 1 Cor. 11. 27. Heb. 10. ●9 . Sins against Gods many and great mercys . Hos. 2. 8. Sins against Gods severe Judgments ; inflicted on others for thine admonition ? 1 Cor. 10 , 11. Dan. 5. 22 , 23. &c. or upon thy self for thy Reformation ? 2 Chron. 28. 22. Sins against Gods Patience and Long-Suffering , leading thee to Repentance ? Rom. 2. 4 , 5. Rev. 2. 21. Sins , wherein thou hast long continued ? Isai. 65. 20. Deut. 9. 7. 27. Sins , which thou hast often re-iterated ? Mat. 26. 69. to the end . Sins , heightened by such and such Circumstances . As of Person , Time , Place , &c. Levit. 10. 1 , 2 , 3. Numb . 20. 12. 2 Sam. 12. 7 , 8 , 9. — Numb . 25. 6. Ioh. 2. 13. to 18. Sins , wherein thou hast shamefully gloryed ? Phil. 3. 19. Sins , for the effecting of which thou hast been far more diligent and industrious , than ever thou wast for the saving of thy precious Soul ? Mat. 23. 13. to 34. Communion with others in their Sins , many wayes . Eph. 5. 11. As if thine were not enow to damn thee . Oh , thou silly deceived Sinful Soul ! When for all these Sins of thine God shall bring thee to judgement , Where shalt thou appear ? Psal. 1. 5. Oh , What then wilt thou do , when God riseth up ? and when he visiteth , what wilt thou Answer him ? Ioh. 31 , 14. II. The W●●tchedness of a natural mans Condition , Who can enough Apprehend or Express ! What words can sufficiently declare ! Where there 's nothing but Carnality and Sinfulness , there 's nothing but misery and wretchedness . The Natural man's Condition , as it is most Sinful , without all even the least degree of Sanctity : So it is most miserable , without all even the least measure of saving mercy or felicity . And such , O Natural man , is thy Condition , in sundry respects . For , 1. Thou art by Nature wholly destitute of ( that Paradise on Earth , that suburbs of Heaven , that handsel of Glory , ) Sweet Communion with God. While Adam stood in his integrity , He had sweet fellowship with God , Gen. 1. 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30. and 2. 3 , 7 , 8. 16 , 17 , 18. and so to the end . But Adam had no sooner fallen but he lost that sweet Communion with God : was afraid of Gods voice , Hid himself from his presence among the Trees of the Garden : is Convented , Convinced , and judged for his Sin , and driven out of the Garden , &c. Gen. 3. 9. to the end . And whilst thou art in thy Natural State , in the first Adam lapsed , Thou art without all Communion with God also . For , What fellowship hath Righteousness with unrighteousness ? And what Communion hath light with darkness ? 2. Cor. 6. 14. Now God is light , and in him is no Darkness at all . If we say , we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness , we lie , and do not the Truth , &c. 1. Ioh. 1. 5. 6. 7. and every natural man is Darkness Eph. 5. 8. and habitually walks in darkness , 1 Ioh. 2. 9. 11. Now , whilst thou art destitute of Communion with God , thou dost still remain without all these sweet Companions of Communion with God. viz. Thou art ( 1 ) Without all special favour and saving mercy from God. — which had not obtained mercy : 1. Pet. 2. 10 ▪ ( 2 ) Without any Saving Relation to God art none of his People nor is he thy God 1. Pet. 2. 10. yea . He is ashamed to be called thy God : or to own thee for one of his people . Heb. 11. 16. ( 3 ) Without Christ , the last Adam . Eph. 2. 12. 1. Cor. 15. 45. By whom alone , all Saving mercy from God , and all saving Relation to God can be obtained . Act. 4. 11. 12. Ephes. 2. 13. to the end . ( 4 ) An Alien from the Common wealth of Israel . Eph , 2. 12. Thou art none of his Family and Houshold none of his mistical body , of his invisible Church : But of the Synagogue of Satan Rev. 1. 6. For they that are Aliens to Christ , the Head : must needs be Aliens to his invisible Church and Body . ( 5 ) A stranger from the Covenants of Promise , touching Christ Promised under the Old Testament : and consequently from the Covenant of Performance , touching Christ performed and exhibited in Human Nature , viz. The New Covenant . Ephes. 2. 12. laid down Heb. 8. 8. to the end . Oh what a misery is this ! To have nothing to do with Gods Covenant , not any the Promises ▪ Priviledges , Benefits or Blessings thereof . This is to be shut out of Gods Grand Act of favour and mercy , His Act of Oblivion , Heb. 8. 12. His Magna Charta , his Great Charter for eternal happiness in Heaven . ( 6 ) Having no Hope . Eph. 2. 12. viz. No true , Salvi●ical , well-grounded hope of life eternal in Heaven ; or of future felicity in the world to come for thine immortal Soul. And such Hopeless men are most miserable men , 1. Cor. 15. 19. When thou hopeless wretch comest to die , what will become of thy Soul ? What wilt thou then say to thy Soul ? Even as that Atheistical Pope ; Animula vagula h , &c. Omy poor wandring blandishing Soul , The Guest and Companion of my body , into what placet art thou now going ? &c. To Heaven , or to Hell : to the glorified Saints , or to the damned Reprobates : to Joyes everlasting , or to endless Torments : To God or to the Devil ? ( 7 ) Finally , while thou dost remain destitute of saving Communion with God , thou art without God in the World , an Atheist in the world . i Eph. 2. 12. What ? without God ? Then , without all true Happiness , without the only supream Good , and Soul-satisfying Treasure , such God is , Math. 19. 17. Psal. 73. 25. 26. 2. Thou , in thy Natural State , art under the severe Curse of the Law ; Which under pain of the Curse , requires of every one , Perfect , Perpetual , and Personal obedience to all things written in the Law , Gal. 3. 10. which no meer man since the Fall of Adam can possibly perform . Rom. 3. 9. to 29. and 5. 6. and 8. 3. 4. 7. 8. And whom the law Curseth , he is Cursed indeed , not by man , but by the living God himself . 3. Thou in thy Natural state , remainest still under the dreadful displeasure , and wrath of God Almighty . — Art by nature a child of wrath , Even as others . Eph. 2. 3. Under the Wrath of God ? Oh! Who knoweth the Power of Gods anger , or according to his Fear ( i. e. his word the Rule of his Fear , Psal. 19. 9. ) his wrath ? Psal 90. 11. If the wrath of an earthly King be as the Roaring of a Lion , Prov. 19. 12. What then is the wrath of God , the King of Kings ? Our God is a Consuming fire . Heb. 12. 29. Consider the prints of Gods wrath , upon the lapsed Angels , 2 , Pet. 2. 4. Fallen Adam . — Gen. 3. The sinful old world 2 Pet. 2. 5. The Cities of Sodom &c. 2 Pet. 2. 6. Gen. 19. The Beauteous Jerusalem , and the Jews 2 Chron. 36. Yea , upon Jesus Christ the spotless Son of God himself , when he stood as the Sinners Surety , Math. 26. and 27. Luk. 22. and 23. And then say with the Psalmist ; Thou , even thou art to be feared : and who may stand before thee , when once thou art angry ? Psal. 76. 7. When he is wrath , The Heavens drop down , The Mountains melt and leap , The Rocks rend in pieces , The Earth Quakes , The Sea is dried up , The Devils tremble Iam. 2. 19. And the whole Creation is amazed . Oh! think of the Terrour of the Lord , 2 Cor. 5. 11. 4. Thou in thy natural state , art in league with the Devil himself , the Grand enemy of God and mankind , Math. 13. 28. 39. 1 Pet. 5. 8. that old Serpent , Revel . 12. 9. and performest thine Homage and obeisance unto him , 1 Ioh. 3. 8. Ioh. 8. 44. as to thy Conquer●r , Prince , Father , and God. Satan is , 1. As thy Conqueror , leading thee Captive at his will , by his powerful Temptations , yea by his meer suggestions and snares . 2 Tim. 2. 26. and so thou art his meer vassal and slave . 2. As thy Prince , Ioh. 14. 30. effectually working in the Children of Disobedience , and in thee as in one of his Subjects . Eph. 2. 2. 3. As thy Father , whose works thou , as his Child ; wilt do . Ioh. 8. 44. 1 Ioh. 3. 8. 12. Mat. 13. 38. 4. As thy God , and the God of this world , whom thou , as his Creature , wilt serve . 2 Cor. 4. 4. 5. Thou , in thy natural State , art liable to all sorts and degrees of miseries in this present world , not as to Paternal Chastisements of a loving Father ( the lot of Gods dear children . Heb. 12. 5. to 12. ) but as to vindictive Punishments and curses of an angry God. Gen. 3. 16 , 17 , 18 , 19. and 4. 9 to 15. Levit. 26. to 40. Deut. 28. 15. to the end . Psal. 11. 6. These Miseries are of many sorts : But may be reduced to 1. Miseries incident to thee in thy Goods and Temporal estate . As , when thy ground is barren , brings forth thorns and thistles , &c. Gen. 3. 18. thy cattel cast their young , Deut 28. 18. Fire consumes thy dwelling , Iob. 15. 34. thieves rob thee of thy wealth , Iob. 1 , 13. to 18 , Extortioners catch all thou hast , Psal. 109. 11. &c. 2. Miseries incident to thee in thy Relations . As , Treachery in thy friends Iudg. 9. 23. falsness and sloathfulness in thy Servants and hirelings , 2 Chr. 24 , 25. and 33. 24. Alienation in thy Kinsfolks , Iudg. 9. 5. 24. Disobedience and Undutifulness in thy Children . Deut. 28. 18. Disaffection , vexatiousness , &c. in thy wife 1 King. 21. 25. Deut. 28. 30. 3. Miseries to which thou urt exposed in thy good Name . As Lyes , Reproaches , Slaunders , Back-bitings , &c. The Name of the wicked shall rot . Prov. 10. 7. 4. Miseries , whereunto thou art liable in thy Body . As , Hunger and want of Food , Deut. 28. 53. &c. Thrist , and want of Drink . Lam. 4. 4. Breaking or dislocating of bones , Numb . 24. 8. Weaknesses , grievous pains , with sickness and many sorts of Diseases ; Feavers , Agues , Pestilences , &c. Deut. 28. 21 , 22. Cold and nakedness , Ezek 16. 39. Bonds and Imprisonments , Deut. 28. 63. to the end . Perils and dangers by land and water , &c. In thy whole life thou art exposed to Armies of miseries . 6. Thou , in thy Natural state , art subject to death , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and extremity of all these wordly miseries , for thy sinfulness . Rom. 5. 12. and 6. 23. Gen. 2. 16 , 17. with 3. 19. Die thou must , that 's certain ; but when , where , how , &c. that 's most uncertain : and how small a matter may bring thee to thine end ? The bone of a Fish going cross thy throat may choak thee , as it did Tarquinius Priscus : A Raisin-stone may kill thee , as it did Sophocles and Anacreon : An hair in a draught of milk may end thee , as it did Fabius the Senator : The tooth of thy Comb as thou art combing thine head , entring the flesh , may make thy death's wound , as it befel Ruffinus the Consul : A Needle thrust into thy brest by a child born in thiue arms , may hasten thy death , as it befel Lucia , the Daughter of Aurelius . And when Death hath severed soul and body , what shall become of thy soul ? Shall it ascend , or descend ? Shall it live , or shall it die , &c. O , never think , that thou who livedst and diedst without God in this world , shall after death ascend to God , or live with God , in the world to come ! 7. Thou , in thy Natural state , canst not escape the damnation of Hell , but shalt have part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone , which is the second Death , there to be excruciated with torments numberless , easeless , remediless and endless , Mat. 23. 33. Rev. 21. 8. Rom. 6. 23. Gen. 2. 17. Mat. 25. 41 , 46. Iude , verse 7. There , shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth , Mat. 25. 30. There , their worm dieth not , and the fire is not quenched , Mar. 9. 43 , 44. There , not one drop of water from the top of a finger shall be vouchsafed to cool a tormented tongue , Luk. 10. 24 , 25 , 26. There thou shalt have pain of loss , and pain of sense . There thou shalt have plenty and penury ; plenty of torment , penury of comfort . There will be Amissio Coeli , The miss of Heaven , which was often tendered thee , but thou didst refuse : Privatio Terrae , The loss of Earth , which thou hadst , but couldst not keep : Positio Inferni , The Position of Hell , which thou shalt have , and canst not be delivered from it . There will be universality , extremity , eternity of unpityed misery upon thy soul and body , without the least alteration , mitigation and cessation . Oh wretched Natural man ! Might thy torments in Hell be brought to an end , after so many millions of years as there are Stars in Heaven , Atomes in the Air , Dust in the Earth , Drops in the Sea , Grass-piles on the ground , or as there have been moments of time since time begun ; it would be some comfort to thee in enduring them , some hope of being delivered from , them . But this eternity of Death and Torments will quite break thy heart ; would make the very stinging of Ants and Fleas intolerable . Eternity is the very Hell of Hell. One said , k O deadly life ! O immortal death ! What shall I term thee ? Life ? And wherefore then dost thou kill ? Death ? And wherefore then dost thou endure ? There 's neither life nor death but hath something good in it ; for in life there is some ease , and in death an end ; but thou hast neither ease , nor end . What then shall I stile thee ? Even the bitterness of both ; for of death thou hast the torment , without any end , and of life the continuance , without any ease . God hath substracted both from life and from death , all that is good : the residue he hath mixed together , and therewith tempered the torments of Hell. O bitter Cup , which all sinners impenitent shall drink at Gods hand ! This , this , O Natural man , is a brief shadow of thy sinful and wretched condition by Nature . But the one half , the tenth part , is not told thee . O , How can thine heart hold from breaking , thine eyes from dropping , thy bowels from turning within thee ? How canst thou eat or drink with any comfort ? How canst thou slumber or sleep one night in quiet ? How canst thou possess , or go about any worldly thing with delight , whilst thou art ingulfed in this sinful , and woful , Natural condition . II. Direction . BE clearly and fully convinced in thy Conscio●ce , O Natural man , That thou still remainest in this thy sinful and wretched condition , un-converted , un-regenerate , un-renewed , until this present day . That , thou art still in the first Adam , and not as yet transplanted into Christ the last Adam . That , thou art still in thy sinful and miserable state of Nature , and not hitherto translated into an holy and happy state of Grace . That , thou art in thy sins still , 1 Cor. 15. 17. Thou art in the flesh still , Rom. 8. 8. Thou art dead in sins and trespasses still , Eph. 2. 1 , 5. Col. 2. 13. Thou art in darkness , and very darkness it self still , 1 Ioh. 2. 9 , 11. Eph. 5. 8. Thou art an enemy to God still , Rom. 8. 6 , 7. Col. 1. 21. Thou art wholly displeasing to God still , Rom. 8. 8. Finally , That thou art in thy cursed and damned state still , Gal. 3. 10. Ioh. 3. 18 , 36. Here therefore I shall offer to thee chiefly two things for thy most serious consideration , viz. I. That , it is most necessary for thee , O Natural man , to be throughly convinced , That thou still remainest in thy most sinful and wretched state of Nature , even until now . For , 1. Vntil thou beest throughly convinced , O Natural man , that thou still remainest in thy sinful and wretched state of Nature , thou wilt be apt to flatter thy self into a fond and groundless imagination , that thou art in a good spiritual state towards God , especially if thou hast been kept by Gods common restraining grace , from grosser sins , and hast been exercised in some outward acts of Religion and righteousness . Thus the un-convinced Pharisee , though in his un-justified Natural state , had an high opinion of his good spiritual state beyond other men , and beyond the Publican , and bragg'd of it even in his prayer to God , because he avoided some gross sins , and practised some outward duties , Luk. 18. 9. to 15. Thus Paul before his conviction and conversion , thought himself alive once without the Law , by reason of his outward unblameableness , legal priviledges , and external exercises of Religion : but when the Commandement came and convinced him , sin revived and he died . Compare Rom. 7. 9. with Phil. 3. 4 , 5 , 6. Thus the Laodicean Angel had an high opinion of his own good estate , till Christ convinced him of the contrary , and taught him the right way of bettering his condition , Rev. 3. 16 , 17 , 18 , 19. The Natural man's self-opinionateness of his good estate , seals him up incurably in his bad estate . Many might have attained to a great degree of Christianity , if they had not presumed themselves to be Christians good enough already . 2. Vntil thou art fully convinced , O Natural man , that thou still remainest in thy sinful and wretched state of Nature , thou wilt never be kindly humbled for , nor become weary of , thy Natural state . Without conviction , there 's no true sence of sin and misery : without true sence of sin and misery , who will be humbled for it or weary of it ? Conviction , How did it humble Manasses ? 2 Chron. 33. How did it abase Paul ? Act. 9. Who can clearly see his own Natural sinfulness and wretchedness , and not abhor himself as in dust and ashes ? Zech. 12. 10 , &c. 3. Vntil thou beest kindly convinced of thy present sinfulness and wretchedness by Nature , thou wilt never seriously and sincerely seek out for supernatural remedy . When Peter's Hearers were convinced and pricked in heart , then they presently repair to the Apostles , saying , Men and brethren what shall we do ? Act. 2. 36 , 37. When the Iaylor's heart was convinced and shaken as well as the foundations of the Prison , he presently enquires of Paul and Silas , Sirs , what must I do be saved ? Act. 16. 30. There are three steps towards the cure of a sick body , and of a sinful soul , viz. Inveuire morbum , To find out and be convinced of the malady ; Adire medicum , To have recourse to the Physician for direction ; and Applicare medicinam , To apply the medicine for the attaining of recovery . Who will seek to the Physician or apply any remedy , that feels no smart of his malady ? 4. Vntil thou art fully convinced , O Natural man , that thou continuest still in thy Natural sinfulness and wretchedness , thou wilt never repent , and turn from thy sinful estate to God. Till the Prodigal soundly smarted under sence of his sin and misery , he never came to himself , or to a penitent resolution of returning to his Father . But then he comes , and sayes , Father , I have sinned against heaven and before thee — &c. Luke 15. 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 21. Here see , how conviction and lively sense of sin and misery , put him upon serious Consideration : Consideration put him upon penitential Resolution , Return , Repentance , Confession , Reformation , and humble Supplication . 5. Vntil thou , O Natural man , shalt be throughly convinced of the sinfulness and wretchedness of thy present Natural state wherein thou remainest unto this present day , thou never givest an actual entertainment and present welcome in thy soul , unto Jesus Christ and him crucify'd , as the only remedy against this sinfulness and wretchedness of thy Natural condition . 'T is the sense of present pain , that makes the Patient cry out for means of ease till he find it , and having obtained it , how doth be esteem it and delight in it ? 'T is the apprehension of present danger at Sea in a storm , that makes the Passengers cry to God and man to help , Ionah 1. 5 , 6. Psal. 107. 25 , 26 , 27 , 28. and if the storm cease , and the Sea becomes still , that they can come to their desired Haven , Oh how welcome and acceptable is the Haven unto them ! Psal. 107 , 29 , 30. So here ; 'T is the conviction of thy present Natural sinfulness and wretchedness , that makes thee in thy servent desires even thirst and long after Christ , the only Redeemer , vehemently ; and upon obtaining of Christ , makes thee prize him highly , love him dearly , and delight in him most contentedly : As the penitent soul did , in like case , who washed Christs feet with her tears , wiped them with the hairs of her head , kissed them , and annointed them with oyntment , Luk. 7. 37. to the end . Oh , how acceptable is Christs Redemption , to them that feel their bondage under sin and misery ! How amiable is Christs all-sufficiency for salvation , to them that are apprehensive of their sins damnation ! And how precious , sweet and delectable is Christs sin-cleansing and soul-saving blood , to them that are aright convinced of the wormwood , bitterness and gall of their Natural sinfulness and wretchedness ! Ease is alwayes acceptable ; but double acceptable after tormenting pain : Health is alwayes sweet ; but double sweet after long , tedious and tyring sickness : Life is alwayes pleasant ; but to have returned from the brink of the grave to life again , is a double life . Thus , O Natural man , it appears plainly , how necessary and advantageous it is for thee to be convinced , of the sinfulness and wretchedness of thy Natural state , wherein thou still remainest even until now . II. How , and by what Discoveries , thou maist be clearly convinced , O Natural man , that thou still remainest in thy sinful and wretched state of Nature , in the first Adam ; comes now to be considered , and to be considered by thee most seriously . Know thou therefore , O man , O woman , whoever thou art , That the great God hath , in his faithful Word , certainly discovered and declared , every one , and consequently thy self in particular , to be and remain still in the Natural state of sin and misery : If these ensuing notes and characters of a state of sin and misery do certainly belong to them and to thee , viz. 1. If thou art without God in the world , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Eph. 2. 12. compared with verse 3. wherein the Apostle intimates ; That the Ephesians , while in their sinful and wretched state of Nature , were without God in the world , and while without God in the world , they were children of wrath , even as others . Art thou not without God ? Where 's the divine Nature ? 2 Pet. 1. 4. Where Gods Image ? Eph. 4. 24. Col. 1. 10. Where the life of God ? Eph. 4. 18. 2. If thou art still without Christ , [ that at that time ( i. e. while in your Natural state ) ye were without Christ ] Eph. 2. 12. with verse 3. Christless men are Godless men , for it is by Christ , as the way , whereby we come unto God as the end , Ioh. 14. 6. Heb. 7. 25. And Godless men are graceless men , sinful , wretched men ; for God alone is the Author of all grace , 1 Pet. 5. 10. Eph. 2. 8. Art not without God ? Then is Christ thine Head and Husband to guide thee ? Eph. 5. 22 , 24. Thy Lord and King to rule thee ? Col. 2. 6. Thy Christ to annoint thee ? 1 Ioh. 2. 20 , 27. Thine Inhabitant to dwell in thee ? Eph. 3. 17. 3. If thou art still without the Spirit of God , and of Christ inhabiting in thee . Remarkable is that of the Apostle — Ye are not in the flesh , but in the Spirit , if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you . Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ , he is none of his , Rom. 8. 9. Here the Apostle intimates , 1. That , the Spirit of God , and the Spirit of Christ , is one and the same Spirit . 2. That , to be Christs , and to be in the Spirit , amounts in effect to the same thing . 3. That , they who have the Spirit of God and of Christ dwelling in them , are not in the flesh , ( i. e. in their sinful and wretched state of Nature ) but in the Spirit , ( i. e. in a spiritual , holy , and happy state of grace . And 4. That , they who have not the Spirit of Christ , are none of Christs , are not in the Spirit , but in the flesh , i. e. in their sinful and wretched state of Nature . Now , they have not the Spirit of God , and of Christ , ( 1 ) Who are Unregenerate and Unrenewed . For the Spirit of God , and of Christ is a Regenerating Spirit , Ioh. 3. 5 , 6. 8. A Renewing Spirit , Tit. 3. 5. He renews the whole man , in part . All things become New. 2 Cor. 5. 17. ( 2 ) Who are Unsanctified and Unholy . For the Spirit of God and of Christ is an Holy Spirit , Psal. 5. 111. Eph. 1. 13. and 4. 30. The Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 13. 14. Tit. 3. 5. 2. Pet. 1. 21. 1 Ioh. 5. 7. Iude vers . 20. And all those that are builded by the Spirit for an Habitation of God , are by him made an Holy Temple in the Lord , Ephes. 2. 21. 22. 1 Cor. 3. 16. 17. And this Holy Spirit is the peculiar and immediate Author of Sanctification and Holiness to all Gods Elect , 1 Pet. 1. 2. A Spirit of Grace . Zech. 12. 10. ( 3 ) Who are grossly ignorant of the Spiritual things of God , So as not to receive them , but to count them foolishness . 1 Cor. 2. 14. Eph. 4. 18. For , The Spirit of God and of Christ is A Spirit of Truth , leading unto all Truth , Ioh. 16. 13. A Spirit of wisdom and Revelation for the knowledge and acknowledging of the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephes , 1. 17. &c. ( 4 ) Who are not of Gods own family , are not his Adopted children nor are furnished with Filial Confidence , Fear , Love , Obedience , and other Child-like Properties . For , The Spirit of God and of Christ is a Spirit of Adoption where he dwells , Rom. 8. 15. Confirmin●g their Sonship , and assuring them of their Adopted State , 1. As a Witness Rom. 8. 16. 2. As a Seal , Ephes. 1. 13. 3. As an Earnest of their Inheritance , Ephes. 1. 14. And 4. As a first-fruits , Rom. 8. 23. 5. Who are prayer-less persons , wholly unable with filial faith , zeal and affection , to cry , Abba Father . For the Spirit of God and of Christ is a Spirit of prayer , a Spirit of grace and supplication , Zech 12. 10. enabling Gods children to cry fervently , Abba Father , Rom. 8. 15. and the Spirit helps our prayer - infirmities , when we know not what to pray for as we ought . For he maketh intercession for us , ( viz. by enabling us to intercede for our selves ) with unutterable groans , ( i. e. with unutterable desires and longings of soul ) Rom. 8. 26 , 27. 4. If thou art still without the immediate , fundamental , and saving effects of the Spirits of God and of Christ , viz. Regeneration , Ioh. 3. 3 , 5 , 6 , 8. Renovation , Tit. 3. 5. New Creation in Christ , Eph. 2. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Conversion from sin and Satan to God , Act. 26. 18. Effectual vocation , 2 Thes. 2. 13 , 14. 2 Cor. 6. 1 , 2. Ioh. 6. 44. And Sanctification , 1 Pet. 1 , 2. 2 Thes. 2. 13. By which Gods Spirit brings sinners out of the state of Nature : Then art still in the sinful and wretched state of Nature . 5. If thou art still unbelieving , without faith unfeigned , as by Nature all are , Tit. 1. 15. 2 Thes. 3. 2. And having no hope , no well-grounded hope of salvation and happiness by Christ , in this or the world to come , as is the condition of all in state of Nature , Eph. 2. 12. Then thou remainest in the state of Nature to this hour . 6. If thou continuest still impenitent and un-reformed to this day , not turned from darkness to light , nor from the power of Satan to God , Act. 26. 18. Col. 1. 13. Thou art still in thy sinful and wretched state of Nature . For by repentance God brings men unto himself , into a spiritual , supernatural state of life , holiness and happiness , Act. 2. 38. and 5. 31. and 26. 18. — Repentance unto life , Act. 11. 18. Ezek. 18. 30 , 31 , 32. 7. If thou dost habitually and primarily mind the things of the flesh . If thy thoughts , contrivances , designs , &c. are chiefly about carnal and worldly things , how to grow great , rich , &c. but seldom or never mindest the things of the Spirit , how to obtain Christ , how to be saved , how to make thy calling and election sure , how to make Heaven sure , how to walk with God , &c. Then thou art still after the flesh , Rom. 8. 5 , &c. 8. If thy mind and wisdom be enmity against God , and cannot endure to be subject to the Law of God , then it is carnal , Rom. 8. 7. Col. 1. 21. The Natural mans mind is so set upon sinful principles and wicked works , that it cannot choose but hate God and his Law that utterly condemn them . 9. If thou art not a lover , but a hater of Gods people , in whom Gods image appears and shines forth . He that hateth his brother , is in darkness , ( viz. in the darkness of a sinful and miserable state by Nature ) and walketh in darkness , 1 Joh. 2. 9 , 19 , 11. — He that loveth not his brother , abideth in death . Whosoever hateth his brother , ( i. e. his Christian brother , for God , Christ , Grace , Godliness , &c. in him , ) is a Murderer : and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him , 1 Ioh. 3. 14 , 15. 10. If thou art under the Power of darkness , Col. 1. 13. The Natural man is not only Dark in the Concreet but Darkness itself in the Abstract , Eph. 5. 18. He is so dark , that he is all darkness , and nothing but darkness , therefore he is under the raign and power of it , so that he cannot by any ability of his own Extricate or deliver himself out of it . The Natural man is under the power of a threefold Darkness . viz. ( 1 ) The darkness of Sin , Sins are works of Darkness , Eph. 5. 11. The State of Sin is a state of darkness . Such are dead in Sins and trespasses : and as dead , they are overwhelmed with darkness , dwelt in darkness . Eph. 2. 1. 5. ( 2 ) The darkness of Ignorance . This in part is that darkness that blinds the Eyes of Natural man , 1 Ioh. 2. 11. So that he cannot receive the things of God , they are Foolishness to him , neither can he know them ; because they are Spiritually discerned , 1 Cor. 2. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11. 14. The Gospel is hid to them that are lost , the God of this world having blinded the minds of them that believe not , least the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them . 2 Cor. 3 , 4. ( 3 ) The Darkness of misery , by reason of his Sinfulness . The Scripture frequently expresseth misery under the Notion of Darkness which is very uncomfortable and dreadful : As , the Miseries in this life , Psal. 88. 6. and 107. 10. In death , Iob. 10. 21 , 22. In Hell , wher 's utter Darkness , Mat. 22. 13. and 25. 30. Blackness of darkness for ever Iude vers . 13. Everlasting chains under darkness , Iude 6. The Natural man being a child of wrath , Eph. 2 , 3. having the wrath of God abiding on him , and being condemned already , Ioh. 3. 18. 36 may well be said to be under the power of darkness . 11. If thou art under the Power of Satan hitherto , thou art still in thy Sinful and wretched State of Nature . For every man Naturally is under Satan's Power and dominion , till he be supernaturally converted unto God. Act. 26. 18. Hence Satan is called , The Father of such , Ioh. 8. 44. The Prince of this world , Ioh. 14. 30. The Prince of this power of the Air , the spirit that effectually worketh in the children of disobedience , Eph. 2. 2. The God of this world , 2. Cor. 4. 4. Now thou art under the power of Satan . ( 1 ) While Satan blinds thine eyes , so that the Gospel is hid to thee . Is a mystry , a Paradox , to thee , &c. — left the glorious Light of the Gospel should shine unto thee . 2 Cor. 4. 4. ( 2 ) While thou art an Unbeliever , 2 Cor. 4. 4. ( 3 ) While thou art 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a son , or Child of Disobedience . Gr. of Vnpersuadeableness , Eph. 2. 2. who are most disobedient to God , Christ and his Spirit . Unperswadeable by his word , Promises , &c. to repent , believe , &c. ( 4 ) While thou art acted , and energetically wrought upon by the Spirit that is the Prince of the Power of the a yr . Ephes. 2. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit now energetically-working , or effectually working . He effectually works in such , when he prevails with his Temptations over them , when he attains his will upon them , &c. ( 5 ) While thou art resolvedly set and determined willfully , to do the lusts of the Devil , Ioh. 8. 44. ( 6 ) While thou art held in the Snare of the Devil , and held Captive by him at his will , 2 Tim. 2. 26. Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Taken alive , It seems to be a Metaphor , from Captains and Conquerors , who in war take their Enemies alive , carry them away in triumph , and use them as they please : Or from Huntsmen , who take their Prey wild beasts alive , and do with them as they list . So Satan deals with the Natural man , while under his power , he wholly enters him , orders him , acts him , by his Suggestions as he will. 12. If thou art dead in Sins and Trespasses , and not as yet quickned by Christ , Eph. 2. 1. 5. Col. 2. 13. thou art hitherto in thy Sinful and wretced State of Nature . To be dead in Sin and Trespasses is to be Spiritually dead , while thou art Naturally alive . And art not thou Spiritually dead ? Are not the Tokens of Spiritual Death clearly upon thee ? ( 1 ) Art not thou quite destitute of the Fountain and Root of all Spiritual life to the Soul ? Christ is the Fountain of all Spiritual Life , being united to the Soul by Faith , Gal. 2. 20. Ioh. 11. 25 , 26. As the Soul is the Fountain of Natural Life being u●●ted to the body ▪ the body is dead , when without the Soul : Iam. 2. 26. So the Soul is dead in every Natural man , while he is without Christ. Eph. 2. 1. 5. 12. ( 2 ) Art thou not wholly destitute of any spiritual sense rightly to discern and receive the things of God ? 1 Cor. 2. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 14. And where there 's no Soul , there 's no life . ( 3 ) Art thou not utterly destitute of Spiritual Breath ? viz. The sacred breathings of strong cryes and groans , ●ervent desires and prayers , crying Abba Father ? This is their breath , that are spiritually alive , Rom. 8 , 15. — 26 , 27. No sooner was Saul ▪ converted and quickned by Christ : but the Lord told Ananias ; — behold he prayeth , Act 9. 11. Breath and Life come and go together . Gen. 2. 7. Psal. 104. 29. If thou art without this spiritual breathing , this Spirit of Prayer , thou art without the Spirit of Life from Christ , and remainest dead in Sin. ( 4 ) Art thou not without all vital Heat and Spirit , warmth of heart , desire , love , and all good affections towards God , Christ , his people , and his wayes : and even stone-cold as to all matters of Religion , Devotion , divine Worship , as carnal men use to be ? Rev. 3. 15 , 16 Then thou art not only mortally ●ick ; but quite dead in Sin , stretched-out , and ready to be buried in the infernal pit . As where there 's Natural warmth in the body , there 's life : where nothing but Coldness , there 's Death . 13 ▪ If thou art still an habitual worker of iniquity , A Tradesman in sin : Thou art still in thy Natural state and Condition . Such Christ will not at all own , but eternally reject at the last day . Mat. 7. 23. ●Tis one thing to sin , or slip into sin accidently ; another to trade in sin constantly , habitually , and to yield up his members as tools of unrighteousness unto Sin. Rom. 6. 12 , 13. &c. 14 , Finally , Thou art still in thy meer Natural sinful state , if in the whole course of thy life thou walkest according to the Course of this World ; The Lusts and wills of the Flesh , The suggestions , Temptations and operations of the Devil . All such are dead in sin , and by Nature Children of wrath . See all this most fully in Eph. 2. 1 , 2 , 3. III. Direction . COnsider often with all Ser●●usness , D Natural Man , That living and dying in this thy Sinful and wretched Condition of Nature , thou 〈◊〉 utterly lost both Body and Soul for evermore : And caust not expect any other portion after this present momentary Life , than everlasting Torments in unquenchable Fire with the Devil and his Angels . Compare diligently , Ephes. 2. 1 , 2 , 3. Luk. 13. 3. 5. and Ioh. 3. 36. with Mat. 25. 41. to the end . Luk. 16. 24. Iude 7. Math. 9. 43 , 44. As was formerly l intimated . Here therefore , O Sinful and wretched Natural Man , I beseech thee let these 2 things sink deep into thine heart , viz. 1. That , Thou living and dying in this thy Natural State , shalt certainly perish both Body and Soul in Everlasting torments in Fire Prepared for the Devil and his Angels . Math. 25. 41. For , 1. If thou livest and diest in thy Natural State of Sin , Thou livest and diest Without Christ and without Hope , Eph. 2. 1. 2. with vers . 12. Christless and Hopeless . And therefore Hopeless , because Christless : For Jesus Christ is our Hope , i. e. The sure foundation of all our Hope of Salvation , 1. Tim. 1. 1. What ? Christless ? How then canst thou be saved ? Who ever was , or can be saved without Christ ? Act. 4 : 11. 12. And Hopeless too ? yes . For , who can once expect or look for Salvation by Christ , without Hope ? 2. If thou livest and diest in thy Sinful and wretched state of Nature , Then thou livest and diest a most Cursed Creature , Gal. 3. 10. and A Child of wrath , even as others , Eph. 2. 1. 2. 3. what ? Cursed ? For what ? For that thou continuest not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them , Gal. 3. 10. because thou doest not perform , as is thy duty , perfect , perpetual , personal obedience to all things in Gods Law , which , nor thou , nor any meer man since Adam's Fall , could ever perform . ( 2 : ) To what art thou cursed ? 1. To pains of Loss and Sense , Mat. 25. 41. Depart ye cursed — There 's pains of Loss . Depart from Christ , from the only Redeemer , Gal. 3. 13. From the only All-sufficient Saviour , Heb. 7. 25. From the one only Mediator betwixt God and man , 1 Tim. 2. 5. From the only way unto the Father , Ioh. 14. 6. From the hope and consolation of Israel , &c. 1 Tim. 1. 1. Luk. 2. 25. Oh! who can so depart from Christ , and that for ever , and not be cursed ? 2. To pains of Sense : Depart into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels . What , into fire ? What is more sharp and tormenting to the Sense , then fire ? Into everlasting fire ? Then no hopes of relaxation or deliverance thence , after millions and ten thousand millions of years , &c. Everlasting , kills the soul. Oh! who can dwell with everlasting burnings ? Into everlasting fire prepared ? Prepared by God. Tophet is ordained of old , — he hath made it deep and large , the pile thereof is fire and much wood , the breath of the LORD like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it , Isa. 3. 33. And if God have prepared it , whose wisdom , power , justice , wrath , &c. are infinite , how dreadful is that Preparation ! No men , Angels or Creatures , can make such Preparation . Prepared for the Devil and his Angels . Oh what a dreadful preparation must that needs be ! What ? To be everlastingly racked with the Devil and his Angels ; the worst of all society ? To be everlastingly tormented in fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels ? What an aggravation will this be of these infernal fiery torments ? No torments in the world like these torments . ( 3. ) And by whom art thou , and shalt thou be thus dreadfully cursed ? By the glorious and living God , in his Word , Gal. 3. 10. And by the Lord Jesus Christ , at the great day , Mat. 25. 41. O dismal , soul-damning Curse ! What Natural man , so dying , can escape it , or endure it ? Whom God and Christ curseth , they are cursed ; whom God and Christ blesseth , they are blessed indeed . 3. If thou livest and diest in thy sinful and wretched state of Nature , Thou wilt be eternally shut out from God , Christ , and all the Blessed Saints and Angels , unto the Devil , his Angels and Reprobates ; from Heaven , to Hell ; from light , to darkness ; from joy , to grief ; from mercy , to misery ; from happiness , to unhappiness ; from life , to death ; from all good , into a conflux of all evil . Compare Mat. 18. 3. Ioh. 3. 3 , 5. 1 Cor. 6. 9 , 10. Gal. 5. 19 , 20 , 21. with Mat. 23. 33. Rev. 21. 8. Mat. 25. 41 , 46. II. That , There 's weighty cause why these thoughts and Considerations should strike deep into thy heart , and dwell there . For , 1. This Life is the only season and seed-time of grace , for obtaining of salvation , and preventing of damnation . Behold , now is the accepted time , now is the day of salvation , 2 Cor. 6. 2. Now is the time of repenting , turning to God , believing in Christ , of laying up for our selves treasures in Heaven , &c. Act. 17. 30. Eccl. 12. 1. Mat. 6. 20. Therefore to day if thou wilt hear his voice , harden not thy heart , Heb. 3. 7 , 8 , 15. Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do , do it with thy might ; for there is no work , nor device , nor knowledge , nor wisdom in the grave whither thou g●est , Eccl. 9. 10. As the Tree falls , to Heaven or Hell , so it will lye till the last day . 2. This present life of thine ( which is the only seed-time of grace and salvation ) is most frail and short . Thou hast here no continuing City ; happy wert thou , didst thou by faith unfaigned seek one to come . A City that bath foundations , whose builder and maker is god , Heb. 3. 13 , 14. with 11. 9 , 10. We are all strangers before God , and sojourners , as all our Fathers were , 1 Chron. 29. 15. Man born of a woman , is but short of dayes , and full of trouble , Job 14. 1. Mans Life is of no long computation , at most , in ordinary dispensation , but 70 or 80 years , Psal. 90. 10. And what 's that to eternity ? Thy Life is but a few years , Job 16. 22. Moneths of number , Job 14. 5. A f●w and evil dayes , Gen. 47. 9. An Hirelings day , which at most is but 12 hours , Iob 14. 6. As nothing , before God. Surely every max at his best estate is altogether vanity , Selah , Psal. 39. 5. O , with what pathetical similitudes doth the Holy Ghost represent the vanity and brevity of mans Life ! Mans Life here is but a vapour , appearing and disappearing , Iam. 4. 14. A wind , that blows and goes , Iob 7. 7. A flower , that flourisheth and fades , Psal. 103. 16 , 17. Iob. 14. 2. A fable or tale told , almost as soon forgot as told , Psal. 90. 9. A flood , speedily flowing night and day , never returning , Psal , 90. 5. A watchin the night , but 3 hours long , Psal. 90. 4. A sleep , insensibly gone , Psal. 90. 5. A shadow , or show , without substance and reality , Iob. 14. 2. Psal. 39. 6. Such is thy Life , O Natural man , thy day spends apace , thy night hastens wherein thou canst not work . Up and be doing : The journey to Heaven is a long and difficult way ; to fit thy self for Heaven is a great work . Lose not an inch , a moment of time , lest it be too late . This day is thy flourishing , to morrow may be thy funeral : So it was with that graceless fool , Luk. 12. 20. This night thou sleepest in thy bed , ere many nights come thou maist sleep in thy grave . And then , if thy heavenly work be not done , thou art eternally undone . 3. Thy Death is sure , Heb. 9. 27. Iob 14. 5. 2 Sam. 14. 14. The dismal winter doth not more certainly pursue the summer and autumn , the darksome night not more infallibly and speedily drive away the day , then thine unexpected Death will thy momentany Life . Thy Death is then most certain , and most uncertain thing in the world : most certain that it will come ; most uncertain when , where , how , it will come upon thee . Thy last day is concealed from thee , that every day it may be expected by thee . m Be alwayes in readiness for God and Christ , lest Death surprize thee , and so thou be shut out with the 5 foolish virgins , and the impenitent thief , Mar. 25. 10 , 11 , 12. Luk. 23. 39 , 40 , 41. 4. Upon thy Death , O Natural man , Gods impartial judgement , and infernal torments , will immediately pass upon thy soul , Heb. 9. 27. Luk. 16. 22 , 23 , 24. And upon both body and soul at the great day of the LORD , Mat. 25. 41 , 46. 2 Thes. 1. 7 , 8. And Oh how intolerable , incurable , and undeterminable will they be ! as hath been intimated . 5. Finally , It were a thousand pities , that thy precious and immortal soul , O' Natural man , should ever come into that place of torments . For , 1. Was not thy sould a spark of immortality , which no mortals nor meer creatures can possibly kill and destroy ? Mat. 10. 28. 2. Was not thy soul , in its first Creation , the principal receptacle and subject of the blessed Image of God ? Gen. 1. 26 , 27. 3. Is not thy soul still the seat of all thy reason , understanding , sense , motion , strength , beauty , &c. and the very rise and guide of thy whole body , without which it is no better than a dead , senseless , helpless , useless , worthless , organized lump of earth ? 4. Is not thy soul thy most precious jewel , of more true worth and invaluable consequence to thee , then any thing in the world , then the whole world besides ? Christ who best knew the souls true value , said ; What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world , and lose his own soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? Mat. 16. 26. And wilt thou hazard this thy precious soul unto infernal torments for ever , for a few rotten pleasures of sin for a season ? Now then , O Natural man , think seriously of all these things . Dost thou believe them ? Canst thou really be perswaded in thy conscience , that , living and dying in this thy Natural state , infernal torments for ever and ever will inevitably be thy portion ? And is this a condition for thee to rest in ? Is this a state wherein thou canst rejoyce , that art every day in danger to tumble headling into Hell ? Is there so small a distance betwixt thee and Death eternal , even a short span or moment of a temporary life , and wilt thou not yet come out of Egypt ? O , amend ( said n Augustine ) while thou canst ; cry to God Almighty while thou hast time ; lament while thou hast space ; repent while thou hast leave ; make hast while thou canst , while thy soul is in thy body , while thou livest seek out for remedy , before the huge deep swallow thee up ▪ and before that woful Hell snatch thee away , where there is no indulgence , whence none return to receive remission . From which punishment the gracious God vouchsafe to deliver us . So he , pathetically . IV. Direction . DAily and deeply revolve in thy mind , How few they are that are effectually recovered out of their Natural state of sin and misery , in comparison of the innumerable multitudes that die and perish therein everlastingly . That this is so , is evident ; 1. By the express words of our Blessed Saviour : Enter ye in at the strait gate , for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction , and many there be which go in thereat : How strait is the way which leadeth unto life , and few there be that find it , Mat. 7. 13 , 14. What is this broad way leading to destruction , but the sinful and wretched way of the world , the flesh , and the Devil ? Who are those many which go in thereat , but all those that live and die in their sinful and wretched state of Nature ? What is that strait way leading unto life , but the way of God , by Christ , through faith ? Who those few that find this strait way , but those that are converted from darkness to light , &c. Act. 26. 18. So then how few are the saved , in comparison of the multitudes that perish ! 2. By the paucity of those that were saved of old under the Old Testament , from the dayes of the first Adam , till the death of Jesus Christ the last Adam . For , 1. From Adam till Moses the Church of God was only domestical , confined within certain Families succeeding one another , as within the Families of the 10 Patriarchs before the Flood , Adam , Seth , &c. and within the Families of the 12 Patriarchs after the Flood . Now during this time , which was above 2400 years , how few were recovered out of their sinful and wretched state of Nature ! For , how few were within the Church of God , in comparison of them that were without ? And those that were without the Church , and so died , may generally be supposed to have perished in their Natural state of sin and misery , which were far the greatest number of the whole world . For , 1. When in the dayes of Noah , God brought the Flood of waters upon the old world , to destroy all flesh that breathed , Gen. 6. 13 , &c. and 7. 21 , 22 , 23. the world of the ungodly , ( as Peter stiles them , 2 Pet. 2. 5. ) was drowned , when only one Family of Noah , in the whole world , consisting but of 8 souls , were saved in the Ark , Gen. 6. 18. and 7. 7. with 1 Pet. 3. 20. And of these 8 one was a wretched and cursed Cham , that mocked at his own Fathers nakedness , Gen. 9. 21 , 22 , 24 , 25. 2. When God overthrew the Cities of Sodom , Gomorrha , Admah and Zeboim , he found not 10 righteous persons in all those Cities , for then he would have spared all for those tens sakes , Gen. 18. 32. Only 4 persons , viz. righteous Lot , with his Wife and 2 Daughters , escaped the dreadful showers of fire and brimstone , Gen. 19. 15 , 16. And one of these 4 , for looking back , viz. Lot's Wife , was turned into a pillar of salt ; to season mens unsavoury lusts after worldly things , as Augustine o intimates . 3. In Iob's time ( Iob is conceived to be of Abraham by Keturah , by p some ; his descent and time is variously reported by others , as I have elsewhere q shewed ; but generally he is thought to have lived in the times of the Patriarchs by most ) Satan had so over-run the whole earth , that none in the earth , ( i. e. very few , or none in visible and conspicuous manner ) were found righteous , fearing God and eschewing evil , forsaking the Idols of Egypt , as Iob did , Iob 1. 1 , 7 , 8. and 2. 2 , 3. 2. From Moses till Christs Death , the Church of God became National , but was confined only to one Nation , among all the Nations of the world , viz. the Nation of the Iews , which were not moe in number then any people , but the fewest of all people , Exod. 19. 5 , 6. 1 Pet. 2 , 9. Deut. 7. 6 , 7. Therefore , few in comparison , were , during that time , recovered out of the state of sin and misery by nature . Salvation was only of the Iews , Joh. 4. 22. And of such few Proselytes of other Nations as came in and joyned themselves to the people of the God of Abraham , Psal. 47. 9. All others were as forreigners and strangers they , the Commonwealth of Israel , and houshold of God , Eph. 2. 12 , 13 , 19. All other were reputed no people , as having not obtained mercy ; no special saving mercy , they , the people of the living God , that had obtained mercy , 1 Pet. 2. 9 , 10. All others were accounted as dogs ; they , the children , Mat. 15. 26. And yet all the Jews were not plucked out of their Natural state of sin and misery ▪ and saved . For they are not all Israel , which are of Israel , Rom. 9. 6. And though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea , a remnant shall be saved , Rom. 9. 27. A remnant is but a small number to the rest . Consider well ; 1. All the men of Israel , able for war , from 20 years old and upwards , were numbred in the wilderness to be 603550 , Numb . 1. 46 , 47. besides the Levites ; and all these , save Caleb and Ioshuah , for their unbelief and murmuring against God , and the promised Land , were destroyed in the wilderness , Numb 14 1 , 2 , &c. verse 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30. to 39. 1 Cor. 10. 10. Heb. 3. 17 , 18 , 19. Iude 5. 2. Many of them also for their other wickedness were overthrown in the wilderness , 1 Cor. 10. 5. to 12. 3 In the dayes of the Iudges , they , even the generality of them fell away from Gods true Religion and worship , unto heathenish Idolatries , and that frequently , therefore God often gave them up into the hands of several sorts of oppressors , Iudg. 2. 11. to 16. 4. In the dayes of Ieroboam , 10 Tribes of the 12 apostatized from God , and fell to the Idolatry of the Calves in Dan and Bethel , and at last were carried captive into Assyria for their wickedness ; and the Scripture makes no mention of their return , 1 King. 12. 28. to the end , and 19. 14 , 18. 2 King. 17. 3. to 24. 5. The two Tribes of Iudah and Benjamin remaining , grew very wicked from time to time , especially in the reigns of wicked Kings : insomuch that at last the face of all things in the Church was so corrupt , that both the King , Priests and people grew to such an height of impiety , that there was no remedy , and God gave them into the hand of the Chaldeans , who destroyed them without pity , and carried them captive to Babylon , where they were in thraldom 70 years together , 2 Chron. 36. 11. to 22. 6. Many of the Jews after their return from the Babylonish Captivity , whereby they should have been reformed , fell into sundry offences in the dayes of Nehemiah , which he endeavoured to reform ; as , most oppressive Usury , Neh 5. 7 , &c. Prophanations of the Sabbath-day , Neh. 13. 15. to 23. Marriages with Wives of Ashdod , Ammon and Moab , Neh. 13. 23 , &c. 7. Finally , In the dayes of Antiochus , the whole face of Religion was miserably corrupted , and the conscientious were cruelly persecuted , 1 Mac. 1. 45. to the end . And when our Blessed Saviour became incarnate , the whole affairs of Religion lay miserably prostrate and defaced . See Mat. 5. and 6 , and 7 , and 15 , and 23. Now , all these things Considered , How few can we rationally imagine to have been plucked out of their sinful and wretched state of Nature , when iniquity so abounded in the Church ! 3. By the Scarcity of the Truth , Life , and Power of Godliness and Christianity , even in the Visible Churches of Christ , now under the New Testament : the fewness of those that are effectually recovered out of their Natural state of Sin and misery may further appear . For , 1. In our Blessed Saviours dayes , as the Scribes and Pharisees had in a manner engrossed all Religion to themselves , as is none were Religious but they , Luk. 18. 9. &c. Phil. 3. 5. Act. 26. 5. So the whole Religion of the Scribes and Pharisees stood in outward Forms , hypocritical appearances , &c. Rather then in any sincere Realities , Math. 6. 2. 5. 16. and 15. 2. to 10. and 23 , 2 , to 8 , 13. to 34. and therefore our Saviour tells his hearers plainly ; That Except their Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ; they shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven , Mat. 5. 20. 2. The Apostle Paul hath prophecied of perillous times to come in the last dayes , viz. That men shall cloak and shelter their many notorious abominations , under a form of Godliness , denying the Power thereof , 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 , 3 , 4 , 5. 3. In the New Testament we are oft informed how rare and precious true Religion is . As , That , Christs flock is but a little flock , Luk. 12. 32. That , of the ten Virgins , the one half were foolish , having lamps of Profession , no Oil of Grace in them , Math. 25. 1. &c. That , in the flower of the Church , as there is Wheat , so there is Chaff , and more Chaff than Wheat , Mat. 3. 12. That , of four sorts of Hearers , there are three naught . Mat. 13. Luk. 8. And , that it is very observable , If out of the Visible Church you take away , All the notoriously Prophane , All the meer Moral and Civil honest men , All the gross Hypocrites whose hypocrisy half an eye may discern , all the privy close Hypocrites who know themselves to be Hypocrites , and all formal Hypocrites or Temporary believers that believe only for a time , Luk. 8. 13. Mat. 13. 20 , 21. the Residue will be very few , in Comparison , that are plucked by the hand of Heaven out of their Natural state of Sin and misery , and thereby prepared for eternal felicity . V. Direction . EArnestly and Effectually lay to heart , O Natural Man , How happy it would be for thy poor Soul , to he one of those few recovered out of the Sinful and wretched state of Nature ; rather then one of those many that live and die and so perish therein eternally , Luk , 13. 24. Mat ▪ 7. 13 , 14. O , do not follow a multitude to do evil , Exod. 23. 2. To walk according to the Course of this World ; to do , as most do ; to swim down the Common stream ; &c , is the Natural man's way and delight , Eph. 2. 1 ; 2 , 3. But 't is no safe way . The broad way hath most Company , but the worst issue , Destruction : The Narrow way hath fewest passengers , but the best Event , eternal life . Mat. 7. 13. 14. Will it not be infinitely better for thee , To be converted with afew , then to remain carnal with a Multitude ? To be Justified , adopted , acquitted at last day , and eternally saved with a few ; rather then to be held guilty , cast out of Gods family , condemned at the last day , and eternally tormented with the greatest multitude ? will it be any ease to thy 〈◊〉 , to be tormented with the greater Company : when the numerousness of the Tormented will but augment and aggravate one anothers torments ? Oh it will be far happier for thee , to be in Abraham's bosom with one Lazarus , then to be tormented in infernal Flames with Dives and all his five brethren , Luk. 16. 23. 28. and with all the ungodly of the World. VI. Direction FUlly be convinced , O Natural Man , How impossible a thing it is for thee or for any of the Sons of Adam , to be effectually brought out of this Sinful and wretched state of Nature , into an holy and happy state of Grace , by any ability or sufficiency of our own , or by the Sole Assistance or influence of any meer Creature in the whole world . This is a point of great Consequence . For clearing of it I shall endeavour to shew , 1 , what Natural man cannot do for delivering himself out of his Sinful and wretched state of Nature . 2. What he can and ought to do , 3. How , for not doing , what he can and ought to do he shall justly perish for ever . I , Natural man in order to his effectual Recovery out of his Sinful and wretched state of Nature , cannot do these things following . O Natural man thou canst do none of these things , viz. 1. Thou canst not Circumcise thineheart from its natural filthiness , Deut. 30. 16. nor take away thine heart of Stone , canst not remove the natural hardness of thine heart in unbelief , impenitency , and Sin : Nor free thy self from thy Death in Sins and trespasses . This is Gods peculiar work , Ezek. 36. 26. Eph 2. 1. 5. 2. Thou canst not furnish thy self with the Spirit of God , the Spirit of Grace , of Regeneration , of Renovation : nor with the Principle and Habits of Grace infused into the Soul , as Repentance unto Life , Faith unto Salvation , &c. These are not of ourselves , they are the proper Gifts of God , See Zech. 12. 10. Ezek 36. 26 , 27. Act. 11. 18. and 5. 31. Eph. 2. 8. 3. Thou canst not Actuate , Exert and draw into Exercise the Principles and Habits of Divine Grace already infused and instilled into thy Soul : but by Gods special assisting and Co-operating Grace . Turn thou me , and I shall be turned , — Surely after that I was turned , I repented — . Ier. 31. 18 , 19. — It is God that worketh in us ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both to will , and to do , of his good pleasur● ▪ Phil. 2. 13. Christ said ; — without me ye can do nothing Ioh. 15. 5. Paul acknowledgeth ; — not that we are ●ufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves : but our sufficiency is of God. 2. Cor. 3. 5. Of God we must have Preventing Grace , that we may will : Subsequent Grace , that we may not will in vain . In r Augustines judgement , they are most sharply and vehemently to be resisted , who think , that without the help of God , by the very force of Humane will , they are able either to perfect righteousness , or to profit in tending thereunto . And elsewhere he speaks notably of Gods Preventing and following Grace ; — He prevents us , that we may be healed : He will follow us , that being healed we may grow . He prevents us , that we may be called : He follows us , that we may be glorified . He prevents us , that we may live piously : He follows us , that we may live with him perpetually . For , without him we can do nothing . s 6. Thou canst not subdue the reign and dominion of thy sins , casting them as into the depths of the Sea , mortifying them and crucifying them , Mi● . 7. 19. Rom. 8. 13. Gol. 3. 5. Nor canst thou finally purge and cleanse thy self so compleatly from all incident corruption , that neither spot nor wrinckle nor any such thing may remain . Eph. 5. 25 , 26 , 27. These are the singular works of God and of Jesus Christ by his Spirit , with , or without the means of Grace . 4. Thou canst not by any power of thine own , or by the help of any creature , Come unto Christ , so as to accept him for thine only Saviour ; nor by Christ unto God , as thy God in Covenant : Except God himself , the Father of Jesus Christ draw thee . Ioh. 6. 44. But if he please effectually to draw thee , to draw thy mind , thy Conscience , T●y will , Thine Heart and Affections , then thou shalt not only come to him , but even run after him . Cant 1. 4. 5. Thou canst not of thy self seriously and sincerely , so as thereby to please God , so much as will or desire Jesus Christ , and God in him , in order to thine eternal happiness . For , 'T is God that works in us to will as well as to do , Phil. 2. 13. 'T is Gods Spirit that puts desires and groans into the heart : For , we know not what to pray for as we ought , what to will or desire as we ought , &c. Rom. 8. 26. 27. 2. Finally , Thou canst not of thyself do that which may be acceptable unto God , nor bring forth fruit unto God , without Christs special influence and assistance . Ioh. 15. 4 , 5. Philip. 2. 13. Now then , O Natural man , seeing these things are utterly beyond the sphear of thine activity , 1. Presume not that thou canst be thine own Saviour or Deliverer out of thy Sinful and wretched state of Nature , by any Vniversal Grace or Freedom of will. 2. But deny thy self and all thy self-sufficiencies in this point utterly . 3. Seek for Recovery out of thy Natural state of Sin and misery , from the omnipotent God alone . II. A meer Natural man , notwithstanding , is able to do many things and he ought to do them , in order to his Recovery out of his Sinful and wretched state of Nature . O thou Natural man God hath furnished thee with sundry Talents improvable in some measure to this End : These thou must not hide in a Napkin , or bury in the Earth ▪ but oughtest to improve to the uttermost . Mat , 25. 14 , to 31. with Luk. 19. 12. to 28. Particularly , 1. Thou art able to consider of many things very conducible to thy Recovery out of thy Natural state , Ezek. 18. 27 ▪ 28. Luk 15. 17. &c. These thou shouldst take into serious Consideration . As , 1. That thy Natural state is most Sinful and wretched , as was manifested . 2. That Every one living and dying in his Natural state , shall everlastingly perish without remedy . Mat. ●8 . 3. Ioh. 3. 3. 5. and 8. 24. Act. 4. 11 , 12. 3. That no man can effectually and fully rescue himself out of his Natural state , by his own ability , Ioh. 1. 12. Phil. 2. 13. Eph. 2. 1. 5. 4. That , now as during this present life , man is to be recovered out of his Natural Condition , or never . 2 Cor. 6. 1. 2. Ecles . 9. 10. Heb. 9. 27. 5. That thy Soul is most precious : and no Treasures of this world , no Pleasures of Sin , no Pinacle of Earthly Honours , can countervail the loss of thy Soul , Mat. 16. 26. 2. Thou art able in some measure , to search , prove , and examine thy state and wayes , so as to be convinced of the badness of them , and danger of Continuing in them , 2 Cor. 13. 5. Lam. 3. 39. 40. 3. Thou hast ability , upon discovery of thy Sinful , wretched , and dangerous Condition , to humble thy self deeply in the sight of God , for it . Manasses in chains , did it , 2 Chron. 33. ●1 , 12. The Prodigal in misery resolved it ▪ Luk. 15. 17. 18. 19. 4. Thou canst confess thine iniquities ; upon Conviction vilest offendors have done it , as , Acham , Iosh. 7. 20. 21. King Pharaoh , Exod. 10. 16. 17. King Saul , 1 Sam. 15. 24. Judas , Mat. 27. 3 , 4 , 5. 5. Thou mayst in some sort forsake and turn from many iniquities : though not sincerely , nor from all entirely . Herod for a while did forbear to put John Baptist to death , though he mortally hated him for Her●dias sake , Mat. 14. 3. to 13. Haman vexed extreamly at Mordicai's not bowing , yet refrained himself from present Revenge , Est. 5. 9. 10. Pharisees abstained from many outward gross sins , Luk. 18. 11. Saul , whilst a Pharisee , was touching the law blameless , Phil. 3. 6. Iudas lived so inoffensively among the Apostles , that when Christ declared that one of them should betray him , none suspected Judas more then themselves , Mat. 26 , 21. to 26. Ioh. 13. 21 , 22 , 23. 6. Thou art able to attend upon , and make use of , all the outward means of grace , ordinary and extraordinary . Meer Natural men , carnal men , have done thus much heretofore , and such may do the like hereafter . Canst not thou , O Natural man , hear the Word of God preached ? when the three bad grounds , the three sorts of bad hearers did , Mat. 13. 19 , &c. When Herod heard Iohn Baptist gladly , Mar. 6. 20. When Scribes and Pharisees heard Christ , Mat. 21. 45. When Iudas heard Jesus preach often . When Simon Magus heard Philip preaching , Act. 8. 12 , 13. Canst not thou partake the Sacraments ? when Simon the Sorcerer was baptized , Act. 8. 13. When the Corinthians came to the Lords Supper , though many unworthily , and smarted for it , 1 Cor. 11. 29 , 30. Could they not have come better ? Canst not thou pray after a sort ? when the Mariners in● Ionas's ship prayed in the storm , Ionah 1. 5 , 6. When Pharisees pray , Mat. 6. 5. and Luk. 18. 10 , &c. Canst not thou sanctifie the Sabbath-day ? when Scribes and Pharisees were so zealous against the breach and prophanation of the Sabbath , Mat. 12. 1 , 2. Ioh. 5 16 , 18. Canst not thou humble thy self with fasting ? when Ahab did it , 1 King. 21. 27 , 28. When the Heathen City Nineveh did it , Ionah 3. 5. to 10. When Pharisees did it often , Luk. 18. 10. 11. &c. 7. Finally , Thou canst O natural man , do much good , perform many religious Exercises and Christian duties , as our hearing reaped much Spiritual Benefit by the means of Grace . What other meer Natural men have done , thou maist do . As , ( 1. ) Thou maist give much Alms to the poor . So did the carnal Pharisees , Mat. 6. 1 , 2. So the blinded Papists . ( 2. ) Thou maist show much kindness and favour to Gods people , to Christians , &c. So did Cyrus to the Jews , Ezra 1. 1 , 2. Artaxerxes to Ezra , Ezra 7. 11. to 27. Ahashuerus to Mordecai and the Jews , Esth. 6. and 7. and 8. and 9. and 10. So Maximinus the Emperour , under Gods heavy judgements , his bowels rotting , innumerable worms crawling from him , &c. ceased his cruel persecutions of Christians , and made a Law for their peace , liberty and publick meetings . t ( 3. ) Thou maist have Gods faithful Ministers in high esteem , maist reverence them , and hear them gladly . As Ioash did Iehoiadah , 2 Chron. 24. 2 , 4 , &c. Herod did Iohn Baptist , Mar. 6. 20. Simon Magus did Philip , Act. 8. 13. And as the Officers of the chief Priests and Pharisees sent to take Christ , were wonderfully taken with Christ , Joh. 7. 32 , 45 , 46. ( 4 ) Thou maist desire the prayers of Gods Ministers and people for thee . As Pharaoh desired the prayers of Moses and Aaron , Exod. 9. 27 , 28. and 10. 16 , 17 , 18. King Ieroboam desired the prayers of the man of God for his withered hand , 1 King. 13. 4 , 6. And Simon Magus begg'd the prayers of Peter and the Apostles for himself , that the evils feared might not come upon him , Act. 28. 24. ( 5. ) Thou maist wish thy self in as happy a condition , especially in death , as Gods people . So did Balaam , Numb . 23. 10. And maist not only wish , but pray to God. So did the Pharisees , Mat. 6. 5. and 23. 14. Luk. 18. 10. ( 6. ) Thou maist profess the Christian Faith and Religion . So did the five foolish Virgins , who had lamps , Mat. 25. 3 , &c. Simon Magus , Act. 8. 13. Ananias and Saphira his Wife , Act. 5. 1. to 11. And Iulian the Emperour for a season , but afterwards became a woful Apostate , and cruel persecutor of Christians . u Yea , thou maist believe for a time , as the Hearers resembled to the rocky or stony ground , are said to do , Luk. 8. 13. ( 7. ) Thou maist also proceed to practice , and do many things . As did Herod , Mar. 6. 20. Nay , what can a true Christian do , but an hypocrite ( who is the Christians Ape ) may imitate it ? Yea , the Natural man may seem to do , with much zeal and affection . The stony ground heard with joy , Mat. 13. 20 , 21. How zealous seemed Ioash about repairing of the Temple ? 2 Chron. 24. 4 , &c. And Iehu in rooting out of Ahab's house , and destroying of Baal's Idolatry out of Israel ? 2 King. 10. 16 , &c. III. These things the Natural man may do , and ought to do , in order to his recovery out of his Natural state of sin and misery . Thou therefore , O Natural man , if thou dost not these things which thou canst do , and oughtst to do , in order to thy recovery , ( though neither these things , nor any thing else which thou canst do , is sufficient ) thou shalt justly perish in thy sinful and wretched state of Nature for evermore . For , 1. All these abilities which God hath furnished thee withall , what are they but as so many Talents wherewith the Lord hath betrusted thee , that thou shouldst imploy them to thy Lord and Master's honour , and thine own eternal benefit ? Mat. 25. 14. to 31. Luk. 19. 12 , 13. Now Talents are not to be buried in the earth , or hid in a Napkin . 2. A day of account will certainly come , when God will reckon with every one , how they have imploy'd their talents , Mat. 25. 19 , &c. and happy those souls that shall be able to give a good and clear account at that day . 3. He that diligently and fruitfully imploys his talents received , is in the ready way of having his talents and gifts augmented , Mat. 25. 28 , 29. Mar. 4. 25. Mat. 13. 12. Luk. 8. 18. He that faithfully doth what he is able , shall be enabled to do much more . 4. If thou dost not in order to thy recovery what thou art able to do , thou wilt be found willingly , if not wilfully , guilty of thine eternal perdition in thy Natural state of sin and misery , Ezek 18. 31. and 33. 11. Ah! what a crying sin is murder ? Gen. 41. 10. What a roaring sin then is self-murder , wilful self-murder both of body and soul for ever ? 5. Finally , If thou dost not towards thy recovery what thou art able , if thou improvest not thy talents what thou canst , God will account thee an unprofitable , a slothful and wicked servant , will cause thy talent to be taken from the , and thy self to be cast into outer darkness , there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth , Mat. 25. 26 , 28 , 30. Now go , O Natural man , do to the utmost thou art able towards the rescuing of thy self from thy sinful and wretched state of Nature , else thou'●t be guilty of thine own eternal destruction . And yet when thou hast done all thou art able , all this will not fully and compleatly effect thy recovery . VII . Direction . GReat cause thou hast then , O Natural man , upon all these foregoing Considerations , deeply to humble thy self before the LORD , for this thy sinful and wretched state of Nature , wherein thou remainest even until this very day . Luk. 15. 17 , 18 , 19 , 21. I. Hast thou not causes , more then enough , to humble thy self deeply before the Lord for this thy sinful and wretched state of Nature , wherein thou still remainest ? For , Consider ; 1. While thou art in this state of Nature , thou art in the state of damnation , Ioh. 3. 18 , 36. Eph. 2. 1 , 2 , 3. And thou art posting apace to the place of execution , as fast as the wings of speedy time can carry thee ? And wilt thou go laughing to Hell ? Thou art condemned already , Joh. 3. 18. And will any condemned malefactor go merrily to the place of execution ? Was it not Agag's folly to come in delicately to Samuel , as if the bitterness of death had been past , when he was presently to be hewed in pieces before the LORD ? 1 Sam. 15. 32 , 33. Art thou on the very pits brink of eternal perdition , and but a small puff of breath betwixt thee and Hell , and dost thou not tremble ? Doth not thine heart ake ? Is not thy soul round-beset with sorrow , even unto death ? 2. While thou art un-humbled under this thy sinful and wretched state of Nature , thou continuest an un-cured , yea an unconvinced sinner . ( 1. ) An un-cured sinner . For , humiliation usually precedes and procures reformation : As in Manasses , 2 Chron. 33. 12. to 17. In the Prodigal , Luk. 15. 17. to 22. In the penitent woman , Luk. 7. 37 , 38 , &c. In Saul , Act. 9. 6 , &c. In Peter's Hearers , Act. 2. 37 , &c. And in most . Bruising prepares for healing ; wounding for binding up , Luk 4. 18. Burdening makes way for easing , Mat. 11. 28. Godly sorrow works repentance not to be repented of , 2 Cor. ● . 10. ( 2. ) Yea an un-convinced sinner . ●or , humiliation , as it makes way for reformation , so it presupposeth a previous conviction . So then , conviction works humiliation , humiliation inclines to reformation . O do not thou still continue an un-cured sinner , yea an un-convinced sinner , by remaining an un-humbled sinner . 3. Thine humiliation before the LORD for thy sinful and wretched condition , will prove , A grateful sacrifice to God , A gainful exercise to thee . 1. A grateful sacrifice to God. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit , a broken and a contrite heart , O God , thou wilt not despise , Psal. 51. 17. See 2 Chron. 33. 12 , 13. and 15. 6 , 7. Blessed are they that mourn , for they shall be comforted , Mat. 5. 4. Bruised and broken hearts are fit cures for Christ , Luk 4. 18. Isa. 61. 1 , 2. Yea , when sinners lament and grieve for their sins , Heaven is filled with joy , Luk. 15. 7 , 10. Fletus peccatorum , triumphus Angelorum , Sinners tears , are the very triumph of Angels . 2. A gainful exercise to thee . Humiliation for thy sinful state , ( 1. ) Will help thee to a deeper sense of thy sinfulness and wretchedness . As blots run abroad , and appear far larger , in wet paper . ( 2. ) Will somewhat comfort thee , in that thou beginnest to mourn for that wherein thou didst formerly rejoyce ; and to hate what thou didst formerly love , &c. ( 3. ) Will notably prepare thee to true repentance and recovery , 2 Cor. 7. 10. II. But when thou humblest thy self before God for thy sinful and wretched Natural state , humble thy self rightly , viz. 1. Humble thy self secretly , x seriously and sincerely , without hypocrisie . Not as once Ahab of old did , 1 King. 21. 27 , 29. Nor as usually the hypocritical Pharisees were wont to do , and after them , the Papists in their fastings , Mat. 6. 16. Only formally : But as penitent Manasseh did , 2. Chron. 33. 11 , 12. As the praying Publican did , Luk 18. As the repenting Prodigal did , Luk. 15. As the relenting Woman did , Luk. 7. Cordially and really . 2. Humble thy self unto deepest self-loathing and self abhorrency . Consider the infinite holiness of God , Isa. 6. 3. Hab. 1. 13. The wonderful purity and perfection of his Word , Psal. 119. 140 , 96. And thine own extream sinfulness , utterly repugnant unto both , Rom. 5. 12. Psal. 51. 5. Ioh. 3. 6. Rom. 3. 9. to 19. Eph. 2. 1 , 2 , 3. And then loath thy self , and even abhor thy self as in dust and ashes , Ezek. 36. 31. Iob 42. 6. accounting thy self , with humbled Paul , chief of sinners , 1 Tim. 1. 15. 3. Humble thy self so for thy sins , as to labour and be heavy laden with them , and quite weary of them , Mat. 11. 28. Be so pricked and wounded in heart for them , as to cry out to Gods messengers , Men and brethren what shall I do ? Act. 2. 36 , 37. Sirs , what must I do to be saved ? Act. 16. 30. True humiliation for sin , will make thee earnestly long and desire to be rid of sin . 4. Humble thy self reformingly . So as to repent and turn from thine iniquities unto God. As did Manasseh , 2 Chron. 33. 12 , &c. As did Saul , Act. 9. 6 , 11 , 20. That 's right humiliation that works reformation . That 's true godly-sorrow indeed , that works repentance not to be repented of , 2 Cor. 7. 10. 5. Humble thyself Continually , till thy God exalt thee and lift thee up with Comfort , and restore thee from thy Sinful and wretched state of Nature , into an holy and happy state of Grace . The Sinful woman never ceased hmbling herself at Christs feet , and washing his feet with tears ; till Christ comforted her , and told her that her Sins , which were many , were forgiven her , Luk. 7. 47 , 48. The Prodigal ceased not confessing his sin and humbling himself for it to his Father , as no more worthy to be called his Son : till the father called for the best robe to be put upon him , and expressed many other most affectionate acts of a most tender paternal love unto him . Luk. 15. 21. to 25. VIII . Direction . HOwever thou art by Nature , O Natural man , in a most Sinful and wretched state , and hast remained therein from thy very Birth unto this day , for which thou hast cause to be abased to the very dust : yet know thou for thy Comfort , thy Case is not Desperate , there is Hope in Israel concerning this ; God hath in this valley of Achor , in this valley of trouble , opened a door of Hope for thee , and of his mee● love and mercy hath Revealed in his Covenant of Faith in Christ , a way how thou mayst be recovered out of this thy sinful and wretched state of Nature , into an Holy and Happy state of Grace ; and how all Gods Elect , though lapsed in the first Adam , may be restored in a second Adam , Tit. 3. 4 , 5 , 6 , 7. Gal. 3. 21 , 22. Rom. 3. 20 , 21 , 22. 26 , 27. I shall Illustrate this further to thy singular encouragement and comfort , O Natural man , in certain distinct Positions . viz. 1. The LORD God , of the meer good pleasure of his will , according to his eternal Purpose which he purposed in himself , elected a certain number out of mankind unto himself , to the Adoption of children , that they should be holy and without blame before him in love , to the praise of the Glory of his Grace . Ephes. 1. 4 , 5 , 6. 2 , Though the only wise and righteous God ( who can bring good y out of cvil : Else he could not suffer it to be ) permitted Adam , the common Root of Mankind ; and in him , as in his loins , all mankind ; and among them all his elect ; to fall into Sin and misery , for the greater manifestation of the surpassing glory of his Freedom , Mercy , and Justice towards mankind : yet hath he not cast away his people whom he foreknew , nor left his Elect to perish in that lapsed state , but hath most graciously and wisely contrived a way , how all his Elect shall be recovered out of this state of Sin and misery into a state of Holiness and Happiness for evermore . Compare Mat. 10. 29. 30. Act. 2. 23. and 4. 27. with Gen. 3. 1. &c. Rom. 5 , 12 , 13 , 14. Rom. 11. 2. Ephes. 1. 4. to 12. Col. 1. 19 , 20. 3. God , who is rich in mercy , for his great love wherewith he loved us , was pleased to contrive lapsed man's Recovery , out of the exceeding riches of his meer Grace and mercy . Eph. 1. 3. to 12. and 2. 4 to 10. Nothing at all foreseen in lapsed man could move or encline God at all , to Contrive his Restitution , Eph. 2. 8 , 9. Tit. 3. 4 , 5 , 6 , 7. 4. Gods Contriving of lapsed mans Recovery , is rendered a Divine favour so much the more eminent and singularly illustrious , in that God would not vouchsafe the like favour to the lapsed Angels , though by Nature they were far more Noble and Excellent Creatures , Compare Psal. 8. 4 , 5. with Heb. 2. 16. Angels fell z from their happy state , by their own free will without other seducement , and found no mercy : Man fell through the malicious and subtile Seducement of that old Serpent the Devil , and found mercy . 5. Our ever blessed God hath , immediately upon the fall of man ; and afterwards from age to age in diverse remarkable periods of time , revealed in his precious Promises and second Covenant , the Covenant of Faith , enlarged more and more till it came to be most compleat in his New Covenant , his most Gracious purpose and pleasure of Restoring lapsed man again from his state of Sin and misery . As these , and like Scriptures do abundantly testifie ; viz. with Adam Gen , 3. 15. Noah , Gen. 6. 18. 22. with Heb. 11. 7. Abram , Gen. 12. 2 , 3. with 15. 9. to the end . and 17. 1. to 15. and 22. 15 , 16 , 17 , 18. Israel , Deut. 5. 2. to 22. with Exod. 20. 1 , 2. &c. and 24 4. to 9. David , 2 Sam. 7. 11. to 17. and 23. 5. with Psal. 89 3. &c. and 132. 11. &c. with the Jews captived in Babylon . Ezek. 34. 20. 23 , 24 , 25. and 36. 24. to the end , and 37. 1. 21. to the End. Ier. 32. 1. 2. 3. 36. to the end . Finally , in the New Covenant in Christ exhibited , the height and top - Turret of all Gods Covenant-Expressures with his people , Ier. 31. 31. to 35. with Heb. 8. 6. to the end of the chapter . All which Covenant-Expressures I have elsewhere a at large explained , which the diligent Reader may peruse . 6. Our most gracious God revealing his good pleasure in his second Covenant , the Covenant of Faith , for lapsed man's restauration , hath opened a door of hope , of life and salvation for him , who before was in an hopeless , desperate , dead and damnable condition . For such was the condition of Adam , and of all mankind in him , after his Fall , until the seed of the woman was promised to bruise the Serpents head . Compare Gen. 2. 16 , 17. with Gen. 3. 6 , 7. and 15. Rom. 5. 12. And until Natural man lay hold upon this promise , and this seed of the woman , ( which is our hope , 1 Tim. 1. 1. ) by believing , he remains hopeless still , Eph. 2. 12. 7. Gods mysterious contrivance of lapsed mans recovery from his sinful and wretched state of Nature , brought upon mankind by the breach of the Covenant of works , Gen. 2. 16 , 17. Rom. 5. 12. and 6. 23. And revealing this his recovery in a gratuitous Covenant of Faith , which Faith he promiseth by his Spirit to work in them , Rom. 3. 27. Ezek. 36. 26 , 27. Luk. 11. 13. Eph. 2. 8. Gal. 5. 22. is a mercy of mercies utterly beyond all blessing and praise , that the creature can present unto the LORD . IX . Direction . JEsus Christ , the alone eternal Son of God , who in the fulness of time became perfect man , is the only meritorious mean and way , by whom lapsed man can be recovered and redeemed out of his Natural state of sin and misery , into a supernatural state of grace and glory . Compare Act. 18. 28. Ioh. 1. 41 , 45. Mat. 16. 16. Gal. 4. 4 , 8. Mat. 1. 20 , 21. with Luk. 2. 10. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Iob. 3. 16 , 17. Rom. 5. 6 , 8 , 9 , 10. and with Act. 4. 11 , 12. 1 Tim. 1. 5. Consider here , 1. Who and what the Recoverer of lapsed man is . 2. That this Jesus Christ is the meritorious mean of lapsed man's recovery . 3. That this Jesus Christ is the only meritorious mean of lapsed man's recovery . I. Who , and what the Recoverer of lapsed man is . He is Jesus Christ , the alone eternal Son of God , who in the fulness of time became perfect man. Here note , 1. The Names . 2. The Natures of Christ in one Person . His Names , point out , 1. His Office. Iesus , denotes a Saviour . 2. His qualification for this Office. Christ , signifies Annointed , Psal. 45. 7. His Natures , Divine and Humane , declare both his matchless suitableness , and sufficiency for the effectual discharge of his Office. 1. His Names here expressed are two ; Iesus , Christ. The first is a Hebrew Name ; The second Greek . He came to redeem and save both Iews and Greeks , Jews and Gentiles . ( 1 ) . Iesus . He was so called at his Circumcision on the eighth day , Luk. 2. 21. He was so named by the Angel before he was conceived in the womb , Luk. 2. 21. Mat 1. 21 , 25. Iesus , i. e. A Saviour . That 's his Office. A most sweet and acceptable Office. Reasons why he was called Iesus , a Saviour , and in what sort he saves , I have elsewhere b explained . There see . ( 2. ) CHRIST , i. e. Annointed . This Greek name is of the same signification with the Hebrew name Messiah , Act. 4. 26. from Psal. 2. 2. The New Testament appropriates this Name to him , Luk. 2. 26. Ioh. 4. 25. Mat. 1. 1 , 16 , 18. and 16. 16 , 20. He was so called , because he was annointed with the Holy Ghost , that oyl of gladnest above all his fellows , and thereby designed and qualified for his Office , as I have elsewhere c showed . As also , That this Jesus is the true CHRIST , the promised Messiah , by ten Arguments . 2. His Natures in one Person are two , viz. 1. Divine , and 2. Humane . ( 1. ) He is God , the alone eternal Son of God , Mat. 16. 15 , 16. Ioh. 1. 14 , 18. and 3. 16 , 18. 1 Ioh. 4. 9. Heb. 1. 2 , 3. The Names , Attributes , works and worship , which peculiarly belong to God , are ascribed to him ; as elsewhere d I have manifested . ( 2. ) He is man. The man Christ Iesus , 1 Tim. 1. 5. The Son of man , Joh. 6. 27. The Son of David , the Son of Abraham , Mat. 1. 1. The Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary , of the House and linage of David , Luk. 1. 27 , &c. and 3. 23 , 24 , &c. and 2. 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , &c. 21. And this Jesus Christ is God and Man in one Person , Ioh. 1. 14. Gal. 4. 4. 1 Tim , 3. 16. Of , 1. His fitness to become Man : 2. The Union betwixt his two Natures : 3. The Oneness of his Person : 4. And why it was necessary he should be God and Man : 5. The Similitudes illustrating this Union : And 6. The effects or consequents resulting from it . Of all these , see what I have at large laid down elsewhere . e II. That this IESVS CHRIST God-man , is the meritorious Mean of lapsed man's Recovery . This will be evidenced abundantly many wayes , viz. 1. By the many Promises of Christ , under the Old Testament , as the Restorer and Recoverer of lapsed sinners . As , Gen. 3. 15. Gen. 12. 3. and 26. 4. with Gal. 3. 16. Psal. 110. 1 , &c. Isa. 9. 6 , 7. and 11. 1. to 10. and 42. 1. to 10. and 53. 4. to the end : and 55. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4. and 61. 1. to 4. Dan. 9. 24 , 25 , 26. Act. 10. 43. 2. By the many Types of Christ , representing him as a Redeemer , Restorer and Deliverer of his people . Moses and Aaron , Types of Christ , as delivering Israel out of Egypt , Act. 7. 37 , 38. The Judges and Kings , Types of Christ , as saving Israel from their enemies , Iudg. 16 30. Psal. 2. The Sacrifices slain , and their blood shed and sprinkled , Types of Christ , who by his death and blood should expiate our offences , &c. Heb. 9. 9. to the end . and 10. 1. to 19. 3. By the many Names and Titles given unto Christ , clearly declaring him to be the eminent Medium or Mean of lapsed man's Recovery . He is to this end stiled , A Mediator betwixt God and man , 1 Tim. 2. 5. Heb. 9. 15. A Redeemer , Isa. 59. 20. Rom. 11. 26. Redemption , 1 Cor. 1. 30. A Ransom for many , 1 Tim. 2. 6. A Sacrifice for sin , offered once for ever , Heb. 10. 12. A Propitiation for our sins , and for the sins of the whole world , 1 Joh. 2. 2. A Propitiation through faith in his blood , Rom. 3. 25. A Reconciler of the world to God , 2 Cor. 5. 18 , 19 , 20. We are reconciled to God , when we were enemies , by the death of his Son , Rom. 5. 10. By whom we have received the Atonement , Rom. 5. 11. The Lamb of God , taking away the sins of the world , Joh. 1. 29. The Deliverer , that shall come out of Sion , and turn away ungodliness from Iacob , Rom. 11. 26. A Saviour , which is Christ the LORD , Luk. 2. 11. Who came into the world to save sinners , 1 Tim. 1. 15. Able to save to the uttermost , Heb. 7. 25. The chief Captain ( or Arch-duke ) of our salvation , Heb. 2. 10. An Advocate with the Father , 1 Joh. 2. 1 , 2. With divers such like Denominations . 4. By the many saving benefits which he hath meritoriously obtained and purchased of God for us , by his obedience , sufferings and death . As , Satisfaction to Gods justice for our sins , Eph. 5. 2. Heb. 10. 5. to 22. 1 Tim. 2. 6. Redemption from all our spiritual bondage . Eternal Redemption , Heb. 9. 12. Reconciliation to God , Rom. 5. 10 , 11. 2 Cor. 5. 18 , 19 , 20. Adoption into Gods Family , Gal. 4. 4 , 5 , 6. Remission of sins , and Justification , Eph. 1. 7. Rom. 3. 25. Heb. 9. 14. and 10. 12 , 14 , 17 , 18. Mortifying and crucifying of our old man , Rom. 6. 6 , 7. Conquering of death , and him that ( as an Executioner ) had the power of death , that is , the Devil , Heb. 2. 14 , 15. Col. 2. 14 , 15. Appearing for us , as our Advocate , by representing the merit of his blood in Heaven , Heb. 9. 24. and 7. 25. 1. Ioh. 2 1 , 2. Making a new and living way for us , through the vail of his flesh , which was rent with sufferings , by his own blood , into the holiest of all Heaven it self , Heb. 10. 19 , 20. III. That this Iesus Christ is the only Mediator , the only Saviour of sinnetrs , the only meritorious Mean of lapsed mans Recovery out of his Sinful and wretched state of Nature . There is one Mediator betwixt God and man , the man Christ Iesus , 1 Tim. 2. 5. Neither is there Salvation in any other : For there is none other Name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved , Act. 4. 12. Direct . X. KNow also , O Natural Man , That Iesus Christ hath wrought Recovery and obtained Redemption for lapsed man from his sinful and wretched State of Nature into an Holy and Happy State of Grace , As he is God-man ; Testator , Surety and Mediator of the New Testament , Executing his Mediatory office to this End as Prophet Priest and King both in his State of Humiliation and Exaltation . The former Direction shows that Jesus Christ , and he alone , is Sinful man's Recoverer : This declares , How and in what way he hath Effected and obtained man's Recovery and Redemption . In an abstruse and most mysterious way . viz. 1. As he is God-man in one Person . This I have elsewhere f abundantly cleared . There see . 2. As he is Testator , Surety , and Mediator of the New Testament , or New Covenant . This also see elsewhere g explicated and Confirmed , for brevity sake . 3. As he Executed his Mediatory office in a Prophetical , Priestly , ( where his Satisfaction to Gods justice for our sins is at large handled pag. 1607. to 1618. ) and Kingly way , both in his state of Humiliation and Exaltation . All these I have elsewhere h cleared . Consult the place : that I may not actum agere . Whereby I hope you will not lose your labour . Direct . XI . LEt this sink deep into shine heart , O Natural man , That this Iesus Christ , God-man , the only Mediator and Saviour's Most able , and Most willing 〈◊〉 Receive and Save all Lapsed Sinners that come unto him , and to God by him . 1. Iesus Christ is most able and sufficient to save all unto the Uttermost that Come unto God by him . Heb. 7. 25. Mat. ●8 . 18. &c. Col. 1. 19. He is not an impotent , but an omnipotent Saviour , Rev. 1. 8. whether we regard his Person , or Office. 2. Iesus Christ is most willing to save all that come unto him . Both these I have already demonstrated . i Consult them there at large , to avoid prolixity here . Direct . XII . MArk well , notwithstanding , O Natural man , That there 's a vast difference betwixt Christs obtaining of Redemption and Recovery for lapsed man : and Christs applying of that obtained Recovery and Redemption so lapsed man. Betwixt these , there are two great differences . 1. Christ hath obtained eternal Redemption for us immediately by his own Person , and the merit of his obedience , Heb. 1. 3. and 9. 12. Eph. 5. 2. 1 Tim. 2. 5 , 6. Eph. 1. 7 , 8. Christ applies this obtained Redemption to us immediately by his Spirit , effectually working Faith and all saving grace in us , that so we may close with Christ , have union to him , and communion with him . Tit. 3. 4 , 5 , 6 , 7. Eph. 2. 8 , 9. Gal. 5. 22. Ezek. 36. 26 , 27. Deut. 30. 6. Eph. 1. 13 , 14. 1 Ioh. 5. 12. 1 Cor. 1. 30. 2. Christ hath obtained Recovery and Redemption for his Elect joyntly , in fulness of time , by his blood , Gal. 4. 4 , 5. Eph. 1. 3. to 9. The vertue of his sufferings extending it self to them all from the beginning to the end of the world : As the Sun in the Meridian line , in the fulness of the day , diffuseth his light , heat and influence backwards towards the East , as well as forward towards the West . Eph 1. 10. Col 1. 20. But Christ applies this Recovery and Redemption which he hath wrought and purchased , in due time to his Elect severally , as he calls them particularly unto the fellowship of his Son , 1 Cor. 1. 9. 2 Thes. 2. 13 , 14. And he calls some in their youth , some in their manly-age , some ( though very few ) in their old age : some at the third hour , some at the sixth , some at the ninth , and some at the eleventh hour of their day , Mat. 20. 1. to 17. Direct . XIII . NO Sinner in the world can actually have any saving share or interest at all in the Redemption or Recovery which Christ hath fully obtained for his people : untill he actually accept Christ , as his only all-sufficient Saviour ; and particularly apply to his own Soul that Redemption and Recovery from sin and misery , which Christ hath procured and obtained . 1 Ioh. 5. 12. Ioh. 1. 11 , 12. and 3. 16. 18 , 36. and 8. 24. And this must needs be so . For , 1. Christs obtaining of Recovery and Redemption for lapsed Sinners renders them only Salvable , and that possibly they may be saved , which door of Hope is not opened at all to the lapsed Angels : but Sinners particularly accepting of Christ , and applying of his merit unto themselves personally , renders them actually saved , and that they are indeed in the state of Salvation already . Compare diligently these and like Scriptures , Ioh. 3. 16 , 17. Tit. 2 , 14. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Gal. 4. 4. 5. Rom. 8. 3. which point out a possibility of Salvation by Christ and his Death , with Ioh. 1. 12. 1 Ioh. 5. 12. 1 Cor. 1. 9. And such like as denote their actual Salvation by Christ , who have accepted him and applied him to themselves particularly . 2. Non-accepting and non-applying of Christ , is so great a sin , that it is threatned with damnation , Ioh. 16. 8 , 9. with Ioh. 3. 18. 36. and 8. 24. Therefore , though Christ be never so able and all-sufficient to restore and save Sinners : yet none can have benefit by his Salvation without Application of him and his merits . 3. The Promise of effectual and eternal Salvation by Christ , is still directed to the actual acceptance and application of Christ. As , Spiritual Rest of Soul is promised : but to them that come to Christ , Mat. 11. 28 , 29. Eternal life is promised : but to such as believe in him , Ioh. 3. 16. but to such as eat this bread of life , viz. his flesh given for the life of the world , Ioh. 6. 51. 57. 58. Remission of sins is promised : but to them that believe in him , Act , 10. 43. Now , how shall man he saved according to Gods promises , that perform not the Condition of the Promises ? 4. Who ever was Restored and saved by Christ , till he accepted and applied Christ ? not the Apostles ; Ioh. 16. 30. Mat. 16. 16. Not the Sinful woman , Luk. 7. 50. not the convert thief , Luk. 23. 43. not the Jaylor , Act. 16. 31. to 35. Who ever was healed by a Plaister spread and prepared only , but never applied to the wound and Sore ? Who ever was comforted with the richest cordial though never so accurately prepared , if it were never eaten or drunk ? And who ever was actually saved by Christ , if not particularly accepted and applied ? They that accept not , that apply not Christ to themselves , are without Christ : And they that are without Christ are without Hope , so remaining , and go without Salvation , Eph. 2. 12. 5. All Communion with Christ in his saving benefits ●lows from Union to Christ in accepting of him , Ioh. 1. 12 1 Ioh. 5. 12. Rom. 8 10. Col. 2. 19. Eph. 4. 16. As the Ciour hath Communion with the Stock in its life , growth , fruitfulness , by being united unto the stock , by Ingrafting ; or as the Wife hath Communion with the husband in his Name , state , &c. by being united to him in marriage ; or as the members of the Natural body have Communion with the head and heart in their life , sense , motion , &c. by being united thereunto by joints and hands . 6. Till the Sinner accepts and applies Christ , he is not throughly Convinced of the Sinfulness and wretchedness of his Natural state , and of the great need he hath of Christ to deliver him out of it . For , Conviction is the first step to application of Christ , Ioh. 16. 8 , 9. And where there 's not the first step of Conviction : There 's no present state of Salvation . 7. Till the Sinner accepts Christ , and applies him , he neglects and despiseth him : And he that despiseth Christ how can he obtain Salvation , yea , how can he escape damnation . See Mat. 22. 1. to 3. Luk. 14. 16. to 25. Heb. 2. 3. Direct . XIIII . OBserve diligently , O Natural man , that the Proper and Peculiar way whereby Iesus Christ is to be accepted and applied to a man 's own Soul for Recovery out of his sinful and wretched state of Nature , is by true saving Faith in Iesus Christ alone , Act. 10. 43. Ioh. 3. 16. and 1. 12. Act. 13. 38 , 39. and 16. 30 , 31. Eph. 2. 8. Rom. 3. 22. to 27. I. That , by true saving Faith alone peculiarly Iesus Christ is accepted and applied for Recovery out of Sin and misery , is evident several wayes . For , 1. The Nature of true saving Faith in Christ , principally consists in the Accepting and applying Christ for Salvation as he is offered in the Gospel . Thus I have elsewhere described it ; Iustifying Faith is a saving Grace , wrought in the hearts of the Elect at their Regeneration by Gods Spirit and word ; whereby they not only know , Assent to , and apply to themselves the Promises , Gospel , and Doctrine of Iesus Christ for gods glory in their justification and Salvation ; but also whereby they afterwards walk as becomes justified persons . There see the Confirmation and Explanation of this Description of Faith k . So that the Nature of saving faith in Christ , stands much in Applying Christ in the Gospel and promises , who is the Kernel and Soul of them . 2. The Receiving and Applying Iesus Christ for Recovery and Salvation , is one of the chief Acts of Faith , l which thus I illustrate ; The Acts of true Faith in Christ are 1 Direct . 2. Reflexive . ( 1 ) Direct . and these of 2 Sorts . 1. Primary . As , 1. Knowing . Isai. 53. 11. Ioh. 17. 3. 2. Assenting to the truth of Gods record , 1 Ioh. 5. 9. Ioh. 3. 33. 3. Applying of the Promises , and of Christ , Ioh. 1. 12. As Paul did , Gal. 2. 20. as Thomas did , Ioh. 20. 8. 2. Secondary . As , 1. Retaining Christ Received in the heart , Eph. 3. 17. Col. 2. 6 , 7. 2. Purifying the heart , Act. 15. 9. 3. Refreshing the Soul with peace and joy , Rom. 5. 1 , 2. and 15. 13. 4. Breaking forth into good works , 1 Thes. 1. 3. Heb. 11. 5. Working by Love , Gal. 5. 6. 6. Enlivening the Soul , Rom. 1. 17. Gal. 2. 20. 2. Conquering all our Spiritual Enemies . 1 Ioh. 3. 2 , 3. and 5. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 9. Iam. 4. 7. Eph. 6. 16. ( 2 ) Reflexive . When Faith refle&ing upon its own acts sees it self believing , 1 Ioh. 2. 3. 1 Tim. 1. 12. By this it appears that the applying act of Faith is a very principal act among all the rest . ● or , All the Acts before the Applying ast , tend to make way for it as Preparatory to it : And all the Acts after it , result from the Applying Act especially , as genuine fruits and effects of it . Thus the Applying act of Faith is among the rest , as the Sun among the Planets , most illustrious . 3. Faith is so peculiarly eminent among all the Graces of the Spirit , in its property of Receiving and applying Iesus Christ , for Recovery and Salvation of Sinners , that it 's set forth to us in Holy Scripture by sundry Emphatical Expressions and Comparisons . All pointing out the Applying Act of Faith. Faith is , 1. A looking upon Christ , as the Jews did upon the brazen Serpent , when stung . Ioh. 3. 15 , 16. and 8. 56. 2. A coming to Christ. Ioh. 6. 35. Mat. 11. 28. 3. A Receiving of Christ. Ioh. 1. 11. 12. 4. An Embracing of the Promises , and so of Christ in the Promises . Heb. 11. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly notes , Lovingly-embracing , eagerly-apprehending , and thence signifies Saluting : Saluting being performed with embracing . 5. Eating of Christs flesh , drinking of his blood . Ioh. 6. 40. 53. 54. 6. Having of the Son. 1 Ioh. 5. 12. 7. Harbouring Christ so that he dwells in the heart by Faith. Eph. 3. 17. 4. The Doctrine of the Gospel reveales Recovery and Salvation of Sinners in and by Christ : but as Received and applied by Faith. Act. 10. 43. and 13. 38 , 39. Rom. 3. 21. to the end ; and 10. 9. &c. 5. Convinced Sinners enquiring how they may be saved , are directed to apply Christ by believing in him . Act. 16. 30 , 31. 6. Recovery and Salvation of Sinners is Promised in and for Jesus Christ and his merit : but then Christ must be Received and applied by Faith. Faith is often expressed , alwayes to be understood as the Condition of the Promise . As , Mat. 11. 28. Ioh. 3. 16. and 6. 40. 53 , 54. Mark 16. 16. Act. 10. 43. Rom. 9. 33. 1 Pet. 2. 6. Act. 16. 30 , 31. 7. Without Faith in Christ there 's no Salvation . None can be saved , that by believing apply not Christ for Recovery . Ioh. 3. 18. 36. and 8. 24. Mark 16. 16. 2 Thes. 2. 12. II. How is Iesus Christ to be Accepted and Applyed by Faith , in order to the Sinners Recovery and Salvation by him ? Answer . Jesus Christ is to be accepted and Applyed by Faith , in order to the Sinners Recovery by him , in such sort as he is offered in the Gospel . To accept and apply him otherwise , in any other notion , upon any other terms , &c. then God offers him : is to apply a Christ of our own , not the Lords Christ. Gods offer , must be the ground and Rule of our Acceptance . Now the Gospel offers Christ unto the Sinner , for his Recovery by him ; and to his Faith. 1. As that Messiah and Saviour of Sinners , which from the Fall of man was Promised , Prophecied of , and fore-typified ; and in fulness of time was manifested in humane flesh , for lapsed man's Recovery out of Sin and misery . Gen. 3. 15. and 12. 3. and 22. 18. Gal. 3. 8. 16. with Act. 8. 10. 43. Ioh. 1. 41. 45. Gal. 4. 4 , 5 , 6. 1 Pet. 1. 18 , 19 , 20. 2. As that only Messiah , Redeemer , and Saviour given among men , by whom alone Sinners can be saved , and by none other in the whole world . Act. 4. 11 , 12. Ioh. 8. 24. 3. As an All-sufficient Saviour , able to save fully unto the Vttermost all that come unto God by him . Heb. 7. 24 , 25 , 26. and 9. 11 , 12 , 13 , 14. and 10 , 11. to 19. Ioh. 1. 14 , 15. Col. 1. 19 , 20. 4. As God-man , Mediator betwixt God and man , Ioh. 1. 14. Gal. 4. 4 , 5. 1 Tim. 3. 16. with 1 Tim. 2. 5 , 6. 5. As man's Surety , Heb. 7. 22. who by his Obedience Active hath exactly fullfilled the Law of God , which we could not perform or keep , Gal. 4. 4. And by his obedience Passive , to the Death , even the death upon the Cross , hath endured the curse and penalty of the Law for our sakes , which we could neither have endured nor avoided : that so , satisfying Gods justice to the uttermost for our sins , we might be eternally released from sin and wrath , and be reconciled to God , justified and saved by Christs Obedience imputed to us through Faith. Rom. 5. 18 , 19. and 8. 3 , 4. Phil. 2. 6 , 7 , 8. Rom. 5. 9 , 10. and 3. 25. Gal. 3. 10. 13 , 14. Eph. 5. 2. Heb. 9. 12. 14. and 10. 10 to 19. 1 Pet. 1. 18 , 19 , 20. Tit. 2. 14. 6. As the Sinners Perfect righteousness before God , ●mputed by God unto him , through Faith. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Rom. 3. 21. 22. to the end . and 4. 11 , 12. and 5. 18 , 19. and 10. 6. 9. 10. For which all self-righteousness is to be denied , Phil. 3 ▪ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. 7. As Christ Jesus the LORD . The Gospel tenders him ; As Christ or Messiah , i. e. Anointed by the Spirit above measure for his office , Psal. 45. 7. As Iesus , i. e. A Saviour Mat. 1. 21. Luk. 2. 20. This denotes his office . As the LORD , to rule and raign over us , in us , and for us , over all our enemies whatsoever . As he is a JESUS to save : so he will be a LORD to Rule . Thus we are to receive and apply him , as the Colossians did , Col. 2. 6. 8. As that Redeemer , for whom we are to deny ourselves , take up ou● Cross and follow him . Luk 9. 23. III. What encouragement may a poor lapsed and lost Sinner have , to draw towards Iesus Christ , to accept and apply him for his Recovery and Salvation by believing in him . Answ. Much every way . But especially upon these and like serious Considerations . viz. 1. Christ himself hath plainly declared that it is the great duty of the Sinner , to believe in Christ , and so to accept and apply him by Faith. This , the work , which God chiefly requires and accepts : to believe in Christ. Ioh. 6. 28 , 29. 1 Ioh. 3. 23. 2. Christ most sweetly invites all distressed Sinners , and thirsty Souls , to come to him for relief , to believe in him . Mat. 11. 28 , 29 , 30. Ioh. 7. 37. with Isai. 55. 1 , 2. Rev. 22. 17. 3. Christ holds forth the Golden-Scepter of most great and precious Promises , to encourage and allure Sinners to approach to him and to apply him by believing . Mat. 11. 28 , 29. Mar. 16. 16. Ioh. 3. 16. 18. 36. and 6. 37. 40. 44. 51. 54. 57. Act. 10. 43. Rom. 9. 33. 1 Pet. 2. 6. 4. Christ never did , never will , reject any poor Sinful Soul , that did but even creep to him by the feeblest Faith , Ioh. 6. 37. why then shouldst thou fear , that he will not accept and embrace thee ? 5. Christ hath most readily , tenderly and compassionately received even greatest and most hainous offendors , upon their coming to him by Faith : And all these for Encouraging Patterns and Presidents to all that afterwards shall believe in him , 1 Tim. 1. 16. And why should he not in like sort entertain thee , notwithstanding all thy Sins , if thou canst believe in him ? Remember the reception of the Prodigal , Luk. 15. 20. to the end : of Nicodemus . the ignorant Pharisee , Ioh. 3. 1 , 2 , 3. &c. of Mathew the griping Customer , Mat. 9. 9. of Zachaeus the oppressing Publican , Luk. 19. 5. to 11. Of the notorious Sinful woman that washed Christs feet with her Tears , &c. Luk. 7. 37. to the end of Saul , that was injurious , a Persecutor and a Blasphemer , Act. 26. 9 , 10. 11. 1 Tim. 1. 13 , 14. 16. of the Thief upon the Cross , that even after his Crucifiction had railed upon Christ , Mat 27. 44. compared with Luk. 23. 40. to 44. Yea of those that were guilty of his Death and Blood : yet even some of them Christ washed from their Sins by the very blood which they shed , m Act. 2. 36 , 37. to the end . Oh , miracles of Christs mercy and Compassion to lost Sinners ! when Christ accepts such ; who would not hopefully come to him ? When Christ saves such ; who have cause to despair , that desire truly to repent and believe in him ? XV. Direction . POwer thus to believe in Iesus Christ God-man , and by believing to accept and Apply him for thy Recovery ( O Natural man ) out of thy sinful and wretched state of Nature , thou hast none at all of thy self ; But all thy sufficiency in this behalf is wholly of God : Nevertheless thou mayst , and oughtest to do some things for the furtherance of thy Faith in Christ. I. That , of thyself thou hast no power or sufficiency at all to believe in Iesus Christ , to receive , and apply him effectually by believing , without the supernatural influence and assistance of God : Is plain . For , 1. The Testimony of Christ and his Apostles is clear for it . No man can come to me ( i. e. by believing ) Except the Father which hath sent me , draw him , Ioh. 6. 44. He cannot of himself , or by his own power come and believe : till God influence him and enable him . Again ; Without me ye can do nothing . viz. nothing in fruit bearing ; either of Faith , or any other good spiritual fruit , Ioh. 15. 5. That of the Apostles is punctual ; By Grace are ye saved , through Faith and that not of your selve , it is the gift of God , Ephes. 2. 8. n 2. True saving Faith in Christ , and the acting of it unto the accepting and applying of Christ , is the special work of God and fruit of the spirit , of the Regenerating spirit of God. Compare and consider well , Ioh. 6. 44. Gal. 5. 22. with Ioh. 1. 12 , 13. 3. Faith in Christ is the Life of the Soul from Christ , it is as the vital spirits from him , Gal. 2. 20. Rom. 1. 17. Now , can the Soul of natural man , which is dead in sins and trespasses , Eph. 2. ● . quicken it self by believing . Hence , then , these things must needs follow . 1. That , whosoever do believe in Christ truly , and by Faith apply him effectually and savingly , they owe all this wholly to the rich Grace and meer favour of God. And are to render unto him all the praise thereof . 2. That 't is a piece of gross Ignorance and groundless Presumption , for any Natural man whatsoever , to think he can believe and accept Christ at his pleasure . This is impossible . 3. Let every natural man take heed he reject not the divine offers of Faith unto his Soul , nor resist the Spirits motions and operations inclining , drawing , and perswading the heart thereunto , 1 Thes. 5. 19. Act. 7. 51. Eph 4. Ioh. 6. 44. For , what if the Spirit of God draw and move the heart so no more ? And without God , there 's no believing . II. Notwithstanding , Though the Natural man cannot of himself savingly believe in Christ , or apply him , by any self-sufficiency or power of his own , yet something towards it , and towards the furtherance thereof , he may and ought to do , Act. 8. 13. Luk. 8. 13. For , what a meer Natural man hath done heretofore , why may not a meer Natural man do again ? Now then , O Natural man , though thou canst not of thy self believe in Christ , and apply him savingly , yet neglect not to do what thou canst do , in order to this believing in Christ , and applying of Christ to thine own soul. Art thou grieved in thine heart thou canst not enough believe in him ? Art thou desirous to believe in him alone for Recovery and Salvation ? I would fain take this for granted . Let me then draw thee , thou poor trembling soul , a few steps further towards Christ. Make use of these few Helps and Furtherances unto Faith in Christ Jesus . For , this thou canst , and ought'st to do . viz. 1. Know , and Consider Jesus Christ well , both in his Person , Offices , and the effects or acquirements of his Offices , as all these are delineated in the Holy Scriptures . Ioh. 17. 3. 1 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Tim. 2. 5 , 6. Heb. 9. 12 , 13 , 14. and 10. 7. to 19. Rom. 5. 9 , 10. And Assent fully to the Record , that God hath given of his Son in his Word , that eternal life is in his Son , 1 Joh. 5. 10 , 11. Now , Knowledge , Heb. 11. 3. Isa. 53. 11. Ioh. 17. 3. Assent , 1 Ioh. 5. 10 , 11. And Application , Ioh. 1. 12. Gal. 2. 20. make up the Nature of true Faith. 2. Ponder often and earnestly upon the Promises of God touching Christ , and touching believing in him . As , That whosoever comes to him by believing , shall not in any case be cast out by Christ , Ioh. 6 35 , 37. shall not be ashamed or confounded , Rom. 9. 33. 1 Pet. 2. 6. shall not perish , Joh. 3. 16. shall never hunger nor thirst more , Joh. 6. 35. Isa. 55. 1. shall find rest from Christ unto his soul , Mat. 11. 28 , 29. shall live , though he were dead ; yea , shall never die , Joh. 11. 25. yea , shall have eternal life , and be saved , Joh. 3. 16 , 17. Mar. 10. 16. Now these and such like Promises , being Yea and Amen in Christ , 2 Cor. 1. 20. they are Fundamentum & Pabulum Fidei , The very foundation , whereupon Faith is bottomed and grounded ; and the food , wherewith Faith is nourished . See Rom. 4. 17. to the end . Heb. 11. 11. 3. Consider well the Nature of God , the Promiser . For , this will greatly encourage Faith to embrace the Promises , and Christ in the Promises . For , Gods Truth is such : he cannot lie , Tit. 1. 2. 'T is impossible he should lie , Heb. 6. 10. Gods Fidelity such : he cannot , will not deceive , Heb. 11. 11. Gods Power such : he can fully perform what he hath promised , seem it never so improbable , impossible , incredible , Rom. 4. 20 , 21. His love and free grace such : in giving Christ for us , Ioh. 3. 16 , 17. and offering Christ to us , Rom. 3. 21 , &c. 2 Cor. 5. 18 , &c. That with him he will freely give all things , Rom. 8. 32. 4. Be diligent and constant in attending upon Gods Ordinances , whereby Faith is bred and nourished . Especially be singularly careful and vigilant in hearing the Word faithfully and powerfully preached . Faith comes by hearing , and hearing by the Word of God , Rom. 10. 14 , 15 , 17. The Word preached is the Seed of Faith and Regeneration , 1 Pet. 1. 23 , 25. 5. Cherish and make much of every good motion , stirring , striving inclination , operation of the Spirit of God in thine heart and soul , tending to thine accepting and closing with Christ , 1 Thes. 5. 19. Eph. 4. 30. Act 7. 51. For Faith is the proper fruit o● the Spirit , Gal. 5. 22. 6. Forget not the exemplary instances of Believers , who , though great offendors , yet have received and apply'd Christ by Faith , and have been graciously accepted and entertained by him : and all this for the encouragement of thee , and of all that afterwards should believe . As , The Jaylor , Act. 16. 30 , &c. Paul , 1 Tim. 1. 13. to 17. Act. 26. 9. 10 , 11. The penitent Woman , Luk. 7. 37. to the end . The Thief on the Cross , Luk. 23. 42 , 43. The 3000 Hearers of Peter , Act. 2. 36 ▪ 37. &c. 7. Ask , seek , knock importunately at the Throne of Grace , for this soul-saving Grace . The Spirit is promised to them that ask , Luk. 11. 13. Fly unto Christ the Author and finisher of Faith , Heb. 12. 2. And cry , Lord increase my Faith , Luk. 17. 5. Lord , I believe , help thou mine unbelief , Mar. 9. 24. XVI . Direction . QUestion and examine the self often impartially , touching the truth of thy Faith in Christ for thy Recovery and Salvation , 2 Cor. 13. 5. For , There is a counterfeit and fained Faith , Luk. 8. 13. Act. 8. 13. Iam. 2. 14 , 17 ▪ 20 , 26. And there is a Faith unfained , 1 Tim. 1. 5. 2 Tim. 1. 5. 'T is the Faith unfained that accepts and applies Christ , Ioh. 1. 12 , 13. Act. 8. 37. and will afford thee solid comfort . Now Faith in Christ unfained may be discovered by these and the like Characters , which if thou canst really find in thy self , doubtless thou art a true Believer . True saving Faith in Jesus Christ , is , 1. A Christ-applying Faith. If Faith be sincere and salvi●ical , it never rests till it bring the soul to Christ , till it possess the soul of Christ. It is the soul's eye , that beholds Christ lifted up , Io● . 3. 15. It 's the soul's feet , whereby it comes to Christ , Mat. 11. 28. Ioh. 6. 35 ▪ 37. It 's the soul's hand , whereby it receives Christ ; and arms , wherewith it o embraceth Christ , Ioh. 1. 12. He● . 11. 13. It 's the soul's mouth , wherewith it eats Christs flesh that bread of life , and drinks Christs blood that water of life , Ioh. 6. 47 , 53 , 54 , 55. By all which acts of Faith the soul comes to have Christ , to possess and enjoy him , and life in him , 1 Joh. 5. 12. True Faith in Christ contents not it self only to know Christ , or only to assent to the truth of Gods Record touching Christ , that life is in him ; but it further proceeds to receive and apply Christ to the soul , to appropriate him and enjoy him actually to the particular Believer . 2. A Christ-retaining Faith. True saving Faith in Christ , not only entertains Christ , but also retains him in the best room of the soul , the heart . — That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith , Eph. 3. 17. The Believer's heart , is Christ's home : And Faith gives Christ the acceptable entertainment : 1. As it cleanseth the heart of every thing that might be offensive to him , Act. 15. 9. 2. As it ascribes all salvation and sufficiency for it , only unto Christ , counting all self-excellencies loss and dung , Phil. 3. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. So then , if Christ be dwelling in thine heart , Faith is there also . 3. A Christ esteeming Faith. Faith most highly esteems Christ , accounts him most precious . — Unto them which believe he is precious , 1 Pet. 2. 7. So precious ; That , he sells all that he hath for him , Mat. 13. 44 , 45 , 46. That , he denies all that he hath , yea all that he is , for him , Phil. 3. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. Luk. 9. 23. and 19. 43. That he disesteems , and as it were , hates all dearest Relations , in comparison of Christ , Mat. 10. 37. Luk. 14. 26 , &c. Yea , so precious ; That , it sets more store by Christ , at his lowest , then by all worldly treasures , at their highest , Heb. 11. 26 , 27. If Christ be truly precious to thy soul , Faith is planted in thine heart . 4. An heart purifying Grace . According to that ; — Purifying their hearts by Faith , Act. 15. 9. 1 Joh. 3. 3. Faith makes the inside clean ; hypocrisie only the outside , Mat. 23. 25 , 26. Faith purifies the heart ; 1. Formaliter , formally , as it is an holy , inherent principle of Grace and Purity , resisting sin and temptation , Gal. 5. 17. 1 Ioh. 3. 3. Eph. 6 16. To this effect it 's stiled , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , most holy faith , Jude , verse 20. p 2. Instrumentaliter : Instrumentally it purisieth : the heart , by applying thereunto Christs imputed purity , Phil. 3. 9. Christ's blood , which purgeth the conscience from the guilt and power of dead works , to serve the living God , Heb. 9. 14. with Rom. 3. 25. By applying Christ's imputed purity and righteousness . 5. A soul-purifying , and heart-comforting Grace . It affords peace with God : which produceth two excellent effects : 1. Ioy , in hope of the glory of God. 2. Glorying even in tribulation , Rom. 5. 1 , 2 , 3. — joy and peace in believing , Rom. 15. 13. Now , the peace of God passeth all understanding , and keeps , as in a Garrison , q the heart and mind in Christ Jesus , viz. safe and secure , Phil. 4. 7. 6. Most dutiful and obediential towards God , and this against all interposing difficulties : against Reason , against Natural Affection , &c. As in Noah , Heb ▪ 11. 7. In Abraham ; when he obey'd God , to forsake his kindred , and follow God , he knew not whither , Heb. 11. 8. And when he in a sort offered up Isaac for a Burnt-offering , Heb. 11. 17. 7. Most abundant and fruitful in all good works , Jam. 2. 14. to the end . And this God expects , Tit. 3. 8. Faith is a most working Grace : it is the root of all good works of piety , righteousness and sobriety , 1 Tim. 1. 5. Hence that phrase ; — The work of Faith , 1 Thes. 1. 3. A workless Faith , is ( as Iames intimates to us ) a worthless Faith , Iam. 2. 17 , 26. 8. A Grace that acts and works by love , Gal. 5. 6. How by love ? More generally : Not by love , as fire works by heat , the formal property of fire ; as if love were the form of Faith , as Papists say , contrary to that in 1 Tim 1. 5. But by love , as an external instrument , ( external or outward , as to the proper nature of Faith ) joyned or annexed unto Faith , for the exerting of its acts , as the soul works by the brain , eye , ear , hand , &c. More particularly : Faith works by love : 1. As it tends to principle and store the heart with the love of Christ , 1 Pet. 1. 7 , 8. Faith is as the Captain-Grace , that leads on all the rest , 2 Pet. 1. 5 , 6 , 7. 2 ▪ As it actuates and incites love with a more ardent flame towards God , Christ , and all goodness . Faith spreads open before the soul Gods love and Christs loveliness , how transcendent , how infinite . So that the soul cannot choose but love them again , Ioh. 3. 16 , 17. Rom. 5. 5 , 6 , 7 , &c. Ioh. 15. 13. 1 Ioh. 3. 16 , 19. 3. As it exerciseth r it self in all duties and acts of obedience to God , Christ , &c. not in a way of servile , slavish fear , but in a sweet way of love ; because a man loves God and Christ , loves the wayes of vertue , loves his Commandements , and counts them not grievous , 1 Joh. 5. 3. Faith makes all obedience and duty come off lovingly , sweetly , chearfully , 1 Tim. 1. 5. 9. A growing Grace . It encreaseth more and more . — Your Faith groweth exceedingly , 2 Thes. 1. 3. See also Rev. 2 19. Counterfeit Faith , dead Faith , is like a painted Tree , or painted Flower upon a Wall , seem it never so fair , it grows not at all . 10. Vigorous in resisting , and victorious in conquering , all sorts of Temptations , viz. Of the World , frowning or smiling , 1 Ioh. 5. 4. Ioh. 16. 33. Of the Flesh , Act. 15. 9. 1 Joh. 3. 3. Of the Devil , ● Pet. 5. 9. Eph. 6. 16. 11. Fervent , and continuing instant in prayer , even against discouragements ; though prayer seem to be neglected , repulsed , denied . As in the Canaanitish woman , Mat. 15. 22. to 29. In Elijah , who prayed seven times , 1 King. 18. 41. to 46. Iam. 5. 17 , 18. 12. Valiant in confessing Christ , in professing and owning of his Gospel , Truth and Cause , in dayes of greatest danger and persecution , 2 Tim. 1. 12. Saul converted to the Faith , straightway preached Christ in the Synagogues , that he was the Son of God , though to the hazard of his life , Act. 9. 20 , 23. The Angel of Pergamos , held fast Christ's Name , deni'd not his Faith , even there , where Satan's seat was , and even then , when Antipas was his faithful Martyr , Rev. 2. 12 , 13. Rev. 13. 10. The Faith and patience of the Saints , is most active and illustrious in midst of Antichristian cruelties and persecutions . 13. Finally , True Faith is constant and persevering . False Faith believes but for a time , in time of persecution falls away , Luk. 8. 13. True Faith holds on unto the end . Draws not back unto perdition , but believes unto the saving of the soul , Heb. 10. 39. The true Believer holds on believing , till he attain the scope and end of his Faith , the salvation of his soul , 1 Pet. 1. 8 , 9. XVII . Direction . REpentance from head works , not to be repented of , Heb. 6. 1. 2 Cor. 7. 10. is an inseparable companion of true faith , s ( The Scripture usually coupling them together , Mar. 1. 14. 15. Act. 20. 21. and 2. 37 , 38. and 26. 18. Heb. 6. 1. ) and therefore every one that would approve himself to believe in Christ sincerely , must repent of all his sins unfeinedly , as he expects to have his sins remitted freely , and his soul saved eternally . Luk. 24. 47. Act. 2. 38. and 5. 31. and 3. 19. — Act. 11. 18. Ezek. 18. 30 , 31 , 32. Luk. 13. 3 , 5. To Repent , is set forth by two Greek words , very significant in the New Testament . 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Metanoein , which properly signifies , To have an after-wit , wisdom or consideration ; a return to ones wits and wisdom again . As did the Prodigal , Luk. 15. 17. This word is used often , Mat. 3. 8 , 11. and 9. 13. — To sin , is our folly ; to repent of sin , is our after-wisdom . 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Metamelesthai , To have an after-care , to be heedful afterwards . It 's through want of care and heed that men transgress : 'T is Repentance that makes the offendor more careful to withstand and prevent sin for the future , 2 Cor. 7. 8 , 11. This word is used in Mat. 21. 29 , 32. Repentance is two-fold , 1. Initial , fundamental and universal : when a sinner at his first coversion repents of all his sins , original and actual , at once , turning from them unto God , Mat. 3. 2 , 8. Mar. 1. 14 , 15. Act. 11. 18. and 20 , 21. and 26. 18 , 20. Heb. 6. 1 , 2. 2. Secondary and particular : when a penitent after his conversion lapseth into any sin or sins , and renews Repentance for them particularly . As David , Psal. 51. tit . &c. Peter , Mat. 26. 75. Here , the former is ●hiefly intended , but the latter not excluded . Godly sorrow works Repentance not to be repented of , 2 Cor. 7. 10. But properly , godly sorrow is not Repentance , but an excellent Preparative , Inlet and Harbinger to Repentance . The proper Nature of Repentance stands in , 1. Aversion from Sin and Satan . 2. Conversion unto God and all goodness , Act. 26. 18. Now there are very many cogent Motives , that may incline a sinner to this initial , fundamental and universal Repentance . For , 1. God himself greatly desires the sinners initial , fundamental and universal Repentance . Ezek. 18. 23. and 33. 11. and 18. 31 , 32. See how , 1. He commands it , Act. 17. 30. Mar. 1. 14 , 15. 2. He invites t to it , Isa. 1. 16 , &c. and 55. 7. Mat. 3. 2. Ezek. 18. 23 , 31 , 32. Ier. 3. 1. 3. He promiseth great things to the penitent . Isa. 55. 7. Zech. 1. 3. Act. 2. 38. Hos. 14. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4. Ezek. 18. 21 , 22. Act. 26. 18. 4. He professeth , yea sweareth , he hath no pleasure in the death of the sinner , but that he should repent and live , Ezek. 18. 23. and 33. 11. 5. He receives penitents readily , compassionately , gladsomly , Luk. 15. 3. to the end . 2. Jesus Christ exceedingly endeavours the Sinners universal Repentance and Conversion . Mat. 4. 17. Mar. 1. 14 , 15. Luk. 24. 47. Act. 26. 17 , 18. For , 1. He sent Iohn Baptist his Harbinger preaching-Repentance , Mat. 3. 1 , 2 , 3 , 8. Luk. 3. 3. to 15. 2. His first Sermon was of Repentance , Mat. 4. 17. Mar. 1. 1● , 15. 3. He directs his Apostles first to preach Repentance to the Gentiles , Luk. 24. 47. 4. He shows the Necessity of Repenting and Converting , Luk. 13. 3 , 5. Mat. 18. 3. 5. He upbraids and laments the impenitent , Mat. 11. 20. to 25. and 23. 37 , 38 , 39. 6. He accepteth penitents most compassionately , Luk. 7. 37. to the end ▪ and 19. 8 , 9 , 10. and 23. 4 〈…〉 Act. 9. 6 , &c. 3. The Holy Ghost most frequently incites unto Repentance in Holy Scriptures . Isa. 1. 16 , 17 , &c. and 55. 6 , 7. Ezek. 18. 23 , 31 , 32. and 33. 11. Hos. 6. 1 , &c. and 14. 1 , &c. Ioel 2 ▪ 12 , &c. Act. 2. 37 , &c. and 3. 19. and 17. 30. Heb. 3. 7 , &c. Rev. 2. 4 , 5. 4. The time [ of the Messias coming in the flesh foretold ] is fulfilled ; and the Kingdom of God , [ the Messiah's New Testament-Kingdom ] is at hand , yea , as to us , is already come : therefore all should repent and believe , Mark 1. 15. Why ? That thus they may be fitted and qualified for reception of Christ , and of his Kingdom , to their Salvation . 5. There 's mention made in Holy Scripture of an whole cloud of Sinners initially repenting of their ●ins , and turning from them unto God , encouraging thee to imitate them in this narrow way of Life and Salvation . 〈◊〉 Manasses , ● Chron. 33. 12. to 18. Iohn Baptist's Hearers , Mat. 3. 2 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8. with Mat. 21. 32. The sinful Woman , Luke 7. 37 , &c. Zacheus the Publican , Luke 19. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. The Prodigal Son , Luke 15. 15. to the end . Saul the Persecutor , Act. 9. 3. to 23. Lydia , Act. 16. 14 , 15. The Jaylor and his House , Act. 16. 25. to 35. Many Gentiles , Act. 11. 18. and 15. 19. Many at Ephesus , Act. 19. 17. to 21. The Thessalonians , 1 Thes. 1. 5. to 11. The Thief on the Cross , Luke 23. 40. to 44. They that crucified , and consented to the death of the Lord Jesus Christ , even 3000 of them , Act. 2. 36 , 37 , &c. All these are propounded as examples to allure thee , and cords to draw thee unto initial Repentance . 6. Impenitency is most dangerous . 1. Is rebellion against Gods Command , Act. 17. 30. Isa. 1. 16 , 20. 2. The fruit of a blinded mind and hardned heart , &c. Ioh. 12. 40. Rom. 2. 5. 3. Seals up the Natural man in his state of sin and misery , Exod. 34. 7. God will not clear the impenitent guilty ; and how woful is that state of sin and misery ! Act. 26. 18. 4. Shuts him eternally out of Gods Kingdom , Mat. 18. 3. 5. Treasures up wrath against the day of wrath , Rom. 2. 5. 6. Renders their condition who live under the Gospel , worse then that of Heathens at the judgement-day , Mat. 11. 20. to 25. 7. Exposeth impenitents to all judgements in this present world , Lev. 26. 23. Amos 4. 6. to 13. And to everlasting damnation in the world to come , Luke 13. 3 , 5. Ezek. 18. 20 , 26 , 30 , 31. 7. True Repentance is most desirable and beneficial to the penitent Soul. For , 1. It is never to be repented of , 2 Cor 7. 10. 2. It thorowly removes the Natural mans sinfulness , though never so great , Isa. 1. 16 , 17 , 18. and 55. 7. Luke 24. 47. Act. 5. 31. and 3. 19. And wretchedness , though never so deep , Act. 26. 18. Luk. 15. 32. Ezek. 18. 27 , 28. 3. It returns the Sinner unto God , the only supream Good , Act. 26. 18. Zech. 1. 3. 4. It occasioneth much joy : To the Saints on Earth , Act. 15. 3. To the Angels in Heaven , Luke 15. 7 , 10. And as it were to God himself , Luk. 15. 20. to 25. 5. It intituleth the Penitent to sundry precious Promises . As , Isa 1. 16 , 17 , 18. and 55. 7. Ezek 18. 21 , 22. Zech. 1. 3. Act. 26. 18. 6. It is the ready way to Life and Salvation , Act. 11. 18. 2 Cor. 7. 10. 7. It puts into possession of the Inheritance of the Saints , of the Kingdom of Heaven , even Paradise it self . Act. 26. 18. Mat. 18. 3. Luke 23. 41 , 42 , 43. XVIII . Direction . SEarch out and try the truth of thy Repentance , as well as of thy Faith , lest in this necessary Grace and fundamental Duty , thou mistakest a shadow for a substance , an appearance for a reality , and so overthrow the whole Fabrick of thy Christianity . Mock-Repentance , counterfeit Repentance , is of no account at all with God , nor of any avail for spiritual blessings or eternal Salvation . Hos. 7. 16. Ahab got no spiritual good , 1 King. 21. 27. Nor Iudas , Mat. 27. 3 , 4 , 5. by their counterfeit repenting . Sincere Repentance may be discovered by the 1. Antecedents . 2. Constituents . 3. Concomitants . And 4. Consequents thereof . I. The Antecedents , going before true Repentance , are ; Conviction , Illumination , Godly Sorrow , Hatred of Sin. 1. Conviction of sin , if true and sincere , when it 1. Leads a man from sin to sin , from actual to original . Psal. 51. 1. to 6. 2. Smites the Conscience sharply for sin . Psal. 51. 3 , 8. Act. 2. 37. 3. Provokes the Soul to seek for remedy . Act. 2. 36 , 37. contra Mat. 27. 3 , 4 , 5. 2. Illumination touching Christ , the remedy against sin . Act. 26. 18. If true , 1. Gives a more clear and perfect insight into the mystery of Christ and Christianity , then any Natural man hath . 1 Cor. 2. 6. to 15. 2. Melts the Heart into love to Christ , and tears , or at least , mourning for sin . Luke 7. 37. to the end . 3. Conducts the Soul , like the Star , to Christ , Ioh. 6. 45. 4. Inclines the Soul to deny , do , and suffer any thing for Christ. Phil. 3. 7 , 8 , &c. Act. 9. 4 , 5 , 6. Heb. 10. 32 , 33 , 34. 3. Godly Sorrow , and Contrition , working Repentance , 2 Cor. 7. 10. If true and sincere , 1. Wounds the Heart most for sin , as it is against God. Psal. 51. 4. As against Christ. 〈◊〉 12. 10 , 11. 2. Drives the Sinner to seek spiritual relief . Act. 2. 36 , 37 , &c. Luke 7. 37 , &c. 3. Deeply humbleth and abaseth the Soul. Ezek. 36. 31. Luke 15. 17 , &c. 4. Secretly refresheth the Heart that it can mourn for sin . Isa. 61. 3. Dolet de morbo , gaudet de medicina : L●ments at the malady , rejoyceth at the remedy . 5. Is very great . Zech. 12. 10 , 11. Psal. 38. 3. to 11. 6. Is permanent and lasting . Psal. 51. 3. 7. At last works Repentance not to be repented of . 2 Cor. 7. 10. 4. Hatred of Sin , if sincere , 1. Ariseth from true Love to God , that cannot endure sin . Psal. 97. 10. 2. Comes from due esteem of Gods Word , that detects sin . Psal. 119. 113. 128. 3. Flows from true Love to Holiness and Righteousness . Psal. 45. 7. 4. Is chiefly for the sinfulness of it . Gal. 5. 17. 5. Is Universal against every sinful way . Psal. 119. 104. II. The Constituents of the proper Nature of Repentance , Aversion from evil , and Conversion to God , Act. 26. 18. Col. 1. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 9. discover the truth of Repentance , viz. 1. Aversion from evil , if upright , 1. Is from sin cordially and really hated . Psal. 119. 104. 2. Is from sin for its sinfulness against God. Gen. 39. 9. 3. Is consequently from all known sin . Ezek. 18. 21 , 30 , 31. 4. Is also from his own more peculiar iniquity , to which by Natural Constitution , Calling , Temptation , &c. he was more specially inclined . Psal. 18. 22. 5. Is from the power of sin . Col. 1. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Eph. 2. 1 , 5. With crucifying and mortifying of sin . Col. 3. 5. Gal. 5. 24. 6. Is constant and continuing . 2 Pet. 2. 20 , 21 , 22. 7. Is joyned with eschewing fellowship with others in their sins . Eph. 5. 11. Psal. 1. 1 , 2. 2. Conversion to God , if sincere , 1. Is upon serious consideration , Luke 15. 17. to the end . Ezek. 18. 27 , 28. 2. Is immediately unto Christ , the way to God ▪ Act. 11. 21. with Ioh. 14. 6. 3. Is unto God as a reconciled Father in Christ. Lu●e 15. 18 , 19 , 20 , 2 Cor. 5. 18 , 19 , 20 , 21. 4. Is by the regenerating Spirits operation . Iohn 3. 3 , 5. Eph. 2. 18. 5. Is to God cordially and entirely . Io●l 2. 13. 1 Kings 8. 47 , 48. 6. Turneth to God , so as to resign himself to Gods Power and Government . Act. 26. 18. Col. 1. 13. 7. Turneth to God , with fixed resolution never to turn away from him . Deut. 10. 20. with Psal. 86. 11. and 73. 25 , 26. III. Concomitants , accompanying true Repentance , may give some light to the truth of Repentance . Noscitur ex comite , qui nondignoscitur exse : A man is oft-times better known by his company , rather then by himself . These are Concomitants or Companions of true Repentance , viz. 1. An hearty , impartial , self-abasing and self-condemning confession of sin to God. Psal. 51. 17. and verse 1 , 3 , 5 , 14. Ezra 9. 6. Dan. 9. 5 , 6 , 7 , 8. Luke 15. 18 , 19. 2. Faith in Christ : Mark 1. 15. Act. 26. 18. Heb. 6. 1. of which formerly . 3. Penitential Desires , and these vehement , viz. Against sin , that it may be pardoned , subdued , extirpated , &c. And for abundance of Grace to these ends . 2 Cor. 7. 10 , 11. 4. Prayer . Act. 9. 11. Even the Spirit of Prayer . Zech. 12. 10. Psal. 51. 1. &c. IV. Consequents of true Repentance , a●e 1. More generally , All good fruits and good works , meet for Repentance . Mat. 3. 8 , 9 , 10. and 7. 19. Luke 3. 8 , 9. with Gal. 5. 22 , 23. 2. More particularly , These , and such like : 1. Vigilant care against sin for time to come . 2 Cor. 7. 11. 2. Enlarged thankfulness for Gods mercies in Christ , to the penitent and pardoned sinner . 1 Tim. 1 ▪ 13. to 18. Luke 7. 37 , 38. 3. Vehement and sincere Love ; To Christ , for his Grace , Luke 7. 47. Phil. 3. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. To his Ministers , for their Embassey . 1 Thes. 5. 12 , 13. Gal. 4. 14 , 15. To his members , for his image . 1 Ioh. 3. 14. and 5. 1. 4. Singular joy in Christ , and in all his wayes . Acts 2. 46. and 8. 39. 5. Chearful new obedience to God in Christ. Acts 2. 42 , &c. Isa. 1 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20. 6. Compassionateness to other sinners , with desires and endeavours to gain them to Christ by Faith and Repentance . Psal. 51. 12 , 13. 1 Cor. 9. 19. to 23. Luke 22. 32. Acts 26. 29. 7. Holy zeal to the peace and prosperity of Christs Church , into which the penitent is now implanted . Acts 2. 41. to the end . 1 Cor. 9. 19 , &c. Psal. 51. 18 , 19. XIX . Direction . TUrn now unto God in Christ ( O Natural man ) by repenting : Come now unto Iesus Christ , and apply him by believing : Delay not , tarry not , but make all speed , all present speed , in thy life , in thy health , in thy youth , this day rather then to morrow , as ever thou desirest to make sur● of life and eternal salvation by Christ Iesus . Eccl. 12. 1. Heb. 3. 7 , 8 , 13 , 15. 2 Cor. 6. 2. To incline thee forcibly hereunto , consider seriously , 1. God calls for the early sacrifices and services to be performed to him . As , The first-fruits of the Ground , The first-fruits of Dough , the first-fruits of all Fruit-trees , Neh. 10. 35 , 36 , 37. The Firstlings of Beasts , Exod , 13. 1 , 2. The First-born of man , Exod. 13. 1 , 2. The First-fruits of thy dayes : Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth , Eccl. 12. 1. The first-fruits of thy study , care , diligence , affections , &c. First seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness , Mat. 6. 33. And wilt thou put off God with the last ? with the dross and dregs of all ? 2. Gods Elect have come in to Christ , repented and converted speedily immediately upon Gods call ; and dost thou still stand off , after so many calls and invitations ? The Apostles immediately upon Christs call came to him and followed him , Mat. 4. 18. to 23. The sinful Woman presently relented upon Christs preaching that sweet Sermon , Mat. 11. 28 , 29 , 30. ( her History is thought n next in order to succeed those words ) Luke 7. 37 , &c. Zacheus the Publican was presently converted upon Christs coming to him , Luke 19. 6. to 11. The Thief upon the Cross , ( who possibly never saw or heard Christ before ) was immediately converted , and assured that that day he should be with Christ in Paradise , Luke 23. 41 , 42 , 43. Cornelius and his Company were gained to Christ , as Peter was uttering his Sermon , Acts 10. 44 , &c. The Ethiopian Eunuch , upon Philip's preaching , instantly believed and was baptized , Acts 8. 35 , &c. At one Sermon of Peter 3000 were brought home to Christ , and added to the Church , Acts 2. 36 , 37 , &c. The Hearers of the Apostles were speedily converted , about 5000 , Acts 4. 4. Saul upon Christs call instantly believed and repented , so that x of a Wolf he became a Lamb , of a Persecutor a Preacher of Christ and of his Gospel , Acts 9. 3 , 4 , &c. 19 , 20 , &c. At Paul's preaching Lydia's heart was presently opened to entertain Christ , Acts 16. 14. The Jaylor presently believed upon the preaching of Paul and Silas , Acts 16. 30 , &c. The Ephesians , after they heard the Word of Truth , speedily converted to God , Eph. 1. 13 , 14 , 15. with Acts 19. 17 , 18 , 19 , 20. The Thessalonians , upon Paul's entring in unto them with the Gospel , turned from Idols to serve the living God , 1 Thes. 1. 4 , 5 , 9. and 2. 1. And what shall I say more ? The Colossians believed and were converted speedily . y the Gospel bringing forth fruit in them , from the very day they heard it , Col. 1. 4 , 5 , 6. Now this Catalogue of early Repenters shall rise up in judgement against thee , and condemn thee for thy delay . 3. The present time is of all other the very fittest time in the world for thee , and for every one , to turn from sin by repenting , and close with Christ by believing . For , 〈◊〉 God saith , To day if ye will hear his voice , harden not your hearts , Heb. 3. 7 , 8. 13. 15. and 4. 7. And dost thou , with the Devil , z say , Tomorrow ? 2. Now is the acceptable time , now is the day of salvation , 2 Cor. 6. 1 , 2. Hereafter may be the un-acceptable time , the day of damnation . 3. Now , God may be found , is near : hereafter God may be afar off , and may not be found , Isa. 55. 6 , 7. 4. The present time is the time of mercy : God holds out to the sinner his white Flag , his golden Scepter of many precious Promises . The future time may be the time of judgement , and he may hold forth the red and black Flags of blood and death , Prov. 1. 24. to 32. Isa. 65. 12. and 66. 4. I● . 7. 13. 5. The present time is only thine . Time past is irrevocably gone . Time to come may never come to thee . The rich fool , that promised himself many years , had not many hours to live ; that night his soul was taken from him , Luke 12. 20. And then , if that prove thy condition , what will become of thy impenitent ; hardned , unbelieving , and Christless soul ? 4. Delays in this case are very dangerous . For , 1. While Repentance is delayed , iniquity is daily increased , and sin multiplied . Such go on still in their trespasses , Psal. 168. 21. 2. While Repentance is delayed , the heart will be daily more and more hardned through the deceitfulness of sin , Heb. 3. 13. 3. The more the heart is hardned , the more impossible it will be for the sinner to repent , Rom. 2. 5. 4. Late and long-delayed Repentance is seldom true , alwayes difficult . Unfit to day , more unfit to morrow . a Long festering and rankling Sores are hardly cured , if curable at all . True Repentance indeed is never too late , but late Repentance is seldom true . Late Repenters do not so much forsake sin , as sin forsakes them . 5. While Repentance is delay'd , the sinner treasureth up unto himself the greater pile of wrath against the day of wrath , and revelation of the righteous judgement of God , Rom. 2. 5. 5. Thy life is short ; but Believing and Repenting are a great and long work . He that hath much work to do , a long journey to go , had need to neglect no time , but to be up early and doing . For , What is thy life ? b A vanishing vapour , Iam. 4. 14. A wind that passeth , Iob. 7. 7. A blast , or puff of breath , Isa. 2. 22. A flower , flourishing and fading , Psal. 103. 15 , 16. A tale told , Psal. 90. 9. Grass , now growing , now withering , Psal. 103. 15. A flood , still flowing away , never returning , Psal. 90. 5. As yesterday , when it is past , Psal. 90. 4. An hand-breadth , Psal. 39. 5. A watch in the night , but three hours long , Psal. 90. 4. A shadow , Iob 14. 2. A sleep , Psal. 90. 5. An image , or show , Psal. 39. 6. Nothing , and altogether vanity , Psal. 39. 5. Now , Believing and Repenting are great and long works . None can believe or repent , but such as are regenerate by the Spirit of God , Iohn 1. 12 , 13. By Believing we must know Christ savingly , Isa. 53. 11. Iob. 17. 3. Must assent to Gods Record touching Christ fully , Ioh. 3. 33. 1 Ioh. 5. 11 , 12. Must embrace the Promises , and accept Christ in the Promises , Heb. 11. 13. Iohn 1. 12. Must purifie the heart , Acts 15. 9. Must conquer the world , 1 Iohn 5. 4. Must quench the fiery darts of the Devil , Eph. 6. 16. And must live by it upon Christ continually , Rom. 1. 17. Gal. 2. 20. Are these easie things ? Repentance turns from darkness to light , from the Power of Satan to God , Acts 26. 18. Tends continually to mortifie and crucifie sin , Rom. 8. 13. Col. 3. 5. And to perfect holiness in Gods fear , 2 Cor. 7. 1. Tit. 2. 12 , 13. 6. Death is most certain , that it will come , Heb. 9. 27. Sam. 14. 14. Psal. 49. 6 , 7 , 8 , 9. and 89. 98. Most uncertain when , where , or how it will come ; whether in youth , man-hood , or old age ; in the evening , midnight , Cock-crowing , or day-break watch , Mark 13. 35. Therefore seeing thou knowest not the year , day , nor hour of thy death , thou hast need to be prepared for it every day , every hour . So true is that Verse ; Mors certa est , incerta dies , hora agnita nulli ; Extremam quare quamlibet esse puta . c I may thus English it ; Frail Man ; most certain is thy death , Uncertain is the day , None knows the hour of his last breath ; Then look for it alway . In this respect Angustine's d Advice is very good ; — Let every one wholesomely think of his last day . It is Gods mercy that man knows not when he shall die . Man's last day is concealed from him , that every day may be observed by him . What Housholder is there , that being certainly informed that such a week or such a night , thieves will assault his house , but at what hour is wholly uncertain , will not prepare and watch every night , lest his house be broken thorow and robbed ? Or , what condemned Malefactor , being assured that in a short time he shall certainly die , on what day he is wholly uncertain , but will make it his serious work to prepare for his death , that he may die penitently ? And wilt no● thou , O sinful mortal Soul , who knowest thy death is certain , the time when uncertain , endeavour by speedy and sincere Repentance and Faith , to prepare for dying well ? Especially considering ; That after death , this work of Repenting and Believing hath no place , no such work is to be done in the grave , Eccl. 9. 10. There , thine heart can send forth no sighs , thine eye no tears , thy tongue no confession , &c. in reference to thy sins . There , there , is no knowledge , assent , or application of Faith to be exerted in reference to the Promises , or Christ. But as the Tree falls , so it lyes unalterably towards Heaven or Hell. As soon as a man dies , there is a great gulf fixed , so that there 's no altering of his present condition , from better to worse , or from worse to better . Luke 16. 26. 7. Finally , O Natural man , Repent now , believe in Christ now , or never . 2 Cor. 6. 1 , 2. Heb. 3. 7. to 16. Isa. 55. 7. Eccl. 9. 10. ( 1. ) Now embrace the acceptable time , now close with the day of salvation , or never . 2 Cor. 6. 1 , 2. For , when the acceptable time is out , when the day of salvation is ended , thou canst expect no acceptation from God any more , no salvation for evermore . Prov. 1. 24. to verse 33. ( 2. ) Now believe in Christ , and repent according to the tenour of the Gospel , and Ordinances of Christ , continued unto thee , Mark 1. 15. Luke 24. 47. or never . For , if the Gospel be taken from thee , or thou from the Gospel , how canst thou repent ? How canst thou believe ? ( 3. ) Now entertain Christs sweetest ●nvitations and offers of Grace , with all affectionateness and readiness of mind ; or never . Mat. 11. 28 , 29 , 30. Iohn 3. 15 , 16 , 17. and 6. 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 50 , 51 , &c. and 7. 37 , 38 , 39. For , Christ will not be alwayes inviting the obstinate , alwayes offering Grace to them that do reject it . The Guests that were bidden to the Marriage of the Kings Son , ( i. e. of Christ with the Elect ) and rejected the invitation , were invited no more . Mat. 22. 2 , 3. and 8. with Luke 14. 16. to 25. ( 4. ) Now open the door of thine heart unto Christ , while he stands at the door patiently , and knocks importunately , by his Word , by his Rod , by his Spirit , &c. Rev. 3. 20. or never . For , if Christ be still sleighted and repulsed , so that he being weary of standing and knocking , finally depart , he will wait no more , he will knock no more , much less come in unto thee , and sup with thee , &c. ( 5. ) Now , while thou art in the land of the living , believe , repent , turn to God , work out thy salvation , &c. or never . For if Death surprize thee , if the Grave shut her mouth upon thee , all these works will cease for ever . Eccl. 9. 10. ( 6. ) Now , like a wise Virgin , furnish thy Lamp of Christian Profession with the oyl of true Grace , that , when Jesus Christ , the Bridegroom , shall come to the solemn marriage with his Church , thou maist go forth to meet the Bridegroom ; or never . Mat. 25. 1. to 14. For if thou , like a foolish Virgin , hast thine oyl to provide when the Bridegroom shall come , They that are ready shall enter in with him , and the door will be for ever shut against thee , though thou knockest and cryest , Lord open , with the greatest importunity . Mat. 25. 10 , 11 , 12. Then if thou beest once shut out of Heaven , thou art shut out for ever ; if once thou art cast out into Hell , thou art shut up in it for ever . ( 7 ) Finally , Now give all possible diligence to enter in at the strait Gate , to attain eternal life by Christ , and to make thy Calling and Election sure ; while thou art here on earth , while thou art in this present world under the heavenly deaws of the Gospel , Mat. 13. 44 , 45 , 46. Luk. 13. 24. Phil. 2. 12. 2 Pet 1. 5. to 12. before thine immortal Soul be implunged into the intollerable and everlasting torments of Hell-fire , Luk. 16. 23 , 24 , 28. Mat. 25. 46. Or never . For if once thou art cast out into the Lake of Fire , there is no mercy , no mitigation of torment , no repenting , no possibility of reconcilement with God , &c. And thence is no hopes of Redemption or Recovery . Oh if the damned in Hell , could by any tears or importunities obtain liberty , though but for a few months , weeks or dayes , to be on Earth again , how diligently would they strive to enter in at the strait gate , Luk. 13. 24. How zealously would they attend upon the preaching of the Gospel ! How religiously would they sanctifie the sabbath ! how devoutly would they pray ! Once more offer Christ unto us ; Once more touch our hearts and Consciences ; Once more enlighten us , let us partake of the Holy Ghost , taste the good word of God , and the Powers of the world to come . Heb. 6. 4 , 5. Once more open the gate of mercy , &c. How deeply with sighs and tears would they lament their sins day and night . How would they endeavour to believe in Christ , repent and obey , yea to do or suffer any thing , that they might come no more into that place of torment . But all such hopes are for ever dasht . They had their time and season for all these things , which they neglected and lost , and now shall never enjoy more , so long as Heaven is Heaven , and Hell Hell. O that all these things could be seriously thought upon , before it be too late ! But when must it be ? NOW or NEVER . XX. Direction . UPon the sincere closing with Christ , accepting and applying him to thy self as thine only Saviour and Redeemer , what fullness of all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ , will be heaped upon thy Soul. Eph. 1. 1 , 3 , 4. &c. What tongue can utter them ; What heart of man can comprehend them ? 1 Cor. 2. 9 , 10. Be thou careful to walk worthy of them continually . Eph. 4. 1. Col. 2. 6 , 7. 1. What heavenly Relations are presently vouchsafed to thee . Thou art a fellow-citizen with the Saints , and of the houshold of God. Eph. 2. 19. and they all thy brethren and sisters in Christ , 1 Pet. 2. 17. God is thy Father , and thou his Child , 2 Cor. 6. 18. Ioh. 20. 17. Christ is thine elder brother and not ashamed to call thee one of his brethren , Rom. 8. 29. Heb. 2. 10 , 11. Christ thine head , and thou his member , 1 Cor. 6. 15. Eph. 4. 15 , 16. Christ thine Husband , and thou his Spouse , 2 Cor. 11. 3. Christ thy Redeemer and Saviour , and thou his redeemed and saved , Heb. 9. 12. Luke 2. 10 , 11. The Holy Ghost is thine Inhabitant , and thou his Temple and Habitation , 1 Cor. 6. 19. and 3. 16 , 17. Ephes. 2. 21 , 22. Therefore be thou holy in all manner of Christian conversation , 1 Pet. 1. 14. to 18. 2. What great and precious Promises are thereupon given thee ? 2 Pet. 1. 3 , 4. Promises ; 1. Of the life that now is ; 2. Of the life to come ; and what Promises canst thou desire more ? 1 Tim. 4. 8. Now Gods Promises are not like mans Promises , yea and nay , off and on , sometimes performed , sometimes violated , &c. but they are all Yea and Amen in Christ , 2 Cor. 1. 20. altogether immu●able , it being impossible that therein the God of truth should lye , Tit. 1. 2. Heb. 6. 18. Having then these Promises , cleanse thy self from all filthiness of flesh and spirit , perfecting holiness in the fear of God , 2 Cor. 7. 1. 3. What a cluster of soul-beautifying Graces are immediately together with Faith in Christ , instilled and infused into thy soul ! Faith is the Captain and leading Grace , all the rest follow . 2 Pet. 1. 5 , 6 , &c. These are the Divine Nature , and Image of God , whereby the Believer resembles the heavenly Father , 2 Pet. 1. 4. Eph. 4. 24. Col. 3. 11. These make the Kings Daughter all glorious within , so that her clothing is of wrought gold , Psal. 45. 13. These make the Church beautiful , even to the ravishment of Christ , Cant. 7. 1. to 10. and 4. 1. throughout . Labour thou to abound and grow in these Graces continually , 2 Pet. 1. 8. and 3. 18. And as he that hath called thee is holy , so to be holy in all manner of conversation , 1 Pet. 1. 14 , 15 , 16. 4. What eminent Priviledges are upon thine accepting of Christ , heaped upon thee ● 1. Thou art eternally redeemed from all thy spiritual bondage under sin , Satan , &c. under which thou wast enthralled , Heb. 9. 12. Gal. 4. 4. 1 Thes. 1. 10. Gal. 3. 13 , 14. 2. Thou art reconciled unto God , who wast formerly at enmity with him , Rom. 5. 10. 3. Thou art justified freely through his Grace , thy sins being pardoned fully through the blood of Christ , and thou art so justified and accepted of God , that thou art become the Righteousness of God in him , Rom. 3. 24 , 25. Eph. 1. 7. 2 Cor. 5. 19 , 21. 4. Thou art adopted into Gods Family , and art become one of the Houshold of God , and so art made an heir of God , a joynt-heir with Christ , Gal. 4. 4 , 5 , 6. Eph. 2. 19. Rom. 8. 15 , 16 , 17. 5. Thou hast access with filial boldness , by the Spirit unto the Father , and maist confidently cry , Abba Father , Eph. 2. 18. Rom. 8. 15. 6. Thou art brought into sweet communion with God , Father , Son , and Holy Ghost , which is even the Saints ●eaven on earth , 1 Ioh. 1. 3. 2 Cor. 13. 14. 7. Thou hast a Treasury and Fountain of all true Comfort bestowed upon thee , the Holy Ghost the Comforter dwelling in thine heart , 2 Cor. 1. 3. 4 , 5. Iohn 14. 16. 8. Thou hast in Christ a new and most excellent Title to all the good things of this present life , 1 Tim. 4. 8. Matth. 6. 33. 1 Cor. 3. 20 , 21. 9. Thou art assured , that all things , even the worst of afflictions and persecutions , shall work together for thy good , for thy best , Rom. 8. 28. 10. And finally , Thou hast well-grounded hopes of eternal Happiness in Heaven , when this life shall be no more , in the immediate vision and fruition of God in Christ face to face , which is far best of all , 1 Pet. 1. 3 , 4. 2 Cor. 5. 1 , 2 , &c. Rom. 5. 1 , 2. Ioh. 17. 24. Phil. 1. 23. And therefore give all diligence to walk worthy of all these blessed Priviledges . Enthral not thy self again in the yoke of any spiritual bondage . Provoke not God unto enmity by thy renewed sins . Blot not , blur not the evidence of thy sins pardon by lapses and falls against thy Conscience . Behave thy self towards thy God and all his Children , as one of the Houshold of Faith. Restrain not Prayer , but pray continually , with groans that cannot be uttered , by the assistance of the Spirit . Have no fellowship at all with Sin and Satan , nor any needless fellowship with any workers of iniquity , Eph. 5. 11. Psal. 1. 1. and 26. 4 , 5. Psal. 119. 115. Walk not disconsolately and dejectedly , but in the fear of the Lord , and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost , Acts 9. 31. Be abundantly contented in all conditions allotted thee by God. Fully expect good by the worst of afflictions that may befall thee ; and be ever carefull to keep thy Hopes and Evidences for Heaven firm and clear , that when thou comest to die , thou maist lift up thine head , and triumph that thy Redemption and celestial Coronation with Christ draweth nigh . XXI . Direction . WRastle also most vlgorously , ( O thou that wast Natural , but art spiritualized , wast dead , but art alive again ) against all thy sins , spiritual enemies , and their temptations , Heb. 12. 4. Col. 3. 5. to 12. Eph. 6. 11. to 19. for all time to come , that they may none of them in the least measure eclipse any of these thy spiritual Priviledges , or embitter any other thy sweet enjoyments . Holy David , by his lapses , brought many deep wounds and scarrs upon his Conscience , Psal. 51. 3 , 8. some of which he probably carried to his Grave . Loving and confident Peter , by his triple denial of his Lord and Master Christ , purchased to himself a torrent of bitter tears , Mat. 26. 75. The Ephesian Angel , by leaving his first love and first works , was so offensive thereby to Christ , that he threatned the removal of his Candlestick , Revel . 2. 4 , 5. The Church her self by her carnal sluggishness and security , lost her sweet Communion with Christ for a season , and was involved in deep spiritual distress , Cant. 5. 2. to 9. Be thou warned by their examples , which are written for thine admonition , lest through thy spiritual oscitancy and sluggishness , thou bring upon thy self like spiritual calamities , and so far wound thy Conscience , as to go bleeding to thy Grave . XXII . Direction . EXpress upon all good occasions , all possible tenderness of heart , and bowels of compassion , towards those that yet remain in the first Adam , in their sinful state of Nature , unrege●erate , especially towards thy kindred according to the flesh , using all good endeavours to convince , convert , and gain them to Christ , that they , as well as thy self , may be eternally saved . Luke 22. 32. Rom. 10. 1. and 9. 1 , 2 , 3. Acts 9. 20 , with 1 Cor. 9. 19. to 23. For , 1. Even thou thy self wast sometimes foolish , disobedient , serving divers lusts and pleasures , living in malice and envy , hateful , and hating others , Tit. 3. 3. An enemy to God by wicked works , Col. 1. 21. Yea , dead in sins and trespasses , &c. — and a child of wrath , as well as they . or any of them , Eph. 2. 1 , 2 , 3. But God , who is rich in mercy , hath saved thee by the washing of Regeneration , and renewing of the Holy Ghost , Tit. 3. 4 , 5 , 6 , 7. Hast thou then experimentally felt the Wormwood and the Gall of thy Natural state of sin and misery ? And dost thou not commiserate such poor souls , as are still in the gall of bitterness , and bond of iniquity ? Acts 8. 23. Hast thou had the sweet experience of the riches of Gods free-Grace and Love , in restoring thee from death to life , from thy Natural state of sin and misery , into a supernatural state of sanctity and felicity ? And do not thy bowels yearn within thee after other lost souls , especially those of thy kindred , that they also may be turned from darkness to light , and from the power of Satan unto God ? Acts 26. 18. 2. Are not their souls , as well as thine own , very precious ? O , Consider , 1. Their immortal Constitution , which no Creature can kill or destroy , Matth. 10. 28. 2. The invaluable price paid for their Restitution , even the most precious blood and death of Jesus Christ , the only Son of God , 1 Tim. 2. 5 , 6. 1 Pet. 1. 18 , 19. 3. The incomparable and transcendent value which the wisdome of God himself puts upon the soul ; as being of far more worth then the whole world , Matth. 16. 26. And then think with thy self ; Shall not I endeavour to hinder the eternal loss , and to promote the eternal salvation , of such precious souls ? 3. What advantage will redound in sundry respects , if God bless thine endeavours , to the convincing and converting of their souls to Christ ! For , Hereby 1. Thou shalt save a soul from death , Jam. 5. 19 , 20. And what a great , what a glorious work is it , to have an hand in saving a soul from death● 2. Thou shalt hide a multitude of sins , Jam. 5. 19 , 20. Even an heap , a sink , a dunghil of hundreds and thousands of sins , thou shalt hide from the revenging eye of God , by Christs righteousness , 2 Cor. 5. 20 , 21. 3. Thou shalt occasion great joy in Heaven , among the blessed Angels of God , who exceedingly rejoyce at the Conversion of sinners , Luke 15. 7 , 10 , 22 , 23. 4. Finally , Thou shalt hereby not a little further thine own eternal felicity , Deut. 12. 3. Thou therefore commiserate thy Brethren in their sinful and wretched state of Nature , as thy God hath in thy like condition had compassion on thee . Canst thou lend an hand to pluck a Beast out of the mire , or a Sheep out of a pit ; and wilt thou not lend an hand to help poor lost souls out of the mire of sin , snares of Satan , and pit of eternal destruction ? O , warn them , convince them , counsel them , exhort them , rebuke them , lament them , pray for them , weep over them , do any good for them , that thou maist by any means gain and save their souls . XXIII . Direction . YIeld , with all enlarged thankfulness , all possible Praise , Love , and Obedience , unto God , and unto the Lamb ; who hath loved thee of the riches of his free-Grace before the world began , who in fulness of time hath ransomed thee by the invaluable price of his death , and in due time hath washed th●e from thy sins in his own blood , a●d in the Laver of Regeneration , by the renewing of the Holy Ghost . Eph. 1. 3 , 4 , 5 , 6. 1 Iohn 4. 19. — Gal. 4. 4 , 5. 1 Tim. 1. 15. and 2. 5 , 6. 1 Pet. 1. 18 , 19 , 20 ▪ — Rev. 1. 5. Tit. 3. 4 , 5 , 6 , 7. For , 1. Thou oughtest to be thankful for all Gods blessings of all sorts , the least of them being beyond , yea contrary to , thy deserts , Eph. 5. 20. Col. 3. 17. 1 Thes. 5. 18. with Gen. 32. 10. but especially for those choicest spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ , Eph. 1. 3. Psal. 103 1 , 2 , 3. 2. The reality and sincerity of thy thankfulness , will inwardly best approve it self , in thy cordial affection and un●eigned love towards thy gracious God and Jesus Christ , for all his love , and all the fruits of his love in Christ. Kindness begets thankfulness , and love breeds love , as fire begets fire , 1 Iob. 4. 19. Thus , when the Psalmist would signifie his great thankfulness to God for his great mercies , he professeth his dearest love to God ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , I will love thee dearly , [ Heb. I will love thee with inmost bowels ] O LORD my strength , &c. Psal. 18. 1 , 2 , &c. So Psal. 116. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , I have loved , because the LORD hath heard my voice , &c. 3. The integrity of true love and thankfulness , doth outwardly best discover it self in a chearful and sincere obedience to God and Christ , Iob. 14. 15 , 21. 1 Ioh. 5. 3. Such obedience is a real retribution of thankfulness , Psal. 116. 12. to the end . Then we praise God aright , when we extol him , not only with our hearts and lips , but with our lives . XXIV . Direction . ZEalously endeavour to promote the Glory of God , and of Iesus Christ , in all things , throughout the whole course of thy life ; and to be where Christ is , to behold his Glory , that so thine inchoate happiness may be compleatly consummate , in the immediate vision , and full fruition of God in Christ unto all eternity . 1 Cor. 10. 31. and 6. 20. 1 Pet. 4. 11. 2 Thes. 1. 12. — Ioh. 17. 24. Mat. 5. 8. 1 Thes. 4. 17. Rev. 22. 3 , 4 , 5. For , 1. Gods Glory , and the Souls felicity in the full enjoyment of God in Christ unto all eternity , are the two principal Ends of all , which thou , and every man , should chiefly intend and aim at in his whole life , 1 Cor. 10. 31. Rom. 11 36. Psal. 73. 24. to the end : God● made all things for his glory Pro. 16. 4. And all things ought to be levelled to his Glory . Man is made capable of God. and therefore he is restless till he can fully center in God , in whom alone in Christ all his happiness is treasured up . Augustine said sweetly e ; — Thou hast made us for thee ; And our heart is unquiet till it rest in thee . As the Needle once touched with the loadstone , is unquiet till it come to the Magnetick Center , and point towards the Pole. 2. Thou , that wast dead in sin , and a child of wrath , but art quickened by God and made a child of Grace , of the riches of his Grace . Eph. 2. 1. 5 , 6 , 7. Canst never do enough for this God , and for his glory ▪ And therefore he hath provided heaven for his people wherein they may glorifie him eternally . Yet while thou art on earth , glorifie him to the uttermost in thy momentany life , for thy Redemption , Reconciliation , Vocation , Sanctification , Justification and hopes of Salvation : So shalt thou by this heavenly imployment begin Heaven on Earth and pr●posses● thyself of Paradise . 3. If a little taste , a short glimpse of Gods favour in Christ , breaking thorough the thick clonds of thy manifold frailties here on earth , be so sweet , as to transcend incomparably all subl●nary enjoyments , Psal , 4. 6 , 7. Cant. 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 : Then how sweet , how delicious , how ravishing will be the full Sun-shine of his Love unto thy Soul in Heaven for ever when all imperfections and infirmities shall be totally and finally done away , Eph. 5. 27. Act. 3. 19. Rev. 21. 4. and 22. 3. To haev Communion with Christ in this world by Grace , is a blessed Priviledge Ioh. 1. 3. Eph. 1. 3. But to be with Christ in Paradise and to have Communion with him in glory is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by much more better . How elegantly ! Here being , as it were , 3 Comparatives . Phil. 1. 23. viz. To be with Christ is far the best of all . Herein our Blessed Saviour himself placeth the height of his peoples eternal felicity , That they may be where he is , to behold his glory , Ioh. 17. 24. That will be an immediate vision : Not as now through a glass darkly , but face to face clearly 1 Cor. 13. 12. That will be a perfect Vision : For we shall see him as he is , 1 Joh. 3. 2. and know even as also we are known , 1 Cor. 13. 10 , 12. That will be a glorious Vision : we shall behold Christs Glory , which is infinitely beyond all Celestial , Angelical , or Created Glory , Ioh. 17. 24. That will be a transforming Vision : for , we shall be like him , because we shall see him as he is , 1 Joh. 3. 2. Phil. 3. 21. That will be a Beatifical Vision : for the chief blessedness Christ placeth in seeing God , Mat. 5. 8. That will be a Vision with fruition : we shall so see Christ , as fully to enjoy him , as our Head , as our Husband , as our Redeemer , as our Happiness , as our Treasure , as our Glory , as our All. That will be an eternal Vision and fruition : for , so we shall be ever with the LORD , 1 Thes. 4. 17. There we shall ( said Augustine ) f rest and see ; we shall see and love ; we shall love and laud. Lo what shall be in the end , without end . This will be the very Heaven of Heaven , and Glory of Glory . Unto this eternal Bliss , the Lord God Almighty , and the Lamb , bring him that writeth these things , and him that readeth them with an honest heart , in his due time . Amen , and Amen . Sept. 18. 1669. FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A57386-e340 a Rom. 11. 1. b Math. 25. 34. c Joh. 17. 24. Phil. 1. 23. & 3. 21. d Rom. 5. 12 , &c. with Gen. 3. e Eph. 2. 1 , 2 , 3. f Rom. 8. 8. g 1 Thes. 5. 5. h Ephes. 4. 18. i Ephes. 2. 2 , 3. k 1 Pet. 4. 4. l 1 Cor. 6. 9 , 10. Gal. 5. 19 , 20 , 21. Rev. 21. 8. 27. & 22. 15. m Ezek. 18. 30 , 31 , 32. Luke 13. 3. 5. n Rom ▪ 2. 5 , 6 , &c. o Joh. 16. 8 , 9. p Hoc enim peccatum , quasi solum ●it , prae caeteris posuit : quia hoc manente caetera detinentur , & hoc discedente — caetera remittuntur . Aug. in Ioan. 16. Tract . 95. Tom. 9. q 1 Cor. 12. 2. r 1 John 2. 26. 2 Pet. 2. 1 , 2 , 3. 1 Tim. 4. 1 , 2 , 3. Math. 25. 24. s 2 Thes. 2. 10 , 11 , 12. t Bishop Andrews , in his Preface before his Expos. of the X. Command●ments , p. 40 , &c. Bishop Hall , in his Serious Disswasive from Popery , in fol. p. 613. to 624. And in his , No peace with Rome . p. 633. to p. 664. Dr. Willet's Synopsis of Pop●ry ; throughout . See his First Table , shewing how Popery militates against the Person , and all the Offices of Christ. Dr. Whitaker's also is to the like effect . In Praefat. ad Auditores , ante Disput. de S. Seriptura . p. 258 , 259. Mr. W. Perkins , in his Demonstration of the P●obleme ; throughout . p. 486 , &c. Vol. 2. And in his Assertion , That a Papist by his Religion cannot go beyond a Reprobate . p. ●96 , to p. 404. Vol. 1. Lond. 1626. And in his Reformed Catholick . p. 556 , &c. Vol. 1. u Mat. 7. 21 , &c. & 25. 3. Tit. 1. 16. x 2 Tim. 3. 5. y Rev. 3. 1. z Luk. 8. 13. Mat. 13. 19 , to 23. Heb. 6. 4 , 5 , 6. 2 Pet. 2. 20 , 21 , 22. Mark 6. 2 0. Luke 1. 6. a Math. 13. 19 , to 23. & 7. 13 , 14 with Rom. 8. 30. Joh. 3. 3 , 5. Math. 18. 3. Heb. 12. 14. b Rom. 5. 12. c Psal. 51. 5. Joh. 3. 6. d Ep● . 2. 1 , 2 , 3. e Gen. 6. 5. f Rom. 8. 8. g Ephes. 2. 12. h Joh. 8. 24. & 3. 16. 18. 36. 1 Joh. 5. 12. Mar. 16. 16. i Rom. 8. 30. Math. 18. 3. Joh. 3. 3. 5. Tit. 3. 4 , 5 , 6 , 7. Heb. 12. 14. k Math. 11. 28 , 29 , 30. Act. 16. 30. & 4. 11 , 12. Heb. 7. 25. l Luk. 9. 23. m 1 Cor. 1. 30. n 2 Cor. 11. 2. o Joh. 20. 17. p Joh. 14. 16 , 17. q Math. 25. 34. r 1 Cor. 3. 21 , 22 , 23. s Rom. 8. 28. t Rom. 8. 35. to the end . u Rom. 8. 1. x Hag. 2. 7. y Cant. 5. 10. z Cant. 5. 16. a Acts & Man. Vol. 2. p. 427. Lond. 1641. b Bernard . Ex for . bo . vitae , ut citatur in ejus Floribus . p. 2137. c Col. 3. 11. d Eph. 2. 8. e Rom. 10. 14 , 15. 17. f Gal. 5. 22. g Jam. 1. 19. to 26. Math. 13. 23. & 7. 24 to the end . h Eph. 4. 30. Thes. 5. 19 , 20. 1 Act. 7. 51. i Rev. 3. 20. k 2 Pet. 1. 10. l 2 Cor. 13. 5. m 1 Cor. 2. 12. Rom. 8. 16. n 1 Joh. 5. 13. o As my , Believers Evidences , &c. Communicant Instructed . and Treatise of Gods Covenants , &c. † Col. 2. 6 , 〈◊〉 p Tit. 2. 11 , 12. q Joh. 14. 15. and 15. 13. Math. 28. 19. r Rom. 12. ● s Rom. 14. 7 ▪ 8. t 1 Joh. 2. 6. u Eph. 5. 2. x Mat. 10. 37. Luke 14. 26 y Rev. 1. 5 z Act. 10. 38. a 1 Pet. 2. 21 , 22 , 23. b Exod. 20. Act. 20. 7. ●8 . 1 Cor. 16. 1. 2. Rev. 1. 10. c — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Ignat. in Ep. ad Magnes . d Math. 28. ● . to 8. e Eph. 2. 5 , 6. 1 Cor. 15. 20. to 24. f Luke 24. Ma●k . 16. Math. 28. Act. 1. 3. g Act. 2. 1. &c. h Act. 20. 7 ▪ &c. i Numb . 28. 9 , 10. k Numb . 28. 3. to 9. l Psal. 55. 17. Dan. 6. 10. m Psal. ● . 1 , 2. Act. 17. 11. n 1 Cor. 7. 20. 24. Eph. 4. 28. Thes. 3. 10 , 11 , 12. o Eccl. 12. 1. p I Sam. 16 ▪ 33. to 38. q 2 Chron. 34. 1. 3. r 2 Tim. 3. 15. s Numb . 15. 20 , 21. and 18. 12 , 13. Deut. 18. 4. & 15. 19. t Mat. 11. 29. u Act. 24. 26. x Act 23. 1. y 2 Cor. 1. 12. z Eph. 5. 15 , 16. Mat. 25. 14 to 31. a 2 Tim. 1. 13. b Eph. 4. 14. c 2 Pet. 3. 18. d Heb. 12. 13. 15. Pro. 14. 14. e Luk. 9. 62. f Cor. 15. 58. g Rev. 2. 10. h Mat. 22. 37 , 38. L●k . 10. 27. i I Joh. 5. 1. k 1 Pet. 1. 22. l Col. 3. 2. m Eccl. 1. 2. 14. n Phil. ● 3. 2o , 21. o Rev. 21. 1. 4. p Cant. 8. q Rev. 22. 2o . r Eph. 1. 3. Notes for div A57386-e4400 a Trelent . Just Theol. ● . 3. de Peccato . b — In quo omnes peccaverunt . Rom. 5. 12. — Quia secundum propaginem carius in illo ●ramus omnes , antequam nati essemus , tanquam in parente , ●anq●am in radice ibi eramus : Sic venena●a ●st ista arbor , ubi eramus Aug. de verb. Apost . Serm. 14 ▪ p. 325. B C. Tom. 10. c In my Treat● of Gods Convenants . Book . 2. Chap. 1 Aphor. 6. IV. p. 41. to p. 59. d — Ex Adam tra●i dicimus Originale Peccatum , quod per lavacrum Regenerationis , non solùm in majoribus , sed etiam in parvulis solvitur . August . Retract . 1. 2. cap. 62. p. 60. B. Basil. 1569. Tom 1. Ecce unde tra●itur originale peccatum , Ecce unde nemo nascitur sine peccato , Ecce propter quod Dominus sic Concipi voluit , quem virgo Concepit . Aug. de Temp. Serm. 45. p. 667. l. 7. m. 10. e Omnis Generatus , damnatus : nemo liberatus , nis● Regeneratus . Aug. de verb. Apost . Serm. 14. p. 325. D. Tom. 1o . Restat us in illo primo homine peccasse omnes intelligantur , quia in illo fuerunt omnes quando ille peccavit . Vnde pecca●um n●scendo 〈◊〉 ▪ quod nisi Renascendo non solvivi●●r . August ▪ cont . dua● E●ist . Pe●●g . l. 4. c. 4. p. 910. B. Tom. 7. f See before p. 1 , 2. and my Treat . of Gods Covenants . p. 36 , 37. p. 41 ▪ to 49. g Clamitat aure Dei , vex Sanguinis ; & S●domorum : Vox Oppressorum ; Mer●●s de●enta laborum . D. Prideaux . in Seha . Theol . Syntag. Murmonit . 3. p. 13. h Animula , vagula , blandula , Hospes Comesque Corporis , tuos nun● abibis in 〈◊〉 &c. i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Eph. 2. 12. k O Vita mortifera ! O Mors immortais ! Et quomodo tandem te appellabimus ? Vitam , an mortem ? Si vita es , quomodo occidis ? Si mors es , quomodo duras ? &c. Rob. Bellarmin . in Conc. 3 de Cruciatibus Gehennae , part . 2. p. 467. Colon. 1626. l In the close of the I. Direction . m Latet ultimus dies , ut observentur omnes dies . August . Hom. 13. p. 441. B. Tom. 10. Basil. 1569. n Dum potes emenda , dum tempus habes clama ad omnipotentem Deum , dum datur spacium luge , dum licentia est paeniteas , festina dum potes , dum anima versatur in corpore , dum adhuc vivis futurum remedium require tibi prius , quam te profundum absorbeat Pelagus , & prius qu●●m te malignus rapiat infernus , ubi nulla datur indulgentia , ubi nullus regreditur ad veniam . De qua paena pius nos Dominus eripere dignetur . Aug. de Sanctis Serm. 40. p. 1249 , &c. Tom. 10. Basil. 1569. 〈…〉 o Denique uxor Lot , ubi respexit , remansit , & in salem conversa hominibus fidelibus quoddam praestitit condimenium , quo sapiant aliquid , unde illud caveatur exemplum . Aug. de Civit. Dei , lib. 14. ca. 30. Tom. 5. p General view of the Holy Scriptures , Edit . 2. p. 126 , &c. A work like H. Broughton's , perfected by T. Hayne . q See in my Key of the Bible , on the Book of Iob , §. 4. r Gratia pr●veniens , qu● velimus : subsequens , nè frustra velimus . D. J. Prideaux . Lect. 3. de Grat. universali . §. 4. p. 39. s — Misericordia ejus praevenit nos . Praevenit autem , ut sanemur : quia & subsequetur ut etiam Sanati vegetemur . Praevenit ut vocemur , subsequetur ut Glorificemur . Praevenit ut piè vivamus , subsequetur ut cum illo semper vivamus , quia sne illo nihil possumus facere . August . lib. de Natura & Gratia contra Pelagianos . cap. 32. Tom. 7. t Euseb. Hist. Eccl. lib. 8. cap. 27 , 28 , 29. u Theod. Hist. lib. 3. cap. 25. x Ille dolet verè , qui sine teste dolet . y Tanta quippe est omnipotens ejus bonitas , ut etiam de malis possit facere bona , sive ignos●endo , sive sanando , sive ad utilitates piorum coapando atque vertendo , sive etiam justissimè vindicando . Omnia namque ista bona sunt , & Deo bono atque Omnipotenti dignissima , nec tamen fiunt nisi de malis . Quid igitur melius , quid Omnipotentius eo , qui cum mali nihil faciat , benè etiam de malis facit ? Aug. de Continent . lib. Cap. 6. p. 995. C. Tom. 4. Basil . 1569. z vide Augustinum . lib. de fide , ad Petrum . Diacon . C. 3. p. 221. A. B. a In my Treat . of Gods Covenants with man , &c. London printed An. Dom. 1657. b In my Treatise of Gods Covenants , Book 4. Chap 6. Aphorism 2. p. 1571 , 1572. Lond. 1657. c Ibid. p. 1582. to p. 1589. d Ibid. p. 1572 , 1573 , 1574. e Ibid. ● . 1577 to 158● . f In my Treat . of Gods Covenants . Book . 4. c. 6. p. 1574 , to 1589. and 1593. to 1598. g Ibid. p. 1599 to p. 1641. h Ibid. p. 1599. to 1641. i Ibid. p. 1662. to 1665. k In my Treatise of Gods Covenants , Book 3. Chap 3. Aphorism 4. Quest. 1. p. 576. to 566. l See all these explained . Ibid. m Quis desperaret sibi donanda peccata , quando crimen occisi Christi reis d●nabatur ? Conversi sunt ex ipso populo Iudaeorum : Conversi sunt , baptizati , sunt . Ad mensam Domini accesserunt : & sanguinem , quem saevientes fuderunt , credentes biberunt , Aug. de Temp. Serm. 74. p. 747. B. Tom. 10. Basil. 1569. n See , The large English Annotations on . Eph. 2. 8. and Mr. Paul Bayns in his Comment on Eph. 2. 8. o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saluting , kissing , or embracing the Promises . Metaphora , ut videtur , ● navigantibus , qui portum eminus conspicati , laetis acclamationibus salutant , & contingere gand●●t . D. Pareus in Comment . ad Heb. 11. 13. p Quo titulo nulla ali● vir●us Chris●iana insignitur in sacris literis , quia est fundamentum & causa procreans omnis sanctitatis . Phil. Pareus in Com. ad Jud. 20. q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifies keeping , as a Castle , Town or City , is in time of war kept by a Garrison , and Walls , &c. from the enemy . Metaph. à castris , vallo , & fossis undique munitis , ut null● hostium vi vel astutia expugna●i possint . D. Pareus in Phil. 4 7. r Oderun● peccare mali , formidine paen● . Oderunt peccare boni , virtutis amore . Horat. s As I have elsewhere showed in my Treatise of Repentance . Quest. 2. t Non praecipit tantum , sed etiam hor●atur . Invitat praemio salutem . Tertul. de Paenit . c. 4. p. 114. Franek . 1597. n See Chemnit . Harm . Evaingel . cap. 57 in ratione ordinis . x Missus est ad Gentes , ex Latrone Pastor , ex Lupo Ovis . Aug. de Temp. Serm. 74. p. 747. D. Tom. 10. Basil. 1569. y Non est procrastinandum auditoribus vangelii , sed ex quo di praedicatur , ●os oportet & credere , & fructus proferre . Heb. 3. 8 Jo. Daven . Exposit , ad Coloss. 1. 6. z San● diaboli vox est quae dicit , Da peccato quod praesens est , Deo & Evangelio quod futurum est , peccato florem aetatis , Evangelio reliquias . Jo. Baren . Exposit . in Ep. ad Col. 1. 6. p. 40. a Qui non est bodie , ●ras minnus aptus erit . b Vita vapor , ventus , flatus , f●os , fabula , foenum , &c. c Joh. Gerhard . in Huzin . Evangel . cap. 162. p. 226. Genevae 1645. d Diem ultimum suum quisque salubricer cogitet . Misericordia Dei est , quia nescit homo quando moriatur . Latet ultimus dies , ut observentur omnes dies : Aug. Homil. 13. p 441. B. Tom. 10. Basil. 1569. e — Feei●ti nos ●d te : & inquietum est Cor nostrum , d●nec requiescat in te . Aug. Conf , lib. 1. c. 1. Tom. 1. f Ibi vacabimus & videbimus ; videbimus & amabimus ; amabimus & la●dabimus . Ecce quod erit in fine , sine fine . Aug. de Civit. Dei , l. 22. cap. 30. sub finem . Tom. 5. 
A31952	----	Evidence for heaven containing infallible signs and reall demonstrations of our union with Christ and assurance of salvation : with an appendix of laying down certain rules to be observed for preserving our assurance once obtained / published by Ed. Calamy ... Calamy, Edmund, 1600-1666. 1657 Approx. 418 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 126 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A31952 Wing C240 ESTC R3864 11791626 ocm 11791626 49225 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A31952) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 49225) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 18:13) Evidence for heaven containing infallible signs and reall demonstrations of our union with Christ and assurance of salvation : with an appendix of laying down certain rules to be observed for preserving our assurance once obtained / published by Ed. Calamy ... Calamy, Edmund, 1600-1666. [26], 209, [15] p. Printed for Simon Miller ..., London : 1657. Reproduction of original in Union Theological Seminary Library, New York. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Salvation. 2003-11 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-12 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-01 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2004-01 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion EVIDENCE FOR HEAVEN : CONTAINING Infallible Signs and reall Demonstrations of our Union with Christ and Assurance of Salvation . With an Appendix of laying down certain Rules to be observed for preserving our Assurance once Obtained . Published by Ed. Calamy B. D. and Pastor of the Church at Aldermanbury London . PHIL. 2.12 . Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling . 2 PET. 1.10 . Give Diligence to make your calling and election sure . 2 COR. 13.5 . Examine your selves , whether ye be in the Faith , prove your own selves , know ye not your own selves , how that Iesus Christ is in you , except ye be reprobates . LONDON , Printed for Simon Miller at the Sta● in Pauls Church-yard toward the West end 1657. AN EPISTLE , TO THE READER . THere are two things which ought to be the chief aim of all those who desire to live holily , and dye happily . The one is , to get an interest in Christ , the other , to get an assurance of their interest in him . The first of these is absolutely necessary to Salvation . The second , is absolutely necessary , though not to our Salvation , yet to our Consolation . Without the first , we cannot dye happily . Without the second , we cannot dye comfortably . It must not be denied , but that a man may have true Grace , and yet want the Assurance of it , he may be a Child of Light in darknesse , he may have the direct act of Faith , and yet want the reflect act , he may have the Sanctifying work of the Spirit , and yet want the witnessing work . ( Though no man can have the witnessing work , who hath not the Sanctifying , yet a man may have the sanctifying , and yet want the witnessing work of the Spirit ) Ioseph may be alive and yet his Father Iacob may think him dead , true grace may be in us , and yet we may not only not know it , but beleeve the contrary . This condition though it be sad , yet it is not damnable . For as a wicked man is never the nearer Heaven , because he presumptuously conceits he is in the way to Heaven , no more is a Child of God the nearer Hell , because he thinks he is in the way to Hell. Christ was not therefore a Gardiner , because Mary thought so , neither was Ioseph therefore dead , because Iacob imagined him to be dead . He that beleevs shall be saved , whether he knows it or knows it not ; he that walks in Heavens way shall certainly at last come to Heaven , though he thinks himself out of the way . Notwithstanding all this , though the Grace of Assurance be not simply , and absolutely necessary , yet it is a most precious jewell , without which we can neither ●e comforted while we live , nor willing to part with life . It is a Heaven upon earth , a Heaven before we come to Heaven . The Prelibation and Pregustation of Heaven . It is the hidden Manna , Abraham's bosome , the joy of the Lord , and the peace of God which passeth all understanding . It is to be laboured after with all labour . And therefore the Apostle perswads us , to give diligence to make our calling and election sure . The subject of this ensuing Treatise , is to direct and teach us how to get an infallible assurance of salvation : Here are severall Marks and Characters propounded of a man in Christ , the work is very weighty , and of great concernment , for whosoever undertakes to lay down marks of a Child of God , must be carefull of two things . 1. That he doth not propound evidences of Grace , which are proper only to eminent Christians , as belonging to all true Christians , least herein he makes sad the hearts of those whom God would not have made sad . 2. That he doth not mention such Characters of a true Child of God , which may be found in an Hypocrite , least he makes glad the hearts of those whom God would not have made glad . The Author of this book hath brought very many marks of a true justifying faith , of a distinguishing Love of God , of of repentance unto life and of a new Creature , &c. Now though thou canst not apply all of them as thy portion ; yet if thou canst apply many of them , and sincerely labourest to be capable of applying the rest , thou art in a happy condition . There are two wayes by which a man may come to know his interest in Christ. The one is by the witnesse of his own spirit . The other by the witnesse of Gods Spirit . There are some who say , there is but one witnesse , the witnesse of Gods Spirit ; This I grant is the chief witnesse ; but I conceive , that the Scripture doth also hold forth , the witnesse of a mans own spirit as well as of Gods Spirit , Rom. 8.16 . It is not said , the Spirit witnesseth to our spirits , but with our spirits , that we are the Sons of God. Wherenote , that a mans own spirit is a co-witnesse . This witnesse of a mans own spirit is nothing else , but the testimony of an illightened andrenewed conscience reflecting upon its grace and assuring the soul that it is in Christ , &c. Of this way of assurance , the Apostle speaks , 2 Cor. 1.12 . 1 Iohn 2.3 . 1 Iohn 3.21 . Heb. 13.18 . Act. 24.16 . When a mans conscience bears him witnesse upon Scripture grounds , that he doth beleeve and repent , and that he is a new Creature , this is instead of a thousand witnesses , and it is a continuall feast , in the worst of times . But now because the voice of conscience is sometimes so low a voice , as that the spirit of a man cannot heare it , especially when it is disturbed , and distracted with the voice of sin accusing , and condemning him , and because the voice of conscience is sometimes uncertain , so as the soul knoweth not what the verdict of it is . And because also the eye of conscience is sometimes blind , ( through ignorance , ) and cannot see the garces it hath , and is ready to beare false witnesse against it self , and to say , it is not justified , when it is . Or if not blind , yet it is many times dimme , and cannot see the happy condition it is in . And sometimes it is infested with melancholly , which makes it look upon its own condition with black spectacles . And because the graces of Gods Spirit in his Children are sometimes so small and little , or at least so blotted and blurred , that conscience cannot read the graces God hath given it . Hence it is , that God out of his great goodnesse hath afforded us another witnesse , besides the testimony of conscience , which is the witnesse of his own Spirit , witnessing with our spirits that we are the Sons of God. This indeed is the great , and the infallible witnesse , therefore it is compared to a Seal , whereby we are sealed to the day of Redemption , and to an earnest , and it is called the comforter , and the Spirit of adoption , by which we are enabled to cry , Abba father . Of both these witnesses this Treatise speaks to very good purpose . One thing more I must add , which will unto many seem very wonderfull and almost incredible . The Author of this Book is a Gentlewoman , belonging to the Congregation of Alderman-bury ; And one who for these Thirty years , by reason of an affliction lying upon her , hath been in a great measure , deprived of those publique spirituall helps which others enjoy , and also of those private helps , which good Christians do , or might partake of by the Communion of Saints . This makes good that Text of Scripture . Out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings thou hast perfected praise . And that other , That the strength of God is made perfect in weaknesse . Church History tels us of a Captive Woman , whom God made instrumentall to convert the whole Nation of the Iberians , to the Christian Faith. And the Book of God tels us of Priscilla , who was made able by grace to expound the way of God more perfectly unto Apollo himself , an eloquent man , and mighty in the Scriptures . And that she and her Husband Aquila were helpers in Christ Iesus unto Saint Paul , and that for his life , they laid down their necks . Much is spoken by the same Apostle , in commendation of divers Women . I hope no man will contemn this Book , because written by a Woman , but rather admire the goodnesse , love , and power of God , who is able to do such great things , by such weak instruments . No man will refuse pearls , or precious stones , though handed to him by the Female Sex. It is her great desire that her Name may be concealed . All that I will say of her is ; That she is a precious Iewell , though in a contemptible Box , and a very great ornament to the Congregation of which she is a Member . If any reap any spirituall advantage by reading of this Book , she hath obtained the hight of her ambition ; onely she craves their Prayers , that God would blesse her and hers , that the lesse help she hath from men , the more she may have from God , and the incomes of his holy Spirit , that though she wants an outward eare , to hear the voice of Gods Ministers speaking to her outward man , yet she may have an inward ear to hear God speaking to her soul words of everlasting consolation . And this is also the Prayer of Thy Servant in the work of the Ministery , Edmund Calamy . THE PREFACE . Christian Reader . ASsurance , well-grounded assurance of the Love of God , and a mans own salvation , is a thing much to be desired and laboured for , by all that have immortall souls ; But a thing industriously sought after by few , and attained by fewer . The most people in the world trouble their heads little about it , and their hearts lesse ; know not what it is , nor how to go to worke to attain it , some think it is impossible to attain it ; others seek not after it , some desire it , but cannot acquire it , others enjoy it , but do not impart it , hence it comes to passe , that few reap the comfort of it , I think it not amisse therefore , to speake somewhat of it , seeing it is a thing without which , we can neither live , nor di● with sound comfort in our souls , much l●sse tr●umph over d●ath , the King of terrours : I shall here in the first place premise three thing● , or lay dow● three conclusions and for brevity sake , I will only name them ; the first is this . The first . That there are some , that are chosen to salvation , predestinate , elect . o●dained to eternal life , beloved with an everlasting love , vessels of mercy prepared unto glory , before the world began , and kept by the mighty power of God unto salvation ; and all these , shall be certainly saved and glorified . The Second . That it is possible for a Child of God in this life , to attain some good assurance , and true evidence , that he is of this number . The third . That it is the duty of every Christian to labour for assurance of the Love of God , and his own salvation . But here the great question will be , How shall I do this ? How shall I go to work to attain this precious jewel of assurance which you speak of ? This question , the ensuing discourse tends to the resolution of , therefore I will here only , lay down some rules to be followed , by every one that desires to attain some good assurance , or Evidence for Heaven , while he is here . First . He that would obtain this precious jewel and invaluable treasure of good assurance , must ask it , he must ask it of him , who hath said , ask and ye shall receive , that your joy may be full . He that purchased Heaven for us , purchased the Evidences of Heaven also , but he doth not alwayes commit them to the heirs custody : Christ doth not alwayes deliver the Evidence , and the ●nowledg of it , with the right and title to Heaven : Nay , he doth many times withhold the Evidence of Heaven from those , to whom he gives rig●t and title to Heaven , for speciall reasons : therefore for this , Christ must be sought unto , injuired of , as the Scripture speaks . A plain Jacob by much wrestling with God , may obtain some good evidence of his favour , as well as an eloquent Orator , or a learned Clark : Therefore if thou wouldest obtain some good Evidence for Heaven , and a happy eternity , then go to God with the Language of Abraham , Gen. 15.8 . when God had told Abraham , he would give the land of Canaan to his posterity , Abraham beleeved God , he beleeved Gods promise should be made good , yet desires to be further confirmed in this , and therefore saith , Lord , God , whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it ? So say thou to the Lord , respecting that land above , of which Canaan was a type , Lord , God , whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it ? Say to God , as Tamar said to Judah , Give me a pledg of thy promise , untill thou performest it , say to God , as Rahab said to the spies , Give me a true token ; give me the earnest of the Spirit , give me some grace that may assurs me of glory , and open my eyes to see this grace bestowed on me , give me the blessing of Joseph , who was able to say , I feare God ; give me the blessing of Paul , who was able to say , I know whom I have beleeved . and put th●se promises in suit , Isai. 32.17 . Joh. 14.20 . Secondly , He that would get this precious jewel of assurance , must seek it , he must seek it , where it is to be found , and as it is to be sough● after . 1. He must seek it , where it is to be found , seek it in Iesus Christ , and Vnion with him , and seek Iesus Christ , and the demonstrations of Vnion with him ▪ in the Word of God , in all the Ordinance of God , and duties of a Christian , and in the Work of God , in , and upon himself . He that will conclude according to truth about his spirituall and eternall estate , must diligently try himself , and his graces by the truth ( to wit ) the Word of God , which is the only true touchstone we have to try our selves by , The heart is deceitfull above all things , and despeperately wicked , Who can know it ? There is nothing in the world that sooner deceives us , or so much abuses us , as our own hearts , they are not to be consulted with nor trusted to , without the Word , but tried by it ; therefore search the Scriptures , and search thy self . If we go to the Creatu●e for assurance , and go from Creature to Creature for it , as the Bee goes from flower to flower , the Creatures may all reply in the language of Job ▪ and say , it is not in me , neither is it to be found in me , it cannot be gotten for gold , neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof . Honour may say it is not in me , neither is it to be found in me ; and riches may say , it is not in me , neither is it to be found in me ; gifts may say , it is not in me ; and learning may say , it is not in me , neither is it to be found in me ; and thus may all the Creatures reply . But where then is assurance to be found ? and where is the place thereof , seeing it is hid from the eyes ●f the most , and kept close from many of Gods Iewels ? The world sayes , we have heard of the fame thereof , but know not what it is ; Gods People say , we thirst after it , but know not where to find it ; Thou that thus complainest , go to the word , and it will tell thee in the Word , and in the wildernesse , assurance is usually found , go thou to the Word to seek it , follow the counsell of Christ , thou that long●st after assurance , but knowest not where to find it . Go thy wayes forth by the footsteps of the flock , and feed thy kids , beside th● sheepherds tents ; Frequent the Word preached , read the Word Printed ; Seek for Evidenc● in grace , and not in gifts , in renewing grace , not in morall grace , seek it in the nar●ow way ; These are the paths wherein the flock of Christ have gone before us , and which they have trodden out unto us ; follow their foot steps , if thou wouldest attain assurance , go not in untroden paths to seek it , it is a pearl that is not to be found in every place , seek it therefore where it is to be found : This is the first branch of the second Rule . 2. The second is this , He that would get assurance must seek it as it is to be sought after ; He must seek it according to the Scripture directory , that is , diligently , orderly , humbly , perseveringly . First , He must seek it diligently , Give diligence to make your calling and election sure , saith the Text : He that would get assurance must seek it diligently and industriously , he must seek it , as Solomon teaches us to seek wisdoms and understanding ; seek for it , as for silver , and search for it , as for hid treasure ; It is treasure , which lies hid , and lies deep in the Bowels is the Scripture , and he that will obtain it must dive deep for it , and dive with his eyes open , as the Indians are said to do for pearl , he must labour for it industriously , as labourers do in silver-mines . Secondly , He must seek it orderly , he must follow the vein ; He must not begin where God begins , but where God ends ; he must not begin at the root to fi●d the branch , but by the branch discry the roote , my meaning is , he must not begin with Gods decree in predestination , which is the root of salvation ; But with regeneration and justification , which are branches issuing out of this root , other wayes he may destroy the tree ere he is aware , I mean himself , and all hope of Heaven and salvation , as I have known some do , and fall into utter desperation ; The truth is , he that will not beleeve , untill he read God's decree in Heaven , must never look for any assurance of Heaven here , nor fruition of it hereafter ; If you will not beleeve , you shall not be established , saith the Text ; He that will reach to Heaven by Jacobs Ladder , must begin at the lowest step ; this is the Scripture way to get assurance ; Christs directory prescribes it , when Iesus Christ would instruct Nicodemus about his spirituall and eternall estate , he did not send him to Heaven , to read the records of the celestiall court , but sent him to read himself over , to search his own heart and life , to consider whether he were regenerate and born again , whether he were ingrafted into Christ , and made a new Creature , yea , or nay ; Christ directs him to the effect to find out the cause , not to the cause to find out the effect , which teaches us , that he that would get some good Evidence of the Love of God and his own salvation , must begin at home with the workings of God , in and upon himself , he must consider what work the Spirit of God hath done in him , what sight of sinne , what sense of sinne , what sorrow for sinne , what l●athing and forsaking of sinne , he hath wrought in him , what grace or desire of grace , or prizing of grace , the Spirit of God hath wrought in him ; The Father himself Loveth you , saith Christ. But how shall that appeare ? Why the next words tell us , Ye have loved me , and beleeved , &c. The Father himself loved you , because ye have loved m● , and beleeved that I came out from God : It is as if Christ had said , your faith to me , working by love to me , demonstrates it ; for Christ doth not here make our Faith , or our love the cause of Gods love to us , but the discoverer of it : And the Apostle tells us , That whom God did foreknow he also did predestinate , to be conformed to the Image of his Sonne , and ver . 30. saith , that whom he did predestinate , them he also called ( to wit ) inwardly and effectually , according to his purpose , by giving them saving grace ; and whom he thus calleth , them he also justifieth ▪ and whom he justifieth , them he also glorifieth ; And here the Apostle followeth the example of his Lord and Master , leading us to the cause by the effects , and to the end by the meanes , hence it is evident , That he that would get assurance of his Election , must seek it in the workings of God , in , and upon himself ; he must consider , how his justification i● evidenced by his sanctification , and his election by both . Sanctification is Gods work in us , justification is Gods work upon us , both together are certain pledges of his good will towards us In the third place , He that would seek assurance , as it is to be sought after , must seek it humbly , with feare and trembling , the Scripture calls upon us so to do , Work out your own salvation with feare and trembling , a seeker of assurance , must seek humbly upon his knees , and he must seek tremblingly , with a holy feare and jealousie , least he should mistake and miscarry ; for though it be possible for a Child of God to know his estate , yet it is very difficult . Fourthly , He must seek perseveringly , he must never give over asking untill he receive , never give over seeking untill he find what he seeketh ; He must follow the example of the Spouse seeking her Beloved , inquire of the watchmen , the Ministers of the Gospel , where , and how to find , what he seeketh ; and followeth Christ by earnest prayer , as the woman of Canaan did , untill he obtaine his suit , and he must not rest satisfied with the beginnings thereof but still labour for increase . The Scripture speaks of assurance and full assurance of hope a of assurance and sull assuranc● of faith b of the riches of full assurance ▪ of understanding c and of great boldnesse in the faith , d to be attained in this life ; and this the Apostle prayed for ▪ for the Ephesians , e and laboured to beget in the Colossians , as appears by the forecited place , and this the Scripture exhorts all Christians to labour for , f and saith , That he that doth these things shall never fall , but an entrance shall be ministred unto him abundantly , into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ , which one would think were argument enough to perswade any Immortall soul to seek after it . Thus of the second rule propounded for the getting of assurance ▪ The third is this , He that would get assurance of the Love of God , must work by the help of the Spirit of God , who searcheth all things , yea , the deep things of God as the Scripture saith , g And beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God ; the Word cannot without the Spirit ; the Spirit will not ▪ without the Word assure us o● eternall happinesse ; therefore he that would get assurance must work by the help of the Spirit , he must try himself and his graces by the Word , through the help of the Spirit . In the fourth place , He that would get assurance must carefully avoid all the hinderances thereof , in the generall he must shun and avoid all sinne , more especially these sinnes . Ignorance , Atheisme , Prophannesse and Hypocrisie , Vnbelief and Impenitency , Erronious Opinions , Presumption and Desperation , neglect of the meanes of Grace , formall Vse of them , and Rebellion against them , strangnesse with God , and Iesus Christ. Fifthly , He that would get assurance , must labour for all those qualifications and graces which may render him capable ●f it , and which God usually imparts this blessing to ; First , he must become a new Bottle , I mean a new Creature , for assurance is new wine , and Christ will not put it into an old Bottle , for it would burst the Bottle , Labour therefore for grace , trush of grace , every renewing grace ; But more especially these graces , Knowledg , Faith , Sincerity , Heart-humility , Contritition accompanied with Convertion and new Obedience : Assurance will not dwell in an Ignorant , Vnbelieving , Hypocriticall Heart , therefore he that would attain it must labour for those graces which are contrary to these vices ; God dwels as a reviver in the heart of the humble and contrite sinner , He revives the spirit of the humble , and the heart of the contrite ones ; Iesus Christ puts the strongest wine in broken Bottles , I do not say into old , but into broken Bottles , he binds up the broken hearted ; He therefore that would get assurance , must labour for an humble and broken heart A wise father will not assure a prodigall and disobedient Child of his inheritance , while he continueth such , no more will our Heavenly Father ; He therefore that would get assurance of inheritance with the Saints in light , must come home to his Heavenly Father with a submissive and obedient heart , with a heart obedient unto all his Heavenly Fathers Will. It is not every one that hath truth of grace , that attains assurance , but he that hat● truth of grace and strength of grace , true faith and strong faith : Therefore in the second place , labour for strength of grace , strength of faith and every other grace ; It is not every one that hath truth of grace and strength of grace , that attains to assurance , but he that hath grace and knows that he hath it : Therefore if thou wouldest attain assurance , labour to know the grace of God in thee . In the third place ; Labour to know that thou ha●● grace , that thou hast a true justifying faith , that thou hast sincerity , &c. Grace in Gods Children , is many times hidden from themselves , and that is the reason why they reap so little comfort of it , so little evidence by i● ; they do not know that they have received an earnest penny of God ; they do not know Gods ingagements of himself unto them ; Therefore if thou wouldest get assurance , try and prove all thy graces , whether they be true and reall , Evangelical and renewing , yea , or nay , especially these graces , Faith , Lov● ▪ Repentance , Obedience , Poverty of Spirit , Sincerity , &c. that thou maist know thou hast truth of saving grace , such grace as is crowned with glory , and pray to God for sens● of grace , Fourthly , Get Righteousnesse , Evangelicall Righteousnesse , Righteousnesse of Iustification , and Righteousnesse of Sanctification ; Assurance is an effect of Righteousnesse , though not an inseparable concomitant of it . The work of Righteousnesse shall be peace , and the effect of Rrighteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for ever ; Labour therefore to get Christs Merit for thy Iustification , and Christs Spirit for thy Sanctification . Fifthly , Labour to beleeve , as if there were no law to condemn thee , and to live , as if there were no Christ to save the● ; Labour to beleeve stedfastly , and walk exactly with God and Man ; When Stephen beheld the glory of God ▪ The Text saith , He looked up stedfastly into Heaven , and it 's certain , that though a weak faith may bring a man to Heaven and glory , yet it will not bring a man to behold the glory of God , whilst he is here below , it will not bring him to the riches of full assurance ; therefore if thou wouldest attain this , labour for a strong and stedfast Faith , joyned with a holy life . These qualifications he must labour for that desires assurance . Sixtly , he that would get assurance , must deny himself in point of finne , and in point of righteousnesse ; First , he must deny himself in point of sinne , he must not spare a right hand , nor a right eye , but if it offend , cut it off , pluck it out , as Christ speaks ; he must deny himself in his darling finne , he must not allow himself in any one known finne , nor in the omission of any one known duty towards God or towards man ; want in this , is that which Satan usually makes his great battering Ingen to overthrow , ( if it were possible , ) the Faith and Hope of Gods Elect , and that whereby he hinders them from getting or keeping this rich jewell of Evidence . Allowance of sinne and assurance cannot stand together , they are as contrary as fire and water , the one will out the other : Therefore he that would get assurance , must deny himself in point of sinne . Secondly , He must deny himself in point of righteousnesse , he must renounce all his own righteousnesse , in point of justification before God , and count them all losse , and drosse , and dung , and build upon a sure Foundation , viz. the Rock Christ. He that would attain to the assurance that Paul had , must renounce himself , and rely on Christ , as Paul did , he must refer God wholly to Christ for satisfaction , and himself wholly to Christ for righteousnesse . Again , he that would get assurance , must live for it ; He must apply himself to do the Will of God in every thing , he must act and exercise all his graces , and labour to grow and increase in grace still ; he must add grace to grace , and one degree of grace to another , as the Scripture exhorts and commands us to do ; single grace is not assuring grace , neither is not growing grace , assuring grace ; that grace which is assuring , is consociate and growing , and some wayes acting . Therefore let thy knowledg run down in practise , this is the way to get assurance ; this is to lay a good foundation against the time of need ; this is to be a wise builder for eternity , as Christ saith ; this is the way to get assurance for ever , to get assurance , which no rain of temptation , nor floods of affliction , nor winds of misapplyed Scripture , shall ever be able to overthrow . In the next plac● , He that would get assurance of his safe and happy condition , must labour to grow into familiarity , and intimate acquaintance with Iesus Christ , who was in the bosome of his Father , when his Decree concerning el●ction was made , and was an agent in it , that so by him , as by a bosome friend , he may be made acquainted with the privy-counsells of Heaven , and bosome-secrets of God : Iesus Christ who is wisdome it self , will not impart himself and the secrets of God and Heaven to strangers , but reserves himself in such matters for intimate friends , therefore if thou wouldest know and be assured , that thy name is written in Heaven , be much with Christ , be intimate with Christ , lodg him all night between thy breasts , as the Spouse speaks , and he will be a bundle of mirthe unto thee , he will be unto thee , as Jonathan was unto David , a discoveror of his Fathers intentions ; If thou desirest assurance , delight thy self in Christ , and he will give it thee in due time , and he will further say unto thee , as Jonathan did to David . Whatsoever thy soul desireth , I will even do it for thee : All things that I have heard of my Father , I will make known unto thee , and ye shall know that I am in my Father , and you in me , and I in you . Finally , He that would get assurance of the Love of God and his own salvation , must p●ay earnestly for the witnessing Spirit , and pray for the witnesse of the Spirit ; pray that th● Spirit of God may beare witnesse with his spirit that he is beloved of God , and chosen to salvation through Iesus Christ : This , and nothing lesse then this , will satisfie conscience in point of assurance ; when no voice without thee can do it , this voice within thee will do it . Thus 〈◊〉 for the rules to be followed , for th● getting of assurance , I would now add some Motives to perswade the Reader to seek after it , but I feare I should be too tedious , only let me tell thee , That assurance is a thing of incomparable worth , a thing which no man knoweth , but he that hath is , a thing that no man prizeth so much , as he that wants it ; in a word , it is a thing of such incomparabl● worth , that a man cannot buy it at too deare a rate : Could a man but know its goodnesse , and taste its sweetnesse , he would think no labour too much to attain it , no sinne too sweet to part with for it , no sufferings too much to preserve it , no care and industry too much to increase it ; for it is ( indeed ) next grace , the most precious and delectable love token , that we can possible receive from Iesus Christ the Bridegroom of our souls , in his bodily absen●e . And if this will not perswade thee , Reader , to seek after it , I leave thee to him to perswade , who perswaded Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem ; what God hath bin pleased to impart unto ●e on this Subject , I have commited to writing , more than this , I dare not do , for going out of my sphere , and lesse then this , I could not do , least I should be blamed of my H●avenly Father , for hiding my Talent in a napkin , and burying divine love in a dunghill ; if ever this little draught of Evidence , which I penned for my own use , and hope to leave to my Children for theirs , should by any providence come abroad to publique view , my desire and hope is . That this little draught of Evidence may ( through Gods Blessing ) be helpfull to some of Christs Lambs , to some poor souls , which thirst after assurance on Scriptures-grounds , and in●ite others of profounder judgments , and greater abilities , to search th● Scriptures , by them to make discovery of the way to get this precious and invaluable Iewell of sound assurance . If thou findest any thing of God in the ensuing Evidence , or gettest any good by 〈◊〉 bless God for it , give him the glory of it : This is the desire of Thy Friend that wishes the Blessing of assurance to all that are in Christ Iesus our Lord. EVIDENCE FOR HEAVEN . Union with Christ , Evidence for Heaven . Question . HOw may I come to be truly , and infallibly assured of my salvation ? By examining thy self touching thy Union with Christ , if thou hast Union with Christ , thou shalt certainly be saved , for the Scripture saith , there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus , Rom 8.1 . If ye be Christs , then are ye Abrahams seed , and heires according to Promise , Gal. 3.29 . He that hath the Sonne , hath Life , to wit , Life Eternall , 1 Joh. 5.12 . By all which it is evident , That whosoever hath a true and real interest in Christ , shall certainly e saved . The Major part of this Assumption , is cleer from these Scriptures , to wit , that he that hath Union , shall certainly be faved : But how shall the Minor appear . viz , that I have Union with Christ , how shall I be ascertained of this ? To get assurance of this , thou must diligently examine thy self , whether thou hast the Spirit of Christ , or not ? He that hath not received the Spirit of Christ , hath no Union with Chrift , if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ , he is none of his , Rom. 8.9 . He that hath received the Spirit of Christ , hath undoubtedly Union with Christ : For the Apostle makes this a sure argument of our Union with Christ , hereby we know that he abideth in us , by the Spirit which he hath given us , 1 Joh. 3.24 . Thereby know we that we dwell in him , and he in us , because he hath given us of his Spirit , 1 Joh. 4.13 . Again , Paul delivers this as a positive truth , viz that he that hath the Spirit of God dwelling i● him , is not in an estate of Condemnation , but in a state of Salvation . Rom. 8.9 . ye are not in the Flesh , but in the Spirit ; if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you ; But without Christ , without Vnion with Christ , there is no Salvation sor Man : therefore it follows by necessary consequence , That he that hath the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him , according to the meaning of the Apostle in this text , hath undoubtedly Union with Christ. Here note , That the first and radicall Union between Christ and his Members , is by conjunction ; This Union by Conjunction is a true and reall uniting of our persons , bodies and souls , to the Person of Christ , God and Man : To the Person of Christ , as our Mediator ; And it is then effected , when the Lord is joyned to the Soul , and the Soul to the Lord , so as they are made truly one . This Union between Christ and his Members is made by the Spirit of God , whose office it is to joyn Christ and his Members together , it is the Spirit immediately on Christs part , but the Spirit mediately on our part , that makes this Union . Christ by an actuall habitation of his Spirit in his Elect , really joyns himself unto them and becoms truly one with them . Christ by his Spirit works unfeigned faith , in the hearts of his elect , by which they habitually abide in him , joyn themselves unto him , and become truly one with him : Christ and his Members thus joyned together , are one by Conjunction . To get assurance of thy Union with Christ then , thou must of necessity begin here , viz. with a diligent search , whether thou art indued with the Spirit of Christ , yea , or nay ; and in searching after this take notice , That the Spirit of God is said to be given , Either Essentially , or Virtually . Essentially unto Christ onely ; virtually unto us : So as when the Scripture speaks of giving the holy Spirit of God to man , of the receiving of the Spirit by Man , and of the dwelling of the holy Spirit in man. In these texts and the like , we are not to understand the essence of that Person in Trinity , But the vertue , efficacy , and operation of that Person , Secondly , Note that the Spirit of God is virtually given unto man , either as a qualifier only , or as a sanctifier : As a restrainer , or as a renewer , and that reception of the Spirit , and dwelling of the Spirit , which the Scripture makes an Argument of ou● Union with Christ , is not that common efficacy , and dwelling of the Spirit , whereby he is a restrainer and qualifier onely ; But that speciall Efficacy and Virtue of the holy Spirit of God , whereby he becometh a renewer , and sanctifier of us . To get assurance of the Union with Christ , then thou must diligently and seriously examine thy self , touching the spirituall virtue , efficacy and operation of the holy Spirit of God in thy Soul , manifested in and by those speciall graces , which the holy Spirit of God works in the hearts of the Elect , and of them onely , thence called by Divines for distinction sake , sa●ct●fying , or renewing grace . The Spirit of God as a sanctifier , the world cannot receive , as the Language of Christ intimates , Ioh 14.17 . Sanctifying or renewing grace , Christ bestows upon his Spouse onely , it is his love-token to her , in her military life , though Christ be liberall in bestowing gifts upon all sorts of people , yet he keeps these Jewels for his Spouse , and bestows them on her onely , on whom he bestows himself : well may they therefore serve to demonstrate our Union with Christ , and the habitation of his ●pirit in us , after a speciall manner , wheresoever they are bestowed ; hence it is , that this g●ace , and glory are coupled together , Psal. 84 11. Amongst those speciall graces , which demonstr●●● the holy Spirits saving habitation in ●s , the first which I will here speak of , is Faith , to wi● , justifying Faith. We having the ●ame Spirit of Faith , we also believe , saith the Apostle , 2 Cor. 4.13 . Hence it is evident that whosoever is indued with the holy Spirit of God , savingly beleives , he beleives with a justifying faith , For as much as the Spirit works this true justifying faith in all those in whom he dwelleth savingly . Therefore if thou wouldest get a true testimony of the holy Spirits dwelling in thee after a speciall and saving manner , thou must diligently try and examine thy self , whether thou hast this grace of faith , true justifying faith wrought in thee or not . If thou hast this grace of justifying faith , thou hast that which is an infallible Character , and a reall testimony of the holy Spirits saving habitation and operation in thee , of thy Union with Christ , and eternal salvation by him , as the Apostle intimates , 1 Iohn 5.10 . where he saith , he that believeth in the Son of God , hath the witnesse in himself : The truth of this assertion will more clearly and fully appear , by that which follows . This faith is a speciall work of the Spirit of God in man , as appears by the language of the Apostle , Eph. 1.19 , 20. Where the Apostle speaks of it , as a work of Gods Almighty Power ; No less then that which he wrought in Christ , when he raised him from the dead , and set him at his own right hand in Glory . And in that it accompanieth predestination , and is a grace proper and peculiar unto the elect , as appears by , 2 Thes. 2.13 . compared with , Tit. 1.1 . He that with this saith beleiveth in Christ , eateth the Flesh of Christ and drinketh his Blood ; and Christ saith , He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood , dwelleth in me and I in him , John 6.56 . And hath he not then Union with Christ ? surely yes ; for he lives in Christ , and Christ in him , Really , Spiritually ; he is one with Christ , and Christ with him . Of this faith Christ affirmeth , that it is accompanied with salvation , Iohn 3.36 . He that believeth on the Son , hath Everlasting life , and John 6.54 . He saith , wheso eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood hath Eternall Life : He that believ●th on me , hath Everlasting Life , Joh. 6.47 . This faith is called an evidence , Heb. 11.1 . the evidence of things not seen . And true it is , that this faith alwayes is an evidence , though it do not alwayes give evidence to the subject in which it is , beleeve and be saved , are coupled together , Luk. 8.12 . Finally , unto this faith is annexed in Scripture , many special and absolute promises of salvation , the Scripture faith , that whosoever beleiveth in Christ shall not be ashamed , Rom. 10.11 . Beleive in the Lord I●sus Christ , and thou shalt be saved , Act. 1● . 31 . Christ saith , He that believeth in me , though he were dead , yet shall he live , Joh. 11.25 . He that liveth and believeth in me shall never die , ver . 26. ( He shall never dye eternally , ) He that eateth me shall live by me : He that eateth of this bread shall live for ever , Joh. 6.57 , 58. Verily , verily I say unto you , He that heareth my word , and beleiveth in him that sent me , shall not come into condemnation , but is passed from death unto life , Joh. 5.24 . By all which it is evident , that justifying faith , for of that these texts speak , is a sure earnest of our inheritance with the Saints in light , in joy unspeakable , and full of Glory . Whosoever hath the one here , shall certainly have the other hereafter . On this ground the Apostle exhorts all Christians that would make sure for Heaven , and get a good evidence of their own Salvation , to examine themselves , whether they be in , the faith , yea or nay , and prove themselves , 2 Cor. 13.5 . It is , as if the Apostle had said , Make sure of this , that your faith is right , and make sure of all ; if you have this grace , you shall have Glory also . Faith is the grace , and the only grace , whereby we are justified before God , by it we eate of the Tree of Life , ( Jesus Christ ) and live for ever : It is therefore the fittest grace of all , to satisfie Conscience in this weighty matter , and to make up conclusions from , about our eternall estate . This Satan knows full well , and therefore when he would flatter a man to Hell , he perswades him , that his faith is right good , when indeed there is no such matter ; and when he would overthrow all hope of Heaven in a man , and drag him into despaire , he perswades him , that his faith , though never so good , is but a feigned and counterfeit thing , and the poore soul , is ready to say , Amen . It mainly concerns all persons therefore , that would here get a good Evidence for Heaven , throughly to try their faith , whether it be a shield of Gold , or but a shield of B●asle ; whether it be an unfeigned , or but a feigned faith ; whether it be a justifying , or but a temporary faith ; whether it be a faith that justifies before God , or but only before men ? In the searching of thy Soul , for this grace of faith , or any other renewing grace , thou art to have respect to the truth of it , more than to the measure and strength of it : Christ hath so , he absolutely requires truth of belief , but not strength of belief : Nay he so esteems truth of belief , that wheresoever he findeth it , in the least measure , he will accept it and reward it , with Eternal Life ; he will not quench the smoking flax ; He will not suffer that soul that hath but the least grain of true faith to miscary . But you will say . What is this faith you speak of , and how may it be discerned from a Temporary faith ? I will first describe it , and then descry it , as God shall inable me . Justifying faith is a speciall work of the Spirit of God upon the Soul , causing a man to lay hold on the speciall promises of Mercy , and Salvation by Christ , and all other promises , which are , in him , yea , and in him , Amen , and rest upon him that hath promised , for the accomplishment of his word . I judg it not necessary , nor meet for me to take this description asunder , or speak of the several terms of it , and therefore pass it by . In a word or two only , I will briefly declare , why I call this faith a work of the Spirit , and why a speciall work of the Spirit . 1. I call this faith a work of the Spirit of God , because it is not natural ; were it natural , it would be common , but all men have not faith , as the Scripture saith , 2 Thes. 3.2 . 2. Few have this faith , as the parable of the seed shews , Mar. 4.2 . to 9. it is a work supernatural and divine . 3. I call this Faith , a speciall work of the Spirit , to distinguish it from that common work of the Spirit , which is in unregenerate persons . Having thus briefly described this Faith , I am in the next place to descry it , and distinguish it from all other ; this I shall do for brevity sake positively . This Faith then , as I humbly conceive , may be discerned and differenced from all other kinds of faith , by these concurrent and essentiall properties of it , which here follow . This Faith is bred , fed , and nourished , ordinarily , by the word preached , as appears by Rom. 10.14 , 17. Secondly , this Faith as it is begotten by the word , so it is grounded upon the Word , upon the written Word of God ; Not fancy , but the Word is the ground of it . It gives firm , absolute , and unlimited assent to the whole Word of God , promises , threatnings and commandements , so farre forth as it doth apprehend it to be of God ▪ simply because it is of God ; the whole Word of God is the generall ground and object of it . I consent to the Law , that it is good , holy , and just , and good , saith a true believer , Rom. 7. ver . 16 , 12. Believing all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets , Act. 24.14 . But the more special object of it is the promises of the Gospel . This Faith is seated in the heart , the heart is the most proper subject of it , With the heart man believeth unto righteousness , saith the Scripture , Rom. 10.10 . Justifying Faith is not barely notionall , but reall ; it is not a bare head-assenting , But a heart-consenting , what the understanding saith is true , the will saith is good , and embraceth it . This Faith is an unfeigned Faith , as is evident , 1 Tim. 1.5 . and 2 Tim. 1.5 . An Hypocrites faith is but feigned faith , but justifying faith , is unfeigned , how weak soever it be , it is true and real , it carrieth the whole heart to God in obedience , as well as the whole outward man. This Faith is a Christ-receiving faith , it receiveth and embraceth whole Christ , Christ as a Saviour and Christ as a Lord in all his offices , Prophet , Priest , and King , and it causeth him that hath it , to give up himself wholly to Christ , to be ruled by him in all things , according to his Word : Thus the Gospel tenders Christ , and thus a true beleever receiveth Christ : My Lord and my God , saith believing Thomas , of Christ , and it is the property of justifying Faith , thus to embrace Christ , They gave themselves unto the Lord , ( saith the Apostle ) of some true believers , 2 Cor. 8.5 . And this is universally true of all that are true believers , they give themselves unto the Lord ( as aforesaid , ) and that freely and voluntarily . This Faith puts a price upon Christ above all things , and cleaves to the Mercy of God in Christ , as better then life , both Positively , and Comparatively . To you which believe he is pretious , 1 Pet. 2.7 . He is the chiefest of ten thousand , a Fairer then all the Childrenof men , b He is altogether lovely . c As the Apple-Tree amongst the Trees of the Forrest : So is my Beloved among the sonnes , d His mouth is most sweet , e His Love is better then Wine , f Thy loving kindness is better than Life , saith the believing Soul to Christ , g Whom have I in Heaven , but thee ; and there is none that I desire upon Earth , in comparison of thee , h What things were gain to me , those I counted loss for Christ ; yea , doubtless , and I count all things but loss , for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Iesus my Lord , and do count them but dung , that I may win Christ , and be found in him , saith a believing Soul , i By all these places it is evident , That it is the property of a true faith , highly to prize Jesus Christ ; a true believer prizeth Christ in all things , places , persons , and conditions , above all things , and beyond all time , In the eighth place ; This Faith relyeth wholly on the Merit of Christ for Salvation , for justification , disclaiming all confidence in the flesh , and excluding all boasting in our selves : As appears by the Language of the Apostle , Act. 4.12 . and Phil. 3.3 , 9. And have no confidence in the flesh . Not having mine own righteousness , which is of the Law , but that which is through the faith of Christ. Where is boasting then ? it is excluded . By what Law ? of works ? Nay ; but by the Law of Faith , Rom. 3.27 . This Faith opposeth the Mercy of God in Christ against all sinne , as greater then all . The Blood of Iesus Christ his Son , cleanseth us from all sinne , saith a believer , speaking of believers , 1 John 1.7 . Because God hath said , He shall Redeem Israel from all his iniquities , Psal. 130.8 . All manner of sins and Blasphemies shall be forgiven unto the sons of men , but the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost , Mat. 12.31 . This Faith , as it lays hold on the promises of God , so it makes him that hath it , carefully observe the Conditions of the promises on his part , Lord , I have hoped in thy word , and done thy Commandements , saith a true believer , Ps. 119.166 . thereby intimating ; That it is the property of a true faith , thus to rest on Gods promises ; A true believer applies Christ unto himself , and himself unto Christ , the promises to himself , and himself unto the promises , unto the conditions of them . It is the property of this Faith to adhere to Christ , even when it cannot see him , nor apprehend one jot of love from him , when he hideth his face from the soul , and speaks bitter things , and doth bitter things unto the soul , Behold ( saith Job ) I go forward , but he is not there ; and backward , but I cannot perceive him , on the left hand , where he doth work , but I cannot behold him . He hideth himself on the right hand , that I cannot see him . He writeth bitter things against me , and maketh me possess the iniquities of my youth ; He putteth my feet in the stocks , &c. But concludes . Though he slay me , yet will I trust in him . When God hid his face from Iob , and he could neither apprehend his love , in his Providences , nor in his Promises , yet he adhered to him still . This the Scripture cals for , Isa. 50.10 . Therefore it follows , that this a true believer in some measure doth : It is the property of a true believer to adhere to Christ as Asahel adhered to Abner , and Elisha to Elijah ; Asahel would not turn aside from Abner , though he dyed by his hand : Elisha would not leave Elijah what ever became of him , As the Lord liveth , and as thy Soul liveth , I will not leave thee , said Elisha to Elijah ; and so saith a true believer to Christ ; Take from me what thou wilt ; do with me what thou wilt , I will not leave thee , I will cleave unto thee still ; though I cannot see thee , I will trust in thee , I will dye in thine arms . In the Twelfth place , this Faith is a working Faith , it is not idle but operative and working , as the Apostle intimates , Iam. 2. ver . 20.14 . Faith without works is dead and cannot save ; living Faith , is working Faith , justifying Faith , though it do not justifie ( by working ) yet is still working . It purifieth and clenseth , and that not the outward man only , but the heart also , Act. 15.9 . It Sanctifieth , Act. 26.18 . ( to wit ) sincerely , universally , soul and body , and the spirit of our mind , as the Scripture speaks ; It spurreth on to Obedience , Active and Passive , sincere , universal , and constant , as appears at large , Heb. 11. Where all those worthies there spoken of , are said to have done and suffered all those admirable things there mentioned by Faith. This Faith makes a man patiently wait on God , for the accomplishment of all that good which he hath promised in his Word , in a conscionable use of all those meanes , which he hath ordained , warranted , sanctified , and affordeth for the serving of his Providence , and accomplishing of his Promises . The former part of this assumption , is evident by the Language of the Prophet , Isai. 28.16 . He that believeth maketh not haste ; And by that which is spoken of believers , Heb. 6.12 . The latter is as evident by the practice of the Saints . David believing the Word of the Lord concerning his Sonne Solomon , and his building of the Temple , was very instant with the Lord to make good his Word , and what he had Promised ; very carefull and conscionable in instructing his Son , to walk with God in uprightness of heart , according unto all the Commandements of the Lord , and in providing materials for the Work of the Lords House and encouraging his Son to the Work , as appears by the 2 Sam. 7. compared with 1 Chron. 28. and 29. Chapters . Daniel believing the Word of the Lord concerning the return of the Captivity of Iudah , was very instant with the Lord , by fasting and prayer to accomplish what he had promised , as appears , Dan. 9.2 , 3. Hezekiah believing the Word of the Lord concerning his recovery out of a dangerous sickness , diligently used the meanes that the Prophet directed him unto , 2 Kings 20.7 . And Paul , to instance in no more , beleiving that grand promise , That the seed of the Woman , should break the Serpents head . And that the God of Peace would Bruise Satan under his feet , and that sin should not have dominion over him . When buffeted by Satan , Prayed frequently , and Prayed fervently , he besought the Lord thrice : when the Law of his Members rebelled against the Law of his mind , and led him Captive to the Law of sin . He groaned under this burden , bewailed his condition , sought the Lord by Prayer for help , exercised Faith on Christ ; And beat down his body and kept it under , as appears , Rom. 7.23 , 24. compared with 1 Cor. 9.27 . The same Apostle believing the Word of the Lord , concerning the preservation of himself , and his companions , in a dangerous voyage at Sea , diligently exhorted them to use all good meanes tending unto their preservation , sounded the depth , cast Anchors , abode in the ship , &c. Act. 27. All these meanes these Worthies used to serve the divine Providence ; and these examples plainly evidence , That it is the property of true faith thus to depend on God , for the accomplishment of his Word . This Faith makes a man open-hearted , and open-handed towards his Brethren in misery and want mercifull according to the Divine Rule ; ready out of a fellow-feeling of others misery , bountifully , cheerefully , and constantly , to do good unto all in misery , according to ability , but specially to the Godly ; not for his own glory , but Gods , for the honour of Christ and the Gospel , as appears by the Language of the Apostle , Iam. 2.15 , 16. Compared with the 1 chap. 27. and that which is spoken of believers in the primitive Church , Act. 2.44 , 45.4.34 . This Faith makes a man very industrious , in labouring to keep a good conscience in all things , and to walk inoffensively towards God , and towards man in all things , as appears in the Apostle Paul. Paul having made a confession of faith , and hope towards God , Act. 24.14 , 15. in the 16. ver . of the same chap. he declares , how his faith did operate . And herein do I exercise my self , to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God and towards Man. And this Language of his doth plainly evidence , That it is the property of a true faith thus to operate . All these are real testimonies , that true justifying Faith , is no Idle Faith , but operative and working . It worketh by love . This the Scripture a●firmeth , Gal. 5.6 . Neither Circumcision , nor Vncircumcision availeth any thing , but faith which worketh by love : thence it is evident , that true faith worketh by love . And this is indeed the great distinguishing Character of it , it worketh by love to God , and the things of God , and by love to man for Gods sake . A true believer works all his works in love to God and Christ ; His whole labour in point of obedience , is a labour of love ▪ he sees an unfathomed depth of Divine love , declared toward him by God in Christ , and this constrains him to love God in Christ again ; and out of love unto him that dyed for him , to give up himself unto him ▪ and lay out himself for him . The love of Christ constraineth me , saith a true believer , 2 Cor. 5.14 , 15. He is holy and blamelesse before him in love , Ephes 1.4 . My soule hath kept thy Commandements , and I love them exceedingly , saith a true believer , Ps. 119.167 . This Faith is alwayes accompanied with true repentance ; He that truely believes unfaignedly repents ; This is evident by the language of the Prophet , Zach. 12.10 . This Faith is alwayes accompanied with new obedience . This Faith is a holy Faith , it 's so called , Iud ▪ v. 20. and it makes the subject holy in which it is , inwardly , outwardly , universally holy , though not perfectly holy in this life . This Faith is a World-contemning , and World over-coming Faith ; it contemns the World , both in the good and evill of it , as appears in Moses , Heb. 11.24 . to 28. I● overcometh the world , as saith the Scripture . This is the victory that overcometh the world , even your faith Who is he that overcometh the world , but he that believeth , &c. 1 John. 5.4 , 5. I may add to this , and say , It is a flesh-over-coming , and a Devill-overcoming faith : for howsoever a true beleever be many times put to the worse for a time , and foiled by one or other of these enemies , yet in the end he overcometh them all , and is more then a Conqueror through Christ that strengtheneth him , and overcometh for him . This Faith is a heart humbling Faith ; it is the property of this Faith to make an humble heart , as the Language of Christ , Iohn 5.44 . intimates How can ye believe ( saith he ) which seek honour one of a another ? A true beleever eyes God in all gifts , and in all blessings , Spirituall and Temporall , and ascribes all unto free grace ; He , and he only labours for and learnes of Christ , heart-humility , and groans under the sense of the want of it , and hence it is evident that true Justifying Faith is heart-humbling Faith. This Faith is a God-glorifying Faith , it makes a man preferre God above himself , and his glory above all things , respecting not himself , willing to deny himself unto the death , to advance the honour of God , and humbly to submit to the Will of the Lord in every thing ; as appears in Abraham , Iob , Eli , David , Paul , and many other true beleevers . Abraham was by this faith transported so far above himself , that he willingly offered up his dear Isaac , to advance the honour of God , when he tryed him . Iob was by this faith brought humbly and patiently to submit to the Will of the Lord in every thing , as one desirous to advance his Name . Ely was by this faith brought sweetly and humbly to submit to the good pleasure of the Lord : When Samuel told him , what evill the Lord would bring upon him , and his house , he meekly replies , as one d●sierous to advance God in all , It is the Lord , let him do what seemeth him good . It is , as if he had said , let him do with me or to me what he will , so he may have glory by it , I am content . David did the like , 2 Sam ▪ 15.26 . But above all , the Apostle Paul is a notable example of this , who was by this faith carried so farre above himself , that he cared not what betided ●im , sink or swim , so Christ might be magnified thereby , bonds , and afflictions , and death were nothing to him to undergo , so Christ might have honour thereby : Nay he would rather lose his eternall Crown , then eclyps the honour of Christ , as his Language , Act. 20.23 , 24.21 , 13. does plainly evidence his resolution , That Christ should be magnified in him , whatever he underw●nt , Phil. 1.20 . Rom. 9.3 . It is the property of a true faith to preferre God above all , but an evidence of a strong faith thus to preferre God above all . This Faith is a growing Faith. True Faith how weak soever or how strong soever , is alwayes accompanied with cordial desires and real indeavours to grow and increase , and bring forth more fruit , as the language ▪ of beleevers shews , Lord increase our Faith , said the Disciples to Christ ; Lord I beleeve , help thou my unbeliefe , saith another beleever : I count not my self to have apprehended , but this one thing I do , forgetting those things which are behind , and reaching forth to those things which are before , I press toward the mark , saith a third , Phil. 3.13 , 14. By all w●ich it is evident , That true Faith is growing Faith : A true beleever never thinks he hath Faith enough , but still prayes for and labours after increase . This Faith is a supporting Faith ; It is a Faith which a Christian may and must live by in all conditions , as appears , H●b . 2.4 . The just shall live by his Faith. He that hath this Faith we speak of , shall live by it , in prosperity and in adversity , in life and in death . Finally , this Faith is permanent and persevering , it holds out unto the death , it is never totally lost ; a true beleever , as he lives in the faith , so he dyes in the faith ; the Apostle speaking of true beleevers , saith , These all died in the Faith , Heb. 11.13 . And true it is , That a true beleever alwayes dyes in the Faith , in the Faith of adherence , if not of evidence ; this is vigour fit and but fit to give the denomination of a true beleever , we are made partakers of the Holy Ghost , if we hold the beginning of our co●fidence stedfast unto the end , saith the text , Heb. 3.14 . These words plainly evidence , that justifying faith is persevering faith , it holds out unto the death and ends in fruition , it can never be totally nor finally lost ; and this indeed is it's distinguishing property , and it is the property of every renewing grace ; every renewing grace holds out unto the end ; that grace which weares the the Crown of Glory is persevereing , Revel . 2.10 . It is not alwayes so in appearance , but in truth ; A true beleever may at sometimes , and in some cases , seem both to himself and to others , to have loft his faith , and his other graces as many examples in Scripture shew ; but yet as Ieb speaks , The root of the matter is within him still ; Truth of grace in the inward parts ▪ and it abideth there . However a true beleever may and sometimes doth , for a time lose the comfort of his grace , and the fight of his grace , and the power of acting of his grace , yet he hath this priviledg above all formalists , he never totally loseth the habit of any renewing grace : these gifts of God are without repentance . Wouldest thou then know , whether thy faith be sound and saving , and such as consequently demonstrates the holy Spirits saving habitation in thy soule ; try and examine thy saith , by these properties and Scripture-Characters of a true jus●ifying faith , and if it hold correspondency with them , know for thy comfort , that it is such as really demonstrates the holy Spirits saving habitation , and special operat●on in t●y soul , thy Union with Christ , a●d e●ernal salvation by him , whatsoever Satan or thine own conscience abused by Satan , may at any time hereafter say to the contrary , and give the Lord the praise . The end of thy faith shall be the salvation of thy Soul , as the Scripture speaks , 1 Pet. 1.9 . LOVE . ANother grace demonstrating the holy Spirits saving habitation in us , is Love , to wit , sincere Love. God is Love , and where God dwelleth by his Spirit , he worketh Love , to wit , sincere Love to God , and sincere love to man for Gods sake . And this Love is a speciall work and fruit of the holy Spirit of God in man , as appears by the language of the Apostle , My little Children , let us not love in word or in tongue , but in deed and in truth ; And hereby we know that we are of the truth , and shall assure our hearts before him : and Gal ▪ 5. ●2 . it is said , The fruit of the Spirit is Love. More particularly , That sincere Love to God is a special work of the Spirit of God , and such as accompanies salvation , is evident by the great good that this grace is attended with , both here , and hereafter ; here all things , how bad soever in themselves , work together for good unto them that love God , Rom. 8.28 . And many promises of temporall and eternall good , are made unto this grace , Psal. 91.14 , 15 , 16. A Crown of Life is promised unto it , Iam ▪ 1.12.25 . Much good attendeth this grace here , but as it is written , Eye hath not seen , nor eare heard , neither have entred into the heart of man , the things which God hath prepared for them that love him , 1 Cor. 2.9 ▪ Such is the happiness , joy , and glory which God hath prepared for them that love him , that it cannot enter into us , till we shall enter into it : It must therefore needs be a special work of the Spirit of God in us , and a sure pledg of salvation . He that sincerely loves God , hath that in him , which is a sure argument that he is greatly beloved of God , a I love them that love me ▪ saith Christ , b We love him because he first loved us , saith the Apostle . And must not that needs be a special work of the Spirit of G●d in man , which strongly argues the special Love of God towards man ? surely , yes . But sincere Love to God , strongly argu●s special Love in God towards him that hath it , therefore sincere Love to God must needs be a speciall work of the Spirit of God in whomsoever it is . That sincere Love to man , for Gods sake , is a speciall work of the Spirit of God in man , is evident by that which follows : Sincere love to man , for Gods sake , in whomsoever it is , is a real testimony of his Union with Christ , Regeneration and New-birth , and that he is indeed a true Disciple of Jesus Christ , as these Scriptures following plainly evidence , c This is his Commandement , that we beleeve in the Name of his Son Iesus Christ , and love one another , as he gave us Commandement , and he that keepeth his Commandement ( dwelleth in him , and he in him ) d He that dwelleth in love , dwellth in God , and God in him . If we love one another , God dwelleth in us , and his Love is perfected in us , &c. These Texts cleerly demonstrate , this Love to be a real testimony of Union with Christ , Love is of God , and every one that loveth , is born of God. e We know that we are passed from death unto life , because we love the Brethren , saith the Apostle . And these Texts plainly evidence , this love to be a true testimony of our Regeneration and New birth . Love one another , saith Christ , as I have loved you , meaning for the kind of Love , By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples , if you have love one towards another . These Texts plainly demonstrate this Love , we speak of , to be a true Character of a true Disciple of Jesus Christ : And must not that needs be a special work of the Spirit of God in man , and a true testimony of his saving habitation in us , which is a real testimony of our Union with Christ , and Renovation by him , and dependance on him ? Surely yes . But sincere Love to man , for Gods sake , is eminently all this ; therefore this Love must needs be a special work of the Spirit of God , and a sure testimony of his saving habitation in whomsoever it is . Sincere Love is a grace , without which all profession of Religion is but guilded Hypocrisie ; where Love is , God dwels , but where it is not , the Devil dwels ; the more Love , the more like to God ; the less of it , the more like the Devil . Wofull experience shews , That those men which have great parts and gifts , and little or no Love , shew more of the Devils nature , then of Gods , and act more like the Devil , then God , where they have power . Love is the sweetest flower in all the garden of God , but it is a flower which the Devil cannot indure the smell of , because he is not capable of it , and knows that where Love dwels , he must vanish ; and therefore it is his main design to destroy Love , if possible , in all sorts and sects , and to root it up and banish it from the hearts of all men ; The Devil is well content , that men should pray , preach , read , hear Sermons , and make a faire shew outwardly , provided this spring not from Love , nor tendeth not to the increase of Love , to God nor man ; but if he see Love be the root and fruit of mens services , then he goes cunningly , and Serpent-like to work , to make breaches in this wall , that he may get in and destroy this flower , he deviseth wayes to divide mens judgments , to the end he may destroy this affection of Love out of their hearts ; if he prevaile not this way then he will raise up jealousies to destroy Love and Charity , yea sometimes render the best of graces , the worst of vices ; and as in tempting a Carnal man , he sometimes stiles lust , Love , so in tempting a spiritual man , he somtimes stiles sincere Love , lust ; and by these wiles makes a breach on Charity , to the end he may get into the garden of God , and root up this sweet grace of Love. Seeing then that this grace of sincere Love to God and man , is a speciall work of the holy Spirit of God , and a grace that he worketh in all those in whom he dwels savingly , to get a true testimony of the holy Spirits saving habitation in thee , thou must diligently examine thy self , touching thy Love to God , and touching thy Love to man : 1. Examine thy Love to God , see whether that be sound and sincere , yea or nay , 2. Examine thy Love to Man , and see whether that be such as the Scripture makes a note of the holy Spirits saving habitation in us , yea or nay . But how shall I know , whether my Love to God be sound and sincere , yea or nay . By Considering , 1. What sincere Love to God is ; And , 2. what the properties and effects of it are . Sincere Love to God , is a spirituall affection , causing a man to prize God more , and obey him rather then any thing in the world besides . The properties and effects of sincere Love to God are these ▪ 1. Sincere Love to God is seated in the heart , in the midst of the heart , and it carryeth the whole heart and soul to God in obedience , as well as the whole outward man. That sincere love to God is seated in the heart , in the midst of the heart , and carries the whole heart to God , will appear thus ; That which God in his Word requires , and commands , that true grace doth in its measure , and in a Gospel way give unto him : But God in his Word requires that we should Love him with the heart , with the whole heart , and soul ; and , Therefore this Command doth sufficiently intimate this truth , to wit , That sincere Love to God is seated in the heart , and carries the whole heart to God , &c. Here note , 1 ▪ By the whole heart is meant , every faculty of the soul , the whole inner man , the heart wholly , sincerely , so as it is not divided between God and the world , between God and sinne , between God and Satan , as the hearts of all Hypocrites are , but is downright and wholy for God. 2. My whole heart may then be said to be carried to God , when I cleave to him in affection , more then to any thing besides ; account him my chiefest happiness , from a due consideration of his perfection ; rejoyce in him above all things ; feare his displeasure more then all persons or things ; depend upon him for all things , and aime at his glory principally in all things . Secondly sincere Love to God , is fastened upon God principally , for that Divine excellency and spirituall beauty which is in him , and which he doth communicate unto his People , Because of the savour of thy good Oyntments , thy name is as Oyntment poured forth , therefore the Virgins love thee , saith the Text , Cant. 1.3 . Spirituals and not temporals , as this Text shews , are the principall attractives of a sincere and virgin-Love to Christ. 3. Sincere Love to God , is not guided by sense , but by faith , as the language of the Apostle f intimates ; therefore saith the Apostle , Whom having not seen , we Love , whom having not seen with Corporall eye nor invisible favours , you still cleave to in affection . This is further evidenced in holy Iob , who continued to love God , and obey him , even when he could not see one glimpse of his countenance , neither within him , nor without him , as appears by Iob 23.8 , 9 , 10 , 11. verses . And this plainly shews , That his Love was guided by faith , and not by sense , as it is the property of sincere Love to be . 4. Sincere Love to God , is a very strong Love , Love is strong as death , Cant. 8.6 . Sincere Love to God will make a man to resolve , ●●augre all opposition , to obey unto the death ; it will constrain a man to do or suffer any thing , that God shall see good to impose upon him for tryall-sake , without repining in toung or in heart against God ; it will make a man serve God with all his might , therefore saith the Apostle , The Love of Christ constraineth us : It beareth all things , it endureth all ●●ings . 5. Sincere Love to God , is an indearing affection , it indears Christ unto a man above all things in the world besides , so as he will willingly part with all things else , rather then Christ ; Christ in his Merit , Christ in his Spirit , Christ in his Ordinances , and in his Ministers and People , is deare unto a sincere lover of Christ above all things here below ; This is lively set forth unto us in the Parable of the merchant man , Mat. 13.44 , 45 , 46. He left all for the Pearl , the Pearl was dear unto him , and he was in Love with it ; hence it was that he slighted all in comparison of it . That Love is an indearing affection , is further evident by the language of the Spouse in Love with Christ , Cant. 5.10 . He is the chiefest of ten thousand , saith she , meaning of all ; and likewise by the practise of the Saints , which have sincerely loved Christ , they have willingly parted with their fine cloathing for his sake , and worn sheep-skins and goats-skins , they have parted with fine dwellings , and lyen in dens , and caves , they have parted with all , even to their precious lives , Nay these also they have willingly laid down for his sake , in the cruellest way , that bloody persecutors could invent , refusing base deliverance , to advance the honour of Christ , when he called them forth to suffer , as appears Heb. 11. their Love to Christ did indeare Christ to them above all things . Here Note , 1. That sincere Love to Christ is strong in all , but not in all according unto the same equal degrees ; it indears Christ unto all that have it , above all things , But makes not all to declare it with the like forwardness and courage , nor to declare it at all times alike , as many instances in Scripture shew ; According to the measure of our faith , so is our Love ; if a man beleeve only as a bruised reed , as a weakling in Christ , his Love will only smoak as flax towards Christ , but if he be strong in faith , his Love will flame , it will declare it self with much zeale and fervour of spirit . 2. That , that Love to Christ , which preferrs any one thing whatsoever before Christ , or subjoyns any one thing in the world coequal with Christ , is no sound sincere Love , neither is it worth any thing in Christ 's account , as his own language shews ' , He that Loveth Father , or Mother more then me , is not worthy of me : and he that loveth Sonne or Daughter more then me , is not worthy of me , Matth. 10.37 . 3. That Love to Christ which fals off from Christ , when tryals , tribulations and persecutions come , and will not beare the Cross for Christs sake , when he cals thereunto , is no sincere Love , but an Hypocritical , as Christ shews , Mat. 10.38 . He that taketh not up hi● Cross , and followeth after me , is not worthy of me : And further illustrates in the Parable of the ftony ground , Mat. 13.20 , 21. That Love to Christ which makes not a man to account all things but loss , and dross , and dung for Christ , and to set such a price on Chrift , and his hopes by him , that he resolves through the help of Christ , to part with any thing which may hinder him from doing Christ faithful service , how neare or dear soever it be , or ought to be , yea with life it self , or whatsoever contentments may indeare it unto him , when Christ cals him to it , is no sound nor available Love , as Christ shews when he saith , If any man come to me , and hate not his Father , and Mother , and Wife , and Children , and Brethren , and Sisters , yea , and his life also , he cannot be my Disciple , Luke 14.26 . Hence it is evident , in the next place , That sincere Love to God , is a very tender Love , yea , a Love more tender towards God then towards any thing else , besides God , Persons or things , and will make a man willing rather to part with all , persons or things ; How neare or deare soever , then with God ; yea , so tender a Love it is , as it will not suffer a man to go in any way , though never so pleasing to flesh and blood , that he knows displeaseth the Lord , nor transgress the least of Gods Commandements with knowledg , without grief of heart , as appears in the example of Ioseph and David . Ioseph sincerely loved his God , and this Love constrained him to contemn the carnall Love of his miftress , and the carnal pleasure proffered him by her , for fear of displeasing God. David sincerely Loved his God ; and hence it was that his heart smote him , for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment ; a small matter one would think , yet ( saith David ) He is the Lords annointed . I have therefore transgressed his Commandement in laying violent hands on him , and was therefore grieved ; his Love constrained him to grieve . Hence it appeareth , in the next place , That sincere Love to God , produceth and preserveth a tender Conscience , a holy feare of God in the heart and soul , and a holy hatred of all sin , How shall I do this wickedness and sin against my God , saith the soul that sincerely Loves God , when tempted to sinne by the world , the flesh , or the Devil : God hates all iniquity , and he that fincerely Loves God , hates what he hates , therefore ( saith the Psalmist ) you that Love the Lord , hate evill , to wit , because God hates it . Sincere Love to God makes a man love the whole will of God , I love thy Command●m●nts , saith David , above gold , yea , above fine gold : I esteem all thy pr●cepts , concerning all things to be right , and hate every false way . This Language of David shews , That he loved the whole will of God , even that which did cross and condemn that sinne , which his nature was most prone to ; and it is the nature of sincere Love to God , to make a man thus to love the Will of God. A sincere Lover of God , loveth not the Word of God the less , but ●●e more for discovering his darling sinne , and so consequently he loves not , nor esteems not the faithfull Ministers of the Word the lesse , but the more for their faithfulnesse , in discovering and opposing sinne , predominate sinne whether personal or national . Sincere Love to God is an obediential Love , it makes a man Cordially obey the Will of God , rather then any thing in the world besides . This is evident by the Language of Christ , g If a man love me , ( saith Christ , to wit , sincerely ) he will keep my words . He that hath my Commandements , and keepeth them , He it is that loveth me , ibid. v. 21. And by the Language of his beloved Disciple , h This is Love , that we walk after his Commandements . The great Character of sincere Love to God , set by Christ and his beloved Disciple , is obedience , to wit , Cordiall obedience to all the revealed will of God ; and hence it is evident ▪ That sincere Love to God is an obedientiall Love. That this Love leads a man to obey God rather then any thing in the world besides , is manifest by the carriage of such in all ages of the world , in whose hearts the sincere Love of Christ hath dwelt ; The three Children in Captivity , being commanded of men to do what they were forbidden of God , chose rather to obey God then man. Peter and Iohn , being forbidden of men , to do what they were commanded of God , reply , Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you , rather then unto God , judge ye , and chose rather to obey God then man , as the words following shew : And thus it is with other sincere Lovers of God , if God and man , God and sin , God and Satan , come in competition , or opposition , all craving obedience : If sincere Love to God be in the heart , it will soone end the controversie , and cause a man to obey from the heart , God before all ; sincere Love to Christ will make a man think Christ's yoke easie , and his burthen light , his Commandements not grievous ; it will make a man obey actively and passively , and resist unto blood , striving against sinne , as the Scripture speaks . Sincere Love to God mortifieth in us the love of the world , If any man Love the world the love of the father , ( to wit , the sincere Love of the Father ) is not in him , 1 Joh. 2.15 . This language of Iohn , intimates thus much unto us , ( to wit ) That where the sincere Love of God dwels , it mortifieth the Love of the world , to wit , those things in the world , which are properly said to be of the world , and enemies unto God , as all unchast Loves , Diabolicall Love , and inordinate Love of Carnall things , The lusts of the flesh , the lusts of the eyes , and the pride of life ; all which are enemies unto God , and his grace in us , and cannot subsist with the Love of God , being contrary unto it . Sincere Love to God makes a man very sensible of Gods dishonour , and grieve at it , as Ionathans Love to David , made him very sensible of the dishonour his Father did him , and grieve at it ; so sincere Love to God makes a man very sensible of the dishonour done to God , and grieve at it , it makes him sensible of the dishonour done to God by others , but most sensible of the dishonour done to God by himself , and grieve at it ; This appears in David , David sincerely loved God , and this made him grieve at the dishonour other men did to God , but most of all at the dishonour which himself had done to God , the consideration of this made his heart pant , and his strength fail , and made him go mourning all the day long . Sincere Love to God makes a man prize the light of Gods countenance , and the apprehension of his Love in Christ , above all things in the world , Lord , Lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me , this putteth gladness into my heart , more then corn and wine . Let him kiss me with the kisses of his lips , for his love is better then wine . This is the language of sincere lovers of God and Christ , and a clear evidence it is of the truth asserted , and lively demonstrates the judgement and affection of a sincere lover of God and Christ. Sincere Love to God makes a man delight in communion with God by prayer , meditation , and the use of all his other Ordinances here , and long for the marriage-day of the Lamb , to the end he might enjoy a more near Union , and sweet Communion with Christ his well-beloved , and be perfectly conformed unto his holy will , as the language of sincere lovers of God shew , i My soul thirsteth for God , for the living God , when shall I come and appear before him , k Oh God! thou art my God , early will I seek thee , my soul thirsteth for thee , my flesh longeth for thee , &c. l I have a desire to depart , and to be with Christ , which is best of all m Come Lord Iesus , Come quickly This longing desire to depart and to be with Christ , and to have Christ come to consummate the mysticall marriage , though it be a fruit of love , yet it is not an inseparable property of sincere love , neither is it in all , that sincerely love God , nor in all in whom it is , is it at all times alike , but in those only which apprehend the love of God in Christ towards them , and at such time , as they apprehend it ; and this is not every sincere lovers portion here , therefore a Christian ought not to judge his love to God unsound , onely because he wants this longing desire to be with Christ , and to have Christ come to consummate this mystical marriage , but to have recourse to the foresaid properties of sincere love , for the tryall of his love , when this fails , and to such as follow . Sincere Love to God is a constant growing love , and an everlasting love , it holds out in all times and seasons , and variety of conditions , prosperity and adversity , praise and persecution , health and sickness , plenty and poverty , liberty and bonds , yea , in death it self , and after death through all eternity ; death doth not terminate this grace , but perfect it ; therefore saith the Apostle of a sincere lover , n he dwelleth in love , and of this love , o It never faileth . A man that sincerely loves God continues to love him , when he hides his face from him , and he cannot see him , nor one glimpse of his favor , neither within him , nor without him ; yea , when he frowns upon him ▪ and shewes himself marvelous unto him , as Iob speaks , and the Arrows of the Almighty stick fast in his soul , And Satan , and his own Conscience deluded by Satan , tells him , He shall never see the face of God with comfort ; And however God carryes himself towards him , yet he dares not from thence take leave to vary his carriage towards God , but loves him still , for better , for worse , and obeys him to the utmost of his power : which shews in the next place , That he that sincerely loves God , loves him for nought . That man may be said to love God for nought , who loves him principally for himself , and not for his , who loves him , because he is of all things most lovely , who had rather have God without all , then all without God , for his portion ; Who had rather have a houseless Christ , a harbourles● Christ , a hated and a persecuted Christ , th●● all the honours , pleasures , and riches of the world without Christ ; Who had rather have grace without glory , then glory without grace ; Who had rather have the Gospel , and Gospel-Ordinances in power and purity , with poverty and trouble , then peace and plenty without them ; Who had rather Christ should reign , then himself ; Who desires Christ may encrease , though he himself decrease ; and truth live , though he die ; Who preferrs the interest of God and Christ before his own interest ▪ or any interest whatsoever ; Who labours more to get , and to keep a good conscience , then a good estate in the world ; In a word , he that loveth God , more then these earthly contentments , he , and he only , may be said to love God for nought , and to love him sincerely , as Christs language to Peter intimates , Lovest thou me , more then these ? as if he had said , If thy love be not more to me then to these earthly things , it 's worth nothing in my account ; if it be ●ore to me , then to ●hese ▪ if it adhere to me with the loss of these ●hat shews it is not for these , but for nought that thou lovest me , and this argues thy love sincere . Sincere Love to Christ is very industrious , and it makes the Subject in which it is very industrious in following after the Lord , and the things of the Lord ; and the more it aboundeth , the more industrious the soul is in following after her beloved ; this is evident by the language , and practice of such , as have sincerely loved the Lord in all times , I p follow after , saith the Apostle . My soul followeth hard q after thee , saith another sincere lover of God. Early will I seek thee , &c. and the Spouse in the Canticles , r sought night and day after her beloved : Mary Magdalen s and other lovers of Christ , were very industrious in seeking after him : All which evidently demonstrates the truth asserted ( to wit ) That sincere love is very industrious . Sincere Love to God and Christ , makes the soul unsatisfied in thinking and speaking of the divine Excellencies , Wisdome , Beauty and Majesty of God and Christ : Love of what kind soever , delights in the comtemplation of the object which it fastens on ; the soul delights to be still thinking and speaking of her Beloved , whatever it be , as every ones experience can te●● him ; the soul that sincerely loves God doth no less : See an instance of this in the Spouse in the Canticles , she thinks of her Beloved , a●d speaks of her Beloved , as one unsatisfied with the thoughts and praises of him , as one resolved to win ( if it were possible ) all the world , to love what she loved ; and this lively demonstrates the sincerity of her love , and the nature of sincere love . Sincere Love to God is a soul-warming affection , it warmeth that heart , in which it is , with a spirituall heat , with a holy zeal for God , and the things of God ; yea so warmeth it , that many waters cannot quench it , nor floods drown the fire , which it kindleth within : This is evident by the zeal of those , which have sincerely loved God in all ag●s , we may take all the Saints for an example of this , but I will instance only in Moses , and P●ul ; Moses , who was the meekest man upon the earth , had his spirit so warmed with the love of God in his heart , tha● the fire of zeal brake forth in an unquenchable flame in him , when he saw God dishonoured , and an Idol magnified by the people of God. And Paul's spirit was hereby so stirred within ●im , when he saw the people given to Idola●ry , that he could not forbear to reprove it , whatever he underwent for it ; All these had their hearts so warmed with the love of G●d , that neither water nor bloud , could quench the flame that love had kindled ; which evidently demonstrates this love to be a heart-warming Affection . Though sincere Love to God do warm the hearts of all , in whom it is , with a zeal of God , yet doth it not warm the hearts of all alike , according to the measure and degree of love in the heart , such is the zeal that issueth out of it . Sincere Love to God is a soul-humbling affection , it thinks it can never do , nor suffer enough for God , and thence it is , that it doth not glory in any doing or suffering , it comes stil short of what it should do , and what it would do , and therefore is not puffed up with what it doth , but rather humbled by its failings ; Knowledge puffeth up , but love casteth down the soul. Sincere Love to God is a heart-softening affection , as is evident by the carriage of Nathan towards David , when the Lord sent Nathan to awaken David , and call him to repentance ; What did Nathan , but labour to set an edge on David's love , by setting the loving kindness of the Lord before him , as one knowing , that if any thing melted his heart , this would do it , and this we see did it , which plainly shews , That love is a heart-softening affection . This is yet farther evident in other of the Saints , Iosiah loved his God , and hence it was that his heart melted , when he considered , how he and his people had offended God by walking contrary to his statutes ; Mary Magdalen sincerely loved Christ , and hence it was that her heart was so mollified and melted , for the sinne she had committed . Love softeneth the heart in which it is ; nothing more , nothing so mollifying as love ; love delated , and love apprehended mollifyeth the heart , as oyl doth the hand . The way to encrease sorrow for sinne , is to encrease love to God ; grief is but an effect of love , love is the leading affection to grief , anger , hatred , and desire ; grief springs not so naturally from any thing , as it doth from love , there is no grief so kindly , none so pier●ing , none so lasting and wasting , as that the 〈◊〉 springs from pure love . Object . But this property of love makes me to question the truth of my love , for I find my heart is hard , I cannot grieve for sinne , as I should , or as I would . Answ. Softness of heart hath other appearances , besides grief , it shews it self in yeelding to walk in the statutes of the Lord , and keep his ordinances , and do them , inflexibility and readiness to obey the known will of the Lord , without standing out against any part of it , and to these a child of God should have recourse in such case . Sincere Love to God is a sinne-abating affection ; This I gather from the propheticall prediction of Jesus Christ , concerning these times , Because iniquity shall abound , the love of many shall wax cold ; hence it is evident , That the abounding of iniquity , springs from the totall want or decay of love ; if love did abound , iniquity could not abound , it would abate the force of it ; love is therefore called a breast-plate . The abating of iniquity , is according to the abounding of love ; in what measure love aboundeth , in that measure sinne abateth ; but as love decayes , abates , and cools , iniquity abounds . While the Church of Ephesus continued in her first and fervent love , we read of no complaints of her , but when her love abated , her in●quity abounded . Sincere Love to God will abate sinne in a Person , Church , or Nation , if it be in the Person , Church , or Nation . Sincere Love to God , is an establ●shing affection ; This I ga●her from the language of the Apostle , 2 Thes. 2.10 , 11. Because they received not the love of the truth , t●at they might be saved , for this cause God shall send them strong delusions to believe lies , &c. Hence it is evident , That had these ( of whom the Apostle speakes ) received the love of the truth , had they sincerely loved the God of truth , they had continued in the truth , in the knowledge of it , in the belief of it , in the obedience of it , and neither totally nor finally apostatized from the truth ; which strongly argues , love is an establishing affection . The knowledge of the truth , without love of the truth ( to wit ) sincere love , is utterly unavaileable unto salvation ; The knowledge of the truth without love of the truth , is unvaled to uphold in the profession , and obedience of the truth . He whose judgement is unsound , is in danger to be corrupt by flatteries , as the Prophet Daniel speakes ; but he whose love is unsound , is in more danger to be corrupt by flatteries . He whose love is sound , may through frailty fall , and through fear of some corporall evil , become guilty of partiall apostacy ; but he shall never fall away totally nor finally from the God of truth , nor from the truth of God : By all which it appears , that love is an establishing affection . Sincere Love to God , is not lessened by encrease of knowledge , but encreased with it ; He that loves God sincerely , his knowledge doth not lessen his love to God , or the Ordinances of God , or the Ministers of God , but encreaseth it ; his love doth abound more and more , as his knowledge doth abound more and more ; This is sufficiently intimated by the language of the Apostle , Phil. 1.9 . He whose light doth not encrease , but rather decrease his love , hath cause to question his love , and his light too . Finally , Sincere Love to God , alwayes produceth sincere love to man for Gods sake ; This is evident by the language of the Apostle , If any man say , I love God , and hate his brother , he is a liar ; for he that loveth not his brother , whom he hath seen , how can he love God , whom he hath not seen ? As if the Apostle had said , It is impossible for that man to love God sincerely , which loveth not his brother ; if a man love God , this love will constrain him to love his brother , it will produce love to man for Gods sake ; This is farther intimated , ver . 21. By these few Proper●ies , Effects , and Appearances of a sincere love to God , I conceive a Christian may judge aright of his love to God , and so consequently of his condition . Quest. But how shall I know , whether my love to man be sound , and such as demonstrates the holy Spirits saving habitation in me , or not ? Answ. By considering , 1 , What sincere love to man is : And , 2 , What the Appearances of it are . Sincere Love to man , demonstrating the holy Spirits saving habitation in the soul , is a free affection of the soul , delated on man for God , and according to the rules of God given in the holy Scriptures . And it is manifest thus , it issueth out of the love of God , and is carried to man for God , for Gods sake , as the Apostle plainly shews , By this we know we love the children of God , when we love God and keep his Commandements , &c. As if he had said , By this we know , that our love towards man is sound , and such as demonstrates the holy Spirits saving habitation in us , even by this , that it issueth out of the love of God , as the spring and fountain of it , and is delated on man , for Gods sake , for so much that phrase [ keep his Commandements , ] implies . God commands us to love one another , and to aim principally at his glory herein ; now when a man doth this , when he makes Gods Commandement , the efficient cause of his love towards his brother , and Gods glory the finall cause of it , then doth he love him for God , for Gods sake . A mans love to his brother , then issues out of the love of God , and the Commandement of God is the efficient cause of it , when he loves him , because God commands him so to do , and out of love to God commanding . A man then makes the glory of God the finall cause of his love towards his brother , when he therefore delates his love upon him , that he may acquire and gain honour to God and his Gospel , which he hath called him to the profession of thereby , and makes this his utmost scope , and ultimate end in loving him . Secondly , That love to man , which demonstrates the holy Spirits saving habitation in the soul , is a love squared by , and congruous to the rule of God ( to wit ) the holy Scriptures . That love which is squared by , and congruous to the rule of God , is an universall love , a love which extendeth it self to all a the Saints , yea to all b men , good and bad , yea to very c enemies , because God requires this at our hands , that we should love our enemies ; and in this respect I may call it a singular love . It worketh no d ill to any , Deviseth not e evill against any , no , thinketh no f evill to any ; but good g to all , But is more abundant , more tender and strong towards the godly then towards any other ; He that loveth him that begat , loveth him also that is begotten of him , saith the Apostle h . The words imply a speciall love , or love after a speciall manner , it is as if the Apostle had said , He that loves God in sincerity , loves the children of God after a speciall manner ; Love the Brotherhood , saith the Apostle , i meaning after a speciall manner , and this he doth , that loves God sincerely , his love in reference to them , is a love of large extent ; it extendeth even unto loss of life , in some cases ; As in case the honour of God may be advanced thereby , or a publick good procured unto the brethren ▪ the Church of God thereby ; This I think is the Apostles meaning , in the 1 Ioh. 3.16 . If sincere love to God and man , be in the heart of a man , it will constrain him , in such cases as these , to deny himself unto the death , to advance the honour of God , and the Churches good ; it will make him preferre the Churches good before his own , witness k Aquila and Priscilla , whose love to God and the Church , constrained them to yeeld their own lives , to preserve Paul's : The like exm●ples we have in Moses and Paul , whose love to God and the Church , caused them to slight life , and deny themselves to the death , and beyond it too , for the advancing of Gods glory , and the Churches good . Then again , That love to man which is congruous to the rule of God , is a love paralleling the love of Christ towards us , for the kind of it ; Christ commands us , To love one another , as he hath loved us , l And he whose love is congruous to this rule , doth this for kind , though not for measure . That love which is congruous to the rule of God and the love of Christ , is a free-love . m He that loves his brother according to Christs rule , and Christs example , loves him freely . It is a condescending love , n it will make a man condescend to men of low estate , condescend to his brother that cannot come up to him , by reason of his mean place , education , parts or gifts . It is an establishing love ; a grace without which the heart of a man can never be established in grace , as I gather from the language of the Apostle , o to the Thessalonians . It is a reall love , a love not terminated in p words , but manifested in deeds , according to q ability . It is a uniting love , it knits the hearts of Christians together , as appears by the language of the Apostle , r Makes them of one heart and of one soul , s witness the Saints in the primitive Church . It is a growing love , and encreaseth still , 1 Thes. 3.12 . It is a covering grace , it covereth all infirmities in the godly , so farre forth , as the glory of God may not be any way prejudiced , but advanced thereby , and forgiveth all trespasses done by the ungodly , so farre forth likewise , as may be gathered from the language of Solomon : Love ( saith he ) covereth all sinne ; and the language of Peter , Charity shall cover the multitude of sinnes . In reference to the godly , it is a love in the truth , and for the truths sake ; as appeares by the language of S● Iohn concerning the elect Lady , 2 Joh. 1.2 . I then love my brother in the truth , when the bond that links me and him together , in a Christian conjunction , is the true and constant profession of the truth . I may then be said to love my brother for the truths sake , when that grace and truth which is in him , is the principall attractive of my love ; for that love which is delated on the godly by a godly heart , hath grace for the principall attractive of it , and not base by-respects , and therefore continueth as long as grace lasteth , though other motives to love fail , and such occurrences fall out , as usually extinguish a love led by by-respects , therefore saith the Apostle of this love , It never faileth , it is still growing and encreasing in a state of imperfection , and at length perfected in Heaven , it never faileth . It is a love that suffereth long , is kind , envieth not , vaunteth not it self , is not puffed up ; doth not behave * it self unseemly , seeketh not her own , is not easily provoked , it rejoyceth not in iniquity , but rejoyceth in the truth , it beareth all things ; believeth all things , loveth all things , endureth all things , 1 Cor. 13.4 , 5 , 6 , 7. It is a heart-softening affection , a heart-mollifying love ; This is intimated by the language of the Apostle , Heb. 3.13 . Exhort one another daily , while it is called to day , lest any of you be hardened , through the deceitfullness of sinne . Hence it is evident , That if our love one towards another were such , as it should be , and did operate as it should do , it would soften and mollifie our hearts : Congruous love is mollifying . Here note two or three things ; Christians frequently complain of hardness of heart in these dayes , and not without cause , but few I believe take notice , that want in love is the cause of it ; Strangeness weakens , cools and abates love , nothing more , this it doth in man towards God , and in man towards man , and as love abates , and strangeness grows , the heart contracts hardness more and more , Probatum est . Whilest the Galatians love towards Paul continued , they were pliable within and without , they would have parted with any thing to have done him good , but when once their love abated , their hearts were hardned towards him , and his message too . Love and intimate converse melts the heart , nothing more ; strangeness hardens it , nothing the like ; intimate converse with God , encreaseth love to God , and melteth the heart ; intimate converse with the godly-wise , doth the like . Our great hardness of heart , and unprofitableness under the great meanes of grace in publick , I may truly say , hath in great part sprung from the gross neglect of the duties of Christian love ; and the great strangeness that is grown amongst Christians , in these times , where we meet , but in complement usually . But when God shall give his people one heart , and one way , to serve him , with one consent ; when their love shall abound , one towards another , and operate without these obstructions of division , in judgement , and affection [ they shall then have hearts of flesh , and not of stone : ] as appears by Ier. 32.39 . and Zeph. 3.9 . compared with Ezek. 36.26 . which places have reference to one and the same time . It is said of Leviathan , Job 41. That the flakes of his flesh are joyned together : they are firme in themselves , they cannot be moved . His scales are one so neer another , that no Air can come between them . They are joyned one to another , they stick together , that they cannot be sunder●d . The Lord Jesus Christ is the great Leviathan of Heaven and Earth , and his people are his scales , and the flakes of his flesh ; and were they so joyned together in Christian love and society , that no Air of temptation could come between them , they would be firm in themselves ; and so stick together , that they could not be sundered , yea , in their neck would strength remaine , and sorrow would be turned into joy before them . I wish all the Saints to whose view this may come , may take these things into consideration . Great is the latitude of Christian love , of love congruous to the rule of God ; for they whose love is congruous to the rule of God. Grudge not a one against ●●e other ; Speak not evil b one of another : Do not bite c and devour one another ; Devi●e ●ot evill one against another ; d ; Do not oppress , over-reach , or defraud e one another , i● any matter ; Render not evill f for evill unto any man ; Say not I will do g so to him , as he hath done to me , I will ●ender unto the man according to his deeds ; They bear not false h witness against their Neighbour , nor bear witness , without i cause against their Neighbour , nor deceive with their lips ; Lay not wait against the dwelling of k the righteous ; Spoil not his resting place ; Adde not affliction l to the afflicted ; Rejoyce not in their m enemies fell , much less in their brothers ; Hate not their brother in n heart ; Stand not against the blood o of their Neighbours , out of desire of revenge , nor upon a politicall account ; Are not as Cain * who slew his Brother ; They judge not their p Brother , nor set at nought their Brother ; Give no offence q willingly to any , but endeavour , as much as lawfully they may , to live peaceably r with all men ; They put away all s bitterness , and wrath , and anger , and ●lamour , and evill speaking , with all malice ; Love one another as t God gave us Commandement ; Love one another , as Christ hath loved u us ; Love as * Brethren ; Love without x dissimulation , cordially , y unfeignedly , out of a pure heart , fervently ; Love not in word z and in tongue only , but in deed and in truth ; They walk a in love ; abound b in Love , grow c in Love , speak the truth d in Love , serve one another e in Love , continue f in Love , are kindly affectionated one towards another g with brotherly Love ; Rejoice with them h that rejoyce , and weep with them that weep ; In honour preferre i one another , have compassion k one of another , are pitifull , are courteous l one towards another , tender m hearted ; if rich , they are rich in good works ready to distribute , willing to communicate , shew mercy o with cheerfullness , they beare one anothers p burdens . If strong , beare the infirmities q of the weak , support r the weak , beare one with another , a●d forbeare one s another ; Forsake not the t assembling of themselves together , but exhort one another daily , edify one another u and comfort one another , with the Word of the Lord ; * Teach and admonish one another , consider one another to provoke x unto Love , and to good works , confess their faults one y to another ; This ( I think ) is meant , at least chiefly , of faults committed one against another , and pray one for another ; Pray for all men , even enemies ; † Do good unto all , a but especially unto the houshold of Fai●h , they are not overcome of evill , but b labour to overcome evill with goodness ; they do as they would c be done by in all things ; they esteem d very highly in Love , for their works sake , their lawfull and faithfull Ministers , especially those in whom they have propriety ; They receive e one another , as Christ received us to the glory of God ; and be at peace among themselves . Then again . He whose Love to his brother is congruous to the Rule of God , goes not up and down as a tale-bearer , f He seeks not his own , g but his brothers good ; labours to avoid whatsoever may offend h or weaken his brother , or be a stumbling block unto him ; labours to please i his brother for his good , to Edification ; He loves his Neighbour as himself ; k doth good freely , l looking for nothing again ; He saies not as Cain , Am I my brothers keeper ? but watches over his brother for his good , and reproves m his brother in Love , according to Christ's Rule n privately and publiquely , if need be ; informs against his brother o in such place and case , as Christ commands him , and with-draws from his brother in case of p scandall or contempt of the Churches lawfull constitutions and censures ; or in case he cause divisions q or offences in the Church , contrary to the Doctrine of the holy Scriptures ; mourns r for his brother , and praies for s him in such cases . Labours to restore t his brother in the spirit of meekness , when overtaken in any fault , and returns to him u when he turns to the Lord. Forgives * him and comforts him , and confirms his Love towards him ; He forgives his brother his trespasses from his x heart , as often as he y offendeth , and repenteth , freely , as z Christ forgave us ; For Christ's sake , and as God hath forgiven us . All these qualifications the Scripture cals for , in my Love towards my Brother , as these quotations in the Margin do manifest ; Therefore that Love towards man , which is congruous to the holy Scripture , must needs have these qualifications in it , ergo . But here the soul conscious to its own wants and failings , will be ready to reply , as the Disciples did to Christ , when he told them , how hard a matter it was for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven ; who then can be saved , said the Disciples ? so the soul will be ready to say here , if all this be in that Love which is congruous to the rule of God , who then can say his Love is congruous to the rule of God ? surely none , for in much of this we faile all . He that truly wills , desires , and indeavours to do all this , that Christ may have the honour of it , doth it in a Gospel-sense , and in Gods acceptation , who accepts the will for the deed : where ability is wanting , this must be granted , otherwise no Child of Adam could conclude on the affirmative . Now for other appearances of Love , they are these ; What a man Loves , he prizes accordingly ; What a man loves , he delights in accordingly ; What a man Loves , he desires to enjoy ; what a man loves , he cannot hear reproached , reviled , and spoken against , but with grief of heart : This needs no proving , every ones experience , will testifie the truth of it . Wouldest thou know , whether thy Love to God and thy Love to man be sound , and such as demonstrates the holy Spirits saving habitation in thy soul or not ? then go through what hath been said in this little Epitomie , touching Love to God , and Love to man ; and consider , whether thy Love be truly such , yea or nay ; and if thou findest it truly such , though but weakly , conclude thou maist safely to thy comfort , that thy Love is such , as really demonstrates thou art beloved of God and indued with the holy Spirit of God savingly : For Love indeed and in truth , argues that we are of the truth , and shall assure our hearts before him , as the Apostle affirms , 1 Ioh. 3.18 , 19. Therefore if thou upon a true tryal , findest by this that hath been said , that thou hast any truth of Love to God and thy Brother , argue not against thy self , or thy Love , but bless God for that Love thou hast , and labour to grow and increase in Love to God and man daily . REPENTANCE . ANother grace of the holy Spirit of God , demonstrating his saving habitation in the ●oul , is Repentance ( to ●●t ) true Gospel-Repentance . I ( s●ith the Lord ) will pour upon the house of David , the Spirit of grace and supplications ; And they shall look upon him , whom they have pr●●●ed , and they sh●ll mourn for him , &c. Zach. 12 10. This Text plainly points out unto us two things ▪ 1. That wheresoever the holy Spirit of God dwelleth savingly , in what soul soever he resideth , as a sanctifier , there he worketh true faith and Repentance . 2. That in whomsoever these graces are wrought , they are a true and real testimony of the holy Spirits saving habitation in that soul , ●or as much as it is proper and peculiar unto the Spirit of God alone , to work these in the heart of man. Here Note , three or foure things , 1. That the grace of Repentance , though it be a distinct grace from faith , yet is it an inseparable concomitant of justifying faith , coupled with it in infusion , and he that totally wanteth either , hath neither . Secondly Note ; That faith , and love , and Repentance , and every other renewing grace habitually considered , are coequal , the habit of every grace being infused together : So that where there is one grace in truth , there is every grace in truth , in the habit of it , in some measure . And thirdly , That although every grace of the Spirit , habitually considered , be coequal , yet these actually considered , and according to their manner of working , and appearing in us precede each other ; faith precedes love , and faith and love precedes Repentance , Repentance being a fruit of faith and love . Fourthly , That grace ( to wit ) renewing grace , and glory , are inseparably linked together : He that hath the one shall certainly have the other , for this grace is the earnest of our inheritance . Lastly N●te , That this grace of repentance , is a renewing grace , a speciall work of the Spirit of God in man , a●d a grace that he worketh in all that truly beleeve and love . That Repentance is a renewing grace , a special work of the Spirit of God in man , is evident by those special promises , which are made unto it in holy Scripture , of spiritual and eternal blessednesse . He that confesseth , and forsaketh his finne ▪ shall have mercy , Prov. 28.13 , If my People , which are called by my Name shall humble themselves , and pray and turn from their evill wayes , then will I hear from Heaven , and will forgive their sinne , &c. 2 Chron. 7.14 . And the Red●emer shall come to Sion , and to them that turn from transgression in Iacob , saith the Lord , Isa. 59.20 . Again , When , I say unto the wicked , thou shalt surely dye , if he turn from his sinne , and doe that which is lawful and right , He shall surely live , he shall not die , none of his sinnes that he hath committed , shall be mentioned unto him ; he hath done that which is lawfull and right , he shall surely live , Ezek. 33.14 , 15 , 16. All sins ( all manner of sinns , ) and Blasphemies shall be forgiven unto him . Mark 3.28 . Matth. 12.31 . compared , Though your sinnes be as Scarlet , they shall be made as white as Snow ; though they be red like Crimson , they shall be as Wooll , Isai. 1.18 . and Act. 11.18 . True Repentance is called , Repentance unto life . By all which it is evident , That it is a renewing grace , a special work of the Spirit of God in man. Repentance being a special work of the Spirit of God in man , and an inseparable concomitant of a Justifying faith , is therefore a true touchstone , to try our selves and our spiritual estate ▪ by , and such an one as all must try themselves by , that will gather to themselves , a true testimony of their eternal happiness by Christ , and make their Calling and Election sure in the subject . But what is this grace of Repentance ? How may it be defined ? Repentance is a Divine quality wrought by the Spirit of God in the soul , whereby a sinner , is so much touched in heart for his sinnes that he truly turns from them all unto the Lord. I think it not necessary , nor meet for me , to discuss the termes or genus of this description : But here No●e , 1. That repentance unto salvation , is an Evangelical grace , a Gospel-grace ; The Law knows no Repentance , cals for none , nor works none ; it is the Gospel and the Gospel onely , that knows Repentance , cals for it , and works it : Moses cals not for Repentance , but Christ doth , Mar. 1.15 . That this Repentance consisteth of two Essentiall parts , ( to wit ) contrition and conversion , humiliation and reformation ; therefore he that would make a true trial of his Repentance , must have recourse unto both of these . That it is Evangelical contrition , and not legall , that is the first Essential part of Repentance , unto life ; it is cordial reformation , and not feigned , that is the second Essential part of Repentance unto life . But what is this Evangelicall contrition ? and how may I discern , whether I have it or no ? Evangelical contrition , is a godly sorrow of soul for all sinne , arising from the apprehension of a gracious God displeased by sinne , and thou maist discern it by this which here follows . 1. Evangelical sorrow springs out of the Love of God , and hatred of sinne , and increaseth the Love of God , and hatred of sinne in the soul ; the Love of Christ constraineth the soul to hate sinne , and to mourn and grieve for sinne ; and the bitterness of this sorrow and grief for sinne , sweeteneth the Love of God in Christ unto the soul , and inbittereth sinne : And hence it comes to pass , that the soul loves Christ more , and hates sinne more after it hath once felt this sorrow and been soked in it , then ever it did before . 2. Evangelicall sorrow is mixed with faith ; The Evangelical mourner , bewailes his sinne , and rests on the mercy of God in Christ , and the promises which are in him , yea , and in him , Amen , for the pardon of his sinne , and the mortification of his corruptions , and grace to amend . Faith of adherence , is an inseparable concomitant of Evangelical sorrow , although faith of evidence be not so . He that sorrows for his sinne and rests not on Christ for the pardon of his sinne , his sorrow is legal , and not Evangelical , desperation and not contrition . 3. Evangelical sorrow is mixed with hope ; The Evangelical mourner , mourns not without hope , he hath hope of obtaining mercy , even in the deepest of his sorrow for sinne , as appears by his carriage in his mourning ; He despaires not , but seeks to God for mercy ; his sorrow drives him to God , and not from God ; as is evident by the example of the Prodigall , in his deepest distresse , he despaires not , but goes to his father for mercy ; but had he not had hope of obtaining mercy , he would have despaired , had he not had hope of obtaining mercy , he would never have gone to his father to seek it . 4. Evangelical sorrow is mixed with Joy , being mixed with Faith and Hope ; the Evangelical mourner looks upon his sorrow as a sacrifice , with which God is well-pleased , and therefore Joys that he can sorrow , that he can offer this Sacrifice to God , The Sacrifices of God are a broken and a contrite heart , and spirit : A broken , and a contrite heart , O God , thou wilt not despise , saith the Scripture , Psal. 51.17 . And this the contrite heart beleeves , and therefore Joys , when it can sorrow . 5. Hence it comes to passe , that the Evangelical mourner , is an agent , as well as a patient , in the action of mourning . He strives to provoke and quicken his dull heart , and soul , to mourn , and thinks no labour too much to bestow , to bring his soul to a godly manner of mourning ; He desires nothing more then to turn his Carnal mirth into Godly mourning , Be afslicted , and mourn , and weep , saith the Scripture , Let your laughter be turned into mourning , and your joy into heavinesse , Jam. 4.9 . This , this soul labours wonderfully to do , and nothing grieves him more , than that he cannot more grieve for sinne : He labours to make his carnall mirth the matter of his spiritual mourning , and wishes , O that mine eyes were a fountain of tears , that I could weep day and night , for the sinne of my nature , and the sinne of my life , and the iniquity of my People . 6. Evangelical sorrow , is a heart-mollifying sorrow , it softeneth the heart , and makes it very tender and pliab●e , sensible of the least sinne , and the least displeasure of God for sin : Hearts broken with evangelicall sorrow , are like broken bones , very sensible of every touch . Hearts broken with Evangelical sorrow are very pliable to the will of the Lord above all other , Lord , what wilt thou have me to do ? saith a contrite soule , Act. 9.6 . as if he had said , declare thy will , Lord , and I am ready to obey it , to the utmost of my power , whatever it be . Such as the measure of this sorrow is , such usually is the softness of the heart , and the pliability of the will ; the more of this sorrow the soul hath , the more tender is the heart made thereby , and the more pliable is the will ; the less of this sorrow the soul hath , the less softening hath the heart , and the less yielding is there in the will , to the Will of the Lord. 7. Evangelical sorrow is a heart meekening sorrow ; it meekeneth the heart , and maketh it humbly stoop to the yoke of Christ , and patiently bear the Chastising hand of Christ , during the good pleasure of Christ. I will beare the indignation of the Lord , because I have sinned against him , untill he plead my cause , and execute judgment for me , saith the contrite soul , Mich. 7.9 . It moderateth anger and maketh all calm within and without . 8. Evangelical sorrow is a heart-humbling sorrow , it maketh the heart humble and lowly ; The more of this sorrow there is in the heart , the more humble it is , and the less of this there is in the heart , the prouder it is , the more fearless and careless it is of sinne ; I am no more worthy to be called a Sonne , make me as a Servant , ( or any thing , the meanest imployment ) in my fathers house , is too good for me , saith the contrite soul. I am but a walking-dunghill , and fitter to be set on a dunghill , then on a Throne , saith the contrite soul. 9. And hence it is , that the soul evangelically contrite , admires free grace , in every favour that it receives , spiritual or temporal , and is the thankfullest soul of all others , for mercies received ; What shall I render unto the Lord , for all his mercies towards me , saith a contrite soul ? This soul speaks to it self in the language of the Lord to Ierusalem , I was polluted in my blood , and cast out to the loathing of my person , and no eye pitied me , to do any office of love unto me : And then the Lord had compassion on me , and washed me with water , yea , with blood , with the blood of his Sonne he throughly washed away my filth , and annoynted me with oyl , indued me with his Spirit , and his grace , &c. I had forfeited all right to Heaven and earth into the Lords hand , and he hath given me all back again freely , and put me in a better condition , than I was in before . O the deepnesse of the riches of the Justice and Mercy of God! 10. In the tenth place , Evangelical sorrow , is a sorrow that keeps the soul in a sweet heavenly frame , for all holy and heavenly duties ; it sweetly fits the soul for all holy performances . Sorrow that flowes from the apprehension of Love in God , is fresh and lively , and full of spirits ; so that a man never performs any holy duty better , then when his heart is filled with this sorrow : Set a soul filled with this sorrow , to pray , and he will pray sweetly , and heavenly , fervently , and effectually ( to wit ) in faith , and so prevaile much with God ; Set him to hear , and he will hear humbly , and the whole Word of the Lord will be sweet unto him , every precept and every threatning of the Lord , every bitter thing will be sweet unto him , every crum that fals from his Table will he gather up , as precious food : Set a soul filled with this sorrow to Divine Meditation , and he will do it with great , delight and freedome : set him to receive the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord , and he will do this action in its beauty , He will looke upon him , whom he hath pierced and mourn , for his sinne that hath pierced him , and every other holy duty will he perform , with a more heavenly mind , than others , which have not felt this sorrow , or not in that measure , which he hath done . 11. The soul Evangelically contrite , sorrows not so much for suffering , as for sinning ; not so much for being displeased , as for displeasing , and dishonouring God by sinne , it is grieved for its sinne , because the holy Spirit of God is grieved by its sinne , and broken with its whorish heart , as the Prophet speaks , and is melted by the consideration of the incomparable goodness of God , and his kindnesse , and love in Christ towards its self , abused by its self , rather then broken with horrour , threatnings , punishments , or slavish feare ; Against thee , thee only have I sinned , and done this evill in thy sight , saith the contrite soul , and this is that which pierceth his soul. 12. The soul Evangelically contrite , longs after freedome from sinne , more than freedome from suffering ; it saies with the Church , Lord , take away all mine iniquity , not with Phara●h , the plague ; Lord , look upon my affliction and my pain , saith the contrite soul , and ease me of that , if it be thy blessed Will , but however forgive all my sinnes , deliver me from all my transgressions . Wash me throughly from mine iniquity , and cleanse me from my sinne : hide thy face from my sinnes , and blot out all mine iniquities . O wretched man that I am , Who shall deliver me ( and when shall I be delivered ) from the body of this death ? This is the language of contrite souls . The soul Evangelically contrite , counts sin the worst Evill , and Christ the best Good ; the guilt of sinne , the power of sinne , and the being of sinne , is of all burdens the heaviest unto a contrite soul , and that which of all other it longs to be freed from . 13. The soul Evangelically contrite , priseth Christ as the chiefest Good , as the only true Good ; it is not satisfied with any thing without Christ , it is not fully satisfied with any thing but Christ , Christ in his Blood , Christ in his Spirit , Christ in his Ordinances , Christ in his Ministers , Christ in whomsoever his Image is stamped is precious , above all earthly things , unto the contrite soul ; Thou art my beloved and my desire is towards thee , saith the Contrite heart to Christ. To the soul Evangelically Contrite , the light of Gods Countenance , and the sense of his love in Christ , is more worth than all the treasures , and pleasures in the world , Lord , lift thou up the Light of thy Countenance upon me ; thy love is better than wine , ( better then Corn and Wine , ) it strengthens more , it comforts more , it puts gladness in my heart , more then Corn and Wine , more than the choicest Creatures in the world , saith the Contrite soul. When once this contrition had ceazed on Davids heart , his soul did thirst for God , as the thirsty land for rain , and as the chased Hart for the water-brooks . And not after God only in his immediate dispensations , but in his mediate also , after God in his Ordinances , in his Sanctuary , as appears , Psal. 63.2 . & 84.10 . & 27.4 . and thus did Mary Magdalen , and Paul , and other Saints , under the New Testament , when once this contrition had ceazed on their hearts , they were very industrious seekers of God in his Ordinances ; By which it is eminently evident , that it is the nature of Evangelical Contrition , of hearts Evangelically contrite , to prize highly communion with God , in his Ordinances . As it was with David , and Mary , and the other Saints here , so it is with every soul Evangelically Contrite , he hath the same judgement of and affection towards Gods Ordinances , in truth , though not in the same degree . Such as the measure of contrition wrought in the soul is , such usually is the measure of his affection to , and thirst after these Divine excellencies forementioned . 14. The soul Evangelically Contrite , disclaims all righteousnesse of its own , and rests wholly on the merit of Christ , for justification before God , We are all as an unclean thing , and all our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs , saith the Contrite Church , Isai. 64.6 . What things were gain to me , those I counted loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus , my Lord , and do judg them , but dung , that I may winne Christ , saith the Apostle , Phil. 3.8 , 9. When once this Evangelical contrition h●d ceazed on the heart of Paul , he renounced all his own righteousnesse , all before conversion and all after conversion , ( his old man and his new ) in matter of justification , and rested wholly upon the merit of Christ , which plainly demonstrates the truth asserted . 15. Evangelical sorrow is a lasting sorrow , and a wasting sorrow ; When once it hath ceazed upon the heart of a Christian , it doth not pass away , as the morning cloud , and early dew , or a land-flood , but continueth and riseth up , as a spring , and is never exhaust , till sin , the cause of it , be wholly taken away , and not only the guilt , and punishment of sinne , but the very being of sinne , till total deliverance from this body of death be granted . This is evident in the Apostle Paul , when once this sorrow had ceazed on his heart , he did not cease to bewail his proness to sinne , till his being in this world ceased , as appears , Rom. 7. ver . 14.24 . And as it is a lasting sorrow , so it is a wasting sorrow , it consumes the body of death , it brings a consumption on sinne , it weakeneth the power of naturall corruption , and warreth succesfully against the most Giant-like corruption , it comes from the heart of a sinner , and it goes to the heart of sinne . 16. Finally Evangelical sorrow , is a reforming sorrow , it makes a man truly turn from sinne , from all sinne , unto the Lord , and this is indeed the great distinguishing Character of it , and that which demonstrates the truth of it , contrition without conversion is not Repentance unto life ; He that sorrows for his sinne , and turns not from his finne , unto the Lord , his sorrow is but a sorry one : Humiliation without Reformation , ( saith one ) is but a foundation without a building , and reformation without humiliation , is but a building without a foundation , a building which will not stand . Humiliation and Reformation God hath coupled together , in his Gospel-Promises , wherein Repentance is fully described ; Therefore Repentance unto life , must needs consist of both these : Evangelical Contrition and true Conversion are so coupled together , that they cannot be sundered ; wheresoever sorrow for sinne is found , it is attended with true turning from sinne , unto the Lord. And this is the second essential part of true Repentance . And this the Scripture cals conversion . Repent and be converted , saith the Apostle in the forecited place , Act. 3.19 . it is , as if he had said , mourn for sinne , and turn from sinne , if ever you would have your sinnes to be done away . He that truly turns from sinne , turns from all sinne ; He that turns not from all sinne , doth not truely turn from any sinne ; God requires a sinner , to turn from all his transgressions , and he that truly turns from sinne , doth this ; He turns from all sinne in affection , in purpose and resolution he allows not himself in any known sinne , he loaths all sinne , and conscionably indeavours to forsake all sinne , and get every corruption mortified , therefore saith the Apostle , Godly sorrow worketh Repentance unto salvation , his meaning is , it produceth Reformation ( to wit ) a true turning from all sin unto the Lord. He that truly turns to the Lord , doth it not feignedly , as Hypocrites do , but unfeignedly , cordially , with his whole heart , as the Prophet speaks , with full purpose of heart , to walk in all the wayes of God ; This the Apostle cals , Repentance unto Salvation , and this is attended with carefulnesse , and circumspection for time to come , cleering of our selves , or apologie for our selves of our detestation of our fact ; indignation or exceeding anger with our selves for our offences ; Feare , ( to wit ) feare of relapsing into our former sinnes again ; vehement desire ( to wit ) after strength and assistance from Christ , for the present , and future time ; Zeal ( to wit ) in the performing of all good duties , contrary to our former special sinnes ; Revenge ( to wit ) a holy revenge on our selves , subduing of the body , and keeping it under , lest it should hereafter be an instrument of sinne , as it hath formerly been . All this is evident by the language of the Apostle , in the forecited place , 2 Corinth . 7.11 . Wouldest thou then know , whether thy Repentance be Repentance unto Life , or no ? whether it be such as truly demonstrates the holy Spirits saving habitation in thy soul , and the truth of thy faith , yea , or nay ? thou must then have recourse to both the parts of true Repentance fore-mentioned ( to wit ) contrition and conversion ; and if by what hath been said , it appears to be truly such , know that it is a sure argument of thy eternal happinesse , bless God for it and labour to grow in it . OBEDIENCE . ANother work of the holy Spirit of God on man , demonstrating his saving habitation in man , and a mans eternal salvation by Christ , is Obedience ( to wit ) sincere , and Cordial , Evangelical Obedience , to the revealed Will of God. This Obedience , and this onely , God requires and accepts of his Elect , in and through Jesus Christ. That this Obedience is a work of the Spirit of God in man , appears both by Argument and by Scripture ; 1. By Argument thus ; Naturally the heart of man is obstinate , stubborne and disobedient to the Will of the Lord ; deceitfull above all things , and Hypocritical in all its wayes , doting on Legal , and never minding Evangelical Obedience ; and nothing can make such a change in the heart and soul of a man , as of stubborne and disobedient , of Hypocritical and deceitfull , to become sincere and Cordial in Obedience , and of a doter on Legal , to become an Evangelical obeyer of the Will of the Lord : But the Almighty Spirit of God , whose proper office it is , to renew the Image of God in fallen man ; Therefore this Obedience must needs be the work of the Spirit of God , in whomsoever it is . By Scripture this is evident likewise , I will put my Spirit within you ( saith the Lord ) and cause you to walk in my statutes , and keep my Iudgments , and do them , Ezek. 36.27 . Hence it is evident , That it is the Spirit of God , which works the heart of man to Obedience . That this Obedience is a work of the Spirit of God in man , demonstrating his saving habitation , and sanctifying operation in man , is evident by the language of the Apostles , We are his witnesses of these things , and so is also the Holy Ghost , whom God hath given ( to wit ) savingly , to them that obey him , ( to wit ) Cordially and Evangelically , Act. 5.32 . And by that of Peter , We are Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father , through sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience , 1 Pet. 1.2 . That this Obedience is such a work of the Spirit of God in man , as demonstrates his eternall salvation by Christ , is farther evident by these Scriptures following : Christ being made perfect became the Author of eternall salvation , unto all them that obey him , Heb. 5.9 . Obey my voyce ( saith the Lord ) and I will be your God , and ye shall be my people , Jer. 7.23 . If ye will obey my voice indeed , and keep my Covenant , then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me , above all people , and ye shall be unto me a kingdome of Priests , and an holy Nation , Exod. 19.5 , 6. Not every one that saith unto me , Lord , Lord , shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven , but he that doth the Will of my Father , which is in Heaven , Mat. 7.21 . He that doth the Will of God abideth for ever , 1 Joh. 2.17 . By these Texts it is evident , That th●s Obedience is such a work of the Spirit of God in man , as lively demonstrates his eternal happiness . Quest. But what is this Obedience you speake of ? How may it be defined ? Sol. It is a special work of the Spirit of God in man , whereby he is inabled to apply Christ unto himself , according unto all his promises , and himself unto Christ , according unto all his Precepts . Under these two general heads , the whole work of Obedience is comprehended , as is evident from the words of the new Covenant ; I saith the Lord will be your God , and ye shall be my People , Jer. 31.33 . What doth the Lord require herein on our part ? but to take him for our God , and yield up our selves unto him , as his People , to apply Christ unto our selves , and our selves unto Christ , as aforesaid . This is the Obedience of faith , this is Evangelical Obedience , the Obedience which the Gospel cals for , and which it only accepts . What shall we do , that we might work the Works of God ? said some to Christ , Ioh. 6.28 . Christ replyes , ver . 29. This is the work of God , that ye believe on him , whom he hath sent . In these few words , is comprehended the whole work of Obedience , the whole work assigned us by God , This is the Work of God , &c. It is , as if Christ had said , you naturally seek Heaven by works , but altogether mistake that work of works , which is only acceptable , and effectual to attain its end , Beleeve on him whom he hath sent ; Beleeve on him , who hath fulfilled the Law for us , and will fulfill the Law in us ; This is the work of God assigned to us , and a work which God worketh in us , and this is unto flesh and blood , of all works the hardest . Here note these Corollaries . Corol. 1. That the Obedience of Faith is of all works the most difficult unto flesh and blood ; this requires a man to deny himself totally , which flesh and blood will rather deny God himself , then do . We rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh , &c. 2. Our Souls naturally had rather dye , and put off their immortality and everlasting being , then put on the Lord Jesus Christ. They will not come to me . 3. We all naturally dote upon works , and say , as the young man in the Gospel , that came to Christ , What shall I do that I may inherit eternall life ? But the work of works , Beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ , we are of all other the farthest from , till the Spirit of God work in us . These from our Saviours mouth , I have deducted , This is the Work of God , that ye beleeve in him whom he hath sent . 4. Man naturally is so proud , That he will not seek after God , saith the Psalmist , that is , ( God in Christ ) for no otherwise can God be approached unto ; He thinks himself rich , and to need nothing , and knows not that he is poor , and blind , and miserable , wretched and naked , and therefore scornes to seek to God in Christ for wealth . He will rather make a covering of Figg-Leaves than of Christs righteousnesse , rather cover himself with rotten raggs , than be beholding to Christ for his robe . 5. Man regenerated , so far forth as carnal , is very unwilling to be beholding to Christ wholly , for all the good he stands in need of ; hence it is , that many regenerate persons will rest on promises no further , than they can find themselves to obey precepts , weary themselves out with labouring to fulfil the Law , and never study the Obedience of Faith , which is to renounce all that we can do , To put no confidence in the flesh , but rest only on what Christ hath done , and suffered for us , beleeving that every promise shall be made good to us , so farre forth as may be good for us ( for Christ's sake . ) This is to apply Christ unto our selves . And our selves unto Christ ] According unto all his precepts : This is the latter clause in the description of Evangelicall Obedience : A Christian by the Obedience of faith , Opens the everlasting doors to the King of Glory , to come in , and take possession and rule all in his heart and in his life : He resigns up all to be ordered by him , who so loved him , that he gave himself for him , so that not he , but Christ liveth , * ruleth , and ordereth all : Every thought is yielded up unto the Obedience of Christ , with desire that he will bring it into subjection , 2 Cor. 10.5 . Faith doth both receive and give ; it is faith that applies Christ to the man , and the man to Christ , as appears by Ioh. 1.12 . compared with 2 Cor. 8.5 . Faith makes him ours , who makes all happiness ours ; Faith makes him ours , in whom we are compleat , and generates Love in our souls to him that hath loved us , and given himself for us , and this love constrains us to live , not unto our selves , but unto him which dyed for us , and rose again , 2 Cor. 5.14 , 15. and this is that Obedience , which the Gospel cals for , and which only it accepts ; and this , if fincere and cordial , is very acceptable with God , though many wayes deficient . It is the Gospel , and the Gospel only , that cals for this Obedience ; the Law doth not require us to apply our selves unto Christ , no more than it doth require us to apply Christ unto our selves , but barely saith , Do this , and live , Transgrefse this and dye , The Gospel doth not barely call for this Obedience of Faith , but promises to give it , and works the heart unto it , yea freely gives it us as a gift , They shall looke on him , whom they have pierced , &c. Zach. 12.10 . I will put my Spirit within you , and cause you to walk in my Statutes , saith the Lord , &c. Ezek. 36.27 . To you it is given in the behalf of Christ ; not only to beleeve on him , but also to suffer for his sake , saith the Apostle , Phil. 1.29 . These things premised , I proceed to the tryal of Obedience ; and for the more perspicuity , propound this Question . Quest. How may I discern , whether my Obedience be sincere and cordiall Obedience , yea , or nay ? Answ. Thou mayest discern it , by the efficient cause , by the final cause and by the properties of cordial Obedience : The efficient cause of cordial Obedience , is the Love of God ; the final cause thereof , is the Glory of God. 1. The efficient cause of cordial Obedience , is the Love of God ; cordial Obedience springs out of Love to God , and he that cordially obeys the Will of God , obeys it in Love to God , not slavish feare , nor self love , nor vain glory ; But Lo●e to God , is that which leades him to obey the Will of God : Therefore saith the Apostle , The Love of Christ constraineth us , 2 Cor. 5.14 . Here note these two things , 1. That whatsoever a man doth in way of Obedience to the Will of God , be the action never so good , or glorious in it self , is no wayes acceptable unto God , except it spring from Love ; a pregnant proof of this we have , 1 Cor. 13.1 , 2 , 3. where the Apostle shews at large , That all Obedience without Love , comes to just nothing ; all parts and gifts , all Faith and Obedience , though it be to the death , and the cruellest death , that possibly may be , without faith working by Love , without Obedience springing from Love , comes to just nothing at length , It profiteth me nothing , saith the Apostle . On the other hand , though we can do but little for God , if that little we do , issue out of Love to God , it is very pleasing to , and acceptable with God , who looks more on our affection , than our action ; Thou hast ravished my heart , my Sister , my Spouse , thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes , &c. How faire is thy Love , my Sister , my Spouse ? how much better is thy Love , then Wine ? &c. Cant. 4.9 , 10. I conclude this therefore , with the saying of a worthy man , A Christians affection is his perfection in this fraile condition . The final cause of cordial Obedience , is the Glory of God : He that cordially obeys the Will of God , propoundeth the pleasing of God , and the glory of his Name , for his direct , chief , and ultimate end , in all that he doth , in way of Obedience , according to the direction of the Holy Ghost by the Apostle , 1 Cor. 10.31 . And these two , the efficient , and the end , denominate the action . 1. The properties of cordial Obedience , are these ; Cordial Obedience is free and willing Obedience , voluntary , and not forced . To whom ye yield your selves servants to obey , his servants ye are , saith the Apostle , Rom. 6.16 . It is willingnesse in Obedience , that is the beauty of Obedience , and that which God chiefly looks to in Obedience , If you be willing and Obedient , or willingly obedient , then so and so , ye shall eat the good of the Land , Isai. 1.19 . If there be first a willing mind , it is accepted , according to that which a man hath , not according to that he hath not , 2 Cor. 8.12 . If I do this thing willingly , I have a reward , 1 Cor. 9.17 . By all these places it is evident , That cordial Obedience , is willing Obedience : This was that which rendered Abraham's Obedience so lovely in the eye of God , he rose early to go about the offering up of Isaac , which shews , he did it willingly . He whose Obedience springs from Love to God , hath his heart first warmed with the sense of Gods Love to him ; and he that aims principally at the glory of God , in his Obedience , hath his heart humbled , when he hath done the best that he can , for that he cannot bring more glory to God , and hence it comes to pass , that he is willing , and ready to obey ; He consents to obey , and that without grudging or repining , even when he comes short of doing , what he desires to do . What I would , that do I not , saith a cordial server of Christ. 2. Cordial Obedience , is universal Obedience , and that both in respect of the Subject , and in respect of the Object , it is yielded of the whole man to the whole Will of God ; the soul , according to all the powers and faculties thereof , is only , and wholly for Christ , in its scope and bent , the understanding , the will and the affections , are in their scope and bent , only and wholly for Christ , therefore saith the Apostle , of such as were cordial servers of Christ , Ye have obeyed from the heart , &c. Rom. 6.17 . The body and all its members , are yielded up wholly , and only to Christ , to the service of Christ , for the magnifying of Christ , shall I take the members of Christ , and make them the members of an Harlot , saith the cordial server of Christ ? God forbid , 1 Cor. 6.15 . God requires the whole man , soul and body , to be wholly yielded up unto him , unto his use and service , in Obedience , Ye are bought with a price , therefore glorifie God in your body , and in your spirit , which are Gods , saith the Text , 1 Cor. 6.20 . God requires soul and body ( to wit ) the whole man to be ( wholly ) yielded up unto him , unto his use and service in Obedience , in obeying ( all his revealed will ) touching , beleeving , doing , and suffering , Take diligent heed , to do the Commandement and the Law , which Moses the Servant of the Lord commanded you , to Love the Lord your God , and walk in all his wayes , and to keep his Commandements , and to cleave unto him , and serve him with all your heart , and with all your soul , Josh. 22.5 . And again , Exo ▪ 23. ver . 20 , and 22. Behold I send an Angel before thee , if thou shalt indeed obey his voice , in all that I speak , then I will be an enemy unto thy enemies , &c. saith the Lord. Go ye and teach all Nations , saith Christ to his Apostles , What should they teach them ? Why , teach them to observe ( all things ) whatsoever I have ( commanded you ) Mat. 28.19 , 20. The Apostle useth the like phrase , 2 Cor. 2.9 . where he cals for Obedience in all things : Here is universal Obedience unto the whole Will of God , required in the whole man , and he that cordially obeys the Will of God , obeys according to this Rule of God ( to wit ) universally . He yeelds up his whole man , to the Obedience of the whole Will of the Lord , without picking and chusing in the wayes of God , without reservation , or exception , or desire of dispensation . However he failes in his Obedience , and comes short of what he ought to do , and desires to do , yet he determines not to reserve any part of himself from Christ , nor to stand out against any part of his holy Will , but hath his heart and mind ready prest , to obey every of his Commandements , which he knows , as well as any , the least as well as the greatest , and the greatest , as well as the least ; He thinks not tithing of Mint and Comin too small a precept to make conscience of , nor a right hand , nor a right eye , nor an only Isaac , nor Life it self , or whatsoever may indeare it unto him , too much to sacrifice , when Christ shall call for it at his hands ; He resolves to obey those precepts , which cross his corrupt nature most , and the sinne of his constitution , as well as those which it can better brook ; He resolves to obey both Law and Gospel , in every precept , Negative and Positive , to his utmost power ; his Obedience is of as great a latitude as the whole Will of God ; He hath respect unto all Gods Commandements , as the Psalmist speaketh . 3. Cordial Obedience is conscionable Obedience : He that cordially obeys the Will of God , obeys not out of by respects , but for conscience sake : Conscience of duty leades him to the performance of duty , so that he , as of sincerity , as of God , in the sight of God , obeys the will of God , as the Apostles phrase is , 2 Cor. 2.17 . He that obeys the Will of God , out of love to God , and conscience of duty , esteems all Gods precepts , concerning all things , to be right , and hates every false way , one as well as another , even vain thoughts ; he consents to the whole will of God ; that it is good , and delights in the whole Will of God , after the inward man , and with the mind serves the Law of God , even when the flesh is captivated by the Law of sinne : His heart inclineth to perform the Statutes of the Lord alwayes , even unto the end , and he wisheth , that his wayes were so directed , that he might keep all the Statutes of his God. The Will of his God is deare unto him above all things , Above a Silver and Gold ; Above b necessary food ; Above c Life , and all the comforts of it . And he is tender of it , as of the Apple of his Eye , according to that of Solomon , Prov. 7.2 . To him , The yoke of Christ is easie , and his burthen light ; His Commandements are not grievous , for he delights to do his Will. 4. Cordial Obedience , is constant and persevering , it holds out in all times and seasons , and variety of conditions , as Moses and Christ intimate . d And true it is , That he which cordially obeys Christ , continues to obey him , in prosperity & adversity , in time of peril , as well as in time of praise , when multitudes disobey and oppose the Will of Christ , as well as when they seem to stand for the Will of Christ , when all formal servers of Christ forsake him , and cry , Crucifie him , as well as when they followed him , and magnified him , with Hosanna : He resolves with Peter to follow Christ , though it be alone , and labours to follow Christ , as Ruth followed e Naomi , as Elisha f followed Elijah , and Asahel g followed Abner , and doth it , as is evident by many ●●●mples in holy Writ , Noah , Ioshua , and Elija● 〈◊〉 Mary Magdalen , and other Wome● 〈…〉 followed Christ , were notable exam●●● 〈◊〉 , in their time . Here note these four things , 1. That opposition doth not take off , but rather spur on a cordial server of Jesus Christ. 2. That he that cordially obeys the Will of Christ , is conformable unto Christ in Obedience : He obeys the Will of Christ , as Christ obeyed the Will of his Father , for kinde , though not for measure , and degree , ( to wit ) freely , universally , constantly , even unto the death : In all which respects , cordial Obedience , may be styled singular Obedience . 3. And thirdly note , That notwit●standing all this , one that cordially serves and obeys Christ , may , and sometimes doth desist for a time , through strong Temptations , and humane weaknesse , according to outward appearance . This was Peter's case , when he denyed his Master , yet his heart still moved towards his Master , his affections still yerned towards Christ , even whilst his tongue denyed him , as appeares by the consequence . 4. Lastly note , That he that cordially desires , and really indeavours , to obey the Will of the Lord , if it were possible , exactly and perfectly , from right grounds , and for right ends , doth this in Gods account , God who will accept the will for the deed , accepts this desire and indeavour ( in and for Christ ) as Obedience ; He that consents to obey , doth obey in Gods account . To get a sure testimony to thy self then , of the holy Spirits saving habitation in thy soul , and of thy eternal salvation by Christ , examine thy Obedience 〈◊〉 these rules of trial , and if it be correspond●●● with them , know that it is such as 〈◊〉 ●●●onstrates the holy Spirits saving operat●●● 〈◊〉 thee , and thy eternal salvation by Christ , and give him the glory of all , and humbly , and beleevingly seek to him , to better thy Obedience daily , that God may have glory by it . Poverty of Spirit . Matth. 5.3 . Blessed are the Poor in spirit , for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven . THis is Jesus Christs own position , therefore it needs no proof , but cals for belief . Christ in these words bequeathes the Kingdom of Heaven , not 〈…〉 only , but by deed of gift ( if I may so 〈◊〉 to the Poore in Spirit , Blessed are the Poor in spirit , for theirs ( is ) the Kingdome of Heaven , &c. By the Kingdom of Heaven in Scripture , is sometimes meant , the Kingdom of Grace , and sometimes the Kingdom of Glory ; Both these , as Christ here affirms , belong to them that are poor in Spirit ; Blessed are the Poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven , &c. The Poor in spirit , ] are a generation , mean and base in their own eyes , and in the eyes of the world too , but a generation very precious in the eye of Jesus Christ , a generation very blessed , and highly honoured by Christ himself ; a Kingdom of Grace , and a Kingdom of Glory is here by Christ assigned to them ; Blessed are the Poor in spirit , for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven . For the better understanding of these words , note , That a man may be two wayes poor in spirit ; He may be gracelesly poor , or graciously poore in spirit ; gracelesly poor are all the posterity of Adam , as they come into the world ; but this is not a blessed , but a cursed poverty of spirit . Graciously poor in spirit , are all those , in some measure , in which Christ is formed ; graceless poverty of spirit , is natural ; but gracious poverty of spirit is supernatural , Evangelical and Divine ; Natural poverty , or graceless poverty of spirit , is cursed , but gracious and Divin poverty of spirit is blessed , Blessed are the poor in spirit , fortheirs is the Kingdom of Heaven . It is a gracious poverty of spirit , and not graceless poverty of spirit , to which Christ assigns the Kingdom of Heaven . The frame of his spirit , which is gracelesly poor , is lively pictured , Iob 11.12 . Man is born like a wild asses-colt . Job . 39.7 , 8. He scarneth the multitude of the City , He regardeth not the crying of his driver , the range of the mountains is his pasture , and he searcheth after every green thing . A proud , impudent , silly , vain Creature . These words declare man gracelesly poore in spirit to be . Thou sayest thou art rich , and hast need of nothing , and knowest not that thou art wretched , and miserable , and poor , and blind , and naked , Rev. 3.17 . This is Gods description of man graciously poor in spirit , but this is not that poverty of spirit , which I am seeking after , not that on which Christ pronounces ▪ [ Blessed , ] not that on which the Kingdom of Heaven is intailed , therefore I pass by it . Quest. But what is that poverty of spirit , which Christ pronounceth blessed , and on which he entailes the kingdome of Heaven ? How may it be described ? Answ. It is a speciall work of the sanctifying Spirit in the soul , whereby a man is brought to see and feel his own emptiness of grace , and Christs fulness ; and is truly humbled , in regard of the one , and in some measure comforted , in regard of the other , as one that hopes to receive of his fullness , grace for grace . This is that gracious poverty of spirit , which Christ pronounces blessed , and on which he intailes the kingdome of Heaven ; and the appearances of it are these which follow . 1. A man graciously poor in spirit , abhors himself , and loaths himself , because of all his abominations ; he is worse in his own eies , than he can be in any mans else ; he sees a fullness of sinne in his nature , and a fullness of sinne in his conversation , and yet not such a fullness as he would see , Iob 13.23 . He is in his own account , the chief of sinners . 1 Tim. 1.15 . 2. A man graciously poor in spirit , sees in himself a great emptiness of grace ; he sees that he is not sufficient of himself to think a good thought ; He is in his own account , the poorest man , in the best things of all , that look after them , Less than the le●st of all Saints ; he disclaimes all his own righteousnesses , and accounts them as rotten raggs , and abominable things , in reference to Justification before God ; He forgets all that is behind ; if he cast up his parts , his gifts , and his graces , he concludes , Circumcision is nothing , nor Vncircumcision is nothing ; his faith , his love , his repentance , his obedience , all put together , nothing ; he brings in the totall summe in meer ciphers ; I am nothing , yea worse then nothing , saith this soul ; Can a man be profitable unto his Maker ? I am unprofitable to God and man : When saw I thee a stranger , and took thee in ? or naked , and cloathed thee ? &c. Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool ? saith this soul. 3. A man graciously poor , or blessedly poor in spirit , is a man of a contrite spirit , a man that trembleth at the Word of the Lord ; To him will I look , saith the Lord , that is poor , and of a contrite spirit , and trembleth at my Word , Isa. 66.2 ▪ In this Text , poverty of spirit , contrition , and the effect of it , tr●mbling at the Word of the Lord , are joyned together as linkes of a Chain ; so as he that hath one of them , hath all of them , in some measure . As for contrition , it hath been already spoken of from ( Pag. 56. to Pag. 64. ) to which I refer the Reader . 4. A man graciously poor in spirit , as he sees a fullness of sinne , and an emptiness of grace in himself , and bewailes it ; so he sees a fullness of grace in Christ , a fullness of mercy with God in Christ to pardon him , and heal him , to justifie him , and sanctifie him , and fill him with all grace ; and this is attended with some hopes , to be made a partaker of it ; The truth of this is evident in the poor Publican , He saw a fullness of sinne in himself , and an emptiness of grace ; and he saw a fullness of mercy in God ; and merit in Christ , to take away his sinne and garnish his soul with all grace , and had some hopes to attain this , otherwise he would never have gone to God for mercy . A man graciously or evangelically poor in spirit , hath some hope of obtaining mercy . 5. And this makes him very industriously to seek after the Lord , in a conscionable use of all those means , which he hath appointed ; I will arise , and go to my Father , &c. saith the poor Prodigal . When once this poverty of Spirit had seized on his spirit , he thought no labour too much to attain what he sought ; Draw me , we will runne after thee , saith the Spouse , graciously poor in spirit , Cant. 1.4 . 6. A man graciously poor in spirit , esteems spirituall riches the best riches ; and for them , he will with the Merchant-man , give the best price ; for th●m he will part with all carnall things , and count them but dung ; he doth hunger and thirst after righteousness , more than after riches ; after the riches of grace , more than after the riches of the world . 7. A man graciously poor in spirit , is a man of a humble spirit ; if God dispense his gifts liberally unto him , or make greater discoveries of himself , his mind , and will unto him , than he doth to others , he will humbly , and thankfully , and really ascribe all the glory thereof unto the Lord , and his free grace , and say as Daniel , As for me , this is not conferred upon me , for any Wisdome , or goodness , that I have more than other , but of free grace , for Christs sake , bestowed upon me , therefore to him be all the glory : Who am I , or what is there in me , that God should shew such favour unto me , above what he doth unto other This is vigor fit , and ●●t fit , to give the denomination of a man graciously poor in spirit . 8. A man graciously poor in spirit , is the contentedst man with his condition of all others ; I went out full , but the Lord brought me home empty , saith a soul gratiously poor in spirit , and yet she was contented with her condition . Shall we receive good at the hand of God ? and shall we not receive evill ? Shall the thing formed , say to him that formed it , Why hast thou made me thus ? It is the Lord , let him do with we , as seemeth good to him . This is the lan●uage of soules graciously poor in spirit : Such a soul lookes upon every thing , as a mercy , that is on this side Hell , and how bad soev●r his condition be , thinks it too good for him . 9. A man graciously poor in spirit , justif●es God in all his deali●gs , even under his sadest providences , and dispensations of Justice ; The Lord is righteous in all his Wayes , ( saith this soul , ) I am justly under this condemnation , for I receive the due reward of my deeds , for I have rebelled against his Commandmen●s , &c. 10. The soul gracio●sly poor in spirit , gr●anes under that privy pride , which he finds in himself , as that which is the great burd●n on his spirit , and that which he longs to be delivered from ; Oh wretched man that I ●m , who shall deliver me ? and when shall I be delive●ed ●rom ▪ this corrupt nature of mine , which exalts it s●lf against God , and hinders the influence of his gr●ce in me ? These Appearances of gratious poverty of spirit , may serve to dis●ry a soul graciously and blessedly poor in spirit ; Try thy spirit by them , and if by what hath been said , thou findest this Qualification in thy self , in any measure , bless God for it , labour to grow in it , and remember the words of our Lord Jesu Christ , Blessed are the poor in spirit , for theirs is the kingdome of Heaven . Death to Sinne. Rom. 8.10 . If Christ be in you , the body is dead , because of sinne ; But the Spirit is Life , because of righteousness . IN these words , the Apostle lays down two great Characters of our Union with Christ , or Christ resident in us ; The first this , The body is dead , because of sinne ; The second this , The Spirit is Life , because of righteousness ; Christ is in you ( saith the Apostle ) except ye be Reprobates , 2 Cor. 13.5 . If Christ be in you , it will appear thus , The body is dead , because of sinne . The Body , here spoken of , is not a body of flesh , not a body Celestiall , nor a body Terrestiall , but a body Diabolicall , a body of sin , as the members , mentioned Col. 3.5 . demonstrate ; and likewise the language of the Apostle , Rom. 7.24 . where he calls corrupt nature the body ; and more plainly , Rom. 6.6 . stiles it , The body of sinne , Ephes. 4.22 . The old man ; This is the body here meant . The body of sinne , is the depravedness and corruption of our whole nature , by reason of which we are naturally averse to all good , and prone to evill continually , and so liable to all misery , and therefore the Apostle calls it , A body of death . The body is alive in all those , in whom Christ lives not ; but where Christ lives , this body dies . If Christ be in you , the body is dead , because of sinne , &c. Death to sinne is double ; There is a death to the guilt of sinne ; And a death to the power , reign , and dominion of sinne . Death to the guilt of sinne , is a perfect fredome from all sinne , by the death of Christ for our sinne ; thus all in whom Christ lives , are dead to sinne totally . We are dead to the guilt of sinne , by the body of Christ , who died for us : The death of our dear Saviour hath purchased , and perfected this death for us : The bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne ; 1 Joh. 1.7 . From all sinne past , present , and to come ; He that is thus dead , is freed from sinne , as the Apostle speaks , Rom. 6.7 . Redeemed from all iniq●ity , Tit. 2.14 . And this is the great priveledge of all those in whom Christ lives , of all the true member● of Jesus Christ : Christ undertakes for them , as Iudah did for Benjamin , I will be s●rety for him ; of my hand shale thou require him : if I bring him not unto thee , and set him before thee , then let me bear the blame for ever , said Iudah to his father , Gen. 43.9 . Thus Christ undertakes for all his members , for all his elect , so as they may , and ought , to turn all charges brought against them , over to Christ ; all inditements from God , or Satan , or conscience abused by Satan over to Christ their surety . * Who shall lay any thing , to the charge of Gods elect ? ( saith the Apostle ) it is God that justifieth , who is he t●at condemneth ? &c. So may he that is thus dead to the guilt of sinne , say , What sinne is it that can condemne me , that can b●ing in an in●ictment against me ? it is Christ that died , it is Christ that died for me , and by his death , perfected this death for me , I am now compleat in him ; in this resp●ct , who is it , or wh●t is it then , that can lay any thing unto my cha●ge , that can seperate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus ? Sin , my worst enemy cannot do it , for I am totally dead to the guilt of it , by vertue of my Union with Christ ; Is Ch●ist be in y●u , the bo●y is dead , because of sinne perfectly ●ead to the guilt of sinne . Though Just●fication acquits a sinner from all sinne , in Gods determination , yet is not his p●r●●n formally granted , nor actually ; put in ex●●u●i●n un●●ll sued out , and the tr●bute of ac●u●ll Repentance , for k●own sinne is ●aid , ( except in some cases ) viz. in case of the want of t●e use of 〈◊〉 as in children , and dis●●●cted persons , in whom conscience cannot do its ●●ffice , be●●us● of debility in the under●●anding : Thi● ( with submission to a better ju●gement ) I humbly conceive to be according to t●uth , and no●e it , to vindicate my s●l● , and cau●ion the Reader concerning that Antinomi●● Tenet , about Justification , so common in these daies . Thus is a true believer perfectly dead to the guilt of sinne , by the death of Christ for his sinne , But to the power , dominion , and being of sinne , no child of Adam is totally dead in this life , no not the best of the children of God , but dying daily ; therefore ( saith the Apostle , ) I die daily , &c. If any man thinks himself freed from sinne , or perfectly dead to sinne in this sence , He deceives himself , and the truth is not in him , 1 Joh. 1.8 . For totally dead to sinne , in this sence , was never any sonne of man , in this life , but he that was the Sonne of God ( to wit ) Jesus Christ. Totally dead to the power , and being of sinne is not he , that is totally dead to the guilt of sinne , untill this earthly house be quite pulled down , and death that last debt , and wages of sinne to the godly paid , then , and never till then , is he , in whom Christ lives , totally freed from the power and being of sinne . By the mercy of God , death , which was to man the wages and punishment of sinne , is made unto all true believers , the end of sinne ; the worker of death ( to wit , sinne ) doth perish , by its own workes sinne is slain , and abolished by death . Totall death , to the power , and being of finne , is one great part of the privative gain , which death brings to all that are in Christ , to all that die in the Lord : death the devorcer of soul and body , brings perfect death to the power and being of sinne , the enemy and burden of soul and body . Perfectly dead to the power and being of sinne , is no man here , this death belongs to that other world ; But truly dead to the power and reign of sinne , are all those here , in whom Christ lives ; and this is that death which this Text points at , If Christ be in you , the body is dead , because of sinne , &c. All in the state of nature , are dead in sinne ; All in a state of grace , are dead to sinne , according to the meaning of this Text , dead to sinne , in a Gospel sence . Death to the power and reign of finne , is one part of the renovation of our natures , consisting in that which the Scripture calls mortification , by vertue of which , the love of sinne , and delight in sinne , which is indeed , the life of sinne , is destroyed ; At this death the Apostle points , Rom. 6 2. How shall we that are dead to sinne , live any longer therein ? As if he had said , How shall we that are dead to the guilt of sinne , take pleasure in the filth of sinne , or wallow in any sinne with delight ? It is impossible ; for death to the guilt of sin , alwayes produceth death to the power and dominion of sinne ; If Christ be in you , the body is dead , because of sinne . Is Christ be in you , as a Iustifier , he is in you , as a Sanctifier also , The body is dead , because of sinne . Christ and sinne , may dwell in the same subject at the same time ; yea Christ may live , where sinne doth dwell ; Christ liveth in me ; sinne dwelleth in me , saith the Apostle ; but Christ and sinne cannot both live , and reign together , in the same subject at the same time . Caesar and Pompey might better have lived and reigned togeher , than Christ and sinne ; where either of these lives , it reigns , and both cannot reign together ; If Christ be in you , the body is dead , because of sinne . This body ( to wit ) sinne , whilest alive rules and reignes , as a Husband , as a Lord and Master , and is obeyed freely and willingly , ( with the consent of the whole will , ) so much that phrase of the Apostle , To whom ye yeeld your selves servants to obey , doth imply . But when Christ once espouseth a soul unto himself , he divests this Lord of his power , He puts this Husband to death , and assumes all the rule and domination to himself : And the soul thus espoused , yeelds to obey him , as her sovereign Lord and sole Commander ; We have no king but Caesar , said the Iews ; So saith the soul dead to sinne . I have no King but Christ , I yeeld my self willingly to no other ; Therefore saith the Apostle , If Christ be in you , the body is dead , because of sinne , That is the desire , and bent of the soul , which is naturally to sin , and for sinne , is turned from sinne , and against sinne ; so that the body of sinne cannot without much reluctancy and opposition bear sway , where Christ dwells . 1. The body of sinne , whilest alive , makes a willing sinner , but when dead , a nilling sinner ; I do that , which I would not , saith the soul dead to sinne ; Rom. 7.16 . The soul alive to sinne , in sinning , doth the evill which it would do ; but the soul dead to sinne in sinning , doth the evill which it would not do . 2. The soul alive to sinne , allows it self in sinne ; in some sinne or other , every soul in whom this body is alive allows it self ; But the soul dead to sinne , allows not it self in any known sinne ; What I do , I allow not , saith a soul dead to sinne , Rom. 7.15 . I do this , and I do that , which I should not , through humane frailty , and the violence of temptation , from without and from within , or true necessity ; but I allow not what I do , I do not resolve in cold bloud , that thus and thus I will do , but the quite contrary . The soul that is truly dead to sinne , allows not it self in any one known sinne . The soul that is alive to sinne , is in league with finne , it makes leagues with sinne , as the Israelites did with the inhabitants of Canaan ; there is no unregenerate person , but he is in league with some sinne or other , and though he lay some tribute upon his sinne , or upon himself for his sinne , yet he continues his league with sinne still , and intends not the ruine of sinne , nor the utter extirpation of sinne : But the soul that is dead to sinne , doth not make a league with any one sinne , but his design is to ruine sinne , all sinne ; he will not covenant to sinne , as Iudas and the chief-Priests did , but covenant against sinne , as Iob did , Iob. 3 1. ● . This is the second Character of a foul dead to sinne . As Saul should have dealt with Amalek , so doth the soul dead to sinne , deal with sinne ; it spa●es none , it warrs against the whole body of death , against every sinne . 3. The soul alive to sinne , in sinning , doth the evill which he loves ; but the soul dead to sinne , in sinning , doth the evill which he hates ; What I hate , that do I , saith a soul dead to sinne , Rom 7.15 . The soul alive to sinne , though he refrain from sinne , yet he loves it still ; But the soul dead to sinne , though he fall into sinne , and be many times overpowred by sinne , yet he doth not love sinne , but hates it , so farre forth as regenerate . Object . But conscience may here reply in some soul , and say ; I cannot by this conclude that I am one dead to sinne , but rather , that I am one alive to sinne , for I find much inclination in my will to sinne , and much adhering in affections to sinne . Answ. 1. If this alone were sufficient to give the denomination of a soul alive to sinne , then no soul living in a body of flesh , could conclude , that he were truly dead to sinne , for their is no soul inhabiting this earthly house , no not the best alive , but hath cause thus ●o complain . 2. But secondly , Every soul , dead to sinne ; doth bear the image of a double person , he beares the image of the first Adam , and the image of the second Adam : he is partly flesh , and partly spirit , and he is thus in every faculty of his soul ; there is flesh in every faculty of his soul , sinne dwelling in every faculty ; this therefore doth not render the soul alive to sinne . 3. Then thirdly , Thou speakest in this , as one seeking after a perfect death , to the power and being of sinne in thy self ; But the Apostle , in this Text , points only at a true death to sinne ; and truly dead to sinne , he may be , and is , to whom sinne is a burthen . So much for ●●swet to this Objection . 4. In the fourth place , The body of sinne , i● truly dead , wastes and decayes ; there is a decaying in this body , and a wasting away , as in the natural body , when once dead ; therefore saith the Apostle , I die daily , thereby implying , that where there is a true death to sinne , there is a true decaying of sinne . Object . But conscience in some may here reply again , and say , I cannot hence conclude , that I am one truly dead to sinne ; but rather see cause to conclude on the contrary , for I do not find that corruption doth decay and wast away in me , but rather that it grows stronger and stronger . Answ. Strong apprehensions of corruption , are no argument of the strength of corruption , at least , if they be accompanied with loathing of them , and warring against them , in the strength of Christ ; but rather symptomes of a new Life ; This therefore should not cause any to conclude , That there is no death to sinne in him , but rather excite him to cleave closer to Christ , who hath begun this death in him , and will at the length perfect it . 5. In the fifth place , The soul that is truly dead to sinne , is universally dead to sinne ; he is dead to every sinne , and he is dead to sin in every faculty of his soul , though but in part , yet in every part of soul and body ; This , and no less then this , will serve to demonstrate a man truly dead to sinne , in a Gospel-sence . 6. Finally , The soul that is truly dead to sinne , is alive to righteousness ; the soul that is dead in sinne ▪ is alive to sinne , and the soul that is dead to sinne , is alive to righteousness ; If Christ be in you , the body is dead , because of sinne , But the Spirit is Life , because of righteousness . This is the next thing to be spoken of , and it is the second Character , laid down by the Apostle , to demonstrate Christ resident in us , The Spirit is Life , because of righteousness . By Spirit in this Text , is meant ( as I conceive ) the regenerate part of man , and nothing else ( to wit ) that which is born of the-Spirit : in this sence , I take the word Spirit here , because it is set in opposition to the forementioned body ; which body ( as is evident ) is the unregenerate part , or old man ; So this word Spirit is used by the Apostle unto the Galathians , The flesh lusteth against the Spirit , and the Spirit against the flesh ; The regenerate part lusteth against the unregenerate ; So Christ useth the word Spirit , Joh. 3.6 . That which is born of the Spirit , is Spirit , but the Spirit is Life , because of righteousness : It is , as if the Apostle had said , If Christ be in you , it will appear by this , the Spirit is Life , because of righteousness . that is , the regenerate man is alive because of righteousness ; he is alive because of a double righteousness , or because of righteousnes in a double sence . 1. He is alive , because of the righteousness of Justification , And , 2. Because of the righteousness of Sanctification . That man is truly and perfectly alive , because of the righteousness of Justification , which hath Christs righteousness imputed unto him for righteousness . A man thus alive to righteousness , lives either the life of hope , the life of faith , or the life of sence ; and this life Satan doth labour much to deprive him of . Where the soul is thus alive , because of the righteousness of Justification , that soul is alive indeed , because of the righteousness of Sanctification ; and this is that life which this Text points at , If Christ be in you , &c. the Spirit is Life , because of righteousness ; If Christ be in you as a justifier , He is in you as a sanctifier ; If Christ be in you , the body is dead because of sinne , but the Spirit is Life , because of Righteousness . The truth of this assertion , doth further appeare thus ; Whom he justisieth , them he also glorifieth , saith the Text , Rom. 8.30 . But without holinesse no man shall see the Lord , therefore it follows by necessary consequence , That he that is justified hath this qualification in him , to wit , sanctification , otherwise he could not see the Lord or be glorified . To whom Christ is made righteousness , he is made sanctification also , 1 Cor. 1.30 . This may suffice for the confirmation of this Truth . That man is alive , because of the righteousness of sanctification , which hath the righteousnesse of the quickning spirit imparted unto him , for the inlivening and regulating of his whole man. A Christian , in this world , is alive , because of the righteousnesse of sanctification truly , but imperfectly , his spirit is alive , because of righteousnesse , that is , his understanding , will , and affections , &c. all the members of his body , his whole nature , so farre forth as regenerate , is alive , because of the righteousnesse of sanctification ( I say ) so farre forth alive , ( that is ) so farre forth , he approves of righteousnesse , imbraceth righteousnesse , and lives in the practise of righteousnesse , out of Love to the God of righteoufnesse . This is evident in the Apostle Paul , as soon as Christ had taken up his dwelling in Paul , and he was once alive to righteousnesse , his whole man so farre forth as regenerate , was turned about to another point , he had another judgment of the things of God than he had before and accordingly imbraced , what he before refused ; his heart was warmed with a love to the will and wayes of God , and desire to walk therein ; Lord , What wilt thou have me to do ? ( saith he ) command what thou wilt , I am ready prest to obey thy will. And his great care was , to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God , and towards man , as himself affirms , Act. 24.16 . And thus it is with every man alive to righteousnesse , he hath the same frame of spirit that Paul had , the same grace that he had , as a man alive to righteousnesse , though not in the same measure . Every man in whom Christ lives , is alive because of righteousnesse , but every one is not alike alive , every one in which Christ lives , is truly alive , because of righteousnesse , but every one is not strongly alive to righteousnesse , some are more vigorously alive then others . As Christ is more or lesse in a man , so is he more or less alive to righteousnesse . A man truly alive to righteousnesse , hath these appearances ; 1. He is of all other men the most sensible of his own unrighteousnesse , he sees more unrighteousnesse , then righteousnesse in his best actions , more flesh then spirit in himself , as appears in Paul , Rom. 7. 2. The body of sinne , which is dead , stinks in the nostrils of him which is truly alive to righteousnesse , as the dead Corpse of a man doth in the nostrils of him that is alive , in a natural sense . 3. Lastly , a man truly alive to righteousnesse , is a new Creature , of whom I shall speak in the next place . Wouldest thou then know whether Christ be resident in thee , yea or nay ; Consider seriously what the holy Ghost doth in this Text affirm ; If Christ be in you ▪ the body is dead , because of sie● but the spirit is life , because of righteousness● ; and go through what hath been here said , on this ●ubject , and if it hereby appear , that thou are one truly dead to sin , and alive to righteousnesse , conclu●e thou mayest safely , That the Lord is thy portion , that Christ is resident in ●ny soul , who having once taken possession there , will not be ●uted ; Christ in thee , the hope of glory , will assuredly bring the soul and b●dy , to live with him in glory ; If we be dead with him , we shall also live with him , saith the Text ▪ 2 Tim 2.11 therefore i● we be dead with Christ , and risen again with him , we shall assuredly live together with him in glory . A New Creature . 2 Cor. 5.17 . If any man be in Christ , he is a New Creature . EVery one that is out of Christ , is ou● of the root of life , out of the stock of grace , out of the way , the only true way unto eternal happiness , and thus are all the posterity of Adam by nature . It mainly concerns every one therefore , to consider seriously , what he bottoms upon , the old Adam or the new , one of these two all flesh standeth on : How we shall come to the knowledg of this , this Text tels us , If any man be in Christ , he is a new Creature . These words , as they are in themselves an intire sentence , contain in them a true and lively description of a man in Christ ; in them the Apostle lays down posit●vely , one great Character of a soul resident in Christ , He is a new Creature . This he layes down indefinitely [ if any man , &c. ] as if he had said , If any man , of what Nation , station , quality , rank or condition soever [ be in Christ ] it will appear thus , He is a new Creature . Quest. But what is it to be in Christ ? Answ. To be in Christ , according to the meaning of this Text , is to be truly and really united unto Christ , or ingrafted into Christ , as a sience is into the stock , incorporate into it , and made truly one with it , and every one that is thus in Christ , is a new Creature . Quest. But what is that ( may some say ) what is a new Creature ? Answ. A ●ew Creature , according to his formality , is a Creature wholly new ( I say ) a Creature wholly new , so saith the Apostle in this Text , Old things are past away , all things are become new . By a Creature wholly new , I do not mean a Creature void of humane frail●y , nor a Creature totally freed from the being or power of corrupt Nature , not a Creature exempt from the exercise of temptations , but a Creature renewed in every part , though but in part , and freed from the evil of temptations . His appearances are many , for a new Creature , according to the meaning of this Text , is one that is born again , born of the Spirit , as Christ speaks ; He is one in whom Christ is formed , one in whom Christ lives ; He is one that is sanctifi●d throughou● , in soul and body , and spirit of his mind as the 〈…〉 one holy 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 He is 〈…〉 from the 〈…〉 old thing● 〈…〉 new , as this Text speaketh ; He is one whose heart and spirit , principles and practises are all new and holy ; He is one , who having received a new life from Christ , desires and endeavours to live , as a new Creature unto Christ only : one that in every condition , labours to live for the honour of Christ , and so as he may truly say , To me to live is Christ ; to me , thus and thus to live , is for the honour of Christ : he is one in whom the name of Christ is glorified , and the Gospel held forth : one , who in all things whatsoever he doth , in word or deed , labours to do all in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ , to the glory of God by him : one , who desires and endeavours to have his whole conversation , such as becometh the Gospel of Christ , and to have every thought brought in subjection to the Obedience of Christ. He is one , who though he have fleshly lusts in him , doth not make provision to fulfill them , he doth not habitually design , and take thought , how to fulfill them , but how to mortifie them : he is one , who though he walk in the flesh , doth not warre after the flesh , but against the flesh ; He makes not his liberty an occasion to the flesh : He is one , who though he cannot live without sinne , doth not allow himself in any known sinne , but hates every false way , and groans under the remainder of the old man in him , as his greatest burden ; He is one , that carries a holy jelousie over h●mself , and all his wayes , and thence labours to keep a spirituall watch within , and without ; He is one , that worships God in the Spirit , and puts no confidence in the flesh : one that servs God in newness of Spirit , not in the oldness of the letter ; one that labours to be filled with the Spirit : He is one , whose conversation is in Heaven , whilst he is on Earth ; one that delights in the Law of God after his inward man , he delights to do the will of God. He is one of another Spirit , then the world hath ; one that walks by another rule then the world doth , to wit , the Word of God. He is a growing Crea●ure , he grows in grace ; He forgets what is behind , and reacheth forth to that which is before : He aims at perfection , and presseth towards this neark . He is one , that lives in Christ , as a branch in the Vine and brings forth fruit in him : He is one in whose Nostrils the whole body of death , and every part and member of it stinks : one that labours to abstain from all appearance of evill , * and to be holy and blameless before God , out of Love to God : He is one that minds the things of the Spirit , is led by the Spirit , and walks after the Spirit : He is a world-contemning , and a world-overcoming Creature : He is one that labours to deny himself , and take up his cross and follow Christ , as Caleb a did ( to wit ) fully ▪ and as David did , of whom God saies , b He followed me with all his heart , to do that only which was right in mine eyes ; And as Ruth , c followed Naomi , as Elisha followed d Elijah , and Asaebel e followed Abner , he would not leave Abner , though he died by his hand . A new Creature is one , that counts himself a stranger and a pilgrim in this world , and lives like a stranger a and pilgrim in this world : one , whose Conversation here , declares that he minds , desires , and seeks after a better Country , then this world affords ( to wit ) an Heavenly . He is one , that makes it his chiefest work to glorifie God , and save his soul : one to whom the Talent of time is very precious : one , that labours to use every Talent , wherewith he is in●rusted , according to the will of his Lord , and for the honour and glory of his Lord : one that labours so to walk before God here , that whether present or absent , he may be accepted of him : one that labours to Honour God by using lawfull things lawfully , as well as by shunning things unlawfull in themselves : He is one that labours so to keep his account here , that he may give it up with joy , when the day of account comes : He is one , that doth not commit sinne : one that seeks not his own , but Christs , and his Brothers good : one whose affections are set on things above , more then on the things below . He is one , to whom the Preaching of the Cross of Christ , to wit , the Gospel , is the wisdom of God , and the Power of God : one , who being born again , as a new born Babe , desires the sincere and nourishing milk of the word , that he may grow thereby : one that hears the voice of Christ , speaking in his word , by his Ministers , knows it , and obeys it , and declines the voice of a stranger : He is one , to whom the whole Word and Will of God is sweet , every bitter thing in it sweet : He accounts no truth gall and wormwood , as some phrase it : He is one , to whom all Gospel-Ordinances are sweet and delectable : He is one that deserts not old truth to follow new light , but makes it his sunne to discover the verity of it : He is one , that receiveth the Ambassadors of Christ , ( to wit ) the lawful and faithful Ministers of the Gospel , as Christ himself , and esteems them very highly in love , for their work sake : He is one that delights in the Law of God after his inward man : one that labours to live by saith , in every condition , prosperity and adversity : one to whom the yoke of Christ is easie , and his burden light : one to whom none of Christs Commandements are grievous ; He is one that continu●th in the word of Christ , in the love of it , in the belief of it , in the obedience of it ; He is one faithfull unto the death ; He is one , which how high soever he be in place , in parts , in gifts or grace , is low in his own eyes , little in his own fight , his heart is lowly still ; hence it comes to pass , that when he hath done his best to follow the rule of righteousness , he abh●rs himself for his unrighteousness , and accounts himself a wretched man : Finally , he is one that is joyned to the Lord Iesus Christ , and one spirit with him . All this , and much more then this , the Scriptures affirm to be in a new Creature , as all that are acquainted wit● the holy Scriptures know : Who so desires to be better informed , touching a new Creature , may consult learned Dr Preston on a new Creature ; but a prefect enumeration of all the qualifications of a new Creature , is no where to be found , but in the holy Scriptures , which indeed do picture him to the life , and to them I refer the Reader , for full satisfaction herein : and for the benefit of those which are unacquainted with the Scriptures , or want time , or ability , to collect a cleare and sound evidence of a new Creature from the Scriptures , I will reduce this long description of a new Creature to seven particulars , and speak of them particularly , what God hath been pleased to impart unto me , that if ever God in his providence should any wayes bring this Manuscript to publique view , it may be helpful to some poor souls this way . First , A new Creature is one , in whom Iesus Christ , the new man is formed , ( to wit ) truly formed ; the truth of this is evident , by the language of the Apostle , Gal. 4.19 . My little Children ( saith he ) of whom I travell in birth again , untill Christ he formed in you , &c. which words do clearly and strongly prove , That when Christ is formed in the Creature , the Creature is then new and not before , it is then a new Creature , and not till then , it is then born again , born of God , and new indeed . Regeneration may well be called a forming of Christ in us , for it formes Christ in the understanding , in the will , in the affections , in the conscience , in all the faculties of the soul , in all the parts and members of the body , in the whole man , in the whole life and conversation . Here note two or three things ; First , That God forms Christ in the whole man , where he forms him truly ; God forms Christ in the whole man , by conforming the whole man to Christ. 2. When every faculty of the soul , is in its scope and bent for Christ , then is Christ formed in the soul , when every facultie of the soul and member of the body is bent for Christ , then is Christ formed in the whole man. 3. When a mans will , desire , aim and indeavour , is to square his whole life by the Word of God , as his rule , then is Christ formed in his Conversation , then is he a new Creature in Gods account , who measures man more by his will and affection , then his action , as appears by 2 Cor. 8.12 . compared with Prov. 23.26 . Wouldest thou then know , whether thou art a new Creature , yea , or nay ; consider then , whether Christ be formed in thee ( ●o wit ) truly formed , yea or nay ; ask thy soul the question that Saul asked the wi●ch ? What form is he of ( said he ) What sawest ●hou ? so do thou ask thy soul , What form art thou of , O my soul ? Whose image dost thou beare , Christ's or Satans ? If Christ's , truly though weakly , this argues thy state good , thy Creation ●tw , this demonstrates thee a Creature new , a new Creature . Then again , say as he , What seest thou ? What seest thou O my soul in thy self ? What light ? what darknesse ? if nothing but darknesse ? what darknesse is it ? affected darknesse or afflicting darknesse ? if afflicting darknesse , this speaks the Creature new . If thou descriest light in thy understanding , Consider then , how it operates , how it regulates , how it transforms . 1. Consider , how that light which thou hast , be it more or lesse , doth operate , whether it puffeth up or casteth down thy soul , whether it lifteth up thy soul , in praise or in pride , whether it give glory to God or self ; renewing light is humbling . God glorifying ; the more Iob saw of God , the more he abhorred himself ; the more a new Creature knows God and himself , the more he loaths himself , and admires his God , and desires to advance him . Consider , what affection sutable to its notion that light which thou hast produceth in thee ; what love to God , and the things of God ; what love to man for God ; what hatred of sinne , what joy in the Lord , what desire to injoy the Lord in all , and above all things ; what comfortable hope of increase of grace and glory ; what trust in God , and desire to do for God , and be with God , it generates in thee . Consider , what power of godlinesse thy light produceth in thee , what self-discovery , what self-denyall it hath begotten in thee , especially touching thy predominate sinne ; what contempt of the world in the good and evill of it , what conscience of sinne , of duty , and the manner of it , what conjunction of duties of the second Table with the duties of the first Table ; what contentation with thy state , what watchfulnesse over thy heart , and all the out-goings of it ; what willingnesse to take Christ with the Cross ; what desire and indeavour to help others ; what hunger and thirst after all those means , which God hath appointed for the increase of it , and all grace in us ; what fruitfullness in righteousness , &c. Saving illumination produceth fruitfulnesse . Secondly , Consider how that light which thou hast , doth regulate and reform thee , consider how it regulates thy judgment , thy will and affections ; how it reforms thy life and all thy actions , and conforms them to the Word and Will of Christ : Consider , what death to sinne , what life to righteousnesse it produceth in thee , what through reformation it hath begotten in thee ; renewing light is reforming light ; universally reforming , inwardly reforming , and perseveringly reforming . Thirdly , Consider how that light which thou hast , transforms thee . Consider , what transformation it makes in thee . Renewing light is transforming light ; Light from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ , transforms into the Image of Christ ; Christ truly formed in the understanding speaks the man transformed , by the renewing of his mind , as is evident by the Language of the Apostle , Rom. 12.2 . Be you transformed by the renewing of your mind , &c. Consider , how that light which thou hast , elevateth and raiseth thy soul from Earth to Heaven ; and if thou findest that the light that is in thy understanding do thus operate , thus regulate , and thus transform , truly though weakly , be it more or lesse , know , it lively demonstrates Christ formed in thy understanding , thy light renewing light , and thee a Creature new . Of Christ formed in the other faculties of the soul , ( to wit ) Will and Affection , and in life and conversation , more shall be spoken in due place : For the present , note this . As Christ the new Man , is more or lesse formed in the Creature , so the Creature is more or lesse new . When Christ shall be perfectly formed in the Crea●ure , then , and never till then , the Creature shall be perfectly new , according to degrees . Thus far of the first appearance of a new Creature , he is one in whose understanding Christ is formed : 2. The second appearance of a new Creature , which I mean to insist on , is this : He is one that hath a new heart , this conclusion I deduct from the Language of the Lord , Ezek. 36.26 . where the Lord speaking of making the Creature new , begins at the heart : A new heart will I give you , and a new spirit will I put within you , saith the Lord , &c. Satan doth his best works without , but God and Nature do their first works within . Nature begins its work within , as Philosophers and Anatomists conceive ; In natural generation , the heart , lives , and brain , parts which have in them , the begining of motion , are the first in being , though not the first in appearing , nor the first perfected , say they . So in spiritual generation ( to wit , ) regeneration , where it is true and reall , the work is begun within , in the heart and spirit , that is made new first , although perfect●d last , words and actions , which are but the effects of these causes , appear before them , and give demonstration of them , but these , as the cause , must needs preceed the effect . A man by a common work of the Spirit of God on him , may be made another man then formerly he was , and yet not be a new Creature ; He may have another heart then formerly he had , and yet not have a new heart ; He may be qualified with moral grace in a high degree , and inabled to do much for God , and yet not be a new Creature , as appears in Saul and Iudas ; when God brought Saul to the Kingdom of Israel , according to Samuels prop●esie , The Spirit of the Lord came upon him , and ●e became another man , and the Text saies , God gave him another heart , 1 Sam. 10. ver . 6 , 9. A he●rt other wayes qualified then formerly . And Saul was valiant and prosperous in his enterprises against the Philistins , and gifted for ruling , yet Saul never was a new Creature , he never had a new heart : Iudas when called to the Apostleship by Christ , was by the Spirit of Chrift gifted for the work whereunto Christ called him , he was made another man then he was before , yet was he not made a new Creature , he never had a new heart ; He was gifted for the Church , but not for his own salvation . There is a vast difference , between being made another man , and being made a new man , as these instances declare ; Neither Saul nor Iudas ever were new Creatures , nor ever had a new heart , nor any renewing grace wrought by the Spirit of God in them . A new heart is proper and peculiar to a new Creature , fit , and but fit , to give the appearance of a new Creature . The Creature therefore is to be accounted new , only as it can derive newnes from within , newnes from the heart and spirit ; all without may be new , all the apparel new , and yet the person old that weares it ; so all without may be new in appearance , profession , words and actions , all new , and yet the Creature old still ; the newness of the Creature consists chiefly in the renovation of the inward man ; I say ( chiefly ) not only . A new Creature is one all glorious within , one that hath the root of the matter within him , as Iob speaks ( to wit ) integrity in his inward parts , a new heart and spirit . He therefore that will judg aright of his own spiritual estate , must needs begin where God begins , at the heart and spirit , he must confider , whether he have a new heart or not . Quest. But you will say , What is a new heart ? And , how may I discern whether I have a new heart , yea , or nay ? Ans. A new heart , considered according to its formality , is a heart wherein Christ is formed , a heart indued with renewing grace , and acted by it , a heart made one with the Lord , a heart wherein Christ is resident and president ; And it may be discerned by divers appearances . Take this discription of a new heart , in which expression you like best , it comes all to one , it is not my work , nor purpose to speak of the terms of this description , therefore I passe from it , to the appearances of a new heart . 1. A new heart is a heart washed from wickednesse , this is intimated by the Language of the Lord to Ierusalem , Jer. 4 ▪ 14. O Ierusalem wash thy heart from wickednesse , that thou maist be saved , &c. Quest. But you will say , How shall I know , whether my heart be washed from wickedness , or not ? Ans. I will mention only one Character of a heart washed from wickednesse , which is this ; In a heart washed from wickedness , vain thoughts do not lodg as welcome guests , and if not vain thoughts , then much lesse wicked thoughts : this is plainly hinted in this Text , wash thy heart from wickedness , that thou maist be saved ; how long shall vain thoughts lodg within thee , it is as if the Lord had said ? Thy willing lodging of vain thoughts within thee , plainly demonstrates thy heart is not washed from wickednesse , for were thy heart washed from wickednesse , vain thoughts would not , nay they could not lodg within thee , as welcom guests . Vain thoughts may , and oftentimes do , arise in the best and most holy man or woman alive , but they do not lodg with such a person as welcome guests . Object . But may some say , I cannot from this conclude , that my heart is washed from wickedness , but rather that it is not washed from wickedness , for I find that vain thoughts do not only arise in me , but lodg with me , abide with me long , and many times with delight , I do not only think vain thoughts , but many times bid them welcome . Ans. This know , that every one whose heart is washed from wickednesse , beares the Image of a double person ; he beares the Image of a person washed , and of a person unwashed , of the old man , and of the new ; and so farre forth as he is washed and clensed , he doth decline and hate vain thoughts , but so farre forth as unwashed and unregenerate , they are welcome and pleasing to him ; The heart that is washed from wickednesse is not perfectly but imperctfely washed : hence it comes to pass , that there is in it both a detesting of , and a delighting in ( the same thing , ) at the same time ; vain thoughts lodg not with the regenerate part of the man , as welcome guests , whatever they may do with the unregenerate part . Vain thoughts , as Satans souldiers , may quarter upon a man , whose heart is washed from wickednesse , will he , nill he , but they are not welcome guests , but wearysome guests to him , so farre forth as washed . Whosoever therefore can find , that he doth truly hate and decline vain thoughts , ought not hence to conclude , that his heart is not washed from wickednesse , nor that he hath not a new heart , but rather to conclude with the Apostle , Rom. 7.17 . It is no more I that do it , but sinne that dwelleth in me ; it is no more I , as washed and sanctified , that welcome these guests , but it is sin that dwelleth in me that doth it . 2. Secondly , Another appearance of a new heart is , purity : a new heart is a pure and simple heart : That which is in Ezekiel called , a new heart , is by Christ called , a pure heart , Mat. 5.8 . and a blessed heart ; which plainly declares , that a new heart is a pure heart . A pure heart is of all other the most sensible of its impurity , it still finds more impurity , then purity in its self , and therefore goes to Christ for more cleansing stills , to the Blood of Christ , to the Spirit of Christ , to the Ordinances of Christ , with the desire and language of David , Create in me a cleane heart , O Lord , and puts that promise in suit , Ezek. 36.25 . A pure heart will not mix with any impure thing , but is still purging it out , it is like a pure fountain , still purging it self , it makes a man very industrious tokeep a pure conscience . To keep himself pure from the pollutionsthat are in the world through lust , pure in thought , in word ▪ and in deed : a pure heart desires to have all pure within and without . A pure heart loves the pure word of God , for the purity of it , not for the novelty of it ; Thy Word is very pure , therefore ●h● Servant loveth it , saith a pure heart , Psal. 119.140 . A pure heart makes the pure Word of God its rule to walk by in all things , and labours to order its conversation by this , both towards God and towards Man in all things . The purity of the heart in the state of grace , consists in the simplicity and sincerity of holinesse , not in the perfection of it ; its purity is Evangelical . The purity of sincere holinesse , is fit , and but fit to give the appearance of a new heart . 3. A new heart is an upright heart : Uprightnesse is another expression , whereby a new heart is deciphred in Scripture ; in divers places , when the heart is made new , it is made upright ; uprightnesse therefore is fit , and but fit to give the appearance of a new heart ; uprightnesse of heart being that which makes the great difference between a true Child of God and an Hypocrite . An upright heart , by the grace of regeneration , is not a heart totally void of Hypocrisie , but a heart indued with sincerity , which is contrary to , and warreth against Hypocrisie , such a heart Christ cals , an honest and good heart , Luk. 8.15 . The appearances of uprightnesse of heart are very many , but for brevity sake , I will mention only some few , which an upright heart cannot well be without . An upright heart , is a heart set against all sinne ; original , as well as actual ; secret , as well as open sinne , applauded , as well as down cr●ed sins : Sinne and uprightnesse , by the grace of regeneration , are direct Antipodes , flat contraries , and the heart fo farre forth as upright , is set against all sinne , but most against that sinne , which is more its own then other ( to wit ) its predominate sin , as the language of an upright man declares , Psal. 119. ver . 101. & 104. compared with 2 Sam. 22.24 . An upright heart ▪ is a heart careful of all duty , and desirous to correspond all circumstances in duty ; Integrity and uprightnesse , shews it self by yielding universal Obedience to all Gods revealed Will , 1 King 9 4. It makes a man studious and careful to approve himself upright towards God , and towards man in all things , Act. 24.16 . It makes a man very desirous to know , what God would have done , and how he would have it done : The upright heart saith as Paul , Lord , What wilt thou have me to do ? And with Manoah , intreats the Lord to shew him , how he would have him to do it , Let the Angel come again and teach us , what we shall do unto the child that shall be born , said Manoah to the Lord , when his wife told him , what tidings the Angel of the Lord had brought her a of sonne ; and not only fo , but inquires farther , how he should do it , How shall we order the C●ild , and how shall we do unto him ? said he , Iudg. 13. ver . 8 , 12. And it is the property of an upright heart , to desire to know Gods Will , and to do Gods Will , as he would have it done , and so as it may be accepted of him ; I will worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse , saith an upright heart , I will seek the Lord , and I will do it early , in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee , and will observe what becomes of it , saith an upright man. An upright heart , is an humble heart , the heart that is lifted up is not upright ; so much pride , so much Hypocrisie there is in the heart ; so much integrity and uprightnesse , so much humility is there in the heart : Christ formed in the heart , and the heart , must needs resemble him in humility , for he was meek and lowly in heart ; an upright heart is a levelled heart . An upright heart , is a heart in love with Christ , The upright love thee , saith the Spouse to Christ , Cant. 1.4 . An upright heart , is a heart espoused to Christ and faithfull to him ; a heart intire to Christ , whether present or absent , a heart which desires that all its approaches to Christ might be in marriage-dresse , Psal. 45.14 . An upright heart , earnestly and cordially desires that all were like it self , sincere and upright , witnesse the language of an upright man , Act. 26.29 . and wishes well to all that are such . An upright heart , delights to walk by an upright rule and in an upright way , I delight to do thy Will , O God , saith an upright heart , Psal. 40.8 . I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way , I will walk within my house with a perfect heart , Psal. 101.2 . An upright heart begins the work of Reformation at home , as the Language of Christ , Mat. 7.5 . intimates . Thou Hypocrite first cast out the beam out of thine own Eye , &c. Thereby intimating , That it is the nature and property of sincerity and uprightnesse to begin at home , to labour for self-reformation in the first place , and then reformation of all under its charge , Psal. 101.78 . Integrity and uprightnesse is no patron of tolleration , it cannot tollerate sinne , where it hath power to suppress it or restrain it . An upright heart delights in uprightnesse in whomsoever it finds it , more then in any other qualification whatsoever , it knows that all parts put together without this , will not make a good whole , and therefore esteems uprightnesse , more then any other qualification whatsoever , Psal. 101.6 . An upright heart , is a faithfull heart , it is so called , Neh. 9.8 . where it is said of Abraham , who had an upright heart , that God found his heart faithfull before him : an upright heart is a heart faithfull to God , and faithfull to man ; it is faithfull to God absolutely , and first , it is faithfull to man , relatively and conditionally , with reference to God and the conditions between it and others . An upright heart is not satisfied with a bare forme of Godlinesse , but labours for the power of Godlinesse ; it is not satisfied without works , but labours to have all glorious within ; it labours to do all duties after a spiritual manner , and so as they may be accepted of God , and it labours conscionably to practise what it doth profess and teach others , do and teach . An upright heart is a heart stedfast with God , stedfast in his Covenant , as it is easie to be gathered , from that which is spoken of the Israelites , Psal. 78.37 . Their heart was not right with God , that is , their hearts were not sincere and upright : but how doth that appeare ? why the next words tell us , They were not stedfast in his Covenant ; had their hearts been sincere and upright , they had been stedfast in his Covenant they would wilfully have broken it , and cast it behind their backs . An upright heart longs and desires still to be more upright , it groanes under the guile that it finds remaining in it self , and warrs against it , and longs to be delivered from it . An upright heart is a heart perpendicularly , directly and chiefly for God , in all its aimes and ends ; it exalts God in all things , and above all things , because he only is to be exalted : Uprightnesse exceedingly desires , and indeavours to improve every price in its hand to the glory of God the giver , Ioh. 7.18 . An upright heart is not satisfied with its own tryal , but desires God should try it , and goes to God to do it ; Thus did upright David , Psa. 26.2 . & 139.23 ▪ 24. And upright Iob. Let me be weighed in an even Balance , saith he , Iob 31.6 . An upright heart can comfor●ably appeal to God in its worst condition , except in some cases ( viz. ) in case of ignorance of its own integrity , or in case of some guilt charged upon it by God , conscience , or Satan , or in case of some Temptation , wherein Satan by his sophistery mis-represents him to himself , and fantacy joyning with Satan , gives a false Idea and representation of things to the understanding , whereby it comes to passe , that conscience doth accuse , when it should excuse ; in such cases , an upright heart cannot , nor dares not to own its own integrity , nor appeal to God , but if it be not hindered by the interposition of some one of these , or the like , it can comfortably appeal to God in its worst condition , as is evident by divers examples , as in Hezekiah , 2 King. 20.3 . and in Iob , Job 23. ver . 10 , 11 , 12 Chap. 16.17 . and in Ieremiah , Jer. 12.3 . David , 1 Chro. 29.17 . Paul , 1 Thes. 2.10 . An upright heart is a soyl , wherein the immortall seed of the word takes kindly rooting , springs up , and brings forth fruit , in some measure , more or lesse , as Christ affirms in that Parable , Mark 4.8 . Integrity or uprightnesse is a growing and spreading plant , it is a plant which how small soever it be at its beginning , if once planted , grows greater and greater , it is alwayes greater at last , then at the first ; This Bildad hinted to Iob , Job 8.7 . and this Christ plainly affirms in the Parable of the mustard seed , Mat 13.31 , 32. Uprightnesse is a plant that will thrive , though in a barren soyl . Finally , Integrity or uprightnesse is an abiding plant ; It is a plant that will live under a torrid or a friged Zone , a plant that will bide the hottest Summer and the coldest Winter ; my meaning is , it will hold out in the hottest persecution , and in the greatest defection ; An upright heart abides in the truth , and the truth abids in it : The upright do hold on his way , Job 17.9 . An Hypocrite may professe the truth , and go farre in the profession of it for a time , but he will not alwayes abide in it , sooner or later he will fall off quite , as is evident by those Texts quoted in the Margin ; but an upright heart will hold on its way , & hold out upright in crooked times , it will hold fast its integrity whatever it part with else , as God and an upright man affirms , Iob 2.3 . and 27.5 , 6. As an Hypocrite will not abide in the truth , no more will the truth abide in him : Truth may be in an Hypocrite for a time , but it will not abide in him ; God doth sooner or later take it quite from him ; but truth in an upright heart , it abideth there , so saith the Apostle , The annointing which ye have received of God abideth in you , 1 Joh. 2.27 . Truth in an upright heart is in its proper element , and therefore abideth there . These appearances of an upright heart , which I have collected from the bare Word , I thought not amisse here to insert , and for brevity sake , I will multiply no more , but proceed to the fourth appearance of a new heart . 4. A new heart is a self loathing heart , as appears by Ezek. 36.26 . compared with ver . 31. A new heart will I give you , saith the Lord , and what follows ? Then shall ye remember your own evill wayes , and your doings that were not good , and shall loath your selves in your own sight , &c. Thence it is evident , that a new heart is a self-loathing heart , it loaths it self for all its iniquities , and for all its abominations , for all its guilt of sinne , and for all the filth of sinne that it sees in its self , for its inward corruptions as well as its outward transgressions . 5. A new heart is an obedient heart , a heart made pliable to the Will of God , as appears by the fore-cited place , Ezek. 36. A new heart will I give you , saith the Lord , v. 26. And cause you to walk in my Statutes , and keep my judgments , and do them , ver . 27. Hence it is evident , That a new heart is a heart pliable to all the revealed Will of God , a heart on which the Word of God , and the Works ofGod make impression , and it is therefore called a heart of flesh , Ibid v. 26. 6. A new heart is a heart new principled ; it hath in it principles above nature , above morality ( to wit ) Divine principles , principles of grace , by which the whole new man is acted . 7. Another appearance of a new heart , is this , A new heart is alwayes accompanied with a new spirit , A new heart will I give you , and a new spirit will I put within you , saith the Lord , Ezek. 36.26 . A new heart and a new spirit are here coupled in infusion by the Lord , which shews , they are twins born together , they alwayes go together , live everlastingly together ; this David pointed at , Psal. 51.10 . Create in me a clean heart , O God , and renew a right spirit within me , &c. David knew that where God gave a new heart , he gave a new frame of spirit also , and therefore he puts both into his bill , when he put this promise in suit ; When God makes the heart new , he makes the spirit new also , he frames it of another fashion , points it towards another course , raiseth it from Earth to Heaven , meekeneth it , and makes it more easie to be intreated . 8. The principles then being new and the spirit new , where the heart is made new , it must needs follow in the next place , by necessary consequence , That the life and conversation is new also , for these being made new , cannot but produce newnesse of life ; therefore I conclude this thus , A new heart alwayes produceth a new life ; if the heart be new , the life will be new also ; Christ if truely formed in the Creature , is formed in every part of the Creature , in the whole man , in the whole life and conversation of the man , from his convertion , and new birth ; This is the last , but not the least demonstrator of a new heart , of a new Creature , and such , as without which , no man can ever safely conclude , that his heart is new or his Creation new ; He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World , that we should be holy and blamelesse before him in love , Eph. 1.4 . This therefore is vigor fit , and but fit to give the appearance of a new heart , of a new Creature . Thus much of the second appearance of a new Creature , he is one that hath a new heart . 3. In the third place , A new Creature is one that lives in Christ , the new ftock , as a branch in the vine ; And brings forth fruit in him . That a new Creature is one that lives in Christ the new stock , is evident by the Language of the Apostle in this Text , If any man be in Christ , he is a new Creature ; hence it is evident , that he is in Christ , or else he is not a new Creature , first in Christ and then a new Creature ; as Dr Preston doth well observe . A new Creature is one that hath his abiding in Christ , one that lives in Christ , as his stock ; If you ask him the question , that the two Disciples asked Christ , Master , where dwellest thou ? He may say , in Christ. That a new Creature is one that lives in Christ , and hath his abiding in him , as his stock , is evident by the language of Christ , Ioh. 15.6 . If any man abide not in me , he is cast forth , as a branch withered &c. That he bringeth forth fruit , is evident by the Language of Christ in the 5 , & 6. verses of that Chapter , He ●hat abideth in me , and I in him , the same bringeth fo●th much fruit ; And not only beareth fruit , but beareth fruit in Christ , as a branch in the vine , as the Language of Christ in the 2 v. of that Chap. implies , Every branch that beareth not fruit [ in me ] he taketh away ; Hence it is evident , That a new Creature , is one that beareth fruit in Christ , as a branch in Christ , the true vine ; and this is that which distinguisheth him from a meer morall Creature , both may be fruitfull in righteousnesse , and bring forth much fruit , as appears in the Scribes and Pharisees , who were a generation fruitfull in righteousnesse , and brought forth much fruit , and so do many others which have but morall grace , as appears , Mat. 7.22 , 23. But herein lyes the difference , as to this point , between a meer morallist , and a new Creature . A meer morallist brings forth fruit in himself , that is , from his own principles , by a common assistance from Christ , he being but self , and in the state of nature still , and he brings forth fruit to himself , as Ephraim did , to his own honour , and praise , and glory ; self is his utmost end in all he doth ; but a new Creature brings forth fruit in Christ , he is fruitfull in righteousnesse , as a branch in Christ the true vine ; his fruitfulnesse issueth out from supernatural and Divine principles , from a special work of the Spirit of Christ in him . Quest. But how may I discern , whether my fruitfulnesse in righteousness issue from a common assistance of the Spirit of Christ , to wit , naturall and moral principles only , or whether I be fruitfull in righteousnesse as a branch in Christ the true vine ? Sol. 1. Fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse issuing from natural and moral principles only , is not universal but partial , but he that is fruitful in righteousnesse as a branch in the vine , is fruitful in every good work , at least in his aime and indeavour . 2. Fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse , issuing from moral principles , is usually more exemplary in circumstantials , then in substantials , more in mint and annise , then in judgment and mercy ; but he that is fruitfull in righteousnesse , as a branch in the vine , sunders not what God hath coupled together , but places substantials in the vant-gard , in the first place . 3. Fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse , issuing from morall principles is usually more in the eyes of men , than in the eye of God : Such as are fruitfull in righteousnesse from their own principles , are more studious to make all things seem good and glorious in the eyes of men , than they are to approve the righteousnesse of their hearts or wayes to God ; but he that is fruitfull in righteousnesse as a branch in the vine , is more studious and carefull to approve the uprightnesse of his heart and actions to God in all things , than to make things seem good in the sight of men ; He is more desirous to be fruitfull then to seem fruitfull . 4. Fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse , proceeding from naturall and morall principles , is usually attended with much pride inwardly in heart , if not outwardly in expression ; and the more fruitfull this man is , the more proud he is : contrarywise fruitful in righteousnesse as a branch in the vine , is attended with much humility ; a man that is fruitful in righteousnesse , as a branch in the vine , sees that he hath no sap , but what he hath from the stock , into which he is ingrafted ; no sufficiency in himself to any good ; he sees that his good motions , affections and actions , flow all from Christ , and therefore he humbly ascribes all to Christ ; The glory of all his fruitfulnesse , he layes on Christs shoulders , he shall beare the glory , saith this soul , he dares take none to himself , though tempted thereunto by Satan , but sayes of Christ , as Mephibosheth did of Ziba , Let him take all , who is all in all , Who am I ? and what am I , that I should offer , after this manner . Thus his being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse , redounds to the Glory of Christ , who is his righteousnesse : The more fruitfull a branch in the vine is , the lower he is . That fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse , proceeding from natural and morall principles only , is attended with these forementioned effects , is evident in the Scribes and Pharisees , who were men very fruitfull in righteousnesse from their own principles , yet did pick and chuse in the wayes of God ; Tythe mint and annise , and omit the weightier matters of the Law , and of the Gospel too ; strain at a Gnat , and swallow a Camel , as Christ tells them , Mat. 23. were very industrious to make all they did , feem good and glorious in the eyes of men , but cared not how rotten their hearts were ; the more fruitfull they were , the more proud they were ; all this Christ taxes them with , Mat. 23. and thereupon cals them , not new Creatures , not fruitfull branches in the v●nt , but whited Sepulchers , graves , fools , blind , Hypocrites , &c. That fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse , proceeding from Divine principles , from a Christian , as a branch in the vine , doth produce effects contrary to these forementioned , is evident in David and Paul , and other fruitfull branche● of the true vine . They were not partiall in the wayes of God , but had respect unto all Gods Will , Psal. 119.128 their great care was to approve their hearts and their wayes to God , as appears , Psal. 139.23 . & 119.80 . compared with the 2 Cor. 5.9 . Their fruitfulneffe did not produce pride , but humility , as appears by the language of as fruitfull a branch , as ever was , Eph. 3.8 . Less than the least , &c. In the fifth place , Fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse , proceeding from moral principles , is usually attended with repose and trust in the work done ; he that is thus fruitfull , rests in the work done ; Thus it was with the Pharisee that pleaded his actions , his repose was in them , as Christs Language to the Publican intimates ; but contrarywise , he that is fruitfull in righteousnesse , as a branch in the vine , as a branch truly and really in the vine , rests not in any works done by him , but renounces all , in matter of justification ; he sees more unrighteousnefse then righteousnesse in his best actions ; All our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs , said the fruitful branches , Isai. 64.6 . All as dross and dung , saith another fruitfull branch , Phil. 3.8 . We are unprofitable servants , and have done nothing , that is worth any thing . Lord , when saw we thee an hungred ? or athirst ? or a stranger ? or naked ? or sick ? or in prison ? and did minister unto thee ? say the fruitfull branches , Matth. 25.37 , 38 , 39. which language evidently declares , that their repose and trust was not in their actions . In the fixth place , Fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse , issuing out of morall principles , brings no true peace to the mind and conscience of a man , as appears in the young man that came to Christ , to ask , what he should do to be saved ? He was very fruitfull in righteousnesse from his own principles , as appears by his own language , yet very scrupulous , how it would go with him at the last ; which shews , That the effect of his fruitfulnesse was not quietnesse , but unquietnesse ; not confidence , but diffidence : But on the other side , fruitfulnesse , as a branch in the vine , brings sweet peace and rest to the mind , and conscience of a man , as appears , Isai. 32.17 , There the Lord promises his People , That the work of righteousnesse shall be peace , and the effect of righteousnesse , quietnesse and assurance for ever . The more fruitful in righteousnesse a man is , as a branch in the vine , the more contentment and rest shall he have within himself . Object . But do we not see the contrary , may some say , Are not many fruitfull branches in the vine very unquiet , and restless , and unsatisfied in conscience about their Eternall estate ? Answ. This , if granted , doth not null the truth asserted ; For , First , This unquietnesse doth not spring from their fruitfulnesse , but rather from that unfruitfulnesse , which they see in themselves : Secondly , The Text doth not say , That it alwayes is quietnesse , but it shall be peace and quietnesse , it shall yield him peace and quietnesse at the last , it shall end in peace and quietnesse , and assurance for ever , that shall be the issue of it , with this David concurreth , Psal. 37.37 . Seventhly , Fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse , proceeding from naturall and morali principles , is usually stinted at a stay , bounded and limited by carnal reason ; so far it will go , but no farther ; this is evident in Saul , seven dayes he would stay for Samuel , but no longer , if Samuel come not then , he will offer sacrifice himself ; this mans fruitfulnesse doth not increase , but decrease : But fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse , proceeding from a branch in the vine , is a thriving and a growing fruitfulnesfe , a branch in the vine proposeth no other period to himself in piety , then perfection , and this he labours to the utmost of his ability , through the help of his heavenly husband-man to attain , and goes on dayly by degrees towards , so that he brings forth most fruit in age , as the Psalmist speaks , Psalm 92.14 . Eighthly , Fruitfulnesse , proceeding from natural and moral principles , is many times attended with malice ag●inst those that are fruitful in righteousnesse , as branches in the vine , as is evident in the Scribes and Pharisees , who whre men very fruitful in righteousnesse from their own principles , they prayed , and fasted , and gave alms , tythed mint , and anice , and cummin , and yet were very malicious against Christ and his Disciples , none more malicious than they were : But fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse , proceeding from a branch in the vine , is not attended with malice to any but with love to all , even to very enemies . Ninthly , A man fruitful in righteousnesse from his own principles , brings forth fruit from the good treasure of his brain , and such maxims as are fastened there ; this did the Pharisees , and thus do all meer moralists ; But a man fruitful in righteousnesse , as a branch in the vine , brings forth fruit out of the good treasure of his heart , as Christ affirmeth , Luk. 6.45 . A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things , or , that which is good . A branch in the vine , out of an ho●est and good heart bringeth forth fruit , so saith Christ , Luk 8.15 . Here nore one main difference that is between an evill man and a good , or a meer formalist and a branch truly in the vine ; in an evill man , or a meer formalist , his heart is the treasury of all the evill , which he bringeth forth , but not of the good ; but a good man , or a branch truly in the vine , his heatt is the treasury of the good fruit which he bringeth forth : in the heart of an evill man ( to wit ) a man out of Christ , dwelleth no good thing , nothing that is truly and spiritually good , therefore ( out of it ) can come no such fruit : But in the heart of a good man ( to wit ) a branch truly in the vine , dwelleth a principle of faith and love , from which his fruitfulnesse springs ; these constrain him , or lead him along , as the Apostle speaks , 2 Cor. 5.14 . And herein lies the great and main difference , that is between the fruitfulnesse of a man in Christ , and a man out of Christ , between a branch in the vine , and a meer motalist , both bring forth fruit , good fruit ; but the one bringeth it forth out of the treasure of an honest and good heart , and the other doth not so ; this Christ confirms in that forecited place , Luk. 6.45 . In the tenth place , A man whose fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse , springs from naturall and moral principles only , his fruit doth not remain , but rots before it is ripe , fals before it is fit to be gathered : How much fruit soever the best meer moralist brings forth , he brings none at all to perfection , as these Texts here quoted do excellently and elegantly set forth , Iob 15.33 . He shall shake off his unripe fruit , as the vine , and cast off his flower , as the Olive , Mat. 13.6 . And when the Sun was up , they were scorched , and because they had not roote , they withered away , And bring no fruit to perfection , Luk. 8.14 . Here we have the period of the fruitfulnesse of the best meer moralist , set down by the holy Ghost , all his fruit comes to just nothing at last : But contrarywise , he that is fruitfull in righteousnesse , as a branch in the vine , his fruit remaineth and ●indly ripeneth , as appears by Ioh. 15.16 . I have chosen you , and ordained you , saith Christ of the living branches of the vine , that ye should bring forth fruit , and that your frui● should remain : And it is said of such an one in Ier. 17.8 . That he shall not cease from yielding fruit : and Luk. 8.15 . He brings forth fruit with patience : and Psal. 1.3 . He bringeth forth his fruit in his season ; By all which it is evident , That a branch truly in the vine , hath this priviledg and Character , beyond the best meer moralist or formalist whatsoever , how little soever his fruit of righteousnesse seems to be , either in his own eyes or the eyes of other men , yet his fruit remaineth and kindly ripeneth , it cometh to perfection at the length . Eleventhly , A man fruitfull in righteousnesse from naturall and morall principles , brings forth fruit to himself only , as Israel did , Israel is an empty vin● , he bringeth forth fruit to him●elf , Hos. 10.1 . Israel was a fruit-bearing vine , yet but an empty vine ; how comes this to passe ? why the next words tell us , he brings forth fruit to himself . Thus it is with a man , whose fruitfulnesse springs from naturall and morall principles only , he brings forth fruit to himself , to his own base ends , his own honour , profit , and the like ; but he that is fruitfull in righteousnesse , as a branch in the vine , bringeth forth fruit unto God , to the glory of God , as the Scripture speaks , Rom. 7.4 . His fruitfulnesse springs from , and depends upon Christs conjunction with his soul , and tends chiefly to the advancing God in Christ , God is both the efficient and fina●● cause of his fruitfulnesse . Lastly , A fruitfull branch in the vine , is usually most pulled and cudgelled , ●ressed and oppressed ; Ioseph was a fruitfull branch in the vine , even a fruitfull bough by a well , whose branch runs over the wall , yet the Text tels us , That the Archers sorely grieved him , they shot at him , and hated him , Gen. 49.22 , 23. As it was with Ioseph , so it is usually with other fruitfull branches in the vine , Satan and men stirred up by Satan , do impugne , molest and trouble them more than they do meer moralists , this Jesus Christ hinted to his Disciples , when he told them , In the world ye shall have tribulation . Lay all these together , and make a touch-stone of them to try thy fruitfulnesse by , and according as thou findest it , agree or disagree with them , make up the conclusion . A fourth Character or appearance of a new Cre●ture , is this , he is one that sinneth not , one that doth not commit sinne , so saith the Text , 1 Ioh. 3.6 . Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not ; and ver . 9. Whosoever is born of God ▪ doth not commit sinne ; This assertion is a touch-stone of the holy Ghosts making , therefore it must needs be both necessary and safe for a Christia● to try himself by , and this I thi●k is such , as ( if rightly understood ) may afford much comfort , to a poore Child of God , when many other appearances of his new birth are hidden from him , though in the letter ( I confess ) it seems one of the unlikeliest Texts in Scripture so to do . Whosoever abideth in him , sinneth not , saith the ●ext ; what shall I hence conclude , That a branch in Christ , a true beleever , a new Creature , is totally freed from the power , act , and being of sinne , so that he doth not nor cannot sinne actually ? ( God forbid ) this were to give the Scripture the lye , which saith , That in many things we sin all , even [ we ] that are born again . And if we say that we have no sinne , we deceive our selves , and the truth is not in us , 1 Ioh. 1.8 . And Rom. 7.23 . a new Creature saith , I see a Law in my members , rebelling against the law of my mind , and leading me captive to the Law of sinne , which is in my members . He doth not say ( I saw ) as one speaking of the time past , before conversion , but [ I see ] as one speaking in the ( present Tence ) and of the time after conversion ; he doth not say , bringing me into captivity to the Law of sinne ( which was ) in my members , but ( unto the law of sinne which is in my members ; ) by all which it is evident , That this Text means no such thing as immunity and freedom from the motions , act , or being of sinne : He therefore that shall hence conclude , That he is totally freed from the power and being of sinne , so that he doth not nor cannot sinne no more than the glorified Saints , or Christ himself , doth make of a touch stone , a mill-stone to grind him to powder . Object . But if this be not the meaning of this Scripture , what then is the meaning of it ? Answ. The meaning of it ( ●s I humbly conceive ) is this , That a true beleever , one that lives in Christ , and Christ in him , one that 〈◊〉 again , and made a new Creature , sinne●●ot as an u●regenerate person doth , he give● not himself over to the commission of any known sinne , neither allows himself in the omission of any known duty ; He is not a willing slave to any sin ; He sins not knowingly , without damping and quenching , in some measure , for some time the actings of grace , and the Spirit of God in him , He doth not commit sin ; He doth commit sinne in the Apostles sense ( as I conceive ) which doth sin of purpose , and with the consent of the whole will , and with the whole sway of his affections , this every one in the state of nature doth , he sins with the consent of the whole will , and with the whole sway of his affections , and must needs do so , because he hath no principle fastened on those faculties to cross him , therefore in sinning , he doth the evill which he would do , the evill which he loves . But it is quite other wayes with a Child of God , who is born again , and made a new Creature , put in a state of grace ; He doth not ( so sin , ) neither indeed can he , because his feed ( to wit ) the grace of the Spirit remaineth in him ; though he sinne , and sinne in many things , yet doth he not sinne with the consent of his whole will , nor with the whole sway of his affections in any thing . ( The evill which I would not that do I ) saith a new Creature , What I hate that do I. The will , as all other faculties of the soul , is but in part renewed ; Christ is formed in it imperfectly , it hath in it ( at the best estate here ) a regenerate part , and an unregenerate part , and so far forth as it is renewed , it doth nill the evill which the unregenerate part doth chuse ; therefore a regenerate man saith , It is no more I that do it , and so the Apostle here , He that is born of God , doth not commit sin , because he doth it not as regenerate , but as unregenerate . So for the affections ; a renewed man cannot sinne with the whole sway of his affections , because the renewed part of them doth decline , and oppose what the unrenewed part of them doth imbrace and cleave to . This contradiction , in the same faculty of the soul , is proper and peculiar to a Child of God , in his state of imperfection , and may therefore well serve to decipher him out , and distinguish between a new Creature and a meer naturalist . For although there may be , and oftentimes is , a contradiction and combate in an unregenerate person , between severall and distinct faculties of the soul , the appetite against reason , the will or affections against conscience , yet there never is a contradiction in the same faculty of the soul , in an unregenerate person , neither indeed can there be , for there is nothing in it to oppose ; This combate is peculiar to a new Creature , where there is flesh and spirit in the same faculty , and what the one chuseth , the other refuseth , it may therefore well be a Christians touch-stone to try himself by . There is yet another way , whereby a man may be said to commit sinne , which is far more dangerous than the former , yea , remedilesse , and that is , when a man doth wilfully and obstinately oppose that which the Word of God , and the Spirit of God doth throughly convince his conscience is the Truth , and ought to be followed , out of meer malice , scorn and contempt , and this is that which ( I think ) this Text points at chiefly ; but ( thus ) a Child of God , a member of Christ , a new Creature cannot commit sinne , because his seed remaineth in him , as the Apostle here speaks , He that thus commiteth sin is of the Divell , and sealed by him to Hels eternity , 1 Ioh. 3.8 . ch . 5.16 . Mat. 12.32 . In the fifth place ; a new Creature , is one that groans under the remainder of the old man in him ( to wit ) the naturall propensity which he finds in himself to all evill ; the inticing tempter of corrupt nature , which makes him a verse to all good , and prone to all evill , as that which spoiles all his good dutyes , as that which is his greatest burden , bewailes it as that alone which makes his condition wretched and miserable , longs earnestly for a total deliverance from this burden of corrupt nature , prayes earnestly for strength against all the inticings thereof , and rests of Christ by Faith , in the use of all lawfull meanes by him appointed , for a total deliverance at length , and strength against all the inticings thereof , until total delivera●ce be granted , all which is evident in Paul , Rom. 7. And truly I never yet found any burden like this burden , though I have born many ; this burden alone had not Christ borne the heavior end of it , had sunk my soul in despaire , or driven it upon desperate attempts ; the time hath been , when to have been freed from the power of natural corruption , My soul hath chosen death , rather than life , and longed for d●ath , more then for hid treasures , as Iob speaks ; yea , when it would have joyed in that which nature abhors , an untimely death by the hand of man , would have infinitely more joyed me , than the acquiring of the whole earth with all it affords , only for the freeing of my soul from the power of corrupt nature , which was so potent , that my unbeleeving heart did often conclude , That I should one time or other fall by it , and by it be undone to all eternity ; yet the Lord was my stay , and prevented what I much feared , and out of this deep the Lord at length delivered me , to the glory of Christ my keeper and deliverer , and the incouragement of others in the like case ; I speak this , much more I could speake on this subject experimentally , but I forbeare . In the sixt place , a new Creature is one , that minds the things of the Spirit , is led by the Spirit , and walks after the Spirit ; These expressions tend all to one and the same end , namely , to denominate a new Creature , therefore I put them together . A new Creature , is one that minds the things of the Spirit , so saith the text , Rom. 8.5 . They that are after the sl●sh , do mind the things of the flesh , but they that are after the Spirit , the things of the Spirit ; As carnall hearts mind carnall things , so spirituall hearts , mind spirituall things ; a new Creature minds the things of the Spirit , after the rule of the Spirit , the Word of God ; He minds the things of the Spirit in the first place , he minds them savourly , chiefly and principally , more than the things of the flesh , and declares it by following after them industriously ; The apprehension of the love and favour of God , and that which leades thereunto ( to wit ) the pure Ordinances of God , are the only jewels which he esteems and follows after , and for the acquiring and retaining of these , he will part with all the good of the world , and count it but dung , as is evident in the parable of the merchant-man , who sould all to buy the pearl : A new Creature , his great care , desire , and indeavour is , to be more new : O that I were more dead to sinne , more alive to righteousnesse ! that I were lesse in the flesh , more in the spirit ! lesse in my self , more in Christ ! saith a new Creature ; And these are the things which he minds and follows after . He is led by the Spirit of God , so saith the Apostle , Rom. 8.14 . As many as are led by the Spirit of God , they are the Sons of God. This language plainly shews who are the Adopted Sonnes of God , and so consequently , who are new Creatures ; for to be such a Sonne of God , as this Text speaks of , and to be a new Creature , is all one in effect , and he that is such , is led by the Spirit of God ; That is his mark , set by the holy Ghost , by the hand of the Apostle . The Spirit of God may be said to lead man two manner of wayes ; more generally , or , more specially ; as a qualifier only , or as a sanctifier ; and that leading of the Spirit which denominates our son ship , or the Creature new , is not the more generall , but the more speciall leading of the Spirit ( to wit ) the Spirit leading , as a sanctifier , as an inward sanctifier , as well as an outward . A man may then be faid to be led by the Spirit of God , according to the meaning of this Text , ( as I humbly conceive ) when h● , by a speciall work of the Spirit of God upon his soul is inabled voluntarily , and cordially to resign up himself , in all things to be guided by the Spirit of God , and cordially and couragiously to decline all other leaders ( contrary unto this . ) 1. He that is thus led by the Spirit of God , is not under the Law , saith the Apostle , Gal. 5.18 . If ye be led by the Spirit , ye are not under the Law : by [ Law ] in this Text , some Divines take to be meant the moral Law , and so taking it , conclude , That he that is led by the Spirit , is freed from the curse of the moral Law , which is very true ; of this mind was Mr Perkins : others by Law here , understand the domineering power of corrupt nature , that which the Apostle cals , The Law of sinne , Rom. 7 25. of this mind was Luther : [ Law ] thus taken , the conclusion is , That he that is led by the Spirit of God , is not under the domineering , reigning power of sinne ; He is no servant of sinne , he doth not voluntarily yeeld himself to obey any sinne in the lusts thereof , as an unregenerate person doth , with free consent ; [ Law ] taken in this latter sence , is that which ( I think ) this Text points at , by the scope of this Chapter , and all the passages of it ; and taken in this sense , I am sure it is most for my purpose , therefore I pitch upon it ; He that is led by the Spirit of God , as a sanctifier , is in great measure freed from this Law of sinne . When this Law , ( to wit ) lust , leads , as commander in chief , the person is soon led away with a spirit of errour and inticers thereunto , as the Apostle shews , ● Tim. 3.6 . 2. But he whom the Spirit of God leads , as commander in chief , beleeves not every spirit , but tries the spirits whether they are of God , as the Apostle exhorts all Christians to do , 1 Ioh. 4.1 . He makes the written Word his touchstone to try them by ; He knows that whatsoever is revealed contrary to the Word of God , is not of the Spirit , for the Spirit of God doth not dispense things contrary unto , but agreeable with the Word of God , as Christ affirms , Ioh. 16.13 , 14 , 15. The Spirit ( saith Christ ) shall not speak of himself , but he shall glorifie me , for he shall receive of mine and shew it unto you ; He shall take of mine , and shew it unto you ; which language plainly shews , That the Spirit of God doth make use of the Word of God , and revealeth the meaning of it , but never contrad●cts it : Note this , all you that boast of the Spirit , and yet slight and contemn the Word . 3. He whom the Spirit of God leads after a special manner , he leades into all truth , as Christ affirms , Ioh. 16.13 . He shall guide you into all truth , that is , into all truth necessary for you , in such a sphere and condition , as God hath assigned you unto , truth in judgment , in heart , in practice . But here note , That although the Spirit of God doth lead into all Truth , yet the Spirit doth not this all at once ; neither doth the Spirit this ordinarily , without the reading and preaching of the Word , but by it , specially where it may be had . 4. He whom the Spirit of God thus leads , he fits and inables to walk with God , under Ordinances , as appears by Ezek. 36.27 . where God gives his Spirit , he gives him for a leader , and whom the Spirit of God leads , it inables to walk with God , in the use of his Ordinances , as that Text plainly shews , ( even in the most glorious times of the Gospel , for of these the Prophet here speaks . ) Note this , all you that boast of the Spirit , and think you are led by the Spirit , and yet cry down Ordinances . 5. He whom the Spirit of God thus leads , he quickeneth in some measure , Rom. 8.11 . where the Spirit of God dwels as a leader , he dwels as a quickener , he quickeneth our souls even while they dwell in houses of clay , in mortal bodies , he quickeneth them in every faculty , and to every holy duty , though not all in like measure , nor to all duties at the same time . Note this , all you that not being under a Temptation to distrust , think you are led by the Spirit of God , and yet find no quickening at all by the Spirit , neither desire any , nor feel want of it . 6. He that is thus led by the Spirit of God , worships God in spirit and in truth , he doth serve God in newnesse of spirit , as the Apostle affirms , Phil. 3.3 . he doth inwardly , and sincerely , worship and serve God as well as outwardly and formally : He knows his leader is not pleased with any outward performances , severed from the service of the spirit ( to wit ) the inward man , and therefore he strives with all his might , to exercise all the powers of his soul , and act , and improve all his graces in , and by the service of God , being exceedingly desirous to serve his leader acceptably . Note this , all formal and persunctary servers of God , that think you are led by the Spirit of God , and all Gods People , that think you are not led by the Spirit of God , and yet exceedingly desire and labour thus to do . 7. He whom the Spirit of God thus leadeth , he helpeth his infirmities , The Spirit ( saith the Apostle ) helpeth our infi●mities , meaning theirs to whom he is a leader ; But how doth the Spirit that ? Why , by discovering our infirmities unto us , and supplying what is wanting in us , out of Christs fulnesse , which he holds up and applies to us . The Text doth not say , That the Spirit perfectly cureth our infirmities , [ but he helpeth our infirmities , ] He helpeth them , by doing that for us , which we cannot do our selves , Rom. 8.26 . this each mans experience , which is thus led by the Spirit will tell him . 8. He that is thus led by the Spirit , finds so much sweetnesse in his leader , that he still desires to be more led by him , to be filled with the Spirit , as the Scripture speaks ; He never thinks he hath enough of the Spirit , but still desires more , and his soul follows hard after the Lord in Prayer , and in the use of all meanes by him appointed , for the attaining a greater measure of the Spirit than he yet hath . 9. He that is thus led by the Spirit of God , is led by the written Word of God , the revealed Will of God , which is the instrument , rule , and demonstrator of the Spirit of God , in reference to man ; and he that hath the Word of God , or might have , and will not be led by it , hath no ground to conclude , that he is led by the Spirit of God , as it is evident by Isai. 8.20 . These leaders ( to wit ) ( the Word and the Spirit , ) are never opposite one to another . 10. He that is thus led by the Spirit of God , is chary of the sword of the Spirit ( the Word of God ) and fights with it against all his spiritual enemies , the World , the Flesh , and the Divel ; this is evident in the natural Sonne of God , Jesus Christ , Mat. 4.4 , 7 , 10. and in many of the adopted Children of God , of whom we read in Scripture . Note this , all you that slight the Wor● of God and fight not with it , but against it , and yet make your boast , that you are led by the Spirit . 11. He that is thus led by the Spirit of God doth walk in the Spirit , and he doth walk after the Spirit ; But what is it to walk ●n the Spirit , or to walk after the Spirit ? These expressions ( I think ) differ not much . To walk in the Spirit ( saith Luther ) is to wrestle in spirit against the flesh , and to follow spirituall motions . Walking in the Spirit ( saith Mr Perkins ) is to order our lives according to the direction and motion of the Spirit . A man may then be said to walk after the Spirit ( saith Ios. Ex●n . ) when in respect of the trade and course of his life , he walks not according to the guidance , and motion of his corrupt nature , but of the holy Spirit . Hence ( I conceive ) a man may then be said to walk [ in and after the Spirit ] when he walks not after the flesh , as the Apostle speaks ; but after the rules of the Spirit , given in the Word of God , and according to the motions , dictates , and guidance of the Spirit ( which are never contrary unto , but agreeable with the Word of God ) when he doth not voluntarily , and approvedly obey the dictates of corrupt nature , but the Word and Spirit of God , when he doth walk according to the rule of the written Word ( at lest , in his aim desire and endeavour . Here note two or three things ; He that is thus led by the Spirit of God , walks after the Spirit , more strongly , or mor● weakly , as he is more or lesse new . He walks after the Spirit , more swiftly , or more slowly , as Chris● by his Spirit draws him more strongly or mor● weakly ; some Christ by his Spirit draws more strongly and they run after him , as the Church speaks , Cant. 1.4 . They follow their leader vigorously , unweariedly , wit● delight ; others he draws more weakly , 〈◊〉 they walk more slowly after him , according to the different dispensations of the Spirit of God ; so doth man move more strongly or more weakly , more swiftly or more slowly , in the wayes of God. Then again note this , Man at his best estate here follows his leader , walks after the Spirit , but as a blind , lame impotent Creature , if at one time he runs after his leader , and follows him vigorously , at another time he is weary and walks slowly ; now he stumbles , and anon fals , and were it not that his leader , is very able , wise , and watchfull , he would give over quite and fall irrecoverably . 12. In the next place , A man that is thus led by the Spirit of God , is a curagious and resolute opposer of all leaders , contrary unto this leader ; if the World tempt and strive to be his leader , he opposes that ; if the flesh tempt , and strive to be his leader , he opposes that ; if the Divell tempt , and strive to be his leader , he resisteth him ; and all this he doth in the strength of the Spirit of God , whom he hath chosen for his leader ; all this is evident in Paul , a man led by the Spirit of God , after a special manner ; his courage and resolution was such , that he maintained a constant warre with these three enemies , on this ground , that they would have been his leader , they had led him before , & would have led him again , but this he had rather dye then yield to , when once led by the Spirit , as his own testimony , in divers places proves . He that thus doth , may be , and sometimes is led captive , by some one or other of these enemies ; This the Apostle Paul sadly complains of , as an experimented truth , Rom. 7.23 . 13. Finally he whom the Spirit of God thus leads , he leads so long as he needeth leading ; He will lead us over death , unto glory , Psal. 48.14 . compared with Psal. 73.24 . He whom the Spirit of God once leads as a sanctifier , he never totally nor finally gives over leading , but leads him through grace unto glory . Lay all these things together , and consider , whether it be thus with thy selfe , yea , or nay ; and if upon a true tryal thou findest it thus with thee ; conclude thou mayst safely , That thou art one led by the Spirit of God after a special manner , and so consequently a sonne of God by Adoption , an heir of Heaven , a new Creature . The seventh and last appearance of a new Creature , which I will mention here , is thi● ; he is one that is joyned to the Lord Jesus Chr●i● , and one spiri● with him . That he is one joyned to the Lord Jesus Christ , is evident from the words of this Text , If any man be in Christ , he is a new Creature ; Here it is granted , That a new Creature is in Christ ; E●go , it must needs then be granted , That he is joyned to Christ ; for to be in a thing , is more then to be joyned to it , and the greater doth necessarily comprehend the lesser ; but according to the meaning of the Apostle here , these expressions of being in Christ , and being joyned to Christ , I conceive comes all to one . That he that is thus united to Christ , is one Spirit with Christ , is evident by the Language of the Apostle , 1 Cor. 6.17 . He that is joyned to the Lord , is one spirit ; In these few words we have a compleat description of a new Creature , in his conjunction with Christ , and in his conformity to Christ ; in his Union with Christ and Communion with him ; of this Union with Christ , what it is , and how effected the Reader may see more in Pag. 2 , 3. this only I will add here , and so proceed ; That the joyning to the Lord , here spoken of , is not a bare joyning in nature only , by Christ's participation of our humane nature , neither is it a joyning in glory ; but it is a joyning to the Lord in grace . A new Creature is one then , that is joyned to the Lord in grace ; And he that is thus joyned to the Lord is one Spirit , that is , he is one Spirit with the Lord Jesus Christ , he is one with Christ in every thing , one with Christ , in affection ; one with him , in action ; one with him , in function ; one with him , in life and conversation ; Christ is formed in him in all these , and he thereby made one spirit with Christ. 1. He is one with Christ in affection ; Christ is formed there , he loves what Christ loves , and hates what Christ hates ; Christ loves righteousnesse , and hates iniquity ; all iniquity , Heb. 1.9 . and so doth he that is joyned , united and married to the Lord , and so become a new Creature , He loves righteousnesse and hates iniquity , as truly , though not so strongly , as Christ doth , as the Language of such an one declares , Psalm 119. verse 127 , 128. 2. He is one with Christ in action ; Christ is formed there ▪ he walks by the same Rule , he obeys the same Law that Christ doth ( to wit ) the Will of the Father ; the rule of Christ's action was the Will of his Father . I ( saith he ) came down from Heaven , not to do mine own Will , but the Will of him that sent me , Joh. 6.38 . I seek not mine own Will , but the Will of the Father which hath sent me . Joh. 5.30 . My meat is to do the Will of him that sent me , and finish his Work Joh. 4.34 . Not as I will , but as thou wilt , Mat. 26.39 . Christ and a new Creature , walk by one and the same rule ; the head doth not walk one way , and the members another ; the head doth not walk ●y one rule , and the members by another , but both by one and the same rule , to one and the same end ( to wit ) the glory of the same God ; Christ's Rule was the Will of the Father , Christ's ultimate end of all his actions , was the glory of the Father , and he that is joyned to the Lord Jesus Christ ▪ is one with him in this ; Christ and a new Creature are one in their ends and aimes ; Lord , What wilt thou have me to do ? saith a new Creature , I desire thy Will should be the rule of my action ; I desire Christ may be magnified , in my body , whether it be by life or by death ; This is the language of one joyned to the Lord Jesus Christ , and one Spirit with him ; He that seeketh the glory of him that sent him , the same is true ( saith Christ ) and he that seeketh the glory of Christ , according to the rule and examp●e of Christ , the same is [ new ] say I. 3. Thirdly , Christ and a new Creature , are one in function ; Christ is a Prophet , and he that is joyned unto him , is one with him in this ; Chris● is a Prophet to teach his members , and his members are one Prophet with him , to exhort and build up themselves and one another in their m●st holy faith ; but with these differences . Christ hath the Spirit of Prophesie , as a fountain , and without measure , in all fulnesse ; but h●s members as streams issuing from that fountain , by gift , and of his ●ulnesse ▪ Ch●ist is an universal Prophet to teach all his Pe●ple , without limitation of persons or place ; but all his members are not so , they are limited Prophe●s , and m●y not go beyond the bounds of their proper sp●ere , not beyond the bounds set by this great Prophet , in his Word . Christ is a Priest , and he that is joyned to him , is one with him in thi● ; Christ hath made all ●is Members Priests to God , Rev. 1.6 . to offer up spirituall Sacrifice to God ; Christ hath offered up himself to God , he dyed and s●crificed hims●lf to God ; And he that is j●●ned unto him is made conformable unto his death , he hath sacri●iced all to Christ , his whole self , his own reason , will , righteousnesse and wickednesse ; all within him and without him ; he is become dead to sinne , dead to his own righteousnesse , dead to the World , dead to all by the body of Christ ; They that are Christs have crucified the flesh , with the affections and lusts , saith the Apostle , Gal. 5.24 . Christ is a King , to rule over his People , and over his enemies , and he that is joyned unto the Lord Christ , is one with him in his Kingly Function ; He hath made us Kings , saith the Text , Rev. 1.6 . Kings in a spiritual sense , to rule over our thoughts , affections , words , and actions , over all our lusts , so as sin doth not rule , nor reign in us , within nor without , as an approved Lord , Christ and a new Creature are one in Life and conversation ; A new Creature , is one dead with Christ , and risen again with him , to newn●sse of Life ; he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit , Christ is formed in his Life and Conversation , by transforming him , in hi● Life and Conversation , and conforming him in his Lise and Conversation , to the Image , and Example of Christ ; so as he may truly say with the Apostle , It is no more I that live , but Christ that dwelleth in me . Christ was holy and harmlesse in his Nature , Life and Conversation , Heb. 7.26 . He w●s inwardly holy , as well as outwardly holy ; holy in his Thoughts , in his Affections , in his Words , and in his Actions ; Holy in all mann●r of Conversation , in all places , in all company , in all times , and variety of conditions : holy in Life , and holy in Death , and he that is joyned to the Lord Jesus Christ , is holy as he is holy ; but with this difference . Christ our head was holy by nature , but we his members , are holy by grace only . Christ our head was holy with a perfect holinesse , but we his Members have only a sincere holynesse in this Life , our conformity unto Christ is in kind , not in degree . Christ our head had a derivative holynesse ; he could derive holynesse into his Members , and infuse it into them which had none ; but this is proper and peculiar unto him ; this cannot the best of his Members do . He that is joyned unto the Lord , is one Spirit ; one holy Spirit dwelleth in the head , and in the Members ; in the head without measure , in the members , as it seemeth good unto the Head to infuse it . Christ and his have one heart , and they have chosen one way ; one way of holynesse , leading to a place of perfect holynesse and happinesse ; they speak one language , mind one thing , aim at one end ; one they are in the state of grace , and one they shall be for ever in glory ; He that is joyned to the Lord , is one Spirit . A new Creature , a true Member of Jesus Christ , is better known by his Spirit , then his outward man ; for the root of the matter , ( as Iob speaks ) is within him , his Circumcision is inward , in his heart and spirit ; he is one Spirit with the Lord Jesus Christ. Ye know not what Spirit ye are of , said Christ to his Disciples , Luk. 9.55 . But this Text shews what Spirit a new Creature , a true Member of Christ is of , he is one Spirit with Christ ; He that is joyned to the Lord , is one Spirit . A new Creature , one joyned to the Lord in grace , is very watchful over his outward man , over his words and deeds , but especially over his heart and spirit , to keep them stedfast with God : Thus was Christ , and he that is joyned to the Lord , is one Spirit . Quest. But what Spirit was the Lord Iesus Christ of ? Answ. 1. The Spirit of Christ was a Spirit of Truth , it is so called , Ioh. 14.17 , & 16.13 . We read of a lying spirit in the 2 Chro. 18.21 , 22. and this is powred out in these dayes , wherein so many lyes and slanders are daily broached to the dishonour of God , and the Truth ; but this Spirit is not one with Christs Spirit , but with Antichrists ; Christs Spirit is the Spirit of Truth , but Antichrists Spirit is the Spirit of falshood , error and all deceiveableness , as appears by the 2 Thes. 2.10 . 2. Christ was of a humble , meek , and lowly Spirit , as himself affirms , Matth. 11.29 . And the Prophet Zechariah of him , Zech. 9.9 . Of this Christ gave many reall testimonies when here on Earth ; He was not only humble , meek , and lowly in his carriage , and in shew , but in Heart and Spirit ; He was really such , as his Birth , Life and Death did testifie . 3. Christ was of a just and righteous Spirit ; so saith the Prophet Zech 9.9 . He is just ; Christ was not only morally just ; but he was Divinely just , as is evident by his Government ; the revealed Will of God is the Cannon by which he rules , they which walk contrary unto it , sooner or later he punisheth ; and they which walk according to it , he sooner or latter rewardeth ; He doth judg with righteousness , and reprove with equity , ( saith the Prophet ) Isai. 11.4 . 4. Christ was of a mercifull , tender , and compassionate Spirit ; he had compassion on the souls of his enemies , as that Text , Ezek. 16. ver . 4 , 5 , 6. with many others shew ; He had compassion on soul and body , when he beheld Ierusalem , and thought on her sinne and sufferings , he pittied her , prayed for her , admonished her , and wept over her , Luke 19.41 , 42. All which were reall testimonies of his compassionate Spirit , and the Texts in the Magin illustrate this . 5. Christ was of a holy and Heavenly Spirit : He was holy , saith the Author to the Hebrews ; his Spirit is called , a holy Spirit , Eph. 4.30 . Christs Spirit was Heavenly , he was all for the things of the other World ; his thoughts , words and works all steered their course thither-wards , which evidently declared his Heavenly Spirit . 6. Christ was of a publique and industrious Spirit , He sought not his own , but our good ; when on Earth , he was still doing good to soul or body , Mat. 4.23 . He minded not himself , his own ends , or ease , but his Fathers businesse , and that he followed industriously , as appears by Luk. 2.46 , 49. compared with Ioh. 4.34 . which plainly shews , he had a publique and industrious Spirit . 7. Christ was of a soft and flexible Spirit , he had a Spirit pliable to all his Fathers Will , a Spirit easie to be intreated , a sympathizing Spirit , In all their afflictions he was afflicted ( saith the Prophet ) Isai. 63.9 . he had a broken and a contrite Spirit , a Spirit broken with sorrow for our sinnes , all which were reall testimonies of his soft and flexible Spirit . 8. Christ was of a lively Spirit , and of a descerning Spirit , he had a Spirit directly opposite to that Spirit spoken of Isai. 29.10 . he had a spirit , spiritually alive ; hence it was , that he was of quick understanding in the feare of the Lord , as the Prophet speaks , Isa. 11.3 . 9. Christ was of a patient Spirit , he had a Spirit slow to anger , and long suffering , he took all patiently , from God and Man , without repining in heart or tongue ; He was oppressed , and he was afflicted , yet he opened not his mouth , saith the Prophet , &c. Isa. 53.7 . When he was reviled , he reviled not again ; when he suffered , he threatned not , 1 Pet. 2.23 . These were reall testimonies of his patient Spirit . 10. Christ was of a loving Spirit , even towards his very enemies , he prayed for his enemies , Luk. 23.34 . died for his enemies , Rom. 5.10 . and all this out of love to them , which was a reall testimony of his loving Spirit . 11. Christ was of a Praying Spirit , he spent much time in Prayer , as the Evangelists shew , with much delight and industry , as appears by Mar. 1.35 . Mat. 14.23 . Luk. 6.12 . Ioh. 17. chap. which shews he was of a praying Spirit . 12. Christ was of an obeying Spirit , of a self-denying Spirit ; he denied his own Will ( as man ) to do his Fathers Will , as appears by Luk. 12.14 . compared with Ioh. 5.30 . The last words , Matth. 26.39 . Phil. 2.8 . By all which it is evident , That Christ was of an obeying Spirit . 13. Christ was of a thankfull Spirit , that which was matter of joy to him , he made matter of praise and thanksgiving to his Father , as appears by Matth. 11.25 . Mar. 6.41 . Christ had a Spirit thankfull to God , and thankfull to man ; whatever kindnesse was shewed unto him , returned upon the head of the doer with abundant recompence , and this lively domonstrates his thankfull Spirit . 14. Christ had a Spirit delighted in the exercise of all Gods Ordinances , and all holy duties , as his frequent exercise therein , and exhortation thereunto , do fully evince ; he was still ready to take every opportunity to instruct the people , as appears by Mat. 5.1 . Mar. 2.2 . & 6.34 . Luk. 5.1 , 3. and he exhorted his Disciples to duty , Mat. 9. ult . By which it is evident , that his Spirit was delighted therewith . 15. Christ was of a world contemning Spirit , as his Birth , Life , and Death , did fully declare and evince , for in all these he shewed his contempt of the World , both in the good and evill of it . 16. Christ was not of a time-serving , but of a God-glorifying Spirit ; He sought not his own , but his Fathers glory , in all times and things , as his own Language , Ioh. 12.28 . & 17.4 . shews , Christ sought his Fathers glory in all things , and above all things ; which evidently declares , he had a God-glorifying Spirit . 17. Christ was of a faithfull Spirit ; he was faithfull to God in all things ; He was faithfull to him that appointed him , saith the Author to the Hebrews , Heb. 3.2 . He was a faithfull High-Priest , He is called , Faithfull and true , Rev. 19.11 . The faithfull and true witnesse , Rev. 3.14 . By all which is evident , that Christ was of a faithfull Spirit . 18. Christ had an elivated Spirit , his Spirit was raised above the World , and the things of the World ; his Spirit did sore aloft and solace it self , in the things of the other world ; it did solace it self in God , in what he did injoy in God , before he left the bosome of his Father , and what he should injoy with him again , when he had finished the work , which his Father gave him to do . This is evident by the Language of Christ , Ioh. 17.5 . and by that which is spoken of him , Heb. 12.2 . 19. Christ was of a stable Spirit ; he did not stagger in Spirit , or reel up and down from one opinion to another , but his Spirit was stedfast with God , and unmoveable , in calmes and in storms ; He was yesterday , and to day , and the same for ever : How variable soever the world was in their opinion of him , yet he was still the same , as appears , Heb. 13.8 . Which evidently demonstrates , his Spirit was stedfast with God. 20. In fine , Christ had a Spirit full of all Divine excellency and beauty , he had a Spirit of Wisdome and Vnderstanding , a Spirit of Counsell and Might , a Spirit of Knowledge and of the feare of the Lord , a Spirit indued with all Divine excellency , as the Prophet shews , Isa. 11.2 , All these qualifications were in the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ ; and he that is joyned unto the Lord , he that is ingrafted into Christ , and made new by him , is one Spirit with him ; He that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit , saith this Text. Here note , That this Text doth not say , that he that is joyned unto the Lord is equal with him , but that he that is joyned unto the Lord [ is one ] with him , He that is joyned unto the Lord is one spirit ; Christ , and he that is joyned unto him , are one in spirit . The particulars fore-mentioned , shew what Spirit the Lord Jesus Christ was of , and this Text tels us , what spirit he that is one with Christ is of , what spirit a new Creature is of ; He that is joyned to the Lord , is one spirit , he is one spirit with the Lord. As face answers face in water , so doth the heart of man to man , saith Solomon ; As a Picture answers to the Life , so doth the Spirit of a new Creature , answer to the Spirit of Christ , saith the Text , He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit . Wouldest thou then know thy self , and thy condition truely , I know no rule in Scripture more infallible , than this in this Text , He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit ; Consider what hath been said on this Text ; Consider what Spirit Christ was of , and then examine thy self whether thou art one Spirit with him ; Consider whether the spirit that is in thee , do truly answer to the Life , to the Spirit of Christ ; if so , know that it argues thy state good , thy Creation new , Christ and thee truely one . Object . But I find so much Hypocrisie , so much pride , so much hardnesse of heart , and unholinesse in my self , may a poor soul say here , that I cannot hence conclude , that I am one joyned to the Lord , and one Spirit with him ; but rather that I am joyned to the Devill , and one Spirit with him : I cannot hence conclude , that I am a new Creature , but rather that I am in the state of nature still . Answ. This Text doth not say , that he that is joyned to the Lord is totally freed from these corruptions , but that He is one Spirit , he is one Spirit with the Lord Iesus Christ , he is one with him in Spirit : And this a man may be said to be , when he hath these Divine qualifications of spirit forementioned , truely wrought in him , though weakly and imperfectly , and much flesh , much corruption remaining in him ; This must be granted , otherwayes no man in this life could be said to be joyned to the Lord , and one Spirit with him . 2. But secondly , A true sense of these corruptions , accompanied with a loathing of them , and warring against them in faith , is so farre from rendering thee such as the Objection speaks of , that it strongly argues the clean contrary ( to wit ) That thou art indeed joyned to the Lord , and one Spirit with him ; that thou art incorporate into Christ , and made new by him ; For it is from Christ , and that new quality of grace , which he hath infused into thy soul , that this sense of corruption and antipathy springs ; hence it is that corrupt nature becomes a burden on the spirit , naturally it is not so . The Apostle Paul , when joyned to the Lord ▪ and one Spirit with him , when ingrafted into Christ , and made new by ●im ; then , and never till then , did he groan under this burden ; then , and not before , did he complain of this body of death , and the motions of lusts that warre in our members . Wouldest thou then know from Scripture-grounds , what thy condition is ; Whether Christ be in thee and thou in Christ , go through what hath been said on these two Texts ; If Christ be in you , the body is dead , because of sinne , &c. and this we are now upon ; If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature . Consider whether thou art become dead to sinne , alive to righteousnesse , a new Creature : Consider whether Christ be formed in thee , whether thou hast a new heart , whether thou livest in Christ , as a branch in the vine , and bringest forth fruit in him : whether thou art one that doth not commit sinne , in a Scripture sense : Whether thou art one that groans under the remainder of the old man in thee , as thy greatest burden : Whether thou art one that minds the things of the Spirit , that art led by the Spirit , and walks after the Spirit . Finally , whether thou art one Spirit with the Lord Iesus Christ : and if upon a true tryall of thy self , thou findest by what hath been said , that it is thus with thy self , conclude thou maist safely ( as I conceive ) to thy comfort , with the Church in the Canticles , My well-beloved is mine , and I am his ; That thy estate is good , thy interest in Christ true and real , and thy Title to Heaven , such as no enemy whatsoever , no not Satan , nor sinne , shall be able to deprive thee of it , whatever Satan or thy own conscience , abused by Satan , may say to thē contrary . Fatherly Chastisements . Heb. 12.6 . Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth , and scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth . IN these words , the Apostle fetcheth an argument of Divine and Fatherly Love , from a Rod , and concludes sonneship , by adoption , from Chastisement , Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth , and scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth The Position of the Apostle , is confirmed by a plurality of witnesses , both Solomon and Christ concurre with Paul herein ; Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth , even as a father the son in whom he delighteth , saith Solomon , Prov. 3.12 . As many as I love , I rebuke and chasten , saith Christ , Rev. 3.19 . The truth of this position hath been experimented by a cloud of witnesses , by all the Sonnes and Daughters of God , that have gone before us unto Glory , and will be by all that shall follow after us , and therefore needs not much proving . The Apostle tells us , That through many afflictions , we must enter into the Kingdom of God. And in ver . 8. of this Chap. saith , that if ye be without Chastisement ( whereof all are partakers ) then are ye Bastards , and not Sonnes . Immunity from correction , is rather a Character of a Bastard , than of an Adopted Son of God ; it is rather a note of an Ismael , than of an Isaac ; it is rather the mark of a Goate , than of a Sheep ; it is rather a demonstrator of a child of this world , than of a Disciple of Christ : for the Crosse is a reculicen which all Christs Disciples must weare , as he himself tels us : In a word , it is rather a badge of an heire of Hell , than of an heire of Heaven ; of a reprobate , rather than an elect , and adopted Child of God , for Chastisement is the universal lot of all Gods Children , as this Text tels us , Whom the Lord loveth he Chastiseth , yea , scourgeth . The most people in the world , fetch their evidence of Gods Love , from Gods liberall dispensations of his gifts , either natural or supernatural , eternal or internal , transient gifts : I have this gift liberally dispensed to me of God , saith one , and I have that gift liberally dispensed to me of God , saith another . I have health ( saith one ) and I have wealth , saith another ; I have no changes , but constant prosperity , through my pollicy in winding with the times : I have esteem in the world , and successe in every thing I go about ortake in hand ; therefore doubtlesse God loves me ; Ergo. Another looks higher than this , and saith , I have natural parts , and supernatural gifts liberally dispensed to me of God , above what many others have : I have wit and understanding , &c. more than many others : I have knowledg , and I have utterance , and herein excell many : I have esteem among the Godly wise , and a name to live : I have a form of Godlinesse , and a shadow of every grace of the Spirit , many Talents in my hand , and hence conclude , God doubtlesse loves me , whoever he hates , Ergo. But neither of these argue well for their sonneship , nor their eternal estate ; for no where doth the Scripture make any of these signs of Gods special love , or our adoption . It is evident by Scripture , That a Cain may prosper in the World as well as an Abel , and a glutton excell a Lazarus , in these contingent things : An Ahithophel , through his policy , may enjoy prosperity , while a Paul suffereth all adversity : A sonne of Beliall , may weare Purple and Scarlet , and fare deliciously every day , while a Sonne of God weares sheep-skins , and goats-skins , and lives upon Gods Providence : A Nebuchadnezzar may have successe in his enterprises , as well as a Ioshua for a time , Philistins may triumph , while Israelites are led captive : A Iudas may have as good natural parts , and supernatural transient gifts , as a Paul , or a Iohn , as a chosen vessell or a beloved Disciple , yea , happily more : A Iesabell may be as beautifull in the eye of man , as a Rebeckah : A Pharisee more exemplary in a form of Godlinesse , than a Nathaniel : an Hipocrite may be more like a beloved Child of God , in his own eyes , and other mens too , than a true Child of God. A foolish Virgin may have as faire a Lamp in her hand , as a wise . By all which it is evident , That none of these things , are sufficient to denominate a man , beloved of God , after a special manner , nor to render him an Adopted Son of God. In these words the Apostle lays before us , things quite contrary to these ( to wit ) chastisement and scourging , as signs of Gods love ; Here is love written in Characters , a hand that every one cannot read , a hand that few can read right ; Here is love wrapped up in a rod , which none but a loving and beloved child , can draw out , or well apprehend ; none but a child , savingly indued with the Spirit of his Heavenly Father , can see his love , when he feels his rod , or argue his sonneship , from his chastisement . To fetch an evidence of Gods Love , and a mans own Adoption from Gods Chastisements and Scourgings , is peculiar to a Child of God , and it is his prerogative , thus to do . It is not every Adopted Child of God neither , that can thus argue his sonneship ; I am Chastised of God , therefore I am beloved of him ; I am scourged more than many others , therefore doubtlesse I am beloved more than others : It must be a child , grown to some maturity in grace , that must thus conclude ; Whom the Lord loveth , he correcteth , &c. Love , as attributed unto God , is not a quality ; as it is in man , but an effect of tree grace , and it is either more generall or more speciall : Of the more generall Love of God towards man , we read in Mar. 10.21 . where it is said , of the young man that came to Christ , That Iesus beholding him , loved him . Of the more speciall Love of God towards some , we read Ierem. 31.3 . 2 Thes. 2.16 . Iohn 13.1 . The more generall , or common Love of God , is manifested in , and by his common gifts and dispensations , such as the young man that came to Christ was indued with ( to wit ) great place in the World , great possessions , morall righteousnesse , desire of , and indeavour after eternall life , with the injoyment of temporall felicity , and predominate corruption . But the more speciall Love of God towards man , is manifested in , and by his Fatherly chastisements and scourgings , as this Text tels us , Whom the Lord loveth , he chastiseth , &c , Whom the Lord loveth ] after a speciall manner , he sooner , or later certainly chastiseth ; He scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth unto glory . The Chastisements of God , are many for number , various for kind , differing in measure , duration , and immediate causes ; but my purpose is not to discuss these , but to consider , when Gods Chastisements , of what kind soeever , are sure and certain pledges of his more speciall and eternall Love towards a man ; which to find out , I will premise these foure things . First , That Chastisements and sufferings from God , are not pledges of Divine love towards all : A man may be Chastised of God , and yet not be beloved of God , but hated , as Esau was ; All things saith Solomon , come alike to all , and if all things , then Chastisements alike to all ; Eliphaz tels us , That a man is born to trouble ( it is as incident to him ) as to the sparks to fly upward , Job 5.7 . Troubles are Chastisements ; and these do not argue love to all that are visited with them . The second thing premised , is this ; That although Chastisements and scourgings , are not pledges of Gods Love to all , yet they are to some . Thou in very faithfulnesse hast afflicted me , saith the Psalmist , Psal. 119.75 . The third thing premised is ; Who they are to whom Chastisements and scourgings are pledges of Divine love ? they are pledges of Divine love to them and to them only , to whom all things work together for good ( to wit ) to the Adopted Children of God ; When we are judged , we are chastened of the Lord , that we should not be condemned with the world , saith an Adopted Son of God , of himself and his brethren , 1 Cor. 11.32 . The fourth thing premised is ; When Chastisements and Scourgings are pledges of Divine love , and that is , when they are sanctified : Sanctified chastisements , and they only , are pledges of Gods speciall love toward man. Quest. But how shall I know , whether Gods chastisements be sanctified ●o me , or not ? Answ. Chastisements sanctified , have many appearances , many effects they produce , whereby they may be known , a few of which I will mention , instead of many . 1. Chastisements sanctified , make a man to reflect on himself , read himself over , and call his sinnes to remembrance , as appears in Iosephs brethren , Gen. 42.21 . and Iob 7.20 . 2. Chastisements sanctified , lead to repentance ; Ephraim was by chastisements sanctified , brought to repentance , Ier. 31.18 , 19 ▪ and so was Manasseh , and the Prodigall : By which it is evident , That Chastisements sanctified , make a man turn from his evill way unto the Lord ; they make a man turn to him that smiteth ; they regulate the whole man ▪ and conform him to the whole Will of God , they better his Obedience ; Before I was afflicted , I went astray , but now I have learned to keep thy Word , saith David , Psa. 119.67 . and it 's said of Jesus Christ , Though he were a Sonne , yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered , Heb. 5.8 . 3. Chastisements sanctified , make a man humble , vile in his own eyes ; My soul hath them still in remembrance , ( saith the Church of her afflictions ) and is bowed in me , Lam. 3.20 . I am black ( saith the Spouse , when under the sun of persecution ) by my Mothers Children . Look not upon me , because I am black , &c. The Churches afflictions were sanctified , and hence it was , that she was humbled by them , and become vile in her own eyes . 4. Chastisements sanctified , wean a man from the world , mortifie in him the love of the world , and deaden his affections to the noblest vanities of the world ; they draw the heart from all things here below , and work it to a holy contempt of them , and inhance the price of grace and glory . 5. They drive the soul to God , and indeare communion with him ; they will make a man pray frequently , and pray fervently ; Seek the Lord early , and seek him earnestly , wrestle with God in prayer , witnesse Iacob and the Prodigall . 6. Chastisements sanctified , beget and increase love in the chastised , towards the chastiser ; Rebuke a wise man , and he will love thee , saith Solomon , Pro. 9.8 . Chastisements sanctified increase love to God. 7. Chastisements sanctified meeken the heart , and moderate anger , mortifie in man hatred and malice , which generate thoughts and desires of revenge , against the instruments in Gods hand ; They beget patience under all strokes ; I have sinned , therefore I will beare the indignation of the Lord , saith the soul , whose Chastisement is sanctified , and justifiesGod in all his dealings . 8. Chastisements sanctified , soften the heart , and make it pliable to the will of God ; they subject a man unto Christs yoke . 9. They fit a man for any condition that God cals him unto , prosperity or adversity ; they fit him to abound , and fit him to want , fit him to live to Christ , and fit to him to dye for Christ ; they fit a man to live to Christ here , and to live with Christ heareafter in Heaven . 10. They make a man long to be dissolved , to be with Christ , yet patiently to wait on God all the daies of his appointed time , untill his change come , Rom. 5. ● . Job 14.14 . 11. Sanctified Chastisements indeare to a man , his Fathers house , his house of grace , and his house of glory ; they did thus operate in David , Psa. 42. and in Israel in captivity , Psal. 137.1 , 6. and in the Prodigall , Luk. 15. When his Chastisement was sanctified unto him , it indeared his fathers house . 12. Sanctified Chastisements will make a man labour to excell in grace ; There is no man so covetous after grace , as he to whom Gods chastising hand is sanctified ; There is none so sensible of the want of grace , nor of the worth of grace , as this soul is , therefore such an one usually labours , above all others , to excell in grace . 13. Finally , Sanctified Chastisements , leave impression behind them , when they are gone ; they do not only make impression , while they are present , as unsanctified Chastisements many times do , but they leave impression behind them , when they are removed ; impression of holy feare , of love , of humility , of watchfulnesse , of holinesse , of compassion towards others under Gods Chastising hand ; They yield the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse , to them that have been exercised thereby , and the like ; they do not barely produce good purposes and promises , but resolve them into performances , according to ability and opportunity . By some one or other of these , every one may perceive , whether Gods Chastisements be sanctified to him , or no ; and so consequently , whether Gods rod , upon himself , be a sign and pledg of Gods speciall Love towards him , or not . Object . But God Chastises in wrath and displeasure , as well as in love , In my wrath I smote thee , saith God of his own People , Isa. 60.10 . In a little wrath I hid my face from thee , &c. Isai. 54.8 . How shall I then know , whether God chastise me in love or in displeasure ? Sol. To find out this , Consider , 1. That those which the Lord here speaks of , though they were the Lords own People by profession , yet they were not all such by true conversion , they were not all beloved , after a speciall manner . 2. Know , That God may , and often times doth , Chastise in wrath , and yet in love too ; When God Chastiseth his own Adopted Child , he many times doth it in wrath , and displeasure towards his sin , but alwayes in love to his person . Wouldest thou then know , whether thou art Chastised of God in love , or not ; Consider , whether thou art an Adopted Child of God , or not ; Try thy selfe by what hath been formerly said , and if thou findest , that thou art truely such , conclude thou mayest certainly , That all thy Chastisements do spring from love ; for whatsoever stroks God smites such an one with , he doth it in Love to his person , ( this is a sure rule ) though God speak bitter things against thee , as Iob complains he did against him , and do bitter things unto thee , yet all springs from his love , though he bide his face from thee for a while , and chastise thee with s●ourging , he doth it in love to thy person ; all Gods dealings with thee , spring from his love , his love is the efficient whatsoever be the meritorious or immediate cause of thy Chastisement ; When God is angry with thee , and smites thee for thy sinne , it is in love to thy person , he loves thee still . Is Ephraim my deare sonne , is he a pleasant Child ? for since I spake against him , I do earnestly rem●ember him still , &c. Ier. 31.20 . All Gods Children , even the best of them all here , have faults , many faults ▪ and God will not suffer them to go unchastised ; Children are sure of chaftisement , however servants speed ; legitimate sonnes are sure of chastisement , when they offend , however bastards escape ; God hath no time to chastise his Children , but here , therefore they are sure of Chastisement here ; it will not stand with Gods Love to passe by them , and wink at their faults ; the nearer in relation , the surer of correction , the dearer in affection , the surer of chastisement ; Whom the Lord loveth , he chastiseth , and scourgeth every sonne , whom he receiveth . Wouldest thou then get a true evidence of the speciall Love of God towards thee , and of this Adoption by Jesus Christ , Consider well of two things : First , Whether thou hast been Chastised of the Lord , yea , or nay ? Secondly , Whether thy Chastisiments are sanctified to thee , or not ? and if thou canst truely conclude on the affirmative , thou hast good ground to beleeve , that thou art one beloved of God , after a speciall manner ; that thou art an Adopted Child of God , and an heir of Heaven : But if thou hast been altogether free from , or unprofitable under Gods Chaftisement , thou hast just cause to feare , whether thou art an Adopted Child of God , or not ; at least that thou art not yet brought home to thy Heavenly Father ; For whom the Lord loveth , he ( certainly sooner or later ) chastiseth , as the Text tels us , Whom the Lord loveth , he chastiseth , and scourgeth every son , whom he receiveth . Gospell Sufferings , OR Suffering as a Christian. 2 Tim. 2.12 . If we suffer , we shall also reign with him . IN these words , the Apostle briefly layes before us another and a higher Evidence of our Salvation ( to wit ) suffering . Heaven the Kingdom of glory , where Jesus Christ reigns , is here promised to sufferers : But to find out , what kind of sufferers they are , to whom this great reward is promised , we must consult with other Scriptures , for it is not to all kind of sufferers , that this promise is made . Before I speak of the kind of suffering , here spoken of , I shall here note foure or five things . First , That suffering is a lesson very hard to flesh and blood to learn ; which the Apostle knowing , as a wise scholemaster , sets before us , his schoolers , that which we all naturally desire ( to wit ) soveraignty , as the reward of this service , as a motive to quicken our dull hearts to buckle to our duty . If we suffer we shall also reign with him . 2. Active Obedience is a lesson hard to learn ; passive Obedience is a lesson harder to flesh and blood to learn ; neither of them can we learn to any purpose , unlesse Christ be our schoolemaster , but both of them will Christ teach us , so far forth as he sees it necessary for us , if he once undertake the work . 3. Suffering is of divers sorts , good or bad , according as the true cause of it is ; a man may suffer for well doing , or for evill doing , it is to sufferers for well-doing , not to sufferers for evill doing that the Crown is promised . 4. Suffering is either just , or unjust ; suffering is alwayes just from God , but not alwayes just from men , it is not to just suffering , but to unjust suffering from men , that this promise is made . 5. It is not to sufferers for the evill of sinne , nor to sufferers of the evill of sinne , to which the Crown is promised : But to sufferers of the evill of punishment for the avoiding of the evill of sinne , that it is promised , as ●ppears by comparing this Text with some others ; Peter explains Pauls meaning here , touching suffering , 1 Pet. 3.14 . If ye suffer for righteousnesse sake , happy are ye , Chap. 4.14 . If ye be reproached for the name of Christ , happy are ye , &c. Christ concurreth in this , Matth. 5.10 , 11 , 12 , & 19.29 . Hence it is evident , That it is not to all kind of suffering , but only to Gospel-suffering , that this great reward is promised . I will not here stand to distinguish between suffering for righteousnesse sake , and suffering for Christs sake , or for his name sake , but leave it for them whose proper worke it is . 1. But here note , 1. That the sufferings of the Gospell comprehend both the Doctrine of the Gospell , and the Discipline of the Gospell , and Gospell-Conversation , and a man is a sufferer for the Gospel , that suffers in the defence of either of these , or for either . 2. And secondly . Note , That it is not suffering as an evill doer , but suffering as a Christian , that denominates an heir of Heaven ; Let none of you suffer as a murderer , or as a thief , or as an evill-doer , saith the Apostle ; Yet if any man suffer ( as a Christian ) let him not be ashamed , but let him glorifie God on this behalfe , 1 Pet. 4.15 , 16. Hence it is evident , That it is to him only that suffers as a Christian , that this promise of reigning with Christ is made ; The Apostles meaning in this Text then , is , That if we suffer as Christians , we shall reign with him in glory . Quest. But what is it to suffer as a Christian ? or when may a man be said to suffer as a Christian ? Answ. To suffer as a Christian , is to suffer as Christ did suffer ; and a man may be said to suffer , as a Christian , when he is truly conformable to Christ in suffering . Christ suffered for the Will of his Father , for the fulfilling of the Will of his Father , and he suffered according to the Will of his Father ; now when a man doth these two , when he suffers for the Will of Christ , and suffers according to the Will of Christ , then doth he suffer as Christ did , then may he be said to be conformable unto Christ in suffering , and to suffer , as a Christian. A man then suffers for the Will of Christ , when he suffers for doing that which Christ would have him to do , or for refusing that which Christ would not have him to do . A man then suffers , according to the Will of Christ , when he suffers as the Word of God requires him to suffer , ( viz. ) when he suffers out of Love to God , and suffers beleevingly , patiently , joyfully , couragiously , and perseveringly ; for confcience towards God , that God may have honour thereby , and glorifies God for suffering . My purpose is not to enter upon an accute discourse of either of these , but briefly to assert what I think necessary for the right understanding of them , as God shall inable me . 1. It is the Will of Christ , that he that suffers for his Will , should suffer out of love to his Will , and he that doth suffer for the Will of Christ , and doth not suffer out of love to the Will of Christ , doth not suffer according to the Will of Christ , This is evident by the Language of the Apostle , 1 Cor. 13.3 . Though I give my body to be burned , and have ●ot love , it profiteth me nothing ; it is as if the Apostle had said , it is the Will of Christ , that I should suffer out of love to him , and if I do not thus , all my suffering is worth nothing , it is not according to the Will of Christ , nor worth any thing in Gods account ; it comes to just nothing at last , it profiteth me nothing , &c. A● all our active obedience , so all our passive obedience , must spring out of love to God , as the efficient cause of it , else it is worth nothing with God. 2. It is the Will of Christ , that he that suffers for his will , should suffer beleevingly ; this appears thus , It is the Will of Christ , that he that suffers for his Will , should suffer patiently , joyfully , couragiously and perseveringly , but this a man cannot possibly do , except he beleeve ; therefore it follows by necessary consequence , that it is the Will of Christ , that he that suffers for his Will , should suffer beleevingly . This is also evident by Scripture , Ioh. 14.1 . where Christ making a speech ●o his Disciples to fit them for suffering , bids them beleeve , thereby declaring , that his Will was , that they should suffer beleevingly ; and intimating , That if they did not suffer beleevingly , they did not suffer according to his will , although they suffered for his will. A man may be then said to suffer beleevingly , when he by faith committeth the keeping of his soul unto God in well-doing , as the Apostle Peter speaks ; when he beleeves that Christ will be with him in all his sufferings , strengthen him to suffer , carry him through all that he cals him to suffer , and abundantly reward all his sufferings for his sake , according to his Word . 3. It is the Will of Christ , that he that suffers for his will should suffer patiently ; God cals for patience in suffering ; Be patient in tribulation , Rom. 12.12 . In your patience , possesse ye your souls , Luk. 21.19 . We should follow Christ in patient suffering , saith the Apostle , for even hereunto are we called : Hence it is evident , That he that suffers for the will of Christ , doth not suffer according to the will of Christ , except he suffer patiently . Divine patience , or patience considered , as a divine quality , is the issue and creame of many graces ; It is a Diamond in the midst of a Triangle , ( to wit ● a vertue between stupidity , despising the chastisement of the Lord , and fainting under it ; it is a grace which keeps a man quiet within , when all things are troublous , and very unquiet without ; it is a grace which possesses a man of himself , when dispossessed of all earthly comforts ; it is a speciall work of the Spirit of God in the soul , enabling a man not stupidly , but quietly to bear whatsoever God lays upon him , without feeling murmuring , or repining , against God or man , in heart or in tongue , or fainting under his chastising hand . When it is thus with a sufferer for Christ , then may he be said to suffer according to the will of Christ in this particular ( to wit ) patiently . 4. Christ requires joy in sufferers for his will ; Count it all joy a when you fall into divers temptations . Rejoyce , and be exceeding glad b saith Christ. Rejoyce in that day and leap for joy . c It is divine joy , or the joy of grace , that Christ here calls for in sufferers for his will ; it is that joy , which Nehemiah calls , The joy of the Lord. And this is a holy passion of the soul , issuing out of the apprehension of what Christ hath done for it , and will do for it , reviving , elevating , and strengthening the soul , and carrying it above it self . It is a wing grace , which whiles the soul is actually possessed of , is thereby carried above it self , above the world , and above Satan . Faith and joy are the two wings of the soul , which bear it up , both in doing and suffering ▪ If either of these be c●ipt , the soul is much hindered thereby , and exposed to many dangers . Joy , as all other graces of the Spirit , hath different degrees in different times and subjects , and is usually greatest in the greatest sufferers , and sufferings for Christ. When a man is spoiled in his estate , spoiled in his good name , spoiled in his body , or any thing respecting the preservation or felicity of this life , for his faithfullness to the word and will of Christ ; and yet with the good Prophet , Rejoyces in the Lord , and joys in the God of his salvation , then may he be said to suffer joyfully , then may he be said to suffer according to the will of Christ , in this particular . 5. Christ in his Word , calls for courage , in sufferers for his will ; the will of Christ is , that he that suffers for a good cause , should not be ashamed d of his cause , nor of his sufferings . If any man suffer ( as a Christian ) let him not be ashamed . e Be not thou ashamed of the testimony of the Lord , f nor of me his prisoner , saith Paul to Timothy . The will of Christ is , That he that suffers for his will should not be afraid . g If ye suffer for righteousness sake , happy are ye , and be not afraid of their terrour nor be troubled . Fear them not , saith Christ , thrice in one Chapter . h Fear no● them that kill the body , but are not able to kill the soul , Phil. 1.28 . Christ compares his Church i to a company of horses in Pharaohs Chariots , which in all probability were the best in Egypt , and like to the war-horse , which the Lord describes to Iob , Job 39. very couragious in the hottest battell . Christ by this metaphor hints unto us , That his will is , that we should be very bold and couragious , in whatsoever we do , or suffer for his sake , and that he expects it at our hands ; his will is , that we should be like a company of horses in Pharaohs Chariots , full of spirits and courage , in doing and suffering , and not like a company of Jades in a Dung-Cart , spiritless and unfit to bear any thing , for his sake . It is Christian-courage that Christ requires in sufferers for his will. Christian courage , is a grace of the ●pirit , whereby a man resolves ( through the help and assistance of Jesus Christ ) to cleave close to his word and will , and boldly to stand for it , mauger all opposition ; and chuses rather to suffer any thing , than omit any thing , or commit any thing , that should derogate from the honour of Christ. A man doth then declare Christian courage , when he is not ashamed , nor afraid to own a good cause , or appear in it , because of suffering ; when he can suffer for the Gospel , or any Ordinance of God , and truly say with the Apostle , k Though I suffer these things , neverthel●ss I am not ashamed ; I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ , nor of the cause of God. And when with the three Children , l he slights the torment , and the tormentor ; resolving in the strength of Christ , to do his duty , whatsoever he suffer for it , and to cleave close to the word and will of Christ , whether deliverance , or no deliverance arise here ; when he is more afraid to displease God than man ; when he is more afraid of losing things spiritual and eternal , than of losing things temporal ; when he chooses to suffer , rather than sinne ; when he endureth the Cross , and despiseth the shame ; when he refuseth base deliverance , and yeeldeth his body rather than his cause , ( his cause being good ) into a Tyrants hand . When a sufferer for a good cause , doth thus declare his courage , he declares it in a high degree , and suffers according to the will of Christ , in this particular . 6. Christ in his Word requires perseverance unto the end ▪ in suffering for his will ; and it is unto the persevering sufferer , that this great reward of reigning with Christ , is promised ; Be thou faithfull unto the death , and I will give thee the Crown of m life . He n that shall endure unto the end ▪ the same shall be saved . Christian perseverance , is a conftant holding out in the Truth to the last breath , in the belief , love , profession , and practice of the Truth . And this he may be said to do , that doth never totally , nor finally apostatize from the Truth once received . It is possible , for one that perseveres in suffering , at some time , and in some kind , and measure , to desist from his former forwardness , through strong temptations and humane frailty ; witness Peter , who through fear denied his Master , and forsware him , and yet did after suffer for him . 7. The will of Christ is , That he that suffers for his will wrongfully , should do it for conscience sake , For conscience towards God o ; conscience of his duty should be the principall motive , inducing him to suffer ; I do not say , the only , but the principall motive . A man may then be said to suffer for conscience towards God , when conscience of his duty , is the thing that puts him upon suffering ; when he to avoid sinne , or performe duty , exposes himself to suffering ; when he out of scruple in conscience , of the lawfullness , or unlawfullness of a thing , commanded or forbidden by Authority , refuseth it , and chooses rather to suffer in his outward man , than to baffle his conscience , or displease God , by rebelling against lawfull Authority ( which is Gods Ordinance ; ) He that doth thus suffer , doth suffer for conscience towards God , and according to the will of Christ , in this particular . 8. The will of Christ is , That he that suffers for his will , should aim at his Honour and Glory therein ; This appeares thus ; Whether you eat or drink ▪ or whatsoever you do , do all to the glory of God , saith the Text , 1 Cor. 10.31 . That is , do it so that God may have glory thereby , do it aiming at the Honour and Glory of God therein ; Hence I argue thus . If it be the will of Christ , that I should aim at his Honour and Glory in all that I do , then it is the will of Christ , that I should aim at his Honour and Glory , in all that I suffer , for suffering is doing : But it is the will of Christ , that I should aim at his Honour and Glory , in all that I do : Therefore it is the will of Christ , that I should aim at it , in all that I suffer . A man may then be said to aim at the Honour and Glory of Christ , in suffering , when he makes that his direct , chief and utmost end , in all that he suffers ; when he makes the Honour and Glory of Christ , the finall cause of all his sufferings ; when he suffers not out of vain glory , but that Christ may be magnified thereby , when a man doth thus suffer for the will of Christ , then doth he suffer according to the will of Christ , in this particular . 9. Finally , the will of Christ is , that he that suffers for his will , shoul● glorifie God , for suffering . If any man suffer , as a Christian , let him not be ashamed ; but let him glorifie God on thi● behalf , 1 Pet. 4.16 . A man doth then glorifie God for suffering . 1. When he boldly and thankfully acknowledges the favour of the Lord towards him , in calling him forth , and enabling him to suffer , for his sake . 2. When he makes his sufferings , the matter of his joy and thanksgiving ; when he rejoyces and praises God , that he is counted worthy to suffer in any kind for Christs sake . 3. When he doubles his diligence in duty upon this account ; thus did the Apostles glorifie God , for suffering , Phil. 1.29 . Act. 5.41 , 42. Art thou then a sufferer ; Consider whether thou sufferest as a Christian , yea , or nay ? whether thou sufferest for the will of Christ ? and whether thou sufferest according to the will of Christ ? And if thou canst truly conclude on the affirmative , thou hast good ground to conclude , that thou art one that shall reign with Jesus Christ , in his everlasting kingdome : If ye suffer , ye shall also reign with him ; and not only reign with Christ , but reign with him in greater glory : For our light affliction , which is but for a moment , worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory , 2 Cor. 4.17 . Suffering as a Christian , is a reall testimony of a reall Christian ; and suffering as a Christian is a high evidence of Gods speciall love towards a person . Dost thou then suffer and suffer as a Christian ; Thou maist then safely conclude , I shall reign with Christ : Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness ; An exceeding , and eternall weight of glory : A kingdome that cannot be shaken ; A Crown that cannot be taken ; Glory that cannot here enter into my heart to conceive ; Glory that cannot be measured ; Glory that fadeth not away , but remaineth through all eternity ; Glory that cannot enter into me , I shall one day enter into . I now suffer with Christ , and for Christ , I shall one day be glorified with Christ , and by Christ , whatsoever Satan or the world may say to the contrary . Sealing by the Spirit . Ephes. 4.30 . Grieve not the holy Spirit of God , whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption . — [ Whereby ye are sealed , &c. ] THat which I pitch upon in this Text , as most for my purpose , is this , That the holy Spirit of God doth seal the Elect unto the day of redemption . The whole Trinity doth concur in this work of sealing soules to eternall happiness ; but sealing is here attributed to the third Person in Trinity ( to wit ) the holy Spirit of God , because it is a work most proper to his Office ; It is the holy Spirit of God that sealeth soules to the day of redemption , as the Apostle here tells us . The persons sealed , by the holy Spirit of God , are the Elect of God , true believers , as the Apostle intimates by that particle [ Ye ] whereby [ Ye ] are sealed , speaking of true believers . These , all these , and none but these , the holy Spirit of God doth seal unto the day of redemption , unto the day of the full manifestation of our redemption , unto the day of the redemption of our bodies from corruption , and the fruition of the redemption of our souls and bodies from Hell , by Jesus Christ. Sealing is a metaphor taken from Merchants , who use to seal their own wares , for speciall ends . The divine seales of God , are of a double kind , and of a double use ; they are of a double kind , they are either externall , or internall ; outward or inward ; ● . Externall , or outward , and such a seal was Circumcision in the time of the Law , it is so called by the Apostle , Rom 4.11 . And such are our Sacraments ▪ Baptism , and the Lords Supper , now in the daies of the Gospel . 2. Internall , or inward ; the internall or inward seal of God , is the seal of the holy Spirit of God , metaphorically so called ; and this is that which this Text points at . Seales are of a double use , they serve to demonstrate , and to confirme ; they signifie , and ratifie ; I speak after the manner of men ; Gods seales do no less , they demonstrate , they confirme ; But Gods externall seales , without the internall seal of the Spirit of God , cannot assure any soul , of the speciall love of God , nor of his Adoption ; many outwardly sealed go to Hell , the outward seales alone , cannot seal any soul unto the day of redemption ; It is the inward seal of the holy Spirit of God , that seales us unto the day of redemption , as this Text tells us , Grieve not the holy Spirit of God , whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption . The internall , or inward divine seal of the Spirit of God , is twofold , Demonstrative , or Confirmative ; The holy Spirit of God seals the Elect to the day of redemption two wayes , 1. With a seal of Demonstration , 2. With a seal of Confirmation . The seal of Demonstration ; set by the Spirit of God , I call that a speciall work of the holy Spirit of God , whereby a sinfull soul is truly regenerated , and the Image of God stamped upon him . The seal of Confirmation , I call that a speciall work of the holy Spirit of God within us , whereby we are perswaded and assured , after an immediate manner , that we are the children of God , adopted in Christ , and beloved with an everlasting love . Both these seales agree in their efficient cause , for they are both the speciall workes of the holy Spirit of God , whereby the soul is marked for , and assured of eternall happiness , when this life is ended . Of the first of these seales ( to wit ) the seal of Demonstration , I shall speak something from this Text , as God shall enable me ; and somewhat of the other ( to wit ) the seal of Confirmation from another Text , if the Lord permit , and so conclude this work . Before I speak further of this seal of Demonstration , or the appearances of it , I will here premise six things . First , That as a Merchant sets his seal upon his wares , by which he demonstrates such and such wares to be his , and distinguisheth them from all other ; so God sets his seal upon his people ( to wit ) this seal of regeneration , by which he demonstrates them to be his , and distinguisheth them from all the people in the world , profane , morall , hypocriticall : This I may call Gods broad-seal , sealing a soul to the day of redemption . Secondly , This seal God sets upon all his wares ; all his adopted children , are sooner or later sealed with this seal : every reall Saint , every one that is effectually called , hath this seal of Demonstration set upon him , regeneration wrought in him , Gods Image stamped upon him . But all the children of God have not this in like measure , the impression is not alike visible in all , neither to the parties themselves , nor to others ; some bear this impression , as babes ; others , as men grown up to some maturity ; all Gods adopted children bear this impression truly , but none of them perfectly in this life . The third thing premised is this , That this seal of Demonstration ( to wit ) true regeneration , is of absolute necessity unto salvation ; for , Without holiness no man shall see the Lord , Heb. 12.14 . No man shall ever inherit the kingdome of glory , that hath not this seal set upon him in the kingdome of grace . Christ will own none of these wares for his , in that other world , whom he doth not thus seal in this world , it stands not with his justice to own such . The fourth thing premised is this , That this seal of regeneration demonstrates to God , to man , to others , and to a mans self , except in some * cases , that he is Gods ; He hath chosen us in him , before the foundation of the world , through sanctification of the Spirit , and belief of the Truth , 2 Thes. 2.13 . Fifthly , This seal of regeneration , is such as others may discern ; therefore I call it , a seal of demonstration : The Image of God , if once stamped in truth upon the soul , cannot be hid no more , than fire in a mans bosome ; the love of God in the heart , will shew it self in the outward man ; Nay , this seal of regeneration is many times more obvious unto others , than unto the parties themselves : This seal is so lively stamped on some of Gods people , that it shews it self very eminently in the eies of others , when they that have it , cannot , nor will not , behold it in themselves . The sixth and last thing premised is this , That this seal of regeneration , whereever it is truly stamped by the holy Spirit of God , is Gods mark , and the soules earnest for Heavens eternity ; The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself , Psal. 4.3 . The person thus sealed is a sequestred person , sequestred for the Lords use , sealed unto the day of redemption ; Where note , That this seal of regeneration , doth confirme and make sure the love of God unto the person on which it is set , as well as the other , though not alwayes to the apprehension of the person . Object . But Satan doth many times counterfeit this seal , and thereby cheats and cosens many a soul ; He counterfeiteth holiness , and perswades the soul , that is but seemingly regenerate , that he is truly regenerate ; and him that hath but civill holiness , that he hath saving holiness ; and by this sophistry of his , cheats and undoth many a soul ; How shall I then come truly to discern , whether the demonstrative seal , set upon my self , be indeed the seal of the holy Spirit of God ▪ or but the counterfeit set by Satan ? Answ. 1. Wheresoever there is true regeneration wrought by the holy Spirit of God , Satans seal , which is upon our soules , as we come into the world , is cancelled , corruption is not barely restrained , but mortified ; The body is dead , because of sinne , as the Scripture speaks ; the soul is bent against every sinne , it allows not it self in any known sinne , it hates all sin , but where Satan counterfeits this seal , corruption is but restrained , the heart loves it still , and cherisheth some one sinne or other . 2. The soul ●hus sealed by the holy Spirit of God , beares the Image of God , the Image of God is stamped upon it ; as the seal is , so is the print which it makes ; the Spirit of God is a holy Spirit , and the soul that is sealed by it is a holy soul : He is renewed in the spirit of his mind ; Holiness is stamped upon his heart and spirit ▪ and from thence spreads it self through the whole man , and through the whole life ; from the time of conversion , regeneration , wrought by the Spirit of God , makes the heart pure and holy , as well as the outward man ; therefore the Apostle calls it , Holiness of truth , Ephes. 4.24 . and saith in another place , The Spirit is Life , because of righteousness . Christ makes it a note of a good man , that he can derive goodness from within , Luk 6 45. Therefore I may safely pitch upon it , That Holiness engraven upon the heart and spirit of a man , and from thence , declaring it self in the whole man , and in the whole life , is vigor fit and but fit to give the denomination of a soul thus sealed ; regeneration wrought by the Spirit of God is begun in the inward man ; it is universall , and goes through every faculty of the soul , and every part and member of the body , through the whole life and conversation ; he that is truly sanctified , is sanctified throughout , and holy in all manner of convers●tion ; he that is sealed by the holy Spirit of God , beares the Image of God in all these . But Satans counterfeit seal of Demonstration , stamps his own image ; he is seemingly an Angel of light , whilest really a Devil ; and he that is thus sealed by Satan , resembles him in this , he is a seeming Saint , a reall Devil ; So Christ spake of Iudas , Have not I chosen you twelve , and one of you is a Devil ? He that is thus sealed by Satan , hath Holiness painted on his outside , but wickedness graven on his heart , as is evident in the Scribes and Pharisees , who were thus sealed by Satan ; they were outwardly holy ( as Christ shews at large , Mat. 23. ) but inwardly very ugly and rotten , and therefore calls them , whited sepulchres , not sealed soules . Civill Holiness may , and many times doth enable a man to carry himself civilly , and holily in the eies of men ; but saving Holiness makes a man studious , and carefull to approve himself unto God , in his very thoughts and affections , and in the motions of his heart , as well as the motions of the outward man ; yea , this is that which he is most carefull of , and industrious about , that is sealed by the holy Spirit of God , his chief work is within doors ; his principall care , desire and endeavour , is to approve his heart unto God , and so walk , that he may be accepted of him , and glorifie him . Then again , civill Holiness springs from morall principles , good education , and the like ; but saving Holiness springs from love : love to God is the root out of which it springs , as the Apostle shews , Eph. 1.4 . The soul that is thus sealed by the Spirit of God , his Holiness springs from love to God , The love of Christ constraineth him thereunto . The soul that is thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God , dares not sunder what God hath coupled together ( to wit ) Holiness towards God , and Righteousness towards men : a man truly regenerate , is carefull of both , witness Paul , Act. 24.16 . He makes conscience of all sinne , and of all duty ; he warrs against all sinne , and hath r●spect unto all Gods Commandments . The soul thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God , is one in whom sinne dwelleth as a Rebell , and ruleth as a Tyrant only : He is one that is of all men the most sensible of , and affected with carnallity in himself ; I am carnall ( saith he ) sold under sinne , Rom. 7. He is one that serves the Lord , with all humility of mind , Act. 20.19 . The more holy , and the more righteous a soul sealed by the holy Spirit of God is , the more humble he is ; Christ and Paul were notable examples of this . He that is thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God , is a world-overcoming creature , a flesh-overcoming creature , and a Devil overcoming creature ; He is more than a Conquerour ( over all these ) through Christ that hath loved him , and sealed him by his Spirit . He is one that is a new Creature , and of this something hath been already spoken in this Treatise , to which I refer the Reader , for a farther discovery of a regenerate person . In fine , He that is thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God , is one that holds on his way , and grows in grace . I joyn these together , so doth Iob , The righteous shall hold on his way , and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger , Job 17.9 . This seal of the holy Spirit of God , hath this priveledge , above and beyond all other seales , the impression which it makes remaineth and increaseth . This seal of Demonstration , if once truly stamped , by the Spirit of God , on a soul , abideth there , the impression never weares out ; This annointing abideth , as Iohn speakes , 1 Ioh. 2.27 . Truth of grace in the heart , and it abideth there , and the heart abideth in the truth ; When God gives a man truth of grace , he gives it him , to have and to hold for ever ; the soul thus sealed beares in it the marks of the Lord Jesus unto the death , and most eminently after death in glory ; This seal of the holy Spirit of God is lasting , and everlasting ; True regeneration , seales a man to the day of redemption , but this it could not do , were it not a lasting substance . This may suffice to discerne the reality of this seal of Demonstration by ( to wit ) true regeneration , and to distinguish it from that counterfeit set by Satan ; I do not intend an innumeration of the qualifications and appearances of a regenerate person here , but only endeavour to discry him , and distinguish between him , and one but seemingly regenerate , and therefore strik● 〈◊〉 , and proceed to the other seal of the holy Spirit of God , ( to wit ) the seal of Confirmation , mentioned before , and for this purpose shall pitch upon ; Rom. 8.16 . Spirits witness with our spirits . Rom. 8.16 . The Spirit it self , beareth witness with our spirit , that we are the children of God. THis is the last , but not the least evidence , that a child of God hath in this life , for Heave●s eternity ; of this ▪ I ●ay say , as David said of 〈◊〉 sword , There is none like that , give it me ; There is no testimony to that of the Spirit of God , witnessing with our spirits , to satisfie conscience , to resolve all doubts , remove all scruples , and end all controversies , about our eternall estate . When the Spirit of God beareth witness with our spirit , that we are the children of God ( to wit , ) by grace and adoption , the soul then enjoys heaven upon earth , and hath meat to eat , that the world knoweth not of ; It is sealed unto the day of redemption , indeed with a seal of Confirmation , and it knoweth that it is so . The Spirit it self , beareth witness with our spirit , that we are the children of God : Hence it is evident . That no mans own spirit , can truly ass●re him , of the love of God towards him , nor ● his adoption , unless the Spirit of God concur , and bear witness with his spirit , no more than a mans own Deed or Seal , can assure him of what is delegated or assigned unto him by another . Neither is it the Spirit of God alone , simply and singly considered , that doth this , but it is the Spirit of God concurring with our spirits , the Spirit bearing witness with our spirit , that doth assure us of the love of God , and our adoption . When the Spirit of God by a speciall work of his upon our soules , convinces them of the speciall love of God towards us , of our Justification , and Sanctification , and we by faith assent thereunto , then doth the Spirit bear witness with our spirit , according to the meaning of this Text ( as I conceive ) then is the soul sealed unto the day of redemption , with a seal of Confirmation . And this is that seal , which I am now to speak of , and that which this Text points at ; This may be called Gods privy seal , sealing a soul unto the day of redemption ; Of this seal the Apostle speakes , Eph●s . 1.13 . In whom after ye believed , ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise , &c. Before I speak of the appearances of this seal of the Spirit of God , I shall here note two or three things . This seal of Confirmation , God sets upon some of his people , but this he doth not set upon all his people ; the Spirit of God doth ●hus bear witness with our spirits in some of Gods children , but it doth not thus bear witness with our spirits , in all Gods children . Neither doth it thus bear witness , at all times in those in whom it doth at some : the Scriptures afford frequent examples of this . 2. This testimony or witness of the Spirit of God , in whomsoever it is , proceedeth from , and dependeth on free grace , and is a token of royall favour , to whomsoever it is granted ; it is Christs golden Scepter held up to the soul. 3. This seal or testimony of the holy Spirit of God , though it be the ratifier of our Redemption , and Salvation in our hearts , yet it is not the meritorious cause of it , neither is it absolutely necessary unto salvation . 4. This seal of the holy Spirit of God , on whomsoever it is set , is an earnest , and but an earnest , of that inheritance , which he shall one day be possessed of , with the adopted children of God in heaven : This is evident by the language of the Apostle , Eph. 1.14 . Obj. But Satan doth sometimes coun●erfeit this seal too , he perswades the soul , that it is in a good condition , and highly favoured of the Lord , and draws the soul to presume upon it , when as it is indeed in the very gall of bitterness , and bonds of iniquity : How shall I then discern a true and well-grounded perswasion , and the testimony of Gods Spirit , from a presumptuous concei● , and the Devils delusion . Answ. We must try the Spirits , try the testimony that we have ( if any , ) so saith the Apostle , 1 Ioh. 4.1 . Believe not every Spirit , but try the Spirits , whether they are of God. Object . But how shall I do that ? How shall I try the testimony that I have , whether it be of God or no ? Answ. By the rule of faith , the written word of God , as the Lord directeth , Isa. 8.20 . Luk 16.29 . The written word of God ( to wit ) the holy Scriptures , is the only true touch-stone that we have , to try the Spirits , and their testimony by . And it affirms , First , That a true testimony of the holy Spirit of God , is ever agreeable , and exactly answerable unto the written word of God : Gods witnesses do never disagree in their testimony , the word of God , and the Spirit of God speak the same thing ; As a pair of Indentures do exactly answer one another , so doth the testimony of the Spirit of God , exactly answer to the testimony of the word , the word of God and the Spirit of God speak the same thing ; To the law , and to the testimony , saith the Lord , if they speak not according to this word ▪ it is because ther● is no Life in them , Isa. 8.20 . He●ce it is evident , That if the written word of God , do not concur with the testimony that thou hast , that testimony is not the testimony of the holy Spirit of God , but a meer delusion of Satan , a dead and counterfeit thing ; it is not a sealing unto the day of redemption , but a sealing unto the day of destruction . Secondly , The word affirms , that whosoever is sealed by the holy Spirit of God , with this seal of Confirmation , is first sealed by him with a seal of Demonstration ; this seal of the holy Spirit of God is not an antecedent to , but a subsequent of the other seal of Demonstration , it doth not precede , but follow after faith and sanctification ; In whom after ye believ●d , ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise , saith the Apostle , speaking of this seal , Eph. 1.13 . Hence it is evident , That a man is first a true believer , he hath first a true faith , a true and reall interest in Christ ; He is justified , and sanctified , and made a new Creature , before thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God. Here I desire the Reader to note two or three things . First , That it is a true believer only , that is capable of this seal of the holy Spirit of God , He that believeth on the Sonne of God hath the witness in himself , 1 Joh. 5.10 . He only that believeth aright , hath this witness of the Spirit of God in himself , he only that hath a justifiing faith , is thus sealed by the Spirit of God. Secondly note , That this testimony of the Spirit of God is one of the kisses of Christs mouth , which the Church prayes for , Cant. 1.2 . But Christ doth not thus kiss and embrace his Children , when they be all filthy and nasty , he doth first cleanse them by his blood , and by his Spirit , justifie them and sanctifie them , renew and heavenlize them . Thirdly note this , That the Spirit , and the water and the blood , do concur in their testimony , where the Spirit of God doth be●r witness , so saith the Scripture , 1 Ioh. 5.8 . There are three which bear witness in the earth , the Spirit , and the water and the blood , and these three agree in one . Fourthly note , That the blood and the water may , and sometimes do , bear witness , where the Spirit of God doth not thus bear witness with our spirits , that we are the adopted children of God : But the Spir●t of God doth never thus bear witness , where the blood , and the water do not bear witness . Christs blood doth satisfie for sinne , and his Spirit cleanse from sinne , wheresoever his Spirit doth thus bear witness ; He therefore that thinks he is sealed by the Spirit of God with a seal of Confirmation , and yet is not sealed with the seal of Demonstration , is but deluded and bewitched by Satan , and in a fools Paradice . In the third place , whomsoever the holy Spirit of God doth seal , with a seal of Confirmation , whomsoever he doth assure of the fatherly love of God towards him , he doth qualifie with the disposition of a son ( to wit ) love to his heavenly Father , fear of offending him , desire , care , and endeavour to walk before him in all wel-pleasing , obeying his voice out of love , mourning for its offences , and depending on God its heavenly Father for all things . The soul thus sealed apprehends much love in God , and this generates much love in it towards God again , and the things of God ; this , saith this soul , is no common favour , but a singular ; all of my Brethren eat not of this bread , wear not this raiment ; this is Benjamin's portion , and it calls for much love from me , much filial fear and care , more duty and better done . And hence it comes to pass , that this soul grows not careless and fearless , but more carefull and conscionable in duty , and tender of doing any thing that may displease God , grieve the holy Spirit of God , whereby he is sealed ; quench the motions thereof , or cause him to suspend his testimony . The soul thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God , is never better pleased with it self , than when it can weep over Christ , whom it hath pierced , and find Christ bleed over it ; it is never well , but when in this frame , it desires nothing more than such a frame of spirit , as cannot look upon sinne , but it sighs for sorrow , nor upon its Saviour , but it smiles for joy . When Christ thus imparts himself to the soul , this soul speaks to Christ , as God once spake to Abraham , Now I know that thou lovest me , seeing thou hast not with-held from me , thy sonne , thine only sonne , whom thou lovest , said God to Abraham : So saith this soul to Christ , now I know that thou lovest me , seeing thou hast not with-held from me this grace that is so lovely in thy sight , but when it cannot find Christ thus present with it , it is troubled . Fourthly , The soul that hath this seal , or testimony of the Spirit of God , hath a spirit of prayer ; in whomsoever the Spirit of God is a Spirit of adoption , he is also a Spirit of supplication ; whomsoever the Spirit of God doth assure of the fatherly love of God towards him , he enables to cry Abba , Father , and maketh request for him with unutterable Rhetorick ; he enables the soul to pour it self forth to God , in supplication and thanksgiving ; this is evident by Gal. 4.6 . Rom. 8.15 , 26. The soul thus sealed by the Spirit of God , longs after , and delights in , approaches to God , and God approaches to it in all his holy Ordinances ; Let me see his countenance , let me hear his voice , saith the soul thus sealed , for sweet is his countenance , and his voice pleasant , it delights to meditate on , and walk with its God , it doth not leave off duty , but performs it more conscionably and spiritually . In the fift place , sound assurance produces fruitfullness ; the soul that is by the Spirit of God , assured of the grace and favour of God towards it , is usu●lly the fru●tfullest in righteousness , as is ev●dent by the language of the Apostle , Col. 1.6 . After the Colossians knew the grace of God in truth , they were more fruitfull in righteousness , than ever . Sound assurance of the love of God , produces care and industry , in the work and wayes of God , as is evident by the language of the Apostle , 2 Cor. 5.1 , 8. We know , we are confident , saith he of himself , and other Believers ; and what follows ? Therefore we labour , that whether present or absent , we may be accepted of him , ver . 9. These mens assurance produced not carelesness and sloth , but care and industry , and it is the property of good assurance so to do . This condemns that Popish Tenet , That assurance of salvation is the destroyer of all piety and charity . And it condemns that assurance that is fruitless or careless . In the sixt place , Sound assurance produces joy , 1 Pet. 1.8 . Faith of evidence and joy , are inseperably united , they are Twins born at once , and if assurance die , joy dies with it ; In whomsoever the Spirit of God is a Spirit of Confirmation , he is a Spirit of Consolation ; the soul that is assured of the love of God towards it , cannot but rejoyce in it ; spiritual Consolation doth not spring so naturally from any thing , as it doth out of the witness of the Spirit ; joy may be ( I mean some kind of joy ) where assurance is wanting , but assurance never goes without joy , spirituall joy . There is a generation ( as Solomon tels us ) which in the midst of laughter , their heart is sad ; and there is a generation , which in the midst of sadnesse , their heart rejoyceth ; And those which are thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God are they , such is the power of sound assurance , that it will make ( I mean instrumentally ) the heart to joy , whilst the outward man sorrows ; it will fill the heart , with joy unspeakable , and full of glory , whilst the outward man is filled with shame and contempt ; yea ▪ sound assurance is for the most part , then strongest , and shews it self with most vigor and light somenesse within , when the greatest damp of outward discomforts , lye upon the person , and the world most frowns upon him , or persecutes him , for his frowardnesse and faithfulnesse , in the cause of God. When Paul and Silas had much cause to sigh , for their usage amongst men , they then sang and rejoyced , Act. 16.25 . When the Apostles did suffer shame for Christ , then did they most rejoyce , Act. 5.41 . When the People of God were spoiled of their goods , and spoiled in their persons , then did they rejoyce ; and whence sprang their joy in this disconsolate condition , but from their assurance ? They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods [ knowing ] that they had in Heaven , a better , and induring substance , Heb. 10.34 . Assurance of Gods favour , produceth joy according to its measure and degree , assurance of hope , produceth joy , assurance of faith , produceth more joy ; The riches of the full assurance of understanding , most of all . The joy that springs from assurance , is a heart strengthening joy , a life lenghtening joy , and a joy that no man can take from us , it is a soul inlarging , a shame despising , a God-glorifying , a world-overcoming , and a sin-overcoming grace . In the seventh place , Sound assurance produceth humility ; this seal of confirmation , when set by the Spirit of God , doth work the soul to more humility of mind , then usually is in others ; The Apostle Paul is a notable instance hereof , he was thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God , when he said , I am perswaded that neither Death nor Lfe , Angels , Principalities , nor Powers , nor any other thing , shall be able to separate me , from the Love of God , which is in Christ Iesus our Lord ; and then did be serve the Lord with all humility of mind , and with many tears , as himself saith , Act 20.19 . Sound assurance is heart-humbling , heart-molifying . Sound assurance , leaves not the soul without a holy jelousie of it self , nor without a Christian watch ; This is evident in the Apostle Paul , Rom. 8.38 , 39. compared with 1 Cor. 9.26 , 27. I am perswaded ( saith he ) that neither Dea●h , nor Life , nor any other Creature , shall be able to separate me from the Love of God , &c. Yet was he not hereby taken off from , but rather incited to a holy jealousie of , and watchfulnesse over himself and all his wayes , as appears by the forecited place . Sound assurance , and holy jealousie may well stand together ; and he whose assurance is void of holy jealousie and watchfulnesse , hath great cause to be jealous of his assurance . Sound assurance is not the destroyer , but the Nurse of holy jealousie and watchfulnesse ; Neither is holy jealousie an enemy to , but a preserver of sound assurance . In the ninth place , Sound assurance works the heart to more contempt of the world , and the things of the world , then others usually attain to , and it doth mightily quicken and spur forward the soul to more holinesse , hatred of sinne , and zeal , and courage in the cause of God ; Moses and Paul are pregnant examples of this ; of the effects of this seal in Moses , we may read in Heb. 11. v. 24 , 25 , 26 , 27. Exod. 32.31 , 32 and in Paul , Phil. 3. v. 7 , to 15. Act. 20. v. 19 , to 25. In the tenth place , Sound assurance will bide the trial , and it is willing to be tried ; it shuns not the light , but comes to the light , that its reality might be made manifest . Sound assurance is not usually injoyed long without some buffetings of Satan ; the soul that is t●us sealed by the Spirit of God , hath u●ually some thorne in the flesh , some messenger ( or other ) of Satans to exercise it , and humble it : thus it was with the Apostle Paul , when thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God , as appears by 2 Cor. 12.7 . and thus it is with other of the Children of God , who are thus sealed by the Spirit of God , as each mans experience will witnesse ; to this I set a probatum est . Sound assurance of the Love of God , makes the soul long for the full fruition of it ; this seal of the holy Spirit of God , moves the soul nothing more , to desire to be dissolved , to be with God ; how long , Lord ? saith this soul , come Lord Iesus , come quickly : I have a desire to depart , and to be with Christ , saith a soul thus sealed , Phil. 1.23 . The soul thus sealed by the Spirit of God , longs to be with God , yet labours to wait patiently for him , all the daies of his appointed time ; Iob was thus sealed by the Spirit of God , when he said , I know that my Redeemer liveth ; he was assured that Christ was his Redeemer , and he longed to be with him , yet patiently waits for him , not a day or two , but all the daies of his appointed time , Iob 14.14 . He that presumeth , many times makes more haste , than good speed ; But he that beleeveth maketh not haste . Finally , He that is thus sealed by the Spirit of God , is also led by the Spirit of God , ( mark that ) He is led by the Spirit of God , after a speciall manner , As many as are led by the Spirit of God , they are the Sonnes of God , saith the Text , Rom. 8.14 . so many as are led by the Spirit of God as a sanctifier , ( and no more , have good ground to conclude ) they are the Children of God , by this rule of the Apostle , and so consequently to conclude , That the testimony that they have of their adoption ( if any ) is the testimony of the Spirit of God. Having thus briefly spoken of this feal of confirmation , set by the Spirit of God , and severall appearances of it , I shall here desire the Reader to take notice . That this seal of confirmation , on whomsoever it is set by the Spirit of God , is usually the resolution of many doubts , the blessing of many prayers and teares , the fruit of a strong and well grounded faith , or the rich reward of long patience in suffering evill , for doing good and eschewing evill , or the victory and triumph of a sore spirituall warre , or the fragrant flower of a well-dressed garden , the rich crop of a well-manured field , or the Pearl purchased , with the adventure of all the glory and Crown , of high degrees in grace and holinesse , the blessing of much acquaintance with , and experience of the Word and Waies of God , and exact walking therein , the begining of Heaven upon earth , a cordiall to keep from fainting under some great burden , the frui●ion of sweet submission unto Christs yoke , or a stock put into our hands by God , for some great after-trading for God , in doing or suffering : In a word , it is the most secret , sweet , and soul-ravishing manifestation of the Love of Christ , that the Spouse of Christ is capable of on earth . This is that hidden Manna , and new name mentioned ▪ Rev. 2.17 . which no man knoweth , ●ut he that hath it . This Christ promised to his Church , in the day of her sufferings for his sake , as a speciall means to support her under , and carry her through , and above all the troubles , that she should meet with in the world for her close cleaving to his Word and Will , At that day ( saith he ) ye shall know , that I am in the Father , and you in me , and I in you , John 14.20 . Having spoken somewhat of the signs and demonstrations of these seales of the holy Spirit of God severally : I will only add a word or two concerning such signs and effects , as are proper to them both , joyntly considered , and so conclude this Manuscript . The soul that is thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God ( to wit ) with the seal of demonstration , and the seal of Confirmation . 1. Doth earnestly long , and desire to be more sealed ; He or she , that hath truth of grace , doth earnestly long for , and indeavour after , more grace , higher degrees of grace ; He still presses towards the mark , Phil. 3.13 . He prayes for , and indeavours after , what Christ hath promised , in the name of the whole Trinity to give , Cant. 1.11 . Borders of gold , with studs of silver , augmentation of all grace . The soul that is by the Spirit of God , perswaded and assured of the Fatherly Love of God , counts not that it hath enough , but longs still to be more and more confirmed in it ; the tast that it hath of the sweetnesse and goodnesse of this wine , makes it long to drink deeper of it , and to desire flaggons of it , Cant. 2 5. The sweetnesse , strength and comfort which the soul finds in , and by the apprehension of the Love of God , makes it long and labour to apprehend it more : Paul was assured of the Love of God , and he did exceedingly desire , and labour to apprehend it more , as will appear by Rom. 8.38 , 39. compared with Phil. 3.12 , 13. The apprehension of the Love of God , doth not satiate the soul , but whets it , and sets appetite upon it ; and hence it comes to passe , That 2. The soul that is thus sealed by the Spirit of God , highly prizes all those means , Ordinances , and Instruments of God , whereby it came to be thus sealed , and industriously , and conscionably uses them , for the carrying on and perfecting of this work begun in it : The soul thus sealed by the Spirit of God , knows experimentally , that it is but whilst the King sitteth at his Table , as the Church speaks , Cant. 1.12 . that his spicknard sendeth forth the smell thereof ; but whilst Christ continues his powerfull presence in his holy Ordinances , and his speciall spirituall presence in the soul , that grace doth thrive , or send forth any good savour , by thoughts , words , or deeds , and therefore it longs earnestly after , and prayes fervently for all these , as that which is the life of its life , and the soul of its soul , the Chariot of the Spirit , whereby he descends into our hearts and carryes them up to Heaven . He knows ex●er●mentally that all helps , publique and private , are little enough , to keep this seal faire unto the day of Redemption , and therefore slights none , but carefully and conscionably uses all that God affords him . He knows that he is never the neer for that priviledg of free accesse to the Throne of grace , that Christ hath purchased for us , unlesse he make use of it , and therefore leaves not off praying ; he finds experimentally , that he is little or nothing the better for the publique meanes ( at least in heart ) unlesse he duly and conscionably use all private helps too ; and therefore , as one sensible of his own wants and weaknesse , and the Spirits worth and sweetnesse , he waits for the movings of the Spirit at all these pooles . But contrary wise , the Soul in which Satan counterfeits these seales of the Spirit of God , when it is once thus sealed by him , is many times ready to say as Esau , I have enough ; and with Laodicea , I am rich , and increased with goods , and have need of nothing , neither Grace , Ordinances , nor Ministers ; leaves Manna , and loaths it , declines and deserts the Ordinances , Churches , and Ministers of Christ , and fals off from , or ( at least ) grows cold and customary in duty , which evidently demonstrates it to be Satans seal , and not the seal of the holy Spirit of God , that is upon it . 3. The soul thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God ▪ obeys the truth of God , as it is discovered unto him by his Word and Spirit , in his Ministers ; and he that doth not apply himself to do this , and yet thinks himself sealed , is but bewitched , his testimony that he hath , is but a bewitching , as the Apostle intimates , Gal. 3.1 . Whosoever therefore thinks himself sealed by the holy Spirit of God , with a seal of demonstration , and with a seal of confirmation , and yet doth not these three things , is deceived , and deceiveth his own heart ; it is Satans seal , and not Gods , that is upon him ; his sealing is a sealing to the day of destruction , not a sealing to the day of redemption . Having finished what I promised , I shall now draw to a conclusion of the whole , and shall conclude this thus . Having travelled through the holy Scriptures , and seached the Records thereof ▪ to see what I might find therein , that might intitle me to the inheritance of the Saints in Light , I have taken notice of divers remarkable places of Scripture , very helpfull for this purpose , some of which I have studied industriously , according to my poore ability , and through the help of my gracious God , have acquired some comfort and satisfaction thereby in this weighty matter of evidence : what the Lord hath been pleased to impart unto me , in this weighty matter . I have committed to writing for my own present and future benefit , and that I might leave it for a Legacy to my Children after me , which having done , I commit this work , and the Reader of it to the blessing of God , through Jesus Christ. Trin. Vni Deo Gloria . AN APPENDIX , To the Foregoing Discourse . Containing certain rules to be observed by every Person , that hath attained any good assurance of the Love of God , and his own salvation , and desires to retain it . FOrasmuch as assurance of the Love of God , and a mans own Salvation , is a pearl of great price , hard to be gotten , but quickly lost ; and being once lost , harder to be regained , than gotten at first , as many examples in Scripture shew , and many Christians experience will tell them ; I think it necessary , both for my own behoof and the Readers , to adde to this little draught of evidence , some few rules of Direction to be observed , for the keeping of this precious jewel , when it is once attained ; but before I mention them , I desire the Reader to take notice of four things , First , That although a Christian , which hath once a true and real interest in Jesus Christ , cannot lose his inheritance , nor misse of salvation , yet he may lose his evidence ( I mean his assurance of it ) and feare himself to be but an Hypocrite , and a lost Creature , and Satan labou●s above all things , to rob him of his evidence , whom he cannot rob of his inheritance . Secondly note . That evidence of our interest in God and Christ , is a gift of Gods free grace , and it dependeth upon Gods free Will ; I do not remember any particular promise in the Bible , that God hath made ( ordinarily ) to give this blessing of assurance unto his people , or to continue it unto them alwayes , unto whom he gives it ; on whomsoever God bestows this grace of Assurance , it is over and above what he hath covenanted with his People to give them ; and I call it ( a gift of free grace ) in this respect ; God gives this blessing at pleasure , and he may take it away at pleasure ; we hold it as Tenants at will , and when the Lord pleaseth , he may reverse his grant , or suspend his favour . Thirdly , That God usually , ( I do not say alwayes ) continues this blessing , or suspends it , according to the use or abuse of it ; God varies his carriage towards the Creature in respect hereof , as the Creature varies its carriage towards him ; though Gods Love towards his People be alwayes the same , yet his discov●ries of it are not alwayes the same ; though the Spirit of God be alwayes a leader to his People , yet be is not alwayes a witnessor to them ; the Spirit of God many times suspends his testimony from those , to whom he continues his guidance . Fourthly , It behooveth every one therefore , to whom the Lord vouchsafeth this royall favour , to study how to carry himself , so that he may still enjoy it , this hath been my work and indeavour ever since the Lord hath vouchsafed me any sence of his Love , and evidence of my interest in Christ , for this purpose I have propounded to my self , and shall here briefly commend to the Reader , these rules , which follow . 1. Having once gotten any good assurance of the Love of God , and thy own salvation , thus do ; Lay up this Jewell safe in the Cabbinet of a tender Conscience . 2. Set a guard about it , guard it with the feare of God , and spirituall watchfulnesse ; In the feare of the Lord is strong confidence . * Therefore be thou in the feare of the Lord all the day long ; All the day of thy life , all thy life long ; and labour to keep a constant , spirituall watch over thy heart , over thy whole man and thy whole life . a What I shall say more concerning this subject , I shall conclude in two sorts of rules ; the first , Negative , The second , positive ; The Negative rules are these . Peace being spoken to thy soul , take heed of doing any thing that should infring or interrupt it , take heed of returning unto folly ; Take heed of relapsing into any sinne ; this rule the word prescribes , on this very ground , b beware therefore of returning unto former , or like offences . Beware of eating , touching or looking after forbidden fruit ; all sinne is forbidden fruit , therefore take heed of it , and the first motions thereunto ; Remember Adam and Eve , who were by their externall senses led to eat of that fruit , which God had forbidden them to eat , or to touch , and thereby lost that sweet communion with God , which they had before , and that influence of his grace , which they had and might still have had , had they not eaten of that fruit . Shun all sinne , hate and abhor all sinne , especially scandalous sinnes ; remember Reuben and David ; Reuben by one scandalous act , loft his priviledg , and David by one scandalous act lost his evidence . Take heed of secret sinnes , allow not thy self in , give not way to any secret sinne , for these often interpose between God and the soul , between the Sonne of Righteousnesse , and the soul , and eclyps the light of Gods Countenance , and the bright beames , and ra●es of the Sun of Righteousnesse from us , Thou hast set our iniquities before thee , our secret sinnes in the light of thy Countenance , saith the Psalmist , Psal. 90.8 . therefore beware of these . Take heed of sinning against l●ght , against any light ▪ naturall , morall , or Divine : Sin not presumptiously . Take heed of backsliding in heart , in profession or in practise , from the truth of God , or power or form of godlinesse . Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines , they are very unsetling ; But beware lest ye be led away with the error of the wicked , and fall from your own stedfastnesse , as the Scripture speaks . Take heed of abusing lawfull things , meate , drink , marriage , apparell , Christian liberty , and the like ; take heed of abusing any of these , by unlawfull use of them ; The Creature , as it is empty of what it promiseth , so it is inticing and insnaring with what it hath , and therefore had need to be warily used , or it may soone be abused , and the abuse of it , grieve the holy Spirit of God , and cause him to suspend his testimony , and God to hide his face from thee . Take heed of preferring the injoyment of any thing , before the injoyment of God in Christ , and communion with him , or equalizing any thing with it . Take heed of despising , slighting , neglecting , or formall using of ordinances , or holy duties . Take heed of melancholly . I mean , that humour which is properly so called ; give not way to it , feed not thy self with it . Take heed of carnal-confidence , Put no confidence in the flesh , nor in any inherent thing ; seek not after righteousnesse in thy self , to justifie thy person before God , or build upon . Take heed of unnecessary diffidence , and f●aggering at the promises of God through unbelief , and neglecting thy watch . Take heed of spiritual pride ; it is an ill flower springing out of a good stemm , it often breeds contention between God and man , and brings men into fits of a spiritual falling sickness , wherein they lye like dead men , and only fome out their own sh●me , therefore beware of it . Take heed of grieving the holy Spirit of God , Grieve not the holy Spirit of God , whereby ye are sealed to the day of Redemption ; By slighting his testimony , or doing any thing contrary and disagreeing to his will. Thus much of the first sort of rules ▪ which are purely negative , and respect things to be avoided , by him that would keep his evidence : I shall now speak of the 2. sort of rules , which respect things to be done , by those that having attained some good Evidence for Heaven , desire to keep and retain it . 1. If thou wouldest keep thy assurance ▪ labour to walk worthy of it , to be thankfull for it , and give God the glory of it ; we sorfit many blessings by our ingratitude , and God often takes that from us , the glory of which we do not freely give to him . 2. If thou wouldest still keep thy assurance , walk humbly with God , and walk humbly with man , in the enjoyment of it . 3. If thou wouldst keep thy assurance , labour to follow the counsel of the Apostle , Eph. 4.17 . Ye hence forth w●lk not as other Gentiles walk , in the vanity of their mind , &c. ye that have obtained of the Lord , such a choise favour as this ; ye which know in some measure , what it is to enjoy God , and communion with him ; ye that have some ●ssurance of an inheritance that fadeth not away , walk not in the vanity of your minds , nor after the vanities of the world , as others do that n●ver had such a jewell , as this , bestowed upon them . But see that ye walk circumspectly , not as fools , but as wise , redeeming the time , as the Scripture directs , E●hes 5 15 , 16. labour to walk exactly with God , and exactly with men , and redeem the time by improving of it ; Walk worthy of God , as we are bid , 1 Thes , 2.12 . 4. If thou wouldest still retain thy Assurance , practice that good thou dost know , be careful of all duty towards God , and towards man , in every relation wherein thou standest , and not only of the matter of duty , but also of the manner of performing it . 5. If thou wouldst still retain thy assurance , take upon thee Christs yoke : follow Christs steps , and labour to walk according to Christs rule in every thing . Labour to be strong in the Lord , and in the power of his might . Put on the whole armour of God , that ye may be able to stand against the wiels of the Divell : above all , take the shield of faith , wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked , Ephes. 6.10 , 11 , 16. 7. If thou wouldest still retain thy assurance , study the grounds of thy assurance ( viz. ) the promises of God : study their freenesse , their latitude , their stability , their Author , and his faithfulnesse , and study thy interest in the promises , and labour to live upon the promises . 8. In the eight place , If thou wouldst still retain thy assurance , rest not satisfied , with any measure of assurance attained , but still la●our to increase thy assurance ; count not thy self to have attained , or to have apprehended assurance enough , but forget what is behind , and reach forth to that which is before ; follow after more , Presse towards the mark , as the Apostle did , Phil. 3.12 , 13 , 14. Labour for increase of assurance ; Labour for the riches ( for all riches ) of the full assurance of understanding , as the Scripture speaks * Labour to apprehend the breadth , and length , and depth , and heighth of the Love of God , and to know the Love of Christ , which passeth knowledg , to be filled with all the fullnesse of God , as the Scripture speaks , Eph. 3.18 , 19. Quest. But you will say , How shall I do this ? what may I do to increase my assurance , and better my evidence ? Answ. If thou wouldest increase thy assurance , and better thy evidence , thou must do these eight things . 1. Thou must diligently and conscionably continue to use all those means and ordinances , for the increasing of thy assurance , which thou didst use for the getting of it , and labour to be made better by those meanes thou usest . 2. Labour to grow up into Christ the head , from whom all the body , by joynts and bands , and all our graces by participation of his fulnesse , have nou●ishment ministred unto them , and increase with the increase of God. 3. Dye daily unto sinne , and live unto righteousnesse , Labour to be more like God and Heaven daily , if thou wouldest have more assurance of thy interest in God and Heaven . 4. In the fourth place , if thou wouldest increase thy assurance , stir up the gift of God , that is in thee ; exercise and act grace , Labour to grow and increase in grace , to be strong in grace , in all grace ; but especially in the grace of faith ; He that increaseth knowledg ( saith Solomon ) increaseth sorrow ; so he that increaseth faith increaseth assurance . 5. In the fifth place , If thou wouldest still injoy thy assurance and increase it , then labour to improve the assurance thou hast , be it more or lesse , to the glory of God , thy own and thy brothers good ; They that improved their Talents , had a continuance , and an increase of them , whilst h● that improved not his Talent had it taken from him . 6. In the fixth place , If thou wouldest increase thy assurance , diligently follow every good work ; Labour to be fruitfull in every good work . 7. Then again , If thou woulde●● increase thy assurance , use well the office , place , calling , and relations , which God hath set thee in ; This is the way to attain great boldnesse in the faith , as is easie to be gathered , from the Language of the Apostle , 1 Tim. 3.13 . 8. Finally if thou wouldest increase thy assurance , pray for the increase of it ; urge God with that general promise , Mat. 25.29 . for the obtaining of this particular blessing of increase of assurance . Thus much for answer to the foresaid query , ( viz ) what we must do to increase our assurance and better our evidence . I return now to the work in hand , which is to propound more rules to be observed by those , who having attained some good evidence for Heaven , desire to retain it ; I have already propounded eight rules , I come new to the ninth . 9. If thou wouldst still retain thy assurance , then labour to keep a holy jealousie over thy self , and over all thy performances , and wayes ; holy jealousie is no destroyer , but a nourisher and strengthener of good assurance . 10. If thou wouldest still injoy thy evidence , then labour to profit by all Gods chastisements ; God many times deserts his People , and hides his face from them , because they do not profit by lesser Chastisements ; he useth greater rods , because lesser will not serve the turn : Labour therefore to discern Gods design in every stroke of his , and to answer Gods ends in every correction . 11. In the next place , If thou wouldest still injoy thy assurance , then call thy selfe often to account , and when thou espiest any failings in thy selfe , speedily humble thy self before the Lord for them , renew Faith and Repentance , seek pardon and reconciliation , apply the Blood of Christ for thy cure , let not Conscience lye under the guilt of any known sinne unrepented of ; If our hearts condemne us not , then have we confid●nce towards God , 1 John 3.21 . Labour therefore so to try , judge and condemn thy selfe that thy heart may not condemne thee ; Labour so to act Repentance upon every occasion , that conscience may not find any guilt unrepented of , to charge thee with ; Labour to prevent conscience herein , by doing that thy self now , that it would do hereafter , by being such a self condemning sinner , that thou maiest avoid a self-condemning conscience : He that is not a self condemning sinner here , shall be sure of a self condemning Conscience hereafter ; Therefore O Christians ! Iudg your selves , that you be not judged of the Lord ; condemn your selves , that you be not condemned of conscience ( at least not justly . ) 12. L●t your Conversation be such , as becometh the Gospell of Christ , in simplicity and godly sincerity : This was ground of confidence and rejoycing to the Apostles , 2 Cor. 1.12 . it may be so to thee , nay it will be so to thee , whiles conscience speaks truth . 13. Cast thy self wholly upon the merit of Christ for righteousnesse , to justifie thy person before God. 14. Stand fast in the Lord , labour to keep the faith ; Paul saith , I have kept the faith , and hence infers , Henceforth there is laid up for me , a crown of righteousness , 2 Tim. 4.7 , 8. 15. Then again , If thou wouldest keep thy Evidence . hold fast ( not only ) the faith , but also the profession of thy faith , without wavering , as the Author to the Hebrews exhorts all Christians to do , Heb. 10.23 . 16. In the next place , If thou wouldest still retain thy assurance , then pray for the continuance of it , and live for the continuance of it ; follow the counsell of Christ to his Disciples , watch and pray , that ye enter not into Temptation . 17. Remember that the foundation of God standeth sure , and his gifts of saving grace are without repentance , and his love towards his , is an everlasting love . 18. Finally if thou wouldest still retain thy Evidence for Heaven and secure it from danger , from Satan , and all his devices , then intrust Jesus Christ with it who purchased it for thee ; he and he only , is able to secure it . Thus much for the rules to be observed by every one , that having attained some good Evidence for Heaven , desire to preserve and retain it . Now the Lord of his infinite mercy in Christ , inable me so to follow these rules , and all the rules of his holy Word , that I may never know experimentally , what a deserted condition is , but still enjoy the light of his countenance , and the sence of his Love , and in death triumph over death , in assurance of life and happinesse that shall never end , that Christ may be magnified in me , both in Life and in Death , and of me through all eternity . Amen , Amen . FINIS . Courteous Reader , these Books following are Print● or sold by Simon Miller , at the Star in St. Pauls Church-yard . Small Folio . THe Civil Wars of Spain in the Reign of Charles the fifth , Emperor of Germany , and King of that Nation , wherein our late unhappy differences are paralleled in many particulars . A general History of Scotland , from the year 767. to the death of King Iames , containing the principal Revolutions and transactions of Church and State , with politicall obseruations , and reflections upon the same : by David Hume of Godscroft . The History of this Iron Age. Doctor Lightfoot his Harmony on the New Testament . In Qarto Large . Barklay his Argenis Translated by Sir Robert le Grise Knight . Quarto Small . Abraham's faith ; or the good old Religion , proving the Doctrine of the Church of England to be the only true faith of Gods Elect ; By I. Nicholson Minister of the Gospell . The Anatomy of Mortallity : by George Stroad . Aynsworth , on the Camicles . Paul Bayn , his Diocesans Trial. Gralle against Appolonius . A Treatise of Civil Pollicy ; being a clear decision of 4● . queries , concerning prerogative right and priviledg , in reference to the supreme Prince and the people : By Samuel Rutherford professor of Divinity of St Andrews in Scotland . Politick and Military observations of Civill and Military Government , containing the birth , increase , decay of Monarchies , the cartiage of Princes and Magistrates . Mr. Tinchin his meritorious price of mans redemption cleared . A●●rology Theologized , shewing what nature and influence the Stars and Planets have over men , and how the same may be diverted and avoided . The Harmony of Confessions . 4o. Octavo . Florus Anglicus with Cuts , The reconciler of the Bible , wherein above 2000 , seeming contradictions are fully and plainly reconciled . A view of the Jewish Religion 〈◊〉 their Rites , Customes , and ●●●emonies . Ed. VVaterhouse Esq his dis●●rse of piety and charity . A view and defence of the Re●ormation of the Church of England , very usefull in these times . Mr. Peter du Moulin , his Antidote against Popery ; published on purpose to prevent the delusions of the Priests and Jesuites who are now very busie amongst us . Herberts Devotions , or a Companion for a Christian , containing Meditations and Prayers , usefull upon all occasions . Mr. Knowles , his Rudiment , of the Hebrew Tongue . A Book of scheams or figures of Heaven ready set for every foure minutes of times , and very ●seful for all Astrologers . Florus Anglicus , or an exact Hi●tory of England , from the reign of V●illiam the Conqueror , to the death of the late King. Lingua , or the combate of the Tongue and the five Senses for superiority : a serious Comedy . The Spirits Touchstone ; being a clear discovery how a man may certainly know whether he be truly taught by the Spirit of God , or not . The Poor mans Physitian and Chirurgion . The Idol of Clowns . The Christian moderator in 3. parts . The Golden Fleece , or a discourse of the cloathing of England Duodecem . Doctor Smith's practice of Physick . The Grammer War. Posselivs Apothegmes . Faciculus Florum . Crashaw's Visions . Helvicus Colloqu●es . The Christian Soulder , his combate with the three arch enemies of mankind , the world , the flesh , and the devil . In 24. The New Testament . The third part of the Bible . Plaies . The Ball. Chawbut . Martyr'd Souldier . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A31952-e190 Is. 50. ●0 . Iob 13.15 . 2 Pet. 1.10 . Laetitia bonae c●nscientiae est Paradisus animarum , gaudium Angelorum , Hortus delicia rum ●ger benedictionis , Templum Solo monis , Aula ●ei , Habitaculum Spiritus Sancti . Bernard . Eph. 4.30 . Eph. 1.14 . Ioh. 16.7 . Rom. 8.16 . Mat. 21.1 . 2 Cor. 12.9 . Socratis Historia . li. 1 ca 16. Act 18.24.26 . Rom 16.23 . Phi. 4.2 , 3 Rom. 16.1 , 6 , 12. Notes for div A31952-e1530 Con 1. Con. 2. Con. 3. Quest. Answ : Rule . 1 ▪ Joh. 16 . 2● Iosh. 2.12 . The second Rule . Jer. 17.9 . Iob 28.14 , 15. Cant. 1.8 . In the use of all means . 2 Pet. 1.10 . Isa. 7.9 . Iohn 3. Ioh. 16.27.29 . Rom. 8. Phil. 2 . 1● a Heb. 6.11 . b Heb. 10.22 . c Col. 2.2 . d 1 Tim. 3.13 . e Eph. 1.18 . f 2 Pet. 1.10.11 . Rule 3. g 1 Cor. 2.10 . Ro● 8.16 . Rule 4. Rule 5. A true beleever only is capable of assurance . Isa. 57.15.66 , 2. Labour to do thy duty . Isa. 32.17 . Act. 7.55 . Hab. 12.14 . Mat. 5.8 . Rule . 6. Rule 7. 2 Pet. 1.5 , 6 , 7.3.18 . Luk. 6.47 , 48. Rule 8. 1 Can. 13. Notes for div A31952-e3630 Quest. Answ. He that is in Christ , chosen in him before the foundation of the World , Eph. 1.4 . Object . Answ. Note . Thi● Union is 〈…〉 b●t Mystical . As an inward sanct●fier . Renewing grace is the earnest of the Spirit . Th● donation or ●●mmunication of this grace by the Spirit of God is the inward and effectuall call of God , whic● demonstrates our election . By this Faith Ch●ist dwels in our hearts . Christ is become the end of the law for righteousness to every true believer , Rom. 10.4 . All that believe aright , are justified from all sinn , Act. 13.39 . Rom. 3.26 . Believers do eater in●o rest , Heb. 4.3 . Although a reprobate may have Faith and divers kinds of Faith yet he never hath this Faith. Note . Quest. Sol. Justifying Fai●h described . Property , 1. a Cant. 5.10 . b Ps. 45.2 . c Cant. 5.16 . d Cant. 2.3 . e Cant. 5.16 . f Cant. 1.2 . g Ps. 63.3 . h Psal. 73.25 . i Phil. 3.7 , 8 , 9. Job 23.8 , 9. Job 13. ●6 , 27. ver . 15. 2 Sam 2. 2 Kin. 2.4 . The Holy Ghost originally as the Author , Faith instrumentally as the meanes sanctifieth . 2 Cor. 12.7 , 8. Good Faith is full of good Workes 13. Property . Faith ove●cometh not at once , but by degrees , it is still overcoming , and at length overcometh . 1 S●m . 3.18 . Note . Luk. 17.5 . Mark. 9.24 . Ioh. 8.31 . Matt. 24.13 . Col. 1.23 . Note . Iob 19.28 . 1 Iohn 3.8 , 19. Psal. 145.20 . a Prov. ● . 17 . b 1 Ioh. 4 19. c 1 Ioh. 3.23 , 24. d 1 Ioh. ● . 16 . Ibid. v. 12. 1 Ioh. 4.7 . e 1 Ioh. 3.14 . Ioh. 13.34 , 35. Quest. Answ. Sincere Love to God , What. Mat. 22.37 . Prop. 2. He that loves God aright , loves him for himself . f 1 Pet. 1.3 . ● Cor. 5.14 . It makes a man tender of offending God. Gen. 39.8 , 9. 1 Sam. 24.4 , 5 , 6. Ps. 97.10 . Psal. 119.127 , 128. Note . g Ioh. 14.23 . h 2 Ioh. 6. 1 Ioh. 2.5.1 , 5 , 3. Dan. 3.12 , 18. Act. 4.19 . 1 Ioh. 5.3 . Psal. 119 158 Psal. 51.4 . Psal. 38. Psal. 4.6 , 7. Cant. 1.2 . i Psal. 4● . 2 . k Psal. 63.1 , 2. l Phil. 1.23 . m Rev. 22.20 . Note . n 1 Ioh 4.16 o 1 Cor. 13.8 . He that fears God aright , feates him for nought , 〈◊〉 the lan●●●ge of ●●can concern●ng 〈◊〉 ●●●●mates , Io● 1.9 . so he that loves God aright , loves him for nought . p Phil. ● . 12 . q Psal. 63 ▪ 8. & v. 1. r Cant. 3.1 , 2. s Joh. 20.1 . Mat ▪ 28.1 . Ubi amor , ibi oculus . Cant. 5.10 . to the end . Cant. 8.7 . Exod. 32.19 , 20. Act. 17.16 . &c. Note . 2 Sam. 12 No●e . Mat. 24.12 . Therefore Ioshua and Iude exhort us to look to our love , Iosh. 23.11 , 12. Iude v. 21 Note . As we thri●e in love , so we th●ive in all grace that iss●es out of love . Note . This was Peter's c●se . Note . 1 Joh. 4.20 . Sincere love to man , what . 1 Ioh. 5.2 . Note . a Col. 1.4 . b 1 Thes. 3.12 . c Mat. 5.44 . d Rom. 13.10 . e Prov. 3.29 . f 1 Cor. 13.5 . g Luk. 6.30 h 1 Ioh. 5.1 i 1 Pet. 2.17 . k Rom. 16.3 , 4. l Joh. 13 34 Mat. 10.8 . m Luk. 6.35 . n Rom. 12.16 . o 1 Thes. 3.12 , 13. 1 Joh 2.10 . p 1 Joh. 3.17 , 18. Jam. ● . 15 , 16. q Luk 3.11 . r Col. 2.2 . s Act. 4.32 . Prov. 10.12 . 1 Pet. 4.8 . It is an everlasting love . 1 Cor. 13.8 . * And is thereby distinguished from a carnall love , which oftentimes doth . Christian love and carnall love herein differ . Note . This me thinks is very observable . b Jam. 4.11 . c Gal. 5.15 . d Prov. 3.29 . e 1 Thes. 4. ● . f 1 Thes. 5.15 . g Prov. 24 29. h Exod. 20.16 . i Prov. 24 28. k Prov. 24 15. l Prov. 22.22 . m Prov. 24 17. n Levit. 19.17 . o verse 16. 1 Joh. 3.12 . * Gain was wicked , and slew his brother , yet was he not so impudent as to give God thanks for it , when he had done , much less did he call out Adam thereunto . Obadiah ver . 12 , 13 14. p Rom. 14.13 , 10 , 21. q 1 Cor. 10.32 . r Rom. 12.18 . s Eph. 4.31 . t 1 Joh 3.23 u Ioh. 15.12 . * 1 Pet. 3.8 . x Rom. 12.9 . y 1 Pet. ● . 22 . z 1 Ioh. 3.18 . a Ephes. 5.2 . b 1 Thes. 3.12 . c 2 Pet. ● . 18 . d Ephes. 4.15 . e Gal. 5.13 . f Heb. 13.1 . g R●m . 12.10 . h ver . 15. i Rom. 12 10. k 1 Pet. 3.8 . l Ibid. m Eph. 4.32 . 1 Tim. 6.18 . o Rom. 12.8 . p Gal. 6.2 . q Rom. 15.1 . r Act. 20.35 . s Col. ● . 13 . t Heb. 10.25 . u 1 Thes. 5.11 . * Col. 3.16 . x Heb. 10.24 . y James 5.16 . 1 Tim. ● . 1. † Matth. 5 . 4● . a Gal. 6.10 . b Rom. 1● . ●● ▪ c Luke 〈…〉 1. Matth. 7.12 . d 1 Thess. 5. ●● , 13. e Rom. ● 5. 1 T●●ss . 5.13 . f Lev. 19.16 . g 1 Cor. 10.24 . h Rom. 14.21 . i Rom. 15.2 . k Lev. 19.18 . Mat. 22.39 . l Lu 6.35 . m Lev. 19.17 . n Mat. 18.15 , 6. o Ib. v. 17. p 1 Cor. 5.11 . 2 Thes. 3.6 , 14. Mat. 18.17 . or in case of Heresie , 1 Tim. 6. v. 3 , 5. q Rom. 16.17 . r 1 Cor. 5.2 . s Ia. 5.16 . t Gal. 6.1 . u Phi. v. 12. * 2 Cor. 2.7 , 8. x Mat. 18.35 . y Luk. 17.4 . Mat 18 . 2●.22 . z Col ● . 13 . & Eph. 4.32 . Object . Answ. This , and no less then this , is vigor fit to give the appearance of a sincere Love. The Gospel joines Repentance and remission of sins toge●her , Luk. 2● . 47 . Act. 5.31 . Repentance unto salvation , 2 Cor. 7.10 . Note . Quest. Sol. Note . This is evident by the words in the proclamation of the King of Nineve Ion. 3.8 . Quest. Answ. It is for inward fins , as well as outward . Note . Luk. 1. Note . It makes the soul to justifie God in all his dealings , as appears by , Neh. 9.33 . Lam. 1.18 . Luk. 23.41 . Luk. 15.19 . Ezek. 16. Note . Eze. 6.9 . Ps. 51.4 . Hos. 14 2. Ps. 25.18 . Psa. 39 8. Psa 51.2 , 9. Note . Note . Psal. 4.6 . Cant. 1.2 . Psal. 4.7 . Psa. 63.1 . Psa 42.1 . Paul mourned for his sin after he was justified from his sinne . This is fruit fit , and but fit for real Repen●ance . Pro. 28.13 . 2 Chron. 7.14 . Isai. 1.16 , 17. Act. 3.19 . Ezek. 14.6.18.30 . 2 Cor. 7.10 . Ier. 24.7 . 1 Kin. 8.48 . * Gal. 2.20 . Love the Lord thy God , and walk ever in his wayes , are joyned together , Deu. 19.9 . Note . Deut. 30.2 . Act. 3.22 . Thus did Zacharias and Elizabeth obey God , Luk. 1.6 . Psal. 119.6 . a Ps. 119.72 . b Iob. 23.12 . c Act. 20.23 , 24. d Deut. 19.9 . Deut. 5.29 . Iohn 8.31 . e Ruth . 1.16 . f 2 King. 2. g 2 Sam. 2. ver . 19. to the 24. Note . 2 Cor. 8.12 . Eph. 3.8 . He tremble●h at the Word , when it is rightly applied , yea sometimes when it is wrongfully applied by Satan , Conscience , or M●n . D●n . 2.10 He thinks not the better of himself for what he doth or for what G●d doth by him . Ruth 1.21 . Lam. 1.13 . Luk 23 , 40 , 41. Rom. 7.24 . Heb. 10.14 . * 〈…〉 . 〈◊〉 . 〈…〉 When sin is sentenced to death and dying , then is it dead in Gods account , and in Scripture phrase . Note . Gal. 2.20 . Rom. 7.17 . Rom. 6.16 . The evill which I would not , v. 19. Note . Note . Caution . A Creature universally wed . The app●arances of a new Crea●ure . A new Creature doth not allow himself in any one known sin , nor in omit●ing any known duty . He is one that doth not follow after sin● , but after grace . * To clense himself from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit . 1 Ioh. 5.4 . a Numb . 14.24 . b 1 King ▪ 14 8. c Ruth 1.16 . d 2 Kin● 2. e 2 Sam. 2. ve● . 19 , to the 24. Jesus Christ formed in thee the first demonstration of thy new Creation . 1 Sam. 28.14 . & 13. The new man is renewed in knowledg Col. 3.10 . Renewing light ishumble , and humbling . Iob 24.5 , 6. 1 Col. 1.6 . Persons savingly inlightened , walk as Children of light . Eph. 5.8 . 2 Cor. 3.18 . Note . A new heart the second demonstration of a new Creature . Note . Note . The newness of the heart , consisteth not in the substance of it , but in the quality of it ; when the heart is made new , the substance is not altered , but the quality isaltered : A renewed heart , is in Scripture called a new heart . Job 19.28 . Such as the heart is , such is the man. A new heart , is in Scripture called by divers names , and set forth by divers properties , some of which I will here speak of , as God shall inable me . Note . Note . Note . Note . A heart wherein there is no guile reigning . Prov. 16.17 . Psal. 19.12 , 13. An uprightheart goes not after any known s●n , but p●●ys and fights against all sinne . Ps. 101.3 . Conscienciousin private duties , as well as exact in publique duties . An upright heart makes a man studious and carefull to walk uprightly . Psa. 29. ● . Psa. 63.1 . Ps. 53. ●6 . Hab 2.4 . Ps. 125.4 . This it doth , because God delightsin uprightness , more then in any other qualification . Iob 13.23 . Iob 16.19 . Iob 13.6 . Uprightnesse if once in the heart will never out . Iob 27.10 . Iob 15.33 . Iob 18.16 . Mat. 13.5 , 6. Iob 23.11 , 12. Hence it is that the Scripture calls for renovation in Spirit in professors of religion . Eph. 4.23 . The third demonstration of a new Creature is living in Christ and bringing forth fruit in him . Col. 1.10 . This he finds by experience . 1 Sam. 13.8 . Note . Luk. 6.45 . A new Creature is ●ne that doth not commit sin . This is his four●h demonstration . Therefore an unregenerate person is said to be the servant of sin . A regenerate person is not a servant of sin but a captive to the law of sin . He that is born of God doth not commit that sin unto death , the sin against the Holy Ghost . This body of death is worse to a new Creature , and this is his fifth demonstration . Iob 3 21. A new Creature minds the things of the Spirit , and is led by the Spirit , this is his sixt Demonstration . Psal. 4.6 . Ps. 63.3 Cant. 1.2 . Note . When a man may be said to be led by the Spirit . Note . Note . Nor at all times alike . Note . And according as the burdens which he goes under , beheavior or lighter . Note . A new Creature is one joyned to the Lord Jes●s Christ , and one Spirit with him ▪ This is his seven●h demonstration . A rege●ative and sensitive s●ul , is comprehended under a rationall , so is a joyning to Christ under a being in Christ. Ioh. 7.18 . Spi●i●uall P●i●st● Col. 2.12 . Note . Note . Job 19.28 . His goverment is spirituall , yet external and internall . Mat. 26.41 . Mark. 6.34 . Mat. 9.36 . Mat. 15.32 . Mat. 14.14.27 . Isai. 42.3 . Luke 23.34 . Act. 10.38 . Heb. 5.7 . Luk. 22.44 . Prov. 8.30 . Note . Thus from providences . 1 Cor. 11.32 . To them that love God. Cant. 1.5 , 6. G●n 32. Mic. 7.9 . Thus did Pauls bonds operate in him , Phil. 1.23 . Heb. 12.11 . Note . P●al . 89.30 , 31 , 32. Gospell-doctrine , Gospell-Discipline , Gospell-Conversation . Note . 1 Pet. 2.21 , 23. Divine patience , What ? a Ja. 1.2 . b Mat. 5.12 . c Lu. 6.23 . Divine joy , What ? Hab. 2.17 , 18. d Mar. 8.38 . e 1 Pet. ● . 16 . f 2 Tim. 1.8 . g 1 Pet. 3.14 . h Mat 10.26.28 , 31. Rev. 2. ●0 . i Cant. 1.9 . Note . Christian courage . k 1 Tim. 1.2 . Rom. 1.16 . l Dan. 3.18 . Thus did the three Children we read of in Daniel , declare their courage . Rom 2.7 . m Rev. 2.10 . n Mat. 24.13 . Perseverance . Not● ▪ o 1 Pet. 2.19 . I think it not fit here to define Conscience , and therefore will pass by that . Note . This Christ in●●●nated to Peter , Joh. 13 8. and plainly told Nicodemus , Joh. 3.5 . * Viz. In case of Ignorance , Temptation , Desertion . Such a seal was set upon those , mentioned Phil. 4.3 . whose names the Apostle judged were in the Book of Life . The saving graces of the Spirit , are called , The earnest of the Spirit , 2 Cor. 5.5 . Hates fin for its evil nature , and because God hates it . Eph. 4.23 . Saving Holiness springs from divine principles He is still figh●ing against these , and at last overcomes them all . Note . Note . Joh. 16.13 , 14 , 15. Note . All Gods adopted Children , have Hannah's portion , love , speciall love , but all of them have not Be●jamin's double portion ( to wit ) love , and the assurance of it ; This is a choice favour , a high priviledg . He hath the spirit ofprayer , though not the gift of prayer Note . Note . Sound assurance makes the soul to triumph over death the king of terrors , as appears in Paul , Rom. 8.38 39. & 1 Cor. 15.55 . Note . Some singular doing or suffering for God , or from God , by means of sin , or Satans or men . Notes for div A31952-e36880 * Prov. 14.26 . a Follow the counsel that Moses gave to Israel , Deut. 4.9 . Take bred to thy self , and keep thy soul with all diligence , &c. Negative Rules . b Ps 85 8. Sin not away thi● blessin● give not r●ines to any lust ; keep thy self from the accused 〈◊〉 ▪ 2 Pet. 3.17 . Remember that God never gave any man any qualification , how glorious soever to the end he should glory in it ▪ Gods People may often say of their pride , as Ieph●●●● did of 〈◊〉 daughter Alas my pri●e , thou hast brought me very low Walk according to the ruls of the Scripture . * 2 Col. 2. Labour to grow in grace daily . Mat. 25. Pray that the Spirit of God may still bear witnesse with thy spirit of Gods Love towards them . 
A67781	----	The tryall of true wisdom, with how to become wise indeed, or, A choice and cheap gift for a friend both to please and pleasure him, be he inferior or superior, sinful or faithful, ignorant or intelligent / By R. Younge ... ; add this as an appendix, or third part, to The hearts index, and, A short and sure way, to grace and salvation. Younge, Richard. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A67781 of text R39197 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing Y194). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 124 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 18 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A67781 Wing Y194 ESTC R39197 18266274 ocm 18266274 107266 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A67781) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 107266) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1138:29) The tryall of true wisdom, with how to become wise indeed, or, A choice and cheap gift for a friend both to please and pleasure him, be he inferior or superior, sinful or faithful, ignorant or intelligent / By R. Younge ... ; add this as an appendix, or third part, to The hearts index, and, A short and sure way, to grace and salvation. Younge, Richard. Younge, Richard. Hearts-index, or, self-knowledg. Younge, Richard. Short and sure way to grace and salvation. 35 p. J. Crump and H. Cripps, [London : 1658] Caption title. Errata: p. 35. Imprint suggested by Wing and NUC pre-1956 imprints. Imperfect: faded, with print show-through. Reproduction of original in the Union Theological Seminary Library eng Grace (Theology) Salvation -- Biblical teaching. Calvinism -- England. A67781 R39197 (Wing Y194). civilwar no The tryall of true wisdom; with how to become wise indeed. Or, A choice and cheap gift for a friend; both to please and pleasure him: be he Younge, Richard 1658 21132 25 0 0 0 0 0 12 C The rate of 12 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the C category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2005-08 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-09 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-10 Jonathan Blaney Sampled and proofread 2005-10 Jonathan Blaney Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-01 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE TRYALL OF TRUE WISDOM ; WITH How to become Wise indeed . OR , A Choice and Cheap Gift for a Friend ; both to please and pleasure him : Be he inferior or superior , sinful or faithful , ignorant or intelligent . By R. Younge of Roxwel in Essex , Floreligus . Add this as an Apendix , or Third Part , to The Hearts Index . And , A short and sure way , to Grace and Salvation . Section 41. LUcian tells of an Egyptian King , who had Apes taught ( when they were young ) to dance , and keep their postures with much art : these he would put into rich Coats , and have them in some great presence to exercise their skill ; which was to the admiration of such as knew them not , what little sort of active , nimble men the King had got : And such as knew them , thought it no less strange ; that they should be trained up to so man-like , and handsome a deportment . But a subtile Fellow that was once admitted to see them , brought and threw amongst them , a handful of Nuts : which they no sooner spied ; but they presently left off their dance , fell a scrambling , tore one anothers rich Coats ; and to the dirision of the beholders ( who before admired them ) they discovered themselves to be meer Apes . These ensuing Notions ( which I have purposely taken , as a handful out of the whole sack , to squander away amongst my acquaintance ) are such Nuts , as will discover not a few ( who are men in appearance , and their own opinion ) to be as wise , and well affected as Aesops Cock ; that preferred a barley Corn , before a Pearl : or Plinies Moal , that would dig under ground with great dexterity : but was blind , it brought into the Sun . Or Diaphontus , that refused his mothers blessing , to hear a song : Or the Israelites , who preferred Garlick and Onions , before Quails and manna . Men no more differ from Beasts , Plants , Stones ; in speech , reason , shape , than some differ from others , in heart , in brain , in life . Whence the very heathen Poets usually & most fitly compare some men to stones , for their hardness , and insensibleness ; others to plants , that only fill their veins ; a third sort to beasts , that please their senses too ; a fourth to evil Angels , that only sin , and cause others to sin ; a fift to good Angels , that are still in motion , alwayes serving God and doing good , yet ever rest . Again , Experience teaches , that mens judgements and censures are as various , as their pallats : For what one admires , another slights ; as is evident by our Saviours Auditors ; of which some admired , others censured , a third sort wept , a fourth scoft , a fift trembled , a fixt blasphemed when they heard him . And how should it be otherwise , when the greater part , are as deeply in love with vice and error ; as the rest are with vertue , and truth . When mens conditions , and constitutions vary as much ; as their faces . As the Holy Ghost intimates , in comparing several men , to almost every several creature in the Universe . Nor is the Epicure more like a swine , the Lustful person a Goat , the Fraudulent man a Fox , the Backbiter a barking Dog , the Slanderer an Asp , the Oppressor a VVolf , the Persecutor a Tyger , the Church-robber a wild Bore , the Seducer a Serpent , yea a Devil , the Traytor a Viper , &c. 2 Tim. 4 17. Luk. 13. 32. Phil. 3. 2. Psal. 22. 12 , 13 , 16 , 20 , 21. & 74. 13 , 14 , 19. & 80. 13. Matth. 23. 33. Dan. 7. 4 , 5 , 6 , &c. Zeph. 3. 3 , 4 , &c. Cant. 2. 15 , 17 , &c. then every of them is unlike another . Amidst such a world of variety , I have chosen to set forth , how one man differs from , and excels another in brain , and to prove , that to be wise indeed , is the portion but of a few , even amongst us . And this discovery alone ( as I deem ) will be richly worth my pains , and each mans serious Observation . Sect. 42. NOw all sorts of men , may be comprised , under one of these three Heads : The Sensual . Rational . Spiritual . For if you observe it , some men like the Moon at Full , have all their light towards earth , none towards Heaven : Others like the Moon at VVaine , or Change , have all their light to Heaven wards , none to the earth : a third sort like to the Moon in eclipse , as having no light in it self , neither towards earth , nor towards Heaven . Touching these three degrees of comparison , you shall find , that the one exceeds the other ( in wisdom ) as the stars exceed one another in glory . Of which particularly . First , There is no less difference , between the Rational and sensual , the wise and simple , the learned and unlearned , than there is between men and beasts ; as Menander speaks . Or between the living and the dead , as another hath it . And yet the Rational , do not so far excel the sensual , as the spiritual excel the rational . Sensual men are so be-nighted , and puzled with blindnes , that they know no other way than the flesh leads them . It is the weight that sets all their wheels a going ; the horses that draw their chariot , the very life of their corruption , the corruption of their life , without which they do nothing . The minds of brutish men , that have been ill bred , are so drowned in sin , and sensuallity ; and their spirits so frozen , and pitifully benumed with worldliness , and wicked customs , that they cannot judg aright , either of spiritual matters , or rectified reason . Yea , in matters experimental , they are of as deep a judgement as was Callico , who stuft his pillow ( a brass pot ) with straw , to make it soft . Or that Germain Clow● , who under-took to be very ready in the ten Commandments : but being demanded by the Minister which was the first ? made answer , Thou shall not eate . Or that simple fellow , who thought Pontius Pilate must needs be a Saint , because his name was put into the Creed . They are like the Ostrich , Job 9. 17. whom God hath deprived of wisdom , and to whom he hath given no part of understanding . Which men also , are so far from receiving instruction , that they will scorn and scoff at their admonisher . As they have no reason , so they will hear none . Nor will they believe any thing , but what they see , or feell : and he that learns of none but himself , hath a fool to his t●acher . Yea , such as refuse admonition , are by wise Solomon branded , for the most incorigible Fools alive ; so that their knowledge is ignorance , their wisdom folly , their sight blindness . They neither consider what reason speaketh , or Religion commandeth ; but what the will and appetite affecteth . For will is the axeltree , lusts and passions the wheels whereupon all their actions are carried and do run . Appetite being their Lord , Reason their servant , and Religion their slave . Whereas Religion should govern their judgement , judgment and reason their wills and affections ; as Adam should have done Eve . They that are after the flesh , do minde the things of the flesh : The carnal minde is enmity against God , for it is not subject to the law of God , neither indeed can be , Rom. 8. 5. to 9. And which leaves them without all hope of being wiser , they had rather keep conscience blind , that it may flatter them , than inform it , that it may give a just verdict against them , counting it less trouble , to believe a favorable falshood , than to examine whether it be true . So that it is impossible for fleshly minded men , to believe what sots they are , touching the good of their souls . Wherefore when we see the folly , and misery of those that serve sin and Satan , and how peevishly averse they are to their own eternal salvation , let us pity them , as being so much more worthy our commiseration , as they are more uncapable of their own misery . And so much of the First sort , namely , Sensuallists . Sect. 43. SEcondly , There is another degree of Knowledge , that is accrued or obtained , by education and learning , observation and experience , called natural or speculative knowledge , or reason improved . For humane learning , is as oyl to the lamp of our reason , and makes it burn cleerer : but faith and illumination of the spirit , more than doubles the sight of our minds ; as a prospective glass does the corporal sight , Matth. 16. 17. 1 Cor. 2. 7. to 17. Joh. 12. 46. For as the soul is the lamp of the body , and reason of the soul , and religion of reason , and faith of religion : so Christ is the light , and life of Faith , Joh. 1. 9. & 8. 12. Act. 26. 18. Eph. 5. 14. Christ is the sun of the soul ; reason and faith the two eyes : reason discerns natural objects , faith spiritual and supernatural . We may see far with our bodily eye sence , farther with the minds eye reason ; but farther with the souls eye faith than with both . And the Beleever hath the addition of Gods spirit , and faith above all other men . I am the light of the world , saith our Saviour , he that followeth me ( meaning by a lively faith ) shall not walk in darkness , but shall have the light of life , Joh. 8. 12. and more see two eyes than one : yea , the day with one eye , does far more things descry , than night can do with more than Argos eyes . So that as meer sense is uncapable of the rules of reason ; so reason is no less uncapable , of the things that are divine and supernatural , Jer. 10. 14. 1 Cor. 2. 14 , 15 , 16. Eph. 5. 8. And as to speak is only proper to men : so to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven , is only propper to believers , Psal. 25. 14. Prov. 3. 32. Amos. 3. 7. Now of natural and speculative knowledge , the wicked have as large a share as the godly : but of spiritual , experimental , and saving knowledge which is supernatural , and descendeth from above , Jam. 3. 17. and keepeth a man from every evil way , Prov. 2. 12. the wicked have no part with the godly . Whence all men in their natural condition are said to be blind and in darkness , Matth. 4. 16. & 15. 14. Eph. 4. 18 , 19. & 5. 8. Whereas believers , are called children of light , and of the day , 1 Thes. 5. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Nor is this kind of knowledge , any way attainable , but by Grace from above . No learning , experience , or pains in studdy and Books , will bring them to it , Ephe. 1. 17 , 18. & 3. 19. except they become new creatures , have hearts , eyes , and eares sanctified from above ; and that the holy Ghost becomes their teacher , Deut. 29. 2 , 3 , 4. Psal. 111. 10. Joh. ●● . 15. Rom. 8. 14 , 15. Nor is it saving knowledge that they seek after : For though many of them , be great seekers after knowledge , great pains-takers to become wise : yet it is not divine and supernatural knowledge , that they labor for , or desire . Indeed wisdom in the largest sense , hath ever carried that shew of excellency with it , that not only the good have highly affected it , ( as Moses who studied for wisdom ; and Solomon who prayed for wisdom ; and the Queen of Sheba who travelled for wisdom ; and David who to get wisdom , made the word his counsellor , hated every false way , and was a man after Gods own heart ) but the very wicked have labored for it , who are ashamed of other vertues ; as , O the pleasure that rational men take in it ! Prov. 2. 3 , 10 , 11. & 10. 14. Phil. 3. 8. Knowledge is so fair a virgin , that every cleer eye is in love with her ; it is a pearl despised of none but swine , Prov. 2. 3. 10. 11. ( whereas brutish and blockish men , as little regard it ) they who care not for one dram of goodness , would yet have a full scale of knowledge . Amongst all the trees of the garden , none so pleaseth them as the tree of knowledge . And as wisdom is excellent above all , so it is affected of all , as oyl was both of the wise and foolish virgins . It hath been a mark that every man hath shot at , ever since Eve sought to be as wise as her Maker : but as a hundreth shoot , for one that hitts the white : so an hundred aim at wisdom , for one that lights upon it , Eccles. 7. 28. because they are mistaken in the thing . For as Iacob in the dark mistook Leah for Rachael , so many a blind soul , takes that to be wisdom , which is not like Eve , who thought it wisdom to eate the forbidden fruit , and Absalom , who thought it wisdom to lye with his Fathers Concubines in the sight of all the people ; and the false Steward , who thought it wisdom to deceive his Master . And so of Josephs brethren , of Pharoah and his deep counsellors , of Achitophel , of Herod , of the Pharisees in their project to destroy Jesus ; and many the like . All these thought they did wisely , but they were mistaken , and their projects proved foolish , and turned to their own ruine . Sect. 44. BUt take some Instances , to prove that all sorts of Naturians are Fools , in comparrison of the Godly . I 'le begin with those that rep●●e themselves , and are reputed by others , the wisest amongst men : And they are your profound Humanists , and cunning Polititians , wherein you shall see , whether the most and greatest number are not grosly mistaken , in their opinions and verdicts touching Wisdom . First for profound Hamanists , a man would think that they were incomparably wise ; for none so thirst after knowledge and wisdom as they ; & to get it they are no niggards of their labor : nor do they leave any thing unstudied but themselves . They know all parts and places of the created world , can discourse of every thing visible and invisible , divine , humane and mundane ; whether it be meant of substances or accidents , are ignorant of nothing but the way to heaven , are acquainted with all Laws and customs , save the Law of God , and customs of Christianity ; they are strangers no where but in the court of their own consciences : Yea , they build as hard , and erect as high as did the Babel-builders ; but all to no purpose : they never come to the roof , and when they die they are undone . They spend all their time in seeking after wisdom ; as Alchimists spend all their estates , to find out the Philosophers stone ; but never find it ; they never attain to that , which is true wisdom indeed . For as the ragged Poet told Petronius , that Poetry was a kind of learning , that never made any man rich : so humane learning of it self , never made a wise man . As thus ( if I may be so bold ) what is it , or what does it profit a man , to have the etymologie , and derivation of wisdome and knowledge , without being affected with that , which is true wisdom indeed to be able to decline vertue , yet not love it ? to have the theory , & be able to prattle of wisdom by rote ; yet not know what it is by effect and experience ? To have as expert a tongue , and as quick a memory as Portius ; a perfect understanding , great science , profound eloquence , a sweet stile ? To have the force of Demosthenes , the depth of Thesius , the perswasive art of Tully , &c. if withal he wants Grace , and lives remissely ? With the Astronomer , to observe the motions of the heavens ; while his heart is buried in the earth ? to search out the cause of many effects , and let pass the consideration of the principal , and most necessary ? With the Historian , to know what others have done , and how they have sped ; while he neglecteth the imitation of such , as are gone the right way ? With the Law-maker , to set down many Lawes in particular , and not to remember the common Law of nature , or Law general that all must die ? Or lastly , with Adam to know the Nature of all the Creatures : and with Solomon to be able to dispute of every thing , even from the Cedar to the Hyssop or Pellitory ; when in the mean time he lives like Dives , dyes like Naba●● and after all goes to his own place with Iudas ? Alas ! many a Fool goes to hell with lesse cost , less pains , and far more quiet : that is but raw knowledge , which is not digested into practice : It is not worth the ●●me of knowledge , that may be heard only and not seen , Ioh. 13. 17 〈◊〉 . 4. 6. Good discourse is but the froth of wisdom : the sweet and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it , is in well framed actions : that is true knowledge , that makes the knower blessed . We only praise that Mariner , that brings the 〈◊〉 safe to the haven . What sayes Aristotle ? to be wise and happy are terms reciprocal . And Socrates , that learning , saith he , pleaseth me but a little , which nothing profits the owner of it , either to vertue , or happiness : And being demanded , Who was the wisest and happiest man ? He Answered , He that offends least . He is the best scholar , that learns of Christ obedience , humility , &c. He is the best Arithmetitian , that can add grace to grace ; he is the best learned , that knows how to be saved . Yea , all the Arts in the world , are artless Arts to this . Sect. 45. THe best knowledge is about the best things ; and the perfection of all knowledge , to know God , and our selves : Knowledge and learning , saith Aristotle , consisteth not so much in the quantity , as in the quality ; not in the greatness , but in the goodness of it . A little gold ( we know ) is more worth than much dross : a little diamond , than a rocky mountain . So one drop of wisdom , guided by the fear of God ; one spark of spiritual , experimental , and saving knowledge , is more worth than all humane wisdom and learning : yea , one scruple of holiness , one dram of faith , one grain of grace , is more worth than many pounds , of natural parts . And indeed Faith , and Holiness , are the nerves , and sinews ; yea , the soul of saving knowledge . What saith Aristotle ? No more than the knowledge of goodness , maketh one to be named a good man ; no more doth the knowledge of wisdom alone , cause any person properly to be called a wise man . Saving knowledge of the truth , works a love of the truth known : yea it is a uniform consent , of knowledge and action . He only is wise , that is wise for his own soul : he whose conscience pulleth all he hears , and reads to his heart , and his heart to God : who turneth his knowledge to faith , his faith to feeling , and all to walk worthy of his Redeemer . He that subdues his sensual desires and appetite , to the more noble faculties of reason , and understanding ; and makes that understanding of his to serve him , by whom it is , and doth understand . He that subdues his lusts to his will , submits his will to reason ; his reason to faith ; his faith , his reason , his will , himself to the will of God : this is practical , experimental , and saving knowledge ; to which the other is but a bare name , or title . A competnet estate ( we know ) well husbanded , is better than a vast patrimony neglected . Never any meer man ( since the first ) knew so much as Solomon : many that have known less , have had more command of themselves . Alas ! they are not alwayes the wisest , that know most : For none more wise and learned in the worlds account , than the Scribes and Pharisees : yet Christ calls them four times blind , and twice fools in one chapter , Matth. 23. And the like of Balaam , 2 Pet. 2. 16. who had such a prophetical knowledge , that scarce any of the Prophets , had a cleerer revelation of the Messiah to come . And the same may be affirmed of Judas , and Achitophel ; for many that know a great deal less , are far wiser . Yea , one poor crucified thief , being converted , in an hours time , had more true wisdom and knowledge infused into him , than had all the Rulers , Scribes , and Pharisees . It is very observable , what the High Priest told the Council , as they were set to condemne Christ ; Ye know nothing at all : he spake truer than he meant it ; for if we know not the Lord Iesus , our knowledge is either nothing , or nothing worth . Rightly a man knows no more than he practiseth . It is said of Christ , 2 Cor. 5. 21. that he knew no sin ; because he did no sin ; in which sense , he knows no good , that doth no good . These things if ye know ( saith our Saviour ) happy are ye , if ye do them , Joh. 13. 17. And in Deut. 4. 6. Keep the commandements of God , and do them : for this is your wisdom , and understanding before God , and man . What is the notional sweetness of Honey , to the experimental taste of it ? It is one thing to know what riches are , and another thing to be Master of them : It is not the knowing , but the possessing of them that makes rich . Many have a depth of knowledge , and yet are not soul-wise ; have a liberary of divinity in their heads , not so much as the least Catechisme in their consciences ; full brains , empty hearts . Yea , you shall hear a flood in the tongue , when you cannot see one drop in the life . Insomuch , that in the midst of our so much light , and means of Grace , there be few I fear , that have the sound , and saving knowledge of Jesus Christ , and him crucified , which was the only care , and study of St. Paul , 1 Cor. 2. 2. Sect. 46. ANd that I am not mistaken , the effect shews : For if men knew either God , or Christ , they could not but love him ; and loveing him , they would keep his commandments , Ioh. 14. 15. For hereby ( saith St. John ) It is manifest that we know him , if we keep his commandments , 1 Joh. 2. 3. But he that sayeth , I know him , and yet keepeth not his commandments is a lyar , and there is no truth in him , ver. 4. What saith our Saviour ? This is life eternal to know thee the only true God , and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent , Joh. 17. 3. But how shall a man know , whether he hath this knowledge ? Answ. St. John tells you in those last words mentioned , and so plainly , that you cannot be deceived , except you desire to deceive your own soul . The knowledge of God that saves us , is more than a bare apprehension of him ; it knows his power , and therefore fears him ; knows his justice , and therefore serves him ; knows his mercy , and therefore trusts him ; knows his goodness , and therefore loves him , &c. For he that hath the saving knowledge of God , or of Christ , hath every other Grace : There is a sweet correspondence between every one , where there is any one in truth : As in the generation , the head is not without the body , nor the body without each member , nor the soul without its powers and faculties ; so in the regeneration , where there is any one grace in truth , there is every one , 2 Cor. 5. 17. If you will see it in particulars , read Psa. 9. 10. Jer. 9. 24. 1 Joh. 4. 6. Joh. 4. 10. 1 Joh 4. 7 , 8. & 2. 3. Joh 42. 5 , 6. 1 Ioh. 4. 7. which Scriptures shew , that as feeling is inseparable to all the organs of sense ; the eye sees and feels , the ear hears and feels , the pallat tastes and feels , the nostrils smell and feel ; so knowledge is involved in every grace : Faith knows and believes , Charity knows and loves , Patience knows and suffers , Temperance knows and abstains , Humility knows and stoops , Repentance knows and mourns , Obedience knows and does , Confidence knows and rejoyces , Hope knows and expects , Compassion knows and pities . Yea , as there is a power of water in every thing that grows ; it is fatness in the olive , sweetness in the figg , cheerfulness in the grape , strength in the oak , taleness in the cedar , redness in the rose , whiteness in the lilly , &c. so knowledge is in the hand obedience , in the mouth benediction , in the knee humility , in the eye compassion , in the heart charity , in the whole body and soul , piety . Alas ! If men had the true knowledg of Jesus Christ , it would disperse and dispel , all the black clouds of their reigning sins in a moment ; as the Sun does no sooner shew his face , but the darkness vanisheth : or as Caesar did no sooner look upon his enemies , but they were gone : Egypt swarmed with locusts , till the west wind came , that left not one : He cannot delight in sin , nor dote upon this world , that knows Christ savingly . Vertue is ordained a wife for knowledg ; and where these two joyn , there will proceed from them a noble progine , a generation of good works . Again , as the water engendereth ice , and the ice again engendereth water ; so knowledg begets righteousness , and righteousness again begetteth knowledg . It is between science and conscience , as it is between the stomack and the head ; for as in mans body , the raw stomack maketh a thumatick head , and the thumatick head maketh a raw stomach ; so science makes our conscience good , and conscience makes our science good : Nor is it so much scientiae capitis , as conscientia cordis , that knows Christ and ourselves ; whence Solomon saith , Give thine heart to wisdom , Prov. 2. 10. and let wisdom enter into thine heart , Prov. 4. 4. And when he would acquaint us how to become wise , he tells us , that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom , Prov. 1. 7. as if the first lesson to be wise , were to be holy . Again , If it be asked , Why the natural man perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God ? Saint Paul answers , he cannot know them , because they are spiritually discerned , 1 Cor. 2. 14 and indeed if they are spiritually discerned , how should they descern them that have not the spirit ? For though the outward man receives the elements and rudiments of Religion by breeding and education , yet his inward man receiveth them by heavenly inspiration , 1 〈◊〉 2. 11 , 12 , 13. & 12. 3. 8. Matth. 16. 16 , 17. Deut. 29 2 , 3 , 4 , Psa. 111. 10. Luke 24. 45. Ioh. 15. 15. And this alone is enough to prove , that no wicked man is a wise man ; for if God alone be the giver of it , we may be sure that he will reveal his secrets to none but such as he knows will improve their knowledge to his glory , and the good of others : Even as the husband man will not cast his seed but into ground that will return him a good harvest , Psa. 25. 14. Luke 24. 45. Mark 4. 34. Gen. 18. 17. 1 Joh. 4. 7. Sect. 47. BUt would these men ( any one , even the best of them ) thus improve , or imploy their knowledge ? Or do they desire it to any such end ? No : but to some other end , as I shall in the next place acquaint you . Some men desire not to know , some desire only to know ; Or rather thus , Few men in comparison desire knowledge , fewer that desire divine and supernatural knowledge ; fewest of all that desire to be the better , or that others should be the better for their knowledge : More particularly , a world of men desire knowledg for no other end but to remove their ignorance ; as Pharach used Moses , but to remove the plagues . Others again study the Scriptures , and other good Books , only to make gain thereof ; or to be the abler to dispute and discourse , as boys go into the water , only to play and paddle there , not to wash and be clean . With Eve , they highly desire the tree of knowledg , but regard not the tree of life . As I would fain know , what fruit or effect the knowledge of most men produces in them , except it be to inable them to dispute and discourse , to increase wit , or to increase wealth , or to increase pride , or perhaps to increase Athiesm , and to make them the more able and cunning to argue against the truth and power of Religion ? Whether the utmost of their aim be not to enrich , dignifie , and please themselves ; not once casting the eye of their souls at Gods glory , their neighbors good , or their own salvation ? Whether their main drift be not purchasing of a great estate for them and theirs , with out either fear of God , regard of men , or the discharge of their duty and calling ? Again , whereas a godly man and a good Christian , thinks himself as happy in giving light to others , as in receiving it himself ; how many are there , who as themselves are never the better , ( I mean in regard of Grace ) for their great wisdom and learning , so no more are others ; for commonly they resemble dark Lanthorns which have light , but so shut up and reserved as if it were not : and what is the difference betwixt concealed skill , and ignorance ; It is the nature and praise of good , to be communicative , whereas if their hidden knowledge do ever look out , it casts so sparing a light , that it only argues it self to have an unprofitable being . And for the most part these men if they may be thought great Rabbies , deep and profound Schollars ; this is the hight of their ambition , though neither the Church be benefited , nor God glorified by it ; whereas they ought the contrary : for as the grace of God is the fountain from which our wisdom flows ; so the glory of God should be the Ocean to which it should run : yea , that God may be honoured with , and by our wisdom , is the only end for which he gives us to be 〈◊〉 : And for default of this end , he not seldom croffeth the mean● , whereby while men strive to expel ignorance , they fall into 〈◊〉 ; as an E●●●●rick to cure one Disease , causeth a worse . Briefly , to conclude this 〈◊〉 , So many as are pust up with their knowledge , or do not part with their sins , th●w that they never sought it for Gods glory , but for their own honour and glory . And certainly if we seek not Gods glory in doing his work , he will give us no wages at the latter end . Sect. 48. BUt for men to do no good with then gifts , is not all ; yea , it were well if that were the worst , for not a few of them resembl Achitophel , and Jonadab , who imployed their wit wickedly , and do mischief insteed of good with their wisdom : like Herod , when you shall see turning over the Bible , searching the Scriptures , examining the Prophets ; but to what end and purpose ? To know good , but to do evil : yea , the greatest evil under the Sun , slay Christ in the cradle : With many , their knowledge and learning is not for God and for Gideon ; but for Antichrist and for Babylon ; and so of all other gifts ; how many are the worse for them ? As give Saul a Kingdom , and he will tyrannize ; give Nabal plenty , and he will be drunk ; give Judas an Apostleship , and he will sell his Master for mony ; let Sarmantus have a good wit , he will exercise it in scoffing at holiness . Briefly , how oft doth wisdom without grace prove like a fair estate in the hands of a sool , which not seldom becomes the owners ruine ? Or Absoloms hair , which was an ornament , wherewith he hanged himself : So that wisdom without grace is nothing else but a cunning way of undoing our selves at the last . Many mens knowledge to them , being like the Ark to the Philistims , which did them more hurt than good : When their knowledge makes them prouder , not better ; more rebellious , not more serviceable ; as it is Isa. 47. 10. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge they have caused thee to rebel : And very often this falls out , that as the best soyl usually yieldeth the worst air , so without grace there is nothing more pestilent than a deep wit , no such prey for the Devil , as a good wit unsanctified . VVit and Iearning well used , is like the golden ear-rings and bracelets of the Israelites , abused like the same gold cast into an Idol ; than which , nothing more abominable . Now when it comes to this , That they fight against God with the weapon he hath given them ; when with those the Psalmist speaks of , Psal. 73. 9. They set their mouths against heaven , and are like an unruly Jade , that being full fed kicks at his Master ; what course doth the Lord take with them ? Answ. Read but that Parable , Luk 19. 24. Iob 7. 17. it will inform you : For to him that useth his Talent of knowledge well , he giveth more ; as to the servant that used his talents well , he doubled them : but to them that use not their knowledge well , much more if they abuse it , he taketh away that which he had formerly given them : as he took heat from the fire when it would burn his Children , Dan. 3. 27. As you 〈…〉 , Isa. 44. 25. 2 Thess. 2. 10 , 11 , 12. Iob. 7. 17. Psa. 111. 10. 1 Cor. 〈◊〉 15. Eccles. 2. 26. Prov. 28 5. Matth. 21. 43. Acts 26. 18 Isa. 29 14. & 44 25. & 6. 9 , 10. Dan. 2. 19. 23. Iob 5. 13 , 14. Iob 9. 39. & 12. 40. Rom. 1. 28. Ephe. 4. 18 , 19. 1 Cor. 1. 20. 2 Thess. 2. 10 , 11 , 12. turn to the places , for they are rare . I will destroy the Tokens of the Soothsayers , and make them that conjecture , fools : I will turn the wise men backward , and make their knowledge foolishness , saith the Lord , Isa. 44. 25. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness , and the counsel of the wicked is made foolish , Job . 5. 13. the case of Achitophel : And justly are they forsaken of their reason , who have abandoned God ; yea , most just it is , that they who want grace , should want wit too . And so much of abusing their gifts . Lastly , These great knowers and wise men are so far from desiring soul wisdom , and saving-knowledge to the ends before specified , that they do not at all desire it , for that it suits not with their condition . For Naturalmen desire only humane and mundane knowledge : Spiritual men , that which is heavenly and supernatural ; and the reason why they desire it not , is , for that they know it not . A man desireth not that he knoweth not , saies Chrisostome ; neither are unknown evils feared : wherefore the work of Regeneration begins at Illumination , Acts 26. 18. Coll. 1. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Now according as men are wise , they prize and value this wisdom , and endeavour to obtain it , Prov. 18. 15. For it is more true of divine wisdom , than it was of that Grecian beauty : No man ever loved her , that never saw her ; no man ever saw her , but he loved her . And so on the contrary , according as men are ignorant and blockish , they under-value and dis-esteem it , hate it , and are prejudiced against it : And hereupon carnal men being blinded by the Prince of darkness , together with their own wickedness , and being of a reprobate judgement , do most usually and familiarly term and esteem this soul-wisdom , this divine , spiritual , experimental , and saving-knowledge to be meer foolishness , or madness , Wisd. 5. 3. to 9. and the Professors thereof to be fools & madmen ; Elisha was counted no better , 2 King. 9. 11. and the rest of the Prophets , Hosea 9. 7. and Paul , Acts 26. 20. and all the Apostles , 1 Cor. 4. 10. Yea , our Saviour Christ himself with open mouth was pronounced mad by his carnal hearers , Joh. 10. 20. Mark . 3. 21. and this hath been the worlds vote ever since . The sinceer Christian was so reputed in Pliny's time , and after in St. Austin's time : yea , Julian the Pelagian could gibe St. Austin , that he had none of the wise Sages , nor the learned Senate of Philosophers on his side ; but only a company of mean tradesmen , of the vulgar sort , that took part with him : Whose Answer was , Thou reproachest the weak things of the world , which God hath chosen to confound the things that are mighty . To worldly men Christian wisdom seems folly , saith Gregory . And well it may , for even the wisdom of God is foolishness with the world , 1 Cor. 1. 18 23. therefore no disparagement to us his servants , if they repute us fools ; nor I think any honour to such sensualists that so repute us : However we will give them their due : For , Sect. 49. I Grant that in some kind of skill they out-strip the best of Gods People , who , if they are put to it , may answer as Themistocles did when one invited him to touch a lute ; for as he said , I cannot fiddle ; but I can make a smal town a great state : So the godly may say , We cannot give a sollid reason in Nature , why Nilus should over-flow only in the Sommer , when waters are at the lowest ? Why the Loadstone should draw iron , or incline to the pole-star ? How the heat of the stomach , and the strength of the nether chap should be so great ? Why a flash of lightening should melt the sword without making any impression in the scabbard ? Kill the Child in the womb , and never hurt the Mother ? How the waters should stand upon a heap , and yet not over-flow the earth ? Why the clouds above being heavie with water , should not fall to the earth suddenly , seeing every heavy thing descendeth ? Except the reason which God giveth , Gen. 1. 6. & Job 38 8. to 12. & 26. 8. Psal. 104. 9. But we know the mystery of the Gospel , and what it is to be born a new , and can give a sollid reason of our faith : we know that God is reconciled to us , the Law satisfied for us , our sins pardoned , our souls acquitted , and that we are in favour with God ; which many of these with their great learning do not know . And thus the godly are proved wiser than the wisest humanist that wants grace . You have likewise the reasons why these great knowers , know nothing yet as they might and ought to know : that is to say , First , Because they are mistaken in the thing ; they take speculative knowledg for soul wisdom ; & soul saving wisdom to be foolishness & madness . Now if a man take his aim amiss , he may shoot long enough ere he hit the white : and these men are as one that is gone a good part of his journey , but must come back again because he hath mistaken his way . Secondly , Because they are Unregenerate , and want the Eye of Faith . Thirdly , For that they seek not to God for it who is the giver thereof , and without whose spirit there is no attaining it . Fourthly , Because they are proud , and so seek not after it , as supposing they have it already . Fiftly , Because if they had never so much knowledge , they would be never the holier , or the better for it , but rather the worse ; nor would they imploy it to the honour of God , or the good of others . Sixtly , Because they either do , or would do mischief insteed of good with their knowledge . Seventhly , Because they will not consult with the word about it , nor advise with others that have already attained to it . Or thus , They read and hear the Scriptures and mind not , ( I mean the spirituallity of the word ) or mind and understand not , or understand and remember not , or remember and practice not . No , this they intend not of all the rest ; and they that are unwilling to obey , God thinks unvvorthy to know . When the Serpent taught knowledge , he said , If ye eate the forbidden fruit , your eyes shal be opened , and you shal know good and evil : But God teacheth another lesson , and saith , If ye will not eate the forbidden fruit , your eyes shall be opened , and you shall know good and evil , Rom. 12. 2. See Psa. 111. 10. & 119. 97 , 98 , 99 , 100. Or if you do eat it , you shall be like images that have ears and cannot hear , Rom. 11. 8. Isa. 6. 10. Matth. 13. 14. Psal. 115. 6. From all which Reasons we may collect , That there are but a few amongst us , that are wise indeed , and to purpose ; For these Seven Hinderances are applyable to seventy seven parts of men in the Nation . Besides , if these great knowers know so little , how ignorant are the rude rabble , that despise all knowledge ? Nor can it be denied but all impenitent persons , all unbelievers ( who prefer their profits and pleasures before pleasing of God ; as Herodias prefered John Baptists head before the one half of Herods kingdom , ) are arrant fools ; yea , fools in folio : For if they were wise , sayes Bernard , they would foresee the torments of Hell , and prevent them . And so wise are the godly , for they prefer grace , and glory , and Gods favour , before ten thousand worlds . Sect. 50. OBject . But here thou wilt say , ( or at least thou hast reason to say ) if there be so few that are soul-wise , I have all the reason in the world to mistrust my self ; wherefore good Sir , tell me how I shall be able to get ihis spiritual and experimental knowledg ? this divine and supernatural wisdom ? Answ. By observing these Five Rules : First , Let such a willing and ingenuous soul , resolve to practise what he does already know , or shall hereafter be acquainted with from the word of God and Christs faithful Messengers : For he that will do my Fathers will , sayes our Saviour , shall know the doctrine , whether it be of God orno , Joh. 7. 17. A good understanding have all they that keep the commandments , ( sayes holy David ) Psal. 111. 10. and proves it true by his own example and experience : I understood ( sayes he ) more than the Antient , and became wiser than my teachers , because I kept thy precepts , Psal. 119. 97 , 98 , 99 , 100. To a man that is good in his sight , God giveth knowledg and wisdom , Eccles. 2. 26. The spiritual man understandeth all things , 1 Cor. 2. 15. VVicked men understand not iudgment , but they that seek the Lord , understand all things , Prov. 28. 5. Admirable incouragements for men to become godly and consciencious ; I mean practical Christians . Secondly , If thou wouldest get this precious grace of saving knowledge ; the way is , to be frequent in hearing the word preached , and to become studious in the Scriptures , for they and they alone make wise to Salvation , 2 Tim. 3. 15. Ye err ( saith our Saviour ) not knowing the Scriptures , Matth. 22. 29. Mark 12. 24. We must not in the search of heavenly matters , either do as we see others do ; neither must we follow the blind guide carnal reason , or the deceitful guide our corrupt hearts ; but the undeceivable , and infallable guide of Gods word which is truth it self : and great need there is ; for as we cannot perceive the foulness of our faces unless it be told us , or we take a glass and look our selves therein : so neither can we see the blemishes of our Souls , which is a notable degree of spiritual Wisdom , but either God must make it known to us by his spirit , or we must collect the same out of the Scriptures , that coelestial glass ; though this also must be done by the spirits help . Therefore Thirdly , If thou wilt be Soul-wise and truly profit by studying the Scriptures , be frequent and fervent in Prayer to God who is the only giver of it , for the direction of his holy spirit : For first , humble and faithful Prayer , ushered in by meditation , is the cure of al obscurity . Especially being accompanied with fervor and fervency ; as you may see , Matth. 21. 22. If any lack wisdom , saith St. James , let him ask of God who giveth to al men liberally and reproacheth no man , and it shal be given him , Jam. 1. 5. Mark the words , it is said if any ; wherefore let no man deny his soul this comfort . Again , ask and have ; It cannot come upon easier terms . Yea , God seems to like this sute so well in Solomon , as if he were beholding to his Creature , for wishing well to it self . And in vain do we expect that alms of grace , for which we do not so much as beg . But in praying for Wisdom , do not pray for it without putting difference ; desire not so much brain-knowledg as to be Soul-wise , and then you will imploy your wisdom to the glory of the giver . Let thine hearts desire be to know God in Christ , Christ in Faith , Faith in good works ; to know Gods vvill that thou mayest do it ; and before the knowledg of all other things , desire to knovv thy self ; & in thy self , not so much thy strength , as thy vveakness : Pray that thine heart may serve thee insteed of a commentary , to help thee understand such points of Religion as are most needful and necessary , and that thy Life may be an ●●●●sition of thy invvard man , that there may be a sweet harmony betwixt Gods VVord , thy judgment , and vvhole conversation , that what the natural man knoweth by roat , thou mayst double by feeling the same in thine heart and affections . As indeed experimental and saving knovvledg is no less felt than knovvn ; and , I cannot tell how , comes rather out of the abundance of the heart , than by extreme study ; or rather is sent by God unto good men , like the Ram that was brought to Abraham when he would have Sacrificed his son Isaak . When Christ taught in the Temple , they asked , Hovv knovveth this man the Scriptures , seeing he never learned them ? So it is a wonder what learning some men have , that have no learning ! Like Prisilla and Aquila , poor Tent-makers , who were able to school Apollos that great Clerk , a man renovvned for his learning : What can we say to it ? For no other reason can be given but as Christ said , Father so it pleaseth thee : For as Jacob said of his venison , when his Father ask'd how he came by it so suddenly ? Because the Lord thy God brought it suddenly to my hands . So holy and righteous men do more easily understand the words of God , than do the wicked , because God brings the meaning suddenly to their hearts ; as we read , Luk. 24. That Christ ( standing in the midst of his Apostles after he vvas risen from the dead ) opened their understandings , that they might understand clearly the Scriptures , and vvhat vvas vvritten of him in the Lavv of Moses , and in the Prophets , and in the Psalms , vers. 44. 45. Lo how suddenly their knowledge came unto them ! But see what a general promise ( God in the Person of wisdom ) hatth made to all that serve him , Prov. 1. Turn you at my reproof , and behold I will pour out my spirit unto you , and make known my words unto you , vers. 23. And Psal. 25. The secrets of the Lord are revealed to them that fear him , and his covenant is to give them understanding , vers 14. These secrets are hid from the wicked , neither hath he made any such covenant with them but the contrary : As see , Dan. 12. 10. Unto you it is given to knovv the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven , but to others in Parrables , that they seeing should not see , and hearing they should not understand , Luke 8. 10 : Mark : 3 : 11 : Matth : 13 : 13 : Again , It is not enough to pray , except also it be in Christs name , and accrding to his vvill , believing to be heard for his sake , and that it be the intercession of Gods ovvn spirit in you : And ( being truly sensible of your sins and wants ) that you chiefly pray for the pardon of sinne , the effusion of grace , and for the assistance of Gods Spirit : that you may more firmly believe , more soundly repent , more zealously doe , more patiently suffer , and more constantly persevere in the practice and profession of every duty . But above all you must know , that as Sampsons companions , could never have found out his Riddle , if they had not plowed with his heifer : so no man can know the secrets of God , but by the revelation of his Spirit , 1 Cor. 12. 8. Mat. 16. 17. Yea , suppose a man be not inferiour to Portius , or Pythagoras , who kept all things in memory , that ever they had read , heard , or seen : To Virgil , of whom it is reported , that if all Sciences were lost , they might be found again in him : To Aben Ezra , of whom it was said , that if Knowledge had put out her candle , at his brain she might light it again ; and that his head was a throne of wisdome : or Josephus Scaliger , who was skilled in thirty Languages : Yet if he want the Spirit of God to be his teacher , he is a dunce to the meanest , and most illiterate believer . For one excellent , and necessary prerogative of the spirituall man is this ; he hath God for his teacher ; he learns the Counsels of God , of that spirit which onely knoweth Gods counsels , Luk. 21. 15. which is no small priviledge : for the scholar learns quickly , when the Holy Ghost is his teacher ; the Eye sees distinctly , when the Holy Ghost doth enlighten it . With the Spirits helpe , the meanes can never be too weake : without , never strong enough , Luk. 24. 44 , 45. Pro. 1. 23. § 51. Fourthly , Thou must get an humble conceit of thine own wisdome . The first step to knowledge , is to know our own ignorance . We must become fools in our own opinion , before we can be truly wise , as the Apostle sets it down , 1 Cor. 3. 18. And indeed , the opinion of our knowing enough , is one of the greatest causes of our knowing so little : For what we presume to have attained , we seeke not after . Yea , the very first lesson of a Christian is humility . He will teach the humble his way , Psalm . 25. 9. Jam. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. And he that hath not learned the first lesson , is not fit to take out a new . Pride is a great let to true wisdome : For God resisteth the proud , and giveth grace to the humble , Jam. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. Whence it comes to passe , that few proud wits are reformed , Iohn 9. 39. And for this cause also did our Saviour propound his woes to the Pharisees , his doctrines to the People . A heart full of pride , is like a vessell full of aire : This self opinion must be blown out of us , before saving knowledge will be poured into us . Christ will know none but the humble , and none but humble souls truly know Christ . Now the way to become humble , is , by taking a serious view of our wants . The Peacocks pride is much abated , when she looks on the blacknesse of her legs and feet . Now suppose we know never so much ; yet that which we know , is far lesse then that which we are ignorant of : and the more we know , the more we know we want , Pro. 1. 5 , 7. Psal. 73. 22. And the lesle sensible we are of our blindness , sicknesse , deformity , &c. the more blinde , sick , and deformed we are . Fifthly , Thou must labour to get a true and lively faith : For as without faith we cannot please God : so without faith , no man can know God . Faith most cleerly beholds those things which are hid both from the eye of sense , and the eye of reason , John 12. 46. Unregenerate men , that what faith , are like blinde Sampson without his guide : Or like Poliphemus , who never had but one eye , and that Ulysses put out . For so does the pleasure and custome of sinne blinde the Sensuallist . We must have mindes lifted above nature , to see and love things above nature : heavenly wisdome , to see heavenly truth ; or else that truth which is saving , will be to us a mystery , Mark . 4. 11. If it seem not foolishnesse , 1 Cor. 2. 7 , 8 , 14. To them that are lost , the Gospel is hid , 2 Cor. 4. 3 , 4. Whereas the Believer discerns all things , even the deep things of God , 1 Cor. 2. 10. 12. 15 , 16. Yea , God Giveth him a mouth and wisdome , where against all his adversaries , shall not be able to speak or resist , Luk. 21. 15. These are the five steps , which lead up to the palace of wisdome , which all must ascend by , that mean to enter . If you have once attained this precious grace of saving knowledge , you will as much as in you lies , employ the same to the glory of the giver , And so much to prove , that he is the wisest man , whose knowledge lies in the best things , ( as the weaker vessel may hold the better liquor ) and that if men be never so learned , except they have learned the Mystery of the Gospel , and what it is to be borne again by their own experience , ( which few with their great learning do indeed know ) they are in Gods account , no better then fooles . I come now to prove , that the greatest Politician is a verier fool then the former . § 52. Secondly , If we shall look upon the most cunning Politician , with a single eye : judge righteous judgement , and not according to appearance onely , we shall finde that the greatest Polilician is the greatest fool . For he turns all his Religion into hypocrisie , into Statisme , yea , into Atheism , making Christianity a very foot-stool to policy . I confesse they are wiser in their generation , then the children of light ; and are so acknowledged by Christ himself , Luke 16. 8. But why ? not that there is a deficiency of power in the godly , but will : for could not David go as far as Achitophel ? could not Paul shew as much cunning as Tertullus ? Yes , surely if they would : But because their Master , Christ , hath commanded them to be innocent as doves ; They have resolved in an heroical disposition with Abraham , Gen. 14. 22. that the King of Sodome shall not make them rich . No crooked , or indirect meanes , shall bring them in profit ; they will not be beholding to the king of Hell for a shoo-ty . And hereupon the Foxes wiles , never enter into the Lions head . But to speak of them as they are : These cunning Politicians , in stead of being wise as serpents , they are wise serpents . They are so arted in subtleties , through time and practice , that they are neer upon as wise , as that old serpent the Devill . Indeed he hath one trick beyond all theirs ; for like a cunning fencer , he that taught them all their tricks , kept this one to himselfe , namely , how to cheate them of their soules . But take a short Character of them . They are such cunning dissemblers , that like Pope Alexander the sixth , what they thinke , they never speak . Why is this cast away , saith Iudas ? Crafty cub , he would have had it himself . They are like a fellow that rides to the pillory , they goe not the way they look . They will cut a mans throat under colour of courtesie , as Ulysses by gold , and forged letters , was the meanes of stoning Palamides , even while he made shew of defending him . And then to wipe off all suspition from themselves , their gesture and conntenance shall be like Julius Caesar's ; who seeing Pompey's head fell a weeping , as if he had been sorry for it , when by his onely meanes it was cut off . So like Rowers in a boat , whilest in their pretence they look one way , in their intent they goe the quire contrary : As our Saviour found it to fare with the Pharisees , and Sadducees , Matth. 16. 1 , 3. which made him to conclude , with , O hypocrites ! Nor shall any man be able to determine , either by their gesture , words , or actions , what they resolve , though like Hebrew letters , you spell them backward . Onely this you may be sure of , that they do not intend , what they pretend ; Like as in jugling feats , though we know not how they are done , yet we know well , that they are not done as they seem to be . Now if they can any way advantage themselves by anothers ruine , and do it cunningly ; as Iezabel did , when she killed Naboth , by suborning false witnesse against him , and proclaimed a Fast before the murther : Though all such policy be but misery , and all such knowledge , ignorance , Yet , ô how wise they think themselves ! but they are grosly mistaken : for wherein does this their great wisdom consist ? but first ; in being wise to deceive others : as the Old serpent did our first Parents ; or secondly in the end to deceive themselves , as the same serpent did , which brought a curse upon himselfe for so doing , Gen. 3. The crafty Fox hugg'd himselfe to think how he had cozened the Crow of her break-fast : but when he had eaten it , and found himself poysoned with it , he wisht the Crow her own again . Wealth got by deceit , is like a piece of butterd spunge , an Italian trick , it goes down glib ; but in the stomack swells , and will never be got out again . The gains a man gets by deceiving , at last he may put in his eye , and yet see himselfe miserable . Sin is the greatest cheater in the world , for it deceives the deceiver . §. 53 That it is so with them , and all others who goe to Counsell , and leave the God of wisdome behind them : let their case be viewed in other persons . What saith Pharaoh to his deep Counsellors ? Come , let us do wisely , when indeed he went about that which destroyed both him and his countrey . The Scribes , Pharisees , and Elders , took counsel against Christ ; as though they would most wisely prevent their own salvation . Josephs brethren , to prevent his having dominion over them , ( as his dreames imported ) thought they had taken a very wise course , in selling him to the Ishmaelitish Merchants , which was indeed the onely meanes to effect it . They murther Christ , lest the Romans should come : and by so doing , their coming was hastned . The Jews say , Come let us kill him , that the inheritance may be ours : But in killing him , they lost the inheritance and themselves too . And so it always fares with our Machivillians in the end , speed they never so wel for a time . For let the Devil promise them never so fair , ( suppose it be a Kingdome ) the up-shot will be but sad and doleful : as it fared with Athaliah , who having slain all the Kings seed , that she alone might raign , lost both the government , and her life too . Or as it did with Abimelech , who slue seventy of his brethren , that he might with safety enjoy the Kingdome lost both it , and his life with it . And many the like we read of . Whence St. Ambrose observes , that the plots of the wicked , alwayes return upon their own heads . As Pope Hildebrands servant , by stumbling , was killed with that stone he should have thrown down on Frderick the Emperour , at his Devotions . Or as Griphus his mother , was made to take that draught , where-with she intended to poyson him . Yea , how little was Judas set by of the High Priests , when once he had served their turn ? How did they shake him off in that pittiful distresse , with look thou to it ? And so how poor are the witches , that in confidence of these promises , even sell their souls to the Devill . See here in these few Examples , you have the depth and solidity of our greatest and wisest Politicians , and yet lewd men , most ridiculously and absurdly , call wicked policies , wisdome , and their successe , happinesse . But herein Satan makes them of all fools the superlative , in mistaking villany and madnesse for the best vertues . And what is the summa totalis of all but this ? Faux-like , they project other mens over-throw , purchase their owne . Neither hath any man been wise to do evill , but his wisdome hath had an evill end . As ô the multitude of Examples that are recorded , to give credit to this Doctrine ! Was not the wisdome of the Serpent turned into a curse ? the wisdome of the Pharisees into a woe ? the wisdome of Achitophel into folly ? the wisdome of Nimrod into confusion ? the wisdome of the unjust Steward into expulsion out of Heaven ? the wisdome of Jezabel , into a shameful death ? &c. So that in the issue , their case proves but like the spiders , that was weaving a curious net to catch thè swallow : who when she came , bore away both net , and webb , and weaver too . Wherefore , ô God , make me but soul-wise , and I shall never envy their knowledge , that pity my simplicity : Let me be weake in policy , so I may be wise to salvation . And I cannot but wonder to see , how the most are mistaken in them : But being thus discovered , I hope it will appear , that as love & lust are not all one , so a cunnning Politician & a wise man are not both one . As we have seen some that could pack the cards , & yet were not able to play well . § 54. True , if men shall look upon them side-wayes , as Appelles painted Antigonus , that is , upon their strength of ●rain and parts alone , and not consider them whole , and together , their abilities , with their deficiencies , they will take them for wise men , and so be mistaken . But If you would know how to call them , they are properly subtle persens ? as the Holy Ghost stiles Jonadab , who gave that wicked and crafty counsell to Amnon , 2 Sam. 13. 3 , 5. And the woman of Tekoah , 2 Sam. 14. 2. And Elimas , Act. 13. 10. as being rarely gifted to deceive , and more crafty and wily then is usual . But not wise men ; for this is rather wisdome backwàrd , and to study the dangerous art of self-sophysiry , to the end they may play wily beguile themselves , and to plot self-treason , then which there is no greater , when the betrayer and betrayed , spell but one man . Again , admit them the most , they are not wise in good , though they be wise to do evill : Or if you will , wise in goods , not wise in grace : For as that old Serpent seemed to boast , that he was richer then Christ , when he said , All these are mine , Matth. 4. 9. So the Politician may truly say , for the most part , I am wiser then my plain dealing neigbour by five hundred pounds . So that in some sense it may be said of them , as one speaks of women , though partially , that they are more witty in wickednesse then men . Nor can I more fitly compare them , then to Dats , Night-crows , Owles , and Cats , which can see better in the darke , then in the light . Their wisdome is like that of the Polipus : which is a most stupid and foolish fish , yet useth great skill in taking of other fishes . Never the lesse , yield them all that hath been mentioned , this is the up-shot . They are blinde , and in darknesse , as having their beginning from Satan , the Prince of darknesse , and their end in Hell , which is the pit of darkness : and because they are wise onely to evill , their wisdome shall have but an evill end . In the dialect of the wise man , the greatest sinner is the greatest fool , Prov. 1. 7. And David thinks , there is no fool to the Atheist , Psal. 53. 1. & 49. 13. And Saint Austin tells us , that the wisest Politician upon earth , the most ample , and cunning Machivillian that lives , be he a Doctor in that deep reaching faculty , is worse then a foole : For if the Holy Ghost , saith he , termes him a fool that onely laid up his own goods , Luke 12. 18 , 20. finde out a name for him , that takes away other mens . And though worldly men call the simple fools , yet God calls the crafty fools , Jer. 8. 9. Mat. 6. 23. And of all atheisis , and fools , which seeme wise , there be no such fools in the world , as they that love money better then themselves . And so you have the wisdome of Humanists , and Politicians desciphered ; together with the wisdome of Gods servants . You see the difference between them , and therein as I suppose , that neither of the former are so wise as the godly man , nor so wise as the world reputes them , or they themselves . I confesse the one speak Latine , Greek , and Hebrew , the other Statutes , History , and Husbandry , well enough to make their neighbours think them wise : but the truth is , they seem wiser then they are , as is said of the Spaniard ; whereas the godly , like the French , are wiser then they seem . The former are wise men in foolish things , and foolish men in wise things . Sharp-eyed as Eagles , in the things of the earth , but blinde as Beetles in the matters of heaven . O that they had but the wit to know , that when all is done , Heaven is a brave place , where are such joyes , as eye hath not seene , nor care heard , neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared there for them that love him , 1 Cor. 2. 9. §. 55. Now as I have shewn these two sorts of men their folly , to the end some of them may be convinced , and ashamed , and consequently become soul-wise , that so they may be saved ; which is the principal thing I drive at ( for I take no pleasure in disgracing men purposely . ) So it were as easie to prove , that all sorts of sinners , are no better then sots , and shallow-brains , in comparison of the conscientious Christian . Nor do I see , but it may prove of great , and general concernment : therefore that others also may have benefit by the same , I will briefly touch upon some particulars . And the next that I will speak to , shall be such as come neerest to these last mentioned ; that is , your Covetous , Miserly Muck-worms , who though they be neer neighbours to those Ambodexters I last spake of , yet they are not the same men . Now although you cannot name one property of a natural fool , but the Covetous man is in that particular a greater fool : Yet I will make the parallel in one onely : lest I should weary my Reader , before I have dispatcht all my Clients , or halfe listed my men . The Covetous miser , if you mark it , esteems not of things according to their true value ; but preferreth bables and trifles before things of greatest worth , which is the most remarkable property of a naturall fool , that is , being like the ignorant Indians in Florida , Virginia , New England , and K●nida , who for a Copper kettle , and a few toyes , as Beads , and Hatchets , will depart from the purest gold , and sell you a whole Countrey , with the houses and ground which they dwell upon . As Iudas preferred thirty pieces of silver , before him that was Lord of the whole world , and ransome of man-kinde : so the covetous man prefers Earth , yea hell to heaven , time to eternity , his body before his soul ; yea , his outward estate before either soule or body . Whereas the godly care for the soul , as the chief jewell , and onely treasure ; and for the body for the soules sake ; and settle their inheritance in no land but the land of promise ; their end being to possesse a kingdome without end . They are not like Shebna , who built his sepulchre in one Countrey , and was buried in another : But like our English Merchants , that traffique in Turkey , get wealth in Turky , yet plant not in Turky , but transport for England . It cannot be said of them , as it may of the most ; that they worship the golden Calfe : because they consider , that Pecunia , the worlds Queen , ( I meane that world , whereof the Devill is King ) extends her Regiments , but to the brim of the grave , and is not current one step farther . Worldly hearts are penny-wise , and pound-foolish ; they know how to set high prizes upon the worthlesse trash of this world ; but for heavenly things , or the God that owns them , they shamefully under-value . Like Judas , who valued Maries ointment , which she bestowed upon the feet of Christ , at three hundred pieces of silver , and sold his Master , on whom that odour was spent , for thirty . But it is not so with the godly ; they think it the best purchase that ever was in the world , to buy him who bought them ; in comparison of whom all things else are dross and dung , as Paul speaks , Phil. 3. 8. And indeed if we once have him , we have all thing , as the Apostle argues , Rom. 8. 32. 1 Cor. 3. 21 , 22 , 23. So that the godly's man is onely rich , the servant of Christ is Lord of all . Whereas by a just judgement of God upon the covetous Miser , who makes Mammon his god : The Devill makes them his Drudges , to get and bring him in Gold , as the King of Spain does the poor Indians ) that he may keep it in banke , for the next prodigall to spend as ill , as the other got it . As how often is that spent upon one Christmas revelling by the son , which was forty years a getting by the Father ? O fools , incomparable ! to take a world of care and paines , endure so much grief , sting of conscience , loss of credit , to deprive themselves of Heaven , damn their own souls , to get wealth : and when they have got it , not to be a jot the better for it . Yea , they are less satisfied , and contented then other men , meanlier accommedated then mean men : Yea , a poor beggar that hath nothing here , is in better estate , then a rich Miser , that hath nothing in effect , either here or hereafter . O that they would but use that ! yea , half that wit , study , and industry hereafter , to save their souls , that they have formerly done to damn them . But hear more . Aristippus cared onely for his body , as if he had had no soule : Zeno but for his soule , as if he had had no body : Achitophel for his Family alone , as if neither soule nor body had been worth caring for : but these neither for body , nor soule , nor any thing , but for a little muck to leave behind them . Yea , he can finde in his heart to goe to hell for another , that wishes him gone , and will damn his own soul to leave his son rich . Yea , what a deale of paines and care does the covetous man take for his own damnation ? ever tormenting himself to get that ; for getting whereof he shall be tormented : so himselfe is voluntarily miserable here , and hereafter , that others may be happy . And so much of the Miser . The next I will fall upon , shall be such as equall these in their Idolatry another way ; as § 56. Fourthly , what think you of common Idolaters ? are not they arrant fools ? I 'le give you but one instance mentioned , Exod. 32. and you will need no more . Turn to the place , and there you shall find , that those blockish Israelites made them a molten Calfe , and then said , This is thy god , that brought thee out of the land of Egypt , ver. 34. This is such a pregnant example , that there needs no more to prove it ; that a Beast should be their god ; yea , and a beast of their own making , and that this beast should have brought them out of Egypt , which could not move it selfe , but as it was moved , and that before it had any being . This is such a blockish absurdity , that as one would think , should never enter into the heart of him , who is endowed with a reasonable soule . But what can the Prince of darknesse propound ? that a wicked heart , ( blinded with the custome of sinne , and given up by God , to be further blinded by Satan ) will not believe , as appears by our Ranters , Shakers , and Quakers at this day . And such other fools are the Papists , though great Clerks , and wise men : who ( if I could intend to aquaint you ) maintain a thousand ridiculous tenents , stif●y defending those things for truth , which the Holy Ghost calls in expresse words , The doctrine of devils , 1 Tim. 4. 1 , 2 , 3. And most justly are they forsaken of their reason , who have abandoned God . Yea , most just it is , that they who want grace , should want wit too . If Idolaters will need set up a false god for the true , is it not equal , that the true God should give them over to the false ? Again , Fifthly , how does lust blinde and besot men ? when the Adulterer prefers a filthy strumpet before his own chaste wife , though his own lawfull Consort is known to be more comely , and lovely then the strange woman . Yea , when they shall confesse the same ( as it was the speech of one too great to name ) That were she not his wife , he could love her above all women in the world ; a word able to rot out the tongue that spake it . But take an instance of this nature , I 'le give you one amongst many very remarkable . We read , Judges 16. that Sampson cared more for his pleasure in this kinde , then his li●t . O strange debauchednesse ! his filthy lust of a Nazarite , leaves him scarce a man ! He that might not drink wine , is drunk with the cup of fornication . How could hee other then thinke , if lust had not blinded and bewitched him ? She whose body is mercenary to me , will easily fell me to others ? she will be false , if shee will be an Harlot . Was there ever such a motion made to a reasonable man ? Tell me , wherewith thou mayest be bound to do thee hurt ? Who would not have spurned such a sutor out of doors ? And when upon the tryal he saw such apparent treachery , he yet wilfully betrays his life , by her to his enemies . All sins , all passions have power to blinde , and infatuate ; but lust most of all . Never man that had dranke flagons of wine , had lesse reason left him , then this Nazarite . Many an one loses his life , but he casts it away ; not in hatred to himself , but in love to a Strumpet , He knew she aimed at nothing but his slavery , and death , yet had not power to deny her . He had wit enough to deceive her thrice , not enough to keep himself from being deceived by her . Thrice had he seen the Philistims in her chamber , ready to surprise him upon her bands ; and yet will needs be a slave to his Traitor . Yea , in effect , bids her binde him , and call in her Executioners to cut his throat . O beware of a Harlot , as you would of the Devill ! and the rather , for that under the habit of a woman , it may be the Devill in shape of a woman , as some have so been cheated . But Sixthly , what can we think of an improvident Gamester ? is not he a Fool ? who will hazard his whole estate upon the chance of a treacherous dye , that flatters him with his own hand , to throw away his wealth to another . And a Thief he is too , for if he wins , he robs another ; if he looses , he no lesse robs himself . § 57. Seventhly , let me refer it to any rational man , whether the Voluptuous Prodigal is not a stark Fool ? who suffers himself to be stolne away for an Apple : For , for a little tickling of the palate , a kind of running Banquet , he will hazard the losse of eternal comfort , and expose himself to a devouring fire , an everlasting burning ? Isa. 33. 14. And what greater folly ? Is it not a dear purchase ? an ill penni-worth ? yea , a desperate madnesse , to buy the merriment of a day , ( yea , possibly the pleasure of an hour , may deterimine it ) with ages of pangs , with eternity of unsufferable torments , that are capable of neither ease 1. or end . Nor is this all , for they run upon Gods judgements , as Balaam did upon the swords point in the Angels hand , and yet are so farre from being afraid , that they applaud their own wisdome , for giving such liberty to their lusts ; thinking no men in the world enjoy the like freedome . When indeed their bondage is much worse then the cruel and tyrannical bondage , and slavery of Egypt . For first , that bondage was of the body onely , but the service of sinne is of the whole man , body and soul . Secondly , in the bondage of Egypt , they served men ; but in this bondage , service is done to sinne & Satan , most vile Lords , which command most base , and filthy works . Thirdly , in the bondage of Egypt , the most harm was temporall , losse of liberty , smart and pain of body , in this service of sinne , the losse is eternal , even destruction in Hell for ever ( without the infinite goodnesse of God . ) Fourthly , in this bondage under Pharaoh , they had a sense of their thraldome , and desired liberty ; in this of sin , men do not so much as suspect themselves to be bound , but think themselves free , and despise liberty . Lastly , in all outward bondage , they which are bound may possibly help themselves ; as by running away , or by intreaty , or by ransome : In this bondage we lie still , as it were , bound hand and foot ( till God by his mercy deliver us ) not having so much as the least thought of relieving our selves . By all which it appears , that such who take the most liberty to sin , are the most perfect slaves in the world ; because most voluntary slaves : and that Christs service is the onely true freedome ; his yoke an easie yoke ; his burthen but as the burthen of wings to a bird ; which makes her flye the higher . Wherefore , as we serve the lawes , that we may be free : so let us serve Christ , and we shall be the freest people alive . A godly man being demanded , what he thought was the strangest , and foolishest thing in the world , answered , an impenitent sinner , or an Unbeliever : For , said he , that a man should provoke God , so gracious and mighty , that he should believe Satan the father of lies and cruelty , forget his own death so imminent and in-evitable ; obey the command of his Flesh , a Drudge so ignoble , admire the world so fickle and dangerous , prefer it before Heaven so blessed & glorious ; wilfully cast himself into hell , a place so woful and dolorous , and all for vanity , such a wretched emptinesse ; that he should feare the blasts of mens breath , and not the fire of Gods wrath ; weep for the losse of friends , & not for his soul : And lastly , that Christ should stand at the door of his heart , craving for entrance , that he may remedy all , and make him everlastingly happy ; and God call him every day , either by his Word in the mouthes of his Messengers , or by strange judgements , or extraordinary mercies upon himselfe , or others , and all in vain Such an one , sayes he , is the most foolish and degenerate creature alive : Thus I might go on to Traytors , Murtherers , Back-byters , Seducers , Drunkards , Blasphemers , Persecutors of the godly , proud persons , Hypocrites , Thieves , Atheists , and what other sinners you can name : and prove them all fools alike . But I have already ( upon one occasion or other ) done it in some other Tract. Nor do I love to tautologize , except it be for a great advantage to my Reader , and for others good : though in such a case , I can , I thank God , dishonour my selfe , that I may honour my Maker . The which if men did well ponder , they would be more sparing of their censures ; How-ever I could wish , that our Reverend Divines would afford themselves more liberty in this case then they do . There be some expressions , that we borrow from our Predecessors , that deserve to be mentioned , or used ( by a Minister that remains perhaps twenty , or thirty years in a Parish ) more then once , though it be to the same Congregation ( for that which takes not , or is not minded at one time , may at another : and how many have been converted , by that onely argument ? that God seeth all things even in the darke , when the doors are shut , and the curtains drawn . ) Nor do I think , that a dull and flat tool , or instrument would be used , when a more quick , and sharp one may be had at as easie a rate , and perhaps neerer at hand . But we are mostly ( even the best of us ) loth to deny our selves ; though it be for our Masters , ( & many of our Brethrens great gain and ) advantage . But of this by the way onely , a word or two more , that may reach to all , that are in their natural condition , and I shall conclude . § 58. In the last place , Are not all wilfull sinners arrant fools ? who Adam-like , will receive what-ever comes , or is offered them ? be it bribe , or other sinful bait , not once thinking this is forbidden fruit , and thou shalt die the death . That think the vowed enemy of their souls , can offer them a bait without a hook ? you cannot but acknowledg them stark fools , though thou thy self beest one of the number . Again , for men to dishonour God , and blaspheme his Name , while he does support and relieve them , to runne from him , while he does call them , and forget him , while he does feed them . To imitate the Common Protestants in Queen Maries time , who laughed the Martyrs to scorn , and esteemed them superstitious fools , to lose their lives and fortunes , for matters of Religion , accounting faith , holinesse , immortality of the soul , &c. meer fopperies and illusions . To be quick-sighted in other mens failings , and blinde to their own . Are not these so many infallible properties of a fool ? and yet these are the lively characters , of every sensuallist . In so much , that if I should give you a list , or Catalogue of all the fools in one City , or County : You would blesse your selves , that there are so few Bedlam houses , and yet so many out of their wits , that can not perceive or discern the same . And yet no wonder ; for as I told you-ere-while , Sensual men are so be-nighted , and puzled with blindnesse , that they know no other way , then the flesh leads them . Yea , many by losse of conscience become Atheists ; and by losse of reason , Beasts . Yea , to any thing that is spiritually good , the natural man is blinde , and deafe , and dead , as ye may see by these ensuing Scriptures , 1 Tim. 5. 6. Rom. 1. 21 , 22 , 25. Ephes. 5. 14. Isa. 6. 9 , 10. John 12 40. Psal. 69. 23. Matth. 4. 16 & 15. 14. Ephes. 4. 18 , 19. & 5. 8. 1 Pet. 2 9. Acts 28. 27. Rom. 11. 8. Matth. 23. 16 , 17. 19. 24. 26. & 27. 3 , 4 , 5. 2 Pet. 2. 16. Revel. 3. 17. Rom. 6. 13. & 8. 11. Micah 7. 16. Psal. 58. 4. Eph. 2. 1. If our Gospel be hid , it is hid to them that are lost , in whom the god of this world hath blinded , 2 Cor. 4. 3 , 4. But it is otherwise with the godly : as let Satan , or the world offer a wise Christian the bait of pleasure , or profit : his answer shall be , I will not buy repentance so dear : I will not lose my soul , to please my sense . If affliction comes , he will consider , that Gods punishments for sinne , calls for conversion from sin : and in case God speaks to him by his Word , to forsake his evill wayes , and turn again to him , he will amend his course , lest if he heare not the word , he should feel the sword . Whereas nothing will confute a fool , but fire and brimstone . The Lord spake to Manasses and to his people ; but they would not regard : Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the Captains of the Host of the King of Ashur , that took Manasses , and put him in fetters , and brought him in chains , and carried him to Babel , 2 Chron. 33. 10 , 11. Fools , saith holy David , by reason of their transgression , and because of their iniquity , Psal. 107. 17. From which words , Musculus infers , that all wilfull transgressors are arrant fools . And it is the saying of Cardan : That dishonesty is nothing else but folly and madnesse . Yea , Solomon throughout all his Proverbs , by a fool , means the natural man ; and by a wise man , a man sanctified . O that it were rightly learned , and laid to heart by all , that are yet in the state of un-regeneracy ! for it is every one of their cases . To conclude in a word , Without knowledge , the soul is not good , Prov. 19. 2. The ignorant cannot be innocent . I am the light of the world ( sayes our Saviour ) John 8. 12. & 12. 46. Where light is not , Christ is not : for Christ is light . § 59. And so according to my skill , I have performed what I at first promised . It remains before we leave it , that some use be made thereof , that so both wise and weak , may learn something from what hath been spoken of this subject . Wherefore , in the first place , If it be so , that both the sensual and rational , even all that are yet in their natural estate , are uncapable of divine , and super-natural knowledge , that they are blinde touching spiritual things . Then let not any carnal wretch hereafter dare to speak evill of the things , actions , or persons , that are out of the reach of his capacity , but silently suspend his judgement , untill he be better informed : For as it pertaineth not to the Rustick , to jugde of letters : So it belongeth not to natural men to judg of spiritual things . Yea , let those ignorant ones , that have used to speak evill of the way of truth , learn to kick no more against the pricks , lest they bring upon themselves the same curse , that their fellows did , who brought up an evill report of the Holy Land , Num. 13. 32 , 33. & 14. 23 , 24. Yea , put case they shall think they do God good service in it , as many do in persecuting , and putting to death his children and Ambassadors , John 16. 2. as a world of examples witnesse . Yea , the Jews thought they did marvellous well , in crucifying the Lord of life . But what says the holy Ghost , Prov. 14. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man : but the end thereof are the ways of death , vers. 12. Even the Powder-traytors thought they merited , when they intended to blow up the whole State . Alass , Natural men are no more fit to judge of spiritual matters , then blinde men are fit to judge of colours . And yet none more forward then they ; as you may see by those blinde Sodomites , that dealt so roughly and coursely with Lot and his two Angel● , Gen. 19. 1. to 12. That they are ignorant , and so unfit , is evident of what is recorded of Michol , 2 Sam. 6. 16. Of Nichodemus , John 3. 4. Of Festus , Acts 26. 24. And lastly , of Paul before his conversion . I was , saith he , a blasphemer , a persecutor , and an opposer of Christ and his members ; but I did it ignorantly through unbelief , 1 Tim. 1. 13. It 's worth your observing too , that he was no sooner enlightned with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ , but he was of a contrary judgement , and preached that faith which before he condemned and persecuted . And this will be every one of their cases , in the end ; if not in this life , yet hereafter , when Hell flames hath opened their eyes , they will confesse . We fools thought his life madnesse , and his end to be without honour : How is he now numbred with the children of God , and his lot among the Saints ? And when they shall see it , they shall be troubled with horrible fear , and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his salvation , so far beyond all that they looked for : and groaning for anguish of spirit , shall say within themselves , This is he whom we once had in derision , and in a proverb of reproach , therefore have we erred from the way of truth , we wearied our selves in the way of wickedness and destruction : but as for the way of the Lord , we have not known it . The light of righteousness hath not shined unto us , nor hath the Son of righteousness arose upon us . What hath pride profited us ? or what good hath our riches and our vaunting brought us ? with more of the like , for which read , Wisdom 5. And what is the cause they acknowledg not the same now , but their blindness and folly ? and because they put their own faults in that part of the wallet that is behind them ; but ours in the other part , or end which is before them : For self-examination would make their judgements more charitable . Read al●o these Testimonies , John 15. 21. & 16. 2 , 3. Mat. 16. 23. & 22. 29. 1 Cor. 2. 8. Isa. 5. 20. But I will give you other instances . Was it not an a gu●●nt that Haman was blinde ? who thought Mordecaies not bowing the knee to hi● , a more heinous offence , then his own murthering of thousands ? Were not the Jews , Scribes & Pharisees blind , who could see more unlawfulness in the Disciples plucking a few ears of Corn on the sabbath-day ? and the Palsie man's carrying his bed ; then in their own devouring of Widows houses ? who thought they might better murther Christ , then others believe in him ? and be themselves the greatest of sinners , then our Saviour to be in company with sinners ? Was not Ahab blinde ? who thought Elijah more troubled Israel , in doing the will of the Lord , then himself in provoking the Lord above all the Kings of Israel that were before him . And the like in our dayes . Is it not the manner of thousands with us ? not only of Clownes , and ill-bred people , who walk after the flesh , in the lusts of uncleanness ( whom St. Peter cals bruit beasts , led with sensuality , and made to be taken and destroyed . ) But of proud wits , who one would think should have more brains , and know something , to speak evill of the things which they understand not , 2 Pet. 2. 12. Yea , how severely will they censure , not only things indifferent , but the most holy and approved good duties in the godly ? while they will patiently passe by the most heynous crimes , as cursing , blaspheming , &c. in themselves and others ; an infallible signe of a man not born a-new . Yea , will they not more deeply censure our serving of God , then their own blaspheming of him ? and think it a more heynous offence in us to be holy , then for themselves to be prophane , and persecute holinesse . And what one does , is a law to the rest , being like a flock of sheep ; which if they but see one take a wrong way , all the rest will follow . As you may see in the Example of Corah , and his two hundred and fifty followers , in Demetrius and his fellows , in their quarrel against Paul and his companions . And lastly , in Lots neighbours , Gen. 19. where you shall read , that when some Godlesse persons had assaulted him , and his two Angels ; before night , all the men of the City , from the young even to the old , from all quarters compassed the house round , seeking to break it open , railing upon , and reviling him . Yea , though they were strook with blindnesse , they would not leave off , untill they had wearied themselves , and felt fire and brimstone about their cars , vers. 4 to 2 5. Natural men in heavenly things , resemble Shel-fish , that have no smell : Or the Cam●lion that hath no taste . Nor do they see any more , then the meer barke or out-side●f spiritual performances , 2 Sam. 6. 16. And the Flesh ( Satans ready instrument ) will be ever suggesting to them strange surmises , touching what the Religious either say , or do . And still , the more sottish , the more censorious : For where is least brain , there is most tongue , and loudest . Even as a Brewers Cart upon the stones , makes the lowdest noise , when his barrels are emptiest . They that knowleast , will censure most , and most deeply . It is from the weakest judgements , that the heaviest judgement comes . And so the more censorious , the more sottish , seem they never so wise in the worlds account : For admit the●have a shew of wisdome ; yet for matter of Religion and saving knowledge , they know not their right hand from their left ; as it fared with those sixscore thousand Ninevites , Ionas 4. 11. So that it 's no disparagement to us , seem they never so learned : As what but their ignorance makes them so censure us . They suspect much , because they know little ; as children in the darke , suppose they see what they see not . Yea , a Dogge will be very violent in barking at his own shadow on a wall , or face in a glasse . The Duke of Von●osme seeing his own and others faces in a well , call'd for ayd against the Antipodes . Paglarencis thought himselfe cozened , when he saw his sow had eleven Pigs , and his Mare but one Foale that would be confest . So that they are like Harpast , a blinde woman in Seneca's family , who found fault with the darknesse of the house when the fault was in her want of sight . Or the Owle , that complained of the glory of the Sunne , when the fault was in her own eyes . Or like Pentheus , in Euripides his Bacchus , who supposed he saw two Sunnes , two Thebes , every thing double : when his brain alone was troubled . Or those that are vertiginous , who thinke all things turn round , all e●re : when the errour is onely in their own brains . And so much for caution to the one . § 60. Secondly , for comfort to the other ; If all natural men are ( like Sampson without his guide , ) not able without the Holy Ghosts direction , to finde out the Pillars of the house , the principles of faith : let us not wonder , that they swerve so much from the godly in their judgement , and practice : As is it any strange thing to see a blinde man stumble and fall ? Neither let us be discouraged , maugre all their slander & opposition . Nor think the worse of our selves , if such shall reproach us never so : The Corinthians exceedingly slighted Paul , he was this , and he was that ; But what says Paul ? With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you , 1 Cor. 4. 3 , 4. VVe know little children will often laugh at wise men , when they are about serious and necessary affairs : which notwithstanding is not an argument of the unworthiness of the things they laugh at , but of the folly of them which laugh . Will the Merchant be discouraged because his wine pleaseth not a sicke mans palate ? Much lesse cause have we to be discouraged by their distaste , or dislike of us and our actions , as having more certainty to rely upon ; they perhaps have sense , reason , and experience to rely upon , but we have them with the advantage of Gods Word , and Spirit , and Faith , three infallible witnesses . Yea , we have great cause to rejoyce , that they revile , and speak evil of us . For his is both a token of perdition to them , and to us of salvation , and that of God , as the Apostle phraseth it , Phil. 1. 28. True , they may raise any slander upon the best of us , as the Chief Priests did upon our Saviour , Math. 28. 13 , 14. and that slander may be believed time out of minde , ( as the Jewes to this day believe that his Disciples stole him cut of the Sepulchre ) Matth. 28. 15. to the hardning of many in their Atheism , and Unbelief : For what should hinder ? When Naboth was proved to be a blasphemer of God , and Susanna a whore upon oath ; and the same recorded to posterity ; when Ieremiah was reported to be an enemy to the State ? Paul a polluter of the Temple ? Steven a destroyer of the Law ? All the Disciples deceivers , and Christ himselfe a wine-bibber , a Sabbath-breaker , a seducer of the people , a Belzebub , &c. So we may perhaps under-goe the like , in one kind or other ( as the Devils servants , want neither wit nor malice to devise ; ) But what need it trouble us , so long as it shall add waight to our Crowns ? For if we any way suffer for Christ , be it but rebuke for his sake , happy are we here , and great shall our reward be in heaven , Mat. 5. 11 , 12. VVherefore let us never be ashamed of our Masters service , nor of their censures : No matter what Judas saith touching Maries ointment , so long as Christ approves of it . Did our Saviour Christ forbear to heal on the Sabbath day , because the Scribes and Pharisees took it ●ll ? no , but rather did it the more , Luke 6. 7. to 12. and Luke 13. 31 , 32. VVhen Peter and John were charged to speak no more in the name of Jesus ; their answer was , We cannot but speak that which we have heard and seen , Acts 4. 20. VVhen Michol scoft David , and called him fool for his dancing before the Arke , His answer was , I will be yet more vile , and more lowly in mine own eyes . He knew that nothing could be more heroical , then this very abasement . And it is our very case . Every scoffing Michol , ( for none else will do it ) every drunken sot , derides our holy profession : but with God and the gracious , we shall be had in honour . Yea , our very malicious , and scoffing adversaries shall honour us , by deriding us . Their dispraise is a mans honour , their praise his dishonour . VVherefore let us imitate St. Austin ; who as he feared the praise of good men , so he detested that of evill , and ungodly men . And take our Saviours counsel ; seek to justifie our judgements , to the children of wisdome , of whom she is justified ; and not to fools , by whom she is daily crucified . Neither let any think the better of such whom they extoll ; for the blinde eat many a flie . § 61. Thirdly , are the one regenerate , the other carnall ? the one of this world , the other chosen out of it ? the one children of light , and of the day , the other blinde and in darknesse ? the one Christs friends , the other his enemies ? do the one live after the flesh , the other after the spirit , Gal. 5. 15. 1 Pet. 4. 2. Then look we for no love from , or peace with them : Different dispositions can never agree . There can be no amity , where there is no sympathy . Athens and Sparta could never agree , for that the one was addicted to serve Minerva , the other Mars . Yea , when it was said of Phocian and Demosthenes , that they could never agree ; it was answered , No , how should they ? when the one drinks water , and the other wine . Much more may it be applyed to these , when the holy Ghost sayes , 2 Cor. 6. What communion between light and darknesse ? what peace between the Believer and the Infidel ? or unbeliever , vers. 14 , 15. And in another place ; Know ye not , that the amity of the world , is the enmity of God ? And that whosoever will be a friend of the world , maketh himselfe the enemy of God , Jam. 4. 4. And again , He that is borne after the flesh , will persecute him that is born after the Spirit , Gal. 4. 29. Yea , Solomon tels us directly , and in plain terms , That a wicked man is abomination to the just ; and that he who is upright in his way , is abomination to the wicked , Pro. 29. 27. Even our very ways which God hath commanded us to walke in , are abomination to them . VVhence it is , that the Naturall man can agree with all that be naturall ; be they civill , or prophane , Turkes , or Jewes , Papists or Atheists , because all these agree with him in blindnesse , and darknesse : But with a sincere , and holy Christian , a practicer of piety , he can never agree , because his light is contrary to the natural mans darknesse ; Grace in the one , is a secret disgrace to the other . VVherefore to be without enemies , or to have such our friends , we may rather wish then hope ; yea , once to expect it , were an effect of frenzy , not of hope . Onely let not us by our offending God , or jarring amongst our selves , put weapons into their hands to wound us withal : and then we are sure to have Christ ( who is able enough to vindicate all our wrongs ) to assist us , and prevent our Enemies . § 62. Fourthly , If none be truly wise , but such as have pass'd the second birth ; and that this wisdome which makes us differ , cometh downe from the Father of lights ; and that we cannot have it , except God vouchsafe to give it us : it may teach us to be humble , Job 42. 6. And not like the Ape , that is proud of his Masters jacket : And thankefull , for Heavenly notions , grow not in us ; wee spin them not out of our own breasts . Nor was there any thing in us , that makes us differ : we slept nigh half our time in ignorance , and that wee ever awakened , it was onely Gods infinite goodnesse and free grace . VVhat cause have we then to blesse the giver ? And to become suiters to our Saviour in their behalf , who are not yet awake : That he will be pleased to open their eyes , and remove that vail which is laid over their hearts , in their hearing the Gospel , 2 Cor. 3. 14 , 15 , 16. And in the mean-time , let us condole their disastres , and drop some teares in pity and compassion for their great and grievous misery . Fifthly , and lastly , If with God one spark of spiritual , experimental , and saving knowledge , be of more worth then all humane wisdome and learning , then strive we after that knowledge that will make us for ever blessed . Let us so be learned , that we may be saved . Let us not in our hearing , reading , and communication , do as little children , that looke onely upon the babies in a Booke , without regard to the matter therein contained . But like men in yeares , have more respect to the pith , and solidity of the matter , then to the phrase ; and to the profit of our souls , then the pleasing of our senses . Yea , let us so minde what we either hear or read ; that if any vertue be commended , we practice it ; if any vice condemned , we avoid it ; if any consolation be insinuated , we appropriate it ; if any good example be propounded , wee follow it . Yea , so minde wee what we hear , or read , as if it were spoke onely to each of us in particular ; which to do , is to be for ever happy . Good counsell for our young Gulls , who will hear no other Ministers but such as flatter sinne , and flout holinesse ; nor read other Books , then such as fill them with Pride , and Lust , and the Devil . So I have given you a good , and profitable Book , one faultlesse fault being born with . An answer that may satisfie such as shall make the Objection I expect , viz. about repetition , which I take to be a fault deserving thanks . If any shall finde themselves gainers by reading of this piece , let them also peruse the two fore-going parts , viz. The Hearts Index , and A short and sure way to Grace and salvation , as treating upon the most needful subjects for a natural mans conversion , that I could think of : The which being small things , are sold onely by James Crump , in Little Bartholomews , wel-yard ; And by Henry Cripps , in Popes-head Alley . ERRATA . Not to mention all the litterall mistakes , and points misplaced ; there is one fault in the Title page so grosse , ( though it past the view , both of Transcriber , Composer , Corrector , and Authour , without being discerned : ) that it would be mended with a pen , and of Floreligus , made Florilegus . FINIS . 
A41355	----	The marrow of modern divinity touching both the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace, with their use and end, both in the time of the Old Testament, and in the time of the New : wherein every one may cleerly see how far forth he bringeth the law into the case of justification, and so deserverh the name of legalist : and how far forth he rejecteth the law, in the case of sanctification, and so deserveth the name of Antinomist : with the middle path between them both, which by Iesus Christ leadeth to eternall life : in a dialogue, betwixt Evangelista, a minister of the Gospel, Nomista, a legalist, Antinomista, an Antinomian, and Neophytus, a young Christian / by the author, E.F. ; before the which there is prefixed the commendatory epistles of divers divines of great esteem in the citie of London ; whereunto is also added, the substance of a Fisher, Edward, fl. 1627-1655. 1646 Approx. 394 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 143 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A41355 Wing F997 ESTC R1839 12369170 ocm 12369170 60509 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A41355) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 60509) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 889:12) The marrow of modern divinity touching both the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace, with their use and end, both in the time of the Old Testament, and in the time of the New : wherein every one may cleerly see how far forth he bringeth the law into the case of justification, and so deserverh the name of legalist : and how far forth he rejecteth the law, in the case of sanctification, and so deserveth the name of Antinomist : with the middle path between them both, which by Iesus Christ leadeth to eternall life : in a dialogue, betwixt Evangelista, a minister of the Gospel, Nomista, a legalist, Antinomista, an Antinomian, and Neophytus, a young Christian / by the author, E.F. ; before the which there is prefixed the commendatory epistles of divers divines of great esteem in the citie of London ; whereunto is also added, the substance of a Fisher, Edward, fl. 1627-1655. Hamilton, Patrick, 1504?-1528. Patricks places. The second edition, corrected, amended, and much enlarged. [31], 255 p. Printed by R. Leybourn, for Giles Calvert ..., London : 1646. Reproduction of original in Union Theological Seminary Library, New York. Edition statement taken from title. "Patrick's places", p. 247-255, was written by Patrick Hamilton. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). 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Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Salvation -- Early works to 1800. Covenant theology. Antinomianism. 2004-12 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-02 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-04 Rachel Losh Sampled and proofread 2005-04 Rachel Losh Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion I Have perused this ensuing Dialogue , and finde it tending to Peace and Holinesse ; the Authour endeavouring to reconcile and heale those unhappy Differences which have lately broken out a fresh amongst us , about the Points therein handled , and cleered : For which cause I allow it to be Printed , and recommend it to the Reader , as a Discourse stored with many necessary and seasonable truths , confirmed by Scripture , and avowed by many approved Wtiters : All composed in a familiar , plain , moderate style , without bitternesse against , or uncomely reflections upon others ; which Flyes have lately corrupted many bo●es of ( otherwise ) precious Ointment . May 1 0 , 1645. Joseph Caryl . THE MARROW OF Modern Divinity : Touching both the Covenant of Works , and the Covenant of Grace : with their use and end , both in the time of the Old Testament , and in the time of the New. Wherein every one may cleerly see how far forth he bringeth the Law into the case of justification , and so deserveth the name of Legalist ; And how far forth he rejecteth the Law ▪ in the case of Sanctification , and so deserveth the name of Antinomist . With the middle path between them both , which by Iesus Christ leadeth to eternall life . In a Dialogue , betwixt EVANGELISTA , a Minister of the Gospel . NOMISTA , a Legalist . ANTINOMISTA , an Antinomian . And NEOPHYTUS , a young Christian. The second Edition , corrected , amended , and much enlarged By the Author , E. Fisher Before the which there is prefixed the commenda●●●● Epistles of divers Divines of great esteem in the Citie of LONDON . Whereunto is also added , the substance of a most spirituall , and Evangelicall Treatise , called , long since , by the name of Patricks Places . London , Printed by R. Leybourn , for Giles 〈◊〉 , at the Black Spread-Eagle , at the West end of Paris , 16●6 . TO THE HONOVRABLE , Collonel John Downes ESQUIRE , One of the Members of the Honourable House of Commons in Parliament , Justice of Peace , and one of the Deputy Lievtenants of the County of Sussex , and Auditor to the Prince his Highnesse of the Dutchie of Cornwall . E. F. wisheth the true knowledge of God in JESUS CHRIST . Most Honoured , SIR : ALthough I doe observe that new Editions , accompanied with new additions , are somtimes published with new dedications , yet so long as he who formerly owned the subject , doth yet 〈◊〉 , and hath the same affectiou● towards it , I conceive there is no need of a new Patron , but of a new Epistle . Be pleased then , most honoured Sir , to give mee leave to tell you , that your eminencie of place did somwhat induce me , both now and before , to make choise of you for its Patron , but your endowments with grace did invite me to it , God having bestowed upon you speciall spirituall blessings in heavenly things in Christ : for it hath beene declared unto me by them that knew you , when you were but a youth , how Christ met with you then , and by sending his spirit into your heart , first convinced you of sin , as was manifest by those conflicts which your soule then had , both with Satan and it selfe , whilst you did not believe in Christ. Secondly , of righteousnesse , as was manifest by the peace and comfort which you afterwards had , by believing that Christ was gon to the Father and appeared in his presence as your Advocate and surety that had undertaken for you . Thirdly , of judgement , as hath been manifest ever since , in that you have been carefull with the true godly man , Psal. 112.5 . to guide your affairs with judgement , in walking according to the minde of Christ. I have not forgotten what desires you have expressed to know the true difference betwixt the Covenant of Works , and the Covenant of Grace , and experimentally to be acquainted with the Doctrine of free grace , the mysteries of Christ , and the life of faith . Witnesse not onely your highly approving of some heads of a Sermon which I once heard a godly Minister preach , and repeated in your hearing , of the life of Faith , but also your earnest request to me to write them out faire , and send them to you into the Countrey : Yea , witnesse , your highly approving of this Dialogue , when I first acquainted you with the Contents thereof , incouraging me to expedite it to the Presse , and you● kinde acceptance , together with your cordiall thanks for my love manifested in dedicating it to your honoured name . Sith then , worthy Sir , it hath pleased the Lord to enable me , both to amend it , and to enlarge it , I hope your affections will also be inlarged towards the matter therein contained , considering that it tends to the cleering of those forenamed truths , and through the blessing of God may be a means to root them more deeply in your heart . And truly , Sir , I am confident , the more they grow & flourish in any mans heart , the more will all heart corruptions wither and decay . Oh! Sir , If the truth contained in this Dialogue , were but as much in my heart , as they are in my head ; I were a happie man , for then should I bee more free from pride , vain glory , wrath , anger , self-love , and love of the world then I am , and then should I have more humility , meeknesse , and love both to God and man then I have , oh ! then should I bee content with Christ alone , and live above all the things in the world , then should I experimentally know , both how to abound and how to want , and then shall I be fit for any condition , nothing could come amisse unto me , oh ! that the Lord would be pleased to write it in our hearts by his blessed Spirit . And so most humbly beseeching you still to pardon my boldnesse , and to vouchsafe to take it into your patronage and protection , I humbly take my leave of you , and remain Your obliged Servant to be commanded , E. F. To all such humble hearted Readers , as see any need to learn , eyther to know themselves or GOD in CHRIST . Loving Christians : COnsider , I pray you , that as the first Adam did as a common person , enter into covenant with God for all mankind ; and brake it , whereby they became sinfull and guilty of everlasting death and damnation : Even so Jesus Christ , the second Adam , did as a common person enter into covenant with God his Father for all the elect ( that is to say , all those that have or shall believe on his name ) and for them kept it , whereby they become righteous , and heires of everlasting life and salvation . And therfore it is our greatest wisdome , and ought to be our greatest care and endeavour to come out , and from the first Adam , unto and into the second Adam , that so wee may have life through his Name . John 20.31 . And yet , alas , there is no point in all practicall Divinity , that wee are naturally so much averse and backward unto as unto this ; neyther doth Sathan strive to hinder us so much from doing any thing else as this : And hence it is , that we are all of us naturally apt to abide and continue , in that sinfull and miserable estate , that the first Adam plunged us into without eyther taking any notice of it , or being at all affected with it , so far are wee from comming out of it . And if the Lord be pleased by any means to open our eyes , to see our misery , and we doe thereupon begin to step out of it , yet , alas , wee are prone rather to goe backwards towards the first Adams pure estate , in striving and strugling to leave sinne , and performe duties , and doe good works , hoping thereby to make our selves so righteous and holy , that God will let us into Paradise againe to eat of the tree of life and live for ever , and this we do untill we see the flaming sword at Edens gate , turning every way to keepe the way of the tree of life . Is it not ordinary when the Lord convinceth a man of his sin ( eyther by means of his Word or his Rod ) to cry after this manner : O , I am a sinfull man ! for I have lived a very wicked life , and therefore surely the Lord is angry with mee , and will damne me in hell : ô ! what shall I do to save my soule ? And is there not at hand some ignorant , miserable comforter ready to say , yet doe not despayre man , but repent of your sins , and aske God forgivenesse , and reforme your life , and doubt not , but he will be mercifull unto you , for hee hath promised ( you know ) that at what time soever a sinner repenteth of his sins hee will forgive him . And doth hee not hereupon comfort himself , and say in his heart at least , ô , if the Lord will but spare my life , and lengthen out my days , I will become a new man ! I am very sorry that I have lived such a sinfull life , but I will never doe as I have done for all the world : ô , you shall see a great change in me ! believe it . And hereupon he betakes himself to a new course of life , and it may be becomes a zealous professour of Religion , performing all Christian exercises both publike and private , and leaves off his old companions , and keeps company with religious men , ( and so it may be goes on till his dying day , and thinks himselfe sure of Heaven and eternall happines ) & yet it maybe all this while is ignorant of Christ and his Righteousnes , and therefore establisheth his own . Where is the man , or where is the woman that is truly come to Christ , that hath not had some experience in themselves of such a disposition as this , if there be any that have reformed their lives , and are become Professours of Religion , and have not taken notice of this in themselves more or lesse : I wish they have gone beyond a legall Professour , or one still under the covenant of works . Nay , where is the man or woman that is truly in Christ , that findeth not in themselves an aptnes to withdraw their hearts from Christ , and to put some confidence in their owne works and doings ; if there be any that do not find it : I wish their hearts deceive them not . Let me confesse ingeniously , I was a professour of Religion , at least a dozen yeeres , before I knew any other way to eternall life , then to be sorry for my sins , and aske forgivenesse , and strive and endeavour to fulfill the Law , and keepe the Commandements , according as Master Dod and other godly men had expounded them : and truly I remember I was in hope I should at last attain to the perfect fulfilling of them , and in the mean-time , I conceived , that God would accept the will for the deed , or what I could not doe Christ had done for me . And though at last by meanes of conferring with Master Thomas Hooker in private , the Lord was pleased to convince me , that I was yet but a proud Pharisee , and to shew mee the way of faith and salvation by Christ alone , and to give mee ( as I hope ) a heart in some measure to embrace it ; yet , alas , through the weaknesse of my faith , I have been and am still apt to turne aside to the covenant of works , and therefore have not attained to that joy and peace in believing , nor that measure of love to Christ and man for Christs sake , as I am confident , many of Gods Saints do attain unto in the time of this life , the Lord be mercifull unto mee , and increase my faith . And are there not other ( though I hope ) but few who being enlightned to see their misery , by reason of the guilt of sin , though not by reason of the filth of sinne : And hearing of justification freely by grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ , do applaud and magnifie that doctrine , following them that doe most preach and presse the same , seeming to be ( as it were ) ravished with the hearing thereof , out of a conceit that they are by Christ freely justified from the guilt of sin , though still they retain the filth of sin , these are they that content themselves ( with a Gospel knowledge , with meere notions in the head but not in the heart , glorying and rejoycing in free grace , and justification by faith alone , professing faith in Christ , and yet are not possessed of Christ , these are they that can talke like believers , and yet do not walke like believers ; these are they that have language like Saints , and yet have conversations like Devils : these are they that are not obedient to the Law of Christ , and therefore are justly called Antinomians . Now both these paths leading from Christ , have been justly judged as erronious , and to my knowledge , not onely a matter of 18 or 20 years agoe , but also within these three or foure years , there hath been much a doe , both by preaching , writing , and disputing , both to reduce men out of them , and to keep them from them , and hot contentious have been on both sides , and all , I fear me , to little purpose , for hath not the strict professour according to the Law , whilst he hath striven to reduce the loose professour , according to the Gospel , out of the Antinomian path , intangled both himselfe and others , the faster in the yoke of bondage , and hath not the loose professour according to the Gospel , whilst he hath striven to reduce the strict professour according to the Law , out of the legall path , by promising liberty from the Law , taught others , and been himselfe the servant of corruption . For this cause I , though I be nothing , have , by the grace of God , endeavoured in this Dialogue , to walk , as a middle-man betwixt them both , in shewing to each of them his erronious path , with the middle path ( which is Jesus Christ received truly , and walked in answerably , as a means to bring them both unto him , and make them both one in him : And oh ! that the Lord would be pleased so to blesse it to them , that it might be a means to produce that effect . I have ( as you may see ) gathered much of it , out of known and approved Authours , and yet have therein wronged no man , for I have restored it to the right owner again in the margent , some part of it my manuscripts have afforded me , and of the rest I hope I may say as Jacob did of his venison , Gen. 27.20 . The Lord hath brought it unto me , ( let me speak it without vain glory ) I have endeavoured herein to imitate the laborious Bee , who out of divers flowers gathers honey and wax , and thereof makes one combe : if any soule feels any sweetnesse in it , let them praise God , and pray for me who am weak in faith , and cold in love . E. F. TO THE READER . IF thou wilt please to peruse this little Book , thou shalt finde great worth in it : There is a line of a gracious Spirit drawne through it , which hath fastned many precious truths together , and presented them to thy view , according to the variety of mens spirits , the various ways of presenting known truths are profitable . The grace of God hath helped this Author in his worke , if it , in like manner , helps thee in reading , thou shalt have cause to blesse God for these truths thus brought to thee , and for the labours of this good man , whose ends , I believe , are very syncere for God and thy good . Jer. Burroughes . OCcasionally lighting upon this Dialogue , under the Approbation of a learned and judicious Divine , I was thereby induced to read it , and afterwards upon serious consideration of the usefulnesse of it , to commend it to the people in my publike Ministry . Two things in it especially tooke with me : first the matter , the main substance being distinctly to discover the nature of the two Covenants , upon which all the mysteries both of Law and Gospel depend . To see the first Adam to be primus foederatus , in the one , and the second Adam in the other , to distinguish rightly betwixt the law standing alone as a Covenant , and standing in subordination to the Gospel , as a servant , this I assure my selfe to be the key which opens the hiden treasures of the Gospel . As soone as God had given Luther but a glimpse hereof , hee professeth that hee seemed to bee brought into Paradise again ; and the whole face of the Scripture to bee changed to him : and he looked upon every truth with another eye . Secondly , the manner , because it is an Irenicum , and tends to an accommodation and a right understanding . Times of Reformation have always been times of division , Satan will cast out a floud after the woman , as knowing that more die by the disagreement of the humours of their own bodies , than by the sword , and that if men be once engaged , they will contend ; if not for truth , yet for victory . Now if the difference be in things of lesser consequence , the best way to quench it were silence , this was Luthers counsell given in an Epistle written to the Divines assembled in a Synod at Norimberge , Meum consilium fuerit ( cum nullum sit Ecclesiae periculum ) ut hanc causam sinatis , vel ad tempus sopitam , ( utinam extinctam ) jacere donec tutiore & meliore tempore , animis in pace firmatis ; & charitate aduatis , eam disputetis . I think it were good counsell concerning many of the Disputes of our times . But if the difference be of greater concernment as this is , then the way to decide it , is to bring in more light which this Authour hath done , with much evidence of Scripture , backt with the authority of most moderne Divines : so that whosoever desires to have his judgement cleered in the maine controversie , betweene us and the Antinomians , with a small expence either of money or time , hee may here receive ample satisfaction ; this I testifie upon request , professing my selfe a friend both to truth and peace . Novem. 12. W. Strong . THis book at first well accommodated with so valuable a testimony as M. Caryls , besides its better-approving it self to the choicer spirits every where , to the speedy distribution of the whole impression , it might seeme a needlesse or superfluous thing to adde any more to the praise thereof , yet meeting with detracting language , from some few ( by reason of some phrases by them either not duly pondered , or not rightly understood ) it is thought meete this second impression , to relieve that worthy testimony which still stands to it , with fresh supplies , not for any need , the truth therein contained hath thereof , but because either the prejudice or darknesse of some mens judgements doth require it : I therefore having throughly perused it , cannot but testifie , that if I have any the least judgment or rellish of truth , hee that findes this book , findes a good thing , and not unworthy of its title , and may account the Saints to have obtained favour with the Lord , in the ministration of it , as that which with great plainenesse and evidence of truth comprises the chiefe ( if not all ) the differences that have been lately ingendred about the Law , it hath , I must confesse , not onely fortified my judgement , but also warmed my heart in the reading of it , as indeed inculcating throughout the whole Dialogue , the cleer and familiar notion of those things by which we live ( as Hezekias speaks in another case ) and it appeareth to me to be written from much experimentall knowledge of Christ , and teaching of the Spirit . Let all men that taste the fruit of it , confesse to the glory of God , he is no respecter of persons , and endeavour to know no man henceforth after the flesh , nor envie the compiler thereof , the honour to be accounted as God hath made him in this point , a healer of breaches , and a restorer of the over-grown paths of the Gospel : as for mine own part , I am so satisfied in this testimony I lend , that I reckon , what ever credit is thus pawned , will be a glory to the name that stands by and avows this truth , so long as the book shall endure to record it . Ihshua Sprigge . Grace and peace to you in Christ Jesus . My loving friend in Christ , I Have , according to your desire , read over your Booke , and finde it full of Evangelicall light and life , and I doubt not , but the oftner I read it , the more true comfort I shall finde in the knowledge of Christ thereby , the matter ●s pure , the method is Apostolicall , wherein the works of love in the right place , after the life of faith bee effectually required . God hath endewed his Fisher with the Net of a trying understanding and discerning iudgement and discretion , whereby out of the Christaline streams of the well of life , you have taken a messe of the sweetest and wholsomest fish that the whole world can afford , which if I could daily have enough of , I should no more care for the flesh , or the works thereof . Samuell Prittie . A CATALOGUE of those Writers names out of whom I have collected much of the matter contained in this ensuing Dialogue . A Doctor Ames M. Aynsworth B M. Beza M. Bulenger M. Bradford M. Bastingius Bishop Babington M. Ball M. Robert Boulton M. Samuel Boulton C M. Calvin M. Culverwell M. Carelesse M. Cornwall D Du Plesse B. D●wname Doctor Di●da●e M. Dixon M. Dyke E M. Elton F M. Fox M. Frith M. Forbs G M. Greenham M. Gibbens M. Thomas Goodwin M. Gray junior H Bishop Hall M. Thomas Hooker . L Doctor Luther M. Lightfoot M Wolfangius Musculus Peter Martyr Doctor Mayor M. Marshall O Barnardine Ochine P M. Perkins Doctor Preston R M. Rollock M. Reynolds M. Rouse . S Doctor Smith Doctor Sibbs M. Slater T M. Tyndall M. Robert Towne V Doctor Vrban Regius Doctor Vrsinus M. Vaughan W Doctor Willet Doctor Williams M. Wilson M. Ward . THE MARROVV OF Modern Divinity . Interlocutors : EVANGELISTA , a Minister of the Gospel . NOMISTA , a Legalist . ANTINOMISTA , an Antinomian . NEOPHYTUS , a young Christian. Nomista . SIR , My neighbour Neophytus and I , having lately had some conference with this our friend and acquaintance Antinomista , about some points of Religi●n , wherein he differing from us both , at last ●id he would be contented to be judged by ●ou our Minister : therefore have we made bold to come unto you , all three of us , to pray you to heare us , and judge of our differences . Evan. You are all of you very welcome to me , and if you please to let me heare what your differences are , I will tell you what I think . Nom. The truth is , Sir , he and I differ in very many things , but more especially about the Law : for I say the Law ought to be a rule of life to a believer , and he saith it ought not . Neo. And surely , Sir , the greatest difference betwixt him and I , is this : He would perswade me to believe in Christ , and bids me rejoyce in the Lord , and live merrily , though I feel never so many corruptions in my heart , yea though I be never so sinfull in my life ; the which I cannot do , nor I think ought not to do , but rather to feare , and sorrow , and lament for my sins . Anti. The truth is , Sir , the greatest difference is betwixt my feiend Nomista and I , about the Law , and therefore that is the greatest matter we come unto you about . Evan. I remember , the Apostle Paul willeth Titus to avoyd contentions and strivings about the Law , because they are unprofitable and vain : and so I feare me yours have been . Nom. Sir , for mine own part I hold it very meet , that every true Christian should be very zealous for the holy Law of God , especially now when a company of these Antinomians do set themselves against it , and do what they can quite to abolish it , and utterly to root it out of the Church : surely , Sir , I think it not meet they should ●ive in a Christian Common-wealth . Evan. I pray you , neighbour Nomista , be not so hot , neither let us have such unchristianlike expressions amongst us , and let us reason together in love , and with the spirit of meeknesse , as Christians ought to do . I confesse with the Apostle , it is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing : But yet as the same Apostle said of the Jews , so I feare me I may say of some Christians , that they are zealous of the Law , yea some would be Doctors of the Law , and yet neither understand what they say , nor whereof they affirm . Nom. Sir , I make no doubt but that I both know what I say , and whereof I affirm , when I say and affirm , that the holy Law of God ought to be a rule of life to a believer ; For I dare pawn my soule of the ●ruth of it . Evan. But what Law do you mean ? Nom. Why Sir , what Law do you think I mean ? Is there any more Lawes then one ▪ Evan. Yea , in the New Testament the● is mention made of a three-fold Law , 〈◊〉 wit , the law of works , the law of faith , an● the law of Christ : and therefore I pray yo● tell me , when you say the Law ought to b● a rule of life to a believer , which of their three Lawes you mean ? Nom. Sir , I know not the difference betwixt them ; but this I know , that the Law of the Ten Commandements , commonly called the Morall Law , ought to be a rule of life to a believer . Evan. But the Law of the Ten Commandements , or Morall Law , may be either said to be the matter of the law of works or the matter of the law of Christ ; and therefore I pray you tell me in whether o● these senses you conceive it ought to be ● rule of life to a believer ? Nom. Sir , I must confesse I do not know what you mean by this distinction ; but thi● I know , that God requires that every Christian should frame and lead his life according to the rule of the Ten Commandements , the which if he do , then may he expect the blessing of God both upon his soule and body , and if he do not , then can he expect nothing else but his wrath and curse upon them both . Evan. The truth is , neighbour Nomista , ●he Law of the Ten Commandements , as it 〈◊〉 the matter of the Law of Works , ought not to be a rule of life to a believer : but in thus saying , you have affirmed that it ought , and therefore therein you have erred from the truth . And now friend Antinomista , that I may also know your judgement , when you say the Law ought not to be a rule of life to a believer , I pray you tell me what Law you mean ? Ant. Why , I mean the Law of the Ten Commandements . Evan. But whether do you mean that Law , as it is the matter of the law of works , or as it is the matter of the Law of Christ ? Ant. Surely , Sir , I do conceive that the Ten Commandements are no way to be a rule of life to a believer , for Christ hath delivered him from them . Evan. But the truth is , the law of the Ten Commandements , as it is the matter of the law of Christ , ought to be a rule of life to a believer ; and therefore you having affirmed the contrary , have therein also er●ed from the truth . Nom. The truth is , Sir , I must confesse , 〈◊〉 never took any notice of this three-fold ●aw , which it seems is mentioned in the New Testament . Ant. And I must confesse , if I took any notice of them , I never understood them . Evan. Well , give me leave to tell you , that so far forth as any man comes short of the true knowledge of this threefold Law , so far forth he comes short both of the true knowledge of God , and of himself ; And therefore I wish you both to consider of it . Nom. Sir , if it be so , you may do well to be a means to inform us , and help us to the true knowledge of this threefold Law ; and therefore I pray you first tell us what is meant by the law of works ? Evan. The law of works , opposed to the law of faith , Rom. 3.27 . holds forth as much as the covenant of works : for it is manifest , saith Musculus , that the word which signifieth covenant or bargain , is put for law ; so that you see the Law of works , is as much to say as the Covenant of works , the which Covenant the Lord made with all mankinde in Adam before his fall , the summe whereof was , Do this , and thou shalt live ; And , If thou do it not , thou shalt die the death . In which Covenant there was first contained 〈◊〉 precept , Do this ; Secondly , a promise joyned unto it , If thou do it , thou shalt live ▪ Thirdly , a like threatning , If thou do it not , thou shalt die the death . Imagine , saith Musculus , that God had said to Adam , Lo , to the intent that thou maist live , I have given thee liberty to eat , and have given thee abundantly to eat : let all the fruits of Paradise be in thy power , one tree except , which see thou touch not , for that I keep it to mine own authority : the same is the tree of knowledge of good and evill , If thou touch it , the meat thereof shall not be life , but death . Nom. But Sir , you said that the Law of the Ten Commandements , or Morall Law , may be said to be the matter of the Law of works : and you have also said , that the Law of works is as much to say as the Covenant of works : whereby it seems to me you hold that the Law of the Ten Commandements was the matter of the Covenant of works which God made with all mankind in Adam before his fall . Evan. That 's a truth agreed upon by all Authors and Interpreters that I know : And indeed , the Law of works ( as a learned Author saith ) signifies the Morall law ; and the Morall law strictly and properly taken , signifies the Covenant of works . Nom. But Sir , what is the reason you call it but the matter of the covenant of works ? Evan. The reason why I rather chuse to call the Law of the Ten Commandements the matter of the Covenant of works , then the Covenant it self , is because I conceive that the matter of it cannot properly be called the covenant of works , except the form be put upon it , that is to say , except the Lord require , and man undertake to yield perfect obedience thereunto , upon condition of eternall life and death : And therefore till then it was not a covenant of works betwixt God and all mankinde in Adam . As for example , you know , that although a servant have an ability to do a masters work , and though a master have wages to bestow upon him for it , yet is there not a covenant betwixt them till they have thereupon agreed . Even so , though man at the first had power to yield perfect and perpetuall obedience to all the Ten Commandements , and God had an eternall life to bestow upon him , yet was there not a covenant betwixt them till they were thereupon agreed . Nom. But Sir , you know there is no mention made in the book of Genesis , of this covenant of works , which you say was made with man at first . Evan. Though we read not the word Covenant betwixt God and man , yet have we there recorded what may amount to as much ; for God provided and promised to Adam eternall happinesse , and called for perfect obedience , which appears from Gods threatning , Gen. 2.17 . For if man must die if he disobeyed , it implies strongly , that Gods covenant was with him for life , if he obeyed . Nom. But Sir , you know the word Covenant signifies a mutuall promise , bargain , and obligation betwixt two parties . Now though it is implied , that God promised man to give him life if he obeyed , yet we read not that man promised to be obedient . Evan. I pray take notice , that God doth not alwayes tie man to verball expressions , but doth often contract the Covenant in reall impressions in the heart and frame of the creature : And this was the manner of covenanting with man at the first , for God had furnished his soule with an understanding mind , whereby he might discern good from evill , and right from wrong , and not only so , but also in his will was most great uprightnesse , and his instrumentall parts were orderly framed to obedience : the truth is , God did ingrave in mans soule , wisdom , and knowledge of his will , and works , and integrity in the whole soule , and such a fitnesse in all the powers thereof , that neither the mind did conceive , nor the heart desire , nor the body put in execution any thing but that which was acceptable to God : so that man endowed with these qualities , was able to serve God perfectly . Nom. But Sir , how could the Law of the Ten Commandements be the matter of this Covenant of works , when they were not written , as you know , till the time of Moses . Evan. Though they were not written in tables of stone untill the time of Moses , yet were they written in the tables of mans heart in the time of Adam ; for we read , that man was created in the image or likenesse of God , Gen. 1.27 . And the ten Commandements are a doctrine agreeing with the eternall wisdome and justice that is in God , wherein he hath so painted out his own nature , that it doth in a manner expresse the very image of God. And doth not the Apostle say , that the image of God consists in knowledge , righteousnesse , and true holinesse , and is not knowledge , righteousnes , & true holines the perfections of both the tables of the law . And indeed , saith M. Rollock , it could not wel stand with the justice of God to make a Covenant with man under the condition of holy & good works , & perfect obedience to his Law , except he had first created man holy & pure , and ingraven his law in his hart whence those good works should proceed . Nom. But yet I cannot but marvell that God , in making the covenant with man , did make mention of no other commandement then that of the forbidden fruit . Evan. Do not marvell at it , for by that one species of sin , the whole genus or kind is shewn , as the same Law being more clearly unfolded , Deut. 27.26 . Gal. 3.10 . doth expresse : And indeed , in that one Commandement the whole worship of God did consist , as , obedience , honour , love , confidence , and religious feare , together with the outward abstinence from sin , and reverent respect to the voice of God. Yea , herein also consisted his love , and so his whole duty to his neighbour : so that as a learned writer saith , Adam heard as much in the garden , as Israel did at Sinai , but only in fewer words , and without thunder . Nom. But sir , ought not man to have yielded perfect obedience to God , though this Covenant had not been made betwixt them ? Evan. Yea indeed , perfect and perpetuall obedience was due from man unto God , though God had made no promise to man ; for when God created man at first , he put forth an excellencie from himself into him , and therefore it was the bond and tie that lay upon man to return that again unto God , so that man being Gods creature by the law of creation , he owed all obedience and subjection to God his creator . Nom. Why then was it needfull that the Lord should make a covenant with him , by promising him life , and threatning him with death . Evan. For answer hereunto , in the first place I pray you understand , that man was a reasonable creature , and so out of judgement , discretion and election , able to make choice of his way , and therefore it was meet there should be such a covenant made with him , that he might according to Gods appointment serve him after a reasonable manner . Secondly , it was meet there should be such a covenant made with him , to shew that he was not such a Prince on earth , but that he had a Soveraigne Lord ; therefore God set a punishment upon the breach of his commandement , that man might know his inferiority , and that things betwixt him and God , were not as betwixt equals . Thirdly , it was meet there should be such a covenant made with him , to shew that he had nothing by personall , immediate , and underived right , but all by gift and gentlenesse : so that you see it was an equall covenant , which God out of his prerogative royall made with mankind in Adam before his fall . Nom. Well , Sir , I do perceive that Adam and all mankind in him were created most holy . Evan. Yea , and most happy too , for God placed him in paradise in the middest of all delightfull pleasures and contents , wherein he did enjoy most near and sweet communion with his Creator , in whose presence is fulnesse of joy , and at whose right hand is pleasures for evermore . So that if Adam had received of the tree of life , by taking and eating of it while he stood in the state of Innonencie before his fall , he had certainly been established in a happy estate for ever , and could not have been seduced and supplanted by Sathan , as some learned men do think , and as Gods own words seem to imply , Gen. 3.22 . Nom. But it seemeth that Adam did not continue in that holy and happy estate . Evan. No indeed , for he disobeyed Gods expresse command , in eating the forbidden fruit , and so became guilty of the breach of the Covenant . Nom. But Sir , how could Adam , who had his understanding so sound , and his will so free to choose good , be so disobedient to Gods expresse command ? Evan : Though he and his will were both good , yet were they mutably good , so that he might either stand or fall at his own election or choice . Nom. But why then did not the Lord create him immutable ? or why did he not so over-rule him in that action , that he might not have eaten the forbidden fruit ? Evan. The reason why the Lord did not create him immutable , was because hee would be obeyed out of judgement , and free choice , and not by fatall necessity , and absolute determination ; and withall let me tell you , it was not reasonable to restraine God to this point , to make man such a one as would not , or could not sin at all , for it was at his choice to create him how he pleased , but why he did not uphold him with strength of stedfast continuance , that resteth hidden in Gods secret Counsell : howbeit this we may certainly conclude , that Adams state was such , as served to take away from him all excuse , for he received so much , that of his own will he wrought his own destruction , because that act of his was a wilfull transgression of a Law , under the precepts whereof he was most justly created , and unto the malediction whereof hee was as necessarily and righteously subject if he transgressed ; for as by being Gods creature he was to be subject to his will , so by being Gods prisoner , he was as justly subject to his wrath , and that so much the more , by how much the precept was most just , the obedience more easie , the transgression more unreasonable , and the punishment more certaine . Nom. And was Adams sinne and punishment imputed unto his whole off-spring ? Evan. Yea indeed , for saith the Apostle , Death passed upon all men , for that all have sinned , or , in whom all have sinned , that is , in Adam ; the very truth is , Adam by his fall threw down our whole nature headlong into the same destruction , and drowned his whole off-spring in the same gulfe of misery : and the reason is , because by Gods appointment he was not to stand or fall , as a single person only , but as a common publike person , representing all mankind to come of him , therefore as all that happinesse , all those gifts and endowments which were bestowed upon him , were not bestowed upon him alone , but also upon the whole nature of man , and as that Covenant which was made with him , was made with whole mankinde ; even so he by breaking Covenant lost all , as well for us , as for himselfe , as he received all for himselfe and us , so he lost all both for himselfe and us . Nom. Then Sir it seemeth that by Adams breach of Covenant , all man-kinde was brought into a miserable condition . Evan. All mankind by the fall of Adam received a twofold damage ; first a deprivation of all originall goodnesse : Secondly an habituall naturall pronenesse to all kind of wickednesse ; for the image of God , after which they were created , was forthwith blotted out , and in place of wisdome , righteousnesse and true holinesse , came blindnesse , uncleanesse , falshood and injustice : the very truth is , our whole nature was thereby corrupted , defiled , deformed , depraved , infected , made infirme , fraile , malignant , full of venome , contrary to God , yea enemies and rebels unto him ; so that , saith Luther , this is the title we have received from Adam , in this one thing we may glory , and in nothing else at all , namely , that every Infant that is born into this world , is wholly in the power of sinne , death , Sathan , hell , and everlasting damnation : nay , saith Musculus , the whirlpoole of mans sinne in paradise , is bottomlesse and unsearchable . Nom. But Sir , me thinks it is a strange thing , that so small an offence as the eating of the forbidden fruit seemes to be , should plunge whole mankind into such a gulfe of misery . Evan. Though at the first glance it seem to be a small offence ; yet if you look more wishly upon the matter , it will appeare to be an exceeding great offence , for thereby intolerable injury was done unto God : as first , his dominion and authority in his holy command was violated ; Secondly , his justice , truth and power , in his most righteous threatnings , were despised ; Thirdly , his most pure and perfect image , wherein man was created in righteousnesse and true holinesse , was utterly defaced ; Fourthly , his glory , which by an active service the creature should have brought to him , was lost and despoiled : nay , how could there be a greater sin committed , then that , when Adam at ●hat one clap brake all the ten Commandements . Nom. Did he break all the ten Comman●ements , say you , Sir , I beseech you shew ●e wherein ? Evan. 1. He chose himself another God , when he followed the Devil . 2. He idolized and defiled his own belly , ●s the Apostles phrase is , He made his belly ●is god . 3. He took the name of God in vain , when ●e believed him not . 4. He kept not the rest and estate where●● God had set him . 5. He dishonoured his Father which was heaven , and therefore his dayes were not prolonged in that land which the Lord his God had given him . 6. He massacred himselfe , and all his posterity . 7. From Eve he was a virgin , but in eyes and minde he committed spirituall fornication . 8. He stole ( like Achan ) that which God had set aside not to be medled with , and this his stealth is that which troubles all Israel , the whole world . 9. He bare witnesse against God , when he believed the witnesse of the Devill above him . 10. He coveted an evill covetousnesse like Amnon , which cost him his life , and al● his progeny . Now whosoever consider● what a nest of evils here were committed a● one blow , must needs , with Musculus , se● our case to be such , that we be compelled every way to commend the justice of God and to condemn the sin of our first parents saying concerning all mankinde , as the Prophet Hosea doth concerning Israel , O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self . Nom. But Sir , had it not been possibl● for Adam both to have holpen himself and his posterity out of this misery , by renewing the same covenant with God , and keeping it for afterwards ? Eva. O no , he covenant of works was a covenant no way capable of renovation , when he had once broke it he was gone for ever , because it was a covenant between two friends , bu● f●llen man was become an enemy : And besides , it was an impossible thing for Adam to have performed the conditions which now the justice of God did necessarily require at his hands , for he was now become liable to the payment of a double debt , to wit , the debt of satisfaction for his sin committed in time past , and the debt of perfect and perpetuall obedience for the time to come : and he was utterly unable to pay either of them . Nom. Why was he unable to pay the debt of satisfaction for his sin committed in time past ? Evan. Because his sin in eating the forbidden fruit , ( for that is the sin I mean ) was committed against an infinite and eternall good , and therefore merited an infinite satisfaction , which was to be either some temporall punishment equivalent to eternall damnation , or eternall damnation it self . Now Adam was a finite creature , therefore between finite and infinite there could be no proportion , so that it was impossible for Adam to have made satisfaction by any temporall punishment , and if he had undertaken to have satisfied by an eternall punishment , he should alwayes have been satisfying , and never have satisfied , as is the 〈◊〉 of the damned in hell . Nom. And why was he unable to pay the debt of perfect and perpetuall obedience for the time to come ? Evan. Because his precedent power 〈◊〉 obey , was by his fall utterly impaired , fo● thereby his understanding was both feeble● and drowned in darknesse , and his will was made perverse , and utterly deprived of all power to will well , and his affections were quite set out of order , and all things belonging to the blessed life of the soule were extinguished both in him and us , so that he wa● become impotent , yea dead , and therefor● not able to stand in the lowest terms to per●form the meanest condition : the very truth is , our father Adam falling from God , di● by his fall so dash himself and us in peeces that there was no whole part left either 〈◊〉 him , or us , fit to ground such a Covenan● upon . And this the Apostle witnesseth , both when he saith , We are of no strength ; And , The Law was made weak , because of th● flesh . Nom. But Sir , might not the Lord have pardoned Adams sinne , without satisfaction ? Evan. O no , for Justice is essentiall in 〈◊〉 , and it is a righteous thing with God , 〈◊〉 every transgression receive a just recom●●nce , and if recompence be just , it is un●●st to pardon sin , without satisfaction ; and ●●ough the Lord had pardoned and forgiven 〈◊〉 former transgression , and so set him in 〈◊〉 former condition of amity and friend●●ip , yet having no power to keep the Law ●erfectly , he could not have continued ●●erein . Nomista . And is it also impossible for 〈◊〉 of his posterity to keep the Law per●●ctly ? Evan. Yea indeed , it is impossible for any ●eer man , in the time of this life , to keep it ●erfectly , yea though he be a regenerate ●an ; for the Law requireth of man , that he ●●ve the Lord with all his heart , soule and ●●ight ; and there is not the holiest man that 〈◊〉 , but he is flesh as wel as spirit , in all parts ●nd faculties of his soule , and therefore can●ot love the Lord perfectly : yea , and the ●aw forbiddeth all habituall concupiscence , ●ot only saying , thou shalt not consent to lust , ●ut thou shalt not lust . It doth not only ●ommand the binding of lust , but forbids ●●so the beeing of lust : And who in this case ●an say , my heart is clean ? Antin . Then friend Nomista , take notice I pray , that as it was altogether impossible for Adam to return unto that holy and happy estate wherein he was created , by the same way he went from it , so is it for any of his posterity ; and therefore I remember one saith very wittily , the Law was Adams lease when God made him tenant of Eden , the conditions of which bond when he kept not , he forfeited himself and all us . God read a lecture of the Law to him before he fell , to be a hedge to him to keep him in Paradise : but when Adam would not keep within compasse , this Law is now become as the flaming sword at Eden gate , to keep him and his posterity out . Nom. But Sir , you know that when a Covenant is broken , the parties that were bound , are freed and released from their ingagements , and therefore me thinks both Adam and his posterity should have been released from the covenant of works , when it was broken , especially considering they have no strength to perform the condition of it . Evan. Indeed it is true in every Covenant , if either party fail in his duty , and perform not his condition , the other party i● thereby freed from his part , but the party failing is not freed ti●l the other release him ▪ and therefore though the Lord be freed from performing his condition , that is , from giving to man eternall life ; yet so is not man from his part : no , though strength to obey be lost , yet man having lost it by his own default , the obligation to obedience remains still , so that Adam and his off-spring are no more discharged of their duties , because they have no strength to do them , than a debtor is quitted of his bond , because he wants money to pay it . And thus , neighbour Nomista , I have according to your desire , endeavoured to help you to the true knowledge of the Law of Works . Ant. I beseech you , Sir , proceed to help us to the true knowledge of the Law of Faith. Evan. The Law of faith is as much to say as the Covenant of grace , or the Gospel , which signifieth good , merry , glad , and joyfull tidings , that is to say , that God , to whose eternall knowledge all things are present , and nothing past , or to come , foreseeing mans fall before all time purposed , and in time promised , and in the fulnesse of time performed , the sending of his sonne Jesus Christ into the world , to help and deliver fallen mankind . Ant. I beseech you , Sir , let us heare more of these things , and first of all shew how we are to conceive of Gods eternall purpose in sending of Jesus Christ. Evan. Why here the Learned frame a kind of conflict in Gods holy attributes , and by a liberty which the Holy Ghost from the language of holy Scripture alloweth them , they speak of God after the manner of men , as if he were reduced to some straits and difficulties , by the crosse demands of his severall Attributes : for Truth and Justice stood up and said , that man had sinned , and therefore man must die ; and so called for the condemnation of a sinfull , and therefore worthily accursed creature : or else they must be violated : for thou saidst ( say they to God ) in what day that thou eatest of the tree of the knowledge of good and evill , thou shalt die the death . Mercy on the other side pleaded for favour , and appeales to the great Court in Heaven , and there it pleads , saying , Wisdome , and power , and goodnesse , have been all manifest in the Creation ; and Anger and Justice , they have been magnified in mans misery that he is now plunged into by his fall ; but I have not yet been manifested : O , let favour and compassion be shewed towards man , wofully seduced and overthrown by Sathan . O , said they unto God , it is a royall thing to relieve the distressed ; and the greater any one is , the more placable and gentle he ought to be . But Justice replied , If I be offended , I must be satisfied and have my right , And therefore I require , that man who hath lost himself by his disobedience , should for remedy set obedience against it , and so satisfie the judgement of God. Therefore the wisdome of God became an umpire , and devised a way to reconcile them , concluding , that before there could be reconciliation made , there must be two things effected ; first , a satisfaction of Gods justice ; secondly , a reparation of mans nature : which two things must needs be effected by such a middle and common person , that had both zeal toward God , that he might be satisfied , and compassion toward man that he might be repaired . Such a person , as having mans guilt and punishment translated on him , might satisfie the justice of God , and as having a fulnesse of Gods spirit and holinesse in him , might sanctifie and repaire the nature of man : And this could be none other but Jesus Christ , one of the three persons of the blessed Trinity ; And therefore he , by his Fathers ordinacion , his own voluntary susception , and the holy Spirits sanctification , was fitted for the businesse : whereupon there was a speciall covenant , or mutuall agreement made between God and Christ , as is expressed , Isa. 53. vers . 10. That if Christ would make himselfe a sacrifice sacrifice for him , then he should see his seed , he should prolong his dayes , and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper by him . So , in Psal. 89.19 . the mercy of this Covenant between God and Christ , under the type of Gods covenant with David , are set forth : Thou spakest in vision to thy Holy one , and saidst , I have laid help upon one that is mighty , or as the Chaldee expoundeth , one mighty in the Law. As if God had said concerning his elect , I know that these will break , and never be able to satisfie me , but you are a mighty and substantiall person , able to pay me , therefore I will look for my debt of you , ( as Paraeus well observes ) God did as it were say to Christ , What they owe me , I require it all at your hands . Then said Christ , Lo , I come to do thy will ▪ In the volume of thy book it is written of me , I delight to do thy will O my God , yea , thy Law is in my heart . Thus Christ assented , and from everlasting stroke hands with God , to put upon him mans person , and to take upon him his name , and to enter in his stead in obeying his father , and to do all for man that he should require , and to yield in mans flesh the price of the satisfaction of the just judgment of God , and in the same flesh to suffer the punishment that man had deserved ; And this he undertook under the penalty that lay upon man to have undergone : and thus was Justice satisfied , and Mercy magnified by the Lord Jesus Christ , and so God took Christs single bond , whence Christ is not only called the Surety of the Covenant for us Heb. 7 22. but the Covenant it self ▪ Isa. 49 8. And God laid all upon him , that he might be sure of satisfaction , protesting that he would not deale with us , nor so much as expect any payment from us , such was his grace . And thus did our Lord Jesus Christ enter into the same covenant of works that Adam did , to deliver believers from it ; he was contented to be under all that commanding , revenging authority which that Covenant had over them , to free them from the penalty of it ; and in that respect Adam is said to be a type of Christ , as you have it Rom. 5.14 . Who was the type of him that was to come . Unto which purpose the 〈◊〉 which the Apostle gives these two , Ch●ist and Adam , are exceeding observable : he cals Adam the fi●st man , and Christ our Lord the second man , speaking of them as if there never had been any more men in the world besides these two , thereby making them the head and root of all mankind , they having as it were the rest of the sons of men included in them : the first man is called the earthly man , the second man Christ is called the Lord from heaven . The earthly man had all the sons of men born into the world , included in him , and is so called in conformity unto them . The second man Christ is called the Lord from heaven , who had all the elect included in him , who are said to be the first-borne , and to have their names written in heaven , Heb. 12.13 . and therefore are oppositely called heavenly men : so that these two , in Gods account , stood for all the rest . And thus you see , that the Lord willing to shew mercy to the creature fallen , and withall to maintain the authority of his Law , took such a course as might best manifest his clemencie and severity ; Christ entred into covenant , and became surety for man , and so became liable to many ingagements ; for he that answers as a surety , must pay the same sum of money that the debtor oweth . And thus have I endeavoured to shew you how we are to conceive of Gods eternall purpose in sending of Jesus Christ to help and deliver fallen mankind . Ant. I beseech you , Sir , proceed also to the second thing , and first tell us , when the Lord began to make a promise to help and de●ver fallen mankind ? Evan. Even the same day that he sinned , w●hich was the very same day he was created ; for Adam by his sin being become the child of wrath , and both in body and in soule subject to the curse , and seeing nothing due to him but the wrath and vengeance of God , he was afraid , and sought to hide himself from the presence of God ; whereupon the Lord promised Christ unto him , saying to the serpent , I will put enmity between thee and the woman , and between thy seed and her seed ; He , that is to say the seed of the woman ( for so is the Hebrew text ) shall break thy head , and thou shalt bruise his heele . This promise of Christ the womans seed , was the Gospel , and the only comfort of Adam , Abel , Enoch , Noah , and the rest of the godly Fathers , untill the time of Abraham . Nom. I pray you , Sir , what ground have you to think that Adam fell the same day he was created ? Evan. My ground for this opinion , is Psal. 94.12 . which text in the Hebrew is thus read : Adam being in honour , did not lodge a night in it . Ant. But Sir , do you think that Adam and those others did understand that promised seed to be meant of Christ ? Evan. Who can make any doubt but that the Lord had acquainted Adam with Christ , betwixt the time of his sinning & the time of his sacrificing , though both on a day . Ant. But did Adam offer sacrifice ? Evan. Can you make any question , but that the bodies of those beasts , whose skins went for a covering for his body , were immediately before offered in sacrifice for his soul● ? Surely those skins could be none other but of beasts slain and offered in sacrifice ; for before Adam fell , beasts were not subject to mortality , nor slaying ; And Gods cloathing of Adam and his wife with skins , signified that their sin and shame was covered with Christs righteousnesse . And questionlesse the Lord had taught him , that his sacrifice did signifie his acknowledgment of his sin , and that he looked for the seed of the woman promised to be slain in the evening of the world , thereby to appease the wrath of God for his offence , the which undoubtedly he acquainted his sons , Cain and Abel with , when he taught them also to offer sacrifice . Ant. But how doth it appeare , that this his sacrificing was the very same day that he sinned ? Evan. It is said , Ioh. 7.13 . concerning Christ , ●hat they sought to take him , yet no man laid hands on him , because his houre was not yet come But after that , when the time of his sufferings was at hand , he himself said , The houre is come : which day is expresly set down by the Evangelist Mark to be the sixth day , and ninth houre of that day , when Christ , through the eternall Spirit , offered up himself without spot to God. Now if you compare this with Exod. 12.6 . you shall find , that the Paschall Lamb , a most lively type of Christ , was offered the very same day and houre , even the 6. day , and 9. houre of the day , which was at 3 of the clock in the afternoon : and the Scripture testifieth that Adam was created the very same sixth day , and gives us ground to think that he sinned the same day . And do not the fore-alleaged Scriptures afford us warrant to believe that it was the very same houre of that day when Christ entred mystically and typically upon the work of redemption , in being offered as a sacrifice for Adams sin ? And surely we may suppose that the covenant ( as you heard ) being broken between God and Adam , Justice would not have admitted of one houres respite before it had proceeded to execution , to the destruction both of Adam and the whole Creation , had not Christ in the very nick of time stood as the Ram ( or rather the Lamb ) in the bush , and stepped in to perform the work of the covenant . And hence I conceive it is , that St. Iohn cals him the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world ; For as the first state of creation was confirmed by the covenant which God made with man , and all creatures were to be upheld by meanes of observing the law and condition of that Covenant , so that Covenant being broken by man , the world should have come to ruine , had it not been as it were created anew and upheld by the covenant of grace in Christ. Ant. Then , Sir , you think that Adam was saved . Evan. The Hebrew Doctors hold , that Adam was a repentant sinner , and say , that he was by wisdome ( that is to say by faith in Christ ) brought out of his fall , yea and the Church of God doth hold , and that for necessary causes , that he was saved by the death of Christ : yea , saith Mr. Vaughan , it is certain he believed the promise concerning Christ , in whose commemoration he offered continuall sacrifice , and in the assurance thereof he named his wife Heva , that is to say , life ; and he called his son Seth , setled , or perswaded in Christ. Ant. Well , now I am perswaded that Adam did understand this seed of the woman to be meant of Christ. Evan. Assure your self , that not only Adam , but all the rest of the godly fathers did so understand it , as is manifest , in that the Thargum or Chalde bible , which is the ancient translation of Ierusalem , hath it thus : Between thy son , and her son . Adding fur●her by way of comment , So long , O serpent , ●s the womans children keep the Law , they ●ill thee ; and when they cease to do so , thou ●tingest them in the heele , and hast power to ●urt them much : but whereas for their harm ●here is a sure remedy , for thee there is none , for in the last dayes they shall crush thee all to ●eeces by means of Christ their king . And ●his was it which did support and uphold their faith untill the time of Abraham . Ant. What followed then ? Evan. Why then the promise was turned into a covenant with Abraham and his seed , and oftentimes repeated , that in his seed all nations should be blessed . Which promise and covenant was the very voice it self of the Gospel , it being a true testimony of Jesus Christ , as the Apostle Paul beareth witnesse , saying , The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Gentiles through faith , preached before the Gospel unto Abraham , saying , In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed . And the better to confirme Abrahams faith in this promise of Christ , it is said Gen. 14.19 . that Melchisedec came forth and met him , and blessed him . Now , saith the Apostle , this Melchisedec was a Priest of the most high God , and king of righteousnesse , and king of peace , without father , and without mother , and so like unto the son of God , who is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec , and both king of righteousnesse , and king of peace , yea and without father as touching his manhood , and without mother as touching his Godhead . Whereby we are given to understand , that it was the purpose of God that Melchisedec should in these particulars resemble the person and office of Jesus Christ the son of God , and so by Gods own appointment be a type of him to Abraham , to ratifie and confirm the promise made to him and his seed , in respect of the eternall covenant , to wit , That he and his believing seed should be so blessed in Christ , as Melchisedec had blessed him . Nay , let me tell you more , some have thought it most probable , yea and have said , If we search out this truth without partiality , we shall find that this Melchisedec which appeared unto Abraham , was none other then the son of God , manifest by a speciall dispensation and priviledge unto Abraham , in the flesh , who is therefore said to have seen his day , and rejoiced , Joh. 8.56 . Moreover in Gen. 15. we read , that the Lord did again confirm this covenant with Abraham ; for when Abraham had divided the beasts , God came between the parts like a smoking furnace , and a burning lamp , which as some have thought , did primarily typifie the torment and rending of Christ , and the furnace and fiery lamp did typifie the wrath of God running between , and yet did not consume the rent and torne nature ; and the blood of circumcision did typifie the blood of Christ , And the resolved sacrificing of Isaac on mount Moria by Gods appointment , did prefigure and foreshew , that by the offering up of Christ the promised seed , in the very same place , all Nations should be saved . Now this Covenant thus made and confirmed with Abraham , was renued with Isaac , Gen. 26.4 . and made known unto Jacob by Jesus Christ himself ; for that man which wrestled with Jacob , was none other but the man Christ Jesus ; for himself said , that Jacob should be called Israel , a wrestler and prevailer with God ; and Jacob called the name of the place Peniel , because he had seen God face to face ; And Iacob left it by his last will unto his children , in these words , The scepter shall not depart from Iudah , nor a law giver from between his feet , till Shilo come . That is to say ▪ Of Judah shall Kings come one after another , and many in number , till at last the Lord Jesus come , who is King of Kings , and Lord of Lords . Or as the Thargum of Jerusalem , and the Onkelos do translate it , until Christ the ano●nted come . Nom. But Sir , are you sure that this promised seed was meant of Christ ? Evan. The Apostle puts that out of doubt , Gal. 3.16 . saying , Now unto Abraham and to his seed were the promises made . He saith not , and to seeds , as of many , but as of one ; and to thy seed , which is Christ : and so no doubt but these godly Patriarks did understand it . Ant. But Sir , the great promise that was made unto them , as I conceive , and which they seemed to have most regard unto , was the land of Canaan . Evan. There is no doubt but that these godly Patriarks did see their heavenly inheritance ( by Christ ) through the promise of the land of Canaan , as the Apostle testifieth of Abraham , Heb. 11. saying , He sojourned in a strange country , and looked for a city having a foundation , whose builder and maker is God. Whereby it is evident , saith Calvin , that the height and eminency of Abrahams faith , was , the looking for an everlasting life in heaven . The like testimony he gives of Sarah , Isaac , and Jacob , saying , All these dyed in the faith . Implying , that they did not expect to receive the fruit of the promise till after death : And therefore in all their travels they had before their eyes the blessednesse of the life to come ; which caused old Jacob to say at his death , Lord , I have waited for thy salvation . The which speech the Chaldee paraphrases expound thus : Our father Jacob said not , I expect the salvation of Gideon son of Joash , which is a temporall salvation , nor the salvation of Sampson son of Manoah , which is a transitory salvation , but the salvation of Christ the son of David , who shall come and bring unto himself the sons of Israel , whose salvation my soule desireth . And so you see that this Covenant made with Abraham in Christ , was the comfort and support of these and the rest of the godly fathers , untill their departure out of Egypt . Ant. And what followed then ? Evan. Why then Christ Jesus was most clearly manifested unto them in the Passeover lamb ; for as that lamb was to be without spot or blemish , Exod. 12.5 . even so was Christ , 1 Pet. 1.19 . And as that lamb was taken up the tenth day of the first new moon , in March ; even so on the very same day of the same moneth came Christ to Jerusalem to suffer his passion . And as that lamb was killed on the fourteenth day at even , just then on the same day , and at the same houre , did Christ give up the ghost . And as the blood of that lambe was to be sprinkled on the Israelites doores , Exod. 12.7 . Even so is the blood of Christ sprinkled on believers hearts by faith , 1 Pet. 1.2 . And their deliverance out of Egypt was a figure of their redemption by Christ : their passing through the Red sea , was a type of Baptisme , when Christ should come in the flesh ; And their manna in the wildernesse , and water out of the rock , did resemble the sacrament of the Lords supper ; and hence it is that the Apostle saith , they did all eat the same spirituall meat , and did all drink the same spirituall drink , for they drank of that spirituall rock that followed them , and that rock was Christ. And when they were come to mount Sinai , the Lord delivered the Ten Commandements unto them . Ant. And were the Ten Commandements , as they were delivered to them on mount Sinai , the Covenant of works ? Evan. Yea indeed were they . Nom But by your favour , Sir , you know that these people were the posterity of Abraham , and therefore under that covenant of grace which God made with their father : And therefore I do not think that they were delivered to them as the covenant of works , For ( Sir ) you know the Lord never delivers the covenant of works to any that are under the covenant of grace . Evan. Indeed 't is true , the Lord did manifest so much love to the body of this nation , that all the naturall seed of Abraham were externally , and by profession , under the covenant of grace made with their father Abraham , though 't is to be feared many of them were still under the covenant of works made with their father Adam . Nom. But Sir , you know , in the preface to the Commandements , the Lord cals himself by the name of their God in generall , and therefore it should seem that they were all of them the people of God. Evan. That is nothing to the purpose , for many wicked and ungodly men being in the visible Church , and under the externall Covenant , are called the chosen of God , and the people of God. But though they had been all of them believers , yet as the Lord delivered it to them , it would have done them no more hurt than it did them that were . Nom. But Sir , was the same covenant of works made with them , that was made with Adam ? Evan. For the generall substance of the duty , the Law delivered on mount Sinai , and formerly engraven in mans heart , was one and the same , so that at mount Sinai the Lord delivered no new thing , only it came more gently to Adam before his fall , but after his fall came thunder with it . Nom. I , but Sir , as your self said , the ten Commandements , as they were written in Adams heart , were but the matter of the covenant of works , and not the covenant it self , till the form was annexed to them , that is to say , till God and man were thereupon agreed : now we do not find that God , and these people did agree upon any such terms at mount Sinai . Evan. No , say you so , do you not remember that the people consented , Exod. 19.8 . saying , All that the Lord hath spoken we will do . And do you not remember that the Lord consented , Levit. 18.5 . saying , Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgements , which if a man do he shall live in them . And in Deut. 27.26 . saying , Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them . And doth not the Apostle Paul give evidenee than these words were the form of the covenant of works , when he saith Rom. 10.5 . Moses describeth the righteousnesse which is of the law , that the man that doth these things shall live in them : & when he saith , Gal. 3.10 . For it is writen , Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law , to do them . And in Deut. 4.13 . Moses doth in expresse tearmes call it a Covenant , saying , And he declared unto you his Covenant , which he commanded you to perform , even ten Commandamennts , and hee wrote them upon tables of stone . Now this was not the Covenant of grace ; for Moses afterwards , Deut. 5.3 . speaking of this Covenant , saith , God made not this Covenant with your Fathers , but with you : And by Fathers , all the Patriarkes unto Adam may be meant , saith Mr. Aynsworth , who had the promise of the Covenant of Christ : therefore if it had been the Covenant of grace , he would have said , God did make this covenant with them , rather then that he did not . Nom. And do any of our godly and moderne witers , agree with you in this point ? Evan. Yea indeed , Polanus saith , the Covenant of workes , is that in which God promiseth everlasting life unto a man , that in all respects performeth perfect obedience to the Law of workes , adding thereunto threatnings of eternall death , if hee shall not performe perfect obedience thereunto . God made this Covenant in the beginning with the first man Adam , whilst hee was in the first estate of integrity ; the same Covenant God did repeat and make againe by Moses , with the people of Israel . And Dr. Preston saith , the Covenant of workes runs in these termes , Do this and thou shalt live , and I will be thy God. This was the Covenant which was made with Adam , and the Covenant that is expressed by M●ses in the Morall law . And Mr. Walker saith , that the first part of the covenant which God made with Israel at Horeb , was nothing else but a renewing of the old covenant of works which God made with Adam in paradise . And it is generally laid down by our Divines , that we are by Christ delivered from the Law , as it is a Covenant . Nom. But Sir , were the children of Israel at this time better able to perform the condition of the covenant of works , than either Adam , or any of the old Patriarks , that God renewed it now with them , rather then before ? Evan. No indeed , God did not renew it with them now , and not before , because they were better able to keep it , but because they had more need to be made acquainted what the covenant of works is , then those before : for though 't is true , the Ten Commandements which were at first perfectly written in Adams heart , were much obliterated by his fall , yet some impressions and reliques thereof still remained , and Adam himself was very sensible of his fall , and the rest of the fathers were holpen by traditions , And ( saith Cameron ) God did speak to the Patriarchs from heaven , yea and he spake unto them by his Angels . But now by this time sin had almost obliterated and defaced the impressions of the Law written in their hearts , and by their being so long in Egypt , they were so corrupted , that the instructions and ordinances of their fathers were almost all worne out of mind , and their fall in Adam was almost forgotten , as the Apostle testifieth , saying , Before the time of the Law sin was in the world , yet did they not impute it to themselves , because there was no Law. Nay in that long course of time betwixt Adam and Moses , men had forgotten what was sin ; so that although God had made a promise of blessing to Abraham , and to all his seed that would plead interest in it , yet these people at this time were proud , and secure , and heedlesse of their estate ; and though sin was in them , and death raigned over them , yet they being without a law to evidence this sin and death unto their consciences , they did not impute it unto themselves , they would not own it nor charge themselves with it , and so by consequence found no need of pleading the promise made to Abraham ; Therefore the Law entred , that Adams offence , and their own actuall transgression might abound . So that now the Lord saw it needfull that there should be a new edition and publication of the covenant of works , the sooner to compell the elect unbeleevers to come to Christ the promised seed , that the grace of God in Christ to the elect beleevers might appeare the more exceeding gracious ; so that you see the Lords intention therein was , that they by looking upon this Covenant , might be put in mind what was their dutie of old , when they were in Adams loines , yea , and what was their dutie still , if they would stand to that covenant , and so go the old and naturall way to work : yea , and hereby they were also to see what was their present infirmitie in not doing their duty , that so they seeing an impossibilitie of obtaining life by that way of workes , first appointed in Paradise , they might be humbled , and more heedfully minde the promise made to their father Abraham , and hasten to lay hold on the Messiah or promised seed . Nom. Then , Sir , it seemeth that the Lord did not renew the Covenant of workes with them , to the intent that they should obtaine eternall life by their yeelding obedience to it . Evan. No indeed , God never made the Covenant of workes with any man since the fall , either with expectation that he should fulfill it , or to give him life by it , for God never appoints any thing to an end , to the which it is utterly unsuitable and improper . Now the Law , as it is the covenant of works , is become weak and unprofitable to the purpose of salvation , and therefore God never appointed it to man since the fall to that end . And besides , it is manifest that the purpose of God in the covenant made with Abraham , was , to give life and salvation by grace and promise ; and therefore his purpose in renewing the covenant of works , was not , neither could be to give life and salvation by working , for then there would have been contradictions in the covenants , and instability in him that made them . Wherefore let no man imagine that God published the covenant of works on mount Sinai , as though he had been mutable , and so changed his determination in that covenant made with Abraham , neither yet let any man suppose that God now in processe of time had found out a better way for mans salvation , then he knew before ; for as the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham , had been needlesse , if the Covenant of Works made with Adam would have given him and his believing seed life ; so after the covenant of grace was once made , it was needlesse to renue the covenant of works , to the end that righteousnesse and life should be had by the observation of it ; the which will yet more evidently appeare , if we consider that the Apostle speaking of the covenant of works , as it was given on mount Sinai , saith , It was added because of transgression . It was not set up as a solid rule of righteousnesse , as it was given to Adam in paradise , but was added or put to : It was not set up as a thing in grosse by it self . Nom. Then , Sir , it should seem that the covenant of works was added to the covenant of grace , to make it more compleat . Evan. O no , you are not so to understand the Apostle , as though it were added by way of ingrediency , as a part of the covenant of grace , as if that covenant had been incompleat without the covenant of works , for then the same covenant should have consisted of contradictory materials , and so it should have overthrown it self ; for , saith the Apostle , If it be by grace , then is it no more of works , otherwise grace is no more grace ; But if it be of works , then is it no more of grace , otherwise work is no more work . But it was added by way of subserviencie and attendance , the better so advance and make effectuall the covenant of grace ; so that although the same covenant that was made with Adam , was renewed on mount Sinai , yet I say still it was not for the same purpose ; for this was it God aimed in making the covenant of works with man in innocencie , to have that which was his due from man. But God made it with the Israelites for no other end , than that man being thereby convinced of his weaknesse , might flie to Christ ; so that it was renued only to help forward and introduce another , and a better covenant , and so to be a manuduction unto Christ , viz. to discover sin , to waken the conscience , and convince them of their own impotencie , and so to drive them out of themselves to Christ. Know it then , I beseech you , that all this while there was no other way of life given either in whole , or in part , then the covenant of grace : all this while God did but pursue the designe of his own grace , And therefore was there no inconstancie either in Gods will , or acts ; only such was his mercy , that he subordinated the covenant of works , and made it subservient to the covenant of grace and so to tend to evangelicall purposes . Nom. But yet , Sir , me thinks it is somewhat strange , that the Lord should put them upon doing the Law , and also promise them life for doing , and yet never intend it . Evan. Though he did so , yet did he neither require of them that which was unjust , nor yet dissemble with them in the promise ; for the Lord may justly require perfect obedience at all mens hands , by vertue of that Covenant which was made with them in Adam , and if any man could yeeld perfect obedience to the law , both in doing and suffering , he should have eternall life ; for wee may not deny , saith Calvin , but that the reward of eternall salvation belongeth to the upright obedience of the law , but God knew well enough that the Israelites were never able to yeeld such an obedience , and yet hee saw it meet to propound eternall life to them upon those termes , that so hee might speake to them in their owne humor , as indeed it was meet , for they swelled with mad affiance in themselves , saying , All that the Lord commandeth we will doe , and be obedient . Well said the Lord , If you will needs be doing , why , here is a law to be kept , and if you can fully observe the righteousnesse of it , you shall be saved , sending them of purpose to the law , to awaken and convince them , to sentence and humble them , and to make them see their own folly in seeking for life by that way ; in short , to make them see the termes under which they stood , that so they might bee brought out of themselves , and expect nothing from the Law , in relation to life , but all from Christ ; for how should a man see his need of life by Christ , if he do not first see that he is fallen from the way of life ? And how should hee understand how farre hee hath strayed from the way of life , unlesse he doe first finde what is that way of life ? Therefore it was needfull that the Lord should deale with them after such a manner , to drive them out of themselves , and from all confidence in the worke of the Law ; that so by faith in Christ they might obtaine righteousnesse and life . And just so did our Saviour also deale with that young expounder of the Law , Matth. 19.16 . who as it seemeth was sick of the same disease , Good Master ( saith he ) What shall I doe that I may inherit eternall life ? He doth not ( saith Calvin ) simply ask , which way , or by what meanes hee should come to eternall life , but what good he should doe to get it ; whereby it appsares , that he was a proude Iustitiarie , one that swelled in fleshly opinion that he could keep the Law and be saved by it , therefore hee is worthily sent to the Law to worke himself weary , and so see need to come to Christ for rest . And thus you see that the Lord to the former promises made to the Fathers , added a fierie Law which he gave from mount Sinai in thunder and lightning , and with a terrible voice to the stubborne and stiff-necked Israel , whereby to break and tame them , and to make them sigh and long for the promised Redeemer . Ant. And , Sir , did the Law produce this effect in them ? Evan. Yea indeed did it , as it will appear . If you consider that although before the publishing of this Covenant , they were exceeding proud and confident of their owne strength to doe all that the Lord would have them doe ; yet when the Lord came to deale with them , as men under the Covenant of works , in shewing himselfe a terrible Judge , sitting on the throne of Justice , like a mountaine burning with fire , summoning them to come before him by the sound of a trumpet , yet not to touch the mountaine without a mediatour ; they were not able to endure the voice of words , nor yet to abide that which was commanded , insomuch as Moses himselfe did feare and quake , and they did all of them so feare and fright , shake and shiver , that their peacock feathers were now pulled downe . This terrible shew , wherein God gave his Law on mount Sinai , did represent the use of the Law ; there was in the people of Israel that came out of Egypt a singular holinsse , they gloried and said , We are the people of God , wee will doe all that the Lord commandeth . Moreover Moses sanctified them , and bad them wash their garments , refraine from their wives , and prepare themselves against the third day , there was not one of them but he was full of holinesse ; The third day Moses bringeth the p●ople out of their tents to the mountain , in the sight of the Lord , that they might heare his voice : what followed then ? Why , when they beheld the horrible sight of the Mount , smoaking and burning , the blacke clouds and the lightnings flashing up and downe in this horrible darknesse , and heard the sound of the trumpet blowing long , and waxing louder and louder , they were afraid , and standing afar off , they said not to Moses as before , All that the Lord commandeth wee will doe ; but talke thou with us , and we will heare , but let not God talk with us lest wee die : so that now they saw they were sinners , and had offended God , and therefore stood in need of a Mediatour to negotiate peace , and intreat for reconciliation betweene God and them , and the Lord highly approved of their words , as you may see , Deut. 5. where Moses repeating what they had said , adds further ; The Lord heard the voyce of your words when yee spake to mee , and the Lord said unto mee , I have heard the voyce of the words of this people , which they have spoken unto thee , they have well said all that they have spoken , to wit , in desiring a Mediatour : Where I pray you take notice , that they were not commended for saying , All that the Lord commandeth we will doe , ( No saith a godly Writer ) they were not praised for any other thing , then for desiring a Mediatour : Whereupon , the Lord promised Christ unto them , even as Moses testifieth , saying , The Lord thy God shall raise up unto thee a Prophet like unto me from among you , even of your brethren , unto him shall you hearken , according to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the Assembly , when thou saidest , Let mee heare the voice of the Lord my God no more , nor see this great fire any more that I die not : and the Lord said unto mee , They have well spoken , I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee , and I will put my words in his mouth , and hee shall speake unto them all that I command him . And to assure us that Christ was the Prophet here spoken of , hee himselfe saith unto the Jews , If yee had believed Moses , ye would have believed me ; for he wrote of me . And that this was it which hee wrote of him , the Apostle Peter witnesseth , Acts 3.22 . and so doth the Martyr Stephen , Acts 7.37 . Thus you see , when the Lord had by meanes of the covenant of works made with Adam , humbled them , and made them sigh for Christ the promised seed , he renued the promise with them , yea , and the covenant of grace made with Abraham . Ant. I pray , Sir , how doth it appear that the Lord renued th●t Covenant with them ? Evan. It doth plainly appeare , in that the Lord gave them by Moses the Leviticall Laws , and ordained the Tabernacle , the Ark , and the Mercy-Seat , which were all Types of Christ : Moreover , The Lord called unto Moses , and spake unto him out of the Tabernacle , and commanded him to write the Leviticall Laws , and the Tabernacle Ordinances , telling him withall , That after the tenour of those words he had made a Covenant with him , and with Israel : so Moses wrote these Laws , not in Tables of stone , but in an authenticall booke , saith Ainsworth , called the booke of the Covenant , which book Moses read in the audience of the people , Exod. 24.7 . And the people consented unto it : then Moses having before sent young men of the children of Israel , who were first born , and therefore Priests untill the time of the Levites , to offer sacrifice of burnt-offerings , and peace-offerings unto the Lord ; He tooke the blood , and sprinkled it on the people , and said , behold the blood of the Covenant , which the Lord hath made with you concerning these things ; whereby they were taught , that by vertue of blood , this Covenant betwixt God and them was confirmed , and that Christ by his bloodshed should satisfie for their sins , for indeed the Covenant of grace was before the comming of Christ , sealed by his blood in Types and Figures . Ant. But Sir , was this every way the same Covenant that was made with Abraham ? Evan. Surely I do believe that Reverend Bullinger spake very truly , when he said , that God gave unto these people no other Religion , in nature , substance , and matter it selfe , differing from the Laws of their Fathers , though for some respects hee added thereunto many Ceremonies , and certain Ordinances , the which he did to keep their mindes in expectation of the comming of Christ , whom he had promised unto them ; and to confirm them in looking for him , lest they should wax faint ; And as the Lord did thus by the Ceremonies , as it were lead them by the hand to Christ , so did he make them a promise of the Land of Canaan , and outward prosperity in it , as a type of heaven , and eternall happinesse , so that the Lord dealt with them as children in their infancy , and under age , leading them on by the help of earthly things , to heavenly and spirituall , because they were but young and tender , and had not that measure and abundance of spirit which he hath bestowed upon his people now under the Gospel . Ant. And Sir , do you think that these Israelites at this time did see Christ , and salvation by him , in these types and shadows ? Evan. Yea , there is no doubt but Moses and the rest of the believers amongst the Jews did see Christ in them , for faith godly Tindall , though all the Sacrifices and Ceremonies had a Star-light of Christ , yet some of them had the light of the broad day a little before the Sun rising , and did expresse him with the circumstances and vertue of his death , so plainly , as if his passion had been acted upon a Scaffold , in so much , saith he , that I am fully perswaded , and cannot but believe , that God had shewed Moses the secrets of Christ , and the very manner of his death aforehand , and therefore no doubt but that they offered their sacrifices by faith in the Messiah ( as the Apostle testifieth of Abel ) I say there is no question but every spirituall believing Jew , when he brought his Sacrifice to be offeroffered , and according to the Lords command laid his hands upon it : whilst it was yet alive , he did from his heart acknowledge , that he himselfe had deserved to ●ie , but by the mercy of God he was saved , and his desert laid upon the beast , and as that beast was to die , and bee off red in sacrifice for him , so did hee believe that the Messiah should come and die for him , upon whom hee put his hands , that is , laid all his iniquities by the hand of faith . So that as Beza saith , the Sacrifices were to them holy mysteries , in which , as in certain● glasses , they did both see themselves to their own condemnation before God , and also beheld the mercy of God in the promised Messiah , in time to bee exhibited ; And therefore , saith Calvin , the sacrifices , and satisfactory offerings were called Ashemoth , which word properly signifieth sinne it selfe , to shew , that Jesus Christ was to come and performe a perfect expiation , by giving his owne soule to bee an Asham , that is , a satisfactory oblation . Wherefore you may assure your selfe , that as Christ was alwayes set before the fathers in the Old Testament , to whom they might direct their faith , and as God never put them in hope of any grace or mercy , nor never shewed himselfe good unto them without Christ ; even so the godly , in the Old Testament , knew Christ , by whom they did enjoy these promises of God , and were joyned to him . And indeed , the promise of salvation never stood firm till it came to Christ : and there was their comfort in all their troubles and distresses , according as it is said of Moses , He endured , as seeing him who is invisible , esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt , for he had respect to the recompence of reward . And so ( as Ignatius saith ) the Prophets were Christs servants , who foreseeing him in spirit , both waited for him as their Master , and looked for him as their Lord and Saviour , saying , He shall come and save us . And so , saith Calvin , so oft as the Prophets speak of the blessednesse of the faithfull , the perfect image that they have painted thereof , was such , as might ravish mens minds out of the earth , and of necessity raise them up to the consideration of the felicity of the life to come , so that we may assuredly conclude with Luther , that all the Fathers , Prophets , and holy Kings were righteous , and saved by faith in Christ to come ; and so indeed , as Calvin saith , were partakers of all one salvation with us . Ant. But Sir , the Scripture seemes to hold forth , as though they were saved one way , and we another way , for you know the Prophet Jeremie mak●s mention of a twofold Covenant , therefore it is somewhat strange to me , that they should be partakers of one way of salvation with us Evan. Indeed it is true , the Lord did bequeath unto the Fathers Righteousnesse , Life , and eternall Salvation in and through Christ the Mediator , being not yet come in the flesh , but promised : And unto us in the New Testament , he gives and bequeaths them to us in and through Christ , being already come , and having actually purchased them for us ; and the Covenant of grace was before the comming of Christ , sealed by his blood , in types h●d figures , and at his death in his fl●sh it was fully sealed and ratified , by his very blood , actually and in very deed shed for our sins : And the old Covenant in respect of the outward forme , and manner of sealing , was temporary , and changeable , and therefore the types ceased , and only the substance remaines firme , but the seals of the new are unchangeable , being commemorative , and shall shew the Lords death untill his comming againe : And their Covenant did first and chiefly promise earthly blessings , and in and under these it did signifie and promise all spirituall blessings and salvation , but our Covenant promiseth Christ and his blessings in the first place , and after them earhly blessings . These and some other circumstantiall differences in regard of administration , there was betwixt their way of salvation , or covenant of grace , and ours , which moved the Author to the Hebrews , to call theirs old , and ours new ; but in regard of substance they were all one , and the very same , for in all Covenants , this is a certain rule , if the subject matter , the fruit , and the conditions be the same , then is the Covenant the same : but in these Covenants Jesus Christ is the subject matter of both , salvation the fruit of both , and faith the condition of both , therefore I say , though they be called two , yet are they but one ; the which is confirmed by two faithfull witnesses : The one is the Apostle Peter , who saith , Acts 15.11 . We believe through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ , that we shall be saved , even as they did , meaning the Fathers in the old Testament , as is evident in the verse next before . The other is the Apostle Paul , who saith , Abraham believed God , and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse , know yee therefore that they which are of the faith , the same are the children of Abraham ; by which testimonie saith Luther , wee may see that the faith of our Fathers in the old Testament , and ours in the new ●s all one in substance . Ant. But could they that lived so long before Christ , apprehend his righteousnesse by faith for their Justification , and salvation ? Evan. Yea indeed , for as Master Forbes truely saith , It is as e●sie for faith to apprehend righteousnesse to come , as it is to apprehend righteousnesse that is past : wherefore as Christs birth , obedience , and death were in the old Testament as effectuall to save sinners , as now they are ; so all the faithfull forefathers from the beginning did partake of the same grace with us , by believing in the same Iesus Christ , and so were justified by his righteousnesse , and saved eternally by faith in him : it was by vertue of the death of Christ , that Enoch was translated that he should not see death , and Elias was taken up into heaven , by vertue of Christs Resurrection and Ascension : so that from the worlds beginning , to the end thereof , the salvation of sinners is onely by Jesus Christ , as it is written , Jesus Christ yesterday and to day , and the same for ever . Anti. Why then , Sir , it seemes that those who were saved amongst the Jewes , were not saved by the workes of the Law. Evan. No indeed , they were neither justified nor saved , either by the workes of the Morall Law , or the Ceremoniall Law ; for as you heard before , the Morall Law being delivered unto them , with great terrour , and under most dreadfull penalties , they did finde in themselves an impossibilitie of keeping it , and so were driven to seeke helpe of a Mediatour , even Iesus Christ , of whom Moses was to them a Typicall Mediatour ; so that the Morall Law did drive them to the Cerimoniall Law , which was their Gospel , and their Christ in a figure , for that the Cerimonies did prefigure Christ , direct unto him , and require faith in him , is a thing acknowledged and confessed by all men . Nom. But , Sir , I suppose , though believers amongst the Iewes were not justified and saved by the works of the Law , yet was it a rule for their obedience . Evan. It is very true indeed , the law of the tenne Commandements was a rule for their obedience , yet not as it was the Law of workes or Covenant of workes , but as it was the Law of Christ , as it will appeare if you consider , that after the Lord had the second time written them in tables of stone , with his owne finger , he delivered them to Moses , commanding him to provide an Arke to put them into , which was not onely for the safe ke●ping of them , but also to cover the forme of the Covenant of works that was formerly upon them , that beleevers might not perceive it ; for the Arke was a notable type of Christ , and therefore the p●tting of them therein did shew , that they were perfectly fulfilled in him , Christ being the end of the Law , for righteousnes , to every one that beleeveth , the which was yet more clearly manifest , in that the booke of the Law was placed betweene the Cherubims , and upon the Mercy-seat , to assure beleevers , that the Law now came to them from the Mercy-seat , for there the Lord promised to meet Moses , and to commune with him of all things which he would give him in commandment to them . Ant. But , Sir , was the forme quite taken away , so as the ten Commadements were no more the Covenant of works ? Evan. Oh no , you are not so to understand it : for the forme of the Covenant of works as well as the matter , ( on Gods part ) came immediatly from God himself , and so consequently is eternall like himselfe , whence it is that our Saviour saith , Mat. 5.18 . Till heaven and earth passe , one jot , or one title shall in no wise passe from the law till all be fulfilled : so that either man himselfe , or some other for him must performe or fulfill the condition of the Law , as it is the Covenant of works , or els he remaines still under it in a damnable condition : but now Christ hath fulfilled it for all believers , and therefore I said the forme of the Covenant of works was covered or taken away as touching the believing Jewes , but yet was it neither taken away in it selfe , nor yet as touching the unbelieving Jewes . Nom. Was the Law then still of use to them , as it was the Covenant of works . Evan. Yea indeed . Ant. I pray you , Sir , shew of what use it was to them ? Evan. I remember Luther saith there be two sorts of unrighteous persons , or unbeleevers , the one to be justified , and the other not to be justified ; even so was there amongst the Jews . Now to them that were to bee justified , as you have heard , it was still of use to bring them to Christ , as the Apostle saith , Gal. 3.24 . The Law was our Schoolmaster untill Christ , that we might be made righteous by faith , that is to say , the Morall Law did teach and shew them what they should doe , and so what they did not , and this made them go to the Ceremonial Law , and by that they were taught that Christ had done it for them , the which they beleeving were made righteous by faith in him . And to the second sort it was of use , to shew them what was good , and what was evill , and to be as a bridle to them to restraine them from evill , and as a motive to move them to good , for fear of punishment , or hope of reward in this life ; which though it was but a forced and constrained obedience , yet was it necessarie for the publike common-wealth , the quiet thereof being thereby the better maintained ; and though thereby they could neither escape death , nor yet obtaine eternall life , for want of perfect obedience ; yet the more obedience they yeelded thereunto , the more they were freed from temporall calamities , and possessed with temporall blessings according as the Lord promised and threatned , Deut. 28. Ant. But , Sir , in that place the Lord seemeth to speak to his own people , and yet to speak according to the tenor of the covenant of works , which hath made me thinke , that believers , in the Old Testament , were partly under the covenant of works . Evan. Do you not remember how I told you before , that the Lord did manifest so much love to the body of that nation , that the whole posterity of Abraham were brought under a State-Covenant , or Nationall Church , so that for the believers sakes he infolded the unbelievers in the compact , whereupon the Lord was pleased to call them all by the name of his people , as well unbelievers as believers , and to be called their God. And though the Lord did there speak according to the tenor of the covenant of works , yet I see no reason why he might not direct and intend his speech to believers also , and yet they remain only under the covenant of grace . Ant. Why , Sir , you said that the Lord did speak to them out of the tabernacle , and from the mercy-seat ; and that doubtlesse was according to the tenor of the covenant of grace , and not according to the tenor of the covenant of works . Evan. I pray you take notice , that after the Lord had pronounced all those blessings and curses , Deut. 28. in the beginning of th● 29. chap. it is said , These are the words of th● covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab , beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb. Whereby it doth appeare to me , that this was not the covenant of works which was delivered to them on mount Sinai ; for the form of that Covenant was eternall blessings and curses , but the form of this Covenant was temporall blessings and curses , so that this rather seems to be the pedagogie of the Law , than the Covenant of works , for at that time these people seemed to be carried by temporall promises in the wayes of obedience , and deterred by temporall threatnings from the wayes of disobedience : God dealing with them as in their infancie and under-age , and so leads them on and allures them , and feares them by such respects as these , because they had but a small measure of the spirit . Nom. But , Sir , was not the matter of that Covenant , and this , all one ? Evan. Yea indeed , the Ten Commandements were the matter of both Covenants , only they differed in the forms . Ant. T●●n Sir , it seems that the promises and threatnings contained in the old Testament , were but temporary and terrestiall , only concerning the good and evill things of this life . Evan. This we are to know , that like as the Lord by his Prophets gave the people in the old Testament many exhortations to be obedient to his Commandements , and many dehortations from disobedience thereunto , even so did he back them with many promises and threatnings concerning things temporall , as these and the like Scrip●u●●s do witnesse . Isa. 1.10 . Heare the word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom , give eare unto the law of our God , ye people of Gomorrah : I● ye be willing and obedient , ye shall eat the good things of the land ; but if ye refuse and rebell , ye shall be devoured with the sword , for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it . And Jer. 7 3 Amend your wayes and your doings , and I will cause you to dwell in this place : But ye steal ▪ murder , commit adultery , and sweare falsly by my name ; therefore thus saith the Lord God , behold mine anger and my fury shall be powred out upon this place . And surely there be two reasons why the Lord did so : First , because as all men are born under the covenant of work● , they are naturally prone to conceive , that the favour of God , and all good things , do depend and follow upon their obedience to the Law ; and that the wrath of God , and all evill things , do depend upon , and follow their disobedience to it , And that mans chief happinesse is to be had and found in terrestriall paradise , even in the good things of this life . So the people of the Old Testament being neerest to Adams Covenant and Paradise , were most prone to such conceits . And secondly , because the Covenant of Grace , and Celestiall paradise , were but little mentioned in the Old Testament , they , for the most part , had but a glimmering knowledge of them , and so could not yield obedience freely , as sonnes : therefore the Lord saw it meet to move them to yield obedience to his lawes , by their own motives , and as servants or children under age . Ant. And were both believers and unbelievers , that is , such as were under the Covenant of Grace , and such as were under the Covenant of Works , equally and alike subj●ct , as well to have the calamities of this life inflicted upon them for their disobedience , as the blessings of this life conferred upon them for their obedience ? Evan. Surely the words of the Preacher do take place here , when he saith , All things come alike to all , there is one event to the righteous , and to the wicked . Were not Moses and Aaron , for their disobedience , hindered from entring into the land of Canaan , as well as others ? And was not Josiah , for his disobedience to Gods command , sl●in in the valley of Megiddo ? Therefore assure your selfe , that when believers , in the Old Testament , did transgresse Gods commandements , Gods temporall wrath went out against them , and was manifest in temporall calamities that befell them as well as others , only here was the difference , The believers temporall calamities had no eternall calamities included in them , nor following of them , and their temporall blessings had eternall blessings included in them , and following of them ; And the unbelievers temporall blessings had no eternall blessings included in them , nor following of them , and their temporall calamities had eternall calamities included in them , and following of them . Ant. Then , Sir , it seemeth that all obedience that any of the Jewes did yield to Gods commandements , was for feare of tempo●●ll punishment , and in hope of temporall reward . Evan. Surely the Sc●ip●ure seemes to hol● forth , that there were three several sorts of people who endeavoured to keep the law of God , and they did all of them differ in their ends . The first sort of them were true believers , who according to the measure of their faith , did believe the resurrection of their bodies after death , and eternall life in glory , and that it was to be obtained , not by th●●orkes of the Law , but by faith in the M●ssi●h o● promised seed : And answerably as they believed this , answerably they yielded obedience to the Law freely , without fear of punishment , or hope of reward ; but alas , the spirit of faith was very weak in the most of them , and the spirit of bondage very strong , and therefore they stood in need to be induced and constrained to obedience , for feare of punishment , and hope of reward . The second sort of them were the Sadduces and their Sect , and these did not believe that there was any Resurrection , nor any life but the life of this world , and yet they endeavoured to keep the Law , that God might blesse them here , and that it might go well with them in this present life . The third sort , and indeed the greatest number of them in the future ages after Moses , were the Scribes and Pharisees , and their Sects , and they held and maintained that there was a Resurrection to be looked for , and an eternall life after death , and therefore they endeavoured to keep the Law , not onely to obtaine temporall happinesse , but eternall also ; for though it had pleased the Lord to make known unto his people by the ministrie of Moses , that the Law was given not to retaine men in the confidence of their own workes , but to drive them out of themselves , and lead them to Christ the promised seed , yet after that time the Priests and the Levites , who were the expounders of the Law , and whom the Scribes and Pharisees did succeed , did so conceive and teach of Gods intention in giving the Law , as though it had been , that they by their obedience to it , should obtaine righteousnesse and eternall life , and this opinion was so confidently maintained , and so generally imbraced amongst them , that in their book Mechilta , they say and affirme that there is no other Covenant but the Law , and so in very deed they conceived that there was no other way to Eternall life then the Covenant of workes . Ant. Surely then it seemes they did not understand and consider , that the Law as it is the Covenant of workes , doth not onely binde the outward man , but also the inward man , even the soule and spirit , and requires all holy thoughts , motions , and dispositions of the heart and soule . Evan. Oh no , they neither taught it , nor understood it , so spiritually , neither could they be perswaded , that the Law doth require so much at mans hands ; for they first laid this downe for a certaine truth , that God gave the Law for man to be Justified and saved by his obedience to it , and that therefore there must needs be a power in man to doe all that it requireth , or else God would never have required it , and therefore whereas they should first have considered , what a straight rule the Law of God is , and then have brought mans heart , and have laid it to it , they contrariwise first considered what a crooked rule mans heart is , and then sought to make the Law like unto it , and so indeed they expounded the Law literally , teaching and holding , that the righteousnesse which the Law required , was but an externall righteousnesse , consisting in the outward observation of the Law , as you may see by the testimony of our Saviour , Matth. 5. So that according to their exposition , it was possible for a man to fulfill the Law perfectly , and so to be justified and saved by his obedience to it . Ant. But , sir , doe you think the Scribes and Pharisees , and their seed , did yield perfect obedience to the Law , according to their own exposition ? Evan. No indeed , I think very few of them , if any at all . Ant. Why , what hopes could they then have to be justified and saved , when they transgressed any of the Commandements ? Evan. Peter Martyr tels us , that when they chanced to transgresse any of the Ten Commandements , they had their sacrifices to make satisfaction ( as they conceived ) for they looked upon their sacrifices without their significations , and so had a false faith in them , thinking that the bare work was a sacrifice acceptable to God : in a word , they conceived that the blood of Buls and Goates would take away sinne , And so what they wanted of fulfilling the Morall law , they thought to make make up in the Ceremoniall law : And thus they separated Christ from their sacrifices , thinking they had discharged their duty very well when they had sacrificed and offered their offerings ▪ not considering that the imperfection of the Typicall law , which ( as the Apostle saith ) made nothing perfect , should have led them to find perfection in Christ : but they generally rested in the work done , in the Ceremoniall law , even as they had done in the Morall law , though they themselves were unable to do the one , and the other was as unsufficient to help them . And thus , Israel which followed the law of righteousnesse , did not attain to the law of righteousnesse , because they sought it not by faith , but as it were by the works of the Law , for they being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God , and going about to stablish their own righteousnesse , did not submit themselves to the righteousnesse of God. Ant. Then Sir , it seemeth that their ignorance was the cause of their error . Evan. Yea indeed was it , for this vaile of ignorance that was over their hearts , or this vaile of blindnesse which was over their minds , made their sight so weak and dim , that they were no more able to behold the glorious beauty of the Lords holy and pure nature manifested in the Law , as it was the covenant of works , than the weak eye of man is able to behold the bright sun when it shineth in full strength : And therefore we read , that when Moses came down from the mount , with the two tables , wherein were wri●ten the words of the covenant of works , the Ten Commandements , his face did sh●ne so bright , that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold it , for the glory of his countenance : and therefore Moses was glad to put the cloudy vaile of shadowing Ceremonies over it , that so they might bee the better able to behold it . Ant. But yet , Si● , it seemeth that the vaile of Ceremonies did not help their vaile of Ignorance . Evan. No indeed ; for the generality of them were so addicted to the letter of the Law , that they used it not as a pedagogie to Christ , but 〈◊〉 justification by it , and opposed Christ : they terminated their eye-sight in th● shadow and did not see through it to th● subst●nce , to wit , to the end of the Law , which is Christ. Some indeed there were which did otherwise , but alas , the number of them were very few , especially in the future ages after Moses , for their blind guides had so levened the people with their corrupt doctrine , that at the time of our Saviours comming in the flesh , we re●d● but of two , to wit , Simeon and Anna , that desired him or looked for him : for although all of them had in their mouths the Messiah , and the blessed estate of the kingdome of David , yet they dreamed that this Messiah should be some great Monarch , that should come in outward pompe and power , and save and deliver them from the Romans , of whose bondage they were very sensible and weary : but as for their spirituall bondage under the law and sinne , they were not sensible of it , and so indeed saw no need of deliverance from it , and all because their false teachers had turned the whole Law into a Covenant of Works , to be done for Justification and Salvation , yea , such a Covenant as they were able to keep and fulfill , if no● by doing , yet by making satisfaction with their sacrifices . And though Jesus Christ himself , for the removing of this vaile , did ( in the fifth of Matthew ) take occasion truly to expound the Law , as it is the Covenant of Works , shewing , that it did not only require externall righteousnesse , but internall also , of them that would bee justified by the works thereof ; and so removing that false glosse which the Scribes and Pharisees had put upon it . Yea , and though both he himselfe , and his Apostles , by their preaching and teaching did endeavour to let them understand , that all the Sacrifices and Ceremonies did but point at him , and so were of no further use . Yea , and though at the death of Christ , the vaile of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottome , to shew , that the shadowes of Moses Law should vanish away at the flourishing light of the Gospel , and that the mysteries of Christ which were formerly hid , were now laid open . Yet notwithstanding , after that , when the Apostle wrote to the Corinthians , he saith concerning the Jewes , Even to this day , when Moses is read , the vaile is over their hearts . And though for the removing of this vaile , the same Apostle ( as it is probobably thought ) did write to them that Divine and Spirituall Epistle , called the Epistle to the Hebrewes , wherein he plainly and fully declareth , that all the Sacrifices , Ceremonies , and Tabernacle ordinances in the old Testament were but types of Christ , and given to them that they might see Christ through them , who being now exhibited , and come in the fl●sh ▪ all types and shadows were to va●●sh away and give place , yet notwithstanding , we may say of them at this day as the Apostle did to the Corinthians , untill this ●ay remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old Testament , the Lord be mercifull unto them , and remove it in his due time . Nom. Sir , as I conceive you have now spoken sufficiently , both of Gods purpose and promise , concerning the helping and delivering fallen mankind , wherefore I beseech you let us now heare of his performance of it . , Evan. Touching this point the Scripture testifieth , that God according to his purpose before time , and his promise in time , Did in the fulnesse of time , send forth his Sonne , made of a woman , made under the Law , to redeeme them that were under the Law , &c. That is to say , looke how mankinde by nature are under the Law , as it is the Covenant of works ; so was Christ as mans suretie contented to bee so , that now according to that Eternall and mutuall agreement that was betwixt God the Father and him , he put himself in the roome and place of all the Faithfull , and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all . Then came the Law as it is the Covenant of Workes , and said , I finde him a sinner , yea such a one as hath taken upon him the sinnes of all men , therefore , let him die upon the Crosse. Then said Christ , Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldest not , but a bodie hast thou prepared mee . In burnt offerings and sacrifice for sinne thou hast no pleasure . Then said I , loe I come , to doe thy will O God. And so the law proceeding in full scope , against him , set upon him , and killed him : and by this meanes was the justice of God fully satisfied , his wrath appeased , and all true beleevers acquitted from all their sinnes both past , present , and to come , so that the Law as it is the Covenant of workes , hath not any thing to say to any true beleever : for indeed they are dead to it , and it is dead to them . Nom. But Sir , How could the sufferings of Christ ; which in respect of time were but finite , make full satisfaction to the Justice of God which is infinite , Eva. Though the sufferings of Christ in respect of time were but finite , yet in respect of the person that suffered , his sufferings came to be of infinite value ; for Christ was God and Man in one person , and therefore his sufferings were a sufficient and full ransome for mans soule , being of more value then the death and destruction of all creatures . Nom. But Sir , you know that the Covenant of workes requires mans owne obedience , or punishment , when it saith , Hee that doth these things shall live in them , and cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them , how then could beleevers be acquitted from their sins by the death of Christ ? Evan. For answer hereunto , I pray you consider , that though the covenant of workes requires mans owne obedience or punishment , yet it no where disalloweth or excludeth that which is done or suffered by another in his behalfe , neither is it repugnant to the Justice of God ; for so there bee a satisfaction performed by man through a sufficient punishment , for the disobedience of man , the Law is satisfied , and the justice of God permitteth that the offending partie be received into favour , and acknowledge God after such satisfaction made as a just man and no transgressor , of the Law , and though the satisfaction be made by a surety , yet when it is done , the principall is by the Law acquitted , But yet for the further proofe and confirmation of this poynt , wee are to consider that as JESUS CHRIST the second Adam , entered into the same Covenant that the first Adam did , so by him was done whatsoever the first Adam had undone : so then , the case stands thus , that like as whatsoever the first Adam did or befell him , was reckoned as done by all mankinde , and to have befallen them , even so , whatsoever CHRIST did or befell him , is to bee reckoned as to have been done by all believers , and to have befallen them , so that as sinne commeth from Adam alone to all mankinde as he in whom all have sinned , so from Jesus Christ alone commeth righteousnesse , unto all that are in him , as hee in whom they all have satisfied the justice of God , for as by being in Adam and one with him , all did in him and with him , transgresse the Commandement of God , even so in respect of faith , whereby believers are ingrafted into Christ , and spiritually made one with him , they did all in him and with him , satisfie the justice of God in his death and sufferings , and whosoever reckons thus , reckons according to Scripture , for in Rom. 5.12 . all are sayd to have sinned in Adams sinne , In whom all have sinned , sayth the Text , namely in Adam , as in a publike person , all mens acts were included in his , because their persons were included in his , so likewise in the same Chapter it is sayd that death passed upon all men , namely for this , that Adams sinne was reckoned as theirs , even so , Rom. 6. the Apostle speaking of Christ , sayth , In that he dyed , he dyed unto sinne once , but in that hee liveth , hee liveth unto God , so likewise sayth he in the next verse , Reckon ye your selves to be dead unto sinne , but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And so as touching the resurrection of Christ , the Apostle argues , that all believers must and shall arise , because Christ is risen , and is become the first fruit● of them that sleepe . CHRIST , as the first fruits ariseth , and that in the name and stead of all believers , and so they rise in him and with him , for CHRIST did not rise as a private person , but hee arose as the publike head of his Church , so that in his arising all believers did virtually arise and as CHRIST at his resurrection was justified and acquitted from all the sinnes of all believers by God his Father , as having now fully satisfied for them , wherefore the obedience of Christ , being imputed unto believers , by God for their righteousnesse it doth put them into the same estate and case touching righteousnesse unto life before God , wherein they should have been , if they had perfectly performed the perfect obedience of the covenant of works , Doe this , and thou shalt live . Nom. But , Sir , are all believers dead to the Law , and the Law dead to them . Evan. Believe it man , as the Law is the Covenant of works , all true believers are dead unto it , and it is dead to them , for they being incorporated into Christ , what the Law or Covenant of works did to him , it did the same to them , so that when CHRIST hanged on the Crosse believers , after a sort , hanged there with him , and therefore the Apostle Paul having sayd , I through the Law , am dead to the Law , addes in the next verse , I am crucified with CHRIST , which words the Apostle brings as an argument to prove that hee was dead to the Law , for the Law had crucified him with CHRIST , upon which Text Luther sayth , I likewise am crucified and dead to the Law : Forasmuch as I am crucified and dead with CHRIST : and , againe , I believing in CHRIST , am also crucified with CHRIST . In like manner the Apostle sayth , to the believing Romanes , So yee my brethren are dead also to the Law by the body of CHRIST , Now by the body of CHRIST is ment the passion of CHRIST upon the Crosse , or , which is all one , the suffering of CHRIST in his humane nature , and therefore , certainely wee may conclude , with godly Tindall , that all such are dead concerning the Law , as are by faith crucified with Christ. Nom. But I pray you , Sir , how doe you prove that the Law is dead to a believer ? Evan. Why , as I conceive the Apostle affirmes it , Romams 7.1 , 6. Nom. Surely , Sir , you doe mistake , for I remember the words of the first verse , are , how that tbe Law hath dominion over a man as long as hee liveth , and the words of the sixth verse are , But now we are delivered from the Law , that being dead wherein wee were holden , &c. Evan. I know right well that in our last Translation the words are so rendred , but godly and learned Tindall renders it thus , Remember yee not brethren , that the Law hath dominion over a man as long as it endureth , and B. Hall , paraphraseth upon it thus , Know yee not brethren that the Mosaicall Law hath dominion over a man that is subject unto it , so long as the said Law is in force : So likewise , Origen , Ambrose , and Erasmus doe all agree , that by these words , while ( Hee ) or it liveth , wee are to understand , as long as the Law remayneth : And Peter Martyr is of opinion , that these wordes , while ( Hee ) or it liveth , or indifferently referred eyther to the law are to the man , for sayth hee ▪ The man is said to bee dead , Verse the fourth , and the law is said to bee dead Verse the sixth , even so because the word ( He ) or ( it ) mentioned , Verse the first , doth signifie both sexes in the Greek , Chrysostome thinketh that the death both of the law and the man is insinuated : And Theophylact , Erasmus , Bucer , and Calvin , doe all understand the sixth Verse of the law being dead : And as the death of a believer to the law was accomplished by the death of Christ , even so also was the laws death to him . Even as M. Fox in his Sermon of Christ crucified , testifieth , saying ; Here have wee upon one Crosse two Crucifixes , two the most excellent Potentates that ever were , the Sonne of God , and the Law of God , wrastling together about mans salvation , both cast downe , and both slaine upon one Crosse , howbeit not after a like sort : first , the Sonne of God was cast downe and took the fall , not for any weaknesse in himselfe but was content to take it for our victory , by this fall the law of God in casting him downe was caught in his one trip , and so was fast nayled hand and foot to the Crosse , according as we read in S. Pauls words , 1 Col. 2.14 . And so Luther speaking to the same point sayth , this was a wonderfull combate , where the law being a creature , giveth such an assault to his Creatour , in practizing his whole tyranny upon the Sonne of God : now therefore , because the law did so horribly and cursedly sinne against his God , it is cursed and arraigned , and as a thiefe and cursed murderer of the Son of God , looseth all his right and deserveth to be condemned , the law therefore is bound , dead and crucified to mee , it is not only overcome , condemned and slaine unto Christ , but also to mee believing in him , unto whom hee hath freely given this victory , now then , although , according to the Apostles intimation , Romans the seventh at the beginning , though the Covenant of workes , and man by nature bee mutually engaged each to other , so long as they both live : yet if when the wife bee dead , the husband bee free , then much more when he is dead also . Nom. But , I pray , Sir , what are wee to understand by this double death , or wherein doth this freedome from the law consist ? Evan. Death is nothing else but a dissolution , or an untying of a compound , or a separation between matter and forme ; and therefore , when the soule and body of man is separated , wee say hee is dead , so that by this double death , wee are to understand nothing else , but that the bargaine or covenant which was made betweene GOD and man at first is dissolved , or untyed , or that the matter and forme of the Covenant of works is separated to a believer , so that the Law of the ten Commandements , doth neyther promise eternall life , nor threaten eternall death to a believer , upon condition of his obedience , or disobedience to it : neyther doth a believer as hee is a believer , eyther hope for eternall life . , or feare eternall death upon any such termes , no , wee may assure our selves , that whatsoever the Law sayth on any such tearmes , it sayth , to them who are under the Law : But believers are not under the Law , but under Grace : and so have escaped eternall death , and obtained eternall life . , onely by faith in Jesus Christ ; For by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses . For God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son , that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life . And this is that Covenant of Grace , which as I told you , was made with the Fathers by way of promise , and so but darkly , but now the fulnesse of time being come , it was more fully opened and promulgated . Ant. Well , Sir , now I doe perceive , there was little difference betwixt the Jews Covenant of Grace and ours . Evan. Truly the opposition betwixt the Jews Covenant of Grace and ours , was chiefly of their owne making , they should have been driven to Christ by the Law , but they expected life in obedience to it , and this was their great errour and mistake . Ant. And truly , Sir , it is no great marvell , though they in this point did so much erre and mistake , who had the Covenant of Grace made known to them so darkly , when many amongst us who have it more cleerly manifest , do the like . Evan. And truly , it is no marvell , though all men naturally do so for man naturally doth apprehend God to be the great master of heaven , and himselfe to be his servant , and that therefore he must do his work before hee can have his wages , and the more work he doth , the better wages he shall have . And hence it it was , that when Aristotle came to speak of blessednes , & to pitch upon the next means to that end ▪ he said it was operation & working , with whom also agreeth Pythagoras , when he saith , It is mans felicity to be like unto God , ( as how ) by becoming righteous and holy , and let us not marvell that these men did so erre who never heard of Christ , nor of the Covenant of grace , when those to whom it was made known by the Apostles of Christ did the like , witnesse those to whom the Apostle Paul wrote his Epistles , and especially the Galathians , for although hee had by his preaching when he was present with them , made known unto them the doctrine of the Covenant of grace , yet after his departure , through the seducement of false teachers , they were soon turned to the Covenant of works , and sought to be justified either in whole or in part by it , as you may see if you doe seriously consider that Epistle , ( nay , what sayth Luther ) it is , sayth he , the generall opinion of mans reason throughout the whole world , That righteousnesse is gotten by the works of the Law , and the reason is , because the Covenant of works was ingendred in the mindes of men in the very creation , so that man , naturally can judge no otherwise of the law then as of a Covenant of works , which was given to make righteous , and to give life and salvation , this pernitious opinion of the Law , that it justifieth and maketh righteous before God ( sayth Luther again ) is so deeply rooted in mans reason , and all mankinde are so wrapped in it , that they can hardly get out , yea , I my selfe , sayth hee , have now preached the Gospell almost twenty years , and have been exercised in the same daily , by reading and writing , so that I may well seeme to bee rid of this wicked opinion , yet notwithstanding I now and then feele this old filth cleave to my heart , whereby it commeth to passe , that I would willingly so have to doe with God , that I would bring somthing with my selfe , because of which hee should give me his grace , nay , it is to bee feared that ( as you sayd ) many amongst us , who have more means of light ordinarily then ever Luther or any before him had , who yet notwithstanding doe either wholy or partly expect justification , and acceptation by the works of the Law. Ant. Sir , I am verily perswaded that there be very many in this City of London , that are carryed with a blinde preposterous zeale after their own good works and well doings , secretly seeking to become holy , just , and righteous before God , by their diligent keeping , and carefull walking in all Gods Commandements , and yet no man can perswade them that they doe so , and truly , Sir , I am verily perswaded that this our neighbour and friend Nomista is one of them ? Evan. Alas ! there is a thousand in the world that make a Christ of their works , and here is their undoing , &c. They looke for righteousnesse and acceptation more in the precept then in the promise , in the law then in the Gospel , in working then in believing and miscarry many poor ignorant souls amongst us , when we bid them obey and doe duties , they can thinke of nothing but working themselves to life , when they are troubled they must lick thēselves whole , when wounded they must run to the salve of duties , and stream of performances , and neglect Christ. Nay , it is to be feared , that there bee divers who in words are able to distinguish between the Law and the Gospel , and in their judgements hold and maintain that man is justified by faith , without the works of the Law , and yet in effect and practise , that is to say , in heart and conscience doe otherwise , & rhere is some touch of this in us all , otherwise we should not be so up and down in our comforts , and believing as we are still , and cast down with every weaknesse as we are . But what say you neighbour Nomista , are you guilty of these things thinke you ? Nom. Truly , Sir , I must needs confesse I begin to be somwhat jealous of my selfe that I am so , and because I desire your judgement touching my condition , I would intreat you to give me leave to relate it unto you . Evan. With a very good will. Nom. Sir , I having bin born & brought up in a Countrey where there was very little preaching , the Lord he knoweth , I lived a great while in ignorance and blindnesse , and yet because I did often repeat the Lords Prayer , the Apostles Creed , and the ten Commandements , and in that I came sometimes to Divine Service ( as they call it ) and at Easter receive the Communion , I thought my condition to bee good , but , at last , by means of hearing a zealous and godly Minister in this City , not long after my comming hither , I was convinced that my present condition was not good , and therefore I went to the same Minister and told him what I thought of my selfe , So hee told mee that I must frequent the hearing of Sermons , and keepe the Sabbath very strictly , and leave off swearing by my faith and troth , and such like oaths , and beware of lying and all idle words and communication , yea , and sayd hee , you must get good books to read on , as Master Dod on the Commandements , M. Boultons directions for comfortable walking with God , Mast●● Brinsleys true Watch , and such like , and many such like exhortations and directions he gave me , the which I liked very well of , and therefore endeavoured my selfe to follow them , so I fell to the hearing of the most godly , zealous , and powerfull Preachers that were in this City , and wrote their Sermons after them , and when God gave mee a Family I did pray with them , and instructed them ; and repeated Sermons to them , and spent the Lords day in publique and private exercises : and left off my swearing and lying , and idle talking , according to his exhortation in few wordes : I did so reforme my selfe and my life , that whereas before I had been onely carefull to performe the duties of the second Table of the Law , and that to the end I might gain favour and respect from civill honest men , and to avoid the penalty of mans law , or temporall punishment , now I was also carefull to performe the duties required in the first Table of the Law , and that to gaine favour and respect from religious honest men , and to avoid the penalty of Gods Law , even eternall torments in hell . Now when professors of Religion observe this change in me , they ca●● to my house and gave unto mee the right hand of fellowship , & counted me one of that number . And then I invited godly Ministers to my table , and made much of them , & then with that same Mica mentioned in the book of Judges , I was perswaded the Lord would be mercifull unto me because I had gotten a Levite to be my Priest , in a word , I did now yield such an outward obedience and conformity to both Tables of the Law , that all godly Ministers , and religious honest men that knew me , did thinke very well of mee , counting me to be a very honest man , and a good Christian , and indeed I thought so of my selfe , especially because I had their approbation , and thus I went on bravely a great while , even untill I read in Master Boultons works , that the outward righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees was famous in those times , for besides their forbearing and protesting against grosse sins , as murther , theft , adultery , idolatry , and the like , they were frequent and constant in prayer , fasting and almes deeds , so that without question , many of them were perswaded , that their doings would purchase heaven and happinesse , whereupon I concluded , that I had as yet done no more then they , and withall I considered that our Saviour sayth , Except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees , you cannot enter into the Kingdome of God , yea , and I also considered , that the Apostle sayth , Hee is not a Jew , that is one outward , but he that is one within , whose praise is not of men but of God , Then did I conclude that I was not yet a true Christian , for sayd I in my heart , I have contented my selfe with the praise of men , and so have lost all my labour and pains in performing duties , for they have been no better then outside performances , and therefore they must all fall down in a moment . I have not served God with all my heart , and therefore I see I must either goe farther , or else I shall never be happie , whereupon I set about the keeping of the Law in good earnest , and laboured to performe duties , not onely outwardly , but also inwardly from my heart , I heard , and read , and praid , and laboured to bring my heart , and force my soule to every duty , I called upon the Lord in good earnest , and told him that whatsoever hee would have mee to doe , I would doe it with all my heart , if hee would but save my soule , and then I also tooke notice of the inward corruptions of my heart , the which I had not formerly done , and was carefull to govern my thoughts , to modeate my passions , and to suppresse the motions and risings of lusts , to banish privie pride and speculative , wantonnesse , and all vain and sinfull desires of my heart , and then I thought my selfe not onely an out-side Christian , but also an in-side Christian , and therefore a true Christian indeed , and so I went on comfortably a good while , till I considered that the Law of God requires passive obedience as well as active , and therefore I must bee a sufferer as well as a doer , or else I could not bee a Christian indeed , whereupon I began to bee troubled at my impatience under Gods correcting hand , and at those inward murmurings and discontents which I found in my spirit in time of any outward calamity that befell mee , and then I laboured to bridle my passions and to submit my selfe quietly to the will of God in every condition , and then did I also , as it were , begin to take penance upon my selfe , by abstinence , fasting , and afflicting my soule , and made pittifull lamentations in my prayers , which were somtimes also accompanied with tears , the which I was perswaded the Lord did take notice of and would reward me for it , and then I was perswaded that I did keepe the Law in yielding obedience both actively and passively , and then was I confident I was a true Christian , untill I considered tha● those Jewes of whom the LORD complaynes , Esay 58. did as much as I , and that caused mee to feare that all was not right with mee as yet : whereupon I went to another Minister , and told him , that though I had done thus and thus , and suffered thus and thus ; yet I was perswaded that I was in no better a condition then those Jewes : ô yes , sayd hee ! you are in a better condition then they ▪ for they were Hypocrites , and served not GOD with all their hearts as you doe . Then I went home contentedly , and so went on in my wonted course of doing and suffering , and thought all was well with mee untill I bethought my selfe that before the time of my conversion , I had beene a transgressour from the wombe , yea , in the wombe in that I was guilty of Adams transgression : so then I considered , that although I kept even with GOD for the time present and to come yet that would not free m● from the guiltinesse of that which wa● done before , whereupon I was much troubled and disquieted in my minde , then I went to a third Minister of Gods holy word , and told him how the case stood with mee : and what I thought of my state and condition , he cheered me up , bidding mee be of good comfort , for howsoever my obedience since my Conversion , would not satisfie for my former sinnes , yet in as much as at my Conversion I had confessed ▪ lamented , deplored , bewayled and forsaken them : God according to his rich mercy and gracious promise had mercifully pardoned and forgiving them . Then I returned home to my house againe , and went to God by earnest Prayer and supplication , and besought him to give mee assurance of the pardon and forgivenesse of my guiltinesse of Adams sinne , and all my actuall transgressions before my Conversion : and as I had endeavoured my self to be a good servant before , so I would still continue in doing my duty most exactly : and so being assured that the Lord had granted this my request , I fell to my businesse , according to my promise ; I heard , I read , I prayed , I fasted , I mourned , I sighed and groned , and watched over my heart , my tongue , and wayes , in all my doings , actions , and dealings both with God and man : But after a while I growing better acquainted with the spiritualnesse of the Law , and with inward corruptions of mine owne heart , I perceived that I had deceived my selfe in thinking that I had kept the Law perfectly , for doe what I could I found many imperfections in my obedience ; for I had been and was still subject to sleepinesse , drousinesse , and heavinesse in prayer and hearing , and so in other duties , I failed in the manner of performance of them , and in the end why I performed them , seeking my selfe in every thing I did , and my conscience told me I failed in my duty to God in this , and in my duty to my neighbour in that , and then I was much troubled again , for I considered that the Law of God requireth , and is not satisfied without an exact and perfect obedience , and then I went to the same Minister again , and told him how I had purposed , promised , striven and endeavoured , as much as possibly I could to keepe the Law of Ged perfectly , and yet by wofull experience I had found , that I had and did still transgresse it many ways , and therefore I feared hell and damation . O! but sayd hee , doe not feare , for the best Christians have their failings , and no man keepeth the Law of God perfectly , and therefore goe on and doe as you have done in striving to keepe the Law perfectly , in what you cannot doe God will accept the will for the deed , and wherein you come short , Christ will help you out , and this satisfied and contented mee very much , so I returned home againe and fell to prayer , and told the Lord that now I saw I could not yield a perfect obedience to his Law , and yet I would not despaire , because I did believe , that what I could not doe Christ would doe for mee , and then I did certainly conclude , that I was a Christian indeede , and not before , and so have I beene perswaded ever since , And thus , Sir , you see I have dcclared unto you , both how it hath been wieh mee formerly , and how it is with me for the present , wherefore I would intreat you to tell me plainly and truly what you think of my condition . Evan. Why truly I must tell you it appears to me by your relation ▪ that you have gone as far in the way of the Covenant of works as the Apostle Paul did before his conversion , but yet for ought I see you have not gone the right way to the truth of the Gospell , and therefore I question whether you be as yet come truly to Christ. Neo. Good , Sir , give me leave to speak a few words . By the hearing of your discourse concerning the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace , I was moved to feare that I was out of the right way , but now having heard my neighbour Nomista make such an excellent relation , and yet you to question whether hee bee come truly to CHRIST or no , makes me to conclude absolutely that I am far from Christ , surely if he upon whom the Lord hath bestowed such excellent gifts and graces , and who hath lived such a godly life , as I am sure he hath done , be not right , then woe be unto me . Evan. Truly for ought I know , you may be in Christ before him . Nom. But I pray you , Sir , consider , that though I am now throughly convinced , that till of late I went on in the way of the Covenant of works , yet seeing that at last I came to see my need of Christ , and have verily believed that in what I come short of fulfilling the Law , hee will help mee out , me thinks , I should be come truly to Christ. Evan. Verily I doe conceive that this gives you no sure evidence of your being come truly to Christ , then some of your strict Papists have , for it is the doctrine of the Church of Rome , that if a man exercise all his power , and doe his best to fulfill the Law , then God for Christs sake , will pardon all his infirmities , and save his soule , and therefore you shall see many of your Papists very strict and zealous in the performance of duties morning and evening , so many Avie-Maries , and so many Pater-nosters , yea , and many of them doe great deeds of charity , and great works of hospitality , and all upon such grounds and to such ends as these , the Papists ( sayth Calvin ) cannot abide this saying , by faith alone , for they think that their own works are in part a cause of their salvation , and so they make a hotch potch and mingle mangle , that is , neither fish nor flesh as men use to say . Nom. But stay , Sir , I pray , you are mistaken in me , for though I hold that God doth accept of my doing my best to fulfill the Law , yet doe I not hold with the Papists that my doings are meritorious , for I believe that God accepts not of what I doe , either for the work or workers sake , but onely for Christs sake . Evan. Yet doe you but still goe hand in hand with the Papists , for though they doe hold that their works are meritorious , yet they say it is by the merit of Christ that they become meritorious , or as some of the moderate sort of them say , our works sprinkled with the bloud of Christ become meritorious , but this you are to know , that as the justice of GOD requires a perfect obedience , so doth it require that this perfect obedience be a personall obedience , viz. it must bee the obedience of one person onely , the obedience of two must not bee put together , to make up a perfect obedience : So that if you desire to be justified before God ▪ you must either bring to him a perfect righteousnesse of your own , and wholy renounce Christ , or else you must bring the perfect righteousnesse of Christ and wholy renounce your own . Ant. But believe me , Sir , I would advise him to bring Christs and wholy renounce his own , as , I thank the Lord , I have done . Evan. You say very well , for indeed the Covenant of Grace terminates it selfe onely on Christ and his righteousnesse , God will have none to have a hand in the justification and salvation of a sinner but Christ onely , and to say as the thing is , neighbour Nomista , Christ Jesus will either be a whole Saviour , or no Saviour ; hee will either save you alone , or not save you at all , for among men there is given no other name under heaven , whereby we must be saved , sayth the Apostle Peter : and Jesus Christ himselfe sayth , I am the way , the truth , and the life , and no man commeth to the father but by mee , so that as Luther truly sayth , besides this way Christ , there is no way but wandering , no verity but hypocrisie , no life but eternall death , and verily sayth another godly writer , We can neither come to God the Father , bee reconciled unto him , nor have any thing to doe with him , by any other way or means , but onely by Jesus Christ , for we shall not any where finde the favour of God , true innocency , righteousnesse , satisfaction for sin , help , comfort , life or salvation , any where but onely in Jesus Christ , he is the summe and centre of all divine and evangelicall truths , and therefore as there is no knowledge or wisdome so excellent , necessary or heavenly as the knowledge of Christ ; ( which made the Apostle tell the Corinthians , that he determined to know nothing amongst them , but onely Jesus Christ and him crucified ) so is there nothing to be preached unto men as an object of their faith , or necessary element of their salvation , which doth not some way or other either meet in Christ or refer unto Christ. Ant. O , Sir , you doe please me wonderous well in thus attributing all to Christ , and surely , Sir , though of late you have not been so evangelical in your teaching as some others in this City ( which hath caused me to leave off hearing you to hear them ) yet have I formerly perceived , and do now also perceive , that you have more knowledge of the doctrine of free grace then many other Ministers in this City have , and to tell you the truth , Sir , it was by your means that I was first brought to renounce mine owne righteousnesse , and to cleave onely to the righteoasnesse of JESUS CHRIST , and thus it was . After that I had been a good . while a legall professour , just like my friend Nomista , and heard none but your legall Preachers , who built me up in works and doings , as they did him , and as their manner is : At last a familiar acquaintance of mine who had some knowledge of the doctrine of free grace , did commend you for an excellent Preacher , & at last prevailed with me to goe with him to hear you , and your text that day , I wel remember was , Tit. 3.5 . Not by the works of righteousnesse that we had done , but according to his own mercie he saved us , whence you observed and plainly proved , that mans own righteousnesse had no hand in his justification and salvation , whereupon you dehorted us from putting any confidence in our own works and doings , and exhorted us , by faith to lay hold upon the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ onely , at the hearing whereof , it pleased the Lord so to work upon mee , that I plainly perceived that there was no need at all of my works and doings , nor nothing else , but only to believe in Jesus Christ , & indeed my heart did assent unto it immediately , so that I went home with abundance of peace and joy in believing , and gave thanks to the Lord , for that he had set my soule at liberty , from such a sore bondage as I had been under , and I told all my acquaintance what a slavish life I had lived in being under the Law , for if I did commit any sin , I was presently troubled & disquieted in my cōscience , & could have no peace til I had made humble confession thereof unto God , craved pardon and forgivenes , & promised amendment but now I told them that whatsoever sins I did commit , I was no whit troubled at them , nor indeed am not to this day , for I do verily believe , that God for Christs sake hath freely and fully pardoned all my sins , both past , present , and to come ; so that I am confident that what sin or sins soever I commit , they shall never be layd to my charge , being very well assured that I am so perfectly clothed with the robes of Christs righteousnesse , that God can see no sin in me at all : And therefore , now I can rejoyce evermore in Christ , as the Apostle exhorts mee , and live merrily though I be never so vile or sinfull a creature , and indeed , I pitty them , that are in the same slavish condition that I was in , and would have them to believe , as I have done , that so they may rejoyce with mee in Christ : And thus , Sir , you see I have declared unto you my condition ; and therefore I would intreat you to tell me what you think of me . Evan. There is in this City , at this day , much talk about Antinomiaus ; and though I hope there be but few that doe justly deserve that title , ( yet I pray ) give me leave to tell you , that I feare mee I may say unto you in this case , as it was once said unto Peter in another case ; Surely thou art one of them , for thy speech bewrayeth thee . And therefore to tell you truly , I make some question whether you have truly believed in Christ , for all your confidence : And indeed I am the rather moved to question it , by calling to minde that as I have heard your conversation is not such as becommeth the Gospell of Christ : Ant. Why , Sir , do you think it is possible for a man to have such peace and joy in Christ as I have had , and I thanke the Lord have still , and not to have truly believed in Christ ? Evan. Yea , indeed , I think it is possible , for doth not our Saviour tell us , that those hearers whom hee resembles to the stony ground , immediatly received the word with joy , and yet had no root in themselves , and so indeed were not true believers . And doth not the Apostle give us to understand , that as there is a forme of godlines without the power of godlinesse : so there is a forme of faith without the power of faith . And therefore he prayes that God would grant unto the Thessalonians the worke of faith with power . And as the same Apostle gives us to understand , there is a faith that is not fained , so doubtlesse , there is a faith that is fained : And surely , when our Saviour sayth ; Marke 4.26 , 27 , 28. The kingdome of God is as if a man should cast seed into the ground , and sheuld sleepe and rise night and day , and the seed should spring up and grow hee knoweth not how , first the blade , then the eare , after that the full corn in the eare , he giveth us to understand that true faith is produced by the secret power of God by little and little , so that somtimes a true believer himselfe , neither knows the time when , nor the manner how it was wrought , so that we may perceive that true faith is not ordinarily begun , increased and finished all in a moment , as , it seems , yours was , but groweth by degrees according to that of the Apostle Rom. 1.17 . The righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith , that is , from one degree of faith to another , from a weake faith to a stro●g faith , from faith beginning to faith increasing towards perfection , or from faith of adherence , to faith of assurance , but so was not yours , and again , true faith according to the measure of it , produceth holinesse of life , but it seems yours doth not so , and therefore though , you have had , and have still much peace and joy , yet that is no infallible signe that your faith is true , for a man may have great raptures , yea , he may have great joy , as if he were lift up into the third heaven , and have a great and strong perswasion that his estate is good , and yet be but an hypocrite for all that , and therefore I beseech you in the words of the Apostle , Examine your selfe whether you be in the faith , prove your own selfe , know you not your own selfe how that Jesus Christ is in you , except you be a reprobate : And if Christ bee in you , the body is dead because of sin , but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse . Ant. But , Sir , if my friend Nomista went wrong in seeking to be justified by the works of the Law , then , me thinks , I should have gone right in seeking to be justified by faith , and yet you speake as if wee had both gone wrong . Evan. I remember Luther sayth , that in his time , if they taught in a Sermon that salvation consisted not in our works or life , but in the gift of God , some men took occasion thence to be slow to good works , and to live a dishonest life , and if they preached of a godly and honest life , others did by and by furiously attempt to build ladders to heaven : And moreover , hee sayth , that in the year , 1525 , there were some fantasticall spirits that stirred up the rusticall people to sedition , saying , that the freedome of the Gospel giveth liberty to all men from all manner of Laws , and there were others that did attribute the force of justification to the Law. Now , sayth he , both these sorts offend against the Law , the one on the right hand , who would be justified by the Law , and the other on the left hand , who would be clean delivered from the Law : Now I suppose this saying of Luthers , may bee fitly applyed to you two , for it appears to me , friend Antinomista that you have offended on the left hand , in not walking according to the matter of the Law , and it is evident to mee neighbour Nomista , that you have offended on the right hand , in seeking to be justified by your obedience to it . Nom. But , Sir , if seeking of justification by the works of the Law be an error ▪ yet it seemeth , that by Luthers own confession , it is but an error on the right hand . Evan. But yet I tell you it is such an error , that by the Apostle Pauls own confession , so far forth as any man is guilty of it , He makes his services his Saviours , and rejects the grace of God , and makes the death of Christ of none effect , ond perverteth the Lords intention , both in giving the Law , and in giving the Gospel , and keeps himselfe under the curse of the Law , and maketh himself the sonne of a bond-woman , a servant , yea , and a slave , and hinders himselfe in the course of well doing , and in short , he goeth about an impossible thing , and so loseth all his labour . Nom. Why then , Sir , it should seeme , that all my seeking to please God by my good works , all my strict walking according to the Law , and all my honest course of life , hath rather done mee hurt then good . Evan. The Apostle sayth ; that without faith it is impossible to please God , that is , sayth Calvin , Whatsoever a man , thinketh , purposeth , or doeth , before hee be reconciled to God by faith in Christ is accursed , and not onely of no value to righteousnesse , but of certain deserving to damnation ; so that sayth Luther , Whosoever goeth about to please God with works , going before faith , goeth about to please God with sin , which is nothing else but to heap sin upon sin , to mock God and to provoke him to wrath : nay , sayth the same Luther , in another place , If thou beest without Christ thy wisdome is double foolishnesse , thy righteousnesse is double sin and iniquity , and therefore though you have walked very strictly according to the Law , and led an honest life , yet if you have rested and put confidence therein , and so come short of Christ , then hath it indeed rather done you hurt then good . For sayth a godly writer , vertuous life , according to the light of nature , turneth a man farther off from God , if he add not thereto the effectuall working of his Spirit , and sayth Luther , they which have respect onely to an honest life , it were better for them to be adulterers , and adulteresses , and to wallow in the mire : And surely for this cause it is that our Saviour tels the strict Scribes and Pharisees , who sought justification by works , and rejected Christ , that Publicans and harlots should enter into the Kingdome of God before them . And for this cause it was that I sayd , for ought I know my neighbour Neophytus might bee in Christ before you . Nom. But how can that be ? when as you know he hath confessed that he is ignorant and full of corruption , and comes far short of me in gifts and graces . Evan. Because as the Pharisee had more to doe before he could come at Christ then the Publican had ; so , I conceive , you have more to doe then he hath . Nom. Why , Sir , I pray you , what have I to doe , or what would you advise me to doe , for truly I would be contented to bee ruled by you ? Evan. Why that which you have to doe before you can come at Christ , is to undoe all that ever you have done already , that is to say , whereas you have endeavoured to travail towards heaven by the way of the Covenant of works , and so have gone a wrong way , you must goe quite back again all the way you have gone , before you can tread one step in the right way . And whereas you have attempted to build up the ruines of old Adam , and that upon your selfe , and so like a foolish builder to build a tottering house upon the sands , you must throw down and utterly demolish all that building , and not leave a stone upon a stone , before you can begin to build anew , and whereas you have conceived that there is a sufficiencie in your selfe to justifie and save your selfe , you must conclude that in that case , there is not onely in you an insufficiencie , but also a non-sufficiencie , yea , and that sufficiencie that seemed to be in you , to bee your losse , in plain termes , you must deny your selfe , as our Saviour sayth , Matthew 16.24 . That is , You must utterly renounce all that ever you are , and all that ever you have done , All your knowledge and gifts , all your hearing , reading , praying , fasting , weeping and mourning , all your wandring in the way of works , and strict walking must fall to the ground in a moment , briefly , whatsoever you have counted gain to you in the case of Justification , you must now with the Apostle Paul , count losse for CHRIST , and judge it to be dung , that you may win CHRIST , and bee found in Him , not having your own righteousnesse which is of the Law. but that which is through the faith of Christ , the righteousnesse which is of God by faith . Neo. O , but , Sir , What would you advise me to doe ? Evan. Why man ? what ayleth you ? Neo. Why , Sir , as you have been pleased to heare them two to declare their condition unto you , so I beseech you , to give me leave to doe the same , and then you will perceive how it is with me . Sir , not long since , it pleased the Lord to visit mee with a great fit of sicknesse , so that indeed , both in mine own judgement , and in the judgement of all that came to visite mee , I was sick unto death , whereupon I began to consider , whither my soule was to goe , after its departure out of my body , and I thought with my selfe that there was but two places , heaven and hell , and therefore it must needs goe to one of them , then my wicked and sinfull life , which indeed , I had lived came into my minde , which caused me to conclude , that hell was the place provided for it , which caused me to bee very fearfull , and to bee very sorry that I had so lived , and desired of the Lord to let me live a little longer , and I would not faile to reforme my life , and amend my ways , and the Lord was pleased to grant mee my desire ; since which time , though indeed t is true , I have not lived so wickedly as formerly I had done , yet alas , I have come far short of that godly and religious life which I see other men live , and especially this my neighbour Nomista , and yet you seem to conceive that he is not in a good condition , and therefore surely I must needs be in a miserable condition , alas , Sir , what doe you thinke will become of me ? Evan. I doe perceive that although wee have by the Lords assistance our comming together , opened and cleered the new and living way to eternall life , yet the Lord hath not been pleased to open your eyes to see it , so that you would still be going thither the old and naturall way , and therefore as a further means to discover it to you , I pray you consider that although in the making of the covenant of works at the first , God was one party and man another , yet in making it the second time , God was on both sides . God simply considered in his essence , is the party opposite to man , and GOD the second Person having taken upon him to bee incarnate ●nd to worke mans redemption , was on mans side , and takes part , with man that hee may reconcile him to God by bearing mans sins , and satisfying Gods justice for them , and Christ payed God till hee sayd , Hee had enough , Hee was fully satisfied , fully contented . Whereupon all Christs people were given to him in their election . Ephes. 1.4 . Thine they were ( fayth Christ ) and thou gavest them mee . John 17.6 . Hee , sayth the Father , loveth the Sonne , and hath given all things into his hands , John 8.35 . that is , hee hath intrusted him with the oeconomie and actuall administration of that power in the Church , which originally belonged to himselfe , and hence it is that Christ also sayth , the Father judgeth no man , but hath committed all judgement to his Sonne , John 5.22 . so that the Covenant for life and salvation , since the fall , is not that Covenant of works , that was betwixt God and Christ , for none of Christs are to have to doe with that but Christ onely , but the Covenant of life and salvation is that Covenant of grace ▪ that is betwixt Christ and his , and in tha● Covenant there is not any condition or law to bee performed on mans part , by himselfe , no , there is no more for him to doe , but onely to know and believe , that Christ hath done all for him , wherefore my dear neighbour Neophytus , I beseech you bee perswaded , that here you are to worke nothing , here you are to doe nothing , here you are to render nothing unto God , but onely receive the treasure which is Jesus Christ , and apprehend him in your heart by faith , although you be never so great a sinner , and so shall you obtain forgivenesse of sinnes , righteousnesse and eternall happinesse , not as an agent , but as a patient , not by doing but by receiving , nothing here commeth betwixt but faith onely , apprehending Christ in the promise ; this then is perfect righteousnesse , to heare nothing , to know nothing , to doe nothing of the Law or works but onely to know and believe that Jesus Christ is now gon to the Father , and sitteth at his right hand , not as a Judge , But is made unto you of God , wisdome , righteousnesse , sanctification and redemption , wherefore , sayth the Apostle , Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved . Neo. But , Sir , hath such a one as I any warrant to believe in Christ ? Evan. I beseech you consider , that God the Father as he is in his Sonne Jesus Christ , moved with nothing but with his free love , to mankinde lost , hath made a deed of gift and grant unto them all , that whosoever of them all shall believe in this his Sonne , shall not perish , but have eternall life , and hence , it was that Jesus Christ himselfe sayd unto his Disciples , Mat. 16.15 . Goe and preach the Gospel to every creature under heaven , that is , goe and tell every man , without exception , that here is good news for him , Christ is dead for him , and if he will take him and accept of his righteousnesse hee shall have him . Therefore sayth a godly writer , for as much as the holy Scripture speaketh to all in generall , none of us ought to distrust himselfe , but believe that it doth belong particularly to himselfe , and to the end that this poynt wherein lyeth and consisteth the whole mystery of our holy faith , may be understood the better , let us pur the case , that some good and holy King should cause a proclamation to bee made through his whole Kingdome by the sound of a Trumpet , that all rebels and banished men , shall safely return home to their houses , because that at the suit and desart of some dear friend of theirs , it hath pleased the King to pardon them , certainly none of these rebels ought to doubt but that he shall obtain true pardon for his rebellion , and so return home and live under the shadow of that gracious King : even so our good King the Lord of Heaven and Earth hath for the obedience and desart of our good brother Jesus Christ , pardoned us all our sinnes , and made a Proclamation throughout the whole world , that every one of us may safely returne to God in Jesus Christ , wherefore , I beseech you , make no doubt of it , but draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith . Neo. O! but , Sir , in this similitude the case is not alike , for when an earthly King sendeth forth such a Proclamation , it may be thought that he doth indeed intend to pardon all , but it cannot bee thought that the King of heaven doth so , for doth not the Scripture say , that some men are ordained before to condemnation , and doth not Christ himselfe say , that many are called , but few are chosen , and therefore it may be I am one of them that are ordained to condemnation , and therefore , though I be called , I shall never be chosen , and so shall not be saved . Evan. I beseech you to consider that although some men bee ordayned to condemnation , yet so long as the Lord hath concealed their names , and not set a marke of reprobation upon any man in particular ; but offers the pardon generally to all without having any respect eyther to election or reprobation : surely it is great folly in any man to say it may bee I am not elected , and therefore shall not have benefit by it , and therefore I will not accept of it nor come in , for it should rather move every man to give diligence to make his calling and election sure , by believing it , for feare we come short of it , according to that of the Apostle , Let us therefore feare , least a promise being left us of entring into his rest , any of us should seeme to come short of it : Wherefore , I beseech you , doe not you say it may bee I am not elected , and therefore I will not believe in Christ , but rather say I doe believe in Christ , and therefore , I am sure I am elected , and check your own heart , for medling with Gods secrets , and prying into his hidden counsell , and goe no more beyond your bounds , as you have done in this point , for election and reprobation is a secret , and the Scriptures tels us , That secret things belong unto God , but those things that are revealed belong unto us : Now , this is Gods revealed will , for indeed it is his expresse command , That you should believe on the name of his Son , and it is his promise , that if you believe you shall not perish , but have everlasting life : Wherefore , you having so good a warrant as GODS command , and so good an encouragement as his promise , doe your duty , and by the doing thereof you may put it out of question , and bee sure that you are one of Gods Elect : Say then , I beseech you , with a firme faith , the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ belongs to all that believe ; but I believe and therefore it belongs to me , yea , and say with PAUL , I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me , and gave himselfe for mee . Hee saw in mee ( sayth Luther , on the Text ) nothing but wickednesse going astray , and flying from him , yet this good Lord had mercy on mee , and of his meere mercy hee loved mee ; yea , so loved mee , that hee gave himselfe for mee , ( who is this mee ) even I wretched and damnable sinner was so deerly beloved of the Son of God , that hee gave himselfe for mee , ô print this word me in your heart , and apply it to your own self , not doubting but that you are one of those to whom this me belongeth . Neo. But may such a vile and sinfull wretch as I am be perswaded that God commands me to believe , and that hee hath made a promise to me ? Evan. Why doe you make a question where there is none to be made , Goe , sayth Christ , and preach the Gospel to every creature under Heaven , that is , go tell every man , without exception , whatsoever his sins be , whatsoever his rebellions be , goe and tell him these glad tydings , that if hee will come in , I will accept of him , his sins shall bee forgiven him , and hee shall bee saved , if hee will come in and take mee , and receive mee , I will be his loving husband , and hee shall bee mine owne deare Spouse : let mee therefore say unto you in the words of the Apostle , Now then , I as an Ambassadour for Christ , as though GOD did beseech you by mee , I pray you in Christs stead , be yee reconciled unto God , for hee hath made him to be sin for you , who knew no sin , that you might be made the righteousnesse of God in him . Neo. But doe you say , Sir , that if I believe , I shall bee espoused unto Christ ? Evan. Yea , indeed , shall you , for faith coupleth the soul with Christ , even as the Spouse with her husband , by which means Christ and the soule are made one : for as in corporall marriage man and wife are made one flesh , even so in this spirituall and mysticall marrriage Christ and his Spouse are made one spirit , and this marriage of all others is most perfect and absolutely accomplished betweene them for the marriage between man and wife , is but a slender figure of this union , wherefore , I beseech you , to believe it , and then you shall be sure to enjoy it . Neo. Surely , Sir , if David sayd , seemeth it to you a light thing to be an earthly Kings son-in-law ▪ seeing that I am a poore man , and lightly esteemed : then surely I have much more cause to say , seemeth it to you a light thing to bee a heavenly Kings daughter-in-law , seeing that I am such a poor sinfull wretch : surely , Sir , I cannot be perswaded to believe it . Evan. Alas , man , how much are you mistaken , for you look upon God and upon your self , with the eye of reason , and so standing in relation to each other , according to the tenour of the Covenant of Works , whereas you being now in the case of Justification and Reconciliation , you are to looke both upon God and upon your selfe with the eye of faith , and so standing in relation to each other , according to the tenour of the Covenant of grace : for sayth the Apostle , God was in Christ , reconciling the world unto himselfe , not imputing their sinnes unto them , as if hee had sayd , because as God stands in relation to man according to the tenour of the Covenant of works , and so out of Christ , hee could not without prejudice to his justice be reconciled unto them , nor have any thing to doe with them , otherwise then in wrath and indignation ; therefore , to the intent , that justice and mercy might meet together , and righteousnesse and peace might embrace each other , and so God stand in relation to man , according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace , hee put himselfe into his Son Jesus Christ , and shrowded himself there , that so hee might speake peace to his people . Sweetly sayth Luther , because the nature of God was otherwise higher then that wee are able to attayne unto it ; therefore hath hee humbled himselfe to us and taken our nature upon him , and so put himselfe into Christ , here hee looketh for us , here he will receive us , and hee that seeketh him here shall finde him : This , sayth God the Father , is my well beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased , Mat. 3.17 . whereupon the same Luther sayth in another place , We must not thinke and perswade our selves that this voice came from heaven for Christs own sake , but for our sakes , even as Christ himselfe sayth , John 12.30 . This voyce came not because of mee , but for your sakes , the truth is , Christ had no need that it should be sayd unto him , this is my well beloved sonne , he knew that from all eternity , and that he should still so remain though these words had not beene spoken from heaven , therefore by these words , God the Father in Christ his Sonne , cheereth the hearts of poore sinners , and greatly delighteth them with singular comfort and heavenly sweetnesse , assuring them , that whosoever is marryed unto Christ , and so in him by faith , hee is as acceptable to God the Father , as Christ himselfe , according to that of the Apostle , Hee hath made us acceptable in his beloved , wherefore , if you would bee acceptable to God , and bee made his deare childe , then by faith cleave unto his beloved Sonne Christ , and hang about his neck , yea , and creepe into his bosome , and so shall the love and favour of God be as deeply insinuated into you , as it is into Christ himselfe , and so shall God the Father , together with his beloved Sonne , wholy possesse you , and be possessed of you , and so God , and Christ , and you shall become one entire thing , according to Christs prayer , That they may bee one in us , as thou and I are one , and by this means may you have sufficient ground and warrant to say ( in the matter of reconciliation with God at any time , whensoever you are disputing with your selfe , how God is to be found that justifieth and saveth sinners ) I know no other God , neither will I know any other God besides this God that came dow from heaven , and clothed himselfe with my flesh , unto whom all power is given , both in heaven and in earth , Who is my Judge , For the father judgeth no man , but hath committed all judgement to the Sonne , so that Christ may doe with mee whatsoever him liketh , and determine of mee aecording to his own minde , and I am sure hee hath sayd , Hee came not to judge the World , but to save the World , and therefore I doe believe that hee will save mee . Neo. Indeed , Sir , if I were so holy and so righteous as some men are , and had such power over my sins and corruptions as some men have , then I could easily believe it , but ( alas ) I am so sinfull , and so unworthy a wretch , that I dare not presume to believe that Christ will accept of me , so as to justifie and save me . Evan. Alas , man , in thus saying ▪ you doe seem to contradict and gainsay , both the Apostle Paul , and our Lord Jesus Christ himself , and that against your owne soule . For , whereas the Apostle Paul saith , That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners , and doth justifie the ungodly : Why , you seem to hold , & do in effect say , that Christ Jesus , came into the world to save the righteous , & to justifie the godly : and wheras our Saviour sayth , The whole need not the Physitian , but the sick , and that hee came not to call the righteous , but sinners to repentance . Why you seem to hold , and do in effect say , That the sick need not the Physitian but the whole , and that he came not to call sinners , but the righteous to repentance . And , indeed , in so saying , you seem to conceive that Christs Spouse must be purified , washed and clensed from all her filthines , & adorned with a rich robe of righteousnesse before he wil accept of her , whereas hee himselfe saith unto her , As for thy nativity in the day that thou wast born , thy navel was not cut , neither wast thou washed with water to supple thee , thou wast not swadled at all , nor salted at all , no eye pitied thee to doe any of these things unto thee : but when I passed by thee , and looked upon thee , behold , thy time was a time of love , and I spread my skirt over thee , and covered thy nakednesse : yea , and I sware unto thee , and entred into covenant with thee , and thou becamest mine . And I will marry thee unto me for ever , yea , I will marry thee unto me in righteousnes and in judgment , and in mercy and compassion : Wherefore , I beseech you , revoke this your erroneous opinion , and contradict the word of truth no longer , but conclude for a certainty , that it is not the righteous and godly man , but the sinfull and ungodly man that Christ came to call , justifie and save , so that if you were a righteous and godly man , you were neyther capable of Calling , Justification , or Salvation by Christ , but being a sinfull and ungodly man , I will say unto you , as the people sayd unto blinde Bartime , Be of good comfort , arise , he calleth you , and will justifie and save you ; goe then unto him , I beseech you , and if he come and meet you by the way ( as his manner is ) then do not you unadvisedly say with Peter , Depart from me , for I am a sinfull man ; O Lord ! but say in plain terms , O come unto me , for I am a sinfull man , O Lord ! yea , go on further with your speech , and say as Luther bids you , Most gracious Jesu , and sweet Christ , I am a miserable poor sinner , and therefore do judge my self unworthy of thy grace ; but yet I having learned from thy word , that thy salvation belongeth to such a one , therefore do I come unto thee to claime that right which through thy gracious promise belongeth unto me , assure your selfe that Jesus Christ requires no portion with his spouse , no verily he requires nothing with her but meere poverty , the rich he sends empty away : but the poore are by him enriched , and indeed , sayth Luther , The more miserable , sinfull and distressed a man doth feele himself , and judge himself to be , the more willing will Christ be to receive him , and relieve him , so that , sayth he , In judging thy self unworthy , thou doest theredy become truly worthy : and so indeed hast gotten a greater occasion of coming unto him : Wherefore in the words of the Apostle , I do exhort you and beseech you to come boldly unto the throne of grace , that you may obtain mercie and finde grace to help in time of need . Neo. But truly Sir , my heart doth as it were even tremble within mee to thinke of comming unto Christ after such a manner , and surely , Sir , if I should come so boldly to Christ , and speake after such a manner it , would be but pride and presumption in mee . Evan. Indeed , if you should be incouraged to come to Christ , and speak thus unto him , because of any godlinesse , righteousnesse , or worthinesse that you conceive to be in you , that were proud presumption indeed ; but for you to come to Christ by believing that hee will accept of you , justifie and save you freely by his grace , according to his own gracious promise : this is no proud presumption at all , for Christ having tendred it and offered it unto you freely , believe it man , it is neyther pride nor presumption , but true humility of heart to take what Christ offereth you . Nom. But by your favour , Sir , I pray you give mee leave to speake a word by the way , I know my Neighbour Neophytus , it may be better then you do , yet do I not intend to charge him with any sin , otherways then by way of supposition as thus : Suppose hee hath been guilty of the committing of grosse and grievous sins , will Christ accept of him , and justifie and save him for all that ? Evan. Yea , indeed , for there is no limitation of Gods grace in Jesus Christ , except the sin against the holy Ghost ; Christ stands at the doore and knocks , and if any cruell murdering Manasses , or any persecuting and blaspheming Saul , or any adulterous Magdalen will open unto him , he will come in and bring comfort with him , and will sup with him , seeke from one end of the Heavens to the other ( sayth Evangelicall Hooker ) turne all the Bible over , and see if the words of Christ be not true , him that commeth unto me , I will in no wise cast out . Nom. Why then , Sir , it seems you hold that the vilest sinner in the world ought not to be discouraged from believing in Christ , because of his sins . Evan. Surely if Christ came into the world to seek , and call , and save sinners , and to justifie the ungodly , as you have heard , and if the more sinfull , miserable and distressed a man doth judge himself to be , the more willing Christ is to receive him , and relieve him : then I see no reason why the vilest sinner should be discouraged from believing on the name of Christ because of his sins , nay , let me say more , the greater any mans sins are eyther in number or nature : the more hast hee should make to come unto Christ , and to say with David , for thy name sake , ô Lord ! pardon mine iniquitie for it is great . Ant. Surely , Sir , if my friend Neophytus did rightly consider these things , and were assuredly perswaded of the truth of them , me thinks , hee should not be so backward from comming unto Christ by believing on his name , as he is , for if the greatnesse of his sins should be so far from hindring his coming to Christ , that they should further it , then I know not what should hinder him . Evan. You speak very truly indeed , and therefore , I beseech you , Neighbour Neophytus , consider seriously of it , and let neither Satan the accuser of the brethren , nor your own accusing conscience joyning with him , hinder you any longer from Christ : for , what though they should accuse you of pride , infidelity , coveteousnesse , lust , anger , envie and hypocrisie ; yea , what though they should accuse you of whoredome , theft and drunkennesse , and many the like , yet doe what they can , they can make no worse a man of you then a sinner , or the chiefe of sinners , or an ungodly person , and so consequently such a one as Christ came to justifie and save , so that in very deed , if you rightly consider it , they doe you more good then hurt hereby , and therefore I beseech you , in all such cases , or conflicts , take the counsell of Luther , who saith , when thy conscience is throughly affraid with the remembrance of thy sins past , and the Devill assayleth thee with great violence , going about to overwhelme thee , with heaps , floods , and whole seas of sins , to terrifie thee and to draw thee from Christ , then arme thy selfe with such sentences as these , Christ the Sonne of God was given , not for the holy , righteous , worthy , and such as were his friends , but for the wicked sinners , for the unworthy , and for his enemies , wherefore if the Devill say thou art a sinner , and therefore must be damned , then answer you and say , because thou saist I am a sinner , therefore will I be righteous and saved , and if he say , nay , sinners must be damned , then answer you and say , no , for I flie to Christ , who hath given himselfe for my sins , and therefore in that thou saist I am a sinner , thou givest me armour and weapon against thy selfe , that with thy own sword I may cut thy throat , and tread thee under my feet , and thus you see it is the judgement of Luther , that your sins should rather drive you to Christ then keep you from him , Nom. But , Sir , suppose he hath not as yet either humbled himselfe , or repented for his great and many sins , hath he any warrant to come to Christ till he hath done so . Eva. I see you have not yet quite thrown down your tottering building , you still conceive that man himselfe must doe somthing in the case of justification , you thinke he must bring some money in his hand to buy his salvation , but I beseech you consider , that as I have often told you , Gods Covenant in Christ is a Covenant of Grace , and so every way a free Covenant , and therefore he makes a generall proclamation saying , Ho , every one that thirsteth , come ye to the waters , and he that hath no money : come ye buy , and eat , yea , come buy wine and milke without money , and without price . This you see is the condition , ( buy wine and milke ) that is grace and salvation , ( without money ) that is , without any sufficiencie of your own , and the Lord saith , in his Word in divers places , that he justifieth his children before they repent or truly humble themselves , or doe any work of righteousnesse , the truth is , it is onely required that a man come with the hand of faith , and receive Christ without any thing else at all . Nom. But , Sir , Though I conceive that we are to bring this money of humiliation and repentance to Christ , yet doe I not conceive it is to tender unto him for a price , but onely for him to look upon , as that with which he hath appointed those to be qualified withall that come unto him . Eva. I , but yet so long as Christ hath said you must come without it , and onely encline your eare , and heare , and your souls shall live : and that by hearing that , he will make an everlasting Covenant with you , even the sure mercies of David , me thinks , you should perceive that Christ doth thereby call you from the ways of repentance and humiliation and works of righteousnesse in the case of justification , and to pitch directly and immediately upon the free Covenant of Grace . Nom. But Sir , as I conceive , the Scripture holds forth that the Lord hath appointed repentance to goe before faith , for is it not said , Marke 1.15 . Repent ye , and believe the Gospel . Evan. Indeed , somtimes the name of repentance is given to those preparatory beginnings and introductories thereof , which are those legall fits of fear and terrour , which are both in nature and time before faith , and truly all that repentance that goes before faith in Christ can be no other , for evangelicall repentance being a fruit of faith in Christ , cannot be before faith in Christ. Nom. Then Sir , it seems you hold that he that believes in Christ doth also truly repent . Evan. Yea , indeed , though I hold not that evangelical repentance is an antecedent of faith in Christ , yet I hold it is a consequent , though I hold not that it goes before faith , yet I hold that it follows after . Nom. But yet , Sir , it seemes you hold that those preparatory beginnings of repentance , which you call legall fits of feare and terrour do goe before faith in Christ. Evan. Yea , indeed , I doe conceive that ordinarily , and in some measure they do . Nom. Ordinarily say you Sir , why , are they not in all ? Evan. No , indeed , for some doubtlesse are like unto Zachous and Lydia , who received Christ , and were received of him ( as it is verily thought ) without any measure of them . Nom. And have not all those that have them , a like measure of them ? Evan. O no , there is a great difference in the measure , for some do but as it were sip of the cup , and others doe as it were drinke the very dregs ; whereby wee may perceive , that though it be necessary that these Legall fits of feare and terrour be in some before their comming to Christ : yet is there no absolute necessity of them on Christs part , wherefore I pray take notice that those who have them , have them not because Christ would not bid them welcome , and receive them without them , but because they will not come to Christ , except they be by this means driven unto him . Nom. But , Sir , that which you call Evangelicall repentance , and follows after faith , is in all that do believe : is it not ? Evan. Yea , indeed , it is more or lesse in every believing soule , according to the measure of his faith , and so of his receiving the spirit of Christ , as all other true fruits of Christs spirit are . Nom. Well Sir , I am answered . Neo. And truly Sir , you have so declared and set forth Christs disposition towards poore sinners , and so answered all my doubts and objections , that I am now verily perswaded that Christ is willing to entertaine mee , and surely I am willing to come unto him and receive him ; but alas , I want power to do it , that is , Sir , I want faith . Evan. But tell me on thing truly , are you resolved to put forth all your power to believe , and so to take Christ. Neo. Truly Sir , me thinks , my resolution is much like the resolution of the foure Lepers which sate at the gate of Samaria , for as they sayd , If wee enter into the Citie , the famine is in the Citie , and wee shall die there , and if we sit still here , we die also ; n●w therefore come and let us fall into the hands of the Assyrians , if they save us we shall live , and if they kill us we shall but die : even so say I , in mine heart ; if I goe back to the covenant of works to seek justification thereby , I shall die there ; and if I sit still and seek it no way I shall die also : now therefore , though I be somewhat fearfull , yet am I resolved to go unto Christ , and if I perish I perish . Evan. Why , now I tell you truly the match is made , Christ is yours and you are his ; this day is salvation come to your house , ( your soul I mean ) for what though you have not that power to come so fast unto Christ , and to lay such firme hold on him as you desire ; yet comming with such a resolution to Christ to take him , you need take no care for doing it , you may be sure that Christ will enable you to do it , for is it not said , John 1.12 . But as many as received him , to them hee gave power to become the sonnes of God , even to them that believe on his name : O then , I beseech you , stand no longer disputing , but be peremptory and resolute in your faith and in casting your selfe upon God in Christ for mercy , and let the issue be what it will : yet let me tell you to your comfort that such a resolution shall never go to hell : nay . I will say more , if any soule have a roome in Heaven , such a soul shall ? for God cannot finde in his heart to damne such a one , I might then with as much true confidence say unto you , as John Careless said unto John Bradford , Hearken ô ye Heavens , and thou ô earth give eare and beare me witnesse at the great day , that I do here faithfully and truly the Lords message unto his deare servant , and singularly beloved , John Bradford ( saying ) John Bradford , thou man so specially beloved of God ▪ I doe pronounce and testifie unto thee , in the word and name of the Lord Jehovah , that all thy sins whatsoever they be , though never so many grievous or great , be fully and freely pardoned , released and forgiven thee , by the mercy of God in Jesus Christ , thy onely Lord and sweet Saviour , in whom thou dost undoubtedly believe : as truly as the Lord liveth he will not have thee die the death , but hath verily purposed , determined and decreed , that thou shalt live with him for ever . Neo. O , Sir , If I have as good warrant to apply this saying to my self , as Mr. Bradford had to apply it to himself , I am a happy man. Evan. I tell you from Christ , and under the hand of his spirit , that your person is accepted , your sins are done away , and you shall be saved : and if an Angell from Heaven should tell you otherwise , let him be accursed : therefore you may ( without doubt ) conclude , that you are a happy man : For by means of this your matching with Christ , you are become one with him , and one in him , you dwell in him , and he in you : Hee is your welbeloved , and you are his : so that the mariage union betwixt Christ and you , is more then a bare notion , or apprehension of your mind ; for it is a spirituall , reall union , it is an union betwixt the nature of Christ , God and man , and you , it is a knitting and closing not onely of your apprehension with a Saviour , but also of your soule with a Saviour , whence it must needs follow , that you cannot be damned , except Christ be damned with you ; neyther can Christ be saved , except you be saved with him . And as by means of corporall marriage all things become common betwixt man and wife , even so , by means of this spirituall marriage , all things become common betwixt Christ and you , for when Christ hath married his spouse unto himselfe , hee passeth over all his estate unto her , so that whatsoever Christ is or hath you may boldly challenge as your own , He is made unto you of God , wisdome , righteousnesse , sanctification and redemption , and surely by vertue of this neer union it is , that as Christ is called the Lord our righteousnesse , Jer. 23.6 . so is the Church called the Lord our righteousnesse , Jer. 35.16 . You may by vertue of this union confidently take unto your selfe as your own Christ , watching , abstinence , travails prayers , persecution , slanders , his tears , his sweat , his bloud , and all that ever he did and suffered in three and thirty years , with his Passion , Death , Resurrection and Ascention , for they are all yours , and as Christ passeth over all his estate unto his spouse , so doth he require , that shee should passe over all unto him , wherefore you being now married unto Christ , you must give all that you have of your own unto him , and truly you have nothing of your own but sin , and therefore you must give him that , say thou unto Christ without fear , I give to thee my dear husband , my unbelief , my mistrust , my pride , my arrogancie , my ambition , my wrath , my anger , my envie , my covetousnesse , my evill thoughts , affections and desires , I make a bundle of these and all my other offences , and give them unto thee , thus was Christ made sin for us which knew no sin , that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him : now then , saith Luther , let us compare these things together , and we shall finde inestimable treasure , Christ is full of all grace , life and saving health , and the soule is fraught full of all sin , death and damnation , but let faith come betwixt these two , and it shall come to passe that Christ shall bee loaden with sin , death and hell , and unto the soule shall be imputed , grace , life and salvation , who then , saith he is able to value the royalty of this marriage accordingly , who is able to comprehend the glorious riches of this grace , where this rich and righteous husband Christ , doth take unto wife this poore and wicked harlot , redeeming her from all evils , and garnishing her with all his own jewels , so that you ( as the same Luther saith ) through the assurednesse of your faith in Christ your husband , are delivered from all sins made safe from death , guarded from hell , and endowed with the everlasting righteousnesse ▪ life and saving health of your husband Christ , and therefore you are now under the covenant of grace , and freed from the Law , as it is the covenant of works for as M. ball truly saith , at one and the same time , a man cannot be under the covenant of works and the covenant of grace . Neo. Sir , I doe not yet well know how to conceive of this freedome from the Law , as it is the covenant of works , and therefore I pray you make it as plain to me as you can . Evan. For the true and cleer understanding of this point , you are to consider that when Jesus Christ the second Adam , had in the behalfe of all his chosen perfectly fulfilled the Law , as it is the covenant of works , divine justice delivered that bond in to Christ , who utterly cancelled that hand-writing , so that none of his chosen were to have any more to doe with it , nor it with them and now you by your believing in Christ having manifested , that you are one that was chosen in him before the foundation of the world : his fulfilling of that covenant and cancelling of it , is imputed to you , and so you are acquitted and absolved from all your transgressions against that covenant , either past , present , or to come , and so you are justified as the Apostle saith , Freely by his grace , through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Ant. I pray you Sir , give mee leave to speake a word by the way , was not he justified before this time ? Evan. If he did not believe in Christ before this time , as I conceive hee did not , then certainly he was not justified before this time . Ant. But , Sir , you know , as the Apostle saith , It is God that justifieth , and God is eternall , and as you have shewed , Christ may be said to have fulfilled the covenant of works from all eternity , and if he bee Christs now , then was he Christs from all eternity , and therefore , as I conceive , hee was justified from all eternity . Evan. Indeed God is from all eternity , and in respect of Gods accepting of Christs undertaking to fulfill the covenant of works , he fulfilled it from all eternity , and in respect of Gods electing of him , he was Christs from all eternity , and therefore it is true in respect of Gods decree : hee was justified from all eternity , and hee was justified meritoriously in the death and resurrection of Christ , but yet he was not justified actually till he did actually believe in Christ , for saith the Apostle , By him , all that believe are justified , so that in the act of justifying , faith and Christ , must have a mutuall relation , and must always concur and meet together , faith as the action which apprehendeth , and Christ as the object which is apprehended , for neither doth Christ justifie without faith , neither doth faith except it bee in Christ. Ant. Truly , Sir , you have indifferently well satisfied me in this point , and surely I like it marvellous well that you conclude no faith justifieth , but that whose object is Christ. Eva. The very truth is , thuogh a man believe that God is mercifull and true of his promise , and that he hath his elect number from the beginning , and that he himselfe is one of that number , yet if this faith doe not eye Christ , if it be not in God as he is in Christ it will not serve turn , for God cannot be comfortably thought upon out of Christ our mediator , for if we finde not God in Christ saith , Calvin , salvation cannot bee known : wherefore , neighbour Neophytus , I will say unto you as sweet Master Bradford said unto a gentlewoman in your case , Thus then if you would be quiet and certain in conscience , then let your faith burst forth through all things , not onely that you have within you , but also whatsoever is in heaven , earth , and hell , and never rest untill it come to Christ crucified , and the eternall sweete mercie and goodnesse of God in ●hrist . Neo. But , Sir , I am not yet satisfied concerning the point you touched before , and therefore I pray you proceed to shew me how far forth I am delivered from the Law as it is the covenant of works . Evan. Truly as it is the covenant of works , you are wholy and altogether delivered and set free from it , you are dead to it , and it is dead to you , and if it be dead to you , then it can doe you neither good nor hurt , and if you be dead to it , you can expect neither good nor hurt from it : consider man , I pray you , that , as I said before , you are now under another covenant , to wit , the covenant of grace , and you cannot bee under two covenants at once , neither wholy nor partly ; and therefore , as before you believed you were wholy under the covenant of works , as Adam left both you and all his posterity after his fall , so now since you have believed you are wholy under the covenant of grace : Assure your selfe then , that no Minister or Preacher of Gods Word hath any warrant to say unto you hereafter , either doe this and this dutie contained in the law , and avoid this , and this sin forbidden in the Law , and God will justifie thee and save thy soule , or doe it not and Hee will condemne thee and damne thee , no , no , you are now set free , both from the commanding and condemning power of the covenant of works , so that I will say unto you , as the Apostle saith unto the believing Hebrews , You are not come to Mount Sinai , that might not be touched , and that burned with fire , nor unto blacknesse and darknesse , and tempests , but you are come unto Mount Sion , the City of the living God , and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant , so that ( to speak with holy reverence ) God cannot by vertue of the covenant of wotks , either require of you any obedience , or punish you for any disobedience , no he cannot by vertue of that covenant so much as threaten you , or give you an angry word , or shew you an angry look , for indeed , he can see no sin in you as a transgression of that covenant , for saith the Apostle , Where there is no Law , there is no transgression . And therfore though hereafter you doe through frailty transgresse any or all the ten Commandements , yet doe you not thereby transgresse the covenant of works , there is no such covenant now betwixt God and you , and therefore though you shall hereafter heare such a voice as this if thou wilt be saved keep the commandements , or cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are writen in the book of the Law to doe them , nay , though you heare the voice of thunder , and a fearfull noyse , nay , though you see blacknesse and darknesse , and feel a great tempest , that is to say , though you heare us that are Preachers , according to our commission , Lift up our voice like a trumpet , in threatning hell and damnation to sinners , and transgressors of the Law , though these be the words of God , yet are you not to thinke that they are spoken to you , no , no , the Apostle assures you , ●hat there is no condemnation to them that ●●re in Christ Jesus : believe it man , God never threatens eternall death , after he hath once given to a man eternall life : nay , the truth is , God never speaks to a believer out of Christ , and in Christ hee speaks not a word in the terms of the covenant of works , and if the Law of it selfe should presume to ●ome into your conscience , and say herein , and herein thou hast transgressed and broken ●●e , and therefore thou owest so much , and ●o much to divine Justice which must be satisfied , or else I will take hold on thee : ●hen answer you and say , O Law , bee it known unto thee that I am now marryed unto Christ , and so I am under cover● , and therefore if thou charge me with any debt , thou must enter thine action against my husband Christ , for the wife is not suable at the Law but the husband : But the truth is , I through him am dead to thee , ô Law , and thou art dead to me , and therefore justice hath nothing to doe with me , for it judgeth according to the Law : And if it yet reply and say , I but good works must be done , and the commandements must bee kept if thou wilt obtain salvation : Then answer you and say , I am already saved before thou camest , therefore I have no need of thy presence , for in Christ I have all things at once , neither need I any thing more that is necessary to salvation , hee is my righteousnesse , my treasure , and my work , I confesse , O Law that I am neither godly nor righteous , but yet , this am I sure of , that he is godly and righteous for me , and to tell thee the truth , O Law I am now with him in the bride-chamber , where it maketh no matter what I am , or what I have done , but what Christ my sweet husband is , hath done , and doth for me , and therefore leave off Law to dispute with me , for by faith I apprehend him who hath apprehended me , and put me into his bosome , wherefore I will be bold to bid Moses with his Tables , and all Lawyers with their books , and all men with their works hold their peace and give place , so that I say unto thee , O Law , be gon , and if it will not be gon , then thrust it out by force . And if sin offer to take hold of you , as David said his did on him , Psal. 40.14 . then say you unto it , thy strength O sin is the Law , 1 Cor. 15.56 . and the Law is dead to me , and therefore O sin thy strength is gon , and therefore be sure thou shalt never be able to prevail against me , nor doe me any hurt at all . And if Satan take you by the throat , and by violence draw you before Gods judgement seat , then call to your husband Christ and say , Lord , I suffer violence , make answer for me and help me , and by his help you shall be enabled to plead for your selfe after this manner : O God the Father , I am thy Sonne Christs , thou gavest me unto him , and thou hast given unto him , all power both in heaven and in earth , and hast committed all judgement to him , and therefore I will-stand to his judgement who saith , He came not to judge the World but to save it , and therefore hee will save me according to his office , and if the jury should bring in their verdict that they have found you guilty , then speak to the Iudge , and say , in case any must be condemned for my transgressions , it must needs be Christ and not I , for albeit I have committed them , yet hee hath undertaken and bound himselfe to answer for them , and that by his consent and good will , and indeed hee hath fully satisfied for them , and if all this will not serve the turne to acquit you then : Adde moreover and say , As a woman that is conceived with childe , must not suffer death because of the childe that is within her : no more must I because I have conceived Christ in mine heart ; though I had committed all the sins in the world . And if death creep upon you , and attempt to devoure you , then say , thy sting ô death is sin , and Christ my husband hath fully vanquished sin , and so deprived thee of thy sting , and therefore doe I not feare any hurt that thou , ô death , canst do unto mee ! And thus you may triumph , with the Apostle , saying , Thanks be to God , who hath given mee victory through my Lord Iesus Christ. And thus have I also declared unto you how Christ in the fulnesse of time ▪ performed that which God before all time purposed , and in time promised , touching the helping and delivering of falne mankind : and so have I also done with the law of faith . Nom. Then , Sir , I pray you proceed to speake of the law of Christ , and first let us heare what the law of Christ is ? The law of Christ in regard of substance and matter is all one with the law of workes , or covenant of workes , which matter is scattered through the whole Bible , and summed up in the Decalogue , or ten commandements , commonly called the Morall Law ; containing such things as are agreeable to the minde and will of God , to wit , piety towards God , charity towards our Neighbour , and sobriety towards our selves , & therefore was it given of God to be a true and eternall rule of righteousnes , for all men of all Nations and at all times ; so that Evangelicall grace directs a man to no other obedience then that wherof the law of the ten commandements is to be the rule . Nom. But yet , Sir , I conceive , that though ( as you say ) the law of Christ in regard of substance and matter be all one with the law of works , yet their forms do differ . Evan. True indeed , for ( as you have heard ) the law of works speaketh on this wise , doe this and thou shalt live , and if thou doe it not , thou shalt die the death : but the law of Christ speaketh on this wise , And when I passed by thee , and saw thee polluted in thine owne bloud , I said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloud live , And whosoever liveth and believeth in mee shall never die : Be ye therefore followers of God as deare children , and walke in love , as Christ hath loved us : And if ye love me , keep my commandements : And if they breake my statutes , and keep not my commandements , then will I visit their transgressions with the rod , and their iniquity with stripes : Neverthelesse , my loving kindnesse will I not utterly take away from him , nor suffer my faithfulnesse to fail . Thus you see that both these laws agree , in saying , ( doe this ) but here is the difference , The one saith , doe this and live , and the other saith , ( live and doe this ) the one saith , doe this for life ; the other saith , do this from life : the one saith , If thou do it not , thou shalt die , the other saith , If thou doe it not , I will chastise thee with the rod ; the one is to be delivered by God as hee is a creatour out of Christ , onely to such as are out of Christ ; the other is to be delivered by God as ▪ he is a Redeemer in Christ , onely to such as are in Christ : Wherefore , Neighbour Neophytus , seeth that you are now in Christ , beware you receive not the ten commandements at the hands of God out of Christ , nor yet at the hands of Moses , but onely at the hands of Christ , and so shall you be sure to receive them as the law of Christ. Nom. But , Sir , may not God out of Christ deliver the ten commandements as the law of Christ. Evan. O no! for God out of Christ stands in relation to man according to the tenour of the law as it is the covenant of works , and therefore can speak to man upon no other terms then the terms of that covenant . Nom. But , Sir , why may not believers amongst the Gentiles receive the ten commandements as a rule of life , at the hands of Moses , as well as the believers amongst the Jews did . Evan. For answere hereunto I pray you consider , that the ten commandements , were the substance of the law of nature , ingraven in the heart of man in innocency ; and the expresse Idaea , or representation of Gods own Image ; even a beam of his own holinesse : and so they were to have bin a rule of life to him and his posterity ( not being then the covenant of works ) and then after they were become the covenant of works , and broken by the first Adam , and kept by the second Adam , then as they were not the covenant of works ; and were made knowne to Adam and the rest of the believing Fathers by Visions and Revelations ; they became a rule of life to them untill the time of Moses , and as they were delivered by Moses , unto the believing Jews from the Arke , and so as from Christ , they were a rule of life to them untill the time of Christs comming in the flesh , and since Christs comming in the flesh they have been , and are to be a rule of life both to believing Jews and believing Gentiles , not as they are delivered by Moses , but as they are delivered by Christ , for when Christ the Son comes & speaks himselfe , then Moses the servāt must keep silence , according as Moses himselfe foretold , ( saying ) A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you , of your brethren like unto me , him shall you heare in all things which he shall say unto you : and therefore when the Disciples seemed to desire to heare Moses and Elias to speak on the Mountain Tabor , they were presently taken away , and a voyce came out of the cloud saying , This is my beloved Soune in whom I am well pleased , heare him , as if the Lord had said , you are not now to heare either Moses or Elias , but my well beloved Sonne , and therefore I say unto you , heare him : And is it not said , Heb. 1.1 . That in these last dayes God hath spoken to us by his Sonne , And doth not the Apostle say , Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly , and whatsoever you doe , in word or deed , doe all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ , the wife must bee subject unto the husband as unto CHRIST , the childe must yield obedience to his parents as unto Christ , and the believing servant must doe his Masters businesse as Christs businesse : for saith the Apostle , ye serve the Lord Christ , yea , saith hee to the Galathians , beare yee one anothers burden , and so fulfill the Law of Christ. Ant. Sir , I like it very well , that you say Christ should be a Christians teacher , and not Moses , but yet I question whether the ten commandements may be called the Law of Christ , for where can you finde them repeated either by our Sauiour or his Apostles in the whole New Testament . Evan. Though we finde not that they are repeated in such a method as they are set down in Exodus and Deuteronomie , yet so long as we finde that Christ and his Apostles did require & command those things that are therein commanded , and reprove and condemne those things that are therein forbidden , and that both by their lives and doctrines , it is sufficient to prove them to be the Law of Christ. Ant. I think , indeed , they have done so touching some of the commandements , but not touching all . Evan. Because you say so , I intreat you to consider . First , whether the true knowledge of God required , John 3.19 . and the want of it condemned 2 Thes. 1.8 . and the true love of God required , Matth. 22.37 . and the want of it reproved , John 5.42 . and the true feare of God required , 1 Pet. 2.17 . Heb. 12.28 . and the want of it condemned , Rom. 3.18 . And the true trusting in God required , and the trusting in the creature forbidden ; 2 Cor. 1.9 . 1 Tim. 6.17 . be not the substance of the first commandement . And consider , secondly , whether the hearing and reading of Gods word commended , John 5.47 . Revel . 1.3 . and prayer required , Rom. 12.12 . 1 Thes. 5.17 . and singing of Psalmes required , Col. 3.16 . James 5.13 . and whether Idolatry forbidden , 1 Cor. 10.14 , 1 John 5.21 . be not the substance of the second commandement . And consider , thirdly , whether worshipping of God in vain , condemned , Matth. 15.9 . and using vain repetitions in prayer forbidden , Matth. 6.7 . and hearing of the word onely , and not doing forbidden , James 1.22 . and whether worshipping God in spirit and truth commanded , John 4.24 . and praying with the spirit , and with understanding also , and singing with the spirit , and with understanding also commended , 1 Cor. 14.15 . and taking heed what wee heare , commanded , Mark 4 , 24. be not the substance of the third commandement . Consider , fourthly , whether Christs rising ●rom the dead the first day of the week , Mar. 6.2.9 . the Disciples assembling , and Christs ●ppearing unto them two severall first days of ●he week , John 20.19 , 26. And the Disciples ●omming together , and breaking bread , and ●reaching afterwards on that day , Acts 20.7 . ● Cor. 16.2 . and Johns being in the spirit on ●he Lords day : I say , consider , whether these ●hings do not prove that the first day of the weeke is to be kept as the Christians Sab●ath . Consider , fifthly , whether the Apostles saying , Children obey your parents in the Lord , for this is right : Honour thy Father ●nd thy Mother , which is the first comman●ement with the promise , Ephes. 6.12 . And ●ll those other exhortations given by him , ●nd the Apostle Peter , both to inferiours and ●uperiours to doe their duties either to other , Ephes. 5.22 , 25. Ephes. 6.4 , 5 , 9. Col. 3.18.19 , ●0 , 21 , 22 , Titus 3.1 . 1 Pet. 3.1 . 1 Pet. 2.18 . ● say , consider , whether all these places doe not prove that the duties of the fifth commandement , are required in the new Testament . Here you see are five of the ten commandements , and as for the other five , the Apostle reckons them up all together , saying ; Thou shalt not commit adultery , thou shalt not kill , thou shalt not steal , thou shalt not beare false witnesse , thou shalt not covet : now judge you whether the ten commandements be not repeated in the new Testamenr , and so consequently whether they be not the law of Christ , and whether a believer be not under the law to Christ , or in the law through Christ , as the Apostles phrase is , 1 Cor. 9.21 . Ant. But yet , Sir , as I remember both Luther and Calvin doe speake ; as though a believer were so quite freed from the law by Christ , as that hee need not make any conscience at all of yielding obedience to it . Evan. I know right well that Luther sayth , the conscience hath nothing to doe with the law or works ; and that Calvin sayth , the consciences of the faithfull , when the affiance of their justification before God is to be sought , must rayse and advance themselves above the Law ; and forget the whole righteousnes of the Law , and lay aside all thinking upon works . Now for the true understanding of these two worthy servants of Christ , two things are to be concluded : First , that when they speak thus of the law , it is evident they mean only in the case of justification ; secondly , that when the conscience hath to doe with the law in the case of justification it hath to doe with it onely as it is the covenant of works , for as the law is the Law of Christ , it neither justifies nor condemns , and so if you understand it of the Law , as it is the Covenant of works , according to their meaning , then it is most true that they say , for why should a man let the Law come into his conscience , that is , why should a man make any conscience of doing the Law , to be justified thereby , considering it is a thing impossible , nay , what need hath a man to make cōscience of doing the law to be justified thereby , when he knows he is already justified another way , nay , what need hath a man to make conscience of doing that law that is dead to him , and hee to it : hath a woman any need to make any conscience of doing her duty to her husband when hee is dead , nay , when shee her selfe is dead also , or hath a debter any need to make any conscience of paying that debt which is already fully discharged by his surety , will any man be afraid of that obligation which is made void , the seale torne off , the writing defaced , nay , not onely cancelled and crost , but torne in pieces ; I remember the Apostle saith , That if the sacrifices which were offered in the Old Testament , could have made the commers thereunto perfect , and have purged the worshippers , then should they have had no more conscience of sins , that is , their conscience would not have accused them of being guilty of sins , now the blond of Christ hath purged the conscience of a believer from all his sins , as they are transgressions against the covenant of works , and therefore what needs his conscience be troubled about that covenant , but now I pray you observe and take notice , that although Luther and Calvin doe thus exempt a believer from the Law in the case of justification , and as it is the law or covenant of works , yet doe they not so out of the case of justification , and as it is the Law of Christ. For thus saith Luther , out of the matter of justification , wee ought with Paul , to thinke reverently of the Law , to commend it highly , to call it holy , righteous , just , good , spirituall and divine ; yea , out of the case of justification we ought to make a God of it : And in another place , saith he , there is a civill righteousnesse and a ceremoniall righteousnesse , yea , and besides these , there is another righteousnesse , which is the righteousnesse of the Law , or of the ten commrndements , which Moses teacheth , this also we teach after the doctrine of faith . And in a third place , he having shewed that believers through Christ are far above the Law ( adds ) howbeit , I will not deny but that Moses sheweth to them their duties , in which respect they are to be admonished and urged , wherefore such doctrines and admonitions , ought to be among Christians , as it is certain there was among the Apostles , whereby every man may be admonished of his estate and office . And Calvin having said ( as I told you before ) that Christians in the case of justification , must raise and advance themselves above the law , ( adds ) neither can any man thereby gather , that the law is superfluous to the faithfull , whom notwithstanding it doth not cease to teach , exhort , and prick forward to goodnesse , although before Gods Judgement seat it hath no place in their conscience . Ant. But , Sir , if I forget not , Musculus sayth , that the law is utterly abrogated . Evan. Indeed , Musculus speaking of the ten commandements sayth , if they be weak , if they be the letter , if they do worke transgression , anger , curse , and death ; and if Christ by the law of the spirit of life delivered them that believed in him , from the law of the letter which was weake to justifie , and strong to condemne , and from curse being made a curse for us , surely they be abrogated . Now this is most certaine , that the ten commandements doe no way worke transgression , anger , curse & death ; but onely as they are the covenant of works , neither hath Christ delivered believers , any otherwise from them then as they are the covenant of works , and therfore wee may assuredly conclude , that they are no otherwise abrogated then as they are the covenant of works : Neither did Musculus intend any otherwise , for , sayth he , in the words following it must not be understood , that the points of the substance of Moses covenant , are utterly brought to nothing , God forbid , for a Christian man is not at liberty to do those things that are ungodly and wicked , and if the doing of those things which the law forbids do not displease Christ , if they be not much different yea , contrary , if they be not repugnant to the righteousness which we received of him : let it be lawful for a christian man to do them , or else not , but a Christian man doing against those things which be cōmanded in the Decalogue , doth sinne more outragiously , then hee that should so do being under the law , so far off is he from being free from those things that be there commanded : Wherfore friend Antinomista , if eyther you or any man else , shall under a pretence of your being in Christ , exempt yourselves frō being under the law of the ten cōmandements , as they are the law of Christ , I tel you truly , it is a shrewd signe you are not yet in Christ , for if you were , then Christ were in you , & if Christ were in you then would he governe you , and you would be subject unto him ; I am sure , the Prophet Isaiah tels us , that the same Lord who is our Saviour , is also our King and Law-giver : & truly he will not be Jesus , a Saviour to any but only to those unto whom he is Christ a Lord ; for the very truth is whersoever he is Iesus a Saviour , he is also Christ a Lord : & therfore , I beseech you , examine your self , whether he be so to you or no ? Ant. Why then , Sir , it seemeth that you stand upon marks and signes ? Evan. Yea , indeed , I stand so much upon marks and signes , that I say unto you in the words of the Apostle John , in this the children of God are manifest , and the children of the Devill : whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God ; for , sayth Luther , he that is truly baptised , is become a new man , and hath a new nature , and is endued with new dispositions , and loveth , liveth , speaketh and doth far otherwise then he was wont or could do before : For sayth godly Tindall , God worketh with his word , and in his word , and bringeth faith into the hearts of his elect , and looseth the heart from sin , and knitteth it to God , and giveth him power to do that which was before impossible for him to do , and turneth him into a new nature . And therfore , sayth Luther , in another place , here in works are to be extolled and commended in that they are fruits and signes of faith , and therefore he that hath not regard how he leadeth his life , that he may stop the mouthes of all blamers ●nd accusers , and cleere himselfe before all , and testifie that he hath , lived , spoken , and done well , is not yet a Christian , how then sayth Tindall , again , dare any man thinke that Gods favour is on him , and Gods Spirit within him , when he feeleth not the working of his spirit , nor himselfe disposed to any good thing . Ant. But by your favour , Sir , I am perswaded that many a man deceives his own soule by these markes and signes . Evan. Indeed , I must confesse , with Master Boulton , and Master Dyke , that in these times of Christianity , a reprobate may make a glorious profession of the Gospell , and performe all duties and exercises of Religion , and that in outward appearance , with as great spirit and zeale as a true believer , yea , hee may bee made partaker of some measure of inward illumination , and have a shadow of true regeneration , there being no grace effectually wrought in the faithfull , a resemblance whereof may not be found in the unregenerate , and therefore I say if any man pitch upon the signe without the thing signified by the signe , that is , if he pitch upon his graces ( or gifts rather ) and duties , and conclude assurance from them , as they are in him and come from him without having reference to Jesus Christ as the root and fountain of them , then are they deceitfull markes and signes , but if he looke upon them with reference to Jesus Christ , then are they not deceitfull , but true evidences and demonstrations of faith in Christ , and this a man doth when hee looks upon his outward actions , as flowing from the inward actions of his minde , and upon the inward actions of his minde , as flowing from the habits of grace within him , and upon the habits of grace within him , as flowing from his justification , and upon his justification , as flowing from his faith , and upon his faith , as given by , and imbracing Jesus Christ , thus I say , if hee rests not till he come to Christ , his markes and signes are not deceitfull but true . Ant. But , Sir , if an unbeliever may have a resemblance of every grace that is wrought in a believer , then it must needs be a hard matter to finde out the difference , and therefore , I conceive , it is best for a man not to trouble himselfe at all about markes and signes . Evan. Give me leave to deale plainly with you , in telling you , that although we cannot say every one that hath a forme of godlinesse hath also the power of godlinesse , yet we may truly say , that he who hath not the forme of godlinesse hath not the power of godlinesse , for though all be not gold that glistereth ; yet all gold doth glister : and therefore I tell you truly , if you have no regard to make the Law of Christ your rule , by endeavouring to doe what is required in the ten Commandements , and to avoyd what is there forbidden , it is a very evill signe , and therefore I pray you consider of it . Ant. But , Sir , You know the Lord hath promised to write his Law in a believers heart , and to give him his Spirit to leade him into all truth , and therefore he hath no need of the Law written with paper and inke , to be a rule of life to him , neither hath hee any need to endeavour to be obedient thereunto as you say . Evan. Indeed , saith Luther , the matter would even so fare as you say , if wee were perfectly and altogether the inward and spirituall men , which cannot be in any wise before the last day , at the rising again of the dead , so long as we be cloathed with this mortall flesh , we doe but begin and proceed onwards in our course towards perfection , which will be consummated in the life to come , and for this cause , the Apostle Rom. 8. dorh call this the first fruits of the spirit which we doe enjoy in this life , the truth and fulnesse of which we shall receive in the life to come , and therefore saith hee ( in another place ) it is necessary so to preach to them , that have received the doctrine of faith that they might be stirred up to go on in good life which they have embraced , and that they suffer not themselves to be overcome , by the assaults of the raging flesh ; for we will not so presume of the doctrine of faith , as if that being had , every man might doe what he listed , no , we must earnestly endeavour our selves that we may be without blame , and when we cannot attain thereunto we must flye to prayer , and say before God and man , forgive us our trespasses : And sayth Calvin , one proper use and end of the Law concerning the faithfull , in whose hearts liveth and reigneth the Spirit of God. for although , they have the Law written and engraven in their hearts by the finger of God , yet is the Law to them a very good means whereby they may daily better and more assuredly learne what is the will of the Lord , and let none of us exempt himselfe from rhis need , for no man hath hitherto atteined to so great wisdom , but that he hath need to be daily instructed by the Law , and herein Christ differeth from us , that the Father hath poured out upon him the infinite aboundance of his Spirit ; but whatsoever we doe receive it is so by measure that wee have need one of another : now minde it I pray you , if believers have the Spirit but in measure , and know but in part , then have they the Law written in theit hearts but in measure and in part , and if they have the law written in their hearts , but in measure and in part , then have they not a perfect rule within them , and if they have not a perfect rule within them , then have they need to have a rule without them , and therefore doubtlesse the strongest believer of us all had need to harken to the aduice of godly Tindall , who saith , seek the Word of God in all things , and without the Word of God doe nothing : and saith another godly and Evangelicall Writer , my brethren , let us doe our whole endeavour to doe the will of God , as it becommeth good children , and beware that we sin not as neer as we can . Ant. Well , Sir , I cannot tell what to say , but ( me thinks ) when a man is perfectly justified by faith , it is a very needless thing for him to endevour to keep the law , and to do good works . Evan. I remember Luther sayth , that in his time there were some that did reason after the like manner , if faith say , they do accomplish all things , and if faith be onely and alone sufficient unto righteousnesse , to what end then are wee commanded to doe good deeds ; we may go play us then , and work no working at all : to whom hee makes an answer , saying , ( not so ye ungodly not so ) And there were others that said , If the law do not justifie , then is it in vaine and of none effect ; yet is it not therefore true ( saith he ) for like as this consequence is nothing worth , money doth not justifie , or make a man righteous , therefore it is unprofitable : the eyes doe not justifie , therefore they must be plucked out , the hands make not a man righteous , therefore they must be cut off , so is this nought also ; the law doth not justifie , therefore it is unprofitable , we do not therefore destroy and condemne the law , because wee say it doth not justifie , but we say with Paul , the law is good , if a man do rightly use it , and that this is a faithfull saying : That they which have believed in God might be carefull to mayntaine good works , these things are good and profitable unto men . Neo. Truly , Sir , for mine own part I do much marvell , that this my friend Antinomista , should be so confident of his faith in Christ , and yet so little regard holinesse of life and keeping of Christs commandements , as it seemes hee doth : for I give the Lord thanks , I doe now in some small measure believe that I am by Christ freely and fully justified , and acquitted from all my sins : and therefore have no need eyther to eschew evill or do good for feare of punishment , or hope of reward , and yet ( me thinks ) I finde my heart more willing and desirous to doe what the Lord commands , and to avoid what hee forbids then ever it was before I did thus believe , surely , Sir , I doe perceive that faith in Christ is no hinderance to holinesse of life , as I once thought it was . Evan. Neighbour Neophytus , if our friend Antinomista , do content himself with a meere Gospell knowledge , in a notionary way , and have run out to fetch in notions from Christ , and yet is not fetcht in by the power of Christ , let us pitty him & pray for him , and in the mean time , I pray you know that true faith in Christ is so far from being a hinderance from holinesse of life and good works , that it is the onely furtherance , for onely by faith in Christ , a man is enabled to exercise all Christian graces a-right , and to performe all Christian duties a-right , which before he could not . As for example , before a man believe Gods love to him in Christ , though he may have a kind of love to God , as he is his creatour and preserver ; and gives him many good things for this present life : yet if God do but open his eyes to see what condition his soul is in ; that is , if he do but let him see that relation that is betwixt God and him , according to the tenour of the conant of works , then he conceives of him as an angry Judge , armed with justice against him , and must be pacified by the works of the law , whereunto he finds his nature opposite and contrary ; and therefore hee hates both God and his law , and doth secretly wish and desire there were neyther God nor law , and though God should now give unto him never so many temporall blessings , yet could hee not love him : for what malefactour could love that Judge or his law from whom he expects the sentence of condemnation ? though he should feast him at his table , with never so many dainties ; But after that the kindnesse and love of God his Saviour hath appeared , not by works of righteousnesse that he hath done , but according to his mercy hee saved him , that is , when as by the eye of faith he sees himselfe to stand in relation to God , according to the tenour of the covenant of grace , then he conceives of God , as a most mercifull and loving Father to him in Christ , that hath freely pardoned ●nd forgiven him all his sins , and quite released him from the covenant of works ; and by this means , the love of God is shed abroad in his hart through the Holy Ghost , which is given to him , and then he loves God , because he first loved him : for as a man seeth and feeleth by faith the love and favour of God towards him in Christ his Son , so doth he love again both God and his law : and indeed it is impossible for any man to love God , till by faith hee know himself loved of God. Secondly , though a man before he believe Gods love to him in Christ , may have a great measure of legall humiliation , compunction , sorrow and griefe , and be brought down ( as it were ) to the very gate of hell , and feele the very flashings of hell fire in his conscience for his sins ; yet is it not because hee hath thereby offended God , but rather because he hath thereby offended himself , that is , because hee hath thereby brought himselfe into the danger of eternal death and condemnation : but when once he believes the love of God to him in Christ , in pardoning his iniquity , and passing by his transgression , then he sorrows & grieves for the offence of God by the sin , reasoning thus with himselfe , and is it so indeed , hath the Lord given his own Sonne to death for me , who hath been such a vile , sinfull wretch , and hath Christ borne all my sins ? and was hee wounded for my transgressions ? ô then the working of his bowels ! the stirring of his affections , the melting and relenting of his repenting heart , then he remembers his own evill ways , and his doings that were not good , and loaths himselfe in his own eyes , for all his abominations , and looking upon Christ whom he hath pierced , he mournes bitterly for him , as one mourneth for his onely sonne , thus when faith hath bathed a mans heart in the bloud of Christ , it is so mollified that it quickly dissolues into the teares of godly sorrow , so that if Christ doe but turn and look upon him , ô then with Peter , hee goes out and weeps bitterly ! and this is true gospel mourning , and this is right evangelicall repenting Thirdly , Though before a man doe truly believe in Christ , he may so reforme his life and amend his ways , that as touching the righteousnesse which is of the Law , he may be with the Apostle blamelesse , yet being under the covenant of works , all the obedience that he yields to the Law , all his leaving of sin and performance of duties , all his avoyding of what the law forbids , and all his doing of what the law commands , is begotten by the law of works , of Hagar the bond-woman , by the force of self-love , and so indeed they are the fruit and works of a bond-servant that is moved and constrained to doe all that he● doth for fear of punishment and hope of reward : For , saith Luther , The Law given on mount Sinai , which the Arabians call Agar , begeteth none but servants , and so indeed , all that such a man doth is but hypocrisie , for he pretends the serving of God , whereas indeed hee intends the serving of himselfe , and how can hee doe otherwise ? for whilst he wants faith he wants all things He is an empty vine , and therefore must needs , bring forth fruit unto himselfe , till a man bee served himselfe , he will not serve the Lord Christ ; nay , whilst he wants faith , he wants the love of Christ , and therefore , he lives not to Christ but to himselfe , because he loved himselfe : And hence surely we may conceive it is that Doctor Preston saith , all that a man doth , and not out of love is out of hypocrisie , wheresoever love is not , there is nothing but hypocrisie in such a mans heart . But when a man through the hearing of faith receives the Spirit of Christ , that spirit , according to the measure of faith , writes the lively law of love in his heart , ( as Tindall sweetly sayth ) whereby hee is inabled to work freely and of his own accord without the coaction or compulsion of the Law , for that love , wherewith Christ , or God in Christ , hath loved him , and which by faith is apprehended of him , will constrain him to doe so according to that of the Apostle , the love of Christ constraineth us , that is , it will make him to doe so whether he will or no , hee cannot choose but doe it , I tell you truly , answerably as the love of Christ is shed abroad in the heart of any man , it is such a strong impulsion , that it carries him on to serve and please the Lord in all things , according to the saying of an evangelicall man : The will and affection of a believer , according to the measure of faith , and the spirit received sweetly quickens and bends to choose , affect and delight in what ever was good and acceptable to God or man , the Spirit freely and cheerfully moving and inclining him to keepe the law without feare of hell , or hope of heaven , for a christian man , saith sweet Tindall , worketh onely because it is the will of his Father , for after that he is overcome with love and kindnesse , he seeks to doe the will of God , which indeed is a christian mans nature , and what he doth , hee doth it freely , after the example of Christ as a naturall sonne , aske him why he doth such a thing , why , sayth he , It is the will of my Father ▪ and I doe it that I may please him , for indeed love desireth no wages , it is wages enough to it selfe , it hath sweetnesse enough in it selfe , it desires no addition , it pays his own vvages , and therefore it is the true childe like , obedience being begoten by faith of Saraah the free-woman , by the force of Gods love , and so it is indeed the onely true , and syncere obedience , for , sayth Doctor Preston , to doe a thing in love , is to doe it in syncerity , and indeed there is no other def●inition of syncerity , that is the best way to know it by . Evan. But stay , Sir , I pray you , would you not have believers to eschew evill and doe good for feare of hell , or hope of heaven . Evan. No indeed , I would not have any believer to doe either the one or the other , for so far forth as they doe so , their obedience is but slavish , and therefore , though when they were first awaked & convinced of their misery and set foot forward to goe on in the way of life , they with the prodigall would be hired servants yet when by the eye of faith , they see the mercie and indulgence of their heavenly Father in Christ running to meete them and embrace them , I would have them with him to talke no more of being hired servants , I would have them so to wrastle against doubting , and so to exercise their faith , as to believe , that they are by Christ delivered from the hands of all their ●nemies , both the Law , sin , wrath , death , ●he devill and hell ; that they may serve the Lord without feare , in holinesse and righte●usnesse all the dayes of their lives , I would ●ave them so to believe Gods love to them ● Christ ; as that thereby they may be con●trained to obedience . Nom. But , Sir , you know that our Sa●iour sayth , Feare him that is able to destroy ●oth soule and body in hell : And the Apostle ●yth , We shall receive of the Lord , the reward 〈◊〉 the inheritance , & is it not sayd , that Moses ●ad respect unto the recompence of reward . Evan. Surely , the intent of our blessed ●aviour in that first Scripture , is to teach all ●elievers , that when God commands one 〈◊〉 , and man another ; they should obey ●od , and not man : rather then to exhort ●●em to eschew evill for feare of Hell. And as for those other Scriptures by you al●●aged , if you mean reward , and the means 〈◊〉 obtayn that reward in the Scripture sense , 〈◊〉 it is another matter , but I had thought , 〈◊〉 had meant in our common sense , and not 〈◊〉 the Scripture sense . Nom. Why , Sir , I pray you what diffe●●nce is there , betwixt reward and the means to obteyn the reward in our common sense , and in the Scripture sence . Evan. Why , reward in our common sence , is that which is conceived to come from God , or to be given by God , which is , a fancying of Heaven under carnall notions , beholding it as a place where there is freedome from all misery and fulnesse of all pleasures and happinesse , and to be obteyned by our own works and doings . But reward in the Scripture sence , is not so much , that which comes from God , or is given by God ; as that which lyes in God : even the full fruition of God himselfe in Christ. I am , sayth God to Abraham , thy shield and thy exceeding great reward : And whom have I in heaven but thee , sayth David , And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee , and I shall be satisfied , when I awake with thy likenesse . And the means to obteyne this reward is not by doing , but by believing : even by drawing neere with a true heart in the full assurance of faith , and so , indeed , it is given freely : And therefore , you are not to conceive of that reward which the Scripture speaks of , as if it were the wages of a servant , but as it is the inheritance of sons , and when the Scripture seemeth to induce believers to obedience , by promising this reward ; you are to conceive , that the Lord speaketh to believers , as a father doth to his young son , doe this or that , and then I will love thee , whereas we know , that the father loveth the sonne first , and so doth God ; and therefore this is the voice of believers , Wee love him , because he first loved us , the Lord doth pay them , or at least giveth them a sure earnest of their wages before hee bid them work , and therefore the contest of a believer , ( according to the measure of his faith ) is not what will God give mee , but what shall I give God ; What shall I render unto the Lord , for all his goodnesse , for thy loving kindnesse is before mine eyes , and I have walked in thy truth . Nom. Then , Sir , it seems , that holinesse of life and good workes , are not the cause of eternall happines , but onely the way thether . Evan. Doe you not remember that our Lord Jesus himself sayth , I am the way , the truth , and the life : And doth not the Apostle say to the believing Colossians , As ye have received Jesus Christ the Lord , so walk in him , that is : As you have received him by faith , so goe on in your faith , and by his power walk in his Commandements ; so that good works ( as I conceive ) may rather be called a believers walking in the way to eternal happinesse , then the way it self , but however this wee may assuredly conclude ; that the summe and substance both of the way , and walking in the way consist in the receiving of Jesus Christ by faith , and in yielding obedience to his law , according to the measure of that receiving . Neo. Sir , I am perswaded , that through my neighbour Nomistas asking you these questions , you have been interrupted in your discourse , in shewing how faith doth enable a man to exercise his christian graces , and performe his christian duties aright : And therefore I pray you go on . Evan. What should I say more ? for the time would fail me to tell , how that according to the measure of any mans faith , is his true peace of conscience , for sayth the Apostle , being justified by faith wee have peace with God : yea , sayth the Prophet Isaiah , Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace , whose mind is stayed on thee ; because he trusteth in thee , here there is a sure and true grounded peace : therfore it is of faith , sayth the Apostle , that it might be by grace , and that the promise might be sure to all the seed : and answerably to a mans believing , that hee is justified fully by Gods grace through that redemption that is in Jesus Christ , is his true humility of spirit , so that although he be endued with excellent gifts and graces , and though he performe never so many duties , he denyes himselfe in all , hee doth not make them as ladders for him to ascend up into Heaven by : But desires to be found in Christ , not having his own righteousnesse which is of the law , but that which is through the faith of Christ , he doth not think himselfe to be one step neerer to Heaven for all his works and performances ; and if hee heare any man prayse him for his gifts and graces , hee will not conceit that he hath obteined the same by his own industry and pains taking , as some men have proudly thought , neyther will hee speak it out as some have done , saying , these gifts and graces have cost mee something , I have taken much pains to obtain them , but he sayth , Not I , but by the grace of God , I am that I am , and not I , but the grace of God that was with me : And if he behold an ignorant man , or a wicked liver , he will not call him carnall wretch , or prophane fellow ; nor say , stand by thy selfe , come not neere to mee , for I am holier then thou ( as some have said ) but he pitieth such a man , and prays for him , and in his heart he sayth , concerning himself , who maketh thee to differ : And what hast thou , that thou hast not received ? And thus I might goe on and shew you how according to any mans faith is his true joy in God , and his true thankfulnesse to God , and his patience in all troubles and afflictions , and his contentednesse in any condition , and his willingnesse to suffer , and his cheerfulnesse in suffering , and his contentednesse to part with any earthly thing , yea , according to any mans faith is his ability to pray aright , to heare or read the Word of God aright , to receive the Sacrament with profit and comfort , and to do any duty either to God or man after a right manner , and to a right end , yea , according to the measure of any mans faith is his love to Christ , and so to man for Christs sake , and so consequently , his readinesse and willingnesse to forgive an injury , yea , to forgive an enemy , and to doe good to them that hate him , and the more faith any man hath , the lesse love he hath to the world , or the things that are in the world , to conclude , the greater any mans faith is , the more fitter he is to die , and the more willing he is to die . Neo. Well , Sir , now I doe perceive that faith is a most excellent grace , and happie is that man that hath a great measure of it . Evan. The truth is , faith is the chief grace that Christians are to be exhorted to get and exercise , and therefore when the people asked our Lord Christ what they should doe to worke the worke of God , he answered and said , this is the work of God , That ye believe on him , whom he hath sent speaking , as if there were no other duty at all required but onely believing , for indeed , to say as the thing is , believing includeth all other duties in it , and they spring all from it , and therefore , sayth one , Preach Faith , and preach all : Whilst I bid man believe sayth learned Rollock , I bid him doe all good things : for , sayth Doctor Preston , truth of belief will bring forth truth of holinesse : if a man believe , works of sanctification will follow , for faith draws after it , inherent righteousnesse and sanctification , wherefore ( sayth he ) if a man will goe about this great worke to change his life to get victory over any sin ▪ that it may not have dominion over him , to have his conscience purged from dead works , and to bee made partaker of the divine nature , let him not goe about it as a morall man , that is , let him not consider what Commandements there are , what the rectitude is which the Law requires , and how to bring his heart to it , but let him goe about it as a Christian , that is , let him believe the promise of pardon in the bloud of Christ , and the very believing the promise , will be able to cleanse his heart from dead works . Neo. But I pray you , Sir , whence hath faith its power and vertue to doe all this ? Evan. Even from our Lord Jesus Christ for faith doth ingraft a man , who is by nature a wild olive branch , into Christ as into the naturall olive , and fetcheth sap from the root Christ , and thereby makes the tree bring forth fruit in its kind , yea , faith fetcheth a supernaturall efficacie from the death and life of Christ , by vertue whereof it metamorphoseth the heart of a believer , and creates and infuseth into him new principles of actions , so that what a treasure of all graces Christ hath stored up in him , faith dreyneth and draweth them out to the use of a believer , being as a conduite cocke , that watereth all the herbs in the garden , yea , faith doth apply the bloud of Christ to a believers heart , and the bloud of Christ hath in it , not onely a power to wash from the guilt of sin , but to clense and purge likewise from the power and stain of sin , and therefore sayth , godly Hooker , if you would have grace , you must first of all get faith , and that will bring all the rest , let faith goe to Christ and there is meeknesse , patience , humility and wisdome , and faith will fetch all them to the soule , therefore sayth he , you must not look for sanctification , till you come to Christ in vocation . Nom. Truly , Sir , I doe now plainly see that I have been deceived , and have gone a wrong way to worke , for I verily thought that holinesse of life must goe before faith , and so be the ground of it , and produce and bring it forth , whereas I doe now plainly see that faith must goe before , and so produce and bring forth holinesse of life . Evan. I remember a man who was much enlightened in the knowledge of the Gospell , sayth , there be many that thinke that as a man chooseth to serve a Prince , so men choose to serve God , so likewise they think , that as those who doe best service , do obtain most favour of their Lord , and as those that have lost it , the more they humble themselves , the sooner they recover it , even so they think the case stands betwixt God and them , whereas , sayth hee , it is not so but clean contrary , for hee himselfe sayth , Yee have not chosen me , but I have chosen you , and not for that we repent and humble our selves , and doe good works , hee giveth us his grace , therefore wee repent , humble our selves , doe good works , and become holy : the good thief on rhe crosse was not illuminated because ▪ hee did confesse Christ , but he did confesse Christ because hee was illuminated ; for , sayth Luther , the tree must first be , and then the fruit , for the apples make not the tree , but the tree maketh the apples , so faith first maketh the person , which afterwards bringeth forth works , therefore to doe the Law without faith is to make the apples of wood , and earth without the tree , which is not to make apples but meer fantacies , wherfore neighbour Nomista , let me intreat you , that whereas before you have reformed your life that you might believe , why now believe that you may reform your life , and doe not any longer worke to get an interest in Christ , but believe your interest in Christ , that so you may work , and then you will not make the change of your life the ground of your faith , as you have done , and as Master Culverwell sayth , many doe , who being asked what caused them to believe , they answer , because they have truly repented , and changed their course of life . Ant : Sir , What thinke you of a Preacher , that in my hearing said , he durst not exhort nor perswade sinners to believe their sinnes were pardoned , before he saw their lives reformed , for feare they should take more liberty to sin . Evan. Why , what should I say , but that I think , that Preacher was ignorant of the mystery of faith , for it is of the nature of soveraign waters which so wash off the corruption of the ulcer , that they coole the heat and stay the spreading of the infection , and so by degrees heale the same : neither did he know that it is of the nature of cordials , which so comfort the heart and ease it , that they also expell the noxious humours , and strengthen nature against them . Ant. And I am acquainted with a professor , though , God knows , a very weak one , that sayth , if he should believe before his life be reformed ▪ then he might believe and yet walk on in his sins , I pray you , Sir , what would you say to such a man ? Evan. Why , I would say with Doctor Preston , let him if he can , believe truly , and doe this , but it is impossible , let him believe , and the other will follow , truth of beliefe will bring forth truth of holinesse , for who , if he ponder it well , can feare a fleshly licentiousnesse , where the believing soule is united and maryed to Christ , the law as it is the covenant of works , and Christ are set in opposition as two husbands to one wife successively , whilst the Law was alive in the conscience , all the fruits were deadly , Rom. 7 , 5. but Christ taking the same spouse to himselfe , the law being dead , by his quickning spirit doth make her fruitfull to God , and so raiseth up seed to the former husband , for materially these are the works of the Law , though produced by the Spirit of Christ in the Gospell . Ant. And yet , Sir , I am verily perswaded that there be many both Preachers and professors in this City of the very same opinion that these two are of . Evan. The truth is , many Preachers stand upon the prayse of some morall vertue , and doe invaigh against some vice of the times , more then upon pressing men to believe , but , sayth a learned writer , it will bee our condemnation , if we love darknesse rather then light , and desire still to be groping in the twy-light of morality , the precepts of morall men , then to walke in the true light of divinity , which is the doctrine of Jesus Christ , and I pitie the prepostrous care and unhappy travail of many well affected , who study the practice of this and that vertue , neglecting this cardinall and radicall vertue , as if a man should water all the tree and not the root , faine would they shine in patience , meeknesse , and zeal , and yet are not carefull to stablish & root themselves in faith which should maintain all the rest , and therefore all their labour hath been in vain , and to no purpose . Nom. Indeed , Sir , this which you have now sayd , I have found true by mine own experience , for I have laboured and endevoured to get victory over some corruptions , as to overcome my dulnesse , and to performe duties with cheerfulnesse , and all in vain . Evan. And , no marvell , for to pray to meditate , to keep a Sabbath cheerfully , to have your conversation in Heaven , is as possible for you your selfe to doe as for Iron to swim , or for stones to ascend upwards ; but yet nothing is impossible to faith , it can naturalize these things unto you , it can make a mole of the earth a soule of Heaven : wherefore , though you have tryed all morall conclusions of proposing , promising , resolving , vowing , fasting , watching , and self-revenge ; yet get you to Christ , and with the finger of faith , touch but the hem of his garment , and you shall feele vertue come from him for the curing of all your diseases : Wherefore , I beseech you , come out of your self unto Jesus Christ , and apprehend him by faith , as ( blessed be God ) you see our Neighbour Neophytus hath done , and then shall you finde the like loathing of sin , and love to the law of Christ as he now doth : yea , then shall you finde your corruptions dying and decaying daily more and more , as I am confident , hee shall . Neo. I but , Sir , shall I not have power quite to overcome all my corruptions , and to yield perfect obedience to the law of Christ , as the ( Lord knows ) I much desire ? Evan. If you could believe perfectly , then should it be even according to to your desire , according to that of Luther , If wee can perfectly apprehend Christ , then should wee be free from sin : But ( alas ) whilest we are here , wee know but in part , and so believe but in part ; and so receive Christ but in part : and so consequently are holy but in part , witnesse James the just , including himselfe when he sayth , In many things we sin all , and John the faithfull and loving Disciple when he sayth , If we say we have no sin , we deceive our selves , and the truth is not in us ; yea , and witnesse Luther , when he sayth a Christian man hath a body , in whose members , as Paul sayth , sin dwelleth and warreth , and albeit , he fall not into outward and grosse sins , as murther , adultery , theft , and such like , yet is hee not free from impatience , and murmuring against God , yea , sayth hee , I feele in my selfe , coveteousnesse , lust , anger , pride and arrogancie , also the feare of death , heaviness , hatred , murmuring , impenitencie , so that you must not looke to bee quite without sin whilst thou remain in this life , yet this I dare promise you , that as you grow from faith to faith , so shall you grow from strength to strength in all other graces , wherefore sayth godly Hooker , strengthen this grace of faith , and strengthen all ; nourish this , and nourish all , so that if you can attain to a great measure of faith , you shall bee sure to attain to a great measure of holinesse , according to the saying of Doctor Preston , hee that hath the strongest faith , hee that believeth in the greatest degree , the promise of pardon and remission of sins ; I dare boldly say , he hath the holiest heart , and the holiest life , And therefore I beseech you labour to grow strong in the faith of the Gospell . Neo. O , Sir , I desire it with all my heart and therefore I pray you tell me what you would have me to doe that I may grow more strong . Evan. Why surely the best advice and counsell that I can give you , is to exercise that faith which you have , and wrastle against doubtings , and be earnest with God in prayer for the increase of it : forasmuch , sayth Luther , as this gift is in the hands of God onely , who bestoweth it when , and on whom he pleaseth , thou must resort unto him by prayer and say with the Apostles , Lord increase our faith , and you must also be diligent in hearing the word preached , for as faith commeth by hearing , so is it also increased by hearing , and you must also read the word , and meditate upon the free and gracious promises of God , for the promise is the immortall seed , whereby the spirit of Christ , begets and increaseth faith in the hearts of all his , and lastly , you must frequent the Sacrament of the Lords Supper , and receive it as often as conveniently you can . Ant. But by your favour , Sir , if faith be the gift of God , and he give it , when , and to whom he pleaseth , then I conceive that mans using such means will not procure any greater measure of it then God is pleased to give . Evan. I confesse it is not the means that will either beget or increase faith , but it is the Spirit of God in the use of the means that doth it , so that as the means will not doe it without the Spirit , neither will the Spirit doe it without the means , where the means may be had , wherefore I pray you doe not you hinder him from using the means . Neo. Sir , for mine own part , let him say what he will , I am resolved by the assistance of God , to be carefull and diligent in the use of these means which you have now prescribed , that so by the increasing of my faith , I may be the better inabled to subject to the will of the Lord , and so walk as that I may please him , but yet I doe perceive , that in regard of the imperfection of my faith , I shall not be able perfectly to apprehend Christ , and so consequently shall not be able to live without sin : therefore I pray you , Sir , tell me how you would have mee to be affected , when I shall hereafter through frailty commit any sin . Evan. Before I can give you a true and full satisfactory answer to this your necessary question , I must intreat you to consider with me . First , that in Rom. 6.14 . it is sayd concerning believers , Yee are not under the Law , but under grace : And in like manner , Rom. 1.6 . it is sayd , But now we are delivered from the Law : And yet it is said concerning a believer , 1 Cor. 9.21 . Being not without Law to God , but under the Law to Christ : And in like manner , Rom. 3.31 . it is sayd , Doe wee then make voyd the Law through faith ? God for bid , yea , by faith we establish the Law. Secondly , That in 1 John 3.6 . It is sayd , That whosoeuer abideth in Christ sinneth not : and in like manner , ver . 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin . And yet it is sayd concerning such , 1 John 1.8 . If we say we have no sin , we deceive our selves , and the truth is not in us , and in like manner , Jam. 3.2 . In many things we offend all . Thirdly , That in Numb . 23.21 . It is sayd concerning believers , Hee ( that is to say God ) hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob , neither hath he seen perversnesse in Israell , & in like manner , Cant. 4.7 . It is sayd , behold , thou art all faire my love , and there is no spot in thee , And yet it is sayd , Prov. 5.21 . as well concerning believers as others , that the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord , and hee pondereth all his goings , and in like manner , Heb. 4.13 . All things are naked and open unto the eyes of him , with whom we have to doe . Fourthly , That in Isai. 27.4 . the Lord sayth concerning believers , Anger is not in me , and in like manner , Isai. 54.9 . it is sayd , As I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more goe over the earth , so have I sworn , that I would no more be wrath with thee , nor rebuke thee : and yet it is sayd , Psal. 10.40 . That because the people went a whoring after their own inventions , therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against this people , insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance : And in Deut. 13.1 . Moses a true believer sayth , The Lord was angry with him . Fifthly , That in Isai. 40.2 . The Lord sayth concerning believers , Speake yee comfortably to Jerusalem , and cry unto her , that her warfare is accomplished , that her iniquity is pardoned , for indeed , Christ paid God , till hee sayd hee had enough , hee was fully satisfied , fully contented , and therefore in Jer. 50.20 . it is sayd , that in those dayes , and at that time , the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for , and there shall be none , and the sinnes of Judah , and they shall not be found : for by Christs death Satan , sinne , and Death were conquered and taken captive , and whatsoever might bee brought against us was taken away as the least bill or scroule , and yet it is sayd concerning the seed and children of Jesus Christ , Psal. 89.30 . If they forsake my Law , and walke not in my judgements , then will I visit your transgressions with the rod , and their iniquities with stripes : and in like manner , 1 Cor. 11.30 , it is sayd , concerning believers , For this cause many are weak and sickly amongst you , and many sleepe . Now though all these Scriptures speake contrary one to another , yet they all speake truth , for they bee all of them the words of truth , and that it may appeare to you that they doe so , I pray you take notice that where believers are sayd not to bee under the Law , and freed from the Law , it is to be understood of the Law , as it is the covenant of works , and where it is sayd that believers are under the Law , and that faith establisheth the Law ; it is to bee understood of the Law , as it is the law of Christ , now if believers be not under , but are freed from the law of works , or covenant of works , then though they doe transgresse the law , yet they doe not transgresse the Covenant of works , and if they transgresse not the covenant of works , then cannot God see any transgression of theirs , as a transgression against that Covenant . And if he see it not , then can ye neither be angry with them , nor yet chastise them for it : But if believers be under the Law , and faith doe establish the Law as it is the Law of Christ , then if they transgresse any of the ten Commandements , they transgresse the Law of Christ , and if they transgresse the Law of Christ , then doth Christ see it , and if Christ see it , he will be both angry with them , and chastise them for it . Now then neighbour Neophytus , to apply these things to you , and so to give you a particular answer to your question , you are to know that you are not now under the Law , but are by Christ freed from it , as it is the Law of works , and therefore whensoever you shall hereafter through frailty transgresse , any of the ten Commandements , you are not to thinke you have thereby transgressed the Covenant of works , neither are you to conceive , that God either sees your transgressions , or is angry with you , or doth chastise you for them , as they are any way a transgression of that Covenant , for you being freed from that Covenant , and so consequently from sinning against it , must needs likewise be freed from all wrath , anger , miseries , calamities and afflictions , as fruits , and effects of any transgression , against that Covenant . But yet whilst you live , you are to conceive that you are under the Law of Christ , and therefore whensoever you doe swerve or goe away , from the rule of any of the ten Commandements , you must perswade your selfe that you have thereby transgressed the Law of Christ , and that hee sees it , and is displeased with you for it , and if you be not grieved for it , and doe not reforme it , Christ will chastise you for it , either by hiding his face , and withdrawing the light of his countenance from you , and so by depriving you of peace and comfort in him for a time , or else by some outward losse or crosse in this World , for that is the penalty of the Law of Christ , so that if you , or any believer else , doe transgresse the Law of Christ , if need be , you shall bee as sure of temporall corrections , as an unbeliever that transgresseth the covenant of works , shall be of eternall damnation in hell , wherefore , I beseech you , according to my exhortation , and your resolution , first , be carefull to exercise your faith , and use all meanes to increase it , that so it may become effectuall working by love , for according to the measure of your faith , will be your true love to Christ , and to his will and commandements , and according to the measure of your love to them , will be your delight in them , and your aptnesse and readinesse to doe them , and hence it is that Christ sayth , If ye love me keep my commandements , and hence it is , that the believing soule , according to the measure of its faith , sayth with the Psalmist , I delight to doe thy will ô my God , yea , thy law is within my heart ! for this is the love of God ( sayth that loving Disciple ) that we keep his commandements , and his commandements are not grievous , nay , the very truth is , nothing will be more grievous to your soule , then that you cannot keep them as you would ; ô this love of God being truly rooted in your heart , will make you say with godly Joseph , in case you be tempted , as he was , How can I doe this great wickednesse . and so sinne against God ? how can I doe that which I know will displease so gracious a Father , and so mercifull a Saviour ? no , I will not doe it , no , I cannot doe it . Secondly , If in case you be at any time by reason of the weaknesse of your faith , & strength of your tentation drawn aside , and prevailed with to transgresse any of Christs Comandements , then beware that you do not thereupon take occasion to call Christs love to you into question , but believe as firmly that he loves you as dearly as he did before , you thus transgressed , for this is a certain truth , as no good in you ; or done by you , did move , or can move Christ to love you the more , so no evill in you or done by you , can move him to love you the lesse , no assure your selfe that as he first loved you freely , so will he hereafter heal your backsliding , and still love you freely , Hosea 14.4 . yee , hee will love you unto the end , John 13.1 . And therefore as you must be nothing in your selfe , in case of your most exact obedience , so must you be all in Christ in case of your most imperfect and defective obedience , the which if you be , why then the love of Christ will constrain you to mourn with an evangelicall or Gospell mourning ; reasoning with your self after this manner , and is it so indeed , though I have thus sinned , yet will the Lord love me never the lesse for all that , and am I as much in his favour now , and as sure of erernall happinesse with Christ as I was before I thus sinned , ô what a loving Father is this ! ô what a gracious Saviour is this ! ô what a wretched man am I to sin against such a God as this ! such a Christ as this ! ô this will melt your heart , and cause your eyes to drop down the tears of godly sorrow ! yea , this will constrain in you to goe unto your Father , and humbly to confesse your sins with the prodigall , and beseech him to shew mercie for the Lords sake , with Daniel , and yet not out of a conceit , that till your sin be pardoned , you are lyable to be condemned for it , for that is the penalty of the law of works , which you are not now under , but rather out of a true perswasion , that till it be pardoned , your Father is displeased with you for it , yea , and will whip and scourge you for it , for that is the penalty of the Law of Christ , which you are now under ; yea , and this will also constrain you to loath your selfe in your owne sight , for your iniquities : yea , not onely to loath your selfe for them , but also to leave them , saying with Ephraim , what have I to doe any more with Idols ? and to cast them away as a menstrous cloth , saying unto them , get yee hence , and thus will the goodnesse of God ( being apprehended by faith ) lead you to repentance . Thirdly , If after you have thus sinned , either through weaknesse of faith , or want of exercising it , yee either doe not thus at all , or not so effectually as you should , and so your loving and wise Father see cause to give you some unpleasant potion , to bring your sins to remembrance , as he did Josephs brethrens , Gen ▪ 42.21 . and as was the saying of the widow of Zarephath , 1 King. 17.18 . and to purge it . and take it away , as is the phrase of the Holy Ghost , Isai. 27.9 . and to make you partaker of his holinesse , as the Apostles phrase is , Heb. 12.10 . Then I beseech you , beware you conceit not , that your afflictions are penall , proceeding from hatred or vindictive justice , and so as payments and satisfaction for sins , for that is the penalty of the Covenant of works , the which you are now delivered from : But rather be perswaded , as the truth is , that they proceed from Gods fatherly love , and so as medicinall to heale and cure you of your sins , and so to make you more obedient and subject to the Law of Christ under which you now are , for afflictions through Gods blessing , are made speciall means to purge out that sinfull corruption which is still in the nature of believers , and therefore are they in Scripture most aptly compared to medicines , for so they are indeed to all Gods children , most soveraign medicines to cure all their spirituall diseases , and indeed we have all of us great need hereof , for sayth Luther , we are not yet perfectly righteous , for whilst we remain in this life , sin dwelleth still in the flesh , and this remnant of sinne God purgeth , wherefore , when GOD hath remitted sinnes , and received a man into the bosome of grace , then doth hee lay on him all kinde of afflictions , and doth scoure and renew him from day to day , and to this purpose Tindall truly sayth , If wee looke on the flesh , and into the law , there is no man so perfect , that is not found a sinner , nor no man so pure , that hath not need to be purged . Now if you thus conceive of your afflictions , you will accept of them , and you will with Ephraim , say unto the Lord , Thou hast chastised me , and I was chastised , as a Bullocke unaccustomed to the yoke , turn thou me and I shall be turned , thou art the Lord my God : surely after that I was turned I repented , and after that I was instructed , I smote upon my thigh , I was ashamed : yea , even confounded , because I did beare the reproch of my youth : yea , and then will you also say with David , Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest , ô Lord , and teachest him out of the Law ! and thus you see , I have endevoured to give you a satisfying answer to your question . Neo. And truly , Sir , you have done it very fully , the Lord enable me to practise according to your direction . Nom. Sir , in this your answer to his question , you have also answerd me , and given me full satisfaction in divers points , about which my friend Antinomista and I have had many a wrangling fit : for if I used to affirme with tooth and nayle ( as men use to say ) that believers are under the Law , and not delivered from it , and that they doe sin , and that God sees it , and is angry with them , and doth afflict them for it , and that therefore they ought to humble themselves and mourn for their sins , and confesse them , and crave pardon for them , and yet truly , I must confesse , I did not understand what I sayd , nor whereof I affirmed ; and the reason was because I did not know the difference betwixt the law , as it is the law of works , and as it is the law of Christ. Ant. And believe me , Sir , I used to affirme , as earnestly as hee , that believers are delivered from the law , and therefore do not sin , and therefore God can see no sin in them , and therefore is neyther angry with them , nor doth afflict them for sin , and therefore they have no need eyther to humble themselves , or mourn , or confesse their sins , or beg pardon for them , the which I believing to be true , could not conceive how the contrary could be true also , but now I plainly see , that by meanes of your distinguishing betwixt the law as it is the law of works , and as it is the law of Christ ; there is a truth in both , & therefore friend Nomista , whensoever eyther you or any man else , shall hereafter affirme that believers are under the law & do sin , & God sees it , and is angry with them , and doth chastise them for it , and that they ought to humble themselves , mourn , weep and confesse their sins , and beg pardon for them , if you mean onely as they are under the law of Christ , I will agree with you , and never contradict you again . Nom. And truly friend Antinomista , if eyther you or any man else shall hereafter affirme , that believers are delivered from the law , and do not sin , and God sees no sin in them , nor is angry with them , nor afflicts them for their sins , and that they have no need eyther to humble themselves , mourne , confesse , or crave pardon for their sins , if you mean it onely as they are not under the law of works , I will agree with you and never contradict you again . Evan. I rejoyce to heare you speak these words each to other , and truly now I am in hope , that you two will come back from both your extreams , and meet my neighbour Neophytus in the golden Meane , having as the Apostle sayth , the same love , being of one accord , and of own minde . Nom. Sir , For my part , I thanke the Lord , I do now plainly see that I have erred exceedingly , in seeking to be justified , as it were , by the works of the law , and yet could I never be perswaded to it before this day , nor indeed should not have been perswaded to it : now had not you so plainly and fully handled this threefold law , and truly , Sir , I doe now unfainedly desire to renounce my self , and all that ever I have done , and by faith to adhere onely to Jesus Christ , for now I see that hee is all in all , ô that the Lord would enable me so to do ! and I beseech you , Sir , pray for me . Ant. And truly , Sir , I must needs confesse , that I have erred as much on the other hand , for I have been so far from seeking to be justified by the works of the law , that I have neyther regarded law nor works , but now I see mine errour , I purpose ( God willing ) to reform it Evan. The Lord grant that you may , but how do you neighbour Neophytus , for ( me thinks ) you look very heavily . Neo. Truly , Sir , I was thinking of that place of Scripture where the Apostle exhorts us to examine our selves , whether we be in the faith or no : whereby it seems to mee , that a man may think he is in the faith , when he is not , therefore , Sir , I would gladly heare how I may be sure that I am in the faith , Evan I would not have you to make any question of it , since you have grounded your faith upon such a firme foundation as will never fail you , for the promise of God in Christ is of a tried truth , and never yet failed any man , nor never will , therefore I would have you to close with Christ in the promise without making any question , whether you are in the faith or no , for there is an assurance which ariseth from the exercise of faith , by a direct act , and that is when a man by faith directly layes hold upon Christ , and concludes assurance from thence . Neo. Sir , I know that the foundation whereon I am to ground my faith remayneth sure , and I think I have already built thereon : but yet because , I conceive , a man may thinke hee hath done so when hee hath not : therefore would I fain know how I may be assured that I have done so . Eva. Wel , now I understand you what you mean , it seems you do not want a ground for your believing ; but for your believing that you have believed . Neo. Yea , indeed , that is the thing I want . Evan. Why , the next way to finde out and know this , is to looke backe and reflect upon your own heart , & consider what actions have passed through there ; for , indeed , this is the benefit that a reasonable soul hath , that it is able to returne upon it selfe , to see what it hath done , which the soul of a beast cannot do : Consider then , I pray you , whether the free and full promise of God in Christ hath not beene so cleered unto you , that you had nothing to object why it did not belong particularly to you : and whether you have not seen a readinesse and willingnesse in Christ to receive and embrace you as his beloved Spouse . And whether you have not thereupon consented , and resolved to take Christ , and to give up yourselfe to him : and whether you have not since that found in your heart a love to Christ and his law , and a readinesse and willingnes to doe your duty to God as a childe to his father , freely without feare of hell , or hope of Heaven : now tell me ( I pray you truly ) whether you have not found these things in you . Neo. Yea , indeed , I hope I have in some measure . Evan. Why , then I may say with the Apostle John , You are of the truth , and may assure or perswade your heart before God : Wherefore , sayth Christ to you , I say unto thee , that thy many sins are forgiven thee , for thou lovest much . Ant. But , Sir , shall he not in so doing turne back from the Covenant of grace , to the covenant of works , and from Christ , to himselfe . Evan. Indeed if he should looke upon these things in himselfe , and thereupon conclude , that because he hath done thus , God hath accepted of him and justified him , and will save him , and so make them the ground of his believing , this were to turn back from the Covenant of grace to the Covenant of works , and from Christ to himselfe , But if he look upon these things in himselfe , and thereupon conclude , that because these things are in his heart , Christ dwels there by faith , and therefore he is accepted of God , and justified , and shall certainly be saved , and so make them an evidence of his believing , or the ground of his believing that he hath believed , this is neither to turn back from the Covenant of grace , to the Covenant of works , nor from Christ to himselfe , so that these things in his heart being the daughters of faith , and the of-spring of Christ , though they cannot at first produce or bring forth their mother , yet may they in time of need nourish her . Nom. But I pray you , Sir , are there not other things besides these that he sayth , hee finds in himselfe that a man may looke upon as evidences of his believing ( or as you call them ) as grounds of his believing , that hee hath believed . Evan. Yea , indeed , besides these inward qualifications that are in the heart , there are outward qualifications in the life , as having respect unto all Christs Commandements , which a man may look upon as an evidence , provided , that hee be sure it flow from those within . Nom. But , Sir , how should a man know that ? Evan. The sure and best way to know this is , for a man to examine himselfe whether he did first believe in Christ , and then reforme his life , and so made his faith the cause of the change of his life , or whether he did first reforme his life , and then believe , and so made his reformation of life the cause of his faith , if he be sure he did the former , then may he be sure that his outward qualifications proceeded from his inward , and so are right and true , but if hee did the latter , then may he be sure that they are wrong and false evidences . Nom. Then truly , Sir , I have not as yet any right and true evidences of faith . Evan. If you have not then as I tell you , it is time to believe , that so you may have them that are right and true . Neo. But , Sir , I pray you let me ask you one question more touching this point , and that is , suppose , that hereafter I should see no outward evidences , and question whether I had ever any true inward evidences , and so whether I did ever truly believe or no : What must I do then ? Evan. Indeed , it is possible you may come to such a condition , and therefore you doe well to provide aforehand for it . Now then if ever it shall please the Lord to give you over to such a condition , first , let mee warn you to take heed of forcing , and constraining your selfe to yield obedience to Gods Commandements , to the end you may so get an evidence of faith again , or a ground to lay your believing that you have believed upon , and so forcibly to hasten your assurance before the time , for though this be not to turn quite back to the covenant of works ( for that you shall never do ) yet is it to turn aside towards that covenant , as Abraham did , who after that he had long wayted for the promised seed , ( though he was before justified by believing the free promise ) yet for the more speedy satisfying of his faith , hee turned aside to go in unto Hagar , who was ( as you have heard ) a type of the covenant of works , so that you see this is not the right way : but the right way for you in this case , to get your assurance again is , when all other things fail to look to Christ ; That is , go to the word and promise and leave off and cease a while to reason about the truth of your faith , and set your heart on work to believe , as if you had never yet done it , saying , in your heart , well Satan , suppose my faith hath not been true hitherto , yet now will I begin to endevour after true faith : and therefore , ô Lord ! here I cast my self upon thy mercy afresh , For in thee the fatherlesse finde mercy , thus I say , hold to the word , goe not away , but keep you here , and you shall bring forth fruit with patience . Neo. Well , Sir , you have fully satisfied the concerning that point , but as I remember it followeth in the same Verse , Know yee not your owne selves how that Jesus Christ is in you , except ye be repoobates : wherefore I desire to heare how a man may know that Jesus Christ is in him . Evan. Why , if Christ be in a man ? hee lives in him , as sayth the Apostle , I live not , but Christ liveth in me . Neo. But how then shall a man know that Christ lives in him . Evan. Why , in what man soever Christ lives according to the measure of his faith he executes his threefold office in him , viz. his Propheticall , Priestly , and Kingly Office . Neo. I desire to hear more of this threefold office of Christ , and therefore ( I pray you Sir ) tell me , first , how a man may know that Christ executes his Propheticall office in him . Evan. Why , so far forth as any man heares and knows that there was a covenant made , betwixt God , and all mankinde in Adam , and that it was an equall covenant , and that Gods justice must needs enter upon the breach of it , and that all mankind for that cause were lyable to eternall death and damnation , so that if God had condemned all mankinde , yet had it beene but the sentence of an equall and just Judge , seeking rather the execution of his justice then mans ruine and destruction , and thereupon takes it home , and applyes it particularly to himself , and so is convinced that hee is a miserable lost and helplesse man ; I say so far forth as a man doth this , CHRIST executes his Propheticall office in him , in teaching him , and revealing unto him the covenant of works . And so far forth as any man hears and knowes that God made a covenant with Abraham , and all his believing seed , in Jesus Christ , offering him freely to all , to whom the sound of the Gospell comes , and giving him freely to all ; that receive him by faith , and so justifies them , and saves them eternally , and thereupon hath his heart opened to receive this truth , not as a man taketh an object , or a theologicall point into his head , whereby hee is onely made able to discourse , but as an habituall , and practicall point , receiving it into his heart , by the faith of the Gospell , and applying it to himselfe , and laying his eternall state upon it , and so setting to his seal that God is true , I say so far forth as a man doth this , CHRIST executes his propheticall office , in him , in teaching him , and revealing to him the Covenant of grace , and so far forth as any man hears and knows that This is the will of GOD , even his sanctification , &c. And thereupon concludes that it is his dutie to endeavour after it , I say so far forth as a man doth this , Christ executes his propheticall office in him , in teaching and revealing his law to him , and this I hope , is sufficient for answer to your first question . Neo. I pray you , Sir , in the second place tell mee how a man may know that Christ executes his priestly office in him . Evan. Why so far forth as any man hears and knows that Christ hath given himselfe as that onely absolute and perfect sacrifice , for the sins of believers , and joyned them unto himselfe by faith , and himself unto them by his spirit , and so made them one with him , and is now entred into Heaven it self to appear , in the presence of God for them : and hereupon is emboldned to go immediatly to God in prayer , as to a father . , and meet him in Christ , and present him with Christ himselfe , as with a Sacrifice without spot or blemish , I say , so far forth as any man doth this , Christ executes his priestly office in him . Neo. But , Sir , would you have a believer to goe immediately unto God , how then doth Christ make intercession for us at Gods right hand ? as the Apostle sayth hee doth , Rom. 8.34 . Evan. It is true , indeed , Christ as a publike person , representing all believers . appeares before God his Father , and willeth according to both his natures , and desireth as he is man , that God would for his satisfaction sake , grant unto them whatsoever they aske according to his will. But yet you must goe immediately to God in prayer , for all that , you must not pitch your prayers upon Christ , and terminate them there , as if he were to take them and present them to his Father , but the very presenting place of your prayers must be God himselfe in Christ , neither must you conceive as though Christ the Sonne , were more willing to grant your request then God the Father , for whatsoever Christ willeth , the same also the Father , ( being well pleased with him willeth ) in Christ , then , I say , and nowhere else , must you expect to have your petitions granted , and as in Christ and no place else , so for Christs sake and nothing else ; and therefore I beseech you to beware you forget not Christ when you go unto the Father to beg any thing which you desire , either for your selfe or others , especially when you desire co have any pardon for sin , you are not to thinke that when you joyn with your prayers , fasting , weeping , and afflicting of your selfe , that for so doing you shall prevail with God to heare you and grant your petitions , no , no , you must meete God in Christ , and present him with his sufferings , your eye , your minde , and all your confidence , must be therein , and in that be as confident as possibly you can , yea , expostulate the matter , as it were , with God the Father , and say , lo , here is the person that hath well deserved it , here 〈◊〉 the person that wils and desires it , in whom thou hast sayd thou art well pleased ; yea , here is the person that hath paid the debt , and discharged the bond for all my sins , and therefore , ô Lord ! now it standeth with thy justice to forgive me , and thus if you doe , why then you may bee assured that Christ executes his Priestly office in you . Neo. I pray you , Sir , in the third place shew me how a man may know that Christ executes his kingly office in him . Evan. Why so far forth as any man hears and knows , That all prwer is given unto Christ , both in heaven and in earth , both to vanquish and overcome all the lusts and corruptions of believers , and to write his law in their hearts , & hereupon takes occasion to goe unto Christ for the doing of both in him , I say , so far forth as he doth this , why Christ executes his kingly office in him . Neo. Why then , Sir it seems that the place where Christ executes his kingly office , is in the hearts of believers . Evan. It is true indeed , for Christs Kingdome is not temporall or secular , over the naturall lives or civill negotiations of men , but his Kingdome is spirituall and heavenly over the souls of men , to awe and over-rule the hearts , to captivate the affections , to bring into obedience the thoughts , and to subdue and pul down strong holds , for when our father Adam transgressed , he , and we all of us forsooke God , and chose the devill for ou● lord & king , so that every mothers child of 〈◊〉 are by nature under the government of Satan , and he rules over us , till Christ come into our hearts and disposseseth him , according to the saying of Christ himself , Luk. 11.21 , 22. When a strong man armed keeps the Palace , his goods are in peace , that is , sayth Calvin , Satan holdeth them that are in subjection to him in such bonds and quiet possession , that he rules over them without resistance : But when Christ comes to dwell in any mans heart by faith , according to the measure nf faith ▪ hee dispossesseth him , & seats himself in the heart , and roots out and puls down all that withstands his government there , and as a valiant Captain he stands upon his guard , & enables the soule to gather together all its forces and powers to resist and withstand all its and his enemies , and to set it selfe in good earnest against them , when they at any time offer to return again , and he doth especially enable the soule to resist , and set it selfe against the principall enemie , even that which doth most oppose Christ in his government so that whatsoever lust or corruption is in a believers heart or soule as most predominant , CHRIST doth inable him to take that into his minde , and to have most revengefull thoughts against it , and to make complaints to him against it , and to desire power and strength from him against it , and all because it most withstands the government of Christ , and is the rankest traitor to Christ , so that hee useth all the means he can to bring it before the judgement seat of Christ , and there hee calls for justice against it ; saying , O Lord Jesus Christ , here is a rebell and a traitor that doth withstand thy government in me , wherfore I pray thee come and execute thy Kingly office in me , and subdue it , yea , vanquish and overcome it , whereupon Christ gives the same answer that he did to the Centurion , goe thy way , and as thou hast believed , so be it done unto thee . And as Christ doth thus suppresse all other governours but himselfe in the heart of a believer , so doth he race out , and deface all other laws , and writes his own there according to his promise , Jer. 31.33 . and makes them plyable and willing to doe and suffer his will , and that because it is his will , so that the minde and will of Christ , laid down in his Word , and manifested in his Works , is not onely the rule of a believers obedience , but also the reason of it : As I once heard a godly Minister say in the Pulpit , So that he doth not onely doe that which is Christs will , but he doth it because it is his will. O that man which hath the law of Christ written in his heart , according to the measure of it , he reads , he hears , he prayes , and receives the Sacrament , and doth all the duties required in the first table of the Law , and that because he knows it is the minde and will of Christ he should doe so , yea , he doth not onely doe the duty of the first table , but of the second also , by vertue of Christs command , ô that husband , parent , master , or Magistrate , that hath the Law of Christ written in his heart , hee doth his duty to his wife , childe , servant , and subject , and that because Christ commands it , and so , that wife , childe , servant , or subject that hath the law of Christ written in their hearts , doe their duties to their husband , parent , master or governour , and that because Christ requires it . And now when you finde these things in your heart , why answerably you may conclude , that Christ executes his kingly office in you . Neo. Well , Sir , now I doe plainly see , that it is no marvail though my heart hath been hitherto restlesse , sith I have sought rest for it , where it is not to be found . Evan. My occasions doe now begin to call me away from you , neverthelesse , you having begun to speake of the hearts rest , I shall by the Lords assistance , now at our parting , as a conclusion of this our discourse , speake somwhat of the soules rest , if you will be pleased to heare me . Neo. Withall my heart , Sir , but first , I would intreat you to tell me , why you call the hearts rest , the soules rest . Evan. Because heart and soule are put oftentimes the one for the other , for indeed , the heart is the soules chare of state wherein it keeps it residencie . But to come to the point , I would intreat you to consider with me , that when God at first gave man an elementish body , he did also infuse into him an immortall soule of a spirituall substance , and though he gave his soule a locall being in his body , yet he gave it a spirituall wel-being in himselfe , so that the soule was in the body by location , and at rest in God by union and communication , and this being of the soule in God at first , was mans true being , and his true happinesse , now man falling from God , God in his justice left man , so that the actuall union and communion that the soule of man had with God at first is broken off , God and mans soule are parted , and it is in a restlesse condition , howbeit , the Lord having seated in mans soule , a certain character of himselfe , the soule is thereby made to re-aspire towards that summum bonum , that chief good , even God himselfe , and can finde no rest no where , till it come to him . Nom. But stay , Sir , I pray you , how can it be sayd that mans soule doth re-aspire towards God the Creator , when as it is evident that every mans soule naturally is bent towards the creature , to seeke a rest there . Evan. For answer hereunto , I pray you consider , that naturally mans understanding is dark and blinde , and therefore is ignorant what his own soul doth desire , and strongly aspire unto , it knoweth , indeed , that there is a want in the soule , but till it be enlightned , it knoweth not what it is which the soule wanteth : for , indeed , the case standeth with the soule , as with a child new born , which child by naturall instinct , doth gape and cry for nutriment , yea , for such nutriment as may agree with it tender condition , and if the nurse through negligence , or ignorance , eyther give it no meat at all ; or else such as it is not capable of receiving , the childe refuseth it , and still cryeth in strength of desire after the dug : yet doth not the child in this estate know by any intellectuall power and understanding , what it self desireth : even so mans poore soule doth cry to God as for its proper nourishment , but his understanding like a blind ignorant nurse , not knowing what it cryeth for ; doth offer to the heart a creature instead of a Creatour : thus by reason of the understanding , together with the corruption of the will , and disorder of the affections , mans soule is kept by violence from its proper centre , even God himselfe , ô how many souls are there in the world ! that are hindred , if not quite kept from rest in God , by reason that their blinde understanding , doth present unto their sensual appetites , varieties of sensuall objects . Is there not many a luxurious persons soule hindred , if not quite kept from true rest in God , by that beauty which nature hath placed in feminine faces ; especially when Satan doth secretly suggest into such feminine harts a desire of an artificiall dressing from the head to the foot : yea , and sometimes painting the face like their mother Jezabel ? And is there not many a voluptuous Epicures soule hindred , if not quite kept from rest in God , by beholding the colour , and tasting the sweetnesse of dainty delicate dishes , his wine red in the cup , and his beer of amber colour in the glasse : in the Scripture we read of a certain man that fared deliciously very day , as if there had been no more but one so ill disposed : but in our times there are certain hundreds , both of men and women , that do not only fare deliciously , but voluptuously twice every day , if no more ? And is there not many a proud persons soul hindered , if not quite kept from rest in God , by the harmonious sound of popular prayse ; which like a load-stone draweth the vain-glorious heart to hunt so much the more eagerly , to augment the eccho of such vain windy reputation ? And is there not many a covetous persons soule hindred , if not quite kept from rest in God , by the cry of great abundance ; the words of wealth , and the glory of gain ? And is there not many a musicall minde hindered , if not quite kept from sweet comfort in God , by the harmony of artificiall concord upon musicall instruments ? And how many perfumed fools are there in the world ? who by smelling their sweet apparell , and their sweet nose-gayes , are kept from souls sweetnesse in Christ. And thus doth Satan like a cunning fisher , beat his , hooke with a sensuall object , to catch men with , and having gotten it into their jaws ; he draweth them up and down in their sensuall contentments , till hee hath so drowned them therein , that the peace and rest of their souls in God be almost forgotten : and hence it is that the greatest part of mans life , and in many their whole life is spent , in seeking satisfaction to the sensuall appetite . Nom. Indeed , Sir , this which you have sayd , we may see truly verified in many men , who spend their days about these vanities , and will afford no time for religious exercises , no , not upon the Lords day by their good will. Neo. You say the truth , and yet let mee tell you withall , that a man by the power of naturall conscience may bee forced to confesse that his hopes of happinesse are in God alone , and not in these things , yea , and to forsake profits and pleasures , and all sensuall objects , as unable to give his soule any true contentment , and fall to the performance of religious exercises , and yet rest there , and never come to God for rest , and if we consider it either in the rude multitude of sensuall livers , or in the more seemingly religious , we shall perceive that the religious exercises of men , doe strongly deceive , and strangely delude many men , of their hearts happinesse in God. For the first sort , though they be such as make their belly their best God , and doe no Sacrifice but to Bacchus , Apollo , or Venus , though their conscience doe accuse them , that these things are nought , yet in that they have the name of Christians put upon them in their baptisme , and for as much as they doe often repeat the Lords Prayer , the Apostles Creed , and the ten Commandements , and in that it may be they have lately accustomed themselves to goe to Church , to heare divine service , and a preaching now and then , and in that they have divers times received the Sacrament , they will not be perswaded but that God is well pleased with them , and a man may as well perswade them that they are not men and women , as that they are not in a good condition . And for the second sort , that ordinarily have more humane wisdome and humane learning then the former sort , and seeme to bee more holy and devout then the former sort of sensuall , ignorant people , yet how many are there of this sort , that never passe farther then the outward court of bodily performances , feeding and feasting themselves as men in a dreame , supposing themselves to have all things , and yet indeed have nothing but onely a bladder full , or rather a brainfull of winde and worldly conceptions . Are there not some who give themselves to a more speciall searching and seeking out for knowledge in Scripture , learnednesse , and Clerklike skill , in this Art , and that Language , till they come to bee able to repeate all the historicall places in the Bible , yea● , and all those texts of Scripture , that they conceive doe make for some private opinion of theirs concerning Ceremonies , Church-government , or other such circumstantiall points of Religion , touching which points they are very able to reason and dispute , and to put forth such curious questions as are not easily answered . Are not some of these men called Sect-makers , and begetters or devisers of new opinions in Religion , especially in the matter of worshiping God , as they use to call it , wherein they finde a beginning , but hardly any end , for this religious knowledge is so variable through the multiplicity of curious wits and contentious Spirits , that the life of man way seeme too short to take a full view of this variety ; for though all Sects say , they will bee guided by the word of truth , and all seeme to bring Scripture , which indeed is but one as God is but one , yet by reason of their severall constructions and interpretations of Scripture , and conceits of their own humane wisdome , they are many . And are there not others of this sort of men , that are readie to embrace any new way of worship , especially if it come under the cloake of Scripture learning , and have a shew of truth founded upon the letter of the Bible , and seeme to bee more zealous and devout then their former way , specially if the teacher of that new way can but frame a sad and demure countenance , and with a grace lift up his head and his eyes towards heaven , with some strong groane in declaring of his newly conceived opinion , and that hee frequently use this phrase of the glory of GOD ! ô then these men are by and by of another opinion , supposing to themselves that God hath made known some farther truth to them , for by reason of the blindnesse of their understanding , they are not able to reach any supernaturall truth , although they doe by literall Learning , and Clerklike cunning dive never so deepe into the Scriptures , and therefore they are ready to entertaine any forme of Religious Exercise , as shall bee suggested unto them . And are there not a third sort much like to these men that are excessive and mutable in the performance of Religious Exercises . Surely Saint PAUL did perceive that this was the very GOD of some men in his time , and therefore hee willeth TIMOTHY to instruct others , that bodily exercise profiteth little , or as some read it , nothing at all , and doth oppose thereunto godlinesse as being another thing , then bodily exercise , and sayth , that it is profitable , &c. And doe not you thinke there are some men at this day that know none other good then bodily exercise , and can hardly distinguish betwixt it and godlinesse . Now these bodily exercises are mutable and variable , according to their conceits and opinions , for all Sects have their severall services ( as they call them ) yet all bodily ▪ and for the most part onely bodily , the which they performe to establish a rest to their soules , because they want rest in God , and hence it is that their peace and rest is up and down according to their working better or worse , so many Chapters must be read , and so many Sermons must bee heard , and so many times must pray in one day , and so many dayes in the weeke , or in the yeare , they must fast , &c. or else their soules can have no rest , but mistake mee not I pray , in imagining that I speake against the doing of these things , for I doe them all my selfe , but against resting in the doing of them , the which I desire not to doe . And thus you see that mans blinde understanding doth not onely present unto the sensuall appetite , sensuall objects , but also to the rationall appetites , rationall objects , so that mans poore soule is not onely kept from rest in God by means of sensuality , but also by means of formality : if Satan cannot keep us from seeking rest in God , by feedeing our senses with our mother Evahs apple , then he sets us to seeke him in away where wee shall never finde him , if he cannot doe it more grosely , then hee attempts to doe it more closely . Nom. But , Sir , I am perswaded that many men that are so religiously exercised , and doe performe such duties as you have mentioned , doe finde true rest for their souls in God. Evan. Ineeed I am perswaded there are some men that are carefull to performe such duties in obedience to the will of God in Christ , as conceiving them to be the way , wherein he is accustomed to meete his people , and give them an extraordinary visit , as also conceiving them to be the meanes whereby hee doth ordinarily beget and increase faith , whereby they are enabled to draw neer to God in Christ , and so to have peace and rest in him , and therefore if they doe omit any of these duties , when they conceive that God calls them thereunto , they are troubled in their mindes , and vexed at themselves for being disobedient to the will of God , and for missing his kinde visit , and omitting the meanes of increasing their faith , now such men as these may , and doubtlesse doe finde true rest to their soules in God , in the performance of Religious Exercises . But alas , I feare me , that the most part of such men as are so religiously exercised , and are of such dispositions as I have shewed , doe rather conceive , that as they have offended and displeased God by their former disobedience , so they must pacifie and please him by their future obedience , and therefore they are carefull to exercise themselves in this way of duty , and that way of worship , and all to that end , yea , and they conceiving that they have corrupted , defiled and polluted themselves by their falling into sin , they must also purge , clense and purifie themselves by rising out of sin , and walking in new obedience , and so all the good they doe , and all the evill they eschew is to pacifie God , and appease their own consciences , and if they seeke rest to their soules this way , why it is the way of the Covenant of works , where they shall never be able to reach God , nay , it is the way to come to God out of Christ , where they shall never be able to come neere him , he being a consuming fire . Neo. Then , Sir , it seemeth to me , that God in Christ apprehended by faith , is the onely true rest for mans soule . Evan. I , there is the true rest indeed , there is that rest which David invites his soule unto , when he sayth , Returne unto thy rest , ô my soule , for we which have believed have entred into his rest , saith the Authour to the Hebrews . And come unto me , sayth Christ , all yee that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest . And truly my neighbours and friends believe it , wee shall never finde a hearts happinesse , and a true soules rest untill we finde it here , for howsoever a man may thinke if hee had this mans wit , and that mans wealth , this mans honour , and that mans pleasure , this wife , or that husband , such children , and such servants , his heart would be satisfied , and his soule would be contented , yet which of us hath not by our own experience found the contrary ? for not long after that we have obtained the thing we did so much desire , and wherein we promised our selves so much happinesse , rest and content , we have found nothing but vanity and emptinesse in it : Let a man but deale plainly with his own heart and hee shall finde , that notwithstanding he hath many things , yet there is ever one thing wanting , for indeed , mans soule cannot be satisfied with any creature , no , not with a world of creatures : And the reason is because the desires of mans soule are infinite , according to that infinite goodnesse which it once lost in losing God ; yea , and mans soul is a spirit , and therefore cannot communicate with any corporall thing , so that all creatures not being that infinite and spirituall fulnesse which our hearts have lost , and towards the which they do still re-aspire , they cannot give it full contentment . Nay , let mee say more , howsoever a man may in the midst of his sensuall fulnesse be convinced in his conscience , that he is at enmity with God , and therefore in danger of his wrath and eternall damnation , and be thereupon moved to reforme his life , and amend his ways , and endevour to seek peace and rest to his soul , yet this being in the way of works it is impossible that he should finde it ; for his conscience wil ever be accusing him , that this good duty hee ought to have done , and hath not done it ; and this evill he ought to have forborne ; and yet hee hath done it : and in the performance of this duty he was remisse , and in that duty very defective , and many such wayes will his soul be disquieted . But when a man once comes to believe that all his sins , both past , present , and to come , are freely and fully pardoned , and God in Christ graciously reconciled unto him : the Lord doth hereupon so reveale his fatherly face unto him in Christ , and so make known that incredible union betwixt him and the believing soul ; that his heart becomes quietly contented in God , who is the proper element of its being : for hereupon there come● into the soule such peace flowing from the God of peace ; that it fils the emptinesse of the soule with true fulnesse , in the fulnesse of God ; so that now the heart ceaseth to molest the understanding and reason , in seeking eyther variety of objects , or augmentation of degrees , in any comprehensible thing : And that because the restlesse longing of the minde which did before cause unquietnesse , and disorder , both in the variety of mentall projects , and also in the sensuall and beastly exercises of the corporall and externall members , is satisfied and truly quieted , for when a mans heart is at peace in God , and is become truly full in that peace and joy , passing understanding , then the Devill hath not that hope to prevaile against our souls , as hee had before , hee knows right well that it is in vaine to beat his hooke , with profits , pleasures , honour , or any other such like seeming good , to catch such a soule that is thus at quiet in God , for he hath all fulnesse in God , and what can be added to fulnesse , but it runneth over , indeed empty hearts like empty hogsheads , are fit to receive any matter which shall be put into them , but the heart of the believer being filled with joy and peace in believing , doth abhorre all such base allurements , for that it hath no roome in it selfe to receive any such seeming contentments , so that to speak as the truth is , there is nothing that doth truly and unfainedly root wickednesse out of the heart of man , but only the true tranquility of the minde , or the rest of the soul in God , and to say as the thing is , this is such a peace and such a rest to the creature in the Creatour , that according to the measure of its establishment by faith , no created comprehensible thing , can eyther adde to it or detract from it , the increase of a Kingdome cannot augment it , the greatest losses and crosses in worldly things cannot diminish it , a believers good works doe all flow from it , and ought not to return to it : neyther ought humane frailties to molest it , howver this is most certain , neyther sin nor Satan , law nor conscience , hell nor grave , can quite extinguish it , for it is the Lord alone that gives and mayntains it : Whom have I in heaven but thee , sayth David , and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee : it is the pleasant face of God in Christ , that puts gladnesse into his heart , Psal. 4.7 . and when that face is hid , then he is troubled , Psal. 30.7 . But to speake more plainly though the peace and joy of true believers , may be extenuated or diminished , yet doth the testimony of their being in nature remayne so strong , that they could skill to say : yea , even when they have felt God to be withdrawing himselfe from them ; My God , my God , why hast thou forsaken me : yea , and in the night of GODS absence to remayne confident , that though sorrow be over night , yet joy will come in the morning : Nay , though the Lord should seeme to kill them with wickednesse , yet will they put their trust in him , knowing that for all this , their Redeemer liveth : so strong is the joy of their Lord : these are the people that are kept in perfect peace , because their minds are stayed in the Lord. Wherfore , my deare friends and loving neighbours , I beseech you , take heed of deeming any estate happy until you come to find this true peace and rest to your souls in God , ô , beware lest any of you doe content your selves with a peace rather of speculation then of power ! ô , be not satisfied with such a peace as consisteth eyther in the act of oblivion , or neglect of examination ! nor yet in any brain-sick supposition , of knowledge theologicall and divine , & so frame rationall conclusions , to protract time , and stil the cryes of an accusing conscience , but let your hearts take their last farewell of all false felicities , wherewith they have been all of them more or lesse detained , and kept from their true rest : ô , be strong in resolution ! and bid them all farewell , and neyther stay in Egypt by the flesh-pots of Sensuality , nor yet in the wildernesse of religious and rationall formality ; but strip your selfe of all : putten on contentments , eyther in sensuall honours , profits , or pleasures , or religious exercises , and become truly poore , miserable and naked . Nom. But stay , Sir , I pray you , would you have our senses to be no longer exercised about any of their objects ? would you have us no longer to take comfort in the good things of this life ? Evan. I pray you doe not mistake mee , I would not have you Stoically to refuse the lawfull use of any the Lords good creatures , which he shall be pleased to afford you : for I right well know that the minde of man hath a naturall motion towards its own delight and recreation in these things ▪ and that this motion still remains in the minde of him that is the most mortified , and hath taken his truest farewell of them , but yet in such a man , that motion which before was violent from the cry of the heart is now restrained ▪ so that his appetite is not so forcible , nor so unruly as it was before , the unrulinesse thereof being subdued in the peace of the heart , and and brought into a very comely decorum and order , so that now the sensuall appetite can with much more easiness and contentednesse be denyed the object of its desire ; yea , the sensuall appetite can in a good measure be content , with what is most repugnant to its desire , as with hunger , cold , nakednesse , yea , and with death it self , such is the wonderfull working of the hearts quiet and rest in God. So that although such a mans senses be still exer●ised in and upon their proper objects , yet is not his life sensuall , for his heart taketh no contentment from any such exercise , but is still ( for the most part ) exercised in a more transcendent communion , even with God in Christ ; so that he useth the world , and the things of the world , as though hee used them not ; and receiveth no cordiall contentment from any sensuall exercise whatsoever , and that , because his heart is withdrawne from them , which withdrawing of the heart is not unaptly pointed at in the speech of the Spouse , Cant. 5.2 . I sleep , sayth she , but my heart waketh ; so , that it may be sayd , that such a man he is sleeping , looking , hearing , tasting , eating , drinking , feasting , &c. but his heart is withdrawne and is rejoycing in God his Saviour , and his soul is magnifying the Lord , so that in the midst of all sensuall delights his heart , and secretly sayth , I but my happinesse is not here . Nom. But , Sir , I pray you , why do you call rationall and religious exercises a wildernesse ? Evan. For two reasons , first , because that as the children of Israel , when they were got out of Egypt , did yet wander many yeers in the wildernesse before they came into the land of Canaan , even so doe many men wander long in rationall and religious exercises , after they have left a sensuall life , before they come to rest in God , whereof the land of Canaan was a type . Secondly , because as in a wildernesse , men often lose themselves and can finde no way out , but supposing ( after long travell ) that they are neere the place whither they would goe , are in truth further off : even so fareth it with many , yea , with all such as walk in the way of reason , they lose themselves in the woods and bushes of their works and doings , so that the longer they travell , the further they are from God , and true rest in him . Nom. But , Sir , you know that the Lord hath endued us with reasonable souls , would you not then have us to make use of our reason . Evan. I pray you doe not mistake mee , I do not contemn nor despise the use of reason , onely I would not have you to establish it to the chief good , but I would have you to keep it under , so that if with Hagar , it attempt to beare rule , and Lord it over your faith , then would I have you in the wisdome of God , like Sarah , to cast it out from having dominion , in few words I would have you more strong in desire , than curious in speculation ; and to long more to feele communion with God , then to be able to dispute of the genus , or species of any question , eyther humane or divine : And presse hard to know God by powerfull experience , and though your knowledge be great , and your obedience surpassing many ; yet would I have you to be truly nullified , anihilated , and made nothing , and become fools in all fleshly wisdome , and glory in nothing , but only in the Lord , and I would have you with the eye of faith sweetly to behold , all things extracted out of one thing , & in one to see al , in a word , I would have in you a most profound silence , contemning all curious questions and discourses , and to ponder much in your heart but prate little with your tongue ; Be swift to heare , but slow to speake ; and slow to wrath , as the Apostle James adviseth you : and by this meanes will your reason be subdued , and become one with your faith ; for then is reason one with faith , when it is subjugated unto faith , and then will reason keepe its true lists and limits , and you will become ten times more reasonable then you were before , so that , I hope , you now see that the hearts farewell from the sensuall and rationall life , is not to be considered absolutely but respectively , it doth not consist in a going out of either , but in a right use of both . And now for a conclusion let mee tell you , when any of your souls shall thus forget her own people , and her fathers house , Christ her King shall so desire her beauty , and be so much in love with her , that like a Load-stone this love of his shall draw the soule in pure desire to him again , and then as the Hart panteth after the rivers of water , so will your souls pant after God , yea , then will your souls be so ravished with desire , and so sick of love , that it will bee manifest by your seeking him whom your soul loveth , and so shall your soule come to have a reall rest in God , and according to the measure of your faith , be filled with joy unspeakable and glorious ; and how can it bee otherwise , when your soule shall really communicate with God , and by faith have a true taste , and by the Spirit have a sure earnest of all heavenly preferments , having , as it were , one foot in heaven , whilst you live upon earth , ô then what an Eucharisticall love will arise from your thankfull heart ! extending it selfe , first towards God , and then towards man for Gods sake , because his everlasting love in his Christ is made known to your soule , so that then according to the measure of your faith , you shall not need to frame and force your selfe to love , and doe good duties , but being so assured of Gods love to you in his CHRIST , your soule will stand bound ever more to love God , and according to the measure thereof you will stand bound to the keeping of all his Commandements , and this love of God in the heart will cut down selfe love , so that now you will be for God , and it will be your meat and drinke to doe his will whilst you live on earth , and much more when you come to heaven , the place of perfect and everlasting rest whither our Lord JESUS CHRIST bring us all in his due time , Amen . And now Brethren , I commend you to GOD , and to the word of his grace , which is able to build you up , and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified . Neo. Well , Sir , at this time I will say no more , but that it was a happie houre wherein I came to you , and a happie conference that wee have had together , surely , Sir , I never knew Christ before this day , ô what cause have I to thanke the Lord for my comming hither ! and my two friends as a means of it , and , Sir , for the payns that you have taken with me , I pray the Lord to requite you , and so beseeching you to pray the Lord to increase my faith , and to helpe mine unbeliefe , I humbly take my leave of you , praying the God of love and peace to be with you . Nom. And truly , Sir , I doe believe , that I have cause to speake as much in that case as you have , for though I have out-stript him in knowledge , and it may be also in strict walking , yet doe I now see , that my actions were neither from a right principle , nor to a right end , and therefore have I been in no better a condition then he , and truly , Sir , I must needs confesse , I never heard so much of Christ , and the Covenant of grace , as I have done this day , the Lord make it profitable to me , and I beseech you , Sir , pray for me . Ant. And truly , Sir , I am now fully convinced , that I have gone out of the right way , in that I have not had regard to the Law , and the works thereof as I should . But , God willing , I shall hereafter ( if the Lord prolong my dayes ) be more carefull how I lead my life , seeing the ten Commandements are the law of Christ. And I beseech you , Sir , remember me in your prayers , and so with many thanks to you for your pains , I take my leave of you , beseeching the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ , to bee with your spirit . Amen . Evan. Now the very God of peace , that brought again from the dead , our Lord Jesus , that great sheepherd of the sheep , through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant , make you perfect in every good worke , to doe his will , working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight , through Jesus Christ , to whom be glory for ever and ever , Amen . John 8.36 If the Sonne make you free , you shall be free indeed . Gal. 5.1 . Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free . Ver. 13. Onely use not your liberty for an occasion of the flesh ; but by love serve one another . Chap. 6. ver . 16. And as many as walke according to this rule , peace bee upon them , and mercie , and upon the Israel of God. Mat. 11.25 . I thanke thee ô Father Lord of heaven and earth , because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent , and hast revealed them to babes . 1 Cor. 15.10 . I laboured more abundantly then they all , yet not I but the grace of God that was with mee . Psal. 36.11 . Let not the foot of pride come against me . LOving Reader , the Printer drawing towards a conclusion , and wanting matter to compleat so many sheets , as was desired , I have thought good ( by reason of the sutablenesse of this with the former ) to adde these Propositions following , which are proved by Scripture : and gathered long since by Patrick Hambleton Scottishman , and martyred : who was burned in Scotland , the first day of March , Anno 1527. The first Proposition . He that loveth God , loveth his neighbour . This Proposition is proved , 1 John 4.20 . If a man say I love God , and yet hateth his brother , he is a lyer : for how can hee that loveth not his brother whom he hath seene , love God whom he hath not seen . The second Proposition . Hee that loveth his neighbour as himselfe , keepeth all the Commandements of God. This Proposition is proved , Matth. 7.12 . Whatsoever he would that men should ▪ do unto you , even so do ye unto them , for this is the Law and the Prophets : and in Rom. 13.8 , 9. Hee that loveth his neighbour , fulfilleth the Law. For this , thou shalt not commit adultery , thou shalt not kill , thou shalt not steale , thou shalt not bear false witnesse , thou shalt not covet : and if there be any other Commandement , it is briefly comprehended in this , saying , Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe , and in Gal. 5.14 . All the law is fulfilled in this one word , Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self . The third Proposition . He that hath faith loveth God. My Father loveth you because ye love me , and believe that I came out from God , John 16.27 . Argument . He that keepeth the Commandements of God , hath the love of God. He that hath faith keepeth the Commandements of God. Ergo , He that hath faith loveth God. The fourth Proposition . Hee that keepeth one Commandement of God keepeth them all . This Proposition is confirmed , Heb. 11.6 . It is impossible for a man without faith to please God : that is , to keep any one of Gods Commandements as he should do ; then whosoever keepeth any one Commandement hath faith . Argument . Hee that hath faith keepeth all the Commandements of God. He that keepeth any one Commandement of God hath faith . Ergo , He that keepeth any one Commandement , keepeth them all . The fifth Proposition . Hee that keepeth not all the Commandements , keepeth none of them . Argument . He that keepeth one Commandement of God keepeth all : Ergo , he that keeps not all the Commanments of God keepeth not one of them . The sixth Proposition . Faith is the gift of God. Argument . Every good thing is the gift of God. Faith is a good thing . Ergo , Faith is the gift of God. The seventh Proposition . Faith is not in our power . Argument . The gift of God is not in our power . Faith is the gift of God. Ergo , Faith is not in our power . The eighth Proposition . He that hath faith is just and good . Argument . He that is a good tree , bringeth forth good fruit , and is just and good . Hee that hath faith is a good tree , and bringeth forth good fruit . Ergo , he that hath faith is just and good . The ninth Proposition . Hee that believeth the Gospel , believeth God. Argument . Hee that believeth Gods Word believeth God. The Gospel is the Word of God. Ergo , Hee that believeth the Gospel believeth God. To believe the Gospel is this , that Christ is the Saviour of the world , that Christ is our Saviour , Christ bought us with his bloud , Christ washed us with his bloud , Christ offered himselfe a sacrifice for us , Christ bare our sins upon his own back . The tenth Proposition . He that believeth the Gospel shall be safe . Go yee unto all the World , and preach the Gospel unto every creature ; hee that believeth and is baptised , shall be saved , Mark 16.16 . A comparison between Faith and Incredulity . Faith is the root of all good , Incredulity is the root of all evill . Faith maketh God and man good friends , Incredulity maketh them foes . Faith bringeth God and man together , Incredulity separateth them . All that Faith doth pleaseth God , all that Incredulity doth displeaseth him . Faith maketh a man good and righteous , Incredulity maketh him evill Faith maketh a member of Christ , Incredulity a member of the Devill . Faith bringeth a man to Heaven , Infidelity bringeth him to Hell. A dispute between the Law and the Gospell . The Law said pay the debt , the Gospel said Christ hath payd it . The Law said thou art a sinner , the Gospel said thy sins are forgiven thee . The Law said the Father of Heaven is angry , the Gospel said Christ hath pacified it . The Law said where is thy righteousnesse , the Gospel said , Christ is a believers righteousnesse . The Law said thou art bound over to me , the Devill and Hell. The Gospel said , Christ hath delivered a believer from you all . No manner of works make us righteous . We believe that a man is justified by faith without the works of the law , Rom. 3.28 . No man is justified by the works of the law , but by the faith of Jesus Christ , And we believe in Jesus Christ , that wee may be justified by the faith of Christ , and not by the deeds of the law , for if righteousnesse come by the law , then Christ dyed in vain , Gal. 2. No works make us unrighteous . If any evill works make us unrighteous , then the contrary workes should make us righteous , but it is proved that no good works can make us righteous , therefore no evill works can make us unrighteous , if we be believers . Works then make us neyther good nor evill . It is proved that works make us neither righteous nor unrighteous , therefore no works make us either good or evill , for righteous and good are one thing , and unrighteous and evill another . Good works make not a good man , nor evill works an evill man , but a good man bringeth forth good works , and an evill man evill works . Good fruit maketh not the tree good , nor evill fruit the tree evill , but a good tree beareth good fruit ▪ and an evill tree evill fruit . A good man cannot doe evill works , nor an evill man good works , for a good tree cannot beare evill fruit , nor an evill tree good fruit . A man is good before he doe good works , and evill before he doe evill works . A good man is known by his good works , and an evill man by his evill works , yee shall know them by their fruits , for a good tree beareth good fruit , and an evill tree evill fruit ; a man is likened to a tree , and his works to the fruit of the tree . If works make us neither righteous nor unrighteous , then it maketh no matter what we doe . I answer , If thou doe evill , it is a sure argument that thou art evill , and wantest faith , if thou doe good , it is an argument that thou art good , and hast faith , for a good tree beareth good fruit , and an evill tree evill fruit ; yet good fruit maketh not the tree good , nor evill fruit the tree evill ; so that man is good before he doe good works , and evill before he doe evill works . Faith maketh the good tree , and incredulity the evill tree , such a tree , such fruit ; such a man , such works ; for all things which are done in faith please God and are good works , and all that are done without faith , displease God , and are evill works . Whosoever believeth or thinketh to bee saved by his works , denyeth that Christ is his Saviour , for how is he thy Saviour if thou mightest save thy selfe by thy works ? or wherefore should he have died for thee , if any works might have saved thee . Now seeing that he hath paid the debt , thou needest not pay it , neither indeed couldst thou pay it , but shouldest be damned if his bloud were not , but sith hee was punished for that thou shalt not bee punished . Finally , hee hath delivered thee from thy condemnation , and all evill , and desireth naught of thee , but that thou wilt acknowledge what hee hath done for thee , and beare it in minde , and that thou wouldest helpe others for his sake both in word and deed , even as hee hath holpen thee , for naught and without reward . O how ready would men bee to help others if wee knew his goodnesse and gentlenesse towards us , hee is a good and a gentle Lord , and doth all for naught , therefore let us follow his steps . So that I doe not say , that believers should doe no good works , but I say men should not doe good works , to the intent to get the inheritance of heaven through good works , for if we believe we shall get remission of sins , or the inheritance of heaven through works , wee believe not to get the same for Christs sake , neither doe we believe the promise of God that they are given us freely , and so we make God a lyar , for God sayth , thou shalt have the inheritance of heaven for my Sons sake , thy sins are forgiven thee for my Sons sake , but thou sayst it is not so , if thou think to win them by thy works . Thus you see that I condemne not good works , but the false trust in them , for all the works wherein man putteth any confidence , are therewith poysoned and become evill . Wherefore thou must doe good works , but beware thou doe them not to deserve any good through them , for if thou doe , thou receivest thy good , not as the gift of God , but as a debt to thee , and makest thy se●fe fellow with God , because thou wilt ta●e nothing of him for naught . Presse not th●rfore to the inheritance of heaven through ●he presumption of thy good works , for if thou doe , thou shalt fall as Lucifer fell for his pride . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A41355-e580 Gen. 3.24 . Gal. 5.1 . 2 Pet. 2.19 . Burton Me●a● pag. 8. Notes for div A41355-e1100 Portis apertis paradisum intrasse , Tom. 1. Notes for div A41355-e2920 Tit. 3.9 1 Cor. 4.21 . Gal. 4.18 . Act. 21.20 1 Tim. 1.17 . Rom. 3.27 Gal. 6.2 . Bal on the Cov. of grace , p. 9. Com. pla . eng . p. 118. Lev. 18.5 . Gen. 2.17 . Ames . med . Eng. p. 48. Com. pla . p. 31. Downham ▪ on Just. p. 443.465 . Bal on the Covenant p. 6. Walker on the Covenant , p. 39. Bal on the Covenant p. 5. Calv instit . fol. eng . p. 8. Eccl. 7.27 Basting , cat . p. 9. Vrsin . cat . p. 517. Calv inst . p. 190. Col. 3.10 . Eph. 4.34 . Treat . of effectuall Cal. p. 20. or thereabouts . Hugo Gr●● . defens . fid . p. 71. Lightfoot miscela . p. 282. Reynolds on Ps. ●● p. 403. Reynolds on Psal. 110. p. 405 ●ibbens on Gen. p. 77. Bal on the Cov. p. 11. Reyn. on Psal. 110. ● . 406. Ps. 16.11 . Walker on the Covenant , p. 89. M. Slat . on the 2● Cov. Deut , Pathw . p. 304. Reynolds on Psal. 110. pag. 406. C●l . Instit. p. 81. Reynolds on Ps. 110 p. 406. Rom. 5.12 Cal. Iustit . p. 106 , 107 Goodwin Trium . Faith. p. 85 Pemble vind fid . p. 99. Seven gold . cand . p. 3. Basting Cat. p. 10. Vrban . Reg. in ch . ser. to Ema●s . p. 12. Chos . Ser. p. 9. Com. pla . p. 14. Reynolds on Ps. 110 p. 407. Lightfoot miscela . p. 183. Ibid. Com. pla . p. 13. Hos. 13.9 . Bolton , true boun ▪ p. 135. Vrsin . cat . p. 112. Vrsin . cat . p. 112. Cal. Instit. p. 117. Bolton , true boun . p. 133. Rom. 5.6 . Rom. 8.2 . Lightfoot miscela . p. 282. Tindal , path . to holy scrip . p. 378. 2 Tim. 1.9 ▪ Eph. 3 11. Rom. 1.2 . Gal. 4.4 . Reynolds on Ps. 110. p. 407 , 408 Williams , 7 gold . can . p. 319. Hooker , ●ouls just . p. 177. Cal. Instit. p. 117. Reynolds , Psal. 110. p. 408. Ibid. Ames . med . p. 74. Th. Goodw. Christ set forth , p. 75 Ainsworth on the text . Goodw. Christ set forth , p. 75 Ps. 40.7 , 8 Cal. Instit. p. 117. Hookers souls just . p. 174 Goodwin , Christ set forth , p. 83 , 84. 1 Cor. 15 , 47. 1 Cor. 15.58 . Bal of the cov . p. 289 Ibid. p. 287 208. Gen. 3 . 1● ▪ vers . 15. Vrban Reg. on Christs sermon to Ema●● . Ainsworth . Lightfoot miscela . p. 186. V●ug meth on Bib p. 15 Walker on Cov. p. 59. Gibben● on Gen. Mar. 14.42 . Mar. 15.34 , 32. Heb. 9.14 . Ainsworth on the text . Gen. 1.26 Rev. 13.8 . Walker on the Cov. p. 42. Ainsworth on Gen. Gibbens on Gen. V●b . Reg. on Christs serm . to Emaus . Duples . trunesse of Chr. relig . p. 226. Gen. 12.13 . Gen. 18.18 . Gen. 20.12 . Gal. 3. ● . Heb. 7.12 . Heb. 6.20 . Jer. 23 6. Isa. 9 6. Dixon on the H●b . Williams , 7 gold . can . p. 330 , 331 Bal on the cov . p. 49. Walker on the cov . p. 63. Gen. 32.28.30 . Seven gold . cand . p. 322 Gen. 49.10 . B. Babing . on the text . Institut . p. 204. Heb. 11.10 . Gen. 49.18 . Ainsworth on the text . Tindal in his works , p. 430. Ainsw . on Exod. Mar. 15.33 , 34 , 35. 1 Cor. 10.2 , 3 , 4. Bal on the cov . p. 110 Bal on the cov . p. 213 Ibid. p. 113 Lightfoot miscela . p. 186. Subst . of Relig. octav . eng . p. 184 , 185 New Cov. p. 317. O● cov . p. 128. Bolton , true boun . p. 23. Rom. 2.15 In M. Bolton , p. 371. Bullinger , com . plac . Rom. 5 . 1● Rom. 5 . 2● Pembl . ●ind . fid . p. 155. Bolton , 〈◊〉 bound . ● . 132 , 158. Reinolds on the use of the Law , D. Willet on Exo. 10 Pembl . vind . fid . p. 154. Gal. 3.19 . Reynolds on the use of the law Ibid. Marshal , Infants-baptisme . Rom. 11.6 Bolton , true boun . p. 157. Reynolds on the use of the law . Instit. p. 157. Pembl . vind . fid . p. 164. Instit. p. 159. Exod. 19.8 Pembl . ibid. Bolton , true bounds , p. 22. Cal Instit. Institut . pag. 402. Walker on the Covenant , page 155. Dixon . on the Hebr. Heb. 12.19 , 20. B. Babing . on Gen. 20. Luther O● Gal. p. 153. Walker on the Covenant , p. 70 The Author of the benefit of Christs death . Aynsworth , on Deut Deut. 18.15 , 16 , 17 18. Ioh. 3.25 . Levit. 1.1 . Exod. 34.27 . Exo. 24.4 . On the text . Ainsworth . Dixon on the Heb. Walker on the Cov. pag. 13. Com. places English Calvins Institut . lib. 2. Cal. Inst. p. 157. Bolton , true bounds , p. 2●9 . In his preface to Levit. Heb. 11.4 . Levit. 1.4 . B Babing . on the text . On Iob 1. Institut . p. 239. Ibid. 152. Heb. 11.26 , 27. Alleadged by Dr. V●b . Reg. Cal. Inst. p. 207. On Gal. I am sure . Inst. p. 198. Walker on the Cov. Heb. 8.8 . Vrsin . cat . p. 129. Gal. 3.6 , 7 On Gal pag. 116. On Iusti. page 90. Walker on the Conant , page 122. Page 29. Heb. 13. ● . Marshall of infants Baptisme . Ball on the covenant ▪ page 119. Deut. 9.10 . Deu. ●0 . 5 . Reinolds on Psal. 110. p. 35. Rom. 10.4 Bolton , true bound . p. 52. Exod. 25.22 . On Gala. pa. 171. Calv. iust . p. 167. Verse 19.20 . Verse 9. Verse 20. Eccles. 9.2 Num. ●0 . 12 . 2 Chron. 35.21 , 22. Num. 16.46 . Matth. 22 23. Boltons true bounds . pag. 259. Ball on the Cov●n . pag. 114. Perkins on Christs Ser. on the mount . Musculus ▪ Com. pla . pag. 118. Gray , in his Serm. of the perfect . of a Christ. In his preface to the Rom. exp . Tindal on Ma● . Bolton , true bounds . pag. 161. Heb. 7 9. Rom. 9.31.32 . Rom. 10.3 2 Cor. 3.14 . Exod. 34.28 , 29. 2 Cor. 3.7 . Exod. 34.35 . Calvins Harm . p. 87. Matth. 27.51 . Tindal , alleadged by Marbeck in com . pla . p. 112. 2 Cor. 3.5 2 Cor. 3.14 . Gal. 4.4 . Hooker Souls Justifica pag. 173. Isai. 53.6 . Luther on Gal. pag. 137. Heb. 10.5 , 6 , 7. Visin . cat . Pemble vindict . fid . Forles on justification , p. 89. Goodwins Christ set forth , pag. 87. Rom. 6.10 , 11. 1 Cor. 15.20 . Smith on the Creed . On Gal. p. 81. Rom. 7.4 . Doctor Willet on the Text. Elton on the Text. On the Text. Alledged by Doctor Willet on Rom. See Doctour Willet again . Fox that wrote the Book of Martyrs . On Gal. p. 184. Pag. 185. Rom. 3.19 . Rom. 6.14 . Acts 13.39 . Iohn 3.16 . Boultons true bounds , p. 160. Trunesse of Christian Religion . On Gal. p. 133. Chos . Sermon , pag. 108. Boultons true bounds , p. 97. Pag. 162. Boultons true bounds , p. 97 , 98. Iudg. 9.18 , 19. Discourse of true happines , pag. 64. Matth. 5.20 . Proposition , on Gal. second , in octa . pag. 45. Doctor Downham of Iustification , p. 149. Acts 4.12 . Iohn 14.6 . On Gal. p. 17. Doctor Vrban Regis , in his exposition of Christs Sermon going to Emaus . 1 Cor. 2.2 . Reynolds on Psal. 110. p. 1. Matth. 26.73 . Phil. 1.27 . Mark 4.15 . 2 Tim. 3.5 . 2 Thess : 1.11 . 1 Tim. 1.5 . Diodat on the Text. Wilson on the Romans , p. 17. Doctor Preston of Faith , pag. 86. 2 Cor. 13.5 . Rom. 8.10 . Chos . Sermon , Pag. 65. Luther on Gal. pag. 170. Gal. 5.4 . Gal. 3.19 . Gal. 1.7 . Gal. 3.10 . Gal. 4.25 . Gal. 5.7 . Gal. 3.11 . Heb. 11.6 . Instit. pag. 370. On Gal. 〈…〉 . On Gal. p. ●5 . Ball on the Covenant , pag. 338. Chos . Sermon , Pag. 65. Matth. 21.31 . Philip. 3.7 , 8 , 9. Matth. 3.17 . Reynolds on Psal. 110. p. 7. Luther on Gal. p. 69 , 194. Acts 16.31 . Culverwell of Faith , pag. 15. Iohn 3.16 . Doctor Preston of Faith , pag. 8. In a little book called the benefit of Christs death . Heb. 10.22 . Iude verse 4. Matth. 22.14 . 2 Pet. 1.10 . Heb. 4.1 . Poore doubting Christian , pag. 69. Deut. 29.29 . 1 Iohn 3.23 . Doctor Sibs Souls conflict , Pag. 621. Gal. 2.20 . Doctor Preston of love , pag. 146. 2 Cor. 5.20 , 21. Rouse mystica● Mariage , p. 1● Christian Liberty , p. 21. 1 Sam. 1● . 25 . 2 Cor. 5.19 . Chos . Sermon , pag. 299. Chos . Sermon , pag. 31 , 32 , 33. Ephes. 1.6 . Iohn 11.21 . Luther on Gal. pag. 17. Iohn 5.22 . Iohn 12.17 . 1 Tim. 1.15 . Rom. 4.5 . Matth. 9.12 . Ezek. 16.4 , 5 , 8. Hos. 2.19 . Mark 10.49 . Luke 5.8 . Chos . Ser. p. ●● . Luke 1.57 . Chos . Ser. p. 85 Heb. 4.6 . Hookers poore doubt . Christ. pag. 108. Revel . 3.20 . 1 Tim , 1.13 . Poore doubt . Christ. p. 132. Iohn 6.37 . Psal. 25.11 . On Gal. p. 20 , 21. Isai. 55.1 . Hookers poor doubting Christian. pag. 151. Cornw●ll , on Gospel repentance . p. 6. Isai. 55.3 . Cornwell , on Gospel repentance . p. 21. Dike , of repentance . p. 11. Luke 19.6 . Acts 16.14 . 2 Kings 7.4 . Doct. Preston of Faith. p. 23. Goodwins child of light . pag. 196. Pag. 199. In a Letter to him . Hookers poore doubt . Christ. pag. 52. Iohn 17.21 . 1 Iohn 4.13 . Cant. 2.16 . Hookers Souls union , pag. 6 , 7 , 9 , 10. Tindall Parab . wicked Mam. pag. 75. Doubting Christian , pag. 154. 1 Cor. 1.30 . Barnardine Ochine in his Serm. how a Christian should make his last Will. 1 Cor. 3.22 . Barnardine Ochine in his Sermon , how a Christian should make his last Will. 2 Cor. 5.21 . Christian Liberty , p. 21 . 2● . Pag. 24. Pag. 25. On the new Covenant . pag. 15. Col. 2.14 . Ephes. 1.4 . Rom. 3.24 . Boultons true bounds , p. 2●● . Acts 13.39 . M. Iohn Fox upon election . Doctor Sibs Souls conflict , pag. 55. Instit. pag. 155. Heb. 12.18 , 22 , 24. Rom. 4.15 . Isa. 58.1 . Rom. 8.1 . Greenhams afflicted conscience , p. 70. Barnardine Ochine in his Sermon , how to answer before the judgment seat . Luthers . Chos . Sermon , p. 99.100.101 . Chos . Sermon , pag. 42.99 . Barnardine Ochine in his Sermon of Predestination . 1 Cor. 15.56 , 57. Boultons true bounds , p. 7● . Pag. 74. Basting Cat. pag. 9. Reynolds use of the Law , pag. 388. Ezek. 16.6 . Iohn 6.26 . Ephes. 5.1 . Iohn 14.15 . Psal. 89.31 , 32 , 33. Boultons true bounds , pag. 77 Perkius on Gal. 4.5 . allea●ged by Docto● Taylor , Regu● vitae . pag. 21 Acts 3.22 . Matth. 17.4 , 5. Col. 3.16 , 17. Verse 18. Verse 20. Ephes. 5.6 . Gal. 6.2 . Rom. 14.9 . On Gal. p. 59. Institut . p. 403. Boultons true bounds , pag. 31 Heb. 10.1 , 2. Chap. 9.14 . On Gal. p. 182. Rom. 7.12 , 14. On Gal. p. 5. Chos . Sermon , pag. 103. Com. Places fol. English , 119 , 120. Isai. 33.22 . 1 Iohn 3.10 . Chos . Sermon , pag. 142. Tindall Parab . wicked Mam. pag. 65.66 . Chos . Sermon , pag. 197. Parab . wicked Mam. pag. 68. Discourse of true happines , pag. 35. On the heart , pag. 111. Christian Liberty , p. 39. Chos . Sermon , pag. 246. Pag. 297. Instit. pag. 162. Calvin on Iohn 3.34 . 1 Cor. 13 9. In his works , pag. 86. Benefit of Christs death , pag. 85. Christian Liberty , p. 39. On Gal. p. 150. 1 Tim. 1.8 . Titus 3.8 . Titus 3 4 , 5. Rom. 5.5 . 1 Iohn 4.19 . Dyke on Repentance . p. 9. Dyke of Repentance , p. 21 Ezek. 36.31 . Zach. 12 . 1● . Phil. 3.6 . On Gal. p. 218. Hosea 10 : 1. Of Love , p. 19 Gal. 3.2 . 2 Cor. 5.14 . Doctor Preston of Love , pag. 29. Towns Assertion of Grace , pag. 131. Pag. 138. Pathway to holy Scripture , pag. 383. Doctor Preston of Love , pag. 28. Luke 1.74 , 75· Matth. 10.28 . Col. 3.24 . Heb. 11.26 . Gen. 15.1 . Psal. 73.25 . Psal. 17.15 . Heb. 10.22 . Tindall Parab . wicked Mam. pag. 89. 1 Iohn 4.19 . Psal. 16.12 . Psal. 26.3 . Iohn 14.6 . Col. 2.6 . Elton on the Text. Rom. 5.1 . Isai. 26.3 . Rom. 4.16 . Rom. 3.24 . Phil. 3.9 . 1 Cor. 15.10 . Isai. 65.6 . 1 Cor. 4.7 . Rom. 11.14 . Heb. 4.2 . Iohn 6.29 . Rollock on Iohn . I cannot certainly direct you in what page to finde al this , because the severall Impressions do alter the pages , but in that Booke where I had it , is in p. 330.340 , 344 , 346. Wards life of Faith , p. 6 , 7 , 8 74 , 75. Poore doubting Christian , Pag. 159. Pag. 154. Barnardine Ochine in his Sermon of Predestination . Iohn 15.16 . On Gal. p. 124. In his Treatise of Faith , pag. 20. Wards life of Faith , pag. 59. New covenant pag. 361. Towns Assertion of grace , pag. 142. Wards life of Faith , pag. 19. Williams seven golden Candlesticks , p. 394 Wards life of Faith , p. 6 , 7. Wards life of Faith , p. 68 , 69 , 70. On Gal. p. 173. 1 Cor. 13.9 . Iames 3.2 . 1 Iohn 1.4 . Rom. 7.15 . On Gal. p. 144. Wards Life of Faith. p. 149. Souls effectuall calling . p. 610. New covenant pag. 144. Phil. 1.27 . Chos . Sermon , pag. 72. Luke 17.5 . Rom. 19.17 . Poore doubting Christian , Pag. 148. Boultons true bounds , pag. 1 ▪ Ball on ▪ the covenant . pag. 41. 1 Pet. 1.6 . 1 Thes. 1.3 . Gal. 5.6 . Iohn 14.15 . Psal 40.8 . 1 Iohn 5 3. Gen. 39.9 . Luke 15.21 . Dan. 9.27 . Ezek. 36.31 . Hosea 14.8 . Isaiah 30.22 . Rom. 2.4 . Revel . 3.19 . Culverwell of Faith. p. 30 , 31. On Gal. p. 66. Chos . Sermon , pag. 156. Obedient Christ man , pag. 120. Levit. 26.43 . Ier. 31.18 . Verse 19. Psal. 94.12 . 2 Cor. 13.5 . Doctor Preston of Faith , pag. 84. 1 Iohn 3.19 . Luke 7.47 . Goodwin Christ set ●orth , pag. 23. M. Cotton of New England , in his thirteenth quest . Poore doubting Christian , Pag. 37. Goodwins child of light , p. 194. Hosea 14.3 . Luke 8.15 . 2 Cor. 3.5 . Iob 5.27 . Philip. 1.27 . 1 Thess. 1.3 . Heb. 9.26 . Heb. 9.24 . Perkins on the Creed , pag. 356 Matth. 28.18 . Reynolds on Psal. 110. p. 9. Harmony , pag. 329. Matth. 8.13 . M. Caryl at Blackfriers . Wilsons Dictionary , p. 259. 1 Tim. 4.8 . Psal. 116.7 . Heb. 4.3 . Psal. 73.25 . Psal. 22·1 . Psal. 30.5 . Iob 13.15 . Iob 19.25 . Nehem. 8.10 . Isaiah 26.3 . Iam. 1.10 . Psal. 55.10.11 . Psal. 42.1 . Cant. 25. Cant. 3.1 . Acts 20.32 . Heb. 13.20 , 21 Notes for div A41355-e35090 Major . Minor. Conclusion . Major . Minor. Conclusion . Major . Minor. Conclusion . Major . Minor. Conclusion . Major . Minor. Conclusion . Major . Minor. Conclusion . Iohn 4.26 . Luke 1.47 . Heb. 13.20 . Revel . 1.5 . Heb. 9. 1 Pet. 2. Object . Answer . 
A41843	----	The mystery of faith opened up, or, Some sermons concerning faith (two whereof were not formerly printed) wherein the nature, excellency, and usefulnesse of that noble grace is much cleared, and the practice thereof most powerfully pressed : whereunto are added other three sermons, two concerning death / by Mr. Andrew Gray ...; all these sermons being now carefully revised, and much corrected. Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656. 1669 Approx. 342 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 116 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-08 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A41843 Wing G1617 ESTC R39450 18419754 ocm 18419754 107527 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A41843) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 107527) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1634:15) The mystery of faith opened up, or, Some sermons concerning faith (two whereof were not formerly printed) wherein the nature, excellency, and usefulnesse of that noble grace is much cleared, and the practice thereof most powerfully pressed : whereunto are added other three sermons, two concerning death / by Mr. Andrew Gray ...; all these sermons being now carefully revised, and much corrected. Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656. [12], 216 p. Printed by George Swintown and James Glen ..., Edinburgh: 1669. Errors in paging: p. 78 misnumbered 76. Imperfect: tightly bound, with print show-through and some loss of print. Reproduction of original in the British Library. 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Sermons, English -- 17th century. 2004-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-03 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-05 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2004-05 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-07 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE Mystery of FAITH Opened up : Or some SERMONS concerning Faith ( two whereof were not formerly Printed ) Wherein the Nature , Excellency , and Usefulnesse of that noble Grace is much cleared , and the practice thereof most powerfully pressed . Whereunto are added other three Sermons , two concerning the Great Salvation , ( one of these not formerly Printed ) and a third concerning Death . By Mr. ANDREW GRAY , late Minister of the Gospel in Glasgow . All these Sermons being now carefully Revised , and much Corrected . Joh. 3. 18. He that believeth not , is condemned already , because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God. Edinburgh , Printed by George Swinton and Iames Glen , Anno 1669. Mr. GRAY'S Mystery of Faith. Christian Reader . AMong many weighty and soul pierceing Sentences that you will find in these following Sermons , this is one● ; That the Professors of this ●ge , whether they go to heaven or hell , they will be the greatest debtors that shall be in ●ither place● : the 〈◊〉 to the free grace of God , and the other to his Justice : And certainly , if we speak of those in this time , whose ●lessed lot it shall be to inherit the Kingdom , ●hey cannot but acknowledge themselves in●ebted to his love , above all that have gone ●efore them ▪ for w●shing them from such ugly ●●llutions , ●● this generation hath been defiled ●ith ; for bringing them through so great tri●●ilations , preserving them in the midst of so ●●eat ten●ations , and dangerous s●ares as have ●compassed them ; yea , and still keeping in the ●●ght before them , notwithstanding of so many ●asts ( if we may so speak ) from all the four ●inds of , hell to blow it out . And on the other ●nd , if we speak of these whom in this ge●●ration shall perish ▪ assuredly their debt unto ●ivine Iustice must be exceeding great , above ●●l who are gone down to the pit before them ; ●●cause the Roll of their mercies will be found have been many ●●bits longer ▪ and many cu●s broader , than theirs who lived in the pre●ding ages ; and the great things that the ●●rd hath wrought in our dayes , have born a greater testimony against the wickednesse , hardnesse and atheism of this time , then of many former . But above all , the great measure of Gospel-light that he hath no lesse plentifully offered , then wonderfully preserved to this generation , beyond all our Ancestors ; hath undoubtedly made the sin of these who shall utterly reject their own mercy , so out of measure sinfull , and their unbelief so exceedingly inexcusable , that their guilt must needs justifie Corazin and Bethsaida , or Sodom and Gommorrah in that day when every man shall give account of himself to God : And amongst the many preaching witnesses that ( al as we are afraid ) shall compear in that day against many yet living in their pleasures , and dead while they live : This now glorified Author cannot but be one , whose testimony must be very condemning , especially to the vain , loose , negligent and time-wasting youth in this age : For when h● was first drawn to the Ministry , he was but youth indeed , scarce twenty years compleat ; f●● within that age , that by the constitutions o● this Church ( except in case of more then common abilities which indeed he had ) is required for entring to that great and holy Calling . And for the space of two years after ( whic● was all the time that the Church enjoyed his Labour , he was helped to presse the Truths an● Threatnings of God so home upon the Conscience of his hearers , that as it was observed of him , b● one of his most Learned and pious Colleagu● Master Durham , who is now in glory with him he did many times cause the hair of their head stand up : The Lord not only hereby verifying his Word , that he can take the weak things of the world to confound the strong , and out of the mouth of Babes can perfect his own praise , but designing also ( as would seem of purpose ) to send a Boy out of the School for a reprover of the sluggishnesse of his People , that thereby the aged might be the more ashamed , and the younger more afraid : Neither do wee think that this was all ; but truely when we consider what measure of Graces , Gifts and Experiences the Lord did bestow upon so young a person , and then with what humility , self-denial , gravity , prudence , diligence , authority and moderation he was helped to manage these Talents during that short time of his Ministry ; It may be justly conceived that the Lord brought him forth to be a great conviction even to many of us in the Ministery who came into our Masters vineyard long before him , and will go out behind him : And indeed to us it looketh somewhat like the Lords taking up of the little Childe and setting him amongst the midst of his contending Disciples in these times , that even they who would be greatest amongst us , might be least , and see somewhat of their own weaknesse . As to this little Peece , whatever yee shall finde in it : It hath this to say for its self , that whereas many Writings in the world , do intrude themselves upon the Presse , yet this the Presse hath violently thrust into the world : For some young Student , from his good affection to the edification of the Lords People , and ( no doubt ) from his high esteem of the precious Author his memory , having given in to the Presse a Copie of some of these Sermons , being only Notes taken from his mouth when he preached them , no sooner were they seen abroad , but all the Presses in the Nation fell a labouring about them , so that ▪ ( if we mistake not ) in lesse no● two or three Months time , three or four Impressions were cast off , yet all of them so imperfect and maimed , that howbeit the excellency of the matter , and the fresh remembrance of the worthy Author his name , made them very sweet to many ( especially those who had heard him Preach ) yet the unsuitable dresse wherein they appeared and their mistakes of the first Writers ( they being hardly able to take up every thing as it was spoken ) occasioning diverse material failings in the sense , besides lesser faults , could not but be a trouble to those who were acquainted not only with the singular graces , but parts also of that eminent Youth . This gave occasion to some friends to speak a little what way these prejudices which both the Truth and the Authors name might ●ly under , by these uncorrect Impressions might be taken off . And finding that the Copie ▪ which by providence the worthy young Gentlewoman who was his wife , had lying by her though it was but Notes taken from his mouth , yet was the most correct that could be found : And that it also did contain the whole purposes that he had preached upon these Texts ; yea , the whole purposes concerning Faith , that he had preached according to that method , proposed in the first of the Sermons formerly published . This was undertaken to be revised by some , who albeit none of the fittest for these imployments , yet rather or nothing should be done in the businesse , were con●tent to bestow some hours upon it , according a● other necessary imployments would permit . And now having sought out all the Notes of these Sermons which we could finde from other hands , and compared them with the Copie abovementioned , wee do again present them unto the Lords People , not with any confidence that our pains hath put any new lustre upon them ; only wee have some hopes that the whole subject being now before them , and these things in the way of expression helped , which either might seem to be somewhat unpleasant , or liable to mistakes , they shall not n●w be lesse edifying , nor lesse acceptable then formerly they were . We did not think fit to make any considerable alterations ●●●o the method , or other things of that kind , lost ●aply by straining his excellent purposes too much , to shape them to the ordinary Rules , or to reduce them to that order which might best have pleased our selves we should have wronged the matter it self , at least , have put these to a losse who did hear him Preach , and it may be ●ow upon their reading things in that same order as they heard them , will be the more readily brought under the impressions of that livelinesse , power and weight which ( it may be ) formerly they felt upon their hearts when he was speaking . If the method do not altogether satisfie some spirits , or the explication seem not so fult , or ●f they finde some introductions which possibly ●ead not in so close , or seem not so sib to the subject of the Sermon , or happly now and then , there bee some little digressions from the main purpose , wee shall desire that this may not at all bee constructed to bee the Authors ignorance of Rules and Method , or his want of abilities in humane Learning : it being known to these who were best acquaint with him , that hee had indeed a Scholastick spirit , and was in reading far beyond his age and opportunities for Studying . But as to all these , wee shall intreat you rather to consider , 1. His age , and that his gift was but in the very moulding and breaking ( as wee speak ) in the point of order and method , when the Lord was pleased to call him home from his work . 2. That every man hath his proper gift of God , wh● in his great wisdom ( and certainly for the good of His Church ) doth so order , that there is somewhat singular and peculiar almost in every mans way , as to these things . 3. For any thing we know , hee had never that high esteem of this or any other of his labours , as to design an● of them for publick view : and these are bu● Notes taken from his mouth . 4. We are perswaded hee studied more his hearers than himself . Ye will easily perceive , when ye have bu● read a little , that hee hath been a man of a ver● zealous temper ; that the great ●ensil of hi● spirit , and that which hee did wholly spend himself about , was to make people know their dangerous condition by nature , and by all means t● perswade them to believe , and lay hold upo● the Great salvation : And truely that a ma● in such a frame should lesse attend to these lesse things is not to be wondered at . And indeed , though these things be good in themselves , and worthy to be looked to in their own place , yet for a Minister of the Gospel , in all Auditories , and upon all occasions , to pin up every purpose to such a method , and insist into such a measure of Explications and Criticismes upon words , it is but to ●etter himself , and to starve his people . 5. Consider the dulnesse of the most part of hearers in this age , and how hard a thing it is to awake a sleeping world , and to get them but to think that it doth concern them to hear in earnest ; And possibly it was not a small piece of spiritual wisedome in him , ( and it may be not unfit to be imitated by others ) to begin or end all his Sermons with an awakening word concerning Heaven , or Hell , or Iudgement , and the danger of choising the evil , and refusing the good . 6. For digressions , the truth is , that his soul was so filled with such longings after Heaven , and Glory , and so inflamed with the love of Christ , ( especially towards the latter end of his race ) that when he fell upon these subjects , upon which ( ye will see ) most of these digressions are , he could not well contain himself , nor easily bring off his own spirit ! A thing not unusual to the Saints in Scripture . And howbeit such things might seem somewhat singular ( in the time ) and not so coherent ; yet now we have grounds to apprehend that they were often strong influences of the Lords Spirit , stirring up a lamp ( as it were ) into a sudden blaze , that was not to burn long in his Church . But now we shall detain you no longer , only this we may assure you of , That although these Sermons are neither so exact , nor so full as doubtlesse they would have been , if they had come from the Authors own pen , yet as we dare say , they were studied with Prayer , Preached with Power , and backed with Successe ; so also , if ye shall read them with consideration , meditate with Prayer , and Practise with diligence , ye shall neither find your time nor pains ill bestowed , but shall have cause to blesse the Lord for this amongst other helps that he hath given , for making you meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light . That it may be blest to this end , is the earnest desire and prayer of your servants in the work of the Lord , Ro. Trail . Jo. Stirling . The Mystery of Faith Opened up . SERMON I. 1 Joh. 3. 23. This is his Commandment that ye should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ , &c. THis everlasting Gospel ( in which there are drawn so many precious draughts and divine lineaments of the transcendent beauty of a crucified Saviour , and of the riches of his unsearchable grace ) is a most precious and excellent thing , not onely because it doth contain most absolute and sublime precepts and commands , in the exercise and obedience of which , we do not only attain unto the highest pitch in holinesse , but likewise , because it containeth most rich and precious promises , in the possession and fruition of which wee are advanced to the highest pinacle of eternal blessedness , this is clear in the grace of Faith ; for what doth more purifie the heart and stamp it with the Image of the invisible God then this grace of Faith ? And what richer promises are annexed to any duty then to this duty of believing , to wit , everlasting life , and fruition of God. So that if we have dwelt fourty dayes at the foot of Mount Sinai , and had been under the greatest discovering and condemning power of the Law , we may yet come with boldnesse to mount Sion , and there imbrace Jesus Christ , who is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to such as believe ; Upon which Mount hee standeth holding forth the golden Scepter of his peace , desiring us to imbrace him , and is crying out that word in Isa. 65. 1. Behold me , behold me . O may wee not summond Angels , and these twenty four Elders about the Throne , to help us to wonder , that ever such a command as this came forth , that wee should believe on the Name of the Son of God , after that wee had broken that first and primitive command , That we should not eat of the forbidden tree : Was not this indeed to make mercy rejoyce over judgement ? And O may wee not wonder at the precious oath of the everlasting Covenant , whereby he hath sworn , That hee delighteth not in the death of sinners ? What ( suppose yee ) were poor Adams thoughts when at first the Doctrine of Free-grace , and of a crucified Christ Jesus a Saviour , was preached unto him in Paradise ? What a divine surprisal was this , that heaven should have preached peace to earth , after that earth had proclaimed war against heaven ? Was not this a low step of condescendency ? to behold an offended God preaching peace and good will to a guilty sinner ; What could self-destroying Adam think of these morning and first discoveries of this everlasting Covenant ? Christ , as it were , in the morning of time giving vent to that infinite love , which was resting in his bosome and precious heart , before the foundation of the world was laid . Wee know not whether the infinitenesse of his love , the eternity of his love , or the freedom of it , maketh up the greatest wonder ; But sure , these three joyned together , make up a matchlesse and everlasting wonder . Would any of you ask the Question , What is Christ worth ? Wee could give no answer so suitable as this , it is above all the Arithmetick of all the Angels in heaven , and all the men on earth , to calculate his worth , all men here must be put to a divine non plus ; This was Iobs divinity , Iob 28. 13. Man knoweth not the price of wisedome . And must not Jesus Christ who is the precious object of Faith , and wisedome of the Father , bee a supereminent and excellent One , who hath that Name of King of kings , and Lord of lords , not onely ingraven on his vesture , ( which pointeth out the conspicuousnesse of his Majesty ) but even also upon his thigh , to point out that in all his goings and motions , hee proveth himself to bee higher then the Kings of the earth ? And howbeit the naked proposing of the object doth not convert , yet if once our souls were admitted to behold such a sight as Christ in his Beauty and Majesty , and to bee satisfied with the divine rayes of his transcendent glory , then certainly wee should finde a blessed necessity laid upon us , of closing with him ; for Christ hath a sword proceeding out of his precious mo●●h , by which hee doth subject and subjugate his own to himself , as well as hee hath a sword girded upon his thigh , by which hee judgeth and maketh war with his enemies . Wee confesse it is not only hard , but simply impossible to commit a Hyperbole in commending of him ; His worth being alwayes so far above our expressions , and our expressions alwayes so far beneath his worth , therefore wee may be put to propose that desire unto him , Exalt thy self , O Lord , above the Heavens . But now to our purpose , being at this time to begin our discourse upon that radicall and precious grace of Faith , wee intend to speak of it under this twofold notion and consideration : First , We shall speak of it as it is justifying , or as it doth lay hold upon the righteousnesse of a crucified Saviour , makeing application of the precious promises in the Covenant of free grace , which wee call justifying Faith. And in the second place , we shall speak a little-unto Faith , as it doth lay hold upon Christs strength , for advancing the work of mortification , and doth discover the personal excellencies of Iesus Christ , by which wee advance in the work of holinesse and divine consormity with God , which wee call sanctifying Faith. However , it is not to bee supposed , that these are different habits of Faith , but different acts flowing from the same saving habit , laying hold and exercising themselves upon Christ in different respects , and for diverse ends . Now to speak upon the first , we have made choice of these words . The Apostle Iohn , in the former verse , hath been pointing out the precious advantages of the grace of obedience , and of keeping of his commands ; that such a one hath , as it were , an arbitrary power with God , and doth receive many precious returns of prayer : As likewise , that one who is exercised in the grace of repentance , is Gods delight : which is included in this , that he doth these things that are well pleasing in his sight . And now in these words hee doth , as it were , answer an objection that might bee proposed , about the impossibility of attaining these precious advantages , seeing his commands were so large , and that hardly could they bee remembered . This hee doth sweetly answer , by setting down in this one verse a short compend or breviary both of Law and Gospel , viz. That wee should love one another , which is the compend of the Law : and , The we should believe on the Name of His Son ; which is the compend of the Gospel ; And by this he sheweth the Christian , that there are not many things required of him , for attaining these excellent advantages ; but if he exercise himself in the obedience of these two comprehensive commandments , he shall find favour both with God and man. And as concerning this precious grace of Faith , Wee have , 1. the advantages of it implied in the words , and clear also from the scope , as ( no doubt ) all the commands have infinit advantages infolded in their bosome , which redounds to a Believer , by his practising of them . And , 2. the excellency of it holden forth in the words , in that it is called , His command , as if hee had no other command but this . ( And the Greek particle is here prefixed , which hath a great deal of emphasis and force in it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) But , 3. There is this also , the absolute necessity of this grace , holden forth here in this word , His Commandment : as if he would have said , by proposing of this command , I do set life and death before you , and that ye would not conceive that it is an arbitrary and indifferent thing for you to believe , or not : But be perswaded of this , that as an infinite advantage may constrain you to the obedience of it , so absolute necessity must perswade you to act that which is of your everlasting concernment . And lastly , Yee have the precious Object ▪ upon which Faith ( which is justifying ) doth exercise it self , and that is upon the Name of the Son of God ; And ( no doubt ) Faith is that excellent grace , which doth elevate the soul unto a sweet and inseparable union with Christ ▪ and is that golden and precious knot , that doth eternally knit the hearts of these precious friends together . Faith is that grace that draweth the first draughts of Christs precious Image on our hearts , and by love doth accomplish and perfire them . Now Faith taketh hold not onely on the faithfulnesse of God , that hee is a God of truth , and that in him there is no lie : but likewise it taketh hold on the omnipotency of God , that hee is one to whom nothing is too hard : and on the infinite mercy and love of God , that hee is one who doth delight to magnifie this Attribute above all his works : And these are the three great pillars of justifying Faith. From the first , it answereth all these objections of sense , which do ordinarily cry forth , Doth his promise fail for evermore ? And that with this one word , If hee hath once purposed it , hee will also do it , and if hee hath once spoken it , hee will also make it come to passe . From the second , it answereth all these objections that may arise from carnal reason and probability , which tend to the weakning of his confidence ; And these do oftemtimes cry out , How can these things be ? But Faith laying hold upon the omnipotency of God , it staggers not at the promise , but is strong in the Faith , giving glory to God. And it is the noble and divine exercise of this Heroick grace of Faith , that these objections of reason and probability , which it cannot answer , it will lay them aside , and yet close with the promise . Which was the practice of believing Abraham , who considered not his own body being weak , nor the barrennesse of Sarahs womb . As likewise , it was the commendable practice of that woman , Matth. 15. who not being able to answer the second trial of her faith from reason , yet notwithstanding , Faith made her cry out , Have mercy upon mee , O Son of David . And from the last , a Christian doth answer all the arguments of misbelief , which do arise from the convictions of our unworthinesse and sinfulnesse , which makes us oftentimes imbrace that divinity of Peters , Luk. 5 ▪ 8. Depart from me , for I am a sinful man. But Faith taking hold on the infinite mercy and love of Christ , it answereth all with this , He walks not with us according to that rule of merit , but according to that precious and golden rule of love and boundlesse compassion . But before we shall speak any thing unto you of these things , wee would a little point out some few things to be known as previous to these : we shall not dwell long in pointing out the nature of justifying Faith , it is that grace whereby a Christian being convinced of his lost estate , and of an utter impossibility to save himself , he doth flee to the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ ; and unto him who is that precious City of refuge , and there doth abide till our High Priest shall die , which shall not be for ever . Or if ye will , it is a sweet travelling of the immortall soul , betwixt infinite misery , and infinite mercy , betwixt an utter impossibility to save our selves , and a compleat ability in him to save to the uttermost , betwixt abounding sin , and superabounding mercy . Hence Faith is often holden forth to us in Scripture , under that notion of coming , Isa. 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters . Rev. 22. 17. Whosoever will , let him take the water of life freely , Heb. 7. 25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him . And we may say by the way , that if once a sinner could be brought to this , to count all his own righteousnesse but filthy rags , and to belive that a man is as really justified before God , by imputed righteousnesse , as if it were by inherent holinesse ; surely such an one were not far from the Kingdom of God. Neither shall we stand long to point out this unto you , that it is your duty to believe , for it is clear , not only from this place , but likewise from Isa. 45. 22. Look unto me , and be ye saved , all the ends of the earth . Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden , and I will give you rest . Joh. 14. 1. Ye believe in God , belive also in me . Isa. 55. 1. Ho , every ▪ one that thirsteth , come ye to the waters ▪ and he that hath no money , Come , buy without money and without price . But Oh! it 's a great misery of many ( and that which may be a subject of perpetuall lamentation ) that we can neither be subject to the Law , as commanding , to obey it , or as threatning , to believe it ; Nor , to the Gospel as promising , to imbrace it , and sweetly to receive it . O but that primitive temptation and delusion whereby Sathan did deceive our first father , is that whereby he yet seeks to catch and delude many souls , viz. That though we eat of the forbidden fruit , and walk in the vain imaginations of our own hearts , yet he doth suggest this to us , that we shall not die , but shall once be as God. This is Sathans great and de●●ding divinity ; And therefore , to inforce his great and precious Command a little further , wee shall propose these considerations , First , That the Gospel hath laid no obstruction in our way of closing with Christ ▪ and partaking of the effects of the Gospel ▪ but on the contrary , sheweth that the great impediment is our want of willingnesse , which wee lay in our own way : as is clear from ▪ Ioh. 5. 40. Yee will not come to mee that yee may get life : as likewise from Rev. 22. 17. where the gates of the Gospel are cast open , and whosoever will , are commanded to enter ▪ in : So that , although you may father your misbelief upon your inability , or that your spot is not the spot of his people , yet know , that the rise and original of it is , the want of willingnesse . But , to make this more clear , wee would have you knowing this , that all the qualifications annexed to this Commandement of Faith as that in Matth. 11. 28. speaketh out the qualifications rather of these that will come than of all these that ought to come ; O● hee inviteth these , that through the spiri● of discouragement and misbelief , have the greatest reluctancy to come . And may no● that ▪ cardinal and soul-refreshing promise Ioh. 6. 37. stop the mouth of misbelief so that it should have nothing to say ? H● that cometh unto mee , I will in no wayes cas● out . Yee may reduce your misbelief rather to the sinfulnesse of your will , than to the sinfulnesse of your walk ; And if once yee could come the length of willingnesse to imbrace Jesus Christ , all other objectio● and knots should be sweetly loosed and dissolved . Secondly , Consider , that though we should pray the on half of our time , and weep the other , yet if we want this noble grace of Faith , the wrath of God shall abide on us . What are all the works of these hypocrites , and these g●●string acts of Law-sanctification , but a plunging of our selves in the ditch , untill our own cloaths abhorre us ; Therefore it is , that after the Prophet Zachary ▪ hath made mention , in the 12. Chapter of his Prophesie , of making bitter lamentation for him whom wee have pierced , as for an only Son ; Yet in the beginning of the 13. Chapter , he maketh mention of a Fountain opened to the house of David , for sin and for uncleannesse : Which may intimate unto us , that , although we have washed our selves with our own tears , yet there is use of the bloud of Christ , and that we must bee washed in that fountain , even from our own righteousnesses , which are but as filthy rags . Thirdly , Consider that great and monstrous sinfulness that is in this sin of unbeleif , we will strain at a g●at , but many will easily swallow down this Camel : we will tith Mint and Anise , and fast twice in the week , but neglect faith and love , and judgment , which are the weightier things of the Law. And indeed , there are these things which speak out the sinfulnesse of unbelief . 1. That when the holy Ghost is sent to convince the world of sin , Ioh. 16. 9. he pitched upon this sin , as though there were no other sin of which the world had need to be convinced ; He will convince the world of sin , because they believe not on the Son of God : and ( no doubt ) there is more sinfulnesse in that sin , than in many breaches of the Morall Law , it being a sin against matchlesse love , and against that which is the remedy of sin . 2. That it is called by way of eminency , disobedience , as is clear from Heb. 4. 11. Lest any of you fall after the same example of unbelief : or as the word may be rendered , Lest any of you fall after that example of disobedience , Eph. 2 ▪ 2. 3. That among all these that shall be eternally excommunicate from the presence of the Lord , and from the glory of his power , these that are guilty ▪ of this sin of unbelief , they are put in the first place , Rev. 21. 8. And , 4. that unbelief doth contradict and deny these three precious and cardinall Attributes of God. 1. Doth not unbelief contradict his faithfulnesse , and make him a liar ▪ 1 Ioh. 5. 10 ▪ 2. Doth it not contradict the infinitenesse of his power . And , 3 ▪ the infinitenesse of his love : and supposeth that there is something too hard for him , which his power cannot reach , nor his infinite love overcome . We may reduce many of our questions , and disputings of his good will , to this original , viz. to the disputing of his power . No doubt , if we belong to him , we shall once sing that note of lamentation over ▪ our unbelief , This is our infirmity , for changes are from the right hand of the most High. And lastly , to enforce this precious command of Faith , consider that it is His Command which speaketh forth this , that we must not take an indulgence or dispensation to our selves , to believe , or not to believe at our pleasure . And is it not a strange thing , that Christians are lesse convinced of the breaches of the Commandements of Faith , then of other commands ? They think misbelief to be but a Zoar , a little sin . And it proceedeth either from this , that the convictions of other sins ( as the neglect of prayer , or the sin of swearing , or committing adultery ) do arise from a natural conscience : ( for there is somewhat of natures light to make us abominate and hate them , when yet the light of nature will not lead us to the convictions of the sinfulnesse of misbelief , it being a Gospel and more spiritual sin ) Or it proceedeth from this , that unbelief doth ordinarily passe vail'd under the vizard of some refined vertue , as humility and tendernesse , though that rather it may be said , that it is pride and ignorance , cloathed with the garments of humility . And no doubt , Christ doth account it obedience to this Commandement of Faith , the greatest act of humility , as is clear from Rom. 10. 3. where it is called submission , they submitted not to the righteousnesse of God , Or else it proceedeth from this , that we conceive that the commandment of Faith , is not of so large extent as other commands , and so doth not bind us to the obedience of ●t . But know this , that it shall be the condemnation of the world , that they have not believed on the Name of the Son of God : And no doubt , but it is Sathans great design and cardinall project , to keep us back from obedience to the commandement of Faith , and that we should not listen to the precious promises of this everlasting Gospel , but should reject the counsel of God against our selves , and refuse his precious and divine call . The second previous consideration that we would give , shall bee to show you what are the causes that there is so much disputing of our interest , and so little beleiving , that we are unstable as water , marring our own excellency , spending so much of our time in walking under a cloud and are so seldom admitted to read our names i● these precious and eternall records of heaven ? No doubt , these things have influence upon it ▪ viz. 1. That we are more judging of God by his dispensations , then by Hi● word , supposing ever the change of his dispensations to speak forth the change of ou● state ▪ This is misbeliefs divinity , that whe● sense cannot read love in his face , but he appeareth to frown , and to cast a cloud ove● it , then it is presumption ( saith sense ) t● read love in his heart , or in his word . Bu● know it was a self denying practice of , Believing Iob , to cry out , Though he shoul● kill me , I will believe in him . Therefor● make not dispensations your Bible , other ▪ wise ye will stumble at the noon-ride of th● day , and shall halt in your way . Knew y● never what such a thing as this meaned , to ascend in overcoming thoughts of his love , notwithstanding any thing that his dispensations might preach ? We conceive , that if the eyes of our faith were opened , we might see infinite love engraven on the darkest acts and most dismal-like dispensations of his to us , though it bee oftentimes written in dark and ●im characters of sense . 2 ▪ There is this likewise which hath in●●uence upon our so much disputing and misbelieving , viz. a guilty conscience , and the ●ntertainment of some predominant lust , which oftentimes occasioneth our walking in darknesse , and having no light : This is ●lear from 1 Tim. 1. 19. where that precious ●ewel of Faith can bee holden in no other place but in a pure conscience , that is that ●oyal palace wherein it must dwell ; And ●o doubt , if once wee make shipwrack of a ●ood conscience , wee will erre concerning our ●aith . A bosome idol , when it is intertained ●oth exceedingly mar the vigorous exercise ●f these graces , which are evidences of our faith . And certainly , grace rather in its ●egrees , than in its sincerity or simple being onely , is that which giveth the clear evidence of Faith. Therefore when we find not love ●● its high and eminent actings , wee hardly win to make it any clearly concluding demonstration of our Faith. 3. As likewise , a bosome idol , when it is ●ntertained , maketh use to lose much of our ●igh esteem and reputation of Jesus Christ ; which doth exceedingly interrupt the sweet and precious actings of Faith. For it is certain , that if once the immortal soul be united to Jesus Christ by the bond of love and respect , then our Faith will increase with the increase of God. Our intertainment of a bosom idol is ordinarily punished with the want of the sensible intimations of his peace , and of our interest in him ; So that sometimes his own are constrained to cry out , God hath departed from mee , and he answereth mee not , neither by dreams nor visions . 4. There is that likewise that hath influence upon it , our not closing absolutely with Jesus Christ , but upon conditions and suppositions . We make not an absolute and blank resignation of our selves over unto Christ , to hold fast the Covenant , notwith ▪ standing hee should dispense both bitter and sad things to us ; But wee conceive that Christs Covenant with believers , is like tha● Covenant that God made with Noah , tha● there should bee summer and winter , seed● time and harvest , night and day , unto Christian. A Christian must have his nigh● as well as his day : hee must once sowe i●● tears , before hee reap in joy ; and hee mus● once go forth , bearing his precious seed , b●fore hee can return bearing his sheaves in hi● bosome : and that this hath influence upo● our instability , may bee seen from this , Th●● often a Christian , after his first closing wit● Christ , hee meeteth with desertion in poi●● of tendernesse , in point of joy , and in poi●● of strength , so that his corruptions see● now to be awaked more then formerly , th● hee wants those seeming injoyments of him which formerly he had : And that much of ●is softnesse of heart hath now evanished , which is clear somewhat from Heb. 10. 32. That after they were enlightened , they ondured great fight of afflictions , For the word that ●● there rendered afflictions , signifieth inward ●roubles through the motions of sinne , as well as outward afflictions , Gal. 5. 24. And God useth to dispense this way to his own , ●ot only to take trial of the sincerity of our ●losing with him , but to make our faith ●ore stedfast and sure . And no doubt , if we ●ose not absolutely with Christ ( when ●nder these ▪ temptations and trials ) we will ●eject our confidence as a delusion , and sup●ose it to bee but a morning dream ; there●ore it were a noble and divine practice of a ●hristian to close with Christ without re●ervation , seeing hee doth dispence nothing ●●t that which may tend to our advantage . ●nd we would say to such as are under these ●emptations , that if yee endeavour to resist ●●em , it is the most compendious and excel●●nt way to make your hearts , which now ●●e dying as a stone , to bee as a watered Gar●●n , and as springs of water , whose waters fail ●●t , and to make you strong as a Lion , so that 〈◊〉 temptation can rouse you up , but you all bee enabled to tread upon the high places the earth , and to sing songs of triumph over ●●ur Idols . 5. There is this likewise which hath in●●ence on it , or building of our faith more ●●on sense then upon Christ or his Word ; and therefore it is , that Faith is so unconstant and changeable as the Moon , we not knowing what such a thing meaneth , To hope against hope , and to bee strong in faith , giving glory to God : And we would onely say unto you , that erect your confidence upon so sandy a foundation , that when the storm and wind of tentation shall blow , That house shall fall to the ground . As likewise , building of your faith upon sense , doth abate much of your joy , and much of your precious esteem of Jesus Christ , it being faith exercising it self upon an invisible object , that maketh the Christian , to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory , 1 Pe● . 1. 8. 6. There is this last that hath influence upon it , even our sloathfulnesse in the exercise of our spiritual duties , by which Faith should bee entertained . Faith is a tender grace and a plant that must not be ruffled , bu● nourished through the sap of other precious graces ; but wee grow remisse in ou● spiritual duties , and do turn our selves upo● the bed of security , as the door upon th● hinges . And doth not our drowsinesse cloath us with rags , and make us fall into a deep sleep ; while as , if wee were diligent , O● souls should bee made fat and rich ? Yea slothfulnesse doth not only impede assuranc● in this , that it hindereth the divine communications of his love and respect , by which assurance may bee keeped in life , Cant. 5. 2 ▪ But also , it maketh our poverty come on us an armed man , and our want as one that travelleth . And withall , it letteth loose th● chain by which our corruptions are tyed , and maketh them to lift up their head , by which our assurance is much darkned and impared , and our hope is much converted into diffidence and dispair : And we would only say this , it is the diligent Christian that is the believing Christian ; and it is the believing Christian , that is the diligent Christian ; there being such a sweet reciprocation betwixt these two precious graces , that they die and live together . Now thirdly , we shall shut up our discourse with this , in pointing out a little what are those things that do obstruct a Christians closing with Christ , and believing in his precious Name . I. We conceive that this wofull evil doth ●pring and rise from that fundamentall igno●ance of this truth , that there is a God : as ●● clear from Heb. 11. 6. where that is re●uired as a qualification of a Comet , That he ●hould believe that God is : And assuredly ▪ ●ill once this precious truth be imprinted ●pon our souls , as with a pen of iron , and ●oint of a diamond , we will look upon the ●ospel as an U●opian fancy , and a deluding ●otion , to teach unstable souls , who know ●ot the way to attain unto real blessednesse . ●nd truly it is a fault in many , that they ●egin to dispute their being in Christ , before ●hey know there is a Christ : and to dispute ●heir interest in him before they believe his ●eing , and that there is such a one as is cal●●d Christ. II. Our coming unto Christ is obstructed from the want of the real and spiritual convictions of our desperate and lost estate without Jesus Christ , and that our unspeakable misery is the want of him ; which is clear from Ier. 2. 31. We are Lords , we will come no more to thee : And it is evident from Rev. 3. 16 , 18. That such a delusion as this doth overtake many , that they can reign as Kings without Jesus Christ , and that they can build their happinesse , and establish their eternal felicity upon another foundation . But , O that we could once win to this , to believe what we are without Christ , and to believe what we shall be in the enjoyment of him ; with the one eye to descend and look upon these deep draughts , that the mystery of iniquity hath imprinted upon your immortal souls , and withall to reflect upon the wages of sin , which is death ; and be constrained to cry out , Wo is me , for I am undone : And with the other eye to ascend and look to that help that is laid upon One that i● mighty , and to make use of the righteousnesse of a crucified Saviour , that so what we want in our selves , we may get it abundantly made up in him . III. There is this likewise that obstructeth our closing with Christ , our too much addictednesse to the pleasures and carnal delights of a passing world ; which is clea● from Luk. 14. 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22. Matth. 22 5 , 6. where these that were invited to com● to the feast of this Gospel , they do mak● their apologie , and with one consent do refuse it : some pretending an impossibility t● come , and some pretending an unavoidable inconveniency in coming : And O! What a rediculous thing is that poor complement , that these deluded sinners used to Christ , I pray you have us excused ? And is it not the world the great plea and argoment , that they make use of , When they will not come and make use of Christ ? IV. There is this lastly , which doth obstruct ones coming to Christ , their unwillingness to be denyed to their own righteousness : Which is clear from Rom. 10. 23. And wee conceive if once these two were believed ( which are the great Tropicks , out of which all these arguments may be brought to perswade you to imbrace Christ ) to wit , the infinite excellency of His person on whom we are to believe , and the infinite losse that these do sustain , who shall be eternally rejected of him . We might be persuaded to entertain a divine abstractednesse and holy retirement from all things that are here below , and to pitch our desires alone upon him , who is the everlasting wonder of Angels , and the glory of the higher House . O did we once suppose the unspeakable happinesse of these whose Faith is now advanced unto everlasting felicity and fruition , and hath entered into that eternal possession of the promises : might we not he constrained to cry out , It is good for us once to be there ? Christ weepeth to us in the Law , but we do not lament : and he pypeth to us in the Gospel , but we do not dance : He is willing to draw us with the cords of men , and with the bonds of love , and yet we will not have him to reign over us . May not Angels laugh at our folly , that wee should so undervalue this Prince of love , and should contemn him who is holden in so high esteem and reverence in these two great Assemblies that are above , of Angels , and of the spirits of just men made perfect ? Christ hath now given us the first and second Summonds , the day is approaching when the sad and wofull summonds shall be sent against us , of departing from him , into these everlasting flames , out of which there is no redemption : and this shall be the capestone of our misery , that we had once life in offer , but did refuse it ; And though there were four gates standing open toward the north , by which we might have entered into that everlasting rest , yet we choosed rather to walk in the paths that lead down to death ▪ and take hold of the chambers of hell . O but there are many that think the Gospel cunningly devised fables and foolishnesse , ( they being unwilling to believe that which sense cannot comprehend , nor reason reach ) and this is the reason why the Gospel is not imbraced , but is rejected as a humane invention ▪ and as a morning dream , &c. SERMON II. 1 Joh. 3. 23. This is his Commandment that ye should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ , &c. THere are three great and cardinall mysteries , in the unfolding of which , all a Christians time ought to be spent . First , There is that precious and everlasting mystery of Christs love and condiscendency , which those intellectual spirits , the Angels , are not able fully to comprehend . Secondly , There is that woefull mystery of the desperate deceitfulnesse and wickednesse of the heart , which no man was ever yet able fully to fathom and comprehend . And , thirdly , there is that precious mystery of that eternal felicity and blessednesse that is purchased unto the Saints , that once they shall reign with Christ , not a thousand years only , but throughout all the ages of everlasting and endless eternity : so that there is this difference betwixt the Garden of everlasting delights , that Christ hath purchased to the Saints , and that first Paradise and Eden wherein man was placed : There was a secret gate in the first , thorow which a man that had once entered in , might go out again ; But in this second and precious Eden , there is no accesse for going out . And all that is to be known of these three mysteries , is much comprehended in this , to know that they cannot fully be known ; Paul was a blessed proficient in the study of the first mystery , and had almost attained to the highest Classe of knowledge , and yet he is constrained to professe himself to bee ignorant of this : Hence is that word , Eph. 3. 19. That ye may know the love of Christ , which passeth knowledge . And is it not a mysterious command , to desire people to know that which cannot be known ? The meaning whereof we conceive to be this in part , that Paul pressed this upon them , that they should study to know that this mystery of Christs love could not be known . Ieremiah was a blessed proficient in the knowledge and study of the second mystery , he had some morning and twilight discoveries of that , and yet though in some measure he had fat homed that deep ; yet he is constrained to cry out , chap. 17. vers . 9. The heart is deceitful above all things , and desperately wicked , who can know it ? And indeed , that which Solomon saith of Kings , Prov. 25. 3. may well be said of all men in this respect , The heavens for heighth , and the earth for depth , and the heart of man is unsearchable . The Apostle Paul also was a blessed proficient in the study of the third mystery , having some morning and twilight discoveries of that promised rest , and was once caught up to the third heavens , and yet when he is beginning to speak of it , 1 Cor. 2. 9. he declareth all men to be ignorant of the knowledge of this profound mystery of mans blessednesse , and cryeth out , Eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , neither have entered into the heart of man , the things which God hath prepared for them that love him . And if there bee any thing further to bee known of these mysteries , the grace of Faith is found worthy among all the graces of the Spirit , To open the seven seals of these great deeps of God. Is not the grace of Faith that whereby a Christian doth take up the invisible excellency and vertue of a dying Christ ? Is not Faith that precious grace by which a Christian must take up the sports and blemishes that are within himself ? And is not the grace of Faith , that precious grace that placeth a Christian upon the top of mount Pisga , and there letteth him see a sight of the promised Land ? And doth open a door in Heaven , thorow which a Christian is admitted to see Christ sitting upon His Throne ? And Faith hath not only a kind of Omnipotency ; as is clear , That all things are possible to them that believe : but it hath a kind of Omnisciency , and all knowledge that it can take up and comprehend the greatest mysteries of heaven , according to that word , Prov. 28. 5. He that seeketh the Lord shall understand all things , As if hee said , there is nothing dark to a believing Christian , as there is nothing impossible to ● believing Christian. As likewise , Faith ●s that grace that must take aside the vail that is spread over the face of a crucified Christ. And Faith is that precious spy that goeth forth , and taketh up these wonderfull excellencies , that are in him . The grace of love , as it were , is born blind , and it hath nothing wherewith to solace it self , but that which is presented unto it by this noble and excellent grace of Faith. Now before wee shall speak any thing to these things that wee did propose to speak of it at the last occasion : wee shall yet speak a little unto some things which are necessary to be known , for the distinct up taking of the nature of justifying Faith ; which is the great commandement of this everlasting Gospel : and that which wee would first speak to shall be this . What is the reason and ground that the Gospel conveyance of righteousnesse and life , ( and of the excellent things of this everlasting Covenant ) should be through the exercise of the grace of Faith ? For it is not said in the Scripture that repentance justifieth , that love justifieth , or that mortification justifieth ; but it is Faith only that justifieth , and it is Faith by which a Christian inheriteth the promises , so that is clear , that Faith is that Conduit-pype , through which are conveyed to us the great blessings of this everlasting Covenant . I. And the first ground of it is this , it is through Faith , that all our blessings may be known to be by love , and by free and unsearchable grace ; as is clear , Rom. 4. 16. While the Apostle is giving a reason why the inheritance is conveyed to a Christian through Faith ; It is of faith ( saith he ) that it might be of grace : for if the inheritance were conveyed to a Christian through a Covenant of Works , then these spotlesse draughts of infinite love , and of unsearchable grace , should not be written on our inheritance , as is clear , Rom. 4. 25. And it is that great designe of Christ , to make his grace conspicuous in conveying salvation to us through Faith. II. There is this second ground likewise of it , that all the promises and blessings of this everlasting Covenant might be sure and stedfast to us , therefore they are conveyed to us through the exercise of the grace of Faith ; as is clear , Rom. 4. 16. They are of Faith ( saith he ) that they might be sure : or as the word is , that they might be settled , when the promises of life and of eternal salvation were conveyed to us through mans obedience , were they not then most uncertain and unstable ? But is not heaven your everlasting crown now , stedfast unto you , seeing you have that golden pillar of Christs everlasting righteousnesse to be the foundation of your Faith , and the strength of your confidence in the day of need ? III. There is this third ground why the promises and excellent things of this Gospel are conveyed to a Christian through the exercise of Faith , that all boasting and gloriation might be excluded , according to that word , Rom. 3. 27. By what law is boasting excluded ? Not by the law of works , but by the law of Faith. And certainly , seeing Christians have all the great things of heaven conveyed to them through the exercise of Faith ; think yee not , that this shall be your first song when yee shall be within the gates of that new Jerusalem ? Not unto us , not unto us , but unto thee doth belong the glory of our salvation . O what a precious dignity were it , but for one half hour to be admitted to hear these spotlesse songs that are sung by these thousand times ten thousand , and thousands of thousands of holy Angels , that are round about His Throne ! Doth not David that sweet singer of Israel , now sing more sweetly no● he did while he was here below ? Doth not deserted Heman now chaunt forth the praises and everlasting song of him that sitteth upon the Throne ? And doth not afflicted Iob now sing sweetly after his captivity is reduced , and he entered within that land , where the voice of joy and gladnesse is continually heard ? Would ye have a description of Heaven ? I could give it no tearm so suitable as this , Heaven is a rest , without a rest , for though there remain a rest for the righteous , yet Rev. 4. 8. These four beasts that stand before the Throne , they rest not night nor day , crying , holy , holy , holy , is the Lord God Almighty ; yet there is much divine quietnesse in that holy unquietnesse that is above . IV. There is this last ground why the blessings of the Gospel , and life and righteousnesse are conveyed to us thorow the exercise of Faith , that the way to attain to these things might be pleasant and easie ; we are certainly perswaded , that the way of winning to Heaven by a Covenant of Works was much more unpleasant and difficult . But is it not an easie way of entring into the holy of Holies , to win unto it through the exercise of Faith ? Are not all wisdoms wayes pleasantnesse , and are not all her paths peace ? Was not that just self-denial in one , that said , he would not take up a Crown though it were lying at his foot . But oh that cursed self-denial doth possesse the breasts of many ; so that though that Crown of immortal Glory and eternal blessednesse be lying at your feet , yet ye will not imbrace it , nor take it up . Is not the hatred of many to Christ covered with deceit , and therefore , Your iniquity shall be declared before the Congregation . Now that what we have spoken upon this , might be more clear , and that the nature of ●ustifying Faith be not mistaken , We would have you taking notice of these things . 1. That the grace of Faith doth not justifie Christian , as it is a work ; or because of any inherent excellency and dignity that is in this grace , above any other graces of the Spirit ; ●ut Faith doth alone justifie a Christian instrumentally and objectively ; that is , it is ●hat by which a Christian is just , by laying hold ●n the precious object of it , the righteousness of Christ. And to clear this , we would only have you knowing this , That Faith doth juifie , as it closeth with Christ ; but not because 〈◊〉 closes with Christ , which some vainly are ●old to assert ; because there is not any dig●ity or worth in the act of Faith , in closing with Christ that can be the foundation of our ●ustification , else it were to confound that precious decreet of free grace . 2. There is this that we would have you all knowing ; That Faith is not the instrument of Justification , ( as Justification is taken in an active sense , ) though it is the instrument of Justification , as it is taken in a passive sense : and the ground of this conclusion is this , because it is impossible that any action in man can be an instrument of any action in God : And therefore that phrase that you have so ordinarily spoken of , That Faith justifieth , it is thus to be resolved , That we are justified by Faith. 3. There is this that we would have you knowing , that betwixt a Christians closing by Faith with the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ , and the justification of a sinner , I say , there is no natural and indispensible connexion betwixt these two : but onely there is a connexion of divine appointment , and of free grace , though we conceive there is a natural aptitude in the grace of Faith , to lay hold on the righteousnesse of Christ , more then there is in any other grace of the Spirit , as ye may see there is a more natural aptitude and fitnesse in the hand to receive then in any other organ of the body . 4. There is this also that we would have you knowing , that a Christian in his first closing with Christ , Christ ( considered as crucified ) is the immediate object of his Faith , and not Christ considered in his personal excellencies . Hence it is often in Scripture , that Christ as crucified , is holden forth as the immediate object of justifying Faith ; as is clear , Rom. 3. 5 , 24 , 25. And the ground of this assertion is this , because that it is the formall object of justifying Faith , which doth formally justifie the sinne● ; and on which Faith doth immediately lay hold as a ransome to satisfie justice , and as a righteousnesse in which the soul dare venture to be found when it shall stand before the Judgement seat of God ; And certainly , this is Christ as obedient to the death of the crosse . And it is likewise clear , that the thing which doth engage the soul to Christ , is not onely because he is good in himself , but because he is good to us . 5. And there is this lastly , that we would have you knowing , That though faith doth alone justifie , yet Faith doth not justifie being alone : Hence is that which we have so often in Schooles , Fides justificat solum , licet non solitariè , that Faith justifieth alone , though not being alone ; as Iames doth speak , Faith without works is dead , and is of no effect . Now that which secondly we shall speak to , shall be this ; To point out to you some differences betwixt justifying Faith , which is in a real Believer , and temporary Faith which is in an Hypocrite , and one that is destitute of that everlasting hope , though he do pretend to have it . And first , That there is such a thing as temporary Faith , is clear from Luk. 8. 13. It is said there of some ▪ That they believed for a season , yea , in Acts 8. 13. It is said of Simon Magus ( who was in the gall of bitternesse , and in the bond of iniquity ) he believed . And these in Ioh 2. 23. When they did behold the miracles , they believed on Iesus Christ : and yet we conceive , that their faith was not sincere , and so this was not saving Faith. And indeed ye may see a difference betwixt these two in the very name temporary ; for this is such a Faith as doth not continue long with him that hath it , but doth evanish and passe away ; for as this is certain , that an hypocrite will not always call upon God , Iob 27. 10. So that is also certain , that a hypocrite will not alwayes believe in God. I tell you , that the longest time a hypocrite doth keep his Faith , Iob hath set down in his 18. Chap. vers . 14. Their hope ( saith he ) shall bring them to the king of terrours , and then it shall be rooted out of them and their tabernacle ; their faith will bring them no further then the gates of death , and then their faith will flee away as a dream , and evanish as a vision of the night . II. There is this difference likewise betwixt them , That temporary Faith , it closeth with Christ as a Saviour , and for righteousnesse , but it closeth not with Christ as a Prince , and for Sanctification ; but justifying Faith taketh Christ as well for a Prince , as it taketh him for a Saviour : and if Solomon did discern who was the true Mother of the childe by that , that she who would have the childe divided , was not the mother of the childe ; so we may say ▪ that they who would divide Christ in his Offices , it is an evidence that they are not among these who are actually made partakers of the Adoption of children ; there is somewhat of this pointed at in Ioh. 6. 66. where that which made many who were his disciples ( and did once believe ) desert him , was because of the hardnesse of his command , This is an hard saying , who can hear it ? And it is certain that it is a greater difficulty for a Christian to take Christ as a Prince , then as a Saviour : for by that he must make an absolute resignation of himself over to Chrrst , never to be reduced . O when saw you such a sight of Christ , that ye were constrained to cry our ( without a complement ) to him ; Truly I am thy servant ▪ I am thy servant ? O were ye never ravished with one of his eyes , nor overtaken with one chain of his neck ? Believe me , they who see him thus , do believe that His commands are not grievous . III. There is this difference , that temporary Faith is attained unto , without the exercise of the Law , but justifying Faith is not attained to without some measure of the exercise of the Law : this is clear , Mark 4. 5. where speaking of these temporary believers , it is said of them , that the fruit did immediately spring up , &c. Are there not some ( it may be here ) who think they do believe , and yet were never in any measure trembling under the discovering & condemning power of the Law ? Is not that a mystery , that one should bring forth without travelling ? And is not this a mystery in Christianity , that one should believe before he hath found the pa●gs of the New ▪ birth . I am afraid of this , that many of us have taken up our Religion at our foot : for there are many who take up Religion before Religion take them up . But would ye know the properties of a Christians Faith ? It is a begotten Faith , 1 Pet. 1. 2. and not a Faith that is taken up at our pleasure : And I would only say these two things to you , be perswaded of this , that hypocrisie may be spun with a ve●p small threed : so that the most discerning Christian cannot take up that desperate enmity that is in them . How long did Iudas lu●k under the name of a Saint , even with these that were most discerning ? And there is this that we would say , that among all these that shall be eternally excommunicate from the presence of the Lord , and from the glory of his power , Hypocrites in Sion shall have the bitterest cup of Divine indignation presented unto them . Hence it is , that Christ , when he would tell the worst company that one shall have in hell , it is alwayes this : ye shall go to that place where hypocrites and sinners are : and so it would be of your concernment , that by the candle of the Lord ye would search the inward parts of the belly , before ye go down to the grave with a lie in your right hand ; a deceiving heart having turned you aside . We confesse it is sad to consider these anxious disappointments that many in those dayes shall once meet with . IV. But there is this last difference betwixt justifying Faith , and temporary Faith , That there are three precious effects of justifying Faith , which a temporary believer cannot win to . 1. To be denyed to all his enjoyments and attainments , and walk humbly under them , for we may say , that it is impossible for an hypocrite to be denyed to his enjoyments , he maketh such a deity of them , and worships them , or rather he worshippeth himself in them . There are three great graces that a hypocrite doth pursue after , ( though he rather seeketh them as gifts than as graces : ) Knowledge , Prayer , and Humility : And though it be but little that he can attain of any of the three , ( or rather nothing in a saving way ) yet least of all can he attain to the last , yea , we may judge that there is alwayes within his bosome a standing conviction , that he could never win unto that gracious grace of humility . O could ye never win to this , to count your own righteousnesse as filthy rags , and to rejoice alone in the righteousnesse of a crucified Saviour ? I would press this upon you by the way ( O Christians of this generation ) forget your perfections ; and remember your imperfections ; have a holy oblivion of your attainments , but have a Divine remembrance of your short comings , look more to what is before unperfected , nor to what is behind , and thus shall you evidence true justifying Faith. 2. It is an effect of justifying Faith to be under some constant and Divine impression of the preciousnesse of Jesus Christ , according to that word , 1 Pet. 2. 7. To you who believe , Christ is precious ; It is not said , that Christ was precious , or shall be precious , but it is said , He is precious , which doth import , ( as we use to speak ) a continued act ; Did ye never know what it was to dwell twenty four hours under the impression of the matchlesse excellency and precious worth of a crucified Saviour ? I will pose you with this . Are there not some here ( and elsewhere ) that passe under the notion of Saints , that never knew what it was to dwell half an hour under these high and elevaring thoughts of the preciousnesse of Jesus Christ ? So that wee professe we cannot tell whether we shall call him precious or undervalued : but wee may conjoyn these two names together ; that he is precious ( and yet ) undervalued Christ. 3 ▪ By true justifying Faith , a Christian winneth to mortification of his invisible and predominant lusts , which is impossible for a temporary Believer to win to . And is there not a great difference betwixt an Idol when it is cast out , and an Idol when it goeth out ? I will tell you the great mortification of hypocrites , the devil was living in them as one that was a black one , and now hee cometh again and transformeth himself into an Angel of light : He was living in them before by his spirit of prosanity , and now hee liveth in them by the spirit of hypocrisie , and counterfeiting of these things that were never clear attainments , while it is the noble dignity of Faith , Act. 15. 9. To purifie the heart . But are there not many here who never knew what it was to mortifie one lust for Christ ? Can such a delusion overtake you O●athiests ▪ That ye shall reign with Christ , if ye die not with him ? There is an opinion vented in these dayes , that there may be repentance in heaven , and I think it would seem that the Christians of this age have much of that opinion , we are so little in repentance while we are here below : but know that Faith and Sanctification are two inseparable companions : And let me tell you , if ye would know the compend of the precious exercise of Faith ? It is this , Faith hath three great things , that it perpetually contemplates and views . 1. Faith looketh to the promise , and there it doth rejoyce and rest upon it . 2. Faith looketh to the duties that are commanded , and there it cryeth out , Here am I , I will obey and hearken unto the voice of the word . And , 3. Faith looketh to the crown , and there it doth exult and sweetly rejoyce in divine expectation . And O what a sight is that , to behold that everlasting Prince standing at the end of our race , having a crown in his right hand , with this Motto ingraven on it , Hee that persevereth to the end shall be saved ? And what a Faith suppose yee shall it be thought when wee shall get on that immortal Crown of blessednesse ? What think ye is the exercise of these that are above ? O heaven , heaven , if we did know it , would we not be in a holy extasie of desire , till we were there ! And blessed be he eternally , that hath purchased that precious felicity to us . Now we shall at this time shut up our discourse , by speaking a little to these things , in which a Christian doth ordinarily meet with assurance of his interest in God , and is put to the divine actings of the grace of Faith , for there are some sealing times to a Christian. I. The first time of the sealing is , after the mortification of some predominante lust and idol , then they are admitted to read their names in these precious and ancient records of heaven , and to see ( in these Books ) their unworthy names written by the hand of that everlasting Prince . This is clear , Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give a white stone , and in the stone a new name written , that no man knows , saving he that receiveth it . And from that 2 Tim. 4. 8. Believe mee , more mortification would make more believing , but would ye know the original of misbelief ? It is the want of exercise of spiritual mortification of our lusts . I know not where the most part of us intendeth to lodge at night , but this is certain , that wee live with much contentment with our lusts , and these predominant idols that doth so much possesse us . II. It is readily a sealing time to a Christian , when hee is admitted to the divine enjoyment of these satisfying delights that are to be found in Christ : When was it that the Spouse cryed out so often , My beloved is mine , and I am his ? Was it not when she was brought to the banqueting house , and his banner over her was love ? Believe mee , more communion with an absent Christ , would make more intimation ( in a divine manner ) of our peace with him : wee desire to blesse these that are above the reach of all these disputings , and questionings that wee are so much subject unto . III. This is a sealing time to a Christian , when hee is much in the exercise 〈◊〉 secret Prayer , and of much conversing , and corresponding with God in that duty , as is clear from that word in Dan. 9. 21. when Daniel was praying at the evening oblation , in the ●3 . verse he meets with a divine intimation of his peace with God , O man greatly beloved of God ; as the Original hath it , O man of great desires ; for he was desirable indeed , and precious to him who holdeth the Saints in his ●ight hand . IV. This is also a sealing-time to a Christian , when hee is called to the exercise of some great work , and is to be put upon some eminent holy employment , this is clear , Ier. ● 5. Where Ieremiah being called to preach the Gospel unto such a rebellious people , ●hen hee hath this eternal election declared ●nto him : Before thou wast formed in the womb , I knew thee ; Christ , as it were , giveth them that , to be meat to them for fourty dayes , and that in the strength of it , they may go many a dayes journey . V. There is also another sealing time : When ● Christian is first begotten to a precious and everlasting hope : for when at first Christians begin to be acquaint with Christ , even then sometimes he declareth to them his boundless and everlasting love : And that is the ground why some of those who are but babes in Christ , ●re so much in the exercise of diligence , so much in the exercise of the grace of love , and ●o much in the exercise of the grace of tendernesse , it is even because of the solemn impression of their interest in Christ , that , as it ●ere , they are daily taken in to read their own names in legible letters , in the Lambs book of life . VI. And there is this last time , that is ● sealing time to a Christian , and that is , when he is put under some sad and afflicting dispensation : When the furnace is hot seven times more then ordinary , Then doth God condescen●●o manifest himself to his own : When was it that Iohn met with most of the revelation● of Heaven ? Was it not when hee was in the Isle of Patmos , for the testimony of Jesus Christ● Kingdom , and patience of our blessed Lord ? Rev. 1. 9. And in that place , 2 Cor. 4. 16. Though our outward man decay , yet our inward man is renewed day by day . Now wee would presse you to bee more serious in the exercise of this precious grace ▪ And I shall tell you the compend of Christianity in these few words . 1. By faith to solace your selves in Christs invisible vertues and excellencies . And , 2. by hope , to be● viewing that precious Crown , and these everlasting dignities that are to bee given to the Saitns . And , 3 ▪ by mortification , to be crucifying your idols . And , 4. by patience ▪ to bee possessing your souls , untill once ye● shall passe through that dark land , to tha● valley of everlasting delight . And as fo● those that contemne , and undervalue th● bloud of this everlasting Covenant ( and 〈◊〉 would have all these that delight not in closing with Christ , and these who have no● misbelief as their crosse , to consider this ) The wrath of the living and eternal God do●● abide upon them who do not believe , according ●● that word , Ioh. 3. 36. He that believeth ●●ot , the wrath of God abideth on him . It is a remarkable phrase ; because of this the wrath of God will not bee a Pilgrime to a mishbe●ever , that will turn aside to tarry but for 〈◊〉 night , but the wrath of God ( to them who will not believe ) shall bee their houshold ●ompanion , and shall dwell with them ; and ●o , wo to them eternally , who have this sad ●nd everlasting companion to abide with ●hem , the wrath of a living God. There is ●ne thing we would have these knowing , that among all these who are eternally to bee dearted from Jesus Christ , misbelievers are put ●● the foremost rank , Rev. 21. 8. There he is to ●ut away the fearful and unbelieving . And ●om 2 Thess 1. 18. When Christ shall come from heaven with ten thousand of his Saints , ( What ●o do ) It is even to execute vengeance on th●se ●hat obey not the truth of the Gospel ▪ that is , who do not believe . And I pose your own hearts with this , whether or not your names ●ee written there in that ●oll , among these sho shall be cut off ? And that word , 2 Thes. ● . 12. That they might be damned who believed ●ot , but took pleasure in unrighteousnesse . O but ●he wrath of a dying Christ , and of a crucifi●d Saviour is dreadful ! It is more sad and ter●ible then the wrath of God should have been 〈◊〉 Christ had not died . I will tell you ( O ●ypocrites in Sion ) the worst news that ever were published in your e●●s , and it is this , Christ died and rose again , ( and to those that ●re begotten to a lively hope , they are glad ●●dings of great joy , and therein they may comfort themselvs ) but ye may wear a rough garment to deceive , and go to heaven in your own apprehension : But , O the sad disappointment that is waiting on many such ▪ And to close with this , we would obtest you ▪ as ye would answer to your terrible & dreadfull Judge , that shall stand one day upon his Throne , which he shall fix in the clouds , we obtest you by all the joyes of heaven , and we obtest you by all the everlasting pains of hell ▪ and we obtest you by all the curses that are written within the volume of this Book , and by all the sweet & comfortable promises that are in this everlasting Gospel , and by the love that ye owe to your immortal souls , and as ye would not crucifie Christ afresh , believe , and imbrace the offers which are presented now unto you . Know ye whether or not this shall be the last summonds that ye shall get to believe ? That so , if ye do reject it , Christ shall come from heaven , and pronounce that sad and lamentable sentence to you , Depart from me 〈◊〉 cursed , I know you not . Now , to him that ca● blesse these things to you , we desire to give praise . SERMON III. 1 Joh. 3. 23. This is his Commandment that ye should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ , &c. IT was a command that Solomon gave unto his Son , Prov. 22. 26. That he should not be surety for debt , nor should be one of those that stricketh hands ; But , O! what spotlesse breaches of that Command hath our blessed Lord Jesus committed , when he did condescend to be surely for our debt , and to pay that , that was impossible for us to satisfie ? Hath not Christ made a precious exchange with sinners ? He wreathed about his own precious neck , that bond and yoke of our iniquities , and hath given to us that unweariable , easie , and portable yoke of his Commandements ; among which this is ●ne , That wee should believe on him . Spotlesse Christ was made sin for us ▪ that sinful we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him : And is not this the condemnation of the world , that we will not believe in him ? that wee will not delight ourselves in loving of Him ( And I would say this to you , that though you should weep the one half of your dayes , and pray the other half , yet , if ye want this noble grace of Faith ▪ Your righte●usnesse shall be but like a menstruous cloath and filthy rags before him : for what is pray●ng without believing , but a taking of His ●lessed Name in vain ? What is our confer●ing upon the most divine and precious Truths of God , without believing ? Is it not ● lying to the holy Ghost , and a flattering of God with our mouth ? And we would have you knowing this , that there is a sweet harmony that is now madeup betwixt Moses and Christ , betwixt the Law and the Gospel . The Law bringeth us to Christ as a Saviour , and Christ bringeth us back again ●o the Law to be a rule of our walk , to which we must subject our selves . So then , would ye know the compend of a Christian● walk ? It is a sweet travelling betwixt mount Sinai and mount Sion , betwixt Moses and Christ , betwixt the Law and the Gospel . And we conceive that the more deep that the exercise of the Law be in a Christians conscience , before his closing with Christ , there is so much the more precious and excellent advantages waiting for him . I. There is this advantage that waiteth on the deep exercise of the Law : that it is the way to win to much establishment in the Faith , when once we begin to close with Christ. O Christians , would ye know that which maketh the superstructure and building of grace to be within you , as a bowing wall and as a tottering fence ? ( So that oftentimes y● are in hazard to raze the foundation ) it is this , Yee were not under the exercise of the Law before your believing in Jesus Christ. There are some who do not abide three dayes at mount Sinai , and these shall not dwel● many dayes at mount Sion . II. There is this advantage that waiteth on the deep exercise of the Law , it maketh Christ precious to a mans soul. What is that which filleth the soul of a Christian● with many high and excellent thoughts of Christ ? Is it not this , to have the Law registrating our Band , and putting us ( as we use to speak ) to the horn ? that is , to have the Law cursing us , and using the sentence of condemnation against us . That which maketh us have such low and undervaluing thoughts of precious Christ , is , because the most part of us are not acquainted with the deep and serious exercise of the Law : that is a mystery to the most part of Christians practice . Ye know that there were four streams which went out from the Paradise of God , into which man was first placed : And so we may say , that there are four golden streams , by which lost and destroyed man is brought back again to this Eden and Paradise of everlasting delights . First , there is the precious stream of Christs righteousnesse , by which we must be justified . And secondly , There is that stream of his Sanctification , by which we must be purified . Thirdly , There is that stream of the Wisedom of Christ , by which we must be conducted through this wildernesse wherein we have lost our way . And fourthly , There is that stream of Christs Redemption , by which we must be delivered from the power of our enemies , and must turn the Battel in the gate . It is by the Redemption of Christ that we shall once sing that triumphant song , O Death , where is thy sting ? O Grave , where is thy victory ? O but all these streams will be sweat and refreshing to a soul that is hotly pursued by the Law. So long as we see not the uglinesse of our leprosie in the glasse of the Law , we have our own Abana and Parphar , that we think may do our turn : but when once our case is truly laid open to us , then will we be content to wash our selves in Iordan seven times . III. There is this advantage that waiteth on the deep exercise of the Law , that it maketh a Christian live constantly under the impression of the sinfulnesse of sin . What is it that maketh sin exceeding sinfull to a Christian ? Is it not this , He hath been fourty dayes in Moses School ? And we conceive that the ground why such fools as we make a mock of sin , is , because we know not what it is to be under the power of his wrath and the apprehensions of the indignation of God. But now to come to that which we intend to speak of : We told you , at the first occasion that we spake upon these words , that there were many excellent things concerning the grace of Faith , holden forth in them . The first thing ( which was holden forth concerning this radicall grace of Faith ) was the infinite advantage that redoundeth to a Christian through the exercise of Faith , and giving obedience to this command : which we cleared to be holden forth , not onely from the scope , but also from the nature of this command . And now to speak a little to the point , we shall propose these considerations , that may abundantly shew how advantagious ● thing this excellent grace of Faith is . I. The first Consideration , that speaketh it , is this , That Faith maketh Christ precious to a soul , according to that word , 1 Pet. 2. 7. To you that believe , Christ is precious . And we would have you knowing this , that Faith maketh Christ more precious to a soul , nor sense , or any other thing can make him . And first , Faith maketh Christ more precious nor sense , because the estimation which the grace of Faith hath of Christ , it is builded upon the excellency of his Person : but the estimation of sense it is builded upon the excellency of his actings : so that , because he is such to them , therefore they love and esteem him . But that Heroick grace of Faith , it taketh up the excellency of Christs person , and that maketh him precious to them . Secondly , Faith makes Christ more precious then sense , because sense looketh to that love which Christ manifesteth in his Face , and in his Hands , and in his Feet : but Faith looketh to that love which is in his heart . Sense will cry forth , Who is like to thee ? whose countenance is like Lebanon , excellent as the Cedar : whose hands are as gold rings , set with Beryl , and whose legs are like pillars of Marble set in sokets of Gold. Sense will look to the smylings of Christ , and will wonder ; it will look to his dispensations and actings , and will be constrained to cry out , Who is like unto thee ▪ But the grace of Faith solaceth it self in the Fountain from whence all these springs and sweet inundations of love do flow . Thirdly , Faith maketh Christ more precious then Sense ; because Faith looketh not only to what Christ is presently , but unto what Christ is from eternity before time , and what Christ shall be unto eternity after time ; But sense onely doth look to what Christ is presently . And ye must conceive , that the sweet travelling of Faith betwixt infinite love from eternity before , and infinite love unto eternity after , must make Faith to fall in a sea of wondering , and raiseth the thoughts to the highest pito● of desire and estimation . Fourthly , We may likewise adde , that the impression of the preciousnesse of Christ , which sense maketh upon the soul , it is not so constant , not so single , as that which faith doth make . O but the grace of Faith giveth the Christian a broad look of Christ , and letteth him see Christ cloathed with ornaments of Glory , and divine Majesty . Sense followeth Christ rather that it might see his Miracles ; and Love , that it may be fed with Loaves ; but Faith follows Christ for himself above all . II. The second consideration to speak the advantage of it , is , that the grace of Faith , it hath , as it were , an arbitrary power with God ; so that whatsoever a Christian shall seek in Faith , hee shall receive it . It is the noble gift that was once given to Faith , that it should never seek any thing and bee denyed , according to that word in Matth. 21. 22. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer , believing , ye shall receive it : And that word in Joh. 15. 7. Abide in me , that is , believe , and the promise is annexed to this , whatsoever ye shall ask , yee shall receive : And it is clear likewise from the preceeding verse to our Text , that if we obey this command of Faith , Whatsoever we shall ask of God , we shal receive it . And I would speak these two things to you from this . First , That oftentimes Christ putteth a blank in a Christians hand , who is much in the exercise of Faith , according to that in Matth. 20. 32. Is there not an ample blank put into that mans hand , What wilt thou that I should do unto thee ? Christ desireth him to fill up that blank with what he would ; And secondly , There is this which is one of the greatest steps of Christs matchlesse condescendency , that oftentimes when his own have sought in their presumption a blank to be put in their hand , Christ condescendeth to give it , according to that strange passage in Mark 10. 35 , 36. The two disciples who present this desire to Christ , We desire , say they , That whatsoever we ask , thou shall give it unto us , and presently that is answered , What will ye that I should do for you ? Christ hath an infinite good will to satisfie the desires of his own : and that which yet more speaketh out Christs boundlesse good will , to satisfie the desires of all that belong to him ; It may be cleared in that word , Ioh. 16. 24. Where he chargeth his Disciples with this , Hitherto ( saith he ) have ye asked me nothing ; ye must not suppose that Peter , Iames and Iohn never sought a sui● of Christ , but the meaning of that expression is this , ye sought nothing in comparison of that , which I was willing to give , and which your necessity did call for at my hands , which ye should have sought . III. There is this third consideration to point out the advantage of Faith , It is that grace , that keepeth all the graces of the spirit in life and exercise ; Faith is that higher wheel , at the motion of which , all the lower wheels do move ; If so wee may speak , Faith is that Primum mobile , that first moves and turns about all these lower graces of the Spirit , according to that , 2 Pet. 1. 5. Adde to your faith , vertue , and to your vertue , patience , and to your patience , brotherly kindnesse . First , The grace of Faith keepeth in exercise the grace of Love , as is clear , Eph. 3 17. where these two Graces are conjoyned : As likewise from Rom. 5. 1. compared with verse 5. Being justified by faith . Then this effect followeth upon it , The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts : And so it is certain , that Faith keepeth Love in Life . Faith ( being the Spy of the soul , and that Intelligencer , and precious Messenger ) it goeth out , and bringeth in objects unto Love , Faith draweth aside the vail , and love sitteth down and solaceth it self in the discoveries of Faith. Secondly , The grace of Faith likewise , it keepeth the grace of Mortification in exercise : as is clear not only from Ephes. 6. 6. but from 1 Ioh. 5. 4. This is our victory whereby we overcome the world , even our faith ; And it is certain , that Faith keepeth mortification in exercise , and advanceth holinesse , not only because of this , that Faith is that grace that presenteth to a Christian the absolute purity and spotlesse holinesse of Jesus Christ : but also because it maketh them esteem their idols tastlesse as the white of an egge , and they become unto them as their sorrowfull meat . The best principle of mortification is this , the discoveries of the invisible vertues of Jesus Christ. That mortification which a●iseth from the lovely discoveries of the excellency of Jesus Christ , is most real and abiding , as these waters which riseth from the highest springs are not onely constant , but likewise most deep and excellent . Thirdly , Faith likewise hath influence upon mortification , as it doth take hold of that infinit strength that is to Christ , by which a Christian is inabled to mo●●ifie his corruptions . Fourthly ▪ Faith likewise maketh application of the bloud of sprinkling , by which wee are purified from dead works . Fifthly , Likewise the grace of Faith keepeth in exercise the grace of Humility , as is clear ▪ Rom. 3. 27. By what Law , saith he , is boasting excluded ? It is not by the Law of Works , but by the Law of Faith. Sixthly , Faith keepeth in exercise the grace of joy , as is clear , Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy , and peace in believing : So that ye see the proper fruit of Faith is , joy in the Holy Ghost . And certainly , did wee believe more , wee should rejoyce more . Seventhly , and lastly , Faith keepeth in exercise the grace of hope : for it is impossible for hope to bee in lively exercises , except Faith once bee exercised : which may bee a shame unto you ; For how can wee hope to attain the thing that is promised , except our faith first close with the promise ? So there is this difference betwixt the grace of Faith , and the grace of Hope : the grace of Faith closeth with the promises , but the grace of Hope , it closeth with the thing that is promised . IV. There is this fourth Consideration , that may speak out the excellency of the grace of Faith ; It is that grace , by which a Christian doth attain to most divine fellowship , and constant correspondency with Heaven . Would yee have that question resolved and determined , What is the best way , Not to stir up our beloved , nor awake him untill he please ? It is this , be much in the grace of Faith : this is clear from Eph. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith : By the exercise of all other graces , Christ is but a sojourner , That turneth aside to tarry but for a night ; but by the exercise of this grace , he cometh to take up house with us . I will tell you what faith is , It is a ladder that reacheth betwixt heaven and earth : by the steps of which , a Christian doth daily go up to heaven , and converse with the higher House . Faith is that grace , ( as the Apostle speaketh ) by which wee have accesse to the Throne of his grace . Faith ushers in the Believer to the Throne : and without it hee cannot have accesse there , nor joy when he is there . V. Here is this advantage that attendeth the exercise of Faith ; A believing Christian is a praying Christian : according to that word in Mark 9. 24. where these two are conjoyned together , Lord , I believe : and then hee falleth to his prayer presently after that confession , Help thou my unbelief . And it is clear from Psal. 63. 1. O God ▪ thou art my God , early will I seek thee , my soul thirsteth for thee . And sometimes Faith is a most impatient grace : but we may alwayes say of it , that it is a most diligent grace . Oh is it not the neglect of this precious exercise of faith and of the duty of secret Prayer , that makes our leannesse testisie to our Face , and maketh our souls as a barren wildernesse ? I am perswaded of this , ( that since Christ had any followers , and since ever this everlasting Go●pel was preached in Paradise ) the exercise of secret prayer was never so much neglected . Wee have turned over all our prayers into complements with God. We know not what ●t is to rise at mid-night and call upon God , and to inquire after our Maker under the silent watches of the night . O but it is a sweet di●ersion from sleep , to retire our selves ( in the ●ilent seasons of the night ) from all thoughts ●bout ▪ worldly matters , and to converse with ●hat invisible Majesty . VI. There is this sixth consideration to ●oint out the advantage of Faith : That Faith ●s that grace that doth facilitate a Christians obedience , and maketh it most pleasant and ●asie ; This is clear from Heb. 11. 8. By faith Abraham , when commanded to go to a strange land , obeyed , and went out , not knowing whether ●e went : The word may be rendered , He did ●hearfully obey . And ver . 17. By faith he of●ered up his only Son. Would ye know the rea●on why his commands are your burden , and why his precepts are your crosses ? It is be●ause of this , Yee do not believe : And so it is most certain , that it is impossible for a Chri●tian to attain to a pleasant way of obedience , ●ithout the exercise of Faith. Faith holdeth ●p the Crown to a Christian , and this crown ●aketh him to obey . Faith gathereth strength ●rom Christ , and that strength maketh obe●ience very easie . Faith ●aketh up the excellency of Christ , and this maketh a Christian to look upon his duty , more as his dignity , then his duty . And we are perswaded of this , that our chariot wheel should move more swiftly , ( like the chariots of Aminadab ) if we were more in the exercise of the grace of Faith. Would ye know an answer to that question . What is the first most requisit for a Christian while here below ? Faith ; And what secondly is most requisit ? Faith ; And what thirdly is most requisit for a Christian ? even Faith. Faith above all things , and above all things , Faith. VII . There is another advantage of it , that by Faith our service and prayers are accepted of God. Would ye know what is the prayer of a Christian that is not in Faith ? I● is a smoak in his nostrils , and a fire that burneth all the day . The unbelievers sacrifice is an abomination to the Lord. This is clear from Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered up unto God a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain ; and we conceive that there are many unanswered prayers which we do put up , because we want that noble exercise of Faith. VIII . And lastly , we shall likewise add● this , that Faith is the gra●e by which a Christian hath that perfect and immediate sight ( as it were ) of great things that are promised to him ; Faith bringeth a Christian withi● sight of Heaven , and Faith bringeth a Christian within sight of God ; according to tha● word , Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the evidence ● things not seen , and that noble pa●adox , th●● is said of Faith , Heb. 11. 27 ▪ By faith Mos●● saw him that is invisible . Is it not an impossible thing , to see that , which cannot be seen ? But the meaning of it is this , That Faiths discoveries of God , are as certain and sure , as the discoveries of our bodily eyes are : Faith is an intelligent grace , yea , it is a most sure and infallible grace ; What will Faith not do ? And what can yee do who want Faith ? Now to enforce the advantages and excellencies of Faith a little more , wee shall propose to you the disadvantages of that wofull sin of unbelief . I. There is this disadvantage of the sin of unbelief , that all the actions that proceed from an unbeliever , they are impure and defiled , according to that in Tit. 1. 15. But unto them that are defiled , and unbelieving is nothing pure ; but even their mind and conscience is defiled . Their prayer is unclean : yea , ( as Solomon speaketh ) their plowing is sin : yea their going about the most excellent duties ( for matter ) is an abomination to God , according to that word , Rom. 14. 23. What ever is not of faith , is sin . So the want of Faith is the great polluter of all our actions and of all our performances . II. There is this second disadvantage of misbelief , that it is impossible for one in the exercise of unbelief , to mo●tifie a lust or idol : and wee may allude unto these words in Matth. 17. 20. When his disciples came to him and asked this question , Why could wee not cast out this devil ? That was given as an answer , because of your unbelief : Unbelief is that , which taketh up arms for our idols ; and doth most strongly defend them : for there is nothing that will kill corruption so much , as the exercise of faith : and when that is laid aside , we have laid by our weapons , and have in a manner concluded ● treaty of peace with our idols , that we shall not offend them , if they offend not us . III. There is this disadvantage that waiteth upon the sin of unbelief , that such an one cannot win nor attain to the grace of establishment , but is alwayes as the waves of the sea , tossed to and fro , untill once hee win to the exercise of Faith , as is clear from Isa. 7. 9 ▪ Except ye believe , ye shall not be established . IV. There is this disadvantage that waiteth on it ; it is the mother of hardnesse and stupidity of heart , according to that word in Mark 16. 14. Where he upbraideth then because of their unbelief , and then that danger followeth , to wit , hardnesse of heart , this is clear also from Act. 19. 9. Where these two sister ▪ devils are conjoyned and locked together , unbelief and hardnesse of heart , because it is unbelief indeed , that hindereth all the graces , by which the grace of tendernesse must be maintained . V. There is this disadvantage in the sin of unbelief , that it is big with childe of apostacy from God , and of defection from him , according to that word , Heb. 3. 12. Beware lest there be in any of you , an evil heart of unbelief ( and there the fruit of it ) to depart from the living God. And certainly it is no wonder , that unbelief travel in birth , till that cursed childe of Apostacy be brought forth ; not onely because of this , that an unbelieve● loseth the thoughts of the excellency of Christ , but also because he increaseth in his thoughts of love towards his idols ; for Christ doth decrease in those who misbelieve , and their idols do increase in their love , and in their desires , and in their estimation . VI. There is this sixth disadvantage in the sin of unbelief , it hindereth the communication of many signall workings and tokens of the love and favour of the most High , according to that sad word that is in Mat. 13. 58. at the close , He could not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief . Unbelief , as it were , laid a restraint on Christ , that he could not effectua●e these things which he was willing to perform . And ( to shut up our discourse at this time ) I would only adde these two aggravations , which may somewhat enforce what we have spoken ; ( I say ) there are these two aggravations in the sin of unbelief , even in his own who have a right ( and also his call ) to believe : 1. That after Christ hath given most sensible discoveries of himself , Wherein yee have seen him , as it were , face to face , yet wee will not believe : this is clear from Ioh. 6. 36. Though ye have seen me , saith Christ , yet yee do not believe in me . There is not a manifestation of Christs presence , but it is a witnesse against you , because of your unbelief . Would ye heat the voice of sense , that is rectified ? It is this , believe on the Son of God. Secondly , That notwithstanding of the signal demonstrations of the power of Christ , yet , though it were the mortifying of some lust and idol within them , yet they will not believe , but upon new temptations will doubt of his love to them . Christ preacheth faith by his Word , He preacheth faith by His fufferings , He preacheth faith by his dispensations , He preacheth faith by his promises , he preacheth faith by his rods , and if these five instruments will not ingage your hearts to believe , what can move them ? Do not his two wounds in his precious hands , preach out this point of Faith , believe him ▪ Doth not that hole opened in his side , preach this Doctrine , That we should believe in him . And these two wounds , that he received in his precious feet , do they not preach this , That we should believe on a crucified Saviour ? And we would only say this , that sometime it is the case of his own , that after the convictions of this , that it is their duty to believe , and also after some desires to close with Christ , yet they find inability to close with him . Is it not certain that to will ( to believe ) is sometime present with you : but how to perform ye know not ? And I would have a Christian making this foursold use of such a dispensation as that , ( which is most ordinarily ) when convictions of our duty to believe , and some desires to close with Christ , is not followed with actual performances . 1. To study to have your convictions more deeply rooted within you ; for it doth sometimes follow , that resolutions and min●s to believe , are not blest with actual believing ; because the conviction of our duty to believe , is not deeply imprinted upon your conscience . 2. Be convinced of that desperate enimity ( and that mystery of iniquity ) that is within you , that yee can have some will to do , without ability to perform . Wee confesse , it is not an ordinary disease in these days , to have such a contrariety betwixt a Christians will and his practice , our will for the most part being no better then our practice ; But sometime it is , which may make you cry forth , O wretched man that I am , who shall deliver me from this body of death . 3. That ye would be much in the imploying of Christ , that as hee hath given you to will , so also hee might make you to do . Christ is about to convince his own in such a dispensation as that , That faith is the gift of God : Faith is so noble a grace , that it cannot be spinned out from our resolutions , nor from our endeavours ; Faith is such a divine plant , as the Fathers right hand must plant in our souls . 4. Let it convince you of the excellency of the grace of Faith ( for the difficulty of attaining to any thing may speak out the excellency of that thing ) there is no sin but it may be easily win at ; There is an easinesse and facility to overtake the paths of our idols : but the graces of the Spirit are so excellent things , that wee must fight before we attain them . And you who are strangers to Christ Iesus ( and have never known what ●t is to close with him ) wee would request you in Christs Name to be reconciled to him . What know ye , O men , ( or rather Atheists ) but this shall bee the last summonds that yee shall get to believe ? And that because yee disobey this precious summonds , there shall be one presented to you that yee cannot sit . I remember of one man , who looking upon many thousands that were under his command , weeped over them , when he considered how that within a few years all these should be laid in their graves , and should be in eternity . O but it were much of our concernment , to bee trying our selves how it is with us . We are not afraid that it is a breach of charity , to wish that but one of each ten that are within these doors , were heirs of the grace of life , and had the solide and spiritual expectation of heaven . I think , if Christ were to come presently to speak to us ; hee might not onely say to each twelve that are here , One of you shall betray me : but wee are afraid , that hee would say to each twelve that are here , Eleven of you shall betray mee , and but one only shall passe free . O doth it not concern you , to enquire where ye shall rest at night , when the long shadows of the everlasting evening shall be stretched out upon you ? I think there are some , that are so settled upon their lies , that if they were one day in hell , and saw all the torments that are there , and were brought from it the next day to live on earth , they would not repent . And more , there are some , that take them up one day to see the joyes of heaven , and bring them back again , they would ●ot pursue after these blessed and everlasting ●njoyments . O is not Christ much underva●ued by us ? But I must tell you this , One wo ● past , but behold another wo is fast coming . O ●he s●reighing of these spirits that are enter●d into their everlasting prison-house , out of which there is no redemption . What shall ●e your choise , when Christ shall come in the ●louds ? I am perswaded , there are many , ●o whom , at that day , this Doctrine would be ●avishing , viz. That there were not a death , ●hat there were not a God , and that there were ●ot an eternity . Oh! will yee believe , That ●he sword of the Iustice of God is bathed in hea●en , and shall come down to make a sacrifice , ●ot ▪ in the land of Idumea , nor in the land of Bozra ; but hee is to make a sacrifice among his ●eople , who seemed to make a Covenant with ●im by sacrifice . Ah , ah , shall we say that ? ●f that argument were used to many ▪ , that within fourty dayes they should bee at their ●ong and everlasting home , they would yet ●pend thirty nine of these days in taking plea●ure upon their lusts ▪ I am perswaded of ●his , that there are many who think that the ●ay betwixt heaven and earth is but one days ●ourney ; they think they can believe in one day , and triumph at night : But O! it shall ●e a short triumphing that such believers as ●hese shall have . Therefore , O study to close with a crucified Saviour , rest on him by faith , delight your selves in him with love , and let your souls be longing for the day when your ●oice shall bee heard in heaven ( and O how ●weet shall it be sung ) Arise , arise , arise , my love , my dove , my fair one , and come away : fo● behold your winter is past , your everlasting summer is come , and the time of the singing of birds is near : When Christ shall come over these mountains of Bether , hee shall cry , Behold I come : and the soul shall sweetly answer , Come Blessed Lord Iesus , Come . O what a life shall it be ! that with these two arms yee should eternally incircle Christ , and hold him in your arms , or rather be incircled by him ? Wait f●● him , for he shall come , and his reward is with him , and he shall once take home the wearied travellers of hope . SERMON IV. 1 Joh. 3. 23. This is his Commandment that ye should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ , &c. THere are two great and excellent gifts , which God in the depth of his boundlesse love hath bestowed on his own . First , There is that infinit gift and royal donation , his own beloved Son , Jesus Christ , which is called , The gift of God , Ioh. 4 10. And secondly , There is that excellent gift of the grace of Faith , which God hath bestowed upon his own , which is also called ▪ The gift of God , Ephes. 2. 8. Faith is the gift of God. And is it not certain , that these two gracious gifts ought to ingage ou● souls and hearts much unto him ? Infini●e Majesty could give no gift greater nor his S●● , and infinite poverty could receive , no ●●her gift so suitable as Christ ; It was the most noble gift that heaven could give , and it is the greatest advantage for earth to receive it . And wee could wish that the most part of the study and practice of men ( that is spent in pursuit after these low and transient vanities ) might bee once taken up in that precious pursuit after Christ. We could wish that all the questions and debates of the time were turned over into that soul concerning question , What shall we do to be saved ? And that all the questions , controversies , and contentions of the time were turned over into that divine contention and heavenly debate ▪ Who should be most for Christ , who should be most for exalting of the noble and excellent plant of ●enown ; and that all our judgings and searchings of other mens practices and estate might ●e turned over into that useful search , ●ro ●rove and examine our selves whether we be in ●he faith or not . And I would ask you this question , what are your thoughts concern●ng precious Christ , seeing he is that noble ●bject of Faith ? We would only have you ●aking along these things , by which Christ may be much commended to your hearts : First , There was never any that with the ●yes of Faith did behold the ma●ehlesse beau●y and transcendent worth of that crucified ●aviour , that returned his enemy . There is ●oul conquering vertue in the face of Christ , ●nd there is a heart captivating and over●oming power in the beau●y of Jesus Christ. ●his first sight that ever persecuting Saul got of Christ , it brought him unto an endless● captivity of love . Secondly , There is th● that we would say of precious Christ , whic● may engage our souls unto Him , that for al● the wrongs Believers do to Christ , yet hat● He never an evil word of them to His Fatthe● but commends them : which is clear fro● that of Ioh. 17. 6. where Christ doth con●mend the Disciples to the Father for th● grace of obedience , They have keeped th● Word : and for the grace of Faith , verse 8 ▪ They have believed that thou didst send me and yet were not the Disciples most defecti●● in obedience , both in this , That they did no●● take up their crosse and follow Christ : and al●● in that , they did not adhere to Him in th● day that He was brought to Cajaphas hall and were they not most defective in the gra●● of Faith ? as is clear from Matth. 17. 17. a●● likewise from Ioh. 14. 1. He is pressing the● to believe in Him , and yet He doth comme●● them to the Father , as most perfect in th● things . Thirdly , There is this that w● would lastly say of Him who is the noble o● ject of Faith , look to the eminent depth● Christs condescendency , and then ye will provoked to love Him. Was it not infi●●●● love that made Christ to ly three dayes in t●● grave , that we might be through all the ag● of Eternity with Him ? Was it not in f●●●● condescendency that made His precious he wear a crown of thorns , that we mig●● eternally wear a crown of Glory ? Was not infinite condescendency that made Chr●●● wear a purple robe , that so we might w●● that precious robe of the righteousnesse of ●he Saints ? And was it not matchlesse condescendency , that Christ , who knew no sin , was made sin for us , and like unto us , that so we might become like unto him , and be made the righteousnesse of God in Him. But to come to that which we intend main●y to speak upon at this time , which is that ●econd thing that we proposed to speak of ●rom these words : and that is concerning the excellency of this grace of Faith , which we cleared was holden out in that , that faith was called his commandment , which is so ●alled by way of eminency and excellency . There are many things in Scripture , which may sweetly point out the precious excel●ency of this grace of Faith , and we shall only ●peak to these things . I. The first thing that speaketh out the ●xcellency of Faith is this , it exerciseth it ●elf upon a most noble Object ( to wit ) Jesus Christ : Faith and love being the two arms ●f the immortal soul , by which we do im●race a crucified Saviour , which is often ●ointed at in Scripture : and we shall point ●t these three principall acts of Faith , which ●t exerciseth on Jesus Christ as the Object fit . 1. The first is , to make up an Union be●wixt Christ and the Believer ( Faith being ●ndeed an uniting grace , and that which ●nitteth the members to the head ) and to ●ake this more fully appear , we would point ●ut a little what sweet harmony and cor●espondency there is betwixt these two sister graces , ( to wit ) faith and love . Faith i● that nail , which fasteneth the soul to Chri●● and love is that grace which driveth that nai● to the head ; Faith at first taketh but a tender grip of Christ , and then love cometh i● and maketh the soul take a more sure grip o● him . Secondly , Ye may see that harmon● in this ; Faith is that grace which take● hold ( as it were ) of the garments of Chris● and of his words : but love ( that ambitio●● grace ) it taketh hold of the heart of Chris● and , as it were , his heart doth melt in th● hand of love . Thirdly , It may be seen i● this , Faith is that grace , which draweth th● first draught of the likenesse and image Christ upon a soul , but that ( accomplishin● grace of love , it doth compleat these fi●… draughts and these imperfect lineaments 〈◊〉 Christs Image , which were first drawn on th● soul. Fourthly , By faith and love the hea●● of Christ and of the Believer are so unite● that they are no more two , but one Spirit . 2. There is this second act that Faith 〈◊〉 exciseth on Christ , and it is in discovering t●● matchlesse excellencies , and the transce●dent properties of Jesus Christ , O wh●● large and precious commentaries doth fai●● make upon Christ ? It is indeed that faith ●●spy , which doth alwayes bring up a go●● report of him . Hence it is , that faith is c●●led understanding , Colos. 2. 2. Because it ●● that grace , which revealeth much of the pr●cious truth of that noble Object . 3. And there is this third noble act 〈◊〉 Faith , exercising it self upon Christ , 〈◊〉 maketh Christ precious to the soul , accor●ing to that word , 1 Pet. 2. 7. Unto you which ●elieve , hee is precious . And if there were ●o other thing to speak forth its worth , but ●●at , it is more then sufficient : for no doubt ●●is is the exercise of the higher House , to be ●welling on the contemplation of Christs ●eauty , and to have their ●ouls transported ●ith love towards him ; and with joy in ●im . Reason and amazement are seldome ●ompanions , but here they do sweetly joyn ●ogether ; First , a Christian loveth Christ , ●ecause of Christs actings , and then hee lo●eth all these actings because they come from Christ. II. Now secondly , this pointeth out the ●recious excellency of the grace of Faith , it ●● that grace which is most mysterious and ●ublime in its actings , it hath a more divine ●nd sublime way of acting then any other ●race ; Hence it called , The mystery of faith . ●hich speaketh this , that the actings of ●aith are mysteries to the most part of the world , and I shall only point at these things which may speak out the mysterious actings ●f the grace of Faith. 1. Faith can believe , and fix it self on a word of promise , although sense , reason and ●robability , seem to contradict the accom●lishment of that promise ▪ Faith it walketh ●ot by the low dictates of sense and reason ; ●ut by a higher rule , ( to wit ) The sure word ●f prophecie , which is clear from Rom. 4. 19. ●here Abraham believed the promise , notwith●anding that sense & reason seemed to contradict it : Hee considered not the deadnesse of his own body , neither the barrennesse of Sarahs womb , but was strong in the faith , giving glory to God : As it is clear from Heb. 11. 29 , 34. Where Faith believed their passing through the red sea , as through dry ground , which wa● most contrary to sense and reason : Faith believed the falling down of the walls of Iericho , by the blowing of rams horns . Which thing● are most impossible to sense and reason ; for sense will oftentimes cry out , All men are ●iars ; And reason will say , How can such a thing be ? And yet that Heroick grace of Faith cryeth out , Hath he spoken it : He will also do it , Hath he said it ? Then it shall come to passe . 2. Faith can believe a word of promise , notwithstanding that the dispensations of God seem to contradict it ; as was clear in Iob , who professed , Hee would trust in God , though he should kill him . And no doubt , but this was the practice of believing Iacob , hee trusted that that promise should bee accomplished , That the elder should serve the younger ; though all the dispensations of God , ( which he did meet with ) seemed to say , that promise should not be accomplished . 3. Faith can believe a word of promise , even when the Commands of God seem to contradict the accomplishment of that promise : This is clear in that singular instance of Abrahams faith , that notwithstanding hee was commanded to kill his promised seed , ( upon whom he did depend the accomplishment of the promises ) yet hee believed that ●e promises should bee performed . And ●●ough there were indeed extraordinary and ●range trials of his faith , as he had natural ●ffections to wrestle with ; yet over the bel● of all these , believing Abraham , he giveth ●aith to the promise , and bringeth his Isaac ●o the Altar ( though hee did receive him ●ack again ) this is clear from Heb. 11. 17 , ●8 , 19. 4. Faith can exercise it self upon the promise , notwithstanding that challenges and convictions of worthinesse and guilt do wait on the Christian ; This is clear , 2 Sam. 23. 5. That although his house was not so with God as did become , yet he believed the promise : As ●ikewise it is clear from Psal. 65. 3. Iniqui●ies prevail against mee : and yet that doth not interupt his Faith , but he saith , As for our ●●●●gressions thou shalt purge them away . And ●ertainly , i● were a noble and precious act of Faith to believe , notwithstanding of un●nswerable challenges of guilt ; the best way ●oth to crucifie our Idols , and to answer ●hese challenges , is believing And hoping a●ainst hope , and closing with Christ : This is most clear from Isa. 64. 6 , 7. compared with ●ers . 8. where after strange challenges , the prophet hath a strange word , But now , O Lord , ●hou art our Father . There is an Emphasis in ●he word ( now ) for all this , Yet thou art ( now ) our Father . 5. And lastly , this pointeth out the mysterious acting of the grace of Faith , that it exerciseth it self upon an invisible object , even upon Christ not yet seen , according to that word , 1 Pet. 5. 8. Whom having not seen , yet ye love , in whom though now ye see him not , yet believing , &c. I pose the greater part of you who are here , whether or not these bee two of the greatest Paradoxes and mysteries unto you ? For , is not this a mystery , to love him whom wee never saw ? Whom having not seen , yet ye love : To love an absent and unseen Christ , is a mystery to the most part of the world : and is not this a mystery , to believe on him whom we never saw ? In whom , though ye see him not , yet believing . And I shall adde this , that Faith can hold fast its interest with God , notwithstanding the most precious Christian should call us hypocrites , and not acknowledge us , this is clear in the practice of Iob ; And most clear from that word , Isa. 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art our Father , though Abraham bee ignorant of us , and Israel acknowledge us not . III. Thirdly , this pointeth out the excellency of the grace of Faith , that Faith , ( when it is in exercise ) is that grace by which a Christian doth at●ain unto most sensible enjoyments . There is a great question that is much debated among Christians , what is the way to win this happy length , to bee alwayes under the sweet and refreshing influence of heaven , and to have his dew alwayes coming down upon our branches ? I can give no answer to it , but this , be much in the exercise of Faith : This is clear from that notion and name put upon Faith , Isa. 45. 22. It is called a look to Christ , which is a most sensible act . If yee would know a description of Faith , It is this , The divine contemplation of the immortal soul , upon that divine , excellent , and precious object , Iesus Christ. For God never made Faith a liar , and therefore its eve is never off him that is the noble object of Faith , Jesus Christ manifested in the Gospel : as it is clear , Ephes. 1. 13. After ye believed , ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise , which preacheth out the excellent enjoyments these had after their closing with Christ who is invisible . Our Faith is called a seeing , which speaketh out this , that Faiths sight of God , is as certain as if we did behold him with our eyes , as is clear , Heb. 11. 27. Moses saw him by Faith who is invisible . And we conceive that the ground which maketh the most part of us have such complaints , How long wilt thou forget us for ever ? It is this ; the want of the Spiritual exercise of Faith : and are there not some here who may cry out , It is more then thirty dayes since I did behold the King ; Yea , there are some who may go a greater length , and cry out , I have lived these two years at Ierusalem , and yet I have not seen the Kings face ? Yea , there are some here whose complaint may go a little higher , and cry forth , These three years and six moneths it hath not rained on me , but the clouds have been restrained and bound up , and the heavens have become brasse . And would you know the rise of these complaints , it is this , ye are not much in the Spiritual exercise of Faith. And to you , I would only say these two words , First , It is easier to perswade a reprobate that he is defective in the fear of God , and in his love to God , then to perswade some such , that they are wanting to God in their Faith ; for they hold fast that peece of desperate iniquity till they die , Secondly , We would say to these of you who have the valley of Achor for a door of hope , and have tasted of the sweetnesse of Christ , some of you will be lesse convinced ; for the neglect of the duty of Faith , then for neglect of the duty of Prayer , or of the duty of keeping the Sabbath day . But I am perswaded of this , that if the noble worth of that transcendant object were known , we would have a holy impatience , untill once we did believe . IV. Fourthly , This also pointeth out the excellency of the grace of Faith , It is that grace by which a Christian is advanced to the highest and most inconceivable pitch of dignity , and that is , To be the child of the living God : As is clear , Ioh. 1. 12. To as many as received ( or believed in him ) he gave power or prerogative to become the sons of God. And certainly that noble prerogative of Adoption is much undervalued by many : And I will tell you two grounds whereon the most part of men undervalue that excellent gift of Adoption : First , They do not take up the infinit highnesse of God ( and what a one He is ) otherwise they would cry out with David , Seemeth it a small thing in your eyes to bee a son to the King of Kings ? Secondly , We do not take up , nor understand these matchlesse Priviledges which are given to them who are once in this estate , I am perswaded , if this were believed , that he who is a servant doth not abide in the house for ever , ( though he that is a Son doth ) it would stir us up to more divine zeal in our persuit after faith . V. Fifthly , This likewise pointeth out the excellency of the grace of Faith , It is that grace , by which all other actions are pleasant to God , and are taken off our hand , as is clear , Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice then Cain , which must be understood even of all other duties . And that word , vers . 6. Without faith it is impossible to please God , speaketh this also , That by faith we do exceedingly please him . And this is a most sad and lamentable repoof unto many who are here , that their actions do not please God , because they are not in Faith. Would ye know a description of your prayers ? ( ye who are hypocrites , and destitute of the knowledge of God ) It is this , Your prayers are the breach of the third Command , In taking the name of the Lord in vain ; for which he will not hold you guiltlesse . And would ye know what is your hearing of Sermon ? It is an abomination to the Lord , according to that word in Tit. 1. 15. To the unbelieving and impure , nothing is clean . And as Solomon doth speak , The plowing of the wicked is sin : So that all your actions that ye go about , are but an offence to the Majesty of the Lord. Now we would speak to these two things before we proceed to the evidences of faith : ( to wit ) First , That there is a difference betwixt the direct act of Faith , and the reflecting act of Faith. For there may be a direct act of faith in a Christian , when he is not perswaded that he doth believe ; but the reflecting acts of faith are these which a Christian hath , when he is perswaded in his conscience that he doth believe . And we would secondly say , that there are many that go down to there grave under that soul destroying delusion , that they are in faith , and yet never did know what faith is : I am perswaded , there are many whom all the preachings in the world will never perswade , that they did never believe , their faith being born with them , and it will die with them , without any fruit . But faith being such an excellent grace , and so advantagious , ( whereof we have spoken a few things ) we shall speak a little further of it , First , in pointing out some evidences , by which a Christian may know , whether or not he be indeed in the Faith. Secondly , I shall give you some helps whereby Faith may be keeped in exercise . I. Now there is this first evidence of faith , that a Christian who doth believe , he accounteth absence and want of fellowship with Christ , and communion with him , one of the greatest and most lamentable crosses that ever he had : as is clear , Psalm 13. 3. Lighten mine eyes , saith David , that is , Let me behold , and be satisfied with thy face ; and the mo●ive that he backeth it with , is this , Lest I sleep the sleep of death . David thought himself a dead man , if Christ did withdraw his presence from him . Also it is clear , Cant. 3 , 1. ( compared with the following verses ) where absence from Christ , and want of communion with him , was the greatest crosse the Spouse had : and it is clear from Ioh. 20. 11 , 12 , 13. where Mary had a holy disdain of all things in respect and comparison of Christ. But I will tell you what a hypocrite doth most lament , and that is , the want of reputation among the Saints : that is the great god , and idol among hypocrites , and that which ( when not enjoyed ) hypocrites and ●theists lament most , the world , and the lust of their eyes : when they want these , ●hen they cry out , They have taken away my gods , and what have I more ? They think heaven can never make up the losse of earth . And certainly , if many of us would examine our selves by this , we would finde our selves most defective . I would pose all you who are here , who have taken on a name to be followers of Christ , whether or not ye have been content to walk thirty dayes in absence from Christ , and yet never to lament it ? Hath not Christ been thirty dayes and more in heaven , without a visit from you ? And yet for all this , ye have not cloathed your selves with sackcloath . I will not say , that ●his is an undeniable evidence of the totall ●a●t of the grace of Faith ; but it doth eminently prove this , that the person who hath ●ome this length , hath losed much of his primitive love , and much of that high esteem which he ought to have of matchlesse Christ : what can you find in this world , that maketh you converse so little with heaven ? I think that it is the noble encouragement of a Christian , when hee is going down to his grave , that he hath this wherewith to comfort himself , I am to change my place , but not my company : death to the believing Christian being a blessed transition and transportation to a more immediate , constant and uninterrupted enjoyment of God. But I believe , that if all who have the name of Believers in this generation , should go to heaven , they might have this to say , I am now not only to change my place , but also my company ; For these seventy years I have been conversant with my idols , but now I am to converse with more blessed , divine , and excellent company . O that yee might be perswaded to pursue much after an absent Christ. Were it not a sweet period of our life , to breath out our last breath in his armes , and to be living in the faith of being eternally with him , which might be founded upon his Word . II. There is this second evidence of one that is in the Faith : They do endeavour to advance that necessary work of the mortification of their idols , according to that word , 1 Ioh. 3. 4. Every man that hath this hope in him , purifieth himself even as he is pure , Act. 15. 9. Faith it purifieth the heart . And concerning this evidence ( lest any should mistake it ) I would say these things to you . First , The mortification of a Christian , as long as he is here below , it doth more consist in resolutions then attainments . It is certain , that there are high attainments of a Christian , in the mortification of his idols , but his resolutions go far above his performances . Secondly , Wee would say this , That those Christians who never came this length in Christianity , to make that an universal conclusion , and full resolution , What have I to do any more with idols ? They may suspect themselves , that they are not in the Faith : for a Christian that is in Christ , he is universal in resolutions , though he be not so in practice , but defective in performances . A Christian may have big resolutions with weak performances ; for resolution will be at the gate of heaven , before practice come from the borders of hell ; there being a long distance betwixt resolution and practice ; and the one much swifter then the other . And thirdly , Wee would likewise say , That yee who never did know what it was to endeavour ( by prayer and the exercise of other duties ) the mortification of your lusts and idols ; yee may bee afraid , that ye have not yet the hope of seeing him as he is , And I would say this to many , who are settled upon their lies , and who never did know what it was to spend one hour in secret prayer for mortifying an idol , that they would beware lest that curse bee past in heaven against them ; I would have purged you , and yee would not be purged , therefore yee shall not bee purged any more till you die ; that iniquity of refusing to commune with Christ in the work of secret mortification , I say , that iniquity shall not be purged away . And we would once seriously desire you , by that dreadful sentence that Christ shall passe against you , and by the love ye have to your immortal souls , and by the pains of these everlasting torments of hell , that ye would seriously set about the work of spirituall mortification ; that so ye may evidence that ye have believed , and that ye have the soul-comforting hope of eternal life . I would onely speak this one word to you , ( and desire you seriously to ponder it , ) What if within twelve hours hereafter a summonds were given to you ( without continuation of dayes ) to compear before the solemn and dreadfull Tribunal of that impartial Judge , Jesus Christ : What suppose ye , would be your thoughts ? Will ye examine your own conscience , what ye think would be your thoughts , if such summonds were given unto you . I am perswaded of this , That your knees would smite one against another , and your face should gather palenesse , seeing your conscience would condemn you , That ye had been weighed in the ballance and found light : O think ye that ye can both fight and triumph in one day ? Think ye that ye can fight and overcome in one day ? Think ye your lusts and unmortified corruptions so weak and faint hearted an enemy , that upon the first appearance of such imaginary champions ( as most part of us are in our own eyes ) that your idols would lay down arms and let you trample on them ? Believe me , mortification is not a work of one day , or one year , but it is a work will serve you all your time , begin as soon as ye will : And therefore seeing you have spent your dayes in the works of the flesh , it is time that now yee would begin and pursue after him , whose works is with him , and whose reward shall come before him . III. Now there is this third evidence , by which a Christian may know whether he bee in the Faith or not , and it is , that Christ is matchlesse and incomparable unto such an one , according to that word , 1 Pet. 2. 7. To you that believe Christ is precious , and that word that Luke hath in his 7. Chap. at the close , That shee to whom much was forgiven , loved much . Now lest this likewise should prove a discouragement to any , I would only have you taking notice of this , that a Christian may bee a Believer , and yet want the sensible discoveries of this , that Christ is matchlesly precious to him : but this is certain , that they which are in the lively exercise of Faith , it is impossible then for them not to esteem Christ matchlesse , and I would speak this likewise to many who are here ; Have yee not been living these ten years in Faith , and I would pose you with this , Esteem yee not your idols more matchlesse then Christ , and more of worth then hee ? It is impossible that there can bee any lively exercise of Faith , and not esteem CHRIST matchlesse , It is not to say it with your mouth , and contradict it with your heart will do the businesse : For if your hearts could speak● , it would say , I would sell Christ for thirty pieces of silver : But my idols would I sell at no rate ▪ Are there not many of you who love the world and its pleasures , better nor the eternity of joy ? Oh , know yee not that word ( O yee desperately ignorant of the Truths of God , ) That he who loveth the world , the love of the Father is not in him : And yet notwithstanding of the light of the word , yee would sell your immortal souls ( with Esau ) For a messe of po●tage : O but it is a poor bargain when yee have sold the eternity of joy for a passing world , and for its transitory delights ! I would earnestly know what shall be your thoughts in that day , when ye shall be standing upon the utmost line betwixt time and eternity . O what will bee your thoughts at that day ? but you are to follow on to an endlesse pain , ( by appearance ) and then yee are to leave your idols . I shall only desire , that ye may read the word , Isa. 10. 3. What will ye do in the day of visitation , and in the desolation which shall come from far ? To whom will ye flee for help ? and where will ye leave your glory ? Ye shall then preach mortification to the life , though all the time of mortification shall be then cut off . O but to hear a worldly minded man , when eternity of pain is looking him in the face , ( preach out concerning the vanity of this world ) might it not perswade you that the world is a fancy and a dream that shall flee away , and shall leave you in the day of your greatest strait . IV. And there is the fourth evidence of Faith , That a Christian , who doth truely believe , hee is that Christian who intertaineth a divine jealousie and a holy suspition of himself , whether or not he doth believe ; I love not that faith which is void of fear , this was clear in the practice of believing Noah , that though by faith he built the Ark , yet hee had fear mixed with his Faith. I know that there are some who are ignorant concerning this , what it is to doubt concerning eternal peace ; and more , it is not every one that doubteth , that certainly shal get heaven ; for I think an hypocrite may doubt concerning his eternal salvation ; however I think the exercise of a hypocrite under his doubtings , it is more the exercise of his judgement , then the exercise of his conscience : And I may say , That if all the exercise of the Law which is preached in these dayes were narrowly searched , it would bee more the exercise of light , then the exercise of conscience , We speak these things as our doubt , which never was our exercise ; and we make these things our publick exercise which was never our private and chamber exercise . And I think that if all that a Christian did speak to God in prayer , were his exercise , he would speak lesse , and wonder more . We would be speechlesse when wee go to God ; for often if we did speak nothing but our exercise , we would have nothing to say . And certainly it is true , that often wee fall into that wofull sin , of desperate lying against the holy Ghost , by ●lattering God with our mouth , and lying unto him with our tongue . And I shall only say these two words ; There are some who have this for their great designe , viz. they would bee at peace with their conscience , and also they would bee at peace with their idols , they would gladly reconcile conscience and their idols together , that is their great designe . And there are some whose designe is a little more refined , they study rather to be reconciled with their conscience , then to be reconciled with God ; Their great aim they shoot at , is this , to get their conscience quieted , though they know not what it is , to have the soul comforting peace of God to quiet them . V. Now , There is this last evidence of Faith , That justifying Faith is a Faith which putteth the Christian to bee much in the exercise of these duties , by which it may bee maintained , for wee must keep Faith as the apple of our eye : Aod for that end , I would only give you these three things , by which Faith must be keeped in exercise ; aud a real Christian will bee endeavouring in some measure to attain unto these . I. It keepeth Faith much in exercise , to bee much in marking and taking notice of the divine exercise and proofs of the love of God , wherewith a Christian doth meet , as is clear from that word in Rom. 5. 4. Experience worketh hope . I durst be bold to charge the most part that are indeed in Christ with this , that they are too little in remarking and taking notice of the experiences of his love . Yee should mark the place of your experience , and much more yee should mark the experience it self : as is clear from Scripture , that the very place where Christians did meet with experience , in such ane enjoyment of God , they marked it , Ezek. 1. 1. By the rivers of Chebar the heavens were opened , and I saw the visions of God : And Gen. 32. 30. Iacob called the place Peniel , the place of living , after seeing of the face of God : it was so remarkable unto him . And we conceive , that ye would mark these two things mainly in your practice . First , Ye would mark ( if ye can possibly ) the first day of your closing with Christ , and of your coming out of Egypt : and we may allude unto that command ( if not more then allude unto it ) in . Dent. 16. 1. Observe the month of Abib , and keep the passeover unto the Lord thy God : For in the moneth of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee out of the land of Egypt . And secondly , We would have you much in marking these experiences which have increased your Faith , and which have strengthned your love , and which have made you mortifie your idols . These are experiences especially to be marked . 2. Faith is keeped in exercise , and we win to the lively assurance of our interest in God : which we would presse upon you , by being much in the exercise of secret prayer . O but many loveth much to pray when abroad , who never loved to pray when alone . And that is a desperate sign of hypocrisie , according to that , Matth. 6. 5. It is said of hypocrites , They love to pray , standing in the Synagogues , and in the corner of the street ▪ s , that they might be seen of men : But it is never said of these persons , that they love to pray alone , onely they loved to pray in Synagogues : but it is secret , and retired prayer , by which Faith must be keeped in exercise . 3. And there is this likewise that we would presse , upon you , that ye would be much in ▪ studying communion and fellowship with God , that so your Faith may be keeped in life . And O what a blessed life were it , each day to be taken up to the top of the mount Pisga , and there to behold that promised land , to get a refreshfull sight of the Crown every morning , which might make us walk with joy all alongs that day ! The heart o● a Christian ought to be in heaven , his conversation ought to be there , his eyes ought to be there : And I know not what of a Christian ought to be out of heaven ( even before his going there ) save his lumpish ●abernacle of clay , which cannot inherite incorruption till he be made incorruptible . And I shall say no more but this , many of us are readi●● to betray him with a kisse , and crucifie him afresh , then to keep communion with him : but wo eternally be to him by whom the Son o● man is betrayed : and that doth crucifie Christ afresh : it were better that a milstone were hanged about his neck , and he were cast into th● depth of the sea . I remember an expressio● of a man , not two dayes ago , who ( upo● his death bed ) being asked by one what h● was doing : did most stupidly , though mos● truly reply , That he was fighting with Christ and I think that the most part of us ( if he prevent us not ) shall die fighting with Christ. But know , and be perswaded , that he is too sore a party for us to fight with : He will once tread you in the wine presse of his fury , and he shall return with dyed garments from treading such of you as would not imbrace him : He shall destroy you with all his heart . Therefore be instructed , lest his soul be disjoynted from you ( as that word in Ier. 6. 8. ) And lest your soul eternally be separted from him : Be instructed , I say , to close with him by ●aith . Now to him who can make you to do so , we desire to give praise . In the two Sermons next following , you have the rest of these sweet Purposes , which the worthy Author Preached upon the same Text ; Never before Printed . SERMON V. 1 Joh. 3. 23. This is his Commandment that ye should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ , &c. THere are two great rocks , upon which a Christian doth ordinarily dash i● his way and motion toward his rest 1. The rock of presumption and carnal confidence ; so that when Christ dandleth them upon his knees , and satisfieth them with the breasts of his consolations , and maketh their cup to overflow , then they cry out , My mountain standeth strong , I shall never be moved And , 2. The rock of misbelief and discouragement ; So that , when he hideth his face and turneth back the face of his Throne , the● they cry out , Our hope and our strength is perished from the Lord : we know not what i● is to bear our enjoyments by humility , no● our crosses by patience and submission . ●● but misbelief and jealousie are bad interpre ▪ ters of dark dispensations : they know no● what it is to read these mysterious character of divine Providence , except they be writ●●● in the legible characters of sense ; misbelie●● is big with childe of twins , and is travelli●● till it bring forth apostacy and security ; an● no doubt , he is a blessed Christian that ha●● overcome that woful idol of mi●belief , an● doth walk by that Royal Law of the Wor● and not by that changeable rule of dispensat● ▪ on s . We conceive that there are three gre●● Idols and Dagons of a Christian , that hindere●● him from putting a blank in Christs hand concerning his guiding to heaven , there is pride , self-indulgence , and security . Do we not covet to be more excellent then our neighbour ? Do we not love to travell to heaven through a valley of Roses ? And doe we not ambitiously desire to walk toward Sion , sleeping ( rather then weeping ) as we go ? Are there not some words that we would have taken out of the Bible ? That is sad divinity to flesh and bloud , Through many tribulations must we enter into the Kingdome of Heaven : we love not to be changed from vessel to vessel , that so our scent may be taken from us . There are three great enemies of Christ : Misbelief , Hypocrisie , and Profanity . Misbelief is a bloudy sin , hypocrisie is a silent sin , profanity is a crying sin . Those are mother evils , and I shall give you these differences betwixt them : Misbelief crucifieth Christ under the vail of humility , hypocrisie crucifieth Christ under the vail of love , and profanity putteth him to open shame . Misbelief denyeth the love and power of God , hypocrisie denieth the omnisciency of God , ●nd profanity denyeth the justice of God. Misbelief is a sin that looketh after inherent ●ighteousnesse , hypocrisie is a sin that look●th after external holinesse onely , and pro●anity is a sin that looketh after heaven without holinesse : making connexion between ●hese things that God hath alwayes sepa●ate , and separating these things which he ●ath alwayes put together ; So that their faith shall once prove a delusion , and flie away as a dream in the night . But let us study this excellent grace of true and saving Faith , which shall be a precious remedy against all those Christ-destroying and soul-destroying evils . But now to come to that which we did propose thirdly to be spoken of from the words , which was the sweetnesse of this grace of Faith ; no doubt , it is a pleasant command , and it maketh all commands pleasant , it is that which casteth a divine lustre upon the most hard sayings of Christ , and maketh the Christian to cry forth , God hath spoken in his holinesse , I will rejoyce . Wee need not stand long to clear that Faith is a sweet and refreshing command ; for it is oftentimes recorded in Scripture to the advantage of this grace , and unspeakable joy and heavenly delight are the hand-maids that wait upon it . But more particularly to make it out , we shall speak to these things . The first is , That this grace giveth a Christian a broad and comprehensive sight of Christ , and maketh him to behold not only the beauty of his actings , but the beauty of his person : and there are these three precious sights that Faith giveth to ● Christian of Christ. First , It letteth the Christian see Christ in his absolute and personal● excellency , taking him up as the eternal So● of God , as the Ancient of Dayes , as the Father of Eternity , as the expresse Image of Hi● Fathers person , and the brightnesse of his glory ▪ and this filleth the so●l with divine fear an● admiration ▪ Hence is that word , Heb. 11. 27 ▪ That we see by Faith him that is invisible . As if he had said , Faith is that grace that maketh things that are invisible , visible unto us . Secondly , It letteth the soul see Christ in his relative excellencies , that is , what he is to us ; Faith taketh up Christ as a Husband , and from thence we are provoked to much boldnesse and divine confidence , and withall , to see these rich possessions that are provided for us by our elder Brother , who was born for adversity : Faith taketh up Christ as a blessed Days man that did lay his hand upon us both : And from thence it is constrained to wonder at the condescendency of Christ , it taketh him up as dying , and as redeeming us from the power of the grave , and from the hands of our enemies ; and this provoketh Christians to make a totall and absolute resignation of themselves over unto Christ , To serve him all the dayes of our life in righteousnesse and holinesse . And , thirdly , Faith maketh the soul behold these mysterious draughts of spotlesse love , those divine emanations of love that have flowed from his ancient and everlasting love since the world began . Would you know the great ground why we are so ignorant of him , who is the study of Angels , and of all that are about the Throne , it is this , we are not much in the exercise of faith . And if we would ask that question , What is the way to attain to the saving knowledge of God in Christ ? We could give no answer to it but this , Believe , and again believe , and again believe : Faith openeth these mysterious seals of his boundlesse perfection , and in some way teacheth the Christian to answer that unanswerable question , What is His Name , and what is his Sons Name . There is this secondly that pointeth out the sweetnesse of Faith , that it giveth an excellent relish unto the promises , and maketh them food to our soul. What are all the promises without faith ( as to our use ) but as a dead letter that hath no life : But faith exercised upon the promises , maketh a Christian cry out , The words of his mouth are sweeter unto mee then the honey and the honey comb : as is clear from Heb. 11. 12 , 13. It is by Faith that wee imbrace the promises , and do receive them . Thirdly , The sweetnesse of Faith may appear by this , that it enableth a Christian to rejoyce under the most anxious and afflicting dispensations that hee meeteth with while hee is here below ; as is clear from Rom. 5. 1 , 5. where his being justified by Faith hath this fruit attending it , to joy in ●ribulation ; And likewise from Heb. 10. 34 , 35. Doth not Faith hold the crown in its right hand , and letteth a Christian behold these infinit dignities that are provided unto them , after they have , as a strong man , run their race ; And when a Christian is put into a furnace , hot seven times more then ordinary , it bringeth down the Son of man Jesus Christ , to walk with them in the furnace : So that they walk safely , and with joy through fire and water , and ( in a manner ) they can have no crosse in his company . For would yee know what is the description of a crosse ? It is to want Christ in any estate , And would ye know what is the description of prosperity ? It is to have Christ in any condition or estate of life ; What can ye want that have him , and what can he have that want him ? He is that All ; so that all things besides him are bu● vanity . But beside this , Faith doth discover unto a Christian , that there is a sweet period of all his trials and afflictions that he can be exposed unto : so that he can never say that of faith which Ahab spake of Micajah , He never prophesieth good things to me ; But rather he may say alwayes the contrary , Faith never prophesieth evil unto me ▪ it being a grace that prophesieth excellent things in the da●kest night , and sweetly declareth , that though weeping do endure for the evening yet joy cometh in the morning ; And that , though now they ●o forth weeping bearing precious seed , yet at last they shall return rejoycing , having sheaves in their bosome . And this may bring in the fourth consideration to point out the sweetnesse of Faith , That it giveth a Christian a refreshing sight of that ●and that is a far off , and maketh him to behold that inheritance that is provided for the Saints in light : it goeth forth to the brook Eshcol , and there doth pluck down those grapes that grow in Emanuels land , to bring up a good report upon that noble Countrey we are sojourning towards , and the City the streets whereof are paved with transparent gold . And howbeit it may be a perplexing deba●e between many and their own souls , whether or not these eyes that have been the windows through which so much uncleannesse hath entered , and these species of lust have been conveyed into the heart , shall once be like the eyes of a dove washed with milk and fitly set , and be admitted to see that glorious object , the Lamb that sitteth upon the Throne : Or whether ever these tongues that have been set on fire of hell , and these polluted lips that have spoke so much against God , and Heaven , and all his People , and Interests , shall ever be admitted to sing these heavenly Halelujahs amongst that spotlesse queer of Angels , and that assembly of the first born ; or if these hands or feet that have been so active to commit iniquity , and so swift to run after vanity , shall even bee admitted hereafter to carry these Palme Branches , and to follow the Lamb where ever hee goeth ; and whether ever these hearts that have been indeed a Bethaven , and house of idols , may yet notwithstanding , bee a dwelling for the Holy Ghost : Though these things ( wee say ) and such like may bee the subject of many sad debates to some weary souls , and cause many tossings to and fro till the morning : yet faith can bring all these mysteries to light , and looking within the vail , can let us see thousands of thousands who were once as ugly as our selves , yet now having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb , are admitted to stand before the Throne of God , and serve him day and night . Now there is that fourthly , which we● promised to speak of concerning this grace of Faith from these words , and it is the absolute necessity that is of the exercise of this grace , which is holden forth in that word , his Commandment ; which doth import these three things . 1. That all the Commands that wee can obey without this Commandement of Faith , it is but a polluting of our selves , and a plunging of our selves in the ditch till our own cloa●hs abhor us . 2. That God taketh greater delight in the exercise of that grace of Faith , then in the exercise of any other . And lastly , that as to the many imperfections which wee have in our obedience , there is a sweet act of oblivion past of them all ; if we make conscience seriously to obey this command of Faith , which is indeed , the sweet compend of the Gospel , all these things do most clearly appear , in that believing , here is called , His Commandement , by way of excellency , as if this were his only Commandement . But that we may yet a little more particularly point out the absolute necessity of Faith ; there are these things that speaketh it forth to the full . 1. That though rivers of tears should run down our eyes , because we keep not his Law , though we should never rise off our knees from prayer , and should all our life time speak to God with the tongue of Angels ; and though we should constantly obey his Commands ▪ yet without Faith we should never escape that eternal sentence of excommunication from the presence of the Lord ; there being no action that doth proceed from us which can please the majesty of the Lord , unlesse it hath its rise from this principle of Faith : as is clear from Heb. 11. 6. Without Faith it is impossible to please God. And though we should offer unto him ten thousand rivers of oyl , and thousands of rams , and should offer up in a burnt sacrifice all the beasts that are upon the mountains , and the trees that are upon hills , this should be the answer that God should return to us , Who hath required these things at your hands ? I take no pleasure in these solemn sacrifices ; Because there is no way of attaining peace with God , but through the exercise of Faith , making use of the spotlesse righteousnesse of ●esus Christ. 2. Let us do ou● outmost , by all the inventions we can , to bring down our body , and let us separate our selves from all the pleasures of the flesh : yet all our idols shall reign without much contradiction , except once we do attain unto this grace of Faith , which is that victory whereby we must overcome the world , and the hand that maketh use of infinite strength for subduing of corruption , making the Christian sweetly to take up that song , Stronger is he that is with us , than he that is in the world . From all this that we have said , both of the sweetnesse of Faith , and the necessity thereof , we would propose these few considerations , to two or three sorts of persons . 1. There are some who live in that vain imaginary delusion of attaining heaven through a Covenant of Works , and do neglect to seek salvation by Faith in the righteousnesse of Christ. And to these who build upon this sandy foundation , I shall say but these two words . First , How long shall ye labour in the fire of very vanity , do ye ever think to put on the capestone , know ye not that the day is approaching , when your house shall fall about your ears , your confidence shall be rejected , and your hope shall evanish as a dream , and flee away as a vision of the night . Secondly , What a monstrous blindnesse , and what an unspeakable act of folly must it ●e●● to say , that Christ was crucified in vain , which yet ye do practically assert , when ye go about to purchase a righteousnesse through the works of the Law. 2. There are some who are secure in their own thoughts concerning their ●aith : they never questioned the realty of it , they never examined it . O ye whose faith is as old as your selves , ye say ye never knew what it was to dispute : and I may say , ye never knew what it was to believe . Thou profane hypocrite , let me tell thee , a strong faith , and ye● strong idols , must needs be ● strong delusion ; Thou wilt not obey the Lord , thou wilt not pray , thou wilt not believe a threatning in all the Word , thou wilt count all Religion madnesse and foolishnesse , and yet thou wilt perswade thy self , thou Believest in Christ. O be not deceived , God is not mocked , and why will ye mock your selves ? Shall I tell you that reprobates have a sa● Religion , one day they must believe , and obey , and pray , and give a testimony to Godlinesse : but alas too late , and little to their advantage . Shall not he whom all the Ministers on earth could scarce ever perswade to believe so much , as a heaven o● hell , or one threatning in all the Book o● God , at last be forced to believe their ow● sense , when they shall see the Ancient of Days upon the Throne , and shall hear the cryes of so many thousand living witnesses , come ou● both from heaven and hell , bearing testimony to the truth of threatnings and promises , that not one jot of them is fallen to the ground , and he who would never be perswaded to bow a knee to God in earnest all his life , shall he not then pray with greatest fervency , that hills and mountains might fall upon him , to cover him from the face of the Lamb : And h● that would never submit to a Command of God , must he not at last obey that dreadfull Command , Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting torment , &c. Yea , he who was the greatest mocker in the world , shall then confesse , that they are blest who put their trust in the Lord , as they are excellently brought in , though in an Apocriphal Book , Wisd. c. 5. 4 ▪ Crying out with great terror , while they behold that unexpected sight of the glorious condition of the Godly . O here is the me● say they , whom we mocked , whose life w● accounted madnesse , and their end dishonourable : Be wise therefore in time , and do that willingly , which ye must do by constrain● , and do that with sweetnesse and advantage that ye must do at length with losse and sorrow . Thirdly , There are some who certainly have some hope of eternal life , but contenteth themselves with a small measure of assurance , and these I would beseech , that ye would be more endeavouring to make your calling and election sure , and would be endeavouring to see your names written in the ancient Records of Heaven : And this we shall presse upon you by several Arguments . 1. Those strong and subtil , and soul destroying delusions that are amongst many , who conceive they do believe ( as we were saying ) and are pure in their own eyes , who yet are not purged from their iniquities . O● are there not many of us that are in a golden dream , that suppose we are eating but when we awake our soul is empty , whose faith is a metaphysick notion , that hath no foundation , but mans apprehension ; and this shall never bear us through the gates of death , nor convey us in into eternity of joy . 2. May not this presse you to follow after assurance , that it is the compendious way to sweeten all your crosses : As is clear from Hab. 3. 17 , 18. where the convictions of this made Habbakuk to rejoyce in the God of his salvation ; Though the fig tree did not bear fruit , and the labour of the olive did fail , and there were no sweetnesse to be found in the vine , and from Heb. 10. 34. where they took joy●ully the spoiling of their goods , knowing within themselves that they had a better and an enduring substance : This is indeed that tree which if wee cast into the waters of Marah , they will presently become sweet : for it is not below the child of hope to be much anxious about these things that he meets with here , when he sincerely knoweth that Commandement shall come forth , Lift up your head , for the day of your eternal redemption draweth near , even the day when all the rivers of his sorrow shall sweetly run into the ocean of everlasting deligh●s . 3. A Christian that is much in assurance , he is much in communion and fellowship with God , as is clear from the Song 1. 13 , 14. and Song . 2. 3. where , when once she cometh to that , to be perswaded that Christ was her beloved , then she sat down under his shaddow , and his fruit was pleasant ●nto her taste ; for the assured Christian doth taste of these crums that ●all from that higher Table , and no doubt , these that have tasted of that old wine will not straight way desire the new , because the old is better . And then 4. It is the way to keep you from Apostacy , and making defection from God : Faith is that grace that will make you continue with Christ in all his tentations , as is clear from 2 Pet. 1. 10. where this is set down as a fruit of making our calling and election sure , that if we no these things we shall never fail : Faith makes a Christian to live a dependent life ▪ for would you know the motto of a Christian ? It is this , self diffidence , and Christ dependence , as is clear from that word in the Song 8. 5. that while we are walking through this wildernesse , we are leaning upon our welbeloved ▪ 5. This assurance will help a Christian to overcome many tentations . There are four sorts of tentations that ass●ult the Christian ; there are temptations of desire , temptations of love , temptations of hope , and temptations of anxiety , all which a Christian through this noble grace of Assurance , may sweetly overcome : he that hath once made Christ his own , what can he desire but him ? As Psal. 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord : What can he love more then Christ , or love beside Christ , all his love being drowned ( as it were ) in that O●ean of his excellencies , and a sweet complacency found in the enjoyment of him ? And as to hope ; will not assurance make a Christian 〈◊〉 forth , Now , Lord , what wait I for ? my hope is in thee ? And when the heart is anxious , doth not assurance make a Christian content to bear the indignation of the Lord , and patiently submit unto the crosse , since there is a sweet connexion betwixt his crosse and his Crown , Rom. 8. 35 , 36. If he suffer with him , he shall also reign with him . And lastly , There is this argument to presse you to assurance , that it sweemeth the thoughts of death ; it maketh death unto a Christian , not the king of terrours , but the king of desires : and it is upon these grounds that assurance maketh death refreshfull unto a Christian. 1. He knoweth that it is the funerall of all his miseries , and the birth-day of all his blessed and eternal enjoyments . 2. That it is the Coronation day of a Christian , and-the day when he shall have that Marriage betwixt Christ and him sweetly solemnized : And that when he is to step that last step , hee knoweth that death will make him change his place , but not his company : And O that we could once win unto this , to seal that conclusion without presumption , My beloved is mine , and I am his : We might without presumption , sing one of the songs of Sion , even while we are in this strange land , and taking Christ in our arms , might sweetly cry forth , Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace , for my eyes have seen thy salvation . Comfort your selves in this , that all your clouds shall once passe away , and that that truth shall once come to passe which was confirmed by the oath of an Angel , with his hand lifted up towards Heaven , That time shall be no more . Time shall once sweetly die out in eternity , and ye may be looking after new heavens , and a new earth , wherein dwelleth righteousnesse . O long to be with him , for Christ longeth to have you with him . SERMON VI. 1 Joh. 3. 23. This is his Commandment that ye should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ , &c. THere are three most precious and cardinal graces , which a Christian ough● mainly to pursue : There is that exalting grace of Faith , that comforting grac● of Hope , and that aspiring grace of Love ▪ and if once a Christian did take up that heavenly difference that is between those sister-graces , hee might be provoked to move after them most swiftly , as the chariots of Aminadab . And there is this difference between those graces ; Faith is a sober and silent grace , Hope is a patient and submissive grace , Love is an ambitions and impatient grace . Faith cryeth out , O my soul be silent unto God : Hope cryeth out , I will wait patiently for the Lord , untill the vision shall speak ; but Love it cryeth out , How long art thou a coming ? and it is waiting to hear the sound of his feet coming over the mountains of separation . That is the Motto of Hope , Quod defertur non aufertur , that which is delayed ( saith Hope ) is not altogether taken away and made void : and that may be the divine embleme of the grace of Love. It is sight infolding desire in its armes , and it is desire cloathed with wings , ●reading upon delay and impediments . There is this second difference between these graces : the grace of Faith , it embraceth the truth of the promises : the grace of Hope , it embraceth the goodnesse of the thing that is promised ; but that exalting grace of Love , it embraceth the Promiser : Faith cryeth out , Hath hee spoken it , Hee will also do it : Hope ●ryeth out , Good is the Word of the Lord , be ●● unto thy servant according to thy promise : And Love , it cryeth out in a higher note , As is the apple tree amongst the trees of the ●ood , so is my well-beloved amongst the sons . ●hirdly , There is that difference between ●hese graces , Faith it overcometh temptations ; Hope , it overcometh difficulties ; but Love stayeth at home and divideth the spoil : There is a sweet correspondence between those graces in this : Faith it fighteth and conquereth ; and Hope it fighteth and conquereth ; but Love it doth enjoy the Trophies of the victory . And , Fourthly , there is this difference , the noble grace of Faith , it shall once evanish into sight ; That noble grace of Hope , it shall once evanish into possession and enjoyment ; But that constant grace of Love ; it shall be the eternal companion of a Christian , and shall walk in with him unto the streets of the New Ierusalem . And I would ask you that question , What a day shall it be when Faith shall ced● to sight ? What a day shall it be when Hope shall yeeld its place to Love , and love and sight shall eternally sit down and solace themselves in these blessed mysteries , these everlasting consolations of Heaven world without end . And fifthly , there i● this difference , lesse will sa●isfie the grac● of Faith , and the grace of Hope , tha● will satisfie the grace of Love ; Faith , i● will be content with the promise , and Hop● will be content with the thing that is promised ; but that ambitious grace of Love , i● will be onely content with the promiser Love glaspeth its arms about that Preciou● and noble object Jesus Christ ; Love is a ●● spicious grace , It oftentimes cryeth forth● They have taken away my Lord , and I kno● not where they have laid him ; So that Fai●● is oftentimes put to resolve the suspicions ●● love . I can compare these three graces to nothing so fitly , as to those three great Worthies that David had , These three graces , they will break thorow all difficulties , were it a host of Philistines , that so they may pleasure Christ , and may drink of that Well of Bethlehem , that Well of everlasting ●onsolation that ●loweth from beneath the ●hrone of God : Love is like Noah's dove , ●t never findeth rest for the sole of its foot , ●ntill once it be within that Ark , that place ●f repose Jesus Christ. And sixthly , There is this last difference between them , Faith taketh hold upon the ●●ithfulnesse of Christ ; Hope taketh hold ●pon the goodnesse of Christ ; but Love , it ●●keth hold upon the heart of Christ. And ●hink yee not it must be a pleasant and soul●●freshing exercise , to be continually taken ●● in imbracing him , that is that eternal ad●iration of Angels . Must it not be an ex●ellent life , dayly to bee feeding on the finest the wheat , and to bee satisfied with honey ●● of the rock . O but Heaven must be a plea●●n● place ! And if once we would but taste ●● the first ripe grapes , and a cluster of wine ●●a● groweth in that pleasant land , might not ●●e be constrained to bring up a good report it . But now to come to that which wee pur●●se mainly to speak of at this time . The 〈◊〉 thing concerning Faith , that wee pro●●sed from the words , was the object up●● which Faith exerciseth itself , which is 〈◊〉 set down to bee the Mame of his Son Iesus Christ. And that we may speak to this more clearly , wee shall first speak a little to the negative , what things are not the fit object of Faith , and then to the positive , shewing you how this Name of God , and of His Son Christ , is the sure ground upon which a Christian may pitch his Faith : For the first , yee must know that a Christian is not to build his faith upon sense , nor sensible enjoy ments : Sense may bee an evidence of Faith but it must not bee the foundation of Faith I know there are some that oftentimes cry out , Except I put my fingers into the print ●● the nails , and thrust my hand into the hole ●● his side , I will not believe ; and indeed it is 〈◊〉 mystery unto the most part of us , to bee exercising Faith upon a naked word of promise , abstracted from sense ; to love an absent Christ , and to believe on an absent Christ , are the two great mysteries of Christianity . But that sense is no good foundation for Faith , may appear . 1. That Fait● which is builded upon sense , is a most unconstant , a most fluctuating and transient Fait● I know sense hath its fits of love , and as were , hath its fits of Faith : Sometim●● sense is sick of love , and sometimes sense 〈◊〉 strong in Faith , but ere six hours go about sense may bee sick of jealousie , and sick 〈◊〉 misbelief , as yee will see from Psal. 30. 6 , 〈◊〉 sense , that bold thing , it will instantly 〈◊〉 out , My mountain standeth strong , I will ●●ver be moved ; but behold how soon it chan●eth its note , Thou hides thy face , and I 〈◊〉 troubled . At one time it will cry for●●● Who is like unto him that pardoneth iniquity , and that passeth over transgressions ; but ere many hours go about , it will sing a song upon another key , and cry out , Why art thou ●ecome unto mee as a liar , and as waters that ●ail ? 2. That Faith which is built upon ●ense , it wan●eth the promise of blessednesse , ●● this is annexed to believing , that is founded upon the Word , according to that in ●oh . 20. 29. Blessed are these that have not ●en , and yet have believed : nor hath that ●ith that is built upon sense such a solide ●y waiting on it , as faith that is built upon ●he naked word of promise , as may be cleared from that word , 1 Pet. 1. 8. where faith exercising it self upon Christ not seen , maketh a Christian to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory , a joy that doth not at●●nd believing , founded upon sense . 3. That ●ith that is built upon sense , it giveth not ●uch glory to God , for faith that is built ●●on sense , it exalteth not the faithfulnesse 〈◊〉 God , it exalteth not the omnipotency of ●od . I will tell you what is the divinity 〈◊〉 sense ; let me see , and then I will believe ; 〈◊〉 it knoweth not what it is to believe ●●on trust , and because the Lord hath spoken 〈◊〉 his holinesse : And in effect , Faith that is ●●ilt upon sense , is no Faith , even as ●●m . 8. Hope that is seen , is no hope ; And therefore , when the Lord seeth a Christian ●●king sense an idol , that hee will not be●●ve but when hee seeth or feeleth , this doth ●●en provoke the Majesty of the Lord to withdraw himself from that Christian , and to deny him the sweet influences of heaven and these consolations that are above , so that in an instant hee hath both his sense and hi● faith to seek . 2. A Christian is not to make his grace the object of his Faith , that is when a Christian doth behold love burning within him when hee doth behold influences to p●ay●● encreasing , and mortification waxing stro●● hee is not to build his faith upon them , thi● was condemned in the Church , in Ezek. 16 ▪ 14. compared with the 15 verse , I m●● thee perfect with my comlinesse : but the us● that thou didst make of it , thou didst put 〈◊〉 trust in thy beauty , and then thou didst pla● the harlot . It is certain , that grace when 〈◊〉 is the object of our Faith , it doth provoke God to blast the lively exercise thereof , and to make a Christian oftentimes have th●● complaint : Wo to me , my leannesse ▪ my lea●●es●● testifieth to my face . I will tell you thr●● great mysteries of Christianity , about grace The first is , to ride marches between the●● two , not to deny what they have , an● yet to bee denyed to what they have ; ma●● times , there is grace-denying , and not sel● denying ; but this is that wee would pres●● upon you to bee denyed to grace , according to that which is recorded of Moses , his fa●● did shine and he knew it not , hee did mis●e●● ( as it were ) and did not at all bee puffed ●● with it ; for so the words wee conceive m●● run . Secondly , it is a great difficulty f●● a Christian to bee denied to his self denial , 〈◊〉 ●ee humble in ●his being humble : for if pri●● ●●n have no other foundation , it will build ●● self upon humility ; and a Christian will ●●ow proud in this , that hee is growing humble . Thirdly , It is a difficultie for a Christian to examine his growing in grace , and not bee puffed up ; It is certain a Christian ought to examine his growth in grace humbly , according to that , Psal. 63. 8. My ●●ul followeth hard after thee , thy right hand ▪ ●●holdeth mee : Hee doth not only take notice ●f this , that his soul did follow after God , ●ut of the measure of that pursuit , my soul ●●lloweth hard after thee , and yet sweetly acknowledgeth , it was not his own feet which ●●rried him , nor his own hand that kept him ●●om falling . 3. Yee are not to build your Faith upon ●our works ; and upon the righteousnesse ●f the Law : I need not stand long to re●ure ●●at practicall Popery that is amongst us , ●●at thinketh wee can go to heaven through 〈◊〉 Covenant of Works . I told you not long ●●●e , what your going to heaven through Covenant of Works speaketh ; even this ●●r●id blasphemy ; That it was an act of ●onstruous folly to send Christ to die for ●●ers ; for , if you can go to heaven with●●t him , was not Christ then crucified in 〈◊〉 . And I would tell you now , that ●● is speaketh out your damnable ignorance 〈◊〉 the weaknesse and deceitfulnesse of your ●●n hearts . O yee that are so great de●●ders of Salvation by the Covenant of ●orks , I beseech you , What is the rea●●● that yee break the Covenant of Works oftner then any ; for there is none th● thinketh they will go to heaven this way but these that are the greatest breakers of th● Covenant of Works . And is not that inconsistent , and most contradictory divinity , yo●● faith contradicting your practice , and you● practice telling you that your faith is a lie . Fourthly , We must not mix our ow● righteousnesse with Christ , as the object o● our believing : This is indeed an evill tha● often lodgeth in the bosome of the most refined hypocrite , when Satan cannot preva●● to exclude Christ altogether , then he is content with that whorish woman , to divide th● childe , and let the object of our faith be ha● Christ , and half of self ; And the truth i● many of these poor unwise sons , who st●● long in the place of the breaking forth ●● children , do willingly hearken to this ove●ture , for fear it be presumption for such po●● wretches to meddle too boldly with the righteousnesse of Christ ; but it were good suc● weak ones would consider that word , R●● 10. 2. where the Holy Ghost calleth th● making use of His righteousnesse , an act ●● submission , They have not submitted ( saith h●● unto the righteousnesse of Christ. O will y●● not lay this to heart , that our Lord will ta●● your believing , or your putting on his righteousnesse for an act of great humility , a●● will take your misbelief as a marvelous act 〈◊〉 the highest pride and presumption . Fifthly , We are not to make providenc● the object of our faith . I know there ●● some that ask the ground of their right 〈◊〉 heaven , they will tell us , that God hath been ●ind to them all their dayes . I would only ●ay to such , He may be feeding you unto the day ●f slaughter , and no man knoweth love or hatred ●●y any thing that is before him . This much of ●he object of Faith negatively . And now to speak to it positively , we see ●he Text holdeth out Christ himself as that excellent and compleat object of Faith , This ●s his Commandement , that we believe on the ●ame of his Son : and thus Faith closeth with Christ in a fourfold consideration . First , It ●oseth with God in Christ , not with God immediatly and nakedly ; for , hee dwelleth in ●●ght inaccessible , that no man can approach unto : He is higher then the heaven , what can we do ? ●nd deeper then hell what can we know ? Job 11. ●herefore wee must approach unto Him ●hrough a vail , even the vail of Christ His ●esh , Heb. 10 God is a consuming fire , and of ●●rer eyes then that he can behold iniquity : and therefore we must first cast our eye upon that ●essed Days-man , that laid his hand upon us ●●th ; and look upon God as in Christ recon●ling the world to himself , and so draw near ●nto him through a Mediator , who is the first ●●d the last , and he that liveth and was dead , ●●d is alive for evermore , able to save to the ●termost all that come unto God by Him , ●eing he liveth for ever to make intercessi●n for them . Secondly , Faith closeth with ●hrist , as tendered freely in a Covenant of ●omise . We could have had nothing to do ●●th Christ , if he had not been given of the ●ther , and offered himself in a free Covenant of promise ; but he being thus holde● forth upon tearms of free love ( which dot● utterly abominat hyre ) and so nodle a proclamation issued forth under the great se● of Heaven , That whosoever will , may come an● drink of the water of life freely ; Upon th●● the poor creature draweth near by vertue 〈◊〉 a right , and stretching out the armes of mo●● enlarged affections , doth run upon him wit● that joyful shout , My Lord and my God ; an● then maketh an absolute resignation of it se● unto him ; which is holden out in the Scripture by that sweet expression of kissing 〈◊〉 the Son. And there are three parts of Chris● blessed Body that the Christian must endeavour to kisse and imbrace : the mouth ●● Christ , the hand of Christ , and the feet ●● Christ : the kissing of his feet importing th● exercise of love , the kissing of his hands th● exercise of subjection , and the kissing of h●● mouth the exercise of communion and fellowship with him . Thirdly , Faith close● with Christ as the purchaser and meritorious cause of all the good we receive : He is the person that hath purchased all these thi●● unto us , and there is not one blink of lov● there is not the smallest enjoyment that Christian meeteth with , but it is the price the blood of Christ ; Christs precious blo● was laid down for it . Fourthly , Faith ●●seth with Christ as the efficient and work● of all our mercies ; all our enjoyments th●● are far from him as the efficient cause , that ▪ He is the worker of all these things in 〈◊〉 it is his precious fingers that must accomplish that blessed work of grace , and they are from Christ as the dispenser of these things ; Christ is the great Steward of Heaven that doth communicate unto Believers all the Treasures of the Higher House ; For Him hath God the Father sealed . O but that word that Christ once spake , is much verified by Himself , It is more blessed to give , then to ●eci●ve ; Christ is that fountain and treasure 〈◊〉 whom all our gifts and graces are treasured ●p ; for , before the blessing come to Believers , ●hey come to Christ as the Head , according ●o that word , 2 Tim. 1 9. Which grace was ●iven to us in Him , before the foundations of the ●orld were laid : It was given to Christ be●●e the world was made , and for that end , ●●at it might be communicate unto all his ●embers , and so out of His fulnesse we all ●eive , and grace for grace . But , secondly , The Text holdeth forth ●ore particularly this excellent object of ●●th , to be the Name of his Son , That ye ●●ieve in the Name of his Son. And here ●●eed we may be at a stand . It is long ●●ce Agur did non plus all the world ●●th that question , What is his Name ? and ●●at is his Sons Name , if thou canst tell ? ●●ow little a thing can be known of Him ! ●●d O how brutish is this generation ! that ●●w so much lesse then might be known Him in such a day of the Gospel . But ●t we may speak a little , according to our ●●k measure of Faith , as closing with the ●●e of Christ. His Name is His glorious ●●●u●es , by which he revealeth so much of Himself in the Scriptures , as poor mortals can take up . Wee did shew you before , that there was three of these that were the main pillars of justifying Faith , Faithfulnesse , Omnipotency , and His infinite Love and Mercy : And how from these may bee answered all the objections of sense , of c●rnall reason , and of misbelief , arising from convictions of unworthinesse . And certain it is , that Faith in all its conflicts , maketh much use of the Names of Christ. And there is not an objection that a poor tempted soul can make , but Faith can frame an answer to it , out of some of these excellent Name● of God , or of his Son Christ. It would bee a more longsome work then I intend to let you see this in all ; But I shall onely instance in that One glorious Name of God , by which he proclaimeth his glory , Exod. 34. The Lord ▪ the Lord God , mercifull and gracious , long suffering , and abundant in goodnesse and truth● Keeping mercy for thousands , forgiving iniquit● transgression and sin , and that will by no mean● clear the guilty , &c. I think there are seve● ordinary objections which may bee answere● from that place . First , It is an ordinar● objection which misbelievers do make , th●● they are under the strength of their corruption , that they are black as the Tents of Keda● and not beautifull a● the Curtains of Solomon And doth not the first letter of that Nam● answer this , that he is a mercifull Lord : th● one importing his ability to save , and 〈◊〉 bring down every high imagination ? Th● other importing , his infinite delight to h●● those who have no strength , and are under the power of their adversaries , the power of God being of no larger extent then his love . There is that second objection of misbelief , that wee have nothing to commend us to Christ : But all that wee have to boast of , are infirmities and imperfections : And this is abundantly answered from that second letter of his Name , that he is Gracious : which importeth the freedom of the dispensations of his love that hee walketh nor with us , according to that rule of merit , but according to that golden and excellent rule of Love. It is a great dispute whether Mercy or Grace be the greatest wonder , Whether the love of Christ , or the freedom of it bee the greatest mystery : Sure both these put together make up a matchlesse wonder ? Thirdly , Misbelief will object , that wee have forsaken him dayes without number , and that wee cannot trace back our apostasie unto the first day of its rise : And is not that abundantly answered from that letter of his Name , that hee is long suffering ? This being that Glorious attribute in God , the glory of which hee desireth to magnifie above all his Name . Fourthly , Misbelief doth ordinarily propose this objection , that wee have multiplied our transgressions , and have committed whoredoms under every green tree , and have given gifts to our lovers , even hyring our idols : So that wee may take up that lamentation , is not our sin great , and our transgression infinit : And is not that also answered from that letter of his Name , that hee is abundant in goodnesse ? That though sin abound in us , yet grace doth much more superabound in him . Wee confesse indeed , that there are some that may walk under that condition , that if they had no other exercise throughout eternity , but to make confession , they might confesse and never make any needlesse repetition : And truely in some respect , it is a mercy that we are mysteries unto our self : for , if wee did know compleatly the seven abominations of our hearts , and those mysterious actings of the body of death , we would be in hazard to choise strangling and death , rather then life : Yet may not one glimpse of that abundant goodnesse satisfie us , and calm the storm . Fifthly , Saith misbelief , wee know that we have broken our Vowes and Covenants with God , and that all these things that wee have taken on , have been but as flax before the fire of tentation ; so that wee have no hope that he will have mercy upon these that have broken wedlock , and have not been stedfast in his Covenant . But is not that abundantly answered from that letter of His Name , That hee is abundant in truth : which speaketh , That though wee deny our selves , yet he abideth faithfull , and doth not alter the word that hath gone out of his mouth . It is the infinite blessednesse of man that though hee bee changeable , yet they have to do with one that is an unchangeable being . Sixthly ; There is that objection : That notwithstanding all these things are matters of encouragement to some , yet they know not whether or not the lot of everlasting love have fallen upon them : And whether their names be in the ancient records of Heaven . But this is answered from that letter of His Name , hee keepeth mercy for thousands ? which sheweth us that great number of those upon whom the lot of everlasting love shall fall : And if there were no other sentence in all the Scripture , ●his might be a sufficient matter of a Song , and might make us cry out , Who is like un●o him , whose compassions have no end , And who desires to magnifie his mercy above all his works ? And lastly , Misbelief maketh this objection , They have sinned not onely against light , not onely against vowes , not onely after much enjoyment of God , but even after the application of threatnings : So that they conceive , that their Maker will ●ot have mercy upon such . Yet this is fully answered likewise from that letter of His Name , He forgiveth iniquity , transgression ●nd sin : which three words doth abundantly speak forth ; That there is no transression which he will not pardon , there being but one particular amongst all that ●●nu●etable number of sins which lodgeth 〈◊〉 the heart of fallen man , that he declared ●●pardonable : And there is none of our ●iseases that is above the infinit a●●e of love , ●nd concerning which we can take up that ●omplaint , There is no balm in Gilead , and ●●ere is no Physician there . And though pro●idence may master up many impossibilities , ●et let Faith take the promise in the one ●nd , and impossibilites in the other , and desire God to reconcile them ; that if we cannot see any connexion between Providence and the Word , yet may we reflect upon the omnipotency of God , that can make thing● that are seeming contrary sweetly to agree together , the Comment●●y will never destroy the Text , nor Providence will never destroy the faithfulnesse of God : And let me give you this advice , that those objections of misbelief which you cannot answer , and , in ● manner putteth you to a non plus , and whe● ye have looked over all the Names of God , y● cannot finde an answer to them , sleight them and cover them , as we have often told you was the practice of believing Abraham , Rom ▪ 4. 19. where that strong objection of misbelief appearing before his eyes , the deadness● of his body , and the barrenesse of Sarahs womb ▪ It is recorded of him , he considered not thes● things : as it were , he had a divine transitio● from the objections of misbelief to the actin● of Faith : and this is clear from Matth. 15 ▪ 25 , 26. Where that strong objection of misbelief being proposed against that woman the she was not within the compasse o● Christs Commission , she hath a noble way o● answering with this , Lord have mercy upon m● And ( if so we may speak ) Faith hath a kin● of divine impertinency in answering the objections of misbelief ; or rather a holy sleighting of them that gaineth the victory , whe● cavilling with tentations will not do it . The like also may be instanced in His So● Name : O how glorious titles are given t● that Prince of the Kings of the earth , and 〈◊〉 that Plant of renown , upon which the weakest faith may cast anchor , and ride out the greatest storm ; I shall not detain you long on this subject , but this we would have you know , that there is no strait nor difficulty that a Christian can be exposed unto , but there is some name or a●tribute of Christ that may sweetly answer that difficulty , and make up that disadvantage . Is a Christian exposed unto afflictions and troubles in a present world ? Let him comfort himself in this , that Christ is the shadow of a great rock in a wearied land ; Is a Christian under inward anxiety and vexation of mind ? Let him comfort himself in this , That Christ is the God of peace , and of all consolation ; Is a Christian under darknesse and confusion of spirit ? Let him comfort himself in this , That Christ is the Father of lights , and is the eternal wisdom of God ; Is a Christian under the convictions of this , that he is under the power and dominion of his lusts ? Let him comfort himself in this , that Christ is Redemption ; yea ( that I stay no longer ) if it were possible that a Christian could have a necessity that he could not find a name in Christ to answer it , he may lawfully frame a name to Christ out of any promise in all the Book of God , and he should find it forth-coming for the relieving and making up of that necessity , God would not disappoint his expectation . There is yet one thing further , in reference to the object of Faith , which we shall desire you to tale notice of ; and it is the way of Faiths closing with its noble object , and its testing on him : and this we conceive may be excellently taken up by our considering of the many several names that Faith getteth in Scripture , beyond any other of ●he graces of the Spirit . It is called looking , Isa. 45 22. Look unto me : It is called abiding in Christ , Joh. 15. 4. Abide in mee : It is called a keeping silence unto God , Psal. 37. 7. My soul trust in God ; Or as the word is in the Original , My soul be silent unto God ; and that in Psal. 62. 1. My soul waiteth ; Or as the word is , Truly my soul is silent unto God. Likewise Faith is called a leaning , Psal. 7. 15. I have leaned upon thee from my mothers womb . Faith is called an eating of Christs flesh , John 6. 53. Faith is called a casting of our burden upon God , Psal. 55. 22. Cast your burden upon God : and Faith it is called a coming unto God , Matth. 11. 28. And according to these different names , there are these seven noble properties & ma●chless differences of this grace of Faith. The first is , That this is this grace by which a Christian doth enjoy much communion with God : Hence it is called a looking : which importeth , that Faith is a continuall contemplation of the immortal Soul upon that precious and excellent object Jesus Christ. There is that second property of saith , That it is that grace by which a communion with God is maintained : Hence it is called an abiding in God. It is that grace whi●h maketh Christ and the believer to dwell together . The third property of Faith is , that it is a most submissive grace : Hence it is called a keeping silence unto God : Faith as it were , it knoweth not what it is to ●epine . It is the noble excellency of Faith , it never knew what it was to misconstruct Christ. It is the noble excellency of Faith , it never knew what it was to passe an evil report upon Christ. Faith it will promise good things to a Christian in the darkest night ; for , when Love asketh Faith that question , Isa. 21. 11 , 12. Watchman , what of the night ? Watchman , what of the night ? Or , when shall the morning break ? Faith answereth it with the words that follow , ( onely a little inverting the order ) The night cometh , and also the morning ; the morning is approaching , that admitteth of no following night . There is that fourth property of Faith , It is the grace which keep●th a Christian in ●e severance , by its ●uilding upon the rock . Hence it is called a ●eaning upon God ; for a Christian by Faith doth perpe●ually joyn himself to Christ , so ●hat what ever trouble hee be cast into , by Faith hee come●h up out of that wildernesse , ●eaning upon his beloved , and by Faith hee is ●ed up to the Rock that is higher then hee , ●here he may sit in safety , and even ●augh at ●eath and destruction when assailing him . ●here is that fifth property of Faith , That ●●s the grace that bringeth satisfaction un●● the spirituall senses of a Christian , by a ●ose and particular application of Christ 〈◊〉 the nou●●ishment of the soul. Hence it is ●lled an eating of the fl●sh of Christ. There are ●ree senses that Faith satisfieth , Faith satisfieth the sense of sight , it satisfieth the sense of taste , and it satisfieth the sense of touch : Faith will make a Christian handle that eternall word of life : Faith will make a Christian see that noble plant of renown ; And Faith will make a Christian taste and see how gracious the Lord is . And no doubt , these tha● have once satisfied their sight , they will b● longing to satisfie their taste . There is tha● sixth property of Faith , It is that grace which giveth rest unto a Christian : Hence i● is called a casting of our burden upon him : I● is , as it were , the soul giving unto Christ tha● unsupportable yoke of our iniquities , an● taking from Christ that easie and portabl● yoke of his Commandements . And seventhly , There is that last property of Faith , I● is that grace by which Sanctification is pro ▪ moved : Hence it is called a coming to Christ ▪ It is the soul in a divine motion and travelling from the land of Egypt unto the land o● Canaan : Faith it is the soul in a pleasant motion from the land of the north , the land o● our captivity , unto that land of perfect liberty , all along going out by the footsteps of t●● flock , and walking in that new and living wa● even in Him who is the Way , the Truth and t●● Life . And now for a more full application 〈◊〉 this , we shall speak but to two things further . 1. We would have it considered , th● there are some that come unto the Covena● of Promise with lesse difficulty , and after ▪ more divine and evangelick way ; and the● are some that close with Christ , in a mo●● difficult and legall way ; there are some that before they can come to mount Sion , they must dwell fourty dayes at mount Sinai . There are some , before the decreet of heaven shall be given to them , they must roa● as an ox , and must cover themselvs with sackcloath , having ashes upon their heads , we must be a Benoni before we be Benjamin , that is , we must be a son of sorrow , before we can be a son of consolation . But this is certain , that Christ leadeth sometimes some to himself through a valley of roses : And I would only have you taking notice of these two , which though we conceive they b● not infallible in the rule , yet oftentimes experience maketh them out to be truth . 1. That there are three sorts of persons who are most ordinarily brought under great terrour , ●ere they close with Christ. First , These who have committed some grosse and abominable sin that is most contradicting unto the light of nature . Secondly , That person that sinneth much against light , before conversion : Hence it is observed in all the Books of the Gospel , and in the book of the Acts , there was a more Gospel and love way of converting the Gentiles , then was of converting the Jews , see Act. 2. 37. there is a sharp Law exercise among them who had crucified the Lord of Life , and Act. 9. Paul that had been a grievous persecuter , at his conversion , he is first stricken dead to the ground before he be made a captive of the love of Christ , and constrained to cry out , What wilt thou have me to do : but look to Act. 8. and chap. 19. and there ye will find a more fair and smooth way of begetting sons to Christ. And , thirdly , that person that is much in conceit of his own righteousnesse , he useth to be brought to Christ through much terrour and exercise of the Law : that is clear in Paul , his condition also , Phil. 3. and Act. 9. compared , and certainly , who ever thinketh to come that length in self abasement , and will count as the Apostle doth in that Chapter , must dwell many dayes at mount Sinai , and learn his Arithmethick there . 2. We would have you taking notice of this , that though the person that is brought in to Christ in a more smooth and evangelick way may have the preheminency of the person that is brought to Christ after a more legall and terrible way in some things . Yet we conceive , that a Christian that is brought to Christ through much of the exercise of the Law , and through many of the thunderings of mount Sinai , after he hath wone to see his right of Christ , he is more constant in the exercise of Faith ; and the reason of it is , because that an ordinary ground of misbelief is our not distinct uptaking either of the time of our conversion , which is oftentimes hid from these persons that are converted in a more evangelick way , as likewise this , that those persons that are brought to Christ in a more Gospelchariot , are sometimes put to debates , whether ever they were under the exercise of the Law , and this maketh them often ( as it were ) to raze the foundation , and to cry forth , My hope , and my strength is perished from the Lord. And now to shut up our discourse , we shall adde this one word of exhortation ; that ye would carefully lay hold upon that noble object , and exercise your faith upon him ; and I shall say but this , that all these that have this noble grace of Faith , and that are he●●s of that everlasting inheritance : There is a fourfold Crown prepared for you ; There is a Crown of life that is prepared for him that shall sight the good fight of Faith ; ●ut what may you say is a Crown of Life , except we have joy waiting upon that life ; ●or what is life without joy , but a bitternesse , and a burthen to it self ; Therefore ●e shall have a crown of joy ; but what were ● crown of Life , and a crown of ●oy , except we had the grace of Holinesse , and were compleat in that ; Therefore , ye shall have ●lso a crown of Righteousnesse : But , what were Life Joy and Righteousnesse , without Glory ; Therefore ye ●hall have likewise a ●●own of Glory ▪ But what of all these , if that Crown should once fall from our head , 〈◊〉 we should be deprived of our King●om ? Therefore , take this to make up all ●he rest , it is an eternal crown of Glory . ●hat word in Prov. 27. n●a● the close , The ●●own ▪ saith Solomon , doth not endure for ever : ●ut this precious Crown that the hands of ●hrist shall fix upon the head of an over●oming Christian , this is the mot●o that is ●●grav●n upon it , Unchangeable and Eter●all , Eternal and unchangeable , and O what a day suppose ye shall that be , when tha● precious Crown shall be put upon our heads ▪ What think you will be the difference betwix● Christ and the Believers in heaven . They shall have these four crowns which are indeed one ; but Christ shall have upon hi● head many Crowns , according to that word Rev. 19. 12. But let me say one word also to you who are strangers from God , and ar● destitute of the grace of Christ , and will no● by faith close with this excellent Object ▪ There is a fourfold crown that once shall b● put upon your heads ; but do not misinterpret the vision : There is a difference betwix● the Butler and the Baker ; ye may prophesi● good things to your self , but there is a crow● of death which ye shall once have put upo● your heads ; ye shall be alwayes dying , an● never able to die : there is a crown of sorrow that ye shall have put upon your head when ye shall eternally sigh forth that lamentation , O to be anihilat , and reduced unto nothing ; when the reduction of you into nothing would be a heaven , when ye shall b● tormented in those everlasting flames . An● I would say this by the way , ye will be al● miserable , comfortlesse one to another , ther● will be no ground of consolation that ye shal● reap , for the community of your sorrow shall increase the degrees of that sorrow And there is another crown also that ye shal● put on , and that is a crown of sin , instead o● that crown of righteousnesse : would you kno● your exercise , O ye that are predestinate u● to these everlasting pains ? Would ye kno● your exercise ? It is this , ye shall eternally blaspheme , and curse the God that made you . I am perswaded of this , that the terrours of hell will afflict you more , and doth , then that of the sinning perpetually in hell : Ye would think nothing many of you to be in hell , if there were no pain there ; for the exercise of sin it will be your delight and life : but be perswaded of it , that when your conscience is awakened , the exercise of sinning shall exceedingly aggreage your pain . And there is this crown lastly , that ye shall put on , and that is the crown of shame : The Prophet Isaiah maketh mention of a crown of pride ; but ye that have put on that crown of pride , ye shall once put on that crown of everlasting confusion and shame , when ye shall not be able to lift up your eyes to him whom ye have peirced : I would fain desire you to know , what will be your exercise at these three dayes ; what will be your exercise when death shall be summonding you to remove , and ye shall first be entered heirs unto these everlasting pains ; I am perswaded ye will reflect much ? Will ye not reflect upon many Sermons that ye have heard , wherein ye have been invited to partake of the sweet offers of Salvation . I remember of one , that upon his death bed cryed forth , A world for time , a world for one inch of time , one that perhaps did hold his head high , and no doubt was greater than the greatest here , his Crown could not purchase on inch of time , but dying with this , Call time again , call time again ; that petition was denyed , and so it shall be , I fear , to the most part that are here . I think it was a pretty Hieroglyph●ck of the Egyptians , they painted Time with three hea●s ; The first head that painted out time that was past , Was a greedy Wolfe gaping , which importeth this , That our time past was mispent , and there was nothing left , but like a Wolfe to gape for it again : And there was that second head of a roaring Lyon , round , which import the time pr●sent , and for this end was so painted , that people might lay hold upon their present opportunities ; otherwise , it would be the matter of their ruine , and of their eternall undoing . And there was that last head , which was of a deceitfull Dog , fawning ; which signified , that people they ●eceive themselves with the time to come , thinking they will be religious at their dea●h , and that they will overcome at their death , but this is ●●attery , no better then the fawning of a mad Dog. I think wee may learn much of this , even to be provoked to lay hold upon ou● gol●●n opportunities , that wee sell not ●ur time but that wee buy it . There are two thi●●gs that a Christian must not sell , that is , sell not the truth but buy it , and sell not your time but buy it . I am perswaded of this , that one moment of time is worth ten thousand worlds , if improven : And I would ask you , what advantage shall yee have of all things that yee have ●o●mented your selves about , when time shall be no more ? I suppose indeed , this is an ordinary evil amongst the people of this age , of which we have our own share and proportion . There are many that envy Godlinesse , and the Godly , The excellent ones that are in the earth , that think it a pleasure to vent their malice against such : I know that ordinary practice it is older by a thousand years then themselves , that they persecure Godlinesse under the name of hypocrisie : They call Godliness hypocrisie , and upon that account they begin and speak maliciously against it : onely ● would ask you this question , What will ●e say in that day when Christ will ask that question at you , that Gideon asked at Zeba ●od Zalmuna , who are these that ye killed with your tongue ? Most it not be answered , Every one did resemble the person of a King ? ● will ye not believe ! will ye not close with Christ ? I know it is ordinary that we run ●pon these two extreams , Sometimes we ●o not believe the threatnings of the Law , ●nd sometimes we will not believe the pro●ises of the Gospel . But I would only de●e to know , what if it had been so order●● in the infinite wisdome of God , that all ●●e letters of this Book should have been ●●earnings ? what should have been our lot , ●●all the promises should have been s●raped ●t of it . But certainly this must be your ●t ▪ all ●he promises of the Book of this Co●nant shall be taken from you , and all the ●●ses thereof shall be a flying roll that shall ●●er within your houses , and shall there ●●●rnally remain . Know this , O ye that are ●●emies to Christ , know it and think upon it , Every battel of the warriour is with confused noise , and with garments rolled in blood ▪ But that war that Christ shall have against the hypocrites in Zion , and those that are ignorant of him , and will not close with him it shall be with fewell of fire , and eternal i●dignation . O what will be your though●● suppose you , when Christ shall come wi●● that two edged sword of the ●ury of th● Lord , to enter to fight with you ? It i●●● delightsome exercise . Oh that ye were n●● almost , but altogether perswaded to be Christians , and that once Christ might conq●● you with that two edged sword that proceedeth out of his mouth , that so ye might subject your selves to Him , and make Him t●● object of your Faith. Now to Him th●● hath engraven upon His vesture , and on 〈◊〉 thigh , that He is the King of kings , and 〈◊〉 Lord of lords , we desire to give praise . A SERMON Concerning the Great-Salvation . Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation , which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord , and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him . THis everlasting Gospel , which is preached unto you , is that glorious Star , which must lead us to the place where blessed Christ doth ●ly . This Gospel and glad tydings of the Great Salvation is come near unto you : And Christ is standing at the everlasting doors of your hearts , desiring that ye would open unto him . There is that one great request which heaven , this day , hath to present unto you , and it is , That ye would at last imbrace this Great Salvation freely offered by him . It is the thing for which ye are called to mourn this day , that since the dayes of your fathers , and since the beginning of your own dayes , ●e have stopped your ears from that sweet and chaunting voice of this blessed Charmer . Ye would never dance to Christ when he pyped , neither would ye weep to him when he lamented . But to come to the words which we have read unto you : The Apostle in the forme● Chapter hath been discoursing most divinely , of the matchless and incomparable excellencies which are in our blessed Lord Jesus ; And in the first verse of this second Chapter , h● draweth forth an exhortation from his former Doctrine , which in short is this , That they would take heed to the blessed Doctrine of the Gospel : And not at any time to let it slip out of our minds , and that they would keep thi● Gospel as a Jewel of great price , and would not sell it , but that they would be induced to buy it . And this exhortation he presseth by two Arguments . The first Argument is in the second verse where he saith , If the word spoken by Angel● was stedfast , and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward , &c. That is , if the transgression of the Law , which was delivered but by the Ministry of Angels , and every disobedience to i● was so severely punished ; Let that provoke you to take heed , that ye transgresse no● the precious Gospel which was spoken by the Lord himself . The second Argument is in the word which we have read unto you , and it i● taken from the certain and infallible stroa● of the Justice of God , which shall com● upon those who slight this Great Salvation ●t is impossible ( saith he ) that there can be a ●●ity of refuge for these who slight this Great Salvation . Now in the words which wee have read , here are these six things to be considered . I. First , That it is an evil incident to the ●●earers of this precious Gospel and Great ●●lvation , to slight and undervalue it ; This is early presupposed in the words , otherwise here had been no ground or accesse for the postle to threaten so terrible things against ●●e slighters of it . II. The second thing to bee considered in 〈◊〉 words , is , That the stroak and ruine of ●●ose who slight this Great Salvation , is ●●●tain , and infallible , it will surely come ●●on them : This is clear from these words , ●●w shall we escape ? As if he had said , there ●●no imaginable way for us to escape , if wee ●●glect ( this ) so Great Salvation : wee may ●●●e a city of refuge when wee are pursued the Law ; or , when wee are pursued by ●●ictions , and wee may escape when wee 〈◊〉 pursued otherwayes by the Justice of ●●d ; but if once wee slight this Great ●●●vation , there remaineth no city of refuge ●●o door of escape left open ) unto us : for ●ere will the person flee that slighteth this ●●at Salvation ? II. There is this third thing whereof we ●●●l take notice from the words , That the ●●ak of the Justice of God cometh justly ●n them who slight this Great Salvation ; truely it is a most equal and reasonable ●●●k , which is also clear from the words , How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ! where he puts it home to their consciences , as if he had said , think yee not tha● it is just and righteous that ( if yee slight the Great-Salvation ) there should not be a doo● of escape left open unto you ? Hee putteth the question home to their conscience to answer , yea , or no. IV. The fourth thing to bee considered i● the words , is this , That the slighting thi● Great-Salvation is a sin that hath many aggravations which attend and wait upon i● . And it hath two great aggravations from th● words which I have read ; The first great aggravation in that word of the Text , Great Salvation , as if he had said , if it were not Great Salvation , yee might have some clo●● or excuse for your slighting of it : but se●ing it is such a great and eternal Salvation● there is now no cloak left for your sin . The second aggravation is from the certainty 〈◊〉 this Salvation : in these words , Which at fi●● began to be spoken by the Lord : and was conf●●med unto us by those that heard him , viz. 〈◊〉 Apostles , whereby he telleth them , this Great Salvation is no notion no● fancy ; but a m●● certain , sure , and real Salvation , which y●● they slight . V. The fifth thing whereof wee shall ●a●● notice from the words , is this , That the● are no persons ( be who they will , Minister 〈◊〉 people ) who slight this Great-Salvatio● that shall have a door of escape . Hence is , that the Apostle putteth himself amo●● the rest , saying , How shall wee escape ; if 〈◊〉 neglect so great salvation ; That is , How shall Paul , escape , if I neglect so great salvation ; ●nd so frustrat the grace of God ? VI. Sixthly , We would take notice of this ●●om the words , That not only heart despi●●ng of this Great Salvation , but even also ●he very neglecting of it , hath a certain infallible and unspeakable ruine attending upon it 〈◊〉 Now before wee begin to speak to any of ●hese six things ( which we have observed from ●●e words ) There are these two things where●●to we shall speak a little for clearing of the ●ords . First , What is meaned here by Great ●alvation ; Secondly , How it is said , that Christ was the first preacher of it . First , Wee conceive , that by the Great-sal●ation , is understood the Gospel , as is clear , ●ph . 1. 13. Where it is called , the Gospel of ●●r salvation , and Act. 13. 26. it it called the ●ord of this salvation ; So that by the word of this Salvation , is understood the Gospel , ●●d these precious offers which are contained in it . And we conceive , it may be called 〈◊〉 Great-Salvation , in these eight respects . I. First , It is called the Great-Salvation , ●● respect of the price that was laid down ●or it : There being no lesse price laid down ●● purchase this Great-Salvation , then the ●loud of the Son of God. From whence then ●oth Salvation flow unto you ? It comes ●●nning to you in a stream of the blood of the 〈◊〉 of God. This is clear , Heb. 9. 12. Nei●●er by the blood of Goats and Calves ; but by ●is own blould he entered in once into the holy ●lace , having obtained eternal redemption for us . II. Secondly , It is called a Great Salvation , in respect of the many difficulties and oppositions which ly in the way of bringing it about . What great impediments ( suppose ye ) lay in Christs way , before he could accomplish and bring about this Great Salvation ? Was not the Justice of God to be satisfied ? Was he not to die , and be made like unto one of us ? Was he not to●ly in the grave ? And was he not to bear the to●ments of hell , before this Great-Salvatio● could be accomplished , and brought to passe 〈◊〉 There were such impediments in the way o● bringing about this Great Salvation , that ●● all the Angels in Heaven had been set to the work , they had been all crushed under 〈◊〉 had it been but that one great impediment● to satisfie the Iustice , and pacifie the wra●●● of God , even that was a passe , through which none could go , but the eternal Son of God. It was so guarded that none durst adventure to enter it ( much lesse could any win through it ) save he only , who was mighty to save . III. Thirdly , It is called a Great Salvation in respect of that high estimation which the Saints have of it . O what an high estimation have the Saints of this Gospel Salvation ! There is no mercy which they think comparable to this , all other mercies are but little Zoars in comparison of this great Mercy , and Gospel Salvation . IV. Fourthly , It is called a Great Salvation , in respect of these noble effects which this Salvation bringeth about , and produceth● Some of the great effects of the Gospel ? David hath cleared , Psal. 19. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. Is not this ● great effect ( of this Gospel Salvation ) to ●ring us out of nature into an estate of grace ? And that is an effect of this Great Salvation ? ●s not this a great effect , to make us who were enemies , become friends ? And that is ●● effect of this Great Salvation ? Is not this ● great effect , to make us who were moving ●● the way to hell , move in the way to hea●●n ? And that is an effect of this Great Salvation . Is not this a great effect , to make us who were far off , to be now made near ? And ●●t that is an effect of this Great Salvation . And is not this a great effect , to make us who were darknesse , become light in the Lord ? and ●●at is the great effect of this Gospel Salvation : Yea , I may say , time would fail me to tell ●f all the great effects of this Great Salvation ; ●ut O will yee come and see , and that will ●est resolve the question unto you , what the ●ble effects of this Great Salvation are . V. Fifthly , It is called a Great Salvation , 〈◊〉 respect of the great advantages which ●oth redound to the person who imbraceth 〈◊〉 First , Is not Heaven a noble advantage ? ●●d that is the gain , which attendeth the ●●bracers of this Great Salvation . Secondly , 〈◊〉 not Jesus Christ a notable advantage ? ●●d yet hee is the advantage which attendeth ●● imbracers of this Great Salvation ▪ ●●irdly , Is not eternall communion with ●●d a notable advantage ? And that advantage attendeth the imbracers of this Great ●●vation . Fourthly , Is not eternal liberation from the body of death , a great advantage ? and that attendeth the imbracers o● this Great Salvation . Fifthly , Is not eternall singing in the enjoyment of God a grea● advantage ? and that attendeth the imbracer● of this Salvation . Sixthly , Is not eternal seeing of God as he is , a great and noble advantage ? And yet this ( as all the former ) attendeth the imbracers of this Great Salvation ▪ Ye● , would ye be rich ? O then imbrace thi● Great Salvation . Would ye be honourable Come and imbrace this Great Salvation Would ye be eternally happy ? O then com● and partake of this Great Salvation . VI. Sixthly , It is called a Great Salvatio● in respect of all other Salvations that eve● were accomplished . There was never a salvation , or victory obtained by any General 〈◊〉 Captain ( unto a Land or People ) that coul● have the name of Great Salvation in comp●rison of this . VII . Seventhly , It is called a Great-Salvation , in respect of the authority of it . W● have spoken of the greatnesse ( as to the m●ritorious cause ) of it , and how great things doth effectuate : and also in respect of t●● authority of it , it is a Great-Salvatio● Would ye know who is the Author of th● Great-Salvation ? It is Christ , Heb. 5. 9. 〈◊〉 became the Author of eternal Salvation to 〈◊〉 them that obey him . And must not this Salvation be suitable to him who is the Author it . This is one of the most noble and irra●●ant beams of the Majesty of the Son of G●● the Mediator , that he is the Author of 〈◊〉 Great Salvation . VIII . Eighthly , It is called a Great Salvation , in respect of the continuance and duration of it . It is not a salvation which is but 〈◊〉 a day : but it is an eternal Salvation , Heb. 〈◊〉 . 12. He obtained eternal redemption for us . Now the second thing whereunto we shall ●peak , for clearing of the words , is this , viz. How it is said , That Christ was the first ●reacher of this eternal Salvation . We do ●ot think that the words are thus to be understood , that the Gospel , and this Great Salvation was never preached before Christ came ●● the flesh ; but we think the meaning of the ●ords may be one of these three , if not all ●f them . I. First , That all the preaching of this Great Salvation under the Law , did come ●ery far short in the point of fulnesse , in ●omparison of Christs preaching of it ; There●ore is Christ said to be the first Preacher of his Great Salvation : As if he had said , I ●now Adam , he preached of this Great Salvation : and Enoch , he preached of this Great Salvation : And the twelve Patriarchs , they ●reached of this Great Salvation : And all ●he Prophets who went before Christ , and 〈◊〉 now in heaven , they preached of this Great Salvation ; But all their preaching de●erved not the name of preaching in compa●ison of Christs ; for , Never man spake as he ●pake . Thus Christ was the first great preach●r of this Great Salvation . II. Secondly , This may be the meaning ●f it , that Christ was the first Preacher of ●●is Great Salvation , in respect of his clear way of preaching of it : for hee was the first Preacher of it without Types and Shadows , hee was the first Preacher of it clearly and fully , with so much demonstration and power of the Spirit . III. Thirdly , The meaning of this ( that Christ was the first Preacher of this Great Salvation ) may relate to his appearing to Adam in Paradise , when he became the first and great Preacher of this Salvation , whe● hee did speak that word unto him , The See● of the Woman shall tread down the head of the Serpent . The first glorious preaching of thi● Great Salvation was , when Christ preached i● to Adam in Paradise . And that was the firs● and glorious morning of this blessed Gospel ▪ Now we shall speak a little to the first o● these six things which we have observed fro● the words , viz. That there are many within the visibl● Church , who are neglecters and slighters o● this Great Salvation ; ( do yee not all tak● with it ? ) It is clear , Matth. 23. toward● the close , and chap. 22. 5. Where these persons being invited to come to the marriage or feast of the Gospel , It is said of them They made light of it . Which are the sam● words in our Text. And Luke 14. 18 ▪ When they were invited to come , it is said They all with one consent began to make thei● excuse . And Isa. 28. 2. This is the rest where with yee shall make them weary to rest , this i● the refreshing , yet they will not hear . No● is there a person here who dare deny thi● charge , that hee is a slighter of thi● Grea● Salvation ? I confesse I am afraid , that ye will ●ot take with it ; Therefore I shall propose eighth sorts of persons who are slighters of this Great Salvation . And I charge you , as ye will answer to God one day , that ye search your hearts , whether ye be among the number ( in the Catalogue ) of the slighters of this Great Salvation . I , The first sort of persons , who are slighters of this Great Salvation , are these per●ons who go about to establish their own ●ighteousnesse , and will not submit to the ●ighteousnesse of Christ : ( in a word ) it is ●hat sort of persons , who think they may win to heaven by a Covenant of Works , and will not take the Gospels way of travelling ●o heaven in the Covenant of Grace . And ●orely there is not a person here , who hath ●ot that cursed inclination to be as little ob●ieged to Christ ( for his Salvation ) as he can . We would go to Heaven without the Way , which is Christ. And ( believe me ) there are ●any in this congregation , who go thus a●out to establish their own righteousnesse . And I shall propose six sorts of persons who ●●ll under the first rank . 1. The first sort are these who trust on ●heir own civility , and think these will car●y them to heaven ; These are the persons ●ho go about to establish their own righteousnesse . Say they , I defy the world to ●●y any thing to me , I was evermore an ho●est man , and I trust therefore that I shall ●o to heaven ; But I say to thee , ( O atheist ●●at thou art ) thou shal● never win to heaven by these means , till thou come to Christ with this , All my righteousnesse is lik● filthy rags . 2. The second sort are these , who buil● their confidence upon their denial of thei● good works , but yet come never this lengt● to make use of Jesus Christ. 3. The third ●ort are these , who buil● their confidence upon their duties ; The● think they will come to heaven by their goo● prayers , by their reading , and by their fasting ( like unto that Pharisee , Luk 18. 11 ) I than● God I am not like other men ▪ for I fast twi●● in the week : I pay tiths of all that I possesse● But I say unto thee , thy duties will neve● bring thee to heaven , if Christ be not th● end of all thy duties , nor can ye perform an● duty without him . 4. The fourth sort of persons , who ●a● under this first rank of slighters of the Gre●● Salvation , are those who trust on their co●victions . If they have once been convinc● of their sin and miserable estate , they thi● their is no more to do , Christ will never ●●ject them , so they sit down and build the hope upon these convictions . 5. The fifth sort of persons are these w● build their confidence upon their resolution ▪ Say they , oftentimes I have resolved to be better man than I am : therefore I thi●● ( which is the fearfull delusion of many that God will accept the will for the deed : B●● it had been good for many , such a word h●● not been in the Bible ; or that their cu●s●● eyes had never read it . But know this , t●● though thou had as strong resolutions as Peter , or as good wishes as Balaam had , if thou never labour to bring them to practice , God shall say to thee , Depart from me , I know you not . And of you who build upon your resolutions , ye build upon a sandy foundation , these being many times a goodnesse but like the morning dew . 6. And the sixth sort of persons who fall under this first rank of slighters of the Great Salvation ( and wherein the evil is most subtill ) are these who build their Salvation upon their graces ; these also go about to establish their own righteousnesse : But I say to thee , Thy grace cannot be the foundation of thy hope , though they may be as evidences to strengthen thy hope . Now are there none here who fall under this first rank of slighters of the Great Salvation ; or are there none here who will confesse that they have gone about to establish their own righteousnesse ? I say to thee , who will confesse , put a rope about thy neck , and come to Christ ; for he is a mercifull King : I say to thee , come to Christ with this , All my righteousness is like filthy rags : And if thou wilt come with this in sincerity , he shall say , Bring forth the white robe and put it upon him : If thou can be brought to speak that in sincerity to Christ , there shall be no more betwixt Christ and thee , But , Come and cloath him with the white robe . II. Secondly , These persons slight the Great Salvation , who delay their taking hold of the precious offers of the Gospel : For there are many ( when we preach thi● Gospel , and when we hold out the Great Salvation to them ) who say , I will follow Christ : But I must first go home and bury m● father ; ( and so they delay to take hold o●●his Great Salvation ) But I say to you tha● ( who ever you be ) that thus delay to tak● hold on this Great Salvation , ye are the sligh● of it . Is there a person within these doors , who dare , but acknowledge that he hath slighted this Great Salvation , and delayed to imbrace it ? O tell me ? What d● your consciences speak ? Are there any bu● they must acknowledge they come unde● this second rank ? And I say to you , who have thus delayed , will ye yet imbrace it ? 〈◊〉 say even unto you who are old men ( now past sixty years , and have slighted this Great Salvation so long ) yet this day this grea● Great Salvation is offered unto you : Wha● say ye to it ? O what do ye say to this offer ▪ Are ye saying , I must now delay ( and not receive this Great Salvation ) till my Harvest b● by , and over ? I say unto thee , that the Harvest of the wrath of God is ripe , and he shal● put in his sickle , and cut thee down . I wil● say no more to these who thus slight thi● Great Salvation , but this , Why stand ye all th● day in the Market place idle , and doing nothing . O will ye at last be induced to tak● and imbrace this Great Salvation , before ●● be hid from your eyes . III. Thirdly , These persons are th● slighters of this Great Salvation , who complement with Christ , when they are invite● to come and partake of it : And say silently ●o the Minister , ( or rather to their own con●ciences ) I pray you have me excused at this ●ime , as these Luk. 14. 18. But I would only ask at such , have ye any lawfull excuse , why ye will not come and partake of this Great Salvation ? Is there any person here , that hath any lawfull excuse to present ? I shall never take that off your hand , Have me excused : But be sure of this , I shall never excuse you , but accuse you : Therefore I desire that these persons , who have slighted the Great Salvation , by complementing with Christ , that they would complement no more wi●h Him at all : But now imbrace it . IV. The fourth sort of persons who slight this Great Salvation , are these who give way to discouragements and unbelief , so that they will not come and partake of this Great Salvation : I say , such of you are slighters of it , and Christ will esteem you such . Oh if ye knew the worth and vertue of this Great Salvation , there would not be a tentation ( you could meet with ) ●hat would hinder you from imbracing it , but if thou could not answer these ●emptations , thou would not own them . I say unto such undervaluers and slighters of the Great Salvation as discouraged persons ( And these who stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children ) tha● when ye cannot answer your objections , which hinder you from closing with Christ , I intrea● you disown them , as if you heard them not : Say ●●e , Think ye this lawfull ? I say , it is both lawfull and expedient : for it was the practic● of believing Abraham , Hee considered not 〈◊〉 own body , being dry as an old stick , Nor th● deadnesse of Sarahs womb . Hee did not cons●der these things which might have been objections to keep him from believing . He● might have started at these two objections ▪ Alas , I am old , and that objection could he● not answer : And my wife is past child hea●● , neither could hee answer that objection● What then did hee with them ? Hee slighte● them both , and considered them not . Secondly , I would say this to you , who thu● slight it because of discouragements : If ye● did know the worth of the Great Salvatio● which is in this Gospel redemption that is offered unto you , although ye had an Army o● objections to go through , yee would go through them all , To get a drink of the wate● of this well of Bethlehem . V. The fifth sort of persons who sligh● this Great Salvation , are these who wil● not do so much as take care , and give pain● to hear this Great Salvation offered unto them ; for there are some persons who ( i● they come to the Church ) desire to sit farrest off , and so never take care to hear a wor● of this Great Salvation : And such are dreadfull slighters of it . Like unto these mentioned , Ier. 6. 10. To whom shall I speak an● give warning , that they may hear ? Behold their ear is uncircumised , and they cannot hearken , Isa. 28. 12. But they would not hear , Je●● 7. 10. Who say , we are delivered to do all thes● abominations : yet they did come and stan●● before him , in the House which was called by his Name . VI. Sixthly , These persons are slighters of this Great Salvation , ( who when they hear it ) are no more ( nay not so much ) affected with it , ●hen if they were telling unto them the most senslesse history of Thomas the Rymer , or some other old fable ; Like unto these mentioned , Ier. 6. 10. The word of the Lord is unto them a reproach , they have no delight in it . I would pose you all as in the sight of the Author of this Great Salvation , ( men or women ) did you ever set your selves ( or took ye ever pains ) to bring up your hearts to the love of this Great Salvation ? Was it ever the rejoycing of your hearts that Christ dyed and rose again ? I do certainly believe it , ( and I am perswaded ) that there are decrees past in Heaven against many of you . That in hearing ye shall hear , but not understand ; and in seeing ye shall see , and shall not perceive , For God hath made your hearts harder then the Flint or Adamant ; so that ye shall refuse to return when he doth exhort you . Believe me , ( if I may so speak ) I think there is as much probability that the stones in the wall would hear ( if we would speak to them ) as soon as many of you . VII . Seventhly , These persons are slighters of the Great Salvation , who did never complain that they wanted a right to this Great Salvation . I hope some of you are now convinced that ye never came within the compasse of this Great ▪ Salvation : I say yet unto you , if ye did never spend one hou● in secret weeping and lamenting , because y● had not a righ● to this Gospel Redemption● it is but too probable you never ha● yet ● right to it . Yea , know it , that such of you would little care to let precious Christ depar●● without any grief of heart ; I think if thi● were voiced within this house to ▪ day , whether or not shall Christ go and depart , I doub● if there would be many Heart diss●nters , though many Tongue dissenters : Oh , I fear there would be many hearts here , saying , O Christ depart and go thy way : yea , there are many Gadarens here , who prefer their ●ine and swine to precious Christ , and would be●eech him to go out of their coasts . VIII . Eightly , These persons sligh● the Great ▪ Salvation , who never took pain● to engage their hearts to take hold of Christ and the Gospel . Christ is near to you this day : The Great salvation is near to you , and is now , even now offered unto you : Therefore are there any who will take pains to lay hold on it ? I obtest you all who are here , by the beauty and excellency of him who is the Author of this Great salvation , that ye come and partake of it ; I obtest you by all the joyes of heaven that ye imbrace this Great salvation , I obtest you by all the ●errous in hell , that ye imbrace it , I obtest you by the promises of the everlasting Covenant , that ye imbrace it , I obtest you by all the curses which are written in this Book of the Covenant , that ye imbrace it , I obtest you by the love ye owe to your immortall souls , that ye would once be wise , and come and partake of the Great salvation . May I now have it , saith thou ? Yea , I say unto you all , ye may have it to day , ye may be partakers of it before ye go hence : And so before I proceed any further , I do in the Name and Authority of him who sent me here to day , ( and is the Author of this Great Salvation ) freely offer it unto you ; Therefore take it off my hand , embrace this Great Salvation offered to you to day ; But I know there will be eight sorts of humors ( within this house to day ) in relation to this Great Salvation , which now is offered unto you . 1. I think there will be some of Gallio's disposition here to day , that will care for none of these things ; Yea , there are many here who will not give a fig for this rich offer of the Great Salvation . But , I say , cursed be that person who puts on Gallio's temper ( to day ) that will care for none of these things . 2. I fear there will be many of Pilat's humor here ( to day ) who will say , they find nothing against the man ; yet will cry forth , Take him and crucifie him . They find no fault with Christ , and yet will be con●ent that he be crucified . Now can ye say any thing against Christ , who is the Author of this Great Salvation ? Produce your strong arguments ; are there any here who have any thing to say against Him ? I am here to answer in His Name : I hope there ●s not one here who hath any thing to say against the Author of this Great Salvation . And why then do ye not take Him ? See unto your selves , that there be none of Pilats humor here to day , that will cry out , Yee find nothing in Christ why he should not be received and yet will bee content , that hee bee crucified . 3. There will bee many of the Jews humor here to day , who cry forth , Away with Christ , away with Christ , and give me Barrabas . But oh what a hellish word is that , Away with spotlesse Christ , away with transcenden● Christ , and give us the world ? Now are there any here who will be so gross slighters of this Great Salvation ? Will ye slight this Great Salvation , and imbrace your idols , which shal● once prove a crown of thorns unto you ? 4. There will bee some of Felix humor found here to day , that will say , O Christ , g● away at this time , and I will hear thee at a mos● convenient season ; But I say unto you wh● will not hear mee to day , nor imbrace th●● Great Salvation , I shall defy all the Ministe●● in Scotland to assure you , that ye shall get another offer , if ye send me away to day . Ther● is not one that can , or dare , engage , that th● Great Salvation shall bee in your offer and more . Therefore I say , let none of Fel●● temper be here to day , that will say , They wi●● hear Christ at a more convenient season . 5. There will bee some of Balaams temper ( to day ) who will desire To die the deat● of the righteous , and to have their last 〈◊〉 like his ; yet they desire not to live the li●● of the righteous . But I say unto you , ye sha●● never die the death of the righteous , if ye live not the life of the righteous . 6. There will bee some of you here ( to day ) who ( I hope ) at least , will bee of Agripa's humour , that will say , Thou hast almost perswaded me to be a Christian : I say unto thee , O wilt thou quickly out with that word almost , and put in that word altogether , and say , O precious Christ , Thou hast altogether perswaded me to be a Christian : However , if thou come no greater length , I intreat thee come this length , that so thou may cry out , I am almost perswaded to imbrace Christ the Great Salvation , and may be ere long ye will come further . 7. There will bee some of Iudas temper here ( to day ) Who will betray Christ for thirty pieces of silver ; Yea , some would sell Christ , Heaven , their idols and all , for lesse then thirty pieces of silver . 8. I think there will be many of Esaus pro●ane temper here ( to day ) Who will sell their birth-right for a messe of pottage . Now will ye enquire at your selves , am I the person that will give my birth-right for a messe of pottage ? Doth my heart say , I will sell my birth-right , because I am hungered and ready to die : what will it profit me ? Give mee a messe of pottage , and I will quite my birth-right . I know it , there are not a few such here to ●ay ; Therefore I intreat you , enquire at your selves what is your humour . Oh shall the Great Salvation , that yee have slighted ●o long , bee slighted this day also , and shall there bee none to imbrace it ? Oh inquire , and stand inlaw , lest the wrath of the most High pursue you . Now I shall give you these seven considerations , which may provoke you not to slight ( but imbrace ) this Great Salvation . 1. The first Consideration , That the not imbracing of this Great Salvation is one of the greatest acts of folly that can be , Ier. 8 : 9. They have rejected the word of the Lord , ( and immediatly is subjoyned ) . And , what wisedom is in them ? And so Solomon doth assure you they cannot be wise who neglect this Great Salvation , Prov. 1. 7. Fools despise wisedom and instruction ; Therefore , may not I say unto you , be who ye will ( though ye were the greatest heads of wit in all this place ) ye are but stark fools as long as ye neglect this . But would ye be wise indeed , and wise unto eternal life ? then I intreat you come and imbrace this Great Salvation . II. The second Consideration , to provoke you not to slight the Great Salvation , is this ▪ that the ruine and destruction of the slighters of it , is most certain and infallible , Ier. 11. 11. Where ( speaking of slighting the Covenant ▪ which is indeed this same Great Salvation ) there is a therefore put to the threatning . Therefore thus saith the Lord , I will bring evil upon them which they shall not be able to escape I defy you all who are the slighters of this Great Salvation , to finde a back door , when justice shall pursue you : For there is n● door to escape if ye imbrace not this Great Salvation : But the earth will disclose your iniquity , and heaven will declare your sin . III. Thirdly , Let this Consideration provoke you not to slight this Great Salvation , that Christ is exceeding serious , and earnest that ye would imbrace it . And I think that , Isa. 28. 23. speaketh out his exceeding seriousnesse : where four times hee beggeth of his hearers , that they would give ear and hear his voice ( saying ) Give ear and hear my voice , ●earken and hear my speech . What needeth all these exhortations ? But that Christ is most serious , that they would imbrace the Great Salvation . And O that there were a person here ( to day ) as serious to the bargain as Christ is ! But , be who yee will that slight this Great Salvation , ( believe me ) the day is coming wherein ye shall cry out , alas for my slighting of it . Wilt thou therefore think presently with thy self ( O thou slighter of this Great Salvation ) what wilt thou say of thy slighting of it , when the devil shall be leading thee in thorow these dark gates of hell ? O slighter of the Gospel , how many alaces wilt thou cry , when thou shalt be passing thorow these dark gates into thy everlasting prison ? Wilt thou not then cry out . ( O me slighter of the everlasting Salvation ) whither am I now going ? Alas , now for my slighting the Gospel : And as thou passest thorow , thou shalt meet with numbers of miserable comforters . There is not one in that prison who can comfort thee : But many dreadfull alaces shalt thou then both cry and hear , if thou imbrace not this Great Salvation . IV. Fourthly , Let this provoke you no● to slight the Great Salvation , that ye will get it for a very look . O ye within this house to day , ye will get this Great Salvation for one look , Isa. 45. 22. Look unto me , and b● saved , all the ends of the earth . For a very look ye will get this Great salvation : and do y●● ever think to get Heaven at a lower rate ? V. The fifth Consideration , to provoke you not to slight this Great Salvation and more , is this , There is not one of you wh● is a slighter of it , but your slighting it shall increase your immortall bonds . Man or Woman , be who thou wilt , when thou art slighting this Great Salvation ; thou art but pla●ing a cord wherewith to bind thy soul eternally in these unquenchable flames , Isa. 2● 22. Be ye not mockers , lest your bonds be ma● strong ; I say therefore unto you , old me● mock not , lest your bonds be made strong : o● women , near unto your graves , mock not , l●● your bonds be made strong : Young men , be 〈◊〉 not mockers , lest your bonds be made strong● Young women , who are in the flower of yo●● time , mock not , lest your bonds be made strong ▪ But now alas , will there ( for all this ) ●e● person here to day who will be a mockers this Great Salvation ? VI. The sixth Consideration , to provoke you not to slight this Great Salvation a●● more , is this , Ye know not but that yo●● dayes may be near a close ; I say , ye kno● not , but the day of the preaching of this Great Salvation may be near unto a close . Wh● knowest thou , O man or woman , but t●● shall be the last Sermon that ever thou shalt ●ear concerning this Great Salvation ? And yet for all this , shall we be sent away without one consent to imbrace or receive it ? O will ye be perswaded to look to Christ , and so to take him . VII . The seventh consideration , to provoke you not to slight the Great Salvation , is this , that there is a five fold Salvation comprehended under this Great Salvation . I. The first is this , come and partake of this Great Salvation , and thou shalt have Salvation from thy idols : and hereby I do proclaim liberty ( this day ) unto captives . I am sent forth ( this day ) with the keyes of your prison house , to open your prison doors unto you , if ye will imbrace this Great Salvation . I say unto you . O ye prisoners come forth and shew your selves ; for the keyes of your prison house are with us to open your prison doors unto you , therefore O come forth and embrace this Great Salvation . Will there be any ( shall I think ) here that will refuse to come forth , O go forth and slee from the land of your captivity , and from the house of your bondage . II. Thou shalt have Salvation from thy darknesse , and from thy ignorance ? I say unto you who understand no more of God then the stones in the wall , I command you to come forth , and partake yet of this Great Salvation ; and unto you shall light arise , even the Day Spring from on high shall visit you . III. If ye will come and partake of this Great Salvation , ye shall have deliverance from all your fears . Dost thou fear that thou shalt be poor : Come and partake of this Great Salvation ; and thou shalt be delivered from it ? Art thou afraid of hell ? Come and partake of this Great Salvation , and thou shalt be delivered from that fear . Art thou afraid at the wrath of God ? Then come ( ● say ) and partake of this Great Salvation , and thou shalt have redemption from that and al● thy fears , With him is plenteous redemption and hee can make thee quiet from the fear o● evil . IV. If thou wilt come and partake of this Salvation , thou shalt have deliverance from all thy anxieties , and from all thy cares : y●● are now carefull and anxious about many things ; Come and partake of this Great Salvation , and it will make you carefull but only for the one thing necessary . V. If yee will come and embrace the Great Salvation offered unto you this day , yee shall be helped before yee go hence to sing that song , O death where is thy sting ? O grave where is thy victory ? Now O will ye come and imbrace this Great Salvation , And yee shall b● more then conquerours thorow Christ who love●● you Are there therefore any here to day that would have victory over the devil , and over their own hearts ? Then come and embrace this Great Salvation , and then your victory i● certain . But now to presse home this Great Salvation upon you a little further , there are nin● sorts of persons , who are invited to come and partake of this Great Salvation offered this day : And I charge you answer to your names when ye are called , and delay not to come . I. First , I invite and call here to day , all who are willing to come and embrace this Great Salvation . Now , are there any of ●ou here to day , who are called willing ? ●hen I invite you to come , and imbrace this Great Salvation , Rev. 22. 17. Whosoever will , ●et him come : But oh , are there none here 〈◊〉 day who are named willing ? I intreat ●on , if there be any , do not deny your name , ●●t come when you are called and embrace this Great Salvation . II. Secondly , These persons who thirst ●●r it , are invited to come , and partake of ●●●s Great Salvation , Rev. 22. 17. Let him ●●t is a thirst , come . Now if there be any ●ere who are named thirsty , let them come and partake of this Salvation , and they shall ●e satisfied . III. Thirdly , Are there any money-lesse ●●lk here to day ? Let them come and partake of this Great Salvation ; Are there no money-lesse folk here to day ? I mean not that money or coin in your purses , but want ●●e money ? That is , want ye righteousnesse ? ●hen I pray you , come and partake of this Great Salvation . I say , are ye so poor , that ●e have nothing but the fear of hell ? Then I ●ay you come . If there be any here who have nothing to commend them to Christ , but necessity : I say unto all such , O come , come , ●●me , and partake of this Great Salvation . IV. Fourthly , These persons are invited ●o come ( and I wish there were many such ) who are weary : But Oh! are there none here to day , who are called weary ? Are y●● not weary in pursuit of yours ? If there be any such here to day , I say unto you , O weary folk , come , come , come , and partake of this Great Salvation , and of this excellent Gospel Redemption that was purchased at so dear 〈◊〉 rate . V. Fifthly , These who are heavy loadened are invited to come , ( and I think all of you may answer to this name ) are ye heavy loaden●● O then come . But are there none here who are heavy loaden with sin , with misery , and estrangement from God ? If there be any such here , I say unto thee , old man , or young man , be who thou wilt , O come , and partake of this Great Salvation . VI. Sixthly , Are there any here to day who are called blind ? I say , if there be any o● you who think ye want eyes to see the precious excellencies of Christ , I invite you to come and partake of this Great Salvation . VII . Seventhly , Are there any who are called lame here to day ? I say unto such , ● come , come , come , and partake of this Great Salvation : For we are sent forth to day , to call in the blind & the maimed , and the lame that they may come and imbrace this Great Salvation : Therefore are there none he●● to day who may be called such : Are ye neither blind nor lame ? I hope many of you will not deny that ye are such ; Therefore say unto you ; O blind , halt and maimed com● come , and partake of this Great Salvation . VIII . The eighth sort of persons invit●● are these who are sick , therefore if there be ●y sick folk here to day , be who ye will , I say ●●to you , O come and partake of this Great salvation , For the whole need not the Physician , ●●t the sick . IX . Ninthly , Are there any here to day who know not their name , or their conditi●● , I say unto you , O namelesse folk , come and partake of this Great salvation , come to Christ or the knowledge of your souls condition , ●ome as a namelesse one , and he shall not re●●ct thee , though thy case were so evil that thou could not give it a name ; for , Of all ●●at come unto him he sendeth none away . Now where do you find your name and ●●name ? O do ye not know it ? I hope now ●e may know ; therefore I intreat you answer to it , and so come away and partake of this Great Salvation . But I am afraid there be many strong iron●●rs in the way of some of you , which ye can●t win over . Ah , how fast are some souls ●●cked in Satans snare ; And therefore I shall ●eak a little for discovering of these bars , ●hat hinder from imbracing this Great Salvation , that so ye may be the better helped to remove them . I. The first great iron ▪ bar which keepeth ●olk from imbracing this Great Salvation , is ●he bar of ignorance ; and I am afraid that ●●is ( as a mighty bar ) hindereth many of you : Ye are ignorant of your selves , and of ●he condition of your souls , ye are ignorant ●f the Law and of its severity , and ye are ignorant of the precious Gospel in its condescendency . O pray unto God that for Christ sake , hee would break that great bar of ignorance ; for till that be done , Christ may take up that complaint , Ier. 5. 4. Surely they are foolish , they know not the way of the Lord , not the judgement of their God. I say , this bar o● ignorance keepeth you from embracing this Great Salvation . II. The second bar which keepeth many from closing with Christ , is the bar of presumption , for some will cry out , what nee● have I to embrace the Great Salvation ? Have I it not already ? But I say unto thee , O fool thou art ( by all appearance ) yet in bondage ▪ O that this evil bar of presumption were put away ; for it is one of the greatest impediments which lyeth in the way of your imbracing this Great Salvation that is in your offer to day : Therefore I say unto you , i● you will come no further ; I intreat you come this length , to confesse that ye want this Gospel Salvation and that yee are indeed strangers to this Redemption purchased by Christ. III. The third bar that keepeth persons from imbracing this Great Salvation , is the bar of unbelief , yee believe not what wee say to you anent this Great Salvation , I know that some of you are of the Stoicks and Epicures humor , who cry out , What meaneth this man ? He seemeth to be the setter forth of some strange God. But I say unto you , I am no● the setter forth of any strange God , but it is Jesus of Nazareth whom I preach unto you ▪ Alas , some of you thinketh this Great Salvation to bee some morning dream , or some golden fancy : but I say unto you , it is neither a dream nor fancy ; but a real truth that we preach unto you . IV. The fourth bar that keepeth persons from imbracing of this Great Salvation , is the bar of discouragement : This strong bar keepeth many so fast , that they cannot imbrace this Great Salvation though it bee freely offered unto them . I shall say no more to you , who are such , but counsell you to do as these four lepers did , 1 King. 7. 4. Who sat at the gate of Samaria : who said , Why sit wee here till we die , if wee say we will ●nter ▪ into the City , then the famine is in the City , and we shall die there : and if we sit still ●●re ▪ we die also . Now therefore come , and let us fall into the host of the Syrians , if they save us alive , we shall live , and if they kill us , we ●●all but die . Even so say I unto you , that if ●t abide in the state of unbelief , yee shall surely bee undone ; therefore go forth , for yee ●now not but God may work a Great Salvation for you : and if yee will quite your unbelief and close with Christ in the offer of this Great salvation ( by saith ) ye shal have no more to do , but eat and drink , and divide the spoil . V. The fifth bar which withholdeth persons from imbracing of this Great Salvation , 〈◊〉 the bar of unwillingnesse , Yee will not ●me to thee , that yee may have life . And alas , that is an iron bar indeed , by which all that ●e in hell have barred themselves out of ●eaven . Alace , shall yee bee such wretches ●lso . O what a dreadfull sound is that , Wo ●nto thee , O Jerusalem , wilt thou not be made clean ? When shall it once be ? Ah , Turn you ▪ turn you , why will ye die ? Why will ye slight this Great Salvation ? O will none of you this day imbrace it ! VI. The sixth bar that withholdeth persons from imbracing this Great Salvation , i● the bar of worldly mindednesse : many of you are so fixed to the world , that yee cannot come and close with this Great Salvation . I may allude to that word spoken of Saul . 1 Sam. 10. 22. that hee hid himself among the stuffe : for many have buried and nested themselves in the midst of the world , that they cannot imbrace this Great Salvation . VII . The seventh bar which keepeth many from imbracing this Great Salvation , is the bar of hard heartednesse : there hath such 〈◊〉 stupidity and hardnesse of heart seised upon many , that , let Christ preach as hee will to them ( by his Word , or by other dispensations ) they are no more moved , then if his Word and dispensations were a thousand miles from them . O that strong bar of hardnesse of heart , when shall the omnipoten hand of God break it ? VIII . The eighth bar that hindereth many from imbracing this Great Salvation , is the bar of slothfulnesse . Many of you cannot be at the pains to imbrace it : but I say unto you , there is but small pains in the way o● Godlinesse : I say unto you , it may so easil● be had , that it is in your offer to day ; and 〈◊〉 ye will , ye may put forth your hand and take it . Consider therefore what yee will do O will ye despise it ! I say will ye still negle● and despise it ( will ye but read that dread●●ll word , Act. 13. 40. 41. Behold ye despi●●s , and wonder and perish . Tell me freely , would ye have us to return this answer to him who sent us , that ye are despisers of the Great Salvation ? Say to it , Are there none of you , who ( for all this ) will consent to partake of this Great Salvation ? O captives and prisoners , and ye who are in the bonds of ●atan , will ye come and partake of this Great salvation , and you shall be made free . I have 〈◊〉 act of release for you to day ; If ye will ●ome , and make use of it , ye shall be set at ●●berty . But , Oh shall the prison doors be ●st open , and yet none come forth ? But that ( I may come to a close ) I say yet unto ●●on , O poor prisoners go forth , go forth , and partake of this Great Salvation . Oh , will ●e not come forth ? What holdeth you in ? The foundation of your prison house is taken to day , therefore if ye will but come ●orth and cast a look to Christ , your very ●●kels shall fall off your hands , and ye shall ●● as those who were never bound . Now I ●ave this with you : and to make you think ●pon it , I shall speak these five words unto ●ou , and I intreat you think upon them . 1. First , I have excellent tidings to tell ●●u ( I hope some of you will give ear to ●●em ) viz. There is a great Person come ●ere to day , and that is the mighty Author ●f this Great Salvation , who hath brought ●erlasting righteousnesse with him , desiring ●ou to make use thereof ; It is his desire that yee would take his excellent Gift at his hand . These , I say , are the tiding● that have to preach unto you : and I hope never to be declared a liar for what I preach unt● you : I say yet unto you , that Christ , th● Author of the Great Salvation , desi●eth to give it freely unto you , if ye will but take it . But O will yee not take it ? I think , ●● yee did see an hundreth men lying in prison or dungeon , without all light , bread , o● water , and a great Prince coming to them saying , I desire you all to come forth , an● partake of this Great liberty which I bring unto you : and every one of them should answer , I scorn to come forth at this time ▪ would yee not think them exceeding grea● fools ? And yet I fear this act of great foll fall out in many of your , hands to day : tha● when Christ hath given us the keyes , of you● prison doors , and they are opened , yee wi●● not come forth . But I must intreat you y●● to come forth and shew your selves ; Fo● who knoweth , but wee may bee commande● to shut your prison doors again , and to se● them with seven seals : with an unalterab●● decree from heaven , never to bee recalled ▪ Wherefore , O ye prisoners , go forth , go for● from your prison house . 2. Secondly , I would say this to you that it is not without much ground th● this Salvation ( offered to you ) is called Great Salvation . ( I know a little Paper two or three sheets , might contain all t●● salvations that ever any man obtained : b● the world would not bee able to contain 〈◊〉 the Books which might be written to the commendation of this Great Salvation ; yea , ( unto any who will imbrace it ) I say , First , If thou finde not this Salvation above thy ●aith , then go thy way when thou art come ; But I know thou wilt finde it both above thy ●aith and hope . Secondly , If thou finde it not above thy desires when thou a●● come ●nto it , then go thy way again : but were thy desires as the sand upon the sea shoare , thou shalt alwayes finde more in this Salvation then ever thou could desire . Thirdly , If this Salvation be not above what thou can conceive , then go thy way when thou art come to it ; But think of it as thou can , it shall alwayes be above thy thoughts of it : Fourthly , If this Salvation be not above thy opinion of it , then go thy way when thou ●●it come unto it ; but I know thou wilt ●●nd it far above thy opinion of it . Therefore seeing it is so Great a Salvation , as that all the world could not contain all the Books ●ight be written in the commendation of it . O will ye imbrace it , even to day , while it is ●o your offer . 3. Thirdly , I would say this unto you , 〈◊〉 perswaded , that there is no sin that will more provoke the Majesty of God to punish you , then the sin of slighting the Great-salvation . Bring forth these murtherers saith the Lord ( of the slighters of this invitation ) and slay them before me . I intreat ●●en enquire at your own hearts , what ye will answer when ye are reproved for slighting of it ( Old men , will ye ask at your own hearts , what ye will answer to Christ when he shall propose that question to you Why slighted ye the Great Salvation ? Old woman , what will ye answer , when he shall say to you , why slighted ye the Great Salvation ? Young men , and young women , inquire at your own hearts what ye will answer when Christ shall say to you , why slighted ye th● great Salvation ? Can ye imagine any answer unto that question ? O dreadfull shall the wrath of God be , that shall be executed upon the slighters of this Great Salvation ? 4. Fourthly , I would say this unto you that heaven is waiting to hear , what acceptation the offer of this Great Salvation doth get among you . Here is the Great Salvation , here is the offer of it , and here is th● commendation of it ; what say ye to it ? i● it not an excellent Salvation ? Is it not 〈◊〉 free Salvation ? Is it not a Great Salvation ▪ Is it not an eternal Salvation ? Why then d● ye not welcome it ? Can any of you say an●thing to the discommendation of it ? I know you cannot ? Yea I da● say your own heart are admiring it as most excellent ; An● therefore O will ye accept it . Alas shal the● be none here who will be found accepters 〈◊〉 this Great Salvation ▪ so freely offered to day ▪ 5. Fifthly , I would say this to you , let a the Angels praise him who the Author 〈◊〉 this Great Salvation . All the Saints roun● about the Throne praise him who is the A●thor of this Great Salvation . All these wh● are expectants of heaven praise Him who 〈◊〉 the Author of this Great Salvation : All y●● to whom this offer is made , praise him who is the Author of this Great Salvation . O heaven praise him who is the Author of this Great Salvation , O all ye fowls of the air , praise him who is the Author of this Great Salvation , O fire , hail , snow , vapors , stormy winds and tempests , praise Him who is the Author of this Great Salvation . All the tribes of the earth , praise him who is the Author of this Great Salvation . Our own soul praise him who is the Author of this Great Salvation , and all that is within us blesse him who is the Author of this Great Salvation . O who would not praise Him , who is the Author of this Great Salvation ? Are there any here that will refuse to commend him ? O think upon him , and let not this be a day of slighting him ? Now where are your hearts at this time ? I will tell you where many of your hearts are , they are thinking upon the world : but I am sure there are not many of them thinking upon this Great Salvation . Now what resolution mind ye to go away with to day ? Oh , have ye no resolution beyond what ye had when ye came hither to day ? Are there any here who have this resolution , To whom shall we go , but to him who is the Author of this Great Salvation , who alone hath the words of eternal life ? Even the Lord breath it upon you . Or is this your resolution , that through Christs strength ( forsake him who will ) ye will never forsake him ? Or , have ye this resolution ▪ That ye will esteem more highly of the Great Salvation then ever ye did ? O that the Lord may keep these in the imaginations of the thoughts of your hearts for ever . But as for you who have no resolutions to imbrace this Great-Salvation , O wherewith shall I commend it unto you ? Do not your own necessities commend it ? But if nothing can perswade you to come away and imbrace it , then this place shall be a heap of witnesses against you : For it hath heard all the words of the Law which he hath spoken unto you , Josh. 24. Oh cast your eyes upon these pillars of the house , and stones in the walls : I take them as so many witnesses , that they may speak , and testifie against you in the great day of the Lord , if ye neglect this Great Salvation to day . Therefore as ye go away , be thinking upon it , and whether or not ye minde to imbrace it , now while you may have it . This day I have set life and death before you : I have set before you both the Great Salvation and the great damnation ; And O that ye had understanding in all these things ; that y●● being wise might be provocked at last to imbrace this Great Salvation , the which we do yet again intreat you to think upon . Is not heaven looking upon you at this time ▪ to see what ye will do with this great offe● of Salvation which I have this day ( from the Lord ) presented unto you ? Now , ●● Him , that can perswade you to imbrace thi● Great Salvation , this Gospel Redemption this blessed mystery into which the Angel desire to pry , to Him , Who can bring yo● back from the pit ; and can enlighten you wit● the light of the living ? To Him who hath th● keye● of your prison , Who can open and none can shut , and can shut and none can open ; To Him , who hath all power in Heaven and in Earth communicate to Him , who can deliver you from the power of the Grave , and can set you free from all your enemies , wee desire to give praise , Amen . SERMON II. Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation , which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord , and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him . THere are two great and most ordinary complaints in these dayes . 1. There are many who complain , that their Estates and Persons are in bondage , and that they are sold for slaves to the hands of strangers : But , O that wee could also turn over the complaint to this , that our souls are in bondage , and that we are yet in the gall of bitternesse , and in the bond of iniquity , that so we might be provoked to long for the Great Salvation that is in our offer . 2. There are many complaining ( and not without much cause ) that there is now such a tolleration of Errours : But , O will thou complain also of this , that within thy heart there is a tolleration of lusts ; is there no● an act of tolleration concluded within thy breast , that the devil and all his company may reign in thee at pleasure : Oh have ye not need of Great Salvation ; Shall I tell you , that Christ is cou●ting you to imbrace it , and that he putteth on all his most glorious robes , and manifesteth himself unto you , as a suiter making offer of himself and of his Great Salvation . O tell me , have ye seen him ? Or do ye think to see him this day ? What robes had he on . There are five glorious Robes wherewith he cloaths himself when he condescendeth to manifest himself to his people ▪ First , He cometh to his own with the garments of Salvation , according to that word , Zech. 9. verse . 9. Rejoyce , O daughter of Sion greatly , shout O daughter of Ierusalem ; fo● behold , thy King cometh unto thee , he is just and having Salvation ; ay , your King is come here to day , and will you not fall in love with him when he is cloathed with the garments of Salvation , can ye ever have a more conque●ing sight of Christ , then when he is cloathed with such an excellent Robe , and offering you Salvation . Secondly , He appeareth to his own sometimes in garmenes dyed in blood , according to that word , Isa ▪ 6. 3. verse 1 , 2. Who is this that cometh up from Edom with dyed garments in bloud , as one that treadeth the wine fat : And now I say to thee that will not look to Christ when he appears in the garments of Salvation , have ye a heart to refuse him , that have fought such a comba●e for you , who hath trode the wine-presse alone , and hath stained all His garments with the bloud of his enemies ; o● is there any here who dare refuse this Salvation , when they see how he treade●h his enemies in anger , and trampleth them in his fury , and thus sprinkleth their bloud upon his garments . O tremble at this sight , and seek quarter from him in time , or he shall dy his garments with the blood of thy immortall soul. Thirdly , Christ appeareth unto his own , being cloathed with these humble Robes of condescendency . when he came in the simititude of sinfull flesh : O what a sight wa● that ; to behold the Prince of Heav●n cl●ath●d with our nature ; What a sight was that to b● hold him that was cloathed with light as with a garment , to be cloathed with our infirmities , yet he condescended to cloath himself thus , that we might have accesse unto Him and be partake●● of His gifts : O can we refuse Him , when love hath thus pressed him to put on the beggar weed , that he might say to worms y● are my brethren , and my sisters . Fou●thly , Christ somtimes manifesteth Himself , being cloathed with the garments of beauty , and ravishing Majesty ; such was the sight that the Spouse go● of Christ , Song . 2. vers . 8. As the apple tree among the trees of the wood , so is my beloved among the sons ; and Song . 5. when she saw him , White and rudy , and the standard bearer of ten thousand , and such was that joyfull sight of Him ▪ when his garments were as the light , and white as the snow which he had at the Transfiguration , when these glorified ones did come ( as it were ) Ambassadors from that higher house to make him a visit . And , fifthly , Christ he sometimes appeareth to his own , in Robes of dreadfull Majesty , and terrible highnesse and loftinesse , when the soul upon the first sight of him remains dead , add there remains no more life in them ; Such was the sight Daniel got , in his 10. Chapter , and such was the sight that Iohn got of Christ , Rev. 1 verse . 17. And I would ask at all that are here , what a sight have ye gotten of Christ to day , in which of all these robes have ye seen Him in : It is true , we are not now to look for the extraordinary sights of Him ; But yet if ever thou hast seen him in any of his wooing Robes , sure he hath appeared matchlesse , and how shall ye then refuse him . But now to come to the words I was speaking unto you o● ; The first thing in the words , to wit , That there are many who live under the offer of this Great Salvation that do slight it , and do not imbrace it ; And now I shall only add a few things further unto you . 1. Let me propose a few Considerations to perswade you to imbrace the Great Salvation : God forbid we go a way before we imbrace this Gospel Salvation : And therefore , I charge you in his Name , go not away before ye imbrace it . And to presse it home upon you , there are these eight or nine properties of this Great Salvation , that is offered unto you this day . And first , It is a free Salvation , ye have no more a do , but to put forth your hand and take it : O come and take it : Christ hath foughten for this Salvation , and there is no more required of you , but ●o come and ●eap the fruits of his victory ; Who ever will let him come , there is nothing that should move you to stay away , O captives bond slaves to Satan , O prisoners of hope , will yee come and partake of the Great Salvation , what holds you from coming away and partaking of it , it is freely offered unto you : ●●y , believe it , Christ requires no more of you , but that ye should come and take it out of his hand ; If yee consent to ob●y , the bargain is ended ; Yee shall ea● the good of the land , Isa. 1. Secondly , This Great Salvation , is a compleat Salvation , that is offered unto you to day , this is clear , Luk. 1. vers . 17. That we might bee saved from our enemies , and from the hand of all that hate us , there is not any enemy that is in thy way , but if thou will come and partake of the Great Salvation , thou may have victory over it , so compleat a Salvation is it that is in your offer this day ▪ O shall wee passe away , and not imbrace it : O shall our cursed hearts undervalue this compleat Salvation that is come to your door , believe it , Salvation is near unto you , if yee will take it . Thirdly , It is a wonderfull Salvation , it 〈◊〉 such a Salvation as the Angels desireth ●o pry into it , and it is such a Salvation , ●hat all the Prophets desire to pry into it ; ●t is almost six thousand years since all the ●ngels in heaven fell into a Sea of wonder ●t this Great Salvation ; It is almost six thousand years since Abel fell into a Sea of wonder at this Great Salvation : And what think ye is his exercise this day ? He is even wondering at this Great salvation : Would ye ask at all the Angels in heaven , would they not all say , O imbrace the Great Salvation ; Would ye ask at all the Saints that are above , would they not advise you to imbrace the Great Salvation : Would ye ask at Adam would he not say , O imbrace this Great Salvation : Could ye ask at Abel , would he not say , O imbrace this Great Salvation : And would not all the Patriarchs say unto you ▪ O imbrace the Great Salvation : And do not all that have tasted of the sweetnesse of i● cry out unto you , Come and imbrace the Great Salvation . The fourth property of His salvation is that it was bought at an exceeding dear rate it is a dear Salvation . Would ye know the difference between Christs coming to thi● Salvation , and your coming to it , it is this Christ was forced to travell through all th● armies of the Justice of God ; He was forced to drink of the cup of the warth of Go● before he could come to purchase this Grea● Salvation ; and now what is required of yo● to obtain this , we may say no more , but pu● out your hands and take it ; will ye look t● the price that was laid down for this Salvation , there is not a wound in the body o● Christ , but it saith , This is a dear Salvation There is not a reproach Christ met with b●● it saith , O is not this a dear Salvation : The●● is not a buffeting Christ met with , but it sai● O is not this a dear Salvation : There is not a necessity that he is put into , but it saith ▪ Is not this a great and dear Salvation . O Sirs , will ye not come and take this Great Salvation , this dear Salvation . What must I give for it say ye , I say , ye must give nothing for it ▪ come and take it without money , and without price ; it was dear to Christ , but it shall be cheap unto you , O! is it not cheap to you , I assure you , if you will come to the market to buy the Great Salvation , there is none of you that needeth to stand for the price of it . O come and take it , and have it , and there shall be no more priging . Fifthly , It is an everlasting Salvation , that ye shall enjoy the fruits of throughout eternity , as is clear , Heb. 9. 13. He became the author of eternal redemption unto us , it is a Salvation that the devil can never be able to take out of your hand , if ye take it , ye shall never be robbed of it again . O come and partake of this Great Salvation , whereby the gates of hell shall never prevail against you . Sixthly , It is an noble and honourable Salvation , it is not to be taken out of one slavery to another , but it is to be taken out of prison that we may raign : Luk. 1. verse 71. compared with vers . 74 it is , That we being saved , may serve him without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse , all the dayes of our life . I say , Come , come , and partake of this Great Salvation , that your glory may be increased , and that ye may be exalted above the Kings of the earth . Seventhly , It is a most advantagious Salvation : What are the advantages of any Salvation that are not to be found in this : is there not peace to be found through this Salvation , is there not liberty to be found through this Salvation , is there not eternal enjoyment of God to be found through this Salvation ; yea , all Salvations are in this one Salvation . Lastly , It is a royal Salvation , for it cometh to us from and through the Son of God : Christ is the Author of it , and we conceive , Christ may be said to be the Author of this Salvation , in these respects , 1. He is the meritorious cause that did procure it , it was the price of his bloud that was laid down for to purchase this Great Salvation . 2. He is the fountain from whence it floweth , according to that word which we have cited . Heb. 5. 9. He became the Author of eternal Salvation . 3. He is the person that fitteth our spirits for partaking of it , and it is he that removeth mountains out of the way , that we may have fair accesse unto the Great Salvation . 4. It is he that must perswade our hearts to imbrace and take hold of it . He standeth without , and cryeth in to the heart , to imbrace the Great Salvation ; And he standeth within , making thy heart cry out , Content , I will imbrace the Great Salvation ; He is indeed the person that commendeth 〈◊〉 and doth point forth this Great Salvation unto us , He is the noble Minister of it , it began first to be preached by him . Now , Is there any of you that have fallen in love with the Great Salvation : that ye may try your selves , I shall give you some evidences of the persons that are near unto this Great Salvation . 1. Is thy estimation of the Great Salvation increased , be what it was in the morning when thou came hi●her ; Is thy estimation of the great Gospel Salvation a foot higher then it was in the morning , I say unto thee , thou are not far from the Great Salvation ▪ Come away . 2. Is thy desire after the Great Salvation increased be what it was in the morning ; Hath thou stronger desires after the Great Salvation , then before thou came hither , that is an evidence thou art not far from it . 3. Is thy thoughts of thy necessity of the Great Salvation greater then they were : Thinketh thou that thou hast more need of the Great Salvation then ever thou thought●st before : And is thy opinion and thoughts of saving thy self , lesse then they were before thou camest hithe● ? Art thou forced to cry out , none but Christ can save me ? I say thou art not far from the Great Salvation : Will thou come away . O that ye would once seal this conclusion with much heart ●eswasion . I am undone without Christ ▪ I am undone without Christ , who is the Author of the Great Salvation . Are there any of you that are sensible that ye are in the fetters of sin , and in the bonds of iniquity ? Are ye brought to the conviction of this , that ye are yet in the gall of bitternesse ? I say , if thou be brought to this length , to be sensible of thy bonds , and art crying out , O Redeemer , hasten and come away ; I say , If thou be sensible of thy bonds and imprisonment , and crying out , O thou that was anointed from eternity , to proclaim liberty to the captives , and the opening of the prison to them that are bound , O hasten and come away and redeem me , even poor me , sinking , sinning , perishing , self destroying me , thou art not far from the Great Salvation . 4. Art thou a person who beginneth to weep because thou hast been so long a stanger to Christ , and the Great Salvation : Old men , that are here , how long have ye been strangers to the Great Salvation , and to the Author of it ? Now will ye shed one tear for your estrangement , and cry out , Wo is me that Christ and I have been so long asunder ▪ I say , if thou hast come that length , thou art not far from the Great Salvation , Come away ▪ O pity your selves , make hast , make hast , and come away . But now in the third place , let me give you some evidence● by which ye may know more clearly , whither or no ye have imbraced this Great Salvation , that ye may know your selves , and that ye walk not down to your grave with a lie in your right hand ▪ The first evidence of a person that hath imbraced the Great Salvation , is , that he wil● have a high esteem of the Saviour and Author of the Great Salvation : Hast thou ●● matchlesse esteem of matchlesse Christ th● Saviour of the world , that is a speaking evidence unto thee , thou art a partaker of th● Great Salvation : Art thou come this length that thou cryeth out , none but Christ , non but Christ : It is a speaking evidence , that thou art come to be a partaker of the Great Salvation , when thou can cry out that word , Ex●d . 15. 2. The Lord is my strength and my song , ●he alone is become my salvation : if Christ hath become thy Salvation , then it is like he hath become thy Song . I would ask this at you , Were ye ever brought this length , that ye durst no● adventure to praise Christ your alone , but was forced to call in all the creatures , and say , O magnifie the Lord with me ? O that is an evidence that ye have imbraced his Salvation . Secondly , These who have imbraced the Great Salvation , will study to maintain and keep their grips of it : they will study to hold , fast so precious a Jewel ; this is prest , Gal. 5. ver . 1. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free ; yea they will study to walk suitably to this noble mercy , at least , they will strive and endeavour to do it , as is also prest , in that same verse . I say , if thou hast been made a partaker of the Gospel of Salvation , thou wilt strive to keep thy self from the power of these things that once triumphed over thee . Thirdly , A person that is a partaker of the Great Salvation , will have a high esteem of this mercy and Salvation ; so Paul , when he speaketh of it here , he cannot but put some note of excellency to it , calling it the Great Salvation ; Therefore , I say , if thou hast imbraced the Great Salvation , thou wilt have so high esteem of it , that not to be so subjected to it as thou should : or to be in subjection to the power of thy lust in any measure , will be his burden and affl●ction . The man will be sorry when he is brought forth from the house of his bondage , unto the Red sea ; he will be sorry , that when he should have songs of triumph over his idols put in his mouth , that they should sing songs of triumph over him . Fourthly , A person that hath imbraced the Great Salvation , he will be longing sometimes for the day when this Salvation shall be compleat , when he shall sing that song with tha● numerous multitude which cannot be numbered , Rev. 7 vers 9. O what a day shall it be , when thou shall begin to sing that song : After this , ( saith he ) I beheld , and lo , a great multitude of all people which ●o man could number , of all people , nations and languages stood before the throne , and before the Lamb , cloathed with white robes , and palms in their hands , and they cried ; And how cryed they ? They cryed with a loud voice : They would not mutter the song , no● sing silently , but cryed with a loud voice : And what did they cry ? They cryed with a loud voice , Salvation unto our God , who sitteth upon the throne , and to the Lamb. I would onely ask at you that are partakers of the Great Salvation , what songs shall be put into thy mouth , when the waters of Iordan shall divide themselves , that the ransomed of the Lord must passe thorow : when thou shalt sing that song , Psal 115. ver . 1. Not unto us , not unto us , but unto thee belongs the glory of our salvation : O what a day shall that be , when that excellent song shall be put in thy mouth ; yea , what a day shall it be , when thou shal the cloathed with these excellent garments that are made mention of Isa. 6. ver . 10. for hee hath cloathed thee with the garments of Salvation , and hee hath covered thee with the robe of righteousnesse : O what robes are these ? Did yee ever see such excellent robes at these must bee ? I think wee will misken our selves ; O do yee not think wee will misken our selves , when wee shall put on these excellent robes ? Now therefore , is the bargain closed : Or will yee go away before yee take this Great Salvation ? Dare yee go out at these doors , and neglect ●he Great Salvation ? I would ask this at you , Think yee it will not be most sad , that Christ should tell this in heaven of you to night , I was preached to a pack of stones , that none of them would love me : Will yee not bee feared that this report shall be carried back to heaven of you ? For what report can Christ carry back but this ? Now is the cord of this Great Salvation let down unto you : Is there none of you that will take a grip of it ? O will ye flighter after it ! Will yee make this a rejoycing day in heaven , that is a fasting day unto you , and the way to make it so , is to imbrace the Great Salvation . Now what say yee to it old men , let mee speak to you , and ask your thoughts of the Great Salvation , gray hairs should bee a Crown of Glory , if it bee found in the way of Righteousnesse , old men speak your minds , that young men may not have your bad example ; What say ye of this Salvation ? Is it not a most glorious Salvation , is it not a most excellent Salvation that is in your offer ; I intreat you speak your minds , tell Christ ye are content to take the Great Salvation ; otherwise , who ever he be that will not partake of this Gospel Salvation ; I in the Name and Authority of Christ our Master , denounce eternal and irrevockable war against him ; put on your harnesse , ye shall not boast when you put it off again , the wrath and fury of God shall come upon thee to the uttermost if ye imbrace not this Great Salvation . Other Wars are but for a time ; the greatest Captains that ever the earth did carry , are now laid down in the sides of the pit , and their swords broken under their heads . Armies of ten hundreth thousand , a hundreth years time have laid them all in their graves , and ended all their contests , but there is no discharge of his war that shall be concluded betwixt Christ and you , it shall become an eternal and most terrible War , which shall be but beginning when time is ended : Now Peace or War , which of them will ye choise ? Dare ye send a charge to Christ , and say ye will defy him ? I am afraid there shall be two things that many of us shall report to day . First , I am afraid there will be many that will give Pharaohs report to the offer of the Great Salvation , and say , Who is the Lord that I should obey him ? I tell you who he is , He is glorious in Holinesse , fearfull in Praises , doing wonders ; O imbrace him before he go hence , and give not Pharaohs report , lest yee bee drowned in the sea of His wrath , whence there shall be no recovery . Secondly , I fear there will be many here to day , that will give Demas report to this precious offer ; I will go and for sake Christ ; and ●mbrace this present world : O bad exchange ; ●ursed be he that shall make it , will ye be of Demas humor ; I fear there hath been many of that humor of a long time ; but I intreat you once be wise before you die . I confesse that proverb , old fools , are twice fools : I think old men that will not imbrace the Great Salvation , I think ye are triple fools ; What wait ye for , is there any thing can afford you any satisfaction but this Great Salvation . Now are ye convinced old men , that Christ is waiting for your answer ; I intreat you before ye go hen●e , speak your minds , what ye think of the Great Salvation ; ●s it not a lovely Salvation , Is it not lovely ●ow ? What say ye to it ; I am to go away , and the offer is to be taken up at this time , and it is hard to say , if ever ye shall have an offer again . I would only say this to you , and be sure of it , though I should never be ● partaker of this Great Salvation , yet I shall be a witnesse against you that are not partakers of it : I tell and declare unto yon , shall be a witnesse against you if ye imbrace not the Great Salvation . Now , old ●en are ye perswaded to imbrace it ? Let ●e ob●est you by the beauty of Christ , come and partake of the Great Salvation , ye that ●●e travelling upon the borders of erernity . ●ow , if ye will give no more , give this , will ye go home and think upon it . I shall not bee uncharitable , nor enter to judge your thoughts ; I fear there shall bee many declared and found guilty among us , that we have declared unto heaven wee will not imbrace the Great Salvation , but have trod the bloud of the Son of God under foot . Now I intreat you , every one of you , ask at your selves if yee be the persons that will presume in your hearts to do so . Now I shall leave it with you , let it not bee a witnesse against you . I shall leave it with this : O come away , Old men , Young men , Old women and Maids , come and imbrace this precious Gospel Salvation . Yee may say , Ye bid us come : but we cannot come . I desite no more of you● but to come with this : Lord , I am content to come , but I cannot come . Come once to that : for if once yee bee content to receive it , it will not bee long befor yee bee able to receive it . Now shall Christ depart , and will none of you say , yet are content to take him ? Will yee charge your own Consciences with this : Am I content to take Christ and the Great Salvation ? O blest , blest , blest be● He that is the Author of this Great Salvation and bles● be hee that gets any of the ends of the cord of the Great Salvation , that we sink not under the wrath and fury of the Lord Come and imbrace this Great Salvation : and again I say , come and imbrace it ; for what can yee have if yee want it ? and what can y●● want if yee have it ? I shall say no more but close with that word , Isa. 62. vers . 21 Behold , the Lord hath proclaimed to the end of the world , to those that are far off ; What hath hee proclaimed ? Say yee to the daughter of Sion , behold thy Salvation cometh , behold it cometh . I say to you that are the ends of the world , Salvation is brought near unto you : Stout hearted and far from righteousnesse , the Great Salvation is brought near unto you , and will you send it away ? O consider what ye are doing : And to him that can perswade you to imbrace the Great Salvation , we desire to give praise . A SERMON Concerning DEATH . Psal. 89. 48. What man ( is he that ) liveth and shall not see death , &c. IT is very hard to determine , where all that are here shall be within thirty years : for even ere that time come , many ( if not all ) of us who are here ●all have taken up our eternall lodging . ●nd whether we shall take it up in the eternity of joy , or the eternity of pain , is also hard to determine : onely this one thing I am sure of , that all of us shall shortly hee gone ; And ere long the shadows of death shall bee sitting upon our eye lids , and our eye strings shall begin to break , Therefore I would the more seriously inquire at you ; what would ye think if death were approaching this night unto you ? Think yee that Jesus Christ is gone up to prepare a place for you ? even for you ? Surely I think wee are all near to eternity ; and there are some hearing mee to day , whom I defy the whole world to assure , that ever they shall hear another Sermon ▪ Therefore , I intreat ▪ you all to hear this preaching , as if it were the last preaching that ever yee should hear ; and O that we● could speak it as if were the last Sermon that ever wee would preach unto you . Believe me , death is another thing then we take it to b●t : Oh what will many of us do in the day of our visitation : when desolation shall come from a far ; where will we flee for rest , and where will we leave our glory ? Old rich men where will ye flee when death assaults you ? Old poor men , where will ye flee when death assaults you ? Old women , where will ye flee when death assaults you ? Young women , where will yee flee when death assaults you ? It was an ancient observation of David , Psal. 39. 5. that God had made his daye● as an hand breadth ; which either may relate to the four fold estate of man , viz ▪ hi● infancy , his child-hood , his man-hood , and his old age : O it may relate to the four-fold time of his life , viz. his morning , his forenoon , his afternoon , and his evening , yet all our lifetime is but a day . And O think ye not that our day is near unto a close ? Now before that I begin to speak any thing from the words ; I shall speak a few things to these two questions ; which I conceive , may not altogether be unprofitable . Quest. 1. Whether is it lawfull for any to desire to die and to return unto their long and endlesse home ? whether it be lawfull for one to cry out , O time , time , flee away ( and all my shadows let them be gone ) that so long eternity may come ? Answ. I say , it is lawfull in some cases for one to desire to die : for it was Pauls desire , Philip. 1. 23. I am in a strait betwixt two ▪ having a desire to depart , and to be with Christ which is far better . And 2 Cor. 5. 2. We groa●●arnestly , desiring to be cloathed with our house which is from heaven . I long greatly till the twentieth one year of my age come , when my minority shall be overpast , that I may be entered heir to that matchlesse inheritance . But to clear in what cases it is lawfull to desire to die . 1. I say , it is lawfull to desire to die , when it floweth from a desire of uninterupted fellowship and communion with Christ , and conjunction with him : this is clear , 2 Cor. 5 , 6. Knowing that while we are present in the body , we are absent from the Lord. Therefore vers . 8. We are willing rather to be absent from the body , and to be present with the Lord. Also it is clear , Philip. 1. 23. I am in a strait betwixt two , having a desire to depart , and to be with Christ , which is far bettter . It was his great end to have neat and unmixed communion with Christ. What aileth you Paul ( might one have said ) may ye not be content to stay a while here ? Nay , saith Paul , I desire to be gone , and to be with Christ ; Wast thou never with him here Paul ? 〈◊〉 have been with him , saith he , but what is all my being with him here , in comparison of my being with him above ? While I am present in the body , I am but absent from the Lord. Therefore I will never be at rest ( saith he ) get what I will , untill I get Christ ▪ untill I get these naked and immediate imbracements of that noble Plant of renow● the flour of the stalk of Iesse , who is the light of the higher house , the eternal admiration of Angels ? II. It is lawfull to desire to die when it floweth from the excellencies of heaven , and from a desire to partake of these excellen● things that are there , this is clear , 2 Cor. 5. 4 ▪ We groan being burdened , or as the word is We groan , as they who are pressed under a heavy burden , that we may be cloathed upon , &c ▪ What aileth you to groan so Paul ? O saith he , I groan that mortality may be swallowe● up of life . III. It is lawfull to desire to die , when it floweth from a desire to be freed from the body of death : and from these ●entations that assault us ; and from these oppressions whereunto we are subject by it . Doubtlesse , Paul desired to die on this account , when he cryed out ▪ Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am , who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? He longeth greatly for the day , Wherein hee should be made white like the wings of a dove , covered with silver , whose feathers are of yellow gold . O saith Paul , I am as one impatient till I be above , where I shall be cloathed with these excellent and cleanly robes , The righteousnesse of Christ. Oh , saith Paul , I think every day as a year , till I be possessed of that Kingdom where Sathan cannot tempt , and the creature cannot yeeld , and where I shall be free from all my sears of sinning . Now in all these respects , who would not desire to die ? But to guard all these , I would give you these four Cautions . 1. Caution . Your desires to die should not be peremptory , but yee should desire to die with submission to the will of God , so that although he would fill up fifteen years more to your life , yee should be content to live it out . 2. Caution . When your desires are hasty , and off hand , suspect them ; for some when they meer with an outward crosse ( without all deliberation ) will cry our , O to be gone , O that I were dead . But your desires to die , should be deliberate , but not hasty , or rash . 3. Caution . It is not lawful to desire to die , because of personal affliction . Many , when they meet with bitter afflictions , will cry out , O to be gone : They long for death , even upon that account , such were Iobs desires , Iob 20. 21 , 22. and chap. 6. ver . 7. 8. O that I might have my request , even that it would please God to destroy me , &c. This desire was very unlawfull . 4. Caution . It is not lawfull to desire to die , when thy predominant idol is taken away from thee ; yet such was Ionahs desire , chap. 4. 23. Ionah thought his credit and reputation ( which was his idol ) was gone , and could never be regained : therefore he wished to die . But I would say this to you , that some will have ten desires for death , when they have not one desire for heaven . And what moveth Christians to be so desirous to die ? It is not so much because of their hope , as because of their anxiety ; it is not so much because of their confidence , as because of their impatience . But I say unto you , when your desires of death are not accompanied with desires of heaven , suspect them . 2. I would say this , that there are some who will have ten desires for death ▪ when they will not have one for the death of the body of death ; But it were good for thee ( who are such ) to be desiring the death of the body of death , then should thou be in a more suitable ●rame to desire to die . 3. Some will have hearty desires to die , and ye● when death cometh , they will be as unwilling to die as any . It hath been observed , that some who have much desired to die , when death came , have cryed out , O spare a little that I may recover strength , &c. 4. There is a great difference between a desire to die , and death it self . It is an easie thing to desire to die , but it is a very great business to meet with death , and to look it in the face , when it cometh . We think death ( ere it come near to us ) to be but childrens play , but when we meet with it , it maketh us change our thoughts . For it is a great businesse to die . Quest. 2. Is it lawfull for a Christian to desire to live , when he is summoned to die ? Answ. In some cases it is lawfull for a Christian to desire to live , even when he is summoned to die ; which is clear from the practice of David , Psal. 39. 13. where he prayeth , That the Lord would spare him a little . It is also clear from the practice of good Hezekiah , Isa. 38. 3. when he was commanded to set his house in order , for he should die , and not live , he cryeth forth , Remember now , O Lord , how I have walked before thee in truth , and with a perfect heart : and have done , that which is good in thy sight , and Hezekiah wept sore ; Or as the word in the Original , he wept with great weeping : But to guard this , take these two Cautions . Caution 1. Thy desires to live ( when thou are summoned to die ) should not be peremptory , but with submission to the will of God , that if it bee his pleasure to remove thee presently out of time , thou should bee content to die . Caution 2. Thy desires to live should have gracious principles , and also a very gracious end , as is most clear from David , Psal. 39. 13. where hee saith , O spare a little that I may recover my strength , before I go from hence and bee no more : his desire to live was th●● hee might have more victory over his Idols , as if hee had said , my desire to live is , that I may have strength to wrestle with , and overcome my Idols : and without all controversie , Hezekiahs desire was a most precious and well grounded desire : However , I would say this unto thee , that thou shouldest examine thy desires to live , as much ( if not more ) as thy desires to die : for wee are ready to shun death if wee could , but hee is that universall King , unto whom all of us must be subject ere long . Now in the words which are read unto you , there are these six things which may be clearly observed from them . I. First , That it is a most clear and infallible truth , ●at all persons shall once see death : as is 〈◊〉 in these words , Who is hee that liveth an shall not see death . II. Secon●●● , That this truth ( that wee shall once see death ) is not much believed or thought upon by many , therefore it is that the Psalmist doubleth the Assertion . Who is he that liveth , and shall not see death ? Shall he deliver his soul ( that is his life ) from the hand ( that is ) from the power of the grave . III. Thirdly , That sometimes a Christian may win to the solide Faith of this truth , that once he must die , this the Psalmist wan unto , as it is also clear in that word ( who ) Who is he that liveth and shall not see death ? IV ▪ Fourthly , That the certainty of this , that once we shall die should be still keeped in our minde , therefore that note of attention Selah , is put to it ; as if he had said , take heed that there is none living that shall no● die ▪ V. Fifthly , That howbeit some persons put the evil day far away , as if they were not to see death , yet is the day coming when they shall see death , and death shall take them by the hand . VI. Sixthly , We shall take notice of this from the context , that the Christian who is much in minding the brevity of his life , will believe the certainty of his death , the Psalmist was speaking of the shortnesse of his life in the preceeding verse , and in this verse , he speaketh of the certainty of death ▪ Now as for the first of these things observed , viz. That it is certain and most sure that we must all once die ; I hope there are none of you here who will deny it ; although I confesse few of you beleeveth it , yet said the woman of Tek●ah , 2 Sam. 14. We must all die and be like water spilt upon the ground that cannot be gathered up again , &c. God doth not accept the person of any , and Iob 30. 32. I know thou wilt bring me to death , and to the house appointed for all living . And it is very clear , Eccles. 8. 8. There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the Spirit , neither hath he any power in the day of death , and there is no discharge in that War ; neither shall wickednesse deliver those that are given to it : It is also clear , Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed unto all men once to die . So it is most clear that we must die . I remember of one Philip King of Macedonia , who had one substitute for this very end , to cry at his Chamber door every morning , Memento mori , Memento mori , Memento mori , Remember thou art to die , and it is reported to have been the practice of the Nobles of Greece , and in the day wherein their Emperour was Crowned , that they presented a Marblestone unto him , and he was inquired after what fashion he would have his Tomb stone made : which practices speak forth this unto us , that although these were most destitute of light of the Scriptures , yet were very mindfull of death . Believe me , death may surprise us before we be aware , for it is most certain that we must die , but there is nothing more uncertain then the way how , and the time when we shall die . Death will surprise some , as it did Abel , in the open field , Gen. 4. 8 , Death will surprise some , as it did Eglon in his parlour , Iudg. 3. 21. And death will surprise some , as it did Saul and Ionathan in the flight , 1 Sam. 31. Now in speaking to this point , I shall first speak a little to these advantages which attend those that live within continuall sight of death . Secondly , I shall give you some Considerations to presse you to prepare for death . Thirdly , I shall give you some Directions to help you to prepare for Death : And then we shall proceed unto the second point of doctrine which we observed from the Text , and shall speak a few things from it unto you , and so come unto a close for this time . First then , we conceive there are these seven advantages which attend those who live within the continual ●ight of this truth , that they must die . I. First , The Faith of approaching death will make a soul exceeding diligent in duty : this was our blessed Lords divinity , Ioh. 9. 4. I must work the work of him that sent me , while it is day : The night cometh , when no man can work ; That is , death is approaching , therefore I must work . It is clear also , 2 Pet. 1. 12. compared with vers . 14. In the 12. vers . Peter is exceeding diligenc● in his duty , and the ground of his diligence is in the 14. vers . Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle , &c. Yea , it is even the Epicures argument , Let us eat and drink , for to morrow we shall die ; and should not the Christian much more cry out , Let mee watch and pray , for to morrow I may die ? I say , if the Epicures did make use of this notion , to make them vigorous in the pursuit of their pleasures : O how much more should a Christian improve i● , for making him vigorous in the pursuit of his duty ? Therefore I say unto you all , O bee diligent , for your night is drawing near . O Christians , and expectants of heaven , are ye not afraid lest yee be nighted before ye have walked the half of your journey ? For if yee bee nighted on your journey to heaven , before ye come to the end of your race , there is no retiring place whereunto yee may turn aside to lodge : therefore , O work , work , work , while it is day ; for behold death is approaching , and then shall we all bee called to an account . II. The Faith of approaching death , will make a Christian exceeding active in duty : hee will not only bee diligent , but also exceeding serious and zealous in the exercise of his duty : This is clear from that notable exhortation , Eccles. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do , do it with thy might : and the reason is , For there is no work , nor device , nor knowledge , nor wisdom in the grave whether thou goest . Wherefore O bee active while yee are alive , for ye shall never work any more after ye are dead ; and if ye leave but one work undone , there is no doing of it after death . There is no work ( saith Solomon ) in the grave ; therefore , O be active . III. The faith of this Truth , that we must all die , will help a Christian to be exceeding mortified to the things of a present world . Oh , covetous men and women , would ye shake hands with cold death but once every morning , I should defy you to pursue the world so much as ye do . Paul was much in the meditation of his change , which made him , 2 Cor. 4. 18. to overlook these things that are temporary , while we look not ( saith he ) to the things that are seen , which are temporal , but to the things which are not seen , which are eternal , therefore , chap. 5. 1. Knowing that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved , we have a building of God , an house not made with hands , eternal in the heavens , Therefore in this we groan , earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven . What aileth you Paul ( might one have said ) may ye not take a look of the world ( no saith he ) For I know that if this earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved , I have a house with God , not made with hands , but eternal in the heavens : That is , I know that ere long , the pins of my tabernacle will be loosed , and it will fall down about my ears , therefore I must look for another dwelling house : And , 1 Cor. 7. 24. The fashions of this world passe away , Therefore , ●aith he , vers . 32. I would have you without carefulnesse , caring how to please the Lord. And Phil. 4. 5. Let your moderation be known to all men , The Lord is at hand . As if he had said , Death is approaching and at hand , therefore I intreat you be sober : But I think many of us will be found like Saul hid among the stuffe , that is , we will be lying amongst the middest of the pleasures of this passing world : But I say unto thee who are such an one , that death will break the strings of thy harp , and thy musick will quickly cease . O but death will make thee have a low esteem of the world . O blessed is the person who hath these thoughts of the world all along his way , which he shall have of it at death ? Have not the most cursed wretches been forced to cry forth , Oh , I would give ten thousand worlds for Christ ? Have not some persons ( who have had the Moon upon their head , and that have made their belly their god ) being forced to cry forth at death ; O cursed person that I am that ever made the world my god ? Alas that I contented my self with the world . Therefore I say unto thee who art such an one , O stay thy pursuit after the world , for death is approaching that will cause all thy worldly comforts evanish . IV. When a Christian believeth this Truth , that he must die , it will be an exceeding great ●estraint to keep him from sinning , as is clear , Iob 31. 13. compared with vers . 14. where Iob reckoning over many good deeds done by himself , saith , What then shall I do when God riseth up ? and when he visiteth , what shall I answer him ? As if he had said , Sirs mistake me not , I am not boasting much of my self , for I could not have done otherwise , else what should I do when God riseth up ? How could I answer to God if I had done otherwise ? I think it were a notable practice for each of you , when temptations begin to assault you , to say , O temptation , what will I answer to God , when he riseth up to reprove me , if I should yeeld unto thee ? Likewise , Eccles 11. 9. Where Solomon , disswading young men to pursue after vanity , bringeth this as a reason . Know thou , that for all , these things , God will bring thee to judgement ; Therefore I say unto thee , who art often tempted to sin . let 〈◊〉 and reckoning with God be still in thy sight , and I defy thee then to imbrace half so many temptations as now thou dost . I intreat you to answer all your temptations with that word , What shall I do when he riseth up ? And what shall I answer when he visiteth me ? V. When a Christian liveth within the sight of this Truth , that he shall once see death , it shall make him exceeding patient under every crosse wherewith he meeteth ; Such a Christian will hardly meet with a crosse , but he will quiet himself with this , Death will put me beyond this crosse : this is but a cloud that will quickly passe away . And for this cause did Divid so composedly put up that desire , Psal. 39 4. Lord make me to know my end , and the measure of my dayes : He was sure that the knowledge of his end would put him in a sober and patient frame . VI. The sixth advantage is this , The faith of approaching death , will teach the the person that hath it , to study saving wisedome , This is clear , Psal. 90. 12. Where David putteth up this request , So teach us to number our dayes , that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome . As if he had said , I will never think my self wise , till I know that blessed peece of Arithmetick , How to number my dayes . I would desire every one of you all to think with your self every morning when ye arise , now I am a day nearer unto eternity then I was before : and at the end of every hour , now I am an hour nearer unto eternity then I was before . I say , think often , yea alwayes thus , I was never so near my death as I am now ; For , oh ! are we not all nearer to eternity to day , then we were yesterday ? VII . The seventh advantage , attending the faith of approaching Death , is this , That it will make a Christian very carefull in preparing for Death . It is impossible for one to believe really that Death is approaching , and not to prepare for it . Say what ye will , if ye be not carefull in preparing for death , ye have not the solide faith of this truth , that ye shall die . Believe me , it is not every one that thinketh he believeth this truth , that believeth it indeed . And O how dreadfull is it for an unprepared man to meet with death ? He desireth not to die , yea he would give a world for his life . but die must he whether he will or not : for death will not be requested to spare a little when he cometh ; And therefore I say unto you all , Set your house in order , for ye shall surely die ; Old men and women , set your house in order , for surely ye must die ; Young men and women , set your house in order , for to morrow . ye may die , and be cut off in the flower of your age , Think not that there are any who can sell time : for I say , ye shall never get time sold unto you . Alas , I fear the most part of persons that dieth now , death findeth them at unawars ; for indeed the persons that die among us , when we come to visit them , we may give you a sad account of them , for we think they are comprehended under these four sorts . 1. First , When we go to visit some persons on their death bed , they are like unto Nabal , their heart is dying and sinking ( like unto a stone ) within them ; they are no more affected with death , then if it were a fancy ; ( alas for the great stupidity that hath overtaken many ) therefore I intreat you delay not your repentance till death , left the Lord take away your wit , so that ye cannot then repent for your senslesnesse and stupid frame of spirit . 2. A second sort we find in a presumptuous frame , saying they have had a good hope all their dayes , and they will not quite it now ; they will go down to the grave with their hope in their right hand : or rather they will go down to the grave with a lie in their right hand ; they live in a presumptuous frame , and they die in the same delusion . For when we tell them that by all probability they are going down to hell , they answer , God forbid , I was all my time a very honest man , or woman . But I love not that confession , for there are many such honest men and women in hell this day . 3. The third sort we find , having some convictions that they have been playing the fool all their dayes ; but we can get them no further : I shall only say to such , to go down to the gr●ve with convictions in their breast , not making use of Christ , is to go down to hell 〈◊〉 a ca●●●e in their hand to let them see the way : and truly the greater part that die , die in this manner . 4. Fourthly , There are some whom we find in a self righteous frame , trusting upon the Covenant of Works , and their own merits , and trusting by these to go to heaven : yet neglecting the offer of Christs righteousnesse . But , alas , we find not one of a thousand in this frame , I desire to be dissolved , and be with Christ , that 's best of all : And scarce do we find any in such a frame , O wretched man that I am , who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? Therefore I say unto you all who are here , O will ye mind death before it take hold on you . Oh mind your work now ; for ye will find that death shall be work enough for it self , though ye leave no work till then . VIII . The eight advantage that attendeth the Christian believing this truth , that once he must die , is this , death will not be so terrible to him as it is unto many when it cometh . What ( think ye ) maketh death a king of terrours ? What maketh many to shake like the leaf of a tree , when they are summoned to appear before Gods Tribunal ? It is even because of this , they have not been thinking on death before it came , so as to prepare for it , and I fear many in this place may be feared for death , and that when it cometh to them ; they will say unto death , at Ahab said to Elijah Hast thou found me , O mine enemy ? Surely , ●●ath will take you and bring you to the judgement seat of Christ ; Therefore study by all means to think often upon it ; and make ready for it : For ( believe me ) death is a very big word , for it will once make you stand with horrour in your souls , if your peace be not made up with God : I know not a more dreadfull dispensation then death and a guilty conscience meeting together . The second thing that I shall speak unto from this first observation ( viz. That it is a most certain and infallible truth , and all persons shall once see death ) shall be to give you some considerations for pressing you to prepare for death . I. The first consideration is this , That to die well , and in the Lord , is a most difficult work ; therefore I intreat you prepare for death . It is a difficult work to communicate aright , it is a difficult work to pray aright , and it is a difficult work to con●er aright : But I must tell you , it is a more difficult work to die aright , then any of these . It is true , it is more difficult to communicate aright , then to pray aright , yet it is much more difficult to die aright , then to communicate aright : For it is a most difficult work to die in the Lord. Death will put the most accurate Christian that is here , to a wonderfull search : and therefore I will tell you nine things that death will try in thee . 1. Death will try both the reality and strength of thy Faith. It may be easie for thee to keep up Faith under many difficulties , but death shall put thy Faith to the greatest stresse that ever it did meet with . Yea , know this that the Faith of the strongest Believer may get ( and ordinarily doth get ) a set at death , the like whereof it never got before : therefore prepare for death . 2. Death will try thy love to God , some persons pretend much love to him : but death will propose this question to such a person , Lovest thou him more then these ? Lovest thou him more then thy wife ? More then thy house ? More then thy friends ? But your unwillingnesse to die , giveth us much ground to fear that many have little love to Christ , but much to the world , and so dare not answer the question , Lord thou knowest I love thee . 3. Death will try thine enjoyments , some of you may be ready to think that ye met with many enjoyments , so that ye might reckon ( as you think ) to fourty enjoyments and sweet out lettings : but beware that death bring them not down to twenty . I have known some , who thought they had met fourty times with God ; but when death came , it made them take down the count to the half , therefore seeing death will try the reality of thine enjoyments , O prepare for it . 4. Death will try thy patience . Thou may seem to have much patience now , but when death cometh ( and thou art put to die ) it will put thy patience to a great tryall , therefore prepare fore it . 5. Death will try the reality of thy duties , yea even these duties wherein thou had most satisfaction , as thy communicating aright in such a place , thou hopest that is sure : thy reading the Scripture at such a time aright , thou hopest that is sure : thou prayed at such a time aright , and hopest that is sure : thou meditated in such a place aright , and hopest that is sure . But ( believe me ) death may make thee change thy thoughts : for there are some persons who have communicated and prayed , &c. as right as any in this generation , who ( for all that ) will not find six duties wherein they can find satisfaction at death : Therefore our need is great to prepare for it . 6. Death will exceedingly try thy sincerity when it cometh : An hypocrite may go all alongs his whole way undiscovered , yet death may bring him to light , and make it appear what man he it . 7. Death will discover unto thee many hid and secret sins , of which thou never had a thought before , yea , albeit thou thought these had been forgotten , death will let thee see them standing between thee and the light of his countenance . 8. Death will accurately try thy Mortification : Some think they have come a great length in Mortification ; but ( believe me ) death will try it and put it to the touch-stone . 9. Death will try thy hope , whether it bee real or not . I shall onely say this , that all the other graces must low their sails to Faith , and so it is Faith must carry us thorow , being that last triumphing grace ▪ which must fit the field for us , when all the other graces will faint and ly by . It is Faith that must enter us fairly within the borders of eternity , It is Faith must gainstand all the temptations of death , yea , all the other graces must ( as it were ) stand by , and see Faith strike the last stroak in this war. II. The second consideration to presse you to mind death , is this , that yee are to die but once . O labour to do that well , which yee are to do but once , and the wrong doing of which can never bee helped . If yee pray not aright , ye may get that mended : if yee meditate not aright , yee may get that mended : and if ye communicate not aright , ye may get that also mended : but alas , if ye die not aright , there is no mending of that : Therefore , O prepare for death , that ye may die well , seeing ye are to die but once . III. The third consideration to presse you to mind death , is this , That they are pronounced blessed who die in the Lord , Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord , O let that provoke you to prepare for death , that so you may die in the Lord , that is the only way to make you eternally happy . I confesse it is a question difficult to determine whether it be more difficult to die well , or to live well ; I shall not answer it , but rather desire you to study both . IV. The fourth consideration to presse you to prepare for death , is this , viz. That though thou put all thy work by thy hand before death , yet shalt thou finde that death shall have work enough for it self , yea , as much as thou shalt get done . It will then be much for thee to win to patience , it will be much for thee to win to the sight of thy Justification : and it will then be much for thee to win to assurance : O then is it not needfull for thee , to put all thy work by thy hand before thy latter end come ? Wherefore I may say to you as Moses said in his Song , Deut. 32. 29. O that they were wise , that they understood this , that they would consider their latter end . O that ye had this piece of divine wisdome . I pray you consider that sad word , Lament . 1. 9. She remembereth not her last end , And what of it ? Therefore she came down wonderfully : So will the down coming of many in this generation be wonderfull , who consider not their last end . V. The fifth Consideration , for pressing you to prepare for death , is this , viz. That their labour shall end , but their works shall not be forgotten , as is clear from that forecited place , Revel . 14. 13. They rest from their labours , and their works follow them : and is not that a glorious advantage ? VI. The sixth consideration to presse you to prepare for death , is this , viz. That death may come upon you ere ye be awar : ye know not but death may surprise you this night , before you go home to your houses : and therefore let that presse you to study a constant preparation for death . VII . The seventh Consideration to presse you to prepare for death , is this , viz. That as death leaveth you , so will judgement find you , If death shall leave you strangers to Christ , ye shall appear before his judgement seat strangers unto him : Therefore I intreat you all to prepare for it . I think that noble practice of Paul exceeding worthy of imitation , 1 Cor. 15. 13. I die dayly , which ( I think ) doth comprehend these three things . 1. That Paul had death alwayes in his sight . 2. It comprehendeth this , that he endeavoured to keep such a frame , as that every moment he should be ready to die , so that whensoever death should put the summonds in his hand , he should be content to answer . 3. It comprehendeth this , that he laboured to lay aside and remove all things out of the way , that might detain him from laying down his tabernacle . O saith Paul , I labour so to clear my self of all hinderances , as that when ever I shall be summoned to remove out of time , I may willingly lay down my life . Thus Paul desired alwayes to have his Latter Will clear ; Therefore I would ask you this question , viz. when did you make your last testament ? I think it were suitable for us to be renewing our latter will every day ; for in so doing , Paul made an excellent testament , the better of which , none that died since have made , 2 Tim. 4. 7 , 8. I have fought a good fight , I have finished my course , I have keeped the faith ; These are very sweet articles , and then he addeth , Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse , which the Lord , the righteous Iudge shall give me at that day : And think ye not that very sweet ? And he would leave some thing unto you in Christs Name , viz. And not for me only , but for all them that wait for his appearance . Now I come to the third thing proposed , viz. To give you some directions for helping you to prepare for death . Direct . 1. I intreat you , be much in preparation for death every day , for it is even a preparation for heaven , to be taking a sight of your grave and latter end every day . Direct . 2. I intreat you , he much in these duties . First , In Self examination , that your compts may be clear with God : for many a ragged compt will we have , when death and we shall meet . Secondly , Be much in the exercise of Repentance , that so ye may have every fault of corruption in you mourned for , before death and you meet . Thirdly , Be much in the exercise of Faith , making your calling and election sure ? Fourthly , Be much in the exercise of Mortification , and that will help you to keep a loose grip , not only of the world , but also of your other idols ; And if ye be much in these , ye shall undoubtedly be prepared for death . Direct . 3. Be much in minding the excellent things of heaven . A Christian that would be prepared for death , would have all his thoughts and conversation there . I think , it would be an excellent help ( in preparation for death ) to take a sight of the Crown every day . Direct . 4. Labour alwayes to keep a good conscience void of offence towards God and men 〈◊〉 I say , labour to keep thy conscience clear , and that shall be a continual feast unto thee . Direct . 5. Slight not thy known duty , do not crucify any conviction , neither break any resolution : put these three together , and that will exceedingly help you to prepare for death : I say , see that ye adventure not to slight any known duty , see that ye adventure not to crucifie any conviction , and see that ye adventure not to break your resolutions Now we come to the second thing which we observed from the words , viz. That this truth , that we shall once see death , is not much believed by many of us . And to make this appear , we shall only give some Evidences unto you , to prove that we are not as yet prepared for death . I. Evidence , Doth not the unspeakable stupidity that have overtaken many , say , that we are not a people prepared for death ? Alas , many of us would find our selves in a most stupid temper if we were presently to die ; for many of us are no more moved with the threatnings and terrouts of God , then if they did not belong unto us ; and this saith we are not as yet prepared for death . II. Evidence , That we are not prepared for death , is our pursuing so much after the vain and passing delights of a present world . Many of us , Rise up early , and go late to bed at night , and eateth the bread of sorrow all the day , and loading themselves with thick clay ; And I am sure , that such a person , ( being night and day taken up with the world ) is not prepared for death . I remember a word recorded of such a wretched one , who was exceedingly rich ; said he , I would give so many thousands of money , if death would give me but one day : yet he got it not . And O how suddenly will death surprise many of you as it did him ? III. Evidence , which speaketh forth our unpreparednesse for death , is our impatience under every petty crosse that we meet with , for the prepared Christian will be patient under very sharp crosses . IV. Evidence , That we are not prepared , is our not endeavouring to live within sight of our interest in God ▪ Oh if wee were prepared for death , durst we live in so much uncertainty of our interest in God , and of our assurance of heaven ? V. Evidence ▪ Some of us can let our Idols ly in our brest six years without repentance , and will never study to mortifie them , nor to repent for them ; and surely such are not prepared for death . Now I intreat you seriously to minde what hath been said . And that yee may the more seriously think upon it , I will tell you some materiall challenges that your consciences at death will present unto you , therefore take heed , that yee may know how yee will answer . I. Challenge . Is the slighting of much precious Time , and sinning away the precious offers of Grace . O what will yee answer to that Challenge , when Death shall present it to you ? Death will say ( or rather thine own Conscience at Death ) what ailed thee to sin away so many hours , without either Praying , Reading , or Meditating● ? Now have yee any thing to answer when Death shall present this Challenge to you ? I intreat you premedita●e what ye will say : I intreat you prevent death by presenting it first seriously to your selves . II. Challenge , That Death will present unto you , will be , for the killing of many precious Convictions which we have had . What will each of you answer at death , when your conscience proposeth this challenge to you ? thou met with such a challenge at such a time , and went home and crucified it , when at another time thou met with another challenge , and went home and crucified it : These challenges will be laid home to thy door , therefore think on them . III. Challenge , Death will charge you for a formal hypocriticall way of going about duties : I say your Conscience will then tell you , that ye went to such a Communion with a selfish end : and a● another time ye prayed hyporritically and formally : and what will ye have to answer when ye meet with these challenges ? I confesse I know not what ye can answer to these ; but I charge you , be thinking what ye will answer , for it may be that these convictions shall ly on your consciences , that even this day ye have heard two searching Sermons , and did meet with some convictions ; but made no good use of them ; yea , and ●● may be ye did sleep all the time . O what will ye answer , when it will be said to you , ye went to such a Sermon and sleeped all the time : and ye went to such a Communion , but had no other end before your eyes but to be seen of men ? I intreat you consider presently what ye will answer to these . IV. Challenge , Will be for your breaking of many precious resolutions . It will be said to some of you , that at the Communion in this place , ye took on vowes , and did break them : I am sure ye cannot question the justice of this challenge : therefore see what ye will answer ? V. Challenge , Ye slighted many precious offers of the Gospel ; O men and women in this city , what will ye answer to this ? I was often exhorted to take Christ , and yet would never take him ; What will Conscience say to that , when death shall table it before you ? I tell you what ye must then answer , O cursed I , that ever refused Christ in the Gospel , and ye shall then be confounded because this is your sin . ( Believe me ) there was never an offer of this everlasting Gospel , and of Christ in it made unto you , that shall not at death ( before or after ) be brought to your remembrance ; and O how sad and doleful will it be to you , when Christ shall open the book where your sins are written , and begin with the sin of slighting the Great Salvation ? thus I invited you when you were twelve years old , and ye would not come , I invited you when ye were thirty years old , and ye would not come , I invited you when sixty years old , and ye would not come : What will ye answer to this ? Have ye any thing to say ? Or must ye not stand speechlesse before your Judge , when he shall put home this challenge unto you , therefore think seriously upon it , how ye will answer to it . VI. Challenge , will be for your sinning oftentimes against Light , and O how sad and painfull a challenge will that be at the day of Death ! when it will be said , thou sinned with a witnesse in thy bosome that thou wast doing wrong : thy Conscience will say , oftentimes did I tell thee this is sinfull , yet wouldest thou not abstain from it : And what will ye answer from this ? VII . Challenge , Oftentimes ye sinned upon every small temptations , and what will ye answer to that ? Must ye not then confesse it , and say , O how often have I deserted Christ and imbraced my idols upon a small temdtation ? Now I intreat you be thinking what ye will answer to these seven most material Challenges which certainly shall be presented to you at death . I assure you , ye must either answer all your challenges in Christ , else ye will not get them well answered . Therefore I would exhort you to imbrace the Gospel and Christ in it : that so let death propose never so many challenges unto you ▪ ye may answer them all as David did , viz. God hath made with me an everlasting Covenant , ( and that will answer all your challenges ) though my house be not so with God , yet I have the everlasting Covenant to build my salvation upon . Now to presse you to make use of Christ , I shall give you these four Considerations . Consideration 1. If ye imbrace not Christ now , Death will be very unpleasant to you . O what else can comfort thee , when going through the region of the shadow of Death , but this , I am Christs , I am Christs ? is there any other thing can comfort thee in that day , but only this , I am Christs , and He is mine ? Consideration 2. If ye imbrace not Christ and the Great Salvation now , It will be an hundred to one , if ever ye get time or libertie to do it , when ye are going to die . For although many delay their closing with Christ till death , yet scarcely one of a hundred getteth favour to grip Christ at death : therefore think on it , for ye will not get your mind so composed at death as ye imagine , nor all things done as ye suppose : therefore now imbrace the Great Salvation . Consideration 3. If ye delay your closing with Christ , till death seise upon you , ye shall never be able to make up that losse , For will the dead rise and praise God ? Or shall any come from the land of forgetfulnesse , to take hold upon a crucified Saviour ? Therefor , O will ye take him for your Salvation . Consideration 4. If ye will take Christ now , he shall be your guide , When ye are going through the valley and shadow of death . And O how blessed is the person that can sing that word , Psal. 48. 14. This is my God , he will be my guide even unto death . If ye can sing that pleasant song , O how may ye be comforted , when your eye strings shall begin to break ? O how happy is hee who can say , Though I walk through the shadow of death , yet will I fear no ill ▪ 〈◊〉 I know that the Lord is with mee . Now this is the acceptable day , and the year of salvation , therefore do not delay , but imbrace Christ , lest death surprise you ere yee be aware , and so the acceptable day be lost . But unto these who think they may delay till death , I say , surely there are many damned atheists in hell that ( sometime ) did think as yee think : I will make all wrongs right when death and I shall meet : I hope that three dayes repentance will satisfie for all my wrongs : for I am sure there are many in hell , who did never get three dayes to think upon their former wayes ; Therefore , O come , come , and imbrace Christ presently : Now are yee all perswaded of this truth , that yee shall once see death ? Then study a tender walking ; for ( believe me ) there are many of us who shall go thorow death with many bruised bones , because of untender walking before God. We know it is not the multitude of words can perswade you to imbrace Christ , for many of you never minded the thing : but ( believe mee ) death will p●each these things to you in a more terrible manner then wee can do at this time . Therefore I say ●o each of you , O prepare to meet thy God ; for , if death finde you in an estranged estate from God , I defy the Angels in Heaven to free you out of that estate . And the day is coming wherein thou shalt cry out , O slighter of the Great Salvation that I am , I would give ten thousand worlds for one Sermon again that I once heard , wherein Christ was freely offered to me , when thou shalt bee tormented without hope of remedy ; Therefore , While it is to day , harden not your hearts , for your late wishes shall not bee granted ( when yee are gone ) if yee make not haste . O therefore Haste , haste in time , and come out from the land of your captivity , and from the house of your bondage , and take Christ for your Redeemer , the guide of your youth and old age . Now unto him , who can lead you thorow all these steps betwixt you and heaven , be eternal praise . Amen . FINIS . 
A64998	----	The wells of salvation opened, or, Words whereby we may be saved by Thomas Vincent. Vincent, Thomas, 1634-1678. 1668 Approx. 284 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 88 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A64998 Wing V451 ESTC R27043 09619289 ocm 09619289 43849 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A64998) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 43849) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1344:31) The wells of salvation opened, or, Words whereby we may be saved by Thomas Vincent. Vincent, Thomas, 1634-1678. [2], 162 p. Printed for Thomas Parkhurst, London : 1668. Reproduction of original in the Union Theological Seminary Library, New York. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Salvation. Theology, Doctrinal. 2003-07 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-08 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-09 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2003-09 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion The Wells OF SALVATION OPENED : OR , WORDS WHEREBY We may be Saved . By THOMAS VINCENT , Minister sometime in Maudlins Milk-street , LONDON . Act. 16.29 . Then he called for a Light , and sprang in , and came trembling , and fell down before Paul and Silas , Vers. 30. And brought them out , and said , Sirs , What must I do to be saved ? V. 31. And they said , Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ , and thou shalt be saved , and thy House . V. 32. And they spake unto him the Word of the Lord , and to all that were in his House . LONDON , Printed for Thomas Parkhurst , and are to be sold at his Shop at the Golden Bible on London-bridge . 1668. TO THE Citizens of LONDON . I Have sounded two Trumpets of Iudgement in your ears , the former signifying Gods terrible Voice to the City , in the late terrible Iudgements of Plague and Fire which have devoured so many Inhabitants and Habitations , as the space of many Ages ( should the World so long continue ) would not blot out the remembrance of ; the later signifying Gods terrible Voice to the World , at the second appearance of Christ to the last and Universal Iudgement of all the Children ▪ of Adam , which is both sure and near ; the dreadfulness of which Iudgement to the Wicked , no Tongue is able to express : The chief intent of both my Treatises concerning the late , and future Iudgement , hath been to awaken sleepy Sinners out of their carnal security , and to prepare them for the great Salvation purchased by Iesus Christ , and proclaimed , proffered and promised in the Gospel ▪ therefore having at first purposed , and in my last Book of Christs Appearance to Iudgement , promised to treat more largely of Salvation than in the close of a Vse I could do ; I have here endeavoured to fulfill my Promise , in telling you Words whereby you may be saved . We read 1 Tim. 1.15 . This is a faithful saying , and worthy of all acceptation , that Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners . And Heb. 2.3 , 4. that this Salvation began to be spoken of by the Lord , and was confirmed by them that heard him . The Lord speaketh to you from Heaven by his Spirit in his Word and Ministers , that you would accept of this Salvation : See then that ye refuse not him that speaketh ; for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth , much more shall not ye escape if ye turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven , Heb. 12.25 . They that seek this Salvation diligently , shall finde it certainly ; but they that refuse or neglect it , must needs perish unavoidably , and be miserable eternally . That this little Piece may be blessed by the Lord , and made use of as a Means to promote your Salvation , is the Prayer of him whose great desire is , that you might be saved . Thomas Vincent . WORDS Whereby we may be Saved . ACT. 11.13 , 14. And he shewed us how he had seen an Angel in his house , which stood and said unto him , Send men to Joppa , and call for Simon whose sirname is Peter , who shall tell thee Words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved . WEE read in the second and third Verses of this Chapter of the contention which some of the Circumcision had with the Apostle Peter , because he had gone in to , and eaten with such as were uncircumcised . Whereupon Peter giveth an account to them of his reason , and the occasion of his so doing ; rehearsing the matter more briefly from Verse 4. to the 18th . which is related more largely in the whole foregoing tenth chapter . First he telleth them of his Trance at Ioppa , and the Vision which himself had of the Vessel descending from Heaven with unclean Beasts in it ; and the command from Heaven to eat , not calling that common and unclean which God had cleansed ; the Lord hereby giving him to understand , That like as under the Law , though there were divers kinds of meats forbidden , and therefore unclean , and unlawfull to be eaten ; yet under the Gospel , that prohibition being taken off , and the meats sanctified by the word of Gods command or allowance , believers might freely eat of them without sin : So also , though under the Law , before the coming of Christ , the people of God in the Nation of the Iewes , where only the Church of God was to be found , were to separate themselves from all heathen Nations as unclean , and it was unlawfull for them to go in and eat with Heathen or Gentile persons , lest they should be defiled and enticed by such familiar converse with them , unto their Superstitions and Idolatries ▪ yet God having before foretold and promised the accession of the Gentiles unto the Church ; and under the Gospel having sent his Son , who brake down the middle wall of partition between the Iewes and the Gentiles ; and having sanctified the Gentiles by his Spirit and Faith ; they were no longer to be accounted unclean , and therefore it was as lawfull for the believing Iewes to eat and converse with them as one with another . Moreover he he telleth them of the Circumcision of the Vision which Cornelius a Gentile had of an Angel , and the command , which he had from the Lord by the Angel to send for him , to preach the Gospel of salvation unto him ; together with the effect of his preaching namely the falling of the Holy Ghost upon the Gentiles , as upon themselves at the beginning ; and therefore that it would have been no less than a withstanding of God himself for him still to have kept at a distance from the Gentiles . Which answer of Peter gave such satisfaction , that it did not only put to silence them which contended with him , but also caused them to glorifie God in behalf of the Gentiles . My Text is a brief rehearsal which Peter giveth of Cornelius his Vision which he had from his mouth . And he shewed us , how he had seen an Angel in his house , which stood , and said , Send men to Joppa , and call for Simon whose sirname is Peter , who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved . I might present you with divers Doctrines from the words , but because I intend to handle but two , I shall mention but two , which to me are the most observable . Doct. 1. That God doth make use of Ministers to preach the Gospel rather than Angels . Doct. 2. That Ministers are to tell people such words whereby they may be saved . It is the latter of these which I intend chiefly to insist upon ; yet the former lying in the way , and being so worthy of note , and may be of such use , I shall spend a little time about it . SECT . I. Doct. 1. THat God doth make use of Ministers to preach the Gospel rather than Angels . The Angel appeareth to Cornelius , doth not preach the Gospel to Cornelius , but from the Lord directeth him to send to Peter , to Peter , who was one of Christs Ministers , and He should preach unto him , and tell him such words whereby he and his should be saved . The Angel could have told him such words himself ; he could have set forth the Lord Jesus Christ in his Divinity , and eternal abode with God ; in his Humanity , with which he cloathed and vailed himself , and abode for a while here amongst men ; in his Life so holy , his Works so powerfull , his Love so great , his Death so painfull , his Resurrection so soon , his Ascension so wonderfull , his Session and Intercession at the right hand of God ; and the Glory which he hath with the Father in Heaven , however he had been vilified by some men when he was upon the Earth . The Angel could have preached the Law with such Thunder and Lightning , as should have made the Conscience of Cornelius to tremble , even as the Israelites did when the Law was given by their ministration on Mount Sinai . He could have shot the arrows of the Almighty so deep into his Spirit , as no balm on earth should have been able to heal his wounds : The Angel could have represented the God of Heaven in a more terrible way than man can do , as Lord of an innumerable host of mighty Angels , of which he was but one , and as set in battel-array against Christless sinners ; and told Cornelius what dreadfull threatnings were denounced , and what heavy Curses did belong unto such as had broken Gods Law ; and hereby could have put him into such terrors and consternation in reflection upon the least guilt , as should have sunk him down to the very brink of the burning Lake in his own apprehension , and forced him in the anguish of his spirit to cry out , O what shall I do to be saved ? And then he could have represented the Lord Jesus Christ unto him as the only , and an all-sufficient , and most mercifull Saviour of Mankinde , who had undertaken the Office of Mediatour and Advocate , and was faithfull . He could have described his beauty and excellency in such high expressions , and invited Cornelius to come to Christ with such sweet words and pressing arguments , as never proceeded out of the mouth of any man. But the Angel had no commission to preach the Gospel to Cornelius ; only to speak to him from God , that he would send men to Ioppa , and call for Peter , and he should preach the Gospel unto him . And as it was in the beginning , so it is still , God doth not send Angels down from Heaven to preach Christ , and Salvation by Christ unto the people ; but he sendeth Ministers , men whom he qualifieth and commissioneth for the work . The Reasons why God doth make use of Ministers to preach the Gospel rather than Angels , may be chiefly these three . 1. Because of our Infirmity . 2. For the honour of the Ministry . 3. That he might secure his own Glory . Reas. 1. Because of our Infirmity . We could not in this state of darkness , weakness , and sinfulness , bear the preaching of Angels that are so holy and glorious : Our eyes would be dazled , our spirits would be amazed , and hearts sink within us at the voice of Angels , should they appear unto us in their glory . Manoah thought he should dye when an Angel came to him , and foretold him of a Son which should be born to him , Iudg. 13. Zacharias was sore troubled at the appearance of an Angel with the like message , L●k . 1. The Shepheards in the Field were exceedingly afraid when the Angel came to them to bring tidings of the birth of our Saviour , Luk. 2. And Christs Disciples were no less afraid when the Angels brought news to them of his Resurrection . And if holy men could not bear the appearance of Angels , much less could the unholy and wicked , whose guilt and defilement would make them a thousand-fold more fearfull . If an Angel should immediately descend from Heaven into this place , and taking my room should preach unto this Auditory before me ; would not fearfull thoughts arise in the hearts , and paleness get upon the checks of the best amongst you ? But what dread would there seize upon the spirits of such of you as are graceless and profane , who are yet in your sins , and have not made your peace with God ? How would you shrink and croud out faster than you crouded in , as not being able to endure ? When Moses had been forty dayes upon the Mount with God , and had seen only his back-parts , yet his face did shine with such lustre by reflexion of the beams of Gods Majesty upon him , that the children of Israel could not look upon his face without a Vail : And if Angels who continually behold the face of God in Heaven , should come down and appear and preach , men would not be able to hear and bear : Therefore God maketh use of Ministers to preach the Gospel , men of like passions and infirmities with our selves , for our infirmities sake : Men who will not affrighten us with their glory , whom we may look upon without dazling our eyes , whom we may speak unto , and converse with familiarly , without dread and terrour . As Elihu said of himself to Iob , chap. 33.6 , 7. So it may be said of Ministers , they are in Gods stead , and yet formed out of clay , and their terrour shall no● make us afraid . Reas. 2. For the honour of the Ministery . Jesus Christ himself the Son of God was a Minister when he was upon the Earth , and his employment was to preach the Gospel ; and the highest spiritual honour that can be conferred upon any , is to be Christs Embassadours , Representatives , and to succeed him in this office and work of the Ministery , which honour he hath conferred upon some men rather than Angels . I am not of their opinion , who think , that Gods people are exalted to a higher dignity than the Angels ; neither do I think the consequences to be right from Heb. 1 . 1● . on which this Notion is grounded : Are they not all ministring spirits ( speaking of Angels ) sent forth to minister for them which shall be heirs of salvation ? It doth not follow , because Angels do minister to the Saints , therefore they are inferiour to the Saints : for Jesus Christ himself did minister to them , though he be their Lord and King ; when he washed his Disciples feet , in which act he appeared so like a servant , yet then he calleth himself their Lord and Master , Ioh. 13.13 . Ministring to others doth not imply inferiority , unless it be such as doth withall imply dependency , but rather the contrary ; our Saviour telleth his Disciples , when he perceived them to be ambitious of greatness , that whoever would be the greatest amongst them should be their Minister , Math. 20.26 . Indeed our humane Nature in Christ is exalted above Angels ; but in other respects we are inferiour to Angels . The Angels are above us in regard of spirituality , they are all spirit , we are partly flesh , and but partly spirit : In regard of immortality , they never dye , we cannot escape death long : In regard of purity , they have not the least tincture of sin ; the most holy persons on earth are not without some remainders of defilement : In regard of neerness unto God , they dwell with God in Heaven , and behold his face continually ; we are on earth , and see but his back-parts , and what we see it is but darkly and thorow a glass : In regard of power , wisdom , and many excellencies which we may be ignorant of , for who doth perfectly understand the nature , and all the properties of Angels ? Yet although in these and the like respects the Angels are above the Saints on Earth , the Lord hath given this honour to Ministers rather than to Angels , to preach the Gospel of salvation by Jesus Christ. We read of three thousand converted by one Sermon of Peter , Act. 2. but where in the whole Scripture do we read of the conversion of any by Angels ? Reas. 3. And chiefly for Gods glory it is that Ministers are made use of to preach the Gospel rather than Angels , that the efficacy of the Gospel preached in the conversion and salvation of people might appear to be from God alone , and so the glory might be ascribed in whole unto himself , and nothing unto the Creature . If Angels were employed to preach and convert souls , people would hardly be withheld from Idolizing , and giving that Worship to them which is Gods due ; they would be ready to glory and boast in the Angels should they be wrought upon by their preaching , instead of glorying in God. If the Corinthians did so in their Teachers when they were men of great eminency for gifts , I am of Paul , I am of Apollos , I am of Cephas ; much more would Christians be apt to glory in Angels , if they were sent to be their Teachers : I am of Michael , happily one might say , it was he convinced and awakened my Conscience when fast asleep in sin and security , and O with what thundering words did he speak , enough to pierce the ear of such as are dead ! Another , I am of Gabriel , It was his Sermons which perswaded me to repent and believe , and O what arguments did he use , such as would have moved a Stone ! And thus instead of looking to , and admiring Gods free grace , people would be apt to look to and admire the Angels , and give them the praise which is due to God alone . Therefore God maketh use of Ministers to preach the Gospel , rather than Angels , that he might hedge in all the glory of Mans salvation to himself ; that if any sinners be converted and saved by such weak instruments , they may say , It is the Lords doing ; it is the Lords work and free grace , and it is marvellous in our eyes . God will not make use of the wisdom of men in preaching of the Gospel , lest the Faith by such preaching should stand in the wisdom of men , and not in the power of God , 1 Cor. 2.4 , 5. And this may be one reason why God doth not make use of the wisdom of Angels in preaching the Gospel , lest the Faith produced hereby should stand not in his own power , but in his Angels wisdom . God maketh use of the foolishness of preaching ( so accounted by the world because plain ) by foolish Ministers ( men of little esteem amongst such as are not able to discern reall worth ) to save them that believe , 1 Cor. 1.21 . God dealeth forth Treasures out of Earthen Vessels , that the excellency of the power might be of God , and not of men , 2 Cor. 4.7 . SECT . II. Vse 1. FOr Reproof , doth God make use of Ministers to preach the Gospel rather than Angels ? this then may reprove , 1. Such as take upon them to preach , and are no Ministers . 2. Such as take upon them to be Ministers , and are no Preachers ? 3. Such as blemish their Ministry by an ungodly Conversation . 4. Such as will hearken to the Devil rather than to Ministers , though God doth employ them to preach rather than Angels . 1. This reproveth such as take upon them to preach the Gospel , and are no Ministers . And here let none mistake me , as if I spake against the preaching of any that are true Ministers of Jesus Christ , whether they be set apart for the work and office in the Episcopal or Congregational , or Presbyterian way : But I speak against the preaching of them which are no Ministers , and have no call nor commission for this work . The Angel is sent here to Cornelius , but he doth not preach the Gospel to him ; yea he did not dare to do it , because he had no commission ; for if the Angel had received a commission to preach , he would not have dared to have forborn : None will d●ny that the Angel had gifts sufficient , if that had been commission ; but because he did not preach , it is a sign he had no commission ; and if the Angel did not dare to preach when he was not commissioned , how dare uncommissioned men to do it ? I speak not only of the preaching of such as are lamentably deficient in gifts ( except in their own conceit ) but also of the preaching of them which have good gifts ( which might well and regularly be made use of in a private way ) but they are of other callings in which they are commanded to abide , if they would abide with God , 1 Cor. 7.24 . How dare they to entrench so far upon the office of the Ministry , as to do that which is one of the chiefest parts of the work of the Ministry , namely , to preach the Gospel ? If any such should read these lines , and have an honest design in what they do , and suppose they do well herein ; let them seriously consider whether they be not under a temptation of the Devil , and think of these sad consequences which have been , and may be the fruit of such mens preaching . 1. The bringing of the Ministry of Christ into disesteem . Do not such persons themselves for the most part , do not their hearers slight true Ministers ? and will not this one day be accounted a slighting of Jesus Christ himself , whose Ambassadours and Representatives they are ? and will such be able to give a good account hereof , who have been the occasion ? 2. The weakening the hands of Christs faithfull Labourers , whom all should endeavour to encourage and strengthen in their arduous employment . I could tell you of a Lay-man , one Mr. Bernard in Wiltshire , who hath been eminently instrumental to bring much light into a corner which before was very dark , where some thousands do relish the Word and Ordinances , so that they will travail many miles to hear good Sermons , and it is judged that some hundreds in those parts have been really converted ; and this work hath been effected not by Mr. Bernards preaching himself ▪ though in gifts he do exceed many who intrude upon the Ministerial employment , but by calling able Ministers to preach , and standing by them , which hath ( through Gods blessing ) exceedingly promoted the work ; whereas , if he had entrenched upon the office of the Ministry , and taken upon him to preach himself , I am perswaded he would have had as ill success as others ; and we should not have had that cause of glorifying God for him , and for what hath been done by his means . 3. The encouraging of ungifted persons to preach , who in their own conceits have as good gifts as themselves , and may plead as good authority : as also the encouraging erroneous persons privily to broach false Doctrines unto the corrupting of the mindes of the hearers ; and by consequence the introduction of confusion , and tearing the Church of Christ , which in the issue may prove its de●●ruction . I know that Lay-preachers will plead the practice of the Apostle Paul , who wrought in his Trade of Tent-making , whilest he was a Preacher of the Gospel . I grant that Paul was a Tent-maker , but he was called and ordained to be a Minister ; and though he did practise his trade after this , yet I do not remember that he did it more than once , which was amongst the Corinthians , and that upon a special occasion , that he might preach the Gospel freely , and be like some false Teachers who boasted herein : but when did he do it again ? Did he not receive maintenance from other Churches without working for his living ? besides , he had extraordinary gifts by immediate inspiration , which none now may hope to obtain without the use of ordinary means . But whatever Pauls practice was , he doth never make mention of it for an example , which other Ministers should imitate him in ; for when he writeth to Timothy a Minister , he enjoyneth him from the Lord to spend his whole time about his Ministry , and not in any other calling ; he exhorteth him to give himself to reading , and meditation , and doctrine , to be in these things wholly , as the original word doth signifie . Moreover , the other Apostles , however they were at first Fisher-men by trade , yet when they were called to be Fishers of men , they leave their Nets , and after Christs ascension they would not so much as take upon them the work of Deacons to minister unto Widdows , why ? read the reason , Act. 6.4 . that they might give themselves continually to Prayer , and Ministry of the Word . Surely then it is the will of God that such as take upon them to preach , should give themselves to the Ministry of the Word , and not follow other callings . They have work enough to do in the Ministry , if they employ themselves therein conscienciously , for their whole time , had they more time than they have , they had not need to be diverted by worldly businesses ; they finde it hard enough to attend upon the Lord without much distraction , that have none of these secular employments : what an unsutable frame must they be under that follow another calling all the week , and come reeking from the world , and engage to speak to people in an extemporaneous discourse ? Is the Lord pleased with such Ministrations ? If the Lord doth not strike such persons dead , who do thus presume to entrench upon the Levites Office , as he did Vzzah , who might have pleaded a greater seeming need of his help when the Ark did shake , and was ready to fall , than they can do , 2 Sam. 6.6 , 7. Yet they are in danger of a greater spiritual Judgement than natural death , namely of being smitten with spiritual deadness ; some wither strangely within , when they make a glorious outward flourish . Yet God forbid that the door of employment in the Ministry should be shut against all those that at first have been bred up in other callings ; for if any L●y-men that be holy , and knowing , and have gifts and hearts for this employment , do leave their other calling , and dedicate themselves wholly to the work of the Ministry , and be tryed , and set apart according to the Rule , I should not be against their preaching ; but I am verily perswaded that such transgress the rule , that take upon them to preach whilest they follow other callings . Let such examine themselves wherefore it is that they continue in their other callings ; is it not from a carnal and worldly motive ? is it not because worldly emolument cometh in this way ? But would it not be more for their advantage , if by breaking off their trade they gained less Estate for themselves , and more souls for Jesus Christ ? Let them either leave their other calling , or leave their preaching ; if they have not a livelihood but by their trade , why may they not trust God for provisions as others have done ? Hath not the Lord appointed that people should maintain their Ministers , and communicate unto them in carnal things who receive spiritual things , things of more worth from Ministers ? But some will pretend an extraordinary commission and call from God to preach , and this they think will bear them out in their preaching though they be no Ministers ; b●t let such take heed they be not under a delusion of Sathan herein : To caution such therefore against such delusions , I shall give you a Relation which Mr. Vavasir Powel did s●nd in a Letter to a friend of his in the City , when himself was in Prison ; the words which I transcribed my self out of the Letter written with his own hand are these . Concerning that Delusion in Kent ( a Relation of which I had and still should have in the Countrey in writing , under the godly mans own hand and some other brethren ) though I do not remember all the circumstances , yet the substance of it was this . There was one Iohn Moody a godly man , under Bapt. ( I suppose first joyned to Mr. Kyff ▪ in London ) being in bed one night there appeared a great light in his Chamber , and a Voice spake to him thus : Iohn Moody , arise , and go preach my Gospel in the West , for my people perish for want of knowledge there . To which Iohn Moody answered , I am not fit to preach , I want gifts . The Voice answered again , I will give thee gifts , and fit thee ▪ Moody replyed , I am a poor man , and have no means to maintain me therein . The Voice said , Meet me at such a place ( and so nam'd both time and place ) and I will supply thee with silver and gold , and so departed . The next day Iohn Moody acquainted one or more of his Christian acquaintance ; and they fearing it was a delusion , advised him to be very carefull what he did , and disswaded him from going , counselling him if it came again , he should ask who he was , and particularly , whether he was Iesus of Nazareth ( for it was he that had power to send out Ministers . ) The Devil came again either the next night , or within few nights after , in the same manner , asking him , Why he did not go upon his message . Iohn Moody asked him who it was that sent him ; the Voice answered , I am God. But saith he , Art thou Iesus of Nazareth . The Voice said again , I am God. Then Iohn Moody resolutely answered , If thou be not that Iesus that suffered at Ierusalem , and that sits at the right hand of God in Heaven , I will not go . Thereupon the Devil departed , making a great noise , and taking part of the top of the house away with him . This was the substance , and the thing undoubtedly true . Thus far are the very words of Mr. Powels Letter . Now if this Man had not questioned this thing , but gone into the West to preach , he and others who heard the relation , might have judged that it was an extraordinary call and commission which this man had from Heaven , and that with seeming greater grounds than what others pretend for their extraordinary commissions ; whereas upon further search , you perceive it was the Devil was sending a good man out of his way ; if he being no Minister had then preached upon this sending , he had been a Messenger of the Devil , and not a Messenger of Jesus Christ. For my part , I cannot believe that any are called and commissioned by Christ to preach , unless they can show their call and commission in the Scripture ; Take heed then ( my Beloved ) especially you which are young , that if gifts encrease you be not puffed up with pride , and begin first to undervalue Christs Ministers , and think you can do their work better your selves , and so venture to transgress Scripture-rules by preaching without commission and Scripture-warrant ; very dangerous may the consequences of such preaching be , as I could give some instances . God hath appointed one Office for this work of Preaching , and that is the Office of the Ministry ; and though he have Angels about him full of wisdom and knowledge in the mysteries of salvation , yet he doth not employ them in the work , but qualifieth and calleth some men unto it ; and if Angels which are not Ministers of the Gospel must not preach , much less may men do it who are not Ministers . 2. This reproveth such as take upon them to be Ministers , and are no Preachers . God maketh use of Ministers to preach the Gospel rather than Angels , therefore they ought to preach , or they are unworthy to be Ministers . Such as call themselves Ministers , but are ignorant and unskilfull in the work of preaching , which Ministers are called unto ; such as take upon them to be teachers of others , and have need to be taught themselves which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God , and are children , yea babes in understanding , being unacquainted with the Word of righteousness and mysteries of salvation : Such who know not how to divide the Word of God aright , and give every one his portion ; whose Sermons are like wood , and hey , and stubble , without any silver , or gold , or precious stones of spiritual , heavenly and soul-saving doctrine ; who give men chaff instead of corn , and stones instead of bread ; who fill their Sermons with frothy wit , or husky quotations of Authors , or knotty School-notions , and distinctions , or secret , bitter invectives , and scorpion-slings and lashes at the power of godliness , instead of convincing , soul-edifying truths , which may administer grace unto the hearers ; they will have a fearfull account to give unto the great Shepheard , when he shall appear to make inquiry concerning the flock committed to their charge , and shall charge upon them the guilt of the blood of so many souls as have perished through their neglect . Are there not many such Ministers at this day in England that can neither pray without a book , nor preach without a book ; I do not speak of those Ministers who road their own Notes which they have studied in their Closets , but of them which read others Notes , as if they were their own unto the people . It is not long since I spake with a Bookseller , who hath sold many Manuscript Sermons unto such , who signified plainly enough unto him the use they intended to put them unto . Yea some have been so audacious as to preach out of the Printed Books of others , as is well known both in the City and other places ; yet , however such as cannot make their own Sermons are not fit to be Ministers of the Gospel , they may by reading good wholsom Sermons of others be more beneficial to the people , than those who without acquaintance with the Word , preach their own , but it is such raw , crude , indigest●d , unprofitable matter , as raiseth blushes in the cheeks of the judicious , and rendereth them ridiculous unto the most that hear them . Surely , no Angel from Heaven would have directed a Cornel●us to send for such Ministers to preach the Gospel unto him . 3. This reproveth such who blemish their Ministry by an Vngodly Conversation ; when God honoureth Ministers so as to imploy them to preach the Gospel , rather than Angels , God doth expect that they should be Angelical in their Doctrine , and Angelical in their Lives ; some there are that be so in their Doctrine , but their Lives are so loose and intemperate , that they both cast a blot upon their Function , and invalidate their Doctrine , yea are hereby instruments of hardening the wicked more effectually than if they could not preach at all . I have heard of a woman who sate under the Ministry of one who preached very powerfully , but lived very wickedly , whereupon she was tempted to Atheisme ; of which she gave this reason to him upon demand of the cause , that it was from himself , That when she heard him preach so like an Angel , and saw him live so like a Devil , she was thence prone to believe that there was no God. We read of the wickedness of Eli's Sons , who were Priests , which made the offering of the Lord to be abhorred , 1 Sam. 2.17 . And so the drunkenness , uncleanness , covetousness , oppression , and profaneness of many in our dayes , who call themselves Ministers , maketh the administration of Gods Ordinances by such persons to be abhorred by many serious and sober-minded Christians . None are more honourable than such Ministers as tread in their Masters steps , as are holy and exemplary in their conversition : But wicked Ministers of all others are the vilest and most contemptible ; they are spots and blemishes in the body of the Church ; they are the scum , the filth , and off-scouring of the pot ; the foam and froath of the water ; they are Trees without Fruit , Salt without savour , Candles without light ; they are a deep pit , full of mire and dirt ; they are Clouds without rain , for whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever . 4. This reproveth such as will hearken to the Devil rather than to Ministers , though God employeth them to preach the Gospel rather than Angels . 1. And first this reproveth them that hearken to the Devil when he perswadeth them to sin , and will not hearken unto Ministers who perswade them to accept of Jesus Christ : Such as readily open the door when Sathan knocks , though he be their enemy , and intend their ruine ; but shut the door , and deafen the ear against the calls of Ministers in the Name of Christ , though they be their friends , and seek their salvation : Such are perswaded by the Devil to wound themselves by sin , to drink sweet po●son which will introduce eternal death , and suffer themselves to be drawn in the Chains of Sathan , in the broad way to Hell , but will not hearken to Ministers , who are spiritual Physicians , and would endeavour the cure of their deadly wounds , who are spiritual Guides , and would lead them in the way to Heaven . None in the world are such fools as those persons who are Satans slaves , and led captive by him in the cords of their own lusts : They are blinded and deluded , the Devil putteth the greatest cheat upon them , and beguileth them ( worse than children are beguiled ) of such things , that when their eyes are opened at the last , and they perceive what they have lost by their sins , which the Devil hath drawn them unto , and that their loss is irreparable ; and when they are awakened to feel the pain and torment which the Devil by sin hath brought them unto , and they see that now it is unavoidable , and though so intollerable , yet will be eternall ; they will then be ready to tear themselves to pieces for their folly and madness , that they should hearken to the Devil , and not hearken to Christs Ministers : that when the Devil proffered only Counters , but Ministers Gold , that which is more precious than fine Gold ; when the Devil proffered Pebbles , Ministers the Jewel of the greatest price ; when the Devil proffered Pictures , such as all worldly vanities are , but Ministers proffered Deeds of Conveyance to a great Inheritance , even a conveyance of the eternal Inheritance by the deed of the King of Heaven . O the folly and sottishness of sinners ! that they should choose the former , and refuse the latter ; that they should sow the windes all their dayes , grasp a shaddow , pursue a F●ather , follow lying vanities , through Satans perswasions , and hereby not only neglect and miss of mercy which Ministers brought to their doors ; but also run headlong into the flames of everlasting burnings , when Ministers warned them so frequently hereof , and entreated them so earnestly to close with Christ , who alone could deliver them ; they will then perceive too late and rue to no purpose their desperate madness in complying with Satans temptations , and neglecting the calls and counsels of Christs faithfull Ambassadours . 2. It reproveth such as hearken to the Devil when he perswadeth them unto damnable errours , and will not hearken to Christs Ministers , who would teach and establish them in the soul-saving truths of the Word . Satan doth appear many times like an Angel of light , 2 Cor. 11.14 . not as the Angel did to Cornelius , to direct men unto Christs Ministers , but to draw them away , endeavouring the subversion of the Ministry and Ordinances of Christs Institution . Satan hath his Ministers , who appear like Ministers of righteousness , when indeed they are Wolves in Sheeps cloathing , who by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple , Rom. 16.18 . who are deceived themselves , and labour to deceive others : First endeavouring to prejudice them against Christs Ministers , and then privily bringing in damnable heresies , wresting the Scripture to their own and others destruction . Where people do turn away their ears from the truth , and open them to their errours and delusions , when they forsake and cannot endure the sound teaching of Christs Ambassadours , but with itching ears are delighted with the pretended new discoveries of false Teachers , and greedily drink in the poyson of their false doctrines , and follow the p●rnicious waies of such as are given up to the efficacy of errour to believe lyes ; they chuse the Devil for their Teacher , instead of Jesus Christ by his Ministers , and then you may easily guess whither he is like to lead them . SECT . III. Vse 2. FOR Exhortation 1. Of Ministers . 2. Of People . 1. For exhortation of Ministers : Doth God make use of Ministers to preach the Gospel , rather than Angels ? It is a great honour the Lord hath put upon us , and there is great duty which the Lord doth expect from us . Let this consideration 1. Q●icken us to diligence and faithfulness in Preaching . 2. Engage us to a blameless and exemplary conversation . 1. Let us be diligent and faithful in preaching the Gospel . Let us be instant in season and out of season to reprove , rebuke , exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine , 2 Tim. 4.2 . In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves , if peradventure the Lord will give them repentance , 2 Tim. 2.25 . Let us fulfill the Ministry the Lord hath entrusted us with , Col. 4.17 . serving the Lord , and the souls committed to our charge , with all humility of mind , and faithfulness ; keeping back nothing which is profitable for them , that we may keep our selves pure from the blood of all men . Let us testifie repentance towards God , and faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ , and open the treasures of the Gospel , and mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven , with all plainness and perspicuity , dealing forth wholesome food unto hungry souls , as faithful Stewards of the manifold grace of God. Let us not use deceit , or guile , or flattering words , or a cloak for covetousness or uncleanness , or boasting words , but as we are allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel ; so let us speak and preach , not as pleasing men , but as pleasing God , who searcheth the heart ; being so affectionately desirous of the salvation of souls , as to be willing to impart unto them our souls with the Gospel if we could , and it would do them good . And let us not count estate , or liberty , or life it self dear to us , that we finish our course with joy , and the Ministry we have received from the Lord , Act. 20. 1 Thes. 2. 1 Pet. 4. 2. Let the honour the Lord hath conferred upon us , engage us unto a blameless and exemplary conversation . Let our conversations shine with holiness , as well as our Sermons shine with truths : Let us teach by our life , as well as by our doctrine : Let us be examples to the Believers in word , in conversation , in charity , in spirit , in faith , in purity , 1 Tim. 4.12 . Let the way to Heaven be read in our steps : Let us be blameless , and harmless , the Sons of God , and Ministers of Christ without rebuke in the midst of a crooked generation , amongst whom let us shine as lights , as we hope hereafter to shine like stars : We are employed to preach rather than Angels ; let us live as if we were Angels on earth , and as those who hope to live with Angels in Heaven . 2. For Exhortation of People . Doth God make use of Ministers to preach the Gospel , rather than Angels ? Be exhorted then 1. To love and esteem Your Ministers . 2. To Hear Your Ministers . 3. To Believe Your Ministers . 4. To Obey . Your Ministers . 1. Esteem and love your Ministers , 1 Thes. 5.12 , 13. We beseech you Brethren , that you know them which labour am●●gst you , and are over you in the Lord , that you esteem them very highly in love for the works sake . How beautiful should the feet of them be that bring glad tidings of good things ? How welcome should their voice be that preach the Gospel of peace ? Rom. 10.15 . We read of some who had so great love to the Apostle , that they could have plucked out their eyes , and given to him , yet his affection was greater , for he could have plucked out his heart and given to them . How should people love their Ministers , who are their spiritual Fathers , and Nurses , and Physitians ? Love them , they are your soul-friends , and therefore your best friends : Esteem them , they are Christs Embassadours and Representatives . The Galatians received the Apostle Paul , notwithstanding his infirmities , as an Angel of God , even as Christ Jesus , Gal. 4.13 , 14. Give them reverence as those which stand in the room of Christ , and are in this honoured above Angels to be employed by the Lord to preach the Gospel . Give them countenance ; do not forsake them when they fall into trouble for the Gospels sake : give them maintenance ▪ they impart their spirituals unto you , and you ought to impart your carnal things ( far beneath in worth ) unto them , and this by the Lords ordination , 1 Cor. 9.11 , 12 , 13 , 14. Give them audience , which is the second thing . 2. Hear Ministers . Wo be to them if they do not preach the Gospel , when they are commissioned to the work , rather than Angels ; and wo be to you , if you do not hear the Gospel which they preach : He that heareth them , heareth Christ , Luk. 10.16 . And they that turn away their ears from hearing them , it will be more tollerable for the Land of Sodom in the day of Judgement , than for such persons , vers . 11. 3. Believe Ministers , what they preach out of the Word of God ▪ it is not their own , but is of Divine Authority , and therefore is true infallibly . Believe in Christ whom they tender to you by the preaching of the Gospel ; they call you to repentance , hearken unto them ; they hold forth Christ , believe in him , close with him by faith . If you do not repent and believe by their preaching , you will not by any other means , no , though God should send some out of the other world to preach unto you . If a Dives should come from Hell to his wicked brethren , and tell them what torments he felt , and must endure there for ever for such sins as they lived in the practice of , and that they were like to come to the same place if they did not repent , this might affrighten them , but it would not convert them : If they believe not Moses and the Prophets , neither would they be perswaded though one should rise from the dead and preach unto them , Luke 16.31 . Suppose that God should send unto you which are wicked from Hell , and let loose one of your wicked companions out of the dark prison , where he hath been filled with unexpressible anguish under the sense of Gods immediate wrath , which hath immediately been laid upon him ; and he should appear to any of you who are going on in a course of such sins as once he joyned with you in , and should come , and should appear to you in the dark , silent night , and awaken you out of your sleep with a hideous noise , and there roar out before you under the sense of the pain which he doth endure , crying out of his drunkenness , his uncleanness , his swearing , and Sabbath-breaking , and should tell you that for such sins he is tormented most horribly , and must be tormented eternally ; and that your sins unrepented of will certainly be punished with the like plagues . This might startle you , and scare you ( it may be ) out of your wits , but it would not convert you from your sins . If you be not perswaded to repent by the preaching of Ministers , who as certainly foretell you of the same eternal Judgements out of the Word of God , which are prepared in Hell for the impenitent , and with whose preaching God hath promised his blessing , which alone can make any means effectual for working repentance ; surely the other means without his blessing , which he hath no where promised , would be ineffectual . Or suppose that an Angel should come down from Heaven , and tell you what he hath there seen and enjoyed , and how happy all true Believers departed are in the vision and fruition of God , and should set forth the joyes of Heaven with such words as no man can utter ; and withall should invite sinners unto Christ , that they might through him have a title unto , and at length share in this glory and happiness ; yet if they do not believe , and will not be perswaded to come to Christ by the preaching of Ministers , which is accompanied with the holy Ghost sent down from Heaven , 1 Pet. 1.12 which is more than if an Angel should be sent down from Heaven ; they would not be perswaded by the preaching of an Angel. 4. Obey Ministers , Heb. 13.17 . Obey them which have the rule over you , for they watch for your souls , 〈◊〉 they that must give an account . And you also must give an account ; what they command you out of the Word of God , obey , as if God spake to you with an audible voice from Heaven ; and what they forbid out of the Word of God , forbear , as you wi●●● answer it at the great day . SECT . IV. Doct. 2. THat Ministers are to tell people such word● whereby they may be saved . In handling of which point I shall first shew what salvation is here meant , and what it is for a people to be saved . 2. What words Ministers are to tell people whereby they may be saved . 3. How they are to tell the people such words . 4. Why Ministers must tell people words whereby they may be saved , where I shall give the Reasons of the point . 5. And lastly , Make some application . 1. The first thing is to shew , what salvation is here meant , and what it is for a people to be saved . Negatively , we are not here to understand any temporal salvation ; not a salvation from numerous , potent and furious earthly enemies , which come forth against Gods Israel to destroy them ; not a preservation from a Senacharibs host , or an Ethiopian Myriad , ●r the confederate bands of Moab and Ammon , and ●lount Seir , who joyn together to cut off the name of Gods people from the face of the earth ; not a ●escuing from Egyptian bondage , or Babylonian capti●ity , or Turkish Vassallage ; not an opening of prison doors , a pulling out of deep dungeons , and ●nocking off strong Iron chains and shackles ; not a sheltring of houses from fire , when in danger of being ●onsumed , or of persons from the evil arrows of Pe●tilence , when they fly thick about the ears ; not a ●eliverance from sore pain of body , or violent sickness , or any outward calamity which might render the life grievous , and keeping off for a while the ●ruel stroke of temporal death , which none can long ●scape . But positively , by salvation here we are to understand spiritual and eternal salvation ; and a people may be said to be saved in the sense of the Text , 1. When they are saved from the wrath and displeasure of an angry sin-revenging God , who is the most potent and furious enemy against whom there is no lifting up the hand to defend , when he lifts up the hand to destroy . The whole world of mankind is guilty of sin before God ; our first Parents sinned , and ●n them all their posterity , who are conceived and born in sin , and unto all of whom sin is natural , un●ill the nature be renewed . And , as when the Angels ●inned , they were cast out of Heaven , and became Devils ; so when our first Parents sinned , they were cast out of Paradice , and since all sinners are out of favour ; yea , they lye under Gods anger and displeasure , until they be reconciled : All the children of men are by nature the children of wrath , Eph. 2.3 . And God is angry with the wicked every day ▪ Psal. 7.11 . They have a natural enmity in their hearts against God and his Law , Rom. 8.7 . and God is an enemy unto them ▪ yea , hath a hatred in his heart against all the workers of iniquity , Psal. 5.6 . God is an enemy unto the wicked , because of their sins ; and this is worse ten thousand degrees , than 〈◊〉 they had all the creatures in the world their enemies ▪ because of the power of his anger , which none ca● resist , when once he suffers it to break forth . We read of the stout-hearted , and men of might , th● chariot and horse cast into a dead sleep at one o● Gods rebukes , and who can stand in his sight wher● once he is angry , Psal. 76.5 , 6 , 7. And God is coming forth with armed vengeance against his enemies ▪ he hath prepared instruments of death ; he hath whe● his sword , and girt it upon his thigh ; yea , drawn it forth , and lifted up his arm to strike ; he hath bent his bow , and made ready his arrows upon the string , and sinners can neither fly from him , nor defend themselves against him . Then a people are saved indeed , when they are saved from Gods displeasure , when his anger , and the guilt of their sin , which is the cause , is removed ; when their peace is made with God , through the mediation of Jesus Christ , when God forgiveth all their sins , and accepteth of them as perfectly righteous in his sight , through the imputation of his Sons righteousness unto them , and so puts up , and layeth aside his sword , unbends his bow , and casts it behind his back , and receiveth them into favour , as if they had never offended him . 2. When they are saved from the slavery of the Devil , and their own lusts . All the wicked are spiritual slaves and vassals , they are in worse than Egyptian bondage , their thraldom and captivity is greater , than that of the Iews once to the Babylonians : The Devil hath his fetters upon their hands and feet , and leadeth them captive by the chains of their own lusts at his will , 2 Tim. 2.26 . They are shut up as it were in prison , and lye in a deep dark dungeon , where no light doth shine ; they are fallen into a horrible pit , and their feet stick in the miery clay ; they are sunk into deep waters , and the stream is gone over their soul ; they are fallen into a deadly sickness , and a loathsome disease hath seized upon their spirits ; they are full of boils , and blains , and putrifying sores , all this and a thousand times worse is their condition , through the power and reign of sin in them ; then a people are saved in a spiritual sense , when they are redeemed from sin and Satan , when the Lord Jesus Christ doth rescue them out of the Devils chains , when he leadeth captivity captive , spoileth principalities and powers , and snatcheth them like a prey out of the teeth of the roaring Lion , when he delivereth them from the power of darkness , and translateth them into the houshold and family of God , when he brings them out of the house of bondage , and leads them out of Egypt through the Red Sea of his own blood , in which he drowneth and destroyeth their Egyptian lusts which do pursue them , when he openeth the prison doors , and pulls them out of the deep dungeon , and knocks off the chains from their feet , when he breaks the bonds of the Devil , and sin , and brings them forth into freedom and enlargement ; when he takes them out of the pit , and draws them out of the water ; when he healeth their sickness , cleanseth and cureth their putrifying sores ; I mean , when he delivereth them from the power of sin which entangled , overwhelmed and defiled them , and was more dangerous than any sickness of body could be unto them : then they are saved , when Satan is taken off , and sin hath no more dominion over them , and the Throne of Christ is erected in their hearts , and his graces implanted there , which do beautifie them instead of lust , which did besmear and deform them ; when being made free from sin and Satan , they are become the Servants of God , and yield up their members as instruments of righteousness , Rom. 6.13 , 22. when they are enabled to overcome the Devil and his temptations , and to crucifie the flesh with its lusts and affections ; when the old Serpent is wounded in the head , and cast out , and the old man is wounded in the heart , and its reigning power taken down , and they are made victorious through Christ the Captain of their salvation who loveth them . 3. When they are saved from the Law ; not only from the yoak and bondage of the Ceremonial Law , which the Iewish Church of old was under , which required many burdensome , expensive , and more carnal services , but also from the rigour , irritation , curse and malediction of the Moral Law. The Law is like the Egyptian Task-masters , who required Brick of the Israelites , but gave no Straw ; it requireth duty , perfect obedience , but giveth no strength ; it discovereth sin , but giveth no power to overcome it ; and it enjoyneth service , but it giveth no ability to perform it ; therefore the Law is said to be weak through sinful flesh , Rom. 8.3 . Yea the Law when it breaketh in with a full spiritual light and conviction of sin upon the spirit , forbidding heart concupiscence , and the least motion or inclination of the soul to sin , and pressing to spiritual and heart-purity and obedience ; it is so far from beating down and killing the power of sin , and from strengthening the soul , and enabling it unto obedience , that it doth revive the power of sin , which seemed to be dead before in the soul , and occasionally doth irritate and provoke to all manner of concupiscence ; the discovering it awakens the enmity of the heart against it self , which lay before dormant . As the Apostle doth complain , Rom. 7.5 . For when we were in the flesh , the motions of sin which were by the Law , did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death . And v. 7 , 8. Sin taking occasion by the Law wrought in me all manner of concupiscence ; for without the Law sin was dead , but when the Commandment came , sin revived , and I dyed . Moreover , the Law doth curse all the children of men that are within its power and reach , because of their sins , which none are wholly free from , Gal. 3.10 . For as many as are of the works of the Law , are under the curse : for it is written , Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them . People are saved from the Law when they are delivered from the rigorous yoak of the Moral Law , which is called the Law of sin and death , as it occasioneth sin , and threatneth death for it ; or discovereth our death and utter insufficiency of our selves to obey its injunctions ; and have instead thereof , their necks put under the sweet and easie yoak of the Law of Christ , which is called the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus , because life and strength is given by the Spirit of Christ , to yield obedience thereunto : As Rom. 8.2 . For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death . And vers . 3 , 4. For what the Law could not do , in that it was weak through the flesh , God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh , and for sin condemned sin in the flesh ; that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh , but after the spirit . The Law could not give strength against sin , because of the strength of the flesh ; the Law discovered sin , but it could not subdue sin ; but God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh , in which flesh he suffered and offered a sacrifice for sin , by which sin , or sin-offering ( as the word sin doth elsewhere signifie ; as Hos. 4.8 . They eat the sins of my people , that is , the sin-offerings of my people ) he condemned sin in the flesh ; sin was hereby judged and condemned to lose its power in his people ; it was condemned to death , which death or sin-offering of Christ hath vertue and influence upon sin to kill it , to crucifie it , like as Christ was crucified for it ; and so Gods people are said to be delivered from the Law , from the irritating and provoking power of it unto sin , that being dead wherein they were held , and whereby the Law did stir up such motions , that they might serve in newness of spirit , Rom. 7.6 . that they might yield the fruits of new obedience , that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in them , sin having lost its strength , they have strength from the Spirit of Christ to yield such obedience to the Law , as through Christ shall be accepted : And with this deliverance of people from the rigour and irritation of the Law is conjoyned their deliverance also from the curse and malediction , by Jesus Christ , who was made a curse for them ; instead whereof the blessing of Abraham the father of the faithfull , is given unto them , as it is expresly said , Gal. 3.13 , 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law , being made a curse for us , as it is written , Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree , that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Faith. 4. When they are saved from the eternal damnation of Hell ; all unbelieving sinners are under the sentence of damnation , Ioh. 3.18 . He that believeth not is condemned already ; they are condemned by the great Judge unto an utter exclusion from the glorious presence of the Lord in that place of joy and happiness which is above , and to endure most horrid , extream and endless anguish and torment in soul and body , in the place of utter darkness which is beneath , where their worm shall never dye , and where the fire shall never be quenched : This sentence is dreadfull , and all unbelievers are lyable every moment to the execution thereof upon their souls . So soon as God shall give commission to the Serjeant Death to arrest them , and clap up their bodies into the Prison of the grave , then their souls being found guilty will be delivered into the hand of the Devil the Jailor of Hell , whither he will drag them , and where they must remain full of anguish , through sense of Gods immediate wrath wherewith they will be filled , and bound up in chains of darkness and wo untill the Judgement of the great day ; on which great day the Lord Jesus Christ will be sent by God to judge the whole world together , and they shall be brought forth in chains to his barre , and having reassumed their bodies shall be judged by him soul and body unto the flames of everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels ; and O the dread and horrour which will then possess them : O the howlings and bitter lamentations which then they will make , when the God of Heaven shall execute the fierceness of his anger upon them for their sins , in the extream and remediless torments of Hell which shall never have an end . The sentence of eternal damnation which all unbelievers , whilest such , are under here is dreadfull , yet whilest here it is reversible , whilest the reprieve of execution lasteth , a repeal of the sentence may be obtained , by an appeal from the Court of the Law , to the Court of Chancery , from the Barr of Gods Justice to the Throne of Grace , by application of themselves unto Christ to be their Advocate , and of his Righteousness to themselves by Faith , whereby Justice hath been satisfied , and they may be acquitted . People are saved from eternal damnation , when through an interest in Christ they obtain pardoning mercy , and so are freed from all obligation to punishment by their sins ; hence it is said that there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus , Rom. 8.1 . and they that believe , are not condemned , Joh. 3.18 . and that because Jesus is their Saviour , and hath delivered them from the wrath which is to come , 1 Thess. 1.10 . Believers have a title to eternal salvation here through their title to Christ ; it is sure , and they may be assured of it ; but hereafter they shall actually obtain it at the day of Judgement and perdition of the ungodly , when the wicked shall be condemned , and thrust into the place of torments , they shall be acquitted , saved , and received into Heavenly Mansions , prepared by their Redeemer for them in his Fathers house , where there is fulness of joy , and pleasures for evermore , and so they shall march along with him unto the Zion which is above with shouting and the voice of triumph , with Songs in their mouths , and unspeakable delight in their hearts ; they shall then obtain everlasting joy and gladness , and sorrow and sighing shall flee away , and no place be found for it to dwell , where they shall take up their eternal abode . This is the Salvation which is here meant , and which God hath promised to shew unto them who believe , and order their conversation aright : And thus you see what it is for a people to be saved . SECT . V. 2. THE second thing is , To shew what those Words are which Ministers are to tell people whereby they may be saved . And here I shall for the present speak only of those words which the Apostle Peter told Cornelius , whereby he and his house were saved ; there was great power and vertue which went along with them , for it is said , whilest he was speaking of them , the Holy Ghost fell upon the Gentiles unto whom he preached , as upon the Apostles themselves at the beginning , chap. 10.44 . and therefore they are worthy your serious regard ; possibly you that are unconverted in the hearing or reading these words , may have the Holy Ghost fall upon you , and feel such a wonderfull power going along with them , as shall draw you unto Christ , and bring you out of the estate of spiritual death and damnation in which you are by nature , into a state of life and salvation ; whilest I am speaking to your ears , God may speak to your hearts , whilest I am presenting these words before you , and holding forth the light unto you , God may open your eyes , and give you by his Spirit such a spiritual discerning of these things as you never had before , and so affect your hearts , as no word of man is able to do : hear then a Sermon of God out of the mouth of the Apostle Peter , which hath been effectual for conversion , and who knoweth but it may produce the same effect in some of you in the repetition and explication of it , as it did in the Gentiles in the first preaching of it ? It is said , the Holy Ghost fell upon all them which heard these words when Peter preached them ; O that the Holy Ghost might fall upon some of you whilest I am preaching them ! The Gentiles had extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost given unto them in their hearing Peter , O that you might have a true work of conversion by the Holy Ghost given in the hearing of me ! They are the Words of God , receive them as his words , which may effectually work to your salvation , if the Lord give faith in the hearing . Look up then to the Lord for his blessing , on which the efficacy of the Word doth depend . The words are in Act. 10. from the 34th to the 44th Vers. I shall first read them , and then open these words of salvation to you . After that Cornelius had sent for Peter to Ioppa , he sent for many of his friends to his house , and when they were come together , and Peter was come , and had a relation from Cornelius of his ●ision , and they had told him , that they were all there present before God , to hear the things which were commanded him of God. Vers. 34. he begins his Sermon . Then Peter opened his mouth , and said , Of a truth I perceive , that God is no respecter of persons ▪ but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him . The Word which God sent unto the Children of Israel , preaching peace by Iesus Christ ( he is Lord of all ) That Word ( I say ) ye know , which was published throughout all Judea , and began from Galilee , after the Baptisme which John preached : How God anoynted Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost , and with power , who went about doing good , and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil , for God was with him . And we are witnesses of all things which he did , both in the land of Judea , and in Jerusalem , whom they slew and hanged on a tree : him God raised up the third day , and shewed him openly ; not to all the people , but to witnesses chosen before of God , even to us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead . And he commanded us to preach unto the people , and to testifie , that it was he which was ordained of God to be the Iudge of quick and dead . To him gave all the Prophets witness , that through his Name , whosoever believeth on him shall receive remission of sins . This Sermon of Peter's , which is the first Sermon which was preached unto the Gentiles after the partition-wall was broken down , is but brief , but it hath much sweet and soul-saving doctrine in it , and it is likely that the Scripture doth b●t briefly rehearse the heads of that which the Apostle discoursed of more largely unto them ; and therefore I shall endeavour to open this Sermon unto you , which is like a rich Cabinet of most precious treasure , wherein is to be found the Pearle of the greatest price , which the wise Merchant-man will sell all that he hath to obtain , because it is not only desireable to enrich him , but also necessary to save him ; I mean the Lord Jesus Christ whom the Apostle doth describe and hold forth unto the Gentiles . We read , Luk. 24.31 . that the Disciples hearts burned within them , whilest our Saviour spake to them by the way , and opened to them the Scriptures , and O that you might feel your hearts burn within you , whilest I am opening unto you this Scripture , which doth relate Peters Sermon . The Sermon of Peter may be reduced to Four general heads . 1. Concerning God. 2. Concerning the Word . 3. Concerning Iesus Christ. 4. Concerning the way of salvation by Christ. SECT . VI. 1. THE Apostle speaks unto the Gentiles concerning God , v. 34. and 35. Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons , but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him . Two things he gives them to understand concerning God. 1. His gracious disposition to accept of Men. 2. His good will towards the Gentiles . 1. He lets them know how gracious God was in being willing to accept of men , of any men , without respect of persons , whatever their sins had been , so that they did turn from them , in his fear , and wrought righteousness for the future . This is needfull for sinners to know , that they might be encouraged to seek after salvation : For if they apprehend God only as he is holy , and just , and jealous , if they are told only that he is powerful and furious , and a sin-revenging God ; when they reflect upon their guilt , they will be ready to fly away from him , under a slavish fear of punishment , and in discouragement and despair go on in the practice of sin as long as they can : Therefore Ministers must represent God unto sinners as gracious and merciful , slow to anger , and of great kindness , pardoning iniquity , transgression and sin , as he sets forth himself to Moses , Exod. 34.6 , 7. they must tell sinners , that God is gracious , and ready to accept of all those that fear him , and turn from their evil waies , and resolve to work righteousness for the time to come , and that he will be found of , and give a reward unto all such as diligently seek him , Heb. 11.6 . He that cometh to God , must believe that he is , and that he is a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him . O that you who are going on in sin , were perswaded of this , how gracious and merciful the Lord is , whom you do so highly offend by sin , and how ready he is to accept of you , if you would but turn from sin : He hath given us Ministers commission to tell you , that there is an accepted time , and a day of salvation for your souls , which he yet lengthens out unto you : Yea , we are sent as his Embassadours to entreat and beseech you that you would be reconciled unto God , 2 Cor. 5.20 . And when God declares by us that he is so willing to accept of you , that he desires you to accept of his salvation , and beseecheth a reconciliation , when he can so easily avenge himself upon you , and glorifie his justice and wrath in your destruction , and standeth in no need of you , only for your own sake entreats you to be reconciled , that you might not be destroyed , that you might not even force him to punish you , which he will do with a witness , and with a vengeance , if you refuse : Methinks this amazing condescention and kindness of God should astonish you , and stop you in the way of sin , and make you tremble , and let fall your weapons out of your hand , with which you have been fighting against him , and cast your selves with shame and self-loathing at his feet , grieving at the very heart , that ever you offended a God of such infinite loving kindness . 2. Peter tells them further of Gods good will towar●s the Gentiles , that in every Nation whoever feared him should be accepted with him . They were Gentiles whom he preached unto , and they might have feared that salvation was only to be found amongst the Jews ; and that however God were gracious and ready to receive men unto favour that feared him , yet that God having made choice of but one Nation in the world to be his peculiar people , and they being none of that Nation , that no grace or mercy was attainable by them , who were Heathens , who are called the people of his wrath . Therefore Peter gives them to understand , that however God had set narrow bounds to his Church formerly , and confined his mercy to one Nation , yet that now the hedge and middle wall of partition was broken down , and any Nation might find acceptance . This was the first appearance and breaking forth of Gods mercy towards the Gentiles , in that he declares himself now to be no longer a respecter of Nations , but that other Nations should taste of his favour as well as the Iews . This was intended from the beginning by God , and foretold long before by the Prophets . See Isa. 49.18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 23. Lift up thine eyes ( speaking to the Church ) round about ; behold all these gather themselves together , and come to thee : as I live , saith the Lord , thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all as with an ornament , and binde them on thee , as a Bride doth ; the Land shall be too narrow ; the children which thou shalt have after thou hast lost the other , shall say in thine ears , the place is too strait for me , give place to me that I may dwell . Then shalt thou say in thine heart , Who hath begotten me these , seeing I have lost my children , and am desolate ? and who hath brought up th●se ? Thus saith the Lord , Behold I will lift up mine hand unto the Gentiles , and set up my standard to the people , and they shall bring thy Sons in their arms , and thy Daughters shall be carryed upon their shoulders , &c. And chap. 54.1 , 2 , 3. Sing O barren that didst not bear , break forth into singing and cry aloud , Thou that didst not travel with child , for more are the children of the desolate , than of the married wife , saith the Lord. Enlarge the place of thy Tent , and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations : Spare not , lengthen thy cords , and strengthen thy stakes ; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand , and on the left , and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles , and make the desolate Cities to be inhabited , &c. And the Apostle Paul writing to the Gentile Romans , which were converted to the Christian Faith , makes mention of divers Prophecies together , of Gods good will which he intended to shew unto the Gentiles , through his Lord Jesus Christ ; as you may read , Rom. 15.9 , 10 , 11 , 12. And that the Gentiles may glorifie God for his mercy , 〈◊〉 it is written , for this cause will I confess unto thee amongst the Gentiles , and sing unto thy Name . And again he saith , Rejoyce ye Gentiles with his people . And again , Praise the Lord all ye Gentiles , and laud him all ye people . And again Isaiah saith , There shall be a root of Iesse , and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles , and in him shall the Gentiles trust . And this he writes for their encouragement and comfort , that they might be filled with all joy and peace in believing , vers . 13. Now the time was come for the fulfilling of these Prophecies , when Christ was come , who had reconciled unto God both Jew and Gentile in one body by the Cross , breaking down the middle wall of partition between them , and destroying that which was an occasion of enmity , even the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances , for to make in himself of twain one new man so making peace , Ephes. 3.14 , 15 , 16. Therefore he gave Commandment to his Disciples , after his resurrection , to preach the Gospel unto all Nations , and here sends Peter to Cornelius , and them that were with him . This is ground of singular comfort and encouragement unto us who are Gentiles , that the Lord hath good will for us , and hath sent his Gospel to be preached amongst us by his Ministers , which may give further hopes of your attaining salvation , when God hath given you the means , and sends his Ministers to preach to you such words whereby you may be saved . SECT . VII . ● . PEter speaks to them concerning the Word which God sent unto the children of Israel ; and he tells of a twofold Word sent to them by God. 1. The Word of Repentance , which he calls the ●aptism which Iohn preached unto them . 2. The Word of Peace which was preached unto them by Iesus Christ. 1. He tells them that God sent a Word by Iohn to the children of Israel , and that was a word and Baptism of Repentance which he preached . Iohn was Christs ●orerunner , who went before his face to prepare his way , and to make the people ready for the entertainment of Christ : He came to level the mountains of pride , and to straighten crooked dispositions , and to smoothen rough spirits ; his doctrine was a doctrine of Repentance , Luk. 3.3 . He came into all the Countries about Iordan , preaching the Baptism of Repentance for the remission of sins . And in Mat. 3.1 , 2. it is said , Iohn came preaching in the wilderness of Iudea , and saying , Repent ye , for the Kingdom of Hea●en is at hand . Iohn preached the Law to convince men of sin , and to awaken them unto repentance ; he telleth sinners plainly , that they were a generation of Vipers ; doth not spare the hypocritical Pha●isees , who boasted so much in their priviledges , but were grosly deficient in moral duties ; he telleth them of Gods Ax which was laid to the root of the tree , ready to cut them down if they did not ●epent ; he telleth of the unquenchable fire which they should be cast into , if they did not reform . The word of Repentance is a necessary word unto salva●tion , and therefore is necessary to be preached to all and what Iohn the Baptist cryed in the wilderness , would cry in your ears this day , Repent . Repent if yo● would have remission of sins . Repent if you woul● be prepared for the entertainment of Jesus Chris● Repent , or else you will all certainly perish , Luk. 13.3 Repent , or else iniquity will be your ruine , Ezek 18.30 . Repent , or else ye cannot be saved . When th●● Jews who had crucified the Lord of glory , heard Peters Sermon , which ripped up their sin , and they being pricked in their hearts , cry out to Peter and the rest of the Apostles , Men and Brethren , What shall we do ? Act. 2.37 . We have committed a great sin , and what shall we now do ? What course shall we take that we may be saved from that eternal wrath and death which we have deserved ? The Apostle directs them to Repent for the remission of sin , vers . 38. And will not conscience accuse you of the guilt of sin ? Are there no drunkards in this place ? no swearers ? none that have committed adultery , and been unclean in secret places ? no unrighteous persons that have defrauded their neighbour ? no Sabbath-breakers , nor profane persons ? no lyars nor covetous persons ? and are not the most civil and morally honest of you all that are out of Christ , guilty of many heart-sins , yea and lip-sins , and some gross slips in your life , which conscience doth sometimes twinge you for ? Are not you guilty of impenitency and hardness of heart , and unbelief , and want of love to God , and his Son , and neglect of your own salvation ? Let me tell you all that have not yet repented , that unless ye repent , and that speedily , ye shall all perish certainly , and ye shall be miserable everlastingly . Repent of your sins , mourn for sin , and turn from sin , or else you will weep for sin hereafter to no purpose , and burn for sin for ever . Loath sin , and leave sin , or else Christ will disdain you at the last day , and sentence you to depart from him into everlasting fire . Confess sin , and forsake sin , or else you will finde no mercy here , nor end , or the least asswagement of misery in the other world . Drunkards , repent of your sins , you have felt ( after your revellings , and excessive carousings ) your heads ake , and have vomited up your drink sometimes , O that you could now feel your hearts ake , and that you would vomit up your sin by repentance . Swearers , repent of your sins ; you have taken Gods Name in vain , yea even torn it in pieces by your oaths , O that you would hallow Gods Name in confessing your sin , and that you would rend and tear your hearts with sorrow for the affronts you have by your oaths offered to the highest Majesty . Adulterers and unclean persons , repent of your sins ; you have tasted sweetness in your ●oul sins , O labour to taste bitterness in grief for your sins , that you may not feel the bitterness of hell torments , which without repentance will certainly be your portion . Unrighteous persons , lyars , covetous persons , repent , or you will not escape Gods righteous judgements . Sabbath-breakers , get your hearts broken for your sins , or else God will break you to pieces with his Iron Rod. Prophane persons , and all ye that have sinned more grosly , repent , and humble your selves before the Lord the more deeply : The most crimson and scarlet ●ins may be washed away ; those who embrewed their hands in the blood of Christ were forgiven upon repentance ; and there may be hope of remission for the worst of you if you repent . And you that have been more civil , yet under the power of some sin which hath reigned in your hearts , though it hath not broken forth so notoriously in your lives , and have moreover lived in the neglect of Christ , and your own salvation by him , not perceiving your need so much of him . Let me tell you , as our Saviour told the Scribes and Pharisees , that sometimes Publicans and Harlots , the vilest and most notorious come into the Kingdom of Heaven sooner than you , because they are more readily awakened , and humbled , and made sensible of their need of Christ , than the civil and fair dealing men and women who are very apt to lean and trust to their own righteousness , without such earnest seeking of the righteousness of Christ to justifie them : Therefore let me warn you also to repent of your sins , of heart-sins , and Gospel-sins , which are the greatest sins , and will certainly sink you without repentance . Look upon your own righteousness as filthy raggs , and cast it away , and loath your selves , and be perswaded , that if ever you be pardoned and saved , you must be as much beholding to free grace as the vilest sinner . 2. Peter tells them that God sent a Word of Peace , which was preached by Iesus Christ. It is said , Ioh. 1.17 . The Law was given by Moses , but grace and truth , and I may add peace too , came by Iesus Christ. The Law which came by Moses , was given for this end to lead men ; yea , it was a School-master to whip men to Christ ; and God did enjoyn those legal services upon his people , that they might look to Christ in them , and look for Christ who should deliver them from that yoak of bondage . The Law , which was from Mount Sinai , gendereth to bondage , and was given with thunderings and lightnings to awaken men ; and in preaching of the Law God giveth a spirit of bondage to work men to fear and repentance : But Christ came in a more mild way , and in a more soft and still voice preached Peace , and the Gospel of Reconciliation . The word of Peace was that which the Angels preached unto the Shepherds at Christs birth , Luk. 2.14 . Glory be to God in the highest , on earth peace , and good will towards men . Peace was that which Christ preached in his life , Ephes. 2.17 . He came and preached Peace to you which were afar off , and to them which were nigh . Peace was that which Christ purchased by his death , Col. 1.20 . He made Peace by the blood of his Cross. Peace was that which he spake to his Disciples at his appearance after his resurrection , Ioh. 20.19 . Iesus came and stood in the midst of them , and said , Peace be unto you . Peace he left with his Disciples behind him as a Legacy , when he was to go away from them , Ioh. 14.27 . Peace I leave with you , my Peace I give unto you . And Peace he commissioned his Disciples to preach unto the world , Mark 16.5 . Go ye into all the World , and preach the Gospel unto every creature : Which Gospel is a Gospel of Peace , containing glad tidings of good things , Rom. 10.15 . Christ preached Peace , not Peace with men ( though this also he would have his Disciples endeavour after , as much as in them lyeth , to live peaceably with all men , Rom. 12.28 . and to follow after peace with all men , so far as it consisteth with holiness , and a pure conscience , Heb. 12.14 . ) For he tells his Disciples , Luk. 12.51 . Suppose ye that I am come to give Peace on earth , I tell you nay , but rather division . Whatever peaceable disposition he taught , and his Gospel doth work in the heart where it prevails , yet accidentally it causeth division , and stirreth up to opposition in those that will not yield obedience thereunto ; and therefore the world hate and contend with his Disciples , because he hath chosen them out of the world ; wicked men have an enmity in their hearts against Believers , and will not be at Peace with them . But Christ preached Peace with God. Christ came from Heaven to bring this glad tydings to earth , that the God of Heaven was willing to be at Peace with sinfull men . It would not have been an easie thing to have made sinners believe ( especially if they had been convinced of sin , how heinous it is in its own nature , how highly it affronts and provokes the highest Majesty ; if they had been awakened with a sense of the dreadfulness of the punishment which God hath threatned , and they had deserved for their sins ) that so great and holy a God should be willing to put up all affronts , and forgive all iniquities , and be at Peace with sinners ; yea , that he should seek after it : They might have questioned not only how this could be , but also how any could have known it : But to put all out of doubt , Christ the eternal Son of God hath come forth from Heaven , declaring what he hath heard of the Father , and hath made known this , that God is willing to be at peace with us . Christ was sent from the King of Glory upon the Embassage of Peace , and he preached Peace therefore unto men ; not unto all men , for Isa. 57.21 . There is no Peace to the wicked ; that is , to such as are impenitent and senseless of their sins , and go on still in their trespasses . Christ threatned the wicked as severely as Iohn Baptist ; he tells the impenitent that they should perish , Luk 13.3 . and the unbelievers , that they should die in their sins , Ioh. 8.24 . And he calls the hypocritical Pharisees ( who persevered in their opposition of him and his waies ) Serpents and Vipers that could not escape the damnation of Hell , Matth. 23.33 . But Christ preached Peace to all that repented , were troubled for their sins ; that mourned and turned ; that believed and yielded up themselves to the obedience of the Gospel . He preached the Gospel to the poor , to the bruised and broken , that is , such as were sensible of their sins , and their need of a Saviour , Luk. 4.18 . And we Ministers have commission from the Lord to preach Peace to the children of men ; we are Ministers of the Gospel of Peace ; unto us is committed the Word of Reconciliation , 2 Cor. 5.19 . Indeed we must sound the Trumpet of War from Heaven in the ears of secure sinners to awaken them ; but we are to hang out the white flag , and to come with Olive branches of Peace from God to them that tremble at Gods Word , and are humble for their sins . Sinners , are there any among you , whose hearts the Lord hath touched and bruised for sin , yea broken to shivers , and melted , and filled with grief and sorrow for a life of past-wickedness , that have not only legal terrours , but true Evangelical repentance : I have a word of Peace to deliver to such of you from the Lord. God is willing to be at Peace with you through his Son : There is an Advocate with the Father , who is ready to make up the breach which sin hath made between God and your souls ; and God doth call you to lay hold on his strength , that you may make Peace with him , and he promiseth that you shall make peace with him , Isa. 27.5 . Thus concerning the word of Repentance and Peace which Peter tells Cornelius , and them which were with him . SECT . VIII . 3. PEter speaks to them of the Lord Jesus Christ , by whom this Peace was purchased , and the Word of Peace preached , and that , 1. Concerning his Vnction . 2. Concerning his Life . 3. Concerning his Miracles . 4. Concerning his Death . 5. Concerning his Resurrection . 6. Concerning his Ordination to be the Iudge of the World. 7. Concerning his Mission of them to preach . 1. Peter speaks to them concerning the Vnction of Christ. He tells them that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost , and with Power . God poured forth his Spirit without measure upon Christ , which qualified him for his offices , and he gave him power and authority to execute them . There is a Threefold Office which Christ was anointed unto . 1. The Priestly Office. 2. The P●●phetical Office. 3. The Kingly Office. 1. Christ was anointed to the Priestly Office ; who offered up sacrifice to God , even a sin-offering and Peace-offering , ●o make reconciliation for sin ; not the sacrifice of Bulls and Goats , or Lambs , or Rams , which could never of themselves take away guilt ; but he through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God , he offered the sacrifice of himself for a sweet-smelling savour , and shed his own blood for the remission of sins , by which blood having obtained eternal redemption for his people , he entered into the Holy place not made with hands , which was but figurative , but into Heaven it self , there to appear in the presence of God , to make intercession for them . Christ is the great High priest , not after the order of Aaron , who were many , and mortall , and sinfull , and their Priesthood changeable ; but he is a High-Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec ; hath an unchangeable Priesthood , therefore is able to save all those to the uttermost that come unto God by him , seeing he ever liveth to make intercession in their behalf , Heb. 7.25 . Moreover , v. 26. he is holy , harmless , undefiled , seperate from sinners , and yet very tender and compassionate towards sinners , being touched with the feeling of our Infirmities , and knows how to pity them which are tempted ; he is mercifull and he is faithfull too in this Office which the Lord hath anointed him unto . Having therefore such an High-Priest over the House of God , sinners have encouragement to draw neer unto God , with full assurance of acceptance through him , Hebr. 10.21 , 22. 2. Christ was anointed to the Prophetical Office : Christ is that Prophet whom the Lord promised to raise up to his people like unto Moses , Deut. 18.15 . but is far greater than Moses , who came down from Heaven to preach the Gospel of salvation to lost sinners ; who revealed the counsels of the Father , which were hid from ages and generations , and kept secret untill his time , from the foundations of the World ; who discovered the purposes of Gods Love , and the promises of his Grace , and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel . Christ is the great Prophet anointed by the Father to teach his people by his Word and Spirit , who opens the eyes of the understanding which naturally is dark and blinde , and leads his people into all truth , who of themselves would wander into errour , without whose teachings there can be no saving light , nor spiritual discerning and relish of Gospel Mysteries . 3. Christ was anointed unto the Kingly Office : Peter in his Sermon calls him Lord of all . God hath given him a Name above every Name ; he hath exalted him above all Principalities and Powers , and Might and Dominion , both in Heaven and Earth , and hath put all things under his feet , and all power into his hand , and appointed him to be head over all unto his Church . He is the King of Saints , whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom , and whose Scepter is a Scepter of Righteousness ; he hath given Laws to his people with great wisdom , and ruleth in their hearts with great power , and whosoever will not submit to his Scept●r to be ruled by his Laws , he will break them in pieces with his I●on Rod. Thus concerning Christs V●ction to his Offices . 2. Peter speaks to them concerning Christs Life ; that he went about doing good . His Life was holy , free from sin , he did no evil , no injury to any man , he was harmless , his whole employment was to do good . Never was there such a man living upon the face of the Earth , who never committed any sin in his life , neither in thought , word , or deed . Some indeed have said they had no sin , but they have lied ; for no man liveth that sinneth not : but Christ was born without sin , and lived without sin ; he was perfectly good and righteous , and he did good . His Life was exactly according to the Rule ; he fulfilled the Law not only by his passive , but also by his active Obedience . 3. Peter speaks to them concerning Christs Mi●acles , whereof they were witnesses : instance is given of his casting out Devils , likely he told them of more , of his calming the Winds and Sea with a word , his feeding five thousand with five Loaves , his opening the eyes of them which were born blinde , his raising the dead that had been buried several dayes , and the like ; which works were a testimony of his Divinity , and that he came from the Father . 4. Peter speaks to them concerning Christs Death . Him they slew and hanged upon a tree . Christ humbled himself not only to take upon him our Humane Nature , to be born of a mean Virgin , and live in a low condition , when he was Lord of all , and God equall with the Father , to take upon him the form of a servant ; but he humbled himself further , to become obedient unto Death , even the death of the Cross , Phil. 2.6 , 7 , 8. It was a cursed , disgracefull , lingering and painfull death , which he endured , and however it was inflicted upon him by the hands of cruel , blood-thirsty men , yet it was according to the fore-appointment of God , for the satisfaction of Gods Justice , for the expiation of Mans sin ; it was not only for an example of suffering to men , but in the room and stead of sinners , who otherwise must all have unavoidably perished ; and for the ratification of the New Testament and Covenant of Grace : So that the salvation of Man from sin and Hell , and the Inheritance of glory and happiness doth depend upon the Death of Christ which was the purchase hereof . 5. Peter speaketh to them concerning Christs Resurrection . Him hath God raised from the dead , and shewed openly . Though Christ dyed and was buried , yet the bands of death could not hold him , and the Holy One did not see corruption ▪ his body was not so long in the grave as to put●●fie , but within three dayes he arose again from the dead , and was seen of Mary Magdalen first , after of two Disciples as they went unto Immaus , after of Peter and all the Apostles , after of above five hundred Brethren at once . He was declared to be Man by his death , he was declared to be the Son of God with power , by the Spirit of holiness in him , which raised him from the dead ; forty dayes he remained upon the Earth after his Resurrection , and then was caught up to the Throne of God in the presence of his Disciples , and there he that was dead is alive , and lives for evermore ; whose Resurrection as it hath an influence upon the spiritual Resurrection of his people from sin , who when dead in sin are quickened by the same Spirit which raised him up : So it is the first fruits of the resurrection of his people from the grave , who in their order and Gods appointed time shall be awakened out of their long sleep of death , and come forth of the dust , and be caught up to meet him in the Air at his last appearance to Judge the World , which is the next thing Peter speaketh of Christ. 6. Peter speaketh to them concerning Gods ordination of Iesus Christ to be the Iudge of quick and dead . God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World in Righteousness , and hath ordained Jesus Christ to be the Judge ; who will so soon as the mystery is finished , and the Elect are gathered , come down from Heaven where now he is , with a great shout , and the sound of a Trumpet , and awaken all the dead , and summon the whole world to his barr , and render unto all according to their works ; to them that have repented and believed , and by patient continuance in well-doing , have sought for glory and honour , and immortality , he will give eternal life ; but to them which have been impenitent and hard-hearted , and disobedient to the Gospel , he will give indignation and wrath , tribulation and anguish , and sentence them to eternal Death . 7. Peter speaketh to them concerning Christs Mission of them to preach . He sent the Apostles to preach repentance and remission of sins in his Name ; and he hath appointed the Office of the Ministry to continue to the end of the World , for the calling and conversion of those which belong to the Election of Grace , and the building up and perfecting the Saints which are called , untill they all come into the unity of the Faith , and of the knowledge of the Son of God , unto a perfect man , unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ , Eph. 4.12 , 13. Thus the Apostle Peter preacheth Christ unto Cornelius , and them which were with him . SECT . IX . 4. AND lastly , Peter speaks to them concerning the Way of Salvation by Christ , vers . 43. To him gave all the Prophets witness , that through his Name whosoever believeth in him should receive remission of sins . There is no Name under Heaven whereby we can be saved , but the Name of Christ , Act. 4.11 . and there is no salvation by Christ but by Faith. When the Jaylor with trembling enquired of Paul and Silas , What shall I do to be saved ? they tell him , Believe in the Lord Iesus Christ , and thou shalt be saved , Act. 16.30 , 31. There are three Arguments which will evidently prove , That all such as truely believe in Christ do receive remission of sins , and consequently are in a state of Salvation : The First may be drawn from Christs Satisfaction : The Second from Christs Intercession : The Third from the Promises of the New Testament . I. First from Christs Satisfaction . If Christ hath fully satisfied Gods Justice for the sins of men , and this satisfaction be accepted by the Father in the behalf of sinners ; and this satisfaction be imputed unto all them that truely believe in Christ , as if they bad made it themselves : Then all those that truely believe in Christ , do receive remission of sins ; inasmuch as guilt being an obligation to punishment , and where satisfaction is made , this obligation is removed . ( 1. ) But first Christ hath made satisfaction to Gods Justice for the sins of men ; he only was qualified to do it , and he hath actually done it . 1. Christ only was qualified to do it ; no meer man could make it , because Gods Justice being infinite requireth an infinite satisfaction , and all Creatures are finite : but Christ was more than a Creature , he was God and Man in one person . It was necessary that he should be a Creature , because otherwise he could not have suffered , the Deity being impassible ; it was necessary he should be Man , because Gods Justice required , that the same Nature which did commit sin , the same Nature should suffer punishment for it , Gen. 2.17 . In the day thou eatest thereof , Thou a Man shalt die . Therefore Christ took not upon him the nature of Angels , but the seed of Abraham , Heb. 2.16 . And it was necessary that he should be God ; because otherwise he could never have born up under , nor have got loose from that dreadfull punishment which was inflicted upon him : It would have sunk the whole Creation under its weight : Because otherwise his Merits would not have been of infinite value , and fully satisfactory to Gods Justice : therefore he was God and Man in one person , and so duly qualified to make satisfaction . 2. Christ hath actually made satisfaction to Gods Justice for Mans sin : he hath born the punishment which their sins did deserve , 1 Pet. 2.24 . Who his own self bare our sins , that is the punishment of our sins , in his own body on the tree , Isa. 53.5 . He was wounded for our transgressions , and bruised for our iniquities , and the chastisment of our peace was upon him . And Ephes. 5.2 . He hath given himself for us , an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour ; which leadeth to the second particular . ( 2. ) This satisfaction which Christ hath made unto Gods Justice , is accepted in the behalf of sinners : There might be sufficiency of value in Christs sufferings and sacrifice to make satisfaction for the sins of the whole world , and yet God might have required the satisfaction from the offending party , and received the debt from none but sinners themselves that owed it : but God hath accepted Christs satisfaction , as is evident , 1. From Gods eternal Covenant with him , that if he would make his soul an offering for sin , he should see his seed , and should prosper in his work , Isa. 53.10.2 . From his sealing and setting him apart for the office and work of Mediatour , Ioh. 6.27 . Him hath God the Father sealed . 3. From his mission or sending him into the world for this very end , Ioh. 3.16 . Gal. 4.5 . 4. From his owning of him when he was sent , and that both by a voice from Heaven , saying , This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased ▪ and by his large effusion of the Spirit upon him , which did appear in his life so holy , his doctrine so pure , his miracles so powerfull . 5. From his raising him up from the dead on the third day , where he must have continued for ever , if having undertaken to satisfie , he had not done it , and it had not been accepted . 6. From his receiving him up into glory , and setting him at his right hand , and hearing his prayers in the behalf of sinners ▪ All which Arguments do abundantly prove Gods acceptation of Christs satisfaction . ( 3. ) The satisfaction is as really imputed unto true Believers , as if they had made it themselves . Forasmuch as Faith doth appropriate Christ and his Righteousness , and therefore Christ is called ( speaking of Believers ) the Lord our Righteousness , Ier. 23.6 . And we are called ( through the imputation of the merits of his death by faith ) The Righteousness of God in him , 2 Cor. 5.21 . Christs Righteousness is made over to Believers by Faith as if it were their own . If then Christ hath fully satisfied Gods Justice for the sins of men ; and this satisfaction is accepted by the Father in behalf of sinners , and imputed unto all true Believers , then all true Believers are absolved from the guilt of sin ; and that not only upon the account of mercy , but justice too , which cannot require a double satisfaction ; therefore God is said , as he is just , to justifie them which believe , Rom. 3.28 . II. The second Argument to prove , that all true Believers do receive remission of sins , may be drawn from Christs intercession . If Christ doth intercede for the remission of sins , and this intercession be prevalent with the Father , and all true Believers have an interest in this intercession , then all true Believers do receive remission of sins . 1. But first Christ doth intercede for the remission of sins , Heb. 7.25 . Heb. 2.17 . He intercedeth for reconciliation , therefore for remission of sins . 2. This Intercession is prevalent with the Father . Whatever Christ prayed for on earth he obtained , Ioh. 11.42 . Surely then his intercession in Heaven is prevalent , which might be made further evident from his neerness and interest in the Father , from the dear love of the Father unto him ; and because his intercession for remission of sins , is for that which he hath purchased by his death , and what the Father hath purposed and promised , and is for his glory to give . 3. All true Believers have an interest in Christs Intercession : having by faith an ▪ interest in Christs person , they have an interest in Christs intercession . III. The third Argument to prove that all true Believers do receive remission of sins , may be drawn from the promise of remission of sins in the New Testament , Heb. 8.12 . I will be merciful unto their unrighteousness , and their sins and ●niquities will I remember no more . Which New Testament is of full force through the death of Christ the Testator , Heb. 9.16 , 17. And Believers have an interest in , and by faith do apply the promises to themselves ; therefore true Believers do receive remission of sins . Thus concerning Peters Sermon to Cornelius , and them which were with him , and the words which he spake to them whereby they were saved . SECT . X. 3. THE third thing is to shew , How Ministers must tell people words whereby they may be saved . Now this must be done 1. Sincerely . 2. Plainly . 3. Convincingly . 4. Boldly . 5. Compassionately . 6. Warmly . 7. Earnestly . 8. Frequently . 1. Ministers must preach the words of salvation Sincerely , and that both as to the matter , and as to the design . 1. As to the Matter , the Doctrine of salvation which they preach , must be sincere ; in Doctrine they must shew uncorruptness , sincerity ▪ sound speech , which cannot be condemned , Tit. 2.7 , 8. The Apostle complains of many who corrupt the Word , 2 Cor. 2.17 . The Word is corrupted when the Scripture is wrested , and the sense perverted , when errours and damnable opinions are broached and vented for truths , and mingled with some truths of the word , which will bring destruction and not salvation to them that receive them , 2 Pet. 3.16 . Ministers must draw forth the pure waters of the Sanctuary out of the fountain of the Scripture , and the sincere milk of the Word out of the two breasts of the Old and New Testament , 1 Pet. 2.2 . They must deal forth the wholesome food of sound doctrine , which is according to godliness , called words of our Lord Jesus Christ , and words of faith whereby the receivers may be nourished , 1 Tim. 4.6 . chap. 6.3 . 2. As to the Design , Ministers must have a sincere design in preaching the word of salvation ; like the Apostle Paul with his fellow-Ministers , 2 Cor. 2.17 . But we are of sincerity as of God , in the sight of God speak we in Christ. They preached neither corrupt doctrine , neither had they corrupt designs , but were sincere in their preaching , as of God , as sent of God , as Embassadours of God , the great King of Heaven ; as in the sight of God , who searched the heart , and could discern what their aims were unto whom they endeavoured to approve themselves ; as in Christ , as in the room of Christ , as Christ preached when he was upon the earth ; or as in Christ , as those which were ingrafted into Christ , and had an interest in Christ themselves , and therefore did sincerely endeavour the bringing of others to him . The chief design of Ministers in preaching , should be the glory of God , and the salvation of them that hear them . 1. The glory of God above all should swey with them , not their own glory and esteem , nor of men sought we glory , 1 Thes. 2.6 . They must sincerely endeavour the magnifying , not of their own name , but the name of God ; and the promoting not of themselves , but of their Master in the esteem of men : If some kind of discourse would advance their Lords name and honour , though their own reputation should hereby be lessened amongst some , they must use it ; and if on the contrary they could gain much honour to themselves by some kind of preaching wherein they might appear in great flourish of words , and give delight to the fan●y by the ostentation of their wit and ingenuity ; but their Masters were not like to be glorified , nor the souls of their hearers soundly edified , they ought herein to deny themselves . 2. Ministers must design in their preaching , the salvation of their hearers ; they must not use the Word as a clo●k for covetousness , and design the gain●ng of filthy lucre to themselves ; but the gaining of souls to Jesus Christ ; they must not endeavour to make a gain of their hearers ; a gain of their souls they ought to endeavour after , but not a g●in of their estates , as the Pharisees , who made long prayers , that they might devour Widdows houses ▪ they must not chi●fly seek any profit , or earthly emolument unto themselves , but the profit of their hear●rs , that they might be saved . When the Apostle was crafty , as he tells the Corinthians , 2 Cor. 12.16 . he was sincere ; and when he used some kind of gu●le , it was to catch them from destruction , unto which they were hastening ; it was in spreading the Gospel Net most cunningly to draw them out of that stream of sin in which they were swimming towards the Ocean of Gods wrath . 2. Ministers must preach the words of salvation Plainly , not with wisdom of words , as 1 Cor. 1.17 . not with excellency of speech , or of wisdom , or with enticing words of mans wisdom , chap. 2.4 . but with plainness of speech , such as is most intelligible and edifying , such as is most likely to attain the end of preaching most effectually ; some kind of wisdom of words doth both obscure and enervate the Sermons that are stufft with it , and therefore should be forborn . Not that all wisdom of words , or humane wisdom is to be forborn : For , 1. It is lawfull for Ministers in preaching to make use of the most apt , proper and significant words : there are some words which are more ponderous and weighty , which carry a greater force and evidence , and perspicuity than others ; which Ministers should make use of for the more effectual clearing and pressing their matter ; and of all words those which we finde in the Scripture are the most weighty , which having oftentimes more significancy in the Original than in the Translation , therefore Ministers should be acquainted with the Original tongues , that they may have the more full understanding of the meaning of God in his Word , themselves , and that they may the better explain it to others . 2. It is lawfull for Ministers to use some kinde of Eloquence in their preaching . It was the commendation which the Scripture gave of Apollos , that he was an eloquent man , Act. 13.24 . Variety and fluency of expression in explaining and proving , in applying and pressing the truths of the Word , is of singular use . There is much Rhetorick and divine Eloquence , especially in some parts of the Scripture , which Ministers in preaching may make use of and imitate . 3. It is lawfull for Ministers to make use of Philosophy and humane Reason in preaching the Gospel ; Logick is needfull for the regulating of thoughts , the methodizing of discourse , the distinguishing between things that differ , the defining and explaining of things that are obscure , the ordering , deciding and determining of controversies : Ethicks , Physicks , especially Metaphysicks are very usefull unto a Minister , for the refining of his understanding , and enabling him to speak the more clearly and edifyingly to others , and to defend the truth against such as do oppose it . But there is a Wisdom of Words which may not be used by Ministers in preaching . 1. Ministers must not in preaching shew more wisdom in their Words than in their Matter ; and study more for outward shew than for inward substance ; more that their Sermons be well worded , than that their doctrine be well proved ; more that their Sentences may have a handsome close , than that their Arguments be conclusive : It ill becomes thin and weak sense to be cloathed with fine and neat speech : Ministers must take heed that their matter be not drowned and lost in the stream and abundance of words . Such whose wisdom and art doth shew it self in gathering a bundle and heap of the finest words together , neglecting substantiall matter , their wisdom is but folly , and pains to little purpose . Words may fill the ear ; Things soak and sink into the soul to edification . 2. Ministers must not ordinarily in preaching make use of words of another language which the people do not understand ; nor fill their Sermons with quotations and allegations out of Fathers , School-men , and other Authors , which doth but stun and amuze ordinary and the generality of hearers , and savours mostly of ostentation , but tends to little edification . Though the Apostle could speak with more tongues than any beside , yet in the Church he chooseth to speak five words in the known tongue to edifie , than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue , 1 Cor. 14.18 , 19. Indeed Original words sometimes may be mentioned with their interpretation , as the tongues were to be used in the Church , 1 Cor. 14. and Authors may be quoted , when there is real need , so it be done rarely and soberly ; but for Ministers to enterlard their Sermons all over with Greek and Latine , and sayings of men , they must needs leave out much of the Word of God which they might use , and it cannot be so profitable for the Hearers . 3. Ministers must not use such words and speeches as gender strife , I mean the perverse disputings which Sceptical Philosophy will put them upon , whereby they may be spoyl'd , and deceive both themselves and others , through the errors and mistakes , which hereby they may run into . 4. Ministers must not use in preaching too much neatness of speech , and humane Eloquence : The most excellent , and enticing words of mans wisdom the Apostle did forbear , 1 Cor. 2.4 . It is not needfull for a Minister to read all Heathen Poets and Orators , that he may fill his Sermons with their fancies and rhetorical expressions ; but he should chiefly fetch his Rhetorick from the Bible ; Indeed Apollos was commended for his Eloquence , Act. 13.24 . not humane Eloquence but divine . It is not said , he was mighty in other Learning , but mighty in the Scriptures ; not mighty in the writings of Heathens , but mighty in the writings of God ; his Eloquence was drawn from the Word , which is most persuasive . The Lord doth not require that his Ministers should preach the Gospel neatly , but plainly ; the former may make them esteemed as the better Scholars , but the latter wil● make their hearers the better Christians : That way of preaching th●y should use which is most intelligible and profitable , not that which is most learned and Scholastical , Melius est ut nos reprehendant Grammatici , quàm non intelligant populi ; saith one , that could speak in an eloquent strein . It is better that Grammarians should reprehend us , than that the people should not understand us : and he desired that since the vulgar could not ascend so high as to understand a more refined language , that learned men would stoop so low as to accommodate their speech to their capacities . Thus Ministers must preach the Gospel , not with wisdom of words , but with plainness of speech . There is a light in the Gospel , the purest and most glorious that ever shined ; wisdom of words doth darken and obscure this light , it doth ●ully the truths which shine most when they are naked without such ornaments : It is like a bright Cloud between us and the Sun , which keeps off the greater light , like painting of a Diamond or a beautifull face . There is a power go●th along with the Word preached to convert sinners . Heb. 4.12 . The Word is compared to a sharp , two-edged Sword , piercing and separating between the joynts and the marrow , between sin and the soul , which are more neer than marrow is to the bone ; but wisdom of words , or humane Eloquence doth guild as it were the edge of the Sword , which takes away its sharpness ; or is like to a rich Scabbard , which delights the eye , and pleaseth the fancy , but keeps the Sword from entring the bowels and wounding the Conscience : It is in plain preaching that the Sword is drawn forth naked , which makes the sinner slie or yield . Plain preaching is the most effectual means to pull down the strong holds of sin and Satan , and to draw men unto a closure with Jesus Christ. Humane wisdom usually puffeth up both them that use it , and those that hear it . Humane wisdom is apt to beget an humane faith , which standeth in the wisdom of men ; plain preaching begetteth faith which standeth in the power of God. There is no such edification as in plain preaching : In plain preaching , the bread of life and wholsom food of the Word is distributed ; but humane wisdom is like hey and stubble , which is food for horses and not for men ; so humane wisdom may please and best agree with natural and bruitish men , but true Christians cannot feed upon it ; it is no more suitable to their spiritual appetite than hey and stubble is to their naturall . It is like Pictures in learn●d books , which may delight children , a Scholar doth not regard the Pictures , but the writing ; the word of God doth feed and edifie a gracious heart when it is preached plainly and homely ; humane wisdom , or wisdom of words in preaching , doth take away much of the taste and relish , and doth hinder its vertue and operation . The Word is compared to milk , which must be sincere , to food which must be simple and uncompounded , that it may nourish and strengthen the body : It is compared to Wine that must be unmixed that it may chear and refresh the spirits ; wisdom of words is like water , or rather like some fulsome liquor mingled with the wine , which doth much invalidate and render it nauseous unto the Appetite of the New Creature . Ministers therefore must preach the word plainly , that they may do it edifyingly : they must not use wisdom of words , which will evacuate the Cross of Christ , and render their preaching ineffectual , and put a cloud between the light and the eye , especially of the ordinary hearers ; much less may they use mysteriousness of words , dark sayings , and high-●lown notions , that shall puzzle the mindes of the wisest to guess at the meaning of : They must not in preaching make plain things difficult by their way of expressing them , as many do , but make more difficult things plain , they must preach plainly . I have been more large in this head , I shall be more brief in the rest . 3. Ministers must preach the words of Salvation Convincingly . They should preach so as to convince the Judgement of truth , and to convince the Conscience of sin , and therefore they should preach in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit , 1 Cor. 2.4 . 1. Ministers should labour to speak so as to convince the Judgement of the truth which they preach . They must not only assert Truths , but prove them ; they must hold forth the Word of Faith with a clear evidencing light , and hold fast the Word in a strenuous defence of it against opposers , and with sound doctrine they must not only exhort but also convince gainsayers , Tit. 1.9 . Ministers should make manifest the words of salvation which they preach , that they are the words of the God of truth , with whom dwells no errour or falshood : They should prove by undenyable Arguments that the Scriptures are of Divine Authority , and therefore as full of truth as the Sun is full of light ; and then they should prove the doctrine which they preach by the Word , and that with such reason for the belief of it , that no reason may be left to contradict it . Ministers should be shining lights in the places where they live , dispersing abroad the bright beams of Gospel-truths with such power and conviction , as may be sufficient through the concurrence of the Spirit to vanquish and dispell all those clouds of ignorance which the minds of men naturally are filled withall . 2. Ministers should preach so as to convince not only the Judgement of truth , but also so as to convince the Conscience of sin ; and that they may do this , they must not rest in general discourses of the nature of sin , but particularly apply themselves to their hearers , and reprove them homely and sharply for their particular sins : They must not sow pillows under the elbows of secure sinners , and deal gently , fearing to touch the soars of some , lest they lift up the heel against them ; but with all faithfulness they must tell all of their sins , and endeavour to awaken them by discovery of their danger ; their words must be like Nails and Goads which will prick unto the quick ; they must lance and rip up the soars , that they may be healed ; they must cry aloud and spare not ; they must lift up their voice like a trumpet , and cause the people to know their iniquities ; they must bend the bow , and shoot the arrows of bitter and sharp reproof into guilty Consciences ; they must draw forth the Sword of the Spirit , which is the Word of God , and therewith lay about them in Gods Name , and as those which are in Gods room , and lash and wound sinners to the very heart , that have been so audacious as to break Gods Law ▪ they should endeavour to make the sword enter into the Soul with such a force that sinners being convinced , judged , and condemned , may with trembling fall down , and in perplexity cry out , as those did whom Peter had convinced of their great sin in crucifying the Lord of glory , Act. 2. Men and brethren what shall we do ? 4. Ministers must preach the words of salvation Boldly : This the Apostle desires prayers for himself to the Lord that he might be enabled to do , Eph. 6.19 , 20. And for me , that utterance may be given unto me , that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel ; for which I am an Ambassadour in bonds , that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak . Ministers should deliver their Message with all boldness and authority , as being the Ambassadours of the King of glory ; they should speak boldly without shame and without fear . 1. They should speak boldly without shame , as Paul , Rom : 1.16 . I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ , for it is the power of God unto salvation , unto every one that believeth ; the preaching of the Gospel is accounted folly by some of great account in the World for wisdom ; and the Preachers of the Gospel are accounted Fools , and despised : Some reproach them , others mock and deride them , especially when they preach in such plain language as is most easie for all to understand ; but Ministers must preach boldly , notwithstanding all the scoffs of the ungodly and profane ; and in a good sense they may glory in their shame ; for indeed that which the wicked do make the matter of scorn and shame , is matter of the greatest glory ; it is the honour of Ministers to preach the Gospel of salvation , such an honour as the Lord hath not conferred upon the Angels ( as hath been shewn ) and therefore they should preach boldly without shame . 2. Ministers should preach boldly without fear , they must deliver the message they are entrusted withall by God , without fear of the face of men . 1 Thess. 2.2 . We were bold in our God , to speak unto you the Gospel of God with much contention . Though the wicked contend with them , and oppose , though they persecute and do what they can to hinder them ; though they command them to preach no more , and would stop their mouths , and threaten imprisonment , banishment , death ; yet being intrusted with the Gospel , they must preach the Gospel with all boldness : This was the practice of the Primitive Ministers when they were threatned for preaching , Act. 4.29 . And now Lord , behold their threatnings , and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy Word ; and this is the duty of all Ministers , if God open to them a door of opportunity to preach , they should open their mouths boldly to declare the mysteries of salvation , whatever danger they may incurr of sufferings hereby . Men may say , Wo be to you , if you do preach the Gospel ; but when God saith , Wo be to you if you do not preach , they have reason to fear and obey God rather than Men. 5. Ministers must preach the words of salvation Compassionately . The Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians with many tears , 2 Cor. 2.4 . and he preacheth to the Ephesians with many tears , Act. 20.19 . O what tender bowels of compassion should Ministers have towards poor souls in preaching the Gospel of salvation to them ! how should they pity sinners that lie w●ltring in their blood , that have no pity for themselves , that are cruel to their own Souls , that are wounding themselves , as being more distracted than the man we read of , who tore his own flesh , and cut himself with stones ? Mark 5.5 . How should they commiserate sinners that are wounding their Consciences by sin , not knowing what they do , and are posting on in the broad way unto destruction and eternal misery , not knowing whither they go , that are running against a rock , which will dash them to pieces , and ready to leap into flames , where they must burn for ever ? Ministers should weep and bleed over such , and with the greatest tenderness tell them of their danger , and shew them the inevitable ruine which is before them , and beseech them to turn from their evil wayes , that iniquity may not be their ruine , and accept of Jesus Christ , by whom they may attain salvation . Ministers should be ready to beseech sinners upon their knees ( if that would do ) that they would not destroy themselves : O Turn ye , turn ye , why will you die ? and be ready to lay their hands under their feet , ( if that would move them ) to put their feet into the narrow way of salvation . 6. Ministers must preach the words of salvation Warmly ; and that both with a warm love to the Souls they preach unto , and with a warm sense of what they preach upon their own spirits . 1. They must preach with a warm love to Souls , as the Apostle with other Ministers to the Thessalonians , 1 Thess. 2.8 . So being affectionately desirous of you we were willing to have imparted unto you not the Gospel of God only , but also our own souls , because ye were dear unto us , Ministers should preach the Gospel with such ardent affection to Souls , and thirsting desires after their salvation , so as to be willing to pluck out their hearts , and give them to their hearers , if this would promote their salvation ; they should be ready to spend themselves and be spent , and not think much to consume themselves with fervour of heart towards , and for the good of poor souls . 2. Ministers should preach with a warm sense of what they preach upon their own spirits , as those that have been under the impressions of the Word , and have experienced the powerful operations thereof unto their own salvation . Moreover , they should get their hearts affected more and more with the words which they preach , that they may preach the more feelingly ; that they may speak as if they were in earnest , as those that believe and know those things to be true which they deliver unto others . Cold or lukewarm preaching usually makes little impression upon the hearers ; when the Word doth little affect the heart of the Minister , it doth seldom affect the heart of the people . When Ministers preach Sermons as Scholars speak Orations , in which they have no concernment , only to shew their good language and ingenuity , they may possibly gain applause amongst some of a slight and trivial spirit , but they are not like to gain souls ; the Word must come from the heart that is likely to reach the heart . Ministers must preach warmly if they would preach affectingly . 7. Ministers must preach the words of salvation Earnestly . Ministers must be very earnest in their preaching with souls to endeavour after their salvation ; they must use all the persuasive arguments and motives they can think of that they may prevail ; tell them of the necessity hereof , of the manifold advantages , of the honour they shall attain hereby , and the unspeakable pleasures ; tell them of the great evils they are under , and the greater evils they are exposed unto whilest they are out of a s●ate of salvation : And then they must urge arguments as fully , and press upon them as homely as they can ; and use the greatest importunity with them , as if they were begging for their own lives , as if their own salvation and happiness were bound up with their hearers ; they should take no denyal , if possibly a grant may be obtained , they must call and cry , and pray , invite and wooe , and intreat that sinners would come to Christ , that they may be saved by him . 8. And lastly , Ministers must preach the words of salvation Frequently ; they must lay hold on all opportunities to call sinners to Christ , they must be instant in season and out of season , 2 Tim. 4.2 . on the Sabbath-day , on the Week-day : In the Morning they should sow the seed of the Word , and the Evening they should not with-hold their hand , because they do not know which the Lord will prosper . Thus you see how Ministers are to tell people Words whereby they may be saved . SECT . XI . 4. THE Fourth thing is to shew , Why Ministers must tell people Words whereby they may be saved . Reas. 1. Because they have a Commission to do it . Mark 16.15 , 16. And he said unto them , Go ye into all the World , and preach the Gospel unto every Creature ; He that believeth and is baptized , shall be saved ; he that believeth not shall be damned . They are the words of our Saviour , who being the King and Head of the Church , had power to make Church-officers , and to give Commissions ; he commissioneth his Apostles in the first place to preach the Gospel of salvation , and in them all his other succeeding Ministers unto the end of the World , with whom he promiseth to be , so long as the Sun should endure , Math. 28.20 . Ministers they are Christs Ambassadours , 2 Cor. 5.20 . and they have a Commission from Heaven to declare the glad tydings of salvation , to give notice to the World out of the Word , of the Saviour which God hath provided for fallen , lost sinners , and the way of salvation by him ; to make known the Covenant of grace which the Lord hath made with men through his Son , and the exceeding great and precious promises of pardon , and grace , and salvation ; all which promises are yea and Amen in Christ , who hath purchased with his blood whatever is promised in the Covenant . Ministers have a Commission to preach the Gospel , and they may do it authoritatively , and they ought to do it , it being their duty , and the great work they have to do in the World. Reas. 2. Because the Lord hath qualified them for this work , not only by bringing them into a state of salvation , but also by pouring forth his Spirit more plentifully upon them , and bestowing ministerial gifts upon them , utterance in preaching , prayer , &c. for this end , that they might shew men the way of salvation . Reas. 3. Because they must give an account of the souls which are committed to their charge , and wo be to them if they do not preach the Gospel , 1 Cor. 9.16 . Ministers that neglect to shew men the way of salvation will have a fearfull account to give , they draw upon themselves the guilt of the blood of Souls . They are the Lords Watchmen , and if they do not blow the Trumpet , and tell sinners of their sin and danger , and how they may be saved by Jesus Christ , sinners indeed will dye in their sins , but their blood will the Lord require at the Watchmans hands , Ezek. 33.8 . Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord , we perswade men , saith the Apostle , 2 Cor. 5.10 . knowing the terrour of the Lord , not only in respect of the people which we preach unto , how terrible the Lord will be unto them at the last day , if they be found under the guilt of sin ; but also knowing the terrour of the Lord in respect of our selves , how terrible the Lord will be unto us , ●f we be found unfaithfull , we perswade men to endeavour their salvation , and to flee from the dreadfull wrath which is to come . Reas. 4. Because by telling people words whereby they may be saved , Ministers may be instrumental not only to save themselves , but also to save them that hear them . God is most glorified in the salvation of Souls , and it is the greatest glory of Ministers to be made instrumental herein ; it is better to be the Father of one Soul , than to be Heir to the largest Revenues upon the Earth : But if they be instrumental to turn many to Righteousness , they shall receive a Crown of glory which fadeth not away , at the appearance of the great Shepheard , 1 Pet. 5.4 . they shall shine not only as the brightness of the Firmament , but also like Starrs for ever and ever , Dan. 12.3 . SECT . XII . Vse 1. ARE Ministers to tell People Words whereby they may be saved ? Hence learn what a Priviledge such People enjoy , that have liberty to hear such Ministers as are faithfull in declaring the glad tydings of salvation . We read of some temporal blessings which render a people subordinately happy , Psal. 144.12 , 13 , 14 , 15. when their Sons spring and grow up like pleasant Plants in their Garden ; when their Daughters are like the polished Corner-stones of a Palace ; when their Garners are full and replenished with all manner of store ; when their Sheep increase in their Fields by thousands and ten thousands ; when their Oxen are strong to labour , when there is a hedge about their substance without any breaches ; when there is no complaining in the streets through wrong and injury ; happy are the people saith the Psalmist that are in such a case ; but far more happy are the people that enjoy spiritual priviledges , that hear the joyfull sound of the Gospel , that have Ministers to shew them how they may be saved from eternal death and wrath which they have deserved , and by sin are exposed unto . Moreover , you may here learn the reason why so many people , especially those who most seriously and earnestly desire and endeavour their salvation , choose to hear Ministers preach rather than others ; because they are commissioned by the Lord to preach the Word of salvation , and their Ministry is most likely to be effectual : Others may preach without a Commission the same words and do no good , for want of Gods blessing ; It is not the bare speaking the words of salvation that will bring salvation , but the revelation of Gods arm and operation of his Spirit with the Ministry of the Word : As when our Saviour raised Lazarus from the dead , he cryed with a loud voice , Lazarus come forth , and he that was dead received life , and came forth , Ioh. 11.43 , 44. Others could have spoken the same words as our Saviour , and cryed over the grave with as loud a voice , Lazarus come forth , but with no effect ; the dead man would have remained still in the state of the dead , whatever any man could have spoken or done ; but when our Saviour spake the words , the dead man was quickened ; there went forth a vertue and efficacy , a divine power and spirit with our Saviours words which raised him from the dead ; so uncommissioned persons may entrench upon the work of the Ministry , and preach the Gospel , speak words of salvation , and cry to sinners to leave their sins , to arise from their spiritual death , to come forth from their graves , they may exhort them to repent and believe , that they may be saved , and yet none of their words be likely to take impression , and effect a saving change in the heart , because being out of Gods way they cannot expect Gods blessing ; but Ministers are qualified and commissioned for the work , and through Gods blessing there is a life and power goeth along with their preaching , which maketh it effectual for salvation : no wonder then if such as are led by the Spirit do choose to hear Ministers preach ( refusing others ) that they may be safely guided by them in the way of life and salvation . SECT . XIII . Vse 2. FOR Reproof 1. Of Ministers . 2. Of People . ( 1. ) Are Ministers to tell people words whereby they may be saved ? this then reproves such Ministers , 1. As do not preach at all : 2. As do not preach soul-saving Truths : 3. As do not preach in such a Way as is likely to do good . But my business being chiefly to speak unto People , I shall pass by this Use. ( 2. ) People are here to be reproved , unto whom the Lord sends faithfull Ministers to tell them such words whereby they may be saved . 1. It reproves such as persecute such Ministers ; that are of such a spirit as the wicked Iewes of old spoken of , 1 Thess. 2.15 , 16. Who both killed the Lord Iesus and their own Prophets , and persecuted us ; and they please not God , and are contrary unto all men ; forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles , that they may be saved , to fill up their sin alway , for wrath is come upon them to the uttermost . Some there are that persecute Ministers with the tongue , by reproaching of them , others persecute Ministers with the hand by imprisoning of them , and many other wayes afflicting of them , seeking the extirpation of them , as persons not fit to live upon the face of the earth ; thus ungratefully they endeavour the ruine of them that desire and seek their salvation , and foolishly endeavour to blow out the light which would shew them the way to Heaven . 2. It reproves such , who if they do not persecute Ministers , yet hate them , bear a secret spight and enmity in their hearts against them ; and the reason is because they testifie that their works are evil , upon which account our Saviour was hated , Ioh. 7.7 . they hate them because they reprove them for their sins , and disturb their Consciences sometimes , by sounding peals of Judgement in their ears , that they cannot sin with that freedom and security as they desire : Poor souls , how will they endure the pains of Hell themselves , that cannot endure the sore-thoughts of them , and hate them which bring such sad thoughts into their mindes , though it be in order to their escape ? Would any of you hate a neighbour that should cry aloud in the dead of the night , Fire , fire , and bounce at your doors , and awaken you out of your sleep , to warn you of a Fire drawing neer to your habitation , which if not prevented would burn house and goods and persons together ? And what do Ministers more than cry Fire , fire , and tell you of your near approach to everlasting burnings , in which without some speedy course taken for prevention , will certainly seize upon you , and consume you everlastingly ? And have any reason to be troubled and offended , and hate Ministers for awakening them upon such an account as this , when their souls lie at stake , and are in such danger ? A Physician of the body is not hated , that tells his Patient that his disease is dangerous , which if let alone without taking such a remedy will certainly be his death : And have any reason to hate Ministers who are Physicians of the Soul , because they tell men of the disease of sin , which if not cured by the blood of Christ will certainly and may suddenly bring eternal death ? 3. It reproves such , who if they do not so deeply hate Ministers , yet will not be perswaded to hear them ; such as are so drencht in the World , and so over head and ears in worldly business , that they minde nothing else . If any could tell them of a good bargain , or some notable way of thriving in their Estates , such a one they would visit and hear , and O how would they relish such discourses ! But though Ministers give notice of the best bargain that ever was made , and bring tydings of the most notable way of thriving , namely of the way of thriving in spiritual and heavenly riches , and shew men how they may gain pardon , and peace , and the favour of God , and the graces of the Spirit , and escape future misery , and attain salvation and everlasting happiness ; yet like Gallio they minde none of these things , they will not step over the threshold to hear Ministers preach the Gospel of salvation ; and how shall they escape who neglect so great salvation ? Heb. 2.3 . 4. It reproves such , who if they do hear Ministers , yet do not understand them ; that are so dull of hearing , that they know not what Ministers say , nor whereof they affirm ; that gather about a Minister as beasts about a Man that sounds a Trumpet , and stare upon him , but know not what the meaning of the sound is ; so they hear Ministers , and look and stare upon them , some strange things are brought to their ears , which they know not the meaning of , and are like words of another language to them , because their eyes are closed , and they want spiritual sense and discerning ; and a great reason is , because they do not desire , and will not take pains to get an understanding in these things , by beginning first with the Principles of Religion in the Catechisme , and begging earnestly for the teachings of the Spirit , and readiness to do according to what they already know . 5. It reproves such , who if they have some notional knowledge of the Doctrine of salvation preached by Ministers , yet they do not believe the Doctrine : their words seem to them like idle tales , or some cunningly devised Fable ; they do not receive it as the Word of Truth , as the Word of God , which effectually worketh in them that believe , 1 Thess. 2.3 . they feel no effectual operation of the Word in the change of their hearts , and the change of their lives ; they that were filthy are filthy still ; and they that were unjust are unjust still ; and they that were Drunkards , and Swearers , and the like , go on still in their sinful course , whatever notion they have of sin , and whatever discovery of their danger , and Saviour , and way of salvation by him ; which is an evidence that they do not believe ; and this unbelief is the great God-provoking and Soul-damning sin ; such make God a lyar , 1 Ioh. 5.10 . but they will find him to be true to their cost and pain . 6. It reproves such , who if they have some notional knowledge , and historical Faith , yet do not relish the Words of salvation which are preached by Ministers ; 1. Those that do not relish the things , who make no account of salvation , as if there were no desireableness therein : 2. Those that if they desire salvation from Hell-torments and future misery , yet they do not relish the terms , they do not like the Lords Yoak , they will not bear his Cross , they will not be perswaded to deny themselves , to mortifie the deeds of the body ; they could like to be saved from Hell , but they do not like to be saved from sin ; they could like to have Christ to be their High-Priest and Advocate , but they will not have him to be their King and Lord , and will not have him to reign over them : To part with all sin , and to be universally holy , to lay down Estate , Liberty , Life it self , at the Lords feer , and be resolved to suffer the loss of all , if they stand in competition with Christ ; are such hard sayings that they cannot bear : But how hard will it be for them to bear the loss of Heaven and happiness , and endure the dreadfull , eternal wrath of God in Hell , as they shall certainly do , who will not accept of salvation upon the terms of the Gospel . SECT . XIV . Vse 3. ARE Ministers to tell People Words whereby they may be saved ? I shall then endeavour to put in practice this duty of Ministers , in telling you words whereby you may be saved . In order to your salvation , I shall speak , 1. Some Words to try you whether you be in a state of Salvation . 2. Some Words to move you to endeavour after your Salvation . 3. Some Words to guide you in the way to attain Salvation . 1. The first words shall be to try you , whether you be in a state of Salvation ; and here I must put you upon the tryall of your selves , wherein I may give you some help ; take the Exhortation of the Apostle , 2 Cor. 13.5 . Examine your selves , whether ye be in the Faith , prove your own selves . Examine your selves by the Rule of the Word : And because these Words are chiefly intended in order to the salvation of such as have not yet attained it ; to prepare them for the following Motives and Directions , which , if they mistook themselves to have already attained to a state of salvation , would likely do them no good : Therefore I shall briefly out of the Word of God give Some Characters of such as are not in a state of Salvation . 1. Ignorant persons are not in a state of salvation . See this Isa. 27.11 . It is a people of no understanding , therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them , and he that formed them will shew them no favour : Those that are grosly ignorant of the Fundamental Truths of Religion , concerning God and Christ , the lost estate of Man since the fall , the way of Salvation , Repentance , Faith , the Resurrection from the dead , the last Judgement , and the future Rewards and Punishments in Heaven and Hell , and the like Principles of Religion , which are necessary to be known in order to salvation , they cannot for the present be in a state of Salvation ; the meanest understanding is capable of knowing these things by the teachings of the Word and Spirit , therefore such as do neglect the means of Instruction , and do not search the Word , and cry to God for it , but nuzzle up themselves in an affected ignorance in these things , are inexcusable in their fault , and will bring unavoidable destruction upon themselves , Hos. 4.6 . My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge . 2. Negligent persons are not in a state of salvation , I mean such as neglect their salvation . Heb. 2.3 . How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ? Such as do not value and prize this great salvation purchased by Christ , and published in the Gospel ; such as never were made sensible of their need hereof ; such as never had any great desires after it ; such as never took any pains in the use of means to obtain it ; all which are evidences of their neglect , they cannot escape the dreadfull punishment of Hell , which is prepared for such persons . Such as are diligent to make provision for their Bodies , but neglect the salvation of their souls ; if they persevere in this negligence they must needs miss of salvation . 3. Impenitent persons are not in a state of salvation . Luk. 13.3 . Except ye repent , ye shall all likewise perish . All are guilty of sin original , and actual , and have matter for repentance ; such as have an obdurate and impenitent heart , which never was broken , and melted , and humbled ; which never was affected with true evangelical sorrow for sin ; but on the contrary , can commit sin with delight , rolling it as a sweet morsel under their tongue , which they will not part withall , they must needs perish everlastingly , if they should die in this estate ; the word is express , that iniquity will be the ruine of the impenitent , Ezek. 18 30. 4. Vnregenerate persons are not in a state of salvation . Ioh. 3.3 . Except a man be born again , he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Such as never had a gracious change wrought in their hearts , that are asleep in sin , and never were awakened ; as are dead in sin , and never were quickened ; such as have old natures and old hearts , and never were renewed ; that never put off as concerning their former conversation the old man which is corrupt , according to deceitfull ●usts , and put on the new man , which is created in righteousness and true holiness , Eph. 4.22 , 24. they are uncapable whilest such , of this salvation , there is no entrance for them into the Kingdom of Heaven . 5. Christless persons are not in a state of salvation , 2 Cor. 13.5 . Know ye not your own selves , that Iesus Christ is in you , except ye be Reprobates . Such as have not Christ , and are not themselves in Christ , they are for the present in a state of Reprobation ; It is Christ only can save ; those that are without Christ , that are not united to him by Faith and the Spirit , that are Unbelievers without Faith , and carnal without the Spirit , they cannot , whilest such , be saved . 6. Vnsanctified persons are not in a state of salvation . Heb. 12.14 . Without holiness none shall see God. Such as are unholy , such as live after the flesh shall die , none but those that through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body shall live , Rom. 8.13 . 7. And in a word , Disobedient persons are not in a state of salvation . Heb. 5.9 . He became the author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him , to none else ; and Eph. 5.6 . The wrath of God cometh upon the Children of disobedience . Such as walk in a course of disobedience , as live and allow themselves in the practice of known sins , whatever they be , they are children of wrath because children of disobedience . The Scriptures are so plain , that I need without many words of mine , only lay them before you , as a Glass wherein you may discern your spiritual state . Try your selves by these places , these Texts will reach all that are not in a state of salvation . SECT . XV. II. THE second words shall be to move you to endeavour after your Salvation . The Motives to stir up you to endeavour your salvation may be drawn , 1. From the consideration of your selves , Whom you should endeavour the salvation of . 2. From the consideration of the salvation which you should endeavour to obtain . 3. From the consideration of the Damnation of all such as do not obtain salvation . Motive 1. From the consideration of your selves , whom you should endeavour the salvation of : It is the salvation of your selves , which I would press you unto ; It was the exhortation of the Apostle , Phil. 2.12 . Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling , and this is my exhortation of you this day , Labour after your own salvation : If I were to perswade you to do some great kindness for another , were it a difficult thing and like to cost you much labour and trouble , I should not likely prevail ; but when I am perswading you to do a kindness for your selves , and the greatest kindness in the World , even to endeavour after the salvation of your selves ; methinks the natural Love which you bear to your selves should induce you to hearken and do whatever is requisite in order hereunto , though it cannot be done without difficulty and trouble . How far will carnal self-love carry carnal men ? what difficulties will they go thorow ? what expences of time and pains and strength will they be at ? how will some rise up early and sit up late , deny themselves food and rest and many comforts of this 〈◊〉 ? how will others comp●ss Sea and Land and hazzard life it self , and all to get an estate in the wo●d for themselves ? and should not spiritual 〈◊〉 , which is the only reall self-love , carry y●● n●●●ow difficulties ? should you think much of ex●●●nding time and pains that you may get salvation for your selves ? carnal self-love will bring destruction and misery upon such as are swayed by it , and in the issue will prove self hatred ; as you really love your selves , as you would escape the most dreadful misery , and obtain the chiefest happiness for your selves , labour after salvation for your selves . Your self , your Persons do consist of two parts , namely , Soul and Body ; it is the salvation of both , which I exhort you unto . 1. Consider , it is the salvation of your Souls which I would have you endeavour after , the salvation of your precious souls ; your souls are more precious than your bodies , and they are more precious than the whole world . 1. Your souls are more precious than your bodies , they are by far your more excellent part : the original of your soul is more immediately from God : he formeth the spirit of man within him , Zach. 12.1 . they are beams , they are streams that issue forth immediately from God ; moreover they carry more of the impress and image of God upon them as they are invisible , spiritual , rational , free , immortal ; they have also more high and excellent operations than the body is capable of , as of the understanding , conscience , memory , will , affections ; and I may add that if there be any lustre upon the body , it doth receive it from the soul , when the soul is gone , the beauty is gone ; whatever motion or use there is in the body , it doth depend on the soul ; when the soul is departed , the body can neither hear , nor speak , nor see , nor walk , nor do any business ; the body is a rotten stinking carkass without the soul ; and whilest the soul doth abide in it , the body is the inferiour part , the body is but the Cabinet , the soul is the Jewel ; the body is but the house of clay , the soul is the living inhabitant ; the body is as it were the beast ( as one saith Corpus homini jumentum ) which the soul doth make use of to carry it from one place to another ; the body is the servant , it is the soul that rules , O labour then after the salvation of your souls , which are your most excellent part ; what care do some take to preserve their bodies ? much more reason have you to endeavour the salvation of your souls : when London's Fire was burning the houses , those who could not save all their goods , took care to save those which were the most precious , especially their money and jewells ; O whatever become of your bodies here , whatever sickness or hardship they be exposed unto , labour to save your jewels , your precious souls ; the Cabinet will be spoilt , the clay and mudd-wall will be broken down , and the soul will survive the body ; O take heed that when your souls come forth of their houses of clay , that they be not cast into the deep and dark prison of Hell. 2. Your souls are more precious than the who●e world ; our Saviour esteem'd them so , and he best knew the worth of souls , who knew the mak●ng of them , and made purchase of so many lost souls , see Matth. 16.26 . What is a man profited , if he shall gain the whole world , and lose his own soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? Suppose that you had your hearts-desire in the world , that your baggs should throng in your Coffers , till there were no more room ; your gold and silver should encrease without number ; suppose you had great possessions abroad , large revenues , stately houses , fruitful gardens and orchards , pleasant groves and walks , spacious fields and meadows , which as the Poet saith , would weary the wings of a Kite to fly over in a day , suppose that you had sweet and beautiful wives at home , like loving Hindes and pleasant Roes unto you , like fruitful Vines about your houses , that you had towardly and hopeful Children like Olive-plants round about your Tables ; that you had most kind and faithfull friends of most pleasant conversation ; that you had servan●s , horses , chariots , coaches , doggs , hawks , and all sorts of serviceable and delightful creatures , the best and in the greatest number at your commands to attend your pleasure : suppose you were cloathed with purple , wrapped in fine linnen , adorned with gold and silver , and pretious stones , and had the most rich and glorious Attire that the greatest cost and art could make for you : suppose that your food were most delicious , that Aire , Earth , and the Sea were ransack'd to provide dainties for your Table ; that your courses were served up with the most rich and generous Wine , the most sweet and harmonious musick : suppose that you were laden with titles of honour , and had all the Crowns and Scepters of the earth laid at your feet , and that the whole world had you in the highest esteem , and were in willing subjection unto you ; yet what would it profit you to gain all these things , or any thing else that the heart of man could desire in the world , and lose your souls , which are a thousand fold more pretious : the gain of these things are but for the body , and but for a while ; whereas the loss of the soul is for ever ; and when the soul is lost , all is lost ; when the soul leaveth the body , a period is put to all earthly enjoyments ; and the more you have of these things , the more grievous will it be to part with them ; Think with your selves that you must dye certainly , and may dye suddenly , and then , if not before , you will acknowledge the worlds vanity and the preciousness of your souls , which are of longer duration than the age of ten thousand worlds put together , and what is the gain of the world which is so transitory and temporal , in comparison with the loss of the soul which is immortal , and whose loss is irrepairable : a loss in the estate may be recovered , Riches may fly away upon the wing , and sometimes return upon the wing again , as in the case of Iob ; but the loss of the soul can never be recovered ; when once the soul hath taken wing and is fled into the lower regions , it will never find wings to return again to its former estate : O therefore whatever you lose , take heed you do not lose your souls , your souls are very precious , seek after their salvation . 2. It is the salvation also of your Bodies which I would have you endeavour after : I do not mean the salvation of your bodies from sufferings , which Religion doth sometimes call you unto ; nor a salvation of your bodies from sickness and temporal death , which Religion doth not exempt any from ; but the salvation of your bodies from perpetual death and pain of Hell ; you may pamper your flesh for a while on Earth , which may make it a more fit bait for the Worms in the grave , and your bodies after death may be at rest , and take a sweet sleep for many years in the dust ; but there is a morning approaching after the long night of death and many hours of darkness , in which the graves will be opened and the dead will be awakened , and then your bodies will come forth of the dust ; and they will be adjudged by Christ unto most horrid and endless torments in Hell , to burn for ever in unquencheable Fire , if you be found under the guilt of sin : O therefore labour after the salvation of your Bodies ; when your bodies now are sick , you endeavour to get them cured , when they are full of pain , you use means to get the pain removed ; and you will fly as fast and as far as you can from natural Death , and you will do much to lengthen out and strengthen the thred of your life , though do what you can , it will in time be cut asunder , and death which hath you upon the chase will overtake and overcome you whatever resistance be made ; O labour to get deliverance from the pains of body which are prepared in Hell for the damned : Fly , O Fly from eternal Death and the strokes of Gods wrath which will come upon the bodies of the wicked hereafter ; if you would not have those faces scorched , those eyes and tongues and hands rosted , and that flesh broiled and fearfully tormented in the flames of Hell fire , labour after salvation . As you love then your selves , your souls and bodies , seek after your salvation . SECT . XVI . Motive 2. FRom the consideration of the Salvation which you should endeavour to obtain ; and here I shall set before you some properties of this salvation to move you the more effectually to seek after it . 1. It is a great Salvation . 2. It is a rare Salvation . 3. It is a necessary Salvation . 4. It is a possible Salvation . 5. It is a neer Salvation . 6. It is an evident Salvation . 7. It is a free Salvation . 8. It is a sure Salvation . 1. It is a great Salvation , and that both in regard of the thing it self , and in regard of the causes of it . ( 1. ) It is great in regard of the thing it self . As in Motion , so in Salvation there is the terminus à quo , and the terminus ad quem , the term from which , and the term to which ; that which people are in Salvation delivered from , and that which in Salvation they attain unto , both which are exceeding great . 1. That which people in Salvation are delivered from . There are six great evils which those that are saved are delivered from . 1. From sin , the greatest evil of all , from the guilt of sin , Eph. 1.7 . and the power , the reigning power of sin , Rom. 6 14. 2. From Sathan the greatest enemy of all , from his power and tyranny , Col. 1.13 . 2 Tim. 2.26 . 3. From the Law , the evil which it occasioneth , namely , the provoking to concupiscence and disobedience , Rom. 7.5 , 6. and the evil which it denounceth , namely Gods curse , Gal. 3.10 , 13. 4. From the world , not in regard of their place , but in regard of their course , Gal. 1.4 . Ioh. 15.19 . Ioh. 17.16 . 5. From Death , the sting of death , and the fear of death , at least the grounds of fear , Heb. 2.14 , 15. 6. From wrath , the wrath of God which is to come , 1 Thes. 1.10 . 2. This Salvation is great in regard of that which in Salvation people do attain unto . All the priviledges of the Gospel are wrapt up and included in the word Salvation . Election is the foundation of it ; Effectual calling is the begining of it , Justification , Adoption and Sanctification are contained in it , and Glorification is the consummation of it . This Salvation then is great in regard of the thing it self . ( 2. ) This Salvation is great in regard of the causes of it . 1. Efficient . 2. Meritorious . 3. Instrumental . 4. Finall . 1. This Salvation is a great Salvation in regard of the efficient cause , and that is God the Father : Salvation is ascribed to him as the author , Tit. 3.5 . According to his mercy he saved us . God is the cause of our Salvation , 1. as he hath chosen us unto Salvation , Eph. 1.4 . As he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world : which Election being of Free grace , we are said to be saved by Grace , Eph. 2 5. 2. As he hath sent his only begotten Son into the world , to purchase Salvation for us , Joh. 3.16 . God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life . Gal. 4.4 , 5. When the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son , made of a Woman , made under the Law , to redeem them which were under the Law , that we might receive the Adoption of Sons . 3. As he revealeth this Salvation unto us by the Preaching of the Gospel , for which end he qualifyeth and sends his Ministers upon this Embassage to make known the glad tydings of Salvation . 4. As he conferrs Salvation actually upon us in our effectual calling , Justification , Adoption , Sanctification and Glorification , all these are from God. Now that must needs be a great Salvation which is effected by the great God , especially if we consider that it is the greatest and most glorious of all his works in the world , and unto which all his other works have some kind of tendency . 2. This Salvation is a great Salvation in regard of the meritorious cause , and that is the Lord Jesus Christ , the excellency and greatness of whose nature , office and sufferings do demonstrate the greatness of this Salvation which was purchased by him . The sufferings of Christ were most properly the meritorious cause of mans salvation , and they were the greatest sufferings that ever were endured , insomuch as 1. They were the sufferings of the greatest person ; as man he was the head of the creation in regard of dignity , he was a greater King than Solomon , Matth. 12.42 . a greater Prophet than Moses , Heb. 3.3 . a greater Priest than Aaron , even a Priest after the order of Melchisedec , Heb. 7. Moreover he was God as well as man , God manifested in the flesh , 1 Tim. 3.16 . and though the Godhead could not properly suffer , yet through its union in the same p●rson to the Manhood , it put an efficacy in his suffering , and strengthened the humane nature to undergo greater sufferings as to the value of them in that short space of time , than all the Angels and Men in the world ( had their strength been united together in one person ) could have endured , if the greatest extremity of misery had been layd upon such a one unto all eternity : For 2. The sufferings of Christ were equivalent unto eternal death , and ●he torments of the damned in Hell , yea they were far exceeding , as is evident , because Gods infinite Justice is hereby fully satisfied , and there is sufficiency of merit in them for the redemption of the whole world not only of Believers , but also of Unbelievers , not only of Men but of Devils too : Christs sufferings were of infinite value , not in regard of the sufferings , but in regard of the Divine nature so closely united unto the Humane nature : Therefore the salvation purchased by these sufferings must needs be a great salvation . 3. This salvation is a great salvation in regard of the Instrumental Cause , and that is Faith ; faith is a grace of great worth and excellency , insomuch as it doth not spring from any root or power of nature , but is wrought by the power of God , and requireth such exceeding great power in the effecting of it ; we read of the exceeding greatness of Gods power towards them that believe according to the working of his mighty power , Eph. 1.19 . which shews that the salvation is great which is effected by this grace of Faith. 4. This salvation is a great salvation in regard of the Final Cause , and that is the manifestation of Gods glory : 1. The glory of his Wisdom in contriving such a way for Mans salvation , which no created understanding could have tho●ght of : 2. The glory of his Justice which is as fully satisfied through Christs sufferings , as if all Believers had been eternally punished : 3. And chiefly the glory of his free grace and mercy , which is set forth and magnified so eminently in all the degrees of mans salvation , that nothing may be ascribed unto Man , but all unto God alone . Thus you see , that this salvation is a great salvation in regard of the Thing it self , and in regard of the Causes of it . It is so great salvation as it hath no comparison , and is beyond expression , therefore labour to attain t●is salvation ; some endeavour to get a great Estate , others to get great Friends , others to get great honour and repute in the world , do you labour to obtain this great salvation which doth exceed all in greatness , it is a high and noble design , and is worthy your uttermost care and diligence in seeking after it ; other things are but small things , meer toyes and trifles in comparison ; nothing in the world hath the least degree of worth , compared with this so great s●lvation . I shall be more brief in speaking of the other properties of this salvation . II. This salvation is a Rare Salvation : I mean , that few do obtain it ; Many are called , few are chosen , Matth. 20.16 . Many are damned , few are saved : There are many troops of sinners that are posting in the broad way of destruction , it is but a thin scattered company that are pressing forward in the narrow way of life and salvation ; this is evident from the Answer of our Saviour upon the Question propounded unto him , Luk. 13.23 , 24. Then said one unto him , Lord are there few that he saved ? And he said unto them , Strive to enter in at the strait gate , for many I say unto you will seek to enter in , and shall not be able . In which words he doth in eff●ct say , that Few , very Few should be saved , for he tells them plainly , that the gate of salvation is a strait gate , and many cannot pass thorow a strait gate ; and although many should seek to enter in at this gate , yet they should not be able ; and if many that seek to enter in shall not be able , then it follows , that none of those which do not seek to enter in shall be able : Hence then we may gather a strong argument to prove , that very few shall be saved ; If the most of men and women in the world do not seek salvation at all , and they cannot possibly attain it , and many that seek salvation shall never finde it , then there are but few that shall be saved ; but the most in the world do not seek salvation at all , to say nothing of the Heathen world which is by many degrees the far greater part of the world , who sit in darkness , and from whom the Gospel of salvation is hid , and therefore are expresly said to be lost , 2 Cor. 4.3 . Even in the Christian world where the light of the Gospel doth shine , the most of men and women , that bear the name of Christians , are ignorant , or profane , or only civil and morall , and live in the total neglect of the salvation of the Gospel , and such cannot possibly attain salvation that do not at all seek after it : And of them that make some profession of Religion , and do something in order to salvation , many shall not be able to attain it ; our Saviour saith , that many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able , because they do not seek in a right manner , because they do not seek salvation chiefly ; they seek the satisfaction of their lusts , before the salvation of their souls ; because they do not seek it diligently , they are careless and formal in the use of the means of salvation ; they seek , but they do not strive to enter in at the strait gate ; they do not press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling , and therefore they fall short and miss of it ; there are but few that strive to enter in at the strait gate , that strive as wrestlers in wrestling , or racers in running , or warriours in fighting , as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie ; few that seek their salvation above all other things , and with all their heart and might , few that are resolved for salvation whatever it cost them , whatever they do , or suffer for it , unto which resolution and endeavour all must come , or else they cannot be saved , and these being so few , certainly there are but few that shall be saved . More plainly our Saviour speaks to the same purpose , Math. 7.13 , 14. Enter ye in at the strait gate , for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction , and many there be which go in thereat ; because strait is the gate and narrow the way which leadeth unto life , and few there be that finde it . The gate and way of sin which leads to death and Hell , are wide and broad , and the most in the world are passing thorow this gate , and walking in this way ; the course of the world is a course of sin , the end of which course is destruction , and the reason why so many go in at the gate of sin , which is the outer gate of Hell , is , because strait is the gate , and narrow the way which leadeth unto life ; because of the difficulties in the way of life and salvation , which require much pains and diligence if we would go thorow them ; we must give all diligence , if we would make our calling and election sure , 2 Pet. 1.10 . We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling , if we would attain salvation , Phil. 1.12 . we must labour if we would enter into Rest , Heb. 4.12 . we must strive if we would enter in at the strait gate , Luk. 13.24 . we must run if we would obtain the prize , 1 Cor. 9.24 . we must fight the good fight of Faith if we would lay hold on eternal life , 1 Tim. 6.12 . the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence , saith our Saviour , and the violent take it by force , Math. 11.12 . we must lay siege to Heaven , if we would take it , and wi●h force and violence overcome those potent enemies , the Devil , the Flesh , and the World , who would draw or drive us away from the walls and gates of the New Ierusalem . It is not an easie thing to be saved , the way to Heaven is narrow , and it lyeth up hill , our endeavours for Heaven especially at the first , are like climbing up a steep hill , like hewing a way thorow hard rocks , like swimming against a strong stream , like cutting hard wood against the grain ; and because of the opposition and difficulty in the way of salvation , therefore there be but few that finde the path thereof ; most choose a broader and easier way . It is evident then from what hath been said , that this salvation is Rare and scarce , the consideration whereof should not discourage you , but quicken you unto the greater diligence in your endeavours after it ; the rarity of it sheweth the worth and excellency of it ; Jewels and precious stones are rare and hard to be got ; what difficulties will some goe thorow ? what dangerous voyages unto the uttermost parts of the Earth will some undertake , to bring home some rare things ? but especially the consideration withall of the necessity of salvatio● ( of which in the next particular ) should quicken you to seek after it . Think with your selves ( my beloved ) think seriously , and think frequently , that there are but few that shall be saved ; and then examine , what reason you have to think that you are in the number of those few : When our Saviour told his Disciples that but one of them should betray him , they looked one upon another , and every one asked him , Lord is it I ? there was none of them without their fears which made them so inquisitive , and they seem to be in pain untill they are resolved ; what then would they have thought and said ? how fearfull would they have been , if our Saviour had told them that the most of them should have betrayed him , yea that all of them should betray him , but one ? May not I without uncharitableness say , that not one in twelve , no nor one in twenty , no nor one in a hundred in this City and Nation shall be saved ? If I should tell you that hear me this day , that some of you will be damned , yea that many of you will be damned , yea that most of you will be damned , and that but few of this great company will be saved , should I be a false Prophet ? I will not say it will be thus , neither can I do it , because this is Gods secret ; much less do I desire it should be thus , for the end of my preaching is , that you all might be saved ; but let me tell you , that I fear that many of you here present will be found in the number of those many our Saviour speaketh of , that shall seek to enter in at the strait gate , and shall not be able ; our Saviour told his Auditors , that flocked to hear him , thus , and are you better than they ? you all seek to enter in at the strait gate , by coming into this place where the Gospel is preached , and where the gate is set open before you ; but are there not many amongst you that seek in a careless and negligent manner ? May not I say of all the seekers here , that there are but few that strive to enter in at the strait gate ? Do you all , or the most look as if you had your eye upon the mark and glorious prize before you , and were pressing with all your might towards it ? do you hear as if it were for your lives , as if you might hear words this day whereby you may be saved ? do you pray and seek as if you were in earnest , as if you were resolved to take Heaven by violence , and whatever you were denyed in , would not be denyed your salvation ? Such as do not strive shall never get thorow the strait gate . Think with your selves , It may be that many in this place shall be damned , and then say , Shall not I ? shall not I ? and O what a miserable wretch shall I be if I should be damned ! if I should get only to the gate of Heaven , and not get thorow ! if I should come only to the borders of the Heavenly Canaan , and dye in the Wilderness ! if I should be found in the number of the negligent seekers which will miss of salvation ? What grounds have I to think that I shall be saved ? there are but few , can I think that I am in the number of the few ? Methinks this consideration of the Rarity of salvation should awaken you to give earnest heed that with the most that seek it , you may not miss of it . 3. This salvation is a necessary salvation : the great difficulty of obtaining some precious things discourageth the endeavours of the most in seeking after them , especially when they may be well enough without them ; but this salvation is necessary , you cannot be without it ; it is of absolute and universal necessity ; some things you may have , this you must have ; without it you are undone , you will be irrecoverably and eternally miserable ; there is no medium , no middle condition between salvation and damnation ( of which more by and by ) : some things are necessary to the body , but salvation is necessary to your happiness , without it there is no possibility ( in this fallen state ) of obtaining the chief end , the chief good which you are capable of ; without this no coming neer to God in whom your chiefest happiness doth consist , no vision or fruition of him either in part here , or in full and eternally hereafter . Some men have need of one thing , and some of another , but all the men and women in the world have need of salvation , because all are sinners , all are children of wrath by nature . There is not one person amongst you all but have been guilty of sin , for the whole world is guilty before God , Rom. 3.19 . and every moment of your lives you are exposed unto the punishment of sin in Hell , unless you are brought into a state of salvation . It is necessary therefore that all of you should above all things seek after your salvation . 4. This salvation is a possible salvation ; though there were never so much worth and excellency in , never so much necessity of this salvation , yet if there were an impossibility of obtaining it , all arguments would be used in vain to press any to endeavour after it ; but this salvation is possible , it is possible that you should attain it , that the meanest of you , the vilest of you , yea that every one of you that hear these words may attain it . 1. The meanest of you may attain this salvation , and that 1. Such of you as are of the meanest parts , though you have neither humane learning , nor capacity or ability for it ; though your judgement be shallow , your fancy and invention dull , your memory weak , and so could never understand and retain the many Arts and Sciences in Philosophy , and the divers kinds of Languages , which learned men have written their books in ; yet you are capable of being made the Schollars and Disciples of Jesus Christ , and he can teach the dullest and shallowest of you all the deep mysteries of salvation by his Spirit , yea and he can give you a greater understanding in them , than the wisest and most learned men that are without the Spirit do attain unto ; For he hideth those things from the wise and prudent which he revealeth unto babes , Matth. 11.25 . And the natural man , let him be never so learned a man , receiveth not the things of the Spirit , neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned , 1 Cor. 2.14 . And therefore when not many wise men af●er the flesh are called , God chooseth the foolish things of the world to exalt the riches of his free grace in their salvation , 1 Cor. 1.26 , 27 , 31. Surgunt ind●cti & rapiunt coelum , quum nos cum omni doctrinà in Gehennam detrudimur , saith one . The unlearned arise , and take Heaven by violence , when we with all our learning are violently thrown down into Hell. So that you who are of no learning , and but mean natural abilities , have encouragement to seek after this salvation of the Gospel , seeing the Lord can teach you by his Spirit , and it doth better suit with his design of glorifying his free grace in bestowing it upon such as you , rather than on the wise and learned men of the world , who would be apt to ascribe the glory unto themselves . 2. Such of you as are not only of the meanest parts , but also of the meanest condition in the World , may attain this Salva●ion ; the poor have the Gospel preached unto them , Matth. 11.5 . If with poverty in regard of Estate , you are also poor in spirit , the riches of grace and salvation are tendered freely unto you ; read for your encouragement what the Apostle saith , Iam. 2.5 . Hearken my beloved Brethren , hath not God chosen the poor of this World , rich in Faith , and H●irs of the Kingdom , which he hath promised unto them that lo●● him . If you were to seek some great favour from an Earthly Prince , your mean attire and condition might keep you at a distance ; and you might have no regard given to your request , should it have a hearing ; The Petitions of the great and rich are heard in Courts on Earth , when the poor and mean are despised : but the King of Heaven doth regard the rich no more than the poor , Iob 34.19 . And if you seek diligently after this Salvation , you may have as free access to the Lord as any , and your Petitions shall be heard in the Court of Heaven , and you shall certainly obtain this Salvation which you seek after . 2. The vilest of you all may attain Salvation ; Some of you it may be have been notorious sinners , your consciences do accuse you of such great sins , with such hainous aggravations , that you may be discouraged and out of hope that such as you should be saved ; you have offered such high affronts and indignities unto the highest Majesty that you think he can never put them up ; you have run so deep and so long upon the score , that you think the scores can never be wiped off ; if they had been smaller faults , or more ordinary slips , or you had sought after Salvation sooner , you might have hoped to speed , but now you fear the door of mercy is shut , and the day of Grace is spent , and there is no pardon and salvation for such vile sinners as you : But let me tell you that the vilest of you all may attain Salvation , the door of mercy is not so fast shut as yet , but by knocking hard it may be opened ; and so long as the day of your life is continued , and the means of grace are continued , you cannot say that the day of grace is quite 〈◊〉 ; there is salvation attainable by the worst of you all , if you will look after it ; our Saviour tells us of Publicans and Harlots that entred into the Kingdom of Heaven sooner than the Pharisees who boasted in their own righteousness , Matth. 21.31 . He conversed with , and called the worst of sinners to repentance , Matth. 9.11 , 13. Inde●d when the Apostle maketh mention of notorious sinners , he telleth us , that such whilest such , could not be saved , 1 Cor. 6.9 , 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God , Be not deceived , neither Fornicators , nor Idolaters , nor Adulterers , nor ●ffeminate , nor Abusers of th●mselves with Mankind , nor Thieves , nor Covetous , no● Drunkards , nor Revilers , nor Extortioners , shall inherit the Kingdom of God. Those that are such notorious sinners , and continue in the practice of such sins without repentance , they cannot be saved ; but withall he addeth in the 11. verse , that some of them had been such sinners , but were now in a state of Salvation through their interest in Jesus Christ , and the operation of the Spirit of God upon their hearts , And such were some of you ; but ye are washed , but ye are sanctified , but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus , and by the spirit of our God ; they were justified , their sins pardoned and persons accepted , in the name of the Lord Jesus , through the imputation of his righteousness unto them , and they were washed and sanctified by the Spirit of God , through infusion of Grace by the Spirit into them : I might add further inst●nces of notorious sinners who have been saved , as Manasses , Mary Magdalen , Paul , who before Conversion calleth himself the chiefest of sinners , yet obtained Mercy and Salvation ; and let me tell you moreover , that if you repent now and apply your selves to Christ , the greater your sins have been , the more will Gods glory be illustrated in your Salvation , and the abounding of your sins will make way for the super-abounding of his grace . 3. All of you that hear these words may obtain Salvation , it is possible that every one of you in this place may be saved ; it would be a rare thing , but it is a possible thing : indeed there are but few that shall be saved ; but who knoweth but all of you may be found in the number of those few ; and O how would it rejoyce my heart to see all those faces in Heaven whom I see here this day to hear the words of Salvation . Be encouraged to seek after your salvation by the possibility of obtaining . Now salvation is possible for all of you that have not as yet attained it ; but let me add , that it will not be possible long for you all ; whilst you are in the land of the living it is possible , though you be condemned to Hell for sin whilst unbelievers , Ioh. 3.18 . He that believeth not is condemned already ; yet the sentence of condemnation is traversible , you may appeal from the Court of the Law , to the Court of Chancery ; you may fly from the bar of Gods justice , unto the throne of grace ; and if you heartily repent of sin , and by faith lay hold on Christ , you may obtain pardon and salvation : Whilst the reprieve of your life lasteth , salvation is attainable ; but when once your life is come to an end ( which you know not how soon it may be ) and you be found in a state of impenitency and unbelief , then the percullis will be shutt down upon you for ever ; then the black flag will be hung out ; then the talent of lead will seal up the measure of your wickedness ; and your condemnation will be irreversible ; when the day of your life is spent , the day of grace will be spent too , and the door of mercy will be shut upon you for ever ; and it will be impossible for any of you that have not attained , then to attain salvation . 5. This salvation is a neer Salvation . Say not in your heart , Who shall ascend up into Heaven to learn what it is there ? or who shall descend into the deep to bring notice of it from thence ? or who shall take the wings of the morning , and fly into the uttermost parts of the earth thence to bring tydings of it to you ? for the word of salvation is near unto you , it is brought home to your own doors , it is that word which is now sounding in your ears , even the words which we Ministers preach unto you : read what those words are which are brought so nigh , Rom. 10.8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13. The word is nigh thee , even in thy mouth , and in thy heart , that is the word of faith which we preach , That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus , and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead , thou shalt be saved : For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness , and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation . For the Scripture saith , Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed : For there is no difference between the Iew and the Greek : for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him : for whosoever calleth upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved . Heretofore salvation was only amongst the Jews , and whoever of other Nations would be saved , they must travel to Ierusalem , and worship the Lord in his Temple , and enquire for salvation in that place : then salvation was afar off from the Gentiles , especially from these Brittish Isles ; but now since the revelation of Jesus Christ , as those which were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ ; so the word of salvation is brought nigh unto us ; you have many Messengers of Peace , which bring the glad tydings of salvation near unto you , and this may further encourage you to seek after it . 6. This salvation is an Evident Salvation : I mean , that it is more clearly and evidently made known unto us , than it hath been in former ages unto any , or than it is in other places unto many . In former ages this salvation was not made known so clearly unto any , I mean in the ages before the coming of Christ : the Prophets themselves who prophesied of it , did not fully understand what the Spirit in them did signifie , when it foretold of this grace which should come unto the Church in after ages , 1 Pet. 1.10 , 11. And therefore the first preaching of the Gospel of salvation , is called a revelation of the mysterie which had been kept secret since the world began unto that time , Rom. 16.25 . And a manifestation of that mysterie to the Saints which had been hid from ages and generations , Col. 1.25 , 26 , 27. The Gospel of salvation was indeed revealed in the dispensation of the Law upon Mount Sinai by Moses , but it was more obscurely ; it was wrapt up in types and figures ; and as there was a vail before Moses his face , so there was a vail before the truths of salvation , so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look unto the end of those things which were after to be abolished , 2 Cor. 3.13 . but this vail is done away in Christ , v. 14. When Christ suffered upon the Cross , the vail of the Temple , which kept the people off the Holy of Holies , was rent from the top to the bottom of it , and then the way into the Holy of Holies was made manifest , and Christ by his appearance abolished death , and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel , 2 Tim. 1.10 . Then darkness did pass away , and the true and marvellous light did shine upon the Church , 1 Ioh. 2.8 . And now with open face believers do behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord , 1 Cor. 3.18 . The scope of which places is to shew the obscurity of former revelations , and the clearness and evidence of the revelation of the Gospel in these latter daies . In other places this salvation is not made known so clearly unto many ; it is not made known at all unto the most in the world ; a thick darkness of ignorance doth overspread the greatest part of the face of the earth , and even amongst those that call themselves by the name of the Church of Christ : there are in many places such fogs and mists of errour and heresie , that the truths of salvation are darkened , and peoples minds are blinded ; but now unto you this salvation is made so clear and evident ; the thing and way of it is made so manifest , that it is a great encouragement to seek after this salvation . 7. This salvation is a Free Salvation ; it will cost you no money , you may have it for nothing , you may have it for accepting : If you were taken captive by men , if you were slaves to the Turks , possibly you might not be delivered without some considerable summ for your ransom ; but you may be delivered from the slavery of the Devil , and your own lusts , you may be saved from sin and Hell without money : Indeed a price hath been paid for your ransom , not silver or gold , but that which is ten thousand times more precious , and that was the blood of Jesus Christ , which was shed upon the Cross for you ; yet though your salvation cost Christ dear , it is free unto you , it will cost you nothing ; pardon is free , and grace is free , and eternal life unto you is a free gift ; you are invited to come unto the waters , and to buy wine and milk , but it is without money and without price , Isa. 55.1 . The Spirit saith , come , and the Bride saith , come , and whosoever is a thirst let him come , and take of the waters of life freely , Rev. 22.17 . There is sufficiency of grace in God for the salvation of you all , and you may come and partake of this grace in your salvation freely : You may have it without money , if you be poor , the gifts of God cannot be bought ; and you may have it without merit ; if you conceit that you deserve any thing , you shall be sure to have nothing ; if you are sensible of your unworthiness , and apply Christs merits and righteousness , through him you may have salvation freely . 8. And lastly , This salvation is a Sure Salvation ; you have the promise of God for it , and there can be no greater certainty of a thing than the word of God , especially if you consider that God is infinite in power , and therefore can do whatever he will , and that God is infinitely true , and therefore will do whatever he hath promised : God is most powerful , and therefore able to save you ; there is strength sufficient in his Almighty Arm , to bring salvation unto you ; and God is most faithfull in the promises of salvation , which he hath made in the Covenant of Grace ; if you get faith to apply the promises , you shall certainly have the thing : There is an uncertainty in every thing else in the world , but there is a certainty in this salvation , that there is such a thing is certain from the revelation of the Word of God , who cannot lye ; and that you may have it if you will accept of it , is certain from the nature and firmness of the promises ; and when you have attained unto any degrees of this salvation , the perfecting of it will be most sure ; for he that hath begun a good work in you , will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ , Phil. 1.6 . Thus I have laid before you the properties of this salvation ; it is a great salvation ; it is a rare salvation ; it is a necessary salvation ; it is a possible salvation ; it is a near salvation ; it is an evident salvation ; it is a free salvation ; it is a sure salvation ; all which being laid together , may be a strong motive and inducement to you to labour that you may attain a share in this salvation . SECT . XVII . FRom the consideration of the Damnation of all such as do not obtain salvation . The damnation of all such persons will be Dreadfull and Certain . ( 1. ) The Damnation of such as are not saved will be dreadful . 1. The Day of their damnation will be dreadful . 2. The Sentence of their damnation will be dreadful . 3. The Execution of their damnation will be dreadful . 1. The Day of the damnation of such as are not saved will be dreadful , and that is the last day , the day of judgement : O how dreadful will this day be to you that are wicked and ungodly , when the Heavens shall be opened , and the Lord Jesus Christ , the Judge of the world shall descend with a shout , with the voice of the Arch-Angel , and the loud sound of a Trumpet ; when the Earth shall be opened , and you shall be raised out of the dust , and summoned to appear before Christs Tribunal ; and the Books shall be opened , and all your sins shall be made manifest before the whole world ; when the Heavens shall be on fire , and melt down upon you , and pass away with a great noise ; and the Earth shall be on fire , and burn under you ; and every Mountain and Hill shall flee away before Christs face ; and Christ shall be on fire , and come in flames of anger to take vengeance upon you for your sins . Think , O think how dreadful this day of damnation will be unto all such of you as shall not then be found in a state of salvation ! O what dread will seize upon you so soon as your eyes are opened , and you find the predictions of the word which you formerly slighted to be true , and perceive that now indeed the day of Gods wrath is come , when you shall be dragged like so many malefactors before the Judgement-seat , and there stand naked horribly lashing your selves in the reflections of conscience upon your fore-past wickedness ; how will you be ready to tear your selves to pieces for your folly and madness , that you did not provide for this day , and flee from this wrath of God , which then you will not be able to escape ? how willingly would you creep into some rock , or under some mountain , or abide still in your grave , or cast your selves into the Sea , if possibly any place could be found to hide you in this terrible day , but shall be able to finde no hiding-place for your selves ? Think what hideous thoughts , what sinking fears , what horrible perplexity of mind you will on this day be filled withall , it will be a dreadful day . 2. The Sentence of the damnation of such as are not saved will be dreadful ; when the Books are opened where your sins are recorded , and you are convicted by the Judge ; then he will proceed to pass sentence upon you . Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire , prepared for the Devil and his Angels , Matth. 25.41 . O dreadful words ! the voice will be loud with which they will be pronounced , such as shall reach the ears of all the wicked together of all generations , and how will they all quake and tremble at the sound thereof ! You may cry it may be to the Lord for mercy , but it will be in vain ; you may say , Lord open to us , and receive us into thy Kingdom , that we may participate in the joyes thereof ; but he will say unto you , Depart from me , I know ye not all ye workers of iniquity : But if you must depart , you may wish for his blessing , as Esau , though it were but an inferiour blessing ; no , depart ye cursed , depart with a curse : If then you must depart with a curse , you may wish for some convenient place of abode , and good company , as Cain , when he went forth from the presence of the Lord with a curse , he built a City to dwell in , and took some comfort , it may be in his habitation , and wife , and children ; no , depart into everlasting fire , prepared for the Devil and his Angels ; you must dwell in devouring fire , and inhabit everlasting burnings , and your companions will be the Devil and his Angels , and fellow-damned sinners , in whom you will not find the least comfort , which leads to the third particular . 3. The Execution of the Damnation of such as are not saved , will be dreadful , and this will be in Hell ; when the irreversible sentence of damnation is passed upon you , immediately the execution will follow , and you will be haled from the Judgement seat , and the everlasting doors of the prison of Hell will be lifted up , where a horrible fire is burning , which can never be quenched , into which you must enter , and be shut down , and shut in to take up your eternal abode in that place of torment ; there every part will be tormented , every member of your bodies , every faculty of your souls , and that in the highest degree of extremity beyond your now capacity , and your torments will have no intermission , neither will you have any hopes of their conclusion . I have already treated in my Book of Judgement of the universality , extremity , and eternity of the torments of the Damned , and therefore shall not here inlarge . From what hath been said , you may evidently perceive , that the Damnation of such as are not saved will be dreadfull , which should awaken you to endeavour after your salvation , especially if withall you consider , ( 2. ) That the Damnation of such as are not saved will be Certain ; where there is no Salvation there will be unavoidable Damnation , because between these two hereafter there will be no middle condition ; such as are not saved will most certainly be damned ; Heaven or Hell , eternal happiness , or eternal misery will be the portion of all the Sons and Daughters of Adam . I might shew , that Gods Justice , and Holiness and Truth , doth require the Damnation of all such as do not obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ , so that either God must prove unholy , and unjust and false in his Word , which is impossible , or you which are not saved must be damned , therefore this is most certain , there is no escaping of the damnation of Hell by such as neglect the great Salvation of the Gospel , Heb. 2.3 . And methinks by this time I should hear some of you cry out as the Iews when Peter preached , or the Jaylor , O what shall we do to be saved ? SECT . XVIII . III. I Am to tell you Words to guide you in the way to attain Salvation . And here I shall 1. Direct what things you must do , that you may be saved . 2. Shew what Means you must make use of to help you in those things . 1. What Things you must do that you may be saved . Take this in these Ten Directions . 1. You must see your selves lost . 2. You must mourn for sin . 3. You must turn from sin . 4. You must believe in Iesus Christ. 5. You must get a new Nature . 6. You must lead a New Life . 7. You must resolve upon sufferings for Christ , if called . 8. You must study and apply the Promises of the Covenant of Grace . 9. You must give up your selves in Covenant unto God. 10. You must be stedfast and persevere in the Wayes of God unto your lives end . Direction 1. You must see your selves lost , if you would be saved ; Luk. 19.10 . our Saviour telleth us , that he came to seek and save that which was lost . You must be lost if you would be found : We read Luk. 15. of the lost Sheep , the lost Groat , and the lost Son , all which were found again , and that with joy . When sinners perceive themselves to be lost and undone , and know not what to do , then they are neer to be found and saved by Jesus Christ : O then as ever you expect Salvation by Christ , you must see and be sensible of your lost estate , whilest you are in a state of Nature : And for this end you must get a Conviction , 1. Of your sin . 2. Of the Punishment you have deserved for your sin . 3. Of your Insufficiency to satisfie Gods Iustice. 4. Of your inability to make resistance , and defend your selves . 5. Of the Impossibility of your fleeing and escaping Gods wrath . 6. That as yet you have no Interest in Christ , who alone is able to deliver you from the wrath to come . 1. That you may be sensible of your lost estate , you must get a Conviction of your sin , your eyes must be opened to see your selves guilty of sin before God , and your mouths must be stopped , so as to have nothing to say if the Lord should condemn you . You must not only understand the nature of sin in the general , that it is a transgression of the holy , and righteous , and good Law of the holy and glorious God of Heaven and Earth ; but also you must be particularly and thorowly convinced , that you have transgressed this Law of God ; you must be convinced of your particular sins : As to the kinds of your sins , you must 1. See your selves guilty of Original sin , of Adams first transgression by a just imputation , you being in his loyns , and parties in the first Covenant : and then you must see what inherent sin there is in your nature , that you were conceived and born in sin , that you are a viperous brood , a Se●p●ntine generation , a seed of evil doers ; that the Toad is not fuller of poyson , than your natures are full of sin ; that your natures are contrary unto the nature of God , and have an enmity in them against the Law of God , Rom. 6.7 . You must be convinced , how your natures are depraved , being wholly destitute of Original Righteousness , empty of all good , and inclinable wholly unto evil ; that they are a polluted fountain , from whence can proceed nothing but what is unclean ; that they are a bitter root , from whence doth spring forth such cursed fruits of sin in your lives ; and you should look upon your sin of nature to be the worst , because the Original of all actuall transgressions . 2. You must be convinced of your actual sins , how you have broken Gods Law in thought , word and deed , you must see your sins of Omission , and your sins of Commission , against the first and second Table of the Law , and take notice of the number of them , so far as you can remember , together with their aggravations ; if they have been committed through ignorance when you have had means of knowledge , if against light of Nature and the Word , if against the reluctance of natural Conscience , if against many Warnings and Reproofs , if they have been committed with security , hardness of heart , delight , greediness , pride , presumption , obstinacy , and the like ; and that you might be convinced of the gu●lt of sin , you must look into the Law , in which as in a glass you may see your natural face , and all the spots thereof ; the Law will discover the sin of your natures , as it requireth perfect conformity thereunto in habit , disposition , and inclination , and forbiddeth all evil byasses of the will and heart to sin , as well as external transgressions ; Moreover the Law will discover to you your actual sins ; but then you must look beyond the head Precepts of the Law , which are but ten , for you must take notice of the several branches belonging to every head , which are many ; as for instance , If you would finde out whether you are guilty of Adultery , you must not only look upon the Precept as forbidding only the gross outward act , Thou shalt not commit Adultery , but as reaching to the inward desires and inclinations , and so our Saviour , Math. 5.28 . interprets this Precept , that whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her , hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart ; and so in the Precept , Thou shalt not kill , it is murder not only to take away the life of another by violence , but also to be angry with our brother without a cause ; and so in the other Precepts . And as you must look into the Law for Conviction of sin , so you must also look into your own Consciences , and read what is there registred , and compare your hearts and lives with the Law ; and you should call to minde the places you have lived in , the busin●sses you have been employed about , and the circumstances of your lives may bring to remembrance many sins committed long ago , with their aggravations . You must get thus a conviction of the guilt of your sins , especially if you have fallen into any grosser sin in your life , as adultery , drunkenness , theft , if you have been guilty of swearing , Sabbath-breaking , profaneness , or the like ; you must see the heinousness of them , and withall you must see that every sin which you have committed is heinous , as it is a dishonour to the highest Majesty , who is infinitely more exalted above the greatest Earthly Kings and Potentates , than they are exalted above the meanest Worm , or Flie ; and for such as you to dishonour and affront him by sin , is very heinous . This is the first thing , a Conviction of your sins , which you must endeavour after . 2. That you may be sensible of your lost estate , you must get a convic●ion of the punishment which God hath threatned , and you have deserved for your sins ; will the Lord put up the affronts which are offered to him by his Creatures ? will he bear the dishonours of his great and glorious Name by sin , without punishing the sinn●rs ? No surely , his holiness will not permit it , his Justice hath been offended , and must have satisfaction , and therefore he threatneth to punish the offenders most severely ; God threatneth temporal calamities and death , as the wages of sin ; and because through patience he forbeareth to punish many transgressions so remarkably in this life ; and the most dreadfull temporal Judgements which he inflicteth upon any , are no wayes proportionable to the desert of their sins , and the demands of his infinite Justice ; therefore he threatneth eternal punishment in Hell ; look into some places of Scripture , where the Lord doth denounce severe threatnings against sinners , Gal. 3.10 . Cursed in every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them . Rom. 1.18 . The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven , against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men . Eph. 5.6 . Because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience . 2 Thess. 1. 8 , 9. Christ will come in flaming fire , taking vengeance on them which know not God , and obey not the Gospel , who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord , and the glory of his power . Rom. 2.6 , 8 , 9. God will render unto every man according to his deeds , to them who are contentious and do not obey the truth , indignation and wrath , tribulation and anguish on every soul of man that doth evil . That you may see and be sensible of your lost estate , you must be convinced not only in the general of the justice and equity that such Judgements should be inflicted on sinners , because God himself hath denounced them in his Word , who cannot be unjust toward his Creatures ; and because sin hath deserved them , being the breach of his Law , which is holy and just and good ; and an offence of an infinite Majesty , whose Justice is infinite , and must be satisfied with a proportionable punishment unto the offence : but also you must be convinced that you are such sinners ; that you have committed such and such sins , that you have broken the Law in such a point , and such a point , and in every point ; that you are guilty of fornication , or drunkenness , or theft , or covetousness , or lying , or profaneness ; and it may be of all these , and more than these : The first is the conviction of the Law , the second the conviction of the Fact , then follows the third conviction which is of the State , that therefore you are under the Curse , that you are condemned , that the wrath of God hangeth over your head , and that you must be tormented for sin most horribly and eternally in Hell : It is the conviction of the dreadfull punishment of Hell which God hath threatned , and unto which you are exposed for sin , that will awaken you to a sense of your lost state , when the conviction is imprinted deep upon you by the Spirit ; when you believe that Hell is no Fiction , but a reality , as certainly prepared for the wicked , as God is above preparing places in Heaven for his people ; and you have a peep-hole ( as it were ) into Hell , and imagine something of the torments which the damned there do , and shall endure for such sins as you have committed ; how they roll and tumble in flames of brimstone , how they are lashed by an accusing Conscience , tormented with and by the Devil , and even consumed by the wrath of a sin-revenging God , how they cry , roar and howl , how they weep and wail , and gnash their teeth , and that this must be their condition for ever ; and when withall you think that you are walking upon the brink of this pit , and hastening towards the place of these flames , that Hell doth belong to you , that you are in the number of the cursed crew , some of whom have already taken up their lodging in Hell , and that you are like to come thither shortly , that you are lyable every moment to drop into the burning Lake , then you will perceive that you are lost and undone . 3. That you may be sensible of your lost estate , you must be convinced of your insufficiency to satisfie Gods Iustice for your sins ; if you could do this , you might do well enough ; but this you cannot do , Gods Justice is infinite , and requireth infinite satisfaction , which you being finite are insufficient to give ; what can you offer to God ? thousands of Rams , rivers of Oyl , Mines of Silver , Mountains of Gold , Rocks of Pearl , yea the whole Creation , if it should offer it self to be annihilated , could not make compensation to Gods Justice for one sin , nothing less than infinite must be the satisfaction ; and therefore this should make you further sensible of your lost estate in your selves . 4. You must get a conviction of your inability to resist and defend your selves against God , who hath threatned so severely to punish you for sin ; as Gods Justice is infinite , and therefore you cannot satisfie it ; so his Power is infinite , and you cannot resist it ; who can stand in his sight when once he is angry ? who can defend himself against an Omnipotent arm ? If God whet his glittering Sword , and his hand take hold on vengeance , what Powers of Earth are strong enough to make resistance ? Read how God expresseth himself concerning such as set themselves against him , Isa. 27.4 . Who would set the bryars and thorns against me in battel ? I would go thorow them , I would burn them together . Look upon your selves as briars and thorns , yea as dryed stubble before a consuming fire , which hath no power to resist the flame ; and therefore that you are lost and undone in your selves because of your sins . 5. You must get a conviction of the impossibility of your fleeing from and escaping Gods wrath , which hath you in pursuit ; whither can you go from his presence ? or whither can you flee from his anger and indignation ? See Amos 9.2 , 3. Though they dig into Hell , thence shall mine hand take them ; though they climb up into Heaven , thence will I bring them down ; and though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel , I will search and take them out thence ; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the Sea , thence will I command the Serpent , and he shall bite them . You cannot flee into any place but God will follow you ; you cannot hide your selves in any place but God will finde you ; there is as little hopes of escaping Gods Wrath , as of resisting his Power . See Psal. 21.8 , 9. Thine hand shall finde out all thine enemies , not only some , but all sinners , thy right hand shall finde out them that hate thee : Thou shalt make them as a fiery Oven in the time of thine anger , the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath , and the fire shall devour them . By this time sinners , methinks you should perceive your selves to be lost and undone ; all refuge now fails you , there is no escaping for you . 6. But lastly , that you may fully know that you are in a lost estate , you must get conviction , that as yet you have no interest in Christ , who alone can deliver you from the wrath of God , which is to come upon the ungodly . Indeed Christ can and doth deliver his people from wrath , and the punishment their sins have deserved ; but when you know that you are out of Christ , then you may know you are in a lost estate ; if you suppose that you have an interest in him without good grounds , you are like to be lost irrecoverably , and not know it till it be too late ; therefore you must know that as yet you have no interest in him , that all your pretensions to him have been presumptuous conceits ; that so you may be lost in your own apprehensions . Can you think you have an interest in Christ , that never truly mourned for sin , that never hungred after Christ , that have no true Faith to apply him ? have you interest in Christ that have no true Love to Christ , and never yielded subjection to Christ ? Have you interest in Christ that have no Influence from Christ ? have you Union to Christ that have no Communion with him ? No , no , all you that are Unbelievers , and have persisted hitherto in a sinfull course , are strangers unto Christ , and therefore be convinced that you are in a lost estate : And O how should fear and trembling possess you through the apprehensions of the dreadfull wrath of God ? how should you go up and down like condemned malefactors , that are condemned to Hell , and know not how soon they may be dragged to execution ? O what reason have you to lye down in terrour , and rise up in terrour , and feed upon terrour all the day long ! Such thoughts as these are suitable to the condition of such as you . It may be the next step I take , I may step into Hell : Alas ! Alas ! I am in a state of damnation , and did not know it ; I have been dancing about the brinks of Hell , and did not perceive it ; I have been affronting God all my daies by my sins ; now I see that God is highly offended with me for those sins I made light of : I am the covet●us person whom the Lord abhorreth , Psal. 10.3 . I am the deceiver whom he curseth , Mal. 1.14 . I am the Adulterer whom he will judge , Heb 11.4 . I have greatly sinned , and now I see God is greatly angry , and his anger burns like fire ; he frowns , and his frowns are most dreadfull , and I fear he will cast me to Hell , and make me feel the power of his anger in my everlasting ruine ; I fear I must dwell with devouring fire , and take up mine eternal abode with the Devil and my fellow-damned sinners : O I fear I am damned ! I am damned ! O happy is the Dog and the H●rse , yea the Worm and the Toad , who ere long shall be anihilated ; but I am cursed , and I fear that I shall eternally be tormented : O I am lost , I have lost my God , and I fear I am lost , and shall be lost for ever ! O I am undone ! undone I vile and miserable sinner ! O wo be to me that ever I was born ! that ever I sinned , and provoked God to such displeasure ! But is there no spark of hope yet ? is there no escaping , no reconciliation attainable ? O what shall I do to be saved ! I cannot save my self , and no creature can help me ; but is there no other way ? Thus you must see and be sensible that you are lost in your selves if you would be saved . Direction 2. You must mourn for sin , if you would be saved ; except ye repent , saith our Saviour , ye shall all likewise perish , Luk. 13.3 . Those that laugh and rejoyce now in a way of sin , shall mourn and weep for it for ever to no purpose , Luk 6.25 . But blessed are they that mourn for sin now , for they shall be comforted and saved , Matth. 5.4 . The seed time of repentance accompanied with the showers of tears , will return with the harvest of salvation , and sheaves of joy and comfort , Psal. 126.5 , 6. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy ; he that goeth forth and weepeth , bearing precious seed , shall doubtless come again with rejoycing , bringing his sheaves with him , Therefore see what the Apostle exhorteth unto , which is necessary to your salvation , Iam. 4.9 . Be afflicted , and mourn , and weep ; let your laughter be turned into mourning , and your joy into heaviness . Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord , and he shall lift you up . Sinners , you have delighted your selves in sin , you must now be afflicted for it ; sin hath been sweet in your mouth , it must now be bitter to your heart : God calls you to salvation by his Son , but withall he calls you to weeping , and mourning , and deep humiliation in order hereunto ; not that your tears can wash off the guilt of your sins , nothing can do this but the blood of Christ ; not that God delights in your griefs and sorrows as such , but because mourning is needful for you to prepare you for Christ , and Salvation by him ; whilst sin is sweet unto your taste , you will roll it under your tongue , and hug it in your bosom ; you will spare it , and nothing will perswade you to part with it ; but when you taste the bitterness of sin in compunction and sorrow for it , then you will spit it out ; when you perceive the gall and the wormwood , then your mouth will be put out of rellish , then you will desire no longer to suck at the breast of sin ; whilst you are insensible of sin , you will be insensible of your need of a Saviour : None but sick persons do prize and send for the Physitian , and none but such as are sick of sin , and groan and mourn under the burden of this sickness , do prize a Christ who is the soul-Physician , Matth. 9.12 . Were you made sensible of sin indeed , you would eagerly enquire after Christ , and greedily hearken unto the glad tydings of salvation which he hath purchased ; what shall I do to get an interest in Christ ? where is he to be found ? how is he to be received ? what are his terms ? what are his commands ? do any thing , part with any thing , you would not then think much to lay down your selves , and all that you have at his feet , so you might have him ; none but Christ , none but Christ would you then desire ; and if you might have all the world without him , you would not be contented . Sinners , would you be saved by Christ , get your hearts affected with godly sorrow for sin , and that you may mourn deeply and kindly , you must get not only a conviction of the guilt of sin , and the punishment which is due for it , which you cannot escape ; but you must look further into the nature of sin , and get a sight and sense of the evil of sin ; you must look not only to the consequential evil of sin , but also to the intrinsecal evil of sin ; not only to the Hell which is like to follow upon it , but also to that Hell which there is in it ; look to the evil of sin not only as it is like to burn you , but as it hath black● and smutted you ; as it hath depraved and deformed your souls , which are of heavenly original , as it hath degraded and debased yo● , polluted and defiled you . But chiefly look upon the evil of sin as it reflecteth dishonour upon God , upon God that is so holy and glorious , and that is so good and gracious , as it displeaseth that God that made you , that hath exercised so much patience towards you , when he could so easily have cut you off in the act of sin , and appointed you your place and portion amongst the damned in Hell long ago ; and that hath moreover been so bountiful to you , though sinners and his enemies , that he hath maintained you at his cost and charges all your daies ; but especially see the evil of sin , as it offendeth that God who is ready to be reconciled , and hath made such provision for reconciliation , which you could never have thought of , namely , through the death and mediation of his Son , whom he hath given for you , and proffers to give to you ; and in him doth treat with you , and by us Ministers doth send intreaties to you , that you would accept of this reconciliation , lay down your weapons , and be reconciled unto him , 2 Cor. 5.20 . Break , break ye rocky hearts at this , what is God willing indeed to put up such high affronts ? and to forgive such great sins ? and doth he stoop to entreat and beseech such mean creatures , and wretched sinners as you to be reconciled ? O be filled with astonishment and admiration , and go cast your selves down at his feet with self-loathing and abhorrency at the hideous nature , and monstrous ingratitude , and baseness of your sins ! let your hearts melt within you like Wax , or Snow , when the Sun shineth upon it with heat and brightness ; let your eyes drop down tears , as the morning doth drop dew upon the flowers : What! have I affronted such greatness ? dared such power ? trampled upon such patience ? and abused such goodness too ? and after all doth God beseech me to be reconciled ? was it such a God whom I offended ? vile wretch ! O that I had never committed such sins ! O that I had never been drunk , or unclean , or profane ! O that I had never sworn , nor lyed , nor stoln , nor offended God in any of my actions ! It repents me , it grieves me at the very heart that I have sinned , and that I can grieve no more for it . Direction 3. You must turn from sin , if you would be saved ; see Psal. 7.11 , 12 , 13. God is angry with the wicked every day ; if he turn not , he will whet his sword ; he hath bent his bow , and made it ready ; he hath prepared for him the instruments of death . And God threatneth , Psal. 88.21 . that he will wound the head of his enemies , and the hairy scalp of such as go on still in their trespasses : Therefore men must turn from all their transgressions , otherwise iniquity will be their ruine , Ezek. 18.30 . They must cast away their sins as a menstruous cloth , saying unto them , get ye hence , if they would be received into favour , Isa. 30.22 . They must not only confess their sins , but also forsake them , if they would find mercy , Prov. 28.13 . The wicked must forsake his way , and the unrighteous man his thoughts , and turn to the Lord , and then he shall have pardoning mercy abundantly , Isa. 55.7 . When men cease to do evil , and learn to do well , then , though their sins have been as scarlet , they shall be white as snow ; though they be red like crimson , they shall be like wo●ll , Isa. 1.16 , 17 , 18. Sinners , turn from your evil waies , you have done iniquity , do so no more ; you have gone on hitherto in a way of sin , proceed no further , it is the way to Hell , turn out of it : Let him that hath stoln , steal no more ; and him that hath been filthy , be filthy no more ; and him that hath been unjust , be unjust no more : Drunkards , forbear your drinking ; swearers , refrain swearing ; lyars , teach your tongues to speak truth : Break off your course of sin ; turn from all gross sins as to the practice , and turn from all sins as to the affection . Direction 4. You must believe in the Lord Iesus Christ , if you would be saved : This is the direction which Paul gave to the Jaylor , when under conviction of sin he came in to him and cryed , What shall I do to be saved ? he saith to him , Believe in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved , Act. 16.30 , 31. So in Peter's Sermon , Act. 10.43 . To him gave all the Prophets witness , that through his Name , whosoever believeth in him should receive remission of sins . There is no Saviour but by Christ ; and there is no salvation by Christ b●t by faith , and therefore we are said to be saved through faith , Ephes. 2.8 . As faith is the instrument to apply the merits and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Let me then exhort you to get faith , which is absolutely necessary unto salvation : Get faith of the right kind ; there is a general , common , historical , temporary , hypocritical , dead and ineffectual faith ; but do you labour after a special , lively , unfeigned , eff●ctual , justifying and saving faith ; and that you may not be mistaken in this great point on which your salvation doth depend , I shall describe that faith which is of the right kind , and will certainly save you if you obtain it . Faith is a grace wrought in the heart by the Spirit of God , whereby a poor sinner being made sensible of the guilt and power of his sins , and the utter insufficiency of himself , or any creature in the world , to give him any help or succour ; and having in the G●spel a discovery and proffer made unto him of the Lord Iesus Christ , as an all s●fficient , most merciful and faithful Advocate and Saviour , doth go quite out of himself , and acc●pt , lay hold , rely , and rest vpon him , and him alone , for pardon , and grace , and e●erlasting happiness . Or more br●efly thus , Faith is a grace of God wher●by the humil●d sinner doth accept and rely upon Christ alone for salvation , as he is held forth in the Promises of the Gospel . If you would attain this grace of Faith , take these Directions . 1. You must be fully perswaded that the Scriptures which reveal Christ , are indeed the word of God ; this is the foundation of all faith , therefore I shall briefly suggest some Arguments to prove the divine Authority of the Scriptures : As 1. Because of that majesty , purity , holin●ss , heavenliness which doth app●ar in the S●r●ptures beyond all other writings . 2. Because of the design and drift of the Scriptures to debase man , and exalt God and his glory above all . 3. Because of the admirable contexture , and contrivance , and sweet harmony of the Scriptures in all the parts thereof , though written by so many several men in several ages and places , which sheweth that they were all acted by the same Spirit of God. 4. Because of the wonderfull work of mans Redemption there set forth at fi●st more darkly , afterwards more clearly , which no mortal b●ain could have invented , much less could any created power have effected . 5. Because of the great power which this word hath to convince , convert , and comfort . 6. Because of the confirmation of the Scriptures by miracles . 7. Because of the acknowledgement of the Scriptures to be Gods Word in all ages . 8. Because of the many millions of Martyrs , who have sealed the Truths of the word with their blood . 9. Because of the witness of the Spirit in and with the word , which doth bear testimony to the hearts of Gods people , that the Scriptures are his Word , and were indi●ed by his Spirit . Whence it followeth , that the Scriptures are true , because God , the Author of them , is true , and cannot lye ; and whatever is there revealed , is as certain as those things which are most demonstrable to sense or reason : This is the first step to your believing in Christ who is made known in the Scriptures , to believe that the Scriptures are Gods Word . 2. If you would attain a saving faith in Christ , you must be convinced and fully p●rswaded of your lost estate without Christ , and your absolute need of him , of which before . 3. You must be perswaded , that it is not in your own power to believe , that it is not of your selves , but is the gift of God , Ephes. 2.8 . and therefore must apply your selves to God , that he would not only give you his Son , but also give you the hand of faith to lay hold on him , that he would work in you this grace of faith by his Spirit . 4. You must consider those Arguments of Scripture which encourage faith : As for instance , I shall mention four heads of Arguments for faith , from the consideration 1. Of God. 2. Of the Promises . 3. Of Christ. 4. Of the Saints . 1. From the consideration of God , who hath given his Son to save sinners ; it is an encouragement to ●aith , to consider , 1. That God is mercifull , and therefore willing to pardon and save , otherwise he would not have sent his Son ; he doth not delight in the death of sinners , Ezek. 18.23 . but delighteth to shew mercy ; see Micah 7.18 , 19. Exod. 34.6 , 7. Psal. 103.8 , 9 , &c. 2. That God is faithfull in his Promises of salvation , which he hath made through his Son in his Covenant of Grace : God needed not have made the Covenant , nor promised mercy to any sinners ▪ but having made the Covenant , he is eng●g●d to make it good . 3. That it is for his glory to save sinners through his Son , the glory of his free grace , yea and justice too , which hath been fully satisfied by Christs death . 2. You have encouraging Arguments for faith , from the consideration of the Promises , which are , 1. Large , made to all sorts of persons , and all sorts of sinners , none are excluded . 2. Full , they extend to all sorts of sins , though never so many and great , Isa. 55.7 . 3. Free , nothing is required on your part but accepting . 4. Sure , being the Promises of God in Christ. 3. You have encouragement to believe in Christ for salvation , from the consideration of Christ , the proper object of faith : 1. The quality of his person who is God and man in one person , that he might reconcile man unto God. 2. The merit of his sufferings , which ( as hath been shown ) was of infinite value , and sufficient for the redemption of men . 3. His alsufficient power to save those that come to him , Heb. 7.25 . 4. His mercy and faithfulness to make reconciliation , Heb. 2.17.5 . His interest with the Father . 6. His continual intercession at the right hand of God , Heb. 7.25 . 4. You have encouragement to believe in Christ for salvation , from the consideration of the Saints , the experience which they have had of salvation by Christ , some of whom have been as vile sinners as you : You have as good grounds to come unto Christ , and believe in him for salvation , as the most holy men alive before conversion . 5. If you would attain this grace of faith in Jesus Christ , you must labour to act it , looking up to God for help herein ; endeavour to cast and roll your selves upon Christ , to apply Christ and his merits , and to rely upon him and his righteousness : It is in your endeavour that God doth work ; and h●re you must endeavour again and again against all opposition which you find from the D●vil and your own evil heart of unbelief , which will be ready to carry you away from Christ. So much for the 4th . Direction . Direction 5. You must get a new Nature , if you would be saved : You must be made partakers of the Divine Nature , if you would be made partakers of this salvation : You have brought unholy and impure natures into the world with you , which must be changed and renewed after the Image of God , in knowledge , righteousness , and true holiness , before you can be in a state of salvation , and see the Kingdom of God : This new nature , which is absolutely necessary un●o salvation , is begun in the work of regene●ation , and carried on in the work of sanctification : In regeneration the work of grace is begun , the habits of grace are infused ; a new principle of sp●ritual life is put into the soul ; and sin ( which before l●ved , and had dominion over the man , imploying all his members as instruments of unrighteousn●ss , to make provision for the satisfaction of its affections and l●sts ) doth receive its deaths wound , and loseth its ●●●ce and r●igning power : In sanctifi●ation , the work of grace is c●r●i●d on , the habits of grace are strengthned and en●●eased ; the n●w man doth grow , and the old man doth decline and de●ay ; there is a vivification or quickning more and more of grace , by the influence of the Word and Spirit , and a mortification or subd●ing more and mor● of ●em●●ning iniquity . What our Saviour tells N●●●demus , ●●h . 3.3 . Ex●ept a man be born again , he cannot see the Kingdom of God : I may tell you , that unless ye be born again , unless ye be regenerated , ye cannot be saved , no possibility of entring into the Kingdom of H●aven , without yo● get this new nature : A man must be born the first time , before he can poss●ss a temporal inheritan●● ; and a m●n m●st be born again , before he can possess the eternal inh●ritance : You m●st be children b●●ore you can be heirs , Rom. 8.17 . children not only by a●option , but also by regeneration : Ye must b● Sun●● , before meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the S●ints in light , Col. 1.12 . You must have the new nature , before you can enter into the New Ierusalem : You must be made like to God in holiness , before you can be admitted to live with God in the place of everlasting happiness ; God doth suffer the wicked that are unclean and unholy , to live before him in the Out-house of the Earth ; but he will not permit any except such as are sanctified to live with him in the Palace of H●●ven . O then labour after a work of Grace upon your heart ; be perswaded of the worth of Grace , that 〈…〉 and precious J●w●l , that the l●●st measure of Grace is of mere worth than ten thousand World● ; be sensible of your want of it , that naturally you are without it , that it doth not grow in Natures Garden , that you have no good Nature in you before God , till your Nature i● renewed ; be ready to receive the ●eed of Grace , which drops down from above whilest People are attending upon Gods Ordinances ▪ be ready to hearken and yield to the Spirits motions , whereby this work of Grace is effected : And having the work begun , O cherish the Grace you have got , and as new-born B●bes d●sire the sincere milk of the Word , that ye may grow th●reby ; and labour to cleanse your selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit , that ye may perfect holiness in the fear of God , 2 Cor. 7.1 . Dir●●●i●n 6. You must lead a new life , if you wo●ld be saved , see wh●t k●nd of Life the grace of God wh●ch bri●●●th s●lvation doth r●q●●re and 〈◊〉 nam●ly ▪ to 〈…〉 and w●rldly 〈…〉 and godly in this present world , 〈…〉 You must d●ny ungo illness and worldly last , you must put off concerning the 〈…〉 the old m●n which is corrupt 〈◊〉 to d●c●i●full 〈…〉 . and not fashion your selves according to the former lusts , in your ignorance and unregeneracy , 1 Pet. 1.14 . not running with others unto the same excess of riot , 1 Pet. 4.4 . not walking according to the course of a profane and ungodly world , Eph. 2.2 . but saving your selves from an untoward generation , Act. 2.40 . as he that hath called you is holy , so you must be holy in all manner of conversation , 1 Pet. 1.15 . you must live soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world ; soberly in regard of your selves ; righteously in regard of others ; and godly in regard of the Lord. 1. Soberly , in regard of your selves ; which implyes , 1. Temperance in eating and drinking , you must take heed of Gluttony and Drunkenness : 2. Chastity , you must take heed of Adultery and Uncleanness , in thought , speech , look , and act . 3. Moderation , you must be sober in your desires after these earthly things , and take heed of inordinate affection to any thing . 2 You must live Righteously in regard of others : You must give to every one their due , and do to others as you reasonably can desire that they should do unto you , you must take heed of unrighteousness either in regard of Commutative Justice in your buying and selling , borrowing and lending ; and in regard of Distributative Justice in dispensing of rewards and punishments ; you must beware of oppr●ssing , afflicting , injuring any , of going beyond or defrauding any , of withholding dues , keeping back wages from those that have done you service , knowing that if they cannot , God will be the avenger of all such . 3. You must live godly in regard of the Lord ; you must especially shew your New Life in the immediate Worship of the Lord , and that publickly in his House , privately in your Families , secretly in your Closets ; you must worship God in the Ordinances of his own appointment ; and this you must do with reverence , having an awe and dread of God upon your spirits , with whom you have more immediately to do ; with sincerity , having a sincere respect to Gods glory therein , and that you might be accepted by him , and meet with him ; with vigilancy watching the sittest time in regard of the thing , and the temper of your Bodies and Souls , and the breathings of Gods Spirit ; with humility , sensible of your sinfulness , unworthiness , weakness , emptiness , neediness ; with diligence , before to prepare your hearts , and in Ordinances to engage them , and resist the Devil and the contrary workings of the flesh ; with frequency , laying hold on all the opportunities as you can , without neglecting other businesses , which for that time you may be more necessarily called unto ; with fervency , getting your hearts if you can raised and enlarged , labouring that they may burn within you with love to God ; with delight and complacency in God , and above all with Faith in Jesus Christ , through whom alone it is that you can have strength to perform duties , and that you can have any acceptance in them by the Father . Direction 7. You must resolve upon sufferings for Christ , if called , if you would be saved ; you must bear the Cross , if you would wear the Crown , rem●mbring that if the Cross be weighty it will work for you a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory , 2 Cor. 4.17 . you must re●kon upon sufferings for Christ before hand , and resolve that you will stick to him and his wayes , though you should lose esteem by it , and become the Drunkards Song , and be reproached amongst men ; though you lose liberty by it , and be thrust into Prison ; though you should lose Estate by it , and be brought to pinching want ; though you should lose Friends by it , and have none to stand by you ; though you should lose Life by it , and be cut off in the midst of your years ; otherwise you cannot be Christs Disciples indeed , and obtain this salvation which he hath purchased . See the terms which our Saviour propounds , Luk. 14.26 , 27. If any man come unto me , and hate not his Father and Mother , and Wife and Children , and Brethren and Sisters , yea and his own life , he cannot be my Disciple . This we are to understand , that a man must choose to displease Father , Mother , Wife , Children , the nearest and dearest Relations , and part with any thing in the world , yea with Life it s●lf , rather than to displease and part with Jesus Christ ; and that we must resolve to bear the Cross , whatever it be that God hath allotted for us , otherwise we do not accept of Christ upon Gospel-terms ; you must resolve to be partakers of the affliction of the Gospel , if you would obtain the salvation of the Gospel ; you must resolve to suffer with Christ , and for his sake when called , if you would reign and be glorified together with him . Whatever profession you make of Christ and his wayes in time of peace and prosperity , when the Sun of persecution doth 〈◊〉 upon you with burning heat , you will wither and fall away , and turn fearfull Apostates , and then your last estate will be worse than your first ; and as your sin will be greater here , so your punishment will be more dreadfull hereafter in Hell , where you will confess that the light sufferings which you have declined for Christs sake here , are not worthy to be compared with the far more exceeding and eternal weight of wrath which you must endure for your Apostacy unto all eternity . Direct . 8. You must study and apply the Promises of the Covenant of grace , if you would be saved ; without the Covenant of grace there had been no possible salvation for any of the fallen Children of Men ; the Covenant of Works which God made with Man at the first , being broken by sin , it doth condemn all that are under it , it is by vertue of the Covenant of Grace that any are brought into a state of salvation ; therefore study and apply the Promises of this Covenant : Now you must know that all the Promises of the Gospel , which are scattered up and down the Scripture do belong unto this Covenant ; but I shall spread before you those few more general Promises which the Apostle doth make mention of , where he treats of the New Covenant , Heb. 8 10 , 11 , 12. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes , saith the Lord , I will put my Lawes into their minde , and write them in their hearts , and I will be to them a God , and they shall be to me a People ; and they shall not teach every man his Neighbour , and every man his Brother , saying know the Lord , for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest ; for I will be mercifull unto their unrighteousness , and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more . Here are Four great Promises which the Lord hath made to his People , which I shall explain ( though not in the order of the Text ) that you may the better understand and apply them . 1. God promiseth that he will be to them a God , and they shall be to him a People ; this includes all the rest : It is a full and sweet promise that God will be our God , it hath a great deal more in it , than we can conceive ; we may look and look again , and though our Faith have never so piercing an eye , never so large and deep reach , yet we cannot look to the bottom , and fathom the depth of this Promise ; we may suck and suck again at this breast , and though we draw never so hard , we can never draw forth all the sweetness that is in this Promise . To have God to be our God , it is very great , it is very sweet : Indeed God is the God of all his Creatures , yea of his enemies , and the vilest sinners ; but to be our God in this place sounds and signifieth more than that which is common to all ; it speaketh a peculiar relation , a special interest and propriety in God ; in this promise God doth make over himself and all that he hath to us , so far as we are capable of receiving ; he giveth himself to be our portion , he engageth his Power , Wisdom , Goodness , Mercy , Love , and all his Attributes to be employed for our good , he promiseth to be our God here , and to be our God for ever ; it signifieth that he will be our Father to love and cherish us , to preserve , and provide for us whilest we live , and to take our Souls to himself when we dye , and to raise up our bodies at the last day , and make both perfectly glorious and happy in Heaven , when time shall be no more . He promiseth also that we shall be his People ; we cannot make our selves so , but he promiseth that he will make us so ; he will make us his Children , he will adopt us , he will regenerate us , give us the title , and give us the disposition of Children ; all this and much more is contained in this Promise , That God will be our God , and we shall be his People , even the whole work of our salvation from our effectual Calling unto our eternal Glorification . 2. A second great Promise of the Covenant of Grace is , That God will be mercifull unto our unrighteousness , and that he will remember no more our sins and iniquities ; it is a promise of mercy in the free pardon and forgiveness of all our sins , this is an exceeding great and precious promise , without which there were no access for us unto God , no attaining eternal happiness , no escaping eternal misery , guilt would shut us out of Heaven , and sink us into Hell without a pardon . This Promise is of vast extent , it reacheth to all sort of sins , Unrighteousness , Sins , Iniquities ; no sin is too great for God to pardon , if the sinner doth believe . 3. A third Promise of the Covenant of Grace is , that God will give us the knowledge of himself ; they shall not teach every man his Neighbour , and every man his Brother , saying , Know the Lord , for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest ; they shall not teach one another the knowledge of God , that is , they cannot , or they shall not be able to do it ; they may and ought to teach one another instrumentally ; it is the duty of some to teach , and the duty of others , and they have need , to learn , but they shall not be able to teach effectually ; they may give instructions to one another concerning God and his wayes , but they cannot give light ; they may set the light before them , but they cannot set up the light in them ; they may open Truths , but they cannot open the Understanding ; this is the work of God only to do , and this he hath undertaken by Promise to do , they shall all know me , they shall be taught of God by his Spirit the knowledge of himself ; he teacheth by men instrumentally , but he will teach us by his Spirit effectually . 4. A fourth Promise of the Covenant of Grace , is , that God will put his Laws into our hearts , and write them in our minds : the Law was written before on Tables of Stone , but here he promiseth to write them on fleshly Tables of the heart ; which is done not with Pen and Ink , but by the Spirit of the living God , 2 Cor. 3.3 . this Promise is very comprehensive , it includes not only the giving of a spiritual discovery of the minde and will of God , but also the giving of spiritual dispositions , affections , and strength to perform it ; and by consequence the removal of indispositions , the purging out of corruptions , the mortifying of lust , the taking away the heart of stone , and giving a heart of flesh , the giving a new heart , the putting the Spirit within us , and causing us to walk in his Statutes , and to keep his Judgements and do them , as this Promise is branched forth , Ezek. 36.25 , 26 , 27. These in brief are the chief Promises of the Covenant of Grace , labour to understand them , and apply them that you may be saved . Direct . 9. You must give up your selves in Covenant to God , if you would be saved ; God hath put his hand and seal to the Covenant which he hath made through his Son with you , and you should put your hand to the Covenant and engage your selves unto the Lord ; you were dedicated to the Lord by your Parents when you were b●ptized , then you understood not what was done ; now you are arrived to years of understanding , you should make it your own act , and dedicate your selves to the Lord : and the more solemnly you enter into Covenant with God , the more strong Obligation it may be upon you to walk closely with God all your dayes : Some have directed to do it under hand-writing , subscribing the name , and some have put words into your mouths , which you may do it , in if you are not so well able to express the terms your selves ; you have this done in Mr. Guthry and Mr. Allen's books , if those Books be not at hand , I shall set before you this Platform , which you may make use of in entring solemnly into Covenant with God. I A.B. do acknowledge my self to be the Creature and Subject of the great and glorious Majesty of Heaven and Earth , in whom I live , move , and have my being , and from whom I receive every good thing which I receive ; and therefore am obliged to conform my minde , will and affections , to order my words , wayes and whole conversation according to his most wise and good , most righteous and reasonable Laws : Besides which natural Obligation , however born in sin , and thereby disenabled , yet being born in the Church , and Baptized in the Name of the Father , Son , and Holy Ghost , and by my Parents dedicated unto God when I was an Infant ; I am further obliged by Covenant to be the servant of the Lord. But having proved a Rebel and Traytor against the Highest Maj●sty , breaking his Laws , and Covenant-ties which have been upon me , spending years of my life in a state of strangeness and enmity to God , in the service of the Devil and my own Lusts , I do now solemnly re●ew my Covenant with God , that the breach may be made up which sin hath made between God and my Soul. Being in the First place convinced of the guilt of my sins , whereby I have affronted and offended the highest Majesty , whose Iustice must be satisfied ; and withall convinced of my own utter inability to make the least satisfaction either by doing or suffering , and that my Righteousnesses are as filthy rags , and therefore altogether insufficient to procure for me the pardon of sin , the favour of God , and the peace of Conscience ; as also fully perswaded that no meer Creature is able to give unto me any help and relief in this case . And being informed by the Word of God what the Lord Iesus is , hath d●ne , and suffered for poor sinners , That there is no Name und●r Heaven given amongst men whereby we can be saved , but only the Name of Iesus Christ ; that he is able to save all them unto the uttermost that come unto God by him , seeing be ever liveth to make intercession for them ; that he is a mercifull and faithfull High-priest in things pertaining to God , to make Reconciliation for the sins of the People ; that whosoever cometh unto him , he will in no wise cast out : and finding a Promise in the Covenant of Grace that God will be mercifull unto our unrighteousness , and that our sins and iniquities he will remember no more ; which Covenant is of full force through the death of Christ the Testator thereof : and having Christ set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood , and his Righteousness declared for the remission of sins which are past through the forbearance of God ; and this Christ freely tendered unto me , and being invited earnestly , yea entreated that I would be reconciled unto God through him ; and by the Spirit being perswaded of the truth of these things , and hereby encouraged to apply my self unto Christ , and the Promises through him unto my self : I do now ( grieving that I have offended God , groaning under the burden of sin , renouncing all my own righteousness , hungring after the Lord Iesus Christ and his righteousness ) upon the bended knees of my soul come unto him , and cast my self wholly upon him ; I cho●se him for my only Advocate to plead my cause in the Court of Heaven , to procure for me Pardon and Reconciliation , that being justified by Faith , I may have peace with God through my dear Lord Iesus Christ. Next , repenting from the bottom of my heart of my sins , grieving that I have such a sinfull Nature , such a deceitfull heart , that I have so adulterated my affections , and gone a whoring from God to the Creatures , that I have so indulged my flesh , and satisfied its irregular desires , that I have given ear to the Devil , and complyed as I have done with his temptations : I now renounce all allegiance and service to the World , to the Flesh , and to the Devil , these enemies of the Lord , and of my peace , which warr against my Master , and against my own soul ; covenanting and promising never to give away my heart any more from the Lord unto any person or thing in the World ; to refuse the World for my portion and chief happiness ; to deny my flesh its sinfull desires and demands ; to resist the Devil and his Temptations ; not to live and allow my self in any known sin , and to make use of all the known means which the Lord hath prescribed for the crucifying of the World , for the mortifying and utter extirpation of sin , for the resisting and overcoming the Devil . And being perswaded of the power and interest , the subtilty and deceitfulness of these enemies , and withall sensible of my own imprudence , folly , weakness and inconstancy , I humbly and earnestly implore and beseech the highest Majesty , who is infinite in wisdom , power , and goodness , that he would give me counsel and discretion in the use and management of all means and helps that I may not neglect any , nor through sloth and imprudence s●ffer a lesser duty to justle out a greater , that he would give me courage , strength and constancy in the maintaining my spiritual warfare against these my spiritual enemies unto my lifes end . And if ever I should fall through unwatchfulness and weakness , ( which the Lord grant I may never do ) I do promise in the strength of the Lord to arise again by Faith and Repentance . And because of the Body of sin within me , and remaining corruptions , I shall be subject ( during my abode here ) unto daily failings and infirmities ; I do promise to pray , watch and strive against them , beseeching the Lord to strengthen me herein , and grant that my sinfull infirmities may be lesse every day than other ; in the mean time looking upon those disallowed miscarriages contrary to the settled bent and resolution of my heart , as insufficient to make my Covenant void . Furthermore , being convinced of the vanity , emptiness , and utter insufficiency of any or all the Creatures in the World , to make me happy , had I the most desireable enjoyment of them ; and having a discovery of the infinitely blessed God made unto me in his Works , chiefly in his Word , as being the chief good of man , and withall a Promise in the Covenant of Grace that he will be our God , yea our Father through Christ , and that we shall be his people , his Sons and Daughters : I do here with deep veneration of Soul , and chief estimation of minde , choose the thrice Blessed Iehovah for my Portion and chief good , beyond all persons and things in this World ; and do avouch him this day to be my God. I humbly accept of the relation of a Servant and a Son , or Daughter , which he hath called me unto . I put my self under his wing , and commit my self to his care and Tuition ; and henceforth shall be bold through my dearest Lord to call him , and look upon him to be my God and Father ; and humbly shall expect from him Protection and Provision in his way and work , Correction , Audience of Prayer , and the fulfilling of all those Promises unto me , which he hath made unto his Children . Moreover , being perswaded that none can come unto the Father , but by the Son ; nor share in any spiritual priviledge , but through Christs death and intercession , and being perswaded of the infinite amiableness of Christs person , the greatness of his love and affection unto the children of men , as also of his infinite desireableness in regard of those offices , and relations which he hath vouchsafed to take upon him , and enter into for the good of his people : I do avouch the Lord Iesus Christ to be my only Saviour , and choose him in all his Offices and Relations . I choose Christ to be my High-Priest , to intercede , and procure for me daily pardon , access unto God , acceptance of my person and service , audience of my prayers , and supply of all my wants . I choose Christ to be my Prophet , to teach me by his Word and Spirit the will of the Father . I choose Christ to be my King to rule and govern me , to command my whole man into the obedience of himself . I choose Christ to be my Captain , to go before me , and to tread down my spiritual enemies under my feet . I choose Christ to be my Friend and Brother , to counsel and advise me , to stand by me in all the difficulties and straights of my life . I choose Christ to be my Husband and beloved , humbly accepting of this near and sweet Relation which he calleth me unto . I joyn and espouse my self unto the Lord Iesus ; and do promise to be for him only , and with full purpose of heart to cleave unto him , to love , honour and serve him , never to deny nor leave him whatever reproaches and distresses I may meet withall for his sake ; though Persecution should arise , and that even unto death , I do promise to own his Name , and Cause , and Truths , and Wayes , so long as I have breath in my Body : But knowing that I am utterly insufficient to do any of these things in my own strength , therefore upon the knees of my Soul , I earnestly beseech that I may have strength for all these from himself alone . Further , because God my Father is invisible to the eye of sense , and incomprehensible by the grasp of Reason ; and because my dearest Lord Iesus Christ , who alone hath declared him , in regard of his bodily presence is now in Heaven , absent from his people ; and because whatever spiritual light or life , grace , comfort , or spiritual communion with the Father , and with his Son , is vouchsafed unto the people of God , it is by the Holy Spirit , who is appointed by Office hereunto , and graciously promised unto them in the Word : Therefore I avouch and choose the Holy Ghost to be my Teacher and Guide , to be my Sanctifier and Comforter , to help my infirmities in duties ; to strengthen me with might in my inner man against sin and Satans Temptations ; to cleanse me from all filthiness of flesh and spirit ; to heal me of all my spiritual distempers ; to revive me under all my faintings ; to supply me with all Graces as to kinde and measure , as shall be needfull for me in my place and work ; to testifie Gods love to my Soul ; to give me earnests of Glory , and to seal me up unto the day of Redemption : And O that I might have the presence and abode of the Spirit of God with me , and never grieve , quench , resist , and drive away the Spirit any more ! Also , because the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God , endited by the Holy Ghost , the Epistle of Iesus Christ , wherein he hath given notice of his love and will ; because they are the only sufficient , and in themselves a perfect Rule for Faith and a holy Life , and so fully do declare the way and means unto everlasting happiness : Therefore I choose the Word of God to be the Rule of my Faith and Life ; and the Ordinances of God therein prescribed to be the means of my acquaintance and converse with my God so far as I am capable of , and he shall vouchsafe ; and to be the means also of preparing of me for the full and perfect enjoyment of him beyond my present capacity . And , because the Ordinances are but dark glasses to see the Lord in ; because ignorance and unbelief do exceedingly vail God from mine eyes , flesh and corruption do damp my love to God , and my spiritual Ioy in him , and interrupt my communion with him ; because of the sins , sorrows , temptations , and afflictions which I cannot be wholly free from , and therefore cannot be perfectly happy here in this World ; and having life and immortality brought to light by the Gospel ; a discovery and promise of eternal Life made unto me in the Word , and withall a command of my Lord , to lay up my Treasure in Heaven : Therefore I choose Heaven for my Treasure and Inheritance , for ever to live there in the company of all the holy Angels and Saints , in the blessed sight , love , and enjoyment of the infinitely blessed God , to see and share in the glory of my Dearest Lord Iesus Christ , whither I hope my Soul shall be transported by the Angels , so soon as it is separated from my Body ; and that my vile Body , when awakened and raised in the Morning of Chris●s coming , shall be fashioned like unto Christs most beautifull and glorious Body , and both inherit the Kingdom prepared and promised by my Father . Lastly , being perswaded of my Duty , and encouraged by Gods promise of assistance and acceptance ; I now dedicate and deliver up my self fully , freely , and for ever unto the Lord ; I yield and resign up my Soul with all its powers and faculties ; my Body with all its senses and members to be the instruments of righteousness unto God : I resign up my Minde to think upon the Lord , and those things which concern his Interest and Glory , to receive , embrace and maintain his Truths ; I resign up my Memory , to be a store-house and receptacle chiefly of the great things which do belong to his Kingdom , and other things of a more inferiour rank , as they may have a reference unto his Glory . I resign up my Conscience to receive light and purity from his Word and Spirit , and desire that it may act faithfully as the Lords Deputy . I resign up my Will unto the Will of God , to submit to his Precepts , to embrace his Promises , to oppose what he hath forbidden , to comply with all the dispensations of his Providence towards me , to be willing that I should be , and do , and bear , and choose and lose what God would have me . I resign up my Heart and Affections to fear and reverence the Lord , to believe and trust in the Lord , to desire and seek after the Lord , to love and delight in the Lord , and desire to put them all under his Government , and to have them exercised according to his will. I resign up my Fancy to be governed and employed by my Reason in the service of my Master . I resign up my Sensual Appetite after meat and drink , sleep , and any pleasures to be subs●rvient to my Rational Appetite , and no further to have satisfaction , than will tend to the glory of the Lord. I● sign up my Hands to work for God , my Feet to walk for God , my Ears to hear for God , my Eyes to see for God , my Tongue to speak for God. I resign up all my Graces , all my Gifts , all my Talents , to be used for the Glory of my Lord and Master ; and my whole Man to be ruled and governed by his Laws : Promising , though my Flesh do contradict and rebell , that I will endeavour to order my whole conversation according to his Word ; humbly looking up to him for strength so to doe , that I may be enabled by him to every duty . And now I look upon my self no longer my own , or that any thing I have is at my own dispose ; but I wholly belong unto the Lord : And therefore , blessing , and praising , and giving thanks unto the Lord , for vouchsafing to enter into Covenant with me , and enclining my heart to enter into Covenant with him ; Bending my neck under the feet of the most glorious Iehovah , I subscribe my self , Witness my Hand and Seal . The devoted Servant of the Lord , A. B. Direct . 10. You must be stedfast , and persevere in the wayes of God unto your lives end , if you would be saved : And here you must be stedfast , 1. In the wayes of Truth . 2. In the Wayes of Gods Commandements . 1. You must be stedfast and persevere in the wayes of Truth ; in the belief of the Truths of the Word , without turning aside into wayes of Errour ; there are wayes of Errour which will lead you as certainly , and more securely to Hell , than the wayes of open profaneness . The Apostle tells us of damnable errours , as well as open , damnable sins , 2 Pet. 2.1 . and we read of some that are damned for believing a lye , that their delusion hath been the cause of their damnation , 2 Thess. 2.11 , 12. The Devil leads as many as he can in the cords of more gross and known sins towards the place of endless misery ; but if any of them begin to perceive their thraldom and danger , if their eyes be a little opened , and Conscience awakened , and hearts affected , and they are perswaded to look after their salvation , then he endeavours to draw them into wayes of Errour , he hath his Agents and Ministers , who are very subtle and crafty , and lye in wait to deceive , who with good words and fair speeches insinuate poysonous doctrines ; and pretending more glorious discoveries , higher and more excellent wayes , draw them out of the way of the Word and Ordinances , into paths of darkness , where they wander and lose themselves for ever ; where they are tossed up and down , and beaten to and fro with every winde of doctrine unto the shipwrack of their Faith and their Souls . As you hope for salvation , you must take heed of Errour ; diligently inquire after Truth ; search for it as for silver , and digg for it as for hidden treasures ; digg for it in the golden Mines of the Scriptures , let the Word of God be the only Rule of your Faith ; and having found the Truth , keep it , hold it fast , labour to fix it in your mindes , let it be as a girdle about your loins ; lay it up in your heart , let it be rooted there ; apply your selves to Christ as a Prophet to lead you by his Word and Spirit into all Truth , and to keep you from being deceived and deluded ; and keep close to the Ministery and Ordinances of Christs Institution , which the Lord hath appointed to continue unto the end of the World , for the edifying establishment , and perfecting of the Saints , Eph. 4.11 , 12 , 13 , 14. 2. You must be stedfast , and persevere in the wayes of Gods Commandements ; you must patiently continue in well-doing , if you would obtain immortal glory , Rom. 2.7 . you must endure to the end if you would be saved , Matth. 10.22 . you must be faithfull unto the death , if you would gain the Crown of life , Rev. 2.10 . It is absolutely necessary unto salvation , that you hold out in the wayes of God ; none but such which come to the end of the race will obtain the prize ; the Gate of Heaven lyeth at the further not the hither end of the Holy Path ; therefore you must stedfastly persevere in this way ; if you should fall down , you must rise again , and go on ; if you should fall back or through mistake turn aside , you must return again , and make the more haste ; but if you should fall off , if you should fall away ( as some have done who have seemed very zealous and forward Christians as to the outward Profession ) you are lost , you are cast-awayes , and you will tumble and fall down into the bottomless Pit , from whence there is no returning . Be not then followers of them that draw back to perdition , but of them that believe to the saving of the Soul , Heb. 10.39 . Be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the Promises , Heb. 6.12 . It is a glorious Inheritance that is before you , that is promised and prepared in Heaven , let this encourage you to diligence and perseverance unto the end ; I shall conclude with the words of the Apostle , 1 Cor. 15.58 . Therefore my beloved Brethren be stedfast , unmoveable , alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord , for asmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Thus I have given you Directions , What things you must do that you may be saved . SECT . XIX . II. THE Second and last thing for your guidance in the way of Salvation , is , To shew you what Means you must make use of to help you in these things . There are Ten Means to be used in order to the attaining of Salvation : 1. Self-examination . 2. Reading the Word of God , and other good books . 3. Hearing the Word Preached . 4. Meditation . 5. Prayer . 6. Christian-conference . 7. Watchfulness . 8. Sanctification of Fasting-dayes . 9. Sanctification of Sabbath-dayes . 10. Improvement of Sacrament-dayes . Means 1. Self-examination . You must examine your selves , if you would see your selves lost ; you may read the mistake of the Laodiceans , Rev. 3.17 . Thou sayest , I am rich , and encreased in goods , and have need of nothing ; and knowest not that thou art wretched , miserable , and poor , and blinde , and naked . You must examine and prove your spiritual state , that you may have a right judgement thereof , that you may perceive how poor , and wretched , and miserable you are whilest you are in a state of Nature . You must examine your selves , that you may get a sight and sense of sin : Ier. 8.6 . I hearkned and heard , but they spake not aright , no man repented him of his wickedness , saying , What have I done ? every one turned to his course , as the Horse rusheth into the battel . You must examine what you have done , if you would repent of your sins ; you must search and try your wayes , if you would turn from your evil wayes ; you must commune with your hearts , and come to your selves , with the Prodigal , if you would return unto God , and turn your feet unto his Testimonies . Be serious then in this great duty of Self-examination ; and that you may be so , I would advise that you would set apart time for it , when your thoughts are most free , and affections most sedate and quiet ; get out of the hurry of the world , and lay aside other business for a while ; and withall separate your selves from company , and retire into secret , where you may be free from external disturbances and interruptions ; whatever indispositions and withdrawments of heart you finde , force your selves to the work ; resist Satan , who will endeavour to divert and discourage you : Set your selves in the presence of God ; desire him to search you ; beg his help in the duty ; labour to keep your minde close to it ; if vain thoughts arise , and would hurry you away , look up to Christ to rebuke them , and to bring them into captivity and obedience unto himself . And then sit down , and seriously consider what you have done ever since you came into the World , and withall think with your selves what you will do when your life and this world shall come to an end . Take a review of your sins ; they are noted down upon the book of your Consciences , peruse this book ; and if you extracted a Catalogue of your sins , it might be a help to you . Note down your original sin ; your actual sins ; your transgressions of Gods Law , in the first and the second Table thereof ; your disobedience to the Gospel ; the aggravations of your sins . Means 2. Reading the Word of God , and other good books . The rule whereby you are to examine your selves is the Word ; this is like a Candle , which will give light in dark corners ; this is like a Glass , which will discover spots in the face ; you must search the Word , and try your selves her●by , if you would have knowledge of sin , and your spiritual state ; and you must search the Word , if you would have knowledge and acquaintance with God and his will. You may arrive to some knowledge of God by reading the Book of Nature ; the whole world is full of God , and every Creature doth represent him ; but the world is full of sin too , and the more immediate representations of the Creatures are sensitive things , which our sense layeth hold on first , and is apt there to stick , without further piercing and searching to finde out God ; and where we have one provocation from the Creatures to love and serve him ( through the bewitching temptations of the world , meeting with the worldly lusts of our hearts ) we have a thousand incitements and allurements from them to sin against God ; but the Word is full of God , and no incitement there to sin , full of perswasives to holiness and obedience ; God is to be seen more easily , and he setteth forth himself there most conspicuously ; In the Book of the Scriptures you have the most glorious discoveries of God , in his greatness , majesty , power , holiness , love , mercy , and the like ; and the way made known of acquaintance and communion with him ; if you would be acquainted with God in Christ , you must acquaint your selves with the Scriptures : Read the Scriptures daily , and search them ; Ioh. 5.39 . read not only the history of the Word , but labour to understand the mystery of Godliness therein revealed , 1 Tim. 3.16 . endeavour after a spiritual discerning of the things of the Spirit , 1 Cor. 2.14 . when you meet with Doctrines in your reading the Word , labour to understand and believe them ; when you meet with Precepts labour to obey them ; when with Prohibitions and Threatnings , be cautioned against sin by them ; when you meet with promises , labour to apply them , to draw vertue from them . Read this Book as the Word of God , and hide it in your heart ; lay it up there , as a choice treasure , get your hearts cast into the mould of it ; get it written upon your hearts , and let it have an influence upon your whole conversation ; and that you may the better understand and apply the truths of the Word , read as you have time other good books , which open the Scriptures , and treat of needfull points of Religion , especially such as direct in the great work of Conversion , and give Rules out of the Word for the ordering of your whole conversation ; but above all Books read and study the Scriptures . Means 3. Hearing the Word Preached . It is by the foolishness of Preaching that God saveth such as do believe , 1 Cor. 1.21 . however the preaching of the Word is to them that perish foolishness , yet unto Believers it is the power of God unto salvation ; therein God doth put forth his power , and maketh bare his arm , in bringing salvation to lost souls . Hear and thy Soul shall live , Isa. 55.3 . Faith cometh by hearing , Rome . 10.17 . Lydia's heart was opened whilest she attended upon the Word preached by Paul , Act. 16.14 . Attend therefore diligently upon the Word preached by Christs Ministers , as an Ordinance of his own institution for the working and increase of Grace : Look upon Ministers as Christs Ambassadours ; he that heareth them heareth Christ , and he that turneth away his ear from hearing them , turneth away his ear from Christ , who by his Spirit in them speaketh from Heaven unto men , and how impossible it is for such to escape the wrath of God , see Heb. 12.25 . Much more shall not they escape that turn away their ear from him that speaketh from Heaven . Hear the Word with reverence , as the Word of God , as if the Lord should speak to you from Heaven with an audible voice ; hear the Word with diligence and attention as for your lives , as for the salvation of your Souls ; hear the Word with faith and love , without which it will not profit and work effectually in your hearts ; and in hearing look not so much for those things which may please , as for that which may edifie ; I mean , do not regard so much mens fancies , as the wholsom Truths of the Word , which tend most to conviction , edification , to the killing of sin , quickning and increase of Grace , and nourishment of the spiritual life . Means 4. Meditation . The Word like Food must be digested by Meditation , that it may turn to spiritual nourishment ; you must ponder and consider in your mindes the Truths of the Word , that you may both understand them , and get your Hearts affected with them , and your Lives ordered by them . Meditation is a great help in Heavens way , such as are remiss herein cannot walk so steddily , nor chearfully ; accustome your selves unto this duty , set apart time for it ; I know that some complain of barrenness in their thoughts , when they endeavour to meditate ; such I would advise , if they have not that fruitfulness of thoughts themselves to supply them with matter , that they would make use of others help ; let them meditate on the Scriptures they read , on the Sermons they hear ; moreover I would offer some general heads for Meditation , which you may make use of . 1. Sometimes meditate on God , his Attributes , his infinite Majesty , power , holiness , omnipresence , omniscience , eternity , unchangeableness , his infinite wisdom , truth , faithfulness , justice , goodness , mercy and loving-kindness ; his Councels , especially his eternal decree of Election , which is of most sweet consideration to Believers ; his works of Creation and Providence . 2. Sometimes meditate on Christ ; his near relations , of Friend , Brother , Husband ; his needfull Offices of Priest , Prophet , and King. 3. Sometimes meditate on the Spirit , his way and workings on the minde and heart , how he enlighteneth , enliveneth , strengtheneth , comforteth , &c. 4. Sometimes meditate on the Covenant of Grace , and the rich , free , suitable , sure Promises of pardon , grace , salvation therein . 5. Sometimes meditate on the Gospel , and its priviledges , Justification , Adoption , Sanctification , Assurance of Gods love , peace of Conscience , Joy in the Holy Ghost , communications of grace , &c. 6. Sometimes meditate on the four last things , namely , Death , Judgement , Heaven and Hell. 7. Sometimes meditate , and that frequently , daily , of such Arguments as tend to the mortifying of your particular sins , which are most strong and prevalent , and to the strengthening of your graces which you finde most weak and deficient . Means 5. Prayer . Pray secretly ; retire your selves from company into your Closets , or some private place , and there confess your sins , and make known your requests to God , that seeth and heareth in secret , and hath promised an open reward to such as secretly and sincerely seek him . Pray frequently , be often upon your knees , give your selves unto Prayer ; begin the day , conclude the day with Prayer , and recover some other time to visit and speak to God ; at least mingle ejaculatory Prayer with every other work ; and labour that your minds may be always in a praying frame ; and do not withdraw , but be glad when an opportunity offereth it self to come to the throne of grace . Pray fervently , pour forth your hearts before God in the duty ; wr●stle with God in Prayer like Iacob , be earn●st in your Petitions as for your lives , be instant and importunate , take no denyal , follow hard after God ; stir up your selves to take hold on him , use arguments in Prayer , to plead with him . Pray believing●y , mingle your prayers with Faith ; make use of the name and mediation of Jesus Christ ; and make application of the Promises which God hath made to his People , which he hath made to Faith , and which he hath made to Prayer . Means 6. Christian Conference . Take heed of the company of the wicked ; from such turn away ; if ●● and when you are there , labour to mourn for sin , which hath pierced the Lord ; to hunger after his righteousness ; to receive him by Faith ; to apply the Promises of the Covenant of Grace , whereof the Sacrament is a Seal ; endeavour after a burning love to him whose love hath been so great as to dye for you ; and let your hearts be filled with joy , and your mouths with Praises , and deliver up your selves in Covenant unto the Lord in this Ordinance ; After you come from the Lords Table , reflect upon your carriage towards the Lord ; if you have been straitened , endeavour to find out the cause , mourn , and by after-pains and application of Christ , endeavour to get some benefit , and prepare better against the next time ; if you have been enlarged , be humble , be thankfull , be watchfull , live up to Obligations ; draw vertue from Christs death for the cr●●cifying more and more of your flesh , with its aff●ctions and lusts ; and fetch influences of grace and spiritual nourishment ▪ that you may encrease with the encreases of God. Finally , be diligent in the use of these , and all other means and helps , and so at length you shall attain the ultimate end , for which they are appointed , even your Salvation and Eternal Happiness . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A64998-e420 Motive 3. 
A30582	----	Gospel remission, or, A treatise shewing that true blessedness consists in pardon of sin wherein is discovered the many Gospel mysteries therein contained, the glorious effects proceeding from it, the great mistakes made about it, the true signs and symptomes of it, the way and means to obtain it / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being several sermons preached immediately after those of The evil of sin by the same author, and now published by Philip Nye ... [et al.] Burroughs, Jeremiah, 1599-1646. 1668 Approx. 558 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 120 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A30582 Wing B6081 ESTC R4316 13679090 ocm 13679090 101278 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A30582) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 101278) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 839:18) Gospel remission, or, A treatise shewing that true blessedness consists in pardon of sin wherein is discovered the many Gospel mysteries therein contained, the glorious effects proceeding from it, the great mistakes made about it, the true signs and symptomes of it, the way and means to obtain it / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being several sermons preached immediately after those of The evil of sin by the same author, and now published by Philip Nye ... [et al.] Burroughs, Jeremiah, 1599-1646. Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672. [8], 220, [12] p. Printed for Dor. Newman and are to be sold at his shop ..., London : 1668. Errata: p. [8] at beginning. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. 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Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Salvation -- Sermons. Salvation -- Early works to 1800. Sermons, English -- 17th century. 2006-05 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-12 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-05 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2008-05 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THese are to certifie all into whose hands this Book shall come , that these Sermons contained in this Book ( on Psal . 32.1 . Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven and whose Sin is covered , ) Entituled Gospel Remission , and Printed for Dorman Newman Stationer , are the painful and profitable Labours of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs , and published by the best and most Exact Copy extant . Jan. 17. 1668. Philip Nye , William Greenhill , William Bridge , William Adderly , Matth. Mead , C. Helms . There is now Re-printed The Christian Man's Calling , with Directions to perform it in all religious Duties , Natural Actions , Particular Vocations , Family Directions , his own recreation . In the Relations of Parents , Children , Husbands , Wives , Masters , Servants , and in all conditions in his dealings with all men in Company , in Solitariness , on a week-day from morning to night , in visiting the sick , and on a dying-bed , by Geo. Swinnock , M.A. late of Great Kimbal in Buckinghamshire . GOSPEL REMISSION , Or a TREATISE shewing , that TRUE BLESSEDNESS CONSISTS IN Pardon of Sin. Wherein is Discovered The Many Gospel Mysteries therein Contained . The Glorious Effects proceeding from it . The Great Mistakes made about it . The True Signs and Symptomes of it . The Way and Means to obtain it . By Jeremiah Burroughs . Being several Sermons Preached immediately after those of The Evil of Sin by the same Author . And now Published by Philip Nye , William Greenhill , William Bridge , William Adderly , Matth. Mead , C. Helmes . The Inhabitant shall not say , I am sick : the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their Iniquities , Isai . 33. — 34. London , Printed for Dor. Newman , and are to be sold at his Shop at the Chirurgions Arms in Little Brittain near the Hospital-gate , 1668. To the READER . Christian Reader , THe provident care of God is manifested toward his People in the present Preservation of , and provision for them . To have the mouths of Lions stopped when we are cast into the mid'st of their Den ; the Waters to be a wall about us on the right hand and on the left , which in their own nature and tendency would overwhelm us , to have the Bush burning , and not consumed , are as evident tokens of the good will of him that dwelt in the bush , of Gods presence with and owning of his afflicted People now , as in the days of old ; yea to have Hony out of the flinty Rock , Manna in the Wilderness , a voice behind us , Saying , This is the way , walk in it ; enforceth as great an obligation to admiration and thankfulness upon us , as upon the Israelites of old . Among'st the many English Prophets who are dead , and yet speak , the Reverend Author of the ensuing Treatise may challenge a place with the first Worthies : His Works , not my words are the best Orators to commend him : That Scripture Encomium may be written upon his Stepney and Cripplegate-Lectures , — This and that man was born there . For although many now living , do through mercy enjoy able Teachers and Instructors ; yet do they owe to him the Name of Father , as an Instrument of their Conversion . I may boldly apply that saying to holy Burrough's , which was once spoken of a Learned Divine beyond Sea : Meruerunt viri docti etiam post funera vivere , ac docere scriptis posteros , quos infeliciter post eos nasci contigit ; in eo autem virorum ordine Burroughsium reponere , nemo praeter eum , qui propriae diffidit virtuti , prohibebit . These Sermons presented to thy view , are with the help of an able Learned Divine , ( who also heard these Sermons preached , ) cast into that form of a Tract that now thou seest them in , without any material Additions or Alterations . The time when the Reverend Author preached them , was next in order after those convincing Sermons , of the sinfulness of Sin ; so that this Gospel Soul-Reviving Discourse was then a word spoke in due season . In this Treatise thou hast Gospel Grace stated rightly , the Justice of God cleared , the Mercy of God exalted , poor trembling Sinners incouraged to come to the Blood of Christ for Pardon , presumptuous sinners awakened out of their deadly deluding Dreams of Heaven , when they are ready to drop into Hell. In a word , here thou may'st take a view of the Love of the Father , the Grace of the Son , the Fountain opened for Sin and for Uncleanness , Cordial Waters of Life for sinking and fainting sinners , here thou may'st behold Sin , Damning sin , sin that God hates , and cannot but hate ; Sin that God punisheth , and cannot but punish , taken off the poor believing sinner and laid upon his Surety ; sin condemned and punished in Jesus Christ , and the Believing Sinner justified , pardoned , acquitted . If therefore thou prizest peace with God through Jesus Christ , Pray for light to direct thee into a distinct knowledge of this Gospel Truth , and take up this Book and read it , and the Lord give thee understanding in all things , answerable to the Design of the Author , and the Prayer of him who heartily wisheth thy Salvation , and growth in the knowledge of God , and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ . C. Helmes . The Stationer to the Reader . IT is now long since I undertook the Printing of this Book , and as my Incouragements were many , so I had obtained of one of those Reverend Divines that have given their attestation to it , to peruse the Work , and had his Testimony that he heard those Sermons preached ; and upon Perusal of them found not any thing Material left out , of what the Author Mr. Jer. Burroughs delivered ; and knowing that Mr. Peter Cole ( who formerly Printed many of the Author's Works ) had long laid wait and endeavoured to get this Copy out of the hands of those that published the Author's Books , offering as great Reward for the same , but could not obtain it . And now at last being so much wished thereunto by his friends ; being assured that as the whole is abundantly spiritual and lovely in its Matter , and that wherein the very spirit and style of Mr. Burroughs is manifested ; so there are many things ( as I am informed ) were never so much as touch 't upon , or handled by any other Writer , and yet are of very great Importance to be known by all Intelligent and Sober-minded men , I thought good , having this assurance from them , to certifie so much to the Reader . Dor. Newman . Some of the greater faults in Printing to be thus amended Page 2. line 17. for sorrow read terror . p. 7. l. ult . to children add of men . p. 15. l. 26. for thee r. him . p. 21. l. 32. for letter r. little . p. 30. l. 1. to inlet of add all . p. 36. l. 37. after the first word cry add but it may be . p. 45. l. 9. after pardon add and. l. 14. after in add to . l. 15. for run r. ran . p. 56. l. 19. after how add then . p. 60. l. 3. after seeing add the heart of . ibid. after Holy Ghost r. are for is . p. 81. l. 31. after horrible add evil . p. 98. l. 6. for fourthly r. fifthly . Gospel Remission . PSAL. XXXII . 1 . Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven , and whose Sin is Covered . CHAP. I. The Text Opened , and the Main Doctrine Propounded . I Have , as you may remember , in many Sermons endeavoured to shew unto you the malignity and dreadful evil that there is in Sin ; And what more seasonable and suitable Argument can we now treat of , than the blessedness of Pardon of Sin ? How sweet and acceptable will this be to such fou●s , that by the former argument have been made apprehensive of the dreadful evil of it ? How readily will they say , with the Prophet , How beautiful are the feet of those that bring ( such ) good tidings ? Wherefore , me thinks , while I am reading this Text , I should be like a man at an Eccho , that hears the words thereof resounded back again , by every broken hearted sinner in this Congregation , O , blessed , blessed is the man indeed whose transgressions are forgiven , and whose sin is covered . A word spoken in season ( says Solomon ) is like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver ; and considering , how large I have been in opening of the Evil of Sin unto you , if ever a word was spoken in due season , I hope it may be out of this Text : The word of Reconciliation and pardon of Sin ; and if God inable me to clear up unto you the excellency of those Truths contained in this Scripture , I hope they will prove in all your eyes to be as Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver . The words read , are the first words of one of David's Penitential Psalms , and they are indeed the genuine voyce of a true Penitent ; the very Character of an humble Penitential Soul ; he is one that has admiring thoughts of the blessedness of the pardon of sin : I will not spend time in Analysing the whole Psalm , because the sweetness and blessedness of the Argument draws my heart to come presently to it ; And blessed may your ears be , who after hearing of the dreadful evil of sin , may come to hear the blessed doctrine of Pardon ; it is that which God has deny'd to many thousands : And who knows but many even of those that in this Congregation have heard the sorrow of that Doctrine , are now gone ( perhaps to their own place ) and feel what they then heard , and much more , and are past ever hearing the argument of pardon and forgiveness of sin : that blessed sound shall never come to their ears ; but the horrid noise of yelling , roarings , and cursings of damned spirits , for the wrath of God that lies heavy on them for their sin . This Psalm in the title of it is a Psalm of David Maschil ; that is , a Psalm of Instruction ; or , for Instruction : And what is a more useful Instruction than to instruct the soul where true blessedness lies ? And what is a better instruction than to tell man the way of the pardon and forgiveness of sin ? the way to true happiness ? The happiness of the reasonable creature is that which many wise men thought to find out , but after all their search , they were much puzled , and in the dark , and could never come to find where it lay , by all the wisdom of the flesh ; only the rational creature is capable of blessedness , because it is capeable of such an act as to reflect upon it self : that is the ground why the rational creature is capable of blessedness , above all other creatures ; no creature can truly be said to be a blessed creature , but only the rational ; because no creature else can reflect upon its own condition to know it self . But then not only to know our selves , but our own happiness , where our blessedness lies ; this must needs be a profitable instruction . No Philosopher did ever give such a description of happiness as this is , Blessed is the man whose , &c. yea David , who had a Monopoly of the comforts of this world to the full , and had the Crown upon his head , says not , Blessed is he that is Crowned and has a Kingdom . David that had the riches of this world , did not say , Blessed is he that hath this worlds goods . David that had honours , and was reputed among the mighty men , did not say , Blessed is he that hath worldly honours . David that had many Victories over Enemies , says not , Blessed is he that rides in Triumph over his Enemies . David that had sumptuous Palaces , and the delights of this world , does not say , Blessed is he that has them . But in the midst of all Outward good things , David enjoyed in this world , he finds his blessedness to consist in this , The pardon and forgiveness of his sins ; he pronounces them and them only blessed , whose sin is pardoned . This Instruction of the blessedness of Pardon of Sin , as it lies here annexed , is of weight indeed , and of infinite concernment : Luther says , The Argument of free Justification and Remission of Sin , is that that makes a Divine : and this may be added to that , 't is this that makes a Christian ; To be instructed rightly in the Justification of a Sinner , is that that makes a Christian . Nay , although we had ten thousand Instructors in other things , not only in Natural knowledge , but in Divinity too , in all the points of it ; yet we could never be wise unto Salvation , except we were instructed with this instruction , in the blessedness of Justification and pardon of sin . Luther says , Let this Doctrine lie dead , and all the whole knowledge of other Truths is to little purpose . Therefore well may the title of the Psalm be a Psalm of Instruction : Blessed is the man whose Transgressions are forgiven , and whose Iniquities are covered . Wherefore our Point of Doctrine according to the words is this , Doct. The Blessedness of a Man , or of any Soul ; consists in the free Grace of God forgiving of his sin . That is our point ; the blessedness of any man or woman does not consist in the enjoyment of any thing in all this world , but in the free grace of God forgiving of his sin ; It neither consists in any thing we can do or have , but in the free grace of God forgiving of sin ; and that is the meaning of that Text , Rom. 4 , 6 , 7. which St. Paul cites from this place of Scripture , observe it , 't is to this very purpose , even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man to whom God imputeth righteousness without works , saying , Blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven , and whose Sins are covered . The scope of the Apostle in this place is , to declare the blessing of Abraham the father of the faithful , consisted not in any thing he had or did , but in the free grace of God forgiving of his sin , Gal. 4.15 . says Paul , Where is the blessedness you spake of ? for , I bear you record , if possible , you would have pluckt out your own eyes , and given them to me : Where is then the blessedness you spake of ? What 's the meaning of this blessedness ? certainly this blessedness in my Text , it was this blessed doctrine St. Paul being first that brought it to the Gallatians , concerning the free Justification of a poor soul by faith in Jesus Christ , in the free pardon and remission of his sin by faith in Christ ; this is the blessedness spoken of : Now , because the Galatians at the first hearing of this doctrine were so mightily taken with it , that they cry'd out , O this is a blessed doctrine ; Remission of Sin by the free grace of God through faith in Christ , O this is the blessedest doctrine that ever we heard ; they were so taken with it , that if possible , they would have pluckt out their eyes for Paul , that brought them such a doctrine as this at their first hearing and receiving of it . But afterwards , the Galatians were turn'd aside by false Teachers , that had taken off the edge of their affections to this blessed Truth . Now Paul coming to reprove them , says , Where is then the blessedness you spake of , there was a time when I first taught you the Doctrine of the free forgiveness of sin by faith in Christ , and you said it was a blessed Doctrine , and your hearts were mightily taken with it , where is it now ? How comes it to pass that your hearts are so taken off from the esteem you then had of it ? Where is then the blessedness you spake of ? Thus 't is usually , the Ministers of Christ come and preach Doctrine to People that their hearts are taken with , their spirits stir'd , and they mightily affected with the first hearing of it ; but afterwards by some sin , or the company of carnal friends , their hearts are taken off , though while they were hearing such and such a Truth , their hearts glow'd and burn'd within them . God grant it may not be so with some of you , who when you heard lately the Doctrine of the Evil of Sin , your hearts were mightily affected , and you said , O what a dreadful evil is there in sin , in the least sin ; and being convinced of it , you began to reform ; yet afterwards you fell off again . May it not be said of you , Where is the sence of the Evil of Sin you spake of ? Where is that bitterness upon your hearts , on the convictions you had of the evil of sin ? Where is it ? What is become of it ? As St. Paul says , the blessedness you spake of , Where is it ? What is become of all that strength and power the Doctrine of Remission of Sin had upon your hearts ? Take another Scripture , Remission of Sin is the special Blessedness of the second Covenant that God made with Abraham ; when he came to Abraham and told him , In his Seed all Nations-should be blessed , Gal. 3.17 . compar'd with the 24. in the 17. verse he speaks of the Covenant made with Abraham , and that the Law that was 430 years after , could not disanul the Promise that it should be of none effect , vers . 24. Wherefore then served the Law ? why says he , It was our Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ : The scope of the Apostle is to shew , that there is a Covenant of Grace beyond that of the Law , and that the Covenant of the Law is to bring us to the Covenant of Grace ; and the principal thing in the Covenant of Grace is in the 24. vers . The Law , says he , was our Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ ▪ That we might be justified by faith , and thereby receive remission of our sins , if the Scripture places blessedness in the remission of sin : That it is so , I suppose is clear enough , the main business we have to do , is to shew how it is so ; that is , to open unto you wherein the blessedness of the pardon of sin consists , and shew you in what particulars the blessedness of pardon of sin may appear unto you : and to that there are many things may be said . CHAP. II. Of the Blessedness of the Pardon of Sin , which appears 1. Negatively in the Evil it frees us from . 1. THat , that hath been lately delivered of the Evil of Sin , may be of great concernment to discover wherein the blessedness of pardon of sin lyes , the deliverance from so great an evil , as you heard , the evil of sin was ; surely , Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven . If sin be so dreadful an evil as you heard , surely , Blessed is the man that is delivered from all that evil : if it remain fresh upon your minds , what the evil of sin against God was , and what it brought upon your selves ; you cannot but say , this is one principal thing wherein it appears , that man or woman is blessed that hath his sin pardoned : If any man or woman be in any great danger , or under any great evil or misery ; and if he be delivered from it , we say , that man is a blessed man , or a blessed woman that is quit from such a woful evil that was upon them ; you account your selves happy to be delivered firm any dangerous storms , and to have a calm ; Are not they then happy that are delivered from the evil of sin ? Let me speak a little to a poor sinner that understands what the meaning of sin is , and that understands somewhat of the dreadful evil of it : I would ask of thee oh poor sinner ; What seest thou ? the answer will be , What see I ? Oh I see the angry Countenance of an Infinite God against me , whose eyes are as a flaming fire looking with indignation upon me ! I see a black dismal cloud of the displeasure of the Almighty hanging over me ! I see a most hideous and dreadful sentence of wrath ready to fall upon me ! I see woe , misery , and destruction pursuing of me ! I see blackness of darkness and desolation even surrounding me ! I both see and feel the woful accusations of a guilty Conscience within me , condemning me ; continually grating upon my soul , and terrifying me with dreadful Visions of eternal miseries to betide me ! I see the chain of black guilt and horrour on my soul , that I carry with me wheresoever I go ! I see the bottomless gulf of eternal horrour and dispair with the mouth of it wide open ready to swallow me up ! Now then , this sight being presented before an enlightned and awakened Conscience ; Now comes in the pardon and forgiveness of sin whereby this dreadful cloud is dispel'd , the tempest is gone ; the darkness and misery vanish't away , and all evil whatsoever the soul is set free from , sin , and from all the dreadful consequences of it . Is not this a blessed man , comparing his former condition with his present state , looking on him as even now , having the sense of the dreadful evil of sin upon his Conscience , and the heavy burden of it on his back , ready to sink under it , into the gulph of misery , and now pardon of sin comes ; O what a blessed change is this ! O blessed is the man whose sin is pardoned . Now what God had laid unto his charge , or his own Conscience , the Law , the Devil , or the World , 't is all done away , all is discharg'd and gone , blessed is the man that is thus delivered ; Old things are past away , and all things are become new , 2 Cor. 5.17 . it is meant not only of Sanctification , but of Justification also , he is a new creature ; Old things are past away , and all become new . Brethren , by reason of the sin of man , there is a curse upon the whole Creation , and this old Creation must come to confusion : therefore it is an evil thing for any man to seek his happiness in any thing here in the old Creation , for there is a curse upon it , and it will come to confusion . But there is a new Creation of all in Christ , of all spiritual things in Christ : Now a sinner when he comes to have his sin pardoned and be justified , he come's into a new state , that comes in by the new Creation ; the happiness of the Children comes by , and consists in the new Creation ; old things are done away , and he comes to be seated in the new creation in Christ ; this is the first thing wherein a man or woman is blessed , Negatively , in being delivered from so great an evil . 2. Of the Positive Blessedness of the Pardon of Sin. Secondly , Positively , he 's a blessed man whose sins are forgiven , if we consider , the excellency of that mercy God makes that soul partaker of , whose sins are forgiven , Dan. 9.9 . To thee Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses , forgiveness is the fruit of glorious mercies , Exod. 34.6 . The Lord is merciful and gracious , long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth , keeping mercy for thousands , forgiving inquity . Now I shall open this positively , and shew the riches of mercy in forgiveness of sin . When the Scripture applys mercy to forgiveness of sin , it hath divers expressions , sometimes calls it riches of mercy , Ephes . 1.7 . sometimes , plenteous mercy , Psal . 86.8 . sometimes , Gods fulness of compassion , Psal . 78.38 . sometimes , multitude of mercies , Psal . 51.1 . I might give divers other places , but those may suffice ; it is rich , plenteous , fulness of compassions , and multitude of mercies ; When God forgives sin , he shews mercies in all these expressions . For the opening of it unto you , I shall shew you what abundance of mercy God shows in the forgiveness of sin , consider mery 1. in the Efficient . 2. in the final cause of it . 1. Of the Efficient Cause of Mercy in forgiveness of Sin. First for the Efficient Cause : there is abundance of mercy God manifests in the forgiveness of sin , he abounds in his mercy , there is a Sea , an infinite vast Ocean of mercy , in which , the sins of the Elect come to be swallowed up , though their sins be many , and great , and committed with many grievous aggravations : yet when they come to an act of Justification , to God , to be forgiven ; I say , God comes to the soul as an infinite Ocean of mercy , that swallows up all the evil in sin , attend unto it , Look as in the mighty Ocean , whether you cast in a load or a shovel full of earth , the vast Ocean makes little difference of either ; so when a soul comes to God in Christ , when it comes to Pardon and Justification , whether sins be little or great , 't is all one , the mercy of God makes no difference at all ; take heed to what I say , while I am speaking of forgiveness of sin , I shall make known so much grace , that if you abuse it , it will be one of the most dreadful things that ever you did , and therefore while I go along , take heed of abusing it , especially you that desire to hear of the pardoning mercy of God ; whether your sins be little or great , when you come to pardoning mercy , it is an infinite Ocean that swallows up all ; those that have not their sins pardoned , whether their sins be little or great , it makes no difference , they are truly damn'd for little as well as great sins , both sinks down into Hell , and the infinite Ocean of wrath and horrour swallows up all ; so in point of Justification , whether your sins be little or great , it matters not , pardoning mercy swallows up all . 2. Of the Final Cause of Mercy in forgiveness of Sin. Secondly , but further , as Mercy is an infinite Ocean that swallows up Sin , so Mercy is the Final Cause . It is to this end that God might manifest the riches of his grace ; when God forgives any one sin , this forgiveness comes from Gods mercy , and it is to this end , That God may declare before Men and Angels , to all eternity , what the greatness and infinite riches of his grace is , what the grace of God is able to do when God comes to pardon sin ; 't is for this end as if he should say , Well , I am about now to pardon thy sin , and this work I am about to do , it is for this very end , that it may be known to Men and Angels to all eternity , what the infinite riches of the infinite grace of God is able to do for poor sinners . Now certainly , that man is a blessed man , if the man whose sins are pardoned hath such mercy shewed to him , and such a blessed work upon him , as is to that end , that God may declare to all eternity what the glorious riches of grace of an infinite God is ; surely this is a great blessedness , when God shall seperate a man or woman for this end , it must be very glorious ; certainly therefore pardon of sin is no light and mean thing , but it must be a most glorious work of God wheresoever it is : And this Consideration is a mighty Argument to uphold a poor soul under trouble of sin , and a great incouragement for him to come in for pardon : Dost thou see O troubled soul Gods wrath against thee , and dost thou stand quaking at the apprehension of the evil of sin ? let not thy heart sink , come in , and cast thy self on the free grace of God , there is a possibility for the pardon of thy sin ; for when God comes to pardon sin , the mercy God shews in pardoning of any one sin , he does it to the end that he might magnifie the riches of his grace to all eternity , and such mercy that serves to that end must needs be glorious ; And will not such mercy serve thy turn , as must set out the infinite rich grace of God ? God is pleased to manifest thus much mercy for the forgiveness of thy sin ; and where a sinner is forgiven , it is this mercy that is manifested : when men judge of God by themselves , they think slightly of him , when they judge of Gods thoughts by their own : What is the reason that makes sinners have such slight thoughts of sin , but because they judge of God by themselves , that he abhors sin no otherwise than man does , and so hope they may do well enough , measuring the infinite hatred that God hath to sin by their own : so on the other side , the sinner that is convinc't of the dreadful evil of sin , is ready to dispair ; Why ? because he judges of God by himself ; as if the mercy of God were no other than the mercy of man ; not considering the mercy of God in pardoning sin , is such mercy as is to shew his grace in the riches of it to all eternity . Well then , that man to whom such mercy is shewn must needs be very blessed . CHAP. III. Of the wonderful Mysteries of Godliness in forgiveness of Sin. THirdly , Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven , because there is a glorious mystery of godliness in forgiving of sin ; the work of God in forgiving a sinner hath abundance of glorious mysteries in it , the Argument stands thus ; That man or woman for whom God shall work , such a work as hath multitude of glorious mysteries in it ; that man or woman is blessed : But where ever sin is forgiven , God works for that soul such a strange work , the strangest that ever he did ; a work that hath so many admirable mysteries in it , that in the opening of them will declare every way that this soul is blessed . And this is the business I would now do , to open the mysteries that are in the forgiveness of sin ; and it is to this end , that as I might set before you the great work of God in pardoning sin , so also that you might have higher thoughts of it than ever you had before , for that 's it I aim at , to raise up the thoughts of men to the right understanding of this great point of the Justification of a sinner , that so you may sanctifie Gods Name , by having such thoughts of it as the thing it self calls for . Of the first Mystery , it is by means of a Mediator . 1. Where sin is forgiven , it is by means of a Mediator between God and the Soul , it is through the Mediation of the Son of God , observe it , for there is no point in all Religion is of greater use to understand , than this point of the way of God in pardoning of sin , because of the many mysteries of God contained in it ; I hope I shall make it appear it is no slight work and business : Mark then , when God pardons sin , 't is always done through the mediation of the Son of God ; God never pardons any sinner as a Prince does ; when a Malefactor hath offended him , he comes and humbles himself , casts himself down at his feet , and cryes , I pray Sir forgive me , and he says , Well , I will forgive you ; God never forgives any sin thus ; and yet it is thus with people when they come to God for pardon , most of them never think of any other way . Friends , there must be a great deal more than so : for whosoever hath his sins forgiven , it must be by the vertue of the mediation and intercession of the Son of God , he must stand up before the Father , and mediate for thy soul : if all the Angels in Heaven stood up to mediate , it would not be sufficient ; but the Son of God alone must do it ; 't is as if a Malefactors condition was so , that the mediation of all the Nobles could not prevail with the King for a pardon , but there must be the mediation of the Prince himself to obtain it : So I say , poor soul , thou mayst think it a slight business , but know if ever thou art forgiven , it must be by the mediation of the Son of God , he must stand up to mediate for thee , and plead , Oh Father let such a poor soul that hath been a Sabbath-breaker , a Lyer , a Drunkard , an Unclean person , let his sins be forgiven , and let him not be damn'd , Father put in his Name for pardon : I shall not speak of it how Christ mediates , but that is and has been his work from all eternity , to mediate and make intercession for those he saw before in the eternal Council of God should live in such times ; and whatever pardon of God is gotten , it is through him ; and if thou poor man ever com'st to be pardoned , know Christ hath been mediating to God the Father for thee ; Oh Father , such a poor creature that dwells , it may be , in such a Cottage , or in such an obscure place , let his name be put in for forgiveness . And now , is not this a blessed thing , that thou poor creature should'st have the Son of God to mediate for thy name to be put in for pardon ! this of a truth is so , if there be any truth in the Divinity of the Word , it is in this , That all the forgiveness and pardon any creature hath , it is by the mediation of the Son of God , and his heart was upon it from all eternity ; surely here is abundance of grace in this one thing , take heed of abusing it ; this is the first mystery , you must not look for pardon of sin in a natural way to cry for forgiveness , but you must go in the Name of the Mediator in this mystical way . Of the second Mystery , It is through Christs undertaking the Debt upon himself . 2. The second mystery is this , 'T is not Christs intreating the Father will serve the turn , If ever any sin be forgiven , I beseech you take notice of it , for I speak in the Name of God , and therefore must take heed of speaking any thing but the Truths of God unto you ; if any sin be pardoned , it is not for the Prayer of Christ , that will not do it ; But God the Father says , Son , if you would have the sins of poor souls forgiven , you must take the debt upon your self , you must be their Surety , and you must enter into Bonds to pay everyfarthing of what debt the sinners owe , you must pay all if you will undertake for them , so it is , for I will never come upon themselves for it , but on you : Certainly there are these transactions between God the Father , and God the Son , from all eternity about the pardoning of any sin , however you commit a sin , and think not of it , and cry , Lord have mercy upon me , and so you have done with it , there 's an end , you think that is all : But I say unto thee ; if thy sin be pardoned , Christ must take the debt upon himself , and be thy Surety , 2 Cor. 5.21 . He made him to be sin for us that knew no sin ; the way of pardon is by a translation of all our sins upon Christ , Christ himself God blessed for ever , the Delight of the Father must be made sin for the soul that hath sinned ; consider this , all the sins thou hast committed , if ever they be pardoned , they must be by vertue of the Covenant between God the Father and the Son : all thy sin must be transmitted on Christ , all thy oaths , drunkenness , and wickedness must be put upon him , and he must stand charged with them all : Oh you that are so lavish in sin , and take such liberty to do wickedly ; I say , if ever thy sin be pardoned , it must be laid on his shoulders , run on as fast as thou wilt , if ever thou be'st saved , at the best , yet thy sin must be set on him , and charg'd upon his score . I remember that expression of Nathan to David , 2 Sam. 12.13 . The Lord hath put away thy sin , the words are to be read out of the Original , The Lord hath made thy sin to pass over , to pass over from thee unto his Son , he hath laid them to his charge : This is the second mystery in point of Justification , thou a poor soul stands charged with thy sin , and art in danger of eternal damnation , rather than thou should'st eternally perish , God is contented to pass over thy sins upon his own Son. Now they must needs be blessed that God does so much for , and know thou if ever thy sin be pardoned , God does do so much for thee . Of the third Mystery , It is by Christ's Sufferings : 3. Where ever sin is pardoned , Christ stands charged not only with the sin , but to suffer as much punishment for thy sin as if thou wer't eternally damn'd for them ; it is not such a pardon , as that there is no punishment to be suffered , but whosoevers sins are pardoned , there is this agreement between God the Father and the Son , that his own Son shall suffer as much punishment , as if thou shouldst suffer eternally the wrath of God for thy sin , there is this done for thee ; and surely that man is a blessed man for whom Christ is content to suffer so much as thy sins comes to , or else thou must have been eternally damn'd , this Religion and the Gospel teaches us , that we can never come to be pardoned by any other way . Of the fourth Mystery , Where Sin is pardoned , the Soul stands righteous before God. 4. There is this mystery in it ; Where ever sin is pardoned , God does not only pass by sin and forgive it , but he makes the soul stand righteous before him ; every justified man stands righteous before the Lord. A malefactor may come to a Prince , and be forgiven his fault , and yet not accounted a righteous man , he may be lookt upon as a wicked wretch still , though out of free grace the Prince forgive him : But God never forgives the offence of any one sin , but that man is set righteous before the Lord , this is done by an Act of Justification ; I speak not of Sanctification : A Prince may forgive a Traytor , but the Law is not satisfied ; but God when he forgives sin , takes such a course as that the offence is not only forgiven , but the Law comes to be satisfied , and the soul stands before God as a righteous person ; and surely he that is righteous must needs be blessed . Of the fifth Mystery , This Righteousness is in another . 5. This Righteousness is in another , and it is a higher righteousness than ever that of Adam's was in Innocency ; this is a great mystery , that a soul should stand righteous before the Lord , and yet in the righteousness of another , not of his own , Phil. 3.8 , 9 , 10. St. Paul counted his own righteousness as dung that he might be found in him , that is in Christ , Not having my own Righteousness which is of the Law , but that which is through the faith of Christ , the righteousness of God that comes in by faith ; and so Rom. 5. latter end , Christ is said to be our righteousness , ver . 19. As by the disobedience of one many were made sinners , so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous ; 't is a righteousness transferr'd upon us beyond our own : Mark , in forgiveness , as our sins comes to be transferr'd and put upon Christ , so the righteousnes of Christ is transferr'd upon a justified soul , and that soul comes to be righteous before God ; surely then , blessed is that man that comes to have the shining garments of Christs righteousness upon him : Ahasuerus could not think of a better way than this to honour Mordica more , than to cloath him with the Kings Royal Rayment , and proclaim before him , This shall be done to the man whom the King delights to honour ; surely that man or woman is honour'd indeed , that God shall cloath with the shining Robes of the Righteousness of his own Son ; thou that wast cloathed with the filthy rags of thy own sin and wickedness , and had'st no other garments to stand in , in the presence of God ; now he puts on thee the Righteousness of his own Son , and so thy iniquity comes to be covered : Oh that is a glorious Garment ! all the Garments in the world bedest with Diamonds are but filthy Garments in comparison of the Garments of Christs Righteousness , that is put upon a man when his sins are forforgiven . Of the sixth Mystery , A near Union is made between Christ and the Soul. 6. When God comes to forgive sin , the way God takes is this , he brings a man into such a near Union with his own Son as makes thee to be one with ●●m ; yea , so to be one with Christ as no two things in the world are joyn'd so together , as thou and Christ art ; the Soul God pardons , he does it this way , 't is not thou hast sinn'd and I will pardon thee , 't is no such slight business , as I may say , in a sinners pardon ; No , for when God forgives thee , he makes thee one with his own Son , so as no two things in the world are so near together as thou and Christ ; therefore the Scripture expresses it by the Union of Branch and Root , Body and Members ; that is a near Union of bones and flesh in one body : so also the Union between Man and Wife is a near Union , but the Union between Christ and a justified Soul is nearer than any of these : there is one expression in Scripture that Christ useth , Joh. 14.20 . You in me , and I in you ; there are no two things so nearly united , though the members be in the body , the body is not in the members ; so the branch , though it be in the root , the root cannot be in the branch ; but the Union between Christ and us , Is Christ in us , and we in him ; He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit : It is a spiritual Union , and the Union of spiritual things is the nearest that can be : Now , Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven , because by this means , God brings the Soul and Christ to such a near Union , that all natural Unions are but dark shadows of it . Of the seventh Mystery , It is by Faith , yet boasting excluded . 7. It must be by Faith , and that is the most glorious work that ever God inabled a poor creature to do , yet boasting must be excluded , the Scripture excludes boasting from both , not only from the Law of works , but the Law of faith ; but you may say , How can both be excluded both the law of works and the law of faith ? for works they may be excluded say some , because works are our own , but faith is the gift of God ; God inables us to believe , therefore there can be no boasting of faith because it is the gift of God , but works are our own ; this answer is but a fiction , for if we be inabled for the performance of any work , that is of God too ; the work of any grace is the gift of God as really and truly as faith is the gift of God , all gracious works are performed by the grace and gift of God. Adam could not do what he did in Innocency , 〈◊〉 by the gift of God ; and therefore to say boasting is excluded by faith , because faith is the gift of God , will not serve the turn ; therefore the mystery of Justification is a great mystery , that notwithstanding faith is such a glorious work , as it is one of the gloriousest works that ever any creature did , yet that this should be excluded , by this I cannot but be perswaded , that there is more in the work of Faith than in any thing Adam ever had ; and that faith the power of believing was not in Adam in the state of Innocency : Why ? Because it is now made such a grace as excludes all kind of boasting : For were it but the stirring up of any power we had in Adam , it would no more exclude boasting , than if God stirr'd up any other grace ; as Love , Hope , Fear , and the like : But that it excludes boasting , this may be the most satisfactory answer ; Works they could not exclude boasting ? Why , though they were from the grace and gift of God , yet they belong'd to mans nature ; for if God will make a rational creature , he must give it those perfections that are due to that nature : Now the Image of God was in some regard due to such a nature . But now , God when he comes to give faith , he gives a higher thing than ever was due to the nature of man ; hence there is a greater mystery in faith than in any other grace ; and therefore it is a great mystery that God should justifie a man by faith , and yet this excludes boasting more than any other thing . I , but the Scripture says , God imputes faith for righteousness ; and when God inables us to believe , Is it not our own ? Yea , when we have it , it is our own ; and when we are justified , it is imputed to us for righteousness : but mark what I shall say , it will be useful for the understanding that Text in Rom. 4.22 . Where , it says , faith was imputed to him for righteousness ; ye must not understand it thus , that is , that God did through the grace of Christ now accept of Abraham's faith as his righteousness , whereby he should stand to be justified by it in the sight of God ; he did not thus accept of faith for righteousness ; no , not through the mediation of Christ , nor by vertue of any Covenant made by God with Christ : God did never make any Covenant with Christ , that whereas man did owe obedience to all the Law , and that should have been his righteousnes had he continued in it ; but man now being unable to perform it , that God would be now so favourable to him as that he would accept of faith for righteousness , that is not the meaning of it , for the word in the Original translated for righteousness , it is thus , it was imputed unto righteousness , it is the same word used in Rom. 10.10 . With the heart man believeth unto Righteousness , and with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation : Now Confession with the mouth is not made Salvation it self , but unto Salvation ; so faith is not the righteousness it self , but unto righteousness , that is , by faith we come to get righteousness : But why says the Scripture God imputed it unto righteousness ; I take it thus , that forasmuch as faith is so glorious a Principle ( infused of God ) above any thing of our own , God is pleased to account of it as if it were our own , and so imputes it unto righteousness ; the truth is , it is not our own ; no not so our own as other graces are our own : but God in point of Justification is pleased to impute it as our own , that we may come to have righteousness by it ; as if it were our own : Now this is a great mystery , that God in the work of pardon of sin , should do it by the grace of faith , and that this excludes all boasting , and yet righteousness imputed to it as if it were our own . Hence by the way , let us take heed of the Opinion of those that say , faith it self is imputed for righteousness , and that God through Christ accepts of faith as the matter of our righteousness : The Papists say we are justified by works , and that God is pleased through Christ to accept not of Faith only , but of Humility , Fear , Love , Repentance , Joy , &c. though they be imperfect , yet he is pleased to accept of these for our righteousness ; says the other opinion , faith is our righteousness , though God might require exact obedience to the whole Law , yet he is pleased to accept of faith ; both these Opinions are besides the truth , and therefore there is the same danger in the one as in the other , and therefore both to avoided . Of the eight Mystery , God is infinitely Just , and yet infinitely Merciful . 8. The eighth particular is this , that shews pardon of sin is a great mystery , because where-ever God pardons sin , he is infinitely just , and yet infinitly merciful ; there is an admirable reconciliation , between Gods Justice and Mercy , which shews it to be a great mystery : There are three great mysteries in Religion , 1. The great mystery of the Trinity , that there should be divers Persons and yet but one God. The second is , that in the Person of Christ there should be two Natures and yet but one Person . And then the third is , the reconciliation of the mercy and justice of God in the forgiveness of a sinner . Many people when they seek for pardon of sin , they only think of Gods infinite grace and mercy , but not of his justice : But certainly , who ever he be that comes to be pardoned , God shews himself infinitely just as well as merciful ; that he is merciful , that is clear to every one : But how does it appear he is so infinitely just ? for that there is a clear Text for it , Rom. 3.26 . To declare at this time his righteousness that he might be just , and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus ; so that God in the justifying of him that believes in Christ is just as well as merciful . Now then poor sinner , lay these together , that God should work so strangely in bringing about the pardon of thy sin in such a mysterious way as this is ; certainly it does demonstrate that thou art a blessed man : I beseech you think of what hath been said , and lay it in your breasts ; go away with this upon your spirits , Lord , I indeed heard much of the evil of sin , and that it was a greater evil than ever I thought it to be , and now I have begun to hear of the mighty work of God in pardon of sin , I hope I shall for ever retain higher thoughts of it than before . Brethren , there is nothing in the world that people have slighter thoughts of , than of the pardon and forgiveness of sin , they think it a slight matter . But if there were any work that ever took up the heart of God from all eternity , and shews God to be a God , it is this about the pardon of sin ; this is a great doctrine , the doctrine of the work of God in the justification of a sinner , 't is one of the greatest Doctrines in Divinity , and therefore that you might sanctifie the Name of God in it , and give him that glory that is due in this great work , it is needful to search , that we may find out what is the work of God in it . Of the ninth Mystery , When God forgives sin , for the present , he forgives all to come . 9. The ninth mystery is this , and this may seem one of the strangest of all , When God forgives a sinner any one sin for the present , he likewise forgives him all the sins that ever he shall commit afterward , this is a mighty mystery ; for God when he takes a poor soul and forgives him his sin , he does not only forgive him his present and past sins , but lays in a pardon for all the sins that ever shall be committed by him afterwards ; this is a way of pardoning sin proper to God alone ; there is no creature pardons the offence one of another , so as God pardons here ; therefore the Prophet cries out , Micah 7.18 . Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage ? Who is a God like to thee ; who in all the world can pardon sin as God doth ? No Father pardons the sin of a Child , no Prince the sin of a Subject as God doth : Now , because this is a point of admirable comfort to all the Saints of God , 't is fit it be opened and made out , that when God pardons sin at first , he gives in a pardon for all they shall commit afterwards ; I manifest it thus , in Rom. 8.1 . the Apostle says , There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus : from whence I argue , Except God did pardon whatsoever sins should be committed when he justifies a sinner , then at any time when a justified person sins , until he renew an act of faith for pardon , there must be condemnation to him ; for whosoever is in such an estate as hath any sin unpardoned , for that instant he is in the state of condemnation : But there is no instant of time , when it can be said of any justified person , that he is in the state of condemnation ; I say no instant of time , for though a justifi'd person may fall into sin after he is justified , yet at that instant when he falls into that sin , there is by God apply'd a pardon , that was laid in before , although an act of faith be not renewed in regard of that particular sin ; that is the point I would make good , though it be true , there is required as our duty an act of faith to lay hold on our pardon , yea also it is required in respect of comfort too ; for we cannot have comfort of the pardon of a new sin committed , except there be a renewal of an act of faith : But yet this renewal of an act of faith , though it be necessary , because commanded ; and for our comfort , yet no absolute necessity to free us from condemnation ; but being once justified by Christ , there is a pardon laid up ; so that upon any act of sin newly committed , this pardon is apply'd by God himself , though we be not able by the renewal of a present act of faith , to sue out pardon anew unto our selves . Nay the truth is , if this were not so , there could be no instant of time , wherein a believer was not in the state of condemnation ; for there is no instant of time wherein a believer doth not some way or other sin against God : Further , it is apparent and undeniable , that there is not a necessity of renewing an act of faith upon every sin committed for the pardon of it , this Argument cannot be denyed , because otherwise , there must be a necessity of renewing an act of faith after the last act a believer doth ; for in the last action a believer doth in this world , there is some sin it : Now if there be some sin in the last act of all , then there cannot be of necessity required another act , for the applying of the pardon of that sin a believer did do in the very last act he did in this world : those that hold a believer cannot finally fall away , yet say , he may totally ; many hold that if once a man be justified , he can never go to Hell ; but yet this they hold , that he may so sin that he may be brought into a state of condemnation ; he may be brought into such a state , , that if he should die at that present he should perish ; but say they , God doth take care that he shall not die , till there be a renewing of an act of faith for pardon : I answer , there is nothing in Scripture to prove , there is not any instant of time wherein a believer may not die ; and yet if he do die he must then perish , because an act of faith was not renewed ; true say they further , that all sins bring not into the state of condemnation ; there may be pardon of course for sins of infirmity , but other sins that wast a mans Conscience , there a believer is brought into the state of condemnation , till there be a new act of faith renewed for pardon . I answer , If any one sin , bring a believer , into the state of condemnation after Conversion , where shall we put the limits ; as to say , if you go but thus far , you are not in a state of condemnation , but if you go a letter further you are ; God puts no such limits in Scripture , but all sin in its own nature brings into a state of condemnation , and yet no sin brings a believer into the state of condemnation ; therefore this is a great mystery of God in the pardoning of sin , when God pardons the sin of a believer , he does not only pardon what he hath done at present , but for what he shall do he lays in a pardon , and Christ hath purchas 't it for us , for all sins yet to come : 't is like a Son running into arrears , his Father comes and pays his debts ; but because he sees his Son will run further into arrears , he lays in so much as will pay all for time to come , that if he run into arrears he shall not be cast into Prison : just so it is with God , God pardons all our sins at first , and then he lays up a Pardon , that if we run into arrears we shall not lie in Prison to be condemn'd and suffer for them . This is a great mystery , and they that teach otherwise rob the people of God of abundance of comfort that otherwise they might have , were this Truth made clearly known unto them . Is not this Doctrine a Doctrine of Liberty , If they have knowledge that God when he pardons for what sins are past , and lays in a Pardon for what sins are yet to come ; May not People hence take liberty to sin ? May not they say , that though they do sin , yet there is a Pardon laid in before hand for them ? Here thou speakest as one that understands not the grace of the Gospel that thus objectest , it is another manner of thing than thou art aware of ; there is not that malignity in the grace of the Gospel to cause such effects in the hearts of believers . Luther compares sin to Lime , and the law to Water , that makes the Lime hotter ; but the grace of the Gospel says he is like to Oyl , and Oyl will quench Lime , but Water will not ; so the Oyl of the Gospel will quench the sins of men ; and certainly the more there is of the grace of God revealed in the Gospel , the more the lusts remaining in the heart of a believer come to be quenched : this is an evident Argument of the great difference between the mercy of God revealed in the Gospel , and received by faith ; and that which is received only in a natural way : you that are unbelievers , and receives the Gospel only in a natural way , your lusts may be nourished , and you may take liberty for wickedness : But if once you come to receive the mercy of God in and through Christ Jesus , then that mercy will be the greatest opposer of thy lusts and sin , as any thing can be in the world ; certainly , thou know'st not the work of God in Christ forgiving sin , that reason'st thus ; I shall shew you plainly , The knowledge of the great work of the Propitiation by Christ , brings the soul into a hatred of all sin , and is no nourisher of it , 1 Joh. 1.9 . the Apostle speaks of the wonderful grace of God in Christ to us ; If we confess our sins , he is not only ready to forgive , but to cleanse us from them : And chap. 2.1 . My little children I write unto you that you sin not , that you take not liberty in any sin ; they might say , you write these things that we sin not : but we have sinful natures , and so shall certainly fall into sin for all this : Well , for the comfort of Saints , If any man sin , says he , we have an Advocate with the Father ; Jesus Christ is presently an Advocate though you sin through ignorance and negligence , and do not renew present acts of faith to sue out a pardon : yet says the Holy Ghost , Jesus Christ is an Advocate with the Father ; the Lord Christ stands before the Father pleading , that no evil may befal you for your sin ; this is the admirable priviledge of the Saints of God , a most blessed priviledge they have by the Covenant of Grace ; that when they commit a sin , and may be take no notice , and may be Conscience is so benum'd at present , that they go not to God to seek a pardon ; but may be lie in sin a long time together ; yet says the Text , you have one that pleads your cause : and it is from hence , that Gods wrath comes not out against you ; because you have an Advocate with the Father : Well says the 2d vers . And he is the Propitiation not only for our sins , but the sins of the whole world ; he means believers : Now in the third vers . says he , Hereby we know that we know him , If we keep his Commandements ; as if he had said , If we do not take heed of sin and keep his Commandements ; we know not this grace of pardon , if any that here us Ministers teach this Doctrine , and say they know him , and have no care to keep Gods Commandements , 't is quite contrary to what the Apostle says , he says , Hereby we know that we know him , if we keep his Commandements ; this knowing of him , as it is a means to keep his Commandements ; so 't is an argument we do know him when we do keep his Commandements : vers . 4. He that says I know him , that is ; Christ to be a Propitiation and an Advocate , and keeps not his Commandements is a liar , and the truth is not in him : That man that reasons thus , and says , Well , I believe in Jesus Christ , and I know my sins are pardoned through faith in him ; yea , and all the sins that shall be committed , a pardon is laid in for them , and I shall never enter into condemnation : Dost thou say so , and yet keep'st not Gods Commandements ? Hast not thou the Conscience , and the rather upon the knowledge of this , to keep Gods Commandements ? the Holy Ghost says , Thou art a lyar , and there is no truth in thee ; and thou wer 't never acquainted with this mystery of godliness ; when it is understood in a natural way , men may abuse it ; you may know what I mean by a natural way , and God knows you have need of Information ; by a natural way I mean by the light of Natural Reason , and all other helps of learning on this side the work of the Holy Ghost : but when men understand it by a powerful work of the Holy Ghost , they that know it thus , this knowledge will make them more careful and conscionable to keep Gods Commandements ; and if any man say he knows it thus , and does not keep Gods Commandements , he is a liar , and the truth is not in him . Further , If a man should reason thus ; Well , if there be such a mystery in pardon of sin , and that God when he pardons sin at first , lays in a pardon for all sin afterward , this will make way for more sin : Take notice here , of the infinite perverseness of the heart of man ; suppose it were not thus , but the contrary were true , that God indeed pardoned the sins of a believer coming to him ; but if ever he sin after pardon , let him look to it , he shall then be under the sentence of death and condemnation ; upon this a mans heart would not be more ingaged to seek after Christ , but would reason thus ; Well , I may labour and take pains , and suffer much to get a comfortable assurance of the pardon of sin ; but what of all this , the next day , the next hour I may sin again , and be in the same case I was before , so that which way soever things go , men will reason against God for their lusts ; I shall put it to you , or to any heart that may be supposed to have attended on God , yea , and hath received grace ; Which of these Doctrines ingage the heart most for God ? either this Doctrine , or the other ; whether that you believing that God will pardon sin ; yet if you fall into any new sin , you are under a sentence of condemnation ; or thus , that God is so gracious , that he not only pardons sin for present , but for your incouragement he so pardons it , that though you through infirmity fall again into sin , he will not out off his kindness from you ; Which of these is the greater incouragement ? certainly to a slavish spirit the one may be more than the other : But to a spirit that may be supposed to have any ingenuity in it , the latter words must needs far more ingage him to walk with God all his days . What , is Gods grace so free ? that he should have such pity on poor creatures , not only at their first coming in , and casting themselves on Christ , as to pardon all their sins , though they be never so many and great ? But also such a Covenant upon my coming in , that God will discharge all sins that shall be committed for time to come , though I be ready to fall into sin dayly , yet I shall not come into condemnation ? O what will so infinitely ingage a gracious and ingenious spirit as this does ! surely nothing like this . Now if this be true , that man that is forgiven , is thus forgiven ; not only for time past , but also for time to come : Then blessed is the man whose transgressions are forgiven , and whose iniquities are pardoned . Of the tenth Mystery , God pardons a sinner , not because he is ; but that he might be chang'd . 10. The tenth Mystery is this , ( for I would endeavour to shew you what a mighty work Pardon of Sin is , and raise up your hearts to have higher thoughts of it than ever you had before ) God does not pardon because a sinner hath his heart and nature changed , but that he might be changed . And thus the pardons of God differ from all other pardons ; a Prince pardons a Malefactor , or a Father a Child : but upon what terms ? a Prince expects his Subject should be changed as far as he can discern ; and a Father , ( though never so tender ) will not pardon a Child , unless he come in and manifest a change of his disobedient spirit , and then he pardons . God doth not pardon because we are chang'd ; but that we might be chang'd : his Pardon comes first , Rom. 4.5 . a very strange place for this , and may incourage any poor soul that is troubled for sin , to come in and lay hold upon Gods mercy in Christ ; But to him that worketh not , but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly , his faith is counted unto him for righteousness . Mark , when God comes to justifie a sinner , he looks upon him as ungodly ; he stays not till the sinner be made godly and then justifies him , as a Prince stays till a Malefactors heart be changed , and he become a loyal subject , and then pardons him : God is not so in justifying souls , he justifies the ungodly ; one that is ungodly coming to him , he justifies . This is a mighty Argument , I name it for this end ; because I would teach people , that notwithstanding any sin or guilt that lies upon their spirits , yet they have a liberty to come in and lay hold upon Christ for Justification ; do not say , I am ungodly , I am a great sinner , and have a vile heart , and I find not my nature changed ; and therefore , How dare I lay hold upon Gods grace for mercy and pardon ? yea , thou may'st because God justifies the ungodly ; though thy nature be not chang'd and sanctified , as thou say'st : take it thus , Thou must lay hold of Gods grace for Justification that thou may'st be sanctified ; not only pardoned , but sanctified : Come but thus with thy heart affected to close with the grace of God , that thou may'st be sanctified as well as pardoned ; though for the present thou feelest not any Sanctification , yet thou may'st have right to lay hold upon Christ as well as any one whatsoever . Will not this be presumption for a sinner thus to lay hold on Christ ? If faith were meerly a perswasion that Christ dyed for them , or as many men think ; thus , ( Well , God is merciful , and he will pardon me , Christ having dyed ; ) there may be presumption in laying hold on Christ : But now as Justification is a great mystery , so is faith ; and faith is a mighty work of the Spirit of God in the soul , that causes the soul to roul and cast it self on the free grace of God in Christ , and venture it self and all its hopes for good and happiness on him ; there is not only a coming to Christ for pardon , but for grace , holiness , light , good and happiness here , and for whatever it doth expect hereafter ; it looks for all from him . Now when there is such a work of God upon the soul , in casting it self on God in Christ , though there be nothing at present but ungodliness in him appearing , yet such a one may and hath right to come unto God for pardon ; for God justifies the ungodly , Rom. 5.6 . Christ died for the ungodly ; and vers . 10. If when we were Enemies , we were reconciled by the death of his Son ; when we were Enemies , and had base hearts full of enmity against God , yet then Christ died to reconcile us unto God : thou may'st then venture to come to him for pardon , and it is no presumption , though thou seest no change in thy self , yet he pardons that thou may'st be chang'd ; now here 's a glorious work of God in pardoning a sinner , that God should pardon , justifie , and reconcile us when we were Enemies to him ; here is a glorious work of God for a sinner to be justified and reconciled , and yet when the sinner was an Enemy unto him . Of the eleventh Mystery , God himself purchases the Pardon . 11. When God pardons a sinner , he himself is fain to purchase the pardon , and this is different from the manner of pardons among men : A Prince pardons a malefactor , but the Prince himself doth not purchase the pardon ; and if one have offended you , you pardon the offender : but you that are offended do not purchase a pardon for the offender ; possible some friend may come and purchase a pardon at the Kings hands for an offender , but the King himself doth not purchase it : yet thus it is with God : God doth not pardon any one sin , but it costs God himself dear before he gets it ; therefore 't is not such a slight thing to be pardoned ; you must not think to go to God and cry mercy , and that he will pardon 〈◊〉 , thus in a natural way God never pardons sin : but it costs God dear , yea that which is more worth than all the world ; if that could have done it , God would rather have dissolved Heaven and Earth , than have given that that he did give ; What was that ? It was the bloud of his own Son : God gave him up to death for the sin of mankind , and for the purchasing a pardon for man : But some may say , What need God have purchast a pardon for man ? Could he not have forgiven him by his absolute Prerogative ? I answer , there was need , because of the satisfaction of Justice , he did purchase it out of the hands of Justice ; God was fain to lay down a price to Justice , before he himself could pardon one sin : Justice must be satisfied before he could give out one pardon : Well , take all these together , Christ must be our Surety , take the debt upon himself , and suffer as much punishment as we should have done in Hell to all eternity ; and to make the soul stand righteous before God , yet this righteousness to be in another ; yea , a near union is made between Christ and the Soul : And yet further , 't is by faith , and yet boasting is excluded ; and God is infinitely merciful , and yet infinitely just ; and when he pardons one sin , he lays in a pardon for al sin for time to come , justifies the ungodly , pardons sin , yet purchases the pardon : These eleven Meditations about the Pardon of Sin make it appear to be a wonderful work of God ; put these together , and then the result according to the point will be clear and full , that , Blessed is that man whose sins are forgiven : And surely if there be such a mysterious and glorious work of God in pardoning sin ; that man for whom God shall work such a glorious work is a blessed man indeed . And now having done with this Argument of the great mystery of Godliness in forgiveness of Sin ; I proceed to another , and it is this : CHAP. IV. That Pardon of Sin not only is a Mercy in it self , but the Foundation of many other Mercies . PArdon of Sin makes a m●● blessed ; Why ? Because it is the Foundation of abundance of other Mercies ; it is an inlet to many other mercies , therefore a great mercy ; it is a leading mercy , it is as the Queen of Mercy , that hath a great and glorious train of other mercies attending on her ; indeed , it is the very foundation of all the mercies of the Covenant of grace , 't is the principal mercy , and the very foundation of all the mercies that are in the Covenant , and the inlet and opening to them all ; the Covenant of Grace is a rich Treasury , hath abundant store of mercy in it , and this opens to them all : The current of all Gods mercies was stopt by mans sin ; though God had an infinite Ocean of mercy , yet the sourse and vent of all Gods mercies was stopt . Now , when God pardons sin , he takes away the stop , and opens the sluce , that his infinite grace and goodness may flow forth plentifully and sweetly to the soul , body and state ; yea to all that belongs to a believer : You may conceive Gods mercy to be as an infinite stream of goodness , running with a full current towards his creatures ; for God delights in the Communication of himself to his creatures : But now mans sin made a dam , and stopt the pipe , that not one drop of mercy could come forth , not a drop of all that mercy that in the eternal purpose of God he hath appointed in time shall come forth to such and such a poor creature ; but when he comes to Pardon and Justification , he pulls out the plug , and pulls up the flood-gates and sluces , and then mercies come flowing in amain ; when sin is pardoned , then the full streams of all the mercies in the Covenant of grace come flowing into the soul ; well then , if it be thus , that pardon of sin is an inlet to other mercies ; then he that hath his sin pardoned is a very blessed man. I shall open this , That Pardon of Sin is the foundation to , and opens the sluce to let in all other mercies , Jer. 31.31 . Behold , the days come that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel , and the house of Judah : here God opens his goodness , and tells them he will make a new Covenant , not like that he made with their fathers , vers . 32. but this shall be the Covenant , vers . 33. and he instances in some particulars , I will put my Law into their inward parts , and write it in their hearts , and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour , and every man his brother ; saying , know the Lord , for they shall all know me , &c. But what is the foundation of all this ? at the end of the 34. For I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more . I will make a new Covenant with them , and put my law into their inward parts , and they shall all know me ; I will come in with all my mercies and blessings , Illumination and Sanctification ; he mentions these instead of the rest , as in a grant of great things some particulars are mentioned ; but then he comes in with a general ; For I will forgive their iniquity , and remember their sin no more : As if it should be said , Why ? Lord wilt thou come in thus to thy people in such an abundant way of mercy more than formerly , and let in these graces of thy Covenant ; Why ? here 's the ground of all ; for I will forgive their iniquity : so that forgiveness of iniquity is the special inlet of the mercies of the Covenant . Now more particularly I shall shew you what are those special mercies , Pardon of sin is an inlet to , and that will further shew the blessedness of those souls that have their sins pardoned , because pardon of sin is an inlet to many other mercies . As Of Peace with God , that Pardon of Sin is an inlet to . 1. Peace with God , Rom. 5.1 being justified , that is , pardoned through faith ; what follows , we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ ; the ground of our Justification and Reconciliation , it is not our Humiliation , no nor our Sanctification ; Observe it , the very bottom and foundation of our Justification and Reconciliation , it is neither of these , ( though we ought to be in the use and exercise of them ) but pardon of sin is through the free grace of God applyed by faith ; this is the ground of all our Peace and Reconciliation with God : And thus men and women should seek their peace with God ; the main thing they should lay the waight of obtaining peace of God upon , it is the work of faith applying the Righteousness of Christ for pardon , rather than any work of Humiliation or Sanctification by the Spirit of God ; yet both these are sweet and comfortable , when we found the bottom and main foundation of all our peace on the free grace of God pardoning our sin , and justifying of us through faith in Christ ; Cod does not say , you that are great sinners , stay till you are humbled and are brought to hate sin , and you shall have peace with God : No , you may be much troubled for sin , and may leave it , and reform in many things , and live better lives than before , and yet your peace not made up with God ; How then shall it be ? thus , being justified by faith , looking up to the free grace of God in Christ for pardon of sin , we come to have peace with God ; and this is a great priviledge , but if you consider on the other side , a creature not reconciled , cannot look upon the infinite Creator without terror and shakings , and tremblings of spirit ; he cannot have any thoughts of God , but he thinks of him as his Enemy ; and that all the excellencies of God are working misery and ruine to him , this is a sad thing : But when pardon of sin comes , God is reconciled , and all fears and terrors from the Almighty are gone ; those fears whereby the soul was afraid , God was secretly working ruine to it , are dispell'd ; and if any judgment of God come close and near , and befal any in the sight and hearing of a guilty soul , he would be thinking God is coming to me next : But a justified soul may say , though the judgments of God be never so terrible in the world , and in the Word , which before terrified my Conscience ; yet now my sin being pardoned , my soul is reconciled , and the Word of God speaks nothing but good unto me , and all those fears that before so terrified me are dispell'd . But may not a pardoned man have these fears , or somewhat of the nature of them resting on his spirit after he is pardoned ? Yea he may , but the ground of them is dispel'd and gone ; it is not the work of Gods Spirit that causes these fears , as it did before , Rom. 8.15 . You have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear , but the Spirit of adoption , whereby ye cry Abba Father ; may be you may have some fears , but being justified by faith , you have not again received the spirit of bondage ; if hereafter you have any fears of Gods judgments and wrath against you ; it is not the spirit of bondage , the Spirit of God that causes these fears , your own selves may mistake the matter ; for those that once receive the spirit of bondage , never after receive it ; you may have fears through your own mistakes , but not by the Spirit of God , as the spirit of bondage shewing us our bondage by our sins , and working terrors on the soul for it , these fears are dispell'd ; for in our peace with God in the pardon of sin , the matter of enemity between God and the soul is taken away ; there is this in it which might have been added in the mysteries : When a Prince pardons a malefactor , he gives him his life , and he is glad , goes away , but the Prince regards him not any more ; and possibly he may yet have enmity in his heart against the Prince still : But God when he pardons a sinner , not only is the enmity taken away , but forthwith that soul is brought into the state of infinite friendship , he receives the soul into his very heart ; so that there shall be a greater and more intimate love and friendship between his Majesty and that Soul , than ever was between the greatest and dearest friends in the world , this is wonderful , and yet this is so ; for as when God comes to pardon sin , there is not only taking away the guilt of sin , but the soul is made actually righteous in Justification ; so also there is not only a taking away of the enmity between God and the soul that was there before , but he receives the soul into infinite love , and takes him into infinite friendship with himself ; Oh the sweetness and blessedness of that mans state whose sins are pardoned ! Reconciliation with God follows thereupon , and he takes the soul into his bosome-love . Further upon this there follows two things , Peace in Conscience , and with the Creatures ; being justified by faith he hath peace with God , and as the immediate consequence thereof , peace in Conscience and with all the Creatures . 1. Peace in Conscience , those fears and grating terrors that arose on guilt of Conscience are gone , those dismal accusations of Conscience are still'd ; though 't is true , a mans Conscience may trouble him after Pardon and Justification , but it is through mistake , the ground of all those troubles of Conscience are gone ; 't is with trouble of Conscience after pardon of sin as with the Sea , you that are Marriners may see the wind at Sea raising the boisterous waves on high , yet after the wind is quite down 't is a great while before they be still and quiet ; so in mens souls it is guilt of sin that causes woful disturbances : but when God pardons sin , he comes into the Soul as Christ in the Ship , and bids all be still ; and though through our weakness , after the sting and guilt is removed , Conscience is troubled , yet is God pleased to help the weakness of his People sooner or later ; not only to pardon sin in the Court of Heaven , but in the Court of Conscience too , and then all fears and troubles are gone ; certainly those that know what the burnings , throbbings and ailings of an accusing Conscience means , they know what a blessing it is to have Peace of Conscience , a great blessing to have all well there , because the Soul hath much to do with Conscience , and Conscience hath much to do with God , yea only to do with God ; and if all be well with that which hath so much to do with the Almighty , it is a great blessedness , blessed is the man that is thus pardoned . 2. There follows this also , Peace with the Creatures ; If I should meet with these in a full Text , each of them might require a Sermon themselves , to shew the excellency of a quiet Conscience and peace with the Creatures . But I must but touch it here : God is Lord of Hoasts , and all the creatures stand armed ready to avenge Gods quarrel , and not only do they stand in readiness , but there is a kind of cry in the creatures to God to make them the Executioners of his wrath ; Shall I go and strike this Drunkard says one ? and shall I strike this Blasphemer says another ? All the creatures in heaven & earth cry against thee every day : But when God pardons thy sin , all the creatures presently become thy friends ; when the Judge hath quitted a Malelefactor , the under-Officers have nothing to do with him ; Conscience and the Creatures they are under-Officers , and when God is at peace they are at peace too ; When Joab came and stab'd Absalom , the ten young men that were his Armour-bearers did so too ; so if God come to a sinner unpardoned , and give him a stab , all the Creatures will be ready to stab him too ; but when God comes and pardons thy sin , He makes a league with thee and the stones of the field , as the Scripture speaks ; that is the first great mercy that flows in to the Soul upon pardon of sin , and peace with God. Of Gods Revealing his Secrets to those whom he Pardons . 2. This follows upon pardon of sin , God comes in a wonderful gracious way to reveal himself to that soul ; he comes to reveal his secrets to that soul he pardons ; and pardon of sin is the very ground of the Revelation of the Secrets and Mysteries of God by the Spirit to that Soul , Jer. 31.33 . among other particulars in the New Covenant God promiseth they shall be all taught of God , in Heb. 8. that Text is quoted something more fully than in the Prophet , vers . 10 , 11. They shall not teach every man his neighbour , and every man his brother , saying , know the Lord ; for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest : Mark , For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness , and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more : Pardon of sin is made the ground of Gods teaching them his Covenant , They shall know me from the least to the greatest ; you little ones and young ones , if God please to bring you to Christ , and pardon your sin , a glorious light shall come into your souls : God will shew himself in a glorious manner to you , there shall be another manner of light shine into your hearts than ever before ; the mysteries of God will be opened to you , and you shall understand more than many of your fathers , who have not had this mercy to be rightly acquainted with the Justification of a sinner ; and therefore you young ones , that much desire knowledge , the main thing to be acquainted with , is this great Doctrine of Justification and pardon of sin ; as Luther said , Three things , Prayer , Meditation , and Temptations make a Divine ; so I say , the right knowledge of Justification makes a Christian , and they that have not a clear knowledge in this point , do but bungle and are extream weak in all other points of Religion ; but when once the soul comes to be justified , what a glorious light is let into the soul , as you all know , that have been made partakers of this grace ? And you young ones , you may come to have sin pardoned as well as others , and to have the knowledge of the mysteries of God revealed unto you , 1 Joh. 2.12 . compared with the 13. I write unto you little Children , because your sins are forgiven for his Name sake ; even little children , I write to you , your sins are forgiven ; oh 't is a happy thing for young children to have faith wrought in them , and to have their sins forgiven them betimes ! and then in the 13. verse , I write unto you little Children , because you have known the Father ; Oh what an admirable light springs up in the souls of little Children when their sins are pardoned ! they come to the knowledge of the Father ; and this is the reason why many great and learned men , that are men of excellent understanding in the knowledge of natural things , are not acquainted with the mysteries of godliness , and think but meanly of them ; marvel not at it , for the knowledge of the mysteries of godliness , comes in by pardon of sin ; when God pardons sin and justifies a soul by faith in Christ , then God opens the Covenant , and all the glorious mysteries of it to such a soul : A Prince reveals not the secrets of State to a Traytor that lies under bolts and chains ; but if a Prince please to pardon him , and knock off his bolts and chains , and raise him unto favour , bring him into his Privy Chamber , and open his whole heart and all the mysteries of the Kingdom to him , here is a great change ; thus does God to poor sinners that he pardons : A soul that lies under the guilt of sin , is just for all the world like unto a Malefactor that lies in a dungeon , that hath bolts and fetters on him ; the guilt of sin is like bolts and fetters on thy soul : Well , thou lyest there fast bound ; but when God comes in with pardoning mercy , God sends to thee in this dungeon , and knocks off thy bolts by pardon , and not only so , but calls thee into his Privy Chamber , and opens his heart and bosome unto thee , and reveals those things that were kept secret from the beginning of the world : Princes do not always deal so with Malefactors , if they pardon them they think they have done enough for them , they may afterwards go and shift for themselves , they are not call'd into the Privy Chamber to have the King open his secrets unto them ; but it is certainly so to every soul God pardons ; he pardons none , but whom he calls into his Privy Chamber , and reveals unto him the great Councels of his will , and what has been the great thoughts of his heart , for the good of that soul from all eternity ; though some souls have more light than others , yet to no soul that is pardoned but God comes in with a great and glorious light ; and in respect of the light of Nature , it may be call'd a glorious light : there 's not the weakest and poorest creature in the world that is pardoned , but he understands more of the light of Gods grace and Covenant , than the greatest Doctors or Rabbins in the world ; and though he cannot speak or talk so much of these things , yet he dares venture his soul on those thoughts he hath of Gods good will made known unto him in the Covenant ; no Rabbin in the world , though he can talk much of these things , yet he dares not venture his soul for the eternal welfare of it and his estate upon God , to do with him as he pleases ; but a believing soul dares venture his Name , his Estate , his Life , yea his eternal life on God , he dares to put them all into his hands , and to such a soul , God will repeal his Covenant , Psal . 25.14 . God will grant this mercy , that he will reveal his Covenant , and all the secrets of it shall be made known unto him ; you that complain of dulness of understanding ; you say you hear excellent mysteries and do not understand them , there is surely much in them , I see some weight and excellency in them to be found out , and I hope God in time will discover them unto me , but little I know for present ; you take a course to get understanding by attendance on the outward Ordinances , it is good to use all means , as reading and conferring with other Christians , and pray over what you hear ; these are excellent : But the great and special means to get saving understanding in the mysteries of the Gospel is this ; Cast down your souls at the footstool of God , and cry for pardon of sin ; it may be guilt of sin is upon thy heart , let that be thy work to get of the guilt of sin , and cry for Gods justifying mercy in Christ ; guilt being removed , God will let out to thy soul the Revelation of his Covenant in a glorious manner , he will reveal his secrets to thee , so that upon this there is a holy boldness a sinner comes to have in the presence of God. Suppose a Malefactor come to Court under his guilt being not pardoned ; alas , he dare scarce look in at Court-gate ; and when he comes , he keeps in some out-room , and dares not stir any further than he is call'd ; but take another that is pardoned , he comes in boldly and goes from one room unto another , yea into the very Presence-Chamber , and there can open his mind fully to the King , and speak out all his heart ; and this is a great difference between one under the guilt of sin and another that is pardoned ; one under the guilt of sin he dare scarce go to Prayer , and thinks God casts away his person and his services , and that nothing is regarded ; but when God comes to pardon , he calls the poor sinner that was under trouble before , to come and draw near to him , and saith , fear not , open thy mind and heart to me , Lam. 3.55 , 56 , 57. I called upon thy Name , O Lord , out of the low dungeon . 57. In the day that I called upon thee thou drewest near , and said'st fear not : Every poor soul that is justified , may say , God knows when I was under the guilt of sin , I was cast into the low dungeon , and the chains of guilt were upon me there , but through thy grace thou hast heard my voyce , hide not thy ear at my breathing , at my cry ; thou can'st not cry ; yet if thou beest one whom God hath received to mercy , thou may'st have confidence that God will hear the voyce of thy breathing : thou com'st to Prayer , and can'st not tell what to say ; mark , can'st thou breath , Gods ear lies open to the breathings of a soul he hath received to mercy , thou cam'st to me , I was a great way off shaking & trembling , and thou drew'st near to me , and said'st fear not , v. 57. so a poor soul under the guilt of sin he stands shaking and trembling ; but when God comes to pardon , he says to thee fear not , and because thou dar'st not come to him , he comes to thee , and says , peace be to thee , fear not , Heb. 10.16 . the Apostle speaking of the Covenant that God will make , in the 17. verse says , Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more ; and 18. verse , Where remission of sin is , there is no more offering for sin ; in the 19. verse he infers that now therefore , We have boldness to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Jesus ; and vers . 21. Having an High Priest over the House of God , let us ( verse 22. ) draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith ; God having made a new Covenant , and said , Their sins and iniquities I will remember no more ; therefore we have boldness , says the Apostle , to enter into the Holy of Holies : In the time of the Law under the Jewish Pedagogy none might enter into the Holy of Holies but the High Priest , there was but little access into the Holyest in the time of the Law ; but now when the Gospel comes , Christ having offered up himself a Sacrifice there needs no more Sacrifices , he at once having purged away sin by his own blood , has opened a new and a living way that we may come with boldness now into the Holiest ; so that a believing soul need now not stand a far off shaking , but may come in to the Privy-Chamber , and enter into the Holy of Holies , and draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith ; and this comes from sin pardoned : Oh blessed is he that hath his sin pardoned , that has such a priviledge following thereupon , Ephes . 3.12 . In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him , Christ being our High Priest we have boldness , liberty of speech , so the Original ; a great many know not how to pray , and they think all the Prayers of the Saints have nothing in them but a great deal of Non-sense , because they understand not what the work of God is in the hearts of his people ; the Saints have by faith in him liberty of speech , there is a blessed freedom a gracious heart hath , being once justified by Christ , to open his soul unto God , which connot be done by any other way in the world , to have liberty to pour out our whole souls into his bosom , is from faith , and comes in as a fruit of Justification , David pardoned Absolon , but would not let him see his face : but God never pardons any soul , but he gives free liberty for that soul , to come into his presence and open it self fully unto him ; this is a second priviledge , Pardon of sin is an inlet to many other mercies . Of Pardon of Sin making all other Mercies to be Mercies . 3. Pardon of sin is not only an inlet to many other mercies , but it is such a mercy as makes all other mercies to be mercies , and without which no other mercies would be mercies ; by this all other mercies are mercies : when once a soul comes to be pardoned , it may look upon all it hath in a far more sweeter way than ever it could before ; by this he may look upon House and Land , Wife and Children , Estate and Friends , he may look upon these as mercies indeed ; Why ? for he has a pardon , his sins are pardoned ; as a man supposing he is charged , found guilty , and condemned , having a fair house , rich furniture , sweet yoak-fellow and children , and all things he could desire ; but says he , What are all these to me seeing I am a condemned man ? Well , he goes and gets a pardon unexpectedly , and now he returns to his House , Wife and Relations again , and all are sweet unto him , when he injoys them with a pardon , he looks upon them with another manner of eye than he did before ; thus there is this difference between the enjoyment of outward comforts in this world when sin is pardoned , and before it was pardoned ; thou hast Houses and Land , sweet Yoak-fellow , and Children , trading at Sea and Land , and all things thou canst desire ; but what is all this to thee , while guilt of sin lies grating on thy Conscience ? Well , God comes into thee with pardoning mercy , and takes away thy sin , the guilt of which lay corroding on thy Conscience , then thou may'st look upon thy Estate , Wife , Children , and all thy comings in to thee , as coming from the same eternal Fountain of Gods eternal love , that Jesus Christ himself came from ; this is a mighty Argument to perswade men to seek after the pardon of their sin , that you may have your comforts and enjoyments in this world in outward things sweet unto you ; and if there were no other reason to perswade you to seek after forgiveness , this might be enough , that you may have all your outward mercies in mercy to you ; you may have an Estate , a sweet Yoak-fellow , and sweet Children , and all thou canst desire , and these are mercies , but they are but such mercies as God may give to those that are Enemies unto him ; they are but outward mercies at the best , coming not to thee as fruits of the Covenant , and so are not the sure mercies of David ; nay , not worthy to be accounted mercies . Consider but two things ; First , The guilt of sin upon thy soul , is so great an evil , that take all these things at the best , they are but as a grain of Sugar put into a tun of Gall ; a tun fill'd up with bitter Gall , and one grain of Sugar put into it , would not all the sweetness of it be swallow'd up in the tun of Gall ? so were the Monarchy of the whole World made over to thee , yet if thy sin be unpardoned , there is so much evil in it , as all that thou canst enjoy is but as one grain of Sugar put into a tun of Gall , the evil of sin would swallow it all up . Secondly , Thou know'st not what thou hast , whether it be out of Gods love or hatred ; Nay , thou hast rather cause to conclude , it is out of Gods anger and hatred , than out of Gods love : How canst thou then account it a mercy , when all the comforts thou hast , may come out of Gods infinite anger and hatred to thee , rather than out of love ? therefore till thou art assured of pardon , thou hast no mercy , thou canst be assured of , is in mercy to thee : This shews , 1. The great vanity of men and women that look after pardon of sin , but 't is only at such times as God takes away all other comforts from them ; as thus , they think to satisfie themselves with the creatures while they can enjoy them , while they can go up and down amongst friends , eat good chear , and have all coming in ; but when God takes away all these , as on a sick-bed , then they will cry for pardon ; Oh mercy Lord ! oh mercy ! I am a wretched miserable sinner , oh mercy ! Well , now you would have mercy , Why now , and not before ? before you had other things , and you quieted your hearts with them ; and why not now , were not they mercies ? but I know not whether they were out of love or hatred ; Well , yet you quieted your hearts with them ; and now they are all going , Do you now think it a fit time to cry for mercy ? Oh how infinitely wast thou mistaken , that thou did'st not cry for mercy before ! thou think'st it now a fit time to cry for mercy ; why ? thou had'st no mercy that thou could'st take the comfort of as a mercy unless thy sins were pardoned ; and therefore thou hast now cause to cry for pardon , when sickness comes , and God takes away this and the other mercy , thou think'st thou art left naked ; if you knew all , you are naked now : and therefore would you live a comfortable life in this world , and have your House , Estate , and all Relations mercies to you ; never be at rest till you have got your sins pardoned and forgiven ; this considered , might be a mighty argument and means to draw the hearts of men to get pardon , that all their outward things might be sweetned to them . 2. If all outward good be not a mercy unless sin be pardoned , then what good wilt thou or any one get by the increase of sin ? thou think'st it to be a good ; Why ? all thou hast now is not a good , is not a mercy ; and dost thou think to get good by the increase of sin ? when a temptation comes to draw thee to sin , think thus , I have heard this day that all I have is not a mercy unless my sin be pardoned , and therefore I can never get any mercy by the increase of sin : Certainly did men and women understand themselves , they would easily answer the Devil by this kind of reasoning . Of Pardon of Sin making all afflictions easie to be born . Where-ever sin is pardoned , there follows this , that any thing that befals that man or woman is very easie to be born ; an easie matter it is for any one that hath his sin pardoned to bear any affliction , and this is a great blessedness ; or rather take it thus , That either such a one may be assured , that afflictions shall be removed , or otherwise made easie to be born ; for pardon of sin delivers us from abundance of afflictions that otherwise might befal us in this world ; though it is true , God lays many afflictions on his people after their sins are forgiven , yet it is more than they know , but that if their sins had not bin forgiven they might have had other manner of miseries than they do now meet withal ; perhaps you meet with some now , and more than you did before , but for ought you know , those miseries you meet with now , might have been seven-fold more than now they are , and another manner of wrath than you now think of , Isai . 40.2 . Cry , her warfare is accomplished , for her iniquity is pardoned ; where iniquity is pardoned , there warfare is accomplished ; if afflictions be not quite removed , yet they are made very easie to be born , and that upon two grounds . First , Because the greatness of the good that there is in pardon of sin , makes the bitterest and saddest evil that there is in affliction to be as nothing ; as to instance , suppose a Malefactor that is condemn'd to some greivous and hideous death , should have a friend at Court to sue for pardon , or he comes up up to get pardon ; Well , he comes and is admitted to come into the Kings Presence , and he receives him graciously , pardons him freely , quits him fully of all his guilt , and puts him fully out of all the danger he was in ; perhaps as he is coming from the King he loses his Glove or Handkerchief ; Would not that be an unseemly thing for a man , that after he has got his Pardon , yet because he has lost his Glove , should whine and wring his hands , because of the loss of his Glove ; would not that be an unreasonable thing ? Certainly there is as much unreasonableness for any man or woman that hath the pardon of their sin , for them to wring their hands and whine , and keep a stir as though they were undone because they are afflicted : For the greatest affliction that can befal any in this world , compared with the good of pardon of sin , is not so much as the loss of a Glove for the saving of any mans life by the Kings Pardon ; though your afflictions may be more than the loss of a Glove ; yet your pardon of sin is greater than any Kings pardon in the world : put these together , and know hereby thy unreasonableness , and when to check thy self , ( having any assurance of pardon of sin ) that thou should'st be so troubled at any affliction , and have so much good from God in the pardon of thy sin : Further , for those that are troubled at afflictions , I would put this to them ; either they are pardoned , or not pardoned : if ye are pardoned , why are ye so troubled ? if ye are not pardoned , then you had need to spend the strength of your spirits by waving your grief for afflictions to seek pardon of your sins . Secondly , Pardon of sin will make afflictions easie ▪ because the soul may be assured that the evil of affliction is gone ; he that has his sin pardoned may be assured , that there can nothing befal him in this world , but that if he knew all , he himself would be willing with all his heart it should be so : And is not this a blessed condition for any man , while he lives here in this world , in which there is abundance of evil , yet to be in such a condition as that we shall certainly know , that there shall nothing befal us as long as we live in this world , but that , which if we knew all , we our selves would chuse it , and account it to be a better condition than any other ? this is a blessed estate , to be in such a condition as this is , for God to testifie from Heaven unto us , that it shall not be in the power of any creature in the world to do us any hurt ; for certainly so it is when once a man or woman is justified , God does as much as speak from heaven to that poor soul ; saying , Soul now you are safe , be certainly assured that there is no creature in all the world can do you any hurt , Psal . 116.7 . thou may'st say as David there , Return unto thy rest O my soul , for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee ; God has pardoned thy sin , and delivered thee from death ; and n●w my soul return unto thy rest : the word translated rest in the Original is plural , return unto thy rests ; there are rests enough for a soul whom God hath delivered and pardoned , all afflictions to him are but as the Viper on Paul's hand that he may shake off , they will do him no hurt ; the sting of death is sin , and the sting of afflictions is that they are the beginners of death : but to one that has his sin taken away , the property of affliction is altered ; they come not as acts of revenging Justice , but as effects of Love and Mercy ; the Principle from whence they come , and the end to which they tend is differenced from what it was before ; when Trespasses are forgiven , Deliverance from Evil will follow after , as it is in the Lords Prayer ; true as you heard before in the former point , If once we come to have afflictions as the fruits of sin , then they are heavy and grievous indeed ; in this case when affliction comes for sin , and sin comes to prey upon a man in time of affliction , it is just as a Bayliffe set on by a cruel Creditor , that comes to a poor man in debt , and he lies sick ; the Bayliffe takes away his Stools , Table , Bed and Pillow , and all he hath to help and comfort him , leaves him not a Pillow to rest his weary head upon : so when a sinner lies sick , and under affliction , guilt of sin comes and takes away all thy comforts ; if thou hast any Promise , as a Pillow to rest thy head upon , guilt of sin will take it away ; guilt of sin pulls and tears away every comfort , and every good that sinners should have to refresh themselves withal in affliction : But when the guilt of sin is gone , thou may'st lay thy head down in quiet , and rest upon a Promise , and it will make affliction very easie , that thou shalt have no cause to make complaint as formerly thou had'st , Isai . 33. ult . The Inhabitant shall not say , I am sick ; mark the ground of it , for the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their Iniquity ; when God comes to bestow this great mercy of pardon , the Inhabitants shall not make such dolorous complaints of affliction and trouble upon them : says Luther , strike Lord , strike , for I am absolved from my sin ; if once God has absolved thee , or any poor creature from their sin , it is not in the power of any affliction to disturb them , Job 34.29 . When he gives quietness , who can give trouble ? and when he hides his face , who then can behold him ? when God gives quietness , as he doth in forgiveness of sin , then who can make trouble ? let there be never so many rumors in the world of war , bloud , and miseries , as if Heaven and Earth met together ; yet if God give quietness to the heart , in assurance of forgiveness of sin , who can bring trouble ? it is not in the power of all the world to disturb his s●ul whose sins are forgiven ; Pardon of sin is that peace the world cannot take away ; therefore blessed is the man that hath his sins pardoned . Of Healing , the fruit of Pardoning Mercy . 5. Where God pardons sin , he heals that soul and sanctifies it by the immediate fruits of the Spirit , wheresoever it is , and this is a great blessedness ; who is there that understands the evil of sin that sees not this a great blessedness , not only to be delivered from the guilt of sin , but also from the uncleanness of sin too ; and that Sanctification or freedom from the power and slavery that there is under the bondage of sin is a fruit of forgiveness of sin will appear by divers Texts of Scripture . I shall not speak to all , but only some that make this blessing to be the consequence or immediate fruits that slow in upon forgiveness , Jer. 31.33 , 34 there God promises to put his law into our inward parts : But what 's the ground of it ? in the 34. verse , I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more ; the writing of Gods Law in our inward parts , delivering us from the power of sin , and sanctifying our hearts comes in as a fruit of Gods forgiving us our iniquities , Rom. 6.14 . Sin shall not have dominion over you ; why ? because you are not under the Law , but under Grace : Now this is the great grace of the Gospel , forgiveness of sin , you are under that , and therefore it is that sin cannot have dominion over you ; as if the Apostle had said , you may resolve against sin , and do what you can to oppose it , and strive as much as possible you are able to subdue it ; yet so long as you remain under the law , sin will certainly have dominion over you , and you will be under the slavery of it , until you come under the grace of the Gospel , and partake of that , Col. 2.13 . ult . And you hath he quickned together with him , having forgiven you all trespasses ; so that quickning and Sanctification is a fruit of forgiving of all their trespasses , 1 Cor. 15.56 , 57. The sting of death is sin ; and the strength of sin is the law ; but thanks be to God that giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ , the strength of sin is the law . Gods Justice in the Law giving men up unto sin , there lies the strength of sin . But now God through Christ coming to men in the grace of the Gospel , there comes deliverance from the strength of sin : perhaps some of you have lain under the burden and power of sin , and you have thought the only way to get victory , hath been to resolve and strive against it , and you have done so , and yet you cannot get power over your sins : I remember one writing to Luther , tells him that he had vow'd and covenanted against his sin , and yet his sin prevail'd against him , until he understood the grace of the Gospel ; and so may be have you done , and yet your sin prevails because you take not this course : try the work of faith in point of Justification ; renew your faith in God , for the forgiveness of your sin through Jesus Christ , that 's the ready way , try that course ; you that have been tired in labouring against corruption , you have resolv'd and pray'd , and shed tears , and yet that will not do ; try this way , renew your faith dayly in point of Justification , by laying hold of the infinite riches of the grace of Christ in the Gospel for pardon , for healing power to come in to help you against that which holds you , and this will not hinder your duties ; you may pray , resolve , and fast as much as before , but be sure your great care be to renew your faith in point of Justification , and there will come more healing power by that in your souls than by any thing else ; if once you can touch Christ , the bloody issues of your sins that run before come to be dryed up , which you could not dry up , though you spent your time and pains , and did all you could do ; here 's a great difference between Gods forgiveness and mans : a King may forgive , but he cannot change and heal : but when God forgives , he heals and takes away that evil disposition from thee that did so weaken thee for all good ; Christ when he comes , he comes with healing in his wings ; now blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven , for that there follows deliverance from the power of sin , and a healing of the soul . Of comfort against Death following on Pardoning Mercy . 6. Blessed is he whose sins are forgiven , because such a man may look in the face of Death and Judgment with comfort ; Death when he comes to a Natural Man , he comes as a Messenger of God to arrest the Soul at Gods suit ; but where sin is forgiven , Death is made a means to bring thee to rest ; that , that would have arrested thee is a means to bring thee to thy rest , Heb. 2.14 , 15. Christ came to die : Now what was the great business he came to die for , it was to purchase a pardon for sin , and by his death to take away the power of the Devil , and deliver them that through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage ; through the fear of death , and nothing in all the world can deliver from the fear of death but forgiveness of sin , and then this makes a man look on the day of Judgment with comfort ; for one special end of that day is , that there may be a Declaration of the Infinite Mercy of God in forgiving of sin , Act. 3.19 . Repent and be converted , that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord ; when he shall send Jesus again which before was preached to you : Certainly assoon as ever a man comes to believe , his sins are blotted out ; I but when the times of refreshing shall come , they shall appear to your own selves , and to all the World , Men and Angels more fully than ever before , some Interpreters think ; and I dare not deny it , but that there will be a time of refreshing in this world , before the great and terrible day , that Christ will make it appear that the sins of the Elect Believers are blotted out in another manner than now it doth ; but however it will fully appear at that day , and then that day that will be so terrible to the ungodly , will be refreshing to the Saints ; Why ? because they shall find their sins blotted out then , and that will make that day a refreshing day unto them ; Although the Heavens be all on fire , and shrivelled up like a Scrowl , and there be dreadful shriekings of ungodly men ; yet it shall be a day of refreshing to the Saints , because their sins are blotted out : Oh blessed is the man that hath his sins pardoned now ! for he shall have that day to be a day of refreshing to him ; but woe be to thee O soul , who ever thou art , that hast not thy sin pardoned ; if but one sin stand upon the score not blotted out , woe , woe will betide the for ever more ; but they that find their sin pardoned , shall find that day to be a day of such refreshing as ever they beheld ; and therefore blessed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven . Of Security against the worlds Reproaches , the fruit of Pardoning Mercy . 7. Where God hath forgiven sin , such a one need not care for the censures of all the world , and the reproaches they cast upon him ; the men of the world cast many reproaches on the Saints , and say , they are hypocrites , that though they will not swear , yet they will lie ; that they are false , proud , and the like ; Why ? now the soul that finds it self acquitted before the Lord , need not care for all the censures and condemnations that can be cast upon him from the men of the world , Rom. 8.33 . Having spoken before of the great grace of God in Justification , in vers . 33. he speaks as if he had made a challenge to all the world , let them all come in , let me see Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect ? Why ? because it is God that justifies : many will charge them of grievous things ; I but it is God that justifies : What will a man care if the Prince have given him a pardon , though some kitchin boy , some shakeril about the Court should rail against him , so long as the King hath pardoned him ; Bernard hath a notable speech concerning David when Shimei railed , David was not troubled says he , he did not feel the injury heapt upon him , because he had felt before the grace of God towards him ; the feeling of Gods grace towards him in pardoning , made him not feel the railings of Shimei ; so Christ himself , Isai . 50. ver . 7. he said before , I gave my back to the smiters , and hid not my face from shame and spitting ; they spit upon him : this is apparently spoken of Christ ; but what upheld him , vers . 7. For the Lord God will help me ; therefore shall I not be confounded for all this ; therefore have I set my face like a flint against all scorns , railings , and accusations in the world ; but what was the bottom of all this ? mark , vers . 8. He is near that justifies me , who will contend with me ? let us stand together : Who is my Adversary ? let him come near to me ; let my Adversary come and do his worst , he is near that justifies me : true , Christ had no sin personally to be pardoned ; but he had the sins of all the Elect charg'd upon him , and upon that he suffered death . Now we are to know , Christ is justified as well as Believer ; and the very ground why a Believer is justified , it is because Christ is justified himself ; Christ being justified , a Believer comes to be justified ; this might have been opened in the mysteries of Pardon of Sin : There is a justifying first in Christ as in a common publick person , and then by faith in our own persons . Now though in the Fathers Justification of Christ he justifies us , yet not as particular persons , but in him as a common person in the Name of all the Elect ; and faith , that comes in that we might be justified in our own particular persons , as before we were in Christ as a common person : Now Christ is justified first , and acquitted from all our sins , and this acquittance is made the ground of his challenge to all his Adversaries in the world , though the Prince of Devils come with all his power ; yet says Christ , he is near that justifies me , and he will make my face as a flint , it is God that acquits me , who is my Adversary ? let him come near : Oh it s a blessed thing when thou hast got the pardon of thy sin ! thou needest not care for all the reproaches the world can cast upon thee ; thou may'st go up and down , and challenge any in the world to come in against thee , 1 Cor. 4.3 . I pass not for mans judgment , he that judgeth me is the Lord ; the world translated judgment , in the Greek it is mans day : Man has his day here , and he thinks to weary out the People of God ; why says Paul , I pass not for mans day , he that hath the supream judgment in his hands , he hath acquitted me , and I am well enough . Of the Foundation of Eternal Life laid in Pardoning Mercy . 8. Blessed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven ; for this is the foundation of eternal life ; whoever hath this mercy , hath a certain pledge put into his hands of eternal life , Rom. 8.30 . Whom he predestinated , them he called : whom he called , them he justified : and whom he justified , them he glorified : thou who art justified , and hast thy sin pardoned , thou shalt certainly be glorified : A Prince may pardon a man , but he cannot assure him of eternal life , though he give him his natural life : But God if he pardon , he makes it known to that soul that he shall live eternally with him in glory : Oh blessed is he then that hath his iniquities forgiven , for this is a pledge unto him of eternal life . Of Pardon of Sin being the bottom of all true Comfort . 9. Blessed is he that hath his sin pardoned ; for pardon of sin is the very bottom of all true comfort : Be of good comfort your sins are forgiven ; if Christ speak but this word to a soul , though he be never so much dejected , it is enough to raise any drooping soul from the gates of Hell it self . Be of good comfort oh soul , thy sins are forgiven thee , Isai . 40.2 . Speak you comfortable to her , for her iniquities are pardoned : God calls to comfort her when her iniquities are pardoned , this is the foundation of all true comfort : if you lay any other foundation to build your comforts on , certainly that building will totter and come to nothing , if this be not the foundation : You would fain have comfort , and you are every one looking out for comfort ; and indeed it is as natural for the soul of man to seek for comfort , as it is for the fire to burn : there 's no man but would fain have comfort ; now look to the foundation if you would not have the building totter , lay a good foundation : Many lay the foundation of their comforts in their sins , and others in the creatures ; but thou must lay it in the pardon of thy sin , in the free grace of God justifying thy soul , and that building will hold ; lay it there and thou shalt be comforted here and for ever hereafter . And thus we have done with that Particular , That Pardon of Sin is a great mercy , because it is a foundation and inlet to many other mercies : Blessed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven , that hath such a grand mercy , upon which many other mercies follow . CHAP. V. Of Pardoning Mercy passing through a great many difficulties . BLessed is the man that hath his sins forgiven ; for indeed , it is a mercy that passes through many difficulties before it comes to the soul ; and that that passeth through many difficulties is strong and great indeed , and therefore makes the man blessed , because it is grace that doth pass through many difficulties , it is an argument of a great deal of strength of grace , when grace shall pass through many difficulties ; as it is an argument of the great strength of sin , when sin passes through many difficulties to bring forth ; a soul being set upon sin , there lies a great many difficulties in the way , yet lust to that sin being strong , it will break through all difficulties to get to it ; so in mercy , when God comes with mercy to forgive a soul , this mercy of God must go through abundance of difficulties before it gets to you , which argues it to be wonderful strong mercy , and therefore makes him blessed that partakes of it . When God made the World , it was done with a word speaking , God said , Let there be light , and there was light : But when God comes to pardon a sinner , Heaven and Earth must be moved ; there must be a greater work of God in pardoning of a sinner , than in making of the world ; certainly the work is greater and passes through more difficulties . As First , All the wrongs that ever th●u hast done to God stand betwixt thee and pardon ; never did any man in the world wrong another man as thou hast wronged God : How sin wrongs God has in part been held forth to you , in the evil of sin and how contrary sin is to the infinite holiness of God , yet mercy breaks through that , yea above all , that great and difficult work of the satisfying the infinite justice of God , yet mercy breaks through that , and there stands in that . 1. This difficulty , that before thou canst be pardoned , God must be made Man , and yet must remain the same God he was before ; thou cryest for pardon of sin , or thou art undone ; suppose now , that Gods bowels of mercy did even yearn towards thee for to pardon thy sin , yet before this is done , there must be this great work done ; that God must be made man , and yet remain the same God he was before ; here 's a mighty difficult work , a greater work than making of the world , and yet mercy breaks through this . 2. Here 's this stands between sin and pardon , That when God is made Man , he must die and be made a curse ; and not only so , but God the Father must do it ; he must take his own Son and stab him for thee , he must himself take him and put him to death , and himself must pour out his wrath upon his own Son , before thy sins can be pardoned . Now that God the Father should take his own Son , the Son of his delight , stab him to the heart , and himself put him to death , this is a mighty great work ; and yet this must be done before thou can'st be pardoned . 2. There 's this difficulty stands in the way , That before sin can be pardoned , the blind , dead , wicked , carnal , sottish heart of Man , must be raised up to perform the most glorious Act that ever any creature did ; which is an Act of believing : yet says God , that thy sin may be pardoned , I will put forth my infinite power to effect it , to raise that blind , dead , sottish , carnal , wicked heart of man so full of all wickedness , to perform the greatest work that ever any creature did , for so is believing ; Gods mighty power is put forth to effect this : Now there is all these difficulties lying in the way , and yet mercy passes through them all to pardon sin ; surely then , that soul must needs be blessed that hath his sin pardoned ; that God sets his heart upon him so much , that rather than he will not shew mercy unto him , he will pass through all these great difficulties that lie in the way ; and truly on consideration of this , before I pass any further , there are three Meditations that may be collected hence , and may come with a great deal of power upon all our souls . First , Then it must needs be a great taking the Name of God in vain , for any man or woman to have slight thoughts of such a mercy , as pardon of sin is , that comes through so many difficulties . Secondly , This may come with power upon our hearts , if Gods mercy pass through so many difficulties for the pardon of thy sin thou mayst be content to indure much difficulty in seeking for the pardon of thy sin ; thou seest what an evil sin is , and art more sensible of it than ever thou wert before ; well , thou art seeking for pardon , and thou camplainest , thou hast waited long for pardon , it may be a quarter , or half a year , or it may be twelve months , and thou hast got little assurance of pardon , and thou findest it much more difficult than thou thoughtest it would be , temptations come stronger than ever , and the Devil suggests more evil thoughts than ever ; thou findest duties hard to flesh and bloud , and thou art wearied and tired with temptation , these are some difficulties ; but yet art thou about that great work of seeking pardon of sin , be contented to suffer some difficulties , yea ten times more than thou hast ; if God see good to lay it upon thee , for Gods mercies pass through difficulties to pardon thy sin , and if thou get'st through , though thou meetest with difficulties , thou hast no cause to complain at all ; Why should not you be willing to pass through difficulties in seeking pardon , when as Gods mercies pass through many difficulties to come to thy soul ; thou art going to God , and seeking to him for mercies , and there lies many difficulties in the way ; when God was coming to thee , there lay many difficulties in the way , and yet he past through them all ; therefore thou mayst be content though thou meetest with some difficulties in seeking the pardon of thy sins . Thirdly , This may make us willing to go through any services , though they be hard , if thou art in getting of pardon ; Suppose God set us about some hard work that hath many difficulties in it , do not complain as if God were a hard Master , when he sets you about any hard work ; for be it known unto you , thou art never set about any such hard work in all thy life for God , that hath so many difficulties in it , as the work of God in pardoning thy sin hath ; there are more difficulties when God comes to pardon thy soul for sin , than in any service whatever that Cod requires of thee ; thou look'st upon the service of God , and there are many difficulties in it ; be contented , do not complain , for God past through many difficulties to pardon thy sin ; and this is another consideration , the difficulties God passes through to pardon sin , is a great Argument that that soul is blessed that hath his iniquities forgiven . CHAP. VI. Of Pardoning Mercy coming from the Fountain of Gods Everlasting Love. WHen God comes to pardon sin , it is such a mercy as comes from the fountain of Gods Everlasting Love ; other mercies do not ; where this is not , you cannot make them Evidences of Gods eternal love ; if God give you health of body , good voyages at Sea , and good comings in in respect of the world , you cannot draw Arguments from hence , that God bears eternal love to your souls . But when he comes to pardon your sins , it is a certain evidence , that God hath set his love on thee from all eternity ; if there were a chain let down from Heaven , and thou could'st take hold but of one link , it would certainly bring thee thither , both ends would come together . Rom. 8.30 . here 's a chain of many links let down , and if thou canst catch hold of the link of Justification , thou may'st certainly catch hold of Predestination ; for all hang together : if thou art justified , then know for certain that thou art a predestinated man or woman ; whom God hath set his heart upon from all eternity to do thee good : and this is a great happiness for a poor creature , while he lives in this world , to know that God hath set his heart upon him from all eternity to do him good ; and indeed , we can never be at rest until we come to this , if thy heart be right , thou can'st not be at rest in the enjoyment of such poor fare as God casts to Reprobates , thou must have other comforts than any thing the world can afford ; if thy heart be right , thou wilt never rest until thou come to know Gods thoughts in his eternal purposes towards thee ; it is no nicety nor vain curiosity , for men and women to seek to know what were the thoughts of God towards them from all eternity ; it may be known , and God hath revealed it , especially in the times of the Gospel , God hath opened his bosome to reveal unto his people the thoughts he had of them from all eternity ; and this makes a Pardoned sinner to be so blessed ; and this is more than any Malefactor can have from a Prince , he may be perswaded to pardon him ; and yet even presently his heart may be as much set against him as against any man ; yet now having got his Pardon , he thinks himself blessed , and goes his way : But now , when God Pardons , it is not an act of a day , but such an act as God hath set his heart upon from all eternity to do it ; it is such an act as the infinite wisdom of God hath been set on work from all eternity to effect it : if a Malefactor come to a Prince for pardon , and the Prince say , I have been setting my thoughts a work to pardon you , ever since I heard of your crime , this will bring some comfort : But what is this to the comfort God brings to the soul that he pardons ; when God comes to a soul , he does , not only pardon , he says not , soul I pardon thee : but know oh soul for thy comfort , that this is a work that my wisdom and the councils of my will , have been a contriving from all eternity , to bring about thy pardon with my own honour , and here it is for thee , take it as a fruit of my eternal Councils ; therefore Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven , because such purposes have been taken up in Gods eternal Councils to effect it . CHAP. VII . Of Pardoning Mercy , being a work that all the three Persons in the Trinity are ingaged in . BLessed is the man whose Iniquities are forgiven , because as there is no one thing hath taken up the heart of God more than this ; so this is a work that all the three Persons in the Trinity are ingaged in nothing more , God the Father , Son , and Holy Ghost ; as to instance . 1. For God the Father , in Isai . 43.25 . he challengeth this as his own glory , I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my Names sake , and will not remember thy sins ; it is his Prerogative , I am he , God glories in it as a peculiar , belonging to none but himself , Exod. 33.18 . Moses desired to see the glory of God , and God promised to make all his goodness pass before him ; and Exod. 34.6 . he proclaimed , The Lord , the Lord God , merciful and gracious , long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth , keeping mercy for thousands ; and then to the point in hand , forgiving iniquity , transgression and sin , here 's the glory of God ; Would you have a demonstration indeed , that Gods heart was set upon this as the greatest work that ever was done ? take it in this , that the very thoughts of effecting this by the death of his own Son , made God very well pleas'd and delighted with his death ; surely then his heart was much set upon it ; for rather than he would not effect it , he would part with his own Son : Never was there such a hideous thing as the death of the Son of God ; and therefore if there were any delight to be taken in it , & that God the Father took delight in it ; there must be some great thing to sweeten it , such an horrid thing as the death of the Son of God had need have some great thing to sweeten it ; what now sweetned this to God the Father , that his own Son should be put to death ? Why ? nothing but this , that hereby sinners might come to be redeemed , justified and pardoned , nothing else would sweeten it to God the Father , but this does , Isai . 53.10 . It pleased the Lord to bruise him ; and again , the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand ; the Scripture says , God takes no delight in the death of a sinner ; and yet God did take delight in the death of his Son , it pleased God to see his Son bruised : when God the Father saw his Son under his wrath , swetting drops of water and blood under the curse of the Law , it pleased God well ; certainly then there must be some mighty thing that must sweeten this , and make the death of his own Son a delightful object to him ; Why ? the very thing that did it was this , that Christ being made a curse , he thereby did redeem us from the curse , procur'd the pardon of our sins , and reconciled us unto God ; and this very thing sweetned the death of the Son of God unto God the Father , therefore the heart of God was much in it . 2. For Christ , What was the business that brought him from the Fathers bosome , made him content to take our nature upon him , to suffer , and to be a man of sorrows , so as to delight in it ? there was a kind of delight to Christ in induring the wrath of God ; for with desire ( says Christ ) have I desired to eat this Passover , because it was the Preparation to his Death and Sufferings of the wrath of God , in all the fruits and effects of it for the sin of Man ; and when Christ came to institute the Sacrament of the Lords Supper , and to give his blood for the remission of sins , the Text says , He gave thanks ; What did he give thanks for ? surely the thing for which he gave thanks for , ( upon which the Supper of the Lord is called the Eucharist , from the Greek word that signifies Thanksgiving ; ) was this , that by his death Remission of sins should be obtain'd : when Christ was to die & suffer all the wrath of God that was due for our sins , Christ blessed God & thanked God the Father for it : surely there must be some great matter to sweeten it ; that he should be so affected as to bless God the Father for that that cost him his life , and yet he did : Mark what it is that satisfies Christ for all this , Isa . 53.10 . It pleased the Lord to bruise him , and his soul was made an offering for sin : all was laid upon Christ ; Well , but what did Christ look for for all this ? Vers . 11. He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied ; that that shall satisfie Christ for all his pains , labour and sufferings , shall be to see of the travel of his soul ; What is that ? What is the travel of Christs soul ? What ? Why by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many ; as if Christ had said , this is the very thing my Soul travels for , in all that I have done or suffered in all my life , that I might but bring this great business to pass , to justifie some souls , to get the sin of those poor souls that are thine Elect pardoned , and their persons justified : this my soul travels for , and oh Father let me but see this , the travel of my Soul , and I am satisfied : Christ accounted it worth all the travel of his Soul , in all he did and suffered , that he might justifie some souls , as if he had said , he would have no other boon from his Father but only this ; Father if thou wilt but recompence all my travel with this , I shall for ever account my self that I am satisfied , and have enough : How should we be satified with Christ , when Christ accounts the pardon of our sins satisfaction enough ? Shall Christ say , notwithstanding all my sorrows , let thy sin be pardoned , and I have enough ? Wilt not thou now say ; and let me have Christ and I have enough ? Christ says to God the Father , let me have those souls pardoned , and I have enough ; Oh then do thou say , let me have Christ and I have enough : Surely Christ is enough to satisfie thee , when the pardon of thy sin is enough to satisfie him . 3. As the heart of God and Christ , so the heart of the Holy Ghost is in this business too ; the great work the Holy Ghost hath to do in this world , and the great business for which he was sent , it is to convince poor souls of the righteousness there is to be had in Christ for Justification , Joh. 16.8 , 9 , 10. Christ will send the Comforter ; and first he will convince the world of sin . 2. Of righteousness : What is that ? that is , when the Spirit comes , he will clear it up unto believers , and convince them that the righteousness that they must have to stand righteous before God in , is the righteousness of Christ alone ; and this is a mighty work of the Spirit of God , and a work that would never have been done , had not he come to have done it ; it is such a great mystery that we should be righteous by anothers righteousnes , that it is above the reason of all Men and Angels ; all Men and Angels were never able to fathom this infinite depth , it is above their apprehensions that ever we should come to be righteous in Christ , and very few yet where Christ is made known , are convinced of it : Those men that take up Religion in a natural way , they never are convinc't of the Righteousness of Christ , it is a riddle and a mystery to them ; only those few souls whom God intends eternally to save , the Spirit of God is sent unto them from the Father and the Son to clear it unto them , that the righteousness wherewith they must stand righteous before God , is the Righteousness of Jesus Christ ; this is the great work of the Spirit of God , and he comes on purpose to enlighten you in this great point , and to witness this great Truth unto you , Heb. 10.15 . Whereof the Holy Ghost is a witness , for after that he had said before , this is the Covenant that I will make , &c. vers . 17. Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more , as the Principal part of the Covenant , and of this the Holy Ghost is a witness : This great Truth of the forgiveness of Sins the Holy Ghost comes to bear witness of , and seal this to thy Soul , that thy sins are forgiven ; this is the great work of the Holy Ghost , after believing to seal up the forgiveness of sin : and this is one great reason why the Holy Ghost hath the Title of Comforter , because as he comes to convince of sin , so also to witness and seal up forgiveness of sin to the soul : And indeed , as it shews the excellency of the mercy of forgiveness , because the Holy Ghost is so much in it ; so the greatness of it , that must have so high a Person to witness it : and indeed , the Soul is not satisfied until it have this special witness of the Holy Ghost ; 't is true , there may be probable arguments drawn by signs of Gods love unto us ; and the Holy Ghost may come in those signs : but besides that , there is the immediate witness of the Holy Ghost : to limit him to witness by signs only , is more than any man can have warrant for ; and this I say further , that all the signs of Gods favour that we can have , will not satisfie the soul until there be this special work of the Holy Ghost sealing and witnessing the favour of God unto us ; 1 Joh. 3. there are many signs of Gods favour in that Chapter , Vers . 9. He that is born of God doth not commit sin . And Vers . 19. Hereby we know we are of the Truth , and shall assure our hearts before him ; and he that keepeth his Commandemen●s , dwelleth in him , and he in him , that 's another sign , and Vers . 24 but the conclusion of all is this ; Hereby we know that he abideth in us , by the Spirit which he hath given us ; it is the Holy Ghost must convince & satisfie the soul , of Gods love : many there are that would fain have their sins pardoned , and would fain have some signs of it ; and perhaps I may hereafter give some signs . But now know , that all the signs in the world will not serve to quiet the heart , but that it may return again to its former doubts , till God come to pacifie the spirit by the witness of the Holy Ghost ; for it is so great a matter , where once the Soul understands the infinite breach made between God and it by sin , that it must needs be more than an ordinary work to assure the Soul of Gods Reconciliation to it , and nothing can do it satisfactorily but the Holy Ghost ; he must come to the Soul to assure it of this thing : perhaps the case of a poor Soul is thus ; Suppose a Prisoner in Goal lies bound in fetters for some great offence against his Prince ; and some friend comes and tells him there is hope of pardon ; Oh , says he , 't is too good news to be true ; well , another comes to the grate of the Prison , and tells that he hears from the Court , the King hath sealed Pardons , and put such a ones name in , this is some comfort ; but yet this frees him not from fears and doubtings . But now , suppose the Favourite of the Prince come from the King himself , one that is of the Kings Bed-chamber , and one to whom the King opens his whole soul , and nothin●●he King doth but he is acquainted with it ; he comes to this poor man , and bids him be of good comfort , I come from the King , and bring you a Pardon from him , shews it him , and says there it is , take it ; Oh this revives his spirit , when such a special Messenger is sent unto him : so in this case I may compare all signs to be like some friend or other , that goes by the grate , and speaks of the happiness of such a man that he is pardoned ; but the soul is under such blindness and fears , by reason of the guilt of sin , that God knows it is no easie matter to perswade it of pardon : But now God for the comfort of those that he intends good will unto , sends his own Spirit that lies in his own bosom , and knows all his secrets , to declare the mind of God , and to say to such a soul , Peace be to thee , thy sins are forgiven ; now this satisfies the soul . But it may be here objected , How may I know it is the Spirit of God that witnesses , and not my own fancies or delusions of Satan . I answer , as we know the Sun by its own light , so we may know the Spirit by its own testimony ; and though there be may some ebbs , yet it will rise again ; there is such a witnessing work of the Spirit , by a kind of sweet and secret intercourse between God and the Soul , whereby God over-powers all doubts and fears ; though I do not say , every one hath it in a like sensible measure ; yet this I say , when this full assurance comes , although there may be doubts and many questions before in the soul , for fear of being deluded , ( for certainly many are deceived and deluded ) yet then the Spirit over-powers all doubts and fears , and witnesses to the Soul it s own work : Do not you say , because some are deluded with fancies , that there is no witness of the Spirit ; when as there is scarce any point in the Gospel the Scripture speaks more about than this of the witness of the Spirit : indeed they that judge of the mysteries of the Gospel by Humane Reason , and understand no further than that reaches too , and that are little acquainted with those converses that are between God and a believing Soul , they may slight this witness of the Spirit ; but you must know , there is not any Soul that has assurance he shall go to Heaven , but it is wrought on by a high supernatural and mysterious way ; and if there were no other way to evidence this to the Soul but by some signs , this would be no higher evidence than by way of reason : But we are to know , as great is the mystery of godliness , God manifested in the flesh , so also great is the mystery of godliness , God justified in the Spirit ; God justified in the Spirit is a great mystery , Christs Incarnation is a great mystery , so is a Believers Justification as well as Christs Incarnation ; so also the witness of Justification is a great mystery ; and therefore I beseech you look up higher than for such signs as Reason may reach unto , and beg of God to reveal this unto you , that thou may'st have the witness of the Spirit of God to testifie unto thee that thy sins are pardoned . Now blessed is the man , whose iniquities are forgiven , seeing God the Father , Son , and Holy Ghost is so much in it . CHAP. VIII . Of Pardoning Mercy being a Perfect Mercy . BLessed is he whose iniquities are forgiven , for this mercy is a perfect mercy , that is , where God doth pardon any sinner , such a one stands as perfect before God in point of Justification as Abraham , Isaac , Jacob , or any of the Prophets or righteous men that ever lived in the world : thou poor Soul , Man or Woman , Youth or Servant , if God come unto thee , & pardon any of your sins , thou standest as fully justified as Abraham , Paul , Peter , or any of the Apostles and Prophets ; though in Sanctification thou fallest short of them , yet though art justified as perfectly as ever they were : Justification is an act that is done altogether and at once , therefore a perfect work ; and this is an Argument of infinite Consolation to the Saints of God , that the great business between God and them in point of Justification is perfected ; Psal . 51.7 . David prays to God that he would purge him with Hysop and he should be clean , that is , that he might be cleansed by Justification , by having the guilt of sin taken from his Conscience by a renewed act of pardon ; and then as it follows , I shall be whiter than Snow : the Saints of God though they be Sanctified , they are not whiter than the snow in Sanctification , but in Justification they are whiter than the snow ; no spot at all in them , Ephes . 5.27 . Christ presents his Church unto himself without spot ; in point of Justification every believing soul is without spot before the Lord , Numb . 23.21 . He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob ; that is , though God knows there is iniquity there , yet he sees is not to charge them with it , or impute it to them ; all is done away in that regard by Justification : it is observable to this purpose , what we have in Cant. 4.7 . Thou art all fair my love , there is no spot in thee , no spot in thee ; there are spots in respect of Sanctification ; yea , but in respect of Justification it may be said of her , There is no spot at all in thee ; Thou art all fair my Love , it is the words of Christ , he comes forth and says , Thou art all fair my Love : Alas , when the Believer looks upon himself , his own duties and performances , he sees nothing at all but spots , all besmear'd and bespatter'd all over ; why , though thou lookest on thy self be spotted , yet Christ looks upon thee without spot , and God the Father looks upon thee through Christ without spot , and says , Thou art all fair , there is no spot in thee ; thou thinkest it may be , that if God should make a discovery of thy heart to all thy Christian friends and acquaintance , thou would'st appear so foul , that they would cast thee out of their society , and never have to do with thee more ; yet for all this , Christ says , Thou art all fair , there is no spot at all in thee . Justification admits of no degrees , no not in Heaven , thou art not more justified there than thou art here ; thou art now as perfectly justified as ever , and accepted of Christ as ever : Sanctification is renewed day by day , it being a work of God within us , we increase in it dayly ; but Justification is a work of God without us , and so is perfected at once ; and hence then this makes a pardoned soul blessed , because pardon of sin is of such a nature , that it is a perfect work . Hence then I will but touch it , Here is 1. Abundance of comfort to a pardoned soul , though thou art weak in Sanctification , and it troubles thee to think , how far thou comest short of Abraham's David's Paul's Solomon's wisdom , and Job's patience ; yet this know , that thou art equal in Justification with Abraham , Moses , David , and all the Prophets ; and this may be a mighty comfort to thee against the weakness of thy Sanctification . 2. This should be a mighty ingagement upon thy spirit ; Has God made thee equal to them in Justification ? how should'st thou labour to be like to them in Sanctification ? think thus with thy self , Is the mercy of God so rich and glorious come , though I be a poor , wicked , wretched vile sinner , that I should be made equal to the greatest Saints in Justification ? Oh how should I labour to follow hard after them , and get as near to them as I can in point of Sanctification : this Argument should come with power and strength upon our hearts , to stir up all our endeavours to be like to them in point of Sanctification , that are equal with them in point of Justification . How should we imitate Moses his Meekness , David's Love , Paul's Zeal , and Job's Patience . CHAP. IX . Of Pardoning Mercy being an Irrevocable Mercy . BLessed are they that have their Iniquities forgiven , for it is an irrevocable mercy ; when God pardons sin , he never revokes it again ; it is true , the soul that is pardoned may afterwards commit many offences , that may provoke the displeasure of God against him , yet he shall never so provoke God , as to cause him to revoke this mercy of pardon to all eternity ; if thou art once pardoned , thou art pardoned for ever : It is not so with God in pardoning as it is with men ; a King pardons a Malefactor on condition of his good behaviour afterwards ; though it is true , a Believer will be more careful of offending after he is pardoned than ever before : But yet , God does not pardon me so much on condition of my good behaviour as of his free grace , therefore it abides : He does not say to a poor soul , I will pardon you , but it shall be on this condition ; that you behave your self well , and if you be found tripping in any one thing , I will recal my pardon back again : it is so with a Princes Pardon , a man that is pardoned for his life , if that man afterwards offend , perhaps breaks the Peace , which in another man would not be so great a matter , for he could soon satisfie the Law for it ; but he that goes under pardon for his life , if he break the Peace , it costs him his life ; whereas another , if he strike a man , it is but an Assault and Battery in him ; but he that has his Pardon for his life , for such a thing done by him , his Pardon may be revok't again , and it may cost him his life : I hope you will not abuse this grace of God , I know not how to open it to Believers but with a great deal of danger to others ; but how much danger soever it may be to others , yet it must be opened and delivered to Believers ; it is Gods mind that his grace should be made known unto them , he would have them to know it to the full , that his Pardoning Mercy is irrevocable ; and therefore a Believer should not question his Justification upon every failing in his Sanctification , this is a dishonour to the free and rich grace of God , if on every failing we call in question that great work of the Justification of our souls , either to say , or think , I indeed did hope before that God had pardoned the sins of my youth , and all my antient sins , but falling into sin again , I am afraid all is undone ; all that God hath done unto me is undone again , and I must answer for all my sins : this I confess will come upon the Conscience , specially upon the committing of any new sin ; but though it do , yet if ever you have been assured of the pardon of of your sin , know , this mercy shall never be recall'd again : the foundation of God standeth sure ; and this is a fundamental mercy that always abides : therefore as we observed in Cant. 4.7 . Christ says , Thou art all fair my Love , there is no spot in thee ; but in Cant. 5.2 . you shall find she was in a sleepy secure and sinful condition , as a man or woman asleep , they might do what they would with her ; men might impose what they would upon her , put her in what posture they pleased , and yet she was unsensible ; but yet in this condition her heart was awake , I sleep , but my heart waketh ; there remain'd a Principle of grace alive in her : but mark what Christ said , though she confest she was asleep ; yet Christ says , Open to me my Sister , my Love , my Dove , my undefiled : this was spoken when the Church was in a secure sinful condition ; yet this is the voyce of Christ calling the Church his Sister , his Love , his Dove , his Undefiled one , when she was in that secure condition ; which shews the grace of God in pardoning sin is not call'd back again : and because this is a point wherein much treasure lies , I shall a little open the Irrevocableness of Gods mercy in his Pardoning and Justifying Grace ; and for this I shall give you some places of Scripture , which being opened , as they will shew the greatness of the mercy ; so they will afford abundant matter of Consolation and Encouragement to every believing soul . The First Scripture Expression I shall name is in Isai . 43.25 . where the Lord tells his people , that he blots out their transgressions ; God seems to take much delight in this Phrase , and therefore doubles it , I , even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake , and will not remember thy sins : Now this phrase of blotting out is taken from the custom of Tradesmen that have their Books of Accounts , wherein they enter all their Debts that are owing to them by such and such men : Now when these come to be paid , the Debt-book is crossed or blotted out ; if any of you owe a debt , when you come to pay it , you call for the Debt-book to see it crossed or blotted out , and then you assure your selves you shall never hear of it more . Now you must know , that all sinners are debtors to the Lord ; they are in a debt of punishment for want or failing in paying him a debt of Obedience : many men by their sin run into debt with God dayly , and because God does not call for the debt presently , they think there 's nothing between God and them , but carry it as if all were well ; as many Gallants run into Tradesmens debt to hang fine Cloaths upon their backs , and ruffle it up and down in the world , and never think of their debts till their Creditors come and arrest them , and cast them into Goal , and there they lie in Prison , for all their ruffling it up and down in the world : Just so men and women by their sin run into debt with God , and though God do not call for the debt presently , yet they are recorded in Heaven ; it is as certain that every sin of any man or woman is set down in Gods Debt-book , as any debt you owe is set down in your Creditors Book : and as certainly must your debts be call'd for , and satisfaction and payment made unto God for them , as certain as any Tradesman will call for payment of his debt : Now this is the work of Justification between God and your Souls , if ye would know the nature of it . When Jesus Christ sees a poor soul that God the Father hath given to him to save , thus run into debt , Christ comes and lays down a price before God the Father , to pay this debt ; and Christ sees that the debt be blotted out of the Book : Now when God comes with pardoning mercy to a Soul , God shews the debt Book to a Believer , and causes him to see all his debts blotted out ; and by that he certainly assures the Soul his debt shall never be called for again , this is such a mercy as is irrevocable , it shall not be brought back again , the debt being once paid shall never more be call'd for ; this is the first expression , and it is a blessed one : Many men that are run into debt , and are in danger every hour to have some Bayliffs arrest them , they cannot look out of their doors but they are ready to fall upon them ; they would think themselves happy , if they might have any that would come and lay down all , and satisfie the debt , and that they might see the debt blotted out , they would think themselves happy indeed : Well , know that it is so with God when he comes to pardon sin , the Debt-book is blotted out , and all Bonds cancell'd . Secondly , Though they be blotted out , yet they may be before Gods face , and God may see them , though he will not call for them again ; therefore the Scripture tells us , that God will take that course with the sins of Believers as that he will cast them behind his back , and never so much as lay the debt before his face to look upon them , Isai . 38.17 . Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back ; that which Hezekiah spake of himself , is true of every believing soul , God casts the sins of every Believer behind his back ; when a man casts a thing behind his back , he does it to that end , that he might take no farther notice of it ; but though God cast a mans sins behind his back , yet if they be not very far , he may easily turn his face and look upon them when he will : therefore mark further , Thirdly , Another Scripture expression , Psal . 103.10 . As far as the East is from the West , so far hath he removed our transgressions from us ; thus God expresseth himself , to satisfie the souls of his people , that their sins shall never be called for again ; the East and West , it is an expression to note out the utmost distance ; the East and West are so remote , that those two Points can never come together ; so the sins that God has pardoned to any soul , they shall never be call'd for again . Fourthly , Though they be remov'd as far as the East is from the West ; yet God's eyes may look a great way off ; though those Points be at so great a distance to our eyes , yet not so to the eye of God ; therefore there is another expression that may make it more full , that God will never look upon their sins again that he has once pardoned , he blots them out , he casts them behind his back , he removes them as far as the East is from the West ; and if that be not enough to satisfie thee , Micah 7.19 . He will cast them into the bottom of the Sea ; things that are cast into the bottom of the Sea , are utterly thrown out of sight , never to be lookt for again ; Well , but though God cast them into the bottom of the Sea , he may think upon them . Therefore Fifthly , mark another expression , further to satisfie thee , God says , He will remember them no more ; they shall be so far from being thought upon , that God says he will not remember them any more ; but you will say , it is impossible for God but to remember them ; yea , but when God pardons , it shall be as Irrevocable as if God did never remember them ; there are divers Texts remarkable for this , Isai . 43.25 . I will blot out thy transgressions , — and will not remember thy sins : I , may be not now ( thou may'st say ) But he will hereafter ; see what is said in Jer. 31.34 . I will forgive their iniquity , and I will remember their sin no more ; neither now nor hereafter , I will remember their sin no more . Sixthly , They shall be so forgiven , as that there shall be no more mention of them ; there shall never be the least mention of a believers sins before God , and for that see Ezek. 33.16 . it is spoken of every godly man indefinitely that turns to God , and is a Believer , None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him ; by the way , let men take heed how they upbraid the people of God for any of their former sins : Perhaps you knew such a one in the times of his ignorance , and you say he was a lyar , a Drunkard ; but now God has reveal'd his mercy to him in the pardon of his sin , and God says he will not mention them any more : Take heed how you cast their sins , committed in the times of their ignorance , in their teeth , saying , oh you are so precise now , I knew what you were a little before ; Shall the God of Heaven say , he will not mention them any more ; and yet will you do it ? God will take it very ill , at your hands : this is admirable comfort to every Believer , that God will not remember their sin any more ; he would have thee to remember them , to humble thy soul for them , and to renew thy repentance , but he will not remember them to upbraid thee with them , nor would he have others do it . Beza speaking of himself : when he was young , He made some vain and sinful Poems , which his Enemies upbraided him with afterwards , and casts them in his teeth , says he , These men envy me the grace of God , because God has vouchsaf't to me his grace , they envy me , and cast in my teeth the evil that I have formerly done : Oh what a comfort and priviledge is this to thee ! Oh thou believing soul , though thou wer 't never so wicked and abominable before , yet I tell thee from God this day , in whose presence thou standest that he will never remember thy sin any more ; and this may be a mighty encouragement for men and women to believe and turn from all their wicked wayes , though thou hast been never so vile , abominable , and wicked : yet be it known unto thee this day , that if thou wilt come in and believe , God will never mention any of thy wickednesses more , they shall be so forgotten as they shall never be mentioned ; thou it may be , art afraid that either here in this life , or at the day of Judgment all thy sins shall be charged on thee ; well , be not afraid , perhaps there are many of you that are conscious to your selves of great sins committed ; and you would give a thousand Worlds to be discharged of them : Oh say some , there are such and such sins committed , that are so great , that they cannot be forgiven ; I may mourn and grieve for them , but what shall I be the better ? the sins of my youth lie so heavy on me , and God and my own Conscience upbraids me ; and what comfort can I have in my life , when God and my own Soul upbraids me ? Well , be of good comfort , and be incouraged , this day to come in and believe this blessed tidings , that where God pardons sin he will mention them no more , and he will take it very ill at the hands of any that shall mention them to upbraid thee for them . Seventhly , Yet further , to set forth the fulness of this mercy , when God pardons sin , they shall be so done away as that they shall not be found . Jer. 50.20 . In those days , — the Iniquity of Israel shall be sought for , and there shall be none ; and the sins of Judah , and they shall not be found ; for I will pardon them , whom I reserve ; and if I pardon them , then they shall be so done away , as that they shall not be found . Yet further , the righteousness Believers have in Christ is called an everlasting righteousness , and therefore abides for ever , and cannot be afterwards taken away , Dan. 9.24 . Seventy weeks are determined — to make reconciliation for iniquity , and to bring in everlasting righteousness ; the righteousness that is put upon thy Soul by Christ , in the pardon of thy sin , it is an everlasting righteousness , and will abide everlastingly . Yet further , Heb. 10.14 . it is said , That Christ by one offering , hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified , that is , justified ; Justification being call'd by the name of Sanctification , or them that are sanctified ; that is , set apart to be made partakers of the great blessing of the new Covenant , to have a share in the blood of Christ for Justification ; Christ by one offering has for ever perfected them that are sanctified ; therefore being perfected in Justification , there is no recalling this mercy back again . Once more , this mercy is set out by the typical service of the Scape-Goat , Levit. 16.20 . On whose head they were to put all the sins of the People , all their transgressions , and all their iniquities , and send him into the Wilderness , or Land of forgetfulness , amongst wild beasts , never to be lookt after again ; so are the sins of all Believers laid upon Christ , and carried into a Land of forgetfulness , and shall never come to be charged any more : So much for that particular of the Irrevocableness of Pardon of Sin , which shews that blessed is that man or woman that hath their sins pardoned , because they shall never be recall'd again . CHAP. X. Of Pardoning Mercy , being such a Mercy as is denyed to the fall'n Angels . BLessed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven ; for this is a mercy that God hath denyed to the fall'n Angels : God in pardoning thy sin , does more for thee than he would do for those thousand thousand millions of Angels ; it is a mercy that God has deny'd to those millions of Angels that sinned against him : Suppose a poor wretched man be guilty of Treason against the King , and as he is , so a great part of the chief Nobility of the Land are guilty also , as well as he : But now when the King comes to look upon them , he sets his heart on this poor man ( that perhaps begg'd from door to door ) and says this poor creature shall be forgiven ; I will pass by his offence , and not only so , but advance him into high and great favour at the Court , and condemns all the Nobles : Now if this poor man shall see all the Noble men in chains , that were guilty but of one offence ; and he perhaps hath been guilty for acting in a treasonable way 40 , 50 , or 70 years ; and the Noble men guilty but for one offence ; and this poor wretched creature sees these Noble men in chains , and knows that all they and every one of them are condemn'd to suffer most dreadful tortures , to dye a most dreadful torturing tormenting death : Now what a mighty aggravation is this of the mercy of the King , that shall pardon the offence of this poor creature ; how will he stand amazed , admiring at the greatness of it ; I that am guilty of the same offence , yea more guilty than they , and that I shall be pardoned , and the chief of the Nobility of the Kingdom must die a most torturing tormenting death , for their offence ; what a difference hath the Kings favour made between me and them : certainly this is the case for all the world , with any poor soul whose sins are pardoned ; God has done as much for thee , to the full ; the Angels were the most glorious creatures that ever God made , and thou art but a poor worm in comparison of them ; they sinned against him but once , and thou art guilty of millions of transgressions , and yet God sets his heart on thee , and says , I will do great things for thee , though I pass by thousands , millions of Angels ; I will magnifie my rich grace to this poor creature in pardoning his sin , and advance him to high favour , though I condemn them into everlasting chains of darkness ; now when a poor creature comes to see the infinite riches of Gods grace that hath made such a difference between him and the Angels : how will he stand admiring of it ? me thinks this should mightily work upon the hearts of all poor sinners , and make them to say , What shall God pass by such excellent creatures as the Angels , the most excellent creatures that ever God made , and come to me a poor worm , to set his heart on me , and shew mercy to me ; Oh let me pass by all the excellencies of the creatures to perform my duty unto him ; Hath God past by the most excellent of his creatures that mercy might come to me ? Oh let me pass by all the glories and excellencies of any thing in this world , that my Soul may come in ; in a way of duty and service unto him : Shall God leave the glorious Angels to shew mercy to me , and to do good for me ; and shall not I leave my base lusts for him ? Shall not I be content to leave any thing to serve him ? Shall I satisfie any base lust , with the neglect of him ? God forbid . This is another Argument , that they are blessed that have their sins pardoned , because God does that for them that he will not do for the faln Angels . CHAP. XI . Of Pardoning Mercy being given to a few . FUrther , Blessed is he that hath his iniquities forgiven , because it is a mercy that is given but to a little handful of the world , the whole world lies in wickedness , as carrion in a ditch , or as Prisoners under the chains of guilt of sin , and yet that God should pull some of these out , that lie as in a filthy Dungeon ; this is a wonderful mercy . A Prince that hath many offenders , usually pardons the most , and executes the fewest ; But God usually executes the most , and pardons fewest . But how comes this to pass , seeing God is a God of more mercy than any Prince ; how is it that a Prince should pardon most , and execute the fewest , and God do the contrary ? Answ . 1. Because the execution of many that are guilty , Answ . 1 would be a troublesom and dangerous thing unto a Prince ; he cannot do it when the most have offended : but God can easily execute thousands of thousands , and all with one word speaking . Further , If a Prince should execute all that offend , he Answ . 2 should have a want of his Subjects : But God wants not the creatures , he has no need of us : but a Prince may want his Subjects , and therefore if there be any way in the world to preserve them , and keep them in any way subject to him , the Prince will not destroy them . Besides , the Prince executes the fewest , and saves the most ; Answ . 3 Because the execution of a few may be a means to bring others unto allegiance : But when God comes to execute Malefactors , the execution of some cannot be a means to work good on others , especially at the great day ; 't is true , in this world God is long-suffering , and executes a few , that it may be a means to work good on others ; But how is God said to be a God of rich and glorious mercy , and yet pardons very few , and executes most ; for all the world have been in Treason against him : how is it that God pardons fewest and destroys most ? I hope to give you very good reason and satisfaction , in shewing you how the infinite glory of the mercy of God appears , and yet but few are pardoned ; yea rather the more , because that few are pardoned : God would thereby manifest the more his glorious mercy . 1. It may well stand with the glorious riches of the mercy of God , that many are destroy'd and yet but few pardoned ; thus , Because that God would have a proportion between his Justice and Mercy ; you say , he would have a proportion , Is not be as merciful as he is just ? Then there must be as many pardoned as condemned . No , if God will observe a proportion between his mercy and justice , and that he will have his Justice appear as well as his Mercy , then more must be damned than saved ; How does that appear ? thus ; Because the glory of Gods Justice in damning twenty hundred , is not so much as the glory of his Mercy in saving two ; you may conceive it by what is ordinarily used among men : If the King save but two men that are Malefactors , he magnifies his mercy as much in that as his justice if he hang up a hundred : so if God save but two , his mercy is as much magnified as his justice in damning twenty hundred , the reason is this ; Because there is something in the creature that calls for Gods justice , that requires that : But there is nothing in the creature , that requires his mercy ; when God manifests his justice , he does such a work as is due to the Creature ; there is something in the Creature that challenges such a work from God : but when God comes to manifest mercy , there is nothing at all in us that should require such a work from God ; no , his mercy is free , altogether from himself , 't is his own work , and proceeds from his own hearts love , and nothing in us that may challenge it from him : Now seeing there is that in the Creature that challenges justice , and nothing at all that can require mercy ; therefore if God shew mercy but to a few , it is as great a glory to his mercy as it is to his justice , if he condemn a hundred ; but if he should save as many as he condemns , the mercy of God would be beyond all proportion to his justice , but because that cannot be , hence it is that few are saved and many damned . Answer . 2. There are more damn'd than saved , because God would hereby manifest his mercy the more to thee that art saved ; by suffering so many others to perish : this is one end that God hath in it , that their destruction might set out the excellency of the glory of his grace to thee . When a Limner would draw a Scutcheon , or a Picture in Or , or any other curious colours , he lays the ground-work in black , and then the beauty of the other colours will thereby most appear : thou oh soul that hast thy sin pardoned , know that God lays the ground-work of thy mercy in the black dismal destruction of multitudes of ungodly sinners , he gives them their due , that that is their right ; but the ultimate aim of God in it rises to this , that their destruction may make the brightness of his glorious grace appear the more gloriously to them that are saved ; that the Saints whose sins God hath pardoned , may in Heaven have this argument to praise his grace so much the more , because they are cull'd out of the mass and multitude of sinners that are damn'd ; this will mightily inflame the hearts of Saints in giving God glory in Heaven , when they shall see so many thousands and millions of thousands cast down to eternal destruction ; that God should do this to set off the riches of his grace to them : How will this inflame their hearts in giving God glory , and this God aims at as the top of his glory that he might have a company to be the eternal objects of the riches of his grace ; and this shews the base and low account God hath of wicked men , that he lets them perish eternally , that he might magnifie the glory of his grace to Saints ; What an aggravation is it of the greatness of Gods mercy to Saints , when he is content that so many thousands of others shall perish , that his mercy to them may more gloriously appear ? As when a Prince hath a Child born , that he might shew his honour to the Child in solemnizing the Christning of the Child ; it may be thousands of Oxen and Sheep shall loose their lives in the solemnizing of the joy the Prince hath in his Child : If the Solemnity of the Joy the Prince hath in that little Infant may be the cause of thousands of creatures losing their lives , this shews the dear respect he hath to his Child , or else he would never let so many creatures go to the Shambles , but that he might shew his respect to his little Infant : So says God , there is a handful of People that I have thoughts to do good too , to all eternity , and I have set my heart upon them ; and that I may manifest the greatness of my mercy to them , I will let thousand thousands of others perish eternally , to be but as a black ground for that glorious work , that I intend to manifest in the riches of my grace in Christ in the pardoning of their sin : thus you see it is a peculiar mercy , and therefore blessed are they that have their iniquities forgiven ; for it is a mercy that is peculiar to them only . Oh how ought they to bless God , that he hath call'd them out of the multitude , when he has left others to the sway of their own carnal sottish and malitious hearts to go on against the ways of grace ; and all because he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy . CHAP. XII . Of the Possibility of Pardoning Mercy , how it would be prised by poor Souls now under wrath . FUrther , Blessed is he that hath his iniquities forgiven , because the very possibility of it to thousands of creatures now under wrath would be prised more , than ten thousand worlds , to have but a possibility of it upon any terms ; those that are now damn'd in Hell , and see the stroaks of Gods dreadful wrath against them for their sin , that are now swallowed up in the gulf of misery and condemnation ; if they might have but any possibility to have their sins pardoned ; how would they prise it , if such a Messenger were sent from God to Hell-gates to call there and to cry out , O ye damned spirits , behold a message from the Almighty ; I come unto you from him , and this is the message to let you know , That there is a possibility upon some terms ( that God will require ) that your sins may be pardoned , and you delivered from that dreadful wrath you now lie under ? How would the damned spirits sing and rejoyce , and look about them to attend this message ? What acclamations would there be in Hell in the mid'st of those fiery flames ? What holding up of hands and rejoycing would there be to hear of such a thing , that there is a possibility on any terms ? they would not stand to enquire what the terms were , whether hard or easie ; they would answer , let them be what they will , if there be but a possibility it is enough , thinking every one it might be he : Well then , if the possibility of being saved , would be received with such joyfulness by the damned in Hell ; What then is the Possession of it , and glorious knowledge of it to a soul that is already pardoned , if they would all cry out , on supposition a message should be delivered of a possibility that some should be freed from Hell , and have their sins pardoned ? They would all cry out , Oh blessed , blessed indeed is he that shall have his sins pardoned , and be delivered from Hell ! if they would give this testimony , let us give it much more ; Though there be a blessed difference between their condition and yours , yet not long since there was not , it may be , for ought you know , some of them might go to Church with you , sit in the same Pew , and hear those Sermons of the Evil of Sin , which now they are gone to feel , and are shut up in the bottomless pit , beyond any possibility of pardon : But this is granted to you all that are before the Lord this day , In the Name of God I can boldly preach this unto you , that if you come in and believe , there is a possibility , yea even for the worst of all , they may come in and be pardoned , Now if the damned in Hell would prise it so high , if there were a possibility for them to be pardoned , shall not you prise it as high as they ? as I remember in setting out the evil of sin , that was one thing that aggravated the sin of men above the Devils , that the Devils believe and tremble , and yet some men will not do so much as the Devils ; so now I say , if there were but a possibility of pardon to the damned in Hell , how would they rejoyce ; and shall not you rejoyce more than the damned souls in Hell would ? Bethink your selves , if the damned souls in Hell would rejoyce , if they had a message of a possibility for them to be saved ; me thinks you should not be quiet , if you find not the same workings in your hearts as would be in theirs ; Shall a poor Minister be forc't to say , there is less hopes to prevail with you than if he were to preach to those in Hell ? Shall he say , there would be better Auditors in Hell than are here ? God forbid it should be so , that there should be more stirring in Hell ( if they might but here of a probability of being pardoned ) than there is with you , if your hearts are not stirr'd at the hearing of this blessed Doctrine of the Pardon of Sin ; that there would be better Auditors in Hell than you are , whose hearts are not stirr'd in hearing the glorious mysteries of the Gospel opened , how a sinner may come to get the pardon of his sins ; God forbid it should be so . CHAP. XIII . Of Pardon of Sin , being the special end of all Gods Ordinances . FUrther , Blessed is he that hath his Iniquities forgiven , because forgiveness of sin it is the special end of all the Ordinances of God ; the Ordinances of God that he has appointed and set up in his Church , attain their end in this blessed effect , in the forgiveness of sin ; and it is an argument their is much blessedness in pardon of sin , because those precious Ordinances of Christ attain their special ends in it ; there are three great Ordinances I shall instance in , the Word , Sacraments , and Discipline ; and the people of God should count themselves in a happy condition when they see those blessed ends wrought on them , which God hath appointed those Ordinances to effect . 1. For hearing , 't is a great Ordinance that Christ hath appointed , When he ascended on high he gave gifts unto men ; upon Christs Triumphal Ascension to God the Father , he gave this great gift unto his Church , that his Church should have Pastors and Teachers ; which by the way , argues the horrible wickedness of those that slight Pastors and Teachers of his Church ; because it is part of the glorious gift of Christ when he ascended on high : Well , did Christ ordain Pastors and Teachers for the preaching the Word ; surely it is for some great end and purpose that he hath in it , there is surely some great glory he intends to reap by it . What is the end for which Christ hath set up this great Ordinance ? 2 Cor. 5.18 . And all things are of God , who hath reconciled us to himself , and hath committed to us the Ministry of Reconciliation . Ministers of the Word are Ministers of Reconciliation that God hath given to his People : what is that ? read the next verse , to wit , That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself , not imputing their tresp●sses unto them : Now then , there is a word of Reconciliation , and this is committed unto us , God hath appointed that we should have this Word of Reconciliation to convey it unto you ; What is this ? to wit , That God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself , not imputing their sins ; so then forgiveness of sin is the end of this Doctrine of Reconciliation , that there should be forgiveness and pardon of sin to poor souls in and through Christ Jesus ; so that this shews the great scope of this Ordinance , and the end of it , to wit , forgiveness of sin : therefore no wonder we stick in this Point , because the great business we have to do , is to declare the Ministry of Reconciliation , when a Minister is about that , he is about the work that God hath appointed him to do ; all other Doctrines are but to make way for this , and to teach people how to walk worthy of it ; and this is the only taking Doctrine to all those that God hath appointed this mercy too , though we as Ministers of Christ preach against the vanities and profits of this world ; but this is not the main thing , not the right method of Preaching to work upon the hearts of People , nor the great end of Christs Ascention , he did not give gifts principally for these things , but that men should be able to reveal the great Doctrine of Pardon of sin : Ministers need not keep a stir to get esteem and love , and to make themselves honourable among the People ; if they did but apply themselves to Preach this great Doctrine God hath set them about , That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their sins , they cannot but gain honour in the hearts of those that God hath appointed this mercy too ; ( Many complain they want respect and honour , let them take pains in this Doctrine , and they cannot choose but they must get honour , if once this Word of Reconciliation take hold on any mans heart by Faith and Repentance ; let men speak against such a Minister never so much , say what they will of him , ) his heart will not be taken off from him , but will be ready to answer as the poor blind man did the Scribes and Pharisees who raised on Christ , Joh. 9.24 . Saying , give glory to God ; but we know this man is a sinner : He answered whether he be a sinner or no , I know not ; One thing I know , that whereas I was blind , now I see , be it was that opened my eyes ; thus he answered their slander : and so when others clamour against a Minister , and speak evil of them , that soul that hath his eyes opened , he will say , I am sure God hath done great things for me by him : he hath shew'd me the evil of sin , and the sad condition I was in by nature , and he hath revealed to me the exceeding riches of the mercy and grace of God , and my soul hath sound it so , God hath come to my soul in his Preaching : Now such a Ministry as this will certainly ingage the hearts of people to them ; 't is not the man so much as Christ in the man , and this is the end of our Ministry , not to tell this or that conceit or story , but to shew you the riches of the grace of God in the pardon of sin , and the Justification of your Souls through Christ Jesus , your Acceptation and Reconciliation through him , this is the first Ordinance . 2. The Sacraments , for what purpose hath Christ ordained them ? the main end for which they were ordained is for Sealing , in the Supper is sealed up Gods mercy in the pardon of sin , Matth. 26 28. Christ tells his Disciples , The Cup is the blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of Sin ; as if Christ had said , this is the great Ordinance to seal unto People the pardon of their sins : Brethren , the King does not use to set his Broad Seal to trifles and toys , and fancies , but unto things of great concernment and consequence , they must be such that shall have the Broad Seal : so here , because pardon of sin is such a blessed thing , the Broad Seal of Heaven is ordained to seal it ; and when the Sacrament is administred rightly , it is no other but the Broad Seal of Heaven to Seal up the pardon of thy sin ; and so should men and women come to receive the Sacrament , they should think this day is a sealing-day ; as in Courts of Justice they have their Sealing-days , and 't is usually said , such a day is a Sealing-day , so a Sacrament day is a sealing-day , sealing up to you the the great blessedness of forgiveness of sin ; a Soul thinks thus , I am a poor wretched vile sinner before the Lord , woe unto me ; thus and thus have I done , woe is me . But I have heard of the riches of Gods grace in pardoning my sin ; and this day God calls me to come in , and have the pardon of my sin sealed with the Broad Seal of Heaven , that my soul may be assured , and I may go away in peace , and be comforted and quieted in the great business that lies upon me , those sins of mine that have so grated on my Conscience , and for which I have had dreadful apprehensions of the Clouds of Gods displeasure hanging over my head ; this day I am to go to have the sealing of a pardon of them all : Thus should men and women come to the Sacrament with such thoughts upon their hearts , as an Ordinance appointed and ordained by Christ for the sealing up the pardon of their sins . 3. The third Ordinance is the Ordinance of Discipline , whose sins soever you remit they are remitted , Joh. 20.22 . and those who are cast out of the Church , and then received in again , find it to be an Ordinance of Christ , to assure them of remission of their sins . It casts out those that are scandalous , and when they repent it receives them in again , and thereby assures them of the pardon of their sins . A Transition to the Application . Having done with the Explication , if you would run over and make some recollection of what has bin delivered of the glorious blessedness of this mercy of forgiveness of sins , you might see the effects following thereupon . I have shew'd you the abundant grace of God that is declared in the forgiveness of sin . I have shew'd you the many mysteries that there are in it , and that it is an inlet to many other mercies ; I have shewed you the great difficulties it passes through , and how much the heart of God the Father , Son , and Holy Ghost , was in this mercy ; I shewed you , it was a perfect and an irrevocable mercy , a mercy denyed to Angels , and shewed but to a few of mankind , compared to those that are past by ; I have shewed , it is a mercy , the very possibility of it would make the damned to rejoyce , and it is a mercy , that is the end of all Ordinances : And now having come to some period of the Explication , methinks that Scripture comes presently into my mind , that notable place in Rom. 8.31 . If these things be so , if God thus gloriously appear , in the riches of his grace for the pardon of sin ; What shall we then say to these things ? the Apostle after he had spent some time in opening the Doctrine of free Justification , for the working it upon the heart of the Romans , and his own heart too , says , What shall we say to these things ? the holy Apostle stood as a man amazed at the wonderful richness of the grace of God in pardoning of sin ; in the verse before , having said , Moreover , whom he did predestinate them he called , and whom he called , them he justified ; and whom he justified , them he also glorified : And having spoken much to the point of Justification in this Chapter , he concludes at vers . 31. Now what shall we say to those things ? as if he had said , Lord , how does thy glory appear in the Justification of a sinner , and pardoning his sin through Jesus Christ ? that we cannot but stand amazed at the greatness of thy glory appearing herein ! that we know not what to say , there is so much of thy glorious grace appears , that our mouths are stopped ; What shall we say to these things ? So now , after we have heard of these glorious things , of the glorious Revelation of the grace of God in and through his Son , working in such a glorious and mysterious way of godliness for the justifying of a sinner , and pardoning of his sin ; if we could now sit down as men and women amazed and astonished , as having our hearts so fill'd with the glory of these things , as being not able to express our selves , but even sit down amazed at the brightness of the glory of them ; it would be an excellent fruit of our attendance in hearing those things , we should sanctifie the Name of God in it ; and t' would be very happy for us ; but if not while we are here together , yet , get into your Closets , and look into this mystery of godliness , and recollect what you can of that which you have heard ; and let this consideration lie warm upon your hearts and thoughts : O Lord ! what shall we say to these things ? that God should have such thoughts of such mercy and grace in the pardon of sin , as we have heard ; What shall we say to it ? and though for the present your hearts be not able to express more , yet by meditation ; sure the fire will kindle , and bring forth some admirable expressions in glorifying the Name of God , or in singing some Psalm to his praise , or in doubbling and trebbling that blessed acclamation with the heavenly Host , Luk. 2.14 . Glory to God in the Highest , on Earth peace , good will towards men ; O here is the good will of God towards poor wretched vile men ; Glory be to God in the Highest ; Lord , What is man that thou should'st be so mindful of him ? thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels ; nay , as you have heard this day , God has set him above those Angels that sinned against him ; Christ would not shew mercy to them , they could not be pardoned ; this is for poor sinners in the world , a generation of those that seek him , that have this great mercy of pardon and forgiveness of sin revealed to them ; What shall we say to these things ? the Apostles expression may help us to make way to the Application , and as I have told you we should sanctifie the Name of God , in standing amazed at the wonderful grace of God that gloriously appears in the Justification of a sinner , as we have opened in many Particulars . And now we have many things to say in the Application of these things , for the answer to that question , What shall we say to these things ? attend in the fear of God , and you shall hear in the Application what shall be said to those things , you have heard in the former Doctrine . CHAP. XIV . Of the Dishonour that is done by Men to the Pardoning Grace of God by slighting of it . FIrst , this we have to say to those things , Surely if the Pardon of Sin be so great a mercy as you have heard , and that there is such a wonderful work of God in it ; then it must needs be a horrible and vile thing to sin against this grace that the heart of God is so much in ; to dishonour this great work of God must needs be a very vile and horrible thing : And this hath been my intention , my very plot , as to set forth the greatness of the grace of God in the mercy of forgiveness ; so also to keep you from sinning against this grace . If he be blessed upon whom such a great and glorious work of God is wrought in forgiveness of sin ; then it must needs be a most horrible and dreadful thing for any man or woman to sin against this grace of God ; and horrible to dishonour such a great work of God as this is . But who are they that dishonour this great work of God ? or how many wayes may we be guilty in sinning against this great mercy of God in forgiveness of sin ? I shall shew first who they be that cast dishonour on this great work of God ; and Secondly , Shew the greatness of the sin , what a dangerous thing it is to sin against this great work of God in pardoning sin . First , They sin against this great work of God in pardoning sin that are altogether careless , who little or nothing mind it , or scarce spend any time about it : there are a generation of men and women in the world , that have sin and guilt enough upon their spirits , yet they scarce ever call to mind , or question what are the terms between God and their own Souls , how things stand between God and them ? what God hath to charge them withal ? whether God hath any thing against them , yea or no ? How few of you now this morning that are come into the presence of God , have had your thoughts working thus ? O my soul how is it with thee ? How does matters stand betwixt God and thee ? What guilt is it thou hast upon thy Spirit ? What hath Divine Justice to charge thee withal ? Conscience speak freely and fully : What is there in Heaven against me ? Is there any thing upon Record that I am charg'd withal ? How is it between God and me ? O what strangers are most men unto such thoughts as these ! but go on in a sleepy , secure , and dead hearted way , either they believe there is no guilt at all upon their spirits , or no great evil in that guilt , or else think 't is no great matter for God to pardon ; you are very solicitous for the flesh , what you shall eat and drink , and what you shall put on ; and for your Estates , how to get and increase in the world : But to make up the Records between God and your Souls , to get them discharg'd , and the Records of Heaven cancell'd that are against you : O how seldom do these things take up your thoughts ? know you that are of such careless spirits about this great matter of pardon of sin , that it is a great aggravation of your sin , that you are so careless about that great work of God in pardoning sin , you are careless and spend but a few thoughts about that ; that hath ( as I may so speak with holy reverence ) taken up the heart of the infinite God from all eternity : certainly , there is not any in the world , not any of the works of God towards his creatures hath taken up the thoughts and heart of God so much as this one work of the pardon of sin , & yet your thoughts are not taken up with it , you little mind it : certainly there is a great disproportion between your thoughts and Gods ; whereas those that are godly , should labour to work as God works ; and those things that hath taken up the heart of God , should take up their hearts ; whereas those things that are even unworthy of an immortal Soul take up your thoughts , and those objects that take up the thoughts & heart of God about pardoning sin , your own Consciences can tell you is very little in your thoughts and hearts : Certainly my Brethren , were the thoughts of men and women taken up about this serious and great business of getting pardon of their sin , it would prevent and cure them of thousands of other vain , slight , foolish and wicked thoughts ; there are , I suppose , many of you begin to be sensible of sin , and of the base wandring , filthy , unclean , and wicked thoughts of your hearts ; and you say , O that we could but help our selves against these wandring , vile and wicked thoughts ; surely this would be a great help , if you would get your thoughts possest with serious subjects , it would have a great deal of waight in it , to help you against those light and vain things your thoughts work about . Now of all subjects in the world , this is the most serious about the grace of God ; How his infinite wisdom hath wrought to reconcile himself to your souls , in the bringing about the pardon of sin , and making peace between himself and the Children of men . Now if you would take up your thoughts about the great business of getting pardon of your sins , it would take off your thoughts from other things : Suppose a man have a vain , slight , wandering , foolish heart ; yet if he were condemned to die some dreadful tormenting death , his thoughts would quickly be taken off from other things , and taken up about using means ; if there were any possibility to deliver himself from death ; Jerom in one of his Epistles hath this Relation of one that was troubled with vile thoughts , and he , that he complained unto had this device , I name it not to approve it , but he had this device , he brought the man to have a charge of a crime laid against him , and caused him to be brought before a Judge , and put into Prison , and afterwards he came to him , and askt him , How is it now with you ? Does your vain thoughts still abide with you as they were wont to do ? he gave him this answer , says he , I cannot live , and what shall I now think of Uncleanness and Fornication ? I am in danger of my life , and I have now no time to think of such things ; and that help't and cured his thoughts : from this we may see , that if a soul was possest of the evil of sin , and the danger of condemnation , the necessity and great consequence of a pardon ; what a mighty means would it be to take off your thoughts from other things , and turn them upon this ; and certainly , who ever you are , whose thoughts are not mightily taken up about this great subject of the pardon of your sins , you take the name of God in vain , and do not sanctifie him in this great work of his ; and know this , you that spend your days sleeping in security , your damnation sleeps and slumbers not ; and until your sin be pardoned , the infinite justice of God is working your doom , for the full satisfaction of it , that is the first thing they dishonour God that go on in secure courses without minding such a great thing as the pardon of sin is . Secondly , Others dishonour God , who in stead of making it their great business in this world to get their sin pardoned , they make it their great work to increase the guilt of sin , by heaping up more and more guilt and so make the flame greater , and add to it continually ; you would think it a very unreasonable and desperate thing in a man , that being condemn'd to some grievous and dreadful death , yet there being a pardon propounded , and some possibility of it , and a friend for this very end get a Reprieval of the King for two or three days , that he might have time to sue out his Pardon ; suppose such a thing : Now then , if this man in this time of Reprieval that is given for this very end , to seek a Pardon , should call for good cheer and musick , merriment and sporting , and not only so , but fall into railing against the Prince , increase his guilt , and provoke the Prince more and more against him ; Would not every man say , this man is worthy of the greatest extream tormentingest death that could be devised ? Nay , I suppose , should you hear of such an one condemn'd to die , and had his life given him for this very end , you would think , surely this man will spend these days in another manner than ever he spent his time before : you that would think so of such a man , it may be some of you , before the Lord this day , are guilty of the same evil , for this is a certain truth , that all the men in the world have been condemn'd to eternal death , and all the time of your life is given you for this very end , a few days that God gives you for this very purpose , meerly that you might have a little liberty to sue out your pardon , and make up your peace with God : O that men and women would but understand this , what they live for , that all the time of their lives is given them to make up their peace with God ; you are to know it is given for this end , meerly as a Malefactor hath a Reprieve to get his Pardon ; this is your very condition , you stand before the Lord guilty of eternal death , but God in his patience and long-sufferance gives you a few days to live to sue out your Pardon , and if you let this time slip , and these days be gone , I profess to you this day , before the Lord , that mercy it self shall never save you ; I would but know of many of you , how you spend these days ? you are not certain of one day , it may be not an hour ; Do you spend these days in making it the great business and work of your Souls to sue out a Pardon ? Let me speak to you , and O that you would speak it in secret between God and your own Souls , and that you would answer in the Name of God every soul present , to this Question , Soul hast thou made it the great work and business of thy life , above all things in the world , to sue out thy Pardon , and seek for Reconciliation with thy God , and a discharge of thy sins ? I verily fear that many of you that hear me this day , if we could but hear Conscience speak , would answer , What ? I make it the great work and business of my life to sue out a Pardon , God knows it hath been the great work and business of my life to increase my guilt ; there is not a day goes over my head , but I have brought more guilt upon my self by wicked Oaths , taking Gods Name in vain , neglecting his Worship , abusing of his creatures , perhaps by drunkenness or uncleanness ; methinks your Consciences might misgive you , when you are so far from making it the great business of your lives to sue for pardon , that you make it your great work to encrease your guilt ; Dost thou think ever to get pardon of thy sin , so long as thou goest on to encrease thy guilt , and make thy self more vile ? the lives of many people are such in a course of wickedness , that it bespeaks them that either they are resolved to perish eternally in their sin , or else to make it to be as great a burden to the mercy of God as can be in the pardoning of their sin ; if it be so mighty a work of God to pardon sin , observe what I say ; it follows from the point wherein I opened the wonderful work of God in pardoning any one sin ; think thus , Is it so great a work of God to pardon one sin ? Shall I go on then to add sin unto sin to make the work greater ? Friend , if God pardon but one sin in thought that thou hast been guilty of in all thy life , it would be a work that would yield thee matter of praise to all eternity ; and wilt thou be so desperate then as to add sin unto sin ? As suppose a man had some grievous disease , and it would be the strangest work to cure him that ever was wrought since the Earth and Heavens were made , if this man should go on by intemperate courses , to increase the malignity and venom of it day by day more and more ; what a desperate thing would this be esteemed in him , especially if he were in a possibility of cure ; yea , and perhaps he could tell others , that there is some possibility , and yet he goes on to encrease the malignity more and more ; how would every one think this mans courses unreasonable ? O that we would consider of the unreasonableness of the dealings of men with God ; men are ashamed to be unreasonable in their dealings with men , but in their dealings with God , they are as unreasonable as can be imagined ; you are guilty of many sins , have you hope to be forgiven , yes , you will say , you have hope ; have you hope ? if God deliver you from any of your sins , he must do such a work as is greater than the making of Heaven and Earth ; what do you then to encrease your sin , when it is so great a work to pardon your sin : O! the horrible wickedness of men and women to increase their sin , Josh . 22.17 . I may allude unto it , and it is an argument of great force , Is the iniquity of Peor too little , from which we are not cleansed to this day ? so I may say to sinners going on in their sins ; Is the iniquity of Peor too little , from which you are not cleansed to this day ? What , is the iniquity of your youth too little that you committed , and mispent your time when you were Prentice , or lived in such and such a family ? Is that sin too little to magnifie the grace of God in pardoning of it , but that you must add more and more unto it , as if you would tempt God to try and see whether God would extend his mercy further and further ? we tell you in the Name of God , and say to you , the sins you have committed already are so grievous , that it must needs be a wonderful work of God to forgive them ; and what , must you needs add more and more , and tempt God to extend his mercy further ? Take heed of tempting God to extend his mercy further , for though God may be pleased to extend his mercy thus far ; Who shall prescribe God how far he shall go ? Who can tell but that the thoughts of God towards thee are thus , that he will go thus far to pardon thee , but if thou go on in sin , who can tell whether he will go on to pardon further ? 'T is true , when God comes to pardon , he will do them all away ; but know thou that goest on to increase the guilt of thy sin , thou may'st find it , as many thousands have found it a mighty hard thing , which hath cost them much anguish and distress of spirit , to get the pardon of their sin sealed in the Court of Conscience , though it was sealed before in Heaven ; O the anguish of spirit it hath cost them ! and dost thou still go on to heap up more and more sin , as if the pardon of thy sin was nothing ? there is a great deal of reason in this , to cry to sinners to stop in the course of sin ; for thou hast gone on enough already , go no further , that 's a second abuse of the mercy of God in pardoning sin . Thirdly , They abuse the mercy of God that have extream slight thoughts of pardon of sin , that think to have it at any time , when they will , 't is but repenting ; as it was said of Lewis the xith , King of France , That he wore a Crusifix in his Hat , and when he had committed a sin , it was but taking it down and kissing of it , and all was well again , so many Idolatrous Papists , they have as slight thoughts of pardon of sin as can be , if they commit a sin , they make no more of it , but go to a Priest to shrieve them , or kneel before a Crucifix and knock their breast , which is a thing soon done , and all 's well again ; certainly 't is a great dishonour to God , for any man to have slight thoughts of the pardon of sin : It is such a work as if ever any thing put God to it ( as I may say ) to pardon sin , and yet to salve his Justice , it was this work ; and certainly , if ever God have love to thee , thou wilt change thy thoughts about this ; and certainly , the slight thoughts men have about this , is the cause many times why they are held so long under the spirit of bondage ; when God begins to work upon them , and stirs the Conscience , and lays the guilt of sin home upon it : how long are they before they can have any assurance of pardon ? and in just judgment it is so , because they had slight thoughts before of the pardon of sin . I remember it is storied of Pompey , when one of his Captains came to him , and told him he wanted men ; says he , I can but stamp my foot upon the ground and bring forth so many men presently ; but when the Enemy came , this Captain came to him again , and said , where 's your men now ; but then he could not get them when he was in distress and had great need of them ; as many think they can do great things with a word speaking , as if all must be at their beck presently , but when they come to it , they fail and find it otherwise ; so many make it a small matter to get pardon of sin , they think to do it with a Lord have mercy upon us , at their death-bed , or the like ; but when they come to it indeed , God makes them to know , It is the greatest business that ever they had to do in , in all their lives ; there is nothing that God is so jealous of as his honour , and specially about this great work , and certainly , were it not that God is very jealous of his honour , and would cure the slight thoughts that men have of this great work ; there needs never be so much humiliation and workings of the spirit of bondage ; and certainly , did we but know the greatness of this work , how would sinners snatch at any opportunity or hint of Gods favour appearing to them ? they would do as the servants of Benhadad , 1 King. 20.33 . diligently observe if any thing would come from him , and hastily catch at it , they watched that if any thing did come from him , that did make any way to that which they sought after , and did hastily catch at it ; so , did a soul understand the pardon of sin , what a great work it is , he would be so far from having slight thoughts of it , that he would come cloath'd in Sackcloath , and every Sermon would be watching and enquiring , what hath God spoke any word to my soul or no ? And if any word fall from a Minister concerning this great business , such a soul would catch greedily at it , and lose no opportunity to imbrace it , Psal . 32. is very remarkable to this purpose , David found it a very hard thing to get pardon of his own sin , vers . 4. and he acknowledged it , and God forgave him , vers . 5. what follows ? vers . 6. For this shall every man that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou may'st be found ; as if David in this language spake thus , O all you poor sinners , that sin against God , think it an easie matter to get pardon of sin ; know , I have found it otherwise , it cost me dear before I could get assurance of pardon ; and therefore for this cause let every one that is acquainted with the ways of God , seek to God in due time , and not put it off from time to time , for the business is not so slight to put it off : many abuse the example of David , and think because he sinned , they may take liberty to sin , but they consider not what abundance of sorrow it cost him to get his pardon ; it cost him so much as that he tells them , for this cause every one shall seek God in due time : many think they may put it off till any time ; but mark what David says , For this cause every man that is godly shall seek thee in a time when thou may'st be found ; he does not say , I have found mercy in the pardoning of my great sins , and for this cause men shall be bold to put it off to any time ; no , but for this cause those that are godly , and have any acquaintance in the wayes of God , will seek God in a time that he may be found ; and if those that are godly , that have sin pardoned in the Court of heaven , find so hard a matter of it to get it pardoned in their own Consciences ; how does it concern thee that perhaps hast thy sin neither pardoned in the Court of Heaven , nor in thy own Conscience , But art in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity , how concerns it thee to look to it ? that is a third sort that abuse the mercy of God in having slight thoughts of the pardon of sin . Fourthly , Those that seek for pardon but are unsensible of the greatness of the work of God in pardoning , they do not put it off , but seek it for the present , but how ? with extream unsensibleness ; they do not come before God with brokenness , trouble and contrition of spirit in seeking after pardon of sin ; many they repeat of their sins before God , and have a gift of Prayer ; it is that which would make a mans heart to tremble , to consider how many have a great gift in Prayer , and will be praying half an hour , and will repeat abundance of their sins , make Catalogues , and tell large stories of their sins , bring in all the aggravations against them for their sins ; judge themselves , and speak mighty words against themselves for their sins , and yet all this while , God knows with a desperate , dull , dead and sensless heart for their sins ; it may be others that joyn with them , their hearts are broken with their expressions , and yet in the mean time thy Conscience may tell thee , thy heart is desperately hard before God , and not sensible at all of what thou speakest ; thou wer 't putting up Petitions to God , and yet with as dull and senseless a spirit , as if thou wer 't speaking of a matter of no consequence at all ; this is a high degree of taking the blessed Name of God in vain ; for we are to know , the Name of God in forgiveness of sin is a most glorious Name , and we had need to take heed how we speak to God in this business , that we take not his Name in vain , for he will not hold him guiltless that takes his Name in vain ; we had need to look to the sanctifying of Gods Name in this thing : Many a man will think it of himself , that to swear and blaspheme is a taking of the Name of God in vain ; and why is it so ? because it is a sin against the 3d Commandment , Thou shalt not take the Name of thy God in vain , &c. for my part I cannot but think that to make large Confessions of sin , and yet with a sensless dead heart , is a high degree of taking the Name of God in vain ; ( mistake me not , if thy heart be sensible of thy unsensibleness , thou art not of those that take the Name of God in vain ; God accepts of this , it is the rational part of the soul that is taken with this , and this is pleasing to him , though thou canst not bring the sensitive part of the soul up to this thing ; but I speak it of those that have got a formality in crying and confessing of their sins , and yet are unsensible of them ; yea , it may be , glory in this , that they can in the Church thus speak of their sins , and have such expressions before the Lord ; take heed of this , if you would shew your parts and abilities , let it be in something else , and not to come before the holy God ; and before others in a holy duty to vent your parts and abilities there : it is a dangerous thing for any to meddle so in this kind , Heb. 9.22 . as he says there , without shedding of blood there is no remission ; so I may say without the blood of thy heart , without the bleeding of thy heart there is no remission , or at least a being sensible of thy unsensibleness ; if thou can'st not mourn then mourn that thou can'st not mourn , be sensible of thy unsensibleness , and then God may accept of thee ; but otherwise without this kind of blood there is no remission ; that is to sanctifie the Name of God , consider this note , it may be of use many ways , that is , to sanctifie the Name of God , when there comes to be in my heart a disposition sutable to the work of God I have to deal withal ; sutable to the manifestation of God in that thing I have to deal with God in : if any ask , What is it to sanctifie Gods Name , I would answer thus ; To sanctifie Gods Name in any thing , it is to labour to get an answerable disposition to that thing that I have to deal with God in ; when I am to deal with God in any work , according to that work I must have a disposition in my heart sutable to it ; as to instance , I sanctifie Gods Name in Prayer , when I speak of Gods glorious Attributes and Titles then , when there is an answerable disposition in my heart to those glorious Titles that I speak of ; so I sanctifie Gods Name when I confess my sin before God the Judge of all the World , in having an answerable disposition in my heart sutable to this Judge ; and then I sanctifie Gods Name in seeking pardon of sin , when I have an answerable disposition in my heart to the greatness of the work of God in pardoning sin ; therefore all of you must be careful , when you intreat God to pardon sin , to intreat him also to sanctifie his Name ; How is that ? intreat God to manifest that glorious work to your souls , and then labour to get your hearts into an answerable disposition sutable to that great work ; you that go to God every day in seeking pardon of sin ; have you been apprehensive of the greatness of it ; Hath God shewed you the greatness of his work in it ? or further , since the time that you have heard of the greatness of the work ; have you been casting in your souls how to get an answerable disposition sutable to these Divine Truths ? Certainly , so far as you are wanting in that , so far you art short of sanctifying Gods Name ; and for time to come , this must be the great work of your souls , to get answerable dispositions in seeking pardon of sin , that may be sutable to the great work of God in it ; if one that comes to seek to you , to Petition you to remove some evil one that hath offended you , if he come slightly , you will say , you must come after another manner ; Shall a poor man or woman expect such a kind of coming from a Child , Servant , or Inferiour ; and yet shall he or she go in a sensless way to God in seeking pardon of sin , and think to obtain it thus ? you go about it unsensibly , and your hearts are not stirr'd , but when Christ came he was sensible of it , in seeking to God about this business , Heb. 5.7 . — In the days of his flesh , observe , Christ in the days of his flesh , did offer up Prayers and Supplications ; How ? with strong cryings and tears , What ? shall Christ be so sensible of the waight and burden of sin , when he was to suffer , that he should seek the Father with such Prayers ? if he had said but one word , it had been a Prayer ; but he sought him with Prayers , and Prayers with cries and supplications ; and not only so , but with strong cries and tears : let thy heart be rebuked this day for the senslessness of it , in going to God in such a slight manner in seeking pardon of thy sins . Fifthly , Those are to be rebuked that in seeking pardon of sin , d● indeed but dally with God and triffle with him ; they are not at all serious in it ; whereas if there be any business in the world , wherein we had need to be serious , 't is in this ? But you will say , Who are they ? there are four or five sorts that do but dally with God in seeking pardon of sin . 1. Those that cry , and seem to be very earnest with God in crying to him for pardon , and yet still continue in love to their sins , and abide in the practice of them in an ordinary course and way ; I do not speak of those that seek truly for the pardon of their sins , and yet may sometimes be overtaken with them agen ; but I speak of the common course of People ; they come to God and intreat him to forgive them , and yet continue still in them , I speak not of those that are sensless in the acts of Confession of their sins , but of those that cry mightily unto God for pardon , and yet live in the practice of those sins they cry to God for pardon of : as for instance , consider every one of you what sins have been in your course of life ; I put this to you , either you have prayed to God to forgive them , or you have not prayed ; if you have not prayed , then you are most horrible Atheists ; but I thank God , I pray every day : Well , you pray to God for forgiveness of sin , and yet live in it dayly : O how do people thus dally with God ; pray against sin , and yet commit sin , and fall to it again ; pray again , and commit it again , and this is the very way that many people take ; they draw out the thread of their lives , and spend out their day of Salvation in trifling with God ; they pray that God would be merciful to them in forgiving their sin , and yet go on to commit sin ; they do not think what a strong ingagement against sin Praying is ; I beseech you note it , every one of you that pray against any sin , every Prayer thou makest for pardon of sin , is a mighty strong ingagement from God to you to take heed of sin afterwards , may be you have not thought of this ; you say , you pray every morning , consider what you do ; if you have any care of your souls , you will not rest meerly in such a form as your Fathers and Mothers have taught you ; but if you have any care of your souls , you will consider in Prayer to God , and say , Lord I am guilty of such and such sins , such sins my nature is most prone unto , and such sins I have lately committed ; well , I will humble my soul before God in Prayer , and intreat God to forgive me ; 't is not Prayer to mumble over a few words , this is to prate and not to pray : but when you solemnly set your selves to examine your own hearts what you are guilty of , and protest against your sins solemnly in the presence of God , and say , Lord this and this particular sin I am guilty of ; Lord I was drawn to such and such sins the day before in such and such company , O Lord forgive my sin , and forgive me these and these particular sins ; this is the way to seek pardon of sin aright : Do you do so ? this will be a mighty bond upon your hearts to think thus within your selves ; Lord , What have I been setting my self solemnly in the presence of the Almighty to confess my sins , and prayed him to forgive them ; what care have I need to take that I fall not into the same sin again ? Thou that hast come this day , and confest and prayed against thy sin , do not fall into it again ; you that are apt to break out into passion , when you find your selves begin to wax hot , if you would but take so much liberty as to bethink your selves , that you have been praying to God this morning to forgive such a Passion : it would be of mighty concernment to help you from going on in Passion , or any other sin , to consider that you have been praying to God for pardon and forgiveness of it ; you that do not consider this , but confess your sins in the morning , and then go on again to commit sin ; you make more work for the next time : you come to confess sin , as in Solemn Days of Humiliation , men will rip up all their sins , but before another day come , they have made work for another and another day ; and this is the reason when men come to confess their sins before God , of their trifling with him and were it not that God is a God of infinite patience , he could not bear it ; might not he say to you , you came seven years ago , and told me of your Pride , Passion , Earthly-mindedness , and the like ; and do you now come and tell me the same again ? were not God infinitely patient , he could never bear this dallying with him , for the truth is , it is nothing else but infinite dallying with God , Jer. 3.5 . Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me , my Father , thou art the guide of my youth ? they seem'd to cry to God ; O thou art my Father and the guide of my youth , there are but these words named , but it is like they opened their sins before God , and cryed for mercy : O says God unto them , Thou hast sp●ken , and cryed out of the Anger of mine that is gone out against you for your sins , and yet thou hast spoken and done evil as thou could'st ; this is an evil thing , and heavy to be laid to the charge of any man , to confess sin , and pray for pardon , and yet commit it again ; know this day you that have been confessing sin , and yet go on in sin ; know this thing , I tell you it is but dallying with God : many men and women do ravel out their Prayers this way ; they make excellent Prayers , and when they have done they ravel all again by falling into the same sin . 2. A second sort are those that seek earnestly the pardon of some sins , and yet still keep the love of some other sin , and yet think to obtain pardon of them , this is but dallying and trifling with God about this business ; you never set your selves yet seriously about it ; when you cry against some sins that are against the Light of Nature , and it may be your Consciences fly in your faces , and the Word of God hath stricken you for them ; but there is some other secret haunts of villanies , that your hearts close withal , and yet you think to obtain of God forgiveness of the other , and go on there : O thou vain soul , thou vain man , know that though thou should'st cry thy heart out for the forgiveness of one or more sins , yet if thy heart secretly close with some other sin that thou hast secret haunts after , the bonds of the guilt of that sin will hold thy soul in chains eternally ; except thy soul be rent from that sin as well as from any other , thou understandest not the way of God in the dispensing of his grace to the soul , if thou thinkest God will pardon some sins , and give thee liberty in others : thou sottish soul , know that when thou goest to God for pardon of sin , thou must go with a heart resigned up from every sin , or else thou losest all thy labour , and art held in the chains of them all . 3. Those that never look after their Prayers to call it into Question what answer they have had ; I have prayed to God , but have I got any answer in my own heart , or hath God come in , in any Ordinance , and sealed to me my pardon ; thus the soul should look after pardon in Prayer , and all other means ; Many pray , but never look after their Prayers whether God hear or no , Psal . 85 , 8. I will hear and hearken what the Lord God will speak ; thus the Psalmist , and thus it would be with thee , if thou did'st not dally with God ; after thou hast cryed for pardon , thou would'st be listning at Heaven gates , and looking towards God : What answer doth God give ? I have prayed and there comes no answer , the soul that sets it self in a solid and serious way to seek for pardon , will be often looking out , and remain much troubled till an answer come : Many cry for pardon , but are not troubled till God give answer , they deal with God as Pilate did with Christ , ask't him What is Truth ? but never stayed to have an answer , but went his way ; so we do but dally with God in our Prayers and Petitions , when we ask for forgiveness of sin , and neglect to look after an answer . 4. As those that look not after the answer of their Prayers dally with God , so those that follow not their Prayers with answerable indeavours , they Petition that God would be merciful unto them ; but what are the indeavours of your souls after your Petitioning ? if there be not indeavours to attend upon the means of grace that God uses to speak peace to souls in , all your Prayers are nothing ; but of this I shall speak afterwards , you are to search into the Covenant , and enquire after the Saints what course they have taken , and what means they have used to obtain pardon . 5. Those that pray for pardon , yet are satisfied with other things ; as thus , they pray for pardon , but if the world come in they are satisfied and quieted with that ; as a Child that hath a piece of Gold given him and an Apple , he will be still'd with the Apple ; so many men sue to God for this great work of pardon of sin , but let God give them health and accommodations in the world , they are satisfied and contented with them , and little or never seek after the pardon of their sin ; that is a fifth sort that are charged this day before the Lord that do but dally with God about seeking pardon for their sins . Sixthly , They that are quiet upon weak and slight Evidences dishonour God ; certainly they have not those high thoughts of the mercy of God in pardoning sin , that content themselves with poor Evidences about it as most do ; come to many people , and ask them , What ? you hope that God will pardon your sins ; yes we do hope , but upon the poorest Evidences imaginable : those Evidences they lay the waight of the pardon of their sins upon , are such broken reeds that it would make a man amazed , that understands what the worth of a poor soul is , that they should venture so great a thing on so slight a reed ; What is the reason ? because they have but slight thoughts of the forgiveness of sin : that , that a man puts a high valuation of , he will make sure ; but that which he slights , he is not so intense in ; as to instance , if one give you in payment Silver , Gold , and Farthings , you take the Farthings and do not tell them , but you tell the Silver , and the Gold you not only tell it , but weigh it too ; What is the reason ? because you little esteem of the Brass , and so will not tell it , you more esteem the Silver , and therefore tell that ; but the Gold you not only tell but weigh it , because you have a greater esteem of that than the other ; this is an argument , may convince the men of the world , that their esteem of earthly things is more than of Heaven and their souls ; because they labour to make earthly things more sure than the things of heaven ; a worldly man to make sure his Estate will have Bond upon Bond , and Seal upon Seal , and carry his Evidences to Counsellors , and say , I beseech you Sirs , see whether there be not some flaw in them , I shall lose all my money if there be but a crack in my Evidences ; he is mighty careful of this , because he hath such a high esteem of his worldly concerns : But how does it appear that men have but poor low thoughts about the pardon of their sins , because they content themselves with such poor mean Evidences ; for had they a high esteem of it , they would labour to make pardon of sin surer than any thing in the world . To wind up all , those that know what pardon of sin is ; how do they spend their time , and lay out themselves to get assurance ? Take this one note , Because God sees those that are his own people understand what forgiveness is , have a high esteem of it , and are very solicitous about it , he condiscends in his kindness to assure them by all sorts of ways and means ; methinks God deals with them in this manner , the poor soul stands shaking and trembling , crying our , Oh! that I might have my sins forgiven , and have assurance of it ; Why , says God , what way do you take to make things sure from one to another ? says you , first we give our word one to another , says God you shall have that , I give you my Word ; What have you else ? Secondly , say you , we cause it to be written ; well says God , you shall have it written , and this is a great mercy , the Covenant of grace is written ; we have it not from hand to hand , as our fore-fathers had : What do you else require ? Thirdly , you say to have witnesses ; well , says God , you shall have witnesses , in things between man and man , In the mouth of two or three witnesses every thing is established , Matth. 10.16 . Now God in reconciling a Soul to himself , brings no less than six witnesses to confirm a Believer in assurance of his grace and favour to him , 1 Joh. 5.7 , 8. There are three that bear record in Heaven , the Father , the Word , and the Holy Ghost ; and three that bear witness on Earth , the Spirit , Water , and Blood ; three in Heaven , and three on Earth to assure thee of forgiveness of sin , that is a third way ; Is there any other way ? yea Lord : Fourthly , we use not only to have a word , and this word put in writing , and witnesses affixed to it ; but we use to take an Oath : Well , says God , I will swear and take an Oath , to make my Covenant of grace sure to your souls , Heb. 6.13 . when God made a Promise to Abraham , because he could swear by no greater , he sware by himself , and this is in the 18. verse , ( an admirable Text of Scripture ) That we might have strong Consolation , who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us ; there is hope of Gods grace through the Reconciliation of Christ Jesus , and this hope the soul runs to as to a City of Refuge , when his guilt , like the persuer of blood follows him ; Well , says God , this poor soul notwithstanding will have doubts of my grace ; now that it might have strong consolation , I have swore that I might make my mercy sure to such a soul , that 's a fourth way : but is there any thing else you use to make things sure between one another ? Yea Lord , Fourthly , we put our Seals to it , an Oath taken may soon pass over , but a Seal that abides : says God , I will do that too , I will give you Seals , and there are divers sorts of Seals ; there 's first the Broad Seal of Heaven : What is that ? that is nothing else , but the very Printing of the Image of God on the Soul , that is the Broad Seal of Heaven . And as the Broad Seal of England , hath the Picture or Image of the King stampt upon it , so the Broad Seal of Heaven is nothing else but the Image of God stamp't or imprinted on the Soul. 2. There is the Privy Seal of the Holy Spirit of God , which is the perswading and assuring of the soul of its interest it hath in Christ and God the Father . In 2 Tim. 2.19 . you have Gods Privy Seal , The Lord knows them that are his , and they having his Privy Seal know themselves to be the Lords , Cant. 6.2 . I am my Beloveds , and my Beloved is mine ; so Paul , Gal. 2.20 . being sealed with this Seal , saith of Christ , He loved me , and gave himself for me ; he was perswaded and assured of salvation , 2 Tim. 1.12 . Rom. 8.38 , 39. This Privy Sealing is like the New Name , Revel . 2.17 . Which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it . And to this you shall have a third Seal Baptism and the Supper of the Lord , that is , to assure you , that the end of the Sacrament is to Seal up Pardon of sin ; God saw that his People would be very solicitous , and therefore added all these wayes of assurance to them ; when you therefore come to the Sacrament , you should come with a sense upon your souls of the great need you have of the grace of God in pardoning sin , and come to it as to a Sealing-day ; you have many fears and doubts ; come so as that you may have the grace of pardon seal'd to your souls ; take heed of coming so as to have your condemation sealed : for certainly , all Ordinances if they work not for that end that they are appointed , they turn to another and quite contrary ; as the Word , if it be not the savour of life , it is the savour of death ; and so the Sacraments , if they seal not the pardon of thy sins up unto thee , they seal up the sentence of death and condemnation ; therefore look to it , as oft as you come unworthily to the Sacrament , you have so many Seals of death and condemnation set upon your souls : Take heed you do not come to take another Seal of death ; 't is much to be feared , many in this place come to take the seal of eternal death upon their souls : but those that come worthily , though administrations be not in that due order as they should , yet God may be present with his own Ordinance to give them comfort from it , and help their Evidences by it ; I must conclude this , those that content themselves with slight Evidences about this great work , dishonour the grace of God : you would have us preach of mercy , and indeed it is a blessed Argument which our souls delight much to be preaching of , because we find so much sweetness in it , and for which our souls shall expatiate themselves in glorifying God to all eternity ; but we are withal jealous of your dishonouring of God in this mercy , and therefore it is that we labour so with you , after the laying open of this mercy , that you may not abuse it : for certainly my Brethren , there is nothing in the world God takes to heart more , than the dishonour that is done to his pardoning mercy ; and nothing more aggravates the sin of People than to have slight thoughts of this great work . Seventhly , This is a great dishonour to Gods pardoning mercy , for men to put off the seeking of it to the worst times that possible can be ; Is it not the ordinary way of most people , to put of the seeking of the grace and favour of God , Pardon of sin , and Reconciliation , till the time of sickness , and the time of death ? they go on all their life time in sinning against God ; but when they are lying upon their sick-beds and death-beds , Lord have mercy upon me , pardon me , forgive me , a wicked wretch that I have been ; these kind of words we hear from men at that time : O that God would forgive and pardon such and such sins , and then perhaps they will tell some particular sins if they think they shall die , they will open themselves to the Minister , or to some faithful Neighbour in the disclosing of their particular sins , and beseech them to pray to God for mercy ; but if they have any hopes to escape , they will keep them in , and be loath to rip open the sins of their lives : This I say , for any to put off the seeking unto God for his pardoning grace till that time , it is to put a great dishonour upon God , for it is a putting of it off to the worst time that possible can be . And that makes much to the dishonour of God : For First , Those men seek pardon of sin , when sin is leaving them , or they must leave sin whether they will or no ; when you have served your own turn of sin , after you have had as much supposed pleasure as you can , then you think to be delivered from the guilt and punishment of sin ; what is there but a meer selfish spirit in seeking God now , and God sees it so ; it is not seeking after pardon of sin that you may honour God in his infinite grace , for then you would seek after it now , and the honour of God would be dear to you now ; but you seek it at such a time meerly out of respect to your selves , this is a great dishonour to God , It is the first born of Gods glory to pardon sin ; and for God to see men and women have no higher ends in seeking pardoning grace , but meerly to save their own skins ; How may God look upon them with disdain ? What shall I magnifie the riches of my grace so wonderfully in this work of my pardoning mercy ? And shall my creatures seek after it for no other end , nor higher aims , but meerly to save their own skins ? you bring down the grace of God , that that is the top of his infinite Majesty and Glory you put to a low and base end ; therefore put not off seeking it to the last , 't is a great dishonour to his grace . 2. It is the worst time , because you come to seek after pardoning grace when it is the time of Gods wrath , Prov. 11.4 . the time of affliction , and trouble , sickness , and death , is call'd the day of wrath ; Riches avail not in the day of Gods wrath ; Riches avail for comfort at present , but in the day of wrath they will not : God hath his day of affliction , and his day of wrath , he hath his time to come to visit men for their sins : Now then , for people to come to seek to have the pardon of their sins when Gods time is to visit for sin , that must needs be the worst time that possible can be , I reason thus , and consider of it ; if God does deny his mercy in the day of mercy , is it likely , that he will grant mercy in the day of wrath ? while you are alive , and have liberty , health and opportunity to come to hear the Doctrine of the Justification of a sinner , and forgiveness of sin opened , you are to know it is the day of Gods grace ; Now is the acceptable time , now is the day of Salvation and of grace ; when God gives liberty and oppertunity , thus to have the mysteries of the Gospel opened unto you , this is the day of Gods grace : Now if God deny you grace in this day of mercy , that you are not so much as inlightned , your souls melted and your hearts stirred ; Do you think that now you are upon your sick-beds or death-beds , which is a day of wrath unto you ? for so it is to those that have not their sins pardoned before , it is a day of wrath , and Gods time of visiting for sin ; Is it likely that God will now shew thee mercy ? I beseech you consider , the usual way of Gods working on men is according to his Ordinance : Now the ordinary way of Gods conveying grace is by the Ministry of the Word ; Did God ever appoint any other way to convey Christ , and grace to thy Soul ? give me a Text for it ; Where do you find a Text in Scripture of any other way as an Ordinance appointed by God , for the conveying of his pardoning grace in Christ to any Soul ? No , it is in the Ministry of the Gospel , and by faith , that lays hold of the pardoning grace of God , by coming to hear the Word preached ; Now if God come not in that time to work upon thee , and to bestow mercy in his own appointed way , it is not likely he will come any other way : I remember in a Treatise of Mr. Bolton's , he has this expression , Let any one give me an example , that ever any one that lived under a powerful Ministry , and not savingly wrought upon that way , was ever wrought upon any other way ; many he says may be stirred , but for his part he knew none that was so stirred by affliction to the conversion of their souls , if God had not before in the Ordinances of grace wrought upon them : then it must needs be the worst time that can be to seek pardon of sin in a day of trouble or affliction , because that is usually a time of Gods wrath visiting for sin . 3. The work of the Soul in seeking after Gods pardoning mercy , and applying of it to himself , as it is the excellentest work that ever a creature did perform , so it does require the most exquisite work of the Spirit that ever was required , or that ever any creature was set about ; it is the most intensive work of the spirit of man , the applying of the grace of God in Christ , and the closing with it for Justification , it is the highest , most exquisite , most glorious and most admirable work of the spirit of man that ever was in the world , and it requires the greatest intensness and strength of a mans spirit that ever any work did : Now then to put this off till such a time as a mans strength is gone , and he through diseases unfit for any thing , and when as all the strength he hath will be little enough to help him to bear his pain , this must needs be the worst time ; you are mistaken if you think the applying of Gods mercy in Christ is but in saying Lord have mercy upon me ; No , it is Gods putting the heart of man to do the most glorious work that hath the greatest operation in it that ever he did . I remember it related of one that lived wickedly , and divers sought to reclaim him , says he , come when I am upon my sick bed , that is time enough ; and afterwards he being sick , was put in mind of it ; you said you would do it then : but then he swore a great Oath , saying , What is this a time to repent in ? because he then felt so much trouble and anguish that took up his thoughts , that he was stirr'd with indignation to be put upon repenting then , in a time when he felt so much dolour of spirit by the pains that were upon him ; Is this a time to repent in ? if that be not , then do it betimes . 4. It is the worst time , because God shall lose a great part of his end in pardoning sin ; for when God pardons sin it is to this end , that his poor creatures might honour and worship him in ●his world , and do him service ; but now to seek for Gods pardoning grace when thou can'st do him no more service in this world ; How can'st thou think that he will accept thee then ? He came to redeem us , that we might serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives ; and he knows there is no such way to ingage the heart of man to serve him as pardoning grace ; for when once a soul sees it self delivered from those Enemies of sin and of the Law that would destroy him , his heart will be mightily set to honour God and serve him in holiness and righteousness all his days ; and therefore to seek for pardon when thou can'st do God no more service in this world , must needs be the worst time ; for how knowest thou that he will accept thee then ? I beseech you observe one Text of Scripture that is abused by many people ; for I suppose that I am speaking to a great many very ignorant in the ways of God , and therefore I desire to speak plainly unto you , there is one place , though misapprehended and mistaken , that is the main prop of many carnal hearts , as it is read in some Books ; At what time soever a sinner repents , &c. I know no such Text of Scripture ; it is true , there are Scriptures tending that way that do not limit the time ; but no Scripture does express it so : many people run away with that expression , as if it were so ; there is no Text of Scripture hath those words ; there is one Text of Scripture this is taken out of , but that is spoken to another end , and therefore you had need to examine what is spoken , 't is Ezek. 18.21 . this comes the nearest to those words , mark this Scripture , and see what you can have from thence to defer the seeking of Gods pardoning mercy and grace till sickness and death ; But if the wicked shall turn from all his sins that he hath committed , and keep all my Statutes , and do that which is lawful and right , he shall surely live , he shall not die ; here this Scripture does not limit a time , though it says not , At what time soever ; it says , if he turn from all his sins , and keep all my Statutes , and do that that is lawful and right ; so that this Scripture promises mercy to one that turns from all his sins , and will keep all Gods Statutes , and so do all that is lawful and right : But now , if you put it off to the time of sickness and death ; How can you do all this ? Turn from all sin and keep all Gods Statutes then , or , How can you do that is lawful and right then ? it must be then when you can keep all Gods Statutes , as well as turn from all your sins ; so that if you take all together , there is not so much incouragement to that which is so frequent in your mouths ; At what time soever a sinner repents , it must be at such a time as that you must keep all Gods Statutes : but further , God speaks here to the Jews according to the condition of the Covenant of works , because they made account to be justified by the Law ; says God you will put it off , and think at last to turn from your wicked wayes , and that I will have mercy on you ; I but look to it , if you will repent , it must be such a repentance as must be joyned , with a keeping all my Statutes ; therefore those that do not understand the way of the Gospel , but depend upon a repentance on their death-beds , God will hold you to this Scripture , that you must repent at such a time as that you must keep all Gods Statutes , then you see , this is the worst time of all , to defer repentance till your sick-beds or death-beds ; for how can you keep all Gods Statutes then , and do all that is lawful and right then ? 5. It is the worst time , because all the tag-rag , all the base and v●lest wretches in the world will come in then ; And what hast thou no other spirit , but to defer coming in till then ? Hast thou no more care of thy soul , no more love to God and his ways , but to put it off till such a time , as all the abominable wretches in the world will come in ? that is the seventh way in dishonouring the pardoning grace of God , by seeking it in the worst time that possible can be . 8. The Eighth way of dish●nouring the pardoning grace of God , and the most considerable of all , is the seeking and expecting of it any other way , but only through the Mediation of the Son of God ; I told you in the opening of the glorious mysteries of pardoning grace , that it must be done by a Mediator : Now , not only gross ignorant people , but many others dishonour the pardoning grace of God , they are not sensible of this ; that it is such grace that only comes through the Mediation of the Son of God : We have too low thoughts of the pardoning grace of God , if we do think there is a possibility of attaining it any other way than by the mediation of him , that is God-Man : If we think our crying to God at any time will do it , or our roaring out in anguish of spirit , forty , fifty , or sixty years is enough to do it : or that there is any thing to attain it by , under the mediation of the Son of God , we have too low thoughts of the pardoning grace of God , we give not God that honour that is due unto it . Luther has a notable expression to this purpose , It is a horrible blasphemy if you presume to pacifie God by any works , 't is an excellent speech ; so I say , 't is horrible blasphemy and intolerable to think to have any thing in the least of your own , to presume upon that God will be pacified with it , whereas God cannot be pacified by any other means , then by the infinite price of the Death and Blood of his own Son ; one drop of which is more precious , than all the creatures of Heaven and Earth ; God will say , Have I revealed such a way of being reconciled with my Creatures , and that at such a rate and infinite price as the death of my own Son ? Shall his life and blood go to procure pardon ( one drop of which is more worth than ten thousand worlds ) and when all this is done , shall my creature think to put me off by a poor work of their own prayers , tears , good meaning , or the like ; or with the most glorious work that they can perform ? for the greatest and most glorious work that they can perform is not near worth so much as one drop of the blood of Christ . And if you have not such high thoughts of Gods Pardoning Mercy , that it must be procured by that which hath more worth in it than all the Creation besides , you do dishonour it , by having such low thoughts of it , when as you think to obtain it by any duty that you can do ; you think God is a merciful God , and you hope upon your reforming and performing duties of Obedience , that God will be pacified towards you for all that is amiss : Certainly when you have these thoughts of Gods pardoning grace , you make it to be but as common and ordinary pity towards one in misery ; but the grace of God is a higher thing than common pity and compassion , and it is a mighty dishonour to God to have no higher thoughts of it , that you think of it but as of common pity and compassion that one creature hath unto another ; or if you think it differs from that pity one creature hath to another , it is but a difference in degrees ; ; only you think it is a little higher in degree : but you must look upon it in another way , and as another kind of pity then one creature bears to another ; it is true , Gods pardoning his poor creatures is in pity and compassion , but it is through the death and satisfaction of his own Son ; and if you think to procure it any other way than by the mediation of the Son of God , you look upon it but in a natural way , as nature will dictate unto you ; for nature will dictate , that the beholding of one crying out in misery will move pity and compassion , and you go no further : But you are to know , the pardoning grace of God , is the most supernatural and mysteriousest thing in all the Book of God ; therefore when God works in us , we must act faith upon it in a mystical way , or act faith upon it as a great mysterie ; and therefore you that have been made sensible of sin , it may be you have thought of Gods grace for the pardon and forgiveness of your sins , and for to quiet the trouble of your spirits ; Have you done that ? there is I suppose many a poor soul may say , I have been often with God when no eye saw me , but only Gods , seeking the pardon of my sin in trouble of spirit ; you have done so : but has your eye at that time been fastened on the Son of God , as the great Mediator between God and Man , to interceed to God the Father for the obtaining this mercy , by making satisfaction to infinite Justice : Together with your cries for pardon , have your eyes been upon the Son of God at the right hand of the Father , pleading for man ? Have your hearts been taken with the great mysteries of godliness , and wrought upon by the infinite grace of God ? Have you put forth a mighty power of the Spirit of Faith , to tender up to God the Father the Attonement that his Son has made by his blood and death for your sins ? Have you seen that the pardoning grace of God is so high , that it is impossible to be reach't unto by any thing you can do , but only by the mediation of the Son of God ? If it have been thus with your spirits ? then you have somewhat of the sense of the great work of God in this thing ; but otherwise , though you have been never so much wrought on and have had floods of sorrow , and have cryed never so earnest for the pardon of your sins , yet except you have had some such kind of thoughts of Gods grace , as these are , upon your hearts , working after God this way , you were never throughly acquainted with the way of Gods pardoning grace , and so you have dishonoured him , by having too low thoughts of it , except your hearts have been raised to this height , Psal . 51.7 . in that time when David was on repenting , he called unto God to purge him with Hysop ; David desired the renewing of the assurance of Gods mercy in Christ , in the pardoning of that horrible offence he had committed ; and therefore prays that he may be purged with Hysop : What is the meaning of that ? there is a great mystery in it ; in the time of the Law when the blood was sprinkled , it was done with a bunch of Hysop ; and it was a Type of the Blood of Christ that was to make an Attonement , Levit. 14. They were to take a bunch of Hysop to sprinkle withal ; Now says David , Purge me with Hysop , that is , apply to me the blood of Christ , for I have need of fresh applications of the blood of Christ ; I have sinned against him , and have done what in me lay to bring my self under Gods wrath , and have brought new guilt upon my soul : Now for the assurance of thy love to me , let there be fresh applications of the blood of thy Son ; let there be a new sprinkling of the blood of thy Son upon me : I suppose many of you in reading this place , did not think of the meaning of the Spirit of God in it , that may be a great help unto you , when at any time you are seeking the pardon of your sins , to cry to God to be purged with Hysop ; O Lord ▪ sprinkle the blood of Christ afresh upon me ; for I know that all my Prayers and Tears , and all that I can do , cannot purge me from the guilt of that sin I have committed against thee , except thou purge me with Hysop ; that is , by applying of the Blood of thy Son unto me : And this is the Eighth way of dishonouring the grace of God , in seeking for it any other way than through the blood of his Son ; and remember when you are seeking it , that it may be the last time ; and therefore remember you look up to God for it in , by , and through the death of his Son ; for otherwise , though you are never so earnest in Prayer , you dishonour this grace : It is an easie matter to convince men and women , that they are guilty of dishonouring the grace of God , if they seek for pardon in a negligent and sluggish way ; but now , though you are never so sensible , and put forth never so much strength in seeking for it , yet you dishonour God , except you look upon it as such a high thing that can never be reacht unto , but through the mediation of the Son of God. 9. The ninth way of dishonouring the grace of God is , for any one to venture on sin , the rather because they hope they shall be pardoned , that dare to venture on sin on that ground , hoping that God will at last pardon them , I spake before of those that did nothing else but increase their sins in stead of seeking pardon of sin , and of the miserable sad condition of such : But those we now speak of , are not such as are come to this height of sinning , to do nothing else but increase their sins ; but such men and women who being convinc't of sin , and if they were perswaded that God would never pardon that sin , they would find knots enough to stop them from the commission of it : but because they have some hopes that God will pardon , therfore on that very ground they venture on sin ; 't is true , it is an offence , but God is a merciful God , he will forgive though it be an evil : there is more evil and mischeif in this than thou can'st imagin ; What , art thou convinc't of sin , and wilt thou venture on sin meerly on this ground , because thou hopest that God will pardon thee ? I may say unto thee as Peter to Simon Magus , Act. 8.22 . Pray O pray to God , that if it be possible , this thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee ; for this thought of thy heart hath so much malignity in it , and is so great a provocation against God as possible can be imagined , ( except the sin against the Holy Ghost , ) for any man or women to venture on any sin in hopes of pardon : some will say , What need we be so strict , and trouble our selves so much ? God is merciful , and therefore they think upon that ground ; they need not be so strict ; this is a horrible degree of turning the grace of God into wantenness , Jude 4. the Apostle speaks of such there , that profest they did believe in Christ ; mark what he says of them , There are certain men crept in unawares , — ungodly men turning the grace of God into laciviousness , and denying the only Lord God , and our Lord Jesus Christ ; 't is a most dreadful place , if there be any one in the Congregation that have ever had the glorious light of the Gospel revealed to them , that can reason thus ? I do such and such things , yet God is merciful ; O that God would convince thee of this evil , give me leave to open it unto you , how men creep in ; they were Christians , and were come into the Church ; but how ? they crept in cunningly ; the Saints of God were not aware of them , they crept in amongst them ; here by the way , we may take notice , that in a Church there ought to be none admitted Members , but such as there may be some testimony of godliness in them ; for if any be ungodly , they are such as creep in unawares ; the Church of God should keep them out , such as creep in unawares should be kept out : many cry out , they will not have communion with any Church , because there are some wicked men in it ; and others say , while there is a Church on Earth , the tares will be among the corn , and chaff will be among the wheat : be not deceived , I know none in the world that does think there is any Congregation so pure , but that some ungodly one may creep into it : but consider , to have some evil ones in the Church is one thing , and the Church to have power to cast them out , that is another thing ; 't is true , they will creep into the Church , but when they are crept in , and appear to be ungodly ones , we must do our duty ; tell them of their faults , and if they will not hear us , we must tell it to the Church ; and if the Church have power and will not deal with them , it need not at all hinder our communicating with them : but here lies the case , Whether we should withdraw , because evil ones are among them ? or , Whether we can joyn with that Church wherein there is no power to keep them out , and after they are crept in to cast them out ? they will creep into the Church , they came in unawares ; but the state of the Church should be such , that they should suffer no evil men to come in , and if they do come in , it is unawares to the Church , by making a Profession of Religion ; for the Church can go no further then what does outwardly appear unto them : if men make a Profession of Religion , and have a conversation agreeable to it , the Church can go no further ; but for a Church to admit al , if they be no swearers , no adulterers , of gross livers in any other sin , although they make no Profeson ; nay , if they do but hire a House in the Parish , it is enough to make them members of the Church , and when they are in , there is no power to cast them out ; & if a power heretofore , the remedy was worse than the disease ; it was such a power as was never ordained of God : Whether we should joyn with such a Church or no ; or whether we should withdraw , because there is some evil ones among them is questionable ? surely none can imagine there should be such a pure Church in the world , as that there should be no tares among them ; But if there be a power in every Church to admit of none but such as have an appearance of godliness , and if after being crept in , they proving otherwise , that there is a power to cast them out ; let these things be granted , and then though many ungodly ones will unawares creep in , yet it is no hinderance at all to joyn with them in all the Ordinances of God : that is the first thing said of them ; they creep in . 2. He says they were such as were ordained of old to condemnation ; those that turn this grace of God into wantonness ; that is , abuse this pardoning grace of God by taking liberty to sin ; surely they are such as should be kept out of the Church , and if they creep in , they should not be accounted members , but should be cast out , when they appear to be such as were of old ordain'd to condemnation : then those that abuse the grace of God to wantonness , and think they may take liberty to sin because God is merciful to forgive sin , the Scriptures says , they are of old ordained to condemnation . Thirdly , They are ungodly men , such that have no godliness at all in them , but are meer carnal and worldly men ; it is a terrible thing for a Minister to say to any of you out of the Word of God , thou art an ungodly man or woman . Hast thou not turn'd the grace of God into wantonness , and abused it , when thou heardest that God was merciful ? Hast thou took liberty to sin ? thou art an ungodly man ; for thou turnest the grace of God into wantonness : The blessed grace of God that should be the chief means to keep men from sin ; thou makest it an advantage to further sin : And mark further , Fourthly , Thou denyest our Lord Jesus Christ ; thou talkest of Gods mercy in Christ , but thou deniest the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ ; What a heap of expressions are here , to set forth the condition of such men that turn the grace of God into wantonness ? 1. They creep in . 2. Were of old ordained to condemnation . 3. They are ungodly : And 4. they deny the Lord Jesus Christ : Methinks this one Text should daunt the heart of every one that is before the Lord this day ; never to presume upon acting of such horrible wickedness , to sin because of Gods pardoning grace , for there is so much evil in this , to presume on sin because God is willing to forgive sin , that those that understand the glory of Gods grace , their hearts cannot but stand amazed and rise with indignation against it , Rom. 6.1 . What shall we say then , Shall we continue in sin , that grace may abound ? — some there were that did abuse the grace of God to sin ; How does the Apostle rise with indignation against that abominable wickedness ? he does not grant it , but reject it with a horrible indignation , God forbid , What ? to sin that grace may abound , God forbid : What ? to make use of the grace of God to further sin ; Shall we stand to answer these men , in the horrible reasoning of their hearts ? No , they are to be cast of with detestation and rejection , with a God forbid , that there should be any of such vile and wicked hearts thus to abuse the pardoning grace of God : Suppose you forgive one servant a fault , and another servant should say ; well , my Master hath forgiven him , I will do so too ; upon that ground , if thou commit the same offence , he will not forgive thee , because thou offendest presumptuously , which is a most horrid thing . Let me a little further reason the case : 1. It is an argument of an abominable heart , that hath no way to keep it from sin , but only guilt , and fear of wrath and Hell ; Thou makest not the grace of God an argument to keep thee from sin , nor the evil of sin in it self ; which is a great dishonour and wrong to God ; there is more evil in sin it self , setting a side the consideration of the guilt and punishment of it , there is ten thousand times more evil in sin it self , than all the punishment in Hell will countervail ; and thou hast no way to keep thee from sin , but only the guilt and punishment ; it is an argument of a base wicked heart . 2. Suppose there were no evil of guilt or punishment , yet an ingenious gracious spirit would never do it ; What shall I sin , because God will pardon ? Shall I venture upon it ? no , I will never do it : grace reasons to a quite contrary end ; that is an excellent Scripture in Tit. 2.11 . The grace of God that brings Salvation ; it is this grace that reveals the pardon of sin ; this precious grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men : But to what end ? teaching us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts ; the grace of God that brings salvation , it teaches us these lessons ; not such a wicked lesson that we should presume to sin , on hopes that God may pardon it : No , But to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts ; and that we should live soberly , righteously , and godly ; and not to take liberty to sin , to lye , steal , be filthy and the like , because God will pardon ; no , it teaches other manner of lessons than these ; and then it follows , looking for that blessed hope and appearance of the great God , and our Saviour Jesus Christ ; mark the Text , there is a great deal in it , when the grace of God that brings salvation , and mercy , and pardon of sin is revealed , it teaches us these Lessons ; because of the grace and favour of God is revealed to us , that we should deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts , and then we may with comfort look for the blessed hope and appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ ; but otherwise you can never look for that blessed hope : let me speak to those that reason thus , that they may venture on sin , because of Gods pardoning grace ; Does the Revelation of the grace of God teach you to live ungodly , and in worldly lusts ? Can you look for that blessed hope with comfort , and expect the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ ? 't is impossible , you cannot , 't is not a blessed hope that you have , but a cursed hope ; that all shall be well at last , though you live ungodly and wickedly , and for the appearing of the great God ; certainly it will be a terrible appearing to thee , that made Christ who came to dissolve the works of the Devil , to be a means to uphold the works of the Devil . 3. Did ever any Child of God make use of Scripture to reason for sin in such a wicked way , for to presume to sin , because God is willing to pardon ? you cannot give me one example in all the Scripture of any of those that God hath shewed mercy to , that reasoned after this manner ; I can give you examples to the contrary , how the Saints have reasoned otherwise , Psal . 130.4 . mark the reasoning of a gracious heart , But there is forgiveness with thee , that thou may'st be feared ; he reasons from the pardoning grace of God , to draw up his heart to the fear of God ; as if he should say , Lord , I have heard much of the Doctrine of the pardon of sin , and the great workings of thy grace to effect it , and of thy readiness to forgive , this is the end of it , that thou mightest be feared ; this is the effect this doctrine works in a gracious soul , and 't is a good sign if you reason after this manner ; but there is forgiveness with thee , that thou may'st be feared : If those Sermons you have heard of this Doctrine be a means to implant the fear of God in your hearts , this is a blessed sign they have had a good effect upon you ; when you reason thus , Because Lord , I have had so much of thy grace and mercy in forgiving my sin ; through thy grace my soul shall fear thee more than ever before , and fear to sin more than ever before : those that have hearts answering this Text , 't is a good sign that the Word has had a powerful efficacy upon them : take another Text , Psal . 103.1 , 2 , 3. Bless the Lord , O my soul , and forget not all his benefits ; Why ? who forgiveth all thy iniquities : Mark , it is a Psalm that David made of Gods mercy in forgiving of sin , the consideration of which makes him call upon his soul , and all that is within him to bless the Lord : Do's God shew so much grace as to forgive sin ? then bless the Lord O my soul , and all that is within me bless his holy Name ; 't is not reasoning thus , God forgives iniquity , and therefore O my soul take liberty ; thou need'st not be so strict : But bless the Lord O my soul , and all that is within me bless his holy Name : those that have strength to do any thing for God , this is an argument will stir up all within them to bless God , when they see God appearing so infinitely gracious to them in the forgiveness of their sins ; they so reason , that all they have , or can do , should be given unto him . 4. You that think , you may take liberty to sin because God is gracious , and venture on it , because you conceit that God will never punish ; think of this , the example of the damned in Hell , they are flying in the face of God because they know that God will never pardon ; and thou sinnest because thou hopest God will pardon ; which is the worst of the two : the Devils and the damned are in such a condition , as that they know that God will never pardon them ; and therefore they always curse God , because they know he will not pardon : but God offers pardon , and tenders grace to you , holds forth Jesus Christ to you , and his blood and sufferings for the pardoning of you , and you blaspheme because you think he will pardon ; of the two methinks you should judge the second sort worst ; you blaspheme because you hope God will pardon , and the other blaspheme God because they know he will not pardon ; 'T is something worse to take liberty to sin , because you hope God will pardon , than they that sin because they are out of all h●p●s of pardon . Thou that takest liberty on this ground to blaspheme the Name of God ; What thinkest thou will become of thee another day ? now thou dost blaspheme , because thou hopest that God will pardon thee ; ere long thou maist come to that condition to blaspheme God eternally , because , he will not pardon thee : As I make no question , but many Swearers , Drunkards , unclean persons and the like , have gone on in sin on this ground , because they hoped that God would pardon them ; are now gone to their own place , and blaspheme because they find that God will never pardon : so that thou that blasphemest now , it may be thou shalt blaspheme eternally , but it will be otherwise , thou dost it now on hopes that God will pardon ; thou shalt there do it , because thou shalt have no hopes that he will ever pardon . 5. Thou that sinnest now in hopes that God will pardon , if God inlighten thy mind , these things will be an intolerable burden to thee ; and if there be any thing that will indanger the sinking of thy soul into the bottomless gulf of dispair , it is like to be this ; you now give way to the reasonings of your own hearts , to further sin from the consideration of Gods pardoning mercy ; the same reason that furthers sin in you now , from the consideration of pardon , will make you have further thoughts of despairing of Gods mercy : Suppose thou goest on a great while , and heapest up sin on this presumption : Let me put this unto thee , either God will inlighten thy Conscience , or he will not do it ; if he never do it , thou art eternally lost ; but if he do it , if he come at length and awaken Conscience ; then what a load of anguish and trouble will lie upon thy soul , that will make thee cry out , O Lord , I have not only sinned : but now I come to seek for mercy ; my mouth is stop't with the thoughts of that mercy that I have abused : Now nothing but free grace can do me good ; my Conscience tells me how I have abused this grace , I have presumed on sin because of this , I have made the thoughts I had of this grace a means to further me in sin ; and now with what face can I go to seek this grace and mercy ? these will be stinging thoughts to thee another day ; when a Minister shall come to apply the grace of God to thy soul , thou wilt say there is mercy with God to pardon sinners , but not for those that have abused the grace of God as I have done ; Manasseh , and Paul , 't is true , they committed many great sins ; but did they ever commit any sin upon this ground , in hope of pardon : O look unto it , let none go out from the presence of the Lord this day , with thoughts to venture on sin , because ye hope it may be pardoned ; to venture on sin on that ground , is the most horrible cursedest thing that can be . Tenthly , A tenth way of dishonouring the grace of Gods pardoning mercy ; as to sin in hopes of pardon , so to sin after pardon , after God hath revealed this grace unto you ; then to sin , this is a great dishonour to this grace : Many that have been in trouble for their sins , and in their trouble have cryed to God for mercy , and God hath spoke peace to their souls , and hath told them that their sins are pardoned , and that he will cleanse their souls from the guilt of sin by the blood of his own Son ; and yet after all this , they have again faln to their former sins : I have spoke before of this degree of dishonouring Gods pardoning grace , but now I am speaking of a further degree ; not only to fall into that sin you have sought for pardon of , but to fall into that sin , that you have some comfortable assurance of pardon of , 1 King. 11.9 . The Lord was angry with Solomon , because his heart was turned from the Lord , that had appeared to him twice ; remember , hath not God appeared to some of you twice , and given you assurance of his love and pardoning grace ? God came with sweet comforts and rejoyced your souls ; and what do you turn from the Lord after he hath appeared twice to you , and said unto thee , thy sins are pardoned ? this is a grievous thing , Ezra 9.14 . Should we again break thy Commandements ? — Would'st not thou be angry with us , should we again sin , would'st thou not consume us ? so after God has delivered us from condemnation , the guilt of sin , and the spirit of bondage ; What ? to trespass again , it is just with God to be angry with us , Psal . 85.8 . The Lord will speak peace — , but let them not return again to folly ; if God speak peace , O return not again to folly ; I appeal unto you , hath God ever spoke peace to your souls ? Have you heard the voyce of gladness speaking in your hearts , saying , Son , or Daughter be of good chear , go in peace , thy sins are pardoned ? Have you not heard this ? if you have not , you had need to get it ; if you have , then return not again to the same sin that God hath graciously pardoned . 1. Return not to the same sin . 2. Return not to any other sin . 1. Return not to the same sin ; it is a question , and a great case of Conscience , Whether it be possible for a Child of God after God hath dealt unto him the pardon of sin , whether he may commit that sin again ? some have denyed it ; I remember some antient Divines , Origen and Tertullian upon those words in Heb. 6. For it is impossible for those that were once inlightened , — if they shall fall away to renew them by repentance ; he applies it to the sin of uncleanness ; and says he , a second repentance is not promised in the Name of Christ to Adulterers and Fornicators ; thus I may boldly say , we do not find any certain express example in all the Book of God , of any Child of God that did fall into the same gross outward sins after an actual repentance , and making up his peace with God for sin ; we find no express Scripture : I do not say , we find no example of the Children of God that have not committed the same sin again , as Peter and Lot , but we find no example of any gross sin that they have faln into : mark it , after their repentance and reconciliation ; what was done amiss , was done before they came to have it laid home unto their Consciences , and applyed unto their hearts for the humbling of their souls in making their peace with God : True , David committed Adultery , but never the second time , after he had his bones broken , he fell not again : and so Peter , after he went out and wept bitterly , he never denyed his Master again ; and so Abraham equivocated , but we read not , that after any actual renewal of faith and repentance , that he committed that sin again : a wound while it is open , and not fully closed , it may bleed again ; but when it is fully closed , to bleed again is dangerous ; and so any of the people of God , after the actual renewal of their faith and repentance , you cannot give me an example that any of them have faln into the same sin again ; I do not absolutely deny it , but I say it is a dangerous thing , God hath not left an example ; he hath left examples that his Children have faln , but not after they have renewed their faith and repentance , that they have faln into the same sins again ; I speak not of inward thoughts , I know that they after repentance will return again ; but for any outward gross actual sin after the renewal of faith and repentance , they have not return'd again to commit the same sin : when once a joynt is out , or a leg broke and set , usually that joynt or bone is stronger than before ; and so I m●ght shew you after they have sinned , and been set again , they have been stronger than before : a Child of God falling into sin is just like the breaking of a bone , Gal. 6.1 . And you that are spiritual must restore such a one ; the word in the Original is put him in joynt again ; any godly man or member of a Church that falls into sin , is as a bone out of joynt , and you that are spiritual must set it again ; if once you have a bone out of joynt , the longer you let it go , the more painful it is ; so if you fall into any sin , the longer you let it go the more unweildy you will be : No marvel you cannot go about your business handsomely , when you have a bone out of joynt ; but has God been so merciful as to put you into joynt again ; you know what Christ said to the man , Thou art made whole , &c. so I say to you , you that have sinned , and God has pardoned you , set you in joynt again , Go your way , you are made whole , take heed of sinning again least , a worse thing befal you . 2. A second sort that dishonour the grace of God , are such that though they fall not into the same gross sins again after pardoning mercy , yet are negligent in the wayes of God ; loose , slight , v●in , sensual , carnal , dead-hearted in their conversation , and do not answer the grace of God revealed to them , but are more drossie in their spirits than before ; It may be for the time wherein they were seeking this grace of God , they were strick't in their conversation , in their wayes conscientious ; and in every thing walk't close with God , durst not for their lives omit a known duty , attended on the Word with a great deal of patience , their hearts closed with it , and it was as meat and drink unto them ; and in their conversation they were very fruitful in the places where they lived : But now having had some comfortable assurance of Gods mercy pardoning them , after this they are grown slight , vain , loose , and dead hearted ; this is a very grievous evil where ever it may be charged : It is a very great evil for any to abuse Gods general Bounty , Patience , and Long-sufferance , and the good we receive from God in the use of the creature ; but far worse to abuse the grace of God in Christ , manifested in pardoning mercy : I shall shew this to be a great evil , and shall labour to convince you of it . 1. Consider and call to remembrance what the dayes of old were ? How in former times it was with you , when you were seeking the pardoning grace of God ? then you thought if ever G●d come in to my soul , and give me any assurance of pardon of sin , How infinitely should my soul be ingaged to bless God , and how shall I for ever be bound to give up my self , soul and body ; what I am , and what I can do to live to the praise of the grace of God ; if God come in to my soul and pardon this sin of mine , the guilt whereof lies so heavy upon my spirit ; I appeal unto your own Consciences , Did not you think in your own thoughts , that it was impossible that ever you should come to live as you do ? certainly if the thoughts of many people might this day appear , they cannot but say , Time was ( when I was seeking after the mercy of God , to pardon my sin that lay upon my Conscience ) I thought with my self thus ; he is a blessed man ) indeed that has assurance of this , and if ever I had peace spoken to my soul , I thought my life would have been such , that ( in my apprehension ) I thought it was impossible that I should have grown to this dulness , deadness , slightness , and vanity , that now I see I am , then now as Paul said to the Galatians , Where is the blessedness you spake of , time was you said the pardoning mercy of God it was a blessed thing ; where is that blessedness you spake of , that after you have received it , you should grow wanton , loose , and slight ? What , have you not a mightier Argument to draw your hearts to God , after he hath spoke peace , than ever you had before ? The apprehension of guilt , danger , and trouble of spirit for sin , that was an Argument to keep you from sin before ; but if God have spoken peace , in applying this pardoning grace ; Have you not Arguments , of another nature than these , which are far more powe●ful ? Certainly , those that know the grace of God in Christ know that there is no such powerful argument as the grace of God in Christ in pardoning sin , to keep up the heart to God , and to keep from sin as this , no such argument in the world that is like to this ; the eyeing of Gods grace is a special thing to quench and keep down lust ; whereas those that sin after this mercy , whose lusts and corruptions overcome the power of this pardoning mercy , they are deprived of the best and most special spiritual helps , that can be to keep from sin ; Phil. 4.7 . The peace of God which passeth all understanding , shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus ; the word in the Original is very significant , shall guard your hearts ; this is the emphaticalness of the phrase ; as if the Apostle had said , The sweet peace of God , is such as passeth understanding , and shall guard your hearts ; as indeed the peace of God that comes to flow out from the sweetness of the pardoning grace of God is such , as passeth understanding ; but yet after all this , there will be many dangers , and you are to be involved with many temptations ; but this peace of God will be a guard to your souls , to keep you from sin and temptation : The soul of a Believer that hath peace spoken to it , is there compared to a Captain in War , or a Prince that apprehends himself in some danger , sets a strong guard about his Person to keep him from danger : Now what is the guard , that keeps the soul of a Believer from temptation and danger ? It is the peace of God , that is the greatest and strongest guard in the world ; if you complain of sin and temptations , and that you are afraid that sin will surprize you ; What guard would you have to keep you ? The peace of God is the best guard that can be : Now after this hath been a guard unto you if thy sin break in upon thee , as fully , and as freely , as if there were no guard at all ; thy condition is very sad . 2. Let me further speak to súch that sin after the pardoning grace of God , and do not walk answerable to that grace that was let forth in witnessing the pardon of sin ; 't is a thousand to one thou wilt loose thy evidence ; 't is true , it is irrevocable in Gods heart , yet thou may'st carry it so , that by thy loose walking , thou may'st loose the evidence of it in thy own soul , and it may be as sad with thee as if thou wer 't not at all pardoned ; we are to know that when an Evidence is given in , concerning pardon of sin , every renewed act of sin is a blot to that Evidence : A man that having Evidences of Lands , or an Estate , will keep them fair ; but if he should suffer them to be blotted , one blot after another , perhaps so blotted as neither he nor any one else is able to read them ; it may cost him a great deal of trouble before he get them renew'd again ; so 't is with a poor creature that hath got some comfortable Evidence of the pardon of sin , but giving way to temptation , commits a sin , and there he gets a blot ; and then , the next temptation , coming possibly to worldly Mindedness , Passion , Unbelief , slightness of Spirit , Vanity , Sensuality , and abuse of the Creatures ; by often yielding to these , he gets more and renewed blots ; so that if his Evidences be lookt into , they will be found so full of blots , that no marvel in a time of temptation they cannot read them ; possibly some that are skilful in the way of God , and the nature of the Covenant of grace , may pick out somewhat of the meaning of them ; but thou hast faln so souly from God that thy Evidences are so blotted and blur'd , that in thy own apprehension thou can'st see nothing , but that thy condition is as dangerous as ever it was and as uncomfortable , thy Evidences are so blotted that thou can'st not read them thy self , and so hast no comfort by them , and 't is to thee as if thou had'st none at all ; this is the duty , and would be the comfort of every Christian , that when they have gotten their Evidences , that they would keep them so clear , that they might read them every morning , and run and read them , and not stand pooring and beating their brains and hearts , and fret themselves , because they cannot find such and such a thing that was to them an Evidence of the pardon of their sins , this is through their neglect ; and if they had been careful to have kept their Evidences clear and plain , O the comfort they might have had to have read them every morning : If the Pollution of sin recoil back again , no marvel the sense of guilt of sin upon thy Conscience recoil back again ; if God have committed such a Jewel to thee as the Evidence of pardon of sin , and thou makest no better use of it , 't is just with God to take it out of thy hands , and keep it in his own ; and though he shew mercy at last unto thee , yet thou may'st not know it while thou art in this world ; 't is a very hard thing to recover it again : those that have had the pardon of sin seal'd unto them , have by their falling into sin afterwards , so darkned and lost their Evidences that they could never recover them again ; as David , see how he cries out , Create in me a clean heart , and restore to me the joy of thy Salvation ; David saw all was gone , and that there must be a new Creation and Restoration ; Restore to me the joy of thy salvation ; O the joy that once I had , and now have lost ; O Lord that I may have it once again : David had a little sensual pleasure for a while , but he paid dear for it , he lost the joy of Gods Salvation : What think you , David would have given to have got it again ? for ought we know , he never had it so fully as before : Those that have had some comfortable Evidence of pardoning grace , and afterwards through their negligence , loosness , and vanity , have lost it , may never come to injoy the comfort of it again as formerly they did ; and therefore when Peter had sinned against his Master ; mark , when Christ came to Peter , says he , Lovest thou me ? he answered , Lord thou knowest I love thee ; Christ puts it to him again ; Lovest thou me ? he would not take his first answer , but puts it to him the second and third time , Lovest thou me ? as if Christ had said to Peter , look to your self , it is not any present sudden work that can recover your Evidences again ; you that have sinned and darkned your Evidences , had need to put this Question to your own hearts again and again , to get it sure , that you love Christ , and that Christ loves you . 3. Thirdly , Let me speak to such as sin after pardon , it may justly provoke God to deal with you , though he do not take away his everlasting love ; yet to deal with you as a Slave rather than a Child ; I mean , in following you with sore and heavy chastisements , though he may save your souls at last , yet it may cause God to meet you with such sore and evil things in this world , that for that sloath and sluggishness of your hearts you may pay dear for it , before you die ; truly so may be the dealings of God with his own Children whom he pardons , Jer. 2.14 . God is speaking there to his own people : Is Israel a servant ? Is he a home-born slave ? and at vers . 18. What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt ? so thou to whom God hath heretofore received to mercy and pardon ; but thou hast walk't so , that Gods ways to thee seem to be such as it may be said , Is this man or woman a servant ? Is he a home-born slave ? God speaks it with pity , Israel is my dear Son ; How comes it to pass that he is as a home-born slave ? What , is he a servant , and brought into such a condition as a servant or a slave ? What is the matter ? Why ? he is in the way of Egypt ; so it may be said to thee who walkest in the sensual drossiness of thy spirit ; Hast thou not been in the way of Egypt ? Are thy ways such , that Gods dealings with thee are as if thou wer 't a servant , and a home-born slave ? Where is that filial ingenious spirit of thine , that God is fain to deal with thee as now he doth ? 4. Again , thou that sinnest after pardon , thou comest to aggravate thy sins more than the sins of the wicked , in some regards ; those that are wicked , and go on in their vile ways against God , you cry out of them as wretched creatures , base , filthy , drunkards , swearers , lyars , false men and women in their dealings , such as are not to be dealt withal in the world , you think these are wicked ; but you that sin after mercy , your sins have an aggravation upon them beyond theirs ; for they never knew what Gods sweet pardoning mercy meant ; they never heard God speak peace to their souls , as thou hast to thine ; they never had the secret Visitations of Gods Spirit , nor the warm beams of Gods mercy shining into their hearts ; they were never acquainted with such things ; and therefore though they go on in sin , after which they have bin accustomed , 't is not so much to be wondered at : But thou that haste had a tast of the sweetness of Gods love in Christ , in pardoning mercy ; for thee to sin after this , 't is a greater aggravation than the sins of the other ; and as 't is a greater aggravation than the sins of the wicked , so thy sin goes more near to the heart of Christ than the sins of the wicked and ungodly do ; the sins of the most prophanest wretch in all the Town doe not go so near to the heart of Christ , as those that are committed after receipts of mercy from Christ ; What , you my sons to do thus and thus against me ? I remember 't is reported of Caesar , when many with their Poinyards came about him , and stab'd him in the Senate-House , at length comes Brutus , whom he had done much good for , he comes and gives him a blow , he look't upon him , and cries out ; What , thou my son Brutus , wilt thou give me a blow and stab ? It went nearer to the heart of Caesar , to have Brutus come and give him a wound and stab , than for all the other that came round about and stab'd him ; so Christ may look upon thee , for whom he has purchas 't pardon , shed his blood , and laid down his life for ; What , thou my son , wilt thou sin against me ? for wicked wretches that are strangers to him , no marvel if they sin against him ; but for you that are his sons , his redeemed ones , that have received such pardoning grace and mercy ; for you to sin : this goes to the heart of Christ more than the sins of the ungodlyest wretch in all the Parish , And would you not be loath to do more against Christ than the vilest wretch in the Parish ? you that have received so much mercy from Christ : Further , other mens sins anger God , but no mens sins grieve the Spirit of God so , as the sins of those that have received pardon ; they go to the heart of God , and greive the Spirit by which they are sealed ; the Spirit of God that hath sealed to your souls the pardon of your sins , let not that Spirit be grieved ; 't is a greater sin to grieve the blessed Spirit of God than you are aware of . Further , yet once more , you bring a disgrace upon the Doctrine of Assurance of Pardon : We preach that a man may not only have some good hopes that his sins are pardoned ; but we say God hath revealed such a fulness of riches of grace in the Gospel , that a man may have certain and full assurance of the pardon of his sin ; as if he heard a voyce from Heaven , speaking to him by name , thy sins are pardoned ; or as if when Christ in the days of his flesh , said to any one , son , go in peace , thy sins are pardoned ; certainly , there may be as full assurance of pardon of sin , by the witness of the Spirit of God , as if such a voyce came from Heaven : But our Adversaries say , open but that gap , and 't is an open way for men to take liberty to commit any sin ; What need men care what sins they commit , when they know they are pardoned ? that has been objected against us ; but now we say , there is such a vertue in the grace of God going along with pardoning of sin , that heals the soul , as well as comforts the soul ; we answer it thus , but you take away our answer , and digrace that blessed Doctrine of Pardon of Sin ; for wherein does it appear , there is such a healing power in the assurance of the pardon of sin ? if it be so , then you would walk more strictly than any man in the world can do , in the time of the greatest horror of Conscience that possible can be ; and this would bring an honour to the Doctrine of Assurance ; but you by sinning after pardon , How do you disgrace this blessed Doctrine , and take away the answer out of our mouths ? So much for the present , to be spoken to those that dishonour the pardoning mercy of God by sinning after pardon . CHAP. XV. Of the Dishonour done to the Grace of God by not resting on it . 2. Of the Evil of it . THere is one sort more that are great dishonourers of the pardoning grace of God , and they are those that think they honour him , and yet dishonour him exceedingly , such as being apprehensive of the greatness of their sins , the vileness of them and their own misery , by reason whereof lie down in a sullen desperate discouraging mood , under the wait and burden of them , and are ready to turn against themselves , saying ; certainly , my condition is such , as I must expect no other but to lie for ever under the burden of my sins , and bear for ever the punishment of them ; I have heard much indeed of the riches of the pardoning grace of God ; but for my part , my condition is such , that little expectation I have of being made partaker of it ; certainly this kind of sullen discouragement , in lying under our sins , is a mighty aggravation of our sin , and exceedingly dishonourable to the pardoning grace of God ; many that are thus , let them hear never so much opened of the riches of the Gospel , and the infiniteness of the grace of God ; all is nothing to them , it raises them not from the sullenness of their hearts , and the dicouragement of spirit that hangs upon them ; they are like to those in Exod. 6.9 . that Moses spake unto , but they hearkened not for anguish of spirit , and for cruel bondage ; God sent Moses to shew them the grace ( of God , to deliver them from their bondage ; but says the Text , they hearkened not to Moses , only for anguish of spirit , and for cruel bondage ; so many People when God comes to awaken their Consciences , there is so much anguish in the sense of their sin , that they hearken not to what is said ; let them hear never so much in private or in publick , they are just where they were , the same complaints , sullenness and objections as before : you may answer all their objections against the grace of God , that they know not what to say , but go away for half an hour , and they will have the same objections as if never any thing had been said unto them , certainly there is more evil in this , then you are aware of , this limiting and determining of Gods grace : t is true , there is reason to judge your selves unworthy , and that God may deny you , but that God will deny you is another thing ; there is a great deal of difference in these : some when they are put upon the use of means , will confess they ought to attend upon them , and that they will do it , but yet when I have done all , I have little hopes that God will deliver me , but I shall dye and perish in my sins , as that woman 1 Kings 12.17 . saies she , I am a poor Woman , I have but a handful of meal in the barrel , and a little Oyl in a Cruse , and am gathering two sticks that I may eat it and dye ; so much as I have I am preparing , and when I have eaten this I must dye , thus saies many a soul , I may go hear the word and pray , but to little purpose ; But I will go and do them and then I must dye . It is but little that I can make of Prayer , when I have spoken two or three words , I am presently distracted with wandring thoughts . Two or three sticks I may lay together , but when I have done that , I must dye . Now know and consider this day , what from God shall be said unto you , thou much dishonourest the pardoning grace of God. First , Know it is very low thoughts thou hast of the pardoning mercy of God , and what Christ hath purchased , and what God hath intended from everlasting , in the Covenant of grace , to those souls for whom he intends good ; and though for his intentions he keeps them to himself ( and would not have thee meddle with that ) till he manifest them in the work of grace , yet in the mean time having revealed no further , but that thou maist have it as well as any other , he expects from thee that thou shouldst venture thy self upon his grace through his Son Jesus Christ , and though thou saist thou art vile , unworthy , and after the use of means , that thou art unprofitable , vain , full of wandring thoughts and deadness , and therefore thou canst not expect grace ; know that thou hast but mean thoughts of the grace of God , that sett'st such things as these against it , these are poor low unworthy things to set against the grace of God , and they do lower the grace of God too much ; that set such things as these against it . A Schollar would think it a dishonour to him , for one to come to reason with him , and bring nothing but poor low weak objections that are not worth the answering , he would think it a disgrace to him ; certainly it is a dishonour to the grace of God , to set such things as these against it , thou look'st upon it in a natural way , and dost not consider , it is the great designe of God above all things in the World ; to magnify his grace in pardoning of sin ; certainly were this understood , these things would be counted too low and unworthy to be set against such a designe ; when it is the greatest , God hath to magnify his name in . Secondly , Thou judgest of God according to thy own thoughts , and this God will take exceeding ill , as they Psal . 50.21 . Because I kept silence thou thoughtest I was altogether such a one , as thy self ; 'T is a great evil to measure God by our own thoughts , and there are two waies of dishonouring God by it . 1. The way of the carnal secure sinner ; he measured God by his own thoughts , he thinks God is not so strickt to be angry for every fault ; and if thou offendest , that if we go and cry him mercy , he will be pleased again . We think it an easie matter to please God , and because God is silent , we think he do's not hate sin as he doth , that 's one way of dishonouring God. A Second way is when a man comes to be troubled for sin , and conscience enlightened ; then we think slightly of God another way . It may be thou hast a hard heart and wouldst not pardon one that provokes thee again and again , thou wouldst not pass by such and such offences , and thou thinkst God is so too , thou thinkest God to be like thy self , and that he cannot bear with thee in such and such things , because thou canst not bear with others . This is to judge God by our own line , but know , that the thoughts of Gods pardoning grace are as far above ours as the Heavens are above the Earth ; and therefore we must not measure God by our own thoughts . Thirdly , Thou dishonourest the pardoning grace of God , by haveing low thoughts of it , because it is contrary to the Scriptures . For the main scope of all the Scriptures is to magnifie the pardoning grace of God , and to set it out in its greatness to to thy soul , and thou mak'st it thy main work to under-value it , Luther sais , the scope of the whole scriptures are but this , that we might know and acknowledge God to be a gracious and merciful God , and a greater then Luther speaks this ; that is a notable Text of Scripture in the Acts of the Apostles 10.42 , 43. And he commanded us to preach unto the people , and to testifie , it is he that was ordained of God to be the Judge of Quick and Dead . To him give all the Prophets witness , that through his name ; whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins . Marke , to him give all the Prophets witness , that through his name ; whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins : So that it is the scope and intention of all the Prophets , to witness this to a poor soul , that whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sin : You will say , whosoever believes on him , but there is all the Question : but thou hindrest thy self of believing , thou wouldst have assurance before thou dost believe , thou must believe that thou mayest have it , that is , thou must venture and cast thy soul upon this grace of God ; all the Prophets witness this , that whosoever believes on him shall receive remission of sins ; therefore by thy sitting down in these sullen discouraging thoughts of thy heart , thou givest a lye to all the Prophets of God , thou giv'st not a lye only to our preaching , for certainly so it is , God sees it so , but to all the Prophets of God : now when God makes it the work of all the Prophets to witness forgiveness of sins by Christ , wilt thou make it thy work to object against it . Again , Know that thy reasonings are quite contrary to the Scriptures , for thou reasonest , that pardoning mercy will not be thine , because thy sins are so great , Psal . 25.11 . David cries to God to pardon his iniquities for they are great , he makes the greatness of his sins , an argument to drive him too God , not from God , and this is Gods own argument . Gen. 8.21 . I will not again curse the Ground any more for mans sake ; why ? for the imaginations of Mans heart are evil from his youth ; one would have thought it should have been thus , the imaginations of mans heart are evil , and therefore I will do nothing else but curse the ground . No saies God , I will not , because the imaginations of mans heart are evil from his youth ; as if he should say , if I should never leave cursing till man leave sinning , I should alwayes be cursing , so saies God , If I should never pardon sin till mans sins are less , I should never pardon at all . So in Hosea 2.13 , 14. You have God reasoning there like to this here ; She went after her lovers , and forgat me , sais God , 14 . v . Therefore will I allure her , and bring her into the Wilderness , and speak comfortably unto her . For she had forgotten me , and went after her lovers ; see how the Scripture makes that an argument of Gods mercy . Take another Text in Isaiah the 57.17 . For the iniquity of his covetousness , I was wroth and smote him , I hid me and was wroth , and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart . Marke what followes ; I have seen his wayes and will heal him , and will restore comfort to him and to his mourners , he went on frowardly in the perverseness of his Spirit saies God , I have seen his ways and will heal him : thus God expresses himself to the end of the Chap. to incourage the hearts of those that are sencible of their sins , and would be sensible of the evil of sin , and account it a great misery that they cannot be sencible of it , the Lord would incourage them , therefore the greatness of sin is no discouragement at all . Further , The way that thou takest is the way to perish , there can be no good in that way , thou mayst pine away in thine iniquity , but for to get any Councel , help , comfort , or mercy : be assur'd thou canst not , therefore reason as the Lepers , 2. Kings 7.3 . If we sit here we shall certainly dye , if we go to the Camp of the Syrians they can but kill us , let us arise and go : And it was a good going to them , for they met with that , that helpt and relieved them ; So do you say if I sit down thus , there is no way but I must dye , but however though I should never get any comfort or help , yet it is better venture that way than the other : thou knowest not what thou mai'st meet with , may be thou think'st it humility to sit down in this way , but know that most desperate pride may be under it , and stand with such discouragements . We know the most proud spirits may be the most discouraged spirits , as the Devil , the Scripture sets him forth to be as proud as Lucifer , yet none so proud as spirits under such discouragements : there may be much pride in discouragements , therefore take heed least there be any secret pleasing of your selves this way , though you be in some trouble , yet if you feel there is a secret pleasure in that smart that falls upon you , and some kinde of contentedness in going your own way , as many men though they meet with abundance of Crosses , yet if they go their own way , it pleases them much ; take heed , there may be desperate pride at the bottom of all this . If this be to dishonour the pardoning grace of God ; what would you have us to do ? ( We would not speak it were it not so , to what end is it for us to study , and pray to God for light and help to open the grace of God , if a little discouragement of heart and sulleness of Spirit , shall turn all aside , and make all that we say to be of none effest : therefore great reason there is that we should tell you this is a great dishonouring of the pardoning grace of God : ) but what , would you have us to doubt no more , but go on and perswade our hearts our sins are pardoned and there 's an end ? No , if I should say you could do this , it would be in vain for me to say all this , for it is not in your power to cast off all fears of Gods anger , and presently perswade your selves your sins are pardoned ; this is not in your power to do : and therefore this is not the thing I put you upon , it must be the mighty work of God ; in the 2. of Ezech. When the Prophet had done in the end of the 1. Chap. the next verse of the 2. Chap. he saies , Son of Man stand upon thy feet , but that was not enough to raise the Prophet , no not for God himself to say Son of Man stand upon thy feet but together with the voice of God , verse the 2. There enters into him the Spirit of God , and sets him on his feet ; so it is with the Ministers of the Word , we speak to souls that are cast down under the burden of their sins , to stir up themselves that they may not alwayes lye down drooping , but stand up on their feet ; But together with our speaking , God must speak and convey his spirit to the soul before it is able to stand up . Quest Well , but what would you have us to do ? Answ . These are the things I would have you do . First I would have you turn your fears of presuming , into fears of dishonouring the grace of God. I would have you be as fearful that Gods grace should be dishonoured by unbelief , as now you are fearful lest you should presume upon Gods grace ; those that are secure , they fear not lest they should presume ; but those whose consciences are awakened , their great fear is least they should presume upon Gods grace , and dishonour it by presumption ; if thou fearest thou shouldst dishonour the grace of God by presumption , why shouldst thou not fear lest thou shouldst dishonour it by unbelief , as well as by presumption ? certainly the strength of this temptation is from the Devil . Those that have their consciences troubled for sin , he labours to keep them from venturing on the grace of God , least they should presume ; but the way to cut the Sinews of this temptation , is to fear rather least thou shouldst dishonour the grace of God by unbelief ; many look not at unbelief as a great sin , but God is displeased at thy unbelief , as much as by those that do presume . Secondly , The thing I would have you to do , you that are under the checkings of Conscience for sin , and full of doubts that God will not pardon , and you cannot be perswaded your sins are pardonable . Labour to set the greatness of the pardoning grace of God in the fulness of it , to the utmost you can , before the eye of your souls , That it may be before you ; though you cannot reach to it , yet set it before you ; you do not know what an efficacy the pardoning grace of God hath , by being presented before your souls , and kept there ; no marvel you find not the power of it , when as you set it not before your eyes , the efficacy of Gods grace lyes much in presenting it before your souls . The Brasen Serpent , if they lookt not to it , it would never heal ; So though the pardoning grace of God , be in books and Sermons ; yet unless it be before your eyes , and you fix and fasten the eye of your souls upon it ; it will never heal you : therefore keep it before your eyes , Psal . 5.3 . There is an excellent expression ; In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee , and will look up . I suppose many of you in the morning will not neglect prayer to God ; but mark the expression , I will direct my Prayer ; T is not I will say my prayers , but direct my prayer , there 's a great emphasis in it . I will level my Prayer aright , and dart up my soul aright to Heaven , and observe the way that God would have me ; and so direct my heart in prayer to him . It may be some of you go thus far , not to content your selves with a dead hearted sluggish Prayer : But what do you look to all the day after ? what shall wandring and discouraging thoughts bring you to look down all the day ? Would you look up to your morning Prayers , and what you prayed for , there would come a great deal of efficacy upon your souls . Thirdly , Be careful to keep your hearts stirring and active , be afraid of deadness and dulness ; take heed of such thoughts , Why should I pray and read , when as I have no heart to perform any duty : Up and be doing , and the Lord be with you ; if ever your hearts were active at any thing in the world , it ought to be in this , if once you give your selves liberty to lye down , and the activity of your Spirits be gone , you are in a sad condition , t will be very difficult to get them up again ; take heed of a sullen heart , you may be very active , and yet calme , quiet , and patient , there 's a great conjunction between these two , when I am active and yet calme , stilling of my heart under God , and yet stirring of my heart unto God , these two are joyned together in those whom God directs unto himself . Fourthly , Renew thy resolutions , that what ever becomes of thee , whether God will ever speak peace or no to thee yet so long as thou livest , thou will do what thou canst ; to honour his name , and keep from sin : Keep thy heart under the power of this resolution . Fifthly , Keep thy heart in a waiting frame , use the means , lye at the Poole , as the man that lay many years waiting for the stirring of the Waters met with help at last ; so do thou keep thy heart in a waiting frame , and think with thy self if mercy come at last , it will recompence thee for all thy waitings and pains . Sixthly , Be willing to catch hold of any beginnings of Gods discoverings of himsef , if it be but a little glimpse make much of it , and bless God for it : Many in their trouble seek to God for pardon ; but they are always complaining , either to their Neighbours or themselves ; but seldom express themselves in Thanks-givings : Now , you should observe what God hath granted , what beginnings and glimpse of his grace appear ; look and see if there be not a little cloud , the bigness of a mans hand , it may breed a shower , a shower of grace may come after it ; but take notice of it , when it is but the bigness of a mans hand : it is a great evil in such as are under trouble of Conscience , because they find not full Assurance presently , they think they receive nothing at all : Well , wait upon God under these directions , and as you shall not be so guilty of dishonouring the pardoning mercy of God ; so 't will be a means to bring great good unto your souls . We have now done with the several wayes of dishonouring the pardoning grace of God ; and because God is very jealous of this , and takes it exceeding ill ; I have been the larger in it ; now I am to shew the evil of it . Of the Evil of dishonouring the Pardoning Grace of God. First , There is this evil in it , because it is a sinning against mercy , which God accounts his glory ; a man takes it exceeding ill , if he be wronged in his Goods , or good Name , or in any thing he apprehends an excellency in ; and ( mark it ) The greater excellency a man apprehends in any thing , the greater evil he accounts the wrong that is done to him in that thing : As a covetous man , if you wrong him in his Estate , he presently as a mad man cannot bear it , because you wrong him of that which he counts his greatest excellency ; so a Scholar , a man of parts will rather you wrong him in any thing than account of him as a Dunce , because he accounts his parts and learning his greatest excellency , therefore he would not be wronged in that : so you that are Marriners , and have skill in sailing , and in the Art of Navigation , if one vilifie your work , and find fault with you there , 't is as if one touch't your free-hold , you cannot bear it ; Why ? because you account it your excellency ; so it is between us and God , if we wrong God in that which he accounts his excellency , he cannot bear it ; Now the pardoning mercy of God is that which God counts his excellency and glory , Exod. 34. when God descended to shew Moses his glory , his Pardoning Mercy was one of the great Master-pieces , wherein God accounted his glory to consist , more than in the making of Heaven and Earth : Now for God to be contemn'd in that wherein his glory consists , must needs be a great dishonour to him ; the mercy of God comes from the bowels of his compassions ; Now if you strike one on the arm or shoulder , it is not so much as if you strike him on his bowels ; when you dishonour the pardoning grace of God , you do as it were spurn at the Bowels of God and Christ , and he accounts it so : certainly you that can hear this , and neglect it , and prize and prefer every base iust before it , you do as it were go up and down kicking and spurning at the bowels of God ; and that Child that should spurn at his Mothers bowels , is not so much to be blamed as thou art that goest on in sin , after thou hast heard the pardoning grace of God opened to thee , thy going on in sin is a spurning at the very bowels of God. Secondly , This aggravates the sin of such men above the sins of the Heathen ; their sins are nothing in comparison of those that live under the Gospel , and have the grace of God opened unto them ; at the Day of Judgment , when thou hearest them condemned for sins against the Light of Nature , they may say , Lord , What shall become of these ? we never heard of such grace and pardoning mercy in Christ as you heard of , that have lived in such and such a place , and have had the pardoning mercy of God opened to you ; if they do not plead against you , yet it will be made known before all Men and Angels what you have heard , and what has been preached unto you , and what God has done for you ; and for you to continue in sin , your sins will thereby be aggravated , and your condemnation heightened . Thirdly , Your sin is above the sin of the Devils ; the sin of the Devils is not so great as yours is that live under the light of the Gospel , and have the pardoning grace of God preached to you : for though the Devils blaspheme God continually , yet their sins have not this aggravation upon them that yours have ; God never came and told them , he was willing to pardon their sins ; nor did Christ make any purchase for them by his blood ; but to you is the Gospel preacht , and pardon offered dayly to you ▪ Are not your sins greater then , than the sins of the Devils ? Would not you account it a great aggravation of any ones offence , that hath wronged and injured you , and should seek for pardon , and yet you rather seek to him , and offer pardon to him , and sue to him to accept it , and he goes away and contemns you ; would not you account this a great aggravation ? know , thy sinning against this grace , makes thee to be in a worse condition than Belzebub himself , that is the chief all the Devils ; he had never this aggravation , which is a dreadful one to sin against the pardoning mercy of God ; so that the very Devils may complain against you , and say , O Lord we sinned against thee , but thou tookest advantage against us presently for one sin ; but how have these sinned against thy pardoning mercy , that has been offered to them again and again , which was never offered us ? Fourthly , I might shew you the evil the Scripture says of it , take two or three Texts , Joh. 3.18 , 19. He that believeth not , is condemned already , and vers . ult . He that believeth not , the wrath of God abideth on him ; it sticks fast upon such a one , and that place in Heb. 10.29 . If they that sinned under Moses Law died without mercy , who had but little of this grace revealed unto them ; How much sorer punishment shall they have , that sin under the Gospel , under the full revelation of this grace ; but to conclude all , there is nothing will be such an aggravation of thy torments in Hell , as these Sermons of Gods pardoning mercy , if thou go on in sin : When we speak of the pardoning grace of God , we cannot do it without trembling hearts ; Why ? Because we know God will be exceeding quick with those that have the grace of the Gospel preacht unto them : And therefore when we come upon this argument , we cannot but do as a Physitian that is giving his Patient a Potion that is of mighty operation , that will either cure him , or dispatch him suddenly , if it cure not : A Physitian cannot but come with a trembling hand , with such a Potion , when he knows it must work one way or other : we know God is exceeding quick with those to whom he reveals his pardoning mercy in the preaching of the Gospel , and those truths we preach , will have a quick operation either to bring you out of your sins to Salvation , or else they will quickly dispatch you for condemnation , Mark 16.15 , 16. Go says Christ , and preach the Gospel to every creature ; and he that believes shall be saved ; and he that believes not shall be damned : As if Christ had said , go open the Doctrine of the Gospel , and the Justification of a sinner by the freeness of the grace of God through Christ Jesus , and whosoever will come in and believe , and close with it shall be saved ; but he that believes not shall be damned : there is no trifling in the business , he that believes and comes in shall be saved ; but he that believes not shall perish , he shall be damned ; let people know when they have the Gospel preach't unto them , there is no trifling , no dallying with it , 't is not to be put off ; he that comes in , shall be saved ; but he that stands off shall perish , shall be damned , and shall know that I will fetch up my glory from him another day , in another way ; as if Christ had said , Go preach , make quick work of it ; either come in and be saved , or stand out and perish : And so John when he came to preach the Doctrine of forgiveness of sin , Matth. 3.10 . says , Now the Axe is laid to the root of the tree , every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire : Now also the Axe is laid to the root of the tree ; Why not before ? No , all that while they went on in Ignorance , and understood not sin , and the grace of God brought unto them , for the pardon of their sin all that while ; God let them grow , though they bore no fruit , or but ill fruit : but now also the Axe is laid to the root , — If he bears not good fruit now , he is hewn down and cast into the fire . Now , when you hear of pardon of sin , and grace revealed in the Gospel , either you bring forth fruit , or you do not , if you do not , God is peremptory ; if you come in and imbrace the Gospel , you shall be saved ; but if you do not , the Axe is laid unto your root to cut you down : the Gospel makes quick work with you , as Paul says in 2 Cor. 2.14 . it is so strong that it kills with the very savour of it , it has such a savour as it can kill with the very smell of it ; To him that believes , it is the savour of life unto life ; but to him that believes not , it is the savour of death unto death , Act , 17.30 . In the times of Ignorance God winked , when men understood not what the evil of sin was ; but now he commands all men to repent : before you heard the dreadful evil and malignity that is in sin , God might wink at you ; but now he commands you all , having heard so many Sermons of the evil nature of sin , to repent , or else God will be very quick with you , Heb. 4.12 . an excellent place , The Word of God is quick and powerful ; but what word is it ? mark , in the 2d . verse , Unto us , says he , was the Gospel preached : It was the Word of the Gospel , and vers . 8. If Jesus had given them rest : It is that rest spoken of in the Gospel ; and mark what he says in the beginning ; Let us therefore fear , least a Promise being left of entering into rest , any of you should seem to come short of it : Let us therefore fear , for the Word of God is swift , and will make quick dispatch : No Sermons make such quick dispatch as Sermons of the Gospel ; fear least any seem to come short : let us fear , least any of us should go on in any way that makes it seem to appear we reject the Gospel . It is very observable what we find in Gods dealings with Israel of old ; we never find God swearing against them , till they rejected the Land of Canaan , and preferr'd Egypt before it ; when the Spies were sent forth to search the Land , and brought some of the Grapes of it , Numb . 13 , 14. Chapters , and told them what an excellent fruitful Land it was ; but because of some difficulty in the getting of it , they fell a murmuring ; then God took up a solemn Oath they should not enter into it , though they had provoked him ten times , yea forty years in the Wilderness , yet God never sware against them till that time : That soul is in a sad condition , that God shall swear in his wrath it shall not enter into his rest : Thou that walkest in the Wilderness of thy sins , and hast thy heart hardned against all the Truths of God. But now , if God has come in to thee , and opened Canaan , and brought you any clusters of those Grapes ; revealed the mysteries of the Gospel and pardoning grace through Christ : If you now hang off , and be longing after the Onions and Garlick of Egypt ; fear and tremble , least God should swear you should never enter into rest : you that are wicked , unclean persons , that went on in sin , though you had some light of Nature that caused Conscience to check you ; yet God was patient , and your condition was not so dangerous then . But now , after the hearing of this grace of the Gospel and pardoning mercy , a Drunkard , an unclean person , or a vile liver now , is in a thousand times of more danger , least God should swear against him now than before : Take heed in every act of the renewal of thy sin , thou art in danger , least God in his wrath swear against thee that thou shalt never enter into rest . Well , If the case be so , then you may say ; What shall we do that we might not dishonour this sweet and precious grace , but that we might honour God in it ? Is this the frame of thy heart , to be careful above all things in the world , that thou mightest not dishonour this precious grace ? Does thy heart work thus ? Lord , whatever I have been heretofore , though I have been a negligent vile wretch ; yet for time to come , it shall be the work of my soul to give up my self unto whatever God shall speak unto me , that I may not dishonour God : Is this the frame of thy spirit ? The Lord keep it so . Now that I might direct you in this great Point , I shall 1. shew who they are that are pardoned ; for that will be a foundation for direction ; and then 2ly , shew you what you ought to do to get it , what we are to put you upon , if you find not Evidence of it : And then 3ly , What is to be done for the honouring of the grace of God by those that have some comfortable Evidence of it . CHAP. XVI . Of the several Mistakes of Men about the Pardon of their Sins . OUr work now is to shew who they are that have their sins pardoned ; for there is nothing in all the world so much concerns us , as to know how things stand with us in relation to God and our souls , whether we be pardoned or no ; for a mistake in this is a wonderful mistake ; and yet how many thousands are there that venture the weight of this great business upon poor , weak , and slight grounds , yea rather on meer suggestions of their own hearts ? and therefore we must first labour to convince men of their mistakes about pardon of sin ; and then lay down some sound Evidences of pardon , in which there may be true and solid peace . People are exceeding apt to mistake in point of pardon of sin , hoping that God has pardoned them , and that they shall not be laid to their charge , but upon very slight grounds that will deceive them ; And therefore I desire this day you would look upon your selves as arraign'd before the great God , as one day you must be : And let your hearts so hear , and attend to what we deliver , as if God should speak to you , and say , Thou sinner , such and such things thou art privy to , and hast been guilty of , What can'st thou say why the sentence of everlasting death should not be past upon thee ? why God should not declare against thee according to his Law ? I suppose , scarce any of you but have some hope that God will never proceed against you according to his Law ; for indeed , if he do , you are undone for ever . But what are the grounds of your hopes ; why you think God will not proceed against you for your sins , but will pass them by , and forgive you ? let us a little examine the grounds of it , for it is of very great Consequence ; and certainly many people are now sunk down into the bottomless pit of Hell , by resting upon false grounds ; I shall labour to discover the weakness of their standing , that rest on false grounds , the First , Is this many , think that God has pardoned their sin , because it is but little they have been guilty of , and for that they think there is a pardon in course ; were I guilty of such horrible wickedness , and notorious sins , as many others are ; then I think it would go hard with me ; I should be affraid , things between God and me were very grievous , but the sins I have been guilty of , are no such great sins ; I hope God will pass them by : God forbid I should think he were so strickt as not to pass by such small sins as those that I have been guilty of . For answer to this 1 Know thou dost not understand , what the evil and malignity of sin means ; If thou thinkst the least sin does not make such a breach between God and thee , as all created power in Heaven and Earth , can never make up again : if you do not beleive that all those Sermons preacht unto you about the evil of sin , are lost unto you . But know , as a little Pen-knife may stabb you to death ; as truly as a gash of the greatest Sword , and a little shot out of a Pistol may kill you as well as a Canon bullet ; So a little sin may prove your eternal ruine as well as a great one : and therefore that is no argument that God hath past by your sins , because they are little ones ; and for that consider this one thing I am further speaking of : 2. Gods pardoning mercy is his own , to do with it what he pleases ; and therefore that God may shew his prerogative , he will sometimes to some , pardon their great sins , and others he will damn for little sins ; you think your sins are not so great as other mens , and therefore you think that God will forgive you ; do not deceive your selves with this , God will do with his mercy what he pleases . What if he will pardon the most notorious gross sins in others , and damn thee for thy sins in thoughts ? what if he will pardon the most notorious uncleanness and murder in another , and damn thee for a wanton thought ? he may do it , for his mercy is his own : For this take the example of David and Saul compared together , David committed many sins , but especially those two of Adultery and Murder , and yet God pardoned him , but Saul committed far less sins then those , and yet God cast him off for ever ; the things on which God laid the casting off of Saul were these two sins . 1. He did not stay till Samuel came , when Samuel had appointed a time to come , he deferr'd it to the last minute , and Saul was in a great strait , he tarry'd for him long , and he thought he must not go to war except he offer'd Sacrifice before , and he ventured to offer it himself , and did not stay out the full time ; he staid so long till he thought that Samuel would not come , and then that he did was but to offer Sacrifice to God , and yet God laies this very thing unto his charge as a cause why he would cast him off . 1 Sam. 13.13 . Samuel tells him that God had thought to establish the Kingdom for ever unto him , But now he will not ; you are gone Saul for this sin : the 2. sin in Scripture on which God layes his casting off upon is this , God sent him against the Amalekites , and bad him destroy all , but he spar'd the fat of the flock , and the King. Now the sparing of the fat of the flock was done out of a good intention , he professes it was that the People might have of the fattest to offer in Sacrifice to God , a good intention and yet for this God tells him , that he would rend the Kingdom from him , for that thing , 1 Sam. 15.28 . True it is , that though Saul was guilty of other sins , yet if you observe the story , you shall finde that these were the two sins for which God puts the casting away of Saul upon . And yet David committed murder and adultery , and was not cast off ; why ? Why if God will shew his prerogative , what hath the creature to reason with him for it , if he will damn Saul for his sins that were less , and pardon Davids that were greater , what hast thou to do with that ? his mercy is his own : Thou think'st it may be because thou couldst put a man off with this reason , my sins are small , and therefore I may be forgiven them because they are not so great as others : Grant it may be so , yet know that t is not so with God , he may pardon great sins in others , and yet thou maist perish eternally for the least sins of all , and therefore take this for a Conclusion ; If thou hast no other ground for the pardon of thy sin ; but because they are little ones ; I pronounce in the name of God against thee this day , thy sins are not pardoned ; But stand upon the file , and thou shalt externally perish in them , if thou hast no other ground then that , to shew for the pardon of them ; and therefore never make that an argument , that they are pardoned , because they are less then others . Secondly , Others it may be will plead , my sins are not many ; we are all sinners , but I have not multiplied and increased my sins as others have done . I shall answer to that briefly , know that one sin is enough to damn thee , as fully as a Million of transgressions reiterated again , and again ; One chain is enough to hold thee in everlasting darkness , and God may damn thee for one sin , as well as for never so many thousands , as you have heard , he did the Angels for their first , and but one sin ; and therefore though thy sins are not many , that is no argument at all . Further , we may observe in the way of Gods pardoning mercy ; he pardons some that have gone a long time on in their sins , and makes quick worke with others that have been but a little time in sin , and that we may see in the example of Manasses and Amon ; compare those two together , in the example of Manasses you shall finde that he raigned some 55 years ; he was a notorious vile sinner against God ; and yet he raigned a long time in it , his conversion was but late . 2 Kings 21.1 . He was 12. years old , when he began to raign , and he raigned 55. years in Jerusalem ; and almost all this time he went on in committing most notorious abominations , and yet God pardoned him . But now mark , his Son Amon comes after him , and perhaps he might reason thus , my Father lived thus and thus , and for a long time had his lust and desires , and why may not I venture to do as my Father did ; and so he went on in his Fathers wickedness ; but now mark , God comes presently upon him , and lets him live but two years , and there 's an end of him . Manasses continued 55. years , and his Son comes after him , and he would go on in his Fathers steps , and God presently cut him off ; so though some may continue in whoredom , and in other abominations , and perhaps live in Outward prosperity many years , 40 or 50 years , yet God may pass them by , and then if thou sinn'st after their example , he may come upon thee for the first or second act , cut the off , and send thee down presently to Hell ; and therefore do not say , my sins are but few , and therefore God will pass them by , that is no argument at all . Thirdly , The third false ground that others apprehend their sins are pardoned is this , because the guilt of them does not lie upon their Consciences ; they think they are not guilty of their sins , and say , they were committed a great while ago , and a long time hath past , and they heard not of them ; and therefore they think they shall never hear of them more , God hath quite past them over , because they were committed a long time since , and they have not heard of them . Answ . Do not deceive your selves in this , for the sins that you have committed twenty , fourty , or sixty years ago , though thou never heard'st of them since , it is no argument that they are pardoned ; for they may be on the file in Heaven , stand there upon Record , and lie as a debt against you all , though they were committed eighty years ago ; 't is no argument a Malefactor is pardoned , because the Assize is not to morrow , or next day ; 't is true , God will have his Assize for some sooner ; but for you he hath reserved it till another time ; and therefore 't is you hear not of you sins , Exod. 32.34 . In the day when I visit , I will visit their sin upon them : God has his day , and perhaps his day is not come to visit ; and therefore thou thinkest thou art discharged , because the day of Gods Visitation is not come to thee . And Secondly , know further , that though thy sins were committed a great while since , yet in regard of Gods Eternity , they are to him as if they were committed this morning before thou camest to the Assembly , although you committed them fourty or fifty years ago , yet to God they are but as a sin committed yesterday ; it may be you think your Consciences would fly in your faces , if you were drunk yesternight , and should come to the Sacrament this morning ; and certainly he must be a desperate wretch , a monstrous notorious villain , that should dare to come to the Sacrament this morning that was drunk the last night , the last week , and never made his peace with God , his Conscience may fly in his face if he were not a Monster : but now , your sins that were committed fourty or fifty years ago , know they are to God as if they were committed but this morning ; for Gods eternity consists not in passing and coming ; but in this , that there is no succession with God , no time past , nor time to come with God ; all time to God is as a perpetual now : and therefore all thy sins that thou hast committed in time past , is in the eye of God as if they were committed this very hour ; there 's a great deal of need to understand this rightly , for the humbling of men and women , by causing them to look back upon their sins , and to lay them to heart ; for they are thus presented before God , as if they were committed this very moment , Job 14.16 , 17. Dost thou not watch over my sin ? my transgression is sealed up in a bag , and thou sowest up mine iniquity : God watches over your sins , and will come upon you for them ; they are sealed up in a bag : sometimes when I have seen the Clerk of the Assizes draw out his Indictments , such a one for murder , and such a one for Felony ; it put me in mind of this Text ; those Indictments against men were put up in the Clerk of the Assizes bag , it may be a good while before : and now at the Assizes they are drawn out and read openly in the face of the Court ; so are thy sins all put in a bag , and God in the day of Visitation he pulls them out , and reads them openly before Men and Angels . We have an example in Scripture , how God did come on men for sins committed a long while before , as the example of Joseph's Brethren , who sold him , and after this they went on and never heard of it till a long time after ; it appears not that their Consciences were troubled till two and twenty years after they had committed that sin ; till they came into Egypt , and were in affliction , and then their Consciences began to fly in their faces ; for the sin they committed against their Brother : Joseph was seventeen years old when he was sold , and when he stood before Pharaoh he was thirty , there 's thirteen years ; and then seven years of plenty , and two years of famine before they came into Egypt ; there 's two and twenty years , before their Consciences did fly in their faces for their sin against their Brother : Take heed what you do ; for the sins of your youth may be a torment to your old age : it may be you little think of it ; but remember , when you are old God may come and reckon with you for the sins of your youth : 't is and should be a great argument to make people to take heed of sin ; for those sins thou committest now may do thee a mischief fourty or sixty years hence ; as in the natural body , many young men though they feel no distempers in their bodies for the present , and so care not for their diet , nor how to avoid Surfits : yet after they grow old , then they feel their distempers in their joynts and bones , which is no other than their drunkenness and intemperance when they were young ; so 't is in regard of the soul , many in their younger years do greatly follow after wickedness , and because they hear not of it , they go away and never are troubled ; but afterwards in their old age , God comes upon them for the sins of their youth : Joab when he was young committed sin , but when his hoary head was on him , God then came to him in wrath for it ; and therefore think not all thy sins are pardoned , because 't is a great while ago since they were committed ; but rather reckon up thy former sins and bewail them , and do not rest on this ground , because 't is long since they were committed , 't is not to be built upon , you must look for other grounds , or else you are undone for ever , for this will certainly fail you . Fourthly , Others reason that God has pardoned their sins , not only because they have been committed a great while ago ; but they have had prosperity , it hath been well with them , and God has done them good ; and certainly if God had not pardoned their sins , God would never have let them thrive ; I shall speak but little to this , for these reasonings are very vain , ( there are others I shall more insist upon ; know this , thou makest it an argument of Gods pardoning mercy , it may rather be an argument of Gods eternal curse , for God to suffer a man to prosper much after great sins committed , it is a sign that God hath given that man over to hardness of heart , which is the most dreadful curse in the world ; after God had rejected Saul , 1 Sam. 14 , 15. Chapters you may read Saul had a great deal of success in his way immediately after God had cast him off ; so though God have cast off a man or a woman , yet that man or woman may have much success in their way ; you that are Marriners , you cannot draw an argument , that because you have had a good Voyage , and have past such dangers , ( though you have committed many sins , ) that God is at peace with you , and that all your faults are past over ; no , you may have many good successes in in your Voyages , and yet perish at length for the sins you have committed in your Voyages ; and so you may have good success , as Saul had good success in war , and yet was cast off for all that . Fifthly , Others say , we are not so vain to make outward prosperity an argument or ground that our sins are pardoned : but we sorrow for sin , repent of them , and turn from them , and rely on Gods mercy through Christ that our sins are pardoned , these are arguments of a higher nature than the former ; and if there be true sorrow , unfaigned repentance , reformation , and a trusting in Gods mercy through Jesus Christ , they will be good arguments indeed : but now I shall shew you there may be all these , and yet sin not pardoned ; yea a relying on Christ at least , so as people may think they rely upon Christ , and yet not sin pardoned . 1. Though these things we mentioned last may seem to be hard , yet the tryal of them is a very safe and wholsome thing , because if you mistake in this , you are undone ; you will examine Evidences for your Houses and Lands ; do so in the great matters between God and your souls : And for sorrow for sin , I shall make it plain , there may be a great deal of sorrow for sin , and yet sin not pardoned ; you know the example of Ahab , 1 King. 21.27 , to 29. verses , And it came to pass when Ahab heard those words , that he rent his clothes , and put sackcloath upon his flesh , and fasted , and lay in sackcloath and went softly ; when God did but send the Prophet to tell him of his sin , presently upon the Prophets words he rent his clothes , which was a sign of extream sorrow in those times , and then he put on Sackcloath : he put off his Princely Robes , his brave Apparrel , and put on Sackcloath , and that not for an outward garment , but upon his flesh , and then fasted and lay in Sackcloath , and went softly as a dejected man : the pride and stoutness of his heart seem'd to be so much abated , that God takes notice of it in the 29. verse , Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me ; and because he did so , the judgment was deferred for a while ; yet certainly Ahab's sin was not , or ever should be pardoned , though he put on Sackcloath and humbled himself before the Lord : I appeal unto you this morning , Are not many of you hoping for pardon of sin , and yet come far short of Ahab ? all you do in your repentance , is to say , God be merciful unto me , I am sorry , Lord forgive me , and there 's an end , all 's done presently ; but Ahab went a great deal further , and yet his sin was not pardoned : Take the example of Esau , you know what the Scripture says of him , He sought the blessing with tears , and yet found no place for repentance ; and in being rejected of the blessing , it was a type of his rejection of Heaven ; some carry it thus , to prove there may be tears , and yet no true repentance , that is a truth ; Esau was very much troubled , and shed many tears , and yet there was no true repentance : but I rather take the meaning of the Text thus ; he found no place of repentance in his Father Isaac ; his Father Isaac had given the blessing to Jacob , and would not call it back , though he sought it with tears ; there was no place for Isaac to recal it any more , though he shed many tears , yet he went without it ; so that there may be much sorrow , and thou may'st seek the blessing with many tears , and yet God may be so turn'd against thee that there will be no place for repentance , that is , God will not call in that that is out against thee . And of Judas 't is said when he saw Christ was condemn'd , that he repented ; 't is said he did repent , yet Judas was not pardoned ; so that you see plainly , there may be repentance , and yet sin never pardoned : Indeed , true repentance hath ever pardon going along with it ; but the Scripture speaks of a repentance that may be without pardon ; therefore when thou say'st thou repentest , you must not look upon it so , because you repent , therefore your sins are pardoned , as if every repentance was true ; for thou mistakest in the work of repentance , thou thinkest this to be repentance to Salvation , for thee to be sorry at the very heart for thy sins ; certainly thou may'st be sorry at the heart , and yet perish for all that ; I make no question but Judas was sorry at his heart , and wisht it had never been done , and if it were to do again , he would never do it ; there is as much exprest , he repented , and he brought the 30 pieces again ; he was not only sorrowful , but made satisfaction ; he brought the mony back again that he had got in a wicked way : and therefore if you think this to be true repentance , you are mightily mistaken , but wherein is it that we fail ? It is not for me now to enter on the Doctrine of true Repentance , I am to speak of it so far as to convince men , that it is not a ground for hope of pardon of sin : Mark it , when 't is thus with thee , thou repentest because thou seest that sin will bring thee into danger : Now , thou hast had the pleasure or the profit of it , and thou seest now it will bring thee into trouble and danger , thou art sorry that ever thou did'st it : certainly , if God would be satisfied with such kind of sorrow , he might have enough of it in Hell ; for there is yelling and sorrow , because of the troubles that sin hath brought upon them : to sorrow because of the trouble that our sins bring on us is meerly natural , and flows from nature it self , and far from a saving work of repentance ; therefore the repentance many hope to have , What is it ? when we tell them of their sins , they say , they hope to repent ; What do they mean ? Why ? they would take the pleasure of sin , and when the punishment comes , they would be sorry for it , and repent of it : the ordinary way to put men off from this plea , is to tell them How do you know you shall live , or that your hearts shall not be hardned ? but suppose you do live , and that you have a heart to do as you say , yet your repentance may fail you ; if your repentance be no other than that which comes for sorrow of sin , because of the punishment , it will fail you ; certainly that repentance that must go for current in Heaven is of another nature : possibly I may shew afterwards what is true and false sorrow ; but for the present I shall shew where the mistake lies : Whosoever therefore that builds their believing of the pardon of their sin meerly on their sorrow , and such kind of sorrow , they are like a man that would erect a great Building , and lay the foundation of it in a quag-mire , or on the sand , as the Scripture speaks , when storms come the building falls ; I shall speak hereafter to those that build on the Sand ; but these build on a Quagmire , on a few tears , sorrow and trouble of spirit they have upon the apprehension of punishment of sin : this building will fall in time of straights and danger ; and this is the reason why people that depend upon sorrow never have peace : for how can I tell the measure of sorrow I am to have before peace be spoken , and then if they feel not sorrow , they are questioning again : it is a dangerous thing to lay the hopes of pardon of sin upon our own sorrows ; where or how then shall we lay our hopes ? why , upon the sorrows of Jesus Christ , there you shall find the surest ground ( there may be some mistake there too , but for the present I shall not stay on that ) we must look ten thousand times more at the sorrows of Christ than at our own sorrows ; and therefore when your hearts are troubled , and you look for mercy , depend more ten thousand times on the sorrows of Christ than on all your own sorrows ; for your sorrows for sin cannot satisfie Gods Justice ; and that that must be a ground of hope for the pardon of my sin , must be something that must satisfie the justice of God ; for though there be never so much sorrow , yet it will not satisfie Gods justice ; and consider further , True sorrow rather follows the work of Justification then preceds it ; as thus , I am not therefore pardoned because I mourn ; but because I am pardoned , therefore I come to mourn ; so stands the Truth in Divinity in point of Justification and Repentance : you pervert the order , if you think because you mourn , and are a little sorrowful , that therefore you shall be pardoned ; the truth is , if your mourning and sorrow be a work of true saving grace : you mourn and sorrow because you are justified ; sorrow of true repentance rather flows from pardon , then pardon from it ; when God pardons sin , he lets out the graces of his Spirit , and then comes sorrow as a fruit or Evidence of Gods pardoning love and Reconciliation ; for though God may give outward favours to a man that is not pardoned ; yet God never gives his Spirit to work any saving grace in the heart till he is reconciled : 't is a fruit of his pardoning grace and favour , and because he has justified thee , he sends his Spirit to work sorrow and repentance : Many think Justification flows from sorrow ; but thou must come to sorrow and repentance another way : know that all true sorrow flows from Justification ; all that sorrow before Justification , it is but Legal sorrow , and reveals something that may hinder the soul from Christ , as sin , and the terrors of the Law , and the wrath of God ; but it does not interest the soul in Christ ; this I affirm as most certain Divinity , that there is no sorrow whereby any soul is interested and planted in Christ ; the sorrow that is wrought in them before Justification , in order of nature , may be a means to bring them to God , and make them enquire after Christ , and stir up their hearts to take away those things that do hinder from Christ ; but it does not interest the soul in Christ : you do not understand the way of the Gospel , if you think that sorrow interests the soul in Christ ; no , that must be by faith laying hold on him for Justification , and then comes sorrow of repentance after ; thou may'st see thy self an undone wretch for sin , and lost for ever , and nothing in the world can quiet thee ; all this may be by the work of the Law : but then God comes and shews thee his grace in Christ , and enables thee to close with it for Justification , and then comes in Evangelical sorrow , mourning and melting sorrow more than ever before : but now it comes in another way from the Spirit of God melting the soul , because it hath sinned against Jesus Christ , who hath so graciously appeared to it in his pardoning mercy to the soul ; so that now you sorrow because you are pardoned , for it comes as a fruit of faith laying hold of the pardoning grace of God ; and then there is no such argument in the world to melt the heart with sorrow , as when faith tells the soul that sin is pardoned ; and though thy sorrow was little before , and now is greater , thou need'st not be troubled , if God make thy humiliations greater for sin after the knowledg of thy pardon ; for the revelation of Gods grace in the pardon of thy sin , is the most excellent means to humble the soul in the world : the sorrows of Gods Children after pardon , as they work on their own hearts so on Gods heart too ; God is mightily taken with it : when once thy sins are pardoned , then God makes thy heart melt to him as his does to thee : but the sorrow of one that is an Enemy to God does not soften Gods heart ; there is a great deal of difference between the sorrow of Gods Children , and the sorrow of others ; they make sorrow the ground of pardon , this God accepts not : 't is true , you may sorrow for sin , because it may be a means to bring you to Christ ; but that that justifies the soul is Union with Christ by Faith , and all that sorrow that works Repentance to Salvation flows , from Gods grace in Christ , having justified you . Justification is the first thing that estates thee in blessedness ; sorrow does not first state thee in a blessed condition , but is meerly a fruit of that blessedness thou art stated in : certainly these things are the Truths of God ; so that when you look for blessedness any other way , you look for it meerly in a natural way , or as a Heathen may do ; a Heathen knows he ought not to offend God , and he knows he had need to have mercy from God , and that he ought to be sorrowful for his sins ; I might give you many examples for it , but I must hasten : those then that seek after pardon of sin this way , do but seek for it meerly in a natural way . Secondly , Others say , I am not only sorry for my sins , but I reform ; and is not this a ground of pardon ? Know likewise , that there may be a leaving of sin , and yet sin not pardoned ; for that take the example of Herod , 't is said , He heard John Baptist gladly , and reformed in many things ; he was a great deal the better for John's Ministry , and yet Herod was not pardoned : this is a notable example for you that come to hear Sermons , and seem to be much affected , let me ask you in the Name of God , and let Conscience answer , What is it you reformed since you heard all those Sermons of the Evil of Sin , and now of the Pardon of Sin ? What Evils have you reformed in your families , and in your own hearts ? I cannot but hope that many of you may say , through grace these and these evils were in my family before , but now I have reformed them ; and these evils I did before , but now I have left them ; I hope many can say so , and blessed be God for this fruit of our Ministry if any thing be reform'd , if Sabbaths be better kept , and Duties in family set up , and private Exercises of Religion performed ; that you are not so proud , passionate , and froward as before : O that it may be said so , 't is worth our labour to restrain sin , that God may not be so much dishonoured , if there were no more done : but we preach for further and higher ends , that souls would not stay in reforming ; for Herod heard John Baptist , and did many things ; and Judas cast away the money , he repented and would not keep the money , there was a kind of reformation in both Herod and Judas ; but this is no ground to build upon for pardon of sin ; As those that depended on their sorrow for pardon , built on the quagmire ; so those that depend on their reformation , build upon the sand ; the one by his sorrow and trouble for sin , seems as it were to be in the work of humiliation , is like a man that digs deep for a foundation , but does not cast out the old mould , but builds upon it ; the other seems like one that not only digs deep , but casts out the old rubbish , and brings in new mould , new earth : lays by and casts away his former sins , and does the contrary good ; but now , though they go further than the former in casting out the old rubbish , and bringing in of new earth , yet after all this is done they build upon it , and do not build upon the Rock Christ ; they bring in the new earth of their own Performances and Duties , and this they build upon , and do not build upon the Rock Christ for the pardon of their sins , and Justification of their souls before God , and here they fail , and this is their undoing , their mistake in this ; and yet it is most sure , that every one of us would mistake in this ; if God did not reveal in the Gospel another way to receive Pardon and Justification in his Son , we should certainly all of us rest here , and go no further ; no man or woman in the world , that never heard the Gospel went further than this , and so far one may go without the Gospel ; we may dig deep , cast out the old rubbish , and bring in new earth ; this we may do , and not hear of the Gospel : And therefore we have a great deal of cause to bless God that we may hear the mysteries of the Gospel opened unto us ; for certainly we should else go no further , and if we go no further , we should certainly perish ; and therefore if we go but thus far , it is not building on the Rock Christ ; hence the ground and bottom of faith for Justification cannot be in Reformation , or in any thing in the creature , it must be in something above and without us , and yet by faith , ( wrought in us ) though without us ; I mean the Rock Christ , and the Foundation that is laid for the forgiveness of our sin in Christ , that must be the Foundation of our faith , and not in what we do our selves : For 1. Know , that all Reformation in the world will not satisfie for the evil that you have done for the time past ; this I would convince you of , and be you willing to hear it , it may be of great use unto you ; when we preach Christ and free grace , it is to bring you to Christ ; our preaching down of works is not to keep you from doing of them , but from resting in them : that which I aim at , is to bring you into an enquiring frame of spirit , a restless condition , that so we may bring you to that which is the true rest ; and we shall be as glad to bring you into the true rest , as now to bring you into restlesness : Know , all Reformations for time to come , will not satisfie God for time past , it will not : amongst men , if you have run into arrearages with your Landlord for Rent , and you bring him a quarters Rent when there 's three or four quarters behind , or may be two or three years , if you should think to pay the Rent of two or three years with bringing the last quarter , it would be accounted a foolish conceit ; so would it be , if with God you should think the duties you do at present , should satisfie for all the arrearages you have run into for time past : you do not understand Gods way , if you think that God will be satisfied for all that is past by what you do at the present : Suppose what you do now were perfect , and for all time to come you never committed one sin against God any more , yet all this would not satisfie for time past , this looks but at time to come , and does not at all take off any thing for the time past : Besides , you may see matter enough in your best Reformations for God to condemn you , not only for your former sins , but sins in your reforming ; but if there were no sin in that , that would be no satisfaction for that which is past : Mark this , That which must be the ground of the pardon of thy sin , must be that that must satisfie for thy sin past , and for all thy sins to come ; and that was opened unto you in opening the mysteries of godliness in the Pardon and Justification of a Sinner . 2. Know this , that God accepts of duties , not for the duties themselves , but because he accepts of the person that performs them ; God does not accept of the duties , and then of the person , that is not Gods way : but he accepts first of the person , and then of the actions : God never accepts of what we do , till he accepts of our persons ; As Abel , God had regard to Abel 's person first , and then to his offerings ; so God has first regard to the person of any man , and then to his Offerings : thou thinkest thou art a poor wretched creature , and then thou thinkest it may be , if I had such and such parts , and could do thus and thus , then God would accept of me ; I tell thee , all thy parts and performances are cast away , till God accept of thy person ; St. Paul was blameless according to the Law , and yet he accounted all loss for Christ ; for he knew , that when God revealed the Gospel to him , that he could not be accepted for his righteousness ; but his person must first be accepted , and then his righteousness : So that the way of new Obedience , and the work of Sanctification , are the qualifications of the man that is justified ; but not the conditions required for the Justification of his person ; 't is not that that justifies the soul , the Justification of the soul comes not through these , but these flow from Justification ; and until a soul understands this , he never rightly performs duties . Therefore further , to conclude this , though good Works and new Obedience are good Nurses unto Faith ; yet if you make these the Mother of your Faith , your faith is but a Bastard faith ; these are not the right Mother of Faith : if your faith be begotten out of your Duties and Performances , and your faith have no other Mother than these , then your faith is illegitimate , and not true born , it has not the right Mother ; The right Mother of Faith , is the manifestation of the freeness of Gods grace in the Covenant of the Gospel , shewed unto the Soul through the mediation of the Son of God : this laid open to the eye of the soul , by the mighty work of the Spirit of God , raises and creates faith in the soul ; this is the generation of true saving faith , the faith of Gods Elect , as the Scripture speaks ; Duties and Performances cannot be the Mother of it ; it is of a higher birth than that birth that arises out of Parts , Duties , or Performances whatsoever ; thy faith will not inherit , if it be base born : through faith we come to inherit the Promises ; and if thy faith hath no other foundation than thy sorrows and reformation , thy faith is illegitimate , and not that that shall inherit ; 't is not of the right kind that will bring thee unto Salvation : thus you see what mistakes there may be in this great Point of the Justification of a Sinner , and in being made blessed ; and therefore we had need look to it to be sure , that what we rest upon will hold , least when we come to lay claim , and make challenge of blessedness , our hold deceive us : Many think the main matters of Religion to be nothing but believing in Jesus Christ , and crying God mercy : you see by these things that I have spoken , that there had need be much workings of spirit in the way of Religion , and mighty strong teachings of the Holy Ghost to lead the soul ; for there may be many mistakes , and to prevent and remove those mistakes that lie in the way to get peace with God , 't is a matter of great concernment , and not a slight business to be done suddenly . 3. Others say , we trust in the mercy of God , and in this I am to speak to two sorts . First , Those that are most grosly ignorant , that have no other ground to hope for pardon of sin , but because they hear that God is a merciful God : Know thus much , that notwithstanding what you hear of God , that he is merciful , and not willing that men should perish : yet the Scripture reveals clearly to us , that notwithstanding God is gracious and merciful , yet the greatest part of the world perish in their sins ; there is nothing more clear then this , that most people in the world do perish ; and therefore to say God is merciful , is not enough ; you may be sorry for sin , reform , and say , God is merciful , and yet perish : if these three were enough , what needed the son of God to come , and take our nature upon him , and be made a curse for Mans sin , lay down his life , and shed his precious blood , why might not these three have been joyned together , and so Christ never have come ? for though Christ had never come , I might have been sorrowful , and I might have reformed and said God is merciful , though Christ had never come : those that never knew Christ , nor heard of him yet , they may be sorrowful , reforme , and say God is mercifull . I beseech you consider this note , I can never be pardoned and saved , in such a way , as it might be done , though Christ had never come ; I can then never be pardoned and saved by all the means I take for pardon and Salvation , if those things might be done though Christ had never come ; and if you have nothing else but them to rest upon , then you can never be saved ; put this to your hearts , what have I wrought in my heart , that I might not have had , if Christ had not come into the world ; certainly the most things that most people have to rest upon , for pardon and salvation ; they might have had though Christ had never come into the world . Further , Thou saist God is merciful , True , the mercy of God is sweet and a blessed argument , and our souls much delight to open the grace and mercy of God ; and I have endeavoured to open to you what is revealed in the Gospel ; yet Gods mercy is free , though he delight to glorifie his mercy : and he hath thousand thousands of Subjects , to glorify his mercy in , though thou perish eternally . Though thou perish eternally , yet God may be glorious in the blessedness of his mercy : God hath others to magnifie his mercy unto besides thee : a beggar comes and asks an almes of a man , and he gives him none , that is not an argument the man is not merciful , for he hath other objects , that are more suitable and fit ; though he give not to every one , t is no dishonour to his compassion ; so it is with God , he hath thousands of objects to bestow his mercy on ; though thou perish . Further , Thou saist God is merciful , and thererefore thou hop'st for pardon : Why ? God is and hath been merciful to thee beyond all that thou canst conceive , God hath shew'd his mercy to thee already : thou saist God is merciful , true , or else thou hadst not been alive at this present : that thou shouldst hear and see , and have all thy members whole , and the use of all thy sences , and that thou shouldst stand here this day under the meanes of grace , and that thou shouldst hear God call on thee to repent , and believe in his Son , while thou walk'st on in thy sin , and art dead in sins and trespasses : he sends his son and spirit to thee , to tell thee that he would rescue thee , and give life unto thee ; again , is not here rich mercy , perhaps thou hast had thy portion of mercy already , that God intends for thee , yea so much mercy , that all the Angels and saints will give acclamations to God , for that mercy thou hast had , though thou perish ; God hath many waies shewd mercy to thee , in so much as that the very devils themselves will acknowledge that God was very good to his poor creatures . Further , Thou speakest of mercy ; hast not thou abused and turn'd mercy into wantonness ? perhaps the mercy thou speakst of , now is at this very present pleading to God against thee ; saying , how have I been abused by this wretched man ? the more my beauty & excellency hath been displayed , the more wicked he hath grown ; what if mercy be now pleading against thee ? even those mercies that thou hast abused ; and therefore thou hadst need to look for somewhat else to settle thy soul upon then this , to say that God is merciful ; this is to the first sort , those that are grosly Ignorant . Secondly , There are others that mourne , pray and reform , and then have some kinde of relyance on God to pardon them , for his mercies sake ; and therefore to them I shall say thus much : Know , the mercy of God must be received after Gods own way ; he hath appointed the communications of it , and so it must be received ; otherwise it can never attain to such an effect as the pardon of thy sin ; note this , that all the mercy in God considered , as he is creator of Heaven and Earth , and not let out through the Mediator Christ Jesus God-man it never wrought to the pardon of any one sin , and therefore if you looke upon the mercy of God , and do not look to the right way of the conveyance of it , you may most dangerously mistake : The ground and bottom of faith , that justifies is not meerly to cast ones self on the mercy of God , ( for there is none , but in a natural way know that God is a merciful God ) but the main ground of Justification , or of justifying faith , is the free grace of God through Jesus Christ ; That God is merciful through a Mediator : Otherwise the ground of your faith is but on a meer confused notion of the mercy of God , which will certainly faile you ; a heathen may have as much to be the ground of his faith , that the great creator of Heaven and Earth , pitties those that are in misery , and I am a poor creature in misery ; I le cry to him , and I le reform my life , and I le relye on him ; thus far a heathen may go : but the ground and bottom of faith is not the mercy of God in general , but the mercy of God in and through a Mediator ; observe a little further , the ground of justifying faith is not thus , that God for Christs sake will forgive me for what Christ hath done to purchase my pardon , but there is another work of faith in the souls of believers , though the soul apprehend it not ; t is not the work of faith in justification , to believe that Christ hath paid so much as my debt comes to ; but thus , the work of faith is to bring the soul unto Christ , and to pitch it upon the person of Christ , to be made mine first , and then the righteousness of Christ to be mine : T is not thus , I believe this is my debt , and there is so much money to pay it ; but this is the work of faith , to bring thee to be marryed to such a person ; and so the debt is transacted on him to whom thou art marryed , and he will discharge the debt , because thou art marryed to him ; so that the ground of faith is not to look unto God meerly through his son that so I may have pardon ; but thus , I must come to have Christ to be mine ; I must be marryed with Christ , and so through my union with the person of Christ , I come to have all that Christ hath done and suffered to be made over to me ; and therefore when I come to look upon the riches of the grace of God in the mediation of his son ; I must come with an eye of faith , to be marryed unto Christ , and Christ with me , the riches of Gods grace in Christ was opened before ; we now make use of it as a trial to shew the danger of false grounds in relying upon God for pardon . Further , Though it be through the mercy of God to pardon sin ; yet it does not work thus , viz. You have sinned , and my law requires such and such obedience , to be performed on such tearms , or else you must perish , but I through my mercy will remit something of the rigour and strictness of the Law : And most people confess , that by the strictness of the Law they are condemn'd , but they hope the mercy of God will grant some remission of the Law ; as it is with men , if all Penal statutes should be executed it would be very hard ; but there is a Chancery to abate something of the rigour , and strictness of penal statutes ; and thus men think to come to have pardon , and deal with God after the manner of men ; you think the crying to God for mercy wil abate something of the strictness , and severity of the Law ; but you mistake in taking this way to get peace and reconciliation with God ; to look upon Gods mercy to lye in this , to remit something of the strictness and severity of the Law : No but the work of Gods mercy lyes in this , to finde out a surety for you , and to transact the debt upon him . Further , Consider the work of Gods mercy in justification of a sinner , when faith layes hold upon it faith , must not lay hold upon it as a meer single Act ; but look at all the concomitants of the work of Gods grace , in making way for the justification of a sinner : The mercy of God workes many waies , and faith must exercise it self on Gods grace , according to the multiplicity of the work of it , in bringing about the justification of a sinner ; as thus , you have sinned and you cry to God for pardon , but the mercy of God does not work thus to pardon you , as t is a single act , but the mercy of God works thus to mankind . First , he is pleased to enter into a second covenant with mankind after he had broken the first . A second work of Gods mercy , is to set his wisdom on work to finde out a way how mankind should be reconciled unto him , and his sin pardoned , and yet that God should be no looser ; this was the work of his infinite wisdom . And Thirdly , when this is found out , this can be done no other way , but only through the Son of God taking mans nature upon him , and suffer for him ; then here 's the mercy of God , to be willing to send his Son to mediate for poor creatures ; and then a further mercy in giving thy soul to his Son ; he sent not his Son that all might be pardoned , but a certain number that God the Father had given to his Son from all eternity : now there 's a great work of Gods mercy in passing by others , and giving thee to his Son : And further , It is a work of Gods mercy in the powerful Ministry of the Gospel to reveal this : And then further , It is a work of Gods mercy to draw thee to close with his Son , and thereby to unite and marry thee to his Son : And then further , It is a work of Gods mercy to assure thee of the pardon and justification of thy soul ; 't is a great deal more for faith to look upon God in this manner , than to come in such a way as this ; God is merciful , and I trust in his grace that he will pardon me : we mistake mightily about the mercy of God , when we do not look upon it in an Evangelical way , as it is revealed in the Gospel : Further , know thus much , that if Gods mercy will work so far for thee , as to pardon thy sin , and save thy soul : certainly it will work so far as to take away the power of sin , and let thee not live in the filth of thy sin : Many think Gods mercy will do great matters hereafter , but nothing now in comparison of what he will do hereafter ; they think he will give them outward blessings now , but keep spiritual things till hereafter : Certainly this is an infallible truth , If Gods mercy work not so powerfully here in this world as to bestow spiritual good things on thee , thou may'st be assured that it will never work so powerful on thee as to save thy Soul in the World to come ▪ Can it be thought a Prince pardons a Malefactor that he shall not be hang'd , and yet suffer him to lie in Prison and rot in the Dungeon ? this were but a poor pardon , a half pardon , to be delivered from the Gallows and rot in the Prison : Certainly , whatever a Prince may do , God never pardons a sinner so ; to shew him mercy to save him from Hell , and yet to lie rotting all his life long in sin ; no , God when he pardons , he delivers and shakes off the fetters ; as we shall see further ; therefore thou that say'st thou hopest in Gods mercy that he will pardon thee ; let me ask , What hath he done for thee ? if thou thinkest that Gods mercy will work so strongly hereafter to save thy soul , certainly it will be as strong for thee here to sanctifie thee ; if it work not so strong on thee now as to sanctifie thee , certainly it will never work so strongly for thee hereafter as to save thee . 4. Others say in the last place , we are not only sorry for sin and reform and trust in Gods mercy , but we relie upon Gods mercy through Christ ; and therefore we hope we shall be pardoned : this I might speak much too ; we must rest there , but there is a mistake there too ; the relying on Christ is not relying on him by acting of some transient thoughts that passes over , but it is an abiding thing ; when men hear there is no way to be saved but by Christ , and they cannot deny it , and because they are loath to think they are such as cannot be saved , they are loath to have such ill thoughts of themselves , & hearing this is the way , and no other , therefore they will perswade themselves that they shall find mercy through Christ : Now what great work is this so to rely on Christ ; the work of faith is a mighty work , it is not a short transient work , a few thoughts upon thy heart to be saved by Christ ; No ▪ wheresoever faith is right , and a true reliance on Christ ; it is a mighty work of the Spirit of God , working this grace in raising the soul higher than it self , and carries it through and above all difficulties : when it brings the soul to relie upon God there may be great mistakes , when People say , they rely upon Christ ; and therefore take this for conviction , Relying on Christ is not barely to think my sins are pardoned by Christ , but it is a receiving of Christ , a possessing of Christ , a coming into Christ , a living in Christ , and a bringing Christ to live in me ; 't is eating of the flesh of Christ , and drinking of his blood , and so finds nourishment and strength from him as really as the body by the meat and drink it takes ; that abides with it , is strengthned by it ; so does faith to the soul : therefore faith is not a slight notion like water running through a Pipe that leaves nothing behind it ; for so the thoughts of most People are ; but it is such a thing , as brings Christ into the soul , and the soul into Christ , and so feeds and lives upon him ; this is relying upon Christ for pardon ; so as to have the concomitants and comforts of pardon continually going along with it : Now you have heard these things , go away and beseech God to settle things aright in your souls , say to your hearts , Lord I see that setling of the heart aright upon Christ for justification and pardon of sin , is another manner of business then I was aware of , and I am perswaded that if I had died before , I should certainly have dyed under some of these mistakes ; Lord settle my heart aright in this great business : Do not go away with such thoughts as these , the Minister speaks of such mistakes , but I hope it is far otherwise ; do not venture to put off what we say with such slight thoughts ; when we speak unto you we speak in the Name of God , and it is a horrible taking of the Name of God in vain , if we examine not what we say unto you by the Word ; And therefore know you are charged this day in the Name of God to look to it , and examine your hearts what grounds you go upon for the pardon of your sin , that you may not mistake ; in which we shall give you some further help in laying down some positive grounds that you may rest upon for the pardon of your sin . CHAP. XVII . Of the true Evidences of Forgiveness of Sin. BUt if it be asked , Who are they that have their sins pardoned ? surely they are not many , this Text puts it in the singular number , Blessed is he that hath his sin pardoned , and by that which hath been delivered about the mistakes , it appears there are not very many ; but yet some there are , and this is the work of this day in the Name of the Lord to declare to some poor souls this day their sins are pardoned ; this is the message from the Lord I am to speak to them ; ( I hope divers in this place , ) as from Christ , Son and Daughter be of good comfort , thy sins are pardoned ; And blessed is that man and woman that this day shall hear that joyful sound , in their hearts , and that shall have the Spirit of God witness unto their spirit ; that as I have heard , so I have felt this day that what signs of forgiveness of sin have been delivered , I have felt them in my own soul ; Well then , What are they ? to insist upon them . The First is that the Apostle gives in Rom. 8.30 . Moreover whom he did predestinate , them he also called ; and whom he called , them he also justified ; Justification consists especially in the remission and pardon of sin : Now the Holy Ghost says , whom he hath , called them he hath justified ; would you know that you are justified , and that your sins are pardoned , the Spirit of God shews you , it is not a note of mine , but it is that which comes from the Holy Ghost ; whom he hath called them he hath justified ; Vocation is a certain Evidence of Justification ; this Vocation or Calling is the second link that does unite those two links of that golden chain together mentioned in that place , the first link is the foreknowledge of God , Gods Predestination ; and then there is Vocation the next , after that Justification , and then Glorification ; the first chain in the link is , that God from all Eternity predestinates some persons to have their sins pardoned ; but there is Vocation comes in between Predestination and Justification , and after that Glorification : so that while I am giving Evidences of Justification here in this Text , I shall give Evidences of Predestination and Glorification too ; for these are linkt altogether : Many People look only after Justification , they hope their sins are pardoned , but they look not to any other link of the chain , as Calling and Vocation , whom he hath called , them he hath justified ; but the question then is , What is this Calling ? What do you mean by that , how shall we know whether we be called or no ? in 2 Pet. 1.10 . he bids them there to give diligence to make their Calling and Election sure : Mark , as here Predestination and Calling are put together , so their Calling and Election , says he , Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure : Election is first sure in respect of God , but Vocation is first in regard of our selves ; make that sure and then you make Election sure , Justification sure , and Glorification sure too ; then what is Vocation ? for answer to the Question , Know , there is an outward call and an inward call ; when God sends the Ministers of the Word to reveal the Gospel , and the way of Salvation , that is no other but Gods calling mens souls from the ways of sin and death to come into the ways of life ; all that come to hear the sound of the Gospel preacht unto them ; let them know , that is Gods call to sinners to come in and repent ; God calls to the Drunkard , the Unclean person , and all others that live in sin to repent ; when you come to hear the Word God calls you , and God requires of you , as you would have God to hear your cry when you are calling for mercy in the day of your distress , hear my call , now I call and cry in the Ministry of the Word ; Would you have me to hear you when you cry to me ? do you hear me now I am calling to you : O that People would understand the Ministry of the Word , that it is the call of God for sinners to return and repent of their sins , that they would look beyond man , and know that it is the voyce of God by them ; and therefore it is a dangerous thing for People to neglect , resist , or rebel against the Ministry of the Word ; and there is some good hopes that God hath some souls in such a place that he intends everlasting good will unto , where he sends the Ministry of the Word ; God do's not use to send the call of the Gospel to a place , but there are some souls to be called : And therefore Secondly , Besides the Outward Call , there is an Inward Call , and that is it the Apostle speaks of : Many have the Outward Call of the Word to Faith and Repentance , and yet they perish eternally : But those whom God intends to save and hath love to indeed , he comes to them with an Inward Call , and this Inward Call of God is on this wise : God beholds the poor wretched sinner going on in the ways of sin , death , and perdition , and he comes to him by a secret and powerful voyce , speaking to his very heart , O Sinner , consider where thou art , What art thou a doing ? Whither art thou a going ? What is the end of thy way like to be ? thou art going from God , from happiness and life , to woful misery and blackness of darkness , to the infinite gulf of eternal Perdition ; O turn , turn , O sinner out of these vile abominable dangerous ways , or else thou art undone for ever : Behold , here is the way of life set before thee ; behold my Son sent into the world for the Propitiation of thy sin , and to bring thee into the ways of godliness , which is the way to eternal life ; O turn sinner into these wayes : Now this voyce of God calling to the Soul of a man or woman , it comes with power , it hath an over powering strength in it , to prevail upon the heart ; it is much like that secret voyce mentioned in Isai . 30.21 . And thy Ears shall hear a word behind thee , saying , this is the way walk in it , when you turn to the right hand , or to the left ; 't is a Promise of Gods mercy unto his People to convert them unto himself ; those that were only in an Outward Profession , says God you shall hear a voyce behind you , saying , this is the way , turn in unto it ; and so 't is when God calls a sinner from the ways of death and destruction ; such a sinner hears a voyce behind him ; it may be he has come many times to Sermons , and heard a voyce many times without him and before him ; but never before , a voyce within him and behind him , an inward secret voyce speaking to the soul , O sinner turn out of thy sinful ways ; Why wilt thou die and perish eternally ? for God to come thus secretly , and to reason with the soul by a voyce behind it ; and 't is not bare reasoning , but a voyce that hath a power and efficacy from God going along with it , that carries on this work in the soul , and causes the heart to listen and to yield unto God ; when God calls to the Soul to come into the ways of life , the Soul answers , Lord I come , and with a trembling frame of heart cries out with Saul at his Conversion , Lord , What wilt thou have me to do ? No more now , what sin will have me to do ? and what this and that ; and the other lust will have me to do ? No , now I see the ways of Life and Salvation are the only blessed ways ; Now Lord , What would'st thou have me to do ? Now Salvation is come to that Soul , and Reconciliation with Jesus Christ ; For whom he hath called , them he hath justified . Observe the efficacy of that call spoken of in Isai . 30.21 . Thine Ears shall hear a word behind thee , &c. and then follows the fruits of it , and ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven Images with Silver , and the ornament of thy molten Images of Gold , thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous Cloth ; and shall say unto it , get thee hence ; the sins they before lived in was Idolatry , and their hearts were much taken with their brave Images over-laid with Silver and Gold ; but when they heard the voyce behind them , they look't upon those things they so much delighted in , that was so brave in their eyes before but as menstruous cloathes , which are the most filthiest things that can be , and cast them away as filthy rags , with indignation , saying , get thee hence ; as one that takes a rag in his hand , and looks on it and sees it all filthy and defiled , presently he throws it away with abomination , and says , get thee hence ; so this is the call of God , when the Soul hears behind it a secret voyce that many hear not ; it may be , many thousands hear the outward voyce of the Minister telling them of the evil of sin , and their abominations , and a poor Servant , or a poor Youth that stands in the midst of the crowd , he hears a voyce behind him that others do not , a secret voyce , ( besides the general voyce ) which is a prevailing voyce , that the soul falls down and yields presently , before he goes out of the Church , and says , Lord this day thou hast convinc't me of the evil of sin , and thou hast this day shewed me the way of life and salvation , Lord I come unto thee ; though he saw nothing , and though no body else hear that voyce , yet there is a secret voyce of God unto the soul ; though he stand in the midst of the crowd and no body else hear it , yet at that instant pardon of sin came to that soul , and reconciliation by Jesus Christ : now when this comes into the soul , he will not let such and such sins be there any longer , but says , Get you hence , I will have no more to do with such and such beloved lusts and Idols that I set my heart upon , Get thee hence ; and those men that God calls to himself , certainly when they hear this voyce behind them , though they now plead for Idolatry and Superstition , and why should not we do as our forefathers did ? yet if once they come to hear this secret voyce of God , and God shew them the way of his Worship in the purity and beauty of it , they will say , get thee hence to those things as vile things , get ye hence , I will have no more to do with you ; this is the way in the ordinary call of God , and though God sanctifie some from the womb , yet afterwards by a mighty work of the Spirit he discovers unto them what the soul is by nature ; there is somewhat like this even in those that are sanctified from the womb , though God in an extraordinary way draw the soul out from sin into the ways of life ; but generally there are in the ordinary way of Gods working , these three or four voyces calling to the soul . 1. Says God to the soul , O soul thou art made for God , and for Eternity . 2. O soul thou art now in the ways of Hell , and of eternal perdition , and must of necessity perish in it . 3. O soul , behold here are the ways of life and salvation reveal'd unto thee , and set before thee in the Gospel of my Son. And lastly , O soul come in , and thou shalt have favour and acceptation in my Son ; these are the four voyces in Gods call ; I do not say every one hears them plainly and distinctly , yet they do for the substance of them in the ordinary way of the dispensation of Gods grace : Every soul that God justifies they are thus called of God , and 't is a prevailing call , that brings them in to submit unto it : Again , concerning this call of God , because the Scripture speaks much of it , I shall shew a little further ; mark it , That soul that once hears the call of God to bring it into the ways of life , that soul will evermore depend upon Gods call in all other things ; if God hath called me out of the ways of death , into the ways of life in obedience to that call that my soul hath yielded too , I shall be evermore under the power of Gods call in all other things , let God call me to what he will , to what service he pleases , to whatsoever difficulties and sufferings he shall think meet , my soul is content , and says , Here I am , Lord speak , thy servant hears . Now for a soul to be so under God , as to wait upon the call of God to any duty , service , and imployment , that it dares not go about any thing but according to the call of God ; this is a good Evidence that such a soul hath been acquainted with that great call of God , that powerful call of God to bring him off from the ways of sin into the ways of life and salvation . Further , those that have been acquainted with this call of God , there is an answerable frame and disposition in their hearts , to call upon the Name of God for assistance , direction , and a blessing on all they undertake ; they delight now to repair unto God and call upon him ; as God calls unto them , so they call unto him ; for that is the way of God according to his work in the soul , he puts a gracious frame into the soul answerable to it : As in Election , those whom he elects , when God calls them home he puts a gracious disposition in their hearts for to elect him ; as God chooses the soul from the world , so the soul chooses God above all things in the world , the soul answers to God : God sets his heart on the soul , and says , I will choose thee for me ; the soul again sets its heart upon God , and says , I will choose thee for my God ; as God calls the soul to come and live to him in the ways of grace , while he lives in this world ; so the soul calls on God for his assistance , that he would give his help in unto him on all occasions ; and therefore the Scripture gives us this expression for the whole worship of God , Rom. 10.13 . Whosoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved ; that soul that is acquainted with Gods call , that soul calls on God again : And by the way , those that are thus called , are fittest for Church-Communion ; I mention this , because the word translated Church comes from a Greek word that signifies to call out ; that which in Scripture is usually called a Church , signifies nothing else but this , a Company of People called out of the ways of sin to the imbracing the ways of Godliness ; so that the Church should consist of People called out of the ways of sin , by the powerful and efficacious voyce of the Spirit of God ; and they that are thus called have their sins pardoned ; you say , you hope God hath justified you ; you read what God says , and what hath been presented unto you ; they who are called they are justified ; then Calling , in order of nature , goes before Justification ; this you will find in your own hearts , and if not , this you must do , when ever you come before God to hear the outward call , you must come with a waiting frame of heart to hear the inward call , and call upon God with such a disposition ; say , Lord I have been taught that there is an outward call of thine in the Word , and an inward call , and I am going this day to hear thy Word calling me out of the ways of sin , O that I might have together with that the inward call of thy Spirit , when shall I hear that secret voyce ; this is the reason , though I have been convinced many times at the hearing of the Word , yet my sin hath prevail'd against me , because that inward secret powerful voyce hath not come to my soul ; that is the first Evidence , whom he hath justified , them he hath called . A Second Evidence is this , Whomsoever God pardons he receives into Covenant with himself ; all pardoned sinners are Covenanters with God : God pardons no soul but such an one as he brings into the Bond of the Covenant with himself , that is the way of the conveyance of the grace of God for the pardon of sin , to bring the soul into the Bonds of the Covenant ; the Scripture is evident in this , that forgiveness of sin is made a special fruit of the New Covenant , that is clear enough , Jer. 31.33 . Behold , the days come , saith the Lord , that I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel , &c. what is the special end of that Covenant , I will forgive their Iniquities , and remember their sins no more ; But how does that come in ? it comes in by way of Covenant , I will make a New Covenant ; I will first receive them into Covenant , and then they shall have the fruit of this New Covenant , that their sins shall be forgiven , and their iniquities remembred no more : The New Covenant is a mysterie to most people , and yet it is a certain truth , the pardon of thy sin , and thy eternal good depends upon it ; thou art one that God has brought into Covenant with himself , if thou beest or ever shalt be pardoned , as God will manifest to thy soul , that he hath through his Son tyed and bound himself to thee to be thy God , that whereas before thou wer 't departed from him , and an enemy to him , yet now he is pleased to call thee to enter into a second Covenant after thou had'st broken the first , and wer 't cast off by reason of that breach , God is contented to enter into a second Covenant with thee , to be thy God in and through his Son ; thou art to come in and joyn in this Covenant ; for to a full Covenant there must be assent on both sides , there must be a mutual ingagement of either parties ; when God reveals this to thy soul , that though thou be by nature an Enemy to me , and hast broken the first Covenant that I made with the Children of men , and art cast off , yet be it known unto thee O thou wretched soul , I am content to enter into another Covenant with thee ; there is a second Covenant for life and salvation that I have made with poor man through my Son , and I require that thou should'st come in , and give up thy self in an everlasting Covenant to make me to be thy God , and to close with me and my Son in whatsoever I call thee to , in whatsoever thou hast or can'st do to give up thy self to the power of me and my Son ; this thou must ingage and tye thy self unto , in the strongest Bonds that can be ; this is the nature of the Covenant : we know there were two Covenants , and all the good of mankind in the first Covenant depended on this , his closing with the tearms of it : Now the tearms of the first Covenant was , Do this and live ; but that is broken , and we have lost our ability : Now the second Covenant is , Believe and live ; and the soul that God pardons , he brings into the Bond of the second Covenant ; it is brought to come and give it self up to the Lord , and to be content to bind it self with all bonds unto God , that he and he only shall be my God , as I desire him to be mine , and his grace and mercy to be mine ; so all that I have or can do , shall be his ; I surrender up my self , and ingage my soul to be his for ever , my Estate , Abilities , whatever I have , or can do , shall be his : Now put this to your own souls , you hope your sins are pardoned : But hath God brought you into the Bonds of the Covenant ? Hath God ingaged himself to you by his Word , to be your God ? and on the other side , Are your hearts ingaged to him by the strongest Bonds that can be ; and if there be any other Bonds that are stronger to tye your souls to God ; Can your souls say , the Lord knows I am content and willing to be ingaged ; and that you will account it your happiness to be tyed in the strongest Bonds that can be ? if it be so with thee ? Now peace be to thy soul , thy sins are pardoned : as on the one side , God hath made a Covenant with thee , so on the other side he hath brought thee to be in Covenant with him ; then be of good comfort , thy sins are pardoned . Thirdly , Those whose sins God hath pardoned , he hath translated them into the Kingdom of his Son ; the Scriptures express these things divers ways , and they have a diverse consideration in them : Now I ground this note out of Col. 1 , 13 , 14. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness , and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son ; mark what follows , In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of sins ; forgiveness of sin is the end of Gods translating of us into the Kingdom of his dear Son , in giving Redemption through his Blood , even the forgiveness of sin ; so that whosoever God hath given Redemption to through the Blood of Christ , even the forgiveness of sin , that is , forgiveness of sin being the special part of the Redemption we have by the blood of Christ , such an one is translated into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God ; What is that you will say ? 1. This notes a great change that there must be upon those that are pardoned , because the Scripture expresses it thus , they are translated into another Kingdom , a Kingdom of the Son of God , the dear Son of God ; it is dear mercy of God that translates a soul into the Kingdom of his dear Son ; it seems naturally we are in another Kingdom , and have another King besides the Son of God , and have another Soveraign ; 't is certain we are so naturally , we are under the power of Satan , and in his Kingdom ; but now when God comes to redeem a soul , and grant forgiveness of sin , he translates out of that Kingdom , and such a soul refuses to be a subject to Satan any longer , or a servant to his lust any longer : but now Christ shall be my King , the Son of God by whom I expect Reconciliation , he shall be my King , and his Laws shall rule in my heart , and his Scepter shall sway in my soul ; now no more shall my own thoughts , counsels , opinions , will , and affections rule me , but Jesus Christ shall be set up upon the throne of my soul , and he shall be my King ; I before was led ( a poor vile ignorant wretch ) by the customs of others , and example of others , and what they required of me by their laws in the matters of his worship ; but now Christ shall be my King , I will expect my law from him ; and all obedience I do to man , it shall be in order to this Christ my King ; this is a translation into the Kingdom of God , when the soul feels the power of Christ ruling in him , and overswaying him , and the soul looks up to Christ for its protection and provision , and desires above all things in the world , to set up Jesus Christ as his King in all the ways of his Government , both in his own heart , and the world too , and longs to hear that voyce , when it shall be said , The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and Saviour J●sus Christ , and he shall reign for ever and ever : Thus those that have redempt on through the blood of Christ , even the forgiveness of sins , they are translated into the Kingdom of his dear Son ; and as the Scripture speaks , They have the Kingdom of God within them ; that is an expression of the Holy Ghost in the Gospel . Now this you are to examine your hearts upon ; What of the Kingdom of Christ you have within you ? Do you live and walk as one that hath the Kingdom of Christ within you ? Is Christ as King and Soveraign over your thoughts , words and actions ? And do you look to him for the law of your thoughts , words and actions , and walk before him as your Soveraign Lord , depending on him to know his will continually , and fear and honour him as a King : If the Kingdom of Christ be in you , that is , if the Gospel have an effectual work upon you ; for the Gospel in the power of it is ordinarily exprest by the Kingdom of Heaven ; when the Word comes to any place , the Kingdom of Heaven is said to come ; it would take up a great deal of time , to shew wherein the Holy Ghost calls the Gospel the Kingdom of Heaven ; but it is called the Kingdom of Heaven , because it is the Kingdom of Christ that is Lord from Heaven , and Christ rules in it by the preaching of the Gospel : But now , though it be the Kingdom of Heaven , and the Kingly power of Christ be in the preaching of the Gospel , yet this does not prevail upon all sorts ; it is like a net that is cast into the Sea , the meaning of it seems to be nothing else , but that the preaching of the Gospel among a multitude of People , is like a net cast into the Sea , wherein some are catcht , and others remain worldly , filthy , and good for nothing , that is the meaning of the Text , and not any warrant at all for mixt Communions ; but only thus ; where the Preaching of the Gospel is , there are some fishes good and worthy to be received , and others that are to be cast out : Now , as there is an external Kingdom , so there is an internal Kingdom of Christ within our hearts ; Jesus Christ himself sets up his Throne in the hearts of every man and woman whose sins are pardoned , that is a certain truth ; and this day in the Name of God I pronounce unto you , that if your sin be pardoned , Jesus Christ hath set up his Throne in your hearts ; and if you find any other Throne and Lord but Christ to rule you , know from God that your souls are yet in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity , and your sins are not pardoned ; but that soul , who in the Preaching of the Gospel can say , Blessed be God I have felt Christ come into my heart , and prevailed upon me ; and now Christs Laws are the Laws I desire to be ruled by ; God knows I know but little of them , but I will labour to understand them better ; therefore I come this day , that I might know more of the Law of God , and that Jesus Christ might rule more powerfully in me than ever he hath done ; if this be wrought in thee , I say unto thee in the Name of Christ , be of good comfort , thy sins are pardoned , God will shew good unto thee when this world is ended ; thou art one that Jesus Christ hath brought into his Kingdom , and set up his Throne in thy heart , and therefore thou may'st be assured that he will take thee at last into his everlasting Kingdom . Fourthly , Where God forgives , he gives much ; giving follows forgiving ; God never forgives any , but he gives much to that soul whom he forgives : As in that case when the Apostles preacht the Doctrine of forgiveness and pardon of sin , the Holy Ghost fell upon them ; so certainly , where the Preaching of pardon of sin hath power through the Ministry of the Gospel over a soul ; God gives much to that soul ; and there are three things especially that God gives presently unto the soul whom he pardons , which have all been mentioned before in opening the blessedness of pardon of sin ; and therefore I will but mention them now to strengthen this note of tryal . 1. Hath God forgiven thee ? then he hath given his Spirit to inlighten thee in the great mysteries of Salvation ; thou pleadest thou art ignorant , and art not Book-learned ; if God have so great a favour for thee as to pardon thy sin , he will give thee understanding in the mysteries of the Gospel , Jer. 31.34 . where God pardons sin , they shall have this mercy to be taught of him . 2. God will give this unto thee , he will write his Law in thy heart ; that is , he will work in thy heart a sutable frame and disposition to his Law ; that thy heart and the Law of God shall be like two copies , that have the same things in them , and vary not one title from one another ; there shall be a sutableness between thy heart and the Law of God ; not only to do that which God requires , because I must do it ; but because I find it sutable to the new nature bestowed on me : he will write his Law in the heart ; and therefore I pronounce before the Lord this day again , that whosoever has his sin pardoned , and his iniquities forgiven , that God hath writ his Law in the heart of that man or woman by the finger of his own Spirit ; that heart of thine that was as a heart of stone , God will write his own Law thereon , as he did on the Tables that Moses broke ; though always thou hast not a real sight of it , yet such a thing is there , and is a comfortable assurance of the pardon of thy sin . 3. God gives healing mercies to cleanse thee from thy sin , Jer. 33.8 . I will cleanse them from their iniquities , and pardon all their sins ; cleansing from sin and pardon of sin , they ever go together ; if God pardon thy sin , he cleanses thee from sin ; do not look therefore only after pardoning mercy , but likewise after cleansing mercy ; those whom God hath joyned together , let no man put asunder ; pardoning and cleansing God hath put together : God may bestow other mercies , as health , strength , and success in outward things without pardon ; but never cleansing from sin without pardon of it : and therefore if thou findest thy heart cleansed , Peace be to thy soul , thy sins are forgiven . Fifthly , Besides these , those whom God pardons he puts a glory upon them ; there is a glory put upon all pardoned sinners ; they are indeed glorious creatures in the eyes of God and Angels , yea , and there is a glory put upon them that the Saints of God are able to see ; perhaps that glory is not seen by the purblind eye of the world that are in darkness ; but those that have their eyes in their heads , may see a glory put upon every soul that is pardoned , and for that , that Text is clear , Rom. 8.30 . Moreover , whom he did predestinate , them he also called : and whom he called , them he also justified : and whom he justified , them he also glorified : 't is not spoken only of that glory the Saints shall have in the highest Heavens , when they shall be in glory with Christ ; but of that glory God puts upon the soul in this world , 't is not said , them he will glorifie ; but them he hath also glorified : there is no justified soul but is a glorified soul , this is a certain truth in Divinity , That at that instant any soul is justified , at that instant he is glorified ; in Jer. 33.9 . there is an expression somewhat like unto that , and it follows upon pardon of sin ; And it shall be to me a Name of joy , a praise , and an honour before all the Nations upon Earth , &c. that is , I will put glory upon them , and so they shall be to me a name of joy , a praise , and an honour before all the Nations in the world : you will say , How is that ? What is the glory of a justified soul ? certainly the soul that is justified is glorious ; God puts a glory on it by those glorious graces of his Holy Spirit that he endows the soul withal ; there is no justified soul but hath the glorious graces of the Holy Spirit put presently upon it , and so 't is beautiful and glorious , yea the only glorious object that the Lord Jesus Christ delights in in all the world : take the poorest soul in the world , God putting his Image upon it , there is a greater glory and lustre on that soul than is on all the Heavens and the Earth besides ; take all other creatures in their greatest glory , and God sees not so much glory on them as on any one soul whom he hath justified ; for so it is , Holiness and the graces of Gods Spirit are called the glory of God himself , Rom. 3.23 , 24. For we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God ; What is it to be deprived of the glory of God , but the loss of that Image of God that man was made in : but when a man is justified , that glory of God is put upon him a fresh , upon his heart , his understanding , his will and affections , and that makes the Lord to delight to dwell with thee , converse and have Communion with thee , because of that glory that he hath put upon thee ; so there is a glory also in the life and conversation ; for on every soul that God justifies , there comes presently a new lustre upon their life and conversation : All those that have lived in horrible wickedness and base courses ; now when they are changed , and they manifest the graces of the Spirit of God shining in their conversation through the whole course of their lives , in meekness , patience , humility , heavenly-mindedness , and the like ; there is a lustre on their conversations , to those that are able to judge of it , they see it ; and the world many times is dazled with it , they see a glory on them , and are convinc't , that certainly there is a work of God upon these men ; and in their good moods they are wishing to die their deaths , and that their ends might be like theirs : the poorest servant , or child in a family , that was vile before , yet being justified , there is a lustre in their conversations that convinces Parents and Governours , and makes them see an apparent difference between what they are now , and what they were before ; though they contemn it , yet they know that God will own that difference that he has made to be his own glory , and will declare it one day that this was the thing that was glorious in his eyes : And therefore now would you know whether you are justified ; Are you glorified ? What glory of God is come into your hearts , and appears in your lives and conversations ? Can you say , my life is so , though I have many weaknesses , yet I hope something of the glory of God appears in me ? for so it must be ; there is no soul God justifies , but God inables him to live so , as the glory of God shines in the conversation of such a one : Now if these things be so , what cause have you to fear , you are not a justified person ? but for the present , many times it doth not appear ; for most of you darken the glory of God in your lives : you that are justified should shew it forth more in your conversation among all with whom you have to do , and then what a beauty and Evidence of your Justification would it be unto you . Sixthly , Those whom God pardons , he makes them know what pardon means ; thou hopest thy sins are pardoned ; Dost thou understand , and know what hath been said about it ? certainly those whom God pardons , he causes admiring thoughts in the soul of the excellency of this blessedness of the pardon of sin ; the soul is taken with the admiration of three things . First , It admires at the freeness and the riches of Gods grace . Secondly , At the price that was paid for pardon . Thirdly , It admires at the wonderful good it is brought into , and that which the soul receives by this blessedness of the pardon of sin ; other things God may bestow on men and women , and they know not the worth of them , and do not mind God in them ; but when God bestows pardon of sin , he makes the soul have admiring thoughts of it , and to know what it is , Jer. 33.9 . And it shall be to me a Name of joy , a praise , and honour , and they shall fear and tremble , for all the goodness and prosperity that I procure unto it ; certainly if others shall do it , much more themselves ; those whom God pardons he bestows such mercies upon , as that the soul shall even stand amazed with a trembling heart and an amazed spirit , to behold all the goodness that the Lord shews to it : Now , have your hearts been taken with it ? you may know much of your Evidences if your hearts have been taken with admiring thoughts of it ; for certainly when God pardons sin , he doth it to magnifie his grace , and set out to Men and Angels in the infiniteness of it , what his grace can do to poor souls ; if this be Gods end , as certainly it is , then it must needs be that those whom God pardons , he gives such grace as shall cause the soul that it shall have admiring thoughts of it ; Has thy soul seen so much of the grace of God , that it admires at the greatness and goodness of it ? be of good comfort , thy sins are pardoned . Seventhly , The more assurance God gives of pardon , the more the heart melts before God in mourning for the sins that God has pardoned , according to the manifestation of Gods mercy in pardoning , so doth the soul by the work of Gods grace melt in holy mourning , even for those sins that God has pardoned : many think they must mourn for sin to get pardon , but when they are pardoned , Why should they mourn then ? I have spoken to that before , that many mourn to get pardon ; but I say , they mourn , because they are pardoned : I manifest it thus , in this evidence I give of pardon of sin ; that according to the degree of knowledge the soul hath of pardon of sin , the heart melts before God for all sins that are pardoned , the 51. Psal . is exceeding remarkable , David laments his sin exceeding bitterly , but mark the Title of that Psalm , To the chief Musitian , a Psalm of David , when Nathan the Prophet came unto him ; after he had gone in to Bathsheba : Now would you know what Nathan did when he came unto David , you shall find if you read the story of David's Adultery and Murther , 2 Sam. 12. Chap. it was to bring the news unto David of the pardon of his sin ; first Nathan convinces him of his sin , that he should do it before Israel , and before the Sun , and having convinc't him , he says further , the Lord hath put away thy sin : Now a secure heart might go away , and say , all is well , I shall not dye , God hath pardoned my sin , I need not be troubled any more about that matter : But mark the Psalmist how he cries out to God , Have mercy O Lord upon me , and blot out all my transgressions , wash me , purge me ; and then he prays for restoring mercies for his broken bones , and then cries out for further assurance ; the very grace of God that Nathan brought to him of the pardon of his sin , that very grace of God did melt and break his heart so much the more ; after God had sent to him the pardon of his sin , he mourned more than ever before ; we never read that David was so much troubled for his sin as in this 51. Psal . that was after Nathan , had come unto him : Now if you find that at that time when God is pleas'd to come unto you in the Ministry of the Word , or in private to declare unto you the pardon of your sin , and to give you the comfortable Evidence of it , that then your hearts are most devoted to mourn for them , and to melt before God , Be of good comfort , thy sins are pardoned . Eightly , Another note is this , that according to the degree of pardon of sin , so all other graces grow ; the knowledge and assurance of Gods love in Christ in the pardon of sin , it causes all other graces to grow proportionably , as you have it in Ephes . 3.19 . about the knowledge of the love of God in Christ ; mark the connection , he desires That they might comprehend with all Saints what is the height , and depth , &c. and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge , and be filled with all the fulness of God ; What is the love of Christ ? the love of Christ is the procuring cause of the forgiveness of sin be-before God the Father ; and when you know this , this will fill you with all the fulness of God : Mark , first It brings God in to the soul ; And secondly , Fills the soul with God ; And thirdly , Fills the soul with the fulness of God ; And fourthly , Fills the soul with all the fulness of God ; when you come to know the love of God in Christ , if any thing in the world will fill the soul with all the fulness of God , this will : many will say , they hope their sins are pardoned ; Do you so ? then you know the love of God in Christ ; for this is a special work of the love of God in Christ ; to pardon sin ; now the Apostel says , when you come to know this , you come to be filled with all the fulness of God ; What is the fulness of God ? as faith increases with the rest of the graces , so you grow fuller and fuller in Gods fulness ; and so you grow more into a fuller assurance of pardon of sin : now the soul can say , as I find more assurance of the love of God in his Son , so I find my soul more filled with this grace of the fulness of God Alas , when I was under the Law , God and I were strangers , I felt little of God in me ; but now I begin to know the love of God in the Gospel , I begin to have my soul filled with fulness of God , not with chaff and dross and filthy things , which heretofore my thoughts , will , and affections were filled withal ; but now 't is otherwise with me , my soul is now filled with all the fulness of God ; certainly that soul that can say thus , may well go a way with that word of Christ spoken to the woman , Luk , 7.50 . Go in peace , thy faith hath saved thee , Rom. 5.1 . The Apostle speaks of pardon of sin , being justified by Faith , we have peace with God ; that is , God revealing justification by Faith in Christ : it brings peace with it ; and , by whom we have access , and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God ; and not only so , but we glory in tribulation , knowing that , &c. What knowledge is this ? It 's this , that we are justified by Faith and so come to have peace with God ; How does this cause the heart to be inlarged ? we rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God , and not only so , but we are strengthened and can glory in tribulation ; our hearts grow up to that strength , that whatsoever tribulations we meet withal , we are able to bear them with patience , and not only so , but to glory in them , we not only grow up to bear that which many cannot , but to rejoyce in them , that is more , and then to glory is above rejoycing : Now , Do you find that the assurance that you have of the love of God , brings strength in to your soul , to inable you to rejoyce in hope of the glory to come ? as if the Apostle had said , let what will become of us for the present , what though the world scorn us , hate , persecute us , yet we rejoyce in hope of the glory that is to come ; and this makes us glory in tribulation ; knowing , that tribulation , works patience ; patience , experience ; and experience , hope : Here 's a working of several graces together , and this may help many a poor soul ; O says the soul at such a time , I had a great deal of assurance of pardon of sin , and much joy thereupon ; But have not Hypocrites joy ? yes certainly , a Hypocrite may have wonderful ravishments of spirit , and flashes of pardon of sin , but yet there is somewhat wanting in other graces ; but how shall I know that my assurance of pardon of sin is right ? thus , according to the degree you have of assurance of pardon , you have an answerable degree in the growth of other graces , as Humility , Patience , Heavenly-mindedness , Self-denyal , and the rest , according as your faith grows , so you have a proportionable growth in all other graces ; faith is as the root , and the more sap there is in the root , the more will the branches grow : those people that are so full of assurance , and never doubted , as they say ; but as for other graces they are empty , as the Fear of God , Meekness , Patience , Self-denyal , Heavenly-mindedness and the like ; certainly , if thy faith be so high , and thy other graces so low , thou hast much cause to fear thy faith is not right , 't is not the faith of Gods Elect , as the Scripture speaks , it is not pretious faith ; for according to the degree you have of that , all other graces will grow ; you hope that your sins are pardoned , How come you by it ? the soul that hath true pardon of sin , hath fetch 't it from Heaven in a right way , in Gods own way ; How is that ? it is on this wi●e ; the soul that sees it self lost and undone through the guilt of sin , God revealing his infinite riches of grace in the Gospel , such a soul seeing God on his Throne , holding out his Son , God-Man as Mediator to make an attonement , it by a mighty work of faith , closes with that glorious way of Reconciliation by the Son , that it sees God the Father tender to him , and so fetches grace out of the Treasury of Gods bounty , in the way of the Gospel , in an Evangelical way that was before opened . Examine now , Have you fetcht out your pardon through the way of the Gospel , that the soul by a mighty act of faith hath been willing to venture its self and its eternal station on the Son of God ? Have you look't on Christ as a mighty Mediator , as one able to save you ? then you have acted faith in a Gospel way , and your sins are pardoned : Again , Are you pardoned ? then you are sealed , that you heard likewise of ; there is the Broad Seal of Heaven that stamps the Image of God upon the soul , as the Image of the King is on the Seal of the Kingdom ; so the Image of God , the Broad Seal of Heaven is stampt upon the soul , which I mention that you may make use of it in examination . Ninthly , Whomsoever God pardons , there will be an answerable work in thy soul unto the work of God in justifying thee ; as in Election and Vocation , so in Justification ; How is that ? thus , that as God notwithstanding all thy sin , accepts of thee to his grace and love ; so notwithstanding all the trouble and afflictions that are in Gods ways , thou wilt accept of God and his ways ; he accepts of thy soul notwithstanding thy sin , thou wilt accept of him and his wayes notwithstanding all evils and afflictions that accompany company them ; there are woful evils of sin that accompany thy soul , yet God will accept of thee ; so there are great evils in the ways of God , Afflictions that accompany them , yet thou wilt accept of them and think it reasonable : What , shall God accept of my soul , notwithstanding all the evil of sin ; and shall not I accept of Gods ways , notwithstanding all the evil of affliction and trouble ? certainly , the soul that is pardoned , cannot but answer God so far as this ; Will God justifie me notwithstanding my sin ? I will justifie God , notwithstanding any trouble , affliction , difficulty , or sufferings that may befal me in his ways , and I will justifie the ways of God ; this is both an Evidence and a duty ; God justifies our souls though they be very sinful ; we have cause to justifie Gods ways , though they be very troublesom ; if thou dost not so , thou art none of Gods child ; for wisdom is justified of her Children : thou hopest thy sins are pardoned , and that God will justifie thee ; and wilt not thou justifie him ? Does not thy sin hinder Gods grace to thee ; and shall trouble and affliction hinder thy glorifying God ? O man ! thou hast too vile a heart , and too base a spirit , to be one of those that God hath pardoned ; if thou wert a child of Wisdom , and one whom God hath pardoned , as God hath justified thee , so thou wilt justifie God : This note may meet with those that in company hear Ministers and the ways of God cryed out against , and yet have not a word to speak to justifie God , perhaps Gentlemen and others spake ill of Gods ways , and thou standest speaking , and hast not a word to say for God and his ways ; Dost thou think God hath justified thee , and dost thou hear God and his People , and his Word reproached , and thou hast not a heart to justifie God ? Tenthly and lastly , Those whom God pardons and forgives , he puts in them a merciful frame of heart to forgive others ; and that upon Divine grounds : there is a kind of natural forgiveness : many will forgive , but it is as a Heathen forgives another ; and it is a shame for many that profess themselves Christians , that they do not go so far ; but you must forgive in a spiritual way , for that is the way that accompanies padon of sin , to forgive , because I have had more forgiven ; such a one hath offended me ; but how much more have I offended the Lord ; and if the Lord forgive me , ought not I to forgive him ? you know in the Gospel he that had so many Talents forgiven him , and afterwards went and took his Brother by the throat , how ill the Lord took it , that having forgiven him so much , he should exact of his Brother the utmost farthing ; Hath God forgiven thee thy sin , which had he not , it would have everlastingly chained thee in torments , and wilt not thou forgive ? for as it is an Evidence , so it is a duty and a part of Prayer in that divine Directory called the Lords Prayer , Matth. 6. Forgive us as we forgive ; and in another place it runs thus , forgive , for we forgive ; therefore thou can'st have no Evidence that God hath forgiven thy iniquities and pardoned thy trespasses , except others be in thy thoughts forgiven too : I might have given divers Scriptures , but I mention it as a duty , that you that have any knowledg of your sin pardoned , would make this as a ground to forgive your Brethren ; say , Alas poor wretch , hath God forgiven me ; was there ever such a distance between my brother and me , as there was between God and me ; and hath God forgiven , and shall not I forgive my brother ? It is impossible a soul should be made acquainted with the rich mercy of God in forgiveness of sin , and have not a meek spirit to forgive his brother : Nothing can take away the rugged sowrness and rigidness of one man towards another , but the Oyl of Gods grace in pardoning of sin ; and that coming once into the soul , makes the soul to be of a sweet , mild , gentle , kind and tender frame : Observe this , you that have rugged natures , you say it is nature , and you cannot help it , if any thing change it , it is the mercy of God in pardoning thy sin ; is there not so much in the grace of God in pardoning thy sin , as to change that rugged nature of thine ? certainly there is : else thou hast little hope that thy sin is pardoned ; therefore if God have pardoned thee , thou must go and do so likewise . I am perswaded many of you hope 't and longed for this * Sermon , and I desired to be the larger , because I would lay the Evidences full before you ; here you have had the blessed man and woman described unto you , but there is but few of them , few can go away and say , as we have heard , so it is : But I hope divers of you can , it was for you that it was preached and sent from Heaven that you should feed upon it , and 't is as needful as the bread you eat . But there is one thing more , that is very meet to annex to all that hath been said for ; without that , I am afraid there are many to whom the consolation of this Text and Point belongs to , will go away with little comfort , because they know not how to apply them ; and that is to give some rules how to make use of these signs , and be able to apply them ; and by the same rules you may come to know any other notes of Trial concerning your spiritual Estate , and to make use of them in any other particular whatsoever . CHAP. XVIII . Of the Rules how to apply the Evidences of Pardon of Sin. IT is a matter of great concernment to us , to try whether our sins are forgiven ; for in times of danger our hearts are ready to sink ; but the Evidence of this , that our sins are forgiven will hold up our hearts in the midst of the greatest dangers whatsoever ; if Heaven and Earth should meet together , if I have assurance of this , for so it follows after David had pronounc't him blessed whose sins were forgiven , Vers . 6. Surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him ; there may be floods of great waters : but he that hath his sins forgiven , God shall preserve him and compass him about with songs of deliverance ; but they that have their sins compass them about , shall have horrour and terrour to compass them about ; but says David , having assurance his sins were pardoned , Thou art my hiding place , and thou shalt compass me about ; therefore if your hearts close with those Evidences given , you may have comfort in the great water-floods , God will be a hiding place unto you ; it concerns very much to labour to put this out of doubt , and not to put it off to a sick-bed , or death-bed time of examination ; but now to those Evidences there is another thing , which is of great concernment in this Point , and that is to give some rules how to make use of those or all other Evidences that shall be given at any time for tryal of any : Especially for the tryal of our states in point of Justification or Sanctification , but they will be helpful to the use of any other Evidences whatsoever . First is this ( that you may be able to apply those rules of Trial and Evidences given ) though you cannot find them all , yet if you find but any one of them , you may receive comfort from that , though you feel not the rest ; you may be assured that the rest are there : Many a soul , many times hears Evidences of the happy condition in point of pardon of sin ; and it may be , there is one , two , or three , that they can catch hold on ; but there are some others they cannot take hold of them : if thou findest but one of them in thy heart , though thou can'st not feel or see the other , yet God doth see the other to be there within , though they be not made so sensible to you ; and therefore soul take hold of that which you can see or feel , and be assured the other are there , though they are not seen ; if thou can'st take hold of one linck of a chain , and all the other be fastened to it , thou may'st be able to draw the whole chain unto thee ; for by taking hold of one link thou takest hold of the whole , though thou touchest not the other ; so in the work of Gods graces , they are as a link united to one another , and if you can lay hold of one link you may be assured of the other , although you see them not ; it is with many in this point as it is with some ignorant man , the Physitian tells him , he must take such a thing that must have these and these ingredients in it ; and when the Apothecary has mingled all , it may be but one of these things can be seen in the colour and outward appearance ; perhaps some one syrup may take up all the colour in the outward part ; and when it is brought to him , says he , I must have so many Ingredients in it , and I see but one ; I , but though you see but one , yet there may be the efficacy of all in it , though but one give the colour ; so it is with the graces of Gods Spirit , though at the present some one appears , yet there may be the efficacy and power of them all in the soul , though there appear but one ; perhaps it is in this case , as among many ingredients you can see and tast but one , yet there may be the power of twenty there , though neither seen nor tasted ; so it is with the work of God in the soul , sometimes it may be , that there is but one grace to be seen , tasted , or felt , and yet where that one is , there are all the other ; so that , that is one rule , when you look for Evidences and Signs , if you can find but one in your souls , all are there ; as it is in sin , where one sin hath Dominion over the soul , though the others be not seen , yet we are to know , that other sins have dominion over the soul too ; though some men live under the slavery of one sin more than another , as one man under the power of Covetousness , another under the power of Ambition , or any other sin ; this man may be thought to be under the power of but one sin , but the truth is , he is a slave to all sin , every natural man that is out of Christ , is under the power of every sin , he is a slave to the Devil in every sin ; but by reason of the constitution of his body , and for some outward respects , he may refrain from some particular sins that do not so well suit with him , whereas if it would serve for his own ends and purposes , he could as well commit any sin as that one ; this is a certain truth , Whosoever makes not Conscience of every sin , he makes Conscience of none ; though he refrain from the practice of some others , it is not out of Conscience , but for by-ends ; therefore he that is under the power of one sin , is under the power of every sin : Many think all men are sinners , and for their parts they have but a few ; such a sin I cannot leave , but I am free from all others ; Dost thou keep from all sin but one ? God will find thee under the power of every sin , and God will charge thee at the Tribunal as under the power of all sin ; so now on the contrary , Gods people are mightily troubled that they cannot find the work of Gods graces in all of them ; such an one they find , but they want it in another , because it is not so evidently stirring as the other ; but as the truth is certain on one side , of the wicked ; so it 's true on the other side of the godly ; that where there is one sin there is every sin ; so where there is one grace , there is all grace ; there is the power of godliness in every grace where there 's one grace ; that is the first rule to help us in making use of the Evidences before given . The Second rule is this , When ever we have found any one Evidence , upon serious examination , in the presence of God , and now it appears not positively to the contrary at the present , but thou art meerly dubious of those things that heretofore thou hast felt , because thou dost not feel them now , in this case we may and should have recourse to what God has wrought heretofore , and build upon the former workings of Gods Spirit upon us ; true it is , when we come to give Evidences in our Ministry of those that have grace , we may meet at such a time with them as that they have sense of nothing , and in such a condition as that they are not able to know their own hearts , nor feel any workings upon them : Now , if it be meerly from want of sense , and that the contrary positive evil appear not , but only the want of feeling of what thou had'st and felt heretofore ; thou art to have recourse to the days of old , as David often speaks that he would remember the days of old ; it may be you will say , some Hypocrites have thought they have been in this condition , they have had many slashes , and yet they have proved naught , how can we have recourse to what was before when God did work upon me , I can indeed remember when God did draw my heart , and then I thought I could have closed with any Evidence out of the Word , I felt such workings in my heart , but I might do all that and yet all be but in hypocrisie . I answer , that certainly the bare want of sense is not ground enough for me to think that all was in hypocrisie ; for this , consider , if I groan under it as under an affliction , and would fain feel those former manifestations I had formerly , and that I can take little comfort in my present case , and that my soul is continually longing and panting after the workings of Gods grace that I heretofore had ; if this be so , and that there is nothing to the contrary , thou fallest not off to sin , or to the world to satisfie thy soul in sinful ways , and that thy heart is yet panting after God ; if it be thus with thee , thou may'st take the comfort of what thou had'st before , and feed upon it as Provision laid up before hand for thy soul , as if thou had'st it present . But Hypocrites that fall off from the visitations of Gods Spirit , they fall not off only to a want of sense of those former movings and workings of the Spirit , but their hearts come to be satisfied with something else , and they take up with some other contentments ; and 't is not a want of feeling only , of what they had heretofore , but their hearts run out from God into other ways of sin and wickedness , so it is with Hypocrites , but thou hast this testimony , that it is not so with thee , that although thou dost want the present sense of the work of God upon thee , yet thy heart longs after God , and thou art unsatisfied in this condition , and 't is the greatest affliction that ever befel thee , and there is nothing else that thou lets thy heart run out unto , but thou art longing to get thy heart into that blessed frame that thou wast in heretofore ; then certainly peace be unto thee ; thou art to look back upon what thou hast had heretofore , and wait upon God for his return again , for he will come , and thy soul shall rejoyce again in him ; As that Martyr Mr. Glover , a little before he suffer'd , the Spirit of God seem'd to leave him , and he was in extream darkness , and had no feeling of any Evidence of Gods love to him , yet he was to dye the next day , and all his Evidences were lost in his own apprehension , yet his friends told him , that God would appear , and desired him to give them some sign , if God did come unto him ; that night he was in darkness , and until the Officers came to carry him to the Stake , he had yet no sense or evidence of Gods love , but when he was tyed to the Stake , he cryed out , He is come , He is come : so that you must not argue , because you have no present sense , that therefore you have no evidence of your good condition ; but if you have had it heretofore , you may build upon it that your state is good , although you have no present sense ; that is the second rule . The third rule is this , To help you how to make use of signs , when you would put your selves on tryal , you must take heed you do not cast your Estates for the tryal of your selves on times of temptations ; judg not of your estates by what you find and feel in times of temptation , for they are very unfit times to determine your condition upon a tryal then , as when temptations are exceeding strong , and horrour and fear comes into the soul ; and perhaps some hear may know what I mean , when I speak of horrour and fear coming in strongly upon them , then it is a time that you had rather need to call upon God , and fall down upon your knees to Prayer , then to look to the tryal and examination of your selves at that time : It is with many in this case as it hath been with some that have been struck with horrour of death before the Judge , and have had the Book given them to read , though they have been good Scholars , and able to read before , yet when the horrour of death hath been so upon them they have not been able to read one word ; and so it is with many of Gods children in times of strong temptations , they are not able to read their Evidences ; as Children when their eyes are blear'd and blinded , give them the Book and they cannot read thereon : so when your hearts are under great temptations and afflictions , this is not a time of trial ; then by the way , if it be not for a godly man , much less for a wicked man : many wicked men put it off to the day of death , and never so much as put themselves to trial till horrour of Conscience or fears of death put them upon it ; it is an ill time for Gods people to try themselves then : Suppose you would weigh Gold , you will not do it in a storm or wind ; the trial of our estate is like the weighing of gold ; for we are to weigh our selves by the ballance of the Sanctuary , that we may know whether we shall be weight when God comes to weigh us ; for every soul must be weighed , and wo be to those to whom God shall say as he did to Belshazzar , when the hand-writing appeared upon the wall , it was so terrible to him , that his knees smote one against another ; But what was that ? Thou art weighed in the ballance , and art found too light : such a hand will many find one day : Poor soul that thoughtest thy self in a good condition , and that thy sins were pardoned ; thou art weighed in the ballance , and art found too light ; therefore it concerns you now to weigh your selves in the ballance of the Sanctuary : when you weigh gold , you must not hold the Scales in the mid'st of wind , storms , and tempest that hurries the ballance up and down ; but it must be in such a place that you may hold them steadily that nothing may stir them ; for in the wind the lighter may be blown down , and the heaviest uppermost ; but if you hold them in a still place , you may try to a grain : so the Soul of man is like the Scales in the wind , in a time of temptation thou wilt have enough to come in to turn the ballance , lift it up , and make thee seem too light ; and therefore when you would weigh your condition , do it when your hearts are composed , and you are your selves ; when your hearts are quiet , then lay your souls to the ballance : many weigh their hearts in a time when trouble and affliction is upon their spirits , but they cannot do it , all they do then is nothing ; there are but two things then to be done , either to open your condition to some or other that may help you ; or else fall down upon your knees in Prayer to God , to get help from him to support you under , and deliver you from the temptations that are upon you : but then 't is no time for a man or woman to try themselves , in times of strong temptations , when it may be said , a man or woman then is scarse themselves . The fourth Rule for trial of your Estates is this , That when you find the Word on your side in any thing , never let go your hold of the Word , when you are perswaded the Word speaks well of your side in such or such a thing , never do any thing against it ; as we must not receive any comfort but by the Word , so we must not reject any comforts but by the Word ; some may say , I find something in the Word that makes for me , but I am afraid I am not thus and thus qualified ; but do you find any thing in the Word that gives you ground to think so ? we must rest upon the Word both ways , as we must not receive any thing to build our comforts on , but it must be from the Word ; so we must not receive any thing to trouble us but it must be from the Word ; it must be the Word must wound men ; for the Consciences of men and women are under the power of no creature , but the Word : Now as there is no power in any creature in the world to raise a dejected soul , and to comfort a troubled Conscience truly but the Word ; So the people of God are to know , that they are so above the power of all other things , that nothing in the World should trouble them but the Word only : as they should account it a weak vain thing to rest in the opinion of others for the comfort of their souls , that are in a good condition by what they find out of the Word ; so they should account it a vain thing to rest on their own conceits in time of trouble , or in the saying of others , besides what they have out of the Word ; the soul says , I am affraid my state is not good ; But O my soul , is there any thing in the Word that says thus ; that they that are thus and thus are not pardoned : As I must not conclude I am pardoned , but must bring something out of the Word that says it , so I must not conclude my state is bad without the Word , say so too ; but I find many distempers and many wandrings in my soul ; give me leave to ask you this ; where doth Gods Word say that such a man that hath a great many wandering thoughts is not justified ? where does the Word of God say that a heart that is under the remainder of some corruptions , and the soul labours under them as much as under any burden in the world ; where does the Word say that that soul is not justified ? many people in the case of trouble of Conscience , although they have some evidences and good ground out of the Word for them , yet will have many fears and doubts because of the remainder of such and such corruptions in them ; but now the ground of their doubts is their own fears , and nothing out of the Word ; and so when any speaks and applies the Word unto them , they cannot say but it is suitable to their condition , and that God hath shewn mercy unto them ; but so soon as you are gone the fears and suggestions of their own hearts prevail against them , to take away all their comforts more than all the applications of the Word prevailed to uphold & continue their comforts ; it is just with many that are gracious in the case of fears and doubts , as it is with the wicked in regard of their hopes , a wicked man hath the Word against him , that he is not in a good condition , but his own self-love and conce● incourage him to presume that he is in a good estate ; now he regards his own opinion and conceit , and presumes upon that , that his estate is good more than on whatsoever is said unto him out of the Word that it is not so : so the people of God , although they are in a good estate , yet their own fears so damps their hearts that makes them question that it is not so , but the ground of it is their own fears , as the ground of the wicked in thinking their estate is good is from their own opinions ; so the People of God many times from their own conceit and opinions , rather than from the Word , think their estate is bad : Take this Rule , As you must receive no comfort but out of the Word ; so you must not receive any trouble but from the Word ; when you receive trouble any other ways , you do not consider that God has laid your estates so high that all your troubles depend on nothing but the Word ; and therefore answer all with Scripture , when the Devil casts temptations before thee , bid him prove that thy estate is not good from the Word , I have this out of the Word to prove it is so , and thou hast nothing to the contrary : in other things you will not be baffled , as in your Evidences for your Estates ; suppose a man come and lay claim unto it , although you cannot perhaps make out your title clear , yet you will bid him prove the contrary , and shew what grounds he hath to lay claim to it ; 't is not the clamours and talking of other men that will make you quit your hold , or satisfie you that it was never rightly yours : But let the Devil come and clamour against your souls , and you are ready to joyn with him , and say , it is so indeed , I am an hypocrite , and I have no true grace nor spiritual life , my soul is under the curse of the Law and dominion of Sin still : how unworthy do you carry it to the blessed Spirit of God , and all the grace and goodness of God that has been manifested and made known unto you concerning the pardon of your sins ? How unbefitting is it that on every clamour of Satan , and stirring of corruptions in your own hearts , that you should raze the foundation of all your comforts by calling all the work of God presently into question : Many a poor creature , that finds by Evidences out of the Word that their estate is good , they go away chearful , but if the next day there be any stirrings of corruption , they let go all , and raze the foundation of all their comforts : walk not so unworthy of the grace of God , depend upon the Word , as for your troubles , so for your comforts ; as you are not comforted with any thing but from what the Word of God speaks to you , so be discouraged with nothing , but where you find the Word of God against you . The fifth Rule is this , When at any time you are put to seek your Evidences , and cannot find them , the best way is rather to renew than to spend time in finding of the old ; as suppose any man or woman be searching out such Evidences for Salvation which they had before , and cannot find them ; it may be they are poring upon their own hearts for such and such workings as they have had heretofore , and cannot find them , and so are ready to conclude that all is naught , and lie down as people disconsolate , because their condition is not good , they cannot find such Evidences as heretofore they had ; now in this case , the best way is , if I cannot find my Evidences , or the use of them I had before , to renew them , the time I spend in seeking and discouraging of my heart , if I spent it in actings and workings of my heart after God , for the renewing of my Evidences , perhaps I might have renewed them in that time ; as in matters between men and women in this world , they have Evidences that would clear the matters in differences ; but perhaps they cannot find them , or they are grown so old that they cannot read them , and they spend a great deal of time about them , whereas possibly , did they go to the Court of Roles , they might have them renewed with less charge and time ; so it is with the soul , when it cannot find such and such Evidences , it spends a great deal of time , and sits down in discouragement and disquietness of heart , when as perhaps in less time thou mightest have renewed them ; as thus , suppose thou art looking after this Evidence of thy Calling , for God calls whom he justifies ; Now thou art looking after thy call , and thou art troubled that thou dost not remember how God did work upon thy heart then , or heretofore , and a great deal of time is spent ; cannot you find how 't was with you then ? No , then fall upon this course , listen to what voyce of God thou hearest now in thy heart ; say to thy soul , Do not I now find the work of God in me ; do not I find him now drawing of my heart out of the world unto himself , and does not my heart listen unto this call ? for the call of God is not only at first conversion , but God is alwayes calling and drawing the heart from the world unto himself ; if thou can'st not make use of the work of God heretofore , make use of his present work upon thee : Again , those whom God justifies , they enter into Covenant with God ; for it was by way of Covenant ( as I told you ) they give up themselves to God in an everlasting Covenant : But when did I come into Covenant with God ? I am afraid I am not the man or woman in Covenant with God , I cannot remember any such work ; perhaps thy heart sinks down within thee , because thou can'st not clear up this work of entring into Covenant with God heretofore : Now the time that thou spendest in seeking after this work , spend it in entring now into Covenant with God at this present time ; it will be no hinderance to thee that thou can'st not find what was heretofore , if now at this present thou can'st surrender up thy self to God in an everlasting Covenant , this is enough , do it : Now if you can find your hearts , now come in , and yield up your selves into Covenant with God , you may have the comfort of this Evidence as fully as if you clearly remembred all the former transactions , and the work of God upon you in your first entring into Covenant with God : Again , those that had their sins pardoned , I told you , were brought into the Kingdom of Christ ; but you will say , I cannot remember how I was translated ; Take now upon you the Scepter of Jesus Christ ; many trouble themselves , saying , I never found such humiliations and troubles for sin as you speak of , or as others have found ; How is it now with your souls ? Do you find sin now a burden to your souls ? Is it not the greatest affliction ? If you were put to your choice , had you not rather suffer any thing in the world than sin against God ; and not only out of Convictions of Conscience , but because you find a frame of spirit in your hearts suitable thereunto ? for an Hypocrite he may have Convictions of Conscience , but the frame of his spirit is not suited thereunto : in you there is a frame of spirit suitable to the convictions of Conscience within you , though you cannot remember you have had such sorrows and troubles in convictions for sin , as others have had , while they were under the spirit of bondage , yet you may be comforted by the present frame of spirit that you have ; and so in the like cases , if you cannot find your old Evidences , fall to work to renew your Evidences , and do not spend time in lying down under the discouragements of your own hearts . The sixth Rule is this , When you examine your selves to find out your Evidences , carry this thought along with you , that you have to deal with God in the Covenant of grace : and this will be of marvellous use unto you ; perhaps to some these are very dry things , and they see but little in them , and scarce know what they be ; but I hope there be many others that have knowledge of an eternal state to be between God and their souls ; I hope I speak things will be very precious to them ; yea , I say unto many of you ; for while I am in this argument , I am speaking to such as have had the fear of God faln upon their hearts , and they have made it the great business of their lives , above all things in this world , to know how tearms are between God and their souls , to know how it stands with them for their everlasting estates ; I know abundance of people scarce ever call these things in question , to whom these Rules will be of little or no use at all ; but if I speak to some , or any one troubled soul to help and direct them , though I do no good to others I shall think my time well spent ; wherefore then in your examinations ever carry this with you , that you have to deal with God in the Covenant of grace , and not in a Covenant of works : Certainly , that many are so troubled in their Consciences about their eternal estates , it is on this ground , because they look upon God in the way of the Covenant of works ; if they find any corruptions stirring and breaking forth , and temptations strong upon them , they think presently all is naught , and that God will never accept of them ; What is the reason ? If we had to deal with God in a Covenant of works , the least stirring of corruption , it is enough to cast the soul down into eternal horrour ; as Adam , though he had never so much goodness before by the Image of God upon him , yet one sin eternally cast him , if there had not come in a Covenant of grace : Now , though people will acknowledge there is a Covenant of grace , yet upon the stirring of their corruption , they carry it as that it serves for no other use than if they had to deal with God in a Covenant of works , and as if there were no Covenant of grace at all : Now , what a dishonour is this to the riches of Gods goodness in the Covenant of grace , that tells us , We are not to be judged for our eternal estate by the Covenant of works ; and tells us , that he that must be our Judge for our eternal condition , is our Advocate with the Father : and tells us also , that God accepts of the uprightness and the sincerity of the heart , and that the want of perfection shall never damn thy soul : He that stands before the Lord to make atonement , and to be our Advocate to plead with the Father for us ; he it is that must be the Judge of our eternal estate ; and therefore when I set my self before the Lord , I consider that I have to deal with him in a Covenant of grace : Suppose I find and feel such and such corruptions and weaknesses in me ; Is it not possible that my estate is happy by the Covenant of grace ? Collect your selves , and say , Why do I determine of my everlasting condition ? Have I to deal with God in the Covenant of grace , and cannot these imperfections stand with it ? Why do I make such conclusions that my state is naught , because of the stirrings of such and such corruptions ? The doubts and fears of most Christians arise from hence , because they have not a clear understanding of the difference between the Covenant of grace and the Covenant of works ; there is nothing in the world would so satisfie the Consciences of men and women , so as a clear understanding of the Covenant of grace and the Covenant of works : Many people cry out of the Preachers , that they disquiet and trouble the hearts of people by their Preaching ; the truth is , no Preachers occasion so much the trouble and perplexity of Consciences , as those that preach Morality and meerly the way of duty , and never come to make them see clearly the difference between the Covenant of grace and the Covenant of works ; and I appeal unto you , who are they that most quiet and settle your Consciences , and satisfie your spirits ; Are they not those Preachers that open the difference between the Covenant of grace and the Covenant of works ? Certainly those Preachers that shew you what the Covenant of grace is , are the only men that quiet and satisfie Conscience ; and 't is a truth , that nothing can do it but that : You that are Christians , how should you then labour to get a further insight into the Covenant of grace ; and instead of other Discourses less useful , let this be the subject of your discourse , the difference of the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace , or the blessings of this Covenant ; and that this is the Covenant that we must depend upon , notwithstanding our weaknesses : And now I am speaking of this Covenant , that weakness may stand with the Covenant of grace , many that have carnal hearts may be ready to abuse it ; take notice how dear the comforts of your souls cost God , and God will have his Ministers to comfort you , though the revealing of such things will indanger many a mans soul : God is content to hazard the damnation of other men to comfort you ; for certainly those things that we speak for your comfort will be the damnation of many others : Think thus , O Lord must the comforts of my soul cost so dear , and that for my comfort many souls are hazarded , who by taking occasion to sin , abuse that grace that is reached forth to me , and so are like eternally to perish : O then , what need had I to make good use of this grace that comes to me with the hazard of the souls of so many others ? If a man should bring some precious Balsom to apply to a wound , and tell him there is not one drop of it but cost a thousand pound at least , would not this be highly prized ? Now , when we come and shew you any thing that may comfort your hearts and satisfie your souls , we must reveal such things , that not only cost much , but the least dram of Gospel-comforts cost that which was of infinite worth , and 't is valuable two ways : first , every drop of the Balsom of the Gospel cost the blood of Christ ; but besides this , the very revealing of it must cost the damnation of many souls , and yet God is content to venture that that you may be comforted : We in the Name of God come and preach the grace of the Gospel , and we think many will be hardned by it , and grow more secure , and abuse Gods mercy ; but then we satisfie our selves with this , that the comforting of any broken troubled soul is so precious in the eyes of Jesus Christ , that he is content to venture the hardning of many other souls ; if they will be hardned let them be hardned , Christ is content to venture it ; and hereby we see how precious these comforts are ; therefore you had need to prize them , and not cast them off : as suppose a Captain for the saving of the lives of two or three men should venture the lives of a thousand men meerly to save the lives of two or three , were not these mens lives very precious to him ? so Jesus Christ he ventures the hardning of the hearts of many for the comforting of a few ; therefore it shews your comforts are precious things , you should not easily put them off , for they cost dear . The seventh Rule in applying Evidences is this , That when you cannot see the work of faith reaching to Assurance , yet labour to put forth the work of faith of Adherence ; there may be much of the workings of the faith of adherence , where there cannot be the faith of assurance ; that is certain , there may be true faith adhereing to Christ for the pardon of sin where the soul hath no certain assurance of it : Many poor creatures are crying out , and saying , if I had faith of assurance , and a full perswasion my sins were pardoned , I could be comforted ; but because they have not attained to a full perswasion and assurance , they think they have no grace at all ; but there may be faith in the pardon of sin , where there is not a reflect act of the soul , whereby I come to know it hath faith , and that its sins are pardoned , 1. Joh. Chap. 2.3 . he shews there that there may be knowledge , and yet not know they do know ; Hereby we know that we do know him , if we keep his Commandements , hereby we know that we do know him : now knowing of Christ , and knowing that we do know him , is not all one ; there is a knowing , and a knowing that we do know him ; so there is a beleiving and a knowing we do beleive : there may be a true work of grace , that I may know Christ , and know him to salvation , and yet not know that I do know him , that is , by a reflect act of faith , a knowing that I do know him ; so then , where there is not a faith of assurance there may be a faith of adherence ; that is , when the soul sticks to Christ , and can giue it self unto , and venture it self upon Christ for pardon of sin , life and Salvation ; that is faith of adherence : suppose in seeking my Evidences ( many of them being taken from the effects and friuts of faith ) I cannot find them , and so cannot put forth a reflect act of the soul , which is faith of assurance , yet I may at that time have a faith of adherence ; thou may'st feel thy heart stick to Christ , and thou may'st venture thy soul on Christ ; that faith will save thee , though you have not a faith of assurance ; that is , though you cannot find such Evidences whereby you may draw up such a conclusion , or make up such a judgment that you are pardoned ; yet if you have a faith of adherence , that you can stick to Ghrist , and venture your soules on him for life and Salvation , and all that is good ; that faith will save you ; and therefore upon examination of your Evidences , when you cannot get up to such acts of faith as assurance is , live then by a faith of adherence , stick to Christ , say , here I will resolve to live and dye , venture on the grace of God in Christ : Now for the soul to do this , it is a mighty work of faith ; for if you can venture your souls on Christ , you will venture your Estates on Christ , your Names on Christ , and all that you have on Christ ; and therefore remember , if you have not a faith of assurance , then venture your selves on Christ by a faith of adherence , and comfort will come in that way , Eightly , If at any time you feel comforts from Evidences flow in upon your souls , and that you are able to apply the comforts to your selves , that the Lord hath spoken to you by such and such signs of a pardoned sinner , take heed you do not rest much upon Evidences ; but then at that very time , think with your selves , though now I have comforts , I may loose them , and God may call me to another condition ; God never granted these helps unto me for my Saviours that I should rest upon them , they are but bladders to help me to swim , and God may take away these , and call me to live upon the meer actings of faith , and not at all on sense , that 's certain he may do it , for when we bring these Signs and Evidences of grace , as they come from faith , and are effects and fruits of it , they are but as bladders to help young swimmers that cannot swim without them , and learn them to swim ; but those that have got the Art , though the bladders be taken away , they can swim ; but take them away from the others , and they will sink ; so that these Evidences are for young and weak Christians that cannot live on primary acts of faith , which a strong Christian can do , when all other things are taken away ; and therefore when we feel the comfort of any signs depend not on this , the Lord may take them away ; and because he delights in the meer actings of faith , that is the reason why God withdraws himself from the souls of his people , that they shall not have the use of Signs and Evidences as they had before , because he would teach them to live on the more necessary acts of faith ; God loves the voice of Job , though he kill me , yet will I trust in him ; I will venture my soul upon him , whatever becomes of me ; when there 's nothing else to rest on but God , then to live by actings of faith merely on him , he delights much in this ; and therefore take heed you do not rest so much on signs , as if all your comforts were lost and you undone , when you cannot have such use of them as you have had heretofore . Ninthly , when you have at any time lost the use of signs , do not determine that all is gone , and that you shall never have the use of them more ; this is that that mightily hinders many poor Christians that are in trouble of Conscience , because they cannot find the evidence of the pardon of their sins , and that God accepts of them in what they do ; what do they do presently ? they yeild to the horrible sentence of damnation against themselves : Gods Spirit , say they is now gone , and he will return no more ; he will never come any more unto me : take heed you do not fasten on any such kind of thoughts as those are , to determine of your own estates , or that Gods Spirit will not come again : but do you humble your souls before the Lord , and wait upon him . Tenthly , When at any time all Signs and Evidences fail you , and you are ready to determine that all is gone , yet even then keep up good thoughts of God ; As the Spouse in the Canticles when her Beloved was gone , yet she prized him , and said He is the chiefest of ten thousands in Cant. 5. when she was asked ; What is thy beloved ? says she , he is thus , and thus , & then concludes , He is altogether lovely ; and this was at such a time as he was gone , yet she retain'd good thoughts of him ; so 't is a good sign for any soul , that when trouble of conscience is upon them , or any other trouble , that they retain good thoughts of God and Christ and the wayes of God , when the soul says , whatever become of me , though I perish for ever , yet God is good , his Word , his ways are good , his Gospel , and the Covenant in his Son is good ; and whatever troubles are upon me , yet God is righteous ; and though God justifie not me , yet I will justifie God ; if there be any soul that cannot find his Evidences , or any of those signs before spoken of , you may make use of this ; if you cannot find any other , do what thou can'st to justifie God ; thou art afraid that God will not justifie thee , do thou justifie him ; sometimes it is with many men , as with some wretched servant that has dealt falsly with his Master , and may be all the while he can make any advantage of his Master for his own ends , he will speak well of him , but if his Master turn him out of doors for his wickedness , then he rails on him ; 't is ordinary for bad servants to do so when they are turn'd away for their wickedness ; and so it is with many , when all goes well with them , then they like well of the wayes of God ; but if they come to such a condition as that they think that God will cast them away indeed , and that they are like to perish , then they begin to have hard thoughts of God , and by degrees they speak against God and his ways ; take heed of this , although you want the Evidences of his love and mercy , yet retain in your hearts good thoughts of God and of his ways , and this will be a special help to bring into your souls the comfort and assurance of your Justification ; and now I have done with this argument , I have shewed you who it is that hath his sins pardoned , I have shewed the several mistakes , and I have shewed you certain infallible grounds from Scripture Evidences of the pardon of sin , and Rules how to make use of those Evidences ; and now upon what you have heard , you have testimony and assurance of the pardon of your sins , or you have not ; if you find your hearts do not answer to these Evidences , or that you are afraid that your sins are not pardoned , then take a use of Exhortation to put you on to seek after this blessedness . CHAP. XIX . Of Exhortation to seek after Pardon of Sin , with Cautions and Rules , how , and what we are to do . I Am now come to a use of Exhortation , and it concerns us all , either those that are not pardoned , or those that have assurance of the pardon of their sins ; for there is none that have assurance but may make use of it : Christ taught his Disciples to pray daily for the forgiveness of their trespasses , as well as for their daily bread ; and what we are to pray for , we are to seek after ; so that it concerns all ; blessedness is desirable to all , it is as natural for man as a reasonable creature to desire blessedness as it is for the fire to burn ; only here 's the great mistake in the world , all would have it , but they look not for it in the right way : Now after all that has been said , that thou may'st not have slight thoughts of the pardon of sin , and say , I hope they are pardoned , and the like ; I shall speak to awaken thee : suppose thou wer 't now set on the brink of the infinite Ocean of Eternity , and the bottomless Gulf were ready to devour thee , and the Records of Heaven were opened , and there shewed thee that thy sins were not cancelled , but remain upon the file ? What thou would'st then do , do it now ; for this is our time , and this is the great work of our lives , not to cumber our selves about many things , but about this one thing , to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling ; this is the great work to seek to secure this blessing of the pardon of our sins , which is the foundation of all ; in the obtaining of it we obtain all blessings ; it ought to be our chief care , and we ought to lay out our chief strength and indeavours in seeking of it ; and if God would be pleased to put his hand to your hearts , and turn the stream of your thoughts and indeavours , the very turning of your hearts after this business is a great mercy ; there is so much blessedness in it , as not only the obtaining of it , but the very motion of the heart this way is worth all the world , in Act. 2. we read , there were many thousands that had their hearts pricked at hearing the Word preached , and they cryed out men and brethren , What shall we do to be saved ? O that there were a disposition in the hearts of men to cry thus ; we see it is our blessedness if we have it ; and if we have it not , we are all cursed for ever ; What shall we do to get it ? Mar. 10.17 . we read of one came running after Christ , saying , What shall I do to be saved ? O that your hearts were now in such a frame to come running after Christ , saying , What shall we do that our sins may be pardoned : but before I come to any thing else , it is necessary by way of caution or proviso to say three or four things . First , This ; that although I must seek after God for the pardon of sin , yet know there is nothing in a natural man that is or can be acceptable ; all his endeavours have not that in them that can gain him acceptance with God : But then to what purpose are we to endeavour to do any thing ? yes , we must be striving after the pardon of sin , although without Christ we can do nothing ; and a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit , yet it is to purpose that we be doing , for God likes well the exercise of the work of common gifts ; though they are not saving , and to eternal life , yet God likes the exercise of them so far as there is any thing good and commends them ; when that young man came to Christ , Mar. 10.21 . Christ look't upon him and loved him , though not with such a love as to save him and bring him to eternal life , yet God did discover love to such a one ; therefore it is to some purpose that a man should put himself on doing what he can , if it be only for that . 2. It is to some purpose that the heart be stirring after God and Christ , because hereby we shall evidence that we are not so negligent of God and Christ , and the things of eternal life as we were before . 3. It is to some purpose , for in the stirring of the common works of Gods Spirit , God many times comes in with saving works ; for God works not upon men as upon stocks or stones , but God puts them on by stirring up the common works of his Spirit , and at that time when they are most in stirring , it is Gods usual way to come in with the saving works of his Spirit ; therefore it is not to no purpose that we are putting on poor creatures to do what they can . The second Caution is this , That whatsoever any one doth in seeking after Christ before he has union with Christ , it is not to be reckoned on as the condition of the Covenant of Grace or a Gospel-work ; there are no preparatory works for the receiving of Christ , that are the condition of the Covenant of grace ; though they be such things as we must follow after , yet they are not the condition of the Covenant of grace : Now that that is the condition of the Covenant of grace sanctifies him that hath it , and follows upon our union with Christ ; though God uses to carry on the soul in the way of legal terrors , humiliations , and the like ; yet these are not the work of the Covenant of grace ; and therefore this may help many a poor soul about terrors of Conscience and humiliations ; that are troubled that they never had those degrees as others have ; why as they do not prepare and fit thee for Christ ; so the want of them is no hinderance to the receiving of Christ . The third Caution is this that follows on the other , That though you put your selves upon the use of all means to the receiving of Christ , yet take heed you do not rest in any of those preparatory works , there 's a great deal of danger in that ; many souls mistake , and it is to be feared it is in this , the resting in something that they have done ; it may be God has awakened their Consciences , and they fall upon working , upon humbling and reforming themselves , and here they rest ; but this is a mistake , you must not rest until you find you are in Christ , and until there be an union with Christ and your souls ; the work is not therefore done because you are humbled and reformed , and run another course to what you did before . for Rom. 9.16 . 'T is not of him that willeth , nor of him that runneth , but of God that sheweth mercy ; not of him that willeth , that is , that hath some good affections to it ; nor of him that runneth , that is , though his endeavours be never so strong , yet 't is not of him neither : many think they have peace in their souls upon their good desires and endeavours ; when their hearts are mightily stirr'd , and they wonderfully inlarged , then they make no question but all is done , and they quiet their hearts with that , and think there is no further work to be done ; but it is not so ; Not of him that willeth , nor of him that runneth , but of God that sheweth mercy ; though we must ; will , and we must run , yet there may be running and striving to enter in , and yet not enter ; this is a very great point , to let us see all of us what need we have of the free grace of God in pardoning of our sin . Fourthly , Though God does not tie himself to come in to pardon upon these preparatory works going before , yet it is worthy of the utmost endeavours of any soul in the world , that there is a possibility of the obtaining of it ; though God tie not himself to give pardon on those works , yet there is enough in it to require the utmost endeavours of any one to be laid out , could we do ten thousand times more than we can , even the very possibility of obtaining pardon , is worth the calling forth of all our strength ; know that the very possibility of having sin pardoned , is enough to set all your hearts a work to seek after it , though God do not tie himself to come in then and pardon ; t is not thus , that God would have his creature seek unto him , and then all should be left unto that seeking ; no , for if that were granted , that God did foresee something that his creature would do , and upon that he would give him pardon , then all the world would be saved ; but all the world do not what they can ; if God had tied himself to come in then when men do what they can , all the world might be saved ; but it is not so : God hath left it so that he will have his creature ( do what he can ) to relie upon him ; and when he doth come in , then he enters into the greatest and strongest bonds that can be to do his creature good ; but I come to inforce the Exhortation for to seek after the pardon of sin . You will say , How must we seek it ? and what is to be done ? First , In the seeking pardon of your sins set your selves as in the presence of God , and put this upon your souls ; I am now looking after the pardon of sin , but how do I do it ? does my heart work so in it as that I can satisfie my own Conscience in the work I do ? that it is such a work , that may testifie my high respect to God from whom I seek it ; is it such a work as manifests that I am sensible , it is a business of the most infinite concernment that I have in all the world ; and am I sensible of the infinite Power and Majesty of God as one that is infinitly above me ; when you seek after pardon , you must do it so , as that you may be able to satisfie your Consciences that your seeking is such a work as does hold forth the glorious greatness of that God that you are seeking after ; many pray slightly , as God be merciful to me , and mumble over a few words , and have done ; does this hold forth that they have such an apprehension of the greatness of the power of that God they seek after , surely no ; that 's the first . Secondly , If thou wilt seek after pardon of sin , it must be such a seeking as may testifie that thou dost prize thy life here in this world above all things else in it ; because God gives thee time in it to seek after him ; Is thy seeking such that manifests the time of thy life is given the for this very end ? if you were sensible of this , you would seek it in another manner than you do ; you would seek it as a condemn'd man seeks his pardon ; for certainly , every man is a condemn'd man , and the time of your life is like a condemn'd mans time , between his condemnation and execution : Now does your seeking testifie and witness that you spend your time , and that your hearts are so stir'd in seeking pardon , as that it holds forth you account your lives pretious , and use it for the same end , to get the pardon of your sin , if a condemn'd man have time to seek a pardon two or three days ; and he followes drinking , playing , and the like , certainly none would apprehend this man spent his time , as if it were given him for to get his pardon ; look upon the courses and lives of most men ; and are they such that does testifie they live to that very end , to seek pardon ? if men were so sensible of it , as they should , they would cry and weep , and lament unto God for the pardon of their sins , and so carry it as would testifie they prize their lives at a high rate for this end , that they may seek the pardon of their sins . Thirdly , It must be done so , as that you may have this testimony in your Consciences , that you never sought after any thing in the world so as you sought after this ; though it was never so an important occasion , yet there is nothing after which your endevours have been so powerful as after this ; I appeale to you in this place ; is the work of your souls after pardon so ? as that in your own Consciences you can say , if any business ever took up my heart , this hath , if ever my spirit was up in any thing in the world it is in this ; certainly , unless it be so , you have not done that that God requires of you . Fourthly , You must so do it as apprehending God is ready to be gone , and to turne away from you ; you must so seek after him , as apprehending , for ought you know , that God is just a going away ; and if thou hast it not now , 't is uncertain whether thou shalt ever have it ; the soul must cry as a poor Malefactor does when the Judge is on the Bench , he cries all that while ; but when he is ready to rise , and is going off , then he cries mercy , mercy ; when he thinks , if he let him go , then he shall never see his face more ; he cries then to purpose ; so should it be with every soul that understands the danger of losing of it ; you should so seek after it , as looking on your selves standing before God the Judge of all the World , having the sentence of death out against you , yet for the present God is looking on you , and admits of you to look on him ; but so as apprehending God ready to turn aside , and you know not whether ever he will grant you such an opportunity of seeing him any more ; O then if a man would seek after God as ready to turn aside from him , and for ought he knows , he should never see him more : Certainly , if you know the evil of sin , and the blessedness of pardon of sin ; What a deep impression would such an apprehension make upon your hearts . Fifthly , So seek after it as that thou may'st testifie thou would'st sanctifie the great Name of God in it ; I do not say thou can'st do it , but thou must endeavour after it , and desire that that which thou dost may have some resemblance to it ; there is no work that ever God did from all eternity , that hath so much or more of his Name in it , than this work of the pardon of sin hath ; this is a positive work of God , and is for this end to declare his Name ; the works and Counsels of God about this was the greatest thing that ever God did ; you heard much concerning the glory of God in this work , in the opening of the Doctrine : Now what I put you upon in the use is this , That in seeking pardon of sin , know you are are so to endeavour after it , as your endeavours may hold forth the apprehensions your souls have of the great Name of God : certainly this sanctifies Gods Name when we perform it so , when there is a work upon our souls suitable in some measure to the excellent and glorious Name of God that appears in some measure in the work that we are conversant about : as suppose it be the speaking of any attribute of God , then I sanctifie Gods Name , when there is that reverential respect to God in reference to such an Attribute ; so when I give God praise for a mercy , I sanctifie Cods Name when there is a work upon my heart suitable to that glorious Name of God that appears in that mercy bestowed on me ; so if I seek after God for a blessing , then I reverence Gods Name , when there is such a disposition in my heart , that is somewhat suitable to the glorious Name of God that appears in that blessing : so in endeavouring to sanctifie Gods Name in seeking after pardon of sin , thou dost it then , when there is such a frame in thy heart as may hold forth to Men and Angels , that this work of thine hath some kind of suitableness to the glorious Name of God that appears in it ; this is to sanctifie the Name of God , and this is a great work ; this is the great thing for which thou wast made ; and this is the great thing for which the counsels of God , yea the deep counsels of God were set a work from all eternity : Now the dispositions of our spirits must be such , as may manifest the great end , the wisdom and counsels of God had in it , and therefore it must be a great work that must manifest that ; for certainly those whom God pardons he makes them understand what pardon means . Now th●n , if thy seeking be such as that thou knowest what it is thou seekest after , then it must hold forth also that thou dost understand the Name of God is exceeding glorious in it ; and then as thou doest apprehend this , so accordingly thy heart will work after it ; and therefore when you are alone , and you find your hearts working this way , say , What do I do ? Do I so call upon him , and seek after him , as that this work of mine declares to God and my own Conscience I seek for it so , as that I may manifest the glorious Name of the great God is in it ? certainly if I do not do it thus , I take Gods Name in vain . Sixthly , Further , you must seek after it as if you were now to answer for all your sins before the Lord , as you would wish you had done it then , so do it now ; I put it to every one of you ; Have you not been on your sick-beds , and in your apprehension neer unto death ; hath not God wakened your Consciences , and you have been afraid upon the account of your sins ; what kind of temper your souls have been in then , know it concerns you every day in the whole course of your lives to have the same apprehensions as you had at that time ; do now as then you would have done : certainly thou dost not understand what pardon of sin means , if thou dost not seek it thus . Seaventhly , Do it as thou thinkest in thy Conscience the damned souls in Hell would do if God should give them a possibility , What would they do if God should proclaim unto them a possibility of pardon ? what would they do ? divers things you may conceive they would do ; and here it comes up fully to my hand to put you upon it , ●o say , O! what shall I do ? Were we to preach to them in Hell , do you think that there is any one of them but would mightily cry to the God of Heaven ; 't is not like that any one of such an Auditory but would mightily cry to God , if the great counsels of God concerning pardon of sin were preacht to them ; and will not every one of you now mightily cry to God for it ? certainly if they would do it in Hell , Why should not you do it now ; that which you think they would do , not with a few slight vain expressions , do you do now with all your might . Eightly , Do this : so seek after it as to desire if it were possible that you might bring as much glory unto God , as he would have had of you if he should have damn'd you for ever ; this is an excellent frame of spirit though you do not know it , but though you do not , yet you should put your selves upon such a kind of work and God may come in ; you cry out for pardon , but never cry out for Gods honour , O what shall become of the honour of God that he hath lost by me , and the dishonour I have brought to him , say , O Lord I have dishonoured thy Name , O that I might so honour thy Name as I have dishonoured it ; O Lord thou mightest make up thy honour in my eternal damnation ; but O Lord , I would if I could do any thing that might make up that dishonour that I have brought by my sin , if I could do any thing that thou mightest have any honour in , I would do it : for a close , I shall put this for a consideration to you ; whatsoever you would do upon any supposition , suppose your danger were as great as ever it was in all your lives , what you would do then do it now ; you must do all that can be done by a creature : Now if you would do more on such a supposition as this , after all those Sermons you have heard of the evil of sin , and now of the great blessedness of the pardon of sin , if you do not do what a creature is able to do , How can you look for pardon of sin in the face of God ? and therefore what you would do on any such supposition , do now , though thou shouldest not get pardon ; suppose such a thing as if thou wer 't now ready to be damn'd , yet is it not better to do it , than not to do it ? Having spoken of these general things , I come now more garticularly to the other part of the Question , What is to be done ? First , This is to be done , be sure thou takest off thy heart from all other imaginary blessedness ; certainly there is no man in the world but hath somewhat else his heart was running out after ; now thou must get off thy heart from that thing whatever it be ; it may be thy heart was set upon friends , or upon pleasures of the flesh , and thou thoughtest thy self happy the more thou had'st liberty for thy lust , and the like ; now thou must be convinc't that thou hast fed upon ashes , and hast not been able to say there is a lie in my right hand ; but God hath now shewed me there is a lie , and I have look't for happiness else where ; but now I see it is not there to be found , win thy soul fully to this ; O my soul art thou taken off from all other things , hath God convinc't thee that thou may'st have honours , riches , pleasures , and yet be a Reprobate , wo unto me for the time that I have lost , I have laid out my time and mony for another blessedness , that is no where to be found but in the grace of God. Secondly , Let Conscience have free liberty to shew thee thy sins , and charge them upon thee , yea to accuse and condemn thee , and do thou help thy Conscience ; when Conscience accuses and condemns , then do thou condemn thy self ; if thou would'st be pardoned , then give Conscience scope and liberty ; 't is very dangerous when God begins to stir the hearts of men and women , to make any stop or give any check to Conscience there , the wisest course is to give Conscience liberty , for it will have liberty one day to accuse and condemn you ; Why will you not now give it liberty ? Conscience will one day bring all thy evil deeds before thee and accuse thee ; now let it accuse and condemn thee , and certainly if thou dost so , thou art in a very good way to come to have absolution of thy sins in thy Conscince now ; for at the great day the Books shall be opened : Now bring as it were a day of Judgment upon thy self , contract the Throne of God into your own hearts , and call for the Book of Conscience , and say , Conscience ? What say'st thou against me that I may get it blotted out now , that it may not be read against me at the day of Judgment ? Thirdly , Be willing to own all thy sins , confess , discover them with all the heart-breaking circumstances and aggravations thou canst possible , the Lord knows thy sins whether thou confessest them or not ; but God will have thee to come and lay them open , God will have thee to come and charge thy self with them : 't is a very good thing to open Conscience freely before the Lord , not in a slight way , but in a way of anguish and bitterness of spirit bewailing them , and crying by way of Prayer and Petition against them . Fourthly , Be willing to accept of the punishment of sin , say , O Lord , as thus I do charge and acknowledge , bewail and cry out of my sin ; so here I am Lord , ready and willing to accept of the punishment of my sin , and the soul that is in this frame is in a comfortable way of pardon of sin . Fifthly , Resolve to avoid sin whatever come of it , at that very time when thou art seeking pardon , of sin be sure to resolve never to sin again , for know , that for ought thou knowest , the very next sin thou committest may make God come upon thee for all thy former sins . And then Sixthly , Cast out whatsoever is gotten by false ways , make restitution , as Zacheus did , Luk. 19. Seaventhly , Be sure that thou be put off with nothing else but pardon of sin ; never rest keeping thy soul always in a waiting frame , looking up to God for pardon : To all these things I shall add , that all these must have reference to the great work of the Son of God , when you cry out , What shall we do ? though I have spoken of divers things , yet know all is with reference unto Christ the Son of God , God-Man ; look upon him as the head of the second Covenant offering up himself for our sins , let thine eye be upon him , and as thou givest thy Conscience liberty to charge thy sins upon thy own soul , so charge them upon Christ the head of the second Covenant ; have an eye to him for the discharge of them ; Dost thou vomit up thy sin by confession , and cry to God for pardon ? remember that thou cry to him through the mediation of Jesus Christ ; look upon him that must make up the breach , restore thee to favour , and remove the curse : in every work be sure thou eye Christ , and make use of these rules so , as may further the venturing of thy soul upon Christ ; except thy soul rise to this , to work thee to Christ , all the other is but a natural work , though as I said before , that thou shouldest let Conscience condemn thee , and that thou have anguish of spirit , know all these are but natural works , any further then they serve in reference unto Christ : And now I have shewed you what you are to do , What is it that you will do ? will you set up your resolution , that through the grace of God in Christ , whatever hath been told you , you will set about the same , then happy are you ; but if you do it not , it may be you may wish you had done it when sin lies heavy on you ; then you will cry that God would be merciful to you , but then God and Conscience will say , I warned you at such a time , in such a place , and were not you there put in a way to seek after pardon ; What did you do after you went away ? the next day you went among your Companions , and were as drunk and as wicked as ever before ; if it be so , then trouble will be upon you ; it may be some poor creature that sat in the same pew with thee , had a heart to seek pardon , and is absolved before men and Angels , and at the day of Judgment shall sit at Christs right hand , and thou that heardest the same Word , and hast neglected it , now comest to have thy soul for ever lie under the weight and burden of thy sins : God forbid that there should be such a difference made ; thou hast heard the way , seek after the pardon of thy sin ; let it not be in vain that all these Sermons have been preach't unto you , Act. 10.43 . when they preach't about pardon of sin , it says to him give all the Prophets witness ; O that you might come in and give witness that this day remission of sin was preach't unto you ; O that while you hear this Word , the Holy Ghost might fall upon you , that you might have your hearts fired with strong resolutions , to set about this work in the power of the Holy Ghost , and rest not in any thing on this side of a pardon : Now I come to give you some incouragements , and they will work two ways , either draw you to Christ , or for ever stop your mouths , that you shall have nothing to say against him . I shall name fifteen incouragements unto you . CHAP. XX. Of Encouragements to seek after Pardon of Sin. FIrst , The time of your life is given for this very end , to seek the pardon of your sins ; if a man have any great business to do that concerns his life , and another comes to him , and says , Sir , this is the very nick of time that you have taken , or else you had been lost for ever , so this is the very nick of time given you to get pardon of your sins and interest in the blood of Christ . Secondly , This time is not only afforded for this end , but the means the Lord hath brought you under is a great argument that he intends mercy for you , and you may conclude there are more of Gods Elect may have pardoning mercy than in former times ; the light of the Gospel breaks forth , and certainly there is more to be brought in , the Gospel is the fruit of Christ's death , and given for the Elects sake , Act. 18.9 , 10. he bids him go end preach , for he had much people ; he should have opposition , but go , be not afraid , for I have much people in that place ; 't is true , the rain will fall upon the tiles as well as on the tender hearbs and grass ; but certainly where God sends his Word he hath people to be gathered in ; and if you take notice of Gods Providence in this point , it may much incourage you to come in , certainly there be many in this Congregation , and in others , where the Word is preached , that he will pardon , Mar. 10.46 . The blind man hearing it was Christ that past by , he cryed for mercy , and many charged him to hold his peace , but he cried the more , and Christ stood still and called him unto him : Now if thou seest thy sin , and cryest for pardon , Christ will call thee to give pardoning mercy to thee as he did Bartimeus . Thirdly , It may be thou art not only under the means of grace and the outward call , but thou begin'st to feel an inward call , there are some stirrings of Gods Spirit within thee ; thou could'st say before , thou wonderedst what the matter was with people to run after Sermons , but now thou begin'st to feel the effect of it , And the glory of God appears to thee in this place , when thou art hearing of his Word ; thou may'st hence reason , as Manoa's wife , Judg. 13.23 . That certainly if God had intended to have killed us , he would not have received a burnt Offering and a meat Offering at our hands ; neither would he have shewed us all these things ; so say to thy soul , if God had intended to kill me , he would not have been so willing to have drawn me after him , neither would he have shewed me all these things , and let that be an incouragement unto thee . Fourthly , The end why God continues this world in being , is that he might give pardon to his Elect ; certainly this world had been dissolved long ago , if it were not that he might bring pardon to his Elect , and to those that see their sins ; this must needs be a great incouragement to a soul , viz. to those that see their sins , to come in ; when this pardoning work is done , Christ will deliver up his Kingdom to his Father ; if a malefactor should come to sue out his pardon , and one should say unto him , 't is well Sir you are come , for the King would not have kept his Court so long here , but that you should come in ; were not this a great incouragement ? so say I , were it not that men should come to get the pardon of their sins , the Court of the world would have been broken up long before this time , Fifthly , The principal scope of the Scriptures is for this very end , to reveal the pardoning grace of God ; you have here the heart of God laid open ; Christ wept and mourned that sinners would not come in , that they might be pardoned and saved . I have read a story , that in Athens there was a Temple , and in that there was a woman weeping , and in one hand she had a bleeding Heart , and with the other she was writing Pardons ; so Christ he stands weeping over you , that you will not come in , and he hath a bleeding heart , bleeding for you in the one hand , and with the other hand he is ready to write you a pardon , Luk. 19.41 , 42. nay , he does not only weep : But the Sixth incouragement may be , He sends his Ambassadors to woe you to come in , and tells them they shall not take a denyal at your hands , 2 Cor. 5.20 . They intreat and beg as in his Name , nay it is the beseechings and intreatings of God himself ; as if a King should send one of the Attendants on him to a poor condemned Prisoner , and say , go tell such a one that he must come for his pardon , and tell him , I beseech him , and take no denyal of him , I beseech him to come in ; would not this manifest the great willingness of the King to pardon ; God does so , he sends his Ministers and beseeches you to come in and take a pardon ; 't is as certain God speaks thus by his Ministers , as if you heard God speaking by himself , this should move you to come in , Christ begs and intreats you to be reconciled , that his bloud might not be shed in vain : seeing it is so , that God begs of thee to come in , why shouldest not thou come in , and take pardon of thy sin , Why can'st not thou come in and give up thy self and all thou hast and art to him . Seventhly , Know it is the great office and work of Christs mediatorship to bind up the broken hearts of wounded sinners , Isai . 61.1 . The Spirit of the Lord is upon me , and he hath anointed me , he hath sent me to preach good tidings to the meek ; he hath seat me to bind up the broken hearted , to proclaim liberty to the Captives , and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound ; this in the New Testament is applyed to Christ . Now this being the great work for which Christ came into the world , to bind up the broken-hearted , see whether thou canst not rely on Christ by an act of faith , this should be a great incouragement . Eighthly , Consider that , that God thou hast to deal withal , his nature is mercy in the abstract ; and if so , he is free in his mercy ; as the Sun shines , because it 's the nature of it to shine ; so the mercy of God must needs work freely , because it is his nature ; as the fire burns naturally , Exod. 34. & Mic. 7.18 . God pardons because he delights in mercy ; thou say'st thou art a poor sinner ; well , though it be so , yet thou may'st say , though God can see nothing in me , yet seeing that he is a God that delights in mercy , this may move me to come in : For 1. He hath more delight in pardoning any sinner than in all the creatures of Heaven and Earth ; God delights in all the works of his hands ; but in this he delights in more than in all ; he delights in them all , but not so much as in magnifying his grace in Jesus Christ ; for in this he magnifies his Son , and therefore he hath more pleasure , and takes more delight in pardoning a poor humbled sinner , than in all the works of his hands besides . 2. No one can take so much pleasure in the salvation of his own soul , as God doth in pardoning of thy sin ; and the reason is , because this is the greatest design that God hath , which is the setting out of his glory in his pardoning mercy in Christ , and therefore this may be a great encouragement . 3. God is more delighted in the work of thy heart closing with free grace , than in all the legal works of humiliation ; what says Christ ? this is the good will and pleasure of God ; and David was called a man after Gods own heart ; Why ? because he was a man that would do his will ; so that this is a great incouragement , though many abuse this and pervert it to their own destruction , yet God will have it taught , that thou mightest have the comfort of it , and therefore thou shouldest close with God and come in , and take hold of his pardoning mercy . Ninthly , Though God hath taken such a way in mercy to pardon sin , yet he loseth nothing in his justice ; Christ hath taken such order that his glory shall no way be diminished , his justice shall be satisfied ; and therefore thou need'st not say thus , I have so sinned against God that I know not , that I cannot tell how to make up his glory ; for there is care taken for that already , and therefore that need not discourage thee . Tenthly , There are as vile sinners now Triumphing in Heaven as any of you that are here , be you never so black and vile , and therefore be not discouraged at the greatness of thy sins ; for though they be very great , yet that may not keep thee out , others as vile as thou art , are now in Heaven . Eleventhly , Make the utmost of thy sin thou can'st , yet this need not hinder thee to come to God for : for ought that either men or Angels know ▪ thou hast as much interest in Christ as any Saint in Heaven over had , and if thou comest in and layest hold on Christ , thy very laying hold on Christ will plainly shew thou hast a right unto him , and therefore be not discouraged but come in . Twelfthly , Vpon thy closing with Christ , thou wilt find such a change as was never wrought in any creature besides ; for though thou wer 't vile and filthy , more vile and filthy than a child new born by original and actual sins ingendred in thee , yet thou shalt be made cleaner than a child , and more pure in the eyes of God than any child cleansed from his filthiness ; would not you do any thing to be pure in the eyes of God , make use of what I say , and you shall be clean ; when you hear the Ministers utter the threatnings of God you fall out with the man , and say , he preaches nothing but terror ; alas 't is our delight to preach the pardoning grace of God ; but we must shew the evil of sin , and it is that you might come in and imbrace mercy ; for know , we delight to preach mercy more than any thing else ; and know , that if thou desirest that all thy thoughts , ways and actions may be for Gods glory , he will not upbraid thee for coming in unto him , Joh. 6.37 . He that cometh to Christ , he will in no wise cast out ; though thou hast been never so great a sinner , yet thou may'st come in and close with Christ ; for he that comes to him , be he what he will , he will in no wise cast out . Thirteenthly , Thou wilt fill Heaven with joy , and there will be more melody in Heaven than at the coming in of any Prince to his Kingdom ; and I may say unto you , even in this place , if you come in , the Angels will rejoyce at it ; for there are many Angels stand about you ; therefore take heed of your carriage , for they come to see your behaviour ; have a special care your hearts be set upon the work you come about , for they are here to see how you carry your selves . Fourteenthly , In obtaining pardon of sin and closing with Christ by faith , thou art made heir of the whole world , Rom. 4.13 . How does many of you Marriners , and others venture upon dangerous voyages to get great Estates in this world , and you count them happy that are born to great Estates ; Why , by closing with Jesus Christ by faith for remission of sins , you are made heirs of the whole world , I mean not of that to come , but of this present world , though none of you certainly desire more than may carry you to Heaven , yet you are true and proper heirs of the whole world : All is yours , the Scripture is very clear in it ; but I cannot now stand to inlarge upon it , 1 Cor. 3. latter end . Fifteenthly , For any thing thou knowest , thou art one of Gods Elect , and there is nothing thou art to do , but God hath promised to inable thee to do it ; for there is such a transaction between God and Christ , that he that shall be saved shall not have only savour vouchsaf't unto him , but shall be inabled to do whatsoever God requires of him , there shall be grace given to every one of the Elect of God. And now if thou comest in and givest up thy self , and all that thou art , hast or can'st do to Christ : How knowest thou but thou art one of those that art Elect , and so shall be made for ever happy ? But if after all that has been said , thou goest away with slight thoughts of this rich and transcendent grace of pardoning mercy , and dost not set presently upon the work to obtain it , Be thou for ever ashamed and confounded , but let the pardoning mercy of God be for ever magnified . FINIS . A TABLE of the Principal Things contain'd in this Treatise . CHAP. I. THe Text opened , and the main Doctrine propounded , viz. pag. 1 Doct. That the blessedness of a man , or of any soul , consists in the free grace of God forgiving of his sin . 4 CHAP. II. Of the blessedness of the pardon of sin , which appears 6 1. Negatively in the evil it frees us from . ibid. 2. Positively in the good bestowed upon us : therein consider 8 1 The Efficient cause of mercy in forgiveness of sin . ibid. 2 The Final cause of mercy in forgiveness of sin . 9 CHAP. III. Of 11 wonderful Mysteries of Godliness included in in the great mercy of forgiveness of Sin. 10 1 It is by means of a Mediator . 11 2 It is through Christs undertaking the debt upon himself . 12 3 It is by Christs sufferings . 13 4 Sin pardoned makes the soul stands righteous before God. 14 5 This righteousness is in another . ibid. 6 A near union is made between Christ and the Soul 15 7 It is by faith , yet boasting is excluded . 16 8 God is infinitely just , and yet infinitely merciful . 18 9 When God forgives sin at present , he forgives all to come 19 10 God pardons a sinner not because he is , but that he might be changed . 25 11 God himself purchases the Pardon . 27 CHAP. IV. Of Pardon of Sin , not only being a mercy in it self , but the Foundation of many other Mercies . 28 1 Peace 1 with God. 2 with 1 Conscience . 2 Creatures . 30 32 33 2 The Revelation of Gods secrets to them he pardons . ibid. 3 It makes all other injoyments to be mercies which otherwise are not . 38 1 By reason of guilt of sin . 39 2 Not known whether they be given in love or hatred . ibid. 4 It makes all afflictions easie to be borne . 40 1 The great good of pardon makes the bitterest evil nothing . 41 2 It assures the soul the evil of affliction is gone . 42 5 Pardoning mercy brings healing with it into the soul . 43 6 Comfort against death the effect of pardoning mercy . 45 7 Security against the worlds reproaches . 46 8 It is the foundation of eternal life . 48 9 It is the bottom of all true comfort . ibid. CHAP. V. Of Pardoning Mercy passing through a great many difficulties by reason of the wrong that man hath done to God by Sin. 49 1 God must be made Man , and yet remain the same God he was before . 50 2 He must die and be made a curse . ibid. 3 The dead heart of man must be raised to do the gloriousest work that any creature ever did . 51 Hence 1 it is a great taking the Name of God in vain , for any man or woman to have slight thoughts of sin . ibid. 2 Men should be content to endure much difficulty in seeking of Pardon . ibid. 3 The difficulties pardon of sin passes through , should make us willing to undergo any hard services God puts us to . 52 CHAP. VI. Of Pardoning Mercy coming from the Fountain of Gods Everlasting Love. 52 CHAP. VII . Of Pardoning Mercy being a work that all the three Persons in the Trinity are ingaged in . 54 1 God the Father's heart was in it . ibid. 2 Christ the Son's heart was in it . 55 3 The Holy Ghost was much in it . 56 CHAP. VIII . Of Pardoning Mercy being a perfect mercy . 60 Hence 1 Flows out abundance of comfort . 61 2 Great ingagement unto duty . ibid. CHAP. IX . Of Pardoning Mercy being an Irrevocable Mercy . 62 This appears 1 In Gods blotting out of sin . 64 2 Casting it behind his back . 65 3 Removing it as far as the East is from the West . ibid. 4 Casts them in the bottom of the Sea. ibid. 5 He will remember them no more . ibid. 6 They shall never be mentioned . ibid. 7 They shall never be found . 67 CHAP. X. Of Pardon of Sin , being a mercy denyed to fal'n Angels . 69 CHAP. XI . Of Pardoning Mercy being such that it is given but to a few . 71 1 Because God would have a proportion between his Justice and Mercy . 72 2 To manifest his Mercy the more to those that are saved . ibid. CHAP. XII . Of the possibility of Pardoning Mercy , how it would be prized by poor Souls now under wrath . 74 CHAP. XIII . Of Pardon of Sin being the special end of all God's Ordinances . 76 1. Hearing of the Word . ibid. 2. The Sacraments . 78 3 Discipline . 79 A Transition to the Application of what is to be said to these things . ibid. CHAP. XIV . Of the Dishonour done by Men to the Pardoning Grace of God. 81 1 By careless ones . 82 2 By sinful ones who labour to increase guilt . 84 3 Those that have slight thoughts of Pardon . 87 4 Such as seek Pardon , but are insensible of the greatness of the work . 89 5 Those that dally with God , and 92 1 That cry for pardon , and yet continue in love to their sin . ibid. 2 That seek the pardon of some sins , yet still keep the love of others . 94 3 That look not after their Prayers . 95 4 That follow not their Prayers with answerable endeavours . ibid. 5 Those that pray for pardon , and yet are satisfied with other things . ibid. 6 Those that are quiet upon weak and slight Evidences , dishonour God , 96 1 The Word . 97 2 The Word put in writing . ibid. 3 Witnesses , and they are six 3 in Heaven , and 3 on Earth . ibid. 4 An Oath . ibid. 5 Seals . 98 1 The Broad Seal of the Image of God. ibid. 2 The Privy Seal of the Spirit of God. ibid. 3 Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. ibid. 7 Those dishonour Gods Mercy that defer the seeking of it to the worst times , as Sick-bed or Death-bed time . 99 1 Because they leave not sin till sin is leaving them . 100 2 That time is usually the time of Gods wrath . ibid. 3 A man is then unfit for the greatness of this work . 101 4 God will loose a great part of his end in pardoning mercy . 102 5 It argues a base spirit to put it off till then , that all the tag-rag and rabble-rout will come in ibid. 8 They dishonour the pardoning grace of God that seek it any other way then in and through the Mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ . ibid. 9 Those that venture on any one sin in hopes they may be pardoned 107 1 It argues an abominable heart . 111 2 An ingenious gracious spirit would never do it . ibid. 3 Gods Children reason to the contrary . 112 4 In some respect thou art worse than the damned in Hell. 113 5 This will be an intollerable burden to thee , that will indanger the sinking of thy soul in the bottomless gulf of dispair . 114 10 They dishonour the Pardoning Grace of God that sin after pardon , as 115 1 That return to the same sin . 116 2 That are negligent in the ways of God. 117 1 They remember not the days of old . 118 2 Are in danger of losing their Evidences . 120 3 This may provoke God to deal with you as a slave , and not as a son . 122 4 Hereby thy sin is aggravated above the sins of the wicked . ibid. CHAP. XV. Of the dishonour done to the Grace of God by not resting on it . 125 1 It argues low thoughts of the pardoning Grace of God. 126 2 Thou hereby judgest of God according to thy own thoughts 127 3 'T is contrary to the main scope of the Scriptures , which is to magnifie the pardoning grace of God 128 1 Against the greatness of sin . ibid. 2 The way thou takest 't is the ready way to perish . 129 Object . Would you have us go on to believe and doubt no more ? 130 Answ . No. But 1 Turn your fears of Presuming into fears of Dishonouring the Grace of God. 131 2 Set the greatness of the Pardoning Grace of God before the eye of your souls . ibid. 3 Keep your spirits in an active frame . 132 4 Renew your Resolutions of Honouring God whatever God does with you . ibid. 5 Keep thy heart in a waiting frame . ibid. 6 Catch hold of any beginnings . 133 Of the evil of this sin of dishonouring the pardoning Grace of God. ibid. 1 It is a sinning against mercy which God accounts his glory . ibid. 2 It aggravates the sin of such men . 134. 1 Above the sin of the Heathen . ibid. 2 Above the sin of the Devils . 135 3 The Scripture speaks dreadfully of it . ibid. CHAP. XVI . Of the several Mistakes of Men about the Pardon of their Sins . 1 Many think their sins are pardoned , because it is but little they are guilty of . Answ . 140 1 Such understand not the evil that is in the least sin . ibid. 2 Gods mercy is his own to do with it as he pleases . ibid. 2 Others think they are pardoned , because they have not multiplied and increast them . 142 Answ . One sin is enough to damn thee as well as a million of transgressions . ibid. 3 Others think they are pardoned , because the guilt of them does not lie upon their Consciences . Answered . 143 4 Others think they are pardoned , because they have had prosperity , Answ . 145 5 Others hope they are pardoned , because 1 They are sorry for them : Answ . 146 2 Leave them : Answ . 151 1 All Reformation satisfies not for sin . 153 2 God accepts of duties not for themselves , but because of the person that performs them . 154 3 Others say , we trust in the mercy of God , and they are 1 Such as are most grosly ignorant : Answ . 155 2 Others more knowing : Answ . 157 4 Others say , We rely upon Christ : Answ . 161 CHAP. XVII . Of the true Evidences of Forgiveness of Sin. 162 1 They are such as are Called Ones . 163 2 They are received into the Covenant with God. 169 3 They are translated into the Kingdom of his Son. 171 4 They have much given unto them . 173 1 The Spirit to inlighten them . 174 2 God will write his law in their hearts . ibid. 3 God will give them cleansing mercies . ibid. 5 They have a glory put upon them . 175 6 They are made to know what pardon means . 177 7 They have melting hearts for sin . ibid. 8 They have a growth in grace according to the degrees of pardon . 179 9 They have an answerable work in their souls to the work of Gods grace in pardoning them . 181 10 They have a merciful frame of heart to forgive others . 182 CHAP. XVIII . Of the Rules how to apply the Evidences of the Pardon of Sin. 1 If you cannot find all , yet if you find any one of them , you may take comfort because all are there . 185 2 Have recourse to Gods former workings . 187 3 Try not your selves in times of temptation . 189 4 What of the Word you find on your side , keep close to that 191 5 Renew your Evidences if you cannot find your old ones . 193 6 Remember you are to deal with God in a Covenant of Grace 195 7 When you want the faith of Assurance , put forth the work of faith of Adherence . 199 8 Rest not much upon Evidences . 200 9 When you have lost the use of signs at present , do not determine all is gone . 201 10 Keep up good thoughts of God when you are at the lowest . ibid. CHAP. XIX . Of Exhortation to seek after Pardon of Sin , with Cautions and Rules how to seek , and what we are to do . 1 Caution , Know , nothing in a natural man can be acceptable to God. 204 2 What is done before Vnion with Christ , is not to be reckoned on as the condition of the Covenant of Grace . 205 3 Rest not on any Preparatory works . ibid. 4 Yet such works are worthy of our utmost endeavours . 206 Rules how to seek 1 Set your selves as in the presence of God. 207 2 See it be such a seeking that may testifie thou prisest thy life here in this world for this end . 207 3 It must be done so , as that you never sought any thing in this world so us you seek this . 208 4 Do it as apprehending that God is a going . ibid. 5 So seek after it , as that thou may'st testifie thou sanctifiest the Name of God in it . 209 6 So seek as if you were now to answer for all your sins before the Lord. 210 7 Do it as thou thinkest in thy Conscience the damned souls in Hell would do it , if they had a possibility granted them . ibid. 8 Seek after it with a desire to bring as much glory to God as if he should damn you . 211 Of what is to be done in seeking 1 Be sure to take the heart from all other imaginary blessedness . ibid. 2 Let Conscience have free liberty to shew thee thy sins . 212 3 Be willing to own all thy sins . ibid. 4 Be willing to accept of the punishment of sin ▪ 213 5 Resolve to avoid sin whatever come of it . ibid. 6 Cast out whatsoever is gotten by false wayes . ibid. 7 Be sure thou be put of with nothing else but pardon of sin . ibid. CHAP. XX. Of Encouragements to seek after Pardon of Sin. 1 The time of your life is given you for this end . 215 2 The means you are under , argues that God intends mercy for you . ibid. 3 From the stirrings of Gods Spirit thou may'st argue God intends thee good . ibid. 4 The world is continued for this end , that God may gather in his Elect. 216 5 The Principal scope of the Scriptures is for this end , to reveal the pardoning Grace of God. ibid. 6 God sends his Ambassadors to wo you . 217 7 It is the great work of Christ's Mediatorship to bind up broken hearts . ibid. 8 God whom thou hast to deal withal , his nature is mercy in the abstract . ibid. 1 He more delights in pardoning any one sinner , than in all the Creatures of Heaven and Earth . ibid. 2 He takes more pleasure in saving the● than thou dost thy self . 218 3 God more delights in the work of the heart closing with 〈◊〉 grace than in all Legal Humiliations . ibid. 9 Christ hath satisfied Gods Justice . ibid. 10 As vile sinners as thou art , are now in Heaven . ibid. 11 Make the utmost thou can'st of thy sin , yet this need not hinder thee to come to God. ibid. 12 On closing with Christ thou wilt find such a change as was never in any creature besides . 119 13 Thy coming in , will fill Heaven and Earth with joy . ibid. 14 Thou art hereby made heir of the whole world . ibid. 15 For any thing thou knowest thou art one of Gods Elect , and so there is nothing that thou art to do , but he hath promised to enable thee to do it . 220 FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A30582-e1170 Prov. 25.11 . Object . Answ . Object . Answ . Object . Answ . Object . Answ . 4. Argument . Object . Answ . 2 Sam. 18.15 . Job . 5.23 . 5. Argument . 6. Argument . 7. Argument . 8. Argument . 9. Argument . 10. Argument . 11. Argument . Object . 12. Argument . 13. Argument . Quest . Answ . 1. Quest . Answ . 1. The Word . 2. Writing . 3. Witnesses . 4. Oath . 5. Seal . Ob. Ans . Quest . Answ . Answ . Plea. Answ . * Note the signs were given forth in one Sermon . O rich grace . Quest . Answ . Simile . 
A57248	----	The saints desire, or, A cordiall for a fainting soule declaring that in Christs righteousnesse onely ... there is life, happiness, peace ... also the happy estate of a man in Christ ... / by Samuel Richardson. Richardson, Samuel, fl. 1643-1658. 1647 Approx. 526 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 218 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A57248 Wing R1413 ESTC R35326 15247309 ocm 15247309 103276 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A57248) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 103276) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1193:3) The saints desire, or, A cordiall for a fainting soule declaring that in Christs righteousnesse onely ... there is life, happiness, peace ... also the happy estate of a man in Christ ... / by Samuel Richardson. Richardson, Samuel, fl. 1643-1658. 481 p. in various pagings. Printed by M. Simmons, and are to be sold by Hannah Allen ..., London : 1647. Errata: prelim. p. [16]. Reproduction of original in the Union Theological Seminary Library, New York. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Salvation. Christian life. Theology, Doctrinal. 2005-10 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-10 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-05 Ali Jakobson Sampled and proofread 2006-05 Ali Jakobson Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE SAINTS DESIRE ; OR A Cordiall for a fainting soule . Declaring that in Christs righteousnesse onely , ( and in nothing else ) there is life , happinesse , peace , strength , comfort , joy , and all fulnesse of perfection . Also , the happy estate of a man in Christ , the life he lives , wherein he is exercised , his experiences , and his desires to enjoy God , &c. Surely shall one say , In the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength , even to him shall men come , Isa . 45. 24. I will make mention of thy righteousnesse , even of thine onely , Psal . 71. 16. And these things write wee unto you , that your joy may be full , 1 Joh. 1. 4. By SAMUEL RICHARDSON . I heard sweet Jesus Christ unto me say , Rise my love , my faire one , and come away . London , Printed by M. Simmons , and are to be sold by Hannah Allen , at the Crowne in Popes-head-Alley . 1647. To the Right Honorable , Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX , Captain generall of all the Parliaments Forces in ENGLAND ; and Oliver Cromwell , Esquire , Lievtenant generall to the said Forces , such honour as is promised to all that honour the Lord Christ . Right Honourable ; YOu two are so joyned , as it were in one , that it may be said of you , which was said of Jonathan and David , ( two mighty warriours ) that their hearts were so knit , that they loved each other as their own soules ; they had such sweet experience of each others faithfulnesse , that it was not in the power of Saul ( though a King ) to break it , or cut it asunder ; and although many have attempted to doe the like to you , yet their labour hath been fruitlesse ; it hath bin a joy to many to see the effects of love so freely flow forth from each to other interchangeably , which is amiable , sweet , and lovely . Moreover , God hath raised you up , and set you in high places , where opportunities flow of doing good ; and which is more , God hath given you hearts to improve these opportunities to his glory , and the good of his people . You have also had many and great experiences of his protection , presence , & blessing , even to admiration ; it is the Lord alone , who hath wrought all your works for you : surely you may well stand astonished at his dealings with you ; all you can doe , is too little for him who hath done so much for you ; you know the sorrows , sufferings , and sighings of the people of God in this Kingdome , have been many and great , by reason of the Prelates Lording it over them in matters of Religion ; and their sorrows and sufferings are like to be greater , if the plots and snares laid against them take place , therefore now is the time for the righteous in authoritie to shew themselves for the people of God ; and such as sleepe and slumber had need quickly to be awaked , that they might rowse up themselves , & shake off that feare and faintnesse which possesseth their hearts , & arme themselves with resolution & courage , to hazard all , even life it selfe , upon a possibility of doing the least good , ( for to do good we live ) we rejoyce that God hath chosen you , ( with many others ) whom God hath kept waking for such a time as this . Next under God our eies are upon the house of Commons of England , to deliver us from temporall slavery , to free us from the oppression of men in matters of Religion ; we trust they will effect this work fully , ( and God shall give them a full reward ) as good Job , who was a father to the poore , and the cause he knew not he searched out , and brake the jawes of the wicked , and plucked the spoile out of his teeth . It is a great honour unto you , that you have done valiantly , & so have been speciall instruments to save this Kingdome from destruction , & that God hath made you and your Armies so victorious ; but it is a greater honour unto you , that you are of the number of those that love the truth and people of God , and endeavour to rescue them from the hands of cruell and unreasonable men : the people of God are in the love of God , and ( which is more ) they are one with God , therefore God takes the good done to them as done to himselfe , abide by them , and you shall be in safety ; hold together , for they that seek their lives , seek yo●●● also : And as you have pleaded their cause , ( with many other Worthies with you ) so still goe on & prosper , the Lord is with you , you valiant men , the Saints love you , they pray & praise God for you ; England fareth the better for you , childrē unborn shall praise you , & blesse God for you , & the memorial of your names shal be for ever precious . Most noble Worthies , I may seeme to passe the bounds of modesty , so to presse into your presence , but such is your humility and love , that you can passe by any defect in that kinde , and accept of that which is presented in love . And seeing God doth not despise the day of small things , I trust you will not ; the great respect you have shewed to the truth , and people of God , hath imboldened me to present you with the best I have , in love , out of a deep respect unto you ; the perusall and acceptance of which , I submit to your wisdomes , and humbly take my leave , and remaine Your Honours much oblieged , SAMUEL RICHARDSON . To all fainting and discouraged soules , who are lost and fatherlesse . BEhold , I bring you tydings of great joy , that Jesus Christ came from Heaven to seeke and save you , Luk. 19. 10. You shall enjoy mercy , life , and glory by him ; for in him the fatherlesse finde mercy , Hos . 14. 3. You are they who hunger and thirst after Christ , and his righteousnesse ; this desire is from the in-being of the light and life of Christ in you , therefore thou art for the present blessed , and shalt be satisfied , Mat. 5. 6. Therefore you may be sure , God is at peace with you , he hath loving kindnesse for you , which is better then life : yea all is yours , for God is yours , and that for ever : Is not this , as good news from a farre Countrey , welcome and savoury ? Oh what can be more sutable , pleasant , profitable , or delightfull , better or more desireable ? Christ will give you that peace which cannot be taken from you : Oh the fulnesse , sweetnesse , gloriousnesse , and infinitenesse of this peace ! it passeth our understandings , we cannot fully impart it , because we doe not fully know it ; for we know but in part , yet a part wee know through grace , though many see not this peace , nor know not the way of it , to whom I have endeavoured to declare that mystery of love and grace revealed to me , desiring to obey Christs command , When thou art converted , to strengthen thy brethren . And diddest thou know the freenesse , fulnesse , sutablenesse , sweetnesse , and durablenesse of Gods rich grace to a creature who is nothing in his own eyes , who hath interest in it , and therefore may apply it , thou couldst not but be ravished with it . Consider what God hath given thee , and sent unto thee , and put into thy hand , even some of his rarest and choicest dainties , from his banquetting house , some flagons of his most excellent and richest wine , which is full of spirit and life , one taste is able to cheare and revive thy heart , yea raise and ravish thy fainting soule with love into love , yet drinke freely , the more the better , be filled with them , there is enough , Christs dainties are durable , his fountain is bottomlesse and infinite , it can never be exhausted or drawne dry , therefore eate , O friends , and drinke abundantly , and be drunke with them . Here are means proposed , with some Scriptures , which tends to settle a troubled soule in the sweet enjoyment of the love of God : if God please to blesse them , they will be sweet and profitable to thee , in stead of darknesse , light shall shine clearly , sweetly , pleasantly , it 's the Lord onely that can cause the soule to see this light , and love , so as to live in it , being over-powered with it , and to walke sutable unto it ; if the Lord shall please to blesse this to thy soule , acknowledge his goodnesse with thankfulnesse and joy , as some have done ; the Lord give thee wisdome to know the truth , and to receive thy own portion , without which nothing can doe thee good , 1 Cor. 3. 6 , 7. Men may speake comfort , but they cannot comfort , it 's God that creates the fruit of the lips , peace : if he speake the word , it 's done , Gen. 1. 3. The Lord speake so to thee , that thou maist profit by it , and that thy joy may be full . Also to you belong all the promises of this life , and that to come , Heb. 6. 17. Which rich treasure , God hath imparted in severall parts , that all the sonnes and daughters of truth might be comforted in , and satisfied with the injoyment of God in them . To this end here are comprized many principal promises , that you may with more ease and speed finde them , and suck sweetnesse from them , our lives cannot be sweet without them , in respect of the many miseries that attend us within and without : but those that live by faith are not troubled in a world of troubles , faith supplies all wants , this life of faith is the highest , therefore the best ; such as live it , know it to be a sweet , precious , and powerfull life , as appeares , Heb. 11. Faith honours God most , and God honours them most that live by faith , by it the Saints wrought righteousnesse , stopped the mouths of Lyons , of weake were made strong : By faith Jacob had power with God , Hos . 12. 3 , 4. By it Job could trust God , though God should kill him , Job 13. 15. By faith we live to God a life of joy in God our righteousnesse , as if we had never sinned : by faith we live above sin , infirmities , temptations , desertions , sense , reason , feares , doubts , &c. It sweetens the sweetest mercies , yea the bitterest miseries , faith makes great afflictions to be as none , it maintaines the soules strength and comfort . Christ lives in our hearts by faith , by it wee obey God : faith makes Christs yoke easie and sweet ; the fruition of God is all the soule can desire ; faith helps the soule to this , it puts the soule into possession of heaven while the body is on earth ; by it we view the glory of heaven , to know its worth , to enjoy the purchaser and purchase it selfe , by faith we know our selves to be happie , even then when to a carnall eye we seeme most miserable ; by faith we can part with the sweetest outward comforts , and welcome death , because wee know we leave the worst place and things , and goe to better ; they that live by faith , live upon God himselfe , and are feasted in our Lord Jesus banquetting house , where there is all the desirable dainties , and enough . Eate then O friends , drinke , yea , drinke abundantly O beloved , because it is the pleasure of our sweet Lord Jesus that his doe so , it 's their portion , duty , and priviledge , to digest , refresh , and make their soules merry with his dainties , to enjoy himselfe in them , that so their joy may be full . And because it is the will of Christ that those who have found rest and peace in him should take his yoke upon them , as appeares , Mat. 11. 38 , 39. Here is added the Saints dutie and service to Christ , and the rather , for now is the time the love of many waxeth cold to God and man , Religion is esteemed of many to be but a bare notion , or a little speculation , nothing of practise , iniquitie abounds , many depart from the faith to needlesse disputes and principles , that destroy the foundation of Religion , no law , no transgression , no sinne , all alike , as appeares , Rom. 4. 15. So that many run the round , began at nothing , and end in nothing , so that many in stead of submitting to the yoke of Christ , cavill against it , so that few will submit unto it , notwithstanding it 's holy , just , light , easie , sweet , and a law of love . Call persons to obey Christ , and men are apt to think it legall and slavish , but if men were to worke for life , it were so indeed , we cannot doe any thing to procure the pardon of sinne , we only desire such as have received mercy and life from Christ , to act from the same life and power , according to the word of Christ , to Christ againe out of love and thankfulnesse ; surely such as have received mercy from him , vehemently desire to obey him , esteeming it a great priviledge to be imployed in his service ; also in keeping his cōmands , there is great reward , Psal . 19. By nature we are prone to desire libertie , and abuse it ; we need to be exhorted that we use not our libertie as an occasion to the flesh , Gal. 5. to sloath and ease , &c. Libertie to sinne is no libertie , but the greatest bondage that can be to have a free heart to serve God , and the lets outwardly removed is sweet libertie to enjoy God , is libertie to be set free by Christ from sin , Satan , hell , is to be freed indeed ; and though we have nothing to doe to be saved , we have something to doe for his glory , which is to be our meat and drinke , therefore let no difficultie hinder thee in serving thy Lord , say not it is impossible , consider Luk. 1. 6. 1 Pet. 4. 13. 19. Presse after perfection , the neerer the better , watch and pray to prevent sinne , to doe good , make it thy businesse to keepe Christs commands . Indeed all have not the like time to spend herein , the necessitie of outward things , hinders many that they cannot doe what otherwise they might and would , one wants time , another a heart , another both , we should consider whether we spare that time for these things we might , we can and will spare time for what we list and love , though they be things of lesse moment ; consider Song 8. 6 , 7. Were we so full of love , wee could not but spare some time , not onely from our recreation and idle visits , but from our sleepe and callings , wee would redeeme time , and cut off needlesse expences too by time ; that time is sweet and precious , in which the soule beholds God , and glory , and hath communion with him : when wee consider how farre short we come of our dutie , we may say with griefe and sorrow , Lord , what is man , a very vanitie ; And notwithstanding wee come farre short of what we ought to doe , wee are not to sit downe discouraged , but to live by faith in all infirmities above infirmities , beholding and enjoying thy joy and peace with God : when thou art at the worst , as knowing no infirmitie can lessen the love of God to those who are his , yet are wee to take notice wherein wee come short with griefe , looking up to him by faith for more strength , to serve him better , esteeming it a great priviledge to be circumspect in all our actions to God and man. There be some other sever all things contained in this Treatise , which I trust will be of use to some : and as for the directions concerning the Scriptures , they have been observed by many to be necessary to cut off many errors . I have added some other things : my whole aime and scope in all I have written , is , first , to sustaine , comfort , and incourage the discouraged soule from sinking in despaire , by reason of their many and great sinnes : secondly , to withdraw the soule from the life of its own hand , to the life of the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation . Thirdly , that the soule might know and live in the assurance of the love of God , which will fill the soule full of life , sweetnes , and joy . Fourthly , that the soule should obey Christ , and live to his glory , and suffer for him . Fiftly , to prevent errors , and to recall such of the Lords , who have through mistake fallen into them by the wiles of Satan . You are not to expect vaine Philosophy , nor intising words of the wisdome of man ; for here it is not : I have desired and endeavoured to make the truth appeare by the evidence and demonstration of the holy Scriptures , as that which is most safe and profitable for our soules to venture themselves upon ; and seeing they are to be our onely rule , search the Scriptures to see whether what I have declared be so or no , and I trust you shall find it true and sweet , ( though others , through mistake , may call it error . ) Now the Lord of heaven and earth , enable thee and all his to looke up to him to be taught by him , to enjoy him , and to walke so before him , that they may honour him , and that their joy may be full . Extoll him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah , and rejoyce before him , Psal . 68. 4. The most mightie whose name is Jah , his servant SAMUEL RICHARDSON . Faults escaped in the Printing . Page . Line . Word . Read. 33. 23. filled . fitted . 55. 3. Eph. Colos . 56. 10. live , leave . 111. 23. Pauls , parts . 185. 26. shau , shall . 219. 3. sure , fa●re . 265. 17. difference , discerne . 256. 26. save , serve . 276. 6. meanes , mens consequences . 315. title . free grace , free will. 318. 12. of ours , dash out . 325. 12. men . if men . 365. 14. noyse , voyce , The other mistakes correct , or passe by in love . THE MISERABLE ESTATE of a Man by nature . ISAI . 44. 20. He feedeth upon ashes : a deceived heart hath turned him aside , that be cannot deliver his soule , nor say ; Is there not a lie in my right hand ? THese words declare the dead and miserable estate of a man by nature . 1. In this he is described to be one that is without knowledge and understanding ; for he hath shut their eyes that they cannot see , and their hearts that they cannot understand , vers . 18 , 19. They are in the state of nature , in the state of death , as appeares , vers . 16 , 17. 2. The food he eateth is described to be ashes . 3. He hath an appetite unto them , he lives upon them ; he feedeth upon ashes . 4. The end of his feeding is , that he might live , and deliver his soule . 5. But he is mistaken , he is deluded , he is turned aside . 6. The cause of this delusion , is from his owne heart , which deceives him , and turnes him aside . 7. Here is the strength of his delusion , in that he cannot say , Is there not a lye in my right hand ? 8. The sum of all is , his soule is taken prisoner by Satan , he is a captive to him , and so kept by him that he cannot deliver his soule . Ashes . ] That is to say ; 1. groundlesse hopes ; 2. false conclusions ; 3. Idolatry ; 4. duties ; 5. ordinances ; 6. comforts ; 7. joyes ; 8. ravishment ; 9. or what else soever yee can name , except Jesus Christ , is ashes . Jesus Christ is the true bread ; other things may be taken for bread , and in appearance , have the same colour , and forme , like this bread , but let them seeme what they can , they are no bread indeed , but ashes . But Christ is the true bread , his flesh is meat indeed , and his bloud drinke indeed ; He is the living bread which came downe from Heaven ; if any man eate of this bread , he shall live for ever , Joh. 6. 32. 35. 48. 51. 55. &c. Feedeth upon ashes . ] This implies he hath an expectation to injoy satisfaction from them , his going to them , application of them , contentednesse with them , declares he hath satisfaction in them , and lives upon them . The words opened . By heart is meant the understanding and will. Deceived heart , mis-informed by Satan , darkened . Aside , from Christ , in whom is deliverance , rest , and satisfaction . Turned him , viz. the understanding and will , hath a power to turne the soule . Soule , is meant the whole man , a principall part being put for the whole . Deliver , escape the danger he is in . A lye , viz. that is that which will deceive me , in not being unto me that I take it for , that which will not be that to me I need , that which will not performe that it promiseth to be to me . Hand , that which holds , mystically the understanding , &c. Right hand , that is most eminent for use , viz. in those things which are most eminent , that are of greatest concernment , the soule is deceived . 1. A naturall man is sensible of the want of something he needs for his soule , therefore he saith ; Wherewith shall I come before the Lord ? shall I come before him with burnt offerings , with calves of a yeare old ? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams , or with ten thousands of Rivers of oyle ? Shall I give my first-borne for my transgression , the fruit of my body for the sinne of my soule ? Micah 6. 6 , 7. All this is ashes . 2. There is not any life or strength to be expected from ashes , they are no food fit to eate ; as ashes naturally corrupts the body , and destroys it , so here they fill the soule with corruption , and will kill and destroy the soule at last , as they that have no bread must dye for hunger , Luk. 15. 17. 3. The food naturall men live upon is ashes , they have no better food to live upon , bread they have none , they know not where any better is , nor doe they desire and bread , Isa . 55. 2. Ashes is sutable to their natures , judgements , desires , affections , they know no danger in eating of ashes , they thinke it is a happinesse to have them , and that they shall have satisfaction from them . Eaters of ashes are in a dangerous condition , they must dye spiritually and eternally : there be many that eat ashes , they thinke and dreame they eat bread , but they are deceived , as Isai . 29. 8. They follow vanitie , Hab. 2. 3. The East winde , Hos . 12. 1. And lay out their money for that which is no bread , Isai . 55. 2. What doest thou eate and live upon bread or ashes , when thou art empty ? 1. What doest thou eye , whether doest thou goe ? goest thou to nothing but to Christ ; onely wee have hope in Christ , 1 Cor. 15. 19. Is thy hope onely in Christ ? 2. In what doest thou find peace , comfort , contentment , satisfaction in ? is it in nothing else but Christ ? Phil. 3. 8. 3. Where lyeth thy life and strength ? is it in nothing but in Christ ? without me yee can doe nothing , Joh. 15. 5. Col. 3. 11. Will no peace , comfort , praise of men , duties , ordinances , joyes , ravishments , satisfie thee ? will nothing but Jesus Christ , but Christ is all in all , Col. 3. 11. If it be so , it is well . Comfort to all that eat this bread , yee shall be satisfied , yee doe live , and shall live for ever , Joh. 6. Oh you may well be thankfull for this so great mercy , that yee have bread to eat , which others have not , nor know not of , they famish and dye for want of bread ; yet thou hast enough , and shalt ever have enough ; in my Fathers house there is bread enough , and to spare . Luk. 15. 17. 4. There is nothing in him that can helpe him ; if he follow his own heart , he is misled , his heart is deceived , it turnes him aside , and leads him to death ; if he follow his light , his understanding , he follows darknesse , his light is darknesse , Mat. 6. 33. ( man in himselfe is irrecoverably lost ) he that walketh in darknesse , knoweth not whither he goeth , Joh. 12. 35. We were sometimes darknesse , Ephes . 5. 8. 5. Consider mans heart is not to be hearkened unto , because it turnes the soule aside from Christ ; what , doest thou hearken unto , and live upon , thy owne heart , &c. or on Christ ? 1. Many in stead of living upon God , live upon a deceived heart , as Pro. 3. 5 , 6. 7. 2. Others live upon sense . 3. Others live upon corrupt reason . 4. Some build their hope of salvation upon other mens judgements , who if they be godly , may easily be mistaken in a close hypocrite . 5. Many live upon the report of others , which appears by this , that if men speak not well of them , they are greatly troubled , & are not able to beare it , by which it appeares their life is in it ; it was no wonder Laban made such adoe in searching for his images , because they were his gods . 6. Many live upon their reformations , they thanke God they are not so bad as they have been , therefore they have hope ; it 's well when men grow better , yet abstinence from evill , is no evidence of grace ; for men may forbeare the acts of sinne for feare of hell or men , &c. 7. Others live upon duties , and as they are increased , their hope and confidence in God is increased , but if their duties faile them , their hope and comfort is gone ; by which it appeares , they live upon what they doe , and not upon God ; these count their duties , which is their righteousnesse gaine : but if they belong to God , they must count againe , as Paul did , this their gaine to be losse for Christ , Phil. 3. 8. 8. Some live upon their peace , they thanke God , they are quiet , there is no terrors , nor feare of hell in them , therefore thinke they are in a good estate : a most subtill delusion . 9. Others live upon groundlesse hope , because their sinnes are few or small ( as they thinke ) they have hope . 10. Many live upon their inward comforts and joy , which appeares by this , that whilst they last , they have much assurance of the love of God , and are sure of salvation ; but as soone as their comfort , joy , which was sensibly felt , leaves them , their confidence went with their comfort , and leaves them in a sad condition . 11. Others upon ravishments and excasies of glory , &c. 12. Many live upon the ordinances of men , and stand ready resolved to be of any Religion the Authority will impose upon them ; and the more easie it is for their persons and purses , the more it shall have of their hearts . 13. Yea and many there be that live upon the ordinances of God , without God , these so they may frequent the ordinances ; they are satisfied , though they see not God in them , and be never the better for them . 14. Others live upon their confidence of salvation . 15. And some live upon creature-comforts , and conclude , because they possesse them , God loves them . 16. And many live upon the Devill , and his word , that is , when Satans suggestions are hearkened unto , liked , beleeved , imbraced , obeyed , as if he should say , their sinne shall never be pardoned , nor subdued , they beleeve him , and are ruled by him ; this is to live upon the Devill , as to hearken unto God , as Isa . 53. 3. To beleeve in him , 1 Joh. 3. 23. and to submit themselves to God , Jam. 4. 7. is to live upon God. A false foundation and a false life goe together , therefore whosoever they be that live upon any thing besides God in Christ , as their foundation is unsound , so certainly it will deceive them , whatsoever their sparkes be , they must and shall lie downe in sorrow , as Isa . 50. 10. they are all lying vanities , and they that hearken unto them forsake their own mercies , as Jonah 2. 8. A man is prone to follow the advise of his heart . The reason is : 1. Because he thinkes his heart knows . 2. That his own heart will not deceive himselfe ; but who so trusteth in his owne heart is a foole , Prov. 28. 26. Isai . 10. 7. Jer. 23. 26. 3. He is ignorant of the desperate wickednesse of his heart ; The heart is deceitfull above all things , and desperately wicked , who can know it ? Jer. 17. 9. 4. He knows no better Counsellor ; happy is he who is so acquainted with his hearts deceitfulnesse , that he will not trust to it , nor hearken unto it . 5. The heart is the ●a●se of all the errors and miscarriages of men ; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh , Luk. 6. 45. Mat. 15. 19. What men thinke , speake , or doe , is from the heart . 6. A man by nature desires that his soule may be delivered , because he apprehends his soule is in danger , and that it is of great concernment unto him for his soule to be delivered . 7. A naturall man doth indeavour to save and deliver himselfe : men seeke deliverance for themselves from themselves . Reasons . 1. He judgeth it a reasonable thing that his soule be delivered . 2. He knows no other way of deliverance , save that of his own , either wholly or in part . 3. He thinkes it concerns him most , therefore it is his dutie to doe it , who else should ? 4. He is perswaded he may deliver his soule , or that without him it cannot be delivered . Man can do no better , till God manifest to him the perfection of Christs righteousnesse , then shall he see the insufficiency of his own , Rom. 10. 3. 8. He cannot deliver his soule , all that man can doe , it is impossible for man to save himselfe in whole or in part , it is beyond his power , he cannot doe it ; untill a soule be convinced he cannot deliver himselfe , he rests in himselfe : God hath not left it to the will and power of man to deliver himselfe . Reasons . 1. That no man may boast , Ephes . 2. 9. That the pride in man might be dashed in pieces . 2. That no man might live in and upon himselfe , nor joy in himselfe , but rejoyce in the Lord Jesus Christ , and have no confidence in the flesh , Phil. 3. 1. 3. 3. That Gods power and free love might be manifested ; That we might know the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us-ward , who beleeve his mightie power , Eph. 1. 19. 4. That God might have all the glory , Ephes . 1. 6. That no flesh should glory , 1 Cor. 1. 29. Gal. 6. 14. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified , and shall glory , Isa . 55. 25. 9. All wayes besides Christ are by-paths , aside out of the way : I am the way , Joh. 14. 6. 10. Christs way and mans way are contrary each to other : Christs way leads the soule to Christ ; mans way leads to himselfe , to deliver himselfe . 11. Wee should not be led aside from Christ by any thing ; hearken then onely to Chr●●● 12. Nor say , is there not a lye ? and that is , he cannot aske a question , &c. 13. The meanes of deliverance is so hid from man , that he hath no power to use them . 14. A lye , all that man doth rest upon while he is in the state of nature , is nothing but a lye ; oh , he is miserably deluded . 15. The strength and confidence of a deluded man , may be so great , that it may seeme to him unreasonable once to question it . 16. Mens confidence of salvation , may be greater and stronger then the faith of some of the Lords ; and yet it is false and nothing but the delusion of a deceived heart , and Satan . 17. The greatnesse or strength of any mans confidence , cannot assure him that hath it , that it is not a delusion ; but it is proved to be true or false by the ground of it , the cause and foundation of it . If it be built or caused by any of mans qualifications , either abstinence from sin , doing good , or from his inward peace , comfort , joy , &c. it 's false . But if it be founded upon Christ , onely in his free grace , from the word and promise of God , Rom. 15. 4. In his word doe I hope , Psal . 130. 5. But I hope in thy word , Psal . 119. 81. it is true ; did God so convince thee , that thou becamest lost and fatherles , Hos . 14. 3. and perswaded thee he had mercy for thee , and caused thee to hope in him for it , Psal . 33. 18. 21. 22. it is no delusion . FINIS . NEWES FROM HEAVEN , OR A CORDIALL for a fainting Heart . 2 COR. 5. 20 , 21. Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ , as though God did beseech you by us , we pray you in Christs stead , be yee reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us , that knew no sin , that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him . BEhold , and hearken , for here are tydings of great joy , that Christ alone doth free the soule from sin , and makes the soule to enjoy the righteousnesse of God in him ; in which is sure , sweet , cleare , full , durable , divine consolation , sufficient to cheare , revive , raise and ravish the sinking soule , by reason of sin , in the want of a righteousnesse of God in him . These words containe many divine truths , I shall endeavour to declare some observations from them for our instruction and consolation . In that he saith , Be yee reconciled to God , you may observe , That the best estate of men by nature is an estate of enmitie against God , who is the chiefest good ; for if these need any reconciliation , how much more enemies ? Rom. 5. 10. For he hath made him to be sin for us . God hath in his wisdome and love found out a way to save lost man , and hath sent the Lord Jesus to effect it , Zach. 9. 10 , 11. and manifest it , and hath sent Ambassadors , and given us his word to declare his great grace , Joh. 1. 17. infinite love , Joh. 3. 16. and the unsearchable riches of Christ . Be yee reconciled to God , for he hath made him to be sin for us . That there needs strong reasons and earnest intreaties , yea the arme of the Lord must be revealed in them , to reconcile a sinfull soule to God , Isa . 53. 1. As though God did beseech you . God is more willing to pardon a sinner , yea the chiefe of sinners , then any soule is or can be willing to be pardoned . This appeares in that God seeks to us to be reconciled ; man seeks it not : I was found of them that sought me not , Isa . 65. 1 , 2 , 3. And in that God beseecheth a lost sinner to be reconciled to God ; and when we prodigals turne to God , being turned by God , we doe but goe , and that softly ; but God who is that Father , runneth to receive us , as Luk. 15. 18. 20. And as running expresseth much more willingnesse , then an easie going , so it is here . God beseecheth you by us , wee pray you in Christs stead . It appeares that all the doubts and feares the soule or Satan can frame , as if God were unwilling to pardon a lost sinner , ( Luk. 19. 10. ) are all groundlesse and false ; for he prayeth and beseeches to be reconciled , as if he should say , goe tell such a soule from me , I will have him to be reconciled to me , I am not angry with him , he need not doubt of my love , which is infinite , without time or measure , I am all-sufficient , I can and I will passe by all his wickednesse against me . Be yee reconciled ; we pray you . That even such sinners as God sends after , and will save , they have many hard thoughts of God , they are so foolish and so deceived by sin , that they are contented to be as they are , and stand in need to be prayed and intreated to be reconciled to God. As though God did beseech you by us . That all those into whom God hath put this word of reconciliation , when it is declared unto us by them , or in his Word , we ought to receive it , and beleeve it , as if God did immediately speak unto us , for they speake in his stead : So also it is the duty of the Ambassadors of Christ to declare nothing but the message they receive from Christ , according to the word of Christ . We pray you , be yee reconciled to God ; for he hath made him to be sin for us . The way God takes to reconcile a sinner unto himselfe , is the discovery of his free grace and love of God done to man through Christ . The discovery of this to the soule , expels ignorance , and slayeth the soules enmity against God ; and by his love he draweth the soule to God in love again ; Gods way of saving man is onely in a way of love ; therefore he saith , Behold , I will allure her , and speake comfortably unto her , Hos . 2. 14. His love is free , full , and eternall ; I will love them freely , Hos . 14. 4. I drew them with cords of a man , with bands of love , Hos . 11. 4. Be reconciled ; for he hath made him to be sin for us . It appeares that the sense and guilt of sin , doth hinder the soule from being reconciled ; sin causeth the soule to desire to be at a further distance from God , as Luk. 5. 8. That before a sinner can be reconciled unto God , he must understand and know the cause , way , and meanes of his salvation , ( I say not before God loves him ) therefore as it is declared ; that all have sinned , and come short of the glory of God , &c. Rom. 3. So he declares that Jesus Christ is made sin for us , and that wee are justified freely by his grace , through the redemption that is in Jesus , whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud , to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sinnes , that he might be just , and the justifier of him that beleeves in Jesus , Rom. 3. 23 , 24 , 25 , 26. see Rom. 5. 10 , 11. 13. 19. Rom. 6. 23. Titus 3. 5. He hath made him . God the Father hath set apart the Lord Jesus to save man , Heb. 9. 14. 22. Rev. 13. 8. There is no other name whereby we may be saved , but by the name of Jesus , Act. 4. 12. Which knew no sinne . Christ knew no sin in himselfe personally , Luk. 1. 35. nor inherently , Heb. 14. 5. nor experimentally , Joh. 8. 40. And seeing Christ is so holy a person and so qualified as he is , Col. 2. 3. none ought to doubt of the sufficiency , meritoriousnesse , and effectualnesse of whatsoever he hath undertaken to doe : for by once offering the sacrifice of himselfe , he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified ; that is , set apart , Heb. 10. 10. 14. So that the sinfull soule ought to cast away all discouragements , and to rest satisfied in this full , perfect , and infinite satisfaction , and not suffer their foolish hearts to seeke after , or desire any other , for as there is none to be found elswhere , so there needs none ; for be thy sinnes never so great , or many , this one satisfaction of the Lord Jesus is sufficient . Made him to be sinne . God hath imputed our sinnes unto Christ , and so laid them upon him , Esa . 53. 5. that they are not ours no more but Christs , who hath freed us from them , who will disanull them , and so free himselfe of them , so that he shall appeare without sin , Heb. 9. 28. The way and meanes God hath chosen to free a sinner from sin , is onely by Jesus Christ , that he might undergoe the penalty of sin , or else no man could be saved , as these Scriptures declare , Joh. 1. 1. 7. Joh. 1. 29. Rom. 8. 2. Ephes . 2. 14 , 15. Rev. 1. 5. Heb. 9. 22. Col. 1. 20. Zach. 9. 11. For sin must be charged upon Christ , or the sinner , and our happinesse lyeth in this , that our sinnes are not imputed unto us , Psal . 32. 1 , 2. Rom. 4. 8. Our sins cost Christ deare , that they might cast us nothing , Rom. 5. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 18 , 19. For us . The word , us , and wee , in this verse , must be understood for them in the 19. verse , to whom God doth not impute their trespasses : So that they are blessed , Psal . 32. 1 , 2. Rom. 4. 7. for they shall not misse of glory , because they have redemption by his bloud , and remission of sinnes , as Col. 1. 14. Rom. 5. 10. Therefore by the words , us , and wee , cannot truly be understood every son and daughter of Adam . For so large as the purpose of God is of saving men , so large is the meanes of this salvation , so large is the declaration to be , so large is the particular application of salvation to be , & so large is the effect of salvation it selfe ; none of these are any larger then the other . If any reply that Christ in the declaration is offered to all , therefore the particular application of salvation is to be to all . I answer , That Christ is not offered to all , nor to none at all : true , it is the Gospel is to be preached to every creature , and that all persons whosoever will are called to come to Christ to drinke , &c. But what Scripture saith , Christ is offered to any person , much lesse to all the world ? God so loved the world , that whosoever beleeves in him , should not perish , but have everlasting life . This is a declaration of what persons God will save : the word of God is a declaration of the will of God ; now for to declare a thing , and to offer it , is not one thing ; for one may declare to another , the riches that he or another hath , and yet not offer any of them , nor it may be cannot ; and so a man may give that to another , which he never offered him . It 's safest to keep to the language of the Scriptures ( which forme of words are sound ) especially in this age , in which men catch up expressions , and by them abuse God , and his truth , and themselves ; for if one affirme , that God offereth Christ to all ; men reply , doth not God meane as he saith ? and if God offers Christ , and man hath not a sufficient power to receive him ; they are mocked , and God is unjust , &c. and that men have free-will , and such like stuffe , so that yee may see how one error draweth many after it , and it 's oft grounded upon an unsound expression . Made sin : made the righteousnesse of God. After what manner Christ became a sinner , after the same manner wee are made just ; but he became a sinner not by any infusion of our corrupt qualities , but by imputation onely : Therefore wee are just before God , not by infusion of any habituall grace into our corrupt natures , but by imputation of his righteousnesse ; God imputeth righteousnesse without works , Rom. 4. 6. If this were well minded , it might answer and remove some temptations , which are occasioned by apprehending the contrary . The righteousnesse of God. Christs righteousnesse is the righteousnesse of God. That righteousnesse which freeth a sinner from the curse of the Law is a perfect righteousnesse , Heb. 1. 8. Rom. 9. 5. Mat. 6. 33. Rom. 4. 6. Therefore prize it highly . Mans righteousnesse is imperfect , and could not justifie him before God ; Enter not into judgement with thy servant , for in thy sight shall no man living be justified , Psal . 143. 2. Dan. 9. 18. Tit. 3. 5. 7. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags , &c. Isai . 64. 4. 6. God reveales to a soule Christs righteousnesse , and the soules interest unto it , Joh. 16. 14. To comfort the soule , and cause the soule to love God againe , he doth not comfort us in the sight of our own righteousnesse , before he declares and comforts the soule in the righteousnesse of Christ . Righteousnesse in him . That righteousnesse which justifieth us before God , as it is not ours , so it is not in us , but as it is Christs righteousnesse , so it is in him : In the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength : in me you shall have righteousnesse and strength , Isa . 45. 23 , 24 , 25. The cause or forme of our justification , is by a reciprocall translation of our sin unto Christ , and his righteousnesse unto us : both which is done by God for us . That we might be made . Whatsoever Jesus Christ hath done and suffered , was for those whose sinnes were laid upon him , who are stated in him , Ephes . 1. 4. and are fully pardoned by him , Rev. 1. 5. By the obedience of one man ( viz. Christ ) many are made righteous , Rom. 5. 19. By his stripes we are healed , Isa . 53. 5. The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin , 1 Joh. 1. 7. In him . God considers his to be in Christ , before they had a beeing in themselves , Ephes . 1. 4. and he never lookes upon his children out of him , for they are never out of him : They dwell in Christ , Joh. 6. 56. and shall ever live , Joh. 9. 25. and be found in him , Phil. 3. 8. Christ and all true beleevers are so united together , that they are but one ; one body , one spirit , bone of his bone : oh what union is like to this , that is so reall , full , and intire , wonderfull , glorious , spirituall , eternall , and infinite ! 1 Cor. 6. 17. Gal. 5. 30. &c. Joh. 15. 5. Joh. 17. 22 , 23. If our faith in Christ were as strong as our union with Christ , wee should ingrosse and possesse all that is in heaven , and nothing in the earth could trouble us . The state of a beleever in Christ , as considered in him , is an estate of perfection ; We are complete in him , Col. 2. 9 , 10. 13. As Christ is , so am I ; as I am , so is Christ , Joh. 1. 17. What is Christs is mine ; what is mine is his ; Christs righteousnesse is mine : I am all righteous , I need no more , nor no other righteousnesse ; as I am in Christ , I am as righteous and as acceptable as Christ ; God seeth no sin in me , because there is none ; for , I am all faire , there is no spot in me , Song 4. 7. Song 2. 10. Ephes . 5. 25 , 26 , 27. For as he is , even so are we in this world , 1 Joh. 4. 17. Thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe , Isa . 38. 17. As far as the East in from the West , so far hath he removed our transgressions from us , Psal . 103. 12. Seventy weeks are determined upon the people , and upon the holy Citie , to finish the transgressions , and to make an end of sinnes , and to make reconviliation for iniquitie , and to bring in an everlasting righteousnesse , to seale up the vision , and prophecy , and to anoynt the most Holy , Dan. 9. 24. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord , my soule shall be joyfull in my God , for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation , he hath covered me with the robe of righteousnesse , Isa . 61. 10. All Saints are alike clothed with Christs righteousnesse : the meanest , the weakest , as the best , and is as acceptable by it as the best : oh they are all alike perfect , righteous , and glorious , as they are in Christ ! oh , here is strong consolation for thy fainting heart , to refresh it selfe withall ! Drinke , O friends , and make yee merry , O welbeloved ; yea drink , drink abundantly in this fountaine that is bottomlesse , and therefore can never be drawne dry , Song 5. 1. In the most perfect Saints , as they are in themselves , there is much sin , 1 Joh. 1. 10. and God doth see it ; yet God cannot condemne them to wrath for it , no more then God can condemne Christ for it , who shall appeare without sin , Heb. 9. 28. They being in him who hath suffered for it ; and Justice neither will nor can exact the payment of a debt twice : now it 's justice in God to justifie , Rom. 3. 25. yea , God is as just in pardoning a sinner by the bloud of Christ , as he is just in condemning any ; and now thou hast a full pardon by justice as well as mercy , therefore drinke freely , Song 5. 1. For us . That which is spoken in generall to beleevers , every beleever is to apply it to himselfe in particular ; so Paul , he loved me , and gave himselfe for me , Gal. 2. 20. For us , for me . The word and promise of God , that it is for me , is that which my soule should fix its eye upon , and by faith for ever relie upon , and be a full satisfaction to my soule ; knowing that the word and promise of God is the onely ground of my faith , and is securitie sufficient for my salvation . As soone as the soule is convinced , that Jesus Christ is made sin for me , and that I am made the righteousnesse of God in him , all the soules doubts , feares , objections vanish , and Christ is beleeved in , and lived upon , with thankfulnesse and joy . Jesus Christ being made sin for me , is as good for me , yea better for me , then if I had never sinned ; as much better as a spirituall body is better then a naturall , as much better as the image of the heavenly is better then the image of the earthly ; yea , as much better as strength is better then weaknesse , and as heaven is better then earth , 1 Cor. 15. 43 , 44. to 55. But , saith a discouraged soule , I cannot beleeve the Lord Jesus was made sin for me . Why not for thee ? Because my sins are greater then others be ; for my sins have all the aggravations upon them that can be . For mine are many . So were theirs in the second and third Chapter of Jeremiah , yet notwithstanding God pardoned them all , as appeares , Jer. 3. 21. to 25. But my sins are great and hainous . So were theirs , and so were Manassehs , as appeares , 2 King. 21. 4. 9. 11. 16. and so was the womans , Luk. 7. 47. and so was Pauls , 1 Tim. 1. 15. yet God pardoned them all , as he hath done others . But my sins are against the Gospel . So was Pauls , he persecuted them that professed the Gospel , and made havock of the Church , entring into every house , haling men and women , and committed them to prison , Act. 8. 3. And Christ died for them that slew him , Act. 2. 23. 38. But mine are af●er many mercies . So was Solomons , who sinned against God after the Lord appeared unto him twice , 1 King. 11. 9. But I have sinned against Gods intreaties to returne . So did they ; I said after shee had done all these things ; Turn thou unto me , but shee returned not , Jer. 3. 7. But I have sinned against Gods Reproofes . So did they ; Thou hast a whores forehead , that refusest to be ashamed , Jer. 3. 3. 8. But I have sinned against Gods corrections in not being reformed by them . So did they ; In vaine have I smitten your children , they have received no correction , Jer. 2. 30. But I have committed one sin often . So did they ; Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers , Jer. 3. 1. 6. But I have continued sinning for a long continuance of time . So did they ; We have not obeyed the voyce of the Lord from our youth unto this day , Jer. 3. 25. & 2. 22. But my sinnes are against knowledge and Conscience . So was Davids sin concerning Bathshebah , and putting to death Vriah . And so did Peter sin when he said and swore he knew not Christ , and that he was not with him , Mat. 26. 69. to 75. But I am fallen back from what I have been . So did they ; Returne thou backsliding Israel , Jer. 3. 6. 12. But I have willingly and resolvedly forsaken God. So did they ; saying , We are Lords , wee will come no more at him , Jer. 3. 31 , 32. But I have willingly chosen sin . So did they ; saying , I have loved strangers , and after them will I goe , Jer. 2. 25. But I have seduced others , and caused them to sin . So did they ; Thou hast also taught the wicked ones thy wayes , Jer. 2. 33. And Manasseh seduced them to doe more evill then did the Nations whom the Lord destroyed ; and made Judah also to sin , 2 King. 21. 9. 11. 16. And Paul compeld men to blaspheme , Act. 26. 11. 16. Manasseh a great sinner obtained mercy , 2 Chron. 33. 18 , 19. And a lesser sinner perisheth in his sin ; that men may know , the Lord will have mercy on whom he will , Rom. 9. 15. But I have committed as much sin as I could . So did they ; Behold thou hast spoken and done as evill things as thou couldst , Jer. 3. 5. But my sins are after vowes and Covenants . So were theirs ; Thou saidst , I will not transgresse , when upon every high hill , and under every greene tree thou wanderest , playing the harlot , Jer. 2. 25. But I have justified my selfe in all my sinnes . So did they ; Because thou saidst , I have not sinned , I will plead with thee , Jer. 2. 35. But I despaire , and have no hope of mercy . This is worst of all ; yet so did they ; Thou saidst there is no hope , Jer. 2. 25. And when I cry , he shutteth out my prayer , and I said , My strength , and my hope is perished with the Lord , said Jeremiah , Lam. 3. 8. 18. And Job said , My hope hath he removed like a tree , Job 19. 10. My dayes are spent without hope , Job 7. 6. 13 , 14 , 15 , 16. David in his hast , said , I am out off before thine eyes , Psal . 31. 22. Abraham beleeved against hope , Rom. 4. 18. Yee were sometimes afar off , without God , and without hope , Ephes . 2. 12. yet at last they were made nigh by the bloud of Christ , Eph. 2. 13. Behold , all these were once like unto thee , and the Lord hath had mercy upon them , and so he may have mercy upon thee also , therefore poore soule , be not out of hope , mind what David said , I was brought low , and he helped me , Psal . 116. 6. God is able to save to the uttermost , Heb. 7. 25. Consider what the name of the Lord is , Exod. 34. 5 , 6 , 7. Oh the unsearchable riches of his grace ! all that know his Name will trust in him , Psal . 9. 10. And because the greatnesse of sin is one of the greatest discouragements to a soule under the sense of sin ; Consider these things which are incouragements of hope unto thee . 1. Incouragement to hope . The multitude or greatnesse of sinne , ought not to be a discouragement unto thee , because the fewnesse or smalnesse of thy sinnes are not to be any ground , or cause of thy confidence in God for pardon ; but in the promise of God of pardon , in which promise the truth and faithfulnesse is . 2. Incouragement to hope . Because the word of God doth no where say , that great sinners shall not be saved , therefore to conceive so is folly , and no lesse then a delusion of Satan . 3. Incouragement to hope . Because the word of God saith the contrary , that Jesus Christ came to save sinners , yea and the chiefe sinners , and this is a saying worthy of all acceptation , 1 Tim. 1. 15 , 16. Come now let us reason together , saith the Lord , though your sinnes were as crimson , they shall be made white as snow , though they were red like scarlet , they shall be made as wooll , Isaiah 1. 18. The word of God declares many great and sweet promises to great sinners , as Jer. 3. Isa. 55. 7 , 8 , 9. & 43. 24 , 25. There be many examples of great sinners received to mercy , as Manasseh , 2 Chron. 33. 18 , 19. Paul , and one who was a sinner with a witnes , Luk. 7. 37. 47. And many others , yea the rebellious also , Psal . 68. 18. 4. Incouragement to hope . Because there is a fountaine set open for sin and for uncleannesse , Zach. 13. 1. And Christ is mightie to save , Isa . 62. 1. He will abundantly pardon , Isa . 55. 7. And his compassions faile not , Lam. 3. 22. 5. Incouragement to hope . Because great sinners that are heavie laden with sinne , are called to come to Christ , Mat. 11. 28. If any man thirst , let him came to me and drinke , Joh. 7. 37. Every one that thirsteth , come ye to the waters , Isa . 55. 1. Rev. 22. 17. 6. Incouragement to hope . The Saints have made their greatnesse of sinne an incouragement to beleeve ; Lord , pardon my sinnes , for they are great , Psal . 25. 11. How great is his goodnesse ? much greater then thy sinnes , Zach. 9. 17. Isa . 43. The greater our sinnes are , the greater our faith should be . Loe here is great consolation . 7. Incouragement to hope . Because God doth not sell Christ or grace , but he gives Christ , and all that is his freely ; Yee that have no silver , come buy and eate , come buy without money , Isa . 55. 1. And the Spirit , and the Bride say , Come , and let him that heareth say , come , and let him that is athirst , come , and let whosoever will take of the water of life freely , Rev. 22. 17. Jesus stood , crying , saying , If any man thirst , let him come to me and drinke , Joh. 7. 37. 8. Incouragement . Because such as Jesus Christ saves , are unworthy , ungodly , and without works , Rom. 4. 5 , 6. The most perfect Saint that ever hath been , did stand in need of mercy , and was unworthy . Behold , he found no stedfastnesse in his servants , and chargeth his Angels of folly , how much more in them that dwell in houses of clay ? Job 4. 18 , 19. And all those whom God hath revealed his Sonne unto , they see an exceeding transcendent beautie in him ; and he is precious unto them , 1 Pet. 2. 7. They loth and abhor themselves , Job 42. 6. Because they see in themselves nothing else but vilenesse , filthinesse , and unworthinesse , Ezek. 16. 63. and it sets out the mercy of God the more , that it is freely given unto the unworthy , Ezek. 16. 9. Incouragement . It makes most for the glory of God to give great things , and is it not a disparagement for a King to doe otherwise ? The Lord is a great King , a mightie God , Isa . 9. 6. He doth great things past finding out , and wonders without number , Job 9. 10. Feare not , the Lord will do great things , Joel 2. 21. For with God nothing shall be impossible , Luk. 1. 37. Measure not the Lord by thy selfe : For my thoughts are not your thoughts , neither are your wayes my wayes , saith the Lord ; for as the heavens are higher then the earth , so are my wayes higher then your wayes , and my thoughts then your thoughts , Isa . 55. 8 , 9. And those who are made wise by God , looke not so much to their basenesse as unto his greatnesse , Zach. 9. 17. 10. Incouragement . That which moves God to shew mercy , is onely in himselfe , nothing in the creature , Ezek. 16. 3. to 9. Nor any thing the creature can doe , cannot move God to shew mercy ; I will doe away thy sinnes for my Names sake , Isa . 43. 25. God shews mercy , because he will , Micah 7. 18 , 19. 11. Incouragement . The greater our sinnes are , and our sensiblenesse of unworthinesse , the more we shall love God when we know that our sinnes are pardoned , Luk. 7. 41 , 42 , 43 , 47. 12. Incouragement . The mercy of God is infinite , it hath no part or forme , therefore it is not capable of any addition or defect : therefore infinite , shouldst thou need thousands of Seas of mercy to pardon thy sinnes . God hath not the lesse , notwithstanding he hath given so much . If I had all the sins upon me , that can be committed , or but one sinfull thought , this consideration makes it all one . Oh , I , worlds of sin in this Ocean vanish and come to nothing , Rom. 11. 33. Oh the depth of the unsearchable riches of Christ ! Ephes . 3. 8. 13. Incouragement . The Name of God it 's infinite also : The Father of mercies , 2 Cor. 1. 3. Yea it 's the nature of God. The Lord is very pitifull , and of tender mercies , Jam. 5. 11. All mercy and pitie is from him , and all that is , or hath been , is but a drop to that Ocean of that pitie and mercy that is in him . We are ready to sin , but God is much more ready to forgive ; mercy pleaseth him , it 's his delight , Micah 7. 18. He is plenteous in mercy , Psal . 86. 5. Thou art a God ready to forgive . 14. Incouragement . The price that is for the sinnes of such as beleeve , is infinite also ; count all thy sins , and still they are the acts of a finite creature ; and is not Christ satisfaction above them ? he is God , 1 Joh. 5. 20. His righteousnesse is farre greater then thy sinnes : therefore be they great or small , he is able to disanull them all . 15. Incouragement . The Covenant of grace , is not made with us , nor can it be broken by us , but with Christ : If they break my statutes , and keep not my Commandements ; neverthelesse , my loving kindnesse will I not take from him , nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile ; my Covenant will I not breake , nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips , Psal . 89. 31. 33 , 34. My Covenant shall stand fast with him , vers . 28. So then the Covenant is made with Christ , and that it was not made for our good workes , nor can we disanull it by our sinnes ; for it 's sure , perpetuall , and everlasting , Heb. 13. 20. It 's not founded upon a rotten and sandy foundation , as thy selfe and duties are . Oh wonder at Gods wisdome and love , that it is not made with us , nor is it in our keeping , loe it 's founded upon the word & promise of an eternall God , and what ever is in God is God , God is unchangeable , Micah 3. 6. therefore the Covenant stands sure for ever , Heb. 13. 20. But the discouraged soule still replieth ; I am perswaded I have committed the sin against the holy Spirit , and that is unpardonable , Heb. 6. 4. Those who have committed this sin , tread under foot the Sonne of God , and count the bloud of the Covenant an unholy thing , and doe hate God and Christ , Joh. 15. 24. In that thou art afraid thou hast committed this sin , it is certain thou hast not committed it , because such as have so sinned are past feare or feeling , being given up to a reprobate sense , Ephes . 4. 19. I am afraid the day of grace is past to me , and so nothing can doe me good . You must not give way to such a thought ; who knows but the Lord may returne ? Jonah 3. 19. Is this the way thinkest thou to enjoy the assurance of his love , to nourish jealousies against his love ? Surely this is not the way . Shouldst thou not rather say as David did , How precious are thy thoughts to me , O God ? great is the summe of them , if I should count them , they are more then the sands , Psal . 139. 17 , 18. The number of the sands are many , yet Gods thoughts of love exceeds them ; Be not afraid , onely beleeve , Mark. 5. 36. Christ received sinners , Luk. 15. 1 , 2. If thou thinkest the day of grace is past , because thy sinnes are great , &c. this will not prove it : minde what God saith ; I have spred out my hand all the day to a rebellious people , that provoke me to anger continually to my face , Isa . 65. 2 , 3. If thou desirest to returne to God , thy day of grace is not past , Rev. 2. 20. If we confesse our sinnes , he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes , &c. 1 Joh. 4. 9. I doe not beleeve I am elected , &c. so nothing can doe me good . This is a secret , and you must not meddle with Gods secrets ; Secret things belong to God , and revealed things to us , Deut. 29. 29. It 's one of Satans deceits to tell a soule that God hath no mercy for him , when the soule hath obtained mercy , or when it is not farre from him . It is certaine , these thoughts come from Satan , because they are contrary to God in his word , as Gen. 3. 2 , 3 , 4. It 's the nature of unbeliefe , to be inquisitive and curious to find out any pretence , that it may seeme to doe well in not harkening to what God saith in his word , Heb. 10. We must not hearken unto Satan , nor yeeld to him , but resist him ; meddle not with election , fix thy eye upon Christ , as a sutable good for thee , who is able to save thee , and wait upon him in the use of his meanes , till he shall give thee faith , that by it thou mayst know thy selfe to be elected , Act. 13. 48. But I have used the meanes , and yet I am no better , but worser , therefore God will never doe me good . Are you sure you have used all Gods meanes , doest thou know the number of them ? and have your ends been all good & right placed , and have you used them in a right manner , measure , time , in sinceritie , humilitie , which I question ; and have you not rested in the use of means ? have you set God above his meanes , and expected his blessing upon them , without which they could doe no good ? If thou hast not used them all in faith , say not , thou hast used the meanes ; what are all meanes without faith ? they are as a shadow without the substance , Heb. 11. 1. The word they heard profited them not , for want of faith , Heb. 4. 2. It is no good reason to say , because God hath not answered me , and supplied me , therefore he never will consider , Isa . 64. 4. Isa . 8. 17. They which had not obtained mercy did , 1 Pet. 2. 10. They shall not be ashamed that wait for me , Isa . 49. 23. There be many that doe satisfie themselves with the meanes , and their frequenting them , and in what they doe : that it is just with God , yea a mercy to blast all , to shew their emptinesse , that we might look and long for Christ , to blesse the meanes , and be all in all unto us . Men beleeve not that faith is the gift of God , and the Spirits work , Phil. 1. 29. so that they goe not to God in his promise for faith , but endeavour to make a faith of their own to carry to God. If thou hast a will that onely Christ should save thee , God hath begun his work in thee , and he will finish it , Heb. 12. 2. and one day thou shalt know thy selfe to be pardoned , and all thy sins shall be subdued . Consider God may have mercy for thee , though thou knowest it not ; for mens sinnes are first forgiven , before they are to beleeve it , or can be assured of it ; for if men should beleeve , that their sins are forgiven before they be forgiven , they should beleeve that which is false ; neither can any mans beleeving make that to be , which had not a being before : faith declares to us our pardon ; but our beleeving neither pardons nor procures the pardon of any sin ; if it could , what need was there of the death of Christ ? I have waited a long time , and many have received mercy since , but not I. Even the Lords servants have waited a long time for God , or at least they thought the time long ; David said , I am weary of my crying , my throat is dryed , mine eyes faile , while I waite for my God , Psal . 69. 3. If God have given thee a heart to wait upon him , thou art blessed ; Blessed are all they that wait for him , Isa . 30. 18. Waiting implies perseverance , patience , long-suffering , in holding out , notwithstanding the tediousnesse of the time deferred , courage in breaking through all difficulties that stand between waiting , and to continue waiting , though all things seem contrary , till we enjoy what we waited for ; I wait for my God , Psal . 69. 3. I am now old in yeares , and if God had intended to have done my soule good , surely he would have done it before this time , and now death is ready to take me away . Yea , though it be thus with thee , yet mercy may be thy portion at last , if mercy come at last , it will be sweet , and it may come at last . The thiefe was saved upon the Crosse , Mat. 20. Luk. 23. Oh how neere was he unto his end before mercy came unto him ! You may not set a time to God , in which he shall shew mercy , for he giveth what he will , and when he will , and will not be tyed to thy time ; it 's an exceeding great grace for God to shew mercy , though it be at the last , as he did to the thiefe upon the Crosse . God hath all houres in the day to work , the last houre God useth to call some , as well as the third ; see Mat. 20. 1. to 10. for there is nothing too hard for God. If I were filled with qualifications , as humblenesse , and brokennesse of heart , and tooke delight to heare and pray , as others , I could have hope , but now I cannot . Alas , poore soule , thou art greatly deluded , for these things can no way fit the soule for mercy . Why doest thou seek the living among the dead ? Luk. 24. 5. Why doest thou look at , and rest in , such things as these ? for haddest thou these in the greatest measure , they could not procure thy happinesse , nor stand thee in any stead ; oh nothing but Christ can doe thy soule any good , and truly comfort thee . Consider , what qualifications had they in Ezekiel 16. 3. to 9. of whom God was found ? Surely they had none , except sinfull ones . What , saith God ; I was found of them that sought me not , Isa . 65. 1 , 2 , 3. Tell me , what qualifications had they who were enemies ? yet Christ died for them , Rom. 5. 9 , 10. All that are saved are saved by grace , without any cause or condition in man , 2 Tim. 1. 9. Under colour of devotion , yee overthrow Christ ; can your duties , &c. procure Christ , or what use is there of Christ , if yee can have what yee need without him ? yee would have power , abilitie , and inlargements before yee dare believe in Christ ; Oh the greatnesse of thy pride and folly ! doth not Christ say true , that without me yee can doe nothing ? Joh. 15. 5. As in nature none can worke before they have life ; so none can doe any thing that is spirituall , before they live spiritually . Christ must be in thee before thou canst beleeve : the soule must beleeve before it can finde any sanctification , or workes at all in it selfe , yea without any regard to workes in any measure whatsoever , for there is nothing to be done by man to be a preparation to his sanctification ; see Rom. 4. 5. & 5. 8. 10. Thou hungerest and thirstest after a righteousnesse of thine own , and wouldst establish it , but it must be renounced . I confesse , this self-deniall is very hard ; oh , how hard is it for the soule to be taken off its own bottom of workes , and of self-concurrence ! strip them of all that is their own , and yee take away their lives ; they must and will have something , some humblenesse , and brokennesse of heart , some teares , some good workes , or abilities , or a good heart ; something they must have , for they think it cannot be , that they should be accepted , pardoned , and saved , and they to doe nothing at all themselves for it : therefore as soone as they begin to espie a flaw in what they doe , for who can say his heart is cleane ? Job 25. 4. they betake themselves to breake their hearts , to make God amends for all , and thinke if they can but attaine unto such a deep measure of humiliation and sorrow for sin , then they think they have an evidence for heaven : but alas , this is no evidence , save onely of great ignorance , in that they see not death in their best duties : the Lord may say to you who worke so hard for life , Thou hast found the life of thy hand , therefore thou wast not grieved , Isa . 57. 10. Thou comfortest thy selfe in thine own sparkes , but ( sorrow is all the comfort such comfort can produce ) yee shall lie downe in sorrow , Isa . 50. 11. When we say our good works are not the way to life , men esteeme it a grievous error , yet Christ saith , I am the way , Joh. 14. 6. Are thy works Christ or no ? if no , then they are not the way , for Christ saith true , and if Jesus Christ is to be unto us all in all , Col. 3. 11. Our best workes are to be unto us nothing at all , our workes make us not the better before God , nor to be more beloved of God , but declare us to be what wee are made by God : the Papists doe good works to be saved , but we abhorre it , because it is condemned by God , therefore all those who expect and hope for mercy , because they leave their sinnes , as they say , and do many good works ; consider what I say unto thee , Alas , poore soule , thou art still in the state of nature , in the gall of bitternesse , thou art not quite plucked up off of thine own stocke of self-workes , and self-concurrence with Christ , and therefore art not planted into Christ , thou art ignorant of the righteousness of God , which is the cause why thou goest about to establish thine own righteousnesse , and so long as thou doest so , thou canst not submit to the righteousnesse of God , Rom. 10. 13. But diddest thou know what a righteousnesse Christ is , thou couldst not but have preferred it before thine own righteousnesse , yea it would be esteemed by thee but drosse and dung to his , as Phil. 3. 8 , 9. And unlesse the Lord Jesus open thine eyes , and reveale his righteousnesse unto thee , thy righteousnesse ( which thou joynest with Christs for salvation ) will of a certaine worke thy destruction unto all eternity . Publicans and harlots are neerer salvation then thee , when you who worke for life are Pharisees , and if you dye in this estate , you must perish , Mat. 21. 31 , 32. Luk. 7. 29 , 30. I know many will cavill , and say , if Christ must doe all , and man nothing , then men need not care what they doe , but live as they list . Answ . As it is our dutie , so it is our desire to doe whatsoever the word of God requires , but we are not commanded to doe any thing to procure the pardon of our sinnes , but in reference to service and dutie , I count my selfe to be never the neerer Heaven for my best workes , then if I had done nothing else but blaspheme God. But what saith the Scriptures , Now to him that worketh , is the reward not reckoned of grace , but of debt , but to him that worketh not , but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly , his faith is counted for righteousnesse , Rom. 4. 2 , 3 , 4 , 5. Wee are saved , not according to our workes , but according to his own purpose and grace , 2. Tim. 1. 9. When wee were enemies , wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne , Rom. 5. 10. I will doe away thy offences for my Names sake , Isa . 43. 25. A new heart also will I give thee , Ezek. 36. 26 , 27. 31. I have seene his wayes , and will heale him , Isa . 57. 17. I have blotted out thy sinnes , returne unto me , &c. Isa . 44. 22. When thou wert polluted in thy own bloud , I said unto thee , Live. When thou wert in thy bloud , thy time was the time of love , and I covered thy nakednesse , &c. Ezek. 16. 6. 8. All unto whom the mystery of Gods love and free grace is revealed , they cry grace , grace , Christ , Christ ; Christ is all in all , nothing but Christ , their prayers , teares , duties , devotions , and all of theirs , is nothing to them in respect of acceptation , or justification , or salvation , they are now dead to working , they doe no workes in the world to attaine any of these , all theirs is vanished , and is quite drowned in the infinite Ocean of Gods free grace . It is so that God might have all the glory , Eph. 1. 6. Jer. 9. 24. and that man might not boast , Rom. 3. 9. but obey God freely , Luk. 1. 74. But I have no worke of grace wrought in me . The Spirit shall convince the world of sin , and of righteousnesse , Joh. 16. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. God hath begun his worke in thee , if he hath convinced thee of sinne , and of righteousnesse . To be convinced of sin implies ; Such a discovery of sinne which causeth the soule to see her selfe guiltie and utterly lost and undone , by reason of sin , they confesse themselves are vile , and they abhorre themselves , Job 42. 6. They loath themselves for their deeds , Ezek. 20. 43. Este●ming themselves as beasts , Psal . 73. 22. The soule is convinced , so as to have no hope , Jer. 2. in any thing it can doe to helpe it selfe out of that miserable state of sin , he is undone in nature , he cannot doe any thing from whence he may expect salvation , or have any hope of it ; for a man cannot expect life and salvation from Christ alone , untill the soule be taken off of all other things in respect of life . This vision of God causeth the soule to see themselves , and say , There remaineth no strength in me , my comelinesse is turned in me into corruption , Dan. 10. 8. That is , my best workes , my righteousnesse is defiled , and is sinne ; now sinfull selfe , and righteous selfe are alike ( if there be any difference , the last is the worst , now the creature hath nothing to procure Christ , nor no strength to beleeve in him ) the holy Spirit discovers to the soule , that there is nothing but darknesse and death in our best duties . He is so convinced of sinne , that he justifieth the justice of God , if he perish in his sin , as Psal . 51. 4. Gen. 44. 16. See Leviticus 26. 41 , 42. Micah 7. 9. 2. Sam. 15. 26. Lam. 3. 28 , 29. It is from grace to be taken so off of nature , and he that is so taken off of nature , hath grace , is begotten and borne of God. For when the soule is taken off his own bottom , it must have another to rest upon , or else it sinkes , therefore when God takes away the soules false soundation , which was her false hope , God gives the soule a better in himselfe . The teaching and drawing of the Father , Joh. 6. is this , that all men have sinned , and are in an estate of death , and that in Christ there is a ransome , in which is life and all happinesse , and that this Jesus and all that he hath done is for him . When the soule hath heard and learned this , there is a power goeth with this teaching , which carrieth the soule by faith to Christ beleeving in him ; for the teaching of the Father and faith goeth together ; every one that hath heard and learnt of the Father commeth unto me , Joh. 6. So that to convince the soule of righteousnesse , is to be convinced of Christ , to reveale Jesus Christ to the soule , that in him onely is helpe , and in his righteousnesse is deliverance ; I have laid help upon one that is mightie , Psal . 89. 19. Isa . 63. 1. So fix and settle the eye of the soule upon Christs righteousnesse onely , at least putting the soule under the hope of it ; for as soone as God hath stripped the soule of all hope in and from it selfe , he turnes the soule to Christ , and puts it under hope , Ezek. 16. 5 , 6. when the soule seeth nothing but death , God saith , Live , Ezek. 16. 6. and when the soule is a going downe into the pit , God saith , stay , hearken , I have found a ransome for thee , Job 34. 23 , 24. Christ calls , Come to me , and be saved , and the power of God goeth along with this call , workes faith , carrieth the soule to Christ as his own , having possession of him . When this is manifested to the soul , faith acts in the love of God in pardoning his sinne , greatly wondering at the greatnesse of his goodnesse , or astonished with the glory of his present condition , the heart being taken up , as Luk. 1. 41. 43. though for the measure of it , it is not in all alike . For the first , to be convinced of sinne then is more then a bare notion that it hath sinned , for this may be in one that rests in themselves , and in something else besides Christ , and perish in this condition ; for by the letter of the Law , and the light of reason , men may see and say they have sinned ; as Saul and Judas did : but those the Spirit convinces of sinne , they are convinced to purpose , because it is thorowly ; The Spirit shall convince the world of sin , Joh. 16. 8. The Spirit discovers to the soule that she hath chosen something else besides Christ , upon which the soule resteth , and satisfieth her selfe withall , and expects mercy and comfort from by reason of them , and that they are her best services , and other lying vanities , as groundles hopes , peace , joy , comfort &c. telling the soule that there is nothing but death and darknesse in them , and that if the soule rest in any of them , there is nothing but death and destruction for them ; and there is a secret power of God which goeth along with this teaching , which turneth the soule from darknesse , viz. selfe , Satan , and all lying vanities , to light , to Christ , where life is , the Spirit reveales to the soule a sufficiency of life in Christ , and it needs seek life in nothing else ; also the Spirit of God perswades a soule that this life is for him , therefore he is to look to Christ for it , and wait upon him for pardon and life , and that the soule shall not lose her waiting , and so be deceived , but shall certainly have it at last , Isa . 57. 13. These things must be wrought in truth , and in a measure in every soule that hath grace , though for the measure of this , it is not in all alike ; for in some it is in a small measure , as it was in those who are named to be carnall , and not spirituall , yet then they were babes in Christ , therefore their state was happy , & safe , 1 Cor. 3. 1. 3. But when this is wrought in any measure , in the same time faith is wrought , and as the measure of this worke is wrought in the soule , more or lesse , in the same measure faith is wrought in the soule , and as it appeares to the soule , so accordingly faith appeares to the soule : and when the soule seeth it selfe to be lost by reason of sin , and seeth all to be in Christ for life , and is taken off from resting upō any thing else besides Christ , and to expect all from Christ , resting upon Christ , though this be but in the smallest measure wrought in the soule , now this instant time faith is wrought , Jesus Christ is formed in the soule , and the soule is converted ; for this teaching of the Father and faith are inseparable , Joh. 6. 45. 47. I cannot beleeve . It is not in the power of the creature to beleeve in Christ , Phil. 1. 29. therefore look not upon faith as a worke of thine own , nor is faith any condition of the Covenant required on thy part ; for as the Covenant of grace is not made with man , but with Christ , as appeares , Psal . 89. 27 , 28 , 29 , 30. nor is there any condition in the Covenant of grace required on mans part , neither is there any thing to be done by man to cause him to have an interest in the Covenant of grace , or to partake of it , for the Covenant of grace and life by Christ is every way free and unconditionall on mans part , else how doth it differ from a Covenant of works , if there were any thing to be done by us to have interest in it ? and if faith were a condition required on our part to partake of the Covenant , or else not , I see not but we are now in as bad a condition as to be under the Covenant of works , it being as hard and impossible for man of himselfe to beleeve in Christ , as it is to keep the whole Law , as the Scripture declares . How hard it is to beleeve , the experience of many can testifie , to beleeve is a fruit of the Spirit , Gal. 5. 22. We must be in Christ , before wee can beare fruit , Joh. 15. 4. therefore we must be in Christ , before wee can beleeve ; he that hath the Spirit of Christ hath Christ , wee have the Spirit of Christ before wee beleeve , therefore we have Christ before we beleeve , Rom. 8. 9 , 10 , 11. Men are ordained unto eternall life before they beleeve , Acts 13. 48. Faith is a grace of the Covenant on Gods part to be given to those who are given to Christ ; faith is given to some , that by it they may know their interest in Christ , and by it live upon him : faith is no condition of the Covenant , therefore they mistake who conceive faith to be a condition of the Covenant , either required on mans part to partake of the Covenant of grace , or given to men , and then required of them as a condition ; although the Scripture expresseth , that he that beleeves shall be saved , yet is not faith any condition of salvation ; but such expressions are to be considered as a declaration to us what persons shall be saved , viz. such as beleeve : it is an information to such as know not who shall be saved , and if any desire to know who shall be saved ; the answer is , he that beleeves shall be saved , Joh. 3. 16. If faith did give us interest in Christ , when faith did not appeare to act , it would appeare to us , that we had no interest in Christ , and that wee were not justified by him . I know not whether I am bidden to beleeve or no , for some shall not be saved , and if I be one of them , if I should beleeve I should be saved by Christ , I should beleeve a lye ▪ The Gospel declares that whosoever beleeves in Christ shall be saved , Joh. 3. 16. therefore those who beleeve , cannot be any of them that shall perish ; and the Word saith , be that beleeveth not , is condemned already , Joh. 3. 18. and shall not see life . What God saith is truth , and truth ought to be beleeved , and whatsoever is contrary to truth , no man is bound to beleeve , therefore no unregenerate man is commanded to beleeve the forgivenesse of his sinnes in any other way then Gods word holds forth forgivenesse of sinnes , which is , he that beleeves shall be saved , and have everlasting life . Men are commanded to beleeve they shall have benefit by Christ , life and salvation by Christ , if they beleeve , Joh. 3. 16. And no man is commanded to beleeve he shall be saved by Christ , whether he beleeves or no ; for this is contrary to the Word which saith , He that beleeves not , is condemned already , Joh. 3. 18. No man is to beleeve that which is not true , yet this hinders not , but all that see an absolute necessitie of Christ , shall enjoy him , & they ought not to distrust in him , but to cast away all their doubts and feares , and beleeve in him , and rest upon him for ever , as Simon Peter said to Christ , Master to whom shall we goe ? thou hast the words of eternall life , Joh. 6. 67 , 68. But I have no love to Christ , I am an enemie to Christ , I am not fit for Christ . The reason thou doest not love Christ , is because thou seest not thy sinnes to be pardoned by Christ , didst thou know he loves thee , thou wouldst love him , the love of Christ would constraine thee to love him , 2 Cor. 5. 14. We love him , because he first loved us , 1 Joh. 4. 19. Doest thou apprehend thy selfe to be an enemy to God ? so were all those once that ever did beleeve , Ephes . 2. 12 , 13. While we were enemies , wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne , Rom. 5. 8. 10. Enemies cannot discerne Christ , yet God gives Christ to such . Thou canst not fit thy selfe for Christ , & if thou seest such a necessity of Christ , as without him thou art undone ; thou desirest Christ , and goest to Christ ; He that commeth to me , I will in no wise cast out , Joh. 6. 37. hearken what Christ saith , you shall speed , you have the promise of Christ , which is security sufficient to satisfie thy soule ; for Christ is in you , and no man can hunger and thirst after righteousnesse , viz. Christ , but such as are blessed , Mat. 5. 6. and the Spirit of God dwels in you , and Christ is in you , and they that are led by the Spirit of God out of themselves to Christ , for light , and life , and strength , are the children of God , Rom. 8. 9 , 10 , 11 , 14. Indeed , there are many sweet promises in the Word , but they are all for beleevers , but I am none . I grant none may apply a promise of life , but onely such as beleeve , yet the promises are for all the elect , thou knowest not but thou art one of them , & when God shall please to give thee faith , thou shalt know thy interest in them , Act. 13. 48. In the meane time , stay thy selfe with this , that the Lord Jesus gave himselfe for enemies , and justifieth the ungodly , Rom. 4. 5. Whilest wee were yet sinners , Christ dyed for us : While we were enemies , we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne , Rom. 5. 8. 10. Therefore be not discouraged , God may save thee also . The Lord saith , I will have mercy upon her that hath not obtained mercy , and I will say to them which were not my people , Thou art my people , and they shall say , Thou art my God , Hos . 2. 23. Oh sweet place ! therefore by no meanes yeeld not to thy feares , nourish no jealousies against God , but resolve in Christs strength to cleave to his Word , as Psal . 119. 49. And here hold , saying , My beloved is mine , and I am his , Song 2. 16. I would gladly beleeve , but I dare not . Thou shouldst not admit nor give way to any discouragement to hinder thy going to Christ , seeing Christ cryed , saying , If any man thirst , let him come to mee and drinke , Joh. 7. 37. The Spirit and the Bride say , Come , and whosoever will , let him come , Rev. 22. 17. The Lord takes pleasure in them that feare him , and in them that hope in his mercy , Psal . 147. 11. He will not quench the smoaking flax , Mat. 12. 20. From whence is thy feare , sure it is occasioned or much increased by them who bid persons beleeve , & forbid them againe by their saying , Take heed what you doe , you may be deceived ? it is not so easie a matter to beleeve , you must first be so sensible of sin , and so humbled for it , &c. before you may beleeve . Now they conceit , they are not so and so qualified , therefore they dare not beleeve : also they are scared with the many things hypocrites may doe , how farre they may goe , and so set them short of hypocrites ; which must needs discourage them , yet the word of God requires no such teaching , for men to learne before they may beleeve ; for when the soule seeth it selfe lost by reason of sinne , and is at a stand , not knowing what to doe , the first thing they are to doe , is to beleeve in Jesus Christ , as appeares , Acts 16. 31. The word requires nothing of them before they may beleeve , therefore wee may not , for none may presume above what is written . If thou desirest to beleeve , thy will is in part regenerated , and thou doest in some measure beleeve , though weakly , as he did that said , Lord , I beleeve , help my unbeliefe , Mark. 9. 24. Gods servants are described by a desire to feare his Name , Nehe. 1. 11. Psal . 145. 19. Psal . 147. 11. There can be no desires without faith , 1 Pet. 2. 2 , 3. a man cannot desire that which he beleeves not to be ; so Heb. 11. 6. Many give God their hearts , and doe not know it , and so are troubled , because they do not know what is meant by the heart , nor where it is seated . I speak not of the heart of flesh , Rom. 8. 5 , 6 , 7. there is a carnall minde and a spirituall minde in men , I speake of the heart mystically and spiritually , which is principally seated in the will , so that what it wills or desires , there is the heart , and to that which the will most wills or desires , to that is the bent of the heart unto . Now if the soule were to have its choice of every thing , that one thing that the soule should chuse , would any question whether they loved it , and that their hearts were not unto it ? for as no soule can be sensible of the want of Christ , untill the soule be possessed of him , Rom. 8. 10 , 11. so no soule can desire Christ above all things in the world , if they might have their choice , unlesse Christ have their hearts , and they dearly love him , and beleeve in him ; for Christ is precious to them that beleeve , 1 Pet. 2. 7. and to none else . So the seat of faith is in the heart , which is in the understanding , and will , but more principally in the will , so that if our wills be renewed , our hearts are renewed , Rom. 8. 5 , 6. Paul saith , To will is present with me ; good I would doe ; so then with my minde I serve the Law of God , Rom. 7. 18 , 19. with 21. 25. it appeares that the will is one with the minde , and the heart is one with them , these three are one , and alwayes goe together , and are alike spirituall . Christ saith , Where your treasure is , there will your heart be also , Mat. 6. 21. that is , the mind and affections : and by affections in Eph. 3. 2. is meant the heart , for the heart and affections are one thing . There be them that beleeve , and yet they know not whether they beleeve or no : so that it is possible for them to call their faith unbeliefe , as the blind man did , Mark. 9. 24. Lord help my unbeliefe ; which must not be understood of unbeliefe , for it is not a lawfull request to pray that sin may be increased , for unbeliefe is a sin , and the ground or cause of the soules departing from God , as Heb. 3. 12. Many mistake faith , some have thought , comfort , joy , or ravishments of soule with God , to be faith , and so have concluded , because they had not them , they had no faith . It is not mens beleeving , but the object of faith , that gives faith its denomination , or name , for there be divers kinds of faith ; there is a naturall faith , as Luk. 8. 13. and a divine faith , or the faith of Gods Elect , Titus 1. 1. Faith and its object is not to be separated , because faith and its object is one and the same , it is too strict therefore to give a distinction or definition of faith without its object . He that beleeveth that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God shall be saved . All is included in this , he that beleeves this , must 1. Know Christ to be the anointed , Luk. 23. the Saviour of his people from their sinnes , Mat. 1. 21. 2. To beleeve in Christ , to rest upon him , to live or stay upon the Lord , Pro. 3. 5. To beleeve in him , Rom. 10. 9. 11. Psal . 17. 6. To cleave to God , Deut. 30. 20. Joh. 23. 6. Acts 11. 23. Psal . 119. 30 , 31. to hope in him , Psal . 147. 11. 3. To own and confesse Christ ; Simon said , Thou art the Christ , the Sonne of the living God , Mat. 16. 16. Rom. 10. 9. Any man may say , that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God , yea the Devils confesse this ; I know thee who thou art , Jesus Christ the Sonne of God , therefore this cannot be the faith of Gods Elect , and so not the faith of the Gospel . 1. There are three things to be considered in the nature of faith ; first , illumination ; secondly , for the soule to trust in Christ for pardon and life ; and the third is the application of him . The first , is when a man consents to the Word , that it is true , and this is called faith , and this the Devill doth ; Thou beleevest there is one God , thou doest well , the Devill doth so , James 2. Mark. 5. 8. Acts 16. 17. The second , is to beleeve that Jesus is the Christ ; which implies a seeing and knowing all to be in Christ for life and salvation , and so to rest upon him for it ; he that thus beleeves in Christ , is brought by Christ over to Christ , and so centred upon him , that he will never goe from him , Joh. 6. 58. My soule wait thou on God , for my expectation is from him , Psal . 62. 5. and this no Devill never did . The third , is to beleeve with an application of Christ as their own in particular , therefore to beleeve in Christ , is more then an illumination , or a saying so , or reformation ; for where faith comes , old things are done away , and they are new creatures , there is a light set up in that soule , now they know all is by Christ , and that there is no way or meanes of life , but by Christ , and close with Christ , and rest upon him . Secondly , the Scriptures cleerly prove that to beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God , is the faith of the Gospel , for the Word of God is the ground of faith , and the soules salvation depends upon the truth of what God saith , and faith looks onely to what God saith , and rests upon it ▪ and sets to its seale that God is true . And that so to beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God , is the faith of the Gospel , I prove by these Reasons . 1. Because this is the faith which the Apostles preached and witnessed unto , and the faith which is recorded unto us in the Scriptures , Acts 18. 28. 1 Joh. 2. 22. 2. Because none can say ( knowingly ) that Jesus is the Lord , but by the Spirit , 1 Cor. 12. 3. 3. Because upon the profession of this faith , Christ builds his Church , Mat. 16. 16. 18. 4. Upon the profession of this faith the Baptisme of Christ is dispensed , as Act. 8. 37. 5. They who have this faith dwell in God , and God in them , 1 Joh. 4. 15. 6. This faith flesh and bloud cannot reveale , but God reveales it to the soule , Mat. 16. 16 , 17. 7. Such are borne of God ; whosoever beleeves that Jesus is the Christ , is borne of God , 1 Joh. 5. 1. 8. This is the faith that overcommeth the world , 1 Joh. 5. 4 , 5. 9. Because such as have this faith are pronounced blessed , Mat. 16. 17. and shall never dye , Joh. 11. 25 , 26. 10. Because he that hath this faith shall be saved ; If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus , and shalt beleeve in thy heart , that God hath raised him from the dead , thou shalt be saved , Rom. 10. 9. Jesus said , I am the resurrection , and the life , & whosoever beleeveth in me , shall never dye ; beleevest thou this ? shee said unto him , yea Lord , I beleeve that thou art the Christ the Sonne of God , &c. Joh. 11. 25 , 26 , 27. To beleeve this Record , implies an assent that it is truth , with a resting or hoping to have interest in it , to be made one with it , is faith , though it be a lesser degree , ( then a full and certain assurance of life by him for himselfe in particular ) see Isa . 45. 21 , 22. Those in Mat. 5. 3 , 4 , 5. who mourne , and hunger , and thirst after Christ are blessed , and shall be satisfied , though they want the application of Christ ; therefore besides the illumination which wicked men and Devils may have as well as a beleever , there is a two-fold act of faith , the first is a direct act to beleeve Christ is , in whom is life , &c. this is to beleeve the Record God hath given concerning his Sonne , and that he came into the world to save sinners , 1 Tim. 1. 15. 2. Chron. 20. 12. Look unto me and be saved , Isai . 45. 22. and so trust in Christ for life from a hope of mercy , but this hope is without a certainty ; these are blessed , as appeares Mat. 16. 17. Turne ye to the strong hold ye prisoners of hope , Zach. 9. 12. Secondly , the reflect act of faith , which is ( to beleeve Christ came to save them from their sinnes , as Mat. 1. 23. ) to know I beleeve ; he that hath this measure or degree of faith , trusts in Christ from a knowledge of an interest in him , we beleeve and are sure , Joh. 6. 69. He that hath this act of faith , hath the former , but there be some which have the first act of faith , but have not attained the second , yet their hearts are turned unto Christ , and fixed upon him , and they long for him , hope in him , and rest upon him alone for life and salvation , these have faith , which causeth them to depend on Christ , which none can doe but such as are possessed with Christ , though at present they may not know it , yet are they blessed , Mat. 5. 6. and in his Name they doe trust , Mat. 12. 21. The Apostle saith , These things have I written unto you that beleeve on the Name of the Sonne of God , that yee may know that yee have eternall life , and that yee may beleeve on the Name of the Sonne of God , 1 Joh. 5. 13. So that these words declare they did but weakly beleeve , and that they did not know that they were possessed with eternall life , ( yet they were ) therefore they had not that particular knowledge , or assurance of the love of God , yet did beleeve in Christ . Some conceive they have no grace , because they never had so deep a measure of sorrow for sin as some others have , &c. The word of God declares that those that beleeved had not one and the same measure of sorrow ; the Scripture declares no sorrow in Lydia receiving the Word , Act. 16. 14. but it is said that the Jaylor trembled , being in feare , Act. 16. 29. The word of God is to be our Rule , Isa . 8. 20. and not mens conceits . The greatest measure of sorrow , griefe , feare , terror for sinne , that ever any had , made them not to be loved of God , nor to obtain mercy from God ; nor did sensiblenesse of sin ever drive the soule to Christ , but ever from Christ : as Peters sensiblenesse of his sin , caused him to bid Christ to depart from him , Lord depart from me , for I am a sinfull man , Luk. 5. 8. therefore a deep sensiblenesse of sin hinders the soule in beleeving of Christ , and drives it further from Christ . Thou hast no cause to complain , if God deales more gently with thee , then he doth with some others ; it's a great mistake to thinke that God delights in slavish feares or teares . What is the greatest sensiblenesse of sin worth that proceeds not from faith , and floweth not from the apprehension of pardon & love , in so evill requiting God , look not to sensiblenesse of sinne , but to Christ , thy very sensiblenesse of sin is not free from sin , and it deserves nothing but death , but in Christ is life . If thou wert ever fatherlesse , which is for the soule to be stripped of all , that none of thy workes , nor means , nor men , nor Angels , nor nothing besides Jesus Christ can stand thee in any stead , nor satisfie thee , being resolved to wait upon Christ , untill he please to manifest his free love in pardoning thy sinnes ; this is the worke of God in thee , yea this is a great and sweet work of the Gospel , and such a work as never was in any , but such as shall be saved . If thou renouncest all thy own sufficiency , so as thy best duties cannot satisfie thee , certain it is there is a better sufficiency come in place . I feare my faith is not the faith of Gods Elect , because it is attended with so many doubtings . Feares and doubtings are no fruits of faith , but of unbeliefe , and as feares and doubts increase , the stronger is unbeliefe in the soule ; so the soule is ready to judge that where so great unbeliefe is , there is no faith : yet the Scriptures declare that in those who had true faith , the faith of Gods Elect , yet at the same time have had much unbeliefe also in them , so as they have been filled with doubts and feares , Joh. 13. 1. And from hence it was that he in Mark. 9. 24. called his faith unbeliefe , because he was sensible of his great unbeliefe : and was not unbeliefe strong in Thomas , when he said , he would not beleeve ? Joh. 20. 24 , 25. And seeing that a child of God may have true faith , notwithstanding they may also have many feares and doubtings , thou knowest not but the cause may be so with thee , therefore take heed that yee deny not your selves to have faith , lest yee call weak faith , no faith , and light , darknesse , and grace , sin ; for to doe so is very evill ; Woe unto them that call evill good , and good evill , that put darknesse for light , and light for darknesse , that put bitter for sweet , and sweet for bitter , Isa . 5. 20. those that put faith for unbeliefe doe so ; pray to God to strengthen thy faith , as he did , Mark. 9. 24. and use meanes to remove such things as strengthen unbeliefe , and hinder the sight of thy faith ; as ignorance is one cause of doubting , also an over-sensiblenesse of infirmities , sleighting Gods meanes , neglect of duty , or a formall performance , or nourishing sinne more or lesse , pronenesse to sin , harkening to Satan , to sense , to carnall reasonings , nourishing feare and unbeliefe , &c. Also endeavour to doe that which is a means to strengthen thy faith , know the perfection of the state of a beleever in Christ , in which the weakest and most imperfect beleever , is as perfect , as much justified , accepted , and as happy as the best , live upon Christ alone , make choice of and mind the sutablest promises for thee to feed and strengthen thy faith , walk with God , pray in faith , aske his Spirit , and thou shalt have it , Luk. 11. 23. this Spirit will revive , and fill thy soule with joy and peace in beleeving , and make thee so wise and strong ( in his time ) that thou shalt not cast away thy confidence any more , Heb. 10. 34. And as Gods love ( which is perfect , full , free , ) is discovered to thy soule in the same measure thy doubts and feares are cast out ; for perfect love casts out feare . And although you are to use meanes , yet meanes are but means , not causes of increase of grace , it 's the operation of the Spirit of God in the soule , which is as God pleaseth , therefore looke up to God for faith . I feare my faith is but presumption . I feare the ground of this is thy not knowing , or not minding what faith is , and what presumption is . What faith is , see objection 15. and concerning presumption , this word may be understood in a twofold consideration ; first , for such a confidence as is without a ground ; or secondly , against a ground . For the first , he that presumes he hath a confidence of pardon , but it is without any ground , he hath no word of God for his confidence , and it may be he can give no reason at all for his confidence , much lesse a good reason : that this discouragement may be answered , and removed , consider wherein faith and presumption differs . He that presumes , he hath no ground , no word of God for his confidence , here confidence is fetched from their own conceits , they seek no life in Christ , his word , and promise . 1. But he that truly beleeves in Christ , his confidence is from the Word ; Wee through the Scriptures have hope , Rom. 15. 4. In his word doe I hope , Psal . 130. 5. But I hope in thy word , Psal . 119. 81. 2. He that truly beleeves in Christ , doth not receive any promise of life , but in and through Christ in the riches of his grace . But he that presumes if he receives a promise he receives it upon his qualifications , without respect to Christ , and he gathers conclusions of life from what they are and can doe , their own righteousnesse was never to them as drosse and dung , as Phil. 3. 8. So they depend upon their faith , and not upon Christ by faith : the ground of their confidence is , because they are so good , or not so bad as others , as the proud Pharisee , but he was never fatherlesse , Hos . 14. 3. nor did they ever receive the sentence of death in themselves , 2 Cor. 1. 9. So they were ever confident , and it was ever very easie for them to beleeve . 3. He that beleeves , his hope and trust is onely in God , and they hope in his mercy ; The eyes of the Lord are upon them that hope in his mercy , Psal . 33. 18. 21. 22. And this is the work of God to perswade the heart to rest upon the free mercy of God in Christ , Psal . 13. 5. Psal . 33. 18. I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever , Psal . 52. 8. With the Lord there is mercy , Psal . 130. 7. God is rich in mercy , Eph. 2. 4. Presumption cannot doe so , Joh. 12. 37. 1 Pet. 19. 20. Joh. 6. 28 , 29. For the second , so the confidence of the presumer is contrary to the word of God , the word approves of no such confidence , but protests against them and their confidence , as appeares , Jer. 7. 9. 15. So their presumption hardens them , and makes them bold to venture upon sinful practises , as lying , stealing , drunkennesse , uncleannesse , cheating , and the like , as theirs was , Jer. 7. 9. &c. 4. He that truly beleeves , abhorres that which is evill , and cleaves to that which is good , Rom. 12. 9. Every man that hath this hope in him , purifieth himselfe as he is pure , 1 ●oh . 3. 3. Purifying their hearts by faith , Acts 15. 9. The grace of God teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts , and to live soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world , Tit. 2. 11 , 12. Christ is precious to them that beleeve , 1 Pet. 2. 7. They count all things but losse for Christ , and for him they will suffer the losse of all things , as Phil. 3. 8. Yet many there be who say they are confident , &c. and yet they dare not speak for Jesus Christ , his truth , his servants , &c. these are far from suffering the losse of all things for him : So others can hold Arminianisme , and free-will , setting themselves and their endeavours above God , and his grace , in affirming that notwithstanding all the grace God affords to any man , yet unlesse man shall please to will and improve it well , ( for as they say he may choose whether he will or no ) it shall never be effectuall to him ; if it be so , they may thank God for his grace , without which they can doe nothing , but much more themselves , for saving themselves ; for others had as much grace as they ( as they say Judas had ) shall be damned , and they had been damned also , if they had not willed well , &c. and it was in their power and choice , whether they would will well or no : which is so contrary to the Scriptures ; so then it is not of him that willeth , nor of him that runneth , but of God that sheweth mercy , Rom. 9. 16. Not that we are sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing of our selves , but our sufficiency is of God , 2 Cor. 3. 5. Surely all those who have tasted of Gods free grace , cannot but admire it , and be thankfull for it , and loath with the greatest indignation whatsoever shall intrench upon it , although it were but in the least degree . I have no grace , because I grow not in grace , my life is not holy , nor am I like unto others who are the Lords . Doest thou know thy age or degree in grace ? what , art thou a child , or a yong man , or a father ? 1 Joh. 2. 12 , 13. there is a great difference between a childe and a man in nature , so great is the difference between a babe in Christ , 1 Cor. 3. 1. and a man in Christ , 1 Joh. 2. 13. Also confider if thou canst , whether if thou beest a babe in the wombe , or borne , Heb. 5. 13. He is a babe , as a childe is begotten and alive while it is in the wombe , before it be borne ; so thou maist be begotten from above , and alive , before thou canst be borne . Christ must first be formed in us , before we can be new borne babes , Gal. 4. 18. 1 Pet. 2. 2. And when thou art delivered out of the state of bondage , which is a place of darknesse , of feares concerning thy soule , thou art not borne and brought forth ; and as the wombe is a place of bondage , so here ; and therefore canst not doe that service others doe : if thou beest but new borne , there cannot that be expected from thee , as there is from a man in Christ ; as there is a difference between a childe and a man in nature , so there is here ; learne to distinguish between the grace it selfe , and the exercise of it ; it 's not the having of grace , but the exercise of it , which attaines to a holy conversation , by the operation of the Spirit ; and when a soule is delivered from its enemies , as Satan , terrors , wrath , curse , it 's borne , being delivered we serve , Luk. 1. 47. Deliverance is before working : the time of doubting is a barren time , men cannot fight and worke at the same time . Regeneration consists in being begotten to the Lord , to have union with him , Joh. 17. 22. 23. 19. And for God to convey his power into the soule , by which it is made conformable to the will of Christ , and lives by faith in the Sonne of God , Gal. 2. 20. is another thing in some of the Lords : the first is , where the latter is not , at least in the degrees of it ; beleevers are of severall growths and states ; as , first , babes , children ; secondly , young men ; thirdly , fathers , 1 Joh. 2. 12 , 13. Can babes work ? and yet if they die in that estate , they shall not misse of glory . 1 Job . 2. 12. It is one thing to be justified , and another to be sanctified , so it is one thing to live , another to be borne , and to worke is distinct from both : there is as much difference between some of the Lords , as there is betwixt willing and doing ; some are termed carnall , 1 Cor. 3. 1. others spirituall . Thou maist be begotten , but not borne , ( if in bondage ) and then it is not the season of growing , as another season is . If thou beest ignorant , or in temptation , thy understanding is clouded , and thy heart being distempered with feare , so as Job 23. 8 , 9. and thou art not fit to judge of thy growth ; is a new borne babe , 1 Pet. 2. 2. fit to judge of its growth ? Also consider , it may be , thou art in Gods way , and so thou doest not use his meanes , or not rightly ; consider Psal . 1. 3. with Song 4. 12. there thou shalt grow . I am much tempted by Satan , that I have no grace . Satan tempts Christs babes to cast away their confidence , which is forbidden , Heb. 10. 35. therefore if Satan tell yee , that yee have no faith , thou maist reply , if I have it not in the act to my knowledge , I may have it in the grace it selfe ; if he say that he knows , and you know you have no grace at all . Reply , the Devill knows not , and if I should thinke so I may be deceived ; as fire raked up in ashes appeares not , and gives neither light nor heat , so corruption doth hide and obscure grace , 1 Cor. 3. 1. And if I have no grace , why let yee me not alone , as yee doe others , and as yee did me when I tooke my fill of sin ? then ye told me I had faith , when I had none , I have found yee a lyer , therefore I will not hearken unto you , and I am the more confident I have grace , because ye tell me I have none , He is a lyer , and the father of it , Joh. 8. 44. But suppose I have no grace , there is no reason why I should despaire , because every one of the Lords were once without grace in the estate of nature ; At that time yee were without Christ , being aliens from the common-wealth of Israel , strangers , &c. having no hope , and withou● God in the world , but now in Christ Jesus yee who sometimes were afar off , are made nigh by the bloud of Christ , Eph. 2. 12 , 13. which in time past were not a people , but are now the people of God , which had not obtained mercy , but now have obtained mercy , 1 Pet. 2. 10. Many are ordained unto eternall life , which did not actually beleeve , nor had any grace at all ; I nor any doe not know , but I may be one of them also , therefore I know no reason to despaire , nor will despaire doe me any good , it is better to use the means , wait upon God , trust him with my soule , if mercy come I shall be happy , and shall have cause to praise him . There is nothing too hard for God , Lord , if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane , Jer. 32. 17. Mat. 8. 2. I cannot pray , nor doe any thing to purpose , therefore I have no grace . Unbeliefe deads the heart , and hinders thy living upon Christs strength . It is so with thee , that thou mightst see a need of Christ , Joh. 15. 5. and live upon him , who hath promised to be a full supply to his . If God hath given thee a desire to obey him , say not it is nothing , because God saith it's something , 2 Cor. 8. to 11. he gives this , and if this be all thou hast , it is accepted , vers . 12. and he will grant thy desire ; He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him , he also will heare their cry , and will save them , Psal . 119. 19. Christ will not quench the smoaking fl●x , Isai . 42. When we see no fire , we know there is fire by the smoake ; holy desires cannot be in a soule that hath no grace , Psal . 145. 19. Desire after grace is an act of spirituall life ; an act is from a faculty , a faculty is from life and being , a dead man cannot desire , none can desire that which they beleeve not to be , nor that they doe not love ; desires if spirituall they flow from faith & love , and are a part of what it desires . A will to obey , may be all that a beleever can find in himselfe at some time ; To will is present with me , but how to performe that which is good I find not ; for the good I would I doe not , but the evill I would not , that I doe , Rom. 7. 18 , 19 , 20 , 21. Presse after obedience to God , yet know our greatest holinesse cannot justifie us before God ; For by grace are yee saved through faith , and that not of your selves , &c. Not of workes , lest any man should boast , Ephes . 2. 8 , 9. Even the strongest of the Lords , are but weake creatures , and the highest perfection they can attaine unto in this life , is a fight of our imperfections , and a desire and endeavour to obey , and to live upon Christ by faith ; see Phil. 2. 12 , 13. And was not Paul one of the most strongest beleevers ? see Rom. 8. 37 , 38 , 39. yet what saith he of himselfe , and his words are the word of God ; That which I doe I allow not , for what I would , that I doe not , but what I ha●e , that doe I : To will is present with me , &c. Rom. 7. 14. to 25. He had no power to doe what he would , yet he lived by faith in the Sonne of God , Gal. 2. 20. I find no willingnesse to duties , I find no relish in them , so that I often omit them . Unwillingnesse to duties , argueth much corruption , from whence omissions often flow . God may have begun his work in thee , although it be thus with thee , it may arise from divers causes , as from unbeliefe , doubting of acceptance of person and dutie ; and it 's no wonder , if such have little list to obey ; also eying infirmities , and not Christ also with them , and not exercising grace , especially faith ; little love to Christ , loving temporall things , deads the heart , and makes it carnall , weaknesse of grace , or from Gods not affording present strength , sloath and ease that slayeth the soule , undiscreet doing duties out of their season , ignorance of the nature of duties , and what God requires in some causes , ignorance of the sweetnesse of spirituall duties . So the soules sicknesse , which hinders the soules relish of spirituall things : also weaknesse of body is a great enemy to action ; My flesh and my heart fayles , but God is the strength of my heart , and my portion for ever , Psal . 73. 26. he never fayles . Surely , I am deceived , I have no grace , because I am not able to subdue my passions . This declares rather weaknesse of grace , then otherwise , and it 's certain , it is not from a want of truth of grace , if thou doest that which thou wouldst not , as Rom. 7. 14. to 25. in our selves we are imperfect at the best , Gal. 6. 1. The strongest is not able to stand alone ; also some of the Lords partake more of naturall choler , which increaseth naturally , and as that choler is , we are more or lesse hasty and passionate . A wicked man may be naturally patient , and a childe of God may be sinfully passionate , Jam. 5. 17. Thou shouldst not measure Gods love to thee , nor the truth of his grace in thee by thy mortification of sin , consider Rom. 7. God may for ends best knowne unto himselfe , suffer corruption to be too strong for thee , it may be , to abase thee more , as Paul , Rom. 7. that thou maist see what need thou hast of a Lord Jesus to pardon and heale thee ; who knoweth but God may leave thy personall sanctification the more imperfect , that we may minde and behold Jesus Christ , and our righteousnesse in him , and so live the more in him , and our joy the more in our justification by him ? Rom. 4. 6 , 7. It 's one thing to have thy sinnes forgiven , or not imputed , Psal . 32. 1 , 2. and another thing to be clensed from it ; live in the apprehension of the love of God , and down goeth sin , and all discouragements , so live in discouragements , and sinne prevailes , as Psal . 77. 2. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. Wee ought not to fetch our comfort from our subduing of sinne , but in Christ , in whom we want no righteousnesse , 1 Cor. 1. 30. Christ is ours , and we are Christs , and Christ is Gods. When we are at the best , we may not live in our selves , nor by sight , but by faith , and when we are at the worst , we are to live upon Christ by saith , and comfort our selves in him , and in him onely : many when they want strength or comfort , they seek what they want from their duties , and comfort themselves in their abstainings from sin , but for Christ he is not in all their thoughts , Psal . 10. 4. What I once felt is now decayed . The ground of our faith is God in his Word , and not our sight and feeling , that is sensuall , 2 Cor. 5. 7. We live not by sight ( and feeling ) but by faith . Whilst thou maintainest feares and jealousies of Gods love to thee , it is no wonder it is so with thee : call to minde the dayes of old ; as Psal . 77. It 's certain , if ever God manifested his love unto thee , he is still and ever will be the same unto thee , having loved his owne , he loved them unto the end , Joh. 13. 1. With him there is no variablenesse or shadow of turning , Jam. 1. 17. A child of God may decay in parts , sight , feelings , and exercise of grace for a time , as Phil. 4. 10. these are sometimes more and sometimes lesse , but alwayes as God seeth best , that wee might rest and relie upon nothing but Christ . I see and feele nothing in my selfe , or all is as nothing to me , save onely Jesus Christ , who is all in all to me . We ought to beleeve that we neither see nor feele ; faith is the evidence of things not seene , Heb. 11. 1. To live by faith , is to walke after the Spirit , and to live by sight and feeling , is to live after the flesh , Rom. 8. 1. I am discouraged , because nothing is made good to me , I doe not possesse it . If thou beest included , and art under the promise of it , and under the hope of it , thou shalt possesse it . It may be made good unto thee , without thy possession of it , for wee must not ground faith in the possession of what it beleeves , possession is sutable to sense , and there is neither faith nor hope in what we possesse . To have right in it , and to possesse it , are two things , they died in faith , and yet they did not possesse what they beleeved , Heb. 11. 17 , 18. The possessiō of things gives no being unto faith , nor is essentiall unto it , no otherwise then as faith gives being unto it . Abraham beleeved he should have a sonne ; here was his faith , Rom. 4. 3. 17. 18. yet he did not possesse his sonne , his sonne had no being but in the promise of God , therefore to place enjoyment to be essentiall to faith , is a very great mistake . As a man must first beleeve God is , before he can goe to God , Heb. 11. 6. so a man must first beleeve in Christ , to have remission of sinnes by him , and after receive remission of sinnes , as appeares , Acts 10. 43. It thou hast power to close with God in the truth of his Word , as Sarah did , that shee should have a sonne , not onely before shee had him , but against reason shee beleeved shee should have him , thou hast faith . But I am not assured that I shall be saved , therefore I have no faith . Faith and assurance , is not one thing , but are differing and distinct ; assurance cannot be without faith , but faith may be without assurance ; for assurance is not the proper act of faith ; assurance is an effect of faith , and a higher measure then that is , and the greater our feeling of assurance is , the lesser our faith is . Faith in the act is an assenting or cleaving to the truth and faithfulnesse of God in his promise , not from any thing shee feeles in her selfe ▪ but from something it apprehends in God , in his word , Rom. 4. 20 , 21 , 22. The act of faith is sometimes attended with much strife and strugling , for Satan saith to the soule , it 's in vaine for thee to looke to Christ , to beleeve in Christ , Christ saith , Come unto me , beleeve I will ease thee . Now for the soule to rest upon the fidelitie and abilitie of Christ in his promise , is no small measure of faith : assurance is not from the habit of grace , nor from the direct act of faith , but from the reflect act of faith , which is for a man to see and know that he beleeves ; which assurance is from the immediate testimony of the Spirit of God in the conscience of one who is already a beleever , causing the soule to know it beleeves . The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our Spirits , that we are the children of God , Rom. 8. 16. Now abideth faith , 1 Cor. 13. 13. therefore faith doth at all times one way or other , sufficiently evidence the truth of our estates , if we did at all times truly discerne the testimony or true act of faith ; and the reason why we discerne it not , is for want of a full measure of faith , to withstand all that is opposit to faith ; for some there be , who have faith , yet by reason of their ignorance , and unskilfulnesse , as Heb. 5. 14 , 15. & 10. 15. forgetfulnesse : babes are unskilfull , and have not experience of Gods dealings with his , both for order and manner ; so that when faith doth not so lively act , and when Christ doth not clearly appeare in the soule , he begins to doubt whether he be not deceived ; and when the Lord appeares againe , the doubt is dissolved , and the soule is satisfied , and he is armed with experience against such a time appeares againe , if he be able to judge , and neglect not to marke well , but where use and exercise is wanting , there is not so cleare a discerning , Heb. 5. 11 , 12. I feare the opposition that is in me , is not between Christ and Satan , or the Spirit against the flesh , but from my corrupt will , & my inlightened conscience . I grant all the combates in men are not right , and many are deceived herein ; yet the difference may easily be discerned ; understand it thus ; 1. The naturall conscience ( although it be inlightened ) acts onely in a naturall way , at the most it is but morall , as not to lye , sweare , steale , and such grosse acts . 2. It stirres not , unlesse it be forced , and onely unto that it is forced unto . 3. It sets one faculty against another , as the will and affections against the understanding , but the Spirit of Christ causeth an opposition in the same faculty , as in the will , &c. 4. Conscience inlightened without grace , it strikes onely at the branches of sin , but not in the roote . 1. Whereas the Spirit of God makes a free , full , constant , impartiall resistance against all sin . 2. And discovers unto the soule her secret corruptions in their colours , and the Spirit over-powers the soule , so as it causeth the soule to hate sin , and leave it . 3. The Spirit causeth the soule to be more glad when sin is more discovered . 4. The Spirit of God teacheth the soule effectually to oppose all sinne ( even the appearance of evill ) equally , proportionably and orderly . I am so troubled with hideous temptations , as I beleeve no childe of God is . Christ was tempted , Mat. 4. and I know no kind of temptation that God in his Word hath promised that his child shall not be tempted unto ; There hath no temptation taken you , but such as is common to man , therefore beleeve and take comfort in the wisdome and faithfulnesse of God , who will not suffer you to be tempted above that yee are able , but will with the temptation also make a way of escape , that yee may be able to beare it , 1 Cor. 10. 3. If they be burthensome and hatefull unto you , and you cry out to God for help against them , they shall not be laid unto thy charge ; for as it was with the damsell in Deut. 22. 25 , 26. even so is this matter . I feare that when persecution comes , I shall not suffer , nor hold out unto the end , but dishonour God , betray his truth , shame and grieve his people . Cast all these cares and feares upon the Lord , as Phil. 4. 10. In nothing be carefull , he will care for thee ; I will never leave thee , nor forsake thee , Heb. 15. 5. God will take care for his glory , truth , and servants , his wisdome and power and faithfulnesse shall order all . Others are discouraged , because they are not filled with joy and comfort , &c. Faith may be strong , when joy is absent ; David had faith when he had no joy ; Restore to me the joy of thy salvation , Psal . 51. 12. He refused comfort , and he wanted it , Psal . 77. 2. Such as judge their condition to be good , because they are filled with joy , they are mistaken , and build upon a wrong foundation , in that they are not founded upon Jesus Christ alone , so as to look to him , and live upon him onely . If some persons had joy , they would make it a Christ to them , and live upon it , and so abuse Christ , and themselves , and their joy : and it 's a mercy for such to want joy , till they can better use it . Others are discouraged , because their soules are filled with terrors , saith one , Oh , I feel the wrath of God in my soule , I have a hell in me , and so have been for a long time . This is a sad condition , yet thus it may be with one who is the Lords ; for thus it was with Heman , who said , Lord , why castest thou off my soule , why hidest thou thy face from me ? I am ready to dye whilst I suffer thy terrors , I am distracted , thy fierce wrath goeth over me , thy terrors have cut me off , Psal . 88. 15 , 16. And Job cryed , He hath kindled his wrath against me , and counts me unto him as one of his enemies , see Job 19. 10 , 11. & 7. 6. 13 , 14 , 15 , 16. And David in temptation judging himselfe according unto the Law , to sense , and feeling , said , I am cast out of his sight , Psal . 31. 22. Horror hath overwhelmed me , Psal . 55. 5. & 77. 8 , 9. And Jeremiah said , He hath led me into darknesse , but not into light , he hath broken my bones , and compassed me with gall , he hath made my chaines heavy , he hath filled me with bitternesse , thou hast removed my soule far off from peace , and I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord , Lam. 3. 2. to 19. The Lord hath his way in the whirlewind , and in the storme , Nahum 1. 3. Some conceive that if God loved them , there should be no such tempests in their soules , but should injoy a sweet calme , in stead of wrath and terrors , sweet peace and joy : indeed it is so with many , but it 's not so with all that are the Lords , as appeares ; Job saith to God , Why doest thou not pardon my transgressions , &c. Thou hast set me as a mark against thee , so that I am a burden unto my selfe , see Job 7. 18 , 19 , 20 , 21. 13 , 14. Because it was so with Gideon as it was , he could not be perswaded that God was with him ; the Angel said , God was with him , Judg. 6. 12 , 13. therefore he was mistaken , and so maist thou be , if thou judgest thy selfe not to be the Lords , because thou art filled with terrors , &c. Comfort depends not upon any freedome from terrors , but upon the Spirits revelation of truth , and application of it unto the soule . The greatest peace any Saint doth possesse , is not to be either a ground or an incouragement for their beleeving , so also there is no terrors any can possesse , ought to be any discouragement in beleeving , for our happinesse is not from any thing we feele or apprehend in our selves , but in that we are knowne of God , who loves us and comprehends us in himselfe , and his not imputing our trespasses unto us , Psal . 32. 1 , 2. A soule being in such a sad condition , should consider what the Lord saith in Isa . 8. 20. and to cast all their feares of hell upon God in a promise , to trust in the Lord ; for in Jehovah is strength for evermore , Isa . 26. 3 , 4 : When thou art in the flames of this fire , thou shalt not be burnt ; With God nothing is impossible , Luk. 1. 73. O troubled soule , the tender mercies of our God hath visited us , and so it may visit thee also , and give light to thee that sittest in darknesse , and in the shadow of death , to guide thy feet in the way of peace , Luk. 1. 78 , 79. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace , whose mind is stayed on thee , because he trusts in thee , Isa . 26. 3 , 4. What was that which brought thee so low , but poring so much upon thy sins , untill thou wert filled with despaire , and thy omissions and commissions against conscience increased thy horror ? do the contrary , and first beleeve , then repent , and see that yee daube not your selves over with your duties ; and know that which is a great cause of mourning , is no cause of despaire , therefore cast not away your confidence , Heb. 10. 35. for yet a little while , and he that shall come will come , and will not tarry , Heb. 10. 37 , 38. Therefore say as the Prophet said , When I sit in darknesse , the Lord shall be a light unto me , he will bring me forth into the light , and I shall behold his righteousnesse , Micah 7. 8 , 9. I am in great misery and want outwardly , by reason of poverty , if God did love me , I should not be so much neglected as I am . Thou shouldst not reason so ; what thinkest thou of the condition of those who wandred about in sheep-skins , goat-skins , in deserts , mountaines , dens and caves of the earth ? I feare they were more destitute of outward comfort then thee , and suffered more hunger , cold , and nakednesse then thee ; hast thou not a house , not a bed to lie on , the places where they wandred afforded not these things unto them ; art thou destitute , afflicted , and forsaken ? so were they whom God loved , and esteemed the world not worthy of , Heb. 11. 37 , 38. Poverty and want hath attended and kept company with many a deare childe of God ; Job was poore — yea the Churches of Jesus Christ have been poore ; the Church of Corinth was poore , 2 Cor. 8. 14. The Church of Smyrna was poore , Rev. 2. 9. The Church of Macedonia was in deep poverty , 2 Cor. 8. 1 , 2. And our Lord Jesus Christ was poore , 2 Cor. 8. 9. And thou maist be very poore , and yet God may love thee , as he loves Jesus Christ , Joh. 17. 26. The poore receive the Gospel , and the profession of the Gospel of Christ , have made the rich poore , in that for Christ they have suffered the losse of all things , Phil. 7. 8. In thy greatest want be content to be like Christ in poverty , as well as in glory , Joh. 17. 24. for the time will quickly come , in which you shall feele no want , nor suffer no hunger , cold , or nakednesse . There is no state and condition under the Sun that is free from Satanst ēptations , those who have more abundance of outward things , he suggests & insinuates unto them , that these things are all they are like to have , & that seeing they have a heaven here of outward contents , they must not expect another hereafter . And to those who have greater gifts and parts , he saith , they are not given to them in love , but onely for the benefit of others , and is ready to discourage them ; Satan is ready to get an advantage of us , wee are not ignorant of his devises , 2 Cor. 2. 11. The Lord teach his to know the depths of Satan , Rev. 2. 24. to know his stratagems and to resist him . And as there is no state under the Sunne free from trouble , so it is a sweet comfort unto all that are the Lords , that there is no state and condition , but as God can , so he will support his in , and under it , and make it sweet and comfortable unto them , yea the best for them ; for all things shall work for good to them that love God , 1 Cor. 10. 13. Rom. 8. 28. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ? Shall tribulation , or distresse , or persecution , or famine , or nakednesse , or perill , or sword ? I am perswaded that neither death , nor life , nor Angels , nor principalities , nor powers , nor things present , nor things to come , nor height , nor depth , nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God , which is in Christ Jesus our Lord , Rom. 8. 35. 38 , 39. I cannot see God , surely God hath forsaken me . Sometimes God hides himselfe from his , as the Scripture declares ; Verily thou art a God that hidest thy selfe , Isa . 45. 15. I opened to my beloved , and he had withdrawne himselfe , Song 5. 6. Behold , I goe forward , but he is not there , and backward , but I cannot perceive him ; on the left hand where he doth work , but I cannot behold him ; he hideth himselfe on the right hand , that I cannot see him , Job 23. 8 , 9. Our carnall reason , and corrupt heart , and Satan with his suggestions , are so neere us , before our eyes , that we cannot see God , and wee hearken so much to what they say , that we minde not the voyce of the Spirit , Rom. 8. 16. It is one thing to know , and another thing to know that wee know : Christ said , they knew ; they said , they knew not ; Christ said , Whither I goe yee know , and the way yee know ; Thomas said unto him , Lord , we know not whither thou goest , how then can we know the way ? Christ spake true , and they knew not that they knew , Joh. 14. 3 , 4 , 5. So shee saw Jesus standing , and knew not that it was Jesus . When their eyes were opened , they knew him , Luk. 24. 31. Paul prayed that they might know the hope of their calling , Ephes . 1. 18 , 19. When God hideth his face , we are to wait upon him , and look for him , Isa . 8. 17. for he will returne againe ; but Sion said , The Lord hath forsaken me , & my Lord hath forgotten me . Can a woman forget her sucking childe , & c ? Yea shee may , yet will not I forget thee , Isa . 49. 14. For a small moment have I forsaken thee , but with great mercy will I gather thee , Isa . 45. 7 , 8. When God absents himselfe from his , his love and care is the same unto them , as it is when he most manifests himselfe to them . Another is discouraged , saying , I thought I had true faith , but since I fell into a great sin , I am perswaded if I had been the Lords , I should not have been so left of God , as I was to sin so as I did . Say not so , but consider that even some of the children of God , he hath suffered to fall , if not into the same sinnes , yet as great ; David sinned in adultery and murder ; how greatly did Solomon sin after he obtained mercy , 1 King. 11. 9. And Peter denied Christ with an oath , yet his faith was not voyd or nought , Christs prayer was heard ; I have prayed for thee , that thy faith faile not , Luk. 22. 32. therefore his faith never fayled him . These examples are recorded in Scripture , to set forth the glory of the riches of Gods free grace , Eph. 2. 4. That men may know what God can doe , and that great sinners might not despaire or faint under their sin , therefore Christ saith , All sinnes shall be forgiven unto the sonnes of men , and blasphemies , Mark. 3. 28. If any man sin , we have an Advocate with the Father , Jesus Christ the righteous , 1 Joh. 2. 1. The bloud of Jesus Christ makes us cleane from all sin , 1 Joh. 1. 7. To despaire of the mercy of God , because our sinnes are great , were to limit God in his mercy , which is a greater sin , and an adding sin to sin , therefore for the greatest sinne a beleever can commit , he ought not to moane without hope ; for no sin he can commit , can never put him into a state of condemnation , or under the curse , Rom. 8. 1 , 2 , 3. And whilst we live in this world , God healeth not our sinfull natures wholly , nor takes it away quite ; the flesh lusteth , Rom. 7. yet God ever esteemes his as they are in Christ , ( and not simply as they are in themselves ) Eph. 1. 4. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Paul saith , I my selfe keep the law of God , but with my flesh the law of sin . Sin doth the evill that beleevers doe see , Rom. 7. 15. 17. 20. 1 Joh. 3. 9. Consider Nehe. 9. 16 , 17 , &c. He knoweth our frame , and remembreth that wee are but dust , Psal . 103. 14. God is never an enemy to his , though they greatly sinne against him , Psal . 51. We are not beloved for our own sakes , nor any thing in our selves , but for Christ in whom God is well pleased , Mat. 3. 17. Therefore nothing in us , or that we doe , can make us to be loved more or lesse . God may well say of himselfe ; I am the Lord , I change not , Mal. 3. 6. His love is as himselfe , ever the same ; and Christ in whom we are beloved ever the same , Heb. 13. 8. therefore a beleevers hope , joy , and cōfidence , is to be ever the same in Christ , Ps . 23. 1. So we are commanded to Rejoyce alwayes , Psal . 5. 11. & 32. 11. Let them exceedingly rejoyce , Psal . 40. 16. Psal . 68. 3. and to rejoyce evermore ; Againe I say rejoyce , 1 Thes . 1. 5. 16. Phil. 4. 4. The joy of the Lord is our strength , Neh. 8. 16. Oh there is enough in the Lord Jesus to satisfie thee at all times , he is an unchangeable object of true joy , in him onely is all our hope and happinesse , whose bloud hath payd all the debt of all thy sinnes ; It 's Christ that died , who now shall condemn ? surely none , Rom. 8. 33. Therefore let not thy fall cause thee to question the love of God , seeing thy salvation depends not upon thy repentance or holinesse , but from Gods free grace , Rom. 9. 15 , 16. Isa . 43. 24 , 25. & 57. 17. Ezek. 16. 1. to 9. My little children , these things I write unto you , that yee sin not , 1 Joh. 2. 1. And for any to turne the grace of God into wantonnesse , that is , the sweet mercy and consolations of God , to incourage them in their sinning , they are led by the Spirit of the Devill , he is their father , and his works they do , Joh. 8. I speak to you that regard iniquitie , Psal . 66. 18. that love sin , and delight in it , and are bold and venturous upon it , and can drinke downe iniquitie like water , Job 15. 16. You at present are in the gall of bitternesse , and whiles it is so with them , here is no consolation for them , th●●e may not be numbred with them who through weaknesse and temptation , or want of watchfulnesse , are overtaken , and fall into sinne , which they hate , by not shunning the occasions of sinne , &c. Surely all the Lords have need to pray , as David did to God , Hold up my goings in thy paths , that my footsteps slip not , Psal . 17. 5. Howsoever it be , be not out of hope , although thou didst persecute the truth , as Paul did , and them that professed it , Act. 9. 1 , 2. yet afterwards he preached the faith , Gal. 1. 23. thou knowest not but God may convert thee also . The servant of God having fallen into sinne , is to rise by faith ; for , shall a man fall , and not rise ? Jer. 8. 4. When I fall , I shall arise , Micah 7. 7. Who is a God like unto thee , that pardoneth the iniquitie , and passeth by the transgressions of the Remnant of his people ? Micah 7. 18 , 19 , 20. God subdues the corruption that is in his , not all at once , but by degrees ; therefore he saith , I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse , and their sinnes will I remember no more , Heb. 8. 12. God hath nothing against those who are in Christ , 1 Cor. 1. 30. Yee are in Christ . But alas , I feele my heart is hardened . There is much hardnesse of heart in a childe of God , and they feele it , and complaine of it , and mourne under it , which is from the new heart in them . To feele hardnesse is from softnesse , and the condition of an experienced childe of God : O Lord , why hast thou made us to erre from thy wayes , and hardened our hearts from thy feare ? doubtlesse , thou art our father : thou , O Lord , art our father , Isa . 63. 16 , 17. Their hearts were hardened , yet they were the children of God. Motives or incouragements to beleeve . NOtwithstanding faith is the gift of God , Eph. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. it floweth from the Spirits operation in the heart , therefore our beleeving is said to be the worke of God , Joh. 6. 28. the operation of God , Col. 2. 12. the Spirit of faith , 2 Cor. 4. 13. The Spirit inlighteneth our understandings , and boweth our hearts to beleeve . So that without the Spirit of Christ , we can doe nothing , Joh. 15. 5. Ephes . 1. 19. It is through grace that men beleeve , Act. 18. 27. yet men are to use the meanes ; for when in the preaching of the Word , we bid persons to doe so and so , we expect the holy Spirit of God to put power to the words spoken , to make them effectuall to enable the creature to obey ; as , He said unto me , Sonne of man , stand up upon thy feet : and the Spirit entred into me when he had spoken unto me , and set me upon my feet , Ezek. 2. 1 , 2. And the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God , and they that heare shall live , Joh. 5. 25. Else it were in vaine to speak to dead men , 1 Pet. 4. 6. To beleeve , &c. is a spirituall worke , and all men by nature are spiritually dead , Eph. 2. 1. & 5. 14. onely they beleeve whose hearts God opens , as Acts 16. 14. None can beleeve but they to whom it is given , Phil. 1. 29. Therefore such words as these , Beleeve in the Lord Jesus , and thou shalt be saved , Act. 16. 30 , 31. in this sense are to be understood ; for it is not in him that willeth , and him that runneth , &c. Rom. 9. 16. it is God that worketh both to will and to doe . Incouragements to beleeve . 1. Because the Gospel is to be preached to every creature ; he that beleeves shall be saved , Act. 16. 16. There is no precept or command for any to doubt , none are exempted or forbidden to beleeve , see Act. 16. 30 , 31. 1 Joh. 3. 23. but men are commanded the contrary , and to follow after faith , and to lay hold on eternall life , 1 Tim. 6. 11. 2. By beleeving we come to know our interest in Christ , and of our salvation by him ; Whosoever beleeves in him shall not perish but have everlasting life , Joh. 3. 15 , 16. He that beleeves in the Sonne , hath everlasting life , vers . 36. see Joh. 6. 40. 3. By beleeving , we honour God , He that receives his testimony , hath set to his seale , that God is true , Joh. 3. 33. & Joh. 5. 10. therefore none can beleeve too soone , or too confidently , or too constantly . 4. If yee beleeve not , surely yee shall not be established , Isa . 7. 9. There is no true quietnesse and settlement of soule , without beleeving ; also thou standst by faith ; thou fallest into sinne by unbeliefe , Rom. 11. 20. Heb. 9. 12. The word preached ( is precious and powerfull , yet it ) profited them not , because it was not mixed with faith , Heb. 4. 2. 5. It 's faith that rids the soule of all its distempers , doubts , feares , discouragements , Rom. 5. 1. ( we may not separate the Spirit from faith , nor faith from the Spirit . ) 6. By faith in Christ , thou shalt be kept in perfect peace , it will sweetly , transcendently refresh thy soule , Thou wilt keepe him in perfect peace , because he trusts in thee , Isa . 26. 3 , 4. Being justified by faith , we have peace with God , Rom. 5. 1. By faith we apprehend Christ our justification , the fruit of which is joy and peace . 7. By unbeliefe , we adde sin to sin in the highest nature , if we beleeve not what God saith , our act of unbeliefe accuseth God to speake falsly , He that beleeveth not hath made God a lyer , 1 Joh. 5. 10. It is impossible for God to lye . The strength of Israel cannot lye , 1 Sam. 15. 29. Nor can it be any dishonour to God , nor hurt to thy selfe , to hope in his mercy , and to beleeve in him ; therefore when thou art tempted to unbeliefe , set before thee the evill of unbeliefe . 8. As bad as thou canst be , have been received to mercy ; Jesus Christ came to save sinners ; This is a faithfull saying , and worthy of all acceptation , 1 Tim. 1. 15 , 16. When thou layst in thy bloud , behold it was a time of love , Ezek. 16. 8. He justifieth the ungodly , Rom. 4. 5. While we were yet sinners , Christ dyed for us , Rom. 5. 8. 10. therefore have hope . Feare not , but beleeve , Luk. 8. 50. The Lord will command his loving kindnesse in the day time , and in the night , Psal . 42. 8. Hope thou in God , vers . 5. Be not afraid , onely beleeve , Mark. 5. 36. 9. Unbeliefe straitens thy heart , and stoppeth thy mouth , hinders thy thankfulnesse ▪ and praising of God ; thou shalt be dumb , because thou beleevest not , Luk. 1. 20. 10. Unlesse we beleeve , we can never glorifie God ; He staggered not at the promise of God through unbeliefe , but was strong in faith , giving God the glory , Rom. 4. 20. Quest . From whence is it that many of the Lords children have so many doubts and feares . Answ . It ariseth from many severall causes ; as , 1. From ignorance of the fulnesse and freenesse of the promise , Isa . 55. 2. or mindlesnesse and heedlesnesse of the promise , Heb. 2. 1. 3. And from corruption in the heart , opposing grace , Rom. 7. 4. And from the bodies distemper with melancholy , 5. or from the conscience ( being inlightened ) which sides with the Law against it selfe , Rom. 7. 24. 6. or from unskilfulnesse in the Word of righteousnesse , Heb. 5. 13. 7. And from unbeliefe , which takes the Law and applies it to it selfe , which occasioneth feares , and feares doubts . 8. And from loose walking with God. 9. Or from the Spirits not operating in the soule ; the Spirit when it acts , speakes peace , and causeth faith to act more strongly , Rom. 8. 16. Meanes to quiet and settle a troubled soule in assurance of the love of God ; God gives peace to his by meanes , as appeares 2 Thes . 3. 16. Commune with thy heart , and make diligent search to find out what it is that troubleth thee , Psal . 77. 6. Aske a reason of thy soule , why it is disquieted , why it is cast downe , Psal . 42. 11. Why art thou cast downe , O my soule ? why art thou disquieted ? Psal . 42. 5 , 6. Examine from whence all thy discouragements come , they come not from God , for his voyce is onely comfort unto his people , he hath declared himselfe to be mercifull , and gracious , and slow to anger , and plenteous in mercy ; He hath not dealt with us after our sinnes , nor rewarded us according unto our iniquities , Psa . 103. 3 , 4. 8. 10. &c. His voyce is comfort , Comfort yee my people , speak yee comfortably to Jerusalem , cry unto her , that her warfare is accomplished , that her iniquitie is pardoned , Isa . 4. 1 , 2. I know the thoughts that I thinke towards you , saith the Lord , thoughts of peace , and not of evill , Jer. 29. 11. Nor come they from Christ , he doth not trouble nor discourage any ; He binds up the broken-hearted ; he proclaimes peace , liberty , he comforts all that mourne , he gives beautie for ashes , the oyle of joy for mourning , and garments of praise , for the Spirit of heavinesse , &c. Isa . 61. 1 , 2 , 3. Luk. 4. 18. He is gracious and piti●ull , He will not quench the smoaking flax , nor breake the bruised reed , Isai . 42. 3. His voyce is full of love & tendernesse , all his words are sweet words ; as , Let not your hearts be troubled , Joh. 13. 1. Feare not , it is your Fathers pleasure , to give you a kingdome , Luk. 12. 32. Cast you● care upon me , I will care for you , Phil. 4. 6. Christs voyce is open to me ; My sister , my love , my dove , my undefiled , Song 5. 2. On sweet words of Christ to his ! Nor come they from the holy Spirit of God , he is the greatest and most sweetest comforter , he causeth no discouragements , but removes them all , by revealing and applying to the soule the love of God , and carrieth the soule by faith from all discouragements to God , who is love & peace , where the soule is to rest , Psal . 116. 7. and to be filled with his sweet peace . Therefore all our discouragements do proceed , 1. From the Devill , who is an enemy to faith ; He taketh the word out of mens hearts , lest they should beleeve , Luk. 8. 12. 1 Thes . 3. 5. 2. Our own hearts ; Take heed , brethren , lest there be in any of you an evill heart , in departing from the living God , Heb. 3. 12. 3. Or the lying vanities we have chosen : but they that harken unto lying vanities , forsake their own mercy , Jonah 2. 8. Give no way to any discouragement at all , though it doe seeme never so just and reasonable , &c. This was Davids sin to admit of a parley with that which might tend to discourage him ; saying , Will the Lord cast off for ever ? doth his promise fayle for evermore ? I said this is my infirmitie , Psal . 77. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. As soone as he saw his infirmitie , he had other thoughts of God , saying , Who is so great a God as our God ? thou art a God that doest wonders ; and his footsteps are not knowne , vers . 14. 19. If God in his greatnesse were knowne , and the wonders he doth knowne , and his footsteps , the way he goeth knowne , men would admire him , and rejoyce at that for which they now mourne . When thou art tempted to unbeliefe , set before thee the evill of this sinne in it selfe , and the effects of it . Learne to know and distinguish between the voyce of Christ , and all other voyces , that thou maist say , It is the voyce of my beloved that knocketh , and hearken unto it , Song 5. 2. Christs voyce is peace to his , Luk. 24. 26. Thy sinnes are forgiven , Luk. 7. 48. I will remember them no more , Heb. 10. 17. Therefore that voyce that tends to hinder the peace of the Saints , suits with Satan , and is not the voyce of Christ : I will heare what the Lord will speake ; for he will speake peace to his people , Psal . 85. 8. Satan also speaks in the soule , saying , Is not this a delusion ? is it likely to be from God ? hast thou a heart fit for Christ ? and because this last voyce is more sutable to reason , the soule is ready to close with it , and to conclude against God , and his own soule , that the voyce was not from God , but a delusion of Satan , mistaking Christs voyce to be the voyce of Satan , and Satans voyce to be the voyce of Christ , which is a miserable mistake . Therefore learne to know the severall colours , sounds , and voyces , which are for God , and which are for Satan , 1 Cor. 14. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11. Or else you will mistake and come unprepared to the battell , 2 Cor. 7. 5. Learne to know and distinguish between the voyce of the Gospel , and the voyce of the Law ; the Law saith , Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Law to doe them , Gal. 3. 10 , 11. When there is any worke required to be done upon paine of punishment , or upon promise of eternall life , it is the voyce of the Law ; the Law requires a doing of something for life . M●ses describes the righteousnesse of the Law , that the man that doth these things , shall live by them , Rom. 10. 5. But the voyce of the Gospel is otherwise , that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law , being made a curse for us , Gal. 3. 13. And to him that worketh not , but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly , his faith is counted for righteousnesse , Rom. 10. 5. see 9. verse to 13. and that his mercy is above what we can aske or thinke , Eph. 3. 20. So the promises of li●e , they are free without condition , and the Gospel declares what God workes in us , and freely gives unto us , I will love them freely , Hos . 14. 4. If some persons did listen more to the promise , which is the voyce of the Gospel , and not unto the voyce of the Law , or the voyce of corruption , they should enjoy more peace , and lesse trouble . Meddle not with the threatnings in the Word , so as to apply them to thy selfe , because they belong not unto thee , they are no part of thy portion , they have nothing to doe with a beleever , nor he hath nothing to doe with them ; the threatnings are for them that are under the Law , but wee are not under the Law , but under grace , Rom. 6. 14. A beleever having sinned , through weaknesse , applieth the threatnings against that sinne to himselfe , not considering that Christ hath satisfied for the sinnes they commit ; Christ being made a curse for us , Gal. 3. 13. Be sure yee judge not your state by false principles ; as , to be bad for the want of that , which if thou haddest it , would not prove thy state good , as knowledge , memory , P●●ls sensiblenesse of sin , &c. Nor judge thy state bad for the having of that which if thou wert freed from , would not prove thy estate good , as passion , temptations , discontentednesse , &c. If this Rule were observed , some should not be so troubled as now they are . Take heed you be not overwhelmed with sin , therefore eye not so much thy infirmities : Beware of such a minding of sin , and such a complaining of it , either to Gods , or man , as may discourage , oppresse , and trouble thy soule , for this is sinfull . Davids experience might teach him this ; I complained , and my spirit was overwhelmed ; I am so troubled that I cannot speake , Psal . 77. 3 , 4. 8. Therefore hearken not to thy faylings , corruptions , doubts , feares , for as they are all against God , so they are all against thy soule . There is no grace , no mercy from them , therefore what thou seest and feelest , see not , consi●er not , forget , and what thy sense sees not , see . Faith is the evidence of things not seene , Heb. 11. 1. Walke by faith , not by sight , 2 Cor. 5. 7. Eye Christ onely , mind him , meditate upon him , and his rich and free grace , fetch all thy comforts from him , who is made to thee , Wisdome , Righteousnesse , Sanctification , and Redemption , 1 Cor. 1. 30. If thou attendest only to God in his promise , thou shalt finde Rest , Psal . 116. 7. O beleever , eye not so much thy selfe , or thy sinnes , as Christs full and perfect satisfaction , which was offered and accepted for all thy sinnes , Heb. 10. 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18. Oh therefore live , and rest thy soule upon thy sweet Lord Jesus Christ alone , & place all thy confidence in him . Doest thou not heare God say to thee , Cast away all thy feares , and come to me , I will settle thee , comfort , quicken , uphold thee , and be better to thee then thy selfe can be ; I will be all in all unto thee ? Know the happinesse and perfection of the state of a beleever in Christ , he is cleane from all sin by the bloud of Christ , 1 Joh. 1. 7. They are removed from us , Psal . 103. 12. A beleever in Christ is accepted of God in him , as perfect , righteous , and comely , as Christ is ; for Christ saith to his ; Thou art all faire my love , there is no spot in thee . There is not any sin a beleever can commit , can be a ground sufficient to question the love of God , nor ought they to cast away their confidence in God , for any thing they doe , or can befall them , nor ought they to cause any unquietnesse of spirit in them , Heb. 10. 19 , 20. 22. 25. For now there is none that can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect , as Rom. 8. 1. Oh meditate on this truth , until thy heart be over powered with it , and thou injoy the sweetnesse of it , and ever mind it seriously , thy full freedome and sweet libertie thou hast in Christ , Gal. 5. 13. Learne to distinguish between thy Justification and thy personall Sanctification ; the first is perfect and compleat in Christ ; the latter is in our selves , and is weake , and imperfect , and uncertaine , as appeares , Rom. 7. Let us looke off our sinnes , and looke upon Gods sweet promise , who saith , Their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more , Heb. 10. 17. So that now wee may draw neere with a true heart , in full assurance of faith , for he is faithfull that promised , vers . 22 , 23. Let not thy comfort depend upon thy personall Sanctification , because from it there can no sure selected constant comfort flow . To seek comfort from Sanctification , and not from their Justification in Christ , is a cause of much trouble in many a weake beleever ; for Sanctification hath nothing to doe with Justification , nor salvation , as any cause of it . Also Sanctification admits of degrees , but Justification admits of neither rules nor degrees , and is more glorious then Sanctification : our Justification depends not upon our apprehending of it , nor in our receiving of it , but upon the effectualnesse and merit of what our sweet Lord Jesus hath done for us , Heb. 10. 14. 18 , 19. So that now wee may well have boldnesse to enter into the Holiest by the bloud of Jesus , vers . 20. Justification is apprehended by faith , Heb. 11. 1. Joh. 8. 56. Faith doth evidence to us our justification ; for the Scripture saith , all that beleeve are justified , Act. 13. 39. It is possible to have a full assurance of faith , Heb. 10. 22. therefore faith is an unquestionable evidence : and when faith is hidden and doubtfull , Justification is not apprehended ; and when faith is hidden and doubtfull , Sanctification is not evident but doubtfull , and so cannot evidence to us our Justification : the effects of Sanctification cause men to question their Justification , therefore no effect of Sanctification can evidence to the soule its Justification ; and that soule that by Faith apprehends his Justification by Christ , not onely knoweth it , but may live upon it , injoying the sweet fruit of it , peace , joy , strength , without any considering the effects of Sanctification in himselfe . And seeing Christ is made Sanctification to a beleever , 1 Cor. 1. 30. why may not a beleever live upon his own , and say , I have Sanctification in Christ , which is perfect , my actuall righteousnesse doth often faile me , but Christs righteousnesse indures for ever , Psal . 111. 3. therefore I will fetch all my comfort from Christ , and my Justification by him ; and as wee are not to conclude our Justification from any effect of Sanctification , so wee are not to conclude that apprehension of Justification to be from God , as shall take men off the meanes and rules of Sanctification , because it is to the dishonour of God for men not to walke holily , according to the word of God , Tit. 2. 14. Prize and preserve the peace of thy conscience . Be sure yee allow your selves in no sinne , but in the power and strength of Christ , to hate and abhorre with the greatest indignation all sinne , and the appearance of evill ; it is better to dye then to sinne : there is that which accompanieth sinne , which strikes at a beleevers peace and comfort , and will damp , straiten and oppresse their comfort , joy , and peace in God , unlesse God doth wonderfully strengthen their faith in him . And such as live by faith , and injoy sweet peace in him , have found sin to be an enemy , and a let to their faith and comfort , it having often unsetled , and disquieted , and clouded their soules peace , though indeed it ought not so to doe , for we are to remember that sweet place , Heb. 10. 17. Their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more . This alone is able to settle a soule , it being full of sweetnesse and life . Doe not trouble thy selfe with any thing that may befall thee ; in case thou wert certaine great troubles shall befall thee , be not troubled at any trouble , much lesse for future trouble , nor thinke not to incounter with & supply a future trouble , with a present strength ; if many and great troubles come , God is alsufficient , and will remove them , or give strength to beare them when they come , 1 Cor. 10. 13. Mind seriously those promises of God that are sutable to thy condition , separate thy selfe to meditate upon them , as Prov. 18. 2. hide them in thy heart , as Mat. 13. 44. There is strength and sweetnesse in the promise , thou maist venture thy soule upon God in his promise , and live upon it , thou knowest not but God may reveale his promise to thee , and settle it sweetly and fully upon thy soule by his almightie power , as Ephes . 1. 19 , 20. Therefore let not Gods promises be strange to thee , but feed upon them , eat them ; Eate O friends , drinke abundantly O beloved , Song 5. 1. Leave not the promise , untill thou beest refreshed , revived , raised , ravished with Gods rich grace and infinite free love , and thy heart inlarged with thankfulnesse and obedience unto God againe for the exceeding riches of his mercy , Eph. 2. 9. His plenteous Redemption , Psal . 130. 7. Treasure up experiences of Gods goodnesse unto thy soule , but who among you will give eare to this ? who will hearken and heare for the time to come ? Isa . 42. 23. Remember the dayes of old , I have considered the dayes of old , and the yeares of ancient time , Psal . 77. 5. Thou hast been my helpe , Psal . 63. 7. I was brought low , and he helped me , see 2 Tim. 4. 17 , 18. Psal . 89. 49. Keepe thy heart calme and quiet from all passions , as feare , griefe , &c. The still soule can best heare and know Christs voice , his still voyce ; but where feare , vexation , and distempers dwell , they are not aware of Christ , nor themselves , and commonly they that feare most have least cause , as they had the Angel of the Lord came upon them , and the glory of the Lord shone round about them , and they were sore afraid ; and the Angel said unto them , Feare not , for behold , I bring you tidings of great joy , Luk. 2. 9 , 10. When the soule is troubled with any passion , it is not at the command of faith , Luk. 24. 41. the violence of their joy hindred their faith , Let not your hearts be troubled , Joh. 13. 1. Quietnesse is the stay of the soule to doe or receive . Be contented with thy present estate , and fill not thy head , heart , or hand , with any more businesse then thou must needs . Consider Heb. 13. 5. Take heed of the cares of this life , Luk. 21. 34. 15. Trouble not thy selfe with needlesse supposed feares , if thou doest , thou drawest upon thy selfe reall sorrow , and unnecessary discontent ; there be many that are possessed with bitter sorrows from supposed sufferings . Order thy conversation aright , To him that ordereth his conversation aright , will I shew the salvation of God , Psal . 50. 23. Want of wisdome to dispose of , of diligence to dispatch , what necessitie requires to be done in the right time and place , hath produced such inconveniences , as hath unavoydably caused trouble , a disquieted and an unsetled spirit . Walke with God in his wayes , ordinances , they are for thy comfort , strength , joy and peace in him ; there is no quiet to those that worship the beast , Rev. 14. 10 , 11. Use Gods means , but live not upon ordinances , but upon God in them , for meanes alone are not sufficient to doe us any good , 1 Cor. 1. 21. Doe not sleight nor refuse Gods consolations , let them not seeme small unto thee ; are the consolations of God small with thee , Job 15. 11. O soule own that comfort God gives thee , if it seeme small to thee , it s thy own , own it , lest yee live to complaine , saying , as David did ; My soule refused to be comforted , Psal . 77. 2. and to wish yee had that yee despised ; be thankfull to God for what thou hast received , and hold that fast , and let nothing goe that may tend to thy peace ; rest satisfied in Christs righteousnesse , and adde nothing unto it ; I will make mention of thy righteousnesse , even of thine onely , Psal . 71. 15 , 16. 19. 24. Thy righteousnesse is an everlasting righteousnesse , Psal . 119. 142. see Psal . 22. 31. & 35. 28. & 50. 6. & 51. 14. Jer. 33. 16. The perfection of Christs righteousnesse is held forth unto us , and doth alwayes lie before us for us , that we might ever be comforted with it , and rejoyce in it , with thankfulnesse for it , seeing it so perfect , and full of divine consolation . Oh here is enough to refresh and satisfie all the Lords to all eternitie , so that we have enough , we need no other , nor no more righteousnesse . Meditate on Gods goodnesse unto thee , let his loving kindnesse be ever before thy eyes ; Wee have thought of thy loving kindnesse , O God , Psal . 48. 9. Beleeve in God , I , in Christ , want of faith , or want in faith , is the cause of trouble in the soule ; Yee beleeve in God , beleeve also in me ; and let not your hearts be troubled , Joh. 13. 1. Faith in Christ quiets and settles a troubled soule . Thou canst not be too confident in resting upon Christ in his free grace , Psal . 30. 5. therefore come boldly to the throne of grace , Heb. 4. 16. Those who know God , will trust him with their bodies and soules , and that upon his word ; All that know thy Name , will trust in thee , Psal . 9. 9 , 10. but a foole neither will , nor can doe so ; O foole , and slow of heart to beleeve , Luk. 24. 25. But those who are made wise by God , will trust in the word of the Lord , Isa . 26. 3 , 4. and say , in his word doe I hope , Psal . 130. 5. When the Lord pleases to settle a soule in the assurance of his love , he causeth the soule to trust in his word ; Remember thy word unto thy servant , upon which thou hast caused me to hope , Psal . 119. 49. God by his word conveys that to the soule , which is sutable to its wants , and by his power and authoritie settles it upon the soule . Above all , take the shield of faith , Eph. 6. 16. Feare not , beleeve , Luk. 8. 50. Yea , cleave to God in his promise , even then when thou art in thy greatest feares , and most sensible of thy unworthinesse ; trust in him at all times , God is a refuge for us , Selah , Psal . 62. 8. If at all times , then at the worst times also ; yea even then beleeve , and heare nothing against thy beleeving God in his promise . Abraham beleeved against hope , Rom. 4. 18. So should wee doe ; oh beleeve God intends thy good ; Christ came to seeke and to save the lost , Luk. 19. 10. Lost , viz. in the sight and sense of thy own sin and misery , and in thy own sufficiency . Improve thy doubts , feares , temptations against beleeving , to incourage thee in beleeving ; for hast thou not by experience found , that it is but in vaine to hearken unto any of them ? Consider often and well these places , Rom. 16. 20. Heb. 10. 35 , 36 , 37. Rev. 3. 11. 1 Pet. 4. 19. & 5. 7. And search the Scriptures . Reading helpeth mens judgements , memories , affections , confirmes our faith , and fits us to answer the temptations of Satan . Renounce all lying vanities , hearken unto none of them . First , hearken not to the voyce of thy heart , it is a lying vanitie , it will deceive thee , Pro. 3. 5 , 6 , 7. Isa . 44. 20. Secondly , hearken not to Satan . Thirdly , hearken not to sense ; Thomas said , he would not beleeve , unlesse he might see and thrust his hand into his side , Joh. 20. 24 , 25. But this sensuall practise is to be abhorred by us ; for this is to consult with flesh and bloud , which cannot discerne spirituall things , 1 Cor. 2. 14. and is condemned by God , Gal. 1. 16. So some persons will see such a holy frame of spirit in themselves , and feele such a sin subdued , &c. before they will beleeve , yet faith looks not to such things as these , but onely to God in his word ; therefore wee must not live by sight , but by faith , 2 Cor. 5. 7. and blessed are they that have not seene , yet have beleeved , Joh. 20. 29. Fourthly , hearken not to carnall reason , if it be hearkened unto , thou canst not beleeve , nor submit to God , nor be setled ; for doth not reason say , that a Virgin cannot bring forth a childe , and a woman of ninetie yeares is past conceiving a childe , therefore reason saith it cannot be , and so contradicteth God himselfe ? Gen. 17. 16 , 17. Mat. 1. Also can reason beleeve , that by faith the walls of Jericho fell downe , and that the Saints stopped the mouths of Lyons , and quenched the violence of fire by faith , yet faith did it , Heb. 11. 30. 33 , 34. Or is it likely or possible to reason for a man to walke upon the Sea as Pe●er did ? Mat. 14. 29. And did not Christs command seeme vaine to Peters reason , that he should cast in his net into the Sea , seeing he had cast it in so often , and fished all night , and catched nothing ? Luk. 5. 8. Can reason conceive how the dead , who are eaten with beasts , or fishes , or turned into dust , can be raised to life ? or that the Sea can be divided , the Sunne goe backward , or the Rockes yeeld water in abundance ; surely there cannot be any reason given for them . And seeing sense and corrupt reason is so contrary to God in his word , why should we hearken unto them , when they say the soule hath no grace , because sense seeth none , and that God will not pardon their sinnes , because there is no reason to reason why he should , nor no way to reason which way it can be , yet it may be , for with God all things are possible , Mat. 19. 26. They that hearken unto lying vanities , forsake their own mercies , Jonah 2. 8. 5. Live not upon duties ; 6. nor upon good report ; 7. nor upon groundlesse hopes ; 8. nor upon peace ; 9. comfort ; 10. joy ; 11. raptures ; 12. ravishments : though they all be true or false , live upon God alone , and upon nothing else besides God in Christ ; if thou doest live upon any thing else , as thy foundation is unsound , so it will deceive thee ; and whatsoever their sparkes may be , they must and shall lye downe in sorrow , Isa . 50. 10. Let not thy comfort depend upon Gods actings or dispensation to the inward or outward man , if thou doest , thou canst not be setled , for they are oft changeable and cōtrary one to another ; one day thou maist have peace , joy , strength , another none of these ; to day God may shew himselfe to thee , and in a moment of time he may hide himselfe ; to day rich and injoy many friends with health , to morrow sicke , and poore , and friends all gone , &c. Gods acting in us , and upon us , is not alwayes as he is unto his : as God is in himselfe unchangeable , ever the same , so he is to his ever the same , however he may seeme to be , Heb. 13. 8. Isa . 45. 7 , 8. 15. with Song 5. 6. Isa . 8. 17. Therefore make a good construction of all that God doth do to thee , his actings in us , or upon us , is the accomplishing of his will , for his glory , and the good of his ; that which I thinke worst for me , may be best for me , however it be , God is good , and good to me , Psal . 73. 1. This I see and say , and injoy in both . Pray to God , that he may give unto thee the Spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him , that yee may know what is the hope of your calling , Eph. 1. 17 , 18 , 19. Say unto my soule , I am thy salvation , Psal . 35. 3. I beseech thee shew me thy glory , Exod. 33. 18. Cause thy face to shine upon me , Psal . 80. 3. Establish , O God , that which thou hast wrought in us , Psal . 68. 22. Avoyd sadnesse of spirit , and rejoyce evermore , 1 Thes . 5. 16. Sadnesse of spirit hinders us in thankfulnesse to God , also it breeds uncomfortablenesse and unsetlednesse in us , an unchearfull spirit is unfit for duty , for what wee goe about unchearfully , we are soone weary in it , if not of it . When our spirits are calme , united , and chearfull , then we act more comfortably ; and such a frame of spirit is fittest to praise God , sadnesse of spirit fitteth us to yeeld to discouragements , if we be sad , wee injoy not the comfort of any thing ; chearfulnesse is as it were the life of our spirits , chearfulnesse inlargeth our spirits , and fits us to receive happinesse , and to expresse it . Frequent and wisely improve those whom God hath setled , who are able to direct thee , and informe thee in the knowledge of the grace that is revealed , in which is fulnesse of joy , 1 Job . 1. 4. Mind and remember that which makes for your peace and joy ; if yee forget your resting place , as Jer. 50. 6. it is no wonder if yee be troubled ; Yee have forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children , Heb. 12. 5. Wee have no present actuall comfort further then we have remembrance . Know , no meanes of themselves are sufficient to quiet and settle thy soul , it 's the work of the Spirit to answer all discouragements , it is God alone that creates the fruit of the lips peace ; peace to him that is afar off , and to him that is neere , saith the Lord , and I will heale him , Isa . 57. 19. It 's God which stablisheth us , 1 Cor. 1. 21. These things I write unto you , that your faith and hope may be in God , 1 Pet. 1. 21. Now the God of peace , give you peace alwayes by all meanes , 2 Thes . 3. 16. Vse of Exhortation to all that beleeve . 1. To admire the greatnesse and sweetnesse of Gods love in his free grace to thee , it is a mercy to heare of it , how much more to have interest in it , and to injoy it , being possessed of it , Isa . 61. 2. Take thy own portion and treasures provided for thee , Col. 2. 3. and ever live in the eternall love of God in Christ to thee , this object is sweet , s●ll , durable , sufficient to satisfie thee at all times , rest satisfied in Christ . 3. Dedicate thy selfe , and all thou hast freely to him , who gave himselfe fully and freely for thee , who suffered , yea dyed so freely for thee . Oh how should this love ingage our hearts to walke with God , to be holy as he is holy , &c. yea doe all , and suffer for him ! for the wayes of the Lord are right , and the just shall walke in them , Hosea 14. 9. 4. Declare to others Gods goodnesse unto thy soule , use meanes that others may injoy the same mercy with thee ; Be yee mercifull , as he is mercifull , forgive and give unto others soules or bodies freely : for so thou hast received . 5. Be content with thy estate , inward or outward , though many crosses and miseries attend thee ; for if God be enough ( as he is ) thou hast enough ; oh let not many nor great troubles , inward or outward , dismay thee , 1 Cor. 10. 13. for though they may seeme long , yet they cannot last long : The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly , Rom. 16. 20. Loe I come quickly , Rev. 22. 20. 6. As Christ is all thy happinesse , so let him be all thy comfort , and the supply of all thy wants , expect all you need and can desire , yea that God can give , that is for thy good , it is certaine thou shalt have all thou needest , Psal . 34. 10. Seeing he hath freely given us his Sonne , how shall he not with him give us all things freely ? Rom. 8. 32. 7. Watch and pray , lest yee ( fall into temptation , and ) abuse this favour , and turne this grace into wantonnesse . 8. Stand fast in this libertie of Christ , in which he hath made you free , as Gal. 5. 1. 9. Rejoyce alwayes , evermore , and let thy joy be full in God thy portion ; They shall rejoyce in their portion , Isa . 61. 7. 10. Be wonderfully thankfull to God for all his exceeding grace and mercy unto thee , in that he hath given thee beautie for ashes , and everlasting joy shall be to thee , Isa . 61. 3. 7. 2. Vse of Comfort and Consolation to all that beleeve . Oh deare , yea most deare and precious souls , who can expresse your happinesse & glory ? for the Lord hath done great things for us , whereof we are glad , Psal . 126. 3. Oh now the great work of your Redemption is finished to your hands by him whose works are all perfect , Heb. 10. 14. So that there is nothing of this work left for thee to doe . Now thou maist come unto the throne of grace boldly , now all is payd , it 's God that justifieth , who shall condemne ? surely none , Rom. 8. 38 , 39. It 's not sin , nor Satan , nor any thing else shall hinder thy interest in Christ , or injoyment of him , for thy union with the Lord Jesus shall never be dissolved , Christ lives for ever , Heb. 7. 25. and seeing Christ lives yee shall live also , Joh. 14. 19. Therefore thou art not onely happy now , but thou shalt be so for ever , thou shalt receive the end of thy faith , the salvation of thy soule , 1 Pet. 1. 9. Joh. 5. 24. Christ is enough to comfort us in the sight of all our sinnes , and to make us happy in all our miseries . There is a day a coming , which will make amends for all ; in the meane time , make mention of the loving kindnesse of the Lord , and the praises of the Lord , according to all the Lord hath bestowed on us , &c. according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses , Psa . 63. 7. Who is wise , and be shall understand these things , prudent , and be shall know them , Hosea 14. 9. THE Perfection and happinesse of a Beleever in Christ . Some briefe Observations or Meditations on some part of the 16. Psal . which Psalm is a Prophesie of Christ , as appeares Acts 2. 25. to 35. verse . Psalme 16. IN this Psalme appeareth the wonderfull goodnesse of God in Christ , to all the sonnes and daughters of Christ , and the exceeding great and happy estate of all that are in him . Preserve me , O God ] There is no preservation in any thing , but God. Preserve me ] Christ in the dayes of his flesh put up strong crys and supplications to his Father . For in thee doe I put my trust ] there is no trust to be put in any thing but in God. I put my trust ] Christ as he was man had faith , and it was in God. Thou art my Lord ] Christ honours the Father in acknowledging him onely ; yet Christ and he are one . My goodnesse extendeth not to thee , but to the Saints that are in the earth . My goodnesse ] Christs goodnesse was from himselfe , therefore his own . Goodnesse ] Jesus Christ is full of goodnesse , Col. 2. 3. Therefore all that Christ hath done is wonderfull , excellent , and meritorious , in this is our happinesse and comfort . Extendeth not to thee ] Viz. God. God is perfect and infinite , therefore he is not capable of any addition of goodnesse . Oh admire his perfection . But to the Saints , &c. Those who are Saints , had no goodnesse of their own , Their righteousnesse is of me , saith the Lord , Isa . 54. 17. Christs goodnesse was for the Saints , they stood in need of it . Extendeth ] It reacheth the Saints , they shall injoy the fruit of it ; there is no place of the earth that is out of the reach of Christ . This goodnesse of Christ was not for every person in the world , but to the Saints that are in the earth . Saints ] Christs goodnesse made them Saints ; Christ found them no Saints , but wicked sinners ; Oh Saint admire the riches of Christ , and his love to thee ; the Saints goodnesse is in Christ . O soule rest satisfied in Christs goodnesse , which is thine , rejoyce in it , and admire at it , be thankfull for it , walke sutably unto it , and improve this goodnesse against all thy doubts and feares , &c. To the excellent ] The Saints are excellent to Christ , yea , all of them are alike excellent , beautifull , glorious , unspeakeable , infinite , excellent , with the excellent beauty of Christ , Ezek. 16. 14. They are more excellent then the whole creation of heaven and earth . Christ calls them excellent , and he esteemes them so , Eph. 5. 27. Oh Saint esteeme thy selfe as Christ doth to be excellent in his excellency ; for thy beauty it is perfect through my comelinesse I have put upon thee , saith the Lord God , Ezek. 16. 14. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord , my soule shall be joyfull in my God ; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation , he hath covered me with the robe of righteousnesse , Isa . 61. 10. O glorious Saint , the world knows not thy worth , therefore it esteemes thee not , yet sleight not thy selfe , because Christ hath made thee excellent . In whom is all my delight ] Jesus Christ is fully pleased and contented with his . All my delight ] an infinite delight Christ takes in his . All ] One Saint is esteemed by Christ to be of more worth , then the whole creation of heaven & earth , those things have none of his delight , the Saints have it all , the quintessence of all fulnesse . All ] Infinite is the love and contentment that Christ takes and gives to them . O precious Saint , delight thy self in God , rest satisfied with him , in his love , and the delight he takes in thee . Their sorrowes shall be multiplied that hasten after another God : their drink-offerings of bloud will I not offer , nor take up their names into my lips ] As for the wicked , it is not so with them , they are not in so happy a condition , they shall finde the contrary from Christ , he will not once name their names to God , nor offer their offerings to his Father . Their offerings of bloud ] Their costly services shall be rejected , they shall finde no entertainment , no acceptāce from Christ , they shall have no peace , nor comfort , no cessation of sorrow , their sorrowes shall never have an end ; their sorrowes shall increase and be multiplied , therefore they are in a miserable condition . Mine inheritance and lot ] Christs lot and inheritance is his people ; The Lords portion is his people , Deut. 32. 9. Mine ] Christ layeth claime to his people , to have an interest in them , Christ is not ashamed to own them to be his , Heb. 2. 11. The Saints are not their owne but Christs , 1 Cor. 6. 19 , 20. 1 Cor. 3. 23. Seeing the Saints are Christs , they are to doe all for him , to serve him , to be at his disposing onely , and not at their own . Inheritance of my cup ] Christs people are his by purchase ; let this cup passe from me ; they cost a great price , even the precious bloud of Christ , 1 Pet. 1. 19. He that payd so much for his , will not lose them , nor leave them , Heb. 13. 5 , 6. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance ] The Saints have God for their portion ; The Lord is my portion , saith my soule , Lam. 3. 24. Thou art my portion , O Lord , Ps . 119. 57. The portion of a childe of God is infinite , because God is infinite : God esteemes nothing too much for his , in that he declares himselfe , and all that is his to be theirs . The Saints are infinitely happy in having such a portion , Jer. 10. 16. Happy is that people that is in such a ease , yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord , Psal . 144. 15. A Saints portion can never be spent , nor lost ▪ God is my portion for ever , Psal . 73. 26. None are so rich as a Saint ; the poorest Saint shall never want ; The Lord is my Shepherd , I shall not want , Psal . 23. 1. There is no want to them that feare him , they shall not want any good thing , Psal . 34. 9 , 10. Oh rich and happy Saint , admire free grace , which doth abound to thee ; be content with thy portion , and well thou maiest , for more thou canst not have ; rejoyce in thy portion , for it will be a full supply to thee ; They shall rejoyce in their portion , Isa . 61. 7. Be thankfull for thy portion , for it was freely given thee , Hos . 14. 4. Esteeme not any thing too much for him , who esteemes nothing too much for thee . Be content if outwardly poore , because richer thou canst not be , in that thou art an heire of glory : improve thy portion , and live upon it richly . Thou maintainest my lot ] God hath undertaken to preserve the Saints , and he doth it ; Christs inheritance can never be lost , because it is maintained by God : The Saints safety and perseverance depends not upon themselves , nor anything below God , but upon God , who maintaines and upholds them . The Saints are sure to persevere , it is impossible they should fall finally , or misse of glory , because they are maintained by God. 1. They shall never perish , neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand ; and none are able to plucke them out of my Fathers hand , Joh. 10. 28 , 29. 2. For they are in the love of God , Eph. 2. 5. Joh. 17. 26. 1 Joh. 3. 1. 16. & 4. 16. They shall ( unavoydably ) come unto mee , Joh. 6. 36 , 37. 3. God hath promised to preserve them , Heb. 13. 5. For he hath said , I will never leave thee , nor forsake thee . 4. God is faithfull , 1 Cor. 1. 9. 1 Thes . 5. 23 , 24. Jer. 31. 40. And immutable , I am the Lord , I change not , Mal. 3. 6. 5. And onely wise , he knows how to preserve them , Rom. 16. 27. 6. He hath power enough to preserve them , 1 Pet. 1. 5. 7. Because they are in Christ , Ephe. 1. 4. who shall ever live ; Because I live , yee shall live also , Joh. 14. 19. 8. Because they are so united to God , that God & they are but one , Jo. 17. 23. I in them , and thou in me , that they may be made perfect in one , Joh. 17. 23. Oh sweet and happy union that is so intire , reall , full , and eternall ! 9. Because God dwells in them , and they in him , 1 Joh. 4. 13. Joh. 17. 23. Therefore they are secure and safe enough , being out of the reach of all the Devils in earth or hell . The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places , yea I have a goodly heritage ] Christs lot and inheritance is his Saints , who are delightfull and precious unto him , Deut. 32. 9. I have a goodly heritage ] Christ is wonderfully taken with the Saints comelines , it is a maine part of the excellency of Christs inheritance , that it cannot be taken from him , nor spent , nor lost . Goodly heritage ] Christ hath a high esteeme of his ; Thou art all faire , my love , there is no spot in thee , Song 4. 7. They are without spot or wrinkle , Eph. 5. 25. to 28. 1 Joh. 1. 7. Psal . 51. 5. Rev. 19. 8. My beloved spake and said unto me , Rise up my love and faire one , and come away , Song 2. 10. Oh happy Saint , have thee a high esteem of Christ , he is satisfied in thee , and be thou satisfied in him , rejoyce in nothing else but him , Psal . 33. 21. and sing praises to him . THE SAINTS COMMUNION with God by Faith. The life of Faith in effectuall calling , Justification , Sanctification , infirmities , in graces , in means , in time past , in prosperity and adversity , in glorification , and to dye by Faith. Wherein the life of Faith consists . IT is in the communion the soule hath with God in Christ , and the soules injoying of Christ in his promises , both spirituall and temporall . 1. Faith in effectuall calling . It is the soules cleaving and depending upon Christ in his promise for pardon and life , 1 Joh. 12. 1. Joh. 3. 23. Upon such places as these , 2 Cor. 5. 20. Mat. 11. 28. Mat. 5. 2. The life of faith in Justification . The Lord having spoken peace to the soule , that Jesus Christ hath fully satisfied for all his sinnes , so as they are all done away , and shall be remembred no more , Isa . 53. 5 , 6. Jer. 31. 34. &c. And that as the soule is happy , so it injoyes the comfort of it , and is filled with joy and peace in beleeving , and now the soule lives a life of comfort , chearfulnesse and holinesse , 1 Pet. 2. 24. Rom. 5. 1. So that no sinne nor Satan ( and if corruption increase , and God hides himselfe , or seemes an enemy ) not any thing can cause this soule to let goe the Lord , and cast away its confidence ; Though he slay me , saith Job , yet will I trust in him , Job 13. 15. Rom. 8. 38 , 39. Isa . 54. 7 , 8. & 63. 16 , 17. Some hold the act of faith is that which God accepts to Justification , but this is a mistake , because it makes Christ inferior to faith , and in ascribing such an honour to faith , they dishonour Christ , for although they doe not exclude Christ wholly , yet in the act of Justification , it gives all to faith . They say , as the act of Adams sin condemned him , so our act of faith justifieth us . Answer ; Adams sinne was enough to condemne him and us , but our faith cannot save others , nor our selves . They reply , Wee are justified by faith . Answ . Christ is called faith , Gal. 3. 23. Before faith came : which must be understood of Christ . Wee are justified before God in his sight onely by Christ , Rom. 3. 20. 24. My righteous servant ( Christ ) shall justifie many , Isai . 53. 11. We are not justified before God by faith which is in us , but by Christ , by his bloud ; justified by his bloud , Rom. 5. 9. That which saves us is the bloud of Christ ; Jesus Christ hath loved us , and washed us from our sinnes in his bloud , Rev. 1. 5. Also wee are said to be justified by faith , because it is the instrument whereby we apprehend and apply Christ our Righteousnesse : by faith wee know our selves to be justified , Rom. 5. 1. Though faith be a grace of God , yet as it is an act , it is a worke , and to be justified by it , is to be justified by a worke of our owne ; for with the heart ( man ) beleeveth , Rom. 10. 9 , 10. That which justifieth us , must be perfect , and so it is no act of ours ; for all our Righteousnesses are as filthy rags , &c. Isai . 64. 6. Not of workes , least any man should boast , Ephes . 2. 9. Before wee had faith , it seemes , wee were not in Christ , or in him and not justified ; for wee were in him before the world was , Ephes . 1. 4. And that at one time God should be angry with us ( as he is with all unjustified persons who are out of Christ , Heb. 12. 29. He hateth all the workers of iniquitie , Psal . 5. ) and that our beleeving should make him to be at peace with us : this is to make God changeable like man , which is contrary to the Word ; for with him is no variablenesse , Jam. 1. 17. I am the Lord , I change not , Mal. 3. 6. Nothing can be charged upon Gods elect , Rom. 8. 1. therefore they are justified , 2 Cor. 5. 19. Those who have no sin upon them are justified , but Christ hath taken away all the sinnes of the Elect , Job . 1. 29. with Isai . 35. 8. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Rom. 6. 6. And to say , wee are not justified before God untill we beleeve , is to say Jesus Christ hath not justified us , which is contrary to the Scriptures , which saith , Wee are accepted in the beloved , in whom we have redemption by his bloud , Ep. 1. 6 , 7. We are justified by his bloud , Rom. 5. 9. Jesus Christ hath loved us , and washed us from our sinnes in his own bloud , Rev. 1. 5. Wee were reconciled by the death of his Sonne , Rom. 5. 9 , 10. A full satisfaction , Heb. 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14. And in this God is well pleased before wee beleeve , Mat. 3. 17. Isai . 53. 11. Also to say , we are not justified before God , or in his sight , untill we beleeve , is to say , we must adde our work to Christ , to make up our justification before God , and if it be so , then wee in part save our selves ; and if we doe joyne with Christ in this worke , why may wee not joyne with him in the glory of it ? for that may be esteemed one of the greatest parts of our justification , without which we cannot be justified . But this derogates from Christ , and all such tenets we are to hate with execration . For , saith Christ , I have troden the wine-presse alone , and of the people there was none with me , Isai . 63. 3. Wee rather say , if wee beleeve not , yet he abideth faithfull , he cannot deny himselfe , 2 Tim. 2. 13. What the Lord Jesus Christ hath done for us , is perfect , and is by God imputed to us , so as it is really ours , though it be inherent in another , and by beleeving it , wee know it to be ours , Rom. 4. 24. First , Not any shall be saved by Christ , but those who were predestinated in him , according to his eternall purpose , Eph. 1. 4 , 5. & 3. 11. And that there was not any foreseene faith or works in any kinde why he chose these rather then others , the will of God was the cause one was chosen and not another ; all was according to the good pleasure of his will , to the praise and glory of his grace , Ephes . 1. 5 , 6. Are we better then they ? no , in no wise , &c. Rom. 3. 9. It was from his great love , wherewith he loved us , Ephes . 2. 4. This love of God was the cause of Gods sending Christ , Joh. 3. 16. and the chiefe cause of mans election and salvation , 1 Joh. 4. 10. Eph. 1. 4. Joh. 17. 23. And that it is impossible for this great love to decrease or increase , because it is infinite , as appeares by Psal . 139. 17 , 18. Jam. 1. 17. God is perfect and infinite , he knows and understands all things that ever were , are , or shall be at once : So he is one pure act , therefore when we were chosen in Christ , wee were justified and compleat in him , God looked upon the Elect to be in Christ before the world was , Ephes . 1. 4. and so he ever lookes upon the Elect : So that they ever appeare to him perfect and righteous as Christ ; for they are one , and are in him , 1 Cor. 1. 30. Yee are in Christ Jesus , and ever shall be in him , being justified freely by his grace in his sight , Rom. 3. 20. 24. God properly was never wroth with Christ , nor the Elect , and therefore Christ could not suffer Gods wrath ; see Heb. 2. 9. So that in respect of their justification , God seeth no sinne in any of the Elect , even before their calling and after . And as it is Gods will , so it should be ours , to set his glory above our salvation , that in the ages to come , he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us , to the praise of the glory of his grace , Ephes . 1. 5 , 6. Ephes . 2. 7. Secondly , In time the Elect did breake a holy and just Law , and so lay under the curse and wrath of it , which was death , Rom. 3. 21. 23. Christ in our nature for our persons suffered death , Heb. 2. 9. ( the penalty ) to free all the Elect , so that they are now actually justified by Justice ; That he might be just ( Rom. 6. 15. ) & 3. 25 , 26. If God should have justified us , without this propitiation , after he had made this Law , and we breaking it , he could not have been just , but having received this propitiation , he could not be just , if he did not justifie the Elect , That he might be just , and the justifier , &c. Rom. 3. 26. Thirdly , The soule by faith doth apprehend and apply Christ , and what he hath done , to be for him , by which it knoweth it selfe to be justified in the sight of God , and in the Word , and in his own conscience . Whence flowes joy and peace in beleeving , Rom. 5. 1. because all that beleeve are justified ; And as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved , Act. 13. 39. 48. So that by beleeving , I know I am ordained to eternall life , because Gods word saith so , and that wee are justified in his sight without the deeds of the Law , Rom. 3. 20. 28. viz. by faith wee apprehend our selves to be freely and fully justified by Christ , without any workes of our own , Gal. 2. 16. without any addition of inherent goodnesse in us , &c. Fourthly , by our workes in our outward subjection to Christ , to his word , we declare to men ( as farre as they can judge ) that we have the faith of Gods Elect , 2 Pet. 1. 1. Thou , O Lord , knowest the hearts of all men ; but faith without workes is dead to men , and buried also , James 2. 18. 20. If there be no workes , they can see nothing of it ; shew mee thy faith by thy workes ; Yee see then how by workes a man is justified , 21. 24. In the 1. we are justified in respect of the knowledge and purpose of God in his sight , Rom. 3. 20. In the 2. we are actually and vertually justified in Justice by the bloud of Christ , which payd the debt : now the full price , the full debt being paid , is it justice in law by God or man , to require it againe ? surely no. In the 3. wee are justified in our Consciences , by the holy Spirits manifestation and application of Christs righteousnesse unto us . In the 4. and last , we are justified before men , or unto men . Object . If it be so , that men are loved of God , &c. before they repent and beleeve , then men may live as they list , &c. Answ . We are to own and confesse the truth , and not what men of corrupt minds , and base spirits , will say , and will doe : the Apostle saith , If any man sin , we have an Advocate with the Father , Jesus Christ the righteous , 1 Joh. 2. 1. But what if one say , it seemes the Apostle incourages men to sin , to tell them there is an Advocate , who is alwayes heard . And the Apostle saith , Where sinne hath abounded , grace did abound much more , Rom. 5. 20. By the Apostles answer ( it appeares some did say , they might continue in sin that grace might abound ) what shall wee say then , shall we continue in sinne , that grace may abound ? God forbid : how shall we that are dead in sin live any longer therein , &c. Rom. 6. 1 , 2. But this is an old cavill and slander cast upon those that teach the truth , as the Apostle saith it was then in his dayes ; We be slanderously reported , and as some affirme , that we say , let us doe evill that good may come , whose damnation is just , Rom. 3. 8. Their exception is against the truth of God , and therfore we leave them to God to answer and satisfie them . And though all the Elect are freed from the curse of the Law , yet we establish the Law , Rom. 3. 31. We receive the Law from the hand of Jesus Christ to be a rule for us to walke by ; and herein is my Father glorified , that yee bring forth much fruit , Joh. 15. 8. And the Saints injoy sweet priviledges by walking close with God ; see 1 Pet. 4. 14. To him that orders his conversation aright , will I shew the salvation of God , Psal . 50. 23. God sheddeth his love into the hearts of his ( in his time and measure ) which love so constraines them , that they cannot choose but love God againe for his great love , Rom. 5. 5. Ephes . 4. 6. 2 Cor. 5. 14. Which love as it is apprehended by them , so it constraines them to obey him ; and there is no faith true , but that which workes by love , Gal. 5. 6. and to all that love God , his commandements are not grievous , Joh. 14. 15. 1 Joh. 5. 1. 3. And God hath chosen us that wee should be holy and without blame before him in love , Ephes . 1. 4. & 2. 10. & 4. 1. But this doctrine hath ever been slandred and opposed by Papists , Arminians , and such as they are ; but let those that can see , judge whose lives are most according to the Word , they that hold with it or against it . 3. The life of faith in Sanctification . This consists in two branches . The first , is the soules cleaving to God in Christ our Sanctification , which is for my pardon , and peace , and assurance of glory , 1 Cor. 1. 30. Who is made unto us sanctification . The second , is the soules cleaving to Christ in his promises , to change my nature , clense and renew my heart and life , and to worke all our workes for us , and be a quickning Spirit in us , 1 Cor. 15. 45. I will heale their backslidings , Hos . 14. 5. He will subdue our iniquities , Micah 7. 19. Sinne shall not have dominion over you , &c. Isa . 57. 18 , 19. I have seene his wayes and will heale him ; and heale all thy diseases , Psal . 103. 8. This was Christs prayer , Sanctifie them with thy truth , thy Word is truth ; for their sakes sanctifie I my selfe , that they also might be sanctified through the truth , Joh. 17. 17. 19. There is much unevennesse in us , it should be a great griefe unto us , that we cannot honour God no more in our conversation , & that our spirits are so much estranged from him as they are , and unto holy and divine things , which should be familiar , and more delightfull unto us . All that are the Lords have received great love from him , which should greatly ingage their hearts , to walke as becometh Saints , in a holy course and conversation , according to the Word of God , every day , and all the day long to injoy God , and obey him according to his word . Of infirmities . An infirmitie is such a weaknesse , as when the heart is upright , yet by reason of some impediment it cannot doe the good it would , and doth the evill it would not . Infirmities are the imperfections of good actions . There is an infirmitie which ariseth from some impediment which a man would faine remove but cannot . There is an infirmitie that ariseth for want of growth in grace . A sin of infirmitie is alwayes with griefe and sorrow , and where there is no griefe for it , it is no infirmitie . It is a sin of infirmitie in him who desires to be informed of it , and to be reproved for it , and to know how to leave it , when he is ashamed of it , and will not plead for it , but complaine to God against it , and is grieved & humbled for it , and useth meanes against it . There is no childe of God that is wholly free from infirmities , therefore every beleever is to live by faith in all their infirmities . 4. The life of faith in infirmities . Which consists in two things . First , It is the soule cleaving to God in Christ , that he will be to us according unto his promise , a God of love and mercy unto us for ever , notwithstanding all our omissions and commissions , excesses and defects . Secondly , and that he will supply all our wants for soule or body , as if we had never sinned , according to his Covenant with Jesus Christ , and us in him , that it shall stand fast for ever with him , Psal . 89. 27 , 28 , 29. For the first , If any man sin , we have an advocate with the Father , 1 Joh. 2. 1. Who forgiveth all thy iniquities , Psal . 103. 3. Whom he loves once , he loves to the end , Joh. 13. 1. I am the Lord , I change not , Mal. 3. 6. Jesus Christ the same , yesterday , and to day , and for ever , Heb. 13. 8. I will make an everlasting Covenant with you , even the sure mercies of David , Isai . 53. 3. Which is confirmed by two immutable things , Oath and Covenant , &c. That wee might have strong Consolation , Heb. 6. 17 , 18. Through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant , Heb. 13. 20. If his children forsake my Law , and walke not in my Judgements , if they breake my Statutes , and keepe not my Commandements ; then will I visit their transgressions with a rod , and their iniquitie with stripes : Neverthelesse , my loving kindnesse I will not take from him , nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile ; my Covenant will I not breake , my mercy will I keep for him , and my Covenant shall stand fast with him , Psal . 89. 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34. They and our fathers dealt proudly , and hardened their neckes , and hearkened not to thy Commandements , and refused to obey , &c. But thou art a God ready to pardon , gracious and mercifull , and slow to anger , and of great kindnesse , and forsakest them not , Nehe. 9. 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20. In our greatest falls , when the soule is subject to doubt of pardon , consider our God will abundantly pardon , &c. Isa . 55. 7 , 8 , 9. I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my Names sake , Isa . 43. 25. And am mighty to save , Isa . 63. 1. With the Lord is plenteous redemption , Psal . 130. 7 , 8 , 9. I have blotted out thy sins , returne unto mee ; for I have redeemed thee , Isa . 44. 22. He knoweth our frame , and remembreth that we are but dust , Psal . 103. 14. If thou shouldst mark iniquities , O Lord , who shall stand ? But there is forgivenesse with thee , that thou mayest be feared , Psal . 130. 3 , 4. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting , upon them that feare him . As a father pitieth his children , so the Lord pitieth them that feare him , Psal . 103. 13. 17 , 18. Thou art a God ready to forgive , and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee , Psal . 86. 5. But thou art a God ready to pardon , gracious , and mercifull , and slow to anger , and of great kindnesse , and forsakest them not , though they dealt proudly , and hardened their neckes , and hearkened not to thy Commandements , and refused to obey , Neh. 9. 16 , 17. He hath not dealt with us after our sins , nor rewarded us according to our iniquities , Ps . 103. 10. He was wounded for our transgressions , he was bruised for our iniquities , the chastisement of our peace was upon him , & with his stripes we are healed , Isa . 53. 6. God hath in wisdome and love left sin in his , to keepe them humble in the sense of sinne , and that wee may know what we are , and our strength , that wee might exercise the graces of the Spirit , faith for pardon , wisdome , watchfulnesse , self-deniall , &c. which we could not doe , if wee had no sinne , and that we might long to be in heaven , where we shall injoy a full freedome from all sinne : and that wee might love and prise Christ more , seeing we stand in such need of him to pardon and heale us , and that wee might daily depend upon Christ against it , and live upon the fulnesse of Christ , which wee should have no need in this kinde , if we could not sinne , and that wee might not scorn nor insult over any , and that Gods power may appeare in preserving a little grace in a soule so full of sinne : and also the power of his grace in subduing so many and so strong sinnes , and that wee might admire that rich grace , that can love such as we are , and pardon our so many and great sinnes . The use of this is , if it be so , first , expect not full freedome of sinne here , as some dreame . Secondly , doe not sinne that grace may abound , God forbid , Rom. 6. 1 , 2 , 3 , 8. but in obedience to God , and love to him , use all meanes against it , all thy dayes strive against it in the strength of Christ , the love of Christ will teach thee , and cause thee to doe so . Thirdly , Be not over-pressed and sunk under it , but live by faith in all infirmities ; say as Paul , I glory in my infirmities , not as they are sins , but because by them Gods power and goodnesse is the more seene , both in pardoning , and healing , see Rom. 5. 20. & 6. 1 , 2. 2 Cor. 12. 9. Rom. 3. 7 , 8. &c. What if I should say , all the Lords are the more happy they were sinners , else how could they have been capable of mercy , and heaven , and union with God , &c. If there were not evill , it would not be knowne what is good ; justice and mercy had not been known , therefore how could ▪ God be knowne ? his wisdome in drawing good out of evill , nor his infinite love in sending Christ to dye , could not have been known , and man could not come to that full happinesse in Christ , if there had not been sin . Sin should not hinder our faith , it is hard to beleeve the pardon of seventy seven sinnes in a day , yet faith is able to beleeve it , and also to keep a sinner from being perplexed in his spirits with any sinne or trouble , so as to hinder the soule from rejoycing in God all the day long : faith looks to Jesus Christ , his bloud , intercession , and obedience , who hath payd all our debts , 1 Joh. 2. 1. and now wee are not under the Law , but under grace , Rom. 6. 15. So that the weakest beleever may say in the middest of all , my imperfections have as much of the love or God , and union with him , acceptation , reconciliation , full and perfect righteousnesse in Christ , to cover all my defects , as the best Saint ever had , and my state shall be as happie as any of theirs , and were it not for Christ , all their holinesse could not helpe them , and they might cry they are unprofitable in all , and had also perished in their sinnes . Can a man be profitable to God , Job 35. 7 ? Surely no ; and what shall hinder me of having as much happinesse and glory in heaven , as the best Saint ? Oh who can expresse the sweetnesse that is in this doctrine of free grace to an humble soule ! and it is wonderfull sweet , and it is a strong tie to God in all holinesse . I know men of base spirits , unbeleevers will catch at what I say , but if they doe , who can helpe it ? the children must have bread , and if such dogs will snatch it , to their perill be it ; as for you who love sin , so as you are not willing to part with your sinnes , that you desire to make Leagues and Covenants with sinners , hell , and death , and the devill , you take incouragement to sin , because God is rich in grace , &c. Oh consider , if yee have hearts , yee are those who turne the grace of God into wantonnesse , yee are still in your sinnes , yee are the dogs , touch it not , it is not for you ; Christ saith , It is not meet to cast the childrens bread to dogs , Ma● . 7. 6. A childe of God is described by a desire to feare the Name of God , Nehe. 1. 11. 1. Those that live the life of faith in infirmitie , they eye Christs sanctification , and injoy comfort in it . 2. There is a harmony between that soule , and Gods command , Speake Lord , for thy servant heareth , 1 Sam. 3. 10. 3. He is not offended at Christ , at any thing he requires ; Blessed is he that is not offended in me , Mat. 11. 6. For this is the love of God , that we keepe his Commandements , and his commandements are not grievous , 1 Joh. 5. 3. 4. He lookes at the word of God for his rule , and his desire is wholly to be ruled by it , he will trust God , and relie upon his word . 5. He eyeth Christs strength in his promise for helpe , and by faith makes it his own , Psal . 46. 6. Surely in the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength , Isa . 45. 24. 6. He will with courage incounter against what ever opposeth God , and contend earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints , Jude vers . 3. 7. He is sensible of good and evill , and layeth to heart his own and others sins , Acts 20. 31. 8. No sinne he commits doth so discourage him , and sinke him , but he can joy and rejoyce in Christ , his joy and sorrow is not legall , but evangelicall , or spirituall , and therefore may be in one Saint both at one and the same time , 1 Thes . 5. The second branch of this life of faith in infirmities , it is to live upon Christ in his promise , to helpe us against all our infirmities , upon such places as these . If thou beest in deadnesse of heart , consider , Behold my servant shall sing for joy of heart , Isai . 65. 14. In thy Name shall they rejoyce all the day , Psal . 89. 16. In dumbnesse , consider , The tongue of the dumbe shall sing , &c. Isa . 35. 36. The mouth of the righteous shall speake wisdome , and his tongue talkes of judgement , Psal . 37. 30. In forgetfulnesse ; The Spirit shall bring all things into your remembrance , Joh. 14. 26. When thou art in feare of want , consider , There is no want to them that feare him , Psal . 34. 9. Trust in the Lord , and doe good , and verily thou shalt be fed , Psal . 37. 3. Seeke yee first the kingdome of God , and his righteousnesse , and all things else shall be added unto you , Mat. 6. 34. Take no thought , for to morrow shall take thought for it selfe , sufficient to the day is the evill thereof . Take no thought for your life , what yee shall eate , or what yee shall drinke , nor yet for your body , what yee shall put on : is not the life more then meate , and the body then rayment ? Behold the fowles of the ayre , they neither sow nor reape , nor gather into barnes , yet God feedeth them , are yee not much better then they , O yee of little faith ? Which of you by taking thought can adde one oubit unto his stature ? Take no thought ( for after these things seek the Gentiles ) you heavenly Father knoweth that yee have need of these things , Mat. 6. 25. to the end ; see Rom. 8. 32. Luk. 12. 15. Cast all your care upon him , for he careth for you , be carefull for nothing ; but in every thing , let your requests he made known to God with thankesgiving , Phil. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 7. Let your conversation be without covetousnesse , and be content with such things as yee have ; for he hath said , I will never leave thee , nor forsake thee , Heb. 13. 5. In thy ignorance , consider , Wee have such an high Priest as can have compassion on the ignorant , Heb. 5. 2. If any want wisdome , let him aske it of God , who gives liberally , and it shall be given him , but let him aske in faith , without wavering , Jam. 1. 5. Having fallen into passion , to keepe thee from sinking under it , consider what the Apostles said , Wee are also men of like passions with you , Acts 14. 15. Elias was a man subject to the like passions as we are , &c. Jam. 5. 17. And so of all other infirmities ; He will heale all thy diseases , &c. Psal . 103. 8. If wee did live in Christ by faith more , our infirmities would be lesse . For a supply of all wants ; My God shall supply all you need , according to his riches by Christ Jesus , Phil. 4. 6. 19. Christ is able , and will supply all our wants . 5. The life of faith for graces , and in the exercise of them . To beleeve ; They shall trust in the Name of the Lord , Zeph. 3. 12. This is his Commandment , that yee should beleeve on the Name of his Sonne Jesus Christ , 1 Joh. 3. 23. To increase in faith ; They shall grow from faith to faith , Rom. 1. 17. To live by faith ; The just shall live by faith , Rom. 1. 17. To continue in the faith ; He that beleeves in me , though he were dead , yet shall be live , &c. Luk. 22. 32. 1 Pet. 1. 5. In exercise of faith ; Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace , whose mind is stayed on thee , because he trusts in thee , Isa . 26. 3. Joh. 11. 25. & 7. 38 , 39. He is a buckler to all them that trust in him , Psal . 18. 30. He that puts his trust in the Lord , mercy shall compasse him about , Psal . 32. 10. To know God ; Thou shalt know the Lord , Pro. 1. 23. They shall all know mee , Jer. 31. 33 , 34. To love God ; Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart , Mat. 22. 17. The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart , that thou maist love him with all thy heart and soule , Deut. 30. 6. I have declared thy Name , that thy love wherewith thou hast loved me , may be in them , Joh. 17. 26. In loving God ; He that loves me , shall be loved of my Father , and I will love him , and manifest my selfe unto him , and dwell with him , Joh. 14. 21. 23. To seeke God ; That they should seeke the Lord , Act. 17. 27. Seeke yee the Lord. In seeking God ; Blessed are all they that seeke him with their whole heart , Psal . 119. 2. The Lord hath not forsaken them that seeke him , Psal . 9. 10. Your hearts shall live that seeke him , Psal . 69. 32. They shall praise the Lord that seeke him , Psal . 22. 26. They that seeke the Lord , shall not want any good thing . To feare God ; I will put my feare in their hearts , and they shall not depart from me , Jer. 32. 39 , 40. They shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes , Hosea 3. 5. In fearing God ; The Lord takes pleasure in them that feare him , Psal . 147. 11. He that feares the Lord , him shall he teach the way that he shall choose , Psal . 25. 12. There is no want to them that feare him , ( viz. feare lest they sinne against him ) Psal . 34. 9. He will blesse them that feare the Lord , both small and great , Psal . 115. 13. To hope in God. In hoping in God ; The Lord takes pleasure in those that hope in his mercy , Ps . 147. 11. Wee are saved by hope , Rom. 8. 24. Happy is he whose hope is in the Lord , Ps . 146. 5. Be of good courage , he shall strengthen your hearts , all yee that hope in the Lord , Ps . 31. 24. To waite on God ; Waite , I say , on the Lord , and he shall strengthen thy heart , Psal . 27. 14. In waiting on God ; They shall not be ashamed that waite for me : Blessed are they that waite for him . Since the beginning of the world , men have not heard , nor perceived by the eare , neither hath the eye seene , O God , besides thee , what he hath prepared for them that waite for him , Isa . 49. 23. Isa . 30. 18. 1 Cor. 2. 9. To delight and rejoyce in God ; Thou shalt have thy delight in the Almightie : thou shalt rejoyce in God ; in thy Name shall they rejoyce all the day : our hearts shall rejoyce in him , Isa . 41. 16. Psal . 89. 16. Psal . 33. 21. To praise God ; The living , he shall praise thee ; daily shall he be praised ; they shall praise the Lord : who so offereth mee praise , glorifieth me , Isa . 38. 19. Psal . 72. 15. Psal . 63. 3. Psal . 22. 26. Psal . 50. 23. To injoy peace with God ; Let him take hold on my strength , that he may make peace with me , and he shall make peace with me , Isa . 27. 5. To love the Saints ; This is his Commandement , that we should love one another , 1 Joh. 3. 23. Little children , love one another ; see that yee love one another with a pure heart fervently , 1 Joh. 4. 7. 1 Pet. 2. 22. By this shall all men know , that yee be my Disciples , if yee love one another , Joh. 13. 35. 1 Joh. 3. 14. To love enemies ; Love your enemies , doe good , lend , hoping for nothing againe , and your reward shall be great , &c. Mat. 5. 43 , 44. Luk. 6. 35. To judge our selves ; They shall judge themselves worthy to be destroyed : Judge your selves , and yee shall not be judged , Ezek. 36. 31. 2 Cor. 11. 31. To mourne for sinning against God ; I will powre upon them the Spirit of grace , and they shall mourne : Your sorrow shall be turned into joy ; Blessed are they that mourn , ( in faith ) for they shall be comforted , Zech. 12. 10. Joh. 16. 20. Mat. 5. 4. In poverty of spirit ; To him will I look , saith God , that is poore , and of a contrite spirit , &c. Blessed are the poore in spirit , for theirs is the kingdome of heaven , Isa . 66. 2. Mat. 5. 3. In desires after Christ , &c. Hoe every one that thirsteth , come yee to the waters and drinke , if any man thirst , let him come to me and drinke , I will give to him that is athirst of the fountaine of water of life freely . Blessed are they which doe hunger and thirst after righteousnesse , for they shall be filled . A bruised Reed shall be not breake , and the smoaking flax shall be not quench . And if there be a willing mind , it is accepted according to that a man hath . By faith Abraham offered Isaac . Of a truth , this poore widow hath cast in more then they all . The desires of the righteous shall be granted , Isa . 55. 1. Joh. 7. 37. Rev. 21. 6. Joh. 7. 33. Mat. 5. 6. Isa . 42. 3. 2 Cor. 8. 10 , 11 , 12. Gen. 16 , 17. with Heb. 11. 27. Luk. 21. 3. Prov. 10. 24. Psal . 37. 4. To be meeke ; Seeke meeknesse : The meeke will he teach his way ; and will save all the meeke of the earth ; he will beautifie the meeke with salvation , Psal . 25. 9. Psal . 76. 9. Psal . 149. 4. To be sincere ; Thou Lord , requirest truth in the inward parts : Blessed are the pure in heart , for they shall see God , Psal . 51. 6. Mat. 5. 8. To confesse our sinnes ; Confesse thy sin . If we confesse our sinnes , he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes , and to cleanse us from all iniquitie : If any man say , I have sinned and perverted that which is right , and it profiteth me not , he will deliver his soule from going downe into the pit , and his life shall see the light , 1 Joh. 1. 9. Job 23. 27 , 28. To forgive others ; Forgive , unto seventy seven times in a day thou shalt forgive : Forgive , and yee shall be forgiven : If yee forgive men their trespasses , your heavenly Father will forgive your trespasses against him , Luk. 17. 4. Mark. 11. 25 , 26. & 6. 37. Mat. 6. 14. Ephes . 4. 23. To be a peace-maker ; Blessed are the peace-makers ; for they shall be called the children of God , Mat. 5. 9. To devise good ; Mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good ▪ the liberall deviseth liberall things , Pro. 14. 22. Isa . 32. 8. To selfe-deniall ; If any man will come after me , let him deny himselfe , Ma● . 16. 15. To watch ; But let us watch and be sober : blessed are those servants , whom the Lord when he cometh , shall find watching : blessed is he that watcheth , Ma● . 13. 37. 1 Thes . 5. 6. Rev. 16. 15. Luk. 22. 37. Mat. 24 ▪ 47. To be patient : Be yee also patient : in your patience possesse your s●ules , James 5. 8. Luk. 21. 9. After he had patiently indured , he obtained the promises , Heb. 6. 15. To be contented ; Be content with those things yee have , Heb. 13. 5. To resist the Devill ; Resist the devill , and he will fly from you , Jam. 5. 4. To resist sin ; Sin shall not have dominion over you , Rom. 6. 14. Not to be afraid of the world ; Yee are of God , little children , and have overcome them ; and greater is he that is in you , then he that is in the world , Joh. 16. 33. see 1 Joh. 4. 4. To subdue the flesh ; If yee mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit , yee shall live , Rom. 8. 13. Live to the glory of God , and your own , and the Saints comfort . To be mercifull ; Be yee mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull : Blessed are the mercifull , for they shall obtaine mercy , Mat. 5. 7. Jam. 2. 13. To give to the poore ; See that yee abound in this grace also . Cast thy bread upon the waters , and after many dayes thou shalt find it . He that gives to the poore shall not lacke : Blessed is he that considereth the poore , the Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble ; the Lord will preserve and keepe him alive , and he shall be blessed upon the earth ; thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies ; the Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing ; thou wilt make all his bed in his sicknesse , Eccl. 11. 1. Pro. 28. 17. Psal . 41. 1 , 2 , 3. To give chearfully ; God loves a ohearfull giver , 2 Cor. 9. 7. To give bountifully ; He that soweth bountifully , shall reap bountifully ; The liberall soule shall be made fat , and he that watereth , shall be watered himselfe : If thou draw out thy soule to the hungry , and satisfie the afflicted soule , then shall thy light rise , &c. 2 Cor. 9. 6. Prov. 11. 25. Isa . 48. 10 , 11. Who so shall give a cup of cold water in the Name of a Disciple ( because he belongs to Christ ) verily , I say unto you , he shall not lose his reward ( in heaven ) Mat. 10. 42. Mark. 9. 41. 6. The life of faith in the use of meanes . It is the souls cleaving to God in Christ for a blessing upon his Ordinances , or the meanes he hath appointed , that we may receive strength from them , and profit by them . The way of the Lord is strength to the upright , Pro. 9. 29. I am the Lord that teacheth thee to profit , Isa . 48. 17. Faith beleeves God will blesse his own meanes , seeing he hath appointed them all to this end , therefore all must needs be effectuall . So it is the duty of a beleever to use all constantly , closely , wisely ; despise not them , because they seem weak and silly to flesh and bloud ; know by their use ( under God ) a holy life is preserved , and observe how thou thrivest by them : use all , if by any meanes thy wants may be supplied , Phil. 3. 11. And honour not any of them , as to exclude or sleight another . Some there be that are guiltie herein , men onely prise that themselves like . But oh yee sonnes and daughters of God , love yee and use yee all Gods meanes , they are all for his glory , and thy good ; let not any of them be a stranger to thee , the neglect of one may hinder the fruit of another : the command is to all the Lords to use all , and if we be weake in the use of meanes , what should we be if wee used them not ? let not the difficultie of any dismay thee , consider seriously the soveraigntie of God in all his commands , and what obedience to God meanes , and what God requires , for matter , manner , measure , time , and end . To pray ; consider such places as these . Pray continually . I will powre upon them the Spirit of grace and supplication : Aske and ye shall have : If yee which are evill , know how to give good gifts unto your children , how much more shall your heavenly Father , give the holy Spirit to those that aske him ? And all things whatsoever yee shall aske in prayer beleeving yee shall receive . What things soever yee desire when yee pray , beleeve that yee receive them , and yee shall receive them . Verily I say unto you , whatsoever yee shall aske the Father in my Name , he will give it you : And it shall come to passe before they call I will answer , and while they yet speake , I will heare , 1 Thes . 5. Zech. 12. 10. Mat. 7. 7 , 8 , 9 , 11. Luk. 11. 13. Mat. 21. 22. Mark. 11. 24. Mat. 16. 23. Isa . 65. 24. To read the word ; Give attendance to reading : Behold , I will powre out my Spirit upon you , and make knowne my words unto you , 1 Tim. 4. 13. Rev. 1. 3. Pro. 1. 23. To meditate ; Thou shalt meditate therein day and night . Blessed is the man that meditateth on thy Law day and night : My meditation of him shall be sweet : the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding , Josh . 1. 8. 1 Tim. 4. 15. Psal . 1. 1 , 2. Psal . 104. 34. Psal . 49. 3. To holy conference ; The mouth of the righteous speakes wisdome : the lips of the wise disperse knowledge : my words shall not depart out of thy mouth : they that feared the Lord , spake oft one to another , &c. They that love it shall eate the fruit thereof , Prov. 15. 17. Pro. 18. 21. Ma●a . 3. 16. Psal . 37. 30. Psal . 71. 24. Isa . 59. 21. To heare Christ and his Ministers ; Blessed is the man that heares me , watching daily at my gates : Heare and your soules shall live , Pro. 8. 34. Isai . 55. 3. To be baptized ; See here is water , what doth hinder me to be baptized ? and Philip said , If thou beleevest with all thy heart , thou maiest ; and they went both downe into the water ▪ and he baptized him , Acts 8. 36 , 37 , 38. He that beleeves and is baptized , shall be saved , Mark. 16. 16. For Saints to receive the Lords Supper ; Doe this in remembrance of me ; it was given for you ; Take , eate , this is my body ▪ Luk. 22. 19. Joh. 6. 58. To be prepared for duties ; Thou wilt prepare their hearts : If thou prepare thy heart , &c. Psal . 10. 17. Job 11. 13 , 14 , 15. To obey God ; As soone as they heare of me , they shall obey me , Ezek. 36. 27. To be fruitfull in season ; His leafe shall be greene , and he shall not cease from yeelding fruit ; he shall bring forth his fruit in season , his leafe shall not wither , Jer. 17. 8. Psal . 1. 2 , 3. For abilitie to obey God ; The righteous also shall hold on his way , and he shall be stronger and stronger : they goe from strength to strength every one of them ; Surely shall one say , In the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength , my God shall be my strength : I will goe in the strength of the Lord : he gives power to the faint , and to them that have no might be increaseth strength : They that wait upon the Lord , shall renue their strength , they shall mount up with wings , as Eagles , they shall run , and not be weary , and shall walke , and not be faint . I can doe all things through Christ that strengthens me . God gives strength and power to his people , blessed be God , Job 17. 9. Psal . 84. 7. Isa . 45. 24. Isa . 49. 5. Isa . 40. 29 , 30 , 31. Phil. 4. 13. Psal . 68. 35. In all temptations ; That it shall not be above that wee are able to beare , and for a good issue out of all temptations . There hath no temptation taken you , but such as is common to man , but God is faithfull , who will not suffer you to be tempted above that yee are able , but will with the temptation also make a way to escape , that yee may be able to beare it , 1 Cor. 10. 13. Jam. 1. 12. Rom. 6. 20. To know the truth ; He that will doe his will , he shall know whether the doctrine be of God , or no : The Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth : The meeke will he teach his way : He that feareth the Lord , will he teach in the way he shall choose , Joh. 7. 17. Joh. 16. 13. Psal . 25. 9. 12. For direction in all our wayes ; I will direct all his wayes ; I will instruct thee , and teach thee in the way that thou shalt goe . I will guide thee with my eye : For this God is our God for ever and ever , and he will be our guide , even untill death , Isa . 45. 13. Ps . 32. 8. Psal 48. 14. To reprove others ; Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart ; thou shalt in any wise rebuke him , and not suffer sin upon him He that rebuketh a man , afterwards shall find more favour then he that flattereth with his tongue : The feare of man bringeth a snare , but to them that rebuke him shall be delight , and a good blessing shall come upon them , Levit. 19. 17. Pro. 28. 23. Pro. 29. 25. Pro. 24. 25. To correct children , &c. The rod and reproofe give wisdome , but a childe left to himselfe bringeth his mother to shame ; but if thou beatest him with the rod , he shall not dye ; thou shalt beat him with the rod , Pro. 25. 15. Pro. 29. 15. Pro. 23. 13 , 14. For husbands to love their wives ; Husbands love your wives , Ephes . 5. 25. 28. 33. For wives to obey their husbands ; Wives obey your husbands in every thing ( lawfull ) Ephes . 5. 24. For children to obey their parents ; Children obey your parents in the Lord , Ephes . 6. 1 , 2. For servants to obey their Masters ; Servants be obedient to those that are your Masters , Ephes . 6. 5 , 6 , 7. To obey Gods commands ; In keeping them there is great reward , Psal . 19. 11. Blessed are they that do his commandements , Psal . 19. 11. Prov. 37. 27. Rev. 20. 6. Rev. 22. 14. To leave false worship ; See 2 Cor. 6. 16 , 17 , 18. To dwell in Sion , and to injoy the priviledges thereof ; The ransomed of the Lord shall come to Sion with joy : I will take one of a Citie , and two of a family , and bring them to Sion ; They that love his Name shall dwell therein , Isa . 35. 10. Jer. 3. 14. Psal . 69. 36. To be fruitfull there ; Those that are planted in the house of God , shall flourish in the Courts of our God , and bring forth fruit in old age , and be fat and flourishing : All that see them shall acknowledge them , that they are the seed of them which the Lord hath blessed : They goe from strength to strength every one of them in Sion , &c. Ps . 92. 13 , 14. Isa . 61. 9. & 62. 12. Psal . 84. 7. That God is present there ; He dwels in his Church ; He walkes in the middest of the seven golden Candlestickes : Thou that dwellest in the gardens , Rev. 2. 1. with Rev. 1. 10. Song 5. 1. & 6. 2. & 8. 13. For the acceptation of their services there ; see Song 5. 1. with Deut. 12. 5 , 6 , 7. For his blessing there ; The Lord shall blesse thee out of Sion ; I will abundantly blesse her provision ; they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house : blessed are they that dwell in thy house , for they shall he still praising thee , Psal . 132. 15. Psal . 36. 8. Psal . 84. 4. For protection there ; Thou shalt hide me in the time of trouble , in the secrets of thy Tabernacle , Psal . 27. 4 , 5. For Saints to agree in the truth ; I will give them one heart , and one way , Jer. 32. 39. To have joy and gladnesse there ; The Lord shall comfort Sion , and joy and gladnesse shall be found therein , thankesgiving and the noyse of melody , Isai . 51. 3. In reproaches for Christ ; Blessed are yee when men revile you for my sake falsly , rejoyce and be glad , and leape for joy ; for behold , great is your reward in heaven : in like manner did they revile the Prophets , &c. Luk. 6. 22 , 23. 1 Pet. 1. 14. In persecution for Christ ; All that will live godly in Christ Jesus , shall suffer persecution : Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake , for theirs is the kingdome of Heaven : If we suffer with him , wee shall also reigne with him , 2 Tim. 3. 12. Mat. 5. 10. 2 Tim. 2. 12. Rom. 8. 18. In losses for Christ ; He that forsakes house , or brethren , or father , or mother , or house or lands , he shall receive a hundred●old here , and in the world to come eternall life , Mark. 10. 29. 30. Mat. 19. 28 , 29. In imprisonment for Christ ; The Devill shall cast some of you into prison , that yee may be tryed , &c. Rev. 2. 10. In death for Christ ; He that loseth his life for my sake , shall finde it : Be thou faithfull unto death , and I will give thee a crowne of life , Mat. 10. 39. Rev. 21. 7. Rev. 2. 10. For the calling of the Jewes ; See Isa . 60. 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , &c. For the destruction of Antichrist , and all the enemies of the sonnes of Sion ; See Rev. 17. 16. & 18. 8. 21. &c. 7. The life of faith concerning protection from dangers , and for a supply of all wants . For protection ; He shall give his Angels charge over thee : The Lord is thy keeper : I will preserve thee , and keepe thee : He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous : There shall not a haire of your heads perish , Psal 91. 11. Psal . 121. 8. Isa . 49 ▪ 8. Job 36. 7. Luk. 21. 18. Christ prayed , holy Father , I pray thee keepe them from ●●ill , Joh. 17. 15. To be delivered from the wicked ; The Lord shall helpe them , and deliver them from the wicked , and save them , because they trust in him , 2 Thes . 3. 2 , 3. Psal . 34. 40. To be delivered from the harlot ; Who so pleaseth God , shall escape from her , Eccle. 7. 26. To be delivered from unreasonable creatures ; The beast of the field shall be at peace with thee : Thou shalt be at league with the stones of the field , Pro. 5. 23. If in warre ; He shall redeeme thee from the power of the sword , Job 5. 20. If in famine ; In famine he shall redeeme thee from dearth , Job 5. 20. To finde pitie in captivitie ; He made them also to be pitied of those that carried them captives , Psal . 106. 46. If in water ; When thou passest through the waters , I will be with thee , and through the rivers , they shall not overflow thee , &c. Isa . 43. 2. If in fire ; When thou walkest through the fire , thou shalt not be burnt , nor shall the flame kindle upon thee , Isa . 43. 2. If in sicknesse ; The Lord will strengthen thee upon the bed of languishing ; Thou wilt make all his bed in his sicknesse ; and heale all thy diseases , Psal . 41. 3. Psal . 103. 3. Exod. 23. 25. To be preserved from all evill ; He shall deliver thee in six troubles , yea , in seven there shall no evill touch thee : He shall preserve thee from all evill , Job 5. 19. 2 Thes . 3. 3. Psal . 121. 7. For clothing ; Take no thought for your body , what yee shall put on , Is not the body more then rayment ? For your heavenly Father knoweth yee have need of these things : Why take yee thought for rayment ? Consider the Lilies , &c. Shall be not much more cloth you , O yee of little faith , Mat. 6. 25. See Psal . 37. 16. Mat. 6. 28. 30. 3● . For food in famine ; Trust in the Lord , and verily thou shalt be fed : Bread shall be given him , his waters shall be sure , Psa . 37. 3. Isa . 33. 16. In the dayes of famine they shall be satisfied , Isa . 37. 19. For dwelling ; He shall dwell on high , Isa . 33. 17. To be hid in a time of danger ; Set a marke upon their foreheads , &c. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem , Feare thou not , and to Sion , &c. The Lord thy God in the middest of thee is mightie , he will save , &c. Zeph. 3. 16 , 17. God will remember his ; Thou shalt not be forgotten by me , Isa . 44. 21. For successe of our labour ; Whatsoever he doth shall prosper : Thou shalt eate of the labour of thy hands : They shall not build , and another inhabit , they shall not plant , and not eate ; They shall not labour in vaine , &c. For they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord , &c. Psal . 1. 3. Psal . 128. 2. Pro. 12. 11. 14. Isa . 65. 22. If thou be falsly accused ; consider , He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light , &c. Psal . 37. 6. For a good name ; consider , Pro. 10. 7. Zeph. 3. 20. Isa . 56. 5. Psal . 111. 6. For children ; Thy wife shall be a fruitfull vine ; Thou shalt see thy childrens children , Psal . 121. 3. 6. For sleepe ; So he giveth his beloved sleep : Thy sleepe shall be sweet , Psal . 127. 2. Pro. 3. 24. Job 11. 19. Zeph. 3. 13. For a supply of all we need ; My God shall supply all your needs , Phil. 4. 9. 6. If in prospericie ; consider Jer. 29. 5 , 6. These things yee may have , and use them while they last , and while God sees good we shall not meet with any change , but change or no change , God will never change , but be to us ever the same , Heb. 13. 5 , 6. 8. The life of faith in adversitie . Which is for the soule to submit to God , and to be contented to be in a hard or low condition , if God so order it , and to be fitted to say , as Jesus Christ did ; The cup which my Father hath given me , shall I not drinke it ? Joh. 18. 11. see Phil. 4. 11 , 12. And as Jesus Christ had not any trouble , nor not an houre sooner then God predestinated , Job . 8. 20. so ought we to beleeve , that all trouble of what kinde soever , shall not , nor cannot come unto us , untill the Lord see fit to send it , and that as Christ did passe through all , so certainly we shall , and that quickly , Joh. 7. 30. Joh. 16. 33. In every affliction and crosse that comes upon thee , beleeve and say , it may be the Lord will doe me good by this crosse , Rom. 8. 28. it is appointed of my Father for my good , I stand in need of it ; if need be yee are in heavinesse for a season , 1 Pet. 1. 6. And while it continues with me , the Lord will be both light , peace , and strength unto me , untill the time come ( which cannot be long ) that afflictions , crosses , and troubles , shall be no more , when I shall rest from all ●abour , paine and sorrow . That God will be with his in trouble ; I will be with him in trouble : The Lord will be a refuge to his in time of trouble , Psal . 91. 15. Psal . 9. 9. Psal . 37. 39. That the trouble shall not be above our strength ; I will correct thee in measure , Jer. 30. 11. see 1 Cor. 10. 13. To gaine by afflictions ; God afflicts us for our profit , that we might be partakers of his holinesse , Heb. 12. 11. &c. see Job 13. 23. For deliverance out of trouble , &c. Many are the troubles of the righteous , but the Lord delivers them out of them all , Joh. 5. 19. Psal . 19. 17 Psal . 50. 15. For speedy deliverance ; My salvation shall not tarry , Isa . 46. 13. 9. Every day to live the life of faith concerning the time past . Which is to consider and call to remembrance , and to see God in his dealings to us , ours , and others , both for soule and body ; I have considered the dayes of old , and the yeares of ancient time , Psal . 77. 5. This is to injoy time past , as present . David made this a part of his meditation ; oh how sweet is it to muse of Gods mercies unto us from our birth ; that I should be borne of such as feared God , and so injoy better education then others , or else that I should be borne of haters of God , and instead of good education had bad , and was brought up in ignorance and prophanenesse , and how I have been tempted to desperate sinnes , or healed those breaches , & how strangely God brought us to better places unexpected or undeserved , and how neere ( and often ) we have been to be cut off by death , by sicknesse , casualties , desperate practices by others , and by our selves , and how great bondage we have been in by sinne , being filled with despaire , terror , and wrath , without hope of ever being pardoned , Ephes . 2. 12 , 13. and yet for God to fill my soule with joy & peace in beleeving , Rom. 5. 1. and in how great bondage I was unto sinne , not able to restraine my selfe , and out of hope of ever having strength against such strong lusts , and yet God hath subdued them . Oh great change ! and also how we were convinced of our state of death we are in by nature , and by what meanes . But ▪ if we had been borne in India , or Turkey , or Rome , we should either have never heard of a Jesus , or seene no light , or to no purpose . Also how God hath preserved us in Babylon , and brought us out of it ( if thou beest so ) and preserved us from the errors of the wicked rotten tenets , as Pelagianisme his free will and power by nature , Arminianisme with his free will so by grace , as he may choose whether he will be saved or no , and so under pretence of inlarging Gods grace , robs him of all , to grace himselfe in his indeavours , and sets the crowne upon his own head . So some deny the Morall Law and word of God to be a Rule to them to walk by , and so are lawlesse ; ( and where there is no Law , there can be no transgression ) and now are the last times , in which iniquitie and abominable errors doe abound ( and shall more abound ; that which God hath said shall be , must be , no man nor men can hinder it ) some denies Election and originall sinne , &c. the Lord in mercy open their eyes , I was once wrapped up and sunke in Arminianisme , and had so continued , but the Lord in mercy pulled me out . Oh how sweet should that love be to us , which keepes us from these errors , or brings us out of them ! and the Lord will in his time be full Redemption to all his . Also consider how we have been freed from many sorrows and sicknesses , which others indure , having little or no rest day or night : and what meanes we injoy for our soules , which others want , ( and it may be never heard of ) and blesseth them unto us . Also in what straits wee have been in , & how the Lord hath helped us in them , and delivered us from them : and how God hath provided , and doth provide for us , meanes of living , friends and comforts , strangely and unexpected , and how strangely God hath given us good wives or husbands , or so orders it that bad ones sends us to God , or weanes us from the world ; &c. These mercies with a thousand more to us and ours , requires our meditation , to strengthen our faith , and to endeare our hearts to God exceedingly , and to be more inlarged in thankfulnesse , and to sucke sweetnesse in the remembrance of such experiences . Mercies forgot , are as nothing to us , and wee cannot be thankfull to God for them , though they were never so many or great ; Who so is wise , and will observe these things , shall understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord , Psal . 107. 43. 10. Every day to live the life of faith in Glorification . Which is to behold the rest , peace , glory and happinesse , &c. in heaven which is provided for us , and also to beleeve that God will give us after this life all these things with himselfe , which he hath promised us in his word ; see Acts 20. 23. Acts 26. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 4. For the resurrection of my body ; He that beleeves in me , I will raise him up at the last day , Joh. 6. 40. To have a spirituall body ; It is sowen a naturall body , it is raised a spirituall body , 1 Cor. 15. 44. Our bodies shall be more glorious then the Sun in the firmament , because that is but a naturall body . To have a powerfull body ; It is raised in power , 1 Cor. 15. 43. To have a glorified body , and like Christs ; It is raised in glory , 1 Cor. 15 ▪ 43 , 44. Who shall change our vile body , that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body , Phil. 3. 21. To have fulnesse of knowledge ; And to know the love of Christ , which passeth knowledge , and be filled with the fulnesse of God , Ephes . 3. 19. And know even as I am known , 1 Cor. 13. 12. To have fulnesse of joy and pleasures ; In thy presence is fulnesse of joy , and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore , Ps . 16. 11. Joy inward , pure , spirituall , full in heaven , wee shall have no misery , no hunger , cold , nakednesse , paine , griefe , wearinesse , but rest , 2 Thes . 1. 7. To have Rest ; I shall have rest ( 2 Thes . 1. 7. ) without labour : In this Rest , tranquillity ; in this tranquillity , contentment ; in this contentment , joy ; in this joy , varietie ; in this varietie , securitie ; in this securitie , eternitie . To have life ; We shall also live with him , 2 Tim. 2. 11. Your life is hid with Christ in God , Col. 3. 3. When Christ who is our life shall appeare , Col. 3. 4. To have everlasting life ; Who shall receive life everlasting in the world to come , Luk. 18. 30. Mat. 19. 29. Joh. 4. 40. Then shall I never die , nor end , being for continuance eternall . To injoy the presence of God with Saints and Angels ; When Christ our life shall appeare , then shall we appeare with him in glory , Col. 3. 4. Father , I will that they which thou hast given me , be with me where I am , Joh. 17. 24. To see the Lord as he is ; Beloved , now are we the sonnes of God , and it doth not appeare what we shall be , but we know when we shall appeare , we shall be like him , for we shall see him as he is , 1 Joh. 3. 2. Then shall we see him face to face , 1 Cor. 13. 12. To behold his glory ; That they may behold my glory , Joh. 17. 24. Sight is higher then presence . To be transformed into glory ; We are changed into the same image from glory to glory , 2 Cor. 3. 18. This shall be more full in glory ; Then shall wee appeare with him in glory , Col. 3. 4. To have full communion with God ; Wee shall be filled with the fulnesse of God , Ephes . 3. 19. Union is higher then sight , communion is higher then union , as it flowes from it , full communion is more ; we shall have as much as we shall desire , wee shall be filled with it , wee shall injoy the quintessence of all sweetnesse , fulnesse , goodnesse in God , and shall be raised , inflamed , and ravished with him , and be wholly taken up with admiring and praising him , without any intermission or wearinesse ; this is our greatest good and blessednesse , and the end of our being . To be for ever with the Lord ; So shall wee be ever with the Lord , 1 Thes . 4. 17. Eternall communion with God. As it is written ; Eye hath not seene , nor eare heard , neither hath entred into the heart of man , the things which God hath prepared for them that love him , 1 Cor. 2. 9. It transcends the utmost expectation of the most inlarged heart ; Wherefore comfort one another with these words , vers . 18. Faith beleeves the promises of glory , and so lives comfortably in expectation of fruition , when faith shall end in vision , our eternall joyes draws on apace ; in the meane time , lay hold on eternall life , let faith beleeve it , and hope expect it , and patience waite for it , to make this life tolerable , bepatient , indure all , it will not be long ere glory come and continue for ever ; for this cause wee faint not , 2 Cor. 4. He that lives by faith in glorification , lives a sweet comfortable life in Christ his righteousnesse , and is fruitfull , sincere , and content . Lastly , To dye by faith . Which is to resigne up our soules to God , beleeving death shall be a passage to glory ; When Christ who is my life shall appeare , then shall I appeare with him in glory , Col. 3. 4. These all dyed in faith , Heb. 11. 13. The righteous hath hope in his death , Pro. 14. 32. Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord ; for they rest from their labours , and their workes follow them , Rev. 14. 13. When I awake I shall be satisfied in thy likenesse , Psal . 17. 15. Why should I feare that I would not escape ? what hurt will it be to me to enter into glory ? I cannot have my happinesse , unlesse I goe unto it . THE SAINTS DAILY DUTY AND DESIRE . The severall Branches of the Saints daily duty and desire to walke with God every day . 1. WHen I awake , to thinke on GOD , and to be thankfull to him for rest , and sleepe , and preservation , from sin , Satan , and dangers , satisfying my soule with the Lord , craving his strength to walke with him all the day long , reverently and seriously to minde him and obey him . When I awake I am still with thee , Ps . 139. 18. I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse , Psal . 17. 15. see Act. 11. 23. Commune with your heart upon your bed , and be still , Psal . 4. 4. It is good to season , strengthen , and perfume our spirits ( if time will permit ) with some sweet thoughts of God , as that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday , and to day , and for ever , Heb. 13. 8. He is not changed . Here is strong consolation in this sweet meditation , My meditation of him shall be sweet , Psal . 104. 34. It is good for me to draw neere to God , Psal . 73. 28. To make him the object and end of all my actions . O that my understanding had a more full , cleare , and glorious sight of him , and a more perfect , inward , eternall , and full communion with him , then should my will and affections be more satisfied and more inflamed with unwearied desires , high and restlesse aspirations after fresh additions of intercourses and communion with him . The sight of God to a Saint is glorious , and the knowledge and often meditation of him will raise and inlarge the soule : Every childe of God hath in him an earnest desire to have communion with him , to injoy his blessed presence , and to see his glory . As the Hart panteth after the water-brookes , so panteth my soule after thee , O God. My soule thirsteth for God , when shall I come and appeare before him ? Psal . 42. 1 , 2. Nor will a seldome communion satisfie them , it must be frequent and full : it is a contempt of God to be willing to live without him , and so much he injoys God as he seriously minds him , and so much as wee desire God , we follow after God , for desire is the soules following of God ; and as God draweth we follow , Song . 1. 4. Unlesse the Lord fix and fasten the heart upon himselfe , it will be fixed on things below , and wander after vanities , and fill both head and heart with them : he that knoweth what it is to injoy God , is sensible of the want of him , and thinkes he can never have enough of him , his soule will faint for him , because nothing lesse then God can content him , Psal . 119. 81 , 82. Jer. 14. 8. Psal . 13. 1. Exod. 33. 13 , 14 , 15. 18. So the soule lives where it loves , and where it loves it lives , and there is nothing more active and stronger then love ; for love is as strong as death , the coales thereof are coales of fire , which hath a most vehement flame , Song 8. 6 , 7. 2. Live by faith . Every day to live by faith , ( in all estates and conditions ) the communion the soule hath with God is by faith , in justification , in sanctification , in infirmities , in graces , in meanes using , in duties , and for a supply of all wants , every day to live the life of faith in glorification . 3. Watch heart . That every day I watch my heart , to keepe it continually still , cleane , spirituall , content , and that I observe warily the first and secret motions of my heart , least I be unawares catched and insnared in sinne , and that I doe not receive any thing without it be warranted in the word of God. Keepe thy heart with all diligence , for out of it are the issues of life , Pro. 23. 17. Thy heart is deceitfull , take heed of it , consider Jer. 17. 9. Heb. 3. 12. Luk. 6. 45. If wee cease to watch our hearts , they quickly become vaine . Consider how it was with David , 2 Sam. 12. 9. and Peter , Mat. 26. 72. our experience might teach us , that our hearts are worse then wee tooke them to be , when wee are crossed or tempted , wee shew what metall wee are made of : the best have cause enough to looke to themselves ; if one sinfull thought be admitted concerning the sweetnesse and pleasure of sinne , the will is ready enough to accept the motion , consent , forecast the accomplishment , the affections adde heat and strength , the heart travels with iniquitie , and in time by opportunitie sin is brought forth : and delight and custome wraps a man up in sinne , that he cannot get out ; such carelesnesse may cost deare , though the Elect shall misse hell ; Lord , bold up my goings in thy paths , that my footsteps slip not , Psal . 17. 5. Hold thou me up , and I shall be safe ; and I will have respect unto thy Statutes continually , Psal . 119. 117. 4. Watch thoughts . Every day to watch that my thoughts be holy or lawfull , and seasonable , to ranke , order , and confine them within an holy compasse , that I may gaze and meditate on God , his unmeasurable goodnesse , greatnesse , beautie , glory , and to bring under and destroy every wicked and vaine thought and desire , &c. It is no burden to fix our minds and thoughts on things above , where our life , and joy , and treasure is ; Where your treasure is , there will your hearts be also . The more wisdome leads us on high , the more is our joy , and the more we avoyd the snares below , and the more wee injoy God in the invisible workings , intentions , desires , elevations of heart , with thoughts of sweetest raptures , in which is peace , joy , triumph , searching into the mysteries of grace , in which is light , is truth in its clearnesse , purenesse , fulnesse , in gazing upon the most glorious object , admiring God in his infinite attributes , to contemplate on Gods boundlesse mercy in Christ ; Such as are exercised herein , injoy great sweetnesse and delight , they see and say , as David , How precious are thy thoughts to me , O God , &c. Psal . 139. 17. Such thoughts raise the heart , and make it spirituall , joyfull , and thankfull , willing and serious in all duties , and holy services . 5. Hearken unto conscience . Every day to watch and hearken to the noyse of conscience , that I may prise the peace of it , indeavour to informe it , and to doe nothing that shall offend it : And herein doe I exercise my selfe , to have alwayes a conscience voyde of offence towards God , and towards man , Acts 24. 16. Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience , 1 Tim. 3. 9. 6. Watch affections . Every day to watch that my affections be set right , and that they move not without or contrary to my judgement , and that they be set upon right objects , and that they soare not too high , nor descend too low , but according as the object deserves ; meanly affecting meane things , and not affecting corrupt reason , as passion , &c. That my delight be not set immoderately upon any earthly things , though never so excellent , desirable , or amiable , and so to injoy them , as expecting every day or houre to lose them . Set your affections on things above , Col. 3. 1. 5. Affections are the pulses of the soule , and shew the state of it ; the affections are the motions of the will , and the will is the principall seate of grace ; grace hath its birth in the understanding , but her seate is more principally in the will actually and formally , therefore the will is much to be observed in its tempers , inclinations , motions , which are the affections of the soule : all affections may be comprehended in love and hatred ; the first comprehends desire , delight , joy , hope , these are the acts of love , and these are chiefly to be given to God , wee must make him our trust , love , joy , delight , and our all in all , esteeme and affect all things else under him and for him ; he is all-sufficient , therefore we may well content our selves with him , and to love him dearly , then are the affections set right , when with God wee are sicke of love , Song 2. 5. Forsake not God , who is a living fountaine , for broken Cisternes , Jer. 2. Love is the sweetest affection , it 's pity it should be spent and lost upon vanities . And when we set our affections strongly on things below , it 's a mercy for God to take them from us , to teach us and cause us to take more delight in God himselfe , and those true , unspeakeable , and everlasting delights , prepared for the Saints with himselfe . Surely wee have cause to lament , that we are so ready to set our affections on things below , that they are so strong and unruly , and so hardly subdued , that it is not an easie thing to master our wils and appetites , they so rage and dote so vehemently after vanities : vanitie of vanities , all is vanitie , Eccl. 1. 2. 7. Watch time . That every day I watch and endeavour to redeeme time , because it is precious , to improve it , to know truth , to injoy and obey God , and to serve others in love , redeeming the time because the dayes are evill , Eph. 5. 16. Also our time is short , it 's but as a thought , a shadow , a dreame , a span long , it is our duty and wisdome to preserve and redeeme time for every purpose and action . Paul improves his time , by the space of three yeares I ceased not to warne every one night and day with teares , &c. Act. 20. 31. Yet we lose many houres needlesly , in sleeping , in trifling , in idle visits , &c. In which time good might have been done to many . 8. Watch senses . Every day to watch the windows of my soule , my senses , as eares , eyes , from unlawfull objects , and lawfull , when I perceive they would suck evill from them , and shutting my eyes and eares , if need be . He shall dwell on high , &c. that stoppeth his eares from hearing of bloud , that shutteth his eyes from seeing of evill , Isa . 33. 15 , 16. Thus we are commanded , to take heed , watch , and pray , Mark. 13. 35. so take heed what yee heare . It was Davids desire to God , Turne away mine eyes from beholding vanitie , Psal . 119. 37. Job saw a necessitie to make a Covenant with his eyes , Job 31. 1. For Satan is ready to convey much evill insensibly through these floud-gates of sin ; bad discourse inflames lust ; Davids roving eye caused him to fall foully , and procured him much vexation and griefe ; who could have thought an idle glance could occasion so much mischiefe ? Expect no better fruit in suffering your hearts to run after your eyes ; fancy will take fire before we be aware ; but a foole will take no warning , he will have his eyes in every corner of the earth , Prov. 17. 24. he must and will hearken unto a tale-bearer , Prov. 25. 23. And so he hath his heart filled with anger and revenge , but when he is wiser , he will cry out with shame and griefe , that all is vanitie and vexation of spirit , as Eccles . 1. 2. 9. In outward things . Every day to watch to make some good use , and draw instruction from the creatures and passages of Gods providence , so to mind heavenly things by naturall . So did Christ upon mentioning of bread , Mat. 16. These things below make themselves wings , and fly away ; but fly thee , by them , from them , before them . 10. Watch in lawfull things . Every day to watch narrowly with care and heedfulnesse in the use and injoyment of things lawfull , viz. meat , drinke , sleepe , apparell , marriage , visitations , and recreations , &c. Our nature is prone to excesse herein , and we oft sinne more , and are in greater danger , by lawfull things , then by unlawfull , because wee feare grosser evils more then we do the secret insnarements that attend lawfull things , so that many are deceived , and insnared , and insensibly drawne into many excesses , before we be aware , to the dishonour of God , & griefe of our selves , and others ; the fooles minde was all for his ease and his belly , meate and drinke , Luk. 12. 19. 11. Watch in things indifferent . Every day to watch that I use not indifferent things securely and carelesly , but to have regard to others weaknesses , indevouring that my actions be such as I may defend with a good conscience . All things are pure , but it is not lawfull to doe things with offence , it is good neither to eate flesh , nor drinke wine , nor do any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth , or is offended , or made weake , Rom. 14. 21 , 22. These words doe prove that wee ought to forbeare the doing of that which is in it selfe lawfull ( if it can be omitted without sin ) in case another is not perswaded of the lawfulnesse of it , and so is offended at it : I grant he takes offence when none is given , for if I doe that which is lawfull , I give no offence ; therefore in being offended it is his fault and weaknesse , yet if I know he is offended with it , and yet shall do it , & he therewith is grieved , &c. I in so doing sin against God and him ; though otherwise I might doe it , yet in this case it is condemned in the Word , and it cannot defend it with a good conscience . 12. Watch against sinne . Every day to take heed and watch against every sin , and that I defend no sinne in my selfe , nor lessen it under no pretence of corruption , temptation , or for the sweetnesse or smalnesse of it ; nor inwardly favour it , but to resolve against all sinne , with the occasions of it , and the appearance of it , to be jealous against it , and fearful of falling by it , and ever to shew some dislike of it , Levit. 19. 17. Looke we to sin at the first motion of it , consider we the roote of it , and the end of it , and presently looke up to God for strength against it , beleeve and pray against it , and avoyd all the occasions of it : Come not neere the doore of her house , Pro. 5. 8. First , we should be afraid to sinne , because we are commanded to do otherwise by God ; secondly , lest by it we dishonour God , his truth , and servants ; thirdly , lest by it we incourage others to sin ; fourthly , and fill our soules with sorrow , because wee have sinned against so great , and gracious , and loving Father . A sensiblenesse of sinne , and a heart easily touched with remorse for it , may stand with the assurance of pardon of it , and when any hath by reason of frailtie sinned , though it seeme to be in the least measure , abhorre it with the greatest detestation , and cover it not with any excuses or pretenses whatsoever ; see Ezra 9. 2 , 3. Rev. 2. 2. 13. Every day watch the tongue . To watch that my speech be not vaine , and idle , and frothy , but powdered with salt , to take heed of speaking against others , especially such as are the Lords , that I disgrace none , nor insult over any , remembring my own weaknesses , and that I wrest not mens actions and words , but take them in the best sense , so farre as I can , with a good conscience , and without prejudice of the truth . Idle words are forbidden ; Let your speech be alwayes with grace , seasoned with salt , &c. Col. 4. 6. Neither filthinesse , nor foolish talking , nor jesting , which are not convenient , but rather giving of thankes , Ephes . 5. 4. My tongue shall talke of thy righteousnesse all the day long , Psal . 71. 24. If you love to finde fault , lay on there where you see most , which will be your selfe , if you can see . Consider , hast thou no unbeliefe , Psal . 31. 22. & 116. 11. Privy pride , 2 Cor. 12. 7. Secret hypocrisie , Psal . 51. 10. Atheisme and thoughts of blasphemy , self-love , self-seeking , self-confidence , Psal . 30. 6. Unprofitablenesse , Psal . 106. 6 , 7. Nehe. 9. 35. Hardnesse of heart , Isa . 63. 17. Blindnesse of mind , ignorance , Pro. 30. 2 , 3. Unruly passion , Psal . 73. 3. 22. Securitie , lukewarmnesse , Song . 1. 6. Abusing lawfull things , Deut. 32. 15. Nehe. 9. 38. Unthankfulnesse for mercies , Hos . 8. 12. And want of mourning for the sinnes of others , Ezek. 9. 4. Isa . 42. 19 , 20. Want of courage for the truth , Jer. 9. 3. Deadnesse , dulnesse , heavinesse , wearinesse , indevotion , distractions , and indisposednesse of heart in holy duties , Mat. 26. 40 , 43. Hast thou no forgetfulnesse , Mat. 8. 18. Inconstancy , Hos . 6. 4. Doest thou walke comfortably in thy Christian course ? Art thou never cast downe , Psal . 43. 5 ? The secret evils in us , might put us in remembrance of our selves , and silence us from insulting and disgracing others for their weaknesses . 14. Observe the frame of my spirit . Every day to observe the passages of my spirit before God in my actions and duties , and expect strength from Christ in the use of meanes to act , and whether I be sutably and inwardly affected with a sensiblenesse of what I want of God , or from God , or thankfull and humble , eying my defects , and with what faith and fervency I seeke God , and observing how God answers my prayers , and wait upon him for an answer of them . 15. Watch to doe others good . Every day to desire and indeavour to doe my dutie , according to my relation and station , to give a good example , religious instruction , loving admonition , seasonable reproofes , &c. using meanes to doe all the good I can to others soules and bodies , with an earnest intention , with all care and deare affection . See Acts 10. 24. Joh. 1. 40 , 41. If a husband , if thou art a father , or a master , or a wife , or a childe , or a servant , be a friend to friends , and to enemies doe good ; Be thou an example , in word , in conversation , in charitie , in spirit , in faith , in puritie , 1 Tim. 4. 12. 16. Watch to prevent evill . Every day that I stand upon my watch , every moment to prevent evill , and to prepare and receive good , having an eye to observe , and a heart bent to resist all Satans assaults , either from the world or flesh , alone or with others , knowing Satan watcheth to doe me a mischiefe ; and to consider that my fathers eye is upon me , who hath commanded us to keepe his precepts diligently , Psal . 119. 4. Oh that my wayes were so directed to keepe thy Statutes , Psal . 119. 5. I said I will looke to my wayes , Psal . 39. 1. Watch and pray , lest yee enter into temptation , Mat. 26. 41. Watching keeps the soule awake , ir is to have grace in a readinesse for action . 17. Watch against occasions of sinne . Every day that I decline watchfully all occasions of falling from my first love , fervency , heavenly mindednesse , as dead company , formalnesse in religious duties , coldnesse , or neglecting , the meanes , praise of men , profit , outward pompe , mirth , pleasure , ease , outward contentments , that I exceed not , nor sinke not under any of them , but set light by others favours and frownes . Seeke not your selfe out of your selfe , in the conceits of other men , he that is little in his own eyes , will not be troubled if he seeme so to others , he that is troubled because others words answer not his desires , he shall never live quietly , and he that priseth others praises , he injoyeth neither God nor himselfe . 18. To sympathize with others . Every day to take notice and sympathize with the sorrowes and sufferings of those that are the Lords , and to be content to stand or fall into any sorrow or sufferings with the Church of Christ , to part with estate , friends , libertie , life . If I doe not remember thee , let my tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth , Psal . 137. 6. Lam. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5. Chapters . 19. To meditate . Every day to meditate upon God in his goodnesse unto me , and mind what God hath prepared for me in heaven , and how I may be preserved from sin , selfe , &c. and order my conversation aright . Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide , Gen. 24. 63. doe so , or enter into thy closet , Mat. 6. 6. Consider Psal . 1. 2. & 32. 4 , 5 , 6. Heb. 10. 38. Jos . 1. 8. The book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth , but thou shalt meditate therein day and night . Meditation is wonderfull sweet and profitable , by it wee winde up our minds from things below , Col. 3. 4 , 5. and injoy God , and thy selfe , and live in heaven while thou art in the earth , refreshing thy selfe with the great varietie of those invisible comforts in heaven , the interest , joy , rest , that thou shalt finde at last : we might meditate of the miseries , frailtie , and shortnesse of the time we have to live here , and how we may prevent sin , beare the crosse , deny our selves , live by faith , be contented in want , grow in grace , escape temptations , keepe a good conscience , and what is my duty to God and man , and-wherein I come short , what mercies I injoy , and how I live by faith in every thing , how I profit by afflictions , or am thankfull to God for his sweet mercies to my soule or body , and a thousand profitable things , in which the soule may finde sweetnesse ; and if yee be risen with Christ , seeke those things that are above , Col. 3. 1. By faith and meditation , keepe thy heart above , to view thy everlasting glory , filling thy selfe with joy , injoying the joyes of heaven , which I shall certainly and quickly injoy , unutterable , unconceivable , and infinite , bottomlesse , boundlesse , endlesse . Oh the ocean of the joyes of heaven , the greatnesse of sweetnesse in so great confluence of all joyes , pleasures , and delights , which shall be for ever , and never have an end ! 20. Watch to deny selfe . That I daily deny my selfe , wit , wisdome , carnall reason , learning , favour of men , applause , passion , ease , libertie , and all things for God. Consider , Luk. 14. 20. 33. Mat. 16. 24. Mark. 8. 34. Luk. 9. 23. It is good thus to crosse our selves , if we could deny our selves , every thing would be easie for us to doe ; for all things are so sure under us , as we are above our selves : in the same measure we are spirituall , or live by faith , so much we deny our selves , such as cannot deny themselves , are not able to indure the troubles and indignities of this world , but will shrinke and fall off in the day of battell , Luk. 14. 28. 31. 21. To be humble . That in all my actions , I be humble , and meeke , sincere , serious , fervent , chearfull . For humilitie and meeknesse , consider Mat. 11. 29. Sinceritie , Deut. 18. 13. Ephes . 6. 14. Joh. 1. 47. Without faith and sinceritie all is nothing worth . Fervency , Fervent in spirit , serving the Lord , Rom. 12. 11. Jam. 5. 16. Fervent prayer . Chearfulnesse ; Rejoyce evermore , 1 Thes . 5. 16. A chearful and a willing spirit is most sutable and acceptable , wee oft looke not so much what is done , as from what affection it is done , an unchearfull spirit is soone weary , if we be overwhelmed with sorrow , feare , &c. and if we be filled with lightnesse , vanitie , wee are unfit for any service of God. 22. Watch in use of meanes . That I use the meanes to injoy and increase in holy resolutions , desires , purposes , &c. to injoy God , and the things of God for God. With my whole heart have I sought thee , O let me not wander from thee , Psal . 119. 10. If resolution be wanting , if thou beest forgetfull , sloathfull , thou art like to be a poore Christian . Oh the strong and restlesse desires , and the unweariednesse thereof after God , of a heart touched with his love , and tasted of his sweetnesse ! 23. Watch to joy in God. That every day I rejoyce in God , my union with him , and interest in him , and priviledges , and happinesse by him , &c. and in the exercises of his graces , and his word , and Saints , as the temptations , chiefest joy , and greatest advantage . I was in his love before the world was , love was the cause he shed his bloud for me , it is his love that preserves me , and crowned with it I shall be to all eternitie . 24. That I scorne none . That I sleight none , nor checke any with their deformitie of body , dulnesse , or weaknesse of wit , or memory , meannesse of outward estate , birth , or smalnesse of gifts , parts , &c. and to pitie those who are still in their sinnes . Consider , who made the difference between him and thee , see 1 Cor. 4. 7. Job 10. 10. Psal . 39. 13 , 14. 16. Isa . 28. 26. In spirituall things , Ezek. 16. Isa . 43. 25. Rom. 5. 11. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Phil. 1. 29. Rom. 3. 24. Ephes . 2. 10. The free grace and love of God onely maketh the difference , and if God should convert him , he may soone become better then thee or me . 25. To know the vanitie of the creature . Every day to consider the vanitie of these outward things , and the hurt wee receive by them , how wee exceed in our affections unto them , notwithstanding they are not ours , and may in a lesse time then an houre be taken all from us , or us from them , and that we are often distracted and unsetled by them , to the end I may with more content want them , and be weaned from them in my injoyment of them , and so to use the liberties of this life soberly , so as to be bettered by them . All things below are full of transitorinesse , mortalitie , and change , vanitie of vanities , &c. all is vanitie , Eccl. 1. 2. These things are under the Sunne , Eccle. 2. 7. ( but above is constancy , and eternitie of all excellencies , perfections , and pleasures ) we have no certainty of any thing below , Eccl. 1. 2. 1 Cor. 5. 25. Pro. 23. 4. Luk. 12. 15. Experience makes it appeare , the more men possesse of outward things , the lesse many use and injoy , the more wee love them , the more we are crossed with them , and the more they have , the more they are in want , because of their insufficiency , uncertainty , and perishing nature . Religion oft payeth for mens getting riches , and oft suffers most by them . 26. Watch in solitarinesse . That every day I be well imployed , especially in my retirednesse , and solitary seasons , to prevent needlesse feares , thoughts of the pleasures of sinne , past , present , or to come , lest such thoughts cause sinne upon supposition . Experience may teach some , that Satans temptations have come more frequenter and stronger , when alone , and that they have then sinned more freely in their imaginations ; oh cursed contemplation , that pollutes soule & body with sensuall filth , Gen. 38. 9 , 10. and renewed guilt ; nor is it good for a weake beleever to affect solitarinesse , Satan is more bold when thou art most solitary , and his temptations then take a deeper impression . 27. Watch to speake for truth , &c. Every day , as occasion is offered , that I earnestly contend for the truth , Jude ver . 3. own it , maintaine it , and those that are unjustly accused , and count it a glory to be reproached and disgraced for Christ and his truth , 1 Pet. 4. 14. 28. Watch to doe duties . Every day to catch at all opportunities of receiving and doing good , shunning evill , and with constancy nourish all good and holy desires , and consider what times we live in , and what they afford , and how I may be most usefull and fruitfull , that I may finish my course with joy . My beloved spake , and said unto me , Rise up my love , my faire one , and come away , Song 2. 10 , 11. Our sloth , and our corrupt selfe , love , ease , carelesnesse , inconstancy & unsetlednesse hindreth us more then we are aware of , of going to our beloved . 29. Watch against covetousnesse . Every day to take heed , and beware of covetousnesse and earthly mindednesse . Consider , Mat. 25. 14. Luk. 6. 2. Mat. 6. 25. to the end , Phil. 4. 6. 1 Tim. 4. 8 , 9 , 10. Jam. 5. 1 , 2 , 3. Pro. 23. 5. 1 Pet. 5. 7. Luk. 2. 7. Mat. 8. 20. To avoyd covetousnesse , meditate on such places as these . Covetousnesse deceives and hurts all , Jam. 5. 3. If we had riches , wee cannot keep them , they shall soone be taken from us , or us from them . Let such as thinke they cannot be happy without outward riches , consider if earth be better then heaven , where there is none of this thicke clay to load themselves withall , Hab. 2. 6. 30. To looke for trouble . Every day to expect trouble and crosses , and looke upon all that befals me , as appointed and ordered by God for my good in his wisdome , love , and mercy , that so I may be thankfull for them , and not fret , knowing nothing can befall me without the will of God , and that it is sent in love , and is best for me , and that God will supply with his all-sufficiency whatsoever I shall need , and that I desire not freedome from trouble , but a free spirit , and an inlarged heart to God in it , and to expresse in every trouble , wisdome , patience , humilitie , comfort , willingnesse , contentednesse , thankfulnesse , and faith in God , and that I indeavour to comfort others in their trouble . We should not looke to be exempted from troubles , the whole course of a Saint in this life is a life of trouble , and suffering , yea , more then other men , Psal . 73. 5. All our crosses , &c. are Christs servants , they are under Christ , they come and goe at his command , and they are sent to doe them good , and are called backe when they have done what they come for ; therefore be not impatient at them , fret not , Psal . 39. 9. A Saint should be so fixed upon God , that nothing below should move him , so as to disquiet him ; for to say they cannot indure and beare such a crosse o● trouble , is an expression as is unfit and unsutable for a Saint , Phil. 4. 11. 13. Our spirit should be above , and rule and over-rule things below , and not be ruled by them ; a Saint should be under nothing beneath it selfe : if we should rejoyce in trials , &c. inward , outward temptations , desertions , conflicts , outward troubles , and death it selfe , ( is to make us capable of a fuller injoyment and communion with God , Jam. 1. 2. &c. ) how much more should we be content and patient ? 1 Thes . 4. 18. Lord , I will beare any thing , because my sinnes are forgiven me : a conscience so set at libertie , can with ease undergoe a great burden . Bees gather honey of bitter flowers as well as sweet , and cannot we doe so from bitter conditions ? outward bondage is not much to an inlarged and free spirit ; what can doe much hurt , when all is well within ? all is light and easie to him that can deny himselfe . What God takes away one way , he can give it in another , which will be better ; How ever it be , yet God is good ▪ and good to me , who will ever remaine so to be , and be the same to me . We have his promise , that wee shall not want any thing that is good for us , Psal . 349 , 10. Therefore when I thinke I want , I will not beleeve I want , and that I have what I want , when I doe not see it , when I see not outward things , I see God can give , and I may have the comfort of them without them , esteeme God above all , and set him against all ; what God conveyd before by meanes , he instilles immediately from himselfe ; the immediate comforts are the strongest ; see Joh. 16. 32. and when all forsooke Paul , yet God stood by him ; and so it was with Christ , Psal . 69. 20. Saints that are poore , and under abasement , may be richer in faith , Jam. 2. 5. and have more experience of Gods faithfulnesse , care , and love , and see more of their own hearts , be more humble , more spirituall , and live more upon God , and more weaned from the world , then those Saints who are richer ; the meanest are as happy , and as free from cares as the richest , and their sleepe is as sweet ; therefore take we heed of sin , and then let come what can ; Sin not , to avoyd trouble , for that is the way to bring greater trouble upon thee , for sin defiles , distracts , insnares , and straitens a soule ; where the spirit is inlarged , it is not much troubled at outward bondage , if it be lightsome , outward darknesse will not be burdensome , if the Spirit be sound , it can beare troubles , sicknesse ; nothing can be very ill , when all is well within , what can be grievous to him , whose eye is fixed in heaven , and knowes it to be his owne ? Heb. 12. 2. We should not looke so much at trouble , or freedome from it , as to God for profit by it , comfort in it , strength to beare it ; oh let no trouble trouble thee , for when God seemes to leave thee , he is neere to helpe thee , when he hides himselfe , he seeth and will provide helpe for thee ; as Gen. 22. 14. He is all sufficient , Gen. 17. 1. and he is faithfull that hath said , all is ours , 1 Cor. 3. 23. And that wee shall not want that which is for our good , Psal . 34. 9 , 10. The same faithfulnesse will make it good ; therefore I shall not want what ever can come , should each Saint say . 31. Watch to shew mercy . Every day as occasion is offered , to shew mercy and pity to others in their misery , to supply their necessities , freely and willingly , according to my ability , and that I be more industrious , and more moderate in expences , to supply others wants , especially the Saints , if it be above my abilitie , with an open heart , hand , house , joyfully and compassionately to supply the Saints necessities : Consider Mat. 5. 42. Mat. 7. 12. They that have no money must sell something to give ; Sell that yee have , and give almes , &c. Luk. 12. 33. As we have opportunity , let us doe good to all men , especially to the houshold of faith , Gal. 6. 10. Surely wee should desire and indeavour to ease as many mens burdens as we can , it is our duty to be helpfull , and helpfulnesse includes mercy and tender compassion , love , goodnesse , and such like vertues . In lending , and suretiship , men must not be rash , nor hard-hearted , it is a duty to lend to such who make conscience , and are carefull and industrious to pay at the time . I am sorry when I heare how many have suffered in this kinde , it is a sinne to lend to such as have no care and conscience to pay : men had need to have good experience of mens faithfulnesse and carefulnesse , before they t●ust them with much : the experience of many have taught them this : notionall knowledge in this is best . 32. That I grieve not the holy Spirit . Every day to watch that I quench not , nor grieve the holy Spirit . Grieve not the holy Spirit , Ephes . 4. 30. Weequench and grieve the Spirit , when we neglect the motions thereof , & sleight the comforts of the Spirit , and seek comfort from the flesh , and feed upon lusts , when we spend our thoughts to content the outward man , & use spirituall thing● for carnall ends , or father the worke o● the flesh upon the Spirit , or sleight Gods way , allow of any sinne in my selfe , or others , to plot or contrive sinne , or cavill against any truth , or doe duties in my own strength , omit duty , or sleightly performe it , to neglect or sleight the graces of the Spirit in any , or despise a Saint for his infirmities , and the like . 33. To take notice of Gods mercies . Every day to take notice of Gods mercies to us , and others , and to acknowledge Gods goodnesse for them ; In all things give thanks , 1 Thes . 5. 14. 34. To be thankfull . Every day will I blesse thee , and praise thy Name , Ps . 145. 2. 35. To grow in grace . Every day to grow in grace and knowledge , 2 Pet. 3. 18. 36. Present condition is best . Every day to beleeve my present state and condition of soule and body to be best for me ; We know that all things worke together for good to them that love God , Rom. 8. 28. 37. To cast my care upon God. Every day to cast all my care upon God , in the use of meanes , Phil. 4 ▪ 6. 38. To look for death . Every day to desire to dye , and to look for death ; All the dayes of my appointed time will I waite till my change come , Job 14. 14. 39. To know my selfe . Every day to observe my profiting in Religion , 2 Pet. 3. 18. 40. To take notice of our failings . Every day to take notice of my sinnes , omissions , and commissions , to be humbled by them , and more watchfull for the future against them , and to live the life of faith in all infirmities , as if I had never sinned , living all the day long in the sweet injoyment of the love of God , and so to lie downe in the apprehension and sweet injoyment of it . Finally , brethren , whatsoever things are true , whatsoever things are honest , whatsoever things are just , whatsoever things are pure , whatsoever things are lovely , whatsoever things are of good report , if there be any vertue , if there be any praise , thinke on these things , those things which yee have both learned , received , and heard , ( from the Lord Jesus Christ , that ) doe , and the God of peace shall be with you . SOME CONSIDERATIONS against sinne , which are necessary to prevent sinne . 1. COnsider , it 's Gods command that wee avoyd sinne , and subdue it , Rom. 6. The command of God ought to be wonderfull powerfull in us , and over us , and did wee know the majesty and authority of the command of an infinite and eternall God , we neither could nor would doe that he forbids to be done . 2. Know , it 's the worke of God to subdue the least sinne , we cannot do it of our selves , therefore Christ saith , Without me yee can doe nothing , Joh. 15. 5. Yet we are to use the meanes he appoints against sinne , and to strive against it in his strength , and alwayes resist sinne and Satan . 3. Consider sinne in the nature of it , and in the root and fruit of it ; the want of a true sight of sinne , is a cause why men love sinne , and sleepe so securely in it . 4. Consider , sinne is the price of bloud , Mat. 27. 6. 5. Consider , there is nothing in sinne why we should desire it , there is no true sweetnesse in sinne , no true contentment and satisfaction there : the fruit sinne beares is miserable destruction at the best , is wounds , sorrow , bitternesse , shame , &c. I appeale to your experience , what fruit have yee ever found come of ●inning ? did it not fill you with horror , or rob you of peace , or disable you for the service of God , &c. What fruit had you of those things whereof you are now ashamed ? Rom. 6. 21. Pro. 23. 8. Sinne fights against your soules , 1 Pet. 2. 11. it disgraces the truth , grieves the Saints , by it we doe what we can to destroy others , harden their hearts , and hinder them of receiving the truth , incourage men in sinne , and open their mouths against God , and his truth and servants . 6. Be sure you avoyd the occasions of sin , as evill company , Psal . 119. 63. Pro. 13. 20. & 6. 9. places and provocations of sin , idlenesse , carnall joy , excesse in apparell , shut your eyes , stop your eares , take heed to thy tongue , take heed of excesse in eating and drinking , and pampering the body : Some have so pampered their bodies , that they could not rule them , their want herein hath caused them to want no sorrow , and such as avoyd not the occasions of sinne , let them not looke to be preserved from sinne ; Walke circumspectly , not as fooles , but as wise , Ephes . 5. 15. 7. Aske advice of fit persons , and crave the prayers of such as are the Lords , that thou maist withstand sinne , and Satan , and get others to watch over you , that you order your steps by his Word , Psal . 119. 133. Receive reproofe willingly , and profitably , and thankfully . 8. Indeavour to know Satans stratagems , be not ignorant of his enterprises , he useth to double his assaults when he is resisted , that so he might perswade men , the more he is resisted , the more they shall fall into sinne , as if it were in vaine to resist him , but resist and give no place to the Devill , Eph. 4. 27. Jam. 4. 7. If yee yeeld to Satan now , it will be the harder to deny him the next time . 9. Consider your relation and station , art thou partaker of the promises of Christ , Ephes . 3. 10. an heire of Christ , a fellow-Citizens of the Saints , and of the houshold of God , Eph. 2. 19 ? Oh then doe not so dishonor Christ , to take a member of Christ and make it a member of Satan , to Serve sinne , this were a great wrong to Christ ; We were sometimes darknesse , but now we are light in the Lord , walke as children of the light , Ephes . 5. 8. And seeing we are the sonnes and daughters of God , Gal. 4. 6. Kings and Priests to God , Rev. 5. 10. It is wonderfull unsutable for such to sinne , for that were to serve Satan , and doe his drudgery , Eph. 4. 20. Yee have not so learned Christ , Eph. 4. 17. This I say and restifie in the Lord , that yee henceforth walke not as the Gentiles walke , in the vanitie of their minds . Christ gave himselfe for his , that they should be holy , Tit. 2. 14. Rom. 6. 10. see 1 Joh. 3. 2. 2 Cor. 6. 18. Wee were chosen to be holy , therefore I may not sinne , Ephes . 1. 4. Rom. 8. 29. 10. Consider the eye of God is ever upon you , Heb. 4. 14. Pro. 15. 3. & 16. 6. 11. Let the love of Christ constraine you to hate and oppose every evill way . 12. Nourish the motions of the Spirit , Quench not the Spirit , walke in the Spirit , and yee shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh , Gal. 5. 16. Nourish zeale and hatred against every sinne . 13. Examine your selves and wayes daily , Keepe your heart as your life , Pro. 4. 23. Reforme the inside , Job 14. 4. and Satan shall not prevaile . 14. Consider the shortnesse of time we have here to live , our time is short , also the pleasures of sinne are but for a season , Heb. 11. 25. 15. Know your interest in Christ , and profit by affliction , both which destroys sinne . 16. Hearken unto the noyse of conscience , if conscience saith , doe it not , hearken unto it , doe it not , lest conscience be silent , and yee hardened . 17. When the pleasure of sinne is presented unto thee , present to thy thoughts the sting sinne will leave behinde it , with the many evils that attend it , also present to thy selfe , a greater and better pleasure and sweetnesse , which is thine , and that thou , if thou be the Lords , shall injoy for ever with him , oh minde home , and what is there , pleasures for evermore ; set your affections on things above , where your crowne of glory is , 1 Cor. 9. 24. Such as thinke on the supposed pleasure and sweetnesse of sinne are deceived and inshared by it , but give no eare to the lying noyse of sinne and Satan , they have faire pretences for a foole , as Pro. 23. 2. as that you may be saved notwithstanding , or resist it the next time , but oh the deceitfulnesse of sinne . 18. Pray to God earnestly and constantly for strength against sinne , with thankfulnesse for any preservation from sinne : watch and pray at the first approach of sinne , change thy object and fall to prayer , Phil. 4. 6. 19. Beleeve God will give thee strength and subdue all thy iniquities , in his time thou shalt overcome them , be not discouraged , if thou beest sometime too weake , give not over , continue resisting , in due time thou shalt prevaile , beleeve your prayers shall be answered , and that as there is strength enough in Christ to subdue sinne , and that you shall injoy it ; we are never overcome by sinne , but by reason of the weaknesse of faith : therefore above all , take the shield of faith , Eph. 6. 16. Eph. 4. 12 , 13. 20. Apply sutable promises against sinne , consider Eph. 5. 5 , 6 , 7. Rom. 6. 11. Psal . 119. 6. God hath said , Sinne shall not reigne over you , Rom. 6. Do as Mat. 17. 21. The Lord will preserve you from every evill worke , and preserve you till he bring you to glory . The necessitie , excellency , and benefit of Prayer . THe Lord our God hath commended Prayer to be a helpe to us in all our necessities , and that we might love it , and improve it to his glory and our good , saying , Aske and it shall be given you , Mat. 7. 7. Call upon me in the day of trouble , and I will deliver you , Isa . 50. 15. Prayer hath great promises annexed unto it , James 4. & 5. Mat. 7. It procures wisdome , James 1. 5. The Spirit of grace is given to such as pray . Luk. 11. 13. It quickens the graces of God in us , it 's a remedy against all evils , Joh. 3. 8. 10. Psal . 107. Prayer is a means to fit us for those good things our soules desire , Jam. 1. 5. Consider Exod. 14. 15 , 16. Jonah 2. 1. 10. It hath healed the sicke , and raised the dead , unloosed chains , and unlocked prisons , and delivered the Saints of old , Act. 12. 5. 7. 11. and of late , and put in persecutors in their places . It hath set free the Lambes , and shut up the Wolves ; we may truly say , the Lord hath slaine Og , King of Basan , for his mercie indures for ever . And Prayer caused the Sunne to goe backe , yea to stand still , Josh . 10. 12. By it we beare great burdens , and are made better by them : understand me of prayer in faith : By it Jacob prevailed with God , Hos . 14. 3 , 4. God delights to heare his pray , Song 2. 14. By it we draw neere to God , and have communion with him , and in a sort are familiar with God , and know his minde , it ingageth Gods power and truth . Prayer is the most universall helpe , it is good for all , and at all times , in all things , and is most easie and ready to the Lords , in all places , in all times . Would you doe good to your brethren , friends , enemies , frequent and improve this spirituall and heavenly dutie . Concerning the duty of Prayer . To prayer three things are necessary , 1. A spirituall disposition before ; 2. a spirituall behaviour in , 3. and a spirituall carriage after . The first includes preparation to this duty . That preparation is a dutie God requires , consider , 1. God commande it . God saith , I will be sanctified in them that draw neere me , Levit. 10. 3. Prepare to meet thy God , Amos 4. 12. Prepare your hearts unto the Lord , 1 Sam. 7. 3. Prepared for every good worke , 2 Tim. 2. 21. 2. The Saints have practised it . Jehosaphat prepared his heart to seek God , 2 Chron. 19. 3. Ezra prepared his heart , Ezra 7. 10. O God my heart is fixed . Object . This is Gods worke . Answ . True ; Thou wilt prepare their hearts , O God , Psal . 10. 17. in the use of meanes . 3. There are promises annexed to preparation . If thou prepare thy heart , &c. see Job 11. 13. see what is promised vers . 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19. An evill not to doe it . And Rehoboam did evill , because he prepared not his heart to seeke the Lord , 2 Chron. 12. 14. What preparation is in generall ? Preparation , it is an holy consideration of God , with whom we have to doe , and how unfit wee are to have so neere communion with him , that our spirits may be composed , and our whole man rightly disposed , craving his strength to inable us to a right performing of this holy dutie . In particular . 1. For the person , he must be accepted , must be a Sonne , Rom. 8. 15. Also all that pray , ought to put away all wrath , strife , envie , &c. God esteems so highly of peace , that he will have his service stay till it be accomplished , Mark. 11. 25. Mat. 5. 24. Therefore we should take heed , that there be no such distempers found in us by him who knows our hearts , for it will choake conscience , and weaken our boldnesse with God ; If we regard iniquitie , God will not heare our prayers , Psal . 66. 18. Such as love their sins , God loatheth their prayers ; The prayer of the wicked is abomination to God : God looks at the heart . Christ saith , When thou prayest , forgive : Such a forgive not others , pray without life . 2. Prize prayer , have it in that esteeme which God puts upon it , God hath honoured prayer , so that every one that useth it is the better for it ; for every one that asketh receiveth , Mat. 7. 8. 3. Set times apart for to pray , and separate thy selfe to some place where thou maist be alone , and out of the hearing of others , if thou canst , that so thou maist freely powre out thy soule to God without hypocrisie ; for a mans desire he will separate himselfe , Pro. 18. 1. Christ chose a time before day , early in the morning , and one of the places he chose was a Wildernesse , Mark. 1. 35. Sometimes a mountaine , and a garden , and when that cannot be had , he faith , When thou prayest enter into thy Closet , &c. Wee should so pray and worship God , as men set free from all other things . So we need avoyd all occasions of hypocrisie ; Hypocrites stand in corners of the streets , because they love to be seene of men . 4. Before thou prayest , spend a little time , some thoughts concerning what God is , and what may raise thy heart , and incourage thee to draw neere to God. Consider what be thy chiefe wants , lets , temptations , corruptions , also to consider the sutable promises of a supply fits the soule to pray : also to consider what mercies we have received above others , and what cause wee have to be thankfull to God. 5. Prayer requires our ends to be holy , and right placed , as to injoy God , and for grace to obey him : and last and least of all , for such things as chiefly concerne our selves , as peace , &c. If the end be nought , or good , and not right placed , we aske amisse , Jam. 4. 6. Deny thy selfe and come empty headed , hearted , handed , of all that is thy own , that God and his grace may be all in all : emptinesse raiseth our hearts in prayer . 7. Mind thy own inabilitie to doe any thing that is spirituall , and looke up to Christ by faith for strength , eying his promise ; we are no more able to pray or doe any spirituall worke of our selves , then to remove a mountaine at once . 8. Consider God in his attributes , that he is great , gracious , mercifull , slow to anger , &c. and that he is so to thee , and that he is neere thee , yea present with thee ; all in God is ready to helpe his , his ocean of grace cannot be exhausted , spent , his fountaine doth nothing decay , though multitudes draw from it . 9. When thou comest to God , thinke thou canst not have too high thoughts of God , nor too low ones of thy selfe : Dust and ashes , Gen. 18. 27. a worme , corruption , so Job . Thou canst not set God high enough , nor thy selfe low enough ; if we could see our own filth , we should stinke worse then the filthiest carrion in our own nostrils . 10. Come to God with a heart that is large & chearfull , by faith in assurance of person and prayer accepted , hate suspitions and jealousies of God , see Ps . 65. 2. & 7. 7. 4. 7. aske chearfully : such as goe not chearfully to God , know not what a God they go to , say to thy soule , Come , O soule , rejoyce , be chearfull , for thou art a going to thy God. 11. Be abased under thy pride , formalitie , coldnesse , dulnesse , deadnesse , and breake through all impediments to goe to God in prayer . 12. Empty thy selfe of all distractions , cares , and clogs of spirit , that thou maist be free when thou comest to God , hold thy heart close to God , in love , zeale , meeknesse , &c. 13. Observe fit times and seasons to goe to God in , yet prefer that season wherein God and thy own heart sends thee to prayer before a set time , imbrace it gladly and quickly , so sweet a motion of the Spirit , put it not by till another time ; I prevented the dawning of the morning , and cryed , Psal . 119. 147. with Mark. 1. 35. 14. Be sensible of others wants , especially for such as are the Lords , that you may pray with a feeling of their necessities . 15. Pray for grace to stirre thee up to pray , and fit thee with sutable matter , sutable to the occasion , either for the Church , thy selfe , or others , and to enliven us in all , abhorre forme and fashion , pray not in print , they are deadly enemies to spiritualnesse ; pray from an inward feeling and sensiblenesse of thy wants : book-prayers is such a crutch , as it makes them that use it quite lame ; we are not so much to looke to a set order of words , as to a well ordered heart ; weak expressions in uprightnesse of heart , the Lord likes well , but if there be nothing but well framed sentences , God abhorres them . 16. Above all come to God in faith , Rom. 10. 14. How shall they call on him on whom they have not beleeved ? see Heb. 11. 6. Jam. 1. 6. Mark. 11. 24. This is the most spirituall grace to come to God with above all other , no other save this can fasten upon a promise , thou canst not see God without faith ; whatsoever thou needst , beleeve that promise , Every one that asketh receiveth , Mat. 7. 8. Christs incense and odors of his sacrifice , Rev. 8. 4. is for him that beleeves . Faith gives force and life to prayer , it troubles not Satan to make a thousand prayers full of teares , if they be without faith ; according to our faith , so is our prayer , Rom. 8. 38. Faint faith , faith prayers ; prayer without faith is but beating the ayre ; according to thy faith , be it unto thee . Consider Mat. 21. 22. All things are possible to him that beleeves , Mark. 9. 22. Let him aske in faith , saith James , nothing wavering ; that is , in a certain assurance to be heard , and that his request shall be granted , Jam. 1. 6. 17. Read and meditate before prayer , if time will permit , for the better preparing our hearts thereunto . The graces of the Spirit , uprightnesse , purenesse , thankfulnesse , integritie , soundnesse of heart , and the like , these will inable , inliven and fit thee to pray . These well observed , and God blessing them , will fill thee with heavenly affection , and rid thee of thy own inventions , manner , and ends , &c. Oh all yee sonnes and daughters of the most High , in this fulness go forth to meet your God with joy and full assurance of a supply of what yee need . Concerning a right manner , and spirituall behaviour in the duty of prayer ; observe , 1. Fix thy mind and faith upon God in the flesh of Christ , who is God with us , and neere us , else he cannot be comprehended by us , eye the flesh of our Advocate , united to the deity , and hold the eye of thy faith upon it , ( all the while thou art in prayer ) which gives life and strength to prayer , else thy prayer is but a morall devotion , a meere shadow ; by the flesh of Christ so united , we have union with God , and accesse to God , which else could not ; and the more our faith layeth hold upon this flesh of Christ so united to the divinitie , and we also by it , the more the Ordinance imparts Gods goodnesse unto the soule , for whatsoever vertue there is in any thing , it 's conveyed by application , and touching of it ; that whereby wee touch God is our faith , which never toucheth him , but it draweth vertue from him : but that in which our happinesse consists , is our union with the divinitie by Christs humanitie , which is full , and admits not of any degrees . 2. Pray in knowledge , and not in ignorance , Joh. 5. 14. 3. Watch and pray against Satans discouragements , sloath , ease , vanitie of minde , that if it were possible , no vaine thought might come in all the while . 4. Pray as thy present state , condition , and frame of spirit requires . 5. Strive for the best affections thou canst in prayer , & those ravishing , which may carry thee furthest from thy selfe , and neerest to communion with God , and looke to the bottome upon which thy affections stand , as faith , and inward grace , and eying a promise ; serve God with all thy might , courage , & strength , with frequency and fervency , for time , zeale , & intention , long prayers oft dead others affection ; it 's good to pray briefly , and often , as Christ , Mat. 26. 39. Consider what others can beare , minde the time , occasion , and season ; in long prayers , we must take heed of custome , superstition , and ambition , and in short , of prophanenesse and carelesnesse ; whether long or short , you must pray with affection , as joy , desires and griefe . 6. When thou prayest to one in the deity , mind all three , and sever them not , the object of our worship must be the union of the flesh with the Trinitie . 7. Give God all thy heart , and see that thy heart and tongue goe together all the while , and observe when , and in what the heart draws backe , &c. 8. If thou canst , observe Gods order , first , expresse Gods greatnesse , next his goodnesse , and his goodnesse to thee , his large love , and thy ill requiting him ; be thankfull for former mercies , 1 Chron. 15. 13. Seeke and aske spirituall blessings before earthly , &c. If time will permit , confesse thy sins freely to God , with inward griefe , and in faith beg , the Spirit of supplication and mourning , Zech. 12. 10. And let all mourning flow from faith of thy person accepted , and sinnes forgiven , or else all thy mourning and teares are worth nothing , and no better then the howllng of a dog , but that mourning which flowes from faith of pardon , is a sweet grace , and an acceptable sacrifice to God. In thankesgiving , it is fit we should be as much and as large in it , as in requests , be as ready to be thankfull for mercies thou hast , as to aske new ones , spirituall , temporall , &c. Be thankfull for all , to thee , thine , and others , and thou shalt not be barren , for either matter or manner , wee ought to be more ready to be thankfull , then to crave what wee want , wee should prefer . God before our selves . In supplication , aske the Spirit of prayer , to pray in the holy Spirit , and in understanding , &c. and aske all graces , and temporall things in faith , and a blessing upon all , and be content to be at Gods dispose in all , and wait Gods time , know if God heareth thee not in that kinde thou desirest , he intends that which is better for thee in stead thereof ; God hath not absolutely promised thee measure of grace , and temporall things in particular , and so sometimes denies them in love to his , because not fit for them , therefore aske with submission . Adde fervency and importunitie , as one loth to be sent away empty , and let thy earnestnesse be according to the degrees of goodnesse of things prayed for , or of thy necessitie of them . The life of prayer consists in the heat of earnest and fervent desires , Rom. 15. 30. & 8. 16. Psal . 143. 6. Of a cold prayer , expect not more then a cold answer ; if a righteous mans prayer be not fervent , it will not prevaile , Jam. 5. Oh Lord , give me what I come for , cease not knocking till yee speed : what we need wee have in God , and this is ours ( oh sweet love ) turne feares into hopes , complaints into prayers , and thy lamentations into supplications , and Christ will turne thy darknesse into light , and thy deadnesse into life , thy bondage into libertie , and thy weaknesse into strength . Covet the best measure of grace , and rest in that measure God thinks best forthee ; pray often , 2 Cor. 12. 10. see Isa . 26. 26 , 27. Be thankfull to God in prayer for what thou obtainest from God by prayer , and in prayer use that gesture that most befits the duty , and most befits thee for the dutie , weigh it well , consider the weaknesse of thy body , yet abhorre unreverence in prayer , both in soule and body , Acts 7. 60. Concerning a spirituall carriage after Prayer . 1. As soone as the dutie is ended , especially if inlarged and before others , eye some one or more of thy defects ( in prayer ) to keepe thy soule humble , and also eye what was of God in dutie , to the end thou maist be thankfull , and not dejected and overcome in viewing thy weaknesses and distempers : view all the parts of thy prayer , how it was performed ( if thou canst ) both for matter , manner , heart and affection , and consider what feelings , desires , comforts God gave thee in prayer : take heed thou doest not over-like thy prayers , nor thinke that God dislikes them , because thou seest not what thou shouldst in thy prayers . 2. Renounce all that is our owne in prayer , feelings , hopes , affections , zeale ; as they are the ordinance of God , so I prise them , but as they are acts of mine , they stinke in my nostrils , yet the Lords fire shall heat me , My power is perfected in my infirmity : very gladly will I be under infirmitie , that his power may be magnified in me , 2 Cor. 12. 8 , 9. 3. Watch that Satan wound thee not with thy prayers ; if thou beest in any measure sensible of sinne , thy defects in dutie , Satan is ready to tell thee , if thou hadst the Spirit of God , then shouldst thou have the Spirit of prayer , and if thou hadst it , it should be otherwise with thee then it is , but if the soule consent to what he saith to be true , yee both agree to wound thy faith and confidence in God , not onely for an answer of thy prayer , but of thy persons acceptance . Nay , rather charge all upon thy corruption and want of preparation , & exercise of grace , and be the more carefull and watchfull for time to come , and learne to distinguish between a nullity and a defect ; and in a word , if thou art sensible of thy sin in praying , and art sorry for it , thy imperfection is passed by , and thou doest not pray in fashion . The Spirit of God discovers deadnesse , indisposition , and unbeliefe , and the like in prayer , flesh and bloud cannot discover these , and the Spirit of God onely makes the conscience tender and pliable . 4. Let the frame of thy Spirit be alwayes thankfull and chearfull after prayer , whether thou beest inlarged or straitned , inwardly or outwardly , alone or with others ; for when thou art at the best , thou standst in need of a Jesus , looke upward then by faith upon thy Advocate , and when thy defects are most , and thou art at the worst , will not the same Jesus save thee ? yea surely , and if thou groundest thy comfort upon a right bottome rightly , thy comfort and the cause of it is the same ; because Christ is the same , Heb. 13. 8. And if Christ be thine , shall not he disanull all thy sinnes as well as one , seeing he is able and willing ? But this is the childrens bread , this pearle is not to be cast to swine . 5. If in prayer thy heart have been opened and inlarged , thy faith strengthned , and thy conscience eased , &c. count it a sweet mercy , be thankfull to God for all ; for want of taking notice of Gods goodnesse , and thankfulnesse for it , it is just in stead of light to possesse darknesse , and for feeling to finde deadnesse , &c. 6. Presse after ( what thou hast prayed for ) in the use of meanes , Pro. 2. 3 , 4 , 5. there is the prayer , indeavour , and blessing . As he that makes prayer the end of his prayer , rests in his prayer , and prayes to no purpose : So he that doth not in good earnest pursue with zeale and conscience the grace & good things he prays for , Ioseth his prayer . The Saints pray to put their prayers in practise , & we tempt God to aske that wee use not meanes to attaine , our indeavours must second our prayers , Pro. 20. 4. It is for hypocrites to pray and returne to their lusts with more freedome , as if they intended to have libertie to sinne . Such prayers are odious to God : take we heed that what we build up with prayer , wee pull not downe by our practice , by remisnesse , sleightnesse , frothinesse of Spirit , it had been well if this knowledge had not been experimentall , but a word is sufficient to the wise . 7. Expect and wait patiently for a full answer of thy prayers in Gods time and way , consider Psal . 40. 1. Rev. 3. 10. Hab. 2. 2 , 3. Wee should be loth to lose any part of the answer of our prayers , and that we may wait , wee must first be sure we have a promise that wee shall speed , that wee may feed our minds with the meditation of it : this is necessary , for the time of fulfilling may be long , lest wee faint , Psal . 147. 11. Psal . 135. 6 , 7. Have patience and tary ; that comes hardly , is oft most prized , but lightly come , lightly goe : God knows the fittest season to doe us good , take not a delay for a deniall , many things God hath promised , he hath not set down the time or yeare , but when it 's best for us , let God alone for the time , and ye shall see what God will do . Watch we what event our prayers have , and observe Gods dealings with our selves , and others , both with his , and his enemies : and be thankfull for any answer of prayers . The Saints are often afflicted , that they may often pray , and that often praying , they might pull downe many benefits from the Lord , and returne many praises unto him ; wee sinne against God , and hurt our selves for want of thankfulnesse . For hearing the Word . 1. Labour to be informed of the excellency and preciousnesse of the mercy to heare the Word , and that no treasure of this world is like it for goodnesse , beautie , and truth , there is nothing like the Word , it informes , convinces , comforts , what comfort is like to this , if the heart be not lost in profits , pleasures , forth and ease ? 2. Prize the Word , 1 Pet. 2. 3. Above all things we prize precious things , and for such as love their lusts , let them consider Ezek. 14. 7 , 8. 3. Heare not for noveltie , &c. but let your ends be good in obedience to God , to know and practise . 4. Deny thy selfe , thy own wisdome , see the Lord in all , be a foole that thou maist be wise ; set God above all , and say , Speake Lord , for thy servant heareth . 5. Come in faith , beleeve God can speake in particular to thee , whether weake or strong , and supply thy wants , Micah 2. 7. to the end , Isa . 48. 17. eye the promise ; If any man will doe his will , he shall know whether the doctrine be of God or no , Joh. 7. 17. Heare and your soules shall live , Isa . 55. 3. Beleeve the promises , meditate on them , plead them , apply them as thy own portion , and rest satisfied and contented with them , they that have the promise are sure enough . 6. Come with a resolution to learne and a heart resolved to practise what God saith ; say as David , Psal . 119. 33 , 34. Psal . 86. 11. And covet earnestly the best gifts , 1 Cor. 12. 31. Consider 1 Cor. 12. 4. & 1 Cor. 3. 4. 22. 7. Come emptie in the sense of want , he filleth the hungry , but the full are sent emptie away , Luk. 1. 51. Pro. 27. 7. Emptie of distractions , and worldly thoughts and affections , Exod. 3. 5. Emptie of prejudice of man , gifts , or meanes , be humble , the humble he will teach , Psal . 25. 9. 8. Pray to God to prepare thy heart , and to open thy eyes , Psal . 119. 18. Shew me thy truth , and blesse it to me , pray that he that speakes may not seeke himselfe , and so rob God , and that he may speake as he ought to speake , Col. 4. 4. In hearing , take heed to your eyes , eares , hearts , Luk. 8. 18. Ezek. 40. 4. 1. Consider thou art in the presence of God , and consider Job 21. 6. Psal . 16. 8. Acts 10. 33. 2. Attend diligently , Isa . 55. 23. Watch that nothing come between thee and it , sleepe not , wander not , gaze not , Luk. 8. 18. Consider Act. 8. 6. And the people with one accord gave heed to those things that Philip spake . 3. Heare for thy selfe , and mind especially that which most concernes thee . 4. Heare with understanding and judgement , Mat. 13. 13. Mat. 15. 10. Joh 21. 11. Put a difference between truth and error , The simple beleeveth every word , Prov. 14. 15. Take heed what yee heare , Mark. 4. 24. and whom yee heare , and how yee heare . 5. If thou canst , observe the methode and scope of the speaker to helpe memorie . 6. Heare with thy heart and affection , as one that longeth for it . 7. Mixe the Word with faith , beleeve it , obey it , beleeve it 's true , and thine , ● Pet. 2. 3. if tasted . 8. Heare it as the word of God , or else it can doe thee no good , see 1 Thes . 2. 13. apprehend and digest well what Gods soveraigntie of God is in a command , and the tie of obedience of the creature to God meanes ; consider the insolency of the creatures that dare reject the Word of the Lord. Come buy and eate , Isai . 55. 1. buy gold , &c. Rev. 3. 18 Forsake all , Mat. 19. 27. If thou seekest her as silver , Pro. 2. 4 , 5. Hearken and eate , Isa . 55. 2. In eating is required appetite , chewing , taste , relish , pleasure and delight , Nehe. 9. 25. Let the Word sinke downe , Luk. 9. 44. Hide it in your hearts , Psal . 119. 11. After hearing . 1. If God hath manifested himselfe any way in his Word , be thankfull , oh that the Lord should reveale himselfe to me , and not unto the world , Joh. 14. 22. Consider Mat. 13. 17. Psal . 147. 20. 1 Cor. 14. 25. 2. Hold fast that thou hast , lose it not in the ayre of the world , let nothing rob thee of it , let memory call upon consciscience , and conscience upon thee . 3. Examine and prove what yee have heard , as 1 Thes . 5. 21. Acts 17. 11. and consider Acts 8. 34. Rom. 3. 8. 4. What good soever thou receivest , give glory to God , not to man , for he is but as an instrument in the hand of God , He that planteth and watereth is nothing , but God it is that gives the increase , 1 Cor. 3. 7. It is not in the graces of men . Also consider Acts 8. 1. with Acts 11. 19. 21. nor learning , for Acts 4. 13. So then God doth all . 5. Muse and meditate on what thou hast heard , Thinke on these things , Phil. 4. 8. Deut. 3. 39. Shee pondered , Luk. 2. 19. Meditation helps memory and affection , and works an inward feeling of it , if God blesse it , but if we meditate not on it , it doth us no good . 6. Apply what thou hast heard to thy occasions , which are many . 7. Practice what thou hast heard , this is the end of hearing , Deut. 5. 1. Mat. 7. 26 , 27. Wee have no benefit by it , if wee practise it not , Jam. 1. 25. God lookes for fruit , if we injoy meanes , Isa . 5. 2. Mat. 21. 34. Luk. 13. 7. Where much is given , much is required , Luk. 12. 48. see Joh. 8. 47. Job . 12. 40. Practice presently ; I made haste and delayed not , Psal . 1. 19. 60. Gen. 7. 23. with 22. 3. Abraham went presently ; that which we put off till hereafter is seldome done . Consider Pro. 24. 33 , 34. Many motions through delay have come to nothing : they were not to stay , but to step in presently as soone as the Angel stirred the water , Joh. 5. 4. 8. Omit not opportunities , for thou knowest not whether God will blesse this or that , Eccl. 11. 6. Concerning Reading . To read with profit requires diligence , wisdome , preparation , meditation , conference , faith , practise , prayer . For the first consider Pro. 2. 12. Mat. 13. 54. 2. Wisdome is necessary for the choice of matter , order , time ; for the matter , it must be sutable to our necessities and capacities ; for order , first that which concerns the foundation , and after the building : also order is a helpe to memory and understanding , and for want of order , some read much , but profit little : also wisdome must difference the fittest time to read in respect of other businesse : God hath made every thing beautiful in its time , Eccle. 3. 11. 3. Preparation requires , first humilitie , and a sensiblenesse of our own insufficiency , to teach our selves , and prayer to God to teach us , and to give us sound judgements and good affections . Secondly , Faith in Christ , for him to open the booke that is sealed , and the heart also beleeving he will blesse his meanes unto us . Thirdly , a heart prepared to learne , Pro. 17. 16. Such as received the Word with a good & an honest heart , brought forth fruit , Luk. 8. Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a foole to get wisdome , seeing he hath no heart to it ? After wee have reade , meditate . Meditation makes that we have read to be our own ; Blessed is he that meditateth in the Law day and night , Psal . 1. 2. And unlesse by meditation the judgement be refined and setled , and worke it upon our affections , and lay up what we reade in our minds , all our reading and hearing will come to nothing . Conference with others , who are able to direct us , is necessary to informe us in what we understand not . The Word must be mixed with faith , else it profiteth us nothing , Heb. 4. 2. Luk. 18. 18. The end of reading is to practise , and the best way to know is practise ; He that will doe his will , he shall know it . Without prayer we cannot well use the meanes , nor expect a blessing by them , 1 Cor. 2. David prayed and praised God , Blessed art thou , O Lord , teach me thy statutes , Psal . 119. He that profits by hearing and reading . 1. He must have his mind turned to Christ , and fixed upon him in his Word , as Psal . 119. 15. Mark. 7. 14. He must beleeve , and he shall know . 2. He must not be wise in his own eyes ; The humble he will teach , Psal . 34. Psal . 119. 3. Pray continually , 1 Thes . 5. 4. Search the Scriptures , Joh. 5. 39. 5. His end must be good , 1 Cor. 10. 31. 6. He must love the Word , Psal . 119. 7. He must resolve to obey , John 7. 17. Of Meditation . MEditation is a serious reviving of those truths we have heard , or the administrations of God towards us or others , of that which we know , wee further debate upon it , that both mind and heart being seasoned with the savour thereof ( in applying it to our selves , that wee may have some use of it in our practise ) and be furthered thereby to dutie . In which the memory is exercised to remember some things past , also the understanding gathering some other things , as namely in finding out the causes , fruits , properties , as when a man meditateth on the Word , remembreth and museth on it , so going from point to point , applying generally some things unto himselfe , and wisely examining how the case stands between the Lord and himselfe , in those things whereby he hath his heart thereby stirred up to put some things in practise . The worke wrought in the affections , is that they are framed , either to love or hatred , joy or sorrow , love , feare , according to the diversitie of the thing , with the reasonable part , hath seriously considered of . Of the excellency of Meditation . MEditation is a pondering in the heart , a considering , a weighing with our selves ; by meditation we retaine truths , and are inriched by them , and it makes them sweet unto us , by it we ascend up to heaven ; it 's the life of all meanes , the way to knowledge , the mother of wisdome , it refines the judgement , and cuts off errors within and without , it increaseth love , it makes the mercy of God fresh unto us , it is the life of hearing , reading , conference , praying , &c. By it all meanes are made profitable unto us , it reveales truth to us , and acquaints us with our selves , it makes all to become our owne , it removes lets , and settles truths upon our spirit , it breeds good affections , and quickens them , and makes us profitable to others , and makes things easie & sweet unto us , and fires the soule with love , it helpeth the memory , and stirres up affection , and filles us with experiences , and inableth us to apply it to our owne use , and benefit of others . Judge then how usefull this duty is , and what a treasure we forgoe when we neglect it . Before Meditation . 1. Reade and conferre with reverence and diligence , Psal . 119. Reading the Word fits us to meditate on it . 2. Be sure thou hast fit texts or occasions of matter forelaid , sutable to thy wants , and spirits , provide matter sutable , of all sorts , precepts , promises , &c. Be not barren of fit matter to meditate on , fit for thy necessitie and capacitie . 3. Choose a fit time , the morning is the fittest time for religious duties , and noon , and evening , day and night , Psal . 1. 3. We ought to frequent this duty , for the morning , Psal . 119. 147. Mark. 1. 35. for the night , vers . 148. In the morning our memories are the quickest and strongest , and our selves the readiest to conceive things , our naturall powers being revived , have the greatest libertie ; at night we are more dull and heavie : Idolaters will rise early in the morning to worship an Idoll . Oh that we were so wise to prevent the morning light , Psal . 119. 147. Mary came early to the Sepulchre , Mat. 28. The holy Spirit came upon them in the morning , Act. 2. It was the third houre of the day : Consider Jer. 7. 13. Joh. 8. 2. Mat. 21. 28. 4. Separate thy selfe to this worke ; for a mans desire he will separate himselfe , Pro. 18. 2. 5. Choose a fit place , as for prayer , so for meditation , where thou maist not be disturbed by any thing . 6. Love the Word of God , and meditation will follow , Psal . 119. What we love , we thinke on , love drawes our affections , according to the love we have to any thing , so accordingly is our pleasure , study , and delight in it . 7. Beleeve God will blesse it unto thee . 8. Pray to God to blesse it unto thee . In Meditation . 1. Looke up to God and mourne for thy estrangement of spirit from holy things , which should be familiar , and bend thy selfe ( after separation of thy thoughts from frothy things ) to consider seriously of the truths set before thee , and looke up to God for strength to resist a hard wandering dead defiled heart , which makes thee weary of the worke of God. 2. Let the Word of God be the object of thy meditation , Psal . 1. 2. Psal . 119. 99. and from generals proceed to particulars . 3. Meditate but of one thing at once , and at one time , and observe order , 1. travell with our memories ; 2. judgement ; 3. our affections , before we come to make use of it in our hearts : after our memories , let thy judgement consider what weight the thing is of , & how it concerns Gods glory , our selves , or others , and whether we have it at all , or in such a measure as we need , and may have ; how we came by it , what are the lets of getting and injoying it , and how they may be removed , what meanes are to be used to attaine it , both for manner , measure , end , time ; and having so done , rest not in overfights , but stirre up and provoke our affections accordingly , and so worke it upon our hearts . Take an instance , when we come to make use of that we meditate of in our hearts and affections , thus put case it be some speciall promise , how happie were I if I could injoy it , what things here below are like unto it ? then proceed to remove all the objections and temptations against it , lay all in the promise , and hold the promise untill thou canst sucke sweetnesse out of it , till faith and comfort issue in thy soule ; if any should do all this , unlesse God adde his blessing , & with his almighty power blesse meanes to us , all is nothing , yet wee must use the meanes . 4. If in meditation , thy minde rove and wander after other matters , as soone as thou perceivest it , sigh deeply to God , and fall to prayer to be established , from whence Satan & our corruptions would draw us , and having desired the Lord to deliver thee from a vaine , light , and frothy spirit , &c. fall to meditation againe . After Meditation . 1. Wee must ever be mindfull to be humble and thankfull . 2. The more thou meetest with the Lord in this way , let it more incourage thee to frequent it , and make it a great part of thy communion with God , and be as joyfull when God hath blessed it unto thee , as any can be when they finde a mine of gold , or great spoyle . Directions for the understanding of the sense of the letter of the Scriptures . 1. WHen the word ( one God ) is expressed , the Father , and the Holy Spirit is included , as appeares in Joh. 17. 3. 2. All the attributes or workes of God are proper to any of the three without exception of any of them , so Christ is said to create the worlds , Heb. 1. 2. 3. Repentance in God , notes no change in God , ( who is immutable ) but in the thing or action . 4. The word ( of God ) notes authoritie , sometimes it notes onely excellency , as , Psal . 1. 5. 17. 5. The Scriptures must not be understood against Christ , but for Christ . 6. Whatsoever is truly and soundly collected from Scripture , is to be beleeved and rested upon , as well as that which is expresly written , yet no Ordinance of Christ , nor the administration of it , but it is plainly expressed in Scripture , and depends not upon consequences , much lesse meanes . 7. It is usuall in Scripture to attribute that to the instrument , that efficacy and force which belongs to the Author , as 1 Tim. 4. 16. Rom. 3. 28. & 5. 4. Deut. 5. 22. Heb. 13. That good meanes may be respected , and bad sleighted . 8. In a parable , the minde , scope , and intention of the Spirit of God is to be marked above all , it must be expounded and no further strained then things agree with the principall drift , as Mat. 20. 1 , 2. The scope is , God is not a debtor to no man : straine no parable . 9. We may not interpret Scripture by allegories , unlesse we be able to prove the allegoricall sense by some other place of Scripture . 10. In interpreting Scripture , we must take the sense from the word , and not bring one to it . 11. Comparison of places together , darker with plainer , is the way to understand it . Nehe. 8. 8. 12. There can be but one onely proper true sense of one place of Scripture , which we are chiefly to search after , and rest in ; wee may not make every Scripture speake every thing . 13. The literall sense of Scripture which ariseth from the words duly understood , is the onely true and proper sense . 14. Scriptures must be understood according to the largest extent of the words , except there be some restraint of them by the matter , phrase , and scope of them , ( as the word grace , 1 Pet. 1. 13. ) or by some other place of Scripture it appeares they must be restrained . 15. They must be expounded simply , according to the letter , except necessitie compell to depart from a literall sense to a figurative . 16. Wee must not take a figurative speech properly , nor a proper speech figuratively , Mat. 26. 26 , 27. This is my body , is a figurative speech ; it is a great servitude to take signes for things , of which words be but signes . 17. Where there is a sentence in Scripture , which hath a tropicall or borrowed word , we may not think the whole place figurative , as Mat. 26. 28. 18. That which is said to one , must be understood to be said to all in the like case and condition , as appeares by comparing Joshua 1. 5. with Heb. 13. 5. For of the like things there is the like reason and judgement to be given , let the circumstances be considered wisely . 19. A particular example will afford a generall instruction , when the equitie of the thing done is universall , and the cause common , otherwise not . 20. The Scripture puts upon dead things the person of such as speake , by a fiction of a person , Ps . 19. The firmament speakes , &c. So Rom. 19. 20 , 21. Psal . 98. 7 , 8. By this manner of speech wee are moved to affect the things spoken , and more easily brought to understand them . 21. By bodily things the Scripture leads and lifts us up to divine : thus a hand applied to God , signifieth his working power , so an eye , his knowledge , a heart his will , his foot his presence or government , wings , his care or protection , a mouth , his word or commandement , a finger , his might , and a soule put for the essence of God. 22. The Scripture ascribes the names of things unto the similitudes and representations , as 1 Sam. 28. 14 , 15. 23. That exposition that causeth an absurditie to follow , is a false exposition , Rom. 4. 14. & 10. 14 , 15. 24. The word heart , is commonly put for the soule of man. 25. There is such a necessary and mutuall relation between faith , and Christ the object , that where one of these is expressed alone , the other is included ; Christ onely is the matter of our righteousnesse . 26. The Scripture divers times expresses the antecedent by the consequent , Rom. 9. 33. with Isa . 28. 16. For not making haste in Isaiah , Paul saith , Shall not be ashamed , shame & confusion being an effect which followeth haste . 27. The Scripture useth one word twice in one sentence , with a different signification , Joh. 4. 35. Harvest is taken first for earthly , and in the latter place for spirituall harvest . So the word water in Joh. 4. 13 , 14. First , elementary ; secondly , spiritually , viz. the graces of the Spirit . 28. The word of commanding is often put for wishing , as , Let thy kingdome come , ●hy Name be hallowed , that is , Oh that thy Name were hallowed ; Let him kisse me , Song 1. 1. for oh that he would kisse me . 29. Crying in Scripture doth often betoken a strong noyse outwardly , but inwardly compunction and fervency of spirit and affection , Rom. 8. 15. Heb. 5. 7. 30. Things proper to the body are ascribed unto the soule , as hunger & thirst , to declare the earnest desire of the soule ; because the soule is unknowne unto us , the Scripture very oft speaketh of invisible things by visible , and shadoweth spirituall by corporall . 31. A hyperbole is sometimes in Scripture , this kind of speech expresseth more then can be signified , by the proper acceptation of that speech it increaseth the truth , as Gen. 13. 16. & 15. 5. The meaning is no more then that his posteritie shall be very great , as Gen. 17. 4. so Joh. 21. 25. 32. It is usuall in Scripture to put ( all ) for many , 1 Tim. 2. 3. Mat. 3. All Jerusalem , and Mat. 4. 23. All diseases ; So on the other side , many is put for all , as Rom. 5. 9. And whether all or many is meant , may be knowne by observing the matter handled . 33. Nothing is for little , Joh. 18. 20. Also small and none for few , Act. 27. 33. and alwayes for often . 34. The negative particle ( not ) is often put comparatively and respectively , not absolutely and simply , as Hosea 6. Not sacrifice , viz. rather then , or not sacrifice in respect of mercy , see Jer. 32. 33. So not is put for seldome , Luk. 2. 37. 35. The word ever or everlasting , doe not properly signifie eternitie , in every place where it is used , but great continuance , as Psal . 32. 14. 36. In Scripture the word ( untill ) doth not alwayes exclude the time following , but signifies an infinite time , or untill , viz. eternitie , 1 Cor. 15. Mat. 28. 28. Mat. 5. 26. That is to say , never , and also a certaine limit of time . 37. The copulative particle ( and ) is often when it is not joyned to other matter , as Psal . 4. Ezek. 2. 1. & 5. 1. And so often else-where : Also this particle therefore or then , is not alwayes illative or argumentative , Rom. 8. 1. O● it coupleth words outwardly to that which the Prophet heard inwardly . 38. The particle ( if ) is not alwayes a note of doubting , but of reasoning , as Rom. 8. 31 : Joel 1. 14. Acts 8. 22. Sometimes it notes the difficultie of the dutie , and sometimes the necessitie of the thing , and sometimes it is put for doubtingly , Mat. 3. 14. 39. When a Substantive is repeated or twice mentioned in one case , it signifieth emphasis or force , as Lord , Lord ; secondly , a multitude , as droves , droves , Gen. 32. 16. many droves : thirdly , distribution , as 1 Chron. 16. a gate , a gate , 2 Chron. 19. 5. Levit. 17. 3. a Citie , and a Citie , that is , every Citie : fourthly , diversitie or varietie , as Pro. 20. 20. A weight and a weight , that is , divers weights ; An heart and a heart , divers or a double heart . 40. A Substantive , repeated in divers cases , if it be in the singular number , it argueth certainty , as Sabbath of Sabbath , Lamentation of Lamentation , Micah 3. 4. If it be in the plurall number , it signifieth excellency , as Eccl. 1. 1. Vanitie of vanities , Song of Songs , Cant. 1. God of Gods , Psal . 136. 2. King of Kings , Lord of Lords , for most high and excellent . 41. Repeating of an Adjective , and of a Substantive , sometimes signifies increasing , as Holy , holy , holy , Jehovah , Jehovah , Temple , Temple , &c. 42. A Verbe repeated or twice gone over in a sentence , makes a speech more significant , or else it shewes vehemency , certainty , speedinesse , as to dye , by dying , Gen. 2. And is my hand shortened in shortening , Isai . 30. 2. 43. A Conjunction doubled , doth double the deniall , and increase it the more ; Shall not perceive , Mat. 13. 14. 44. A figurative speech affords matter to nourish our faith , as Mat. 15. 35. 1 Cor. 12. 12. Acts 9. 4. 45. An Ironie , which is when the contrary to that which is spoken is meant , carrieth with it a just reprehension of some sinnes , as Gen. 3. last . Judg. 10. 14. Mark. 7. 9. 1 Kings 22. 15. Goe up and prosper , 1 King. 18. 27. 46. Questions doe sometimes affirme an earnest affirmation , as Gen. 4. 7. Josh . 10. 13. Joh. 4. 35. Gen. 37. 13. 1 Kings 20. 2. Sometimes they signifie a forbidding , as , Why should the Gentiles say , where is their God ? Psal . 79. 10. also 2 Sam. 2. 22. And sometimes they argue affection of admiring , compassion , fault-finding , and complaining , as Psal . 8. 10. Isa . 1. 21. Psal . 22. 1. 47. Confession and yeelding , hath sometime in it a deniall and reprehension , as 2 Cor. 12. 16 , 17. 48. The word , behold , is not used alwayes , or onely to stirre up attention , as the report of some weighty or admirable thing , but most commonly it signifieth a thing manifest and plaine , where men may take knowledge , as Psal . 51. 6. Mat. 1. 23. and often else-where . 49. Doing doth sometimes import beleeving , as Mat. 7. 2. Joh. 6. 40. 50. Negative speeches in Scripture be more vehement and forcible then affirmative . 51. Grammer must give place to Divinitie , because things are not subject to words , but contrariwise . 52. The placing of things before which should come after , and some things after which should be before , is frequent in Scripture . 53. We are commanded to be perfect , viz. in uprightnesse , shining to all duties , for perfection in measure and degree , wee are not capable of in this world . 54. All places of Scripture have this proper to them , that they be interpreted by the matter handled , and phrase , scope , end , which is aimed at , or by circumstances of time , persons , places , also by precedence and subsequence , by conferring Scripture and analogie of faith . 55. Scripture hath allegories , as Gal. 4. 22 , 23 , 24. An allegory is ever to be expounded according to the meaning and drift of the place where it is found , allegoricall senses are not of private motion , but to be followed where wee have the Spirit for our precedent and subsequent , by conferring Scripture and analogie of faith . 56. Numerall words , as , 5 , 7 , 10 , &c. notes not alwayes a certaine time , as seventie weeks of captivitie , &c. yet a certain finite time is put for an uncertaine oftentimes , as , to fall seven times , to forgive seventie times seven , and the like . Also divers numbers be Propheticall , as the number of Daniels weekes , or mysticall , as the number , Rev. 13. 8. 57. The Scripture often in one word saying , uttereth one thing plurally , and many things singularly , as , Blessed is the man , &c. Heare , O Israel , and thou shalt not have any strange God , because God would have every one to take to himselfe that which is meant of that societie and kind whereof he is one . 58. In setting downe numbers , the Scripture is not exact to reckon precisely , as Luk. 3. 23. Act. 1. 15. 59. It is usuall in Scripture , by a part to signifie the whole , as Rom. 13. Let every soule be subject , for every person , man and woman ; and the whole sometimes notes onely a part , Mat. 3. 5. All Judea , that is , a great part . 60. Some wishing speeches be not so much prayers as Prophesies , foretelling what shall be , rather then desiring they should be as imprecations against Judas , &c. 61. The Scripture repeats the same things in the beginning and end of the sentence , as , Psal . 33. 10. It is done by way of explication , sometimes for confirmation , sometimes for expressing or exciting zeale , as , Isa . 3. 9. Joh. 1. 3. Psal . 6. 9 , 10. 2 King. 9. 10. Rom. 11. 8. 62. In sundry places of the old Testament , cited by Christ and the Apostles , the sense is kept , but not alwayes the same words , as , Rom. 10. 15 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21. and else-where . To teach us , that the Scripture is considered by the meaning , and not by the letters and syllables . 63. Some places in the old Testament , which seeme meere historical , containing bare Narrations of some things done , yet are mysticall withall , and have a hid and spirituall sense ; as Jonah's being in the Whales belly , holds forth Christs death , buriall , resurrection , for it pleaseth God to make some histories already done , to be types and Prophesies of things afterwards to be done ; as that of Hugar and Sarah , Gal. 4. 64. The Scripture hath sundry words which according to the place where they be used , doe signifie divers , yea even contrary things , as Leven , to signifie the nature of the Gospel , Mat. 13. and also heresie and superstition , Mat. 16. 6. 12. And sometime for sinfull corruption , as , 1 Cor. 5. So a Lyon signifieth Christ and the Devill , 1 Pet. 1. 5. Likewise Serpent is put in good part , Mat. 10. 16. and in ill part , Gen. 3. 1. Because these things have severall properties and contrary . 65. Where the text of Scripture is ambiguous , as it cannot be found out by us after diligent search , to which sense of two or three to leane unto , that text may be interpreted in both senses , if analogie of faith will suffer , & they be not against the circumstances of the text , for we must not swerve from the generall scope of the whole word , faith in Christ , and love to God , and our neighbour . 66. Many things be first generally spoken , and presently declared by particulars , as , 2 Tim. 3. 1 , 2. There be many such examples . 67. Some things in Scripture are incomprehensible by our reason , yet true . 68. Such Scriptures as have shew of repugnancy , are easily reconciled by an intelligent reader , as , 1 Tim. 2. 3. with Rom. 9. Not all . By all is not meant every one , but of all sorts and kinds of men , rich and poore , &c. See Joh. 5. 17. Gen. 2. 2. That is , from making more workes anew of nothing . So Mathew speaks of a staffe which might cumber and burden , but Marke of one that might ease and relieve a traveller , Mat. 10. 10. Mark. 6. 8 , 9. 69. Some things are said in Scripture not according to the truth of the things , but after their profession , appearance , or visibilitie and opinion of the times , as others thought . Thus the Scribes & Pharisees are termed righteous , Luk. 15. And thus hypocrites are said to have faith , Jer. 2. 18 , 19. 70. The Scriptures doe not allow alwayes the things & actions from whence similitudes be fetched , as the manners of theeves , and unjust Stewards , and Judges . 71. Some of Christs workes were miraculous , and proper to him as Mediator ; but Christs morall duties were given us for example and patterne , Mat. 11. 29 , 30. 1 Pet. 2. 21. 1 Joh. 2. 6. That we should walke as he hath walked . 72. By the words poore and needy in the Scriptures is often to be understood all Gods people , poore or rich . 73. When sinfull actions are attributed to God , as to provoke others to anger , to envie , or to harden Pharaohs heart , and the like , we must know God tempts none to sinne , as Jam. 1. But he doth it by delivering them over to Satan , & their lusts , to be hardened , God oft punisheth sin with sin , Rom. 1. 74. Sundry interrogations in Scripture , as , Rom. 10. 14 , 15. have the force of a negative , that is to say , they cannot . Some againe do so aske a question , as they require & have an expresse answer , Psal . 15. 1. Rom. 11. 1. & 3. 12. It is to quicken attention , or to urge more vehemently the affection , or to prepare way for some weightie discourse . 75. The title ( God ) is sometimes put absolutely , and in the singular number , then it notes the Creator , or the essence . Sometimes it is used with an addition , as in Exodus , I have made thee God of Pharaoh , or in the plurall number , Psal . 84. I have said yee are Gods ; and vers . 1. In the assembly of Gods , then it belongs to the Creator , see Rom. 1. 7. Sometimes essentially , as Joh. 4. 24. God is a Spirit . So the word Father is sometimes put essentially for the deity , Mat. 6. Our Father . Sometimes distinctly , The Father is greater then I. Ignorance in these Rules causeth errors concerning God. 76. Words of knowledge and sense doe signifie ( besides ) action and affections , as . God knoweth the wayes of the righteous , Psal . 1. 6. And that he knoweth who are his ▪ 2 Tim. 2. 19. Apoc. 2. 3. is meant he knowes them with love , favour , and approbation , to reward and crown them . Also it is said , whom he foreknew , Rom. 11. 2. with 1 Pet. 1. 2. is meant his eternall love imbraceth these as his owne ; for he knew barely before all reprobates and devils , and their works too , but not with favour and allowance . Also the word , Remember , is a word of sense , yet it often importeth care , love , delight , 1 Cor. 11. Doe this in remembrance of me . ( Gen. ●8 . ) 77. Legall and Evangelicall promises must not be distinguished by bookes , but by the nature and condition of the promises ; for Legall promises may be found in bookes of the New Testament , as , Rom. 2. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13. & 10 ▪ 5 Gal. 3. 10. 12. And Evangelicall promises of grace are in the old Testament , as , Psal . 132. 1 , 2. Jer. 32. 31 , 32. &c. Observe them according to these two rules following . 78. If promises of temporall or eternall things are propounded upon condition of workes , they are Legall , Christ onely hath kept the Law , and they which beleeve are to claime them by this tide conveyed to them by faith in Christ . 79. All promises for this life or a better , which are made as one condition , of beleeving , repenting , working , ( for these are workes though imperfect ) are onely effects and fruits of faith , and not conditions nor causes , but are onely to declare what persons God will save ; Godlinesse hath the promises , &c. 1 Tim. 6. He that beleeveth , &c. Joh. 3. And to understand them in any other sense is Legall , see Psal . 1. 1 , 2 , 3 , 2 Cor. 7. 10. 80. Touching such places ▪ where morall duties are commended and commanded , they must be understood according to these Rules following ; as , 1. though no word be spoken o● Christ , yet it must be understood that he alone is the whole cause of every part of our salvation , Act. 4. 12. 81. All morall duties are then commended in any partie , when the partie which doth them , is first in Christ , and his sinnes pardoned through his death , as 1 Pet. 2. 5. Heb. 11. 6. Our best duties are imperfect , if in Christ accepted , if out of Christ , mens best duties cannot cause them to be accepted . 82. All good workes must have a pure heart , Gods glory for the beginning and the end , having a conscience to God in obedience to his Word : unlesse the person be accepted , the bare deed or action cannot please God. 83. Where blessednesse is promised to morall duties doing , those places are not to be considered as causes thereof , ( for Christ is the cause of all ) out onely to declare what persons they are which God doth save ; and what the Saints dutie is to doe . 84. These duties must not be understood in the strictnesse and rigour of the morall Law , but of a continuall and unfained desire , purpose , and indeavour to doe them . This rule prevents scruples and feares , which weake ones have through the sense of their wants and failings . 85. The Scriptures use to call them sonnes , which by nature are no sonnes to them whose sonnes they are called , but they are sonnes legally , and by succession : thus Salathiel , being sonne of Neri naturally , Luk. 3. 27. is legally and by succession made the son of Jechoniah , whom he succeeded in the kingdome , as Mat. 1. 12. 86. After this manner Zedekiah or Jehoiakim , 1 Chron. 36. 10. and his sonne , 1 Chron. 3. 16. His brother by generation , his sonne by right of succession . By this Rule the two Evangelists , Matthew and Luke are reconciled in their Genealogie ; for Luke followeth the naturall order , and Matthew the legall order . 87. Many things are said in Scripture by anticipation and recapitulation . 88. In Scripture some things are spokē well , when righteous things are taught rightly , as , Repent and beleeve , &c. Or secondly , when evill things are taught evilly , when wicked things are perswaded , as , To curse God and dye . Or thirdly , when good things are uttered evilly , when some right thing is said with a perverse mind , as Joh. 9. Be thou his Disciple . Or fourthly , evill things well spoken , and dishonest things uttered in honest termes ; as , David went in to Bathsheba , and Rom. 1. 26. 89. The Scripture speaks many things in the person of the ungodly men , whose crooked words it doth report unto us as well as their deeds . 90. That word which seemeth to forbid goodnesse , or to command wickednesse , is a figurative speech , as , Vnlesse a man eate my flesh , &c. This is wickednesse , because the word is pure , it cannot allow any thing against honesty of manners , or veritie of faith . 91. Tropes and figures in Scriptures are not to be accounted lies ; as for Christ calling Herod a Fox , and himselfe a Vine , a Dore , &c. Because there is no purpose to deceive in them , but by meet resemblance to expresse the truth . 92. Similitudes are rather to make darke things plaine , then to prove any doubtfull thing ; similitudes are not argumentative , as Stewards in Joh. 15. 93. To make allegories and figures , where none are in exposition , is licentious , dangerous , and hurtfull . 94. In things that be subordinate , the affirming the one doth not sollow the denying of the other . 95. All interpretations must be fit as well as true . 96. It is a ready way to all error , to interpret Scripture by prejudice , in favour of some opinion of our owne . 97. In Scripture a betrothed woman is called a wife , Mat. 1. 20. and so of the man , Deut. 22. 23. Because betrothing is an essentiall part of marriage , yet the solemnization is necessary unto comelinesse and avoyding of offence . 98. That interpretation is corrupt that builds not up in faith and love . 99. A figurative speech in Scripture does more affect us with delight , then if the same thing were spoken plainly without figures . Psal . 23. 1. Gods care is set out by a Metaphor of a Shepheard , and Isai . 5. 1 , 2 , 3. Also see Joh. 15. 1 , 2. For new things ingender delight . 100. When the Scripture speaks somewhat darkly , it useth for the most part to joyne thereto some plaine thing in the same place to give light to it , as , Isa . 51. 1. The latter part of the 1. verse is somewhat hard , is opened in the beginning of the second verse . So Isaiah the 1. the third verse expounds the second ; and the former part of the first verse of Isai . 53. expounds the latter , and Rom. 10. the 5. and 6. verses , expounds the 3. & 9. 13. 8. Saith the word is neere , that is , the Gospel . See the like , Rom. 8. 20. 31. 2 Tom. 4. 6. Rom. 11. 7 , 8. 1 Cor. 5. 9. yet this Rule holds not alwayes . Demonstrations , that the holy Scriptures , called the Bible , are of God , and from God. THe Scriptures are from God , or from men , they are not from men , because neither the folly , nor the wisdome of men cannot effect such a worke . 1. Because men as men cannot understand the meaning of them , nor agree upon any meaning of them : So that it appeares they are a mystery above the reach of nature . 2. They are not from men , because they condemne that which is most excellent in man , as the wisdome of man , &c. it being contrary to nature , for to condemne that which is most excellent in nature , the Scriptures declare natures wisdome in the things of God to be foolishnesse , & the wisdome in man esteemes the wisdome of God to be foolishnesse . 3. It is not from men , because the whole scope of the Scriptures tends to destroy that which the nature of men love most . 4. Because that which the Scriptures require , is not onely contrary to the nature of man ( so that men delight and choose to read any booke rather then the Scripture ) therefore before men can submit unto it , they must deny themselves . So also that which it requires , is beyond the power of men , and requires a divine power , as the Scriptures and experience teach . 5. It is not from men , because the more any is ruled by it , obeying it , the more such are hated and persecuted by men , which sheweth it came not from nature . 6. The Scriptures came from God , because they tend to God , it being a rule in nature , Every thing tends to its center , a stone to the earth , the waters to the Sea from whence they came . So the Scripture ru●s to God ; shews God in his goodnesse , wisdome , power , love , there is in them a divine wisdome , they speake for God , they call men to God , to be for God. 7. They are not from men , because the way of bringing them forth into the world , was contrary to the wisdome and expectation of men , who in great matters imployeth great ▪ honourable , and wise men , but God takes a quite contrary course , he chooseth such who were meane & contemptible , silly tradesmen , as fishermen , and Tent-makers , &c. to be the publishers and penmen of the Scriptures . 8. They are from God , because God hath wonderfully continued them ▪ preserved them strangely ; first , in making the Jewes , who were enemies unto Christ , and the Scriptures , great preservers of them ; also preserving them when the greatest power hath sought their destruction , by searching for them , and burning them , &c. The like preservation cannot be declared of any writings of men , which have had so great opposition . 9. The miracles that were wrought at the first publishing of them , ( shewes them to be immediately from God ▪ ) and for the proofe of this wee have the testimony of them who lived in Christs time the Jewes , who would not own Christ , nor his doctrine , yet in their writings they confesse , there was one Jesus who did such miracles as the Scriptures declare , as Josephus ; and others testifie . 10. Wee know the Scriptures to be from God ▪ because wee see some of the Prophesies accomplished in our dayes , according to the saying of Christ , that there shall arise false Christs , and false Prophets , that shall say , I am Christ , Mat. 24. 5. 24. There being now two or three , or more , that have said so of themselves : Also the division foretold in Luke 12. 52 , 53. From henceforth there shall be five in one house divided , the father against the sonne , and the sonne against the father , and the mother against the daughter , &c. which is now accomplished in these dayes , for when there hath been but five persons in one family , every one of them of a severall opinion concerning Religion . The Spirit speaketh expresly , that in the latter times some should depart from the faith , giving heed to sed●cing spirits and doctrines of Devils , 1. Tim. 4. 1. &c. How many lies are now held and received for truths , so that men dare speake against the Scriptures , deny the resurrection of the body ; others teach that men and devills shall be saved ; and that the soule is mortall ; and that there is neither heaven nor hell ; with divers other opinions , that I am ashamed to name some of them which are held for truths ; This know also , that in the last dayes perilous times shall came , for men shall be lovers of their own selves ; covetous , boasters , proud , blasphemers , disobedient to parents , unthankfull , unholy , without naturall affection , truce-breakers , false accusers ▪ incontinent , fierce , despisers of those that are good , traytors , heady , high minded , lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God , having a forme of godlinesse , but denying the power thereof , 2 Tim. 3. 1. &c. Which things our eyes have seene come to passe , more then ever hath been heard of by any that have been before us , and are like to increase more and more . And thus it must be that the Scriptures may be fulfilled ; and if men must have a reason for every thing in Religion ; for , saith one , how can the dead body eaten by another creature be raised againe ? To whom I reply , God is said to be without beginning , ( and so he is , else he could not be God ) but what reason can be given , that God never had a beginning , or that God is ever present in all places , and knoweth , and ordereth all things , yet he is so , yet I see not how reason can reach these things , &c. To beleeve the Scriptures is a worke of faith , and unlesse the holy Spirit of God perswades the truth of them , there will be doubting ; the Lord perswade his of the truth of the Scriptures , and of their interest in the same . That Christ dyed not for the sinnes of every man in the world . SOme men affirme that Christ dyed for all the sinnes of every person in the world , and yet they shall not all be saved : To whom we reply , how can it agree with the wisdome of God , to grant that which he knew would never profit ? As for God to give Christ to dye for the salvation of man , and yet decree to condemne him ? and doth not Christ lose the end of his death , to dye for their salvation who yet perish ? or is it justice to require the payment of one debt twice ? is there remission of sinnes in Christ for every man , but no righteousnesse , no everlasting life for them ? did Christ purchase salvation , but not the application of salvation , which is necessary to salvation ? how doth it appeare , Christ purchased salvation , or enough for salvation , or is the death of Christ of an uncertain event ? is Christ appointed to death , to purchase a possibilitie of salvation , but not salvation it selfe , with the application of it , then Christ shed his bloud to save man , and yet no man saved by it ; for if it depends upon mans beleeving of it , why may not all of them perish as well as any of them ? And if it be so , if man please , Christ shall lose the end of his death : but it clearly appeares , that all those for whose sinnes Christ dyed , are justified by his bloud , and shall be saved from wrath through him ; For if when we were enemies , we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne , much more being reconciled , we shall be saved by his life , Rom. 5. 8 , 9 , 10. & B. 3. 4. ( but this subject is handled at large by John Spilsbery in his book intituled , Gods Ordinance ) if the Sonne shall make you free , then are you free indeed , Joh. 8. else not . But upon second thoughts , they affirme that Christ never dyed for the sinne of unbeliefe , and that finall unbeliefe is the unpardonable sin . Answ . It cannot truly be denied , but unbeliefe ( is a not beleeving Christ ) which sinne is most immediately and directly against Christ , which sin is pardonable , with all manner of sin and blasphemy , which Christ saith , shall be forgiven unto the sons of men , as appeares Mat. 12. 31 , 32. therefore not beleeving in Christ , is not the unpardonable sinne also . Such as beleeve , have been guiltie of unbeliefe , which is pardoned in them , and if the sin of unbeliefe , which is none of the least sinnes , is pardoned without the bloud of Christ to the Elect who beleeve , why might not all other sinnes in like manner be so pardoned to them , and then shall not the bloud of Jesus Christ be shed in vaine , because by their reason their sinnes might have been pardoned without it , as well as their unbeliefe . And seeing without shedding of bloud there is no remission , Heb. 9. 22. let them declare how unbeliefe can be remitted : also if the bloud of Jesus Christ his Son , cleanseth us from all sin , then from unbeliefe also , 1 Joh. 1. 7. Also if finall unbeliefe were the sin against the holy Spirit that is unpardonable , then it could not be cōmitted before death , There is a sin unto death , if thou see thy brother sin , &c. But if a man could not commit this sin before he dye , he could not be seen so to sin , 1 Joh. 5. 16. which sin is described Heb. 10. 29. therefore finall unbeliefe is not this sin here spoken of . To conclude , Christ dyed not for the sinnes of all the world ; for Christ saith , He layeth downe his life for his sheepe , Joh. 10. 15. You beleeve not , for yee are not of my sheepe , vers . 26. Yet as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved , Acts 13. 48. see Joh. 17. 2. 19. 24. 29. The end of Redemption is application , Phil. 1. 29. Joh. 6. 37. 39. The Scripture saith , He tooke upon him the seed of Abraham , Heb. 2. 16. and how Abrahams seed is considered , appears Gal. 3. 16. 22. 29. Such as are Christs , such as beleeve are Abrahams seed . And seeing all Adams posteritie cannot be considered to be Abrahams seed in no sense , therefore there is no ground to cōceive that Christ dyed for the sinnes of all the seed of Adam , as they affirme . That all men under the Gospel , have not sufficient grace given them for conversion . FOr the word sufficient grace , how can we conceive that grace to be sufficient in power , which is not sufficient in performance of the worke ? for seeing conversion follows not , how is it sufficient to conversion ? is that sufficient to conversion that never attaines it ? is that medicine sufficient to cure such a disease , which being taken doth not cure it ? Sufficient and effectuall is all one . And seeing many were never converted , it must of necessitie follow , that sufficient grace was never given unto them ; for if sufficient strength be put to move the earth , motion must needs follow . The reason why they came not to Christ , was because the Father did not draw them , Joh. 6. 44. and inwardly teach them . God must give a heart to perceive , and eyes to see , for miracles cannot doe it , Deut. 29. 3 , 4. Joh. 12. 37 , 38. The arme of the Lord must be revealed . They say it was because they would not beleeve . Wee answer , They neither would nor could , the Lord saith , they could not beleeve , Joh. 12. 39. Therefore man cannot finally hinder his conversion ; for whom God will save , no power of man can destroy . Man in his first conversion is wholly passive , we cannot worke it in our selves , nor hinder Gods working of it , because we are dead in sinnes , Ephes . 2. 1. Col. 2. 13. Ephes . 5. 14. and spiritually blind , Rev. 3. 18. Eph. 4. 17. & 6. 8. Mat. 6. 23. Luk. 4. 18. Joh. 1. 5. Acts 26. 18. 1 Cor. 2. 14. Our hearts stony and destitute of goodnesse , Ezek. 36. 26. & 11. 19. Gods worke in converting us is a raising from the dead , Eph. 2. 5. Col. 2. 12. Rev. 20. 6. Joh. 5. 21. 25. A restoring the sight to the blind , Luk. 4. 18. A new birth , Joh. 1. 13. & 3. 3. Another creation of him , Eph. 2. 10. Psal . 51. 12. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 5. 15. The giving of a new heart , Ezek. 9. 19. So that man cannot prepare himselfe to conversion . God regenerateth man that he may beleeve . The tree must first be good , before it can bring forth good fruit . How can they that are evill speake good things ? Mat. 12. 34. It 's an error therefore to thinke that mans conversion to God begins in some act man performes , and not in a worke first wrought in us by God. They alledge , Isai . 55. 11. to prove the word and the Spirit goeth together . Ans . Not to make it powerfull in the conversion in all . They reply , Act. 7. 51. Yee have alwayes resisted , &c. Ans . True ; in resisting the outward means , but it cannot be proved that they resisted in the inward work of God upon their hearts . From Mat. 25. 29. they affirme , that he that useth nature well , shall have grace . This text is to be understood of the gifts of the Ministery in the improvement of them , the increase is in the same kinde , nature and grace are not so . Also it 's plaine , grace hath not been bestowed upon such as used nature best , as appeares by the rejection of the Sidonians and Capernaits , who were better fitted for nature . Therefore the well using of nature , is no preparation for the receiving the Gospel . And to what end shall God give meanes sufficient to work faith and repentance in such as he hath not appointed to life ? But all that are given unto Christ , doe in time come to him , and he brings them to everlasting life , Joh. 6. 37 , 39. To you it is given to beleeve , Phil. 1. 29. Reasons why wee dissent from such as hold free will. 1. BEcause it exempts the creature from being under the power of God , for that which giveth a creature power to doe as he will , when God hath done all he may unto him , that doth make him no instrument subject to Gods power ; for they affirme , that God doth not worke in his omnipotency , but leaves it to the free will of the creature . It is one thing to be able to doe a thing by perswasion , and another to doe it by power which I cannot refuse , this latter they deny . 2. It denies Gods decree to be infallible , for either God determines in such and such cases , with the circumstances thereof , or not , if not , then he cometh short of the creature herein , for he determineth such things in his matters . 3. If God doth not determine and apply the creature to will and worke that which he worketh in the creature , then the creature is the cause why God willeth this or that , and by consequence is the cause why he willeth this or that , but the creature is not the cause , &c. Gods working this or that , must either goe before the will , and so cause it to will , or else it must follow , accomplishing that which mans will willeth , the latter makes God to follow and tend on mans will. Also it makes the will of man to have a casuall force in God himselfe , as if God should say , I will work conversion , faith , &c. in such a person if he will. 4. If libertie of will stands in such a power , free for exercising good or evill , then Christ had not libertie of will , son he had libertie onely to work that which was good ; nor hath man of himselfe any libertie or power to come to Christ ; For , saith Christ , none can come to me , except the Father draw him , Joh. 6. 44. 37. So that they are deceived who make God by his grace to convert us . So that he leaveth it in our power , whether we will be converted or no : but who can resist that which God worketh by his almightie power , Eph. 1. 20 : when he putteth forth this his power which raised Christ from the dead ? and if this could be resisted , it were not almightie . The Apostle saith , that the power did worke in him mightily , Col. 1. last , Eph. 3. 20. 5. Because God in his good pleasure of his will , doth freely and effectually determine of all things whatsoever he willeth , he doth all things according to the counsell of his own will , Ephes . 1. 11. All things are in the minde of God before they are in themselves , and what he willeth , he effecteth in his time , and nothing is done , if he willeth it not to be done , Psal . 115. 3. & 135. 6. Jehovah doth whatsoever he pleaseth . The will of God is the first cause of things ; By thy will they are , Rev. 4. 11. He by willing makes the object , Jer. 1. 18. He hath mercy on whom he will , Rom. 9. 18. and there is no cause to be given of his will ; It 's God that worketh in you to will and to doe , Phil. 2. 17. And such as make the will of God to depend upon the creature , as if he beleeves , God wills his salvation , if he beleeves not , he wills his damnation , makes Gods will mutable , and to depend upon the act of the creature ; and then it will follow , so often as the will of the creature changeth , so often God changeth , and then God will doe this or that if man will : But whatsoever God willeth in all things he willeth effectually , so that he cannot in no wise be hindered or disappointed ; for if God should will any thing he could not obtaine , there should be imperfection in God , and if he can obtaine it and will not , how then doth he will it ? Isai . 46. 10. Every decree of God is eternall , 1 Cor. 2. 7. Acts 15. 18. and remaines alwayes immutable , Numb . 23. 23. Pro. 19. 21. And as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved , Act. 13. 38. Whom he predestinated , them he called , Rom. 8. 30. God did from eternitie know every severall thing , with all the circumstances thereof , and knowes how to apply the fittest occasion to every thing , and how to effect all things : He that frames the heart , observeth all their workes , Psal . 33. 15. Isai . 44. 2. even those things that seeme to happen most freely God determines of according to his will , of the very heart of man , Psal . 33. 15. 1 Sam. 10. 9. 26. Pro. 21. 1. Of a man killing another by chance , Exodus . Of the lot cast into the lap , Pro. 16. 33. Of sparrowes falling , Mat. 10. 29 , 30. Of lilies , flowers , and grasse of the earth , Mat. 6. 28. 30. Yea of all creatures and things , Joh 38. Psal . 104. Isai . 45. 7. Jer. 14. 22. That the bones of Christ should not be broken . By all which it appeares , the will of God determined the certainty of the event . And if God should not determine of all things , the will of God should not be simply and universally the first cause ; and to deny him to be the first cause , implies that there are two first beginnings , or more then two , which cannot be truth . And for any to say , that man hath power to resist all God can worke for his conversion , is to put grace in mans power , ( and not mans will under the power of grace ) is to say , that man is able to frustrate Gods counsell concerning his conversion , and power to resist all that God can worke herein , is to affirme , that man hath power to frustrate Gods counsell ; and if it be so , will it not follow that man hath power to make God a lyer ? If God by his omnipotent power inclines the wills of men whither he willeth , then he hath them more in his power then man hath ; then his will decreeing is the cause necessitie followeth , and the will of the creature is not the cause of the necessitie of things . The Scriptures declare that God workes all things after the counsell of his will ( not mans will ) and made all things for himselfe , Pro. 16. 4. Isa . 43. 6 , 7. Object . Then you take away the libertie of the will , if man have no power to doe otherwise . Ans . 1. That which doth ( not having power to doe otherwise ) from second causes , compelling it so to doe in that it is not free : Gods will in himselfe is the first cause of all things , and this omnipotent will of God doth determine the creature . 2. Men ground the freedome of will falsly , for the freedome of will as it is a faculty voluntary or elective , doth not require this indifferency of the inclination in exercise , for it is bound by Gods decree , so as not any thing can be done but what he hath determined , yet nothing can satisfie some , unlesse it be granted , that they have power of will to crosse Gods decree . 3. If the cause why God chooseth me ( and not another ) is because I will , &c. then it is not meerly from his will , and then you deny the freedome of Gods will. Also if a man hath libertie of will to resist Gods will and worke , so as God shall not convert him , it will follow that when we are converted , we convert our selves , which is contrary to the Scriptures , as , Psal . 51. And doe not they give the Scriptures the lye , that say the will of an unregenerate man may be free to righteousnesse , will it , and imbrace it when it is proposed : But if a seeing eye were in darknesse , it could not discern any thing , how much lesse shall the blind see ? By nature we are blind , Rev. 3. 17 , 18. Wee are darknesse , till we be made light in the Lord , Eph. 5. 8. Darknesse cannot comprehend the light , Joh. 1. 5. The naturall man cannot receive the things of the Spirit , for they are foolishnesse to him , 1 Cor. 2. 14. Therefore the Saints pray to God to reveale to them the knowledge of Christ , and to inlighten their eyes by the Spirit of wisdome and revelation , Eph. 1. 17 , 18 : Mans will being wholly inthralled into sinne , as appeares Rom. 6. 20. & 8. 6. The carnall mind is enmitie to God , it is not subject to the Law of God , nor can be ; how then can it will , desire , and receive grace by nature ? As God commanded Pharaob to let Israel goe , yet he could not , for God hardened his heart that he could not be willing , Joh. 12. 39. with Rom. 11. 32. they confesse , that unlesse God give faith , it 's impossible for men to beleeve ; so then the reason men doe not beleeve , is because God doth not give them faith , Phil. 1. 29. But to what purpose is it for God to give Christ to dye for mens sinnes , seeing as they confesse , they shall have no benefit by him unlesse they beleeve , and that they cannot doe without God , and God doth not give them faith ( if he did , they could not but beleeve ) what great love is this which is shewed to them ? The substance of those famous , or rather infamous opinions of ours , of such as hold free will , and that Christ dyed for the sinnes of all Adams posteritie , is that God wills the salvation of all men , but he is disappointed of his will. Those whom God will save by his antecedent will , he will destroy by his consequent will : that God doth seriously intend the salvation of all persons , yet neverthelesse , he calls men by a meanes , and time , that is , not apt , nor fit , by reason whereof those who are so called , doe not follow Gods calling . That faith is partly from grace , and partly from free will ; that God is bound to give all men power to beleeve . They distinguish between the obtaining of salvation , and the application of salvation ; The first , they say , is for all ; The second is onely for them that beleeve , but the application of salvation is neither willed , nor nilled to men . That man may determine and open his own heart , and receive the word of God ; That the reprobate may be saved ; That the number of the Elect is not certain ; That the decree of Reprobation is not peremptory ; And that a Reprobate may convert himselfe ; And that faith is not of-meere grace . They bring in God speaking thus ; I decree to send my Sonne to save all who shall beleeve ; but who and how many they shall be , I have not determined , onely I will give to all men sufficient power to beleeve , but he shall beleeve who will himselfe : I will send Christ to dye for the sinnes of many , whom I know it shall not be effectuall at all unto , to whom I will never give faith , and notwithstanding Christ hath satisfied for all their sinnes , yet they shall suffer my wrath for them for ever . That God did not elect for foreseene Faith. VVEE grant God knew all that ever was , is , or shall be , but we deny that God did elect to life any for any thing he did foresee in them ; for if God should looke out of himselfe to any thing in the creature , upon which his will may be determined to elect , were against his al sufficiency , as if he should get knowledge from things we doe , implies an imperfection of knowledge , and of will , if he should see some thing in us before he can determine , as if God were in suspence , saying , I will choose this man if he will , I will upon foresight of my condition absolutely choose him . To say , I will elect 〈◊〉 , if they beleeve , is a conditionall election , and if they can doe this without God , then God is not omnipotent ; if they say , he will give them faith to beleeve , then it is all one with an absolute will , as I elect to life , and I will give these faith ; Far whom he predestinateth , them he calleth , &c. Rom. 8. It seemes God wills our salvation , if we beleeve , that is , he wils the having a thing on a condition , that he will not worke , and then it is impossible , unlesse the creature can doe something that is good , which he will not doe in him , or on a condition , which he will worke , and then he worketh all he willeth , or on such a condition as he seeth the creature cannot performe , nor himselfe will not make him performe ; and this were frivolous . Also to say God decreed to send Christ to save all , if they will beleeve , I see they neither will nor can , therefore I will condemne them . Joh. 12. 39. God hath shut up all in unbeliefe , as , Rom. 11. 32. therefore they could not beleeve , because he hath blinded their eyes , and hardened their hearts , that they should not see with their eyes , nor understand with their hearts , and be converted , Joh. 12. 39 , 40. Concerning Infants Baptisme . SOme reasons why we dissent from it . 1. Because we finde no command nor example in the word of God , that any infants were baptized , and wee are forbidden to presume above what is written . And if we should admit of any one thing in the worship of God which we finde no warrant for in the Word , we should be forced by the same reason to admit of many , yea , any invention of men . 2. Because God requires that such as are baptized , should first be made Disciples ; Beleeve and repent , &c. Mat. 28. 19. Acts 8. 12 , 13. 36 , 37 , 38. Acts 2. 38. 41. Mat. 3. 6. Mark. 1. 4 , 5. Acts 10. 44. 47 , 48. 3. Because Christ in his Testament , which is his last will , the Legacies therein contained are given to such as beleeve , and to none else , Gal. 3. 6 , 7. 14. 23. 29. Rom. 8. 17. & 14. 11 , 12. These are the heires of the kingdome of Christ , with the priviledges thereof , Jam. 1. 18. 1 Pet. 2. 23. Joh. 1. 12 , 13. 1 Joh. 3. 9. 10. Those that beleeve are the seed of the righteous , and of the promise , Isai . 43. 5. with Rev. 12. 17. Gal. 4. 26. 31. 4. Because the matter of the Church of Christ ought to be Saints , living stones , as , 1 Pet. 2. 5. 9. Eph. 2. 19. to 23. & 4. 6. 1 Cor. 12. 12 , 13. 25 , 26 , 27. Eph. 5. 25 , 26 , 27. Joh. 4. 23. Act. 20. 28. Rev. 17. 14. 5. Because God in his word denies fellowship and communion with such as do not beleeve , Joh. 3. 5 , 6. 36. Heb. 11. 6. Rom. 9. 8 , 9. They which are the children of the flesh , these are not the children of God , but the children of the promise are counted for the seed . If yee be Christs , then are yee Abrahams seed , and heires according to promise , Gal. 3. 29. For yee are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus , vers . 26. Those God owns for his in his word are purchased by his bloud , who are called , chosen , and faithfull , 1 Pet. 2. 5. 9. Jam. 4. 23. Eph. 2. 19. to 23. & 4. 16. Rom. 8. 29 , 30. Rev. 11. 7. Eph. 1. 4 , 5 , 6. 2 Thes . 2. 13 , 14. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Act. 2. 47. & 13. 48. The naturall posteritie of beleevers are not so much as in appearance such . But because this Controversie is handled largely in severall Treatises , such as desire further satisfaction , may have recourse to them . Some affirme , that the children of beleevers in Church-fellowship , are to be baptized , which is now practised in New-England , and else-where . There are three doubts to be answered . 1. What if neither of my parents , nor their parents can be proved beleevers ? 2. Nor any members of a true visiable Church ? 3. If I were baptized with god-fathers & god-mothers , Common-prayer-book , Crosse , and Surplice , and by a Minister made by the Bishops , all which are now found out to be Antichristian , and the manner of Baptisme was also by springling water upon my face ; concerning which the Scripture is silent : how may I be assured God will own such a baptizing for his Ordinance , seeing also themselves confesse , that no man may lawfully baptize but a true Minister that hath a lawfull calling ? And although wee conceive men able to preach the Gospel may baptize , yet we doe not beleeve God sends such to baptize , whom he hath not informed of the manner how to doe it , which is not by sprinkling water on the face , but by dipping in the River , as , Mat. 3. 16. Acts 8. 38. That the gift of miracles is not essentiall in him that dispenseth Baptisme . THat some of those that did baptize , did miracles we grant , and that all that baptized did so , cannot be proved ; John baptized , yet he did no miracle , Joh. 10. 41. nor Apollo , &c. And seeing that the Scriptures doe not declare that the gifts of tongues , or miracles , or laying on of hands , is to be in those that dispense Baptisme , we have no word to warrant such a restriction ; men are to administer baptisme by vertue of gifts . 1. Then that gift and ministery which God in his word owns , is to be acknowledged sufficient for his Ordinance ; but some one or more of those gifts in 1 Cor. 12. 8 , 9 , 10 , 11. 28 , 29. &c. still continue , as they confesse ; Ergo. 2. All the gifts of the Spirit are of the same nature , viz. spirituall , though divers in operation , and are of equall authoritie , and so to be esteemed by us , 1 Cor. 12. 7 , 8 , 9. 24. 3. As in the naturall body , wee honour and put comelinesse upon those parts which we think least honoured , for our comely parts have no need ; so ought we to doe the same in spirituall gifts , as , 1 Cor. 12. 23 , 24. Doe they so who tie the administration to one of the gifts of the Spirit , and not to another ; and doe not they who seeke to honour one gift , to the dishonour of another , dishonour all the gifts of the Spirit ? For as it is in the body , 1 Cor. 12. 26. so it is in this case ; and this was the Corinths sin , as appeares 1 Cor. 12. 4. Wee are all baptized by one Spirit , 1 Cor. 12. 13. He saith not by the gift of miracles , &c. and he that is baptized by any gift of the Spirit , is baptized by the same Spirit , vers . 28 , 29 , 30. 5. If the administration of Baptisme be not annexed to the operation of one gift of the Spirit , more then to another of the same Spirit , then wee may not so annex them : but to the operation of any one gift of the Spirit , Baptisme is not annexed : Ergo : for proofe , see 1 Cor. 12. 7. to 14. 6. If God workes in all the operations of the Spirit , then to be baptized by any of the operations of the same Spirit , it must be acknowledged to be the Baptisme of the same God : but the first is true , 1 Cor. 12. 6. Ergo , the latter is true also . 7. If the Apostles might baptize , because they were Apostles , then might they baptize in case they had not the gift of miracles and tongues , &c. For it is one thing to be an Apostle , and another to have the gift of tongues or miracles , as appeares 1 Cor. 12. 28 , 29 , 30. They were severall gifts , & though they might have the gift of miracles , it 's not because they were Apostles ; for they were given according to the good pleasure of his will ; he divides to every man severally as he will , 1 Cor. 12. 11. 8. If any affirme Baptisme was to be administred by those who had such gifts of miracles , &c. because those gifts were greater in operation , and so the greater gifts : I answer , the gift of faith is greater then the gift of miracles , for a man may perish with the latter . They confesse , some of these gifts still continue , if the rest are not , then these are the greatest now , and so Baptisme may be dispensed by him that hath any of them , and if they be ceased , might it not be , because they were Idolized above the rest of the same Spirit ? 9. It is said , that Apollo conferred the gifts of the holy Spirit by laying on of hands , because he baptized not untill he had learned the principles of Religion , and so understood the ministery of the Spirit . I answer , it follows not , because it is one thing to understand the ministery of the Spirit , and another to worke miracles , and conferre the gifts of the holy Spirit , and speake with tongues , &c. As it is one thing to learne the doctrine of Baptisme , and laying on of hands , and the resurrection of the dead , as Heb. 6. 2. and another thing to have the gifts , and to conferre them by laying on of hands ; it is one thing to learne and beleeve the resurrection of the dead , and another to raise the dead . 10. They affirme , that those that beleeve in truth , are of the body of which Christ is the head , and that they are of the Church , and that many now beleeve . Whence I also inferre , those who are of the Church of Christ , they have the power of Christ , because Christ is theirs , and Christ and his power are never separated , Mat. 28. 20. Ergo , they have the power of Christ , as , 1 Cor. 3. 21 , 22. Therefore they have authoritie to administer the Ordinance of Christ . They grant , many have right to Baptisme by the free gift of God , and the bloud of Christ . Ans . Be it so . I cannot beleeve that God gives his a right to any thing that would doe them no good ; and if the injoying the Ordinance be good , how can we thinke that God so orders it , that they cannot come by it ? Psal . 34. Christ purchased no priviledge for his , which they may be as well without ; is not Gods power as great as his love ? and as the Communion of Saints , Baptisme , and the Supper , are the priviledges of the Saints , given them in love , so God hath appointed a way for them to injoy them , and so to affirme , holds forth as much wisdome and love in God to them ; as to say , God hath given them a right to such priviledges , but hath not afforded them any way , or meanes for them to come by them , that they might injoy them . But this subject is handled at large in John Spilsberies Booke , intituled , Gods Ordinance . It is foretold that Antichrist shall come with signes and wonders , as , Mat. 24. 23 , 24. and 2 Thes . 2. 9 , 10. We are not to looke for Christ to come in this way , yet it may be said of some , Except yee see signes and wonders ( to sense ) yee will not beleeve , Joh. 4. 48. OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIENCES . Of the attributes of God. THey are fountaines of comfort , and rocks of strength to his , and those that eye them , live comfortably upon them . Of affections . The affections doe oft perswade the judgement . Our affections oft deceive our selves , and others , and goe for spirituall , when they are naturall . In our greatest earnestnesse , wee have most cause to examine our hearts and affections . All the disquietnesse and distempers within us , and by us , is occasioned by the want of bounding and well ordering our affections . Our affections of joy and sorrow will exceed their bounds , unlesse they be forced . When the object is spirituall , and the motive is spirituall , the affection is spirituall . If our affections , anger , griefe , joy , &c. doe fit us to pray , they are spirituall , else not . Our affections come farre short of that which we thinke we have in our judgements . Our affections declare to us what we love . Wee have many occasions of doing good , but we often want hearts and affections to improve them . The quicknesse of our affections depends much upon the spirits of our bodies . If our affections were answerable to our apprehensions of God , &c. they would destroy our bodies , because they could not beare it . Of actions . That which is the ground , cause , and end of a mans action , in that he lives , whether it be God or selfe ; in those actions that concerne our selves we often exceed in , but such actions as are for God chiefly , we are hardly drawne unto , but easily drawne from . If Satan cannot corrupt the action , he will indeavour to corrupt the judgement and affection . Many conceive that some of those things God commands , are needlesse , but it is a great error . Of afflictions . Afflictions are little , light , short , and seasonable , though they oft seeme to be many , great , and long . Affliction breeds patience , humbleth and mortifieth selfe , teacheth a Saint experience , and sends him the oftener to God. God is alwayes present with his , yet in afflictiō they least see him , by reason they looke so much to the affliction , if oppressed with it , but some see God best in afflictions . God is as sweet and may be as much injoyed in adversitie , &c. as in prosperitie ; not any affliction could trouble a childe of God , if he knew wherefore God did send it . Of assurance of the love of God. He that hath assurance of Gods love , can trust himselfe with God in any estate and strait . He that hath assurance of the love of God , can part with any thing for God. Of Christ . Christ is sweet in meditation , more sweet in contemplation , most sweet in fruition . Union with Christ is equall alike to all who have union with him ; and union with Christ is the greatest happinesse and honour a beleever can injoy . Such as have union with Christ , should spare no cost for him , although no cost of ours can procure him . Christs servants are for the most part poore , and they appeare to the world very silly and contemptible . Of corruption . Corruption cannot be reformed . Corruption neither will nor can subdue corruption . Of Counsell . There is much safetie in many counsellors , who are wise and faithfull . Such as follow their own counsell , doe often prove burthens to themselves and others . Of Creatures . The creatures are full of emptinesse . The reason why we are so subject to be drawne away with the creatures , is because we see not the emptinesse of them . We oft love creatures more before we had them , then when we had them , because we expected more from them , then was in them . All things below are fading , part wee must with them , and with life also ere long . So much as the creature takes away in parting , so much our life was in it . He is not troubled at the coming and going of the creatures , when the heart is fixed on God. The love of creatures hinders us in good things , but the wise use of them doe much further us . A childe of God useth many things spiritually , which others use carnally . God often bestows abundance of outward things upon some , not for themselves , ( for they need them not ) but that they might supply the wants of others ; and many of them keepe them for themselves . Concupiscence . Concupiscence is strong and raging , and hardly tamed , yet it is to be attained with difficultie . Comfort . Wee oft seeke comfort in creatures , which have no power to comfort ; all my comfort is in Christ , if I live , he will provide for me , if I dye , he will receive me . Custome . Forme and custome are deadly enemies to spiritualnesse . Custome without truth , is but an old error . Custome so shuts mens eyes , that they cannot see the true visage of things . Custome makes hard things easie , and bondage no burden , and addes delusion to blindnesse . The rich observe customes , but the poore pay deare for them , for they are starved by them ; if that which is spent at burials were wisely bestowed upon the poore , it were farre better : and so in other needlesse customes . Of Conscience . Sinning against conscience exceedingly hardens the heart . Conscience can see best in darknesse , and speake most lowdly in silence . Conscience is a very tender thing , a small thing will trouble it , but a blind conscience will swallow up any thing . The naturall conscience will be satisfied with the outside of a dutie . Crosses . Crosses are not pleasing to the flesh , but profitable to the Spirit . The more crosses a Saint hath , the more they doe him good , and is the more like Christ . Great crosses are good physicke for great stomackes . Contentment . Earthly contents are present to our sense . No earthly thing can give content . Joy in God breeds content . So much as wee deny our selves , so much contentment we have . Contemplation . Divine contemplation , makes us high in thoughts , and rich in expectation . Contemplation of Gods free love , and the soules interest in it , doth revive , raise , and inlarge the soule . To contemplate on the things above , is most pleasant of all things to them who have tasted the sweetnesse of them . Covetousnesse . Such as are not contented with that they have , are covetous . Distrust of God causeth covetousnesse , which is the root of all evill . So much as we are discontented with our estates , so much covetousnesse there is in us . Covetousnesse doth us and others more hurt then we are aware of . Such as thinke themselves least covetous , are most covetous . A child of God knows not how to be revenged upon his selfe for his covetousnesse of the things of this world . Contraries . Every contrary , the more it is resisted , the more it appeares . Deadnesse of spirit . Deadnesse of heart is an enemy to action : he that will support diligence , must support chearfulnesse : deadnesse is the grave of many graces . Such as come to God unchearfully , oft returne unthankfully . Spirituall deadnesse , is a great griefe to a childe of God. Delayes . Delayes a rise from sloath . The more we delay , the more we may . By deferring wee presume upon that we have not , and neglect that we have . To morrow , to morrow , cozens many a man. Death . Death hath something to say to every man , and would faine be heard , but men are not at leisure . Every man must dye . The day of death is the first day of life . He whose hopes are in heaven , is not much afraid of death . Death is to him no misery , whose hope is in eternitie . Death when it seemes to dispossesse a Saint of all , it possesseth him of all things . Such as are spiritually dead , are not aware of it ; they onely mind and savour the things of the flesh . Difficulties . Difficulties are discouragements ; and handsome excuses are welcome to a sloathfull heart . Love will carry on through all difficulties , and to undergoe all manner of torments . Dreames . An evill dreame shews some evill that prevailes in the heart . By dreames God may foreshew some sin to come , which we are in danger to fall into , which we are not afraid of . Selfe-deniall . They live the sweetest lives that most deny themselves . There are very few that do deny themselves , but many can deny Christ , and his truth . Selfe may be denyed a little in one kinde , if it may please selfe much in another . Distractions . Distractions of minde in duties , is either from our minding other things , or resting in our own strength , or from a not serious setting our minds on the thing propounded by us ; for that which the heart is throughly set upon , it is so attentive to it , that it can be present to no other thing at that instant , especially to hinder the thing in hand . The want of a wise ordering and dispatch of businesse causeth a great distraction in men . Duties . It is no wonder some doe so much , because they expect heaven for what they doe . Such duties as flow not from faith and love , are legall and slavish . Many will own and confesse their dutie in the generall , that will wholly deny it in particular , especially when it concernes themselves . A beleever , as he is a beleever , he doth fetch all from God , refer all unto God , and doe all for God. Examples . The examples of men is not to be any rule to walke by . Mens example is very forcible , when it is universall . The worst examples are most observed . Excuses . When we have sinned , Satan and our corruptions help us to cover it with excuses ; which is to cover a lesser evill with a greater . It is easie to frame an excuse for any evill . Education . Good education doth oft cause an outward reformation . Evill education is a great provocation to sinne . Excesses . Men doe too little , or too much : men love extreames ; as many eate too little , or too much ; worke too little , or too much . Most men are drowned in adversitie , or drunke with prosperitie . Extraordinary . For men not to seeke themselves is extraordinary . To practise the truth against great opposition , to be the more humbled by knowledge , and to goe against custome , is extraordinary . For a man to refuse to joyne house to house when he can , is extraordinary . For the rich to take reproofe willingly and profitably of the poore , is extraordinary . For to part with riches as freely as they were received , is extraordinary . Ends in duties . The end rules the meanes , and is above them . A beleever is ever true to his end , but he often failes in the meanes . Error . When errors prove profitable , many will imbrace them . Ignorance is the foundation of error . It 's common for error to be called truth , and truth to be called error . Effects . Effects are in order to second causes , not to God , who most certainly , necessarily , and wisely hath willed them ; and nothing falls out accidentally , as referred to him whose wise intention reacheth every thing . Favour of men . The favour of men is a vanitie , yet much desired . The favour of men is an uncertaine thing , soone got , and soone lost . Men desire the favour of men , God denies it to some , to exercise their faith , weane them from the world , or because we performe not our duties unto them . Folly. Many never see their folly , untill it be too late . Feares . Feares make the understanding weake , and the judgement dull . Feares hinder the certainty of faith . So much as we feare men , wee forget and sleight God. Faith. Where God gives faith , he gives trials also to exercise it . Faith quiets , comforts , and strengthens the soule . We injoy Christ by faith , and not by feeling . When faith is at the greatest , then there is the least feeling . As our faith is , so are we incouraged to obey God. The more faith , the lesse feare . God. Gods presence in every place is a great comfort to his . They that live upon God alone , live most comfortably , for there is satisfaction , and no changes , he feares nothing that can befall him , he lives comfortably in all . Grace . Grace is exceeding strong ( especially faith & love ) to carry a man through all . God will exercise the graces that are in his . The more grace any have , the more need to pray , because Satan is most ready to tempt such . Griefe . We cannot heartily be grieved for that sin in another , of which wee make not conscience in our selves . It is a griefe to a childe of God , to speake of any good they finde a want of in themselves . If we did not immoderately love outward things , we would not grieve at the losse of them , nor keepe such a doe to get them . Of gifts . The greater gifts spirituall or temporall , the prouder the flesh is , and the readier Satan is to assault . Good. A man may doe good in the strength of a lust . Wee oft doe least good to them to whom we owe most . There be many good things will decay if let alone , but evill things let alone will increase . Parents thinke they doe their children great good , when they can make them rich and great in the world , they make them the greater sinners ; for then they shall have little else to doe but to waste the creatures , and live in excesse , idlenesse , lust , pride , and oppression . Glory . When we thinke wee most seeke the glory of God , we too often most seeke our owne . What a man trusts in , he glories in , and what a man glories in , he trusts in , and is confident of . Healing . God sometimes healeth corruption by not healing it . Hope . The Saints hope is in heaven in God. The naturall mans hope is to get honour , fine cloaths , good cheare , ease , and pleasures . Hearts . Many mens brains deceive their hearts . What the heart likes best , the minde studies most . Habits . In acquired habits the act goeth before the habit , and prepares for it , but in infused habits it is contrary , for as we have first the facultie of seeing before we see , so we have first the infused habit , before we exercise the operation of it . Humilitie . One may be humbled , but not humble . When we are content to be admonished of our faults sharply by our inferiors , we have some humilitie . Honour . The honour of men , is a very shadow , a vanitie . The more men desire honour , the lesse they deserve , & the lesse they often have . Hatred . That sin which a childe of God loved most before conversion , he hates most when he is converted . Joy. While we live here , we have joy and griefe mixed : this life , nor our bodies will not admit of perfect joy . Outward joyes make a great noyse , but never truly heate and comfort the heart . There is no sound joy in earthly things , they reach not the heart , but the fancy . In temporall things , our joy is greater then the cause ; in spirituall things , the cause is greater then the joy . Every heart seekes joy such as it is . Spirituall joy opposeth carnall , and carnall opposeth spirituall ; the more we relish heavenly , the lesse we relish earthly . Now joy is in the Saints , when they are in heaven they shall be in joy . Ignorance . Ignorance is the cause of prophanenesse , and all evill . Devotion with ignorance breeds superstition , and Idolatry , and persecution . Hope with ignorance causeth presumption . Feare with ignorance causeth desperation . Impossible things . It is impossible to be conformable to Christ , and to the world ; to please God , and the world . Of idlenesse . An idle person is fit for nothing , but sinne and temptation . An idle life is much loved and entertained of most men . Knowledge . That knowledge that is from God , subjects the soule to God. That knowledge that is onely in the braine , is notionall , and neither subdues sinne nor Satan . If we know good things , wee cannot but love and affect them . Love. That love which is not constant is false . Love is most active , when it is least knowne , and cannot be requited . Love and labour goe together , as our longing is to injoy God , so is our love to him ; if wee greatly love the Lord , wee greatly long to injoy him ; for as our love is to any thing , so accordingly is our indeavour to injoy it . Such love the way of God , who hate all things that are contrary unto it , and practise it when it is most despised . Such things as we love , we keepe with care , possesse with joy , and lose with griefe . Live. We live in that we mind and love , and are made like the things we love . The most seeke life in the regions of death , where it is not . Many in this naturall life have comforts few , crosses frequent , pleasures short , and paines lasting . Light. Light causeth them that see it to follow it . Libertie . We are more prone to desire libertie , then to know how to use it . Many of the Saints abuse their libertie they have in Christ . It is the greatest libertie to injoy God , and to have a free heart to serve him . Such as plot and plead for libertie for the flesh , are very carnall . Of losses . There is no losse in losing for God. What we lose for God , shall be made up unto us in God. The benefit which follows the losse of outward things , is that they are never troubled with them more . Motions . Forced motions cannot be perpetuall . Minde . When our minds are not fixed , they rove every where , and are no where to purpose . Such as mind the things above , savour them , and have interest in them . Mirth . When men are most chearfull & merry , they are most free and bountifull . Naturall mirth ends in sadnesse and sorrow . In naturall mirth , when wee are most merry , we are neerest to danger . The mirth of the wicked is vanitie and madnesse . Mercies . Many possesse many mercies , and yet want the comfort of them . Wee injoy more mercies then we are aware of . Occasions . The more secret and colourable any occasion of evill is , the more men are indangered by it . Obedience . Our obedience to God is most direct , when there is nothing else to sweeten the action . Of peace . Men cannot give peace : untill the Lord speake peace to the soule , there is no peace . Where there is no peace , there may be quietnesse or silence . Gods people are a peaceable people . Passion . The causes of anger and passion , are ignorance and pride . Promises . The wicked desire promises for peace , and not for strength against sinne . The promises make the people of God not carelesse , but more fruitfull and serviceable . There were never any ashamed that rested onely upon God in his promise . One promise from a man will please some men more then ten from God. Of prayer . There is no dutie in Religion that is so much counterfeited as the duty of prayer is . Verball prayer causeth great deadnesse . Some pray when they should sleepe , and sleepe in prayer , and pray when they should work , but wisdome divides to each its proper time and season . Of povertie . The heires of the earth are oft pinched with povertie , and Saints who are Kings lie in prison . It is better to be poore and weaned from the world , then rich and covetous . Men are much afraid of povertie , yet it never did any hurt . Pride . The proudest men are the weakest , and most troubled with discontent . Principles . When that which is taken for a principle of truth , is a principle of error , the more it is relied on , the worse it is . Pleasure . Such as have their eyes open , see outward pleasures to be very meane things . Sin is desired for the pleasure of it , but there is in sinne more griefe and misery then pleasure . The more carnall a heart is , the more it affects naturall pleasures . Sinfull pleasure ends in sorrow . Quietnesse . When quietnesse is in the heart , there is not much disquietnesse in the tongue . He can easily be at peace with men , who knows he is at peace with God. Reports . Such as cannot with patience beare ill reports , cannot live a comfortable life . Such as are much joyed at good reports , will be much grieved at ill . Oft times the best suffer , ( the worst reports , ) because they will be no worse . There is not a good man that can escape evill and false reports from the wicked . Riches . Riches are uncertaine , wee must leave them , they insnare many , but there are but few that are drawne the nearer to God by them . The greedinesse of riches are more sharpened by the having of them , then by their wants . Riches are the destruction of many . Commonly the richest men doe the least good to others . Riches make many afraid to confesse Christ and his truth , &c. Religion . It is impossible for every man to be of one Religion and Judgement , because their lights and ends differ . Where Religion is in truth , it is in power , and enableth a man to practise it . A forme of Religion onely with riches is imbraced , rather then the power of Religion with povertie . Most men love that Religion best , which best suits with their lusts , as , honour , pleasure , eas● , and their bellies . A little Religion goes a great way in rich persons . Reproofe for sin . Those that complaine , because they are reproved for sinning , shew their folly . Poore persons have a priviledge above the rich , in that they are reproved . Such as are wise count reproofe a priviledge . Sinne. Many sinne by omission and commission at one and the same time , and yet know of neither . Some sinnes of omission may exceed some of commission . The beginning of sinne is oft by the Devils concupiscence suggesting evill thoughts , evill thoughts cause delight , delight consent , consent ingendreth action , action causeth custome , and custome causeth necessitie : custome winneth strength by time , and is more fierce then nature ; one sinne draweth on another ; grant a little , and a great deale will follow . The more there is of the will in the acting of sin , the greater the sinne is . The more deliberation and the weaker temptation any hath , and yet sinneth , the greater the sinne is . According as mens sight of sinne is , so they hate it , and them selves for it . The lesse sensiblenesse of sinne there is after sinne is committed , the greater is the hardnesse of heart . Ignorance and unbeliefe , and want of consideration and meditation , and not shunning the occasion of sinne , causeth much sinne . Such as the more they fall into sinne , the more they hate it , and are grieved for it , and the more they goe to God against it with faith , they shall conquer it . Satan . It is the great designe of Satan to draw the Saints from God , his truth and people , and that we neglect the meanes , or wholly relie upon them ; in good things he severeth the meanes from the end , in evill hee separateth the end from the meanes . Sorrow . It is the nature of sorrow to bring the soule downe . Senses . Our senses every day decay by little and little , though we take not notice of it . Truth . Jesus Christ is the truth , and his word is truth . No man can teach himselfe or another the mystery of truth . Whatsoever is without , or against the Word , is not truth . That which the most men doe is not truth . The authoritie of men is not alwayes for the truth . That which carrieth the greatest shew of humilitie is not truth . Neither the learned , nor the unlearned , can know the truth , untill God shall please to teach it them . Mans reason cannot dive so deepe as the truth lyeth . He that is naturally wise , is least capable of divine things . The greatest enemy that truth hath , is concealement , for the more manifest truth is , the more gloriously it appeares . If truth may have libertie to goe abroad , it will quickly suppresse errors . Thirst . Spirituall thirst is as strong as naturall thirst , yea , stronger . Time. Time is not valued to its worth . Time past cannot be recalled againe . Time ill spent turnes to great losse , and ends in deepe sorrow . Temptations . Temptation tri●th mens strength ; he is strong that stands in strong temptations . When temptation is absent , a foole is wise , and the froward patient . Those temptations are most dangerous which suits best with holy ends . Strong and lasting temptations , are to shew us our selves , and humble us . An over-much fearing a temptation and a weak purpose to resist it , weakeneth us , and incourageth Satan to tempt . When we are tempted , it is best presently to fall to prayer , and not to stand reasoning with the temptation . Trials . They who are least exercised with trials , have the least wisedome and experience . Trouble . There is nothing but trouble under the Sunne . The lesse trouble men expect , the more they oft meet withall . A troubled soule cannot doe good , nor receive good . A soule cast downe by selfe , or Satan , rests not in God , but in trouble . Selfe cannot stay , nor checke it selfe , much lesse recover it selfe out of sinfull trouble . Vsury . To pay use when the profit is uncertaine , is a meanes to fill men with troubles , cares , distrust , if not with oppression . Want. It is a sin and a dishonour to a childe of God , to say or thinke he shall want , or to say , What shall I doe ? A childe of God never wants , though he may thinke he wants ; for he is possessed of all things . If hands , estate , or friends faile , God will send supply some other way . He that suffers want contentedly , is a strong man. Of weeping . Excesse in weeping , is against nature , reason , and Religion . Many make a God of other teares . World. Such as are full of the things of this world , are emptie enough of spirituall things . According as the world is sweet unto us , the things of God are bitter to us . The world is a deadly enemy to spiritualnesse . He that is full of worldly businesse , needs no other troubles . Will. Many prefer their wills before their lives ; for when they are crossed , they wish for death . When we want a will to do any thing , we pretend want of power , and say , I cannot . To will is naturall , but to will well , to will spiritually , is supernaturall . Those vertues that grace the will , as , love , grace , mercy , justice , are more glorious then ●hose that grace the understanding , as power and wisdome , &c. Weaknesse . The wisest Saint is most sensible of his own weaknesse . Weaknesse with watchfulnesse will stand , when great strength with selfe-confidence faileth . Watchfulnesse . Spirituall watchfulnesse is a speciall grace of God , a chiefe part of godlinesse , a speciall helpe to holinesse , and a great priviledge of a Saint . Because the Saints watch no more , they fall so much . There is no good order in their lives , who watch not . A wonder . Naturall men wonder at worldly and sensuall things . It is no wonder for a naturall man to seeke himselfe in all things . Zeale . Every man is zealous , either for God or himselfe . These few Experiences , I present unto thee for a taste , though many more might be added , which I leave thee to finde out by experience ; also considering there are many sweet experiences recorded in the Scriptures , especially in the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes , and also in other places in the Bible , to which I referre thee . GRAVE COUNSELS . Concerning actions . LEt all your actions have a good foundation , a word of God to warrant them , else they are evill : to do things not required by God , is the error of the wicked , 2 Pet. 3. 17. God will say , Who required this at your hands ? as , Isa . 1. 12. consider Deut. 12. 32. Ephes . 4. 14. First looke that what yee doe be lawfull , next consider that it be expedient , the circumstances of time , place , persons , must be wisely considered : to a good action is required that all the circumstances be good also : Next , looke to your ends , why yee doe what yee doe , for the end and scope of an action conduceth to the being of it : if two duties come together , doe the chiefest first , unlesse workes of mercy and necessitie hinder , and looke to doe every dutie required of thee ; to doe one , and neglect another , is uncomely ; give each dutie its due respect ; and looke with what affections yee doe what yee doe : serve the Lord with the best , and serve him fully for measure and degree ; he that doth these things , his conversation is beautifull and savoury . Concerning the judgement and affections . Ever suspect your judgement and affections when the cause concernes your selves . Often call your affections to account . When your affections exceed their bounds , aske thy soule the reason of it . Let not your judgement be taken captive by your affections . Make not your affections knowne in company as little as may be , unlesse the cause be extraordinary . Concerning afflictions . Sleight not affliction , nor let it over-presse thee , it 's appointed , 1 Thes . 3. 3. Rom. 8. 29. There is a fruit of the least crosse , looke more at the fruit then deliverance from the crosse , the longer it continues , the more thou maist get by it . Labour to know the cause of every affliction . All that are the Lords , are to stay themselves in the love of God , and attend upon him for the time , manner and measure of their deliverance . Bondage . Esteeme that bondage that causeth thee to sin , or keeps thee from God. Conscience . Conscience is a very tender thing , and must be tenderly used . Prize and preserve a tender Conscience , and hearken to the noyse of it . Take heed yee wound not your Consciences to please your affections . Creatures . Use the creatures so as thou beest not unfitted by them to serve God and man. God gave not the creatures to hurt us . Companion . In the choice of a companion consider what soundnesse of judgement there is , what knowledge and sensiblenesse of their own inward corruption , and whether they speak of others infirmities with compassion ; never trust him who will conceale any sinne he seeth in thee . Crosses . Be not offended at crosses , they may doe thee much good , and let out sinfull selfe . Concupiscence . To avoyd concupiscence be temperate in all things , dyet , sleepe , apparell , recreation , &c. And feare thy selfe , watch thy senses , and avoyd the occasion of it , as , persons , times , places , be frequent in fasting and prayer , and looke up to God for strength against it . Desires . We had need to use meanes to moderate our desires to things below . We should rather endeavour to make our desires equall to our estates , then to make our estates equall to our desires . Excuses . Be afraid to cover over any evill with an excuse . Of errors . If you would be kept from errors , pray to God , search the Scriptures , and be well grounded in the principles of truth . Of others falls . Let the consideration of the many great falls the Saints have had , cause thee to feare thy selfe . A friend . Esteeme him thy friend that would hinder thee in sinne . Griefe . Discover not thy griefes to many , and choose such as are able and willing to helpe thee . The Lord is loving and pitifull , able and willing to help ; it 's best to complain to him . Of good . To doe good , we live therefore , thinke not much of doing a little good , though it be with great trouble . Esteeme not that to be the chiefest good , that may be taken from thee . Concerning thy estate . Judge not thy estate by thy knowledge , affections , and actions , but by the principle . Men. Be sure yee try men well , and have good experience of their faithfulnesse , before yee trust them with much . Reproofes . Receive reproofes willingly and profitably . Reproaches . Sleight not reproaches , he that is not guiltie , may be guiltie in part , or hath been , or is in another kind , &c. so it 's but a mistake , thou maist be guiltie in the same kind , it may be sent to humble thee , and give thee warning of the same sinne . Of successe . Judge not of the goodnesse of thy action by the successe , but judge thy successe by the goodnesse of the action , &c. Of sinne . Judge not sin alwayes by the matter or act of it , but by the rule and greatnesse of the authoritie of the commander that forbids it , and bring in all the circumstances and aggravations of it . Of speech . When thou speakest of thy selfe , speak modestly , without vanitie and boasting . Time. Redeeme the present time to do good , depend not upon the time to come , which is uncertain , and not at thy disposing . Counsell to the unmarried . 1. THinke not of marrying , untill yee have first sought God by earnest prayer , for strength and contentednesse to live a single life . 2. Use such meanes as may best enable and fit thee for a single life : observe a wary and temperate dyet , company , fasting , and prayer , meditation on God , &c. diligence in thy calling : it may please God by these , and the like meanes , thou maist attaine the gift of chastitie . 3. Be informed of the conveniences and inconveniences of a married life : consider whether you be able and willing to drinke of the bitter cup of discontents , which the married oft drinke of : what cares and burdens attend that state . If upon the use of meanes for some space you finde God inclines your heart to marry , feare nothing , but cast thy care upon God , and be as wise as thou canst , and venture upon a wife or husband . 1. Pray to God to give thee a wife , ( or husband ) that may be a meet helpe for thee ; a vertuous wife is called a gift of God , the crowne of her husband ; crownes are precious and honourable ; happie is he that hath such a crowne ; Her price is farre above Rubies , Pro. 31. 10. No jewell is to be compared unto her ; shee is worth the asking . 2. Doe nothing rashly , snatch not up the first that comes to hand , prove shee well or ill ; shee may please well for a moment , and be a thorne in thy side for ever after . 3. If thou beest the Lords , marry in the Lord , love such as the Lord loveth : that which is desireable in a man is his goodnesse , Pro. 19. 22. So in a woman : men seeke wealth and beautie , though they have no Religion , but these things cannot supply the want of Religion : great portions , and great stomacks , high spirits , costly fashions , and great expences oft goe together ; externall things will quickly blast , and the most resolved loves vanish quickly , when the fuell of love faileth . 4. Choose one that i● sutable to thee ; first , Sutable in Religion ; how can there be amitie and love , where divers Religions are , seeing no opposition is so strong as that which is for Religion ? Consider Deut. 22. 11. Job 1. 8 , 9. 2 Cor. 6. 15. apply it . Secondly , Sutable for age , some mary as old againe , others as young againe , &c. But unsutable matches are dishonourable . Thirdly , Sutablenesse in dispositions are to be looked to , lest yee smart for it ; because yee are not made of brasse but of flesh , a few odious qualities will in time weare off much doating delight . Fourthly , Sutable in respect of condition of life , and abilitie of body , to labour and fare as thy abilitie requires , such wives as must fare and weare that which is costly , and so weake not able to labour , are fit for such as can beare it , in respect of their estates and minds . 5. Take heed of wronging your selfe , or any others ; take heed what yee promise , if yee give your promise , then your libertie is gone , and another is added to you , it may be to your perpetuall griefe , and make as much conscience , not onely of keeping your promises with others , but take heed lest yee expresse your selfe in such a way as shall justly cause it to be interpreted love in that kinde . A man may make a profession of love , and yet so expresse himselfe as he shall not be ingaged by promise , ( when by his practise he is ) and so at pleasure depart , to the great wrong and hazard of the other partie , without giving any sufficient reason of it ; the wrongs in this kinde are fit to be severely punished by the Magistrate for an example to others . 6. Marry with parents consent , Deut. 7. 3. 1 Cor. 6. 36. unlesse they extend their authoritie to the hurt of soule and body : in some cases the want of parents consent hinders not , as in case the partie hath been married before , or Numb . 30. 4. or Exod. 22. 16. Mutuall counsell to husbands and wives . 1. HAve you both a high esteeme of mariage , if you prize not mariage , who shall ? you should preserve the honour & comfort of mariage , and say , What is equall to mariage for the being and well-being of life , it 's the prop of mutuall content , the ayd of nature , the perfection of health , wealth , beauty , honour , experience , no condition is sweet where mariage supplies it not , it 's the preservation of chastitie , the pillar of the world , and of the Church , the glory of peace , and the life of the dead ; nothing is so precious in worldly respects as that for which the husband loveth and desireth the wife , and shee him ; no union so strong as this , no joy in any outward union so contentfull as this , &c. 2. Nourish love , and abhorre all occasions to the contrary , strive who shall love each other with the most cordiall affection ; love is given to both , to make the miseries of mariage tolerable , therefore live and love , and cease not to love , till yee cease to live : have a care yee lose not your first love : and so demeane your selves , as may best draw forth each others heart in all love and amitie , and ever be ready to expresse love and sympathy , avoyding a peevish carriage , which provokes to wearinesse , impatience , and discontent . 3. Beare with each others infirmities , fret not , cavill not at them , cover them with tendernesse : If you have a bad bargaine , make the best of it you can , now it is too late to complaine ; impart not your discontents to strangers , aske no counsell of them but with a free consent of both , when necessitie requires it . Observe it , such as complaine to others , they shew their clamorous and turbulent spirits , and want of wisdome and love ; if thy husbands or wives vertues be but small , make them great by contemplation , and put upon them the great value of their worth : an eying each others infirmities , deads and kils the affection of love . 4. Observe each others tempers to prevent discontents , and preserve your first love . 5. If there fall out a difference between you , be both freely willing the word of God may decide it , and to submit unto it , feare breaches , and know a small sparke of difference may increase a great flame , if not timely prevented . 6. Be both chaste , and love each others company , and be faithfull each to other ; let one purse , one bed , one house , serve them that are but one . 7. Be industrious and provident , that neither of you may want . 8. Hinder not each other in serving of God. 9. Tender each others good name . 10. Find as little fault one with another as possibly you can , and then expresse them not in anger , but in love , and when yee be both alone . Counsell to the wife . 1. LOve your own husbands , and expresse your love in a reverend , amiable and modest manner , in thy husband thou maist behold authoritie , government , forecast , soveraigntie ; from man thou first receivedst thy being , from thy husband thou enjoyest countenance , protection , direction , honour , love , &c. 2. Honour your husband inwardly in your heart , and outwardly in your actions , esteeme him as he is your superior and head , and yeeld to him , let your will be subject to his , you must have no will but his , if he speake the word , you must not contest , but in humilitie yeeld , if he be angry , be yee silent , set before you what the carriage of the Church ought to be to Christ , to be a patterne for you , and know where love is , duties are frequent , and acted with ease and delight . 3. Obey thy husband ; obedience is a hard word , many a proud stout stomack neither will nor can yeeld their neckes to the collar of subjection in every thing ; the Lord knew how it would come to passe , that both husband and wife would both have their wills , though each were quite contrary to the other , therefore God thought fit to order it as he would have it , that the wife should yeeld to her husband , and be obedient to him in every ●hing ; Wives submit your selves unto your own husbands , as unto the Lord ; for the husband is the head of the wife , even as Christ is the head of his Church , &c. Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ , so let the wives be unto their own husbands in every thing , Ephes . 5. 22 , 23 , 24. Therefore know , O woman , whosoever thou art , rich or poore , that God hath commanded you to be subject to your husband , and if you doe it not , God will call you to an account for it one day , though it may be , your husband be contented to let it passe , in the feare of God consider it , and tremble at the thought of living in the breach of so plaine and cleare a command ; consider Christ is the author of salvation to all that obey him , Heb. 5. 9. and no more ; therefore goe to God for humilitie and selfe-deniall , to stoop to thy husbands command ( if it be lawfull ) 1. Because God hath commanded it , & though mariage be an equall state , yet the carriage of both is not to be the same , therefore let thy love to thy husband be with a loyall sweet subjection , without slavery , and thy obedience shall be a blessing to thee , and an increase of thy inward peace and joy ; also thou shalt avoid many quarrels , envie , and discontents , which others indure , also by thy obedience thou shalt honour God , and be a good patterne to others to doe so also . Counsell to the Husband . 1. COnsider the command of God is upon you , that yee love your own wives , and be not bitter unto them , let love descend , first from thee , shee is a deserving object of love , shee hath forsaken all for thee , and perhaps is shiftlesse without thee , great are her burdens and paines in conception , and bearing children , &c. Let thy love to her be full and free , love her in some sense better then thy selfe , and let thy love be conveyed to her with royaltie without tyranny : Husbands love your wives , even as Christ also loved his Church , and gave himselfe for it , so ought men to love their wives as their own bodies ; he that loveth his wife , loveth himselfe , Ephes . 5. 25. 28. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh : they two are one flesh , 29. 31. 2. Let her share with thee in the benefit of thy ( graces , gifts , ) estate , if thou hast plenty , let her have plenty also , shee shall be sure to share with thee in the ill , in povertie , sicknesse , disgrace , and other miseries , oh therefore let her share in thy plenty also ; let her have for delight as well as thy selfe , make her cause thy own , and doe so as thou wouldst be done unto , and give it her freely without asking . Some men have much , and spend much upon their pleasures , but allow their wives just nothing ; such give their wives ground enough to question their loves to them , because love is bountifull where there is plenty ; why should not part of that which is yours be hers , for her necessitie and comfort ? 3. Ease thy wife as much as thou canst , though shee be bound to obey thy command , yet it 's like you need not command so many things , or not so frequently , and so the burden of subjection may be much lighter to her ; if shee be willing to obey , spare her ; if unwilling , forbeare her , that shee may sinne lesse . Say not , that thou wilt make her , be not too confident of thy strength to mould thy wife into subjection , as wise and strong as thou art , could not doe it , ( onely God can make a stout stomack to yeeld to a weake and wilfull Governour ) Victory is not alwayes to the strong , Eccl. 9. 11. It 's ill grapling with a head-strong woman , shee may be weake in body , but strong in mischiefe ; the tongue is an unruly member , no man can tame ; be not so mad as to strike thy crowne , nor cast it in the dirt ; if shee answers not thy desires , informe her of her dutie from the Scriptures , and pray to God to set it home upon her conscience ; if God be not regarded , who shall ? 4. Honour thy wife , right her wrongs , suffer none to sleight nor abuse her in no kinde , &c. Follow Christs carriage to his Church , which is most loving , meeke , and sweet . 5. Provide all things needfull for her , that shee may live comfortably with thee ; and whether shee be good or bad , you ought to doe what you can to provide meanes , that shee may live comfortably after you in this world . 6. Dwell with her , deprive her not of the benefit of thy presence , by long journeys , &c. unlesse absolute necessitie inforce it , and rather erre with over-loving thy wife , then otherwise . Thus I have thought fit to mention some few things , which so much concerne the comfort of a married life . This may be of use to some of those into whose hands it may come , though this is more largely handled in severall Treatises . The Remedy of feares . SOme few observations from Isai . 41. 10. Feare not , for I am with thee , be not dismayd , for I am thy God , I will strengthen thee , yea I will helpe thee , yea I will uphold thee , &c. Obs . 1. Some things are terrible to a Saint , which he is subject to feare . 2. It is the will of God , that his people be not troubled , but to live a sweet and quiet life , in , and upon God. 3. God is alwayes present with his , to keepe them from evill , and doe them good , though they know it not , or consider it not . 4. Feares arise in not beholding the presence of God. 5. The consideration of the presence of God , a remedy against feares . 6. I am thy God ; when a childe of God is at the worst , still God is his God. 7. The knowledge of an interest in God , is enough to raise a soule out of all its feares . 8. I will strengthen thee ; God is ingaged by promise to helpe and strengthen his . 9. The Saints should minde Gods promise , and live upon it . 10. The promise of God is enough to quiet and settle a soule from feares . 11. The weakest Saint with God shall prevaile . 12. Strengthen thee ; there is strength enough in God. 13. The Saints strength is God. 14. It 's in vaine for men to oppose the Saints , for God is with them to helpe them . 15. I will help thee ; the Saints in themselves are weake , and cannot helpe themselves . 16. There is no helpe but in God ; creatures cannot helpe , they are vanitie . 17. So much as the soule rests upon the promise of God for helpe , so much its freed from feares in the greatest appearance of dangers . 18. Vphold thee ; The trialls of the Saints are above their strength , they cannot stand without God , God upholds his . 19. Strengthen , helpe , uphold ; God applies himselfe sutable , and in particular , to the wants of his people . 20. When God will preserve a man , it is not any thing that can hurt him . From all which wee may observe . Obs . 1. That the ground of feares are ignorance , as , Psal . 62. 11. forgetfulnesse , Isa . 12. 13. and living by sense , & not by faith . Obs . 2. That it is unreasonable , and sinfull for a childe of God , to feare men , or be dismayed at any thing . Reas . 1. Because it 's against Gods command , which saith , feare not , &c. 2. They have the presence of God to keepe them . 3. They have an interest in God , which is a happinesse beyond all miseries . 4. Because nothing can befall them , but what God appoints , who loves them infinitely . 5. Because whatsoever befalls them , shall doe them good , Rom. 8. 6. The bitternesse shall be but short , Rom. 16. 7. Feares never doe any good , but hurt ; they dishonour God , his truth , and people , and oft cause an omission of dutie . 8. Feare is unsutable for a Saint , Rev. 21. Lastly , feares are unreasonable for a childe of God , because God hath given unto them many great , sweet , and precious promises , that they shall not want no good thing , Psal . 34. For he hath said , I will never leave thee , nor forsake thee , Heb. 13. 5. Therefore they are well enough , they need not care , nor feare , but in God alwayes rejoyce , and sing praises to him . Now unto him that is able to doe for us abundantly , above that we are able to aske or thinke , be praise and glory in all the Churches of the Saints to all ages , Amen . A Table of some of the principall things contained in this TREATISE . A. VVHat it is to feed upon ashes , 2 , 3. 5. Assurance & faith differs , 82 , 83. All that have faith have not assurance , 82 , &c. B. Christ is the true bread , 3. 5 , 6. Men beleeve before they know it , 61. Men are in Christ before they beleeve , 46 , 47. What all men are to beleeve , 48 , 49. Such as desire to beleeve , have faith , 53. 101. A beleevers comfort , hope , joy , should be alwayes the same , 97 , 116. The state of a beleever in Christ , is a state of perfection , 13. 113. 149. Such as see a beauty in Christ , loath themselves , 23. 41. Mans beleeving procures no pardon of sinne , 46 , &c. C. Christ is enough , 132. and minde him , 112. 113. 79. 131. Christ proclaimes peace to his , 106 , 107. Christ and a beleever are one , 12. Christs holiness is the Saints happiness , 121. Christs bloud saves his , 12. 145 , 147. Christ is the way to life , 13. 36 , 37 , 38. Christ highly esteemes of his , 136 , 137 , 142. Christ being made sin for me , is better for me then if I had never sinned , 15 , 16 , 161. Christ dyed not for the sinnes of Adams posteritie , 7 , 8. Comfort to all that are in Christ ▪ 12. 65. 132 Vnlesse Christ had dyed , man had not been saved , 7. The Saints are to live onely upon Christ , 79. The Saints comfort is in Christ , 79. Who live upon Christ , 15. 38 , 39. 79. 80. Such as are Christs should serve him , 153. The Covenant of grace is not made with man but with Christ , 26. The Covenant of grace is unconditionall on mans part , 46 , 47. There is not any thing required of man to doe to make him partaker of the Covenant of grace , 46. The consolatiōs of God are to be prized , 121. The comfort of the Saints is not to depend upon their personall sanctification , and why ? 114 , 115. The confidence of a beleever should be ever the same , and why , 113 , 114. 121 , 122. All our cares are to be cast upon God , trusting him in all estates , and why , 129 , 130. Corruption may be strong in a Saint , and why , 96 , 97. 159 , 160. A man may be confident of his salvation , and yet be deluded , and why , 14 , 15. 67. Grave Counsels , 363. to the unmarried , 369. To the married , 372. 375. 378. D. Causes of doubting , 65. 105. The fears and discouragements in many are groundlesse . 3. and from the Devill , 106. It is an infirmitie to give way to any discouragement , 108. 79. We are to looke to Christ , and not at discouragements , 52. 113. There hath been discouragements in many of the Lords , 87 , 88 , 89. Grounds of discouragements and feares , 16 No man is to despaire , 158. The time of doubting is a barren time , 71. No man can deliver his soule , & why , 12 , 13. There is death in our best duties , 41. It is not any thing man can do that can make him to be loved of God , 24 , 25 , 97. The Saints daily duty and desire , 199 , &c. Causes of unwillingnesse to duties , 77. E. Election not for foreseene faith , 320. 148. It is impossible for the Elect to perish , and why , 140 , 141. We should be content with our present estate , 130 , 131. 127. Treasure up experience of Gods goodnes , 119. Severall experiences , 331. F. There be divers kinds of faith , 55. Faith what , 56 , 57 , 58. 61. Many are mistaken in faith , 55. Faith is not to be placed in enjoyments , 80. Faith looks not at sight nor feeling , 80. 124. Faith is so small and weak in many , that they cannot discerne it , 47. 83 , 84. 86. When faith is wrought by God in the soul , 45 Faith is where spirituall desires are , 75. 53. We should ever live by faith , 79. 123. Faith quiets and settles the foule , 103. 122. Faith evidenceth to us our justification , 115 The word and promise of God , is the onely ground of faith , 15. 123. The act of faith is a worke , 145. Faith is no condition of the Covenant of grace , 46 , 47. We should not yeeld to feares , 51. 102. We should not feare want , & why , 165. 227 What it is to be fatherlesse , 63. A remedy against feares , 381. Wherein the life of faith consists , 143. The Saints are to live by faith in justification , 154. In sanctification , 154. In infirmities , 156 , &c. For graces , 167. In use of meanes , 175. For protection and supply of all wants , 148. In adversitie , 188. In the life past , 189. For glorification , 193. And to dye by faith , 197. G. God is ready to forgive , 25 , 26. God is unchangeable , 80. 95. 97. God oft hides himselfe from his , 94. God was found of them that sought him not , 34. God is not an enemy to his , though they greatly sin against him , 26 , 27. 97. 146. Gods free grace is to be admired , 127. God gives Christ to enemies , 50 , 51. God never fayles his , 78. God draweth the soule to Christ , 41. The manner of Gods drawing men to Christ , 42 , &c. Gods children are in various conditions , 127. Of the growth of the Saints , 70 , 71 , 72. H. Heart , what , where it is seated , 53 , 54. What it is to give God the heart , 54 , 55. There is hardnesse of heart in a child of God , 100. The heart of man is not to be hearkened unto , and why , 7. We should watch our hearts , 202. Why men follow the counsell of their owne hearts , 10 , 11. Incouragements to hope , 20 , 21. The happinesse of beleevers depends not upon their doings , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39. 46. Of hearing the Word , 259. I. How men are made just before God , 10. 121. No effect of sanctification can evidence justification , and why , 115 , 116. It is one thing to be justified , and another to be sanctified , 114 , 115. Who are fit to judge of mens estates , 111 , 128 Many mens apprehension of justification , is not from God , and why , 116. 162 , 163. What an infirmitie is , 155 , 156. When men live by faith in infirmities , 163. K. It is one thing to know , & another to know that we know , 94. 61. L. What it is to be lost , 123. God loves us before we love him , 49. The love of God being discovered , scatters all discouragements and feares , 5. We are not to answer Gods love by our mortification of sinne , 78. God loves freely , 110. 23. False lives men live , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 124. M. Fallen man cannot helpe himselfe , 6. 12 , 13 , The mercy of God is infinite , 25. see 33. 51. Such as have received mercy from God , should be mercifull to others , 130. That which moves God to shew mercy , is in and from himselfe , 24 , 25. Meanes to settle a soule in assurance of the love of God , 105 , &c. Meanes alone are not able to settle a soule , 66 Of Meditation , 268. 122. That Miracles are not essentiall to the administrator of Baptisme , 325. O. The Saints are not their own but Christs , 138 Obedience is the Saints duty , 38 , 116. 130 P. Pray to God , 127 , 128. Of Prayer , 290. We should minde sutable promises , 118. 65. Presumption what , 66. Peace none can give but God , 109. God is the portion of his people , 139. The Saints should rejoyce in their portion , 131. God will pardon a lost sinner , 3. 26. The poverty of Saints , 91 , 92. Q. Mens qualifications are worth nothing , 34. The quiet soul is fittest to receive comfort , 119 R. Mans righteousnesse is not onely imperfect , but also filthinesse , 11. Such as prize their owne righteousnesse , know not Christs , 121. 35. 37. Such as prize their own righteousnesse , are in a sad condition , 37 , 38. That righteousnesse which justifieth us is not in us , 11 , 121. Christs righteousness is the Saints comfort , 39. 22. Christs righteousness is perfect , 10 Christs righteousness is sufficient to satisfie us at all times , 98. 122 , 123. 26. The meanest Saint is as righteous as the best , 14. 139. The Saints are to rejoyce in God , 97. 107. Regeneration , wherein it consists , 72. Concerning reading the Scriptures , 177. Carnall reason to be abhorred , & why , 125. S. Christ saves none but the ungodly , 23. Sin should humble the Saints , 155. 159. 14. Sin drives the soule from God , 5. 62. The greatnesse of sin ought not to hinder any in beleeving , 39. 104. 18 , 19. 21. 112. What the unpardonable sin is , 27. Of sensiblenesse of sin , 62 , 63. To be convinced of sin , what , 40 , 41. 43. Why sin is left in the Saints , 159 , 160. The sins of a beleever are laid upon Christ , & now they are Christs , & not their own , 113. No man ought to allow himself in any sin , 117 It's possible for a childe of God to fall into a great sin , 95 , 96 , 24. Considerations against sin , 233. &c. The Saints have made the greatnesse of sin an incouragement to hope , 22. Why God leaves sin in his , 78 , 79. Whether the combate in men be from the Spirit or no , 84 , 85. The sins of the Elect are forgiven them before they know it , 31 , 32. Satan is not to be hearkened unto , 9 , 10 , 29. What it is to live by sense , 124 , 125. Why men seeke to save themselves , 11 , 12. Such as God saves , he causeth to understand the way of salvation , 5 , 6 , 7. The satisfactiō of Christ satisfieth the soule , 7 The holy Scriptures are the word of God , 298 Sufficient grace is not given to all , 307. T. Terrors should not hinder faith , 80 , 81. 87. Temptations against beleeving , should incourage us in beleeving , 123. 86. How a soule tempted may answer Satan , 73. Weake beleevers are not to apply the threatnings to themselves , 111. How to prevent trouble , 120. V. Causes of unbeliefe , 105 , 124. Lying vanities are to be renounced , 124. We should put a difference between Christs voyce , and other voyces , 108 , 109. 329. &c. And between the voyce of the Gospel , and the voyce of the Law , 110. We should know Christs voyce , and hearken unto it , 108 , 109. W. To waite upon God , what , 32. 44. 95. Good works justifie us before men , 151. Deliverance is before our working , 35. 71. Of the freedome of the will , &c. 3. 10. 318. A Song of the love of God to such as are in Christ . THe love of God hath been to me full great , In leaving me in such a state to be ; And then to set me free from this estate , He gave his onely Sonne to dye for me . Which is a greater happinesse to me , Then if I had not been in misery . I was as vile as any man could be , And my vile state did openly appeare ; When God in love did please to look on me , And caused me a joyfull voyce to heare . For passing by me , he to me said , Live , Which voyce of his unto me life did give . When I heard this sweet voyce of God to me , Vpon my heart effectually it wrought ; That I was then so set at libertie , That oft times I did ponder in my thought . From sin , Satā , curse , wrath & hell , so free , That I feare not what they can doe to me . Love caused God for me his Sonne to give ; Love caused Jesus Christ for me to dye ; Love caused God to say to my soule , Live ; Love in my soule doth againe reply ( forth In songs , how lovingly Christ did come A mighty price , & ransom of great worth . What glorious sight of love is this I see , That being had before the world could be ; Without al time , boūds , measure , or degree , Is this his love which he hath set on me . One glorious sight of this so great love , Will cause a soule for to be sicke of love . This love made known to me , made me to muse , That ever God should be to me so good ; To give his Son for me , and me to choose , Which was his enemy , and in my bloud ; When I fled from him , after me came he , I sought not him , but he sought after me . The love of God to me is passing great , Which had a being ere the world began ; It boundlesse is , and every way compleat , And lōger doth indure then this world can . Like love to this hath never yet been heard , And there is none can be to this compar'd . That many in their sins should be destroyed , Whose first condition was as good as mine ; And yet to me this mercy is injoyd ; Thus being freed I shall in glory shine . This shews his love to me was great & free , And could not be deserv'd at all by me . Oh , who could wish himself a thing so rare , As to be hemd in , and compact about , With boundles love , oh ! who can it declare , Or who by fadoming can finde it out ? My heart , my hand & tong are all too weak Of matchlesse love , to thinke , or write , or speak . It is through faith appli'd so excellent , It comforteth and elevates on high The saddest heart , and fils it with content ; Yea it revives a soule ready to dye . The apprehending it , brings joy & peace , When it is clouded , peace & joy doe cease . Each soule that doth this boundlesse joy possesse , May well be swallowed up in admiration ; And to the praise of God may it expresse , And often have it in his meditation . Well may it cause him to serve , feare , and love This boundlesse lover , ever God above . A Song that Jesus Christ is all in all to his . CHrist is his Fathers chiefest choice , And I in him the very same ; Why should I not in him rejoyce , Who am secured from all blame ? In God through Christ , the Saints rejoyce , When they know they in Christ are found ; Through Christ they with a joyfull voyce , In singing doe his praises sound . I now in Christ have beautie bright , I am compleat in him alone , Being clothed in his robe that 's white , In him I have perfection . In me God doth , through Christ delight , In God through Christ I interest have ; Through Christ I may come in his sight , And needfull things may aske and have . My priviledges are full large , Through Christ my Saviour and my King ; Who onely under-went the charge , Me to redeeme , and me home bring . And now I am by him set free , Vnion with him for to injoy ; The thought of it so cleaves to me , That nothing can me much annoy . What is it worldly men desire , But beautie , riches , and fine fare ; With pleasures , ease , and rich attire , Things which the world in them do share ? And what these things to them can be , The same is Christ to me and more ; And what thy best workes are to thee , Better to me is Christ my store . Christ is my light , my life , and power , My Prophet , Priest , and King is he ; My husband , head , and Saviour , Oh , none but Jesus Christ for me . Should my performances grow slacke , And should I dead and lumpish be ; Or should God seeme to turne his backe , My part in Christ shall comfort me . Though my corruptions should increase , And sinne should seeme to master me , Yet Christ shall be my health and peace , My strength and righteousnesse is be . In life and death so shall I be , For all things else are vanitie ; What ever my condition be , Nothing but Christ shall comfort me . For Christ to me is all in all , In life and death , advantage he Vnto me is , and sure he shall More then a Conquerour make me . And in this doth my joy abound , That I in Christ am ever found , Where all perfections doe abound , And I with him shall be crown'd . Therefore I shall set forth his praise , And honour him while I have breath , Yea , him love , feare , and serve alwayes , From henceforth to my day of death . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A57248-e220 1 Sam. 18. 1. 3. & 20. 42. Prov. 12. 26. Prov. 29. 2. 2 Epis . Joh. 8. Job 29 1 Sam. 16. 18. Joh 2 Prov. 10. 30. Judg. 6. 12. Luk. 1. 3. Zach. 4. 10. Notes for div A57248-e530 2 Pet. 1. 19. Notes for div A57248-e1630 Obser . Notes for div A57248-e3240 Obs . 1. Obs . 2. Obs . 3. Obs . 4. Obs . 5. Obs . 6. Obs . 7. Obs . 8. Obs . 9. Ob. 10 Obser . 11. Obser . 12. Obser . 13. Obser . 14. Obser . 15. Obser . 16. Ob. 17 Obser . 18. Obser . 19. Obser . 20. Obser . 21. Obser . 22. Obser . 23. Obser . 24. Obser . 25. Obser . 26. Obser . 27. Obser . 28. Obser . 29. Obser . 30. Obj. 1. Ans . Obj. 2. Ag. 1. Ans . Ag. 2. Ans . Ag. 3. Ans . Ag. 4. Answ . Aggr. 5. Answ . Aggr. 6. Answ . Aggr. 7. Answ . Ag. 8. Answ . Ag. 9. Answ . Aggr. 10. Answ . Aggr. 11. Answ . Aggr. 12. Answ . Ag. 13. Answ . Aggr. 14. Answ . Aggr. 15. Answ . Aggr. 16. Answ . Aggr. 17. Answ . Aggr. 18. Answ . 1. Incoura . 2. Incoura . 3. In coura . 4. Incoura . 5. Incoura . 6. In coura . 7. Incoura . 8. Incoura . 9. Incoura . 10. Incoura . 11. Incoura . 12. Incoura . 13. Incoura . 14. Incoura . 15. Incoura . 3. Ob. Answ . 4. Ob. Ans . 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 5. Ob. Ans . 1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Ob. Ans . 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Obj. 7. Ans . 1. 2. Obj. 8. Ans . 1. 2. 3. Obj. 9. Ans . 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Obje . 10. Answ . 1. 2. 3. 11 Ob. Answ . 12. Ob. Answ . 13. Ob. Ans . 1. 2. 3. 14. Ob. Answ . 15. Ob. Ans . 1. 2. 3. Obje . 1. Discoura . Ans . 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 2. Discoura . Answ . 3. Discoura . Answ . 4. Discoura . Answ . 5. Discoura . Ans . 1. 2. 3. 4. 6. Discoura . Ans . 1. 2. 3. 7. Discoura . Ans . 1. 2. 8. Discoura . Answ . 9. Discoura . Ans . 1. 2. 3. 4. 10. Disco . Ans . 1 2. 3. 4. 11. Disco . Ans . 1 2. 3. 12. Disco . Answ . 13. Disco . Answ . 14. Disco . Answ . 15. Disco . Answ . 16. Disco . Ans . 1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 17. Disco . Ans . 1. 2. 3. 18. Disco . Ans . 1 2. 3. 4. 19. Disco . Ans . 1 2. 3. 4. 20. Disco . Ans . 1 2. 2. Vse . Notes for div A57248-e18050 ver . 1. ver . 2. Ver. 3. ver . 4. Ver. 5. ver . 6. Notes for div A57248-e29340 Meditate . Cōference . Faith. Practise . Prayer Notes for div A57248-e48700 Eph. 2. 4. Rom. 3. 9. Rom. 3. 24. Joh. 3. 16. 1 Cor. 2. 9. 1 Cor. 15. 45 Ezek. 16. 3 Ezek 16. 6 Ezek. 16. 6 Ezek. 16. 6 Ezek. 16. 6 Gen. 1. 3. Ezek. 16. 6 Eph. 5. 14. Rom. 8. 37. 1 Cor. 2. 9. Joh. 8. 36. Rom. 8. 38. Gal. 4. 4 , 5. Joh. 10. 18. Ezek. 16. 6 Ps . 116. 7. Heb 10. 7. Mat. 10. 45 2 Joh. 3. 1. Eph. 1. 4. Eph. 1. 4. Eph. 2. 4. Eph. 3. 19. Song 5. 8. 1 Joh. 3. 1. Rev. 1. 5. Eph. 1. 4. Ezek. 16 6 Jer. 3. 7. Isa . 65. 1. Eph. 2. 4. Eph. 1. 4. 1 Ioh. 3. 2. 1 Cor. 2. 9. Rom. 5. 7. Rom. 5. 7. Ioh. 8. 21. Isa . 64. 6. Rom. 5. 1. Ioh. 17. 24. Hos . 14. 4. Isa . 64. 6. Psal . 63. 3. Rom. 8. 39 Eph. 3. 19. Hos . 11. 4. Eph. 3. 19. 1 Cor. 13. 9 Rom. 3. 30. Col. 3. 1 , 2. Rom. 5. 1. Eph. 5. 14. Rom. 5. 1. Rom. 7. 24. 1 Pet. 1. 6. Eph. 3. 8. Rom. 7. 25. Joh. 16. 22. 2 Cor. 5. 14 2 Co. 13. 11 Notes for div A57248-e50150 Mat. 3. 17. Eph. 1. 4. Phil. 4. 4. Rom. 8. 38 Phil. 3. 3. Phil. 3. 9. Psal . 66. 1. Psa . 18. 49 Eze. 16. 14 Col. 2. 10. Rev. 19. 8. Col. 2. 3. Mat. 3. 17. 1 Cor. 3. 21 Heb. 10. 19 Mat. 21. 22 Gal. 4. 7. Psal . 2. 6. Rom. 5. 8. Eph. 2. 13. Heb. 10. 11 Joh. 17. 21. Joh. 17. 24. Rom. 8. 35 Psal . 4. 6. Luk. 12. 19 Luk. 12. 19 Psal . 49. 6. Psal . 49. 6. Phil. 3. 8. Rom. 10. 3. Phil. 3. 7. Col 3. 4. Acts 7. 37. Luk. 2. 11. 1 Cor. 15. 19 Rom 7. 18. Joh. 15. 5. Mar. 15. 34 1 Cor. 1. 30 Ro. 23. 24. Rom. 7. 23 Eph. 2. 13. Psal . 71. 16 Phil. 3. 7. Phil. 3. 8. Rom. 8. 38 Psal . 71. 16 Col. 3. 11. Phil. 3. 21. Gal. 6. 14. Rom. 8. 37 1 Pet. 1. 8. Phil. 3. 3. Col. 2. 3. Rom. 8. 17. Phil. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 5. 14 Col. 3. 23. Rev. 2. 10. 
A67743	----	The cause and cure of ignorance, error, enmity, atheisme, prophanesse, &c., or, A most hopefull and speedy way to grace and salvation, by plucking up impediments by the roote reduced to explication, confirmation, application, tending to illumination, sanctification, devotion / by R. Younge ... Younge, Richard. 1648 Approx. 379 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 152 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A67743 Wing Y143 ESTC R16605 12545839 ocm 12545839 63051 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A67743) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 63051) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 952:31) The cause and cure of ignorance, error, enmity, atheisme, prophanesse, &c., or, A most hopefull and speedy way to grace and salvation, by plucking up impediments by the roote reduced to explication, confirmation, application, tending to illumination, sanctification, devotion / by R. Younge ... Younge, Richard. [60], 242 p. By R.I. for N. Brook ..., Printed at London : 1648. Reproduction of original in Bodleian Library. Index: p. [39]-[60] Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. 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Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Grace (Theology) -- Early works to 1800. Salvation -- Early works to 1800. Calvinism -- Great Britain. 2002-11 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2002-12 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-01 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2003-01 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE Cause and Cure of Ignorance , Error , Enmity , Atheisme , Prophanesse , &c. OR , A most Hopefull and Speedy way to grace and salvation , by plucking up impediments by the roote . Reduced to Explication , * Confirmation , Application : tending to Illumination , sanctification , devotion . By R. YOUNGE of Roxwell in ESSEX . They call evill good and good evill , &c. They justifie the wicked , and take away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him , Isai. 5.20.23 . Wherefore slew Cain his brother , but because his own works were evill , and his brothers good , 1 Joh. 3.12 . I was before a blasphemer , and a persecutor , and injurious , but I obtained mercy , because I did it ignorantly in unbeliefe 1 Tim. 1.13 . Printed at London by R.I. for N. Brook at the signe of the Angel in Cornhill , MDCXLVIII . Courteous Reader , HAving perused this Cause and Cure of Enmity ; Prophanesse , &c. we finde it to containe , a lively description of the worlds envy and hatred to the godly : Together with a perspicuous discovery , of the originall , Continuance , Properties , and Causes of the same . In which also the Ignorance , Atheisme , and Prophannesse of most men ; are pithily & pathetically painted out ; & the remedies of either prescribed , with many forcible inducements to a pious life , and religious conversation : saving knowledge , and true wisdome soundly described , and distinguished from their counterfiets ; with the meanes to attain both : The necessity of repentance , &c. prest home . All which , is laid down pithily , orderly , and ellegantly : with much , both sinuous strength of argument , and variety of gracefull , and delightfull illustration : which may draw on the Reader , to his no small benefit , and ( through Gods blessing ) prove of much use , to all sorts that shall reade the same : whether for information , or direction ; diswasion from evill , or confirmation in good : as tending much to the comforting of beleevers in their sufferings ; and to the reclayming , or ( at least ) the convincing of such as any way oppose the way of truth . So that whatsoever time , labour or dilligence ; thou shalt spend in often reading the same : we doubt not , but the profit wil recompence thy paines abundantly . George VValker . Edm. Calamy . Joseph Caryll . An Advertisement to all such ; as speake evill of the way of truth : and of the things which they understand not , 2 Pet. 2.12 . MY brethren , many of you to my knowledge ; have read this Cure , and highly approv●d of it : but for want of acquaintance with your owne hearts , you thinke it concernes others , not you . As David thought of Nathans parable , 2 Sam. 12.1 . to 8. And Ahab of the Prophets , 1 King. 20.39 . to 43. when it concerned no lesse , then his owne life . So that these lines to you ( for want of application ) are but as so many characters , written in the water , which leave no impression behind them . For you are the same men ●till , as bitter malignants to the power of godlinesse ; and as much forestalled with prejudice against the religious as you were before . Though I did hope better things , both of you and it : & that upon good probability . For it cannot be denyed ; but I have said sufficient in this , and the succeeding parts ( which sundry of you have read also ) if not to convert , yet at least to convince all gainsayers : and consequently to stop the mouth of iniquity , which is set so wide-open : To quench those tongues , which are set on fire from hell ; And to charm the mouth , of the most envious Momus , that ever hell did hatch ; from barking at professors , and practisers of piety . Which makes mee feare , that what this will not effect , no ordinary meanes are like to doe . As what can bee further expected ? No glasse can more lively represent your faces , than this booke does your hearts ; Onely this is the misery , as when a child beholds his owne face in a glasse ; hee thinkes hee sees another child's face , and not his owne : So fares it with you . Which is the sole cause , that in the middest of so much means so few are converted : for otherwise , the word of God is so powerfull ; and the Gospel so ravishing : that the World could not stand before it , without submitting to it . Whereas for want of applying it to their owne consciences : every one can evade , whatsoever their Ministers can speak to them out of the word . I have shewne you what God in his word speakes , and proved that your condition is no whit better then the condition of Caine , and Ishmael , and Hamman , and Eliab , a●d Goliah , and Michal , and Doeg and Shemei , and Rabshekah , and Tobia , and Sandballat , and Pashur , and Zedekiah , and Herod , and Saint Paul before his conversion , and Ananias the high Preist , and Demetrius the Silver-smith , and Alexander the Copper-smith , and Elimas the Sorcerer . What , doe you looke that Christ Iesus himselfe from Heaven should call to you severally by name ; as he did to Saul : and say ho Ishmael such an one ; Or ho Elimas such an one ; Why doest thou persecute me ? I am Jesus whom thou persecutest , Acts 9.4 , 5. And this booke is an Epistle , which I have caused to be writ unto thee ; therefore see thou bee warned by it , and perswaded to repent : or I will come against thee shortly , and will fight against thee , with the sword of my mouth , except thou amend , Rev. 2.6 . — & 3.20 . And yet if Christ himselfe should doe so : I question whether you would bee any more warned , or reclaimed by it ; than Hazaell was , when the Prophet told him what abominable wickednesse hee should commit , 2 Kings 8.12 , 13. &c. Abraham tels Dives as much in effect , Lu. 13.31 . I know you thinke well of your selves , and so did Hazaell : which made him answer the Prophet , what is thy servant a Dog ; that I should doe this great evill ? though hee afterward did it , and was worse then any Dogge . Yea , you call your selves Christians , and will face us downe , that you are the servants of God : and that the word may prove your baine , the prophanest of you can snatch the comfort of every promise you hear ; as belonging to you , witnesse my Sovereign Antedote , in which there is not one word of comfort for ; or intended , for you that are scoffers : but for such as suffer reproach for the name of Christ , and for well-doing . Yet it is admirable to consider , how you comment upon those comforts , and apply every passage therein ; to your selves , & against the godly : In which case it is hard to say , whether your applying the promises in that , and such like books and sermons : or your not applying the threats , and precepts in this , and the like , will most occasion your finall impenitency . And whether it best pleases Satan , that you thus read , and heare Gods word ; or that you neither reade , nor heare it at all . Oh the many wayes that Satan hath , to gull , and delude carnall men : and how willing , and apt they are to gul , & delude themselves ! But consider ! Hath God made any promise to Scoffers ? Or can the Crosse of Christ , save them that continue malitious enemies to his Crosse ? Phil. 3.18 . No , God hath promised to shew mercy unto thousands , of them that love him & keep his cōmandments Exod. 20.5 , 6. And to forgive the most unrighteous , if they will forsake their evill wayes , and returne unto him , Isay 55.7 . And Christ hath made a generall Proclamation , that whosoever ( have they formerly been never so wicked and vicious ) shall repent and beleeve , and obey the Gospell shall be saved , Marke 16.16 . Heb. 5.9 . But withall Christ hath no lesse told us , ( and I pray marke it ) that except we repent , and beleeve , we shall for ever perish , and bee damned Marke 16.16 . Luke 13.3 , 5. and threatned , that hee will come the second time , in flaming fire , to render vengeance unto them , that know him not ; and that obey not his Gospell , 2 Thess. 1.7.8 . Psalm . 11.6 . Adding , that no unrighteous persons , shall inherit the Kingdome of God : but shall have their part , and portion in that Lake , which burneth with fire and brimstone , which is the second death , 1 Cor. 6.9 , 10. Gal. 5.21 . Revel . 21.8 . And that without holinesse , no man shall see the Lord , Heb. 12.14 , and God no lesse tels us , that hee will recompence every man , according to his workes , be they good or evill , Revel . 20.13 . and 22.12 . Rom. 2.6 . Jer. 25.14 . and 32.19 . and 50.29 . and 51.56 . Ezek. 7.4.8 , 9. and 9.10 . and 11.21 . and 16.43 . Yea hee tels us expresly ; that he will not be mercifull unto such , as flatter themselves in an evill way : but that his wrath , and jealousie shall smoake against them ; and every curse that is written in his booke shall light upon them , &c. Deut. 29.19 , 20. And that if we will not regard , nor hearken unto him , when he calls upon us for repentance : he will not hear , nor regard us , when in our distresse , and anguish we shall call upon him for mercy : but even laugh at our destruction , and mocke when our fear commeth , Prov. 1.24 . to 33. Neither is salvation more promised to the godly , in any part of the Bible ; Old Testament or New : than eternall death , and destruction is threatned to the wicked . For though to all repentant sinners , he is a most mercifull God : yet to wilfull , and impenitent sinners he is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 . Deut. 4.24 . Doe you indeed beleeve , that hee who is truth it selfe ; speakes as hee meanes in his word ? Or will you hearken to God , and Christ , rather than to Satan and your deceitfull Heart : that would gull you of your soule , and plunge you into everlasting horror ? If so , take notice ; that Christ came not to be a Patron for sin ; but that he might destroy the body of sin , and the workes of the Devill in us 1 Iohn 3.8 . and to sanctifie , as well as to save us , Rom. 6.5 , 6. Titus 2.11 , 12 , 14. Luke 1.74 , 75. And that the very end of Gods electing , and of Christs redeeming us , was : that we might be holy , Ephe. 1.4 . Matth. 19.17 . And therefore hee binds it with an oath : That whomsoever he redeemeth , out of the hands of their spirituall enemies : they shall worship him in holinesse , and righteousnesse all the dayes of their lives , Luke 1.73 , 74 , 75. 1 Pet. 2.24 . Nor ought any indeed , to call upon Christ ; or once to name him with their mouthes : except they depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2 . 1● . And this do all that are spirituall , 1 Cor. 2.14 , 15. Such as resolve to doe Gods will , Psalm . 111.10 . ( to whom alone Christ reveales himselfe savingly , Iohn 15.14 , 15. 1 Iohn 2.20 . ) know : that if you were Christians indeede , as you say you are : you would immitate Christ , and indeavour to square your lives according to his Gospell , 1 Iohn 2.4 , 5 , 6. Iohn 15.14 , 15. Or if you were Gods servants , you would doe what hee commands ! 1 Iohn 1.6 , 7. Mall . 1.6 . Ier. 7.23 . and 26.13 . But certainly , as Linacre said long since , so may I now . Either the New Testament is none of Christ's Gospell : or you are not Christians , Iohn 8.31 . Gal. 5.24 . 1 Iohn 5.3 . And so of the Old , either it is none of God's word : or you are none of his servants . As marke what the Holy Ghost saith ; Rom. 6. Know ye not , that to whom ye yeeld your selves as servants to obey ; his servants ye are to whom ye obey ? v. 16. to 23. 2 Pet. 2.19 . And 2 Cor. 5. If any man be in Christ , he is a new creature , v. 17.2 Tim. 2.19 . and our saviour himself , who affirmes that wee are the Children of the Devill : if wee doe the workes of the Devill , Iohn 8.34 , 44. Luke 14.26 . And what worke , or service , can the Devil put you upon like this ? which both blockes up the way to heaven so ; and opens such a flood-gate to all prophanesse : that few , or scarse any , doe sufficiently discerne and deplore . But that Satan is your Father , your King , and your God : and how you advance his Kingdom , by your daily scoffs , reproaches , &c. 1 in detaining many from entering into a Religious course . 2 in staggering many Who have made some progresse in the way . 3 in keeping many From doing the good which they would , or appearing the same which they are . 4 in beating many Cleane off from their profession . 5 in hardening many And making them resolve against goodnesse . 6 in intentionally slaying many With death eternall . the insuing pages , sufficiently shew . Onely I would ( if it were possible ) make your selves acknowledge , that you are the men there spoken of . For though all experiensed Christians know , and God in his word tels you plainely : that Satan is the God of all unbeleevers , 2 Cor. 4.4 . And their King , Iohn 14.30 . and 12.31 . And their Father , Gen. 3.15 . Iohn 8.44 . And that they are all his Servants , kept by the Devill in a snare ; and taken captive of him at his will , 2 Tim. 2.26 . And that hee ruleth by , and worketh his pleasure in ; all the children of disobedience , Ephe. 2.2 , 3. Yet poore soules , you know it not : as those foure hundred of Ahabs Prophets , in whom this evill spirit spake ; did not know that Satan spake by them , 1 Kings 22.22 . Neither did Iudas know , when he eate the sop that Sathan entred into him ; and put it into his heart to betray Christ Iohn 13.2 . For hee had more plausible ends in it , as thinking that Christ could at pleasure , deliver himselfe out of their hands , and the like . Neither do Magistrates ( when they cast the servants of God into prison ) once imagine ; that the Devill makes them his Jaylors : but hee doth so , whence that phrase of the Holy Ghost , The Devill shall cast some of you into prison , Rev. 2.10 . They are his instruments , but hee is the principall Author . Neither did Ananias , and Saphira once thinke ; that Satan had filled their hearts , or put that lye into their mouthes , which they were strooke dead for , Acts 5. yet the Holy ghost tels us plainly , that hee did so , ver . 3. No , Eve in Paradise : had not the least suspision , that it was Sathan that spake to her by the Serpent : nor Adam , that it was the Devills mind in her mouth : his heart in her lips , when tempted to eate the forbidden fruite . Nor did David once dreame , that it was Sathan , which moved him to number the people , 1 Chron. 21.1 . Much lesse did Peter ; who so dearly loved Christ ; imagine that he was set on by Sathan , to tempt his own Lord and Master with those affectionate words ; Master pity thy self : for if Christ had pitied himselfe , Peter , and all the World had perished . Yet hee was so , which occasioned Christ to answer him ; get thee behind me Sathan Mat. 16.22 , 23. Whence we may argue , that if Sathan can make the best , and wisest of Gods children and servants : who hate the very appearance of evill , 1 Thess. 5.22 . Iude 23. Eph. 5.27 . 2 Pet. 3.14 . Iam. 1.27 . have the eye of faith , and the spirits direction , and know the minde of Christ , 1 Cor. 2.12 , 13 , 15 , 16. Iohn 10.14 above others ; to doe him such service unwittingly , and besides their intention : how much more can he prevaile with , and make use of his owne servants , and children ; that delight only in wickednesse , and have not the least knowledge of , or ability to discerne spirituall things , 1 Cor. 2.14 . 2 Cor. 4.4 . 1 Tim. 4.2 . But will you know , how it comes to passe ? that you call evill good , and good evill ; put darkenesse , for light and light for darkenesse ; bitter for sweet , and sweet for bitter : that you justifie the wicked , and take away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him , Isai. 5.20.23 . And so fight under Sathans banner against Gods people : And yet take your selves to bee ( not Sathans but ) Gods servants ? I will shew you five maine Reasons of it ; I pray marke them . First , So long as you are in your naturall condition ; you have eyes and see not , eares and heare not , hearts and understand not spirituall things : As Christ himselfe plainly affirmes Matth. 13.15 . and his Apostle , Acts 28.27 . and before them both the Prophet Isay chap. 6.9.10 . And the reason of that is , you have a vaile or curtaine drawne over your hearts : which is never taken away untill ye turne to the Lord by repentance : at which time it is taken away , as you may reade , 2 Cor. 3.14 , 15 , 16. Rom. 12.2 . 1 Cor. 2.14 , 15 , 16. Secondly long custome , and the commonnesse of this sinne ; hath taken away the sense of it , 1 Tim. 4.2 . Heb. 3.13 . Yea , quite turned it from a sin ( and that the greatest ) to a vertue . As how many in this land , for all they are Traytors to God ; and take up armes against all that worship him in spirit & in truth : would yet be counted ( and are so by the blind world ) not onely honest men ; but good Christians ? Whereas if it were not so common , and in fashion : they would be counted very Atheists , and Devills : and so they are accounted of all , but them that are Atheists . How many that scoffe at , traduce , and nick-name the conscionable Puritans ; and hate them , even for the graces of Gods spirit which shine in them : would yet be counted Religious men ? whereas if it were not so usuall , and that custome had not bleered mens minds : it would bee counted no better than open rebellion , and blasphemy against God : & so it is counted , by all but them that use it . This sin is counted no sin ; and yet it is the most desperate sinne ; and does more hurt than all his fellowes . Thirdly , To helpe forward : when God sends to you his Gospell , thereby to cure and save you ; you will not be cured , Jer. 51.9 . Yea , you so hate the light of the Gospell ; that you shun it all you can least your deeds should be reprooved , John 3.19 , 10. Or else you stop your eares , and shut your eyes ; least you should see with your eyes , and heare with your eares , and should understand with your hearts ; and should he converted , and Christ should heale you , as himselfe affirmes , Matth. 13.15 . And what is light to him , that will shut his eyes against it ? Or reason to him that will stop his eares from hearing it . Fourthly , Here upon ; because you will not receive the truth in love , that you might be saved : for this cause , God gives you up to strong delusions ; that you should beleeve a lye . That all of you might be damned , who beleeve not the the truth ; but take pleasure in unrighteousnesse : They are the very words of the Holy ghost , 2 Thess. 2.10 , 11 , 12. of which see more , Rom. 1.21 . to 32. Fiftly and lastly , Sathan the God of this World ; hath blinded your mindes , that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ , which is the image of God ; should not shine unto you , 2 Cor. 4.3 , 4. Ephes. 2.2 . 2 Thess. 2.9 , 10. 1 Tim. 4.2 . For as Sathan is the Prince of darkenesse , so hee rules in the darkenesse of the understanding : dealing with wicked men , as Faulkoners do with their Haukes , who that they may carry them quietly , and doe what they list unto them : First blinde their eyes with a hood . Neither could men else hear the Gospell ( day after day , and yeare after yeare ) which is the strong arme of the Lord , and the mighty power of God to salvation , Rom. 1.16 . and the sword of the spirit , Ephe. 6.17 . and like as a fire or an Hammer that breaketh even the rocke in peeces . Ier. 23.29 , 30. And that irresistable Cannon shot , that is mighty to beat downe all the strong holds of sinne and Sathan , 2 Cor. 10.4 . quick and powerfull And sharper then any two edged sword ; and peir●eth even to the dividing asunder of the soule and spirit , and of the joynts and marrow , and to the discerning of the very thoughts , and secret intents of the heart , Heb. 4.12 . And stand it out , even refusing the free offer of grace and salvation . Neither could they other then hate sin , & love holinesse : For ( besides that any wise man , would rather be saved than damned ) Plato a very heathen could say , that vertue if it be clearly seene ; moves great love and affection . Yea , if wee could descerne good from evill perfectly ; that subtile Serpent , could deceive no longer . And because hee cannot force men against their wills ; ( which leaves us without excuse ) for though that old Sheba , blowes many an inticing blast , to carry us away from our true allegiance to Christ Iesus our King : yet the minde of man is not capable of a violation , either from man or Sathan : therefore he useth his utmost pollicy to perswade us . And by desception of our reason ( whereby we mistake vertue for vice , and vice for vertue ) hee cheefly prevailes . For no vice could ever bee loved but for the seeming good which it makes shew of . And Sathan is so cunning a Sophister , and so dexterous a Retoritian in perswading : that hee desires no more , then to bee heard speake . As what thinke you ; if that old Serpent and Sophister , did so easily perswade Eve by himself , and Adam by her to beleeve what hee spake : though they had heard God himselfe say the contrary immediatly before : what hope have wee to stand out ? being so extreamly degenerated . If they in the state of innocency , when they had wisdome at wil , and reason at command ; found him too hard for them ; when they fell once to argue the case with him ; how much more too weake shall wee finde our selves , that are as wee are ; and when our owne flesh is become our Enemy , and his cunning Soliciter . My brethren ! be no longer deceived , but hearken more to what God speaks in his word ; lesse to the Tempter : for hee will set a faire coulour , upon the foulest sinne that ever was committed , witnesse his words to Eve , when shee eate the forbidden fruite , at the price of death eternall , Gen. 3. Witnesse the glorious pretences which Hammon made to Ahashuerosh ; that he might procure that bloody decree , against all the Iewes , Ester 3. and a thousand more which I could reckon up . And so on the contrary , what good action can bee so splendent , and glorious ; but hee will bring reasons in appearance , to make it , not onely faulty , but odious ? witnesse our saviours casting out devills : which saith he ( by the mouthes of the Scribes and Pharisees ) is done through Belzebub : hee will make the people beleeve , that either the action is evill ; or if good , not God but himselfe will have the glory of it , Matt. 12.24 . Yea , through Sathans subtilty , Christ was made the greatest offender ; that offended not once in all his life , which would make a wise man suspect his owne judgement or the common fame , & to examin things throughly , before they condemne one , whom they know no evill by . But not to weary you with instances , If hee can perswade men ( as hee hath done millions ) that they shall doe God good service , in putting his prophets to death : as Christ himselfe expresly tell us , Iohn 16.2 . What can hee not perswade them to ? As what stone so rough , but hee can smooth it ? what stuffe so pittifull , but hee can set a glosse upon it ? for like a Beare , hee can lick into fashion , the mostmis-shapen , and deformed lumpe . Or like a Dogge , heale any wound hee can reach with his tongue . Yea , your selves cannot choose but know ( except you bee starke blinde ) what golden eloquence , he will whisper in your eares ; what brasen impudence , what subtile shifts , what quainte querks , what cunning conveyances ; what jugling , shuffling , and packing hee will use ; to make any sin feasible , like the Hare which if shee dare not trust to her speed ; she will try the turne . And so on the contrary , to discourage Gods people in good . Neither could concupisence bring forth sin , without the consent of reason : and reason would never consent , so long as the eyes are open . Yea ▪ if the light of knowledge , might freely shine in the soule ; Sathans suggestions would soon make him ashamed , and vanish with all his workes of darknesse . Or if temptations , might bee but turned about and shewne on both sides ; his Kingdome would not be so populous , wherefore when he sets upon any poore soule ; he shews the baite , hides the hooke . Whence it is , that Sathan hath more servants to fight for him here below ; then the Trinity which made us : Else how should that bee true , which our saviour Christ , and his Apostles so often inculcate ? viz. that the whole World lyeth in wickednesse , 1 John 5.19 . That the number of those , whom Sathan shall deceive , is as the sand of the Sea , Revel . 20.8 . and 13.16 . Isay 10.22 . Rom. 9.27 . That the greatest number , goe the broade way to destruction : and but a few the narrow way , which leadeth unto life Matth. 7.13 , 14. That many are caled ( viz. by the outward ministery of the word ) but few chosen , Matth. 20.16 . and 22.14 . sad predictions ! Oh that we could not apply them ! but experience shewes , that among them that call themselves Christians ; scarse one of an hundred ; whose practise is answerable ; either to the gospell , their christian profession , or the millions or mercies they have received . Yea , notwithstanding the Holy ghost tells us in the word ; and wee heare it dayly ; That every man shall be judged according to his workes ; be they good or evill , Revel 20.13 . and 22.12 . And that we shall give an account , at the day of judgement : for every idle word wee speake , Matth. 12.36 . And that wee neede no other ground of our last , and heaviest doome : then ye have not given , ye have not visited &c. Matth. 25.41 . to 46. and that the righteous , shall scarsly be saved , And that many shall seeke to enter in at the strait gate and shall not be able , Luke 13.24 . the which scriptures , if they bee true ? what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation , and godlinesse as the Apostle speakes , 2 Pet. 3.11 . And yet most men live , as if the Gospell were quite contrary to the rule of the Law : as if God were neither to bee feared , nor cared for . As if they were neither beholding to him , nor affraid of him : both out of his debt and danger . Yea , as if there were no God to judge , nor Hell to punish , nor heaven to reward . I cannot think of it without astonishment ! I remember Cyprian , brings in the Devill triumphing over Christ in this manner ; As for my followers sayth the Devill ; I never dyed for them , as Christ hath done for his : I never promised them so great reward , as Christ hath done to his : and yet I have more followers than hee ; and they doe more for me , than his doe for him . Oh that men would duly consider how true this is , and amend before the draw-bridge bee taken up : but this is the misery , and a just plague upon our so much formality , and prophanesse under our so much meanes of grace : there bee very few men , that make not the whole Bible , and all the Sermons they heare ; yea , the checks of their owne consciences , and the motions of Gods spirit utterly in-effectuall for want of wit and grace to apply the same to themselves , whereas if they would rightly and ingenuously apply but one text or two , as Matth. 7.12 . and 16.26 . or the like unto their owne soules : as they can unto others ( being better able to discerne others moates , than their owne beames ) they might be everlastingly happy . But this is the gift of God alone , and naturall men love their sins , better than their soules . Objection , But you will say , what is this to us ? Wee live unrebukably , wee pay every man his owne ; wee are temperate , chaste , &c. wee goe duely to Church ; pray in our families ; make conscience of swearing , lying , &c. Answer , But does it flow from a pious and good heart sanctified by the Holy ghost , 1 Tim. 1.5 . Acts 15.9 . Is it done in faith , and out of right ends as out of love , and obedience ? because God commands the same ; that hee may bee glorified , and others edified thereby . Otherwise , all your best performances ; are no better in Gods account ; then the offering of swins blood : or the cutting off of a dogs neck , as himselfe shewes Isay 58. chap. and 66.3 . 1 John 3 12. Matth. 7.22 , 23. Againe doe you pay God his dues also : doe you repent , and beleeve the Gospell : precepts and menaces , as well as promises ? doe you declare your faith by your workes ? doe you pray by the power of the spirit ? and with the understanding also ? 1 Cor. 14.15 . doe you receive the word with good and honest hearts ? reade , conferre and meditate upon it ? and also bring forth the fruits of it in your lif and conversation ? doe you sanctifie his Sabbaths ? and see that all under you doe the same ? love his children , promote his glory , and strive to gaine others to imbrace the Gospell ? instruct your children and servants , and teach them to feare the Lord ? doe you feare an oath ? hate a lye , & c ? love zeale , and devotion in others ? make conscience of evill thoughts ? vaine , and unprofitable words ? grieve for your unprofitablenesse under the meanes of grace ? for the evill which cleaves to your very best actions ? and for sins of omissions , & c ? No , you may bee good morrall honest men : but none of these graces , grow in the Gardens of your hearts . You have a forme of godlinesse , but you deny the power of it : and are reprobate to every good worke 2 Tim. 3.5 . Titus 1.16 . Yea , have you not strange conceits , and base thoughts of the best men ? doe you not deeply censure , & condemne the generation of the just ? and thinke the worse of a man , for having of a tender conscience ? doe you not envy , hate , scoffe at , nick-name , raile on and slander the people of God ; and mis-consture their actions and intentions ? watch for their halting , and combine with others against them ? doe you not with Festus , account zeale madnesse ? and religion foolishnesse with Michal ? For men of the world , think the Religious fooles , and madde-men : but the Religious know them to be fooles and madde-men . Doe you not sharpen your tongues in gall ; and dip your pens in poyson , to disgrace the graces of God in his children ? yea , have you not beaten off many from being religious by your scoffes and reproaches ? and made them resolve against goodness ? and staggered others , that have made some progresse in holinesse ? yes , every place where you come , and all that you are conversant withall , can witnesse it . Yea , you hate zeale , and devotion so invetterately ; that you can in no wise , bear with it in others . I speake not by rote ; for would I be so uncivill as you are , or doe by you , as you by others : I could name hundereds of you : though you will not confesse it , when taken in the manner ; but justifie your so doing , by many collourable pretences . For poore soules , you are so ignorant of Sathans wiles , Ephes. 6.11 . That with Saint Paul before his conversion , you persecute the Church of God : even out of zeale , to the traditions of your fathers , Gal. 1.13 , 14. Phil. 3.6 . Which is the case almost of who not ! for this sinne , is so epidemicall that take forty men where you please City or Country , As they dwell , passe the streets , or sit in their pues : and nine and thirty of them are malignants to the power of religion . You will say it is a big word ; but I have warrant for it : doth not our Saviour say , you shall be hated of all men and nations for my names sake , Matth , 10.22 . and 24.9 . which infers , that all who are not hated for religion , are haters of religion . Neither is Christ's name , any where more spoken against , then in Israel , Luke 2.34 . where all professe themselves to bee Gods people . The like place you have Matth. 5.11 . And what is meant by these words ? I will put enmity betweene the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman , Gen. 3.15 ? but that all men living , are either the womans , or the serpents seed . As for other sins , one man is given to lust , another to intemperance , a third to swearing , a fourth to cousening , some to more than one , some to all of them : but who is not tainted with this sinne ? who is not an open or secret enemy to holinesse ? by reason of that generall contempt , which is cast upon professors . Yea , who is there , even of those that have resigned up their pride , and their lust , and their lying , and their co●sening ; or what other sinnes they have beene prone to ? with whom this sinne doth not remaine , as though they had a dispensation for this evill . Yea , and thinke they doe wond●rous well in it for they delude themselves , with a multitude of mispris●ons , and false surmises against the godly ; the soules of most men , being drowned in their senses ; and carried away with weake opinions , raised from vulgar mistakes , and shadowes of things . And which is worst of all ; they have so hardned their hearts , and so seared their consciences , with accustomary using it , even from their infancy : that a man were as good speake to a stone , ( Ezek. 11.19 . ) as admonish them of it , having Pharoah's curse upon them , an hard heart , and a seared conscience . And a bruit beast , is as capable of good councel as they . Yea , braying in a Morter , as Solomon speakes would not alter them Prov. 27.22 . Neverthelesse , though they resemble those Beasts that went into the Arke uncleane ; and came out againe uncleane : yet it shall comfort me , that I have done my best , to plucke up this infectious weede out of mens hearts : that I have hopefully ministred unto them ; whom I cannot cure . And that I have brought water enough , to wash these Blackamores white : if it were in the power of water to do it Besides I did it as well for the godlies sake , as for theirs : I considered , how my selfe was formerly forestalled with prejudice against goodnesse ; and how extreamly I mis-judged both actions and persons ; by reason of that generall contempt , which was cast upon Professors : which for many yeares hindred me from entering upon a religious course . Yea , when God of his free grace , and good pleasure had brought me out of darknesse , into his marvellous light : and touched my heart with the load-stone of the Gospell : that I was not beaten off againe , from ever being religious ; ( through the daily scoffes , and reproaches which in every place I met withall ; for refusing to doe as others , with whom I was conversant ) no reason can be rendered but that of the Apostle , whom he did predestinate ; them he also called , and justified , and saved . Rom. 8.30 . And O the depth , Rom. 11.33 . Wherefore when once my judgement was cleared , and my prejudice cured : by the sage councell of a friend , and by pondering these few scriptures , 2 Tim. 3.12 . Mat. 10.22 , 23. &c. and 24 . 9●● Luke 2.34 . and 4.29 . Iohn 15.20 . Gen. 3.15 . 1 Iohn 3.13 . 1 Pet. 4.12 , 13 , 14. Luke 14 , 27. and 6.26 . Mat. 5.10 , 11 , 12. Phill. 1.28 , 29. Both of them being driven home , or set on by the rodde of affliction : By Gods grace , I not onely shooke off this slavish yoke of bondage and feare , in which Sathan for the present held mee : But probably conjectured , that God would inable mee to discover and sound this depth of malice in Sathan & his adherents , which makes them so swel and rage against the godly : And thereby so convince the one , that they should not dare to pervert the straight wayes of the Lord , by turning away the weake from the faith : And so furnish the other , with Armour of proof against their scornes that they might see there was no cause ; nor have the least thought , or purpose of returning . For the effecting whereof , I have not beene sparing in either paines or prayer to God ; for divine a●sistance ( it being a subject , that none , ( as I conceive ) have hitherto handled ) which I found extended to me , blessed bee his holy name beyond my expectation . Indeed we may speake to the eare , but God alone hath the key of the heart , Acts 16.14 . To whose blessing I leave the successe , and its use to the world . Humbly beseeching the Almighty , that these lines may not rise up in judgement against those Hazaells ; that have read them and are never the better : And so instead of curing their sinne , prove a meanes to increase their torment . R. Y. An Alphabeticall Table , both for the Book , and for the Advertisement . A. ACtions , our best actions abominable , except they proceed from right ends , and a heart sanctified . Advertisement . Aa . Accuse , wicked accuse the godly of many things , but prove nothing . Page 68 They will coyne matter to accuse us . 70 They dazle mens eyes with false accusations . 73 And have a great advantage therein of the godly . 63 They have so hardened their hearts , that we were as good admonish a stone . Ad. Ee Adversities , distinction of them . 27 Agree , impossible the good and bad should ever agree . 132 Carnall men can agree with any , so they be not religious . 133 Though they differ in other things , they will agree against the godly . 133 Agreement in some points doth but advance hatred the more . 136 Anthipathy , a secret enmity , and antipathy between the wicked and the godly . 2 Look enmity . All means ineffectuall for want of application . Ad. A. B Want of application the cause of all impiety . Ad. A. B.Z What chiefly concernes us wee apply to others . Ad. A. Z The most prophane can apply the promises which belong only to such as suffer for well-doing . Ad. D Hard to say whether their applying the promises , or not applying the precepts and threats , doth most occasion their finall impenitency . Ad. E Assitance , divine assistance in time of triall . 192 Atheisme , fruits of it wherewith the lands abounds . Look unbeleef . 23 Atheists on earth , none in hell . 214 Fire and brimstone shall confute all Atheists . 219 The most grounded Atheisme hath a mixture of beleefe . 215.217 Atheists would give all they have to bee sure there were no bell . 216 Their convicted consciences shall be witnesses against their unbeleefe . 218 None so confirmed in Atheisme , but will feare in time of danger . 211 At least on their death beds they confesse a God. 212 B. Beliefe , unbeliefe , a cause of persecuting us . 202 Proved by testimonies . ibid. By examples . ib. By experience . 204 Men think they believe , but do not . ib. Evidences of mens unbeliefe . 205 A carnall heart flint to God , wax to Satan . 221 That most men believe not an hell , proved undeniably . 226 Did men believe the word , or a judgement to come , they durst not live as they doe . 208.226 Carnall men believe the promises , but neither the precepts , nor threats . 222 All men apt enough to presume upon Gods mercy . 220. Ad. D All true believers the children of God. 131 All unbelievers children of the divell . ib. Sathan the God , King , and father of all unbelievers . Ad. K Admonition to beware , before it proves too late . 230 All that hath or can be spoken , will prove fruitlesse , except Gods blessing doe accompany it . Ad. Hh Bruising the head , what is meant by it . 32. And what by bruising the heele . 33. Byble Gen. 3.15 . an epitomy of it . 35 C Causes of hatred and persecution eleven . 127.239 Censure , they censure our actions , and misconsture our intentions . 64 They passe over our good parts . 69 Look murmuring . To censure all for the faults of a few , is only the part of a fool . 148 But most are such fooles and beasts . ib. If Christians , we will imitate Christ , if Gods servants , we will doe what he commands . Ad. H Christians , if a tithe of them be Christians that are so called , there are millions of Christians in hell . 232 They combine together , and lay divelish plots to destroy the godly . 105 They will easily finde occasion . 107 Our serving of God shall be ground sufficient . 108 Or a Ministers saving of soules . ibid. The manner of their consultations . 106 Would we accompany them in evill , their malice would cease . 144 They condemne us that themselves may be justified . 66. Look judging . Means to confirm , comfort and strengthen us against the worlds hatred . 12 To consider before it prove too la●e . 214 They will make an evill construction of whatsoever we doe or speake 6 Constancy , such as feare God as immoveable as a rock . 253. Looke profession . They contemne the godly which is not for want of ignorance . 56 Contempt of Religion makes many resolve against goodnesse . 6 Contrariety a maine cause of hatred and persecution . 130 They are contrary and differ , 1. In their judgements touching Wisdome , Happinesse , Fortitude , Sin , Holinesse . 138 2. In their passions and affections of Love , Feare , Anger , Ioy , &c. 139 3. In their practice , and this breeds many a quarrell . 139 Sufficient hath been spoken to convince the most malicious . Ad. B They give devilish counsell against us . 72 Miserable condition of cowardly Christians . 4 Christ and his crosse inseparable . 10 They use to curse the godly . 87 And those that least deserve the same . 90 Curse us that they may discourage us . ib. Though they curse , yet God will blesse . 91 How miserably cursers shall bee cursed . 91 They that curse us , would kill us if they durst . 89 D. Of denying Christ a memorable example . 5. Look profession . Foule mouthed men and women are devills in Scripture phrase 83 Good men may differ in many things , yet agree in the maine . 157 A vast difference betweene another discipline , and another doctrine . 158 Discretion eats up devotion . 156 Wicked men thinke they grace themselves by disgracing others . 79 How fitly they are called dogs . 81 E. An enmity or war proclaimed betweene the wicked and godly . 15 The author proclayming ib. The Captaines and souldiers betweene whom . 16 Severall uses of instruction . 17 The certainty of this war. 20 Foure lessons of instruction . 21 The end why , threefold . 23 God the author , without being the author of sin . 24 Of which sundry reasons . ibid. The same further cleared . 26 Originall sin the originall of this discord . 23 The time threefold . 28 Vse of comfort . 29 The manner of their venting it . 30 The place threefold . ibid. What will be the issue , and who shall get victory . 32 This war is perpetuall . 28 It was before the flood . 40 After the flood before the law . 41 After the law before Christ. ib. In the time of Christ and his Apostles . 42 After the Apostles in the time of the ten persecutions . 43 From the primitive times hitherto . 44 In the times wherein we live . 46 It will continue to the worlds end . 50 Application of the point . 52 Twenty two signes or properties of this enmity . 53 Foure mentall . ib. Eleven verball . 62 Seven actuall . 98 Eleven causes of this enmity . 130 First cause is contrariety . ibid. This enmity makes them forget all naturall affection . 49 Severall uses of their enmity . 124 , 125 To informe us whether we be children of the devill or members of Christ. 125 Application of the point . 52.168 They envy the godly , because better then themselves . 139 Application of the point 142 And because they fare better . 166 Application first to unhallowed Ministers . 168. Secondly to the rabble . 171 The good mans honour is the envious mans torment . 168 Envy the devils cognizance , as love is Christs 54 Example of the multitude . 239 Some of their excuses . 151 Genesis the 3.15 . opened and explained . 14 F. Triall of a Christian by the fruits of his faith . Ad. Aa , Bb Naturall men feare visible powers , not the invisible God. 210 Morall men count zeale madnesse , and Religion foolishnesse . Ad. Cc. To bee a Christian requires fortitude . 160 G. Wicked men manifest their enmity against the religious by their gesture . 98 As the tongue speaks to the ear , so the gesture speaks to the eye . 99 Gods goodnesse aggravates our wickednesse . 234 No living for the godly if their enemies hands were allowed to be as bloody as their hearts . 93 Nothing more contemned then goodnesse . 143 H. All naturall men hate the religious . 2.60 The best men most hated and spoken against . 1 All the Saints have been hated and persecuted . 11 They so hate holinesse , that they will hate men for it . Ad. Cc All hated for Religion , or haters of Religion . Ad. Dd Originall of this hatred . 14 They will hate a man to the death for being holy . 6. Look persecution . None but the desperately wicked will malice his brother for goodnesse . 165 They will hate us , because they have hurt us . 104 Causes of the worlds hatred eleven . 127 Many wives , children and servants hated for being religious . 135 Hatred for Religion the most bitter , implacable , &c. 136 Their hatred extends to the whole generation of the godly . 60 But they have not so much authority as malice . 61 Though their punishment shall be never the lesse . ibid. They will neither heare themselves , nor suffer others . 104 They come not to be caught by a Minister , but to catch him , 109 But are taken in the snare they spread for others . 110 As they belong to hell , so they speak the language . 89 A holy life cannot escape persecution . 47 We may appeale to themselves who are the honester men . 145 An humble man will never bee an heretique , 102 see pride . They will hurt and maime the godly . 115 I. Ignorance a main cause of hatred and persecution . 172 Proved by testimonies . 173 By examples , ib. By experience . 176 Ignorance the cause of all sin . 175 The more Ignorant the more malicious . 177 Ignorance ever makes the worst construction of things . 178 Ignorance causeth suspition , suspition hatred , &c. ib. Look wisdome , knowledge : Objection that great Schollers and wise men doe the same , answered , 179 They have inlightned heads , but darke hearts . 179 Their deeds prove them ignorant . 180 That Indifferent to one , that is not so to another . 58 To be scrupulous no ill signe , 159 In cases of a doubtfull nature , best to take the surest side . ib. It is well for the innocent , that the wicked cannot keep their own counsell . 94 They judge others by themselves . 67 Look censure , Meanes to cleare our judgements touching the worlds hatred . 8 Men may doubt , but the Devils beleeve a judgement to come . 219 The worst of men can justifie and think well of themselves . Ad. D. Five main reasons why they fight under Sathans banner , and yet thinke themselves Gods servants . Ad. N. 1 Their Ignorance of spirituall things , ib. 2 Long custome of this sin hath taken away the sense of it . Ad. O. 3 They reject all meanes of being bettered , Ad. P. 4 Because they will not receive the truth , they are given up to beleeve lies . ib. 5 Sathan the Prince of darkenesse blindes them . Ad. Q K. What knowledge is peculiar to the godly , and what common to them with hypocrites 188 No attaining supernaturall knowledge by any naturall meanes , 190 Saving knowledge such a jewell , that God gives it to none but his children . ib. Of which many instances , 191 The same further amplified , 192 See more of this in Wisdome and in Ignorance . L. Were it not for the Law , there were no living among wicked men . 49 The first part of conversion is to love them that love God , 180 Nothing hath proved more successefull to Sathan than lyes . 79 Wicked men lye , when they speak the truth , 88 Look slander . M. Carnall men think us mad , but wee know them so . 76 Malignants as witlesse as wicked , 175 Wicked mens malice , makes them like beasts or stocks . 116 Their malice a good signe wee belong to God , 13. Look hatred . Mercy , salvation not more promised to the repentant , than damnation is threatned to the impenitent . Ad. E Christ came not to be a patron for sin , but to destroy sin in us , and to sanctifie as well as to save us , Ad. G. If we will not hear Christ now , he will not hear us hereafter . ib. A powerfull Ministery most opposed . 101 Nor will they be appeased . 103 Of Misprisson , 239 Men mistake good for evill , and evill for good . Ad. R. Most men will doe as the most doe . 163 They murmure against the godly . 62 And against God himself . ib. For being better than themselves . 63 They would murther the Saints , 117 Look cruelty . Instead of arguments they take up armes , ib. Are exceeding salvage and bloody , 118 Of which five Reasons . 119 N. Naturall men want both the light of the spirit , and the eye of faith . 189 All naturall men the devils chidren , 131 Their manner is to nickname the godly . 78 Number few , compared with the multitude , shall be saved . Ad. X. The difficulty of entring the straite gate , Ad. Y. Most men live as if they had no soules . ib. O. We must obey God rather then great ones , 153 But this they call great disorder . ib. How far we fall short of primative Christians in our obedience . 333 Occasion of writing upon this subject , Ad. Gg. Where Christ comes , there will be opposition . 143 Order and distribution of the whole Book . 37 Originall sin , the originall cause of all discord . 23 P. No peace to be expected between the seed of the serpent , and the seed of the woman , 21 Wicked men persecute the godly for being better than they . 139 Of which many examples , 140 And further amplified . 142 Formall Christians the greatest persecuters of true Christians . 145 Yet none think better of themselves , 155 Tongue-taunts in Gods account is persecution . 165 The woful reward of persecuting Christs members . 64 , 77 , 206 But they blesse themselves , and think to speed as well as the best . 208 Why persecuters are not alwayes punished here , 207 Look hatred They cry up practise , to cry down preaching 170 The preaching of some Ministers the cause of hatred and persecution . 140 Prejudice blindes them . 65 No reclaiming such as are forestalled with prejudice , 7 Prejudice , how to have it cured , and our judgements cleared . 8. Ad. Ff. The Prelates more r●ady to yeeld their aide , then the rabble to ask it . 74 Wicked men all in extreames , and either presume or dispaire , 223. Look faith . They are prone to imprison us . 111 Not for any crime . 112 But to prevent further dispute , ib. And for other the like reasons . 113 Good men will hold their profession though they lose their lives . 161 Common Protestants can be of any religion . 154 R. They rejoyce at our supposed evill estate . 58 But most if they see us sin . 59 Religion most opposed by formall professors 9 Most men can be of any religion , which shews they are truly of none . 234 They think to adde to their own reputation by detracting from others . 104 They revile and raile on the godly , 80 They so hate righteousnesse , that they will hate men for it . 75 S. Satan speakes in and by scoffers , but they know it not , of which many examples , Ad. L Satan more servants here than God , Ad. X Satan prevailes most by desception of our reason , Ad. R. Satan desires no more than to be heard speak Ad. S. Hee will put a faire collour upon the fowlest sin , and make the best action odious , Ad. T He hath perswaded millions that they do well in persecuting the Saints . Ad. V If Satan shewed the book with the baite , his kingdome would not be so populous , Ad. X Scandalous lives of some Professors , one cause of hatred and persecution , 240 Wicked men use to flout and scoffe at the Religious . 75 Even for their zeale , purity and holines , 124 They would scoffe us out of our faith , 159 And would effect the same , did not God support us . 160 Millions beaten off from being religious , by their scoffes and reproaches , 3 Some will better abide a stake , then others a scoffe ▪ 164 Scoffing counted no sin , and yet worse than all its fellows , Ad. O. P The great evill that scoffers doe . Ad. I. K All scoffers as bad as Cain , Ishmael , &c. Ad. C They are Satans servants , Ad. I The reason why all are not beaten off from goodnesse by their scoffes . Ad. F f To be scoft out of our goodnesse , how ridiculous . 162 The character of a malicious scoffer . 149 No greater argument of a foule soule , 77 They scoffe at us , God laughs at them , 76 Good counsell for scoffers , 237 Separatiō a main cause of persecution , 240 Flocking after Sermons another cause . ib. Satan and sin doe besot the wicked . 220 They use to slander the godly , 83 They traduce whom they cannot sed●ce , 65 Slanderers do satan the best service , 84 Great wits not apter to raise slanders , then others to beleeve them , 85 A slander once raised , never dies , ib. At least it leaves the scar of suspicion , ib. Wise men wil examin before they believe 86 Their policy in slandering us , 87 They slander us out of policy . 147 Slanders both make and increase jealousies , & disable us from discerning the truth . 84 Their matchles malice in slandering us . 73 It is satan that speakes in and by the slanderer . 78 A slander is the devils heart in their lips 83 Singularity our great and grievous crime , 152 They use to smite the godly , and confute them with fists , 114 Their arguments are al steele and iron , ib. Because the Law bindes their hands , they smite with their tongues , 80 How satan playes the Sophister , 158 They speak evill of us , because they cannot do evill to us . 81 They think not as they speak , 146 Satan gets more by subtlety than by violence , 63 Suffering , our Saviour suffered 22 severall wayes from ungodly men , 121 Let none look to fare better than Christ. 126 What a multitude have lost their lives for professing Christ , 42 Comfort for such as suffer . 126 God will assist such as suffer for him . 22 T. They are wont to carry tales of us to the Rulers , 67 How to hear the talebearer , 70 No musick so sweet , as to hear well of themselves , ill of the Religious . 71 The tale-bearers End. ib. The Theefe , most forward to cry stop theef , 87 They use to threaten the godly , 93 Speaking of truth , a main cause of hatred and persecution . 239 Wicked men fly the light . 101 They use to withstand and contrary the truth by us delivered . 100 V. They will undermine us in talk that they may betray us . 95 Their cunning in this case . ib. And dissimulation . 96 They have borrowed this craft from Satan , who sets them on worke . ib. Beware we trust them not . 97 W. A War proclaimed between the wicked and the godly , 15 The time when . 28 Warning , No expecting a voyce from heav●n as Saul had . Ad. C And yet if they should it would not do Ad. D They are forced to give us warning that we may prevent them . 94 All wicked men are the serpents seed . 16 We cannot anger them worse then to doe well . 137 Wicked beholding to the godly for their lives . 174 How strangely they gull themselves , 150 Many that have a depth of knowledge are not soule wise . 181 Examples of many wise in the worlds esteem yet fools in Gods account . 182 With God the greatest sinner is the greatest foole : and he most wise that is most religious . 182 God regards not braine-knowledge , except it seaze upon the heart also . 183 Rightly a manknows no more then he practiseth . 184 Saving knowledge or wisdom described . 185. That the meanest beleever knows more then the profoundest clark . 186 In what sense the word calls worldly men wise men . 187 Strong braines too wise to be saved . 102 Vengeance makes wise , whom sin makes foolish . 213 They that would have this tallent , must resolve to improve it . 194 The way to obtain true wisdome , ib. Instruction from the premises , 195. First , for all naturall men , ibid. Secondly , for such as speak evill of the way of truth , 196. Thirdly , for Gods people , 198. A Fourth Vse , 199. A Fifth , 200. A Sixt , 200. A Seventh Vse 201 , Look more in knowledge . & in ignorance What is meant by the woman and her seed , 17 Their words are to be slighted , 82 If we cannot concoct ill words , we would never indure blows , 162 They will cavill against the very word of God , and oppose the Messengers . 101 Z. They are zealous against all that are zealous . 76 They per●ecute us out of zeale , Ad. Cc Which is the case of all morrall men , Ad. ib. THE CAVSE & CVRE OF Ignorance , Error , Enmity , Atheisme , Prophaness , &c. SECT I. Question . HOw is it , that the practice of Christianity is every where spoken against , under the name of Schisme , as the chiefe Iewes told Paul in his time ? Acts 28.22 . And that so soone as men become religious and conscionable , they are made a by-word of the people , Iob 17.6 . A song of the drunkards , Psal. 69.12 . And generally hated of all , Math. 10.22 . Answer . Know yee not ( saith St. Iames ) that the Amity of the World , is the Enmity of God ? And that whosoever will be a friend of the World maketh him●elfe the enemy of God ? James 4.4 . A wicked man ( saith Solomon ) is abomination to the just , and be that is upright in his way , is abomination to the wicked , Pro. 29.27 . There is a naturall Enmity , and a spirituall Antipathy betweene the men of the World and the Children of God ; whence it is that the holy Ghost ( who can give most congruous Names to Natures ) useth in the Scripture , Gods Dictionary , not only to call wicked men Adders , Alpes , Cockatrices , Serpents , Dragons , Lyons , Tygers , &c. Psal. 10.9 . & 74.13 . & 80.13 . & 140.3 . Esay 14.29 . Dan. 7. Zeph. 3. Math. 23.33 . which are the mortallest Enemies to mankind that live ; but most frequently Wolves , and the godly Sheep , Behold ( saith our Saviour to his Apostles ) I send you forth as sheep in the midst of Wolves , Mat. 10.16 . between whom there is a strange contrariety and antipathy living , and dead , as both Naturalists and Lutinists observe . It is an everlasting rule of the Apostles , He that is borne after the Flesh will persecute him that is borne after the Spirit , Gal. 4.29 . not because he is evill , but because hee is so much better then himselfe . 1. Iohn 3.12 . because his life is not like other mens ; his wayes are of another fashion , Wis. 2.15 . for therefore speak they evill of you , because yee will no longer run with them to the same excess of ryot , 1. Pet. 4.4 . SECT . 2. Quest. BVt are not many discouraged , and others beaten off from being Religious , through the daily scoffes and reproaches , which in every place the Godly meet withall , for refusing to do as others do with whom they are conversant ? Answ. Yea millions , there being no such rub in the way to Heaven as that generall contempt which the Devill and the World have cast upon Religion and the practisers of Piety ; which makes our Saviour pronounce that man blessed that is not offended in him , Math. 11.6 . For hereby it is growne to that , that men feare nothing more then to have a name that they feare God , and are more ashamed to be holy then prophane , because holiness is worse intreated then prophaneness : with Peter we are apt to deny our Religion , when we come in company with Christs Enemies : and with David , to dissemble our Faith , when we are amongst Philistims . Like those white-livered Rulers , Iohn 12.42 . who loved the praise of men , more than the praise of God , we choose to conceale our knowledge of , and love to Christ , lest we should be mockt , have so many frownes , and frumps , and censures , and scoffes , be branded with that odious and stigmaticall name of an Hypocrite , &c. True , with Nicodemus , we owe God some good will , but we dare not shew it because of this , we would please him , yet so as we might not displease others , nor our selves . Like the young man in the Gospell , we will follow Christ , so Christ propound no other conditions , then what we like of : but what will be the issue , our Saviour saith expresly . That he will be ashamed of such at the latter day , who are now ashamed for his sake , to beare a few scoffes and reproaches from the World , Mark 8.38 . A sad saying for all such : which considered seriously , would alter the case with many ; as it fared with Vstbazanes an old Noble man , and a Christian , that had been Sapores the King of Persias Governour in his minority : Who when Sapores raised a great persecution against the Christians was so terrified , that he left off the profession : But sitting at the Court Gate when Simion an aged holy Bishop was led to Prison , and rising up to salute him ; the good Bishop frowned upon him , and turned away his face with indignation , as being loth to look upon a man that had denied the faith : whereupon Vsthazanes fell a weeping , went into his Chamber , put of his Courtly Garments , and brake out into these words ; Ah! how shall I apeare before God , and my Saviour whom I have denied ; when Simion a man will not indure to look upon me : If he frown how will God behold me when I come before his Tribunall , &c. For this Phisick so wrought with him , that he recovered not only health , but such spirituall strength , that he went boldly to the King , profest himselfe a Christian , and dyed a Martyr gloriously . SECT 3. BVt secondly , it so forestaleth ( such as are without ) with Prejudice against goodness and circumspect walking , that they resolve never to be Religious so long as they live : As how many not only stumble at Christ , the living and chief corner stone , elect of God , and precious , but quite fall as at a Rock of offence : yea , ●tterly disallow of the things that are excellent , only through the contempt which is cast upon Religion ? 1 Pet. 2.7.8 . What such mens thoughts are we may heare from the damned in Hell , We fooles thought their lives madness &c. Wisd. 5.3.4 . And experience shewes , that they will hate a man to the death , though he have nothing to condemne him , but his being holy . Yea , where Satan hath once set this his porter of Prejudice , though Christ himselfe were on earth , that soule would stumble and be offended at his very best actions , as we see in the Scribes and Pharisees , who made an evill construction of whatsoever he did or spake : For when he wrought Miracles , he was a Sorcerer : When he cast out Devils , it was by the power of Devils : When he reproved sinners , he was a seducer : When he received sinners , he was their favourer : When he healed the sick , he was a breaker of the Sabbath , &c. Iohn 8. Nor can the highest eloquence of the best Preacher ever reclaime such . For first , words are vagabonds where the admon●shed hath an evill opinion of the Admonisher Secondly , they are resolved against yeelding . Thirdly , let them be convinc't by strength of argument , the thought of those things presently passes away like the sound of a Bell that is rung . O this is a difficult Devill to be cast out , even like that which we read of , Math. 17.16 . For as all the Disciples could not cast out that Devill , no more can all the Preachers this : for the Cure of prejudice alone in one man , is more then to cure the seaven deadly sins ( as the Papists tearme them ) in another . Nay ( if I may speak it with reverence ) what meanes can God use that shall be able to convert such an one ? The nine plagues shall not prevaile with Pharaoh , the graves opening , the dead arising , the vayle of the Temple renting the light of the Sun fayling , the Centurion confessing , &c. will do no good upon the Scribes and Pharisees : Yea , though Ahab be told from the Lord , that if he go to War he shall perish , yet be goeth and speeds accordingly . SECT . 4. Quest. BVt how should weak Christians know the mystery of this iniquity , shake off this slavish yoke of bondage and feare , in which Satan for the present holds them ? Answ. Search the Scriptures , and they will so cleare your judgement , and cure your Prejudice , that in some measure you shall be enabled to quench those fiery darts , Ephes. 6.16 . I meane , the reproaches of those evill tongues , which are set on fire from Hell , Iames 3.6 . for Virgil most excellently and profoundly couples the knowledge of cause , and the conquest of all feares together . First for the informing of your judgement , our Saviour Christ and his Apostles hath abundantly foretold the same . Of a multitude of predictions I 'le only instance three or foure . All that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution , 2. Tim. 3.12 . Not some , but all : and what all , but even all that will live godly ? Now , methinkes , if there were no other texts in the Bible but this one , it were omnisufficient to take away Prejudice and wonder touching the Worlds hatred and calumny : but the Scriptures are full of the like , Ye shall be hated of all men and Nations ( saith our Saviour ) for my names sake , Math. 10.22 . & 24.9 . Not of a few , but of all Men and Nations , that is , all naturall men , or the greatest part of men in all Countries and Nations , yea , and for no other cause , but for professing of Christs Name . Neither is Christ a signe to be spoken against of many in Babylon , or Assyria , but of many in Israel , Luke 2.34 where Religion is profest publickly . Yea , when sincerity is wanting , the nearer the line with any opposition , the greater Eclips . The Gadereans but besought Christ to depart , his own Country men drave him out , and cast him down headlong , Luk 4.29 . Yea , who was his greatest enemy but his greatest friend , even one of his houshold-Chaplains ? And who but Ieremies familiars watched for his haulting ? Againe ( saith our Saviour ) The servant is not above his Master , Iohn 15.20 . But Christ having suffered so much , if we should rest , the Servant were above his Master , which were senslesse to thinke : For could not his wisdome , innocency , and holinesse , fence him from these scornes , and can thine fence thee ? Besides , that ancient prediction must bee fulfilled , I will put emnity between the seed of the Serpent , and the seede of the Woman Gen. 3.15 . But , if there bee no war betweene the men of the World , and the children of God ; if they should not hate and persecute us , this Prediction were not fulfilled : Yea , all the former predictions of Christ , and many , that I omit , should bee false ; which were blasphemy once to thinke . Wherefore marvell not my bretheren , though the world hate you , as Saint Iohn speakes , 1 Iohn 3.13 . Neither count it strange , as Saint Peter hath it , concerning the fiery tryall which is among you , to prove you , as though some strange thing were come unto you , 1 Pet. 4.12 , for Christ and his crosse are unseparable , Luke 14.27 . Whence that definition of Luther that a Christian is a crosse-bearer . Againe , search the whole Bible over and you shall not finde one holy man mentioned , without mention of something hee suffered from ungodly men ; as it were easie to instance , how Abel , Lot , Noah , Righteous men Abraham the Father of the faithfull , Isaac , Iacob , Ioseph Patriarches and Fathers of the Church , meek Moses , upright Sam●●l , holy David , wise Solomon , all the Lords Priests , Prophets , Apostles ; yea the harmlesse Babes and our Saviour Christ himselfe , did severally suffer from wicked and ungodly men , yea , never man came to Heaven , but first hee passed through this Purgatory : God had one Sonne without sinne , but never any one without suffering ; which makes our Saviour say , Woe be to you , when all men speake well of you , that is , when evill men speake well of you , for so did the Iews of the false Prophets , Luke 6.26 . Whereas hee pronounceth them blessed , which heare ill for well doing , Mat. 5.11 . Which leads mee to the second point . SECT . 5. SEcondly , For Scriptures to confirme , comfort , and strengthen weake Christians against the worlds hatred and calumny , these would be applyed which follow . Blessed are they ( saith our Saviour ) which suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake , for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven , Mat. 5.10 . And againe , B●essed are yee when men shall revile you , and persecute you an● say all manner of evill against you falsly for my sake , rejoyce and bee exceeding glad , for great is your reward in Heaven , for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you , ver . 11.12 . And Saint Peter , Rejoyce , inasmuch as yee are partakers of Christs sufferings , that when his glory shall be revealed , yee may bee glad also with exceeding joy , for if yee be reproached for the name of Christ , happy are yee , for the spirit of glory and of Go● resteth upon you ; Which on their part is evill spoken off , but on your part is gloryfied , 1 Pet. 4.12 , 13 , 14. Loe here is reward enough for all that men or divills can do against us : And what will not men undergoe , so their reward may be answerable ? This hath made thousands even ambitious to imbrace the flames . Your cruelty is our glory , said the Martyrs in Tertullians time , to their persecutors ; for the harder wee are put to it , the greater shall our reward bee in heaven . It is to my losse ( said Gordius the Martyer ) if you bate mee any thing of my sufferings . But yet further , what saith Saint Paul ? In nothing feare your adversaries , whose malice is to them a token of perdition , but to you of salvation , and that of God , Phil. 1 28. Yea , in the same Chapter , ver . 29. He preferreth the gift of suffering before the gift of beleeving : And in his Epistle to the Church of Thessalonica peremptorily concludeth , that they are elect of God , from this ground , That they received the word in much affliction with joy in the holy Ghost . They that dwell where Sathans seate is , holding fast Christs name , without denying his faith : are Protestants indeed , Revel . 2.13 . Examine these Scriptures againe and againe , for every word of them is ponderous , and consider of whom and by whom they were spoken : then certainly thou wilt confess , that if their be any Nectar in this life , 't is in sorrows wee indure for Righteousnesse . And methinks , when I heare goodnesse calumniated , I beare it the easier , because the servants of vice do it . SECT . 6 Quest. WHat is the original ground of the worlds hatred ? Ans. That Proclamation which God himselfe made in Paradise Gen. 3.15 . where hee saith unto the Serpent ; I will put enmity between thee , and the woman , and betweene thy seed● , and her seed , hee , or it , shall bruise thine head , and thou shalt bruise his heele . Quest. As to the building of an house , it is needfull , first to lay a good foundation , before wee either raise the walls , or cover it with the Roofe : so this Text being the foundation , roote , or spring of our insuing discourse , it is necessary ( for the better supporting , and also conceiving of that which follows ) clearly to open it , or take it in peeces , that every part may bee viewed severally . Ans. The whole frame , or substance of the text being a generall Proclamation of VVarre , even of its owne accord , falls , or empties it selfe into ten parts ; And they especially leade us to consider these particulars , Viz. The Thing , proclaimed , The Author , proclaiming , The Captains & Souldiers , between whom , The Cause why , The End wherefore , The Time when , The Manner how , The Place where , The Continuance , The Issue & effects . Quest. The whole being thus let fall into parts , let us take up each severall in order , and view it . And first tell me what is intimated , by this Enmity which is here proclamed . Ans. By Enmity is ment , a bitter , inveterate , irreconsiliable and endlesse hatred and devision ; opposite to that amity and familiarity , which formerly had been betweene the Woman and the Serpent . Breifly it is the very gall of the Prince of darkenesse . Quest. Who was the Author and proclamor of it ? Ans. The Authour and principall efficient of it , is God himselfe : for it we looke a little backe to the preceding verse , wee shall see that this ( I ) is Iehovah ; the eternall God , and Lord of Hosts . Quest. Betweene whom was this Enmity proclamed ? Ans. Between the Serpent , and his seed on the one side : and the woman , and her seed on the other . Quest. What is meant by the Serpent , and his seede . Ans. By the Serpent wee are to understand Sathan who opened the Serpents mouth ; and caused it to speake with mans voyce . as the Lord by an Angell , opened the mouth of Balaams Asse , Num. 22. Secondly , by the Serpents seede , is ment the whole Generation of wicked men , as interpreters conclude generally : and other Scriptures make cleare , calling them Serpents , Generations of vipers , and Children of the Divell . Mat. 23.33 . Iohn 8.44 . and 1 Iohn 3.10 . yea ! when Sathan by seducing Adam , to breake Gods law in eating the forbidden fruite , had deformed him after his own Image ; as God had formed him after his : hee intituled all his heires to that name the seede of the Serpent . Iohn 8.44 . of which more hereafter . Quest. What is meant by the woman and her seed ? Ans. By the woman is meant Eve : by her seede , wee are to understand first and cheifely Christ ; the singular seede , who was so the seed of the woman , as that hee was not of the Man. Gal. 4.4 . being borne of a Virgin. Esay 7.14 . Secondly it implyeth all the elect his members ; who are not only Eves seede , as she was the Mother of all liveing by nature ; but by faith also : as else where they are called the seed , or children of Abraham Gal. 3.29 , Quest. What may bee gathered from these tearmes thus explicated ? and what instructions afford they ? Ans. 1. That there was a twofold Kingdom set up in this world : A Kingdome of darkenesse , of sinne , and of misery ; and a Kingdome of light , of holinesse , and of happinesse : the King , and cheife Commander of the one being Sathan , the Prince of darkenesse ; the God of this world , ( that is of all wicked men in this World ) And cheife of evill spirits , his subjects all the sons of Adam , without exception , or exemption of any ; even the Elect before calling , and Regeneration ; and the reprobate without limitation . And the King of the other being Christ , called in scripture the wonderfull Councellor , the mighty God the everlasting Father and Prince of peace , the Lord of Lords and King of Kings . Isa. 9.6 . Rev. 17.14 . who is also the chief of men , even the chief son of man. His Subjects , the godly alone , by which I understand so many of the Elect , as are regenerate : though indeed wee have all received our presse-money in baptisme , and ought every one according to our ingagement ; maintain this fight against the Devil and the World. 2. That Sathan hath more Subjects , th●n any Emperor in the world ; yea , more men to serve and fight for him ; th●n the Trinity which made us : that the little handfull of the Church , is invironed , and besieged with a numberless Multitude of deadly Enemies : All the Armadoes and Troopes of Devills , all the Companies of the wicked , all the forces and powers of Hell ; have bent their Bowes , and made ready their Arrowes , that they may privily shoote at the righteous ; who are the only marke of their malice , and white at which they levell . Psa. 11.2 . I confesse among us Christians : Christ is the subject of all tongues ; Oh that hee were the object of all hearts ! but whereas the Schoole disputes of him , the Pulpit preaches of him , Hipocrites talk of him , time servers make use of him , Polititians pretend him , Profane men swear by him , Civill honest men persecute him , Millions professe him , few love him , few serve him , few care to honour him . Godly men even amongst us Christians , are like timber Trees in a wood ; here one and there one ; yea , it is to bee feared , that as once in Israel , a thousand followed Baal , for one that followed God : So now in England , many serve the world , and the flesh and the Devill , for one that truely serves God in sincerity , truth and holinesse . 3 If our Enemies are so many in number , so great in might , in malice , in experience and cunning ; as from hence wee are informed : yea , if wee have Enemies inferiour , as wicked men , exterior , as the world ; interior , as the flesh ; superiour , as the Devill ; it behooves us not to trust to our owne strength ( Hercules himselfe could not coape with two adversaries at once ) but to implore the assistance of Almighty God , and Christ our Captaine ; whose weakenesse was too strong for all their power and might ; the which beeing done ; feare not a strong Enemie against thee , seeing thou hast a stronger friend with thee . SECT . 7. Quest. WHat collect you in particular from those words ; I will put Enmity &c. Ans. This shewes the stabillity , and certainty of it , for with God , neither doth his word disagree from his intention ( because hee is truth it selfe ) nor his deede , from his word , because hee is power it selfe : God is not as man , that hee should lye ; neither as the Sonne of man that he should repent : Hath hee said , I will put enmity , and shall be not do it ? Or hath he spoaken the word , and shall not hee accomplish it ? Numb . 23.19 . Heaven and Earth shall passe away , but one jott , or tittle of ●is word shall not passe , til all bee fulfilled , Mat. 5.18 . Quest. What instruction affords this ? Ans. 1 That to be without reproaches , or persecutions , wee may rather wish then hope ; for what peace can we looke for , betweene the seede of the woman , and the seede of the Serpent , seeing God himselfe from the beginni●g hath set them at Enmity ? yea , once to expect it were an effect of frenzy , not of hope . 2 Since we can expect no peace f●om the Serpents seede ; let as many as are of the womans seede , and of Christs side ; ●nanimously hold together . It is hard to say , whither Bazil ▪ and Eusebius , who perceiving the Arrians to improve a difference between them ; to the prejudice of the Orthodox ; soone reconciled themselves , and united their forces together against the common enemy , are more to bee commended , Or the Pope to bee abhorred , who was so busie and hot against Luther , that hee neglected to looke to all Christendome against the Turke . Which declared , that hee could easier disgest Mahometisme , then Lutheronisme . The case of too many in our dayes , that thinke they love Christ fervently , though wee may justly suspect the contrary , by their being so busie , and hot against the Reformation established . Against which they cannot bring any expresse scripture ; only they seek straws to put out their own eyes , & puzzell others withall . As Bernard speaks of som● in his time ; and sure I am , it would argue more love to Christ , and obedience to his gospell ; if they would ioyne with the godly party , against Atheists , and Papists . As , let but two Mastifes bee jarring betweene themselves : when the Bare comes they forget private strife , to assayle their common Enemy . And certainly they might bee as firme friends to truth ; although they were not such bitter enemies to peace . For as the case standeth it is hard to determine whether they more intend to doe God service ; or really doe the Devill and his instruments service ; by their contradicting , and aspersing all that are not of their owne judgement . 3 If the Lord have put this Enmity , betweene us and the wicked . Here is warrant in opposing , comfort in suffering . 4 If the seede of the Woman , fight on Christs side , and they have Gods word for their warrant : they are sure to have him assist them , and prevent their Enemies : and is not that God wee fight for able enough to vindicate all our wrongs ? SECT . 8. Quest. What occasioned the Lord to proclaime this enmity ? Ans. Adams si●ne in eating the forbidden fruite . a●d Sathans malice in moving , and seducing him thereunto , was the meritorious cause : the originall of this discord , is from originall sin . Quest. What was the finall cause or end why God proclaimed it ? Ans. His end was threefold , in regard of himselfe , the wicked , and the godly . 1 In regard of himselfe : his principal ●nd was his owne glory , which should a●ise from the manifestation , or admirable composition of his justice , mercy , holinesse , wisdome , power , and providence herein . 2 In regard of Sathan , and wicked men● that hee might for the present punish one sinne with another , and in the end take due vengeance on them in their greater condemnation , and finall Ruine and destruction . 3. In regard of the Godly for their greater good , as namely that they might , by this affliction and chastisement , be stopt in their course of sin , be brought to the ●ight of their evills pas● , and made repent of them , and prevented from si●ning for the time to come , and lastly to keep them in continuall exercise , that so they might walke on in the way of holiness which will bring them to eternall happiness , and not to be condemned with the world . SECT 9. Quest. But how can God be the Author of it , without being the Author of Sin ? Ans. Very well ; Even as the temporal Magistrate may put a fello● to death , without committing of Murther : That he , which is the fountaine of all good , is not the Author of any evill herein , may appeare . 1. By considering how the case stood at this time , with Adam and al his posterity , being condemned persons , every moment expecting , and waiting for that direfull sentence to be executed , and inflicted upon them , which God before had threatned , in case they should transgress his Royall command Gen. 2.17 . namely the sent●nce of death . Which was threefold , viz. of Body which is the temporall Death . Soule , which is the spirituall Death . Body , and soule which is eternall Death . Opposite to that three-fold life of Nature , Grace , Glory . The which if it had been fully , and universally accomplisht , we could have had nothing to say , but that God was just ( as now we have no reason to give why so many should be Redeemed , but because he is mercifull ) yet because he would , according to his nature in Justice remember Mercy , he ordained a Saviour , and Remedy even Christ implyed in the Pronoune Relative , Hee , for so many as he had before predestinated , to be borne againe by his word and Spirit . Iohn 3. to a lively faith , whereby they might lay hold on this Remedy , yet with all hee did appoint , that this their way to Heaven should be thorny and troublesome . To which end he mixed with the sweet promise of Salvation , the bitter Ingredient of griefe and sorrow , Implyed in the word Enmity , but yet more to justifie this Judgement of God : that is , to make it appeare just . 2 It will appeare if we distinguish the ends of God , Sathan , and wicked men . To which purpose I will instance in our Saviours example ; Iudas delivered him to death for gaine , the Iewes for Envy , Pilate for feare , the Devill provoked each of them , through this Enmity ; Christ himselfe to obey his Fathers will , God the Father in love to sinners , and for their Redemption , each did one and the same thing . But to contrary ends : so when this Enmity breaks forth in the wicked , Sathan hath a hand in it as a malicious Author , As when he entred into Iudas and made him betray Christ , Luk 22.3 . Man himselfe as a voluntary Instrument , as when Pharoah hardened his owne heart against the Children of Israel Exod. 9.34 . God as a most Righteous Judge , and Avenger , as when hee also hardened Pharoahs heart , Exod. 9.12 but how ? even by permitting the seed of the Serpent , from his owne malicious inclination to hate the seed of the Woman : not by infusing this malice , nor by withdrawing any grace , but only by denying that grace which hee was not bound to give : he doth not infuse corruption , he doth not with hold the occasion , Even as when the Rider gives his fiery horse the Reyns , we saie he puts him on ; In mercy infusing this Enmity into the seed of the Woman , against the seed of the Serpent : Not against their persons , as they are his Creatures , but only against their condition , disposition , and wicked conversation ; we and the Devill should never have falne out , we agree but too well , but that God hath put an enmity between us . Yea in the last place , as God turned the treachery of Iudas , not only to the praise of his Justice , Mercy , &c. but to the good of all beleevers , so he turnes this Enmity of Sathan and wicked men , to his Childrens great advantage , and his own glory . And hereupon is that distinction of adversities : as they come from Sathan , they are usually called temptations ; as they come from men , persecutions ; as from God , afflictions . And well may hee work good , by evill Instruments , when every Prince , or Magistrate hath the feat to make profitable Instruments , aswell of evill persons as of good : And each Physitian can make poyson medicinable . SECT 10. Q. This rub being removed , and the passage made cleere : proceed in the wayes of your Text , and shew me the time of this Enmity . Ans. First I will make a distinction , and then give the Answer . The circumstance of time is twofold ; the time when it was proclaimed , And the time that it is to continue . 1. If wee consider the time when it was first proclaimed ; It was immediatly after the fall ▪ when Adam had newly sinned : not long after the Creation : even when time it self was not a week old , as is probably conjectured by the learned . 2. If we consider the time that this Enmity is to continue , it is either generall , or particular ; The generall time is here set downe in the Text indefinitly , I will put Enmity between ●hee and the Woman , and between they seed and her seed , which being without limitation , is to be understood largely , and so signifies that it is perpetuall without end , from the beginning of time ▪ to the end of all time , when time ( saith one ) began , this malice first began , nor will it end but with the latest Man : It is an everlasting Act of Parliament , like a Statute in Magna Charta . 3 If we consider the time more strictly , then it signifies in the Subject possest of it , the whole time of a wicked mans life : or if in time he becomes the Womans seed by a new birth , then it signifies that part of his life , which went before Regeneration : But in the Object of it , for the whole time of a godly mans spirituall life , after he is become the Womans seed , even from the morning of his new birth , to the evening of his departure hence , without intermission which makes the Psalmist cry out , for thy sake are we killed all the day long , Psal. 44.22 . Quest. What way wee gleane from hence ? Answ. Some comfort , in that this War shall once have an end : The Israellites shall not alwayes live under the Tyranny of Pharaoh , or travells of the Wildernesse : Nor the seed of the Woman alwayes under this heavy yoak of affliction and persecution : for Death shall free us from our sorrowes , aswell as from our sinnes , yea as this is their time to persecute , ours to suffer , so their time will come to suffer , ours to triumph , let me rather feele their mallice , then be wrapt up in their vengeance . SECT . II. Quest. WHat is their manner of venting this Enmity ? Answ. Sathan the Prince of Darknes , and his adherents the wicked world : do war against Christ and his Members two wayes , by Persecutions , and by Perswasions , under which two Generalls , are comprised divers and sundry particulars , which I shall severally speak of , when I come to the Properties of this Enmity , In the meane time we are to take notice , that all Sathans businesse was , and is ( at , and ever since the fall of Adam ) to slay Soule● , 1 Peter 5.8 . Iob. 1.7 . Neither doth he want Instruments in all places , to further , and promote this his designe . Quest. Now a word of the place where . Answ. The circumstance of place , is threefold . 1. If we consider the place strictly , in respect of the Subject in whom it resides : then it is principally the heart of Man unsanctified . 2. If we consider the place , where it was proclaimed , then it is Paradise , or the Garden of Eden , as verse 23. shewes . 3. But if wee consider the place , where they exercise this Enmity , then it is the place of this miserable world , where the Church is Militant indeed , Revel . 12.7 . It is said there was warre in Heaven , Michael and his Angells , fought against the Dragon : and the Dragon fought and his Angells ; But this cannot fitly be construed of Heaven in Heaven , but of Heaven on Earth : For in Heaven the Church is triumphant , and the Devill in the beginning was cast out of that Heaven , 2. Peter 2.4 . And there is no Warfare , but all wellfare , no Jarr ; but love and peace ; yea such a peace , as passeth all understanding , So that by Heaven there , is meant , the Church of God on Earth ; called in holy Scripture Heaven , and holy Ierusalem above ; for that her chiefe treasure is in Heaven . Math. 6.20 . her affections in Heaven . Colos. 3.2 . her Conversation in Heaven , Phil. 3.20 . and for that the Lord of Heaven , dwells in her heart by faith . Ephes. 3.17 . SECT . 12. Quest. WHat is promised shall be the issue , or effect of it ; and who shall get the victory ? Answ. The issue or effect is declared in these words ; He shall bruise thine head , and thou shalt bruise his heele . The meaning whereof is this . 1. By bruising of the head , is meant Sathans overthrow , and finall Ruine and distruction by Christ , in respect of his Power , Dominion , and Workes , Iohn 12.31 . and 1. Iohn 3.8 . to which purpose the words of the Apostle , are very significant . Hee also himselfe tooke part of our flesh and blood that through death he might destroy him , that had the power of death , that is the Divell , Heb. 2.14 . And he being overcome , his seed are overcome , and perish with him , Revel . 12.9 . Iohn 14.13.30 . and 12 , 31.32 . And this is the first promise of grace , and life made to Eve , and all mankind , now dead in sin , and enemies to God. Collos. 2.13 . and 1.21 . Neither is it only meant of Christ in his owne person , but it implyes that all his Members , by resisting the Devill stedfastly through faith in him , shall have victory also 1 Corinth . 15.57 . given them by the God of peace , who shall bruise Sathan under our feet shortly , as the Apostle speaketh plainely , Rom. 16.20 . Faith in the Lamb , shall put this roaring Lyon to flight : They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb , Reve. 12.11 . Secondly by his heele bruising is meant , 1. First Christs holy wayes , which Sathan should by all means ( either of Temptations , or Persecutions ) seek to suppresse : 2. And secondly his humane Nature , which Sathan should afflict all manner of wayes , untill he brought upon him That Shamefull , Death of the Crosse , Ga● . 3.13 . That Painefull , and Death of the Crosse , Ga● . 3.13 . That Cursed , Death of the Crosse , Ga● . 3.13 . For then his heele was bruised , when his Body was crucified . And it was no more then the bruising of his heele ; his divine Nature being impassible and untouched ; where note that it was the politick malice of the Devill and the World , that aymed by the death of the Generall , to disband the Army . So long as Christ lived on earth , we read of no persecution against his Disciples , Math. 9.15 . But let him be once removed , and then there is havock made of the Church , Stephen is stoned , Peter crucified , Paul beheaded , some strangled , some burned , some broyled , some brained , all but only St. Iohn murthered . And Thirdly it is meant , that all who beleeved in Christs name , shall suffer bruising , in one kinde or other for his sake : And then his heele is bruised , when his Members are afflicted : But all the hurt they can do is , but to bruise the heele . Bruise them in their Persons , Estates , Good Names ; For to hurt their best parts , their Soules , they shall never be able : yea all this bruising in the end shall turne to the further good . Of their Soules , Here in Grace , Hereafter in Glory . And so you have the matter , the Author , the Subject , the Object , the Cause , the End , the Time , the Manner , the Place , the Continuance , the Issue and effects of this Enmity . SECT . 13. Quest. BY your opening of this Text , and unveyling of the termes : I see it looketh two severall wayes , and that it reacheth out as it were with one hand , a blessing to all beleevers , aswell as a curse with the other to all wicked men and Spirits . Answ. Yea it is like a Checker ; halfe white , halfe black . Consisting as Much of Mercy and Consolation , as Judgement and terror : resembling Moses who saved the Israelites , and slew the Egyptians . For as harsh as the words sound , they are so full of grace , and mercy ; and containe so much in a little , that this text may well be called the Gospells Epitome ; yea the marrow , or pith of the whole Bible , compiled by wisdome it selfe ; A short , yet absolute Sum of all holy faith , yea the foundation of all whatsoever the Prophets and Apostles have written , or Ministers do preach ; The key of the Scriptures , as Ambrose calls the Creed ; It is but of a short sound , but of a large extent ; little in shew , infinite in sence . In fine , it is so large for matter , so short for phrase , so profound for depth , so sweet for Consolation , and yet so terrible for severity , that it well suites with the Author who spake the words and none els . Quest. I perceive then , that to draw this Well dry , to dig this Mine to the bottome , and to speak of each severall , in this universe were an Herculean work , and fit for some divine Theseus , or Solomon . Besides it would require too large a vollume , for Common use : wherefore it shall content mee , you only Anatomize that part or Member of the whole which is here termed Enmity , by laying open the veines , and Arteries thereof ; it being the very point , or mayn Center , the pole , or Cardinall Axeltree , upon which this text moves , and is turned . And that will be sufficient : For where prevailing is by lyes , there discovery is victory ; yet lest the Pages should still grow , As fi●h into a multitude , garble your notions , and give us but the very Marrow of the matter . And because Method to the matter is as fashion to Apparell ; and form to building , propose what shall be your order of distribution . Ans. As the Throne of Solomon was mounted unto , by six staires : so this Throne of Sathan , this strong hold of the wicked , may be mounted unto ( for I only intend a discovery at this time ) by a Ladder of six steps , set upon this ground which is already laid , or if this originall , be counted for one step , then the Ladder consists of seaven staves , answerable to the seven steps which led up to that Temple in Ezekiels Vision , Ezek. 40.26 . For I will draw all our present discourse , to one of these heads : ( taking liberty so to place them , as may serve best for my purpose , and the Readers benefit . ) Viz. The Originall , of Enmity . The Continuance , of Enmity . The Properties , of Enmity . The Causes , Why wicked men hate and persecute the Godly . The Ends , Why wicked men hate and persecute the Godly . The Reasons why , God permits them ; The Reasons why , The Godly suffer it so patiently . These seaven shall limit my speech , and your patient attention , and I take them only to be inherent in the words , there be some short adherent circumstances , which I shall salute as I passe , they may be within the circumference , these are in the heart and Center ; And these alone as I suppose , may serve as spectacles , to see the Devill ●nd his Workes by , in the matter of hatred and persecution . SECT . 14 Quest. TO begin with the second point proposed ( having dispatched the first ) and to proceed from Explication to Confirmation , and so to Application . How prove you that there hath been in all Ages past , is now , and ever shall be between these two Kings Sathan and Christ , and their Regiments , the wicked and the Godly , a perpetuall War , Enmity and strife , according to the Lords prediction or Proclamation ? Ans. For proofe I could produce Testimonies and examples innumerable there being scarce a Page in the Bible , which doth not ●ither expresse or imply somewhat touching this Enmity , yea as if the Scriptures contained nothing else , the holy Ghost significantly calls them the book of the Battailes of the Lord , Numb . 21.14 . as Rupertus well observes . And because examples , give a quicker impression then Arguments : the proofe shall be by Induction of particuler instances collected from the Scripures and Ecclesiasticall History , wherein I will be briefe , and only mention , Three in every Age ( though the Sea of examples hath no bottome ) for that I shall be forced to speak more at large when I come to the properties and Causes of Enmity . The continuance of the worlds Enmity in all Ages . Viz. 1. In the old world before the flood . 2. After the flood , before the Law. 3. After the Law , before Christ. 4. Since the Gospell in the time of Christ and his Apostles . 5. After the Apostles for the residue of the ten Persecutions . 6. From the Primitive times and Infancy of the Church hitherto . 7. For these present times wherein we live . 8. For the time to come unto the Worlds end . 1. To begin with the first Age , Viz. the old World before the Flood . Wee read of this War , enmity and strife between Cain and Abell , 1 Iohn 3.12 . Betweene Lamech and the holy Seed , Gen. 4.23.24 . and between those wicked Gyants , which Moses speaks of , and the sons of God , Gen. 6.2 . to .12 . Yea , those Gyants bad battle to Heaven , as our Mythologists add , to ver . 4. SECT . 15. 2. AFter the Flood , before the Law , between all the men of Sodom and righteous Lot , Gen. 19.4.9.11 . 2 Pet. 2.8 . between Hagar and Ishmael , the Bond woman and her son , and Sarah and Isaac , the Free-woman and her son , Gen. 21.9.10 . Gal. 4.29 . And between Esau and Iacob , first in the wombe , the more plainely to shadow out this enmity , Gen. 25.22.23 . and after they were borne , Gen. 27.41 . SECT . 16. 3. AFter the Law , before Christ , between Doeg and the eighty five Priests , which he slew with the edge of the sword , 1 Sam. 22.18.19 . Between Iezabell and all the Prophets of the Lord , which she destroyed , 1 Kings 18.13.14 . And between the Heads in Israel in Micahs time , and all that were good , Micah 3.2 . SECT . 17. 4. SInce the Gospell , in the time of Christ and his Apostles this enmity so manifested it selfe , not only in the Gentiles , but in the Iewes , Gods ow●e people , who first moved those persecutions against Christ and his Members , that having beheaded Iohn Baptist his Harbinger , and crucified himselfe the Lord of life , we read , that of all the Twelve , none dyed a naturall death save onely Saint Iohn , and he also was banished by Domitian to Pathmos ; and at another time thrust into a Tun of seething Oyle at Rome , as Tertullian and Saint Hierom do report : See Acts 7.51 . to 60. & 12.1 . to 5. Rom. 8.36 . Iohn 21.18.19 . Now all these , besides many other of his Disciples , suffered martyrdome meerely for professing the faith of Christ ; whereof some were stoned , some crucified , some beheaded , some thrust thorow with Speares , some burnt with fire , with a multitude of other Beleevers , for Ecclesiasticall History makes mention of two thousand which suffered the same day with Nicanor , Acts and Monuments , page 32. which makes Saint Paul cry out , I think that God hath set forth us the last Apostles , as men appointed to death , 1 Corinth . 4.9 . SECT 18. 5. AFter the Apostles , if we consider the residue of the ten Persecutions , raysed by the Romans against the Christians , which was for three hundred yeares , till the comming of godly Constantine , we find that under Dioclesian , seaventeen thousand Christians , were slaine in one month : amongst whom also was Serena the Emperesse , yea under him and nine other Emperors , there was such an innumerable company of innocent Christians put to death and tormented , that St. Hierome ( in his Epistle to Chromatius and Heliodorus ) saith , There is no one day in the whole yeare unto which the number of five thousand Martyrs might not be ascribed , except only the first day of Ianuary , who were put to the most exquisite deaths and torments that ever the wit or malice of men , or Devils could invent to inflict : we read of no lesse then twenty nine severall deaths that they were put unto , if no other be omitted . SECT . 19. 6 FRom the primitive times and infancy of the Church hitherto the Turk and the Pope have acted their parts , in shedding the blood of the Saints , as well as the Iewes and Roman Emperours : touching which , for brevities sake , I referre you to the Book of Acts and Monuments . Yet because a tast may please some , I will insert what the Holy Ghost hath foretold in the Revelation , touching the Pope , who calls himselfe Christs Vicar and supreme Head of the Church : the Angell , speaking of the Whore of Babylon , saith , Shee was drunk with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus , Revell . 17.6 . Which in part was fulfilled in England , under the raigne of Queene Mary , when in one yeare , a hundred seventy six persons of good quality were burnt for Religion , with many of the Common sort : and in France , for before these late bloody Massacres , there were more then two hundred thousand which suffered Martyrdome about Transubstantiation : For the chiefe persecutors of Christ and his followers , are not Atheists , or Turks , or Iewes , but such as hold great place in the Church , Antichristians and Pseudochristians , which makes our Saviour say they shall excommunicate you , that is , they shall blot out your names from among Gods people , or cast you out from the visible outward communion of the Saints . And indeed , vertue hath ever suffered most from those , which should and seeme to uphold her : and instruders upon other mens right can indure any man , how bad soever , rather to live by them , then the servants of him whom they intrude upon , as you may see , Mat. 21.33 . to 39. where those Farmers of the Vineyard killed the servants , who came to receive their Masters rent : they did not kill the Theeves and Robbers , and spoylers of the Vineyard , but the servants ; yea , and the Son too , and the end of all was , that they might take the inheritance . Yea , the godly have ever suffered most from such as professe the same Faith and Religion with them . It hath been the complaint almost of all the Fa●●ers and Saints of God , which have written , that the faithfull , in their several times , were hated , traduced , calumniated , slandered reproached , accused , persecuted and condemne● of such as professe the same Religion with them , ( ●hough under o●her pretences , yet only fo their au●ier and holy lives , that they stucke close to the truth , made conscience of their wayes , and would not rush so boldly into sin as others . Ecclesiasticall History . lib. 6. Chap. 4.5.16 . SECT . 20. 7 TO come unto these present times wherein wee live . Is the World mended with age ? Yea , I would to God we did not find , that as it is in the little world , the older it grows the more diseased ; so in the great world , the older the more vicious ; that the consummation of times and sins were not met together upon us . But as commonly in a diseased body all the humours fall down into the Legs or feet , and make an Issue there : so the corruption of all ages hath sliden downe into this of ours , as into the feete . Many ( saith the Apostle ) walke , that are enemies to the Crosse of Christ , Phil. 3.18 . If many in Saint Paules time , more now ; for Satan , who was then bound is now loosed again out of his prison , and hath great wrath ▪ because he knows he hath but a short time , Revel . 12.12 . To speake onely of the entertainment which piety finds among such as would be counted ( not only Christians but ) Protestants , which principally I intend . Is it possible for a man to live a conscionable and unreprovable life , abstaine from drunkennesse , swearing , prophaning the Lords day , separate himselfe from evill , yea , wicked company , be zealous for the glory of God , &c. Without being traduced , calumlumniated , hated , slandered and persecuted for the same ? No , it is not possible : for if our righteousnesse doe but exceed the righteousnesse of a swearer , or a drunkard , we are sure to be persecuted for our righteousnesse , as Abel was persecuted of Caine , because his Sacrifice was better than his . If a man walk with God , he is too precise : if he will be more than almost a Christian , he is curious , phantastical , factious , and shall be mocked with the Spirit , as if the spirit of God were a spirit of dishonour and shame . How common a thing is it to wound all holinesse under the name of Puritan , a name so full of the Serpents enmity , as the egge of a Cockatrice is full of poyson ? What should I say ? The world is growne so much knave , that 't is now a vice to be honest . O the deplorable condition of these times ! Even the Devill himself durst not have been so impudent , as to have scoft at holinesse in those ancient and purer times : but now I could even sinke downe with shame , to see Christianity every where so discountenanced : our very names come into few mouths , out of which they returne but with reproaches . Amongst the rest of our sins , O God , be mercifull to the contempt of thy Servants . True , blessed be God , and good laws , we suffer little but the lash of evill tongues ; but were wicked mens powers answerable to their wils and malice , they would deliver us up to be afflicted , put us out of the Synagogues , excommunicate and kill us , as our Saviour shewes , Iohn 16.2.33 . and Mat. 24.9 . Yea , their enmity and hatred would be so virulent and bitter , that the brother would betray the brother to death the Father , the Son , and the Children would rise up against their Parents and cause them to dye , the kinsman against the kinsman , and the friend against the friend , only for professing Christs name , & being religious , as himselfe affirmes , Math. 10.34 , 35 , 36. Luke 21.16.17 . Neither is it strange , for this was one of the endes of Christs comming into the World , as appeares , Mat. 10.34.35 . where himselfe saith , Think not that I am come to send Peace , but the sword ; meaning between the seed of the Serpent & the Seed of the Woman ; for I am come to set a man at variance against his Father , the daughter-in-Law against the Mother-in-Law , and a mans enemies shall be they of his owne houshold , Luke 12.51 , 52 , 53. Neither want we precedents of this ; For , by whom was upright Abel persecuted and slain , but by his owne brother Caine ? Who scoffed at righteous Noah , but his owne son Cham ? By whom was that vertuous and religious Lady Barbara put to death , for imbracing the Christian Faith , but by her owne Father Dioscorus ? Who made Serena the Empresse , a Martyr for her faith in Christ ? but her owne Husband Dioclesian . Who helped to burne Bradford ? but Bourne , whose life he had formerly saved . And lastly , by whom was our Saviour Christ betrayed , bu● by his owne Disciple Iudas ? SECT . 21. 8. FOr the time to come , As this strife and enmity in the wicked against the Godly , was early in its entrance , taking its first being in the beginning of time , and hath constantly continued hitherto : so it will be long in continuance , and endure to the end of time , as the Scripture shewes : Yea , the last remnants of time are likely to have the most of it , because as in them love shall wax cold , Math. 24.12 . so as love groweth cold , contention groweth hot . More expresly the Holy Ghost foretels , That in the last dayes shall come such perilous times , that all who will live godly shall suffer persecution , and that toward the end of the World there shall be scoffers , false accusers , cursed speakers , fierce despisers of them that be good , such as shall turne the grace of God into wantonnesse , and deny God the only Lord , and our Lord Iesus Christ ; And being fleshly , not having the Spirit , they shall speak evill of the things which they know not ; And whatsoever things they know naturally as bruit beasts , which are without reason , in those things they shall corrupt themselves ; And that many shall follow their damnable wayes , whereby the way of truth shall be evill spoken off : And that as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses : so these also shall resist the truth , being men of corrupt mindes , reprobate concerning the Faith , being before of old , ordained to condemnation , 2 Tim. 3.1 . to 13. 2. Pet. 2.2 . & 3.3 . Iude 4.10 . 16 , 18 , 19. And so much of the continuance . Now to wind up with a word of Application : If it be so , that all the Godly that have gone before us have been envyed , hated , traduced , nick-named , and persecuted by wicked men , and all that come after us shall be ; let no particular member of the Church look to faire better then the whole body : we see the Patriarchs went this way , the Prophets this way , the Apostles this way , the Martyrs this way , this way went all the Saints and servants of God , and do we look for an easier way ? Yea , if the dearest of Gods Children in former ages have suffered so much for Christ , beene put to such cruell deaths and torments for keeping of a good conscience ; let us praise the Lord , who hath dealt with us farre otherwise ; and pray for good Magistrates to whom , next under God , we owe the thanks : Yea , if our Fore-fathers so willingly underwent those fiery tryals , let none for shame shrink-under the burthen of an aiery tryall only . 2. If the brother persecute the brother , the son , the Father , the Parent his Childe , the Hnsband his Wife the Disciple his Lord , thinke it not strange to be persecuted of any ; for lightly they which are not persecuted , are persecutors themselves . SECT . 22. Quest. HAving proved the Continuance of this Enmity in all ages , now tell us what be the Signes and Properties of it . Ans. They are either Mentall , Verball or Actuall . The first whereof are inward and secret , the two later outward and manifest . Quest. What are the mentall properties , which you call inward and secret . Ans. They are foure in number . It being their manor 1. To envy the good Estate of the Godly . 2. To contemne the meane Estate of the Godly . 3. To rejoyce at the evill Estate of the Godly . 4. To hate them . First , it is 〈…〉 ner of wicked men , out of Enmity to envy the vertuous and good estate of the godly : For envy shall lead the Troope , as Iudas lead the Souldiers ; and it may challenge the first place in the right-hand file ( as pride doth in the Popes Catalogue of the seaven deadly sinnes ) because it was the eldest and first borne sin that ever was in the Devill , after he was cast out of Heaven , and the first that ever he begate upon our nature , after we were cast out of Paradice ; which makes St. Austin therefore call it ( as by a kind of excellency ) the Devills sin . Thus Caine envied his brother Abel , Gen. 4.5 . Saul , David , 1 Sam. 18.28.29 . and those unbeleeving Iewes , Paul , Acts 17.13 . The wicked take as much delight to see the vertuous life of an holy man , as sore eyes do to look upon the Sunne . How contrary are good Angels and evill men ? The Angels rejoyce at that , whereat these powte and stomack ; they are ready to cry and burst for Anger , at that which makes musick in Heaven . But why is it ? These Antipodes to vertue , having lost all good themselves , are vexed to see it in another : a true note to know the Serpents Seed by , for it is the Devils cognizance , 1. Iohn 3.14 , 15. as Love is Christs , Iohn 13.35 . And as it is the very Lees of vice ; so it hath a punishment answerable : for by a just judgement of God , their owne malice turnes back into their owne bowels , as it is Psalm . 7.14 , 15 , 16. and slayeth them , as the swords of Gideons enemies kild themselves , Iudges 7.22 . For that none might have cause to envy the envious man againe , but all to pity him ; envy it selfe is a fire , which consumes that fuell ; a Worme which gnaweth that gourd ; a viper , which eats through those bowels ; a Moath , which fretteth that garment wherein it is bred , nourished and maintained ; it is the consuming of the flesh , and rotting of the bones : Prov. 14 30. And for hereafter , if wicked men thus envy the vertuous and good estate of the godly in this World , which is but their Hell , or at least their Purgatory ; How will it gall them , when they shall see Abraham , and Isaac , and Iacob , and all the Prophets and Saints of God in the Kingdome of Heaven , and themselves thrust out of doores , and cast into the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone ? This shall make them gnash their teeth for envy , as our Saviour shewes , Luke 13.28 . Math. 8.11.12 . but how just is it with God , that this fire of envy should be punished with the fire of Hell ! SECT . 23. 2. SEcondly , it is their manner and property to contemne the supposed meane estate of the godly , as Samballat , Tobiah and Gershom , with the rest of that crue , contemned Nehemiah and the Iewes , Nehem. 4.1.2 , 3. Thus Rabshakeh contemned Hezekiah and his people , 2 Kings 18.19 . to 36. and the Epicurean Philosophers Paul , Acts , 17.18 . Whereas misery , with good natures , is made a loadstone of mercy ; with base mindes , it is contrarily made a footstoole for pride to trample on ; and nothing so midnights the soule of him that is falne , as scorne and contempt . But you may observe that arrogancy is a weed that ever grows on a dunghill , and from the ranknesse of that soyle , she hath her heighth and spreadings ; for they are but puft mindes , and frothy wits , that get so to the top , and bubble thus above inferiours . As what makes them contemne us , but , together with pride , their ignorance ? For alass● , they take notice of our misery , not of our happinesse . Noahs vertues are not Chams admiration ; but his drunkennesse is his sport . Wicked men are like those ill taught children , 2 King. 2.24 . that could upbraid Elisha with his bald head , but had not the wit to consider how God had crowned that head with vertue and honour . O that they could but see all , that they would but say all : as Ephialtes , when one cast him in the teeth with his poverty , answered , Why dost thou not make rehearsall of other things also , as that I love law , and regard right ? But indeed , this were to cleane our faces , and foule their owne . But let them insult for a while , they cannot sit upon so high a cogge , but may with turning prove the lowest in the Wheele : as it fell out with Hammon , who being now made Lackey to a despised Iew , begins to envy , where halfe an houre since he had scorned ; and misery , like a Vulture , must have some body to prey upon . There is a continuall vicissitude of things : The Righteous is delivered out of trouble , and the wicked cometh in his stead , Prov. 11.8 . The wicked shall bee a ransome for the righteous , and the transgressor for the upright , Prov. 21.18 . SECT . 24. 3. THirdly , it is their manner , to rejoyce at the supposed evill estate of the godly , as the Princes of the Philistims did at Sampsons blindnesse and bondage , whom they insulted over , and made their laughing stock , Iudg. 16.25 . Peninna at Hannahs barrennesse , especially when shee went up to the house of the Lord , 1. Sam. 1.6.7 . And the Iewes at the Disciples , and the rest of the Church , when Herod vexed some , and slew others , Acts 12.1.2 , 3. Wicked men feed themselves with others adversity , as Beetles are fed with their fellowes dung : and like Flesh-flies , make the wounds of Gods children their chiefe nourishment : Yea , Crocodile-like , they would , if they might , fatten themselves with the warmest blood of godly mens lives . And not so onely ; for we have a generation , whose onely rejoycing is , Cham-like , to see another fall into some grosse sin , or infirmity : Yea , as Luther speaks , they hunger and thirst after the scandals of the godly : and if at any time through humane frailty , they doe fall into some evill , like hungry Hogges , they muzzle in their excrements , and feast upon them , as upon dainties ; there being nothing that so glads their hearts , that so opens their mouths with so much insolency and triumph ; as what cure will they take to spread the same abroad by a common fame : Yea , it were well , if they would not play the Curres , and open when they are able to sp●ing no Game . But they must needs be filthy creatures , that feed upon nothing but corruption . To delight in mens sinnes , is the sport of devils : recovery from those sinnes , is the joy of good men and Angels . Cham derides his Fathers nakednesse ; it should have been his sorrow : he makes it his sport . But it is ill for a man to make himself merry , with that which angers God. SECT . 25. 4. IT is their manner to hate the religious , as all carnall men hate the members of Christ , Matth. 10.22 . thus Ahab hated Eliah , as himselfe confessed , 1 King. 22.8 . Yea , so inveterately , that there was not one Kingdome or Nation , where he had not sent to take away his life , 1 King. 18.10 . and Haman Mordecai , which was so deadly , that he thought it too little to lay hands on Mordecai only ; wherefore he sought to destroy all the Iewes , the people of Mordecai , that were throughout the whole Kingdome of Abashuerus , Hest. 3-5 , 6. For the effecting of which , he obtained that bloody Edict , ver . 6.9 . And lest it should want successe , he offered ten thousand Talents of silver into the Kings Treasury , to have it effected . Hest. 3.9.13 . And such another was cruell Arundel , sometime Arch-bishop of Canterbury ; who vowed and swore , he would not leave a slip of Professors in this Land ; For you must know , That their hatred extendeth not to this , or that person alone , but to the whole generation of Gods Children and people . As what saith the wicked in Davids time ? Come , let us cut them off from being a Nation & , let the name of Israel be no more in remembrance . Let us take for our possessions the habitations of God , Psa. 83.4.12 And the World is no changling ; for this age wants not many such Hamans and Arundels , who so hate the Children of God , that they wish , as Caligula once did of the Romans , That they had all but one neck that so they might cut it off at a blow , where it in their power , Mic. 3.2 . Ps. 83.4 But our comfort is , they have not so much authority as malice ; resembling the Serpent Porphyrus , which abounds with poyson , but can hurt none , for want of teeth : Though their punishment shall be never the lesse . For as the will to doe God acceptable service , is accepted , as if it were service indeed : so the intent and offer of wrong shall be judged for wrong , in that Court of justice . Good and evill thoughts and desires in Gods account are good and evill workes : And so much touching the Mentall properties of this enmity . SECT . 26. Quest. WHat are their Verball properties ? Ans. They are Eleven in number : And are manifested . 1. In murmuring against the persons of the Godly . 2. In misconstruing of their actions and intentions . 3. In carrying tales of them to others . 4. In perswading others against them . 5. In scoffing at them . 6. In nicknaming them . 7. In rayling on them . 8. In raysing slanders of them . 9. In cursing them . 10. In threatning of them . 11. In undermining of them by flattery . First , ungodly men verbally manifest their enmity by murmuring against the Children of God : as Labans sons murmured against Iacob , Gen. 31.1 . The Israelites against Moses and Aaron ; Yea , against God himselfe ; for which , the utmost part of the Host was consumed with fire from Heaven , Num. 11.1 . & 14.2 , 3. And lastly , the labourers in the Vineyard against the Master of the house , and their fellowes , Matth. 20.11 , 12. And have not we the like murmurers ? O that so many Loaves and Fishes , as did feede five thousand in the Wildernesse , would but stop their mouthes , who amongst us doe both vex at others plenty of grace , and their owne want ! that doe murmure against the godly , even for no other cause , but that they alone should bee the men in whom no crime , or fault scandalous can justly bee found : that make it their Grace , both before and after dinner , to disgrace some Innocent . But so it is , That the baggage World desireth nothing more , then to scarre the face that is fairer then her selfe : whence she takes occasion , in every company , to ●rect the faylings of holy men very high , like Saint Pauls , for the gaze of all ; whereas they hide their good parts under ground , like Saint Faiths , that none may note them . Wherein also is another disadvantage , that cannot be helped . The multitude will sooner beleeve them , then our selves . Affirmations being ap●er to win beliefe , then Negatives are to uncredit them : whereby ●t fals out , that Piety is every where pusht at , an● the religious murmured at , and clamoured against in all places . If such men would know their wages : let them looke , 2 Pet. 2.12 . and there they shall finde , that as their tongues have walked against Heaven , so they shall be confined to Hell : And in the meane time , Cursed is hee ( saith the Holy Ghost ) that smiteth his neighbour secretly ; and let all the people say , Amen , Deut. 27.24 . SECT . 27. 2. BY Censuring their actions , and mis-construing their intentions● as Eliab : did Davids zeale for Gods glory to be pride and malice , 1 Sam. 17.28 . And those wicked ones , his fasting and mourning to be Hypocrisie , Psalm . 35.13 . to 17. Thus Iobs friends condemned him for an Hypocrite , Iob 4.6 . to 11. And the Iewes , Christianity to be Heresie ; and Paul , the Preacher of it , a pestilent fellow , a mover of sedition , and maintainer of schisme ; yea , all the Disciples to be deceivers , 2 Cor. 6.8 . And thus too many in our dayes , will definitively censure men for Hypocrites , whom they scarce know superficially : Yea , ( which is worse ) only because their works are good . Prejudice casteth a false colour upon the best actions : and Basenesse , what it cannot attain to , it will vellicate and deprave . But what saith Sincerity ? While my conscience is innocent , the Worlds suppositions cannot make me culpable : Let me rather , with Eliah and Micah , doe well , and heare ill ▪ then , with Ahab and Iezabel , do ill and be flattered . The Accuser of the Brethren makes choyce of wicked men , to t●aduce those whom he cannot seduce as he desireth ; as we may plainly see in our Saviours example ; who notwithstanding he fulfilled all righteousnesse , and did all things well ; for in his mouth was found no guile , nor fault in his manners , nor error in his doctrine ; Which of you ( said he ) can rebuke me of sinne ? Yet the world traduced him for a Samaritan , a Blasphemer , a Sorcerer , a wine-bibber , an enemy to Caesar , and what not ? A Deceiver and yet true , was S. Pauls Motto , 2 Cor. 6.8 , &c. And as it was then , so it is now . Wicked men deale with the Godly , as sometimes a lustfull person will doe by a chaste woman , when he cannot take away her honesty , he will take away her credit ; brag of effecting his will with her , when yet he could never have admittance into her company . Bad natures , whom they cannot reach by imitation , they will by detraction : like the Fox , what they cannot attain to , they will depresse , and seem to despise : their cunning is to condemne others , that themselves may be justified . As Caligula took off the heads from the Images of the gods , to set up his owne : Or as Merchants , who to raise the price of their own commodities , will beat down the prices of others . And have they not reason thus to do ? Yes : for how is a vicious person discredited , and made contemptible , by the vertuous life of an holy man ? We know straight lines help to shew the crooked . And it is easie to guesse , the Pharaohs fat Kine made the lean ones more ill-favoured . A swarthy and hard-featured visage , loves not the company of cleare beauties . Again , another reason is , They judge others by themselves : now they doe all their good in hypocrisie , and so thereafter judge of others . Saint Chrysostome hath given the Rule , As it is a hard thing ( saith he ) for one to suspect another to be evil who is good himselfe : so it is as hard for him to suppose another to be good , who is himselfe ill . And we see it fulfilled in Nero , who verily beleeved , that all men were foule libidinists , because himselfe was such an one . SECT . 28. 3. WIcked men manifest their enmity against the religious , by carrying tales of them unto others : as C ham carried tales to his brethren of Noahs nakednesse , his tongue was the trumpet to sound forth his Fathers shame , Gen. 9.22 . Thus Doeg carried tales to Saul of David , and Ahimelech , 1 Sam. 22.9 , 10. and the Zip●ins , two severall times brought tidings to Saul , where David had hid himselfe , to the end Saul might slay him , 1 Sam , 23.19 , 20. & 26.1 . And those Libertines , with other suborned men against Steven , to the Counsell of Priests , Acts 6.8 . to 15. And of this burthen many amongst us are in continuall travell . For how frequently doe debauched Drunkards , and incorrigible sinners ( resembling their father the Devill , who both by name Revel . 12.10 . and by nature , Iob. 1.7 , 8 , 9. is a continuall Accuser of the brethren ) carry tales to their fellowes , of such as will not consort with them ? yea , of their faithfull Ministers , especially if hee thunders in his doctrine , and lightens in his conversation , as Gregory Nazianzen speakes of Basil ? Yea , and thinke they doe as good service in it , as Secretaries , and Espialls of Princes , do to the State , when they bring in bills of intelligence ? But doe they , as they ought , with an upright minde tell both our vertues and vices impartially , as Swetonius writeth of the twelve Caesars , and so leave the upshot to collection ? No , but rather , as the Iewes did by Paul , Acts 24. charge us with many things , as that we are pestilent fellowes , movers of sedition , and maintainers of Schisme , but proving nothing , verse 13. And indeed , how should they , when every word they speake is a slander ? Or if otherwise , they look on our infirmities , they looke not on our graces , on our repentance ? No these Flyes skip over all a mans sound parts , I meane his excellencies ; to fasten on a scab , or ulcer ; resembling our Prognosticators , that are more diligent to make mention of foule weather than of faire ; stormes and thunder they much harp upon , but calme and serene dayes passe them un-observed : whereas an ingenious nature would passe over the evill where he findes more good ; considering wee are full of faults by nature ; good , not without our care and industery ; for a minde well qualified , is often beholding to the industry of the owner : and Vlysses as Homer relates , was so applauded for the accutenesse of an ingenious minde , that men spared to object unto him the deformity of his body . But these contrarily , for want of matter to expect against , will coyne it of their owne heads . And that they may deliver themselves with the greater Emphasis , will affirme as that Gymnosophist in Plutarch did , of those Orators to Alexander , That every one of them doth exceed his fellowes , and sweare that the matter is so cleare and manifest , that all the Towne rings of him ( meaning the good fellows of the Towne ) and to speake truth , the parties faults are so cleare and evident , that you may see them as well in the darke , as with a candel , as appeares by the sequell . For ●re there not some godly and faithfull , both Christians and Preachers , that have beene often ( I say not ninety five times ) accused by them , as Aristophanes was by the Athenians , and every time found innocent ? though no thankes to their accusers , for they indeavour all they can to corrupt such as heare them , and fore-stall their judgements against the good and goodnesse . O that men were so wise , as to heare the tale-bearer with indignation , examin before they trust , beleeve his reports , if infallibly true , with unwillingnesse , acknowledge it with griefe , hide our neighbours faults with honest excuses , and bury them in silence : for commonly it fares with the first relator , as it doth with a stone throwne into the water , which of it selfe makes but one circle , but that one begets a hundred , and so both offends and infects many others , but alwayes prooves himselfe to be uncharitable . It were good for other men if tale-bearers would consider this , but better for themselves . True , the wise and honest are able , as so many Angels of God , to discerne truth from slander ; though to the grief of many good hearts , no musick can be so sweet to the eares of others , as to heare well of themselves , ill of the Religious . And these , as they often set the former on worke , so they are resolutely opinionated in beleeving of lyes ( as Saint Austin speaks of the Priscillianists ) whereby they supererogate of Satan . But what is the end of these tale-bearers , and informers against good men ? Follow them to their ends , and you shall see , that if ever the Lord open their eyes to see this their fact , they are even in this life rewarded with the strappadoes of an humane soule , rackt in conscience , and tortured with the very flashes of Hell fire , and not seldome forced to lay violent hands upon themselves , being never well , nor in their owne place , till they bee in Hell , Acts 1.25 . SECT . 29. 4. IT is their manner to perswade and give devillish counsell to others , like themselves , to persecute the godly , as Balaam gave w●cked councell to Balack against the Children of Israel . when he could not be suffered to curse them , Revel . 2.14 . Th●s the Princes and Rulers did to Zedekiah the King against Ieremiah , saying , Wee beseech you , let this man bee put to death for thus he weakneth the hands of the men of Warre , &c. Ier. 38.4 . and the Iewes of Thessalonica to the people of Berea against Paul , Acts 17.13 . That the enemies of the Crosse of Christ , are still accustomed to deale after this manner with the religious , I need not demonstrate ; plain things , which our selves are daily witnesses of , need no proofe . Onely note their matchlesse malice herein ; who , that they may be sure to prevaile , first dazell their friends eyes with false accusations against us , as true and certain , as that Naboth did blaspheme God and the King ; and their associates are as sure of it , as Darius was , that the Idoll Bell did eate and drinke every day forty Sheep , twelve Kakes , and six great pots of Wine , because threescore and ten of the Priests gave it out so : And that their mortall enmity may be taken for a zeale of the Churches good , as Iudas would have his covetousnesse taken for Charity , Iohn 12.6 . And the Pharisees their Cruelty thought Piety , Matth. 23.14 . All the reproaches that the Devill , and these his Scavengers , can rake out of the Channels , of Hell , shall be flung in our faces , the worst language that hath ever been dipt in the forge , or tipt at the fire of Hell , shall be bestowed upon us ; wherein they resemble those ancient enemies of the Gospel , who clad the Martyrs in the skins of wild Beasts , to animate the Dogs to teare them . This evill world hating true Christians ( as it did Christ ) without a cause ; readily takes up Arms against the most innocent , and so cloathing them with pretended causes , to colour that her hatred , ( For as no man loves evill , but under the shew of good : so no man will appeare to hate what is good , but under the appearance of evill . ) Truth it selfe is arraigned , as a deceiver : And he by whom Kings reigne , represented as an enemy to Caesar : and under such representations to the people , he is crucified by them . Though perhaps this is more then needs , for not seldome the counselled are more ready to yeeld their ayd , then they are to ask it ; being of Maximinus his humor , who seeing none offer themselves , set on work certain vile persons to accuse the Christians of heynous crimes , that so he might persecute them with more shew of reason ; for that one may supply the others defects , the first finds an head , the second a tongue , the third hands : As Vlysses may contrive , but Diomedes must thorow with it : so altogether deale with the poore Minister , or Christian , as the Soldiers did with Christ , first blind him , then strike him , and last ask him , Who is it that smote thee ? And he may answer the best man of them , It was thou , O mine enemy , thou wast an Achitophel in the one , a Doeg in the other , a Belial in both . And let such men know , that this their instigation will end at last , either in anguish or confusion , teares or torment will become their recompence . SECT . 30. 5. IT is the manner and custome of wicked men to scoffe at the righteous , as Ishmael scoft at Isaac , Gen. 21.9 . Rabshakeh at Hezekiah , and his people , 2 Kings 18.27 . And the Philosophers at Paul , Acts 17.18 to 21. And to this day the world is too full of scoffing Atheists , and mockers of Piety . Michal was barren , yet she hath too many children , that scorn holy exercises ; every houshold almost hath some in it , if not many , of the brood of Cham and Ishmael : so that if any one refrain from impiety , refuse to doe as the rest in all excesse of ryot , he is made both their prey and laughing-stock : Yea , if he be so bold as to preach righteousnesse to them , by voyce or by example , there is instantly some Tobiah , or Sanballat , steps up to flout him . They so hate righteousnesse , that they will hate a man for it , and say of good living , as Festus did of great learning , it makes a man mad . But they cannot know who are sober , that are mad themselves . Achish and his Courtiers thought David mad , yet he was the wisest man amongst them . Yea , as old men answer young men , You thinke us fooles , but we know you are not wise : so answer we these , You think us mad that are so hot against sinnes , but wee know you mad that are so cold for your soules . Dogges will bark at the Moone : and what all men commend , you have some Thersites take delight to blast . Lot vexed himselfe because hee saw men bad : these , because men are good : not because Gods Law is broken , but because others keep it better then themselves . But these are brinish & ill made candles , which so sparkle and spit at others : it is a cursed zeale in these men , to maligne the good zeale of all men . But let them alone , they need no help to be miserable : for as they scoffe at us , so God laughs at them , He that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh , the Lord shall have them in derision , Psal. 2.4 . Yea , Judgements are prepared for these scorners , and stripes for the backs of these fooles , Prov. 19.29 . God shall raine down fire and brimstone upon such scorners of his word , and blasphemers of his people as thou art , said Mr. Philpot the Martyr , to mocking Morgan and the rest of his persecuters . If they smart not here , as Cham did , whose scoffing only brought his Fathers Curse , and Gods upon that : And the two and forty children who were devoured of wilde Beares for scoffing at Elishas bald head , 2 King. 2.24 . and Foelix , who for one malicious scoffe , did nothing day and night but vomit blood , till his unhappy soule was fetcht from his wretched carkasse : And Pherecydes , who was consumed by worms alive , for giving Religion but a nick-name ; a small matter if thou mayst be made Judge . And Lucian , who for barking against Religion like a Dog , was by a just judgement of God , devoured of Dogs . For this let me tell them , what ever the D●vil blinding them , they think there cannot be a greater Argument of a foule soule , then the deriding of religious services : Yea , to be a scoffer , is the depth of sin : such an one is upon the very threshold of Hell , as being set down in a resolute contempt of all goodnesse . SECT . 31. 6. IT is their manner and property to nick-name the godly , as Ahab nick-named Eliah , the troubler of Israel , 1 Kings 18.17 . The wicked , Iob and David hypocrites , Psalm 35.13.14 . Iob 4.6 . to 11. The Courtiers , Ieremiah an enemy to the Common-wealth of Israel . The Iewes , Paul a factions and seditious fellow , Acts 24.14 . Yea , they tearmed all the Disciples Sectaries , Schismatickes , subverters of the State , &c. 1 Cor. 4.9.10 . And the same Devill , who spake in Ahab , and those wicked ones of old , now speaks in our loose Libertines , who nick-name the conscionable , Puritanes , and seditious persons : For doe but examine who they be which cast these aspersions upon the godly , and you shall find , that the hand of Ioab , I mean the Devill , is in this businesse . Alas , poore soules ! they are but set on by that subtile Serpent , as Zebede was by her sonnes , Matth. 20.20 . Mark. 10.35 . It is but his heart in their lips . And Satan hath ever found it infinitely successfull , to give every vice a title , and every vertue a disgrace ; for still hee hath found , that the rude and unstable multitude , onely look upon the vizard and out-side of things , which he pleaseth to put upon them , and so judge according to appearance , not righteous judgement . Neither doth the Devill onely gain by fastning reproachfull nick-names upon the religious , but his servants gain too ; much like the Thiefe , who meeting with a full purse , not onely takes it away , but returnes a stab : For in making vertue contemptible , and in depraving the godly , they are at least upon even ground with them , if they have not the better : For were all the world ugly , deformity would be no monster . Among the Myconians baldnesse is no unseemly thing , because all there are born bald : and hereupon infamous persons love to mitigate their owne shame , with others discredit . As AEsops Fox , when she had lost her taile , would have redeemed her shame , by perswading all her fellow-Foxes to cut of theirs ; yea , by despressing the good , they may possibly get the start of them . Even Heliogabulus , that beastly monster , thought to make hims●●●e the sole God , and be only worsh●●pped , by banishing all other Religions o●t of the World. ●●t let these depravers take heed , lest im●●●ting the fact of Censor Fulvius , wh●● untiled Iunos Temple to cover his ow●● house , they partake of the like judgement , run mad , and dye despairing ▪ SECT . 32. 7 IT is their manner to revile and rayle on them , as Goliah reviled and rayled on the Host of Israel , and their God , 1 Sam , 17.45 . Shimei , upon David , calling him murtherer , and wicked m●n , 2 Sam 16.7 . And likewise the mig●●y men , Psal. 31.13 . And the Iewes up●n Paul and Barnabas , Acts 13.45 . Calumny is every good mans Lackey , which followes him wheresoever hee goes ; for the Devill hath his servants in every corner ; and rotten Lungs can never send forth sweet breath . If the Law bind their hands , yet they will be smiting with their tongues : and if the Law keepe them in awe for smitting on the mouth , yet they will doe what they dare , , they will smite with the mouth . It is with these men , as it was with Zoilus , that common slanderer , who being demanded why hee spake evill of such and such , answered , because I cannot doe them evill : or else , like another Parisian Vigils , wee should feele their swords , before we heard their alarums . When the Devills hands are bound , he vomits a flood of reproaches with his tongue Revel . 12.15 . What say they ? Since we cannot attaine to their vertues , let us revenge our selves with rayling against them . It is not for nothing , that wicked men are so often is Scripture called Dogs , as Psalm . 59.6 . deliver my soule , or my darling , from the power of the Dog : and they make a noyse like a Dog , and goe round about the City , Beware of Dogs , saith S. Paul , Philip. 3.2 . which either grin with malice , or barke with reproaches , or bite with mischiefe . But blessed be God , although some of these Dogs have teeth like swords , and jaws like knives , as Solomon speakes , Prov. 30.14 . And smite cruelly , as Ieremy complaines , Chap. 18.18 . which deserve , like Shepheards Curres , to have their teeth beaten out , to prevent their biting ; yea , and their chaps muzled , for feare of opening ; yet most of them are tooth-lesse Curres , which though they barke , yet they cannot bite ; and cowardly Curres , for if you note such an one , he seldome unbuttons his tumoured brest , but when he finds none to oppose the bignes of his looks and tongue . And for such our only way is , either to slight them , as King Philip did Nicanor in the like case ; who being told by Smitichus of his evill reports and raylings , answered , Nicanor is not esteemed by the worst in Macedonia . Or else stop their mouths with some good turne , as AEneas , in the fiction , cast Cerberus the hell-hound a sweet morsell , that hee might not barke against him . The doore , when it hath been oyled , leaves creaking ; and this is good policy : for barking Curres oft-times great mastiffs wake . But as if the tearme of Dogge , were of too narrow extent , the Scripture elsewhere calls them Devils . Saint Pau● , 2 Tim. 3.3 . ( as Bishop Andrews observes from the Originall ) foretels , that in the latter dayes there shall bee men Devils , foule mouthed men , evill speakers , and 1 Tim. 3 11 he speaketh of women-devils , whose speeches are calumnious . And wherefore is the Devill called by that name , but by reason of his foul mouth in defaming ? Yea A Calumny , saith one of the Fathers , is the Devils minde in the mouth of a man , his arrow shot by mans bow ; he lendeth him his lyes and malice , and borroweth his tongue to utter them because the Devill wants a tongue . I close up this point with those words of the Prophet , either convert the persons or confound the lying lips , O God , that speake against the righteous . SECT . 33. 8. IT is their man●er to raise slanders of the godly , as those wicked men slandered Naboth , saying , he hath blasphemed God and the King , confirming the same with an oath , 1 Kings 21. Thus the wicked slandered David , Psalm . 57.4 . And the multitude Iohn Baptist , saying he had a Devill , Matth. 11.18 . It is Satans policy ( because report both makes jealousies , where there are none , and increaseth those that are ) to abuse our eares in hearing , our tongues in speaking , and our hearts in beleeving lyes , to disable us from discerning the truth . Yea , this stratagem of raising slanders upon good men , like a huge and mighty Polyphems , hath done such service to the uncircumcised , that examples thereof in Scripture are like moats in the Sunne : and it were easie to parallel former ages with this of ours , for well may we take up those words of the Psalmist , The wicked bend their bow , and make ready their arrows upon the string , that they may secretly shoot at them which are upright in heart , Psalme 11.2 . Innocency is no shelter against evill tongues . Malice never regards how true any accusation is , but how spitefull . And great wits are not more ready , with the high Priests and Elders , Matth. 28.12 , 13. to raise these slanders , then the common sort are apt to beleeve the same ; as we see by our Saviours example , ver . 15. And how many particular persons know , to their smart , that a slander once raised will scarce ever dye ; for comming once into the mouth of the vulgar , true or false , like wild-fire it can never bee quenched ; for even death it selfe , which delivereth a man from all other enemies , is not able to deliver him from this of the tongue . Whereas Truth hath much adoe to be beleeved , a lye runs far before it can be stayed . However , a man once wounded in his good name , is not cured without scarres of suspition . Yea , commonly , as a little ball rowled in the snow gathers it selfe to a great lump : so the report that is but a little sparke at first , proves a great flame , by that it hath past through many mouths . But did not mens owne wickednesse blinde them , were they not absolutely turned fooles , they would thus argue : Not he that is accused , but he that is convicted is guilty , as Lactantius hath it . In the Chancery are many accusations they never meane to prove : Neither doth any Law condenme a man , till hee comes to his answer . Upright Cato was fifty times undeservedly indited and accused by his fellow Citizens , yet was every time acquitted and found innocent . The Orator Tertullus , when hee would plead against Paul , sayes , Wee have found this man a pestilent fellow , Acts 24.5 . But , if you marke it , this foolish Tertul●us mistooke the antidote for the poyson , the remedy for the disease : Indeed , he hath some wit in his anger , and so have his followers in slandering such as excell in vertue : for whereas formerly the splendor of the others vertues hath obscured the meannesse of their credit , as the lesser light of a candle is obscured by the greater light of the Sun : so now by clouding and depraving him and all his fellows , himselfe shall be judged vertuous , ve●y cheap , accounted a man of honesty and honour , though a Paricide or a sacrilegious person . And is it not good policy for a swinish drunkard , or a beastly liver to fling durt in a holy mans face , when , first , any colour seemes the fairer , when as blacke is by ? Secondly , when ( being conscious of their owne defects ) by this meanes they draw away mens thoughts , and consideration of the beholders , from climbing up into their faults , while they are fixed and busied upon a new object ? One colour wee know , being laid upon another , doth away t●e former , and remains it selfe . A Cut-purse in a throng , when he hath committed the fact , will cry out , my Masters , take heed of your purses ; and he that is pursued will cry , stop theefe , that by this meanes hee may escape unattached . SECT . 34. 9. IT is usuall with them to Curse the godly , as Goliah cursed David , 1 Sam. 17.43 . And also Shimei , 2 Sam. 16.7 . to 15. Thus the Heathen cursed Israel , Zach. 8.13 . And thus wicked in all ages shall be so drunke with malice , that they shall spew out cursing and slander against the godly , as our Saviour hath foretold , Mat. 5.44 . And experience proves , that not a few amongst us doe steep their words in hate and curses against the good , carrying this deadly poyson , these arrows , swords , knives , razors in their mouthes , wherewith to interlace their discourse , whether in reviling the present , or backbiting the absent . There is a generation ( pity they should be called Christians ) all whose Prayers are Curses , and all their relations lyes : Or if sometimes they lend the truth their voice , they are but false witnesses in speaking of it ; for their hearts are of another judgement . As let them say with their mouths , I beleeve in God , or Our Father which art in Heaven , or God spake these words , &c. even in this they lye , for in their hearts they thinke there is no God at all : or if with their hearts they beleeve , and with their tongues confesse that there is a God , at least by their works they deny him , and the power of his word . So that all the difference between them , and very infidels , is only this , the one are infidels in their hearts , the other are infidels in their lives , as Augustine pithily . And what 's the reason they curse us , but this ? They are the Devils best schollers , and of his highest Forme ; the language of Hell is so familiar unto them , that they speake not a word of our Countrey language : And indeed , how should they speake the language of Canaan , to whom blasphemy is become the mother tongue ? Secondly , they curse us because they cannot be suffered to kill us ; for in heart and Gods account they are no better then murtherers ; nor will it bee any rare thing at the day of Judgement , for Cursers to be indited of murther : they would kill us , if they durst : they doe kill , so far as they can . I would be loath to trust his hands , that bannes mee with his tongue . It is easie to guesse how they would deale with us , if we were at their mercy . He that smiled on David in his throne , curseth him in his flight : Now his unsound and treacherous heart discovers it selfe in a tongue full of venome , a handfull of stones ; and had not David been yet too strong for his impotent Subject , he had then breathed his last . Prosperous successe hides many a false heart , as a drift of snow covers a heape of dung : but when that white mantle melts , the filthy rottennesse will soon appeare . Neither is it any sinne we commit , or offence wee give them , that they Curse us . Who could have lesse deserved those curses , those aspersions , those stones , then David ? Had Shimei beene other then a dog , hee had never so rudely barked at so harmeles a passenger . That head deserved to be tonguelesse , that body to be headlesse , that thus blasphemed an Innocent , though hee had beene lesse then the Lords Anoynted . Againe , Why would they kill our bodies , but because they could not slay our soules ? For it is soule-blood which the Serpent and his Seed thirst after , as I shall shew afterward . But alasse , if all their Curses and threats , all their aspersions and Anti-christian slanders , could flout us out of the integrity of our devotion , when our forefathers feared not the flames , we were fearfull cowards . As for their banning of us , we have learnt from Solomon , That the causelesse curse shall not come , Prov 26.2 . or at least , it shall not come where the curser meant it . Yea , the Psalmist tells us plainly , That though they curse , yet God will blesse , Psalm . 109.28 . And his blessing shall doe us good , while their curses hurt none but themselves : for what saith the Holy Ghost in the same Psalme , speaking of the desperately wicked , whose brand is , that they love cursing . The words are these , As he loved cursing , so shall it come unto him ; and as he loved not blessing , so shall it be far from him . As be cloathed himselfe with cursing , as with a rayment : so shall it come into his bowels like water , and like oyle into his bones . Let it be unto him , as a garment to cover him , and for a girdle , wherewith he shall be alwayes girded , ver . 17 , 18 , 19. Heare this all yee whose tongues run so fast on the Devils errand , Yee loved cursing , you shall have it , both upon you , about you , and in you , and that everlastingly , if you persevere and goe on . For if Christians be charged to blesse their enemies ; what will bee their case , that curse their friends ? Yea , if he which but curseth Satan curseth his owne soule , as it is , Eccles. 21.27 . What doth he that curseth the Saints and deare children of God ? Surely , their curses shall bound backe into their owne breasts , as the stones , which Shimei threw at David , did rebound upon Shimei , and split his heart ; yea , and at last knockt out his braines . Cursing mouthes are like ill made Peeces , which while men discharge at others , recoile in splinters upon their owne faces . Their words and wishes bee but whirle-winds , which being breathen forth , returne againe to the same place ; Cursed be he that curseth thee , Gen. 27.29 . Yea , hee shall be cursed with a witnesse , for even Christ , which came to save the world , shall say unto them at the last day , Depart yee cursed into everlasting fire , prepared for the Devill and his Angels , Matth. 25.41 . Where they shall doe nothing but curse for evermore , Revel . 16.11.21 . And indeed , Who should goe to Hell , if cursers should be left out ? Wherefore let all those learne to blesse , that looke to be heires of the Blessing . SECT . 35. 10. IT is their use to threaten the religious , as all the men of Sodome threatned just Lot , that they would deale worse with him then with the Angels , Gen. 19.9 . Iehoram , Elisha , saying , God do so to me , and more also if the head of Elisha shall stand on him this day , 2 Kings 6.31 . And thus Paul , before his conversion , breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples , Acts 9.1 , 2. It were no living for godly men , if their hands were allowed to bee as bloody as their hearts . But men and Devills are under restraint of the Almighty . Neither are their words more swelling , or their designes more lavish , then their atchievements be vaine , and their execution short . Benhadad sends great words unto the King of Israel , as if it were nothing to conquer him : but stay the proofe , Benhadad flyes , and Israel pursues . Commonly they that least can doe , best cavill can , and make the greatest flourish . However , it is well for the innocent , that wicked men cannot keepe their owne counsels , as God fetcheth their thoughts out of their owne mouthes , many times , even against their wills , for the good of his Children ; as we may see in Esau , when hee purposed the death of Iacob ; and in Saul , touching David ; and in Iezabel touching Elisha ; whose threats did preserve them , whom they meant to kill . The wisdome and power of God could have found evasions for his Prophets , with their enemies greatest secrecy : but now they need no other meanes of rescue , then their own lips . And it is a mercy ( deserving thanks ) from God , that the lightning of anger in a cruell mans eyes , gives us warning of the thunderbolt in his hand . But this concernes us only , when we are threatned by the potent : in other cases , our best way will bee to stand it out : for many a foe hath spoken bravely , who in the push hath made more use of his heels , then of his hands : their threats being but like a boyes squib , that onely flashes , and cracks , and stinks , but is nothing . SECT . 36. 11. IT is their manner by subtlety to undermine the godly in talke , that they may betray them , as Saul caused his servants to undermine David by flattery , thereby to worke his confusion , 1 Sam. 18.17 . And againe , verse 21.25 . thus those false Prophets , and other enemies of the truth undermined Ieremiah , seeking every way to destroy him , Ier. 18.18 . to the end of the Chap. And thus certaine of the Synagogue sought to undermine Steven , that so they might have matter wherby to informe the Councell against him , Acts 69 , 10. Their chiefe Principle is that of Lysanders , VVhere the Lyons skinne will not suffice , we must adde a scantling of the Foxes . Whereupon , as intelligencers for States , mingle themselves with all companies , but use their best art to keep themselves concealed : so doe these , you may travell with such an one as far as the Indies ; and yet finde the way into his heart a farther journey . For as High-way-men , lighting into true meaning company by the way , can talke of sincere dealing , and uprightnesse , against robbery and oppression , to take off suspition , till they spy their opportunity : so will they have semblances of religion , pretend great love ; yea perhaps doe you a reall curtesie ; but with the same intent that Saul gave Michall to David , which was only to ensnare him . Like Fowlers and Anglers , when they meane to catch and snare us , they hide their nets , and cover their hooks with the pleasing baites of flattery , setting a sunshine countenance upon cloudy thoughts : Yea , when they intend to murther , then speake they fairest ; when deadly malice dives deepest into their hearts , then the smoothest words floate in their mouthes , as no faces looke lovelyer then the painted . Now this kind of undermining they have borrowed from Satan , that old Serpent , and arch-polititian , who in the beginning useth this complement to our first Parents , Ye shall be as gods : when his drift was , to have them devils , Gen. 3.5 . Yea , he sets them on worke , who never ceaseth , either by himselfe , or by his servants to tempt and undermine the people of God , 1 Pet. 5.8 . especially at such times , as they are , or should be addressing themselves to some notable workes in performing the will of God , as we may see , Ier 1.6 . Ezek. 3.14 , 15. Nehe. 2.48.19 . & 6.5 , 6 , 7 , 10. Acts 6.9 , 10. Matth. 4.1 . But beware we trust them not , for these Hypocrites never wound so deadly , as when they stroak us with a silken ●and being like the mistaken Lanthorne in Eighty eight ; for under pretence of guiding , they will draw us into hazzard and losse among our enemies ; and whosoever puts confidence in their words , shall finde them to resemble sinking floores , which will then fail us , when our weight is on them . And so much of the Verbal properties of this enmitie . SECT . 37. Qu. IN the last place what are the Actuall Properties ? Answ. Thirdly , wicked men actually manifest their enmitie against the Religious in seven particulars : viz. 1. By scornefull gestures . 2. By withstanding their Doctrine . 3. By combining together against the Godly . 4. By imprisoning the Godly . 5. By striking the Godly . 6. By hurting the Godly . 7. By killing the Godly . First , by gesture , as Goliah against David , when he looked upon him with a disdainfull countenance , 1 Sam. 17.42 . Which is a kinde of brow-beating ; and other wicked ones , who made mowes , and nodded the head at him , Psalme 22.7 . Gaped upon him with their mouthes , as ramping and roaring Lions , verse 13. Gnashed their teeth at him , at publique meetings , Psal. 35.16 . Shaked their heads at him , Psal. 109.25 . Thus Iob complaines , That his enemies opened their mouthes against him , Iob 16.10 . And Isaiah , that the scoffing Idolaters gaped and thrust out their tongues against the godly , in his time , Isai 57.3 , 4. And the Labourers in the Parable are said to have an evil eye against the Master of the Vineyard , because he was good , Matth. 20.15 . Many will speak , that dare not strike ; and some will make mouthes , that fear to speak . Now this of gesture is a silent foe ; yet upon inquisition made , I finde none more guilty of the Serpents enmitie , than he , who speakes with his brow , and striketh with his eyes ; who , because his tongue cannot us●ly condemn a man , he will leave him suspected of ill by silence , or some disdainfull gesture : For , as his Ma●estie said most aptly and elegantly , As the tongue speaketh to the ear ; so the gesture speaketh to the eye . And though such an one be silent for want of words , yet he is not so for want of malice , even scoffes and nick-names , slander and cur●ing stickes in his teeth , and onely dares not freely come forth , because he is guilty of his owne faultinesse : and were he not a monstrous coward , not daring to speak or act for fear of ●ustice , there would be no dealing with him : yet bad as he is , being dumbe , I finde him uncapable of a verdict , and so dismisse him to leade the Van , which is both a punishment to himselfe and those that follow . SECT . 38. 2. IT is their manner to withstand and contrary the Doctrine which they are commanded by God to deliver . Thus Zidkiah the false Prophet withstood and contraried Michaia's Doctrine , 1 Kings 22.24 . The Priests , Prophets , and all the people , Ieremiahs , saying , Why hast thou prophesied in the Name of the Lord , that this house shall be like Shilo , and this Citie shall be desolate , and without an inhabitant ? Ierem. 26.8 , 9. And thus Elimas the Sorcerer withstood and contraried Paul and Barnabas in their preaching , Acts. 13.8 . And this is still the manner of wicked men ( being better acquainted with wrangling than reasoning , and deeper in love with strife that truth ) even to cavill against the good Word of God , and oppose the messenger , and what they cannot maintain by reason , a feminine testinesse shall outwrangle . These night-birds know right well , that where the Sun shines , there is small place for them to appear : whence the Ministers preaching is as great a vexation to them , as their conversation is to him : and in case he hath a ●ire in his tongue kindled with a coal from the Altar , they have a sea of water in their hearts to quench it . But if some one be more specially gifted in convincing of sin , he is sure to have treble opposition : if he molest Satan , and dispossesse him of his strong holds , Satan will molest him with a powder ; all the Drunkards in that Parish shall fall about such a Ministers eares ; yea , perhaps some neighbour Ministers that pretend gravitie and good will to God , shall more than set them on : for vertue fares hardest oftentimes from such as should uphold her . When Henry Zu●phen was Preacher at Breame ; the Catholiques sent their Chaplaines to evey Sermon to trap him in his words : but the greater part of them that were sent to hearken , were thereby converted : and did openly witnesse for him to his Adversaries teeth , that they never in all their life had heard the like , at which the Monkes and Cardinals were mad . The case of our Prelates , during the time of their High Commission . None so deep in Hell , as knowing men : strong braines are commonly too wise to be saved by the foolishnesse of preaching . But Paul the babler must be both heard and admired , before heaven can be had : yea , great Doctors must acknowledge themselves but great Dunces , in comparison of meaner men ; speaking by the Spirit of God : as it fared with the Philosopher , when he read the fir●t Chapter of Saint Iohn's Gospel , who said , This Barbarian hath comprised more s●upendious stuffe in three lines , than we have done in all our voluminous Discourses . And indeed , The wisedom from above is gentle , easie to be perswaded ; when better , reason is alleadged , Iames 3.17 . as in Peter , Iohn 13.8 . First , peremptory , but after conviction pliable . An humble man will never be an Heretique : shew him his errour , he will soon retract it . Iohannes Bugenhagius a reverend Dutch Divine lighting upon Luthers Book , De captivitate Babylonicâ , and reading some few pages of it as he sate at supper , rashly pronounced him the most pestilent and pernitious Heretique that ever the Church had been troubled with since the times of Christ : but a few dayes after , having seriously read over the Book , and well weighed the matter , he returned to his Colegioners , and recanted what he had said , affirming and proving , that Luther onely was in the light , and all the world besides in grosse darknesse , so that many of them were converted by him , and won to imbrace the same truth . Thus Satan and his instruments deal like our Pirats , who will set upon rich laden ships , but passe by those that are empty . Nor are they to be appeased after they have once begun , for that which rashnesse and follie have brought forth , pride afterwards and contumacie shall maintain to the last gaspe . Usually , an ill cause once undertaken , shall be maintained , though with bloud . Nay , rather than want cause , they will now hate such a Minister , because they have formerly hurt him : as many husbands hate their wives , onely because themselves have wronged them , or at least love them the lesse for their owne faults : all which they will defend with their tongues , though they condemne it with their consciences . Which men are like those wicked Iewes , Acts 13 45. who would neither believe the Doctrine which Paul preacht , nor abide that the Gentiles should be brought to the Faith of Christ : For they not onely forbear to hear such a Mini●●er themselves , but will dehort all their familiars : in imitation of the high Prie●●s , Scribes , and Pharisees , who in their own opinion were too good , too wise , too holy to receive Christ into their companie ; and , not content to seque●●er themselves from Christ , they disdained also that he should be conversant with Publicans and sinners . Pride was ever envious and contumelious , thinking she addes so much to her own reputation , as she detracts from others : and indeed the twinckling starres at the approach of the Sun lose their light , and after regain it not , untill darknesse be upon the deep : yea , the whiter the Swan is the more black is the Crow that 's by her . SECT . 39. 3. THey will combine themselves together , and lay devilish plots to destroy the godly , as the new King of Egypt with his people did against the children of Israel , when they perceived them to multiply so fast , Exod. 1.9 , 10. Thus the hundred and twenty Governours combined together to worke Daniels overthrow , Dan. 6. And thus Demetrius the Silver-smith , and the rest of the crafts-men , which made gain by the silver Temples of Diana , combined themselves together , to conspire the death of Paul's companions , Acts 19. And when Paul was rescued by Lysias , the next day there were more than forty of the Iewes , which bound themselves by a curse , saying , They would neither eat nor drinke ▪ till they had killed Paul ; in which conspiracie the chief Priests and Elders were likewise assistants , Acts 23.10 , 14. The Apostle saith , If God be on our side , who can be against us ? But Saint Chrysostome , in opening of those words saith , Nay rather , Who is not against us , if God be with us ? For , they cast their heads together , saith David , with one consent , and are confederate against God , and his secret ones , imagining crafty counsel against them , saying , Come , Let us root them out , &c. Psal. 83.3 , 4 , 5. How wicked men agree in persecuting the truth , and professours thereof , we may see , Acts 4.26 , 27. & Mark 14. where even old Annas , and that wicked bench of grey-headed Scribes and Eld●rs , are content to break their sleep to do mischief , and make noon of midnight . As for the manner of their consultations , they are lively exprest by the Author of the Book of Wisdom , who bringeth them in , saying thus , one to another , Come , let us lie in wait for the righteous , because he is not for our turne , but is clean contrary to our doings : he upbraideth us with our offending the Law : he was made to reprove our thoughts : it grieveth us also to look upon him , for his life is not like other mens , his wayes are of another fashion , he vaunteth to have the knowledge of God , and counteth us as bastards ; he withdraweth himselfe from our wayes as from filthinesse ; he commendeth the latter end of the just , and boasteth that God is his Father . Wherefore let us see if his workes be true ; let us prove and examine him with rebukes and torments ; let us condemne him to a shamefull death . And then gives the reason : Such things do they imagine , for their own wickednesse hath blinded them , and they do n●t understand the mysteries of God , neither hope for the reward of righteousnesse , nor can discern the honour of the soules that are faultlesse , Wisd. 2.12 . to 23. Qu. I , but what have they whereupon to ground their accusations ? For the religious mans life is commonly like Paul's , Phil. 3.6 . unrebukable , and he walketh in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Law , without reproof , as Zacharie and Elizabeth did , Luke 1.6 . Answ. He that studies quarrels will easily finde occasion . When the Governours were resolved that Daniel should die , they soon found pretences . As suppose it be a private Christian , they will lie in wait to finde faults in him , and turne good into evil , and are of so prying an observation , that they will look farther into his actions , than the best man would willingly have them search . Nor can you easely finde the man that is not quick-sighted in other mens faults , blinde to his own . But being disappointed of their hopes , hear what they say , We shall not finde an accusation against him , he is so faithfull , Except we finde it concerning the Law of his God , Dan. 6.5 . And his punctuall obedience to Gods Lawes , and ●●icking close to the word of truth , shall serve for a need . Or secondly , If he be a Minister , they will assemble together to hear him pray and preach , that so they may catch something out of his mouth , whereof they may accuse him , as the Scribes and Pharisees dealt with our Saviour , Luke 11.54 . And those Governours with Daniel , wherein he shall not be able to speak so warily , but they will finde matter enough to insnare him , as the words shall be wrested , though indeed , to have a great audience onely shall be made crime enough : you know when the Jewes saw that a great companie were at Paul's Sermon , they were filled with envie , and fell to contradiction and blasphemie , Acts 13.45 . And the high Priests and Pharisees , when our Saviour was so flocked after , said among themselves , Perceive ye not , Behold , the World goeth after him , and if we let him thus alone , all men will beleeve in him , Iohn 11.48 . and 12.19 . They were like the Dog in the manger , that will neither eat hay himselfe , nor suffer the Horse ; yet they had a reason for it , as these have : Rome thinkes that the Gospels rising , must needs be her falling , as when the day comes , the night must end . Indeed , opinion makes them coyn that for a reason , which others will not assent unto : yea , what is truth to these men , is errour to others more wise . And when once he is questioned , every one , like Iael to Sisera , will drive a nail , to keep him from rising again . O the wicked mindes that many go to Church withall , and the great dangers that Ministers are liable unto , did not God mightily support them ! many of their hearers being like that Lawyer , which stood up to tempt Christ ; for they come not to be taught by him , but to catch him . In which case , let him preach like an Angel , yea , like Christ himselfe , he shall speak to no more purpose than Beda did , when he preacheed to an heap of stones . It is well known , saith Erasmus , that many points are condemned as hereticall in Luthers books , which in Austens and Bernards books are received for good and orthodox . But what saith David ? Though they have conceived mischief , and do travail with wickednesse , yet they shall bring forth a lye , Psal. 7.14 . For , the Lord breaketh their counsels , and bringeth their devices to naught , Psal. 33.10 . Yea , while the ungodly are whetting a knife to cut our throats . God is whetting a sword to cut their throats . Shall the powder thinke to blow up the house , and scape it selfe from burning ? No , it is a true rule , that of evil premises doth not follow a good conclusion , but from evil seeds come evil plants . SECT . 40. 4. THey are very proan to imprison the godly , cause or no cause ; as Ahab commanded Michaiah to be put into the prison house , and sed with the bread of affliction , and with the water of affliction , 1 Kings 22.27 . Thus the malicious Priests procured Ieremiah to be shut up in prison , Ier. 36.5 . And thus our Saviour shewing what entertainment the faithfull should finde in the World , foretelleth that wicked men shall lay hands on them , and deliver them up to the Assemblies , and into prisons , bring them before Kings and Rulers , for his names sake , Luke 21.12 . As Iohn Baptist , Peter , Paul , and many other of the Apostles , were put into the common prison by Herod , and the Synod of Priests , when they preached in Christs Name , Acts 5.18 . and 12.4 . and 4.3 . and 22.25 . and 28.17 . and 2 Cor. 11.23 . And ● presume the common people were more glad of the Churches losse herein , than they would have been of their own gain . But why into prison ? Why not unto death ? No thankes to Satan , nor his seed , they would destroy all . Yea , Why are not our Sanctuaries turned into Shambles , and our beds made to swim with our blouds , but that the God of Israel hath crossed the confederacie of Balak , and their wickednesse doth not prosper , their studies are the plots of our ruine , and the best they intend , is the destruction and overthrow of Religion , or the religious , or both . Again , Why these , and a thousand more in all ages shut up in prison ? What was their delinquencie ? Even this . They were too good , too holy to be endured . What was it but Iosephs goodnesse , that brought him to the stockes and Irons ? And so of Michaiah , Ieremiah , the Apostles , and all the Saints in succeeding Ages . And to speak truly , this is a deep point of policie in our Adversaries : for when all their arguments faile , by this meanes they get the better , and withall prevent further dispute . In the mid● of their anger they use this discretion , Stand not to argue , le●● thou be overcome , and let the accused plead what he can for his owne innocencie : the Wolfe would answer the Lamb , Indeed thy cause is better then mine , but my teeth are better then thine , I will devour thee : So the Devill puts off the Fox , and puts on the Lyon. Againe , we know the Moone hath so much the lesse light , by how much it is neerer the Sun ; yea , so long as the Sun shines above the Horizon , the Moone is scarcely seene . And we use to say of Homer , that the dazling beames of his Sunne makes all other Poets , like little Stars , loose their light . This made Dionysius , when he could not equall Philoxenus in Poetry , nor match Plato in discourse , condemne the one to the stone-quarries , and sell the other as a slave into the I le of Agina . And out of like consideration , have the wicked alwayes dealt with the godly , even as Iulian the Apostate did by our Saviour , who tooke down his Image in contempt , that he might set up his owne in the same place , and have the people worship it , which he knew they would never doe , so long as the other was reverenc'd . SECT . 41. 5 THey often manifest their enmity against the Religious by striking them , as Zedikiah , the false Prophet , strook Michaiah on the cheek , 1 King. 22.24 . thus Pasher strooke Ieremiah , Ier. 20.2 . And the Princes also , Chap. 37.15 . And thus Ananias the high Priest caused Paul to be smitten on the mouth , Acts 23.2 . and the Iewes whipt him five times with forty stripes save one , and others beat him with rods , 2 Cor. 11.23 , 24 , 25. And thus our rough adversaries of Rome stopt our Martyrs mouthes , and refuted them , not with reasons , nor by Law ( for the Law hath no power to strike the vertuous ) but with fists . When Polititians Rhetorick failes , Carters Logick must do the feat . Their arguments are all Steel and Iron , they speake dagger points : As Ioab discoursed with Amaza in the fifth Rib. So Zedikiah disputed with the Prophet a word and a blow ; yea , a blow without a word ; for hee smote him first , and spake to him afterwards . Every false Prophet is like Iulius the second , who threw Saint Peters keyes into the river Tiber , protesting , that thenceforth he would use and helpe himselfe with Saint Pauls sword . And in case they cannot have their wills , they resemble Achillis , who is fained to eate his owne heart , because he might not be suffered to fight . SECT . 42. 6 IT is usuall with them to hurt and maime the godly : as the whole Congregation of the Children of Israel would have served those true hearted Spyes , for seeking to appease the tumult , and speaking well of the Land of Can●a● , had not the glory of the Lord appeared in the Tabernacle of the Congregation , Numb . 14.10 . Thus the Philistims put out Sampsons eyes , when they had bound him , Iudg. 16.21 . and thus the Iewes of An●iochia and Ico●●m hurt Paul , when they ●toned him , and drew him out of the City , supposing he had beene dead , Act. 14.19 . Neither have succeeding ages wanted Alexanders , who have done much hurt to Gods people : for not seldome when reason and railing failed , have they come to plow-mans Logick , Gun-powder arguments , open violence , taking up swords to strike , or stones to cast at us , though they incurre by it the danger of the Law. Whereas religion makes wild beasts civill ; Atheisme , and Impiety makes of wise meu beasts and ●ools . How many have been known , like him in Esop , who willingly lost one eye , that his fellow might loose both . Yea , whereas the drift of such an ones preaching , in case he be a minister , is to make them like him , in whose name they preach : contrarily , the very word of God , by accident , makes them degenerate into stockes and stones : for hearing but their sins layd open , and the judgement due thereunto , they become so stupid and in sensible of reason , that now , maugre all admonition , the quarrell must end in blood : Yea , away with such a fellow from the earth , for it is not meet that he should live , Acts 22.22 . SECT . 43. 7 ANd lastly , It is their manner out of Enmity to slay the godly , as Doeg slew Ahimeleck and the re●t of the Prie●s , even fourscore and five persons , and Nob the City of Priests , whom he smote with the edge of the sword , both man and woman , child and suckling , at Sauls command , 1 Sam. 22.19 . Thus Iezabel slew all the Prophets of the Lord she could finde , 1 Kings 18.4 . And Herod , all the male children that were in Bethlehem , and al the coasts thereof , from two years old and under , that hee might make sure worke with Christ , Matth. 2.16 . And thus the Inhabitants of Ierusalem , Gods owne people , chosen out of all the World , used to make such havock of their own Prophets , that out Saviour bemoaning her case , cryeth out , O Ierusalem , Ierusalem , which killest the Prophets , and stonest them which are sent unto thee , &c. Matth. 23.37 . And thus it fares with the Saints & servants of God at this day , in such places where wicked men may have their wills . Whereas those Romish Doctors are appointed for the saving of many , they are all for distruction : like rash Empiricks , they can cure no way ; but by letting of blood ; and hereupon they turn their Massing into massacring ; the School into a Camp ; Arguments , into Armes ; teaching all their Proselytes dismall conclusions : as it hath been no rare thing , for some of their Priests in Queen Maries reign , when in arguments they have found the weaknesse of their pens , to fall to their pen-knives : In●●ead of arguments they take up armes ; and instead of zeale and the spirituall word , they use fire and the sword ; yea , treasons , are their best reasons ; the Spanish Inquisition , is their Grammer ; fire and fagot their Rheitorick ; Fleete and fetters , their Log●ck ; The Canons roar , their Musick ; poysoning , their physick ; Yea , their very building of the Church , is by blowing up of common-wealths ; and instead of fighting for God , they fight against God and his Leivtenant . And if at this day they catch but a Protestant in their net , it is a miracle if ever he escapes death , without making shipwracke of faith and a good conscience . For if we will not obey them rather then God , they have a Law by which men ought to dye , a Law like Draco's , written with blood , and sealed with death . Of which their savage proceeding , there are many reasons to be rendered . First , they must doe the workes of their father the Devil : he is a murtherer , and so his children are given to blood , Iohn 8.44 . Secondly , that their deeds of darknesse may not come to light Vriah must be put to death , least Davids adultery bee discovered , and himselfe disgraced . A living Curre you know , will doe more harme then a dead Lion : and it is a sure rule , that of Egges fried in the Pan come no ill Chickens . Thirdly , the wicked through malice seek by all meanes to cut off the godly , because their sinfull and wicked lives are reproved by their godly conversation : neither can they follow their sinnes so freely as they would , nor so quietly , without detection or check . Now if Abels good works reprove Caines evill deeds , let Caine but take away the cause , kill Abel , and the effect shall not follow . Fourthly , whereas the godly are too hard for them in disputing : take Steven for an instance : they will be even with him , by casting of stones , stop his mouth with brick-bats , fetch arguments from the Shambles ; and this they are sure will doe , when all other hopes and helps fayle . So they make their party good , if not with arguments of reason , yet with arguments of steele , and Iron . But this is a very hard way of confuting . Fifthly , their glory and credit with the World is ecclipsed , by suffering these which excell in vertue , This made Adrian and Nero to kill all such as ecclipsed their glory by any demerit : and Mercine , you know , was murthered of her fellowes , because she did excell the rest in beauty . Thus Herod , thought he could not be King , if Christ should reigne . Yea , as though hee had beene of the race of the Ottamans , he thought hee could not reigne , except the first thing hee d●d , hee killed all the males in Bethlehe , m from two yeares old and under : and the Pharisees that they should be despised , if Christ were regarded . And so much of the actual properties of this Enmity . SECT . 44. Q. IN how many of these kindes did our Saviour himself suffer ( whose example hitherto you have omitted ) in his own person of the Jewes , his Countrey-men and Kinsfolke ; yea , of the Chief Priests , Scribes , and Pharisees , who were Teachers and Expounders of the Law , and which sate in Moses Chair ? Answ. In every one of the 22. for as touching the Mental Properties . 1 They Envied him , Matth. 26.15 . 2 They Contemned him , Matth. 12.24 . & 13.55 . 3 They Rejoyced at him in his miserie and distresse , Matth. 27.29 . 4 They Hated him , Iohn 7.7 . 2. Touching the Verbal . 1 They Murmured against him , Luke 15.2 . 2 They Misconstrued his actions and intentions , Matth. 11.19 . 3 They Carried tales of him , Mat. 12.14 4 They Gave devilish counsel against him , Matth. 27.20 . 5 They Scoft at him , Matth 27 42. 6 They Nick-named him , Matth. 13 55. 7 They Railed on him , Luke 23.39 . 8 They Slandered him , Matth. 28 13. 9 They Cursed him , Gal 3 13. 10 They Threatened him , Iohn 11.53 . 11 They Undermined him in talke , that they might accuse him , Matth. 22.15 . 3. Touching the Actual . 1 They Used disdainfull gestures before him , Matth. 2● . 29.39 . 2 They Withstood and contraried his Doctrine , Luke 5.21 . Matth. 9.34 . 3 They Combined together , and laid plots to destroy him , Matth. 12.14 . 4 They Took him prisoner , Mat. 26.57 . 5 They Smote him , Luke 22.64 . 6 They Hurt and wonnded him , Matth. 27.29 . Iohn 19 34. 7 They Put him to death , even that cursed death of the Crosse , Matth. 27 . 3● . That the Scriptures might be fulfilled which saith , And thou shalt bruise his hell ; for all that he suffered was but in his Humanity , and so no more than the bruising of his heel . And why all this ? Not for any evil they found in him ; for their own words are , He hath done all things well , Marke 7.37 . He hath done , such was his power ; all things , such was his wisedom : well , such was his goodnesse : and yet crucified , and abused every way he must be . It was indeed for his zeal , purity , and holinesse , and because his life and practice was clean contrary to theirs , his Doctrine too powerfull and pure for such carnal hearts to imbrace or endure . So that it is plain , and all men may see , who are not dead in sense , how it would fare with us , might our enemies , the same Seed of the Serpent have their wils . SECT . 45. Q WHat Uses may this serve for , which hath been spoken touching the properties of this enmity , and our Saviours suffering ? Answ. First , by this tast of it's fruits learne we to detest them all . Secondly , it may serve to informe every man , whether he be of the Serpents Seed , a childe of the Devil , as he came into the world , or regenerate , and so become of the Womans Seed , a Childe of God , and Member of Christ : for as our Saviour saith , speaking of false Prophets , By their fruits ye shall know them : so I of the Seed of the Serpent , and children of the Devil , By these 22 fruits of enmity you shall know them , as well as you shall know the life by breathing , or the day by it's light . Wherefore all ye that read , reflect and cast your eyes on these Examples , which are such lively Emblems and Representations of your selves , if you be the Serpent's Seed , and yet in your sinnes . Yea , let it make you tremble ; for know assuredly , that if this spawn of enmity , formerly spoken of , remain in you ; if any of these ●ayes you persecute Christ in his Members , or but hate the good , because they will not be so evil as you are , you have not cast off this serpentine quality , which you drew from the loines of old Adam ; but it is an infallible signe , that you are of the Serpents Seed , children of the Devil , enemies to God , and all goodnes , the brethren of Cain , yea , Cain himselfe in another person , and without repentance , your portion shall be with Cain , and the rest of that cursed Crue . On the other side , doth any conscionable Christian finde himselfe hated & persecuted by ungodly men for wel-doing , for Christ's sake , for Religion and righteousnesse sake ? Let him be comforted ; for it is a manifest signe , and a notable strong evidence , that he is of the Womans Seed , regenerate and borne a new , the Childe of God , a Member of Christ's mystical Bodie , and an Heir of eternal Life . Thirdly , these Examples being written to admonish us , upon whom the ends of the world are come , may informe the Godly what they are to expect from the world : Shall any hope to be free from suffering , or t●●●ke it a strange thing , when he doth suffer for wel-doing , when our Saviour Christ himselfe suffered so much as he did , being the onely begotten Son of God , full of grace and truth ? No , the Disciple is not above his Master , nor the Servant above his Lord : If they have persecuted Christ , they will persecute you also , Iohn 15.20 . If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub , how much more them of his household ? Matth. 10.25 . Yea , senselesse were it once to thinke , that the same enmity which spared not to strike at the Head , will forbear the weakest and remotest Limbe . Wherefore arme thou us , O God , with an expectation of that evil which we cannot avoid , yea , make thou us as strong , as Satan and his instruments are malicious , and then let them do their worst . And so much of the Kindes and Properties of this enmity . SECT . 46. The Causes . Q WHat are the Causes , why wicked and ungodly men thus hate , and persecute the religious ? Answ. The Causes being divers , may yet be reduced to three Heads , for either they be Causes in regard of God his Justice . Mercy . Wisedom . Power . Satan his permitted Malice . Subtiltie . Strength . Men Wicked . Godly . And these we might further branch , subdivide and distribute into Cause● Internal , Material , Formal , Natural . Artificial . External , Efficient . Properly . Improperly , Meritorious . Instrumental . Final . And those are either 1. Next : or , Remote . 2. By themselves : or , By accident . 3. Sufficient : or , Insufficient . But the time would be too short , o● this Treatise too long , if I should speak of every one : yea , talking Fabius would be tyred , before he could relate halfe of what is requisite to be spoken of each ; for they require whole Volumes : besides , Instructions , if they exceed , are wont , as nailes , to drive out one another . Q1 . Then select out the Principal , I mean , such as in regard of our edification , are most behoovefull for us to know . And least the pages should still grow , as fish , into a multitude , garble your notions , and give us onely the marrow of the matter . Answ. The Causes best deserving our discovery , and the worlds notice , I take to be Eleaven 1. Contrariety , 2. Ignorance , 3. Separation , 4. Speaking of Truth , 5. Infidelity , 6. Example of the multitude , 7. The preaching of some Ministers , 8. The scandalous lives of some Professours , 9. Flocking after Sermons , 10. Misprision , 11. That they may have more company here in sin , and hereafter in torment . First , a main Cause why wicked men hate and persecute the godly , is the contrariety of their natures . Q1 . How contrary are they ? Answ. As contrary and opposite one to the other , as are God and the Devill ; for the one are Children of God , 2 Cor. 6.18 . Gal. 3.26 Iohn 1.12 . And partake of the Divine Nature , 2 Peter 1.4 Being begotten , Iames 1.18 . And borne a new of God , Iohn 1.13 . 1 Iohn 3.9 By the immortal seed of the Word , Iames 1.18 . And the Spirit 's powerfull working with it , Iohn 3.5 , 8. whereby they are become like God in holinesse , 1 Peter 1.15 . And not children onely , but heires also , even the heires of God , and heires annexed with Christ , Rom. 8.17 . being his brethren , Rom. 8.29 . Members of his B●dy , 1 Cor. 12.27 . Bone of his bone , and flesh of his flesh , Ephes. 5.30 . having his Spirit dwelling in them , Rom. 8.9 to witnesse with their spirits , that they are the Children of God , verse 16. And being Temples of the Holy Ghost . 1 Cor. 6.19 . And the other are the Seed of the Serpent , and Children of the Devil , and so partake of his nature , 1 Iohn 3.8 , 10 , 12 , 14 Acts 13.10 . Iohn 6.70 . and 8 . 4● . and 14.30 . and 16.11 . Matth. 13. 38 ▪ 39. 2 Cor 4 4. 2 Tim. 2.26 . Gen. 3 15. and 5.3 . Ephes. 2.1 . to the end , and 5.14 . 1 Cor. 15.22 . Rom. 5.12.18 . Titus 3.3 . to 8. 1 Peter 2.9 , 10 , 25. Iohn 3.3.5 6. which being so , they must needs be very contrary , and if contrary , no marvell they should so ill agree , although God had not proclaimed an enmity between them . For there can be no amity , where there is no sympathy ; no reconciling of the Wolfe and the Lambe ; the Windes and the Sea ; no neighbourhood , no alliance , no conjunction is able to make the cursed ▪ Seed of the Serpent , and the blessed seede of the Woman ever agree : for Fire and Water , Light and Darknesse , Heaven and Hell are not more contrary . One bloud , one belly , one house , one education could never make Cain and Abel accord , Iacob and Esau , Isack and Ishmael at one : yea , though they be Man and Wife , Parent and Childe , yet if they be not like , they will not like , 2 Cor. 6.14 , 15. And indeed , what is the corporal sympathy to the spiritual antipathy ? Can there be such a parity between the Parent and the Childe , the Husband and the Wife , as there is a disparity between God and Satan ? No certainly , SECT . 47. A Wicked man can agree with all that are wicked , be they Papists , or Turkes , or Atheists , profane and loose persons , civil or moral men , for all these agree with him in blindenesse and darknesse : as who feeles the smart of their tongues , or hands ? not the Idolater or vile person , not the professed Atheist , the Canker-fretting Arminian , or State-betraying Jesuite : for with all these they are Haile fellow , well met : but with sincere Christians and Practicers of piety , he can never agree : the religious shall be sure of opposition , because their light is contrary to his darknesse ; grace in the one is a secret disgrace to the other . Yea , let wicked men be at never so much odds one with another , yet they will concurre and joyne against the godly : as for Example , Edom and Ishmael , Moa● and the Hagarens , Gebal and Ammon , Amalek and the Philistims , the men of Tyre and Assur had each several gods ; yet all conspired against the true God Psal. 83 5. to 9. Manasses against Ephraim , and Ephraim against Manasses ; but both against Iudah . He●od and Pilate two Enemies , will agree , so it be against Christ : they will fall in one with another , to fall out with God. The Sadduces , Pharisees , and Herodians were Sectaries of divers and adverse Factions , all differing one from another ; and yet all these joyne together against our Saviour , Matth. 22. The Libertines , Cyrenians , Alexandrians , Cilicians and Asians , differ they never so much , will joyne in dispute against Stephen , Acts 6.9 . Herod neither loved the Iewes , nor the Iewes Herod , yet both are agreed to vex the Church . I cannot think of a sitter Emblem of a naturall man , than Lime , which agreeth well with all things that are dry , and of it's own nature ; but meeting with Water , a thing directly opposite , it breakes , burnes , ●welles , smokes , crackles , skips , and scatters : so Nature will give a man leave to be any thing , save a sound Christian , and agree with all others , ●e their conditions never so contrary , provided they agree in the main , are all Seed of the same Serpent . But let the natural man meet with one that is Spiritual , they agree lik heat and cold : if one stays , the other flies ; or if both stay , they agree like two Poysons in one stomacke , the one being ever sicke of the other , be they never so near allyed . As how many a Wife is so much the more hated , because a zealous Wife ? How many a Childe lesse beloved , because a religious Childe ? How many a Servant lesse respected , because a godly Servant ? And no marvell ; for though they dwell in the same house , yet they belong to two several Kingdomes ; and albeit they both remain upon earth , yet they are governed by two severall Lawes , the ones Burguship being in Heaven , Philip. 3.20 . And the other , being a Denizon , belonging to Hell : as Irish-men are Dwelle●s in Ireland , but Denizons of England , and governed by the Statutes of this Kingdome . SECT . 48. NEither is this of theirs an ordinary hatred , but the most bitter , exorbitant , unlimited , and unplacable of all others . No such concord , no such discord , faith one of the learned , as that which proceeds from Religion . My name , ●aith Luther , is more odious unto them , then any thiefe , or mur●herer : as Christ was more detestable to the Iewer then Barrabas . Behold , saith David , mine enemies , for they are many , and they ●ate me with a cruell hatred , Psal. 25.19 . yea , so cruell , that it makes their teeth gnash , and their hearts burst againe , Act. 7.54 . which made the Truths adversaries give Saint Paul stripes above measure , 2 Cor. 11.2 , 3. And the Heathen Emperours to devise such cruell tor●ures , for all those which but profest themselves Christians . Yea , agreement in some poynts , when there are differences in the maine , does but advance hatred the more : Witnesse the Reigne of Queen Mary , and the Butchery over al France of above two hundred thousand Protestants ; besides the many thousands of late yeares : Yea , aske from East to West , from one Pole to the other ; search all Records under Heaven , if ever there was the like of the intended Powder-Plot . You cannot anger a wicked man worse , than to do well : Yea , he hates you more bitterly for this , and the credit you gaine thereby , than if you had cheated him of his Patrimony , with your owne discredit . But that there is no hatred so virulent and bitter , as that which is occasioned by vertuous living , and professing of Christs Name ; our Saviour himselfe proves copiously , Matthew 10. Luke 21. SECT . 49. Quest. WHerein consists their unlikenesse and contrariety ? Answ. Chiefly , in foure particulars ; though indeed there bee more differences between the Children of God and the Children of the Devil , than there are betweene men and beasts . First , they exceedingly differ in their judgements touching Wisdome . 1 Cor. 1.18.20 , 23. and 2.14 . and 4.10 . Luke 6.27 . to 36. Acts 26.24 . Wisd. 5.4 . Gen. 41.8 . Iob 5.13 . Prov. 28.11 . Ier. 4.22 . 1 Cor. 3.19 . Exod. 1 10. Iosh. 9.4 . Titus 3 9. Prov. 10. ver . 18. Rom. 16. ver . 19. Happinesse , Luke 6.26 . and 8.13 . Ia. 4.4 . Mark. 16.16 . Iob. 3.16 , 18. and 8.34 , 36. Rom. 6.16.18.22 . Psal. 2.3 , 4. and 10.3 . and 21.4 . 2 Tim. 2.26 . Mal. 3.15 . Revel . 3.17 . 1 Thes. 5.3 . Fortitude , Prov. 28.1 , 2. Rev. 13.6 , 7. and 12 , 13 , 17 Mar. 13.9 . Acts 7.52 . Mat. 10.28 . Gal. 4 29. Ioh. 16.2 . Sinne , Luke 16.15 . Prov. 13.19 . Marke 7.5 , 11 , 12 , 13 , Luke 7.33 , 34. Matth. 7.14 . 1 Pet. 4 18 Psal. 35.13.16 . Holinesse , Acts 26.9 . Exod. 8.26 . 1 Cor. 4.10 . and 2.14 . Prov. 13.19 . Psal. 14.1 Ier. 44.16 . to 19. Yea , they are of a reprobate judgement touching actions and persons Isa. 5.20 . and so speak , thinke and doe all by contraries , like Heliogabalus who wore shooes of Gold , and Rings of Leather . Or the Black-moores who judge of beauty by contraries . Wherefore read their words as Scholars doe Hebrew , backward , and you have the meaning : for instance do they call thee Puritan as nothing more frequent in their mouths , understand by it Saint for a Christian indeed ( as thou art ) is a Puritan in the Devils language , and a Christian in name onely ( as such an one is ) is an Atheist in Gods language . Secondly , They no lesse differ in their Passions and affections of Love , Psalm , 119.57 , 72 , and 17 , 14. Feare , Prov. 28.1 , 2. 1 Tim 4.1 . Rom. 2.14 , 15. Anger , Acts 7.52 . to 60. and 5.30 . to 34. Prov. 12.10 . Rev. 18.19 , 20. Joy , 1 Pet. 2.7 , 8. Ioh. 3.15 . Mat. 11.19 . And the like , which for brevities sake I forbeare . Thirdly they differ no lesse in practice , & this breeds many quarrels : as what more common than for all sorts and kinds of men to hate , scorne , persetute , reproach , revile , accuse , slander and condemn the Religious , because their owne workes are evill and wicked , and the others good , holy , and righteous . Wherefore slew Caine his brother , saith Saint Iohn , but because his own Workes were evill , and his brothers good ? 1 Ioh. 3.12 . Why was Ioseph accused of his Mistris for an adulterer , and thereupon committed to prison , but because hee would not bee an Adulterer like her ? Genesis 39. Yea , it was his party-coloured Coat , composed of all kinds of graces and blessings that formerly procured his Brethrens hate . And what is it that Iobs Wife expostulates with him about , but his integrity ? As if shee tooke it ill , that he took it no worse : his patience made her impatient . Wherefore was holy David , as himself complaines , almost in every Psalme Had in derison , hated , slandered , reviled , contemned and made a proverbe and song of the Drunkards , and other wicked men which sate in the gate ? but because he followed the things which were good and pleasing unto God and in him part his trust ? Psal. 11.2 . and 22.6 , 7 , 8. and 37.14 . and 69.10 , 11 , 12. And lastly ( for I might bee endlesse in the prosecution of this . ) Why were all the just , in Solomons time , had in abhomination and mockt of the wicked , but because they were upright in their way , and holy in their conversation , Prov. 29.27 . Or those numberlesse Martyrs , whose soules Saint Iohn saw under the the Alter ( Rev. 6.9 . ) killed , but for the Word of God , and for the testimony which they maintained ? And the Master himselfe ? not for any evill as themselves are forced to confesse , Marke 7.37 . which examples sufficiently prove , that all wicked men are like the women of Lemnos , who when they had every one slaine their husbands and kinsmen , exiled Hypsipyle the Kings daughter , for that she alone saved her Father alive . That great Dragon the Devill , and these his Subjects , make warre and are wroth with none but the woman , and the remnant of her Seed , which keepe the Commandements of God and have the testimony of Iesus Christ , Revel . 12.17 . All was quiet at Ephesus before Saint Paul came thither : but then there arose no small strife about that way ▪ Acts. 19.23 . &c. A Wolfe flys not upon a painted sheepe ; we can with delight look upon the picture of a Toa●● It is your active christian , that is most spighted , and persecuted . SECT . 50. BUt to apply this to our selves . I would faine know , whether the power of godlinesse , the sincere profession of the name of Christ , according to the Vow which we made in Baptisme , all kind of purity and holinesse , doth not live in persecution among us , as Protestants doe in Spaine ? Is it not a capitall crime to bee vertuous ? Is not the name of an honest man , who makes conscience of his wayes , growne odious ? Is not circumspect walking , the zeale of Gods glory in promoting the best things , frequent hearing of Sermons , singing of Psalmes holy conference , brotherly admonition , &c. counted a vice , and that vice called Puritanisme ? And must not hee who is called a Puritan , be derided , hated , persecuted , slandered and laught to scorne ? how many may complaine with Ieremy , that because they live a godly life themselves , and call upon others to doe the same , they are cursed of everyone , and counted contentious ? Ier. 15.10 . It faring with Professors , as it did with Caius Selius : of whom the Heathen were wont to say , that hee was a good man , but he was a Christian. Yea , let but a sparke of fervent devotion breake out in a Family , all the rest are up in clamors ; as when Bels ring disorderly , every man is ready with his bucket to quench the fire ; disgraced he must be for a Puritan , but onely by Laodiceans . Indifferency strives to dash zeale out of countenance , The reason is , wheresoever Christ comes , there will be opposition . When Christ was borne , all Ierusalem was troubled , and Herod cut the throats of all the children in Bethlehem : so when Christ is borne in any man , the soule is in an uproare , and Satan with his instruments are ready to kill in him every good motion , though it be never so little a Babe . That which the Antients did cheifly admire ( goodnesse ) we do most of all contemne : for is not the godly man more dispised for his godlinesse , then the wicked for his wickednesse ? Are not the members of Christ more hated , and worse intreated by us , then the limbs of the Devill ? What suppressing and disgracing is there of Hels , and Romes cheifest adversaries , under the aspersion and pretence of Puritanisme . Whereas if the same men , would but beare them company in their sins , bee drunke , sweare , temporise , contemne holinesse , mispend their time , haunt Play-Houses and Tavernes , play the good fellows , and doe as the rest doe , they should have the approbation & good word of the greatest number ; yea , if they would not be precise in their actions , nor reprove others for their evill courses ; if they would not speake against pluralities , Non-residents , lazy and good-fellow Pastors , who either starve or quite neglect , or else mis-leade their flocks ; if they would but bee prophane and wicked , and make no bones of sinne , their malice would cease , and wee should not have a Puritan in all the World. SECT . 51. AS let mee appeale from their tongues to their hearts , and from their mouthes to their consciences , whether this be not the greatest cause of their quarrell , We refuse to pledge them in their wicked customes . Or we will not breake Gods Law , to conforme to theirs . It faring betweene us and our adversaries ; as betweene Socrates , and the Athenians : who said unto them in his apollogie , I love , and imbrace you , O Athenians ▪ but yet I will obey God rather than you . Yea , may not all see ( saving such as the P●ince of darknesse hath blinded ) that those for the most part , whom the World speakes so basely of , are before men , in respect of any scandalous offences or open crimes , unblamable , and may say with the Lamb , whom they follow , Which of you can rebuke me of sinne , though with Paul , 1 Tim. 1.15 . they think themselves the worst of sinners ? And doe not their adversaries know , that the men whom they terme Puritans , are honester men , and more righteous than themselves , as Pharoah was forc'd to confesse touching Moses ? Exod. 10.16 , 17. And Saul touching David ? 1 Sam. 26.21 . Yea , I know they are perswaded well of them , even when they speake most to the contrary , though I expect not they should use them thereafter . We know Pilate judged Christ guiltlesse , but yet he put him to death . And Festus acknowledged that Paul was without crime , yet he left him in prison . I dare say Tertullus knew that he lyed , when hee called Paul a Pestilent fellow : his conscience could not chuse but answer him , Thou lyest in thy throat Tertulus , Paul is an honester man than thy selfe . And must not these mens consciences tell them , that the same they accuse so , are in their lives the most unreproveable of the Land ? Yea , I will appeal to their greatest adversaries , whether the Protestant at large , or those who are called Puritans , be of the purest Religion , and most reformed to the Primitive Church ? For not seldome are wicked mens judgements forced to yeeld unto that truth , against which their affections maintaine a rebellion ▪ And yet , as if they would stamp Gods Image on the Devills drosse , and the Devills Image on Gods silver , they justifie those actions and persons , which God condemnes , and condemn those which he justifies . True these enemies to holines spare not to cast asper●●ions on us , else how should they worke their wills ? How should Naboth be cleanly put to death , if he be not first accused of blasphemy ? 1 Kin. 21.13 . and the like of Ioseph , Eliah , Ieremiah , Susanna , Paul , Stephen , and our Saviour Christ himself But if you marke it , they are as guilty of the crimes whereof they be accused , as Ioseph was , in forcing of his Mi●tris , or as Naboth and the rest were , of those things which were layd to their charge . I speak not of those monsters , those white Devills who make Religion a stalking Hor●e to villany . I know too many dishonour God , by wearing of his livery . But what was Satan to the children of God , Iob 1.6 . though hee thrust himselfe into their company ? Or what wise man will tax all the Apostles because one was a Iudas . To argue , because some are so and so , therefore the rest are alike , is a saplesse reason , only becomming a foole . An argument , that deserves rather laughter , than beleife . Yet most men are 〈◊〉 fooles , or rather brute beasts , led with sensuality , and made to be taken and destroyed , as Saint Peter speaks , who because they love to speake evill of the way of truth , 2 Pet. 2.2.12 . If they see but an hipocrite discover himselfe , they not onely harden themselves in their sinnes , and , as it were , breake their owne necks at this stumbling block , being Satans trap , set on purpose to catch their blinde soules in , but condemn all the rest of his profession to be such as he is , save that they dissemble their hypocrisie more closly & cunningly ; which is as equal and ●u●t , as it was for Simeon and Levi to murder all the Sechemites for the offence only of Hamors Son. But as all are not theeves that Dogs bark at ; so all are not hypocrites which they terme so . But admit there were more than there are : the faults of many , should not make us uncharitable to all : Nor the goodnesse of some , make us credulous of the rest . SECT . 52. INdeed , as all our enemies are not alike witty , so they are not alike malicious , for some transcend this way , as Doeg did the rest of Sauls servants another way , you shall know such an one by these few markes ; his hatred is so inveterate and universall , that hee spends all his wits in frothy scoffes , and invectives against the whole people of God ? and as if the door were not wide enough except he set open all the windows , and break downe the walls to let in this infectious ayre , his tongue scrues something against the religious into all discourses ; and when his owne invention failes , it shall be supplyed with what he hath heard : for as the Papists never found any error spued out by the Ancients , but they have licked it up , superstitiously to abuse the same : so he never heares of any scoffe , slander , or devillish invective formerly devised , but he licks it up , that he may spit it out againe in the face of some Professor , or on the other side poyson those with whom he doth converse ; being to his company like a mad dog , that so biteth every one he meets , that they become madde too , and as apt to bite others as himselfe ; or in case he meets with another like himselfe in wit and malice , it may bee said of them , as Diogenes spake of two ill conditioned women , when hee saw them talking , See how the viper and the Aspe are changing poyson . And nothing so tickles the spleen , or glads the heart of such , as that discourse which may most shame profession , disgrace Relion , and dishonour God. But , O that ever those tongues , which dare call God Father , should suffer them●elves thus to be moved and possessed by that uncleane spirit ! Or that ever the church should own such for her children . In the Primitive times , the Church would have denied her blessing to such a Sonne , that should have thought himselfe disparaged by serving Christ , and wearing of his livery , although hee had not scoft at others : yet this man flatters himself that he is a Christian ; yea , you cannot beat him from it , but that he is as good a Christian as the precisest , and shall goe to Heaven as soone . But let him that reads , consider whether it be not a fearefull thing , to lend to Satan the heart for devinng , the tongue for uttering , and the eare for hearing of calumnies , and all this to disgrace the grace of God in his children , and make it fruitlesse to themselves and others . O impiety to be abhorred : Such sport on earth is only sport for the Fiends in Hell , and let them look to it , for such joyes may chance to cost them eternall mourning ; yea , certainly , if the infernall Tophet be not for them ( in case they repent not ) it can challenge no guests ; for I may well say unto such an one , Many sinners have done wickly , but thou surpassest them al ; thine is such a superlative , such a soul murthering sin , that no other sin can paralel it . SECT . 53. BUt thou hast plenty of excuses to pacify thy blinded and benummed conscience : Yea , thou wantest not some carnall reasons to make it good , as an easie in●ention may put false matters into true Sylogismes : And amongst the rest , thou wouldest not have men singular : wherefore that they may have lesse zeale and more temper , thou seekest to allay their heat with frumps , and scoffes , and taunts , and jeeres ; as how often doe we hear remisse professors strive to choake all forward holinesse and zeale by commending the golden meane ? For carnall men ( who cleave as close to custome , and example of the greatest number , as clay to a Cart Wheele ) thinke every one exorbitant , that walketh not after their rule , 1 Pet. 4.4 . As the Sodomites thought of Lot , Gen. 19.9 . the hundred and twenty Governours of Daniel , Dan. 6.11 . and the Caldeans of Shadrach , Meshech , and Abednego , Dan. 3.10 . to 30. Daniel of all Darius his servants was so bold as to pray three times a day , not in contempt of the King of Babilons decree , but in zeale and obedience to the God of Heavens command : the Governours ●●ranging at it , accuse him , and say , this Daniel which is of the captivity , regardeth not thee O King , nor the Decree which thou hast signed ; but doth so and so : wherfore command we pray thee , that he be cast into the Lyons den , for no decree , nor statute which the King establisheth may be altered , Dan. 6. Again , what disorder is this that I heare of you , saith Nebuchadnezzer to Shadrach , Meshech , and Abednego : will you not serve my Gods , nor worship the golden Image that I have set up , Dan. 3.14 . who answered no , be it knowne unto thee O King , wee are not carefull to answer thee in this matter : they were all as stiffe as if they had eaten a stake , and they could not bow to an Idoll : as the godly have been in all ages , not being able to wheele with the times . Yea , they that truely fear God are usually as immoveable as the Sun in its course , because they thinke , and speak , and live by rule , and not by example , and hold themselves as fast tyed , as if they had the oath given them , which the 〈…〉 solemnly presented to their Judges , 〈◊〉 to sw●rve from t●eir consciences wh●●●●mmand soever they should 〈…〉 themselves to the contrary 〈…〉 strictnesse is a great eyesore 〈…〉 men : who hate singularity , almost as they doe sanctity , which makes them so cry it down . And no marvell , for these men , and so all Protestants at large , so scorne to be singular , that they will conform to any Religion the State shall establish : yea , should they be commanded to worship a Calfe with the Israelites , Exod. 32.4 . or a golden Image with the Chaldeans , Dan. 3.7 . They would instantly doe it ; as the times of Queene Mary , witnesse : Good honest men , let them injoy their communities ; peace , and plenty : any Religion shall serve their turne . They are as indifferent as Doctor Kitching , who being Abbot , was first the Popes sworne Servant : then an halfe Papist , King Henry having cast off the Pope : a Protestant under Edward the sixt : a downe right Papist with Queene Marie : And a Parliament Protestant againe , when hee tooke the Oath of Supremasy under Queene Elizabeth . Of whose faith I take most Protestants at large to be ; For let them hear of a change in Religion , it shall never a whit trouble them : What cares a stupified worldling , for the removall of our Candlestick ? What is it to him if the superstition , and blindnesse of Popery did over-shadow the Land ? and turne day into night : It is nothing to him , if he can but see to get money . Light or darknesse , Scripture or tradition , the King or the Pope , Christ or Antichrist , are all one to him ; to heare a Sermon , or see a Masse , he likes them both alike . Perhaps they may thinke better of themselves ; and untill they be put to it , resolve stoutly : but a temporaries Religion , and flashes are but like Conduites running with wine at the coronation : that will not hold , or like a land flood , that seemes to be a great Sea , but comes to nothing . Now these are the men ( if you observe them ) that cry out so against singularity : which imputation , together with their extolling the meane , is a cunning discouragement , but it is the Devils Sophistry ; for the meane of vertue , is between two kindes , not betweene two degrees : it is a meane grace , that loves a meane degree of grace . Yet this is the onely staffe , with which the World beates all that are better then themselves . What will you be singular ? Or are you wiser then all ? Or what is this but want of discretion ? And to speake truth , that which worldly men call discretion , eates up all true wisedome : Their discretion and moderate stayednesse , devoures all true honesty , and goodnesse . But shall Lot ▪ leave his righteousnesse for such an imputation of singularity ? Or shall he not depart Sodom , because the whole City thinkes it better to stay there still ? Shall Noah leave building the Arke , and so himselfe , and his whole houshould perish , because all the World else thinkes him haire-brained ? Or must the name of a Puritan , dishearten us from the service of God ? No , but as Saint Paul said in his Apollogy , Acts 24.14 . after the way which they call heresie , so worship I the God of my Fathers : so wee in this case , After the way which prophane men call Puritanisme , let my soule desire to serve Iesus Christ. SECT . 54. Ob. I Grant ( will the more moderate worldling say ) in such cases wherein the word of God is expresse , singularity is not lawfull onely , but laudable : But ( which makes my spleene rise ) they will not conforme to things indifferent Answ. A seduced heart deceives thee in so saying , why else doest thou cast the same aspersions , upon such as are conformable . But admit they onely are thornes in thine Eyes ▪ doest thou well to hate al that are not of thy own judgement , or that have tenderer consciences then thy selfe ? No , for honest and good men may differ in opinion , not only in things triviall , but in matters of great moment ; provided they agree in the fundamental articles of the Catholique faith , and yet may , and ought to continue brotherly love and communion , as members of the same mysticall body : as many examples witnesse , both of eminent Christians , and Fathers of the Church : as also our Saviours words , who speaking of the fundamentall poynts , penneth the league thus , He that is not with us , is against us , but o● poynts not fundamentall thus , He tha● is not against us , is with us . Wherea● these differ from thee ( if thou beest a true Protestant as thou wouldest bee thought to be ) in nothing materiall , for there is a vast difference , between another discipline , and another doctrine : and they little differ , that agree in matter . Only their consciences are not so large as thine : and thou thinkest those things indifferent , which they cannot assent unto though they take more paines to satisfie and informe themselves then thou doest . But admit they be things of an indifferent nature , even actions of indifferency , when once they are felt to trench upon the conscience , lay deep obligations upon the soul , even whiles they are most slighted by carelesse hearts : there being no lesse difference in consciences , then stomacks , of which some will digest the hardest meats , and turne over substances not in their nature edible , whiles others surfeite of the lightest food , and complaine even of dainties . And indeed , every gracious heart is in some measure scrupulous , and findes more safety in feare then in presumption : And certainely , in cases of a doubtfull and questionable nature , it is ever good to take the surest side , and which draws neerest to probability . Many things are of so questionable a nature , that much may be said on either side : Now if I chuse that side , on which I am sure I shal not sin , I deserve to be excused , rather then censured ; if I use them it is possible I may sin , it may be they are not sinfull : yet I am not so sure of it that I shall not sin if I use them , as I am sure I shall not sin , nor break any of Gods Commandments if I doe not use them . This I may be bold to build upon , He that sayles amongst Rocks , it is possible hee may escape splitting , but hee is not so sure to keep his Vessell safe , and whole , as he that sayles in a cleare Sea , where no Rocks are at all . SECT . 55. Qu. BVt to speak really , and as the truth is , why doe they use all these discouragements ? An. Their onely aime is , to make us square our lives according to their Rule ; as that Gya●t did proportion the bodies of all his guests , to the bed of his Harlot ; Yea , if they would give their tongues liberty to acquaint us with their hearts and consciences , they must needs confesse , that they use that odious nickname ( devised by Satan himselfe ) for no other end , but to slout men out of their faith and holy profession , and to bring the very truth of Religion , and power of godlinesse into contempt and scorn . And indeed , whom not heroicall in fortitude ( the case standing as it doth ) would it not discourage and beat back to the world ? But thanks be given to God , his Spirit herein so hardneth and steeleth his servants , that their faces are like flint , and themselves like brazen walls , and defenced Cities , though otherwise soft in affection , and true professors of meeknesse . Yea , undoubtedly , he must be more then man ( that is , more spirit then flesh ) that can contentedly make himself contemptible to follow Christ , be pointed at for singularity , endure so many base and vile nicknames , as are every where cast upon the conscionable ( for there is scarce a house , but is haunted with these kinde of spirits , familiars , visible and carnall Devills , soule-murtherers ) have his religion ●udged Hypocrisie ; his Christian prudence , cra●t and policy ; his godly simplicity , sillinesse his zeale , madnesse ▪ his punctuall obedience to Gods Laws , rebellion to Princes ▪ his contempt of the world , ignorance : his godly sorrow , dumpishnes , &c. For these and the like as unseasonable fro●s , nip all gracious offers and beginnings in the bud , and as much as in them lyeth , with Herod labour to kill Christ in young professors Yea , the censures and scoffs of these Atheists and Worldlings , like the blasts of Rams-hornes before the wals of Iericho , lay al the strength of a young beginners vertues levell at one utterance : yea , it is the only Remora & greatest cause of arrest , if any looke heaven-ward , that makes them recoyle . True , a wise man will not be scoft out of his money , nor a just man be flouted out of his faith ▪ Yea , like Iohn Baptist , hee will hold his profession , though hee loose his head for it . If Christ have but once possest the affections , there is no dis-possessing him againe . The league that Heaven hath made , Hell wants power to breake . If the sweet doctrine of Christ be once gotten into the heart , it cannot be got out againe by all the torments which wit and cruelty can devise , as we see in the Martyrs . Neither would hee ever endure a blow , who cannot concoct a foule word . Hee that is discouraged and made returne with an Ishmaelitish persecution of the tongue : how would hee endure a Spanish Inquisition , or those Marian times ? Hee that is so frighted with a squib , how would he endure the mouth of a Cannon ? But to proceed . For a man to bee scoft out of his goodnesse , by those that are lewd , is all one , as if a man that seeth should blind-fold himselfe , or put out his eyes , because some blind wretches revile and scoffe at him for seeing : or as if one that is sound of limbs , should limpe , or maime himselfe , to please the Criple , and avoid his taunts . For my part , I had rather live hated of all men for goodnes , then be beloved of al for vice ; and rather please one good man , then content a thousand bad ones ; his single authority being sufficient to countervaile the disdain of a whole Parish of sensualists . Yet experience shewes , That divers are content to be misled with the multitude , rather then be an obiect of their scorne and derision . Yea thousands hold it the best and safest way , in differences of religion , without further question , to take the stronger part ; that so doing as the most doe , they may have the fewest to finde fault with them , and al through base cowardlinesse . Which bashful devill never leaves a great many , so long as they live ; whereby with the rich man , Luke 16. they never thinke of heaven , till tormented in the flames of hell . Whereas Satan formerly assaulted the Church by violence , now he doth it by deceit : and certainly the devill gets more by such discouragements , and the reproaches that are cast upon religion , then he did formerly by fire and Faggot ; for then the blood of the Martyrs was found to be the seed of the Church , others ( Phoenix-like ) springing out of their ashes , wheras now multitudes of souls are scoft out of their religion by wicked men . But I grieve to see how they wrong themselves , in thus wronging others : for in that wicked men do so mock and deride such as are in love with heavenly things , it is hard to say whether they doe most offend in hindering the honor of God thereby , or their neighbours wel-fare , or their own salvation . Alas , some men will better abide a stake , then some others can a mocke . Zedikiah was willing to hearken to the Prophets councell , but that this lay in his way , the Chaldeans would mock him , Ier. 38.10 . it was death to him to bee mock'd . A generons nature is more wounded with the tongue , than with the hand : yea , above hell there is not a greater punishment , then to become a Sannio , a subject of scorne : as Sampson , I doubt not , found . Alcibiades did professe , That neither the proscription of his goods , nor his banishment , nor the wounds received in his body , were so grievous to him as one scornfull word of his enemy C●esiphon . Thou thinkest not tongue-taunts to be persecution , but thou shalt once hear it so pronounced in thy bill of inditement , Ishmael did but flout Isaack , yet Saint Paul saith , he persecuted him , Gal. 4.29 . God calls the scorning of his servants by no better a name , then persecution . And what ever thou conceivest of it , let this sault be as far from my soule , as my soule from hell . And thus you see , That nothing but goodnesse is the whet●●on of their malice ; which being so , are not we heathenish Christians ? What honour of Christ is there among us , wher Religion makes one contemptible ? Is this Christian-like ? Such men may bee Christians in shew , or name , but they are devills indeed ( however they flatter themselves ) resembling the high Priests , Scribes , & Pharisees , who called themselves the Church : while they went about to kill the head of the Church : who the same night that Christ instituted the Sacrament , and consulted how to save them , did consult how they might destroy him : yea , let any indifferent stander by , ●udge whether thou beest not bottomlessely ill , who doest malice goodnesse in others , who art displeased with us , because we please God , and murmurest like the Scribes and Pharisees at the same things , whereat the Angels rejoyce : for none but a Caine , or a Devill in condition , will envy , because his owne workes are evill , and his brothers good . They are desperately wicked , that cannot indure so much as the sight of godlinesse : as he was fearefully idle , that Seneca speaks of , whose sides would ake to see another worke : Neither couldest thou doe so if the Devill were not in thine heart . And so much touching the third difference betweene the seed of the Serpent , and the seed of the woman . SECT . 56 4 FOurthly , as they hate and persecute the godly , because they doe well : so likewise , because they fare well , and are accepted before them . As why was Caine wroth with his brother Abel , and after slew him , as affirmeth the holy Ghost , but because , The Lord had respect unto Abel , and to his offering : but unto Cain and his offering , he had no respect ? Gen. 4.4 , 5. Why did Esau hate Iacob , and purpose to kill him , but because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him ? Gen 27.41 . Isaacs blessing bred Esaus hate . Again , Wherefore did the Philistines and Abimelek envy Isaac , stop up his wells , and banish him from them , but because the Lord so abundantly blessed Isaac , as appeares , Gen. 26 12. to 18. Wherefore did Iosephs brethren hate him , not being able to speake peaceably unto him , and after sell him into AEgypt , but because his father more favoured him , and they feared he should reigne over them ? Gen. 37.4 . If Ioseph be his fathers darling , he is his brethrens eye-sore . Wherefore did Saul persecute David , and pursue after him from place to place to take away his life , but because he was so praised and preferred of the people before himselfe , and , The Lord was with David , and prospered him in every thing he tooke in hand , 1 Sam. 18.12 , 13 , 28 , 29. Davids successe is Sauls vexation : yea , he findes not so much pleasure in his Kingdome , as vexation in the prosperity of David . And lastly , ( for I passe by the elder brothers envy in the Parable against his younger brother , when his father so royally entertained him at his return , Luk. 15.28 . which is meant of the Iewes envying the Gentiles conversion ; and many the like instances . ) Why was Eliab wroth with his younger brother , 1 Sam. 17.28 . but because he should bee more exalted ? And I doubt me , whether Davids brethren were more glad , that Goliah was slaine , or angry that hee was slaine by their brother : for envy is sicke , if her neighbour be well ; and the good mans honour , is the envious mans torment : as it fared between Haman & Mordecai as hereafter the glory of Christ shall adde to these reprobates confusion , when they are driven to confesse , This is he , whom we once had in derision . SECT . 57. BUt to apply what hath been collected out of the Word . See whether these examples sute not with some , and not a few in our times . As , First , why doe a sort of Ministers ( none of the best ) I meane such as live ill and viciously , or preach ill and unprofitably , or both live ill , and preach ill , maligne , hate and traduce , yea , promote against such as preach more faithfully and powerfully , and live more holily and unblameably , but because God honours their Ministery with the conversion of soules , and their words are with such power , that the people flocke after them , as they were wont after Christ ▪ while in the meane time themselves are neglected and dis-esteemed , being as they suppose far greater scholers ( for if a Minister preach profitably , they will give it out hee is no scholer , neither can they doe Satan a greater pleasure ) and their Sermons more elaborate , for they will be as long in the conception and breeding of them , as an Elephant is of her young ; which being borne onely amazeth the hearers , and makes them at their wits end with admiration , their owne bosomes will tell them , that I speake truth . Againe , why doe these men inveigh and preach against preaching ? As , what needs so much preaching , say they ( and all stupified sensualists ) it was never a good world , since so many Lectures were set up : there was more love , and charity , and plaine-dealing among our fore-fathers ( they meane in time of Popery ) who were only verst in the Lords Prayer , Creed , and ten Commandments ; one Sermon well remembred , and put in practise , is better then ten ; yea , quoth a Minister in the pulpit , that preacht ( himselfe ) once in six weekes , that hee might silence his Parishioners , who complained for want of their daily food , you will finde this Sermon more then you will be able to practise this two months ; and no question , spake out of feeling ; for he having lived already above five ages , could never yet put those five words of his text into practise , viz. Repent and beleeve the Gospel . But the reason of this their murmuring is easie : Carnall worldlings cry up practise , to cry downe knowledge , as you may see by their own practise : even as cunning Papists will extoll Saint Iames , onely to disparage Saint Paul. This point would be further applied , but let conscience doe it ; for it is a sore that will not endure rubbing : onely this , if any man be vexed at his brother , because he fares better , and is better accepted , because he is favoured and respected of God and good men , while himselfe is neglected and disesteemed of both ; much more , if hee belch out his spleene against the religious , because they are praised and preferred before himselfe ; let him know , that this could not be if hee were not full of the venome of the serpent , Psal. 112.10 . Pro. 14.30 . SECT . 58. SEcondly , this may be applied to people of the looser sort . As , why doe their hearts rise against every holy man they see ? as some stomacks , rise at sweet-meats . Why doe all drunkards and vicious livers hate the religious , and so belch out their enmity and spleene against them , in raising and spreading of slanders as they doe ; but although , partly to rescue themselves from contempt , and procure a contrary esteeme , by putting a foule and ugly vizard upon vertue , and decking up vice in a gorgeous and comely attire ; yet chiefly , because they are precious in Gods sight , his peculiar , and chosen people out of all the world , the children of God , and members of Christ , temples of the holy Ghost : yea , chiefly , because they partake of the Divine Nature , and are one with the Father and the Sonne ? Iohn 17.14 , 21 , 22. 2 Cor. 6.18 . This is the eye-sore of our enemies and let envy looke herselfe blinde . And so much of the first Cause . SECT . 59. Quest. WHat is the second Cause , why ungodly men hate and persecute the religious ? Answ. Their ignorance of God , of Christ , and the Scriptures . Quest. How is that proved ? Answ. By Testimonies , Examples , Reason , and our own Experience . 1. First , by Testimonies : They shall hate and persecute you , yea , they shall excommunicate and kill you for my Names sake , saith our Saviour to his Disciples , because they have not knowne the Father , nor me , John 16.2 , 3. and 15.21 . And again they are an offence unto us , because they understand not the things which are of God , but the things which are of men , Matth. 16.23 . And are deceived , because they know not the Scriptures , neither the power of God , Matth. 22.29 . Luke 19.42 . 2. Secondly , by Examples and Reason . This the Apostle confesseth to have been the cause of his persecuting the Church , 1 Tim. 1.13 . Who so soon as he was inlightned with the saving knowledge of the truth , changed his note , with his name , and preached that faith , which before be persecuted , It s worth the noting , how he was no sooner informed , but he was reformed . Now if we looke upon him as Saul , wee shall see what we are by generation ; if wee looke upon him as Paul , we shall see what we are , or should be , by regeneration . Neither is it strange , that the world through ignorance , should hate and persecute the members of Christ : for upon the same ground , they even crucified Christ himselfe , Father forgive them , saith he of his murtherers , for they know not what they doe . And why have the Kings of the earth , in all ages banded themselves together against the Lord , and against his Christ , Psal. 22. But because they knew him not . John 15.21 . For if the Princes of this world had knowne , they would not have crucified the Lord of glory , as the holy Ghost speakes , 1 Cor. 2.8 . Alas poore ignorant soules , they did but imitate Oedipus : who killed his Father Laius King of Thebes ; and thought he had killed his enemy . And what do the Cavaliers now , in killing the Saints ? But as if one with his Hatchet , should cut off the bough of a tree ; upon which hee standeth . For they are beholding to the Religious , for their very breath . Neither is their great plot , any other peece of policy ; then as if the Sodomites , should make hast to turne out Lot and his Family : that fire and brimstone may make hast , to destroy them . For as when Noah , and his Family were once entred the Arke , the Flood came and destroyed the first World , Gen. 7.11 , 13. So the number of Christs Church being accomplished fire shal come down to destroy the second World , at which time , the Devill and all Reprobates shall be laid up in hell . Oh the wickednesse , and witlesnesse of our Malignants ! Methinkes the Parliament , may justly twit their unnaturall Country : as Themistocles once did his Athenians , with these words : Are yee weary of receiving so many benifits by one Assembly . And certaynly if ever it shal be dissolved without their consent , ( which God forbid ) it would faire with the causers of it , ( mens eyes being opened ) as it did with the Authors of Socrates his death : which I finde thus reported . After that Socrates was put to death at Athens ; Arastophones rehearsed a Tragedy of his , concerning Palamides : at the hearing whereof , the people were so moved : that they presently fel upon the Authors of Socrates his death , and drew them forth to punishment . But to return , to what we intend : If we consider it rightly , we shall find , that ignorance is the cause of all sin . Sin indeed at the first was the cause of ignorance , but now ignorance is the cause of sin : Swearing , and lying , and killing , and stealing , and whoring abound , saith the Prophet , because there is no knowledge of God in the land , Hos. 4.1.2 . It is a people that doe erre in their hearts . saith God , why ? because they have not knowne my wayes , Psal. 95.10 . SECT . 60. 3 THirdly , Experience proves , that none are so farre transported with a mad and supertitious zeale against the religious , as the rude rabble who can yeeld no other reason , or confession of their faith , if they be asked , then this , that they are no Puritans , or that they hate a Puritan from their soules ; when as the devill himself , who hates the Puritan they mean , most of any , can make as good a confession of his faith as this . For who are the greatest censurers , and the violentest opposers of goodnesse , are not the ignorant fry , who have more rage than reason and the more fottish still , the more insolent . As reprove one of them for swearing , or drunkennesse , or unjust dealing , or for prophaning the Lords day , for Atheisme , and the like , you are sure to be branded with the odious title of Puritane , yea you are factious , and schismaticall , if ye will not be drunke , and every whit as lewd as they are . It is worth a large smile , to observe what a clamour the blundering rabble will make against the people of God , if one in their company but mention the word Puritane , or tell them how scrupulous and precise such an one is . O what a number of sharp and deadly arrows will each of them shoot , both at the good and goodnesse , maugre all admonition ! For each being stung with the Gad-slie of mis-governed zeale , as Paul was before hee knew Christ , they presume to affirm with incredible impudence , accompanied with invincible ignorance , that there are not worse men in the world then the religious . Wherein it is hard to say , whether ignorance or malice , doe more abound : whether it be more out of the strength of will , or weaknesse of judgement . It is the nature of ignorant and carnall men ( that walke after the flesh in the lusts of uncleannesse , whom Saint Peter calls bruit beasts , led with sensuality ) to speake evill of the things they understand not 2 Pet. 2.12 . Especially in judging acts of zeale and piety , their opinion still lights upon the worst sense , like them in the s●cond of the Acts , who mocked the Apostles when they were filled with the holy Ghost , and hearing them speak languages , which they understood not , cried out , These men are drunke with new wine . Untill we be borne againe , we are like Nicodemus who knew not what it was to be born again , Iohn 3.4 . Untill we become zealous our selves , wee are like Festus , who thought zeal madnesse , Acts 26.24 . Untill we be humble our selves , we are like Michal , who mocked David for his humility , and thought him a foole , for dancing before the Arke , 2 Sam. 6.16 . Yea , to such as shall perish , or are for the present in a perishing condition , all religion seemes foolishnesse , 1 Cor 1.18 . And thus you see in grosse , that Ignorance is a main cause of hatred and persecution . Wee shall more clearly discerne how it comes to be so , if we note The Root , Ignorance , The Stem , Suspition , or Iealousie , The Sap , Hatred , The Fruit , Persecution . severally , and apart ; for ignorance causeth . Suspition ; and Suspition , Hatred ; and Hatred , Persecution . But I cannot stand upon these . SECT . 61. Qu. IF Ignorance be such a generall cause of hatred and persecution , as you have shewre , What is the reason , that so many great Scholers and wise men do also hate and persecute the godly ? Ans. Great scholers they may bee , and wise men also , in the worlds esteeme , but in the maine , and in Gods account they are nothing so : for admit they have inlightned heads , sufficient to leave them without excuse , yet because they withhold the truth in unrighteousnesse , and doe not glorifie God with their knowledge , neither are thankfull , but become vain in their imaginations , their foolish hearts are darkned ; and so while they professe themselves to be wise , in changing the truth of God into a lie , they become fools , and expresse it , by thus hating God and his children , Romans 1.18.21.22.25.30 . So that Ignorance is the cause even in them also . And indeed if they were wise , they would foresee the torments of hell , and prevent them , as Bernard speakes . Or if they knew God , they would keep his commandments , for hereby , saith Saint Iohn , is it knowne that wee know God , if we keep his Commandements , 1 John 2.3 . but he that saith I know him , and yet keepeth not his Commandements , is a lyar , and there is no truth in him , Ver. 4. Yea these have sworne to keepe the commandements , and to deny the world , and yet are not content with their owne disobedience , unlesse they cast aspersions upon them that obey . Againe thirdly , if they knew Christ , they could not but love him ; and loving him , they must needs love his members , not persecute them ; for it is the very first part of our conversion , to love them that love God , 1 Joh. 3.14 . and 4.7.8 . and Joh. 13.35 . But so many as are enemies to the crosse of Christ , shew that they never knew God in Christ. As for their wisdome and learning ; you must know that men may be ●xquisitely wise , and incomparably learned in the worlds opinion , and yet very fooles in Gods account , 1 Cor. 3.19 . As sharp-eyed as Eagles in the things of the earth , and yet as blinde as Beetles in the matters of heaven . And knowledge consisteth not so much in the quantity , as in the quality : not in the greatnesse , but in the goodnesse of it . For as a little precious stone is of more worth then many other stones of greater bulke : so one drop of wisdome guided by the feare of God , is more worth then all humane learning . One sparke of spirituall , experimentiall and saving knowledge , is worth a whole flame of secular wisdome and learning . One scruple of holinesse , one dram of faith , one graine of grace , is more worth then many pounds of naturall parts . But learning and grace doe not alwayes keep company together . Yea , O Lord , how many are there , that have a depth of knowledge , yet are not soule-wise ! That have a Library of Divinity in their heads , and not so much as the least Catechisme in their consciences ? no rare thing for men to abound in speculation , and be bar●en in devotion : to have full braines , and empty hearts ; cleare judgements , and defiled affections ; fluent tongues ; and lame hands : Yea , you shall heare a flood in the tongue , when ye cannot see one drop in the life . For example , I might instance in Balaam , whom the holy Ghost stiles a foole , 2 Peter 2.16 . And Iudas Mat. 27.3 , 4 , 5. And Paul , before his conversion , who ( even while hee was a persecuter like these men ) was eminent among the Pharisees for wit and learning , but a very Ideot among the Apostles . And lastly , the Priests , Scribes and Pharisees , who were matchlesse for their wisdome and learning , as wanting nothing , that either nature or Art could inrich them withall : yea , and they were chiefly learned in the Scripture , Gods Oracles , which will make a man wise , or nothing : and yet our Saviour ( who could not bee deceived ) calls them foure times in one Chapter blinde , and twice fools , Mat. 23.16.17.19.24.26 . Because they wanted faith and holinesse , which are the sinewes and nerves , yea the soule of saving knowledge , inlivening , feeding and strengthening the same ; for in the dialect of the Scripture , a fool is a naturall man , and a wise man , a man sanctified . Alas ! God regards not lip-learning , and tongue-wisdome , and braine-knowledge , except it ceize upon the heart also , and lead captive the affections to the government of the Gospel , whereby wee are changed and transformed into new men , after the image of Christ , 1 Cor. 2.12 . Eph. 4.20 . to 25. Col. 3.10 . except we digest our knowledge into practise , and imploy our wisdome to his glory that gave it , our neighbours good , and the furthering of our owne salvation : For with him wickednes is folly , and the greatest sinner is the greatest foole : and he most wise , that is most religious , and that offends least , Prov. 1.7 . Iob. 28.28 . Prov. 9.10.12 . and 11.3 . Deut. 4.6 . Hosea 14.9 . Iames 3.13.17 . 2 Tim. 3.15 . And he that is truly wise , thinks that to be wisdome , and folly , which God thinks so . Neither is that worth the name of knowledge which may be heard only , and not seen . Good discourse , is but the froth of wisdome ; the pure and solid substance of it , is in well framed actions . What saith the Scripture ? Keepe the Commandements of God , and doe them , for this is your wisdome and understanding before God and men , Deut. 4 6. And again , He that is a wise man and indued with knowledge , will shew it by his conversation in good works , Iames 3.13 . For , SECT . 62. RIghtly , a man knows no more then he practiseth . It is said of Christ , 2 Cor. 5 , 21. that he knew no sinne , because he did no sin : in which sense , hee knows no good , that doth no good . And certainly , they who wander in the by-paths of sin and errour , declare themselves ignorant of the right way of salvation , Rom. 3.17 . Saving knowledge of the truth works a love of the truth knowne ; it is an uniforme consent of knowledge and action , Iob 28.28 . He onely is wise , saith Solomon , that is wise for himself , Prov. 9.12 . He whose conscience pulleth all he hears and reads to his heart , and his heart to God ; who turneth his knowledge to faith , his faith to feeling , and all to walke worthy of his Redeemer he ; that subdues his sensuall desires and appetite to the more noble faculties of the soule , Reason , and Understanding , and makes that understanding of his serve him , by whom it is , and doth understand ; hee that subdues his lust to his will ; submits his will to reason , his reason to faith ; his faith , his reason , his will , himself , to the will of God , this is practicall , experimentall , and saving knowledge , to which the other is but a bare name or title . For , what is the notionall sweetnesse of honey , to the experimentall taste of it ? It is one thing to know what riches are , and where they bee ; and another thing to bee master of them . It is not the knowing , but the possessing of them , that makes rich . What saith one ? No more then the knowledge of goodnesse , maketh one to be named a good man ; no more doth the knowledge of wisdome only , cause any person properly to bee called a wiseman . And certainly , that wisdome and learning is little worth , which nothing profits the owner of it , either to vertue or happinesse . These things if ye know , happy are yee if yee doe them , Iohn 13.17 . So that he is the best Scholer , that learnes of Christ obedience , humility , &c. He the best Arithmetician , that can adde grace to grace . He the best learned , that knows how to be saved . Yea , all the Arts in the world are Artlesse Arts to this . But alas ! Naturall men are so farre from being thus learned , that not one of them doth really , and by his owne experience know the chiefe Points of Christian Religion ; such as are , Faith , Repentance , Regeneration , the Love of God , the Presence of the Spirit , the Remission of sinnes , the Effusion of Grace , the Possession of heavenly Comforts ; he knows not what the peace of Conscience , and joy in the holy Ghost is , nor what the communion of Saints means ; he knows not what it is to have a certaine and experimentall feeling , with a continuall proofe of Gods favour , in the whole passage of a mans life , and practise , &c. Prov. 24.7 . when every of these are easie and familiar to the meanest and simplest beleever . SECT . 63. Object . BUt the Word of God in divers places calls worldly men wise men ; yea ascribes the greatest wisdome and knowledge to the wicked . Answ. It s true , but in what sense ? Doe ye not perceive , that God either speaks it in a holy derision ? as , Gen. 3.22 . is to be understood : Or else hee speakes it in the person of the wicked , calling it wisdome , because worldly men deem it so : as in another place , he calls preaching , the foolishnes of preaching , because the wicked esteem preaching but foolishnesse : and as Christ calls the Pharisees just , because they justified themselves , Luke 15.7 . Or thirdly , he meanes the wisdome of the flesh , or of the world ; and that is as much , as if he had said in other words , foolishnesse : for the wisdome of the world is foolishnesse with God , and no lesse then twelve times infatuated by the wisdome of God in one Chapter , 1 Cor. 2. But to make it more plain , that no naturall man is a wise man , we must know that there is a speculative knowledge in the brain common to hypocrites with Gods children , Heb. 6.4 . And there is a spirituall and heavenly wisdom , a practicall , experimentall and saving knowledge in the heart , which keepes a man from every evill way , Prov. 2.12 . peculiar to the godly alone , Ephes. 4.8 . and 5.8 . The naturall man , saith Paul , perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God , for they are foolishnesse unto him : but the spirituall , who have the mind of Christ , understand all things , even the deepe things of God , 1 Cor. 2.14 , 15 , 16. And again , We speake the wisdome of God in a mystery ; even the hid wisdome , which none of the princes of this world have knowne , 1 Cor. 2.7 , 8. See 1 Thess. 5.4 , 5. Whence it is , that naturall men are said to be in darknesse , Ephes. 5.8 . Matth. 4.16 . whereas the regenerate are called , Children of the light , and of the day , 1 Th●ss . 5.4 , 5. Luke 1.79 . Which comparison is very emphaticall . For as the Soule , is the lamp of the body ; and 〈◊〉 Reason , of the Soule ; and Religion , of Reason ; and Faith of Religion : so Christ is the light and life of faith . Whence it followes , that as meere sense is uncapable of the rules of reason : so reason is no lesse uncapable of the things which are supernaturall . And as to speake , is only proper to men : so to know the secrets of the kingdome of heaven is onely proper to beleevers . Sense is a meere beasts ; reason , a meere mans ; Divine knowledge is onely the Christians . Now if it be askt , Why a naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ? Saint Paul , in the place before quoted , answers ; He cannot know them , because they are spiritually discerned , 1 Cor. 2.14 . For if they be spiritually discerned , how should they discern them , that have not the Spirit ? For as no man can see the Sun , but by the light of the Sun : so no man can know the secrets of God , but by the revelation of God , 1 Cor. 12.8 . Mat. 16.17 . To know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven , wee must have hearts ▪ eyes and eares sanctified from above , Deut. 29.2 , 3 , 4. Psal. 111.10 . Luk. 24.45 . Iohn 15.15 . Rom , 8.14 , 15. Neither is spiritual and ●●avenly wisdome the fruit of time and study , as the naturall is . It is not eloquence , nor Logicall demonstrations , that can make us capable of it . We cannot attaine to supernaturall and celestiall knowledge , by any naturall and terrestriall meanes . No learning , nor experience will serve to know that great mystery of godlinesse , and hid wisdome , spoken of , 1 Cor. 2.6 , 7 , 8 , 10 , &c. to know the riches of the glory of Gods inheritance in the Saints , to know the love of Christ , which passeth knowledge , &c. Ephes. 1.17 , 18. and 3.19 . Because this wisdome descendeth from above , Iames 3.17 . SECT . 64. 2 SEcondly , As none can attaine to this precious grace of saving knowledge , except it be given them from above : so , it is a jewell of such worth , that God gives it to none but his children the godly , and such as hee knows wil improve their knowledge to his glory . The servant ( saith Christ , meaning the ungodly man ) knoweth not his masters will , but I have called you friends ( speaking to his Apostles , and in them , to all that are converted ) for all things that I have heard of my Father , have I made knowne unto you , John 15.15 . Surely , saith Solomon , to a man that is good in his sight , God giveth wisdome and knowledge , Eccles. 2.26 . Intimating , that he doth not so to the evill man. The Wise , that is , the godly , saith Daniel , shall understand , but none of the wicked shall have understanding , Dan. 12.10 . A scorner seeketh wisdome , and findeth it not ; but knowledge is easie to him that wil understand . Pro. 14.6 . that is , to him that will be bettered by his understanding . Wicked men understand not judgement , but they that seeke the Lord , understand all things , Prov. 28.5 . and 3.32 . They which observe the Commandments , have a good understanding , saith David , Psal. 111.10 . the rest have an ill understanding , and a vain ; an understanding , like that of the Scribes and Pharisees , which was enough to condemn them , but not to save them . Such as are delivered up to councells , and brought before Rulers , and Kings in defence of the Gospell : are straitly charged by our Saviour , neither to premeditate , or take thought before hand how , or what to answer : because the holy Ghost shall teach them in that very houre ; what they ought to say , or rather , the holy Ghost shall speake in them , Mark. 13.9.11 . Luk. 12.11 , 12. And which of the Martyrs did not finde the same verified ? Alice Drivers , being a poore mans daughter ; and brought up at the Plow : in defence of Gods truth , and in the cause of Christ at her examination ; put all the Doctors to silence ; so that they had not a word to say , but one looked upon another . Indeed Bonner thought , hee had non-plust a plaine fellow with his Sophistry about the reall presence : But he answered him to the purpose , My Lord ( quoth he ) I cannot so well dispute for the truth , as you can against it : but I can burne for the truth , which you will never doe . And did it , a good argument to prove , that he knew truth from falshood , better than the Bishop . Thus as no man can see God , and live : so no man can see Christ , who is God , sitting at the right hand of his Father in heaven , so long as hee lives a meer naturall man , 1 Cor. 2.14 . God will not powre new wine , but into new vessells , Matth. 9.17 . Christ is said to have expounded all things to his Disciples apart , to shew , that if we will have Christ to teach us , wee must goe apart from the world . If any will doe Gods will , saith our Saviour , he shall know the Doctrine , whether it be of God , or no , Iohn 7.17 . So that no man can learne this doctrine , but he that doth it : as no man could learn the Virgins song , but they that sang it , Revel . 14.3 . Yea , if the feare of the Lord , as Solomon speakes , is the beginning of wisdome , how should they have wisdome , that have not the feare of the Lord ? All unrepentant sinners are enemies to God , servants to Satan : now we men , doe not tell our secrets to enemies ; neither will an Artificer teach another mans servant his trade : but the righteous are Christs friends , and brethren , and sisters , and father , and mother , between whom there is a kinde of familiarity , so that he makes them of his counsell , His secrets , saith Solomon , are with the righteous , Pro. 3.32 . And again , Psal. ●● . 14 . The secrets of the Lord are revealed to them that fear him , and his Covenant is to give them understanding . See this in Abrahams example , Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do ? saith God , Gen. 18.17 . As if this were an offence in God , if he should tell the righteous no more then he tells the wicked . Be●ides , What should he doe with a talent , that will not improve it ? And let a wicked man know never so much he is resolved to be never the better man. And they that are unwilling to obey , God thinkes unworthy to know : which is but equity . Indeed , if they will put off , concerning their former conversation , the old man , with his corruptions , and deceiveable lusts , and be changed , by the renewing of their mindes and by putting on the new man , which after God is treated in righteousnesse and true holinesse , Ephe. 4.20 . to 25. Col. 3.10 . 2 Cor. 5.17 . 1 Joh. 4.7 . Then they shall see what the good and acceptable , and perfect will of God is , as Saint Paul , and our Saviour Christ shews , Rom. 12.2 . Matth. 5.8 . For God in the person of wisdome hath made a generall promise to all that will serve him , Prov. 1. If thou wilt turne , saith God , at my correction , I will powre out my heart unto thee , and make thee understand my words , Verse 23. But else , they shall blindly goe on in persecuting Christ and his members , perhaps to the killing of his Prophets , and thinke also that they doe God good service , Iohn 16.2.3 . For as they like not to retaine God in their knowledge , saith the Apostle , so God shall give them over to vile affections , and to a reprobate minde , Rom. 1.28 . And because they will not receive the truth in love , that they might be saved , therefore God shall send them strong delusions , that they might beleeve lyes : that all they might bee damned , which beleeve not the truth , but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse , 2 Thes. 2.10.11.12 . And is it not iust with God , to say , they would none of Christ , let them welcome Sathan and Antichrist ? SECT . 65. Quest. WHat instruction from the premisses ? Ans. As it ought to stop all wicked mens mouthes : so it may both serve for direction and comfort to the godly , and to informe all . First , If it be so , that all naturall men are uncapable of divine and supernaturall knowledge , that they are blinde touching spirituall things : let not any carnall wretch hereafter dare to speake evill of the things , actions and persons , which are out of the reach of his capasity , but silently suspend his judgement , untill he is better informed . For as it pertaineth not to the rusticke to judge of Letters , so it belongeth not to naturall men to judge of spirituall things . And in matters of sensure , nothing but a certaine knowledge should make us give a certain judgement ; & in the mean time , confesse , that Ioseph may know his brethren although they know not him . He which is spirituall , discerneth all things ; yet he himselfe is Iudged of no man , 1 Cor. 2.14 . that is , of no naturall man. 2. Let those that have used to speake evill of the way of truth , learne to kicke no more against the pricks , lest they bring the same curse upon themselves , that those did , which brought up an evill report of the holy Land , viz. that , As they never entred into the terrestriall Canaan : So these never enter into the Celestiall . Yea , put case they shall think to doe God good service in it : for there is a way . saith Solomon , that seemeth right to a man , but the issues thereof are the wayes of death Pro. 14.22 . As many shall thinke , they doe God good service , in putting his children so death , Ioh. 16.2 . even that Monke thought no lesse , who poysoned Henry the seventh Emperor of Germany with the sacramentall bread . And so did the Powder Traytors , intending to blow up the whole State. Maximinian thought , the blood of christians would be an acceptable sacrifice to his Gods. So Francis the second of France ; And Phillip the second of Spaine : thought of the Lutherans blood in their dominions . In the sixth councell of Toledo it was inacted ; that the King of Spaine , should suffer none to live in his dominions that professed not the Roman Catholique Religion : Whereupon King Philip having hardly escaped shipwrack , as he returned from the Low Countries said : he was delivered by the singular providence of God , to root out Lutheranisme ; which he presently began to doe ; prosessing that he had rather have no Subjects then such . In which opinion many depart : But as men go to a Lottery , with heads full of hopes : but returne with hearts full of blankes ; so will it one day fare with these men . 3 If all who deride and persecute the godly , are ignorant persons , as hath been proved : then let not Gods children be discouraged , maugre all slander and opposition ; nor thinke the worse of themselves , if such reproach them never so . The Corinthians exceedingly slighted Paul , he was this and he was that ; But what saith Pa●l ? With me it is a very small thing , that I sh●uld be judged of you , 1 Cor. 43.3 , 4 ▪ Alasse ! the best of them ●aw no more than Saint Pauls outside ; the grace of his heart , the raptures of his soule , the ravishing delights of the inward man , and the like spirituall priviledges , more glorious than the states of Kingdomes , were to these sensualists as a covered messe . And indeed , naturall men are as ●it to judge of spirituall matters , as ●●●nd men are fit to judge of colours . We know Litle child●ē will often laugh at wise men when they are about serious & necessary affairs & busines , which notwithstanding is not an argument of the unworthines of the things they laugh at , but of the folly of them which laugh . Wil the Merchāt be discouraged , because his wine pleaseth not a sick mans palat ; when those that are in health commend it , and himselfe knowes it to be good ? Much lesse cause have we to be discouraged , having more certainety to rely upon . Our enemies have Sense , Reason , and Experience to confirme their judgements ; but we have them , with an advantage of three infalliable witnesses , Gods word , and Spirit , and Faith. Wherefore henceforward let us take our Saviours Councell , and seeke to justifie our judgements to the children of Wisdome , of whom she is justified ; and not to fooles , by whom shee is daily crucified . Neither let any thinke the better of such whom they extoll , for the blinde eate many a flye . 4 This shews that they suspect much , because they know little , as Children in the darke suppose they see , what they see not . They complaine , like the Owle , of the glory of the Sun , when the fault is in their own eyes , They are blind , yet the misery is , they see not that they are blinde ; and therefore believing that they see , they accuse others of schisme , when indeed themselves are only guilty of prejudice ; as a blinde man running against one that seeth , calls him blinde that did not shunne him . They are like Harpast , a blinde woman in Seneca's family , who would not be perswaded that shee was blinde ; but found fault with the house wherein she was , as being over darke . 5. If none are truly wise , but such as have past the second birth , it gives us to understand that the regenerate ( for the most part ) sleep nigh halfe their time in ignorance , that the wicked are never awake . And if this Wisedome commeth downe from the Father of lights , and that we cannot have it , except God vouchsafe to give it us ; It may teach us to be humble , Ioh. 42.6 . And not like the Ape , that is proud of his Masters Jacket . Heavenly notions grow not in us , we spin them not out of our owne breasts : And thankfull ; for it they be given , let us not forget the giver . 6. If all naturall men are like blinde Sampson without his guide , not able without the Holy ●hosts direction to finde out the pillars of the house , the principles of faith , let us not wonder that they swerve so much from the godly , in their judgements and practice . Is it any strange thing , to see a blinde man stumble and fall ? Yea , let us condole all their disasters , and drop some teares , in pity and compassion for their great and grievous misery . 7. And lastly , If with God one sparke of spirituall experimentall and saving knowledge be of more worth than all secular Wisdome , and Learning ; then strive we for that knowledge which will make the knower blessed . Let us so be learned ; that we may bee saved . Let us not in our hearing , and reading , and communication , doe as little children , that looke only upon the Babyes in a booke , without regard to the matter therein contained : but like men in years , have more respect to the pith and solidity of the matter , than to the phrase ; and to the profit of our soules than the pleasing of our senses . And so much of the second cause . SECT . 66. Quest. WHat is the third cause , why ungodly men hate and persecute the Religious ? Answ. Their infidelity and unbeliefe . Quest. How doth that appeare ? Answ. I will demonstrate it beyond deniall . Why doe the Heathen rage , saith David , and the people murmure , the Kings of the Earth band themselves , and the Rulers take counsell together , against the Lord , and against his Anointed , saying , Let us breake their bands , &c. Psalm . 2.1 . to 4. but this they thinke alwayes , there is no God , God is not in all their thoughts , Psal. 10.4 . And againe , They breake in peeces thy people , O Lord , and afflict thine ●eritage , &c. the reason followes , they say the Lord shall not see , neither shall the God of Jacob regard it , Psalm . 94.5 , 6 , 7. And what saith our Saviour to the Iewes , Ye seeke to kill me , because my Word hath no place in you , John 8.37 . that is , they beleeved not what he● spake , nor the Scriptures which testified of him . If yee will see it in Examples , look 2 King. 18.35 . Dan. 3.15 . Exod. 5.2 . Or if in the New Testament , see Acts 17. where the Holy Ghost makes a decision between such as did , and such as did not beleeve ; Paul , when in the Synagogue he disputed with them , by the Scriptures , opening and alleadging that Christ must have suffered , risen againe , &c. for saith the Text , So many of the Jewes as beleeved , and of the Grecians and chiefe women as feared God , joyned themselves in company with Paul and Silas . But those that beleeved not , mooved with envy , tooke unto them certaine Vagabonds , and wicked fellowes , with the multitude , and made a tumult in the City , and assaulted the house of Jason , drawing out him , and as many of the brethren as they could finde , and brought them before the people , and the heads of the City , crying ; These are they which have subverted the State of the world , and they all doe against the decrees of Caesar , &c. And lastly , looke but 1 Tim. 1. you shall heare Saint Paul most ingenuously confessing , I was a blasphemer , a persecuter , and an opposer of Christ , and his members ; but I did it ignorantly , through unbelie●e , v. 13. Now they which thinke , all whatsoever is written in Scripture , of God , of Christ , and of His Kingdome of Grace here , and glory hereafter , to be but a fable : as that impious Pope did , who was not ashamed blasphemously to boast what he had gained by Fabula de Christo : And all Machivillian Atheists , who thinke Religion to be but a Politicke device , to keep men in awe , do ; whose number is greater than is supposed . These , I say , must needs think them madde and foolish , who lose thereby either profit , or pleasure , and use them accordingly . SECT . 67. TRue , this might seeme an absurd position , if I should presume upon an Appeale to their owne blinded consciences ; for they thinke , they believe in God , and the Scriptures , as wel as the precisest : and so did those Iews , Iohn 5. which persecuted Iesus , and sought to slay him , thinke they beleeved Moses writings : but it is plain , they did not , by Christ's answer to them , who knew their hearts better than themselves : his words are , Had ye beleeved Moses , yee would have beleeved me , for he wrote of me : but if yee beleeve not his writings , how should ye beleeve my words ? ver . 46 , 47 , And againe , Ye have not my Fathers Word abiding in you , for whom he hath sent , him yee beleeve not , Ver. 38 , 39. So bring these , that persecute any of Gods Children for well doing , to the tryal , and their owne consciences shall testifie before God , that they neither beleeve the Old Testament nor the New. For did they beleeve that the godly are unto God as the Signet upon his right hand , Jer. 22.24 . Zach. 2.24 . Yea , as the Apple of his owne eye . Zach. 2.8 . and that whatsoever wrongs and contumelies are done to his Children , he accounts as done to himselfe , Psalm . 44.22 . and 69.7 , and 74.4 , 10 , 18 , 22 , 23 , and 83.2 , 5 , 6 , and 89 , 50 , 51 , and 139 , 20. Prov. 19.3 . Rom. 1.30 and 9.20 , Matth. 10.22 . and 25.45 . Luk. 21.17 . 1 Sam. 17.45 . Esay 37.4.22 , 23.28 . and 45.9 . and 54 , 17. Act. 5.39 . and 9.4 , 5. Iob 9.4 . 1 Thess , 4.8 . Iohn 15.18 , 20 , 21 , 23 , 24 , 25. Num. 16.11 . 1 Sam. 8.7 . They durst not hate , revile , slander , deride , nicke-name and persecute them , as they doe . More particularly , did they really and indeed beleive God , when he saith in his word , that whosoever shal offend one of those little ones , that beleeve in him , it were better for him rather that a Milston were hung about his neck , & that he wer cast into the sea , Marke 9 42. That he will destroy them for ever , and roote them out of the Land of the living , whose tongues imagine mischeife , and are like a sharpe Razer , that cutteth deceitfully , loving to speake evill , more than good , Psalm . 52.2 . to 5. That hee will confound such as persecute his Children , and destroy them with a double destruction , Jer. 17.18 ▪ Yea , that he will render unto their enemies seaven fold into their bosome , their reproach , wherewith they have reproached the Lord , Psalm . 79.12 . In fine , that he will rayne upon them snares of five and brimston , with storms and tempests , Psal. 11.6 . and after all , cast them into a furnace of fire , where shall be wailing and guashing of teeth , for evermore : when the just , whom they now dispise , shall shine as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father : They durst not doe as they doe to the godly . Yea , if they did beleeve but that one place , 2 Kings 2.24 . Where God caused two and forty little Children to be devoured of wild Beares , onely for nick-naming Elisha , they durst not nick-name the religious as they doe . Indeed God doth not alwaies , nor often so eminently punish Persecutors in this life as here it fared with these children : or as it did with Lucian , who for barking against religion like a dog ; was by the just judgement of God devoured of dogges , Or as it did with Nighti●gall , parson of Crondall in Kent : who was strook dead in the Pulpit , while he was belching out his spleen against Religion and Goodnesse . Or as it did with Stephen Gardiner : who would not sit downe to dinner , till the newes came of the good Bishops burnt at Oxford . But then came out rejoycing , and saying to the Duke of Norfolk ; Now let us goe to dinner : but it was the last that ever he are , for it . Or as it fared with Arundal Arch-Bishop of Canterburys : and Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester in their times : who putting to silence , both the word of God and those that purely preached it : were themselves put to silence , and so smitten in their tongues that they could not swallow their meat , nor speak for a good space before they died . True some flagitious persons God punisheth here : least his providence ; but not all , least his patience , and promise of a generall judgement should bee called in question . But , alasse ! they are so farre from beleeving wha● God threatens in his word , against these sinnes ; that they blesse themselves in their hearts , saying , we shall have peace , we shall speed as well as the best , although we walke according to the stubburnnesse of our own wills ; so adding drunkennesse to thirst , Deut. 29.19 . Yea , they preferre their condition before other mens , who are so abstemious , and make Conscience of their wayes ; even thinking , that their God deceiveth them with needlesse feares and scruples , as once Rabshekab would have perswaded the Iewes , touching their trust and considenec , 2 Kings 18.22 , 25 , 30 , 32 33 35. Yea , how ●'st possible , that any wicked man should beleive what is written of God in the Scripture , especially touching his justice , and severity in punishing sin , with eternall destruction of body and soule ? For did they really and indeed beleive God , when he saith , that his curse shall never depart from the house of the swearer , Zac. 5. They durst not sweare , yea and forsweare as they doe ; much lesse durst they take a pride inoathing of it , resembling Ballio the baud in Plautus , who was not ashamed , but even proud of Carting . Yea , which is worse , reprove a swearer , and hee will sweare the more to spite you : Which were not possible ; if beleeving God , they did not , what in them lies , give themselves over to the Devill . Againe , did they beleeve , that neither fornicacors , nor Idolaters , nor adulterers , nor theeves , nor murtherers , nor drunkards , nor swearers , nor raylours , nor lyers , nor covetous persons , nor extortioners , nor unbelevers , nor no unrighteous men shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven ; but shall have their part in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone , which is the second death , 1 Cor. 6 9 , 10. Revel . 21.8 they durst not continue in the practice of these sinnes , without feare , or remorse , or care of amendment . Did they beleeve that except their righteousnesse doe exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees , they shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heaven , Matth. 5.20 . And that without holinesse no man shall see the Lord , Heb. 12.14 . with many the like , it were impossible they should live as they doe . Yea , if they did in good earnest beleeve , that there is either God , or Devill , Heaven , or Hell , or that they have immortal soules , which shall everlastingly live in blisse , or wo , and receive according to that they have done in their bodies , whether it be good or evill , 2 Cor. 5.10 . they could not but live thereafter , and make it their principall care , how to be saved . But , alasse ! they beleeve what they see , and feel , and know ; they beleeve the Lawes of the Land , that there are places and kindes of punishment here below , and that they have bodies to suffer temporall smart , if they transgresse ; and this makes them abstaine from murther , felony , and the like : but they beleeve not things invisible , and to come ; for if they did , they would as well , yea , much more , feare him that hath power to cast both body and soul into hell , as they doe the temporall Magistrate , that hath onely power to kill the body : They would think it a very hard bargaine , to win the whole world , and lose their owne soules , Luk. 9.25 . But , alasse ! if visible powers were not more feared than the invi●ble GOD , and the Halter more than Hell ( naturall men being like beasts , that are more sensible of the flash of powder , than of the Bullet ) the World would be over-runne with outrage : Whereas now , even the worst of the Serpents seed , by reason of Authority , are kept in a meane between Devils & Christians ; so living like beasts because they think they shall die like beasts , without any answer for ought they have either acted , or left undone . SECT . 68. TRue , they doe not alwayes , nor at any time altogether , think there is no GOD , or judgement to come . Not alwayes , for though at present they thinke their villany is uns●ene , because it is unpunished , according to that in the Psalmes , The wicked thinketh there is no Go● , and the reason followes , his wayes alway prosper , Psalm . 10 4 , 5 yet none as Plato speakes , are so confirmed in Atheisme , but some great danger will make them fly to the aide of a Divine power . Extremity of distresse will send the prophanest to God : as the drowning man stretcheth out his hand to that bough , which he contemned whiles he stood safe on shore : Even Sardanapalus who for all his bould denying of God , at every hearing of thunder was wont to hide his head in a hole . Yea , in their greatest jollity , even the most secure heart in the world hath some flashes of feare , that seaze on them like an Arrest of Treason ; for conscience cannot but sometimes looke out of it selfe , and see what it would not . At least , on their death beds they would give all the world to bee sure what the Scripture speakes of Hell were not true ; though all their life they supposed it but a fable . How oft doe those ruffians , that deny God at the Tap-house , preach him at the Gallowes : and confesse that in sobriety of spirit , which they oppugned in wantonnesse . And not seldome are the most lethargized consciences so awakened ere they goe to Hell , that , Spira-like , they depart desolate and desperate in , and into hellish horrors . Prosperity doth so tympanize mens soules , and entranse them from themselves , that they forget they had a Maker . Who is God ? saith Pharoah . There is no God , saith Nebuchadnezar . What God can deliver out of my hand ? saith Rabshakeh . I am God , saies Alexander . But Nebuchadnezer found there was a God. Pharaoh found what that God was . Rabshakeh found , to his cost , that there was an Almighty God , able to deliver in the Valleys ▪ as well as on the hills . Alexander found hee was not as hee supposed , and confest that hee knew himselfe mortall by two things , viz. Sleepe ▪ and Lust. And so it shall fare with these in the end . They that would stultizare in culpa , shall be forced sapere in poena . Vengeance shall make them wise , whom sinne hath made , and left foolish . At least , in hell they shall know there is a righteous Judge , that will reward every man according to his deeds ▪ & confesse , that what they once vainly imagined , was but imagined . There may bee Atheists on earth , there are none in hell . A Pope of Rome being on his death bed , said , Now comes three things to tryall , which all my life I have made doubt of : Whether there be a God , a Devill , and whether the soule be immortall : It was not long ere hee was fully resolved with a vengeance . And so shall you , O yee fools , when that houre comes , though yee flatter your selves for the present , like that desperate Pirate , who when ( ransacking and rifling a bottom ) he was told by the Master , that though no Law co●ld touch him for the present , he should answer it at the day of judgement ; replyed , Nay , If I may stay so long ere I come to it , I will take thee , and thy Vessell too . Nothing more certain than death . Amongst Lawes , some are antiquated , as that of divorce : some changed , as that of Circumcision : some dispensed withall , as that of the Sabbath ( in cases of necessity , Matth. 12.1 . to 14. ) but this statutum est , that all shall dye , and come to judgement , it is neither antiquated nor changed , nor dispensed withall . And as nothing is more certain than death : so nothing more uncertaine than the houre thereof : thy pulse may leave beating , before thou canst fetch thy breath . Wherefore thinke not , as Lot's Sons in Law , that we speake in jest : least you feel the fire & wrath of God in earnest . SECT . 69. 2 SEcondly , nor at any time doe they altogether thinke there is no God , &c. For as the best faith is but like the twilight , mixed with some degree of darknesse and infidelity : so the most grounded Atheisme , is mixed with some degree , either of beleife or doubting . What saith David , The foole hath said in his heart there is no God : in his heart he hath said it , but in his heart hee never beleeved it : No foole ever thought it peremptorily ; he would fain have it so : he cannot beleive it so : it is an opiniō which he suggests to his heart , not which his heart suggests to him : and this makes him fearful to dye , & to dye fearfully . Tully speaking of Metrodorus , an Atheist in his time , saith , Nec quemquam vidi , qui magis ea timeret , quae timenda esse negaret . They that make a flout of Hell , Affirmant mihi & tibi , non sibi ; noctu , non interdiu ; their mouthes tell us so , their hearts doe not tell their mouths so . No hell I dare say , if there were a generall collection made throughout the whole world , that there might bee no judgement day , these men would be none of the backwardest . Yea , if they had as many Provinces , as Ahasuerus had , they would give an hundred and six and twenty of them to bee sure of it . The consciences even of wicked men can never bee so charmed , or over-ruled , either by arguments , or the temptations of Sathan , that they can let goe the sense of a God-head . We are all borne Idolaters , and chuse rather to adore the Sunne , the Moone , yea the meanest of all creatures , rather than not acknowledge a Deity . You may sooner get a Conscience to beleeve all the fables in the Popish legend , or Turkish Alcaro● , than that this universall frame is without a minde . — Prima est haec ultio , quod , se Iudice , nemo nocens absolvitur — So that to say truely , they doe not , and yet they do beleive there is a God , and a Hell : for when they admit conscience into their councell , they doe beleeve : but because they would rather not beleeve it , they stifle Conscience , stop their owne eares , and flatter their hearts with the contrary opinion : Like as it fared with the Philistims of Ashdod , 1 Sam. 6. who when they had stood out that sore judgement seven months , and brought upon their god Dagon , and the whole Countrey , a very great destruction , and perceived , that all which were guilty of keeping and prophaning the Arke , suffered in the judgement , and onely they ; at last could bring forth this conclusion , Peradventure it is God's hand that smote us ; yet , it may bee , it is but a chance that hath hapened unto us , Ver. 9. Wherein it is evident , they did half beleeve , and no more ; Their consciences told their hearts there was a powerfull God , to revenge the prophaning of his Arke ; but their hearts were very loth to give assent thereunto : and so fares it with these , when they wrong and persecute his Children , Or they may be likened to those untoward Israelites , Exod. 16. Who did in part beleeve God , when hee told them , If they reserved of the Manna untill morning , it should stinke ; and that if they went to gather it on the Sabbath , they should finde none , who would have thought it foule scorne , if one should have told them , they beleeved no such thing : for all they had seene so many Miracles , yet t is apparent , they did but halfe beleeve him : for what else made them try whether hee spake true or no , after they were flatly forbidden ? ver . 20. or , Lastly , they are like the unbeleeving Iewes , who considering the Oracles that CHRIST spake , and the Miracles which he wrought , were forced to testifie both these of him ( for all they hated him ) never man spake as this man doth ; and We never saw it on this fashion : yet this have yee seen , and beleeve not , saith our SAVIOUR Iohn 6. 36. They saw , they heard , they wondered , they were convinced , yet they beleeved not : therfore their own eyes in seeing ; their own eares , in hearing ; their own hearts , in wondring ; their own convicted reasons shall but witnesse against their unbeleefe , Ioh. 16.9 . And indeed , if they did not in some part beleeve a Judgement to come , they should be worse than the very Devills themselves : there is no Hell , Quis Daemonum hoc asseret ? What Devill will so affirme ? They know it , and feele it , Why ( say the Legion to Christ ) art thou come to torment us before the time , Matth. 8.29 . And shall not men tremble to deny , what the Devils confesse ? sayes Chrysostome . Wherefore beleeve it peremptorily , ● ye fooles & mad men ; yea believe it , & avoid it , & by beleeving to purpose , ye shall avoyd it : otherwise , if ye will give more credit to your deceitful hearts , than to what the Word speaks as Eve beleeved the word of the Serpent , Adam the word of Eve , both before the Word of God , God will leave you to be confuted by fire & brimston ; if you wil not beleive what is written , you shall feele what is written . SECT . 70. Ob. BUT here it will be objected , That the wickedest man that lives , presumes upon Gods mercy in Christ , and thinkes he shall be saved , as well as the ●heife upon the Crosse ; yea , hee will prove by Scripture , that at what time soever h● repents , his sinnes shall be pardoned , Ezech. 18.21 , 22. Yea , there is scarce a man on earth , but hee thinkes to goe to Heaven . Answ. True , the flesh prophesies prosperity to sin ; yea life , and salvation , as the Pope promised the Powder Traytors ; ●nd to this the Devill sets his s●ale : whe●●upon while prosperity lasteth , they can turne the grace of God into want●n●esse , and even apply Christ's Passion , as a warrant for their licenciousnesse ; and take his death , as a licence to sin ; his Crosse , as a Letters Pattent to doe mischeife . Yea , the Devill and sinne so infatuates and besots them , that they thinke to have part in that merit , which in every pa●t they have so abused ; to be purged by that blood which now they take al occasions to disgrace ; to be saved by the same wounds , which they swear by , and so often swear away ; to have Christ an Advocate for them in the next life , when they are Advocates against Christ in this ; and that Heaven will meet them at their last hour , when all their life long they have galloped in the beaten road toward Hell. The Devil makes large promises , and perswades his , they shall have what they desire ; yet ever disappoints them of their hopes , as he did our first Parents : Diabolus mentitur , ut fallet ; vitam pollicetur , ut perimat , saith Saint Cyprian . But all one , their carnall hearts shall be flint unto God , wax to the Devil , who blowes this presumption into them ; whereby they believe the promises , let go the threatnings : You shall die , saith God , is heard , but You shall not die , saith the Devil , is believed , as it fared with Eve , when she eat the forbidden fruit . Yea , they believe the promises , that they shall have them ; but they believe not the precepts , to do them ; nor the threatnings , that they shall suffer them , for their not believing and disobedience ; which shewes , that they truly believe neither . Yea , this makes it plain , that either they believe there is no God at all , or else that God is not just , and true , nor speakes as he meanes in his word ; which is worse : or if they do believe that he is a just and true God , they believe also that they shall be punished ( as he threatens ) for their provoking of him ; and they provoke him , that they may be punished ; which is worst of all . So that take them in the best sense , they are but like David's fool , which saith in his heart there is no God , and lives thereafter : which is never a whit strange , for it is usuall with them to thinke there is no God , for whom it would make that there were none : what we would have to be , we are apt to believe . I confesse , it is hard for men to believe their own unbelief in this case : they that be most dangerously sicke , are least sensible of their own sicknesse ; much more hard to make them confesse it ; for he whose heart speakes Atheisme , will confesse with his tongue , that he believes there is a God , and that he is just , and true , and that every tittle of his Word is equally ●rue : which being granted , this must necessarily follow , that God will as well punish the disobedient , as reward the obedient ; which in another fit they are apt enough , yea too forward to believe . For it is Satan's method , first to make men so senselesse , as not to feel their sinnes at all ; and then so desperate , that they feel them too much : in the first fit men live as if there were no Hell : in the last they die as if there were no Heaven ; for wicked men are altogether in extremes ; at first they make question whether this or that be a sin , at last they apprehend it such a sin , that they make question whether it can be forgiven : either God is so mercifull , that they may live how they list ; or so just , that he will not pardon them upon their repentance . SECT . 71. BUt to prevent after claps , let this point be argued in the Court of thy Conscience : say , whether thou art guilty , or not guilty . He that believes the promises of God , to be true , believes also the commands and threatnings , and thereupon feares God , and makes conscience of sin ; otherwise , if thou beest as it were a dead man , continuing under the burthen of notorious crimes , without sorrow , or fear , or remorse , or care of amendment , Ephes. 2 1. If thou art of a reprobate judgement touching actions , and persons , esteeming good evil , and evil good , if the Devil hath so bewitched thee , that thou preferrest Hell to Heaven , and blamest those that do otherwise : if , Ishmael-like , thou mockest ; or , Cham-like , thou scoffest at the religious , or usest bitter jests against them , Psal. 1.1 . Ephes. 5.4 . If thou raisest slanders of them , or furtherest them being raised , Psal. 4.2 & 31.18 & 35.20 . As the Red Dragon , Rev. 12. cast a floud of water out of his mouth , after the Woman , when he could not reach her with his clawes , verse 15. Or any way opposest them ; for the opposition of goodnesse , gives thee the title of wickednesse , which alone is the enemy thereof , and shewes that thou art a Souldier of the great Dragon , who goes out to make War with that blessed Seed , which keep the Commandments of God , Rev. 12.17 . These or any one of these , shew that thou hast neither part nor fellowship in the Christian beliefe ▪ that thou art an Infidell , yea an Atheist , which is a higher degree of infidelity , and that thou doest no way differ from an Heathen , but onely in the saying of a Pater noster , a Creed , and , it may be , the ten Commandments : neither hast thou any more of a conscience , than fear , which fear also arises more from the power of the Magistrate , than from the Omnipotency of a God. But to make thy selfe confesse this , examine thy beliefe by thy life ; for infidelity is the bitter root of all wickednesse , and a lively Faith the true Mother of all goodnesse . Indeed if pride , sw●aring , prophaning of the Lords Day , drunkennesse , adultery , contempt of Religion and all goodnesse were fruits of Faith , then the World were full of Believers ; but Faith purifieth the Heart , Acts 15.9 . and worketh by love , Gal 5.6 . Consumes our natural unnatural corruptions , and sanctifieth the whole man th●oughout , 1 Thes. 5.23 . Acts 26.18 So that our Faith to God is seen in our faithfulnesse to men : Shew me thy faith by thy workes , saith S. Iames , that is , thy invisible beliefe , by thy visible life : for the hand is the best Commentary of the heart . What a man does , I am sure he thinkes : not alwayes what he speakes . Men may say they believe the Word , but certainly they would never speak as they speak , thinke as they thinke , do as they do , if they thought that their thoughts , words and deeds , should ever come to judgement . If men believed that Heaven were so sweet , and Hell so intolerable , as the word makes them , they would be more obedient upon earth ; the voluptuous would not say , with Esau , Give me the pottage of pleasure , take who will the Birth-right of grace here , and glory hereafter ; the Covetous would not say , Take you Heaven , let us have money . I le clear it by a similitude . If a Physician should say unto his Patient , here stands a Cordial , which if you take will cure you ; but touch not this other Vial , for that is deadly Poyson , and he refuseth the Cordial , to take the Poyson ; in this case , who can chuse but conclude , that either he believed not his Physician , or preferred death before life ? But go on . If men but believed , that God alwayes beholds them , they durst not sin . No Thiefe was ever so impudent , as to steale in the very face of the Judge . O God , let me see my selfe seen by thee , and I shall not dare to offend thee . Againe , if men believed , that there is a place of Darknesse , they would fear the workes of Darknesse . If Lot's sonnes-in-Law had believed their father , when he told them the Citie should suddenly be destroyed with fire and brimstone , and that by flying they might escape it , they would have obeyed his counsel . If the old World had believed , that God would indeed , and in good earnest bring such a Floud upon them , as he threatned , they would not have neglected the opportunity of entring the Arke , before it was shut up , and the windowes of Heaven opened : much lesse would they have scofft and flouted at Noah , while he was building it : so if you did firmely believe what the Scripture speaks of Hell , you would need no intreaties to avoid it : yea , cast but your eyes upon that fiery gulf with a full perswasion of it , and sin if you dare ▪ You love your selves well enough to avoid a knowne paine , wee know that there are Stocks and Bridewells , and Goales , and Dungeons , and Racks , and Gibbits for Malefactors , and our very feare keeps us innocent : were your hearts equally assured of those hellish torments , ye could not , yee durst not continue in those sinnes , for which they are prepared : yea , if you did truly beleeve a hell , there would bee more danger of your dispaire , than of your security . Yea , had you but so much of an historicall faith , as to beleeve the Scriptures , touching what God hath already inflicted upon sinners ; as , upon the Angells , the old world , Sod●me and Gomorrah , Pharoah and the Egyptians , Nadab and Abihu , Chora , D●than , and Abyram , with their 250 Captaines , and many thousands of the Children of Israel , together with the whole Nation of the Iewes , Hammon and Balaam , Saul and Doeg , Absolon and Achytophell , Ahab and Iesabell , Senacherib and Nebuc●adnezar , the two Captaines and their fifties , Herod and Iudas , Annanias and Saphirah , with a world of others . Much more , if you did beleeve how severely he hath dealt with his owne Children , when they sinned against him . viz. with Moses , & Aaron , and Eli , which were in singular favour with him ; yea , with David , a man after his own heart , and that after his sin was remitted ; it were impossible but you woulde feare to offend so Jealous a God : for thus you woulde argue , If God be so just and severe to his owne children , who were so good and gracious ; how shall I , a wicked and ungracious servant , that never did him a peece of good service all my dayes , looke to be dispensed withall ? If the godly suffer so many , and grievous afflictions here ; what shall his adversaries suffer in hell ? If Sampson be thus punished , shal the Philistims escape ? If the righteous shall scarcely be saved , were shall the ungodly and sinner appeare ? as the Scripture speakes : 1 Pet. 4.18 . For thou canst not Imagine , that he will deale after a new and extraordinary way with thee , and so breake the Course of his so Just , and so long continued proceedings . SECT . 72. WHerefore dally no longer with your owne soules . Are ye Christians in earnest ? Doe yee beleeve the word ? or do you not ? if ye do not ye are worse than the Devill : f●r the Devills bel●eve and tremble ; they have both faith and feare , whereas thou hast neither feare nor faith . If you be Christians , there is an hell in your Creed : if there be an hell , How dare you teare Heaven with your bla●phemies , and bandie the dreadfull Name of God in your impure mouthes , by your bloody o●thes and execrations ? How dare you ex●rcise your saucy wits in prophane s●offes at religion , and disgrace that blood , whereof hereafter you would give a thousand worlds for one drop ? It is no light or sleight offence , to contemne the brethren of the Son of God : but thou fightest against the very graces of Gods Spirit , where-ever they appeare ? and notwithstanding thou didst vow in thy baptisme , to fight under Christs banner , against the world the fl●sh and the Devill , and to continue his faith●ull souldier and servant unto thy lives end ▪ as good reason , since he laid downe his life to redeeme thee , and hath ever since protected and provided for thee ; for a very Dog will fight for his master that feeds him : thou contrarily takest part with the world , the flesh and the Devill , his mortall enemies , and takest up armes to fight against Christ. Againe , if there be an hell , and but a tithe of them Christians , who call themselves so ; what meanes our grinding of faces , like edged tooles , and our spilling of blood , like water ? What meanes our racking of rents , our detention of wages , our incredible cruelty to servants , our inclosing of Commons , ingrossing of commodities , our griping exactions , with streining the advantages of greatnesse , our inequall levies of legal payments , our spightfull suites , griping usury , our bouzing and quaffing , our bribery , perjury , partiallity , our sacriledge , simonaicall contracts , and soule-murther , our scurr● prophanesse , cousoning in bargaines , breaking of promises , perfidious underminings , pride , luxury , wantonnesse , contempt of Gods Messengers , neglect of his Ordinances , violation of his dayes , & c ? When if the Word of God be true , we need no other ground of our last and heaviest doom , than ye have not given , ye have not visited &c. Mat. 25.41 . to 46 ▪ Certainely , if the tythe of us be Christians , which call our selvrs so , there are abundance of Christians in hell : For what eyes can but runne over , to see for the most part , what lives men leade ? There was a woman much spoken of in some parts of this Land , that lived in a professed doubt of the D●ity , yea , even after Illumination and Repentance , she could hardly be comforted ; she often protested , that the vicious and offencive life of a great learned man , in the Towne where she dwelt , did occasion those damned doubts in her minde . And we reade that Linacre reading upon the New Testament the fif●h sixth and seaventh Chapters of Saint Matthews Gospell , and comparing those rules with Christians lives , hee threw downe the booke , and burst forth into this protestation , Either this is not God's Gospell , or we are not Christians . Let any man looke upon the lives of most men , and then say , whether the argument be not without all exceptions . Or let any compare Christians , that live now under Christian Governours : with those that lived formerly , under Heathan Persecutors ; and it will force them to confesse the same . Athenagoras told the Emperor , in the Primitive times : that there was not one of the Christians evill manured ; unlesse it were such as dissembled themselves Christians for some by , and sinister ends . And Tertullian saith of the Christians in his time : non aliunde noscibiles quam de emendatione vitiorum . And Chrisostome speaketh of many in his daies , whose lives were angelicall , they so walked up to their principles . It is the abstract of Religion , to imitate him whom we worship : neither are we worthy to be called Christians , except wee be like him in workes : Wee are not like Christ , except we doe whatsoever God commands , and suffer whatsoever he inflicts : Now we are naught at doing , but when it comes to suffering , we are gone : it is the happinesse of these cold times , that wee are not put to the hot fire , for tryall of our faith and love : if the Wheele should turne , which the mercy of God forbid , how many would turne from Christ , rather than burne for him ? Alasse ! the greatest number are like Orbilius the Grammarian , who not onely forgot the Letters of his Book , but even his own name : for they not only forget what is written in Christ's Gospell , but they forget also that they are Christians , & can be of any religiō , for a need which shewes their hearts are truely of none . True , Gods seede is sowne , but the Devills fruit comes up : and , like the Iewes we bring Christ Vinegar , when he thirsts for Wine . But what a shame ? What a prodigy is this ? We are bound to praise GOD above any Nation whatsoever , ( for what Nation under Heaven in●oyes so much light , or so many blessings as we ? ) above any creature , for all the creatures were ordained for our sakes : and yet Heaven , Earth and Sea , all the Elements , all the Creatures obey the Word of God ; onely men , for whom they were all made , ingratefully rebell against it . The which , as it mightily aggravates our unthankfulnesse ; so when time comes , it will gall our Consciences to death . Yea , when we shall consider , that Christ hath removed so many evils from us , and conferred so many good things upon us , that they are beyond thought , or imagination ; and that our recompence of his love , hath been onely to do that which he hates , and hate those whom he loves : it will make us speechlesse ( like him in the Gospel , who wanted his wedding Garment ) as neither expecting mercy , nor daring to aske it : for know this , that thy own Conscience will once sting thee , like an Adder , to thinke what Christ hath given , and what he would have forgiven thee , if thou would'st but have repented : to thinke how often thou hast been invited to Heaven , how easily thou mightest have escaped Hell , how often Christ by his Embassadours offered thee remission of sinnes , and the Kingdom of Heaven freely , if thou wouldest but believe and repent , and how easily thou mightest have obtained mercy in those dayes , how near thou wast many times to have repented , and yet didst suffer the Devil and the World to keep thee still impenitent , and how the day of mercy is then past , and will never dawn again . For the same Devil that now shuts your eyes , and labours to keep you blinde , during the presumption of your Life , will open them in the desperation , that shall wait on you at death , or in Hell : as it fared with the rich man , who when he was in Hell , lift up his eyes to Heaven ; but never before , Luke 16.23 . Those scorching flames opened them to purpose : sinne shuts up mens eyes , but punishment opens them . Satan seldome lets us see our folly , till we be plunged into some deep extremity ; but then he writes it in capital Letters , and pines it on our foreheads ; like one riding to the Pillory : especially on our death-beds , hee shewes us all our sinnes , in multiplying glasses . That subtil Syren , with Orphean a●ers ; and dexterous warbles : leads us to the flames of hell , and then derides us with contempt , and triumph . Like a cunning courtezan ; that dallies the Ruffian to undoe himselfe ; and then paies him with a fleere and scorne . SECT . 73. BUT I hope I have said enough , and that thou art convinc'd in thine own Conscience , that hitherto thou hast been a meer Atheist , and that through Atheisme , thou hast hated , reviled , and persecuted the godly : If not , Truth is as much Truth , when it is not acknowledged , as when it is . Now if thou dost confidently , and without peradventure beleeve what the Scripture speaks of God , Heaven , Hell , &c. If thou beleevest the threatnings and precepts , as well as the promises , and if thou bearest any love to thine owne soule , Break off thy sins by repentance , and oppose the good no longer : give no credit to the flesh , or the Devill , which prophe●●e prosperity to sinne ; but beleeve God and the Scripture , which manifestly proves , that every man shall bee judged according to his works , Revel . 12.13 . & 22.12 . Make not Christ a boulster for sin , nor Gods mercy a warrant for thy continuance in an evill course . Bee not therefore evill , because hee is good , least like the foolish builder , thou commest short of thy reckoning ; for Christ came to destroy the workes of the Devill , Iohn 3.3.8 , 9 , 10. And not to be a Patron of sin ; and there is mercy with God that hee might be feared , not that he might be despised , blasphemed , &c. Psalm . 130.4 . Yea , know this and write it in the Table-booke of thy memory , and on the table of thine heart , that if God's bountifullnesse and long suffering towards thee , does not leade thee to repentance ; it will double thy doome , and increase the pile of thy torments : for every day , which does not abate of thy reckoning , will increase it , Qui numerat dotes , numerat dies ; and thou by thy hardnesse and impenitency , shalt but treasure up unto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath , and the declaration of the ●ust judgement of God , Romans 2 ▪ 4 , 5 , 6. And so much of the third Cause . SECT . 74. THere are Eight other Causes ( as they make them ) why they thus hate and persecute us . The first is , Speaking of Truth , for which see 1 King. 22.8.17.23 , 24.26.27 . Ier. 11.19 . and 26.8 , 9.11 . and 36.23.26 . and 38.4 , 5 , 6. Amos 5.10 . Mark 6.16 . to 29. Act. 16.19 . to 25. and 17.5.6.7.13 . and 18.11.12 , 13. and 19.26 . to 34. and 21.27 , 28.30.31 . and 22.22 , 23. and 23.1 , 2.12 , 13.14 . Gal. 4.16 . The second is , Misprision , for which see Act. 24.14 . and 26.9.10.11.24 . 1 King. 18.17 , 18. Psalm . 14. 1 Ier. 44.17 , 18 , 19. Wisd. 5.4 . Matth. 7.14 . and 13.55 , 56 , 57. and 28 , 15. Mark. 5.39.40 . and 7 , 5 , 8.9 . Iohn 2.19 , 20.21 . and 3.3.4 . and 7.15.23 , 24. and 8.15.57 , 58 , 59. & 9.16 & 16.2 . Act. 2.13 . 2 Thess. 2.10.11 , 12 , Rom. 8.5 , 6 , 7 , 8. 1 Corinth . 1.18 . to 29. and 2.7 , 8 , 10 , 11.12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16. and 3.18 , 19 , 20. 2 Timothy 2.26 . 1 Pet. 2.7 , 8. Revel . 3.17 . The third is , Example of the multitude , touching which read Gen. 19.4 . to 12. Numb . 14.2 , 3 , 10. and 16.1 , to 4. Matth. 27.20.25 , 27 , 39 , 49. Act. 19.24 to 30. The fourth is , Separation , for which looke Gen. 39.12 . to 21. Psal. 26.4.5 . and 101.7 . and 119.63.115 . Prov. 5.8 . and 23.20 . Ier. 15.19 . Wisd. 2.16 . Ioh , 15.19 1 Cor. 5.11 . 2 Cor. 6.17 . Ephes. 5.7 . 2 Thess. 3.6.14 . 1 Pet. 4.4 . Rev. 18.4 . The fifth is , The preaching of some Ministers , for which see Ier. 5.31 . and 8.11 . and 23.13.14 , 15 , 16 , 17.21 , 22 , 26 , 27.31 , 32. Ezek. 22.25 , 26 , 28. Mat. 9.34 . Mar. 13.22 . Ioh. 5.43 . Act. 13.8 . and 20.29.30 . Romans 16.17 , 18. 2 Cor. 2.17 . and 11.13.14.15 . 1 Tim. 4.1 , 2 , 3. 2 Tim. 3.8 . 2 Pet. 2. ch . and 3.3 . The sixth is , The scandalous lives of some Professors , for which see Gen. 9.21.22 . and 12 , 18 , 19. and 19.33 , 35 , 36. and 20.2.12.16 . and 34.13 , 14 , 15 , 16.25 , 26. to 31. 1 Sam. 2.12 . to 18. 2 Sam. 12.14 . Mat. 7.15 . and 18.7 . and 23.3.14 23 , 24 , 25 , 27. and 26.14 , 15 , 16.70.72.74 . and 27.5 . The seventh is , Flocking after Sermons for which looke Ioh. 11.48 . and 12.19 . and 6 , 2. & Acts 13.45 . Matth. 4.24 , 25. and 15 , 30. Mar. 3.10 . and 8.1 . and 10.1 , 2. Luke 5.15 . and 6.17 , 18 , 19. Eightly , the finall Cause is , that they may have more company here in sinne , and hereafter in torments . For which turne to , Psal. 35.4 , 7 , 12. & 40.14 . & 56.6 & 59.2 , 3. Matth. 23.13 , 15. Luke 11.52 . Iohn 11.48 . and 12 , 10 , 11. and 15.19 . Act. 26.11 . 1 Pet 4.4 . Revel . 12.17 . and 13 , 15. But they are all so prolix , and yet so unmeete to be abbreviated , that if I should handle them , and make of all but one Volume , they would so swel the heape , that not a few would bee deprived of the whole . Hee will buy a Manuall , or Enchiridion , that will not buy , a Commentary : and hee will read a Curranto , that will not reade a Chronicle History . Yea , it may happen to meet with Patients so desperate : that although they acknowledge it is of absolute necessity for them to be informed touching these things , yet having Queasie stomacks ; if they see their Potion bigge , aswell as bitter : will resolve to suffer , yea , to dye rather than take it . That will bee swallowed by morsells , and easily disgested : which being taken all at once , will not only cloy , but surfeit . Wherefore I have devided the whole into parts ; of which five are already published Viz. The Cure of Misprision Compleat Armory against evill society Characters of the kinds of Preaching . Sin Stigmatized . The Victory of Patience . FINIS . Imprimatur , John Downeham . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A67743-e10 * of Gen. 3.15 . Notes for div A67743-e340 what chiefly concerns our selves , we apply to others . and this makes all meanes to prove ineffectuall . Sufficient hath beene spoken to convince the most malitious . The reason why so few are converted . Al scoffers as bad as Cain , Ishmael , &c. No expecting a voice from heaven , as Saul had . and yet if so , it would not p●evail with them The worst think well of themselves . The most prophane can apply the promises which belong not to th●m . hard to say whether their applying the promises , or not applying the precepts and threats most occasions their impenitency . Salvation not more promised to the penitent , then damnation threatned to the impenitent . If we will not heare Christ now , he will not heare us hereafter . Christ came not to be a patron for sin but to sanctifie as well as to save us . If Christians we wil imitate Christ , if Gods servants , we will obey him . But scoffers are Satans servants . The great evill that scoffers do Satan the god , king , and father of all unbelievers . Satan speakes in and by scoffers but they know it not . Of which many examples . 1 Tim. 6. ●4 , Five main reasons why they fight under Sathans banner , and yet thinke themselves Gods servants . 1 Their ignorance of spirituall things . 2 the commonnesse of this sin hath taken away the sense of it . This counted no sin and yet worse then all his fellows 3 They reject all meanes of being bettered ▪ 4 Because they will not imbrace the truth they are given up to beleeve lyes . 5 The Prince of darkenesse blindes them . Satan prevailes most by desception of our reason . We mistake good for evill and evill for good . Sathan desires no more then to beheard speake . He will put a faire coulour upon the foulest sin and make the best action odious . He hath perswaded millions that they doe wel in persecuting the saitus . If Sathan shewed the hooke as well as the b●ite his Kingdom would not be so populous . Sathan more servants here then God. Few compared with the multitude shall be saved . The difficulty of entring the strait gate . 1 Pet. 4.18 . Yet most live as if they had no soules . The foolish ingratitude of ungodly men . Want of application on the cause of al impiety . All performances abominable except they proceed from right ends and a heart sanctified Tryall of a Christian by the fruites of his faith . Morrall men count zeal madnesse , and Religion foolishnes They so hate holinesse that they will hate men for it . They persecute us out of zeal Which is the case of not a few . All hated for religion , or haters of reigion . They have so hardened their hearts that we were as good admonish a stone . The reason why al are not beaten off by their s●offes . How to have our ●udgments cleared and our prejudice cured . Occasion of writing upon this subject . All ineffectual except God give a blessing Notes for div A67743-e19130 The religious hated , and spoken against of all , and every where . A secret enmity & antipathy betweene the wicked and Godly . Millions beaten off , from being religious : by the scoffs , & reproaches of wicked men . The mise●●ble ●ondition of cowardly Christians A remarkable example . The contempt of Religion makes many resolve against goodness . They will make an evill construction of what soever we do , or speak . No reclayming such , as are forestaled with preiudice . Meanes to cleare our Iudgments touching the worlds hatred . Religion most opposed , by formall professors . Christ & his crosse inseparable . All the saints have been hated and persecuted . Meanes to confirme comfort , & strengthen us against the worlds hatred . Their malice a good signe we belong to God. The originall of the worlds hatred . Gen. 3 15 opened & explained . An enmity proclaimed , and what it is . The Author proclaiming . The Captaines and Souldiers between whom , All wicked men are the Serpents seed . What is meant by the Woeman and her seed . Severall uses of instruction . 1. Vse . 2 Use 3 Use The certainty of this War. Lessons of Instruction from hence . 1 Lesson . 2 Lesson . 3 Lesson 4 Lesson Originall sin the orig●nall of this dis●cord . The end why ●hreefo●d , God the Author without being the Author of sin . 1. Reason . 2 Reason . The same further cleared . The distinction of adversi●ties . The time when this warr was proclaimed . 2. The time that it is to continue . 3. The time more strictly in regard of the subiect and obiect . A Vse of comfort . The manner of their venting this enmity The circumstance of place three-forld . What will be the issue & who shall get the Victory . What is meant by brusing the head . What by bruising the Heele . This text an epitomy of the whole Bible . Order and distribution of the whole booke . The continuance of it in all Ages . 1 It was before the Flood . 2 After the Flood before the Law. 3 After the Law before Christ. 4 In the time of Christ and his Apostles . What a multitude have suffered for professing Christ. 5. After the Apostles in the time of the tenne Persecutions . 6 From the primitive times hitherto . Formall Christians the greatest persecutors of true Christians . 7 In the times wherein we live . A holy life cannot escape persecution . This enmity makes them forget all ●●turall affection . 8 It will continue so long as time continues . Application of the point . Twenty two signes or properties of this enmity . 1 They envy the Godly . Envy the Devills cogni●ance as love is Christs . 2 They contemne them which is not for 〈◊〉 of ignorance 3 they reioyce at our supposed evill estate . But most if they see us sin . 4 They hate the godly . Their hatred extends to the whole generation of the Godly . But they have not so much authority as malice . Though their punishment shall be never the lesse . 5 They murmure against the godly and God himselfe . For being better then them selves . They have a great advantage of the godly . Their miserable condition . 6 They sensure our actions and mis-consture our inteutions Preiudice blindes them . They traduce whō they cannot seduce They condemne others , that thems●lves may be justified . They iudge others by themselves 7 They carry tales of us to the Rulers . Charge us with many things but proove nothing They passe over our good partes They will coyne matter to accuse us . How to heare the tale-bearer . No musick so sweet as to heare well of themselves ill of the religious . The tale-bearers end . 3 They give divelish councel against us . They dazell mens eyes with false accutions . Their matchlesse malice in slandering us . The Prelates more ready to yeeld their ayd then the rude rabble to aske it . 9. They flout and scoffe at the godly . They so hate righteousnesse , that they hate men for it . They think us mad , we know them to be mad . They are zealous against all that are zealous . They scoff at us , God laughes at them . Their punishments . No greater Argument of a foule soule 10. They use to nick-name the godly . It is the Devill that speakes in and by them . Nothig hath proved more successfull to Satan , then lies . Wicked men think to grace themselves by disgracing the godly . 11 They revile and raile on the godly . Because the Law bindes their hands they smit with their tongues . They speak evill of us because they cannot do evil to us . How fitly they are termed dogs . Their words are to bee ●lighted . Foule m●uthed men and women are devills in the Scripture phrase . Satans heart in their lips . 12. They raise slanders of the godly . Evill reports both make and increase iealousies , and disable us from discerning the truth . Slanderers Satans best servants Great wits not apter to raise slanders then othes to beleeve them . A slander once raised never dyes . At least it leaves a scar of suspition behinde . Wise men will examine before they beleeve . Their policy in slandering us . The theef most forward to cry stop theefe . 13. They will curse the godly . Wicked men lye when they speake the truth . As they belong to hell , so th●y speak the language . They that curse us would kill us if they durst . They curse those that least of all deserve it . They curse us that they may discourage us . Though they curse , yet God will blesse . How miserably cursers shall be cursed . 14. They use to threaten the godly . No living for the godly if their enemies hands were alowed to be as bloody as their hearts Well for the innocent that the wicked cannot keep their own councell . They are forced to give us warning that wee may prevent them . 15. They will undermine us in talke that they may betray us . Their cunning in this case . And dissimulation They have borrowed this craft from Satan who sets them on worke . B●ware we trust them not . 16 They manifest their enmitie against the religious by their gestu●e . As the tongue speaketh to the ear , so the gesture speaketh to the eye . 17 They will withstand and contrary the truth by us delivered . They will cavill against the very word and oppose the messengers . They fly the light . A powerfull Minister most opposed . Strong braines too wise to be saved . An humble man will never be an here●ique . Nor will they be appeased . They will hate us because they have hurt us . They neither hear him themselves nor suffer others . They adde to their own reputation by det●acting from others . 18 They combine together , and lay devilish plots to destroy the godly . The manner of their consultations . They will easily finde occasion . For our serving of God shall be sufficient . Or saving of soules . They com not to be caught by a Minister but to catch him . But are taken in the snare they spread for others . 19 They are proane to imprison the godly . Not for any crime . But to prevent further dispute . And other the like reasons . 20 Their usuall way of confuting is with fists . Their Arguments are all steel and iron . 21 They will hurt & maime the godly Their malice makes them like beasts or ●●ocks 22 usuall with them to murther the Saints . Instead of arguments they take up armes . They are savage and bloody . Of which five reasons . 1 Reaso● . 2 Reason . 3 Reason . 4 Reason . 5 Reason . Our Saviour suffered two & twenty wayes of ungodly men . 4 Mental Properties 11 verball Properties . 7 Actuall Properties . It was for his zaale purity and holinesse . Severall uses of their enmity . 1 Use. 2 Use. To informe us whether we be children of the devill or members of Christ. Comfort for such as suffer . 3 Use. Let non look to fare better than Christ. 11 Cause● . 1 The contrariety of their natures . All true beleevers ▪ the children of God. All natural men children of the Devill . Impossible the good and bad should agree . Naturall men can agree with any so they be not Religious . Yea differ they in other thngs they will joyne against the Godly . Many Wives , Children and Servants hated for being religious . Hatred fo● religion , the most bitter and implacable agreement in some points does but advance hatred the more . We cannot anger them worse then to doe wel Wherein this contrariety consists . They differ in their judgements . 1 Touching Wisdome . 2 Touching happinesse . 3 touching fortitude . 4 touching sin . 5 touching holinesse . Secondly ▪ they differ in their passions & affections . Thirdly , they differ in their practice . Wicked men persecute the godly for being better then they . Of which many examples . The same applyed . Where Christ comes ther will be opposition . Nothing more contemned then goodnesse . Would we accompany them in evill , their malice would cease . We may appeale to them●elves who are the honester men . They think not as they speak . They asperse us out of policy . To tax all for the faults of a few , is only the art of a fool . Most m●n fooles and beasts . The Character of a malicious scoffer . How strangely wicked men gull themselves Some of the● excuses . Singularity our great and grevious crime . To obey God rather than men great disorders Common protestants can be of any religion . Yet none think better of them selves . How Satan playes the S●phister . Discresion eates up devotion . Goodmen may differ in many things ; yet agree in the main , A vast difference between another discipline , and another Doctrine . That indifferent to one , that is not so to another , ●o be scrupulous 〈◊〉 ill signe . In cases of a doubtfull nature , we should take the surest side . they woul●●●our us ou● of our faith And effect the same did not God support us , To be a Christian requires fortitude . Good men will hold their profession though they lose their lives . If we cannot concoct evill words , we would nev●r endure blowes . To be scoft out of our goodnesse how rediculous The most will doe as he most to , Satan gets more by subtilty than by violence . Some will better abide a stake than others a mock . Tongue-taunts in G●ds account is per●ecution . None but the desperately wicked wil malice an other for goodnesse . 4 They are wroth with us becu●se we fare better then they Of which many examples . The good mans honour , the envious mans torment . Application first to unhollowed Ministers . They cry up practise to cry down preaching This sore will not endure rubbing . Application thereof to the rabble . A second cause is ignorance Proved 1. by testimonies . 2 By examples . Wicked beholding to the godly for their lives . Malignants as witlesse as wicked . 3 By experience . The more ignorant the more malicious . They allwaies make the worst construction of things ignorance causeth su●pition su●pition hatred , &c. Ob. That great scholers and wisemen doe the same , answered . Their actions prove them ignorant . The first part of conversion is to love them that love God. Many that have a depth of knowledge are not soule-wise . Examples of many wise in the worlds esteem , but fools in Gods account . With God the greatest sinner is the greatest fool , and he most wise , that is most religious . God regards not braine knowledge , except it seize on the heart also . Rightly a man knows no more then hee practiseth . Saving knowledge described . That the meanest beleever knows more then the profoundest naturian . In what sense the word ca● worldly men wisemen . What knowledg ! is peculiar to the godly , and what common to them with Hipocrits . Naturall men want both the light of the spirit , and the eye of faith . No attaining supernatuaral kuowledg by any natural means . Saving knowledg given to none but good men . Of which many instances . Divine assistance in time of tryall . The same further amplified . They that would have this talent must resolve to improve it The way to obtaine true wisdome . Instruction from the premises . 1. For all naturall men . 2 For such as speake evill of the way of truth , When they doe worst they think they doe well . 3 For Gods people . A fourth Use. A fifth use . A sixt use . A seventh use . The third cause is unbeleefe . Prov●d , 1 By testimonys . 2. By examples . Men think they beleeve , but doe not . Evidences of mens unbeleife . The woful reward of Persecutors . Why Persecutors are not punished here But they blesse themselves and think to speed as well as others . Did men beleeve the word they durst not live as they doe . Natural men feare visible powers but not the invisible God. None so confirmed in Atheisme but feare in time of danger . At least on their death beds they con●esse a God. Vengance makes wi●e whom sin makes foolish . Atheists on earth but none in hell . To consider before it prove too late . The most grounded Atheisme h●th a m●xture o● bele●fe . Atheists would give all they have to be sure there were no hell . They doe and yet do not beleive a God , &c. Their convicted consciences shal but witnesse against their unbeleefe . Men may doubt , but the devils beleeve a judgement to come . Fire and b●imstone shall confute all Athe●sts . They that beleeve not the threa●s can yet pre●ume upon Gods mercy . The devill and sin do infatuate and besot the wicked . A carnall heart is flint to God , wax to the Devil . Carnall men believe the promises but not the precepts nor threats Hard for men to believe their own unbeliefe . Wicked men either presume or despaire . Notes of triall touching beliefe and unbeliefe . H●w men may examine themselves Men would never do as they do if they thought they shold be called to an account . Most men beleive not an hell proved undeniably . Did men beleeve what God hath already inflicted on the Angels old World Sodom &c. they would not live as they doe . Admonition to bew●r before it proves too late . Fruits of Atheisme wherewith the land abounds . If a tithe of us are Christians then there are milions of Christians in hell . How far we come short of Primative Christians Most men can be of any religion which proves they are truly of none . How Gods goodnesse aggravates our wickednesse . Mens eyes will be opened on their death-beds or in hell . Good councell for Scoffers . eight other causes of hatred and persecution . 1 Speaking of truth . 2 misprision 3 Example of the multitude . 4 seperation . 5 The preaching of some Ministers . 6 The scandalous lives of some professors , 7 Flocking after sermons . That they may have more company here in sin , and hereafter in torment Conclusion . 
A26977	----	Of the imputation of Christ's righteousness to believers in what sence [sic] sound Protestants hold it and of the false divised sence by which libertines subvert the Gospel : with an answer to some common objections, especially of Dr. Thomas Tully whose Justif. Paulina occasioneth the publication of this / by Richard Baxter a compassionate lamenter of the Church's wounds caused by hasty judging ... and by the theological wars which are hereby raised and managed ... Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. 1675 Approx. 575 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 160 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A26977 Wing B1332 ESTC R28361 10547747 ocm 10547747 45239 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A26977) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 45239) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1395:28) Of the imputation of Christ's righteousness to believers in what sence [sic] sound Protestants hold it and of the false divised sence by which libertines subvert the Gospel : with an answer to some common objections, especially of Dr. Thomas Tully whose Justif. Paulina occasioneth the publication of this / by Richard Baxter a compassionate lamenter of the Church's wounds caused by hasty judging ... and by the theological wars which are hereby raised and managed ... Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. [16], 198 [i.e. 193], 94, [2], 73-79 p. Printed for Nevil Simmons and Jonathan Robinson, London : 1675. In 3 parts. Each part has separate t.p. and paging : An answer to Dr. Tullies angry letter / by Rich. Baxter. London : Printed for Nevil Simmons and Jonath. Robinson, 1675 (p. 1-94)--A postscript about Mr. Danver's last book (p. 73-79). Reproduction of original in the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign Campus). Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Justification. Salvation. 2005-07 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-10 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-05 Ali Jakobson Sampled and proofread 2006-05 Ali Jakobson Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion OF THE IMPUTATION OF Christ's Righteousness TO BELIEVERS : In what sence sound Protestants hold it ; And , Of the false devised sence , by which Libertines subvert the Gospel . With an Answer to some common Objections , especially of Dr. Thomas Tully , whose Justif . Paulina occasioneth the publication of this . By RICHARD BAXTER ; A compassionate Lamenter of the Churches wounds , caused by hasty judging and undigested conc●ptions , and by the Theological Wars which are hereby raised and managed ; by perswading the World that meer verbal or notional Differences are material , and such as our Faith , Love , Concord and Communion must be measured by , for want of an exact discussion of the ambiguity of words . London , Printed for Nevil Simons and Jonathan Robinson ▪ at the Kings-Arms and Golden-Lion in St. Pauls Church-yard , 1675. The Preface . Reader , IF thou blame me for writing again , on a Subject which I have written on so oft , and so lately ( specially in my Life of Faith , and Disputations of Justification ) I shall not blame thee for so doing ; but I shall excuse my self by telling thee my reasons . 1. The occasion is many loud accusations of my self , of which I have before given an account . I publish it , because I see the Contention still so hot in the Church of Christ , and mens Charity destroyed against each other ; one side calling the other Socinians , and the other Libertines , ( who are neither of them Christians ) and if I mistake not , for the most part in the dark about one Phrase , and that of mens devising , rather than about the sence : But if indeed it be the sence that they differ about , it 's time to do our best to rectifie such Fundamental Errours . I find that all of us agree ▪ in all the Phrases of Scripture . And a Mans Sence is no way known but by his expressions : The question is then , Which is the necessary Phrase which we must express our sence by ? We all say that to Believers , Christ is made our Righteousness ; We are made the Righteousness of God in him ; He hath ransomed , redeemed us , as a Sacrifice for our sins , a price ; He hath merited and obtained eternal Redemption for us , that Sin is remitted , covered , not imputed ; that Righteousness is Reckoned or Imputed to us ; that Faith is Imputed to us for Righteousness , and any thing else that is in the Scripture . But all this will not serve to make us Christians ! What is wanting ? Why , we must say that Christs Righteousness is Imputed to us as ours , and that Christ satisfied for our sins ! Well ; The thing signified seemeth to us true and good and needful , ( though the Scripture hath as good words for it as any of us can invent . ) We consent therefore to use these Phrases , so be it you put no false and wicked sence on them by other words of your own : Though we will not allow them to be necessary , because not in Scripture ; ( And we are more against adding new Fundamental Articles of Faith to the Scripture , than against adding new Orders , Forms or Ceremonies ) . But yet it will not serve : what is yet wanting ? why , we must hold these words in a right sense ! What ? yet are not your own devised words a sufficient expression of the matter ! When we have opened those words by other words , how will you know that we use those other words in a right sence , and so in infinitum . Our sence is , that Righteousness is Imputed to us , that is , we are accounted Righteous , because for the Merits of Christs total fulfilling the Conditions of his Mediatorial Covenant with the Father , by his Habitual Holiness , his Actual Perfect Obedience , and his Sacrifice , or satisfactory Suffering for our sins in our stead , freely without any merit or Conditional act of mans , God hath made an Act of Oblivion and Deed of Gift , pardoning all sin , justifying and adopting and giving Right to the Spirit and Life eternally to every one that believingly accepteth Christ and the Gifts with and by and from him . And when we accept them ▪ they are all ours by virtue of this purchased Covenant-Gift . This is our short and plain explication . But yet this will not serve : Christianity is yet another thing . What is wanting ? Why , we must say , that Christ was habitually and actually perfectly Holy and Obedient , Imputatively in our particular Persons , and that each one of us did perfectly fulfil that Law which requireth perfect Habits and Acts in and by Christ imputatively , and yet did also in and by him suffer our selves Imputatively for not fulfilling it , and Imputatively did our selves both satisfy God's Justice and merit Heaven ; and that we have our selves Imputatively a Righteousness of perfect Holiness and Obedience as sinless , and must be justified by the Law of Innocency , or Works , as having our selves imputatively fulfilled it in Christ ; And that this is our sole Righteousness ; and that Faith it self is not imputed to us for Righteousness ; no not a meer particular subordinate Righteousness , answering the Conditional part of the new Justifying Covenant , as necessary to our participation of Christ , and his freely given Righteousness . And must all this go into our Christianity ! But where is it written ? who devised it ? was it in the ancient Creeds and Baptism ? Or known in the Church for five thousand years from the Creation ? I profess I take the Pope to be no more to be blamed for making a new Church-Government ▪ than for making us so many new Articles of Faith : And I will not justifie those that Symbolize with him , or imitate him in either . But yet many of the men that do this , are good men in other respects : and I love their zeal that doth all this evil , as it is for God and the honour of Jesus Christ , though I love it not as blind , nor their Errour or their Evil. But how hard is it to know what Spirit we are of ! But it is the doleful mischief which their blind zeal doth , that maketh me speak ; That three or four of them have made it their practice to backbite my self , and tell People , He holdeth dangerous opinions ; He is erroneous in the point of Justification . And his Books are unsound and have dangerous Doctrines ; He leaveth the old way of Justification , he favoureth Socinianism , and such-like : this is a small matter comparatively . Back-biting and false reports , are the ordinary fruits of bitter contentious Zeal , and the Spirit of a Sect as such doth usually so work ( yea to confusion and every evil work , ) when it hath banished the Zeal of Love and of Good Works . Jam. 3.14 , 15 , 16. Tit. 2.14 . And I never counted it any great loss to their followers , that they disswade them from the reading of my writings ( as the Papists do their Proselytes ) as long as God hath blest our Land with so many better . But there are other effects that command me once again to speak to them . 1. One is , that I have good proof of the lamentable Scandal of some very hopeful Persons of quality , who by hearing such language from these men , have bin ready to turn away from Religion , and say , If they thus set against and condemn one another , away with them all . 2. Because divers great Volumes and other sad Evidence tells me that by their invented sence of Imputation , they have tempted many Learned men to deny Imputation of Christ's Righteousness absolutely , and bitterly revile it as a most Libertine Irreligious Doctrine . 3. But above all , that they do so exceedingly confirm the Papists . I must profess that besides carnal Interest and the snare of ill Education , I do not think that there is any thing in the World that maketh or hardneth and confirmeth Papists more , and hindreth their reception of the Truth , than these same well-meaning people that are most zealous against them , by two means : 1. One by Divisions and unruliness in Church-respects , by which they perswade men , especially Rulers , that without such a Center as the Papacy , there will be no Union , and without such Violence as theirs , there will be no Rule and Order . Thus one extreme doth breed and feed another . 2. The other is by this unsound sence of the Doctrine of Imputation of Christs Righteousness , ( with an unsound Description of Faith ) saying that every man is to believe it as Gods word ( or fide divinâ ) that his own sins are pardoned ; which when the Papists read ( that , these men make it one of the chief Points of our difference from Rome , ) doth occasion them to triumph and reproach us , and confidently dissent from us in all the rest . I find in my self that my full certainty that they err in Transubstantiation and some other points , doth greatly resolve me to neglect them at least , or suspect them in the rest which seem more dubious . And when the Papists find men most grosly erring in the very point where they lay the main stress of the difference , who can expect otherwise , but that this should make them despise and cast away our Books , and take us as men self-condemned and already vanquished , and dispute with us with the prejudice as we do with an Arrian or Socinian ? They themselves that cast away our Books because they dissent from us , may feel in themselves what the Papists are like to do on this temptation . 4. And it is not to be disregarded , that many private persons not studied in these points , are led away by the Authority of these men ( for more than Papists believe as the Church believeth ) to speak evil of the Truth , and sinfully to Backbite and Slander those Teachers , whom they hear others slander : and to speak evil of the things which they know not . And to see Gods own Servants seduced into Disaffection and abuse and false Speeches against those Ministers that do most clearly tell them the truth , is a thing not silently to be cherished by any that are valuers of Love and Concord among Christians , and of the Truth and their Brethrens Souls , and that are displeased with that which the Devil is most pleased and God displeased with . These are my Reasons , submitted to every Readers Censure ; which may be as various as their Capacities , Interests or Prejudices . My Arguments in the third Chapter I have but briefly and hastily mentioned , as dealing with the lovers of naked Truth , who will not refuse it when they see it in its self-evidence . But they that desire larger proof , may find enough in Mr. Gataker and Mr. Wotton de Reconcil . and in John Goodwin of Justification , ( If they can read him without prejudice ) . From whom yet I differ in the Meritorious Cause of our Justification , and take in the habitual and actual Holiness of Christ as well as his Sufferings , and equal in Merits ; and think that pardon it self is merited by his Obedience as well as by his Satisfaction : To say nothing of some of his too harsh expressions , about the Imputation of Faith , and non-imputation of Christs Obedience , which yet in some explications he mollifyeth , and sheweth that his sence is the same with theirs that place all our Righteousness in remission of Sin ; such as ( besides those after-mentioned ) are Musculus , Chamier , and abundance more : And when one saith that Faith is taken properly , and another that it is taken Relatively in Imputation , they seem to mean the same thing : For Faith properly taken is essentiated by its Object ; And what Christ's Office is , and what Faith's Office is , I find almost all Protestants are agreed in sence , while they differ in the manner of expression , except there be a real difference in this point of simple Personating us in his perfect Holiness , and making the Person of a Mediator to contain essentially in sensu Civili the very Person of every elect sinner , and every such one to have verily been and done , in sensu civili , what Christ was and did . I much marvel to find that with most the Imputation of Satisfaction is said to be for Remission of the penalty , and Imputation of perfect Holiness for the obtaining of the Reward Eternal Life ; and yet that the far greater part of them that go that way say , that Imputation of all Christs Righteousness goeth first as the Cause , and Remission of Sin followeth as the Effect : So even Mr. Roborough pag. 55. and others . Which seemeth to me to have this Sence , as if God said to a Believer , [ I do repute thee to have perfectly fulfilled the Law in Christ , and so to be no sinner , and therefore forgive thee all thy sin . ] In our sence it is true and runs but thus [ I do repute Christ to have been perfectly just habitually and actually in the Person of a Mediator in the Nature of Man , and to have suffered as if he had been a sinner , in the Person of a Sponsor , by his own Consent , and that in the very place , and stead of sinners ; and by this to have satisfyed my Justice , and by both to have merited free Justification and Life , to be given by the new Covenant to all Believers : And thou being a Believer , I do repute thee justified and adopted by this satisfactory and meritorious Righteousness of Christ , and by this free Covenant-Gift , as verily and surely as if thou hadst done it and suffered thy self . For my own part I find by experience , that almost all Christians that I talk with of it , have just this very notion of our Justification which I have expressed , till some particular Disputer by way of Controversie hath thrust the other notion into their mind . And for peace-sake I will say again , what I have elsewhere said , that I cannot think but that almost all Protestants agree in the substance of this point of Justification ( though some having not Acuteness enough to form their Notions of it rightly , nor Humility enough to suspect their Understandings , wrangle about Words , supposing it to be about the Matter ) ; Because I find that all are agreed , 1. That no Elect Person is Justified or Righteous by Imputation while he is an Infidel or Ungodly ( except three or four that speak confusedly , and support the Antinomians ) 2. That God doth not repute us to have done what Christ did in our individual natural Person 's Physically : The Controversie is about a Civil personating . 3. That God judgeth not falsly . 4. That Christ was not our Delegate and Instrument sent by us to do this in our stead , as a man payeth his debt by a Servant whom he sendeth with the money . 5. That therefore Christs Righteousness is not Imputed to us , as if we had done it by him as our Instrument . 6. That all the fruits of Christs Merits and Satisfaction are not ours upon our first believing ( much less before ) . But we receive them by degrees : we have new pardon daily of new ▪ sins : We bear castigatory punishments , even Death and Denials , or loss of the greater assistance of the Spirit : Our Grace is all imperfect , &c. 7. That we are under a Law ( and not left ungoverned and lawless ) and that Christ is our King and Judge : And this Law is the Law or Covenant of Grace , containing , besides the Precepts of perfect Obedience to the Law natural and superadded , a Gift of Christ with Pardon and Life ; but only on Condition that we thankfully and believingly accept the Gift ; And threatning non-liberation , and a far sorer punishment , to all that unbelievingly and unthankfully reject it . 8. That therefore this Testament or Covenant-Gift is God's Instrument , by which he giveth us our Right to Christ and Pardon and Life : And no man hath such Right but by this Testament-Gift . 9. That this , ( called a Testament , Covenant , Promise , and Law in several respects ) doth , besides the Conditions of our first Right , impose on us Continuance in the Faith , with sincere Holiness , as the necessary Condition of our continued Justification , and our actual Glorification . And that Heaven is the Reward of this keeping of the new Covenant , as to the order of Gods Collation , though as to the value of the Benefit , it is a Free Gift , purchased , merited and given by Christ . 10. That we shall all be judged by this Law of Christ . 11. That we shall all be judged according to our deeds ; and those that have done good ( not according to the Law of Innocency or Works , but according to the Law of Grace ) shall go into everlasting life , and those that have done evil ( not by meer sin as sin against the Law of Innocency ) but by not keeping the Conditions of the Law of Grace , shall go into everlasting punishment . The sober reading of these following texts may end all our Controversie with men that dare not grosly make void the Word of God. Rev. 20.12 , 13.22.12 . & 2.23 . ) 12. That to be Justified at the day of Judgment , is , to be adjudged to Life Eternal , and not condemned to Hell. And therefore to be the cause or condition that we are Judged to Glory , and the Cause or Condition that we are Justified then , will be all one . 13. That to be Judged according to our deeds , is to be Justified or Condemned according to them . 14. That the great tryal of that day ( as I have after said ) will not be , whether Christ hath done his part , but whether we have part in him , and so whether we have believed , and performed the Condition of that Covenant which giveth Christ and Life . 15. That the whole scope of Christ's Sermons , and all the Gospel , calleth us from sin , on the motive of avoiding Hell , ( after we are reputed Righteous ) and calleth us to Holiness , Perseverance and overcoming , on the motive of laying up a good Foundation , and having a Treasure in Heaven , and getting the Crown of Righteousness . 16. That the after-sins of men imputed Righteous deserve Hell , or at least temporal punishments , and abatements of Grace and Glory . 17. That after such sins , especially hainous , we must pray for Pardon , and repent that we may be pardoned , ( and not say I fulfilled the Law in Christ as from my birth to my death , and therefore have no more need of Pardon . ) 18. That he that saith he hath no sin , deceiveth himself , and is a lyar . 19. That Magistrates must punish sin as God ▪ s Officers ; and Pastors by Censure in Christs name ; and Parents also in their Children . 20. That if Christs Holiness and perfect Obedience , and Satisfaction and Merit , had bin Ours in Right and Imputation , as simply and absolutely and fully as it was his own , we could have no Guilt , no need of Pardon , no suspension or detention of the proper fruits of it , no punishment for sin , ( specially not so great as the with-holding of degrees of Grace and Glory ) ; And many of the consequents aforesaid could not have followed . All this I think we are all agreed on ; and none of it can with any face be denied by a Christian . And if so ; 1. Then whether Christs perfect Holiness and Obedience , and Sufferings , Merit and Satisfaction , be all given us , and imputed unto us at our first believing as Our own in the very thing it self , by a full and proper Title to the thing : Or only so imputed to us , as to be judged a just cause of giving us all the effects in the degrees and time forementioned as God pleaseth , let all judge as evidence shall convince them . 2. And then , whether they do well that thrust their devised sence on the Churches as an Article of Faith , let the more impartial judge . I conclude with this confession to the Reader , that though the matter of these Papers hath been thought on these thirty years , yet the Script is hasty , and defective in order and fulness ; I could not have leisure so much as to affix in the margin all the texts which say what I assert : And several things , especially the state of the Case , are oft repeated . But that is , lest once reading suffice not to make them observed and understood ; which if many times will do , I have my end . If any say , that I should take time to do things more accurately , I tell him that I know my straights of time , and quantity of business better than he doth ; and I will rather be defective in the mode of one work , than leave undone the substance of another as great . July , 20. 1672. Richard Baxter . The Contents . CHap. 1. The History of the Controversie ▪ In the Apostles days : In the following Ages . Augustine and his followers Opinion . The Schoolmen . Luther : Islebius : The Lutherans : Andr. Osiander : The latter German Divines who were against the Imputation of Christ's Active Righteousness : Our English Divines : Davenant's sense of Imputation . Wotton . de Reconcil . Bradshaw , Gataker , Dr. Crisp , Jo. Simpson , Randal , Towne , &c. And the Army - Antinomians checkt by the rising of Arminianism there against it . Jo. Goodwin , Mr. Walker , and Mr. Roborough ; Mr. Ant. Burges ; My Own endeavours ; Mr. Cranden , Mr. Eyres , &c. Mr. Woodbridge , Mr. Tho. Warren , Mr. Hotchkis , Mr. Hopkins , Mr. Gibbon , Mr. Warton , Mr. Grailes , Mr. Jessop : What I then asserted : Corn. a Lapide , Vasquez , Suarez , Grotius de Satisf . Of the Savoy Declaration ; Of the Faith of the Congregational-Divines : Their saying that Christs Active and Passive Obedience is imputed for our sole Righteousness , confuted by Scripture . Gataker , Usher , and Vines read and approved my Confession of Faith. Placeus his Writings and trouble about the Imputation of Adam's Sin. Dr. Gell , Mr. Thorndike , &c. vehemently accusing the doctrine of Imputed Righteousness . The Consent of all Christians , especially Protestants , about the sense of Imputed Righteousness 1. The form of Baptism . 2. The Apostles Creed . 3. The Nicene and Constantinopolitan Creed . 4. Athanasius's Creed . 5. The Fathers sense : Laurentius his Collections : Damasus his Creed . 6. The Augustan Confession . 7. The English Articles , Homilies and Confession . 8. The Saxon Confession . 9. The Wittenberg Confession . 10. The Bohemian Confession . 11. The Palatinate Confession . 12. The Polonian Confessions . 13. The Helvetian Confession . 14. The Basil Confession . 15. The Argentine Confession of the four Cities . 16. The Synod of Dort , and the Belgick Confession . 17. The Scottish Confession . 18. The French Confession . Whether Imputation of Passion and Satisfaction , or of meritorious Perfection go first : How Christ's Righteousness is called the formal Cause , &c. That it is confessed that Christ's Righteousness is imputed to us , as our sin was to him . Molinaeus : Maresius , Vasseur , Bellarmine is constrained to agree with us . A recommendation of some brief , most clear , and sufficient Treatises on this subject ; viz. 1. Mr. Bradshaw ; 2. Mr. Gibbon's Sermon ; 3. Mr. Truman's Great Propitiation . 4. Placeus his Disput . in Thes . Salmur . 5. Le Blank 's Theses : And those that will read larger , Mr. Watton , John Goodwin , and Dr. Stillingfleet . Chap. 2. The opening of the Case , by some Distinctions , and many Propositions : Joh. Crocius Concessions premised : Mr. Lawson's Judgment . Chap. 3. A further Explication of the Controversie . Chap. 4. My Reasons against the denied sense of Imputation and personating . The denied sense repeated plainly . Forty three Reasons briefly named . Chap. 5. Some Objections answered . Chap. 6 , 7 , 8. Replies to Dr. Tully ; and a Defence of the Concord of Protestants against his Military Alarm , and false pretence of greater discord than there is . Of the Imputation of Christs Righteousness ( Material or Formal ) to Believers : Whether we are Reputed personally to have suffered on the Cross , and to have satisfied God's Justice for our own sins , and to have been habitually perfectly Holy , and Actually perfectly Obedient , in Christ , or by Christ , and so to have merited our own Justification and Salvation . And whether Christ's Righteousness Habitual Active and Passive , be strictly made our own Righteousness , in the very thing it self simply Imputed to us , or only be made ours in the effects , and Righteousness Imputed to us when we believe , because Christ hath satisfied and fulfilled the Law , and thereby merited it for us . The last is affirmed , and the two first Questions denied . I Have said so much of this subject already in my Confession , but especially in my Disputations of Justification , and in my Life of Faith that I thought not to have meddled with it any more ; But some occasions tell me that it is not yet needless , though those that have most need will not read it . But while some of them hold , that nothing which they account a Truth about the Form and Manner of Worship is to be silenced for the Churches peace , they should grant to me that Real Truth so near the Foundation ( in their own account ) is not to be silenced when it tendeth unto Peace . In opening my thoughts on this subject I shall reduce all to these Heads . 1. I shall give the brief History of this Controversie . 2. I shall open the true state of it , and assert what is to be asserted , and deny what is to be denied . 3. I shall give you the Reasons of my Denials . 4. I shall answer some Objections . CHAP. I. The History of the Controversie . § 1. IN the Gospel it self we have first Christ's Doctrine delivered by his own mouth . And in that there is so little said of this Subject that I find few that will pretend thence to resolve the Controversie , for Imputation in the rigorous sence . The same I say of the Acts of the Apostles , and all the rest of the New Testament , except Pauls Epistles . The Apostle Paul , having to do with the Jews , who could not digest the equalizing of the Gentiles with them , and specially with the factious Jewish Christians , who thought the Gentiles must become Proselytes to Moses as well as to Christ , if they would be Justified and Saved , at large confuteth this opinion , and freeth the Consciences of the Gentile Christians from the Imposition of this yoke ( as also did all the Apostles , Act. 15. ) And in his arguing , proveth that the Mosaical Law is so far from being necessary to the Justification of the Gentiles , that Abraham and the Godly Jews themselves were not Justified by it , but by Faith ▪ And that by the works of it ( and consequently not by the works of the Law or Covenant of Innocency , which no man ever kept ) no man could ever be justified : And therefore that they were to look for Justification by Christ alone , and by Faith in him , or by meer Christianity ; which the Gentiles might have as well as the Jews , the Partition-wall being taken down . This briefly is the true scope of Paul in these Controversies . § 2. But in Paul's own days , there were somethings in his Epistles which the unlearned and unstable did wrest , as they did the other Scriptures , to their own destruction , as Peter tells us , 2 Pet. 2. And it seemeth by the Epistle of James , that this was part of it : For he is fain there earnestly to dispute against some , who thought that Faith without Christian works themselves , would justifie , and flatly affirmeth , that we are Justified by Works , and not by Faith only ; that is , as it is a Practical Faith , in which is contained a Consent or Covenant to obey , which first putteth us into a justified state ; so it is that Practical Faith actually working by Love , and the actual performance of our Covenant , which by way of Condition is necessary to our Justification , as Continued and as Consummate by the Sentence of Judgment . Against which sentence of James there is not a syllable to be found in Paul. But all the Scripture agreeth that all men shall be Judged , that is , Justified or Condemned , according to their works . But it is not this Controversie ( between Faith and Works ) which I am now to speak to , having done it enough heretofore . § 3. From the days of the Apostles till Pelagius and Augustine , this Controversie was little meddled with : For the truth is , the Pastors and Doctors took not Christianity in those days for a matter of Shcolastick subtilty , but of plain Faith and Piety . And contented themselves to say that Christ dyed for our sins , and that we are Justified by Faith ; and that Christ was made unto us Righteousness , as he was made to us Wisdom , Sanctification and Redemption . § 4. But withal those three first Ages were so intent upon Holiness of Life , as that they addicted their Doctrine , their Zeal , and their constant endeavours to it : And particularly to great austerities to their Bodies , in great Fastings , and great contemp● of the World , and exercises of Mortification , to kill their fleshly Lusts , and deny their Wills , and Worldly Interests ; to which end at last they got into Wildernesses , and Monasteries , where , in Fasting and Prayer , and a single life , they might live as it were out of the World , while they were in it ; ( Though indeed persecution first drove them thither to save themselves . ) Into these Deserts and Monasteries those went that had most Zeal , but not usually most Knowledg : And they turned much of their Doctrine and discourses about these Austerities , and about the practices of a Godly Life , and about all the Miracles which were ( some really ) done , and ( some feigned ) by credulous soft people said to be done among them . So that in all these ages most of their writings are taken up , 1. In defending Christianity against the Heathens , which was the work of the Learned Doctors . 2. And in confuting swarms of Heresies that sprung up . 3. And in matters of Church-order , and Ecclesiastical and Monastical discipline . 4. And in the precepts of a Godly Life : But the point of Imputation was not only not meddled with distinctly , but almost all the Writers of those times , seem to give very much to Mans free-will , and to works of Holiness , and sufferings , making too rare and obscure mention of the distinct Interests of Christs Merits in our Justification , at least , with any touch upon this Controversie : Yet generally holding Pardon , and Grace and Salvation only by Christs Sacrifice and Merits ; though they spake most of Mans Holiness , when they called men to seek to make sure of Salvation . § 5. And indeed at the day of Judgment , the Question to be decided , will not be , Whether Christ dyed and did his part , but , Whether we believed and obeyed him and did our part : Not , Whether Christ performed his Covenant with the Father ; but , Whether we performed our Covenant with him : For it is not Christ that is to be judged , but we by Christ . § 6. But Pelagius and Augustine disputing about the Power of Nature and Freewill and the Grace of Christ , began to make it a matter of great Ingenuity ( as Erasmus speaketh ) to be a Christian . Pelagius ( a Brittain , of great wit , and continence , and a good and sober life , as Austin saith , Epist . 120. ) stifly defended the Power of Nature and Freewill , and made Grace to consist only in the free Pardon of all sin through Christ , and in the Doctrine and Perswasions only to a holy life for the time to come , with Gods common ordinary help . Augustine copiously ( and justly ) defended God's special eternal Election of some , and his special Grace given them to make them repent and believe , and presevere : ( For though he maintained that some that were true Believers , Lovers of God , Justified and in a state of Salvation , did fall away and perish , yet he held that none of the Elect did fall away and perish ; And he maintained that even the Justified that fell away , had their Faith by a special Grace above nature . ) Vid. August . de bono Persever . Cap. 8. & 9. & de Cor. & Grat. Cap. 8 , & 9. & alibi passim . § 7. In this their Controversie , the point of Justification fell into frequent debate : But no Controversie ever arose between them , Whether Christ's personal Righteousness considered Materially or Formally , was by Imputation made ours as Proprietors of the thing it self , distinct from its effects ; or , Whether God reputed us to have satisfied and also perfectly obeyed in Christ . For Augustine himself , while he vehemently defendeth free Grace , speaketh too little even of the Pardon of sin : And though he say , that Free Pardon of sins is part of Grace , yet he maketh Justification to be that which we call Sanctification , that makes us inherently Righteous or new-Creatures , by the operation of the Holy Ghost : And he thinketh that this is the Justification which Paul pleadeth to be of Grace and not of works ; yet including Pardon of sin , and confessing that sometimes to Justifie , signifieth in Scripture , not to make just , but to judg just . And though in it self this be but de nomine , and not de re ; yet , 1. no doubt but as to many texts of Scripture Austin was mistaken , though some few texts Beza and others confess to be taken in his sence : 2. And the exposition of many texts lieth upon it . But he that took Justification to be by the operation of the Holy Ghost giving us Love to God , could not take it to be by Imputation in the rigorous sence no question ; nor doth de re . § 8. But because , as some that , it seems , never read Augustine , or understood not plain words , have nevertheless ventured confidently to deny what I have said of his Judgment in the points of Perseverance ( in my Tract of Perseverance ) so , it 's like such men will have no more wariness what they say in the point of Justification ; I will cite a few of Augustin's words among many , to show what he took Justification to be , though I differ from him de nomine . Nec quia recti sunt corde , sed etiam ut recti sint corde , pretendit Justitiam suam , quâ justificat impium — Quo motu receditur ab illo fonte vitae , cujus solius haustu justitia bibitur , bona scil . vita . Aug. de Spir. & Lit. Cap. 7. Deus est enim qui operatur in eis & velle & operari , pro bona voluntate . Haec est Justitia Dei , hoc est , quam Deus donat homini quum justificat impium Hanc Dei justitiam ignorantes superbi Judaei , & suam volentes constituere , justitiae Dei non sunt subjecti . — Dei quippe dixit Justitiam , quae homini ex Deo est , suam vero , quam putant sibi suficere ad facienda mandata sine adjutorio & dono ejus qui legem dedit . His antem similes sunt qui cum profiteantur se esse Christianos , ipsi gratiae Christi sic adversantur ut se humanis viribus divina existiment implere mandata . Epist . 120. cap. 21. & 22. & Epist . 200. Et de Spir. & lit . c. 26. Factores justificabuntur : — Non tanquam per opera , nam per Gratiam justificentur : Cum dicat Gratis justificari hominem per fidem sine operibus legis , nihilque aliud velit intelligi , in eo quod dicit Gratu , nisi quia justificationem opera non precedunt : Aperte quippe alibi dicit , si gratiâ , jam non ex operibus : alioquin gratia non est gratia . Sed sic intelligendum est , factores Legis justificabuntur , ut sciamus eos non esse factores legis nisi justificentur ; ut non justificatio factoribus accedat , sed factores legis justificatio precedat : Quid est enim aliud Justificati , quam Justi facti , ab illo scilicet qui justificat Impium , ●t ex impio fiat justus ? — Aut certe ita dictum est , Justificabuntur , ac si diceretur Justi habebuntur , justi deputabuntur . Et ibid. cap. 29. Gentes qua non sectabantur justitiam apprehenderunt justitiam ; Justitiam autem quae ex fide est , impretrando eam ex Deo , non ex seipsis presumendo ; Israel vero persequens legem justitiae , in legem justitiae , non pervenit : Quare ? Quia non ex fide , sed tanquam ex operibus : id est tanquam eam per seipsos operantes ; non in se credentes operari Deum . Deus est enim qui operatur in nobis — Finis enim legis Christus est omni credenti . Et adhuc dubitamus quae sint opera legis , quibus homo non justificatur ; si ea tanquam sua credederit sine adjutorio & dono Dei , quod est ex fide Jesu Christi — Vt possit homo facere bona & Sancta , Deus operatur in homine per fidem Jesu Christi , qui finis ad Justitiam omni credenti : id est , per Spiritum incorporatus factusque membrum ejus , potest quisque illo incrementum intrinsecus dante , operari justitiam . — Justificatio autem ex fide impetratur — In tantum justus , in quantum salvus . Per hanc enim fidem credemus , quod etiam nos Deus a mortuis excitet ; interim Spiritu , ut in novitate ejus gratioe temperanter & juste & pie vivamus in hoc seculo — qui in Resurrectione sibi congrua , hoc est , in Justificatione precedit : — c. 30. Fides impetrat gratiam qua Lex impleatur . — Cap. 28. pag. 315. Ibi Lex Dei , non ex omni parte delata per injustitiam , profecto scribitur , renovata , per gratiam : Nec istam inscriptionem , quae Justificatio est , poterat efficere in Judaeis Lex in tabulis scripta . Ibid. Cap. 9. pag. 307 , 308. Justitia Dei manifestata est : non dixit , Justitia hominis vel justitia propriae voluntatis , sed justitia Dei ; Non qua Deus justus est ; sed qua induit , hominem cum justificat impium . Haec testificatur per Legem & Prophetas . Huic quippe testimonium perhibent Lex & Prophetae . Lex quidem hoc ipso , quod jubendo , & minando , & neminem justificando , satis indicat dono Dei justificari hominem per Adjutorium Spiritus — Justitia autem Dei per fidem Jesu Christi , hoc est , per fidem qua Creditur in Christum : sicut autem ista fides Christi dicta non est , qua Credit Christus , sic & illa Justitia Dei non qua Justus est Deus . Vtrumque enim Nostrum est sed ideo Dei & Christi dicitur quod ejus nobis largitate donatur . — Justitia Dei sine lege est , quam Deus per Spiritum Gratiae Credenti confert sine adjutorio legis . — Justificati gratis per gratiam ipsius : non quod sine voluntate nostra fiat , sed voluntas nostra ostenditur infirma per legem , ut sanet Gratia Voluntatem , & sanata voluntas impleat Legem . — Et cap. 10. Confugiant per fidem ad Justificantem Gratiam , & per donum Spiritus suavitate justitiae delectati , poenam literae minantis evadant . Vid. Ep. 89. q. 2. Et lib. 3. ad Bonifac. c. 7. Et Tract . 3. in Joan. when he saith that , Omnes qui per Christum Justificati justi , non in se , sed in illo ; he expoundeth it of Regeneration by Christ . Et Serm. 15. de verb. Apost . Sine voluntate tua non erit in te Justitia Dei. Voluntas non est nisi tua ; Justitia non est nisi Dei : he expounds it of Holiness . — Traditus est propter delicta nostra , & resurrexit , propter justificationem nostram . Quid est , Propter Justificationem nostram ? Vt justificet nos , & justos faciat nos . Eris opus Dei non solum quia homo es , sed quia Justus es : Qui fecit te sine te , non te justificat sine te : Tamen ipse justificat , ne sit justitia tua . — Dei justitiam dat non litera occidens , sed vivificans Spiritus . — Vid. de Grat. Christi Cap. 13 , 14. Abundance such passages in Augustine fully shew that he took Justification to signifie Sanctification , or the Spirits renovation of us ; and thinks it is called the Righteousness of God and Christ , and not ours , because by the Spirit he worketh it in us . And when he saith that bona opera sequuntur Justificatum , non precedunt Justificandum ( as in sence he often doth ) he meaneth that we are freely sanctified , before we do good . I would cite abundance , but for swelling the writing , and tiring the Reader . And his followers Prosper , and Fulgentius go the same way , as you may easily find in their writings . Johan . Crocius in his copious Treatise of Justification , Disp . 9. p. 442. saith , Augustinum Justificationis nomine utramque partem complecti , id est , tum Remissionem peccatorum quae proprie Justificatio dicitur , tum Sanctificationem — Cum quo nos sentimus quoad rem ipsam , tantum dissidemus in loquendi formâ . § 9. The Schoolmen being led by the Scholastick wit of Augustine , fell into the same phrase of speech and opinions , Lombard making Augustine his Master , and the rest making him theirs , till some began to look more towards the Semipelagian way . § 10. And when Church-Tyranny and Ignorance , had obscured the Christian Light , the true sence of Justification by the Righteousness of Christ , was much obscured with the rest , and a world of humane inventions under the name of Good works , were brought in to take up the peoples minds ; And the merits of man , and of the Virgin Mary , sounded louder than the merits of Christ , in too many places : And the people that were ignorant of the true Justification , were filled with the noise of Pardons , Indulgences , Satisfactions , Penances , Pilgrimages , and such like . § 11. Luther finding the Church in this dangerous and woful state , where he lived , did labour to reduce mens minds and trust , from humane fopperies and merits , and indulgences , to Christ , and to help them to the Knowledg of true Righteousness : But according to his temper in the heat ▪ of his Spirit , he sometimes let fall some words which seemed plainly to make Christs own personal Righteousness in it self to be every Believers own by Imputation , and our sins to be verily Christs own sins in themselves by Imputation : Though by many other words he sheweth that he meant only , that our sins were Christs in the effects and not in themselves , and Christs personal Righteousness ours in the effects and not in it self . § 12. But his Book on the Galatians , and some other words , gave occasion to the errours of some then called Antinomians , and afterward Libertines ( when some additions were made to their errours . ) Of these Islebius Agricola was the chief : Whom Luther confuted and reduced , better expounding his own words : But Islebius ere long turned back to the Contrary extreme of Popery , and with Sidonius and Julius Pflug , ( three Popish Bishops made for that purpose ) promoted the Emperours Interim to the persecution of the Protestants . § 13. The Protestant Reformers themselves spake variously of this subject . Most of them rightly asserted that Christ's Righteousness was ours by the way of Meriting our Righteousness , which was therefore said to be Imputed to us . Some of them follow'd Luthers first words , and said that Christs sufferings and all his personal Righteousness was Imputed to us , so as to be ours in it self , and when judged as if we had personally done what he did , and were righteous with the same Righteousness that he was . § 14. Ambsdorfius , Gallus , and some other hot Lutherans were so jealous of the name of works , that they maintained that good works were not necessary to Salvation . ( Yea as to Salvation some called them hurtful : ) And Georgius Major a Learned sober Divine was numbered by them among the Hereticks , for maintaining that Good works were necessary to Salvation ; as you may see in the perverse writings of Chlusseburgius and many others . § 15. Andreas Osiander ( otherwise a Learned Protestant ) took up the opinion , that we are Justified by the very essential Righteousness of God himself . But he had few followers . § 16. The Papists fastening upon those Divines who held Imputation of Christs personal Righteousness in it self in the rigid sence , did hereupon greatly insult against the Protestants , as if it had been their common doctrine , and it greatly stopt the Reformation : For many seeing that some made that a Fundamental in our difference , and articulus stantis & cadentis Ecclesiae , and seeing how easily it was disproved , how fully it was against the Doctrine of all the ancient Church , and what intolerable Consequences followed , did judge by that of the rest of our Doctrine , and were settledly hardened against all . § 17. The Learned Divines of Germany perceiving this , fell to a fresh review of the Controversie , and after a while abundance of very Learned Godly Doctors fell to distinguish between the Active and Passive Righteousness of Christ ; and not accurately distinguishing of Imputation , because they perceived that Christ suffered in our stead , in a fuller sense than he could be said to be Holy in our stead , or fulfil the Law in our stead . Hereupon they principally managed the Controversie , as about the sort of Righteousness Imputed to us : And a great number of the most Learned famous Godly Divines of the Reformed Churches , maintained that Christ's Passive Righteousness was Imputed to us , even his whole Humiliation or Suffering , by which the pardon of all sins of Commission and Omission was procured for us ; but that his Active Righteousness was not Imputed to us , though it profited us ; but was Justitia Personae to make Christ a fit Sacrifice for our sins , having none of his own , but the Suffering was his Justitia Meriti . His Obedience they said was performed nostro bono , non nostro loco , for our good but not in our stead ; but his Sufferings , both nostro bono & loco , both for our good and in our stead : but neither of them so strictly in nostrâ Personâ in our Person , as if we did it by and in Christ . The Writers that defended this were Cargius , and that holy man Olevian and Vrsine , and Paraeus , and Scultetus , and Piscator , Alstedius , Wendeline , Beckman , and many more . He that will see the sum of their arguings may read it in Wendeline's Theolog. lib. 1. cap. 25. and in Paraeus his Miscellanies after Vrsine's Corpus Theolog . After them Camero with his Learned followers took it up in France . Leg. Cameron . p. 364.390 . Thes . Sal. vol. 1. Placaei Disp . de Just . § 29. & Part. 2 de Satisf . § 42. So that at that time ( as Paraeus tells you ) there were four opinions : some thought Christ's Passive Righteousness only was Imputed to us ; some also his Active instead of our Actual Obedience ; some also his Habitual instead of our Habitual perfection ; And some thought also his Divine Righteousness was Imputed to us , because of our Union with Christ , God and Man. ( Imputed I say ; for I now speak not of Osiander's opinion of Inhesion . ) And Lubbertus wrote a Conciliatory Tractate favouring those that were for the Passive part . And Forbes hath written for the Passive only imputed . Molinaeus casteth away the distinction , Thes . Sedan . v. 1. p. 625. § 18. § 18. In England most Divines used the phrase , that we were Justified by the forgiveness of sin and the Imputation of Christs Righteousness , and being accepted as Righteous unto life thereon : But the sense of Imputation few pretended accurately to discuss . Davenant who dealt most elaborately in it , and maintaineth Imputation stiffly , in terms ; yet when he telleth you what Protestants mean by it , saith , that [ Possunt nobis imputari , non solum nostrae passiones , actiones , qualitates , sed etiam extrinseca quaedam , quae nec a nobis fluunt , nec in nobis haerent : De facto autem Imputantur , quando illorum intuitus & respectus valent nobis ad aliquem effectum , aeque ac si a nobis aut in nobis essent . ( Note , that he saith , but ad aliquem effectum , non ad omnem . ) And he instanceth in one that is a slothful fellow himself , but is advanced to the Kings Favour and Nobility for some great Service done by his Progenitors to the Common-wealth . And in one that deserving death is pardoned through the Intercession of a friend , or upon some suffering in his stead which the King imposeth on his Friend . This is the Imputation which Davenant and other such Protestants plead for ; which I think is not to be denied . Were it not for lengthening the discourse and wearying the Reader , I would cite many other of our greatest Divines , who plead for the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness , that Davenant here expoundeth himself . But some less judicious grating upon a harsh and unsound sence , Mr. Anthony Wotton a very Learned and Godly Divine of London , wrote a Latine Treatise de Reconciliatione , one of the Learnedst that hath ever been written of that subject , in which he laboureth to disprove the rigid Imputation of Christs Holiness and Obedience to man ; and sheweth that he is Righteous to whom all sin of Omission and Commission is forgiven ; and confuteth these three Assertions . 1. That A Sinner is Reputed to have fulfilled the Law in and by Christ . 2. And being reputed to have fulfilled the Law , is taken for formally just as a fulfiller of it . 3. And being formally just as a fullfiller of the Law , Life eternal is due to him by that Covenant , that saith , do this and live . Vid. Part. 2. li. 1. Cap. 11. pag. 152. Cum sequentibus . Thus and much further Mr. Wotton went to the very quick of the Controversie , and irrefragably overthrew the rigid Imputation . But Mr. William Bradshaw , a Learned Godly Nonconformist , being grieved at the differences about the Active and Passive Righteousness , and thinking that Mr. Wotton denied all Imputation of the Active Righteousness ( which he did not , but owneth it to be Imputed as a meritorious Cause : ) Part. 2. li. 1. Cap. 13. pag. 165. Ne illud quidem negaverim , imputari nobis illius justitiam & obedientiam , ut ad nostrum fructum redundet : Id unum non concedo , Legem nos in Christo & per Christum servâsse , ut propter eam a nobis praestitam vita aeterna ex faedere , Hoc fac et vives , debeatur . Mr. Bradshaw I say attempted a Conciliatory middle way , which indeed is the same in the main with Mr. Wotton's : He honoureth the Learned Godly persons on each side , but maintaineth that the Active and Passive Righteousness are both Imputed , but not in the rigid sence of Imputation denying both these Propositions . 1. That Christ by the Merits of his Passive Obedience only , hath freed us from the guilt of all sin , both Actual and Original , of Omission and Commission . 2. That in the Imputation of Christs Obedience both Active and Passive , God doth so behold and consider a sinner in Christ , as if the sinner himself had done and suffered those very particulars which Christ did and suffered for him . And he wrote a small book with great accurateness in English first , and Latin after , opening the nature of Justification , which hath been deservedly applauded ever since . His bosom-Friend Mr. Tho. Gataker , ( a man of rare Learning and Humility ) next set in to defend Mr. Bradshaw's way , and wrote in Latin Animadversions on Lucius ( who opposed Piscator , and erred on one side for rigid Imputation ) and on Piscator who on the other side was for Justification by the Passive Righteousness only ; and other things he wrote with great Learning and Judgment in that cause . About that time the Doctrine of personal Imputation in the rigid sence began to be fully improved in England , by the Sect of the Antinomians ( trulyer called Libertines ) of whom Dr. Crispe was the most eminent Ring-leader , whose books took wonderfully with ignorant Professors under the pretence of extolling Christ and free-Grace . After him rose Mr. Randal , and Mr. John Simpson , and then Mr. Town , and at last in the Armies of the Parliament , Saltmarsh , and so many more , as that it seemed to be likely to have carried most of the Professors in the Army , and abundance in the City and Country that way : But that suddenly ( one Novelty being set up against another ) the opinions called Arminianism rose up against it , and gave it a check and carryed many in the Army and City the clean contrary way : And these two Parties divided a great part of the raw injudicious sort of the professors between them , which usually are the greatest part : but especially in the Army which was like to become a Law and example to others . Before this John Goodwin ( not yet turned Arminian ) preached and wrote with great diligence about Justification against the rigid sence of Imputation , who being answered by Mr. Walker , and Mr. Robourough , with far inferiour strength , his book had the greater success for such answerers . The Antinomians then swarming in London , Mr. Anthony Burges , a very worthy Divine was employed to Preach and Print against them ; which he did in several books : but had he been acquainted with the men as I was , he would have found more need to have vindicated the Gospel against them than the Law. Being daily conversant my self with the Antinomian and Arminian Souldiers , and hearing their daily contests , I thought it pitty that nothing but one extreme should be used to beat down that other , and I found the Antinomian party far the stronger , higher , and more fierce , and working towards greater changes and subversions ; And I found that they were just falling in with Saltmarsh , that Christ hath repented and believed for us , and that we must no more question our Faith and Repentance , than Christ . This awakened me better to study these points ; And being young , and not furnished with sufficient reading of the Controversie , and also being where were no libraries , I was put to study only the naked matter in it self . Whereupon I shortly wrote a small book called Aphorisms of Justification , &c. Which contained that Doctrine in substance which I judg sound ; but being the first that I wrote , it had several expressions in it which needed correction ; which made me suspend or retract it till I had time to reform them . Mens judgments of it were various , some for it and some against it : I had before been a great esteemer of two books of one name , Vindiciae Gratiae , Mr. Pembles and Dr. Twisses , above most other books . And from them I had taken in the opinion of a double Justification , one in foro Dei as an Immanent eternal Act of God , and another in foro Conscientiae , the Knowledg of that ; and I knew no other : But now I saw , that neither of those was the Justification which the Scripture spake of . But some half - Antinomians which were for the Justification before Faith , which I wrote against , were most angry with my book . And Mr. Crandon wrote against it , which I answered in an Apologie , and fullyer wrote my judgment in my Confession ; and yet more fully in some Disputations of Justification against Mr. Burges , who had in a book of Justification made some exceptions ; and pag. 346. had defended that [ As in Christ's suffering we were looked upon by God as suffering in him ; so by Christs obeying of the Law , we were beheld as fulfilling the Law in him . ] To those Disputations I never had any answer . And sin●● then in my Life of Faith , I have opened the Libertine errours about Justification , and stated the sence of Imputation . Divers writers were then employed on these subjects : Mr. Eyers for Justification before Faith ( that is , of elect Infidels ) and Mr. Benjamin Woodbridg , Mr. Tho. Warren against it . Mr. Hotchkis wrote a considerable Book of Forgiveness of sin , defending the sounder way : Mr. George Hopkins , wrote to prove that Justification and Sanctification are equally carryed on together : Mr. Warton , Mr. Graile , Mr. Jessop , ( clearing the sence of Dr. Twisse , ) and many others wrote against Antinomianism . But no man more clearly opened the whole doctrine of Justification , than Learned and Pious Mr. Gibbons Minister at Black-Fryers , in a Sermon Printed in the Lectures at St. Giles in the Fields . By such endeavours the before-prevailing Antinomianism was suddenly and somewhat marvelously suppressed , so that there was no great noise made by it . About Imputation that which I asserted was against the two fore-described extremes ; in short , That we are Justified by Christ's whole Righteousness , Passive , Active , and Habitual , yea the Divine so far included as by Vnion advancing the rest to a valuable sufficiency : That the Passive , that is , Christ's whole Humiliation is satisfactory first , and so meritorious , and the Active and Habitual meritorious primarily . That as God the Father did appoint to Christ as Mediator his Duty for our Redemption by a Law or Covenant , so Christ's whole fulfilling that Law , or performance of his Covenant-Conditions as such ( by Habitual and Actual perfection , and by Suffering ) made up one Meritorious Cause of our Justification , not distinguishing with Mr. Gataker of the pure moral , and the servile part of Christ's Obedience , save only as one is more a part of Humiliation than the other , but in point of Merit taking in all : That as Christ suffered in our stead that we might not suffer , and obeyed in our nature , that perfection of Obedience might not be necessary to our Justification , and this in the person of a Mediator and Sponsor for us sinners , but not so in our Persons , as that we truely in a moral or civil sence , did all this in and by him ; Even so God reputeth the thing to be as it is , and so far Imputeth Christ's Righteousness and Merits and Satisfaction to us , as that it is Reputed by him the true Meritorious Cause of our Justification ; and that for it God maketh a Covenant of Grace , in which he freely giveth Christ , Pardon and Life to all that accept the Gift as it is ; so that the Accepters are by this Covenant or Gift as surely justified and saved by Christ's Righteousness as if they had Obeyed and Satisfied themselves . Not that Christ meriteth that we shall have Grace to fulfil the Law our selves and stand before God in a Righteousness of our own , which will answer the Law of works and justifie us : But that the Conditions of the Gift in the Covenant of Grace being performed by every penitent Believer , that Covenant doth pardon all their sins ( as Gods Instrument ) and giveth them a Right to Life eternal , for Christs Merits . This is the sence of Imputation which I and others asserted as the true healing middle way . And as bad as they are , among the most Learned Papists , Cornelius a Lapide is cited by Mr. Wotton , Vasquez by Davenant , Suarez by Mr. Burges , as speaking for some such Imputation , and Merit : Grotius de Satisf . is clear for it . But the Brethren called Congregational or Independant in their Meeting at the Savoy . Oct. 12. 1658. publishing a Declaration of their Faith , Cap. 11. have these words [ Those whom God effectually calleth , he also freely justifieth ; not by infusing Righteousness into them , but by pardoning their Sins , and by accounting and accepting their persons as Righteous , not for any thing wrought in them , or done by them , but for Christs sake alone : not by imputing Faith it self , the act of believing , or any other evangelical Obedience to them , as their Righteousness ; but by Imputing Christs Active Obedience to the whole Law , and Passive Obedience in his death , for their whole and sole Righteousness ; they receiving and resting on him and his Righteousness by Faith. ] Upon the publication of this it was variously spoken of : some thought that it gave the Papists so great a scandal , and advantage to reproach the Protestants as denying all inherent Righteousness , that it was necessary that we should disclaim it : Others said that it was not their meaning to deny Inherent Righteousness , though their words so spake , but only that we are not justified by it : Many said that it was not the work of all of that party , but of some few that had an inclination to some of the Antinomian principles , out of a mistaken zeal of free Grace ; and that it is well known that they differ from us , and therefore it cannot be imputed to us , and that it is best make no stir about it , lest it irritate them to make the matter worse by a Defence , & give the Papists too soon notice of it . And I spake with one Godly Minister that was of their Assembly , who told me , that they did not subscribe it , and that they meant but to deny Justification by inherent Righteousness . And though such men in the Articles of their declared Faith , no doubt can speak intelligibly and aptly , and are to be understood as they speak according to the common use of the words ; yet even able-men sometimes may be in this excepted , when eager engagement in an opinion and parties , carryeth them too precipitantly , and maketh them forget something , that should be remembred . The Sentences here which we excepted against are these two . But the first was not much offensive because their meaning was right ; And the same words are in the Assemblies Confession , though they might better have been left out . Scriptures . Declaration . Rom. 4.3 . What saith the Scripture ? Abraham believed God , and it was counted to him for Righteousness . Ver. 5. To him that worketh not , but believeth on him that Justifyeth the Vngodly , his Faith is counted for Righteousness . Ver. 9. For we say that Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness : How was it then reckoned ? Ver. 11. And he received the sign of Circumcision , a seal of the righteousness of the Faith , which he had yet being uncircumcised , that he might be the Father of all them that believe , — that Righteousness might be imputed to them also . — Ver. 13. Through the Righteousness of Faith. — Ver. 16. Therefore it is of Faith that it might be by Grace . — vid. Ver. 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24. He was strong in Faith , fully perswaded that what he had promised , he was able also to perform ; and therefore it was Imputed to him for Righteousness . Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him , but for us also , to whom it shall be imputed , if we ( or , who ) believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead . Gen. 15.5 , 6. Tell the Stars — so shall thy seed be : And he believed in the Lord , and he counted it to him for Righteousness , Jam. 2.21 , 22 , 23 , 24. Was not Abraham our Father justified , by Works ? — And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith , Abraham believed God , and it was imputed to him for Righteousness . Luk. 19.17 . Well done thou good Servant , Because thou hast been Faithful in a very little , have thou authority over ten Cities . Mat. 25.34 , 35 , 40 , Come ye blessed . — For I was hungry and ye gave me Meat . Gen. 22.16 , 17 , By my self I have sworn . — Because thou hast done this thing . — Joh. 16.27 . For the Father himself loveth you , because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God. Many such passages are in Scripture . Our opinion is , 1. That it is better to justifie and expound the Scripture , than flatly to deny it : If Scripture so oft say , that Faith is reckoned or Imputed for Righteousness , it becometh not Christians , to say , It is not : But to shew in what sence it is , and in what it is not . For if it be so Imputed in no sence , the Scripture is made false : If in any sence ▪ it should not be universally denied but with distinction . 2. We hold , that in Justification there is considerable , 1. The Purchasing and Meritorious Cause of Justification freely given in the new Covenant . This is only Christ's Sufferings and Righteousness , and so it is Reputed of God , and Imputed to us . 2. The Order of Donation , which is , On Condion of Acceptance ; And so 3. The Condition of our Title to the free Gift by this Covenant ; And that is , Our Faith , or Acceptance of the Gift according to its nature and use . And thus God Reputeth Faith , and Imputeth it to us , requiring but this Condition of us ( which also he worketh in us ) by the Covenant of Grace ; whereas perfect Obedience was required of us , by the Law of Innocency . If we err in this explication , it had been better to confute ▪ us than deny God's Word . Scriptures besides the former . Declaration . 1 Joh. 2.29 . Every one which doth Righteousness is born of God. — & 3.7 , 10. He that doth Righteousness is Righteous , even as he is Righteous . — Whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God. 2 Tim. 4.8 . He hath laid up for us a Crown of Righteousness . Heb. 11.23 . Through Faith they wrought Righteousness . — Heb. 12. The peaceable fruit of Righteousness . — Jam. 3.18 . The fruit of Righteousness is sown in Peace . — 1 Pet. 2.24 . That we being dead to sin , should live unto righteousness , Mat 5.20 . Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees , &c. — Luk. 1.71 . In Holiness and Righteousness before him all the days of our Life . — Act. 10.35 . He that feareth God , and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him , — Rom. 6.13 , 16 , 18 , 19 , 20. Whether of sin unto death , or of Obedience unto Righteousness . — 1 Cor. 15.34 . Awake to Righteousness and sin not . — Eph. 5.9 . The fruit of the Spirit is in all Goodness , and Righteousness . — Dan. 12.3 . They shall turn many to Righteousness . — Dan. 4.27 . Break off thy sins by Righteousness . — Eph. 4.24 . The new-man which after God is created in Righteousness . — Gen. 7.1 . Thee have I seen Righteous before me . — Gen. 18.23 , 24 , 25 , 26. Far be it from thee , to destroy the Righteous with the Wicked . — Prov. 24.24 . He that saith to the Wicked thou art Righteous , him shall the people Curse , Nations shall abhor him . — Isa . 3.10 . Say to the Righteous , it shall be well with him , Isa . 5.23 . That take away the Righteousness from the Righteous . — Mat. 25.37 , 46. Then shall the Righteous answer . — The Righteous into life eternal . — Luk. 1.6 . They were both Righteous before God. — Heb. 11.4 , 7. By Faith Abel offered to God a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain , by which he obtained witness that he was righteous , God testifying of his Gifts . By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet , moved with fear , prepared an Ark , — by which he became heir of the Righteousness by Faith , 1 Pet. 4.18 . If the Righteous be scarcely saved . — Math. 10.41 . He that receiveth a Righteous man in the name of a Righteous man , shall have a Righteous mans reward . — 1 Tim. 1.9 . The Law is not made for a Righteous man , but for — Many score of texts more mention a Righteousness distinct from that of Christ imputed to us . Judg now , Whether he that believeth God should believe that he Imputeth Christs Obedience and Suffering to us , [ for our Sole Righteousness . ] That which is not our sole Righteousness , is not so Reputed by God nor Imputed : But Christs Obedience and Suffering is not our sole Righteousness . — See Davenant's many arguments to prove that we have an Inherent Righteousness . Obj. But , they mean , [ our Sole Righteousness by which we are Justified . ] Answ . 1. We can tell no mans meaning but by his words , especially not contrary to them , especially in an accurate Declaration of Faith. 2. Suppose it had been so said , we maintain on the contrary , 1. That we are Justified by more sorts of Righteousness than one , in several respects . We are justified only by Christs Righteousness as the Purchasing and Meritorious Cause of our Justification freely given by that new Covenant . We are Justified by the Righteousness of God the Father , as performing his Covenant with Christ and us , ( efficiently ) . We are justified efficiently by the Righteousness of Christ as our Judg , passing a just sentence according to his Covenant : These last are neither Ours nor Imputed to us : But we are justified also against the Accusation , of being finally Impenitent Unbelievers or unholy , by the personal particular Righteousness of our own Repentance , Faith and Holiness . For 2. We say , that there is an universal Justification or Righteousness , and there is a particular one . And this particular one may be the Condition and Evidence of our Title to all the rest . And this is our case . The Day of Judgment is not to try and Judg Christ , or his Merits , but us : He will judg us himself by his new Law or Covenant , the sum of which is , [ Except ye Repent , ye shall all perish : and , He that believeth , shall be saved : and he that believeth not , shall be condemned . If we be not accused of Impenitence or Vnbelief , but only of not-fulfilling the Law of Innocency , that will suppose that we are to be tryed only by that Law , which is not true : And then we refer the Accuser only to Christ's Righteousness , and to the Pardoning Law of Grace , and to nothing in our selves to answer that charge ; And so it would be Christ's part only that would be judged . But Matth. 25. and all the Scripture assureth us of the contrary , that it 's Our part that it is to be tryed and judged , and that we shall be all judged according to what we have done . And no man is in danger there of any other accusation , but that he did not truly Repent and Believe , and live a holy life to Christ : And shall the Penitent Believer say , I did never Repent and Believe , but Christ did it for me ; and so use two Lyes , one of Christ , and another of himself , that he may be justified ? Or shall the Vnholy , Impenitent Infidel say , It 's true I was never a Penitent Believer , or holy , but Christ was for me , or Christs Righteousness is my sole Righteousness ? that is a fashood ; For Christs Righteousness is none of his . So that there is a particular personal Righteousness , consisting in Faith and Repentance , which by way of Condition and Evidence of our title to Christ and his Gift of Pardon and Life , is of absolute necessity in our Justification . Therefore Imputed Righteousness is not the sole Righteousness which must justifie us . I cited abundance of plain Texts to this purpose in my Confession , pag. 57. &c. Of which book I add , that when it was in the press , I procured those three persons whom I most highly valued for judgment , Mr. Gataker , ( whose last work it was in this World ) Mr. Vines , and lastly Arch-Bishop Vsher to read it over , except the Epistles ( Mr. Gataker read only to pag. 163. ) and no one of them advised me to alter one word , nor signified their dissent to any word of it . But I have been long on this : to proceed in the History . — The same year that I wrote that book , that most Judicious excellent man Joshua Placaeus of Saumours in France , was exercised in a Controversie conjunct with this ; How far Adams sin is imputed to us . And to speak truth , at first in the Theses Salmuriens . Vol. 1. he seemed plainly to dispute against the Imputation of Adam's actual sin , and his arguments I elsewhere answer . ) And Andr. Rivet wrote a Collection of the Judgment of all sorts of Divines for the contrary . But after he vindicated himself , & shewed that his Doctrine was , that Adam's fact is not immediately imputed to each of us , as if our persons as persons had been all fully represented in Adam's person ( by an arbitrary Law or Will of God ) or reputed so to be : But that our Persons being Virtually or Seminally in him , we derive from him first our Persons , and in them a corrupted nature , and that nature corrupted and justly deserted by the Spirit of God , because it is derived from Adam that so sinned : And so that Adams fact is imputed to us mediately , mediante natura & Corruptione , but not primarily and immediately . This doctrine of the Good and Judicious man was thought too new to escape sharp censures , so that a rumour was spread abroad that he denied all Imputation of Adams fact , and placed original guilt only in the Guilt of Coruption , for which indeed he gave occasion . A Synod being called at Charenton , this opinion without naming any Author was condemned ; & all Ministers required to subscribe it : Amyraldus being of Placeus mind , in a speech of two hours vindicated his opinion . Placeus knowing that the Decree did not touch him , took no notice of it . But Gerissolius of Montauban wrote against him , pretending him condemned by the Decree , which Drelincourt one that drew it up , denied , professing himself of Placeus his judgment . and Rivet also , Maresius , Carol. Daubuz and others , misunderstanding him wrote against him . For my part I confess that I am not satisfied in his distinction of Mediate and Immediate Imputation : I see not , but our Persons as derived from Adam , being supposed to be in Being , we are at once Reputed to be such as Virtually sinned in him , and such as are deprived of God's Image . And if either must be put first , me-thinks it should rather be the former , we being therefore deprived of God's Immage ( not by God , but by Adam ) because he sinned it away from himself . It satisfieth me much more , to distinguish of our Being and so sinning in Adam Personally and Seminally , or Virtually : we were not Persons in Adam when he sinned ; therefore we did not so sin in him : And it is a fiction added to God's Word , to say that God ( because he would do it ) reputed us to be what we were not . But we were Seminally in Adam as in Causâ naturali , who was to produce us out of his very essence : And therefore that kind of being which we had in him , could not be innocent when he was guilty : And when we had our Natures and Persons from him , we are justly reputed to be as we are , the off-spring of one that actually sinned : And so when our Existence and Personality maketh us capable Subjects , we are guilty Persons of his sin ; though not with so plenary a sort of Guilt as he . And I fear not to say , that as I lay the ground of this Imputation in Nature it self , so I doubt not but I have elsewhere proved that there is more participation of all Children in the guilt of their parents sins by nature , than is sufficiently acknowledged or lamented by most , though Scripture abound with the proof of it : And that the overlooking it , and laying all upon God's arbitrary Covenant and Imputation , is the great temptation to Pel●gians to deny Original sin : And that our misery no more increaseth by it , is , because we are now under a Covenant that doth not so charge all culpability on mankind , as the Law of Innocency did alone . And there is something of Pardon in the Case . And the English Litany , ( after Ezra , Daniel and others ) well prayeth , Remember not , Lord , our offences , nor the offences of our Forefathers , &c. This same Placeus in Thes . Salmuriens . Vol. 1. hath opened the doctrine of Justification so fully , that I think that one Disputation might spare some the reading of many contentious Volumes . The rigid assertors of Imputation proved such a stumbling-block to many , that they run into the other extreme , and not only denyed it , but vehemently loaded it with the Charges of over-throwing all Godliness and Obedience . Of these Parker ( as is said ) with some others wrote against it in an answer to the Assemblies Confession : Dr. Gell often reproacheth it in a large Book in Folio . And lastly and most sharply and confidently Herbert Thorndike , ( to mention no more . ) The History of this Controversie of Imputation , I conclude , though disorderly , with the sense of all the Christian Churches , in the Creeds and Harmony of Confessions , because they were too long to be fitly inserted by the way . The Consent of Christians , and specially Protestants , about the Imputation of Christs Righteousness in Justification ; How far and in what sence it is Imputed . I. SEeing Baptism is our visible initiation into Christianity , we must there begin ; and see what of this is there contained . Mat. 28.19 . Baptizing them into the name of the Father , the Son , and the Holy Ghost , Mar. 16.16 . He that believeth , and is baptized , shall be saved , Act. 2.38 . Repent , and be Baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of sins , and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost . See Acts 8.36 , 37 , 38. The Eunuch's Faith and Baptism . Act. 22.16 . Arise , and be baptized , and wash away thy sins , having called on the name of the Lord. Rom. 6.3 . So many as were baptized into Jesus Christ , were baptized into his death . Gal. 3.27 . As many as have been baptized into Christ , have put on Christ . 1. Pet. 3.21 . The like whereunto , Baptism doth also now save us , ( not the putting away the filth of the flesh , but the answer of a good Conscience towards God ) by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ . Rom. 4.24 , 25. But for us also to whom it shall be imputed , if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead : who was delivered for our offences , and was raised again for our Justification . [ Quaer . How far Christ's Resurrection is imputed to us . ] II. The Creed , called by the Apostles , hath but [ I believe — the forgiveness of sins . ] III. The Nicene and Constantinopolitane Creed , I acknowledg one Baptism for the Remission of sins ; ( Christ's Death , Burial , and Resurrection premised . ) IV. Athanasius's Creed [ Who suffered for our Salvation , descended into Hell , rose again the third day . — At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies , and shall give account for their own works ; and they that have done good , shall go into everlasting life , and they that have done evil into everlasting Fire . ] ( Remission is contained in Salvation . ) V. The Fathers sence I know not where the Reader can so easily and surely gather , without reading them all , as in Laurentius his Collection de Justif . after the Corpus Confessionum ; and that to the best advantage of the Protestant Cause . They that will see their sence of so much as they accounted necessary to Salvation , may best find it in their Treatises of Baptism , and Catechizings of the Catechumens ; Though they say less about our Controversie than I could wish they had . I will have no other Religion than they had . The Creed of Damasus in Hieron . op . Tom. 2. hath but ( In his Death and Blood we believe that we are cleansed — and have hope that we shall obtain the reward of good merit , ( meaning our own ) ; which the Helvetians own in the end of their Confession . VI. The Augustane Confession , Art. 3 , 4. Christ died — that he might reconcile the Father to us , and be a sacrifice , not only for original sin , but also for all the actual sins of men . — And that we may obtain these benefits of Christ , that is , Remission of sins , justification and life eternal , Christ gave us the Gospel in which these benefits are propounded . — To preach Repentance in his Name , and Remission of sins among all Nations . For when men propagated in the natural manner have sin , and cannot truly satisfie Gods Law , the Gospel reproveth sin , and sheweth us Christ the Mediator , and so teacheth us about Pardon of sins — That freely for Christ's sake are given us , Remission of sins , & Justification by Faith , by which we must confess that these are given us for Christ , who was made a Sacrifice for us , and appeased the Father . Though the Gospel require Penitence ; yet that pardon of sin may be sure , it teacheth us that it is freely given us ; that is , that it dependeth not on the Condition of our worthyness , nor is given for any precedent works , or worthyness of following works . — For Conscience in true fears findeth no work which it can oppose to the Wrath of God ; and Christ is proposed and given us , to be a propitiator . This honour of Christ must not be transferred to our works . Therefore Paul saith , ye are saved freely , ( or of Grace , ) And it is of grace , that the promise might be sure ; that is , Pardon will be sure ; when we know that it dependeth not on the Condition of our worthiness , but is given for Christ . — In the Creed this Article , [ I believe the Forgiveness of sins , ] is added to the history : And the rest of the history of Christ must be referred to this Article : For this benefit is the end of the history , Christ therefore suffered and rose again , that for him might be given us Remission of sins , and life everlasting . Art. 6. When we are Reconciled by Faith , there must needs follow the Righteousness of good works . — But because the infirmity of mans nature is so great , that no man can satisfie the Law , it is necessary to teach men , not only that they must obey the Law , but also how this Obedience pleaseth , lest Consciences fall into desperation , when they understand that they satisfie not the Law. This Obedience then pleaseth , not because it satisfieth the Law , but because the person is in Christ , reconciled by Faith , and believeth that the relicts of his Sin are pardoned . We must ever hold that we obtain remission of sins , and the person is pronounced Righteous , that is , is accepted freely for Christ , by Faith : And afterward that Obedience to the Law pleaseth , and is reputed a certain Righteousness , and meriteth rewards . ] Thus the first Protestants . VII . The 11th Article of the Church of England ( to which we all offer to subscribe ) is [ Of the Justification of Man. We are accounted Righteous before God , only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith ; and not for our own works or deservings . Wherefore that we are justified by Faith only , is a most wholsome doctrine , and very full of Comfort , as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification . ] The said Homilies ( of Salvation and Faith ) say over and over the same thing . As pag. 14. [ Three things go together in our Justification : On Gods part his great Mercy and Grace , on Christs part , Justice ▪ that is the Satisfaction of Gods Justice , or the Price of our Redemption , by the offering of his body , and shedding of his blood , with fulfilling of the Law perfectly and throughly ; And on our part true and lively Faith in the Merits of Jesus Christ : which yet is not ours , but by Gods working in us . And pag. [ A lively Faith is not only the common belief of the Articles of our Faith , but also a true trust and confidence of the mercy of God through our Lord Jesus Christ , and a steadfast hope of all good things to be received at Gods hand ; and that although we through infirmity or temptation — do fall from him by sin , yet if we return again to him by true repentance , that he will forgive and forget our offences , for his Sons sake our Saviour Jesus Christ , and will make us inheritors with him of his everlasting Kingdom — Pag. 23. For the very sure and lively Christian Faith , is , to have an earnest trust and confidence in God , that he doth regard us , and is careful over us , as the Father is over the Child whom he doth love ; and that he will be merciful unto us , for his only Sons sake ; and that we have our Saviour Christ our perpetual Advocate and Prince , in whose only merits , oblation and suffering , we do trust that our offences be continually washed and purged , whensoever we repenting truely do return to him with our whole heart , steadfastly determining with our selves , through his grace to obey and serve him , in keeping his Commandments , &c. ] So also the Apology . This is our doctrine of Imputation . VIII . The Saxon Confession oft insisteth on the free Pardon of sin , not merited by us , but by Christ . And expoundeth Justification to be [ Of unjust , that is , Guilty and disobedient , and not having Christ : to be made Just , that is , To be Absolved from Guilt for the Son of God , and an apprehender by Faith of Christ himself , who is our Righteousness ; ( as Jeremiah and Paul say ) because by his Merit we have forgiveness , and God imputeth righteousness to us , and for him , reputeth us just , and by giving us his Spirit quickeneth and regenerateth us . — By being Justified by Faith alone we mean , that freely for our Mediator alone , not for our Contrition , or other Merits ; the pardon of sin and reconciliation is given us . — And before , It is certain , when the mind is raised by this Faith , that the pardon of sin , Reconciliation and Imputation of Righteousness , are given for the Merit of Christ himself — And after [ By Faith is meant Affiance , resting in the Son of God the Propitiator , for whom we are received and please ( God ) and not for our virtues and fulfilling of the Law. IX . The Wittenberge Confession , ( In Corp. Conf. pag. 104 ) A man is made Accepted of God , and Reputed just before him , for the Son of God our Lord Jesus Christ alone , by Faith. And at the Judgment of God we must not trust to the Merit of any of the Virtues which we have , but to the sole Merit of our Lord Jesus Christ , which is made ours by Faith. And because at the bar of God , where the case of true eternal Righteousness and Salvation will be pleaded , there is no place for mans Merits , but only for God's Mercy , and the Merits of our Lord Jesus Christ , whom we receive by Faith : therefore we think our Ancestors said rightly , that we are justified before God by Faith only . X. The Bohemian Confession , making Justification the principal Article , goeth the same way . [ Pag. 183 , 184. By Christ men are Justified , obtain Salvation and Remission of sin , freely by Faith in Christ , through mercy , without any Work and Merit of man. And his death and blood alone is sufficient , to abolish & expiate all the sins of all men . All must come to Christ for pardon and Remission of Sin , Salvation and every thing . All our trust and hope is to be fastened on him alone . Through him only and his merits God is appeas'd and propitious ; Loveth us , and giveth us Life eternal . XI . The Palatinate Confession ib. pag. 149. [ I believe that God the Father for the most full Satisfaction of Christ , doth never remember any of my sins , and that pravity which I must strive against while I live , but contrarily will rather of grace give me the righteousness of Christ , so that I have no need to fear the judgment of God. — And pag. 155. If he merited , and obtained Remission of all our sins , by the only and bitter passion , and death of the Cross , so be it we embracing it by true Faith , as the satisfaction for our sins , apply it to our selves . — ] I find no more of this . XII . The Polonian Churches of Lutherans and Bohemians agreed in the Augustane and Bohemian Confession before recited . XIII . The Helvetian Confession , [ To Justifie signifieth to the Apostle in the dispute of Justification , To Remit sins , to Absolve from the fault and punishment , to Receive into favour , and to Pronounce just — For Christ took on himself , and took away the sins of the World , and satisfied Gods Justice . God therefore for the sake of Christ alone , suffering and raised again , is propitious to our sins ▪ and imputeth them not to us , but imputeth the righteousness of Christ for ours ; so that now we are not only cleansed and purged from sins , or Holy , but also endowed with the Righteousness of Christ , and so absolved from sins , Death and Condemnation , and are righteous and heirs of life eternal . Speaking properly , God only justifieth us , and justifieth only for Christ , not imputing to us sins , but imputing to us his Righteousness . ] This Confession speaketh in terms neerest the opposed opinion : But indeed saith no more than we all say ; Christs Righteousness being given and imputed to us as the Meritorious Cause of our pardon and right to life . XIV . The Basil Confession , Art. 9. [ We confess Remission of sins by Faith in Jesus Christ crucified . And though this Faith work continually by Love , yet Righteousness and Satisfaction for our Sins , we do not attribute to works , which are fruits of Faith ; but only to true affiance & faith in the blood shed of the Lamb of God. We ingenuously profess , that in Christ , who is our Righteousness , Holiness , Redemption , Way , Truth , Wisdom , Life , all things are freely given us . The works therefore of the faithful are done , not that they may satisfie for their sins , but only that by them , they may declare that they are thankful to God for so great benefits given us in Christ . XV. The Argentine Confession of the four Cities , Cap. 3. ib. pag. 179. hath but this hereof : When heretofore they delivered , that a mans own proper Works are required to his Justification , we teach that this is to be acknowledged wholly received of God's benevolence and Christ's Merit , and perceived only by Faith. C. 4. We are sure that no man can be made Righteous or saved , unless he love God above all , and most studiously imitate him . We can no otherwise be Justified , that is , become both Righteous and Saved ( for our Righteousness is our very Salvation ) than if we being first indued with Faith , by which believing the Gospel , and perswaded that God hath adopted us as Sons , and will for ever give us his fatherly benevolence , we wholly depend on his beck ( or will. ) XVI . The Synod of Dort , mentioneth only Christs death for the pardon of sin and Justification . The Belgick Confession § 22. having mentioned Christ and his merits made ours , § 23. addeth , [ We believe that our blessedness consisteth in Remission of our sins for Jesus Christ ; and that our Righteousness before God is therein contained , as David and Paul teach ; We are justified freely , or by Grace , through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus . We hold this Foundation firm , and give all the Glory to God — presuming nothing of our selves , and our merits , but we rest on the sole Obedience of a Crucified Christ ; which is ours when we believe in him . ] Here you see in what sence they hold that Christs merits are ours ; Not to justifie us by the Law , that saith , ( Obey perfectly and Live ) but as the merit of our pardon , which they here take for their whole Righteousness . XVII . The Scottish Confession , Corp. Conf. pag. 125. hath but [ that true Believers receive in this life Remission of Sins , and that by Faith alone in Christs blood : So that though sin remain — yet it is not Imputed to us , but is remitted , and covered by Christs Righteousness . ] This is plain and past all question . XVIII . The French Confession is more plain , § 18. ib. pag. 81. [ We believe that our whole Righteousness lyeth in the pardon of our sins ; which is also as David witnesseth our only blessedness . Therefore all other reasons by which men think to be justified before God , we plainly reject ; and all opinion of Merit being cast away ; we rest only in the Obedience of Christ , which is Imputed to us , both that all our sins may be covered , and that we may get Grace before God. ] So that Imputation of Obedience , they think is but for pardon of sin , and acceptance . Concerning Protestants Judgment of Imputation , it is further to be noted ; 1. That they are not agreed whether Imputation of Christ's perfect Holiness and Obedience , be before or after the Imputation of his Passion in order of nature . Some think that our sins are first in order of nature done away by the Imputation of his sufferings , that we may be free from punishment ; and next , that his perfection is Imputed to us , to merit the Reward of life eternal : But the most learned Confuters of the Papists hold , that Imputation of Christs Obedience and Suffering together , are in order of nature before our Remission of sin and Acceptance , as the meritorious cause : And these can mean it in no other sence than that which I maintain . So doth Davenant de Just . hab . et act . & Pet. Molinaeus Thes . Sedan . Vol. 1. pag. 625. Imputatio justitiae Christi propter quam peccata remittuntur , & censemur justi coram Deo. Maresius Thes . Sedan . Vol. 2. pag. 770 , 771. § 6 & 10. maketh the material cause of our Justification to be the Merits and Satisfaction of Christ , yea the Merit of his Satisfaction , and so maketh the formal Cause of Justification to be the Imputation of Christs Righteousness , or which is the same , the solemn Remission of all sins , and our free Acceptance with God. Note that he maketh Imputation to be the same thing with Remission and Acceptance ; which is more than the former said . 2. Note , that when they say that Imputation is the Form of Justification , they mean not of Justification Passively as it is ours , but Actively as it is Gods Justifying act ; so Maresius ibidem . And many deny it to be the form : And many think that saying improper . 3. Note , that it is ordinarily agreed by Protestants , that Christs Righteousness is imputed to us in the same sence as our sins are said to be imputed to him ; ( even before they are committed many Ages ; ) which cleareth fully the whole Controversie to those that are but willing to understand , and blaspheme not Christ ; so Maresius ubi supra : Quemadmodum propter deliquia nostra ei imputata punitus fuit Christus in terris ; ita & propter ejus Justitiam nobis imputatam coronamur in Caelis . And Joh. Crocius Disput . 10. p. 502. And Vasseur in his solid Disp . Thes . Sedan . Vol. 2. pag. 1053 , 1054. While he mentioneth only Satisfaction for our Justification , yet § 27. saith that Satisfaction is imputed to us , and placeth Christs Imputed Righteousness in his Obedience to the death ; and saith that this satisfying Obedience , in suffering , is our Imputed Righteousness . Ea igitur Obedientia Christi qua Patri paruit usque ad mortem crucis , qua coram Patre comparuit ut voluntatem ejus perficeret , qua a Patre missus , ut nos sui sanguinis effusione redimeret , justitiae ejus pro peccatis nostris abunde satisfecit ; ea inquam obedientia ex gratia Patris imputata & donata , illa justitia est qua justificamur . And they ordinarily use the similitude of the Redemption of a Captive , and Imputing the Price to him . He addeth ( Hence we may gather that as Christ was made sin , so we are made the Righteousness of God , that is by Imputation ] which is true . The plain truth in all this is within the reach of every sound Christian , and self-conceited wranglers make difficulties where there are none . Yea , how far the Papists themselves grant the Protestant doctrine of Imputation , let the following words of Vasseur on Bellarmine be judg . [ Bellarm. ait ; Si solum vellent haeretici nobis imputari Merita Christi , quia nobis donata sunt , & possumus ea Deo Patri offerre pro peccatis nostris , quoniam Christus suscepit super se onus satisfaciendi pro nobis , nosque Deo Patri reconciliandi , recta esset eorum Sententia : I doubt some will say , it is false , because Bellarmine granteth it ; but Vasseur addeth [ Haec ille : sed an nostra longe abest ab illâ , quam in nobis requireret sententia . ] And I wish the Reader that loveth Truth and Peace to read the words of Pighius , Cassander , Bellarmine , &c. saying as the Protestants , cited by Joh. Crocius de Justificat . Disput . 9. pag. 458. &c. And of Morton Apolog especially Tho. Waldensis . Nazianzen's sentence prefixed by the great Basil-Doctors to their Confession , I do affectionately recite , [ Sacred Theologie and Religion is a simple and naked thing ; consisting of Divine Testimonies without any great artifice : which yet some do naughtily turn into a most difficult Art. The History of the Socinians opposing Christs Satisfaction and Merits I overpass , as being handled by multitude of Writers . If any impartial man would not be troubled with needless tedious writings , and yet would see the Truth clearly , about Justification and Imputation , in a very little room , let him read , 1. Mr. Bradshaw , 2. Mr. Gibbon's Sermon in the Exercises at Giles's in the Fields . 3. Mr. Truman's great Propitiation . 4. Joshua Placeus , his Disput . de Justif . in Thes . Salmur . Vol. 1. 5. And Le Blank 's late Theses ; Which will satisfie those that have any just capacity for satisfaction . And if he add Wotton de Reconciliatione , and Grotius de Satisfactione , he need not lose his labour : no nor by reading John Goodwin of Justification , though every word be not approveable . And Dr. Stillingfleet's Sermons of Satisfaction , coming last , will also conduce much to his just information . So much of the Historical part . CHAP. II. Of the true stating of the Controversie , and the explication of the several points contained or meerly implyed in it . I take explication to be here more useful than argumentation : And therefore I shall yet fullier open to you the state of our differences ▪ and my own judgment in the point , with the reasons of it , in such necessary Distinctions , and brief Propositions , as shall carry their own convincing light with them . If any think I distinguish too much , let him prove any to be needless or unjust , and then reject it and spare not . If any think I distinguish not accurately enough , let him add what is wanting , and but suppose that I have elsewhere done it , and am not now handling the whole doctrine of Justification , but only that of Imputation , and what it necessarily includeth . THough a man that readeth our most Learned Protestants , professing that they agree even with Bellarmine himself in the stating of the case of Imputation , would think that there should need no further stating of it . I cited you Bellarmine's words before with Vasseurs consent : I here add Johan . Crocius de Justif . Disp . 10. pag. 500.501 . Vide hominis sive vertiginem sive improbitutem , clamat fieri non posse ut Justitia Christi nobis imputetur eo sensu qui haereticis probetur — Et tamen rectam vocat sententiam , quam suam faciunt Evangelici . Quod enim cum rectâ ratione pugnare dicit , nos per Justitiam Christi formaliter justos nominari & esse , nos non tangit : Non dicimus ; Non sentimus : Sed hoc totum proficiscitur e Sophistarum officinâ , qui phrasin istam nobis affingunt , ut postea eam exagitent tanquam nostram : ( yet some of our own give them this pretence . ) Nos sententiam quam ille rectam judicat , tenemus , tuemur ; sic tamen ut addamus , quod Genti adversariae est intolerabile , non alia ratione nos justos censeri coram Deo. ] But by Justification the Papists mean Sanctification : And they count it not intolerable to say that the penalty of our sins is remitted to us , by that Satisfaction to the Justice of God according to the Law of Innocency , which Christ only hath made . But though many thrust in more indeed , and most of them much more in words ; yet you see they are forced to say as we say whether they will or not : For they seem unwilling to be thought to agree with us , where they agree indeed . ] And the following words of Joh. Crocius pag. 506 , 507. &c. shew the common sence of most Protestants , [ When Bellarmine observeth that Imputation maketh us as righteous as Christ , he saith , [ If we said that we are Justified by Christs essential righteousness . — But we say it not . Yea above all we renounce that which the Sophister puts in of his own , even that which he saith of Formal Righteousness : For it is not our opinion , that we are constituted formally Righteous by Christ's Righteousness , which we rather call the Material cause . — § 32. Christs satisfaction is made for all : But it is imputed to us , not as it is made for all , but as for us . I illustrate it by the like . The Kings Son payeth the debt of a Community deeply indebted to the King , and thence bound to perpetual slavery . This payment gets liberty for this , and that , and the other member of the Community : For it is imputed to them by the King as if they had paid it . But this Imputation transferreth not the honour to them , but brings them to partake of the Benefit . So when the price paid by Christ for all , is imputed to this or that man , he is taken into the society of the Benefit , — Pag. 503. Distinguish between the Benefit , and the Office of Christ . The former is made ours , but not the latter , — Pag. 542. The Remission of sin is nothing but the Imputation of Christs Righteousness . Rom. 4. Where Imputation of Righteousness , Remission of Iniquities , and non-imputation of sin , are all one , — Pag. 547. God imputeth it as far as he pleaseth , — Pag. 548. Princes oft impute the merits of Parents to unworthy Children , — Pag. 551. He denyeth that we have Infinite Righteousness in Christ , because it is imputed to us in a finite manner , even so far as was requisite to our absolution . But I will a little more distinctly open and resolve the Case . 1. We must distinguish of Righteousness as it relateth to the Preceptive part of the Law ; and as it relateth to the Retributive part : The first Righteousness , is Innocency contrary to Reatus Culpae : The second is Jus ad impunitatem & ad praemium ( seu d●num , ) Right to Impunity and to the Reward . 2. We must distinguish of Christs Righteousness , which is either so called , formally and properly , which is the Relation of Christs person to his Law of Mediation imposed on him . 1. As Innocent and a perfect obeyer ; 2. As one that deserved not punishment , but deserved Reward . Or it is so called materially and improperly ; which is , Those same Habits , Acts and Sufferings of Christ , from which his Relation of Righteous did result . 3. We must distinguish of Imputation , which signifyeth ( here ) 1. To repute us personally to have been the Agents of Christs Acts , the subjects of his Habits and Passion in a Physical sence . 2. Or to repute the same formal Relation of Righteousness which was in Christs person , to be in ours as the subject . 3. Or to repute us to have been the very subjects of Christ's Habits and Passion , and the Agents of his Acts in a Political or Moral sense , ( and not a physical ) ; as a man payeth a debt by his Servant , or Attorney , or Delegate . 4. And consequently to repute a double formal Righteousness to result from the said Habits , Acts , and Passions ; one to Christ as the natural Subject and Agent , and another to us as the Moral , Political , or reputed Subject and Agent ( And so his Formal Righteousness not to be imputed to us in it self as ours , but another to result from the same Matter . ) 5. Or else that we are reputed both the Agents and Subjects of the Matter of his Righteousness , morally , and also of the Formal Righteousness of Christ himself . 6. Or else by Imputation is meant here , that Christ being truly reputed to have taken the Nature of sinful man , and become a Head for all true Believers , in that undertaken Nature and Office in the Person of a Mediator , to have fulfilled all the Law imposed on him , by perfect Holiness and Obedience , and Offering himself on the Cross a Sacrifice for our sins , voluntarily suffering in our stead , as if he had been a sinner , ( guilty of all our sins ) As soon as we believe we are pardoned , justified , adopted for the sake and merit of this Holiness , Obedience and penal Satisfaction of Christ , with as full demonstration of divine Justice , at least , and more full demonstration of his Wisdom and Mercy , than if we had suffered our selves what our sins deserved ( that is , been damned ) or had never sinned : And so Righteousness is imputed to us , that is , we are accounted or reputed righteous , ( not in relation to the Precept , that is , innocent , or sinless , but in relation to the Retribution , that is , such as have Right to Impunity and Life , ) because Christ's foresaid perfect Holiness , Obedience and Satisfaction , merited our Pardon , and Adoption , and the Spirit ; or merited the New-Covenant , by which , as an Instrument , Pardon , Justification and Adoption are given to Believers , and the Spirit to be given to sanctifie them : And when we believe , we are justly reputed such as have Right to all these purchased Gifts . 4. And that it may be understood how far Christ did Obey or Suffer in our stead , or person , we must distinguish , 1. Between his taking the Nature of sinful man , and taking the Person of sinners . 2. Between his taking the Person of a sinner , and taking the Person of you and me , and each particular sinner . 3. Between his taking our sinful persons simply , & ad omnia , and taking them only , secundum quid , in tantum , & ad hoc . 4. Between his suffering in the Person of sinners , and his obeying and sanctity in the Person of sinners ▪ or of us in particular . 5. Between his Obeying and Suffering in our Person , and our Obeying and Suffering in his Person ( Natural or Political . ) And now I shall make use of these distinctions , by the Propositions following . Prop. 1. The phrase of [ Christ's Righteousness imputed to us ] is not in the Scripture . 2. Therefore when it cometh to Disputation , to them that deny it , some Scripture-phrase should be put in stead of it ; because , 1. The Scripture hath as good , if not much better , phrases , to signifie all in this that is necessary . 2. And it is supposed that the Disputants are agreed of all that is express in the Scripture . 3. Yet so much is said in Scripture , as may make this phrase [ of Imputing Christ's Righteousness to us ] justifiable , in the sound sence here explained : For the thing meant by it is true , and the phrase intelligible . 4. Christ's Righteousness is imputed to Believers , in the sixth sence here before explained ; As the Meritorious cause of our Pardon , Justification , Righteousness , Adoption , Sanctification and Salvation , &c. as is opened . 5. Christ did not suffer all in kind ( much less in duration ) which sinful man deserved to suffer : As e. g. 1. He was not hated of God ; 2. Nor deprived or deserted of the sanctifying Spirit , and so of its Graces and Gods Image ; Nor had 3. any of that permitted penalty by which sin it self is a misery and punishment to the sinner . 4. He fell not under the Power of the Devil as a deceiver and ruler , as the ungodly do . 5. His Conscience did not accuse him of sin , and torment him for it . 6. He did not totally despair of ever being saved . 7. The fire of Hell did not torment his body . More such instances may be given for proof . 6. Christ did not perform all the same obedience in kind , which many men , yea all men , are or were bound to perform . As 1. He did not dress and keep that Garden which Adam was commanded to dress and keep . 2. He did not the conjugal offices which Adam , and millions more , were bound to . 3. Nor the Paternal Offices to Children . 4. Nor all the offices of a King on Earth , or Magistrate : nor of a Servant , &c. Nor the duty of the Sick. 5. He did not repent of sin , nor turn from it to God , nor mortifie or resist in himself any sinful lust ; nor receive a Saviour by Faith , nor was circumcised or baptized for the Remission of his sins ; nor loved God or thanked him for redeeming or pardoning him ; nor obeyed God in the use of any Ordinance or Means , for the subduing of sin , and healing or saving of his Soul from any sin or deserved wrath of God ; with much more such . 7. Christ did perform much which no man else was bound to do : As to redeem Souls , to work his Miracles and the rest of the works , peculiar to the Mediator . 8. That Law which bound us to Suffering , ( or made it our due ) bound not Christ to it , ( as being innocent ) ; But he was bound to it by the Fathers Law of Mediator , and by his own voluntary sponsion . 9. The Law obliging every sinner himself to suffer , was not fulfilled by the Suffering of Christ our Sponsor : But only the Lawgiver satisfied by attaining its Ends. For neither the letter nor sence of it said , [ If thou sin , thou or thy surety shall suffer . ] 10. Christ satisfied Justice and obeyed in Humane Nature , which also was Holy in him . 11. He did not this as a Natural Root , or Head to man , as Adam was ; to convey Holiness or Righteousness by natural propagation , as Adam should have done ; and did by sin : For Christ had no Wife or natural Children ; But as a Head , by Contract as a Husband to a Wife , and a King to a Kingdom , and a Head of Spiritual Influx . 12. No as being Actually such a Head to the Redeemed when he Obeyed and Suffered ; but as a Head by Aptitude and Office , Power and Virtue , who was to become a Head actually to every one when they Believed and Consented ; Being before a Head for them , and over those that did exist , but not a Head to them , in act . 13. Therefore they were not Christs members Political , ( much less Natural ) when he obeyed and died . 14. A Natural Head being but a part of a person , what it doth the Person doth . But seeing a Contracted Head , and all the members of his Body Contracted or Politick , are every one a distinct Person , it followeth not that each person did really or reputatively what the Head did . Nay it is a good consequence that [ If he did it as Head , they did it not ( numerically ) as Head or Members . ] 15. Christ Suffered and Obeyed in the Person of the Mediator between God and man ; and as a subject to the Law of Mediation . 16. Christ may be said to suffer in the person of a sinner , as it meaneth his own person reputed and used as a sinner by his persecutors , and as he was one who stood before God as an Undertaker to suffer for Man's sin . 17. Christ suffered in the place and stead of sinners , that they might be delivered , though in the person of a Sponsor . 18. When we are agreed that the Person of the Sponsor , and of every particular sinner are divers ; and that Christ had not suffered , if we had not sinned , and that he as a Sponsor suffered in our stead , and so bore the punishment , which not he , but we deserved ▪ If any will here instead of a Mediator or Sponsor call him our Representative , and say that he suffered even in all our Persons reputatively not simpliciter , but secunduùm quid , & in tantum only ; that is , not representing our Persons simply and in all respects , and to all ends , but only so far as to be a sacrifice for our sins , and suffer in our place and stead what he suffered ; we take this to be but lis de nomine , a question about the name and words : And we will not oppose any man that thinketh those words fittest , as long as we agree in the matter signified . And so many Protestant Divines say that Christ suffered in the person of every sinner , ( at least Elect , ) that is , so far only and to such effects . 19. Christ did not suffer strictly , simply ▪ absolutely , in the person of any one elect sinner , much less in the millions of persons of them all , in Law-sence , or in Gods esteem . God did not esteem Christ to be naturally , or as an absolute Representer , David , Manasseh , Paul , and every such other sinner , but only a Mediator that suffered in their stead . 20. God did make Christ to be sin for us ; that is , A Sacrifice for our sin , and one that by Man was reputed , and by God and Man was used , as sinners are , and deserve to be . 21. Christ was not our Delegate in Obeying or Suffering : We did not commission him , or depute him to do what he did in our stead : But he did it by God's Appointment and his own Will. 22. Therefore he did it on God's terms , and to what effects it pleased God , and not on our terms , nor to what effects we please . 23. God did not suppose or repute Christ , to have committed all or any of the sins which we all committed , nor to have had all the wickedness in his nature which was in ours , nor to have deserved what we deserved : Nor did he in this proper sence impute our sins to Christ . 24. The false notion of God's strict imputing all our sins to Christ , and esteeming him the greatest sinner in the World , being so great a Blasphemy both against the Father and the Son , it is safest in such Controversies to hold to the plain and ordinary words of Scripture . And it is not the Wisdom nor Impartiality of some men , who greatly cry up the Scripture perfection , and decry the addition of a Ceremony or Form in the Worship of God ; that yet think Religion is endangered , if our Confession use not the phrases of [ God 's Imputing our sin to Christ , and his Imputing Christ's Righteousness to us ] when neither of them is in the Scripture ; As if all God's Word were not big or perfect enough to make us a Creed or Confession in such phrases as it is fit for Christians to take up with ▪ Countenancing the Papists , whose Faith is swelled to the many Volumes of the Councils , and no man can know how much more is to be added , and when we have all . 25. God doth not repute or account us to have suffered in our Natural persons what Christ suffered for us , nor Christ to have suffered in our Natural persons . 26. Though Christ suffered in our stead , and in a large sence , to certain uses and in some respects , as the Representer , or in the Persons of sinners ; yet did he not so far represent their persons in his Habitual Holiness and Actual Obedience ( no not in the Obedience of his Suffering , ) as he did in the suffering it self . He obeyed not in the Person of a sinner , much less of millions of sinners ; which were to say , In the person of sinners he never sinned . He suffered , to save us from suffering ; but he obeyed not to save us from obeying , but to bring us to Obedience . Yet his Perfection of Obedience had this end , that perfect Obedience might not be necessary in us to our Justification and Salvation . 27. It was not we our selves who did perfectly obey , or were perfectly holy , or suffered for sin in the Person of Christ , or by Him : Nor did we ( Naturally or Morally ) merit our own Salvation by obeying in Christ ; nor did we satisfie Gods Justice for our sins , nor purchase pardon of Salvation to our selves , by our Suffering in and by Christ ; All such phrase and sence is contrary to Scripture . But Christ did this for us . 28. Therefore God doth not repute us to have done it , seeing it is not true . 29. It is impossible for the individual formal Righteousness of Christ , to be our Formal personal Righteousness . Because it is a Relation and Accident , which cannot be translated from subject to subject , and cannot be in divers subjects the same . 30. Where the question is , Whether Christs Material Righteousness , that is , his Habits , Acts and Sufferings themselves , be Ours , we must consider how a man can have Propriety in Habits , Acts and Passions who is the subject of them : and in Actions , who is the Agent of them . To Give the same Individual Habit or Passion to another , is an Impossibility , that is , to make him by Gift the subject of it . For it is not the same , if it be in another subject . To make one man really or physically to have been the Agent of anothers Act , even that Individual Act , if he was not so , is a contradiction and impossibility ; that is , to make it true , that I did that which I did not . To be ours by Divine Imputation , cannot be , to be ours by a false Reputation , or supposition that we did what we did not : For God cannot err or lie . There is therefore but one of these two ways left , Either that we our selves in person , truly had the habits which Christ had , and did all that Christ did , and suffered all that he suffered , and so satisfied and merited Life in and by him , as by an Instrument , or Legal Representer of our persons in all this ; Which I am anon to Confute : or else , That Christs Satisfaction , Righteousness , and the Habits , Acts and Sufferings in which it lay , are imputed to us , and made ours ; not rigidly in the very thing it self , but in the Effects and Benefits ; In as much as we are as really Pardoned , Justified , Adopted by them , as the Meritorious cause , by the instrumentality of the Covenants Donation , as if we our selves had done and suffered all that Christ did , as a Mediator and Sponsor , do and suffer for us : I say , As really and certainly , and with a fuller demonstration of Gods Mercy and Wisdom , and with a sufficient demonstration of his Justice . But not that our propriety in the benefits is in all respects the same , as it should have been if we had been , done , and suffered our selves what Christ did . Thus Christs Righteousness is ours . 31. Christ is truly The Lord our Righteousness ; in more respects than one or two : 1. In that he is the meritorious Cause of the Pardon of all our sins , and our full Justification , Adoption , and right to Glory : and by his Satisfaction and Merits only , our Justification by the Covenant of Grace against the Curse of the Law of Works is purchased . 2. In that he is the Legislator , Testator and Donor of our Pardon , and Justification by this new-Testament or Covenant . 3. In that he is the Head of Influx , and King and Intercessor , by and from whom the Spirit is given , to sanctifie us to God , and cause us sincerely to perform the Conditions of the Justifying and saving Covenant , in Accepting and Improving the mercy then given . 4. In that he is the Righteous Judge and Justifyer of Believers by sentence of Judgment . In all these Respects he is The Lord our Righteousness . 32. We are said to be made the Righteousness of God in him : 1. In that , as he was used like a sinner for us , ( but not esteemed one by God ) so we are used like Innocent persons so far as to be saved by him . 2. In that through his Merits , and upon our union with him , when we believe and consent to his Covenant , we are pardoned and justified , and so made Righteous really , that is , such as are not to be condemned but to be glorified . 3. In that the Divine Nature and Inherent Righteousness ▪ to them that are in him by Faith , are for his Merits , given by the Holy Ghost . 4. In that God's Justice and Holiness Truth , Wisdom , and Mercy , are all wonderfully demonstrated in this way of pardoning and justifying sinners by Christ . Thus are we made the Righteousness of God in him . 31. For Righteousness to be imputed to us , is all one as to be accounted Righteous , Rom. 4.6 , 11. notwithstanding that we be not Righteous as fulfillers of the Law of Innocency . 34. For Faith to be imputed to us for Righteousness , Rom. 4.22 , 23 , 24. is plainly meant , that God who under the Law of Innocency required perfect Obedience , of us to our Justification and Glorification , upon the satisfaction and merits of Christ , hath freely given a full Pardon and Right to Life , to all true Believers ; so that now by the Covenant of Grace nothing is required of us , to our Justification , but Faith : all the rest being done by Christ : And so Faith in God the Father , Son and Holy Ghost , is reputed truly to be the condition on our part , on which Christ and Life , by that Baptismal Covenant , are made ours . 35. Justification , Adoption , and Life eternal are considered ; 1. Quoad ipsam rem , as to the thing it self in value . 2. Quoad , Ordinem Conferendi & Recipiendi , as to the order and manner of Conveyance and Participation . In the first respect , It is a meer free-gift to us , purchased by Christ : In the second respect , It is a Reward to Believers , who thankfully accept the free-Gift according to its nature and uses . 36. It is an error contrary to the scope of the Gospel to say , that the Law of Works , or of Innocency , doth justifie us , as performed either by our selves , or by Christ . For that Law condemneth and curseth us ; And we are not efficiently justified by it , but from or against it . 37. Therefore we have no Righteousness in Reality or Reputation formally ours , which consisteth in the first species ; that is , in a Conformity to the Preceptive part of the Law of Innocency ; we are not reputed Innocent : But only a Righteousness which consisteth in Pardon of all sin , and right to life , ( with sincere performance of the Condition of the Covenant of Grace , that is , True Faith. ) 38. Our pardon puts not away our Guilt of Fact or Fault , but our Guilt of , or , obligation to Punishment . God doth not repute us such as never sinned , or such as by our Innocency merited Heaven , but such as are not to be damned , but to be glorified , because pardoned and adopted through the Satisfaction and Merits of Christ . 39. Yet the Reatus Culpae is remitted to us Relatively as to the punishment , though not in it self ; that is , It shall not procure our Damnation : Even as Christ's Righteousness is , though not in it self , yet respectively as to the Benefits said to be made ours , in as much as we shall have those benefits by it . 40. Thus both the Material and the Formal Righteousness of Christ are made ours ; that is , Both the Holy Habits and Acts , and his Sufferings , with the Relative formal Righteousness of his own Person , because these are altogether one Meritorious cause of our Justification , commonly called the Material Cause . Obj. But though Forma Denominat ; yet if Christs Righteousness in Matter and Form , be the Meritorious Cause of ours , and that be the same with the Material Cause , it is a very tolerable speech to say , that His Righteousness is Ours in it self , while it is the very matter of ours . Ans . 1. When any man is Righteous Immediately by any action , that action is called the Matter of his Righteousness , in such an Analogical sense as Action , an Accident may be called Matter , because the Relation of Righteous is founded or subjected first or partly in that Action . And so when Christ perfectly obeyed , it was the Matter of his Righteousness . But to be Righteous and to Merit are not all one notion : Merit is adventitious to meer Righteousness . Now it is not Christs Actions in themselves that our Righteousness resulteth from immediately as his own did ; But there is first his Action , then his formal Righteousness thereby ; and thirdly , his Merit by that Righteousness which goes to procure the Covenant-Donation of Righteousnass to us , by which Covenant we are efficiently made Righteous . So that the name of a Material Cause is much more properly given to Christs Actions , as to his own formal Righteousness , than as to ours . But yet this is but de nomine . 2. Above all , consider what that Righteousness is which Christ merited for us , ( which is the heart of the Controversie . ) It is not of the same species or sort with his own . His Righteousness was a perfect sinless Innocency , and Conformity to the preceptive part of the Law of Innocency in Holiness . Ours is not such . The dissenters think it is such by Imputation , and here is the difference . Ours is but in respect to the second or retributive part of the Law ; a Right to Impunity and Life , and a Justification not at all by that Law , but from its curse or condemnation . The Law that saith , Obey perfectly and live , sin and die , doth not justifie us as persons that have perfectly obeyed it , really or imputatively ▪ But its obligation to punishment is dissolved , not by it self , but by the Law of Grace . It is then by the Law of Grace that we are judged and justified . According to it , 1. We are not really or reputatively such as have perfectly fulfilled all its Precepts : 2. But we are such as by Grace do sincerely perform the Condition of its promise . 3. By which promise of Gift , we are such as have right to Christs own person , in the Relation and Union of a Head and Saviour , and with him the pardon of all our sins , and the right of Adoption to the Spirit , and the Heavenly Inheritance as purchased by Christ . So that besides our Inherent or Adherent Righteousness of sincere Faith , Repentance and Obedience , as the performed condition of the Law of Grace , we have no other Righteousness our selves , but Right to Impunity and to Life : and not any imputed sinless Innocency at all . God pardoneth our sins and adopteth us , for the sake of Christ's sufferings and perfect Holiness : But he doth not account us perfectly Holy for it , nor perfectly Obedient . So that how-ever you will call it , whether a Material Cause or a Meritorious , the thing is plain . Obj. He is made of God Righteousness to us . Ans . True : But that 's none of the question . But how is he so made ? 1. As he is made Wisdom , Sanctification and Redemption as aforesaid . 2. By Merit , Satisfaction , Direction , Prescription and Donation . He is the Meritorious Cause of our Pardon , of our Adoption , of our Right to Heaven , of that new Covenant which is the Instrumental Deed of Gift , confirming all these : And he is also our Righteousness in the sense that Austin so much standeth on , as all our Holiness and Righteousness of Heart and Life , is not of our natural endeavour , but his gift , and operation by his Spirit ; causing us to obey his Holy precepts and Example . All these ways he is made of God our Righteousness : Besides the Objective way of sense ; as he is Objectively made our Wisdom , because it is the truest wisdom to know him ; So he is objectively made our Righteousness , in that it is that Gospel-Righteousness which is required of our selves , by his grace , to believe in him and obey him . 41. Though Christ fulfilled not the Law by Habitual Holiness and Actual Obedience , strictly in the Individual person of each particular sinner ; yet he did it in the nature of Man : And so humane nature , ( considered in specie , and in Christ personally , though not considered as a totum , or as personally in each man , ) did satisfie and fullfil the Law and Merit . As Humane Nature sinned in Adam actually in specie , and in his individual person , and all our Persons were seminally and virtually in him , and accordingly sinned , or are reputed sinners , as having no nature but what he conveyed who could convey no better than he had ( either as to Relation or Real quality ) : But not that God reputed us to have been actually existent , as really distinct persons in Adam ( which is not true . ) Even so Christ obeyed and suffered in our Nature , and in our nature as it was in him ; and humane sinful nature in specie was Universally pardoned by him and Eternal life freely given to all men for his merits , thus far imputed to them , their sins being not imputed to hinder this Gift ; which is made in and by the Covenant of Grace : Only the Gift hath the Condition of mans Acceptance of it according to its nature , 2 Cor. 5.19 , 20. And all the individuals that shall in time by Faith accept the Gift , are there and thereby made such as the Covenant for his merits doth justifie , by that General Gift . 42. As Adam was a Head by Nature , and therefore conveyed Guilt by natural Generation ; so Christ is a Head ( not by nature but ) by Sacred Contract ; and therefore conveyeth Right to Pardon , Adoption and Salvation , not by Generation , but by Contract , or Donation . So that what it was to be naturally in Adam , seminally and virtually , though not personlly in existence ; even that it is , in order to our benefit by him to be in Christ by Contract or the new Covenant , virtually , though not in personal existence when the Covenant was made . 43. They therefore that look upon Justification or Righteousness , as coming to us immediately by Imputation of Christs Righteousness to us , without the Instrumental Intervention and Conveyance or Collation by this Deed of Gift or Covenant , do confound themselves by confounding and overlooking the Causes of our Justification . That which Christ did by his merits was to procure the new Covenant . The new Covenant is a free Gift of pardon and life with Christ himself , for his merits and satisfaction sake . 44. Though the Person of the Mediator be not really or reputatively the very person of each sinner , ( nor so many persons as there are sinners or believers , ) yet it doth belong to the Person of the Mediator , so far ( limitedly ) to bear the person of a sinner , and to stand in the place of the Persons of all Sinners , as to bear the punishment they deserved , and to suffer for their sins . 45. Scripture speaking of moral matters , usually speaketh rather in Moral than meer Physical phrase : And in strict Physical sence , Christs very personal Righteousness ( Material or Formal ) is not so given to us , as that we are proprietors of the very thing it self , but only of the effects ( Pardon , Righteousness and Life , ) yet in a larger Moral phrase that very thing is oft said to be given to us , which is given to another , or done or suffered for our benefit . He that ransometh a Captive from a Conquerer , Physically giveth the Money to the Conquerer & not to the Captive , & giveth the Captive only the Liberty purchased : But morally and reputatively he is said to give the Money to the Captive , because he gave it for him . And it redeemeth him as well as if he had given it himself . He that giveth ten thousand pounds to purchase Lands , & freely giveth that land to another ; physically giveth the Money to the Seller only , and the Land only to the other . But morally and reputatively we content our selves with the metonymical phrase , and say , he gave the other ten thousand pound . So morally it may be said , that Christs Righteousness , Merits and Satisfaction , was given to us , in that the thing purchased by it was given to us ; when the Satisfaction was given or made to God. Yea when we said it was made to God , we mean only that he was passively the Terminus of active Satisfaction , being the party satisfyed ; but not that he himself was made the Subject and Agent of Habits and Acts , and Righteousness of Christ as in his humane nature , except as the Divine Nature acted it , or by Communication of Attributes . 46. Because the words [ Person ] and [ Personating ] and [ Representing ] are ambiguous ( as all humane language is , ) while some use them in a stricter sense than others do , we must try by other explicatory terms whether we agree in the matter , and not lay the stress of our Controversy upon the bare words . So some Divines say that Christ suffered in the Person of a sinner , when they mean not that he represented the Natural person of any one particular sinner ; but that his own Person was reputed the Sponsor of sinners by God , and that he was judged a real sinner by his persecuters ; and so suffered as if he had been a sinner . 47. As Christ is less improperly said to have Represented our Persons in his satisfactory Sufferings , than in his personal perfect Holiness and Obedience ; so he is less improperly said to have Represented all mankind as newly fallen in Adam , in a General sense , for the purchasing of the universal Gift of Pardon and Life , called , The new Covenant ; than to have Represented in his perfect Holiness and his Sufferings , every Believer considered as from his first being to his Death . Though it is certain that he dyed for all their sins from first to last . For it is most true , 1. That Christ is as a second Adam , the Root of the Redeemed ; And as we derive sin from Adam , so we derive life from Christ , ( allowing the difference between a Natural and a Voluntary way of derivation . ) And though no mans Person as a Person was actually existent and offended in Adam , ( nor was by God reputed to have been and done ) yet all mens Persons were Virtually and Seminally in Adam as is aforesaid ; and when they are existent persons , they are no better either by Relative Innocency , or by Physical Disposition , than he could propagate : and are truly and justly reputed by God to be Persons Guilty of Adams fact , so far as they were by nature seminally and virtually in him : And Christ the second Adam is in a sort the root of Man as Man , ( though not by propagation of us , yet ) as he is the Redeemer of Nature it self from destruction , but more notably the Root of Saints as Saints , who are to have no real sanctity but what shall be derived from him by Regeneration , as Nature and Sin is from Adam by Generation . But Adam did not represent all his posterity as to all the Actions which they should do themselves from their Birth to their Death ; so that they should all have been taken for perfectly obedient to the death , if Adam had not sinned at that time , yea or during his Life . For if any of them under that Covenant had ever sinned afterward in their own person , they should have died for it . But for the time past , they were Guiltless or Guilty in Adam , as he was Guiltless or Guilty himself , so far as they were in Adam : And though that was but in Causâ , & non extra causam ; Yet a Generating Cause which propagateth essence from essence , by self-multiplication of form , much differeth from an Arbitrary facient Cause in this . If Adam had obeyed , yet all his posterity had been nevertheless bound to perfect personal persevering Obedience on pain of Death . And Christ the second Adam so far bore the person of fallen Adam , and suffered in the nature and room of Mankind in General , as without any condition on their part at all ; to give man by an act of Oblivion or new Covenant a pardon of Adams sin , yea and of all sin past , at the time of their consent , though not disobliging them from all future Obedience . And by his perfect Holiness and Obedience and Sufferings , he hath merited that new Covenant , which Accepteth of sincere , though imperfect , Obedience , and maketh no more in us necessary to Salvation . When I say he did this without any Condition on mans part , I mean , He absolutely without Condition , merited and gave us the Justifying Testament or Covenant . Though that Covenant give us not Justification absolutely , but on Condition of believing , fiducial Consent . 2. And so as this Vniversal Gift of Justification upon Acceptance , is actually given to all fallen mankind as such ; so Christ might be said to suffer instead of all , yea and merit too , so far as to procure them this Covenant-gift . 48. The sum of all lyeth in applying the distinction of giving Christs Righteousness as such in it self , and as a cause of our Righteousness , or in the Causality of it . As our sin is not reputed Christs sin in it self , and in the culpability of it ( for then it must needs make Christ odious to God ) but in its Causality of punishment : so Christ's Material or Formal Righteousness , is not by God reputed to be properly and absolutely our own in it self as such , but the Causality of it as it produceth such and such effects . 49. The Objections which are made against Imputation of Christs Righteousness in the sound sense , may all be answered as they are by our Divines ; among whom the chiefest on this subject are Davenant de Justit . Habit & Actual . Johan . Crocius de Justif . Nigrinus de Impletione Legis , Bp. G. Dowman of Justif . Chamier , Paraeus , Amesius and Junius against Bellarm. But the same reasons against the unsound sence of Imputation are unanswerable . Therefore if any shall say concerning my following Arguments , that most of them are used , by Gregor . de Valent. by Bellarm. Becanus , or other Papists , or by Socinians , and are answered by Nigrin●s , Crocius , Davenant , &c. Such words may serve to deceive the simple that are led by Names and Prejudice ; but to the Intelligent they are contemptible , unless they prove that these objections are made by the Papists against the same sence of Imputation against which I use them , and that it is that sense which all those Protestants defend in answering them : For who-ever so answereth them , will appear to answer them in vain . 50. How far those Divines who do use the phrase of Christs suffering in our person , do yet limit the sense in their exposition , and deny that we are reputed to have fulfilled the Law in Christ : because it is tedious to cite many , I shall take up now with one , even Mr. Lawson in his Theopolitica , which ( though about the office of Faith he some-what differ from me ) I must needs call an excellent Treatise , as I take the Author to be one of the most Knowing men yet living that I know . ) Pardon me if I be large in transcribing his words . Pag. 100 , 101. [ If we enquire of the manner how Righteousness and Life is derived from Christ , being one unto so many , it cannot be , except Christ be a general Head of mankind , and one Person with them , as Adam was . We do not read of any but two who were general Heads , and in some respect virtually , All mankind ; the first and second Adam . — The principal cause of this Representation whereby he is one person with us , is the will of God , who as Lord made him such , and as Lawgiver and Judge did so account him . But , 2. How far is he One person with us ? Ans . 1. In general so far as it pleased God to make him so , and no further . 2. In particular , He and we are one so far 1. As to make him liable to the penalty of the Law for us . 2. So far as to free us from that obligation , and derive the benefit of his death to us . Though Christ be so far one with us as to be lyable unto the penalty of the Law , and to suffer it , and upon this suffering we are freed ; yet Christ is not the sinner , nor the sinner Christ . Christ is the Word made flesh , innocent without sin , an universal Priest and King : but we are none of these . Though we be accounted as one person in Law with him , by a Trope ; yet in proper sence it cannot be said that in Christ's Satisfying we satisfied for our own sins . For then we should have been the Word made flesh , able to plead Innocency , &c. All which are false , impossible , blasphemous if affirmed by any . It 's true , we are so one with him , that he satisfied for us , and the benefit of this Satisfaction redounds to us , and is communicable to all , upon certain termes ; though not actually communicated to all : From this Unity and Identity of person in Law ( if I may so speak ) it followeth clearly that Christ's sufferings were not only Afflictions , but Punishments in proper sense . — Pag. 102 , 103. That Christ died for all in some sence must needs be granted , because the Scripture expresly affirms it ( vid. reliqua . ) — There is another question unprofitably handled , Whether the Propitiation which includeth both Satisfaction and Merit , be to be ascribed to the Active or Passive Obedience of Christ ? Ans . 1. Both his Active , Personal , Perfect and Perpetual Obedience , which by reason of his humane nature assumed , and subjection unto God was due , and also that Obedience to the great and transcendent Command of suffering the death of the Cross , both concur as Causes of Remission and Justification . 2. The Scriptures usually ascribe it to the Blood , Death , & Sacrifice of Christ , and never to the Personal Active Obedience of Christ's to the Moral Law. 3. Yet this Active Obedience is necessary , because without it he could not have offered that great Sacrifice of himself without spot to God. And if it had not been without spot , it could not have been propitiatory and effectual for Expiation . 4. If Christ as our Surety had performed for us perfect and perpetual Obedience , so that we might have been judged to have perfectly and fully kept the Law by him , then no sin could have been chargeable upon us , and the Death of Christ had been needless and superfluous . 5. Christs Propitiation freeth the Believer not only from the obligation unto punishment of sense , but of loss ; and procured for him not only deliverance from evil deserved , but the enjoyment of all good necessary to our full happiness . Therefore , there is no ground of Scripture for that opinion , that the Death of Christ and his Sufferings free us from punishments , and by his Active Obedience imputed to us we are made righteous , and the heirs of life . 6. If Christ was bound to perform perfect and perpetual Obedience for us , and he also performed it for us , then we are freed not only from sin , but Obedience too : And this Obedience as distinct and separate from Obedience unto death , may be pleaded for Justification of Life , and will be sufficient to carry the Cause . For the tenor of the Law was this , Do this and live : And if man do this by himself or Surety , so as that the Lawgiver and supreme Judg accept it , the Law can require no more . It could not bind to perfect Obedience and to punishment too . There was never any such Law made by God or just men . Before I conclude this particular of the extent of Christs Merit and Propitiation , I thought good to inform the Reader , that as the Propitiation of Christ maketh no man absolutely , but upon certain terms pardonable and savable ; so it was never made , either to prevent all sin , or all punishments : For it presupposeth man both sinful and miserable : And we know that the Guilt and Punishment of Adams sin , lyeth heavy on all his posterity to this day . And not only that , but the guilt of actual and personal sins lyeth wholly upon us , whilest impenitent and unbelieving and so out of Christ . And the Regenerate themselves are not fully freed from all punishments till the final Resurrection and Judgment . So that his Propitiation doth not altogether prevent but remove sin and punishment by degrees . Many sins may be said to be Remissible by vertue of this Sacrifice , which never shall be remitted . ] So far Mr. Lawson . Here I would add only these Animadversions . 1. That whereas he explaineth Christs personating us in suffering by the similitude of a Debtor and his Surety who are the same person in Law : I note 1. That the case of Debt much differeth from the case of Punishment . 2. That a Surety of Debt is either antecedently such , or consequently : Antecedently , either first one that is bound equally with the Debtor ; 2. or one that promiseth to pay if he do not . I think the Law accounteth neither of these to be the Person of the principal Debtor ( as it doth a Servant by whom he sends the Debt . ) But Christ was neither of these : For the Law did not beforehand oblige him with us , nor did he in Law-sence undertake to pay the Debt , if we failed . Though God decreed that he should do so ; yet that was no part of the sence of the Law. But consequently , if a friend of the Debtor when he is in Jayl will , without his request or knowledg , say to the Creditor , I will pay you all the Debt ; but so that he shall be in my power , and not have present liberty ( lest he abuse it ) but on the terms that I shall please ; yea not at all if he ungratefully reject it ] This Consequent Satisfyer , or Sponsor , or Paymaster , is not in Law-sence the same Person with the Debtor : But if any will call him so , I will not contend about a word , while we agree of the thing ( the terms of deliverance . ) And this is as near the Case between Christ and us , as the similitude of a Debtor will allow . 2. I do differ from Mr. Lawson and Paraeus , and Vrsine , and Olevian , and Scultetus and all that sort of worthy Divines in this ; that whereas they make Christs Holiness and perfect Obedience to be but Justitia personae , necessary to make his Sacrifice spotless and so effectual : I think that of it self it is as directly the cause of our Pardon , Justification and Life , as Christs Passion is ; The Passion being satisfactory and so meritorious , and the personal Holiness Meritorious and so Satisfactory . For the truth is , The Law that condemned us ▪ was not fulfilled by Christs suffering for us , but the Lawgiver satisfied instead of the fulfilling of it : And that Satisfaction lyeth , in the substitution of that which as fully ( or more ) attaineth the ends of the Law as our own suffering would have done . Now the ends of the Law may be attained by immediate Merit of Perfection as well as by Suffering ; but best by both . For 1. By the perfect Holiness and Obedience of Christ , the Holy and perfect will of God is pleased : whence [ This is my beloved Son , in whom I am well pleased . ] 2. In order to the ends of Government , Holiness and perfect Obedience , is honoured and freed from the contempt which sin would cast upon it ; and the holiness of the Law in its Precepts is publickly honoured in this grand Exemplar ; In whom only the will of God was done on Earth , as it is done in Heaven . And such a Specimen to the World is greatly conducible to the ends of Government : So that Christ voluntarily taking humane nature , which as such is obliged to this Perfection , He first highly merited of God the Father hereby , and this with his Suffering , went to attain the ends that our suffering should have attained , much better . So that at least as Meritorious , if not secondarily as satisfactory , I see not but Christs Holiness procureth the Justifying Covenant for us , equally with his Death . A Prince may pardon a Traitor for some noble service of his Friend , as well as for his suffering : much more for both . This way go Grotius de satisf . Mr. Bradshaw and others . 3. When Mr Lawson saith that the Law binds not to Obedience and Punishment both , he meaneth as to the same Act : which contradicts not what Nigrinus and others say , that it binds a sinner to punishment for sin past , and yet to Obedience for the time to come : ( which cannot be entire and perfect . ) So pag. 311. Cap. 22. Qu. 2. Whether there be two parts of Justification , Remission and Imputation of Christs Righteousness . 1. He referreth us to what is aforecited against Imputation of Christs Active Righteousness , separated or abstracted for Reward from the Passive . 2. He sheweth that Paul taketh Remission of sin and Imputation of Righteousness for the same thing . ] So say many of ours . In conclusion I will mind the Reader , that by reading some Authors for Imputation , I am brought to doubt whether some deny not all true Remission of sin , that is , Remission of the deserved punishment . Because I find that by Remission they mean A non-Imputation of sin under the formal notion of sin ; that God taketh it not to be our sin , but Christs ; and Christs Righteousness and perfection to be so ours , as that God accounteth us not as truly sinners . And so they think that the Reatus Culpae as well as Poenae simply in it self is done away . Which if it be so , then the Reatus Poenae , the obligation to punishment , or the dueness of punishment , cannot be said to be dissolved or remitted , because it was never contracted . Where I hold , that it is the Reatus ad Poenam , the Dueness of punishment only that is remitted , and the guilt of sin not as in it self , but in its Causality of punishment . And so in all common language , we say we forgive a man his fault , when we forgive him all the penalty positive and privative . Not esteeming him , 1. Never to have done the fact . 2. Or that fact not to have been a fault , and his fault ; 3. but that punishment for that fault , is forgiven him , and the fault so far as it is a cause of punishment . We must not feign God to judg falsly . This maketh me think of a saying of Bp. Vshers to me , when I mentioned the Papists placing Justification and Remission of sin conjunct , he told me that the Papists ordinarily acknowledg no Remission . And on search I find that Aquinas and the most of them place no true Remission of sin , in Justification : For by Remission ( which they make part of Justification , ) they mean Mortification , or destroying sin it self in the act or habit . But that the pardon of the punishment is a thing that we all need , is not denyable ; nor do they deny it , though they deny it to be part of our Justification . For it 's strange if they deny Christ the pardoning power which they give the Pope . And as Joh. Crocius de Justif . oft tells them , They should for shame grant that Christs Righteousness may be as far imputed to us , as they say a Saints or Martyrs redundant merits and supererogations are . But if the Guilt of Fact and Guilt of Fault in it self considered , be not both imputed first to us , that is , If we be not judged sinners , I cannot see how we can be judged Pardoned sinners ; For he that is judged to have no sin , is judged to deserve no punishment . Unless they will say that to prevent the form and desert of sin , is eminenter , though not formaliter , to forgive . But it is another ( even Actual ) forgiveness which we hear of in the Gospel , and pray for daily in the Lords prayer . Of all which see the full Scripture-proof in Mr. Hotchkis of Forgiveness of sin . CHAP. III. A further explication of the Controversie . Yet I am afraid lest I have not made the state of the Controversie plain enough to the unexercised Reader , and lest the very explicatory distinctions and propositions , though needful and suitable to the matter , should be unsuitable to his capacity ; I will therefore go over it again in a shorter way , and make it as plain as possibly I can ; being fully perswaded , that it is not so much Argumentation , as help to understand the matter , and our own and other mens ambiguous words , that is needful to end our abominable Contentions . § 1. THE Righteousness of a Person is formally a moral Relation of that Person . § 2. This moral Relation , is the Relation of that person to the Rule by which he is to be judged . § 3. And it is his Relation to some Cause , or supposed Accusation or Question to be decided by that judgment . § 4. The Rule of Righteousness here is Gods Law , naturally or supernaturally made known . § 5. The Law hath a Preceptive part , determining what shall be due from us , and a Retributive part determining what shall be due to us . § 6. The Precept instituting Duty , our Actions and Dispositions , which are the Matter of that duty , are physically considered , conform or disconform to the Precept . § 7. Being Physically , they are consequently so Morally considered , we being Moral Agents , and the Law a Rule of Morality . § 8. If the Actions be righteous or unrighteous , consequently the Person is so , in reference to those Actions , supposing that to be his Cause , or the Question to be decided . § 9. Unrighteousness as to this Cause , is Guilt , or Reatus Culpae ; and to be unrighteous is to be Sons , or Guilty of sin . § 10. The Retributive part of the Law is , 1. Premiant , for Obedience ; 2. Penal , for Disobedience . § 11. To be Guilty or Unrighteous as to the reward , is , to have no right to the reward ( that being supposed the Question in judgment ) : And to be Righteous here , is to have right to the reward . § 12. To be Guilty as to the penalty ; is to be jure puniendus , or Reus poenae , or obligatus ad poenam . And to be righteous here , is to have Right to impunity , ( quoad poenam damni & sensus . ) § 13. The first Law made personal , perfect , persevering Innocency both mans duty , and the Condition of the Reward and Impunity , and any sin the condition of punishment . § 14. Man broke this Law , and so lost his Innocency , and so the Condition became naturally impossible to him , de futuro . § 15. Therefore that Law as a Covenant , that is , the Promissory part with its Condition , ceased ; cessante capacitate subditi ; and so did the preceptive part . 1. As it commanded absolute Innocency ( of act and habit . ) 2. And as it commanded the seeking of the Reward on the Condition and by the means of personal Innocency . The Condition thus passing into the nature of a sentence ; And punishment remaining due for the sin . § 16. But the Law remained still an obliging Precept for future perfect Obedience , and made punishment due for all future sin : and these two parts of it , as the Law of lapsed Nature , remained in force , between the first sin , and the new-Covenant promise or Law of Grace . § 17. The eternal Word interposing , a Mediator is promised , and Mercy maketh a Law of Grace , and the Word becometh mans Redeemer by undertaking , and by present actual reprieve , pardon and initial deliverance : and the fallen world , the miserable sinners , with the Law and obligations which they were under , are now become the Redemers jure Redemptionis , as before they were the Creator's jure Creationis . § 18. The Redeemers Law then hath two parts ; 1. The said Law of lapsed nature ( binding to future perfect obedience or punishment ) which he found man under ( called vulgarly the Moral Law. ) 2. And a pardoning Remedying Law of Grace . § 19. Because man had dishonoured God and his Law by sin , the Redeemer undertook to take mans nature without sin , and by perfect Holiness and Obedience ▪ and by becoming a Sacrifice for sin , to bring that Honour to God and his Law which we should have done , and to attain the Ends of Law and Government instead of our Perfection or Punishment , that for the Merit hereof we might be delivered and live . § 20. This he did in the third person of a Mediator , who as such had a Law or Covenant proper to himself , the Conditions of which he performed , ( by perfect keeping . 1. The Law of Innocency ; 2. Of Moses ; 3. And that proper to himself alone ) and so merited all that was promised to him , for Himself and Us. § 21. By his Law of Grace ( as our Lord-Redeemer ) he gave first to all mankind ( in Adam , and after in Noah , and by a second fuller edition at his Incarnation ) a free Pardon of the destructive punishment ( but not of all punishment ) with right to his Spirit of Grace , Adoption and Glory , in Union with Himself their Head , on Condition initially of Faith and Repentance , and progressively of sincere Obedience to the end , to be performed by his Help or Grace . § 22. By this Law of Grace ( supposing the Law of lapsed nature aforesaid , inclusively ) all the World is ruled , and shall be judged , according to that edition of it ( to Adam or by Christ ) which they are under . And by it they shall be Justified or Condemned . § 23. If the question then be , Have you kept or not kept the Conditions of the Law of Grace , Personal Performance or nothing must so far be our Righteousness , and not Christs keeping them for us , or Satisfaction for our not keeping them . And this is the great Case ( so oft by Christ described Mat. 7. & 25. &c. ) to be decided in judgment ; and therefore the word Righteous and Righteousness are used for what is thus personal hundreds of times in Scripture . § 24. But as to the question , Have we kept the Law of Innocency ? we must confess guilt and say , No : neither Immediately by our selves , nor Mediately by another , or Instrument : for Personal Obedience only is the performance required by that Law ; Therefore we have no Righteousness consisting in such Performance or Innocency ; but must confess sin , and plead a pardon . § 25. Therefore no man hath a proper Vniversal Righteousness , excluding all kind of Guilt whatsoever . § 26. Therefore no man is justified by the Law of Innocency ( nor the Law Mosaical as of works ; ) either by the Preceptive or Retributive part : for we broke the Precept , and are by the Threatning heirs of death . § 27. That Law doth not justifie us , because Christ fulfilled it for us : For it said not ( in words or sense ) [ Thou or one for thee shall Perfectly Obey , or Suffer : ] It mentioned no Substitute : But it is the Law-giver ( and not that Law ) that justifieth us by other means . § 28. But we have another Righteousness imputed to us instead of that Perfect Legal Innocency and Rewardableness , by which we shall be accepted of God , and glorified at last as surely and fully ( at least ) as if we had never sinned , or had perfectly kept that Law ; which therefore may be called our Pro-legal Righteousness . § 29. But this Righteousness is not yet either OURS by such a propriety as a Personal performance would have bin , nor OURS to all the same ends and purposes : It saveth us not from all pain , death or penal desertion , nor constituteth our Relation just the same . § 30. It is the Law of Grace that Justifieth us , both as giving us Righteousness , and as Virtually judging us Righteous when it hath made us so , and it is Christ as Judg according , to that Law ( and God by Christ ) that will sentence us just , and executively so use us . § 31. The Grace of Christ first giveth us Faith and Repentance by effectual Vocation : And then the Law of Grace by its Donative part or Act doth give us a Right to Vnion with Christ as the Churches Head ( and so to his Body ) and with him a right to Pardon of past sin , and to the Spirit to dwell and act in us for the future , and to the Love of God , and Life eternal , to be ours in possession , if we sincerely obey and persevere . § 32. The total Righteousness then which we have ( as an Accident of which we are the Subjects , ) is 1. A right to Impunity , by the free Pardon of all our sins , and a right to Gods Favour and Glory , as a free gift quoad valorem , but as a Reward of our Obedience , quoad Ordinem conferendi & rationem Comparativam ( why one rather than another is judged meet for that free gift . ) 2. And the Relation of one that hath by grace performed the Condition of that free Gift , without which we had been no capable recipients : which is initially [ Faith and Repentance ] the Condition of our Right begun , and consequently , sincere Obedience and Perseverance ( the Condition of continued right . ) § 33. Christs personal Righteousness is no one of these , and so is not our Constitutive Righteousness formally and strictly so called : For Formally our Righteousness is a Relation , ( of right ; ) and it is the Relation of our own Persons : And a Relation is an accident : And the numerical Relation ( or Right ) of one person cannot be the same numerical Accident of another person as the subject . § 34. There are but three sorts of Causes ; Efficient , Constitutive , and Final . 1. Christ is the efficient cause of all our Righteousness : ( 1. Of our Right to Pardon and Life ; 2. And of our Gospel-Obedience : ) And that many waies : 1. He is the Meritorious Cause : 2. He is the Donor by his Covenant ; 3. And the Donor or Operator of our Inherent Righteousness by his Spirit : 4. And the moral efficient by his Word , Promise , Example , &c. 2. And Christ is partly the final cause . 3. But all the doubt is whether his personal Righteousness be the Constitutive Cause . § 35. The Constitutive Cause of natural bodily substances consisteth of Matter disposed , and Form. Relations have no Matter , but instead of Matter a Subject ( and that is Our own persons here , and not Christ . ) and a terminus and fundamentum . § 36. The Fundamentum may be called both the Efficient Cause of the Relation ( as commonly it is ) and the Matter from which it resulteth : And so Christs Righteousness is undoubtedly the Meritorious efficient Cause , and undoubtedly not the Formal Cause of our personal Relation of Righteousness : Therefore all the doubt is of the Material Cause . § 37. So that all the Controversie is come up to a bare name and Logical term , of which Logicians agree not as to the aptitude . All confess that Relations have no proper Matter , besides the subject : all confess that the Fundamentum is loco efficientis , but whether it be a fit name to call it the Constitutive Matter of a Relation , there is no agreement . § 38. And if there were , it would not decide this Verbal Controversie : For 1. Titulus est fundamentum Juris : The fundamentum of our Right to Impunity and Life in and with Christ , is the Donative act of our Saviour in and by his Law or Covenant of Grace : that is our Title ; And from that our Relation resulteth , the Conditio tituli vel juris being found in our selves . 2. And our Relation of Performers of that Condition of the Law of Grace , resulteth from our own performance as the fundamentum ( compared to the Rule . ) So that both these parts of our Righteousness have a nearer fundamentum than Christs personal Righteousness . § 39. But the Right given us by the Covenant ( and the Spirit and Grace ) being a Right merited first by Christs personal Righteousness , this is a Causa Causae , id est , fundamenti , seu Donationis : And while this much is certain , whether it shall be called a Remote fundamentum ( viz. Causa fundamenti ) and so a Remote Constitutive Material Cause , or only ( properly ) a Meritorious Cause , may well be left to the arbitrary Logician , that useeth such notions as he pleases ; but verily is a Controversie unfit to tear the Church for , or destroy Love and Concord by . § 40. Quest . 1. Is Christs Righteousness OVRS ? Ans . Yes ; In some sense , and in another not . § 41. Quest . 2. Is Christs Righteousness OVRS ? Ans . Yes ; In the sense before opened ; For all things are ours ; and his righteousness more than lower Causes . § 42. Quest . 3. Is Christs Righteousness OVRS as it was or is His own , with the same sort of propriety ? Ans . No. § 43. Quest . 4. Is the formal Relation of Righteous as an accident of our persons , numerically the same Righteousness ? Ans . No ; It is impossible : Unless we are the same person . § 44. Quest . 5. Is Christ and each Believer one political person ? Ans . A political person is an equivocal word : If you take it for an Office ( as the King or Judg is a political person ) I say , No : If for a Society , Yea ▪ But noxia & noxa caput sequuntur : True Guilt is an accident of natural persons , and of Societies only as constituted of such ; and so is Righteousness ; Though Physically Good or Evil may for society-sake , befal us without personal desert or consent . But if by [ Person ] you mean a certain State or Condition ( as to be a subject of God , or one that is to suffer for sin ) so Christ may be said to be the same person with us in specie , but not numerically ; because that Accident whence his Personality is named , is not in the same subject . § 45. Quest . 6. Is Christs Righteousness imputed to us ? Ans . Yes ; If by imputing you mean reckoning or reputing it ours , so far as is aforesaid , that is such a Cause of ours . § 46. Quest . 7. Are we reputed our selves to have fulfilled all that Law of Innocency in and by Christ , as representing our persons , as obeying by him ? Ans . No. § 47. Quest . 8. Is it Christs Divine , Habitual , Active or Passive Righteousness which Justifieth us ? Ans . All : viz , the Habitual , Active and Passive exalted in Meritoriousness by Union with the Divine . § 48. Quest . 9. Is it Christs Righteousness , or our Faith which is said to be imputed to us for Righteousness ? Rom. 4. Ans . 1. The text speaketh of imputing Faith , and by Faith is meant Faith , and not Christs Righteousness in the word : But that Faith is Faith in Christ and his Righteousness ; and the Object is quasi materia actus , and covenanted . 2. De re , both are Imputed : that is , 1. Christs Righteousness is reputed the meritorious , Cause . 2. The free-gift ( by the Covenant ) is reputed the fundamentum juris ( both opposed to our Legal Merit . ) 3. And our Faith is reputed the Conditio tituli , and all that is required in us to our Justification , as making us Qualified Recipients of the free-Gift merited by Christ . § 49. Quest . 10. Are we any way Justified by our own performed Righteousness ? Ans . Yes ; Against the charge of non-performance , ( as Infidels , Impenitent , Unholy , ) and so as being uncapable of the free-gift of Pardon and Life in Christ . CHAP. IV. The Reasons of our denying the fore-described rigid sence of Imputation . Though it were most accurate to reduce what we deny to several Propositions , and to confute each one argumentatively by it self , yet I shall now choose to avoid such prolixity ; and for brevity and the satisfaction of such as look more at the force of a Reason , than the form of the Argument , I shall thrust together our denyed Sence , with the manifold Reasons of our denyal . WE deny , that God doth so Impute Christs Righteousness to us , as to repute or account us to have been Holy with all that Habitual Holiness which was in Christ , or to have done all that he did in obedience to his Father , or in fulfilling the Law , or to have suffered all that he suffered , and to have made God satisfaction for our own sins , and merited our own Salvation and Justification , in and by Christ ; or that he was , did and suffered , and merited , all this strictly in the person of every sinner that is saved ; Or that Christs very individual Righteousness Material or Formal , is so made ours in a strict sense , as that we are Proprietors , Subjects , or Agents of the very thing it self simply and absolutely , as it is distinct from the effects ; or that Christs Individual Formal Righteousness , is made our Formal Personal Righteousness ; or that as to the effects , we have any such Righteousness Imputed to us , as formally ours , which consisteth in a perfect Habitual and Actual Conformity to the Law of Innocency ; that is , that we are reputed perfectly Holy and sinless , and such as shall be Justified by the Law of Innocency , which saith , Perfectly Obey and Live , or sin and die . ] All this we deny . Let him that will answer me , keep to my words , and not alter the sense by leaving any out . And that he may the better understand me , I add . 1. I take it for granted that the Law requireth Habitual Holiness as well as Actual Obedience , and is not fulfilled without both . 2. That Christ loved God and man with a perfect constant Love , and never sinned by Omission or Commission . 3. That Christ died not only for our Original sin , or sin before Conversion , but for all our sin to our lives end . 4. That he who is supposed to have no sin of Omission , is supposed to have done all his duty . 5. That he that hath done all his duty , is not condemnable by that Law , yea hath right to all the Reward promised on Condition of that duty . 6. By Christs Material Righteousness , I mean , those Habits , Acts and Sufferings in which his Righteousness did consist , or was founded . 7. By his and our Formal Righteousness , I mean the Relation it self of being Righteous . 8. And I hold that Christs Righteousness , did not only Numerically ( as aforesaid ) but also thus totâ specie , in kind differ from ours , that his was a perfect Habitual and Actual Conformity to the Law of Innocency , together with the peculiar Laws of Mediator-ship , by which he merited Redemption for us , and Glory for himself and us : But ours is the Pardon of sin , and Right of Life , Purchased , Merited and freely given us by Christ in and by a new Covenant , whose condition is Faith with Repentance , as to the gift of our Justification now , and sincere Holiness , Obedience , Victory and Perseverance as to our possession of Glory . Now our Reasons against the denyed sence of Imputation are these . 1. In general this opinion setteth up and introduceth all Antinomianism or Libertinism , and Ungodliness , and subverteth the Gospel and all true Religion and Morality . I do not mean that all that hold it , have such effects in themselves , but only that this is the tendency and consequence of the opinion : For I know that many see not the nature and consequences of their own opinions , and the abundance that hold damnable errors , hold them but notionally in a peevish faction , and therefore not dammingly , but hold practically , and effectually the contrary saving truth . And if the Papists shall perswade Men that our doctrine , yea their 's that here mistake , cannot consist with a godly life , let but the lives of Papists and Protestants be compared . Yea in one of the Instances before given ; Though some of the Congregational-party hold what was recited , yet so far are they from ungodly lives , that the greatest thing in which I differ from them is , the overmuch unscriptural strictness of some of them , in their Church-admissions and Communion , while they fly further from such as they think not godly , than I think God would have them do , being generally persons fearing God themselves : ( Excepting the sinful alienation from others , and easiness to receive and carry false reports of Dissenters , which is common to all that fall into sidings . ) But the errors of any men are never the better if they be found in the hands of godly men : For if they be practised they will make them ungodly . 2. It confoundeth the Person of the Mediator , and of the Sinner : As if the Mediator who was proclaimed the Beloved of the Father , and therefore capable of reconciling us to him , because he was still well-pleased in him , had ( not only suffered in the room of the sinner by voluntary Sponsion , but also ) in suffering and doing , been Civilly the very person of the sinner himself ; that sinner I say , who was an enemy to God , and so esteemed . 3. It maketh Christ to have been Civilly as many persons as there be elect sinners in the World : which is both beside and contrary to Scripture . 4. It introduceth a false sence and supposition of our sin imputed to Christ , as if Imputatively it were his as it is ours , even the sinful Habits , the sinful Acts , and the Relation of evil , Wicked , Vngodly and Vnrighteous which resulteth from them : And so it maketh Christ really hated of God : For God cannot but hate any one whom he reputeth to be truly ungodly , a Hater of God , an Enemy to him , a Rebel , as we all were : whereas it was only the Guilt of Punishment , and not of Crime , as such that Christ assumed : He undertook to suffer in the room of sinners ; and to be reputed one that had so undertaken ; But not to be reputed really a sinner , an ungodly person , hater of God , one that had the Image of the Devil . 5. Nay it maketh Christ to have been incomparably the worst man that ever was in the World by just reputation ; and to have been by just imputation guilty of all the sins of all the Elect that ever lived , and reputed one of the Murderers of himself , and one of the Persecutors of his Church , or rather many : and the language that Luther used Catechrestically , to be strictly and properly true . 6. It supposeth a wrong sence of the Imputation of Adams sin to his posterity : As if we had been justly reputed persons existent in his person , and so in him to have been persons that committed the same sin ; whereas we are only reputed to be now ( not then ) persons who have a Nature derived from him , which being then seminally only in him , deriveth by propagation an answerable Guilt of his sinful fact , together with natural Corruption . 7. It supposeth us to be Justifiable and Justified by the Law of Innocency , made to Adam , as it saith [ Obey perfectly and Live. ] As if we fulfilled it by Christ : which is not only an addition to the Scripture , but a Contradiction . For it is only the Law or Covenant of Grace that we are Justified by . 8. It putteth , to that end , a false sence upon the Law of Innocency : For whereas it commandeth Personal Obedience , and maketh Personal punishment due to the offender : This supposeth the Law to say or mean [ Either thou , or one for thee shall Obey ; or , Thou shalt obey by thy self , or by another : And if thou sin thou shalt suffer by thy self , or by another . Whereas the Law knew no Substitute or Vicar , no nor Sponsor ; nor is any such thing said of it in the Scripture : so bold are men in their additions . 9. It falsly supposeth that we are not Judged and Justified by the new Covenant or Law of Grace , but ( but is said ) by the Law of Innocency . 10. It fathereth on God an erring judgment , as if he reputed , reckoned or accounted things to be what they are not , and us , to have done what we did not . To repute Christ a Sponsor for sinners who undertook to obey in their natures , and suffer in their place and stead , as a Sacrifice to redeem them , is all just and true : And to repute us those for whom Christ did this . But to repute Christ to have been really and every one of us , or a sinner , or guilty of sin it self ; or to repute us to have been habitually as Good as Christ was , or actually to have done what he did , either Naturally or Civilly and by Him as our substitute , and to repute us Righteous by possessing his formal personal Righteousness in it self ; All these are untrue , and therefore not to be ascribed to God. To Impute it to us , is but to Repute us as verily and groundedly Righteous by his Merited and freely-Given Pardon , and Right to Life , as if we had merited it our selves . 11. It feigneth the same Numerical Accident [ their Relation of Righteousness ] which was in one subject to be in another , which is Impossible . 12. It maketh us to have satisfied Divine Justice for our selves , and merited Salvation ( and all that we receive ) for our selves , in and by another : And so that we may plead our own Merits with God for Heaven and all his benefits . 13. The very making and tenor of the new Covenant , contradicteth this opinion : For when God maketh a Law or Covenant , to convey the effects of Christs Righteousness to us , by degrees and upon certain Conditions , this proveth that the very Righteousness in it self simply was not ours : else we should have had these effects of it both presently and immediately and absolutely without new Conditions . 14. This opinion therefore maketh this Law of Grace , which giveth the benefits to us by these degrees and upon terms , to be an injury to Believers , as keeping them from their own . 15. It seemeth to deny Christs Legislation in the Law of Grace , and consequently his Kingly Office. For if we are reputed to have fulfilled the whole Law of Innocency in Christ , there is no business for the Law of Grace to do . 16. It seemeth to make internal Sanctification by the Spirit needless , or at least , as to one half of its use : For if we are by just Imputation in Gods account perfectly Holy , in Christs Holiness the first moment of our believing , nothing can be added to Perfection ; we are as fully Amiable in the sight of God , as if we were sanctified in our selves ; Because by Imputation it is all our own . 17. And so it seemeth to make our after-Obedience unnecessary , at least as to half its use : For if in Gods true account , we have perfectly obeyed to the death by another , how can we be required to do it all or part again by our selves ? If all the debt of our Obedience be paid , why is it required again ? 18. And this seemeth to Impute to God a nature less holy and at enmity to sin , than indeed he hath ; if he can repute a man laden with hateful sins , to be as perfecty Holy , Obedient and Amiable to him as if he were really so in himself , because another is such for him . 19. If we did in our own persons Imputatively what Christ did , I think it will follow that we sinned ; that being unlawful to us which was Good in him . It is a sin for us to be Circumcised , and to keep all the Law of Moses , and send forth Apostles , and to make Church-Ordinances needful to Salvation . Therefore we did not this in Christ : And if not this , they that distinguish and tell us what we did in Christ , and what not , must prove it . I know that Christ did somewhat which is a common duty of all men , and somewhat proper to the Jews , and somewhat proper to himself : But that one sort of men did one part in Christ , and another sort did another part in him , is to be proved . 20. If Christ suffered but in the Person of sinful man , his sufferings would have been in vain , or no Satisfaction to God : For sinful man is obliged to perpetual punishment ; of which a temporal one is but a small part : Our persons cannot make a temporal suffering equal to that perpetual one due to man : but the transcendent person of the Mediator did . Obj. Christ bore both his own person and ours : It belongeth to him as Mediator to personate the guilty sinner . Ans . It belongeth to him as Mediator to undertake the sinners punishment in his own person . And if any will improperly call that , the Personating and Representing of the sinner , let them limit it , and confess that it is not simply , but in tantum , so far , and to such uses and no other , and that yet sinners did it not in and by Christ , but only Christ for them to convey the benefits as he pleased ; And then we delight not to quarrel about mere words ; though we like the phrase of Scripture better than theirs . 21. If Christ was perfectly Holy and Obedient in our persons , and we in him , then it was either in the Person of Innocent man before we sinned , or of sinful man. The first cannot be pretended : For man as Innocent had not a Redeemer . If of sinful man , then his perfect Obedience could not be meritorious of our Salvation : For it supposeth him to do it in the person of a sinner : and he that hath once sinned , according to that Law , is the Child of death , and uncapable of ever fulfilling a Law , which is fulfilled with nothing but sinless perfect perpetual Obedience . Obj. He first suffered in our stead and persons as sinners , and then our sin being pardoned , he after in our persons fulfilled the Law , instead of our after-Obedience to it . Ans . 1. Christs Obedience to the Law was before his Death . 2. The sins which he suffered for , were not only before Conversion , but endure as long as our lives : Therefore if he fulfilled the Law in our persons after we have done sinning , it is in the persons only of the dead . 3. We are still obliged to Obedience our selves . Obj. But yet though there be no such difference in Time , God doth first Impute his sufferings to us for pardon of all our sins to the death , and in order of nature , his Obedience after it , as the Merit of our Salvation . Ans . 1. God doth Impute or Repute his sufferings the satisfying cause of our Pardon , and his Merits of Suffering and the rest of his Holiness and Obedience , as the meritorious cause of our Pardon and our Justification and Glory without dividing them . But 2. that implyeth that we did not our selves reputatively do all this in Christ : As shall be further proved . 22. Their way of Imputation of the Satisfaction of Christ , overthroweth their own doctrine of the Imputation of his Holiness and Righteousness . For if all sin be fully pardoned by the Imputed Satisfaction , then sins of Omission and of habitual Privation and Corruption are pardoned ; and then the whole punishment both of Sense and Loss is remitted : And he that hath no sin of Omission or Privation , is a perfect doer of his duty , and holy ; and he that hath no punishment of Loss , hath title to Life , according to that Covenant which he is reputed to have perfectly obeyed . And so he is an heir of life , without any Imputed Obedience upon the pardon of all his Disobedience . Obj. But Adam must have obeyed to the Death if he would have Life eternal : Therefore the bare pardon of his sins did not procure his right to life . Ans . True , if you suppose that only his first sin was pardoned : But 1. Adam had right to heaven as long as he was sinless . 2. Christ dyed for all Adams sins to the last breath , and not for the first only : And so he did for all ours . And if all the sins of omission to the death be pardoned , Life is due to us as righteous . Obj. A Stone may be sinless , and yet not righteous nor have Right to life . Ans . True : because it is not a capable subject . But a man cannot be sinless , but he is Righteous , and hath right to life by Covenant . Obj. But not to punish is one thing and to Reward is another ? Ans . They are distinct formal Relations and Notions : But where felicity is a Gift and called a Reward only for the terms and order of Collation , and where Innocency is the same with perfect Duty , and is the title-Condition ; there to be punished is to be denyed the Gift , and to be Rewarded is to have that Gift as qualified persons : and not to Reward , is materially to punish ; and to be reputed innocent is to be reputed a Meriter . And it is impossible that the most Innocent man can have any thing from God , but by way of free-Gift as to the Thing in Value ; however it may be merited in point of Governing Paternal Justice as to the Order of donation . Obj. But there is a greater Glory merited by Christ , than the Covenant of works promised to man. Ans . 1. That 's another matter , and belongeth not to Justification , but to Adoption . 2. Christs Sufferings as well as his Obedience , considered as meritorious , did purchase that greater Glory . 3. We did not purchase or merit it in Christ , but Christ for us . 23. Their way of Imputation seemeth to me to leave no place or possibility for Pardon of sin , or at least of no sin after Conversion . I mean , that according to their opinion who think that we fulfilled the Law in Christ as we are elect from eternity , it leaveth no place for any pardon : And according to their opinion who say that we fulfilled it in him as Believers , it leaveth no place for pardon of any sin after Faith. For where the Law is reputed perfectly fulfilled ( in Habit & Act ) there it is reputed that the person hath no sin . We had no sin before we had a Being ; and if we are reputed to have perfectly obeyed in Christ from our first Being , we are reputed sinless . But if we are reputed to have obeyed in him only since our believing , then we are reputed to have no sin since our Believing . Nothing excludeth sin , if perfect Habitual and Actual Holiness and Obedience do not . 24. And consequently Christs blood shed and Satisfaction is made vain , either as to all our lives , or to all after our 〈◊〉 believing . 25. And then no believer must confess his sin , nor his desert of punishment nor repent of it , or be humbled for it . 26. And then all prayer for the pardon of such sin is vain , and goeth upon a false supposition , that we have sin to pardon . 27. And then no man is to be a partaker of the Sacrament as a Conveyance or Seal of such pardon ; nor to believe the promise for it . 28. Nor is it a duty to give thanks to God or Christ for any such pardon . 29. Nor can we expect Justification from such guilt here or at Judgment . 30. And then those in Heaven praise Christ in errour , when they magnifie him that washed them from such sins in his blood . 31. And it would be no lie to say that we have no sin , at least , since believing . 32. Then no believer should fear sinning , because it is Impossible and a Contradiction , for the same person to be perfectly innocent to the death , and yet a sinner . 33. Then the Consciences of believers have no work to do , or at least , no examining , convincing , self-accusing and self-judging work . 34. This chargeth God by Consequence of wronging all believers whom he layeth the least punishment upon : For he that hath perfectly obeyed , or hath perfectly satisfied , by himself or by another in his person , cannot justly be punished . But I have elsewhere fully proved , that Death and other Chastisements are punishments , though not destructive , but corrective : And so is the permission of our further sinning . 35. It intimateth that God wrongeth believers , for not giving them immediately more of the Holy Ghost , and not present perfecting them and freeing them from all sin : For though Christ may give us the fruits of his own merits in the time and way that pleaseth himself ; yet if it be we our selves that have perfectly satisfied and merited in Christ , we have present Right to the thing merited thereupon , and it is an injury to deny it us at all . 36. And accordingly it would be an injury to keep them so long out of Heaven , if they themselves did merit it so long ago . 37. And the very Threatning of Punishment in the Law of Grace would seem injurious or incongruous , to them that have already reputatively obeyed perfectly to the death . 38. And there would be no place left for any Reward from God , to any act of obedience done by our selves in our natural or real person : Because having reputatively fulfilled all Righteousness , and deserved all that we are capable of by another , our own acts can have no reward . 39. And I think this would overthrow all Humane Laws and Government : For all true Governours are the Officers of God , and do what they do in subordination to God ; and therefore cannot justly punish any man , whom he pronounceth erfectly Innocent to the death . 40. This maketh every believer ( at least ) as Righteous as Christ himself , as having true propriety in all the same numerical Righteousness as his own . And if we be as Righteous as Christ , are we not as amiable to God ? And may we not go to God in our Names as Righteous ? 41. This maketh all believers ( at least ) equally Righteous in degree , and every one perfect , and no difference between them . David and Solomon as Righteous in the act of sinning as before , and every weak and scandalous believer , to be as Righteous as the best . Which is not true , though many say that Justification hath no degrees , but is perfect at first ; as I have proved in my Life of Faith and elsewhere . 42. This too much levelleth Heaven and Earth ; For in Heaven there can be nothing greater than perfection . 43. The Scripture no-where calleth our Imputed Righteousness by the name of Innocency , or sinless Perfection , nor Inculpability Imputed . Nay when the very phrase of Imputing Christs Righteousness is not there at all , to add all these wrong descriptions of Imputation , is such Additions to Gods words as tendeth to let in almost any thing that mans wit shall excogitate and ill beseemeth them , that are for Scripture-sufficiency and perfection , and against Additions in the general . And whether some may not say that we are Imputatively Christ himself , Conceived by the Holy Ghost ; Born of the Virgin Mary , suffered under Pontius Pilate , Crucified , &c. I cannot tell . To conclude , the honest plain Christian may without disquieting the Church or himself , be satisfied in this certain simple truth ; That we are sinners and deserve everlasting misery : That Christ hath suffered as a Sacrifice for our sins in our room and stead , and satisfied the Justice of God : That he hath by his perfect Holiness and Obedience with those sufferings , merited our pardon and Life : That he never hereby intended to make us Lawless have us Holy , but hath brought us under a Law of Grace : which is the Instrument by which he pardoneth , justifieth and giveth us Right to life : That by this Covenant he requireth of us Repentance and true Faith to our first Justification , and sincere Obedience , Holiness and Perseverance to our Glorification , to be wrought by his Grace and our Wills excited and enabled by it : That Christs Sufferings are to save us from suffering ; but his Holiness and Obedience are to merit Holiness , Obedience & Happiness for us , that we may be like him , and so be made personally amiable to God : But both his Sufferings and Obedience , do bring us under a Covenant , where Perfection is not necessary to our Salvation . CHAP. V. The Objections Answered . Obj. 1. YOV confound a Natural and a Political person : Christ and the several believing sinners are not the same natural Person , but they are the same Political . As are with us , saith Dr. Tullie , the Sponsor and the Debtor , the Attorney and the Clyent , the Tutor and the Pupil ; so are all the faithful in Christ , both as to their Celestial regenerate nature , of which he is the first Father , who begetteth sons by his Spirit and seed of the Word to his Image , and as to Righteousness derived by Legal Imputation . Vid. Dr. Tullie , Justif . Paul. p. 80 , 81. It 's commonly said that Christ as our surety is our Person . Ans . 1. The distinction of a Person into Natural and Political or Legal , is equivoci in sua equivocata : He therefore that would not have contention cherished and men taught to damn each other for a word not understood , must give us leave to ask what these equivocals mean. What a Natural Person signifieth , we are pretty well agreed ; but a Political Person is a word not so easily and commonly understood . Calvin tells us that Persona definitur homo qui caput habet civile . ( For omnis persona est homo , sed non vicissim : Homo cum est vocabulum naturae ; Persona juris civilis . ) And so ( as Albenius ) civitas , municipium , Castrum , Collegium , Vniversitas , & quod . libet corpus , Personae appellatione continetur , ut Spigel . But if this Definition be commensurate to the common nature of a civil person , then a King can be none ; nor any one that hath not a civil head . This therefore is too narrow . The same Calvin ( in n. Personae ) tells us , that Seneca Personam vocat , cum prae se fert aliquis , quod non est ; A Counterfeit : But sure this is not the sence of the Objectors . In general saith Calvin , Tam hominem quam qualitatem hominis , seu Conditionem significat . But it is not sure every Quality or Condition : Calvin therefore giveth us nothing satisfactory , to the decision of the Controversie which these Divines will needs make , whether each believer and Christ be the same Political Person . Martinius will make our Controversie no easier by the various significations gathered out of Vet. Vocab . Gel. Scaliger , Valla ; Which he thus enumerateth . 1. Persona est accidens conditio hominis , qualitas quâ homo differt ab homine , tum in animo , tum in corpore , tum in externis . 2. Homo qualitate dictâ proditus : 3. Homo insigni qualitate praeditus habens gradum eminentiae , in Ecclesia Dei , &c. 4. Figura , seu facies ficta , larva histrionica , &c. 5. Ille qui sub hujusmodi figura aliquam representat , &c. 6. Figura eminens in aedificiis quae ore aquam fundit , &c. Individua substantia humana , seu singularis homo . 8. Individua substantia Intelligens quaelibet . Now which of these is Persona Politica vel Legalis . Let us but agree what we mean by the word and I suppose we shall find that we are agreed of the Matter . When I deny the Person of Christ and the sinner to have been the same , or to be so reputed by God , I mean by Person , univocally or properly , An Individual Intelligent substance . And they that mean otherwise are obliged to Define ; For Analogum per se positum stat pro ▪ suo significato famosiore . If they mean that Christ and the Believer are the same as to some Quality , or Condition , let them tell us what Quality or Condition it is , and I think we shall be found to be of one mind . But I think by the similitudes of a Sponsor , Attorney , and Guardian , that they mean by a Political Person ( not as a society , nor such as agree in Quality , but ) A natural Person so related to another Natural person , as that what he doth and suffereth , Is or Hath , is limitedly to certain ends and uses as effectual as if that other person himself did and suffered , Were or Had numerically the same thing . I obtrude not a sense on others , but must know theirs before I can know where we differ . And if this be the meaning , we are agreed : Thus far ( though I greatly dislike their way that lay much stress on such humane phrases , ) I grant the thing meant by them . Christs Holiness Habitual and Actual , and his Merits and Satisfaction are as effectual to a believers Justification and Salvation upon the terms of the Covenant of Grace ( which is sealed by baptism ) as if we had been , done and suffered the same our selves . But still remember that this is only [ limitedly ] to these uses , and on these termes and no other , and I think that this is the meaning of most Divines that use this phrase . But the sense of those men that I differ from and write against ( the Libertines and Antinomians , and some others that own not those names , ) is this : that A Legal Person is one so Related to anothers Natural person as that what he Hath , Doth , or Suffereth in such a case , is ( not only effectual as aforesaid to others , but ) is in itself simply Reputed or Imputed to be Morally , though not physically , the Habit , Act and Suffering , the Merit and satisfactory Sacrifice of the other person : And so being the reputed Haver , Doer or Sufferer , Meriter or Satisfyer himself , he hath absolute right to all the proper results or benefits . And so a man may indeed many ways among us Represent or Personate another . If I by Law am Commanded to do this or that service per meipsum aut per alium , I do it in the Moral or Law-sence , because the other doth it in my name and I am allowed so to do it . So if I appear or answer by any Proctor or Attorney ; if the Law make it equal to my personal appearance and answer , it is said that I did it by him : ( but only so far as he doth it as my Representer or in my name ) : So if I pay a debt by the hand of my Servant or any Messenger , if so allowed , I do it by that other . So indeed a Pupil , doth by his Guardian what his Guardian doth , only so far as the Law obligeth him to consent or stand to it . We did not thus our selves fulfil all the Law in and by Christ : Nor are we thus the Proprietors of his Habitual perfection , Merits or Satisfaction . The common reason given by the contrary-minded is , that he was our Surety , or Sponsor , or fidejussor : and so we translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 7.22 . and I remember not any other text of Scripture allegable for that title . But this word doth not necessarily signifie any such Representer of our Persons as aforesaid . Nay when he is called thus the fidejussor of a better Covenant , it seemeth plain that it is Gods Covenant as such , and so Gods Sponsor that is meant ; and as Grotius saith Moses pro Deo spospondit in Lege Veteri : Jesus pro Deo in Lege Nova : Lex utraque & pactum continet , promissa habet . Sponsorem dare solent minûs nati : & Moses & Deus hominibus melius nati erant quam Deus qui inconspicuus . So also Dr. Hamond [ He was Sponsor and Surety for God , that it should be made good to us on Gods part , on Condition that we performed that which was required of us : ] And here they that translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Testament , never intended that it was our Part of the Covenant that is meant by a Testament : But ( the most Judicious expositor , ) Mr. Lawson on the text , truly saith [ The Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets translated into Greek will tell us ; That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 always signifieth a Law or a Covenant , and for the most part both : so it doth in the writings of the Apostles and Evangelists where it seldom signifieth the last Will and Testament of a man. The same thing is a Law in respect of the precepts , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turned Surety , signifieth one that undertaketh for another to see something paid or performed : And though the word is not found in the New Testament except in this place , &c. But Varnius tells us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a Mediator ; and so it is taken here as it 's expounded by the Apostle in the Chapter following : And because a Priest doth undertake to procure from God , both the Confirmation and performance of the promises to the people , and to that end mediates between both ; therefore he is a Surety and Mediator of the Covenant , and in this respect the Surety and Mediator of the Covenant is a Priest . ] So Calvin ( though almost passing it by ) seemeth to intimate that which I think is the truth , that Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Gods Covenant from the sacerdotal appropinquation , mentioned vers . 19. &c. And M●rlorate after Theoph●lact , Sponsorem pro Mediatore & intercessore posuit . So Paraeus in loc . Est novi faederis Sponsor Christus , quia novum faedus sanguine & morte sua obsignavit . So the Dutch Annot. and many others , besides the Ancients , by a Sponsor , tell us is meant a Mediator . And we grant that a Mediator is not of one , but doth somewhat on the behalf of both parties . But that as Mediator he Is ; Hath , Doth , Suffereth , Meritteth , Satisfyeth ; so as the Representer or person of each believer , as that every such Person is supposed in Law to have Been , Done , Suffered , Merited , thus in and by the Mediator , is neither signified by this or any other text . 2. And they that distinguish of a Natural and Political Person , do but darken the case by an ill-expressed distinction , which indeed is not of two sorts of Persons , but between Reality and Acceptation , taking Person properly for a Natural Person : It 's one thing to be such a Person , and another thing to have the Act , Passion , Merit , &c. Accepted for that other Person : And this latter signifieth , either 1. That it was done by the other person mediately , as being a cheif Cause acting by his Instrument . 2. Or that it was done for that other Person by another . The first is our denyed sence , and the second our affirmed sence . Among us Sureties and Sponsors are of several sorts : Grotius de Jure Belli tells you of another sense of Sponsion in the Civil Law , than is pertinent to the objectors use : And in Baptism the same word , hath had divers senses as used by persons of different intentions . The time was when the Sponsor was not at all taken for the Political Person ( as you call it ) of Parent or Child , nor spake as their Instrument , in their name : But was a Third person , who ( because many parents Apostatized , and more Died in the Childs minority ) did pass his word , 1. That the Parent was a credible Person , 2. That if he Dyed so soon or Apostatized , he himself would undertake the Christian Education of the Child . But the Parent himself was Sponsor for the Child in a stricter sense , ( as also Adopting Pro-parents were , & as some take God-fathers to be now , ) that is , they were taken for such , whose Reason , will and word , we authorised to dispose of the Child as obligingly , as if it had been done by his own reason will and word , so be it , it were but For his good , and the Child did own it when he came to age : And so they were to speak as in the Childs name , as if Nature or Charity made them his Representers , in the Judgment of many . ( Though others rather think that they were to speak as in their own persons , e. g. I dedicate this Child to God , and enter him into the Covenant as obliged by my Consent . ) But this sense of Sponsion is nothing to the present Case . They that lay all upon the very Name of a Surety as if the word had but one signification , and all Sureties properly represented the person of the Principal obliged person , do deal very deceitfully : There are Sureties or Sponsors , 1. For some Duty , 2. For Debt , 3. For Punishment . 1. It is one thing to undertake that another shall do a Commanded duty : 2. It 's another thing to undertake that else I will do it for him : 3. It 's another thing to be Surety that he shall pay a Debt , or else I will pay it for him : 4. It 's another thing to undertake that he shall suffer a penalty , or else to suffer for him , or make a Valuable Compensation . 1. And it 's one kind of Surety that becometh a second party in the bond , and so maketh himself a debtor ; 2. And it s another sort of Surety that undertaketh only the Debt afterward voluntarily as a Friend ; who may pay it on such Conditions as he and the Creditor think meet , without the Debtors knowledg . Every Novice that will but open Calvin may see that Fidejussor and Sponsor are words of very various signification ; and that they seldom or never signifie the Person Natural or Political ( as you call it ) of the Principal : Sponsor est qui sponte & non rogatus pro alio promittit , ut Accurs . vel quicunque spondet , maximè pro aliis : Fidejubere est suo periculo fore id , de quo agitur , recipere : Vel , fidem suam pro alio obligare . He is called Adpromissor , and he is Debtor , but not the same person with the Principal , but his promise is accessoria obligatio , non principalis . Therefore Fidejussor sive Intercessor non est conveniendus , nisi prius debitore principali convento : Fidejussores a correis ita differunt , quod hi suo & proprio morbo laborant , illi vero alieno tenentur : Quare fideijussori magis succurrendum censent : Veniâ namque digni sunt qui alienâ tenentur Culpâ , cujusmodi sunt fidejussores pro alieno debito obligati , inquit Calv. There must be somewhat more than the bare name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 once used of Christ as Mediator of Gods Covenant , or the name of a Surety as now used among men , that must go to prove that the Mediator and the several sinners are the same Legal Persons in Gods account . But seeing Legal-Personality is but a Relation of our Natural person , to another Natural person , that we may not quarrel and tear the Church when really we differ not 1. Let our agreement be noted . 2. Our difference intelligibly stated . 1. It is granted ( not only by Dr. Tullie , but others that accurately handle the Controversie , ) 1. That Christ and the Believer never were nor are our Natural person ; and that no union with him maketh us to be Christ , or God , nor him to be Peter , John , or Paul , &c. That we know of no third sort of Natural person , ( which is neither Jesus , nor Peter , John , &c. ) But composed of both united , which is constituted by our Union . For though it be agreed on , that the same Spirit that is in Christ is ( operatively ) also in all his Members , and that therefore our Communion with him is more than Relative , and that from this Real-Communion , the name of a Real-Vnion may be used ; yet here the Real-Vnion is not Personal ( as the same Sun quickeneth and illuminateth a Bird and a Frog and a Plant , and yet maketh them not our person : ) Therefore he that will say we are Physically one with Christ , and not only Relatively ; but tell us [ ONE What ? ] and make his words Intelligible ; and must deny that we are ONE PERSON : and that by that time we are not like to be found differing . But remember that while Physical Communion , is confessed by all , what VNION we shall from thence be said to have ( this Foundation being agreed on ) is like to prove but a question , de realitione & nomine . 2. Yea all the world must acknowledg that the whole Creation is quoad praesentiam & derivationem more dependant on God than the fruit is on the Tree , or the Tree on the Earth , and that God is the inseperate Cause of our Being , Station , and Life ; And yet this natural intimateness , and influx , and causality , maketh not GOD and every Creature absolutely or personally One. 3. It is agreed therefore that Christ's Righteousness is neither materially nor formally , any Accident of our natural Persons ; ( and an Accident it is ) unless it can be reduced to that of Relation . 1. The Habits of our Person , cannot possibly be the habits of another inherently . 2. The actions of one cannot possibly be the actions of another , as the Agent , unless as that other as a principal Cause , acteth by the other as his Instrument or second Cause . 3. The same fundamentum relationis inherent in One Person , is not inherent in another if it be a personal Relation : And so the same individual Relation that is one Mans , cannot numerically be another Mans , by the same sort of in-being , propriety ▪ or adherence . Two Brothers have a Relation in kind the same , but not unmerically . 4. And it is agreed that God judgeth not falsly , and therefore taketh not Christ's Righteousness to be any more or otherwise ours ; than indeed it is ; nor imputeth it to us erroneously . 5. Yet it is commonly agreed , that Christ's Righteousness is OVRS in some sense ; And so far is justly reputed Ours , or imputed to us as being Ours . 6. And this ambiguous syallable [ OVRS ] ( enough to set another Age of Wranglers into bitter Church-tearing strife , if not hindred by some that will call them to explain an ambiguous word ) is it that must be understood to end this Controversie . Propriety is the thing signified . 1. In the strictest sense that is called Ours , which inhereth in us , or that which is done by us . 2. In a larger ( Moral ) sense , that which a Man as the principal Cause , doth by another as his Instrument , by authorizing , commanding , perswading , &c. 3. In a yet larger sense that may be called OVRS , which a third person doth partly instead of what we should have done ( had , or suffered ) and partly for our use , or benefit . 4. In a yet larger sense that may be called OVRS , which another hath , or doth , or suffereth for our Benefit , ( though not in our stead ) and which will be for our good , ( as that which a Friend or Father hath , is his Friends or Childs , and all things are Ours , whether Paul , or &c. and the Godly are owners of the World , in as much as God will use all for their good ) . 7. It is therefore a Relation which Christ's Righteousness hath to us , or we to it , that must here be meant by the word [ OVRS ] : Which is our RIGHT or Jus ; And that is acknowledged to be no Jus or Right to it in the foresaid denied sense ; And it is agreed that some Right it is . Therefore , to understand what it is , the Titulus seu Fundamentum juris must be known . 8. And here it is agreed ; 1. That we are before Conversion or Faith related to Christ as part of the Redeemed World , of whom it is said , 2 Cor. 5.19 . That God was in Christ , reconciling the World to himself , not imputing to them their sins , &c. 2. That we are after Faith related to Christ as his Covenanted People , Subjects , Brethren , Friends , and Political Members ; yea , as such that have Right to , and Possession of Real Communion with him by his Spirit : And that we have then Right to Pardon , Justification , and Adoption , ( or have Right to Impunity in the promised degree , and to the Spirits Grace , and the Love of God , and Heavenly Glory ) . This Relation to Christ and this Right , to the Benefits of his Righteousness are agreed on : And consequently that his Righteousness is OVRS , and so may be called , as far as the foresaid Relations and Rights import . II. Now a Relation ( as Ockam hath fully proved ) having no real entity , beside the quid absolutum , which is the Subject , Fundamentum , or Terminus , he that yet raileth at his Brother as not saying enough , or not being herein so wise as he , and will maintain that yet Christ's Righteousness is further OVRS , must name the Fundamentum of that Right or Propriety : What more is it that you mean ? I think the make-bates have here little probability of fetching any more Fuel to their Fire , or turning Christ's Gospel into an occasion of strife and mutual enmity , if they will but be driven to a distinct explication , and will not make confusion and ambiguous words their defence and weapons . If you set your quarrelsome Brains on work , and study as hard as you can for matter of Contention , it will not be easie for you to find it , unless you will raze out the names of Popery , Socinianism , Arminianism , or Solifidianism , Heresie , &c. instead of real Difference . But if the angriest and lowdest Speakers be in the right , Bedlam and Billingsgate may be the most Orthodox places . Briefly , 1. The foresaid Benefits of Christ's Righteousness , ( Habitual , Active and Passive ) as a Meritorious , Satisfactory , Purchasing Cause , are ours . 2. To say that the Benefits are Ours , importeth that the Causal Righteousness of Christ is related to us , and the Effects as such a Cause : and so is it self OVRS , in that sense , that is , so related . 3. And Christ himself is OVRS , as related to us as our Saviour ; the Procurer and Giver of those Benefits . And do you mean any more by [ OVRS ] ? If you say that we deny any Benefits of Christ's Righteousness which you assert , name what they are . If you say that we deny any true Fundamentum juris , or reason of our title , name what that is . If you say that we deny any true Relation to Christ himself , tell us what it is : If you cannot , say that you are agreed . 1. If you say that the Benefit denied by us , is that we are judged by God , as those that ( habitually and actively ) have perfectly fulfilled the Law of Innocency our selves , though not in our natural Persons , yet by Christ as representing us , and so shall be justified by that Law of Innocency as the Fulfiller of it , we do deny it , and say , That you subvert the Gospel , and the true Benefits which we have by Christ . 2. If you say that we deny that God esteemeth or reputeth us , to be the very Subjects of that Numerical Righteousness , in the Habits , Acts , Passion or Relation , which was in the Person of Christ , or to have done , suffered , or merited our selves in and by him , as the proper Representer of our Persons therein ; and so that his Righteousness is thus imputed to us as truly in it self our own propriety , we do deny it , and desire you to do so also , lest you deny Christianity . 2. If you blame us for saying , That we had or have no such Relation to Christ , as to our Instrument , or the proper full Representer of each Believers particular Person , by whom we did truly fulfil the Law of Innocency , habitually and actively , and satisfied , merited , &c. We do still say so , and wish you to consider what you say , before you proceed to say the contrary . But if you come not up to this , where will you find a difference . Object . 2. Christ is called The Lord our Righteousness , and he is made Righteousness to us , and we are made the Righteousness of God in him , 2 Cor. 5.21 , &c. And by the Obedience of one , many are made Righteous . Answ . And are we not all agreed of all this ? But can his Righteousness be Ours no way but by the foresaid Personation Representating ? How prove you that ? He is Our Righteousness , and his Obedience maketh us Righteous . 1. Because the very Law of Innocency which we dishonoured and broke by sin , is perfectly fulfilled and honoured by him , as a Mediator , to repair the injury done by our breaking it . 2. In that he suffered to satisfie Justice for our sin . 3. In that hereby he hath merited of God the Father , all that Righteousness which we are truly the Subjects of , whether it be Relative , or Qualitative , or Active ; that is , 1. Our Right to Christ in Union to the Spirit , to Impunity , and to Glory ; And , 2. The Grace of the Spirit by which we are made Holy , and fulfil the Conditions of the Law of Grace . We are the Subjects of these , and he is the Minister , and the meritorious Cause of our Life , is well called Our Righteousness , and by many the material Cause , ( as our own perfect Obedience would have been ) because it is the Matter of that Merit . 4. And also Christ's Intercession with the Father , still procureth all this as the Fruit of his Merits . 5. And we are Related as his Members ( though not parts of his Person as such ) to him that thus merited for us . 6. And we have the Spirit from him as our Head. 7. And he is our Advocate , and will justifie us as our Judg. 8. And all this is God's Righteousness designed for us , and thus far given us by him . 9. And the perfect Justice and Holiness of God , is thus glorified in us through Christ . And are not all these set together enough to prove , that we justly own all asserted by these Texts ? But if you think that you have a better sense of them , you must better prove it , than by a bare naming of the words . Object . 3. If Christ's Righteousness be Ours , then we are Righteous by it as Ours ; and so God reputeth it but as it is : But it is Ours ; 1. By our Vnion with him . 2. And by his Gift , and so consequently by God's Imputation . Answ . 1. I have told you before that it is confessed to be Ours ; but that this syllable OVRS hath many senses ; and I have told you in what sense , and how far it is OVRS , and in that sense we are justified by it , and it is truly imputed to us , or reputed or reckoned as OVRS : But not in their sense that claim a strict Propriety in the same numerical Habits , Acts , Sufferings , Merits , Satisfaction , which was in Christ , or done by him , as if they did become Subjects of the same Accidents ; or , as if they did it by an instrumental second Cause . But it is OVRS , as being done by a Mediator , instead of what we should have done , and as the Meritorious Cause of all our Righteousness and Benefits , which are freely given us for the sake hereof . 2. He that is made Righteousness to us , is also made Wisdom , Sanctification and Redemption to us : but that sub genere Causae Efficientis , non autem Causae Constitutivae : We are the Subjects of the same numerical Wisdom and Holiness which is in Christ . Plainly the Question is , Whether Christ or his Righteousness , Holiness , Merits , and Satisfaction , be Our Righteousness Constitutively , or only Efficiently ? The Matter and Form of Christ's Personal Righteousness is OVRS , as an Efficient Cause , but it is neither the nearest Matter , or the Form of that Righteousness which is OVRS as the Subjects of it ; that is , It is not a Constitutive Cause nextly material , or formal of it . 3. If our Union with Christ were Personal , ( making us the same Person ) then doubtless the Accidents of his Person would be the Accidents of ours , and so not only Christ's Righteousness , but every Christians would be each of Ours : But that is not so . Nor is it so given us by him . Object . 4. You do seem to suppose that we have none of that kind of Righteousness at all , which consisteth in perfect Obedience and Holiness , but only a Right to Impunity and Life , with an imperfect Inherent Righteousness in our selves : The Papists are forced to confess , that a Righteousness we must have which consisteth in a conformity to the preceptive part of the Law , and not only the Retributive part : But they say , It is in our selves , and we say it is Christ's imputed to us . Answ . 1. The Papists ( e. g. Learned Vasque● in Rom. 5. ) talk so ignorantly of the differences of the Two Covenants , or the Law of Innocency and of Grace , as if they never understood it . And hence they 1. seem to take no notice of the Law of Innocency , or of Nature now commanding our perfect Obedience , but only of the Law of Grace . 2. Therefore they use to call those Duties but Perfections ; and the Commands that require them , but Counsels , where they are not made Conditions of Life : and sins not bringing Damnation , some call Venial , ( a name not unfit ) and some expound that as properly no sin , but analogically . 3. And hence they take little notice , when they treat of Justification , of the Remitting of Punishment ; but by remitting Sin , they usually mean the destroying the Habits : As if they forgot all actual sin past , or thought that it deserved no Punishment , or needed no Pardon : For a past Act in it self is now nothing , and is capable of no Remission but Forgiveness . 4. Or when they do talk of Guil● of Punishment , they lay so much of the Remedy on Man's Satisfaction , as if Christ's Satisfaction and Merits had procured no pardon , or at least , of no temporal part of Punishment . 5. And hence they ignorantly revile the Protestants , as if we denied all Personal Inherent Righteousness , and trusted only to the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness as justifying wicked unconverted Men : The Papists therefore say not that we are innocent or sinless , ( really or imputatively ) ; no not when they dream of Perfection and Supererrogation , unless when they denominate Sin and Perfection only from the Condition of the Law of Grace , and not that of Innocency . 2. But if any of them do as you say , no wonder if they and you contend : If one say , We are Innocent , or Sinless in reality , and the other , we are so by Imputation , when we are so no way at all ( but sinners really , and so reputed ) ; what Reconciliation is there to be expected , till both lay by their Errour ? Object . 5. How can God accept him as just , who is really and reputedly a Sinner ? This dishonoureth his Holiness and Justice . Answ . Not so : Cannot God pardon sin , upon a valuable Merit and Satisfaction of a Mediator ? And though he judg us not perfect now , and accept us not as such ; yet 1. now he judgeth us Holy , 2. and the Members of a perfect Saviour ; 3. and will make us perfect and spotless , and then so judg us , having washed us from our sins in the Blood of the Lamb. Object . 6. Thus you make the Reatus Culpae , not pardoned at all , but only the Reatus Poenae . Answ . 1. If by Reatus Culpae be meant the Relation of a Sinner as he is Revera Peccator , and so to be Reus , is to be Revera ipse qui peccavit ; then we must consider what you mean by Pardon : For if you mean the nullifying of such a Guilt , ( or Reality ) it is impossible , because necessiate existentiae , he that hath once sinned , will be still the Person that sinned , while he is a Person , and the Relation of one that sinned will cleave to him : It will eternally be a true Proposition , [ Peter and Paul did sin ] ; But if by Pardon you mean , the pardoning of all the penalty which for that sin is due , ( damni vel sensus ) so it is pardoned ; and this is indeed the Reatus poenae : Not only the Penalty , but the Dueness of that Penalty , or the Obligation to it , is remitted and nullified . 2. Therefore if by Reatus Culpae you mean an Obligation to Punishment for that Fault , this being indeed the Reatus poenae , as is said , is done away . So that we are , I think , all agreed de re ; And de nomine you may say that the Reatus Culpae is done away or remitted , or not , in several senses : In se it is not nullified , nor can be : But as Dueness of Punishment followeth , that is pardoned . Object . 7. You have said , That though we were not personally but seminally in Adam when he sinned , yet when we are Persons , we are Persons guilty of his actual sin : And so we must be Persons that are Partakers of Christ's Actual Righteousness , and not only of its Effects , as soon as we are Believers . For Christ being the Second Adam , and publick Person ▪ we have our part in his Righteousness , as truly and as much as in Adam's sin . Answ . 1. We must first understand how far Adam's sin is ours : And first I have elsewhere proved that our Covenant-Vnion and Interest supposeth our Natural Vnion and Interest ; and that it is an adding to God's Word and Covenant , to say , That he covenanted that Adam should personate each one of his Posterity in God's imputation or account , any further than they were naturally in him ; and so that his innocency or sin should be reputed theirs , as far as if they had been personally the Subjects and Agents . The Person of Peter never was in Reality or God's Reputation , the Person of Adam . ( Nor Adam's Person the Person of Peter ) : But Peter being virtually and seminally in Adam , when he sinned , his Person is derived from Adam's Person : And so Peter's Guilt is not numerically the same with Adams , but the Accident of another Subject , and therefore another Accident , derived with the Person from Adam ( and from nearer Parents ) . The Fundamentum of that Relation ( of Guilt ) is the Natural Relation of the Person to Adam , ( and so it is Relatio in Relatione fundata ) . The Fundamentum of that natural Relation , is Generation , yea a series of Generations from Adam to that Person : And Adam's Generation being the Communication of a Guilty Nature with personality to his Sons and Daughters , is the fundamentum next following his personal Fault and Guilt charged on him by the Law : So that here is a long series of efficient Causes , bringing down from Adam's Person and Guilt a distinct numerical Person and Guilt of every one of his later Posterity . 2. And it is not the same sort of Guilt , or so plenary , which is on us , for Adam's Act , as was on him , but a Guilt Analogical , or of another sort : that is , He was guilty of being the wilful sinning Person , and so are not we , but only of being Persons whose Being is derived by Generation from the wilful sinning Persons , ( besides the guilt of our own inherent pravity ) : That is , The Relation is such which our Persons have to Adam ' s Person , as make it just with God to desert us , and to punish us for that and our pravity together . This is our Guilt of Original sin . 3. And this Guilt cometh to us by Natural Propagation , and resultancy from our very Nature so propagated . And now let us consider of our contrary Interest in Christ . And , 1. Our Persons are not the same as Christ's Person , ( nor Christ's as ours ) nor ever so judged or accounted of God. 2. Our Persons were not naturally , seminally , and virtually in Christ's Person ( any further than he is Creator and Cause of all things ) as they were in Adams . 3. Therefore we derive not Righteousness from him by Generation , but by his voluntary Donation or Contract . 4. As he became not our Natural Parent , so our Persons not being in Christ when he obeyed , are not reputed to have been in him naturally , or to have obeyed in and by him . 5. If Christ and we are reputed one Person , either he obeyed in our Person , or we in his , or both . If he obeyed as a Reputed Sinner in the Person of each Sinner , his Obedience could not be meritorious , according to the Law of Innocency , which required sinless Perfection ; And he being supposed to have broken the Law in our Persons , could not so be supposed to keept it . If we obeyed in his Person , we obeyed as Mediators , or Christ's , of which before . 6. But as is oft said , Christ our Mediator undertook in a middle Person to reconcile God and Man , ( not by bringing God erroneously to judg that he or we were what we are not , or did what we did not , but ) by being , doing , and suffering for us , that in his own Person , which should better answer God's Ends and Honour , than if we had done and suffered in our Persons , that hereby he might merit a free Gift of Pardon and Life ( with himself ) to be given by a Law of Grace to believing penitent Accepters . And so our Righteousness , as is oft opened , is a Relation resulting at once from all these Causes as fundamental to it , viz. Christ's Meritorious Righteousness , his free Gift thereupon , and our Relation to him as Covenanters or United Believers . And this is agreed on . Object . 8. As Christ is a Sinner by imputation of our sin , so we are Righteous , by the imputation of his Righteousness . But it is our sin it self that is imputed to Christ : Therefore it is his Righteousness it self that is imputed to us . Answ . 1. Christ's Person was not the Subject of our personal Relative Guilt , much less of our Habits or Acts. 2. God did not judg him to have been so . 3. Nay , Christ had no Guilt of the same kind reckoned to be on him ; else those unmeet Speeches , used rashly by some , would be true , viz. That Christ was the greatest Murderer , Adulterer , Idolater , Blasphemer , Thief , &c. in all the World , and consequently more hated of God , ( for God must needs hate a sinner as such ) . To be guilty of sin as we are , is to be reputed truly to be the Person that committed it : But so was not Christ , and therefore not so to be reputed . Christ was but the Mediator that undertook to suffer for our sins , that we might be forgiven ; and not for his own sin , real or justly reputed : Expositors commonly say that to be [ made sin for us ] , is but to be made [ a Sacrifice for sin ] . So that Christ took upon him neither our numerical guilt of sin it self , nor any of the same species ; but only our Reatum Poenae , or Debt of Punishment , or ( lest the Wrangler make a verbal quarrel of it ) our Reatum Culpae non qua talem & in se , sed quatenus est fundamentum Reatus poenae : And so his Righteousness is ours ; not numerically the same Relation that he was the Subject of made that Relation to us ; nor yet a Righteousness of the same Species as Christ's is given us at all , ( for his was a Mediators Righteousness , consisting in , 1. perfect Innocency ; 2. And that in the Works of the Jewish Law , which bind us not ; 3. And in doing his peculiar Works , as Miracles , Resurrection , &c. which were all His Righteousness as a conformity to that Law , and performance of that Covenant , which was made with , and to him as Mediator ) . But his Righteousness is the Meritorious Cause and Reason of another Righteousness or Justification ( distinct from his ) freely given us by the Father and himself by his Covenant . So that here indeed the Similitude much cleareth the Matter ; And they that will not blaspheme Christ by making guilt of sin it self in its formal Relation to be his own , and so Christ to be formally as great a sinner as all the Redeemed set together , and they that will not overthrow the Gospel , by making us formally as Righteous as Christ in kind and measure , must needs be agreed with us in this part of the Controversie . Object . 9. When you infer , That if we are reckoned to have perfectly obeyed in and by Christ , we cannot be again bound to obey our selves afterward , nor be guilty of any sin ; you must know that it 's true , That we cannot be bound to obey to the same ends as Christ did , ( which is to redeem us , or to fulfil the Law of Works ) But yet we must obey to other ends , viz. Ingratitude , and to live to God , and to do good , and other such like . Answ . 1. This is very true , That we are not bound to obey to all the same ends that Christ did , as to redeem the World , nor to fulfil the Law of Innocency . But hence it clearly followeth that Christ obeyed not in each of our Persons legally , but in the Person of a Mediator , seeing his due Obedience and ours have so different Ends , and a different formal Relation , ( his being a conformity proximately to the Law , given him as Mediator ) that they are not so much as of the same species , much less numerically the same . 2. And this fully proveth that we are not reckoned to have perfectly obeyed in and by him : For else we could not be yet obliged to obey , though to other ends than he was : For either this Obedience of Gratitude is a Duty or not ; If not , it is not truly Obedience , nor the omission sin : If yea , then that Duty was made a Duty by some Law : And if by a Law we are now bound to obey in gratitude ( or for what ends soever ) either we do all that we are so bound to do , or not . If we do it ( or any of it ) then to say that we did it twice , once by Christ , and once by our selves , is to say that we were bound to do it twice , and then Christ did not all that we were bound to , but half : But what Man is he that sinneth not ? Therefore seeing it is certain , that no Man doth all that he is bound to do by the Gospel , ( in the time and measure of his Faith , Hope , Love , Fruitfulness , &c. ) it followeth that he is a sinner , and that he is not supposed to have done all that by Christ which he failed in , both because he was bound to do it himself , and because he is a sinner for not doing it . 3. Yea , the Gospel binds us to that which Christ could not do for us , it being a Contradiction . Our great Duties are , 1. To believe in a Saviour . 2. To improve all the parts of his Mediation by a Life of Faith. 3. To repent of our sins . 4. To mortifie sinful Lusts in our selves . 5. To fight by the Spirit against our flesh . 6. To confess our selves sinners . 7. To pray for pardon . 8. To pray for that Grace which we culpably want . 9. To love God for redeeming us . 10. Sacramentally to covenant with Christ , and to receive him and his Gifts ; with many such like ; which Christ was not capable of doing in and on his own Person for us , though as Mediator he give us Grace to do them , and pray for the pardon of our sins , as in our selves . 4. But the Truth which this Objection intimateth , we all agree in , viz. That the Mediator perfectly kept the Law of Innocency , that the keeping of that Law might not be necessary to our Salvation , ( and so such Righteousness necessary in our selves ) but that we might be pardoned for want of perfect Innocency , and be saved upon our sincere keeping of the Law of Grace , because the Law of Innocency was kept by our Mediator , and thereby the Grace of the New-Covenant merited , and by it Christ , Pardon , Spirit and Life , by him freely given to Believers . Object . 10. The same Person may be really a sinner in himself , and yet perfectly innocent in Christ , and by imputation . Answ . Remember that you suppose here the Person and Subject to be the same Man : And then that the two contrary Relations of perfect Innocency , or guiltlesness , and guilt of any , ( yea much sin ) can be consistent in him , is a gross contradiction . Indeed he may be guilty , and not guilty in several partial respects ; but a perfection of guiltlesness excludeth all guilt . But we are guilty of many a sin after Conversion , and need a Pardon . All that you should say is this , We are sinners our selves , but we have a Mediator that sinned not , who merited Pardon and Heaven for sinners . 2. But if you mean that God reputeth us to be perfectly innocent when we are not , because that Christ was so , it is to impute Error to God : He reputeth no Man to be otherwise than he is : But he doth indeed first give , and then impute a Righteousness Evangelical to us , instead of perfect Innocency , which shall as certainly bring us to Glory ; and that is , He giveth us both the Renovation of his Spirit , ( to Evangelical Obedience ) and a Right by free gift to Pardon and Glory for the Righteousness of Christ that merited it ; And this thus given us , he reputeth to be an acceptable Righteousness in us . CHAP. VI. Animadversions on some of Dr. T. Tullies Strictures . § . 1. I Suppose the Reader desireth not to be wearied with an examination of all Dr. Tullies words , which are defective in point of Truth , Justice , Charity , Ingenuity , or Pertinency to the Matter , but to see an answer to those that by appearance of pertinent truth do require it , to disabuse the incautelous Readers ; Though somewhat by the way may be briefly said for my own Vindication . And this Tractate being conciliatory , I think meet here to leave out most of the words , and personal part of his contendings , and also to leave that which concerneth the interest of Works ( as they are pleased to call Man's performance of the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace ) in our Justification , to a fitter place , viz. To annex what I think needful to my friendly Conference with Mr. Christopher Cartwright on the Subject , which Dr. Tullies Assault perswadeth me to publish . § . 2. pag. 71. Justif . Paulin. This Learned Doctor saith , [ The Scripture mentioneth no Justification in foro Dei at all , but that One , which is Absolution from the Maledictory Sentence of the Law. Answ . 1. If this be untrue , it 's pity so worthy a Man should unworthily use it against peace and concord . If it be true , I crave his help for the expounding of several Texts . Exod. 23.6 , 7. Thou shalt not wrest the Judgment of thy Poor in his Cause : Keep thee far from a false Matter , and the Innocent and Righteous slay thou not ; for I will not justifie the wicked ] . Is the meaning only , I will not absolve the wicked from the Maledictory Sentence of the Law ( of Innocency ) ? Or is it not rather , [ I will not misjudg the wicked to be just , nor allow his wickedness , nor yet allow thee so to do , nor leave thee unpunished for thy unrighteous judgment , but will condemn thee if thou condemn the Just ] . Job 25.4 . How then can Man be justified with God ? or , How can he be clean that is born of a Woman ? Is the sense , [ How can Man be absolved from the Maledictory Sentence of the Law ? ] Or rather , [ How can he be maintained Innocent ? ] Psal . 143.2 . In thy sight shall no Man living be justified . Is the sense , [ No Man living shall be absolved from the Maledictory sentence of the Law ? Than we are all lost for ever : Or rather no Man shall be found and maintained Innocent , and judged one that deserved not punishment ] ; ( Therefore we are not judged perfect fulfillers of that Law by another or our selves ) . Object . But this is for us and against you : for it denyeth that there is any such Justification . Answ . Is our Controversie de re , or only de nomine , of the sense of the word Justifie ? If de re , then his meaning is to maintain , That God never doth judg a Believer to be a Believer , or a Godly Man to be Godly , or a performer of the Condition of Pardon and Life to have performed it , nor will justifie any believing Saint against the false Accusations , that he is an Infidel , a wicked ungodly Man , and an Hypocrite , ( or else he writeth against those that he understood not ) . But if the Question be ( as it must be ) de nomine , whether the word Justifie have any sense besides that which he appropriateth to it , then a Proposition that denieth the Existentiam rei , may confute his denyal of any other sense of the word . So Isa . 43.9 , 26. Let them bring forth their Witnesses that they may justified : Declare thou that thou mayest be justified ; that is , proved Innocent . But I hope he will hear and reverence the Son ; Matth. 12.37 . By thy words thou shalt be Justified , and by thy words thou shalt be Condemned ] ( speaking of Gods Judgment ) which I think meaneth ( de re & nomine ) Thy Righteous or unrighteous words shall be a part of the Cause of the day , or Matter , for or according to which , thou shalt be judged obedient or disobedient to the Law of Grace , and so far just or unjust , and accordingly sentenced to Heaven or Hell , as is described Matth. 25. But it seems this Learned Doctor understands it only , By thy words thou shalt be absolved from the Maledictory Sentence of the Law , and by thy words contrarily condemned . Luk. 18.14 . The Publican [ went down to his House justified rather than the other ] ; I think not only [ from the Maledictory Sentence of the Law of Innocency ] but [ by God approved a sincere Penitent ] , and so a fit Subject of the other part of Justification . Acts 13.39 . is the Text that speaketh most in the sense he mentioneth ; And yet I think it includeth more , viz. By Christ , 1. we are not only absolved from that Condemnation due for our sins ; 2. but also we are by his repealing or ending of the Mosaick Law justified against the Charge of Guilt for our not observing it ; and 3. Augustine would add , That we are by Christ's Spirit and Grace made just ( that is , sincerely Godly ) by the destruction of those inherent and adherent sins , which the Law of Moses could not mortifie and save us from , but the Spirit doth . Rom. 2.13 . Not the Hearers of the Law are just before God , but the Doers of the Law shall be justified ] . Is it only , The Doers shall be Absolved from the Maledictory Sentence , & c. ? Or first and chiefly , They shall be judged well-doers , so far as they do well , and so approved and justified , so far as they do keep the Law ? ( which because no Man doth perfectly , and the Law of Innocency requireth Perfection , none can be justified absolutely , or to Salvation by it ) . Object . The meaning is , ( say some ) The Doers of the Law should be justified by it ; were there any such . Answ . That 's true , of absolute Justification unto Life : But that this is not all the sense of the Text , the two next Verses shew , where the Gentiles are pronounced partakers of some of that which he meaneth inclusively in doing to Justification : Therefore it must include that their Actions and Persons are so far justified , ( more or less ) as they are Doers of the Law , as being so far actively just . Rom. 8.30 . Whom he justified , them he also glorified ; And 1 Cor. 6. ●● ▪ Ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus , and by the Spirit of our God. Many Protestants , and among them Bez● himself , expound ( in the Papists and Austins sense of Justification ) as including Sanctification also , as well as Absolution from the Curse : And so Arch Bishop Vsher told me he understood them . As also Tit. 3.7 . That being justified freely by his Grace . And many think so of Rom. 4.5 . he [ justifieth the Vngodly ] say they , by Converting , Pardoning , and Accepting them in Christ to Life . And Rom. 8.33 . Who shall condemn ? it is God that justifieth , seemeth to me more than barely to say , God absolveth us from the Curse , because it is set against Man's Condemnation , ( who reproached , slandered and persecuted the Christians as evil Doers , as they did Christ , to whom they were predestinated to be conformed ) . And so must mean , God will not only absolve us from his Curse , but also justifie our Innocency against all the false Accusations of our Enemies . And it seemeth to be spoken by the Apostle , with respect to Isa . 50.8 . He is near that justifieth me , who will contend with me ? Which my reverence to this Learned Man sufficeth not to make me believe , is taken only in his sense of Absolution . Rev. 22.11 . He that is Righteous , let him be justified still , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) which not only our Translaters , but almost all Expositors take as inclusive of Inherent Righteousness , if not principally speaking of it . To speak freely , I remember not one Text of Scripture that useth the word [ Justifie ] in this Doctor 's sense ; that is , Only for the said absolution from the Curse of the Law : For all those other Texts that speak for Justification by Christ's Grace , and Faith , and not by the Works of the Law , ( as Rom. 3.20 , 24 , 28 , 30. and 4.2 , 5 , 25. & 5.1 , 9 , 16 , 18. 1 Cor. 4.4 . Gal. 2.16 , 17. & 3.8 , 11 , 24. & 5.4 , &c. ) do all seem to me to mean , not only that [ we are absolved from the Maledictory Sentence of the Law ] , but also that we are first made , and then accounted Persons first meet for Absolution , and next meet for God's Acceptance of us as just , and as Heirs of Life Eternal , and meet for the great Reward in Heaven : For when the Apostle denieth Justification by Works ; it is not credible that he meaneth only , that [ By the Works of the Law no Man is absolved from the Curse of the Law ] ; But also , No Man by the Works of the Law , is before God taken for a Performer of the necessary Condition of Absolution and Salvation , nor fit for his Acceptance , and for the Heavenly Reward . Answ . 2. But let the Reader here note , that the Doctor supposeth James to mean , that [ By Works a Man is absolved from the Maledictory Sentence of the Law , and not by Faith only ] . For that James speaks of Justification in foro Dei is past all doubt : And who would have thought that the Doctor had granted this of the Text of James ? But mistakes seldom agree among themselves . Answ . 3. And would not any Man have thought that this Author had pleaded for such an Imputation of Christ's Righteousness , as justifieth not only from the Maledictory Sentence of the Law , but also from the very guilt of sin as sin , we being reputed , ( not only pardoned sinners , but ) perfect fulfillers of the Law by Christ , and so that we are in Christ conform to the Fac hoc or preceptive part commanding Innocency ? Who would have thought but this was his drift ? If it be not , all his angry Opposition to me , is upon a mistake so foul , as reverence forbids me to name with its proper Epithets : If it be , how can the same Man hold , That we are justified as in Christ , conform to the Precept of perfect Innocency ? And yet that The Scripture mentioneth no Justification at all , in foro Dei , besides that one , which is Absolution from the Maledictory Sentence of the Law. But still mistakes have discord with themselves . Answ . 4. It is the judgment indeed of Mr. Gataker , Wotton , Piscator , Paraeus , Vrsine , Wendeline , and abundance other excellent Divines , that as sins of omission are truly sin , and poena damni , or privations truly punishment ; so for a sinner for his sin to be denied God's Love and Favour , Grace and Glory , is to be punished ; and to be pardoned , is to have this privative punishment remitted as well as the rest ; and so that Justification containeth our Right to Glory , as it is the bare forgiveness of the penalty of sin ; because Death and Life , Darkness and Light are such Contraries , as that one is but the privation of the other : But this Learned Doctor seemeth to be of the commoner Opinion , that the Remission of Sin is but one part of our Justification , and that by Imputation of perfect Holiness and Obedience we must have another part , which is our Right to the Reward ▪ ( and I think a little Explication would end that difference ) . But doth he here then agree with himself ? And to contradict the common way of those with whom he joyneth ? Do they not hold that Justification is more than an Absolution from the Maledictory Sentence of the Law ? Answ . 5. But indeed his very Description by Absolution is utterly ambiguous : 1. Absolution is either by Actual Pardon , by the Law or Covenant of Grace ; which giveth us our Right to Impunity : 2. Or by Sentence of the Judg , who publickly decideth our Case , and declareth our Right determinatively : Or by execution of that Sentence in actual delivering us from penalty ; And who knoweth which of these he meaneth ? This is but confusion , to describe by an unexplained equivocal word . And who knoweth what Law he meaneth , whose Maledictory Sentence Justification absolveth us from ? Doth he think that the Law of Innocency , and of Moses , and the Law of Grace are all one , which Scripture so frequently distinguisheth ? Or that each of them hath not its Malediction ? If he deny this , I refer him to my full proof of it , to Mr. Cartwright and elsewhere . If not , we should know whether he mean all , or which . 3. And what he meaneth by the Sentence of the Law is uncertain : Whether it be the Laws Commination , as obliging us to punishment , which is not a Sentence in the usual proper sense , but only a virtual Sentence , that is , the Norma Judicis ; or whether he mean the Sentence of God as Judg , according to the Law : which is not the Sentence of the Law properly , but of the Judg : It 's more intelligible speaking , and distinct , that must edifie us , and end those Controversies which ambiguities and confusion bred and feed . Answ . 6. But which-ever he meaneth , most certainly it is not true that the Scripture mentioneth no other Justification in foro Dei. For many of the fore-cited Texts tell us , that it oft mentioneth a Justification , which is no Absolution from the Maledictory Sentence , ( neither of the Law of Innocency , of Moses , or of Grace ) but a Justification of a Man's innocency in tantum , or quoad Causam hanc particularem , Viz. 1. Sometimes a Justifying the Righteous Man against the slanders of the World , or of his Enemies . 2. Sometimes a justifying a Man in some one action , as having dealt faithfully therein . 3. Sometimes a judging a Man to be a faithful Godly Man , that performeth the Conditions of Life in the Law of Grace made necessary to God's Acceptance . 4. Sometimes for making a Man such , or for making him yet more inherently just , or continuing him so . 5. Sometimes for Justification by the Apology of an Advocate , ( which is not Absolution ) . 6. Sometimes for Justification by Witness . 7. And sometimes , perhaps , by Evidence . As appeareth , Isa 50.8 . Rom. 8.33 . ( and so God himself is said to be justified , Psal . 51.4 . Rom. 3.4 . and Christ , 1 Tim. 3.16 . ) 1 King. 8.32 . Hear thou in Heaven , and do , and judg thy Servants , condemning the Wicked to bring his way upon his Head ; and justifying the Righteous , to give him according to his Righteousness , ( where the Sentence is passed by the Act of Execution ) . Is this absolving him from the Curse of the Law ? So 1 Chron. 6.23 . so Mat. 12.37 . & Jam. 2.21 , 24 , 25. where Justification by our Words and by Works is asserted ; and many other Texts so speak : Frequently to Justifie , is to maintain one , or prove him to be just . It 's strange that any Divine should find but one sort of sense of Justification before God mentioned in the Scriptures . I would give here to the Reader , a help for some excuse of the Author , viz. that by [ praeter unam illam quae est Absolutio ] he might mean , which is partly Absolution and partly Acceptation , as of a fulfiller of the Precept of Perfection by Christ , and partly Right to the Reward , all three making up the whole ; but that I must not teach him how to speak his own mind , or think that he knew not how to utter it ; And specially , because the Instances here prove that even so it is very far from Truth , had he so spoken . Answ . 7. But what if the word [ Justification ] had been found only as he affirmed ? If Justice , ( Righteousness ) and Just , be otherwise used , that 's all one in the sense , and almost in the word ; seeing it is confessed , that to Justifie , is , 1. To make Just ; 2. Or to esteem Just ; 3. Or sentence Just ; 4. Or to prove Just , and defend as Just ; 5. Or to use as Just by execution . And therefore in so many senses as a Man is called Just in Scripture , he is inclusively , or by connotation , said to be Justified , and Justifiable , and Justificandus . And I desire no more of the Impartial Reader , but to turn to his Concordances , and peruse all the Texts where the words [ Just , Justice , Justly , Righteous , Righteousness , Righteously ] are used ; and if he find not that they are many score , if not hundred times used , for that Righteousness which is the Persons Relation resulting from some Acts or Habits of his own , ( as the Subject or Agent ) and otherwise than according to his solitary sense here , let him then believe this Author . § . 3. But he is as unhappy in his Proofs , as in his singular untrue Assertion : [ Rom. 8.2 , 4. The Law of the Spirit of Life , hath freed us from the Law of Sin and of Death . Gal. 3.13 . God sent his Son , thta the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us ; Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law ; and many more such : Here is no mention of any but one legal Justification ] . Answ . 1. Reader , do you believe that these two Texts are a perfect Enumeration . And that if these mention but one sense or sort of Justification , that it will follow that no more is mentioned in Scripture : Or if many hundred other Texts have the same sense ? 2. Nay , he hath chosen only these Texts where the word [ Justification ] or [ Justifie ] is not at all found . By which I may suppose that he intendeth the Controversie here de re , and not de nomine . And is that so ? Can any Man that ever considerately opened the Bible , believe that de re no such Thing is mentioned in Scripture . 1. As making a Man a believing Godly Man. 2. Or as performing the Conditions of Life required of us in the Covenant of Grace . 3. Nor esteeming a Man such . 4. Not defending or proving him to be such . 5. Nor judging him such decisively . 6. Nor using him as such . 7. Nor as justifying a Man so far as he is Innocent and Just against all false Accusation of Satan or the World. 3. The first Text cited by him , Rom. 8.24 . downright contradicts him : Not only Augustine , but divers Protestant Expositors suppose , that by the Law of the Spirit of Life is meant , either the quickning Spirit it self given to us that are in Christ , or the Gospel , as it giveth that Spirit into us ; And that by delivering us from the Law of Sin , is meant either from that sin which is as a Law within us , or Moses Law , as it forbiddeth and commandeth all its peculiarities , and so maketh doing or not doing them sin ; and as it declareth sin , yea , and accidentally irritateth it : Yea , that by the Law of Death is meant , not only that Law we are cursed by , and so guilty , but chiefly that Law , as it is said Rom. 7. to kill Paul , and to occasion the abounding of sin , and the Li●e of it : And that by [ the fulfilling of the Law in us , that walk not after the Flesh , but after the Spirit ] , is meant [ that by the Spirit and Grace of Christ , Christians do fulfil the Law , as it requireth sincere Holiness , Sobriety and Righteousness , which God accepteth for Christ's sake ; which the Law of Moses , without Christ's Spirit , enabled no Man to fulfil ] . Not to weary the Reader with citing Expositors , I now only desire him to peruse , Ludov. de Dieu on the Text. And it is certain , that the Law that Paul there speaketh of , was Moses Law : And that he is proving all along , that the observation of it was not necessary to the Gentiles , to their performance , or Justification and Salvation , ( necessitate praecepti vel medii ) ; ( for it would not justifie the Jews themselves ) . And sure , 1. all his meaning is not , [ The Law will not absolve Men from the sense of the Law ] . But also its Works will give no one the just title of a Righteous Man , accepted of God , and saved by him , as judging between the Righteous and the wicked : ( as Christ saith , Matth. 25. The Righteous shall go into Everlasting Life , &c. ) 2. And if it were only the Maledictory Sentence of Moses Law , as such , that Paul speaketh of Absolution from , as our only Justification , then none but Jews and Proselites who were under that Law , could have the Justification by Faith which he mentioneth ; for it curseth none else : For what-ever the Law saith , it saith to them that are under the Law : The rest of the World were only under the Law of lapsed Nature , ( the relicts of Adam's Law of Innocency ) and the Curse for Adam's first Violation ; and the Law of Grace made to Adam and Noah , and after perfected fullier by Christ in its second Edition . 2. His other Text [ Christ redeemed us from the Curse of the Law ] proveth indeed that all Believers are redeemed from the Curse of the first Law of Innocency , and the Jews from the Curse of Moses Law ( which is it that is directly meant ) : But what 's that to prove that these words speak the whole and the only Justification ? and that the Scripture mentioneth no other ? § . 4. He addeth , [ Lex est quae prohibet ; Lex quae poenam decernit ; Lex quae irrogat : Peccatum est transgressio Legis : Poena effectus istius trangressionis ; Justificatio denique absolutio ab ista poena : Itaque c●m Lex nisi praestita nenimem Justificat , & praestitam omnes in Christo agnoscunt , aut Legalis erit omnis JUstificatio coram Deo , aut omnino nulla ] . Answ . 1. But doth he know but one sort of Law of God ? Hath every Man incurred the Curse by Moses Law that did by Adams ? Or every Man fallen under the peremptory irreversible condemnation which the Law of Grace passeth on them that never believe and repent ? Doth this Law , [ He that believeth not shall be damned ] damn Believers ? One Law condemneth all that are not Innocent . Another supposeth them under that defect , and condemneth peremptorily ( not every Sinner ) but the Wicked and Unbelievers . 2. Again here he saith , [ Justification is Absolution from that Penalty ] . But is a Man absolved ( properly ) from that which he was never guilty of ? Indeed if he take Absolution so loosly as to signifie , the justifying a Man against a false Accusation , and pronouncing him Not-Guilty ; So all the Angels in Heaven may possibly be capable of Absolution : Justification is ordinarily so used , but Absolution seldom by Divines . And his words shew that this is not his senses , if I understand them . But if we are reputed perfect fulfillers of the Law of Innocency by Christ , and yet Justification is our Absolution from the Curse , then no Man is justified that is Righteous by that Imputation . 3. And how unable is my weak Understanding , to make his words at peace with themselves ? The same Man in the next lines saith , [ Lex nisi praestita neminem justificat : and all Justification before God must be legal or none ] ; so that no Man is justified but as reputed Innocent , or a performer of the Law : And yet Justification is our Absolution from the Punishment and Malediction of the Law ; As if he said , No Man is justified but by the pardon of that sin which he is reputed never to have had , and Absolution from that Curse and Punishment which he is reputed never to have deserved or been under . Are these things reconcileable ? But if really he take Absolution for justifying or acquitting from a false Accusation , and so to be absolved from the Malediction of the Law , is to be reputed one that never deserved it , or was under it , then it 's as much as to say , that there is no pardon of sin , or that no Man that is pardoned , or reputed to need a Pardon , is justified . 4. All this and such Speeches would perswade the Reader that this Learned Disputer thinketh that I took and use the word [ Legal ] generally as of that which is related to any Law in genere , and so take Evangelical contrarily for that which is related to no Law : whereas I over and over tell him , that ( speaking in the usual Language that I may be understood ) I take [ Legal ] specially ( and not generally ) for that Righteousness , which is related to the Law of Works or Innocency , ( not as if we had indeed such a Righteousness as that Law will justifie us for ; But a pro-Legal-Righteousness , one instead of it , in and by our perfect Saviour , which shall effectually save us from that Laws condemnation ) : And that by [ Evangelical Righteousness ] , I mean , that which is related to the Law of Grace , as the Rule of Judgment , upon the just pleading whereof that Law will not condemn but justifie us . If he knew this to be my meaning , in my weak judgment , he should not have written either as if he did not , or as if he would perswade his Rsaders to the contrary : For Truth is most congruously , defended by Truth : But if he knew it not , I despair of becoming intelligible to him , by any thing that I can write , and I shall expect that this Reply be wholly lost to him and worse . 5. His [ Lex nisi praestita neminem justificat ] is true ; and therefore no Man is justified by the Law , But his next words [ & praestitam omnes in Christo agnoscunt ] seemeth to mean that [ It was performed by us in Christ ] ; Or that [ It justifieth us , because performed perfectly by Christ as such ] : Which both are the things that we most confidently deny . It was not Physically , or Morally , or Politically , or Legally , or Reputatively , ( take which word you will ) fulfilled by us in Christ : it doth not justifie us , because it was fulfilled by Christ , ( as such , or immediately , and eo nomine ) . It justified Christ , because he fulfilled it ; and so their Law doth all the perfect Angels . But we did not personally fulfil it in Christ ; it never allowed vicarium obedientiae to fulfil it by our selves or another : Therefore anothers Obedience , merely as such , ( even a Mediators ) is not our Obedience or Justification : But that Obedience justifieth us , as given us only in or to the effecting of our Personal Righteousness , which consisteth in our right to Impunity , and to God's Favour and Life , freely given for Christ's Merits sake , and in our performance of the Conditions of the Law of Grace , or that free Gift , which is therefore not a co-ordinate but a sub-ordinate Righteousness ( and Justification ) to qualifie us for the former . This is so plain and necessary , that if ( in sense ) it be not understood by all that are admitted to the Sacramental Communion , ( excepting Verbal Controversies or Difficulties ) I doubt we are too lax in our admissions . § . 5. Next he tel's us of a threefold respect of Justification : 1. Ex parte principii . 2. Termini . 3. Medii : ( I find my self uncapeable of teaching him , that is a Teacher of such as I , and therefore presume not to tell him how to distinguish more congruously , plainly , and properly , as to the terms ) . And as to the Principle or Fountain whence it floweth , that is , Evangelical Grace in Christ , he saith , It is thus necessary , that in our lapsed State all Justification be Evangelical ] . Answ . Who would desire a sharper or a softer , a more dissenting or a more consenting Adversary ? Very good : If then I mean it ex parte principii , I offend him not by asserting Evangelical Righteousness : The Controversie then will be only de nomine , whether it be congruous thus to call it . And really are his Names and Words put into our Creed , and become so necessary as to be worthy of all the stress that he layeth on them , and the calling up the Christian World to arrive by their Zeal against our Phrase ? Must the Church be awakened to rise up against all those that will say with Christ , [ By thy words thou shalt be justified ] . And with James , [ By Works a Man is justified , and not by Faith only ] , and [ we are judged by the Law of Liberty ] , and as Christ , Joh. 5.22 . [ The Father judgeth no Man , but hath committed all Judgment to the Son ] ; and that shall recite the 25 th Chapter of Matthew . Even now he said at once , [ There is no Justification in foro Dei , but Absolution , &c. The Law of the Spirit of Life hath freed us , &c. Here is no mention of any Justification but Legal ] . And now [ All our Justification ex parte principii , is only Evangelical ] . So then no Text talks of Evangelical Justification , or of Justification ex parte principii : And Absolution which defineth it , is named ex parte principii . And yet all Justification is Evangelical . Is this mode of Teaching worthy a Defence by a Theological War ? 2. But Reader , Why may not I denominate Justification ex parte principii ? Righteousness is formally a Relation : To justifie constitutively , is to make Righteous . To be Justified , ( or Justification in sensu passivo ) is to be made Righteous ; And in foro , to be judged Righteous : And what meaneth he by Principium as to a Relation , but that which other Men call the Fundamentum , which is loco Efficientis , or a remote efficient ? And whence can a Relation be more fitly named , than from the fundamentum , whence it hath its formal being ? Reader , bear with my Error , or correct it , if I mistake . I think that as our Righteousness is not all of one sort , no more is the fundamentum : 1. I think I have no Righteousness , whose immediate fundamentum is my sinless Innocency , or fulfilling the Law of Works or Innocency , by my self or another : and so I have no fundamentum of such . 2. I hope I have a Righteousness consisting in my personal Right to Impunity and Life ; and that Jus or Right is mine by the Title of free Condonation and Donation by the Gospel-Covenant or Grant : And so that Grant or Gospel is the fundamentum of it : But the Merits of Christ's Righteousness purchased that Gift , and so those Merits are the remote fundamentum or efficient : And thus my Justification , by the Doctor 's confession , is Evangelical . 3. I must perish if I have not also a subordinate personal Righteousness , consisting in my performance of those Conditions on which the New-Covenant giveth the former . And the fundamentum of this Righteousness is the Reality of that performance , as related to the Irrogation , Imposition , or Tenor of the Covenant , making this the Condition . This is my Heresie , if I be heretical ; and be it right or wrong , I will make it intelligible , and not by saying and unsaying , involve all in confusion . § . 6. He addeth , [ Ex parte Termini Legalis est , quia terminatur in satisfactione , Legi praestanda : Liberavit me à Lege mortis , &c. And hence , he saith , the denomination is properly taken . Answ . 1. The Reader here seeth that all this Zeal is exercised in a Game at Words , or Logical Notions ; and the Church must be called for the umpirage , to stand by in ▪ Arms to judg that he hath won the Day : What if the denomination be properly to be taken from the Terminus ? Is it as dangerous as you frightfully pretend to take it aliunde ? 2. But stay a little : Before we come to this , we must crave help to understand what he talketh of : Is it , 1. Justificatio , Justificans ( active sumpta ) ? Or , 2. Justificatio Justificati ( passive ) ? 3. Or Justitia ? 1. The first is Actio , and the Terminus of that Action is two-fold . 1. The Object or Patient ( a believing Sinner ) . 2. The Effect , Justificatio passivè , neither of these is the Law , or its Malediction . But which of these is it that we must needs name it from ? 2. The passive or effective Justification is in respect of the Subjects Reception called Passio : In respect of the form received , it is as various as I before mentioned . 1. The Effect of the Donative Justification of the Law of Grace , is Justitia data ; a Relation ( oft described ) . 2. The Effect of the Spirits giving us Inherent Righteousness , is a Quality given , Acts excited , and a Relation thence resulting . 3. The Effect of Justification per sententiam Judicis , is immediately a Relation , Jus Judicatum . 4. The Effect of an Advocates Justification , is Justitia & persona ut defensa seu vindicata . 5. The Effect of Executive Justification , is Actual Impunity or Liberation . And are all these one Terminus , or hence one name then ? These are the Termini of Justificatio Justificantis , ut Actionis ; and nothing of this nature can be plainer , than that , 1. Remission of sin ( passively taken ) the Reatus or Obligatio ad poenam , ( the first ad quem , and the second à quo ) are both the immediate Termini of our Act of Justification . 2. That the Terminus Justitiae , as it is the formal Relation of a Justified Person , as such , is the Law as Norma Actionum , as to Righteous Actions , and the Law or Covenant , as making the Condition of Life , as to those Actions , sub ratione Conditionis & Tituli . And the Promissory and Minatory part of the Law , as Justitia is Jus praemii , & impunitatis . First , The Actions , and then the Person are Just in Relation to the Law or Covenant , by which their Actions and they are to be judged . But the remoter Terminus is the malum à quo , and the bonum ad quod . And as à quo , it is not only the evil denounced , but also the Reatus , or Obligation to it , and the efficacious Act of the Law thus cursing , and the Accusation of the Actor or Accuser , ( real or possible ) that is such a terminus . II. But when he saith , Ex parte Termini Legalis est , either still he taketh legal generally , as comprehending the Law of Innocency , of Works , and of Grace , or not . If he do , I must hope he is more intelligent and just , than to insinuate to his Reader , that I ever mention an Evangelical Justification that is not so legal , as to be denominated from the Law of Grace , as distinct from that of Works : If not , he was indebted to his intelligent Reader for some proof , that no Man is justified against this false Accusation ; [ Thou art by the Law of Grace the Heir of a far sorer punishment , for despising the Remedy , and not performing the Conditions of Pardon and Life . And also for this thou hast no right to Christ , and the Gifts of his Covenant of Grace ] . But no such proof is found in his Writings , nor can be given . III. But his [ Quia Terminatur in satisfactione Legi praestanda ] . I confess it is a Sentence not very intelligible or edifying to me . 1. Satisfactio proprie & stricte sic dicta differ● à solutione ejusdem quod sit , solutio aequivalentis alias indebite : Which of these he meaneth , Satisfaction thus strictly taken , or solutio ejusdem , I know not : Nor know what it is that he meaneth by Legi praestandâ : Indeed solutio ejusdem is Legi praestanda , but not praestita by us ( personally or by another ) : For we neither kept the Law , nor bare the full Penalty ; And the Law mentioned no Vicarium Obedientiae aut p●enae ; Christ performed the Law , as it obliged himself as Mediator , and as a Subject , but not as it obliged us ; for it obliged us to Personal performance only : And Christ by bearing that Punishment ( in some respects ) which we deserved , satisfied the Law-giver , ( who had power to take a Commutation ) but not the Law : unless speaking improperly you will say that the Law is satisfied , when the remote ends of the Law-giver and Law are obtained . For the Law hath but one fixed sense , and may be it self changed , but changeth not it self , nor accepteth a tantundem : And Christ's suffering for us , was a fulfilling of the Law , which peculiarly bound him to suffer , and not a Satisfaction loco solutionis ejusdem : And it was no fulfilling the Penal part of the Law as it bound us to suffer : For so it bound none but us ; so that the Law as binding us to Duty or Suffering , was neither fulfilled , nor strictly satisfied by Christ ; but the Law-giver satisfied , and the remote ends of the Law attained , by Christ's perfect fulfilling all that Law which bound himself as Mediator . Now whether he mean the Law as binding us to Duty , or to Punishment , or both , and what by satisfaction I am not sure : But as far as I can make sense of it , it seeneth to mean , that Poena is satisfactio loco obedientiae , and that Punishment being our Due , this was satisfactio Legi praestandâ , ( for he saith not Praestita ) . But then he must judge that we are justified only from the penal Obligation of the Law , and not from the preceptive Obligation to perfect Obedience . And this will not stand with the scope of other Passages , where he endureth not my Opinion , that we are not justified by the fae hoc , the Precept as fulfilled , or from the Reatus Gulpae in se , but by Christ's whole Righteousness from the Reatus ut ad paenam . 2. But if this be his sense , he meaneth then that it is only the Terminus à quo , that Justification is properly denominated from . And why so ? 1. As Justitia and Justificatio passive sumpta , vel ut effectus , is Relatio , it hath necessarily no Terminus à quo ; And certainly is in specie , to be rather denominated from its own proper Terminus ad quem . And as Justification is taken for the Justifiers Action ; why is it not as well to be denominated from the Terminus ad quem , as à quo ? Justificatio efficiens sic dicitur , quia Justum facit : Justificatio apologetica , quia Justum vindicat vel probat . Justificatio per sententiam , quia Justum aliquem esse Judicat : Justificatio executiva , quia ut Justum eum tractat . But if we must needs denominate from the Terminus à quo , how strange is it that he should know but of one sense of Justification ? 3. But yet perhaps he meaneth , [ In satisfactione Legi praestitâ , though he say praestandâ , and so denominateth from the Terminus à quo : But if so , 1. Then it cannot be true : For satisfacere & Justificare are not the same thing , nor is Justifying giving Satisfaction ; nor were we justified when Christ had satisfied , but long after : Nor are we justified eo nomine , because Christ satisfied , ( that is , immediately ) but because he gave us that Jus ad impunitatem & vitam & spiritum sanctum , which is the Fruit of his Satisfaction . 2. And as is said , if it be only in satisfactione , then it is not in that Obedience which fulfileth the preceptive part as it bound us : for to satisfie for not fulfilling , is not to fulfil it . 3. And then no Man is justified , for no Man hath satisfied either the Preceptive or Penal Obligation of the Law , by himself or another : But Christ hath satisfied the Law-giver by Merit and Sacrifice for sin . His Liberavit nos à Lege Mortis , I before shewed impertinent to his use , Is Liberare & Justificare , or Satisfacere all one ? And is à Lege Mortis , either from all the Obligation to Obedience , or from the sole mal●diction ? There be other Acts of Liberation besides Satisfaction : For it is [ The Law of the Spirit of Life ] that doth it : And we are freed both from the power of indwelling-sin , ( called a Law ) and from the Mosaical Yoak , and from the Impossible Conditions of the Law of Innocency , though not from its bare Obligation to future Duty . § . 7. He addeth a Third , Ex parte Medii , quod est Justitia Christi Legalis nobis per fidem Imputata : Omnem itaque Justificationem proprie Legalem esse constat . Answ . 1. When I read that he will have but one sense or sort of Justification , will yet have the Denomination to be ex termino , and so justifieth my distinction of it , according to the various Termini ; And here how he maketh the Righteousness of Christ to be but the MEDIVM of our Justification , ( though he should have told us which sort of Medium he meaneth ) he seemeth to me a very favourable consenting Adversary : And I doubt those Divines who maintain that Christ's Rig●teousness is the Causa Formalis of our Justification , ( who are no small ones , nor a few , though other in answer to the Papists disclaim it ) yea , and those that make it but Causa Materialis , ( which may have a sound sense ) will think this Learned Man betrayeth their Cause by prevarication , and seemeth to set fiercly against me , that he may yeeld up the Cause with less suspicion . But the truth is , we all know but in part , and therefore err in part , and Error is inconsistent with it self . And as we have conflicting Flesh and Spirit in the Will , so have we conflicting Light and Darkness , Spirit and Flesh in the Understanding ; And it is very perceptible throughout this Author's Book , that in one line the Flesh and Darkness saith one thing , and in the next oft the Spirit and Light saith the contrary , and seeth not the inconsistency : And so though the dark and fleshy part rise up in wrathful striving Zeal against the Concord and Peace of Christians , on pretence that other Mens Errors wrong the Truth , yet I doubt not but Love and Unity have some interest in his lucid and Spiritual part . We do not only grant him that Christ's Righteousness is a Medium of our Justification , ( for so also is Faith a Condition , and Dispositio Receptiva being a Medium ) ; nor only some Cause , ( for so also is the Covenant-Donation ) ; but that it is ▪ an efficient meritorious Cause , and because if Righteousness had been that of our own , Innocency would have been founded in Merit , we may call Christ's Righteousness the material Cause of our Justification , remotely , as it is Materia Meriti , the Matter of the Merit which procureth it . 2. But for all this it followeth not that all Justification is only Legal , as Legal noteth its respect to the Law of Innocency : For 1. we are justified from or against che Accusation of being non-performers of the Condition of the Law of Grace ; 2. And of being therefore unpardoned , and lyable to its sorer Penalty . 3. Our particular subordinate Personal Righteousness consisting in the said performance of those Evangelical Conditions of Life , is so denominated from its conformity to the Law of Grace , ( as it instituteth its own Condition ) as the measure of it , ( as Rectitudo ad Regulam ) . 4. Our Jus ad impunitatem & vitam , resulteth from the Donative Act of the Law or Covenant of Grace , as the Titulus qui est Fundamentum Juris , or supposition of our Faith as the Condition . 5. This Law of Grace is the Norma Judicis , by which we shall be judged at the Last Day . 6. The same Judg doth now per sententiam conceptam judg of us , as he will then judg per sententiam prolatam . 7. Therefore the Sentence being virtually in the Law , this same Law of Grace , which in primo instanti doth make us Righteous , ( by Condonation and Donation of Right ) doth in secundo instanti , virtually justifie us as containing that regulating use , by which we are to be sententially justified . And now judg Reader , whether no Justification be Evangelical , or by the Law of Grace , and so to be denominated : ( for it is lis de nomine that is by him managed ) . 8. Besides that the whole frame of Causes in the Work of Redemption , ( the Redeemer , his Righteousness , Merits , Sacrifice , Pardoning Act , Intercession , &c. ) are sure rather to be called Matters of the Gospel , than of the Law. And yet we grant him easily ; 1. That Christ perfectly fulfilled the Law of Innocency , and was justified thereby , and that we are justified by that Righteousness of his , as the meritorious Cause . 2. That we being guilty of Sin and Death , according to the tenor of that Law , and that Guilt being remitted by Christ , as aforesaid , we are therefore justified from that Law , ( that is , from its Obligation of us to Innocency as the necessary terms of Life , and from its Obligation of us to Death , for want of Innocency ) : But we are not justified by that Law , either as fulfilled or as satisfied by us our selves , either personally or by an Instrument , substitute or proper Representative , that was Vicarius Obedientiae aut poenae . 3. And we grant that the Jews were delivered from the positive Jewish Law , which is it that Paul calleth , The Law of Works . And if he please , in all these respects to call Justification Legal , we intend not to quarrel with the name , ( though what I called Legal in those Aphorisms , I chose ever after to call rather , Justitia pro-legalis ) . But we cannot believe him , 1. That it is only Legal ; 2. Or that that is the only ( or most ) proper denomination . § . 8. He proceedeth thus , [ And it will be vain , if any argue , That yet none can be saved without Evangelical Works , according to which it is confessed that all men shall be judged : for the distinction is easie ( which the Author of the Aphorisms somewhere useth ) between the first or Private , and the last or Publick Justification . — In the first sense it is never said , That Works justifie , but contrary , That God justifieth him that worketh not , Rom. 4.5 . In the latter we confess that Believers are to be justified according to Works , but yet not Of ( or By ) Works , nor that that Justification maketh men just before God , but only so pronounceth them . Answ . 1. This is such another Consenting Adversary as once before I was put to answer ; who with open mouth calls himself consequentially what he calleth me ; if the same Cause , and not the Person make the Guilt . Nay let him consider whether his grand and most formidable Weapon [ So also saith Bellarmine , with other Papists ] do not wound himself : For they commonly say , That the first Justification is not of Works , or Works do not first justifie us . Have I not now proved that he erreth and complyeth with the Papists ? If not , let him use better Arguments himself . 2. But why is the first Justification called Private ? Either he meaneth God's making us just constitutively , or his judging us so : and that per sententiam conceptam only , or prolatam also . 1. The common distinction in Politicks , inter judicium Privatum & Publicum , is fetcht from the Judg , who is either Persona privata vel publica : a private Man , or an authorized Judg judging as such : And so the Judgment of Conscience , Friends , Enemies , Neighbours , mere Arbitrators , &c. is Judicium privatum ; and that of a Judg in foro , is Judicium publicum , ( yea , or in secret , before the concerned Parties only in his Closet , so it be decisive ) : If this Learned Doctor so understand it , then , 1. Constitutive Justification ( which is truly first ) is publick Justification , being done by God the Father , and by our Redeemer , who sure are not herein private authorized Persons . 2. And the first sentential Justification , as merely Virtual , and not yet Actual , viz. as it 's virtually in the Justifying Law of Grace as norma Judicis is publick in suo genere , being the virtus of a Publick Law of God , or of his Donative Promise . 3. And the first Actual Justification , per Deum Judicem per sententiam conceptam ( which is God's secret judging the Thing and Person to be as they are ) is ( secret indeed in se , yet revealed by God's publick Word but ) publick as to the Judg. 4. And the first sententia prolata ( the fourth in order ) is someway publick as opposite to secresie , ( for , 1. it is before the Angels of Heaven ; 2. And in part by Executive demonstrations on Earth ) : But it is certainly by a publick Judg , that is , God. 5. And the first Apologetical Justification by Christ our Interceding Advocate , is publick both quoad personam , and as openly done in Heaven : And if this worthy Person deny any Justification per sententiam Judicis , upon our first Believing , or before the final Judgment , he would wofully fall out with the far greatest number of Protestants , and especially his closest Friends , who use to make a Sentence of God as Judg to be the Genus to Justification . But if by [ Private and Publick Justification ] ; he means [ secret and open ] . 1. How can he hope to be understood when he will use Political Terms unexplained , out of the usual sense of Politicians : But no men use to abuse words more than they that would keep the Church in flames by wordy Controversies , as if they were of the terms of Life and Death . 2. And even in that sense our first Justification is publick or open , quoad Actum Justificancantis , as being by the Donation of a publick Word of God ; Though quoad effectum in recipiente , it must needs be secret till the Day of Judgment , no Man knowing anothers Heart , whether he be indeed a sound Believer : And so of the rest as is intim●ted . Concerning , what I have said before , some may Object , 1. That there is no such thing as our Justification notified before the Angels in Heaven . 2. That the Sententia Concepta is God's Immanent Acts , and therefore Eternal . Answ . To the first , I say , 1. It is certain by Luk. 15.10 . that the Angels know of the Conversion of a Sinner , and therefore of his Justification and publickly Rejoyce therein . Therefore it is notified to them . 2. But I refer the Reader for this , to what I have said to Mr. Tombes in my Disputation of Justification , where I do give my thoughts , That this is not the Justification by Faith meant by Paul , as Mr. Tombes asserteth it to be . To the Second , I say , Too many have abused Theology , by the misconceiving of the distinction of Immanent and Transient Acts of God , taking all for Immanent which effect nothing ad extra . But none are properly Immanent quoad Objectum , but such as God himself is the Object of , ( as se intelligere , se amare ) : An Act may be called indeed immanent in any of these three respects ; 1. Ex parte Agentis ; 2. Ex parte Objecti ; 3. Ex parte effectus . 1. Ex parte agentis , all God's Acts are Immanent , for they are his Essence . 2. Ex parte Objecti vel Termini , God's Judging a Man Just or Unjust , Good or Bad , is transient ; because it is denominated from the state of the Terminus or Object : And so it may be various and mutable denominatively , notwithstanding God's Simplicity and Immutability . And so the Sententia Concepta is not ab Aeterno . 3. As to the Effect , all confess God's Acts to be Transient and Temporary . But there are some that effect not ( as to judg a thing to be what it is ) . 3. Either this Militant Disputer would have his Reader believe that I say , That a Man is justified by Works , in that which he called [ making just , and the first Justification ] , or not : If he would , such untruth and unrighteousness ( contrary to the full drift of many of my Books , and even that which he selected to oppose ) is not a congruous way of disputing for Truth and Righteousness : nor indeed is it tolerably ingenuous or modest . If not , then why doth he all along carry his professed agreement with me , in a militant strain , perswading his Reader , that I savour of Socinianism or Popery , or some dangerous Error , by saying the very same that he saith . O what thanks doth God's Church owe such contentious Disputers for supposed Orthodoxness , that like noctambuli , will rise in their sleep , and cry , Fire , Fire , or beat an Allarm on their Drums , and cry out , The Enemy , The Enemy , and will not let their Neighbours rest ! I have wearied my Readers with so oft repeating in my Writings ( upon such repeated importunities of others ) these following Assertions about Works . 1. That we are never justified , first or last , by Works of Innocency . 2. Nor by the Works of the Jewish Law ( which Paul pleadeth against ) . 3. Nor by any Works of Merit , in point of Commutative Justice , or of distributive Governing Justice , according to either of those Laws ( of Innocency , or Jewish ) . 4. Nor by any Works or Acts of Man , which are set against or instead of the least part of God's Acts ▪ Christ's Merits , or any of his part or honour . 5. Nor are we at first justified by any Evangelical Works of Love , Gratitude or Obedience to Christ , as Works are distinguished from our first Faith and Repentance . 6. Nor are we justified by Repentance , as by an instrumental efficient Cause , or as of the same receiving Nature with Faith , except as Repentance signifieth our change from Vnbelief to Faith , and so is Faith it self . 7. Nor are we justified by Faith as by a mere Act , or moral good Work. 8. Nor yet as by a proper efficient Instrument of our Justification . 9. Much less by such Works of Charity to Men , as are without true love to God. 10. And least of all , by Popish bad Works , called Good , ( as Pilgrimages , hurtful Austerities , &c. ) But if any Church-troubling Men will first call all Acts of Man's Soul by the name of WORKS , and next will call no Act by the name of Justifying Faith , but the belief of the Promise ( as some ) or the accepting of Christ's Righteousness given or imputed to us , as in se , our own ( as others ) or [ the Recumbency on this Righteousness ] ( as others ) or all these three Acts ( as others ) ; and if next they will say that this Faith justifieth us only as the proper Instrumental Cause ; And next that to look for Justification by any other Act of Man's Soul , or by this Faith in any other respect , is to trust to that Justification by Works , which Paul confuteth , and to fall from Grace , I do detest such corrupting and abusing of the Scriptures , and the Church of Christ . And I assert as followeth ; 1. That the Faith which we are justified by , doth as essentially contain our belief of the Truth of Christ's Person , Office , Death , Resurrection , Intercession , &c. as of the Promise of Imputation . 2. And also our consent to Christ's Teaching , Government , Intercession , as to Imputation . 3. And our Acceptance of Pardon , Spirit , and promised Glory , as well as Imputed Righteousness of Christ . 4. Yea , that it is essentially a Faith in God the Father , and the Holy Ghost . 5. That it hath in it essentially somewhat of Initial Love to God , to Christ , to Recovery , to Glory ; that is , of Volition ; and so of Desire . 6. That it containeth all that Faith , which is necessarily requisite at Baptism to that Covenant ; even a consenting-practical-belief in God the Father , Son , and Holy Ghost : and is our Christianity it self . 7. That we are justified by this Faith , as it is [ A moral Act of Man , adapted to its proper Office , made by our Redeemer , the Condition of his Gift of Justification , and so is the moral receptive aptitude of the Subject , or the Dispositio materiae vel subjecti Recipientis ] : Where the Matter of it is [ An adapted moral Act of Man ] ( by Grace ) . The Ratio formalis of its Interest in our Justification is [ Conditio praestita ] speaking politically , and [ Aptitudo vel Dispositio moralis Receptiva ] speaking logically ; which Dr. Twiss still calleth Causa dispositiva . 8. That Repentance as it is a change of the Mind from Unbelief to Faith , ( in God the Father , Son ; and Holy Ghost ) is this Faith denominated from its Terminus à quo ( principally ) . 9. That we are continually justified by this Faith as continued , as well as initially justified by its first Act. 10. That as this Faith includeth a consent to future Obedience , ( that is , Subjection ) so the performance of that consent in sincere Obedience , is the Condition of our Justification as continued ( Secondarily ) as well as Faith ( or consent it self ) primarily : And that thus James meaneth , that we are Justified by Works . 11. That God judging of all things truly as they are , now judgeth Men just or unjust , on these Terms . 12. And his Law being Norma judicii , now vertually judgeth us just on these terms . 13. And that the Law of Grace being that which we are to be judged by , we shall at the last Judgment also be judged ( and so justified ) thus far by or according to our sincere Love , Obedience , or Evangelical Works , as the Condition of the Law or Covenant of free Grace , which justifieth and glorifieth freely all that are thus Evangelically qualified , by and for the Merits , perfect Righteousness and Sacrifice of Christ , which procured the Covenant or free Gift of Universal Conditional Justification and Adoption , before and without any Works or Conditions done by Man whatsoever . Reader , Forgive me this troublesom oft repeating the state of the Controversie ; I meddle with no other . If this be Justification by Works , I am for it . If this Doctor be against it , he is against much of the Gospel . If he be not , he had better have kept his Bed , than to have call'd us to Arms in his Dream , when we have sadly warred so many Ages already about mere words . For my part , I think that such a short explication of our sense , and rejection of ambiguities , is fitter to end these quarrels , than the long disputations of Confounders . 4. But when be saith , [ Works make not a Man just , and yet we are at last justified according to them ] , it is a contradiction , or unsound . For if he mean Works in the sence excluded by Paul , we are not justified according to them , viz. such as make , or are thought to make the Reward to be not of Grace , but of Debt : But if he take Works in the sense intended by James , sincere Obedience is a secondary constitutive part of that inherent or adherent personal Righteousness , required by the Law of Grace , in subordination to Christ's Meritorious Righteousness ; And what Christian can deny this ? So far it maketh us Righteous , ( as Faith doth initially ) . And what is it to be justified according to our Works , but to be judged , so far as they are sincerely done , to be such as have performed the secondary part of the Conditions of free-given Life ? 5. His [ According ] but not [ ex operibus ] at the Last Judgment , is but a Logomachie [ According ] signifieth as much as I assert : But [ ex ] is no unapt Preposition , when it is but the subordinate part of Righteousness and Justification , of which we speak , and signifieth ( with me ) the same as [ According ] . 6. His Tropical Phrase , that [ Works pronouce us just ] is another ambiguity : That the Judg will pronounce us just according to them , as the foresaid second part of the Constitutive Cause , or Matter of our Subordinate Righteousness , is certain from Matth. 25. and the scope of Scripture : But that they are only notifying Signs , and no part of the Cause of the day to be tryed , is not true , ( which too many assert ) . § . 9. He proceedeth , [ If there be an Evangelical Justification at God's Bar , distinct from the legal one , there will then also be in each an absolution of divers sins : For if the Gospel forgive the same sins as the Law , the same thing will be done , and a double Justification will be unprofitable and idle . If from divers sins , then the Law forbids not the same things as the Gospel , &c. ] Answ . It 's pitty such things should need any Answer . 1. It 's a false Supposition , That all Justification is Absolution from sin : To justifie the sincerity of our Faith and Holiness , is one act or part of our Justification , against all ( possible or actual ) false Accusation . 2. The Law of Innocency commanded not the Believing Acceptance of Christ's Righteousness and Pardon , and so the Remnants of that Law in the hand of Christ ( which is the Precept of perfect Obedience de futuro ) commandeth it only consequently , supposing the Gospel-Promise and Institution to have gone before , and selected this as the terms of Life ; so that as a Law in genere ( existent only in speciebus ) commandeth Obedience , and the Law of Innocency in specie commanded [ personal perfect perpetual Obedience , as the Condition of Life ] ; so the Gospel commandeth Faith in our Redeemer , as the new Condition of Life : on which supposition , even the Law of lapsed Nature further obligeth us thereto : And as the Commands differ , so do the Prohibitions . There is a certain sort of sin excepted from pardon , by the pardoning Law , viz. Final non-performance of its Conditions : And to judg a Man not guilty of this sin , is part of our Justification , as is aforesaid . § . 10. He addeth , [ If Legal and Evangelical Justification are specie distinct , then so are the Courts in which we are justified . — If distinct and subordinate , and so he that is justified by the law , is justified by the Gospel , &c. ] Answ . 1. No Man is justified by the Law of Innocency or Works , but Christ : Did I ever say that , [ That Law justifieth us ] , who have voluminously wrote against it ? If he would have his Reader think so , his unrighteousness is such as civility forbids me to give its proper Epithets to . If not , against what or whom is all this arguing ? 2. I call it [ Legal ] as it is that perfect Righteousness of Christ our Surety , conform to the Law of Innocency ; by which he was justified ( though not absolved and pardoned ) : I call it [ pro Legalis justitia ] , because that Law doth not justifie us for it ( but Christ only ) but by it given us ad effecta by the New-Covenant ; we are saved and justified from the Curse of that Law , or from Damnation , is certainly as if we had done it our selves : I call Faith our Evangelical Righteousness , on the Reasons too oft mentioned . Now these may be called Two Justifications , or ( rather ) two parts of one , in several respects , as pleaseth the Speaker . And all such Word-Souldiers shall have their liberty without my Contradiction . 3. And when will he prove that these two Sorts , or Parts , or Acts , may not be at once transacted at the same Bar ? Must there needs be one Court to try whether I am a true Believer , or an Infidel , or Hypocrite ; and another to judg that being such , I am to be justified against all Guilt and Curse , by vertue of Christ's Merits and Intercession ? Why may not these two parts of one Man's Cause be judged at the same Bar ? And why must your Pupils be taught so to conceive of so great a business , in it self so plain ? § . 11. He proceedeth , [ The Vse of this Evangelical ▪ Justification is made to be , that we may be made partakers of the Legal Justification out of us , in Christ : And so our Justification applyeth another Justification , and our Remission of sins another . Answ . No Sir ; but our particular subordinate sort of Righteousness , consisting in the performance of the Conditions of the free Gift , ( viz. a believing suitable Acceptance ) is really our Dispositio receptiva , being the Condition of our Title to that Pardon and Glory , which for Christ's Righteousness if freely given us . And our personal Faith and Sincerity must be justified , and we in tantum , before our Right to Christ , Pardon and Life can be justified in foro . 2. And to justifie us as sincere Believers , when others are condemned as Hypocrites , and Unbelievers , and Impenitent , is not Pardon of Sin. These Matters should have been put into your ( excellent ) Catechism , and not made strange , much less obscured and opposed , when laying by the quarrels about mere words , I am confident you deny none of this . § . 12. He addeth , [ Then Legal Justification is nothing but a bare word , seeing unapplyed ; as to the Matter it is nothing , as it is not called Healing by a Medicine not applyed ; nor was it ever heard that one Healing did apply another ] . Answ . Alas , alas , for the poor Church , if this be the Academies best ! sorrow must excuse my Complaint ! If it be an Argument it must run thus : If Legal ( or pro-legal ) Righteousness ( that is , our part in Christ's Righteousness ) be none to us ( or none of our Justification ) when not-applyed , than it is none also when it is applyed : But , &c. Answ . It is none till applyed : Christ's Merits , or Legal Righteousness justifie himself , but not us till applyed : ( Do you think otherwise , or do you wrangle against your self ? ) But I deny your Consequence : How prove you that it is none when applyed therefore ? Or the Cure is none when the Medicine is applyed ? Perhaps you 'l say , That then our Personal Righteousness , and subordinate Justification , is ours before Christ's Righteousness , and so the greater dependeth on , and followeth the less . Answ . 1. Christ's own Righteousness is before ours . 2. His Condition , Pardon to fallen Mankind is before ours . 3. This Gift being Conditional , excepteth the non-performance of the Condition ; And the nature of a Condition , is to suspend the effect of the Donation till performed . 4. Therefore the performance goeth before the said Effect , and our Title . 5. But it is not therefore any cause of it , but a removal of the suspension ; nor hath the Donation any other dependance on it . And is not all this beyond denial with Persons not studiously and learnedly misled ? But you say , It was never heard that one Healing applyed another . Answ . And see you not that this is a lis de nomine , and of a name of your own introduction for illustration ? If we were playing at a Game of Tropes , I could tell you that the Healing of Mens Vnbelief is applicatory for the healing of their Guilt ; And the healing of Men's Ignorance , Pride , and Wrangling about words , and frightning Men into a Conceit that it is about Life and Death , is applicatory as to the healing of the Churches Wounds and Shame . But I rather chuse to ask you , Whether it was never heard that a particular subordinate personal Righteousness ( even Faith and Repentance ) was made by God the Condition of our Right to Pardon , and Life by Christ's Righteousness ? Did you never teach your Sholars this , ( in what words you thought best ? ) And yet even our Faith is a Fruit of Christ's Righteousness ; but nevertheless the Condition of other Fruits . If you say that our Faith or Performance is not to be called Righteousness , I refer you to my Answer to Mr. Cartwright ; And if the word Righteousness be not ofter ( ten to one ) used in Scripture for somewhat Personal , than for Christ's Righteousness imputed , then think that you have said something . If you say , But it justifieth not as a Righteousness , but as an Instrument . I Answer , 1. I have said elsewhere so much of its Instrumentality , that I am ashamed to repeat it . 2. It justifieth not at all , ( for that signifieth efficiency ) ; but only maketh us capable Recipients . 3. We are justified by it as a medium , and that is a Condition performed ( as aforesaid ) : And when that Condition by a Law is made both a Duty and a Condition of Life , the performance is by necessary resultancy [ a Righteousness ] . But we are not justified by it , as it is a Righteousness in genere ; nor as a mere moral Virtue or Obedience to the Law of Nature ; but as it is the performance of the Condition of the Law of Grace ; and so as it is this particular Righteousness , and no other . § . 13. [ In Legal Justification ( saith he ) taken precisely , either there is Remission of sin , or not : If not , What Justification is that ? If yea , then Evangelical Justification is not necessary to the application of it ; because the Application is supposed , &c. ] Answ . 1. What I usually call [ Evangelical Righteousness ] he supposeth me to call Justification ; which yet is true , and sound , but such as is before explained . 2. This is but the same again , and needeth no new answer ; The performance of the Condition is strangely here supposed to follow the Right or Benefit of the Gift or Covenant : If he would have the Reader think I said so , he may as ingeniously tell , that I deny all Justification : If not , what meaneth he ? CHAP. VII . Dr. Tullies Quarrel about Imputation of Christ's Righteousness , considered . § . 1. CAp. 8. pag. 79. he saith , [ Because no Man out of Socinus School , hath by his Dictates more sharply exagitated this Imputation of Righteousness , than the Author of the Aphorisms ; and it is in all mens hands , we think meet to bring into a clearer Light , the things objected by him ( or more truly his Sophistical Cavils ) whence the fitter Prospect may be taken of almost the whole Controversie ] . Answ . That the Reader may see by what Weapons Theological Warriours wound the Churches Peace , and profligate brotherly Love ; let him consider how many palpable Untruths are in these few Lines , even in matter of Fact. 1. Let him read Dr. Gell , Mr. Thorndike , and by his own confession , the Papists ( a multitude of them ) and tell me true , that [ No Man out of Socinus School hath , &c. ] To say nothing of many late Writings near us . 2. If I have , 1. never written one word against [ Imputation of Righteousness ] there or elsewhere ; 2. Yea , have oft written for it ; 3. And if those very Pages be for it which he accuseth ; 4. Yea , if there and elsewhere I write more for it than Olevian , Vrsine , Paraeus , Scultetus , Wendeline , Piscator , and all the rest of those great Divines , who are for the Imputation only of the Passive Righteousness of Christ , when I profess there and often , to concur with Mr. Bradshaw , Grotius , and others that take in the Active also , yea and the Habitual , yea and Divine respectively , as advancing the Merits of the Humane ; If all this be notoriously true , what Epithets will you give to this Academical Doctors notorious Untruth ? 3. When that Book of Aphorisms was suspended or retracted between twenty and thirty years ago ( publickly ) , because of many crude Passages and unapt Words , and many Books since written by me purposely , fully opening my mind of the same things ; all which he passeth wholly by , save a late Epistle ; what credit is to be given to that Man's ingenuity , who pretendeth that this being in all mens hands , the answering it will so far clear all the Controversie . § . 2. Dr. T. [ He hence assaulteth the Sentence of the Reformed ; because it supposeth , as he saith , that we were in Christ , at least , legally before we believed , or were born . But what proof of the consequence doth he bring ? ] ( The rest are but his Reasons against the Consequences , and his talk against me , as pouring out Oracles , &c. ) Answ . 1. Is this the mode of our present Academical Disputers , To pass by the stating of the Controversie , yea , to silence the state of it , as laid down by the Author , whom he opposeth in that very place , ( and more fully elsewhere often ) ? Reader , the Author of the Aphorisms , pag. 45. and forward , distinguishing as Mr. Bradshaw doth , of the several senses of Imputation , and how Christ's Righteousness is made ours , 1. Beginneth with their Opinion , who hold , [ That Christ did so obey in our stead , as that in God's esteem , and in point of Law we were in Christ dying and suffering , and so in him we did both perfectly fulfil the Commands of the Law by Obedience , and the Threatnings of it by bearing the Penalty , and thus ( say they ) is Christ's Righteousness imputed to us , viz. His Passive Righteousness for the pardon of our sins , and deliverance from the Penalty ; His Active Righteousness for the making of us Righteous , and giving us title to the Kingdom ; And some say the Habitual Righteousness of his Humane Nature , instead of our own Habitual Righteousness ; Yea , some add the Righteousness of the Divine Nature ] . The second Opinion which he reciteth is this , [ That God the Father accepteth the sufferings and merits of his Son , as a valuable consideration , on which he will wholly forgive and acquit the Offenders , and receive them into his favour , and give them the addition of a more excellent happiness , so they will but receive his Son on the terms expressed in the Gospel . And as distinct from theirs , who would thus have the Passive Righteousness only imputed , he professeth himself to hold with Bradshaw , Grotius , &c. that the Active also is so imputed , being , Justitia Meriti , as well as Personae , and endeavoureth to prove it : But not imputed in the first rigid sense , as if God esteemed us to have been , and done , and suffered our selves in and by Christ , and merited by him . Thus he states the Controversie ; And doth this Doctor fight for Truth and Peace , by 1. passing by all this ; 2. Saying , I am against Imputed Righteousness ; 3. And against the Reformed ? Were not all the Divines before named Reformed ? Was not Camero , Capellus , Placeus , Amyrald , Dallaeus ▪ Blondel , &c. Reformed ? Were not Wotton , Bradshaw , Gataker , &c. Reformed ? Were not of late Mr. Gibbons , Mr. Truman , to pass many yet alive , Reformed ? Must that Name be shamed , by appropriating it to such as this Doctor only ? 2. And now let the Reader judg , with what face he denieth the Consequence , ( that it supposeth us to have been in Christ legally , &c. ) When as I put it into the Opinion opposed , and opposed no other . But I erred in saying , that [ most of our ordinary Divines ] hold it ; But he more in fathering it in common on the Reformed . § . 2. Dr. T. [ 2. Such Imputation of Righteousness , he saith , agreeth not with Reason or Scripture : But what Reason meaneth he ? Is it that vain , blind , maimed , unmeasurably procacious and tumid Reason of the Cracovian Philosophers ? — Next he saith , Scripture is silent of the Imputed Righteousness of Christ ; what a saying is this of a Reformed Divine ? so also Bellarmine , &c. Answ . Is it not a doleful case that Orthodoxness must be thus defended ? Is this the way of vindicating Truth ? 1. Reader , my words were these , ( just like Bradshaws ) [ It tea●heth Imputation of Christ's Righteousness in so strict a sense , as will neither stand with Reason , nor the Doctrine of the Scripture , much less with the PHRASE of Scripture , which mentioneth no Imputation of Christ or his Righteousness ] . 1. Is this a denying of Christ's Righteousness imputed ? Or only of that intollerable sense of it ? 2. Do I say here that Scripture mentioneth not Imputed Righteousness , or only that strict sense of it ? 3. Do I not expresly say , It is the Phrase that is not to be found in Scripture , and the unsound sense , but not the sound ? 2. And as to the Phrase , Doth this Doctor , or can any living Man find that Phrase in Scripture , [ Christ's Righteousness is imputed to us ] ? And when he knoweth that it is not there , are not his Exclamations , and his Bug-bears [ Cracovian Reason , and Bellarmine ] his dishonour , that hath no better Weapons to use against the Churches Peace ? To tell us that the sense or Doctrine is in Scripture , when the question is of the Phrase , or that Scripture speaketh in his rigid sense , and not in ours , is but to lose time , and abuse the Reader , the first being impertinent , and the second the begging of the Question . § . 3. Dr. T. The Greek word answering to Imputation , is ten times in Rom. 4. And what is imputed but Righteousness ? we have then some imputed Righteousness . The Question is , only what or whose it is , Christ's or our own ? Not ours , therefore Christs : If ours , either its the Righteousness of Works , or of Faith , &c. Answ . 1. But what 's all this to the Phrase ? Could you have found that Phrase [ Christ's Righteousness is imputed ] , why did you not recite the words , but Reason as for the sense ? 2. Is that your way of Disputation , to prove that the Text speaketh of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness , when the Question was only , In what sense ? What kind of Readers do you expect , that shall take this for rational , candid , and a Plea for Truth ? 3. But to a Man that cometh unprejudiced , it is most plain , that Paul meaneth by [ imputing it for Righteousness ] that the Person was or is , accounted , reckoned , or judged Righteous , where Righteousness is mentioned as the formal Relation of the Believer : so that what-ever be the matter of it ( of which next ) the formal Relation sure is our own , and so here said : And if it be from the matter of Christ's Righteousness , yet that must be our own , by your Opinion . And it must be our own , in and to the proper Effects , in mine . But sure it is not the same numerical formal Relation of [ Righteousness ] that is in Christ's Person , and in ours : And it 's that formal Relation , as in Abraham , and not in Christ , that is called Abraham's Reputed Righteousness in the Text : I scarce think you will say the contrary . § . 4. Dr. T. [ But Faith is not imputed to us for Righteousness . Answ . Expresly against the words of the Holy Ghost there oft repeated . Is this defending the Scripture , expresly to deny it ? Should not reverence , and our subscription to the Scripture sufficiently rather teach us to distinguish , and tell in what sense it is imputed , and in what not , than thus to deny , without distinction , what it doth so oft assert ? Yea , the Text nameth nothing else as so imputed , but Faith. § . 5. If it be imputed , it is either as some Virtue , or Humane Work , ( the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credere ) or as it apprehendeth and applyeth Christ's Righteousness ? Not ( the first ) — If Faith be imputed relatively only , as it applyeth to a Sinner the Righteousness of Christ , it 's manifest that it 's the Righteousness of Christ only that is imputed , and that Faith doth no more to Righteousness , than an empty hand to receive an Alms. Answ . 1. Sure it doth as a voluntarily receiving hand , and not as a mere empty hand . And voluntary grateful Reception may be the Condition of a Gift . 2. You and I shall shortly find that it will be the Question on which we shall be Justified or Condemned ; not only whether we received Christ's Righteousness , but whether by Faith we received Christ in all the Essentials of his Office , and to all the essential saving Uses : Yea , whether according to the sense of the Baptismal Covenant , we first believingly received ▪ and gave up our selves to God the Father , Son , and Holy Ghost , and after performed sincerely that Covenant . 3. But let me defend the Word of God : Faith is imputed for Righteousness , even this Faith now described ; 1. Remotely , ex materiae aptitudine , for its fitness to its formal Office ; And that fitness is , 1. Because it is an Act of Obedience to God , or morally good , ( for a bad or indifferent Act doth not justifie ) . 2. More specially as it is the receiving , trusting , and giving up our selves to God the Father , Son , and Holy Ghost , to the proper ends of Redemption , or a suitable Reception of the freely offered Gift ; and so connoteth Christ the Object ( for the Object is essential to the Act in specie ) . 2. But proximately Faith is so reputed , or imputed , as it is the performance of the Condition of the Justifying Covenant or Donation . And to be imputed for Righteousness , includeth , That [ It is the part required of us by the Law of Grace , to make us partakers of the Benefits of Christ's Righteousness , which meriteth Salvation for us instead of a legal and perfect Righteousness of our own , ( which we have not ) . Or , [ Whereas we fell short of a Righteousness of Innocency , Christ by such a Righteousness hath merited our Pardon and Salvation , and given title to them by a New Covenant of Grace , which maketh this Faith the Condition of our Title ; and if we do this , we shall be judged evangelically Righteous ; that is , such as have done all that was necessary to their right in Christ and the said Benefits ; and therefore have such a Right ] . This is plain English , and plain Truth , wrangle no more against it , and against the very Letter of the Text , and against your Brethren and the Churches Concord , by making Men believe that there are grievous Differences , where there are none . Reader , I was going on to Answer the rest , but my time is short , Death is at the door : Thou seest what kind of Work I have of it , even to detect a Learned Man's Oversights , and temerarious Accusations . The weariness will be more to thee and me , than the profit : I find little before , but what I have before answered here , and oft elsewhere ; And therefore I will here take up , only adding one Chapter of Defence of that Conciliation which I attempted in an Epistle to Mr. W. Allens Book of the Two Covenants , and this Doctor , like an Enemy of Peace , assaulteth . CHAP. VIII . The Concord of Protestants in the Matter of Justification defended , against Dr. Tullies Oppositions , who would make Discord under pretence of proving it . § . 1. WHile Truth is pretended by most , that by envious striving introduce Confusion , and every evil Work , it usually falleth out by God's just Judgment , that such are almost as opposite to Truth , as to Charity and Peace . What more palpable instances can there be , than such as on such accounts have lately assaulted me : Mr. Danvers , Mr. Bagshaw , &c. and now this Learned Doctor . The very stream of all his Opposition against me about Imputation , is enforced by this oft repeated Forgery , that I deny all Imputation of Christ's Righteousness : Yea , he neither by fear , modesty , or ingenuity , was restrained from writing , pag. 117. [ Omnem ludibrio habet Imputationem ] [ He derideth all Imputation ] . Judg by this what credit contentious Men deserve . § . 2. The conciliatory Propositions which I laid down in an Epistle to Mr. W. Allens Book , I will here transcribe , that the Reader may see what it is that these Militant Doctors war against . Lest any who know not how to stop in mediocrity , should be tempted by Socinians or Papists , to think that we countenance any of their Errors , or that our Differences in the point of Justification by Faith or Works , are greater than indeed they are ; and lest any weak Opinionative Persons , should clamour unpeaceably against their Brethren , and think to raise a name to themselves for their differing Notions ; I shall here give the Reader such evidences of our real Concord , as shall silence that Calumny . Though some few Lutherans did , upon peevish suspiciousness against George Major long ago , assert , That [ Good Works are not necessary to Salvation ] : And though some few good Men , whose Zeal without Judgment doth better serve their own turn than the Churches , are jealous , lest all the good that is ascribed to Man , be a dishonour to God ; and therefore speak as if God were honoured most by saying the worst words of our selves ; and many have uncomely and irregular Notions about these Matters : And though some that are addicted to sidings , do take it to be their Godly Zeal to censure and reproach the more understanding sort , when they most grosly err themselves : And though too many of the People are carried about through injudiciousness and temptations to false Doctrines and evil Lives ; yet is the Argument of Protestants thus manifested . 1. They all affirm that Christ's Sacrifice , with his Holiness and perfect Obedience , are the meritorious Cause of the forgiving Covenants , and of our Pardon and Justification thereby , and of our Right to Life Eternal , which it giveth us . And that this Price was not paid or given in it self immediately to us , but to God for us ; and so , that our foresaid Benefits are its Effects . 2. They agree that Christ's Person and ours were not really the same ; and therefore that the same Righteousness , which is an Accident of one , cannot possibly be an Accident of the other . 3. They all detest the Conceit , that God should aver , and repute a Man to have done that which he never did . 4. They all agree that Christ's Sacrifice and Merits are really so effectual to procure our Pardon , Justification , Adoption , and right to the sealing Gift of the Holy Ghost , and to Glory , upon our Faith and Repentance ; that God giveth us all these benefits of the New-Covenant as certainly for the sake of Christ and his Righteousness , as if we had satisfied him , and merited them our selves : and that thus far Christ's Righteousness is ours in its Effects , and imputed to us , in that we are thus used for it , and shall be judged accordingly . 5. They all agree , that we are justified by none , but a practical or working Faith. 6. And that this Faith is the Condition of the Promise , or Gift of Justification and Adoption . 7. And that Repentance is a Condition also , though ( as it is not the same with Faith , as Repentance of Unbelief is ) on another aptitudinal account ; even as a willingness to be cured , and a willingness to take one for my Physician , and to trust him in the use of his Remedies , are on several accounts the Conditions on which that Physician will undertake the Cure , or as willingness to return to subjection and thankful acceptance of a purchased Pardon , and of the Purchasers Love and future Authority , are the Conditions of a Rebel's Pardon . 8. And they all agree , that in the first instant of a Man's Conversion or Believing , he is entred into a state of Justification , before he hath done any outward Works : and that so it is true , that good Works follow the Justified , and go not before his initial Justification : as also in the sense that Austin spake it , who took Justification , for that which we call Sanctification or Conversion . 9. And they all agree , that Justifying Faith is such a receiving affiance , as is both 〈…〉 Intellect and the Will ; and therefore as in 〈…〉 , participateth of some kind of Love to the justifying Object , as well as to Justification . 10. And that no Man can chuse or use Christ as a Means ( so called , in respect to his own intention ) to bring him to God the Father , who hath not so much love to God , as to take him for his end in the use of that means . 11. And they agree , that we shall be all judged according to our Works , by the Rule of the Covenant of Grace , though not for our Works , by way of commutative , or legal proper merit . And Judging is the Genus , whose Species is Justifying and Condemning : and to be judged according to our Works , is nothing but to be justified or condemned according to them . 12. They all agree , that no Man can possibly merit of God in point of Commutative Justice , nor yet in point of Distributive or Governing Justice , according to the Law of Nature or Innocency , as Adam might have done , nor by the Works of the Mosaical Law. 13. They all agree , that no Works of Mans are to be trusted in , or pleaded , but all excluded , and the Conceit of them abhorred . 1. As they are feigned to be against , or instead of the free Mercy of God. 2. As they are against , or feigned , instead of the Sacrifice , Obedience , Merit , or Intercession of Christ . 3. Or as supposed to be done of our selves , without the Grace of the Holy Ghost . 4. Or as supposed falsly to be perfect . 5. Or as supposed to have any of the afore-disclaimed Merit . 6. Or as materially consisting in Mosaical Observances . 7. Much more in any superstitious Inventions . 8. Or in any Evil mistaken to be Good. 9. Or as any way inconsistent with the Tenor of the freely pardoning Covenant . In all these senses Justification by Works is disclaimed by all Protestants at least . 14. Yet all agree , that we are created to good Works in Christ Jesus , which God hath ordained , that we should walk therein ; and that he , that nameth the Name of Christ , must depart from iniquity , or else he hath not the Seal of God ; and that he that is born of God sinneth not ; that is , predominantly . And that all Christ's Members are Holy , Purified , zealous of Good Works , cleansing themselves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit , that they might perfect Holiness in God's fear , doing good to all Men , as loving their Neighbours as themselves ; and that if any Man have not the Sanctifying Spirit of Christ , he is none of his , nor without Holiness can see God. 15. They all judg reverently and charitably of the Ancients , that used the word [ Merit of Good Works ] , because they meant but a moral aptitude for the promised Reward , according to the Law of Grace through Christ . 16. They confess the thing thus described themselves , however they like not the name of Merit , lest it should countenance proud and carnal Conceits . 17. They judg no Man to be Heretical for the bare use of that word , who agreeth with them in the sense . 18. In this sense they agree , that our Gospel-Obedience is such a necessary aptitude to our Glorification , as that Glory ( though a free Gift ) is yet truly a reward of this Obedience . 19. And they agree , that our final Justification by Sentence at the Day of Judgment doth pass upon the same Causes , Reasons , and Conditions , as our Glorification doth . 20. They all agree , that all faithful Ministers must bend the labour of their Ministry in publick and private , for promoting of Holiness and good Works , and that they must difference by Discipline between the Obedient and the Disobedient . And O! that the Papists would as zealously promote Holiness and good Works in the World , as the true serious Protestants do , whom they factiously and peevishly accuse as Enemies to them ; and that the Opinion , Disputing , and name of good Works , did not cheat many wicked Persons into self-flattery and Perdition , while they are void of that which they dispute for . Then would not the Mahometans and Heathens be deterred from Christianity by the wickedness of these nominal Christians , that are near them : nor would the serious practice of that Christianity , which themselves in general profess , be hated , scorned , and persecuted by so many , both Protestants and Papists ; nor would so many contend that they are of the True Religion , while they are really of no Religion at all any further , than the Hypocrites Picture and Carcass may be called Religion : Were Men but resolved to be serious Learners , serious Lovers , serious Practisers according to their knowledg , and did not live like mockers of God , and such as look toward the Life to come in jest , or unbelief , God would vouchsafe them better acquaintance with the True Religion than most Men have . § . 3. One would think now that this should meet with no sharp Opposition , from any Learned lover of Peace ; and that it should answer for it self , and need no defence . But this Learned Man for all that , among the rest of his Military Exploits , must here find some Matter for a Triumph . And 1. Pag. 18. he assaulteth the third Propos . [ They all detest the Conceit , that God should aver , and repute a Man to have done that which he never did ] . And is not this true ? Do any sober Men deny it , and charge God with Error or Untruth ? Will not this Man of Truth and Peace , give us leave to be thus far agreed , when we are so indeed ? But saith he , [ Yea , the Orthodox abhor the contrary , if [ to have done it ] be taken in sensu forensi , ( for in a Physical and Personal , they abhor it not , but deride it ) : Doth the Aphorist abhor these and such-like sayings , [ We are dead , buried , risen from the Dead with Christ ? ] Answ . 1. Take notice Reader , that it is but the Words , and not the Matter that he here assaulteth ; so that all here seemeth but lis de nomine . He before , pag. 84. extolleth Chrysostom for thus expounding , [ He made him sin for us ] ; that is ▪ to be condemned as an Offender , and to die as a Blasphemer . And this sense of Imputation we all admit ; But Chrysostom in that place oft telleth us , That by [ Sin ] he meaneth both one counted a wicked Man by his Persecutors , [ not by God ] and one that suffered that cursed Death , which was due to wicked cursed Men : And which of us deny not Justification by Works as Chrysostom doth ? I subscribe to his words , [ It is God s Righteousness ; seeing it is not of Works ( for in them it were necessary that there be found no blot ) but of Grace , which blotteth out and extinguisheth all sin : And this begetteth us a double benefit , for it suffereth us not to be lift up in mind , because it is all the Gift of God , and it sheweth the greatness of the benefit ] . This is as apt an Expression of my Judgment of Works and Grace as I could chuse . But it 's given to some Men to extol that in one Man , which they fervently revile in others . How frequently is Chrysostom by many accused as favouring Free-Will , and Man's Merits , and smelling of Pelagianism ? And he that is acquainted with Chrysostom , must know , That he includeth all these things in Justification . 1. Remission of the Sin , as to the Punishment , 2. Remission of it by Mortification , ( for so he calleth it , in Rom. 3. p. ( mihi ) 63. ) 3. Right to Life freely given for Christ's sake . 4. And Inherent Righteousness through Faith : And he oft saith , That this is called the Righteousness of God , because as God , who is living , quickeneth the dead , and as he that is strong giveth strength to the weak ; so he that is Righteous , doth suddenly make them Righteous that were lapsed into sin ] , as he there also speaketh . And he oft tells us , It is Faith it self , and not only Christ believed in , that is imputed for Righteousness , or Justifieth : And in Rom. 4. p. 80. he calleth the Reward , [ the Retribution of Faith ] . And pag. 89. he thus conjoyneth [ Faith and Christ's Death ] to the Question , How Men obnoxious to so much sin are justified , [ he sheweth that he blotted out all sin , that he might confirm what he said , both from the Faith of Abraham by which he was justified , and from our Saviours Death , by which we are delivered from sin ] . But this is on the by . 2. But saith Dr. T. The Orthodox abhor the contrary in sensu forensi . Answ . How easie is it to challenge the Titles of Orthodox , Wise , or good Men to ones self ? And who is not Orthodox , himself being Judg ? But it seems with him , no Man must pass for Orthodox that is not in so gross an error of his Mind , ( if these words , and not many better that are contrary must be the discovery of it ) viz. That will not say , that in sensu forensi , God esteemeth Men to have done that which they never did . The best you can make of this is , that you cover the same sense , which I plainlier express , with this illfavoured Phrase of Man's inventing : But if indeed you mean any more than I by your sensus forensis , viz. that such a suffering and meriting for us may , in the lax improper way of some Lawyers speaking , be called , [ Our own Doing , Meriting , Suffering , &c. ] I have proved , that the Doctrine denied by me , subverteth the Gospel of Christ . Reader , I remember what Grotius ( then Orthodox , thirty years before his Death ) in that excellent Letter of Church-Orders , Predestination , Perseverance , and Magistrates , animadverting on Molinaeus , saith , How great an injury those Divines , who turn the Christian Doctrine into unintelligible Notions and Controversies , do to Christian Magistrates ; because it is the duty of Magistrates to discern and preserve necessary sound Doctrine , which these Men would make them unable to discern . The same I must say of their injury to all Christians , because all should hold fast that which is proved True and Good , which this sort of Men would disable them to discern . We justly blame the Papists for locking up the Scripture , and performing their Worship in an unknown Tongue . And alas , what abundance of well-meaning Divines do the same thing by undigested Terms and Notions , and unintelligible Distinctions , not adapted to the Matter , but customarily used from some Persons reverenced by them that led the way ? It is so in their Tractates , both of Theology and other Sciences ; and the great and useful Rule , Verba Rebus aptanda sunt , is laid aside : or rather , Men that understand not Matter , are like enough to be little skilful in the expressing of it : And as Mr. Pemble saith , A cloudy unintelligible stile , usually signifieth a cloudy unintelligent Head , ( to that sense ) : And as Mr. J. Humfrey tells Dr. Fullwood , ( in his unanswerable late Plea for the Conformists against the charge of Schism ) pag. 29. [ So overly are men ordinarily wont to speak at the first sight , against that which others have long thought upon ] ; that some Men think , that the very jingle of a distinction not understood is warrant enough for their reproaching that Doctrine as dangerous and unsound , which hath cost another perhaps twenty times as many hard studies , as the Reproachers ever bestowed on that Subject . To deliver thee from those Learned Obscurities , read but the Scripture impartially , without their Spectacles and ill-devised Notions , and all the Doctrine of Justification that is necessary , will be plain to thee : And I will venture again to fly so far from flattering those , called Learned Men , who expect it , as to profess that I am perswaded the common sort of honest unlearned Christians , ( even Plowmen and Women ) do better understand the Doctrine of Justification , than many great Disputers will suffer themselves or others to understand it , by reason of their forestalling ill-made Notions : these unlearned Persons commonly conceive , 1. That Christ in his own Person , as a Mediator , did by his perfect Righteousness and Sufferings , merit for us the free pardon of all our sins , and the Gift of his Spirit and Life Eternal , and hath promised Pardon to all that are Penitent Believers , and Heaven to all that so continue , and sincerely obey him to the end ; and that all our after-failings , as well as our former sins , are freely pardoned by the Sacrifice , Merits , and Intercession of Christ , who also giveth us his Grace for the performance of his imposed Conditions , and will judg us , as we have or have not performed them ] . Believe but this plain Doctrine , and you have a righter understanding of Justification , than many would let you quietly enjoy , who tell you , [ That Faith is not imputed for Righteousness ; that it justifieth you only as an Instrumental Cause , and only as it is the reception of Christ's Righteousness , and that no other Act of Faith is justifying , and that God esteemeth us to have been perfectly Holy and Righteous , and fulfilled all the Law , and died for our own sins , in or by Christ , and that he was politically the very Person of every Believing Sinner ] ; with more such like . And as to this distinction which this Doctor will make a Test of the Orthodox , ( that is , Men of of his Size and Judgment ) you need but this plain explication of it . 1. In Law-sense , a Man is truly and fitly said himself to have done that , which the Law or his Contract alloweth him to do either by himself or another ; ( as to do an Office , or pay a Debt by a Substitute or Vicar ) . For so I do it by my Instrument , and the Law is fulfilled and not broken by me , because I was at liberty which way to do it . In this sense I deny that we ever fulfilled all the Law by Christ ; and that so to hold subverts all Religion as a pernicious Heresie . 2. But in a tropical improper sense , he may be said to [ be esteemed of God to have done what Christ did ; who shall have the benefits of Pardon , Grace , and Glory thereby merited , in the manner and measure given by the free Mediator , as certainly as if ▪ he had done it himself ] . In this improper sense we agree to the Matter , but are sorry that improper words should be used as a snare against sound Doctrine , and the Churches Love and Concord . And yet must we not be allowed Peace ? § . 4. But my free Speech here maketh me remember how sharply the Doctor expounded and applyed one word in the retracted Aphorisms : I said ( not of the Men , but of the wrong Opinion opposed by me ) [ It fondly supposeth a Medium betwixt one that is just , and one that is no sinner ] one that hath his sin or guilt taken away , and one that hath his unrighteousness taken away : It 's true in bruits and insensibles that are not subjects capable of Justice , there is , &c. There is a Negative Injustice which denominateth the Subject non-justum , but no● injustum , where Righteousness is not due . But when there is the debitum habendi , its privative . The Doctor learnedly translateth first the word [ fondly ] by [ stolide ] ; and next he ( fondly , though not stolidè ) would perswade the Reader , that it is said of the Men , though himself translate it [ Doctrina ] . And next he bloweth his Trumpet to the War , with this exclamation , [ Stolide ! O vocis mollitiem , & modestiam ! O stolidos Ecclesiae Reformatae Clarissimos Heroas ! Aut ignoravit certè , aut scire se dissimulat , ( quod affine est calumniae ) quid isti statu●nt , quos loquitur , stolidi Theologi ] . Answ . 1. How blind are some in their own Cause ? Why did not Conscience at the naming of Calumnie say , [ I am now committing it ? ] It were better write in English , if Latin translations must needs be so false ! we use the word [ fond ] in our Country , in another sense than [ foolish ] ; with us it signifieth any byassed Inclination , which beyond reason propendeth to one side : and so we use to say , That Women are fond of their Children , or of any thing over-loved : But perhaps he can use his Logick , to gather by consequences the Title of the Person , from the Title of his Opinion , and to gather [ foolishly ] by consequence out of [ fondly ] . To all which I can but answer , That if he had made himself the Translator of my Words , and the Judg of my Opinions ; if this be his best , he should not be chosen as such by me . But it may be he turned to Riders Dictionary , & found there [ fondly , vide foolishly ] . 2. The Stolidi Theologi then is his own phrase ! And in my Opinion , another Mans Pen might better have called the Men of his own Opinion [ Ecclesiae Reformatae clarissimos Heroas ] compared with others ! I take Gataker , Bradshaw , Wotton , Camero , and his followers ; Vrsine , Olevian , ▪ Piscator , Paraeus , Wendeline , and multitudes such , to be as famous Heroes as himself : But this also on the by . § . 5. But I must tell him whether I abhor the Scripture Phrase , [ We are dead , buried , and risen with Christ ] . I answer , No ; nor will I abhor to say , That in sensu forensi , I am one political Person with Christ , and am perfectly holy and obedient by and in him , and died and redeemed my self by him , when he shall prove them to be Scripture Phrases : But I desire the Reader not to be so fond , ( pardon the word ) as by this bare question to be enticed to believe , that it is any of the meaning of those Texts that use that Phrase which he mentioneth , that [ Legally , or in sensu forensi , every Believer is esteemed by God to have himself personally died a violent death on the Cross , and to have been buried , and to have risen again , and ascended into Heaven , nor yet to be now there in Glory , because Christ did and doth all this in our very Legal Person . Let him but 1. consider the Text , 2. and Expositors , 3. and the Analogy of Faith , and he will find another sense ; viz. That we so live by Faith on a dying , buried , risen and glorified Saviour , as that as such he dwelleth objectively in our Hearts , and we partake so of the Fruits of his Death , Burial , and Resurrection , and Glory , as that we follow him in a Holy Communion , being dead and buried to the World and Sin , and risen to newness of Life , believing that by his Power we shall personally , after our death and burial , rise also unto Glory . I will confess that we are perfectly holy and obedient by and in Christ , as far as we are now dead , buried , and risen in him . § . 6. And here I will so far look back , as to remember , That he ( as some others ) confidently telleth us , That [ the Law bound us both to perfect Obedience , and to punishment for our sin , and therefore pardon by our own suffering in Christ , may stand with the reputation , that we were perfectly Obedient and Righteous in Christ . ] Answ . And to what purpose is it to dispute long , where so notorious a contradiction is not only not discerned , but obtruded as tantum non necessary to our Orthodoxness , if not to our Salvation ? I ask him , 1. Was not Christ as our Mediator perfectly holy habitually , and actually , without Original or Actual Sin ? 2. If all this be reputed to be in se , our own as subjected in and done by our selves political , or in sensu forensi ; Are we not then reputed in foro , to have no original or actual sin , but to have innocently fulfilled all the Law , from the first hour of our lives to the last ? Are we reputed innocent in Christ , as to one part only of our lives , ( if so , which is it ? ) or as to all ? 3. If as to all , is it not a contradiction that in Law-sense , we are reputed perfectly Holy and Innocent , and yet sinners . 4. And can he have need of Sacrifice or Pardon , that is reputed never to have sinned ( legally ) ? 5. If he will say that in Law-sense , we have or are two Persons , let him expound the word Persons only , as of Qualities and Relations , ( nothing to our Case in hand ) ; or else say also , That as we are holy and perfect in one of our own Persons , and sinful , unrighteous , or ungodly in another , so a Man my be in Heaven in one of his own Persons , and on Earth , yea and in Hell in the other : And if he mean that the same Man is justified in his Person in Christ , and condemned in his other Person ; consider which of these is the Physical Person , for I think its that which is like to suffer . § . 7. pag. 224. He hath another touch at my Epistle , but gently forbeareth contradiction as to Num. 8. And he saith so little to the 11 th , as needeth no answer . § . 8. pag. 127. He assaulteth the first Num. of N. 13. That we all agree against any conceit of Works that are against or instead of the free Mercy of God ] . And what hath he against this ? Why that which taketh up many pages of his Book , and seemeth his chief strength in most of his Contest , viz. [ The Papists say the same ] and [ so saith Bellarmine ] . It 's strange that the same kind of Men that deride Fanatick Sectaries , for crying out in Church-Controversies , [ O Antichristian Popery , Bellarmine , &c. ] should be of the same Spirit , and take the same course in greater Matters , and not perceive it , nor acknowledg their agreement with them ! But as Mr. J. Humfrey saith in the foresaid Book of the word [ Schism , Schism ] oft canted out against them , that will not sacrilegiously surrender their Consciences , or desert their Ministry , [ The great Bear hath been so oft led through the streets , that now the Boys lay by all fear , and laugh or make sport at him ] so say I of this Sectarian Bugbear , [ Popery , Antichristian , Bellarmine ] either the Papists really say as we do , or they do not . If not , is this Doctor more to be blamed for making them better than they are , or for making us worse ? which ever it be , Truth should defend Truth . If they do , I heartily rejoyce , and it shall be none of my labour any more ( whatever I did in my Confession of Faith ) to prove that they do not . Let who will manage such ungrateful Work. For my part , I take it for a better Character of any Opinion , that Papists and Protestants agree in it , than that the Protestants hold it alone . And so much for [ Papists and Bellarmine ] though I think I know better what they teach , than his Book will truly tell me . § . 9. But he addeth , [ Humane Justifying Works are in reality adverse to the free Mercy of God , therefore to be accounted of no value to Righteousness ] . Answ . 1. But whose phrase is Justifying Works ? 2. Doth not the Holy Ghost say , That a Man is justified by Works , and not by Faith only ? Jam. 2. 3. Doth not Christ say , By thy words thou shalt be justified ? 4. Do not I over and over tell the World , That I hold Justification by Works in no sense , but as signifying the same as [ According to Works ] which you own ? And so both Name and Thing are confessed by you to be Scriptural . 5. I have before desired the Reader to turn to the words , [ Righteous , Righteousness , Justification , &c. ] in his Concordance . And if there he find Righteousness mentioned as consisting in some Acts of Man , many hundred times , let him next say if he dare , that they are to be had in no price to Righteousness : Or let him read the Texts cited by me in my Confession of Faith. 6. Because , Faith , Repentance , Love , Obedience , are that whose sincerity is to be judged in order to our Life or Death ere long ; I will not say that they are to be vilified as to such a Righteousness or Justification , as consisteth in our vindication from the charge of Impenitency , Infidelity , Unholiness , Hypocrisie , &c. The reading of Mat. 25. resolved me for this Opinion . § . 10. Next he noteth our detesting such Works as are against or instead of Christ's Sacrifice , Righteousness , Merits , &c. To this we have the old Cant , The Papists say the like . Reader , I proved that the generality of Protestants are agreed in all those twenty Particulars , even in all the material Doctrines about Man's Works and Justification , while this warlike Doctor would set us all together by the ears still , he is over-ruled to assert that the Papists also are agreed with us . The more the better , I am glad if it be so , and will here end with so welcome a Conclusion , that maketh us all herein to be Friends : only adding , That when he saith that [ such are all Works whatever , ( even Faith it self ) which are called into the very least part of Justification ] ; even as a Condition or subordinate personal Evangelical Righteousness , such as Christ and James , and a hundred Texts of Scripture assert ; I answer , I cannot believe him , till I cease believing the Scriptures to be true ; which I hope will never be : And am sorry that so worthy a Man can believe so gross an Opinion , upon no better reasons than he giveth : And yet imagine , that had I the opportunity of free conference with him , I could force him to manifest , That he himself differeth from us but in meer words or second Notions , while he hotly proclaimeth ▪ greater discord . AN ANSVVER TO Dr. TULLIES Angry Letter . By Rich. Baxter . LONDON , Printed for Nevil Simmons and Jonath . Robinson , at the Princes-Arms and Golden-Lion , in St. Pauls Church-yard , 1675. An Answer to Dr. Tullies Angry Letter . Reverend Sir , If I had not before perceived and lamented the great Sin of Contenders , the dangerous snare for ignorant Christians , and the great Calamity of the Church , by making Verbal Differences seem Material , and variety of some Arbitrary Logical Notions , to seem tantum non , a variety of Religions ; and by frightning Men out of their Charity , Peace , and Communion , by Bugbear-Names , of this or that Heresie or dangerous Opinion , which is indeed but a Spectrum or Fantasm of a dreaming or melancholy Brain , your Justificatio Paulina , and your Letter to me , might be sufficient means of my full Conviction . And if once reading of your Writings do not yet more increase my love of the Christian simplicity , and plain old Divinity , and the amicable Communion of practical Christians upon those terms , and not medling with Controversies in a militant way , till by ●ong impartial studies they are well understood , I must confess my non-proficience is very unexcusable . With your self I have no great business : I am not so vain as to think my self able to understand you , or to be understood by you : and I must not be so bold as to tell you why , much less will I be so injurious to the Reader , as by a particular examining all your words , to extort a confession that their sense is less or worse than I could wish : For cui bono ? What would this do but more offend you ? And idle words are as great a fault ▪ in writing as in talk : If I have been guilty of too many , I must not so much add to my fault , as a too particular examination of such Books would be . But for the sake of your Academical Youth , whom you thought meet to allarm by your Caution , I have answered so much of your Treatise as I thought necessary to help even Novices to answer the rest themselves . For their sakes ( though I delight not to offend you ) I must say , That if they would not be deceived by such Books as yours , it is not an Answer to them that must be their preservative , but an orderly studying of the Doctrines handled ; Let them but learn truly the several senses of the word [ Justifica●ion ] , and the several sorts , and what they are , and still constrain ambiguous words to confess their sense , and they will need no other Answer to such Writings . And as to your Letter ( passing by the spume and passion ) I think these few Animadversions may suffice . § . 1. Between twenty and thirty years ago , I did in a private Disputation prove our guilt of the sins of our nearer Parents ; and because many doubted of it , I have oft since in other writings mentioned it : About three years ago , having two Books of Mr. William Allens in my hand to peruse , in order to a Publication , ( a Perswasive to Vnity , and a Treatise of the Two Covenants ) ; in a Preface to the latter , I said , [ That most Writers , if not most Christians , do greatly darken the Sacred Doctrine , by overlooking the Interest of Children in the Actions of their nearer Parents , and think that they participate of no guilt , and suffer for no original sin , but Adam ' s only , &c. ] You fastened on this , and warned seriously the Juniors , not rashly to believe one that brings forth such Paradoxes of his ( or that ) Theologie , which you added to your [ O caecos ante Theologos quicunque unquam fuistis ] : The charge was expressed by [ aliud invenisse peccatum Originale , multo citerius quam quod ab Adamo traductum est ] . Hereupon I thought it enough to publish that old private Disputation , which many before had seen with various Censures : Now you send me in your Letter the strange tidings of the success : You that deterred your Juniors by so frighful a warning , seem now not only to agree with me , that we are guilty of our nearer Parents sin , and contract additional pravity from them as such , ( which was my Assertion ) but over-do all others , and Truth it self in your Agreement ! Now you take it for an injury to be reported to think otherwise herein than I do : yea , and add , [ Which neither I , nor any Body else I know of , denies as to the thing , though in the extent , and other circumstances , all are not agreed , and you may in that enjoy your Opinion for me ] . This is too kind : I am loth to tell you how many that I know , and have read , deny it , lest I tempt you to repent of your Agreement . But doth the World yet need a fuller evidence , that some Men are de materiâ agreed with them , whom they raise the Country against by their Accusations and Suspicions ? But surely what passion or spatling soever it hath occasioned from you , I reckon that my labour is not lost : I may tell your Juniors , that I have sped extraordinary well , when I have procured the published consent of such a Doctor . Either you were of this mind before or not : If not , it 's well you are brought to confess the Truth , though not to confess a former Error . If yea , then it 's well that so loud and wide a seeming disagreement is confessed to be none , that your Juniors may take warning , and not be frightned from Love and Concord by every melancholy Allarm . Yea , you declare your conformity to the Litany , [ Remember not our Offences , nor the Offences , of our Fore fathers ] , and many words of indignation you use for my questioning it . All this I like very well as to the Cause ; And I matter it not much how it looks at me : If you agree more angrily than others disagree , the Cause hath some advantage by the Agreement . Though me-thinks it argueth somewhat unusual , that seeming Dissenters should close by so vehement a Collision . But yet you will not agree when you cannot chuse but agree , and you carry it still as if your Allarm had not been given without cause : Must we agree , and not agree ? What yet is the Matter ? Why it is [ a new original sin ] . My ordinary expressions of it may be fully seen in the Disputation : The phrase you laid hold on in a Preface is cited before , [ That we participate of no guilt , and suffer for no original sin but Adam ' s only ] , I denied . And what 's the dangerous Errour here ? That our nearer Parents sin was Adams , I may presume that you hold not . That we are guilty of such , you deny not : That it is sin , I find you not denying : sure then all the difference must be in the word [ ORIGINAL ] . And if so , you that so hardly believe your loud-noised disagreements to be but verbal , must patiently give me leave here to try it . Is it any more than the Name ORIGINAL that you are so heinously offended at ? Sure it is not : Else in this Letter purposely written about it , you would have told your Reader what it is . Suffer me then to summon your Allarm'd Juniors to come and see what a Spectrum it is that must affright them ; and what a Poppet-Play or dreaming War it is , that the Church is to be engaged in , as if it were a matter of Life and Death ? Audite juvenes ! I took the word [ ORIGINAL ] in this business to have several significations . First , That is called [ ORIGINAL ] Sin , which was the ORIGO of all other sins in the Humane World : And that was not Adam's sin , but Eves . 2. That which was the ORIGO of sin to all the World , save Adam and Eve , communicated by the way of Generation : And that was Adams and Eves conjunct , viz. 1. Their first sinful Acts ; 2. Their Guilt ; 3. And their habitual pravity ( making it full , though in Nature following the Act ) . This Sin , Fact , Guilt , and Habit , as Accidents of the Persons of Adam and Eve , are not Accidents of our Persons . 3. Our personal participation ; 1. In the guilt of the sin of Adam and Eve ; 2. And of a vicious privation and habit from them , as soon as we are Persons . Which is called Original sin , on three accounts conjunct ; 1. Because it is a participation of their Original Act that we are guilty of ; 2. Because it is in us ab Origine , from our first Being ; 3. And because it is the Origo of all our Actual Sins . 4. I call that also [ ORIGINAL ] ( or part of Original Sin ) which hath but the two later only ; viz. 1. Which is in us AB ORIGINE , from our first personal being ; 2. Which is the Root or ORIGO in our selves of all our Actual Sins : And thus our Guilt and Vice derived from our nearer Parents , and not from Adam , is our Original Sin ; That is , 1. Both Guilt and Habit are in us from our Original , or first Being ; 2. And all our Actual Sin springeth from it as a partial Cause : For I may presume that this Reverend Doctor doth not hold that Adam's sin derived to us is in one part of the Soul , ( which is not partible ) and our nearer Parent 's in another ; but will grant that it is one vitiosity that is derived from both , the latter being a Degree added to the former ; though the Reatus having more than one fundamentum , may be called diverse . That Origo & Active & passive dicitur , I suppose we are agreed . Now I call the vicious Habits contracted from our nearer Parents by special reason of their own sins , superadded to the degree , which else we should have derived from Adam , a part of our original sinful Pravity , even a secondary part . And I call our guilt of the sins of our nearer Parents ( not Adam's ) which you will , either a secondary Original Guilt , or Sin , or a secondary part of our Original Guilt . See then our dangerous disagreement : I call that ORIGINAL , which is in us ab Origine , when we are first Persons , and is partly the Root or Origo in us of all our following Actual Sin : though it was not the Original Sin of Mankind , or the first of Sins . The Doctor thinks this an Expression , which all Juniors must be warned to take heed of , and to take heed of the Doctrine of him that useth it . The Allarm is against this dangerous word [ ORIGINAL ] . And let a Man awake tell us what is the danger . But I would bring him yet to agreement even de nomine , though it anger him . 1. Let him read the Artic. 9. of the Church of England , and seeing there Original Sin is said to be that corruption of Nature whereby we are far gone from Original Righteousness , and are of our own Nature inclined to evil , so that the flesh lusteth against the Spirit . The lust of the flesh called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which some do expound the Wisdom , some Sensuality , some the Affection , some the desire of the Flesh , not subject to the Law of God ] : Seing a degree of all this same Lust is in Men from the special sins of their Fore-fathers , as well as from Adam's ; Is not this Degree here called Original Sin ? ( why the Church omitted the Imputed Guilt aforesaid , I enquire not ) . 2. If this will not serve , if he will find me any Text of Scripture , which useth the Phrase , [ ORIGINAL Sin ] , I will promise him hereafter to use it in no other sense , than the Scripture useth it . 3. If that will not serve , if the Masters of Language will agree , ( yea , to pass by our Lexicons , if the Doctors of that University will give it us under their hands ) that the word [ ORIGINAL ] is unaptly and dangerously applyed to that sinful Guilt and Pravity which is in us ab Origine Nostrae existentiae , and is the internal Radix vel Origo of all our Actual Sin , in part of Causality , I will use that Epithete so no more . 4. If all this will not serve , if he himself will give me a fitter Epithete , I will use it : And now we over-agree in Doctrine , a word shall not divide us , unless he will be angry because we are agreed , as Jonas was that the Ninivites were spared , because it seemed to disgrace his Word . § . II. pag. 4 , 5 , &c. You invite me to , [ a full entire retractation of my Doctrine of Justification ( you add , By Works ) and the secondary Original Sin ] . 1. Will you take it well if I retract that which you profess now to hold , and know none that denyeth , then there is no pleasing you : If I must be thought to wrong you for seeming to differ from you , and yet must retract all : What , yours and all Mens ? 2. Do you mean the words or the sense of Justification ( as you call it ) by Works ? For the words , I take you for a subscriber to the 39 Articles ; and therefore that you reject not the Epistle of St. James : And for the sense , I confess it is a motion suitable to the Interest of your Treatise , ( though not of the Truth ) : He that cannot confute the Truth , would more easily do his Work , if he could perswade the Defenders of it to an Entire Retractation . Hereupon , pag. 5. you recite my words , of the difficulty of bringing some Militant Divines to yield : Your Admonition for Self-Application of them is useful , and I thank you for it : But is it not a streight that such as I am in , between two contrary sorts of Accusers ? When Mr. Danvers , and Multitudes on that side , Reproach me daily for Retractations , and you for want of them ? How natural is it now to Mankind , to desire to be the Oracles of the World , and that all should be Silenced , or Retracted , which is against their Minds ? How many call on me for Retractation ? Mr. Tombes , and Mr. Danvers , for what I have Written for Infants-Baptism : The Papists for what I have Written against them : And how many more ? And as to what I have Retracted , One reproached me for it , and another either knoweth not of it , or perswadeth others that it is not done . You say , pag. 6. [ A great out-cry you have made of me , as charging you with things you have Retracted — And pag. 7. What 's the reason you have not hitherto directed us to the particulars of your Recantation ; what , when , where ? — You direct one indeed , to a small Book , above Twenty years a-go retracted . — All I can pick up of any seeming Retractation , is that you say , that Works are necessary at least to the continuation of our Justification . Answ . Either this is Written by a Wilful , or a Heedless mistaking of my words . The first I will not suspect ; it must therefore be the second , ( for I must not judg you Vnable to understand plain English ) . And is it any wonder if you have many such Mistakes in your disputes of Justification , when you are so heedless about a matter of Fact ? Where did I ever say , that I had Recanted ? Or that I Retracted any of the Doctrine of Justification , which I had laid down ? Cannot you distinguish between Suspending , or Revoking , or Retracting a particular Book , for the sake of several Crude and Incongruous Expressions , and Retracting or Recanting that Doctrine of Justification ? Or can you not understand words , that plainly thus Distinguish ? Why talk you of what , and when , and where , and conjecture at the words , as if you would make the Reader believe , that indeed it is some confessed Errors of mine , which you Confuted ? and that I take it for an Injury , because I ▪ Retracted them ? And so you think you salve your Confutation , whatever you do by your Candour and Justice : But you have not so much as Fig-leaves for either . It was the Aphorisms , or Book , that I said was above Twenty years a go Revoked : When in my Treatise of Infant-Baptism , I had craved Animadversions on it , and promised a better Edition , if I Published it any more ; I forbad the Reprinting it , till I had time to Correct it ; and when many called for it , I still deny'd them . And when the Cambridg Printer Printed it a second time , he did it by Stealth , pretending it was done beyond Sea. In my Confession Twenty years ago , I gave the Reasons , Preface , pag. 35. [ I find that there are some Incautelous Passages in my Aphorisms , not fitted to their Reading , that come to suck Poyson , and seek for a Word to be Matter of Accusation and Food for their Censuring opinionative Zeal . — And pag. 42. If any Brother understand not any word in my Aphorisms which is here Interpreted , or mistake my sense about the Matter of that Book , which is here more fully opened ; I must expect , that they interpret that by this . And if any one have so little to do as to write against that Book ( which is not unlikely ) if he take the Sense contrary to what I have here and else-where since then Published , I shall but neglect him as a Contentious , Vain Wrangler , if not a Calumniator ] . I Wrote this sharply , to forwarn the Contentious , not knowing then that above Twenty years after , Dr. Tully would be the Man. Pag. 43. [ If any will needs take any thing in this Book to be rather a Retractation , than an Explication , of what I have before said , though I should best know my own Meaning ; yet do such commend me , while they seem to blame me : I never look to write that which shall have no need of Correction . — And Cap. 1. pag. 2. [ Lest I should prove a further Offence to my Brethren , and a Wrong to the Church , I desired those who thought it worth their Labour , to vouchsafe me their Animadversions , which I have spent much of these Three last years in considering , that I might Correct what-ever was discovered to be Erroneous , and give them an account of my Reasons of the rest . I have not only since SVPPRESSED that Book which did offend them , but also laid by those Papers of Vniversal Redemption , which I had written , lest I should be further offensive , &c. ] In my Apologie else-where I have such-like Passages , ever telling Men that [ It was the first Book I wrote in my Vnexperienced Youth ; that I take the Doctrines of it to be sound and needful , save that in divers places they are unskilfully and incautelously worded . ( As the Word [ Covenant ] is oft put for [ Law , ] &c. ) And that I wrote my Confession , and Disputes of Justification , as an Exposition of it ; and that I Retracted , or Suspended , or Revoked , not the Doctrine , but the Book , till I had Corrected it , and did disown it as too unmeet an Expression of my Mind , which I had more fully exprest in other Books . And is not this plain English ? Doth this warrant a Wise and Righteous Man , to intimate that I accuse him of writing against that Doctrine of Justification which I Recanted , and to call for the What , and Where , and When ? Yea , and tell me , that I [ refer you to a small Book ] when instead of referring you to it , I only blame you for referring to that alone , when I had said as before ? When many Divines have published the first Edition of their Works imperfectly , and greatly corrected and enlarged them in a Second ( as Beza his Annotations , Polanus his Syntagma , and many such ) all Men take it for an Injury for a Neighbour twenty years after , to select the first Edition to confute as the Author's Judgment : Much more might I , when I published to the World , that I Suspended the whole Book , and have these twenty four years hindred the Printing of it ; professing that I have in many larger Books , more intelligibly and fully opened the same things . Yea , you fear not pag. 23. to say , That I tell you of about 60 Books of Retractations , in part at least which I have Written ] ; when never such a word fell from me . If I say , That one that hath published his Suspension of a small Book written in Youth , not for the Doctrine of it , but some unfit Expressions , and hath since in al-most thirty Years time , written about sixty Books , in many or most of which is somewhat of the same Subject , and in some of them he fullier openeth his Mind ; should be dealt with by an Adversary , according to some of his later and larger Explications , and not according to the Mode and Wording of that one Suspended Book alone : Shall such a Man as you say , that I [ tel you of about sixty Books of Retractations ] ? Or will it not abate Mens reverence of your disputing Accurateness , to find you so untrusty in the Recitation of a Man's words ? The truth is , it is this great Defect of Heed and Accurateness , by hasty Temerity , which also spoileth your Disputations . But , pag. 7. the Aphorisms must be , [ The most Schollar-like , and Elaborate ( though Erroneous ) Book in Controversie , you ever Composed ] . Answ . 1. Your Memory is faulty : Why say you in the next , that I appeal to my Disputation of Justification and some others ; but you cannot Trudg up and down , to every place I would send you , your Legs are too weak ? Either you had read all the sixty Books which you mention ( the Controversal at least ) or not : If not , How can you tell that the Aphorisms is the most Elaborate ? If yea , Why do you excuse your Trudging , and why would you select a Suspended Book , and touch none that were Written at large on the same Subject ? 2. By this ( I su●pose to make your Nibble to seem a Triumph ) you tell your Reader again , how to value your Judgment . Is it like that any Dunce that is diligent , should Write no more Schollar-like at Sixty years of Age than at Thirty ? And do you think you know better what of mine is Elaborate , than I do ? Sure that Word might have been spared ; When I know that one printed Leaf of Paper hath cost me more Labour than all that Book , and perhaps one Scheme of the Distinctions of Justification , which you deride . If indeed you are a competent Judg of your own Writings , Experience assureth me , that you are not so of mine . And pag. 25. you say , You desire not to be preferred before your Betters , least of all when you are singular ; as here I think you are . § . III. Pag. 9. You are offended for being put in the Cub , with divers mean and contemptible Malefactors . ] Answ . O for Justice ! 1. Was not Bellarmin , or some of the Papists and the Socinians , as great Malefactors , with whom ( as you phrase it ) you put me in the Cub ? 2. Are they Malefactors so far as they agree with you in Doctrine , and are you Innocent ? What is the Difference between your Treatise , in the part that toucheth me , and that of Mr. Eyres , Mr. Crandon , and some others such ? Dr. Owen , and Dr. Kendale , indeed differed from you ; the latter seeking ( by Bishop Vsher ) an amicable Closure , and the former ( if I understand his Book on the Hebrews ) less differing from me in Doctrine , than once he either did , or seemed to do . ( And if any of us all grow no Wiser in thirty years Study , we may be ashamed ) . But to give you your due Honour , I will name you with your Equals , as far as I can judg , viz. Maccovius , Cluto , Coccejus , and Cloppenburgius , ( I mean but in the Point in Question ; it 's no Dishonour to you to give some of them Precedencie in other things ) . It may be also Spanhemius , was near you . But ( if I may presume to liken my Betters ) no Men seem to me to have been so like you , as Guilielmus Rivet , ( not Andrew ) , Mr. George Walker , and Mr. Roborough . ( I hope this Company is no Dishonour to you ) . And very unlike you are Le Blank , Camero , Davenant , Dr. Hammond , Mr. Gataker , Mr. Anthony Wotton , and in Complexion Scotus and Ockam , and such as they : If yet I have not Chosen you pleasing Company , I pray you choo se so your self . But you say on , [ Had you not ( in your Memory many Scores of greatest Eminence and Repute in the Christian World , of the same Judgment with me — Know you not , I speak the same thing with all the Reformed Churches , &c. — For shame let it be the Church of England , with all the rest of the Reformed , &c. ] Answ . 1. I know not what you hold , even when I read what you write : ( I must hope as well as I can , that you know your self ) : How then should I know who are of the same Judgment with you ? 2. Yet I am very confident , that all they whom you mention , are of the same in some thing or other ; and in particular , that we are Justified by Faith , and not by the Works of the Law , or any Works in the sence denied by St. Paul , &c. 3. Do not I , with as great Confidence as you , lay Claim to the same Company and Concord ? And if one of us be mistaken , must your bare Word determine which it is ? Which of us hath brought the fuller Proofs ? I subscribe to the Doctrine of the Church of England , as well as you ; and my Condition these thirteen or fourteen years , giveth as much Evidence , that I am loth to subscribe to what I believe not , as yours doth of you . And you that know which of my Books is the most Elaborate , sure know , that in that Book which I Wrote to explain those Aphorisms ( called my Confession ) I cite the Words of above an Hundred Protestant Witnesses , that give as much to Works as I do : And that of this Hundred , one is the Augustine Confession , one the Westminster Synod , one the Synod of Dort , one the Church of England , each one of which being Collectives , contain many . ( And here I tell you of more ) . And have you brought more Witnesses ? Or any to the contrary ? Did you Confute , or once take Notice of any of these ? 4. Do you not here before you are aware , let your Reader know that it was , and still is , in the Dark , that you Alarm the World about our dangerous Differences , and run to your Arms undrest , before your Eyes are open ? Qui conveniunt in aliquo tertio , &c. They that agree with the Church of England , in the Doctrine of Justification by Faith , do so far agree between themselves : But Dr. Tullie , and R.B. do agree with the Church of England , in the Doctrine of Justification by Faith. Ergo. — The Article referreth to the Homilies , where it is more fully Explained . 5. May not I then retort your Argument , and bid you [ For shame let it be no longer Bellarnine , and R.B. but the Church of England , and all the Reformed , and R.B. ] ? Disprove the Witnesses twenty years ago , produced by me in this very Cause ; or else speak out , and say , [ The Church of England , and the rest of the Reformed , hold Justification by Works , just as Bellarmine and the Papists do ] which is it which you would fasten on me , who agree with them ( as if you had never there read my Answer to Mr. Crandon , objecting the same thing ) . § . IV. Your Censure , pag. 10 , 11. of my Windings , Clouds of Novel Distinctions , Preambles , Limitations , &c. is just such as your Treatise did bid me expect : Till you become guilty of the same Crime , and fall out with Confusion , and take not equivocal ambiguous Words unexplained , instead of Univocals , in the stating of your Questions , I shall never the more believe that Hannibal is at the Gates , or the City on Fire , for your Allarms . § . V. Pag. 11. Where you tell me , that [ You have no Profit by my Preface : I shall not deny it , nor wonder at it ; you are the fittest Judge : Where you say , that [ I have no Credit , ] You do but tell the World at what Rates you write . Honor est in honorante . And have all my Readers already told you their Judgment ? Alas ! How few ? In all London , not a Man hath yet given me Notice of his Dislike , or Dissent . And sure your own Pen is a good Confuter of you . It is some Credit , that such a Man as you , is forced to profess a full Consent to the Doctrine , though with passionate Indignation . You tell me of [ Nothing to the Question ] . But will you not be angry if I should but tell you , how little you did to state any Question , and in Reason must be supposed , when you assaulted my Doctrine , to take it as I stated it ; which I have fully shewed you ? You tell me , that You Charged me only with new Original Sin , underived from Adam , unknown , unheard of before , in the Christian World. Answ . De re , is not our Guilt of nearer Parent 's Sins such which you and all that you know ( now at last ) confess ? De nomine , 1. Tell the World if you can , when I called it [ New Original Sin , or underived from Adam , or unknown , or unheard of ] . There are more ways than one of Derivation from Adam . It is not derived from him by such Imputation as his first Sin ; but it is derived from him as a partial Causa Causae , by many Gradations . All Sin is some-way from him . Either you mean that I said , that it was not Derived from Adam , or you gather it by some Consequence from what I said . If the First , shew the Words , and the Shame shall be mine . If not , you know the old Law , that to false Accusers , it must be done as they would have done to the Accused . But if it be your Consequence , prove it , and tell the World , what are the Premises that infer it . § . VI. Pag. 12. You friendly help me to profit by my self , however you profess that you profit not by me ! What I have said to you against [ Hasty Judging ] , I have first said to my self , and the more you warn me of it , the more friendly you are : If it be not against such as you but my self , it is against my self that I have a Treatise on that Subject ; but I begin to think my self in this more Seeing than you ; for I see it both in my self and you , and you seem to see it in me , and not in your self . But with all Men , I find , that to see the Spots in our own Face immediately is hard , and to love the Glass which sheweth them , is not easie ; especially to some Men that neither are low , nor can endure to be so , till there is no Remedy . But , Sir , how easie a Way of Disputing have you happily light on , Who instead of Examining the hundred Witnesses which I brought , and my else-where oft proving the Doctrine opposed by me to be Novel , and Singular , do in few words talk of your holding the Doctrine delivered to the Saints , and of the many Worthies that concur with you , and of my pelting at their Heads , and draging them by the Hoary-heads , as a Spectacle and By-word to all , ( by proving their consent by express Citations ) what Armies , and of what Strength appear against me , whose Names I defie and wound , through yours ? Answ . And is not he a weak Man that cannot talk thus upon almost any Subject ? But who be these Men , and what be their Names ? Or rather , first , rub your Eyes , and tell us what is the Controversie ? Tully sometimes talkt at this rate in his Orations , but verily much better in his Philosophy . And you see no cause to repent , but you bless God that you can again and again call to all Youth , that as they love the Knowledg of Truth , they take me not for an Oracle in my bold dividing Singularities ] . Answ . That the Name of Truth is thus abused , is no News ; I would the Name of God were not : And I am sorry , that you see no Cause to repent . I am obliged to love you the better , for being against dividing Singularities in the general Notion ; I hope if you knew it , you would not be for them , as in singular Existents . But sure , none at Oxford are in danger of taking me for an Oracle ? This is another needless Work. So Spanhemius took that for a Singularity , which Dallaeus in a large Catalogue , hath proved the Common Judgment of the Church , till Contention of late caused some Dissenters . Will you cease these empty general Ostentations , and choose out any one Point of real ▪ Difference between you and me about Justification , and come to a fair Trial , on whose side the Churches of Christ have been for 1500 years after Christ ; yea , bring me but any two or one considerable Person , that was for a thousand years for your Cause against mine , and I will say , that you have done more to confute me by far , than yet you have done ; and if two only be against me , I will pardon you for calling me Singular . § . VII . Pag. 13 , 14 , 15. You again do keep up the Dividing Fear , are offended that I perswade you , that by Melancholy Phantasms you set not the Churches together by the Ears , and make People believe that they differ , where they do not : And you ask , Who began the Fray ? Answ . 1. Do you mean that I began with you ? You do not sure : But is it that I began with the Churches , and you were necessitated to defend them ? Yes , if Gallus , Ambsdorfius , Schlusselburgius , and Dr. Crispe , and his Followers , be the Church ? But , Sir , I provoke you to try it by the just Testimony of Antiquity , who began to differ from the Churches . In this Treatise I have given you some Account , and Vossius hath given you more . which you can never answer : But if my Doctrine put you upon this Necessity , what hindred you from perceiving it these twenty years and more , till now ? O Sir , had you no other work to do , but to Vindicate the Church and Truth ? I doubt you had . § . VIII . But pag. 15. You are again incredulous , that [ All the Difference betwixt you and me , or others of the same Judgment in the Point of Justification , is meerly Verbal ; and that in the Main we are agreed ] . And again you complain of your weak Legs . Answ . 1. I do agree with very many against , their wills in Judgment ( because the Judgment may be constrained ) , but with none in Affection , as on their part . Did I ever say , that I differed not from you ? I tell you , I know not what your Judgment is , nor know I who is of your Mind ? But I have not barely said , but oft proved , that ( though not the Antinomians ) the Protestants are mostly here agreed in the Main . If you could not have time to read my larger Proof , that short Epistle to Mr. Allen's Book of the Covenant , in which I proved it , might have stopt your Mouth from calling for more Proof , till you had better confuted what was given . But you say , [ Are perfect Contradictions no more than a difference in Words ? Faith alone , and not Faith alone ? Faith with and without Works ? Excuse our Dulness here ] . Answ . 1. Truly , Sir , it is a tedious thing , when a Man hath over and over Answered such Objections ; yea , when the full Answers have been twenty years in Print , to be put still to say over all again , to every Man that will come in and say , that his Legs are too weak to go see what was answered before : How many score times then , or hundreds , may I be called to repeat . 2. If I must pardon your Dulness , you must pardon my Christianity ( or chuse ) who believe that there is no such [ perfect Contradictions ] between Christ's , [ By thy Words thou shalt be Justified ] and Paul's , [ Justified by Faith , without the Works of the Law ] or [ not of Works ] ; and James's [ We are justified by Works , and not by Faith only ] . Must we needs proclaim War here , or cry ▪ out , Heresie , or Popery ? Are not all these Reconcileable ? Yea , and Pauls too , Rom. 2. The Doers of the Law shall be justified . 3. But did I ever deny that it is [ by Faith alone and without Works ] ? Where , and when ? But may it not be , by Faith alone in one sense , and not by Faith alone in another sense ? 4. But even where you are speaking of it , you cannot be drawn to distinguish of Verbal and Real Differences . Is it here the Words , or Sense , which you accuse ? The Words you dare not deny to be Gods own in Scripture , spoken by Christ , Paul , and James . My Sense I have opened to you at large , and you take no Notice of it ; but as if you abhorred Explication and Distinction , speak still against the Scripture Words . § . IX . Pag. 16. But you say , [ Let any discerning Reader compare the 48 § . of this Preface with the Words in pag. 5. of your Appeal to the Light , and 't is likely he will concur with me , in that Melancholy Phantasm , or Fear : For 't is worth the noting , how in that dark Appeal where you distinguish of Popish Points , i. e. some-where the Difference is reconcileable , others in effect but in words ; we have no Direction upon which Rank we must bestow Justification , nothing of it at all from you , Name or Thing : But why , next to the All-seeing God , you should know best your self ] . Answ . Alas , Sir , that God should be in such a manner mentioned ! I answered this same Case at large in my Confession , Apologie , Dispute of Justification , &c. Twenty years ago , or near ; I have at large Opened it in a Folio ( Cathol . Theol. ) which you saw , yea , in the very part which you take Notice of ; and now you publish it [ worth the Noting , that I did not also in one sheet of Paper , Printed the other day against a Calumnie of some Sectarian Hearers , who gave me no Occasion for such a work . Had it not been a Vanity of me , Should I in that sheet again have repeated , how I and the Papists differ about Justification ? Were you bound to have read it in that sheet , any more ▪ than in many former Volumns ? It 's no matter for me ; But I seriously beseech you , be hereafter more sober and just , than to deal with your Brethren , the Church and Truth , in such a manner as this ! But by this Talk I suspect , that you will accuse me more for opening no more of the Difference in this Book . But , 1. It is enough for to open my own Meaning , and I am not obliged to open other Mens : And my own I have opened by so many Repetitions , in so many Books , as nothing but such Mens Importunity and obstructed Minds , could have Excused . 2. The Papists minds sure , may be better known by their own Writings , than by mine : The Council of Trent , telleth it you : What need I recite it ? 3. I tell you again , as I did in my Confession , that I had rather all the Papists in the World agreed with us , than disagreed : I like a Doctrine the better , and not the worse , because all the Christian World consenteth to it . I am not ambitious to have a Religion to my self , which a Papist doth not own . Where they differ , I am sorry for it : And it pleaseth me better , to find in any Point that we are agreed , than that we differ . Neither you , nor any such as you , by crying [ O Popish ! Antichristian ! ] shall tempt me to do by the Papists , as the Dominicans , and Jansenists , and some Oratorians , do by the Calvinists : I will not with Alvarez , Arnoldus , Gibieuf , &c. make the World believe , that my Adversaries are much further from me than they are , for fear of being censured by Faction , to be one of them . If I would have been of a Church-Faction , and sold my Soul to please a Party , I would have begun before now , and taken a bigger Price for it , than you can offer me if you would . Pag , 17. You say , [ Pile one Distinction or Evasion on another , as long as you please ; as many several Faiths , and Works , and Justifications , as you can name , all this will never make two Poles meet ] . Answ . And do you cry out for War in the Darkness of Confusion , as long as you will , you shall never tempt me by it to renounce my Baptism , and List my self under the grand Enemy of Love and Concord , nor to Preach up Hatred and Division for nothing , as in the Name of Christ . If you will handle such Controversies , without Distinguishing of Faiths , Works , and Justifications , I will never perswade any Friend of mine to be your Pupil , or Disciple . Then Simon Magus's faith , and the Devils faith , and Peters faith must all pass for the same , and justifie accordingly . Then indeed , Believing in God the Father , and the Holy Ghost , yea , and Christ , as our Teacher , King and Judg , &c. must pass for the Works by which no Man is Justified ! If Distinction be unsound , detect the Error of it : If not , it is no Honour to a disputing Doctor to reproach it . § . X. But pag. 17. you set upon your great unde●eiving Work , to shew the evil of ill using Words : [ Words ( you say ) as they are enfranchised into Language , are but the Agents and Factors of things , for which they continually negotiate with our Minds , conveying Errands on all occasions , &c. ( Let them mark , that charge the vanity and bombast of Metaphors on others , one word [ Signa ] should have served our turn instead of all this ) . [ Whence it follows , that their use and signification is Vnalterable , but by the stamp of the like publick usage and imposition from whence at first they received their being , &c. ] Answ . O Juniors , Will not such deceiving Words save you from my Deceits ? But , 1. Is there a Law , and unalterable Law for the sense of Words ? Indeed , the Words of the sacred Text must have no new Sense put upon them . 2. Are you sure that it was Publick usage , and Imposition from whence they first received their being ? How shall we know that they grew not into publick use from one Mans first Invention , except those that ( not Publick use , but ) God Himself made ? 3. Are you sure that all or most Words now , Latine or English , have the same , and only the same use or sense , as was put upon them at the first ? Is the change of the sense of Words a strange thing to us ? 4. But that which concerneth our Case most , is , Whether there be many Words either of Hebrew and Greek in the Scripture , or of Latine , English , or any common Language , which have not many Significations ? Your Reputation forbids you to deny it . And should not those many Significations be distinguished as there is Cause ? Are not Faith , Works , Just , Justice , Justification , words of divers senses in the Scripture ? and do not common Writers and Speakers use them yet more variously ▪ And shall a Disputer take on him , that the use or signification of each is but one , or two , or is so fixed that there needeth no distinction ? 5. Is the change that is made in all Languages in the World , made by the same publick usage and imposition , from which at first they received their being ? 6. If ( as you say ) the same thing can be represented by different words , only when they are Synonymous , should we not avoid seeming to represent the same by Equivocals , which unexplained are unfit for it ? Pag. 20. You tell me what sad work you are doing ; and no wonder , Sin and Passions are self-troubling things : And it 's well if it be sad to your self alone , and not to such as you tempt into Mistakes , Hatred , and Division . It should be sad to every Christian , to see and hear those whom they are bound to Love , represented as odious : And you are still , pag. 19. feigning , that [ Every eye may see Men dealing Blows and Deaths about , and therefore we are not wise if we think them agreed . But doubtless , many that seem killed by such Blows as some of yours , are still alive ? And many a one is in Heaven , that by Divines pretending to be Orthodox , were damned on Earth ! And many Men are more agreed than they were aware of . I have known a Knavish Fellow set two Persons of quality on Fighting , before they spake a word to one another , by telling them secretly and falsly what one said against the other . Many differ , even to persecuting and bloodshed , by Will and Passion and Practice , upon a falsly supposed great - difference in Judgment . I will not so suddenly repeat what Proof I have given of some of this in the place you noted , Cath. Theol. Confer . 11 , 12 , & 13. There is more skill required to narrow differences , than to widen them ; and to reconcile , than to divide ; as there is to quench a Fire , than to kindle it ; to build , than to pull down ; to heal , than to wound . I presume therefore to repeat aloud my contrary Cautions to your Juniors . Young-Men , after long sad Experience of the sinful and miserable Contentions of the Clergie , and consequently of the Christian World , that you may escape the Guilt , I beseech you , whoever contradicteth it , consider and believe these following Notices : 1. That all Words are but arbitrary Signs , and are changed as Men please ; and through the Penury of them , and Mans imperfection in the Art of Speaking , there are very few at all , that have not various Significations . 2. That this Speaking-Art requireth so much time and study , and all Men are so defective in it , and the variety of Mens skill in it is so very great , that no Men in the World do perfectly agree in their interpretation and use of Words . The doleful plague of the Confusion of Tongues , doth still hinder our full Communication , and maketh it hard for us to understand Words our selves , or to be understood by others ; for Words must have a three-fold aptitude of Signification . 1. To signifie the Matter , 2. And the Speakers conceptions of it . 3. And this as adapted to the hearers Mind , to make a true Impression there . 3. That God in Mercy hath not made Words so necessary as Things , nor necessary but for the sake of the Things : If God , Christ , Grace , and Heaven , be known , believed , and duly accepted , you shall be saved by what Words soever it be brought to pass . 4. Therefore Real Fundamentals , or Necessaries to Salvation , are more easily defined than Verbal ones : For more or fewer Words , these or other Words are needful to help some Persons , to Faith , and Love , and Holiness , as their Capacities are different . 5. But as he that truly believeth in , and giveth up himself to God the Father , Son , and Holy Ghost , according to the sense of the Baptismal Covenant , is a true Christian , to be loved , and shall be saved ; so he that understandeth such Words , as help him to that true Faith and Consent , doth know so much of the Verbal part , as is of necessity to his Christianity and Salvation . 6. And he that is such , holdeth no Heresie or Error inconsistent with it : If he truly love God , it 's a contradiction to say , that he holdeth an Error inconsistent with the Love of God. 7. Therefore see that you Love all such as Christians , till some proved or notorious inconsistents nullifying his Profession disoblige you . 8. Take your selves to be neither of Roman , or any other Church as Vniversal , which is less than the Vniversality of all Christians headed by Christ alone . 9. Make this Love of all Christians the second part of your Religion , and the Love of God , of Christ , of Holiness and Heaven , the first ; and live thus in the serious practice of your Covenant , even of Simple Christianity : For it 's this that will be your Peace , in Life and at Death . 10. And if Men of various degrees of Learning ( or Speaking-skill ) and of various degrees of Holiness , Humility , and Love , shall quarrel about Words , and forms of Speech , and shall hereticate , and revile , and damn each other , while the Essentials are held fast and practised , discern Right from Wrong as well as you can ; but take heed that none of them make Words a snare , to draw you injuriously to think hatefully of your Brother , or to divide the Churches , or Servants of Christ : And suspect such a Snare because of the great ambiguity of Words , and imperfection of Mans Skill and Honesty in all Matters of debate : And never dispute seriously , without first agreeing of the Sense of every doubtful term with him that you Dispute with ] . Dr. Tully's Allarm , and other Mens militant Course , perswaded me as a Preservative , to commend this Counsel to you . § . XI . Pag. 19. You next very justly commend Method , ordering , and expressing our Conceptions , of which ( you say ) I seem to make little account in Comparison ] . Answ . 1. Had you said , that I had been unhappy in my Endeavours , your Authority might have gone for Proof with many : But you could scarce have spoken a more incredible word of me , than that I seem to make little account of Method , I look for no sharper Censure from the Theological Tribe , than that I Over-do in my Endeavours after Method . You shall not tempt me here unseasonably , to anticipate what Evidence I have to produce for my acquittance from this Accusation . 2. But yet I will still say , that it is not so necessary either to Salvation , or to the Churches Peace , that we all agree in Methods and Expressions , as that we agree in the hearty reception of Christ , and obedience to His Commands ? So much Method all must know , as to know the Beginning and the End , from the Effects and Means , God from the Creature , and as our true consent to the Baptismal Covenant doth require ; and I will thankfully use all the help which you give me to go further : But I never yet saw that Scheme of Theologie , or of any of its Heads , which was any whit large , ( and I have seen many ) which was so exact in Order , as that it was dangerous in any thing to forsake it . But I cannot think meet to talk much of Method , with a Man that talketh as you do of Distinguishing , and handleth the Doctrine of Justification no more Methodically than you do . § . XII . But pag. 19. you instance in the difference between Protestants and Papists , about the Necessity of Good works , which is wide in respect of the placing or ranking of them , viz. The one stretching it to the first Justification , the other not , but confining it to its proper rank and province of Inherent Holiness , where it ought to keep ] . Answ . Wonderful ! Have you that have so loudly called to me to tell how I differ about Justification , brought your own , and as you say , the Protestants difference to this ? Will none of your Readers see now , who cometh nearer them , you or I ? 1. Is this distinction our proof of your accurateness in Method , and Order , and Expression ? What meaneth a distinction between [ First-Justification , ] and [ Inherent Holiness ] ? Do you difference them Quoad ordinem , as First and Second ? But here is no Second mentioned : Is it in the nature of the things [ Justification , and Inherent Holiness ] ? What signifieth the [ First ] then ? But Sir , how many Readers do you expect who know not , 1. That it is not to the First Justification at all , but to that which they call the Second or Increase , that the Church of Rome asserteth the necessity or use of Mans meritorious Works ? See what I have fully cited out of them for this , Cath. Theol. Lib. 2. Confer . 13. pag. 267. &c. saving that some of them are for such Preparatives as some call Merit of Congruity , and as our English Divines do constantly preach for , and the Synod of Dort at large assert ; though they disown the name of Merit , as many of the Papists do . They ordinarily say with Austine , Bona opera sequuntur Justificatum , non praecedunt Justificandum . 2. But , I hope , the word [ First ] here overslipt your your Pen , instead of [ Second ] : But suppose it did so : What 's the difference between the Papists first or second Justification , and the Protestants Inherent Holiness ? None that ever I heard or read of : Who knoweth not that the Papists take Justification for Inherent Holiness ? And is this the great difference between Papists and Protestants , which I am so loudly accused for not acknowledging ? viz. The Papists place Good-Works before Justification , that is , Inherent Holiness ; and the Protestants more rightly place them before Inherent Holiness ? Are you serious , or do you prevaricate ? The Papists and Protestants hold , that there are some Duties and common Grace , usually preparatory to Conversion ( or Sanctification ) ; which some Papists ( de nomine ) call Merit of Congruity , and some will not . The Papists and Protestants say , that Faith is in order of nature , at least , before that Habitual Love , which is called Holiness , and before the Works thereof . The Papists and Protestants say , that Works of Love and Obedience , follow our First Sanctification , and make up but the Second part of it , which consisteth in the Works of Holiness . If you speak not of Works in the same sense in each part of your Assignation , the Equivocation would be too gross , viz. If you should mean [ Papists rank the necessity of preparatory Common Works , or the Internal act of Faith , or Love , stretching it to the First Justification ; and Protestants rank other Works , viz. The fruits of Faith and Love , with Inherent Holiness . All agree , 1. That Common Works go before Sanctification . 2. That Internal Love , and other Grace , do constitute Sanctification in the First part of it . 3. That Special Works proceeding from Inward Grace , are the effects of the First Part , and the constitutive Causes of the Second Part of Sanctification ; as the word extendeth also to Holiness of Life : And whilst Papists take Just●fication for Sanctification , in all this there is De re no difference . ( But your accurate Explications by such terms , as [ Stretching , Confirming , Province , &c. ] are fitter for Tully , than for Aristotle ) . And is this it in the Application that your Zeal will warn Men of , that we must in this take heed of joyning with the Papists ? Do you mean [ Rank Good-Works with Inherent Holiness , and not with the First Sanctification , and you then do widely differ from the Papists ] ? Will not your Reader say , 1. What doth Inherent Holiness differ from the First Sanctification ? 2. Do you not invite me thus herein to be a Papist , when they rank them no where but , as you say , the Protestants do ? 3. Do not you here proclaim , that Papists and Protestants differ not about the necessity of Good-works to Justification ? But yet I that would make no Differences wider than they are , can find some greater than you have mentioned . Truly Sir , I am grieved and ashamed , to foresee how Learned Papists will make merry with such Passages ; and say , See here how we differ from the Protestants ! See what it is for , that the Protestant Doctors separate from the Church of Rome ! viz. Because we make Good-Works necessary to the First Justification , which unless equivocally spoken , is false ; and because the Protestants rank them with Inherent Holiness , as we do ] . What greater advantage will they desire against us , than to choose us such Advocates ? And to shew the World that even where their keenest Adversaries condemn them , and draw Men from them , they do but justifie them ? Who knoweth what a Temptation they may make of such passages to draw any to Popery ? It is my assurance , that such Over-doing , is Vndoing ; and that mistaken Accusations of the Papists greatly advantage them against us , which maketh me the more against such Dealing ; besides the sinfulness , of pretending that any differences among Christians , are greater than indeed they are . But may not I think that you take the word [ Justification ] here in the Protestant Sense , and not in the Papists , when you say that they rank Good-work's-necessity as stretcht to the First Justification ? No sure : For , 1. Protestants use not to distinguish of a First and Second Justification , which Papists do , but of Justification as Begun , Continued , and Consummate . 2. If it were so , it were not true : For the First Justification in the Protestant Sense , is our first right to Impuni●y and Life Eternal , freely given to Believers , for the Merits of Christs perfect Righteousness and Satisfaction . And Papists do not make Good-works ( unless Equivocally so called ) necessary to this ; but as a Fruit to follow it . As for Remission of Sin , I have else-where proved , 1. That most commonly by that word the Papists mean nothing , but that which we call Mortification , or Putting away , or destroying the Sin it self , as to the habit and ceasing the Act. 2. That most of them are not resolved , where the Remission of the Punishment ( which Protestants call Remission of Sin , or Forgiveness ) shall be placed : They differ not much as to its Time , but whether it be to be called any part of Justification : Some say , yea ; some make it a distinct thing . Most describe Justification by it self , as consisting in our Remission of , or Deliverance from Sin it self , and the infused habit of Love or Righteousness ( all which we call Sanctification ) , and the forgiveness of the Penalty by it self , not medling with the Question , whether the latter be any part of the former ; so much are they at a loss in the Notional part among themselves . But they ( and we ) distinguish of Forgiveness , as we distinguish of Penalties : We have a right to Impunity as to everlasting Damnation , upon our first being Justified ; but our Right becometh afterward more full , and many other Penalties are after to be remitted . § . XIII . Pag. 20. In my 42. Direct . for the Cure of Church-divisions , telling the Weak whom they must follow , I concluded , 1. That the necessary Articles of Faith must be made our own , and not taken meerly on the authority of any ; and we must in all such things of absolute necessity keep company with the Vniversal Church . 2. That in Matters of Peace and Concord the greater part must be our Guide . 3. That in Matters of humane Obedience , our Governours must be our Guides . And , 4. In Matters of high and difficult Speculation , the judgment of one Man of extraordinary Vnderstanding and Clearness , is to be preferred before the Rulers and the major Vote . I instanced in Law , Philosophy , Physick , Languages , &c. and in the Controversies of the Object of Predestination , the nature of the Will 's Liberty , Divine Concourse , the determining way of Grace , of the definition of Justification , Faith , &c. ] Here I was intreated before God and my Conscience , to search my self , with what Design or Intent I wrote this , and to tell you , Who that One is , that we may know whom to prefer , and to whom , in the Doctrine of Justification , &c. Answ . How greatly do you dishonour your self , ( and then you will impute it to me ) by insisting on such palpably abusive Passages ? Had you not been better , have silently past it by ? 1. Doth not the World know , that Heathens and Christians , Papists and Protestants , are Agreed on this general Rule ? 2. And will you make any believe that Definition of Justification is none of these Works of Art , which depend on humane Skill ? How then came you to be so much better at it than I ? I find not that you ascribe it to any special Revelation which you have . And if you should ascribe it to Piety , and say , Hoc non est Artis , sed Pietatis opus : I would go to many a good Woman before you . Nor do you plead general Councils , nor the Authority of the Church . 3. And what sober Scholar will you make believe , that by laying down this common Rule , I signifie some One singular Person , as an Individuum determinatum ; whom therefore I must acquaint you with ? These things are below a Grave Divine . Pag. 21. Where you called me to seriousness or diligence in my search , and I told you by what , and how many Writings , I have manifested my almost thirty years Diligence in this Controversie , and that I am now grown past more serious and diligent Studies ; that I might shew you what a trifling way it is , for a Man to wrangle with him that hath written so many things , to tell the World what his studies of this Point have been , and never to touch them , but to call him a - new to serious diligence : You now expostulate with me , whether you accused me for want of diligence ? I talk not of Accusing , but I tell you , that I have done my best ▪ and that it were a poor kind of dealing with your self , if you had written against many , as you have done against me twenty five years ago , and very often , if instead of taking any notice of your Labours , I should call you now to diligent Studies . As for your Lesson , pag. 22. that tumbling over many Books without meditation , may breed but Crudities , &c. It is very true , and the calamity of too many of the literate Tribe , who think that they have deserved Credit and Reverence , when they say the words which others , whom they would be joyned with , have said before them : Want of good Digestion is a common Disease of many that never complain of it , nor feel any present trouble by it . Pag. 22 , 23. You insinuate that about Retractation , which I before detected : I told you when , and where , I Suspended or Retracted the Book , and for what Reasons , and you presently feign a Retractation of the Doctrine , and of about sixty Books of Retractions . It 's well that pag. 23. you had the justice not to justifie your [ Nec dubito quin imputatam Christi justitiam incluserit ] ; But to confess your Injustice , was too much : It is not your own Retractation that you are for , it seems . § . XIV . Pag. 23 , 24. You talk as if my supposing that both [ Justice ] and [ Imputation ] , are capable of Definitions which are not the Things , were a Fallacy , because [ or ] is a disjunctive ; viz. When I say that the Definition of the one , or the other , is not the Thing . Do you grant it of them Disjunctively , and yet maintain the contrary of them Conjunct ? Yes , you say , [ Imputed Justice cannot differ from its true definition , unless , you will have it to differ really from it self ] . And , pag. 34. you say , [ I am ashamed you should thus over and over expose your self — as if supposing ( Definitions ) true , they were not the same Re , with the Definitum . — Good Sir , talk what you please in private , to such as understand not what you say , and let them give you a grand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for your pains ; but you may do well to use more Civility to the reason of a Scholar , though he hath not yet worn out his Freshmans Gown ] . Answ . This is no light or jesting Matter : The comfort of Souls dependeth on it . I see some Men expect that Reverence of their Scholarship should give them great advantage : But if one argued thus with me for Transubstantiation , I would not turn to him , to escape the Guilt of Incivility . If the Definition , and the Definitum , as in question now , be the same Thing , wo to all the Unlearned World , and wo to all Freshmen , that yet have not learnt well to define ; and wo to all Divines that differ in their Definitions , except those that are in the right . I know that a Word and a Mental Conception , are not Nothing : They may be called Things , but when we distinguish the Things from their Signs , Names , or Definitions , we take not the word [ Things ] so laxly , as to comprehend the said Signs , Names , &c. When we say , that the Thing defined is necessary , but to be able to Define it , or actually to Define it , is not necessary ( to Salvation ) it is notorious that we take Definition ( as Defining ) actively , as it is Actus definientis ; and Definire sure is not the same with the Thing defined . I have heard before your Letter told me , that Definitum & definitio idem sunt : But , I pray you , let us not quibble almost all the World under a sentence of Damnation . As long ago as it is since I read such words , I remember our Masters told us , ( I think Schibler in his Topicks for one ) that when they are taken Pro terminis Logicis definitio & definitum non sunt idem ; but only when they are taken Pro rebus per eos terminos significatis ; and that there they differ in Modo significandi essentiam , the definitum signifying the Essence confusedly , and the Definition distinctly . If you will take the Res definita , for that which is strictly nothing but Rei conceptus inadaequatus seu partialis , ( that is , a Species ) and that not as the thing is Existent extra intellectum , but as the conception is an operation of the Mind , so I confess , that he that hath a true Conception of a Species as meerly denominated , or as defined , hath the same conception of it : And also the Thing named , and the Thing defined , is the same thing in it self . Homo & Animal rationale , are the same ; that is , it is the same essence , which is denominated Homo , and defined Animal rationale . And it is the same Conceptus mentis , which we have ( if true ) when we denominate , and when we define . But as Things are distinct from the knowledg and signs of Things , nothing is Res , that is not existent ; and nothing existeth but in Singulars ▪ ( or Individuals ) : And as nothing can be defined but a Species , so a Species , or any Vniversal , is nothing but a Notion , or Ens rationis , save as it existeth in the said Individuals . And in the Individuals , it is nothing but their being as partially , or inadequatly taken , or a Conceptus objectivus partialis , ( whether it be of a thing really , or only intellectually partible , or any thing which our narrow Minds cannot conceive of , Vno & simplici conceptu activo ) . Now if you take the word [ Definition ] for the Species , as existent in Individuals , it is really a part of the thing ; that is , a Partial objective conceptus , or somewhat of the Thing as Intelligible : But this is to take [ Definition ] in Sensu passivo , for the Thing defined ; which our Case distinguisheth . But Sir , I crave your leave , to distinguish Real objective Beings , from , 1. The Knowledg . 2. and the Names , and other Logical Organs , by which we know them , and express our knowledg of them : God , Christ , Grace , Glory , Pardon , Justification , Sanctification , the Gospel-Doctrine , Precept , Promises , Faith , Hope , Love , Obedience , Humility , Patience , &c. are the Res definitae in our Case , not as they are in esse cognito , or in the notion or idea of them , but in esse reali . To Define properly , is either , 1. Mentally to conceive of these things ; 2. or Expressively , to signifie such Conceptions , agreeably to the nature of the things known , or Expressively defined : Which is , if the Definition be perfect , under the notions of a Genus , and Differentia . The Definition as in Words , is but a Logical Organ , ( as Names are also Notifying signs ) : Mental defining , is but the said distinct knowledg of the thing defined , and is neither really the Thing it self , nor usually of necessity to the Thing : Which two , I shall prove distinctly as to the sense of our Case . 1. The Definition of Justification , is either our Distinct knowledg , or Expression of it : Justification is not our Distinct knowledg , or Expression of it : Therefore the Definition of Justification , and Justification , are not the same . Justification In sensu activo , is not an Act of God , and In sensu passivo , is the Relative state of Man thereby effected : But the Definition of Justification is neither . The Definition of Justification , is a work of Art ; but Justification is a Work of Grace . A wicked damnable Man , or a damned Devil , may define Justification , and so have the Definition of it ; but not Justification it self . The Definition of Justification , Faith , Love , &c. is Quid Logicum ; but Justification , Faith , Love , &c. are things Physical and Moral . A Man is Justified ( or hath Christs Righteousness imputed to him ) in his sleep , and when he thinketh not of it ; but he hath not the Active definition of Justification in his sleep , &c. Other things be not the same Really with their D●finition , therefore neither is Justification , Faith , &c. The Sun is not really the same thing with a Definition of the Sun ; nor Light , Heat , Motion , &c. A Brute can see , taste , feel , smell , that cannot define them . If you have a Bishoprick , because you define a Bishoprick , or have a Lordship , a Kingdom , Health , &c. because you can define them , your Axiome hath stood you in good stead . The Definition is but Explicatio rei : But Rei explicatio non est ipsa res . Individuals ( say most ) are not Definable : But nothing is truly Res , but Individuals . Vniversals as they are in the Mind , are existent Individual Acts , Cogitations , N●tions : As they are out of the Mind , they are nothing but Individuorum quid intelligibile . The Definition of Learning , of a Doctor , &c. may be got in a day : If Learning and Doctorship may be so , what useless things are Universities and Books ? Perswade a hungry Scholar , that he hath Meat and Drink ; or the Ambitious , that he hath Preferment ; or the Covetous , or Poor , that he hath Money , because he hath in his Mind , or Mouth , the Definition of it ; and quibble him into satisfaction by telling him , that Definitio & definitum sunt idem re . We know and express things narrowly by Names , and largely and distinctly by Definitions : The Definition here , is Explicatio nominis , ( as Animal rationale , of the name Homo ) ; and both Name and Definition , as they are Verba mentis vel oris , or Verborum significatio , are surely divers from the things named and defined , known and expressed ; unless by the Thing you mean only the Knowledg , or Notion of the Thing . Therefore though Cui competit definitio eidem quoque competit definitum , & contra , & quod convenit definitioni convenit definito : Yet say not that Imputed Righteousness in Re , is the same with the Definition , as it is the Definers act . By this time you have helpt Men to understand by an Instance , why St. Paul so much warneth Christians to take heed lest any deceive them by vain Philosophy , even by Sophistry , and abused , arbitrary Notions . Remember , Sir , that our Case is of grand Importance ; As it is stated in my Direct . 42. which you assaulted ; it is [ Whether if the Question were of the Object of Predestination , of the nature of the Will 's liberty , Divine concourse , and determining way of Grace , of the Definition of Justification , Faith , &c. a few well studied Divines are not here to be preferred before Authority , and the major Vote . Such are my words . I assert , 1. That the Defining of Justification , Faith , &c. is a work of Art. 2. And I have many and many times told the World ( which you seem to strike at ) that Christians do not differ so much in their Real conceptions of the Matter , as they do in their Definitions . 1. Because Definitions are made up of Ambiguous words , whose Explication they are not agreed in ; and almost all Words are ambiguous till explained ; and ambiguous Words are not fit to define , or be defined , till explained . And , 2. Because both selecting fit terms , and explaining them , and ordering them , are works of Art , in which Men are unequal ; and there is as great variety of Intellectual Conceptions , as of Faces . 3. And I have often said , That a Knowledg intuitive , or a Simple apprehension of a thing as Sensate , or an Internal experience , or Reflect act , and a general notion of some things , may prove the truth of Grace , and save Souls , and make us capable of Christian Love and Communion , as being true saving Knowledg . 4. And consequently I have often said , that many a thousand Christians have Faith , Hope , Desire , Love , Humility , Obedience , Justication , Adoption , Vnion with Christ , who can define none of these : Unless you will speak equivocally of Definition it self , and say as good Melancthon , and as Gutherleth , and some other Romists , that Notitia intuitiva est definitio , who yet say but what I am saying , when they add , [ Vel saltem instar definitionis ] . If all are without Faith , Love , Justification , Adoption , who cannot give a true Definition of them , how few will be saved ? How much more then doth Learning to Mens salvation , than Grace ? And Aristotle then is not so far below Paul , or the Spirit of Christ , as we ( justly ) believe . The Case is so weighty and palpable , that you have nothing to say ; but as you did about the Guilt of our nearer Parents sins , to yield all the Cause , and with a passionate clamour to tell Men that I mistake you , or wrest your words ; of which I shall appeal to every sober Reader , that will peruse the words of mine which you assault , and yours as they are an Answer to mine . In a word , you go about by the abuse of a trivial Axiome of Definitions , 1. To sentence most Christians to Hell , and cast them into Desperation , as wanting the Grace which they cannot define . 2. And to destroy Christian Love and Concord , and tear the Church into as many Shreds , as there be diversities of Definitions used by them . 3. And you would tempt us to think much hardlier of your self , than we must or will do ; as if your Faith , Justification , &c. were unsound , because your Definitions are so . I know that Vnius rei una tantum est Definitio , speaking , 1. Not of the Terms , but the Sense . 2. And supposing that Definition to be perfectly true ; that is , the truth of Intellection and Expression consisting in their congruity to the Thing ; while the thing is one and the same , the conception and expression which is perfectly true , must be so too . But , 1. Our understandings are all imperfect , and we know nothing perfectly but Secundum quaedam ; and Zanckez saith truly , that Nihil scitur , if we call that only Knowledg which is perfect : And consequently no Mental Definition is perfect . 2. And Imperfections have many degrees . 3. And our Terms , which make up that which you know I called a Definition in my Dir. 42. ( as it is in words ) are as aforesaid , various , mutable , and variously understood and used . § . XV. Pag. 24. Again you are at it , [ Whom do you mean by that one rare Person , whose single Judgment is to be preferred in the point of Justification , and to whom ] . Answ . 1. No one that knoweth not the difference between an Invididuum vagum & determinatum . 2. No one that is of so hard Metal , as in despite of the plainest words , to insinuate to the World , that these words [ A few well-studied Judicious Divines ] do signifie only one ; and that these words [ One Man of extraordinary understanding and clearness ] , ( is to be preferred before the Rulers and major Vote , in difficult speculations ) do signifie one individuum determinatum in the World , and that the Speaker is bound to name the Man. No one that thinketh that Pemble , who in his Vind. Grat. hath almost the very same words , said well , and that I who repeat them , am as criminal as you pretend : No one who either knoweth not , that almost all the World ( even Papists ) agree in this Rule , or that thinketh his judgment fit herein to bear them all down : No one who , when his abuses are brought into the open Sun-shine , will rather accuse the Light than repent . But , pag. 25. After some words to jeer away Conviction , you tell me , [ We must have some better account of you , quem quibus , than what you have given us yet . I shall take leave to present our indifferent Readers with a more ingenuous and truer state of the Question , far more suitable both to my plain meaning and the clear purport of your Direction . Let the Case be this : There is One who of late hath raised much dust among us , about the grand Article of Justification ; Whether it be by Faith without Works , or by Faith and Works too ? All our old Renowned Divines on this side and beyond the Seas are unanimously agreed , that Justification is by Faith alone , i. e. without Works . This one Person hath often published his Judgment to the contrary — so that a poor Academical Doctor may very rationally enquire of you , Who in this case is to be preferred ? That one , or those many ? Answ . There was a Disputant who would undertake to conquer any Adversary : When he was asked , How ? He said he would pour out upon him so many and so gross untruths , as should leave him nothing to answer congruously , but a Mentiris ; and then all the World would judg him uncivil , and condemn him for giving such an unreverent answer . But you shall not so prevail with me , but I will call your Reader to answer these Questions : 1. Whether it be any truer , that [ This is the clear purport of my Direction ] , than it is that I say , There is but one Star in the Firmament , because I say that one Star is more Luminous than many Candles ? 2. Whether if a diseased Reader will put such a Sense upon my words , his Forgery be a true stating of the Question between him and me , with out my consent ? 3. Whether an intimation that this ONE is either Vnicus , or Primus , or Singular , in the definition of Justification , or the interest of Works , be any truer , than that he is the only ejected Minister in England , While the writings of Bucer , Ludov. Crocius , Joh. Bergius , Conrad . Bergius , Calixtus Placeus , le Blank , Dave . Gatak . Wott . Prest . Ball , and multitudes such are visible still among us ? 4. Whether he deals truly , wisely , or friendly with the holy Scripures , and the Protestants , who would perswade the Ignorant , that this is the true state of the Controversie , [ Whether it be by Faith without Works , or by Faith and Works too , that we are justified ] While the Scripture speaketh both , and all Protestants hold both in several senses ? And whether this easie stating of Controversies , without more Explication or Distinction , be worthy an Academical Disputant ? 5. Whether it be true or notoriously false , that [ All our Renowned Divines on this side , and beyond the Seas , are agreed ] , of that in this Question of the interest of Works , which this one contradicteth ? 6. Whether this Doctors naked Affirmation hereof be better proof , than that one Mans citation of the words of above an Hundred ( yea many Hundred ) as giving as much to Works as he doth , is of the Contrary ? 7. Whether it be an ingenuous way beseeming Academics , to talk at this rate , and assert such a stating of the Question and such consent , without one word of notice or mention of the Books , in which I state the Question , and bring all this evidence of consent ? 8. If such a Doctor will needs enquire , whether the secret thoughts of the Writer meant not himself , when he pretendeth but to accuse the Rule there given , and should enquire but of the meaning of the words , whether it savour more of Rationality , or a presumptuous usurping the Prerogative of God ? § . XVI . Pag. 27. Though your approach be wrathful , you are constrained to come nearer yet , and you cannot deny my Rule of Direct . in other Points , but only those of [ High and difficult speculation ] : And do you deny it there ? You will deal with it but as the application of that Rule to the Definition of Justification ? ( And shall we lose your favour , by forcing you to lay by your Opposition as to all the rest ? ) But here you say you [ exceedingly differ from me ] ; Or else you would be ashamed of so much Combating in the dark : Exceeding oft signifieth some extream . Your Reasons are , 1. You hold not the Doctrine of Justification to be properly of Speculative concern , but wholly Practical : Where yet you confess , that in all Practical knowledg , there be some antecedent contemplations of the Nature , Properties , End , Object , and that to know the certain number of Paces b●me-ward , is a Speculative nicety ] . Answ . And can you find no fairer a shift for disagreement ? I would such as you made not the Doctrine of Justification too little Practical ? I am far from thinking that it is not Practical : But is not a Logical definition the opening the Nature , Properties , End , Object , or some of these which you call Contemplations ? Make not plain things dark , Sir : The use of Art is not to shut the Windows , and confound Mens Minds . I take all Theologie to be together , Scientia-affectiva-practica ; for our Intellect , Will , and Practice , must be possest or ruled by it : But it is first Scientia , and we must know before we can will and practise . And though all right knowledg tend to Practice , yet forgive me for telling you , that I think that many holy Persons in Scripture and Primitive times , loved and practised more than you or I , who knew not how to form an exact Logical Definition . And that he that knoweth the things of the Spirit spiritually , by Scripture Notions , may practise them as fully , as he that knoweth and speaketh them in the Notions of Aristotle ; or else the School-Men excel the Apostles . Though ambling be an easie Pace , which Horses are taught by Gives and Fetters , it followeth not that a Horse cannot travel as far in his natural pace . When you have said all , Logical defining shall be a work of Art , and the Church should not be torn , and Souls shall not be damned , for want of it . He that Loveth , Believeth , Hopeth , Obeyeth , and by doing them hath a reflecting perception what they are , and hath but such a knowledg of the Gospel as may be had without a proper Definition , shall be saved . Pag. 28 , 29. you say , [ Nor is the Doctrine of Justification so high and difficult , but that the meanest Christian may understand it sufficiently to Salvation , so far as words can make it intelligible ] . Answ . Your own blows seem not to hurt you . I thank you for granting so much hope to the meanest Christians . But what 's this to your Case ? 1. Do the meanest Christians know how to define Justification , and all the Grace which they have ? 2. Are they acquainted with all the [ Words that should make it intelligible ? ] Pag. 29. you add , [ You have done little service to your weaker Christians to perswade them otherwise ( as well as to the great blessed Charter of Salvation ) and to lead them out of the plain road into Woods and Mazes , to that one Man of extraordinary Judgment and Clearness ; no body must know what his Name is , or where he dwells , and so to whirle them about till you have made them giddy — ] . Answ . How easie is it to talk at this rate for any Cause in the World ? Is this Disputing or Reasoning ? Cannot I as easily say thus against you ? But the question is of Things visible : I willingly appeal to any intelligent impartial Divine , who will read what you and I have written of Justifi-fication , which of us it is that hath done more to bring Men out of Woods and Mazes , into the plainest Road ? Let them , that have leisure for no more , read but my Preface to my Disput . of Justif . and mark which side wrongeth weak Christians , and the Charter of Salvation . § . XVII . Pag. 29. you add , [ Sir , I understand something at these years , without your Tutorage , of the duty both of Pastors and People : But I know not what you mean to make the way to Heaven ( revealed sufficiently to all , &c. ) to be a matter of high abstruse Speculation , as if none but great Scholars , and Men of extraordinary Judgment , could by the right use of Scriptures , and other ordinary common means , be able to find it out , till they have met with that Elias , &c. ] Answ . Still I see we shall agree whether you will or not : O , Sir , it is just the contrary that I wrote for : And I need but repeat your words to answer you . I am not disparaging your understanding , otherwise than you may so call the vindicating of needful truth : Nor did I ever presume to offer you my Tutorage : You speak all this with too much tenderness . But that which I have written almost all my Books of Controversie against , is this making the Way to Heaven more difficult and be wildring , than the Scriptures make it . Therefore it is that I have perswaded Men to lay less stress on arbitrary humane Notions : But the question is now , whether it be your Course or mine , that is guilty of this ? Are Logical Definitions the necessary Way to Heaven ? Doth the Scripture sufficiently reveal such Definitions to all ? Do all ordinary Believers by the use of the Scripture , know how to define ? Do not Logicians make true defining one of the surest signs of clear and accurate knowledg ? Why should you and I dispute thus about Matters of Fact ? I know by the principles of Conformity , that your Judgment is not like to be narrower than mine about the state of determinate Individuals : I suppose you would take as many to the Lords Supper as Believers , as I would , and absolve as many , and pronounce as many saved at Buryal . Let you and I call but a dozen of the next Families together , and desire every Man and Woman of them , to give you a Definition of Justification , ( out of the hearing of the rest ) and if they all give you a true definition , and one definition , I will write a Retractation . I know you not ; but by your now telling me , of your understanding of the duties of Pastors and People , I may suppose that you have been a Pastour , ( else — ) . And if so , that you have had personal conference with most ( if not all ) of your Flock . If you have found them all such able concordant Definers of Justification , you have had a more learned Flock than I had . I doubt your Learned Scholars could not do it , till they met with some such Elias or Aristotle , as you ! Yea , let us take only such as by their Lives we commonly judg truly Godly Christians : And if all these give you one and a true definition of Justification , then do you tell them that Defining is no such difficult work , but ordinary Christians may and do attain it , and I that make it difficult , make the way to Heaven difficult , for Defining is the way to Heaven : But if not one of many Score or Hundred ( till you teach them anew ) do give you a true and the same Definition ; I will go on and still say , that They wrong Souls , the Gospel , and the Church , who pretend such necessity and facility of defining , and will censure , reproach , or damn all that agree not with them in a Definition , when they have as real though less distinct a knowledg of the thing . I doubt not but you know how much difference there is among Learned Men about Definitions themselves in general : Whether they belong to Metaphysicks , Logicks , or Physicks ? Whether Definitio Physica ( as Man is defined per Animam , Corpus & Vnionem ) be a proper Definition ? Whether a true Logical and Physical definition should not be the same ? Whether Definitio objectiva be properly called Definitio , or only Formalis ? Whether Accidents may be properly defined ? An Genus definiri possit ? An pars Logica definiri possit ? An individua possint definiri ? ( Inquit Hurtado , Negari non potest Individuis definitio substantialis ; & quidem essentialis Physice ; est enim de essentia hujus hominis haec anima cum hoc Corpore ; Imo & essentialis Metaphysice — si individua recte possent penetrari , illorum definitio esset omnium perfectissima An ea quae differunt definitione distinguantur realiter ? With a multitude such . And is the Art of Defining so easie , as that ordinary Christians salvation must lie upon it , when so many things about Defining are among the subtilest Doctors undetermined ? And as Ignorant as I am , while you suppose me unable to define Justification , I would wish you ( not for my sake , but theirs ) that you will not sentence all as unjustified to Damnation , that are not more skilful in defining than I , and that you will not reject all such from the Sacrament and Communion of the Church . § . XVIII . Yet again , pag. 30. you tell me , [ I cannot well swallow down in the lump , what you would have me and others to do , when you direct us to prefer that one Man before the Rulers and majority of Votes , till you acquaint us who that Gentleman is , and what sort of Rulers and Majorities you mean ] . Answ . What you cannot swallow you must leave : I will not cram or drench you . I could wish for your own sake , that you had not thus often told the World of such a Malady , as that must needs be which hindreth your swallow : When , 1. You your self receive the same Rule in other Instances , and make all this stir against it only , as to the Definition of Justification , even the Logical definition , which is Actus definientis , called Definitio formalis , and not the Definitio objectiva , as the Ipsum definitum is by some improperly called . 2. And when the words in that Instance are not [ ONE MAN ] but [ a few Men ] which your Eyes may still see ; and when in the General direction where one Man is mentioned , there is no such word as [ that one Man ] , or the least intimation of an Individuum determinatum ; You greatly wrong your Honour by such dealing ; As you do by adding , 1. [ For the single Person ( that Monarch in Divinity ) to whom we are upon differences to make our Appeals , &c. ] Answ . If you hold on thus to talk as in your sleep , and will not shut your Chamber-door , but commission the Press to report your words to the World , how can your best Friends secure your reputation ? Is not all this talk of single Person , and Monarch in Divinity , and Appeals , the effects of a Dream , or somewhat worse ? These Fictions will serve no honest ends . But you next come indeed to the true difficulty of the Case , and ask : [ I beseech you Sir , how shall your ignorant or weaker Christian be able to judg of fitness ? — He had need to have a very competent measure of Abilities himself , who is to give his verdict of anothers , &c. ] This is very true and rational : But it concerneth you as much as me to answer it , unless you will renounce the Rule . And seeing you grant it in other Instances , if you please to answer your own question as to those other , you have answered it as to this : And if you will not learn of your self , I am not so vain as to think , that you will learn of me . In case of Subtilties which depend upon Wit , and Art , and Industry , in that proportion which few , even faithful Men attain , I remember but one of these ways that can be taken ; Either wholly to suspend our Judgments , and not to meddle with them , till we can reach them our selves ; Or to take them fide humana , or as probabilities on the Credit of some Men , rather than others : As to the first , I am for as much suspension of Judgment ▪ as will stand with the part of a Learner ( where we must learn ; and in useless things for a total suspension ) . But where Learning is a duty , all Men come to Knowledg by degrees , and things usually appear to them in their probability , before they appear in ascertaining evidence . Therefore here the Question is , Whose judgment I shall take as most probable ? ( Were the case only , how far we should Preach our Judgment to others , there Rulers must more determine ; or if it were , How to manage our Judgment so as to keep Vnity and Concord , the Church , or major Vote must over-rule us ) . But it being the meer Judgment or Opinion that is in question , either we must adhere to the Judgment , 1. Of Rulers as such , 2. Or the major Vote as such , 3. Or to those that are most Excellent in that part of Knowledg : Why should I waste time to give you the Reasons against the two first , which are commonly received ? When even the Papists , who go as far as any I know living in ascribing to One Man , and to major Votes , yet all agree , that a few subtile Doctors , yea one in the things in which he excelleth , is to be preferred before Pope or Council : And therefore the Scotists prefer one Scotus , Lychetus , Memisse , Rada , &c. before a Pope or Multitude , and so do the Nominals , one Ockam , Gregory , Gabriel , Hurtado , &c. and so the other Sects . The thing then being ▪ such as neither you , nor any Man can deny , the difficulty which you urge , doth press you and all Men : And it is indeed one grand calamity of Mankind , and not the least hinderance of Knowledg in the World ; that he that hath it not , knoweth not what another hath , but by dark Conjectures . 4. And therefore Parents and Pupils know not who is their best Tutor : The hearers that are to chuse a Teacher , hardly know whom to chuse ; for , as you say truly , he must know much that must judg of a knowing Man. God hath in all Arts and Sciences given some few Men an excellency of Wit and Reach above the generality of their Profession , and they have a more clear and solid Judgment . If all Men could but know who these be , the World would in one Age be more recovered from Ignorance than it hath been in ten . But the power of the Proud , and the confidence of the Ignorant , and the number of all th●se , and the Slanders and Scorn , and peevish Wranglings of the common Pride and Ignorance against those few that know what they know not , is the Devils great means to frustrate their endeavours , and keep the World from having knowledg . T●is is certain and weighty Truth , and such as you should make no Malignant applications of , nor strive against . Mankind must needs acknowledg it . Your urgent questioning here [ Do you not mean your self ? ] doth but expose you to pity , by opening that which you might have concealed . And to your Question I say , could I enable all Ignorant Men to know who are the best Teachers , I should be the grand Benefactor of the World : But both the blessing of excellent Teachers , and also of acquaintance with them and their worth , is given by God , partly as it pleaseth Him , freely , even to the unworthy , and partly as a Reward to those that have been faithful in a little , and obeyed lower helps ; ( for there is a Worthiness to be found in some Houses , where the Preacher cometh with the voice of Peace , and unworthiness , which oft depriveth Men of such Mercies . ) Both absolutely Free-Grace , and also Rewarding-Grace , do here shew themselves . But yet I add , 1. That Light is a self-demonstrating thing ; and will not easily be hid . 2. And those that are the Children of Light , and have been true to former helps and convictions , and are willing to sell all for the Pearl , and fear not being losers by the price of Knowledg , but would have it whatever Labour or Suffering it must cost , and who search for it impartially and diligently , and forfeit it not by Sloth , or a fleshly , proud , or worldly Mind , these , I say , are prepared to discern the Light ; when others fall under the heavy Judgment of being deceived by the Wranglings , Scorns , Clamours and Threatnings of PROUD IGNORANCE . And thus one Augustine was a Light in his time , and though such as Prosper , Fulgentius , &c. knew him , Pelagius and the Massilienses wrangled against him : And Luther , Melancthon , Bucer , Phagius , Zuinglius , Calvin , Musculus , Zanchius were such in their times ; and some discerned them to be so , and more did not : If Men must have gone by the judgment of Rulers , or the major Vote of Teachers , what had become of the Reformation ? If you can better direct Men how to discern Gods Gifts and Graces in His Servants , do it , and do not cavil against it . As for your [ One single Protestant in such a case as Justification ] , and your [ I wish it be not your meaning ] Pag. 31. they deserve no further answer , nor I all the anger , pag. 31 , 32 , 33. § . XIX . But pag. 34. Note again , 1. That it is not Objective Definitions , ( as some call them ) but [ Logical , Artificial Definitions , ] supposed to be Mens needful Acts , which you say are Re , the same with the Definitum . 2. And that yet you must have it [ supposed that these Definitions are true ] . And I suppose that few Good Christians comparatively know a true one , no , nor what a Definition , ( or the Genus and Differentia which constitute it ) is . You say , [ I absolutely deny what you so rashly avow , that the Definition of Justification is controverted by the greatest Divines : This is one of your liberal Dictates : The Reformed Divines are all , I think , before you , agreed about the nature of Justification , its Causes , &c. and consequently cannot differ about the Definition ] . Answ . 1. But what if all Divines were so agreed ? So are not all honest Men and Women that must have Communion with us : Therefore make not Definitions more necessary than they are , nor as necessary as the Thing . 2. You must be constrained for the defending of these words , to come off by saying , that you meant , That though they agree not in the Words , or Logical terms of the Definition ; but one saith , This is the Genus , and this is the Differentia , and another that it is not this but that ; one saith this , and another that is the Formal , or Material Cause , &c. yet de re , they mean the same thing , were they so happy as to agree in their Logical defining terms and notions : And if you will do in this , as you have done in your other Quarrels , come off by saying as I say , and shewing Men the power of Truth , though you do it with never so much anger , that you must agree , I shall be satisfied , that the Reader is delivered from your snare , and that Truth prevaileth , what ever you think or say of me . 3. But because I must now answer what you say , and not what I foresee you will or must say , I must add , that this passage seemeth to suppose that your Reader liveth in the dark , and hath read very little of Justification . 1. Do all those great Divines , who deny the Imputation of Christs active Righteousness , and take it to be but Justitia Personae , non Meriti , and that we are Justified by the Passive only , agree with their Adversaries , who have written against them , about the Definition and Causes of Justification ? Will any Man believe you , who hath read Olevian , Vrsine , Paraeus , Scultetus , Piscator , Carolus Molinaeus , Wendeline , Beckman , Alstedius , Camero , with his followers in France , Forbes , with abundance more , who are for the Imputation of the Passive Righteousness only ? Were Mr. Anth. Wotton , and Mr. Balmford , and his other Adversaries , of the same Opinion in this ? Was Mr. Bradshaw so sottish as to write his Reconciling Treatise of Justification in Latine and English , to reduce Men of differing minds to Concord , while he knew that there was no difference , so much as in the Definition ? Was he mistaken in reciting the great differences about their Senses of Imputation of Christs Righteousness , if there were none at all ? Did Mr. Gataker agree with Lucius and Piscator , when he wrote against both ( as the extreams ) ? Did Mr. Wotton , and John Goodwin , agree with Mr. G. Walker , and Mr. Roborough ? Doth Mr. Lawson , in his Theopolitica agree with you , and such others ? Doth not Mr. Cartwright here differ from those that hold the Imputation of the Active Righteousness ? What abundance of Protestants do place Justification only in Fogiveness of Sins ? And yet as many ( I know not which is the greater side ) do make that Forgiveness but one part , and Imputation of Righteousness another . And how many make Forgiveness no part of Justification , but a Concomitant ? And many instead of [ Imputation of Righteousness ] put [ Accepting us as Righteous , for the sake , or merit of Christs Righteousness imputed ] ( viz. as the Meritorious Cause ) . And Paraeus tells us , that they are of four Opinions , who are for Christs Righteousness imputed ; some for the Passive only ; some for the Passive and Active ; some for the Passive , Active , and Habitual , some for these three and the Divine . And who knoweth not that some here so distinguish Causes and Effects , as that our Original Sin ( or Habitual say some ) is pardoned for Christs Original ( and Habitual ) Holiness : Our Omissions for Christs Active Obedience , and our Commissions for His Passive ? Or as more say that Christs Passive Righteousness as Satisfaction , saveth us from Hell or Punishment , and His Active as meritorious , procureth Life as the reward ? When many others , rejecting that Division , say ; That both freedom from Punishment , and right to Glory are the conjunct effects of His Habitual , Active , and Passive Righteousness , as an entire Cause ( in its kind ) ; as Guil. Forbes , Grotius , Bradshaw , and others truly say : Besides that many conclude with Gataker , that these ▪ are indeed but one thing and effect , ( to be Glorified , and not to be Damned or Punished ) ▪ seeing not to be Glorified is the Paena damni , and that the remitting of the whole Penalty damni & sensus , and so of all Sin of Omission and Commission , is our whole Justification . And I need not tell any Man that hath read such Writers , that they ordinarily distinguish of Justification , and give not the same Definition of one sort as of another , nor of the Name in one Sense as in another . Many confess ( whom you may read in Guil. Forbes , and Vinc. le Blanck ) that the word [ Justifie ] is divers times taken in Scripture ( as the Papists do ) as including Sanctification : And so saith Beza against Illyricus , pag. 218. as cited by G. Forbes , [ Si Justificationem generaliter accipias , ut interdum usurpatur ab Apostolo , Sanctificatio non erit ejus effectus , sed pars aut species ] : And as I find him ( mihi ) pag. 179. Quamvis Justificationis nomen interdum generaliter accipiatur pro omni illius Justitiae dono quam a patre in Christo accipimus , &c. And how little are we agreed whether Reconciliation be a part of Justification or not ? Yea , or Adoption either ? Saith Illyricus [ Hoc affirmo , recte posse dici Justificationem esse Causam omnium beneficiorum sequentium : Nam justificatio est plena Reconciliatio cum Deo , quae nos facit ex hostibus filios Dei : ] To which Beza ibid. saith , ( distinguishing of Reconciliation ) Neutro modo idem est Reconciliatio ac Justificatio . — Si Remissio peccatorum est Justificationis Definitio , quod negare non ausis , &c. Of the three sorts or parts of Christs Righteousness imputed to make up three parts of our Justification , see him de Predest . pag. 405. Col. 2. which Perkins and some others also follow . Olevian ( as all others that grosly mistake not herein ) did hold , that God did not judg us to have fulfilled all the Law in Christ ; and that our righteousness consisteth only in the Remission of Sin , and right to Life as freely given us for anothers Merits : But Beza insisteth still on the contrary , and in his Epistle to Olevian , ( pag. 248. Epist . 35. ) saith , Quid vanius est quam Justum arbitrari , qui Legem non impleverit ? Atqui lex non tantum prohibet fieri quod vetat , — verum praecipit quod jubet . — Ergo qui pro non peccatore censetur in Christo , mortem quidem effugerit ; sed quo jure vitam praeterea petet , nisi omnem justitiam Legis in eodem Christo impleverit ? ( This is the Doctrine which Wotton and Gataker ( in divers Books largely ) and Bradshaw , after many others do Confute . Yet saith he , N●que vero id obstat , quominus nostra Justificatio Remissione peccatorum apte & recte definiatur ] , Which is a contradiction . Yet was he for Love and Gentleness in these differences ; ibid. Yet Qu. & Resp . Christ . pag. 670. He leaveth out Christs Original Habitual Righteousness , [ Non illa essentialis quae Deitatis est , nec illa Habitualis , ut ita loquar , Puritas Carnis Christi . — Quae quum non distingueret Osiander faedissime est hallucinatus . And ibid. 670. he giveth us this description of Justification . Qu. Quid Justificationem vocat Paulus hoc loco ? R. Illud quo Justi fimus , id est , eousque perfecti , integri , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ut plenissime , non tantum aboleatur quicquid in nobis totis in est turpitudinis , qua Deus summe purus offendi ullo modo possit , verum etiam in nos comperiatur quicquid in ha● humana naturae usque adeo potest eum delectare , ut illud vita aeterna pro bona sua voluntate coronet ] . Yet ( as in his Annot. in Rom. 8.30 . & alibi ) he confesseth that Justification in Scripture , sometime is taken for Sanctification , ( or as including it ) so he taketh our Sanctification to contain the Imputation of Christs Sanctity to us . ( Qu. & Resp . pag. 671. ) 1. Dico nostras Personas , imputata ipsius perfecta sanctitate & integritate , plene sanctas & integras , ac proinde Patri acceptas , non in nobis sed in Christo censemur . 2. And next the Spirits Sanctification ; and thus Christ is made Sanctification to us . Dr. Twisse , and Mr. Pemble , Vind. Grat. distinguish of Justification as an Immanent Act in God from Eternity , and as it is the notice of the former in our Consciences : But doubtless the commonest Definitions of Justification agree with neither of these : And Pemble of Justification otherwise defineth it ( as Mr. Jessop saith Dr. Twisse did ) . Lud. Crocius Syntag. pag. 1219. thus defineth it , [ Justificatio Evangelica est actus Divinae gratiae , qua Deus adoptat peccatorem per approbationem obedientiae Legis in sponsore atque intercessore Christo , & per Remissionem peccatorum ac Justitiae imputationem in eo qui per fidem Christo est insitus ] . And saith , pag. 1223. [ Fides sola justificat quatenus notat Obedientiam quandam expectantem promissionem ut donum gratuitum — & apponitur illi Obedientiae quae non expectat promissionem ut donum omnino gratuitum sed ut mercedem propositam sub Conditione operis alicu●us praeter acceptationem & gratitudinem debitam , quae sua Natura in omni donatione quamvis gratuita requiri solet . Et ejusmodi Obedientia peculiariter opus ab Apostolo , & Latinis proprie Meritum dicitur ; & qui sub hac conditione obediunt Operantes vocantur , Rom. 4.4 . & 11.6 . This is the truth which I assert . Conrad . Bergius Prax. Cathol . dis . 7. pag. 983. tells us that the Breme Cat●chism thus openeth the Matter : [ Qu. Quomodo Justificatur Homo coram Deo ? R. Accipit Homo Remissionem peccatorum & Justificatur , hoc est , Gratus fit coram Deo in vera Conversione , persolam fidem , per Christum , sine proprio Merito & dignitate . Cocceius disp . de via salut . de Just . pag. 189. Originalis Christi Justitia correspondet nostro Originali peccato , &c. vid. coet . plura vid. de foeder . Macovius Colleg. de Justif . distinguisheth Justification into Active and Passive , and saith , Justificatio Activa significat absolu●ionem Dei , que Hominem reum a reatu absolvit : And he would prove this to be before Faith , and citeth for it ( abusively ) Paraeus and Tessanus , and thinketh that we were absolved from Guilt from Christs undertaking our Debt , Thes . 12. thus arguing , [ Cujus debita apud Creditorem aliquis recepit exsolvenda , & Creditor istius sponsionem ita acceptat , ut in ea acquiescat , ille jam ex parte Creditoris liber est a debitis : Atque Electorum omnium in singulari debita apud Deum Patrem Christus , ex quo factus est Mediator , recepit exolvenda , & Deus Pater illam sponsionem acceptavit , &c. Passive Justification , which he supposeth to be our application of Christs Righteousness to our daily as oft as we offend . Th. 5. ( And part 4. disp . 22. he maintaineth , that There are no Dispositions to Regeneration ) . Others of his mind I pass by . Spanhemius Disput . de Justif . saith , that [ The Form of Passive Justification consisteth in the apprehension and sense of Remission of Sin and Imputation of Christs Righteousness in capable Subjects ] grosly : Whereas Active Justification ( Justificantis ) ever immediately causeth Passive ( Justificationem justificati ) which is nothing but the effect of the Active , ( or as most call it , Actio ut in patiente ) : And if this were the Apprehension and Sense ( as aforesaid ) of Pardon and imputed Righteousness , then a Man in his sleep were unjustified , and so of Infants , &c. For he that is not Passively justified , is not at all justified . I told you else-where , that the Synops . Leidens . de Justif . pag. 413. Th. 23. saith , That Christs Righteousness is both the Meritorious , Material , and Formal Cause of our Justification . What Fayus , and Davenant , and others say of the Formal Cause , viz. Christs Righteousness imputed , I there shewed : And how Paraeus , Joh. Crocius , and many others , deny Christs Righteousness to be the Formal Cause . Wendeline defineth Justification thus ( Theol. Lib. 1. c. 25. p. 603. ) Justificatio est actio Dei gratuita , qua peccatores Electi , maledictioni legis obnoxii , propter justitiam seu satisfactionem Christi fide applicatam & a Deo imputatam , coram tribunali Divino , remssis peccatis , a maledictione Legis absolvuntur & justi censentur . And pag. 615 , 616. He maintaineth that [ Obedientia activa , si proprie & accurate loquamur , non est materia nostrae Justificationis , nec imputatur nobis , ita ut nostra censeatur , & nobis propter eam peccata remittantur , & debitum legis pro nobis solvatur ; quemadmodum Passiva per imputationem censetur nostra , &c. Et post [ Si dicus Christum factum esse hominem pro nobis , hoc est , nostro bono , conceditur : Si pro nobis , hoc est , nostro loco , negatur : Quod enim Christus nostro loco fecit , & factus est , id nos non tenemur facere & fieri , &c. Rob. Abbot approveth of Thompsons Definition of Evangelical Justification , ( pag. 153. ) that it is , Qua poenitenti & Credenti remittuntur peccata , & jus vitae aeternae conceditur per & propter Christi obedientiam illi imputatam : ( Which is sound , taking Imputatam soundly , as he doth ) . Joh. Cr●cius , Disp . 1. p. 5. thus defineth it , [ Actio Dei qua ex gratia propter satisfactionem Christi peccatoribus in Christum totius Mundi redemptorem unicum , vere credentibus gratis sine operibus aut meritis propriis omnia peccata remittit , & justitiam Christi imputat ad sui nominis gloriam & illorum salutem aeternam . And he maketh only [ Christs full satisfaction for Sin , to be the Impulsive-External , Meritorious , and Material , Cause , as being that which is imputed to us ; and the Form of Justification to be the Remission of Sin , Original and Actual , or the Imputation of Christs Righteousness ( which he maketh to be all one ) or the Imputation of Faith for Righteousness ] . Saith Bishop Downame of Justif . p. 305. [ To be Formally Righteous by Christs Righteousness imputed , never any of us , for ought I know , affirmed . The like saith Dr. Pride●aux , when yet very many Protestants affirm it . Should I here set together forty or sixty Definitions of Protestants verbatim , and shew you how much they differ , it would be unpleasant , and tedious , and unnecessary . And as to those same Divines that Dr. Tully nameth as agreed , Dr. Davenants and Dr. Fields words I have cited at large in my Confes . saying the same in substance as I do ; as also Mr. Scudders , and an hundred more , as is before said . And let any sober Reader decide this Controversie between us , upon these two further Considerations . 1. Peruse all the Corpus Confessionum , and see whether all the Reformed Churches give us a Definition of Justification , and agree in that Definition : Yea , whether the Church of England in its Catechism , or its Articles , have any proper Definition : Or if you will call their words a Definition , I am sure it 's none but what I do consent to . And if a Logical Definition were by the Church of England and other Churches held necessary to Salvation , it would be in their Catechisms ( if not in the Creed ) : Or if it were held necessary to Church-Concord , and Peace , and Love , it would be in their Articles of Religion , which they subscribe . 2. How can all Protestants agree of the Logical Definition of Justification , when 1. They agree not of the sense of the word [ Justifie , ] and of the species of that Justification which Paul and James speak of ? Some make Justification to include Pardon and Sanctification , ( see their words in G. Forbes , and Le Blank ) ; many say otherwise . Most say that Paul speaketh most usually of Justification in sensu forensi , but whether it include [ Making just ] as some say , or only [ Judging just ] as others , or Nolle punire , be the act as Dr. Twisse , they agree not . And some hold that in James Justification is that which is eoram hominibus , when said to be by Works ; but others ( truly ) say , it is thay coram Deo. 2. They are not agreed in their very Logical Rules , and Notions , to which their Definitions are reduced ; no not so much as of the number and nature of Causes , nor of Definitions ( as is aforesaid ) : And as I will not undertake to prove that all the Apostles , Evangelists and Primitive Pastours , knew how to define Efficient , Material , Formal and Final Causes in general , so I am sure that all good Christians do not . 3. And when Justification is defined by Divines , is either the Actus Justificantis , and this being in the predicament of Action , what wonder if they disagree about the Material and Formal Causes of it ? Nay , it being an Act of God , there are few Divines that tell us what that Act is : Deus operatur per essentiam : And Ex parte agentis , his Acts are his Essence , and all but one . And who will thus dispute of the Definition and Causes of them , Efficient , Material , Formal , Final ? when I presumed to declare , that this Act of Justifying is not an immanent Act in God , nor without a Medium , but Gods Act by the Instrumentality of his Gospel-Covenant or Promise , many read it as a new thing ; and if that hold true that the First Justification by Faith , is that which Gods Gospel-Donation is the Instrument of , as the Titulus seu Fundamentum Juris , being but a Virtual and not an Actual Sentence , then the Definition of it , as to the Causes , must differ much from the most common Definitions . But most Protestants say that Justification is Sententia Judicis . ( And no doubt but there are three several sorts , or Acts called Justification , 1. Constitutive by the Donative Covenant , 2. Sentential , 3. Executive . ) And here they are greatly at a loss , for the decision of the Case , what Act of God this Sententia Jucis is . What it will be after death , we do not much disagree : But what it is immediately upon our believing . It must be an Act as in patiente , or the Divine essence denominated from such an effect . And what Judgment and Sentence God hath upon our believing , few open , and fewer agreee . Mr. Tombes saith it is a Sentence in Heaven notifying it to the Angels : But that is not all , or the chief : some run back to an Immanent Act ; most leave it undetermined : And sure the Name of Sentence in general , signifieth no true Conception of it at all , in him that knoweth not what that Sentence is , seeing Universals are Nothing ( out of us ) but as they exist in individuals . Mr. Lawson hath said that wihch would reconcile Protestants , and some Papists , as to the Name , viz. that Gods Execution is his Sentence ; He Judgeth by Executing : And so as the chief punishment is the Privation of the Spirit , so the Justifying Act , is the executive donation of the Spirit . Thus are we disagreed about Active Justification ( which I have oft endeavoured Conciliatorily fullier to open . ) And as to Passive Justification ( or as it is Status Justificati ) which is indeed that which it concerneth us in this Controversie to open , I have told you how grosly some describe it here before . And all agree not what Predicament it is in : some take it to be in that of Action , ut recipitur in passo ; and some in that of Quality and Relation Conjunct : But most place it in Relation ; And will you wonder if all Christian Women , yea or Divines , cannot define that Relation aright . And if they agree not in the notions of the Efficient , Material , Formal and Final Causes , of that which must be defined ( as it is capable ) by its subjectum , fundamentum and terminus . I would not wish that the Salvation of any Friend of mine ( or any one ) should be laid on the true Logical Definition of Justification , Active or Passive , Constitutive , Sentential or Executive . And now the Judicious will see , whether the Church and Souls of Men be well used by this pretence , that all Protestants are agreed in the Nature , Causes and Definition of Justification ; and that to depart from that one Definition ( where is it ? ) is so dangerous as the Doctor pretendeth , because the Definition and the Definitum are the same . § XX. P. 34. You say [ You tremble not in the audience of God and Man to suggest again that hard-fronted Calumny , viz. that I prefer a Majority of Ignorants before a Learned man in his own profession . Answ . I laid it down as a Rule , that They are not to be preferred : You assault that Rule with bitter accusations , as if it were unsound ( or else to this day I understand you not . ) Is it then [ a hard-fronted Calumny ] to defend it , and to tell you what is contained in the denying of it . The audience of God must be so dreadful to ( you and ) me , that ( without calling you to consider whether the Calumny be not notoriously yours ) I heartily desire any judicious person to help me to see , that I am here guilty , if it be so . But you add , [ You know not what the Event of all this may be ▪ For suppose now , being drag'd in my Scarlet , ( a habit more suitable for him that Triumphs ) at the Wheel of your Chariot in the view of all men , I should happen to be degraded and turned out of my literate Society ; would it not trouble you ? no doubt : but then it might happen to be too late . Answ . 1. It would trouble me : because ( though I know you not ) our fame here saith that you are an honest , and very modest man , and those that are Nicknamed Calvinists prefer you before most others of your rank . But alas , what is Man , and what may Temptation do ? 2. did you think that your Scarlet or Mastership did allow you to write copiously , as you did , against your Neighbour who never medled with you , and made it a crime in him , whom you accuse , to defend himself , and a righteous cause ? I see in this age we deal on hard unequal terms with some Men that can but get into Scarlet . 3. You would make your Reader believe by these words that you are really Melancholly , and fear where no fear is ▪ A Reverend Doctor , whose Book hath the Patronage of one of the greatest Bps. of England writeth against one of no Academical degree , who hath these 13. years and more been judged unworthy to preach to the most ignorant Congregation in the Land , and by the ( Contrived ) distinction of Nonconformists from Conformists , goeth under the scorn and hatred of such , as you pretend to be in danger of , and hath himself no security for his liberty in the open Air ; that this Learned man in his honour , should conceit that an Answer from this hated person might endanger his degradation and turning out of his place , is so strange a fancie , as will make your Readers wonder . 4. But whether you are Melancholly or no I know not ; but if you are not unrighteous , I know not what unrighteousness is . Will you bear with the diversion of a story ? When the Moors were sentenced to ruin in Spain , one of the Disciples of Valdesso ( a Scholar ) fell into the displeasure of the Bp. of Toledo : A Neighbour Doctor knowing that the Bps. favour might bestead him — ( whether accidentally or contrivedly I know not ) hit upon this happy course : The Scholar and he being together in a solemn Convention , the Scholar was taking Tobacco , and the Dr. seeing the smok threw first a Glass of Beer in his face , and cryed Fire , Fire ; The Scholar wiped his face , and went on ; The Doctor next threw an Ink-bottle in his Face , crying still Fire , Fire ; The Scholar being thus blackt , perceived that he was like to be taken for a Moor , and ruined , and he went out and carefully wash'd his face : the Doctor charged him openly for affronting him ( yea and injuriously calumniating him ) by the fact : For saith he , there was necessary Cause for what I did : There is no smoak without some fire : that which fired you might next have fired the House , and that the next House , and so have burnt down all the City : and your action intimateth as if I had done causelesly what I did , and done you wrong : The Scholar answered him ; I knew not , Sir , that it was unlawful to wash me , but I will take no more Tobacco that I may no more offend you ; But if in this frosty weather the thickness of my breath should be called smoak ▪ may I not wash my face , if you again cast your Ink upon it ? No , saith the Doctor , It is not you , nor any private man that must be judg whether you are on Fire or not , in a publick danger : Must the City be hazarded , if you say that it is not Fire ? The Scholar asketh , may I not refer the case to the standers-by , and wash my face if they say , It was no Fire ? No , saith the Dr. that is but to call in your Associates to your help , and to add Rebellion and Schism to your disobedience : I perceive what principles you are of . Why then , saith the Scholar , if I must needs be a Moor , my face and I are at your mercy . But pardon this digression , and let you and I stand to the judgment of any righteous and competent Judge , whether you deal not with me in notorious injustice , so be it the Case be truly stated . The person whom you assaulted is one , that attempted ( with success ) the subversion of Antinomianism and the clearing of truth ; their Ignorance of which was the Cause of their other Errours . But having let fall , ( for want of use in writing ) some incongruous words ( as Covenant for Law , &c. ) and that somewhat often , and some excepting against the Book , he craved their animaversions , and promised to suspend the Book till it were corrected ; and purposely wrote a far greater Volumn in explication of what was dark , and defence of what was wrongfully accused , and many other Volumns of full defence : No man answereth any of these : but after twenty years , or thereabout , ( though I protested in print against any that would write against the Aphorisms , without regard to the said Explications ) you publish your Confutation of part of those Aphorisms , and that with most notorious untruth , charging me to deny all Imputation of Christs Righteousness , when I had there profest the Contrary , and taking no notice of any after-explication or defence , and parallelling me with Bellarmine , if not with Hereticks or Infidels ( for I suppose you take the denyers of all Imputation to be little better . ) This Book you publish without the least provocation with other quarrels , dedicating it to that R. Rd. B. who first silenced me ; ( as if I must go write over again all the Explications and Defences I had before written , because you ( that are bound to accuse me ) are not bound to read them : ) and this you do against one that at that time had been about 13 years silenced , ejected , and deprived of all Ministerial maintenance , and of almost all his own personal Estate , desiring no greater preferment than leave to have preached for nothing , where is notorious necessity , could I have obtained it , sometimes laid in the common Jail among Malefactors , for preaching in my own house , and dwelling within five miles of it : after fined at forty pound a Sermon for preaching for nothing ; looking when my Books and Bed are taken from me by distress , though I live in constant pain and langour , the Constable but yesterday coming to have distrained for sixty pound for two Sermons ; hunted and hurryed about to Justices at the will of any ignorant — Agent of — that will be an Informer , and even fain to keep my doors daily lockt , if it may be to save my Books a while : Yet the exciting of wroth by publick Calumny against one so low already , and under the persecuting wrath of your friends , was no fault , no injustice in you at all ! ( nor indeed did I much feel it . ) But for me who am thus publickly by visible Calumny traduced , truly to tell you where you mistake , and how you wrong Gods Church and Truth more than me , and if also I offer peaceably to wash my own face , this is hard fronted Calumny , dragging a Doctor in Scarlet at the Wheels of my Chariot , which might occasion his degrading and turning out , &c. This over-tenderness of your honour as to other mens words , ( and too little care of the means of it , as to your own ) hath a cause that it concerneth you to find out . Had you the tenth part as many Books written against you , as are against me ( by Quakers , Seekers , Infidels , Antinomians , Millenaries , Anabaptists , Separatists , Semi-separatists , Papists , Pseudo-Tilenus , Diocesans , Conformists , and many Enemies of Peace , ( to whom it was not I , but your self that joyned you ) it would have hardened you into some more patience . If you will needs be militant you must expect replies : And he that will injuriously speak to the World what he should not speak , must look to hear what he would not hear . But you add ; Sir , the Name and Quality of a DOCTOR and Master of a Literate Society , might have been treated more civilly by you . Answ . 1. I am ready to ask you forgiveness for any word that any impartial man ( yea or your Reverend Brethren of that Academy themselves , whom I will allow to be somewhat partial for you ) shall notifie to me to be uncivil or any way injurious . 2. But to be free with you , neither Doctorship , Mastership nor ●carlet will Priviledg you to fight against Truth , Right , and Peace , and to vent gross mistakes , and by gross untruths in matter of fact , such as is your [ Omnem ludibrio habet imputationem ] to abuse your poor Brethren , and keep the longconsuming flàmes still burning , by false representing those as Popish , and I know not what , who speak not as unaptly as your self , and all this without contradiction . Were you a Bp. my Body and Estate might be in your power , but Truth , Justice and the Love of Christians , and the Churches peace , should not be cowardly betrayed by me on pretense of reverence to your Name and Quality . I am heartily desirous that for ORDER-sake the Name and Honour of my Superiours may be very reverently used . But if they , will think that Errour , Injustice , and Confusion must take sanctuary under bare Ecclesiastical or Academical Names and robes , they will find themselves mistaken : Truth and Honesty will conquer when they pass through Smithfield flames : Prisons confine them not ; Death kills them not ; No siege will force an honest Conscience by famine to give up . He that cannot endure the sight of his own excrements must not dish them up to another mans Table , lest they be sent him back again . And more freedom is allowed against Peace-Breakers in Frays and Wars , than towards men that are in a quieter sort of Controversie . § XX. P. 36.37 . You say [ For your various Definitions of Justification , Constitutive , Sentential , Executive , in Foro Dei , in foro Conscientiae , &c. — What need this heap of distinctions here , when you know the question betwixt us is of no other Justification , but the Constitutive in foro Dei , that which maketh us righteous in the Court of Heaven ? I have nothing to do with you yet in any else , as your own Conscience will tell you when you please : If you have not more Justice and civility for your intelligent Readers , I wish you would shew more Compassion to your Ignorant Homagers , and not thus abuse them with your palpable Evasions . Answ . Doth the question , Whether the several sorts of Justification will bear one and the same Definition , deserve all this anger ( and the much greater that followeth ) ? 1. Seeing I am turned to my Reader , I will crave his impartial judgment : I never received and agreed on a state of the question with this Doctor : He writeth against my books : In those Books I over and over and over distinguish of Justification , Constitutive , Sentential , and Executive ( besides those subordinate sorts , by Witness , Evidence , Apology , &c. ) I oft open their differences : He writeth against me , as denying all Imputation of Christs Righteousness , and holding Popish Justification by works , and never tells me whether he take the word [ Justification ] in the same sense that I do , or in which of those that I had opened : And now he passionately appealeth to my Conscience that I knew his sence : What he saith [ my Conscience will tell me ] it is not true . It will tell me no such thing : but the clean contrary , that even after all his Disputes and Anger , and these words , I profess I know not what he meaneth by [ Justification . ] 2. What [ Constitutive in foro Dei , that which maketh us Righteous in the Court of Heaven ] meaneth with him , I cannot conjecture . He denyeth not my Distinctions , but saith , what need they : I ever distinguished Making Righteous , Judging Righteous . Executively useing as Righteous : The first is in our selves ; The second is by Divines said to be in foro Dei , an act of Judgment ; the third is upon us after both : now he seemeth to confound the two first , and yet denyeth not their difference ; and saith , he meaneth [ Constitutive in foro : ] He that is made Righteous is such in se ; and as such is Justifiable in foro : ] We are Made Righteous by God as free Donor and Imputer , antecedently to judgment : We are in foro sentenced Righteous by God as Judg : so that this by sentence presupposeth the former : God never Judgeth us Righteous and Justifieth us against Accusation , till he have first Made us Righteous and Justified us from adherent Guilt by Pardon and Donation . Which of these meaneth he ? I ask not my Ignorant homagers who know no more than I , but his Intelligent Reader . He taketh on him to go the Commonest way of Protestants : And the Commonest way is to acknowledg that a Constitutive Justification , or making the man Just , ( antecedent to the Actus forensis ) must need go first : but that it is the second which Paul usually meaneth , which is the actus forensis , the sentence of the Judg in foro , contrary to Condemnation : And doth the Doctor think that to make Righteous and to sentence as Righteous are all one ? and that we are made Righteous in foro otherwise than to be just in our selves , and so Justifiable in foro , before the Sentence ? or do Protestants take the Sentence to be Constituting or Making us Righteous ? All this is such talk as had I read it in Mr. Bunnyan of the Covenants , or any of my Ignorant Homagers , I should have said , the Author is a stranger to the Controversie , into which he hath rashly plunged himself : but I have more reverence to so learned a man , and therefore blame my dull understanding . 3. But what if I had known ( as I do not yet ) what sort of Justification he meaneth ? Doth he not know that I was then debating the Case with him , whether the Logical Definitions of Justification , Faith , &c. are not a work of Art , in which a few well-studied judicious Divines ( these were my words ) are to be preferred before Authority , or Majority of Votes . And Reader , what Reason bound me to confine this Case , to one only sort of Justification ? And why , ( I say , why ) must I confine it to a sort which Dr. Tully meaneth , when my Rule and Book was written before his , and when to this day I know not what he meaneth ? Though he at once chide at my Distinguishing , and tell me that All Protestants agree in the Nature , Causes , and Definition , ( and if all agreed , I might know by other Mens words what he meaneth ) yet to all before-said , I will add but one contrary Instance of many . Cluto , in his very Methodical but unsound Idea Theol. ( signalized in Voetii Biblioth . ) defineth Justification so , as I suppose , best pleaseth the Doctor , viz. [ Est Actio Dei Judicialis , qua redemptos propter passiones justitiae Divinae satifactorias a Christo sustentatas , redemptisque imputatas , a peccatis puros , & consequenter a poenis liberos , itemque propter Obedientiam a Christo Legi Divinae praestitam redemptisque imputatam , justitia praeditos , & consequenter vita aeterna dignos , ex miserecordia pronunciat ] . In the opening of which he telleth us , pag. 243. ( against multitudes of the greatest Protestants Definitions . ) [ Male , alteram Justificationis partem , ipsam Justitiae Imputationem statui , cum Justificatio non sit ipsa Imputatio , sed Pronunciatio quae Imputatione , tanquam fundamento jacto , nititur . And he knew no sense of Justification , but [ Vel ipsam sententiae Justificatoriae in mente Divina prolationem , sive Constitutionem , vel ejus in Cordibus redemptorum manifestantem Revelationem : And saith , Priori modo factum est autem omnem fidem , cum Deus omnes , quibus passiones & justitiam Christi imputabat , innocentes & justos reputaret , cum ejus inimici , adeoque sine fide essent , ( so that here is a Justification of Infidels , as innocent for Christs Righteousness imputed to them ) : Quare etiam ut jam facta fide apprehendenda est . The second which follows Faith , is Faith , ingenerating a firm perswasion of it . Is not here sad defining , when neither of these are the Scripture - Justification by Christ and Faith ? And so § . 32. the time of Justification by Faith he maketh to be the time when we receive the feeling of the former : And the time of the former is presently after the Fall ; of all at once : And hence gathereth that [ Ex eo quod Justificatio dicitur fieri propter passiones & obedientiam Christi , quibus ad perfectionem nihil deest , nobis imputatas ( before Faith or Birth ) consequitur innocentiam & justitiam in Redemptis quam primum perfectas & ab omni macula puras esse — ] and so that neither the pronunciation in mente Divina , or imputation ullis gradibus ad perfectionem exsurgat . But what is this pronunciation in mente Divina ? He well and truly noteth , § . 29. that [ Omnes actiones Divinae , fi ex eo aestimentur quod re ipsa in Deo sunt , idem sunt cum ipso Deo , ideoque dependentiam a Causa externa non admittant : Si tamen considerentur quoad rationem formalem hujus vel illius denominationis ipsis impositae in relatione ad Creaturas consistentem , ipsis causae impulsivae assignare possunt , &c. This distinction well openeth , how God may be said to justifie in His own Mind : But what is that effect , Vnde essentia vel mens Divina ita denominatur justificans ? Here he is at a loss , neither truly telling us what is Justication Constitutive , Sentential , nor Executive ( but in the little part of [ Feeling ] God 's secret Act ) yet this dark Definer truly saith [ Ex sensu Scripturae verissime affirmetur hominem per fidem solam justificari , quia ex nostra parte nihil ad Justificationem conferendum Deus requirit , quam ut Justificationem in Christo fundatam credamus , & fide non producamus , sed recipiamus . If yet you would see whether all Protestants agree in the Definition of Justification , read the multitude of Definitions of it in several senses ; in Learnrd Alstedius his Definit . Theol. c. 24. § . 2. pag. 97. &c. [ Justificatio hominis coram Deo est qua homo in foro Divino absolvitur , seu justus esse evincitur contra quemvis actorem , Deo ipso judice , & pro eo sententiam ferente ] . But what is this Forum ? Forum Divinum est ubi Deus ipse judicis partes agit , & fert sententiam secundum leges a se latas ? But where is that Est internum vel externum ? Forum divinum internum est in ipsa hominis Conscientia , in qua Deus Thronum justitiae erigit in hac vita ibi agendo partes actoris & judicis : Forum Conscientiae . ( But it is not this that is meant by the Justification by Faith ) . Forum divinum externum est , in qua Deus post hanc vitam extra hominem exercet judicium , 1. Particulare , 2. Vniversale . This is true and well : But are we no where Justified by Faith but in Conscience , till after Death ? This is by not considering , 1. The Jus ad impunitatem & vitam donatum per foedus Evangelicum upon our Believing , which supposing Faith and Repentance is our Constitutive Justification , ( virtually only sentential ) . 2. And the Judgment of God begun in this Life , pronounced specially by Execution . Abundance of useful Definitions subordinate you may further there see in Alstedius , and some wrong , and the chief omitted . The vehement passages of the Doctors Conclusion I pass over ; his deep sense of unsufferable Provocations , I must leave to himself ; his warning of the dreadful Tribunal which I am near , it greatly concerns me to regard : And Reader , I shall think yet that his Contest ( though troublesome to me that was falsly assaulted , and more to him whose detected Miscarriages are so painful to him ) hath yet been Profitable beyond the Charges of it to him or me , if I have but convinced thee , that 1. Sound mental Conceptions of so much as is necessary to our own Justification , much differ from proper Logical Definitions : And that , 2. Many millions are Justified that cannot define it : 3. And that Logical Definitions are Works of Art more than of Grace , which require so much Acuteness and Skill , that even worthy and excellent Teachers may be , and are disagreed about them , especially through the great ambiguity of Words ; which all understand not in the same sence , and few are sufficiently suspicious of , and diligent to explain . 4. And therefore that our Christian Love , Peace , and Concord , should not be laid upon such Artificial things . 5. And that really the Generality of Protestants are agreed mostly in the Matter , when they quarrel sharply about many Artificial Notions and Terms in the point of Justification . ( And yet after all this , I shall as earnestly as this Doctor , desire and labour for accurateness in Distinguishing , Defining and Method , though I will not have such things to be Engins of Church-Division . ) And lastly , Because he so oft and earnestly presseth me with his Quem quibus , who is the Man , I profess I dreamed not of any particular Man : But I will again tell you whom my Judgment magnifies in this Controversie above all others , and who truly tell you how far Papists and Protestants agree , viz. Vinc. le Blank , and Guil. Forbes , ( I meddle not with his other Subjects ) , Placeus ( in Thes . Salmur . ) Davenant , Dr. Field , Mr. Scudder ( his daily Walk , fit for all families ) Mr. Wotton , Mr. Bradshaw , and Mr. Gataker , Dr. Preston , Dr. Hammond , ( Pract. Cat. ) and Mr. Lawson ( in the main ) Abundance of the French and Breme Divines are also very clear . And though I must not provoke him again by naming some late English men , to reproach them by calling them my disciples , I will venture to tell the plain man that loveth not our wrangling tediousness , that Mr. Trumans Great Propit . and Mr. Gibbons serm . of Justif . may serve him well without any more . And while this worthy Doctor and I do both concord with such as Davenant and Field as to Justification by Faith or Works , judg whether we differ between our selves as far as he would perswade the World , who agree in tertio ? And whether as he hath angrily profest his concord in the two other Controversies which he raised ( our Guilt of nearer Parents sin , and our preferring the judgment of the wisest , &c. ) it be not likely that he will do so also in this , when he hath leisure to read and know what it is that I say and hold , and when we both understand our selves and one another . And whether it be a work worthy of Good and Learned men , to allarm Christians against one another for the sake of arbitrary words and notions ( which one partly useth less aptly and skilfully than the other ) in matters wherein they really agree . 2 Tim. 2. 14. Charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words , to no profit , but to the subverting of the Hearers ( yet ) study to shew thy self approved unto God , a workman that need not be ashamed , rightly dividing the word of Truth Two Sparks more quenched , which fled after the rest from the Forge of Dr. Tho. Tully . § . 1. DId I not find that some Mens Ignorance and factious Jealousie is great enough to make them combustible Recipients of such Wild-fire as those Strictures are ; and did not Charity oblige me to do what I have here done , to save the assaulted Charity of such Persons , more than to save any Reputation of my own , I should repent that I had written one Line in answer to such Writings as I have here had to do with : I have been so wearied with the haunts of the like Spirit , in Mr. Crandon , Mr. Bagshaw , Mr. Danvers , and others , that it is a work I have not patience to be much longer in , unless it were more necessary . Two sheets more tell us that the Doctor is yet angry ; And little that 's better that I can find . In the first , he saith again , that [ I am busie in smoothing my way where none can stumble in , a thing never questioned by him , nor by any Man else , he thinks , who owns the Authority of the second Commandment ] . And have I not then good Company and Encouragement not to change my Mind ? But , 1. He feigneth a Case stated between him and me , who never had to do with him before , but as with others in my Writings , where I state my Case my self . 2. He never so much as toucheth either of my Disputations of Original Sin , in which I state my Case and defend it . 3. And he falsly feigneth the Case stated , in words ( and he supposeth in a sense ) that I never had do do with : Saying , [ I charge you with a new secondary Original Sin , whose Pedegree is not from Adam : I engage not a syllable further ] . And pag. 8. [ You have asserted that this Novel Original Sin is not derived from our Original Father ; no line of Communication between them ; a sin besides that which is derived from Adam , as you plainly and possitively affirm ] . I never said that it had no Pedegree , no line of Communication , no kind of derivation from Adam . 4. Yea , if he would not touch the Disputation where I state my Case , he should have noted it as stated in the very Preface which he writeth against ; and yet there also he totally overlooketh it , though opened in divers Propositions . 5. And the words in an Epistle to another Mans Book , which he fasteneth still on were these ; [ Over-looking the Interest of Children in the Actions of their nearer Parents , and think that they participate of no Guilt , and suffer for no Original Sin , but Adams only ] . And after , [ They had more Original Sin than what they had from Adam ] . 6. He tells me , that [ I seem not to understand my own Question , nor to know well how to set about my Work ] ; and he will teach me how to manage the Business that I have undertaken , and so he tells me how I MUST state the Question hereafter , ( see his words ) . Reader , some Reasons may put a better Title on this Learned Doctors actions ; but if ever I write at this rate , I heartily desire thee to cast it away as utter DISHONESTY and IMPUDENCE . It troubleth me to trouble thee with Repetitions . I hold , 1. That Adams Sin is imputed ( as I opened ) to his Posterity . 2. That the degree of Pravity which Cains nature received from Adam , was the dispositive enclining Cause of all his Actual Sin : 3. But not a necessitating Cause of all those Acts ; for he might possibly have done less evil and more good than he did . 4. Therefore not the Total principal Cause ; for Cains free-will was part of that . 5 Cains actual sin increased the pravity of his nature . 6. And Cains Posterity were ( as I opened it ) guilty of Cains actual sin ; and their Natures were the more depraved by his additional pravity , than they would have been by Adams sin alone ( unless Grace preserved or healed any of them ) . The Doctor in this Paper , would make his Reader believe that he is [ for no meer Logomachies ] and that the difference is not in words only , but the thing . And do you think that he differeth from me in any of these Propositions , or how this sin is derived from Adam ? Yet this now must be the Controversie de re . Do you think ( for I must go by thinking ) that he holdeth any other Derivation than this ? Or did I ever deny any of this ? But it is vain to state the Case to him : He will over ▪ look it , and tell me what I should have held , that he may not be thought to make all this Noise for nothing . He saith pag. 8. [ If it derive in a direct line from the first Transgression , and have its whole Root fastened there , what then ? why then some words which he sets together are not the best sense that can be spoken . It is then but words , and yet it is the thing : What he may mean by [ a direct Line ] , and what by [ whole Root fastened ] I know not ; but I have told the World oft enough what I mean ; and what he meaneth , I have little to do with . But if he think , 1. That Adams Person did commit the sin of Cain , and of all that ever were since committed ; and that Judas his act , was Adams personal act . 2. Or that Adams sin was a total or necessitating Cause of all the evil since committed ; so do not I , ( nor doth he , I doubt not ) . And now I am cast by him on the strait , either to accuse him of differing de re , and so of Doctrinal errour , or else that he knoweth not when the difference is de re , and when de nomine , but is so used to confusion , that Names and Things do come promiscuously into the Question with him : And which of these to chuse , I know not . The Reader may see that I mentioned [ Actual Sin , and Guilt ] : And I think few will doubt , but Adams [ Actual sin , and Cains , ] were divers ; and that therefore , the Guilt that Cains Children had of Adams sin and of Cains was not the same : But that Causa causae is Causa causati , and so that all following Sin was partly ( but partly ) caused by Adam's , we shall soon agree . He addeth that I must make good that new Original Sin ( for he can make use of the word New , and therefore made it ) doth mutare naturam , as the Old doth . Ans . And how far it changeth it , I told him , and he taketh no notice of it : The first sin changed Nature from Innocent into Nocent ; the Second changeth it from Nocent into more Nocent : Doth he deny this ? Or why must I prove any more ? Or doth nothing but Confusion please him ? 3. He saith , I must prove that the Derivation of Progenitors sins is constant and necessary , not uncertain and contingent . Ans . Of this also I fully said what I held , and he dissembleth it all , as if I had never done it : And why must I prove more ? By what Law can he impose on me what to hold ? But really doth he deny that the Reatus culpae , yea and ad Poenam , the Guilt of nearer Parents sins is necessarily and certainly the Childs , though Grace may pardon it ? If he do not , why doth he call on me to prove it ? If he do confess the Guilt , and deny it necessary , when will he tell us what is the Contingent uncertain Cause ? For we take a Relation ( such as Guilt is ) necessarily to result a posito fundamento . § . 2. He next cavilleth at my Citations , about which I only say , either the Reader will peruse the cited words , and my words , which shew to what end I cited them ( to prove our Guilt of our nearer Parents sins ) or he will not . If he will not , I cannot expect that he will read a further Vindication . If he will , he needeth not . § . 3. His second Spark is Animadversions on a sheet of mine , before mentioned , which are such as I am not willing to meddle with , seeing I cannot either handle them , or name them as the nature of them doth require , without offending him : And if what is here said ( of Imputation and Representation ) be not enough , I will add no more , nor write over and over still the same things , because a Man that will take no notice of the many Volumns which answer all his Objections long ago , will call for more , and will write his Animadversions upon a single Sheet that was written on another particular occasion , and pretend to his discoveries of my Deceits from the Silence of that Sheet , and from my naming the Antinomians . I only say , 1. If this Mans way of Disputing were the common way , I would abhor Disputing , and be ashamed of the Name . 2. I do friendly desire the Author of the Friendly Debate , Mr. Sherlock , and all others that would fasten such Doctrines on the Non-Conformists , as a Character of the Party , to observe that this Doctor sufficiently confuteth their partiality ; and that their Academical Church-Doctors , are as Confused , as Vehement maintainers of such expressions as they account most unsavoury , as any even of the Independants cited by them : Yea , that this Doctor would make us question whether there be now any Antinomians among us , and so whether all the Conformists that have charged the Conformists , yea or the Sectaries , with having among them Men of such unsound Principles , have not wronged them , it being indeed the Doctrine of the Church of England which they maintain , whom I and others call Antinomians and Libertines : And I hope at least the sober and sound Non-Conformists are Orthodox , when the vehementest Sectaries that calumniated my Sermon at Pinners Hall , are vindicated by such a Doctor of the Church . 3. I yet conclude , that if this One Mans Writings do not convince the Reader , of the Sin and Danger of Allarming Christians against one another , as Adversaries to great and necessary Doctrines , on the account of meer Words not understood , for want of accurateness and skill in the expressive Art , I take him to be utterly unexcusable . Pemble Vind. Gra● . p. 25. It were somewhat if it were in Learning as it is in bearing of a Burthen ; where many weak Men may bear that which One or few cannot : But in the search of Knowledg , it fares as in discrying a thing afar off ; where one quick-sight will see further than a thousand clear Eyes . FINIS . I had not time to gather the Errata of any but the First Book : Correct these Greater , or you will misunderstand the Matter . PAge , 27. Line 2. Read self , the Act. p. 54. l. 30. r. as obliging . p. 58. l. 20. for of r. or , p. 59. l. 1 , and 2. r. who is not . p. 86. l. 32. for OURS r. OUR Righteousness . p. 88. l. 7. for Covenanted r. Connoted . p. 97. l. 31. r. and suffering . p. 103. l. 9 , 10. for have us Holy , r. leave us unholy . p. 110. l. 10. for we , r. were . p. 111. l. penult . and p. 112. l. 5. and 10. for our , r. one . l. 21. for but , r. must . p. 115. l. 25. for raze out , r. rake up , p. 117. l. 18. r. personating Representation . p. 118. l. 2. for Minister , r. Meriter . p. 119. l. 16. for are , r. are not . p. 140. l. 23. for if , r. that . p. 126. l. 23. for arrive , r. arm . p. 149. l. 19. r. and the. p. 153. l. 23. r. and will. p. 154. l. 26. r. our own-innocency , it . p. 157. l. 29. r. Private , but. p. 169. l. 2. r. conditional . p. 177. l. 9. r. sufficiency , p. 181. l. 27. for argument , r. agreement . The Lesser Errata . PReface p. 3. l. 16. r. eternal . Contents , p. 2. l. 21. r. Wotton . p. 11. l. 4. for no , r. in . l. 17. r. praetendit . l. 27. r. sufficere . p. 12. l. 1. r. ficantur : l. 16. r. impetrando , l. antipen . r. Credimus . p. 13. l. 2. r. praecedit . p. 16. l. 26. r. Schlussel Burgius . p. 22. l. 9. for that , r. the p. 36. l. antipen . dele by . p. 55. l. 10. for no , r. not . p. 60. l. 15. for then , r. there . p. 64. l. 5. for of , r. or . p. 68. l. 28. r. so to . p. 80. l. 17. r. if you will sontes . p. 91. l. 20. dele the. p. 94. l. 2. for but , r. as . l. 11. dele and. p. 102. l. 1. r. per. p. 104. l. antipen . r. Albericus . p. 135. l. 20. r. praeditus - l. 23. r. aliquem . p. 112. l. 28. r. relatione . p. 116. l. 21. r. fulfillers . p. 120. l. 11. r. Vasquez . p. 150. l. 26. r. indebitae . p. 167. l. 29. for if , r. is . p. 184. l. penult . for as , r. and. In a Cursory view of some Pages , I since see these faults . PReface , Page 8. Line 22. for and , r. as . Book 1. P. 172. l. 1. r. is it true . Answer to the Letter , P. 93. l. ult . for Conformists ; r. Nonconformists . Book 2. Part 3. P. 16. l. 20. for tum , r. tu . P. 54. l. 14. for apt , r. yet , l. 28. for produceth , r. proceedeth . P. 56. l. 13. for still , r. not . P. 65. l. 13. for Guilt , r. Gift . Book 2. Part 1. P. 259. l. 8. r. Causas . P. 268. l. 4. for first , r. full . P. 269. l. 28 fore Jure , r. iu re . And I must tell the Reader that it is so long since the Papers to Mr. Cartwright were written , that if there be any passage which in my later Writings I correct , I must desire him to take the latter as my Judgment : For I am none of those that pretend my Youthful Writings to be sufficiently Accurate , much less Faultless , or that to avoid the Imputation of Mutability , profess to be no wiser than I was between twenty and thirty Years ago . I find somewhat , Book 2. Part 3. P. 51 , 52. which needeth this Explication , viz. [ God as Judg of lapsed Man , when He was judging him , added an Act of Grace , which in several respects is , 1. A Promise . 2. A Deed of Gift . 3. An Act of Oblivion or universal conditional Pardon . 4. A Law. 5. And as it hath respect to Christs absolutely promised and foreseen Merits , it may be said , to be like or Equivolent to an universal conditional Sentence : But taking the word [ Sentence ] strictly as it is [ a Sentence of the Individuals according to the Rule of a Law as kept or broken ] , so it is not properly a Sentence as to us ( as is after proved . ) A POSTSCRIPT , ABOUT Mr. DANVERS ' s Last BOOK . WHen this Book was coming out of the Press , I received another Book of Mr. Danvers against Infants Baptism , in which he mentioneth Dr. Tullies proving what a Papist I am , in his Justif Paul. ( with Dr. Pierces former Charges ) and lamenting that no more yet but one Dr. Tully hath come forth to Encounter me , Epist . and Pag. 224. The perusal of that Book ( with Mr. Tombs short Reflections ) directeth me to say but this instead of any further Confutation . That it is ( as the former ) so full of false Allegations set off with the greatest Audacity ( even a few Lines of my own about our meeting at Saint James's left with the Clerk , grosly falsified ) and former falsifications partly justified , and partly past over , and his most passionate Charges grounded upon Mistakes , and managed by Misreports , sometime of Words , sometime of the Sense , and sometime of Matters of Fact ; in short , it is such a bundle of Mistake , Fierceness and Confidence , that I take it for too useless and unpleasant a Work to give the World a particular Detection of these Evils . If I had so little to do with my Time as to write it , I suppose that few would find leisure to read it : And I desire no more of the willing Reader , then seriously to peruse my Book ( More Reasons for Infants Church-membership ) with his , and to examine the Authors about whose Words or Sense we differ . Or if any would be Informed at a cheaper rate , he may read Mr. Barrets Fifty Queries in two sheets . And if Mr. Tombes revile me , for not transcribing or answering more of his Great Book , when I tell the Reader that I suppose him to have the Book before him , and am not bound to transcribe such a Volume already in Print , and that I answer as much as I think needs an Answer , leaving the rest as I found it to the Judgment of each Reader , he may himself take this for a Reply ; but I must judg of it as it is . I find but one thing in the Book that needeth any other Answer , than to peruse what is already Writt●n : And that is about Baptizing Naked : My Book was written 1649. A little before , common uncontrolled Fame was , that not far from us in one place many of them were Baptized naked , reproving the Cloathing way as Antiscriptural : I never heard 〈◊〉 deny this Report : I conversed with divers of 〈…〉 Church , who denied it not : As 〈…〉 denied it to me , so I never read one that did 〈…〉 to my knowledg : He now tells me Mr. Fisher , Mr. Haggar , and Mr. Tombes did : Let any Man read Mr. Tombes Answer to me , yea and that Passage by him now cited , and see whether there be a word of denial : Mr. Fisher or Haggar I never saw : Their Books I had seen , but never read two Leaves to my remembrance of Mr. Fishers , though I numbered it with those that were written on that Subject , as well I might : I knew his Education and his Friends , and I saw the Great Volume before he turned Quaker , but I thought it enough to read Mr. Tombes and others that wrote before him , but I read not him , nor all Mr. Haggars : If I had , I had not taken them for competent Judges of a fact far from them , and that three years after : Could they say , that no one ever did so ? The truth is that three years after , mistaking my words , as if I had affirmed it to be their ordinary practice ( as you may read in them ) which I never did , nor thought , they vehemently deny this : ( And such heedless reading occasioneth many of Mr. Danvers Accusations ) . I never said that no Man ever denied it ▪ for I have not read all that ever was written , nor spoken with all the World : But no Man ever denied it to me , nor did I ever read any that denied it . And in a matter of Fact , if that Fame be not credible , which is of things Late and Near , and not Contradicted by any one of the most interessed Persons themselves , no not by Mr. Tombes himself , we must surcease humane Converse : Yet do I not thence undertake that the same was true , either of those Persons , or such as other Writers beyond Sea have said it off . I saw not any one Baptized by Mr. Tombes or any other in River or elsewhere by Dipping at Age : If you do no such thing , I am sorry that I believed it , and will recant it . Had I not seen a Quaker go naked through Worcester at the Assizes , and read the Ranters Letters full of Oathes , I could have proved neither of them . And yet I know not where so long after to find my Witnesses : I abhor Slanders , and receiving ill Reports unwarrantably : I well know that this is not their ordinary Practice : The Quakers do not those things now , which many did at the rising of the Sect ; and if I could , I would believe they never did them . 2. This Book of Mr. Danvers , with the rest of the same kind , increase my hatred of the Disputing Contentious way of writing , and my trouble that the Cause of the Church and Truth hath so oft put on me a necessity to write in a Disputing way , against the Writings of so many Assailants . 3. It increaseth my Grief for the Case of Mankind , yea of well-meaning godly Christians , who are unable to judg of many Controversies agitated , otherwise than by some Glimpses of poor Probability , and the esteem which they have of the Persons which do manage them , and indeed take their Opinions upon trust from those whom they most reverence and value ; and yet can so hardly know whom to follow , whilst the grossest Mistakes are set off with as great confidence and holy pretence , as the greatest Truths . O how much should Christians be pitied , that must go through so great Temptations ! 4. It increaseth my Resolution , had I longer to live , to converse with Men that I would profit , or profit by , either as a Learner hearing what they have to say , without importunate Contradiction , or as a Teacher if they desire to Learn ▪ of me : A School way may do something to increase Knowledg ; but drenching Men , and striving with them , doth but set them on a fiercer striving against the Truth : And when they that have need of seven and seven years Schooling more , under some clear well studied Teacher , are made Teachers themselves , and then turned loose into the World ( as Sampsons Foxes ) to militate for and with their Ignorance , what must the Church suffer by such Contenders ? 5. It increaseth my dislike of that Sectarian dividing hurtful Zeal , which is described James 3. and abateth my wonder at the rage of Persecutors : For I see that the same Spirit maketh the same kind of Men , even when they most cry out against Persecutors , and separate furthest from them . 6. It resolveth me more to enquire less after the Answers to Mens Books than I have done : And I shall hereafter think never the worse of a Mans writings , for hearing that they are answered : For I see it is not only easie for a Talking Man to talk on , and to say something for or against any thing , but it is hard for them to do otherwise , even to hold their Tongues , or Pens , or Peace : And when I change this Mind , I must give the greatest belief to Women that will talk most , or to them that live longest , and so are like to have the last word , or to them that can train up militant Heirs and Successors to defend them when they are dead , and so propagate the Contention . If a sober Consideration of the first and second writing ( yea of positive Principles ) will not inform me , I shall have little hope to be much the wiser for all the rest . 7. I am fully satisfied that even good 〈◊〉 are here so far from Perfection , that they must bear with odious faults and injuries in one another , and be habituated to a ready and easie forbearing and forgiving one another . I will not so much as describe or denominate Mr. Danvers Citations of Dr. Pierce , to prove my Popery and Crimes , nor his passages about the Wars , and about my Changes , Self-contradictions , and Repentances , lest I do that which savoureth not of Forgiveness : O what need have we all of Divine Forgiveness ! 8. I shall yet less believe what any Mans Opinion ( yea or Practice ) is by his Adversaries Sayings , Collections , Citations , or most vehement Asseverations , than ever I have done , though the Reporters pretend to never so much Truth , and pious Zeal . 9. I shall less trust a confounding ignorant Reader or Writer , that hath not an accurate defining and distinguishing Understanding , and hath not a mature , exercised , discerning Knowledg than ever I have done ; and especially if he be engaged in a Sect ( which alas , how few parts of the Christian World escape ! ) For I here ( and in many others ) see , that you have no way to seem Orthodox with such , but to run quite into the contrary Extream : And if I write against both Extreams , I am taken by such Men as this , but to be for both and against both , and to contradict my self . When I write against the Persecutors , I am one of the Sectaries , and when I write against the Sectaries , I am of the Persecutors side : If I belie not the Prelatists , I am a Conformist : If I belie not the Anabaptists , Independants , &c. I am one of them : If I belie not the ●●pists , I am a Papist ; if I belie not the Arminians , I am an Arminian ; if I belie not the Calvinists , I am with Pseudo-Tilenus and his Brother , purus putus Puritanus , and one Qui totum Puritanismum totus spirat ( which Joseph Allen too kindly interpreteth ) : If I be for lawful Episcopacy , and lawful Liturgies and Circumstances of Worship , I am a temporizing Conformist : If I be for no more , I am an intollerable Non-Conformist ( at this time forced to part with House , and Goods , and Library , and all save my Clothes , and to possess nothing , and yet my Death ( by six months Imprisonment in the Common Goal ) is sought after and continually expected . If I be as very a Fool , and as little understand my self , and as much contradict my self , as all these Confounders and Men of Violence would have the World believe , it is much to my cost , being hated by them all while I seek but for the common peace . 10. But I have also further learned hence to take up my content in Gods Approbation , and ( having done my duty , and pitying their own and the Peoples snares ) to make but small account of all the Reproaches of all sorts of Sectaries ; what they will say against me living or dead , I leave to themselves and God , and shall not to please a Censorious Sect , or any Men whatever , be false to my Conscience and the Truth : If the Cause I defend be not of God , I desire it may fall : If it be , I leave it to God how far He will prosper it , and what Men shall think or say of me : And I will pray for Peace to him that will not hate and revile me for so doing . Farewell . Septemb. 4. 1675. FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A26977-e2550 [ 1 Not by imputing Faith it self , part of Believing , or any other Evangelical Obedience to them as their Righteousness ] [ 2 For their sole Righteousness . Mark , Virtually . Not absolutely . Mark by a Trope . Mark how far . 
A67257	----	Of faith necessary to salvation and of the necessary ground of faith salvifical whether this, alway, in every man, must be infallibility. Walker, Obadiah, 1616-1699. 1688 Approx. 648 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 126 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A67257 Wing W404B ESTC R17217 14563677 ocm 14563677 102612 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A67257) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 102612) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1078:12) Of faith necessary to salvation and of the necessary ground of faith salvifical whether this, alway, in every man, must be infallibility. Walker, Obadiah, 1616-1699. [8], 43, [5], 48, [4], 43, [5], 44, [8], 43 p. [s.n.], Oxford : MDCLXXXVIII [1688] Attributed by Wing to Walker. Each part has special t.p. and separate paging. This item can be found at reels 950:6 and 1078:12. Reproduction of original in the Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Catholic Church -- Infallibility. Salvation -- Early works to 1800. 2002-10 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2002-11 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2002-12 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2002-12 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion OF FAITH Necessary to SALVATION , And of the NECESSARY GROUND OF Faith Salvifical ; Whether this , alway , in every Man , must be INFALLIBILITY . OXFORD , Printed in the Year , M DC LXXXVIII . FIVE SHORT TREATISES , I. Concerning Faith Necessary to Salvation . II. Of Infallibility . III. Concerning the Obligation of not Professing or Acting against our Judgment or Conscience . IV. Concerning Obedience to Ecclesiastical Governors , and Trial of Doctrines . V. Concerning Salvation possible to be had in a Schismatical Communion . Estius in Sent. 3. d. 23. §. 13. — Utrum in haereticis vera sit Fides Articulorum in quibus non errant , Quaestio est in utramque partem probabiliter a Doctoribus disputata . — Ibid. — Fidei impertinens est per quod medium primae veritati credatur , id est , quo medio Deus utatur ad conferendum homini donum Fidei . — Ibid. — Nihil vetat , quo minus haeretici , quamvis in multis errent , in aliis tamen sic divinitus per fidem illustrati sint , ut recte credant . Courteous Reader , THese Treatises by divers passages may seem to have been written before the Author was fully united to the Catholick Church . So that some things in them are not so cautiously and clearly explained ; as , had himself liv'd to publish them , they would have been . But we thought it our duty , rather to represent them as he left them , than to make any breach in the Discourse it self ; or to pull any threads out of so close and well wrought a contexture . CORRIGENDA . Page 8. Marg. such points very few . p. 9. l. penult . necessary , besides the assent . p. 32. l. 18. and is in some . l. 38. some degree of incredulity . Of Infallibility . Pag. 15. l. 12. ( tho this can never . p. 20. l. 1. pertaining to Faith methinks sufficient . ibid. l. 9. in Doctrinals pertaining to Faith certain of truth . p. 28. l. 17. But I say he shall never be so . Of Submission of Judgment . Pag. 30. l. 7. that it was generally practised . Trial of Doctrine . Pag. 21. l. 18. by most of differing . p. 28. l. 5. He may be free . l. 7. from the sin of Schisin , and invincibly ignorant of the errors which are profess'd in his Communion , he may attain in such a Church life everlasting , because in desire he is hoped to be of the true Church . l. 22. sufficient thro God●s infinite goodness . l. 23. crimes and invincibly errs in not-fundamentals , errors unknown to them . l. 30. we may hope . Danger of Schism . Pag. 3. l. 13. and if she deny it . l. 14. which are accounted . THE CONTENTS PART I. 1. COncerning Faith necessary for Salvation . § 1. 1. Concerning the object or matter of Faith. 2. Concerning the necessity of our belief of such object of Faith. § . 2. 1. That it is necessary to our salvation to believe , whatever is known by us to be Gods word . Where , 1. Concerning our obligation to know any thing to be Gods word , which knowledg obliges us afterward to belief . § 3. 2. And concerning sufficient proposal . § . 6. 2. That it is not necessary to our salvation , that all that is Gods word be known by us to be so , or , in general , be known by us to be a truth . § . 10. Where , 1. That it is necessary to salvation , that some points of Gods word be expresly known by all Such points very few . Not easily defined . § . 13. In respect of these the Apostles Creed too large . 2. That it is highly advantageous to salvation , that several other points of Gods word , besides these , be known . § . 14. 3. And our duty ( each one according to his calling ) to seek the knowledg of them . In respect of which the Apostles Creed is too narrow . § . 15. 4. That the obligation of knowing these varieth according to several persons , &c. And § . 17. That the Decrees of Councils not obligatory ( at least to some ) against a pure nescience , but only opposition thereof : and not any opposition , but only when known to be their Decrees . PART II. II. Concerning the necessary Ground of Faith Salvifical ; whether it must be in every Believer an Infallibility ; that the matter of such Faith is a Divine truth , or Gods word . § 20. Concessions . § 21. I. Concerning the object of Faith ; that this is only Gods word . II. Concerning the Act of Faith , and the certainty which it may receive from the external motives of Scriptures , Church , Tradition . § 22. That the Authority of Scriptures and Church is learnt from Universal Tradition . § 23. Concessions concerning Tradition . § 25. 1. That there is sufficient assurance in Tradition ( whether infallible or no ) to ground a firm Faith upon . 2. That Tradition may have a sufficient certainty , tho such Tradition be not absolutely Universal . § 28. 3. That no one Age of the Church is mistaken in delivering any eminent Tradition . § . 29. 4. That the testimony of the present Age is sufficient to inform us therein . § 30. 5. That Tradition of the Church is easier to be understood ( in some things expounded by her ) than the Scriptures . § 31. 6. That the Church is a sufficiently-certain Guide to us in Doctrines proposed by her as Traditionary . § 32. Digr . 1. That all Traditions carry not equal certainty . § 33. Digr . 2. The difference between the Church's , and Mahometan , and Heathen , Traditions . III. Concerning the certainty which Faith may receive from the inward operation of God's Spirit . § 35. Concessions concerning the Spirit . 1. That it is always required , besides outward means . 2. That all Faith wrought by the Spirit is infallible . § 36. 3. That sometimes the Spirit produceth evidence beyond science . § 37. IV. That from these Concessions it follows not , that all , who savingly believe , have , or must have , an infallible , or such sufficient certainty , as may possibly be had , of what they believe . § 38. Neither from the evidence of Scriptures . § 39. Nor of the Spirit . § 40. Nor of Church-Tradition . § 41. For these following reasons . § 43. Necessary Inferences upon the former reasons . § 51. CONCERNING FAITH necessary to SALVATION , AND Of the necessary Ground of Faith Salvifical : Whether This always in every Man ought to be Infallibility : SIR , YOU have importuned me to communicate to You my opinion on these four Queries , as being ( you say ) the chief subjects which are debated by our modern Controvertists ; and in which , if one side should gain the victory , there would follow a speedy decision of most other Theological Controversy . The First concerning FAITH , What , or how much is necessary for our Salvation ? The Second concerning Infallibity in this Faith ; Whether it be necessary in every Believer to render his Faith Divine and Salvifical ? The Third concerning the Infallibility of the Church ; Whether this is , at all , or how far , to be allowed ? The Fourth concerning Obedience , and submission of private Judgment , Whether this be due to the Church supposed not , in all her decisions , infallible ? For the two latter I must remain for a while your Debter . On the two former I have returned you , as briefly as I can , my Conceptions , no way swerving , that I know of , from any general Decree or Tenent of the Church Catholick . And First , concerning the former of these ; What , or how much Faith is necessary to Christians for the attaining of salvation . 1. Faith , as it respects Religion or things Divine , in general seems to be an assent to the Truth , Goodness , &c of any thing that is God's Word , or Divine Revelation . And all truths whatsoever revealed by God , even every part and parcel of God's word , are the object , and so many points or articles , of our Faith ; i. e. are not to be denied , but believed and assented to immediately , when ever we know them , or when ever they are sufficiently proposed to us , that we might know them , to be God's word . Amongst these therefore , all precepts of Manners are also matters of Faith ; in as much as they must first be assented to , and believed by us , to be God's commands , lawful , good , holy , just , and most fit to be obeyed ; or else we cannot , as we ought , obey them . And he that should practise them , misbelieving them , either to be things evil , or things in themselves indifferent ; in the first way would sin , in the second would perform a service utterly unacceptable , by reason of an error in his faith . See Rom. 14. 23. Surely every one of the fundamental rules of good life and action is to be believed to come from God ; and therefore virtually includes an Article of Faith. Again , all necessary deductions , and consequents of any part of God's word , or of any point or article of faith , are also so many points or articles of faith . ( See Discourse of Infallibility § . 12. ) So that the articles of faith taken absolutely are almost infinite ; for whatever is , or necessarily follows that which is , divine revelation , may equally be believed , and so is an object of faith ; and , when it is believed , is a point of faith . Consequently also all controversies concerning the sense of any part of Scripture , are concerning matter of faith taken in this general sense ; even those concerning Grace and Free-will ; as well as those about the Blessed Trinity . 2. Next , concerning the necessity of believing all such points of faith . We must say , in the first place : That it is fundamental , and necessary to our salvation , That every part of God's word , ( fundamental or not fundamental it matters not ) supposing that we exercise any operation of our understanding about it , be not dissented from , but be believed or assented to , when we once know and are convinced , that it is God's word . Else we knowing that it is God's word , and not believing , or assenting-to , it to be truth , must plainly make or believe God , in some thing to say false : which ( if perhaps it be possible ) is the greatest heresy , subverting the very first principle of faith , that God is Truth , and so necessarily excludeth from heaven . And here also , first , concerning our knowing a thing to be God's word , it must be said , That we know , or at least ought to know , a thing so to be , whensoever either so much proof of it is proposed to us , ( by what means soever it comes , ) as actually sways our understanding to give assent to it , ( for which assent it is not necessary that there be demonstration or proof infallible , but only generally such probability as turns the ballance of our judgment , and out-weighs what may be said for the contrary ; for where so much evidence is , either none can truly deny his assent , or cannot , without sin , deny it ) ; or else , when so much proof of it is proposed to us , as ( consideration being had of several capacities , according to which more things are necessary to be known to some stronger , than to some others weaker ) would certainly sway our understanding , if the mind were truly humble and docile , and divested of all unmortified passions , ( as addiction to some worldly interest , covetousness , ambition , affectation of vain-glory , self-conceit of our own wit and former judgment , ) and of all faultily contracted prejudice and blindness by our education , &c. which unremovedfirst do obstruct and hinder it from being perswaded . In which obstructions of our knowledge in things so necessary there are many several degrees of malignity , which it will not be amiss to point at . For 1. it is always a greater sin caeteris paribus , i. e. the matter of the error being alike , obstinately to maintain a known error , and to profess a thing against conscience convinced , than to have the conscience unconvinced by reason of some lust that hinders it : because there is more ignorance of my fault in this latter ; and ignorance always aliquatenus excuseth another fault , even when it cannot excuse it self . 2ly , In holding the same error not against conscience , tho from some culpable cause , some may be in very much , some in very little , fault , according to many circumstances ( which none can exactly weigh to censure them ) of capacity , condition , obligation to such duties , accidental information , &c. varying in several persons . 3ly . The sinfulness of the same man's erring in two things , tho both equally unknown to him , and neither held against conscience , may be very different : for the grosser and more pertinacious that their error is , the more faulty in it is the erroneous . Both ( 1. ) because the necessary truth opposed to such error hath more evidence , either from Scriptures , or from Ecclesiastical exposition thereof ; which exposition in the greatest matters we must grant either never , or seldom errs ; and to whose direction all single persons are referred ; whence any ones ignorance in these is much more faulty and wilful . And ( 2ly ) because such an error is the occasion of some miscarriage in manners ; so that tho formally he sinned no more in this than in his other errors , yet consequentially he sins more in many other things by reason of it , than he doth in truth mistaken in some smaller matter . And hence 4ly , it follows , that an error doing great mischief to manners , or to the purity of the Faith , on which ( tho this foundation doth not always appear to support them ) good manners are built , can hardly be held without a very guilty ignorance ; because such points are , by God's providence and the Church'es care , to all men sufficiently proposed . Indeed it is so hard a thing for a man to divest and strip himself of all irregular passion , and especially from prejudice contracted by education , that an error in some things of less moment , even out of some faulty cause , is very often incident to men good and honest . But when our passion shall grow so high , and our interest so violent , as to darken the light of truth in matters of moment , especially if recommended to us by authority , and as it were openly shining in our face , in such case there is but little difference between our * denying a thing to be God's word when known to be so , and ( by our own default ) * not knowing it to be so ; between knowingly gainsaying truth , and wilfully being blind ; between shutting the door against knowledg , or affronting it being entered ; between conscience witnessing against us , or by violence silenced . Again , concerning this removeal of all passion and interest ; as , when we have used our uttermost endeavour to find out , and lay them aside , we are sufficiently excused ; so we are not to presume , that when ever we are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and know nothing by our selves , that we are therefore presently clear therefrom , ( when as we have used no great examination or pains to discover or remove them ) : for most men that are obstinate and self-biassed do not think ( tho they have reason to think ) that they are so ; and not without great diligence it is that men espy the corruption of their own intentions ; but yet certainly this may with much vigilance be found out , and removed : els such men , who can no way discover it , would be in their obstinacy as excusable , as in an incapacity . Now in this search of our own integrity I can advise nothing so necessary , as 1. to rectify our manners , where vitiously inclin'd , before we trust much to our own reasoning , ( for the vicious seldom judg aright in divine matters . ) 2. Then , to cast a jealous eye still upon the inclinations of our education : And 3ly , lastly , * to mortify the self-love we have to our own reason ; by subduing and bending it to other mens , in the particulars which we doubt of , or would learn , whom it once acknowledgeth in the general learneder and wiser than we , and this especially when our judgment leads us to oppose common doctrines ; and * to employ our understanding , not so much to find out , by it self , what is the true sense of disputed Scriptures , as what is the most universal exposition of the Church concerning the sense thereof , wherein it may soon be satisfied . But of this see more in Tryal of Doctr. § . 14. &c. 2. Next , our passions being rightly ordered concerning sufficicient proposal ; we may not think it enough to behave our selves passively , i. e. to receive from time to time what happens to be evidenced to us ; and till then ( concerning sufficient knowledge of divine truths ) to think our selves in a safe condition . We may not rely on the security of believing some few things , in which all Christians agree ; and on an implicit faith , and the preparedness of our mind , whereby in general we assent that all God's word is true , and are ready to believe with all willingness any thing whereof we shall be convinced that it is so . By which implicit faith of the Scriptures we may also truly be said to believe the contrary to what we believe . This , I say , frees not our conscience from all guilt . For there lies a duty on all , not only willingly to entertain knowledg in divine matters , when brought as it were to their door , and infused into them , but to seek diligently and continually after it all the days of their life , ( due respect being had to their secular vocations ) ; as being the only foundation of a right obedience and service of God , which is the unum necessarium for this world and the next . And certain it is , that the most of men are much more obliged to the study of Divinity , ( soberly undertaken , not for the teaching of others , but the informing of themselves , ) than ( by reason of their secular condition ) they think they are . By want of which study it is , that men become so fatally addicted to the doctrines , practices , religion of the place wherein they are bred , tho these never so gross and easily discernible for erroneous , and damnable to their souls . Neither may we become careless in this search of divine truth by relying on a general repentance ( as too many do ) of our errors ; as if it were , tho not for all other sins , yet for these , a sufficient remedy ; and this because , tho many of our errors are sins , ( as proceeding from not an unavoidable , but a culpable ignorance , which so far as it is culpable , so far it is also voluntary , ) yet those errors in which we err for the present ( of which we speak ) they are always wholly unknown ; nor can any man live a minute in a known error : profess it afterward he may , but hold it any longer he cannot , but that the very knowing or judging it to be an error is the very act of forsaking it : and then if errors be unknown , a general repentance of them only can be made . I say this plea , tho it serves the turn for some smaller , yet not for grosser errors ; because such , tho actually undiscovered , yet may be easily known , for we suppose sufficiently perspicuous revelation and proposition of the truths contrary to these . In such therefore the first and not very difficult business or act of repentance is , to endeavour to know and discover them , and so to make particular confession of them , nay further , publick recantation , if by them we have done much hurt to others ; for many times errors are more pernicious than lusts , when ever they tend to patronize a lust : and so one heretick may do more mischief in the world , than a thousand otherways grievous offenders . It follows therefore , that errors are forgiven after no other manner , than other sins are . Some smaller sins and errors , because less discernible , may be remitted to a general repentance ; but greater , as well sinful errors , as sinful lusts , we are to acknowledg and forsake , the tenent of the one as well as the practice of the other . Only this difference there is , 1. That the errors so soon as known are ipso facto forsaken , tho not so other sins . 2. That , caeteris paribus , i. e. if the error by some ill consequences of it be not more mischievous , a gross error undiscovered hath less guilt in it , than a known and wilful sin ; because the more knowledge , the more guilt . What is our duty then ? We are never to be secure of ourselves in the search of Divine Truth , but are obliged according to , our several conditions , the opportunity of teachers , the times of manifestation we live in , &c. ( for there lies a necessity or duty of knowing more of divine things , as upon some capacities , so upon some conditions of life , and upon some times of revelation , more than in others : and that knowledge is necessary to one man's salvation ( that is , he shall stand guilty before God , and be called to a severe account for the want thereof ) which is not to anothers ) : we are obliged , I say , all our life to seek earnestly further knowledge of divine truths ; and not to acquiesce in our present knowing , no more than in our present working ; but from milk to ascend to strong meat , and to grow in faith , as in grace and holiness . ( See Rom. 1. 17. Jo. 16. 22. 1 Cor. 3. 2. Heb. 5. 12. 14. Eph. 1. 17 . -4 . 13. Col. 1. 10. Phil. 1. 9 , 10. 2 Pet. 1. 5 . -3 . 18. ) And then upon our using such constant endeavour both for knowing , the wisdom of God to praise him , and will of God to serve him , our implicit faith is accepted ; whether in our defects , or also errors , in matters of faith : implicit faith being then only serviceable to us , where faith explicit ( considering due circumstances ) cannot be attained by us . Now what is said hitherto concerning knowledge of the Scriptures , may be applied to the knowledge of the Church , ( our guide in the Scriptures , ) and the obedience due to her . For he who believes , 1. Either that the Church is infallible in her proposals to him what is the word of God ; or 2. That , tho fallible , in some things , yet she is appointed in those things to be his Judge , and the final determiner of them ; 3. or , at least that , in the exposition of the sense of Scriptures , her judgment is better than his own ; such a one is bound to believe any thing to be God's word , if she affirm it to him to be so . And he who doth not believe any of these things of the Church , is not presently therefore unobliged to her proposals , unless he hath unpartially examined this matter , and so finds no just cause to believe any such thing of her wisdom or authority , as is pressed upon him . For when some argue thus : There is no danger to me in so or so disobeying the Church where she ought to be obeyed , if having used the uttermost examination I can , both of the point , and of my own dis-interest , I can find no such obedience due to her ; t is well reasoned , tho such obedience were indeed due to her , if we grant the Supposition , that he hath examined to the uttermost , who yet after all remains mistaken : for a mistaking examination , where there is no further power to discover it , is no more blameable than a true one , and in this case invincible ignorance or incapacity excuseth . And God doubtless imposeth nothing to be believed by us under the penalty of sinning , but that he gives sufficient arguments to evidence it to all men endued with the use of reason , and void of prejudice and passion . But hence is our error , that we take an imperfect trial and examination , for a compleat , and suddenly rest in the dictate of our conscience un - or mis-informed , which is virtually a going against it : and to God must we answer both for such a blind conscience , and all the acts of disobedience that flow from it . Thus much concerning our obligation to seek after the knowledge of all divine truth , and concerning sufficient proposal ; and that upon this whatever appears to be God's word is necessary to our salvation , to be assented to , and believed . But , this granted , in the second place you are to observe ; that it is not necessary to our salvation , that all that is God's word be known to us to be so , or be known by us to be a Truth . For of these parts of God's word which are proposed to us , some there are which concern the business of our salvation ; and again , some others which do not , ( as some passages of history , and perhaps some subtle consequences of some beneficial point of Faith , &c : ) Hence therefore ariseth a twofold necessity of belief ; either only in respect of proposal , because we know they are God's word ; or , besides proposal , in respect of our salvation , because they are some way advantageous thereto . Now concerning the first of these ; tho such things , once evidently proposed are necessary to be assented to , or rather not dissented from ; yet it is not necessary at all that they should be either proposed to us , or known by us : but we may be ignorant of or also err in them without any sin , any danger . Concerning the second ; Divine Truths necessary to be believed with relation to our salvation , may be taken either in a more strict , or in a more large sense . Taken in the most strict sense , they are such articles or points of faith , as without which actually known and believed none at all can possibly enter into heaven , and escape damnation ; and of which not only the denial or opposition , but the pure nescience and ignorance is a defect of faith , to all adulti absolutely irremissible . And these must needs be very few ; since we must make them no more , than the knowledge whereof may be attained by the most illiterate , indocile , and the lowest conditions of men . And likely , according to the several degrees of the proposal , and revelation of the mysterys of salvation , fewer of these are required in some times ( as those before the Gospel ) than in some others , as those since it . Yet , that now also , in the greatest illumination , there are but few , we may gather , both * from the short abridgment of faith the Apostles proposed in their Sermons to the people , commonly including the Articles of the Passion and Resurrection , and Kingdom of Jesus the Son of God and of David , and the remission of sins to the penitent thro his Name : and * from the yet shorter Confessions of Faith , which the Apostles accepted as sufficient for bestowing of Baptism , i. e. for admitting men to salvation , and the Kingdom of Heaven ; so that in that instant had they died , ( as the good Thief also did , ) doubtless upon such a small stock of faith they had entred into life eternal . See Act. 8. 37. — 16. 31 , 33. Act. 2. 38. — 10. 43. Now these absolutely necessary points are either 1. of pure faith ; or also 2. of practice , 1. Again ; those are either , * such , wherein we more expresly give honor and glory to God ; in acknowledging Him , and his wisdom , and his works such as they are , ( and that is much better and more wonderful than any lye can make them , ) or , * such whereby we * nourish our hope concerning good things belonging to our selves obedient ; and * quicken our fear concerning evil things appertaining to the disobedient : Yet are not those amongst them , which are most speculative , to be thought useless or unprofitable to us , even in respect of our practice ; they all generally conducing to the advancing of our admiration , love , and affection to God ; and of our confidence , and reliance upon him ; and so to the animating of our endeavours and obedience accordingly to his commands . Nullum est dogma Christianum quod non sit quodammodo necessarium ad praxim . So that an orthodox faith in Speculatives is a main ground of a right practice ; and a strong faith of a zealous practice . 2ly . Those points of faith which are also of practice , are such wherein we learn our duty to God. To particularize something in both these . 1. Pure faith absolutely necessary to all in general , even to those under the law of nature , perhaps * is that faith only , Heb. 11. 6. ( made evident evident enough to all by the works of God. ) Again , faith absolutely necessary to those within the Church before the times of the Gospel , is perhaps , besides the former faith , * a general trust and hope in the Messias to come . ( See Jo. 4. 25. — 1. 21. Mat. 2. 5. Jo. 7. 42. ) Again , absolutely necessary to those under the Gospel is * perhaps that faith Jo. 3. 18 , 36. 1 Jo. 4. 2 , 15. Jo. 11. 27. Act. 17. 18. Rom. 10. 9 , Mat. 16. 16 , 17. Act. 8. 37. ( both these last kinds of faith being evidenced sufficiently to all where the sound of the Prophets , or the Gospel , hath bin heard . ) And 2ly , for matter of practice and of holiness ( in which there are as undispensable fundamentals for attaining salvation , as in pure credends : for as without faith , so without holiness none shall see God , ) there is absolutely necessary perhaps , besides the assent to the most clear laws of nature , ( which were also afterward the law written ) repentance from dead works , and the interior acts of Sanctification ( in loving God and our neighbour . ) See Heb. 6. 1. Now the set number of these , the pure nescience or non-practice whereof certainly excludes from Heaven there where ever is the preaching of the Gospel , I do not see what way it can be certainly known : but the Apostles Creed seems too large a Catalogue ( I mean in respect of pure Credends , not Practicals ) of necessaries or fundamentals taken in this sense . This being said of Necessaries taken in the most strict sense . 2ly , Fundamentals and Necessaries to salvation are taken in a more large sense , for all such divine truths , the knowledge of which ( and practice , if they be practicals ) is very advantageous and beneficial to salvation ; tho amongst these there are degrees of more and less necessary , and some approaching nearer to fundamentals absolute , some further off removed . These points are also said to be necessary , both * 1. because they ( especially if they be points relating to some practice ) are such helps to our performing the conditions of our salvation , and have such influence upon our lives , that they much facilitate our way to Heaven , which would be either much more coldly pursued , or much more difficultly proceeded in , without them . Concerning the danger of erring in which points , methinks Mr. Chillingworth speaks very well . There be many errors , saith he , not fundamental , which yet it imports much , tho not for the possibility that you may be saved , yet for the probability , that you will be so : because the holding of these errors , tho they do not merit , may yet occasion , damnation . So that tho a man , if remaining godly , may be saved with these errors , yet by means of them many are made vitious , and so damned : by them , I say , tho not for them . Thus Mr. Chillingworth : And this said he ; for a necessity of a reformation from the rest of the Church in such points : this say I ; for a necessity of the Church'es guidance of us in them . And 2ly , * because God , both by a fuller revelation of them to us in the Scriptures , and by the doctrine of the Church , hath obliged all men , according to their capacity and condition of life , and opportunity of directers , to a certain measure of actual knowledg , belief , profession thereof , and obedience thereto . So that , tho they are not absolutely necessary to attaining Salvation , ratione medii , strictly so taken ; yet they are so ratione praecepti , and it is our duty to know and believe them , ( and doing of our duty is a thing necessary to Salvation ) : and we sin if we do not learn and use all diligence ( competent with our calling ) for to acquire the knowledge of them : and so also our teachers sin , if they neglect to instruct us in them . ( Act. 20. 26 , 27. ) Neither can we be saved in the ignorance of them , but only by God's first forgiving us , both this sin of our faulty ignorance , and our negligence or obstinacy that caused it , and our disobedience in practicals that followed it : and then again , this forgivenes is not obtained where our fault , so far as we our selves have discovered it , is not first repented of ; and , according to the time we have in this world after such our repentance , rectified . Now taking Necessaries in this sense , the Apostles Creed , as it was before too large , so now is much too narrow to comprehend them all : as being * a Catalogue ( at least for the most of the Articles thereof ) 1. only of pure credends without practicals ; in which practicals our Salvation mainly and fundamentally consists , as well as in speculative faith . By fundamental points of faith [ saith Dr. Potter Char. mist. 7. sect . p. 215. speaking there only of pure Credends ] we understand not the necessary duties of charity comprehended in the Decalogue , nor the necessary acts of hope contained in the Lord's Prayer &c , tho both these vertues of charity and hope are fundamentals necessary to the Salvation of Christians . And as we are bound to believe such and such things under pain of damnation ; so , to do such and such : which doing still includes belief first that they are God's commands , and ought to be done under pain of being the least in the Kingdom of Heaven , Mat. 5. 19. And 2ly , in those pure Credends , the Apostles Creed being a * summary not of all , but the chief of them , if we consider the Creed in the express terms , and immediate sense thereof : Els Arrians , Socinians , Nestorians , the Pelagian , or late Anabaptists , &c , may not be said to err in any necessary points , since they confess this Creed . But , if you include all necessary consequences of those Articles within the contents thereof to make it compleat ; yet neither thus can many necessary points be reduced to it : and could they , yet secondly then where will there be any one found that thus being strictly catechized , may not affirm something contrary to some necessary consequence thereof . We find nothing therefore in it expresly concerning some pure credends , and those of great consequence . [ For to say nothing of the Deity of our Saviour ; of his consubstantiality with the Father ; of the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Son ; and many other points added in the latter Creeds of Councils : how necessary is the believing and acknowledging the Grace of God empowering us to all good works , against Pelagius , & c ? ] Much less find we any thing therein concerning many practicals of our duty towards God , or our neighbour ; yet is it as fundamentally necessary to Salvation to believe the Ten Commandements as the Creed . For , since the practice of these is granted necessary , to be saved , believing first is also a necessary precedent to all lawful practice ; and all acts of obedience are grounded upon a foregoing assent of the understanding to the lawfulness or also divine command of what we practise : and how many of them are not of faith are sin . And to affirm the lawfulnes of any thing forbidden in Scripture , ( suppose of adultery , or drunkenness , ) or to deny the lawfulnes and goodnes of any thing commanded there , ( suppose of marriage , obedience to Parents and Magistrates , ) would be as fundamental an error ( and perhaps more mischievous ) as denying some Speculative article of faith . And many dangerous Hereticks have there bin in practicals . Again ; in the Apostles Creed we find * nothing concerning what writings are to be believed by us to have bin heavenly inspired , and the undoubted word of God ; and hence the settling of the Canon was no small sollicitude of the Primitive Church ; a point this of no small consequence , for the attaining of Salvation , to be believed , yet not absolutely necessary ; since one may be saved without knowing the Scriptures , and many were so , before these writings . * Nothing concerning Ecclesiastical Orders , Ordinations , Sacraments ; the Church'es absolving sinners , inflicting censures , prescribing publick Liturgies , points fundamental ( and so called some of them at least , Heb. 6. 2. ) in respect of the essence , and government , and unity of the Church , tho not in respect of the Salvation of some member thereof . Yet why not necessary to every person therein , as having reference , one way or other , to their particular good ? * Nothing express concerning the obedience due to the Church , and her Governours , ( else why do so many deny it , who confess the Creed , and in it the Catholick Church ? ) and yet this a very necessary fundamental also in respect of Christian duties : for ignorance whereof , whilst especially they will not believe the Church in attesting her own authority , how many deprive themselves of the help of her excellent rules ? not to name here the Evangelical Counsels of Celibacy , and emptying our selves of our superfluous wealth , recommended to us by her ; and her many injunctions sovereignly tending to the advancing of piety , and bettering of manners ; which we will suppose here not to be contained in Scripture ; as frequent confession of sins to the Priest ; frequent Fasts ; hours of Prayer ; Communions , which who knows not of how much moment they are for the abstaining from sin , acquisition of Christian virtues , and so consequently for our Salvation ? Now the obligation to know and believe these , and such like Necessaries of this 2d . sort , varies according to several persons and conditions , and according to the more or less evident proposal of them . In this dispute ( as Dr. Potter acknowledgeth Char. mistak . § . 7. p. 242. ) of necessary and fundamental truths , both truths and persons must be wisely distinguished . The truth may be necessary in one sense , that is not so in another ; and fundamental to some persons , in certain respects , which is not so to some others . 1. * More points ought to be known , and believed by one than by another , according as more are made manifest to one than another , by the Scriptures , by the decision of the Church , or any other way . Where note , that , before the Church's determination of some points of faith , one may have an obligation to believe them , when another hath not , if , before this , they be evidenced to him , when not to another , ( what I mean by evidence , see before , § . 3. ) ; by what means or author soever it be he receives this evidence . And after such evidence he that opposeth it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and heretical in God's sight , even before that he happens to be declared so by the Church'es censure , and is made yet more perversly erroneous after her definitions ; and such obstinate error again is more or less dangerous ( besides the sin of obstinacy ) as the matter of the error is of more influence toward our Salvation : whilst mean-while others , not having the like evidence of them , are yet free to dissent or disbelieve them : but then , after the Church'es definition those also , upon this stronger evidence ( shall I call it ? ) or authority , will become obliged to assent to them . Again , * more points ought to be known , and believed by one than by another , according as one hath more opportunity than another , by studying the Scriptures , the Church'es exposition thereof and her decrees , to find out and discover such truths . Art thou a Master in Israel ( saith our Saviour , ) and knowest not these things ? See Heb. 5. 12. There are those who are not excused in acquiescing in the tenents of their particular education ; but who are bound to examine the general traditions and doctrines of the Church , the ancient Fathers , Ecclesiastical Histories , &c. Again ; others there are of another condition , who are not so far obliged . And in the former sort , if they either depart from the foresaid doctrines themselves ; or continue a separation first made by others , it will be a damnable Schism ; when perhaps the simplicity of the vulgar , their followers , will remain excused ( if the error be not in a point absolutely fundamental ) ; or will be much lightlier punished , Luk. 12. 48. [ Which common people we must leave to God's secret mercies , in the same manner as we do all those others , who have not believed because they have not heard ; which Heathens also , I charitably think , shall not suffer for want of that Faith , of which they had no Teacher , as that Faith mentioned Jo. 3. 36. but for want of that the sound of which hath come to all the world in all times , mentioned Heb. 11. 6. compared Rom. 1. 20 , 21. ] Thus many truths are necessary to be known by the Pastors and the Learned , that are not so by the illiterate people . And in respect of some vulgar , I conceive , that form Quisquis non confitetur , or , non credit , Anathema sit , concerning the Creeds drawn up against several hereticks by the four first General Councils , is not to be understood to be of force against a pure nescience of some Articles thereof ; for there are many subtilties exceeding vulgar capacities , and which they need not distinctly know : but against an opposition of them , or denial , or non-confession of these points , when they come to know the Church hath established them , and condemned the contrary ; for thus to oppose the Church , is not to be ignorant of them , but heretical in them . Tho t is not necessary to Salvation , that either they should know the Church hath determined such a thing ; or that such a thing is a divine truth ; if such knowledg be beyond the compass of their moral endeavors ( sutable to their capacity and their vocation ) in the search of divine truth . ( See this matter more largely discussed in the Disc. of Infallibility . § . 15. ) Nay , if the Learned also should ( I say not be ignorant of , but ) err in , some point of such moment , that by consequence such error destroys some chief principle of our faith ; yet , this being supposed and granted possible , that , having used their just endeavor in the search of the truth , they are by no sufficient proposal convinced of it , and that mean-while they contend for the principle with the same or more pertinacity , than for it , with a resolution to desert it , if once appearing to them any way repugnant to the other ; such an error will no way hazard Salvation . Upon such Supposition ; Tho the Lutheran is conceived , from his new fancied Ubiquity , by consequence to destroy the verity of Christ's Humanity , Again the Calvinist is conceived , from God's eternal predetermination of all our actions &c. by consequence to destroy God's Holiness and Justice in making him the Author of all sin ; points highly fundamental : yet are not these , holding most firmly the principle , and ready to quit the point controverted when to them apparently repugnant to it , charged by the contrary party of the Reformed to be fallen from Salvation ; but are easily admitted to one anothers communion . So the Roman , or rather all the visible , Church of God before Luther , whether Eastern or Western , in adoration of the Eucharist is conceived , by consequence of this not being the Body of our Saviour , upon which ground they worship it , to worship a meer Creature , and so to commit idolatry , and give God's honour to another : yet this Church holding the contrary principle , That no Creature may be worshipped with divine adoration , is not said by this practice to err in a fundamental ; nor are those , unconvinced of their error , dying in the Roman communion and in this practice , by the contrary reformed parties denied Salvation . See Dr. Potter sect . 3. p. 78. sect . 4. p. 123. But note ; That if the Sentence of the Church be a sufficient ground in such dangerous points , to regulate and guide our belief , and that her Definition of them may be called a sufficient proposal : now after such decree we stand guilty in any of these erroneous Tenents , tho our reason perceives not the ill consequences thereof ; because here , contrary to the Supposition made before , we have a sufficient proposal of the truth , or an authorized proposer , what in such doubtful points we are to hold . For if we know , or , being impartial , might know , that there is such an authority as it to which we are bound to submit our judgment , we are convinced by this authority determining , as well as by arguments proving . Neither have the first Councils endeavoured to prove their Creeds to those to whom they did enjoyn them . And thus much of Necessaries or Fundamentals in the second place ; the set number of which ( varying so much according to several persons , and conditions , yet all of these obliged to acquire as much knowledge as they can , tending any way to their Salvation ) can much less be prescribed than of the former . The next consideration will be concerning the Ground of Faith Salvifical : Whether it ought to be absolute Infallibility , or , Whether we cannot savingly , and with such a faith as God requires , believe some divine truth , unless we be infallibly certain , that it is a divine truth . 1. First then , concerning the object of Saving Faith , It is true and granted , that the object thereof is only God's Word ; and that this Word is infallible : and that , since God cannot lye , fidei non potest subesse falsum . Which saying refers not to the act , but the matter of faith : i. e. the matter of faith Salvifical cannot be false ; because it is the Word of God , which is apprehended by this Faith : Thus therefore true faith is always grounded on ( or ultimately resolved into ) something which is infallible , i. e. God's Word , ( whether this be written or not written , ) and in believing divine things we cannot savingly for the matter ( tho we may unfeignedly for the act ) believe any thing but what is certainly true . Saving Faith then requires both 1. that that which is believed be God's word : and 2. that it be believed by us to be so ; So the Schools , Fides non assentit alicui , nisi quia est a Deo revelatum : And 3ly , that this word be believed to be utterly infallible . From whence this therefore follows : 1. That Faith believing any thing which is false is no true faith . 2ly . That Faith believing any thing which is true , yet not as divine revelation or God's word , or this word not to be infallible , is no divine or saving faith . So that there is alway an infallible object for faith to rest upon . But our Quaere goes further : Whether it be requisite to Saving Faith , that we not only believe what is God's infallible word , but likewise that we be able to prove infallibly that it is God's word which we believe . 2. Concerning the act of faith , and the certainty and assurance which it may receive from the external motives of Scriptures , Church , and Tradition . 1. First it seems , that whatever certainty our faith may receive from these , these again , both the authority of the Scriptures , and of the Church , do externally derive only or chiefly from that which is ordinarily called Universal Tradition . By which I mean * a Tradition so universal , as these things are rationally ( considering all circumstances ) capable of ; i. e. from all persons who could come to the knowledge of them , and who have no apparent interest which may incline them to corrupt truth ; and * a Tradition so full and sincere , as that the like in other matters leaves in men no doubt or dispute . 1. For first , supposing the Church infallible , yet is she finally proved to be so only from Universal Tradition , which universal Tradition hath its certainty and infallibility from the nature and plenitude thereof , and not from the testimony of Scripture , and so escapes a circular proof . The series then of proof is this ; The Church is proved infallible ( at least in Necessaries ) from our Saviour's promise of assisting her &c testified in Scripture . These Scriptures are proved to be God's word , and so infallible , from universal Tradition ; and universal Tradition is allowed to be infallible , from the evidence and nature of it self : because it is morally ( i. e. considering their manners and reasonable nature ) impossible for so many men of so many ages , so dis-interested , to conspire to deliver a lye in such a matter . Or , as some others express it , such Tradition ( tho it were not so plenary ) as is delivered to us by that congregation of men which is called the Church , must be allowed to be infallible , from its being invested and endued with such marks and signs , ( amongst which are Miracles , ) as it is contrary to the veracity of God ( supposing that he requires from his creatures a due service and worship ) to permit that they should be fallacious . The series of the probation runs thus . The Scriptures are proved to be God's word , and so infallible , from the testimony of the Church : which testimony of the Church , or of so many people so qualified , is proved to be infallible , not from our Saviour's promise testified by Scripture , ( for thus the proof would run in a circle : tho to any one acknowledging first the Scriptures this proof is most valid ; I mean the proof of the infallibility of the Church from the testimony of Scripture is most valid ; tho it be true also , that the Scriptures are rightly proved to be God's word from the Church's testimony : ) but as being so universal a Tradition , or a Tradition so sufficiently testified and confirmed , as it is morally impossible , especially considering God's veracity and providence , that it should deceive us . But , as I said , to prove the Church the other way to be infallible , i. e. by testimony of those Scriptures , which Scriptures ( to be divine ) we learn only from the Church : Or more plainly thus ; to prove the Church to be infallible in all her traditions or doctrines from the testimony of the Scriptures , ( our Saviour's promise &c. delivered there , ) and then to prove the Scriptures to be God's word or infallible , because this is one of her traditions or doctrines , is granted , even by some of the Roman writers , to be a circle . See Dr. Holden 1. l. 9. c. Non audentes fidem divinam in certitudine & evidentia naturali ( i. e. in universal tradition , and he gives the reason , because they cannot be perswaded , quod illi nulla prorsus subsit aberrandi facultas ) fundare , in circulum hunc inevitabiliter illabuntur , & in orbem turpissime saltant &c. Indeed such argumentation would have no more strength in it , than this of Mahomet , If he should first write a law , which tells the people , that whatever he delivers to them is infallible truth , and then prove to them that law to be , or to say , to them an infallible truth , because he delivers it . A circle I say it is to those who will not grant the Supposition , that Scriptures are the word of God : otherwise to men as to Protestants ) supposing the verity of Scriptures , tho unproved by the Church , t is no circle , if any one ( suppose a Catholic ) from them being granted , attempt to prove ad hominem the Church's authority or infallibility , tho the same Romanist also doth affirm , that the Scriptures are proved to be God's word from the Church'es testimony , or from tradition . Only where both these ( Scripture and Church-infallibility ) are denied ; neither can be proved by the other , till one is either supposed as true , or proved by some other medium ; which medium is received to be tradition : and if so , then I say there can be no more certainty , that the Church is infallible , than that certainty which lies in universal Tradition . 2. And secondly , the same may be said for Scriptures : which being supposed to be infallible , because God's word ; yet if they are proved only by the same tradition to be God's word , all the certainty that I have of their infallibility is also from universal tradition . For the Conclusion can have no more evidence than the Premises or Proof hath . Again ; suppose I were ( without tradition ) infallibly certain , that such Books are God's word ; yet can I not , for all this , quit the dependence upon Tradition in some points at least of my faith . For my faith being grounded not on the bare words , but sense of those books ; and the sense of the same words being divers , ( especially since the sense of no one text must oppose the sense of any other ; and hence Scriptures most clear in their expression , by reason of other Scriptures as seemingly clear that express the contrary , notwithstanding this clearnes , become very ambiguous ) and that in some necessary points of faith ; as appears in those many controversies concerning their sense , some of which contests doubtless are in very necessary points and matters of faith : to know therefore amongst these which is the true sense ( as suppose in the controversies about the sacred Trinity , Grace and Free will , Justification , &c. ) upon which first known I must ground my faith ; I am no way helped by knowing that the writing is God's word . Here therefore , tho the Scripture for the Words should not , yet my Faith , for their Sense would , have a dependance upon , and repair unto , universal Tradition : and where-ever the Sense is doubtful to me , as the Scriptures may be doubtful to one , where perspicuous to another , the chief certainty I can have for that Sense , which my Faith ought to embrace , will be from the universal Church-tradition . Now concerning this Universal Tradition therefore , on which as the Final assurer of the Scriptures , or of the Church'es Infallibility , the act of Faith must rest , let it be granted ; 1. First , ( without disputing whether it be absolutely infallible , because it is needles to the stating of our business , ) That there is in it certainty or assurance sufficient to ground a firm faith upon . For tho t is willingly assented to , that Tradition , being in its nature a relation of a thing , gives not nor cannot give us such an assurance , as that we know the contrary thereof to be absolutely impossible , ( for t is not absolutely impossible for all men in the world , from the beginning thereof till this time , to have lied in every thing they have said ; but yet he were no ordinary mad-man , that , upon this nonimpossibility , would believe no relation at all ; only because t is not absolutely impossible that they may err , and himself hit the right : ) yet 1. we must either allow a sufficient certainty therein ; or else , that we have no sufficient certainty of the Scriptures , that they are God's word . Which , granting that some few learned and studied men may sufficiently discern from the light of Scripture ; yet for this , the most of men , especially as to some of the books thereof , depend on the certainty of Tradition . And indeed it were impious to affirm ; that we have not a sufficiently sure ground of that knowledg of good and evil , upon which our eternal happi nes is to be acquired , or misery sustained ; or that God hath not left an undoubtable evidence of those truths , whereby we are to direct our lives to that end , for which he hath created us . But this can be assigned no other , at least to most men , than Tradition . Therefore it is the interest of all Christians , as well those who submit themselves only to the Scripture , as those who submit also to the Church , unanimously to maintain a sufficient certainty therein ; lest whilst the grounds of our faith ascend not to a Mathematical or sensible demonstration , they be made Scepticism and Quodlibets . 2. But 2ly , we must either hold certainty in Tradition ; or that we can have no assurance at all of any thing past or absent . Yet , transfer this discours to any other temporal matter , and who can wish to be more sure of any thing , than he is of many such which have to him only a general tradition for them . As for example : that there is such a City as Paris ; or was such a man as Henry the 8th . But yet in divine things compared with other temporal matters , that are of the same distance of time from us , there seems to be much more certainty ; in that the providence of God hath appointed a selected company of men , successively in all ages , to be the Guardians , Conservers , Divulgers , thereof to the world for ever . 3. Lastly , if this Tradition , and the doctrines we acknowledge divine , were to be delivered authoritatively from God to men , not in all , but some determinate , time and place ; ( see Christ's Ben. p. 35. ) : say how posterity can receive these from any other evidence ; unless perhaps we further require the voices from heaven , Christ's preaching , miracles , death , to be presented before us ; and that before every one of us ; excluding all relations from others , because these may be fallible . But such a ground of our faith destroys the nature of faith ; and it will be no more belief , but sight , and science ; which are opposed to faith properly so called . See 2 Cor. 5. 7. Jo. 20. 29. The knowledge and assurance then of things past for time , or far distant for place , must be conveyed either by relation ; only or extraordinary revelation . 2ly . Again ; let it be granted , That Tradition may be certain enough , tho contradicted by some , ( for what is there also in nature or sense , that hath not by some bin opposed ? ) and not absolutely universal : Els the Scriptures themselves are not received by sufficient tradition ; for most of the sacred books have bin opposed by some , and that for a long time ; and some books by many . But if , notwithstanding this , they be thought sufficiently attested , so also may many other things , whereof hath hapned some contest . 3ly . Let it be granted likewise ; that the universal Church of no one age can be mistaken in the delivering of any eminent and more material tradition , wherein her care is interested . For who so denies this , must either affirm , that no Tradition can be certain to us ; or , that it is so only by the records and histories of former , and those the very first , times , ( for if the present age may fail in these , so might any present age before it , except the first , ) whereby the traditions of the present must be confirmed . But , since these records and writings of former times were casual , and since our Saviour established his doctrine only in a succession of his messengers , ( and from them only , without any writings , for a time , the Church learned her faith ; ) surely Christians , according to this tenent , if destitute of writings , would have bin left uncertain in their religion , notwithstanding the provision made by our Saviour of Teachers of his Gospel to the worlds end . 4ly . Let it be further granted ; 1. Not only that he , who diligently searcheth after the truth of a Tradition , cannot ordinarily err or mistake that for a Tradition that is not ; or that for no Tradition that is : but 2. that the general testimony of the present age is enough to warrant a Tradition to him ; from which he may receive a sufficient certainty , without examining a succession of the same doctrine from the first age ; or searching the conformity of the present with former times ; as well as he is sufficiently assured that there was such a man as William the Conquerour , or is such a City as Rome , only by the general undisputed accord of all of the present time , namely , amongst whom he converseth ; without reading the Chronicles up to the Conquerour , or consulting the several interjacent Provinces between his abode and Rome . Nay 3ly , let this also be yeilded concerning the present age , That tho quo universalior ( as well universalitate loci , as temporis ) traditio , eo certior ; yet one , without searching the universality of the present age , may have sufficient assurance of what he believes from the publick Liturgies , Canons , Articles , Catechisms , and other common writings , such as come to hand , where they all or most accord one with another ; of which books also that such Fathers and Synods &c. are the Authors , as are pretended , let it be likewise granted , that he may learn from the same surenes of Tradition , as he doth , that such an one was an Emperour &c. ( for so he believes the same Tradition for Tully , or Livy being the author of such books , as for Caesar being Emperour of such a people ; and then the same assurance which he hath of Secular Authors , he may have of Sacred ) ; or as he doth , that such are his Princes Proclamations or Edicts , which he submits to without any signed testimony , or any scruple that they are such ; nor doth any venture to transgres them upon the not absolute impossibility that they are forged . 5ly . Let it be granted , ( which we know by experience , ) That the Tradition of the Church is easilier understood in those points which she undertakes to expound , than the Scriptures themselves , which are by her explained . For supposing the contrary , then were Creeds , Catechisms , and all the Church'es teaching needles ; since of two things equally obscure , the one can never illustrate or explain the other . Therefore men may be more assured in many things of the doctrine and meaning of the Church , than of the Scriptures . As for example , t is easier ( especially when not some single text is considered apart , but all those , which both sides urge , are confronted together ) to understand what we are to hold , concerning the Trinity , from the Nicene Creed ; and concerning Grace and Free-will , from the decrees of the Milevitan Council ; than from the Scriptures . So , in Luther's time it was easie for those to know the Church'es tenent and practice concerning Adoration of the Eucharist , Auricular Confession , Invocation of Saints , &c. who were not able to examin the doctrine of the Scriptures in such points ; so that it must be yeilded , that Tradition is a more evident Guide for many things , than those Sacred writings are . 6ly . Lastly ; since this Tradition of divine things , in which above we have pleaded sufficient certainty to be , is contained in the Church , and delivered as it were from hand to hand by the successive Guides thereof ; therefore let it be granted , That the Church ( which pretends not to make any new Articles of Faith at all , but to recommend to her children what is deliver'd to her ) is infallible , or a certain Guide to us in doctrines proposed by her as Traditionary , in the same manner as Tradition may be said to be infallible or certain . For to say Tradition is certain , is to say we have some way to know Tradition ( suppose that Tradition of the Scriptures being God's word ) without being deceived in it . and this way is the testimony of the Church ; therefore is this also certain . Having made these Concessions concerning the evidence of Church-tradition , and the sufficient testimony it affords us to ground our faith on , at least in all the principal points of our religion , wherein such Tradition ( both as to delivering a sufficient Canon of Scripture , and the true meaning of this Canon ) is most full and unquestionable : Yet I must mind you , before I proceed further , to avoid your mistaking , that I hold not all Traditions that we meet with to have an equal certainty or creditablenes , one as anther ; because , all circumstances considered , they have not an equal evidence , but very different , and therefore ought carefully to be examined and compared . For example . The Tradition , that such a person ( suppose Mahomet ) lived in such an age , may have much more certainty , than that Mahomet or such a person said or did such or such a thing in that age . Neither is the argumentation good , The one is believed from Tradition , therefore the other ought to be so ; because caetera non sunt paria , and there may not be the same plenitude of Tradition for both ; and more may bear witness , both in that and latter times , of the one , than do of the other . Of Traditions therefore some there are ( and those as well within as without the Church ) much more doubtful , obscure , and questionable , than others . For 1. both truths committed to Tradition may fail in successive times , ( vel per omnimodam cessationem , vel ex eo quod oppositum introducatur ) viz. where Tradition is not come to a convenient and due pitch of universality ( as is granted by the strongest abettors of Tradition : See Dr. Hold. Resol . Fid. 1. lib. 8. cap. ) And 2. the unfailing Tradition of successive times may be defective , in its first original's being false ; or els in its having many falsities , in its current thro posterity , superadded to , and mingled with , the truth , as persons are interested or fanciful . As Gentilism did superadd many things to the ground-work of religion received from the Jew and writings of the Old Testament . For falsum poterit quodammodo , caeteris paribus , aeque certo ac verum per traditionem communicari : els lies cannot be commonly believed . But many such we know were credited amongst the Heathen concerning their Gods , and are , amongst the Mahometans concerning their Prophet : and so it may happen , that as undoubting an assent may be given to these , as is to the truth , ( for ignorance many times doubts less of a thing than knowledg doth . ) But yet this we contend , that it will never be so rational . And indeed many disparities there are between the credibility of Heathenish or Mahometan , and of Christian , Tradition : * Such as are in Heathenism these ; † 1. that ( except some foundations of religion borrowed from the Jews , and so free from error ) there is no constancy or agreeance in the tradition thereof , but t is varying according to each city or country ; whereby any one of them much fails of universality ; and contradictory Tradition destroys it self . And 2ly that , † as we have said , that falsities under the notion of falsities may be conveyed by Tradition ; so , many of the absurd stories of Heathenism seem not to be believed even by the most , or wisest , of those who propagated them , ( therefore are their Poets their Divines , out of whom chiefly such tradition is learned ) . And * Such as are in Mahometanism , these . † It s spreading , 1. * by the force of the Sword , contrary to the nature of Tradition , and 2ly , * by its plausibility and compliance with carnal lusts ; both great corrupters of the truth of Tradition : whereas Christianity , flowing down to all ages in opposition to both these , by how much it was less pleasing , or less protected , seems to be strengthned in all times with so much greater evidence of truth , and testimony irresistible . † It s wanting that universality which Christianity possesseth , never having had so large a circuit ( the Western part of the world having always bin a stranger to it ) , and the growth of it now for many ages being stopped , and it decreasing in the world , and this great falshood by little and little giving place ( as is seen in the Eastern Countreys ) to its elder the Truth . I say these , and many other disparities there are , but besides these the main thing , whereby all such Traditions are convinced of falshood , lies in this , that they came into the world still later than that of the Truth ; and so are known to be false by their contradiction to it , so that Truth against them may always plead prescription . * So Heathenism was younger than the Tradition of God's word in the Old Testament : ( and so indeed than the Gospel , which also was contained in the Old Testament , and taught from the beginning : see Rom. 3. 21 , 23. ) So that I may say , Heathenism was the Antichristianism of the former Ages , springing up after the tradition of God's true worship . Again , * so Mahometanism was later than the tradition of the New Testament , being the Antichristianism of the last times : but lest the world , I mean that part of it to whom it pleased God to divulge the truth , by false traditions should be deceived , God hath always provided true Tradition to pre-occupate Faith , and to anticipate and antidate error . Therefore tho we yeild to the truth also of Mahometan tradition in some things ; as that there was such a one as Mahomet , a Law-giver , a Conqueror . &c. yet we know that Tradition , that he received his writings from the Angel Gabriel , &c. to be false , because contrary to that divine Tradition , which , besides many other advantages , ought from its antiquity to be preferred ; God having given to Truth the Eldership of Falshood . And on the same grounds may we reject that Heathen-tradition in the Acts , of the Image of Diana falling from God , &c. III. And thus much be granted concerning the certainty which Faith may receive from the external motives or proponents , the Scriptures , Church , and Tradition . 3ly . Concerning the illumination , adherence , certitude , which this Faith , that ordinarily first cometh by hearing , receives from the inward operation of God's Spirit , 1. First let it be granted ; that the interior working of the Holy Spirit opening the heart is always required , besides the outward means , for the conception of all saving Faith : that we cannot exercise any act thereof without particular grace and motion of the Holy Ghost ; that it is the infused Gift of God , as well as other graces of hope and charity ; ( see Jo. 6. 29 , 44 , 45 , 64 , 65. Matt. 11. 25 , 26. — 16. 17. Act. 13. 48. — 16. 14 , 15. Rom. 12. 3. 1 Cor. 12. 3 , 9. 2 Cor. 3. 3. Gal. 5. 22 , 23. Eph. 1. 17. &c. — 2. 8. — 6. 23. See Ben. Spir. p. ) Whence Faith is said to be supernatural , as in respect , * of its object , things above the comprehension of reason , and * of it s ultimate ground it builds upon , which is divine revelation ; so * of its act , being caused by the Spirit . All the acts of faith being in some kind supernatural , for such a degree of adherence as they have , both because the relater or proponent thereof is many times not ( at least known to be ) infallible ; and because the object thereof many times ( tho there be all certainty from the relater ) is capable of much doubt and vacillancy from its supernaturalness , and seeming-repugnancy to reason . Therefore we see our first Father , or at least his wife ( see 1 Tim. 2. 14. ) failed in not believing the words spoken by God himself to him : and the Disciples , when rationally believing our Saviour to be the Son of God , and all he said to be truth , and seeing his miracles , yet desired the increase of their faith , and were in it many times not a little shaken , thro the contrariety or transcendency which it had to sense or reason . And it is reckoned to Abraham as strong faith , that he believed the word of God himself , in things contrary to nature , ( See Rom. 4. 18 , 19 , 20. ) which Sarah his wife flagg'd in . See Gen. 18. 12. 2 King. 7. 2. Thus Faith , to make it vigorous and lively , comes necessarily to be a work of the Spirit , either in regard of the sublimity of its object , or also , of the incertainty of the Proponent . 2ly . Again , let it be granted as freely , That that Faith which is the Gift of God , and work of the Spirit , must needs be infallible , and exempt from all possibility of error ; because the supreme verity cannot inspire a falshood . 3ly . Let it be granted also , That the Spirit produceth many times in the soul such a supernatural and undiscursive light , and evidence to the understanding , and ( following this ) such a strong inclination of the will , and adherence of the affections to the matter believed , as do far exceed all science , sense , experience , demonstration : Tho this intuitive , rather than argumentative or probative of such truths , either to other's , or , our own , reason ( which this Spirit captivates , and brings into obedience ) * moving us to the strongest faith upon very small evidence ( and the smaller the evidence , the stronger the power of the Spirit ) against many temptations of infidelity ; and * opening the heart to such a degree of undoubtedness , that we are willing to undergo any Martyrdom , rather than quit and renounce our belief . See for such certainty , 2 Tim. 1. 12. Act. 2. 36. Jo. 6. 69. IV. All this therefore being granted ; namely , That all true saving faith is grounded on God's word , which is infallible ; That all true faith is wrought in us by the Spirit of God , which Spirit is infallible ; That there is a certainty or assurance sufficient ( if not infallible ) to be had from universal Church-tradition of both the former ; namely both * that such writings , on which our faith is grounded , are God's word , and such their meaning ; and consequently * that the belief of such things contained in them is the work of God's Spirit . Yet our Query remains still uncleared : Whether ( I say not , some , for I grant many have , but ) every one that truly and savingly believes , must have an infallible certainty of his faith ; or must have a known-to-him infallible teacher or motive external , ( as Tradition ; ) or internal , ( as the Spirit ) ; to ground his faith upon : by which he is ( not fully perswaded , but also ) rationally sure of the truth of that which he believes ? And this to me ( notwithstanding the former Concessions ) seems not at all necessary , for the producing of a saving Faith. And first for the assurance we may have from the Scriptures ; by knowing either in general that they are the word of God ; or that in such places or points , where their sense is doubtful , this and no other is the certain meaning of them ; I have shewed ( § . 23. and 35. ) , That the knowing this must either be devolved upon Ecclestastical Tradition , or upon the Spirit . And first for the assurance of these Scriptures , and so of our faith , from the inward testimony of the Spirit , ( to which many fly for succour ; and first taking this for granted , that every believer must be infallibly certain of his faith , and then that tradition , tho the most full , ( and much more any private instructer , ) being some way liable to errour , sufficeth not for to produce such an effect , they labour to ground this certainty upon the assurance of God's Spirit . ) None can plead this at all from our faith being caused by this Spirit : for it follows not , that if the Spirit begets faith infallible in our hearts , or also the most unexpugnable adherence thereto , therefore we know this faith to be begotten by the Spirit ; or if it move us , that therefore we can certainly tell when it doth so , so that we can say , to this God's Spirit moveth me to assent , to this not . For we may have from the Spirit the greatest perswasion , or internal evidence ( if you will ) of a truth that may be imagined , and yet not have any rational or discursive evidence thereof from it ; neither by other proofs , nor by this ( which is sufficient ) that we clearly discern the good Spirit to produce it : since the like assurance or confidence , to some degree , is frequently begotten by an impetuous lust , or by the evil Spirit , for most pernicious errors ; so nearly imitating the Spirit of illumination , as not to be discernable from it by this sign of strong perswasion , since many have had it so strong as to dye for them . The assurance therefore or full perswasion of a Divine truth by the Spirit , is one thing ; the assurance , that this assurance cometh from the Spirit , is another . And indeed , tho in some general things , as of the Bible being the Word of God , and of some universally-believed points of faith , all men are confident of their assurance in them , that it is from God's Spirit , because indeed all Christians are in these agreed ; yet , in descending to particulars , as , whether such or such a Book of Scripture be God's Word , or be written by an heavenly-inspired author ; whether such a particular point of faith be to be stated thus , or so ; whether such be certainly the meaning of some particular place of Scripture , here I say , where there is contradiction and doubt between parties , few there are , who will offer to plead such assurance from the Spirit , as that they cannot be mistaken ; but labour to inform themselves as well as others , the best they can , from other reasons . And indeed did the Spirit thus always bear witness to it self ; had we any such internal assurance ordinarily , ( for , extraordinary assurances of it , happening to some greater Saints of God in very many things , I deny not ) I mean not of the belief of the thing , but that such belief of the thing cometh from the Spirit , there needed no more confirmation of any point , either from Church , or universal Tradition , or collation of other Scriptures , or any other way , but this For thus , tho some men might profess an error against conscience , yet err in very deed , in matter of Divine faith , none could ; for , knowing that the Spirits operation is necessary to all true faith , and knowing again when it operates ; he may be sure that that which it operates not , is no true faith . But this sufficiently argues , that there is no such ordinary effect thereof , in that the pretenders of the Spirit so frequently by this Spirit contradict one another : and indeed this arrogant perswasion , and ultimate refuge of singularity , hath bin the great Source of all Heresie and Schism , by reason of mens departing from Tradition , and from the Church , upon confidence of this . Therefore we conclude a man may believe by the efficiency of the Spirit , and yet not certainly know its efficiency ; and may know that by it he believes all , which he truly believes in divine matters , and yet not know , that by it he believes such or such a particular thing . So that tho this be laid for a ground , That all true Faith is the work of the Spirit , yet we must by Scripture , or , in things doubtful , by the Church'es traditionary exposition thereof , first know our faith to be true ; and thence by consequence gather , that it is the work of the Spirit ; not è contra argue , that it is the work of the Spirit , ( in which we may easily be deceived , ) Ergo , That it is true . This for the Spirit . In the next place to come to consider , Whether all , to have true and saving faith , must be rationally assured thereof from the to-them-known Church-tradition . And here we will grant , as t is said before , 1. That there is in Tradition sufficient ground for such assurance as is necessary : and that it is a medium , for necessary points of faith , free from error . 2. That the saith of very many hath this rational assurance , and that any , or most , by some reasonable diligence may attain it for necessary points , from the traditionary doctrine and practice , which they may see and hear dispersed thro the Church : for doubtles our careful Saviour hath provided a rational means sufficient for producing a full perswasion of faith in all sorts of men there , where his Gospel is preached ; and this means , all men , for the ascertaining of their faith , as much as may be are bound to seek after all their life , according to their condition &c. 3. That the Church-decrees may be certainly known , and are easily understood , and more easily in many things than the Scriptures ; namely , where these happen to be doubtful to us , ( and doubtful they are or should be , where ever Church-tradition expounds them otherwise than we , ) and hence that ( this point being supposed that the Church is infallible ) those who believing her to be so , do rely upon her judgment , have for the most part a stronger perswasion , and those knowing her to be so , have a more rational assurance of the truth of their faith in all other points , than only relying on the perspicuity of Scriptures : because the former persons faith rests on a double ground ; the saying of Scripture , and the sense of the Church interpreting it . And thus one adhering to the tradition and doctrines of the Church , hath more warrant for his Faith , than a single Scripturist . 4. That those , who hold Church-tradition fallible can have no other way an infallible evidence , whereby they can demonstrate the truth of their faith . But , all these granted ; yet such a degree and measure of certainty or assurance , as that of Tradition or Church-infallibility is , seems not to be necessary to make faith salvifical ; or defect of such a motive sufficient to void it , and render it no true , divine , and acceptable faith , but an humane opinion and perswasion ; as some contend . But saving faith may be begotten , where the proponent of the word of God , or of divine revelation , mediate or immediate , is not , or at least is not known to be ( which is all one with the former to the believer's certainty ) infallible : and it sufficeth to it , that what one believes , is the word of God ; and that he believe it ( in some degree or other predominant to unbelief ) to be so . And this I think may be shewn in many instances , and by many reasons . 1. For first , some at least of those primitive converts of the Apostles ( questionles endued with true faith , yet ) believed before any certainty of the infallibity of their teachers , or before , or without seeing their miracles ( tho these also seen afforded to some no certainty , who thought that such might be done by the Devil's power , see Matt. 12. 24. Deut. 13. 1. ) meerly by the powerful operation of God's Spirit . So the Eunuch , to be a true believer , needed no more than the bare exposition and relation of S. Philip : So Cornelius , and his friends , some words of St. Peter : The Jaylor and Lydia , of S. Paul ; strangers , and formerly altogether unknown to them ; the Holy Ghost presently unlocking their hearts , and finishing the work . For so the three thousand converted by S. Peter in one day , supposing he at that time wraught miracles , yet t is not probable , that all these were spectators of them ; or yet auditors of his doctrine from his own mouth ; but believed only the relations of others , persons fallible , who stood near him . The Bereans , why examined they the Apostles doctrines , if they knew or esteemed him infallible ? The Believers at Antioch , zealous of the law , why contested they with St. Paul ? and those of Jerusalem with S. Peter , Act. 11. 2. if acknowledging them infallible ? Or the weaker brethren , tho of the number of true Believers , why doubted they long time of some meats unclean , contrary to the Apostle's instruction ? T is true , that whoever believes that which another relates , must ipso facto believe the relater in that thing not to be deceived ; but yet he , who in any other one thing doth not believe him , doth not believe him to be infallible . And granting that all the primitive Christians assented to the infallibility of the Hierosolymitan Council ; yet many points of their faith were learned not from the Council , but private Doctors , whom I have shewed that some of them accounted not infallible , nor yet was their faith nullified thereby . 2. Believers , no way heretical or schismatical , but submitting unto the Church in all things , and believing her and her traditions to be infallible , &c , and consequently , whose faith is allowed by the most rigid exactors of certainty to be most safe and secure , yet , if things be well examined , all of them cannot be said to have an infallible means , or motive , or proponent of their faith : I mean so many as are neither able to search the H. Scriptures , nor the Tradition of former times , nor universal present Tradition , nor yet the Catechisms and common writings of the Church ; neither for other points , nor yet for this , That the Church , or the Tradition they rely upon , is infallible : But being young , ( as many undoubtedly are made faithful Christians , when children ) or illiterate , necessitated to handy-labour , quiescent in one place , or perhaps inhabiting deserts and solitudes , &c , do receive the doctrine of their faith ( believing and yeilding obedience thereto ) only from their Parents , or the Curate of the place , or from their bare reading , or hearing read some portion of Scripture , recommended to them for , but not proved at all to them to be , the word of God. Believing indeed what is truth , and obeying it , but having no more external argument or assurance thereof , than another ( suppose educated in an erroneous Church , and taking the false Tradition thereof for Apostolical ) hath of his error ? Now private teachers even within the Church may first possibly by their negligence be themselves ignorant , or rationally uncertain of what they teach ; and a Catholic Priest be able to give no better account for his religion , than the Protestant ; both inheriting their tenents from their next Ancestors . For Error once begun is propagated afterward by Tradition , as well as Truth . Or 2ly , being rationally certain of the truth , yet may he wilfully , for filthy lucre , for fear , for lasciviousnes , &c , ( see 1 Thes. 2. 3 , 5 , 6. 2 Pet. 2. 14. ) misguide his disciples . Or 3. lastly , teaching only the truth which he perfectly knows , yet is this his certainty , tho something to the truth of the others faith , nothing to their certitude thereof , as long as they are not certain that he is not deceived . Neither doth any ones believing the Church to be infallible ascertain him of the truth of his faith , if he believe this her infallibility only upon the relation of his Pastor ; for so he hath no more certainty of the Church'es infallibility , than he hath of the truth of such a relation ; which we have shewed is liable to error . And then again , it is much to be noted , that one believing only , and not being certain of the Church'es infallibility , tho he immediately received all his doctrines from her self , yet this could produce no certainty of the truth of what he receives : it being no good consequence , I believe such a one is infallible , therefore I am certain what he saith is true . But lastly , let one be certain of this one point , That the Church or her tradition is infallible , ( which how many are there , that cannot clearly prove ? ) and then from this known let him have infallible certainty at once of all other points whatsoever , that are delivered by her or it ; yet supposing any to learn what are these her doctrines , not from her self , but from his private Curate , ( which doubtles many true believers within the Church'es communion do , ) his faith cannot plead any certainty this way . For there is some distance between my knowing the Churche's tradition to be infallible , and knowing in every point what is her tradition . That which is said by Mr. Knot [ against Chill . p. 64 , and 358. ] in this point ; That a fallible motive applying divine revelation by God's supernatural concours may produce an infallible act of faith , is granted . But then this act of faith is infallible not from the proponent , but God's Spirit ; ( in respect of which , as is shewed before ) all saving , is also infallible , faith , but not therefore known always to the believer to be infallible . See before § . 38. Again ; that which is said by Dr. Holden , Resol . fidei 1. l. 2. ● . That their faith , who depend on their Pastors instructions , is tutissima , ipsique in rebus fidei securi , modo sint membra illius Ecclesiae , quae veritatem omnem revelatam amplectitur & docet ; cujusque pastores & rectores medii [ istius ] , quo sibi divina haec doctrina applicatur , veram & rationalem habuerint certitudinem , is also granted ; but it seems to affirm only sufficient safety in their faith , without their certainty of the truth thereof . Now as those of one side cannot plead their faith certain and infallible from their hearing and believing their private Pastor ; so neither may those of another side from their reading and believing , and resolving their faith into the Holy Scriptures . For since , not so much the Letter of Scripture , as the Sense , is the infallible word and revelation of God ; and the letter many times is capable not only , when in expression ambiguous , of divers senses ; but also , when most seemingly-plain , of another sense than they import , because of the consonancy they are to have with some other Scriptures , lest God's word be made to contradict : Hence is one man's Bible , where thus ambiguous , as fallible a proponent to him , in respect of the possibility of his mis-intepreting it , as another man's Pastor , in respect of his possibility of erring . And indeed the former interpreting Scripture to himself seems to be less infallible in his faith , than the other learning of his Pastor expounding it ; because he is more likely to mistake the sense thereof than the other ; els why is he appointed for his teacher , whose faith he is to follow , Heb. 13. 7 ? tho I affirm a sufficient and saving faith may be , and is , attained by either means , hearing ones Pastor , or reading the Scripture . 3. Since all saving faith in us is the effect of the Spirit , why may not our faith be so , without any precedent rational certainty thereof ? According as it seems before granted ; That God's supernatural concours may advance an act of faith relying on a fallible motive , into a belief infallible , why may not this Spirit shew its strength then in the weaknes of external proposal ? But if we suppose it a partial cause , and add to it for the production of faith not only some external proponent , ( which that there is ( ordinarily ) is granted , ) but this infallible , and known also to be so : Then [ to say nothing of the instances given before of the contrary ; nor to urge here , why such an infallible proponent sometimes at least , namely where the matter of our belief is ( as in many things it is ) most conformable to reason , should not be a sufficient cause to beget saving faith , without the supernatural concours of God's Spirit , and what needs that to be also spiritually , which is rationally , discerned ? ] I ask what do we mean by a stronger and a weaker faith so often mentioned in Scripture ? Do we mean several degrees thereof , the least of which is certain ? No. For we find doubt , nay some degree of unbelief , and that of the same thing , sometime mixed with true faith . See Mar. 9. 24. Mat. 14. 31. Which unbelief or doubt , that it never happens in respect of the truth of the relation , but always only in the supernaturalnes of the object , I think none can rationally affirm . See Luk. 24. 11. Only if there be not so much of assent , as to turn the scale of our judgment , then will it not be faith , but either pure doubt , or , ( further ) unbelief . Faith therefore as it comes both from the outward hearing of God's word , and the several proofs thereof , and also by the inward operation of the Spirit , so is it capable of many degrees , both from the several evidence of those proofs , and also from the several influence of the Spirit : God giving more external evidence to one , than to another : ( as to those who see miracles , or who read and compare Scriptures and Councils , than to those who only hearken to their Pastor ) ; and , upon the same evidence made to many , God giving a stronger adherence to such a truth to one , than to another ; either * from the energy of the Spirit ; thro which many can die for Christ , that cannot well dispute for him : or also * from a natural more passionate temper ; or * from hiding from them contrary verisimilities , and * from ignorance of the weapons of error &c. So the unlearned many times believe and adhere to a truth more strongly thro ignorance of any arguments to the contrary , than the learned do to the same thro reason assaulted with many doubts ; and a small argument to a weak understanding begets a more firm credence , than a stronger to the learned . So a true believer may be less confident , thro a rational perswasion , in his faith , than another thro the violence of a misguiding lust , in his falshood : nay ; he may have less reason or proofs ( tho there be more ) for the one , than this man hath for the other ; and yet his faith vivifical and acceptable ; and oftimes there is the greatest glory and merit in it , when having stronger adherence upon smaller evidence , ( provided , no evidence attainable be neglected . 1 Pet 3. 15. ) See Jo. 20. 29. The reason of which is ; because faith is no way acceptable to God or saving , so far as it is by true or by seeming demonstration forced upon the understanding , with a reluctance mean-while of the will ; for then the faith of Devils would be so , who doubtles have much more evidence of their faith , than many Christians ) but only so far as it is embraced and accepted of by the will , and affections , and in some manner becomes our election and choice : which election , so contrary in many things to the flesh , being never made without the power of the Spirit ; hence chiefly is faith , such as is saving , said to be its work . See Ben. Spirit . § . 4. Again ; if men for the sufficiency of their faith depended on the infallibility of the Church or her traditions , it follows , none can have of any thing true faith , which is not first determined by the Church , or known from universal Tradition . Therefore none can be said fide divina to believe , or assent to any of those Theological verities which are ordinarily drawn by clear and necessary consequence from the Scriptures , and ( tho not by the Church ) decided by the Schools : which seems absurd . 5. Lastly , Let but a rational certainty from the infallibility of Tradition be necessarily required to faith for one point ; namely this , That our Scriptures are God's word ; ( for which all sides are agreed in admitting it , ) and I do not see how it can be denied , that for many other points , i. e. those wherein God's word is clear , and which are by no side controverted , one may be sufficiently certain from the Scriptures themselves independently on the Church or Tradition , fave for the one point above-named . For since God's word may be in some things ( I mean such as are uncontroverted ) as plain and consonant to it self as any Synod-Catechism , if such a Catechism is thought a sufficient ground to one to assure his faith , why may not the Scripture ? Now after all , that I may not seem to you , in this my judgment , heterodox , at least to other Catholic writers , you may be pleased to view what Estius , the famous Divinity-Professor at Doway , and what Card. Lugo a Spanish Jesuit , have delivered on this subject . See Card. Lugo , tom . de virtute fidei , dis . 1. § . 12. n. 247. &c. where he brings reasons for this opinion , not much differing from those above-mentioned . As 1. Since the belief of Infallibility it self must be produced from some other motives , if such motives be sufficient for the begetting the faith of this , why may they not be sufficient for some point of faith besides it ? 2. New converts embrace and truly believe some other articles of faith , before they are acquainted with that of Infallibility . 3. Rusticks commonly resolve their faith into no further proof than their Parish-Priest , and what he relates to them . 4ly . Under the law of nature before Moses , most were believing only upon the authority of their Parents , without any Church-proposal . His words are these , num . 247. — Probatur facile ; quia hoc ipsum [ Ecclesiam habere authoritatem infallibilem ex assistentia Spiritus Sancti ] creditur fide divina , quae docet in Ecclesia esse hujusmodi authoritatem , ergo ante ipsius fidei assensum non potest requiri cognitio hujus infallibilis authoritatis . Et experientia docet , non omnes pueros vel adultos , qui de novo ad fidem accedunt , concipere in Ecclesia hanc infallibilem authoritatem & assistentiam Spiritus Sancti , antequam ullum alium articulum credant . Credunt enim articulos in ordine quo proponuntur . Hunc autem articulum authoritatis Ecclesiae contingit credi , postquam alios plures crediderunt . Solum ergo potest ad summum praerequiri , cognoscere , res fidei proponi ab Ecclesia ; concipiendo in Ecclesia secundum se authoritatem maximam humanam , quae reperitur in universa fidelium congregatione . Again ; num . 252. Probatur Conclusio : 1. Quia in primis in lege naturae plures credebant ex sola doctrina parentum sine alia Ecclesiae propositione . Deinde in lege scripta plures crediderunt Moysi & aliis Prophetis , antequam eorum Prophetiae ab Ecclesia reciperentur & proponerentur ; quia soil . vitae sanctitate , & rerum convenientia , & aliis de causis objectum reddebatur prudenter credibile ; praesertim cum viderent aliqua ex iis , quae Prophetiae praedicebant , quotidie impleri . — Denique in lege Evangelica Act , 3. & 4. c. Beatus Petrus , miraculo facto , testatus est se illud fecisse in nomine Christi ; & , nulla facta mentione authoritatis Ecclesiae vel suae , convertit tria millia hominum , qui sane prudenter moti sunt , licet non conciperent Ecclesiae authoritatem . And num . 251. Non requiritur ex natura rei Ecclesiae propositio ad credendum . In all which note , that this Author speaks of sides divina & salvifica , as appeareth , in the first instance naming fides divina ; in St. Peter's converts &c. and all his discourse otherwise were besides the purpose . See Estius to the same purpose , in 3. sent . 23. dist . 13. sect . where after many considerable arguments he goes on . — Fidei impertinens esse , quo medio Deus utatur ad conferendum homini donum fidei ; quamvis enim nunc ordinarium medium sit Ecclesiae testificatio & doctrina ; constat tamen aliis viis seu mediis fidem collatam fuisse aliquando , & adhuc conferri &c. Nam antiqui multi , ut Abraham , Melchisedech , Job , ex speciali revelatione ; Apostoli ex Christi miraculis & sermone ; rursus ex Apostolorum praedicatione & miraculis alii fidem conceperunt ; alii denique aliis modis crediderunt , cum nondum de infallibilitate Ecclesiae quicquam eis esset annunciatum . Sic ergo sieri potest , ut aliquis non inhaerens doctrinae Ecclesiae tanquam regulae infallibili quaedam ad fidem pertinentia pro Dei verbo recipiat , quia vel nunc vel olim miraculis confirmata sunt , vel etiam quia veterem Ecclesiam sic docuisse manifeste videt , vel alia quacunque ratione inductus , licet alia quaedam credere recuset . — Again ; Haereticus potest quaedam tenere ea firmitate assensus & promptitudine voluntatis , qua ab aliis omnia quae fidei sunt tenentur . Again ; Nihil vetat , quo minus haeretici , quamvis in multis errent , in aliis tamen sic divinitus per fidem illustrati sint , ut recte credant . Where note , that Estius also speaks of sides vera , and fides donum Dei quo divinitus illustramur , such as that was of Abraham , Melchisedech , and the Apostles converts . And note again , that tho this Fides vera & divina is in no Heretick's integra , as to all points of faith perfect , because if one failed not in some point of faith he could be no Heretick ; yet many times it is not his meer misbelief of that point for which he is accounted an heretick , which excludes him from salvation : Because perhaps many good Catholicks , before the Church'es determination , have mis-believed the same point ( as for example the point of rebaptization ) as well as he , without any danger to their salvation . But that which condemns him is , that he hath fidem ( tho divinam , ) yet not operantem per charitatem , that he is obstinate and disobedient to the Church'es orders and decrees ; or ( if you will ) that he dis-believes this great Article of Faith , ( which dis-belief is the fountain of his dis-obedience , ) That the Church hath such an Authority committed to her by Christ , as that he ought to conform to all her determinations , and preserve in every thing the unity of her faith . [ Of the Donatists , hereticks , thus S. Aug. ( Gesbacum Emerito . ) Extra Ecclesiam Catholicam potest [ Emeritus ( Evangelium tenere , potest in nomine Patris , & Filii , & Spiritus Sancti , fidem & habere & praedicare , sed nusquam nisi in Ecclesia Catholica salutem poterit invenire , giving the reason afterward , — quia charitatem non habet : and ( Ep. 48. ad Vincentium , ) — Nobiscum estis in Baptismo , in Symbolo , in caeteris Dominicis Sacramentis , in spiritu autem unitatis & vinculo pacis , in ipsa denique Catholica . Ecclesia nobiscum non estis . ] To Estius and Lugo add a third , Layman , a Casuist of great reputation . Thus he therefore , Theolog. moral . 2. l. 1. Tract . 5. c. — Fieri saepe solet , ut alii Articuli fidei nostrae , puta , quae sunt de Deo Uno & Trino , explicite credantur ante hunc , qui est de infallibili Ecclesiae authoritate . Quinimo haec Ecclesiae infallibilitas Spiritus Sancti promissione nititur : ergo prius oportet credere Spiritum Sanctum , adeoque Trinitatem in divinis esse . Praeterea constat , Beatissimam Virginem , Apostolos , primosque Christianos fide divina credidisse ; non ob authoritatem Ecclesiae , quae vel fundata non erat , ( v. g. cum S. Petrus credidit Christum esse Filium Dei vivi , Mat. 16. ) vel nondum fidei dogmata definierat . — Again , Formale assentiendi principium , seu motivum , non est Ecclesiae authoritas . Si enim ex te quaeram , Cur credas , Deum esse incarnatum ? respondeasque , Quia Ecclesia Catholica , quae errare non potest , ob S. Spiritus assistentiam , ita testatur : iterum ex te quaeram , Unde id scias ; vel , cur credas Ecclesiam non errare , vel S. Spiritum ei assistere ? Quare recte dicit Canus , l. 2. de loc . Theol. 8. c. post med . Si generaliter quaeratur , Unde fideli constet , ea quae fide tenet esse a Deo revelata , non poterit infallibilem Ecclesiae authoritatem adducere ; quia unum ex revelatis est , quod Ecclesia errare non possit . Interim non negamus ( saith he ) quin resolutio fidei in authoritatem Ecclesiae , quatenus Spiritu Sancto regitur , fieri possit , & communiter soleat a sidelibus ipsis , qui infallibilem Spiritus Sancti assistentiam , ac directionem , Ecclesiae promissam certa fide tenent : his enim ejus testimonium , ac definitio certa regula est ad alios articulos amplectendos . — Imo talis regula , seu norma exurgentibus circa fidem dubiis , omnino nobis necessaria est , put a ad discernendum Scripturam Canonicam ab Apocrypha ; traditiones veras a falsis ; denique credenda a non credendis ; — Sententia Scoti & Gabrielis , qui in resolutione recurrere videntur ad fidem acquisitam propter authoritatem Ecclesiae , quatenus ea est illustris congregatio tot hominum excellentium : Exempli causa ; Credo Deum esse incarnatum , quia divinitus revelatum est ; revelatum autem hoc esse divinitus , seu revelationem hanc a Deo profectam esse ideo accepto , seu credo ( fide acquisita , ) quia it a scriptum est in Evangelio S. Johannis , cui omnis Ecclesia , seu congregatio hominum vitae innocentia , sapientia illustrium , testimonium & assensum praebet : Haec sententia ( inquam ) si recte explicetur , a vero aliena non est . Non enim mens est Doctorum illorum , quod fidei divinae assensus in fidem acquisitam propter authoritatem Ecclesiae resolvatur , tanquam in principium ; sed tanquam in extrinsecum adjumentum , & conditionem sine qua non . Etenim authoritas illa Ecclesiae , non quatenus consideratur ut organum Spiritus Sancti ; sed ut illustris congregatio hominum prudentum &c. est quidem formale principium credendi side humana ; sed non fide divina . Quia fides divina est , qua Deo dicenti credimus ob authoritatem & veritatem ejus : consequenter qui credit propter authoritatem hominum , vel simile motivum humanum , is fide solum humana credit . Accedit quod ( sicuti ipsemet Scotus & Gabriel argumentantur ) assensus cognoscitivus non possit excedere certitudinem principii , quo nititur : assen , us autem fidei divinae certitudinem infallibilem habet : ergo fieri non potest , ut assensus fidei divinae , tanquam principio nitatur authoritate hominum , vel simili motivo humano , quippe quod secundum se absolute fallibile est . — Major autem , imo maxima & certissima animi adhaesio , quam sides divina continet , non ex viribus naturae , aut humanis persuasionibus provenit ; sed ab auxilio Spiritus Sancti succurrentis intellectui & liberae voluntati nostrae . By this it seems , that ultima resolutio sidei divinae is in illam certitudinem , quam habemus per auxilium Spiritus Sancti &c. ] Hear then his last stating of the point . — Quod ad formalem , de qua nunc agimus , fidei resolutionem attinet ; expeditus ac verus dicendi modus est iste , [ citing Cajetan for it 2. 2. q. 1. a. 1. ] Quod sides divina ex parte objecti , ac motivi formalis resolvatur in auhoritatem Dei revelantis : Credo Deum esse incarnatum ; [ Credo ] Ecclesiae item definientis authoritatem infallibilem esse ; quia prima & summa veritas id nobis revelavit . [ But if you ask , whence or why he believeth Deum summam veritatem id revelasse ; he goeth on , ] Deum autem veracem talia nobis revelasse , ulterius resolvi , vel per fidem [ i. e. divinam ] probari , non potest , nec debet : quandoquidem principia resolutionis non probantur , sed supponuntur . [ I wonder why he adds not here , that the believer hath fidem divinam & infallibilem , Deum veracem talia revelasse ex auxilio Spiritus S. succurrentis intellectui &c. for he saith it before . But then , if asked again ; How he knows or believes that this his faith Deum revelasse &c , is ex auxilio Spiritus Sancti ; here at least he must have stay'd as at the first principle of Resolution of Faith divine . But now , that fides , which he calls humana , and fallible , can go on further , and give a ground or motive why it believes Deum veracem talia revelasse , or se hanc fidem , Deum revelasse , habere ex auxilio Spiritus Sancti , and this a motive morally infallible ; namely consensum Ecclesiae , or Universal Tradition : concerning which he thus goes on . ] Verum in ordine ad nos , revelatio divina credibilis & acceptabilis fit per extrinseca motiva , inter quae unum ex praecipuis merito censetur authoritas & consensus Ecclesiae , tot saeculis , tanto numero hominum clarissimorum florentis : [ But then this evident or morally-infallible motive is not held always necessary neither , for the humane inducement to divine faith . For he goes on : ] quamvis id non unicum , neque simpliciter necessarium motivum est : quandoquidem non omnes eodem modo , sed alii aliter ad fidem Christi amplectendam moventur . ( His adde . ) — Non tantum variis motivis homines ad fidem amplectendam moveri ; sed etiam alios aliis facilius , partim propter majorem internam Spiritus sancti illustrationem & impulsionem , sicuti not avit Valentia q. 1. p. 4. arg . 18. partim propter animi sui simplicitatem , quia de opposito errore persuasionem nullam conceperunt . Qua ratione pueri apud Catholicos , cum ad usum rationis pervenerunt , acceptant sidei mysteria , tanquam divinitus revelata , quia natu majores & prudentes , quos ipsi norunt , ita credere animadvertunt . So then ; if all saving faith must be sides divina infallible , that which can rightly be produced to advance sides humana into it , is not the authority of Scriptures , or of the Church , ( for Qui credit propter authoritatem hominum , vel simile motivum humanum , is fide solum humana credit ) ; but only auxilium Spiritus Sancti succurrentis intellectui &c , in the stating of this learned Casuist . Thus you see by what is quoted here out of Estius , Lugo , and Layman , that the moderate Catholick writers concede divine and salvifical faith where no infallibility of any outward evidence or motive . And perhaps it might conduce much more to the prayed-for union of Christ's Church , if so many Controvertists on all sides ( perhaps out of an opinion of necessary zeal to maintain their own cause to the uttermost ) did not embrace the extreamest opinions ; by which they give too much cause to their adversaries to remain unsatisfied , and to make easie and specious replies , being helped also by the more moderate writers of the other side : As if they chiefly endeavoured to fright their enemies from any yeilding or hearkning to a peace , whilst they hold it still upon higher terms than those the Church Catholick proposeth ; which hath redounded to the multiplication of many needles controversies . From what hath bin said I think we may infer , 1. First ; That it is not necessary to true and saving faith , that all the mediums by which we attain to it be infallible . That neither an infallible Judg , nor a known-infallible argument from the Scriptures or writings of Fathers , &c. is absolutely necessary to it ; but that it is sufficient to believe the things revealed by God , as revealed by him , ( see § . 1. ) holding whatever is his word to be infallible , ( which is a principle to all men , and needs no proof , ) by what weak means soever we attain the knowledge of such revelations ; whether it be by Scriptures , Catechisms read , or Parents , Pastors instructing , yea tho these instructers did not know whether there were any Scriptures , ( as the Eunuch believed without those of the New Testament , ) and how unevident soever their confirmation thereof to us be ; only if we receive from them ( whether from the credit we give to their authority , or to their argument ) so much light , as ( together with the inward operation of the Spirit , opening the heart to receive and accept of it , of which Spirit yet we are not so certainly sensible , as to know the proper movings thereof , for then this were a motive all-sufficient without Scripture or Teacher ) doth sway and perswade the understanding , and so produceth obedience . Which faith , tho it is not such , for its immediate ground , as cui non potest subesse falsum , by reason of any humane evidence it hath ; yet many times it is such , as cui non subest dubium , of which we doubt no more than we do of a Demonstration , by reason of the strong adherence we have to it , either from the power of God's Spirit , or probability of arguments &c. See § . 35. &c. But neither is this actual non-doubting necessary , ( for there is many times doubting in a true ( but weak ) faith , see § . 46. ) but this is enough , if any thing be so far made probable , as that it turns the ballance of our judgment so far as to win our assent : nay , nothing can be without sin disbelieved , which seems generally ( including here also the argument from authority ) more probable than another thing , tho it have no demonstration . Which demonstration , or also an infallible proponent , that the faith of most men wants , see the plain confession ( as it seems to me ) of Mr. Knot , in his Answer to Mr. Chillingworth , 4. cap , p. 358. A man may exercise ( saith he ) an infallible act of faith , tho his immediate instructer or proposer be not infallible ; because he believes upon a ground which both is believed by him to be infallible , and is such indeed , to wit , the word of God ; who therefore will not deny his supernatural concourse necessary to every true act of divine faith . Otherwise in the ordinary course there would be no means left for the faith and salvation of unlearned persons ; from whom God exacts no more , but that they proceed prudently according to the measure of their several capacities , and use such diligence as men ought in a matter of highest moment . All Christians of the primitive Church were not present , when the Apostles spoke or wrote , yea , it is not certain , that every one of those thousands , whom St. Peter converted , did hear every sentence he spoke , but might believe some by relation of others who stood near . And ( 1. c. p. 64. ) the same Author saith : — that a Preacher or Pastor , whose testimonies are humane and fallible , when they declare to their hearers , or subjects , that some truth is witnessed by God's word , are occasion , that those people may produce a true infallible Act of Faith , depending immediately upon divine Revelation applied by the said means . — And if you object ( saith he , ) That perhaps , that humane authority is false , and proposes to my understanding Divine revelation when God doth not reveal ; therefore I cannot upon humane testimony , representing or applying Divine revelation , exercise an infallible Act of Faith. I answer : it is one thing , whether by a reflex act I am absolutely certain , that I exercise an infallible act of Faith ; and another , whether indeed , and in actu exercito I produce such an act . Of the former I have said nothing , neither makes it to our present purpose . Of the latter I affirm , that when indeed humane testimony is true , [ tho not certainly known by me to be so , ] and so applies a divine revelation which really exists ; in such case I may believe by a true infallible assent of Christian faith . The reason of this seems clear , because altho a truth , which I know only by probable assent , is not certain to me ; yet in it self it is most immoveable and certain , in regard that while a thing is , it cannot but be , for that time for which it is , &c. Thus he .. : The sum of which is ; That the infallibility of many mens faith is not from any external Proponent , but only from God's concourse . See Dr. Hold. 1. l. 2. c. p. 36 , 37. de resol . fid . saying the like . 2. Again , in the 2d . place it may be inferred , * That receiving of the Articles of his Creed from the Church'es proposal is not necessary to true faith : or , * That one may truly believe some , who doth not believe all the , points of faith , which the Church proposeth ; or , any for , or upon , her proposal : or lastly , * That one may truly and savingly believe an article of faith , who is not certain of the divine revelation thereof . I willingly grant here , 1. first ; That he who believes aright any divine truth , must believe that it is revealed by God , or that God hath said it ; and , That he that denies any one thing which he believes is revealed by God , can believe no other thing at all as he ought , that is , as from divine revelation : he must believe all such , or none at all aright . 2. Since a rational certain knowledge of divine revelation ( as of the Scriptures , or also of the Sense thereof where doubtful ) is only receivedd from the Church and her Tradition , I accord , that none can rationally or so infallibly believe any things to be revealed by God , but such as he knows to be proposed to him , by the Church , or Tradition , to be such , either immediately , in her exposition of obscure Scriptures , or mediately , in her delivering to him the Canon of Scripture ; and therefore , that who denies this authority in some points , ( suppose in those points , where this authority is granted by him to be of equal force ) hath no rational ground or certainty of his faith in any other of those points , according to the Schools ; Qui inhaeret doctrinae Ecclesiae tanquam infallibili regulae , [ i. e. in omnibus quae proponit , ] omnibus assentit quae Ecclesia docet , [ i. e. quae scit Ecclesiam docere , ] alioqui si de his quae Ecclesia docet tenet quae vult , & quae non vult non tenet , non inhaeret infallibili doctrinae Ecclesiae , sed propriae voluntati . [ But note , that every one who doth not inhaerere doctrinae Ecclesiae tanquam infallibili , may not therefore be said inhaerere propriae voluntati , because he may hold such tenents , not quia vult , but * for some other reason abstract from the Church'es authority : as Protestants do * for the evidence of Tradition in this point , That Scripture is God's word . ] So those who rejected some parts or books of Scripture , because containing something opposite to their opinions , could not ground any certainty of their faith upon the rest : because that Scripture they refused , came recommended to them by as much and the same authority , as that they accepted . But these Concessions destroy not the former proposition : because ( for the former concession ) it is one thing to believe such a truth to be divine revelation ; another , to be rationally assured thereof : the first we grant is , the second I think we have proved not to be , necessary to all true faith . For the second , tho he who certainly knows not Church-tradition , cannot have a rational or discursive certainty in his faith , ( abstracting here from what internal certainty one may have from the Spirit , ) nor upon that principle can believe one thing , unless he believe all the rest that have the like Tradition with it ; yet he may without such a certainty or such a ground truly believe : as I think is before-proved . And hence it follows , that one may truly believe some other points of faith , who doth not believe this point in particular ; That the Church , or Universal Tradition , is infallible . Thus much , * of the non-necessity of infallible certainty in every believer , to render his faith true , divine , and salvifical ; * and of the erring in some one article it s not necessarily destroying the true faith of all the rest . But ( to conclude this Discourse ) Three things mean-while are acknowledged and confessed . 1. First ; that he that truly and divinely believes all the rest of the Articles of our Faith , and erreth only in one Article that is absolutely necessary to salvation , such error may be said to destroy his whole faith in some sense , ( that is ) in rendring his faith in other points tho not false , yet non-salvifical to him . 2. Again , he that disbelieveth and opposeth the propositions of the Church ( known to him to be so ) in some point not absolutely necessary ( I mean to be explicitely believed for attaining salvation , as some points there are so necessary , ) tho this error doth not null the body of his beleife , yet this opposition in that error is , by the common doctrine of the Church , accounted so great a crime , as that , unrepented of , it renders his true faith , being destitute of due obedience and charity , unprofitable for his salvation , ( which I thought fit here to mind you of , that none may presume salvation from the truth of his faith in all necessaries , as long as he stands , tho in some ( as he accounts ) smaller points , after sufficient proposal , in opposition and disobedience to the Church , i. e. to his supreme Governour and Guide in all Ecclesiastical and Spiritual matters . ( See before § . 50. ) 3. And lastly , if this Article of Faith [ That the Church'es authority is either absolutely infallible in all things she proposeth to be believed , or at least so supreme , that none may in any wise dissent from her determination ] can be proved one of the points of faith absolutely necessary to salvation , to be by every Christian believed ; then , since there can be no disobedience and non-conformity to the Church , but that it is grounded on the dissbelief of this Article , it must follow , That every one that opposeth the Church , is also , from his disbelief of this Article , excluded from salvation . FINIS . OF INFALLIBILITY . CONTENTS . PART 1. COncerning the Infallibility of the Church , how far this is to be allowed . § . 1 , 2. 1. Infallibility of the Church in necessaries granted both by Roman and Protestant , writers . § . 3. Where How far points necessary are to be extended . § . 4. That the Church ( not private men ) is to define what points be necessary . § . 6. If these points be necessary at all to be defined , and exactly distinguished from all other her Proposals . § . 7. 2. Infallibility of the Church in matters of Universal Tradition ( tho they were not necessary ) conceded likewise by all . § . 8. 3. Infallibility Universal , in whatever the Church proposeth and delivereth , is not affirmed by the Roman writers . § . 9. But only † in those points which she proposeth tanquam de fide , or creditu necessaria . § . 10. Where Concerning the several senses wherein Points are affirmed , or denied , to be de Fide. § . 11. That as only , so all , divine Revelations , or necessary deductions from them are de Fide , i. e. the objects and matter of Faith. 12 , 13. And That the Church can make nothing to be de fide ; i. e. to be divine Revelation &c , which was not so always from the Apostolick times . § . 12. That all divine Revelation , or necessary deductions therefrom , are not de fide , i. e. creditu necessaria . § . 15. That the Church lawfully may , and hath a necessity , to make de novo , upon rising errors , such Points de fide , i. e. creditu necessaria , which formerly were not so . § . 16 , 17. Or ( as some other of the Catholick writers usually express it ) only † in Points clearly traditional . § . 18. Whether , and by what marks , those Points which are proposed by the Church tanquam de fide or creditu necessaria , or which are proposed as constantly traditional , are clearly distinguished by her from her other Proposals . § . 27. Anathema no certain Index thereof . § . 29. PART 2. Concerning Obedience and submission of private Judgment , whether due to the Church , supposed not in all her decisions infallible . § . 30. 1. That no submission of our judgment is due to the Proposal of the Church , where we are infallibly certain of the contrary . § . 33. 2. That no submission is due to an inferiour Person or Court in matters whereof I have doubt , when I have a Superiour to repair to for resolution . § . 34. 3. That submission of judgment is due to the supreme Ecclesiastical Court in any doubting whatever , that is short of infallible certainty . § . 35. Submission of judgment proved , 1. From Scripture . § . 37. 2. From Reason . § . 38. Where Several Objections and Scruples are resolved . § . 39. 3. From the testimony of learned Protestants . § . 44. 4. From the testimony of learned Catholicks . § . 51. Conclusion . § . 54. OF INFALLIBILITY . PART 1. IT remains that I give you an account touching the other two Queries proposed . The First concerning the Infallibilty of the Church , Whether this is at all , or how far , to be allowed ? The Second concerning Obedience and Submission of private Judgment , Whether this be due to the Church supposed not , in all her decisions , infallible ? Two Points , as they are stated on the one side or the other , either leaving us in much anxiety and doubt , or ( in the moveal of this ) swelled with much pride and self-conceit ; or leaving us in much tranquillity and peace , accompanied with much humility and self-denial . Points , as they are stated one way , seeming much to advance the tender care of the divine Providence over his Church , and to plant obedience and unanimity among Christians ; or as stated another way , seeming to proclaim great danger in discovering truth , to call for humane wit , prudence , sagacity , and caution , and to bequeath Christianity to perpetual strife , wars , and dissentions . And therefore it concerns you to be the more vigilant , that affection carry you not on more than reason to the assenting to any Conclusions made in this Discours . To take in hand the former of these . Concerning the true measure of the extent of the infallibity of the Church , ( by Church I mean the lawful General Representative thereof , of which see Church-Government 2. Part , § . 4. and 24. ) in the beginning I must confess , that I know nothing expresly determined by Councils , except what is said Conc. Trident. 4. Sess. — Praeterea ad c●ercenda petulantia ingenia , decernit , ut nemo suae prudentiae innixus , in rebus fidei & morum ad aedisicationem doctrinae Christianae pertinentium , sacram Scripturam ad suos sensus contorquens , contra eum sensum , quem tenuit & tenet Sancta Mater Ecclesia , ( cujus est judicare de vero sensu & interpretatione Scripturarum S. ) aut etiam contra unanimem consensum Patrum ipsam Scripturam sacram interpretari audeat . Neither is there any mention found of the word Infallibility in the Decrees of Trent , or any other received Council , or yet in the Fathers ; as F. Veron in his Rule of Faith , 4. c. hath observed , and therefore ( saith he ) let us leave this term to the Schoolmen , who know how to use it soberly ; and content our selves with the terms of the Councils . The best is , as the exact limits of this Church-infallibility seem no where by the Church to be punctually fixed ; so they do not ( in respect of yeilding obedience to the Church ) seem necessary at all to be known ; except to such a one , as will not submit his judgment to any authority less than infallible ; of which more anon . 1. First it is granted , as by all the Catholicks , so by the most learned of the Protestants , ( see them quoted in Church-Government , 2. Part. § . 29. ) That the Church , or the lawful General Representative thereof , is infallible in its directions concerning necessaries to Salvation , whether in points of pure faith , or of practice and manners : [ tho I yeild Mr. Chillingworth denies this ; ( see the discussing of his opinion in Church-Government , 2. Part. § . 26 . -3 . Part. § . 76. ) without which doing , I think he could not have made a thorow Answer to Mr. Knot ; nor could he have denied those other points , which seem to be consequents of this : as namely , — That we must know from the Church also the distinction of Necessaries from others : Or must assent to Her in all she proposeth as Necessary . That , the Defence of any Doctrine , the contrary whereof is proposed as necessary , against the determination of the Church or lawful General Council , is Heresy ; as being always , after such sufficient proposal , obstinate . That any separation from the external communion of all the visible Church is Schism , as being always ( in her professing and practising all necessaries ) causless . Which Propositions the defence of his cause seems to me to have forced him to disclaim , and so also this ground of them , That the Church is an infallible Guide in Fundamentals or Necessaries . ] And this infallibility the Church is said to have , either from the constant assistance of God's Spirit , ( according to our Saviour's promise , at least for such points , ) or also from the Evidence of Tradition , much pleaded by some later Catholick Writers . But since here by Necessaries may be understood either Doctrines &c , absolutely necessary to be known explicitely for salvation , and that to every one that shall attain salvation , ( for to some perhaps more are required than to others , according to their several capacity and means of revelation ; see Necessary Faith § . 10. 11. 16. ) which may be perhaps only some part of the Creed ; or else by Necessaries may be understood all other doctrines and rules that are very profitable and conducing thereto . The Church being granted by both sides an infallible Guide and Director in Necessaries ; 1. First , it seems most reasonable , that the Church'es infallibility in Necessaries should be taken in the latter sense , there being nothing in our Saviour's promise , that appears to restrain his assistance ; or in the conveyance of Tradition , that appears to restrain its certainty , to the former sense . ( See Church-Government , 2. part . § . 31. ) In which former sense if it be only allowed ; the Church'es insallibility in guiding Christians will be confined only to two or three points , and those scarce by any at all doubted-of or disputed . In this latter sense therefore , both because of our Saviour's promise , and the evidence of Tradition , it must be said that the Church cannot be mistaken in defect , but only ( if at all ) in the excess ; not in substracting from Christians any part of such necessary faith or duty ; but perhaps in superadding thereto something as necessary , which is not . 2. And here also , secondly , concerning such excess , I think you will grant me , That it will be hard for a private man to judge that any particular point decided by the Church is not ( some way or other ) necessary to be stated , known and believed , by reason of some ill influence which the contradictory thereof may ( by some consequence at least ) have upon our other faith or manners necessarily required , and formerly established . Nay farther , that it will be hard to say that any point decided &c , is not necessary ( either directly and immediately , or by connexion with some other points that are so ) to the actual exercise of Christian Religion , and the practice of a completely holy life , ( to which the most contemplative points of faith are very much conducing , tho they mistakenly seem to many in this respect useless , ) and therefore that they ought not to be so rigidly vindicated . 3. And thirdly , yet further , if the Church be granted infallible in Necessaries , ( however we take them , ) it seems also most reasonable , that from her we should learn , ( if this be at all requisite to be known , ) which or how many amongst many other decrees of hers , ( if she makes any besides those concerning Necessaries , ) which , I say , or how many , are necessary . For to what other Judgment can we repair for this , unless to our own ? But how unreasonable this ? That , whilst she is appointed to guide us with her infallibility in some points , we are to state to her , in what points only she can infalliby guide us . This Mr. Chillingworth well discerned , when he said , ( 2. c. § . 139. ) We utterly deny the Church to be an infallible Guide in Fundamentals ; for to say so , were to oblige our selves to find some certain society of men , of whom we may be certain that they neither do , nor can err in Fundamentals ; [ it follows , ] nor in declaring what is fundamental , what is not : and consequently to make any Church [ we may say , or Representative of the Church , i. e. a General Council ] an infallible guide in Fundamentals , would be to make her infallible in all things which she proposeth and requireth to be believed . [ i. e. In as many things as she saith are fundamental ; and she may say all are fundamentals , or necessary , if she will. ] Thus he . So ( 3. c. § . 59 , 60. ) to that objection , [ since we are undoubtedly obliged to believe Her in fundamentals , and cannot precisely know what be those fundamentals ; we cannot without hazard of our souls leave her in any point . ] He answers by granting the consequence , and denying the supposition ; I mean the former part thereof ; That we are obliged to believe her in fundamentals ; in delivering of which he saith she may err . As for that Objection ordinarily made against the Church'es defining what points they are , that are necessary , and wherein by consequence she is infallible , viz. that then Ecclesia non errabit quando vult ; because she may , as she pleaseth , nominate the points fundamental , &c. We answer , that it being supposed necessary , that the Council or the people must know not only the fundamental points , but an exact distinction of such from the rest , ( of which presently , ) the same divine hand , that will not suffer the Council appointed for the peoples guide , to erre in any fundamental , neither will permit them to say or to define any point to be fundamental , that is not : because this latter thing is supposed as necessary as the former : i. e. God will never permit them to say they do not or cannot err in any point , wherein they may err . 4. But fourthly , after all this it seems to me not to follow necessarily ; that , if our Saviour by his Spirit preserve the Church an infallible Guide in necessary points of Faith , 1. Therefore she must be infallible in distinguishing them from all other points ; which perhaps are not the same ( if we speak of those , whereof men are to have an explicit knowledge ) to all persons ; and from whence ( if it be true ) it will follow , that the Church shall travel in vain to prescribe any set number of such points . ( See Dr. Holden de Resol . Fid. 1. l. 4. c. Solutio Quaestionis hujus ( i. e. of absolute necessaries ) inanis & impossibilis ) . Nor 2ly , doth it follow , that therefore the Church should certainly know in what particular points she is infallible , and in what not . Certainly know , I mean not for some , but for every point to the uttermost extremity of Infallibility . For who can doubt that , she is both certain , and may profess her certainty and infallibility ( and the absolute necessity that lies on all to believe some of them ) for many of those points she delivers : namely for those at least which are of clear revelation ; of universal Tradition ; and also for the immediate , manifest , and natural consequentials thereof ? Nay , who denies , that private men also , from the abundant clearnes of Scripture only , may attain sufficient certainty of many doctrines of Christianity ? But I say certainly know that she is inerrable for every point in which she is so . For as to one ground of her infallibility , the assistance of the Spirit leading her into all truth necessary , since men may be , and all regenerate men are , guided by the Spirit of God , and yet without extraordinary revelation cannot certainly discern and distinguish the particulars wherein they are guided by it , nor sensibly perceive the motions thereof ; why may not the Church also be ignorant in what particular points she is so far assisted by God's Spirit , as never to give an erroneous judgment in them ? And as to the other ground , evidence of Tradition , tho I grant sufficient assurance or infallibility in it if plenary ; yet 1. Tradition of some points being greater , and of some other lesser and more obscure ; this Tradition seems not always , in all points to be such as to amount to that certainty some of late pretend , 2ly . By this the Church can only know her infallibility in points traditionary . But then some determinations of Councils , and that under an Anathema , will be found to be , not of doctrines clearly traditional , and such as have bin the common tenents of the former Church ; but of new emergent controversies , not discussed or heard-of in precedent ages , which the Church decides by the judgment and learning of her Bishops , considering * texts of Scripture , wherein such points seem to be included ; and * other doctrines of former and present times , to which they seem to have some relation . All which points , I believe , few Catholicks will agree * that they should be excluded from necessaries , if not found to be of evident Tradition ; or * that in new controversies nothing ever is determined by the Church , and that under Anathema , but only what was formerly evident Tradition ; which new determinations if there were not sometimes , then what need is there of the superassistance of the holy Spirit , that the Church err not . This * concerning the first Concession by both parties , That the Church is infallible in her directions touching Necessaries , and * concerning some consequents thereof . 2. Secondly , it must be , and I think is , granted by all that own Christianity , That the Church is sufficiently infallible in all points that are of Universal Tradition , ( or at least of Tradition so general , as that is , which we have of the Scriptures , ) tho such points were not necessary at all : els they must deny , that we have certainty enough from Tradition that the Scriptures are God's word . And this undeceivableness of general Tradition is the only or chief ground , that some Catholick writers of late build the Church'es infallibility upon ; not that they deny her infallible in all necessaries too ; but that they make all Necessaries to be eminently , and beyond all mistake , traditional . 3. Thirdly it is granted , I think generally by those of the Catholick Church , That the Church is not absolutely infallible in all things whatsoever that she shall say or propose ; but only in such things as she proposeth to her children tanquam de side , or necessario credenda , whether they concern speculatives , or practicals and manners . Concerning this matter , I will give you the several limitations as I find them set down in some of their latest writers . To begin with Bellarmin , one who is thought sufficiently rigid in vindicating the Church'es infallibility . Thus he ( de Concil . authoritate 2. l. 12. c. ) — Concilia Generalia non possunt errare nec in fide explicanda , nec in tradendis praeceptis morum toti Ecclesiae communibus . I may add out of another place ( de verbo Dei 4. l. 9. c. ) ; nec in ritu & cultu divino , for the present times of such Councils . For , ( saith he ) as Ecclesia universalis non potest errare in credendo ; so neither , in operando ; recteque August . Ep. 118. docet insolentissimae insaniae esse existimare non recte sieri quod ab universa Ecclesia sit : tale est Baptisma parvulorm , licet actu non credant &c. But then ( he saith again ) in conciliis maxima pars actorum ad sidem non pertinent ; [ i. e. non proponitur ut necessario credatur : ] non enim sunt de fide disputationes quae praemittuntur , neque rationes quae adduntur , neque ea quae ad explicandum & illustrandum adferuntur , [ nothing incidently spoken , and without purpose to define it ] , sed tantum ipsa nuda decreta , & ea non omnia , sed tantum quae proponuntur tanquam de fide . Interdum enim Concilia aliquid definiunt , non ut certum , sed ut probabile . Vide Concil . Viennense . parvulis in Baptismo conferri gratiam . He grants ibid. That Concilia in Judiciis particularibus , ( i. e. ) ubi non affirmatur aliquid generale & toti Ecclesiae commune , errare possunt . So he grants ( 2. l. 7. c. ) quoad aliqua praecepta morum Concilia plenaria priora emendari per posteriora , sed non quoad dogmata fidei , [ i. e. such as are once proposed by an Universal Council tanquam creditu necessaria ] . Emendari , saith he , therefore they may err . He goes on : quod confirmatur ex verbis Augustini , qui dicit tunc emendari Concilia , quando experimento aliquo aperitur , quod clausum erat , [ clausum , i. e. in the time of the former Council ; ] experimento enim aperiuntur ( saith the Cardinal ) quaestiones de facto , vel de moribus , non quaestiones Juris universalis . And I suppose Bellarmin also will not deny the same of Speculative doctrines , of which it appeareth not , that in the former Councils they are peremptorily defined ut certa & tanquam de fide necessaria : for this well accords with what is but now recited out of him de Concil . authoritate , 2. l. 12. c. According to which c. 8. in his answer to the 10th . Objection , concerning a difference between two Councils about the number of Canonical Books of Scripture , and so pertinens ad fidem , he writes thus , Concilium Carthaginense esse majoris authoritatis quam Laodicenum , quia posterius . — And , Concilium Laodicenum posuit in Canone eos libros de quibus Episcopi ejus Concilii certi erant ; alios autem omisit ; non quidem negans eos esse Canonicos , sed nolens rem dubiam definire . Concilium autem Carthaginense re magis discussa definivit id quod prius Concilium reliquerat sub dubio . Where we see that latter Councils may discover something even in rebus pertinentibus ad fidem , which former have not ; and may define the others doubtings . Again , tho he numbers amongst points of faith , in which the Church cannot err , not only quae expresse continentur in , but also quae evidenter deducuntur ex , Scripturis Prophetarum & Apostolorum , and so makes it the business of a Council , as declarare quodnam sit verbum Dei scriptum vel traditum ; so praeterea ex eo per ratiocinationem deducere conclusiones ; which conclusions also he numbers amongst dogmata sidei : yet he grants that in some deduction , as he calls it , and ratiocination , the Council may err ; in saying neque rationes quae adduntur , quoted before ; affixing the Church'es Inerrability only to those deductions , quae deducuntur evidenter ; and to such deductions only as are her express decreta , and as are proposed tanquam de fide . See the former quotations out of him , de Concil . Authoritate , 2. l. 12. c. Like things ( much-what ) you may read in our learned Country-man Stapleton . See in his Principia fidei doctrinalia 4. controv . and 2. quaest . his septem notabilia : where he saith , first , that Ecclesia non expectat doceri a Deo immediate , solis Enthusiasmis & novis afflatibus sreta , sed utitur certis mediis ad dubii dogmatis determinationem , quia docetur nunc non per Apostolos aut Prophetas , quibus immediat a revelatio frequens erat , sed per Pastores & Doctores . 2ly . That Ecclesia in singulis mediis non habet infallibilem & peculiarem Spiritus sancti directionem , ( quae necessaria erat Apostolis omnia de novo docentibus , & fundament a ponentibus , sed non succedenti Ecclesiae : ) sed potest in illis adhibendis probabili interdum , non semper necessaria , collectione uti . But 3ly . That Ecclesia nihilominus in conclusione fidei semper est certissima & infallibilis . But then 4ly . he saith , that Ad Ecclesiae infallibilitatem in docendo satis est ut sit infallibilis in substantia fidei , & publico dogmate , & rebus ad salutem necessariis : quia hic est finis datae infallibilitatis , viz. ad consummationem Sanctorum , & ad aedificationem corporis Christi ; i. e. ad publicam salutem fidelium . Deus autem & Natura , ut non deficit in necessariis , it a nec superabundat in superfluis . Nec ad quaevis particularia Dei providentia specialis deducenda est : quae ut multos particulares defectus in gubernatione universali permittit ad decorem ipsius Universi , ut not at Augustinus in Civ . Dei , 11. l. 18. c. sic multos privatos in Ecclesia errores , & multarum rerum non necessariarum ignorantiam etiam in doctissimis permittit . — And again to Calvin , charging the Papists that they said , Ecclesia nulli errori potest esse affinis ; he answers , — Infallibilitas docentis Ecclesiae ponitur tantum in rebus ad salutem necessariis , atque adeo in ipsa conclusione . Thus he . [ But then he both assirmeth the teaching Church infallible in all her conclusions , and then affirming her infallible only in necessariis ad salutem , consequently he must hold all the conclusions , which she peremptorily proposeth to be believed , to be necessary ad salutem . ] Hitherto Stapleton . Lastly , in matters of fact , Bellarmin grants general Councils to have erred . See 2. l. 8. c. Resp. to 14. and 15. Objection . The Church therefore is not infallible in all her decrees , but only those which are de side , or ( which is all one in his sence ) which are proposed tanquam de fide . [ Now things are said to be de Fide in many several senses : and therefore you will excuse me here , if I make a digression ( tho something hath bin said thereof in the discours of Necessary Faith , § . 1. ) to declare them , that the different Notions , wherein Authors use this term , may be the better understood . 1. First then you must observe , as Bellarmin notes , ( de verbo Dei 4. l. 9. c. ) that Nihil est de fide [ and therefore cannot be proposed tanquam de fide ] nisi quod Deus per Apostolos aut Prophetas revelavit , aut quod evidenter inde deducitur . Illa omnia quae Ecclesia fide tenet tradita sunt ab Apostolis , aut Prophetis , aut scripto , aut verbo ; [ either by verbal , or also written Tradition , which is the Scriptures , ] therefore he affirms , ibid. Non novis revelationibus nunc regitur Ecclesia , sed in iis permanet quae tradiderunt illi , qui ministri fuerunt sermonis . And , — Concilia Generalia non habent , neque scribunt immediatas revelationes aut verba Dei , sed tantum declarant quidnam sit verbum Dei scriptum vel traditum . [ Quidnam sit , ( i. e. ) from the Apostolical times , before the meeting of the Council , ] & quomodo intelligi debeat , & praeterea ex eo per ratiocinationem deducunt Conclusiones . It aque Concilia cum definiunt qui libri &c. non faciunt sed declarant esse tales . Bell. de Concil . l. 2. c. 12. But note here therefore , that no points become de fide in this sence , i. e. that they are verbum Dei or revelata , because the Church defines them ; much less are all things that she proposeth straight de fide : but that she defines them to be so , only because they are so before , even from the Apostles times , either explicitly , or implicitly ; either express and traditional , and well known from age to age ; or necessarily involved in , and clearly deducible from , those points that are traditional . For , as is said before , the Church hath no new revelation of any thing of necessary knowledge not formerly delivered , ( not that I deny , that some new revelations from God's Spirit concerning things Theological , and of the next world , can be now made to any in the Church ; but only affirm , that all necessary ones are received from the beginning of the Gospel ; and that the Church can build upon no such new ones , because she hath no certain way to discern them ) : neither can the Church make any new Article of faith ( which much differenceth the Church succeeding from the Church Apostolical ; that none may argue the like fallibility or infallibility in both , as to making or composing Articles of Faith ; ) but only the Church can declare , what hath bin always formerly , and explicate the sence ; or also educe out of it the necessary consequents thereof . 2ly . You may observe , that all necessary deductions or conclusions , tho perhaps formerly unknown , yet being the necessary consequents of some other Articles known and common , are properly called Articles of Faith ; or else we must deny those added to the Apostles Creed in the Nicene and Athanasian to be such : or granting these two propositions , [ Est unus tantum Deus , ] and [ Pater est Deus , & Filius est Deus , & Spiritus Sanctus est Deus ; ( Deus here being supposed to bear the same sence as in the Major Proposition ) ] to be Articles of Faith , we must deny this drawn from them [ Pater & Filius & Spiritus Sanctus sunt unus tantum Deus ] to be so . 3ly . You may observe , that such deductions are also necessary to be made and manifested by the Church from time to time , in opposition to contrary errors , destroying by consequence that known Article from which these deductions flow ; that as new Errors arise against the Faith , so new Explanations of the Faith may counterpoise them , and may preserve that former faith in its true sence and in its necessary consequences , by which the explicit articles of our faith must needs increase to the end of the world , if errors against the faith do so . Which also we may call new Articles of Faith , in respect of the arguing newly made , and the proposition it self newly formed ; yet by no means are they new in respect of the principles out of which they are formed , and do necessarily follow . Now therefore they are for the form rather than the matter : as if this proposition , Omnis homo est corpus , should be said to be newly formed , when as these two propositions whereof t is made , Omnis homo est animal , & omne animal est corpus , were well known , and received truths before . Therefore in such sence to make new Articles , there is no need of new revelation ; but , for those more evident , only the operation of common reason . And thus many things become known to posterity , even in things most supernatural , which were not discovered to , or discoursed of , by their fore-fathers , from a further examining ( upon some occasion given ) and discussing of ancient principles , and comparing of former revelations : as out of Mathematical principles new Demonstrations ( yet undeniable ) are daily minted . In which respect knowledge of divine things , as well as humane , may be said to have a continual progress and increase to the end of the world . Dan. 12. 4 , But 4ly , observe concerning these derivative articles ; that , since the deductions which may be made from such as are express and tradititional are almost infinite , tho we cannot deny , that all of them even to the least are still de fide , or matters pertaining to faith , ( for how can the premises be so , and not the conclusion ? ) yet all not necessary to be believed , or matters pertaining to necessary and required Faith. For so neither is every thing that is plainly set down in the Scripture necessary to be believed ; tho it is all matter of faith , being made known to us , that it is there written : as the Cardinal saith de verbo Dei , 4. l. 12. c. Necessario creduntur , quia scripta sunt , yet not ideo scripta sunt , quia necessario credenda erant ; such as are many things historical there . A pure nescience , or also a blamelesly-ignorant contradiction of such things , hurts no man's faith , so we deny them not to be truth , when we happen to know they are Scripture ; but that we should also know them to be Scripture , there lies no tye upon us . So is it with these Deductions , which if in themselves ( as some points are ) they were necessary to salvation to be believed , they would have bin so always , not only after the Church hath made them , but before : But so they are not ; for then former generations , perhaps not knowing some of them at least , would be deficient in requisite faith . A pure nescience of them therefore , in the simplicity of which they are neither affirmed , nor denyed ; or also when denyed , not knowing the contrary determination of Scripture or Church , hurts none ; but only a peremptory denial of them , or the asserting and maintaining of an error contrary unto them , or destructive to that former express traditional Article of Faith , from which they are drawn : and this , when we have a sufficient information , from Scripture or the Church , to know that it is so ; which we have always , after t is known to us that a Council hath determined against it ; and many times may have so before . And hence it is , that , also after the decision of the Church , still to many not the pure nescience or contradiction of such a point ; but the opposing it , and asserting the contrary , when we know it to be proposed by her , is pernicious . In Dr. Holden's Phrase de Resolutione fid . 1. l. 4. c. lectio 2. Cum quis sciens vidensque universam esse Ecclesiae sententiam , illam tamen pertinaciter & obstinate denegaverit , aut etiam oppositum sustinuerit &c. But concerning the unwittingly affirmers of the contrary to some decision of a Council , thus Estius , in 3. sent . 23. dist . 13. § . Diligenter distinguendum est inter eos , qui retenta generali promptitudine credendi quicquid Ecclesia Catholica credit , per ignor antiam tamen in quibusdam fidei dogmatibus errant ; propterea quod nondum iis satis declaratum sit illa Ecclesiam credere : & eos qui post manifestatam sufficienter Ecclesiae doctrinam adhuc ab ea , vel contrarium asserendo , vel certe dubitando , dissentire eligunt ; quod Hoereticorum est proprium . Fidem illi in universali atque in habitu ( ut loquuntur ) totam atque integram retinent , dum quicquid Ecclesia credendum tradit , suscipere se ex animo profitentur . De quorum numero fuit Cyprianus &c. Where also we see , that the Church doth not lay on all men an obligation of knowing whatever she defines in matters of faith ; but of not contradicting or doubting of them , when made known to any . 5ly . Neither is it necessary for the Church to make or propose any such deductive Articles , ( suppose such as those in the Nicene or Athanasian Creed ) ; nor perhaps ought she to charge the faith of Christians with them ; but only where some error ariseth contrary to , and undermining some former received Article or practice , whereby her Sons to the damage of their Christianity are in danger of infection . But any such errors spreading , the Church doth not her duty , if she neglect to promulgate the truths opposite to them . ( See before § . 14. ) For tho the explicit knowledge of such truths is not necessary ; yet this is necessary to the believing such fundamental and prime Articles of faith as God requires , that one together with them do not believe and affirm any thing contrary to , and destructive of them , after he may have sufficient assurance that it is so : and this he may have , so often as the Church states it so . So ( I suppose ) the pure nescience of some deductive Article contained in the Athanasian Creed condemns none , but the maintaining of the contradictory error thereto , after such light given him by the Church : which light she is bound continually to hold forth to her children , so oft as any mists of false opinions begin to overcast the clearness of the former faith . 6ly . But in the last place note from what hath bin said , that tho no points become de side because the Church defines them , but are either so before , or never can be so at all ; yet some of those points which were always de fide , objects of faith , or dogmata fidei , ( so Scotus said Transubstantiation was no dogma fidei till the Lateran Council , meaning by it dogmata credenda , i. e. which men were then tied to assent to ) may become creditu necessaria ( for all points de fide or appertaining to faith , are not necessaria creditu ) after the Church'es determining of them ; which were not so before . Creditu necessaria , not in themselves or affirmatively , as if they ought to be explicitly known ( as some other points de side must ) with reference to attaining salvation ; but only so as not to be denied or opposed , or the contradictory to them maintained , whenever they are first known to us to be declared by the Church , ( whom we are to presume never to divulge such truths , but upon necessary occasions pressing Her to it ) : and this out of the obedience and submission of judgment which we owe to her Decrees . And of this submission due to Councils even when they determine points not of clear Tradition , but ( some-way ) formerly dubious , we have a pattern in the busines of Rebaptization ; which tho formerly not so evident before the decision of the Church , ( Scripture seeming to favour one side , and Ecclesiastical custom the other , so that Provincial Councils varied in their judgment of it , some pro , some con ; ) nor they heretical that affirmed it : yet decided once , submission of judgment was unquestionably ( by St. Austin ) reckoned as due from all ; and they Hereticks ; who after this opposed . See for this S. Austin . de Baptism . cont . Don. 1. l. 7. c. Quaestionis hujus obscuritas ( he speaks concerning Rebaptization ) prioribus Ecclesiae temporibus ante schisma Donati , magnos viros & magna charitate praeditos , Patres , Episcopos , ita inter se compulit , salva pace , disceptare atque fluctuare , ut diu Conciliorum in suis quibusque regionibus diversa statuta nutaverint ; donec plenario totius orbis Concilio ; quod saluberrime sentiebatur , etiam remotis dubitationibus sirmaretur : Again , 2. l. 4. c. Nec nos ipsi tale aliquid ( he speaks of the same point ) auderemus asserere , ( which argues some inevidence in the matter ) nisi universae Ecclesiae concordissima authoritate firmati ; cui & ipse [ Cyprianus ] sine dubio crederet , si jam illo tempore quaestionis hujus veritas eliquata & declarata per plenarium Concilium solidaretur . Yet were the after-opposers anathematized as heretical . Again , cont . Ep. Parmeniani , 2. l. 13. c. Haec quidem alia quaestio est : Utrum Baptismus & ab iis , qui nunquam fuerunt Christiani , potest dari ? nec aliquid temere inde affirmandum est sine authoritate tanti Concilii , quantum tantae rei sufficit . — De iis vero qui ab Ecclesiae unitate separati sunt , nulla jam quaestio est , quin & habeant [ verum Baptisma , ] & dare possint . — Hoc enim in ipsa totius orbis unitate [ i. e. in the Council of Nice ] discussum , consideratum , perfectum atque firmatum est . So contr . Crescon . Gram. 1. l. 33. c. Quamvis hujus rei certe de Scripturis Canonicis non proferatur exemplum , earundem tamen Scripturarum etiam in hac re a nobis tenetur veritas ; cum hoc facimus , quod universae jam placuit Ecclesiae , quam ipsarum Scripturarum commendat authoritas ; ut , quoniam sacra Scriptura fallere non potest , quisquis falli motuit obscuritate hujus quaestionis , eandem Ecclesiam de illa consulat , quam sine ulla ambiguitate sancta Scriptura demonstrat . Obscuritate quaestionis , for tho elsewhere ( de Baptismo cont . Don. 5. l. 23. c. ) he supposeth it an Apostolical Tradition on one side , [ Apostoli quidem nihil exinde praeceperunt , sed consuetudo illa quae opponebatur Cypriano , ab eorum traditione exordium sumpsisse credenda est : sicut sunt multa quae tenet universa Ecclesia ; & ob hoc ab Apostolis praecepta bene creduntur , quanquam scripta non reperiantur ] ; and tho this custom was by the Bishop of Rome and his party much pressed against Cyprian and his adherents , and Agrippinus St. Cyprian's Predecessor is said to be the first that introduced a contrary practice , ( see Aust. de Bapt. 3. l. 12. c. non novam se rem statuisse Beatus Cyprianus ostendit , quia sub Agrippino jam coeperat fieri ) : yet it appears , that St. Austin did not think all common customs and traditions , ( tho pretended Apostolical ) before they were approved and warranted by the judgment of the Church in her Councils , to be so simply obligatory , as that they may not be disputed , if seeming opposite to another ( surer ) Apostolical Tradition , i. e. the Scriptures : as St. Cyprian thought this custom was , and so answered Steven , ( see Cypr. Ep. ad Pomp. contra Steph. ) ; and in this answer is defended by St. Austin , ( see de Bapt. 2. l. 8. c. ) quia tunc non extiterant &c. Noluit vir gravissimus rationes suas ( etsi non veras , quod eum latebat , sed tamen ) non victas ( veraci quidem , sed tamen ) nondum assertae consuetudini cedere . Assertae , i. e. by * any Council ; or , cleared not to be * against the Scriptures urged ( but mistakenly ) by Cyprian . And St. Austin also himself saith the same thing with Cyprian , de Bapt. 3. l. 6. c. Quis dubitat veritati manifestatae debere consuetudinem cedere ? This I have set you down the more fully , that you might see the power and authority of General Councils , not only in declaring points traditional , but in deciding questions some way obscure and doubtful ; and what submission was due to such points once determined , in St. Austin's opinion : who yet held former , by latter , Councils might be amended ; and consequently their ( in some things ) liability to error or doubting . And so such points are to be believed in consequence only to another point of necessary faith , namely , That private men ought in all things , at least not demonstrative on the contrary , to submit their own to the Church'es judgment : as many things written in God's word are necessary to be assented to , when known to be there written ( which are not written there because they are necessarily to be known , or believed , ) in consequence to that necessary point of faith , that whatever is written in God's word is true . And hence also are there two sorts of Hereticks ; some are such before any Council condemning their Tenent , if it happen to be against points de fide clear , necessary , and universally or eminently traditional ; so were there presently after the Apostles times many Hereticks , before any Council assembling or condemning their opinions ; others , only such , after their error condemned by a Council , if the points be of less evidence &c. These latter rendred Hereticks not from the nature of their Tenent , but their obstinacy and opposition to the obligation which the Church'es Authority lays upon them in her determinations . Whose publick proposal of such doctrines as divine truths is sufficient for their belief , and further embracing the same as such , ( and therefore their further opposition of it is not error , but heresy ) ; unles they can infallibly demonstrate the contrary . In which case ( if ever any such can happen ) they are free from wilful opposition or heresie : ( i. e. I mean in their denying their assent to the Church ; but in public contradicting , even those infallibly certain &c. may be still faulty ) : else they stand guilty thereof , and also of Schism , if for such a decision they go on to forsake the Church'es communion . So St. Cyprian's followers , after a General Council , were counted Hereticks , ( tho the matter of this Heresy , as also of many others , so called from opposition to General Councils , seem not to be in themselves of very great importance ) ; not so He before it . In which opinion ( namely , that the Baptism of Hereticks was ineffectual ) saith Dr. Potter sect . 4. many good Catholick Bishops accorded with him and the Donatists : as likewise with the Novatians in another , [ viz. that the Church ought not to absolve some grievous sinners , ] before the Nicene Council . So tho since the Decision of the Florentine Council 1439 , those who hold , animas justorum non visuras Deum nisi post resurrectionem , are by the Church of Rome counted Hereticks , from opposition &c : yet those who before that time maintained it , ( amongst whom was Pope John the 22d . ) they acknowledge were free from it . See Bell. de Rom. Pontif. 4. l. 14. c. Respondeo Johannem hunc revera sensisse animas non visuras Deum , nisi post resurrectionem : caeterum hoc sensisse , quando adhuc sentire licebat sine periculo haeresis : nulla enim adhuc praecesserat Ecclesioe definitio . In such sence Scotus saith Transubstantiation was no dogma fidei before the Lateran Council . Thus you see , tho all divine Revelation , and necessary deduction from it , is de fide , and the object and matter of faith ; and tho the Church can make nothing de fide ( i. e. ) to be divine Revelation , which was not so always from our Saviour's and the Apostles times ; yet all divine Revelation is not de fide in another sence ( i. e. ) proposed by the Church to Christians as necessary to be believed ; and thus a proposition may be de fide to day , which yesterday was not . And those who affirm the Church to be unerrable in all points de fide , mean not in all points absolutely which may possibly be derived from some traditional principle of Faith ; but only in so many of them as she proposeth to Christians tanquam de fide , or necessary to be believed : whilst very many theological propositions probably deducible from the delivered principles , and even mentioned affirmatively in Councils , yet are no part of these necessarily injoyned credends . ] To return now to our matter whence we digressed § . 11. and to pass from Bellarmin to some other late writers of the Roman Church of the moderatest sort . These seeing , that some deductions and consequences from revealed and traditional doctrines are neither so immediate and clear , nor yet so necessary to be known , and the contradictory of them to be confuted as others , do assert and derive the Churches inerrability chiefly or only from evidence of Tradition ; not certainty of reason , or extraordinary illumination of the Spirit . Whence these also , holding the Church'es infallibility in all things which she determineth tanquam de fide , do likewise maintain all things determined by her tanquam de fide to be only doctrines traditional ; or those so evidently deductive as that in substance they are coincident with that which is traditional . See Dr. Holden de resol . Fid. 1. l. 9. c. I will transcribe you some part . Quaedam consecutiones adeo evidenter constant primo intuitu , ut nemo sanoe mentis ( supposita praemissarum veritate ) possit ullatenus de rei veritate ambigere : as there he names this ; Duas esse in Christo voluntates proved ex duplici natura Christi , against the Monothelites . Quoecunque autem sub hac ratione & conditione declarantur & denunciantur ab Ecclesia universa , seu a Concilio Generali , veram habent divinae fidei seu veritatum revelatarum & Catholice traditarum certitudinem &c. Aliae sunt consecutiones & sequelae , quae non adeo manifeste & evidenter emicant & effulgent ; quin studium aliquod & scientia requiratur &c. Hujusmodi autem veritates ( quarum aliquas vidimus in Conciliis Generalibus definitas ) supremam illam & Catholicam certitudinem , quam vi traditionis universae attribuimus articulis fidei , habere nequeunt . Nullos etenim agnovit Ecclesia divini luminis radios sibi de novo affulgentes , quibus veritatibus recenter detect●s & particularium hominum ratiocinatione quodammodo develatis , possit certitudo ab omni prorsus periculo erroris immunis , atque fidei revelatis & catholice traditis articulis par & aequalis succrescere . Thus Dr. Holden : to whom I may add Mr. Cressy in his Motives , ( approved by several Sorbon-Doctors ) 33. c. Besides the certain Traditional doctrine , [ of which he speaks before ] other points of doctrine there are sometimes decided in Councils rather by the judgment and learning of the Bishops considering texts of Scripture , wherein such points seem to be included , and weighing together the doctrines of ancient Fathers and modern Doctors : now such doctrines or decisions many Catholicks conceive are not in so eminent a manner the necessary objects of Christian faith , &c. Then after . — If in such Decisions , as these latter are , there should happen to be any error , ( which yet we may piously believe the assistance of God's H. Spirit promised to the Church will prevent , ) but if this should happen &c. And c. 41. And many Catholick writers there are , who upon the same grounds with Mr. Chillingworth extend the promise of the holy Spirits assistance to the Church , not to all inconsiderable circumstantial doctrines , but to substantial and traditionary only . Thus he . See like things in F. Sancta Clara , syst . fid . 12 , 13 , 14. c. -12 . c. p. 110. Singula , quae in Conciliis tractantur , non sunt ejusdem considerationis . Illa quae a Theologis hinc inde agitantur , & ante definitiones examinantur , & tandem non nisi magno labore , & rerum & consequentiarum subtili trutinatione ex discursu longo & perplexo ad Conclusiones statuendas devenitur ; hujusmodi omnia si tanquam non necessaria & errabilia putantur , nihil est contra Ecclesiae infallibilitatem . And 13. c. p. 147. Cum hac tamen doctrina bene stat proloquium illud Scholasticorum , Ecclesiam simpliciter non posse errare in fide , licet bene circa fidem , seu in appendicibus fidei , hoc est , ut alii loqui malunt , in non-fundamentalibus seu non-necessariis . — [ And one such point , which he instanceth in , tho not as a determination of any Council , ( yet see Concil . Lateran . 3. Can. which seems somewhat to favour this opinion ) , yet as a common received tenent in some former times , is this : — Papam ex Christi institutione plenissimam habere in universum orbem jurisdictionem temporalem , eamque in Imperatores & Reges transfudisse , adeo ut habeat toti mundo dominari , & omnia regna disponere : 12. c. p. 124. where he quotes many Authors . Quod tamen ( saith he ) hoc saeculum in Scholis non fert , ut satis colligitur ex Suaresio , Bellarmino , & aliis . See likewise the Authors quoted in Bellarmin . de Roman . Pont. 5. l. 5. c. § . Argumentum postremum . and § . Sanctus quoque Bonavent . where he names Hugo de S. Victore about 1130. who was one of the first qui temporalem potestatem summ● Pontisici ex Christi institutione tribuit . ] And is not Stapleton , quoted before , of the same opinion with these ? when he saith ; It is sufficient that the Church be infallible in the substance of faith ; in public doctrines , and things necessary to Salvation , ( as Bellarmin grants some points de fide are not , ) being the end of infallibility given ; God and Nature , as they are not defective in necessaries , so neither being superabundant in superfluities , &c. And doth not St. Austin's Saying , so much noted , shew him too of the same opinion ? I will transcribe it somewhat more fully than usual , as being very considerable . Answering to St. Cyprian's Authority , ( urged against him by the Donatists ) for rebaptization of such as had bin only baptized by Hereticks , amongst other things , he goes on , de Baptism . 2. l. 3. c. Quis autem nesciat sanctam Scripturam &c , posterioribus Episcoporum literis ita praeponi ; ut de illa omnino dubitari & disceptari non possit , utrum verum vel utrum rectum sit , quicquid in ea scriptum esse constiterit . Episcoporum autem literas , quae post confirmatum Canonem scribuntur &c. per Concilia licere reprehendi , si quid &c. & ipsa Concilia , quae per singulas regiones vel Provincias siunt , pleniorum Conciliorum authoritati , quae fiunt ex universo orbe Christiano , sine ullis ambagibus cedere ; [ quis autem nesciat ] ipsaque plenaria saepe priora posterioribus emendari ? cum aliquo experimento rerum aperitur quod clausum erat , & cognoscitur quod latebat ; which he applies afterward to the point of Non-rebaptization , when it was by the Church better considered . ( See a like passage to this de Bapt. 2. l. 9. c. — Si Concilium ejus [ i. e. Cypriani , the Provincial Council called by him ] attenditur , huic est universae Ecclesiae posterius Concilium praeponendum . — Nam & Concilia posteriora prioribus apud posteros praeponuntur , & universum partibus semper jure optimo praeponitur . ) Now that St. Austin ( as Mr. Cressy well observes , Motives 33. c. ) understands this emendation of Councils in points not of fact &c. but of Doctrine , ( I mean of such doctrines as are not expresly delivered by former plenary Councils , and those Councils accepted by the Church catholick tanquam de fide ; which determinations the Church is conceived only to make in points more evidently certain to her , and so never after amendable , ) appears from the context both precedent and consequent ; where he goes on : Quapropter S. Cyprianus qui &c. satis ostendit facillime se correcturum fuisse sententiam suam , si quis ei demonstraret Baptismum Christi sic dari posse ab tis qui foras exierunt ; quemadmodum amitti non potuit , cum foras exirent : unde multa jam diximus ; nec nos ipsi tale aliquid auderemus asserere , nisi universae Ecclesiae concordissima authoritate firmati : cui & ipse sine dubio cederet , si jam illo tempore quaestionis hujus veritas eliquata & declarata per plenarium Concilium solidaretur . Which answers to what he said before , [ aliquo experimento rerum aperitur , quod clausum erat &c. ] as elsewhere he intimates the former obscurity of this question , de Bapt. 1. l. 7. c. Tho indeed it is well noted of some concerning this passage of St. Austin , that by the Concilia plenaria he meaneth only such larger Councils as were composed of many Provinces , inferior to the most General ; such as that of Nice : because he saith , — Quis nesciat priora saepe posterioribus emendari . When-as before his time there had bin only two of these most general Councils , and of these the latter making no such emendations , as to reverse or contradict any one doctrine of the former . Now that Councils , inferior to those collected ex toto orbe Christiano , only if consisting of many Provinces , were by St. Augustin and other Africans stiled Concilia plenaria or universalia , see de Baptis . 2. l. 7. c. — 3. l. 2. c. — Contra Parmenian . Epist. ● . l. 3. c. Contra Crescon . 3. l. 53. c. Codex Canon . Ecclesiae African . passim num . 19. 28. 65 , 25. — Conc. Carthag . A. D. 403. num . 127. 138. of these inferior plenary Councils then St. Austin seems to speak , when he mentions the latter correcting the former , reading the words quae fiunt by way of Parenthesis . — Quis nesciat ipsa Concilia , i. e. quae per singulas regiones vel Provincias fiunt [ Councils Provincial ] plenariorum Conciliorum authoritati [ those comprehending many Provinces , and especially those quae fiunt ex toto orbe Christiano , as that of Arls or Nice , for one of these he meaneth here , but rather that of Arls 1. see Canon 8. and St. Aust. Ep. 162. ad Eleusin . ] sine ullis ambagibus cedere , ipsaque saepe plenaria [ those Councils comprehending many Provinces ; for this saepe emendari cannot be applied to the universally-General , that were before St. Austin's times ; neither can his arguments against the Donatists stand good upon such a supposition of such Councils errability ] priora &c. Again Bellarmin himself , since he grants that Councils may err in the reasons they give for some Conclusions ; ( which I conceive extends also to the mis-interpretation of some Scriptures , whence they draw them , ) and , in the deductions to be made , that they may be de side , puts in evidenter , aut quod evidenter inde deducitur ; and allows latter Councils may determin what former Councils doubt of , ( which determination , when-as both of them have the same assistance of the Spirit , is only from some rational light that latter Councils from more weighing and discoursing such points do attain : ) doth he not affirm a Council , in some smaller and less evident or less argued points of doctrine , liable to some error ? And lastly , that the Church doth not pretend to infallibility in all doctrines pertaining to faith , but only to some , as being more evident , me thinks sufficiently appears from this ; That in her General Councils she decides not all pre-extant controversies , but hath left many sharp ones ( namely where there is neither clear revelation , nor tradition , nor consequence from them for either side ) undetermined ; and in that she hath defined some others as probable , see Concil . Viennense fore-quoted . But if she were by divine assistance in all doctrinals pertaining to faith ( whereof some are granted not necessary , Bell. de Ecclesia 3. l. 14. c. ) certain of truth , she ought never to state any as probabilities . Whence also it appears , that of all controversies that arise , tho some way pertaining to faith , one side is not presently to be called necessary , and to be decreed ; and the contradictory thereof necessary to be confuted , and exterminated . But if in all truths ( necessary or not necessary ) when she offers once to decide them , the Church must needs be infallible ( notwithstanding any mis-arguing ) by the supervising of the H. Spirit ; lest any should be induced to believe something false : Is there not the same reason , that in matters of fact ( notwithstanding any mis-information ) she should be by the same holy Spirit preserved from erring ; lest any should be obliged , and that sometimes under her Anathema's , ( for these also she useth in matters of fact ) to submit to what is wrong ? Thus much concerning this tenet , That only Traditional points and their undeniable plain Consequences are the matter of the Churc'es infallibility , and de fide necessaria of Christians . But note , that the Church'es infallibility must not be enlarged to all points which may be called Traditional neither : for surely , of all things pretended to be traditional , there is not Tradition equally evident ; but of some less than of others ; according to which the evidence of the Church must be of many several dogrees ; neither may we reasonably ascribe to her the infallibility in all of them , which we do in some other : tho her evidence in the least may be so much , as that none ought to reluct against her sentiment or practice . The next thing which will be enquired after is , How to know amongst many decrees of Councils , which of them , according to the expression of the former opinions , the Church proposeth tanquam de fide , or tanquam necessario credenda ; or which she proposeth as clear and plenary Tradition , or undeniable deduction therefrom ; it being agreed , that all her proposals or decrees are not such . A Quaere very necessary to be resolved for those ( if any such there be , ) who affix obedience of assent only to infallibility , and this infallibility again only to such decrees ; but a Quaere for all others ( me-thinks ) not of so much concernment . I find the marks of such distinction set down in Bell. de Conc. 2. l. 12. c. thus . — Quando autem decretum proponatur tanquam de fide , facile cognoscitur ex verbis Concilii : semper enim dicere solent , 1. Se explicare fidem Catholicam , 2. vel Haereticos habendos , qui contrarium sentiunt ; vel ( quod est communissimum ) dicunt Anathema , & ab Ecclesia excludunt eos , qui contrarium sentiunt . [ What then , what if it be only Anathema iis , qui contrarium dicunt aut docent ? ] Quando autem nihil horum dicunt , non est certum rem esse de side . Thus Bellarmin . But note here , that Bellarmin tells us not plainly , whether something in Councils is proposed tanquam de side , without any Anathema set to it ; only he doubtingly saith , non est certum : and those others ( again ) who build the Church'es inerrability on Tradition , and the evident Consequences thereof , tel us not , whether some of those Decisions that are enjoyned with Anathema's , are not sometimes some of those secondary consequences more doubtful , ad quas colligendas studium aliquod & scientia requiritur : or which are made by the judgment and learning of the Bishops considering texts of Scripture , the doctrines of ancient Fathers , and modern Doctors &c. As indeed t is likely some of them are ; Anathema's being added so frequently even in smaller matters , and in the newest controversies . And perhaps it can hardly be shewn by these writers , that every Proposition in a General Council that hath an Anathema affixed to it , is traditional to such a degree of evidence , ( since some Traditions are much more universal and evident than some others ) that it amounts to infallibility ( not from the assistance of the holy Spirit , but ) from the clearnes of Tradition . In this distinction therefore of points de fide or necessary credends , wherein the Church is infallible , exactly from others , I think these Authors cannot speak out so clearly ; because tho some points are of much more certainty , and also of much higher concernment than others , yet Councils seem not so punctual in severing them by a diversity of expression , unless in very few : ( perhaps a thing not possible to be done by them , see § . 3. ) See Dr. Holden , 1. l. 8. c. acknowledging some such thing : In tradenda doctrina Christiana nunquam audivimus Ecclesiam articulorum revelatorum & divinarum institutionum catalogum exhibuisse vel composuisse , quo separatim cognosci possint hujusmodi sidei divinae dogmata ab omnibus aliis , quae vel Ecclesiasticae sint institutionis , vel quae centae revelationi divinae haud immediate innitantur ; atque ideo omnia simul confuse & indistincte semper docuisse & tradidisse . Yet the same Councils may and do require subscription and obedience to all their definitions , as they being the supreme and unappealable Judge * authorized by Christ ( for the peace and unity of the Church ) to give the law to all men , * abundantly assisted by the Spirit of Truth for all Necessaries , even the obscurest and most unacquainted doctrines , if you can once prove them necessary : and besides this if , in some other matters of less concernment they be liable to error ; yet how much less they than private men ? And therefore their submission of judgment to these remains still most rational , as well as obligatory . The chief note , which I find for the distinction of these points de fide , wherein the Church is infallible , from other determinations or proposals , is the affixing of Anathema's , ( which are the same with Excommunication . ) But 1. first , several of these Anathema's ( if we do rely on their form ) may require , not internal assent , as looking meerly at faith ; but non-contradiction , as looking perhaps ( in some points ) more at peace ; many running only , si quis dixerit &c , Anathema sit . But if it be said , that the Anathema's only , that are set upon a Si quis sentiat or credat , are the Index of such points de fide for necessary credends ; then will very few decrees of Councils pass for such , ( for example , not above four or five of all those made in the Council of Trent , I mean , as to this particular Index of Credends , viz. Anathema ) : and doubtles many more of the decisions of Councils are contended to be such credends , than those that can shew this mark of Anathema fixed expresly to dissentients ; of which see more in Church-Government , 4. Part. § . 79. Again , this injunction of Non-contradiction or of keeping silence , tho it be * such as opposeth the saying , that the contrary to the Church'es determination is a truth ; or , that the Church erreth in any such decision ; much more , an open departing for such unnecessary matter ( for the Church errs in no necessaries ) from her communion ; yet perhaps it is not * such as opposeth the making or humbly proposing of any doubt thereof , at least in a second convening of the same Authority . See , I pray you , in the denouncing of her Anathema's , the great warines of the Council of Trent , in 24. sess . 7. c. Si quis dixerit Ecclesiam errare , cum docuit propter adulterium &c , Anathema sit , noted by Soave in his History of it , p. 755. Engl. Ed. to be done , because she would not censure * some of the Greek Church , who held the contrary opinion ; as likewise * some of the Fathers , as S. Ambrose . And surely this Council's affixing Anathema's sometimes to so many Lutheran errors , some doubtles of smaller moment , ( as they were gather'd here and there by some persons , appointed to that purpose , out of Luther's writings , ) because they were opposite to the common doctrines of the Church , shews , that her Anathema sometimes eyed more the petulancy and contradicting spirit of the Author , than the importance of the Tenet ; and was sent forth , more to secure her peace , than her faith . What should hinder , I pray , since some questions possibly may arise in the Church , undecidable clearly by Tradition ; and since ( no doubt ) of all questions now agitated among the Schoolmen , or other Catholicks , one side is not traditional ; for then how could so many Catholicks oppose a thing of such evidence ; again , since it is the Church'es duty to provide for peace and unity among her children , as well as faith and truth ; and lastly , since sharp and vehement contests may arise in such new controversies , to the great disturbance thereof ; what should hinder , I say , that the Church in such cases may not impose silence on both parties ? or , secondly , using her best search , and going upon such Scriptures and reasons , as perhaps some side urgeth , declare her judgment ; and that under some penalty on the opposers and gainsayers thereof ? or require submission of their judgment also to her , not as she declares her judgment infallible ; but only as it is definitive and unappealable ? ( else her orders are no more than good counsel ) . On the gainsayers &c. not as subverters of some necessary faith , but as troublers ( for an unnecessary ( if ) truth ) of the Church'es peace , and rebels to her authority ; whom Christ hath commanded to hear ; not only how far they list , or in their private judgment see cause . And if she may impose some penalty ; then why not anathematize , or excommunicate ? This Anathematizing even Protestants do not so far charge as a trespass of charity , or a sign of rigor upon the Church of Rome or her Councils ; but that they allow , that those who turbulently , or pertinaciously speak against the Doctrines of the Church in smaller points , may be anathematized for it . See Dr. Fern in his Preface to Consider . of present Concernment &c. We acknowledge , that he who shall pertinaciously , turbulently speak and teach against the doctrines of the Church in points of less moment , may deserve to be anathematized , or put out of the Church : for such a one , tho he denies not the faith , yet makes a breach of charity , whereby he goes out of the Church , against which he so sets himself . Thus he of pertinacious and turbulent contradiction ; but then modest contradiction he allows . Was Luther's and Calvin's modest ? Are not Anathema's used by her against Schismatical as well as Heretical spirits ? May not she excommunicate as well disturbers of her peace , as subverters of her faith ? How come Schismaticks then thrown out of the Church ? Doth she not use Anathema's or Excommunications in matters of Fact , wherein she is confest to be liable to error ? If in decisions not traditional &c , we are bound to yeild obedience , ( as I shall shew anon ) ; what reason have we , why the Church may not anathematize for these points those , who contradict and disobey ? But if she may : then Anathema ( for any thing we know ) is joyned to some point not traditional , nor in which the Church is infallible . 2. To put this matter more out of doubt : why have Provincial Councils ( granted fallible ) used anathematizing ( than which nothing more frequent ) toward those under their Jurisdiction ? If any say they use Anathema's indeed , but not to be in force ( I say not after they be contradicted ( which we grant ) but ) till they be confirmed by a General Council ; then why may they , and have they , bin put in practice , before they were by any such Council confirmed ? Nay to what purpose such Council convened , since it hath no power of excommunicating the resisters ? and since , when a General Council sits , that sufficiently obligeth ; before it sits , the other obligeth not . 3. Again , many Heresies ( as the Pelagian &c. ) by Provincial Councils have bin censured and supprest : but who may judg heresies , i. e. errors against points of faith , may pronounce Anathema's . Judicium non infallibile tamen sufficit ad excommunicandum : — & debent privati homines acquiescere ejusmodijudicio ; donec non judicaverit aliter Apostolica Sedes , vel Concilium Universale ; & si secus egerint , merito excommunicantur , saith Bell. de Concil . 2. l. 10. c. Judicio , in points of Doctrine too : for as for matter of fact , he will allow the same liability to error may be in particular which in General Councils . Thus much touching your first Quaere , concerning the Infallibility of the Church . Now I come to your second , concerning Obedience due to the Church , and submission of private judgment . Where I think this will be made clear unto you , That ( to what point soever the Church'es infallibility be enlarged , yet this ) the Universal-Infallibility of this Supreme Judge of Controversies is not a necessary ground , or the only rule of the duty of obedience thereto , ( neither of the obedience of Non-contradiction , nor yet that of Assent ) : but that there may be , and is , just obligation of obedience ( I mean that of submission of judgment , i. e. to believe what it delivereth ) to a fallible Authority , i. e. one that may command us perhaps to believe sometimes what is an untruth . And if this be a truth , I conceive it may be of some good consequence . For first , so , those also may be rationally induced to yeild obedience to the Church ; who now think themselves to be clearly freed from it , unles it can first be shewed them , that the Church is infallible in all her Propositions : neither will they ( then ) suppose themselves so easily discharged ( by shewing the contradictions of General Councils in some few matters perhaps ) from their obedience in all other points , wherein these agree ; or which some defining , none other have reversed , and the Church hath received in her general practice ; or also wherein they find even a later Council contradicting a former . For if ( as St. Austin saith ) later Synods may amend and correct the former ; they ought also , in what they amend them , to be submitted-to , non obstante the contradiction of the former . Secondly , so those , who have not opportunity of consulting the highest Tribunal , may not think their duty cancell'd ( excepting where they are certain ) to other their Superiors and Spiritual Guides , because fallible or suborordinate ; nor will oppose so frequently to them , not the Dictates of an higher Court , but of their private judgment . When-as certainly this submission of our judgment and reason to a Superior , tho fallible , authority , is a duty most acceptable to God , and which , tho much unpractised by , and ( I am afraid ) quite unknown to , many Sectaries amongst Protestants ; yet hath bin always most religiously observed elsewhere in the Church of God by those who have bin most eminent in piety : nothing conducing more to the preservation of truth , unity of minds , peace , security , and serenity of a man's conscience , and lastly to true humility , mortification , and self-denial , ( there being no mortification , nor self-denial like this ; and therefore perhaps so many refuse it , because there is nothing so much our self as our judgment ) : And again , the contrary thereof , as it is the fruit of pride and self-conceit ; so , having bin always the promoter of error , and mother of distraction and confusion . I cannot here but set down two or three words of Mr. Hooker , 2. l. 7. sect . This opinion , saith he , ( which T. Cartwright maintain'd against Councils , &c , ) [ that an argument of authority of Man is in matters divine nothing worth , ] being once inserted into the minds of the vulgar sort , what it may grow into , * God knoweth ; I may add , * we have seen . Now to shew this Truth , 1. first , I must grant to you ; That God hath obliged no man to believe a known-to-him error , or to believe an error quatenus error : for this I think is a contradiction in terminis ; to believe that to be a truth which he knows ( I do not say , which he thinks , or doubts ) is not a truth : ( the same may be said of obligation to the doing or practice of any thing certainly known to one to be unlawful , ) and therefore I grant the consequence ; That , if any be bound to believe or assent to a fallible Authority in all they determin for truth , either they de facto shall never determin an error ; or at least a private man shall never certainly know that , which they determin , to be an error . 2ly . Again , this I hold most certain ; That God cannot propose any error to be believed by us for a truth ; for this would mainly oppose his veracity , as any impiety doth his holines . And 3ly , I see not that God , in obliging to obedience of fallible Councils , can be said to have absolutely necessitated any to believe an error , tho unknown to him to be so ; unless we can say also , that God hath necessitated that Authority to err ; for t is possible for one errable not actually to err . But ( granting actual error of our Guides in some things ) to come now to some stating of this matter : ( which note , that it will be the same case in every thing concerning their injunctions of believing truths or falsities ; and of doing things lawful , or unlawful . ) 1. First then , I am not obliged by God to obedience to any authority ( inferior or supreme ) in any thing , I certainly or infallibly know to be an error or unlawful . Some case therefore there is , which if it happen , I cannot be justly obliged to obey an authority fallible . Therefore I willingly assent to such sayings as that of Mr. Hooker , 2. l. 7. § . ( quoted by Mr. Chillingworth , 5. c. 110. § . as if it weakened or qualified that Author's judgment elsewhere for submission to Church-Authority : ) Altho 10000 General Councils would set down one and the same definitive sentence , yet one demonstrative reason alledged , [ demonstrative , that is , infallible , ] or one manifest [ truly manifest , not seeming so , for what Sect hath not their ( called ) demonstrations and manifest texts ] testimony cited from the word of God himself to the contrary , could not chuse but overweigh them all &c. Will any Catholick writer deny this ? He may say further , If an Angel from Heaven &c. Let there be submission of judgment where such manifest texts and demonstrations are not , and all is well . And ( again ) I must grant that it follows not , from the Church'es infallibility in Fundamentals or Necessaries being supposed , that therefore all are tied to assent to her in whatsoever she proposeth , if they can certainly know that she errs in any point ; because then they certainly know that such point is not necessary , or fundamental ; since in such necessaries she is granted to be infallible . Again , I grant , that if any can be certain that two General Councils do point-blank contradict one another , ( tho one of them is in the right ) he may be certain that such point , wherein they contradict , is not fundamental ; but yet nevertheles he is in such point to assent to the latter Council , unles he can infallibly demonstrate the contrary . 2. Secondly , I am not obliged by God to obedience of assenting or acting to any inferior Court or Magistrate , in a thing whereof I doubt only , whether it be truth , whether it be lawful ; if there be any higher court , to whom I have opportunity to repair for better information : but if otherwise I am ( notwithstanding my doubting ) to acquiesce in the judgment of a lower court . 3. Thirdly , to the supreme Ecclesiastical court , tho supposed fallible in some things , I am obliged to obedience , both of assent and acting ( at least in such a manner as is described before , § . 28. ) in all things which are not certainly known by me to be errors , or unlawful . What do I gain by this for obedience to them ? very much . For 1. if all , who cannot be sure that a General Council is erroneous in any point , must submit their assent to all ; very few they will be ( most men being ignorant , and not pretending at all to demonstrate against General Councils ) that may withdraw it in any thing at all ; and none at all in most things . But 2ly , by what way can any one in any thing be infallibly sure ( not think only , or suppose that he is sure ) that such a Council errs ? By divine Revelation ? But whence can he certainly know , that it is Divine ? especially when these contrary to the proposals of the Church'es supremest Council ? By the Church ? But that is She ( in the way wherein only she is capable of delivering it ) whose judgment he opposeth . By the Scriptures ? Hath he any other ( then ) , besides those the Church hath , and which she first recommended unto him ? Or understands he them better ? He , whoever pretends evidence of Scripture against the Church , in very deed objects only his own interpretation thereof against that of the Church ; and for doing this methinks he might blush before so many Reverend Fathers . For suppose he find the contradictory to their decision totidem verbis in Scripture , words are capable of divers acceptions : and the true contradiction lies in the sence , not the terms . But then hath he well compared Scriptures ? And is he sure that no other text is again totidem verbis contradictory to that he urgeth ? If it be , then one place must not be understood as the letter soundeth ; and then why not that which he presseth ? I ask a Protestant ; Is a Catholick presently infallibly certain , that the Protestant Synods are erroneous in denying of Christ's presence-corporal in the Sacrament , so soon as he reads the words , Hoc est Corpus meum ? I could heap up many instances in this kind . But I would not have this so understood , as if I held , that a private man might not be sufficiently certain in many things , from the exceeding evidence and clearnes of the Scriptures therein . But hardly , I say , shall he ever be so , in any such thing , where a General Council is not certain of the same , from the same so clear Scriptures ; but ( at least ) thinks its self from these Scriptures ( or notwithstanding them ) certain of the contrary . Lastly , by Reason ? But what arguments from their Reasons can counterpoise this , from the authority of so many of much greater reason ? ( Ipsa sola Ecclesiae Catholicae authoritas argumentum est majoris ponderis , quam alia quaevis ratio , quia credendum judicamus quicquid maxime & vitam & societatem humanam dirigit ac conducit ) : Especially if this be considered , That as many matters of our faith are obscure , and exceeding the natural light of reason ; so evidence of private judgment in them against the Church can hardly be so pressing and irresistible , as that he may not conform to her judgment ) . Again , what certainty can any presume-of in such a pretended demonstration , as being communicated and made known to others , yet convinceth none but himself ? The authority even of Councils less than General ( i. e. fallible ) to punish dissenters from their decrees , ( unless they have unjustly hitherto usurped it , ) methinks argues their errors to be by private men not easily discoverable . But of this see more in Obligation of Judgment , § . 15. 22. &c. Trial of Doct. § . 14. Church-Governm . 2. part . § . 36. &c. It remains then that I go on to shew ; That , where we have not this infallible certainty , God hath obliged men to submit their own opinion to , and to acquiesce in , the judgment ( tho fallible ) of those Superiors whom he hath appointed to guide them : and so per accidens hath obliged them to believe a falsity ; so it be not certainly known to them to be false : or ( as you say ) to obey another in any thing , right or wrong ; so long as it is not certainly known to them to be wrong , ( and so long they know not , but that it is right ) ; and that under pain of sinning against their duty . Obliged them , I say , not only for opinions , but actions , which depend on their opinions . For note , that if we owe no obedience of assent to any judgment fallible , lest they teach us something untrue ; neither owe we to them any obedience of our actions , lest they command us something unlawful ; or also lest we act something contrary to our conscience , which we never may . Again , To their Superiors , I say ; if so be that they have no other higher Superiors ( in respect of whom the authority of the inferior is always voided ) whom in their doubtings they can repair-to , and consult ; as in respect of General Councils , tho they should be fallible , we have not a superior Director . 1. First for such obedience due , not only to the supreme Synods or Courts , but also to inferior Spiritual Governors fallible , see the express divine command in many Scriptures , Heb. 13. 7 , 9 , 17. [ whose faith follow . ] Eph. 4. 11. &c. [ Pastors and Teachers sent , that we might not be carried away with other doctrines than those which they deliver . ] Matt. 18. 15. &c. We appointed to hear the Church , upon penalty of being treated like Heathens , and of being bound as on Earth , so in Heaven . Acts. 20. 28 , 29. The clergy appointed Episcopi to feed the flock ; that must be , amongst other things , surely with their Doctrine , which is the Spiritual nourishment of the Flock not to be refused . — Luk. 10. 16. [ He that hears them hears Christ , and the despiser of them despiseth Christ. ] To which may be added all those texts which authorize Ghurch-Governors to judge controversies , and inflict their censures upon false teachers , and spreaders of errors . 1 Tim. 4. 11 . -6 . 3 , 5. Tit. 1. 11 . -3 . 10 , 11. Acts 15. 2. &c. 1 Tim. 1. 20. compared with 2 Tim. 2. 17 , 18 . -4 . 14 , 15. Rev. 2. 2 , 14 , 15 , 20. 1 Cor. 14. 29 , 32. Again , all those texts wherein Christians are exhorted to note , and avoid , those that cause divisions . Rom. 16. 17. 2 Thes. 3. 14. 2 Jo. 10. Again , those texts also wherein Christians are charged to be all of one judgment , ( which cannot be but by adhering to the judgment of some one person or assembly ) ; to speak the same thing . Not to be wise in their own conceit . 1 Cor. 1. 10. Rom. 12. 16 . -15 . 5 , 6. Phil. 1. 27 . -3 . 16. Again , those texts which require Christians to acquiesce in the doctrine of their Spiritual Superior ; who is not only the Apostle , but the Apostles Successors to the world's end . 1 Cor. 4. 16 , 17. — 11. 1 , 2. Phil. 3. 17. Rom. 16. 17. 2 Thes. 3. 14. — With which Successors is left the charge of continuing to the world the doctrine of their predecessors : 1 Tim. 1. 3. 2 Tim. 1. 13 , 14. — 2. 2. which texts see more largely explained , and the extent of obedience that is required in them , vindicated in Success . of Clergy . 2. Secondly , after these Texts commanding obedience , and submission of judgment to the authority ( but not to the Universal infallibility , for who will maintain this ? ) of all those Spiritual Superiors , who are thus to be obey'd ; let us consider also the common practice in our Secular converse . Doth not there lie upon children an obligation of duty ( especially in their minority ) to yeild the obedience of assent ( for else they may not the obedience of their actions ) to the rules and injunctions of their parents ? That saying Col. 3. 20. doth it not either argue all parents infallible in what they teach or command ? or that God hath bound children ( not capable of repairing to an higher Director ) to submit their judgment and actions to those who may guide them amiss ? Again , whether no obligation of Scholars to their Masters , and those experienced in the Science they learn ? I say , whether it is not a duty in these to yeild their assent to them , not only for the charge they have of obedience ; but also for the great disproportion of their judgments , tho the other are not infallible , and may possibly teach them wrong ; for there is no infallible Judge at all in the Sciences . The like instances may be made , in the People to their Pastor ; the Penitent to his Confessor ; the Christians to any Synod less than General : for these are all fallible . What mean those rules ? Oportet discentem credere . — Unicuique credendum est in sua arte . To which I may add ; That right reason binds any to yeild faith to another , not only if infallible , but if ( all circumstances considered ) less fallible than himself . If these be dictates of right reason , what difference between this and the law of Nature ? And again , what difference between that and the law of God ? Many Scruples ( I know ) , and demurs and difficulties usually arise in our minds , endeavoring to defeat such obedience and resignation of our selves to anothers authority when any way fallible . You will give me leave therefore , before I go further , to take notice of some of them , and to see whether they may not be rationally silenced . 1. First then , to this you may say ; that where-ever we doubt once , upon reasons no way satisfied , of any thing which such Governors enjoyn , whether it be true , whether it be lawful , here we are quit from our obedience to them . R. True ; if you have any other higher Judgment appointed to repair to , and accordingly deciding such doubt ; in which case theirs is voided . But mark here , that thus you decline not their judgment , because fallible ; but because you have another Director or Guide appointed less liable to error than they . But where-ever this cannot be had , duty obligeth you not to follow your own , but your former Directors judgment : whose Faith follow . Heb. 13. 7. Will you restrain such Scripture-rules of obedience only to General Councils ? But if not their judgment whom we have named , ( in case you can attain to no higher Tribunal ) ; whose doth your duty oblige you to follow ? your own ? But thus also then is it not your duty to follow a fallible judgment , which may guide you right or wrong ? Tell me , hath not God obliged every one to follow his * own conscience right or wrong ? Conscientia erronea obligat . From what law but God's ? Obligat , because he doth not know that it is erroneous : how much more an * erring Council , whose mistakes he hath many times less means to find out , than those of his own conscience ? One therefore that in a doubt cannot have the solution of a Superior court infallible , ( aswho can have it in every matter of faith or practice he scruples at , it either not sitting , or too remote , or not at leisure to satisfie all Queries ; ) ought to acquiesce in the judgment of an inferior guide . Doth not a child offend against his duty , if he should say to his Father , or a plebeian to his learned Pastor ; Since you are fallible , I will not follow yours , but my own , judgment ? Doth not natural prudence guide him , in two , liable to error , to follow him , who , all circumstances considered , is likely to be the less fallible ? or is He further from fallibility if he guide himself ? But if you will acknowledge a submission and obedience to their judgment in some only , not in all things ; since they may in something guide you amiss : I ask ( then ) in what things it is , that you think fit to obey them ? In what you approve and like of ? But this is primarily not obeying their , but your own , judgment . Therefore , in things also which you do not approve ? But this ( for any thing I know ) is obeying in all things . But if you say ; that you would have men also yeild in some things not altogether approved by them ; yet not in things whereof they have much doubt , or wherein they think themselves , as it were , sure of the contrary , ( for if they be absolutely sure , I yeild to you ) : Still thus you open a gap large enough to let all out of the fence of obedience ; and the more ignorant , soonest ; for they knowing little or nothing to the contrary , think themselves sure of every thing they say . 2. But secondly , you will ask , if I ought to obey in things I approve not , Am not I thus obliged to go against my conscience , which was said but now , tho erroneous , to oblige me ? This is answered , I think , sufficiently in a discours concerning what obligation we have to follow our own judgment , § . 2. n. 3. to which I I refer you , and is spoken to below , § . 46. Again , you will say , Do not we thus take away all use of our own judgment , in things wherein our Superiors lay their injunctions upon us ? R. Yes : the use of our judgment against the Supreme . Again ; all use of our judgment , not for reasoning or proposing difficulties , perhaps in some things to that supreme Judgment to be further confirmed in truth ; but at least all judgment , from such difficulties , pronouncing and defining against such Authority . But neither is this restraint of our judgments ( which see more fully discoursed of in Church-Govern . 3. part . § . 39. ) by the Determinations of Councils ( if these observed to the uttermost ) so great as to some it seems ; if they well consider how few , and cautelous , and sparing their decisions are , in comparison of the voluminous Theological questions agitated amongst Christians , even before the sitting of such Councils . For how few , and how laxe , and general do we find the decisions of the last Council of Trent , ( not thought to be the most impartial ) in comparison of the many questions proposed in the Schools ( and hotly agitated in those times ) about Grace and Free-will ; Justification , Merit , [ without mention at all of such terms as de congruo , or de condigno , ] about Purgatory , Invocation of Saints , Transubstantiation , & c ? not to name here the present point of Infallibility . Therefore are those even accused by Protestants to swarm with opposition and diversity of opinions ; all whom they yet do grant to yeild a captiv'd judgment and undisputing obedience to all the Canons of Councils . But if , as when Councils define nothing in points controverted , we argue their ignorance , and want of divine assistance to discern the truth ; so , when they define any thing , we complain of their tyranny in restraining our judgments , How shall they please us ? Our judgment hath a field of matter , large enough to exercise it self-in , without practising and trying its skill upon the determinations of Councils ; and if it were yet more directed and regulated by them , had no reason to complain , since those who have bin more prone by it , to call all things into question , and to examin both the foundations and superstructures of the received Christian faith , have shew'd us sad examples of the most miserable failings thereof , and frequent falls from most evident truths . Qui amat periculum , peribit in illo . But as here is objected the taking away of our judgment , so consider whether something worse follows not on the other side ; namely , the taking away of all obedience to Superiors ; not only in submission of our judgment , but actions , which must follow the judgment . For , as I said before , and have shewed more fully elsewhere , that can be no obedience or submission to them , when we yeild to their judgments , because they agree with ours ; or because they have with clear arguments convinced ours : for so we yeild to a Counsellor , a companion , and cannot do otherwise . As long as this proposition stands firm , That General Councils have greater light and evidence of truth , than particular men ; how can it be less than duty to submit to them , tho not altogether infallible ? But since in the necessary and chief points infallible , and these points no way perfectly distinguishable by us from the rest , how much more reason yet have we ? The same thing ( as dictated by common prudence ) we see practised in temporal courts ; where , in controversies arising , to know what is the law of the Kingdom , or the intent thereof , or what is not , the people are referred to submit to the judgment of some others experienced in those laws , tho not infallible ; and sometimes contradicting one another . Why should the children of this world be wiser than the children of light ? But 3ly , you will reply to this , that in such a busines , at least concerning your eternal salvation , you dare not rely upon others , nor trust any but your self ; and that it is safest for you to depend on God's word , and not on any human authority . R. I answer first , that the breach of God's express command ( such is that of your obedience in these things to your Spiritual Superiors , see § . 37. ) can be no good way to secure your Salvation . 2ly . This is just as if , in a difficult passage , wherein ( mistaking ) you may incur some danger of your life , ( such are the Scriptures in several things , 2 Pet. 3. 16. ) having Guides appointed well experienced in the way to direct you , and of whom you are assured that they cannot misguide you into any dangerous precipice , you should say ; I do not think fit to make use of a Guide , save in a way where there is no danger . But why so ? because you are more faithful to your self than others may be . But then so much reason as you have to trust to your self as the most faithful , so little have you to trust to your self as not being the most able , guide . As for your not depending on human authority , but only on the word of God : you say something , if that word could never be mistaken in the sence , nor alledged amiss . See Mr. Hooker's Answer to Cartwright on this point Eccles. Pol. 2. l. 7. sect . The force of Arguments drawn from Scripture &c. So that now and then they ground themselves on humane authority , even when they most pretend divine . Even such as are readiest to cite for one thing 500 sentences of H. Scripture , what warrant have they , that any one of them doth mean the thing for which alledged ? &c. But 4ly , here you will reply : That surely God's wisdom in matters concerning Salvation hath provided some way or other whereby we may certainly know the truth . R. What truth mean we ? If necessary : so he hath ; in this General Councils err not . If all truths whatsoever : there are many truths not only Natural , but Theological , for which all grant that there is no infallible Judge to be had . If the truth of all those things which shall be proposed by a General Council . Why so ? Why may not God order them ( in their fallibility in such things ) to use the same prudence for ending troublesom and violent contests , that any other temporal Courts do ? And since in these , from God , as in the other , from the King , the people have an injunction unlimited , in all things to hear them ; why may not they punish the rebellious ? 5. But yet lastly , if such be fallible in any thing ( you may say , ) there will be some error , of which there can be no remedy ; because they are unappealable . R. Not so : For in such things as former Councils may err in , none denies but that latter Councils may correct them . Only such will be errors indeed that private men cannot remedy : and what matters all this , I pray , if these errors be not committed in things necessary ; as ( t is shewed before ) they never can be ? Again , why are such Councils willingly granted by all to be unappealable in other things wherein they may err , i. e. in maters of fact ? Nay , why , if some make them infallible in judging all truths , so may not some others think it fit they should be so in all causes that come before them ; all which are afterward remediles ? But also in those doctrinals , where , because no Anathema's are affixed , Bellarmin saith , Non est certum si sint de fide , ( and so neither is it certain whether the Church in them may not err ) ; yet is not in these submission of judgment required ? For if we withdraw this , how if it should happen that they are de fide ? The same may be said in general : That if the Church , being infallible only in things de fide , hath made no clear distinction of these points from the rest , t is plain she obligeth us to the same submission in points where she may be fallible . 3. This having bin said from § . 39. to remove such scruples and demurs as we ordinarily use to make for the not yeilding up and resigning in any thing of our own private judgment , 3ly . to shew you , That the duty of submission of judgment to an Authority fallible , in all things wherein we are not certain that it errs is no Paradox , I will produce you therein the consentient doctrine both of Catholick and Protestant writers , of no mean note . 1. For Protestants , see the quotations out of Bishop White , Archbishop Laud , Dr. Jackson , in Church-Government , 2. Part. § . 36. Oblig . of Judgment , § . 29. 30. t is too tedious to repete them here . To which I will here add that eminent testimony of Mr. Hooker , ( in his Preface , the 6th . Sect. throughout , ) who writing against Puritans , there speaks much of submission of private opinion to the determinations of Ecclesiastical Authority . The place is well worth your reading , as likewise the 2. l. 7. sect . which Mr. Chillingworth produceth as a qualification of this passage in Hooker pressed by F. Knot . But I can see no such matter in that Section , which proves against Cartwright the validity of Humane Authority , where is no infallible demonstration against it ; see especially the latter end of that Section . To return to the former . Mr. Hooker there quotes Deut. 17. 8. &c. where he hath these words . God was not ignorant that the Priests and Judges , whose sentence in matters of controversy he ordain'd should stand , both might , and oftentimes would , be deceived in their judgment . Howbeit better it was in the eye of his understanding , that sometimes an erroneous sentence definitive should prevail , till the same Authority perceiving such oversight might afterwards correct or reverse it ; than that strifes should have respit to grow , and not come speedily to some end . [ And there he answers the Objection ; That men must do nothing against conscience , saying , ] Neither wish we that men should do any thing , which in their hearts they are perswaded they ought not to do ; but we say this perswasion ought to be fully settled in their hearts , that in litigious and controverted causes of such quality , [ that is ( as I conceive ) where they have no infallible certainty , but only probability , see the end of 2. l. 7. sect . ] the will of God is to have them to do whatsoever the sentence of Judicial and final Decision shall determin . [ Now they are to do nothing , but what they are perswaded in their hearts that they may do , when the Judge in some cases determines the lawfulnes of a thing , tho they may do many things which they may think still that they are unjustly obliged by the Judge to do , as when the Judge determines something to be their duty which is not : ] yea tho it seem in their private opinion [ i. e. according to their own reason , and arguments drawn ex parte rei ] to swerve utterly from that which is right : as no doubt many times the sentence amongst the Jews did unto one or other part contending : and yet , in this case God did then allow them to do that , which in their private judgment it seemed , yea and perhaps truly seemed , that the law did disallow . For if God be not the Author of confusion , but of peace &c. [ Where note ; that whatever Mr. Hooker means by that limitation , [ controverted causes of such quality , ] yet the Commission ( Deut. 17. ) extends to the Priests interpreting to the people , and giving the sence of the law , in whatever matters should be controverted ; ( as also it is more clearly expounded afterward in 2 Chron. 19. 5 , 8 , 10 , 11. where it runs , — What causes soever shall come to you of your Brethren , between blood and blood , between law and commandement , statutes and judgments , ye shall &c. ) And , Thou shalt do or practise according to whatever they shew thee , requires not only a passive , willingly paying the mulcts , or undergoing the punishments , but active , obedience . Again , an active obedience ; not only in doing of something to which I think I am not in duty obliged , as paying 100l . to one , upon their sentence , to whom I never owed any thing ; which I may do without believing their sentence therein to be true or just ; but in doing also of something , where the lawfulnes of it is questioned , which thing also here by the text I am to do , if they command me , as well as the former : and yet which thing I may not do , unless I believe , either their sentence therein to be true , and the thing in general lawful to be done , or at least lawful for me , rebus sic stantibus , their sentence past , to do it ; i. e. unless I believe , that tho it be against God's law that they command me , ( since they may err ) , yet God excuseth or holdeth me guiltles in doing it , in that he hath peremptorily obliged me to adhere to their sentence and judgment , not my own . So that in any thing they once determin lawful , whatever my opinion was of it before , yet now I am obliged to believe it lawful for me to do it , since I am commanded by God to obey them in doing it , and may do nothing at any time against my conscience , and whilst I hold such thing unlawful to be done by me . ] And again : — Not that I judge it a thing allowable for men to observe those laws , which in their hearts they are stedfastly perswaded to be against the law of God ; but your perswasion in this case [ i. e. where Superiors have determined otherwise ] you are bound for the time [ i. e. till the same Authority reverse it ] to suspend &c , unless they have an infallible demonstration . [ And there he shews , against pretence , ( in every thing ) of a Demonstration . ] — An Argument necessary and demonstrative is such , as being proposed unto any man , and understood , the mind [ i. e. of him that heareth it ] cannot choose but inwardly assent . Which tryal of a demonstration Archbishop Laud also allows , § . 32. n. 5. T is no demonstration then , as long as those think notwithstanding it , they have cause to dissent , to whom I propose it . But when you have read these things in Hooker , look on Mr. Chillingworth's Answer , 5. cap. 109 , 110. sect . &c. to me seeming very unsatisfactory . First there Dr. Potter saying [ it is not fit for any private man to oppose his judgment to the publick ; ] Mr. Chillingworth defends him thus : Dr. Potter by judgment means not his reason or Scripture , as Mr. Knot imagines the sence of it , ( for these he may oppose to the publick , ) but his bare authority . But search Dr. Potter , p. 105. and you will see he speaks both of Reason and Scripture . Then coming to Mr. Hooker , Mr. Chillingworth expounds what he saith on Deut. 17. 8. not of yeilding assent to the judgment of the Judge , or any active obedience ( which presupposeth assent ) ; but of obedience of suffering only the sentence of the Judge , and paying the mulcts he ( tho unjustly ) lays upon them . But 1. did no other sentences pass in the Sanedrim about the law , but concerning satisfactions and punishments ? Did none of their judgments command the doing of such a thing ; the observing of such a fast ; the offering of such a Sacrifice ; marrying or forbearing to marry such a woman ? wherein those ( saith Mr. Hooker ) were to do as the Judge decided ; those , who thought , and perhaps truly , that the law disallowed it ; that to the like purpose he might urge the Puritans to wear a Surplice &c , after the Ecclesiastical Magistrate had commanded it , tho it seemed to their private opinion unlawful . For that he speaketh of opinion , and active , not passive obediedience , ( which passive obedience the Puritans willingly granted , and was out of controversy ) , t is plain ; in that he saith , that such a sentence once passed was ground sufficient for any reasonable man's conscience to build the duty of obedience upon , whatsoever his own opinion were , as touching the matter before in question . And in the close of the Section he saith ; God , the Author of peace , must needs be the Author of those mens peaceable resolutions , who concerning these things [ i. e. where is no infallible demonstration to the contrary ] have determined with themselves to do and think as the Church they are of decreeth , till they see necessary cause enforcing them to the contrary . And this is plain also out of the places which he urgeth : that place in the 17. Deut. and the injunction of the Council Act. 15. For Acts 15. speaks of active obedience ( abstaining from blood , &c. ) which always supposeth precedent opinion of the lawfulnes thereof . And Deut. 17. runs thus : If there arise a matter too hard for thee &c. Thou shalt do according as they shall shew thee : Thou shalt observe to do according to all that they shall inform thee ; according to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee &c. And the same is set down after the same manner 2 Chron. 19. 10. And what cause soever shall come to you of your brethren between blood and blood ; between law and commandement ; statutes and judgments ; ye shall even warn them , that they trespass not against the Lord &c. Certainly these places may not be restrain'd only to the patient undergoing of the punishment sentenced by the Judge for the non-observance of his decrees , or of that which he saith is Law. Another part of Mr. Chillingworth's Answer is , that Mr. Hooker limits the matters , wherein they were to yeild obedience , to the injunctions of Authority ; namely , to such matters , as have plain Scripture or Reason , neither for , nor against them ; and wherein men go only upon their own probable collection : which I grant . But this plain Scripture and Reason ( as Mr. Hooker expresseth it ) is a really infallible argument or demonstration ; and not such pretended . For the Puritans also pretended they had most plain reason and Scripture for the things wherein they were unconformable . Now if Mr. Hooker here requires submission in all such points , where there is no infallible argument to the contrary , ( whether he intended it or no , &c ) ; in very few or no matters can such submission be denied , especially to a General Council : neither do we find in Mr. Hooker's proof Deut. 17. 8. any restrictions of obedience of submission only to certain points where they had not plain law or reason to the contrary . Now in the last place to consider his main answer to those words of Mr. Hooker . [ The will of God is to have them to do whatsoever the sentence of judicial and final decision shall determin , yea tho it seem in their private opinion to swerve utterly from that which is right . ] Here ( answereth Mr. Chillingworth ) he saith men are bound to do whatsoever &c. but he says not they are bound to think that determination lawful , and that sentence just , [ giving an instance of a man cast wrongfully at law , and sentenced to pay an 100l . ] I answer , in some sentences or judgments this , which Mr. Chillingworth saith , is true : viz. where they enjoyn me a thing to which I think I am not oblig'd , which I may cedere meo jure , and do , tho I do not think their determination right and just : and so it is in the instance he giveth . But in some other sentences it is false , viz. when they enjoyn me an action , the lawfulnes whereof is questioned . For since I may never do a thing believed unlawful for me to do ; therefore here I must either believe their determination for my doing it just and right ; or I must not do it . Now , as I said before , this I may believe , either by believing the thing in it self lawful , which they judg so ; or at least , that it is lawful for me to do it rebus sic stantibus , tho the thing in general prohibited or unlawful to be done without such circumstances ; because God hath peremptorily obliged me to obey their sentence , tho in some things errable . As may be shewed in many instances which were decidable by such Judges . For example ; a controversy ariseth between a bounden servant and his master , whether he is to obey his Masters command in watering his cattel on the Sabbath day ? The Servant arguing from Exod. 20. 10. In it thou shalt not do any work , &c , that it is by God prohibited . Here , upon the Judges sentence , well weighing this text with other Scriptures , I say , the Servant is bound by them to water his Master's cattel , and therefore bound to think it lawful to do so ; none being obliged to do what he thinks unlawful to do ; for Conscientia erronea obligat . The same it is , if any one upon Levit. 18. 16. refusing to marry the wife of his brother deceased without issue , making some false gloss upon Deut. 25. 5. should receive a command from these Judges to marry her . My last instance shall be in the very matter whereof Mr. Hooker discourseth ; tho Mr. Chillingworth avoided it . The Church of England passeth a sentence in the supreme Ecclesiastical court , That every Minister in celebrating Divine Service shall wear a Surplice . Here I say a Puritan may not do what the judicial sentence hath determined &c , by no means , unless he first think or believe the determination of the Council lawful , i. e. That his doing this ( namely wearing the Surplice ) is not against the law of God. The reason is , because here they enjoyn him the doing of that , of which the question is , whether to do it be lawful . But had they enjoyned him to pay a mulct for not wearing a Surplice , then the question is not , whether he may lawfully pay this mulct ; for unusquisque potest cedere de suo jure , and he who doth this thing , is supposed to be satisfied in this point , that he may cedere suo jure ; but only whether that court had a just and legal cause , for which they enjoyned this mulct ; which , as to the point of lawful , concerns them , but not him at all . But had the law said , or did such a one mulcted doubt whether the law had said , no man shall submit to any mulct or punishment , which he thinks the Judge unjustly sentenceth him to ; then must he not pay the mulct till he thought the determination lawful . A sentence therefore may be conceived unjust two ways : 1. Either in enjoyning men to do a thing , which the law ( as they conceive ) hath prohibited to be done : such a thing may never be done , as long as the sentence is thought unjust . i. e. Enjoyning them to do what the law prohibits to be done . Or 2ly , in enjoyning men to do what the law hath prohibited the Judge in such a case to enjoyn ; but not the others in any case to do : tho to do such a thing in such a point ought not to have bin imposed . Here the judged doubtles may obey the sentence , whilst he thinks it unjust . To make things plain , I fear I am too tedious . See more of this matter in Success . Clergy . Mr. Chillingworth goes on to shew an impossibility , that such a yeilding to judgment against our private opinion can be . His words are ; If you will draw Mr. Hooker's words to such a construction , as if he had said , [ they must think the sentence of a judicial and final decision just and right , tho it seem in their private opinion to swerve utterly from what is right ] : it is manifest you make him contradict himself , and make him say in effect ; They must think thus , tho at the same time they think the contrary . Thus far he . To this I have spoken more fully in the following Discours § . 2. To make Contradictories , the terms in both Propositions must be taken exactly in the same sence ; els they will be only verbally so . As , I will shew you this to be , after I have first premised this , That taking thinking in the latter Proposition for infallibile certainty , ( but t is clear Mr. Hooker means no such thing ) , the words imply a true contradiction : for he , who saith he believes , for any authority whatsoever , humane or ( per impossibile ) divine , contrary to what he is infallibly certain of , saith he believes what he believes not ; or what he cannot believe . So that where there is infallible certainty , it voids all argument from Authority : neither can any one say , I do or will submit my judgment to such or such , in a point , whereof he is sure . But let thinking therefore or private opinion be taken in any degeee below absolute certainty , and then I think that expression , had it bin Mr. Hooker's , ( as it is , tho not totidem terminis ) is far from contradiction . To shew which , give me leave to change this word think in the latter proposition into some other words , which yet are plainly what Mr. Hooker means by thinking ; and you shall see they will be very well consistent . I think or believe , from the argument of the authority , prudence , &c , of such persons , their determination of such a point to be right , tho all the arguments I have from seeming reason of the thing , or from that sence which I conceive of Scripture , incline me to think that such a determination is not right . Now I suppose ( as the terms are here explained ) none will deny ; That one may think or believe a thing to be truth , not against his belief or thinking , but against all arguments which are drawn from his seeming natural reason or otherwise ( except that ab authoritate ) ; if these do not amount to infallible certainty : or , that a man may yeild an assent of belief in respect of authority , contrary to his assent of evidence in respect of the thing ; so that evidence be in any degree below infallible certainty . Els we must deny , that we can believe any mystery of faith , which seems to us contrary to natural reason , ( see Rom. 4. 17 , 18. 2 Cor. 10. 5. ) ; and these two propositions will contradict also , I believe or think such a thing a divine truth from divine authority delivering it , tho my natural reason inclines me to think or believe the contrary . Doth a man speak a contradiction , if he say to a Scholar or a child , Do not believe or give credit to your own reason , ( meaning by it the reasons or arguments his brain suggests to him about such a matter , ) but to the judgment or directions of your father or master ? for your reason ( that is considering another argument of the prudence and experience of his father or master &c , or of the command which God hath given him to obey them ) teacheth you , that you , ( subject ) or you ( unskilled ) should yeild to their judgment . Thus may not one truly say : For this reason I think such a thing is so ; but for such a reason again , I think it is not so ? Els how come any to doubt ? Now when one sort of these reasons is a natura rei , such as his own brain suggests to him , and the other ab authoritate ; and this ab authoritate sways , and is the more powerful with him ; then may he be said to side with authority against his private opinion or judgment . But then here by private opinion or judgment is meant , not simply that which is so , ( i. e. ) as he now assents to authority , ( for two contrary judgments or opinions swaying him none can have ) : but that which ( abstracting from authority &c ) from other reasons his opinion or judgment would be professed to be , should any one demand it . But indeed whilst against such reasons he yeilds to authority , ( and yeild he may , where-ever such reasons are conjectural or less than certain ) his private judgment simply considered is the same with the publick judgment of that authority : and such a one ( suppose a Catholic , that is perswaded that he ought to assent to all the Church shall decree ) should he notwithstanding against this follow his own private reason or reasons , ( which may be many times contrary to such decree , as also they are sometimes to divine mysteries ) may rightly be said , in this doing , to go against his judgment or conscience . But if a man cannot submit his judgment against his private opinion ; then cannot a Council justly oblige any to believe any thing , tho never so necessary and clear a point ; unless they know first , that his private reason is not against it : for they may not oblige him to impossibilities . But how often is this done by them , even the four first ( generally allowed ) , and that under Anathema ? And St. Austin also writ a Treatise , De Utilitate Credendi , ( he means of believing the Authority of that Church , which was found first to be the Church Catholick ) , from seeing the great benefit that came by this captivating our reason to authority ; by which act of believing he observed ( Epist. 48. ) men not unfrequently came at length to be assured also by true reason of those things , which first they believed only from authority . Quamdiu intelligere sincera non possumus , authoritate quidem decipi miserum est ; sed certe miserius non moveri . Si enim Dei Providentia non praesidet rebus humanis , nihil est de religione satagendum . Sin vero &c. non est desperandum ab eodem ipso Deo authoritatem aliquam constitutam , qua ( velut gradu incerto ) innitentes attollamur in Deum . Haec autem [ authoritas ] seposita ratione , quam sinceram intelligere , ut saepe diximus , difficillimum stultis est , dupliciter nos movet , partim miraculis , partim sequentium multitudine . De Util. Cred. 16. c. This he writ to a Manichean ; endeavouring to perswade him , in religione turpe non esse credere , antequam scire . Thus much of the possibility of thinking or believing a judicial determination right , when it seems in our private opinion ( as explain'd above ) not so . But note here , that I do not extend our yeilding assent to authority against private reasons ( in all matters when-ever this assent is given ) to a necessary belief in all such things , that what they say is absolutely just , and right ; but this our assent is capable of less degrees ; as a belief , that what they say is more likely or probable to be so ; or also , that it is more safe for me to err with them , as long as I am not , by any private reason , infallibly certain that they err , but have reason to think they do not err ; than to oppose their authority perhaps with the retaining of a truth , but to me uncertain . Thus much of Mr. Hooker's testimony , and the justification thereof against Mr. Chillingworth's exposition . See also Dr. Potter , speaking the same thing much-what with Mr. Hooker , sect . 4. p. 105. where , after he hath said , It is not lawful for a private man to oppose his judgment to the publick , he adds , He may offer his contrary opinion to be consider'd of &c. but if he will factiously advance his own conceits , [ conceits , I suppose he means that which seems reason , and the sence of Scripture to him , yet of which he is not infallibly certain . Advance , i. e. against the contrary determinations of the Church , ] and despise the Church so far as to cast off her communion ; he may be justly condemned for a Schismatic , [ for casting off her communion , ] yea and an Heretic also [ i. e. for advancing his own conceits ] in some degree , and in foro exteriori ; tho his opinion were true , and much more if it be false . Heretick in some degree , and in foro exteriori : Sure Dr. Potter saith , he is this , because he allows him some-way faulty in factiously advancing his own conceits against the Church ; and then I ask , why is he not an heretic , or ( if that name may not be so used ) guilty of an equal crime in foro interiori too ? For what great difference is there between him , that , having no sufficient reason for it , obstinately defends against the Church'es determination that which happens ( but is not to him certainly known , or by him proved ) to be a truth ; and him that obstinately defends an error ? Those reasons which such a one hath , but short of certainty , I grant , afford him some , but not a sufficient , excuse of his opposition . This for Protestants . Next for Catholicks , that they also allow a submission of judgment to an Authority fallible . See what Bellarmin , who holds that particular Councils are fallible , yet saith concerning submission of judgment to these errable . ( de Concil . 2. l. 10. c. ) Etsi hoc judicium non sit prorsus infallibile , tamen sufficit ad excommunicandum . And — tamen debent privati homines acquiescere ejusmodi judicio ; & si secus egerint , merito excommunicantur , donec non judicaverit aliter Apostolica Sedes , vel Concilium Universale . Therefore if these have formerly decreed nothing contrary , we are to submit to it , until they shall . Again . There is no reason of non-acquiescing to such a sentence , but only the contrary judgment of a superior Court ; therefore if the Court be supreme , there is no reason at all . Again , Quod Concilium particulare facit argumentum adeo probabile , ut temerarium sit ei non acquiescere , planum est : ( and before he saith ▪ ex communi sententia Catholicorum asserimus , ) quia si aliquot sancti Patres casu in eandem sententiam convenientes faciunt argumentum probabile ; quanto magis 50 aut 60 Episcopi simul convenientes , & invocato Spiritu Sancto aliquid communi consensu statuentes ? — Faciunt argumentum probabile , therefore by acquiescence here , is not meant only a passive submission to their censure ; nor yet that of silence only , and non-contradiction ; which in any things of practice sufficeth not : for unles one do what they command , he cannot be said to acquiesce in their sentence ; neither may any exteriorly act that , to the lawfulnes whereof he doth not inwardly assent . See Dr. Holden , who holding , that in some doctrines of less moment a general Council may possibly err , yet exacts obedience notwithstanding to those Decrees we think such , de resol . fid . 1. l. 9. c. Veruntamen quando a Conciliis Generalibus ad evitandum schisma & pacem in Ecclesia conservandam definitae fuerint hujusce naturae & conditionis veritates ( he speaks of those in which there is not certitudo ab omni erroris periculo immunis ) eorum decretis obediendum esse novit unusquisque Ecclesiae Catholicae vere Filius . He goes on . Quaeret hic forsitan aliquis curiosius , an liceat hujusmodi decreta interno saltem mentis actu in dubium revocare ? Cui respondeo . Quod imprudentis & superbientis animi indicium esset haec dubitatio , aut saltem hujusce dubitationis publica significatio . Ad quid enim valet supremi tribunalis judicium &c. si cuilibet subdito aeque liberum foret post ultimum denunciatum litis judicium ac antea , oppositum censere & publice praedicare ? An discipulus supra magistrum ? nonne unicuique in sua arte credendum ? &c. See the like in S. Clara's Systema Fid. 20. c. And thus Mr. Cressy , c. 33. Such Decisions many Catholicks conceive , are not in so eminent a manner the necessary objects of Christian faith , because not delivered as of Universal tradition . But however an extreme temerity it would be in any particular man to make any doubt of the truth of them , and unpardonable disobedience to reject them ; now in matters of practice , not to obey in doing them , is to reject them . If in such decisions an error should happen , since it &c , it were far better such an error should pass , till ( as St. Austin saith ) some later Council amended it , than that unity should be dissolved for an unnecessary truth . Lastly , t is commonly said , that in a point controverted , and not yet determined by any Council , a man's private judgment ought to be swayed by the stream or major part of Catholick writers ; yet are not these fallible ? The same thing is ordinarily said of submitting our judgment to the Fathers in all things , wherein we find the most of them to agree : yet are not they liable to error ? But those of the Church of Rome , that submit their judgment to a General Council , and cannot prove it to be infallible , ( as doubtless some of the simpler sort cannot ) , do not so many submit to a Council , for any thing they know , fallible ? and yet they should offend , if do otherwise . For such submissions not the pretence of infallibility , but the dictates of common Prudence are used and thought suffici - Thus much of the Duty of obedience to all the decrees of General Councils , tho these Councils be some way fallible ; wherein I have spoken of the obligation and rationalness of assent to their doctrines , in case of our uncertainty of the contrary to be truths . But remember , that here I do not undertake to determin whether the Church ( thinking it fit perhaps to leave to her subjects , in points of less consequence , and such as are speculative , more liberty of enjoying their own judgment , so that only they disturb not her peace , nor make faction ) hath only in some points of evident and universal tradition , and more necessary consequence and practice , required the submission of judgment , and profession of assent and belief , &c , under the peril of Anathema , * where perhaps she expresseth her self in such terms as these : Si quis non confitetur ; — non profitetur ; — constanter tenendum ; — firma fide credendum ; — nemo salva fide dubitare debet , &c : And again , whether in many other points of less necessity , and not so common tradition , ( tho perhaps certain deduction from those which are so ) she hath , for only the preserving of her peace , required the obedience and submission only of Non-contradiction and silence , or Non-profession of the contrary , under Anathema likewise ; * where she expresseth her self , Si quis dixerit , ( the most usual form in her Anathema's ) , without any firmiter tenendum affixed to the contrary truth . I meddle not to decide , whether in the prohibition of the affirming an error , the Church'es intention doth not always involve the profession of the contrary truth ▪ or , whether all her Anathema's are not set only to points necessary to be believed ; but some to points fit not to be contradicted : some Anathema's for consent ; some for peace and silence . Again , I attempt not to resolve here , whether under the former of these ( the requiring of assent ) she means an internal plenary act of faith , which perhaps is not in every man's power at all times , ( faith having a great latitude of strength or weaknes according to the repugnancies of some verisimilities of the contrary , running in a man's mind not fully settled and convinced , and many times some mixture of unbelief , Lord I believe , help thou mine unbelief ) ; or else , whether she means only a submissive endeavour and willingnes to believe and assent to her propositions . In these things I can determin nothing : neither , if I have before argued that we may rationally yeild in such points more than the least of these submissions , therefore will I deny that the Church may , or doth require only the less ; as I cannot on the other side affirm , that she hath not required the more . But surely no more duty needs be paid to avoid her Anathema's , than she chargeth us with , tho she claim not all her due : nor is more ( if so much ) necessary to salvation to be believed , than she exacteth of us to be believed . To conclude this discourse . 1. Infallibility of the Church in all necessaries [ be they clear revelations , and points traditional , or consequential ; consequential clearly or not clearly deducted from the former ; provided , that they be necessary to attain salvation for to be known , or believed , or practised by all Christians ] is not denied : being had either by evidence of Tradition or assistance of the Spirit from the promise of our Saviour ; who fails not to guide the Church in all such truths for ever , that she may in these also for ever securely guide others . 2ly likewise , at least for the most of these truths , namely such as are of universal tradition , or natural and immediate consequences thereof , not only certitudo objecti , but subjecti is granted : not only that de facto the Church cannot err in them , but that she knows she doth not err in them . For it follows not , that if the Church may err in something , and not know that she errs , therefore she cannot know or be sure but that she errs in every thing ; unles first it be shewed that she knows all things from an equal evidence . But 3ly , these two not hindring , infallibility general in all things which the Church shall propose or decide , ( unles it can be proved that all hitherto passed in the General Councils is only necessaries ; or that she can determin nothing unnecessary to salvation ) I see not that it is , nor any need that it should be , affirmed ; neither from our Saviour's promise , ( which we have no reason to extend beyond necessaries , ) neither from the force of those reasons which are well urged by some to prove General Councils infallible in necessaries , but are faulty if any will apply them to an infallibility General . The chief of which reasons I think are these . The 1. A Generali Concilio appellari non potest , [ which is granted , ] unde apertissime sequitur non errare . Nam alioquin iniquissimum esset cogere Christianos , ut non appellent ab eo judicio quod erroneum esse potuit . R. The argument is good for points de fide necessaria , but no further : for by this reason the same Councils could not err in judging particular causes and matters of fact ; for from a General Council in these also is no appeal , unless in infinitum , to the same court . Again , some points there are in Non-necessaries wherein General Councils are granted liable to error , by those Authors who urge this argument for infallibility ; as is shewed before § . 9. But yet there can no appeal be made from them , and peremptory obedience is required to be yeilded to them in these . Lastly , supposing that no court were infallible , yet unappealable some must be , that contests and strifes may have an end . As also it is no less in temporal courts for temporal causes , tho these courts fallible . Therefore from unappealablenes doth not follow infalliblenes . 2. The Second : Haeretici sunt , & excommunicandi omnes , qui non acquiescunt Conciliis plenariis : — & haec Concilia dicunt Anathema contradicentibus : but Anathema's and Excommunications for contrary opinions proceed only from the Council's infallibility . R. Not always from infallibility ; for such things are done by Councils less than General , ( and therefore fallible , ) and lawfully ( see Bell. 2. l. 10. c. ) done by plenary Councils in cases wherein fallible . Anathema's always ( where lawfully used ) argue , in some authority , in others a duty of submission to it ; and are lawfully used , for any thing I know , by particular , as well as general , Councils ; and against the Schismatical , for smaller matters or opinions disturbing the peace of the Church after dubious things determined , as well as against the Heretical for necessary and certain points of faith denied . As for applying the word Heretick to those who oppose things established in General Councils , it is granted that such Council is infallible in all fundamental , or absolutely necessary truths . If therefore it be affirmed , that it never defines any points , but such ; it is granted to be infallible in whatever it defines : and this proof thereof , taken from the opposers thereof their being called Hereticks , may be spared . But if we suppose , that a General Council may define or determin some points which are not such ; then the word Heretic must be a little better examined , before any thing for infallibility of Councils can be proved from it . For either he is said to be an Heretic , who knowingly opposeth any definition whatever of a Council proposed under Anathema &c. tho it be not in a fundamental or necessary point of faith : but if thus , then we cannot argue the Council infallible in every thing ; because he that opposeth her in any thing is accounted an Heretic . Or he is an heretic only , who opposeth such a Council , not in any , but such definitions , as are made in matters of necessary faith : But if thus , then we must know Conciliary Definitions exactly , which are such , which are not , before we can know whether the opposer thereof be an heretic ; neither can we prove the Council Universally infallible , because he who opposeth it thus in some points , is heretical . 3. The 3d. If the Church be not infallible in all that she proposeth , none could have any certainty of his faith ; which faith he must receive and learn from the Church . R. Yes , he that believeth the Church in all she saith , will still have a certainty , ( I mean , for the certitudo objecti ) , and will be free from error in all necessary faith , which is sufficient , if the Church be in the proposal of all necessary points of faith infallible ; which is affirmed . But as for certitudo subjecti , i. e. his being certain that in all such points he is free from error , ( which concerns not this place ) , I refer you to those fuller Notes about it , Concerning the necessary ground of Saving Faith. 4. But fourthly , tho Universal infallibility &c may perhaps not be made good by these , or any other reasons : yet I think , by what I have said , it appears , That none may from this not proved , or his proving the contrary , think himself discharged of his obedience , which is due upon other grounds sufficient without this ; namely , 1. * upon her Supremacy , and unappealablenes , ( whom Christ hath commanded him to hear and repair to as his guide and governor , under pain of being treated , as a Heathen and Publican was amongst the Jews ; ) and 2. * upon her Infallibility in all necessaries , by which there is no danger to him for any error or mis-practice , wherein she may mislead him ; neither will God for such error call him to account ; but let him certainly expect this , if deserting his guide he doth mislead himself : and 3. * besides these , upon the dictate of common and natural prudence , according to which none may justly withdraw his belief and submission of judgment , to those of the greatest skill and integrity in the things , wherein he wants instruction , meerly upon this pretence , that every man may possibly err , or lie to him . Suppose he thinks that he is infallibly certain in some thing , that that which she teacheth him is false ; yet thus will his obedience be still obliged , and kept entire for † most points , as with which at least he may not dispence for any lesser scruples and doubtings , but apparent counter-demonstrations : but perhaps for † all points , if he please to examin his own knowledg , ( who goes upon no evidence which the Church also hath not ) , and be not willing to mistake seeming for true certainty ; from which commonly the most ignorant are appearingly most certain . Again , suppose he discover General Councils to contradict in any point , ( which yet if it be , must needs be , in a point not necessary ) , yet may he not therefore totally withdraw his obedience , save only to those things wherein they contradict ; nor perhaps in these neither : for ( according to St. Austin's rule ) of Councils differing the last obligeth him , by which the former may be amended ; amended , therefore also contradicted . But then in things , wherein he finds all or many of them , unanimously agreeing ; or , being established by some , not contradicted or amended by any other succeeding ; but by the General practice of particular Churches conformed to : these he may presume to be truths , from their accord ; as the other falsities , from their variance ; and therefore by no means may plead a release from the one , by shewing the other . FINIS . CONCERNING The OBLIGATION of not professing or acting against our JUDGMENT , or CONSCIENCE . AND Whether the obedience of Non-contradiction only , or also of Assent , be due to the Decrees OF COUNCILS . CONTENTS . IN what sence it may be lawful to believe , or do , a thing against our own Judgment . § . 2. Concerning the Church'es lawful Authority to excommunicate dissenters in non-fundamentals . § . 4. As likewise to decide , which Points are fundamental , which not . § . 7. Several exceptions against obedience only of non-contradiction for Non-fundamentals . And that at least all those , not infallibly certain of the contrary , are bound , in Non-fundamentals , to an obedience of Assent ; and therefore the most are so bound . § . 11. Replies to several Objections . § . 12. The 1. First concerning an inferior Councils decreeing some new dangerous error , which no former Council superior hath condemned . 2d . Concerning faith salvisical , that it must be infallible . 3d. Concerning union of Charity , sufficient . § . 14. 4th . Concerning trying of doctrines , necessary . § . 15. 5th . Concerning what Church'es determinations , when several contradict one another , we are to adhere to . § . 16. A Post-script . 2d Paper . Concerning infallible Certainty . § . 19. 1. Infallible Certainty excusing all submission of judgment to others . 2. Infallible Certainty to be had in some points . Of the difficulty of knowing when one is infallibly certain . 3. Infallible Certainty at least not pretendable against any General contrary judgment of the Church . An instance in the Controversy about giving the Communion in one kind only . § . 27. 4. The greatest probability , short of infallible Certainty , not excusing our dissenting from the judgment of the Church . An explication of Rom. 14. 23. Conference at Hampton-Court , p. 72 , 73. Mr. Knewstub's 2d . quest . — Lastly if the Church have that power also , ( i. e. to ad significant Signs ; as the Cross in Baptism , &c. ) yet the greatest scruple to their conscience was ; How far such an ordinance of the Church was to bind them , without impeaching their Christian liberty . — [ The King in his Answer hath these words . ] I will have one doctrine , and one discipline ; one Religion , in substance , and in ceremony ; and therefore I charge you , never to speak more to that point , ( How far you are bound to obey ? ) when the Church hath ordained it . A LETTER concerning the obligation of not professing or acting against our Judgment or Conscience . SIR ; YOU ask my Opinion ; 1. Whether we are bound to the obedience only of Non-contradiction , or also of assent , to the Decrees of acknowledged lawful General Councils in Non-fundamentals ; wherein such Councils are supposed by you errable , ( supposing that such Councils require our assent therein ) ? And 2ly , Whether one is , or can be , bound to assent , when these their Decrees are contrary to his own private judgment ? and Whether one may go against his conscience in any thing ? Answ. I answer , ( on which subject I desire you also to peruse what is said in the Discours of Infallibility . § . ) That , if you take judgment here for infallible certainty , ( which see more largely explained below § . 19. &c. ) I can soon resolve it negatively ; That you are not , nor cannot be , so bound . ( Of which see more below § . 20. ) But if you mean , by your private judgment , opinion short of infallibility , ( i. e. ) some reasons that you have ( either drawn from the natures of things , on from the sence you make of divine revelation ) to think that a thing is thus , or so , contrary to that general judgment ; 1. First , this question seems * decided on the affirmative part , viz. that you may go against your private judgment , in mens ordinary practice . In secular affairs , do not we commonly , upon receiving the advice of an experienced friend , both , believe him to be in the right ; and do a thing contrary to our own judgment , i. e. contrary to those reasons , which our selves have , not to do it ? Is not Abraham said to believe a thing seeming contrary to his own reason ? Rom. 4. 17 , 18. And so the man in the Gospel , Mar. 9. 24 ? Yet I know you will not say , that they went in this against their conscience . What is the meaning of that ordinary saying , [ These and these reasons I have for my opinion , but I submit to the Church ? ] Is it only , I submit my judgment in regard of the publishing of it ? [ So Dr. Fern comments upon it , 2. Treat . 1. c. numb . 1● . ] But thus the phrase seems very improper ; for this is a submission of our speech or silence , but not of our judgment at all ; and is a submission which may well be professed also in things , wherein our judgment is utterly unchangeable ; namely in things , whereof we are infallibly certain . 2. Again , * decided by the concessions of several Protestants , which seem to yeild the very same thing . See Dr. Fern , ib. n. 13. where he alloweth ; that in matters of opinion and credibility , or of discipline and rites , till we have sufficient evidence or demonstration of truth to the contrary , our conformity [ i. e. of judgment , which he expresseth afterward by submitting our belief and our practice ] remains secure . Secure , ( saith he ) till we have sufficient evidence , &c. But sufficient evidence we have not , in opposition to the Church , in things where possibly we may be mistaken ; and we may be mistaken in any thing , whereof we are not certain ; ergo sufficient evidence in such cases is only certainty . Likewise Dr. Hammond , Reply to Cath. Gentl. 2. c. 3. s. 18. n. when the person is not competent to search grounds [ I add , or not so competent as those , to whose definition he is required to submit his assent ] alloweth a bare yeilding to the judgment of Superiors , and a deeming it better to adhere to them , than to attribute any thing to his own judgment ; a believing so far as not to disbelieve [ them ] . Which [ he saith ] may rationally be yeilded to a Church , or the governors of it , without deeming them inerrable . — And in Schism . 2. c. 10. s. he saith ; A meek Son of the Church of Christ will certainly be content to sacrifice a great deal for the making of this purchase , [ i. e. of enjoying the communion of the Church ] : and when the fundamentals of the faith , and superstructures of Christian practice are not concerned in the concessions , he will chearfully express his readiness to submit or deposit his own judgment in reverence and deference to his Superiors in the Church , where his lot is fallen . Where surely this submitting , and depositing our own judgment , implies something more than the concealment of it only ; since the concealment of our judgment , being the least degree of obedience we can give to our Superiors , will be due to them in some of those definitions made by them in fundamentals of faith and Christian practice ; which points he excepts here from submittance or deposition of our judgment . See likewise ( which especially I recommend to your reading ) what Mr. Hooker , as writing not against Catholicks but Puritans , copiously saith in behalf of submission of judgment to the Church , even when thwarting our private opinion ; in his Preface , 6. § . and in 2. l. 7. § . near the end , ( which you may find more fully set down , and Mr. Chillingworth's Comment upon it in Answ. to Mr. Knot , who pressed him with it , discussed , in the discours of Infallibility , § . 45 , 46. &c. ) In the Preface , speaking upon Deut. 17. 8. &c , he hath these words : God was not ignorant , that the Priests and Judges , whose sentence , in matters of controvesie , he ordained , should stand , both might and oftentimes would be deceived in their judgment . Howbeit better it was in the eye of his understanding , that sometimes an erroneous sentence definitive should prevail , till the same authority perceiving such oversight might afterwards correct and reverse it , than that strifes should have respit to grow , and not come speedily unto some end . [ And there he answers that Objection , That men must do nothing against conscience : saying ; ] Neither wish we , that men should do any thing , which in their hearts they are perswaded they ought not to do : but we say ; this perswasion ought to be fully settled in their hearts , that in litigious and controverted causes of such quality , the will of God is , to have them to do whatsoever the sentence of judicial and final Decision shall determin ; yea tho it seem in their private opinion to swerve utterly from that which is right : as , no doubt , many times the sentence among the Jews did , unto one or other part contending : and yet in this case God did then allow them to do that , which in their private judgment it seemed , yea and perhaps truly seemed , that the law did disallow . Thus judicious Hooker . And see what Dr. Jackson saith to the same purpose below § . 29 , 30. Thus the reformed seem to allow in some things a submission of private judgment to the Church ; a submission not only of concealing it , but of renouncing and deserting it , in believing and hearkning to the Church rather than to it . Now the Church doth never exact , that you should profess or subscribe , * that your own reason or private judgment , caused from some evidence in the thing , suggests or assures to you such a thing to be truth ; but , * that you believe her in such a thing more than your own reasons to the contrary : or , * that you confess her judgment better than your own ; and so , are content to be swayed by it in such a thing . For , if you heartily believe , that the Church'es judgment is likely to be better than yours ; or , that she is authorized by her judgment to guide yours ; it necessarily follows , that , in obeying her , you do according to your judgment one way ; tho contrary to it , in another way . For , your final judgment upon the points is this ; that tho you see reasons , ex parte rei , most or all contrary to what she defines ; yet , that her judgment is better than yours , or ought to guide yours ; and upon this , you , against your own judgment or reasons , assent unto hers . [ Note here , that by the Church'es judgment , I mean the ultimatest judgment , and the highest court thereof that we can have . So that when your Pastor teacheth any thing which is contrary to your private judgment , you are not obliged to assent to him , if another Ecclesiastical judgment superior be contrary to his . For the decision of the Superior ( to whom in any doubting you may repair ) voids that of an inferior unto you , and so voids also his Excommunications , and Ecclesiastical censures ; and if the superior ( man or Council ) tell you one thing , and the inferior another , you are to hear the Church in the superior , not in the inferior . ] Neither can that of the Apostle Rom. 14. 23. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin , ( which text see further explained below § . 31. ) be applied to any , for so doing : because who so doth thus submit , doth this out of faith ; namely this faith , that the Church is wiser than he ; or that he is obliged to obey her expositions of Scripture , directions , counsels , &c , when contrary to his own . It is not only possible then , but usual , for one to believe a thing against his own reason , or judgment , or conscience , ( if you will take these in such a sence , ) i. e. against the reasons drawn a parte rei , which he hath for disbelieving it ; but it is not possible for one to believe a thing against his reason , or judgment , or conscience , in general ; or against some other reason taken ab authoritate , which he hath still for believing it . For certainly , * when a fool believes a wise man against some conceit he had of his own ; or , * when Roman-Catholicks consent to the Church , in something doubtles wherein some of them may see reasons for the contrary , and no reason perhaps for it , save that ab authoritate , viz. the Church'es determination and command ; or , * when an Israelite submitted to holding or doing a thing which the Judges decided . ( Deut. 17. 11 , 12. ) ; none of these may be said to do thus without , or against , reason , because perhaps their private judgment is not convinced in the thing : for they have that reason still , for going against their other reason , that the others , whom they follow , are wiser than they : or also a 2d . reason , that the others are by God appointed to guide their judgment and opinion in such things ; and that they are commanded by God to consent to what ever those shall decide . 3ly . This thing seems decided by the allowed practice of the Church in excommunicating , at least for such matters as she esteemeth necessary and fundamental , those who dissent from her judgment . For , if in any thing at all , if at least in fundamentals ( in which some say she cannot err ) the Church may excommunicate dissenters : hence it follows , both that it is possible , and that a man ought , in some things , to consent to the Church even against his own judgment ; unless we will affirm , that no man in such points ( as suppose in fundamentals ) can possibly have another judgment than hers . But so there would never have bin any man erroneous or heretical in a point fundamental . I say , ought to consent . For , if God hath given power to the Church ( I mean the highest court thereof ) of punishing by excommunication all those who do not consent to some decision which she maketh ; then all ought to consent to such decision , whether it be right or wrong to his seeming arguments or reasons , whose consent is required ; for every one ought to do that , for the not doing of which God appoints him to be punished : besides , that he , who consents not to the Church'es judgment , refuseth it only to consent to another judgment much more fallible , i. e. his own . Now , that God hath granted such a power to the Church , of excommunicating dissenters to some of her decisions at least , is acknowledged by the Reformed , * who allow the Church'es practice of it in her first 4. General Councils , concerning the additions in the Nicene and other Creeds ; * who allow the Church'es practice in commanding something to be done , or forborn , by her subjects under the penalty of Excommunication : but wherever the Church enjoyns any thing to be done , she inclusively enjoyns assent , or belief , that such a thing is lawful to be done . Lastly , * who practise such excommunication themselves , not only toward men for contradicting , or for declaring their dissent , but for dissenting from , their decrees . 1. † As appears in the closes of the 3. 4. and 5. Canons &c of the English reformed Synod held under K. James 1603. where ( Can. 5. ) Whosoever doth affirm any of the 39. Articles to be in any part erroneous , stands excommunicated [ not till he recants his publick contradicting the Church'es doctrines , but ] till he repents of , and publickly revokes such his wicked errors : and † as appears in all those Canons , wherein that Synod enjoyns any Agends upon pain of Excommunication ; which injunctions of Practicals ( as I said before ) involve also an injunction of Assent first , that such practicals are lawful , See Can. 9. 12. 59. of that Synod . 2ly . As appears in the English Synod under K. Charles 1640. * where , in the 3. 4. and 5. Canons , any accused of Popery , Socinianism , Anabaptism , are to be excommunicated , till they abjure such errors ; and that is , till they assent to the contradictory of those errors ; and that is , till they assent to the doctrine of the Church of England , where it is contradictory to those errors : and * where Can. 6. There is required an approbation and sincere acknowledgment ( which is no less than assent ) to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England , as containing all things necessary to salvation ; and this confession required upon oath . See this matter discoursed more at large in Church-government , 3. part . § . 29. And hence a sober man may discern , how that without submission of judgment in some things , none , that are learned , and much studied in Theological controversies , can enjoy the external communion of any Church . For since ( for example ) the English Church excommunicates all that shall say , that any of her Articles or Canons is erroneous or repugnant to Scripture , ( see for this her 4. and 5. Can. set down before , 2d . part of Church-government ) untill they shall publickly revoke , not such their saying , but such their error ; and since the Rom. Church is said to require belief of so many Decrees of the Tridentine , and other former Councils ; if any one Canon or Article , tho of never so little moment , of the Church of England , or Canon of those other Councils allowed by the Church of Rome , whereto assent is required , doth appear mistaken to such a one's private reason : hence he can be of neither of these external communions , and sic de caeteris ; yet one of which certainly is the communion of the true Catholick Church , of which we say , Credo unam sanctam &c. I may add ; Neither could he heretofore be of the external communion of the former Church Catholick for many ages , wherein , by reason of new rising heresies , the Church'es determinations ( and those requiring assent ) have bin multiplied ; from some one or other of which a learned man is likely to vary in his private judgment , being perhaps not every way so well informed , as that of the Church was , who made them . So suppose one , holding all the rest with the Council of Trent , should differ from it in this one tenet , That the Baptism of S. John Baptist , and of Christ , were not of the same efficacy , — or one holding all the rest with the Church of England , should only differ from it in this point of her 28 and 29th Article , That the Real Body of Christ is received in the Eucharist only by those , who have a lively faith : for which see Mr. Thorndike ( Epilogue to the Church of England , 3. l. 2. c. ) ; or ( before the Reformation , and Council of Trent ) one should in some thing hold differently from the Decrees of the 2d . Nicean or Lateran Council : he is thereby excluded from the external communion both of the Church of Rome , and the Church of England , and of all the former Church following the 2d . Council of Nice , unles he be in something content to mortify his rationale , and make a submission of his judgment-Therefore the Schoolmen , so subtil in their disputes , and so various in their resolves , yet laid aside their private reasons , and bended their judgments to the yoke thereof , where any controversible point was formerly stated by the Church ; taking liberty to expatiate and exercise their science only in those disputables , wherein she had no way bounded them . Now to come to your other Query : Whether if , in non-fundamentals , the Church require our assent to something contrary to our private judgment , we ought to yeild to it ? To this I answer ; We ought : Because the Church'es power of punishing by Excommunication all that do not consent to all her decisions and determinations , wherein she requires consent , seems to be absolute and unlimited . For to some of her decisions , the reformed grant that he who assents not is justly excommunicated by her . I ask therefore to which ? 1. Is it only to those decisions , which she maketh according to the Scriptures , that if any assent not to them , he may be justly excommunicated by her ? See the 20. and 21 Article of the Church of England . But then , before she may justly exercise such Excommunication , some body must judge , when her decisions are made according to the Scriptures , when not . This Judge must either be her self , or private men . If she must judg this , then t is all one , as if there were no such limitation : for we may be assured , she will never make any such decision , as her self will judge not to be according to , or to be contrary to , the Scriptures . If private men must judge this , then this her authority is null toward so many private men , as shall judge her decisions to be contrary to Scriptures ; and to the rest , that judge them according with Scripture , she hath no use of this authority , because they already consent . T is null , I say , to the former , because as the power of excommunicating those who do not consent to her decisions , when made according to the Scriptures , is committed to her ; so the power of judging , when they are so made , when not , is here supposed to be left by God to private men . Therefore these being judged by them not to be so ; her authority , which was thus limited , is now , toward all such men , voided . And how will this consist with God's giving Pastors &c , for the unity of the faith , and that men may not be carried away with every doctrine &c. ( Eph. 4. 11 , 13 ) ? Her authority ( I say ) toward all such men is voided : because these two , the giving private men power thus to judge , and then the punishing them , if they do not consent , or if they declare their dissent , do contradict . For t is saying to them , I grant , and teach you , that when you shall judge any thing which I enjoyn you , to be contrary to God's word , ( as possibly it may be ) ; so often it is your duty , not to obey me : nevertheles , for doing this your duty I may justly punish you by Excommunication . Or 2ly , Is it only to those decisions , which she maketh in points , of the truth whereof she is actually certain ? For thus it is pleaded by some , That a Church which confesseth , that she may err , and mislead others , and upon this consideration alloweth , that private men may lawfully dissent from her , may yet be sure , that she doth not , in such and such definitions , contradict Scripture ; and therefore may ( according to the power given her by God Matt. 18. ) excommunicate her children , for preaching contrary to , or dissenting from , her definitions , and for violating her truth , and her peace , and upon this ground may affirm , that what she thus binds on earth , is bound in heaven : as a man that may sleep , run mad &c , may yet be sure , that now , at this time , he is awake , and in his wits . See much-what the same said by Dr. Hammond concerning General Councils affixing Anathema's to their Decrees . ( Paraenes . § . 12. p. 158. ) But this plea seems to ground the Church'es power of excommunicating , and consequently her subjects necessity of obeying , ( at least so far as not to contradict her definitions , ) not upon her authority , tho she ( as those Judges Deut. 17. 8. ) may be in some things liable to error : but only upon her certainty of the truth in those things which she enjoyns ; as it is willingly granted , she , or any else , of some things may be certain enough . But then , if others obedience depends not upon her determining or commanding , but upon her being certain ; what is said before returns again , they must have some means to know , not only what she commands , but also when she is certain in what she commands , ( or that she commands nothing wherein she is uncertain ) : in which she may be still uncertain , even when she saith , nay even when she thinks , she is certain . But , there being no means to know this , all men again will be left to their liberty . The Church of England ( see before § . 3. ) hath excommunicated all that shall say any thing is erroneous , either in her Liturgy , or 39. Articles . Was she sure , that she could not possibly mistake in any of these things , which she hath said there ? if not ; such her Excommunication of contradicters will be ( according to this opinion ) unlawful . Deut. 17. 12. it is said ; The man that will do presumptuously , and not hearken unto the Priest , even that man shall dye . — Matt. 18. 17. it is said ; If he will not hear the Church , let him be as an heathen . Are these punishments lawfully inflicted , only in case that such Priest and Church be certain and infallible in their judgment ? or that such Priest and Church do not seem to any to mis-interpret the divine law ? 3ly . Is it only to those decisions , which she maketh in points fundamental ? But here the same doubts arise still . For I demand ; Whether are you to judge , or she , which these are ? or how many ? Surely this is very necessary to be known . If you grant that she must judge this too for you , which , or how many be fundamentals ; ( as Mr. Chillingworth saith ( 3. c. 39. § . ) in all reason she must , if in fundamentals she be acknowledged your guide , and therefore he denies her to be a guide at all ) ; then this thing , To how many of her decided points you are to consent , lies only in her judgment . And then I ask ; Since some Non-fundamentals are plain in Scripture , and since in these Non-fundamentals if a private man may be infallibly certain of somethings , ( as they say he may , and upon this infallibility of his seems to be grounded all his dissent from the Church ; for in things , tho not fundamental , wherein he is not infallibly certain of the contrary , I suppose , he is also to consent to the Church'es judgment ) ; then surely the Church may be so too : why should you not be here also tied to take her sentence , when she saith , that she is infallibly certain of them too , as you do take her sentence when she telleth you how many are fundamental ? And , if you are to consent , tho it be against your own judgment , in the greatest matters ; what reason is there you should not do it in lesser ? You will answer ; because in these greatest matters she cannot err , but she may in others . My reply is ; and may not you in others also err much more ? Is she to guide your judgment in the main , and not in less , matters ? Is Scripture be plain in these smaller points , for you to guide your self by it ; is it not so , much more , in fundamentals ? why therefore relinquish you your own , and adhere to her , judgment , in these things most plain in Scripture ? and then take up your own , and leave hers in the rest ; especially when , being asked your reason for this , your plea is , because such points are plain in Scripture ? But then if our Saviour , as this opinion makes him , enjoyns only subscription to the Church in fundamentals ; who sees not , that it is as necessary , that our Saviour should have told us , which points those were ? els we may assent too much to her in things , wherein she may err ; or too little in the other , wherein she cannot err , ( I mean fundamentals , ) and so be certainly damn'd . But then ; since , tho the General Church cannot , yet a National Church may , err in fundamentals also , and may apostatize ; therefore you are , here , ( according to that opinion ) to assume to your self to judge , what points are truth , and what not , even in pretended fundamentals , before you yeild any consent to any thing at all , call'd fundamental , or other , which a National Church proposeth : and thus a self-opinioned man may easily throw off the yoke of obedience to all the proposals of all , except General , Councils ; a thing very unreasonable . And as unreasonable is that , which some say on the other side ; That we may not contradict or oppose our Pastor , or Bishop in smaller matters , but may in the greater ; when-as indeed in these greater matters there is more reason for our obedience , and far more danger , if we err , in our contradicting , Therefore neither in Non-fundamentals , nor yet in Fundamentals , may we properly contradict them ; i. e. in opposing our particular judgment upon Scripture , to theirs . What then must be done ( you will say ) since our Pastors and Bishops may err in fundamentals , and particular Churches may apostatize ? Resp. Why , both in fundamentals and non-fundamentals also , where any considerable doubting ariseth , we may repair from them to a further information from the Church General , such as we can have : and then we are to follow her judgment , when evident and undisputable ( as many times it is ) ; and , if we be Presbyters , we are also to teach her Doctrines , ( and that in not-fundamentals , as well as in fundamentals ) tho contrary to the commands of some inferior Bishop or Council . Nor is this properly our , but the Church-Catholick's , contradicting such a one ; and our obeying only her's , rather than her inferior's , injunctions . This discours ariseth from that term [ Non-fundamentals ] put in the Quaere : when-as mean-while you may observe , that this curiosity of knowing precisely what are fundamentals , what not , presseth only one side : namely that , which will allow obligation of assent to the Church'es decrees only in some things , not in others : but it doth not concern the other side at all , because they hold assent necessary to all points , wherein the Church ( I mean the supream power in it ) requires it . And so also , 1. ancient Councils , under pain of Anathema , require , as in some things non-contradiction , so in other things consent ; with whom [ Siquis non confitetur &c , Anathema sit ] is ordinary , without setting down that the point is fundamental ; as likewise [ Si quis dixerit , only ] is used by them in other points of greatest consequence : which shews , that the Church , expecting the same obedience to her also in the points we call not-fundamental , took not such exact care to deliver them distinctly ; nor indeed perhaps knows how to sever all points under such a distinction . To say therefore , that all such points , where assent and confession is required , are fundamental , is gratis said , and as easily denied : but that all such points are very profitable to salvation , I doubt not . 2. Again ; all practical points cannot be said to be fundamental ; but where ever the Church enjoyns any practical things under Anathema , she requires more than Non-contradiction , as hath bin noted already : for I may not practise a thing , when I do not first assent to the lawfulnes thereof . In practical things therefore , commanded by her to be done , I either owe her no obedience at all , or els more than Non-contradiction ( Now the ancient Councils are frequent in these ) ; but if God had given her subjects liberty , not to practise such things as are enjoyned by her , if against their judgment ; neither hath he given the Church liberty to anathematize them , for thus following their conscience . For I pray you consider these two Propositions , how they can both agree to the Church : [ I know God hath given order , that in non-fundamentals no man shall owe me such , so much , duty , as to yeild his assent to me ; or to practise what I bid him , when his judgment is contrarily perswaded ; but only so much as not to contradict me yet I do require of those same men , not only not to contradict , but to consent &c , or els I anathematize them . ] Certainly if , in Non-fundamentals , a man of a contrary judgment to the Church can be only faulty in contradicting the Church ; she can excommunicate none such upon any other terms , but only if they shall contradict her . 3. Again ; the Scriptures have appointed Pastors , Teachers , &c , have bidden us hear the Church [ he that heareth you , heareth me &c , ] without limitation to fundamentals ; sure this obedience to teachers is not fulfilled in reserving my own opinions , and in not openly contradicting or confuting theirs . Sure , that power of teaching , exhorting , reproving , correcting , the word of wisdom , the word of knowledge , given to our Spiritual Governors , for the edification of the Church , in truths and practices any way profitable to salvation , as well as in fundamental , are not sufficiently answered on our parts with the obedience of Non-contradiction of them , when they shall speak any thing contrary to our sence , except it be in fundamentals only , i. e. perhaps in two or three points : but these Scriptures oblige us to submission of Judgment , either to our particular teacher , or ( when he seems to guide us contrary to the word of God , or contrary to the rest of the Pastors of the Church , ) to his , and our , Ecclesiastical Superiors , in whose judgment we must acquiesce , and consent , that we may not be tossed &c , ( Eph. 4. 14. compared with 11 ) ; as we see they are , that take only their own sence of Scriptures . See Heb. 13. 7. I Tim. 4. 11. I Tim. 6. 3 , 4. [ Where note , that consent is not to Scriptures , that were not then so common , but to the doctrine of Godlines delivered by Timothy . ] If therefore , any dissent from an inferior Pastor or Council , ( as he may , upon any suspition , that such goeth against the Scriptures , or the Church'es doctrines , ) he may not therefore acquiesce in his own judgment , either concerning the sence of Scriptures , or the sence of former times , the Fathers , but is to repair to his Superiors , and to hear the Church then in being , ( in all things wherein he clearly sees her opinion , and in which she requires his subscription ) : which Ch. is set , for a guide to him , on an hill , to interpret to him the Scriptures in all controverted matters ; for if she be worthy to be heard in fundamentals , as well agends , as credends ; is she unworthy to be heard in smaller matters ? And such a Church , eminent and conspicuous , there always was , even in the Arrian times , to which Athanasius fled for succour also , and with which he joyned himself ; and always such there will be , nor will she ever be hid : and who goes with her , shall go with the Scriptures , and with the Fathers too ; but whoso will go with them against her , shall also lose them , and vanish away in his own self-conceit . If we now on the other side take into consideration the obedience of Non-contradiction , much pressed by the Reformed , as ( in many cases ) only due ; yet the limitations which they annex to it are such , as leave not the matter clear , to what points , and from what persons , such obedience-only is required as necessary . For , 1. it is not said by them , that all men are bound even to this lesser obedience of Non-contradiction . For , if this were affirmed , that all inferiors , whether Pastors , Bishops , or Councils , were obliged to such obedience in respect of their superior Councils , it were something : but , as I think , t is affirmed , that a National Council may contradict a superior Council ; and so a Diocesan , a National . And 1. I ask ; Why may not then a Pastor contradict his Bishop , or the Diocesan Council ? ( which the reformed will not so easily allow , ) since this Pastor also is a teacher , and an over-seer over God's flock , ( Act. 20. 28 ) . and if private men may , so may he , be infallibly certain , that such a thing is in God's word ; and that thing too , wherein he contradicteth , may be very beneficial for salvation . Neither is the peace of the Church disturbed more by him teaching contrary to a Diocesan , than by a Bishop teaching contrary to a Provincial Synod ; and as other mens contrary doctrines may consist with their charity to other Churches , ( i. e. with not condemning them to be no Churches , ) so may his . Considering these things , may not such a one say , Whether it is better to obey God than men , judge ye ? 2. Again , I ask ; If the power , in the Church , of Excommunication of private men , binds them not to contradict her ; why doth not the same power , in superior Councils , to excommunicate Bishops , and to annul the acts of inferior Councils , bind such inferior Councils also to Non-contradiction ? 3. Again ; the obligation of Non-contradiction of private men to their Bishop , or to his Synod , in not-fundamentals , will signifie little ; because an Episcopal , or a National , Synod may err in fundamentals ; and the judgment of this Synods erring in a fundamental is by the reformed left , not to It , which will never judg such a thing to be ; but , to its subjects ; and they may misjudge a point not-fundamental to be fundamental , and so may break their due silence : neither can there be of this any remedy . For none hitherto have contradicted the Church-decisions , but they have made that which occasioned their contradicting to be a thing of great consequence . Here therefore again ; in the yeilding of our obedience of Non-contradiction to a Provincial or National Church , the Queries concerning Fundamentals will return . Who is to determin , what are such , both for agends and credends ? which it is extream necessary to know , that , in such , we may be sure to vindicate God's truth against that particular Church wherein we live . Is not idolatry an error against a fundamental truth ? and doth not the Roman Church then err in fundamentals , in worshipping bread , as the Protestants think they do , for Christ ? So that tenet of the Greek Church [ à Patre per filium ] is said to destroy the Trinity : and so the Lutheran's Consubstantiation is said by consequence to destroy Christ's Humanity : the Trinity , and Christ's Humanity , fundamental truths . In such points and the like therefore none must be tied , in obedience to their Bishop or Church-National , to a Non-contradiction . 2ly , In respect of the Church in general , the obedience of sole-Non-contradiction is limited by the reformed ( as we have said before ) to Non-fundamentals , wherein the Church may err ; whereas in fundamentals , wherein this Church cannot err , here they also allow an obedience of assent . But I ask again ; Who shall determin , both in credends & agends , which are fundamental ? And why in these fundamentals especially are we wished in our judgment to conform to the Church'es ? since these are the points most clear in Scripture , and such as , without the Church'es direction , we cannot mistake . And methinks those places of Scripture concerning Tryal of Doctrines , which we have learnt to turn against the injunctions of the Church , hold as well , or more , for trying her Doctrines in Fundamentals , than in any thing els ; because the rule , by which we try , is the most plain in these points . Again , I ask ; Are all the necessary consequences of fundamentals to be accounted fundamental ? If so ; then who knows how far these points may extend , in which we are to consent to , and not only not-to-contradict , the Church'es decisions ? 3ly . This obedience ( not of yeilding assent , but solely ) of Non-contradicting , is allowed and secured by the reformed , only to those persons ; who , upon examination of Scripture and Tradition , are certain of the contrary ; surely then it must extend to very few persons , and in very few things : for how few are there , that are able to compare the Scriptures , or search Traditions ? Therefore the Scripture seems to make rules of our obedience to our present Spiritual Governors ; as if we were void of writings ; and not according to the extraordinary skill and learning of some few , that are not rulers , but according to the general capacity and knowledg of the flock of Christ. 1. Therefore it were well , if these men , who would not have their own knowledge restrained by authority , would yet let the people know , That only those , who by long studying the Scriptures and Fathers have arrived to infallible certainty , are tied , only-to Non-contradiction to the Church-decisions ; but that all the rest , to assenting . For doth it not make our hearts yet to bleed , to see so many thousands of the common people amongst us , upon this mistaken priviledge , even to disbelieve , and not to yeild consent to the Church in fundamentals ? 2. When this is done ; how few are there of the learned , that can say ; they are certain ( without some doubt ) that what the Church proposeth is false ? Are not all the rest then , who are not infallibly certain , to be taught , that they must , in Non-fundamentals , subscribe to the Church-decisions ? Why labour we then , more , to free , then subjugate , mens judgments ? 3. But then , for a private man's being infallibly certain , ( upon which the reformed opinion seems to build much ) methinks this concession of [ the Scriptures which he reads to be the infallible word of God ] is not enough for his certainty almost in any point ; because there must be a comparing of Scriptures , and a not interpreting of some places so , that other places contradict : and because the sence of the words may be diversly taken , tho he were to judge only of one place by it self . Besides there are many degrees of seeming certainty ; and t is hard to know when it is a presumption only , and when a true certainty . That men are ordinarily deceived , in making this judgment , is plain : because two , contradicting one another , will often both affirm , that they are infallibly certain . The thinking ones self infallibly certain mostwhat ariseth from knowing no objections of any difficulty to the contrary : which objections as one afterward discovers , so his former certainty by degrees abates . Hence we see the greatest Scholars many times dubious , when the ignorant are either certain , or strongly confident . Four texts of Scripture , that seem plainly to say a thing , make one sure , as it were ; and then two texts suggested to him , that seem to say the contrary , reduce him to doubt , and make him begin to deliberate of the sense of the former . I speak not this to affirm , we are certain in nothing at all : but that we have almost always reason to doubt , where the same certainty , that we have , appears not to others . But then if private men may be infallibly certain ; much more may the Church , and so many Doctors be so , they also all agreeing in their certainty . So that all proofs of certainty to be had in divine truths rather strengthen the argument for obedience to the Church . And she deals but with us in our own kind , if she plead infallibility to require our submission to her , even in Non-fundamentals , as we do plead infallibility to avoid it . As for those objections , which the Reformed opinion makes : 1. That possibly a National , or Provincial Synod , may , or also hath , broached some new mischievous tenet ; the contrary to which tenet neither the Creeds expresly , nor former Councils have decreed ; into which error therefore my too secure obedience may betray me . I answer : That from this judgment of such a Church , so often as it is suspected by me , I will not retreat to my private judgment , but I will appeal to a more general judgment of the present Church : which judgment I can either have conjunctim , or divisim ; ( as it was ordinarily procured in ancient time , ) and ( by the reformed opinion ) I shall be secure , if I part not from the present Church : for in fundamentals she shall in no age err , but hold forth to me visibly the truth ; and if this error be in Non-fundamentals , it amounts not ( as the reformed say ) to a heresy : therefore will I still cleave to her , ( i. e. ) the present Church , and the supremest Authority I can find therein ; neither will I embrace any sence put upon Scriptures , or Fathers , against her ; because she cannot be ( at least in points of great consequence ) opposit to them . And , if that religion ( as it might have bin ) had bin conveyed to our days by unwritten Tradition , and only so as the Apostle directed in 2 Tim. 2. 2 , and that we had had neither New Testament-Scriptures , nor writings of Fathers ; then I must have relied only on the guidance of the present Church : neither needed she , for this , to have bin made more infallible than now she is ; and doubtles my faith should have bin ( nevertheles ) sufficiently grounded , i. e. on the word of God still orally delivered by her : neither could any have made an argument , that my faith was not salvifical , for this reason , because fidei non potest subesse falsum ; for she must then , in defect of all writings ; have bin confess'd the pillar and ground of truth , and the dispenser or steward of the mysteries of God , ( 1 Cor. 4. 1. ) : the same ( then ) must she be still ; and Nations now , as at the first , before writings , are still converted by her ; by her preaching , before they come to peruse those Scriptures . And so are we all also taught our faith first by her ; neither suffers she diminution in her authority from co-extant Scriptures and Fathers . But yet , besides that in these Scriptures is ascribed to her great authority ; any help , that is from these writings enjoyed by any other , is also by her : that no body may boast over her in these advantages . 2. It is objected : That our faith , to be salvifical , must be grounded on something that is infallible ; and therefore only on God's word . See this answered at large , in the Treatise of Necessary faith , § . 43. &c. Surely , the Church groundeth her faith , which she recommendeth to us , on the Scriptures , as well as private men think they do theirs , when they leave hers , to follow their own , judgment . And , if the Church'es judgment is not , neither is their own , infallible ; for which , they desert the Church'es . But , tho it is most true , that true faith is always grounded on the word of God , ( which word of God is infallible ) ; yet is it not necessary , that every one , who hath true faith , do know that it is infallible , or be infallibly certain of it : For many have saving faith , doubtles ; that learn this word of God only from a fallible man ; suppose from their Father , or from their Pastor . Neither is it necessary , that this faith should be received from another person infallible , besides God ; nor that it should be received from a writing at all . There may be a strong adherence , beyond evidence ; neither can it be unsufficient , if it be so strong , as to produce obedience to God's commands . 3. T is said : That one is , for his salvation , secure enough , where ever these two are ; Unity of faith with the Church , in fundamentals ; and then Charity toward the Church , in the points not-fundamental , wherein I disagree from her . Charity , i. e. not condemning her , for them , to be no Church , &c. I answer : 1. First , such a one must know well , what are Fundamentals , that perhaps he take not liberty to differ from the Church in any of them . The Apostle reckons doctrines of Baptism and of laying on of hands among foundations , ( Heb. 6. 2. ) ; if we will make unity in fundamentals so large as he doth , I know not how many other points may be brought in . And I am perswaded by reading the Catalogues of anciently-accounted Heresies , that the Fathers and Primitive times would not have stuck to have pronounced some side highly heretical , in those differences between the Reformed and the Catholic Church , and even in those differences that are now in this Church of England about Baptism , Bishops , Ordination , &c. 2ly . Without doubt there may be a larger unity of faith , than only in fundamentals ; ( unles all points of faith be fundamental ; and if so , then Churches that differ in any point of faith , differ in fundamentals . ) 3ly . If there may be a larger unity then Spiritual Guides , doubtles , are set over us , to build us up in the unity also , of this faith , and not only of fundamentals . ( See Heb. 5. 11. &c. — 6. 1. And therefore , why [ Eph. 4. 11. compared with 13. ] should be restrained only to fundamentals , as it is by some , it seems to me strange . I cannot think , that the Corinthians differed amongst themselves in fundamentals , ( see 1 Cor. 1. 4. &c ) : and yet the Apostle is very angry with them for their divisions , and exhorts them to be all of one judgment ; which union of judgment could not be by following the judgment , each one , of their private reason , but of the Apostle , and of their orthodox teachers appointed by him . See 1 Cor. 1. 10. Rom. 12. 16 , 18. Rom. 15. 5 , 6. Phil. 1. 27. Phil. 2. 2 , 3. 1 Pet. 3. 8. where [ speaking the same thing , and being joyned in the same judgment ; contending for the faith of the Gospel with one mind ; glorifying God with one mind , and one mouth , &c. ] argue an unity required , not only of charity , but of opinion and judgment ; and that , not only in fundamentals , ( in which , as I said , all the factious Corinthians , or most of them , accorded , ) but other beneficial truths : which union how could so many judgments , undependent of one another , attain , but by , all of them , retaining the same doctrine of their Pastor , or Pastors ? 4ly . If these points , wherein the reformed recede from the authority of superior Councils , be not very necessary , tho not fundamental ; how can a separation for them be justified ? but if necessary ; why should we say , that God requires not an unity of faith in them ? 5ly . Again ; as faith and charity secure not our salvation , if we be guilty of some other vice , ( adultery , &c ) ; so they do not secure it , if there be any denial of obedience , where t is due ; especially to the Church , disobedience towards whom is , in a more special manner , disobedience to Christ , and to God himself : and why may not this then endanger us , if God hath provided teachers , to keep us in the same judgment , and we ( to the great hurt , both of the Church , and of our selves too , by these divisions ) will every one follow his own judgment ? especially since union of charity , as this opinion limits it , excludes not all separation from a superior authority , but only requires non-condemning of such authority , or those that adhere to it , in our separation . But here methinks the words of Cassander . ( Consult . Art. 7. ) are of some weight : where , granting that the reformers did not condemn the Church from which they separated , yet , Non video ( saith he ) quomodo illa interna societas consistere possit , si publicam Ecclesiae consuetudinem , in observatione tam universalium , quam particularium rituum , violes , & condemnes , & institutis majorum pertinaciter repugnes ; quod certe est contra officium charitatis , qua maxime internam hanc unitatem consistere certissimum est . ] Contra officium charitatis , I say ; if we take charity not negatively , for not hating , cursing , damning , but positively , for love and amity : which sure the Apostle requires in all the members of Christ , especially toward their Mother , the Church : which charity he describes ( 1 Cor. 13. 4. &c , ) to think no evil , and well to interpret all things : and we may judge this in private amity , where our love ordinarily happens to be very cold toward the person , whose ways , customs , conditions we once hate and condemn . Certainly , in the many sects now in this Church of England , and in the division of the Protestant from the former Church , tho it be supposed all these agree in fundamentals , and have all such an union of charity to one another , as is mentioned before ; yet there is a great fault somewhere for diversity of opinions , that must be answered for by some side at the day of judgment : nor doth the Church seem sufficiently in charity toward those superior Church-governors , whose decisions , and Canons she not only refuseth , but also proceedeth so far , as to reject their external communion , and not to admit them , or the Churches adhering to them , to her communion , because of the faultines , wherewith she chargeth such their canons and decisions . 6. Lastly , let this be considered , ( which you may find more prosecuted in Tryal of Doctr. § . 42. &c. ) that , tho one follow the Church in fundamentals , yet , by departing from her judgment in other points , he may lose many wholsom advices in things practical extremely profitable and advantageous to attaining salvation . Our own judgment sways us to liberty ; and God knows how many souls have perisht in the reformed religion , by throwing away the Church'es counsels and commands , tho in to-them-seeming small matters , as Fasting , Confession , &c. And that text 2 Pet. 3. 16. methinks might a little affright us , wherein the Apostle saith , that there are things in Scripture that are hard to be understood , [ sure these are not Fundamentals then , which we contend are plain , ] which are wrested by the unlearned and the unstable [ sure he means here men not adhering to the fixed doctrines of the Church ] to their own [ not harm , but ] destruction . 4ly . It is urged , that the H. Scriptures have commanded , that all men , lest they should perhaps be misguided , should try , and that by the same Scriptures , their teachers doctrines ; that so if they find these doctrines not to agree with the H. Scriptures , they may withdraw their belief from them . See Jo. 5. 39. Act. 17. 11. 1 Jo. 4. 1. 1 Thes. 5. 21. 1 Cor. 10. 15. Matt. 16. 6 , 12. — 15. 14. Gal. 1. 8 , 9. Esay 8. 20. In answer to this , for a stricter examination of some of the texts here urged I must refer you to Succession of Clergy , § . &c. and to Trial of Doctrines § . 3. 11. &c : Only here this I say to them in general . Trial of Doctrines by Scripture is ; 1. either of the doctrines of private teachers by the Church-governors ; of which no question is made : or 2. of the doctrines of private teachers by private men : and these they may try by the Scriptures , so that they guide themselves ( left their trial be mistaken ) in the sence of these Scriptures , according to the exposition thereof by the Church ; i. e. * in her General Councils ; or * in the most unanimous consent of those , whom our Saviour departing left to be the Guides of the Church , and Expositors of the Scriptures ; and if thus searching we find the doctrines of the teachers contrary to the Scriptures so expounded , we may and ought to withdraw our belief from them . Or 3ly , this trial by Scriptures is of the doctrines of the Church , i. e. of those doctrines which are delivered not by a private teacher , but * by a general consent of the Church-guides , ( at least the fullest which we can discover ) ; or * by General or other Superior Councils ; or * by the Apostles , or by our Saviour Himself . Now the allowance of such a trial may be understood in two sences . 1. Either in this sence : Search and try my , or our , doctrine by the Scriptures , for you will surely find my doctrine agreeing thereto , if you search aright , and as you ought . And in this sence the tryal by the Scriptures , of the doctrines of the Church , nay of the Apostles , ( St. Paul's by the Bereans ) ; nay of Christ himself , whether the Old Testament , as he urged , testified of Him , is both allowed and recommended . For since there is no difference of the teaching of Christ , or of S. Paul , or of the Church , from the teaching of the Scripture ; the one will never fear , but freely appeal to a trial by the other , if it be rightly made . Or , 2ly . it may be understood in this sence : Search and try my doctrines by the Scriptures , and if you in your search do not perceive it agreeable unto them , I declare , that you have no reason to believe , or that you are excusable in rejecting my doctrine . Now in this sence our Saviour , or S. Paul , or the other Scriptures , never recommended private men's searching , or gave any such priviledge to it : unles you put in this clause , that they have searched aright . But if you put in this clause , then is the searcher , after his searching , not yet at liberty to disbelieve the Apostle's or the Church'es doctrine , till he is sure first that he hath searched aright . I say our Saviour or the Scriptures cannot recommend searching in such a sence , or upon such conditions . 1. Because such a searcher or tryer by the Scriptures there may be , as is prejudiced by passion , or interest , ormis-education ; or as searcheth negligently and coldly ; or as hath not a sufficient capacity to understand the Scriptures , he searcheth , when perhaps it is in some difficult point , wherein they are not so clear ; as if he should search the text of the Old Testament in the point delivered by St. Paul , of the abrogation of Circumcision under the Gospel . Neither can any be easily secure of his dis-ingagement from all such Letts of using a right judgment in searching . 2ly . Because however the search or searcher prove , there are other means and mediums by which is proved to men the truth of such doctrines , and by which not bearing witnes to a falsity , one may discover himself to have made his search of Scripture amiss , so often as he thinks it to contradict them . Such mediums are ; † Miracles , and other mighty operations done by the power of the H. Ghost , upon which our Saviour ( Jo. 5. 36 , and elsewhere , ) and S. Paul ( Rom. 15. 19. 2 Cor. 12. 12. 1 Cor. 2. 4. Mar. 16. 20. ) required belief and submission to their doctrine . And † Universal Tradition ; upon which the Church also requireth belief to the Scriptures : the same Tradition that delivered the Scriptures delivering also such doctrines and expositions of Scriptures , as are found in the Church ▪ So that a Pharisee searching and not finding in Scriptures ( by reason indeed that he searched them not aright ) such testimony of Jesus his being the Messias , as was pretended ; yet ought to have bin convinced , and to have believed his doctrines , from seeing his miracles ; and from hence also to have blamed his faulty search . So a Berean searching and not finding in Scripture such evidence of S. Paul's doctrine , suppose of the abrogation of the Judaical Law by Christ , as was pretended ; yet ought to have believed it from the mighty works he saw done by S. Paul , or from the authority he or the Council at Jerusalem received from Jesus working miracles , and raised from the Dead , as Universal Tradition testified . And the same may be said for the Church'es doctrines . And therefore , as there are some Scriptures , that bid us search the Scriptures , because , if we do this aright , we shall never find them to disagree from the doctrines of the Church ; and because some doctrines of the Church are also in the Scriptures very evident : so there are other Scriptures , ( if those who are so ready to search them on other , would search them also on this , point , ) that bid us Hear the Church ; because our searching of Scriptures is liable sometimes to be mistaken ; and because in some things the Scriptures may seem difficult : in which case God having referred us to the judgment of those whom he hath appointed to be the expounders thereof , ( Deut. 17. 8 , 9 , 10. Matt. 18. 17. Lu. 10. 16. ) cannot remit us again to the same Scriptures , to try whether their expositions be right . Therefore that text Gal. 1. 8 , 9. is far from any such meaning : If the Church or Church-men shall teach you any thing contrary to the Scriptures , as you understand them , let these be Anathema to you . But rather it saith this , If an Angel , or I apostatizing ( as some shall , Act. 20. 30. ) shall teach any thing contrary to the doctrines ye have received , i. e. from the Church let him &c. which makes for the Church'es authority very much . The Scriptures then recommending tryal do no way warrant to us a tryal of the publick doctrines of the Church by our private sence upon the Scriptures , that so we should adhere to it against them ; but a tryal of the doctrines of private teachers by the Churches publick sence of the Scriptures , that in adhering to it we may be always secure . 5ly . They question , since there are many present divided Churches , to the judgment of which of them they shall repair ? I answer . Had this question bin asked an hundred years ago in Luther's time , any one could have solved it . What any one would have done then , let him do now : since all grant that the Church , which was then Catholick , is not changed since in its doctrines or practices ; only some men are since gone out of it : and he may know by this , that he is not to follow them , because they are gone out , if he resolve once to be a follower of the Church'es authority . All or most of modern controversies either Councils , which the present Church allows , have decided ; or collectively the solution of them may be known by the agreeing tenets of particular Churches and their Bishops , even before , and without , any General Councils . Most of the decrees of the Council of Trent ( tho it should stand for nothing ) yet we must grant , were the general tenets and practice of the present Church of that age , and of many ages before that : and many Councils also ( which must be granted at least Patriarchal , or Provincial ) have decided the points now in controversy , or many of the most considerable of them ; and we find no other superior Synod at all contradicting them in those or later times , but the same things ratified by the general practice which followed . If therefore there was a church Catholick in those days , that had or exercised any authority , ( and this I think we confess in our Creed ) , surely such tenets were established by it : neither can we acknowledge one Holy and Apostolick Church in those times , save only that , by whom such things were used , and by whom also many of them decreed ▪ After that therefore we have once yeilded to conform , in our judgment , or in not-contradiction , to the Church ; we need not demand , and expect ( for these things ) a future General Council ; for we are judged already : we learning what is the Church'es judgment sufficiently by the decrees of former Councils , ( Provincial at least ) , which , with this universal practice following them , are equivalent to General . Els many ancient heresies ( as Pelagianism &c ) remain yet uncondemned in the Church , these having bin censured only by Councils Provincial , whose judgments afterward were generally approved ; and by the general practice of that Church , which Church we cannot deny to be the same with that , which once was the total Catholick , and which is also now ( if we look after the major part of the Church ) the greatest communion of Christians . Such things as these are said ; and you must tell me , what I must reply to them . And indeed , if Protestants saw no eminent Church , to which , if all her decisions were made authentical , men would presently apply themselves , their contention would not be so earnest against our ascribing too much to the Church'es authority . But suppose ( say they ) that the church present determin things against Scripture , and against the former Church ? Why may not I ( say I again ) as well suppose you , who think thus of the present Church , to mistake Scripture , and the former Church your selves ? and why may I not say again to you ; suppose that she err in fundamentals , where are you , that in these do follow her judgment ? Yes : but the fundamentals , she directs me in , are more plainly set down in Scripture . Well then : since you may not judg against her , in the plain ; may you , in other things less plain ? But , say you , our Saviour hath promised , in these , she shall not err . Then you need not fear erring with her , in the rest : for were truth in the rest so necessary as you pretend , God could and would , here also , have made her an infallible directer . And we are to know this , that the Church may be faulty in something that she enjoyns , and yet he , that assents to her judgment , not be so : but faulty he will be , if he do not assent . Els what shall we answer to Deut. 17. 11 ? unles we will say , that those Judges were absolutely infallible . Now , after all ; let Non-contradiction be all the obedience we ( when otherwise perswaded ) ow to the Church ; and this Non-contradiction be due only from the subjects of a Diocese , in respect of the Bishop or Diocesan Synod ; not from the Bishop or Diocese , to superior Synods : yet hence it will follow ; 1. First , that the Reformation abroad was unlawful , which we followed ; and that no Minister might then preach against Popish doctrines , unles these things had bin first decided by his Bishop ; which , I think , is more than many of the reformed will defend . 2. Again ; from this distinguishing of our obedience to the Church , according to several things commanded by her , methinks this may reasonably be demanded , since neither King nor Church can justly punish , or anathematize any , for not yeilding that obedience to them , which God hath not bound men to yeild them ; Therefore if they are bound to yeild obedience of consent , in some points , ( as in fundamentals , ) and only obedience of Non-contradiction in others , ( as in Nonfundamentals ) , when our private judgment therein happeneth to be contrary to the publick ; methinks , I say , this may reasonably be demanded , That there should be some certain way , how both the Church may know , when to enjoyn the one , and when only the other ; and how the subject may know also , when the one , and when the other is due : for none can be justly punished in an invincible ignorance of his duty . And if this be the rule of their non-obligation to consent ; namely , when the point is not fundamental ; and when they are also infallibly certain of the contrary : there must also be some way for men to know , when they are infallibly certain , and when they think only that they are so . For I should have thought any one might know when he is sure , but that I see so many , that say they are sure , when mistaken ; and but that I have also found my self afterward mistaken in things , of which I once thought my self infallibly sure . Another thing : methinks . Non-contradiction sounds well in speculatives ; but in practicals what must be done ? For unles the Church in practicals may bind men ( tho of a contrary perswasion ) to consent to what she defines , she cannot enjoyn them to do what she commands , or to forbear what she forbids ; because this doing or forbearing necessarily presupposeth consent first to the lawfulnes thereof , els the action will be sin . Now the Church many times commands and forbids several practices ( doubtles not-fundamental ) under Anathema's . And indeed might not people ( in matters practical ) be tied ( beyond their own inclinations and opinion ) to conformity in these ; the church , that is founded by the God of holines and order , what a disorderly Society would it be ? and how full of several impieties ? To conclude the whole matter : since , in this division of Christendom , one party in general seems many ways to crush the Church'es authority ; and the other to crush private judgment ; and since there seem to be some inconveniences on all hands : a wise man will chuse that way which seems the more safe ; which , I think , is to adhere , not to our own , but the common , judgment of the Church . In which there seems to be much humility also , and mortification of our rationale , ( in which we are all very strong ) , and also the not hazarding the breach of the great duty of our obedience to the Church ; which I think had far better be yeilded too much , than too little . And , besides these motives , we have seen more evidently the effects of both these tenets upon men in our days : and there seems to be no comparison between the mischiefs , which too much obedience to the Church hath wrought ; and those , which the following of private judgment hath produced . A Postscript . IN the former Discours ( § . 2. ) it is said ; That our Judgment , if it be taken for any degree of private opinion , short of infallible certainty , ought to be submitted to the judgment of our Ecclesiastical Superiors . Where , infallible certainty , a thing so ordinarily mistaken , seems to stand in need of some further explication . By infallible certainty ; therefore , I mean , either , * that which ariseth from demonstrative arguments , drawn from the nature of the thing , ( but this is a certainty which consists not with faith ; for faith walks not by sight ) : or ( which most concerns our busines ) * that certainty , which ariseth ab authoritate dicentis , when we know infallibly , both , that he saith it , who cannot lie ; and that such is the meaning of what he said , els the former of these , without the later , breeds no certainty . 1. Now ; if you make your proposal thus : Supposing that I am infallibly certain of a thing , that is contrary to the Church'es judgment , whether am I obliged to consent to that judgment & c ? I must answer , No , by no means . For indeed , if we speak of interior assent , such a thing as this assent cannot be at all ; unles one can hold two contradictories to be true . And 2ly , for exterior assent , ( that is , professing an assent , when you do not assent , ) this you may not do neither , for this is hypocrisy and lying ; which the God of truth always hates and forbids : neither hath he tied any man to forsake or renounce , tho in profession only , an infallibly known truth , great , or small . And therefore , from hence , as long as you cannot believe , that the Church hath any authority to guide you ; or that her judgment is , so good as your own , or , fit to be followed , so long you cannot profess a consent unto her judgment , against your own , without sinning ; but , whilst you may not do this without sinning , you sin again in not believing otherwise . For no man may do what he thinks he ought not to do ; and yet he doth sin in not so doing , because he ought to think otherwise . When I shew you , that you may without sin obey the Church , contrary to what your judgment is in the thing which you assent to ; I do not tell you , that you may without sinning obey the Church contrary to this your judgment , that you ought not to obey her ; or , when your judgment is , that you ought not to obey her . Where ever the mouth or hand goes contrary to the heart , t is hypocrisie and lying , contrary to Christian simplicity , and unlawful . But if the mouth and hand go with the heart , and the heart go not right ; here also will be sin , tho not the same sin . 2. Now , in the 2d . place , if you ask me ; Whether , hoc dato , that such a book is the word of God , rightly translated &c , you may be infallibly certain of the sence of it in some things ? This , I also grant , you may be : for , hoc dato , that the New Testament , which we have , is the word of God ; and that God , in this word , meant to speak so , that it should be intelligible to us , ( els it were no revelation of any thing ) : a private man , that hears , or reads it , may be as certain of something therein clearly delivered ; as , for example , that , Jesus is the Lord , or that he died , in some sence or other ; as , hoc dato , that he is the Lord , he may be certain that he is the Lord : or , as he may be certain of identicals . ( And , as I think , one may be certain of this , so I do not think , that ever there was any heretick , that allowed the Scriptures , i. e. as we have them , that ever denied any such thing in general terms : for this would be to affirm contradictories both true . ) Again ; since the Ch. may be infallibly certain of something in the Scriptures , from the evidence of revelation ; why a private man may not be so too , I see no reason : since the Church consisteth only of so many particular men ; and the reasons appearing to the Church may also be clear to him . Tho here I must put some difference ; because as there is a certainty arising from clearnes of revelation ; so there is another from illumination of the H. Spirit , ( see Jo. 16. 13. ) which illumination is promised to the Councils of the Church ; but not so to particulars : and , for this it is ( I think well ) said ; that the conclusions of such Councils may ( from the superintendence of God's Spirit over them ) be orthodox ; when the reasons , upon which they are grounded , may be fallible , or not proving such conclusions . A private man , then , in some things may be infallibly certain ; but , since he ( also ) may be mistaken , not only in * very plain Scriptures , by † not comparing them with other places , that say something contrary to the sence , which they seem to him to bear ; † by education in such mis-interpretations , and many other thousand ways , ( as we have much experienced of late in the Socinians , and our English Sectarists , both great Scripturists ) ; but also , * in thinking himself infallibly certain of something there , when he is not ; ( which conceit many times ariseth , not from the places incapability of any doubt , but from his not being then acquainted with any objections against his sence of it ) : The chiefest signs , that I know , by which any one may gather that he is infallibly certain indeed , when it is in any point that is controverted , are these two , ( and they are such , as will litle nurse him in his opinion of infallible certainty . ) . 1. The first is ; that no other man , or at least not the major part of men , having the use of reason , understanding our terms , and granting all the suppositions which we do , doth contradict , or frame any objections against , our tenet . The 2d . That all having use of reason , &c , or the most that were formerly of another perswasion , to whom we propose all our grounds , become certain of the same thing also . I say the most , because it is not here altogether , as it is in Mathematicks ; the demonstrations whereof never any , that see them , contradict . Now , that you may not think these marks of certainty too rigid , see the same proposed by the Reformed against the Puritans , whom they think too rashly to pretend certainty in heterodox opinions . See Hook. Eccl. Pol. preface 6. sect . and Bishop Laud , § . 33. Consid. 5. n. 1. Therefore thinking one's self certain , and his not having any doubt at all of the truth of the thing he holds , is no sure note of certainty . For potest non subesse dubium , where yet subest falsum , from the ignorance of those texts or arguments which prove the contrary of what he holds . And tho there may be no doubt from contrary arguments , yet is the greatest reason that can be to doubt from a publick contrary judgment , where the much major part of such , as I have opportunity to know their opinion ( these having all the same evidences as my self ) dissent from me . Now , against these indications of certainty proposed by us , it may be , and is , said : That passion , self-conceit , pride , love of contention , and especially contrary education and custom in error , may blind some mens judgment , so as not to discern the plainest things . But mark first , that this is said , ordinarily , by a man that is singular against the contrary judgment of the Church of God. Thou that judgest another , judgest thou not thy self ? What can be a better argument for the Church , than her former customs , which thou accusest to mislead her present judgment ? Who are liker to be clear of passion , those that submit to anothers judgment , or those that adhere to their own ? Lastly , from this it will follow , that we also , to be infallibly certain of a truth , must be infallibly certain , we are not misled by passion , or education in an error , as well as that others may be so ; and this surely is very hard to know . In dissent from our Pastors ( saith Dr. Jackson ) we cannot but doubt , whether we have learnt , as we should , the precepts of Christian modesty : whether learnt to deny our selves , and our affections , to reverence him as God's Minister , taking no offence at his person : whether we have abandoned all such delights , and desires , as are the usual grounds of false perswasion . And in another place , he grants , that to the disobedient , and those who hate the light , even plain Scriptures are difficult . If we cannot be resolved in these , then must we doubt ( whether we will or no ) whether our doubt and scruple be of faith and conscience , or of humor . What Dr. Jackson saith here of doubt , I may say of certainty , ( since many also are deceived , in thinking themselves certain , when they are not ) : that till we are certain that we are void of such passion , we cannot be certain that we are certain , &c. Again ; t is said : That in points , which we must needs grant to be most certainly plain to any rational man , yet some hereticks have bin of a contrary judgment : as t is instanced in the Manichees , and in some frantick people of late , acknowledging no obligation to the practice of Christian vertues &c. I answer : this comes about , for the most part at least , by their denying some principles , which others argue upon . The Manichees acknowledged divine Scriptures , but not such as we have them ; but said , that our Scriptures were miserably corrupted . Our Sectarists of late acknowledge our Scriptures ; but say , they were writ for , and belong only to , new beginners in Christianity , not to the perfect , &c. So likewise , those that vary in their conclusions , t is notable to see , how much they vary also in their suppositions . Some , in Scripture , hold those to be counsels only , which others take for absolute commands : some suppose those precepts temporary , ( as I think we must needs confess that Act. 15. to be ) which others will needs have to be eternal : some will have the practices set down in Scripture to oblige , as well as peremptory precepts ; others not , &c. And upon these various grounds , which others grant not , every one builds , from those grounds most infallible conclusions ; which all the world , if they yeilded to his principles , would also with him assert . Mean-while he , looking at the plainnes of his deductions , and seldom examining the soundnes of some ground , which he ( irrationally ) takes for granted , becomes infallibly certain ( as he thinks ) of what is indeed an error , and many times a gross one . But it may be said again ; that where we can shew none of these differences in principles , yet there have bin hereticks , that have gone against tenets even in fundamentals , , of which tenets we must needs grant , that any man may be infallibly certain : as the Arrians , Socinians , Nestorians , Eutychians , &c. To you I may speak my opinion . In all these , and many more , which , being chief foundations , we usually also call most manifest truths , yet the most of Christians ( E will not say all ) are very much beholden to the determinations of the Church , from time to time ; by which they are kept fixed , and not shaken in them . And you see how the contrary tenets grow upon the sharpest men of reason , where the authority of the Church is laid aside . Certainly ( to name some of them ) the omnipresence of God , not in his power , but substance ; his certain foreknowledge of , not only what may , but also what shall , be , yet so , as not to destroy mans free election ; Christ's non-inferiority , as touching the God-head , to the Father ; and all those particulars about the Trinity , Person , Natures , and Wills of Christ , can hardly be said to be so plain in Scripture ( to every one that grants it to be Scripture ) that all men , without the Church'es guidance , and education in such a faith &c , would have bin infallibly certain of them . 2. But , to let these pass , and suppose , in private men , what infallible certainty you please , of them , or also of many other divine truths : yet in the 3d. place , I do not see how , from the former instances , we can proceed to make any use of this plea of infallible certainty , against the judgment of the Church of many former ages , for the controversies now on foot between the Reformed and the Catholic Church , against whom this infallible certainty is chiefly made use of . One of the most seemingly gross and unreasonable points on their side , I suppose , is Communion in one kind only : which hath this prejudice also accompanying it ; that it was practised by the Church Catholick in the publick ordinary Church-communions only in some latter times before the Reformation . Yet , I think that none will offer to affirm that he is ( I say not , much perswaded , but infallibly certain , of ) the unlawfulnes of such a practice , when he hath seriously considered these things which I shall briefly name unto him : * That many practices in Scripture are alterable by the Church , and some precepts there only temporary , not perpetual , ( as Act. 15. 20. and Jam. 5. 14. as some will have it ) : * That the Church hath altered many other things , not only without our complaining thereof , but with our imitating her . Nay further ; * That some learned Protestants number the communicating the people in both kinds , not amongst things strictly commanded in Scripture , but amongst Apostolical Traditions only . See Montag . Origin . Eccles. p. 396. Ubi jubentur in Scripturis Infantes baptizari , aut in Coena Domini sub utraque specie communicantes participare ? And Bishop White on the Sabbath , p. 97. Genuine Traditions derived from the Apostolical times are received and honoured by us . Such as are these which follow . The Historical Tradition concerning the number and dignity of Canonical Books of Scripture . The Baptism of Infants . Perpetual Virginity of the B. Virgin . Observation of the Lord's Day . The Service of the Church in a known tongue . The delivering of the H. Communion to the people in both kinds . — When he hath considered * the practice of the primitive times , even in the Eastern Churches also , of giving it in one kind to sick men , to Seamen , to Travellers , to the absents ( upon necessary occasions ) from church ; to those also , who came to church , to carry home with them , that they might there reserve it in readines , and communicate themselves therewith , when they thought fit , on those days when there was no publick communion , or they hindred from it by distance , danger , ( as in times of persecution ) , or necessary secular busines ; that which they carried home with them being only of one species , viz. that of the bread . And * these things ; tho so done , to avoid some inconvenience , ( I suppose the spilling , and the not-keeping of the wine , as also it is now ) ; yet so done , without any absolute necessity ; for , the sick can take wine sooner than bread ; and it might be conveyed from vessels without spilling , and those vessels also be first consecrated ; and might also be possibly preserved in a close bottle for some long time . When he hath considered * the ancient practice of giving the Communion sometimes to Infants newly born and baptized ( to whom this Sacrament was thought also necessary ) only in one kind ; namely that of the wine . — When one considers , * the ancient custom likewise in time of Lent ( in the Greek Church , for all days save Saterdays and Sundays ( because , saith Balsamon , Deo sacrificium offerre , they accounted to be , festum diem agere ) in the Latin Church , for Good-Friday ) to communicate expraesanctisicatis ; i. e. on what was consecrated on another day , and reserved till then ; which Symbol reserved was only that of the bread . * The great cautiousnes of the former times , against the too frequent casualties of spilling that precious blood ( which could not be gathered up again , as the bread might ) in their receiving it , in some places sucked up through a pipe ; in others , by intinction , and dipping only , or sopping the bread in the wine ; a custom also used at this day in some of the Greek and Eastern Churches . Again ; ( whereas one of our greatest complaints in this matter is an imperfect communion , and robbing the people , as it were , of the chief part of their redemption , yet ) when he hath considered , * their never questioning the compleatnes of such Communions , who thus received it in one kind ; which it most concerned people going out of the world , and some of them perhaps then first communicated , for their last viaticum , to have most perfect . Where note also ; † 1. First ; * that the sufficiency of such a communion was so constantly believed ; that the use of the Cup also in publick communions was ( upon many abuses committed about it ) by little and litle , in a manner generally laid aside in the ordinary practice , some hundreds of years before any determination passed in any Council concerning it : and * that that decree made first in the Conc. Constant. 13. sess . was only to warrant and justify the Church'es former custom against those , ( Petrus Dresdensis , the Hussites , and others , ) who then began , to inveigh , against it , saying ; hanc consuetudinem observare esse sacrilegum & illicitum ; as likewise against that custom , to communicate men fasting ; and hence began to change it , and to communicate after Supper , and in both kinds . And 2ly , † * That some of the Reformed also acknowledge , totum Christum to be contained in , and exhibited to us by , any one species , and by the least particle thereof . See Confessio Wirtenberg . Chamier de Eucharist . 9. t. 8. c. our Saviour's boby , and blood , and soul , and Deity , suffering now no separation . See a further proof of the things said above , in the discours on this subject . And lastly , if he hath considered a case not much unlike ; i. e. the communicating of Infants ; wherein if the Protestants had retained a contrary custom to the rest of the present Church , perhaps they might have accused the Church for changing it , not with less evidence than they do in this . For first ; the Scripture saith plainly , as of Baptism , he that is not born again of water so , of the Eucharist , he that eateth not my flesh &c , shall not inherit eternal life . 2ly . And then the Primitive times , according to these precepts , practised it . 3ly . No more knowledge and preparation is required to the Lord's Supper , than to Baptism ; for examining ones self , and repenting , is required to Baptism as well as to the Eucharist ; therefore , if such things are not required of children for the one ; so neither are they for the other . And I could press the like in Extream Unction ; which suppose that we had retained , and the Roman Church left off ( as it is contrary ) ; how easily could we have charged them for abrogating a plain Apostolical precept , Jam. 5. 14 ? And the same may be urged concerning the great act of humility , washing one anothers feet before the Communion : for which , after that our Saviour himself had first begun the practice thereof , there seems to be a plain precept . Jo. 13. 14. — And so the Church'es changing the celebration of the Lord's Supper into a morning exercise , and that it should be received fasting , was not done without some mens scrupling it ; See Januarius his consulting S. Austin about this , Epist. 118. &c. But , if we can alledge in this matter the desuetude of former Church to be a sufficient rule and warrant to us for omitting of it ; then why may not the same plea of the Church'es desuetude be as well by some others enlarged to some other points , wherein Scripture is urged against them ? I say therefore , if such cases as these be well considered , together with the understanding and the holines of these men , who , after our reasons given them , are not convinced by such an evidence , as we pretend ; methinks for one to say , notwithstanding all this , not , that he is much perswaded , but that he is absolutely infallibly certain , of the unlawfulnes of such a practice , would not consist with that Christian humility which we ought to have , and to which only God gives true knowledge ; nor with that charge of the Apostle , not to be wise in our own conceits . Whereas it is noted , that the more eminent in sanctity any one hath bin , the more eminent obeyer and defender ( not opposer ) hath he bin of the Church'es authority . A like instance might be made in that mainly opposed doctrine of Transubstantiation : where , as long as a possibility thereof is granted , ( as it is by many of the Reformed ) ; and such a declaration is found in Scripture as this , [ Hoc est Corpus meum , ] ( the most literal and proper sence whereof that can be , tho the most heightning this mystery , is Transubstantiation of the Elements ; See Treat . of Euchar. § . 28. n. 2. ) ; and as long as this Scripture is not found contradicted by any other Scriptures , but that with less force the literal expression of them may be brought to comply with it , than the literal expression of it to comply with them ; we also adding to these the final determination of the Church ( long before Protestancy thought on ) after so long and subtle disputes for about 300 years , from the 2d . Nicene Council till the days of Berengarius , and after so curious an examination on all sides of Primitive Tradition by Paschasius , Bertram , and others , 800 years ago ; I do not see , where a man can ground an absolute infallible certainty against it . T is a dangerous case to disobey , where we see others of great judgment and integrity yeilding obedience with alacrity , saith Dr. Jackson . And indeed I cannot but approve of that constitution of Ignatius ; and think him a too much self-conceited man , who , when he hath , I say not , to the Church , but , suppose only to three or four , whom he knew wise , and learned , and uninterested men , shewed his reasons , and they have weighed them , and concluded against his former opinion , would not quietly acquiesce in their contrary judgments , supposing no superior judgment to have prejudiced them ; and this especially in a point not fundamental . Tho ( I know not how it is , that ) when we plead our security in our dissent from the Church'es judgment , we presently say , that the point we differ from her in is not fundamental , and that unity of faith in those fundamentals is sufficient : but again , when we plead the necessity of using our own judgment , and not trusting or relying on any other mans , we presently represent the same Not-fundamental truths , as of great consequence ; and say , the blind ( meaning the Church , which may perhaps err in such things ) leading the blind , both may fall into the ditch : and that that ditch also is damnation . I cannot conceive therefore , how any man can assure himself ( in any thing that is not of fact or sence , but that is only a deduction from Scripture and Tradition ) contrary to the judgment ( I say not of his private Pastor , but ) of the supremest Court of the present Church , that he is infallibly certain of any thing , small , or great . Small , I say , as well as great : for from the Church'es being liable in some things to error doth not follow any likelihood of his being infallibly certain in those things of the contrary truth ; but rather otherwise : because t is a sign , that such things are not clearly revealed , and that they being dark to her , will be so much more to him . To confirm which , add these two . 1. That in Fundamentals this thing is granted ; That none can be certain of the contrary to what the Church defines : and then , that how many points are fundamental , is to him uncertain . 2. That amongst many tenets of the Church , this is one ; That private men are bound in all things to yeild their consent to the Church'es decisions , where they are required so to do . This tenet is plain in the practice of General Councils ; which Councils , as well for Non-fundamentals as Fundamentals , and for things of practice as well as of belief , have anathematized the ( not only contradicters , but ) Dissenters and Non-conformists . Now then , unles any one be infallibly certain of the contrary to what the Church determins , and that this is no fundamental point also ; his judgment , against hers , cannot be infallible in any point whatsoever , where she requires submission of his judgment . In prosecution of which submission of our judgment in Non-fundamentals , also it is to be noted ; that , if our submission to the Church in fundamentals were performed from any such obedience , as we confess is by the command of God's word due to her determinations ; then the texts , which may be urged to oblige us to obedience in these points , would oblige us also in others : for these texts are without any limitation of our obedience to fundamentals only . But indeed , our not so much assenting to her , as consenting with her , in fundamentals seems to proceed from other motives than obedience : as from this ; that our Saviour hath promised , that the Church ( for fundamentals at least ) shall not err : and from a second ; that all fundamentals are most plain in Scripture : and therefore , as they cannot be hid to us , so neither can they to her ; and therefore in fundamentals we must necessarily both agree ; in which agreeing , we obey not her , but , together with her , the Scriptures . Mr. Chillingworth well saw this . And hence , those who withdraw one of these motives , as those amongst the reformed , who say , Christ's promise ( before-mentioned ) is only conditional , ( i. e. if the Clergy shall do their duty ) ; or who say , that Christ's promise is more general , i. e. made to Christianity , but not to the Clergy thereof , or to any General Council ; those , I say , make nothing to dissent from any Council , or any Church , that can authoritatively declare her opinion . To conclude this Query ; I do not see then , how any man can be , or at least can know , that he is , infallibly certain of any point , wherein the Church'es judgment is contrary to his . 4. Now ( next ) if you be not infallibly certain , then , tho you have never so great probability ( that is short of certainty ) for your private opinion , yet I think , and I think the Reformed Divines conclude , that you are notwithstanding to consent to the contrary determination of the Church or Council . Els if only probabilities may serve to counterpoise the Church'es or Council's authority , when or where will these be wanting ? You have seen Mr. Hookers , and Bishop Laud's , and Bishop White 's opinion in Church-gov ; 2. part . § . 36. — Infallib . § . 45. And Dr. Jackson on the Creed , 2. l. 1. § . 6. c. I find saying thus , Our disobedience is unwarrantable , unles we can truly derive some formal contradiction or opposition between the injunction of Superiors , and express law of the most high . And elsewhere he saith : Every doubt or scruple , that the Church'es edicts are directly or formally contrary to God's law , is not sufficient to deny obedience . And again : In doubts ( saith he ) [ and I say , all is but more or less doubt until we be certain ] it will abundantly suffice , to make sincere protestation in the sight of God , or before the Magistrate , if need require , that we undertake not such actions upon any private liking of the things enjoyned , but only upon sincere respect of performing obedience to Superiors &c. And elsewhere : We may not put the Superior to prove what he commands , but he is to be obeyed , till we can prove the contrary . Again : We can no more obey , than love , God whom we have not seen , but by obeying our Superiors whom we have seen . True Spiritual obedience will bind us rather to like well of the things commanded for Authorities sake , than to disobey Authority for the private dislike of the things commanded . Again : If Pastors are only to be obeyed when bringing evidence out of Scripture , what obedience perform we to them more than to any other man whomsoever ? for whosoever shews the express undoubted command of God , it must be obeyed of all . If we thus only bound to obey , then I am not more bound to obey any other man , than he bound to obey or believe me : the flock no more bound to obey the Pastor , than the Pastor them : and so the donation of Spiritual Authority , when Christ ascended on high , were a donation of meer titles . You see how we plead for obedience , against our own Non-conformists : yet , for the former Church , we support our selves against her authority , with having infallible certainty . But the Non-conformists cease not to plead this certainty also against us . But indeed , this , he saith here , is most reasonable . For if you do not submit to the Church'es judgment , when you have greater probability to the contrary ; you never submit to her judgment at all : for when ever you have not greater probability to the contrary , you have either greater probability of what she saith ; or are in a pure equilibration : and in either of these you do nothing with , or for , which you would not , and may not also , do without , her . Well , then we may not exact of the Church that she should prove , nor may not only then yeild obedience , i. e , consent and conformity , when she doth prove , to us that that is truth , which she commands us to believe ; and that that is lawful , which she commands us to do . But it is our duty to obey , if our selves have not infallible certainty and proof that such things are untrue or unlawful . It is not enough , to license us to withdraw our obedience or assent to her , that she may possibly err in what she commands us , unless also we know , that we cannot err our selves : for the power of giving our assent requires not infallible knowledge , that the thing , we assent to , first is true ; but only , a not knowing infallibly , that it is false . It is not enough , that we are not certain that she erreth not ; not enough , that we have some scruples , some reasons and arguments , whereby it seems to us that she erreth : but only certain infallibility that she doth err , this indeed excuseth our non-obedience . Els our Spiritual Superiors are in the place of God , and of Christ , to us : and we are to shew to them , whom we do see and hear , the humble obedience we are ready in all things to render to God , whom we do not see nor hear : and , as we are to shew our love to God in our Neighbour , so are we to shew our obedience to him in his Substitutes . 1 Thes. 4. 8. compared with 2. And it is not only lawful , but a great virtue in us , ( since the contrary is most-what an effect of self-conceit and arrogancy of wisdom and knowledge ) , as to suppress the seeming suggestions of reason and sence about natural things , which suggestions are against the revelations of God and divine truths ; so , to captivate our understandings also , and crush the suggestions of any singular interpretations and sences about these divine revelations , which are against ( I say not , every private teacher , but ) the common exposition of the Church . Were then all those , which are the Church's , decrees acknowledged ; and 2ly , our infallible certainty ( so much pretended by us ) so strictly examined , that weak probabilities be not accepted by us in stead thereof ; how few would the points be , in which ( upon our concessions ) we could oppose the H. Church ? But again ; were all those people , that had not , in these few points , that infallible certainty , which the others ( learned ) have , ( as one may be certain of a thing , of which another is not , tho he also might be , certain ) , conformable to the Church's definitions , how near would this come to a perfect union ? Thus Dr. Jackson , on the Creed , 2. l. 1. § . 6. c. Superiors are to be obeyed in all such points as their inferiors are not at leisure to examin ; or not of capacity to discern , whether they be lawful or no. And in another place . Some may sin in obeying authority , whilst some others do not sin . And again , ib. Unles a man can justly plead some peculiar reason or priviledge , it is a very dangerous case to disobey lawful authority in such matters , whereunto he sees many men by his own confession of great judgment and integrity of life yeilding obedience with alacrity &c. ( For indeed I suppose all inferiors not bound to examin the doctrines they receive from the Church . ) But how is it then , that those that are not certain , are taught to believe those , that ( upon this certainty ) depart from the definitions of the Church , rather than to adhere to the Church ? Surely , they ought to be taught otherwise , even by these that are departed . For suppose Luther , upon some private certainty , might not yeild his consent to former Church-definitions , yet all the rest not having the same certainty ( even by the Protestants stating of this question ) ought to adhere still , not to Luther , but to the former Church . And again , Luther , in this certainty , being bound at least to Non-contradiction of the Church , neither might he then go about to teach others that infallible certainty which he had , of those points which oppose the Church . You know the ordinary objection , against what is above-said , out of Rom. 14. c. 23. Where the Apostle saith : He that doubteth of the lawfulnes of a thing , and yet doth it , sinneth : and therefore it is urged , that he that practiseth a thing upon the Churches command , whereof he doubts , whether it be lawful ; or subscribeth to the Church's judgment in a thing , whereof he doubteth whether it be true , sinneth . To this I answered before , ( § . 2. and § . 20. ) that he that believeth , or is perswaded , that he ought to yeild obedience to the Church in things contrary to his private judgment , sinneth not in this sort , because such a one doubteth not , but is satisfied in what he ought to hold , or to do . But , if the question be asked of those , who have some doubt whether they ought to obey the Church , or to follow their own judgment ; whether such at least ought not to follow their own judgment , to avoid sinning ? I answer ; neither do such sin in obeying the Church , rather than themselves . Indeed where one side is undoubtedly lawful , and the other only is doubted of , whether lawful ; he who doth that , which he doubteth of , sinneth . But where one hath , or hath reason to have , a double doubt ; and a doubt of the lawfulnes of both sides : you see , that here he must ( go what way he will ) do something , when he doubteth , or hath reason to doubt , of the lawfulnes thereof . And thus it is , where ever the Church commandeth me to do a thing on one side , and my particular judgment in the thing disswades me from doing it on the other ; for here , in not doing it , I may , or ought , to doubt , that I sin against the obedience I owe the Church ; as well as , in doing it , against the obedience I owe to my own judgment or conscience . Here therefore , I am not to say , [ my judgment being against it I must not do it , ] or [ I sin if I do it , ] and so oppose the Church'es authority out of conscience , as I think : but when a command of the Church is now come in upon me to do it , and so it is not left free to me in respect of external authority ( as before , and as it is in the Apostle's instances ) not to do it ; here I am first to examin , whether this my judgment is not to be submitted to the Church'es judgment : for if I am perswaded , or so much as doubt whether , it ought to be submitted , I may now sin , in not doing according to her judgment , against my own ; i. e. I may sin in not doing it , tho it is against my judgment to do it . As in two instances it will be plain . For , suppose a Church-injunction come forth for Christians not to observe Jewish Sabbaths , and some Christian , Judaic in his own particular judgment , thinks such Sabbaths are to be observed ; yet such a one sinneth , if he doth according to this iudgment , after , and against , the Church'es injunction ; ( see Gal. 4. 10. ) tho before this he had sinned , if he had not done according to his own judgment . ( See Rom. 14. 5. 14. ) Again ; suppose a decree of the Nicene Council , that all men should subsubscribe their Creed , and that some particular Christian thinks ( thinks , I say , is not certain ) in his own particular judgment something in it to be false : if such a one doth not subscribe it , tho against his own particular judgment , he sins : because he either knows , or ought to know , that , in fundamentals at least , his particular judgment is to yeild to the judgment of the Church . But 3ly , if the question be asked again ; Whether he that doubts not , but is fully perswaded , that he ows no such obedience to the Church ; and that he is to follow his private judgment rather than to follow that of the Church , when they cross ; whether such , I say , may or ought to obey the Church , against his private judgment ? I answer ; No , by no means : because an erroneous conscience obligeth ; i ▪ e. our words or actions may never go contrary to our heart . And if any one , tho in doing well , thinketh he doth evil , he ( in his intention ) doth evil . But yet , if his judgment oweth obedience to the Church'es , tho he doth not think so , in this following of his conscience he sinneth , because he doth against his duty ; of which he ought to have informed his conscience better : and this no small sin , after such a known declaration ; He that heareth you , heareth me : and , If he will not hear the Church , let him be accounted as a heathen , &c. Concerning the Use of Private Judgment . 1. FIrst , it is true , that we are in all things to follow our own judgment , as our judgment , reflecting on the former acts of the intellect , and considering all reasons , ( as well those taken from authority , as those taken from the appearance of things in themselves to us ) finally determines what we ought to do . ( But note , that such judgment , when ever culpably mistaken , excuseth not from sin our acting according to it ) . But 2ly , it is false that we are always to follow or act after our own judgment , as our judgment is taken for our own private argumentations , reasonings , and evidences , concerning the subject we examin and judge of against the authority of whomever judging otherwise . See Oblig . of Judgment , p. 1. and the Canons quoted before , Ch. Governm . 2d . part , how far the Reformed Synods have thought fit to restrain mens private judgments in obliging them to that of the Church . 3ly . It is granted , that as our judgment is taken in this 2d . sence , namely , for the private reasons and evidences we have of a subject in it self secluding from authority , in some things we are allowed to use and follow it , or to follow such reasons . But we cannot collect from hence , that we are permitted by God , or have equal reason to follow it ( I mean our private opinion or reason ) in every thing ; unless it be proved [ 1. ] That all things are equally easie to be discovered by it : and [ 2ly , ] That there is no divine command for our yeilding obedience in some things to anothers judgment . If any one should advise one to find out some reputed wise and experienced person in such affairs , to consult with about something wherein himself knoweth little , and , such a one found , wholly to rely on his directions and judgment therein ; answered he well that should say : If I may rely on my own judgment in seeking out such a person , why may I not as well rely on it for the matter about which I seek to him ? which only is well answered , if these two be equally easie or difficult . So the Reformed granting , that we are to use our own private reason for discovering what books are the true word of God , yet will not allow us , having found such books to be his word , to use our own private reason to examin by it , whether what we find delivered to us therein be truth or no ; or when ever any thing therein seems ( I say not is ) against our reason , ( as a Trinity of Persons in an Unity of Essence ) , then to follow our reason in expounding it otherwise then it appears : but now we are to lay aside the arguing of our reason , and to believe all these Scriptures proposed , after that by our reason we have found them to have divine authority . So supposing that some Church were infallible , it will not follow , that if one may use his judgment in finding her , he may afterward also use his judgment against her , or any her decrees . 4ly . If you ask therefore in what things we may use and follow our private reason and opinion ; I answer , in all things wherein God or right reason hath not submitted us to the judgment of another . We may use it therefore in the discovery and search , whether there be any such Judge at all appointed by God over us in Spiritual matters : and what person or court it is , to whose judgment he hath subjected us : And in order to this , we may use it in the finding out , which , of the several religions that are in the world , is the true ; and which , in the several divisions and sects that are in the true , i. e. where some truth is by all retained , is the Catholick ; and whether that particular Church , wherein we were bred , hath any way departed from it . So in the finding out which Councils , in some doubt concerning them , are legitimate and truly General , to whose acts we are to render up the submission of our judgment , and which is the right and genuine sence ( where any ambiguity ) of their decrees ; in finding them out ( I say ) by the judgment and testimony , which we find the present Church of our own days , or that part thereof which seems to our private reason the Catholick , to give thereof . In this search , that Proposition of Dr. La : is very true ; Intellectus cujusque practicus judicare debet , utrum is , qui pro Judice haberi velit , sit utique verus & legitimus ; & an media , quae adducuntur ad hoc probandum , fidei faciende sufficiant . But , such a Judge by our private reason being found to be , and found who it is , we may not , for the things once judged and decided by him , use or follow our own private reason any further ; but are now to quit it ; and our judgment , having once discovered that such is appointed our Judge in such matters , in this excludes it self : and this Resignation we make of our judgment is also an act of our judgment . In this manner the Apostle exhorts elsewhere , not to trust every teacher , but to try their doctrines , whether agreeing with those of the Apostles , i. e. with those of the appointed Governors of the Church ; and elsewhere , that doctrine which they find the Church-governors to have delivered to them , to stand constant and stedfast in it . ( See Col. 2. 7 , 8. 2 Thes. 2 15. compared with 1. 1. Tit. 1. 9. Eph. 4. 11. compared with 14. Jude 3. 4. ) But you will say ; What if upon using my private reason , I find not that there is any Judge or Law-giver in Spiritual matters , cannot I then in all such matters use my private reason , and follow the dictates thereof without sinning ? No , if your reason in such search was faulty ; for , as I said , vitiously contracted ignorance never excuseth omission of duty . 5ly . As it is our duty ( where any cause of doubt ) diligently with our best reason to seek out the true Spiritual Guides ; and then having found , to submit our judgment and reason as readily unto , them : so it seems much more easie to find out the Church , which is to be our guide , and to decide things to us , than to find out the truth of all those things she decides : more easie to find out , who are those Spiritual Magistrates and Substitutes of our Saviour , left to govern and guide his Church until his second coming , ( lights not put under a bushel , but set on high upon a candlestick to give light to all , and a corporation and city set on an hill to be seen of all ) , or , amongst several sects and divisions , to find out which is the Catholick communion ( from which all the rest in their several times have gone forth , at the first very few in number , v. Trial of Doctrines , § . 32. ) than by our own guidance and steering , entring every one as a rasa tabula upon search of truth amongst the many subtleties of contrary pretences of contrary traditions in Antiquity , to find out what is orthodox in all those points : which points wean-while after so many hot contentions , and wavering of opinion , and mis-quoted Authors , the Guide , we neglect , in her several Councils hath prudently fixed , that we might no more like children be tossed to and fro , and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men , and cunning craftiness , whereby they lie in wait to deceive . What wise work have the Socinians made , and what strange truths have they discovered , by waving the authority of Councils , and laying hold of private reason to conduct them , and be their judge , assisted with plain Scripture , after that they had made quest after some other Judge , and could find none sufficiently infallible for their turn ? Who have bin so much , so dangerously , deceived , as these wise and wary men , who would trust none but the infallible ? 6ly . ( Against that which is usually said , that the words of Scripture are as plain and intelligible as the decrees of a Council , and therefore our private reason or judgment may make use of the one for its guide as well as the other ; and , when there seems contradiction , against the other ) ; it seems much more easie by our private understandings to apprehend the Councils decision , than to apprehend the sence of Scripture in such points as the Council decides ; and many may learn ( for example ) the orthodox tenets concerning the Trinity out of the Athanasian Creed , that could not learn them out of Scripture without mistaking in some of them . For tho it is true , that a text of Scripture may be as plain as any decrees of a Council ; and that as we may judge what is the sence and meaning of such a decree , so we may also of such a place of Scripture : yet it may be presum'd , that none of these plain Scriptures will ever be found opposite to the decree of such Council : for if the place be so plain and intelligible to us , surely so it would have bin to so learned and numerous a Council , as well as to a private judgment . Again , what is said in Scripture , concording with the decrees of Councils , yet , it may be presum'd , is not there every way , considering the counterpoise of other Scripture-texts , so plainly said . Else such Conciliary decisions are vain : and we must likewise say , that all expositions , comments , catechismes , are no plainer than the text , and , to those who read Scriptures , useles . For words are only multiplied without necessity , where what is said before is as plain as what is said after , and the authority of the first infallible . Thus , if the Council remained as ambiguous as the Scripture , supposing the Church infallible , yet those who followed her sentence could receive no more satisfaction to their doubts than they had before ; and the sence of the Conciliary definitions might be disputed as much as of Scripture , and both sides , who subscribe to the Scriptures , would also subscribe to them ; which we ordinarily see refused . FINIS . Concerning Obedience to ECCLESIASTICAL GOVERNORS , and Tryal of DOCTRINES . CONTENTS . SUfficient Truth always to be found in the Church . § . 1. Yet false Doctors must be ; And their followers not safe . § . 2. Doctors therefore may be tried . § . 3. Several ways of Trial § . 4. 1. By the H. Scriptures . § . 5. Where 1. Concerning Trials of Doctrines , and Commands , wherein Scriptures are silent . § . 6. 2. Concerning Doctrines , and Commands , where the Scripture seems to us doubtful . § . 12. 3. Concerning Doctrines &c. to which Scriptures seem to us contrary . § . 13. 1. Where we must proceed to use a second Trial of Doctrines by the Doctors of the Church . § . 14. And beware of depending on our own judgment made upon the Scriptures . § . 14. That there is always some external Communion of Christianity or other , not erring in knowledge necessary . § . 18. We necessarily to follow the judgment of the Church'es teachers , where universally agreeing . § . 19. n. 1. Where divided ; 1. We to follow either side rather than our own judgment opposite to both . § . 20. 2. Of the two , to follow those , whom the other acknowledge to have the judgment or practice of former times on their side . § . 21. Where this judgment or practice is pleaded by both ; we to search , and to follow that , which we find so by our experience . § . 22. That this thing is not hard to be found . § . 23. The Fathers being not , for the main , either repugnant to one another ; or ambiguous ; or impertinent . Where , Of certain Cautions in making judgment of the tenets of the Ancients . § . 23. And some Church also in all ages being like the former . § . 30. And Heresy still either going , or being thrust , out of this Church . § . 32. And its beginning discerned by its paucity . So that discreet Trial cannot mistake . § . 33. Who can search no further , They to adhere to the judgment of the Christian Church wherein they live , rather than to their own judgment against it . § . 36. 3. Trial of Doctrine and Doctors , by the Holines those produce , and these practise . § . 37. Where more Truth , more Holiness . § . 38. And where more Holiness , more Truth . § . 39. Where more Error , more Vice : and è converso . § . 40. In Churches therefore , we to compare 1. the strictness or liberty of their doctrines , discipline , &c. § . 41. 2. Their abounding , or deficiency , in doctrines tending to Perfection . § . 42. 3. Their writings of Devotion . § . 46. 4. The Lives of their Saints , or Holy men . § . 47. 4. Trial of Doctrines by the Conversion of Nations . § . 49. Concerning Obedience to Ecclesiastical Governors , and Trial of Doctrines . THat God , by his Great Apostle Jesus Christ , sent the clear light of all the mystery of our salvation into the world ; and that Christ hath , and will , continue it ( so much as is sufficient ) to us , by his Substitutes in the same office , unto the end thereof ; so that we need not remain in darknes but by our own default , hath bin shewed you elsewhere , in Sav. Ben. p. 12. &c. and Succession of Clergy , p. 1. But yet 1. it seems , that notwithstanding these Substitutes there shall be some false teachers ; and as we hitherto see not all his other enemies , so neither all error , put under our Saviours feet ; as , not sin , so neither ignorance yet quite vanquished : ( 1 Cor. 13. 12. ) because it so seemed good unto him , ( for whom are all things ) , as to permit evil always , to make good arise more gloriously out of it ; so to permit error always , ( 2 Pet. 2. 1. ) the more to illustrate truth ; and to make the followers of truth , as well as of righteousnes , by these oppositions , more approved ( for their adherence to God ) and capable of greater reward : it being far more glorious , more acceptable , to have discerned , held , defended , the truth ; where there was a possibility , a facility , a pattern , an opposition , of error . ( See for this 1 Cor. 11. 19. Matt. 10. 34 , 35. — 17. 15. Act. 20. 29. 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2 Tim. 2. 20. compared with 16. &c. 1 Jo. 2. 18. Luk. 2. 34. Jo. 9. 39. Rom. 9. 32. This is shewed also by experience : even when there were infallible teachers , there were also false ones mingled ; a contending for the law at Antioch ; Nicolaitanisme at Ephesus , ( Rev. 2. 15 ) ; Divisions about their teachers at Corinth ; Circumcision at Galatia ; opposers of the Resurrection ; deniers of Christ's true Incarnation ; ( Hymeneus , Diotrephes , &c. ) Else ; could not God at the beginning have published his truth to all Nations , as well as to Abraham ? or spread the Gospel , at first , over all the world ? Could not our Saviour have laid the chief foundation of the Gospel so firm and evident , that the whole Nation of the Jews , together with the chief Priests , and Pharisees , and Herod , and Pilat , should have bin convinced thereof by their own sences ; in shewing himself with his wounded side , and pierced hands and feet , publickly at that grand Festival , ( as formerly he had done , ) in the Temple and in the Streets , in their Palaces and Courts ? and then before all the people have ascended into Heaven to God ? and so have sealed for ever to that whole Nation the Confession of his being the Messias , and thus , with a great access to his Glory on earth have prevented their so great and long Apostacy ? What meaned he then to appear so sparingly , and in corners , the doors being shut , and not to all the people ( saith the Apostle ) , but to some few chosen to be witnesses , tho he was not here defective in what was sufficient ? Again ; could not his Spirit ( that hath led some ) have led all , into all truth , if he had pleased to give it to them , in a greater measure ? How easie had it bin for our Saviour , who foresaw that sharp controversie concerning observance of the Ceremonial law by Christians , ( the maintainers of which ceremonies contended only for them , because they thought Christ had not abrogated them ) , to have declared himself openly in that point , when he was here on earth ? How easie for him , foreseeing the controversies ever since , even those so many about his own person , those now between the Reformed and the Roman Church , to have caused ( instead of an occasionally-written Epistle ) such a Creed as the Athanasian , or such Articles as those of Trent , or of the Augustan Confession , or such a methodical clear Catechisme as now several Sects draw up , for the instruction of their followers in the principles of their religion , to have bin written by his Apostles ? Will any one say , that had such writings bin H. Scripture , yet these controversies had not bin prevented , or at least not in some greater measure prevented than now they are ? Or would not ( brieflier ) all controversies have bin prevented , had our Saviour as plainly said , that the Roman Bishop should regulate the faith of his Church for ever , as it may be said , and is said by others ? There must be heresies then ; and therefore it seemed good to the wisdom of the Father , that all things should not be done ( that might , but only so much that was sufficient ) , whereby they should be prevented . Neither is it a good reasoning ; This was the best way for taking away all controversy and error in the Church , that the Scriptures should plainly , so as none may mistake , set down all truths necessary to salvation ; or , that there should be a known infallible Judge ; therefore , they do so ; or , therefore , there is so : because this seemed not best to God ( for the reasons fore-mentioned , and for many other perhaps not known , which made the Apostle cry , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ! Rom. 11 , 33. ) to take away all controversie and error &c , no more than it did to prohibit in the world the being of evil . I know not whether Tertullian's saying , in praescript . cont . haer . concerning this matter , be not too bold : Ipsas quoque Scripturas sic esse ex Dei voluntate dispositas , ut haereticis materiam subministrarent . — And , — haereses sine aliquibus occasionibus Scripturarum accidere non poterant . But we may make good use of it , in being less rash , and more circumspect , in interpreting , ( especially when we are singular ) , where we may be so easily mistaken . 2ly . It seems , ( since there is supposed sufficient means , for all those who are in the Church , to attain to the knowledge of all necessary truth ; for God and our Saviour have not bin wanting to his Church in necessaries ) , that those , who blindly obey such false guides as shall be in the world , shall not be free from punishment , tho they offend thro ignorance . See Matt. 15. 14. Ezek. 33. 8. — 3. 18. 3ly . There being some doctrines false , and danger in being misled by them ; it seems all doctrines may be tried , and that by all persons . See , Jo. 5. 39 , our Saviour bidding them try his ; — Act. 17. 11. the Bereans ; — and , Act. 15. 2. the Antiochians , trying S. Paul's . — See to this purpose 1 Jo. 4. 1. 1 Thes. 5. 21. Rev. 2. 2. 1 Cor. 10. 15. — 11. 13. And the more trial the better ; so it be rightly performed , whereby we may discover false doctrines and teachers , that we may not be seduced by them ; whereby we may know more of God ; may confirm our belief ( of which there are many degrees ) in what we are taught ; and may be able to give better account to others of our faith , ( 1 Pet. 3. 15. Col. 3. 16. ) and whereby truth will always have a great advantage of error . For verum vero consonat . 4. Now seeing that all Spiritual knowledge cometh first by Revelation from God , the trial of any doctrine , we doubt of , is to be made either by the holy Scriptures , written from the beginning by men inspired by the Holy Ghost ; or , by the Interpreters of these Scriptures , and those who were ordained by these men that were inspired , and who had the form of sound doctrine committed unto them , viz. by the Doctors and Pastors of the Church : where also the doctrines of some Doctors , whose tenets we doubt of , are to be tried by the rest of the Doctors of the present times ; or the doctrines of all the present Doctors to be tried by the writings of the Doctors of former times . Trials by the Scriptures were those Act. 17. 11. Jo. 5. 39. 2 Pet. 1. 19. — Trials by the Doctors of the Church , those Act. 15. 2. Gal. 1. 9. Rom. 16. 17. 2 Thes. 3. 14. 1 Cor. 14. 32. &c. 2 Jo. 10. — Now these H. Scriptures and Holy Doctors collectively taken to the not-yet-so-far-grounded and illuminated are capable of being tried too . The first Scriptures and Teachers , by those who lived in the same times , were tried by Miracles ; by those who lived afterward , are tried by Tradition : the second Scriptures are tried by their accord with the first , as also by Miracles : the 2d . Teachers are tried by their Ordination from the first . which Teachers , if we find all agreeing in one judgment , we need try no further , our Saviour having promised his perpetual presence with them , and that the gates of Hell shall never prevail against the truth taught by them . 5. Now first concerning trial of our Superiors commands and doctrines by Scriptures ; of which there are many several ways . As trying , 1. Whether such doctrines or commands be contained or commanded in Scripture . 2. Whether the contrary to them be contained or commanded in Scripture . Again , if the contrary of them be contained there , 1. whether , as fact only , 2 or also as precept . 1. Now the first of these trials seems not necessary to be used . 1. For it doth not follow , that it is unlawful to do or to believe a thing , because H. Scripture doth not say or command it . Angumentum ab authoritate non valet negative . Some things both in doctrine and discipline may possibly descend from the Apostles , that are not set down by them in writing , ( and these , tho not absolutely necessary , which very few points are , yet very useful , to Salvation . ) Timothy might hear some things from S. Paul more than are set down in his Epistle , ( see 2 Tim. 1. 13. ) and Timothy might also commit these things again to other faithful men , ( for them again to teach others ) , and not perhaps write them , or not , all . ( See 2. Tim. 2. 2. ) So , when he was sent to Corinth , 1 Cor. 4. 17. he might acquaint them with more of S. Paul's doctrines and ways in Christ , than St. Paul writ to them . See 1 Cor. 11. 34. where the Apostle possibly might order somewhat more concerning the receiving of the Sacrament , which is not mentioned in the Scripture . As S. August . thinks , he ordered receiving of it fasting . See Epist. 118. ad Januarium , near the end . — See 2 Thess. 2. 15. 2ly . As we may not argue things unlawful in themselves , or untrue , so neither useles , or superstitious and will-worship , because we do not find them in the Scriptures . For there are many things which may be enjoyned by Ecclesiastical authority , which are not only not unlawful ; or which are required only for the preservation of order and unity in the Church for God's publick Service but which are very useful , and much helping us for our Salvation , for the advancing of holines , suppressing of lusts , &c , and granted to be so , even by those who think them not all commanded in Scripture . As Confession of sins to the Priest ; observing certain times of Fast ; frequent hours of Prayer ; several Penances . ( See Common-prayer-book , Preface to Commination . ) &c. And there are also many other customs received from a constant tradition ; which those , who think them not to be set down in Scripture , yet do not therefore deny them to be true and Apostolical , or affirm them unlawful to be observed : as Episcopacy ; Baptizing of Infants ; the Eucharist administred only by the Priest ; the observation of the Lord's day , &c. Nay , some precepts in Scripture there are , quietly acknowledged to be temporary and antiquated , ( as that of observing that day of the week on which God rested , and that Act. 15. 29. ) and some other things , not in precept , willingly admitted to oblige , for no reason , but only because the first were anciently laid aside , and the second practised by our Mother the Church . And by the same reason as some admit these , tho not contained in Scripture , they must admit many more . 3ly . But were some of these things enjoyned needless , yet as long as they are not by God's word forbidden , and are by the Church commanded ; if S. Paul would abstain from flesh , whilst he lived , not to offend his brother ; how much more should we obey in these , not to offend our governors ? or rather , to perform the divine command of yeilding obedience to our Governors ? which submission to them is due , I suppose , in all things not contrary to the Scriptures . In which our Superiors may offend many times in their injunctions , when we do not in our obedience . the preservation of so reverend an authority , ( which cannot in all things be menaged for the best , ) and of the unity of the Church , being more benefit to any member thereof , than the observance of a command , which is fruitles , yet no way contrary to the Scriptures , can be inconvenience . Our Superiors may offend , I say , in enjoyning , when not others in obeying . Because injunctions and laws become unjust and unlawful ( not one , but ) many ways ; as in respect of the matter , when contrary to God's word , so ( where the matter is not a thing evil ) in respect of the end , author , or other circumstances . As when such injunctions are no way conducing to the publick good : when enjoyned , as God's command ; or , as to be preferred before something that is so ; or , as something necessary to Salvation ; when not enjoyned by a lawful authority , &c. Now the matter of the command being not faulty , the thing may be done ; ( provided , that no unlawful end be expressed in the injunctions , for thus it becomes part of the matter and substance of the command : ) because the end , by them that obey , may be changed ; and , as concerning the Legislator , t is no fault to obey another , who ever he be , in that which we may impose upon our selves . Lastly , for the matter ; tho it is everlastingly granted , that I may do nothing that is contrary to God's commands ; yet I have no reason to refuse obedience to my Superiors , unles it be a thing , which ( not , I think , but ) I am sure is so , ( as the Apostles were sure in their refusing , Act. 4. 19. ) for where there is reason to doubt concerning the matter , whether it be contrary to God's command or no , ( and so , I think , there is always , where the Church's judgment is opposed to mine ) , there t is a duty to obey my Superiors . But here , what if that which is not commanded in the Scripture be enjoyned by the Church to be obeyed as a thing commanded there ; or as commanded by God ? ( Which thing our Saviour blamed in the Pharisees , and justified his Disciples in not observing their commands : In which if we may conform to authority , it seems that there will scarce be any superstition , or will-worship at all , but only in the imposers of laws ) . Answ. 1. T is to be noted : that the Pharisees traditions , in which the instance is made , were many of them other than those here supposed ; some being contrary to the Scripture , as that tradition mentioned Matt. 15. 5. some recommended before the commands in Scripture ; and whilst those done , these omitted ; in which respect such service became most odious ; ( see Mark 7. 8. Matt. 23. 23. — 15. 9. ) others required to be done as necessary , which were not only needles , but upon a false ground recommended : as that of washing hands , because they held that unwashen hands defiled . But 2ly , this shall be granted ; that , that which is commanded , tho it be not contrary to Scripture , yet when it is pretended by the imposers to be in it self necessary , ( as , when it is pretended either to be Scripture , or , to be reverenced and equalled to the Scriptures , and God to be as much worshipped in it ( when as men only , and not God , require it ) as in what himself hath commanded , and that rather to be omitted than it , and when it is by others obeyed and reverenced as such ; ) is superstition and will-worship both , in him that commands , and in him who obeys , whenever he hath sufficient evidence for conviction . [ And this , I suppose , was the fault of those who sat in Moses's chair , not that they required obedience to their decrees , such as were not contrary to God's word ; but an equal reverence and belief of them ( in this obedience ) , as of the written law ; nay , placed the substance of holines and of God's honor in these , wherein it did not consist , more than in the other ; and so required the omitting of the other rather than of these : as should one now impute the power of prayer to the posture or place he makes it in , or to the number of times he doth it , and not to the devotion and purity of the Suppliant , the mercy and promises of God , &c , this would be Superstition and will-worship , i. e. a worship , which himself deviseth , put in the place of that which God requireth . So not only mens traditions , but divine commands , from a mistaken end and use of them , become will-worship too ; as , * Sacrifice ; ( See Psal. 50. 8. Isa. 1. 12 , 13. compared with 16. and see Jer. 7. 21 , 22. compared with 23. ) the chief service not consisting in the offering , but in the devotion of the offerer . And * Fasting ; ( Is. 58. 3 , 4 , 5. compared with the 6th . Zech. 7. 5. compared with the 9th . See the like Matt. 23. 23. ) Therefore God calleth those lower duties himself hath commanded , when done with an omission of the higher duty and service of him , to which they were ordained , will-worship . See Isa. 1. 12. compared with 11 , 13. who hath required &c , because tho he commanded the thing done , yet the doing of it was not according to his command . ] 3ly . Were therefore any one certain , that something not commanded in the Scriptures , or by God , were enjoyned by the Church to be obeyed as commanded by God , or also were preferred to something commanded by God he ought to refuse to obey what the Church commands , in such a manner , or with such an intention , as she is here supposed to command it . But 4ly , there may be an obedience performed to such ordinances ( so long as we think them not also contrary to the Scriptures ; but if we think them contrary , then see the course we are to take § . 13. ) without being guilty of the Superstition : for we may do them , tho not in that way as they are commanded , ( when we certainly know the contrary concerning them , ) yet as things in themselves indifferent , and commanded by the Church . [ As doubtles the Disciples , upon an injunction from the consistory , might have washed their hands before meat in obedience to such order , so that they had no opinion that they were defiled in not washing them . So the Feast of Dedication , kept by our Saviour ; of Lots , Esther 9. 20. their Fasts mentioned in the Prophets , ( Zech. 7. 5. Joel 2. 15. &c. Zech. 8. 19. ) and ceremonies in burial of the dead , in which the Priests were dispensed with , ( Lev. 21. 1. &c , ) and many other practices mentioned in the Old Testament , were no where commanded in the Law , but acts passed by the Consistory ; which yet were not neglected to be observed . ] Which doing of them avoids offence , and sufficiently preserves the peace of the Church ; and doing them not as God's commands , satisfies our own conscience . All this is said , supposing that we certainly know these things not to be God's commands , which the Church enjoyns ▪ as such . But 5ly , we being secure , upon our Saviour's promise , that the Supreme Guides of the Church cannot mis-guide us in necessaries to Salvation ; and again not being infallibly certain , that that is not commanded by the Scriptures or by God which they say is so , so long we ought to yeild obedience to such injunctions , in the same manner as it is required ; and if we err herein , we are excusable , tho the Church-Guides should therein be faulty . For it is not so easie a matter with the same infallibility to discover the Superstition of the traditions of the Church , as our Saviour did of the Pharisees ; especially since all sides ( in some things ) besides Scripture , must , and do , allow of useful Traditions . And therefore let it be well considered by every private man , when the Church pretends Scripture or Tradition for their Articles , whether he , or they are more likely to be mistaken ; and then , whether he should not yeild obedience to this command of theirs , ( of which it is doubted , whether it be God's also ) , as well as he doth to their commands , in matters which are of themselves indifferent . Thus much of the trial of Commands , the contrary of which is not contained in Scripture . 2. Next ; of the trial of our Superiors doctrines or commands : whether the contrary of such commands be contained in the Scripture . Where 1. first , if it be contained there , as fact only , and not precept ; here also seems no opposition ought to be made to the Church's authority . For we find , * both the Apostles themselves , according to change of times and circumstances , to have changed something also of their former institutions and practices : ( See 1 Tim. 5. 9. compared with Act. 6. 1. [ Widows being formerly admitted without limitation of age , ] 1 Cor. 8. 7. &c. and 1 Cor. 10. 25 , 29. compared with Act. 15. 29 . -16 . 3. and-18 . 18. and-21 . 24. and 1 Cor. 9. 20. comp . with Act. 15. 1 . -and Gal. 4. 9 , 10 . -5 . 2. and Gal. 2. 3 , 4 , 14. circumstances altering the practice ) : And the Church , to have changed others since with general approbation ; as , abrogating Love-feasts ; receiving the Lord's Supper in the morning ; and , by the same reasons that these have bin altered , others may be . 2. In the Second place then , to come to the trial and search by Scripture , Whether the contrary to what the Church commands , be not contained therein by way of precept ? And here this is certain , that we are to obey no commands whatsoever , that we are certain to be contrary to the precepts of Holy Scriptures . But it happens , that in many controversies the Scriptures are not clear , ( for we may not call that a clear truth in Scripture , that some one , that reads it , is confident of , whilst others , as intelligent , think contrary ; for so that is many times clear to the ignorant , not comparing places diligently together , ( for qui ad pauca respicit de facili pronunciat ) which remains doubtful to the more learned ) ; and there we must either look after some other trial of such controversies , or leave them undecided . Now to say here ( with some ) , that Scriptures are clear to all in all necessary credends , and , for all things not necessary , that we need not be inquisitive of truth , satisfies not : for tho Scripture be so perspicuous in things absolutely necessary to salvation ( which are very few ) , yet , that it is not so in many truths very useful , and of great importance to be known , the differences between the Reformed and the Roman Churches plainly shew ; the Scriptures being so ambiguous , that whole Nations , both using them , are of contrary opinions ; and the points of difference so considerable , that both doubt of , or deny , one anothers salvation , in a mis-credence of them . In this case therefore : 1. First , where our spiritual Guides determin a thing on one side , wherein the Scripture seems to us doubtful ; and this doubt is in aequilibrio , and , as I may so say , on both sides equal and indifferent , ( as much Scripture seeming for , as against , it ) ; here the authority of such Guides , pro , or con , ought to sway us , as it doth in things in their own nature indifferent . 2. But if the Scripture seem clear to us on one side , and the determination of authority be on the other ; that is , the contrary seems clear from Scripture to others : then we are to use the 2d . trial , by the rest of the Doctors and Teachers of the Church , present , and past ; by whom we may learn what is the constant tradition of the Church : which Church hath always preserved and perused the Scriptures ; and against which the gates of hell shall never prevail . 2. To conform our minds the better to the expositions of which Doctors of the Church , we are advised not to rely much on our own reason and judgment . See Rom. 12. 16. Prov. 3. 5. — 28. 26. Is. 5. 21. Prov. 12. 15. — 11. 14. And to be the more perfectly convinced by experience also how easily our reason is misguided , ( by Reason , I mean reasoning upon , not its own , but Scripture-principles ) , after having recollected how many times our selves have changed our opinion in Theological matters , ( the same holy writings guiding us at all times ) , being as confident in our former then , as now in our present , tenet ; 1. Consider ; that whilst in every Nation doubtles there are many , of excellent judgments , turning the same Gospel , reading the same books of controversie , which they both mutually answer , yet in a manner all those of one Kingdom or Government do so espouse one opinion , and all of another a contrary , that they will both lay down their lives in defence thereof ; and so their posterity after them . And this happens partly because there is no tenet , but that there is some verisimility in it , and some reason for it , that seems to many hard to be answered , which reason ( according to our party ) we lay for a foundation : and then fit all other contrary arguments by distinctions ( how absurd soever ) unto it ; being certain that no truths contradict one another ; and hence do both sides , especially in answoring objections , accuse the other of going against their conscience . But this happens more from , ( not equality of arguments for every side , but ) opposite interests of the controvertists ; which interests commonly prevent the access to , or just force of , those arguments upon the understanding , where the truth , if it should prove contrary to those interests , will undo them . Therefore they make either none , or a very negligent search into their adversaries tenets and reasons , as delivered in their own writings ; or into the doctrines of Antiquity , when quoted against them . Notwithstanding which interest ( being rather hereditary , than by themselves contracted ) they mistake themselves to be indifferent , and any way unbiassed . 2. Consider ; how those , who have the Scriptures most common , yet when free from the yoke of Ecclesiastical authority , do run into most diversity of opinions ; and those not slight , or void of danger to their salvation . In particular , the Socinian , abstracting from all Church-authority , and committing himself only to Scripture and his reason , yet who more than he opposeth things which seem most clear in Scripture ? For what more plain there , than that this world was created by the Word , the Son of God ? Jo. 1. 1. Heb. 1. And therefore also the Reformed , more than the Romanist ( tho in both there are many differences ) , is censured for diversity of opinions . Nisi adsit spiritus prudentiae , nihil proderit verbum Dei , saith Calvin : witness those of Munster . And worthy here of serious consideration is the reason , why Timothy and Titus ▪ are advised to avoid [ i. e. not to interest much , or practise , themselves in , or meddle with ] vain curiosities , and questions of science , ( falsly so called , ) because they will increase [ still ] unto more ungodliness , and eat further as doth a Canker or gangrene , and strife gender strife , and questions minister more questions . See 2 Tim. 2. 16 , 17 , 23. 1 Tim. 1. 4. 2 Tim. 3. 7. Tit. 3. 9. compared with 10. [ which argues he was forbid much disputing with such perverse men ] . And t is likely Hymeneus , &c , at their first differing from doctrines delivered , attempted not the denial of the Resurrection . — Which continually greater intanglings of Reason , left to it self , do extremely prove the weaknes of it , and the unreasonablenes of trusting to it . 3. Consider ; that as the Pharisee , that was so blind , ( Matt. 23. 16. ) thought he only saw , ( Jo. 9. 41. ) and that others were blind ( Jo. 7. 49. ) ; so whilst we think others misled with passion , we are no less misled therewith than they , ( and so they also think of us ) , only we do less discern it : And in thus standing upon , and preferring our own judgment before others that search the Scriptures as well as we , we presume , either that we have better naturals than they , or else more integrity and honesty than they ; and what root can this proceed from , but pride , and uncharitablenes ? no good pre-dispositions for the discovery of truth : see 1 Tim. 6. 4. 1 Cor. 8. 2. 4. Consider ; that , for ordinary readers , over the New Testament is spread a veil , as was over the Law for the Jews ; 2 Cor. 3. 14. and the knowledge thereof is attained not thro the strength of Reason , but illumination of the Spirit ; and the like entertainment , as the word preached then found with several persons , the same now doth the word written . Now , self-conceitednes of their own wisdom was then the greatest impediment that could be to the understanding of the mystery of the Gospel ; for that which was truth , was some way or other , to them , foolishnes . And no where were there so few converted , as at self-conceited Athens . See 1 Cor. 1. 17. &c. 1 Cor. 2. 6. &c. — 3. 18. &c. Rom. 1. 22. Lu. 10. 21. Why so ? because knowledge , or a great stock of ( falsly so called ) reason , maketh proud , 1 Cor. 8. 1. and pride hinders the Spirit ; by which Spirit only is had true knowledge ; the way to which is humility , mortification , and abnegation of that , which of all things is most our self , the rational part of man ; and extremely addicting our selves unto holines , that so we may discern truth : ( see Psal. 25. 12 , 14. Ps. 111. 10. Jo. 7. 17. — 14. 21. — 8. 12. see below § . 39. ) And he , that is so disposed , is more inclined to obedience of others , than reliance on himself ; and then Qui didicit obedire , nescit judicare . And if we prove this way also betrayed to error , yet is this error more excusable before God , accompanied with these qualities , than truth can be acceptable to him possessed with pride . There is great reason then , that we should not depend only on our own judgment , or on the Scriptures as we interpret them ; but diligently search also the former practice and tenets of the Churches of God , and consult the present judgment of those , * who have the promise of not erring , at least in knowledge necessary to salvation , nor in other things so far , as that any may therefore lawfully reject their external communion ; ( for which see Church-gov . 2. part . § . 31. 3d. part . § . 62. ) * who are , the Successors of the Apostles , 2 Tim. 2. 2. the Apostles of the Churches and the glory of Christ , 2 Cor. 8. 23 : * who are appointed by Christ for the building up of the Church , and perfecting of the Saints , and especially , that they should not be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine by the steight of men , till they may all come in the unity of the doctrine of faith to the fulness of Christ Jesus . Eph. 4. 11. Heb. 13. 7 , 9. Neither may we say , that so also we quit only our own reason to accept another man's ; for as we are guided by their authority ; so are they guided , not by their own reason only , but by former authority , till we ascend to the first founders of Christian religion : See Ecclus. 8. 9. To the judgment therefore of such visible Doctors and Teachers of the Church we ought to repair ; to some or other of these , nay to some or other external communion of them . For the promises of perpetual assistance &c , are not made to the Church at random , or in obscurity and unknown , viz. that some man or other on earth either of the Clergy , or if not , of the Laity , shall be an orthodox Christian , so far as to be capable of salvation till the end of the world ; but * to those , to whom our Saviour also committed the Keys , ( to whom indeed t is most necessary , they being the Shepherds , and the rest the flock committed always to their guidance ) . See Matt. 16. 18. compared with 19. — 28. 20. compared with 19. — 18. 20. compared with 18. — * to such a Church , † as people might know , and repair , and make their complaints , to , ( Matt. 18. 17. ) † as is a light of the world set on a Candlestick , and shining before men ; a city set upon a hill that cannot be hid , ( Matt. 5. 14 , 15 , 16. ) never was , nor never shall be hid ; of the perpetual being of which we make confession of our faith in the Apostolical Creed , [ the holy Catholick Church ] , and yet plainer in the Nicene ; [ one Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church ] ; which who so understands not of an external visible profession and communion , as theirs then was , may retain the words , but not the sence and faith of that Council . See this matter more largely discoursed in Succession of Clergy , § . 2. &c. and in Church-government , 2. part , § . 25 , 26. First therefore , in this humble repair to their Judgment , where we find all these Doctors of Christianity disagreeing from what we take to be Scripture , ( which holds also in the determinations of any Christian Church whatever , so long as we can come to know no other , or no better , ( see § . 36. ) we ought in such a case to relinquish our judgment , and submit to theirs ; who also have the same light of Scripture as we , and ( in humility we ought to think ) more ability to judge of it ; and who likewise have the promise of indefectibility in truths necessary to salvation . Therefore here also , the more high and weighty the point is , the more firmly ought we to adhere to them , trusting to the protection of our Saviour , the Head of the Church ; that , in these points especially , they shall not all so conjoyned be mistaken . And again , in smaller points , since there is less danger in our erring in them ; and the more guilt still , the smaller they are , in our making a schism from , or division in , the Church , for them ; more humility exercised in obeying ; no truth of consequence vindicated by contention ; wisdom perhaps would think it fit to subscribe to the same Guides . For , as the Apostle said in another case , If they are sit to judge the greatest , are they not so to judge the smallest matters ? 1 Cor. 6. 2. And if any thing herein may be indulged to singularity of opinion , t is only so far , as to make known the reasons , that move us to it , to the Church or some few therein , whom we count men of learning and integrity , and void of passion , and after this to submit to whatever they ( who now together with us apprehend all the reasons which sway us ) shall determin . The contrary to which can be only the fruit of self-conceit , or obstinacy . This , if they unanimously deliver any thing to us which we think against Scripture ; and much more yet ought we to submit to any order of their's , tho we do not find it in Scripture , if we find nothing in Scripture against it , without calling such their sanctions Will-worship and Superstition ; making sure to use the same charity to the Church , which we are obliged-in to private men : in whom nihil est damnandum , quod ulla ratione bonum esse queat . Neither is this assenting to them against our own reason or judgment , as we call it , going against conscience ; which conscience is nothing but our judgment ; and that we call judgment many times nothing but our own ( and that a slight ) opinion . In not following of which opinion or judgment we are faulty only then , where we have no wiser person , caeteris paribus , nor no established law to guide and direct it . Nor is it going against our reason ; when as nothing is more reasonable than to go against some of our own particular reasonings , when we have another stronger reason to the contrary , that is , the submitting of it to such an authority : nothing being more ordinary than for arguments from a Reason , to give place to those from an Authority , ( upon which Authority also , and not upon Reason , is grounded our Faith. ) See Submiss . of Judgment , § . 2. &c. ) But let me add this for our further contentment , that he who not only demands of the Church , but takes pains also ( as all ought ) to be informed by the Church , concerning the proof and evidence of what she requires him to believe , shall seldom or never be put to believe , that what she saith is truth only from her authority , because she saith it ; but also from his own judgment , because she manifests it . Obj. But doth not an erring conscience then bind us to follow it , tho it be so ? or may I sometime do a thing which I think unlawful , upon another's judgment , without sinning ? Answ. He that is perswaded in conscience , that , tho he thinks such a thing unlawful , yet he ought rather to follow a wiser man's judgment than his own , whose judgment saith , t is not unlawful , cannot absolutely say he is perswaded that it is unlawful . And he , who thinking such a thing is more likely in reason , yet thinketh likewise , that he ought rather to obey the Church's judgment than his own reason , if he here follows his conscience , ( that is ) in respect of his own reason he goeth against his conscience ( as I call it ) , in respect of the submission he thinks he ows to anothers judgment . For whilst his judgment prefers another man's judgment before his own , this man , in following the others , must needs also be said to follow his own , judgment , and consequently his conscience . Now he that is not thus perswaded of the duty of submission of his judgment &c to wiser men , or men authorized to guide his judgment , t is true , that he sins in doing against his own opinion or conscience , so long as he is not so perswaded : but then he ought better to inform his conscience ; not only or chiefly in the confutation of the reasons he hath for his opinion , ( which confutation cannot always be had , or , when had , perhaps is by him not well understood ) : but in the reasonablenes , and many times duty , of the submission of his private and singular judgment and opinion to those more wise , more religious than himself , or to those authorized to direct him , 2ly . Where the Doctors of the Church are not all of a mind , but divided in their opinions , it seems better to follow any party of them , rather than our own judgment opposit to both ; because they having the same light of Scripture as we ; a calling to teach and interpret it ; being those to whom Christ hath promised more assistance ; using perhaps more means to understand it ; having more understandings agreeing in such a sence of it ; tho they may ( possibly ) err , yet we are the more likely to mistake . And experience daily shews , that they , who renounce ( fallible ) authority , and stand to their own judgment , to avoid one error , incur twenty , and those ( by God's desertions ) sometimes in the most plain points of practice , * far grosser , than ever any Church-authority or Synod hath lapsed into : Neither are the diversities of opinion between Churches any thing in comparison of those millions of private mens singularities ; and as in sight we say many eyes see more than one , so in blindnes or dimnes of sight many eyes are never so blind as one . Let us avoid self-conceit , and put on humility , and then we * shall be glad rather to use the judgment , for our way , of another eye ; which if it hath motes in it , we have reason to think that ours hath a beam ; and * will be ready to say , [ if the Church be not infallible , how much less I ? ] rather than [ the whole Church is not infallible , therefore let me trust to my single judgment : ] an illation not more unreasonable , than usual . 3. In following one party of the divided Clergy , we are to avoid those rather , who acknowledge the former practice of the Church against them , and appeal to Scripture ; as long as the practice also pretends the same Scripture , either for it , or not at all against it . For tho Scripture is a more sure foundation than the Church's practice ; yet , since the practice also pretends , as well as those who oppose it , to be guided by the Scriptures , so that Scripture and Practice is pretended on one side , and Scripture only on the other side ; and since there is so great odds , in number , of those judgments concerning the Scripture , that have ever so practised , and also a succession of truth promised to be continued in the Church , t is more probable , I say , that the practice is not mistaken in the sence of Scripture ; and of two , we are to chuse the more probable . 4. But if , besides Scripture ; there be practice or tradition of some times of the Church ( the more ancient ) pretended against the practice of other ( later ) times ; here search is to be made by us : and if such an opposition of the present and former Church seems to be discovered , ( which indeed can never be , by reason of our Saviour's promise in any matter of necessary faith ) , the contrary course to heady Rehoboam is to be held , the old mens counsel is to be taken , and the former times are to be preferred ; except it be in matters not prescribed by God's word , wherein the Church of all times hath power to constitute what she thinks fit . Where therefore the Scriptures , tho pretended by both sides plain , yet are not so plain that both sides agree ; there let all the trial rest , not * upon reading arguments pro and con in controversie-writers , where wit and continual agitations of the question make any side tenable , as men are biassed by interest and education ; but * upon this search of the Fathers , and history of the Church ; and I am perswaded most controversies will quickly end . For who tries them ; 1. First , he will find in those voluminous writings many things more express , and full , and positive , than they are in Scripture , especially most of the practices of the Church put out of all dispute ; so that tho several men read those writings , with a several interest , as they do the Scriptures ; yet they shall find too much clearnes there to be corrupted by such interest . ( For example ; those who dispute Episcopacy to be against the Scriptures , yet are clearly convinced in the Fathers writings that it was practised in the primitive Churches , and thought consonant to the Scriptures . ) — 2. Again he will find a most unanimous consent among them in most things , and in many of those of present debate ; contrary to the opinion of many , who seeing them quoted constantly by both sides almost in all controversies , ( and that , not only one Father against another , but the same against himself ) ; seeing likewise books written of their many disagreeings , which books are silent of the many more things wherein they accord , do in this prejudice condemn them of the same ambiguity as the Scriptures , and of much opposition besides ; and lastly of impertinency to modern controversie , and so forbear to consult them , and laugh at Vinc. Lirinensis his Rule , Quod omnibus &c , as , tho most true , yet utterly useles . But here some cautions must be given to the searcher , which it were most unreasonable that he should not observe . 1. * That in a search of the antiquity of opinions , and not of the reputation of authors , he would not reject writings which are evidently very ancient , and likewise then approved , ( since they are quoted by latter Fathers and Councils , ( suppose those of the 3d , 4th , and 5th age after Christ. ) Because ( tho granted by all very ancient for the time ) they are uncertain for the author , and bear a false title . Such are , for example , the Apostolical Canons ; Clement's Apostolical Constitutions ; Dionys. Areop . works , ( of which it being disputed so early , as A. D. 420. whether these were the genuine works of St. Dionysius , shews that they were very ancient . ) Again , * that , from discovering some corruption in some of the Fathers writings , he would not argue there not to remain so much purity and incorruption in the rest , as that in any thing controverted their true opinion can be known ; neither argue , from his discovering their erring ( perhaps every one ) in something , and that many times in a thing very inconsiderable , that therefore in nothing they can be fit witnesses of truth ; and lastly , from his finding them obscure or ambiguous in some places , that they cannot be clear , upon such subject , in any other place , or also in that place , cleared by the context . Yet such we find are most of the arguments that are urged for weakening their authority . 2. That , for the primitive times of the Church , he would not only take those , wherein she lived in persecution , and left few records of her doctrines or customs , as the first and second age ; but extend them to the end of the 6th or 5th , or at least of the 4th age , so as to involve S. Austin &c. these being the times wherein she flourished , under the protection of Christian Governors , more ample in her power , publick in her doctrines and discipline , frequent and copious in her writings , active against all sorts of hereticks , as also more exercised with them : which the present times ( as enjoying still the same happines ) must needs and ought more to resemble than the other ; and to which , taken in this extent , ordinarily differing Churches appeal . 3. That he would not think , that those practices , which he observes to be used in the latter of these times , and omitted in the former , therefore are justly to be rejected , unles they be also ( in that sence as they are afterwards used ) disallowed and opposed by the former ; and that by the more general vote thereof . For what is said of Scripture , ( § . 6. ) may here be said of the Church ; that it follows not negatively that such practices are either unlawful or unexpedient , because a former age did not recommend , or did not use them . Therefore that he would compare the practices and tenets of the present Church , not with those of every , but of any age of those primitive times , ( so not contradicted by the rest ) : In which age if any doctrine held , we may lawfully say ; such is no new , but an ancient , doctrine ; or a doctrine of the Fathers . 4. That he would not with such a conceit repair to them , as if he should find , in writers , of so many ages , and of so many several countries , no differences at all ; for there he will find several , both † of the former of those times , or at least of a many in them , from the latter . [ * As the more common opinion and practice of the more ancient times of the Church are by some quoted somewhat to differ from the succeeding ; in the Millenary doctrine , communicating of Infants ; vision of God before the day of Judgment ; in the rarer use of Images ; less observance of the Reliques ; in Invocation of Saints ; in the punctuality of Auricular Confession for some sorts of sins , &c. Quoted , I say ; not , that the difference in these is granted so great altogether , as it is by some made , concerning which , as to some of these particulars , see what is said in Church-government § . 55. but that , in the more and less practice of some of them , and in the commoness of the belief of other of them , there may be some difference in several times . So the Millenary doctrine , and non-vision of God , in some places and times , perhaps was the opinion more common . So a common practice in some times was used , of communicating Infants : Images in some times also were less used , tho ( then ) not the use of them ( I mean as practised by latter ages ) opposed ; and so of the rest that follow . ( Concerning such things see what the 3d. caution saith . ) But observe touching such things , wherein difference is named ; That it is either difference of practice , secundum magis & minus , not opposition of doctrine : or opposition of doctrine , only in some matters of small moment ; or the opposition of such times not universal , but only of some places , or Churches , others practising or teaching the contrary . ] And , † in the same times he will find many differences , of those of one Church from another . [ As of the Eastern and Western Church about Easter ; the Roman and African Church about Rebaptization ; and afterward about Superiority of the See of Rome for Appeals and so many things practised in the Eastern Churches , not at all , or latter used in the Western . ] And † in the same Church he will find , one party against another , ( as Epiphanius and Chrysostom , &c ) : And the same party ( when of a more mature judgment ) differing from himself , ( as S. Austin in the busines of Free-will , and Grace , &c. ) But it is sufficient ( if in some other differences he finds them ( all , or by much the most ) agreeing in most , or in many points of those , which are now controverted , especially points of practice , which are of greater moment ) to render up his judgment to them in those uncontrolable and plain things , wherein they consent ; and more is not desired of him : ( amongst which are the contradictories to most of those hurtful opinions related below § . 41. &c. ) and not to make that fallacious induction , ( with which many satisfie themselves . ) * They are not sufficient Guides in this , or that point , wherein they differ ; ergo they are in none at all ; or not , in the many other , wherein they accord ; and in this main point especially , that universal obedience is due to Church-decrees , and that it is lawful in no case to desert her external communion , which settles all the rest : * Or , they clash in this and this point , ( which truly , for the most part , are things of less moment , ( see Church-gov . 2 ▪ part . § . 55. &c. ) tho by the then contenders much aggravated , ) ergo they clash in all , or in almost all : when-as such arguments have force only against their infallibility , or absolute unanimity in all things ; not against their accord in those things which are more necessary , and for which we have occasion to search them . So , whereas we find the Millenary tenet , and the place of faithful souls out of heaven till the day of Judgment , and Infant-Communion , ( anciently common tenets , by latter times , as is thought , justly rejected ) , to be urged as a proof of no safe adherence to all common opinions and practices of former Church , because in some things errable ; we are to consider , that these , besides that they never were Church-decrees in any Council , nor granted to be universal , are not points of such consequence , as to prejudice the ancient Church her authority , judgment , or guidance in all other necessary matters . Hear what Dr. Ferne ( Preface to Consider . touching Reform . ) very judiciously saith of two of them , after he had made much use of those instances . Having spoken ( saith he ) the intent of this Treatise , I must , before I leave him , intreat the Reader to remember one thing in the former , ( the error of the Millenary belief , and Infant-communion often instanced-in there , ) and to take notice ; that nothing was intended or can be concluded by those instances to the prejudice of the whole Church ; as if thereby might be proved , that the whole Church universally , and in all the members of it , may err , and be infected with error in points of concernment , or prejudicial to the faith : For that of the Millenary , as it was not universal , so not of such moment ; and that of the In-fant-communion , tho more universal , and of longer continuance , was but a tolerable mistake . So that all errors of the whole Church by his concession are ever either not universal , or not of concernment . 5. That he would not with such a conceit repair to them , as if he should always find in them an unanswerable reason or justification of such and such practices or tenets , ( for this we promise not ) ; but that such things they practised , such things they held ; and then perhaps this may be a sufficient reason to him to admit them , that so the Church of God hath always done or taught , before him . 6. That he would not repair to them , as if he should find every thing now controverted , there considered , or stated : but that for what he shall find there stated ( at least ) for the substance of the practice of it , ( as most points of government and practice are ) , tho not for the quatenus , or in what respects it is performed , that to it he would conform . 7. That he would not entertain such a conceit , † as if in this search he should find any Church of present being so perfectly to resemble Antiquity , as in no point to differ from the general customs thereof , for in some all differ , none giving the Eucharist to Infants : Nor , † as if he should not find several Churches , in some one thing or other , more to resemble the primitive , than a Church of a better constitution doth . ( As , the Reformed is said to resemble the Primitive times in celebrating the Communion in both kinds ; and the first or 2d . century thereof , in not using Images , not invocating Saints , &c. The Roman , in the obligation of , and obedience to , the decrees of the Church , and her Councils , in prayer for the Dead , merit of works , penances , Church-ceremonies , the Christian Sacrifice of the Altar , Real presence , Reservation for communicating absents , domestick Communion in one kind , frequent celebration of the Eucharist , frequent hours of Prayer , and set times of Fasting , Confession , recommendation of Evangelical counsels , vows of Poverty , and Celibacy , single life of the Clergy ) : But that he would conform to that Church rather , which he finds to tread the footsteps of Antiquity in the most points , ( as all do in some ) , or in those of the most moment and consequence , especially in those of government and practice ; which , as they are not so easily changed as those of simple belief ; so , do they more concern this search , when-as the absolutely necessary points of faith are perhaps sufficiently acknowledged by all those of differing communions . Thus much of the Cautions to be used in searching Antiquity . Now to go on . 3ly . He will find one present external visible communion and body of Christians much more , than all the rest , ( tho perhaps none in all things ) agreeing with the doctrines and discipline of Antiquity , especially if considered after the settlement of it under Christian Emperors . Which things if they be found , ( which discovery presupposeth first his . search ) , this I desire may presently be granted ; that any one hath little reason to bear himself up upon the arms of his own , or others newer , interpretations of the Sacred text , and not-unhandsomly stated theses , and subtlely-urged objections , against so constant , so strong a stream . And here also note ; that if any side rip up the faults and errors of the Fathers ; and , whilst they seem to appeal to them , yet , as much as they can , weaken their authority ; if they defend their own differing from them much more , by shewing that the other side differs from them in something , but yet much less than they ; if the more candid of them at least confess a recession from the Fathers in many points , [ for informing your self in this , turn over Calvin's Institutions , and see in how many places he ingenuously confesseth the opinion of Antiquity opposit to his decisions . 2. lib. 2. c. 4 , 9. sect . compared with 3. l. 11. c. 15. sect . — 2. l. 14. c. 3. sect . 3. l. 3. c. 10. sect . 3. l. 4. c. 38. sect . — 3. l. 5. c. 10. sect . — 3. l. 22. c. 1. sect . — 2. l. 3. c. 7. 10. sect . [ where , multis saeculis , is as high as Chrysostom . ] — 4. lib. 4. c. 10. sect . — 9. cap. 8 , 9 , 10. 11 , &c , weakning the authority of Councils . — 12. c. 8. sect . — 12. c. 19 , 20 , 24 , 27. sect . — 18. c. 11. sect . — 3. l. 3. c. 16. sect . — 4. l. 17. c. 39. sect . — 4. l. 13. c. 16 , 17. sect . many of which places I have transcribed in Church-gov . 4. part . § . 100. ] and if some others of the same side , who yet maintain the same opinions with those other of them that appeal to the Fathers , do refuse a tryal by the Fathers at all , to say nothing that this relisheth of much pride and self-conceit , and pride is an ill Reformer ; this shews , that such a side , tho not willing to confess it , yet is convinced of loosing their cause in this trial , by the practice of former Church ; and that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this appeal ; and then the resolution set down before in § . 22. is in all reason to take place . Again : if the contrary party seems on the other side to attribute too much to the Fathers , in quoting them , in their disputations and conferences , as well as the Holy Scriptures ; and as it were superstitiously treading in their steps in the external forms of Government , and in the most inconsiderable ceremonies ; adhering still to the same expressions which the Fathers used in those points which are now controverted , [ as Merit , Satisfaction , Supererogation , Sacrifice , Altar , &c , ] which the other more willingly change ; compiling their Body of Divinity out of the Fathers common doctrines , ( as the first beginning of School-Divinity , ( see Peter Lombard ) , was only a design of putting the Fathers tenets in an orderly method ) : This argues , that these rather are the true Successors of the doctrines of the Primitive Church , and that they are unjustly charged to recede from the Fathers in those points which are controverted ; and then , according to the resolution above § . 22. we are to adhere to them . For what likelihood is there , That he who thinks their testimony makes much for him , and much against his adversary , will , all he can , strive to weaken the authority of these Witnesses in shewing their errors in general , their contradictions of one against another , of the same against himself &c. ( See Daille's Uray usage des Peres ) : and that the other , who is conscious that they are more against himself than his adversary , should by all means establish their testimony , even by holding them in all their joynt-verdicts infallible ? What probability , that they should most declame against the certainty of Church-tradition , whose doctrines it most confirmeth ? For we are to believe this , ( or we , for as much as I can apprehend , nullify our Saviour's promise , and his mission of other teachers , and all appeals to the Church , &c , ) * that there shall be a Church of God in all ages like it self in the former : and * that as the Jews might , ( Jo. 5. 39. ) and the Bereans did , ( Act. 17. 11. ) find the Old Testament to confirm the doctrine of the Apostles of the New ; and the Gospel to establish the Law , ( Rom. 3. 31. ) so the Church's practice shall establish the Gospel ; and the latter practice thereof the former , to the end of the world ; * that Christ's sheep shall always know his voice , and shall not follow strangers . And tho there shall be Antichrists , and falling away from the faith , ( as there was even in the Apostle's times ) , yet that falling away from the faith shall be also from the Church ; but the Church it self ( i. e. that whole external communion which was , in times before , the Church of Christ , ( for I speak not of any one particular place , from any of which I conceive , one time or other , Christianity may be banished ) , or ( if you will ) the visible body of the Clergy openly cohering in that external communion , shall never go into Apostacy : Nor shall the Apostates fall away in , ( but out of ) the external communion of the former Church , and so always be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not in respect of their opinion , but decession ; not in respect of the truth of , but their dissent from , the Church , in what they maintain , and shall for ever be known ; * either by their going out of the former , and setting up new , communions , ( Jud. 19. Heb. 10. 25. 1 Jo. 2. 19. 2 Tim. 3. 8. Jude 11. [ opposing those in authority : ] and so Tertullian , Praejudicatum est adversus omnes haereses , id esse verum quodcunque primum ; id esse adulteratum quodcunque posterius ) : * or by the former Church thrusting them out ; which shall never joyn with them . [ But t is to be noted , that most of those divisions of the Church , if not all , which have separated from a former communion , are such , as have not bin first expelled by the Church , and then set up a new communion upon necessity , but such as have left it ; always pretending that there be some tenets or practices in the former Church , for which , tho she permitting to them all their own opinions , they could not communicate with her . Now that communion which they , tho indulged their own tenets , will not return to , t is plain that at first they did reject , whatever they pretend to the contrary , and tho the other Ch. also ejected them ; for both these well consist . ] And such Apostates also may be known always at their first going out ( tho not so well afterwards ) by the smallnes of their number . As Arrianism , which was the greatest division that ever happened in the Church for 1500 years , never prevailed upon all parts of the Church's communion , the Western continuing for a major part untainted with it : touching which see Ch. Gov. 2. part . 40. § . &c. and , in both the Eastern and Western , it ever had an external communion of the Catholicks opposit to it ; and in its first rise was easily discerned by the paucity of that Sect ; as the beginnings of all heresies are easily known : neither are they , tho some of them of very speedy growth , yet of long continuance . See 2 Tim. 3. 1 , 8 , 9. Jude 11. Act. 5. 38. Neither had the contrary conceit , to wit , of the external visible body of the Church her falling away from Christ ( by which the sheep are to seek for a right shepherd ) ever got so much strength amongst Christians , but from a supposing of Anti-Christ to be in profession a Christian , and one of that Church , in which it is said he shall sit , notwithstanding that others , of whom the same thing was said , viz. that they shall sit in the Holy place , ( see Matt. 24. 15. Dan. 11. 41. ) were not in their outward profession members of the Church . But this is an opinion ( as is elsewhere shewed ) groundless ; and the going out of Babylon ( Rev. 18. 4. which is there spoken of place , not of former communion ; as suppose it were said to the Christian Churches , that are now in Turky , to remove from thence ) interpreted in this sence is a dangerous principle to breed Schisms , and ruin souls , in causing mens forsaking of the external communion of the Catholick Church of Christ that is in present being . [ Which Church , many think , shall be ( always ) so conspicuous , and set on an hill , that it shall in all times out-number any separating Sect , both for the multitude of people , and extent of Nations . And we have found it so till Luther's time , the fore-mentioned Arrianism never ruling in the most of Christians , ( who adhered still to the Nicene Creed ) , but in some of the chiefest of the Clergy , the Bishops , such as were intruded by the Emperor , ( the orthodox Bishops being thrust out , ) and carried away with his inclinations , and these chiefly in the Eastern Churches . As for the objection of Antichrist's times , those who think the Supposition , that he shall be a professor of Christianity , false , will easily grant , that the Church then shall be a smaller number in respect of Infidels , but not in respect of Hereticks . And , for that objection Matt. 24. 11 , 12 , 13 ▪ Luk. 18. 8. we have seen our Saviour's words fulfilled in Mahomet , and those seduced by him , and in many heretical Sects also , and in a more general corruption of manners even amongst the orthodox , without any infringement of what is here affirmed . See more of this in Success . of Clergy § . ] 1. First therefore , those within the bounds of the Church , that follow blind leaders without all trial , are void of excuse . Not because they do not quit all leaders absolutely , and guide themselves by the Scriptures ; but because ( the Church of God , i. e. the Pastors and Teachers thereof ) having our Saviour's promise never so to be blind , but that salvation and escaping the pit should be always had in her ; ( as it in all times hath bin , both in the Jewish , and since , in the Christian Church ) there are at all times other leaders , who are illuminated with God's Spirit , and whose light , not put under a bushel but set on a candlestick , shines before them , whom they may securely follow . So that the people are never left nakedly to the Scriptures , or to the Law , without orthodox Teachers and Guides therein , or without an external communion lawful and safe to be adhered to ; nor such Teachers left without manifest testimony ( to all that will look after it ) that they are sent from God , and that their communion is the true Church , either by their shewing miracles , and other signs of their mission ; or by their succession to , and consent with , the former Church which shewed miracles ; and by all other Sects , tho perhaps at length out-numbring them , yet discerned always to be few at first , and to go out from them . So under the Law , the whole Order of God's Priests never fell so away at any time , neither before , nor in , nor after , the Babylonish captivity , till the coming of Christ , ( according to the promise Gen. 49. 10. and our Saviour's testimony Lu. 16. 16. Jo. 4. 22. Matt. 23. 2. ) but that there was always a remnant of them ( by the former marks to be easily discerned from the Apostatizers ) serving the Lord with a true worship , and having a flock amongst the people obedient to them . And at Christ's coming , when Satan was let loose to deceive the Sanedrim , and infatuate all the former chief Ecclesiastical Governors , God gave all the people sufficient testimony by miracles &c , ( see Jo. 5. 36. Matt. 16. 3. ) that Jesus was the Messias , and the Prophet whom he had promised to raise unto them like unto Moses , to whom they were now to obey in all things , and to hearken to none contradicting his doctrines . The many expressions therefore in the Old Testament , that seem to speak of a total falling away of the Priest , and a failing of the Church , ( many of which were urged by the Donatists , and answered to by St. Austin and other Fathers , which see more fully discoursed in Success . of Clerg . § . ) either speak not of the Priests ignorance at all , but vitiousnes and neglect of duty ; or not of their teaching false doctrines as Priests , but of their making false predictions as pretended Prophets : or are texts Prophetical of their falling away after the coming of the Messias : or speak not of their falling into Heresy , but of their open Apostatizing unto Idolatry . For Heresies and Sects , retaining a distinct communion in the worship of the same God , and acknowledgment of the divine law , in those times of the Jewish Church we find none , but both the Priests and people divided between true worshippers of God , and flat idolaters . Here therefore the Trier had always those to whom he might safely adhere , and might always clearly discern who they were . 2ly . Nor those that try , and after it make choice of falshood , are thereby excused , because since there is evidence enough one way or other given of the truth , they , who in searching find it not , are some way or other defective in their trial . Perhaps because they will not try , * by all those ways which God hath left to witness his truth ; as both by Scriptures , and also by the authorized Expositors thereof ; but only by one way , which themselves most fancy . Whenas doubtles the Jew , or the Berean , after their search of Scriptures , had not bin excused in dissenting from the Apostles or from our Saviour's doctrine , so long as this doctrine was also confirmed to them by other sufficiently evident and convincing arguments besides the testimony of former Scriptures , viz : * by the mighty signs and wonders which our Saviour and the Apostles did thro the power of the H. Spirit given them from God ; * by the Resurrection of Jesus , and their mission by his authority , &c. After which confirmation the Apostle's advice to believers is , to hold to Tradition ; to the doctrine formerly delivered , Rom. 16. 17. Heb. 13. 7 , 9. and to prove and try the new spirits , ( 1 Thess. 5. 20. 1 Jo. 4. 1. ) that perhaps might speak under pretence of that frequent gift of prophecying ( which the Devil also then imitated ) something dissenting from doctrines formerly received : as appears by 1 Thess. 5. 20. and the clause of 1 Jo. 4. 1. the one bidding that they should not altogether despise these Spirits ; the other , that they should not altogether credit them . But of the Apostles doctrines , coming with such a testimony of the Spirit , ( Gal. 3. 5. ) they would not have them at all to doubt , pronouncing Anathema to any that should contradict these . Gal. 1. 7 , 9. Col. 2. 6 , 7 , 8. 1 Jo. 4. 6. [ Which 6th . verse sheweth , that the first verse is meant , of the Church's or others trying the spirits of private men , 1 Cor. 14. 29 , 32. not of particular men trying the Spirit of the Apostles , or of the Church . ] And should any now , not out of affection to learn , and to strengthen his faith , nor to know , what was the reason of them , but whether there be any reasons for them , try the doctrines of the ancient Councils , as some have lately , and ( by the just judgment of God upon curiosity ) have dissented from them : such trial would argue much infidelity against our Saviour's promise , and his vigilancy over his Church ; would much offend , against the obedience we owe to the decrees of the Church , and against the humble conceit we ought to have of our selves . Whereas , on the contrary , the more indisputing obedience is , which is the daughter of true humility , the more christian the spirit ; especially where one is not in a communion of a Church of a later original , nor that hath professedly departed out of another Church elder than it self . And if any think , that such an humble submission and assent to Church-decrees forfeits the use of reason , and patronizeth ignorance . 1. First , the same thing may be said of our assent being tied to the larger Nicene and Athanasian Creeds . 2ly , Again , the Church's decrees are but very few ( if we take only the decrees of Councils , and not all the Theological controversies and determinations of private Divines of any side , for such ) in comparison of the large field of divine knowledge , wherein great intellects may still freely expatiate : as appears in that great liberty which we find in the Roman writers , ( I mean , the Schoolmen , ) freely dissenting from one another in many points . Which differings when-as we also urge against them , they defend themselves , that such are points undefined in Councils . But 3ly , in things defined also ; we must acknowledge , that learning , and searching all arguments for truth , well consists with obedience to Church-definitions , ( as it did with our Saviours and the Apostles ) : inasmuch as we find those , who most profess this submittance , as skilful and copious in giving reasons of their faith , as any others ; and no way laying aside the use of reason , or pursuit of knowledge . Even as they , who , from the testimony of Scripture , believe there is a God , yet seek arguments from the Creation and Nature , to strengthen or , if I may so say , multiply their faith . Faith , both to what the Scripture , and to what the Church saith , being alway capeable of a further growth . And as , oportet discentem credere , so credentem discere . See more concerning this in Infallibility , § . and Ch. gov . 3. part . § . 39. But next ; since one may be born and bred in a Church Schismatical , and here also , by his condition and profession , not capable of making this trial by comparing his present teachers with other modern and ancient Doctors ; yet , upon the reasons above ( § . 20. ) he is in far less danger in obeying his Spiritual Guides , than in steering himself : and , in obeying them , so long as heknows none better , tho they be Schismatical , he is free from Schism ; ( whereas following himself , he becomes guilty of a 2d . Schism ) ; and being free from Schism , he may attain in such Church life everlasting ▪ nor can there any doubt be made , but that a pious man , living in the state of Schism , and free from the crime , is in a far better condition than an orthodox christian , living in the habit and state of sin . For tho Heresy , ( Gal. 5. 20. ) ( i. e. either an error opposit to some truth necessary to be explicitly known to enter into heaven , ( such as that Mar. 16. 16. Act. 4. 12. ) or an obstinate professing in other things against the known definitions of the Church ) ; and tho Schism , ( i. e. a factious breaking the unity and peace of the Church ) unrepented of before death , must needs , as other sins do , exclude all such out of heaven ; and tho the Excommunications of the Church have also here a dreadful power , whereby he is deprived of her prayers also , and receives her curse : yet in such a Church , by the great light of Scripture therein retained , there may be and ordinarily is so much truth asserted , as , joyned with christian obedience , is sufficient for his salvation , who is guiltless in these crimes . Neither are the Church-Excommunications further powerful in their censure , than others are guilty of the offence . But yet such a one must know ; 1. First , that he becomes guilty of Schism , not only by not forsaking a known error , or a byhim-counted unlawful communion , but by ( where there is any remedy for it ) a purposed ignorance and carelesnes of further knowing truth , where he hath reason to be jealous ; and sees a breach made in the Church of Christ. 2ly . This misfortune happens to those not guilty of the Heresie or Schism of the Church wherein they live , that , the matter of the Heresie or Schism most times being in doctrines or practices if not necessary , yet very beneficial , for attaining Salvation ; that I say , either by erroneous doctrines taught in such Church's , or many profitable doctrines not taught , or looser discipline practised there , they run a much greater hazard of their Salvation . ( See Dr. Potter , sect . 4. p. 115. ) Yet blessed be God for those , whom he hath so far enlightned , as to abide , without obstinacy in their errors , in any christian Society ; for we may presume , that thence also many go to heaven , and these not only hearers , but perhaps some teachers also ; if not with their doctrines destroying the foundation Jesus Christ , nor acting against conscience , nor wilfully negligent to inform it , ( as I fear many of them be . ) See Ch. gov . 3. part . § . 84. Besides trial of Doctrines by Scriptures , and by the Doctors of the Church , there is also a 3d. way of trial both of the Doctrines , and Doctors , and Churches , which is much recommended by our Saviour , Matt. 7. 15. &c. and by his Apostles , 1 Tim. 4. 7. — 6. 3. 2 Tim. 2. 16. Tit. 1. 1. Jam. 3. 17. and that trial is ; as their doctrines tend more unto holines of life ; and as this fruit is more or less produced by them . For tho this holines is by all doctrines equally pretended , yet is it not by all doctrines equally advanced . For many ill consequences there are following some doctrines more than others ; which tho they are disavowed and shaken off in the expositions of the teachers , yet do they still adhere to them in the peoples practice . As there are other doctrines , which whereas perhaps , as some mis-understood them , they seem pernicious , yet we find the followers thereof excelling in holines ; where the doctrine seems to commend and induce ignorance , very studious and knowing ; where the doctrine seems to nourish boasting , presumption , and pride , very humble and contrite in spirit : whom when we find , and that frequently , walking just contrary to what we suppose their doctrines , we are to imagin their doctrines not to be what we suppose ; the practice of the Church being the best expounder ( generally ) of her opinions . But were it otherwise , yet I conceive , far better it were to have faulty doctrines mis-understood so as to produce holines , than even those that are good mis-understood so , as to produce profanenes and impiety . Again ; there are fewer divine truths acknowledged in one Church perhaps than in another , and so obedience less perfect ; and in a Church where there are no false doctrines affirmatively and positively taught , yet perhaps many true ones areo mitted , or also rejected , such as are exceeding beneficial to produce sanctity . Now 1. first , this is certain ; that no lye abounds so much to the producing of holines , as truth doth : and the more true and orthodox any Church is , and the more truths of God are embraced by her , and none of his counsels rejected ; the more purity is in her . For the whole design of our Saviour's coming into the world ; of the moulding of all the doctrines of the Law and of the Gospel ; these , and not others ; was the advancing by them her sanctification . So that I may say ; had there bin an error that could more have advanced it than these truths , truth had bin error , and that error had bin made truth . Where then more of these divine rules are known and observed , there will flourish more holines . And therefore we may reflect , Where more holines is found , there probably are these better known and taught ; because where they are most taught , there in all likelihood also they are most observed . Therefore since all acknowledge the excellent sanctity and purity of the primitive times , they must likewise grant that Church more orthodox , which more closely retains their doctrines , their discipline , &c. And it is an astonishment to me to see , that those who so much admire the one , yet so freely cut off and reject the other , that effected it , ( and now , where practised , do still effect it ) ; which they might by this know to have caused it , for that where all other doctrines are put , and these ( which , used anciently , are now cast aside in some Church's ) abrogated , there such sanctity grows not ; nor is the brick made at all , where the straw is denied . How is it then , that the fruit is so much commended , and yet the root that bears it called superstition , will-worship ; tyrannical abridgment of christian liberty ; * the equalling of things indifferent and of mens traditions ( so are all things called , which ( in their conceit ) are not strictly commanded in Scripture , notwithstanding all the holy examples which they may find in these Scriptures thereof , and that the commands of God are made thereby not of none , but of much more , effect ) with the commandements of God ; * the placing salvation in mens devices , and in the practising of their own inventions . Again : besides this , that , where more divine truths ( for I speak not here of other knowledge , which many times proves a great enemy to piety ) are revealed , there ( generally ) must be more holines ; because all divine truths tend to it , ( see Psal. 119. 104 , 128. ) and ordinarily where the judgment is very much illuminated , the affections cannot but follow it , and the more light the soul hath in it , the less likely it is to miss its way : t is yet further to be observed ; that holines , where ever we find it , if not begotten by , yet quickly begets , truth ; that the passions brought into order do readily admit that heavenly light , which less or more enlighteneth every one that cometh into the world . The H. Ghost is a fire , Matt. 3. 11. so that wheresoever the Spiritual light thereof is , there is heat also ; and much more , e contra . And the mortification of lusts soon brings in orthodoxnes of opinion , when the inclinations of the soul are so well regulated , as truth is rather for , at least not against , them . So that in that Church where most holines is , is also most truth , either causing , or else caused by , it . See for this those many promises * of illuminating the Saints , Jo. 7. 17. Psal. 111. 10. 2 Pet. 1. 9. Eph. 3. 17 , 18. Phil. 1. 9. 2 Cor. 3. 16 , 17. Psal. 25. 12. Jo. 8. 12. Jo. 14. 21 , 23. Jo. 15. 2. Wisd. 1. 2 , 3 , 4. Rom. 12. 2. Psal. 37. 23 , 30. Prov. 2. 7. Matt. 11. 25. 1 Cor. 2. 11. &c 16. Psal. 119. 100. Jo. 14. 15 , 16. Act. 16. 14. — 10. 34 , 35 , 44 , compared with 2. — 15. 8 , 9. Jam. 4. 8 , 10. Matt. 25. 29. — and * of granting it the Spirit unto prayer and devotions . Luk. 11. 13. 1 Cor. 2. 7. 1 Cor. 3. 3. compared with Col. 1. Jam. 1. 5. 1 King. 3. 9. 11. For true knowledge , not only of understanding divine truths revealed , but of understanding the revelation also of them , I mean the Scriptures , cometh more from the operation of God's Spirit , than the discourse of Reason ; Jam. 1. 5. 1 Kin. 3. 9 , 11. ( tho this Spirit is working with Reason . ) See Act. 16. 14. Luk. 24. 32. Heb. 4. 2. Eph. 1. 17. 1 Cor. 2. 14. And the same connexion that is found between truth and holines , is also between vice and error or blindnes ; they also mutually producing one another . For , † whether we say , that the passions run counter to the judgment ; ( so they will soon vitiate it , especially in things , tho very reasonable , yet not plainly evident , as matters of faith are ; and , by hindering any light that may descend into it , they will make it study things only in their defence ; suffer it to consider no arguments that make against them ; and over-aw it with fear , lest any truth should oppose the satisfaction of them , Facilè deos non esse credit , cui deos esse non expedit ; and so vice begets error ; ) Or , † whether we say , that the affections follow judgment ; ( so error and blindnes here will soon cause in ordinacy there ) : the unholy are always , some way or other , blind . See 1 Jo. 2. 4. 2 Tim. 3. 5. 1 Cor. 8. 2 , 3. — 2. 14. Hos. 4. 11. Rom. 8. 5 , 6 , 7. 1 Cor. 3. 3. compared with the first . Jo. 3. 19 , 20. — 5. 44. 1 Tim. 1. 19. — 6. Tit. 1. 11. Lu. 16. 14. Phil. 3. 19. 2 Thess. 2. 12. 2 Tim. 2. 19. compared with 18. Our Saviour accused the blind Pharisees of many vices , especially of ambition and covetousnes , who therefore placed religion more in ceremonies , washing , fasting , &c , than in justice and judgment . Lu. 11. 42. And the Apostles noted the false teachers much guilty in their lives both of sensuality ( lust and gluttony ) , and of covetousnes , and vain glory , by which their doctrines became such as pleased men , such as tended to liberty and licentiousnes . See 2 Pet. 2. 3 , 18 , 19. and were contrary to mortification and the cross . Phil. 3. 18 , 19. See 2 Pet. 2. cap. and Epistle of Jude , — Men of corupt minds . 1 Tim. 6. 5. Lovers of their own selves . 2 Tim. 3. 2. Self-willed , or self-pleasers . 2 Pet. 2. 10. Loving to have the Preeminence . 3 Jo. 9. Their spirit proud , 1 Tim ▪ 6. 4. contentious : Jam. 3. 17. Tit. 3. 9. 1 Tim. 6 : 5. ever learning and never able to come to any certainty . 2 Tim. 3. 7. Separating . Jud. 19. Heb. 10. 25. Nor can such teachers , unholy themselves , by the truths they teach , propagate holines easily in others . For tho many truths are taught by the most erroneous , yet are they truths not such as more immediately tend to holines , or not to those parts of holines , wherein himself is deficient ; else if their doctrines could have had any effect in the auditor , they would have had so in the teacher : which as long as they have not , and that he wanteth experience and the practick ; the theory is nothing worth , but like him that reads a lecture of war , and never was Soldier . Or , if they be such as tend more to holines , yet they are but a few , with the omission of many other that are mainly conducing to the production of piety ; so that the effect follows not a partial cause . or , if they be sufficient , yet are they ineffectual and unperswasive , whilst he speaks them from the brain , and not from the heart ; from the memory , not from the affections : and whilst they are unaccompanied with the power of the Spirit , ( Jude 19. 2 Cor. 3. 6. [ the Spirit applying what they say . ] See Luk. 18. 34. compared with Act. 16. 14. which ( ordinarily ) doth not cooperate in the word with such a ministery , ( see 1 Cor. 4. 19 , 20 ) : the ministery , tho not for necessary Sacraments , yet for many other things , becoming much less effectual , when in the possession of a wicked person endued with a lawful mission , yet void of the sanctifying Spirit . Certainly it much matters , whether we be recommended to God , and God's grace recommended to us by the prayers and teaching of an holy , or of a wicked , man. S. Cyprian saith , Oportet eos ad sacerdotium deligi , quos a Domino constat audiri , quoting Hos. 9. 4. Jo. 9. 34. — And S. Hierom saith the like , quoting Lev. 21. 17. — And Gelasius . Quomodo coelestis Spiritus invocatus adveniet , si sacerdos , qui eum adesse deprecatur , criminosis plen●is actionibus reprobatur ? And very much every where is said in the Prophets of the mischiefs descending on the people , from the superintendence of a vitious Clergy . Whereas the holy man speaks with power ; the Spirit , both in , and from , him ; working upon the people , ( God imparting it unto his auditors , as Moses's unto the Elders : See Matt. 10. 20. Act. 6. 10. ) and also * from God cooperating with him , 1 Cor. 7. 9. God both hearing his prayers and intercessions , Jam. 5. 16. Job . 33. 23. and also blessing his labours more than other mens . Now what hath bin said of particular persons , is to be understood the same of Churches , being a collective body made up of particulars : in all of which Churches , tho there are some men holy , and in the best of Churches many bad ; yet where more light and truth , there doubtles are the more good , and the fewer wicked , and so è converso . 1. To try then what Church is such . 1. You are to observe and weigh well † their Teachers and Divines ; who are educated and prepared for their office , in speculations and controversies more ; and who more in mortifications ; who strive rather to rectifie the peoples manners , and who rather to inform the peoples understandings : † their doctrines , their discipline , their ceremonies ; which Church gives stricter education to her children , whose doctrines tend more to liberty ; whose discipline is more remiss ; whose ceremonies are more reverent , and by all manner of ways helpful to devotion . For , the severest religion is the best ; and Spiritual comforts are in it to such a degree possessed , as worldly consolations are by it retrenched ; and where-ever more liberty , there less holines . For liberty is 1. First , both the most used pretence of false teachers , and is absolutely the aptest instrument for bringing in vices , and making men ( in stead of being free from ) servants to their lusts . See 2 Pet. 18 , 19. And we know what was the art of Jeroboam , 1 Kin. 2. 28. [ It is too much for you &c. ] Which thing wise Bacon also hath observed : Nova secta ita se tantum late diffundit , si portam luxuriae & voluptatibus aperiat , authoritati repugnet . And 2ly , when such pretence of liberty is not used for these things , ( as doubtles many times it is not by the Doctors ) , yet where there is no express restraint made of it , it is almost irremediably abused to these ill ends by the people , I mean , to licentiousnes and satisfying of lusts ; to an occasion for the slesh , Gal. 5. 13. to a cloak for wickednes ; and particularly ( as that place imports ) disobedience to authority , 1 Pet. 2. 16. Therefore S. Paul , ( much mistaken to be a patron of it , Gal. 5. 1. ) tho he so much vindicated it , in one thing , against Jewish ceremonies ; and against these in one case , that is , when required as necessary to salvation ; for else himself many times conformed to them ; yet , in the free using of all things , lawful unto us &c , no man opposed liberty more than he ; nor practised it less . See Rom. 14. cap. 1 Cor. 8. & 9. cap. 1 Cor. 6. 12. He would teach for nothing , and work at his trade ; would not eat and drink ; would not carry about a wife ; would keep under his body so , as that he might not be brought under the power of any thing , so as not to be able to abstain from it ; nay would not eat a bit of flesh as long as he lived , if ( not himself , but ) another , should but receive any hurt by it . And so no man more strict in his orders , than he , ( see 1 Cor. 14. cap. — 11. 2 , 16. — 4. 17. ) and in requiring obedience in all things . For indeed , however we slight small helps , maxima pendent ex minimis . 2. In Churches therefore , in prosecution of this search , we are to observe ; † not only , whether they retain all truths absolutely necessary to be known to attain salvation , ( for , I think , both the soberest of the Roman Church grant this to the Reformed ; and of the Reformed grant this to the Roman : and both of them grant , that the Scriptures plainly set them down ) ; † nor only whether their doctrines are not untrue ; or their commands not unlawful ; or either of these contrary to antiquity : but also , whether these Churches be not deficient in , or also oppose , many truths and practices delivered by Antiquity , and taught and enjoyned elsewhere , which neither are absolutely necessary to mens salvation , nor yet absolutely indifferent , but things very profitable , and much conducing to it . Where note , that it is a great wrong to the perfection of Christianity , if any should rank all points , not absolutely necessary to salvation , amongst things purely indifferent and of free use , and wherein we may take our liberty of opinion or practice . Those points , which receive no excuse of impossibility , nor no exception of time , place , or persons , for the believing or practising of them , are very few ; perhaps one Sacrament , Baptism , one Article of the Creed , [ the belieiving in Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour . ] And yet those points , without which the Church nor Christian religion cannot subsist , and which those , who have sufficient revelation , are not to oppose , or neglect to practice , under some peril of their damnation , are many . We are therefore to observe in a Church , whether these are not some way deficient ; whether , as all vice is disallowed by her , so all those means are recommended by her , whereby vice may be destroyed ; and contrarily whether , not some , but all , virtue , and all the perfection thereof , be proposed and pressed : whether Christian virtues be recommended by her in the whole latitude of their efficacy and use , or only in some part thereof . As if something by her be pressed only as a duty of obedience to a command , when as it is a special means also to procure some benefit . [ As should she recommend alms only as a duty , when as it is also a special means to appease God's wrath , and to procure ( thro Christ ) remission of sin . So should she recommend works only as a fruit of true faith , when as they are a necessary condition of salvation ; ] since men will much sooner do these , pressed to them in one sence , than only in the other . As many would sooner give some alms , to appease God's wrath for some sin that afflicts the conscience , than only not to commit the breach of a precept . Again ; whether not only the precepts , but all the higher counsels of the Gospel are held forth to her children . For we must know ; that as , under the Law , none of all the Sacrifices were more grateful to God than the free-will-offerings ; i. e. when they willingly did more than God exacted from them , in , and conformably to , those ways wherein he was pleased then to be worshipped by them : So , under the Gospel , there is an acceptable free-willworship answering to that legal ; i. e. when one doth something , for the measure , time , place , and other circumstances ( of those holy duties , wherein God is pleased to be served by us , not in any thing else that is besides , and unconformable unto , them ) more , than the Gospel hath prescribed . Yet so , that he , who mean-while omits to do the like , sinneth not against any command . And this acceptable free-will-worship consists * either in an higher degree of performing some duty , than is required under penalty of sin ; as praying seven times a day with David ; giving half his goods to the poor with Zacheus ; or yet more with the widow , Lu. 21. 4. * or in using some means , truly conducing to better performance of such duty , more than is required , or than we are confined to by any command . As , abstaining from some things lawfully used , to help us the easilier to avoid some vice , or excell in the practice of some duty : as † when one liveth single ; useth course apparrel ; plain and spare diet ; chuseth an Ecclesiastical vocation ( more duly to wait on God , more to subdue lust , more to help the poor , &c. ) and † when one restraineth his liberty with Vows . Provided always , that this free-will-offering which is not required , be always undertaken for the better doing of something commanded and required , and be only a circumstance as it were of something that is in it self duty , and be such as God hath recommended , tho not enjoyned , and Saints of God before us have practised . Now since such things may lawfully be done upon our own undertaking , much more are they not to be refused upon the Church's injunction ; which , always with the command , fails not to express a profitable end , concerning which , it is the duty of our humility to submit-unto , and not question her judgment . See more of this in Dr. Hammond's excellent note upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Coloss. 2. We are therefore well to consider , whether a Church be not , in such profitable helps of an holy life , deficient . For example : If a Church should impose no affirmative credends , nor enjoyn no practices , but what all the Christian world will subscribe to ; and yet should hold , That to abstain from any thing , which it is lawful by God's word to enjoy , is fruitless , will-worship , and superstition ; — should disallow professedly or tacitly ( i. e. by suffering any such good custom to be diswonted , for want of being recommended ) the confessing of sin to the Priest , whether it be for more shame and humiliation of our selves for it ; or for their advice against it , or their ministerial absolution from it , or for their prayers and intercession against it , &c. — should affirm , confession to God or the Priest sufficient for remission without reformation of life ; — or being sorry for them sufficient repentance , without any further penances , humiliations , or punishing of our selves for them ; or without those of the body at least , ( yet which , still pampered , no way consists with a soul afflicted ) ; — or that these are necessary only , when they are imposed to satisfie the scandal of the Church , not to appease the wrath of God : — or , that they are remitted by money or indulgence , which is not preceded by penitence : — should not teach her children * the distinction of greater and lesser sins , that so they may be more extraordinarily cautious of those which more provoke the wrath of God ; — and * the several degrees of penitence required according to the several measure of their faults , that so they may practise greater humiliations upon the commission of more grievous offences : — should hold , that good works are not necessary to salvation ; or necessary only out of gratitude , or as fruits that will necessarily spring out of true faith ; or that promises of reward are not made to good works , but only to faith : — should require for our salvation faith only in our Saviour's merits , i. e. his good works so as to avoid inherent righteousnes ; or faith in Christ's satisfaction , ( i. e. his sufferings , ) so as to avoid all our self-afflictions , mortifications , and conformity to his death : — should teach our inability , tho we be in the state of grace , to keep all God's commandements and fulfil his law , as touching all greater sins and offences against any part thereof ; and to please him in our works : — should hold no degrees of perfection in obedience ; nor any latitude of goodnes beyond that of being void only of sin ; making none better than him that sins not ; or him , whoever is not most good , an offender ; and the falling-short of the highest degree of prayer , charity , &c guilty of sin , to the taking away of all confidence in God from our good deeds , and emulation of being perfect , and pre-eminence of Saints : — should make the heavenly reward equal to all , so that who is more holy than the least that enters in thither ( suppose S. Paul than the Publican ) in the over-plus of his mortifications &c , serves God for nought : — should extol predestination , election , grace , certainty of salvation , &c ( i. e. the mercies of God ) so far , as to remit and weaken all humane endeavors : — should deny the continuance of God's miraculous works now , as hath bin in former times , to holy men ; to the great weakening of prayer , and faith , and making use of the intercessions of holy men : — should make an equal facility of attaining heaven to all conditions of life , not noting to the people those , which have more temptations or hindrances in them than some others ; as marriage , wealth , honors : — should disallow or discourage Vows , and other prefortifications against those things which have bin former-occasions of sinning : — should not exact of her children frequent hours of prayer in the day , ( but discommend rather frequent repetitions , i. e. importunity , of prayers ) ; not exact frequent days of solemn worship in the year , frequent celebrations of the Eucharist , frequent fasts and macerations of the body , — or should not require some of these , more especially from her Clergy at least . — Should use no publick , or at least private , Sacerdotal censures and penitences upon greater sins , and should remit the reins of the obedience that is due unto her authority ; making her self uncapable to restrain , except where her children are first perswaded she judgeth right , ( i. e. according to Scripture as they understand it ) . — Should by her doctrines , That such and such christian duties are not required with such and such a quatenus , in such and such a sence or respect ; as , not good works , i. e. to justifie , or to merit , or to obtain remission of sin by them ; not penance , i. e. to satisfie God's justice ; not confession , i. e. as jure divino ; not such and such ceremonies , set times of fast , hours of prayer , &c , i. e. as divine commands , or essential parts of worship : not poverty , celibacy , &c , i. e. as counsels to all ; but only contend that they are necessary duties to some , whilst none know to whom in particular they are so , ( which thing quite voids the duty ) — Should , I say , by teaching much more vehemently how such duties are not required , than how they are to be understood , ( especially to one considering both the peoples and the teachers practice ) , as if they argued that they were not required at all ; or by teaching that such and such practices are not absolutely necessary , should be conceived to say they are no way beneficial , or no way useful at all , because they are not useful alone ; as is true of all manner of mortifications and castigations of the body . — If any Church , I say , should hold , or is ordinarily by the people understood to hold , such tenets as these ; who sees not that in such a Church , tho commanding nothing unlawful , yet omitting only the contrary doctrines to these before-named , the people must needs desert many good duties , grow cold in devotion , and left to their ( most grateful ) liberty , use it to their destruction . But were it not so , and that such a Church were free from blame ; yet were that Ecclesiastical Economy more to be preferred , and would have a reward and something to glory of beyond the rest , ( as S. Paul beyond other teachers . 1 Cor. 9. ) , that should , thro these restraints of lawful liberty , aspire to the more perfection . That Church therefore seems more safely to be preferred and adhered unto , which is more accused of excesses in religion , than which is blamed of defects ; as that which is said to attribute too much to good works ; to extoll too much the vertue of self-mortifications and penances ; to superadd to God's commands a great deal of spontaneous and free-will-worship ; to abound too much in religious rites and ceremonies ; too much in corporal bowings and gestures ; too much in fasting-days ; to use too many vain repetitions in their prayers ; to reverence holy places , and things , and persons in excess ; to give too much authority , and require too strict a submission , to the governors and laws of the Church ; excessively to practise and recommend religious vows ; to make too great a mystery of , to attribute too great a virtue , to give too great a reverence , to the Holy Sacraments , &c. 3. You are to peruse their writings and books , not of controversy , but of devotion and instructions for the practice of holy living . In which you shall find certainly what fruit their doctrines bear , and what strength and virtue they contain in them ; and a great difference between them in their operations upon the affections : a much fainter and more languishing heat from the one than from the other , ( as indeed what fervent motives to piety could one raise from such foundations as have bin above-mentioned ? ) Some teaching as it were from Experience , the other from Art ; some full of wit , the others of zeal ; the one more enlarging , the other straitning , the way to heaven ; some laying light , the other more heavy , burdens , but more full of hope and present consolations : more punctual and particular in their directions , as from those who have first tried the way wherein they direct others ; more high in their aim , carrying men to these heights , which the other imagin impossible to attain . It remains that you observe , which do inflame you to more sanctity and purity of life , and to them adhere ; for there is the power , there is the Spirit , of Christ. And commonly the purer the Church , the more with these writings doth she abound , as others do with controversy and questions , ( as error is ever unsettled ) ; laying foundations ; always learning , but never coming to the perfect knowledge of the truth ; whilst one controversie still gendreth another , after the busines is committed wholly to our reason . 2 Tim. 2. 23 , 16. — 3. 7 ▪ 1 Tim. 1. 4. 4. Lastly ; after their books and precepts , peruse their lives and practices , by reading the stories of the pretended holy men of all sides , and those the nearest to the present age , wherein the relations are more certain : of which stories those Churches that afford very few , t is to be suspected , that where little is said , there is likewise little done , that may be talked of . In which compared you shall find , a plain difference in their strictnes according to their doctrines , and a transcendency in their virtues according to their principles ; some much more mortified and weaned from the world , and accordingly more enlightened and honoured of God than the other ; in each of them their doctrines perfectly designed and copied out . And here , in perusing their lives , as their rules and doctrines , t is wisdom to adhere to those , by whom you most profit . And since we find , in the Church which the Reformation forsook , frequent relations concerning holy men therein , as having frequent extasies and revelations , doing many miracles , foretelling things future , exercising most rigid abstinences and penances , every day confessing and communicating , &c , and find not in the Churches reformed any one holy man at all , of whom the like things are told by them in the histories of their lives ; methinks it follows , either that all those writers of Saints lives in the Church reformed-from , have bin most intolerable liars , and this in all ages , as well those before , as those since , the reformation began , ( for in those ages we find the like stories ) ; or else that this Church is much more favoured of God , than that of the reformed is . But if those writers of lives have bin all such intolerable liars , t is a wonder ( in so frequent a fault ) that no Protestants at all should fall into the same , but all be so strict observers of truth , that none of them should at any time , for the advancing of the reputation of their religion , make the same fictions . But from their universal silence herein , may it not rather be guessed , that such things as are writ in these lives , involving the testimony and knowledg of so many nominated persons , living in the same time and place where such facts are alledged , cannot be so easily forged and counterfeited , as some would perswade . Not that I affirm , that there is any Church or Religion , wherein you may not find some persons that are virtuous in their conversation , and exemplary in their lives . For many excellent men also have there bin amongst the Philosophers , and in the heathenish religions , walking only in the light of nature ; much more therefore may some such be found in any Christian Sect whatever , who enjoy , besides that of Nature , the light of Scriptures . But yet in that Church , where the doctrines are purest , and tend most to holines , certainly will be found a much greater number of holy men and Saints , than in any other ; and these also of a greater purity and perfection , and consequently more honoured also with singular favors from heaven , not unlike to those of primitive times . To these three ways of Trials of Doctrines &c , me thinks , upon the weighing of our Saviour's promise [ That the Gospel and the doctrine of his Kingdom should be published to all Nations ] may be added a fourth , not unconsiderable . And this is , diligently to observe ( in the many divisions of faith , and diversity of opinions that are in Christianity ) what profession of faith ( doubtles sometimes attested by miracles , if histories deceive us not ) that was , or is , to which usually the heathen nations have bin , and are now , converted ; and of what perswasions and communion those men are , whom God hath made his instruments of their christianity . For we cannot rationally think , ( tho it may so happen to some few particulars ; as the Goths are said to have bin at first converted by Arrian Bishops , under an Arrian Emperor , yet so , that God's mercy soon promoted them into the faith of the Church Catholick ) , we cannot rationally think , I say , that , for the general , the good God , having promised to the nations bread , would give them a stone ; having promised them the revelation of his truth would plant amongst them instead thereof , a manifold idolatry , ( as worshipping of dead men ; and of bread , as God &c , as some would perswade us , ) and would not give them the waters of life to drink of , unless these poisoned with such errors , as from which the external communion of all true believers ought to separate . And if ( considering the promises of God Rom. 11. c. ) at the time of the conversion hereafter of the Jews to Christianity , no wise man would doubt to conform to their external communion ; why should we not also chuse rather ( as more safe ) to be of the external communion and faith , in which the Nations generally , both who have bin , and are , converted to the faith , have bin , and are initiated ? and that upon the same promise , Matt. 24. 14. Mar. 13. 10. as the Jews hereafter shall be . Now to these I will add only one thing more : That the most part of the Northern world have received ( at least ) the publick plantation and profession of the Christian faith in , or since , the times of Gregory the Great ; as the Ecclesiastical histories plainly shew ) . In whose time we know what were the publick doctrines in most of the modern controversies ; and by whom God hath visited the people that sat in darkness in China , in the East and West Indies , we cannot be ignorant . One Religion granted muchwhat the same as at the present , for the last 1000 years , in its Liturgies and Publick Service ; in its Altars , and quotidian Sacrifice ; in its high veneration of the celestial Favorites , and daily communication , by a commemoration of the Saints in glory , with the Church triumphant ; as likewise in its unbounded charity even to the Souls of its supposed-necessitous brethren of the next world ; in its variety of Religious Orders , Fraternities , and Votaries ; in its holy love to chastity , silence , solitudes , and poverty ; in its unarguing ( and miscalled blind ) obedience to the laws of its Superiors ; in its glorying , thro all the past ages , of miracles , and prophecy . One religion , I say appearing in all these for so many ages much-what the same , and very reverend for its antiquity ; yet still going on resistless , flourishing , and spreading its armes abroad further and further toward the East and toward the West with continued and unwearied missions . And another religion every day varying from its self , and subdividing into smaller Sects , after the 70th or 80th year of its age beginning to decline , and wither , and loose ground in many places where it was formerly well rooted ; and , whilst it promiseth its self still to destroy Antichrist , growing each day feebler , and He , that it names so , stronger . To summe up all ; the surest trial of the doctrines of any Church after that by Scripture , ( which is pretended for all sides ) is First , by their conformity with Antiquity , i. e. by the doctrines of the former Church . 2. By the holines which these doctrines produce in the members of such a Church . For the first , we are to search the Fathers , or some of them ; or if it be but one of those who are more voluminous , concerning such points as are now controverted : not as such Fathers are quoted by others , but in their own writings . For the 2d ; to read the books of Devotion , and the Lives of Holy men of either party . Which two who carefully examines , ( notwithstanding the commonly used objections of disagreement , ambiguity , or impertinency in the first , the Fathers ; of forgery in the second , the Lives of Saints , ) he shall be abundantly satisfied concerning truth and error . And the grand causes of the continued distractions of opinions , I conceive , are , either the not perusing of the Fathers writings themselves , but quotations of them in others , where many times a sentence , taken by it self , may be ( without any forcing ) capable of a sence contradictory to the context : or the not casting of the search upon the Fathers , but Scriptures only : or the searching of the Scriptures also not only in an affirmative , but negative , way ; taking all that for false , or unlawful , or unuseful , not only what is against them , but what is not in them . Again , in the searching of the Fathers , Councils , &c , the reasons why we assent not to them , when found contrary to our former opinions , are 1. The being bred-up in doctrines repugnant unto their decrees , and in places persecuting such tenets ; which makes us averse from truth , that will destroy us : averse , not by denying it when we know it ; but by preventing to our power the apprehension of arguments perswasive to it ; and by a willing entertaining reasons ( which are never wanting ) against it . Now , that this conformity to opinions happens by education and interest , rather than argument , is plain , in that all other things remaining the like , ( i. e. as much judgment , and diligence , and books , &c , ) and our education or interest being only changed , contrary opinions are , as readily the one as the other , entertained . See before , § . 14. 2. A general inclination in our nature to opinions that give more liberty , and that more throw off yokes . 3. A conceit ( false ) , that Antichrist is to be a Christian in profession , and a ruler in the Church . Which , with the texts of S. John 1 Ep. 2. 18. — 4. 3. at one blow cuts off the head of all Church-authority , Tradition , Fathers , Councils , how ancient soever , farther than we find them to agree with Scripture ; and that is , with our fancies upon Scripture , or sometimes upon one , uncompared , text thereof . According to what hath bin considered in this Treatise , methinks some of those passages urged long since by Sr. Edwin Sandys ( in his Relation of the Western relig . p. 30. &c. ) as the ordinary plea of the Ch. of Rome , and her adherent Churches , have something in them not easily to be answered , if we joyn with them the notion of Catholick Ch. as explained by Mr. Thorndyke ( in his printed letter to his brother ) and the experiences of our times , since Sr. Ed. Sandys's decease . — Mr. Thorndyke's words are these . Christians , when they profess to believe [ i. e. in the Creed ] the Catholick Ch. do not believe , that there is in the world a number of men , that profess to be Christians &c , but that there is a Corporation of true Christians founded by our Lord and his Apostles , which hereticks and schismaticks cannot have communion with ; and this is that which the stile , Catholick and Apostolick Church , signifies ; as distinguishing the body of true Christians ( to wit , so far as profession goeth ) from the conventicles of hereticks and schismaticks . For this title of Catholick would signifie nothing , if hereticks and schismaticks were not barred the communion of the Ch. Thus far he . Where his interpreting the believing of the Catholick Ch. to be the believing of a distinction of the profession of Catholicks from the conventicles of Hereticks , must needs infer ; that the Church Catholick ( which soever it is ) is a Church ( or Churches ) distinguished not only in its internal communion with Christ its head , but in its external profession and communion of its members amongst themselves , from the external communion and profession of hereticks . — Sr. Edw. Sandys's discourse ( by way of objection ) is this . — If all other Churches [ besides the Roman , and those united with her ] have had either their end and decay long since , or their beginning but of late : if this being founded by the Prince of the Apostles , with promise to him by Christ , that hell-gates should not prevail against it , but that himself will be assisting to it till the consummation of the world , hath continued on now till the end of 1600 years , with an honourable and certain line of near 240 Popes , Successors of Peter ; both tyrants and traitors , pagans and hereticks in vain wresting , raging , and undermining : If all the lawful General Councils that ever were in the world , have from time to time approved and honoured it ; if God hath so miraculously blessed it from above , as that so many sage Doctors should enrich it with their writings ; such armies , of Saints with their holines ; of Martyrs , with their blood ; of Virgins , with their purity , should sanctify and embellish it : If even at this day , in such difficulties of unjust rebellions and unnatural revolts of her nearest children , yet she stretcheth out her armes to the utmost corners of the world , newly embracing whole nations into her bosom : If lastly in all other opposit Churches there be found inward dissensions and contrariety , change of opinions , uncertainty of resolutions , with robbing of Churches , rebelling against governors , [ much more experienced since this Author's death in the late Presbyterian wars , ] confusion of Orders , [ invading of Episcopacy , &c. ] whereas contrariwise in this Ch. the unity undivided , the resolutions unalterable , the most heavenly order reaching from the height of all power to the very lowest of all subjection ; all , with admirable harmony , beauty , and undefective correspondence , bending the same way to the effecting of the same work , do promise no other than continuance , increase , and victory ; let no man doubt to submit himself to this glorious Spouse of God &c. — This then being accorded to be the true Church of God , it followeth , that she be reverently obeyed in all things without further disquisition ; she having the warrant , that he that heareth her heareth Christ ; and whosoever heareth her not , hath no better place with God than a publican or pagan . And what folly were it to receive the Scriptures upon credit of her authority , [ the authority of that Church that was before Luther's times ] , and not to receive the interpretation of them upon her authority also and credit ? And if God should not alway protect his Church from error , [ i. e. dangerous to , or destructive of , salvation ] , and yet peremptorily command men always to obey her ; then had he made but very slender provision for the salvation of mankind : which conceit concerning God ( whose care of us even in all things touching this transitory life is so plain and eminent ) were ungrateful and impious . And hard were the case , and mean had his regard bin , of the vulgar people , whose wants and difficulties in this life will not permit , whose capacity will not suffice , to sound the deep and hidden mysteries of Divinity , and to search out the truths of intricate controversies , if there were not others , whose authority they might [ safely ] rely on . Blessed therefore are they , who believe and have not seen ; the merit of whose religious humility and obedience doth exceed perhaps , in honour and acceptance before God , the subtil and profound knowledge of many others . — This is the main course of their perswading at this day &c. FINIS . Concerning SALVATION possible to be had in a SCHISMATICAL COMMUNION . AND Concerning the danger of living in , and the necessity of departing from , a KNOWN-SCHISMATICAL COMMUNION . CONTENTS . Tho it be conceded , 1. FIrst , That the Catholick Church contains in it not many opposit , but only one , external Communion . § . 2. 2ly . That there is no salvation out of the communion , ( i. e. internal ) of the Church Catholick . 3. Yet Salvation must be allowed to some , that are out of the external communion of the Ch. Catholick . 4ly . That of those who live out of the Catholick , and in a schismatical external Communion , there are several sorts . 1. Those , who make such separation ; who are not salvable without repentance . 2. Those , who follow such leaders , and continue the division , upon the same motives and passions : not salvable without repentance . 3. Those , who follow such leaders in simplicity of heart , and out of ( their condition considered ) invincible ignorance . Such seem to be in a salvable condition ; tho incurring great disadvantages for their salvation . § . 7. 4. Those who , convinced of Schism in such a Church , yet rejoyn not themselves to the external communion of the Ch. Catholick , tho consenting in all things with her , Hindered , 1. Either by some respects meerly temporal . Such faulty ; but how highly , is hard to determin . 2. Or by some considerations and designs meerly spiritual . Such less faulty than the other : yet seem not wholly justifiable . 1. † Whether they continue still in a communion schismatical . § . 9. n. 1. Which communion seems forbidden both 1. By the Scriptures . 2. And by the Injunctions of the Church Catholick . § . 10. — To which all owe obedience . § . 11. 2. Or † whether they communicate with no Church at all : who seem of the two the less unjustifiable . § . 13. yet not wholly excusable . § . 14. 5. Those , who 1. much doubting the Church , they live in , to be schismatical , yet are not fully convinced thereof . Or 2. convinced , defer their intended reconcilement till an expected opportunity . § . 17. That ( several circumstances considered ) both these may , or may not , be culpable . A Query : What is to be done , if the Ch. Catholick require some conformity to doctrines or practices against his conscience or particular judgment , who seeks her Communion . § . 19. Several propositions tending to the solution of this Query . § . 20. Bishop of Chalcedon ( in Protest . plain Confess . 2. c. ) — If Protestants allow not saving Faith , Church , and Salvation , to such as sinfully err in Not-fundamentals sufficiently proposed , they shew no more charity to erring Christians than Catholicks do . For we allow all to have saving faith , to be in the Church , in the way of salvation , ( for so much as belongs to faith ) who hold the fundamental points , and invincibly err in not-fundamentals : because neither are these sufficiently proposed to them ; nor they in fault , that they are not so proposed . — 13. c. — If they grant not Salvation to such Papists as they count vincibly ignorant of Roman errors ; but only to such as are invincibly ignorant of them ; then they have no more charity than we : For we grant Church , saving Faith , and Salvation , to such Protestants , as are invincibly ignorant of their errors . Id. ( in Survey of L. Derry , 8. c. 3. §. ) in answer to Bishop Bramhal's objecting the Pope's excommunicating of such Churches . — Neither doth the Roman Church excommunicate all the Christians of Affrick , Asia , Greece , and Russia ; but only such as vincibly , or sinfully , err ; such as are formal or obstinate hereticks , or schismaticks . For Excommunication is only against obstinacy : [ Si Ecclesiam non audierit , sit tibi sicut Ethnicus & Publicanus . ] In these Churches there are innumerable , who are but credentes haereticis & schismaticis , because the Catholick faith was never sufficiently preached to them ; and these the Pope doth not excommunicate . Nor doth he exclude formal Hereticks or Schismaticks , but Juridically declareth them to be excluded . ( For by their Heresies or Schisms they had already excluded themselves : ) or juridically confirmeth their exclusion begun by themselves . S. Aug. Confess . 8. l. 2. c. — Legebat ( Victorinus Doctor tot Nobilium Senatorum &c , ) sanctam Scripturam , omnesque Christianas scripturas investigabat studiosissime , & perscrutabatur ; & dicebat Simpliciano non palam , sed secretius , & familiarius : Noveris me jam esse Christianum . Et respondebat ille : Non credam ; nec deputabo inter Christianos , nisi in Ecclesia Christi te videro . Ille autem irridebat eum , dicens ; Ergo parietes faciunt Christianos ? Et hoc saepe dicebat ; Jam se esse Christianum . Et Simplicianus illud saepe respondebat ; & saepe ab illo parictum irrisio repetebatur . Amicos enim suos verebatur offendere , superbos daemonicolas , quorum — graviter ruituras in se inimicitias arbitrabatur . Sed posteaquam legendo & inhiando hausit firmitatem , timuitque negari a Christo coram Angelis sanctis , si eum timeret coram hominibus confiteri , reusque sibi magni criminis apparuit , erubescendo de Sacramentis humilitatis Verbi Tui , & non erubescendo de sacris sacrilegis superborum daemoniorum , — depuduit vanitati , & erubuit veritati : subitoque & inopinatus ait Simpliciano , Eamus in Ecclesiam ; Christianus volo fieri &c. — mirante Roma , gaudente Ecclesia . Superbi videbant , & irascebantur : dentibus suis stridebant , & tabescebant . Servo autem tuo Domine , Deus erat spes ejus ; & non respiciebat in vanitates & insanias mendaces . S. Aug. de ordine 2. l. 9. c. — Cum docilis factus fuerit , tum demum discit ; & quanta ratione praedita sint ea ipsa , quae secutus est ante rationem , & quid sit ipsa ratio , quae , post authoritatis cunabula , firmus & idoneus jam sequitur . Grot. Votum pro pace . Preface . — Facile vidi id voluisse Christum , ut omnes , qui ab ipso nominari , & per ipsum beatitudinis compotes fieri vellent , unum essent inter se , sicut ipse cum Patre unum est . ( Jo. 17. 11. 21 , 22 , 23. ) Neque vero unum animo tantum , sed & ea communione , quae conspici potest , & maxime conspicitur in regiminis vinculo , & in sacramentorum participatione . Est enim Ecclesia , aut esse debet , corpus quoddam . ( Rom. 12. 5 , 12 , &c. 27. Eph. 1. 23. — 2. 16. — 4. 4. — 5. 30. Coloss. 1. 18. — 2. 17 , 19. ) Quod corpus Christus ( caput ei a Deo datus ) per varias junctur as praefecturarum compaginari voluit , ( Eph. 4. 11 , 12 , 16. ) & in hoc singulos baptizari , ut unum corpus fierent , ( 1 Cor. 12 , 13. ) & de uno consecrato pane vesci , ut sic magis magisque coalescerent , & unum se corpus esse testarentur . ( 1 Cor. 10. 17. ) Note , that in this Discours by [ Schismatical ] I mean in that sort of Schism which is a separating from lawful Ecclesiastical Superiors . And that Churches ( not only private persons ) may be ( thus ) schismatical , see Dr. Hammond , Of Schism 3. c. § . 10 , & 21. — and what is said in Ecclesiastical Government 2. and 3 , parts . Of the danger of SCHISM . SIR , COncerning the hainousnes and danger of Schism , I have read over those quotations you directed me to in Mr. Cressy's Motives , c. 46. but cannot consent to what he there ( sect . 5. compared with the former quotations ) deduceth from them : [ i. e. that no man , if living in a Communion or Church schismatical , tho he hath no influence upon the beginnings of the separation ; tho he judge charitably of the Church which others have separated from ; and approacheth as near to it in his belief , as that which is truth , in his opinion , will permit him , can be saved . ] Unless 1. first this be true also , ( which he indeed seems to affirm , 47. c. 2. § . that the true Church cannot be hidden from the eyes of any man , who doth not willingly shut them ) , That any ones opinion , that such a thing as he or his church holds is truth ( I add ; or , that that Church , wherein they are baptized and educated , is the true Church ) , of what condition , age , calling , capacity , soever he be , must needs proceed in him from some corrupt passion , ( as S. Austin instanceth in two such passions which chiefly make ones error an heresy ; qui , alicujus temporalis commodi ; or , qui , gloriae principatusque sui gratia , falsas & novas opiniones vel gignit , vel sequitur ) , and from ignorance , not invincible , but obstinate and affected . Now I hardly think any one will affirm this of every man whatsoever , that is born and educated in a Communion schismatical . [ Tho indeed I believe that this may be truly said of very many ( especially the learned ) , who notwithstanding think themselves very free from it . For , the necessity ( which is ordinarily pleaded ) of following or not-doing contrary to our conscience freeth not us from being guilty of Schism in doing after it , ( no more than it could free a Donatist &c ) if there be any defect , from negligence , interest , passion , &c , in the information of it . See Notes of Necessary Faith , § . 6. And see Archbishop Lawd , Conf. 37. sect . 6. n. where he saith ; That an error ( and that in points Not-fundamental ) may be damnable to some men , tho they hold it not against their conscience : — If they neither seek the means to know the truth ; nor accept truth , when it is known : especially being men able to judge . Now , I conceive , in most learned that abide in a Schismatical communion , such a fault there is . Namely , either † much negligence : and this , either in not reading the controversies of religion at all ; or in their reading the tenets of their adversaries only in their own writers ; or in their taking , and arguing against , the extremities of some private mens opinions for the Catholick doctrines of that Church , from which their Ancestors have departed . Or ( if they deficient in none of these ) 2ly , † much interest , and passion , and addiction to worldly conveniences or honors , ( therefore S. Paul and S. Jude observe much carnality in Schism , 1 Cor. 3. 3 , 4. Jude 19 ) : which passion ( unknown to them ) restrains the free liberty of their judgments . Hence , the ignorant people in a Schismatical Church may well be saved , whilst the learned thereof ( in their uncharitablenes to , and opposition of , the true Church ) perish . ] Or 2ly , unless this be true , that where invincible ignorance is , and no actual breach of charity at all , yet the pure want and privation of external unity or communion with the Church , without any their default , damns such men ; tho mean-while they do receive all the benefit of the Sacraments , well know and believe all the necessary Articles belonging to faith and manners , and conform in their lives thereunto , even in strict obedience to their Ecclesiastical Superiors of that Church which they live in , and which they only know . Now this I think as unreasonable an assertion as the former . See § . 6 , 7 , 8. — Now , to consider the quotations in Mr. Cressy , and what may be said in this point , you must give me leave not to shuffle all together ; but to distribute the matter into many Propositions , that we may see which of them are disputable , which not . 1. Let it be granted for the present , that the Church cannot have in it many opposit external communions , but only one : so that he , that enjoys not that one external communion , is rightly said to be out of the communion of the Church , i. e. out of the external communion thereof . Only here note ; that one may elsewhere , out of this external communion of this only true Catholick Church , be partaker of the Sacraments , and those the true Sacraments : for none deny that the administration of true Sacraments may be in a Church Schismatical , or also Heretical . So S. Austin ( de vera Relig. 5. c. ) acknowledgeth the Arrians and Photinians , Hereticks , to have had all the same Sacraments with the true Ch. Qui [ i. e. Photiniani , Arriani , &c , ] paria Sacramenta celebrantes , tamen , quia sententia dispares , sunt — exclusi a Catholica communione &c. And of the Donatists schismaticks he saith , ( Ep. 48. near the end ) ; Nobiscum estis in baptismo ; in symbolo ; in caeteris Dominicis Sacramentis &c. And the Roman Church , which esteemeth the Greek schismatical , denieth not them to have the true Sacraments . And if some of them deny it of the Protestants , t is only from the Protestants not using some forms which they count essential to the Sacraments , ( especially the form in the ordaining Priests ) ; not from their being a schismatical Church . See 6 , 7 , 8 , § . Therefore of that place of Fulgentius , de remiss . peccat . 22. c. quoted in Mr. Cress. Motiv . 46. c. 4. sect . [ Out of this Church neither doth the title of Christian secure any man ; neither doth Baptism confer salvation ; neither doth any man offer a sacrifice agreeable to God ; neither doth any man receive remission of sins ; nor attain life eternal , &c , ] the meaning of it is only ; That the Sacraments , tho true , do not profit to salvation a Schismatick ; as they neither do , a drunkard or adulterer &c : because as the drunkard , notwithstanding these , is damned for his drunkennes ; so is the Schismatick for his faction , and uncharitablenes , and pride , in not submitting his judgment to the Church . And many the like sayings concerning the inutility of the Sacraments to Schismaticks , before Fulgentius , hath St. Austin , in his writings against the Donatists , who urged , from the true use of the Sacraments , and the belief of the Creed , &c , the security of their salvation . See de Baptismo 1. l. 3. c. Esse baptismum & apud Donatistas nos concedimus , sed apud Donatistas Baptismum non recte accipi &c , — Qui ab aliqua haeresi veniunt ad Communionem Catholicam , incipit illis prodesse , quod inutiliter habebant . — Certus est in ea sola [ i. e. Catholica Ecclesia ] illi prodesse baptismum Christi , etiamsi alibi acceptum fuerit &c. But then the reason given by him of these Sacraments not profiting &c is , the want of charity in those , who , in such Church , use or receive them : as we may plainly see by his fuller arguing the busines in other places . ( Epist. 48. near the end . ) Nobiscum estis in baptismo , in symbolo , in caeteris Dominicis Sacramentis ; in spiritu unitatis , & vinculo pacis , in ipsa denique catholica Ecclesia , nobiscum non estis : Haec si accipiatis [ i. e. vinculum pacis &c ] non tunc aderunt , sed tunc proderunt , quae habetis . Here the want of spiritus unitatis & vinculum pacis renders the true Sacraments received , as to their salvation , uneffectual . And ( de unitate Ecclesiae 19. c. ) Accipiat vinculum pacis quod non habebat , sine quo illi prodesse non poterat baptisma quod habebat . Utrumque enim necessarium est ad regnum Dei adipiscendum , & baptismus , & justitia . Baptismus autem & in eo qui justitiam non habet , potest esse ; sed non potest prodesse . Justitia autem haereticis deest , quam sine charitate ac vinculo pacis habere nullus potest : and for this also he quotes 1 Cor. 13. 1. But then take one in a schismatical Church that is void of that fault , which the Father alledgeth here to render the Sacraments uneffectual to them , and to expell them from salvation , ( as you must grant to me some are , when I name a child to you that is not yet come to the full use of his reason ) , and such a one , baptized , and then dying , is certainly saved . And then I ask ; Why not some other ? who , tho living longer , yet thro an invincible ignorance may be as free from division , and faction , and breach of charity , in this kind , as when he was an infant ; or as any others are , who are educated in the bosom of the true Church . For which purpose see S. Austin de Baptism . contra Donatistas 1. l. 10. c. — Ecclesia Catholica quicquid suum habet , etiam in communionibus diversorum ab unitate separatis , per hoc quod suum in iis habet [ i. e. per baptismum , of which he is there speaking ] ipsa utique generat [ i. e. filios Christo , non illae ] . Per hoc quod suum in iis habet , therefore the Church hath aliquid suum in other heretical and schismatical Churches . Generat filios , therefore some also in Schismatical Churches thus may be said to have the Church for their Mother . Else if Baptism , when administred by such , were utterly effectless in it self ; how could it profit them to salvation , without any second administration thereof , who afterward return into the bosom of the true Church ? 2. Be it granted : That there is no salvation to any that are out of the communion ( i. e. ) internal of the Church . ( For certainly none are saved that are not the members of Christ , the Head ; and then , t is impossible , that any should be one of the members of Christ , and not have those of the church for his fellow-members , unless Christ have two distinct bodies . ) — Of this S. Austin against the Donatists , De unitate Ecclesiae 2. c. speaks very fully . Quaestio certe inter nos versatur , ubi sit Ecclesia ; utrum apud nos , an apud illos ? Quae utique una est ; quam majores nostri Catholicam nominarunt . Haec autem Ecclesia corpus Christi est . Unde utique manifestum est , eum , qui non est in membris Christi , Christianam salutem habere non posse . Membra vero Christi per unitatis charitatem sibi copulantur , & per eandem capiti suo cohaerent , quod est Jesus Christus . [ He continues afterward , cap. 4. ] Quicunque de ipso Capite Scripturis sanctis consentiunt , [ i. e. are never so orthodox in their belief , ] & unitati Ecclesiae non communicant , non sunt in Ecclesia ; quia de Christi corpore ( quod est Ecclesia ) dissentiunt ab ipsius Christi testificatione , [ i. e. that she is toto orbe diffusa , and shall never perish , &c , ] & apertissimis ac notissimis Scripturarum testimoniis contradicunt . — Again : Quicunque credunt quod Christus Jesus in carne vener it &c , sed tamen ab ejus corpore , quod est Ecclesia , ita dissentiunt , ut eorum communio non sit cum toto quacunque diffunditur , sed in aliqua parte separata inveniatur ; manifestum est eos non esse in Ecclesia Catholica . In aliqua parte separata , for the reason given by him above ; because they want charity : Membra vero Christi per unitatis charitatem sibi copulantur , & capiti suo ; and because notissimis Scripturis contradicunt . 3. But , all this being granted , yet 3ly , if any happen to be extra Ecclesiam , out of the Church's external communion , or also in parte separata ; so he be not guilty of that fault which makes such separation damnable , but still retains the necessary bond of charity ; such a one , ( once joyned unto it by baptism ) , tho amongst other Separatists , seems to remain himself still unseparated ( tho not from the external , yet ) from the internal communion of the Church . And if any be so strict , as , besides this internal ( effected by the same Spirit of Christ in all the faithful , and always seen to God ) always to exact an external also , such assertion will in many instances prove false , even in S. Austin's concessions ; who freely acknowledgeth both many , that are in the external communion of the Church , no true members thereof ; and many to be true members of the Church , who are out of the external communion thereof . See de unitate Ecclesiae 20. c. — Multi tales sunt in Sacramentorum communione cum Ecclesia , & tamen jam non sunt in Ecclesia : Alioquin & tunc quisque praeciditur , cum excommunicatur . Consequens erit , ut tunc rursus inseratur , cum visibiliter communioni restituitur . Quid si ergo sictus accedat , atque adversus veritatem & Ecclesiam ●or inimicissimum gerat ? Quamvis peragatur in eo illa solemnitas , nunquid reconciliatur ? nunquid inseritur ? absit . Sicut ergo , jam denuo communicans nondum insertus est ; sic & antequam visibiliter excommunicatur , quisquis contra veritatem , qua convincitur & arguitur , inimicum gest at animum , jam praecisus est . Again ; de Baptisme 1. l. 17. c. Semper ab illius Ecclesiae , quae sine macula & ruga est , unitate divisus est , etiam qui , in carnali obduratione , congregationi Sanctorum miscetur . — Spirituales autem sive ad hoc ipsum pro studio proficientes , non eunt for as [ i. e. when they are excommunicated ] : quia & quum aliqua vel perversitate , vel necessitate hominum , videntur expelli ; ibi magis probantur quam si intus permaneant ; cum adversus Ecclesiam nullatenus eriguntur , sed in solida unitatis petra fortissimo charitatis robore radicantur . Add to this the place quoted below , § . 13. and that Discours of his de unit . Eccl. 20. c. of the several degrees of their culpablenes who may live in a Schismatical communion , set down § . 7 : Where the Father affirms , God hath some good corn amongst those tares : ubi radice viva herbae vigor atteritur , &c. Several instances therefore there may be given , wherein such assertion will prove false . For example : It is granted to be false , in those who are unjustly excommunicated , ( as some , t is by all conceded , may be ) ; and in Penitents , after a just Excommunication , who are not yet actually reconciled . Of whom Bellarm. de Eccl. 3. l. 6. c. saith ; Tales esse in Ecclesia animo sive desiderio , quod sufficit illis ad salutem : bringing in St. Austin's saying , de vera relig . 6. c. of such like ; Hos coronat in occulto Pater in occulto videns . ( See below § . ) — Again : false , at least , in those dying after baptism , before the use of reason , in a schismatical Church . — Again , false in Catechumeni , that dye before they receive baptism , or are entred into the Church . Of whom Bellarmin ( de Eccl. 3. l. 3. c. ) saith : Quod dicitur , extra Ecclesiam neminem salvari , intelligi debere de iis , qui neque reipsa , neque desiderio , sunt de Ecclesia , ( sicut etiam de baptismo communiter loquuntur Theologi ) ; quoniam autem Catechumeni , si non re , saltem voto , sunt in Ecclesia ; ideo salvari possunt . Neque repugnat similitudo Arcae Noe , extra quam nemo salvabatur , etiamsi voto in ea fuisset : nam similitudines non in omnibus conveniunt . I add , that some of the Catechumeni were such , as , for secular reasons &c , deferred baptism long after they might have bin admitted to , and received , it : and amongst such , I suppose was Valentinian ; who dying before baptism received , after baptism willingly deferred , yet S. Ambrose doubted not of his salvation . What then ? was there no fault in baptism so deferred ? Whether in all , I know not ; in many , I believe there was . But we must put some difference , between the committing of a fault ( in the want thereof ) , and the incurring of certain damnation . And doubtles , this fault , as others , was remitted to them upon a general or a particular repentance , the votum mean-while of what they wanted and purposed , that in convenient time they would receive , and presumed they should , saving their souls . I say therefore , in such cases , the position above , being meant of external communion , is false : and then why may it not also be so in some other cases ? As namely in one , whose ill hap it is to be born in a Schismatical communion , yet where he partakes the true Sacraments ; when it is supposed , that such a one may be guiltles of that crime , for which the Schismatical are damned . 4. In the next place ; of those who all live in the same Schismatical communion there are several sorts : who must be carefully distinguished . 1. The first are those , who make a separation , and set up a new communion divers from the church Catholick ; be it upon any pretence of error , or other thing whatsoever , ( for there can never be , to the end of the world , a just cause of so doing ) . [ See Aug. Ep. 48. Si possit ( quod fieri non possit ) aliquis habere causam justam , qua communionem suam separet a communione orbis terrarum , &c. ( See this place quoted and approved by Dr. Hammond , ( of Schism , 1. c. ) only let me add to his words there , visible Church ; els no division from the church Catholick can ever be known . — And again : Ibi enim erit [ i. e. Ecclesia ] ubi primum forsitan factum est [ i. e. separation ] quod postea vos fecistis , si potuit esse ulla justa causa , qua vos a communione omnium gentium separare possetis . Nos autem ideo certi sumus neminem se a communione omnium gentium juste separare potuisse ; quia non quisque nostrum in justitia sua [ as the Donatists did , saying no wicked could be of the Church , ] sed in Scripturis divinis quaerit Ecclesiam , & , ut promissa est , reddi conspicit , [ i. e. toto orbe diffusam , civitatem super montem positam , crescentem in messem &c. ] See contra Ep. Parmen . 2. l. Praecidendae unitatis nulla est justa necessitas . ] Such men therefore as make this separation dying in this guilt unrepented of , tho this their death should be a martyrdom for the truth , cannot be saved ( no more than a drunkard or adulterer impenitent , and continuing in such a sin till his death , that dies for Christianity ) , for without charity ( saith the Apostle ) none can be saved . 1 Cor. 13. 1. And this falling out ( so causless ) with their mother the Church , disobeying her , and violating her peace and unity , accusing her of error , ( for no Schism but pretends some error in the Church , that it may have a just cause of departing from her ) , and of error also so intolerable , that none at all ought longer to live in her society . [ As , if any should say of her , ( what the more moderate Protestants say of the Roman Ch. ) That by reason of her superstitions , or her ( material ) idolatry , or her Antichristian principles , none may safely communicate with her : That , in the division made , not they , but she is the schismatical Church : That she retaining the expression unchanged , yet hath , in the exposition both of Creeds and Councils , quite changed and lost the sence and meaning of some of the Articles of them : That there is great peril of damnable both Schism , and Heresy , and so of damnation , by living and dying in her faith and perswasion , tainted with many superstitions : That her errors are reductively fundamental , if any pertinaciously adhere to them . ( See Archbishop Lawd's Conference , 35. § . punct . 5 , 6. — and 37. § . 1. numb . 5. numb . ) ] : Such things , I say , are a very high breach of charity , and that to a person of nearest relation to us , our Spiritual Mother ; tho perchance many Schismaticks are so far charitable to her , as not to say , that her errors exclude her from all salvation ; or that she is no Church at all : but this spark of charity left in some toward her little excuseth their many other wrongs . Non video ( saith Cassander , Consult . 7. Art. ) quomodo illa interna societas consistere possit , si publicam Ecclesiae consuetudinem in observatione tam universalium quam particularium rituum violes , & condemnes , & institutis majorum pertinaciter repugnes ; quod certe est contra officium charitatis , qua maxime internam hanc unitatem consistere certissimum est . Thus he . Neither doth it excuse them , if any do all this against the Church out of ignorance and not-contrary to their knowledge , as being perswaded , the Church may apostatize from Christ because , as S. Austin saith , ( see before 3. § . ) notissimis ac apertissimis Scripturarum testimoniis contradicunt &c , and such ignorance must needs be highly faulty , and proceed from a judgment blinded with pride , ambition , or some other self-interest . And this desperate condition of the authors , or fautors , of Schism , I think , all sides acknowledge . See what Dr. Hammond saith , ( of Schism 1. c. ) There is no one vice , which hath fallen under so much of the displeasure , and correption , and severest discipline of the holy Fathers of the ancient Church , as this of Schism , and the ingredients and preparatives to it , have done . Where also see the aggravations thereof in many pages . 2. The second sort are those in all after-ages who follow such leaders , and continue the same division ( after they know how at first it was made ) upon the same motives as the other began it , and blinded with the same passions , and culpable ignorance . And these , being in the same guilt , are in the same condition , for salvation , as the former . Only the first of the two , caeteris paribus , the far greater sinners , because the first seducers ; if the followers no way outvy them in further prosecuting the principles received from them , and accumulating their uncharitablenes and contumelies against the Church , and resisting greater light given them , and plainer discoveries made unto them . But note , that by reason of these , as many times the Scholars transcend their Masters , the followers may easily become twice as much the children of hell as their first leaders were . See Matt. 23. 15. And of these two only I suppose are meant all those quotations of the Fathers : the reasons there mentioned being ambition , interest , &c , and ( upon these ) breach of charity , and of the unity of the Church . 3. The third sort are those , who follow such leaders ( being not schismatici so much , as , schismaticis credentes ) in simplicity of heart ; and out of , not a faulty , but ( considering their condition , or age , &c ) an invincible ignorance ; perhaps such a one not knowing of any other Christian church save his own , ( as some travellers have noted , that the Maronites or Armenians in Persia , ignorant of any division of theirs from the Roman Church , heartily joyned in Divine Service with the Romish Covents there ) ; or , if knowing of another Ch. not knowing whether it departed from his Church , or his from it ; or what its different doctrines , or customs , and practices are , &c. And here , to perswade you that such ignorance may be ; consider now an ordinary-Laic-Christian-Greek , what breach of charity or Ecclesiastical unity such a one following his Ancestors and Ecclesiastical governors , who have continued even ever since the Apostles times a visible succession , can be made guilty of , whilst this his Church is mean-while condemned for Schismatical : and if we find him hereof no way guilty , what warrant have we to deny to him , baptized , and holding all fundamentals , salvation ? T is true indeed , in some heresy , i. e. such as denies some fundamental point , ( without the belief of which none are saved ) , that the haereticis credentes are in somewhat the same case with the haeretici ; and these blind , tho led by others , likewise ( for want of faith necessary to salvation , and for crimes committed against the light of nature , not extinguished in them , ) fall into the ditch . But in Schism it is not so ; because it is not necessary , that the follower in the same practices should be guilty of the same breach of charity , or contumacy , as the leader ; nor of such irregular passions , ( which are the causes alledged , why Schismaticks cannot be saved . ) And , for other things , Schismaticks have , or may have , all the Sacraments rightly administred , ( see 2. § . even the Eucharist , as well as Baptism ; as is the common tenet of the Schools : Sacerdotes etiam haeretici , & schismatici , & excommunicati revera conficiunt seu consecrant hoc Sacramentum ; dummodo neque ex parte verborum , quibus ad consecrandum utuntur , [ i. e. if they use the words of Institution , ] neque ex parte intentionis , ullum sit impedimentum . Estius 4. sect . 13. d. 3. sect . ) may have all necessary points of faith rightly taught and believed , as all confess : and therefore how can such a man , yeilding obedience accordingly , following only the good directions of his Schismatical Superiors , but not knowing them to be such , miss or come short of salvation ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Nazianz. or at . 21. In the Scriptures quoted by Mr. C. ( which are Matt. 18. 7. Rom. 16. 17. Phil. 2. 1. Jo. 14. 27. — 13. 35. ) those only are by texts of the Apostle condemned , who make , or by whom come , Schisms and Scandals ; to which I may add Tit. 3. 11. where S. Paul pleads autocatacrisy ; and ( in the rest ) love and unity is recommended : but such a man , as we here speak of , is free from the first ; and possessed of the second . And if , as the position , so the reasons , which the Fathers give for it , had bin set down by Mr. C. you would have seen ( I am confident ) such a man cleared from any such censure . How doth that saying of S. Austin touch such a one ? Schismatici sunt , qui discissionibus iniquis a fraterna charitate discedunt : quapropter Schismaticus non pertinet ad Ecclesiam , quia Ecclesia diligit proximum . See before 2. § . &c. But if any say ; That , in Schism , not any actual breach of charity , but the bare want of unity , excludes him from heaven , ( as pure want of some knowledge is supposed to do , in Infidelity , or in some kinds of fundamental Heresy ) : what unity , I would know , doth he mean ? Internal ? But that , I hope , is conferred in Baptism rightly celebrated to all that do not ponere obicem ; as t is supposed some here in Schismatical communions do not . External therefore ? But why not Votum , for this , serve the turn for these , as it doth for some others ? ( 4. § . ) Which votum in general of being every way united to his fellow-members in the Church ( which is the body of Christ ) every good man hath ; tho every one discerneth not in particular this true Church from all other Sectarists ; of which , without his own fault , some may be ignorant . And the Father 's so great aggravation of the crime of Schism , That such men divide and rend the body of Christ &c , shews , that they speak not of all ( haply ) livers in , but the makers of , Schisms ; or the continuers thereof upon the same grounds and motives , and with the like passions , as did the Authors . Therefore see S. Austin making much difference amongst the followers of the Donatist-Schism in Affrick , and not denying that some of God's wheat might remain amongst those tares . De unit . Eccl. 20. c. Itaque illis relictis [ i. e. when discovering them enemies to the Church ] mox ad Catholicam pacem multi & Episcopi , & Clerici , & populi redierunt : quod & antequam facerent , in tritico deputabantur . Tunc enim non faciebant , cum adversus homines [ i. e. Caecilianus , who was falsly accused ] non adversus Ecclesiam Dei illa eorum contradictio tenebatur . — Nonnulli etiam bonae voluntatis per carnalem caliginem etiam post confirmatum malignorum [ i. e. the Donatists ] furorem in illa dissensione diutius erraverunt , ( tanquam si adhuc mollia conculcarentur frumenta , & radice viva herbae vigor attereretur ) etiam ipsa tamen frumenta sua noverat Deus ; quamvis , ut reviviscerent , arguenda & increpanda . ( Non enim eo modo dictum est Petro ; Redi post me Satana , quomodo dictum est de Juda , Unus ex vobis Diabolus est . ) — Quidam quoque & apertissimae veritati malo studio contradixerunt : Illi vero eradicati , vel praecisi erant . Tunc enim quisque , — cum pro ipsis operibus etiam veritati apertissime ( qua redarguitur ) resistere coeperit , praeciditur . And — Multi tales sunt in Sacramentorum communione cum Ecclesia , & tamen jam non sunt in Ecclesia &c. — So in answer to the Donatists Query , Utrum generet filios baptismus in parte Donati ? ( that if he granted this , they might collect that they had a true Church , ) the Father answers , ( de baptism . 1. l. 10. c. ) Una est Ecclesia , quae sola Catholica nominatur , & quicquid suum habet in communionibus diversorum a sua unitate separatis , ipsa utique generat , non illae . Therefore it may have aliquid suum in such communions . And ( Ep. 162. directed to some followers of the heresies of the Donatists ) he saith thus to them in the beginning thereof . Dixit quidem Apostolus Paulus haereticum hominem post unam correptionem devita &c. sed qui sententiam suam quamvis falsam atque perversam nulla pertinaci animositate defendant , praesertim qui non audacia praesumptionis suae pepererunt , sed a seductis atque in errorem lapsis parentibus acceperunt , quaerunt autem cauta solicitudine veritatem , corrigi parati , cum invenerint , nequaquam sunt inter haereticos deputandi . Tales ergo vos nisi esse crederem &c. Nor may any extend those texts Matt. 15. 14. Rom. 14. 15 , 20. 1 Cor. 8. 11 , 12. to all any way misled by others . For , in the first , the follower falls into the ditch together with his leader , because blind in the same manner as his leader , i. e. wilfully , not inevitably , ( which is here supposed ) : for which compare Matt. 15. 14. with Matt. 23 , 15 , 16. where such blind followers , as our Saviour there speaks of , become many times also worse than their leaders , ( tho they become so first by occasion of the example of such guides ) , and so fall much deeper also into the ditch than they . In the second , ( Rom 14. &c. ) t is to be noted , that this brother , weak in knowledge , who upon occasion of another's act ( who , by reason of his right-informed judgment , sinneth not ) doth amiss , perisheth not for that wherein he is weak , or for the error of his judgment ; but for doing a thing contrary to his judgment or conscience , tho erroneous , drawn on thereunto by seeing another do the like . But no such thing happens in this case . Tho I here deny not , that , in such a communion , the truly innocent of the guilt of Schism may be in great hazard of their salvation , upon other reasons : namely , by such looser discipline as may be exercised in it , or by such erroneous doctrines taught in it , as are prejudicial , or such omitted to be taught , as are some way beneficial , to a holy life . See Trial of Doctr. § . 42. &c. 4. A 4th sort are those , who educated in a Church Schismatical , and afterward fully convinced that it is so , yet neglect , or think not necessary at all , their return to the external communion of the church Catholick ; mean-while agreeing with her in faith ; preserving perfect charity and internal communion with her &c. And these are either such as only forbear the external communion of the church Catholick , yet absent themselves also from all other ; or such as continue in their former external communion . Again ; both these are either such as are , 1. hindred from professing the Church Catholicks external communion , and deserting another's , for some considerations meerly temporal : and these doubtles are blameable in the same kind as those Jo. 12. 42 , 43. Jo. 7. 13. — 5. 44. Matt. 10. 27 , 28 , 33 , 37 , &c. Jo. 12. 25 , 26. Gal. 6. 12 , 14. For as it is our duty to confess Christ , so to confess him to the uttermost ; as in himself , so in every truth of his ; as in himself , so in his members , and in all things that belong unto him ; especially in his Body , and Spouse , the Church . And as he that is ashamed of him before men may be peccant in such a degree of shame , as that he shall not be acknowledged by him before his Father , as a member of his body ; so he that is ashamed of his Church may be peccant in such a degree of shame , as that he shall not at that day be acknowledged by it as a fellow-member of the same body . But yet I cannot say that all such are blameable in the same degree ; or that all such ( whether less , or more , deniers of Christ ) shall at the great day be denied of him , and certainly incur eternal damnation : Nicodemus , Joseph of Arimathea , and others , being , to some degree , guilty of this ; ( and perhaps I may add to them Naaman the Syrian , ) yet not excluded from all mercy : nay , to some degree , who is not so ? Yet , who thus deny him in some kind , may be such as confess him in many other ; as also Joseph and Nicodemus did . ( See Jo. 19. 38 , 39. Jo 7. 50 , 51. 2 Kin , 5. 17. ) Neither may I make the return of such a one as lives in a communion less Christian , yet where Christ is professed , and the true Sacraments received , to the Church , as necessary , and his staying out as desperate , as of one relinquishing heathenism , suppose Victorinus , or the like . Austin . Confess . 8. l. 2. c. But doubtles such a one , convinced , and , for motives meerly temporal , staying out , must needs be in a very great fault ; and how great , we know not ; and , on the other side , he oversees an opportunity put into his hands of honouring and serving Christ through difficulties and crosses ; the action of his reconciliation being so much more worthy and heroical , by how much the obstacles are greater . Or 2ly , such as are hindred &c for some consideration and design meerly Spiritual ; as for the procuring a reunion ( upon a better understanding of the Church's tenets ) of Churches divided from It ; as also some reformation of some manners in the Church Catholick , by which others were scandalized ; the best mediators of such busines being thought to be such persons , as are not openly engaged on the contrary side . [ Such seems to have bin the project of Grotius , Militier , if the design were not rather to reduce all Christian Churches to some union and middle complexion , by every Church's relinquishing their several errors and faults i. e. such as seemed to these men to be so in every one ) upon some Council of them all to be assembled to compound differences . In which project they seem to suppose either no Church truly Catholick , and the only orthodox communion , distinct from the rest , as Schismatical ; or , that they see truth clearer than she that is the Catholick ; and that she is not sufficiently able from time to time ( assisted by the Holy Ghost ) to correct what may be amiss ; within her self , without the directions of others who stand without . Now this to me tasts of too much arrogance and self-conceit of their own judgments , in comparison of hers ; and also supposeth the Church Catholick fallen into deeper corruptions than can well stand with God's providence and care over her , and his ; promises to her . ] Or , for the gaining at least from amongst Schismaticks of many more [ particular ] souls ; with whom , in such disguise , they may converse and act more freely &c , mean-while being real factors for the Church ; and themselves forbearing , in some way , to confess Christ , only to procure a further confession of him ; and staying themselves without the Church-door , only that they may invite the more to come in . In which thing they seem to have much encouragement from the Apostle , who also caught men with [ an innocent ] guil ; who upon occasion used ceremonies of Legal vows , shaving the head ; purifying ; offering sacrifices for the persons purified , ( Act. 21. 23. ) Circumcision it self , Act. 16. 3. ( tho it , in some cases , and for some ends , unlawful and mischievous ) becoming all things to all men , even himself as it were without law , yet under the law to Christ , that he might gain the more . 1 Cor. 9. 19 , 20 , 21. Now for such , tho I much less dare damn them , than the former , ( 8. § . 1. n. ) for their want of the external communion of the Church ; yet can I no way justifie such their doing . For charity must be so wise as to begin at home , and we ought not any way to neglect our own souls , to gain other mens . Now such a one is supposed either to continue still in the external communion of a Schismatical Church , or else to communicate with no Church at all . If he continue still in the communion of a Church Schismatical : First 1. it may be such perhaps , as hath not the right use of the Sacraments in it ; or also is defective in some of them , and in many other doctrines and comforts , wholsom discipline and strict orders ; of the administration of which almost no Soul is so perfect but that it will have much need . 2. But 2ly , Suppose no want of any such thing in it ; yet , what if all such communion be utterly , absolutely , forbidden ? For if so , then this is undoubted of ; that we may not do the least thing that is absolutely prohibited or unlawful , that all the good in the world may come thereof . Now such a communion seems forbidden both by many passages of Scriptures , and by commands of the Church . 1. First , for the Scriptures ; See 2 Thess. 3. 14. 1 Cor. 10. 20 , 21. Rom. 16. 17. 1 Cor. 16. 22. — 1 Cor. 5. 9 , 11. compared with 6. 2 Cor. 6. 14 , 15 , 17 , &c. 2 Jo. 10 , 11. Matt. 18. 17. Tit. 3. 10. Eph. 5. 7 , 11. — some of which texts contain a strict injunction for not keeping company , or conversing with wicked livers , and more especially with the infidel , heretical , schismatical ( more pernicious than wicked livers ) even in things indifferent , as eating with them , &c. Which injunction of the Apostle seems to be made in imitation of the former law of the Jews forbearing eating or companying with the idolatrous Gentile . According to which we read , that S. Austin's mother forbare sitting at table , or eating , with her Son , when addicted to Manichean opinions . ( S. August . Confess . 3. l. 11. c. ) [ Which Apostolical injunction , concerning converse in things indifferent , I conceive always in force : 1. first , where it may probably serve to do some good to those we separate from ; as , to make them ashamed &c. and that is most likely , where the heretical or debauched &c are few in number , in comparison of the orthodox and pious . Or 2ly , to do some good to our selves by separating from them ; as , when we are in danger , of infection from them , or also of partaking God's judgments with them . But other cases I grant there may be , where such Separation is not obligatory . As 1. first ; when probably more good may come to them by our converse , ( if there be no prohibition thereof by the Church ) ; as , where the accompanying of them is used by the more confirmed in virtuous habits , some way to help those who are not found yet altogether incorrigible . See for this Matt. 9. 12. 2. Again , when such Separation may bring more hurt to our selves , to the Church , &c , than the benefit is , we can reasonably hope from it . As , where the most are perverted , the upright few in number ; where much hindrance , or sometimes also mischief , may come to the one by it , and no shame or amendment to the other . Quando plus perturbat infirmos bonos , quam corrigit animosos malos . 3ly . When such Separation may offend against some duty ; to which we are obliged , either by the Divine , or Civil , laws . As , the children may not abandon their parents , or the wife her husband , on such pretence : neither is it required , where necessary commerce , or natural , or religious relations , will not permit it . This is clear from the Apostle's permission of the Christians commerce with the heathen and idolaters : 1 Cor. 5. 10. [ yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world , — with idolaters , &c. for then must ye needs go out of the world . ] So likewise , when we cannot communicate in the publick , or also private , worship of God , in the Sacraments &c with the orthodox and godly , with whom we ought , without such a mixture of the impious and profane , as is not in our power to prevent : here no necessity of Separation from those impious and profane lies upon us ; for so must we needs go out of the Church ; or relinquish those , from whom we receive much benefit . The same it is for relinquishing near relations ; for so we must abandon our habitations . But note always , that at such times , when such necessities , theirs or ours , do not force or exact from us such converse ; t is a far better practice , if not a necessary duty , to separate , even for diet , cohabitation , discours , &c , from the Schismatical in opinions , or notoriously wicked in manners ; tho by their great numbers we are confined to much solitude . ] Now , to come closer to our matter in hand ; tho in some pretences , which may be made here , ( as , of our selves being sufficiently grounded in truth , and out of danger of seducement or infection , and of our good purpose in our association with the Schismatical , only for converting some of them , ( for which our Saviour allows converse with publicans ) , some of the reasons for separation , contained in these Scriptures , seem to be removed : as , that of avoiding infection , and partaking of their sin ; ( tho give me leave to interpose here , that , in such conversation , t is very hard to be so innocent , that some compliances must not be made ( by one who would by no means be discovered what he is ) both in discours and actions , some way prejudicial to the truth ; neither can there scarce be any Schismatical Church , wherein some of their public practices , prayers , discipline , will not be contrary to the conscience of one that is orthodox ) : Tho thus , I say , some of the reasons for Separation be removed ; yet are there some other of those reasons remaining still of force . As ; that we may not seem to countenance them in evil ; and that , by our deserting them , some of them at least may be ashamed ; when ( especially if it be in such a conjuncture of time , wherein the foundations of a Schism are shaken ) our open profession of truth may startle those , whom our discours cannot work on ; and our example , in going before them , perhaps be more effectual than our reasons , in only directing them the way . But , in our continuing still in their Society , tho our private instructions and reproofs may manifest to some that we countenance them not : yet to most these cannot do so ; nor to any perhaps so much as we ought . For whilst we pretend our fellowship with them to be only to reprove them ; how can we do this so fully , and so far as duty obligeth , when we are to reprove them chiefly in that also , wherein we continue fellowship with them ; namely in their separated communion from the Church ? In which separation yet we bid , or seem to bid , them God speed , so long as we also abide with them in it . But , besides these reasons of Separation ; the preserving our selves from infection from their judgments , the discouraging of the offenders , &c , touched in some of these texts ; yet some other of those Scriptures ( as 1 Cor. 10. 20 , 21. 1 Cor. 5. 5 , 13. 2 Cor. 6. 14 , 17. ) seem to lay yet a more special injunction upon us , especially not to communicate with them in their Sacraments , and publick Divine worship ; and this upon some other yet higher reasons , namely the duty of the publick owning and professing our religion , and the keeping it pure , and unmixed with any unbelieving , schismatical , or heretical assemblies . For the Sacrament being instituted , as , for a sacred instrument of our communion with the Deity , so also , for a publick testimony and mark of a strict league and amity between all those , who together partake it : neither will the honor we owe to God the Father , who dwelleth in us , and adopts us for his children , ( 2 Cor. 6. 16 , 18. ) nor , to God the Son , whose members we are , ( 1 Cor. 6. 15 , 16. ) nor , to the Holy Spirit , whose Temples we are , ( 1 Cor. 3. 16 , 17. ) suffer us , by such a sacred and solemn ty , to link and unite our selves to any congregations that are estranged from him , or disclaimed by him . This is making fellowship between righteousnes and unrighteousnes , mingling light and darknes , [ 2 Cor. 6. 14. ] joyning the members of Christ to a Spiritual harlot ; by which they two become one body . [ 1 Cor. 6. 15 , 16. ] For the Sacrament hath this vertue , that those become one body amongst themselves that partake it ; ( See 1 Cor. 10. 16 , 17. ) and by touching the unclean , we also become unclean [ Lev. 5. 2 , 3. ] : and all those separations , under the law , of the corporally unclean from the congregation of the Lord , because they were to be a sanctified people unto the Lord , and holy as he is holy , ( see Lev. 11. 43 , 44. ) were only types of the Separation , which ought to be from notorious sinners , which we here speak of ; to which the Apostle makes application of them , 2 Cor. 6. 17. [ Be ye separate , and touch not the unclean thing , saith the Lord ] taken out of Esai . 52. 11. And hence also taketh he strict order for the sudden separation and ejection of such persons out of the Church , ( especially from communicating the Sacraments thereof , ) as of Leaven from a lump unleavened , that the Passeover may not be celebrated with such a meslange , ( see 1 Cor. 5. 2 , 5 , 7 , 13 ) : ejection , or casting them out , where the Church hath the power ; or her going out from them , ( 2 Cor. 6. 17. ) where they have the power : but still a separation there must be . Else in consorting with them we provoke the Lord to jealousie , [ 1 Cor. 10. 22. ] as if we are not true and loyal to him , and entirely his . Now tho some of the texts urged by us speak only concerning non-communicating with idolaters ; who worship not the same God with us , nor use the same Sacraments ; which I grant is a much greater crime in any : Yet 1. first , they may be enlarged upon the same grounds , ( namely the publick signification of the Sacraments , that the partakers thereof are co-united in the same faith and charity ) to those congregations , who worship the same God , but not in that way he requires ; and who are any way opposite , by a division of themselves from it , to that one Society , which only hath its union with the head . But 2ly , are there not some other of the texts , that speak as plainly of the avoiding of the heretical and schismatical , as these do of the unbeliever , or idolater ? See Matt. 18. 17. If he neglect to hear the Church , let him [ i. e. thy brother in Christianity ] be unto thee as an heathen , [ i. e. an idolater . ] — Rom. 16. 17. Those that cause divisions , contrary to the doctrine which ye have received , mark , and avoid . — Tit. 3. 10. A man that is an heretick reject . — 2 Thess. 3. 14. If any man obey not our word &c , note that man , and have no company with him . — 2 Jo. 10. If there come any unto you , and bring not this doctrine , receive him not into your house , nor say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him : which is not spoken of plain idolaters , but some half-christians , of whom other Christians might be less aware . But if you say , that some of these Scriptures forbid only private familiar converse with those who are factious , tho such perhaps as are not yet excommunicated by the Church ; then how much more obliging must they be , for our not communicating with whole congregations , and separating-assemblies of them , in holy things ? This last then , or also more than this , is prohibited in them . And indeed were such conformity in the publick Service , and the Sacraments , allowed with Sectaries , what a confusion would it cause in religion ? there being no sign now left , whereby the orthodox professors may be distinguished from the schismatical . And if we may be thus far dispensed with , to consort with divided communions , only upon design of doing the Church thereby the more service ; how many are there , who , engaged only in secular ends , may make use of such dispensation upon holy pretences ! To conclude this matter , about the restraint found in Scripture : 1. We are not obliged ( for any thing I know ) as to speak , so neither in any other action to profess , all that is truth at all times ; ( tho in matter of religion , especially even where it is lawful to conceal something of our profession , it is more honourable and more glorifying of God , upon all occasions , to confess him to the uttermost ) : We are not obliged , I say , to do all acts amongst hereticks , which may shew us Catholicks ; no more than amongst Turks , which may shew us Christians . 2. Not obliged to forbear absolutely the company , converse , eating , negotiating , nor perhaps private praying in the same place with hereticks , &c : for ( as is said before § . 9. n. 1. ) many worldly accounts may in a sort necessitate us to such things : and then the Apostle's dispensation [ 1 Cor. 5. 10. ] will be applicable unto us , ( I mean , supposing no express injunction of the Church , concerning the forbearing of any such communication ; in which ( I must add ) if she at any time should think fit to restrain us , then would such forbearance become , upon another account , obligatory to us ) : much more are we not debarred any entercours with them , whereby we may the better confute , or instruct , them . Again ; 3. Perhaps we are not obliged ( especially where probably we , not they , shall suffer some detriment thereby , and that in regard of our Spiritual affairs ; as where a country is orespread with such an infection ) to expell schismaticks from our communions , if such not by name excommunicated : for who knows whether some such , having never personally affronted our religion , may not at last also be gained thereby ? — Time and place do alter much in all these matters . See S. Aug. Ep. 50. — Ubi per graves dissensionum scissuras , non hujus aut illius hominis est periculum , sed populorum strages jacent , detrahendum est aliquid severitati , ut majoribus malis sanandis charitas sincera subveniat . 4ly . We are by no means obliged to forbear every thing , whereby de facto we may be mistaken by others to favor or profess some heresie or schism : provided , that we give no just , and commonly received , grounds of such mistake . But to do that thing in conjuction with hereticks and schismaticks , which either is , or there is none at all , the ordinary test and token to the world of such a profession , [ such as is our communicating with them in publick prayer , and the worship of God , and in the Sacraments , ] this I conceive , by the places above , utterly prohibited . Lastly ; I would not have this discours above so mis-understood , as if none could have union with the head , who are out of the external communion of that body which belongs to him : or also are in the external communion and participation of the Sacraments of the Lord with another sect factiously divided from it ; but only , that those have it not , who , knowing them schismatical , yet in their Sacraments dare to joyn with them . But , where is not such knowledge , nor affected and culpable ignorance ; to the integrity and simplicity of such people the true Sacraments , where-ever received , are still effectual . ( Which makes a great difference of those persons who live in , and communicate with , a Church schismatical , from those who communicate with infidels ; in which see what danger there is even to the weak , 1 Cor. 8. 11. compared with 10. c. 20 , 21. v. because such weaknes can never be blameles . ) Are still effectual , because here no guilt in the person factiously disposed , or practising against conscience and known commands , hinders the benefit thereof unto him . ( See Levit. 5. 3. If he touch the uncleannes &c , when he knoweth of it , then he shall be guilty , and bound to make expiation for it . ) Neither doth here the participation of the same Sacrament by both render one guilty of the impious schism of his fellow-communicants ; no more than when , in the true Church it is received in the company perhaps of some abominable livers , it doth render the rest partakers with these in their crimes ; or no more , than a good Christian , who , by the fraud of others , without any his own fault , is joined to an harlot in stead of his wife , may be said to make Christ's members the members of an harlot . Tho such , who knowingly join in their external Sacraments with any separated worship , shall thereby be partakers of their guilt . See 1 Cor. 10. 20 , 21. which I conceive was spoken by the Apostle , not only to the erroneous , who with some conscience of the idol , as if it were something , did eat of the sacrifices , ( see 1 Cor. 8. 7. ) but to the orthodoxly-minded , who , counting the idol nothing , thought such external compliance lawful and no prejudice to their Christian profession . 2. Now , in the 2d . place , to come to the commands of the Church ; which are justly obligatory , even in such things as by the Scriptures are left indifferent , and not prohibited unto us . And therefore we are as well to examin what liberty the Church permits us , as what the Scriptures : or also , what our Spiritual Superiors , according to the obedience which we owe to them ( Heb. 13. 17. ) think fit to allow us ; and not to transgress it . Now if the Church hath in a lawful Council excommunicated and anathematized such congregations ; surely this is a sufficient prohibition to all those , who will retain any relation to her , to have no fellowship , at least as to the publick prayers and sacraments , with them . For Excommunication , being an expelling of such from being members any longer of the Church's communion , a fortiori is a prohibiting any , who pretends to be a son of the Church , from becomming a member of their communion . If we may not give the holy Sacrament to them , where they submit to us ; much less may we receive it from them , where we submit to them . If she will not suffer us to be mingled with them in her society ; much less , in theirs : If when they happen to come single to us , we must avoid them ; much more may we not , where they are gathered in a body , repair to them . If we may not joyn with them , where there is also other good and orthodox society ; much less , where we have none but theirs . Now , not to examin here , what later Excommunications of any particular hereticks or schismaticks have bin , ( of which every one , that professeth himself a son of the Church , is carefully to inform himself ) , I wil set down some ancient Canons &c , ( for any thing I know still in force , ) expresly prohibiting such society . Concil . Laodicenum held by the orthodox in the times of the reigning of Arrianism before the 2d . General Council , approved by the 6th Constantinopolitan Council , Conc. in Trullo ; where , as it is decreed , Non oportet cum Paganis festa celebrare , [ 39. Can. ] — and , Non oportet a Judaeis azyma accipere , [ 38. Can. ] : so ; Non oportet cum haereticis vel schismaticis orare , [ Can. 33. ] and , Non oportet haereticorum benedictiones accipere . [ Can. 32. ] — Conc. Carthag . 4tum . ( Anno D. 436. a little after S. Austin's death ) Can. 72. — Cum haereticis nec orandum , nec psallendum . — Can. 73. Qui communicaverit vel oraverit cum excommunicato , sive Clericus , sive Laicus , excommunicetur . Here may be considered also , * the cautious and scrupulous practice of the primitive times , in their letters commendatory , called Epistolae formatae ; which , because of the Church's careful avoiding of all mixture with sectaries , were procured by those who had occasion to travel from one Church to another ; without which testimony they could not be admitted to their prayers , &c. And also , * the strict separation of the Catholicks that was made from that potent division of the Arrian sect ; who , tho in many of their Councils they required subscription of no positive heresy ; but only omission , in the Creed , of some truth , the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( see what is said hereof in Church-government 2d . part § . 40. &c. ) : yet were the orthodox ( tho much persecuted by the secular powers , and tho , by the banishment of their Pastors in some places destitute of the Sacraments ) strictly prohibited to come at the Arrian assemblies , tho these having the same Sacraments with them , and possession of the Cathedrals , and other Churches : and chose rather to relinquish their Temples ; to pray at home ; to live without the Sacraments ; nay , to be without these in their sicknes , and at their death ; than to receive them from the Arrians . See Athanas. Epist. Synodica in Alexand. Concil . — Ep. ad ubique orthoxos . — Hilarii lib. contra Arrian . — Basil. Ep. 293. to some Egyptian Bishops . — Thus much of the Church's injunctions . Now such a one , as intends to have any relation and interest in her , must know ; that , besides our agreement in the faith , and our being in full charity with the Church Catholick , as being a body consisting of our fellow-members and brethren in Christ , there is also a duty of obedience to be yeilded to all the injunctions and commands of the governors thereof , as of our Spiritual Fathers in Christ : which none that hopes to enjoy the priviledges of a son , unless so far as he is by these dispensed with , may , without sin and great danger to himself , on his own head disown and omit . For what is this , but , as if a son should come and say to his temporal Father , from whom he hath formerly run away , that he embraceth him with all inward affection , is sorry for any fault formerly committed , will love and honour , and do all the good he can for , him ; but that he must excuse him , if that ( for some reasons ) he doth not submit to , or practise , his commands : except only , that this our disobedience to spiritual Superiors is so much the more inexcusable ; for that all their commands are directed to the benefit of their children : so that by omitting them , out of this pretence of benefiting others , such a one forgoes very much profit to himself . None then can be a Son to the Church , unless he render himself subject to her laws , as well as affectionate to her practices . Now of her laws ( the yoke of which , if he reverence and bend to in some things , he must not shake off in others ) non-communicating with Sectarists seems to be one , and very considerable . In which , if some dispensations for good ends may be given by her , ( yet none can be given by her for so far , as the Scriptures have restrained us , ) yet , till such grant obtained from her , he stands obliged to her commands . Which grant from her , if there were no other motive , this is enough to obstruct ; that it is liable to be made use of ( instead of zeal to convert souls ) to many unworthy ends , of serving our temporal interests , and protecting a spiritual cowardise , an avoiding of the cross , and a not confessing of our Saviour before men ; contrary to Matt. 10. 27 , 32 , 37 , 38 , 39. See before § . 8. n. 1. But , laying aside this command of separating himself from schismaticks ; if he will be counted a Son , he is to live conformably to all her other injunctions . Now some , and not a few of these are such , as involve an outward communion with the Church . And also many other of her injunctions ( see below § . 14. which do not involve it , ) if strictly observed by him , wil quickly render him uncapable of any disguise to what party he belongs , and bring the same jealousies and temporal inconveniences upon him , which follow a publick reconciliation ; and , which to avoid , he yet stays out of the Church : only with this difference ; that he shall incur likewise the odious aspersion of hypycrisie and dissimulation , with which an open professor cannot be reproached . And indeed , setting aside any Church-command of such separation ; yet-a dissimulation or compliance ( tho it proceed not to the practising any thing in the matter of God's worship against our conscience , yet ) that ventures so far , as to use that sacred ceremony ( which is taken to be the greatest tessera and symbol of communion , and by which all the world publish and distinguish their religions ) with those , from whom he so much dissenteth and disalloweth ; I say , a dissimulation that proceedeth so far , seems to be much against the simplicity and ready vindication of our Christian profession . In the times of persecution before the days of Constantine , it was not only held unlawful ( tho this required upon pain of death ) for Christians to cast a little incense into the fire before an Idol or the Emperor's image , ( a thing which a Christian might externally have done , with the greatest vilifying of the same idol in his heart ) but also to procure with money a Libel or testimony from the officer ( tho most false ) to be shewed by them upon occasion that they had done any such thing ; or to procure the officer to recite or return their names that they had done such a thing , or to subscribe that they would do it . See the Epistle of the Roman Clergy to S. Cyprian , ( inter Cyprian . Ep. 31. ) — Non est alienus a crimine , cujus consensu , licet non a se admissune orimen tamen publice legitur . — Et qui vult videri propositis adversus Evangelium vel edictis vel legibus satisfecisse , hoc ipso jam paruit , quod videri paruisse se voluit . See Cyprian de Lapsis . Professio denegantis [ i. e. se esse Christianum ] contestatio est Christiani quod fuerat abnuentis ; fecisse se dixit , quicquid alius faciendo commisit . Tho see how plausible the same Father draws up such a ones excuse , Ep. 52. Ad magistratum mandavi Christianum me esse , sacrificare mihi non licere . — Dare me ob hoc praemium , ne quod non licet faciam . But note : that the magistrates freeing him for this reward , was by bringing in his name , as if he had sacrificed , which the Christian ought by no means either to have procured , or admitted . As for that which is urged concerning S. Paul : that he became as a Jew , to the Jews ; as without law , to those without law , &c. practising some things whereby he seemed ( at the first ) to his converts of another opinion than indeed he was , that he might , out of this mistake , produce their greater good : yet note ; that , for this good , he practised nothing absolutely unlawful or prohibited , either by Divine , or Ecclesiastical , injunction ; but some things , which , tho they were no longer necessary to any ones salvation , and some ways also inconvenient , and troublesom , yet were things indifferent , at least as yet to those infant-times of the Gospel , before Christ was perfectly understood to be the end of the Law ; and to that nation , and in some respects very beneficial , to the propagation of the Gospel , that they should be used . The Apostle therefore , in some places and times , used them for very good ends : as namely thereby to enjoy still the freedom amongst the Jews of preaching the Gospel , and the benevolence of his auditors ; so to gain them that were born under the law ( as himself saith 1 Cor. 9. 20. ) . Again ; to preserve the new Jew-converts , converted by others observant of the law , from apostatizing from the faith , upon such a scandal of his neglecting the commands of God by Moses : as likewise ( as t is probably collected from Act. 21. 21. ) to undeceive the new Christian Jews , in that sinister opinion they had of him ; as if that he not only licenced the Gentile-converts from any use of these Legal ceremonies , ( at which they took no offence , ) but also perswaded the Jews converted by him , not only that such ceremonies were no more absolutely necessary to salvation ; but that they might by no means use any of them , nor walk after the former customs . Therefore he practised these himself sometimes for this reason also , ( saith S. Austin , Ep. 19. ) ne Judaeis &c viderentur , qui ex gentibus in Christum crediderant , sic detestari Circumcisionem , sicut idololatria detestanda est ; cum illam Deus fieri praecepit , hanc Satanas persuaserit ; or discindi a Prophetis Christi , tanquam Mosis doctrinam detestantes , atque damnantes . Again ; used them only , when more evil than good was not probable to ensue thereof ; by his giving more dangerous scandal to more , by his avoiding the giving thereof to some few , ( for , in case of double scandal , that of less dangerous consequence , and of less extent in the offence , is to be chosen ) , therefore he used such compliance with the Jews only in such places ( as in Jerusalem , ( Act. 21. ) or in other quarters where many Jews abode , Act. 16. 3. ) where no offence could be taken by the Convert-gentiles . But he never , when both were present to observe his behaviour , so corresponded and sided with the weaker brethren , the Jew ; as to desert , or shame , or weaken , the strong , the Gentile . But , we may see how tender he was of using such things , where any prejudice thereby might possibly come to the truth : in that tho elsewhere , out of charity to the weak , he circumcised Timothy , being to assist him in his preaching to the Jews ; yet he , when he was amongst false brethren , ( tho at Jerusalem ) would not do the same to Titus a preacher , lest , from such condescension , their malice , who came only for Spies , might , by their false comments upon it , raise some prejudice to the liberty of the Gospel , Gal. 2. 4 , 5. — See ( Gal. 6. 12 , 14 , ) his detesting such compliance , to avoid the cross . ) And again ; in that he so sharply and publickly reproved S. Peter , tho in some sort his superior , ( Gal. 2. 14. ) for his dissimulation , in forbearing the company of the Gentiles , and complying with the former fashions of the Jews , in a place ( namely in the Church of Antioch ) which chiefly consisted of Gentiles , or Jews also much more moderate than those at Jerusalem ; where much more scandal must come of such an action , ( which , by his withdrawing from them , did bear the shew of a repentance of the freedom he had formerly used toward them , in making those believe that they ought to conform to the Jewish laws ) then good , in not offending some few that came from Jerusalem , and perhaps were such false brethren as those S. Paul ( there ) opposed . Whereby it appears , that dissimulation many times , even in things in their own nature indifferent , is not free from guilt : how much more , if it be in things , which we have shewed , by several strict prohibitions of them , that they are not to be reckoned of such a nature . Something like this case of ours perhaps it would have bin ; if the Apostle had complied the least with those false brethren and leaders of faction in Jerusalem , that he might have gained some from amongst them , ( but he saw there the defence of the truth against the opposers more necessary , than was the gaining of a disciple to that truth , with a publick shew of deserting it ) ; or had he ( or S. Peter ) so become a Jew to the Jew , that he had concealed his Christianity ; or not professed always every where , publickly , privately , that after the way which they called heresy , so he worshipped God , [ Act. 24. 14. ] — which he did before all the people of Jerusalem , [ Act. 22. 4 , 8. &c. ] — before Felix , [ Act. 24. 14. ] — before Agrippa , [ Act. 26. 22 , 23. ] — before Nero ; for , the same witness to the name of Jesus he bare at Jerusalem , the same did he bear at Rome , ( Act. 23. 11. — 2 Tim. 4. 17. [ that all the Gentiles might hear , ] ) and that with great success even upon some of the Courtiers themselves ; Phil. 1. 13. compared with 4. 22. For which boldnes , in professing his religion at Rome , we find him desiring mens prayers , Eph. 6. 19 , 20. and in which we find his example encouraging many others . Phil. 1. 14 , 20. Therefore also that speech of his , Act. 23. 6. mentioning the resurrection , was no mincing or dissembling his Christian profession , which he had made so publickly and particularly before them all but the very day before ; but the shewing only , how in a main point thereof the most considerable persons amongst themselves concurred with him . Which thing appears , both by the answer of his Auditors and Judges , ver . 9. which answer referreth to the story of what ( he told them ) hapned to him in the way to Damascus ; of which they say , [ If a Spirit or an Angel hath spoken to him , let us not fight against God ] : and from our Saviour's testimony of his worthy behaviour ; ver . 11. and from the like expressions made by him , Act. 24. 15. yet joyned with the free confession of his dissent in other things , ver . 14. His legal observances therefore , upon some occasions , were only , joining some things besides with his Christian profession ; not a covering it over with them , or hiding it under them : and , in this compliance , not any observance , of those Jews that were out of the true Church , ( who , notwithstanding his conformity , were still his persecuters for Christianity , Act. 21. 27. ) ; but only of those weaker brethren within it , Act. 21. 20. of whom we read not , that they any way molested him , the tumult proceeding from the unbelieving Jews of Asia , v. 27. — What I have said of the manner , of his becoming a Jew to the Jew , I may also of his becoming as a Gentile to the Gentile ; which was only in the laying aside some of the Jewish ceremonies , not in the least conformity to any of their heathen Sacraments : concerning which see his judgment 1 Cor. 10. 20 , 21. Thus much from § . 8. upon the supposition , that one orthodoxly perswaded continues still in the communion of a Schismatical Church . But , in the next place , suppose he presently withdraws himself from that , but only ( for the same good ends ) forbears communion with the orthodox ; yet neither so , can I find a way to excuse him . Indeed the living in no external communion at all seems the less faulty of the two , and this condition ( as coming a step nearer to the Church of Christ ) to be preferred before the former . This seems to appear in those , who , either by the oppression of the civil power hindered , or by the Church's authority ( whether with , or without , just cause ) expelled , cannot enjoy her external communion : who yet are not therefore licensed either to set up a new external communion of their own , or to repair to one that stands severed from the Catholick ; tho there they may enjoy the Sacraments no way differing from those celebrated by the orthodox : but are advised rather patiently to want them , till they are restored to the participation of them in the bosom of the Church . Such was the practice of the orthodox , where their Clergy was expelled , in the prevalent Arrian times . Certe ista indignitas in causa est ( saith Athanasius ) quod populi , sacerdotesque seorsim sine synaxibus vivant &c. — And , Praeoptant potius ita aegrotare , ac periclitari , quam ut Arrianorum manus capititibus suis imponi sustineant . See Athan. Ep. Synod . in Alexand. Conc. and Ep. ad ubique orthodoxos . Yet did the Arrians ( according to S. Austin's testimony de vera relig . 5. c. ) paria sacramenta celebrare with the Catholicks . And S. Austin , of good men happening to suffer sometimes an unjust Excommunication , ( de vera relig . 6. e. ) saith thus : Quam contumeliam vel injuriam suam cum patientissime pro Ecclesiae pace tulerint ; neque ullas novitates vel schismatis , vel haeresis , moliti fuerint &c — sine ulla Conventiculorum segregatione , usque ad mortem defendentes , & testimonio juvantes eam fidem , quam in Ecclesia Catholica praedicari sciunt ; hos coronat in occulto Pater in occulto videns . And ( de Baptism . 1. l. 17 , e. ) Ibi magis probantur , quam si intus permaneant , cum adversus Ecclesiam nullatenus eriguntur ; sed in solida unitatis petra fortissimo charitatis robore radicantur . From which I gather , that for whatever cause or reason a man happens to want the Catholick communion ; t is better , than to enter into any other , to have none at all . In which sequestration he may justly more hope for God's blessing , upon that means of his salvation , which , in such a condition , he is yet capable to make use of ; and upon that service , which alone he may still offer unto God , according to the customs and rites of the Church ; than , upon that he shall offer , tho it be , for the matter of it , faultless , in conjunction with a society divided from the members of Christ : and if the orthodox , in the time of the Arrians , thought their condition safer in the want of the Sacraments , than in the enjoying and partaking them with any Sectaries , so may he . For these reasons , I conceive to live out of all communion a less fault , than to join with a Schismatical one ; but yet a fault also it will be , and that for many of the former , Scriptures , and other reasons . See § . 9. where the Scriptures enjoining separation from Sectaries , seem also to imply uniting with the orthodox . Neither indeed can we have any reason to desert one Church , but we must have the same to join with some other ; since we must , from the article in the Creed , ever acknowledge one true , as well as others false ; and that whatsoever outward dislike and abhorrence we are bound to express toward these assemblies of adulteresses to Christ , ( as S. Cyprian and S. Ambrose calls them ) , the same outward affection , and love , and duty in all things we are obliged to give to the true Spouse and Body of Christ. See § . 8. where those texts requiring the glorifying of God , and the confessing of Christ before men ; confession of him with the mouth , as well as believing on him with the heart ( Rom. 10. 9 , 10. ) of all , ; with one mouth , as well as with one mind , ( Rom. 15. 6. ) seem in a special manner to imply that confession which is made in the publick assemblies of the Church , which therefore were never intermitted in those greatest persecutions , when the Civil magistrate was a professed enemy to the Church . Again ; see those many precepts of unity and charity enjoyned amongst all the fellow-members of Christ ; Eph. 4. 3 , 11 , 12. 1 Cor. 10. Phil. 1. 27 , 28. Jo. 10. 4 , 5. which seem to extend , and oblige , to all the external , as well as internal , acts thereof ; especially for what concerns the publick and solemn worship of God. Consider the Article of our Creed , ( of which Creed we pretend a constant and publick confession ) , that we believe one Church Catholick and Apostolical ; i. e. one external , visible communion upon earth , that always is , and shall be , such : but how is this sufficiently attested , and professed by any , who forbears to joyn himself openly unto it ? Such denying of the body of Christ before men seems to be next to the crime of denying before men the Head himself . But chiefly there , where this Church , the Spouse of Christ , happens to be under any disgrace or persecution , our taking up the cross with her may be much more acceptable to God , than the conversion of souls ; and the doxology of confessing him and her , beyond our other best service . See particularly that command of the Apostle Heb. 10. 25. Now if it be said , that some of these texts fore-named are not to be understood as strict precepts always for avoiding sin ; but counsels only for attaining perfection : yet thus also every generous Christian will think them prescribed for his practice . Again , consider , that as both many Divine and Ecclesiastical commands ( from which I see no just authority any one hath to exempt himself at pleasure ) cannot be observed in our adherences to another communion ; so neither can they in our absence from the true Church . For how ( then ) do we observe the publick intercessions commanded , 1 Tim. 2. 1. publick teaching and exhortations &c , recommended by the Apostle Heb. 10. 25. 1 Cor. 14. 23 , 24. Col. 3. 16. — frequenting of the Sacraments , 1 Cor. 11. 17 , 24. — Confession and Absolution , as need requires : For the necessity of which Christ hath substituted some officers to be made use of from time to time , for heinous sins committed after Baptism , in his stead ; Jo. 20. 21 , 23. as likewise to guide and govern in all Spiritual matters those , who pretend to be his sheep ; to withdraw our selves from whom , is to withdraw our selves from Christ ; in a subordination to whom all must live : Eph. 4. 5 , 11 , 12. Heb. 13. 17. and God tolerates no Anarchical persons in religion . Add to this , the benefits of the publick prayers and intercessions , and oblations of the Church , which such a one , acknowledging himself a member thereof , seems , to his great loss , to be deprived of . As for that internal communion with the Church , which some , excluded from the external , may nevertheless enjoy ; or the security , in the actual want of participation of the Sacraments , that such may have ; they seem no way appliable to such a person as this , who is not by force hindred of her communion , but , invited to it , voluntarily depriveth himself ; tho the reasons he hath in the doing thereof seem to himself never so plausible . To partake the Sacraments in voto signifies nothing , where de facto we may have them , and de facto refuse them : and where ( in case of necessity ) votum signifies something ; yet t is probable , that to such a one necessitated the actual reception of them would have bin more beneficial , could he have obtained it . There seems to be no small danger in a silly sheep's staying out of the fold , ( when invited and offered to be taken in ) , and that without leave of the shepheard ; tho upon a to-himself seeming good design . But yet , supposing such leave indulged to any ; I see not at last what advantage can be made thereof : but that all the scandals , all the jealousies , all the secular inconveniences , or also disappointments of Spiritual designs , that can happen to one actually reconciled to the orthodox communion , will happen to one after absenting himself wholly from a false . From which sequestring himself the ordinary jealousie , that useth to be in religion , will conclude , that he who is not with them ( especially where many secular advantages accompany it ) is against them . And whereas our conjunction with the true Church may be done with much privacy , this desertion of theirs is the thing most liable to discovery . Lastly since he , that now is of no external communion at all , was before a member of an unlawful one ; and perhaps there not only seduced , but also a seducer of others , or at least culpable of many misbehaviors toward the Church : so much the more cause he hath , with what speed he can , to fly into the bosom thereof ; both , because so he may , procure his own safety and pardon ; and , by an open subscription to truth and unity , make an amends for his former error , and division , ( if he have bin any way consenting thereto ; ) and also , because the truth &c will receive a greater testimony and honour from one that publickly converts to it , after educated first in error ; than from many , that , from the benefit of their first institution and breeding , continue in it : to some of whom a right opinion may be rather their good fortune , than their choice . The summe of all is ; The case of one's stay , after such full conviction , in the external communion where he is , or of his staying out of the other , who stretcheth forth her arms to receive him , tho upon never so pious pretences , is doubtful ; his reconciliation safe ; therefore this rather to be chosen : and , as for the good he hoped to produce , God is able , and either will otherwise by lawful means effect it ; or is not willing it should be effected ; and mean-while will rather accept of our obedience , than of much sacrifice . Note , that in this discours I speak of a Church certainly Schismatical , and of men ( after all convenient means of information diligently used ) fully convinced thereof , and , amongst these , chiefly of such as , in purposing some good ends to themselves , intend to continue always , or for any long space of time , either in their former communion , or out of the orthodox ; not of such as , convicted , are removing all impediments as fast as they can , to unite themselves to the Church . But 1. first , concerning Churches schismatical ; I apprehend not Schism to be of such a latitude , as that there cannot be any difference ( especially between Churches wherein are divers Apostolical Successions ( suppose the Eastern and Western , the Grecian and Asian , and the Roman , Church ) before a General Council hath decided it ) without such a crime of Schism and violated unity of the Church on one side , that all good men therein are presently obliged to render themselves of the opposit communion . And 2ly , concerning conviction ; I think men ought to take heed of being any way hasty ( which may proceed from a natural ficklenes of mind , and over-valuation of things not tried ) to desert that Church wherein God's providence hath given them their education , and which hath taught them the word of God , and first made them Christian , and which ( as t is said in the Law concerning possession ) Quia prior est tempore , potior est jure , ( i. e. caeteris paribus ) : to desert the Church , I say , without much conference with the learned , much weighing of reasons , much study of Theological controversy ( even tho their condition be not that of a Scholar ) delayed and mature considerations , long prayer , lest if , in such change , they should happen to light on what is worse , and to forsake truth and embrace error ; they should , besides the hurt which may come to their soul otherwise , be in a far worse condition than any others of the same erroneous communion are ; by reason , of the disobedience they have shewed to their mother , from whom they sucked the true milk of the Gospel ; and of the ungratitude to God , by whose providence they were placed in such a light . Especially men ought to have a greater jealousy of their mistaking , if they perhaps find themselves invited to the change of their Religion from any worldly advantages , or contentments of the flesh , profits , honour , pleasure ; for our affections ordinarily ( yet very insensibly ) corrupt our judgments . But for what is said here by me , that it ought to be done after full conviction of a communion Schismatical ; I think all men ( as taking every one their own to be the orthodox , and others to be sectaries ) are but too ready to maintain this point , That all factious communions , once discovered , are to be forsaken ; and the true , [ understanding by it their own , ] once found out , to be adhered to , not only by internal affection , but external profession . And this counsel constantly shall a tottering Romanist receive from a Protestant ; and so è contra . 5. The 5th sort are those , who , being educated in a Church Schismatical , and prejudiced with many formerly received opinions , are not yet fully convinced that it is so ; but yet are already in a great jealousie thereof , and in a serious quest of a further discovery of truth &c : Or again ; who , being fully convinced of , and being in perfect charity with , the Church ; and having also already in voto the external communion thereof ; yet whilst wanting , and rationally expecting , a better opportunity for their reconciliation to the Church Catholick , defer it for some time till this may happen . [ As , many cases for such delation may be supposed . — As , if one have reasonable hopes shortly of a Toleration ; and , upon a present reconcilement , is likely to be plundered &c. — Or , if one have some treatment with kindred or friends about the same matter , and is in hopes by a further discours to carry them with him ; which intercourse , by his sudden separation , he probably foresees will be stopped , and his admonitions rendred fruitless . — Or , if one happen to be in a Service , and cannot , till such a time , leave his Master ; or in an imployment , which such a declaring of himself requires that he should , and yet which he cannot , but with much temporal inconvenience , immediatly quit , ( as that of S. Austen's was , Conf. 9. l. 2. c. ) Or , if one be in a place where , declaring presently , his restraint or life is endangered ; and therefore he stays till he may remove himself to a place of more : security , ( as doubtles t is lawful to seek our safety by flight . ) . — Or , if he have a design of publishing something tending to the advancement of Truth , which opportunity ( in appearance ) will be for ever lost in such a place , if he suddenly discovers his intentions . Many such cases may be put , and if none of these be reasonable to produce any delay , yet it follows not , but that there may be some others that are so . ] Now , for such men as these , 1. First , those seem not to sin , in suspending their reconcilement , and in continuing their former communion , who are not as yet fully convinced . [ But yet concerning full conviction , note , that after such diligence , delay , inquisition used , as is mentioned before § . 16. it seems not necessary to it , that every objection and difficulty , that can be made against any practice or tenet of the Church we conform to , be first fully satisfied ( which perhaps will never be , and so neither will be any ones deserting his native Sect , however erroneous ) ; but only that , for the most part of things in contest , full satisfaction is received . For , if in all other things we are swayed by the over-ballancing of reason any way , notwithstanding that some weight also remain still on the other side ; why should we neglect it in this ? Since t is as much ( nay more ) ordinary to be born in a wrong , than in a right , religion , we may justly , I conceive , relinquish our former profession for that ; which , if we were of no profession , we should sooner make choice of : especially since we may be more confident of our reason rightly used in such a matter , if our new perswasions procure to us no secular honor or advantage , but rather ( the contrary ) loss and disgrace ; as also if the principles thereof produce in us any singular reformation of life . See Trial of Doct. § . 45. ] 2ly , For the fully convinced , tho it seems prohibited by God's word , that such any longer abide in their former communion , ( see 9. § . 1. n. ) yet 1. first , they seem not to sin or do ill , in not reconciling themselves outwardly to the Church upon the very first possibility they have to do it , if that they have a reasonable cause of delay ; and especially if some Spiritual advantage be considered in it , and if that they have probability of health , and likelihood to attain to the time and opportunity they wait for . I do not say ; that they may not do better sometimes in a suddenner return , but that they sin not always in the delay . Which if they did , the same will hold for Baptism , and for many other Christian duties , which often are deferred ( and we think not unlawfully ) for some time after possibility of doing them , for the want of some conveniency . Yet I cannot conceive , that there can be a reasonable cause , to the fully convinced , of any long delay , ( see before § . 8. &c. ) no more than there can be such of long delaying Baptism ; because initiation , or reconciliation to the Church , are things of the highest concernment . But 2ly — , Suppose they sin in such dilation , and procrastination ; yet I see no ground why any one should affirm ( tho we grant none dying a Schismatick in the sence § . 5. can be saved ) that such , dying without , or before , actual reconciliation , are certainly damned ; which since it cannot be justly said of such others , tho remaining perpetually within a Schismatical Church , as are named § . 7. much less can it of these , that are in their way and progress homewards . Again ; by the same reason must all those be damned named in the 2d . § . ( if they had any possibility of sooner performing that , of which they are by death prevented ) : because also these , as well as those , have a votum of what they want , and heartily repent of their delay , if it were any way offensive to God. As for the motives of delay mentioned above ; 1. First , if this once be granted , That , upon a full conviction , we are presently to abandon such schismatical communion , many of them seem to be voided : because such a retreat from our former communion cannot be concealed ; or if it can , then may also our conjunction to a new society ; nay , this much more easie to be hid than the other . So that I suppose few cases will happen , for which , after the one done , the other should be deferred . 2ly . If such cases should be put for a heathens deferring Christianity , I think many of them cannot justly be allowed . ( See 1 Cor. 7. 20 , 21. many converts professing Christianity when servants , and probably some of them having infidel masters . ) And I think every one is obliged to a more speedy return , as the defection , wherein he lives , is more impious and perillous , and opposit to true religion , tho he must pass thro many temporal misfortunes , to make this escape . They ( saith the Apostle , of the teachers complying out of fear of suffering from the Jews , Gal. 6. 12 , 14. ) constrain you to be circumcised , only lest they ( i. e. if they did not observe the Jewish customs ) should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. But God forbid , that I should glory , save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ , by whom I am crucified unto the world . And happy he , who embraceth and rejoiceth in all occasions given him , of bearing this cross , and suffering chearfully the loss of means , friends , good name , employments , and whatsoever is here gain unto us , for Christ's sake , and the profession of a good conscience : My brethren , count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations , Jam. 1. 2. because if we here suffer with him , we shall also hereafter reign with him . And , that here we might suffer with him , he came not to send peace , but a sword ; and that a man's enemies should be those of his own houshold , even father and mother ; and he that loveth any of these more than him , is not worthy of him ; and he that taketh not up his cross , and followeth after him , is not worthy of him ; and he that confesseth him not before men , him will he deny before his Father , and his holy Angels in heaven . In this discours it hath bin ( all along ) supposed ; That the Church is ready to entertain , and invites , this person convicted of Schism , to return into her bosom : So that all the aversnes hath bin on his side . But now , what if such Church admits entrance to none , but upon their subscription to all her doctrines , and engaging conformity to all her discipline , and publick practices ? And then , for some points of her publick doctrines or practice , what if it be against the conscience of such a one to subscribe or conform to them ? Ought he not then to continue still in his former communion , tho thought by him Schismatical ? or at least to be content to live out of her communion , whom he thinks to be the Church Catholick ? To this , having many Queries involved in it , I have many things to say . 1. No man may do any thing at any time against his conscience , or which he is perswaded ( without doubting ) he ought not to do : therefore if it be absolutely against his conscience to subscribe any thing ; whether truth it be , or whether it be error ; he ought not to do it . But let none please himself too much in this liberty : for tho he shall thus ( in refusing to subscribe ) escape the sin of lying and hypocrisie ; yet , if his conscience happen not to be rightly informed , he may remain nevertheless guilty of schism and heresy . See Dr. Ham. of Schism 2. c. 8. § . where he saith , That if the doctrines proposed , as a condition of her communion , by the Church , be indeed agreeable to truth , but yet be really apprehended by him , to whom they are proposed , to be false and disagreeable , tho it be in this case hard to affirm , that a man may lawfully thus subscribe contrary to his present perswasion ; yet it being certain , that he , who thus errs is obliged to use all probable means to reform and deposit [ such ] his error ; as long as he remains in it , he is so far guilty of sin , as he wants the excuse of invincible ignorance ; and , being obliged to charity and peace , as far as it is possible and in him lies , he cannot be freed from offending against that obligation [ to preserving peace and charity ] , if he do not communicate with those , the condition of whose communion contains nothing really erroneous or sinful : and therefore such a man [ tho acting according to his present perswasion ] is or may be , in several respects , criminous . And afterward he saith . — Which way soever such man turns , he is sure to sin , ( the worst and most unhappy kind of strait ) ; he remains in error and schism on the one side , [ i. e. in not subscribing ] ; and by flying from that , he advanceth to lying and hypocrisie on the other . So then one following his present perswasion may be notwithstanding guilty of Schism , in refusing the Church's communion . 2. Subscription to the contradictory of what I am infallibly certain is truth ; or conformity to any thing , which I am infallibly certain is unlawful , may not be made : for this must needs be contrary to ones conscience . 3ly . Upon exclusion out of the Church , in these or any other cases , one may not therefore anew joyn himself to , or longer continue in , any communion he grants schismatical ; but is rather to forego the external administration of the Word and Sacraments , and enjoy no external communion at all . See 13. § . 4ly . No Church there is , tho pretending never so much indulgence , but that requires subscription , from some persons at least , to her publick Constitutions and Articles ; even tho such Church confesseth her self in these liable to error . And the Church of England in particular , in her 5th Canon , excommunicates any , who shall say that any of her Constitutions are contrary to the word of God ; and that is , who shall say , that any of them , concerning divine matters , is false or erroneous , or not true : See more of this in Submission of Judgment 5. § . ) higher than which no Church can easily go . And therefore , if such subscription should be strictly required ; one revolted from the Roman Church , and coming to render himself of her communion , shall find as difficult an entrance thereinto , as , we complain , is into theirs . 5ly . It is considerable ; That such Subscriptions in the Church Catholick , are only required to the Decrees of her General Councils , not to the tenets of private Doctors . 6ly . The Church Catholick ( as we imagin this Convert supposeth that Church , in whose communion he desires to be ) in these her decrees , for all points necessary to salvation , is granted ( see in Ancient Church-gov . 2. part . § . and Infallibility § . 3. ) to be infallible ; and so in these can require Subscription to no error . 7ly . For as much as respects other points meerly speculative , and not of like necessity to be believed or known , if Subscription be required of us , only for acquiescing to and not gain-saying , them , ( as certainly to many of her proposals and that under pain of anathema , she requires no more , the disturbers of her peace , in smaller matters , deserving her anathema's , as well as the dissenters from her faith , in greater ; whilst she determins some matters for settling peace , as well as others for necessary faith : ) ( See Notes of Infallibil . § . 29. ) I think none will deny this lawful enough ; and what communion is there , which doth not require it ? 8ly . But if she requires , to them also , a Subscription not only of non-contradiction , but of assent , and of submission of our private reason or judgment to hers ; yet I see not , considering that she , in such a collective body , is much wiser , and more seen both in the holy Scriptures , and writings of the Ancients , than we ; and the duty we owe to her , as being our appointed Guide in such things ; our Guide , I dare say , as much as those under the Law were : Deut. 17. 8. &c. to the 14th : I see not , I say , but that in things where we are not infallibly certain , but only have some private reasons or opinion that is short of assurance , that such things are untrue or unlawful , we may thus subscribe her decrees , or practise her commands . See what Dr. Hammond saith , Schism 2. c. 10. § . A meek son of the Church of Christ will certainly be content to sacrifice a great deal for the making of this purchase , i. e. of enjoying the Church's communion ; and when the fundamentals of the faith , and superstructures of Christian practice [ I suppose he means such as are immediately built upon the fundamentals . ] are not concerned in the concessions , [ one would think , in these points especially , that a person to be safe should rather trust to the Church's judgment , than his own , ] he will chearfully express his readines to submit or deposit his own judgment in reference and deference to his Superirors in the Church , where his lot is fallen . [ Methinks he might better have said , where his obedience is due ; for the Church , where his lot is fallen , may by heresy or schism stand divided from the Church Catholick . ] ( See this point discoursed at large in Obligation of our judgment or conscience § . 2. and in Infallibility § . 35. . ) Now a subscribing , professing , or acting , in this manner , I conceive will never be construed a going against our conscience or judgment considered in general , ( tho it should be against some private reasons of ours ) : because this preferring of hers , before our own , judgment , is also an act of our judgment . For there being such a weighty authority on the one side , and such reasons of my own , but short of certainty , on the other ; my judgment here sits upon , and examins both ; and at length gives sentence , that here it is more safe for me to submit to the first , than to rely on the second . Here therefore I shall only go against my conscience , if I go against this my judgment , in adhering to the 2d , and forsaking the first . But indeed , if the Church should require me to subscribe , not , that I believe her authority more than my private reasons ; but , that I have no private reasons nor scruples in my mind for the contrary of her tenet when indeed I have so ; the subscribing thus would be going against my conscience , and must at no hand be done . [ But I am confident , no Church will exact such a confession ; nor would ever reject , I say not from bearing any office in her , ( wherein perhaps she may be more strict ) , but from her communion , such a submission as this . Wherein one first acknowledgeth her infallibility , or actual unfailance , in all doctrines necessary to salvation : and 2ly , promiseth in no other point publickly to gainsay her Conciliary doctrines : and 3ly , in these points to endeavour , as far as is in his power , to submit his private reason and judgment to hers ; tho perhaps the repugnances of some verisimilities of the contrary may hinder his yeilding so plenary an act of belief to the truth of some of them , as some others do . ] Or again ; if any one is perswaded in his judgment or conscience , that , when the judgment of the Church is contrary to this his private reason or judgment , so often he ought to adhere to his own , not to hers ; such an outward submitting or subscribing to her judgment , when this is against his own private reason in that matter , would be going against his conscience , and he ought at no hand to do it . But yet , in the not doing it , he may be guilty of great crimes , heresy , schism , &c. But 9ly , such subscription of a firm belief of all her doctrines , or of exact conformity to all her publick rites , I think is by no Church required from all that either are born in , or are afterward converted to , her communion ; but only from those , whom she prefers to be the Spiritual guides of others , and admits into Ecclesiastical revenues . For those of the Roman communion ( of the strictnes of whose profession of faith I find our men much complain ) the Council of Trent requires a profession of their faith to be made , or her decrees ( of which Pius 4tus hath compacted a form , particularly expressing the chief of them ) to be subscribed , or sworn to , only by Bishops , and by others who undertake curam animarum . ( See 24. Sess. 1. c. and 12. c. de Reformat . ) Neither doth Pius the 4ths Bull , so much accused , require it of more , unless it be of Regulars : [ In which Bull observe , that the Oath or Subscription of such persons , having curam animarum &c , is required , not only to some Articles or Canons of the Council , namely to those expressed in the Bull , ( for the naming of which , being about some twelve Heads , the Council of Trent is said to have added twelve new Articles to the Apostles Creed , to be believed under peril of losing salvation ) but to all the rest of the decrees of that Council whatever , as well as those ; and likewise to all things tradita , definita , declarata , by any other Council , which by the Roman Church is reckoned Oecumenical , as well as those delivered by that of Trent . See the words , Caetera item omnia a sacris Canonibus [ that is yet something more too ] & Oecumenicis Conciliis , ac praecipuera sacrosancta Tridentina Synodo tradita , definita , ac declarata indubitanter recipio , atque profiteor &c. After which it follows : Hanc veram Catholicam fidem , extra quam nemo salvus esse potest , — sponte profiteor , & veraciter teneo . From which words ( if we will say , the Roman Church hath added new Articles of Faith to the Apostles Creed , to be explicitly professed and believed under pain of damnation ) we must argue , not only those 12. points to be added by her , but also all the rest ; not only whatever the Tridentine , but any other of those she calls General Councils , hath delivered or declared . But indeed , from this large reception of , and subscription to , not only some , but all , points determined by such Councils , we may gather 1. That it is only a subscription and profession in such a manner to , and of , them , as the Councils have proposed to be received and professed ; and that it is not such , that the same degree of belief or assent must necessarily be given to all . For no Romanist will say , that nothing is stated or defined in General Councils , or in that of Trent , but only points de fide extra quam ( see Notes of Infallibility , § . 9. ) nor yet will say this of those 12. heads mentioned in the Bull , of which this is a part , Baptismum sine sacrilegio reiterari non posse : but if this be an articulus fidei , extra quam nemo salvus ; then is Cyprian , whom they acknowledge a Saint , damned . And some Anathema's may be shewed in latter Councils against such other points , as were affirmed by some of the Fathers . See Conc. Trid. 24. Sess. 7. c. the contrary whereof was held by S. Ambrose : and 21. Sess. 4. c. compared with S. Austin's known opinion . But if it be said , that , after the determination of a Council , t is fides extra quam &c , not before ; then is the matter sufficiently explained , that the damnation lies not in the great moment of our erring in such a point , or in the matter of the tenet ; but in our opposition of , and division from , the Church's judgment , to whom we are commanded obedience and submission , after we know that she hath determined it . See Dr. Hammond , ( Of Fundamentals , 9 , and 10. c. ) of our obligation to the additionals to the Apostles Creed , made in the Nicene and Athanasian Creed , very appliable , as I conceive , to the additions of other General Councils . And again , 2ly , from hence it will follow , that the clause [ Catholica fides , extra quam nemo salvus esse potest ] must not be distributively applied to all that is mentioned before it ; for no Romanist will affirm this of all the decrees of Councils whatever , nor yet of these twelve , and the several branches of them , which are before expressed ; nor perhaps of all the Articles whatever of the Apostles Creed . But * must 1. either be understood collectively : not , that every thing , that is contained in such decrees , is absolutely sides Catholica , extra quam nemo salvus ; but that all the fides , extra quam &c , is involved and contained in , or amongst , those decrees ; whilst mean-while this phrase [ extra quam ] chiefly referreth to the ancient Creed , placed in the beginning of this Bull. To which see a like phrase applied in the 3d. Session of the Council Tridentine : Principium illud , in quo omnes , qui fidem Christi profitentur , necessario conveniunt , ac fundamentum firmum & unicum , contra quod portae inferi &c. Where observe , that this word [ unicum ] seems contrary to the [ extra quam ] here , if taken distributively . So , if it were said of the Scriptures , or of the will of God declared in them ; These are the Holy Scriptures , or , This is the will of God ; without the knowledge of which Scriptures , or Will , there is no salvation : Yet would it not follow , that without the knowledge of every part and particle of such Will or Scripture , no salvation could be attained ; but that , without the knowledg of some part at least thereof . For , if only some part thereof be necessary to salvation , it verifies sufficiently the expression , extra quam there is no salvation . Or else ; * by extra quam , must be meant only this ; That , in opposing of such faith , and sacred decrees of General Councils , or of the Church , when made known to them to be such , none can be saved ; because such men must needs be guilty of Schism and Heresie , and do remain out of the Church's communion . But whatever the meaning thereof be ; this it cannot be , even in the sence of the Roman Doctors ; That all the decrees of General Councils , or of that of Trent , or that perhaps any at all of that , beyond the Apostles Creed , ( much less all the branches of those twelve points named in the Bull , to all which the Bishop subscribes ) , or perhaps , that all the Apostles Creed is necessary explicitly to be known or professed ; or else that such person cannot attain salvation . See more of this Church-gov . 4. part . § . ● . ) Thus much concerning what Subscription is required in the Roman Church of those who have curam animarum , ( by which perhaps it will appear , not to bear such a rigid sence , as many construe it in . ) ] And as for all others , the Council hath only these words . ( 25. Sess. ) Sup●rest nunc , ut Principes omnes in Domino moncat ad operam suam it a praestandam , ut quae ab ea [ i. e. Ecclesia ] decreta sunt , ab haereticis depravari aut violari non permittant , sed ab his & omnibus devote recipiantur , & fideliter observentur . To these I will set you down what F. a S. Clara saith in his system . Fidei 24. c. 6. § . Addo , quod in modo reducendi errores , expedit aliquando nonexigere ejurationem haereseos , ad hoc ut in Ecclesiasticam communionem admittantur Sectarii , ut olim Johannes Antiochenus fecit cum Nestorii fautoribus ; eo scil . animo , ut melius Ecclesiarum paci consuleret , ut notarunt aliqui posteriores scriptores . Et certe non solemus ad erroris ejurationem noviter conversos cogere ; sed displicentiam ejus & reliquorum peccatorum concomitantium , cum proposito de futuro persistendi in fide & communione Ecclesiae , ut juris sacramentalis est , exigimus . Alia , quae potius forum fori , quam poli , spectant , de industria utplurimum omittemus : ne , ut facile fit , absterreantur . And perhaps an orthodox Church may use such gentlenes towards novices with very good effect , for those considerations of S. Austin's , mentioned before this discours ; because , Cum docilis factus fuerit , tum demum disces quant a ratione &c. — and , nos falsis rumoribus &c. therefore it seems they entred , before they knew certainly all such rumors to be false . But here perhaps this scruple may be urged : That tho a new convert be admitted into such a Church and communion , without any universal subscription to all the doctrines thereof ; yet is he , by such communicating with her , reasonably supposed to acknowledge these , and so the untruths ( if any be ) thereof ; especially those , the belief of which is strictly enjoyned under Anathema , and so gives the same scandal as if he had subscribed them : which scandal ought to be avoided by the simplicity and sincerity of a Christian. To which I answer : That from this commun cating with a Church , wherein are some errors , one cannot therefore rationally be supposed to hold all the errors thereof ; tho the holding of them be enjoyned under Anathema's . Neither is any just scandal given by him , as that he should rationally seem to do so : for communion neither makes me accessary to the sins , nor errors , nor unjust censures of all those I communicate with ; especially where I have no power to redress them . Neither can I , from my submittance in things ( wherein I think I ought ) to those whom I account by Christ appointed my Spiritual Fathers , be justly supposed by any therefore to justifie all their Acts , Laws , Injunctions , or Censures whatsoever ; no more , than from my peaceable obedience to my temporal Prince , will any such thing be collected . Suppose the Church pronounceth an Anathema on all those who do not believe her decrees ; yet can none hence justly conclude , That every one , that is in her communion , believes them : unless we are certain , that every one doth what another requires , who doth not quit all relation to him who requires it . Neither have her Anathema's , being universally pronounced , more force upon , nor are they more to be feared by , one , when he is now within , than when he was before without , her communion ; or than they are to be feared by all those , who continue still without ; the further any one runs from the Church , he the more justly incurring her censures . Neither reasonably may those thro the Kingdom of France , after the conclusion of the Tridentine Council , who lived and died in the communion of the Roman Church ; or Father Paul the Venetian , who writ the history of that Council , dying also in the same communion ; be therefore presumed to have assented , or subscribed to all the decrees thereof . Doth the 5th . Canon of the Church of England bind all , tho Non-Subscribers , to forsake , or not to enter her communion , who think some one thing she saith not agreeable with the Scriptures , for fear of their giving scandal , by being thought to believe such points ? Did the many false doctrines of those , who sat in Moses's chair , and ruled in the true Church of God , therefore warrant the Samaritan discession from the Church ? ( Consider well Jo. 4. 22. Matt. 10. 5. ) We may not , being in her communion , openly gainsay the errors of a Church , such as are not fundamental ; as all , I think , grant : how much less may we quit her communion for them ? And if one may not leave that which he imagines the true Church for such faults or defects ; neither may he forbear to return to it . And if a member of a Church may not disturb her peace in an open speaking against some things he supposeth to be errors in her , but not fundamental , ( now for erring in fundamentals , the true Church of Christ is secure ; and , in the Protestants opinion , the Roman Church doth not err in any such , ) upon this pretence , because else some may be scandalized , as if himself also held such errors : why may not one likewise enter into the Church's communion , without an obligation of declaring against her supposed errors , for fear of giving such scandal ? And indeed upon such terms , i. e. of fear of giving scandal , no man may be of any communion , wherein he thinks any one untruth is held : and then , by being of none , shall he not give more scandal ? as if he denied there to be on earth a Catholick and Apostolick Church , to which he may securely joyn himself ? He that may not pass over to another Church , because she hath some ( in his opinion ) errors , may not stay in his own , if he imagines the same of her . But mean-while he that takes such offence , may perhaps too magisterially accuse a Church of errors ; who 1. first , ought not hastily to conclude , especially the decrees of Councils to be untruths , unless he be infallibly certain thereof . And if he be so , yet 2ly . ought he not to be offended at anothers submission to the Church that holds them ; unless he knows also that the other is infallibly certain of their being errors . But yet 3ly , from the others submitting he cannot indeed gather so much , as that such a ones private opinion in all things is the same as the Church's doctrine is : but only this ; that such a man's judgment is ; that he ought to submit ( as much as is in his power ) his contrary reasons or opinion to her wiser and more universal judgment . To conclude . No man may neglect a duty , for fear of giving some scandal , or of having his actions by some weak men misconstrued . ( For t is only in the doing and forbearing of things indifferent that we are to have an eye to scandal ) . Now our communion with that which we suppose to be the Church Catholick must needs be a duty , and that a high one . Of which S. Austin saith so often , ( see 5. § . ) That there can be no just cause of departing from her . Therefore either she errs not at all in her decrees ; or else we may not desert her communion , because therein are maintained some errors ; tho some , upon these , be scandalized , that we still abide in it . I add , as no just cause of departing from her , notwithstanding such errors ; so no just cause of not returning to her when she is willing and ready to receive him . By Him , I mean here , as likewise in the rest of this discourse , such a one , as , tho he scruples at some of her ( in his conceit ) errors , yet is perswaded , that that Church , to which he desires to joyn himself , is the truly Catholick . Luk. 9. 59 , &c. — And he said unto another ; Follow me . But he said ; Lord , suffer me first to go and bury my Father . Jesus said unto him ; Let the dead bury their dead , &c. Another also said ; Lord , I will follow Thee , but let me first go bid them farewell , which are at home at my house . And Jesus said unto him ; No man having put his hand to the plough , and looking back , is fit for the kingdom of God. FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A67257-e1140 PART . I. §. 1. 1. Concerning Faith necessary for salvation . 1. Concerning the object or matter of Faith. §. 2. 1. Concerning the necessity of our belief of such object of faith . 1. That it is necessary to our salvation , to believe what ever is known by us to be Gods word . §. 3. Where 1. Concerning our obligation to know any thing to be Gods word , which knowledg obligeth us afterward to belief . §. 4. §. 5. §. 6. 2. And concerning sufficient proposal . §. 7. §. 8. §. 9. §. 10. 2 That it is not necessary to our salvation , that all that is God's word be known by us to be so , or , in general known by us to be a truth . Where 1. That it is necessary to salvation that some points of Gods word be expresly known by all . 〈◊〉 points very few . §. 11. §. 12. §. 13. Not easily defined . In respect of these the Apostles Creed too large . §. 14. 2. Other points , only highly advantageous to salvation that they be known . 3. Yet our duty ( each one according to his calling ) to seek the knowledg of them . §. 15. In respect of these the Apostles Cre●d too narrow . §. 16. §. 17. 4. That the obligation of knowing these varieth according to several persons , &c. And the decrees of Councils not obligatory ( at least to some ) against a pure nescience , but , opposition thereof : and not any opposition , but , only when known to be their Decrees . §. 18. §. 19. §. 20. PART . II. Concerning the necessary Ground of Faith Salvifical : Whether Infallibility ; that the matter of such Faith is a divine truth , or God's word . §. 21. Concessions . 1. Concerning the object of Faith ; that this is only God's Word . §. 22. 2. Concerning the act of faith , and the certainty which it may receive from the external motives of Scriptures , Church , Tradition . §. 23. That the authority of Scriptures and Church is learn'd from universal Tradition . §. 24. §. 25. Concessions concerning Tradition , 1. That there is sufficient assurance in Tradition ( whether ●●fallible , or no ) to ground a firm faith upon . §. 26. §. 27. §. 28. 2. That Tradition may have a sufficient certainty ; tho notabsolutely un versal . §. 29. 3. That no one age of the Ch. is mistaken in delivering any eminent Tradition . §. 30. 4. Tha● the testimony of the present age is sufficient to inform us therein , §. 31. 5. That Tradition of the Ch. is easier to be understood ( in some things expounded by her ) than the Scriptures . §. 32. 6. That the Ch. is a sufficiently certain Guide to us in doctrines proposed by her as Traditionary . §. 33. Digression . That all traditions carry not equal certainty . §. 34. Where concerning the Church'es and the Heathen and Mahometan Traditions . §. 35. 3 Concerning the certainty which Faith may receive from the inward operation of God's Spirit . Concessions concerning the Spirit . 1. That it is always required besides outward mean. §. 36. 1. That all Faith wrought by the Sp●rit is infallible . §. 37. 3. That sometimes the Spirit produceth evidence beyond science , &c. §. 38. 4. Th●t from these concessions it follows not , that all who s●vingly believe have , or must have , aninfallible , or such sufficient certainty as may possibly be had , of what they believe , §. 39. N●i●ther from the evidences * of Scriptures . §. 40. Nor * of the Spirit . §. 41. Nor * of Church-Tradition . §. 42. §. 43. For these following Reasons . §. 44. §. 45. §. 46. §. 47. §. 48. §. 49. §. 50. §. 51. Necessary Inferences upon the former reasons . §. 52. §. 53. §. 54. Notes for div A67257-e8750 §. ● . §. 2. Concerning the Infallibility of the Church ; how far this is to be allowed . §. 3. 1 Infallibility of the Church in Necessaries granted both by Catholic and Protestant writers . §. 4. Where , How for Points necessary are to be extended . §. 5. §. 6. That the Church ( not private men ) is to define , what Points be necessary §. 7. If these points be necessary at all to be defin'd , and exactly distinguished from all other her proposals . §. 8. 2. Infallibility of the Ch. in matters of universal tradition ( tho they were not necessary ) conceded likewise by all . §. 9. 3. Infallibility universal , in whatever the Ch. proposeth & delivereth , is not affirmed by Catholic writers . §. 10. But only in those points which she proposeth tanquam de side or creditu necessaria . §. 11. Where conc . the several sences wherein points are affirmed or d●nied to be de fide . §. 12. That as only , so all , divine revelations , or necessary deductions from them are de Fide. i. e. the o●jects and mat●ters of Faith. And that the Ch. can make nothing to be de Fide , i. e. to be divine Revelation &c. which was not so always from the Apostolick times . §. 13. §. 15. That all divine revelation , or necessary deductions therefrom , are not de Fide , ( i. e. ) creditu necessaria . §. 16. And that the Church lawfully may , and hath a necessity to , make , de novo , upon rising errors , such points de fide , i. e. creditu necessaria , which formerly were not so . §. 17. §. 18. Or ( as some other of the Catholick writers usually express i● ) only in points clearly traditional . §. 19. §. 20. §. 21. §. 22. §. 23. §. 24. §. 25. §. 26. §. 27. Whether , and by what marks , those points which are proposed by the Church tanquam de side or creditu necessaria , or which are proposed as constantly traditional , are clearly distinguished by her from her other proposal . §. 28. §. 29. Anathema no certain Index thereof . PART . II. §. 30. Concerning obedience and submission of private judgment ▪ whether due to the Ch. supposed not in all her decisions infallible . §. 31. §. 32. §. 33. ●● That no submission of Our judgment is due to the proposal of the Church , where we are infailibly certain of the contrary . §. 34. 2. That no submission is due to an inferior person or court in matters whereof I have doubt , when I have a Superior to repair to for resolution . §. 35. 3. That submission of judgment is due to the supreme Ecclesiastical Court in any doubting whatever short of infallible certainty . §. 36. §. 37. Submission of judgment proved , 1. From Scripture . §. 38. 2. From Reason . §. 39. Several objections and scruples resolved . §. 40. §. 41. §. 42. §. 43. §. 44. 3. From the testimony of learned Protestants . § : 45. §. 46. §. 47. §. 48. §. 49. §. 50. §. 51. 4. From the testimony of learned Catholicks . §. 52. §. 53. §. 54. Conclusion . §. 55. §. 56. §. 57. §. 58. §. 59. §. 60. Notes for div A67257-e19380 §. 1. §. 2. n. 1. In what sence it may be lawful to believe , or do , a thing against our own judgment . §. 2. n. 2. §. 2. n. 3. §. 4. 11. 2. §. 3. §. 4. Concerning the church'es lawful authority to excommunicate dissenters in non fundamentals §. 5. §. 6. §. 7. As likewise to decide which points are fundamental , which not . §. 8. 2 Tim. 4● . 1 Cor. 12. 7 , 8. §. 9. Several exceptions against obedience of non-contradiction . only , for non-fundamentals . §. 10. §. 11. And that all at least not infallibly certain of the contrary , are bound , in non fundamentals , to anobedience of assent . Therefore the most are so bound . §. 12. Replies to several Objections . 1. Concerning an inferior Council's decreeing some new dangerous error , which no former Council superior hath condemned §. 13. 2. Concerning faith salvifical : that : it is to be infallible . §. 14. 3. Concerning union of Charity , sufficient . §. 15. 4. Concerning tryal of Doctrines , necessary . §. 16. 5. Concerning what Churches determinations , when several contradict one another , we are to adhere to . §. 17 : §. 18. Conclusion . §. 19. Concerning infallible certainty . §. 201 1. Infallible certainty excusing all submission of judgment to anyother . §. 21. Infallible certainty to be had in some things . §. 22. Of the difficulty of knowing , when one is infallibly certain . §. 23. §. 24. §. 25. §. 26. 3. The plea of infallible certainty at least not usable against any general contrary judgment of the Church . §. 27. An instance in the controversy about giving the Communion in one kind only . AEn . Sylv b●st . Bohem 35. c. §. 28. §. 29. 4. The greatest probability , short of infallible cer tainty , not excusing one dissenting from the judgment of the Church , §. 30. §. 31. An explication of Rom. 14. 23. Notes for div A67257-e26120 §. 1. Sufficient truth alway to be found in the Church . Yet false Doctors must be . 1 Cor. 11. 19. §. 2. And their followers not safe . §. 3. Doctrines therefore may be tried . §. 4. Several ways of Trial. §. 5. 1. By Scrip tures . §. 6. Concerning trial of Doctrines and Commands , which are not also enjoyned in Scripture . §. 7. §. 8. §. 9. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. §. 10. 1. §. 11. 2. §. 12. Of Doctrines and commands : where the Scriptures seem to us doubtful . §. 13. Of doctrines &c , where the Scriptures seem to us contrary . §. 14. Here we must use a 2d . Trial , by the Doctors of the Ch. And beware of depending on our own judgment upon the Scriptures . 1. §. 15. 2. §. 16. 3. §. 17 ▪ 4. Heb. ●●● . §. 18. Always some external Communion , or other , not erring in knowledge necessary . §. 19. n. 1. We necessarily to follow their Judgment , where universally agreeing . §. 19. 11. 2. §. 20. Where divided to follow either side , rather than our own judgment opposite to both . §. 21. Of the two to follow those whom the other acknowledg to have the practice of former times for them . §. 22. Where this pleaded by both , to search , and follow that we find so by our experience . §. 23. That this is not hard to find . Of Fathers being not ( for the main ) repugnant , ambiguous , or impertinent . §. 23. Certain Cautions concerning making judgment of the Tenets of the Fathers . §. 25. §. 26. §. 27. §. 28. §. 29. §. 30. Some Church in all ages like the former . §. 31. §. 32. Heresy still either going , or being , thrust out of it . And in its beginning discerned by its paucity of followers §. 33. So that difence trial cannot mistake . Lu. 22. 53. §. 34. See Submiss . of judgm . §. 15. §. 35. §. 36. Who can search no further , to adhere to the judgment of the Christian Church they live in , rather than their own against it . §. 37. II. Trial of doctrines , and Doctors by the holiness these produc● 〈◊〉 they practise . §. 38. For where mor● truth , more holiness . §. 39. And where more holines , more truth . §. 40. Where more error more vice , and e converso . §. 41. §. 42. n. 1. 1. In churches therefore to compare the strictnes or liberty of their Doctrines , Discipline , &c. §. 42. n. 2. 2. Their abounding , or deficiency , in doctrines tending to perfection &c. §. 43. §. 44. §. 45. §. 46. 3. The●r writings of Devotion . §. 47. 4. Th● l●ves of the●r Saints . §. 48. §. 49. IVth . Trial of Doctrines by the conversion of Nations . §. 50. Conclusion . Notes for div A67257-e34670 §. 1. §. 2. Upon confession ; 1. that the Ch. Catholick . contains not in it many opposit●●● but only one , external Communion . §. 3. ● . That there is no salvation to any who are out of the internal communion of the Ch. Catholick . §. 4. 3. Yet that salvation must be allowed to same who are out of the Ch. Catholicks external communion . 4. Several sorts of those who live in an external communion Schismatical . §. 5. 1. Those who make such separation , not salvable , without repentance . §. 6. 2. Those who follow such leaders , and continue the division upon the same motives and passions not salvable , without repentance . §. 7. 3. Those who follow such leaders in simplicity of heart , and out of ( their condition considered ) invincible ignorance : such in a salvable state , tho suffering great disadvantages . §. 8. n. 1. 4. Those , who convinced of schism in such a Church , yet rejoyn not themselves to the external communion of the Ch. Catholick , tho consenting in all things with her . Hindered , 1. either by somerespects meerly temporal . Such faulty , but how highly , I cannot pronounce . §. 8. n. 2. Or by some considration and design m●e●y Spi●itual . Such less fau●ty than the other , yet ●em ●●● wholly justifiable . §. 9. n. 1. Whether they continue still in a communion schismatical . Which communion seems forbidden them . 1. Both by the Scriptures , §. 9. 11. 2. §. 9. n. 3. §. 9. n. 4. §. 10. 2. And by the injunctions of the Ch. Catholick . §. II. To which such owe obedience . §. 12. §. 13. Or , whether they communicate with no Church at all ; who seem of the two the less unjustifiable . §. 14. Yet are not wholly excusable . §. 15. §. 16. §. 17. 5. Those who 1. much doubting the Church , they live in , to be schismatical , yet are not fully convinced thereof : or , 2. who , convinced , yet deser their intended reconcilement till an expected opportunity . That , several circumstances considered , both these may , or may not , be culpable . §. 18. §. 19. A Query : What is to be done , if the Ch. catholick require some conformity to doctrines , or practices , against his conscience or particular judgment , who seeks her communion . §. 20. Several propositions tending to the solution of this Que●● . §. 21. 
A47301	----	The measures of Christian obedience, or, A discourse shewing what obedience is indispensably necessary to a regenerate state, and what defects are consistent with it, for the promotion of piety, and the peace of troubled consciences by John Kettlewell ... Kettlewell, John, 1653-1695. 1681 Approx. 1568 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 375 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A47301 Wing K372 ESTC R18916 12730325 ocm 12730325 66440 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A47301) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 66440) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 694:27) The measures of Christian obedience, or, A discourse shewing what obedience is indispensably necessary to a regenerate state, and what defects are consistent with it, for the promotion of piety, and the peace of troubled consciences by John Kettlewell ... Kettlewell, John, 1653-1695. [30], 714 p. Printed by J. Macock for Robert Kettlewell ..., London : 1681. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Salvation -- Early works to 1800. 2004-05 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-07 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-08 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2004-08 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE MEASURES OF Christian Obedience . OR , A DISCOURSE SHEWING What Obedience is indispensably necessary to a Regenerate State , and what Defects are consistent with it ; FOR The Promotion of Piety , and the Peace of Troubled Consciences By JOHN KETTLEWELL , Fellow of Lincoln-College in Oxford . LONDON , Printed by J. Macock , for Robert Kettlewell , at the Hand and Scepter over against S t Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet , MDCLXXXI . TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE , AND RIGHT REVEREND FATHER in GOD , HENRY LORD BISHOP of LONDON , And One of His Majesties Most Honourable Privy-Council , &c. MY LORD , HAving published this Treatise to promote , as much as in me lies , an intire Practice of our Blessed Saviours Precepts , and a comfortable expectation of his Rewards amongst us ; I have presumed to address it to Your Lordship , hoping it will find Acceptance in Your Pious Judgment for the sake of those things which are contained in it , and because Your Lordship is a most eminent Example as a Christian , and a most discreetly zealous and diligent Promoter as a Bishop of the Subject of it . In this Work my Great Design has been to press men to a conscientious regard of their whole Duty , and to show them how much contentment , and cheerfulness of Spirit they have reason to enjoy in the careful observance of it . And these are ends so excellent , as may well excuse the imperfections of any honest Endeavours , which shall be put forth in order to them . For what greater service can be done to our Blessed Lord , than to exalt his Authority in the hearts and lives of all his Followers ? What greater honour can be brought to Religion , than to promote a pious practice , and thereupon a constant joy and cheerfulness in the minds of all its Professors ? And what more faithful kindness can be shown to the Souls of Men , than cleerly to lay before them , and most earnestly to press upon them such things as will give them peace and comfortable expectations of God's love and favour in this World , and secure their eternal happiness in that which is to come ? And since I have directed all the Parts , and every thing that I have said in the following Discourse , to these ends ; I am willing to hope , that , notwithstanding all its defects , I have therein done no unacceptable service to my Saviour , and to all good men , who will be much readier to encourage any honest tendences to this purpose , than to reprove , and throw them by , for the sake of those weaknesses , and that want of skill , which shall be found in them . In this hope , my Lord , I make bold to Present it to Your Lordship , whose great and most exemplary Virtue will not , I believe , be averse from Patronizing that , which tends even in a low degree to further and promote it . I pray God preserve Your Lordship , and continue You , what You now are , an Illustrious Pattern of all Private and Political Virtues to this Your Native Country . That Religion may still be adorned , and this distressed Church supported , by that exemplariness of an upright Conversation , that great Prudence , and unwearied Diligence , and undaunted Courage , and most wise and steady Zeal , which Your Lordship has always shown in Your High Station for the things of God committed to Your Care , and which have rendred You greatly serviceable to Your Saviour , and a most valuable Blessing to this poor Church and Nation . This , my Lord , is the most hearty Prayer of , Your Lordships in all humble , and dutiful Observance , JOHN KETTLEWELL . THE PREFACE . READER , THE design of this ensuing Treatise is to increase the piety , and promote the peace of all sincerely honest Consciences , by stating plainly and fully what are the terms indispensably required of all Christian men to their eternal pardon and salvation . In this I have endeavoured to be as clear , and particular as possibly I could . For I write upon a Subject wherein all men are infinitely concerned ; and therefore I have studied to write so as all might understand me . I have carried on my Discourse all along with a particular eye to the benefit of the plain and unlearned Reader , and suited things , as far as their nature would bear , and my skill would reach , to ordinary and vulgar apprehensions . And that they might have nothing to hinder or offend them in their progress , I have been industriously careful through the Body of the whole Book to insert nothing of the learned languages ; but wheresoever any thing of that seemed fit to be added for the sake of others , I have preserved the Text unmixt , and cast it into the Margine . In the whole Work my study has been to speak things useful and necessary to be known , that the weight and worth of the matter might purchase a favourable censure for all the defects of Art , which shall be found in the composure . By what I have here offered upon this Subject , I doubt not but it will appear , that although our Religion is most strictly pure , and nobly vertuous ; yet is it by no means melancholy , or apt in its own nature to engender tormenting fears and endless scruples . For the Terms of pardon and salvation are no intricate or uncertain , but a fixt and easie thing : They are neither over-hard for our active powers , nor dark and inevident to our understandings : so that by the assistance of God's Grace we may perform them , and be very well assured of it when we do . God exacts an honest , but not an unerring obedience ; he bears with our weaknesses , though not with our wilful failings : and this is ground enough whereupon to secure peace , and yet in no wise to supplant piety , since although our Religion is so exactly holy as utterly to dash all wicked mens presuming hopes ; yet is it so indulgent still as to tempt no man , who is honestly obedient , to despair . In pursuit of this Argument what piety is indispensably required , and what failings shall be indulged , that men may know when to hope and when to fear , and neither foster a peace without piety , nor phansie such a rigour in piety as leaves no room for peace , I have proceeded as particularly and perspicuously as possibly I could ; being unwilling in a matter of this importance to leave my Reader either in doubt by an account which is too general and ambiguous , or in darkness by such as is obscure . And to give a prospect of the whole business , I have laid things down in this order in five Books . In the first Book I have shewn what the condition of happiness is in general ; viz. our obedience to the Laws of the Gospel , it being that whereby at the last Day we must all be judged to live eternally . And because some are tempted to think obedience needless when they read of pardon and hapiness promised to other things , as Faith , Repentance , &c. I have shewn particularly of those Speeches that they are metonymical , and that life and mercy are not promised to them as they are separate from obedience , but only as they effect and imply it . But obedience being a general word , and mens great backwardness to it rendring them very slow to run it out into all those Particulars which are contained in it : to bring this Discourse yet nearer , and set it home upon their Consciences , I proceed in the second Book to show what those Laws are in particular which we are bound to obey , what is the nature of those several vertues and vices which are enjoined or forbidden by them ; and from what expectations , and under what forfeitures we are bound to obey them . This indeed I found to be a toilsome work , and the most tedious part of this whole enquiry : but I thought it extreamly needful to a thorow piety , and a well-grounded peace , and that made me that I would not pass it over . For in the business of Duty and Obedience , men will ordinarily go no further than they needs must , but stand their ground , and dispute it out so long as they have any post in reserve to which they can still retreat . First , They do not believe that this or that particular vertue , which is urged upon them , is a Law of God ; or , if they are forced to believe that , they think it is not so necessary that Heaven and eternal life should depend upon it ; or if at last they are made to see that too , yet still they are in ignorance or errour about the nature of it , and so have no sense of guilt , or remorse of mind when they transgress and act against it . And therefore to make every particular Law have a full force upon them , both its nature and necessity must be evidently laid before them . They must be shewed what that is which it requires , and under what penalties it requires it . And then their Consciences are awakened , and their fears are raised , and so the Law is set in its full force to oblige them to its performance . Thus necessary is such a particular Discourse upon the several Laws of God and Instances of Duty to a pious performance of them ; and it is no less necessary to a peaceable assurance in them that do . For unless a man knows the several instances of Duty , and understands what is meant by them ; he cannot discern when he keeps , or when he breaks them , and so can have no comfort , or promise himself any reward upon his performance of them . In the third Book I proceed to shew what sort of obedience is indispensably required of us to all the particular Laws which are described in the Second . And the necessary qualifications of it I reduce to two ; viz. sincerity , and integrity . In discoursing upon which I endeavour to set out all the Parts , and state the just bounds of this obedience ; and to examine those pretences , and confute those false grounds whereby men , who are unwilling to perform it , seek to evade or undermine it . And having in the three first Books proceeded thus far in asserting the necessity , and setting out the true compass and just extent of piety ; I go on to consult more directly the interests of peace in those two that follow . In the fourth Book I shew what defects are consistent with that indispensable pitch of piety before described , and what destroy it . And this being a Point whereupon the peace of Consciences so nearly depends , I have been particular in the explication of it , and large in the proof . Those sins which are inconsistent with it , and destroy a state of Grace , are such as are voluntary and wilful : whereof some only destroy the state of acceptance for the present ; but others either greatly wound , or utterly extinguish that habitual Vertue which should restore us to it for the time to come . But others there are which are allowed by it , and do not overthrow it ; viz. all such defects as are involuntary , whether they be sins of innocent unwilled ignorance , or inconsideration . In discoursing whereupon , as I have been studious to explain them so particularly that no honest heart might fall into fears and doubts about them ; so have I been careful withal to adde such marks and limitations to them , that no wilfully ignorant or inconsiderate Sinners may take encouragement thence to presume . In the fifth Book I shew what is the remedy for all sin , and the Gospel-instrument of reconciliation ; that so when at any time men are possessed with just fears by being fallen into real danger , they may again be restored to peace in their own minds by being first restored to Gods pardon . And having proceeded thus far in shewing what measures and degrees of piety God will exact of us , what failings he will connive at in us , and upon what terms , when once we have offended him , he will be again reconciled to us : I have gone in the last place to remove several causeless grounds of scruple , which make good men fear where no fear is , and condemn themselves when God will graciously acquit them . These are the matters treated on in the ensuing Discourse , which was at first drawn up to serve the spiritual necessities of a truly pious soul , and which I have now sent abroad into the world , being made to believe it will not be altogether unserviceable to the Publick . If thereby I may promote the great end of my Lord and Saviour , in contributing to the growth of piety and the peace of consciences ; I shall think my self most happy in having been a Furtherer , though in a low degree , of so noble and excellent a Design . But whatever the success in that be , I am sure I shall have the reward of a religious Design , and an honest endeavour , from him who estimates our pains , not by their events , which are not in our own power , but by their natural tendency , and our intentions , which are . In which confidence I send it out into the world , depending upon his Grace to set it home upon the Conscience , and make it effectual to guide the practice , and secure the comfort both of thee and me . For which end I hope I shall have the hearty prayers of all good men , especially of those , if any such there be , who shall receive benefit by this Treatise . THE CONTENTS . The INTRODUCTION . The Contents . Religious men inquisitive after their future state . Three Articles of Christian belief cause such inquisitiveness . The Articles of Eternal Life , and the Resurrection , make men desire satisfaction . The Article of the last Judgment encourages the search , and points out a way towards it . A proposal of the present Design , and the matters treated of in the ensuing Discourse . page 1 BOOK . I. Of the indispensable Condition of happiness in the general . CHAP. I. Of Obedience , the general Condition of happiness . The Contents . OBedience the indispensable Condition of happiness . The Laws of the Gospel are given as a Rule to it . The Promises are all upon condition of it , and intended to encourage it . All the threatnings are now denounced , and will be executed upon the disobedient . Of those other things whereto pardon is promised , as well as to Obedience . Of Metonymy's . Of the Principles Of humane actions . Of Principles of Obedience . All those speeches metonymical , where Obedience is not express'd , and yet pardon is promised . p. 8 CHAP. II. Of pardon promised to Faith , Knowledge and being in Christ. The Contents . Of pardon and happiness promised to Faith and Knowledg . Of the nature of Faith in general Of natural , Jewish , and Christian Faith. Of this last as ●ustifying and saving . Of the fitness of Christian Faith and Knowledg to produce Obedience . Pardon promised to them no further than they are productive of it . Of pardon promised to being in Christ. Christ sometimes signifies the Christian Religion , sometimes the Christian Church Being in Christ , is being of Christ's Religion , or a Member of Christ's Church . The fitness of these to effect Obedience . Pardon promised to them no further than they do . 20 CHAP. III. Of pardon promised to Repentance . The Contents . Of pardon promised to Repentance , Regeneration , a New Nature , a New Creature . The nature of Repentance , it includes amendment and obedience . The nature of Regeneration and a New Creature . It s fitness to produce Obedience . Some mens repentance ineffectual . The folly of it . Pardon promised to Repentance and Regeneration no further than they effect Obedience . In the case of dying Penitents a change of mind accepted without a change of practice . That only where God sees a change of practice woul● ensue upon it . This would seldome happen upon death bed resolutions and Repentance . The general ineffectiveness of this shown by experien●s . Two reasons of it . 1. Because it proceeds ordinarily upon an inconstant temporary Principle , viz. nearness of Death , and present fears of it . Though it always begins there , yet sometimes it grows up upon a Principle that is more lasting ; viz. a conviction of the absolute necessity of Heaven and a Holy Life . 2. Because it is ordinarily in a weak and incompetent degree . All TRVE resolution is not able to reform men . Sick bed resolutions generally unable . Such ineffective resolutions unavailing to mens pardon . 34 CHAP. IV. Of pardon promised to Confession of Sins , and to Conversion . The Contents . Of pardon promised to confession of sins . The nature and qualifications of a saving Confession . It s fitness to make us forsake sin . The ineffectiveness of most mens confessions . The folly and impiety of it . Pardon promised to confession no further than it produces Obedience . Of pardon promised to conversion . The nature of conversion . It includes Obedience , and is but another name for it . 55 CHAP. V. Of pardon promised to Prayer . The Contents . Of pardon promised to Prayer . Of the influence which our Prayers have upon our Obedience . Of the presumption or idleness of most mens prayers . Of the impudence , hypocrisie , and uselessness of such Petitions . Then our prayers are heard , when they are according to Gods will : when we pray for pardon in Repentance , and for strength and assistance in the use of our own endeavours . Pardon promised to Prayer no further than it effects this Obedience , and penitential endeavour . 64 CHAP. VI. Of pardon promised to our fear of God , and trust in him . The Contents . Of pardon promised to our fear of God , and trust in him . Of the influence which mens fears have upon their endeavours , and how they carry on ignorant minds into superstition , but well-informed judgments to obedience . Of the influence of mens trust in God upon their obedience . The ineffectiveness of most mens trust . Of the presumption and infidelity of such confidence . That pardon is promised to fear and trust so far only as we obey with them . 76 CHAP. VII . Of pardon promised to the love of God , and of our Neighbour . The Contents . Of pardon promised to the love of God , and of our Neighbour . Of the fitness of an universal love to produce an universal obedience . That pardon is promised to it for this reason . The Conclusion . 85 BOOK II. Of the Laws of the Gospel , which are the Rule of this Obedience in particular . CHAP. I. Of the particular Laws comprehended under the Duty of Sobriety . The Contents . A Division of our Duty into three general Vertues , Piety , Sobriety , Righteousness . Of the nature of Sobriety . The particular Laws commanding and prohibiting under this first Member . A larger explication of the nature of Mortification . 94 CHAP. II. Of LOVE the Epitome of Duty towards God and men , and of the particular Laws comprehended under Piety towards God. The Contents . Of the Duties of Piety and Righteousness , both comprehended in one general Duty , LOVE . It the Epitome of our Duty . The great happiness of a good nature . The kind temper of the Christian Religion . Of the effects of LOVE . The great Duty to God is Honour . The outward expression whereof is Worship . The great offence is dishonour . Of the several Duties and transgressions contained under both . 106 CHAP. III. Of the particular Duties contained under Justice and Charity . The Contents . Of the particular Duties contained under Justice and Charity . Both are only expressions of Love , which is the fulfilling of the Law. Of the particular sins against both . Of scandal . Of the combination of Justice and Charity in a state that results from both , viz. peace . Of the several Duties comprehended under it . Of the particular sins reducible to unpeaceableness . Of the latitude of the word Neighbour , to whom all these dutiful expressions are due . It s narrowness in the Jewish sense . It s universality in the Christian. 114 CHAP. IV. Of our Duties to men in particular Relations . The Contents . Of our Duties to other men in particular Relations . The Duties enjoined , and the sins prohibited towards Kings and Princes , Bishops and other Ministers . The particular Duties and sins in the relation of Husband and Wife , Parents and Children , Brethren and Sisters , Masters and Servants . Of the two Sacraments , and Repentance . A recital of all particular Duties enjoined , and sins prohibited to Christians . Of the harmlesness of a defective enumeration , the Duties of the Gospel being suggested not only outwardly in Books , but inwardly by mens own passions and consciences . 134 CHAP. V. Of the Sanction of the foregoing Laws . The Contents . Of the Sanction of all the forementioned particular Laws . That they are bound upon us by our hopes of Heaven , and our fears of Hell. Of the Sanction of all the particular affirmative or commanding Laws . 168 CHAP. VI. Of the Sanction of all the forbidding Laws . The Contents . Of the Sanction of all the negative or forbidding Laws particularly . The perfection of the Christian Law. How our Duty exceeds that of the Heathens under the revelations of Nature . And that of the Jews under the additional light of Moses's Law. 190 BOOK III. What degrees and manner of Obedience is required to all the Laws forementioned . CHAP. I. Of Sincerity . The Contents . THE first qualification of an acceptable obedience , that it be sincere . Two things implied in sincerity , truth or undissembledness , and purity or unmixedness of our service . Of the first Notion of sincerity , as opposite to hyyocrisie , or doing what God commands out of a real intention and design to serve him . Of a two-fold intention , actual and express ; or habitual and implicite . Of intention in general , and of these two in particular . Where an actual intention is necessary , and where an habitual is sufficient to our Obedience . Of the second Notion of sincerity , as it notes purity of our service in opposition to mixture and corrupt alloy . This Point stated , viz. What intention of our good together with Gods service is consistent with an acceptable and sincere Obedience , and what destroys it . Integrity of our Obedience a sure mark whereby to judge whether it be sincere or no. 211 CHAP. II. Of the second qualification of al acceptable obedience , viz. integrity . The Contents . Of the second qualification of an acceptable Obedience , viz. integrity . The Notion of integrity or uprightness . A three fold integrity . Of the integrity of our powers and faculties . Or of the Obedience with our minds , affections , wills , and bodily powers . How God is to be obeyed with the first faculty , our minds or understandings . God is to be obeyed with the second faculty , our affections . This Question stated , How God and his Laws , which are spiritual things , are proportionate Objects for our love and affections , which are bodily faculties . Of the difference betwixt our love of God , and of the World : that this is more warm and sensible ; that more lasting and powerful . An account of what measures of Obedience in our minds and affections , is necessary to the acceptance of our service . That contrivances and consultations for evil things , and such mere apprehensions as are particularly forbidden , are deadly and damning ; but that all other bare apprehensions ; and that all our affections after good or evil things will be rewarded or punished , not merely for themselves , but only as they are Causes and Principles of good or evil choice and practice . God to be obeyed with the third faculty , our wills . He cannot be served without them . Men are guilty of sin if they chuse it and consent to it , though they cannot act it . All this service of our inward faculties is in order to our outward works and operations . 240 CHAP. III. Of Obedience with the fourth faculty , viz. our executive or bodily powers , and outward operations . The Contents . God is to be obeyed with the fourth faculty , viz. our executive or bodily powers , and outward operations . The great difficulty of Obedience in this instance . Four false grounds whereupon men shift off the necessity of this service with their works and actions . First , A hope to be saved for a true belief or orthodox opinions , Mens confidence in this represented The folly of it . Orthodox Faith and Professions no further available , than they produce obedient works and actions . Secondly , A hope of salvation upon an Obedience of idle desires and ineffective wishes . An opinion of some Casuists , That a desire of Grace is Grace , refuted This stated , and a distinct explication of what is promised to the desire of Obedience , and what to Obedience it self . The pretence for this acceptance of idle desires from Gal. 5.17 . considered . An account when the will and desire is taken for the deed and performance . That Text 2 Cor. 8.11 , 12. plainly vindicated . Thirdly , A hope of being saved notwithstanding they do sin , because they are insnared into it through the strength of temptations . The folly of this . Our own lusts make temptations strong . The Grace of the Gospel is sufficient to overcome them . Fourthly , A hope of being excused because they transgress with an unwilling mind . These mens state represented . Vnwillingness in sin a mitigation , but no sufficient excuse . Some strugling in most actions both of good and bad men . The strife of the Flesh and Spirit . Two sorts of men feel nothing of it , viz. the Saints in Heaven after the Resurrection , and some profligate Sinners here now on Earth . All good men , and the generality of evil are subject to it in this life . Mens peremptory will and last choice determines their condition . 259 CHAP. IV. A further pursuit of this last ground of shifting off the obedience of our actions , in an Exposition of the 7 th Chapter to the Romans . The Contents . A further purs●it of this last ground of false confidence . The Plea for it from Rom. 7. represented . This refuted A M●t●schematism usual with Saint Paul in an odiou Topi●k The Apostle shown not to spe●k of h●mself in that Chapter ▪ because of several things there spoken which are not truly applicable to him . This evidenced in sundry instances . Nor to have spoken in the person of any regenerate man , which is proved by the same reason , and manifested in sundry Particulars . But to have personated a strugling , but as yet unregenerated Jew , who had no further assistance against his lusts , but the weak and ineffective Law of Moses . This shown from the order and design of that Chapter . This whole matter represented in a Paraphrase upon the seventh Chapter , with part of the sixth and the eighth . Two Reasons of the inability of Moses's Law to make men wholly obedient ; and the perfection , as to them , of the Law of Christ , viz. First , The promise of eternal life . Secondly , The promise of the Spirit . Both these were wanting in the Law ; and are most clearly supplied in the Gospel . The Jews had the assistance of the Spirit , not by virtue of any Article in their Law ; but by the gracious Covenant of the Gospel , which has been confirmed with the world ever since Adam . The Law mentioned in Scripture as a weak and mean instrument upon the account of these defects . This weakness of the Law set off particularly in this seventh to the Romans . No hopes to any man who acts sin from this Chapter ; but plain declarations of the necessity of a w●rking obedience shown in several expressions of it to that purpose . A proof of the necessity of this fourth part of integrity , the obedience of our ex●cutive powers in our work● and actions ; and the insignificancy of all the rest when it is wanting . 283 CHAP. V. Of the s●cond sort of integrity , an integrity of times and seasons . The Contents . Of the second sort of integrity , viz. that of times and seasons . Of the unconstancy of many mens obedience . Perseverance necessary unto bliss . The desperate case of Apostates , both as to the difficulty of their recovery from sin , and the greatness of their punishment . 325 CHAP. VI. Of the third fort of integrity , viz. that of the object ; or of obedience to all the particular Laws and parts of Duty . The Contents . Of the partiality of mens Obedience from their love of some particular sins . Three pretences whereby they justifie the allowed practice of some sins , whilst they are obedient in some other instances . The first pretence is the preservation of their Religion and themselves in times of persecution . A particular account of mens disobedience under this pretence . The vanity of it shown from the following considerations . Religion needs not to be rescued from persecution . The freedom of outward means of Religion is restrained by it , but the substance of Religion it self is not . It is extended in some parts , and ennobled in all by sufferings . Where it needs to be defended , disobedience is no fit means to preserve it , because God cannot be honoured , nor Religion served by it . Religion and the love of God is only the colour ; but the true and real cause of such disobedience is a want of Religion , and too great a love of mens own selves . Men are liable to be deceived by this pretence from a wrong Notion of Religion for religious opinions and professions . A true Notion of Religion for religious practice upon a religious belief , as it implies both faith and obedience . The danger of disobedience upon this pretence . The practice of all religious men in this case . Of Religion in the narrow acceptation , for religious professions and opinions . The commendable way of mens preserving it . First , By acting within their own sphere . Secondly , By the use only of lawful means . Thirdly , By a zeal in the first place for the practice of religious Laws , and next to that for the free profession of religious opinions . 330 CHAP. VII . Of the two remaining pretences for a partial obedience . The Contents . The second pretence for the allowed practice of some sins whilst men obey in others , is the serving of their necessities by sinful arts in times of indigence . An account of mens disobedience upon this pretence . The vanity of it , and the danger of disobeying through it . A third pretence is bodily temper and complexion , age , and way of life . A representation of mens disobedience upon this pretence . The vanity of it , and the danger of sinning through it . No justifying Plea for disobedience from our age . Nor from our way of life . Nor from our natural temper and complexion , So that this integrity of the Object is excusable upon no pretence . It was always required to mens acceptance . 355 CHAP. VIII . Of obeying with all the heart , and all the soul , &c. The Contents . Of obeying God with all the heart , and with all the strength , &c. It includes not all desire and endeavour after other things , but it implies , First , Sincerity . Secondly , Fervency . Thirdly , Integrity , or obeying , not some but , all the Laws of God. These three include all that is contained in it ; which is shown from their obedience , who are said in Scripture to have fulfilled it . Integrity implies sincerity and fervency , and love with all the heart is explained in the places where it is mentioned , by loving him entirely . Sincerity and uprightness the Conditions of an acceptable Obedience . This a hard Condition in the degeneracy of our manners ; but that is our own fault . It was easie and universally performed by the primitive Christians . This shown from the Characters of the Apostles , and of the primitive Writers . Hence it was that they could despise Death , and even provoke Martyrdom . Some Pleas from our impotence against the strictness of this Obedience , which are considered in the next Book . 370 BOOK IV. Shewing what defects are consistent with a regenerate state , and dispensed with in the Gospel . CHAP. I. Shewing in general that some sins are consistent with a state of Grace . The Contents . SOme failings consistent with a state of Grace . This shewn in the general ; First , From the necessity of humane Nature , which cannot live without them . Secondly , From sundry examples of pious men , who had right to life whilst they lived in them . 385 CHAP. II. Of the nature of these consistent slips more particularly . The Contents . Our unchosen sins are consistent with a state of Grace , but our wilful and chosen ones destroy it . All things are made good or evil , a matter of reward or punishment , by a Law. Laws are given for the guidance and reward only of our voluntary and chosen actions . This proved , first from the clear reason of the thing . Where it is inferred from the nature of Laws , which is to oblige ; from that way that all Laws have of obliging , which is not by forcing , but perswading men ; from the dueness of rewards and punishments , commendations and reproofs ; from the applause or accusations of mens own Consciences upon their obedience or transgressions . Secondly , From the express declarations of Scripture . 396 CHAP. III. Of the nature and danger of voluntary sins . The Contents . The nature of a wilful and a deliberate sin . Why it is called a despising of Gods Law , a sinning presumptuously , and with a high hand . Wilful sins of two sorts , viz. some chosen directly and expresly , others only indirectly and by interpretation . Of direct and interpretative volition . Things chosen in the latter way justly imputable . Of the voluntary causes of inconsideration in sins of commission , which are drunkenness , an indulged passion , or a habit of sin . Of the power of these to make men inconsiderate . The cause of inconsideration in sins of omission , viz. Neglect of the means of acquiring Vertue . Of the voluntariness of all these causes . Of the voluntariness of drunkenness ; when it m●y be looked upon as involuntary . Of the voluntariness of an indulged passion ; mens great errour lies in indulging the beginnings of sin . Of the voluntariness and crying guilt of a habit of sin . Of the voluntariness of mens neglect of the means of Vertue . No wilful sin is consistent with a state of Grace , but all are damning . A distinct account of the effect of wilful sins , viz. when they only destroy our acceptance for the present , and when moreover they greatly wound and endanger that habitual Vertue which is the foundation of it , and which should again restore us to it for the time to come . These last are particularly taken notice of in the accounts of God. 409 CHAP. IV. Of the nature of involuntary sins , and of their consistence with a state of salvation . The Contents . Of involuntary actions . Of what account the forced actions of the Body are in Morals . Two causes of involuntariness . First , The violence of mens passions . It doth not excuse . Secondly , The ignorance of their understandings . This is the cause of all our consistent failings , and the sins that are involuntary upon this account are consistent with a state of salvation . This proved , 1. From their unavoidableness ; The causes of it ; in what sense any particular sin among them is said to be avoidable . 2. From the nature of God. A representation of God's nature from his own Word . and mens experience . The Argument drawn from it for the consistence of such failings . 3. From the nature and declarations of the Gospel . It is fitted to beget a cheerful and filial confidence , and therefore is called the Spirit of Adoption . The Argument from this . The Scripture Declarations and Examples in this matter . These Arguments summed up . 440 CHAP. V. Of these involuntary and consistent sins particularly ; and of the first cause of innocent involuntariness , viz. ignorance . The Contents . A twofold knowledg necessary to choice , viz. a general understanding , and particular consideration . Consistent sins are either sins of ignorance , or of inconsideration . Of sins involuntary through ignorance of the general Law which makes a Duty . How there is still room for it in the World. Of crying sins , which are against natural Conscience , no man can be innocently ignorant . Of what others he may . This ignorance is necessary to all men for some time , and to some for all their lives . Mens sins upon it are not damning . Of sins involuntary through our ignorance of the present actions being included in the known Law , and meant by it . The causes of this ignorance . First , The difference between good and evil in some actions being not in kind , but only in degree . Secondly , The limitedness of most Laws which admit of exceptions , Thirdly , The indirect obligations which pass upon several indifferent actions . Fourthly , The clashing of several Laws , whence one is transgressed in pursuit of another ; the great errour upon this score i● in the case of zeal . Fifthly , The clashing of Laws with opinions or prejudices . 461 CHAP. VI. Of Prejudice . The Contents . The nature of prejudice . It a cause of ignorance of our Duty . The difference betwixt things being proposed to a free and empty , and to a prejudiced or prepossessed mind . An evident proposal sufficient to make a free mind understand its Duty ; but besides it , a confutation of its repugnant prejudice is necessary to a mind that is prepossessed . An account of several Opinions which make men ignorant of several instances of Duty . One prejudice , that nothing is lawful in Gods Worship , but what is authorized by an express command , or example of Scripture ; the acts of sin that are justified by this prejudice . Another that all private men are publick Protectors of Religion , and the Christian Faith ; the acts of sin justified by this Opinions . Other Opinions cause a sinful neglect of the Sacraments . These are incident to some honest and obedient hearts . An account of other prejudices , as that Christ is a Temporal King ; the acts of disobedience authorized by this Opinion . That a good end will justifie an evil action ; the acts of sin upon this perswasion . That Dominion is founded in Grace ; the disobedient acts avowed by this Principle These are more disobedient and damning . The case stated , what prejudices are consistent with , and what destroy salvation . Some prejudices get into mens minds , not through a disobedient heart , but through weakness of understanding , and fallibility of the means of knowledge . These are consistent with a state of salvation . An instance of this in the prejudice of the Apostles about preaching of the Gospel to all Nations . Other prejudices get into mens minds through damning lusts or sins . A brief account of the influence of mens lusts and vices upon their Opinions . This is illustrated in the Gnosticks . They were famous for covetousness , and worldly compliances ; and for impure lusts , and excess in bodily pleasures . The effect of these in producing agreeable Opinions . Another of their vices was a turbulent and seditious humour . Their Opinion was answerable . A further illustration of it from the Pharisees . An account of their vices , and the influence which they had in begetting vile perswasions . This influence of mens lust upon their judgments proved from the Scriptures . The damnableness of such prejudices as enter this way . Certain marks whereby to judge when prejudices proceed from unmortified lusts . As first , If the sin whereto the prejudice serves , is unmortified in them . Secondly , If it lye so near to the prejudice , that we could not but see that it ministred to it , when we embraced it . Thirdly , Though it lye more remote , if we still adhere to it when we plainly see that some unquestionable and notorious Laws are evacuated , or infringed by it . A Rule to prevent disobedient prejudices ; viz. Let Laws be the Rule whereby to judge of truth in opinions , not opinions the Rule whereby to measure the Obligation of Laws . Some Reasons of this , viz. Because Laws are more plain and certain , but opinions are more difficult and dubious : Obedience to Laws is the end of revealed truth , and so fit to measure it , not to be measured by it . 480 CHAP. VII . A sixth cause of ignorance of the present actions being comprehended under a known Law. And of the excusableness of our transgressions upon both these sorts of ignorance . The Contents . All the forementioned causes of ignorance of our present actions being included in the known Law , are such to knowing and learned men . Besides them , the difficult and obscure nature of several sins is a general cause of it to the rude and unlearned . Sins upon this ignorance , as well as upon ignorance of the Law it self , unchosen , and so consistent with a state of Grace and Salvation . Where there is something of choice in it they extenuate the sin and abate the punishment , though they do not wholly excuse it . The excuse for these actions is only whilst we are plainly ignorant : they are damning when we are enlightened so far as to doubt of them , but pardonable whilst we are in darkness or errour . This excuse is for both the modes of ignorance , 1. Forgetfulness ; 2. Errour . All this pardon hitherto discoursed of upon the account of ignorance of either sort , is no further than the ignorance it self is involuntary . The wilfulness of some mens ignorance . The several steps in voluntary ignorance . The causes of it , Two things required to render ignorance involuntary , 1. An honest heart , 2. An honest industry . What measures necessary to the acceptance of this industry . Gods candor in judging of its sufficiency . This Discourse upon this first cause of an innocent involuntariness , viz. ignorance , summed up . 522 CHAP. VIII . Of sins consistent through the second Cause of an innocent involuntariness , viz. inconsideration . The Contents . Consideration is necessary to choice . Some sins are inconsiderate . Three innocent causes of inconsideration : 1. Suddenness and surprize of opportunity . An account of this . The involuntariness of it . Slips upon it are consistent . 2. Weariness of our thinking powers or understandings . An account of this ; and of its involuntariness . The consistence of our transgressions by reason of it . 3. Discomposure or disturbance of them . An account of this . The causes of it are Drunkenness , or a strong Passion . Drunkenness is always our own fault . Our Passions grow strong in us sometimes by our own indulgence , and then they are our damning sin , and we must suffer for the evil that we commit under them : sometimes through the suddenness , and greatness of outward Objects ; and then they are pardonable , and our inconsiderate slips upon them are excusable . The passions which have good for their Object , as Love , Desire , &c. cannot by any force of outward objects be so suddenly forced upon us . But the passions which have evil , as grief , anger , and fear especially , often are . The reason of this difference . Inconsideration upon the latter excusable , but not upon the former . This difference made by our Saviour in a case where both were criminal . Excusable slips upon discomposure of our thinking powers , are such as proceed from an unwill'd sudden grief or anger , but especially from a sudden fear . No fear is involuntary but what is sudden , and sins upon deliberate fear are damning ; but upon unwill'd sudden fear , grief , or anger , consistent with salvation . Cautions about inconsiderate sins to prevent false confidence . No sin is innocently inconsiderate : 1. Where we have time and an undisturbed understanding . 2. Where the sin is mischievous , or greatly criminal . 3. When we do not strive against it . We must endeavour against all involuntary failings , though we cannot resolve against them . 4. When we are not sorry after we have committed it , nor beg pardon for it . 5. When it is committed with observation . A summary repetition of this fourth Book . 544 BOOK V. Of those Remedies which restore men to a state of Salvation when they are fallen from it ; and of some needless Scruples concerning it . CHAP. I. Of Repentance which restores us to God's Favour after Sins of all sorts . The Contents . THE rigour of the Mosaick Law is taken away by Christ , who came to preach Pardon upon Repentance where that denounced an unavoidable punishment . Repentance is the great Remedy . God heartily desires mens Repentance , and promises Forgiveness to it . This has been preached in all times . The Remedy for our unknown sins . They are uncapable of a particular Prayer and Repentance , but are forgiven upon a general one . The Remedy of wilful sins is a particular Repentance . That is available for their pardon ; for wilful sins after Baptism , as well as before it . Two places , which seem to deny all pardon to wilful sins after Baptism , cleared ; the wilful sin , Heb. 10.26 , is not any wilful transgression of any particular Law of Christ , which have all been pardoned ; but a wilful apostasie from his whole Religion , which is proved from sundry things there spoken of it . The falling away mentioned Heb. 6 , is like wise apostasie from Christianity , which is shewn from those things which they are said to fall from , and those others which are said to be implied in their falling . An account of the desperate state of these men . The state of some habitual Sinners desperate and irreclaimable , by reason their period of Grace is over , but this is no discouragement to any mans Repentance . 568 CHAP. II. Of Reconciliation , and Restitution upon those Sins , whereby we have offended or injured our Brethren . The Contents . Of the necessity of Reconciliation upon Sins whereby we have offended , and of Restitution upon others whereby we have injured our Brethren . In sin three things considerable , the offence against God , and the offence and injury against men . Sins whereby God alone is offended , are sufficiently repented of , and pardonable upon reformation and amendment . Those whereby we have also offended , or injured our Brethren , are not sufficiently repented of , or pardonable upon that alone , unless moreover we seek to be reconciled , and make restitution . These two means of pardon , for affronts , and injuries against men , are necessary fruits of a sincere and sufficient repentance . Of sins whereby we have justly offended our Brethren . Their ill effects represented , which are to be redressed by penitential acknowledgments ▪ and seeking to be reconciled . These penitential acknowledgments necessary only to appease these , whom by our sin we have offended ; and so unnecessary , when they know nothing of our offence . Where they do , Reconciliation is necessary so far only as it can be had , and where we have an opportunity of seeking it . This Discourse upon Reconciliation summed up . Of sins of injustice , whereby we have injured men . Reparation ordinarily necessary to a sincere , and always to a sufficient Repentance of them . 'T is necessary moreover in it self , as an instance of strict Justice . An account of particular injuries , how to be repaired where the injured persons can , and how where they cannot receive it . Restitution necessary whether our Brethren know themselves to be injured by us , or no. It is due only upon sins of injustice . Of the perfect right which we have to things of strict Justice , and of the imperfect right which we have to things of Charity , whence the performance of them is sometimes called righteousness . In sins of in justice , reparation due so far only as we can , and according as we have opportunity to make it . In judging of a just opportunity , caution given that we be neither too strict , so as more than needs to prejudice our selves ; nor too loose , so as to over-charge our Neighbours . This Discourse of reparation upon injuries summed up . 601 CHAP. III. Of the Remedy for involuntary sins . The Contents . Involuntary sins imply something of our own fault , and so 't is fit we should be sorry for them , and beg pardon . They had a remedy under Moses's Law , and have now likewise under Christ's Gospel . We are qualified for their pardon , not by a particular repentance and reformation : but in the general , by our obedience in all our wilful and chosen actions ; in particular , by our prayers for Gods pardon , and our Charity and forgiveness of the sins of other men . This Discourse of Repentance summed up . An Application to particular Offenders , whether voluntary or involuntary . A Summary of all that has been hitherto discoursed . 623 CHAP. IV. Of such groundless Scruples as make safe , but weak Minds doubt of their Title to Salvation . The Contents . Pious minds scrupulous . Their condition is safe even then , but uncomfortable . Several needless grounds of their fears . 1. Ineffective desires of evil . This represented . No man otherwise good shall be condemned for ineffective lusts and thoughts of evil , These are considerable either as to their first birth , or indulged continuance . The first stirrings of lusts after evil things are unavoidable . The after-entertainment is by our own indulgence . Even these are uncondemning so long as they neither are consented to , nor fulfilled , being in themselves not deadly under the Gospel , but a temptation to deadly and damning sins . The way whereby sin wins upon men , and the nature and force of temptation . To be tempted is no sin , which is proved from the nature of temptation , from Adams being tempted before be sinned , and from Christ's being tempted , who knew no sin . Degrees in temptation or in lusts of evil . Some are checked quickly , and are not permitted long to parly . This happens only in grown men and perfect Christians , and that too not in all instances . These certainly are not damning . Others stay longer , and strive and contend with our mind or conscience , although at last they are vanquished by it . This happens ordinarily to younger Converts , and in extraordinary temptations to grown Christians . These still are uncondemning , which is shewn from Gal. 5.16 , 17 ; and from the instance of our Saviour Christ. What lusts and desires of evil are damning . They are condemning when they make us consent to a damning sin . A distinct account of the several s●eps to a sinful action . A proof of this , that from their gaining of our consent in all the after-steps they are mortal . Our lusts must be mortified to that degree , as to be disabled from carrying us on th●s far . This is done when men become true Christians . The better men are , the less difficulty and self-denial do they find in mortification . Watchfulness and strife still necessary . The danger of indulging to temptations , or to lusts and desires of evil . This Point summed up . 63● CHAP. V. Of two other causes of groundless Scruple to good Souls . The Contents . A second cause of scruple is their u●affectedness or distraction sometimes in their prayers . Of the necessity of fixedness and fervency in Devotion when we can , and of Gods readiness to dispense with them when we cannot enjoy them . Attention disturbed often whether we will or no. A particular cause of it in fervent prayers . Fervency and affection not depending so much upon the command of our wills , as upon the temper of our Bodies . Fervency is unconstant in them whose temper is fit for it . God measures us not by the fixedness of our thoughts , or the warmth of our tempers , but by the choice of our wills and the obedience of our lives . Other qualifications in prayer are sufficient to have our prayers heard when these are wanting . Yea , those Vertues which make our prayers acceptable , are more eminently shown in our Obedience , so that it would bring down to us the blessings of prayer , should it prove in those respects defective . A third cause of scruple is the danger of idle or impertinent words mentioned Mat. 12.36 . The scruples upon this represented . The practical errour of a morose behaviour incurred upon it . This discountenanced by the light of Nature , and by Christianity . The benefits and place of serious Discourse . Pleasurable conversation a great Field of Vertue . The idle words Mat. 12 , not every vain and useless ; but false , slanderous and reproachful words ; this proved from the place . 664 CHAP. VI. Of the sin against the Holy Ghost , which is a fourth cause of scruple . The Contents . Some good mens fear upon this account . What is meant in Scripture by the Holy Ghost . Holy Ghost or Spirit is taken for the gifts or effects of it ; whether they be first ordinary , either in our minds or understandings , or in our wills and tempers ; or secondly , extraordinary and miraculous . Extraordinary gifts of all sorts proceed from one and the same Spirit or Holy Ghost ; upon which account any of them indifferently are sometimes called Spirit , sometimes Holy Ghost . Holy Ghost and Spirit are frequently distinguished , and then by Holy Ghost is meant extraordinary gifts respecting the understanding ; by Spirit extraordinary gifts respecting the executive powers . The summ of the explication of this Holy Ghost . What sin against it is unpardonable . To sin against the Holy Ghost is to dishonour him . This is done in every act of sin , but these are not unpardonable . What the unpardonable sin is . Of sin against the ordinary endowments of the Holy Ghost , whether of mind or will ; the several degrees in this , all of them are pardonable . Of sin against the Spirit . Blaspheming of this comes very near it , and was the sin of the Pharisees , Mat. 12 ; but it was pardonable . Of sinning against the Holy Ghost . The Holy Ghost the last means of reducing men to believe the Gospel , that Covenant of Repentance . The sin against it is unpardonable , because such Sinners are irreclamable . All dishonour of this is not unpardonable ; for Simon Magus dishonoured it in actions , who was yet capable of pardon ; but only a blaspheming of it in words . No man is guilty of it whilst he continues Christian. 681 CHAP. VII . The Conclusion . The Contents . Some other causless scruples . The Point of growth in Grace more largely stated . A summary repetition of this whole Discourse . They may dye with courage whose Conscience doth not accuse them . This accusation must not be for idle words , distractions in Prayer , &c. but for a wilful transgression of some Law of Pieey , Sobriety , &c. above mentioned . It must further be particular and express , not general and roving . If an honest mans heart condemn him not for some such unrepented sins , God never will. 700 THE INTRODUCTION . ROM . viij . 1 . There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus , who walk not after the Flesh , but after the Spirit . The Contents . Religious men inquisitive after their future State. Three Articles of Christian belief cause such inquisitiveness . The Articles of Eternal Life , and the Resurrection , make men desire satisfaction . The Article of the last Judgment encourages the search , and points out a way towards it . A proposal of the present design and the matters treated of in the ensuing Discourse . AMong all those things which employ the minds of Religious and Considerate men , there is none that is so much a matter of their thoughtful care and solicitous enquiries , as their Eternal happiness or Misery in the next World. For in Christs Religion there are three great Articles , which being believed , and seriously considered by a nature restlessly desirous of its own happiness ( and such ours is ) must needs render it very inquisitive after some security of its future good estate , and they are these ; The Immortality of the Soul , the Resurrection of the Body , and the great Day of Doom or last Judgment . Whosoever is firmly perswaded of these three , as every man is , or at least pretends to be , who professes himself a Christian , he assuredly believes that when this Life is over , both his Body and Soul shall live again , and be endlessly Delighted or Tormented , Comforted or Distressed in the next world , according as their condition is when they leave this . For by the Doctrine of Eternal Life he is assured that his Soul shall live , and be adjudged to an Eternal bliss or misery . By the Article of the Resurrection he is perswaded that his Body , with all its powers , shall spring out of the dust , and be again enlivened with its ancient Soul , to be a sharer of its state , and joyntly to undergo an endless train of most exquisite woes or pleasures . And since it is the very frame and fundamental principle of our Natures studiously to pursue Pleasure , and to fly as fast from Pain , to seek good and to avoid evil : These states of future Happiness and Misery , are such as no man , who sees and believes them , can possibly be unaffected with , or unconcern'd in . But whosoever in his own thoughts views and beholds them , must needs find all his faculties awake , and through an innate care , and natural instinct , solicitously inquisitive after that lot which shall fall to their own share . Now if this endless happiness and misery both of Soul and Body in the next world were only casual and contingent , the gift of blind chance , or partial and arbitrary favour ; then would the belief of it perplex us indeed with fears and misgiving thoughts , but never encourage us on to any exact care or diligent enquiry . It would be in vain for us to seek what we could never find , and downright folly to endeavour after satisfaction and certainty in things which are utterly casual and Arbitrary . For what comes by chance is neither foreseen by us , nor subject to us . And what is given arbitrarily , without all rule or reason , is as fickle and unconstant as Arbitrary will it self is . It cannot be prevented by any endeavours , because it doth not regard them ; Neither can it be collected beforehand from any fixt rule or reason , seeing it observes none . And what neither our greatest wisdom can foretel , nor our exactest care prevent , it is wholly to no purpose to make a matter of our study and enquiry . But as for the Everlasting happiness or misery of our Souls and Bodies in the other Life , and at the Resurrection , they are not left at random , nor fall out by accident ; but are dispensed by a wise hand , and according to a fixt and established rule . For it is God who distributes them , and this distribution is in Judgment ; and the procedure in that is by Laws , and those laws are unalterably fixt for us , and most plainly declared and published to us in the Gospel . So that now it is no impossible , no nor extream difficult thing for us to understand which shall be our own state in the next world . For the laws are well known , proclaimed daily to every ear , by a whole order of men set apart for that purpose ; their sence and meaning is obvious to any common understanding ; and the Judgment according to them at that day will be true and faithful . God will Absolve all those whom his Gospel acquits , but Condemn every man whom it accuses . There will be no perverting of Justice through fear or favour , no Sentence passed through partiality or ill will ; but a Tryal every way unbyassed and uncorrupt , where Every one shall receive according to the things done in the body , 2 Cor. 5.10 . And Judgment shall pass upon all men according to their works , Rom. 2.6 . And thus as the belief of the two former Articles , the immortal state either of Bliss or Misery for our Souls , and the Resurrection of our Bodies , will inflame us with restless desires : so if we seriously believe it , will this third Article of the great and general Judgment possess us with sure hopes of being satisfyed in this great enquiry , which of the two States will fall to our own share . And as this belief of the last Judgment will be the most effectual means to encourage , so will it be withal the surest to guide our Enquiries after it . It chalks us out a method for our search , and directs us to the readiest course for satisfaction . For if the happiness and misery of the next world is to be dispensed to every man for a reward or punishment , according to the direction of those Laws which promise or threaten them : then have we nothing more to do in this enquiry , but to examine well what those laws are , what obedience they require , what allowances and mitigations they will bear , and what lot and condition they assign us . For in that day we shall be look'd upon to be what they declare us ; and be doom'd to that state which they pronounce for us . What they speak to us all now , that the Judge of all the world will pronounce upon us all then : their sentence shall be his , and what they denounce he will execute . He will judge us by no other measure but his own Laws ; those very Laws which he has taken so much care to proclaim to us , and continually to press upon us ; which he has put into every one of our hands , and made to be sounding daily in our ears ; the laws and sanctions of the Gospel . Our blessed Saviour Christ the Judge himself has told us this long ago , The word that I have spoken , the same shall judge men at the last day , Joh. 12.48 . And his great Apostle Paul has again confirmed it , Rom. 2. God shall judge the world at that day according to my Gospel , vers . 16. If we perform what those Laws peremptorily require , they now already declare us blessed , and such at the last day will Christ pronounce us . But if by sinning against them we fall short of it , they denounce nothing but everlasting woes and miseries , and those he will execute : For he tells us plainly , that when he shall come to judgment in the Glory of his Father with his holy Angels , he will reward every man according to his works , Mat. 16.27 . To them who , by patient continuance in well-doing , seek for glory and immortality , he will give eternal life , Rom. 2.7 . But to them who obey not the Truth , but obey unrighteousness , indignation , and wrath , tribulation and anguish , and that upon every man , whether he be Jew or Gentile , vers . 8 , 9. For all this shall be acted in the greatest integrity , without preferring one before an other . It is only the difference in mens works , which shall difference their conditions ; but they who have been equal in their sins , shall be equal also in their sufferings . For at the appearance of Jesus Christ , God , as S t Peter tells us , without any respect of persons judges according to every mans work , 1 Pet. 1.7.17 . The way then whereby to satisfie our selves in this great matter , is this , To look well into the Gospel , there to learn what we should be ; and into our own hearts and lives , there to see what indeed we are ; and thence to conclude what in the next world , whether in a state of Life or Death , we shall be . And to shew this to every man , and to let him see now beforehand how he stands prepared for the next world , and whether , if he should be called away presently to the Bar of that Judgment , he would be everlastingly acquitted or condemned in it , is my present business and design . It is to let us see our Eternal Condition before we enter on it , and to make it evident to every man , who is both capable and willing to be instructed , what shall be his endless doom of Life or Death before the Judge pronounce it . And since the Rule of that Court whereby we must all be tryed , and which must measure out to us either Life or Death , is , as we have seen , none other than the Gospel of our Judge and Saviour Jesus Christ : that I may manage this enquiry with the greater light and clearness , I will proceed in this method . First , I will enquire , What is that condition of our happiness or misery , which the Gospel indispensably exacts . Secondly , What are its mitigations and allowances , those defects which it pardons and bears with . And when at any time we fall short of this condition , and thereby forfeit all right and title to that happiness and pardon which is promised to us upon it : Then Thirdly , What are those remedies and means of recovery , which it points us out for restoring our selves again unto a state of Grace and Favour , and whereupon we shall be reconciled . And having by this means discovered what in the great and general judgment shall really and truly determine our last estate , what shall be connived at in it ; and , when once 't is lost , what shall restore to it : I shall in the Fourth and last place Remove those groundless doubts and scruples , which perplex the minds of good and safe , but yet erring and misguided people concerni●● it . And having in this manner cleared up all th●se things relating to our last doom , and shew●●●oth what in the Judgment shall be indispensably required to our salvation ; what Defects do not overthrow , but consist with it ; what Remedies when 't is wounded or lost , can heal and restore us to it ; and what , and of how great consideration those things really are , which being wrong understood , do often create causless fears and jealousies in good peoples minds about it : Having , I say , clearly accounted for all these , I suppose I may think I have said enough to shew men their Future State , and fairly take leave of this Argument . BOOK I. Of the indispensable condition of happiness in the general . CHAP. I. Of Obedience , the general condition of happiness . The CONTENTS . Obedience the indispensable condition of happiness . The Laws of the Gospel are given as a Rule to it . The Promises are all upon condition of it , and intended to encourage it . All the threatnings are now denounced , and will be executed upon the disobedient . Of those other things whereto Pardon is promised , as well as to obedience . Of Metonymy's . Of the Principles of Humane Actions . Of Principles of Obedience . All those speeches metonymical , where obedience is not express'd , and yet pardon is promised . THat Condition which the Gospel indispensably requires of us , and which is to mete out to us our last doom of Bliss or Misery , is in the General our Obedience . When we are brought to that Bar , and stand to be judged according to those Laws which are proclaim'd to us in the Gospel , it is only our having kept them , and Repented of all such transgressions of them as we have wilfully been guilty of , which can capacitate us to be rewarded by them . For 't is just with them , as it is with all other Laws , they never promise any thing but to obedience , but threaten and punish all that disobey . Whosoever breaks and despises them is guilty , they do not comfort but accuse , not acquit but condemn him . For there is no Law that is wisely ordered , but is sufficiently guarded against affront , and back'd with such punishments as will make it every mans interest to fulfil and keep it . The evil threatned , must always by far exceed the pleasure that is reaped by disobedience ; so that no man may have any temptation sufficient to bear him out in Sin , or ever hope to be a gainer by his transgression . This is the tenour of all wise laws , whose enactors have both wit and power sufficient to defend them . They have dreadful Punishments annexed to them , which take place upon disobedience ; they encourage and reward the obedient , but severely punish all that dare presume to disobey . And this is most eminently seen in all the Laws of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He gave them for the compleatest Rules to mens Lives , and has annexed to them most glorious Promises to encourage our obedience , but has made them breath out nothing but woes , and intolerable punishments to all that disobey . He has given them for Rules of Life , and annexed Rewards as encouragements to obedience . He never intended his Laws for an entertainment of our eyes , but for a Rule for our Actions ; not for a matter of talk and discourse , but of practice ; not to be complemented by words of honour , and lofty expressions , but to be own'd in our lives , and served by obedience . He is our King , and issues out his Laws as the instruments of his Government : he is our Lord , and they are Rulers for his Service . They must be guides of our Lives and Actions ; it is not enough to know and talk of them , but as ever we hope to live by them we must do and keep them . For in the end they will be available to no mans happiness , but his who has conscientiously performed them . In Christ Jesus , or the Christian Religion , says S t Paul , nothing avails but keeping of the Commandments of God , 1 Cor. 7.19 . Blessed are they , saith S t John , who do the Commandments , for they only have right to the Tree of Life , Rev. 22.14 . It is not an idle wish , or ineffectual endeavour ; but a thorough practice and performance of Christs Laws which can continue us in his Love , and approve us Righteous in his Judgment . If ye keep my Commandments , says he , ye shall abide in my Love , Joh. 15.10 . Let no man deceive you , for it is he only that * doth Righteousness , who in Gods account is Righteous , 1 Joh. 3.7 . They only are pronounced Righteous and Sons of God in the Gospels estimation , who walk after the spirit , Rom. 8.4 . who are led by the spirit , vers . 14. who bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit , ( all words expressing Action and Practice ) Gal. 5 . 16-22 . No man therefore will be acquitted and rewarded at that Bar barely for knowing and ‖ discoursing , for wishing or desiring : but only for working and obeying . Such only the Gospel reckons for true servants now ; his servants ye are , not whom you confess in words , but whom in actions you obey , Rom. 6.16 . And such only he will honour and reward then . For it is not every one who fawns upon me in his words whilest he reproaches me in his actions ; who says unto me , Lord , Lord , that shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven ; but he only who doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven : Which will he had just then proclaim'd to them in that Volume of Christian Laws , which was published in the Sermon upon the Mount , whereof this is in part the conclusion , Matt. 7.21 . He tells us that when the Son of Man shall come to judgment , he will reward every man according to his works , Matt. 16.27 . and he repeats it again in his declaration to S t John , Behold I come quickly , and my reward is with me , to give every man according as his work shall be , Rev. 22.12 And so it was in that Prophetick sight of the Last Judgment , which this same Apostle had vouchsafed him , Rev. 20. For there , as we are told , when the Sea gave up the Dead which were in it ; and Death and Hell delivered up the Dead which were in them ; and they all both small and great stood before the Throne , and him that sate thereon : they were judged every man according to his WORKS , vers . 11 , 12 , 13. His Laws then Christ has given us , not for talk and discourse , but for action and practice ; and his Promises he has annexed to them ; not as rewards of idleness , but only of active service and obedience : Wherein if men fail , Gods Rewards belong not to them : they can make no claim or colourable pretence to them because they cannot show that which is to be rewarded by him . Nay further , if men disobey , they are not only excluded from all glorious hopes ; but are moreover put into a desperate state of fears and dreadful expectations . For God has back'd his Laws with threatnings as well as promises : and as they propose most noble rewards to all that are obedient ; so likewise do they breath out most intolerable punishments to all that disobey . For every Man at the last day will be declared a Child of wrath , who is a son of disobedience ; and he shall most certainly be Damned who dyes without amendment and Repentance , in works which are wilfully and deliberately sinful . Christs Gospel has already judged this long before-hand ; and at that day he will confirm it . When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels : i. e. when he shall come with his Royal attendance to judge the world , He will take vengeance , says S t Paul , on all them that OBEY not his Gospel , who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord , 2 Thess. 1.7 , 8 , 9. When he comes in state with the ten thousands of his Saints , it will be to execute Judgment upon all that are ungodly , for all the ungodly DEEDS which they have committed , Jude 14 , 15. And when our Lord himself gives a relation of his proceedings at that day , he tells us that whosoever they be , or whatsoever they may pretend , if their works have been disobedient , they shall hear no sentence from him but what consigns them to Eternal Punishment . I will profess thus unto them , says he , I never knew you : Depart from me , ye that WORK iniquity , Matt. 7.23 . This will be the method of Christs Judgment ; and these the measures of his Sentence : he will pronounce Mercy and Life upon all that are obedient , but Death and Hell to all that disobey . And indeed it were hight of folly and madness to expect he should do otherwise , and to fancy that when he comes to judge us , as S t Paul says , according to the Laws of his Gospel , he should absolve and reward us , when in our works and actions we have transgressed them . For this were to thwart his own rule , and to go cross to his own measures ; it were to encourage those , whom his laws threaten ; to acquit such as they condemn : and , in one word , not to judge according to them , as he has expresly declared he will , but against them . If we would know then what condition we shall be adjudged to in the next world , we must examine what our obedience has been in this . We can have no assurance of a favourable Sentence in that Court , but only the doing of our duty . Our last doom shall turn , not upon our knowing or not knowing , our willing or not willing ; but upon our obeying or disobeying . It is in vain to cast about for other marks , and to seek after other evidences : nothing less than this performance of our duty can avail us unto life ; and by the merits of Christ , and the grace of his Gospel , it shall . And thus we see in the general what those terms and that condition are , which , to mete out our last doom of Bliss or Misery , the Gospel indispensably exacts of us . It is nothing less than a working service and obedience , the enquiry to be made at that day being only this , whether we have done what was commanded us . If we have performed what was required of us , we shall be pronounced Righteous , and sentenced to Eternal Life : but if we have wilfully transgressed , and wrought wickedness ; without amendment and repentance , we shall then be declared , incorrigible Sinners , and adjudged to Everlasting Death . This indeed is a very great truth , but yet such as very few are willing to see and to consider of . For obedience is a very laborious service , and a painful task ; and they are not many in number who will be content to undergo it . And if a man may have no just hopes upon any thing less than it , the case of most dying men is desperate . But as men will live and dye in sin , so will they live and dye in hopes too . And therefore they catch at softer terms , and build upon an easier condition . And because the Gospel promises Salvation , and a happy sentence to faith , love , repentance , our being in Christ , our knowing Christ , and other things besides obedience : they conclude that they shall be acquitted at that Bar upon the account of any , or all of these , though they do not obey with them . They make Faith , Love , Repentance and the rest , to be something separate from obedience ; something which will save them , when that is wanting . So that if they be in Christ , if they know and believe with the mind , and love and repent in their hearts ; their hope is to be absolved at the last day , be their lives and actions never so disobedient . But this is a most dangerous and damning errour . For it makes men secure from danger , till they are past all possibility of recovering out of it ; and causes them to trust to a false support so long , till it lets them drop into Hell , and sink down in damnation . And although it be sufficiently evident from what has been already said , that our obedience is that only thing which will be admitted as a just plea , and as a qualification able to save us in that Court : yet because I would fully subvert all these false grounds , whereupon men support their pernicious hopes and sinful lives together , I will go on to prove it still further . And this will be most plainly effected by shewing that all those other terms and conditions , whereto the Gospel sometimes promises pardon and happiness , concenter all in this , and save us no otherwise than by being springs and principles of our obedience . They are not opposed to our doing of our duty , and keeping the Commandments ; but imply it . For when pardon is promised to Faith , to Love , to Repentance , or any thing else ; it is never promised to them as separate from obedience , but as containing it . Obedience is that still for which a man is saved and pardoned ; it is not excluded from them , but expressed by them . In order to a clearer apprehension of the truth of this , I think fit to observe that there is an ordinary figure and form of speech very usual both with God and men , which the Rhetoricians call a Metonymie or Transnomination , and that is a transferring of a word , which is the particular Name of one thing , to express an other . The use of it is this , that in things which have a near relation and dependance upon each other , as particularly the cause and its effect have , the particular name of either may many times signifie both , so that when the name only of one is expressed , yet really both are meant and intended . And then by that word , which in its proper sence stands only for the effect , we are to understand , not it alone , but together with it the cause also that produced it : and by that which properly signifies the cause , we are to mean , not the bare cause alone , but , besides it , the effect which flows from it likewise . As for the latter of these , the bare naming of the cause when we intend , together with it , to express its natural consequent and effect too ; because it is that which chiefly concerns our present business , I will set down some instances of it which daily occur in common speech . If we advise a man to trust his Physician or his Lawyer , our meaning is not barely that he should give credit to them ; but together with that , that he shew the effect of such credit , in following and observing them . If we are earnest with any man to hearken to some advice that is given him , we intend not by hearkning to express barely his giving ear to it , but besides that his suffering the effects of such attention in practising and obeying it . And thus we commonly say that we have got a Cold , when we mean a Disease upon cold ; or a Surfeit , when we understand a sickness upon Surfeiting . In these , and many other instances which might be mentioned , we daily find that in the speech and usage of men , the cause alone is oft times named , when the effect is withal intended , and accordingly understood , to be expressed ; and that both are meant , when barely one is spoken . The effect doth so hang upon its cause , and so naturally and evidently follow after it , that we look upon it as a needless thing to express its coming after , when once we have named its cause which goes before : but we ordinarily judge it to be sufficiently mentioned , when we have expressed that cause which as is evident to us all , produces and infers it . And as it is thus in the speech of men , so is it in the language of God too . He talks to us in our own way , and uses such forms of speech and figurative expressions , as are in common use among our selves . And to seek no further for instances of this , than these that lye before us , he expresses our works and obedience by our knowledge , our repentance , our love , and such other causes and principles as effect and produce it . For we must take notice of this also , that our outward works and actions depend upon a train of powers within us , which , as springs and causes of them , order and effect them . For our passions excite to them ; our understandings consider of them and direct them ; our wills command and choose them ; and then afterwards , in pursuance of all these , our bodily powers execute and exert them . The actions of a man flow from all the ingredients of the humane nature , each principle contributes its share , and bears a part towards it . For from the constitution of our natural frame , our actions are placed wholly in the power of our own wills ; and our wills are set in a middle station , to be moved by our appetites and passions , and guided and directed by our minds or intellects . We do and perform nothing but what we will ; neither do we will any thing but what we know and desire ; what our reason and passion inclines and directs to . And because these three inward faculties , our minds , and wills , and passions , give being and beginning to our outward works and practice : therefore are they , by the Masters of moral Philosophy and Divinity , ordinarily called the Causes and Principles of Humane Actions . But these three principles of humane actions in genecal lye not more open to produce good than evil . They are all under the unrestrain'd power of our own free will : it is that which determines them either for God or against him ; but in themselves they are indifferently fitted , and serve equally to bring forth acts of Obedience , or of disobedience and sin . To make these principles therefore of works or actions in general , to become principles of good works and obedience , there are other nearer tempers and qualifications required , which may determine them , that in themselves are free to both , to effect one , and be Authours of such actions only whereby we serve and obey God. And this is done by the nearer and more immediate efficiency of Faith , Repentance , Love , and the like . For he who knows Gods Laws , and believes his Gospel with his understanding ; who in his heart loves God , and hates Sin ; whose will is utterly resolved for good , and against evil : he it is , whose faculties in themselves indifferent are thus determinately disposed , who is ready and prepared to perform his duty . His Faith directs him to those Laws which he is to obey , and to all the powerful motives to Obedience : it shews him how it is bound upon him by all the Joys of Heaven , and by all the Pains of Hell , and this quickens his passions , and confirms all good resolutions , and makes him in his will and heart to purpose and desire it . And when both his mind , his will , and passions , which were before indifferent , are thus gained over and determinately fixed for it ; in the efficiency of inward principles there is no more to be done , but he is in the ready way to work and perform it in outward operation . So that as our minds , wills , and passions , are principles of humane actions in general , whether good or evil : these nearer dispositions , our Faith , Repentance , &c. are principles particularly of good works and obedience . And since our obedient actions proceed in this manner from the power and efficiency of these principles : God , according to our own way of expressing things , is wont many times only to name them , when he intends withal to express our obedience it self which results from them . Although he barely mention one , yet he understands both ; and in speaking of the cause , he would be taken to imply the effect likewise . Thus when he promises Pardon and Salvation to our knowledge and belief of his Gospel , to our Repentance from our Sins , to our Love and Fear of God , which , with several others , are those preparatory dispositions that fix and determine our minds , wills , and passions , indifferent in themselves , to effect Obedient actions ; he doth not in any wise intend that these shall Save us , and procure Pardon for us without Obedience , but only by signifying and implying it . Wheresoever Mercy and Salvation at the last day are promised , and this condition of our working and obeying is not mentioned , it is always meant and understood . That which such mercy was promised to , is either the cause of our Obedience , or the effect and sign of it ; the speech is metonymical , and more was meant by it than was expressed . Though the word was not named , yet the thing was intended ; for obedience is ever requisite to pardon , and nothing has Mercy promised to it in the last Judgment , but what some way or other is a sign of it , or produces and effects it . This I might well take for granted upon the strength of that proof which has been already urged for our Obedience being the sole condition of our being acquitted at that day . But because the interest of souls is so much concerned in it , I will be yet more particular , and proceed to show further that this sence and explication of all such places is the very same that God himself has expressly put upon them . For concerning all those things , whereto he has promised a favourable sentence at the last Judgment , he assures us that they are of no account with him , nor will be owned as a good plea at that Bar when they are separate from Obedience , but then only when they effect and work it . But when he says that Faith , Repentance , Love , or any other thing shall save us , he means not all , or any , but only a working Faith , an obedient Repentance , an active Love ; a Faith , Love , and Repentance , which do not overlook Obedience , but accompany and produce it . So that first or last Obedience is still that wherein all the rest must concenter and agree , that alone condition which our judge will accept , and which we may safely trust to . And this will fully appear by running over the particulars . CHAP. II. Of Pardon promised to Faith , Knowledge and being in Christ. The CONTENTS . Of Pardon and happiness promised to Faith and Knowledge . Of the nature of Faith in general . Of natural , Jewish , and Christian Faith. Of this last as justifying and saving . Of the fitness of Christian Faith and Knowledge to produce Obedience . Pardon promised to them no further than they are productive of it . Of Pardon promised to being in Christ. Christ sometimes signifies the Christian Religion , sometimes the Christian Church . Being in Christ , is being of Christs Religion , or a member of Christs Church . The fitness of these to effect Obedience . Pardon promised to them no further than they do . FIRST this condition of our acceptance which is to mete out to us our last doom of Bliss and Mercy , and whereto Life and Pardon are promised at the last day , is sometimes called knowledge , or , what is only a more particular way of knowing , a knowing upon witness or testimony , Faith. By , or upon the account of , his knowledge , or the knowledge of him , shall my Righteous Servant , when he sits to judge them , justifie many , says God of our Judge and Saviour Christ by the Prophet Isaiah , Isa. 53.11 . And this is Life Eternal , says our Lord himself , to know thee the only true God , and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent , Joh. 17.3 . And then as for Faith , which is the particular way of knowledge among us Christians , who owe all that we know in order to Heaven and happiness to the witness and testimony of Jesus Christ , the places which promise Life and Pardon unto it are to be met with in abundance . Whosoever believes on me , says our Saviour , shall not perish , but have Everlasting Life , Joh. 3.15 , 16. And again , This is the will of him that sent me , that whosoever believes on me may have Everlasting Life , Joh. 6.40 . And when he sends out his Apostles after his Resurrection to proclaim the terms of Mercy and Salvation to all the world , he bids them say , Whosoever believeth and is Baptized shall be saved , Mar. 16.16 . Faith or belief in the general , is a thinking something to be true upon the testimony of those persons who declare it . And herein it differs from other sorts of knowledge , because in them we believe upon the evidence and apparent reason of the things themselves ; but in this upon the witness and authority of those persons who reveal them . For then we are said to know , when we assent upon the Authority of things ; but then to believe , when we assent upon the Authority of persons ; when not the evidence of the things revealed , but the word and testimony of the revealer make us give credit to his Revelation . This is the nature of Faith in general , it is a giving credit to a thing , or taking it to be true upon the testimony or authority of such persons as declare it . And according to the difference of this testimony , our Faith upon it is differenced and distinguished also . For if we believe any thing upon the bare word of a man , it is an Humane ; if upon the bare word and testimony of God , it is a Divine Faith. Divine Faith then is nothing else , but a belief of Divine Revelations , a taking any thing to be true because God has told us it is so . And therefore we may be said to have Divine Faith of as many things as God has any way attested or revealed to us . And for Gods Revelations , they have been derived to us in several ways , and by several instruments . For some things God has revealed to us by the light of Nature . That light came from him , and is his Revelation . For the spirit of a Man is the Candle of the Lord , which , as S t John saith in another case of our Saviour , enlightens every man that cometh into the world , Joh. 1.9 . And in this general sence of Faith , for a natural Faith or a belief of all natural Revelations ; all matters of knowledge are likewise matters of Faith , because at last all natural light and evidence of things rests upon Gods Revelation ; that very evidence being no otherwise a proof to us that things are true , than we are assured that God is the Author of it , and that it is his Testimony and declaration to them that they are so . And by this way of Revelation , this natural light , God has declared to us two great foundations of all Religion , his own existence , and his Providence ; that there is a God , and that he will love and reward all such as serve and worship him . The belief of which Articles so testified , S t Paul affirms to be a part of Faith ; yea a part so fundamental as is absolutely necessary to our pleasing of God and to all Religion : without Faith , saith he , it is impossible to please God , for he who comes to God must believe that HE IS , and that he is A REWARDER of them that diligently seek him , Heb. 11.6 . Other things God has revealed , not by the light of nature , seeing they are such things as that alone could never have discovered to us , but either by his own immediate voice or inspiration , or by the mediation and message of inspired men . By the former he revealed to Noah the Drowning of the old world , Gen. 6.13 . the belief whereof is called Noah's Faith , Heb. 11.7 . To Abraham his having a numerous Issue by his Wife Sarah , when as yet they had no Child , and in all appearance were too old ever to expect one , Gen. 15.5 , 6 and Chap. 17.17 , 19. the belief whereof is likewise call'd Abraham's Faith , Heb. 11.17 , 18 , 19. To Moses his passing over all the houses of the Israelites , where he should see the Blood of the Paschal Lamb sprinkled for a Token , when he would slay all the First-born throughout all the Land of Egypt , Exod. 12.12 , 13. the belief of which Revelation is also call'd the Faith of Moses , Heb. 11.28 . By the latter he reveal'd his will more largely to the whole people of Israel by the mouth and a mediation of his Servant Moses ; and because both God and Man concurr'd in this Testimony , their belief of his message was their Faith , not in God only , but together with him in his Servant Moses too . For because the Law and Religion which they received , though it came originally from God , was yet derived down to them immediately by his Ministry , and they knew no otherwise what God had spoken to them than by his Testimony and upon his Authority : therefore are they said in believing and embracing that Divine Law , which was delivered to them by Moses , to believe , not the Lord alone , but also his Servant Moses , Exod. 14.31 . Joh. 5.46 . to be Baptized into Moses , 1 Cor. 10.2 . to be Moses's Disciples , Joh. 9.28 . to trust or place their hope in Moses , Joh. 5.45 . to obey or hearken unto Moses , Luk. 16.31 . But the most clear and full Revelation that God ever made of his will to men , was by the message and mediation of his own Son , Jesus Christ. For God who at sundry times , and in divers manners spake in times past to the Jews by Moses and to the Fathers by the Prophets ; hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son , Heb. 1.1 . And the belief of his Gospel , or taking for certain Truths upon his Authority all those things which he has declared to us in Gods Name , is call'd the Christian , as the other was the Mosaick Faith. For he being the great Author and deriver of this last and greatest Revelation of God down to us , and our belief of it being upon his immediate Authority , he being , as S t Paul says , the Authour and finisher of our Faith , Heb. 12.2 . Our belief of it is called , not only Faith towards God , Heb. 6.1 . but also Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ , Acts 20.21 . And because the knowledge of our whole Religion got into our minds this way , upon our submission to Christs Authority , and our Faith or belief of his Testimony ; therefore is our Religion it self most commonly in the Scriptures called our Faith. The Preaching of it is called Preaching the Faith , Gal. 1.23 . the hearing of it , hearing of Faith , Gal. 3.2 . the profession of it , a profession of Faith , Heb. 10.23 . the contending for it , a striving for the Faith , Phil. 1.27 . the erring in it , an erring from the Faith , 1 Tim. 6.10 . the falling from it , a making shipwrack of the Faith , 1 Tim. 1.19 . obedience to it , the obedience of Faith , Rom. 1.5 . and the Righteousness required in it , and effected by it , the Righteousness of Faith , Rom. 4.11.13 . So that in like manner as the Mosaick Faith was a belief of the Divinity of the Mosaick Law and Religion , upon the Authority of Moses : the Christian Faith is a belief of the Divine institution of our Christian Religion upon the Authority of Christ. It is a taking upon his word all those things for truths of God , which he has declared to us in Gods Name . A belief begot in us by vertue of his Testimony , that all his Doctrines are Gods Truths ; that all his Laws are Gods Precepts ; that all his promises are Gods Promises ; and that all his threats are Gods threatnings : in sum , that that whole Religion and Gospel which Christ has delivered to us in Gods Name , is the very Religion and Word of God. The belief of all this upon the Authority of Christ makes our Faith Christian ; and the good effects of it upon our hearts and lives make it justifying and saving . For when by vertue of this Faith we truly Repent and sincerely obey , which is the great condition , as we have seen , whereupon at the last day we must all be pardoned and justified Eternally ; it is a justifying : as when by vertue of it we are saved and delivered from the dominion and service of our Sins , which as the Angel hath b assured us , are those principal evils that Christ came to save us from , it is a saving Faith. This is the nature of our Christian knowledge , and our Christian Faith. And as for it now , it is the very fundamental cause and natural spring of all our Christian service and obedience . For it is because we believe Jesus to be the Lord , because we know those Laws which he has given us , and give credit to him when he tells us of the insupportable punishments which he will one day inflict for sin , and of the glorious rewards which he will confer upon obedience : It is by means of our knowledge and belief of all these in our minds , I say , that we serve and obey him in our outward actions . It is our knowledge and belief that lets us see the reasonableness of his Precepts , the power of his Assistances , the glory of his Rewards , and the terror of his Punishments ; and in all respects convinces us of the beauty and profit of Obedience . And this sight and conviction in our minds cannot well miss of gaining our hearts and resolutions . For the belief of his endless judgments will raise our fears ; the belief of his infinite rewards will quicken our hopes ; the belief of his inexpressible kindness will kindle our love ; and by all these our souls will be led Captive into eager desires , and firm resolutions , and be fully purposed to keep Gods Laws , that so they may avoid that terrible Death which he threatens , and attain those matchless joys which he promises to our Obedience . And when once , by means of this faith and knowledge , Gods Laws have gain'd both our wills and passions , which are the inward springs and causes of them , they cannot fail of being obeyed in our works and actions which are produced by them . But we shall quickly go on to perform what we resolve , and to do what we desire ; and so in very deed fulfill and obey them . Upon which account of our Christian Faith having so mighty an influence upon our Christian and obedient practice , our obedience it self , as being the effect of it and produced by it , is call'd the obedience of Faith , Rom. 16.26 . The Righteousness which it exacts of us , and c cooperates to work in us , the Righteousness of Faith , Gal 5.5 . Our Christian warfar or striving against Sin , is called the good sight of Faith , 1 Tim , 6.12 . And because in this contest our great succors which protect us , and keep us from fainting , and at last make us victorious , are some points or promises of our Religious belief : therefore it is stiled a shield , and a breast-plate of Faith , 1 Thess. 5.8 . and S t John affirms plainly that this is the victory over the world , even our Faith , 1 Joh. 5.4 . And for this reason it is , because our Faith and knowledge are so powerful a cause and principle of our Obedience , that God speaks so great things of them , and has made such valuable promises to them . He never intends to reward the Faith and knowledge of our minds , further than they d effect the obedience of our actions . It is only when they are carryed on to this effect , when they become an obedient knowledge , and a e working Faith , that they confer a right to the promised reward , and are available to our Salvation . For when in the places mentioned , or in any other , God promises that he who knows Christ , or believes in Christ shall live ; he speaks metonymically , and means Faith and knowledge with this effect of a working service and obedience . As for knowledge , 't is plain that God accepts it no otherwise than as it effects obedience , nor can we any otherwise confide in it . Hereby alone , says S t John , we know that we know him , in that sence of knowledge whereto God has promised life and pardon , if we keep his Commandments . But he that saith I know him , and for all that keepeth not his Commandments , he is a lyar , and the truth is not in him , 1 Joh. 2.3 , 4. And then as for Faith , no man is interpreted to have that Faith which is made the condition of our pardon and acceptance , but he who is acted by it , and in his works is obedient to it . The Faith , says S t Paul , which in Christ Jesus or the Christian Religion availeth any thing to that Righteousness which all Christians hope for , is that only which worketh by Love , Gal. 5.5 , 6. It begins the change within , by purifying of our hearts and desires , Acts 15.9 . and thence goes on to perfect it in our outward works and actions . And unless it proceed to this , it will never be able to bear us out , and to justifie us at Gods Bar : for there , as S t James tells us , by our f works we must all be justifyed , and not by a Faith only which works nothing , Jam. 2.24 . Such alas ! will be wholly useless , and of no consideration in that Court ; it will not any way profit , and then certainly it cannot save us . For what doth it profit , my Brethren , though a man be able to say , either here or hereafter , he hath Faith , and hath not works ? will that be allow'd a sufficient plea in Gods Judgment ? shall that Faith save him ? no surely , it never will , Jam. 2.14 . This unworking Faith is not that effectual Faith which the Gospel encourages , but its worthless shell and liveless carkass . For wilt thou know , O vain man , that faith without works is dead ? Even as the body without the spirit is dead , so faith without works is dead also , vers . 20 , 26. It is Faith only in an imperfect degree , and a weak unprofitable measure ; for it is not arrived to a perfect pitch , to that compleat state whereto the Gospel doth at present promise Life , and Christ will at the last Day award it , till it shows it self in action , and our lives express the power of it . Our Father Abraham , says S t James , was justified by works , produced by Faith , when , in an unstagger'd belief that God would make good his promise of a numerous issue by his Son Isaac , though it were by raising him up again from the g dead , he would obey his command which seemed quite to overthrow it , and offered up his Son upon the Altar . Seest thou how his Faith in Gods Power and Promise wrought prevalently over all opposition h , to the production of that his strange work ; and by this justifying work upon it was his Faith made perfect ? vers . 21 , 22. So that when all is done , we see that there is no Life or Pardon promised to any Faith or knowledge which are separate from Obedience , but to such only as cooperate to them , and imply them . There is no belief wherewith our Judge at the last day will be satisfyed , or wherein we are safe ; which either he will accept , or we may trust to , if our dutiful works are wanting . So that this is , and ever will be , as S t Paul says , a faithful saying , and such as every good Christian man ought constantly to receive or affirm , that they who have Faith , or have believed in God , be careful to maintain obedience and good works , because it is they which at the last day must do all men good , are good and profitable unto men , Tit. 3.8 . Secondly , This condition of our acceptance , whereto the Gospel promises a happy sentence of Life and Pardon in the last judgment , is sometimes called Being in Christ. There is no condemnation , says S t Paul , to them who are in Christ Jesus , Rom. 8.1 . The word Christ we must know , many times in Scripture signifies the Religion of Christ. Thus the Law is said to be a Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ , i. e. the imperfect rule of the Mosaick Religion was fitted for the minority of the world , and intended to train men up , as Children are by School Discipline , for the more perfect and manly institution of the Christian , Gal. 3.24 . And thus we read of Preaching Christ , that is the Christian Religion , Phil. 1.15 . And S t Paul tells the Ephesians of their learning Christ and hearing him , i. e. his Gospel and Doctrine . Ye have not so learned Christ , if so be ye have heard him , and been taught by him , or i in him , Eph. 4.20 , 21. Heard him , and been taught by him : i. e. not by his person , for he never went beyond Judea , being sent , as he said , to none but the lost sheep of the house of Israel , Mat. 15.24 . and therefore never travelled so far as Ephesus ; but by , and in his Doctrine or Religion . And this is a most usual form of speech , to call any institution or profession by the name of its first Author . The Doctrine and Religion which was delivered to the Jews by Moses , is called by his Name . For S t Paul speaks of Moses being read , i. e. the Law of Moses , 2 Cor. 3.15 . and of the Israelites being baptized into Moses , i. e. the Mosaick Religion , 1 Cor. 10.2 . And our Lord himself tells the Jews in the Parable of the Rich Man , that they have Moses and the Prophets , and bids them hear them , Luk. 6.29 . where he cannot mean their persons , in regard they were dead long before , and got without the reach of their hearing ; but their Writings and Religion . And as Christ many times signifies the Christian Religion , so is being in Christ the very same with being of his Religion , or being a Christian. Thus S t Paul tells us of Andronicus and Junia , who embraced the Christian Doctrine whilst he persecuted and opposed it , that they were in Christ , i. e. in Christs Religion , before him , Rom. 16.7 . They who dyed in the profession of the Christian Faith , are said to be fallen asleep in Christ , 1 Cor. 15.18 . The veil of Moses is done away in Christ , 2 Cor. 3.14 . The veil of Moses , i. e. the types and obscure shadows of the Mosaical Religion , are done away in Christ , i. e. by the plain clearness of the Christian. Thus I knew a man in Christ , is no more than I knew a Christian man , 2 Cor. 12.2 . and the Churches of Judea in Christ , are the very same as the Christian Churches among the Jews , Gal. 1.22 . So when we read that in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing , nor Vncircumcision ; but a new Creature , Gal. 6.15 . the meaning is only this , that what price soever the Religion of Moses put upon this outward Rite of Circumsion , and those other Jewish observances whereof it was the federal undertaking : yet the Religion of Christ doth not regard them at all , but that all which can avail us in it is only a new Creature . And to the same sence S t Peter speaks of a good conversation in Christ , i. e. in Christs Religion , 1 Pet. 3.16 . And to name no more instances in a case so evident , we read not only of men , but likewise of bonds in Christ ; i. e. of mens being bound for the Religion and Faith of Christ. My bonds in Christ , says S t Paul , are manifest in all the Palace , and in all other places , Phil. 1.13 . But besides this sence of the words , our being in Christ , for our being of the Christian Religion ; there is another very near it , which it is pertinent to our present business to observe ; and that is our being in the Christian Church . Thus S t Paul says that we being many members , are yet one body , or Corporation in Christ , or in the Society and Church of Christians , wherein we are every one members one of another , Rom. 12.5 . And Gods gathering together all particular Christians scatter'd over the world into one Catholick Church or Society , is called his gathering together in one all things in Christ , Eph. 1.10 . Thus our admission into Christs Church by baptism , is called our being engraffed or implanted into him . We have been planted together , says the Apostle , in the likeness of his death ; or in Baptismal immersion , which is a representation of burial after death , Rom. 6.5 . As for our Being in Christ then , which sets us beyond the reach of danger and condemnation , it is the same as our being of the Christian Religion , and members of the Christian Church . And this Communion and membership of Christs Church , and profession of his Religion , is a most ready and effectual means to make men practise and obey it . For to be in the Church of Christ , is to live under the preaching of his word , the solemn return of Holy Prayers , the Administration of Blessed Sacraments , the counsel and direction of wise Guides , the Authority of good examples , the correction and discipline of Church Governours , and all the other outward means of Grace and Obedience . And then the profession and owning of his Religion , if it be true and undissembled , implies our Faith and belief of it ; which is the great and only expedient that Christ could think of for the reformation of a wicked world ; and which , as we have already seen , is a most effectual means and sure principle of good life and practice . And because our being in Christ , i. e. our profession of Christs Religion , and Communion and Society with Christs Church , is so powerful a principle of our obedient service ; therefore has God promised to it that Life and Pardon which is the inseparable reward of Obedience it self . He doth not in any wise intend that every man who bears the Name of Christ , and is of his retinue , that will make a bare profession of his service in calling of him Lord , Lord , without any real works and performance , shall have right to these Rewards when he comes to Judgment . Not every one that saith unto me Lord , Lord , shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven ; but he only who doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven , Matt. 7.21 . Nay in the next verse he goes higher , Many will say unto me in that day , Have we not done more than barely professed thy Name , have we not done thee high and honourable service , viz. prophesied in thy Name , and in thy Name cast out Devils , and in thy Name done many wondrous works ? And then will I profess unto them , I never knew you , depart from me , you are no such k Christians as I own , for whatsoever your names and professions be , ye are of their number that in their lives work iniquity , vers . 22 , 23. When God assures us by S t Paul therefore that there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ , or in Christs Church and Religion ; he means to them that are so in them , as thereby to become obedient . He speaks metonymically , and implies our works and actions , as well as that Communion and profession which signifies them , and ought to produce them . And in this the Scriptures are express , He that KEEPS his Commandments dwells in Christ , and Christ in him , says S t John , 1 Ep. 3.24 . It is nothing less than our fulfilling of his Laws who is head of that body whereunto we joyn our selves as members ; and our being indeed what we pretend , and obeying the rules of that Religion which we profess , that will at the last day be interpreted for our being in him in such sort as qualifies us to be saved by him . Whoso KEEPETH his word , says the same Apostle , in him is the love of God made perfect , and hereby , by this perfection of love in Obedience , we know that we are in him : So that whosoever he be that saith he abideth in him , he ought himself also so to walk even as he walked , 1 Joh. 2.5 , 6. The necessity of connexion between these two , viz. being a member of Christs Church , and a good Man ; between professing of Christs Religion , and obeying it ; was so evident , and so well known and allowed of in the first times of Christianity , that both were understood , when either was mentioned . To put on Christ in the Apostles days , was the same as to make no provision for the flesh , to fulfill the lusts thereof , Rom. 13.14 . And to learn Christ , was but another phrase for to put off concerning their former CONVERSATION the old man , which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts ; and to put on the new man , which after the similitude of God is created in righteousness and true holiness , Eph. 4.20 , 22 , 24. A Christian and a keeper of Gods Laws , were then only two words for the same thing . For they thought nothing could be a greater contradiction , than for a man to profess himself a servant of Christ , and yet to pay him no Obedience ; to own the Name of a Christian , and yet to lead the life of a Heathen . The time past of our lives , says S t Peter , or that time before we became Christians , must suffice us wherein to have wrought the will of the Gentiles , 1 Pet. 4.3 . But when once we have listed our selves in Christs service , and are called upon by his Name , we must renounce all our former ways , and depart from all iniquity , 2 Tim. 2.19 . So that in the language of those first times , and in the meaning of the Scriptures , mens being in Christ is by no means separate from obedience , but implies it . To talk of an interest in him , without fulfilling of his Laws , is but vain Cant and unprofitable speech . It is to talk without Book , and to use a Scripture phrase , but against the Scriptures meaning . For at the last day , when Christ comes to expound his own Gospel , we shall hear him pronounce , what it has already in plain words declared to us , that no man is savingly in Christ who is out with his Laws ; but that he only is so in him , as to be secure from all Condemnation , who has kept his Commandments and faithfully obey'd him . CHAP. III. Of Pardon promised to Repentance . The CONTENTS . Of Pardon promised to Repentance , Regeneration , a New Nature , a New Creature . The Nature of Repentance , it includes amendment and Obedience . The Nature of Regeneration and a New Creature . It s fitness to produce Obedience . Some mens Repentance ineffectual . The folly of it . Pardon promised to Repentance and Regeneration no further than they effect Obedience . In the case of dying Penitents a change of mind accepted without a change of practice . That only where God sees a change of Practice would ensue upon it . This would seldom happen upon death-bed resolutions and Repentance . The general ineffectiveness of this shown by experience . Two reasons of it . 1. Because it proceeds ordinarily upon an inconstant temporary principle , viz. nearness of Death and present fears of it . Though it always begins there , yet sometimes it grows up upon a principle that is more lasting , viz. a conviction of the absolute necessity of Heaven and a Holy Life . 2. Because it is ordinarily in a weak and incompetent degree . All TRVE resolution is not able to reform Men. Sick-bed resolutions generally unable . Such ineffective resolutions unavailing to mens Pardon . THirdly , That condition which the Gospel exacts of us as the terms whereupon we must hope to find Life and Pardon at the last day , is oft-times called Repentance , Regeneration , a New Creature , or a New Nature . Christs fore-runner , John the Baptist , came preaching Repentance for the remission of sins , Luk. 3.3 . And when Christ himself commissions his Apostles to publish his Gospel over all the world , their instructions are to preach Repentance and remission of Sins in his Name to all Nations , beginning at Jerusalem , Luk. 24.47 . And according to this order they practised . Repent , says S t Peter in his first Sermon , and be baptized for the remission of sins , Acts 2.38 . And again , Repent that your sins may be blotted out , Acts 3.19 . And then as for Regeneration , a New Creature , and a New Nature ; they are such qualifications as fit us for Eternal Life , and without which we shall never be admitted to it . It is , says our Saviour to Nicodemus , a mans being born again that must capacitate him to enter into the Kingdom of God , Joh. 3.3 . In Christ Jesus , or the Christian Religion saith S t Paul , neither Circumcision availeth any thing , nor Vncircumcision , but a NEW CREATVRE , Gal. 6.15 . The condition required of all men to Life and Pardon , as the truth is in Jesus , is this , that they put off the OLD MAN , and be RENEWED in the spirit of their mind ; and that they put on the NEW MAN , which after the similitude of God is Created in righteousness and true holiness , Eph. 4.21 , 22 , 23 , 24. Repentance in the constant and plain notion of the Scriptures , is such a vertuous alteration of the mind and purpose , as begets a like vertuous change in the life and practice . It begins in our thoughts and resolutions , and is made perfect in our works and actions . It first casts all false principles and foolish judgments of the desireableness of sin , and the dreadfulness of vertue ; all opinions that hinder a good life , and encourage wickedness ; all inveagling thoughts and bewitching imaginations ; all firm purposes and studied contrivances of evil out of our minds : and thereby purges all wickedness and disobedience out of our lives and actions . It implies a change of mind , as is well noted by the Greek a name for Repentance , which is very expressive of its nature . For it signifies an alteration of the mind , a transformation of our thoughts and counsels ; and is the same that S t Paul calls a being renewed in the spirit of our mind , Eph. 4.23 . And this God expressly calls for when he summons the wicked to repentance , Isa. 55. Let the wicked man forsake his thoughts , and turn them from his sin unto the Lord , and then he will have mercy upon him , vers . 7. It includes also an alteration of the life and practice , a forbearing to repeat the sin which we repent of . And this is a natural effect of the former , in as much as our works and actions will still go along with our studies and contrivances , our purposes and resolutions . Now this part of repentance from sin , viz. a leaving or forsaking of it , is its prime ingredient , and the chief thing which the Scriptures express by it ; it is the main end , whereto the former serves only as the principle and instrument . Godly sorrow , or the grief and trouble of our minds for having offended God , working , as S t Paul says , that Repentance which will never fail us , nor ever need to be repented of , 2 Cor. 7.10 . And that Repentance includes this alteration of our lives , as well as that other of our minds , the Scriptures plainly express to us , when they stile it a Repentance FROM dead works , Heb. 6.1 . a TVRNING away from all transgressions , and doing that which is lawful and right , Ezek. 18.27 , 30. A CONVERSION FROM darkness unto light , Acts 26.18 . a putting AWAY the evil of our DOINGS , by ceasing to DO evil , and learning to DO well , Isa. 1.16 , 17. These two changes , a change of mind and a change of practice , make up the essence , and integrate the nature of a saving Repentance . It implies first a change in our minds and tempers , and upon that a correspondent change in our lives and actions . Now as for the former of these , this change of our minds and tempers in new thoughts , new counsels , new desires and resolutions : this vertuous alteration both in our wills and understandings , which are those two powers that make up our rational nature , is that which the Scriptures call our new nature ; the begetting of which in us is called our b regeneration , or our being born again . For the tempers and inclinations of our souls , are usually in our common discourse called our nature . A man of a loving condescensive disposition , is called a man of a good nature ; and one of a sowr revengeful temper , is called a man of an ill nature . And the change from one to the other is called a change of Nature , a making of him a new Creature , and a new man. And thus we are daily wont to say of any person , who from wicked and sinful inclinations is changed to a disposition which is vertuous and holy , that he is become a new man. And as this is our language , so is it the Scriptures too . For our putting on the tempers and habitual inclinations of righteousness and true holiness , is called our putting on the new man , Eph. 4.24 . The alteration from an unbelieving and uncharitable , to a believing loving temper , to a Faith that worketh by love , S t Paul calls a New Creature , Gal. 5.6 . compared with Chap. 6. vers . 15. And as for the renovation it self , it is called a regeneration or new birth ; the Author of it , a Father ; and the persons so renewed , his Sons or Children . All which are expressed to us by S t John , when he tells us of all those which have received such vertuous and holy dispositions from God , as make them resemble him and like unto him , that they are the Sons of God , 1 Joh. 3.2 . and born of him , 1 Joh. 5.1 , 4. In like manner as the Disciples of the Prophets among the Jews , because they received those qualifications from their institution whereby they were made like unto them , are usually in the Old Testament called c Sons of the Prophets . Now this first part of Repentance , or this inward change of mind and purpose , which is called a New Creature and a New nature ; is a most direct cause and natural Author of a like change in our outward works , and of an obedient service . For it cuts off the very root of all Transgression , and plants that of Obedience instead of it . It makes us now in obeying , to follow our own temper and inclination ; and our doing of Gods will to become our desire , as well as it is our duty . So that now when we perform Gods commands , we do nothing more than follow the natural tendencies of our own souls ; our duty is become our choice and delight , and it is not without pains and difficulty that we can either omit , or transgress it . For it is an equal force and violence to a renewed and obedient nature to act sin , as it is for a wicked and debauched one to work obedience . He whose nature carries him on to love and pity , can as hardly be rigorous and cruel ; as he on the contrary can abstain from cruelty , whose nature is harsh and revengeful . To act against nature any way is not without difficulty , and to follow it is always easie . And if it be changed from sin and disobedience , to obedience and holiness ; it is then as truly a self-denial to sin and transgress , as it was before to perform and obey . Nay if this alteration gets up to a full growth , and obedience become perfectly our nature : it is then not only uneasie , but even almost impossible to sin against it . For then we shall be arrived to that pitch which S t Johns words express , when he says that he who is born of God , or formed into this new nature which makes him like unto , and comes from God , CANNOT sin , 1 Joh. 3.9 . So that if Obedience has got this hank of us , if by this first part of Repentance , or this new nature , it be engraffed in our tempers and inclinations ; and become the employment of our thoughts , the desire of our hearts , and the matter of our firm purposes and resolutions : it cannot miss of our works and actions . It has won the principles that command them ; so that nothing more is needful to be done towards their procurement , but they will be sure to follow after them . Now because Repentance in its whole nature implies Obedience as its chief ingredient ; and because the first part of it , viz. a change of mind , which is called a new nature , or a new creature , is so natural a principle , and so powerful a cause to work and effect it : therefore , and upon no other reason , doth God in the Scriptures so far encourage them . He means not in any wise at the last day to acquit and reward men upon such repentance and new birth as is void of obedient works and actions ; but upon such only as include or effect them . 'T is true , indeed , the wicked and disobedient , who will not reform and obey , but would notwithstanding have right to Life and Pardon , call something else repentance , which is void of all amendment and obedience . If they confess their sin , and are sad upon it , if they wring their hands , and beat their breasts , and then , giving it hard names and reproachful titles , beg God to forgive them ; they think they have done an acceptable service , and sufficiently repented of it . They take no care to keep off from it , provided they continue to bewail and confess it . For although they bring in before God large Catalogues of sins , yet they never strive to lessen them . But when they profess to him how they have deserved his wrath and Eternal judgment ; they want nothing but opportunity still further to provoke it . When they acknowledge how vilely they have affronted him in the breach of his Laws , they are still ready to repeat it . All the hard names which they give their sins , are false and forced expressions , they mean no hurt to them all the while . For although they revile them in their words , yet they honour and applaud them in their practice . They are still in love with them at their next meeting , and for all the ill language which they gave them when they spake of them before God , they will embrace them upon the first occasion , and repeat them upon every return of temptation . But can any considerate man think that such a Repentance as this shall avail him before God , and save him from perishing when Christ comes to judgment ? Surely he must know nothing , either of Gods nature , or of his word , who can be imposed upon so grossly . For God by the necessity of his very nature perfectly hates all sin , and so can never be reconciled to any man barely for telling him that he is a sinner . To inform him only that we have rebell'd against him , is to acquaint him that we are his enemies , whom , to vindicate himself , and the Authority of his Government , he should destroy and ruine , not cherish and protect . The Gospel declares that he will take severe and endless vengeance on all that dye unreformed , and finally disobedient : and then to own our disobedience to his face , without a true turn and a firm purpose of reformation , is to bid him maintain his Law , and execute his Sentence ; to provoke justice , and not to appease it ; to hasten and assure our misery , but by no means to prevent or retard it . But that Repentance whereupon God will Pardon us , and that Regeneration which he will eternally Reward , is such only as either includes , or ends in Obedience and reformation . When he graciously proclaims , that whosoever repenteth him of his former sins , and is born again , shall be saved ; he means whosoever doth the one , and is the other , and obeys with them . His speech is metonymical , he intends obedience , and the thing implies it , although his words do not express it . For all the while it is only a repentance which is obedient , and a new Nature that is operative which in the last judgment he will eternally reward , and pronounce for ever Blessed . For of repentance he tells us plainly , how that which he means when he promises Life and Pardon to it , is such only as implies a forsaking in our works and actions those Sins which we repent of . It is a Repentance FROM dead works , Heb. 6.1 . A forbearing to act what we confess is evil . They repented not , says he , of the works of their hands , in making and worshipping Idols , that they should not ANY LONGER worship them , Rev. 9.20 . And because it includes a turn and a change of our works and actions , from Sin and Transgression , to Vertue and Obedience ; therefore is it expressed by forsaking and d returning . Repent and TVRN to God , and do works meet for Repentance , Acts 26.20 . Repent and turn from all your transgressions , and so iniquity shall not be your ruine , Ezek. 18.30 . For it is only when the wicked man TVRNETH away from his wickedness that he hath committed , and in his works DOTH that which is lawful and right , that he shall save his soul alive , vers . 27. Let no man therefore think that he ever savingly repents of any damning sin , so long as he perseveres to practise and repeat it . ●his Repentance must deliver him from sin , before it rescue him from suffering ; for 't is then only when the wicked man forsakes his way , and returns unto the Lord , that God will have mercy upon him and abundantly pardon , Isa. 55.7 . And as for that part of Repentance , viz. Regeneration , a New Nature , or a New Creature ; God tells us plainly that he accepts of them no further than they are principles of a new service , and we obey with them . The new Creature in Christs Religion , is a being Created , as St. Paul speaks , unto good WORKS , which God hath before ordained for us that we should walk in them , Eph. 2.10 . It is our actions which must evidence our nature ; the tree , says our Saviour , is known by its fruits ; so that we must either make the fruit good as well as the tree is good , or , if the fruit be evil , the tree will be known to be so too , Matt. 12.33 . For do men gather Grapes of Thorns , or Figs of Thistles ? Even so a good tree CANNOT bring forth evil fruit , neither CAN a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit : by their fruits therefore you shall know them , Matt. 7.16 , 17 , 18. Nothing less than a good life will be allowed , either by God or Men , for a sufficient proof of a good heart ; nor any thing below a new Conversation and Obedience , will pass for a good evidence of a new Nature . Doth a Fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter , saith S t James ; can the Fig-tree bear Olive-berries or a Vine Figs ? Who is a wise man , and endued with knowledge among you ? Let HIM show out of a good CONVERSATION his works with meekness of wisdom , Jam. 3.11 , 12 , 13. Let no man therefore dare to think himself regenerate and born of God , so long as he is disobedient , and his works are sinful . For whosoever is born of God doth not COMMIT sin , because his seed , his new nature , remaineth in him ; and through the determining power and strength of that , he is almost come to this that he cannot sin ; it is become the bent of his nature to do otherwise , he is born of God , Joh. 3.9 . If any man therefore would pass a true judgment upon his nature , whether it be the new or old Man ; from God , or from the Devil ; let him consult his works and actions , those undissembling effects of it , and from thence he may have a sure evidence which will not deceive him . For in this , as S t John goes on in the next words , is manifested who are Children of God , and who are Children of the Devil ; whosoever DOTH not Righteousness is not of God , vers . 10. So that when Christ comes to judge us according to his Gospel , we see plainly that no repentance will bear us out , nor any pretended regeneration or new Nature avail us unto life , but that only which either implies , or ends in our Obedience . For no man can with any show of reason hope to be acquitted and rewarded at that Bar , but he that repents unto amendment , that is Created unto good works , and is born again , to a new practice and obedience . One case indeed there is , wherein a new birth will surely save a man without a new practice ; and that is when a man is forthwith called away upon the change , before any opportunities of action come . Some men are listed into Gods service late , at the eleventh hour of the day , Matt. 20.6 . They have just time to become obedient in will and purpose , but not in life and practice ; they have no leisure left them to work in , but the night comes suddenly upon them , when all the time of labour is at an end . And this is the case of all dying Penitents . And here indeed the will shall be accepted for the deed . For in heart and mind such Penitents are become Gods honest servants ; their desires are in great strength , and their inward purposes are come up to effectual degrees , that want nothing but time wherein to show themselves , and are sufficient , whensoever an opportunity should occur , to beget a change of life , and to make their actions answer them . So that if they are destitute of an entire obedience , and have not as yet evidenced their change of nature in their change of practice ; that is not for want of inward readiness but of outward opportunities ; and therefore it is not so ' much their fault as their unhappiness . And when God sees it is thus , he takes the inward will and choice , for the outward service and performance . He judges us by our wills , which are in our own power ; and not by chance and fortune , which are utterly without it . This he doth in evil actions , as shall be shown afterwards ; the will in them is taken for the deed , and if once our hearts are effectually resolved and fully set upon them , in his account we are guilty of them , though by some intervening accidents we are hindred from committing them . And since , as S t Bernard argues undeniably in this matter , he is much more prone to pity than he is to punish , and had far rather interpret things to our profit than to our prejudice : we may be sure that our obedient purposes shall have as much force to the full as our disobedient have , and that an effectual will in them , when nothing but time is wanting to perform in , shall pass for the deed likewise . God is by no means forward to seek our hurt , and to take advantages of our necessities ; but in this , and all other cases , where there is first an effectually willing mind , and nothing but opportunity is wanting to an answerable practice , he takes , as S t Paul says , the will for the deed , and accepts men according to that sufficient and effectual desire which they have ; and not according to that outward performance , which through some unhappy and preventing accidents , they have not , 2 Cor. 8.12 . And of this we have a clear instance in one dying Penitent , the Thief upon the Cross. His return was late indeed , he begun not to befit himself for the next world , till he was in his departure out of this . His conversion was in his very last hour , under the pangs of Death , and at the instant of Execution . But when Christ saw that his change of heart was true , full , and sufficient ; and needed nothing but opportunity to show it self effectual ; he tells him that it should serve his turn , and secure his happiness . Because he would have been obedient in his practice if he had lived to it , he shall be rewarded at the last day as if he had . For this very day , says he , shalt thou be with me in Paradise , Luk. 23.42 . Thus available , I say , a new nature and an inward change is , although it want an outward practice , when it is sufficient and effectual to produce it , and would certainly effect it , if there were but time and opportunity allow'd for it . But then here is the dangerous state and deplorable case of all such dying Penitents , that 't is twenty to one , if they defer repentance to their death-bed , that all the change which then appears in them is not so sufficient , nor would , were there a due time allow'd for it , prove so effectual . And of this we have a clear argument , in that among all the holy vows and pious purposes , which are begun by men upon a sick-bed , when they are in sight of death and expect a dissolution ; there are so few that continue with them , and prove effectual to make their lives and actions answer them when they recover . There is not , I believe , one unconverted Christian in five hundred , but will show some signs of sorrow , and put up devout Prayers , and make holy vows and purposes when he apprehends himself about to dye : and yet of all them who are raised up again , 't is a very small and inconsiderable number that make good those vows , and effect what they had resolved upon . And now if these men had dyed when they thus repented , in what a miserable state had they been ! For this change in their will and purpose is no further available to their Salvation , than it would be effectual to a like change in their lives and practice . God accepts the holiness of the mind only as it is a holy principle , and imputes the reward of obedience to it no farther than he foresees , that if he allow'd time , obedience would ensue upon it . The will is never taken for the deed , but when it is able to effect it , when the deed would be sure to follow so soon as an opportunity were offer'd for it . And this God sees before hand , although we do not : he is able to judge of the sincerity of mens desires , and of the sufficiency of their purposes before their following works declare them . And according to what he foresees they would afterwards effect ; he either accepts , or rejects them . But when mens after-works come as a clear evidence of the unsincerity , or insufficiency of their sick-bed resolutions ; they may see plainly themselves , what God saw long before , that all the change of mind , which was then wrought , was utterly insignificant and unavailing . When they trusted to it , they relyed upon a broken reed ; their confidence upon it was ill grounded , and if they had dyed with it , it would most certainly have deceived them . Thus utterly uncertain and uncomfortable a thing is a mere unworking change , and a late death-bed Repentance . It may sometimes prove sufficient to beget an after-change of practice , and when God sees it would , he will undoubtedly accept it . But it very seldom doth , and no man who dyes in it can possibly tell whether it would or no. It is very great odds that it would prove too weak ; so that although there be some , yet is there very small hope that any dying man can place in it . And that which renders it ordinarily so insufficient , and thereupon so uncertain and uncomfortable , is either , First , Because it generally proceeds from an unconstant , temporary principle : Or , Secondly , Because , when the principle is genuine and lasting , it is still too weak and in an incompetent measure and degree . 1. That penitential grief and change of mind which is wrought upon a Death-bed , is ordinarily ineffective , and insufficient to produce a constant change of life and practice , because it generally proceeds from an inconstant and temporary principle . It is commonly founded upon a reason that doth not hold in all times , a reason that is good in sickness , but not in health ; that concludes for a Pious change , whilst we are under our sick-bed sorrows ; but not when , being freed from them , we come under the pleasure of temptations . For the great and general motive which makes all those , who never thought of reforming in all their lives before , to resolve upon it when they are on their Death-bed ; is plainly the nearness of the next world , and their apprehension of their sudden death and departure . Could they hope to live longer , they would sin still . But they look upon themselves as going to Judgment , and they have so much Conscience left in them , as to believe that there is a Hell for the impenitent ; and their own self-love is extreamly startled at that , and makes them run to any shelter : So that they make many fearful confessions , and fervent Prayers , and Holy purposes , and say and do any thing whereby they may quiet their present fears , and catch at any comfortable hopes of avoiding it . The ordinary cause then of all this work , is not any love of God , or hatred of Sin ; but only a fear of Punishment . And that too not a fear of it at a distance , and as at some removes from them ; but only as near at hand , and just hanging over them . But now as for this apparant nearness of Death , and this confounding fear upon it ; it is plainly a short and transient , an unconstant , temporary Principle . It is a reason to them no longer than they are sick ; for when they recover and are well again , Death is as far off , and they are become again as fearless as ever . They are got out of its neighbourhood , and it gives them no further trouble : So that all their former fears abate , and their vertuous resolutions fall , as beginning now to want that which first gave life to them , and should support them . And now when opportunities of Sin are offered , and the pleasurable baits of Temptations invite ; they have nothing left that is able to resist them . Whilst they were sick , they were not capable to be tempted ; and then Death being near , it enabled them to purpose well , and to make a pious resolution . But now , since they are well , Temptations are become as strong as ever ; and the thoughts of Death being far removed , they have no resolutions that can withstand them , but are quickly changed again into the same men , as sensual and sinful as they were before . Indeed it sometimes happens , that those souls which were at first awakened by such a transient , temporary motive ; go on to others afterwards , that are more fixt and lasting : and then they are furnished with Armour in all times , and have a motive that may bear them out when Death is far off , as well as when 't is near at hand ; in time of health , as well as in time of sickness . For they who were at first affrighted into a change of mind and holy purposes , by the near approach of Death and Judgment , go on sometimes to confirm their resolutions upon more lasting principles . They think themselves into a deep sense of that ingratitude towards God which is in Sin , and of its mischievousness to their own selves ; how it robs them of all that Eternal Good which their hearts desire , and brings them under all those insupportable and endless evils which they fear : all which it doth for the purchase of some light , empty , and transient Pleasures , which are vastly below the joys of Heaven ; and for the avoidance of some short pain and uneasiness , which are infinitely nothing in comparison of the Pains of Hell. And these thoughts give them a firm and lasting conviction of the utter necessity of renouncing all evil courses , which are so destructive ; and of leading a holy and obedient life , which are so infinitely becoming them , and beneficial to them . And this conviction now can beget and preserve a resolution that is sufficient and effectual , victorious and prevailing . It will be a reason to them to resolve and practise at all times , in sickness and in health ; when they are not tempted , and also when they are . For Heaven and the Love of God is always a necessary end , and Obedience is always a necessary means or instrument . So that if Men resolve upon a conviction of this necessity , they resolve upon a reason that may well hold always . They will constantly have the highest reason to be so convinced ; and still to repeat and fortifie their resolution upon such conviction ; and to act and practise that which they have so wisely resolved . And when a Sick-mans change is built upon this ground , and proceeds upon this motive ; it may be permanent and fixt , effectual and prevailing . As it is in all those who are Converted by Sickness and Afflictions , that great , and usually last means which God makes use of for the reclaiming of sinful Men. But generally Mens sick-bed purposes go no further than the first ground . They always begin upon the fears of present Death , and the near approach of Judgment ; and though sometimes they go higher still , yet ordinarily they rest there ; so that they have no change longer than their sickness lasts . And this Repentance is certainly insufficient ; this will can never be accepted for the deed ; because if they were allow'd to recover again , and to live on till an opportunity of Doing came , the good will and purpose would be quite lost , and able to effect nothing . But although a Death-bed change should proceed upon both these grounds , and the dying men should resolve to amend , both upon the sense of sudden Death , which will maintain their resolution so long as it is near , and also upon a conviction of the absolute necessity of Heaven and a Holy Life , which may make them resolve still when the present danger is over : yet may their Repentance after all be insufficient and avail nothing . For a Death-bed Repentance when it doth proceed upon a genuine and lasting motive , is still oft times ineffectual , because the change is , 2. In too weak and incompetent a measure and degree . It is not every degree even of true and undissembled resolution that will overcome a mans Lusts , and strengthen him to such a pitch as to make him prevail over all Temptations . A thousand good resolutions go to Hell , because although they are sincere and true , yet they are weak and ineffectual . For how many men are there who resolve against their sins , who do not yet get quit of them ? They purpose to leave them ; but for all that they live still in them : their mind and will is against them ; but yet they continue to work and practise them . When once men have got violent lusts , and vicious habits , and Sin by a long use is become almost a second nature to them : it is not every measure , no nor every moderate degree of resolution that can mortifie and overcome them . For a weak resolution is quickly overthrown , mens Lusts are too hard for it , and quite overbear it : it may make some resistance , create some trouble , and cause some delay ; but that is all that it can do : it can only contend and struggle , but it is not able to overcome . This is plain from every Religious Mans experience ; and this S t Paul sets down expressly in his character of the unregenerate striver in the seventh Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans . For there was a real change in his mind , without a change in his practice ; a resolution without effect ; and a will without performance : the violence of his Lusts was too hard for the convictions of his Conscience , and led him Captive , even against his will , into a course of Sin and disobedience . With the MIND , says he , I serve the Law of God , but with the FLESH the Law of Sin , v. 25. What I DO , I ALLOW not ; for what I WOVLD that I DO not ; but what I HATE , that I DO , v. 15 , 19. To WILL is present with me , but how to PERFORM that which is good I find not , v. 18. For the Law of my MEMBERS wars against the Law of my MIND , and brings me into CAPTIVITY to the Law of Sin , v. 23. Thus weak and unable , ineffective and idle , are many true and real resolutions . They have not strength enough to do their work ; the opposition is greater than they can overcome ; so that they are able to make no alteration , but for all this change of mind , men will continue wicked and disobedient in their practice still . And of this sort generally , even when they proceed upon a genuine and lasting motive , are the Penitential purposes of Dying-men . For , alas ! when Men have lived all their Lives in a course of Sin , and their minds have been always taken up with it , and their hearts wholly inslaved to it : it is no easie matter to bring them off , and to fill them with such firmness of purpose , and strength of pious resolution as would be able effectually to mortifie and subdue it . This is a most laborious work , and a difficult undertaking . It requires much time , and the freedom of all our faculties . For how hard a thing is it , even for men in health , when their thoughts are free , distracted by no business , interrupted by no pain , and disturbed by no disease or other hindrance , to work themselves up to an effectual and prevailing resolution against any one Sin which they have been habitually inured , and for a long time enslaved to ? And even of them who do at last effectually resolve against it , how few are there who came to such a pitch of resolution at the first tryal ? No , their proceeding is gradual , they go on from step to step ; every following resolution is more firm , and stronger than that which went before ; till after several repetitions and advances , they arrive at last to a degree and pitch of holy purpose so compleat as can effect that vertuous change of life and action which they aim at . So that their spiritual Life is not brought on to perfection in a moment , more than their natural ; but requires much time , and much exercise : for as their sinful habits were not at first acquired , so neither are they to be conquered by one action , but by many . And since the process in Repentance , even from one single Sin , is so long and tedious ere it has arrived to a saving pitch , and so difficult to a healthy man , who has nothing to trouble and distract him : what must an universal reformation be to a dying person , whose time is short , and much disturbed ; who cannot repeat many resolutions , nor make a tryal of the force and power of any one , and who is most likely to be weak and languid in all those good purposes which he makes , by reason that his thoughts are heavy , and his attention broken , and all his faculties are oppressed with pain , and become weary and unactive through a wasting Disease ? Surely if the first resolutions of healthy Men are generally so ineffective and insufficient ; these purposes of dying Penitents , which in all advantages for a strong and prevailing resolution fall much below them , must needs be generally of this ineffective sort too . And when they are so , they stand us in no stead in Gods account , but are utterly unavailable to any mans Salvation . A man who only purposeth , but doth not practise ; who barely wills , but is not able to perform ; is in the way to life indeed , but he is far from having yet attained to it . He is still in a sad case , and under a damning Sentence . For he is , as S t Paul says in that seventh Chapter to the Romans where he describes him , slain by Sin , vers . 11. It works death in him , vers . 13. he is yet under , as the Law of Sin , so the body of Death too , vers . 24. But the change of mind which God requires of us , is such as works a change of practice . If he sees it sufficient to effect that , he accepts it indeed before the effect follows : he takes the will for the deed , when he sees the will is so strong as that upon any fit occasion it would produce it ; and upon this account he accepted the dying Thief , Luk. 23.42 . But if it be only an impotent and ineffective will , and he discerns plainly that no obedient works would follow it : it is no such will as he rewards , and for such Penitents , he will by no means absolve , but utterly condemn them . And since the change of mind and penitential purposes of dying persons , even when they are upon genuine and lasting grounds , so as in the following parts of a mans life , if God should please to spare him , they would do something ; would yet be weak and insufficient , and so unable to do enough : here is still a further reason of the ordinary insufficiency of such Repentance , and why those dying men will not ordinarily be saved by it , but perish notwithstanding it . To conclude this point then , we see that 't is possible for such New-birth to save a Man , as has not yet produced a New practice ; and for dying Penitents to be accepted upon a change of mind , without a like change of life and actions . This I say is possible , it sometimes is , and sometimes has been done : but this indeed is very rare and very seldom , so that no Man in his sober wits , who has time before him , will dare to trust to it . And the sum of all is this , That to men who are so unhappy as to be brought into it , it has , as is expressed in f Salvians determination , just so much hope as may excite a good endeavour : but to men who are yet out of it , it is altogether so desperate , as utterly to discourage all delay . CHAP. IV. Of Pardon promised to Confession of Sins , and to Conversion . The CONTENTS . Of Pardon promised to Confession of Sins . The nature and qualifications of a Saving Confession . It s fitness to make us forsake Sin. The ineffectiveness of most mens Confessions . The folly and impiety of it . Pardon promised to Confession no further than it produces Obedience . Of Pardon promised to Conversion . The nature of Conversion . It includes Obedience , and is but another name for it . FOurthly , That condition of Life and Pardon which the Gospel indispensably exacts of us , and whereupon at the last day Christ will accept and reward us , is sometimes called Confession of our Sins to God. When we acknowledge them , God will be sure to pardon them ; he has engaged his word and faithfulness for it , and so cannot recede from it : If we a confess our Sins , says S t John , God is just and FAITHFVL to forgive us our Sins , 1 Joh. 1.9 . Now as for this Confession of our Sins , whereupon God promises mercifully to forgive them , it is not a bare naming of them , or giving in an Historical Catalogue of them to Almighty God , that he may know them and be informed of them . No , he sees all our thoughts afar off , and our actions long before . We cannot inform him when we lay open our transgressions before him ; for we could never find any place wherein to act them so retired , but it was under his eye ; nor any time and circumstances so secret , as to escape his knowledge . So that our Confession cannot be to instruct him ; but only to shame , and to humble , and to work other effects in our own selves . And therefore it must not be a bare recital of such offences as we have committed ; but an acknowledgment duly qualified , and accompanied with such tempers of mind , as will lead us on to forsake and amend them . It is a Confessing of them with shame , with an humble debasement , and sense of our unworthiness , who could ever be so vile as to be guilty of them . And such was Ezra's Confession , Ezra 9. O my God , saith he , I am ASHAMED and blush to lift up my face to thee my God , for our iniquities are encreased over our head , and our trespasses are grown up unto the Heavens , vers . 6. It is an acknowledgment of them with hatred and detestation , as things that are utterly odious and loathsome to us , which therefore we are prone to fly from , as from what is most offensive . And such is that Confession whereunto God directs the Jews by his Prophet Ezekiel , Ye shall remember your ways , saith he , and all your doings wherein ye have been defiled ; and ye shall LOATH your selves in your own sight for all your evils that you have committed , Ezekiel 20.43 . It is a recital of them with sorrow of mind , and a troubled heart ; with such pain as we use to feel in those things which most afflict us : which therefore we are forward to avoid , as what creates the greatest torment . And such was that of S t Peter , who when he remembred , and made mention of his Sin to God , wept , saith the Text , bitterly , Matt. 26.75 . And of David , who tells us in the 38. Psalm , that when he declares to God his iniquity , he will be SORRY for his Sin , vers . 18. It is a Confession of them , with a resolution , upon all this shame and sorrow which we have undergone for them , never more to be reconciled to them , or to act them over again and repeat them . A Confession of the mouth , that is accompanied with a turn and change of the heart , which is now set as much against them , as formerly it was inclined to them . And such was that Confession which Wise Solomon durst recommend to Gods mercy , and beg him to accept of for mens Pardon and Forgiveness . If they Repent , saith he , and say we have done perversly , we have committed wickedness : and so RETVRN unto thee with all their hearts , and all their soul : then hear their prayer , and forgive thy people that have sinned against thee , and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed , 1 Kings 8.47 , 48 , 49 , 50. It is such an acknowledgment of our Sins , lastly , as undoes , so far as is possible , all that which we had done wickedly ; and makes all just and sufficient recompence ▪ and satisfaction for them . And this is that acknowledgment of all Sins of injustice , which God himself prescribes . When a Man or Woman , saith he , shall commit any sin of injury and wrong , that men commit one against another , to do a trespass thereby against the Lord , and that person be guilty : then shall they confess their Sin that they have done , and shall RECOMPENCE their Trespass with the principle thereof , or the thing it self which they took away wrongfully , and shall add moreover unto it a fifth part more thereof , and give it unto him against whom they trespassed , Numb . 5.6 , 7. Now a Confession of our Sins thus qualified , viz. a Confession of them with blushing and being ashamed of them ; with an implacable hatred and loathing indignation of them , with bitter sorrow for them ; with firm purpose and resolution against them , and with all possible endeavours to undo them by making just recompence and satisfaction : A Confession , I say , thus attended is a most natural cause , and powerful principle of our leaving and forsaking them . The four first concomitant tempers , are all most effectual causes of better obedience and reformation ; and the last , viz. making of satisfaction , is an instance and effect of it . Shame , and sorrow , and hatred are the great rules and measures of what we shall forsake , the prime springs and directors of all aversation and avoidance . Nothing is more natural for us , than to be slow to do that we are ashamed of ; to avoid what we hate ; to turn away from that which grieves and torments us . So that if once disobedience fall under these passions , it has lost all its interest , and will surely be excluded from the service of our works and actions . Our passions oppose it , and our wills are set against it : and when both these are not only got loose from it , but also most resolutely contend with it ; it is wholly bereft of all its power , and can do nothing in us . We have no temptation to pursue it further ; we are weary of it , and offended at it , and so are sure to leave and forsake it . And because this Confession , thus qualified and attended as we have seen , is so genuine a cause of better obedience and reformation : therefore alone it is that so great things are spoken of it . When God says he that confesses his sin shall find mercy , he means he that confesses and forsakes it , that acknowledges his offences in such sort , as to renounce them and become obedient . His speech is m●tonymical , he implies Obedience , although he doth not mention it . For no Confession of sin will serve any mans turn at the last day , except he leave it , and in his life and actions bid adieu to it . The world indeed , abounds with another sort of Confession , which costs less , and effects nothing . They confess their sins without shame , and relate them without sorrow , and name them without hatred ; they recite them to God without resolving against them , and acknowledge them daily without any amends , or making any recompence and satisfaction for them . For they cannot but be hardned against shame , who day by day , if not several times every day , have the face to tell God that they have rebell'd against him ; and yet never endeavour to come with another story by disavowing and forsaking their Rebellion . They must needs be void of sorrow for sin , who will never keep back from it : it cannot but please them , so long as they continue to pursue it . For they would not continually repeat their pain , and at every turn act over again their own torment and vexation . It is beyond all doubt that they do not hate but entirely love disobedience , so long as they slip no opportunities of acting it . They are plainly resolved upon it , whilst they are most firmly fixt , and forward to embrace it . And since notwithstanding all their hideous Confessions , they stand ready still to close with their Sin upon the first meeting , and to repeat what they confessed upon the next occasion ; it is plain that their hearts were never against it , whatever their words were . They only shewed their wit , but not their passions or perswasion ; they declaimed against it , but all the while they meant no hurt to it . For even whilst they inveighed against the baseness , the loathsomness , the destructiveness of their Sin ; their own heart did not believe it . They did no more but spare God their tongues , and speak what he pleased : but for their souls and actions , they reserved them for their Lusts , and would like and do what they pleased themselves . But can any man be so blind as to think , that such a Confession of Sins as this can in any wise please God , and procure his Pardon ? Has he any kindness for our Sins , that he should take delight to hear them spoken of ? Are they so acceptable a service , that we may hope to gain his favour barely by reciting them in his presence ? No , he hates them as things that are most loathsome to him , and will not endure to have them mentioned without real detestation . Is any man so weak as to think that he honours God , merely by reckoning up his own offences ? That he gives glory unto him by declaring to his face how vilely he has affronted and despised him ? To Confess thus , is to b reproach him to his face , and boldly to defie him . It is a telling of him that we have disobeyed , and are resolved to go on in it : an open profession and avowing of our Rebellion , without any real signs or approach to amendment and due subjection . It is a transgressing bare-faced , an addition of impudence to sin ; a continuing daily to Rebel against him , and yet coming as daily into his very presence to declare and own our continued Rebellions . And this now is not to supplicate , but to defie ; not to beg peace , but to declare enmity ; it is by no means the way to soften and appease , but a most effectual course to exasperate , and implacably to provoke him . But then to go on still further , and to pretend to him that we are sorry at our heart , and loath our selves for having sinned against him , and are resolved to do so no more ; when really , as our after-actions ( which are the truest interpreters of our hearts and minds ) declare , there is no such thing : this is to add mockery to sin , and a fresh affront to our former disobedience . It is most grossly to play the hypocrite , and in the most fulsome fashion to dissemble with him . It is an endeavouring to put tricks upon the Almighty ; a tryal of his skill ; a seeking to delude and impose upon an infinitely wise and all-seeing God , by such thin pretences as cannot but be seen through and discovered by any ordinary Man. But let no Man vainly deceive himself , for God is not mocked ; nor can all the arts of Earth and Hell out-wit and go beyond him . No , he sees clearly through all this hypocrisie , and he will most severely punish it . And when he comes to judge of mens Confessions at the last day , he will then , in the face of all the world , distinguish reality from complement ; an acknowledgment of Repentance , from one of form and custom ; and will for ever reward the first , whilst he punishes Eternally the latter . He will Pardon no Confession of our Sins at that day , but only such as is sorrowful , penitent , and obedient ; we must amend those faults that we confess , before we can with reason hope that he will accept us . And for this the Scripture is clear . It is only our returning upon Confession that shall be rewarded and forgiven . If they Repent , says Solomon , and SAY , we have done perversly , we have committed wickedness ; and so RETVRN unto the Lord with all their heart and all their soul : Then HEAR their Prayer , and forgive thy people that have sinned against thee , 1 King 8.47 , 48 , 49 , 50. And to name but one place more , these words of Solomon are full and home to the purpose , He who Confesses , and FORSAKES his Sin shall find mercy , Prov. 28.13 . That Confession of our Sins then whereupon Christ our Judge will at the last day accept and Pardon us , is such only as ends in Reformation and Obedience . The service of our lives must go along with that of our lips ; we must do as we say , and avoid what we condemn , before we can safely trust , that God will Sentence us to that Mercy and Life , which are not the rewards of idle acknowledgments , but only of a confessing obedience . Fifthly , This Gospel condition of Life and Pardon is sometimes call'd Conversion . Without this we can have no hopes of happiness ; For except ye be CONVERTED , says our Saviour , and become as little Children , as void as they are of all former impressions and courses , and free to enter upon new ones , ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven , Matt. 18.3 . But if our Conversion goes before , Gods Pardon is sure to follow after ; that being the duty , and this the reward . Repent , and be CONVERTED , says the Apostle Peter , that your Sins may be blotted out , Act. 3.19 . Conversion sets us without the reach of Death , and beyond the precincts of Damnation ; for he who Converts a Sinner from the error of his way , doth save a Soul from DEATH , Jam. 5.20 . Now our Conversion from Sin to God , is nothing else but our Obedience in another word . For it denotes a turn and a change , not only of our wills and desires ; but withal , and that principally , of our works and actions . For our course of actions is in the familiar , and customary use of the Scriptures call'd our way ; our Conversation , walking ; and our particular actions , so many several steps : and our turning out of a course of Sin and Transgression , into a course of Righteousness and Obedience , being like the turning out of a wrong way into a right , is call'd our turning from Sin , and our turning to God , i. e. in one word our Conversion . So that to be Converted , is nothing else in the Scripture language but to have the course of our works or actions turned , and from workers of sin , to become workers of obedience . When Mercy and Life then are promised to our Conversion ; they are not made over to any thing which is separate from Obedience , but to that only which denotes it , and is but another name for it . We are not Converted until we obey ; so that Obedience still is that which must procure our peace , and capacitate us for Pardon and happiness when Christ comes to judge us . CHAP. V. Of Pardon promised to Prayer . The CONTENTS . Of Pardon promised to Prayer . Of the influence which our Prayers have upon our Obedience . Of the presumption or idleness of most mens Prayers . Of the impudence , hypocrisie , and uselessness of such Petitions . Then our Prayers are heard , when they are according to Gods will : when we pray for Pardon in Repentance , and for strength and assistance in the use of our own endeavours . Pardon promised to Prayer no further than it effects this Obedience , and penitential endeavour . SIxthly , That condition whereto the Gospel promises a gracious sentence of Mercy and Life , is sometimes call'd Prayer , or calling upon God. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him , says David , to all that call upon him in truth , Psal. 145.18 . Thou Lord art good and ready to forgive , and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon thee , Psal. 86.5 . For so surpassing is his goodness and the riches of his grace , that any thing may be had of him for asking ; to them who desire it , he can deny nothing . Ask , and it shall be given you , says our Saviour , for EVERY one that asketh receiveth , Matt. 7.7 , 8. And that in all things equally , one as well as another , if they do not distrust him and disbelieve his Love. For ALL things , WHATSOEVER you shall ask in Prayer BELIEVING , you shall receive , Matt. 21.22 . So that if men want any thing which they desire that God would bestow upon them , it is because they do not beg it of him . Ye have not , says S t James , because ye ask not , Jam. 4.2 . For not only the overflowing goodness of Gods own nature , but , besides that , the interest of his Son Jesus Christ our MEDIATOR at his right hand , gives us a full security in all our requests , that we shall obtain any thing which we ask in his name . Ask any thing , says he , in my name , and I will do it , Joh. 14.14 . Nay so dear is he to Almighty God , that although he himself should not move in it , yet through the strength of Gods inexpressible love to him , they who beg in his name can miss of nothing . In that day , says he , after I am taken from you , you shall ask ME nothing : Verily , verily , I say unto you , whatsoever you shall ask the FATHER in MY NAME , he will give it you . And I say not that I will PRAY the Father for you , for the Father himself loveth you , BECAVSE ye have loved me , Joh. 16.23 , 26 , 27. And seeing , as the Apostle says , that we have so great and powerful a High Priest at Gods right hand , whether our suit be for pardon , or strength , or for whatsoever else ; Let us come boldly to the throne of grace , that we may obtain Mercy for pardon of past sins , and find grace to prevent future , and to help in time of need , or in the most a fitting season , Heb. 4.14 , 16. Now our Prayers and calling upon God , are a mighty means and instrument of our serving and obeying him . And as all the forementioned means had a natural fitness and tendency , to make us do the will of God : so have our Prayers a supernatural , and help us to fulfill the Divine Laws , not so much through any efficacy of their own nature , as through the aids of divine grace . For we have great difficulties to conflict with , and great hindrances to overcome in the doing of our duty . There is much hardship in a holy course to make us unwilling ; and if we have a will to it , we yet find much weakness in our selves that renders us unable to continue in good living , and to perform constantly all those good things which God has commanded us . For we have much ignorance of what we should do , and much other business besides it : and as for that moreover which we do know , we are apt many times to forget it ; or through the throng of other things , through suddenness , and surprize , not to consider of it when we should use it ; or when in our minds we do clearly see it , yet full often we cannot bring over our wills to choose and embrace it . For our lusts and passions prove many times of more force with our wills , than our reason and Religion ; and we are either born down by the weight and strength , or wearied with the tediousness and length of a temptation . And now to supply all these defects , and to support us in the doing of our duty notwithstanding all these infirmities , we have an absolute necessity of the help and assistance of Gods grace . We want the good timeing of his providence , to have temptations assault us when we are best able to overcome them , and our duties stay for us when we may most easily perform them . We stand in need of the suggestions of his spirit to cure our forgetfulness ; of the aids of his grace to enlighten our minds , and clear up our notions , and bend our wills , and establish our resolutions ; and so to make us unmoveable in a good course . So that we have an utter necessity of his help , both in the disposals of his providence , and in the concurrence of his spirit , to enable us to obey his Laws , and make us , as S t Paul says , both to will , and to do what he requires of us , Phil. 2.13 . But now it is our Prayers which bring all these divine aids down unto us . They obtain for us a good providence , and a powerful spirit , which in spite of all our natural weaknesses shall work out our Obedience . God will not deny us these when we ask them . For , as our Saviour argues unanswerably , If ye being EVIL will yet give GOOD gifts to your Children : how much more shall your heavenly Father , whose GOODNESS infinitely exceeds yours , and who cannot be tainted with any of your ILLNESS , give the HOLY SPIRIT , that best of gifts , to them that ask him , Luk. 11.13 . And since our Prayers procure such a never failing aid , and so Almighty an assistance for us ; they must needs be a certain cause and instrument of our active service and obedience . They imply in us an hearty desire of having , and fetch down to us a sufficient power of doing our duty , and keeping Gods Commandments . And when there is both a preparedness in us to use , and a readiness in God to give us grace sufficient with it to do his will , there is nothing further wanting to our performance of it . And forasmuch as our Prayers imply the one , and procure the other ; because they fetch down Divine aids , and express our forwardness to obey with them : therefore have they so much favour shown them , and Life and Pardon promised to them . For God never intends to reward an idle and unobeying Prayer , but such only as is industrious and obedient . Our Prayers must first make us do what he commands , before they obtain those mercies for us which he promises . For when he tells us that they who call upon him shall find favour and mercy , he speaks metonymically , he includes obedience , although he doth not express it . He means them only who pray for b mercy and pardon , and obey in order to it ; and who ask for grace and strength , and work with it after it is granted . No prayers are of any account with him but the prayers of the obedient ; so that if ever we expect to be saved by them at the last day , we must obey with them . The Prayers indeed which are generally offered up to God , have little of this in them . For if men pray for mercy and pardon , they take no care to come furnished with Repentance and Obedience , which is that indispensable condition whereupon the Gospel doth encourage us to ask and hope for Pardon . And if they pray for any vertue or grace , they expect it should drop into them without any endeavours of their own , and will take no pains to cooperate with and use it . Their prayers for Mercy are generally presumptuous , and their prayers for Grace unendeavouring and idle . Obedience all the while is the least in all their thoughts and has the least of all their care . For their petitions are all put up for pardon whilst they continue in their sins ; or for vertue and grace whilst they put forth no endeavours . All their Religion is only to be often upon their knees , to keep up Prayers in their Families morning and evening ; to send up a great many Lord forgive me 's , Christ help me 's ; they are a praying and desiring , but not a working and obeying people . They are of a sordid niggardly Religion , which would receive all , and give nothing : their petitions look altogether on the reward , but quite overlook the duty ; they would take all from God , but do nothing for him . But this is such a way of praying as will most certainly delude men , but can never do them good . It is inconsiderate hope and downright folly to expect that ever God should hear our prayers for Pardon , whilst we continue in our sins . For since he has so frequently , so plainly , and so peremptorily declared , That at the last day he will Pardon none but the penitent and obedient : it is impudent incredulity to beg pardon , whilst , without any amends , we continue to sin and disobey . It is to desire of him that he would break his word , that he would Pardon and acquit us when his Gospel condemns us . It is to beg of him that he would frame another Religion , and another Law than that of his Son Jesus ; a Religion that would save us , when that kills and destroys us . By such asking forgiveness from him , whilst we go on in rebelling against him , we do as good as desire that he would cease to be governour of the world , and leave us to our own selves ; that we might have no law but our own wills ; that we might do what he forbids , without undergoing what he threatens . We only ask leave to sin ; and crave a liberty to transgress , without suffering ; and desire that we might break his Laws , but that he would not punish us . And what man now dare presume , that such shameless desires as these should be granted to him ? That God should desert his Laws , and alter his Religion , and cast off his government over men when they request it ? For in very deed we see , that to desire him to forgive us , whilst we are going on in our sins , is in effect to put up all these frontless , and abominably impudent petitions to him . And then as for the other sort of petitions , our asking for any vertue or grace , without putting forth any endeavours after it , it is as certain to meet with no good answer as the other . For to pray thus is plainly to play the hypocrite with God Almighty , and flatly to dissemble with him . It is to beg what we do not care for ; to ask what we refuse ; to pretend desire ( for all praying is desiring ) for that which we account is worth no endeavour . And what a miserable piece of falshood is this now , when a man makes his actions most palpably to give the lye to his words ? He tells God that he earnestly desires his help to work in him a pure heart ; but yet he will do nothing for it , nor avoid the least occasion of uncleanness . He begs his grace to assist him to a meek and patient spirit : but when he is off his knees his work is done , for he never after uses any means to procure it , or takes any care to nourish and preserve those degrees of it which he hath already . Surely any man of common understanding must needs see , that such desires as these were never in his heart , but only from the teeth forward . In reality he cares not what becomes of the graces which he has prayed for , and was no farther concerned about them , than that he might be able barely to say that he had asked them . Or at best , if he did desire them at all ; yet was his desire far from that degree which he pretends ; it was a weak wish , rather than a desire ; an imperfect inclination , that could effect nothing . It may be he had rather have that grace which he asks , than go without it ; but he had rather want it than be at any pains for it . He loves and desires the least ease , far more than the vertue ; and is resolved to keep that , although he loses this . So that although he do think the grace which he prays for to be worth something , yet he esteems it next to nothing ; he judges it to be worth no pains , and deserving no endeavour , and so has either no desires of it at all , or such weak and feeble ones as are just as good as none . Yea it is well if many times his heart is not set against those very graces that he begs whilst he is asking of them , which is more than barely being unconcerned for them . For how often doth it happen that a man prays for charity , whilst he is in love with malice ; that he begs sobriety , whilst his heart is upon drunkenness ; that he asks justice , whilst his affections hanker after deceitfulness and wrong ? This , in very deed , is the case of most , if not of all impenitent and wicked men . For they love their Sins , and resolve to continue in them ; and yet even then pray for such Graces as are contrary to them . Now here it is plain that their heart doth not go along with their tongues : they are not willing to lose that , which they pray to God they may leave ; and are afraid to receive that , which they beg to have . They only pretend desire , but are possessed in truth with hatred and aversation . And then as for all the good promises which they make to God in their Prayers , viz. That if he will forgive them , they will never do so any more ; but become new men , and watch more carefully , and sin more seldom , and obey more constantly and universally ; so long as their Prayers are thus unendeavouring and idle , all this is but meer wind , vain hypocrisie , and deceitful talk . For if , when their prayers are over , they take no care still to perform that obedience which they promised whilst they were at them ; is it not clear to every eye that all is cheat and falshood , and that they lye and dissemble in these their promises , as well as we saw they did in their professions ? All their engagements are stark nought , they meant no such thing whilst they made them , nor ever after think upon them to make them good and fulfil them . And can any man now be so intolerably weak and shamefully blind , as to imagine that God should reward such idle talk , as all these unendeavouring prayers for grace are , and give a blessing upon such hypocritical din and feigned language ? To dissemble thus with God Almighty is not to honour , but to abuse him : and so fits us , not for any expressions of his love , but only of his wrath and indignation . It is to pass affronts , instead of begging kindness ; to make a mockery of his condescensions ; and to turn that sacred and inestimable liberty , which he has graciously indulged mankind , of making known their desires to him for a supply and satisfaction of them , into a fraudulent trick and opprobrious couzenage . And since all these unendeavouring prayers for Gods grace , are an hypocrisie so gross , and a mockery so reproachful ; we must needs conclude that he will utterly reject them , as well as our prayers for pardon whilst we continue in our sins ; and instead of granting and fulfilling , deride and avenge them . But if ever we hope to have our Prayers heard the true and only way is to observe S t John's rule , of asking only what is according to Gods will. For this , says he , is the confidence which we have in him , that if we ask any thing according to his will , he heareth us , 1 Joh. 5.14 . And what that will of God is concerning any of those things which we have to pray for ; we can learn no where but from his Holy Gospel . Now in that we are plainly told , that as for Pardon , his peremptory will is , That no man shall meet with it but he only who has Repented and obeyed him . REPENT , says S t Peter , that your sins may be blotted out , Acts 3.19 . And except you REPENT , says our Saviour , you shall all Perish , Luk. 13.3 . For when we are all brought to Christs Tribunal at the great day , to be there Eternally acquitted or condemned ; we are taught in the most express words , that Judgment shall pass upon every man according to his WORKS , Rev. 20.12 , 13 So that if we would ask pardon and forgiveness according to Gods will ; and in such sort as he has promised to grant it , and we may justly hope to receive it ; we must desire it in Repentance , and in true resolutions and readiness to obey . And then as for strength and grace to enable us to overcome any sin , and to perform any vertue ; we are expressly informed that his will is to grant to such persons only , as endeavour after those graces which they pray for , and are careful to exercise and work with them . God will not bestow new grace upon us , till he see that we have made good use of what he has bestowed already . We must improve those talents which have formerly been entrusted with us , before he will think us qualified to receive more . For so we are taught in the Parable of those Men who had received the talents , Matt. 25. As a conclusion whereof , we have this laid down as a rule of divine dispensations : To him that hath , i. e. hath wrought with , and made use of that talent of grace which was granted to him , as those servants had done who are mention'd vers . 20 , 22. to him shall be given still more , and he shall have more abundance : But from him that hath not , i. e. hath not exercised and improved that wherewith he has already been entrusted , as that wicked Servant had not done , who had hid it , vers . 25. so far is he from receiving more , that , like as it was from the idle unworking servant , vers . 28. from him shall be taken even what he hath , vers . 29. And in that very place where S t Paul tells us , that God worketh in us both to will , and to do ; he acquaints us moreover that the way whereby he doth that is , by blessing our own endeavours , and giving success to our own working ; and accordingly useth it as an argument thereunto , work out your own salvation ; and doubt not but you will be able to go through with it , for it is God that prospers your endeavours , and , by giving strength and success to them , worketh in you both to will and to do , Phil. 2.12 , 13. So that if we would ask grace and strength according to Gods will , and in such sort as he will grant them ; at the time of Praying we must sincerely resolve ; and when our Prayer is over , we must carefully and honestly endeavour after them . An d effectual desire shall serve our turn ; and a working Prayer shall procure a blessing : but besides it no other will. Whatever therefore vain and wicked people may imagine ; there is no Prayer that will avail them when obedience is wanting . If we pray for pardon and mercy , God will by no means hear us unless our hearts are penitent , and our lives obedient . And in our Prayers for forgiveness , we must pray for obedience too . We must be as sollicitous for the doing of our duty , as for the receiving of our reward ; and never in our Prayers omit to ask for that , which Christ thought fit to give us as the highest instance of those things which we are to pray for , viz. the Holy Spirit , Luk. 11.13 . And when we do pray for that , or for any particular graces of it ; we see that we have not done our work barely by desiring it , till we go on also to endeavour after it . We must resolve when we pray to seek that grace which we ask for ; and we must effectually labour after it , in the diligent use of all those means whereby it is either acquired or encreased , when our Prayer is over . All the way it is only our obedience which can effectually recommend our prayers ; so that whensoever we ask for any thing , if we would have any just hope of receiving it , we must be sure to obey with it . And for this the Scriptures are express and plain . If I regard iniquity in my heart , saith the Psalmist , the Lord will not HEAR me , Psal. 66.18 . And God himself says the same by his Prophet Isaiah in words most full and forcible . When you spread forth your hands , I will hide mine eyes from you ; yea when you make many Prayers , I will not hear ; your hands are full of blood . Wash you , make you clean , put away the EVIL of your DOINGS from before mine eyes , cease to DO evil , learn to DO well ; seek judgment , relieve the oppressed , judge the fatherless , plead for the widow . When you have done this , you are fit to be hearkned to , come now and let us reason together ; pray for Pardon , and I will forgive you , and though your sins be as scarlet , they shall be white as snow , Isa. 1.15 , 16 , 17 , 18. So long as men persist in their sins , it is in vain for them to hope that God should ever accept their Prayers . For he that turns away his ear , saith the Wise Man , from HEARING the Law ; even his PRAYER shall be an abomination , Prov. 28.9 . But if any man would have his Prayers granted , he must take care to have his life obedient . For the eyes of the Lord are over the Righteous , saith S t Peter , and his ears are open to THEIR Prayers : but the FACE of the Lord is against them that DO evil , 1 Pet. 3.12 . The acceptableness of a Christians Prayers , consists , as S t Paul intimates , in lifting up holy hands , 1 Tim. 2.8 . Before God will Pardon any man upon his Prayers , Christs Gospel must absolve him ; it must promise , before God perform with him . No man has any other assurance that he shall receive what he desires , but his having done what God commands . Whatsoever we ask we receive of him , says S t John , because we KEEP his Commandments , and DO those things that are pleasing in his sight , 1 Joh. 3.21 , 22. And by all this it clearly appears , that no Prayers will avail us unto life and pardon at the last day , unless we keep Gods Commandments , and obey with them . There is no grace to be obtain'd without endeavours ; nor any pardon to be purchased without obedience . God will not hear us , if we refuse to hearken unto him . Nothing can maintain a good understanding betwixt God and us , but only the DOING of our duty : upon this condition he will grant us any thing , but without it we can procure nothing . So that after all it is only our Obedience which can make our Prayers available ; and if ever we expect that God should grant them , we must be sure to work and obey with them . CHAP. VI. Of Pardon promised to our fear of God , and trust in him . The CONTENTS . Of Pardon promised to our fear of God , and trust in him . Of the influence which mens fears have upon their endeavours , and how they carry on ignorant minds into Superstition , but well informed judgments to Obedience . Of the influence of mens trust in God upon their Obedience . The ineffectiveness of most mens trust . Of the presumption and infidelity of such confidence . That Pardon is promised to fear and trust so far only as we obey with them . SEventhly , That condition whereupon we shall be Eternally accepted at the last day , is sometimes call'd our fear of God , and sometimes our trust and hope in him . As for our fear of God , it is made the great means of our Pardon and acceptance . I will teach you the good and right way to your bliss and happiness , said Samuel to the Israelites ; only fear the Lord , and in vertue of that fear , serve him , 1 Sam. 12.24 , 25. This fear has given right to pardon in all times , and will eternally secure it . For Gods mercy is on them that fear him , from generation to generation , Luke 1.50 . From everlasting to everlasting , Psal. 103.17 . So that well might Solomon say , The Fear of the Lord is a Fountain of life , Prov. 14.27 . and that he surely knew it will go well with them that fear the Lord , Eccles. 8.12 . And then as for our Hope , or Trust in God ; great things are spoken of it . Blessed is he , saith the Psalmist , who maketh the Lord his Trust , Psal. 40.4 . He is secure from all effects of his wrath and anger ; for the Lord taketh pleasure in them that hope in his mercy , Psal. 147.11 . In particular , our relying on Christ and confiding in him for our pardon and eternal salvation , is said to be that which will never fail or deceive us . For he that hopeth or believeth on him , says S t Paul , shall never be ashamed , by a misplaced confidence or expectation , Rom. 10.11 . Now our fear of God , and our hope or trust in his mercy , are of all our passions the most active Causes and powerful Springs of our good works and obedience . As for our fears , no passion puts us upon so much pains and industry as they do . They make us act to the utmost of our power , and do all that is to be done to get protection from that evil which excites them . For fear has the deepest root in our natural self-love , and desire of our own preservation ; being raised in us by the nearness of such things as either utterly destroy , or in some degree impair it . And therefore in them the activity of our self-love is shown to the utmost ; as vehemently as we desire and endeavour to preserve ourselves and our own ease ; so vehemently must we desire and endeavour likewise to remove the matter of our fears , which hangs over us to destroy , or to torment us . The most natural effect of fear then is a most vigorous endeavour by all means to remove that evil which we are afraid of . And according as this may be done several ways ; so doth our passion of fear exert it self after several manners . If we think the evil may be conquered , it pushes us on to fight and subdue it . If it be above our strength , but may yet for all that be avoided ; it puts us upon all means of concealment or escape ; and makes us seek either to lye hid , or to fly from it . But if there is neither any prospect of withstanding the power , nor of escaping the eye of him who is ready to inflict it ; as there never can be when God , who is both Almighty and Al-seeing , is the Person feared ; then it hurries us on by all means to regain his favour and good will , that thereby we may prevent it . And in Times of Ignorance , when men had great fears and little knowledg , when they were grievously afraid of God , but knew not what things he loved and delighted in , nor wherewith they might please him ; this fear of God put them upon all the nonsensical services , and foolish propitiations of Superstition . But where God has plainly and clearly revealed his will , and manifested to all that it is their obedience alone that can continue them in his favour , or restore them to it after they have lost it : here the only effect of fear , must needs be that which is known to be the only means of favour , viz. our keeping of his Commandments , or obedience . So that our fear of God is a most sure principle and effectual means of our serving and obeying him . And then as for our hope , or trust in Gods mercy , it is a most natural cause of our doing our Duty likewise . For all hope implies both desire and a likelihood of getting that which is desired ; which two are all that is at any time needful to make us vigorously endeavour after it . For if men will be at no pains for a thing , it is either because they have little or no desire of it , or no probability of succeeding in it . But when once they are push'd on by an eager desire , it is only despair that can dull their endeavours in pursuit of it . So that if we hope for mercy , we shall be at some pains for it , and by an active service and obedience seek to procure it . Indeed when the good thing that is hoped for needs no labour of ours , but our naked trust and reliance is all that on our sides is required to it ; our hope will effect no endeavour after it , because none is necessary to obtain it . But as for that eternal life and pardon , which Christs Gospel proposeth to our hopes ; they are offered us only upon certain Terms and Conditions , and will never be attained by us without our Service and Obedience . And seeing obedience here is the necessary means to the acquisition of that which we desire , the same desire and hope which carries us on towards mercy and life , must spur us on withal to works of duty and obedience also . They must be a Spring of industry and good endeavour , because they make us resolve to procure that , which is not to be got without them . And in regard our fear of God , and our hope or trust in his mercy , are such powerful Principles of our obedience to his Laws ; therefore are Pardon and Life , which are the rewards of Obedience , so frequently promised to them . God never intends to reward an idle fear , or an unactive and careless trust ; but such only as are industrious and obedient . 'T is true indeed the generality of men have taken up a dangerous errour ; especially in the latter of these , and are bold and presumptuous in their hopes at the same time that they are most wicked and disobedient in their lives and practice . They find no service of their own works wherein they may be confident , and therefore they fly from them to Gods Goodness . They know this full well by themselves , that they are wicked ; but they know withal , that God is gracious , and their hope is , that He will be merciful to them notwithstanding their sins . They find themselves condemned indeed by his Gospel ; but their trust is to be relieved by his Nature ; they are punishable and wretched by his Laws , but they expect to be saved by his pity and kindness . The Revelations of his Word , 't is true , breathe out nothing to them but Death ; but their hope is , that he will be better than his Word , and that through the infiniteness of his mercy , they shall at last be adjudged to pardon and eternal life . But such bold hopes and presumptuous confidences as these , are the ready way to provoke and offend God , but by no means to attone and appease him . For thus to hope in his Mercy against the plain Declarations of his Will , is to chashier those measures of life which he hath given us , and , by usurping the place of Judg and Governour of the World , to make others of our own . It is plainly to oppose his Essence to his Gospel , by making it bless those whom this condemns , and to become Infidels to his Religion and Truth , under colour of promoting his Mercy and Goodness . It reproacheth his Nature under a pretence of Honouring it , by making his Vertues enterfere , and his Excellencies inconsistent , and robbing him of one most glorious Attribute to exalt another . But when he comes at last to judge the World , he will effectually assert the truth of his Gospel , and vindicate the Honour of his injured Attributes ; in passing a just censure , and inflicting a most severe punishment on all such blasphemous presumptions as these are . For it is not an idle trust in God , or ineffective recumbency and reliance on Christ for salvation that shall avail any man at that Day . No , if they have despised his Laws , and their lives are disobedient , let them be as presumptuous as they please with God , and as bold as they will with their Saviour , they shall certainly go to Hell in the midst of all their high flown hopes and daring confidences . For God will be as good as his Word , and punish disobedience according as he has threatned it . It is not only in his Word , but in his very Nature , that he hates and abhors sin : so that he can never be brought to reward and encourage it , being determined by his Natural Inclination , as well as by the Truth of his Gospel , eternally to punish and avenge it . He is not a God , saith the Psalmist , who hath pleasure in wickedness ; no , as an Argument of that , he will not endure it in his Presence , Evil shall not dwell with him . The foolish , or disobedient , shall not be suffered to stand in his sight , for he hateth all the Workers of iniquity , Psal. 5.4 , 5. No man therefore must dare to place his hope and trust in God , till in his works he honestly obeys him . It is only our doing what he requires , that can give us sufficient grounds to expect the performance of those mercies which he promises . A faithful obedience is the only firm foundation of a sure Trust , we must keep his Commandments before we can safely confide in him . When God says then that he who fears the Lord shall be blessed , and that he who trusts and hopes in him shall not finally be ashamed ; he speaks not of such fear and trust as are separate from obedience , but of such only as are conjoyned with it . The Phrase is metonymical , our obedient works are implyed , although they are not expresly mentioned ; for we must obey him through fear , and do what he commands us in hopes of obtaining those mercies which he promises , or else we shall never attain those blessings which we hope for . And for this the Testimonies of the Scriptures are many and plain . For as for our fear of God , it is of no account with him further than it makes us obedient . The fear of the Lord , says Solomon , is to hate evil , Prov. 8.13 . It must be an instrument of amendment and reformation ; a fear whereby men depart from evil , Prov. 16.6 . A means of perfecting our obedience and holy living ; for that is S t Paul's Character of it , when he tells us of PERFECTING holiness in the fear of the Lord , 2 Cor. 7.1 . and of WORKING out our own SALVATION with fear and trembling , Phil. 2.12 . It is only when obedience thus follows upon our fear , and is effected by it ; that God accepts and rewards it . I will teach you the right way to pardon and happiness , said Samuel , Fear the Lord , and , together with that , SERVE him , 1 Sam. 12.24 , 25. For if we would hear the conclusion of the whole matter , as saith the Wise Man , we must fear God and keep his Commandments ; this obedience and fear together is the whole Duty of man , Eccles. 12.13 . No man therefore can lay a just claim to Gods mercy at the last day ; but he who has fear'd him in such sort , as out of that religious fear intirely to obey him . But whosoever fears so , mercy shall rest on him for ever . For the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on them that fear him , provided that out of that fear they keep his Covenant , and his Commandments to DO them , Psal. 103.17 , 18. And then for our trust and hope in Gods mercy , it is no saving trust , but a blasphemous and bold presumption , if we hope in him whilst we are disobedient and rebellious against him . A good mans trust is only in promised mercies , which are never made to such as wilfully and impenitently transgress Gods Laws , but only to those who honestly obey them . It is a trust , as the Psalmist speaks , in Gods Word , and not against it , Psal. 119.42 . And because that word denounces nothing but woes and threatnings to all wicked men , therefore , as he speaks in another place , shall the righteous alone trust in him , Psal. 64.10 . The hope of a Christian is not absolute , but suspended upon his performance of certain terms ; a hope upon his active service and obedience . So that whosoever has it , and expects not to be disappointed in it , must purifie himself , as S t John tells us , 1 John 3.3 . Disobedience , so long as men continue in it , is a most desperate and forlorn Condition , there being no just hope to any man but in well-doing . It is , says S t Paul , in teaching us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts , and to live godlily , soberly and righteously in this present world , that the Gospel encourages us to look for the fulfilling of our blessed hope , Tit. 2.12 , 13. And the way to hold fast the confidence and joy of a just hope in Christ firm unto the end , he informs the Hebrews , is only by hearing , and thereupon obeying Gods voice , and not hardening their hearts , as the Israelites did , in the provocation , or those transgressions wherewith they provoked him , in the day of their temptation in the wilderness , Heb. 3.6 , 7 , 8. And the full assurance of hope , as he again declares to them , is no otherwise to be upheld but by mens diligence in obeying , and in the work and labour of love ; which implies the whole of our obedience , Heb. 6.10 , 11. So that , as the Psalmist says , they must trust in the Lord , and , together with that , do good , who are to receive mercy from him , Psal. 37.3 . If men therefore will dare to sin , and yet presume ; affront God Majesty , and still trust in his Mercy : they must needs deceive their own Souls to their utter destruction . For it is a vain confidence and an impudent presumption in any man to rely upon Gods goodness for the pardon of his sins , without repenting of them , and obeying him ; whenas he has plainly told us , That his goodness it self shall pity and pardon none but the Penitent and Obedient . He trusts to a false hope , and leans upon a broken Reed ; for as long as his transgressions continue to separate between him and his God , whatever God CAN do , yet certainly he WILL not save him . The Lords hand , saith the Prophet Isaiah to the afflicted Jews , is not shortened that it cannot save , nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear : but your iniquities have separated between you and your God , and your sins have hid his face from you , that he will not hear . For your hand 's are defiled with blood , and your fingers with iniquity , your lips have spoken lies , your tongue hath muttered perverseness : none calls for Justice , nor any pleads for Truth ; and since your disobedience is so heinous , your hopes must needs be false , you TRVST in vanity , Isai. 59.1 , 2 , 3 , 4. Christ himself never dyed to reconcile God to mens sins , and to procure hopes of pardon for the finally impenitent and unperswadably disobedient . So that no man may ever think himself delivered to act wickedness ; or wilfully transgress Gods Laws , and still dare to trust in him . But if any are so bold and frontless , Christ will rebuke them at the last Day , as God doth the presumptuous Jews by the Prophet Jeremiah ; Behold , says he , you trust in lying words which cannot profit you . Will you steal , murther , and commit adultery , and swear falsly , and notwithstanding all that , come and stand before me in this house which is called by my Name , as Men that owne my service , and dare trust in my love , and say , as in effect you do by such usage , we are delivered to do all these abominations ? Dare you by thus presuming upon my favour in the midst of all your transgressions , make me become a Patron and Protector of your villainies ? And is this house which is called by my Name , become a Den or Receptacle and Sanctuary of Robbers in your eyes ? Behold I , even I , have seen it , saith the Lord ; and that surely not to encourage and reward , but most severely to punish it ; for I will utterly cast you out of my sight , Jer. 7.8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 15. God will by no means endure to have his own most holy Nature become a support to sin , nor his Religion to be made a refuge for disobedience , nor his Mercy and Goodness a Sanctuary to wicked and unholy men . So that no man must dare to hope and trust in him , but he only who honestly observes his Laws and uprightly obeys him . That fear of God then , and trust in his mercy which the Gospel encourages , and Christ our Judge will at the last Day accept of , is not a fear and trust without obedience , but such only as implies it . We must serve him in fear , and obey him through hope , as ever we expect he should acquit and pardon us . For no fears or hopes will avail us unto bliss , but those that amend our lives , and effect in us an honest service and obedience . CHAP. VII . Of Pardon promised to the love of God , and of our Neighbour . The CONTENTS . Of Pardon promised to the love of God , and of our Neighbour . Of the fitness of an universal love to produce an universal obedience . That pardon is promised to it for this Reason . The Conclusion . EIghthly , That condition which the Gospel indispensably requires of us to our pardon and happiness , is sometimes called Love. For of this S t Paul says plainly , that it is the fulfilling of the Law , Rom. 13.10 . It is the great condition of Life , the standing Terms of mercy and happiness . We have the same Apostles word for it of our love of God. Those things which neither eye hath seen , nor ear heard , neither have entred into the heart of man to conceive , are prepared for them who LOVE God , 1 Cor. 2.9 . And again , Chap. 8. If any man love God , the same is known or accepted of him , vers . 3. And S t John says as much of the love of our Neighbour . Beloved , let us LOVE one another , for LOVE is of God , and every one that loveth is born of God , and knoweth God , 1 John 4.7 . And again , God is Love , and manifested his Love in giving Christ to dye for us . And if we love one another , God dwells in us . For hereby , by this mark and evidence , we know that we dwell in him , and he in us ; because he hath given us of this loving temper and Spirit of his , ver . 8 , 9 , 12 , 13. And to the same purpose he speaks fully in the third Chapter of that first Epistle , We know , says he , that we have passed from death unto life ; because we LOVE the BRETHREN , ver . 14. Now our hearty love both of God and men , is a most natural and easie Principle of an intire service and obedience . For the most genuine and proper effect of Love , is to seek the satisfaction and delight of the persons beloved . It is careful in nothing to behave it self unseemly , but to keep back from every thing that may offend , and forward in all such services as may any ways pleasure and content them . If they rejoyce , it congratulates ; if they mourn , it grieves with them . If they are in distress , it affords succour ; if in want , supply ; in doubts , it ministers counsel ; in business , dispatch . It is always full and teeming with good offices , and transforms it self into all shapes whereby it may procure their satisfaction , and render their condition comfortable and easie to them . So that it exerts it self in pity to the miserable , in protection to the oppressed , in relief to the indigent , in counsel to the ignorant , in encouragement to the good , in kind reproof to the evil , in thanks for kindnesses , in patience and forbearance upon sufferings , in forgiveness of wrong and injuries : In one word it is an universal Source and Spring of all works of Justice , Charity , Humility and Peace . Now the Body of our Religion is made up of these Duties . For what doth the Lord thy God require of thee , O man , saith the Prophet Micah , but to do justly , to love mercy , and to walk humbly with thy God , Mic. 6.8 . Those things which God has adopted into his Service , and made the matter of our duty towards one another , are nothing else but these natural effects of love and kindness , and expressions of good nature towards all men . All the Precepts of Religion only forbid our doing evil , and require our doing good to all the World. And since , as the Apostle argues , love seeketh all things that are good , and worketh no evil to our Neighbour ; therefore Love must needs be the fulfilling of those Laws which concern them . This Commandment , for instance , as he illustrates it , Thou shalt not commit Adultery ; thou shalt not kill ; thou shalt not steal ; thou shalt not bear false witness ; thou shalt not covet : all these , and if there be any other Commandment relating to our Brethren , it is briefly comprehended in this Saying , Thou shalt LOVE they Neighbour as thy self . For LOVE worketh none of all these ills to our Neighbour , therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the Law , Rom. 13.9 , 10. Thus doth our Love of our Neighbour fulfil all those particular Laws which contain our Duty towards them : and in like manner our Love of God fulfils all those other Precepts which comprehend our Duty towards him . For all that he requires of us towards himself , is neither more nor less than to honour and worship him ; to do nothing in all our behaviour that savours of disrespect towards him ; nor by any thought , word or action to disgrace or contemn him . But now nothing renders any person so secure from contempt , as our love and affection for him . Affront and reproach are a great part of enmity and despite , and so can never proceed from us towards those whom we love and value . But this is always certain , that if we are kindly affected towards any person , we shall not fail to express a due honour of him , and bear him a just respect and veneration . So that if we do indeed love God , he is secure from all affront ; and disobedience being a most consummate reproach , since our Love will not permit us to dishonour , it can never suffer us to disobey him . Thus mighty and powerful , easie and natural a Principle of an universal obedience , both towards God and men , is an universal Love : it doth the work without difficulty , and carries us on to obey with ease ; in as much as all the particular Precepts and Instances of obedience , are but so many genuine effects , and proper expressions of it . The effects of our love are the parts of our obedience ; the products of our Duty and Religion , as well as of our passion . So that it is a most natural Spring of our obedient service , because it prompts us to the very same things , to which God has bound and obliged us by his Precepts . But besides this way of an universal love's influencing an universal obedience , through this coincidence of the effects of Love and the instances of Duty ; our Love of God , who is our King and Governour , were a sure principle of our obedience to him , were his Precepts instanced , not in the same things which are the effects of a general Love , which is the true Case ; but in things different from them . For although our love would not prompt us to perform them by its natural tendency towards them , and for their own sakes : yet it would through submission and duty , and for his sake who enjoyn'd them . It would make us deny our selves to pleasure him ; and produce other effects than our own temper enclines us to , to do him service . For as Love is for doing hurt to none ; so least of all to Governours : it will give to every one their own , but to them most especially . Now Duty and Service is that which we owe to our Rulers ; and the proper way of Love's exerting it self in that , is by obedience . If we love , we shall be industrious to please ; and the only way of pleasing them , is by doing what they command us . For there is no such offence to a Governour , as the transgression of his Laws ; no injury like that of opposing his Will , and despising his Authority . To do this is to renounce all subjection , and to cast off his Yoke ; and so is not to express love , but to declare enmity ; not affectionately to owne , but in open malice to defie him . But if any man would contribute to his delight , there is no way for that but by a performance of his pleasure : it is nothing but our obedience that can add to his contentment , or evidence our Love. For disobedience to our Governours is clearly the most profest hatred , as the observance of our Duty is the most allowed instance of friendship and good will. So that Love is a Spring and Principle of our Obedience , not only because the Commandment and it run parallel , and the instances of Gods Laws are the same with the effects of a general Love ; but also because our love of God would make us obey him , even in such instances of Duty as differ from them . For all that aversion which we have to the thing commanded , would be outweighed by our desire to please him who commands it : and although we should neglect it upon its own ; yet for his sake we should certainly fulfil and perform it . And because our Love of God and men is so natural a Spring , and so sweet and easie a Principle to produce in us a perfect and intire obedience to all those Laws which concern either , or to any other : therefore has God promised so nobly to reward it . He never intends to crown an idle and unworking love ; but such only as is active and industrious . For when he says that he who loves God and men is known of God , and accepted by him , and born of him ; and that God dwells in him , and has prepared Heaven for him : he speaks metonymically , and means all the while a love with these religious effects , a love that is productive of an entire service and obedience . And to this Point the Scriptures speak fully . For as for our love of God himself , and of our Saviour Christ ; that is plainly of no account in his judgment , but when it makes us keep his Commands , and become industriously obedient . If ye LOVE me , saith Christ , keep my Commandments ; for he that hath my Commandments , and KEEPETH them , he it is that loveth me ; and he only who so loveth me , in obeying me , shall be beloved of my Father , and I will love him , John 14.15 , 21. Whoso keepeth Gods Word , saith S t John , in him verily is the love of God made perfect : and hereby it is , by this perfection of Love in Obedience , that we know we are in him , 1 John 2.5 . But if we have only a pretended verbal love , or an inward passion for God , and shew no Signs or Effects of it in our obedient works and actions : we shall be as far from being accepted by him , as we are from any true and real service of him . He will look upon all our Professions only as vain speech , and down-right flattery : but will not esteem it as having any thing of sober truth and reality . For whosoever hath this Worlds goods , and seeth his Brother hath need , and obeys not Gods Command of shewing mercy ( and the Case is the same in other Instances ) but shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him ; how dwells the love of God in him ? 1 John 3.17 . And then as for our love of our Brethren ; it doth not at all avail us unto Mercy and Life , unless it make us perform all those things which are required of us , by the Laws of Justice , Charity and Beneficence towards them . My little Children , saith S t John , let us not love only in word , and in tongue ; but in deed also and in truth . For it is hereby , by this operative love , that we know we are of the truth , and shall assure our hearts in full confidence of his mercy before him , 1 John 3.18 , 19. Our love to them is to be manifested as Christs was to us , viz. in good effects and a real service ; yea , when occasion requires it , and their eternal weal may be very much promoted , and their Faith confirmed by it , in giving up our selves to Martyrdome , and laying down our own lives for their advantage . Hereby , says this same Apostle , perceive we the love of God , because he laid down his life for us . And if we would be reputed to have that love which , as we are told at the fourteenth Verse , wafts us over from Death unto Life ; we ought , upon a fit occasion , not to flinch from the most costly service , but even to lay down our very a lives for the Brethren , 1 John 3.16 . It is only this obedient and operative love of men which will be owned by Christ our Judg , and confer a just claim to Life and Pardon at the last Day . Our Love will not be rewarded as a thing that is absolute in it self , but only as an Instrument ; in as much as it makes us , as S t Paul says , to fulfil the whole Law which makes any thing an instance of Duty towards them , Rom. 13.8 . But if we only profess love to them in kind words and tender expressions , but shew none in our works and actions ; this idle , useless love will be of no account to us , nor benefit us more than it profits them . For if a Brother , or a Sister , says S t James , be naked and destitute of daily food ; and one of you gives them only some good words , and says unto them , Depart in peace , be ye warm'd with Cloths , and filled with Food ; but notwithstanding all this affectionate language , ye give them not in the mean while those things which are needful for the Body ; what doth it profit ? Nothing at all surely , nor will it ever advantage your selves as an instance of that mercy which rejoyceth against judgment , Verse 13. more than it profits them , James 2.15 , 16. So that when Christ comes to Judgment at the last Day , we see plainly that no love either of God or men will avail us ; but only that which has kept the Commandments ; we shall never be acquitted at that Bar upon a pretence of love without obedience : for all that can possibly stand us in any stead there , is a loving service , a love which has made us careful and diligent to obey . And thus at last we have fully seen , that as for all those other things besides obedience , whereunto the Gospel promises pardon and happiness ; they are by no means available to our bliss when they are separate from obedience , but then only when they effect and imply it . They all aim at it , and end in it , and are of no account in Gods Judgment further than they produce it . It is not either our knowing Christ , or our believing Christ , or our being in Christ , or our trusting in Christ , or our loving Christ , or our fears of God , or our confessions of sins , or our pouring out many prayers ; or any thing else that will save us whilst we disobey . No , at the last Day we shall certainly be damned notwithstanding them , if the obedience of our works is wanting . It is only a working service that will please our Judge , and which can possibly secure us : if we are able in that Court to produce that , it will clear us , but without it nothing else will. Christs Gospel , whereby all of us must stand or fall at that Day , has fully declared this already ; and Christ himself will then confirm it . So that 't is in vain to cast about for other marks , and to seek after other Evidences for our title to bliss and happiness ; nothing less than our Repentance and Obedience will avail us unto life , and through the merits of Christ , and the Grace of his Gospel it shall . And now at last we see clearly what that Condition is which the Gospel indispensably requires of us , and which is to mete out to us our last doom of bliss or misery ; that in the general it is nothing else , neither more nor less than our obedience . BOOK II. Of the Laws of the Gospel , which are the Rule of this Obedience in particular . CHAP. I. Of the particular Laws comprehended under the Duty of Sobriety . The CONTENTS . A Division of our Duty into three general Vertues , Piety , Sobriety , Righteousness . Of the nature of Sobriety . The particular Laws commanding and prohibiting under this first Member . A larger explication of the nature of Mortification . BUT in regard our working and obeying is that whereupon all our hopes and happiness , our security and comfort hangs ; it is very necessary that after all which has been hitherto discoursed of it in the general , we go on still further , and enquire of it more particularly . For if it be our Obedience or Disobedience that must dispense Life or Death to us , and eternally save or destroy us at the last Day ; then whosoever would know before-hand what shall be his final Sentence , must enquire what is his present state , and what have been his past actions , whether in them he have obeyed or no. And the way to understand that , is first to know what those Laws are whereto his obedience is due , and in what manner and degrees he is to obey them : and when once he has informed himself in these , he may quickly learn from the Testimony of his own heart and Conscience , whether he has performed that Obedience which is indispensably required to his happiness , or has fallen short of it . And to give the best assistance that I can in so weighty a Case , I will here proceed to enquire further in this Obedience , and shew concerning it these two things ; I. What those Laws are which under the Sanctions of Life or Death the Gospel binds us to obey ; And , II. What degrees and manner of obedience is indispensably required to them . I. Then I will enquire what those Laws are , whereby at the last Day we must all be judged , and which under the Sanction of Life or Death the Gospel binds us to obey . And that I may render this enquiry as useful as I can , I will set down , as I go along , the meaning and explication of those several Vertues and Vices , which are either required or forbidden in the particular Laws , that so we may more truly and readily understand whether the Vertues have been performed , or the Vices incurred ; and whether thereby the Laws have been broken or kept by us . As for the Laws and Commands of God , they are all reduced by S t Paul to three Heads . For either they require something from us towards God himself , and so are contained in works of piety ; or towards our Neighbours , all which are comprehended in works of righteousness ; or towards our own selves , as all those Precepts do which are taken up in works of sobriety . In these three general Vertues is comprized the Sum of our Christian Duty , even all that is required by the Gospel as the Condition of Salvation . For the Gospel , saith he , or that Grace of God which brings us the welcome offers of Salvation , hath appeared now to all men , teaching us , as ever we expect that salvation which it tenders to us , that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts , we should LIVE SOBERLY , GODLY , and RIGHTEOVSLY in this present world , Tit. 2.11 , 12. I begin with that which contains all our Duty towards our selves , viz. Sobriety . Sobriety is in the general , Such a regulation of all our actions , whether they concern our Bodies or our Souls , as makes it appear that they are guided by a b sound mind presiding in Flesh , and that the animal Body which they flow from , is under the Command of a spiritual Reason . It is a doing what is becoming and fit for such Creatures as are Soul as well as Body , that have a wise and discerning Spirit which should govern and give Laws in this lump of Flesh. So that Sobriety is a taking care , and giving what is due and becoming to both the Parts of our Natures , viz. our Bodies and our Souls . As for our Bodies , all the things in the world which affect them are of a limited goodness or illness ; but yet , in their desires and aversations of them , they do not of themselves know any Limits : So that in their desires and actions , that dueness and decency which Sobriety prescribes , is keeping within due bounds or moderation . And this Moderation is either , 1. Of their desires and use of such things as gratifie and delight them ; whether that inveigling delight , which causes such excess of use and desire , be 1. In Meats , and our desire and use of them , both as to their quantity and quality , is moderated by Temperance . 2. In Drinks , and the like moderation there is by Sobriety , more particularly so called . 3. In other bodily pleasures , which are particularly called Lust , and our bodily desires and use of them are moderated by Chastity . And the c ability to contain our selves , and to restrain the violence of our desires herein , is called Continence . 4. In Riches and Honours , and the desire and use of these are moderated by contempt of the world and contentedness . In our bodily desires , and use of all these things , by reason of the unbridled temper of our bodily Appetites , which stop at no bounds , nor ever know when they have enough , we are in great danger to exceed : and therefore our desires and use of them stand in need to be moderated and retrenched by these Vertues , that it may appear we understand and act , not as brute Beasts , who have nothing else but bodily appetite to guide them ; but as men , who have wise Souls presiding in Flesh to keep within decency and due bounds the exorbitant inclinations of our Bodies . Which Souls moreover , as we shew by such actions , are of an immortal and invaluable nature , whose interest therefore is infinitely dearer to us , and calls incomparably more for our care and pains , than our Bodies either do , or in reason ought to call for 2. Of their aversation and avoidance of such things as grieve and trouble them . Whether that matter of our bodily avoidance be 1. The troubles and losses that are laid in the way of our Duty ; and our avoidance of these is moderated by the Duty of taking up the Cross. 2. The irksome pains which we take in going through it , and performing it ; and our avoidance of this is moderated by the Vertues of diligence and watchfulness . 3. The great evils which we have already fallen under , and are suffering for it ; and our avoidance and flight of these is moderated and restrained by patience . Our hatred and avoidance of all these evils , which in themselves are naturally prone to be excessive , are so to be moderated and over-ruled by these Vertues , that all the world may see we are not acted as the brute Beast , by mere sense and appetite , which know no Rules of decency , nor stop at any limits ; but know and do as becomes men , who are endowed with spiritual and discerning Souls , which understand how to give Laws , and prescribe Rules of decency to our fleshly Appetites , and whose sins are far worse evils than any or all the sufferings which can befal our Bodies : So that to keep back from them , we will not avoid and fly from these , but willingly embrace and undergo them . And to enable us the better thus to moderate all the desires and aversations , and to keep perfectly under Command , and within just bounds these naturally extravagant tendencies and propensions of our Flesh : we must curb and keep it in , and dead in great degrees , not only its immoderate and excessive , but also its innocent eagerness and inclinations , lest they become a Snare to us , and acquire so much strength by our indulgence of them , as will carry us on to gratifie them at other times when they are not innocent , but sinful ; which , but for such curbing and conquest of them , they would be sure to do . And this is done by the general Vertues of mortification and self-denial . The great matter indeed , and principle Object of mortification and self-denial , is our sinful appetites , and such disobedient actions as we are tempted and drawn into by the untamed inclinations of our Bodies . And this S t Paul affirms is an indispensable Duty , and a Vertue of absolute necessity unto life . If ye live after the Flesh , saith he , you shall dye ; but if you through the Spirit do mortifie the DEEDS of the Body , you shall live , Rom. 8.13 . But as our sinful and disobedient appetites are the prime Object of all religious self-denial and mortification , and that which is absolutely necessary , as the end : so likewise are our innocent appetites an inferior object of it , and our mortification of them is a necessary means and instrument , without which we shall never be able to mortifie the other . For a free allowance of our bodily desires in all things lawful , and an unlimited gratification of them in all instances whatsoever where they are innocent ; would certainly prove a Snare to us , and betray us into a like indulgence and satisfaction of them in some Cases where they are sinful and disobedient . And the reason of this is plain , because if we should gratifie them in all things where we may lawfully , and never deny them any thing but what is sinful ; they must needs come by long use and indulgence to rule in us , and to have a great Power and Empire over us . We shall find it a matter of great difficulty to put them by , and a very painful task to deny them any thing ; so that whithersoever they lead us , it is odds but we shall follow them . But now as for their Parts , they make no difference between an innocent and a sinful enjoyment : they do not distinguish things into good and evil ; they are not moved by Law and decency , but pleasure ; and desire what is delightsom and agrees with them , whether it happen to be allow'd to them , or forbidden . If by a customary gratification therefore , and indulgence of them in any thing , even in instances that are innocent and lawful , we suffer our bodily appetites to grow strong in us , and to get the guidance and management of us ; they will over-rule us in instances that are prohibited , as well as in those that are allowed ; and make us fulfil them in things sinful , as well as in things innocent . So that if we would be sure to conquer and subdue them in all such instances as are sinful , we must take care that they grow not strong upon us in any instances whatsoever ; but infeeble them , and keep them low , and make them tame and governable , ready to come or go at our own pleasure . And this now is a piece of Command and Mastery , which is never to be hoped for in gratifying and indulging them in any sort of instances , but only by mortifying and denying them in all . For this power of denying them at our own pleasure cannot otherwise be attained , but by a long use and custom of denials : we must learn to deny and mortifie them in particular Instances , before we can in any reason hope to deny them for altogether . And this mortification and denial of our lawful and innocent bodily appetites , being thus plainly necessary to the denial and mortification of our sinful and unlawful bodily desires and actions ; our Lord Christ , who best understood the necessities of our natures , what instruments were most necessary , and what means most proportionate for us , has enacted it into a Law. So that now 't is every mans duty to mortifie and deny not only all sinful bodily actions and desires ; but , so far as is necessary unto that , all such as are innocent and lawful also . And according to the different degrees of mens progress herein , are their different perfections in Vertue , and their different measures of security and assurance that they shall continue in it . It being only the unmortifiedness of their fleshly desires which can prove a Snare to them , and a dangerous temptation ; Every man , as S t James says , being tempted then , when he is drawn away of his own Lusts , and enticed , Jam. 1.14 . And all the forenamed Vertues , viz. Temperance , Sobriety , Chastity , &c. are Duties incumbent upon us , and implied in that care which this general Vertue Sobriety takes of our meaner Part , our Bodies . And then as for what more directly concerns our Souls , that dueness and decency which Sobriety prescribes in their actions , and towards them , is either , 1. In thinking no better of our selves than we deserve , but having a just sense of all our weaknesses and defects ; which is humility and lowliness of mind . 2. In taking all that just care and thoughtfulness after their future good and happiness , which their worth requires ; which is heavenly-mindedness , or contriving and designing for the things of Heaven . So that those particular Laws of God , which command something to be done by us towards our own selves , both as to our Bodies , and our Souls , and which are all comprized under the general Name , Sobriety ; are these , The Law of humility , of heavenly-mindedness , of temperance , of sobriety , of chastity , of continence , of contempt of the world , and contentment with our present condition , of courage and taking up the Cross , of diligence and watchfulness , of patience , of mortification and self-denial . And as he has commanded us to exercise all these Vertues towards our own selves ; so has he as strictly forbid us to act those Vices which are contrary to them : as are these that follow . First , To humility , or lowliness of mind , is opposed , 1. An over-high conceit of our own excellence and preheminence above others , making us set our selves and strive to appear above them , and d contemn and despise them as persons that are below us : which is pride . 2. An outward expression of this , in making a false shew of more excellence than indeed we have , whether in religions , natural , or civil endowments , which implies e hypocrisie joyn'd with pride ; and is called arrogance , ostentation , boasting . 3. An industrious affecting in all things , by setting out our own praise , and exposing our atchievements , to get the honour and praise of others answerable to the conceit which we have of our own selves ; which is vain-glory . 4. A restless pursuit of honour and great Places , which we conceit our selves to be worthy of , which is Ambition . And the effects of this pride and elation of mind are , 1. In our behaviour , a scornful and contemptuous disrespect and sleight of others ; which is haughtiness . And if it go on to an unusual and enormous degree , it is insolence . And this haughtine's when it is expressed in a commanding way , as if we had Lordship and Authority over them , is imperiousness . Which , when 't is shown in exacting their submission to our dogms or opinions , is dogmaticalness , or impatience of contradiction . 2. In our Speeches of others , an envious depression and disparagement of them , the better to set off our own selves ; which is backbiting . 3. In our conversation a mixture of pride and envy , or an f envious provoking strife of out-doing others and being better thought of our selves , or of hindering their designs , lest they should enjoy what we , who in our own opinion deserve it better , are deprived of ; which is emulation . Secondly , To heavenly-mindedness , is opposed an over-industrious care of present things ; or being wholly or chiefly taken up with this World ; which is worldliness . Thirdly , To moderation is opposed luxury or excess . And as that moderation which sobriety prescribed was either in meats , or drinks , &c. so is this breach of sobriety in excess likewise . For , First , To temperance is opposed intemperance , which when it is a Luxury , 1. In the quantity of Meat , is called Gluttony . 2. In the deliciousness or quality of it , it is called Voluptuousness . Secondly , To sobriety , or a moderate and undisturbing use of Drink , is opposed a stupifying and intoxicating use of it , which is Drunkenness . And this when it is accompanied with g boisterousness , unchast Songs , and riotous mirth ; is called revelling . Thirdly , To Chastity is opposed unchastness ; and that weakness which betrays us into it , viz. our subjection to our bodily Lusts , and inability to contain them within due bounds , is called incontinence : Which issues out and expresses it self , 1. In preparatory enticements , by an indulgence to provoking gestures , touches , words , or actions ; which is called lasciviousness or wantonness . The particular expression whereof in obscene and h shameful words , is filthiness . And if they be uttered in picquancy of wit , and smartness of conceit , it is foolish or i obscene Jesting . 2. In the acting or execution of it ; which may be done , 1. By one person , upon their own Body alone ; and then 't is impurity or uncleanness . 2. By two persons , each with other . Which if they are both men , is called Sodomy ; and by S t Paul , Rom. 1.27 . Men with men working that which is unseemly ; and the persons who are guilty of it are called the abominable , Rev. 21.8 . And the persons suffering themselves to be so abused , are called the effeminate . But if they be Man and Woman , then either , 1. One , or both are married to another ; and so 't is Adultery . 2. Both are unmarried , and so it is Fornication . Which if it be , 1. By the joint-consent of both , is Whoredome , or bare Fornication ; and this , when the Parties are too nearly allied , is called Incest . 2. By forcing of one ; and then 't is Rape or ravishing . Which Vice S t Paul expresses by that word which we translate Extortioners , 1 Cor. 5.11 . and Chap. 6.10 . Fourthly , To contempt of the world and contentment with our present condition , is opposed covetousness , which is an immoderate love of the world , or an unsatisfiedness with what we have , and an insatiable desire of more ; and grudging or repining . Fifthly , To taking up the Cross is opposed our being scandalized , or turn'd out of the way of Duty and Obedience , by reason of it ; or a politick and selfish deserting of our Duty to avoid it . Sixthly , To diligence and watchfulness in doing of our Duty , is opposed a heedlesness of it , and remiss application to it ; which is carelesness and idleness . Seventhly , To patience in suffering for it , is opposed an immoderate dread of pain , and dishonest avoidance of it ; which is softness and fearfulness . Eighthly , To mortification and self-denial , is opposed self-love and self-pleasing ; which as it is an industrious care to please and gratifie our bodily senses , is called sensuality ; and as it is a ready and constant serving and obeying the lusts and desires of the Flesh ; especially , when they carry us against the Commands of God , is called carnality . These are those Vices and breaches of Duty towards our selves , which Gods Laws have prohibited under the pains of Death and Hell : as the other were such Vertues as under the same penalty he exacts of us . So that in the general Law of Sobriety we see are contain'd all these following , whether commanding or forbidding Laws . The commanding Law of humility , of heavenly-mindedness , of temperance , of sobriety , of charity , of continence , of contempt of the World and contentment , of courage and taking up the Cross , of diligence and watchfulness , of patience , of mortification and self-denial . And opposite to these the forbidding Law , against pride , against arrogance or ostentation , against vain-glory , against ambition , against haughtiness , against insolence , against imperiousness , against dogmaticalness , against envious back-biting , against emulation , against worldliness , against intemperance , against gluttony , against voluptuousness , against drunkenness , against revelling , against incontinence , against lasciviousness or wantonness , against filthiness , against obscene Jestings , against impurity or uncleanness , against Sodomy , against effeminateness , against adultery , against fornication , against whoredom , against incest , against rape , against covetousness , against grudging and repining , against refusing or being scandaled at the Cross , against idleness and carelesness , against fearfulness and softness , against self-love , against carnality , against sensuality . CHAP. II. Of LOVE the Epitome of Duty towards God and Men , and of the particular Laws comprehended under Piety towards God. The CONTENTS . Of the Duties of Piety and Righteousness , both comprehended in one general Duty , LOVE . It the Epitome of our Duty . The great happiness of a good nature . The kind temper of the Christian Religion . Of the effects of LOVE . The great Duty to God is Honour . The outward expression whereof is worship . The great offence is dishonour . Of the several Duties and transgressions contained under both . FOR the two remaining Members in S t Paul's Division , viz. Godliness or Piety , and Righteousness , which require something from us to God or to our Neighbour ; they may yet be reduced into a narrower compass , and are both comprized in that one word LOVE . For all that ever God requires of us , either to himself or towards other men , is only heartily and effectually to LOVE them . And this abridgment of our whole Duty , in respect of these two remaining parts of it towards God and man , into that one compendious Law of LOVE , is no more than what our Saviour Christ and his Apostle Paul have already made to our hands . For hear how they speak of it : Jesus saith unto the Lawyer , Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart , and all thy soul , and all thy mind . This is the first and great Commandment : and the second is like unto it , Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self . On these two , which in the thing commanded , LOVE , are but one , hang all the Law ( of the ten Commandments , viz. which meddle not with our Duty towards our selves , but only towards God and our Neighbour ) and the Prophets , Matth. 22.37 , 38 , 39 , 40. And S t Paul speaks home to the same purpose : By love , says he , serve one another ; for all the LAW is fulfilled in one word , even this , Thou shalt LOVE thy Neighbour as thy self , Gal. 5.13 , 14. And speaking again of the Laws concerning our Neighbour , he tells us that LOVE worketh no ill to his Neighbour , and therefore Love is the fulfilling of the Law , Rom. 13.10 . Thus rare and heavenly a Religion is that of our Saviour Christ : a Religion that is not content to have only great and eminent measures of goodness in it , but is perfectly made up of LOVE and good Nature . All that it requires from us is only to be kind-hearted , and full of good Offices both towards God and men . Every man of a loving good nature is enclined by his temper to do all that is demanded by Gods Law ; so that he has nothing remaining to turn his temper into obedience , but to direct his intention , and to exert all the effects of love for the sake of Gods Command , which he is otherwise strongly excited to by the natural propensions of his own mind . His passion and his God require the same service , and that which is only a natural fruit of the first , may become , if he so design it , a piece of Religion and Obedience to the latter . For the particular effects of Love , are the particulars of our Duty . Love is the great and general Law , as ill-will and enmity are the prime transgression : and the instances of Love are the instances of our obedience , as all the particular effects of ill-will are those very instances wherein we disobey . So that by running over all the special effects of love or ill-will , we may quickly find what are the Particulars of Duty and Transgression . Now the prime and most immediate Effects of Love are , 1. To do no evil to the persons beloved , nor to take away from them any thing which is theirs , and which they have a right to . And this founds all the Duties of Justice . But 2. To do all good offices and show kindness to them , which founds all the Duties of Charity . And these two take in our whole Duty , both in Piety towards God , and also in Righteousness towards men . 1. The proper and genuine effect of love to God is to do no evil , but in great readiness to do all the good and service which we can for him : in which two are implied all the branches of piety , which is the great and general Duty towards him . To be kind and serviceable to God is nothing more than to honour him . For his Nature is so perfect and self-sufficient that it cannot receive ; and ours so impotent and poor that we cannot give any thing else but honour to him . As on the other side , to do evil to him is only to dishonour him . For he is out of our power as for any other injury , and there is no way possible left for us to reach him , but only by our contumelious usage and disrespect of him . To do no evil , I say , but to be kind and serviceable to God , is nothing more but to honour him . It implies our having in our minds honourable opinions of him , and expressing in our carriage and behaviour a respect and acknowledgment of those glorious Attributes and Perfections which are in him . The former , viz. the high opinion of his Excellencies , those particularly which are instances of Power and Goodness , in our minds , is called Honour . The latter , viz. the expressions of this honourable opinion and acknowledgment in our thoughts , words or actions , is called worship . And this worship is an acknowledgment either , 1. Of his Truth and Knowledge , in believing his Word , and taking things upon his Authority , seeing he neither can be deceived himself , nor will deceive us ; which is Faith. 2. Of his Power and Goodness , 1. In our good-will or kind affection for him as a most beneficial and lovely Being , which is called LOVE . And this as it effects a warm concernedness for his honour , chiefly when any thing opposes it , is zeal . 2. In relying on him for the supply of our wants , as one that is most able and ready to relieve them which is trust and dependance . A particular effec● whereof is a hopeful making known our desires to him in begging such good things at his hands as we stand in need of ; which is Prayer . 3. Of his bounty and beneficence , in a grateful sense and affectionate owning that all the good things which we receive proceed from him ; which is thankfulness . 4. Of his Power and Justice , in an awful backwardness to offend him , in regard he will not excuse , and can most severely punish all Offenders ; which is fear . 5. Of his Wisdom , and Rule or Authority . 1. In acquiescing in his Disposals , as being most wise and most authentick ; which is submission or resignedness . 2. In performing his Commands , as requiring things most fit for us , and most due from us ; which is obedience . These are those particular effects which flow from our love of God , and which make up that part of Duty which he requires from us towards himself . And opposite to this love of God and these effects and expressions of it , which are made our Duty , and particularly commanded under this Head ; are our hatred and ill-will at him , with all the particular ways of expressing it , which are the contrary instances of sin , and those very Vices that are forbidden . Now God , as I said , being out of our reach as to any possible way of being injured by us or suffering evil from us , otherwise than by our vilifying him , and lessening of his honour : the prime effect of our hatred of him can be no other than our dishonouring him . And this may be instanced , 1. In denying either his Being or Existence , that he is God ; which is Atheism : or his Cognizance and Government of the World ; which is Epicurism or denying Providence . 2. In thinking or speaking reproachfully of him , which is blasphemy . And this , when it is such a disfiguration of his Being or Nature , as makes him an arbitrary , foolish and a odious God ; is superstition . 3. In having other Gods besides him ; or worshipping him alone by false and b lying Similitudes and limiting Resemblances ( as are all material Images ) not in true and spiritual manner as he is a God ; which is Idolatry . And for the former sort of Idolatry , viz. worshipping other Gods besides him , if it be a worshipping of wicked Spirits , and that by contracting with them ; it is witchcraft or sorcery . 4. In acting cross to all his honourable Attributes and Perfections , and behaving our selves in such disrespectful sort , as instead of honouring and acknowledging , doth disown and reproach them . And these Actings are either , 1. Inwardly in our minds , when by some work of theirs we deny or reproach either , 1. His Truth and Knowledge , by giving no heed , nor taking any notice of what he says ; but continuing ignorant of his word and pleasure ; which the Apostle calls foolishness : An effect whereof is acting against it rashly and inconsiderately ; which is headiness . Or , when we do know it , by giving no credit or assent to it , but doubting or distrusting it ; which is unbelief . 2. His Power and Goodness . 1. By our ill-will and wishes to him , when we grieve at any thing that makes for him , and take delight in such things as we our selves or others can devise either against himself , or against Vertue and Goodness , which , as bearing his own Image , he ownes above all things and is most tender of ; and this is called hating of God. Which as 't is shown in an unconcernedness at such things as dishonour and affront him or his Religion ; is coldness or want of zeal . 2. By our distrust of him and his Providence , when we dare not rely upon him for a supply of those things which we stand in need of , as if he were either careless , and mattered not what becomes of us ; or envious , and grudged to have any of those good things which we want , to befal us ; which is distrust . One effect whereof is our omitting to seek unto him , as expecting nothing from him ; which is not praying to him . 3. His bounty and beneficence , by an utter disregard of what he doth for us , when we either wholly overlook or after some small time forget it , and are not touched with any grateful sense or affectionate resentments upon it ; which is unthankfulness . 4. His Power and Justice , by a bold venturing upon any thing that offends him , as if we neither valued his favour nor displeasure ; which is fearlessness . 2. Outwardly , In our lives and practice , when by something in them we reproach and vilifie either , 1. His Wisdom and Authority . 1. In disputing and striving against his Disposals , when we quarrel at them as unwisely ordered , and would correct and better them our selves ; which is contumacy or repining . 2. In breaking his Commands , when we reject his pleasure , and prefer our own ; which is disobedience . 2. His Name , when we use it irreverently , by invoking or calling upon him to judge us according to our faithfulness in what we speak , either customarily and lightly , upon trivial or no occasions ; which is common swearing : Or falsly , when we either at present mean , or afterwards perform no such thing as we promised or affirmed before him ; which is perjury . 3. His Word , or Ministers , or other things consecrated to him , when we treat and use them as vile and common things , in a careless , unmannerly way , or , as it often happens , in mirth and mockery ; which is prophaneness . And these are such expressions and effects of our hatred of God , as make up the Body of impiety or transgressions immediately against God himself , all which he has most strictly forbidden . So that for our whole Duty towards God , which is implied in the general Law of piety or godliness , it contains in it all these effects of LOVE , which are commanded Duties ; as ungodliness or impiety contains all these expressions of hatred , which are so many particular forbidden sins . The Laws commanding are the Law of honour , of worship , of faith , of love , of zeal , of trust and dependance , of prayer , of thankfulness , of fear , of submission and resignedness , of obedience . And the Laws forbidding , are the Law against dishonour , against atheism , against denying Providence , against blasphemy , against superstition , against idolatry , against witchcraft and sorcery , against foolishness , against headiness , against unbelief , against hating God , against want of zeal , against distrust of him , against not praying to him , against unthankfulness , against fearlesness , against contumacy or repining , against disobedience , against common swearing , against perjury , against prophaneness . And then as for the 2. Sort of Love , our love to men ; it implies in it all the Duties contained in the third Branch of S t Paul's Division , viz. righteousness ; as shall be shewn in the next Chapter . CHAP. III. Of the particular Duties contained under Justice and Charity . The CONTENTS . Of the particular Duties contained under Justice and Charity . Both are only expressions of Love , which is the fulfilling of the Law. Of the particular sins against both . Of scandal . Of the combination of Justice and Charity in a state that results from both , viz. Peace . Of the several Duties comprehended under it . Of the particular sins reducible to unpeaceableness . Of the latitude of the word Neighbour , to whom all these dutiful expressions are due . It s narrowness in the Jewish sense . It s universality in the Christian. FOR the third general Duty , righteousness , or our Duty towards our Neighbour ; our love of men will lead us into the several Laws which it containeth . For the first effect of love , our doing no hurt or injury to any man , founds all the Laws of Justice ; and the latter , our doing good and showing all kindness , founds all the particular Laws of Charity ; in which two are comprehended all those several Duties which God has enjoyned towards other men . The first , I say , founds all the particular Laws of Justice . For in that we do no evil or injury to our Neighbour , nor hurt him by prejudicing his just Rights , or taking away from him any thing that is his ; is implied that we do not wrong or endammage him , 1. In his Life , by taking it away either , 1. In private force and violent assassination , which is murder . 2. Under colour of Justice , by a false charge of capital crimes ; which is false witness . 2. In his reputation , by sullying or impairing it through a lying and false imputation of disparaging things to him ; which is slander or calumny . 3. In his belief and expectation , by reproaching and abusing it either , 1. By deceiving him against his Right to his hurt in a false speech of what is past or present ; which is lying . 2. By frustrating his expectations , which were raised by our promise of something that is to come ; which is unfaithfulness or perfidy . 4. In his Bed , by invading that which the Contract of Marriage has made inviolable ; which is adultery . 5. In his Goods or Estate , and all wrong herein proceeds from our unsatisfiedness with our own , and our greedy longing and ungovernable desire of that which is his ; which is covetousness . The effects and instances whereof are , 1. In taking away from him that which is his , either , 1. Directly , By secret or open force , and without his knowledg and consent ; which is stealing or robbery . 2. Indirectly , or by forcing his allowance , and extorting a necessitated consent from him . Which is done by taking advantage , 1. Of his impotence , and inability to resist and contend with us ; which is oppression . 2. Of his necessity , when he cannot be without something which we have , and so is forced to take it upon our own terms ; which is extortion and depressing in bargaining . 3. Of his ignorance , when we outwit him , and trepan and over-reach him in Bargaining and Commerce ; which is circumvention , fraud or deceit . The wiliness and subtle Art wherein is called craftiness . 2. In denying all kindnesses and good things to him , in unmercifulness , uncharitableness , &c. Of which I shall discourse under the next Head. All these Particulars of Justice now mentioned , are natural effects of love to our Neighbour , in as much as it makes us keep off from offering any injury or doing any evil to him . Upon which account S t Paul says of it , that as for these particular Laws of Justice , it fulfils them all . Which he shows by an induction of such Particulars as I have named . He that loveth another , saith he , hath fulfilled the Law , viz. that part of it which requires Duties of Justice towards others . For this , Thou shalt not commit adultery , thou shalt not kill , thou shalt not steal , thou shalt not bear false witness , thou shalt not covet ; which are the five last Commandments of the Decalogue : and if there be any other Commandment , it is briefly comprehended in this Saying , Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self . Now Love worketh no ill , neither these nor any other , to his Neighbour ; therefore Love is the fulfilling of the Law , Rom. 13.8 , ● , 10. And as this first effect of Love to our Neighbour , viz. it s keeping us back from offering any injury or doing any evil to him , contain in it all the Laws of Justice : so doth its other effect , our doing all good offices , and shewing kindness to them , comprehend in it all the particular Laws of Charity wherewith we stand obliged towards other men . Love is not only innocent and harmless , and careful to create no trouble , nor occasion any prejudice ; but moreover it is all kindness , benevolence and good nature , and diligent in creating all the pleasure and delight it can to it s beloved . Now this goodness , kind-heartedness , or desire to please and delight others , will be an universal cause of beneficence or doing good to them , and make us cast to please them in so many ways , and advantage them in so many relations , as we can at any time be placed in . In particular it will effect these Vertues in the Cases following : 1. As to what we see them to be in themselves , and in this respect it produces in us , 1. If they are worthy and vertuous , a great opinion and venerable esteem for them ; which is honour . 2. If they have honest hearts , but yet are weak in judgment and knowledg , a compassionate sense of their weakness , and an endeavour to relieve them ; which is pity and succour . And if this weakness be instanced in judging those things to be a matter of sin , and so unlawful for them to do , which no Law of God has forbidden ; and which therefore we , who better understand it , see plainly that we lawfully may do ; and our practice of it before them , who , distrusting their own skill , are swayed more by our example than their own opinions , would draw them on to practise it too , though their own Conscience condemns it , which would be to them a sin ; in this Case the way of Loves affording pity and succour , is by making us forgoe the lawful practice of it at that time ; which is restraining of our Christian Liberty for our Brothers edification . For this Vertue there was great place in the Apostles Times among the Christianized Jews . For the Jewish Law placed Religion in forbearing certain sorts of Meats as unclean and unlawful ; and particularly in abstaining from Meats offered to , and set before an Idol God , as it was in the Gentile Sacrifices . And the simpler sort and weaker people , who had all along placed so much Religion in these things , could not be brought over without much patience of instruction , and a long usage , to know and see that Liberty which , upon their becoming Christians , they had obtained either to use or forbear them . And whilst the judgments and opinions of many good people were in these things thus weak ; the Apostles that they might secure the innocency of their practice under their errour , and prevent their being scandalized or drawn on to do what themselves condemned as evil through the authority of other mens examples , whom they looked upon as wiser Christians , are wont very much to press this part of Charity , our using of our Christian Liberty , not in all things for our own ease , but for our weak Brethrens edification . Particularly S t Paul is earnest in it , Rom. 14. 1 Cor. 8. 3. If they are wicked and vicious , this kind-heartedness will effect in us a pious admonition to reduce and reclaim them ; which is friendly reproof . And whether they be good or evil , weak or strong ; it will produce an affectionate tenderness and near concern for them , such as we have for those of our own Kindred ; which is brotherly kindness . 2. As to what we see them receive from others . And in this respect this kindness and desire to please effects in us , 1. If it were good , an expression of pleasure and rejoycing in it ; which is Congratulation . 2. If evil , then 1. If we cannot redress and remove it , it will make us help to bear it in concern and sorrow for it ; which is compassion . 2. If we can , it makes us relieve and ease them of it . Which it doth if the evil be 1. Of want , by supplying it according to our power ; which is Alms and Distribution . 2. Of disgrace , by endeavouring to hide and smother it where it is deserved ; which is covering and concealing of our Brethrens defects : and by confuting and wiping it off where we know they have not deserved it ; which is vindicating our Neighbours reputation . 3. As to that place and quality which they bear in respect of us , this kindness and desire to please will exert it self , if they are persons 1. Below us , in a freedom of access and easiness of being spoke with ; which is affability or graciousness . 2. Equal to us or below us , in a readiness a to do good Offices , and to make their concern our own ; which is courteousness or officiousness . And in pursuit of this in stooping down to some things below our Rank and Quality , either in words or actions ; which is condescension . And if this courtesy be used towards Strangers , and expressed in entertaining them at our own house ; 't is hospitality . 3. Towards all men whomsoever we converse with , it will beget , 1. A quietness of temper , and tameness of intercourse ; which is called gentleness . 2. A fair interpretation , and putting the best sense upon any thing that is done or spoken ; which is candor . 3. A maintenance of good agreement and correspondence ; which is unity . 4. And as to what we our selves receive from others ; this kindness of nature and desire to please will produce , 1. If it were good , a grateful sense and affectionate resentment of it , with a longing desire to requite it ; which is thankfulness . 2. If evil and injury ; then it will effect , 1. A b slowness to take provocation , and to be angry at it ; which is meekness or lenity . 2. When the wrong is such that we may justly and reasonably be angred at it , an easiness of being entreated , and a readiness to be appeased ; which is placableness . 3. And for the requital of the wrong , if it were , 1. Only an affront or light injury , it makes us seek none , but pardon and put it up ; which is forgiving injuries . And instead of that , to render in return to it kindness , and such good Offices as are in our power , as praying to God for them , and blessing , or speaking all the good which we can of them as often as we have occasion to mention them , always are , which is doing good to enemies ; or , as our Saviour says , blessing them that curse us , and praying for our enemies , Matth. 5.44 . 2. Too burthensome or scandalous to be past over , so that 't is fit to punish it : then in exacting , 1. Punishment , as being an unpleasant work , it makes us bear long before we come to it ; which is long-suffering . 2. Satisfaction , it suffers us not to go to the utmost of what might be exacted ; but through a care of our enemies , as well as of our selves , to take up with such a competency as is no more than they can bear ; which is mercifulness . These are such particular Laws of Charity , as naturally flow from this effect of love to men , our kindness and desire to benefit and please them . And all these effects of love are parts of Duty , and those several Precepts which God has commanded us to keep and obey . And as our love of men with this effect of it our desire to benefit and pleasure them , includes in it all the instances of Charity : so doth our hatred of them with a delight to spite and trouble them , which naturally flows from it , comprehend in it all the contrary instances of uncharitableness . For this ill-will and habitual hatefulness of temper will effect in us , opposite to goodness and a desire to please and delight others , an universal mischievousness , or forwardness to make others work , to put them to c pains and trouble , and create them sorrow ; which is called wickedness . And this will express it self in creating our Neighbour discontent and vexation , in all those ways wherein we are concerned with him , or conversant about him . For instance , 1. As for any thing which we see he has , 1. Of Vertue and Goodness ; instead of honouring , it will make us wish ill to him , and set him at nought ; which is hating and despising him . 2. Of weakness and ignorance ; it will make us not to restrain our selves at all in the use of our Christian Liberty , for his sake ; but to act to the utmost of what is lawful , though he be scandalized by it , or encouraged , upon the authority of our example , to commit what his own Conscience tells him is a sin ; which is scandalizing or making him to offend . 2. As for what we see him do or receive ; if it be 1. Good , it expresses it self in grief and trouble at it ; which is envy or an evil eye . 2. Evil , instead of raising pity and compassion , it makes us to take a pleasure in it , and to be glad of it ; which is rejoycing in evil . And if the evil be 1. Of want , it will effect a refusal of all supply ; which is uncharitableness . 2. Of disgrace ; then if it were 1. Vnjust and undeserved , it lets it stick without any endeavours to wipe it off ; which is not vindicating him . 2. Just and truly chargeable , or but any way suspicious , instead of concealing it , publishes and proclaims it in disparaging Characters and Representations of him ; which sort of detraction is evil speaking . This in the general , as it is shown in a forwardness to pass Sentence against men , in undervaluing and disparaging judgments upon what they do or say , overlooking all the Vertues , and detecting only the faults and failings of it ; is censoriousness . In the objecting and publishing whereof , from the different manners and ends of the publication , it passes under several names . For as for the manner , if that Publication be 1. In their absence , in a softer , and , as it often happens , in a more secret way , under a pretence of favour and kindness to them to get a greater regard to what we say against them ; 't is back-biting . Which when it is not published aloud , nor spoke out for any or all of the Company indifferently to hear ; but is told in secret to some one or more ; 't is whispering . 2. Either in their absence , or openly and before their face , in a more violent and severer way , being expressed in d bitter words , and great vehemence ; 't is railing or reviling . And as for the end , if that disparaging publication be 1. To make them infamous , by objecting to them , 1. Our own favours ; 't is upbraiding . 2. Their failings ; 't is reproaching . 2. To make them ridiculous , by exposing their lesser and more innocent infirmities , or such as have in them more of shame than mischief ; 't is called mocking . 3. As for that Place and Quality which they bear in respect of us , this forwardness to vex and distaste them will have these effects . 1. If they are persons below us , it will exert it self in making us stately and hard to be spoken with , contrary to affability ; which is difficulty of access . And if this inferiority be , as we apprehend , in Parts or Endowments , it will effect a contemptuous and undervaluing behaviour towards them , expressed either in words or actions , for our sport or interest ; which is affront or contumely . 2. If equal to us , or below us , in an averseness to all good offices , and an utter unconcernedness for them , which is opposite to courtesy , and may be called uncourteousness . And as a further effect of this , a scorning to stoop down to any thing below us , whereby we may serve or pleasure them ; which is a mixture of pride and ill nature , opposite to condescension , and may be called stiffness . And if this uncourteousness be towards Strangers , and expressed in denying them entertainment when a reasonable occasion calls for it ; 't is unhospitableness . 3. Towards all men with whom we converse , it will beget , 1. A frowardness of temper , and imperious churlishness of intercourse opposite to gentleness ; which is surliness . 2. A cross interpretation , and d perverting to an ill sense all that is done or spoken , opposite to candour ; which is malignity . 3. An unquietness of behaviour in picking quarrels and creating difference ; which is turbulen●e and unquietness . 4. As for what we receive from them , it will produce , 1. If it were good and beneficial , an utter disregard of it and unconcernedness for him who did it ; which is unthankfulness . 2. If evil and injury , then 1. A hasty catching at the smallest provocation , and a sudden violent displeasure upon it ; which is passionateness , anger or fierceness . The expressions whereof are , 1. In strife of arguing and debate , variance . 2. In earnestness and violent degree of heat , bitterness . 3. In loudness and noise of words , clamour or brawling . 2. When 't is once admitted , a retaining a lasting impression of it in our minds , and malicious thoughts and designs against him that did it ; which is hatred , wrath , enmity or malice . 3. A great difficulty in laying this conceived grudge aside , and being appeased when they seek for a reconcilement ; which is implacableness . 4. An impatient desire of requiting the injury , and returning it upon him that offered it ; which is revenge . Some particular expressions whereof are , instead of blessing or good language , and praying for them , a return of cursing or reproachful speech and imprecation . And in effecting this requital , it will produce in exacting , 1. Punishment , as being a most pleasant and desired work , hastiness and impatience , opposite to long-suffering . 2. Satifaction , a going to the utmost limits of power and extremities of infliction ; which is rigour . And all these Particulars , as they are most natural effects and expressions of ill-will and hatred towards our Neighbour , are transgressions also of the Law of Charity , and so many several instances of disobedience , which under this Head of uncharitableness God has most straitly forbidden . So that in this general Law of love to men are contained all the following , whether commanding or forbidding Laws . The Laws commanding are the Law of Justice in all its instances , which will appear by the contrary prohibitions ; of Charity , wherein are implied the Law of goodness or kindness , of honour , of pity and succour , of restraining our Christian Liberty for our weak Brothers edification , of friendly reproof , of brotherly kindness , of congratulation , of compassion , of almes and distribution , of covering and concealing their defects , of vindicating their reputation , of affability or graciousness , of courtesy and officiousness , of condescension , of hospitality , of gentleness , of candour , of unity , of thankfulness , of meekness or lenity , of placableness , of forgiving injuries , of doing good to enemies , and , when nothing more is in our power , praying for them , and blessing or speaking what is good of them when we take occasion to mention them , of long-suffering , of mercifulness . And opposite to these the forbidding Laws are , The Law against injustice with all its Train , which are the Law against murther , against false witness , against slander or calumny , against lying , against unfaithfulness or perfidy , against adultery , against covetousness , against stealing or robbery , against oppression , against extortion and depressing in bargaining , against circumvention and deceit , against craftiness . And the Law against uncharitableness , with all its Particulars , which are , the Law against maliciousness or hatefulness , against wickedness , against despising and hating them that are good , against giving scandal to weak Brethren , against envy or an evil eye , against rejoicing in evil , against uncharitableness in alms , against not vindicating an innocent mans reputation , against evil-speaking , against censoriousness , against back-biting , against whispering , against railing or reviling , against upbraiding , against reproaching , against mocking , against difficulty of access , against contumely or affront , against uncourteousness , against stiffness or uncondescension , against unhospitableness , against surliness , against malignity , against turbulence and unquietness , against unthankfulness , against anger and passionateness , against debate and variance , against bitterness , against clamour and brawling , against hatred and malice , against implacableness , against revenge , against cursing or reproaching enemies , and imprecation of them , against hastiness to punish , against rigour . All which Instances and Opposites both of Justice and Charity , are most natural effects of Love and Hatred towards other men , and so many Particulars of Duty and of sin . And from both these general Laws of Justice and Charity to our Neighbour , or our keeping off from all things that may offend and injure , and doing all that may please or any way delight him ; will result that state of good agreement and intercourse of friendliness , which is called peace . Which , as it implies an union of minds oposite to Controversies and Disputes , is called unanimity ; and , as containing an agreeableness and mutual correspondence of hearts and affections , concord . In order to the procurement of this peace is required , 1. In the temper , such a mixture of Love and quietness as renders men tame and contented under the present state of things , and averse from contention and controversie ; which is peaceableness . 2. In the practice , a doing such things as , 1. Prevent strife , whether that be done , 1. Towards our Equals and Inferiors , by complying and bearing with their weaknesses , and going down from our own liberty where the exercise of it would give offence and cause difference ; which is condescension and compliance . 2. Towards our Governours , by keeping within our own sphere , and medling only with those things which are parts of our own Duty , not incroaching upon their Office , or thrusting our selves into their Administration ; which is doing our own business . 2. Compose and put an end to it , and this is done by making amends and recompencing that contumely or wrong which occasion'd it ; which is satisfaction for injuries . And a care not only thus to preserve peace our selves , but also to maintain it amongst others ; by an industrious endeavour to keep up a right understanding and agreement amongst men , and , when they happen to differ , to reconcile them and make them friends again ; is peace-making . And then from the two general transgressions opposite to these , viz. injustice and uncharitableness to our Neighbour , or an industrious averseness from all things that may please and advantage ; and a forwardness in all things to hurt and vex him , will arise that state of difference and intercourse of ill Offices , that is called enmity : which , as it implies a separation and clashing of hearts and affections , is called discord . To the production of this evil state concur 1. In the temper such a mixture of heat and ill nature as renders men restless under their present state , and pleased and delighted in scuffling and strife ; which is unpeaceableness . 2. In the practice , a doing such things as at first raise and engender , and afterwards foment and maintain it ; and of this sort , besides all the instances of wrong and injustice which we heard of before , is 1. An envious strife of being better thought of , and out-doing one another ; which is emulation or provoking one another . 2. A going beyond our own place or business , and either usurping upon other mens Offices , or sawcily intermedling with their affairs ; which is pragmaticalness , or being busie bodies . And this , when it is taken up in reporting between the Parties at odds such things as we have heard or seen , which are fit still more to exasperate their minds , and to widen the breach ; is tale-bearing . Which when it is of things , not only seen , but even suspected , and in a secret dissembled manner ; is whispering . And if the difference was at first occasioned by injury and wrong , that which goes most directly to continue it , is avowing what was done , and making no amendment ; which is not satisfying for injuries . And for the outward effects and exdressions of this enmity and discord ; it shews it self , 1. In a strugling for mastery and victory ; which is strife or contention . 2. In separating themselves into Parties and Companies , according to the difference of their love or hatred and their espoused interests ; which is Division or Faction . And this in religious affairs , when the obstinate espousal that leads on to it is of damnable opinions , is heresie ; when of needlesly separated Parties , it is schism . 3. A rude concourse of Parties in scuffling and blows ; which is tumult . So that besides all the Particulars above mentioned , which are contained under the general Heads , Justice and Charity , there is included moreover in this third Head of Duty , righteousness , all these Laws of peace which results from the combination of them both . And the effects of love or commanding Laws in this , are the Law of peace and concord with all its Train ; as are the Law of peaceableness , of condescension and compliance , of doing our own business , of satisfying for injuries , of peace-making . And opposite to them the effects of hatred , or forbidding Laws , are the Law against enmity and discord with all its Particulars , as are the Law against unpeaceableness , against emulation or provoking one another , against pragmaticalness or being busie bodies , against tale-bearing , against whispering , against not satisfying for injuries , against strife or contention , against division and faction in the State , against heresie and against schism in the Church , against tumult . So that in this third Branch of Duty , righteousness , or our Duty towards our Neighbour , are implied all these several , whether commanding or forbidding Laws , which are comprehended under these three general Vertues , viz. Justice , Charity and Peace . And as for all the things which are commanded or forbidden by all these Laws , they are due to our Neighbour in the greatest latitude and utmost generality of that Name , as it signifies any whom we have to do with of all mankind . The Jews indeed were of a narrower Spirit , and of a more contracted kindness . They thought themselves bound to exercise all that Justice and Charity which their Law required , towards the men of their own Nation , or such of the Gentiles , who leaving their heathen Idolatries would become Proselytes , and turn to their Religion . But as for all the world besides , they accounted themselves disobliged from all expressions of kindness and good affection towards them ; nay even from all intercourse of common civility , and conversation with them . They would not so much as come under their Roof , or eat with them at the same Table , or either give or receive any civilities or friendly expressions from them . S t Peter , when he entred into the house of Cornelius , a Gentile Centurion , told them that they all knew very well how it is not LAWFVL for any man that is a JEW to KEEP COMPANY , or COME IN unto one of ANOTHER NATION : for which cause he himself had not come to them , had not God taught him to correct his Country-custom , and to call no man , of what Nation soever , common or unclean , Acts 10.28 . And upon the account of this freedom which he then took , the Christian Jews who were of the Circumcision contended with him when he came up to Jerusalem , reproving him for this , That he went in to men uncircumcised , and did eat with them , Acts 11.2 , 3. The Woman of Samaria wondred , that Jesus , being a Jew , should vouchsafe to ask so much as a Cup of cold water from her who was a Samaritan ; this being the stiffness of the Jewish Principle , To have no dealings with the Samaritans , John 4.9 . Nay , to that height of unkindness had they arrived , as to deny even the most common Offices of humanity and Charity , to show the way , or give directions for a journey to any Gentile man : Which several of the learned c Heathens have smartly reproved , and most justly complained of . All which they did upon a supposition that the Neighbour , to whom love and kindness was required by their Law , was only a Fellow-Jew , a Brother-Israelite , and a man of their own Nation . Which narrow and contracted sense they thought they had good reason to fix upon it from an expression in their own Law , Lev. 19. where , in the repetition of this great and general Duty of Love to our Neighbour , the Word Neighbour is set in conjunction with and explained by one of the Children of their own People . For thus 't is said , Thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against the Children of thy People , but thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self , verse 18. Thus limited and confined was the Jewish Love ; God had chosen them out of all the Nations of the World for a peculiar people , and had hedged them in from the rest of mankind by peculiar Laws and a peculiar Government . And upon this they concluded , that whatsover God required of them , he did it as their political King , and as the particular Head of the Jewish Nation ; and that he intended those Laws which he gave them as Rules for their behaviour towards their own Brethren , and Fellow-Subjects , not towards Strangers of Foreign Nations . But as for our Lord and Sovereign Jesus Christ , he is a Governour , and has enacted all his Laws , not for the guidance of any one Nation or People , but of all the world . He told his Disciples when he sent them out to preach the Gospel , That all power was given to him both in Heaven and in Earth ; and thereupon commissioned them to go out , and proclaim his Laws , not to the Jews alone , but to all Nations , Matth. 28.18 , 19. And by this universality of his Empire he has taken away the partition-wall which was between Jews and Gentiles , having made them both one , Ephes. 2.14 . So that now there can be no further colour or pretence for a limited and restrained affection ; all the World by this means being now again made one People , Fellow-subjects , and Brethren , and Neighbours unto one another . Whatever the Jews conceived of their Laws therefore , 't is plain that all the Laws of Christ , which command all manner of Justice , Charity and Peaceableness , and forbid all expressions of uncharitableness , injury and unpeaceableness towards our Neighbours , make these things due to all mankind . It is not either distance of Country , nor contrariety of interest , no nor , what is most of all presumed to exempt us from the obligation of these Duties , diversity of opinion or perswasion in matters of Religion , which takes away from any man his right to all that kindness and advantage from us , which all these forementioned Laws give him . But of whatsoever Country , Calling , or Religion he be , he is the Neighbour here meant , to whom all these instances of Love , which are the particular Laws of Duty , must be performed . And this our Saviour has determined once for all in his Answer to the Lawyer , Luke 10. For when he put the Question to him , Who is my Neighbour , to whom the Law commands all these things to be done ? ver . 29. Jesus answers him by a Parable , that it is every man in the World whom he may at any time have to do with , although he be never so much a Stranger , nay of a party and opinion in Religion never so contrary unto his . For what Religion was ever more odious unto any one , than the Samaritan was to the Jews ? So great a detestation had they of it , that when they would give a Name of the vilest ignominy and greatest hatred to Christ himself , they told him he was a Samaritan , and joined with it such a farther Character as they thought would best suit with it , his being possessed with a Devil . Say we not well , answer'd they , that thou art a Samaritan , and hast a Devil ? John 8.48 . But yet for all this height of enmity between the Jews and Samaritans , he tells the Jewish Lawyer , who demanded of him who was his Neighbour , that a Jewish man fell among Thieves , who wounded him , and left him half dead ; and that a Samaritan coming by had compassion on him , and bound up his wounds , and took care of him . Hereby insinuating , That any man , though so contrary to him in Religion as these two were to one another , is the Neighbour whom the Law intends ; and therefore in full answer to his Question , he bids him , Go , and do so likewise , Luke 10.30 to 38. CHAP. IV. Of our Duties to men in particular Relations . The CONTENTS . Of our Duties to other men in particular Relations . The Duties enjoined , and the sins prohibited towards Kings and Princes , Bishops and other Ministers . The particular duties and sins in the relation of Husband and Wife , Parents and Children , Brethren and Sisters , Masters and Servants . Of the two Sacraments , and Repentance . A recital of all particular Duties enjoined , and sins prohibited to Christians . Of the harmlesness of a defective enumeration , the Duties of the Gospel being suggested not only outwardly in Books , but inwardly by mens own Passions and Consciences . BUT besides all these Laws contained in the general Command of Love to our Neighbour , which require something of us to be performed or forborn towards all mankind ; there are yet some more particular instances of it , which make some things due from us , not as we are left at random towards all men indifferently , but as we stand more peculiarly related towards some ; whether that relation be 1. Publick and Political , of Prince and Subjects , Ministers and People . 2. More Private and Domestick ; as is that between 1. Husband and Wife . 2. Parents and Children . 3. Brethren and Sisters . 4. Master and Servants . For in all these special Relations Love to our Neighbour exerts it self in special effects ; which are all such peculiar Laws as bind us , not towards all men indifferently , but only towards them whom we stand so related to . To begin with the first . 1. The first relation from whence result several effects of Love , and instances of Duty towards some particular men distinct from what we owe to the rest of all mankind ; is that which is between us and our Publick or Political Governours and Rulers . And because we are Members of two great Societies ; one a Society in things outward and temporal for our happiness in this world , which is called the State ; and the other in things sacred , spiritual and eternal , for our happiness in the next world , which is the Church ; and God has his Representatives and Vicegerents in them both : therefore under this Head are two sorts of effects of Love and instances of Duty . 1. Towards Civil Governours , viz. Kings and Princes . 2. Towards Ecclesiastical , viz. Bishops and Ministers . 1. Then towards our Publick Civil Governours , our Kings and Princes , the fruits of Love , both in abstaining from all evil , and showing all kindness and good will to them ; will be as follows . 1. Since they are both placed above us and set over us , our Love to them will produce in us both an opinion of their preheminence and excellence , as being Gods Deputies and Viceroys here on Earth , which is honour ; and the bearing of an awful regard and behaviour towards them , as to such who can of right command and punish us , which is reverence . 2. A readiness and resolved industry to maintain and support them in their persons and Government , either 1. By doing such things towards it as are in our own power , viz. 1. For the maintenance of their grandeur , in a willing payment of such contributions as are appointed for it ; which is paying Tribute and Customs . 2. For the preservation of their Lives or Reigns , by revealing to them such Plots or Practices as make against them , and by endeavouring all that in us lyes , according to our promises and obligations of allegiance , to maintain and preserve them ; which is fidelity or loyalty . 2. For things that are above our power , by recommending them earnestly to Almighty God , that he would bestow them on them ; which is praying for them . 3. A more direct owning of their Authority and Presidence over us , by carrying suitably , 1. To the things which they command , in doing or performing them ; which is obedience . 2. To the penalties , which upon our omission or transgression they impose ; by a quiet suffering and resting under them ; which is subjection . All these are effects of love to Kings and Princes , and so many particular Commands of God , and Instances of Duty in this relation . And opposite to them are all the contrary effects and prohibitions of hatred and ill-will towards them . For from our averseness to all good Offices , and our readiness to create offence and evil to them , which are the natural effects of our hatred of them , will flow , 1. Our having undervaluing and lessening thoughts of them in our minds , by looking only or chiefly upon their failings and defects , and esteeming them no better than common men ; which is dishonour . And if this be expressed in a lightness and contemptuousness of behaviour towards them , which argues us to have no fear or awe of them , but to neglect and despise them ; 't is irreverence . Which , when it breaks out further into reproachful Speeches , and a discovery or inveighing against their defects , is , as S t Jude calls it , speaking evil of Dignities , Jude 8. 2. A seeking through our envy and ill-will to them , to lessen or destroy their Persons or Power ; or at least to withdraw all our own contributions towards the maintenance and support of them ; by denying , 1. Such things as are in our own power , 1. Towards the sustaining of their splendor and grandeur , in refusing to bear our share of the charge towards it , in paying Taxes and Tribute . 2. Towards the preservation of their Lives and Government , in not helping and defending them , but either plotting and endeavouring our selves to give away their lives and Kingdomes unto others ; or consenting to , and concealing them that do so , contrary to our obligations and promises of allegiance ; which is traiterousness . 2. Such things as being above our power might yet be obtained for them from God at our request ; which is neglecting to pray for them . 3. A more direct disowning and casting off their Power and Authority over us , by going cross , 1. To their Commands , in omitting what they enjoin , or doing against it ; which is disobedience . 2. To their inflictions and penalties , by not submitting and subjecting our selves to them , but violently resisting and opposing them ; which is called by S t Paul resisting of Power , or f standing up against it , Rom. 13.2 . And this when it is made by great Numbers , and goes on to extremities , when men are , as the Apostle there says , g set in array and posture of defence against it , and ready by force of Arms to contend and wage War with it ; is Rebellion . And all these are effects of hatred to Princes , and instances of disobedience in this relation . So that as to this part of our Duty , our relation of Subjects towards our Sovereign Kings and Princes , the effects of Love or Laws commanding are the Law of honour to Kings , of reverence , of paying tribute and customes , of fidelity , of praying for them , of obedience , of subjection . And opposite to them the effects of hatred , or forbidding Laws , are the Law against dishonour , against irreverence , against speaking evil of Dignities , against refusing Tribute and Taxes , against traiterousness , against neglecting to pray for Kings , against disobedience , against resisting lawful Powers and Authority , against rebellion . And then , 2. For the other sort of publick Governours , viz. those of the Church , as are Bishops and other Ministers , the effects of Love in shewing all kindness , and keeping back from all evil and offence towards them , will be as follows . 1. A good and awful opinion of them , and of their Office in our minds ; looking on them as men that bear the great Character of Ambassadours from Christ , as S t Paul calls them , 2 Cor. 5.20 ; and are commissioned by God to treat with us in a matter of incomparably the highest concernment , viz. our eternal salvation : and this is honour , or esteeming them highly in love , though not for their personal worth , yet for their works sake , 1 Thess. 5.13 . Which honour is expressed , 1. By such an awfulness of behaviour , and respectful , loving carriage towards them , as argues in us a just sense of the Greatness and Majesty of Christ whom they represent , and of the goodness of that Concern which they come about ; which is reverence . 2. By making such outward provisions for them as may at least set them above , and secure them from contempt , although it keep them below envy ; and that is the honour of maintenance , whereof S t Paul speaks , 1 Tim. 5.17 . And as for those things which are not in our power to conferr upon them , by recommending them to Gods bounty , in praying for them . 2. As to our Lives , a careful heed and observance of those things which , as the Ministers of Christ , and in his Name , they teach and enjoin us ; which is obedience . So that in our love to our spiritual Rulers , the Bishops and Ministers of Christs Church , are implied all these particular effects which are so many commanding Laws , viz. the Law of honour , or having them highly in esteem for their works sake , of reverence , of maintenance , of praying for them , of obedience . And opposite to all these are the effects of hatred , or doing nothing towards them that may benefit and please , but all things that may any way vex and offend them . In particular , 1. In our minds , a low and disparaging opinion of them , looking on them as persons of no worth or value , and setting at nought both them and their Office ; which is dishonour , or setting them at nought for their works sake . And this is outwardly expressed , 1. In words , by vilifying and undervaluing them , either in picking up and proclaiming their faults and failings to reproach their Persons , or in talking to disparage and debase their Office ; which is speaking evil of Ministers . And if this be in smart jests and opprobrious mirth , to render them and their Calling ridiculous , 't is mocking them . 2. In contemptuous and sleightful behaviour towards them , thereby shewing that we have no regard or value for them ; which is irreverence . 3. In denying them all outward maintenance , such as should preserve them from meanness and contempt ; which is not providing for them . And if this be instanced in taking away from them either by force or fraud , those just Dues of Tythes , &c. which our Country Laws have confirmed to them ; it is stealing of consecrated things , or sacriledge . And as for those things which must be derived to them by Gods peculiar Bounty and Providence , a neglect to seek them at Gods hands on their behalf ; which is not praying for them . 2. In our lives and actions , a proud neglect or rejecting of what they impose , and acting against those things which , in the name of Christ , and as his Messengers , they enjoin us ; which is disobedience . So that in our hatred of publick Rulers in the Church , the Bishops and Ministers of Christ , are implied all these effects , which are so many particular forbidden sins , viz. the Law against dishonour or setting at nought our Bishops and Ministers , especially for their works sake , against speaking evil of them , against mocking them , against irreverence to them , against not providing for them , against sacriledge or stealing from them , against not praying for them , against disobedience . And these are the several effects of love and hatred , and the particular commanding and forbidding Laws which God has given us for the measure of our more especial Duties to this first sort of Neighbours , our publick Governours both in Church and State. And , 2. As for the other sort of relation , which founds some special Duties distinct from those which we owe to all mankind in common , viz. that which is more private and domestick ; in as much as a Family is compounded of several states and conditions of people , whereof some are Parents , some Children , some Masters , and some Servants ; it includes in it these four , 1. That of Husband and Wife . 2. That of Parents and Children . 3. That of Brethren and Sisters . 4. That of Masters and Servants . 1. The first and principal domestick relation , wherein Love has some peculiar effects that bind us then particularly when we are in that condition , is the relation betwixt Husband and Wife . And here Love through its forwardness to delight and benefit , and its great averseness in any thing to give offence , will have these effects . 1. Such as are mutual and common to them both ; as are , 1. A most tender care and heightned kindness , arising from the most intimate union and nearness that is betwixt them ; which expresses it self chiefly , 1. In the partaking in each others bliss and misery , or being both equally concerned in those things which befal either ; which is communicating in each others condition . 2. In the bearing with each others infirmities , and not falling into hard thoughts and estrangedness upon them . 3. For those things which are not in their power to bestow , in seeking them mutually on each others behalf from God by prayer . 2. A faithful performance of that appropriate use of each others Bed , which they promised mutually at marriage ; and this is fidelity . 2. Such as are particular , and concern them in special , one towards the other ; either , 1. The Husband toward the Wife . And because the relation of a Husband implies power and dominion , that these may be rendred as easie and grateful as may be , the effect of Love here will be such a tempering and sweetning of them , as makes them contribute as much as may be to her pleasure and contentment ; which it doth by making him , 1. When it is for her benefit , to employ all his power and authority to procure her necessaries and due conveniencies ; which is providing for her , or giving honour , i. e. h maintenance to her , because She is the weaker Vessel , as S t Peter says , and so unable to provide it for her self , 1 Pet. 3.7 ; and also to guard off all inconvenience and injury from her ; which is protection of her . 2. When 't is over her as his Subject , to lay them in great measure aside , and to win her rather by the sweetness of love than by the force of authority ; which is flexible , winning Government . And this as it causes him to yield to her in several things , which in strictness of power he might stand upon , is compliance and condescension . 2. The Wife towards the Husband . And the relation of a Wife implying subjection and dependance , the effects of Love which doth nothing that affronts or injures , but all things that may any ways pleasure and delight , will be , 1. An opinion of his preheminence and authority over her , which is honour . And this as 't is joyned with a fear of offending him , that expresses it self in respectful carriage ; is reverence . 2. A free and forward dispatch of all such things as she knows he either likes or requires ; which is observance and obedience . 3. In undergoing restraint , a cheerful submission of her self to his pleasure ; which is subjection . So that in this relation of Husband and Wife , the effects of Love or Laws commanding , are , on both sides , the Law of mutual concern and communicating in each others bliss or misery , of bearing each others infirmities , of prayer , of fidelity : On the Husbands towards his Wife , the Law of providing for her , of protecting her , of flexible , winning Government , of compliance and condescension : On the Wives towards her Husband , the Law of honour , of reverence , of observance and obedience , of subjection . And opposite to these the effects of ill-will and hatred in this relation , will be as follows : 1. Such as are mutual and common unto both ; asare , 1. An unaffectedness in each others condition , and an insensibleness in one part of those things which befal the other ; which is unconcernedness in each others condition . 2. A not bearing each others infirmities , but either cutting out work and exercise for them by doing or speaking such things as are fit to irritate ; which is provocation : Or being ill-affected towards each other upon them ; which , as it is expressed in a privation of all that tenderness of love and kindness which should result from the intimate nearness of their relation , is estrangedness : and as proceeding higher to ill-will , and expressions of an imbittered mind , as it causes for the present wrangling and debate ; it is strife or contention : and as festring into an habitual displeasure and lasting regret , it is hatred or enmity ; and as breaking out in a proclamation of each others weaknesses , evil speaking , or publishing each others infirmities . 3. As doing no good to each other themselves , so seeking none from God , which is not praying for each other . 4. An avoidance of each others Bed , and being false to the Marriage Covenant about it ; which is adultery . But if this unfaithfulness really be not , but through the suspicious temper of one side is only groundlesly presumed ; it is jealousie . 2. Such as are peculiar , and concern one particularly towards the other , either , 1. The Husband towards the Wife , and here the effects of hatred will be , 1. A neglecting to use his power for her benefit , through an insensibleness of her wants , and regardlesness of what hardships she struggles with ; either as to necessaries or conveniencies , which is not providing for her , or not maintaining her ; or as to injuries and affronts , which is not protecting her . 2. Vsing all his authority over her by a harsh and magisterial peremptoriness of Command ; which is imperiousness ; or by an unyielding , inflexibleness of will and pleasure ; which is uncompliance , uncondescension . 2. The Wife towards the Husband ; where it will produce a light and low opinion of him ; which is dishonour ; which being joined with a contemptuous and fearless behaviour towards him , is irreverence . And this will effect , 1. A backwardness and utter averseness to do unbidden what will delight and please him , which is non-observance ; or what is commanded by him , which is disobedience . 2. A refusal or open reluctance in undergoing that restraint which he imposes ; which is casting off his yoke , or unsubjection . So that in this relation of Husband and Wife , the effects of hatred , or Laws forbidding , are , to both Parties , the Law against unconcernedness in each others condition , against not bearing each others infirmities , against provoking one another , against estrangedness , against strife and contention , against hatred and enmity , against publishing each others infirmities , against not praying for each other , against adultery , against jealousie . To the Husband towards the Wife , the Law against not maintaining her , against not protecting her , against imperiousness , against uncompliance or uncondescension . To the Wife towards her Husband , the Law against dishonour , against irreverence , against unobservance , against disobedience , against casting off his yoke , or unsubjection . 2. The second domestick relation is that of Parents and Children , and in this the effects of Love , and particulars of Duty are either , 1. On the Parents side towards their Children , as are , 1. From the extraordinary nearness that their Children have to them , being parts even of their own Bodies , that most heightened tenderness and kindness , which , because it is found in all Animals in nature towards their own Offspring ; is called natural affection . 2. From their Childrens helplesness and wants , their care over them . Which is taken up , 1. With respect to this world , and that in behalf , 1. Of their Bodies , by providing for them all due necessaries and conveniencies , both whilst they are under them , and against the time that they go out from them ; which is provision , maintenance . 2. Of their whole persons both Body and Soul , by training them up in the best ways they can , whereby to render them profitable in their station , and useful Members of Society ; which is good and honest education . In the management whereof , the using of their power over them , not in a rigorous and austere , but a tender obliging way ; is loving Government . 2. With respect to the next world , and that is by causing them to be duely instructed in Religion , and stamped with vertuous impressions ; which S t Paul calls bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord , Ephes. 6.4 . And for those things which they cannot procure for them by themselves ; begging of them from Gods bounty by prayer for them . 2. On the Childrens side towards their Parents , where , besides the Duty of natural affection common to them with the Parents , Love effects , 1. An opinion of their preheminence and authority over them , which is honour : and this when it is joined with an awful regard to them , and a fear of offending them ; is reverence . 2. Whilst they are under them , a ready chearfulness in performing all that they command , which is obedience : and in bearing and undergoing all that they impose , which is submission or subjection . 3. When either they are under them , or gone from them , a readiness upon occasion to requite all their care and kindness in supporting and relieving them ; which the Apostle calls requiting their Parents , 1 Tim. 5.4 . 4. And in such things wherewith they cannot supply them of themselves , entreating God on their behalf ; which is praying for them . So that the effects of Love and instances of Duty in this relation , are from the Parents towards their Children , the Law of natural affection , of maintenance and provision , of honest education , of loving Government , of bringing them up in the institution and fear of God , of prayer for them : from the Children towards their Parents , the Law of honour , of reverence , of obedience , of subjection , of requiting upon occasion their care and kindness , of prayer for them . And opposite to these effects of Love which are so many commanded Duties , the effects of hatred in this relation , which are so many particular forbidden sins , are these that follow : 1. In Parents towards their Children , it will produce a coldness of heart and unconcernedness for them , which is being void of natural affection : Which will effect , 1. As to their care for them , a neglecting to provide for their present maintenance or future support ; which is condemned by S t Paul under the name of not providing for those of our own house , 1 Tim 5.8 . 2. As to their Government and Conduct of them , an untoward exercise and employment of it where there is no just need , or a neglect of it where there is . For it will produce , 1. As to things that are good and necessary for the Children , an utter carelesness of them , when the Parents neglect to teach and inure them to such things as may render them dutiful to God , and useful in Society ; and contrariwise accustome and bring them up in idleness , vanity , or wickedness ; which is irreligious or evil education . 2. As to things that are unnecessary and indifferent ; a great strictness and severity , whether it be in commanding or imposing things without reason , necessity , or convenience ; or convenient things with imperious harshness or unreasonable rigour , only out of wantonness of authority and plenitude of power , which instead of exciting them to a cheerful obedience , is apt to move in them an irksome regret ; which is provoking them to anger . 3. And instead of praying for them , not praying at all , or using passionate and modish curses or imprecations ; which is imprecating or praying against them . 2. In Children towards their Parents , it will cause , besides the want of natural affection , 1. A low esteem and undervaluing opinion of them in their minds ; which is dishonour . And this , if it be joined with a contemptuous disregard , and fearless behaviour towards them ; is irreverence : Which is expressed , 1. In disowning or disregarding them by reason of their meanness ; which is being ashamed of them . 2. In entertaining their weaknesses and infirmities , not with pity and sorrow , but with sport and delight , turning them into a matter of mirth and laughter . This is a mixture of hatred and scorn , and is called mocking them . 3. In divulging in words , and , instead of concealing and excusing , publishing their faults and defects with reproaching of them , and inveighing against them upon the account of them ; which is malediction , or cursing of them . 2. Whilst they are under them , a spiting and going cross , 1. To their Commands , by not performing what they require , but doing against it ; which is disobedience . 2. To their impositions , by not submitting to that restraint and burthen which they lay upon them ; which is contumaciousness , or casting off subjection . 3. To their interest , by embezilling or secret wasting of their substance ; which is robbing them . 3. When either they are under them , or gone from them , not recompencing their care and kindness by their relief and service when their Parents need requires it ; which is not requiting them . 4. And instead of praying for them , not praying at all , or hasty wishing ill to them ; which is imprecation . So that the effects of hatred in this relation or forbidding Laws are , to the Parents , the Law against want of natural affection , against not providing for those of their own house , against irreligious and evil education , against provoking their Children to anger , against not praying for them , and imprecation of them . To the Children , besides that against want of natural affection , the Law against dishonour , against irreverence , against being ashamed of their Parents , against mocking them , against cursing or reproach , and speaking evil of them , against disobedience , against contumaciousness , against robbing them , against not praying for them , or imprecation of them . 3. The third sort of domestick relation that includes some instances of Love that are not due towards all men indifferently , but peculiarly towards some ; is the relation of Brethren and Sisters . And these being so nearly allied , and partaking of the same blood ; Love betwixt them will exert it self , 1. In a most passionate concern and tender affection for each other ; which , because we seem to be carried on to it by the very force and instinct of our nature , without any help of reason , or need of being argued up to it , is called natural affection . 2. And as an effect of this , a helping each other by a reciprocal service , and , when occasion requires , by communicating mutually of their substance ; which S t Paul calls a providing for those of our own Family , 1 Tim. 5.8 . And in those things which they cannot afford themselves , seeking them mutually for each other by prayer . And opposite to these are the effects of hatred betwixt them , which will effect , 1. An unconcernedness for each other , or a want of natural affection . 2. A not helping of each others needs , or not providing for them : and not praying to God in each others behalf , but making ill wishes mutually ; which is imprecation . So that the effects of Love or commanding Laws in this relation , are the Law of natural affection , of providing for our Brethren , of praying for them : and opposite to them the effects of hatred or forbidding Laws , are the Law against want of natural affection , against not providing for our Brethren , against not praying for them , and imprecation or praying against them . 4. The fourth and last relation , is that of Masters and Servants . And in this the effects of Love are either , 1. From the Masters to the Servants . Where Love will produce , 1. A care of their Servants , as of Members of their own Families ; both , 1. Of their Bodies , in provision and maintenance . 2. Of their Souls , in religious instruction and admonition . 2. A Government of them that is not harsh and severe , but kind and gentle , such as we expect and desire that God , who is our Master , should use over us ; which therefore is called by the Apostle our dealing justly and equally with them , i. e. so as we would have our Master to deal with us , Col. 4.1 . In particular observing , 1. In our Commands to them , Mercy as well as Justice ; in requiring nothing that God forbids , which is unlawful ; nothing for imperiousness and commands sake , only that we may create them work though we our selves receive no benefit ; which is unprofitable : and even where we are advantaged by it , nothing lastly which is either above , or at least very hard and oppressive to their power and strength ; which is unproportionable . And this is kindness and equity in commanding . 2. In our threatnings and punishments , tenderness and pity ; in not threatning and punishing out of will and power , or either more or oftener than need requires , which the Apostle calls forbearing , or moderating threatning , Ephes . 6.9 . 3. In our rewards , paying them punctually and justly what they have wrought for ; which is punctual payment of the wages of the Hireling . 4. And besides all the kindness which we can do for them our selves , whether by rewarding or promoting them , procuring moreover all the good which we can for them at Gods hands , by praying for them . 2. From the Servants to the Masters . And the nature of service being a setting over all our powers and abilities for the time , to their benefit whom we are to serve ; the effects of Love in this relation will be , 1. An opinion and esteem in the mind of their Masters preheminence and lordship over them ; which is honour . And this being joined with an awfulness and fear of offending him , who has both Authority to command and Power to punish ; is reverence . 2. In things which they know he desires and delights in , a forward care and ready industry to please him by doing them before they are bidden ; which is observance . And this among other things effects , 1. As for his , or his Families defects at home , concealing or excusing them . 2. As for his reputation abroad , when 't is injured , vindicating and defending it . 3. A care of their Masters Goods , and carrying suitably to his pleasure ; always exercising , 1. In those things which their Master intrusts them with , a true discharge of that trust , and the things committed to it ; which is fidelity . 2. In those things which their Master commands , a ready performance and execution of them ; which is obedience . The vigorous application of themselves to the dispatch whereof , is diligence . Which they are to shew , not only from the terrour of their Master so long as his eye is over them , which the Apostle calls eye-service ; but from the ready willingness of their own minds , which will make them do it whether he be with them or absent from them ; which in the same place is called obeying with good will and from the heart , Ephes. 6.6 , 7. 3. In those things which he imposes and inflicts , whether they be just , or even injust , if light and tolerable , a quiet and uncontending submission ; which is patience and subjection . 4. And in those things wherein they cannot advantage him themselves , commending him to Almighty God , by prayer for him . So that the effects of Love or commanding Laws in this relation , are , on the Masters side , the Law of maintenance , of religious instruction , of a just and equal Government of them , of kindness and equity in commanding , of forbearance and moderation in threatning , of punctual payment of the wages of the Hireling , of praying for them : On the Servants , the Law of honour , of reverence , of observance , of concealing and excusing their Masters defects , of vindicating their injured reputation , of fidelity , of obedience , of diligence , of willing and hearty service , of patient submission and subjection , of praying for them . And opposite to these are all the effects of hatred , which will be instanced in these Particulars . 1. From the Masters towards their Servants , it will produce , 1. A carelesness of what becomes of their Servants , whether as to , 1. Their Bodies , in not duly maintaining or providing for them . 2. Their Souls , in not catechising or instructing of them . 2. A Government of them which is cruel and rigorous : and this being a dealing otherwise with them than we are willing to be dealt with our selves ; is unequal Government . Which is expressed , 1. In the injustice and severity of our Commands , when we enjoin what God forbids , which is unlawful ; or what tends not to benefit our selves , but only to vex and trouble them ; which is unprofitable : or what is either above their strength or exceeding hard for it ; which is unproportionable : And this is unjustness , and wantonness , and rigour in commanding : which , if it be acted in a contemptuous haughtiness and peremptory way ; is imperiousness . 2. In the injustice and hardship of our threatnings and punishments , when we use them without occasion , or more than needs when there is occasion for them ; which is immoderate threatning , or punishing . And this , as it vents it self in bitter words , and vehemence of vilifying expressions , a fault that is incident to proud , hasty Folk and lordly Masters , is railing at them . 3. In the dishonesty and dilatoriness of our Rewards , when we either pay not at all that which was covenanted for their service , or cut it short , or delay it long when their necessity calls for it instantly ; which is defrauding or keeping back the wages of the Hireling . 3. And besides all the kindness which we deny them our selves , neglecting to seek for any thing for them at Gods hands , by not praying for them ; or cursing and imprecating them , which is praying against them . 2. From the Servants towards their Masters ; where the effects of hatred are , 1. A disesteem and contemptuous opinion of their Masters , as persons of no worth or preheminence above themselves , which is dishonour . And this , when it is evidenced in a careless and disrespectful behaviour towards them , which argues them to stand in no fear or awe of them ; is irreverence . 2. An industrious neglect of such things as they know are pleasing and acceptable to him ; and venturing upon others that will disgust and offend him ; which is non-observance : two particular expressions whereof are , 1. As to his or his families defects at home ; a publishing and aggravation of them . 2. As to his reputation abroad , a suffering it to lye under imputations that are undeserved ; which is not vindicating him . 3. An endamagement of their Masters Goods , Concerns , and Authority , by shewing , 1. In what their Master intrusts them , falseness or non-performance ; which is unfaithfulness . And if it be instanced in making away such Goods or Mony as were committed to them , 1. To their own luxury and pleasure , by such ways as our Saviour sets down of eating , drinking , and keeping ill company , Matth. 24.49 ; it is wastfulness of their Masters Goods . 2. To their own private profit and secret enrichment ; it is purloining . 2. In what their Masters command , a careless omission of it , or acting against it ; which is disobedience . Whether this be expressed , 1. In questioning and disputing the fitness and convenience of what they enjoin , instead of doing and performing it ; which S t Paul calls answering again , or i speaking against and contradicting it , Tit. 2.9 . 2. In a slow and lazy application of themselves to it , when they do set about it ; which is slothfulness . 3. In a laborious dispatch of what they are commanded only whilst their Masters eye is over them , but slackning all again when he is gone from them ; doing all things out of dread , but nothing out of choice and good will ; which is eye-service . 3. In what their Master imposes or inflicts , a not enduring or resting under it ; which is contumacy or resistance . 4. And in such things as God is to bestow on them , a not seeking to him by prayer on their behalf ; but praying against them . So that the effects of ill will and hatred , or Laws forbidding in this relation , are , on the Masters side , the Law against not providing maintenance for his Servant , against not catechizing or instructing him , against unequal Government , against unjustness , wantonness and rigour in commanding , against imperiousness , against immoderate threatning , against railing , against defrauding or keeping back the wages of the Hireling , against not praying for him , and imprecation or praying against him : and on the Servants side the Law against dishonour of his Master , against irreverence , against non-observance , against publishing or aggravating his Masters faults , against not vindicating his injured reputation , against unfaithfulness , against wasting his Goods , against purloining , against disobedience , against answering again , against slothfulness , against eye-service , against contumacy or resistance , against not praying for them , and imprecation or praying against them . And thus we have seen what are the particular effects of love and hatred both towards all men in general , and also towards all in those several relations wherein we stand concerned with one another in the World. And in them are contained all the particular Commands and Prohibitions , which make up this third Branch of Duty , viz. righteousness , or our Duty towards our Neighbour . All that God requires of us towards other men , is only to have a hearty kindness for them , and in this manner to express it . And all that he forbids is only our hatred of them , with all the forementioned effects of it . So that in the above-named instances and effects of Love , in Justice , Charity , Peace , with those others in the relations now recited , is comprized the whole of this last Member of S t Paul's Division , righteousness . Thus at last we have seen what are all the particular instances of those three general Laws , sobriety , piety , and righteousness ; wherein , if we add two or three more , is comprized the Body of our whole Duty . If we adde two or three more , I say ; for besides the several Laws already mentioned , there are three particular Duties yet remaining of a more positive and arbitrary nature , which Christ has bound all Christians to observe ; and they are the Law of Baptism , of the Lords Supper , and of Repentance . Baptism is our incorporation into the Church of Christ ; or our entrance into the Gospel Covenant , or into all the duties and priviledges of Christians , by means of the outward Ceremony of washing or sprinkling in the name of the Father , and of the Son , and of the Holy Ghost . The Eucharist or Lords Supper is our Federal Vow , or repetition of that engagement which we made at Baptism , of performing faith , repentance and obedience unto God ; in expectation of remission of sins , eternal happiness , and those other promises which by Christ's death are procured for us upon these terms : which engagement we solemnly make to God at our eating Bread and drinking Wine , in remembrance and commemoration of Christs dying for us . Repentance is a forsaking of sin , or an amendment of any evil way upon a sorrowful sense , and just apprehension of its making us offend God , and subjecting us to the danger of death and damnation . And if to all the forementioned instances of those three grand Vertues , which by the Apostle , Tit. 2.12 , 13 , are made the summ of our Christian Duty , we join these three positive and additional Laws ; we have all that whereby God will judge us at the last Day , even all those particular Laws whereto our obedience is required as necessary to salvation . And thus we have seen what those particulars Laws are , which the Gospel indispensably requires us to obey . They are no other than those very instances which I have been all this while recounting and describing . But because the Catalogue of them hitherto has been broken and interrupted , and therefore cannot be run over so easily as might be desired in a matter of that importance ; I will here repeat them all again for the greater ease of all such pious souls as desire to try themselves by them , and place them all in one view , and all together . The commanding Laws then whereby at the last Day we must all be judged , are these that follow : The Law of sobriety towards our selves , with all its Train , which are the Law of humility , of heavenly-mindedness , of temperance , of sobriety , of chastity , of continence , of contempt of the world and contentment , of courage and taking up the Cross , of diligence and watchfulness , of patience , of mortification and self-denial . The Law of piety towards God with all its Branches , which are the Law of honour , of worship , of faith and knowledge , of love , of zeal , of trust and dependance , of prayer , of thankfulness , of fear , of submission and resignedness , of obedience . The Law of Justice towards men in all its parts , which will be seen by the contrary prohibitions of injustice . The Law of Charity in all its instances ; which are the Law of goodness or kindness , of honour for our Brethrens Vertues , of pity and succour , of restraining our Christian Liberty for our weak Brothers edification , of friendly reproof , of brotherly kindness , of congratulation , of compassion , of almes and distribution , of covering and concealing their defects , of vindicating their reputation , of affability or graciousness , of courtesy and officiousness , of condescension , of hospitality , of gentleness , of candor , of unity , of thankfulness , of meekness or lenity , of placableness , of forgiving injuries , of doing good to enemies , and , when nothing more is in our power , praying for them , and blessing or speaking what is good of them , when we take occasion to mention them , of long-suffering , of mercifulness . The Law of Peace and Concord with all its Train ; as are , the Law of peaceableness , of condescension and compliance , of doing our own business , of satisfying for injuries , of peace-making . The Law of love to Kings and Princes in all its Particulars ; which are , the Law of honour , of reverence , of paying Tribute and Customes , of fidelity , of praying for them , of obedience , of subjection . The Law of love to our Bishops and Ministers with all its expressions ; which are , the Law of honour , or having them highly in esteem for their works sake , of reverence , of maintenance , of praying for them , of obedience . The Law of Love in the particular relation of Husband and Wife with all its Branches ; which are , on both sides , the Law of mutual concern , and communicating in each others bliss or misery , of bearing each others infirmities , of prayer , of fidelity : On the Husbands towards his Wife , the Law of providing for her , of protecting her , of flexible and winning Government , of compliance and condescension : On the Wives towards her Husband , the Law of honour , of reverence , of observance and obedience , of subjection . The Law of Love in the particular relation of Parents and Children with its several effects ; which are , from the Parents towards their Children , the Law of natural affection , of maintenance and provision , of honest education , of loving Government , of bringing them up in the institution and fear of God , of prayer for them : From the Children towards their Parents , besides the Duty of natural affection common to both , the Law of honour , of reverence , of obedience , of subjection , of requiting upon occasion their care and kindness , of prayer for them . The Law of Love in the particular relation of Brethren and Sisters with all its instances ; which are the Law of natural affection , of providing for our Brethren , of praying for them . The Law of Love in the particular relation of Master and Servant , with its several expressions ; which are , on the Masters side , the Law of maintenance , of religious instruction , of a just and equal Government of them , of kindness and equity in commanding , of forbearance and moderation in threatning , of punctual payment of the wages of the Hireling , of praying for them : On the Servants , the Law of honour , of reverence , of observance , of concealing and excusing their Masters defects , of vindicating their injured reputation , of fidelity , of obedience , of diligence , of willing and hearty service , of patient submission and subjection , of praying for them . To all which we may add the two arbitrary institutions and positive Laws of the Gospel , Baptism , and the Eucharist or Lords Supper ; and when we transgress in any of the instances forementioned , that great and only remedy of Christs Religion , the Law of repentance . This , so far as I can call to mind at present , is a just enumeration of those particular Injunctions and Commands of God , whereto our obedience is indispensably required , and whereby at the last Day we must all be judged either to live or dye eternally . But supposing that some particular instances of Love and Duty are omitted in this Catalogue ; yet need this be prejudicial to no mans happiness , since that defect will be otherwise supplied . For as for such omitted instances , where there is an occasion for them , and an opportunity offered to exercise them , mens own reason and passion will represent and suggest them for a rule of obedience ; and when they wilfully transgress them , their own Conscience must needs check and reprove them , which will be sufficient to them for a rule of trial . For all the Laws of this second , which is the Gospel-Covenant , are so agreeably suited to our natural reason and conscience , that every mans own mind may be a sufficient Monitor . What our own understanding tells us is fit and becoming us that we should do ; that has God bound upon us by his Laws , and made it our Duty to do . His Precepts are the very same with the best results and purest dictates of our own reason ; so that every pious and honest Conscience cannot but of it self approve all that God has enjoined it . Which God himself has clearly intimated , when he says of all the Laws of the second , which is the Gospel-Covenant , that he will put the Laws contained in it into their minds , and write them in their hearts ; so that in regard they have them so legible within themselves , they shall not need to be still enquiring of others , and to teach every man his Neighbour , and every man his Brother , saying , Know the Lord ; and that in this or that particular you must serve him ; for all shall know him and his Laws without any other Monitor than their own Conscience , from the least to the greatest , Heb. 8.10 , 11. Besides , as for all the Laws of piety towards God , and of righteousness towards men , which make up by far the greatest part of our Duty ; they are only so many several effects and various expressions of our Love to them . So that he who acts nothing against love , breaks none of all these Laws , but keeps them every one . Whereof Christ himself ( who has given these Laws , and who is to judge of our obedience to them ) and his Apostle Paul have given us sufficient assurance , when they both affirm of Love , that , as to these two general parts of Duty , it is the fulfilling of the Law. And therefore any man that knows what Love is , may quickly understand what is Law ; and when he is about to venture upon any action , it is but asking his own soul whether it be against Love , and he has his Answer whether or no it be against Duty . And since whensoever we have occasion for it , we shall be admonished of our Duty both these ways , both from our reason and our passion , though this Catalogue prove defective in some instances , and omit it : that defect can be of no danger , seeing it will be otherwise supplied . We may by its help know those Duties which it mentions ; and by the help of the other two , those Particulars wherein it fails us . So that we shall still be sufficiently directed in our Duty , and shewed what we should do ; and when we sin against it wilfully , our own Conscience is privy to it , which will enable us to examine also whether indeed we have done it , or no. This then may suffice for a particular enumeration of all the commanding Laws of God , whereto our obedience is required as an indispensable condition of our life and happiness . And as for all the forbidding Laws , which contain those things which under the highest pains of death and misery we are indispensably required to abstain from ; they are these that follow : The Law against unsoberness towards our selves , with all its particulars ; which are , the Law against pride , against arrogance or ostentation , against vain-glory , against ambition , against haughtiness , against insolence , against imperiousness , against dogmaticalness , against envious backbiting , against emulation , against worldliness , against intemperance , against gluttony , against voluptuousness , against drunkenness , against revelling , against incontinence , against lasciviousness or wantonness , against filthiness , against obscene Jestings , against impurity or uncleanness , against sodomy , against effeminateness , against adultery , against fornication , against whoredom , against incest , against rape , against covetousness , against grudging and repining , against refusing or being scandaled at the Cross , against idleness and carelesness , against fearfulness and softness , against self-love , against carnality , against sensuality . The Law against impiety towards God , with all its Retinue ; which are , the Law against dishonour , against atheism , against denying Providence , against blasphemy , against superstition , against idolatry , against witchcraft and sorcery , against foolishness , against headiness , against unbelief , against hating God , against want of zeal , against distrust of him , against not praying to him , against unthankfulness , against fearlesness , against contumacy or repining , against disobedience , against common swearing , against perjury , against prophaneness . The Law against injustice towards men in all its instances ; which are , the Law against murder , against false witness , against slander or calumny , against lying , against unfaithfulness or perfidy , against adultery , against covetousness , against stealing or robbing , against oppression , against extortion and depressing in bargaining , against circumvention and deceit , against craftiness . The Law against uncharitableness with all its Train ; which are , the Law against maliciousness or hatefulness , against wickedness , against despising and hating them that are good , against giving scandal to weak Brethren , against envy or an evil eye , against rejoicing in evil , against uncharitableness in alms , against not vindicating an innocent mans reputation , against evil speaking , against censoriousness , against back-biting , against whispering , against railing or reviling , against upbraiding , against reproaching , against mocking , against difficulty of access , against contumely or affront , against uncourteousness , against stiffness or uncondescension , against unhospitableness , against surliness , against malignity , against turbulence and unquietness , against unthankfulness , against anger and passionateness , against debate and variance , against bitterness , against clamour and brawling , against hatred and malice , against implacableness , against revenge , against cursing and reproaching enemies and imprecation of them , against hastiness to punish , against rigour . The Law against enmity and discord with all its Dependants ; which are , the Law against unpeaceableness , against emulation or provoking one another , against pragmaticalness or being busie Bodies , against tale-bearing , a-against whispering , against not satisfying for injuries , against strife or contention , against division and faction in the State , against heresie , and against schism in the Church , against tumult . The Law against hatred in the particular relation of Subjects towards their Princes , with the several effects of it ; which are , the Law against dishonour , against irreverence , against speaking evil of Dignities , against refusing Tribute and Taxes , against traiterousness , against neglecting to pray for Kings , against disobedience , against resisting lawful Powers and Authority , against rebellion . The Law against hatred to our Ecclesiastical Governours , Bishops and Ministers , with all the particulars implied in it ; which are , the Law against dishonour of our Bishops and Ministers , especially against setting them at nought for their works sake , against irreverence to them , against speaking evil of them , against mocking them , against not providing for them , against sacriledge or stealing from them , against not praying for them , against disobedience . The Law against hatred in the relation of Husband and Wife with all its Particulars ; which are on both sides the Law against unconcernedness in each others condition , against not bearing each others infirmities , against provoking one another , against estrangedness , against strife or contention , against hatred and enmity , against publishing each others infirmities , against not praying for each other , against adultery , against jealousie : On the Husbands towards the Wife , the Law against not maintaining her , against not protecting her , against imperiousness , against uncompliance or uncondescension : On the Wives towards her Husband , the Law against dishonour , against irreverence , against unobservance , against disobedience , against casting off his yoke or unsubjection . The Law against hatred in the particular relation of Parents and Children with all its Instances ; which are on both sides , the Law against want of natural affection , against not praying for each other , and imprecation : On the Parents side , the Law against not providing for those of their own house , against irreligious and evil education , against harsh Government or provoking their Children to anger : On the Childrens , the Law against dishonour , against irreverence , against being ashamed of their Parents , against mocking them , against cursing or reproach and speaking evil of them , against disobedience , against contumaciousness , against robbing them . The Law against hatred in the particular relation of Brethren and Sisters with its effects ; which are , the Law against want of natural affection , against not providing for our Brethren , against not praying for them , against imprecation or praying against them . The Law against hatred in the particular relation of Master and Servant with all its expressions ; which are , on the Masters side , the Law against not providing maintenance for his Servant , against not catechizing or instructing him , against unequal Government , against unjustness , wantonness , and rigour in commanding , against imperiousness , against immoderate threatning , against railing at him , against defrauding or keeping back the wages of the Hireling , against not praying for him , against imprecation : And on the Servants , the Law against dishonour of his Master , against irreverence , against non-observance , against publishing or aggravating his Masters faults , against not vindicating his injured reputation , against unfaithfulness , against wasting his Goods , against purloining , against disobedience , against answering again , against slothfulness , against eye-service , against contumacy and resistance , against not praying for him , against imprecation or praying against him . To all which we must adde the two positive and arbitrary prohibitions of the Gospel , the Law against neglecting Baptism , and the Lords Supper . And when we wilfully transgress any one , or more of the Commands foregoing , a perseverance in it without amending it ; which is impenitence . And these are those particular prohibitions whereto our obedience is indispensably required by the Gospel , and whereby at the last Day we must all be judged . And for the performance of all these Commands , and keeping back from all these prohibitions , when it is become any mans habitual course and practice ; it is oft-times expressed by the general word holiness ; as the contrary is by unholiness . CHAP. V. Of the Sanction of the foregoing Laws . The CONTENTS . Of the Sanction of all the forementioned particular Laws . That they are bound upon us by our hopes of Heaven , and our fears of Hell. Of the Sanction of all the particular affirmative or commanding Laws . NOW it is upon our obedience of all those Laws which are mentioned in the foregoing Chapters , that all our well-grounded hope of pardon , and a happy Sentence at the last Day depends . They are that Rule which God has fixt for the Proceedings at that Judgment whereby all of us will be doomed to live or dye eternally . There is not any one of them left naked and unguarded for men to transgress at pleasure , and yet to go unpunished : but the performance of every one is made necessary unto life , and the unrepented transgression of it threatned with eternal damnation . And that it is so is plain from this , because almost the whole Body of them , viz. all those which are implyed in piety towards God , and in Justice , Charity and peaceableness towards men , are nothing else but instances and effects of Love , which is plainly necessary , and that in the greatest latitude . For the words of the Command are as comprehensive as can be . That thou mayest inherit eternal life , thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart , and with all thy soul , and with all thy strength , and with all thy mind ; which plainly take in our whole affection towards God , and every part and expression of it : and thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self , which again implies all instances of love towards other men , seeing towards our own selves not any one is wanting : This do , and thou shalt live , Luke 10.25 , 27 , 28. So that in shewing of them all that they are natural effects of an universal love , I have shewn withal that they are necessary means of life and conditions of salvation . This is a plain mark , whereby it is obvious and easie for us all to understand what Laws are necessary terms of life . For every mans heart can inform him what are the natural effects of love , they being such things as the meanest reason may discern , nay such as every mans affection will suggest to him . And because they are so , the Apostles themselves when they set down Catalogues of indispensable Laws , never descend to reckon up all particulars : but having plainly declared the absolute necessity of an ample and universal love in the general , they content themselves with naming some few instances of it , and leave the rest , which are like unto them , to be suggested to us by our own minds . And the same course they take in recounting those sins which are opposite to them , and which , without repentance , will certainly destroy us . Thus , for instance , in S t Paul's Catalogue of damning sins , Gal. 5. he doth not trouble himself to name all particulars ▪ but having mentioned several of them he concludes with this general intimation of the rest — and such like , vers . 21. This way then of shewing the necessity of all the forementioned Laws , by shewing expresly that Love in the general is plainly necessary , and leaving it to mens own minds to collect of them all severally that they are natural effects of it ; is sufficient in it self , and such as the Apostles of our Lord are wont to take up with : But because our belief of the necessity of our obedience in all the preceding particulars is of so great moment , and it is so infinitely our concern to be fixt and settled in it ; I will here set down such express declarations of it in every one of them as are to be met with in the Scriptures . And to begin with the several Classes of them in the same order wherein they are laid down ; for sobriety , and all the particular Laws comprehended under it , we have their sanction set down , and the necessity of our obedience to them to our life and pardon expressed in the following Scriptures . For the Law of humility and lowliness of mind , take these : Put on as necessary qualifications of the elect of God , holy and beloved , humbleness of mind , Col. 3.12 . It is this poverty and lowliness of Spirit which must prepare us for eternal happiness . Blessed are the poor in Spirit , Matth. 5.3 . For , as our Saviour says , 't is by learning of him who is meek and lowly that we shall find both here and hereafter rest to our souls , Matth. 11.29 . And for all the rest , their Sanction is expressed in these ensuing places . Labour not for the meat that perisheth , but for that which endureth to everlasting life , John 6.27 . This is a necessary evidence of our being risen with Christ now at present ; If ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above , where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above , and not on things on the earth , Col. 3.1 , 2 ; and a necessary condition to our being blessed with him for ever hereafter ; the blessedness which our Saviour pronounces being to those which hunger and thirst after righteousness , Matth. 5.6 . Add to temperance patience , for he that lacketh these is blind , and shall not be looked on as a new man , seeing he has forgot that he was purged from his old sins , 2 Pet. 1.6 , 9. The fruit of the Spirit , saith S t Paul , is temperance or a continence , and it is against this among others , that there is no Law to condemn it , Gal. 5.23 . And to the Hebrews he says , that they have need of patience to inherit the promises of life and happiness , Heb. 10.36 ; and therefore they must not cast away , but hold fast their confidence , or couragious and b open owning even of a suffering Religion , which hath great recompence of reward , ver . 35. It bring to them only who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and immortality , that God will give eternal life , Rom. 2.7 . Dearly Beloved , I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts , which war against the soul , to vanquish and destroy it , 1 Pet. 2.11 . This abstinence is one chief thing which we were called to at our Call to Christianity . God hath not called us to uncleanness , saith S t Paul , but unto holiness , or c purity and cleanness . For this is the will of God which you are first to perform before you expect his reward , your purity or sanctification , and particularly in one instance , wherein you are so generally defective , that you abstain from fornication , and every one of you possess his Vessel or Body in purity or sanctification and honour . And this Commandment you know we gave you by the Lord Jesus's order , so that whosoever among you despiseth it , despiseth not man , but God , 1 Thess. 4.2 , 3 , 4 , 7 , 8. For the wisdom which cometh from above , and which must carry us thither , is in the first place pure or d chast , James 3.17 . Love not the world , nor the things of the world ; for if any man love the world , the love of the Father is not in him , 1 John 2.15 . For the esteem and friendship of the world is in very deed downright enmity with God. Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world , is the enemy of God , James 4.4 . Godliness , if it be joined with contentment , is great gain , saith S t Paul , 1 Tim. 6.6 . And our being content with such things as we have , is reckoned a part of that Grace whereby we must serve God acceptably , and be secured from his wrath , who , where he is angred , is a consuming fire , Heb. 12.28 . to the fifth Verse of the thirteenth Chapter . Christ said unto them all , If any man will come after me , and be accounted one of my Disciples , let him deny himself , and take up his Cross , and follow me , Luke 9.23 . If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Body , saith S t Paul , you shall live , Rom. 8.13 . Yea , its affections and desires , as well as its sinful actions , are to be deaded and brought under . For they that are Christ's , whom he will own for his at the last Day , and reward accordingly , have crucified the Flesh with the affections and e lusts or desires thereof , Gal. 5.24 . They who would not be accounted in Gods judgment as Children of the night and of darkness , S t Paul says plainly , must watch and be sober , 1 Thess. 5.5 , 6. For watching is necessary unto bliss , Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find watching , Luke 12.37 . And give diligence to make your calling and election sure , saith S t Peter , for this is one of those things which if you do , you shall never fall either from your duty , or your reward , 2 Pet. 1.10 . Thus are all the particular Laws recited in the first Class , sobriety , expresly bound upon us by all our hopes of Heaven ; and our obedience to them plainly necessary to our life and pardon when we come to be judged according to them . And the Sanction is the same for all the Particulars of the second Class , our piety towards God , as will appear by the following Scriptures . Them that honour me , saith God , I will honour , or make honourable ; but they who despise me , shall , on the other hand , be as lightly set by , 1 Sam. 2.30 . And if any man be a worshipper of God , him , said the man who had received his sight most truly , he heareth , John 9.31 . He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved , but he that believeth not shall be damned . Mark 16.16 . For this is the will of him that sent me , saith our Saviour , that whosoever believeth on me may have everlasting life , John 6.40 . And what we hear of Faith is also said of Knowledge : For this is life eternal , saith Christ , to know thee the only true God , and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent , John 17.3 . The good things which neither eye hath seen , nor ear hath heard , i. e. the joys of Heaven , are laid up for those who love God , 1 Cor. 2.9 . And if any man love God , the same is known or accepted by him , 1 Cor. 8.3 . It is he who believes Christs promises , or hopes on him , that shall never be ashamed , Rom. 10.11 . And we trust in God , saith S t Paul , who is the Saviour of all men , especially of those that believe or trust in him , 1 Tim. 4.10 . And a cheerful dependence upon Gods Providence for our food , and maintenance , &c. and not being sollicitous about them , is one of the Particulars of Christ's Law , Matth. 6.25 , the sanction whereof is expressed in the fifth Chapter in these words , He who breaks the least o● these Commandments , shall be least in the Kingdom o● Heaven , i. e. according to the Hebrew manner of speaking , he shall be none at all , ver . 19. Pray without ceasing , 1 Thess. 5.17 . It is this that must bring all blessings down upon us . For the promise is , Ask and you shall have , Matth. 7.7 . But no Petition being put up , no Grant can in reason be expected , You have not , saith S t James , because you ask not , James 4.2 . Gods mercy is on all that fear him , Luke 1.50 . I will warn you , saith our Saviour , whom you shall fear ; fear God , who after he hath killed hath yet further power to cast you into Hell ; if you are fearless and contemptuous , I say unto you , Fear him , Luke 12.5 . In every thing give thanks , for this is the will of God concerning you , 1 Thess. 5.18 . It is one part of our walking as Children of the light , to give thanks always , and in all things , to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ , Ephes. 5.8 , 20. And the Apostle's exhortation is , Offer to God the Sacrifice of Praise continually , giving thanks to his Name ; and that because we have no abiding City , but seek one to come , Heb. 13.14 , 15. The Church of Laodicea , to the end that she may be rich and cloathed , is advised to be zealous and to repent , Rev. 3.18 , 19. And one effect of a godly sorrow and a saving repentance , S t Paul saith , is zeal for God and goodness , 2 Cor. 7.11 . In Christ Jesus or the Christian Religion , neither Circumcision f availeth any thing , nor Vncircumcision ; but keeping of the Commandments of God , 1 Cor. 7.19 . For it is this only that gives right to life and happiness , Blessed are they that do his Commandments , that they may have right to the Tree of Life , Rev. 22.14 . Our Fathers after the flesh corrected us , and we gave them reverence , and shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits , and live ? Heb. 12.9 . And thus are all the Particulars of this second Class of Duties , Piety , bound upon us with the same sanction as the former , and our obedience to them all made necessary to our being pardoned at the last Day , and eternally rewarded by them . And the same is further true of the Duties of the third Class , righteousness towards our Neighbour . For as for the necessity of Justice , S t Paul is clear , Owe no man any thing , but to love one another , Rom. 13.8 . For if you wrong and defraud one another , saith the same Apostle , know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God , 1 Cor. 6.8 , 9. And as for all the particular Laws of Charity , their necessity will appear from what follows . Be kindly affectioned one to another , as if you were of the same blood and g near Kindred , with brotherly love , in honour h preferring one another for your Vertues before your selves ; and much more vindicating each other from the unjust aspersions of others . Distributing or i communicating to the necessity of Saints ; given to , or earnestly k pursuing hospitality ; Bless or l speak well of them which persecute you ; Bless , and curse not . Rejoyce with them that do rejoyce , in congratulation ; and weep with them that weep , in m compassion . Be of the same mind one towards another ; mind not state and high things , but be affable and condescend , by n going even out of your way to bear them company , to men of low estate . Recompence to no man evil for evil ; but if thine enemy hunger , feed him ; if he thirst , give him drink , Rom. 12.10 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 20. All which Precepts , with several others delivered in that Chapter , he gave in Command , as he tells them , through the Grace or Authority of Apostleship , which is here and o elsewhere called Grace , given unto him , ver . 3 ; and that is a plain proof of their indispensable necessity . For he that despiseth you Apostles , says our Saviour , despiseth me , Luke 10.16 . And if the transgression and disobedience of the Law of Moses spoken to him only by Angels in the Mount , received a just recompence of reward , such Offenders dying p without mercy ; how shall we escape the same death or greater if we neglect , and much more if we despise , so great a means of salvation as Christs Gospel and his Laws are , which was at first spoken to us by the Lord Jesus himself , who is far above all Angels , and was afterwards confirmed to us by his Apostles , or them that heard him , Heb. 2.2 , 3. The wisdom from above , and which must bring us thither , is gentle , easie to be entreated , full of mercy and good fruits , James 3.17 . And S t Paul bids the Colossians to put on as the elect of God , holy and beloved , these Vertues ; viz. bowels of q mercies , kindness or r courtesy , meekness , long-suffering or forbearing one another , and s forgiving one another ; If any man hath a quarrel against any , even as Christ forgave you , so do ye , Col. 3.12 , 13 , 15. The fruits of the Spirit , saith the same Apostle , are love , long-suffering , gentleness , goodness , meekness ; against such there is no condemning force of any Law , Gal. 5.22 , 23. The description which S t Paul gives of Charity is this , Charity suffers long in great meekness before it be provoked , and is kind or t courteous towards all men ; is not puffed up with supercilious and haughty behaviour , for men do not assume state over those persons whom they love , but is lowly and affable ; doth not behave it self unseemly or u contumeliously , but with much respect and civility ; seeks not her own Praise and Glory at other mens cost or discredit ; is not easily provoked or not provoked to the x height , but mixes mercifulness with anger , opposite to rigour ; rejoyces or y congratulates the truth or sincerity and integrity of men ; and as for their infirmities , it bears or z covers and conceals all things that are defective ; believes all things to their advantage , in putting the most candid and favourable sence upon any thing which they do or say ; and where there is no excuse for the present , it hopeth all things good for the future ; and for injuries offered to it self , it is not hasty and vindictive , but patiently endureth all things , 1 Cor. 13.4 , 5 , 6 , 7. And for the necessity of that Charity which includes all these , S t Paul is express in the same Chapter ; when he tells us that although he have all faith and all knowledg , and bestow all his goods to feed the poor , yea and give his Body to be burned in Martyrdom ; if still he have not Charity in all these other effects , and in that latitude wherein it is here described , it profiteth him nothing , ver . 2 , 3. I say unto you , Love your enemies , bless or a speak all the good you can of them that curse or reproach you , do good to them that hate you , and pray for them who despitefully use you , and persecute you , that by this means you may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven , Matth. 5.44 , 45. Which Laws are of the number of those which are contained in Christ's Sermon on the Mount , at the beginning whereof he declared , that whosoever should break the least of his Commandments which he was then about to deliver , and should teach men to do so too ; he should be least or none at all in the Kingdom of Heaven , ver . 19. Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart ; thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour , and not suffer sin to rest upon him : I am the Lord , who will surely punish thee , if thou neglect this , Lev. 19.17 , 18. But when any man by such charitable admonition doth convent a Sinner from the errour of his way , let him for his encouragement know this , says S t James , that he shall save a soul of him who is reproved from death , and besides that , shall hide also a multitude of his own sins , James 5.19 , 20. And as for the method of performing this , what course we are to take , and how far we are to proceed in it : our Saviour has set that down , according to what had obtained in the b Jewish custom , Matth. 18. For there in the case of c private injuries , which are no fit Subject of Church censures that are exercised only upon open and scandalous Sinners , he prescribes thus ; If thy Brother shall trespass against thee , take this course to reclaim him : Go first and tell him of his fault privately between thee and him alone ; if he shall hear thee , and amend upon thy admonition , thy work is done , and without any more ado thou hast gained thy Brother . But if he be not to be won thus easily , and will not hear thee admonishing him thus privately by thy self alone ; then give not over , but go one step further ; take with thee one or two more to join with thee in thy admonition , that by the authority of their concurrence he may be the more prevail'd upon , and that the reproof now appearing , not in thy mouth alone , but also in the mouths of thy two or three Witnesses , every word may have the more effect , and be the firmlier established . And if he shall be incorrigible still , and neglect to hear both thee and them too ; yet give him not over for a lost man , but try one means more , which is the last that I enjoin thee : Pick out a select Assembly and choice Company of men , who are more in number than thou tookest before , and tell it unto that Church or d Assembly , and reprove him before all them . But if he prove obstinate against this last means , and neglect to hear them ; then thou hast discharged thy self , and needest to look no further after him , but mayest let him be unto thee thenceforward as a lost and hardened man , whose Conversion thou art no longer bound in vain to labour after , such as we are wont to express by a heathen man and a Publican , ver . 15 , 16 , 17. Take heed lest by any means this Christian Liberty of yours become a stumbling Block or scandal to those that are weak , by seducing and encouraging them , on the authority of your example , to do that against their Conscience , which you , who know more , do according to it ; and so through thy knowledge shall the weak Brother perish , for whom Christ dyed : But when ye sin so against the Brethren , and by such unrestrained liberty wound their weak Consciences , you sin against Christ , 1 Cor 8.9 , 11 , 12. It is a most uncharitable thing , and without Charity all things else will profit nothing , 1 Cor. 13.3 ; For if thy Brother be grieved or scandalized with thy liberty in meat or other things ; now walkest thou not charitably if for all that thou abstain not from it ; destroy not him therefore with thy meat , for whom Christ dyed , Rom. 14.15 . But if any man will still be prone to give offence , his Sentence is severe and dreadful . For he that shall offend or scandalize one of these little Ones which believe in me ; it were better for him that a Milstone were hanged about his neck , and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea , Matth. 18.6 . And thus are all the particular Laws of Charity and Justice also imposed with the same strictness , and under the same necessity with the former . And that the sanction is the same in the Particulars of the next Class , viz. Peace ; will appear by what follows . Follow peace with all men , without which no man shall see the Lord , Heb. 12.14 . It is not enough that we accept of it when it is offered , but we must enquire it out , and seek after it ; nay if it be denied us at first , we must endeavour after it still , and ensue it when it flyes from us ; and that not coldly or carelesly , with weak desires , or little industry ; but with the greatest concern and utmost diligence that possibly we can . He that will love life and see good days , saith S t Peter , let him seek peace and ensue it , 1 Pet. 3.10 , 11. Be of the same e mind , saith S t Paul among those Laws which he enjoins by his Apostolical Authority , Rom. 12. one towards another ; mind not high things , but condescend to men of low estate . If it be possible , and as much as in you lies , live peaceably with all men , ver . 16 , 18. Yea , we must pay dear for it rather than want it , and bear long , and suffer much from men before we contend with them , and use all arts and shew all kindness to pacifie and reconcile them . Not rendring evil for evil , or railing for railing ; but contrariwise blessing or benediction , knowing this , That we are thereunto called in Christianity , that from our Lord Christ , who was so exemplary for it , we should inherit this Vertue of f speaking well and kindly of men , or blessing , 1 Pet. 3.9 . I say unto you , says our Saviour , resist not the evil or injurious g man , which is the way to inflame and consummate contention , but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek , turn to him the other also ; and if any man will sue thee at the Law , and take away thy Coat , bear a little more , and rather than contend with him , let him have thy Cloak also , Mat. 5.39 , 40. Which Precepts , with all the others delivered in that Sermon , are bound upon us , as was observed , under the forfeiture of all right to happiness and Heaven , ver . 19. The wisdom which cometh from above , and which must raise us thither , is peaceable , saith S t James , Jam. 3.17 . And S t Paul reckons it as one of the Commandments which were given to the Thessalonians by the Lord Jesus , that they should study , even so as to be h ambitious of it , to be quiet or to acquiesce in their present state , and not to interrupt the quiet and tranquillity of other men , and to do their own business , 1 Thess. 4.2 , 11. The method of procuring pardon for injustice is prescribed thus in the Law of Moses ; If a man commit a trespass against another man , and be guilty , he shall come and recompence his trespass with the Principle thereof , and over and above that , i add unto it the fifth part thereof more , and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed , Numb . 5.6 , 7. And Christ , although he do not define the particular proportion of the compensation , doth yet establish this satisfaction and reconciliation of our selves to our injured Brother in the general , as an indispensable Duty , without which nothing , not our very Prayers or Oblations , shall be accepted . If thou bring thy gift to the Altar , and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee , having been injured by thee ; leave there thy gift , and go thy way , first be reconciled to thy Brother , by giving him satisfaction for thy offence , and then come and offer thy gift , Matth. 5.23 , 24. Which Command is moreover one of those whose sanctions is the loss of Heaven , ver . 19. Blessed are the Peace-makers ; for they shall be , called the Children of God , Matth. 5.9 . And thus we see of all the Laws which make any thing due to God , our selves , or all mankind in general ; whether they are instances of sobriety , piety , justice , charity , or peace : that our obedience unto them all is made necessary unto life , and that they are bound upon us by all our hopes of happiness and Heaven . And the sanction is the same for all those Laws which make some things due in particular relations likewise . For as for the Laws that bind us in the particular relation of Subjects to our Kings , their sanction appears plainly from these places : Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers ; for there is no Power but of God ; whosoever therefore resisteth the Power , resisteth the Ordinance of God : and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation . Wherefore you must needs be subject , not only for wrath , but also for Conscience sake . Render therefore to all their Dues ; as these following are to Kings , Tribute to whom Tribute is due , Custom to whom Custom , Fear or Reverence to whom Fear , Honour to whom i Honour , Rom. 13.1 , 2 , 5 , 7. And all these are only part of that Catalogue of Laws , which he begins to reckon up , and declares to them by his Apostolical Authority , chap. ●2 . ver . 3. These things speak and exhort , rebuke with all Authority , and let no man despise thee , who shall surely be punished as a Contemner of Christ if he do . Put them in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers , to k obey Magistrates , Tit. 2. ver . ult . & chap. 3. ver . 1. I exhort therefore first of all that prayers of all sorts , supplications , intercessions , petitions , and giving of thanks be made for all Kings , and such as are in Authority ; for this is in it self , and will render us good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour , 1 Tim. 2.1 , 2 , 3 ; and a proof moreover of that good conscience which Timothy is charged to keep , chap. 1. ver . 19. And for Fidelity and Allegiance , this may suffice to shew its necessity , that among the men of corrupt minds , who are reprobate concerning the Faith , and who should render the last times perillous , S t Paul reckons Traitor● ▪ 2 Tim. 3.1 , 4 , 8. So that as for all the forementioned Duties of this relation , we see their indispensable necessity , and that as ever we hope to be saved by them , we must perform and obey them . And so it is in the particular Laws of the next relation , that of people towards their spiritual Governours , viz. their Bishops and Ministers , as is plain from these Texts following : We beseech you , Brethren , to know them who labour among you , and are set over you in the Lord , and to esteem or honour them very highly , or l more than abundantly , in love for their works sake , 1 Thess. 5.12 , 13. And this is one of those Precepts which are pressed upon them as they would be Children of light , and not of darkness , ver . 5 ; and as they are to avoid wrath and to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ , ver . 9. Let him who is taught or m catechized in the Word , communicate unto him that teacheth or catechizeth in all n good things . Be not deceived , God is not mocked ; for whatsoever a man soweth in this and other things , that shall he also reap , Gal. 6.6 , 7. o Obey them that have the rule over you , and submit your selves ; for they watch for your souls . Pray for us , Heb. 13.17 , 18. Which are part of those Precepts that are enjoined as the way whereby to serve God acceptably , who is a consuming fire to destroy and devour all that dare offend him , chap. 12.2 . last verses . And for the necessity of the several Laws in the particular relation of Husband and Wife ; that will appear by what follows . For as for that love which is strictly required betwixt them , it ought , says S t Paul , agreeably to the words of God at the institution of Marriage , They two shall be one Flesh , to be such as people have for their own Bodies , Ephes. 5.28 , 31. Which cannot imply less than an affectionate concern , and communicating in each others joy or sorrow ; for if one member of a mans Body suffer , all the rest , as the Apostle observes , suffer with it ; and if one be honoured , all the rest rejoyce with it : the Members all having the same care one for another , 1 Cor. 12.25 , 26. And also a bearing with each others infirmities , as every man will do with those of his own Body ; and praying for each other . And for particular Duties , we are told in the same fifth Chapter to the Ephesians , that the Husband must condescend and comply with his Wife , and part , not only with his own self-will but , even with his own life to serve her . Husbands love your Wives , saith he , even as Christ loved the Church , and gave himself for it . So ought men to love their Wives as their own Bodies . And how that is , we all experience , for no man ever yet hated his own Flesh , but protecteth it and provideth well and duly for it , or nourisheth and cherisheth it , ver . 25 , 28 , 29. In which love of his Wife as of his own Flesh , is implied moreover that his Government of her be p flexible and obliging ; nothing being more contrary to our self-love , than to be commanded in peremptoriness and rigour . And then as for the particular Duties of the Wife , she is bid to be observant , or to take care how to please her Husband , 1 Cor. 7.34 . To submit her will to his , and to be ready to perform what he enjoins , as she is to do what God commands her . Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands , as unto the Lord : for the Husband is the Head of the Wife , as Christ is of the Church : therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ ; so let the Wives be unto their own q Husbands in every thing , Ephes. 5.22 , 23 , 24. And this submission she must shew in respectful carriage , and such behaviour as argues in her a fear to give offence , Let the Wife see that she reverence her Husband , ver . 33. And all these Commands enjoining Duties both on one side and on the other , which are delivered in that Chapter , are required as part of our walking as Children of the light , and proving what is acceptable unto the Lord , ver . 8 , 10. Marriage is honourable , and the Bed undefiled ; but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge , Heb. 13.4 . Wives are to be taught to be obedient to their own Husbands , that the Word of God or Doctrine of the Gospel be not blasphemed , Tit. 2.5 . Let Wives be in subjection to their own Husbands . For with this in old time the holy women adorned themselves , even as Sarah obeyed Abraham , calling and observing him as her Lord , whose Daughters ye are as long as you do well , and imitate her , but no longer , 1 Pet. 3.5 , 6. So that all the Laws in this relation are enjoined under the same necessity , and confirmed with the same sanction as the former . And as for the Particulars of the next relation , they are imposed with the same strictness . For natural affection , the want of it S t Paul affirms plainly makes men r worthy of death , Rom. 1.31 . The Children ought not to lay up s Treasure or provide for the Parents , but the Parents for the Children , 2 Cor. 12.14 . And if any man provide not for his own house , he hath denied the Faith of Christ , which indispensably enjoins it , nay despising such a notorious and necessary Precept of mere Nature , he is worse than any honest Infidel , 1 Tim. 5.8 . Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath against you by a harsh and austere Government of them , but rule them in kindness and love ; and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And ye Children on the other side t obey your Parents in the Lord , for this is right . u Honour your Father and Mother , that it may be well with you , Ephes. 6.1 , 2 , 3 , 4. Which Precepts are of the number of those which he imposes on them as parts of their walking as Children of the light , and proving what is acceptable unto the Lord , Chap. 5.8 , 10. If any man have Children or Nephews , let them first learn to shew piety at home , and requite their Parents , for this is good and acceptable to God. But if any man provide not for his own , especially those of his own house or Family , as Parents are in the first place , he hath denied the Faith , and in his unnatural actions is worse than an honest Infidel , 1 Tim. 5.4 , 8. And thus are all the Laws of this relation likewise established in the greatest strictness , and our obedience to them made plainly necessary to our bliss and happiness . And as for the particular Laws of natural affection , and communicating upon occasion to each other of their Substance in the relation of Brethren and Sisters ; they are proved to be necessary in the proof of the former : For the same places which require them in that relation , require them in this also . And then as for the Particulars of the last relation , viz. that of Masters and Servants ; they are of equal necessity with all the foregoing . If any man provide not for his own house , whereof Servants are one part , he hath denied the Faith , and is worse than an Infidel , 1 Tim. 5.8 . Masters , give unto your Servants that which is just and equal , knowing that ye also have a Master in Heaven , who will punish your unequal dealing towards them , Col. 4.1 . If I despise the cause of my man-servant , or of my maid-servant when they argue in their own defence , and contend with me ; what then shall I do when God rises up ? and when he visiteth , what shall I answer him ? Job 31.13 , 14. Thou shalt not oppress an hired Servant that is poor and needy , whether he be of thy Brethren , a Jew , or a Stranger , of the Gentiles . At his x Day thou shalt give him his hire , neither shall the Sun go down upon it ; for he is poor , and setteth his heart upon it , Deut. 24.14 , 15. y Weep and howl , O ye rich men , says S t James , for the miseries that shall come upon you ; for behold the hire of the Labourers , who have reaped down your Fields , and which is of you keept back by fraud , crieth against you , and the Cries are entred into the ears of the Lord , who hearkens to them , and in great Justice will one Day avenge them , James 5.1 , 4. Ye Masters do the same things ( viz. good , whether as to their Bodies , in providing for them , or to their Souls , in religious instruction , with a good will , in expectation of a reward from the Lord ) to your Servants , forbearing threatning ; knowing that your Master also is in Heaven , who has threatned you if ye neglect this necessary Duty , neither is there any respect of persons with him , Ephes . 6.8 , 9. Let as many Servants as are under the Yoke , count their own Masters worthy of all honour , that the name of God be not blasphemed , as certainly it would upon their contrary practice . And if any man teach otherwise , he is proud , knowing nothing , 1 Tim. 6.1 , 3 , 4. Servants obey in all things your Masters according to the Flesh ; not with eye-service , but in singleness or z sincerity of heart , without fraud or double dealing , as persons fearing God. And whatsoever you do , do it heartily , as to the Lord , not to men ; knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance for such your obedient practice , for , in thus serving them , you serve the Lord Christ , Col. 3.22 , 23 , 24. Servants obey your Masters with fear and trembling ; not with eye-service , as Men-pleasers , but from the heart , with good-will , doing service as to the Lord , who commands this of you , and not only to men ; knowing that whatsoever good or ill in this particular any man doth ▪ the same shall he receive of the Lord , Ephes 6.5 , 6 , 7 , 8. Exhort Servants to be obedient to their own M●sters , and to please them well by all manner of observance in all things , either as to their reputation in vindicating it when 't is injured , or concealing such defects as would stain and fully it , or their other interests : showing all good fidelity . For the Grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared to all men , teaching them , as ever they hope to be saved by it , That denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts , whereof the contrary practices to these are the effect and offspring , they should live soberly , &c. Tit. 2.9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13. And moreover , these Precepts are part of that sound Doctrine , which Titus is required to speak , ver . 1. in opposition to their Doctrine , who in the Verse before are said to be abominable , disobedient , and to every good work reprobate . Servants be subject to your own Masters , with all fear or reverence ; not only to the good and gentle , but also to the hard or hasty and froward . For this is thank-worthy , if for Conscience towards God you patiently endure grief , suffering wrongfully . This is acceptable to God , and likewise necessary for you ; for even hereunto were you called , that you may be like to Christ who has left you an example of such patient suffering , for this end , that you might follow his steps , 1 Pet. 2.18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , &c. And thus are all the particular Laws of this last relation imposed in the same strictness of obligation , and under the same severe sanction with all the rest that went before . And as for the Law of Baptism , and of the Lords Supper , and of Repentance and amendment whensoever we fail in any of the former , which are all the commanding Laws yet remaining ; their necessity will appear from the Scriptures following . Except a man be born again of Water as well as of the Spirit , he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God , says Christ to Nicodemus , John 3.5 . And when Christ sends his Apostles out to preach to all the World , that Doctrine which he commissions them to declare is this , He that believeth and is baptized , shall be saved , Mark 16.16 . Take , eat , this is my Body : Do this in remembrance of me . For as often as you eat this Bread , and drink this Cup , you do shew forth the Lords death , which you must do , till he come the second time to judge us , and to punish all impenitent Transgressors as well of this as of all his other Precepts , 1 Cor. 11.24 , 25 , 26. And this Command , he further says , he received of the Lord to deliver to them , ver . 23. And for the fuller proof of the necessity of this Sacrament , that is very remarkable , which , as some have observed , the Jewish Doctors have taken notice of , viz. that whereas God forbad twenty three things under pain of being cut off from the people to them who committed them ; yet in the whole Old Testament there are but two things commanded under that penalty to those who should neglect them ; and they are Circumcision and the Passover , which are Types and Figures of , and answer to our two Sacraments , Baptism and the Lords Supper . And for that necessity particularly of the Passover among the Jews , which answers to the Eucharist among us Christians , where , as the Apostle says , Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us , 1 Cor. 5.7 . we have a plain Text at the institution of it , Exod. 12. Whosoever , in the Feast of the Passover , eateth leavened Bread from the first Day to the eleventh Day ; that soul shall be cut off from Israel , ver . 15. Repentance and remission of sins thereupon is commanded to be preached to all Nations , Luke 24.47 . And as Christ ordered , so his Apostles practised . Repent , says S t Peter in his first Sermon , and be baptized for the remission of sins , Acts 2.38 . But without this there is no mercy for any wilful Offenders ; for except you repent , says our Saviour , you shall all perish , Luke 13.3 . And thus we have seen of all the commanding Laws particularly , that our obedience to every one of them is plainly necessary to our salvation . They are that Rule which God has fixt to measure out to us either Life or Death , and which at the last Day we must all be eternally acquitted or condemned by . CHAP. VI. Of the Sanction of all the forbidding Laws . The CONTENTS . Of the Sanction of all the negative or forbidding Laws particularly . The perfection of the Christian Law. How our Duty exceeds that of the Heathens under the revelations of Nature . And that of the Jews under the additional light of Moses's Law. AS for all the Vices opposite to the several Vertues in the foregoing Chapter , which are the number of the negative or forbidding Laws ; they must needs be under the same sanction , and our observance of them be bound upon us by the same necessity with our observance of the former . For whatsoever any of the particular Laws commanding any Vertues threaten , they denounce against these opposite Vices , which are the several transgressions of them . So that in shewing the severe sanction and necessity of the one , I have shown it sufficiently of the other also . And this might very well excuse me all further trouble in searching after an express sanction of every particular forbidding Law. But on the other side I consider , that men are infinitely concerned to be fully convinced of the particular necessity of abstaining from every Vice , as well as of performing every Vertue And that there is much more force to work this full Conviction in an express and particular proof , than there can be in a general and implicite intimation . And because I would shun no pains which may be likely to quicken the obedience , or secure the interests even of any one soul ; I will not leave it to mens selves to collect and inferr this necessity , although the meanest capacities may do it without any great difficulty , but proceed still to set down such sanctions of all the particular forbidding Laws , as I meet with in the Scriptures . And to take the several Classes of them in that order wherein they are described above , for the penalties threatned to all the Particulars of unsoberness , they will appear from the places following . The works of the Flesh are manifest , saith S t Paul , which are adultery , fornication , a uncleanness , lasciviousness , b drunkenness , revelling , emulations , of the which I tell you , that they who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. And besides these , if we live in the Spirit , without which there is no hopes of happiness , Rom. 8.6 ; let us not be desirous of c vain-glory , provoking one another , Gal. 5.19 , 20 , 21 , 25 , 26. Neither the effeminate , those that c suffer themselves to be unnaturally abused , nor the abusers of themselves with mankind , nor extortioners , or d ravishers and men that commit e rapes , shall inherit the Kingdom of God , 1 Cor. 6.9 , 10. But the fearful and soft , the abominable , or f abusers of themselves with mankind , and whoremongers , shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone , which is the second death , Rev. 21.8 . Let not filthiness , nor g foolish or h obscene talking , nor jesting in i filthy jests be so much as named among you . For this ye know , that no whoremonger , or covetous man , &c. hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of God , and of Christ. Let no man deceive you , for these things sake cometh the wrath of God upon the Children of disobedience , Ephes. 5.3 , 4 , 5 , 6. In the last Days perillous times shall come , for men shall be lovers of themselves , or of their own k Flesh , covetous , proud , Boasters , or l arrogant , incontinent , high-minded , or m enormously haughty in behaviour or insolent , lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God , or n sensual , having a form of godliness , but denying the power thereof : from such turn away , for they are men of corrupt minds , and reprobate concerning the faith , 2 Tim. 3.1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 8. Being filled with covetousness , Back-biters , Boasters , or o arrogant , which in the judgment of God are worthy of death , Rom. 1.29 , 30 , 32. The Servant that shall begin to eat and to drink with the drunken , shall have his portion appointed with Hypocrites , in the place where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth , Matth. 24.49 , 51. Many are enemies of the Cross of Christ , whose God is their Belly , which they carefully serve in voluptuous eating , who are altogether p worldly , and mind earthly things ; whose end is destruction , Phil. 3.18 , 19. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth , and been wanton ; or ye have q lived deliciously , and fared luxuriously : Ye Ye have nourished or r fed your hearts , as men use to do Cattle which they intend for the Shambles against or in a day of slaughter . Weep therefore and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you , James 5.1 , 5. Love not the world , nor covet and ambitiously pursue the rich and splendid things of the world . But if any man do love the world , I declare this concerning him , that the Love of the Father is not in him , 1 John 2.15 . Blessed is he who shall not be offended in me , or not s scandalized and turned out of the way and profession of my Religion , through any difficulties or persecutions that befal him in it , Matth. 11.6 . For he who will save his life in this world , by fleshly policy and wicked compliances against his Duty , shall lose it in the world to come ; but whosoever shall lose his life , or other temporal enjoyments for my sake , or for an honest owning of my Laws and Religion , that same man shall find it , Matth. 16.25 . And for the prohibitions of the second Class , impiety , we have their penalty expressed in the Texts ensuing . The works of the Flesh are manifest , t idolatry , witchcraft ; of which I tell you , that they who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God , Gal. 5.19 , 20 , 21. But the u unbelievers , and sorcerers , and idolaters , shall have their part in the Lake which burns with fire and brimstone ; which is the second death , Rev. 21.8 . The wicked man hath said in his heart , God hides his face , he will never x see what men do , and therefore he will not require an account of it . But thou Lord dost behold mischief and spite , and that too to punish and requite it with thy hand , Psal. 10.11 , 13 , 14. Being haters of God , without y understanding or foolish , which in the judgment of God are worthy of death , Rom. 1.30 , 31 , 32. In the last days perillous times shall come , for men shall be z Blasphemers , unthankful , unholy , heady ; and these are men of corrupt minds , and reprobate concerning the faith ▪ 2 Tim. 3.1 , 2 , 4 , 8. They that despise and dishonour me , shall be lightly set by , 1 Sam. 2.30 ▪ Because thou hast no zeal for me , but art lukewarm , and neither hot nor cold ; I will spew thee , as men do warm water , which the Stomach loaths and nauseates , out of my mouth , Rev. 3.16 . If we deny him , he also will deny us , 2 Tim. 2.12 . And our being ashamed of , and not owning and maintaining him and his Religion , although it be at a time when impiety is barefaced , in an adulterous and sinful Generation , is intepreted by him for such damnable denial of him . For what is called denying me and my words , Matth. 10.33 ; is upon another occasion repeated in S t Mark , and expressed by being ashamed of them , Mark 8.38 . Ye have heard that it hath been said in old time , Thou shalt not forswear or a perjure thy self , but shalt perform unto the Lord thy Vows . But in addition to this I say unto you , Swear not at all in your common b converse , but let your communication or ordinary discourse be yea , yea , and nay , nay ; for whatsoever is more than these , cometh of evil , Matth. 5.33 , 34 , 37. And these Precepts are of the number of those whereof Christ had expresly said , ver . 19. He who breaks the least of these Commandments , shall be least or none at all in the Kingdom of Heaven . The Law , with its terrors and severe sanctions , is not made for a righteous man , who would do what it requires without them ; but for the lawless and disobedient , for ungodly , for unholy and prophane , for perjured persons , that by means of its dreadful punishments it might either fright them from sinning , or take vengeance on them after they should have sinned against it , 1 Tim. 1.9 , 10. Wo unto him that strives through c contumacious and repining carriage with his Maker , Isai. 45.9 . And for the necessity of observing the prohibitions of the third Head , injustice towards men , take these places : The works of the Flesh are manifest , adultery , murther ; of which I tell you , that they who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God , Gal. 5.19 , 21. Being filled with all unrighteousness , covetousness , deceit , covenant-breakers , or perfidious , who in the judgment of God are worthy of death , Rom. 1.29 , 30 , 31 , 32. This is the will of God , That no man go beyond and defraud his Brother in any matter , or way whatsoever , whether it be extortion , oppression , or plain d couzenage ; for the Lord is the avenger of all such , as we also have forwarned you , and testified , 1 Thess. 4.3 , 6. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God ? Be not deceived , neither thieves , nor covetous shall inherit the Kingdom of God , 1 Cor. 6.9 , 10. In the last Days perillous times shall come ; for men shall be Truce-breakers , false Accusers , or Slanderers and Calumniators ; from such turn away , for they are men of corrupt minds , and reprobate concerning the faith , 2 Tim. 3.1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 8. Out of the heart proceed thefts , false witness , murthers ; these defile or pollute the man , and so exclude him from Heaven , where nothing can ever enter that is unholy and unclean , Matth. 15.19 , 20. Thou hast greedily gained of thy Neighbour by e extortion , therefore I have smitten my hand at thy dishonest gain . Can thy heart endure , or thy hands be strong in the day when I shall deal with thee , Ezek. 22.12 , 13 , 14. All f Lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burns with fire and brimstone , which is the second death , Rev. 21.8 . And as for all the Particulars of uncharitableness , we have their sanction in these Scriptures following : Being filled with wickedness , maliciousness , full of g envy , malignity , whisperers , back-biters , h despightful or i contumelious , implacable , unmerciful ; who in the judgment of God are all worthy of death , Rom. 1.29 , 30 , 31. Recompence to no man evil for evil , avenge not your selves ; but rather , instead of that , give place unto wrath , Rom. 12.17 , 19. For if ye forgive not , but revenge upon men their trespasses ; neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses , Matth. 6.15 . Deal thus therefore with your enemies , not rendring evil for evil , or railing for railing ; but contrariwise blessing or benediction , knowing this , That hereunto are ye called in Christianity , to inherit from Christs example this Vertue of blessing or speaking well of them , who revile you . And this is no indifferent thing . For he that will love life , and see good days , must thus refrain his tongue from evil , 1 Pet. 3.9 , 10. Let all i bitterness , and anger , and wrath or hatred , and clamour or brawling , and k evil speaking , be put away from you , with all malice , Ephes . 4.31 . And that if you have been taught as the truth is in Jesus , to put off the old man , and to put on the new , ver . 20 , 21 , 22 , 24. Exhort and rebuke with all authority , and let no man despise thee , lest in doing so he be judged as a Despiser of Christ also , Luke 10.16 . Put them in mind to speak evil of no man , to be no Brawlers or l Quarrellers ; but gentle , shewing all meekness , opposite to surliness , unto all men , Tit. 2. ult . & Chap. 3.1 , 2. In the last days perillous times shall come ; for men shall be unthankful , fierce , Despisers and m Haters of those that are good . From such turn away , for they are men of corrupt minds , and reprobate concerning the faith , 2 Tim. 3.1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 8. Charity suffers long before it be provoked , and so is not hasty to punish ; and is also kind or n courteous , and so not uncourteous ; Charity is not puffed up , doth not o swell and exalt it self above others in stateliness or difficulty of access and uncondescension , but is condescensive and affable ; doth not behave it self unseemly or p contumeliously ; seeks not her own praise or pleasure at other mens loss or shame , and therefore neither mocks , nor upbraids , nor reproaches any ; is not provoked easily , or not unto the q height ; but mixes mercifulness with anger in exacting punishment , which is opposite to rigour ; thinks or r imputeth no evils or vices to men , who are guilty of them , in railing and reproach ; but kindly overlooks or lessens them , as we are wont to do with persons whom we love ; rejoiceth not in evil , and least of all in the highest sort of it , iniquity of men , 1 Cor. 13.4 , 5 , 6. And without this Charity all other things whatsoever will at the last Day profit nothing , ver . 3. The works of the Flesh are manifest , which are hatred , envying , variance or s debate , Gal. 5.19 , 20 , 21. Be not deceived , no revilers shall enter into the Kingdom of God , 1 Cor. 6.9 , 10. I write unto you , that if any Christian Brother be a railer , to excommunicate him , and with such an one to use no conversation , no not so much as to eat , 1 Cor. 5.11 . And our Lord himself hath determined , whatsoever you shall bind by excommunication on earth , shall be bound also in Heaven , Matth. 18.18 . Judge not , or be not forward to pass r undervaluing and censorious judgments upon what other men do or say , that you be not judged . For with what judgment you judge others , you shall be judged your selves , both by God and men , who will repay you in your own kind , Matth. 7.1 , 2. Which Precept we must note moreover is one of those whereof Christ affirms , That whosoever breaks the least of them shall be least in the Kingdom of Heaven , Chap. 5. ver . 19. At the Day of Judgment Christ will say unto the uncharitable , Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire . For in my poor Members I was hungry , and you gave me no meat ; thirsty , and you gave me no drink ; naked , and you gave me no cloaths ; a Stranger , and you were unhospitable , and took me not in . For in as much as ye refused it and did it not to the very least of these , ye did it not to me , Matth. 25.41 , 42 , 43 , 45. Wo unto the world because of offences or u scandals ; for it must needs be that offences come , but wo unto that man by whom the offence or scandal cometh , Matth. 18.7 . And as for all the prohibiting Laws in the sin of discord , their penalty is expressed in these places : The works of the flesh are manifest , which are these , hatred or x enmity , variance , emulation , strife or contention , seditions or divisions , heresies , envyings ; of the which I tell you , that they who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God , Gal. 5.19 , 20 , 21. And if we live in the Spirit , let us not be desirous of vain-glory , provoking one another , ver . 25 , 26. Mark those which are turbulent and contentious , or cause divisions and offences among you , contrary to the Doctrine which you have learned , and y avoid them . For they that are such , serve not the Lord Jesus Christ , Rom. 16.17 , 18. Whereas there is among you strife and divisions , are ye not carnal ? 1 Cor. 3.3 . And what the punishment of that is , we are told in plain terms ; for to be carnally minded is death , Rom. 8.6 , 13. Study , so as to be z ambitious of it , to be quiet , which directly forbids all unpeaceableness , and to do your own business , not a busying your selves in other mens matters . Which are of the number of those Commands that were given them by the Lord Jesus ; so that he who despiseth them , despiseth not men , but God , 1 Thess. 4.2 , 8 , 11. Thou shalt not go up and down as a Tare-bearer among thy people : I am the Lord , to judge and punish any man that doth , Lev. 19.16 . I fear when I come , there will be found among you debates , tumults ; and I shall be forced to bewail many , or excommunicate them with mourning over them as over a dead Body at a Funeral , which was the custom of the Apostles times , 2 Cor. 12.20 , 21. And as for the prohibitions in the particular relation of Subjects to our Sovereign Princes , their sanction is expressed in the Texts ensuing . The filthy Dreamers who despise dominion , which implies both dishonour and irreverence of it , and speak evil of Dignities , were before ordained to condemnation , Jude 4 , 8 , 9. Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers ; for they that resist and rebel against the men in power and authority , shall receive to themselves damnation . Render therefore , in fear of that penalty , Tribute to whom Tribute , and Custom to whom Custom is due , Rom. 13.1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 7. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man , and be obedient to it for the Lords sake , from whom you shall receive a severe recompence of all your disobedience ; whether it be to the King himself as supreme , or unto lower Officers and deputed Governours , as unto those who are sent by him , 1 Pet. 2.13 , 14. In the last Days perillous times shall come , for men shall be fierce , traitors , &c. from such turn away , for they are men of corrupt minds , reprobate concerning the faith , 2 Tim. 3.1 , 4 , 5 , 8. And as for the particular prohibitions in the relation of people to their Bishops and Pastors , their penalty is the same with the others already mentioned . He that despiseth you , either your persons by dishonour , irreverence , evil speaking , mocking , setting you at nought for your works sake , or your Message and Commands by disobedience ; in Gods account despiseth me also , whose Messengers and Ambassadors you are ; and in like manner he that despiseth me , depiseth him withal who sent me , Luke 10.16 . Do you not know that they which minister in the Jewish Worship and Temple about holy things , live of the maintenance of the Temple ? and that they which wait in sacrificing at the Altar , are Partakers of some portion of the Sacrifices with the Altar ? Even so hath God ordained amongst us , like as he did among them , that they who preach the Gospel , should for that have a due maintenance and livelihood , and b live of the Gospel . And say I this as a man , only from common reason , equity and custom ; or saith not God , by a peremptory way of Command in the Law , the same also ? For there it is written , Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe which treadeth out the Corn. Which is said not for the Oxen alone , but for our sakes no doubt , that we might not grudge the Labourer his hire , 1 Cor. 9.8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 14. And as he who should despise this Law under Moses , could not escape death ; so much less can we , since Christ has made it one of his Laws , if we despise it now , Heb. 2.2 , 3. Thou that sayest a man should not steal , dost thou steal ? Thou that abhorrest Idols , dost thou commit sacriledge ? By such scandalous sins as these the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you , as it is written , &c. Rom. 2.21 , 22 , 24. And as for the prohibitions in the relation of Husband and Wife , their sanction is the same also . No man ever yet hated his own Flesh , so as to be estranged to it , or unconcerned for it , or not to bear with its infirmities , but by rubbing upon every sore place to vex and provoke it ; or not to hide and conceal its weaknesses , but to publish and discover them . And as unnatural is this usage between Man and Wife , for they two are one flesh , Ephes. 5.29 , 31. Which prohibition of hatred between Man and Wife as between a Man and his own Flesh , is set down as a necessary part of ceasing to be darkness , and becoming light in the Lord , ver . 8. No Adulterer shall inherit the Kingdom of God , Gal. 5.19 , 21. Husbands love your Wives , and be not bitter or passionate , uncomplying and imperious against them . And this you must do , as you would be accounted the holy and elect of God , Col. 3.12 , 19. He that provides not convenient maintenance , especially for his own house , whereof the Wife is the chief Member , hath denied the faith of Christ , and is worse than an Infidel , 1 Tim. 5.8 . Teach Wives to be obedient to their own Husbands , lest if they disobey them , the Word of God ▪ or the Christian Religion , be blasphemed for such disobedience of Women that profess it , Tit. 2.5 . And as for the prohibitions in the relation of Parents and Children , what their sanction is , these places will inform us . In the last days perillous times will come ; for men will be without b natural affection , disobedient to Parents ; from such turn away , for they are people of corrupt minds , and reprobate concerning the faith , 2 Tim. 3.1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 8. They who provide not for their own house , and especially for so near a part of it as their own Children are , have denied the Faith , and are become worse than Infidels , 1 Tim. 5.8 . Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath , and hatefulness of you by a rigorous and harsh Government of them , but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord , Ephes. 6.4 . Which are part of those Precepts , our obedience whereof is necessarily required to our being accepted as Children of the light , chap. 5. ver . 8. He that c curseth , by reproaching and publishing the shame of his Father and Mother , shall surely be put to death , Exod. 21.17 . The eye that mocketh at his Father , and despiseth to obey his Mother , although the offence be not come so far as words , but is only a scornful and contemptuous look , a jeering and abusive Countenance ; the Ravens of the vally shall pick it out , and the young Eagles shall eat it , Prov. 30.17 . He that robbeth Father and Mother , and saith it is no transgression , but an innocent action , in regard he takes nothing but what either is , or one day will be his own ; the same is the Companion of a Destroyer , i. e. he deserves to dye as well as a Murtherer , Prov. 28.24 . If a man have a stubborn or contumacious and rebellious Son , who will not obey the voice of his Father or Mother when they have chastened him ; let them bring him to the Elders or Rulers of his City , and to the Gates , wherein were the Courts of Judicature , of his place , and let him be stoned to death , Deut. 21.18 , 19 , 20 , 21. And as for the prohibitions in the relation of Brethren and Sisters , we have their penalty established in these words : Without natural affection , who in the judgment of God are worthy of death , Rom. 1.31 , 32. He that provides not for his own , is worse than an Infidel , 1 Tim. 5.8 . And as for the prohibitions in the last relation , viz. that of Masters and Servants , their sanction is expressed in the places following : Masters , give unto your Servants that which is just and equal , knowing that you your selves also have a Master in Heaven ( who will recompence your injustice , rigour and unequal Government of them upon your own heads , as Christ has plainly shewed us in the Parable of the Servants , Matth. 18. from ver . 23. to the end of the Chapter ) Col. 4.1 . Masters , love your Servants , forbearing threatning , and , what is near akin to it , opprobrious language or railing ; knowing that your Master also is in Heaven , who , in judging and punishing such offences as these , is no respecter of persons , Ephes. 6.9 . If any man provide not for his own house or Family , whereof his Servants are one part , he is worse than an Infidel , 1 Tim. 5.8 . Weep and howl , O ye rich men , for the miseries that shall come upon you . For the hire of the Labourers , which is of you kept back by fraud , cryeth against you for vengeance , and the Cries are entred into the ears of the Lord , who will most severely punish this injustice , Jam. 5.1 , 4. Exhort Servants to be obedient to their own Masters , and not to be unobservant of them , but to give all diligence to please them well in all things . Not answering again , not purloining ; not being false or unfaithful in any matter , but showing all good fidelity . These things speak and exhort with all authority , let no man dare , under the pain of Gods high displeasure , to despise thee , Tit. 2.9 , 10 , 15. Which things , amongst others , he is bid to teach , in opposition to some who vented contrary Doctrines , who upon the account of those Rules which they gave their Followers opposite to these , are called abominable , disobedient , and to every good work reprobate , Chap. 1.16 . Let as many Servants as are under the Yoke , count their own Masters worthy of all honour , and not despise and dishonour them by their irreverent behaviour , publishing their faults and wounding their reputation ; that the Name of God and the Christian Doctrine be not blasphemed or evil spoken of through the contrary usage . If any man teach otherwise , he is proud , knowing nothing , 1 Tim. 6.1 , 2 , 3 , 4. Servants obey your Masters , not with eye-service , but heartily and in singleness or d simplicity of heart , without acting double , viz. something whilst their eye is over you , but nothing when it is off you ; which you are bound to do , not only out of a dread of your Masters anger , but as fearing God , who will be sure to punish you , although your Master should not take notice of you , Col. 3.22 . Servants , he not stubborn and contumacious , but subject to your Masters with all fear and reverence ; and that not only to the good and gentle , or e equitable and moderate , but also to the hasty and morose or froward . For if when you do well and suffer for it , you yet take it patiently ; this is truly thank-worthy and acceptable to God. And indeed hereunto are you called in Christianity , to suffer many times unjustly , but still with patience , as Christ did , that hereafter you may reign with him also , 1 Pet. 2.18 , 19 , 20 , 21. Thus is our observation of these particular prohibitions plainly necessary unto life , and indispensably required to mercy and salvation . And as for that small remainder of them which are not expresly insisted on in this proof , their necessity is sufficiently evidenced by the indispensableness of the opposite Commands , which in the proof of the affirmative Laws is shown expresly . As to all the particular Laws then recited in the foregoing Catalogues , whether they be affirmative or negative , Commands or Prohibitions ; 't is plain that they are all bound upon us by the severest sanction , no less than our fears of Hell and hopes of Heaven . They are the adaequate and compleat matter of that obedience which is to secure for us a happy Sentence . At the last Day we must all stand or fall by them ; where they promise , God will bestow rewards ; but if they threaten , he will eternally condemn us . And thus at length it plainly appears what those particular Laws are , which under the sanctions of Life or Death the Gospel indispensably binds us to obey . And upon the whole we see , That when we become Christians we are not turned loose and set at liberty to do what we list ; but are put under a most strict Rule , and bound up by a most exalted purity , and a most compleat and perfect love . The height of our Duty is answerable to the greatness of our Priviledges and advantages ; For as never any people had so much f Grace given to them as we Christians have by the Gospel , so never was there of any so much Duty required . The poor Heathens , who knew nothing more , either of Gods Laws , or of his rewards and encouragements , than they could argue themselves into a belief of by the strength of their own wit and reason ; knew nothing of , nor shall at the last Day be condemned for the transgression of several of those Commands which we shall dye for . So far were they from thinking that in the judgment of God lasciviousness , uncleanness , g filthy talk , and obscene jests , deserved death , that as wise men as any among them did not believe it of h Fornication and Whoredome it self . They were in no fear of being called to account then , and being found liable to eternal punishment , for being angry at an enemy , for i cursing or reproaching , for praying to the Gods against him , nay nor for other higher acts of malice and revenge . They never dreamed of being condemned for censoriousness , uncourteousness , surliness , malignity , mockery , upbraiding , reproach ; and least of all for scandalizing an ignorant and weak Neighbour , or not relieving an enemy , for not taking up the Cross , or not mortifying their own Bodies . k Vain-glory and emulation they looked upon as deserving commendation rather than reproof : and boasting and ostentation , when it had no mixture of ill design , but was only for boastings sake , even they who would find fault with it rebuked only as a l vanity , but not as a mortal crime . The most that any of them could say of these , or of several others , which it would be too tedious to mention , was that it would be a point of praise for men to observe them , but not of duty ; they might be advised to it by a sage Philosopher , but not imposed and commanded by a Judge and Lawgiver . Thus dark and defective was that sense of Duty which governed the heathen World. The priviledg of a clear and full revelation of it , which God in great degrees afforded the Jews under the Law of Moses , and us Christians in the compleatest measures under the Gospel of Christ , was a Grace and Favour which he did not vouchsafe them . He shewed , as the Psalmist says , his Word unto Jacob , and his Statutes unto Israel ; but he hath not dealt so with any of the heathen Nations ; for as for his Judgments , or those Laws which we are to be judged by , they have not known several of them , Psal. 147.19 , 20. And since not only the poor and ignorant , but even the more wise and learned sort of Heathens were thus void of knowledge in the simplicity of their hearts , and did not discern several of those to be Laws of God , which every one of us may discern most clearly if we will : although we must stand or fall by them , yet they shall not ; but when they are brought to Judgment , they shall go unpunished for their transgressions of them , because they did not know them . They shall not be condemned for acting against they knew not what , nor suffer for the breach of such Laws as were not sufficiently published and proclaimed to them . They that sinned without our Law , shall also perish , not by it , but without our Law , according to the Sentence of such other Laws as are , not ours but , their own ; and it is only as many as have sinned in or under our Law , that shall be judged and condemned by the Law , Rom. 2.12 . Whatsoever they may suffer then for their transgressions of their own plain natural Laws , which all of them might have known that had a mind to it : they shall not be punished for their ignorant breach of such as are peculiarly ours , but that part of their offences shall be overlooked , and graciously connived at . For those times of ignorance , saith the Apostle , God winked or connived at , Acts 17.30 . And as for the Jews , although they had a stricter Rule and a more perfect Precept , answerable to their clearer light and expresser promises ; yet were many m things still for the n hardness of their hearts , indulged to them ; for which without repentance we shall smart most severely if we are guilty of them . A man might be innocent in the charge made against him by the Law of Moses , although he should return ill for ill , or o retaliate injuries , and curse and pray against his enemies . And this their most righteous persons , and greatest Prophets , even p David himself , who was the man after Gods own heart , have done frequently . They had no express Law threatning death to bare sensuality and worldliness ; but the very constitution of their Law , which consisted mainly , if not wholly , in temporal promises , seemed much to encourage it . They were in no danger of being damned by Moses for not bearing with the infirmities and weaknesses of their wives , since their Law it self allowed them to put them away when they did not please them ; yea and , even whilst they continued with them , to marry , and take others to them . For all which , with others that might be mentioned , although we Christians are liable to damnation , yet they were not . For they will be judged at the last Day according to their obedience to their own Laws , not to ours . As many as have sinned in the Law of Moses , says the Apostle , shall be judged by that Law , Rom. 2.12 . But as for us Christians , we must walk by a more perfect Rule , and live up to a nobler pitch than ordinarily either Jew or Gentile did ; or at the last day we shall be eternally condemned . For take even those Sects among the Jews , which in the judgment of S t q Paul are the strictest of any in their Religion , viz. the Scribes and Pharisees ; and yet , as our Saviour himself has peremptorily and plainly affirmed , our obedience must of necessity surpass theirs . Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees , you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven , Matth. 5.20 . In the accounts of our Religion we are guilty and punishable , when no other Law would take hold of us . For by the Gospel of Christ , as we have seen , we shall be damned not only for Adultery , Fornication and Whoredom ; but also for uncleanness , for lasciviousness ; nay , for filthy jests and obscene discourses . We are liable to dye , non only for drunkenness and revellings , for gluttony and surfeiting ; but also for carnality , sensuality , and voluptuousness . There is enough against us to condemn us , although we do not kill our enemy , if we hate him , or rail at him , nay if we refuse to do good to him , to speak well of him , or to pray for him . We are strictly charged not only that we should not lye and slander , but moreover that we should not so much as revile or reproach , or mock , or upbraid , or censure , or speak evil . We are severely threatned , not only if we offer violence to our Neighbour ; but if we are surly towards him , if we are hasty and fierce with him , if we are stately , uncondescensive , or uncourteous to him . So far must we be from fighting and blows , from seditions and tumults ; that under the highest penalties we must abstain from clamour and brawling , from debate and variance , from unquietness , yea from pragmaticalness , or busying our selves in others mens matters . We must keep back from dishonour , irreverence , and speaking evil of Dignities , whilst we submit to them ; as well as from disobedience , and resistance of our lawful Prince in open rebellion . To extort , depress , or circumvent our Brother in any matter , is an Article of our Condemnation , as well as direct theft , and downright robbery . To refuse the Cross , to scandalize a weak Brother , to envy our Neighbours praise , and to be vain-glorious , arrogant , and forward upon all occasions to boast and set off our own ; are all mortal sins in the accounts of our Law , and such as subject the impenitent Actors of them to eternal destruction . These , and all the other instances set down in the foregoing Catalogues , which are too many to mention here , let us plainly see the height of that holiness , and the perfection of that love which we are to live or dye by . Our Law is the most perfect Rule that ever the World heard of ; and , as ever we hope for mercy and bliss , ours is to be the most perfect obedience . For as all these Laws , which under the pains of Death we are bound to obey , are most Heavenly and Divine ; so is that a most perfect obedience which is indispensably required to them . Which will more fully appear by clearing up what I am to show in the next Book , viz. What degrees and manner of obedience is indispensably required to them . BOOK III. What degrees and manner of Obedience is required to all the Laws forementioned . CHAP. I. Of Sincerity . The CONTENTS . The first qualification of an acceptable Obedience , that it be sincere . Two things implied in sincerity , truth or undissembledness , and purity or unmixedness of our service . Of the first Notion of sincerity , as opposite to hypocrisie , or doing what God commands out of a real intention and design to serve him . Of a two-fold intention , actual and express ; or habitual and implicite . Of intention in general , and of these two in particular . Where an actual intention is necessary , and where an habitual is sufficient to our obedience . Of the second Notion of sincerity , as it notes purity of our service in opposition to mixture and corrupt alloy . This Point stated , viz. What intention of our good together with Gods service is consistent with an acceptable and sincere Obedience , and what destroys it . Integrity of our Obedience a sure mark whereby to judge whether it be sincere or no. THE Qualifications which must render our obedience acceptable to Almighty God , and make it avail us unto life and pardon at the last Day , are comprehended in these two ; 1. Sincerity . 2. Integrity . 1. To render our obedience to the forementioned Laws of God acceptable and available to our salvation at the last Day ; it is necessary that it be sincere . Sincerity is a a true and undissembled service of God , opposite to hypocrisie , or a false and feigned pretence of obeying him , when in reality we only serve our own selves . For we must take notice , that God has been so gracious to us in chusing out the instances of our Duty and of his Commands , as to adopt for the most part those particular sorts of actions into the matter of our obedience , which by the natural Order and Constitution of things make for our own present pleasure , reputation , or interest . And every one of these , from the first and fundamental principle of our Natures , self-love , are sufficient inducement to us to practise them , although God had never laid his Commands upon them . So that although we have no kindness at all for God , nor would do any thing for his sake ; yet shall we observe many things which he enjoins us , not for his pleasure , but our own . Thus , for instance , may we be chast , and sober , and practise all other Vertues that are gainful , not because we love God ; but only because we love mony . We may be just and honest , and seemingly religious ; not for the sake of a Commandment , but of our own credit , because the contrary practice would wound our good Name in the world , and stain our reputation . And now when our own lusts and vices , our carnal pleasures , and temporal advantages strike in after this manner with Gods Laws , and command the same service which he enjoins us ; we may pretend , if we will , and as too oft we do , that all is for his sake , and that these performances , which are really owing to our own self-interests , come from us upon the account of Religion and Obedience . And when we falsifie and feign thus , it is flat dissimulation . It is no more but acting the part of an obedient and religious man , seeing , like an b Actor on the Stage , we are that person whom we represent , not in inward truth and reality , but only in outward shew and appearance , which is the very nature of hypocrisie . But for a man to be sincere in Gods service , is the same as really to intend that obedience which he professes . It is inwardly and truly to will and do that for his sake , which in outward shew and appearance we would be thought to do . It is nothing else , as the Psalmist says , but truth in the inward parts , Psal. 51.6 ; the having our inward design and intention to agree with our outward profession ; and being verily and indeed those obedient persons which we pretend to be . And as for this sincerity of our performance of what God requires , viz. our doing it for his sake , and because he commands it : it is altogether necessary to make such performance become obedience , and to qualifie us for the rewards of those that obey . For without it we do not observe c Gods will , but our own ; his Command had no share in what we did , because it had been done although he had said nothing ; so that in our performance of it we served not him , but our own selves . And what has God to thank us for , if we do nothing but our own pleasure ? Wherein do we serve him , by acting only according to our own liking ? That cannot be charged on him which is not designed for him ; and if we do what he commands no otherwise than thus , it is all one as if we had done nothing . But if ever we expect that God should judge us at the last Day to have obeyed him , we must be sincere in our obedient performances . For the Lord looketh not on the d outward appearance and pretence , saith Samuel , but he looks on the inward intention and design , which is the heart , 1 Sam. 16.7 . He saves , as the Psalmist tells us , the upright in heart , Psal. 7.10 . And again , As for the upright in heart , they , and they alone , shall glory , Psal. 64.10 . For it is not from the bare outward appearance and profession , but from the heart , says Solomon , that proceed the issues of life , Prov. 4.23 . And this is plainly declared in the express words of the Law it self . For it accepts not a heartless service , nor accounts it self obeyed by what was never intended for it . But thus it bespeaks us : The Lord thy God requires thee to serve him with all thy e heart , and with all thy soul. For he is a great God , a mighty and a terrible to all that do otherwise , and who in his Judgement regardeth not persons , nor to corrupt him taketh rewards , Deut. 10.12 , 17. And the Apostle tells the Philippians , that their being sincere is the way to be without offence till the Day of Christ , Phil. 1.10 . And thus we see , that to render our obedience acceptable at the last Day , it is absolutely necessary that it be sincere and unfeigned . We must do what Gods Laws prescribe , not only because our own credit or interest sometimes requires it , but because God has commanded it . In all our obedient performances our heart and design must go along with him , before ever he will recompence and reward us . So that 't is plain we cannot obey God , either against our will and intention , or without them ; seeing our wills and intentions themselves are the very life and soul of our obedience . The prime part of our Duty consists in the directing of our Design : for even that which is done agreeably to Gods Command must be aimed and intended for him , or else it will never be owned and approved by him . But that we may the better judge of this sincerity of our service which is measured by our intention and design ; we must take notice of a two-fold intention . For it is either , 1. Actual and express . Or , 2. Habitual and implicite . Now it is this latter which is always and indispensably required to the sincerity of our service ; but as for the former , it is not always necessary , though oftentimes it be . Intention is the tendency of the soul towards some end which it likes , and which it thinks to compass and endeavour after . And this is one prime requisite in the actions of men , and that which distinguisheth our operations from the actions of brute Beasts ; for what they do , proceeds from the necessary force of uncontriving Nature and instinct ; but what we , from reason and design . And the cause of this difference is this , Because God has given the brute Beasts no higher Guide and Commander of their actions , than appetite and passion , whose motions are not chosen with freedom , and raised in them by reason and thought ; but merely by the necessitating force of outward objects themselves , and those impressions which they make upon them . For they act altogether through love and hatred , hopes and fears ; and they love and hate , not through reason and discourse , but through the natural and mechanical suitableness or offensiveness of those objects which they act for . But as for us men , he has put all our actions under the power and in the disposal , not of outward things , but of something within us , even our own free will. They are not imposed upon us by the force of any thing without us , but are freely chosen by us ; we are not their Instruments , but their Authours ; they flow from our own pleasure and undetermined choice . Now as our actions are at the disposal and command of our wills ; so do our wills themselves command and dispose of them , not blindly and by chance , but always for some reason , and upon some design . For in themselves they are indifferent , to make us either omit or act , neglect or exert them . And therefore to determine our wills one way rather than the other , to act them rather than to let them alone , they must be moved and perswaded by such Arguments as are fit to win upon them . Now that which can move and gain upon our wills , is only goodness . We will and desire nothing but what we think is good for us , and which tends some way or other to better and advantage us . For what we believe is insignificant and useless , we contemn ; and what is hurtful and evil , from the first Principle of our Natures , self-love , we straightway entertain with hatred and avoidance , but never with love and good will. So that whensoever we will and chuse to act , rather than to sit still ; it is always for some end which we propose to our selves , and by reason of some good or other which we expect to get by it . For no man will be at pains for nothing , or labour without aiming at any recompence ; but some end or goodness there must still be , which is to move our wills , and make them choose rather to act , than to sit idle . All our Actions therefore are only as means , and there is alwayes some end or other of them which we propose to our selves to reap from them ; something which we like , and which we think they tend to , that makes us employ our Powers in the production of them . And this eying or aiming at the End or Motive whereunto we see our Action tends , and for the sake whereof we set about it , is our Intention of it . Thus we see that all our Actions agree in this , that they are chosen for the sake of some end , and exerted upon some intention and design . But in the manner of this Intention there is some difference : For sometimes in acting we actually and expresly think of , and look up to that End or Good which we are moved by , and act for , and operate in direct order , and respect to it ; which is an actual and express intention . But at other times we do not look expresly further than the act it self ; but through a setled Intention before made , and , as to its full force in determining of our Wills towards that Good which we act for , yet continuing ; we readily do what tends towards it , without ever expresly eying or designing of it . Our former Intention was so full and so effectual , that it has determined our choice of the action so far , as that our Wills need nothing more to make them command that it be done , than to be offer'd the opportunity of doing it . They are sufficiently moved by the End for which the Action is to be undertaken , and their constant temper and inclination is to bend after it . So that when a particular Action occurs , which is to be chosen for the sake of it , they need not actually to think of it , and look up to it ; but are sufficiently inclined to act in order to it , through their habitual tendency and propension towards it . And this being no express intuition , and particular designing of the end which we act for , but only a setled tendency and inclination in the soul after it , which through long use and custome is become its constant temper and habitual ; it may be called an habitual , or implicit intention . Now both these sorts of Intention have their place , as in all our other Actions , so particularly in those of Virtue and Obedience . For sometimes our performances of those things which God requires are studied and deliberate ; we pause at them before we exert them , and think and perswade our selves into the production of them . And in regard the great motive or end of exerting them , ( viz. ) Gods command and injunction of them , is the great Argument to win us over to them ; when we take time and ponder so , we act through a particular and express intention . But then at other times we do what God enjoyns before we are aware ; we need not deliberate about it , or argue our selves into the practice of it ; but stand ready to perform it as soon as opportunity is offered . And here the will being already inclined of it self to exert the action , because God has commanded it , it needs no arguments to move , nor any express intuition of the end to perswade it , but indeliberately chooses to obey out of its own habitual temper , and implicit intention . And as for the cause of this difference of our Intention in doing those things which God commands ; it is plainly the different degrees and perfection of our Obedience . For when our Virtue and Obedience are of small strength , and in an imperfect degree ; there our Lusts have a considerable Power with us , as well as our Religion ; and although they have not force enough eventually to hinder , yet they have so much as will suffice them to contend with , and to oppose the doing of our duty : So that even when we do obey in this state , and close with Gods command , it is by a strife and a war , by conflict and victory . Now here our wills are in doubt what way they shall determine their choice , for they are canvassed and beset on both sides , both by God and by our own Flesh , by our Duty and our Appetites . And to enable Religion to prevail with them in this conflict above our Passions , there is a necessity of representing all its force , and of setting all its motives before them , that thereby they may be induced to strike in with it , and to choose what it commandeth . But now as for the main end and motive of all our Religious Services , it is Gods having injoyned and commanded them . It is for his sake , that we perform them ; that we may endear our selves to him by doing of his pleasure . So that to enable us to choose obedience to Gods Laws , rather than to our own Lusts , we must set him and his command before us . They are the end for which we are to work , the motive and argument that must bear us out , and make us effectually willing to do what we are required . In this state then of strong lusts and imperfect obedience , to enable us to choose to do what God injoyns , when our own Lusts do powerfully incline us to do the contrary ; we have need of an actual thought and intuition of God and his command , which is the great end and motive that must determine us for him , and bear down all that opposition which our Lusts make against him : So that all the obedience which we perform here , is through a particular and express intention . But then on the other side , when our Virtue and Obedience is of full growth , and we are so accustomed to do what God requires , that now we find no reluctance or opposition to it , but use has made it become , not so much our considerate choice , as our natural and indeliberate performance ; here our wills are ready of themselves to embrace the instance wherein we are to obey as soon as it is offered : We need not to consider and think our selves into a choice and practice of that which is commanded ; for our natural bent and habitual tendency is towards it , and nothing more is wanting to our performance of it , than our being shew'd it . The Action of Obedience is chosen before it is offered , and all our Principles of working stand ready and prepared for it . For the intention of serving God is confirmed without all reserve ; and the decree of our wills is past already to perform what we have intended ; so that as soon as ever an opportunity for obedience is presented , we have nothing left to deliberate and consider of , but without all doubtings or delay go on to work and practise it . And all this , as I said , is a genuine and direct effect of our Obedience having acquired great degrees of strength , and becoming customary and habitual . For Custome , as it is truly said , is a second Nature ; such things as have been long used by us , stick as close to us , and flow as easily , as quickly , as indeliberately and naturally from us , as those things that are born with us . They do not stay for our particular contrivance and designation of them , but run before it . A man by long custome shall have his fingers move so fast upon a Lute , that thought it self shall not be able to keep time with them , and answer every stop with a particular intention and command of it . An habitual Swearer , when occasion is offered , or without any , will rap out Oaths when he is not aware ; and so little many times was there of actual contrivance and express design in it , that when he hath done he doth not know it . And the case is the same in other habitual sinners , whose transgressions , proceeding not so much from a particular and express choice , as from an habitual temper , and even natural inclination , are unconsidered and indeliberate . And therefore when our Obedience it self is become customary , and use has wrought it into our very Nature ; we have no need , upon every return of opportunity , to eye Gods command which is the end , and to intend his service as a motive to our wills , to engage them to choose the Action before us which tends to it . We stay not to bethink our selves what it tends to , and who is to be served by it , and after that to intend expresly to serve him in it . No , all these were done to our hands before the time of obeying came , so that now when we have the opportunity , we do not busie our selves in exciting them , but in this habitual state of things , and perfection of obedience , act ordinarily in the force of them , which is obeying through an habitual and implicite intention . And now from what has been said of this Perfection , and customariness of our obedience , being the cause of our obeying only through an habitual intention ; it plainly appears , that not the actual , but habitual intention of serving God , is that which is alwayes , and indispensably required to a sincere service of him . Indeed when we pause , and deliberate , and take several things into our consideration , a particular intention of his service is necessary to make what we do upon such deliberation an acceptable obedience : For if in the deliberation our choice was doubtfull as to the event ; such particularity of intention was necessary to make us choose the Action of obedience ; and if it were doubtfull as to the motive , when other things sufficient to make us act as we did , ( as the service of our Lusts or Interests ) concurr'd to it as well as Gods Command ; then is it necessary to make us choose the acceptable service of obedience . But for that intention , I say , which is not only here in this case , or some others , but universally , and in all , indispensably necessary to the sincerity of our obedience , it is an habitual intention . For the very reason why we do not intend his service particularly and expresly , but only habitually and implicitely , is because our obedience has arrived to good perfection , and long use and custome has made it , not so much at every turn our considerate choice and contrivance , as our unstudied inclination and very nature . Now this exaltation of Obedience into a natural temper is so far from rendring it unsincere , and making God look upon it as none at all ; that in very deed it is the height and perfection of that which his Gospel commands us to aspire and aim at . For there our Duty is expressed by our being f born again , by our becoming g New Men , h and New Creatures , and by our being made i partakers of the Divine Nature , and so like unto God himself , who is carried on to all actions of Virtue and Holiness , not by the motives of Reason and Argument , but by the exact and infinite goodness of his own Nature it self . So that in measuring the sincerity of our Obedience by the reality of our intention and design for Gods service , we see that we are not alwayes to exact of our selves a particular and express intention , because God requires it not ; but may , and often must , when our Obedience becomes natural and habitual , take up with an intention that is so too . But for the fuller understanding of this condition of our Obedience , Sincerity , we must consider , not only the reality and undissembledness of our service and intention , which have been discoursed of hitherto , but their uncorruptness , and unmixedness likewise . And this , as well as the former , is sometimes signified by sincerity , which is used to denote , not Truth only and reality in opposition to Fiction and Hypocrisie ; but k Purity also , in opposition to mixture and alloy . And thus we read of the sincere milk of the Word , ( i. e. ) the pure and unmixed parts of it , or the Christian Doctrine as freed from all adulterate mixtures of Gnostick Impurities and Jewish Observances , which were those compositions , wherewith in the Apostles times so many went about to corrupt the Word of God , 1 Pet. 2.2 . So that to serve God sincerely in this sence , is to perform what he commands us for his sake , and with a design to please him , without mixing therewith any by-ends of our own , or intending our own self interests together with him . But this we are to understand with much restriction . For it is not all intention of Pleasure , Profit , or other Interest to our selves in the performance of Gods commands which he has forbidden us : We may design to advantage our selves by our Obedience , and be sincere still ; provided that this design be only upon those spiritual and eternal advantages which God himself promises to the obedient ; or upon temporal ones so far as they minister to Obedience , and are subordinate under it . But that mixture of intention only is corrupt and unsincere , when together with our intention of serving God , we joyn another intention of serving sin , or when we design some temporal ends as much , or more than we do Gods service , which makes our self interest , instead of being subservient to Obedience , to become fit to oppose and undermine it . First , I say , God has not forbidden us all intention of our own advantage in the performance of his Commandments . When he requires us to obey him , he doth not prohibit all Love of our own selves , and regard to our own self interests ; which will appear from all these Reasons , both because some eye at our own good , and respect to our own advantage is of that nature that it cannot be forbidden us ; because Gods Laws themselves have offered and proposed it to us ; because the necessity of our faith to our obedience shews plainly that it cannot be denied us ; and because the best men that ever were have not been able to obey without it , and yet their obedience has been most graciously accepted . First , Some respect to our own good , and intention to advantage our selves by our obedience is of that nature that it cannot be forbidden us . It cannot fall under a Law , or be a matter of a Commandment , because it can never be performed . As for any one particular advantage , and self-interest indeed , we may deny our selves in it , and therefore any Law may very well require it . For we have many particular self-interests to serve , and they clash and interfere among themselves ; and so long as we are in pursuit of any one , by virtue of it we are able to restrain and deny our selves in any other . And thus all men daily deny their Ease for their Interests , and their Gain for their Liberty , and their Liberty for their Lives . And all good men daily over-rule that Love which they have for their Bodies , by that higher and stronger love which they have for their Souls , and deny themselves in any Temporal Interests , to secure their Eternal . And because all men have this power of denying their own Self-love in small instances , to serve it in greater , and of parting with any goods and advantages of this world , to purchase to themselves incomparably better in the next ; God has enacted the denial of our selves , in all such particular Interests as hinder our Obedience into a Religious Duty , and made it universally obliging to all the world . But as for the casting off this love of our selves , and respect to our own advantage , not only as to some particular interests , whilst our eye is upon others , but as to all self-interests whatsoever ; this in the matter of Duty and Obedience , no man can perform , and therefore no Law can command it . For in that Constitution of Nature , which God has given us , self-love is the first and over-ruling Principle . It has a share almost in all our actions , and influences all our faculties ; so that in all that variety of operations which flow from us , there are very few wherein we have no eye at our own advantage . In some actions , 't is true , we are influenced chiefly , and almost wholly by our love of others , which is a noble and a generous Principle . For there are several good Offices which we daily do to others , in doing whereof we no way prejudice our selves ; and these our love of others makes us perform , and our own self-love doth not withstand it ; which is seen in all the Offices of humanity and common courtesie . And other things again there are wherein we advantage them , though it be considerably to our own trouble , and our own hindrance : and here , although our own self-love oppose it self , yet our love of them prevails and over-rules it ; as is daily shown in the Offices of Christian Charity and particular friendship . In these Cases our love of others and of our selves are separate ; our kindness for them shews it self in such things , wherein our own self-love is either not concerned at all , or wherein it is opposed and over-powered : so that here we are not influenced and governed by it . And if this were the Case in all our obedient actions , there might be more pretence for performing them purely out of love to God , without mixing therewith any love of our own selves . But in them quite contrary our love of God and of our selves are neither repugnant , nor so much as separate ; but most closely conjoined . For God hath made the same things the matter both of our Duty and of our interest ; so that in serving him we do in the highest measure serve our own selves too . And in this Case , where our own self-love is so much concerned , and has not the love of God to oppose and over-rule it , but to jump in and conspire with it ; it is not possible but that we shall be influenced and acted by it . For it naturally issues out upon our own good , and here it has an object in the highest advancement , and there is nothing to hinder or restrain it . So that whatsoever we may do through a bare abstracted love of others , without any regard to our own selves , in those Cases where our own self-love and it are separate , or repugnant : yet in the matter of obedience , where they are so close conjoined , and Gods service is so infinitely our own interest ; 't is plain that we cannot be wholly free from it . For since in obeying we do that which we know is most highly advantageous to us , we are not able perfectly to abstract our thoughts , but we shall intend whether we will or no to be advantaged by it . And since no man can wholly abstain from intending his own advantage in Gods service , no Law can require it . It is no fit matter of a prohibition , nor capable of being retrenched by a Commandment ; being it is at no mans choice whether or no he shall observe it . So that God must work a Change in his own Creation , and form us into something different from what we are , before he can in reason demand it of us . 2. Some respect to our own advantage in performing what God commands is lawful and allowable in us ; because Gods Laws themselves do authorize and propose it to us . God has not required us to serve him for nothing , but has offered us an abundant recompence for all our labour , and added such allurements to his Laws as infinitely surpass all the difficulties of our Duty . He has proposed every thing to us that may any way work upon our self-love , and care for our own advantage ; whether it be the promises of good to intice , or the threats of evil to affright us into obedience . For thus saith our Law , Verily , verily , ( I double the Asseveration , that you may give the greater credit to it ) I say unto you , He that keepeth my Sayings or Commands , shall never see death , John 8.51 . To my Sheep that follow me , and hear or obey my voice , I will give eternal life , John 10.27 , 28. Blessed are they that do his Commandments , for they shall have right to the Tree of Life , and enter in through the Gate into the City , Rev. 22.14 . But on the other side , The wrath of God cometh upon the Children of disobedience , Col. 3.6 . For at the Day of Judgment , when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with the Guards and Attendance of his mighty Angels ; then will he in flaming fire take vengeance on them that obey not the Gospel , who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord , 2 Thess. 1.7 , 8 , 9. Thus have we in Christs Laws , to omit other things , a promise made to us of Heaven and endless joys to induce us to obedience ; and a threatning of Hell and eternal miserie denounced to us , to make us afraid to disobey . And these make our obedience to become infinitely our greatest self-interest , and render it impossible for us not to serve our own advantage in the highest measure , if we do obey at all . And since Gods Laws themselves propose such incomparable Arguments , to perswade us to obedience , they can never forbid us to have an eye to them , or to be excited to obedience by them . For the very end why God annexes such allurements to his Commands , is , that they may be a motive to win our choice , and make us willing to obey them . But now our wills are moved by nothing further than they desire it , and intend to purchase it . We cannot be drawn by it longer than we have an eye to it , nor can we endeavour after it further than we design to obtain it . For we must always design the end before we chuse the means , since it is only for the sake and hopes of that , that the trouble of these is undertaken . So that if any thing must be the final cause and encouragement of our endeavour , it must be the matter of our intention and design also . And therefore seeing God himself has placed such infinite advantages and self-interests at the end of our Duty , to perswade and excite us to a willing performance of it ; 't is evident he designs first of all that we should have an eye to them in obeying , because otherwise it is not possible that we should be moved by them . Nay , so far is God from forbidding all respect to our own advantage , in our obedient performances of his Laws ; that 3. In asserting so clearly as he has done the necessity of faith to our obedience , he plainly tells us that , If we must obey at all , it cannot be denied us . Faith is a most necessary Principle of all natural as well as Gospel service . For without faith , saith S t Paul , it is impossible for any man , whether he be Heathen or Christian , to please God ; because he that cometh to God in whatsoever Religion , must believe thus much of him at least , that he is , and also that he is a rewarder of all them that seek him , without an eye whereat no man would ever be perswaded to seek after him , Heb. 11.6 . And as for the belief of the Gospel in particular , which is the faith of us Christians ; so necessary is it to make us obey the Laws of Christ , that our obedience , as being effected by it , is called the obedience of faith , Rom. 16.26 ; and disobedient men in the Scripture language are ordinarily styled unbelievers ; and disobedience , unbelief . But now what is there in our faith so indispensably necessary to effect this obedience , but our belief , as S t Paul says , of Gods readiness to reward us , and of those advantageous promises which the Gospel proposes to us upon our performance of it ? And how is it possible for our belief of them to carry us on to obey , further than we concern our selves for those things which are promised ▪ and intend by such obedience to procure them ? The Gospel indeed has furnished us with all manner of Motives , if we will believe it , without which it is not possible that we should be moved by it . It tells us of a most surpassing love and infinite kindness , which God and Christ have shown to us ; and if we believe this , it is fit to raise in us a most exalted love , which will make us perform any thing for their sakes out of very gratitude . Now this is a most noble and ingenuous Principle of obedience , which although it have something , has yet the least of self-love in it . But it is weak and insufficient , unable of it self to carry us far , and to bear us through our whole Duty . And therefore besides it , for a perfect supply of all our wants , we have in it moreover the greatest good things , and such as we are most in love with , promised to our obedience ; and the greatest evils , such as we most fear , threatned if we disobey . And if we believe these , we must take obedience to be our highest , not service only but , self-interest ; and that no temptation can either promise or threaten so much to our own self-love , as God doth . And this indeed carries us through all , and makes us obey intirely . It overcomes every difficulty , and overballances all contrary inticements . But this it doth only so far as we intend to purchase all those surpassing advantages by our obedience which infinitely exceed all those other inticements that are attained by men who disobey . And as this respect to our own advantage in our obedient performances is nothing more than the condition of our Nature absolutely requires , than the necessity of Faith supposes , and than Gods Law it self offers and proposes to us ; so neither is it any thing more 4. Than the best men have always used , who yet were graciously accepted upon such obedience . For just Noah obeyed Gods Law through the fear of that destruction which it threatned , and with a design of escaping it himself , when all the wicked of the World should be overwhelmed in it . Noah , saith the Text , was moved with fear to the preparing of his Ark , as God had commanded , and to the saving of his house thereby . And for that very reason , because he believed Gods threatning , and was effectually afraid of it , he is in that very place called an Heir of the righteousness which is by Faith , Heb. 11.7 . The obedience of Moses is ascribed in plain words to his design upon those rewards which God had promised , and which he hoped to compass by it . For he had respect , saith the Apostle , to the recompence of reward , Heb. 11.26 . And to put it beyond all doubt that this respect to our own advantage in our performance of Gods Laws , is not only the necessity of some men , but , as I said before , the very frame and constitution of the humane nature : we are told that it was found in it in the highest advancement , which it either ever did or possibly can receive ; I mean in our Saviour Christ himself . For even of his obedience , and of the highest instance of it , his death it self ; the Apostle assures us that it was performed through a design upon his own advantage as well as upon that Glory which would thereby redound to God. It was , says he , for the sake of the joy that was set before him , that he endured the Cross , and despised the shame of it , Heb. 12.2 . Thus upon all these accounts it appears , that the having respect to our own advantage in our obedience to Gods Laws , is not only an innocent , but an absolutely necessary thing . God can never be offended with it , because the necessity of our nature requires it , because his own Laws propose it , because our faith is made effectual by it , and lastly because the best men that ever lived have stood in need of it , and obeyed through it . And since some respect to our own good , and intention of our own advantage in Gods service is so plainly lawful ; that surely must be such where the good things which we intend for our selves are only those spiritual and eternal advantages which his own Law has promised to the obedient , or other temporal ones , so far as they minister to obedience , and are subordinate under it . For the spiritual and eternal advantages which we are to reap by our obedience , they are the forgiveness of our sins , the peace of Conscience , the assistance of the Spirit , and the joys of Heaven ; together with deliverance from all the contrary evils of guilt and Hell. And these God himself has expresly promised to us upon our obedience , to perswade us into a performance of it . He uses them as Arguments to us to gain our choice , which they must do by actuating our intention . He proposeth them to our aims , that they may enliven our endeavours ; and annexes them to our obedience for this end , that we may be won to perform it for their sakes , when we should not barely for its own . So that it must needs be lawful for every man to intend these in Gods service , because God himself has proposed them expresly in his Laws to every mans intention . And as for the temporal advantages which accrue to us from Gods service , they are length of days , and health of Body , and riches , and honour , or good reputation ; with a freedom from all the opposite evils of sickness and death and shame and poverty . And these also are promised to the obedient . Let thine heart keep my Commandments , saith Wisdom ; for length of days , and long life , and peace shall they add unto thee , Prov. 3.1 , 2. And as length of days is in her right hand , so in her left are riches and honour , ver . 16. The memory of the just shall be blessed , when the name of the wicked shall rot , Prov. 10.7 . There neither is , nor shall be any want to them that fear the Lord. For though the Lions , that seem best able to get it , and are most careless how they come by it , do lack , and suffer hunger ; yet they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing , Psal. 34.9 , 10. But if there were no express promises of these temporal advantages proposed to us upon our obedience in God's Word ; yet were it enough to warrant our intention of them , that God has annexed them to it in the very order of things and course of Nature . For according to the ordinary course and constitution of the World , Sobriety , Justice , Peaceableness , Diligence , and other instances of Vertue and Obedience , are naturally fitted to bring down all these temporal advantages upon us . And this Course of Nature and Order of things is of Gods establishment . It is as much his appointment , as are the promises and revelations of his Gospel . For he is the Authour of the World , as well as of the Bible . He made the Frame and Order of it to be what now it is , and after he had formed it , he saw that all was very good , Gen. 1.31 . His Word and Works are both his own , and the advantages of Vertue and Obedience in the one are as much of his appointment as in the other . So that as for our temporal advantages also , which are much improved and ministred to by our obedience , they are such as God has given us for motives and encouragements in his service . He has set before us things present as well as future , to quicken us in our performances of his Commandments , and has appointed us to intend both , because otherwise it is not possible that we should be quick●ned and excited by them . But the only thing which we are to take care of in this matter , is , that as these temporal advantages are established by God , whether in the course of Nature , or in the express revelations of his Word , as motives and inducements to Obedience : So we use them accordingly as helps and instruments to enable us to obey . We must make them assistant and subservient to those Laws which they are annexed to ; they are to minister to them , but by no means to exalt themselves above them , or to make against them . For they are offered and authorized by God no further than they make for him ; Obedience to his Laws is the chief thing which he intends ; and these good fruits and advantageous effects of it , are laid only as baits and allurements to excite us on to it . But if once they lose this serviceableness and subordination to the doing of Gods will , they lose all that can warrant them , and all the place which he has assigned for them ; and make our performance of Gods Commands to be no Obedience to him , nor to give right to any recompence or reward from him . For , as I said , then Secondly , our intention of our own advantage in Gods service is forbidden , and renders our obedient performances corrupt and unsincere ; when together with our intention of serving God , we joyn another intention of serving sin ; or when we design some temporal ends as much , or more than we design Gods service , which makes our self-interest , instead of being subservient to obedience , to become fit to oppose and undermine it . Sometimes , I say , together with their intention of serving God , men joyn another intention of serving sin . And this is done in these and the like cases ; ( viz. ) If a man prosecutes a malefactor , which is an action agreeable to the command of Justice , out of the sinfull end of spite and revenge , as well as out of a purpose of Obedience . If a Priest shall take Confessions from women with a design of Lust , as well as of Religion . If a man shall be temperate and sober , chaste and industrious , out of a principle of covetousness , as much as out of Duty . If he do , as our Saviour tells us the Pharisees did , make long Prayers , and other professions of Religion , to enable him the better and without suspicion to devour widows houses , as well as to serve God. In these instances , and in all others that are like unto them , there is a mixture of light and darkness , of good and evil design . Men joyn God with Belial , and Obedience with something of a quite contrary nature , intending at once to serve both the Lord , and their Sins too . But as for their performances which flow from such a mixture of design as this , they will in no wise be owned as an obedient , but punished as a sinfull service . For that evil motive which is mixed with the good , is such as God has expresly threatned . He has plainly declared that he will damn men eternally for Revenge , for Lust , for Covetousness and Rapine , and for all those actions that proceed from them . So that as for such performances as arise from such sinfull principles , they are judged already , and the dreadfull sentence is long agoe gone out against them . And then as for their mixing this damnable design of sin , with a design of obedience to God in the same action ; so far is that from lessening , that it is rather an aggravation of their crime . For it adds to all that evil which it contains within it self , a prophanation also of what is holy , or an abuse of what is sacred ; and together with the service of the sin , joyns an immediate and direct affront of God too . At other times , I say , men design some temporal ends for themselves as much , or more than they design Gods service . And this also renders their performances unsincere , and qualifies their own temporal self-interests , instead of being subservient to obedience , to oppose and undermine it . Their temporal advantages they intend sometimes as much as they do Gods service . They make them equal and co-ordinate , and are moved by the one as much as by the other . Their love for the world is as great as their love for God , and they are induced to perform what he commands them as much for its sake , as they are for his . Now this is an indignity which God will by no means endure . For it is plainly an intolerable degradation of him , and a bringing him down to nothing more than an equal amiableness with those earthly pleasures , and temporal interests , which we joyn in co-ordination with him . It is a setting up the world for his rival , and making the Creature equall in our estimation to him who is the Creator and Lord of all . But the peremptory words of his Law are , — Thou shalt have no other Gods before me , or in my presence , Exod. 20.3 . He will be served and respected above all ; and to bring other things into competition with him ▪ he looks upon to be the same thing as to renounce him . For he is jealous of the preheminence of his service above all other things , as a husband is of his wives love to him above all other men ; I the Lord , saith he , am a jealous God , Exod. 20.5 . And since this intending of our temporal advantages equally to Gods service , is looked upon to be so great an affront and degradation of him ; the making them superior to him , and being won more for their sakes than for his , must do so much rather . For this is a setting up other things above him , and is like making and serving of another God. Upon which account , as some expound it , Covetousness , which is a loving and serving of Riches more than God , is called Idolatry , Col. 3.5 . And when any Temporal Interest of our own has got as great power over us , or greater than God himself has ; as it makes for the performance of his Command at one time ; so will it at another be as ready to make against it . For although our Duty and our Interest do ordinarily strike in together , yet always they do not ; but are sometimes divided . And then this hank , which our own advantage has got over us , will not determine us for God , but contest with him . It will make us neglect his Service , that we may serve our selves ; and carry us on to transgress his Commands , whensoever we may thereby promote our own worldly interests . So that the intending to serve our sins together with our intending to serve God ; or the intention of our own temporal interests in a degree either equal or superior to our intention of obedience to him ; by both which ways all worldly advantages are qualified to oppose him : this mixture of intention , I say , makes our performance of his Commands to be no acceptable obedience , but an unsincere service , and a damning sin . As for that unmixedness of intention therefore which is implied in sincerity , and which is necessary to the acceptance of our obedience of all the forementioned Laws ; it excludes not all intention of our own advantage together with Gods service . No , to have respect to the spiritual and eternal advantages which in Gods Laws themselves are expresly promised to our obedience , is always lawful : and to have an eye upon those temporal advantages which will accrue to us by obeying is lawful so far , as we intend them , not in a degree , either equal to Gods service , or superior to it , by both which ways they are empowered to undermine it . But then only our mixing a design of our own self-interest , together with our design of serving God , makes our service unsincere and our damning sin , when together with our design of serving God we join a design of serving sin ; or when we design some temporal ends of our own as much , or more than we design obedience unto him . And therefore it is a vain fear wherewith many good people are wont to perplex their souls , when they doubt of the sincerity of their obedience , because it was performed with an eye at their own advantage ; through their fears of Hell , or their hopes of Heaven . For whatsoever some , out of a mistaken zeal for God's honour , may have said to the contrary ; this is not only innocent , but , as I have shewn , plainly necessary . If they scruple at this , they must scruple eternally . For it is not their choice , but their very Nature to act thus , and they cannot help it . This , I say , is their very Nature , and they must leave off to be men before they can get quit of it . Men may speak loftily , and talk of obeying purely for God's sake , without seeking any thing at all for themselves . But this is mere talk , and empty rant , that can never come beyond words , or appear in action . For they must be made something else than what they are , before they can practise it . If any man doubts then whether God will accept his obedience , because in obeying he had an eye at his own self interest ; he doubts whether God will accept him because he obeys as a man. Noah , and Abraham , and Moses , nay Christ himself might have doubted at this rate ; for in their obedience they all intended their own good as well as God's Glory , and had respect unto the recompence of reward . If this be a sufficient ground of scruple , every Christian man must of necessity scruple without end . For all our obedience is an obedience of Faith ; and our faith or belief of Heaven and Hell makes us chuse to obey , in making us first to intend by such obedience to obtain the one , and escape the other . So that either our own nature , and Christ's Gospel must be changed into something different from what they are : or we must acknowledge that such honest intention of our own good , as I have mentioned , is lawful for us in God's service , since it is made so necessary and unavoidable for us in the one , and so much encouraged by the other . And thus at last we see what is the first requisite to an acceptable obedience , viz. sincerity . And that it implies both the reality of our intention in Gods service or our performing it truly for Gods sake , as we pretend to do ; and also the uncorruptness of it , or our performing it for his sake more than for any thing else whatsoever , and without regard to any other advantages of our own , than such as are allowed by him , and are subordinate under him . But in regard the degrees of our intention and design are not so obvious and easily d●sc●verable in themselves , but are better known to us in their fruits and effects than in their own natures : fo●●he greater ease in judging whether we do intend God●s Service most of all or no , I shall , before I conclude this Point , lay down a plain and certain mark , whence any man of common apprehension may easily discern wheth●● 〈◊〉 doth indeed design God's service most , and wh●●●er his heart and obedience be sincere or no. And the Rule which I shall lay down whereby certainly to try and examine that , is this , If our obedience be intire , it cannot but be sincere likewise . For he that obeys God in all times and i● all instances , cannot but serve him with both these ingredients of sincerity , viz. Truth and Preheminence . He must needs intend God's service really , and above all ; who intends it so , as to serve him constantly , and universally . And the reason is this , Because although our temporal interest and present advantage be for the most part united with Gods service , yet always it is not ; but sometimes in all instances of obedience , and at most times in some , it is separated and divided from it . So that as long as we are true to our own Principle of acting , which we may safely conclude we always are , if we either design not God's service at all through hypocrisie , or design it not above all through a corrupt mixture of intention ; at those times , when these instances happen , we shall not be acted by the Command ; but through the love of our own interest , which we intend really , and design more , we shall certainly act against it . For our actions go where our wills lead them ; and our wills always follow that which is the prevailing motive to them , and has most power with them . And therefore if we still chuse God's service in all its parts , and in all times , whether it make for our present advantage , or against it : we may be assured that we intend his service truly , and also that we intend it most ; since we serve him when no bye-interests of our own can be served , and disserve all other interests for his sake . He must needs be our highest aim ; because , where we may please him , though no secular advantages concur , we chuse any thing ; and where he would be offended , though all other advantages invite , we chuse nothing . So that in the matter of obedience , our integrity is the great and last measure of our acceptance . And if upon examination we find that our obedience is intire , we need not doubt but that it is sincere also . And this is that very mark , from which , according to that version of the Psalms which is used in our Liturgy , the Psalmist himself concludes concerning the obedience of the Israelites . For he collects it to have been a dissembled and unsincere , because it was not a whole and intire service . They did but flatter him with their mouth , saith he , and dissembled with him in their tongue ; for their heart was not whole or intire with him , Psal. 78.36 , 37. To clear up this enquiry then , What qualifications of our obedience to all the forementioned Laws of God , must render it acceptable to him , and available to our salvation at the last day ; I shall proceed to discourse of the second condition of all acceptable obedience , viz. integrity ; of which in the next Chapter . CHAP. II. Of the second qualification of all acceptable obedience , viz. integrity . The CONTENTS . Of the second qualification of an acceptable obedience , viz. integrity . The Notion of integrity or uprightness . A three-fold integrity . Of the integrity of our powers and faculties . Or of the obedience with our minds , affections , wills , and bodily powers . How God is to be obeyed with the first faculty , our minds or understandings . God is to be obeyed with the second faculty , our affections . This Question stated , How God and his Laws , which are spiritual things , are proportionate objects for our love and affections , which are bodily faculties . Of the difference betwixt our love of God , and of the World : that this is more warm and sensible ; that more lasting and powerful . An account of what measures of obedience in our minds and affections , is necessary to the acceptance of our service . That contrivances and consultations for evil things , and such mere apprehensions as are particularly forbidden , are deadly and damning : but that all other bare apprehensions ; and that all our affections after good or evil things will be rewarded or punished , not merely for themselves , but only as they are Causes and Principles of good or evil choice and practice . God to be obeyed with the third faculty , our wills . He cannot be served without them . Men are guilty of sin if they chuse it and consent to it , though they cannot act it . All this service of our inward faculties is in order to our outward works and operations . INtegrity of obedience is such a perfection and compleatness of it , as excludes all maimedness and defects . Which is well intimated by S t James , when he explains intire by wanting nothing ; Let patience have her perfect work , that ye may be perfect and intire , which you will be by wanting nothing , Jam. 1.4 . And this in another word is ordinarily expressed in Scripture by uprightness . For in the most common Metaphor of the holy Books our course of life is called our way ; our actions , steps ; and our doing , walking . And , to carry on the Metaphor , our course of obedience is called our right or straight path ; our course of sin and transgressions a crooked path ; our committing sin , stumbling and falling ; and our doing our duty , walking uprightly . So that for a man to be upright in God's ways , is , not to stumble or fall by sin and disobedience ; i. e. to be perfect and intire , or wanting nothing in our obedient performances . Now this integrity or uprightness which is necessary to our obedience that it may stand us in stead at the last Day , is three-fold . 1. An integrity of our powers or faculties , which I call an integrity of the Subject . 2. An integrity of seasons and opportunities , which is an integrity of Time. 3. An integrity of the particular Laws of Duty , and instances of obedience , which is an integrity of the Object . And all these are necessary to render our performance of God's Laws an acceptable service . For if ever we expect that he should reward our obedience at the last Day , we must take care beforehand that it be the obedience of our whole man , in all times , to the whole Law of God. To begin with it . 1. That our obedience of the forementioned Laws may avail us to life and pardon at the last Day , we must take care to obey with all our powers and faculties , which is an integrity of the Subject . And for this the very Letter of the Law is express . For when the Lawyer asks , What shall I do to inherit eternal life ? Christ sends him to what is written in the Law , and repeats that to him for an Answer ; Thou shalt love ( and serve , as it is Deut. 11.13 . ) the Lord thy God with all thy heart or will , and with all thy soul or affections , and with all thy strength or executive and bodily powers , and with all thy mind or understanding , Luke 10.25 , 26 , 27 , 28. Obedience with all these powers and with our whole Nature , is the means of life , and the indispensable condition of our eternal happiness . First , We must keep all Gods Commandments with our minds or understandings . It is a dangerous conceit for any man to phansie that he may be as sinful as he will in his thoughts , so long as he only loves and chuses , projects and contrives for the forbidden instance in his mind ; but doth not proceed so far as to obey it in his outward practice . For at the last Day we must be called to account , and justified or condemned by the counsels and imaginations of our minds , as well as by the works of our lives . For not only the works and practice , but also the thoughts of the wicked , or of wickedness , are an abomination to the Lord , Prov. 15.26 . The thought of foolishness is sin , Prov. 24.9 . And since God forbids and hates them ; as ever we hope for his favour , we must repent of them and forsake them . Let the wicked man forsake his thoughts , saith the Prophet , and turn them from his sin unto the Lord ; and then he will have mercy upon him , and abundantly pardon him , Isai. 55.7 . For the warfare that God has set us , after which we are to attain the reward of eternal happiness , is a casting down imaginations , as the Apostle tells us , and bringing into captivity every rebellious thought to the obedience of Christ , 2 Cor. 10.4 , 5. In particular , this obedience of our minds to the Law of God must be , as a doing what he enjoins , so likewise a keeping off from every thing which he forbids . First , In our imaginations . We must not phansie it in our minds with love and delight , nor indulge to any thoughts of it with such pleasure as may be a bait to our choice , and weaken our aversation and hatred of it , and thereby ensnare us into the practice of it . Our warfare , as we have heard from the Apostle , must not be against actions only , but against imaginations also , and insnaring phancies of evil ; casting down rebellious imaginations , and making every thought obedient to the Laws of Christ , 2 Cor. 10.4 , 5. And in the old world , when the imaginations of mens thoughts were always evil , it repented the Lord that he had made man , insomuch as he resolved to destroy him , Gen. 6.5 , 6 , 7. Secondly , In our counsels and contrivances . We must not study what means are fittest , what times are best , and what manner is most advantageous for the acting of our sins . They must no more have our care and contrivance , than our service and obedience . For if we cast about in our thoughts , and consult about the most commodious way of committing any sin ; although all our designs be defeated before we come to any effect , yet shall we be damned for our contrivance , as well as we should for the compleat action . And this our Lord himself has plainly determined in one instance , and the Case is the same in all the rest . For of the contrivances and machinations of murther he assures us , That they , as well as murther it self , are of the number of those things which pollute a man , and so utterly unfit him for Heaven , where nothing can ever enter that is polluted or unclean . Out of the heart , saith he , proceed evil thoughts or a murtherous machinations , and besides them , compleat murthers , adulteries , &c. and these defile the man , Matth. 15 19. And as for that particular sort of contriving for sin , which is the height and perfection of villany ; viz. the inventing of new , and before unknown ways of transgressing : it , of all others , is sure to meet with the severest punishment , and to thrust men down into the deepest Abyss of Hell. Of this sort are all invention of new Oaths , new Nick-names or evil speakings , new frauds and methods of couzenage , new incentives of lust , new modes of drinking , and arts of intemperance . But of these , and of all others that are like unto them , God will one day exact a most rigorous and terrible account : For he that deviseth to do evil , saith Solomon , although he himself doth not act , but only devise it , he shall be called and dealt with as a mischievous and wicked person , Prov. 24.8 . And S t Pauls words are full to this purpose . For he tells us expresly , that in the judgment of God inventers of evil things shall be declared worthy of death , Rom. 1.30 , 32. As for our minds or understandings then , they are one faculty which is plainly implied in the Integrity of our service , and without the obedience whereof at the last day God will not accept us . And another faculty implied in it likewise is , Secondly , Our Soul or Affections . It is a vain thing for any man to love and set his heart upon any particular sin , and yet for all that to expect that God should love and reward him . If I regard iniquity in my heart , saith the Psalmist , the Lord will not hear me , Psal. 66.18 . No man , as our Saviour sayes , can serve two masters , for if he love the one , for his sake , when their interests enterfere , he will hate the other ; so that we cannot serve God , if with our affections we continue to serve sin , Mat. 6.24 . To pretend obedience to God , and yet to love what he sorbids , to make a show of his service , and yet in our very hearts to hanker after his vilest enemies whom above all things his soul abhors : this surely is not honestly to serve , but grosly to collogue , and slatly to dissemble with him . For in very deed , if any man love sin , he sides with Gods enemy ; but for the service and fear of the Lord , it is to hate evil , Prov. 8.13 . If ever we expect that God should accept our works , we must offer up our affections with them . For if our hearts go along with our lusts , whilst our practice is against them ; we serve God only against our wills ; we submit to him as a slave doth to a tyrannous Lord , not through any kindness for him , but through a hatefull fear of him . We utterly dislike what he bids us , but yet we do it , only because we dare not do otherwise . But now this is such a way of performing obedience , as God will never endure to accept of . For he scorns to be served by a slavish fear , and an unwilling mind ; he will never look upon a heartless sacrifice ; but it is the affection that we do it with , which makes him set a price upon any thing that we do ; and our love that he regards more than our performance . For this is that very thing which was thought fit to be mentioned in the command it self . Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart , with all thy soul , and with all thy mind , Mat. 22.37 . 'T is true indeed , we do not find our affection so quick and sensible for God and his Laws , as it uses to be for the things of the world , neither can we reasonably expect it should . For our affections are bodily powers , and it is their very nature , as Philosophy instructs us , to be a vehement sensation upon some certain commotions of our bodily spirits ; so that God and his Laws , which are things immaterial and insensible , are no proper and proportionate object for them . For it is only matter that is able of it self to affect matter ; and material and sensible objects , which can excite our material and sensitive passions and appetites . One bodily faculty is no more fit in its own nature to be moved by a spiritual object than another : and we may as well expect that our eye should see , or our fingers handle it ; as that our affections should of themselves issue out upon it , either to love , or desire , or delight in it . So that considering things barely in themselves , I say , and the natural agreeableness that is betwixt them , which is the ground of their natural operations ; it is only bodily pain or pleasure that is of it self fit to move our bodily passions . But as for spiritual and insensible objects , such as God and Virtue are , whatever fitness to work upon our affections they may have upon other accounts , yet in themselves they have none . Virtue and Obedience , which are spiritual things , may gain upon our wills and understandings , which are spiritual and rational faculties ; but upon our bodily appetites and affections for their own sakes barely they never can . But that which makes our affections to issue out upon God and Virtue , is not the spiritual nature of God and Virtue themselves ; but those sensible and bodily things which flow from them , and are annexed to them . For although God be immaterial in himself , yet infinite are those material and bodily delights which we receive from him . And although Virtue and Obedience are in their own natures spiritual and insensible , yet exceeding great , and exceeding many are the sensible goods and pleasures that are annexed to them . For Heaven , and eternal life , which are promised to our obedience , will give a full delight , not only to our souls and spirits , but even to all our senses likewise . It will endlesly entertain our eyes with most splendid sights and glorious objects ; it will feast our ears with melodious songs , and most ravishing halelujahs , and refresh our whole bodies with a most exalted and everlasting ease and pleasure . As on the other side , hell and eternal misery , which are the established punishment of all sin and disobedience , will bring not only upon our spirits , but upon our bodies too as full a scene of most exquisite pain and sorrow . For so violent and intolerable will the torments of our bodies there be , that God could find nothing too high to set them out by , but has expressed them by one of the most raging and tormenting things in nature , eternal fire . Now as for Heaven and Hell , they indeed are such things as can of themselves stir our affections and bodily passions with a witness . When they are set before us , they are able to make us love God and our Duty above all things else , and to hate nothing so much as Sin and Disobedience . For no Sin can promise us so much bodily delight , as is to be injoyed in Heaven ; neither can Obedience in any possible instance expose us to so great bodily pains , as the damn'd for ever undergo in Hell. So that when once Heaven and Hell are proposed to our affections , and act upon them , they will prevail with them more than any thing else can , and make nothing so dear to them as the performance of their duty , nor any thing so hatefull as the transgression of it . And thus may God and Virtue become a fit object even of our bodily passions , and a most cogent matter of love , desire and joy ; as on the contrary sin and wickedness are of sorrow , slight and hatred . They are most powerfull to excite all these affections , although not in their bare spiritual selves , yet in their bodily dependants , and annexed consequences . For the greatest bodily joys shall one day crown our Obedience , and the acutest bodily torments will certainly befall us if we disobey . And these , although as yet they are at a distance , and future to us , are most fit to work upon us , and most strongly to affect us . For we are Creatures endowed with understanding , and have Reason given to us to set future things before us , and to think our selves into passions and affections , and not to be idle and altogether passive , like the brute and unreasonable Creatures , and suffer the bare force of outward and present objects to excite them in us : So that with our bodily affections we may love , and delight in God and Religion , which are spiritual things , because of their bodily joys and attendancies ; and sensibly hate and grieve at our sins and disobedience , which are moral and immaterial evils ; because of their sensible pains and punishment . And we may love the one and hate the other above all things else , because no bodily joys are in any the least comparison so great as those which are laid up for the good in heaven , nor any bodily pains so tormenting , as those which are prepared for the damn'd in hell . And since God has given to our bodily affections even in their own way , the greatest motives to love him above all , and above all things to hate sin ; it is the highest Reason that he should require it of us , and demand the preeminent service , not only of our spirits , but also of our lower soul or affections also . But although our bodily affections , when they are employed about Vice and Virtue which are spiritual things , by reason of this supereminence of sensitive rewards in the one , and punishments in the other , be more strong and powerfull , yet are they not , as I said , so warm and sensible as they use to be , when they issue out upon sensible and bodily objects . We feel one in our own souls , and are affected in them much more violently , than we are in the other . And that it must needs be so is plain : For our affections for worldly things are raised in us by the things themselves , and by those impressions which they make upon us ; and they act to the highest , and according to the utmost of their power . But our affections for spiritual things are to be raised in us by our own Reason , we are to argue and think our selves up to them , and our thoughts are free , and go no further than we please to suffer them . And indeed we find so much difficulty in fixing them upon any thing , and there are so many other things obtruding daily upon them to divert and call them off from these ; that we seldom stay so long upon them , or are so well acquainted with them , as to be wrought up into a very warm and inflamed affection for them . Besides , what is the chief Reason of all , that Good and Evil in worldly things which affects us is present with us , and therefore our passions for , or against them are raised in us by our sense and feeling . But as for spiritual things , and those bodily joys and sorrows that are annexed to them , for the sake whereof we are sensibly affected with them ; they are not present with us , but future and at a distance ; and therefore our passion for them cannot be raised by our sense , whose object are only present things , but meerly by our fancy and imagination . But now as for the sensible warmth and violence of a passion , it is nothing near so quick when it is excited by fancy , as when it is produced by sense . For no man is so feelingly affected with hearing a sad story , as he would be by seeing of it . A man will be moved abundantly less by imagining a battle , a murder , or any other dreadfull thing , than by beholding it : And the reason is , because the impressions upon our sense are quick and violent , and their warmth is communicated to our affections which are raised by them : whereas our imaginations are calm and faint in comparison , and the passions which flow from them partake of their temper , and are more cold and less perceptible : So that our passions for worldly things being passions upon sense , and our passions for things spiritual with their bodily pain or pleasure annexed , being only upon fancy and imagination ; we must needs be more warmly and sensibly , although not more powerfully affected with the things of this world , than of the other . But that which is to distinguish our passion for God and Virtue above all things else , from our passion for worldly things , is not the warmth and sensibleness , but the power and continuance of it . For it must be a prevalent affection , which doth more service , although it make less noise . It must be such a setled and overpowering Love , answerable to the prevailing strength , and surpassing greatness of its motive , as gets the upper hand in competition , and makes us , when we must despise one to disregard all things else , and to adhere to Gods service , what other things soever be lost by it : What it wants in warmth , it has in permanency and power ; it sticks faster to us , and can do more with us than our love of any thing besides . For in our affections we must needs prefer God and his service before every other thing when they stand in competition ; or we have none of that Love with the whole soul which the Commandment requires of us ; as will be shewn more fully b afterwards . And because our thoughts and affections have in them a great latitude , and in a matter of so high concern every good soul will be inquisitive after some determinate accounts of that compass and degree of them which is necessary to our acceptance : before I conclude this Point , I will set down what measures of obedience in these two faculties , what thoughts and imaginations of our minds , and what degrees of love and delight in our affections , shall be judged sufficient at the last Day to save or to destroy us . As for our thoughts , there is one more elaborate and perfect sort of them , viz. our counsels and contrivances . And when they are employed about the compassing of forbidden things , they are our sin , and , without repentance , will certainly prove our condemnation . For he that deviseth to do evil , saith Solomon , he shall be called and dealt with as a mischievous person , Prov. 24.8 . The machinations of murther are joined in guilt and punishment with murtherous actions themselves , Matth. 15.19 . And as for that particular sort of Contrivers , the inventers of evil things , they are pronounced by S t Paul to be worthy of death , Rom. 1.30 , 32. And as for other of our thoughts which are not come up to the height of a contrivance or consultation , but are only simple apprehensions ; some of them also are properly and directly good or evil , and an Article of our life or death . God has imposed several Laws , which he has backed both with threats and promises , upon our very thoughts themselves . Of which sort there are some to be met with under all the three general Parts of Duty , viz. to God , our Neighbour , and our selves . For our thoughts of God are bound up by the Law of honour , which forbids us to lessen or prophane him by dishonourable Notions and Opinions ; our thoughts of our Neighbour by the Laws of Charity and Candour , which suffer us not either to reproach or injure him by under-valuing Ideas , or groundless suspicions ; and our thoughts of our own selves by the Law of humility , which prohibits us to be exal●ed in our own conceits through false and over-high apprehensions of our own excellence . Pious and charitable opinions both of God and men , and humble and lowly conceits of our own selves , are Duties incumbent upon our very minds themselves . And all the opposite vices of impious and reproachful Ideas of God ; of censorious , suspicious and lessening thoughts of other men ; and of proud and arrogant conceits of our own worth ; are transgressions within the sphere and compass even of our understandings . For the exercise of the first is not only a Cause and Principle , but a part and instance also of obedience , and an Article of life : as the exercise of the other is an instance of disobedience , and an Article also of damnation . As for these Instances then , of bare thought and naked apprehension , they are essential parts and necessary instances of an acceptable obedience ; and the wilful transgression of any one of them , without repentance , is dangerous and damning . So that as for all our perfected and studied thoughts of evil , viz. our counsels and contrivances ; and as for all such simple thoughts and ●ore apprehensions as have particular Laws imposed upon them ; they are not only principles , but parts and instances of disobedience ; and if we are guilty of them , unless we retract them by repentance , we shall be condemned for them . But then there are several other bare imaginations and simple apprehensions , which are not under any of these particular Laws , that are imposed upon our thoughts themselves , but are employed upon things commanded or forbidden by any of the other Laws forementioned . And as for all these apprehensions , in themselves they are neither sin nor Duty , nor a matter either of reward or punishment ; but so far only as they are causes and principles either of a sinful or obedient choice and practice of those good or evil things , which they are employed upon . In themselves , I say , these mere apprehensions are neither sin nor Duty . We may perceive sin in our minds , and have it in a thought or notion , without ever being guilty of it , or liable to answer for it . For the Sun shines upon a Dunghil without being defiled by it : and God sees all the wickedness in Hell , but is not tainted with it . And so long as we sojourn in a World of iniquity , every good man must needs know and behold all the vices of the Earth ; but bare understanding of them doth not make him partake with them , or subject to be punished for them . But to make these meer apprehensions and imaginations either of good or evil an instance of obedience or disobedience ; they must be c causes and principles of an obedient or disobedient choice or practice . For our inward thoughts and imaginations are Springs and Principles both of our inward choice , and also of our outward operations . And the service which God requires of them is the service of the principle . He demands the obedience of our minds as a means , and in order to a further obedience of our hearts and actions . He expects that we should think so long and so often upon the absoluteness of his authority , the kindness of his Nature , the reasonableness of his Commands , the glory of his rewards , and the terrour of his punishments ; till in our hearts we chuse those things which he has commanded , and perform them in our works and practice . For our thoughts of him , and of his Laws , are not in themselves Obedience , but only a Spring and Principle of it , and a good step and degree towards it . Our knowledge shall be judged an acceptable service as it carries us on to performance , but no otherwise . For hereby alone , says S t John , we know that we know him with such knowledge as shall be accepted by him , if we keep his Commandments , 1 John 2.3 . And on the other side , our bare imaginations and apprehensions of some forbidden sin are then only disobedient , when they carry us on to chuse or practise those things that are sinful . We must go on from thought to choice or practice before the vices thought of become our own , and our apprehensions of sin become themselves sinful . For the thoughts of sin have the sinfulness of means and causes ; they are sinful so far as they help on either our consent or performance . So our Saviour has determined in one instance , viz. that of lustful looks and apprehensions , Matth. 5. He that looks upon a woman so long as to lust after her or to consent in his heart to the enjoyment of her , he hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart , ver . 28. As for our thoughts and imaginations then , we see what obedience in them is required to our acceptance , and when they are disobedient and will destroy us . For our counsels and contrivances of evil are always sinful ; and so are all such simple thoughts and apprehensions as have particular Laws imposed upon them . And as for our imaginations and apprehensions of things commanded or forbidden by any other Laws ; they are imperfect things , and not fully grown up to the perfect Stature either of obedience or of disobedience ; So that they are neither punished nor rewarded in themselves ; but so far only as they are causes and principles of an obedient or disobedient choice or actions . And then as for our affections , their measures are the very same with those already mentioned of our bare imaginations and simple apprehensions . For their service and obedience is that of the principle , and their Sentence shall be according to those effects , either in our wills or practice , which flow from it . If we love and desire obedience , so far as to chuse and act it ; this degree of affection will gain us God's love and favour , and secure his rewards ; but less than it no other shall . He that keeps my Commandments , saith Christ , he it is that loveth me , and they only who so love me in obeying me , shall be beloved again of my Father , and I will love them , John 14.15 , 21. But if our love and desire of evil things carry us on to d chuse or act any instance of disobedience , for the sake of that which is loved and desired ; then are our affections sinful , and such as will destroy us . The desire of evil is not so truly the state of mortal sin , as of dangerous temptation , it is not deadly in it self , but kills by carrying us on to a sinful and deadly choice and actions . For when once it has got to that degree , it is obnoxious to a dreadful Sentence . Whereof the Psalmist gives us one instance in the love of violence . Him that loveth violence , the soul of the Lord hateth , Psal. 11.5 . And S t John says the same of the love of lying , and the Case is alike in every other sin . Without in outer darkness , are murtherers , and whatsoever loveth or maketh a lye , Rev. 22.15 . And thus we see what measure of obedience is required in these two faculties , and what kinds and degrees of thoughts and affections are to be used or restrained to make theirs an acceptable Service . For we must abstain from all evil counsels and contrivances ; from all simple apprehensions which are particularly forbidden , and put in use all such as are particularly enjoined : and as for all other our bare thoughts and imaginations , and all our affections and desires , we must fix them upon our Duty so long , till they make us perform it ; and never suffer them to issue out upon evil so far , till they carry us on either to chuse or practise it . But besides these two faculties , viz. our minds and affections , there is yet another whose service is necessary to render ours an acceptable obedience ; and that is , Thirdly , Our hearts or wills also . It is an absurd Dream for any man to think of serving God without his will , because without that none of his actions can be called his own . For that only is imputed to us , which is chosen by us , and which it was in the power of our own wills either to promote or hinder ; no man deserving praise or being liable to answer for what he could not help . But of all persons God most of all regards our hearts in all our performances . He perfectly discerns them , and he estimates our services according to them . So that it is not possible for any of us to obey him unwillingly , in regard the choice of our will and heart it self is that which renders any action a saving and acceptable obedience . For out of the heart , as Solomon saith , proceed the issues of life , Prov. 4.23 . The choice then as well as the practice of our Duty is plainly necessary to render it available to our salvation . But on the other side if we chuse sin , although we miss of opportunity to act it , the bare choice , without the practice , is sufficient to our condemnation . For even by that , when we proceed no further , our heart has gone astray from God , and we are polluted by the sin which we resolve upon in our own choice ; since out of the heart , as our Saviour tells us , proceeds the pollution of the man , Matth. 15.19 , 20. We may commit all sort of transgressions , and incurr the punishment of them merely by consenting to them inwardly in our hearts , without ever compleating them in our outward operation . For our Lord himself has thus determined it in one instance , and the Case is the same in all the rest . Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her , or so long till his heart consent to commit lewdness with her if he could , he , though he never meet with an e opportunity to act it , or before any , hath committed adultery with her already in his heart , Matth. 5.28 . No man then may venture to will and chuse any one sin , and yet presume he is innocent . For if fear , or shame , or interest , or other bye-motive and worldly end , or want of opportunity , hinder him from the outward acting and compleating of his sin ; yet if his heart stands for it , and all the while he wills and chuses it , he is guilty in the Accounts of God as if he had committed it . We disobey in willing as well as in doing , and shall suffer for a wicked choice , as well as for a wicked practice . So that as ever we hope to have our obedience to the forementioned Laws avail us unto life and pardon at the last Day , we must take care to perform it , as with our minds and affections , so with our hearts or wills likewise . As for these three faculties therefore , viz. our minds , our wills , and our affections ; they must necessarily be devoted to God's service , to make up an intire obedience . As ever we hope for Heaven , we must employ our minds upon God and his Laws so far at least , till we love them in our souls , and chuse them in our hearts with full purpose and resolution of performing them . Our understandings must consider of our duty , and of the motives to obedience so long , and so well , till our affections are inflamed with a desire of it , and our wills are firmly resolved upon it . And as ever we expect to escape the torments of Hell , we must take care that we entertain no thoughts or desires of any sin so long , till in our hearts we become concerned for it , and willing to fulfil it . But if we will look on it , it must be in order to loath and disdain it . We must consider how disingenuous , how shameful , and how mischievous a thing it is ; and indulge to no apprehensions of it in our minds , that are like to insnare either our choice or practice ; nor dwell upon any but those that are apt to kindle our indignation and zeal against it , and arm our wills with full purpose to overcome it . This must be the use and exercise of all our inward powers and principles of action . They must be used as instruments of good life , and made the great Springs and productive Causes of all vertuous practice and obedience . It is this holy and obedient practice that is the end , whereto all these obedient thoughts , desires and resolutions are directed ; so that if they fall short of this , they miss of their chief effect , and appear to be weak and idle things , that are insignificant and useless . CHAP. III. Of Obedience with the fourth faculty , viz. our executive or bodily powers , and outward operations . The CONTENTS . God is to be obeyed with the fourth faculty , viz. our executive or bodily powers , and outward operations . The great difficulty of Obedience in this instance . Four false grounds whereupon men shift off the necessity of this service with their works and actions . First , A hope to be saved for a true belief or orthodox opinions . Mens confidence in this represented . The folly of it . Orthodox faith and professions no further available , than they produce obedient works and actions . Secondly , A hope of salvation upon an obedience of idle desires and ineffective wishes . An opinion of some Casuists , That a desire of Grace is Grace , refuted . This stated , and a distinct explication of what is promised to the desire of Obedience , and what to Obedience it self . The pretence for this acceptance of idle desires from Gal. 5.17 . considered . An account when the will and desire is taken for the deed and performance . That Text 2 Cor. 8.11 , 12. plainly vindicated . Thirdly , A hope of being saved notwithstanding they do sin , because they are insnared into it through the strength of temptations . The folly of this . Our own lusts make temptations strong . The Grace of the Gospel is sufficient to overcome them . Fourthly , A hope of being excused because they transgress with an unwilling mind . These mens state represented . Vnwillingness in sin a mitigation , but no sufficient excuse . Some strugling in most actions both of good and bad men . The strife of the Flesh and Spirit . Two sorts of men feel nothing of it , viz. the Saints in Heaven after the Resurrection , and some prostigate sinners here now on Earth . All good men , and the generality of evil are subject to it in this life . Mens peremptory will and last choice determines their condition . A Fourth faculty that is indispensably necessary to the integrity of our Obedience , and which is the chief end and perfection , and gets acceptance for all the rest , is our strength , or bodily and executive powers . For the completion and crown of all , we must do as well as think and desire , and our obedient choice must end in an obedient practice . For all our inward motions are in order to outward operations , they must go on to good effects , before they are fit for the great reward ; we must work as well as desire , and not only will , but do our duty , because upon nothing less than that we shall at the last day be accepted . This indeed is the severe service , and the distastfull part of duty . It is a matter of much labour and pains , of much strife and contention . For the doing of our Duty is the top of all , every hinderance must be removed , and every difficulty overcome before we can attain to it . Our scruples and gainsaying reasonings must be silenced , our discouraging fears quieted , and all our repugnant desires cooled or conquered : Every doubt of our minds must be solved , and every hostile lust subdued e're we can act what we are required . A secret wish , or a sudden desire of Obedience may start up in our souls unawares , and there is not much opposition made to it , because our lusts receive no great hurt from it . For the pleasure of our lusts lies in acting and fulfilling them , they are secure of their own delights , so long as they are of our practice . And therefore they will allow us to think of good , to spend a faint wish , a sudden inclination , or a fruitless desire upon it . But if once we would go on to do our Duty , and to work Obedience , then begins the conflict . Our Lusts then bestir themselves with might and main , and set every faculty awork to resist and defeat it . For our thoughts begin to argue , and to pick quarrels with our Duty . They suggest all its difficulties and dammages . They represent all the pains of the undertaking to cool our love ; the appendant dangers to raise our fears ; and the great hazards to shake our hopes , and make us despair of success . For the sake of our sins we arm all discouraging passions , and quite stifle all the obedient suggestions of our consciences . For either we soften our sin by excuses , or justifie it by arguments , or overlook it by ignorance , heedless inconsideration and forgetfulness . Either we will act it rashly through the power of a strong lust , and not consider it at all , or else think of it only to lessen or defend it . And when by the opposition of our Lusts to the perfecting and performing of our Duty , our spiritual strengths are thus weakned , and our lusts advanced , when our passions rise , and our minds plead against it ; then is the strife , and there 's the toil and difficulty of obedience . And because in this obedience of our works and actions there is so much difficulty , therefore are most people so desirous to shift it off , and so forward to take up with any thing which will save them the labour of it . They perswade themselves that God will admit of easier terms , and build their hopes upon cheaper services ; in particular upon these Four : First , A true belief , or orthodox opinions . Secondly , An obedience of idle desires , and ineffective wishes . And if for all these they continue still to do what God forbids , and to work disobedience ; then their hope is to be saved notwithstanding it , because Thirdly , Their falling is through the power of a great and overpowering temptation , which they see and resist , but cannot prevail over . So that Fourthly , Their transgression is with reluctance and unwillingness , their service of Sin is an unwilling and a slavish service . 1. The first false ground whereby men elude all the necessity of serving God with their strength or executive powers in outward works and operations , is their confidence of being saved for a true belief , or a right knowledge in religious matters , and orthodox opinions . They turn all Religion into a matter of study and speculation , as if it required only a good head , and a discerning judgment . They make it a matter of skill , but not of practice ; an exercise of wit and parts , but not a rule of action . For the faith which they expect should save them , with some men goes no further than the mind , and consists barely in right notions and apprehensions . They take it to be nothing more but an understanding what Christ has said , a being able to reason upon it , and to argue for it , and in their own minds approving and consenting to it . And that not to all that Christ has revealed neither . For the Precepts or Commands it overlooks , and doth not meddle with ; the threatnings it either considers not at all , or if it do , it takes them not to be due to that whereunto God has fixed them , ( viz. ) disobedience of practice , but only to ignorance and unbelief . But all that which their faith eyes , and which their minds solely , or at least principally approve of , is the historical passages of Christs life and death , the doctrinal points which he has told us concerning God or himself , and the comfortable promises of the Gospel . They believe what Christ is , what he has done and suffered for us , and what he has promised to us : they think right in all the Religious Controversies that are on foot in the world , joyning themselves with the Orthodox men , and siding , as they presume , with the true Opinion ; they profess Christs Religion , and are Members of his Church , and adhere to the right party of Christians , and to the purest Congregation , and that they conclude is enough to bring them to Heaven . But if any think , as God be praised , many do , that God requires more than the bare service of our minds and right apprehensions ; yet even a great part of them fancy , that all which he requires besides is only the obedience of their tongues and discourses . If they believe with the mind , and confess with the mouth , although they are rebellious and reprobate in their practice , they are satisfied of their Godly estate , and presume that God is so too . Their Religion is made up of lip-service , for they think to content God by heavenly talk , and pious conference , by larding all their discourses with the Name of God , and shreds of Scripture ; all their conversation is holy phrase , and sanctified form of speaking ; and this they hope will attone for all the lewdness and disobedience of their lives and actions . And if they proceed yet further to a Faith that reacheth beyond the mind and the tongue , and think it necessary that it sink down from the head into the heart ; yet there they will allow God to expect no great matters . They hope he will be well pleased , although it summon not up all our Affections for his service , if it produce in us these two easie passions , which are raised without much adoe , and may well be spared , ( viz. ) a strong confidence , and a warm zeal . If to make it saving it must imply a joynt concurrence of our Affections , it shall be only of these two . It shall add hope to knowledge , and be a belief that God will save sinners , with a special hope , and fancifull confidence that he will in particular save them . It shall add Zeal to Orthodoxy , a warm heart to a sound head , and be no more but a maintaining of and stickling for right opinions , and against erroneous and false ones , with heat and fierceness . Thus do men delude themselves into great confidences , and vain expectations from a faith that is without fruit , from an orthodox , but empty knowledge , which is void of all obedient practice . But a knowledge and belief which is not more comprehensive in its nature , nor has other effects than these ; they will find to their cost in the event of things , is miserably delusive and vain . It will serve to no other end but the heightning of their crimes , and the encreasing of their condemnation . For do but consider : If we will believe and understand Christs Doctrines and his Promises , but overlook or deny his Laws and Precepts ; what is this , but instead of honour and service , to affront and renounce him ? By picking and choosing at this rate ▪ we cast off his power of molding for us a Religion , and fixing the terms of his own mercy , and make to our selves a condition of our own salvation . We follow him so far only as we please our selves , but no further . The compass of our belief it self is not bounded by his authority , or measured according to his mind , but our own . For we understand and assent , not to every thing that he has said , but only to what we our selves like . We refuse to take every thing upon his word , and credit him in what he speaks no longer than it agrees with us . If we believe him , it is only where we matter not whether what he sayes be true or no ; but we either give no heed to him , or flatly disbelieve him where we have any temptation . His veracity and truth it self has no power over our very minds , beyond what our own lusts and beloved sins will suffer it : but the Devil and the World must be served in the first place by our Opinions , and God must be forced to take up with their leavings . Nay what is yet more , by such a partial and squeamish belief as this , we do not only give or take at our own liking from that attribute of his , which in believing we would be thought to honour , viz. his Truth : but even where we seem to submit to it , we wrong and pervert it . For we wrest his sense , and spoil his meaning , and undermine all that he intends : So that even that which we do believe is not his mind , but our own . For the true meaning of his Promises , which run all upon condition of our Obedience , we pervert ; the force of all his threatnings , which denounce woes to every sin and transgression , we cancel . We do as much as in us lies , to corrupt his Word , and to belie his very Gospel . We make his whole Religion signifie another thing than what he intended . For we make it allow what he forbids , and encourage such as he threatens ; and save those whom at the day of Judgment he will condemn . And since this perverse faith and knowledge , which believes what it likes , and is infidel to all the rest ; which sets up one part of his Word against another , by making his Promises to undermine his Precepts , and the Truth of his Doctrines to render all his threatnings false and useless : I say , since such an untowardly partial , and gainsaying knowledge and belief as this , is in very deed so plain a Libel to his Person , so hateful a violence to his Truth , and such a contradicting piece of Infidelity to his Gospel , it can never be thought to be that Obedience which he commands and encourages , but such a piece of contumelious flattery , and fawning disobedience , as he will most severely punish and condemn . But if we believe his whole Gospel , and besides the faith of his Doctrines and Promises , take moreover all his Precepts to be such as he injoyns , and all his threatnings , in their true meaning , to be such as he will execute ; and yet , for all that , in our works and practice despise , and sin against them ; then is such our faith and knowledge so far from rendring our condition safe and comfortable , that in very deed it makes it quite desperate , and utterly bereft of all colour and excuse . For it takes from us all plea for disobedience , and leaves us not so much as the common refuge of all misdoing , the pretence that we did offend but did not know it . It makes every sin which we commit to be acted with a high hand , and all our offences to become contempt , our disobedience , rebellion , and our transgressions , presumptuous . For we sin then with open eyes , we know Gods Commands , but refuse to practise them ; we discern our duty , but despise it . It makes us not only to renounce his Authority , but also to defie his Power . For we know his Almighty Strength , but we will not fear it ; we see his dreadfull threatnings , but yet dare to commit the things which he has threatned in despite of them . We see and believe that our Death is entailed upon our disobedience , but for all that we choose and run upon it . We contemn all his Commands , and set light by all his Promises , and despise all his Threatnings : We see and believe them all , but prefer the pleasure of our sins before them , and transgress in open affront to them . And such a state as this , every man must needs see is so far from gaining his favour , and ascertaining his acceptance ; that in reality it is a continued heightning of every provocation , an habitual hostility , and state of crying sin . But if ever our Orthodox Faith and Professions avail us unto Life and Pardon , they must end in our Obedient Works and Actions . We must do that which we know God requires , and practise that Pure Religion which we profess ; If ye know these things , sayes our Saviour , happy are ye if ye do them , Joh. 13.17 . It is not every verbal Professor , every one that saith unto me , or calls me Lord , Lord , that shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he only that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven , Mat. 7.21 . We are condemn'd out of our own mouths if we commend Christs Religion , whilst we contemn and disobey it : Every word which we speak in its behalf , is a charge against our own selves , and every Plea which we make for it , is to us an accusation . For if it be a Religion so pure , so good ▪ so worthy of God , and so beneficial to men as we profess it is , the more unpardonable wretches we that transgress and act against it . All the praises which we heap upon our Duty , are a most bitter invective upon our own practice ; and the more we commend Christs Religion and Laws , the more we condemn our own transgressions ; so that now God in exacting the punishment , be it as severe as it well can , only executes our own sentence . We are made the worse for our knowledge if our Actions are not ruled by it ; for it shews plainly , that our Lusts are most obstinate , and our wills most wicked ; when for all we are clearly shewed the Laws , the Promises , and the threats of God , we can yet despise them all , and for the short pleasure of a silly sin transgress , and act against them . And since it doth thus enhanse our Sin , we may be sure that it will proportionably encrease our punishment . For he that knows his masters will , and doth it not , shall be beaten with many stripes , Luk. 12.47 . And thus we see , that this thinking to be saved by the labour of our minds , without any works of our lives and practice ; and coming to Heaven barely by a True Belief , and Orthodox Opinions , and Right Professions , without ever obeying in our works and actions ; is one of those false and delusive grounds , whereupon men shift off the necessity of this service with all their strength , the service of their Actions . And another false ground of shifting off the same service is , 2. The delusive confidence which wicked men have of being saved at the last Day for an obedience of idle desires , and ineffective wishes . It is a strange conceit which some people have been taught , viz. that the desire of Grace is Grace , and that God will at the last Day judge men to have obeyed , although they have not wrought , but only desired it . There is a complaisant sort of Casuistry , and a much easier than ever God made , that has been brought into the World , which bids men to hope well , though they do nothing , so long as they find in themselves a desire that they could do it . They wish they were what God expects , and that they performed what he commands ; but they do no more but wish it . They sit still , and work no more now they have wished it , than they did before . Theirs is a weakly infant-desire , it just lives , but that is all , it can effect nothing . For the smallest lust is too strong for it , and the least temptation over-bears it ; the desire of the Vertue is hush'd when the opportunity of the Sin returns , for notwithstanding all the contrary desire , this is acted at the next offer . Obedience is not desired so much as their ease ; for they love it not so well , as to be at the necessary pains for it . It is a squeamish delicate desire ; it would obey if that could be without trouble , but it will undergo nothing for obedience . But this is a conceit as strange as it is destructive , and such wherewith the simplest of men suffer themselves to be imposed upon in no other matters , but only this which most of all requires their care and caution , viz. the eternal welfare of their souls , and the truth of their obedience . For who ever took his desire of gain to be gain , his desire of ease to be ease , his desire of meat to be food , his desire of cloaths to be rayment , or his desire of knowledg to be knowledg ? And why then must that be true in Religion , which is always false in common life ? and the desire of Grace be said to be Grace , and the desire of obedience , obedience ? Our desires are one thing , but the thing desired is another . Our desires are within , but the object desired is without us . Our desires are our own , but the thing desired is wanting . For so far is our desire of any thing from being the very thing it self which is desired , that it is not always joined with it , but we possess one , whilst we are without the other . For alas ! we find that those things which we need , and have a mind to , do not come at the beck of a desire , nor are procured by a wish ; but we must do more than desire them , endeavour after them , and work or act for them , or else we shall sit without them . A man doth not presently possess meat because he is hungry , or is Owner of a great Estate because he is covetous ; no , he must labour and seek , as well as desire , both for the one and the other , or else let him desire what he will , he shall get neither . 'T is true a desire of money is a great preparative to get money , and a desire of knowledg a good disposition to attain knowledg ; because our appetites and desires are , of all the passions , the great and most immediate Spring of our outward works and operations . For delight begets love , and love ends in desire , and desire carries us on to work and labour for the thing desired . We seek after a thing , because we long for it ; and take pains about it , because we desire it . And thus our desires of Grace and Obedience are Grace and Obedience . That is , Our desire of Grace is not Grace it self ; nor our desire of Obedience , Obedience ; but a good step and degree towards them . It is so metonymically , it is the Principle and the Cause of it . For therefore we acquire Grace , and perform Obedience ; because we desire them . We should take no pains about them , were it not for our desires of them ; but because we have a mind to them , therefore we labour after them . But till our desires come on to this effect , they have no title to the rewards of it . Because although they are a gift of Gods Grace , 't is true , as well as Obedience it self is ; yet are they not that Grace which in the Judgment shall entitle us to pardon and happiness . For the promise to the Desire of Obedience is one ; but the promise to Obedience it self is another . If we sincerely desire to do Gods will , i. e. if we desire it so , as according to the best of our power to endeavour after it ; the promise to that is , That we shall be inabled to do it . For one promise of the New Covenant is , That God will grant unto us to serve him in holiness and righteousness , Luke 1.74 , 75 ; which he will then do , when we desire it of him , by giving his holy Spirit to them that ask him , Luke 11.13 . But if we do indeed obey it , the promise to that is , That we shall be saved by it . For Christ is become the Authour of eternal salvation to them that obey him , Heb. 5.9 . And it is said expresly of them that obey , That they shall have right to the tree of life , Rev. 22.14 . So that to the honest desire of obedience , all that God promises is the power to perform and work obedience ; but that whereunto mercy and life is promised , is nothing less than obedience it self . For to the working out our salvation it is required , as S t Paul says , that we be wrought upon , not only to will what God commands , but also to do it , Phil. 2.12 , 13. The great pretence whereby men of idle , unworking desires would plead for their unfruitfulness , and support their hopes of a happy Sentence under a life of disobedience ; is a mistaken sence of these words of S t Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians : The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit , and the Spirit against the Flesh ; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would , Gal. 5.17 . Which words they interpret thus : The Spirit in all good men lusteth against the Flesh , but not so far as to prevail over it : for although they may will and desire with the Spirit , yet they cannot do those things which they would . And if this be so , 't is plain that we have warrant enough to hope for mercy notwithstanding we only desire , but are not able to perform . But this is a plain perverting of the Apostles words from the Apostles own meaning . For although he says that the lusting is on both sides , both of the Flesh against the Spirit , and of the Spirit against the Flesh ; yet as for the ineffectiveness , or not doing what is willed and desired , that he charges only upon one . He leaves it purely and solely to the Fleshes share , which can indeed lust and desire evil things even in regenerate men , but is not able to prevail so far as to work and effect them , because the over-ruling will of the Spirit checks and restrains it . Through the victorious lusting of the Spirit against the Flesh , saith he , it comes to pass that you cannot do or a do not those things which from the instigation of your Flesh you desire and would do . And to shew this to be his sense , I need do no more than set down his words in that order wherein they stand ; which is as follows : This I say then , Walk in the Spirit , and you shall not work and fulfil the lusts of the Flesh. Not work and fulfil them , I say , notwithstanding you will still feel an ineffective and unconquering stirring of them . For the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit , and the Spirit against the Flesh , and these two are contrary one to the other . So that in walking or working , as I said , after the lustings and desires of the Spirit , you fulfil not the lusts of the Flesh which are contrary to it ; ye cannot do , or you do not the things that your Flesh lusts after , which yet , through its lusting , ye would , ver . 16 , 17. Whereas if this last Clause were expounded thus , Ye do not the things that your Spirit lusts after , which yet , through its lusting , ye would do ; it would destroy that which the Apostle brings it to confirm , viz. their not willing and desiring only , but doing or walking also after the Spirit , so as not to fulfil the works of the Flesh , ver . 16. Which in plain English is to make the Apostle in the same breath to say and unsay , to tell them of walking in the Spirit , and not fulfilling the lusts of the Flesh ; because they do not after the Spirit , but do fulfil the lusts of the Flesh. Which is flatly to make the Apostles proof to contradict the Apostles affirmation . If therefore we would approve our selves regenerate , and have a just hope of life and pardon at the last Day ; we must not only wish and desire , but live and walk after the Spirit , The service of the Flesh indeed must go no further than desire ; and although we shall all of us more or less have lustings from it , yet must we not b fulfil them . But as for the service of God , it must have our hands as well as our hearts ; for it is not enough to will and desire what he commands , but we must moreover practise and perform it . As for the affirmative Commands of God ; it is not required that we perform every one of them at every time ; for so our whole life would be taken up in the keeping of one Command , and we could never observe all , since we cannot do any two things , and much less such a multitude at the same time . But all that obedience which God requires of us to them , is that we act them as his Providence , and ordering of times and occasions gives us opportunity . Now although for the main Body and greatest Number of them , every man has opportunities returning almost every day ; yet for a perfect and compleat performance of some of them , some men have not opportunity at some times , nor others in all their lives . I instance in the affirmative Command of Alms-giving . A man that has but little , can give but little at any time ; and a rich man , if he be in a strange place , and have no great stock about him , although he have a great Object of Charity , can yet make but small relief . So that in both these the work of Alms and outward performance , must needs be very strait ; although both of them in their hearts and desires are never so liberal . They have not power and opportunity to act as they would ; they would perform more if their circumstances would allow it . And now in this Case God doth not measure their obedience by the size of their outward performance ; he looks not so much at what was done , as at what would have been done had they had ability . So that they shall be accepted according to the greatness of their will , and not according to the narrowness of their deed ; and their reward shall be fitted to what was in their heart , and not that which appeared in their action . And this very Case is expresly determined by S t Paul in his second Epistle to the Corinthians . For exhorting them to contribute to the relief of the Saints in Judea , as the poor Christians in Macedonia had already done most liberally , he encourages them to give what they could out of their present livelihood , by telling them , that albeit it were not so much as they could wish , and were forward in their own hearts to give if they were able ; yet in Gods acceptance it should be estimated as if it were . For if there be first a willing mind , saith he , it is accepted according to what a man hath , and not according to what he hath not , chap. 8. vers . 11 , 12. This is the very case for which the Apostle layes down this rule , as any man may see who will be at the pains to peruse that Chapter . He speaks it upon no other occasion , but where our wills are really ready to perform farther than our outward fortune enables us . He gives it as an Axiome only where our inward resolutions are larger than our possessions . For where our heart is indeed ready to do more , than in our necessitous circumstances we can do ; there God looks upon the will , and not upon the work ; and rewards us according to the compass of our desires , but not according to the scantiness of our performance . But if any man shall conclude from hence , that when it is in his Power to do what is commanded , God will still accept of an idle desire without an active performance ; he may use S t Paul's words indeed , but he perverts them wholly to his own meaning . For the Apostle spake them in one case , and there they are true ; but he applies them to another , and there they will deceive him . Because the will is never accepted for the deed , when it is in our power to do as well as to will ; and wheresoever we have opportunity to do what we desire , it is not the willing , but the doing that must save us ; as the Apostle himself intimates in this very place , when he presses them to compleat their readiness to will , by performing according as they were able , vers . 11. So that this thinking to be saved by an idle desire , and an ineffective wish of obedience , without ever obeying in our works and actions , is very whit as false and delusive as the former deceitfull ground was , of being saved at the last day barely upon the account of an Orthodox Faith and Opinions . Thirdly , Another false ground whereupon men hope to be saved , though they work disobedience , is because when they do so , it is through the violence of a great and overpowering temptation , which they see and resist , but cannot prevail over . They are drawn in by a great gain , or a great pleasure , the bait laid for them is very enticing , and there is no withstanding it . This indeed is a great and an usual pretence . For men would gladly shift off their sin , and charge it upon any thing but their own selves . They would have the pleasures of their flesh , and the pride of their hearts both served at once , enjoy all the pleasures of sin , and yet have the praises of virtue . c Whensoever they do well , as a great Philosopher has observed , they would arrogate that to themselves ; but when they do amiss , they would impute that to the pleasure that mislead them , and to the strength of temptation . But this is a very vain shift , and a thin pretence . For what is it that makes any temptation strong , but the wickedness of mens own hearts ? They are slavishly in love with it , and therefore they cannot resist it , but are overcome by it . d It is ridiculous to think , sayes the same excellent Philosopher , that the pleasure of the sin which is without us , is the cause of our sinfull action ; and not rather that we our selves are , who are so wickedly inclined , as to be so easily taken by it . It is only the strength of our own sinfull lusts , that gives such an irresistible strength to the outward temptation . A great offer of gain indeed cannot be withstood by a covetous heart ; and an inviting beauty , and a fair opportunity are irresistible to a slave of lust , and a lascivious reigning inclination . But if the man is above the world , and his heart is chaste , they are of no force , nor can they offer any violence at all . It is the wickedness of our own hearts lusts therefore , which are so deeply in love with them , and so unbridledly bend after them , that gives all the prevailing force , and overpowering strength to the outward temptation . But now this is our Sin , and so can by no means plead our excuse ; it is our damnable disease , and therefore it can never prove our saving remedy . For this is that reigning power of Sin which the Gospel has indispensably required us to mortifie , but not to submit to . It is only if you through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body , says S t Paul , that you shall live , Rom. 8.13 . Col. 3.5 . But if we are not under this damnable servitude to Sin , there are no temptations so strong , but that God has given us sufficient defensatives against them . For the present offer of a Gibbet would fright away the most endearing temptation ; the near expectation of a great Estate , or of a Crown , would make us prevail over it . And what are these to hell fire , and an eternal Crown of Glory ? Heaven therefore and Hell , when they can be considered of , are an answer to all temptations in the world ; they will engage our hearts more than all the endearments of a lust , and infinitely out do all the baits and allurements of sin . If we commit sin then , it is no sufficient excuse to us that the temptation was strong , because it was only the strength of our own unmortified lusts that made it so . For we loved the sinfull pleasure too well , and that was the reason why it overpower'd us . And since the strength of temptation is owing only to the strength of sin , it can never excuse us from undergoing punishment . So that this must needs be a false hope , to think of being excused for our sin , because we acted it through the violence of a great temptation . Fourthly , Another ground of false confidence whereupon men hope to be saved although they do not obey in their works and actions , but are workers of sin and disobedience ; is , because when they do transgress , it is with reluctance and unwillingness . Albeit in their actions they do serve sin , yet in their minds they do not approve of it , their service of it is an unwilling and a slavish service . They cannot sin freely , and at their own ease , but with fearfulness and regret . For the Conviction of their duty abides in their Consciences , the fear of hell torments sticks fast in their souls ; they cannot shake off either their sense of duty , or their fears of punishment . So that even when they do sin against God , it is with remorse of mind and fearfulness of apprehension . They cannot embrace their sin with a full choice , because they know that it is not an unmixed pleasure . They believe and know it to be of a compound and mixt nature ; to have some present pleasure which will delight , but withall much future punishment which will torment them . And since they know it to be a composition of good and ill , they do not perfectly either love or hate , choose or refuse it . Their will is distracted by different motives in the same choice ; for the future pains would draw them to reject , but the present joyes invite them to embrace it . So that in a different degree they both will , and nill the same thing ; they would have it , and yet they would avoid it . For they would enjoy what they desire , but withall they would keep off from what they fear : they have a mind to commit the sin , because it will please them for the present ; and yet they are afraid of it , because of that wrath which it treasures up for them against the time to come . But notwithstanding all this conflict in their own choice , yet at last their sin prevails , and they obey it . For they had rather hazard all its torments , than miss of its delights ; they are unwilling to venture upon those dangers which it brings , but yet they had rather venture on them than go without it . They sin unwillingly just as a labourer works , or as a soldier fights unwillingly ; that is , they do not will it for it self , they would not do it unless they were hired to it . For considering all things they will to act , and not to omit it ; their will is against it indeed at the first sight , but upon better consideration it resolves upon it , and all things laid together they choose to commit the sin rather than to forbear it . But now this is such a State as will never bring any man to Heaven : For whether he transgress willingly or with reluctancy , is not the question ; but if he choose at last to disobey , when God comes to judgment he shall be sure to pronounce upon him that death which he has established for the punishment of disobedience . Because for all he fears and mistrusts , grumbles and repines ; yet he serves and obeys his lusts all the while notwithstanding . He works at their will , and doth what they command him . He serves not with a full heart , or a fearless mind ; but yet he is their servant still . 'T is true indeed , it is some mitigation of his sin that he doth it with regret , and the transgression is something the less for being acted not without reluctance and aversion . It shews that his sense of duty is not quite lost ; his Conscience , wholly fear'd , or his fear of God utterly extinguished . It is some extenuation that he startles at the offence ; for it argues that his soul is not wholly depraved , or his heart harden'd in disobedience . But although his sins be not of the highest rate , yet he is a lost sinner still . For so long as his lusts prevail , and he chooses at last to act and commit them , he serves and obeys them . It is his works and actions that must determine his service and obedience ; so that if he commit sin , he is the servant of sin . Willing or unwilling may extenuate or heighten his disobedience , but not utterly destroy or alter the nature of it . For indeed something of struggling and regret is to be found in the obedience and disobedience of the greatest part of the world . There being few so good , as to obey without all reluctance ; and few so wicked as to sin without all remorse . For as long as we are in this life , we are a mixt and compound substance of Soul and Body , Flesh and Spirit . Our carnal appetite draws us on to forbidden things , to transgress those restraints which Gods Law has set to it , and to sin . And our Conscience being enlightned with the knowledge of Gods Laws , and allured by his Promises , and affrighted with his threatnings ; would perswade us to keep within his bounds , and to act obedience . Now these two contrary and gainsaying Principles distract our choice , and divide our wills ; so that when we close with one of them , it is not without the grudging and reluctance of the other . We would , and we would not ; one inclines us for a thing , and the other against it . The flesh , says S t Paul , lusteth against the spirit , and the spirit against the flesh ; and these are contrary one to the other , so that you cannot fulfill both their desires , and do each of the things that you would , Gal. 5.17 . If we obey , it is through the repining of our appetites ; and if we transgress , it is with the remorse and lashings of our Consciences : On both sides there is something that is evil , whereof we are afraid , and which we would not ; our will is imperfect and with reluctance ; and we will and choose in some measure unwillingly , whether it be to work obedience or sin . As for the Saints in Heaven indeed after the Resurrection ; 't is true that they shall have no gainsaying appetites . For their flesh will be in perfect subjection to the spirit ; their will shall have nothing to seduce it , but shall stand alwayes firm and entire for God ; so that they shall obey without any thing of reluctance or regret . And as for some of the profligate and prophane sinners here on earth ; they have now already so quite benum'd their Consciences , that they neither allure nor threaten , admonish nor accuse them . And they sin without all contention ; they transgress , and do not dispute ; their lusts hurry them without any opposition ; so that they disobey most willingly , and free from all remorse . But as for all the good , and the generality of the wicked here on earth , they are of a middle rate . They both of them act through strife and conquest ; their consent is courted on both sides , and when they comply with one , they must refuse the other . Both Flesh and Spirit struggle in them , although at last but one prevails . For in the Regenerate good man , the flesh stirs , but it cannot conquer ; they have bodies , and bodily appetites , but they subdue them , and as S t Paul says , keep them under , 1 Cor. 9.27 . So that all the while the Spirit rules in them , when the flesh doth but in vain solicite ; this may tempt , but it cannot govern ; for the spirit gives them Laws , its pleasure they perform , and what it commands , that in their actions they obey : But in the wicked and disobedient the case is quite opposite . For in them , although their Conscience smite them , yet can it not prevail with them ; it suggests , but they will not hearken ; it shews the way , but they will not follow it ; in all things their Lusts are the governours of their lives and actions ; so that although the lashes of their consciences may sharpen and embitter , yet are they not able to disappoint the service of their sin . In all the obedience therefore , and in the greatest part of the transgressions here on Earth ; there is still something of strugling and reluctance . Men act not by a will that is void of all restraint , or by a desire and choice that is free from all unwillingness ; but there is a mixture of love and hatred , an unwilling will that carries them on either to act obedience , or to disobey . But notwithstanding their ineffective wishes and imperfect wouldings to the contrary ; it is their peremptory will and last choice which shall determine their condition . For if they will and chuse to do what God commands , in spight of all the gainsaying wishes raised by their fleshly Appetites ; they shall be pardoned and acquitted . When the good man overcomes the temptation , and prevails over his unwillingness , and triumphing over it goes on to practise and obey ; he shall receive the reward of his obedience . But if they will and chuse to do what God forbids , in spight of all the contrary Admonitions and Threatnings of their Consciences ; they shall dye in their disobedience . The Sinner who is carried on to do what he disallows , to work what he fears , and to commit what at first sight his will is averse to ; he shall undergo the smart and punishment of his transgression . And the reason is plain ; for he serves his sin , and fulfils his lust ; and his thraldome to it is so absolute that no aids of the Spirit , nor any suggestions of his Conscience can deliver him from it . He that committeth sin , saith our Saviour , is the servant of sin , John 8.34 . So long as it conquers , it doth indeed inslave him ; For of whom a man is overcome , of the same , says S t Peter , he is brought in bondage , 2 Pet. 2.19 . If we yield our selves up to serve it , we do indeed obey it ; and must expect that death which is denounced upon such obedience . Know you not , saith another Apostle , that to whom you yield your selves servants to obey , his servants you are to whom you obey ; whether of sin unto death , or of obedience unto righteousness , Rom. 6.16 . If we are at the beck of our Lusts , and go where they send , and do what they command us , and acknowledge their pleasure in all things to be a Law to us ; we are perfect Slaves to them , and liable to all that misery which is denounced upon them . We serve and obey them ; and that shall surely bring us to suffer for them . For it is the fulfilling of our lusts , the doing or walking after them , and the obeying of our sin which Christs Gospel threatens so severely , whatever mind we do it with . If you live after the Flesh , saith the Apostle , you shall dye ; and it is only if you through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Body that you shall live , Rom. 8.13 . When Christ comes to Judgment , the enquiry will not be , Whether we sinned with a full delight , or with fear and reluctance ; but whether in very deed without repenting of it afterwards , we sinned wilfully , or transgressed at all . For we have what shall be his Sentence at that Day , from his own mouth already , Depart from me ye that work iniquity , Matth. 7.23 . So that it will be no sufficient Plea for any man at the last Day , who has disobeyed in deed and wrought wickedness , to say , That he did it with backwardness and remorse . For that which God indispensably requires , is , that h● should not do it at all ; and he will only deceive himself if he ever expect to be accepted otherwise . For as the hopes of salvation upon mere orthodox opinions , or ineffective desires of obedience , or sinning through a strong temptation are utterly delusive , and sure to fail them that trust to them : so is this fourth ground likewise , viz. our hopes of being accepted notwithstanding our sins , because we transgressed with reluctance and unwillingness ▪ CHAP. IV. A further pursuit of this last ground of shifting off the Obedience of our actions , in an Exposition of the seventh Chapter to the Romans . The CONTENTS . A further pursuit of this last ground of false confidence . The Plea for it from Rom. 7. represented . This refuted . A Metaschematism usual with Saint Paul in an odious Topick . The Apostle shown not to speak of himself in that Chapter , because of several things there spoken which are not truly applicable to him . This evidenced in sundry instances . Nor to have spoken in the person of any regenerate man , which is proved by the same reason , and manifested in sundry Particulars . But to have personated a strugling , but as yet unregenerated Jew , who had no further assistance against his lusts , but the weak and ineffective Law of Moses . This shown from the order and design of that Chapter . This whole matter represented in a Paraphrase upon the seventh Chapter , with part of the sixth and the eighth . Two Reasons of the inability of Moses's Law to make men wholly obedient ; and the perfection , as to them , of the Law of Christ , viz. First , The promise of eternal life . Secondly , The promise of the Spirit . Both these were wanting in the Law ; and are most clearly supplied in the Gospel . The Jews had the assistance of the Spirit , not by virtue of any Article in their Law ; but by the gracious Covenant of the Gospel , which has been confirmed with the world ever since Adam . The Law mentioned in Scripture as a weak and mean instrument upon the account of these defects . This weakness of the Law set off particularly in this seventh to the Romans . No hopes to any man who acts sin from this Chapter ; but plain declarations of the necessity of a working obedience shown in several expressions of it to that purpose . A proof of the necessity of this fourth part of integrity , the obedience of our executive powers in our works and actions ; and the insignificancy of all the rest when it is wanting . THAT which has been the great occasion of this last pretence whereby men justifie themselves in the practice of disobedience , viz. because when they do transgress , it is with reluctancy and an unwilling mind ; is a wrong understanding of the words of S t Paul in the seventh Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans . For thus says he , That which I do , I , being sufficiently instructed in the Law which forbids it , in my mind and conscience allow not . For what , through the Laws commanding , I would do , that do I not : but what , from the Laws prohibiting , I hate , and would not do , that do I. The good that I would do , I do not . For although to will it is present with me , yet through the prevailing power of my Flesh how to perform and practise that which is good I find not . But the evil which I would not do , that do I. And all this happens to me by reason that the Law of my lusts or members wars against the Law of God in my mind or Conscience , and that with so much success as to make me act against my Conscience , and bring me into a slavish observance or captivity to the Law of sin , which is in my members . So that I my self , or the a same I who , with the mind and Conscience , in approving and willing serve the Law of God , do yet , with the Flesh , in my bodily and outward works and operations , serve the Law of sin . Now since no less a man than S t Paul himself speaks thus of sinning against his will , of doing what he disallows , and transgressing through the power of a ruling lust against his Conscience : it may well be thought reasonable for any other man to conclude himself in a safe condition although he do so likewise . For who would desire to be more perfect than S t Paul ? Who would ever scruple to have the same Lot in the next World with an Apostle ? If an unwillingness in sin , and transgressing with reluctance could bear him out notwithstanding he did against his Duty , and in works and actions disobeyed his Lord ; who can ever question but that it will be a sufficient Plea for us also ? And indeed if S t Paul had spoken all that of himself , and meant it of his own Person ; the Inference is undeniable , and it is not to be doubted but it would . But for a full Answer to this Allegation , it is plain that S t Paul , when he expresses all those things in the first person , uses that merely out of modesty , but not out of truth . For he was upon an odious Topick , representing the unmortified state and sinful condition of those persons , who had no other help against their Lusts , but the Religion and Law of Moses . And because this was a Charge which they who were most guilty would not love to hear of , that he may soften the matter as much as may be , and discover things of so much reproach with the least offence ; he wisely takes all the business , and fathers all the shameful Narrative upon himself ; and expresses it , not in theirs , to whom it really did belong but in his own person . And as for this Metaschematism , or speaking things that are odious in his own name , when indeed they belong not to him , but to other men ; it is very usual with the Apostle . For in this Disguise he recites a most blasphemous perversion which some men had made of his most pious Doctrine , Rom. 3. If the truth of God , or his faithfulness in performing his Covenant with us , hath more ahounded to his Glory through my lye or unfaithfulness in breaking my Covenant with him ( which makes the most that can be for the honour of Gods faithfulness , since no perfidiousness of ours can weary or provoke him out of it ) why yet am I , not I Paul , who could never act thus falsly , or argue thus prophanely , but I blasphemous Objector judged as a Sinner ? ver . 7. And the same way of speech he observes again , when he charges the wicked lives of those who have given up their names to Christ ▪ not upon his Religion , but upon their own selves . If while we seek to be justified by Christ in the profession of his Religion and not of Moses's Law , we our selves are still found Sinners and as flagitious in our lives as ever , is therefore Christ the Minister of sin ? God forbid . For if I build again the things which at my very Baptism into Christianity I destroyed , as 't is plain all Christians do who after Baptism prove customary Sinners ; it is no longer Christ who would rescue and free me from sin , but I my self , not I Paul , but I flagitious Christian that make my self a Transgressor , Gal. 2.17 , 18. Thus also he speaks in his own person , when he only personates the strong but uncomplying Christian , 1 Cor. 6. All things are lawful for me , but all things are not expedient , ver . 12. And when he personates the uncharitable Christian , 1 Cor. 13. If I have all faith , and have no Charity , what doth it profit me ? ver . 2. And the same inoffensive way he uses in noting faults in a other places . And such an obliging disguise in reprehending and exposing the faults of others is most usual among our selves . Nothing being more common in our ordinary Discourse , than when we would be sharp in reproving , and inveighing against any thing , by a most courteous Fiction to put it in our own Case , and to suppose that we our selves should do this or that . Whenas in the mean time we are no further concerned in it , than to be able under this disguise with more success and less offence to disparage and chastise it . And this way of transferring odious things to our selves when we would describe and reprove them , which is so usual with all the world , and with S t Paul in other Cases , is particularly used by him in his Character of the ineffective Striver in this seventh Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans . He speaks not those things above recited , of willing but not performing , &c. in his own person , or in the person of any regenerated man ; as will plainly appear from this reason . Because in that Chapter such things are said of the person there spoken of , as can by no means agree to S t Paul , or to any regenerate person ; so that the Apostle must be made to falsifie , if he should be understood to speak so of them . Such things , I say , are there spoken , as can by no means agree to S t Paul himself . For we read Of the person there spoken of , That he lived and was alive without the Law of the ten Commandments , once , ver . 7.9 . That the Law of his members wars against the Law of his mind , and brings him into captivity to the Law of sin , which is seated and rules in his members , ver . 23. That how to do or perform what is good , he finds not , ver . 18. That sin works in him all manner of lust or concupiscence , ver . 8. That he is captivated and conquered , and , as a vanquished Slave , sold under sin , ver . 14.23 . That he sinned against his Conscience . For what I do , says he , in my practice , that I allow not in my mind or Conscience : but what I hate and disapprove , that I do , ver . 15.19 . That he is in a state of death : For sin revived , and he died , vers . 9. and by deceiving him , it had slain him , v. 11. The good law he had found to be unto him the occasion of death , by his falling into that disobedience whereto it had threatned it , vers . 10. For the motions of sin , which were not , and could not be restrained by the law , wrought in his members to bring forth damning sins , or fruit unto death , vers . 5. Of Saint Paul himself elsewhere , That he was both born and bred up under the Law , being circumcised the eighth Day , of the Stock of Israel , an Hebrew of the Hebrews , or an Hebrew both by his Fathers and his Mothers side , Phil. 3.5 , That he keeps under his Body , and is not led captive by it , but on the contrary brings it into subjection and captivity , 1 Cor. 9.27 . That he can do all things which are good through Christ that strengthens him , Phil. 4.13 . That it works none , but that instead of lusting and coveting worldly things , the world is crucified to him , and he unto the world , Gal. 6.14 . That he has fought a good fight against it , 2 Tim. 4.7 . And that by the ‖ Grace of God through Christ he is delivered from it , Rom. 7.25 . That he knew or was * conscious of nothing by himself , 1 Cor. 4.4 . but that he trusted he had a good Conscience , and that in all things , being willing to live honestly , Heb. 13.18 . Acts 23.1 . For this had all along been his care , he hahaving made it his business , and exercised himself to have , not now and then , but alwayes a conscience void of offence , or not wounded and smitten with the sense of any offences either towards God or men , Acts 24.16 . That the law of the spirit of life hath made him free from the law of sin and death , Rom. 8.2 . That he has finished his course to his advantage ; so as there is laid up for him , not a painfull death , as the punishment of his disobedience ; but a Crown of Glory , as a reward of his righteousness , which the righteous judge will give him at the last day , 2 Tim. 4.8 . If therefore we will believe S t Paul , and let those accounts which he gives of himself explain his own meaning ; he cannot be that very person who is there spoken of . For they are persons altogether of a different stamp , and a contrary character : they are as opposite as a servant of God , and a slave of sin ; as a spiritual , and a carnal man ; as one whose conscience approves , and another whose conscience condemns him ; as a child of God , and a child of darkness ; as an heir of Heaven , and a subject of Hell. So that he cannot speak of himself in that seventh Chapter , and in the other places too ; because then he would appear inconsistent with himself , and be found false in his own story . And therefore as sure as S t Paul is true , he sayes all that is spoken there in an inoffensive disguise , not intending to give a character of his own person , but to personate another man. Nay , I add further , that the person whom he represents in that Chapter , is not only another from himself , but also one of a quite opposite and contrary character . He is not only no Apostle , but even no good Christian or regenerate man. For such things are there said of him , as , if S t Paul and the other Apostles say true , are inconsistent with a regenerate state , and destructive of salvation . As will plainly appear by considering those things which are said Of the person described there , That with his flesh or fleshly members , he obeys the law of sin , vers . 25. And this he is forced to do , and cannot help it . For the law of his members wars against the law of his mind , and brings him into captivity to the law of sin and death , ver . 23. He is as absolutely enslaved to it , as ever any servant was to his master who was sold in the market . For , says he , I am carnal , and sold under sin , vers . 14. That sin works or accomplishes , and brings on to * outward act and perfection in him all manner of concupiscence , vers . 8. For taking occasion by the nakedness of the tenth Commandment , whereto no punishment was expresly threatned , it deceived him into the customary commission of it by that wile , and thereby slew him , vers . 11. That the law he found to be unto death , in discerning himself to be fallen under the curse and condemnation of it , vers . 10. For the motions of sin which were incouraged and emboldened by means of the fancied impunity of the , law wrought in his members , which are the seat of their Empire , so far as to bring forth damning sins , or fruit unto death , vers . 5. That in his flesh dwells no good thing , vers . 18. For sin dwells and inhabits in him , vers . 17. and that so as to rule and govern , or have all the force of a law in his members , vers . 23. That he sins against his own conscience . For what he doth , that he allows not ; but what in his own mind he hates and disapproves , that he doth , vers . 15.19 . That to do good , although he might wish , or approve it , he found not , v. 18. That he stands in need to cry out , O wretched man that I am , who will deliver me from this body of death , being as yet not rescued from it , but labouring under it , vers . 25. Of the regenerate elsewhere , That as for their members , they yield them not to be instruments unto sin , but unto righteousness ; because now since their regeneration into true Christians ; Sin is not to reign in their mortal bodies , that they should obey it in the lusts thereof , Rom. 6.12 , 13. In becoming Christians they are dead , and crucified with Christ , that the body of sin might , not be maintained to live and rule in them , but destroyed , that thenceforward they should not serve sin . For he that is dead is freed from sin , vers . 6 , 7. The Gospel of Christ , or the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus , hath not enslaved , but freed them from the law of sin and death , Rom. 8.2 . So that sin now shall not have dominion over them , because they are not under the law , through the weakness whereof it tyrannized , but under Grace , Rom. 6.14 . That their body is dead because of sin , Rom. 8.10 . And that they make no provision for the flesh to fulfill and accomplish the lusts or concupiscence thereof , Rom. 13.14 . Because if they should , they would cease to be sons of God , and heirs of happiness , and be rendred obnoxious to misery and death . For the plain declaration of Christs Gospel concerning the heirs of life and death is this . If you live after the flesh in accomplishing its lusts , you shall die ; and 't is only , if you through the spirit , instead of acting and compleating , do kill and mortifie the deeds of the body , that you shall live , Rom. 8.13 . That against them there is no condemning force of any law , Galat. 5.23 . For the law of the spirit of life hath not left them still enslaved , but made them free from the law of sin and death too , Rom. 8.2 . And being become the servants of God , they have their fruit , not to sin and death , but to holiness at present , and the end thereof at length everlasting life , Rom. 6.22 . That their bodies or fleshly members are temples of the Holy Ghost , and sacred places wherein it inhabits ; and that they glorifie God in their bodies , as well as in their spirits , seeing both are Gods , 1 Cor. 6.19 , 20. That they hold faith and a good conscience , without which , of faith in dangerous times they would soon make shipwrack , 1 Tim. 1.19 . And that they are saved by the answer of a good conscience , which comforts and applauds , but cannot accuse them , 1 Pet. 3.21 . That he only who doth good is of God , 3 Joh. 11. and that there is no condemnation to them who do and walk after the spirit , Rom. 8.1 . And that without these new fruits , it is in vain to lay any claim to a new nature ; because , as our Saviour sayes , if men were the children of Abraham , they would do the works of Abraham , Joh. 8.39 . That the body of sin is already destroyed in them , that henceforth they should not serve sin , which the other complains so much of , Rom. 6.6 . For they are delivered from the law , upon occasion of the weakness whereof sin brought forth in them fruits unto death , to serve now in newness of Spirit , Rom. 7.5 . So that what the weak , ineffective law could not do for them ; that the Grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord hath done in an effectual deliverance of them , v. 25. So that if we will take the word of S t Paul , and of the rest of the Apostles in this matter ; we must needs believe that regenerate men , and heirs of heaven are not in any wise such persons as are described in that seventh Chapter to the Romans , there being no agreement or resemblance at all between them . Their tempers and behaviour are utterly inconsistent , and as far distant as Heaven and Hell : For one serves and fulfills the lusts of his flesh , the other crucifies and subdues them ; one yields his members servants unto sin , the other unto righteousness ; one is made a perfect captive , and sold under sin ; the other is made free from it : one is forced to act against his conscience , the other alwayes acts according to it ; one complains of being oppressed by the body of death , the other rejoyceth in being deliver'd from it ; one can perform and do no good , the other doth all good ; one brings forth fruit unto death , the other to eternal life . These , with others that might be mention'd , are the lines of difference , and the contrary characters of the person represented in the seventh Chapter to the Romans , and the regenerate man described by S t Paul himself in all his other Epistles , and in the following and foregoing Chapters of this . By all which it appears , that they are descriptions contradictory and incompatible , which cannot at the same time be affirmed of the same man. And that to give such an account of a regenerate man , as is there set down , would not in all appearance be the way to describe , but rather slanderously to libel and revile him . If any therefore enquire now how I know that S t Paul doth not speak of himself in that Chapter , nor of any other regenerate person ; but of an unregenerate man , who is yet in the state of death and sin : he has his Answer full and undeniable already . I know he doth not mean so , because he cannot mean so , the things which he sayes not bearing to be so understood . For that meaning would make his speech to be no Apostolical Truth , but an open falsehood ; it would make S t Paul inconsistent with himself , and to unsay at one time , what he had said most peremptorily at another . It would make him flatly to gainsay all that he has taught elsewhere , yea , even what he had affirm'd almost in the same breath , in the foregoing and the following Chapters . So that he cannot be understood of himself , or of any other regenerate person , but must be allow'd , according to his usual custome in such odious topicks as this was , to speak all in a borrowed disguise , and in the person of a sinfull and a lost man. For indeed , to be yet more particular , all that discourse in that seventh Chapter is not meant either of S t Paul , or of any other regenerate Christian ; but of a struggling and contending , although yet unconquering and unregenerate Jew . For the Apostle is there describing the state , not of a perfect debauch , nor of a perfect Saint , but of a middle man. He is one whose Conscience is awaken'd ; for he delights in the Law of God after the inner man of his mind and reason , vers . 22. and when he doth evil , he doth not allow , but disapproves of it , vers . 15. but yet his practice is enslaved ; for to perform what is good he finds not , vers . 18. what in his mind he hates , that he doth , vers . 15. the law in his members bringing him into captivity to the law of sin , so that with his flesh , or in his bodily actions , he obeys the law of sin still , vers . 23 , 25. He strives something indeed , but not enough ; he is not far from the kingdom of heaven , but as yet he is short of it . He is a sinner of the middle rate , such as I have described in the last Chapter : For he is not as yet either quite hardned in sin , or perfect in goodness ; he is offering to go off from sin , but still it lays hold of him , and keeps him under ; he is in the rank of unwilling sinners , but he is a lost sinner still . He is something above the forelorn condition of meer Nature , and something below the more perfect institution of Christ ; he is in a middle state between both , under the discipline and assistance of the Jewish Law , or the Religion of Moses . And that this is the person there characterized will appear , not only from the things themselves that are said of him , and which I have already noted , ( viz. ) his Conscience being awaken'd , but his practice still enslaved , which is the very state of midling sinners ; but also from the whole order and design of that seventh Chapter . For the business which the Apostle drives at in the sixth , seventh and eighth Chapters , ( to go no farther ) of that Epistle , as any man that attentively peruses them may plainly see , is this ; ( viz. ) To shew the Jews at Rome a double change , which they had come under by their becoming Christians . One was in their subjection , and the other in the consequent of that , their service and obedience . One change he tells them is in their subjection ; for now they are not subject to , and under the law of Moses , but under the Grace and Gospel of Christ , chap. 6. vers . 14 , 15. And upon that change in their subjection , there is likewise another change in their service . For now they serve not sin as they did formerly , but they serve and obey God , chap. 6. vers . 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ; and chap. 7. vers . 4 , 5 , 6. And because this seems to be a great reflexion upon the Law of Moses , as if it encouraged them in their sins , and helped to make them sinners ; this latter part , ( viz. ) their being wrought into this change of service by changeing their Master and Religion , he explains more fully . For to take off all reproach from the Law , under which he had affirmed they served sin ; he shews that the reason why they sinned under it , was not the sinfulness of the Law it self , for it is holy , and commands holiness , chap. 7. vers . 12. but the power of their own sinfull lusts , which were too strong to be corrected and restrained by those aids which it offer'd towards it , vers . 11 , 13 , — 23. In the management , and evident proof whereof he shews two things : One is the goodness and innocence of the Law , because , so far as they were influenced by it , they were for that which is good . For their mind and Conscience , wherein the Law was seated , did approve of it , and their heart desired it , chap. 7. ver . 15 , 16 , 18 , 22. The other is the weakness and inability of that Grace which was offered in the Law to work mens reformation , and to make this change in their service and obedience . For notwithstanding it , they served and obeyed sin still , chap. 7. ver . 15 , 19 , 21 , 23 , 25. Wherein yet to be more particular , he shows further that those good effects , which the Law was able to work in them , were only in their mind and conscience , chap. 7. ver . 15 , 18 , 22 , 23. But that still the Law in the Members proved all the while too strong for it , and kept possession of their life and practice , ver . 15 , 17 , 18 , 21 , 23 , 25. But then as for that change in their service , which the Law of Moses had not strength enough to work in them ; he shows that the Gospel and Grace of Christ has wrought it effectually . For now , since they became subject to him , they had thrown off the service of sin , which the Law could not enable them to get quit of , and had begun to serve and obey him , chap. 7. ver . 25. and ch . 8. v. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , &c. This is the Argument which the Apostle pursues , and the way wherein he manages it , as every man will perceive who will be at the pains to peruse those three Chapters as I have pointed them out to him . So that as for all the ineffective striving and sinning , with regret , which is so often mentioned in the seventh Chapter ; it belongs not to the Apostle himself , nor to any other regenerate Christian , but only to a midling Sinner among the Jews , who is changed something by Moses's Law , but not enough ; and who is in a way to become a Child of Grace , although for the present he be a Son of Death and Hell. This , I say , will appear to be the person , whom S t Paul sets forth in that so much mistaken Chapter , to any man who shall fairly consider those three Chapters , observing that help for the understanding of them which I have already offered . But because this is a matter of highest importance , and I would not seem to shun any pains which may in probability make for the satisfaction of any , though but one single man , concerning this necessity of an active obedience ; I will here set down what I verily take to be the sense of those three Chapters ( or so much at least of the sixth and eighth as makes for the understanding of the seventh ) in this ensuing Paraphrase . Which I hope will not be altogether unuseful for common Readers , because they will thereby see what , as I take it , is the Apostles meaning , in full and at length here , whenas they read it more contracted and involved in their Bibles . And to take our rise from thence , that being sufficient for our present purpose , at the fourteenth Verse of the sixth Chapter thus the Apostle discourses : Hereafter now you are not in subjection under the Law of Moses , but under the Grace and Gospel of Christ. But what then ? Shall we serve sin , because we are not under the Law which condemns , though it cannot conquer it ; but under Grace , which pardons it ? God forbid that ever any of us , who are come now under the Gospel which proffers pardon for sins past , should think of refusing it all service for the time to come ; and continue still to serve and obey sin , as much , or more than we did under the weak aids of the Law before it came . That we should continue to serve , by continuing to obey it , I say , For Know you not this , That to whom you yield your selves servants to obey , his servants you are to whom you obey ? So that there you will be judged to pay your service where you pay your obedience , whether that be in the performance of sin , unto the purchase of death ; or of obedience , unto the obtaining of righteousness . But whatever some licentious Renegado Christians may think of obeying , and so serving sin , after they have put themselves under subjection to Christ , who proffers to pardon it for the time past , only that he may thereby encourage them to leave it for the future : yet God be thanked that you for your parts have quite other apprehensions . For although indeed you were formerly in your time of Judaism , and subjection to the Law of Moses , the servants of sin : yet now , since your coming into subjection under Christ , ye have , together with your subjection , changed your service also , and have obeyed from the heart that New Gospel - Form of Doctrin , b whereunto , or into the hands whereof , ye were delivered , when you were exempted from all subjection to the Law. Being then , by this change of subjection from the Law , under which sin had power , to Christ's Gospel , which enables you to destroy it ; made free from the service of sin ; ye became , as the Subjects of Christ , so likewise the servants of righteousness . And for this change of your service , together with the change of your subjection , there is all the reason in the World. Whereof I will speak after the most moderate expectations , and equitable manner of men , because of the infirmities of your Flesh , whereby I know you are disabled from making such high returns as the reason of the thing calls for . For this is the least that the mildest man would require in this Case , and yet it is all that God exacts of you ; as ye have formerly , when you were subject to the Law , under which sin took so great advantage , yielded your members servants to uncleanness , and to iniquity , unto the bringing forth still of more iniquity ; even so in the same manner now , since you are become subject unto Christ , give the same fruits there of your subjection , and yield your members servants to righteousness , unto the encrease of greater holiness . This , as I say , is no more than you did upon your subjection to the other . For when ye were the servants of sin , and under subjection to his Law , ye were free from all that service of righteousness , which God expects of you now upon your subjection to a better Law. And as this change of your service , together with the change of your subjection , is most highly reasonable ; so let me tell you withal it is most beneficial . For when ye were subject to the Law , and thereby servants unto sin ; what fruit had you then , either in enjoyment or expectation , besides death and disgrace , in those things and services whereof you are most justly now ashamed ? And not only so , for besides that one effect of shame , there is moreover another end of those things , and that is death too . But now on the other side , being , by means of your subjection unto Christ , made free from the Law and Authority of sin , and become , as it is meet for Subjects , servants unto God ; you have your fruit at present unto holiness , and the end thereof at last everlasting life . This difference there is , I say again , between the fruits of your former subjection and service , and those at present . For the wages of sin to its Subjects and Servants is death ; but the gift of God to his is eternal life . And this service of God , which gets you right to eternal life , I must still tell you is owing to your being freed from subjection to the Law , under which you served sin ; and to your becoming subject unto Christ. For in the first place , as for your being freed from subjection to the Law , and being now no longer under it ; that is very plain . For know you not , my Brethren , ( for I speak to them that know the Law , or the nature and quality of those Laws which give one person interest and power over another ) how that the Law , when considered as a person that hath such power , hath dominion over a man who is under it as long as he liveth indeed , or as it liveth in force to bind him , but no longer . A mans subjection to a Law , is just like that of a Woman to her Husband ; where , as we all know , the subjection ceaseth , and all the Laws pertaining to it , when her Husband dyes whom she was subject to . For the woman which hath an Husband , is bound indeed by the Law of that subjection to her Husband as long as he liveth ; but if the Husband be dead , she is then no longer subject , but loosed from the Law of wedlock made in favour of her Husband , as she is from that subjection wherein it was founded . So then if while her Husband liveth , during whose life all the Laws of Wedlock belonging to that subjection are in force , she be married to another man ; she shall be truly called an Adulteress ; but on the other side , if her Husband be dead , that subjection , and all the Laws which could oblige her in it , are dead with him ; and she is free from the obligation of that Law which forbid her to marry another upon pain of being accounted an Adulteress ; so that she is no Adulteress now , that Law being dead which made her so , though she be married to another man. And this is just your Case , the Law of Moses , which held you in subjection formerly , being dead and abolished now by the Death and Doctrine of Christ ; or you being dead to it , which comes to the same thing . Wherefore , my Brethren , ye also , as the woman is to the dead man ( the Duties of this relation living or expiring at the same time on both sides equally ) are become dead to the Law , which was your former Husband , ( unto which therefore now you are no longer subject ) by the body and sufferings of Christ crucified , who has abrogated and c abolished Moses's Law under which sin reigned ; which abolition of the Law he wrought for this end , that ye , by this death of it , being freed from all subjection to it , might now be married , and thereby become subject to another , even to himself , who is raised from the dead to a state of d absolute Authority and Dominion over us ; to whom , I must tell you , we are espoused for this purpose , ●●at upon becoming his Subjects we should be freed ●●om our former sinful service ; and , agreeable to our p●●sent subjection , perform service , or bring forth fruit unto God. And this alteration of our subjection from the Law to himself , was necessary , as I said , for this altering of our service from sin to righteousness . Which is manifest from comparing what we were formerly , with what we are at present . For when formerly we were in subjection to the Flesh , or Law of Moses under which the Flesh had so great advantage , we generally felt , as they do now who are still under it , that the motions of sin , which were occasioned and strengthened by the weakness and inability of the Law , which could not restrain them , did work such service and obedience to them in our members or bodily powers , as to bring forth fruit unto death . But now , upon our becoming subject unto Christ , we are delivered from the subjection of the Law , whose weakness gave sin so great advantage over us , that Law , I say , being now dead and abolished , wherein , whilst we so served sin , we were held in subjection ; which deliverance is vouchsafed us , as I said , for this end , that being made , not the Laws , but Christs Subjects now , we should answerably to that serve in newness of Spirit , or in such sort as the new Spirit and Grace of his Religion enables us , and not as we served formerly , under our subjection to the Law , in the oldness of the letter , or in those weak and ineffective degrees whereto the helpless letter of the old Law could assist us . But upon what I say of this change of service from sin to God ( which we have all felt upon our becoming Christians ) being an effect of this change of subjection from the Law to Christ ; some of you 't is like may think , that the Law , which I affirm we sinned under , is aspersed and reproached by me , and thus object : What e say we then ? Is the Law , under which you say we sinned so much , and from which being now delivered , we have ceased to serve sin , the cause of sin to them who live under it ? Now to this I must answer , God forbid that any man should either say or think so . No , we served sin under the Law , but yet the Law was no cause of sin . And both these all they who live under it feel in themselves , and must acknowledge . To avoid offence , suppose that I my self were this Subject of the Law now , as I was formerly ; 't is very true , as I have said , that I do serve sin under it ; but is the Law the cause of it ? By no means . Nay , so far is the Law from causing or encouraging sin in me , that , on the contrary , it points it out to me , and forbids it . I had not known what things are sin , but by the help of the Law which shews it ; for I had not known lust or concupiscence for instance , which is only in the heart , and not in the outward action , to be a sin , except the Law of the tenth Commandment had said expresly , thou shalt not covet . But for all the Law both shews and prohibits sin , and so can contribute nothing to produce , but rather to destroy it : yet I must truly tell you still , that whereas Sin has other causes more than enow that are sufficient to produce it ; the Law is so weak and imperfect , as not to be able to hinder it . For in this instance of Concupiscence especially , whereto in the Law there is no express punishment threatned , the sinfull inclinations of our flesh , which are cause enough of all sin , grow bold , and , hearing of no express threatning from it , will not be restrained by it . And by this means the Sin of Concupiscence taking occasion from the impunity of the Commandment , instead of being restrained by it , took liberty and presumed upon it ; and so without all fear wrought and accomplished , or brought on to c compleat action and practice , in me all manner of concupiscence . And seeing the Law only forbid , but could not restrain it , it helped on in the end rather to make , and let me see my self to be a sinner , than to deliver me from sin ; for without the promulgated Law , Sin was almost dead , being both little in it self , and less upon the Conscience . For the less knowledge there is of the Law , the less is there of sin in transgressing it , and also the less sense of it . And therefore , as I say , as for this instance of Concupiscence , which I had not known to be a Sin unless the Law had told me so ; without the Law I had neither offended so highly in it , nor had so great a sense of my offence . And this was found by experience in the men of our Nation . For any one of them , who was alive at the promulgation of the Law upon Mount Sinai , might say : I was alive to my thinking , and as to great degrees of that guilt which I contracted afterwards , without the Law once , or before such time as it was there proclaimed to us : for till then I knew not lust to be a sin , and so , by reason of my ignorance , neither sinn'd so much in it , nor was so sensible of it as now I am ; but when the Commandment came , and was plainly made known to me by Moses ; then Sin , I say , which was only shewn and forbid , but could not be restrained by it , revived and begun to have the fulness of guilt and terrour in it , and I , thenceforward , being warn'd against it , and not being able to keep back from it , became liable to that death which is the wages of it , and died by it . And thus the Law or Commandment , which was not only holy , and innocent in it self , but moreover intended by God for my good , and ordained to life which it promised could I have obeyed it ; I notwithstanding found to be unto death to me , because that became my due when I sinn'd against it . Not as if the Law can be said to be the Author of death to me , more than it is of sin in me : For it was aim'd to destroy sin , which it shews and forbids ; and to procure life , which it offers and promises . But the true cause of this effect so contrary to its intention , ( viz. ) its producing Sin and Death , whenas it was ordained to Holiness and Life , is its being , as I said before , weak , and unable by all its aids to conquer fully , and restrain that Sin which brings Death upon us ; for it cannot subdue , but only shew and forbid it . And therefore our habitual Lusts finding themselves too strong for it , burst through it , and , in spite of all its restraint , make us commit the one , and so become liable to the other . For in very deed it is not the Law , which is the cause of Death to me , but Sin it self , which , taking occasion or advantage by the literal and fancied impunity of the tenth Commandment , deceived me through a false hope into the commission of it ; and by it made me in reality liable to that Death which is truly the wages of it , or in a word , slew me . Wherefore notwithstanding we sinn'd , yea , and died also during our subjection under the Law ; yet for all that neither can our Sin , nor our Death be charged upon the Law it self ; because , instead of contributing to them , it tends to destroy them , by expresly forbidding the one , and offering to deliver us from the other . And therefore as for this difficulty that was made at the seventh verse against my saying , that we served Sin under the Law ; ( viz. ) its following thence that the Law was the cause of our Sin and Death ; this we see is quite taken off , and doth not follow at all . For although we sinn'd , yea , and died too under the Law ; yet was not the Law the cause of these , but the strength of our own Lusts. But the Law is holy still , and so no cause of sin ; and the Commandment forbidding sin , and promising Life to the obedient , is not only holy , and just , but over and above that good too , and so no cause of death and suffering . But upon this you will say how was it then , that that which is so good in it self , as you say the Law is , should be made the cause of the greatest evil , even of Death unto me ? Could it prove so to me if it were not so in it self ? And to this I answer with abhorrence , God forbid that I should say the Law is Death . No , this Death as I have told you , is not the effect of the Law , for it was ordained to procure Life for me . But it was Sin , I say again , that was too strong for the Law , which could only forbid , but was not able by all its aids to restrain it ; this Sin it was , that it might appear Sin indeed , that went on working transgression unto Death in me , by advantage taken over that Law which is good , although not strong enough to overpower the setled habits of evil . And by this conquest of Sin over the good Law , which was set up as a bar against it , and should have destroy'd it , it appears to be most mischievous . For this comes of it , that Sin , by proving too hard for the Commandment , might by such prevailing over all that is set against it , be extremely heightned and aggravated , and become exceeding sinfull . And that the Law should thus be worsted by Sin is no wonder . For we know , that although the Law , which commands , is spiritual , to shew and suggest better things ; yet I , who am to obey , in that state of sensuality and sin , wherein the Law finds me , and out of which it is too weak to rescue me , am carnal so as to serve sin notwithstanding it . Which I am to such a degree , as if I were sold under sin , and my actions were as much at its command , as the actions of a slave bought with money are at the command of his master . So that although the Law shews me that which is good , and commands me to perform it ; yet cannot I obey it , in regard I am under anothers power , under the beck of sin . And in very deed , to speak yet more particularly to this business , the good Law can , and doth produce good effects in the mind and conscience , which is the throne wherein it is seated ; but still the law of sin , which is seated in the members or executive powers , prevails over it , and engrosseth all our actions : So that the utmost that it can ordinarily do with us , is to make us in our mind to disapprove sin ; but when it hath done that , it cannot hinder us in our lives from practising it . And of this the complaints of those , who are subject to it , are a sufficient proof . For who is there among them for the most part , that is not ready to confess and cry out thus , that which through the prevailing power of my lusts I do in my practice ; that , through the power of the Law , I allow not in my mind and conscience : for what , being excited by the Law , I would do ; that , being hindred by sin , do I not ; but what , from the Laws prohibiting , in my mind I hate and disapprove ; that , from my own lusts forcing and overpowering me , in my actions still do I. And this by the way , as it is an evident argument of the weakness and inability of the Law to restrain sin ; is also a clear testimony to the holiness and goodness of the Law it self , which shews plainly that it is no favourer , or author of Sin ▪ as was objected , vers . 7. Because if even then when I do sin , I do not approve of it , but in doing so , I do what I would not ; I thereby consent in my own conscience unto the Law , and acknowledge , by my approving what it commands ▪ that it is good . Yea , I shew moreover that all that , which it produces and effects in me , is good also . For even when I do sin , sinning thus against my conscience , the sin cannot in any wise be charged upon my conscience where the Law reigns , so as that the Law in my mind may be stiled the cause of sin , as it is vers . 7. but only upon the power of my habitual sin and fleshly lusts that reign in my members , which are so strong as that the law of my mind cannot restrain them . And now then , ( in this state of sinning thus with regret , and against my conscience ) even when I do sin , it is no more I , ( or my mind and conscience that is governed by the Law , and which may be called my self ) that do it , seeing it disapproves it ; but it is sin that dwells in me , and reigns in my members . It must not be charged upon the Law in my mind , I say , but upon this inhabiting Sin which rules in my members . For I know , and confess freely that in that other part of me , that is to say in my flesh and members , ( which for all the Law rules in my mind , doth yet keep possession of my practice ) dwells no good thing . Nay , on the contrary , there dwells so much evil as proves too strong for the good Law , restraining all its effect to the approbation of my mind , but not suffering it to influence my practice . Which we , as I said , who are subject to the Law find by sad experience . For almost every one of us feels , and must confess this , that to will upon the account of the Law , is present with me ; but then how to perform that which is good after I have will'd it , that I find not . For after the Law has done all that it can upon me , this is still true , that the good that , being instructed by the Law , I would do ; that , being hindred by the prevalence of my lusts , I do not : but as for the evil , which , because of the prohibition of the Law , I would not do ; that , being over-master'd by my lusts , I do . But now all this while , as I said , if what my lusts make me practise , through the Law in my mind I do not approve ; but in doing it , I do that which I would not ; then 't is clear , that my sinning cannot be charged upon the Law , as it is vers . 7. because it hinders it as far as it can . It cannot , I say , be attributed to that , for it is no longer I , or my mind and conscience , that do it ; but to the power of habitual Sin which the good Law cannot conquer , to that sin which dwells and rules in me , i. e. in my bodily members . And therefore to summ up all , I find another Law in my members opposite to the Law of God in my mind which strives against it , and prevails over it ; and makes me practise contrary to what my mind approves . So that when , being enclined by Gods Law , I would do good ; then , being over-ruled by the law of sin , I cannot , but evil is laid before me and present with me . Gods Law , I say , I serve with the mind . For I delight in the Law of God after the inner man of my mind and conscience . But all this while I only approve of it , but no more . For all the effect which it has upon me , is only to create a liking of it in my mind . But as for my practice and Outward performance , it is under anothers power . For I see another opposite Law , ( viz. ) that of Lust and Sin , which is seated in my bodily members , not only warring against the Law of God in my mind , but conquering also and prevailing over it , bringing me into captivity , that absolute sort of subjection and slavery , to practise the Law of Sin which is seated in my members . And since I am so far enslaved to the Law of Lust and Sin when the Law of God undertakes me , that even that Law it self , which God has appointed for my remedy , is not able to rescue and deliver me : I have too great reason to cry out , O! wretched man that I am , who shall deliver me , since this Law given me by Moses is not able to do it , from the slavery and misery of this body of death . This indeed was our condition under the Law , which shews at once the Laws holiness and goodness , and withall its inability and weakness ; because notwithstanding it offer'd some Grace , yet was not that enough , but that during our subjection under it we commonly served sin still . But now as for that slavish service of sin , which a bare Jew , who has no other help against it but Moses's Law , complains of , and longs to be delivered from : that , as I told you at first , we Christians , through the surpassing Grace of Christs Gospel , are delivered from already . So that to such a complaining Jew as I have here personated , I Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ can readily make answer . Alter your subjection , and you shall alter your service too ; for in becoming subject unto Christ instead of the Law , you shall become servants of God instead of serving sin . I thank God there is a way now in Christ for such deliverance , or , as it is read by some copies , f the Grace of God which comes through Jesus Christ our Lord shall deliver you , although the Law could not which came by Moses . But without this Grace I must still tell you that the Law it self will not generally have any such effect upon you ; seeing , as I said , it will only awaken your conscience , but not reform your practice . So then , to shut up this discourse , this you must still conclude upon , that whilst you continue subject to the Law , you will serve sin in your practice , however you may disapprove it in your minds . For I my self , or the g same I under the Law , who with the mind , as has been often observed , serve , in approving , the Law of God ; do yet with the flesh , so long as it has nothing else but the Law to restrain it , serve , in practising , the Law of Sin. But to return to what I said , vers . 5 , 6. of the last Chapter , from whence we have hitherto diverted to answer this objection . I say having by this passage from subjection to the Law , to subjection unto Christ upon the Laws being abolished , changed our service together with our subjection , and become servants now , not unto Sin , but unto Christ : All we Christians are safe from that Death which the Law of the members brought forth fruit to ( Chap. 7. vers . 5. ) and have right to that Eternal Life , which as I said , is the gift of God to all his servants ( Chap. 6. vers . 22 , 23. ) So that what reason soever a poor Jew under the Law , who serves and obeys Sin , may have to cry out of the body of Death : yet we Christians , who began to serve God upon our becoming subject unto Christ , may comfort our selves to see that we are delivered from it . And therefore whatever there be to a striving , but yet unconquering Jew , there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus's Religion , because they are such who have changed their service together with their subjection , and walk not now after the Flesh , as they did formerly whilst the Law held them in subjection , but after the Spirit . This change of service , I say , is wrought in all true Christians by the Law of Christ , although it could not generally be wrought in the Jews by the bare Law of Moses . For the Law and power of the Spirit of life which is given to us in Christ Jesus , and is expresly promised in his ‖ Religion though it were not in the Law of Moses ; that enabling Spirit , I say , hath made me Christian free from the so often mentioned Law of sin , and from the punishment of it , Death . For what the Law of Moses could not do towards our deliverance from the service of sin , in that it was too weak through the overpowering wickedness of the Law of lust in the Flesh ; even that hath God done in sending his own Son Jesus Christ in the likeness of sinful Flesh , and in making him a * Sacrifice for sin , that in his death he might found his own Religion , whereby he hath condemned and destroyed , what the Law of Moses was overcome by , viz. the Law of sin seated in the Flesh. So that by the help of Christs Law perfecting what the Law of Moses wanted , the righteousness which was shown to us and required of us in the Book of the Law of Moses , might be performed and fulfilled in us Christians , although it was not ordinarily in the bare Jews , because we are such , who being Christs Subjects , must be his Servants likewise , and in our works and practice walk not after the lusts of the Flesh , but after the motions of the Spirit . Thus have I given a Paraphrase upon this involved , and so much mistaken Chapter . Wherein I have largely , and , as I hope , truly represented the Apostles meaning , his design and manner of arguing in this place . In all which we see he intends not at all to give a Character of himself , or of any other regenerate man , but only of a midling Sinner , who sins against his Conscience , and transgresses with reluctance . Which Transgressor of a middle rank he particularly represents under the person of an awaked , but as yet unregenerate Jew ; who was one on whom the Law of Moses had wrought some change , but could not work enough ; being able only to awaken his Conscience , but not to reform his practice . So that all that is there said in that seventh Chapter of willing but not performing , &c. only sets off the weakness and imperfection of the Law of Moses as to the making men compleatly obedient ; and the perfection as to this particular of the Law of Christ. The Law of Moses was unable to work a general reformation by reason of several defects , two whereof I shall particularly mention , which in the Religion of Christ are fully supplied ; and they are the great motive to all obedience , eternal life ; and the great encouragement of all endeavour , the promise of the Spirit . Eternal life are words that are never heard of in all Moses's Law. Indeed the good people under it had all some rude thoughts and confused expectations of it ; but the Law it self did no where clearly and expresly propose it . Whereof this may serve for a probable proof , because a whole Sect among them , the Sadducees I mean , did flatly deny it ; and this for an undeniable Argument , because those very * places of the Law , which are brought to confirm it by those Jewish Doctors that are most for it , are in all appearance so remote from it . Nay even our Saviour himself , when he goes to prove it against the Sadducees out of the Books of Moses , can find no other Testimonies for it , than such as are fetched about to speak it by art , and brought to it by consequence , Luke 20.37 , 38. So that well might S t Paul say in triumph over all other Religions in the World , That life and immortality were brought to light by the Gospel , 2 Tim. 1.10 . And in the comparison of that Covenant which came by Moses , with that other which came by Christ ; to affirm that the Covenant which came by Christ was the bringing in of a better hope , Heb. 7.19 ; and a better Covenant , for this reason , because it was established upon better promises , Heb. 8.6 . And then as for the promise of the Spirit to enable men to do what was required of them ; of that Moses made no mention . By this Law , as S t Paul says , was the knowledge of sin , Rom. 3.20 . It shewed men what they should do , and denounced a ‖ Curse upon them if they failed to do it ; but it stopt there , and went not on to promise any inward Grace and help that might enable them to be as good as it required them . No , the promise of that was reserved to another dispensation , and to be the hope of a better Covenant ; it was not to come by Moses , but by Christ ; nor to be an express Article of the Law , but of the Gospel . Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law , saith the Apostle , that now , being under the Gospel , we might receive the promise of the Spirit , which comes not by the Law of Moses , but through the Faith of Christ , Gal. 3.13 , 14. The Law , by its prohibition , made several actions to be sinful , it shewed us what was sin , and it threatned the curse to it ; but that was all that it did towards the extirpation of it ; for , as for any inward strength and ability to overcome it , it offered none , but left us there to our own selves . And because sin was too strong for us , and had got possession of our Bodies and executive Powers , insomuch that we were quite enslaved to it , and as it were sold under it : therefore the Law , by making more things sinful through its prohibition , and not strengthening us against sin through spiritual assistance , instead of lessening the Empire of sin , proved in the end to encrease it . For our lusts not being restrained by it , and more of them becoming sinful by being prohibited ; when the Law entred , as S t Paul says , the offence did more abound , Rom. 5.20 ; and the Law became , not the bane and overthrow of sin ; but , by making its services more numerous , it was rather , as the same Apostle says , the strength of it , 1 Cor. 15.56 . And forasmuch as the Law did only thus outwardly shew and reveal sin to our eyes , but brought along with it nothing of inward Grace and assistance to help us against it ; therefore is it called a Letter without us ; opposite to the Grace of the Gospel , which is an enlivening Spirit within . And since it did nothing more but outwardly shew and threaten sin , but did not inwardly assist and rescue us from it ; it served only to condemn us for what we did , from the doing whereof it brought no inward Grace to hinder us ; and so proved the ministration of death and condemnation , not of life and pardon . All which is plainly affirmed of it in the third Chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians . God , says S t Paul , hath made us Apostles ministers of the New Testament , or * Covenant , not of the external Letter only , as Moses and the Ministers of the Law were ; but of the internal Spirit also . For the Letter or old Law shews sin , and curses men upon the breach of that which they cannot keep , and thereby kills them ; but the Spirit or new Law enables them to do what it commands , and thereby giveth right to life , which is the mercy that it promises . That was the ministration of condemnation ; for it shewed men the curse which it did not enable them to shun : this is the ministration of justification and righteousness , which it both promises and enables them to attain to , ver . 6 , 7 , 8 , 9. 'T is very true indeed , that several of the Jews themselves under the Law of Moses , had really such assistances of Gods Spirit , as enabled them to do , as well as to know what was required of them . For David in all his life and behaviour was a man after Gods own heart , 1 Sam. 13.14 . Zacharias and Elizabeth , as to their walking in all the Commandments of the Lord , were blameless , Luke 1.6 . And the Case was the same with a number of other honest and godly Jews . But then this assistance which they enjoyed was no Article of their Law ; although God afforded it , yet had their Law no where promised it , nor was he bound to it by the Mosaical Covenant . For in very truth all this inward Spirit which was vouchsafed to them , was reached out , not by virtue of the Covenant of the Law , but of the Covenant of Grace . For the Covenant of Grace was not first made with the World when Christ came into it ; but was established long before with Adam , Gen. 3.15 ; and after that confirmed again with Abraham , and all his Seed after him , Gen. 12.3 . Gal. 3.8 , 17. So that under it , as well as under Moses , all the Jews lived ; and by the gracious terms and assisting Spirit of it , all the righteous people , that have been since the beginning of the World , were justified . It being , as S t Paul says , by faith , which is the righteousness of the second Covenant , that the Elders who lived before the Law , obtained a good report , Heb. 11.2 ; and that the Jews , who lived under it , were delivered and justified from all things , from which they could * not be justified by any virtue of the Law of Moses , Acts 13.39 . And therefore that which the Apostle affirms of the defectiveness of the Mosaick Law , viz. it s having no promise of the Spirit to enable men to do what it commanded , is true still . For the Law did not promise it , although several both before and under the Law enjoyed it : but they who had the benefit of it , received it , not from the Covenant of the Law , but from the Covenant of Grace and the Gospel , which has been more or less on foot through all times ever since the World began . And in this Covenant , since Christ has given us the last Edition and perfection of it , both these great defects of the Mosaick Law , which rendered it so unable to work this intire reformation and obedience , are fully supplied . For in every Page of Christ's Gospel , what is so legible as the promise of eternal life ? The joys of Heaven are as much insisted on by Christ , as the delights of Canaan were by Moses . And then as for the other promise , viz. that of the Spirit ; it is now as plainly revealed as words can make it . For we need not to guess at it by signs , or to presume it from probabilities , or to believe it upon Syllogism and consequence : but Christ has spoke out so as to be understood by every capacity , — God will give the holy Spirit to them that ask him , Luke 11.13 . Now because the Law of Moses laboured under these two great defects , which are happily supplied by the Gospel of Christ , by reason whereof it was very unable to effect that reformation of the World which was necessary ; therefore doth the Apostle in several places speak very meanly of it , as of a weak and ineffective Instrument . He affirms plainly , and proves also , That it neither could nor did make men throughly good ; and that therefore God was forced in the fulness of time to make known , and , in Christ's death , to establish a better . If there had been a Law given by Moses which could have given life , then , saith he , verily righteousness should not have needed to be sought by another Covenant ; but have been by the Law. But this we see it could not , for the Scripture hath concluded all those who lived under it to be still under the dominion of sin , that so , since the Law of Moses could not do it , the promise of eternal life , of the Spirit , and of other things which we have by the faith of Jesus Christ , might be given to work and effect it to those that believe , Gal. 3.21 , 22. Something indeed the Law did towards it , for it armed their consciences against sin , so that they could not take their full swing , and transgress without all fear and remorse . And this was some restraint , and kept them from being so ill by far as otherwise they would have been , although it was not able to make them so good as they should . And to lay this hank upon sin , and to check it in some measure , till such time as the Gospel should be more clearly revealed to subdue it perfectly , was that very end for which the Law was at first given , and whereto , so long as it was in force , it served . Wherefore , saith he , serveth the Law of Moses ? It was added to the rude draught of the Gospel-Covenant made with Abraham , because of the transgressions of men which grew very high , that it might in some degree restrain them , till Jesus Christ the seed of Abraham should come , to whom , as to the head and in behalf of his Church , the promise of such Grace as would restrain it fully was made . And to fit it the more for imprinting an awe upon peoples Consciences , whereby it might lay this restraint upon sin , it was ordained at the first giving of it by terrible fire and thundrings made by the Angels , which were so dreadful , that the people desired of God that those formidable Angels might be no more employed in delivering it to them , but that it might be put into the hands of another Mediator , ( viz. ) Moses , who was a man like unto themselves , Gal. 3.19 . But although this restraint upon Sin were something , yet was it far from sufficient ; so that still it is true of the Law of Moses , that notwithstanding it could begin , yet it could finish and make nothing * perfect ; but that it was the bringing in of a better hope than was warranted by the Law , which should do that , Heb. 7.19 . And as for this imperfection and faultiness , which the Apostle imputes to the first Covenant or Law of Moses in these and other places ; it is nothing more , as he observes , than God himself has charged upon it , when he speaks of establishing a better instead of it . For if the first Covenant by Moses had been faultless , and void of imperfection ; then should no place have been sought for the introduction of the second , which it is plain there was . For finding fault with them for their breach of the first Covenant , he saith ( in Jer. 31.31 . ) the dayes come when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel , such as shall make me to be for ever unto them a God ; and enable them to be unto me an obedient People , Heb. 8.7 , 8 , 9 , 10. Now this Inability of the Law of Moses to work a compleat conquest over sin , and a thorow reformation , which the Apostle affirms so clearly in these other places , he sets out more largely and particularly in that seventh Chapter to the Romans . For from the beginning of this Discourse , which I have taken at the 14 th Verse of the 6 th Chapter , to the end of it at the 5 th vers . of the 8 th ; this weakness and inability of the Law is that still which is every where endeavour'd to be made out , and which returns upon us as the conclusion and inference from every argument . Sin must not have dominion over you , saith he , because you are not under the Law , where is the place of its reigning , but under the Grace of Christ , at the 14. verse of the 6 th Chapter . And in the 7 th it is taken notice of at every turn . When you were in the flesh ( or under the Law , which , from its consisting so much of Carnal Ordinances , and giving the flesh so much advantage , is called flesh , Galat. 3.3 . ) the motions of sin , which were encouraged by the weakness of the Law , brought forth fruit unto death : but now being delivered from the weak Law , you serve in newness of spirit , not as you did then , in the oldness of the letter , vers . 5 , 6. Sin taking occasion or advantage over the weak Commandment , wrought in me all manner of concupiscence , vers . 8. When the weak Commandment came , sin revived , and I died , vers . 9. Sin taking occasion or advantage by the Commandment , slew me , vers . 11. by which prevailing over the Commandment it appears to be exceeding sinfull , vers . 13. And at the end of the discourse at the 8 th Chapter , we are told again of the Law of Moses being weak through the conquering power of the flesh , which made it necessary for God to send his own Son with a better Law , which was strong enough to rescue us not of the dominion of it , vers . 3 , 4. So that upon the whole matter it plainly appears , that all that is said in that seventh Chapter of willing but not doing , of sinning against conscience , and transgressing with regret ; doth not at all set forth the savable state of a true Christian under the Gospel of Christ ; but only the state of a midling sinner , of a lost Jew who only struggles but cannot conquer , being yet under the weakness and imperfections of the Mosaick Law. Nay , I add further , So far is any man who continues to work and act his sin , from having any real grounds of hope and encouragement from this place in so doing : that in very deed , if he rightly consider it , it will possess him with the quite contrary . It holds out to him a sentence of death , and shews him plainly the absolute necessity , not only of a willing , but also of a working obedience . For the man who disobeys thus unwillingly , and sins with regret , is so far from being in a state of Life and Salvation notwithstanding his sins , that he is here expresly said to be undone and slain by them . The motions of sin under the law bring forth fruit unto death , vers . 5. when sin revived by the coming of the Commandment , I died , vers . 9. The Commandment which was ordained unto life , I on the contrary found to be unto death , vers . 10. Sin taking occasion and advantage by the Commandment , slew me , vers . 11. Sin wrought death in me by that Law which is good , vers . 13. O! wretched man that I am by reason of this subjection unto sin , who shall deliver me from this body of Sin and Death , vers . 24. But on the other side , if we would belong to Christ , and appear such Servants as he will own and reward at last ; we are taught in this very place that we must not be worsted by sin , but overcome it ; that we must not work evil , but righteousness ; that we must not walk after those sinfull lusts which are seated in the flesh , but after the Law of God which is enthroned in the Spirit . Sin shall not have dominion over you if you are under Grace , Chapter 6.14 . Now yield your members servants unto righteousness , vers . 19. you are become subject , and as it were married to Christ , that you should bring forth fruit to God , Chap. 7. vers . 4. Now being delivered from the Law , we must serve , not sin , as we did under it , but God in newness of spirit , vers . 6. The Grace of God through Jesus Christ hath delivered me from this body of death , vers . 24 , 25. The Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus , when I became truly and acceptably Christian , hath made me free from the law of Sin and Death , Chap. 8. vers . 2. So that the righteousness of the Law , which it was not able to work in me , is now , by means of the Gospel , wrought and fulfilled in me ; for since I came under it , I am one who walk not after the flesh , but after the spirit , vers . 4. So that all the while we see , this is a Truth most sure and stedfast , which S t Paul is so far from opposing in this seventh Chapter to the Romans , that in reality he avers and confirms it , ( viz. ) that if we do commit sin and work iniquity , it will not excuse us to say that we did it unwillingly . The regret in sinning may be allowed , as was shewn in the last Chapter , to lessen our crime , and thereby to abate our punishment ; but that is all which it can do , for it cannot quite exempt us from it . And thus at last we see , that this fourth ground of shifting off the necessity of this service with our actions , ( viz. ) our hope of being saved at the last day , although we have not obeyed in our works , but have wrought disobedience , because when we did so , it was with reluctance and unwillingness ; is no less delusive than are all the former . It will certainly fail any man who trusts to it , and , if he will not see it before , make him know the falseness of it , when it is too late to rectifie and amend it . As for all those foundations therefore whereupon men build their hopes of a happy sentence , without ever obeying with their strength or bodily powers , ( viz. ) the conceit of being saved for Orthodox Opinions , for ineffective desires , for never transgressing but through a strong temptation , or with an unwilling mind : they are all false grounds , snares of death , and inlets to damnation . But as ever we expect that our obedience should avail us unto Pardon and Life , we must obey with our strength or bodily powers , as well as with our wills , our passions , and our understandings . If we would have God at the last day to approve our service , and to reward and justifie our obedience , this , and nothing less than this must be done towards it . We must not only desire , but do ; it is not enough to will and approve , but we must work and practise what is commanded us . We must not barely think right in our minds , or desire with our affections , or choose with our wills ; but , as the Perfection and Crown of all , we must put to our strength and executive powers , and work the will of God in our lives and actions . Without this , if we have life and opportunity , all other things will signifie nothing . For it is he who doth good , saith S t John , who will be looked upon to be of God , 3 Joh. 11. Little children , saith the same Apostle , let no man deceive you , for it is only he who * doth righteousness , who in Gods judgement is righteous , 1 Joh. 3.7 . It is this service of our strength or bodily powers , in our outward works and operations , which makes up our duty , and secures our reward : Blessed are they that do his Commandments , for they only have right to the great reward , the Tree of Life , Revel . 22.14 . But on the other side , if we do evil , and work iniquity ; no service of our other faculties can stand us in any stead , but in Gods account we shall be esteemed wicked wretches , children of wrath , and heirs of destruction . For the words of our Saviour Christ himself , who is to judge of it , are vehement and plain . Verily , verily I say unto you , whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin , Joh. 8.34 . He who commits sin is of the devil , for whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God , but a child of the devil , 1 Joh. 3.8 , 10. And as this working wickedness , howsoever we are against it in our thoughts and desires , makes us , in Gods account , sons of sin and disobedience ; so will it be sure to render us withall children of wrath and destruction . If you live after the flesh , saith S t Paul , you shall die , Rom. 8.13 . And whatever men think in their minds , or desire in their hearts , or profess in their words to the contrary ; if for all that they have sinned impenitently in their actions , Christ has told them plainly that he will pronounce , when he comes to sit as their Judge , — Depart from me all ye that work iniquity , Mat. 7.23 . As for this fourth faculty therefore , our strength or bodily powers in outward works and operations ; it is one necessary ingredient of an entire obedience . The service of our works is indispensably required to our pardon and happiness , as well as the service of our minds , our wills , and our affections ; so that as ever we hope to live , our obedient thoughts and desires must end in an obedient practice . And thus at last we see what those powers or faculties are , whose concurrence in Gods Service is necessary to make up an entire obedience . We must obey all the particular Laws that are recounted in the former Book with our whole man , both with our minds , and souls , and hearts , and strength : all these several powers must unite in Gods Service , before it will be upright and compleat , such as at present his Law requires , and such as at the last day he will accept of . CHAP. V. Of the second sort of integrity , an integrity of times and seasons . The CONTENTS . Of the second sort of Integrity , viz. that of Times and Seasons . Of the unconstancy of many mens obedience . Perseverance necessary unto bliss . The desperate case of Apostates , both as to the difficulty of their recovery from sin , and the greatness of their punishment . BUt besides the Integrity of our powers and faculties , or the Integrity of the Subject , whereof I have discoursed hitherto ; there is a second sort of Integrity which is plainly necessary to make our obedience available to our salvation at the last day ; and that is an Integrity of seasons and opportunities , or our obeying the forementioned Laws , not now , and then , but at all times . We must not think to please God by an obedience that comes and goes by fits ; or by serving him only at such times as we are in humour , or have no temptation to the contrary . But our service of him must be constant and uniform , we must obey him at all times , and wilfully transgress in none . For although all other things have their proper season , yet sin has not ; it is alwayes forbidden , and alwayes threatned ; so that whensoever we commit it , it puts us under the curse , and makes us liable to death and hell . Some indeed there are who parcel out their time , and divide it betwixt God and their sins . They observe a constant course of transgressing and repenting , of sin and sorrow . For they are alwayes won when they are tempted , and they are alwayes sorrowfull when they have done . They are all holy purpose and good resolution before they are tryed ; but when the temptation comes they can make but a poor resistance , for all their good thoughts quickly vanish , and they are taken . They are never constant either in pious purposing , or in well-doing . Their actions are not all of a piece , but a medly of good and bad ; for they still keep on in an uninterrupted vicissitude and succession of works of obedience and sin . Others again there are who act more agreeably to themselves , and , whilst they are for God , are more constant in their obedience ; who yet fall off at last , and sin against him for altogether . For either they grow faint and weary by the tediousness and length of their journey ; or they are turned out of the way by some great difficulties ; or drawn aside by the importunate allurements of some temptation : and when once by any of these wayes they are put beside their duty , they turn their backs thenceforward upon God , and never more obey him . They are seduced by ill company , or drawn away by interest , or frighted by persecution ; and from that time their care slackens , and their lusts encrease , and grow too hard for Grace and the Gospel . And thus , what from inducements from within , and what from occasions from without , they are quite cut off from the service of God and Religion , and give themselves up to serve their lusts for altogether , and to an uninterrupted obedience of sin . But now as for such a broken service and obedience as this ; God will by no means accept of it , nor shall any man be ever the better by it . For when Christ comes to Judgment , he will pass Sentence upon men according to what they are then , and not according to what they have been formerly . If the righteous man turn away from his righteousness , saith Ezekiel , and commit iniquity , and do according to all that the wicked man doth ; shall he live ? No , by no means . For all his righteousness that he hath done formerly shall not be mentioned , but in his trespass that he hath since trespassed , and in his sin that he hath sinned ; in them shall he dye , Ezek. 18.24 . It is only if you continue in my Word , saith our Saviour , that you are my Disciples indeed , John 8.31 . You must persevere in obedience if you expect to have the reward of it . For he only who endures to the end shall be saved , Matth. 10.22 ; and none but they , who by PATIENT CONTINVANCE in well doing seek for Glory and Immortality , shall inherit eternal life , Rom. 2.6 , 7. Perseverance is the indispensable condition of bliss , we cannot have it cheaper ; Be thou faithful unto death , and then , saith Christ , I will give thee a Crown of life , Rev. 2.10 . But as for all those who fall off from a good course , and turn Apostates from obedience ; their case is desperate , and their condition extreamly damnable . For they grow wicked to the highest degree , and their state is almost irrecoverable . They have , by their continued rebellion and provocations in spite of all the suggestions of Gods Grace , and the checks of their own Conscience , not only grieved , but even quenched the Spirit of God. So that God , for the most part , leaves them to themselves , and seeks no further to reduce them . For if men are idle , and will not use it ; and much more if they scornfully cast it from them , and reject it ; Christ hath told us plainly that the Grace which any man hath shall be taken from him , Matth. 25. 29. And when once God and his good Spirit have deserted them , they are under nothing but an unbridled lust , and run on , without all restraint , into an exorbitant pitch of wickedness . And this any man may easily observe in the world . For who is usually so evil as the backsliding Sinner ? Who is ordinarily so irrecoverable as the Apostate Saint ? They are quite lost to all goodness , and sin beyond all bounds and past all retrieve . No Creatures in the World were ever so much out of all capacity to be restored to Heaven , as those Angels that fell from it ; and no men on Earth are so hardly reclaimed from a wicked to a holy life , as they who once knew what it was , and yet utterly renounced it . For God for the most part lets them alone to enjoy their own choice , and to go on in their own way ; and the good Spirit , which has been almost quenched by them , contends no more with them , nor acts any more upon them . They have trampled already upon all spiritual aids , and benummed and silenced their own Consciences , and quite hardened themselves in their wickedness ; so that now they have nothing to hinder them , but advance to work all manner of sin with greediness and wantonness , and thereby fall under the severest curse that can be met with in Hell and damnation . And as for this progress of all Renegado Saints and revolting Sinners , both in sin , and also in suffering ; the Scripture is express and plain . When the unclean Spirit , which is once gone out of a man , returns into him again , says our Saviour , he taketh unto himself seven other Spirits , which are more wicked than he himself is , and they enter in and dwell there : and the last state of that man is made worse in all respects by this means , than the first , Matth. 12.43 , 44 , 45. The man becomes a greater Sinner , and a greater Sufferer than otherwise he ever would have been . For if after men have once escaped the pollution of the world , through the knowledg of Christ's Gospel , they are again entangled therein , and overcome by it ; then is the latter end worse with them than the beginning . For it had really been by much the better for them not to have known the way of righteousness at all ; than after they have known and walked in it , to put such a slur upon it , and to revolt and turn from the holy Commandment , which was delivered unto them , and for some time embraced by them , 2 Pet. 2.20 , 21. As for an obedience then which goes but half way , and breaks off before it has got to the end : so far is it from availing us unto pardon and life , that in very deed it renders our present case more desperate , and our future punishment more insupportable . But that obedience which God will accept , and in which alone we may safely place our confidence ; must be , as of our whole man , so of our whole time likewise . We must persevere in it through all Seasons , and take care both to live and dye in it . For our reward will be dispensed out to us according to the nature of our service at the time of payment , and he only , as our Saviour says , that endureth to the end shall be saved , Matth. 10.22 . CHAP. VI. Of the third sort of integrity , viz. that of the Object ; or of obedience to all the particular Laws and parts of Duty . The CONTENTS . Of the partiality of mens obedience from their love of some particular sins . Three pretences whereby they justifie the allowed practice of some sins , whilst they are obedient in some other instances . The first pretence is the preservation of their Religion and themselves in times of persecution . A particular account of mens disobedience under this pretence . The vanity of it shown from the following considerations . Religion needs not to be rescued from persecution . The freedom of outward means of Religion is restrained by it , but the substance of Religion it self is not . It is extended in some parts , and ennobled in all by sufferings . Where it needs to be defended , disobedience is no fit means to preserve it , because God cannot be honoured , nor Religion served by it . Religion and the love of God is only the colour ; but the true and real cause of such disobedience is a want of Religion , and too great a love of mens own selves . Men are liable to be deceived by this pretence from a wrong Notion of Religion for religious opinions and professions . A true Notion of Religion for religious practice upon a religious belief , as it implies both faith and obedience . The danger of disobedience upon this pretence . The practice of all religious men in this case . Of Religion in the narrow acceptation , for religious professions and opinions . The commendable way of mens preserving it . First , By acting within their own sphere . Secondly , By the use only of lawful means . Thirdly , By a zeal in the first place for the practice of religious Laws , and next to that for the free profession of religious opinions . BUT to render our service perfectly intire and compleatly upright , it is not enough that there be an integrity of the Subject , by our obeying with all our powers ; or an integrity of time , by our obeying in all Seasons ; of which two I have discoursed hitherto : but it is further necessary that there be an integrity of the Object also ; or that what we do thus obey with our whole man , and our whole time , be nothing less than all the particular Laws of Duty and instances of Obedience ; nothing under the whole will of God. We must not a pick and chuse in the doing of our Duty , for if we do not obey all , we obey not b right in any . Because all the Laws of God are bound upon us by the same power , and enjoyned by the same Authority ; so that if we fulfil any one upon this account of his having required it , the same reason holds for our fulfilling all the rest . This indeed is very hardly believed , because it is so hard to practise . For almost every man has some sin or other , which he can as well dye as part with : It has got his heart , and is become the Master of his affections ; and since he loves it so dearly , he hopes that God will bear with it too . He will part with any thing else for Gods sake , he will not stick at any other service , nor repine at any other imposition ; all that he craves is only to be tolerated in his Darling Lust , and to be allowed to serve him without cutting off what is as useful as his right hand , or pulling out what is as dear to him as his own right eye , to please him . And when men are thus desirous of reconciling the service of God with the service of their lusts ; when they are resolved to hope , and yet resolved to sin : they have no other way but to perswade themselves that the keeping of some Precepts shall attone for the transgression of others , and to bear up themselves with the delusive hopes and false confidences of a partial and a half obedience . They presently forge new terms of life and pardon which God never made , and which he will never stand to : for finding that they do not perform all his Laws , and yet resolving that what they do perform shall be sufficient for them ; they straightway fansie that if they do keep some , for the rest they shall have a Dispensation . It shall be enough for them to part with such lusts for Gods sake as they can best spare ; but some they will keep , and them he must allow ; and so instead of a perfect and intire , they put him off with a partial and a maimed service . Now this partiality of obedience is in so many kinds , as men have sins that are endeared to them , which they will not leave for God's sake , but join with him . For every beloved sin can make an interest and Party , and if it reign in us so far as to make us fulfil it , and to disobey in it , our obedience in other things is all that we have to shew besides , and therefore it must be our excuse for it . And this being an errour of such eternal moment , and a Rock whereupon all the souls , which miscarry under any appearances of piety , are split ; I will be particular in recounting and evacuating those colours and pretences wherewith men deceive their own souls , and think that they justifie and defend it . Now as for those false grounds and pretensions , whereby men seek to shelter themselves under the practice of such bosome-sins as they overlook , because they have no mind to leave them , hoping to be secured , whilst they continue in them , because of their obedience in other parts of Duty , which is a partial obedience : Those pretensions , I say , which are most pleadable in this matter , are these that follow , viz. because their indulgence of themselves in those instances wherein they disobey is either upon one or more of these accounts . 1. For the preservation of their Religion and of themselves in times of danger and persecution . 2. For the supply of their necessities , by sinful arts , compliances and services , in times of want and indigence . 3. For the satisfaction of their Flesh in sins of temper and complexion , age , or way of life . 1. The first pretence whereby men justifie to their own thoughts the indulged transgression of several Laws , whilst they obey in others ; is because those transgressions , wherein they allow themselves , are necessary for the preservation of their Religion and of themselves in those times of danger and persecution , wherein Gods Providence has placed them . Religion is in danger , and like to be undermined by the close and subtle arts , or overborn by the more open and powerful violence of strong and witty Enemies . And this is Gods Cause , and Christ our Lord and Saviours interest ; so that whatever is done here , we think is in service of our Maker . If we fight , it is his battles ; if we spitefully persecute and devour , it is his enemies ; if we rob and spoil , it is to weaken his adversaries ; if we lye and dissemble , it is to defeat the designs of such as he will call Rebels ; if we transgress in all the instances , and use all the lawless liberties of war , it is because we are engaged in his quarrel . The Cause which we contend for , and have to manage , is sacred ; and that we believe will justifie all means , and hallow any services whatsoever . So that our heat and fierceness , wrath and bitterness , envy and malice , revenge and cruelty , endless strife and ungovernable variance , spoils and robberies , seditions and murthers , wars and tumults : in a word , all the transports of passion and peevishness , anger and ill nature , rigour and revenge , are all sacred under this Cover ; and pass for holy zeal and pious vehemence , and religious concern for God ; whenas , in reality , they are a most impious throwing off , and bursting through all the Tyes of Religion , and Bonds of Duty towards men . All these enormous effects and horrible instances of an indulged disobedience , are at this Day the consequents of this pretension . For some on one hand , who call us Hereticks , and enemies to Christ and holy Church , think no means sinful whereby they can weaken and divide , seduce , surprize , or any way destroy us . For they esteem it lawful to dissemble under all shapes to gain a Proselyte , or to disaffect a Party to our Communion and Government . They act a part and play the Hypocrite in all Disguises , and under cover of all Trades , the better to insinuate themselves among all sorts of men ; they will affirm falshood , even of their own Church , when it serves their turn ; and deny any Doctrines , Precepts , or Parts of it , when they are a scandal to the persons whom they would practise upon , and make against them . They make no conscience of lyes and perjuries in conversation , when thereby they can promote the Churches interest . For they have found out ways to deceive without lying , and to lye without sin , and to forswear without perjury , and to perjure themselves without danger ; by their pious frauds , and religious arts of equivocations , mental reservations , dispensations , pardons and indulgences . They can be treacherous and faithless without breach of faith , if it were made to Hereticks ; they assassinate and murther Magistrates , embitter and embroil Subjects against their Governours , and against one another ; they conspire the death of Kings , the confusion and fall of Kingdoms , the ruine of all that dare oppose them , yea even of all that differ from them . And all this they do for Christ's sake , in a zealous concern for God and Religion , and for the utter extirpation of all heresie and schism . It is this pretence which bears them out through all , and makes them believe that they are serving God , whilst after this extravagant rate they are overturning his whole Gospel . And others again even of our own selves , who justly abhor these damnable instances of disobedience upon the pretence of preserving or propagating Religion in some furious and fiery spirited sort of Papists , ( for God forbid that we should think them all to be of this temper ) do yet run into the same extravagance , which upon so great reason they condemn in them . For if we look into our zeal for the common Religion of Protestants , we shall find that we transgress many , and those most material and weighty Laws of it , whilst we express our affection and concern to defend and preserve it . For doth not this pretence of preserving our Religion carry us beyond all the bounds of peaceableness , and good subjection ? Our great fears about its defence make us daily to distrust our Governours , to think and speak irreverently and reproachfully of their persons , to undervalue all their counsels , to misconstrue all their actions and proceedings , and with much undutifull credulity and unchristian rashness to believe and spread abroad concerning them most odious suspicions and invidious reports ; they make us pragmatical and busie-bodies , to go out of our own sphere , and to usurp upon the Magistrates , in projecting means and expediencies , prejudging Criminals , and irreverent censuring , reproaching , yea , and oft-times slandering of our Governours , if they , either in Court or Council , at the Board or on the Bench , determine contrary to our anticipations . They make us to disturb the quiet , and to unsettle the peace of our fellow-subjects , in filling their minds with endless jealousies about their Princes care , and their own safety , and in possessing them with discontents , and undutifull suspicions , words and actions , to the great weakning of Government , and disturbance of the publick peace . Yea , I add further , these same fears for our endangered Religion transport us into the transgression of sundry weighty Laws , which oblige us towards our very enemies who have contrived to destroy us . For they have made us most partially backward to believe any thing that is good , and forward to catch at every thing that is spoken ill against them . They have made many of us fierce and implacable , malicious and revengefull ; they have caused us to thirst after their blood , and to be in pain when they escape ; to measure our Religion , and the soundness of our piety , by a reproachfull , spitefull , and implacable usage and behaviour towards them . All which are tempers and practices most contrary to those Laws of forgiving injuries , of loving enemies , of praying for our persecutors , of returning good to all that have evilly entreated us , of meekness and patience , mercy and placableness towards the worst of men , yea , even the worst of enemies , which are so much the soul and spirit of that Religion , which we pretend to be so zealously concerned for . And if we look into our Zeal for our several parties , how many other Laws shall we find to be daily transgressed , I will not say for the preservation , but even , where that is sufficiently secured , for the higher advancement and encrease of them ? For what rude and unmannerly , envious and ill-natured reflections are daily cast upon those persons , especially Ministers , and men of Note and Eminence , who differ from us ? How forward are many among us to undervalue and disparage , to contemn and affront them ; to heap reproach and infamy upon them , thereby to render their persons ridiculous , and their pains useless ? For are not several of us perpetually censuring and speaking evil of them , undervaluing all their real virtues , putting hard and uncandid interpretations upon all their actions , prying diligently and maliciously into all their defects , and aggravating all their faults or follies , raising continually , and spreading to their disparagement uncharitable and envious , yea , oft-times false and slanderous reports ? We envy and hate , reproach and censure , revile and slander , bite and devour one another ; and all this fierceness and uncharitableness we use for that meek , that charitable , gentle , quiet thing , Religion . For in its service we take our selves to be engaged , and so long we fancy that we have a liberty of saying , or doing any thing . Thus full of Sin and Disobedience is this sanctified pretence . It is the cover for every offence , and the common shelter for all transgressions ; for we boggle not at any Sin so long as it tends to preserve us in the prosperous profession of our endangered or oppressed Religion . But if men would consider calmly , and have patience to look beyond the surface and bare outsides of things , they would soon discern the vanity of this pretence , and how far it will be from excusing any such sinfull and disobedient practices as they seek to justifie and warrant by it . For as for true and substantial Religion , for protection on whereof they would be thought to venture upon all these transgressions , it stands in no need of their help to preserve it in persecuting times , although they should use innocent and just means , not such as are sinfull and disobedient . It would live then without their care , and whether they went about by any politick means to preserve it yea , or no. For Religion is not lost when Religious men are persecuted ; it doth not suffer , when they do that profess it , seeing it is not one jot impaired when men are buffetted and imprison'd , nay , bleed and dye for it . Indeed as for the freedom of the outward means of Religion , ( viz. ) the publickness of preaching , the community of prayers , the unrestrained use of Sacraments , and the like ; they are much straitned by persecutions , and we must expect to feel either a great want , or at least a great difficulty in them when Times are troublesome . A persecuting Government can in great measure deprive us of them , when after our utmost use of all such means , as are no wayes undutifull or against any Law of Christ , we are not able longer to preserve them . But as for the substantial part and main body of Religion it self , which consists in sound faith , and upright obedience , and which those outward means are appointed to beget in us ; no state of Times need make them wanting . For they are within our selves , and depend altogether upon Gods Grace , and our own Free Wills ; so that all the Powers of Earth and Hell are never able to rob us of them . Could the violence of persecution have oppressed our Religion , it had been stifled in the birth . For it entred in a persecuting age , and yet it was not overborn by the pressure of its sufferings , but bravely overcame them . It begun , grew up , and conquer'd all the world in the very heat of affliction and opposition ; the more it was burdened , the more still it spread ; and the more men sought to straiten it , the further was it enlarged ; the common observation then being this , that the c unparallel'd sufferings of its professors , were the true prolifick , cause of the vast encrease of the Church . And indeed what should hinder Religion from thriving in evil times ? For the same Religious Duties , which are practised with more ease in a prosperous , are exercised also , but with greater honour , in an afflicted state of things . To believe , and do well ; to be pious and pure , chast and sober , just and charitable , meek and gentle , quiet and peaceable , with all other instances of a substantial and acceptable Religion , are indifferent and undetermined to any turns of Providence . They may be shewn under fines and imprisonments , axes and halters ; as well , and much more honourably , than in times of ease and softness . Nay , some of its most eminent parts and noble instances are not capable of being exercised at other times . For the duties of patience , and taking up the cross , of forgiving injuries , and doing good to enemies , of praying for them that persecute us , and despitefully use us , which are the most exalted strains , and glorious heights of our Religion , are such , for which a peaceable and prosperous , a favourable and flourishing age affords no famous opportunities . For we must be in a state of suffering evil , and labouring under a load of persecution , before we can sufficiently evidence how readily , how magnanimously , how meekly , how charitably and Christian-like we can undergo it . So that as for Religion and Sufferings , they are at no such distance but that they may very easily be made to meet ; they bear no such mutual opposition , but that they may very well consist together ; nay , I add farther , but that they may honour and ennoble , and in many instances , enlarge and improve each other . And therefore Religion needs not to be preserved from sufferings , since it can not only live in them , but is also much extended , heightned , and advanced by them . But where Religion wants our help , and calls for our assistance ; yet is it not possible for us to please God , or to secure it by sinfull means , but only by such as are either virtuous , or at least innocent . It is not possible for us , I say , to please God by sinfull means , although we intend them for his own service . For what is there in God that should be served by our sins ? Is his Love for any thing greater than his hatred is for sin , so as the gratefulness of that should make this , otherwise most offensive , an acceptable service ? Is any thing that we can offer to him so pleasing as our obedience ? Is he more delighted when we follow our own counsel , than when we follow his ; when we do our own , than when we do his pleasure ? For all those Laws of the Gospel , and instances of obedience , which under this pretension we transgress , are wayes of Gods own appointment ; they are a service of his own choosing , a Religion that is most agreeable to his mind , and fitted in all things according to his liking ; a rule that he has thought most absolute to direct our actions , and most fit for us to walk by . If then we would exp●●ss our concern for God , our venerable esteem of his wi●dom , our acquiescence in his choice , our submission to his ordering , our acknowledgement of his authority , and our chearfull compliance with his pleasure ; let us do it by a religious observance of these Rules which are of his own prescribing . Let us honour him in his own way , by doing our duty , and practising such things as he has made expressions of honour , by making them instances of obedience . For disobedience can serve no interest of God , nothing that we can do being so effectual a reproach to all his Attributes , as to disobey him . Nor is the use of evil and unlawfull means in any wise a fitter expression of our care for Religion . For what is there in Religion , that can be honoured and advanced by disobedience ? Is there any thing in it so sacred as the Divine Laws ; and dare any man call that his care of them , when he lays wast , and plainly rejects them ? It is gross impudence for any man to pretend Piety in the breach of Duty ; and to cry up Religion whilst he is acting irreligiously ; he prides himself in the empty name , when it is clear to all that he has lost the thing ; for as for Piety it self , and true Religion , by transgressing and trampling upon the Divine Laws , he doth not further and defend , but impiously and irreligiously destroys it . It is not Religion then , whatever men may vainly pretend , that makes them run into the breach of Laws , and contempt of Duty lest they should suffer in the profession of it . For God and Religion owe them no thanks for such a course , because he is not honoured , nor it strengthned and preserved , but ruined and destroyed by it . But the true and real cause of such disobedience , whereof God and Religion are only the colour and false pretence , is plainly a great want of Religion , and of the love of God , and too great a love of the world , and of mens own selves . Men are hurried away by an unmortified love of pleasures , honours , and temporal interests ; and they have not Religion enough to restrain and over-rule them . For these it is , and not Religion , which sufferings and persecuting times take from them : and an ungovernable desire to preserve these , which makes them so violent , as that , at such times , no Laws of Religion can hold them . When men set at nought and disparage Governours , disobey Laws , disturb the Publick Peace , injure their Fellow-subjects , and commit several other sinfull acts and irreligious violations of the Laws of Christ , that they may keep off Persecution for the profession of the Christian Faith : they shew plainly that they will follow Christ only in a thriving , but not in a suffering Religion . They will serve him no longer than he sets them uppermost , and above their Brethren . For rather than suffer any loss , and fall into any dangers for their adherence to him ; they will leave him and his Laws to fend for themselves , and flatly disobey him . But when they do so , it is shameless hypocrisie to pretend , that all their transgressions and disobedience is still upon the Principle , and from the Power of Religion ; since it is not Religion , but a resolution to be uppermost ; not duty , but ambition , covetousness , sensuality , revenge , or a nest of some other unmortified and reigning vices of like nature , which makes them under pretence of a conscientious care for religious profession , to destroy all religious practice . This , one would think , is plain and evident to any man who can have the patience to consider it ; that True Religion can never be the cause of sin , or make men irreligious and disobedient . That must not for shame be called mens Religion , but their Lust which makes them wicked , and carries them on to transgress Gods Laws , that are the chief and sovereign part of his Religion , which , who so keeps , is a religious , as whosoever breaks them , is an ungodly and irreligious man. This indeed is clear Doctrine , and obvious to any common , if it be withall a free and considerate understanding . And it were scarce possible that any men should think otherwise , had they not either by accicident , hast , or ill design , taken up an odd notion of Religion altogether different from that which the Scriptures give , and which all considerately religious men have of it . For by Religion they mean only their adherence to the Doctrines and Opinions , but not to the Laws and Precepts of the Gospel . And when they talk of defending and maintaining of Religion ; they intend not a defence of Laws , but of Notions ; not a maintenance of the practice of Christian Precepts , but only of the profession of Christian Doctrines . They are of the Religion which Christ reveals , but not of that which he commands ; they will know and believe what he pleases , but do what they please themselves . They are only for a Religion of Orthodox Tenets , but not of Vpright Practice ; and if thereby they can preserve men safe in thinking and professing well ; they fancy that God will not be offended with their use of any means , though never so wicked and disobedient . But this is a most gross mistake , and a most dangerous Notion of Religion , which is quite another thing than what this conceit doth represent it to be . For , First , The prime part and matter of Religion is the practick part , ( viz. ) the Laws and Precepts , the Promises and Threatnings of the Gospel . And agreeably thereto the prime business of all Religious men is an obedient practice , and performance of them , or a virtuous discharge of duty and a holy life . This is that Religion whereby all of us must stand or fall , and that great condition , which , as I have shewn , we must for ever live or dye by . When Christ comes to judgement , sayes Saint Paul , he will render to every man according to his deeds , Rom. 2.6 . And in that prospect of the last judgment , which S t John tells us God vouchsafed him , men were judged every one according to their works , Rev. 20.13 . This Religion of Obedience and a good Life , is that which the Gospel is full of , wherein every Chapter , nay almost every verse of it instructs us , and some way or other directs , exhorts , encourages and excites to . And therefore , as ever we would pass for Religious men in the Scripture Notion , we must be carefull to live in all Piety towards God , by complying readily with all his Laws , depending upon his Providence , and resigning our selves up to his pleasure ; in all purity and soberness , being free from all lust and intemperance , all sinfull pleasures , and covetous practices ; in all justice and charitableness , doing right , and keeping peace , and shewing mercy towards all men . This , sayes S t James , will pass for pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father at the last day , if in such instances as these we have expressed , not our Opinions , but our Obedience ; by visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction , and by keeping our selves unspotted from all filthiness and disobedience of the world . But if any man pretends to be religious , who is destitute of this obedience , that mans religion is vain , Jam. 1.26 , 27. Secondly , Another great part and object of Religion , is the Doctrines of the Gospel . And agreeably another act or instance of Religious Service , is Faith , or Orthodox Belief . And this is intended by God himself as a means to produce the former ; Faith being the great instrument in working out our obedience . For this is that victory , sayes S t John , which makes us conquerors , and overcometh the world , even our Faith , 1 Joh. 5.4 . An obedient practice is all that a righteous faith aims at ; it is its end and perfection , that which consummates and compleats it . It being , as S t James assures us , by works which faith d co-operates and concurs to , that faith is made perfect , Jam. 2.22 . And this all the points of our Christian Faith are most admirably fitted to effect in us . For in that epitome and compendious account of them , whereinto they were contracted by the Apostles , and which is usually called the Apostles Creed , there is not any one purely speculative Article , or point of idle notion , and meer belief . But every one is influential upon our practice , and helps on our obedience ; as any man , of competent skill and abilities , may discern by running over the particulars . These two then , ( viz. ) Knowledge and Practice , or Faith and Obedience , take in the compass , and integrate the nature of our Religion . Obedience is the chief thing , and first in Gods design ; and Faith or Knowledge is the great means which God has prescribed us , whereby to compass and effect it . So that Religion in that sense wherein the Scriptures use , and God at the last day will reward it ; is the same , as obedience to the Gospel proceeding from a belief of it , or , in Saint Paul's phrase , an Obedient Faith , or a Faith which worketh by Love , Gal. 5.6 . And now let any man , who considers this , bethink himself , and tell me whether the transgression of Gods Laws can ever be called Religion in the Scripture-sense ; or whether it be possible for men to evidence themselves to be Religious by their disobedience . For the making us obedient to Gods Laws is the great design , and ruling part of all true and acceptable Religion ; and the belief and profession of Gods Truth is an exercise and instance of it that avails us only so far , as it concurs to , and effects this Religion of Obedience . So that Religion is not preserved , but lost by breach of Duty ; it is never strengthned by disobedient and sinfull means , but is alwayes wasted and destroyed by them . Let no man therefore ever dare to make Religion a cover for unlawfull Lusts ; or dream of protecting it from sufferings and persecutions this way . For God will by no means endure such gross mockery and hypocritical pretensions , as for men to feign piety in the breach of Duty ; but if they wickedly transgress his Laws , and continue impenitently to disobey him , let their Forms and Professions of Religion be what they will , he will take severe and endless vengeance on them for their impious and irreligious disobedience . If they are scandalized at the Cross , that is , if they fall off from religious and obedient walking into irreligious transgressions , to prevent those crosses that in persecuting times are annexed to a religious practice and profession ; they are scandalized , or e offended in him . The Cross is to them a f stumbling-block , and a rock of offence , it makes them trip , and turn out of their duty ; because they will disown their Lord , and break all his Laws rather than undergo it . And this is a most provoking sin , and subjects men to a most dreadful punishment . For as God will abundantly recompence any losses which befall us through the exercise of an obedient Religion , and a pious conscience ; so will he also inflict such torments , as infinitely surpass all those light and present advantages , which we may at any time promise our selves from our politick disobedience . For whosoever , by sinfull means , will seek in perillous and persecuting times , such as those were , to save his life in this world ; he shall certainly lose it for ever in the next world : but whosoever shall lay down his life for Christs sake ( in taking up that cross which is laid upon a Christian profession , and a Christian practice ) that same man shall save and encrease it eternally , Luk. 9.23 , 24. So that no dangers in obedience , can ever render it secure for any man to disobey . But that which God indispensably exacts of us in perillous cases is this . Fear not them which kill the body , but , after that is done , have nothing more to fright you with , being utterly unable to kill , or so much as touch the soul ; but fear him who exacts obedience of you even at such times as your bodies are like to perish for it , for he , after he hath killed the body , which is all that they can do , is able eternally to destroy both body and soul in hell , Mat. 10.28 . No dangers then can make obedience cease to be our Duty , nor any sufferings make it cease to be our Interest : So that neither Religion , nor Prudence will ever allow of sinfull means ; but every Religious , yea , every wise man must take up the Cross , and patiently bear any sufferings that come upon him for Religion , rather than use any breach of duty , or unlawfull wayes , either to prevent , or remove it . And this the Saints of God and Religious men alwayes did . For no dangers or hazards , no pains or sufferings in obedience could ever draw them to seek for shelter by disobeying . David was tryed with hazards and persecutions of all sorts , but neither sense of present , nor fears of future evils could ever chase him from his duty , or make him seek relief from iniquity and sin . He could not be forced upon it by the most apparent dangers even of the most affecting loss , the loss of life it self . The wicked , saith he , have laid a snare for me , yet I erred not from thy Precepts . My soul is continually in my hand ready to be snatched out of it , yet do I not forget thy Law , Psal. 119.109 , 110. He was not grieved , or frighted into it , either by the pressure of his pains , or by the number of his persecutors : They had almost consumed me upon earth , but I forsook not thy Commandments , vers . 87. and many now still are my persecutors and enemies , yet do I not decline from thy testimonies , vers . 157. The Holy Apostles of our Saviour conflicted with more difficulties and distress , persecutions , and sufferings for the Religion and Obedience of their Lord , than any men , I think , ever did , or it may be ever will do . I think , sayes S t Paul , that God hath set forth us Apostles last , as it were men appointed to the bloodiest , which is usually the last , scene of all , even to death it self . For we are exposed to slaughter , as men were , in the tragical sports of that time , upon a publick theatre , being made a spectacle unto the world , and to angels , and to men . From the first entrance on our office even to this present hour , we both hunger , and thirst , and are naked , and are buffetted , and have no certain dwelling place , being made as the very filth of the world , and the off-scouring of all things from the first to this day , 1 Cor. 4.9 , 11 , 13. If any straits could authorize an evil action , or if any pressures could justifie a disobedient escape , sure these would . But they knew too well the nature of their Religion ever to dream of a liberty to sin that they might avoid persecution ; and they were too resolutely addicted to it ever to attempt it . For neither the extremity of their sufferings , nor the desperateness of their danger , could ever make them transgress their duty , or go beyond the Laws of their Religion to lessen or prevent them . But they obeyed bravely and entirely , even in the highest strains , even in the most ungratefull instances , even in those matters , wherein , if any where , the malice and violence of their enemies would provoke , or rather force them to disobey . For in the midst of all these pressures , sayes S t Paul , being reviled , we bless , being persecuted , we suffer it ; being defamed , we do nothing worse than entreat and pray for our defamers , 1 Cor. 4.12 , 13. In patience , in afflictions , in necessities , in distresses , in stripes , in imprisonments , in popular tumults , in manual labours , in all these things , and in the throng and distraction of all our sorrows , we approve our selves as the true obedient Servants , and faithfull Ministers of God ; shewing that , not by any selfish , disobedient , politick shifts , but by pureness of conversation , by long-suffering , by kindness , even to our very enemies ; in a word , by the most excellent of all gifts , and the Epitome of all Duty , Charity or love unfeigned , 2 Cor. 6.3 , 4 , 5. Religion then can never give protection to any disobedience , nor our concern and zeal for God be pleaded with any shew of modesty or reason in vindication of our transgressions of any of his Laws or Precepts . For Religion needs no defence from times of suffering , it can live in them , it is improved by them , nay some of its most glorious parts and eminent instances are never shown in any lustre , but when we fall under them ; and where it ought to be defended , the breach of Laws is in no wise a fit instrument for its advancement and protection . For God cannot be honoured , nor Religion advanced by disobedience . Obedience is so essential and super-eminent a part of its Nature , and so preferable to any idle profession or ineffective belief ; that to transgress Christian Laws , for the maintenance of an undisturbed liberty , in professing Christian opinions , were not to strengthen and preserve , but dangerously to wound , if not wholly to destroy it . This disobedience to Christian Laws that we may avoid suffering for the profession of Christian Doctrines , is such as the very temper of the Gospel , which is made up in great part of passive Precepts and a suffering Religion , plainly contradicts ; such as its Laws and Precepts strictly forbid ; such as Christ our Lord and Judg will certainly and most severely punish ; and such as the most persecuted religious men could never be provoked or forced into , either by the greatness of their fears , or by the violence of their pains , although the most exquisite that could be invented by the most searching wits and keenest malice in the world . So that whensoever men sin to avoid suffering , and disobey the Laws of Religion to preserve the profession of it from persecution ; it is not Religion , but their Lusts , not their love of God , but their love of their own selves which makes them disobedient . Religion will upon no accounts justifie their transgressions , but utterly condemns them ; and unless their repentance prevents it , God at the last Day will endlesly punish and avenge for them . But as for Religion in that narrow sense wherein some understand it , i. e. the use of religious Ordinances , and the profession and belief of religious Opinions ; if men would shew their care and concern to preserve the free liberty and unpersecuted use of that , so as both God and all good men should honour and commend them ; let them shew it in a pious and discreet management . Which they will justly be thought to do , if they keep within their own sphere , and use even there no sinful and disobedient means , and are zealous in the first place for the practice and preservation of religious Laws , and next to that for religious Ordinances and Opinions . 1. In shewing their care to preserve the free liberty and unpersecuted use of religious Ordinances and Professions , they must act within their own sphere . We private Christians must not prescribe methods of preserving it to publick Magistrates , or censure their proceedings , and speak irreverently of their persons and administrations , when they determine otherwise than we had thought fitting . We must not , without consent and approbation of Authority , combine in Bodies , and associate in solemn Leagues , Bonds , and Covenants , to be aiding and assisting to each other with our Persons , Armes , and Purses , to protect it against all Opposers . For these are such things as are no part of our business ; but God has hedged them in , and entrusted them in other hands . He has delegated that power to Kings and Governours to take care of the common good , and to judge of publick expedience . He has put the sword into the Magistrates hands , and has authorized him , and him only , to have power of life and death , and to decree and establish peace and war. And if any man , without his order , shall take the Sword , and use it against his Brother ; he may read his Sentence which is writ in plain words already , They that take the sword , as every man doth when Authority doth not allow or reach it out to him , shall perish by the sword , Matth. 26.52 . These means then , and any others which God has appropriated to the care , and entrusted in the hands of other men , can be no lawful expressions of our care , but an unlawful intruding into anothers Office ; a sinful use of what is put out of ours , and committed to an others management . Our exercise and use of them is a proud usurpation , an unpeaceable encroachment , a busie medling in other mens Offices and Affairs , against the plain Precept of studying to be quiet , and to do our own business , 1 Thess. 4.11 . But the endeavours which we are to use , and the means whereby we must try to secure to our selves an unpersecuted freedom in religious Ordinances and Professions ; must be such as are within the sphere of private men . We must be upright and exemplary in the practice of it our selves , and press a like exemplariness in the practice of it upon others . By our humble , modest , quiet , peaceable and submissive carriage , we must convince such as are in Power that it deserves protection ; and by our affectionate , fervent and importunate g prayers to Gods we must endeavour to have it put into their hearts to protect and preserve it . We must plead its Cause , and represent that truth and goodness which may recommend it ; and try to wipe off the aspersions , and rectifie the mistakes of such as plead against it , or think hardly of it . These , and such like means , are the laudable service in this Case , and the proper business of private Christians . And whilst their care is contained within this compass , and they act thus within their own sphere , it is excellent and praise-worthy : they seek to preserve Religion , and their seeking to do it in this way , is it self very pious and religious . 2. In shewing their care to preserve the free and unpersecuted profession of Religion , they must exercise such only of those actions within their own sphere , as are lawful and innocent , but by no means endeavour to maintain it by such as are sinful and disobedient . They must not defend it by lyes and forgeries , by wrath and bitterness , by fierceness and revenge , by slandering and reviling of their Opposers . They must so defend Religion , as not to disobey it ; because that is not defending , but betraying it . A free profession is no further desirable than it tends to an upright practice . So that to disobey for it , is to lose all that wherefore we endeavour after it . Truth must never be bought with the loss of innocence ; nor must we ever commit any one sinful action to promote a freedom of orthodox and true professions . 3. In evidencing their care in preserving the free and unpersecuted profession of Religion , they must be zealous in the first place for the practice and preservation of religious Laws , and next to that for religious Ordinances and Opinions . S t Paul directs us to the great Object of all religious zeal , when he tells us that Christ came into the world to purchase to himself a peculiar people , zealous of good WORKS , Tit. 2.14 . Nothing in the world is so warrantable a matter of a mans zeal , as Gods Laws , and mens obedience . For the Laws of Christ's Gospel are that part which he esteems most ; he has made them the measure of life or death , the Rule of our eternal absolution or condemnation . And as he accounts of them , so should we too . Our zeal for them must be more warm , and our care more watchful than for any other thing ; because God himself is most especially concerned for them , and all men are most highly concerned in them ; they being that whereby all men must live or dye eternally . This I will , says S t Paul to Titus , that thou affirm constantly , That they which have believed in God may be CAREFVL to maintain GOOD WORKS ; these things are good and profitable unto men , Tit. 3.8 . So that the practice of religious Laws must be the great point , wherein we are to be zealous and careful in the first place . Next to which we must take care of those opinions which have a great influence upon , and are the great productive instruments of all obedient practice ; such as are all opinions which are either motives or inducements , helps or encouragements to obedience . In which sort of opinions our Religion abounds , there being , as I said , no idle Article in the Christian Creed , but such Doctrins and Declarations concerning God , and Christ , and our selves , and the other world , as are either absolutely necessary , or very helpful to a holy life . All which , according to their several proportions in promoting piety and obedience to Gods Laws , we are to be zealously concerned for in the next place , as we are for that pious obedience which is wrought by them in the first . But when we have shown our good affection to substantial piety and Religion by a just zeal for obedience , and plainly practical opinions ; then may it be very fit for us to shew our zeal for other true Doctrines and Professions likewise . For it is a great honour to God , and an ornament to Religion , that we have it pure and sincere , free from all things that are liable to just exception , and from all mixture of errour and falshood . And it is also a great happiness to men to have orthodox apprehensions in Religion , and to embrace nothing for Gospel truths , but what God has thereby declared to them . But it is a further happiness still , and such whereof men are the most sensible , to be free from the imperious imposition and tyranny of errour ; so as neither to be forced upon the impossible belief of that , which in our own minds we see is false , and therefore cannot believe ; nor upon the feigned and hypocritical profession of believing a thing , when really we do not believe it ; one of which two is mens unhappiness , when their professed Religion falls under persecution . Now both these are severe and rigorous impositions . For the first is utterly impossible to any , so long as it continues a free and impartial , head ; as the latter is to any , whilst it remains an honest and obedient , heart . So that all men have very great reason , so far as they can by all innocent and honest ways , to be zealous against them , and to use all the lawful care and caution that possibly they can , to avoid so powerful a motive , as a sharp persecution is , to tempt them to a thing so unreasonable as is the first , and so wicked and sinful , as is the latter . So long then as men will moderate their zeal for the unpersecuted use of religious Ordinances , and profession of religious Opinions , with this discretion ; let them be zealous and concerned for it in God's Name . For it is their Duty so to be ; and God will reward , and all good men commend them for it . If they take care that their zeal transport them not beyond their own sphere , that it carry them not against their Duty , and that it be concerned in the first place for Laws and practical opinions ; they may allow it after that to spend it self upon other Points which have more of speculative truth , but less of practice . This zeal now is excellent , 't is truly pious , 't is religious . But if they have a zeal without obedience ; if for preventing of persecution in the profession of true opinions , they run upon sinful means and undutiful transgressions ; their zeal is ungodly , and all their pretended care of Religion is plainly irreligious . For Religion is not beholding to them , but their own lusts ; it condemns their disobedient actions , and unless their timely repentance prevent it , God will most severely punish them . So that as for this first pretence for a partial obedience , viz. our allowing our selves in the transgression of some Laws , whilst we obey in others , because those wherein we indulge our selves are necessary to keep off persecution for the sake of Religion ; it is a vain , deceitful ground , and will certainly fail any man who relies upon it . CHAP. VII . Of the two remaining pretences for a partial Obedience . The CONTENTS . The second pretence for the allowed practice of some sins whilst men obey in others , is the serving of their necessities by sinful arts in times of indigence . An account of mens disobedience upon this pretence . The vanity of it , and the danger of disobeying through it . A third pretence is bodily temper and complexion , age , and way of life . A representation of mens disobedience upon this pretence . The vanity of it , and the danger of sinning through it . No justifying Plea for disobedience from our age . Nor from our way of life . Nor from our natural temper and complexion . So that this integrity of the object is excusable upon no pretence . It was always required to mens acceptance . ANother pretence whereby men justifie to their own thoughts the allowed transgression of several Laws whilst they obey in others , is the serving of their necessities ; because those instances of disobedience , wherein they indulge themselves , are only such sinful arts , compliances and services , as are necessary to relieve their want and indigence . They are in great streights , and deep poverty ; and since God has not provided conveniencies , nor it may be necessaries for them ; they think that they may be allowed to be their own Guardians , and to use any means within their own compass whereby they can make provision for their own selves . For they are born with the same appetites and indigencies as other men , and some way or other they must satisfie and supply them . And this they cannot do if in all things they must religiously obey , and keep themselves intirely innocent . They must lye and overreach , cheat and cozen , if not pilfer and steal , to get maintenance . And they must also use wicked arts and sinful compliances to get favour . For not having of their own wherewith to relieve the wants , to comfort the weaknesses , and to appease the cravings of their natures ; they must be beholden , and cannot help it , to the good will and kind charity of others . And other men are proud and humorous , acted by self-will and vicious interests ; and will therefore reach out no help to them unless they please them , and do any , or all such things as they would have them do . They must lye and dissemble , fawn and flatter , drink and swear , bear them company in their sins , and serve their vicious interests , and boggle at no sort of sinful arts and disobedient compliances ; or else they are not for their turn , nor must expect to feel any effects of their kindness . This is the hard fate , and the great temptation of a poor and indigent condition . They who labour under it , are brought thus into a seeming necessity of many sins , because they cannot otherwise provide for their own maintenance and appetites . For God has made their nature subject to several wants ; and he has made their condition low , so that they are unable to relieve themselves in any comfortable degree , but must depend , as for that , either upon the fraud and overreaching cunning of their own wits , or upon the good will of others : and his Providence has placed them among such Neighbours , whose kindness and good will they cannot purchase , but at the cost of their Vertue and Obedience . And therefore if in this hard Case they disobey , they hope that he will excuse it . Their necessity they think will bear them out , so long as all their transgressions are only to provide for themselves , and for the competent satisfaction of their own appetites where his Providence has left them unprovided . This is the wicked arguing and disobedient practice of men of a soft and delicate Religion . They will obey God in any thing , where they must not disoblige their appetites ; but no further than they will suffer them . They are Servants of their own Bellies in the first place , and God shall have just so much , but no more , than they can spare him . For they will live easily , and want for nothing in this world , as well as be for ever happy in the next : and if God will allow them both these , then they are for him ; but otherwise they have nothing to say either to him or his Religion . For they will not endure to serve a man of sorrows , to follow Christ in wants , to be subjects to that Sovereign who has no temporal rewards wherewith , even in this life , to recompence their service . They will serve God just so long as he will suffer them to serve themselves and their own appetites ; but if his service doth not provide them all supplies , or crosses the satisfaction of these , they beg of him that he would excuse them . In other things they will serve him , if that will content him ; but here charity must begin at home , and if they disobey , he must give them a dispensation . But God will not endure to be thus undervalued , and served in the second place . He can in no wise bear to have the world and our fleshly appetites set above him ; to see them served , and himself sleighted : because by this means we do not honour , but debase ; not serve , but renounce him . For he can be no faithfull servant of God , who loves any thing better than his master ; nor is he truly united unto Christ , who can be drawn to disobey him by any temptation . If we love any thing in the world then , though never so dear to us , better than him , we are utterly unworthy of him , and must never hope to be the better by him . For he that loveth father or mother , son , or daughter , more than me , saith he , is not worthy of me , Mat. 10.37 . Nay , he that hateth not these , and all things else when they stand in competition with my service ; that hateth not , I say not barely his worldly goods , and rich neighbours , but even his father , and mother , and wife , and children , and brethren , and sisters , yea , and his own life also , he cannot be my disciple , Luk. 14.26 . If any cravings of our own flesh then cannot be satisfied without disobedience , we must not seek to pleasure , but subdue ; nor endeavour to fulfill , but to deny them . And if any wants or losses are brought so close to us , that we cannot avoid them without breach of duty ; they are the burden of the Cross imposed upon us , and , unless we would cast off all relation to Christ , we must not shun them . For whosoever doth not bear his Cross , sayes our Saviour , when Gods Providence layes it upon his shoulders , and come after me even then when he must suffer under it ; he cannot be my disciple , Luk. 14.27 . This God peremptorily and indispensably exacts of us ; and there is all the reason in the world why he should . For he will infinitely recompence in the next world , either the want , or loss of all those things which for his sake , we are content to be without in this . Heaven and eternal life will be an abundant , and incomparably surpassing compensation ; all the wants and sufferings of this present time being , as S t Paul sayes , utterly unworthy to be compared with that Glory , which shall then be revealed in us , Rom. 8.18 . Let no man therefore disobey Gods Laws for the love of the world , for the supplying of his wants , and the satisfaction of his appetites ; and yet for all that perswade himself that God will own him , and connive at his disobedience . For in doing so , he plainly renounces God , and sets the World above him ; he makes his Duty truckle to his Interest ; he slights obedience , and submits to a temptation . He does the work of sin for the interest which tempts to it ; and that will certainly bring upon him that death , which God has established for the wages of it . Thirdly , A third pretence whereby men justifie to their own souls the indulged transgression of several Laws whilst they obey in others ; is , because those transgressions wherein they allow themselves , are only such as are sins of temper and complexion , age , or way of life . Sometimes mens place and way of life is a continual temptation to some particular sin ; and if they may but have leave to indulge that , they will abandon every other . The Courtier takes himself obliged by the fashion of his place to lies and dissimulation , ostentation and vanity , to sinfull compliances , and faithless engagements , to promise all , but to perform nothing . The Merchant in pursute of his gain , serves the end of his trade by fraud and dishonesty . He accounts it a piece of his Art to over-reach , to defraud customes , to vend false wares , and set exacting prices . The Lawyer thinks it a part of his profession to encourage strife , and foment difference ; the malice and revenge , the wrath and bitterness , the slanders and evil-speakings , the strife and contentions which are other mens sins , are his livelihood . These sins , being ever before them , are alwayes a snare to them ; for they are continually importuned by them ▪ and it must be a toilsome pains , and an uninterrupted watchfulness which can preserve them from being either won , or wearied into the commission of them . And since obedience in these instances is a thing which they can so very hardly spare ; they hope that God in mercy will not exact it ; but will graciously accept them upon their service in other particulars , although here they continue to disobey him . Other sins men are invited and importunately tempted to by their age and condition , their particular temper , and complexion . Lust and rashness are the vices of youth , as craft and covetousness are of the gray hairs . Some sins are rooted in mens very natures ; for some are naturally inclined to be passionate and hasty , some to be peevish , and others to be malicious and revengefull . The temper of their bodies hurries on some to lust and intemperance , some to turbulency and fierceness , and others to slavish fears , and sinfull compliances . Nay , a sharp and long affliction will sometimes embitter even a good nature , and make it habitually sowr and fretfull , peevish and morose . So that mens very natural temper , their age , and condition prove many times an uninterrupted sollicitation to some sin or other , and they alwayes fall , by being alwayes under the power of their temptation . Now when men find that some sins have got thus near to them , and have taken such deep root in their way of life , nay , in their very natures ; since they will not be at the pains to reform and amend , they expect that God should be so gracious as to dispense with them . As for all the instances of this kind , he must abate them , seeing they will not perform them ; his pardoning goodness must supply all the defects of their sloth . For God and they must still be agreed , and therefore because they cannot well abandon some of their darling lusts , and bosom sins for his sake ; the compliance must fall on his side , and he must desert and cancel all those severe and grating Laws to serve and pleasure them . They will obey him most willingly in all other things ; only in these they beg that he would excuse them : they will do any thing else for his sake , which doth not contradict their beloved sin , and never displease him , but when they cannot otherwise fulfill and pleasure it . Thus , for instance , the Covetous man will obey in keeping back from drunkenness and whoredom , from ambition , and profuseness , and all other sins which are expensive : But as for those other duties of suffering loss our selves rather than defrauding and over-reaching others , of a contented mind , and contempt of the world , of alms and beneficence , and all the chargeable expressions of an active love , and an operative charity : here he stands upon his points , and chooses to dispute rather than to perform ; to article rather than to obey . The peevish and angry man will readily keep the commands of Justice and Temperance ; he will neither spoil his neighbours Goods , nor wrong his Bed , nor pamper and defile his own body ; he will do any thing , which either ministers to his reigning lust , or which doth not contradict and make against it . But then as for the commands of meekness and patience , of long-suffering and forgiveness , of speaking well , and doing good to enemies , of passing over provocations and peaceableness , and all other instances of pardoning , and forgetting injuries ; in these God must excuse him , for his dear lust opposes them , and he can not , he will not serve him in the practice of them . Some who are of a tractable and submissive , of a soft and governable temper , will observe readily all those duties which their constitution has made easie , and which their natural genius enclines them to . They will be constant performers of all the cheap , because agreeable duties of submission to Governours , and obedience to publick Constitutions , of uniformity in worship , of honour and observance of the Laws and establishments , and of all things belonging to the Churches Vnity and outward peace . But as for the severities of an inward and hearty Religion , in mortification and self-denial , in paring off all sinfull lusts , and exorbitant desires , in patience , and taking up the Cross , and in all other hard instances of duty and a holy life : here they withdraw their service , because they must contradict their natures , and go against their ease ; and set themselves , not to obey these Laws , but to evacuate or evade them . Whereas others , who are of a temper more severe , but withall of a querulous and restless , a busie , and ungovernable spirit , will keep off from atheism and prophaneness , from idolatry and witchcraft , and other heinous impieties ; from drunkenness and revellings , from fornication and adultery , from oppression , and fraud , and other alike gross and notorious instances of injustice and immorality . For all these their strict temper can easily avoid ; they have no great temptation to them , and are therefore able without much pains to abstain from them . But then as for those other sins , which agree with the bent and inclination of their busie and ungovernable humour ; they will still indulge themselves in the practice of them , for all they are of an equal guilt , although indeed of a more spiritual and refined nature . For they will strive to weary laws , to vilifie and contemn , to undervalue and disparage Governours ; they will permit themselves to be overswayed by spite and malice , by wrath and bitterness , by envy and emulation , by strife and sidings ; to be drawn aside into censoriousness , and evil-speakings , into the raising and spreading of uncharitable , and envious , yea , false , and slanderous reports : they will be forward to magnifie themselves , to publish their own praise , and to boast of their own actions and attainments ; but withall to detract and lessen , to shame and disparage others . Thus will even these men , who make the fairest appearance of abominating all impious and ungodly , all immoral and debauched actions , halt still in their obedience , and think to please God , not by a perfect and entire , but a partial and a maimed service . For their Conversion goes but half way , not from sin to righteousness , but from some sorts of sin to some others . All the alteration that their Religion has wrought in them , is not a forsaking of sin , but an exchange of it ; a turn from what is more easily left , to a more liberal practice of that which they find it hard to part with ; a remove from grosser , and more scandalously fleshly sins , to other more spiritual and refined , but still as deadly and damnable transgressions . And thus by all these instances it appears , that when men have got some sins that are close and pleasing , such as their temper and complexion , their age , or condition , or way of life , has endear'd to them so far , as that even for Gods sake they will not part with them ; their recourse is presently to some more cheap and easie instances of obedience , that they may attone for them . And the same might be shewn in all other instances of a partial and a maimed service . In all things they will obey God no further than their beloved sins will suffer them , but as they yield to the Law in other things , so must the Law yield to them in these ; for neither God nor their Sin shall rule alone , but the service shall be shared between them , and both shall enjoy a divided empire . But this is a most damnably delusive , and a desperately false pretence . For whatsoever fond conceits men who Love , and are resolved not to let go their sins , may please themselves withall : yet God , when he comes to judge us , will accept of nothing less than an entire obedience . All his Laws are established under the pains of death , and he will exact all that he has required , whatever , at that day , be our concern in it . For he comes not then , as a corrupted party , to judge for us , to make his own Laws bend and bow to serve our Interests , and to cancel and disanull all such among them as make against us . No , he comes , as an upright and even Judge , to execute all his Laws , but not to destroy any ; he comes to inflict what his Gospel threatens , and his sentence will then be what it sayes , not what we can bear . So that if we have wilfully disobeyed , and have not repented , whether in one instance or in many ; we must undergo the punishment of our disobedience . For God is a friend to no Vice , neither one nor other , but he alwayes forbids , and he will most severely punish every one . And as for all these pretences , whether that of our age , or our way of life ▪ or of our very natural temper and inclination it self ; there will be no shelter or excuse in any of them to bear us out in any . There is no protection to any sin from our Age ; for no young man may pursue lusts because they are youthful , but is bound to fly and avoid them , as those things which war against , and would destroy his soul , 2 Tim. 2.22 . Gods Laws make no distinction of young or old , but the same Duties are the Rule for both their practices ; and the same rewards or punishments will be returned indifferently to them both upon their obedience or transgressions . There is no justifiable Plea for any sin from our way of life ; for a constant a practice or trade of sin , as S t John says , can be no mans employment , but his who is born of the Devil , and must inherit under him , 1 John 3.8 . But the way of life whereunto God calls us , is a way of piety and obedience . He has given us his own Laws for the way which we are to walk in , and in that alone it is that we can escape death , and obtain salvation . Nay so far is any thing in the world from sheltring us under the service of any one sin , that even that , which may have the highest pretence to it of all things else whatsoever , viz. our very natural temper and inclination , is no excuse to us if it makes us continue in any disobedience . If any thing in the world could be a just defence for the practice of any sin , surely this must . For our Nature is not of our own chusing ; and therefore its effects ought least of all to be charged on us , seeing they least of all proceed from us , but are in great degrees determined to our hands before we have any power either to will , or to refuse them . But such is the purity and strictness of Christ's Gospel , that it indispensably requires us to conquer sin , not only where it makes no opposition , but even where it has the greatest strength , and the highest force of all . For if our very Nature draw us on to disobey , it enjoins us under all our hopes of Heaven not to submit to it , but to b strive against it so long till we vanquish and subdue it . For if we would be judged to be Christ's Disciples at the last Day , we must deny our selves , Matth. 16.24 . As we hope to live , we must not perform and fulfil , but kill and c mortifie those deeds whereto we are hurried on by the temper of our Bodies , Rom. 8.13 . We must renounce and forsake all sin , although never so dear and useful to us , before Christ's Gospel will acquit , or he will save us . If a lust so dear to thee as thy right eye offend thee , or d cause thee to offend ; pluck it out , says our Saviour , and cast it from thee : or if one so useful to thee as thy right hand ; cut it off likewise , and cast it from thee : and that for no less reason than this , Because it is more profitable for thee that one of thy members should in this manner perish , than that thy whole body should be cast for ever into Hell fire , Matth. 5.29 , 30. Thus vain and helpless are all these excuses and pretensions , under which men endeavour to shelter themselves in the indulged transgression of some Laws , whilst they obey in others . For whether their pretence be the saving of their Religion from times of persecution , or the serving of their necessities in times of want , or the satisfying of their own natural temper and inclination ; we see that none of them can justifie their indulged allowance of any one sin , nor serve any other turn than to delude them to their own destruction . But whosoever would obey to his own salvation , must obey in every instance , and continue wilfully to transgress in none . He must never hope to please God by performing nothing but what he lists himself . No , every particular Law of God , as we saw above , is bound upon us by all our hopes of Heaven , and under the pains of Hell ; so that we cannot transgress in any , and yet be safe : but that obedience which can secure us , is nothing less than performing in every instance . For this third sort of integrity , viz. that of the Object , or performing all and every of those Laws which God has given us , both is , and always was , indispensably required to life and pardon since the world began . Thee have I seen righteous before me , said God to Noah , because Noah did according to ALL that the Lord commanded him , Gen. 7.1 , 5. And in the repetition of the ten Commandments , Deut. 5. O that they would fear me , says God to the Jews , and keep e all my Commandments always , that it might be well with them for ever , ver . 29. It is nothing less than our obeying in all , which God declares that he will accept ; and upon nothing less than their performing all , that good men have hoped to be accepted . Then shall I not be ashamed , saith the Psalmist , when I have respect unto f all thy Commandments , Psal. 119.6 , 7. Those persons to whom the Lord doth good and shews kindness , are only the upright in heart . But as for them , who although they are right as to the main , do yet turn aside in some things to their crooked ways , he will lead them forth with the workers of iniquity , Psal. 125.4 , 5. And as this integrity in doing the whole will of God , was required of Noah before the Law , and of the Jews under it ; so is it likewise exacted every whit as strictly of us Christians under the Gospel . For the obedience of that Covenant , whereinto Christ commissions his Apostles to baptize Converts , is nothing below an intire obedience . Go , says he , and baptize all Nations , teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Matth. 28.19 , 20. And this is no more than what he himself had preached before , in his own Sermon upon the Mount. For of the Moral Law and the Prophets , ( which he came to confirm and establish ) and also of his own Law , ( which he came then to publish and proclaim ) he affirms plainly , That the observance of it in every particular is necessary to the attainment of God's favour and eternal life . He that breaks the very least of these Commandments , shall be called least ( or shall be least , or none at all , which is the sense of the Hebrew Phrase ) in the Kingdom of Heaven , Matth. 5.17 , 18 , 19. And agreeably to this Pattern , and this Commission , the Apostles themselves , when they came afterwards to discharge their Office , did most strictly require it , and most severely threaten all those in whom it was wanting . Let us cleanse our selves , says S t Paul , from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit , perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord , as we hope to attain those good things which he has promised , 2 Cor. 7.1 . There is no remedy , but we must either do this or dye . For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against , not only some , but all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men , Rom. 1.18 . The Curse takes place upon the transgression in any instance . For the threatning is not barely to some one , or to some few Laws ; but to the whole Code which comprehends them all : so that if we transgress any one , the Covenant is broken , and the penalty takes place . For whosoever shall keep the whole Law besides , saith S t James , and yet offend in one Point , that subjects him to all the evil , and he is guilty of , or obnoxious to that punishment which is appointed for the wages of all , James 2.10 . As for this integrity of the object therefore , or mens obedience to the whole will of God ; we see that in all times and ages it was necessary unto life , and indispensably required to salvation . For neither the Sons of the Patriarchs , nor the Subjects of Moses , nor the Servants of Christ ; no Professors of any true Religion in the World were ever accepted upon any service less than intire , upon any obedience that was maimed and defective . But so much as he thought fit to enjoin , God always exacted of men that they should perform ; so that if they did not obey in all , they should certainly be condemned as if they had done nothing . So that as for this third sort of integrity , viz. our obedience to the whole will of God , or to all the particular Laws forementioned , which is the integrity of the Object ; it , as well as both the former , is plainly necessary to our acceptance , and to render our obedience available to our salvation . And thus at last it appears what that integrity is , which will render our obedience to all the particular Laws of God above recounted acceptable in God's sight . For it is nothing less than an obedience of the whole man , to the whole Law , and that not for some short , but for our whole time , and to the end of our lives . He who thus intirely obeys , cannot , as was before observed , be other than sincere ; and he who obeys sincerely and uprightly has all that God requires of him , enough to support his hopes , and to secure his happiness . Sincerity and uprightness is neither more nor less than is exacted of us ; without them we shall surely dye , but through them we cannot miss of being happy eternally . CHAP. VIII . Of obeying with all the heart , and all the soul , &c. The CONTENTS . Of obeying God with all the heart , and with all the strength , &c. It includes not all desire and endeavour after other things , but it implies , First , Sincerity . Secondly , Fervency . Thirdly , Integrity , or obeying , not some but , all the Laws of God. These three include all that is contained in it ; which is shown from their obedience , who are said in Scripture to have fulfilled it . Integrity implies sincerity and fervency , and Love with all the heart is explained in the places where it is mentioned , by loving him entirely . Sincerity and uprightness the Conditions of an acceptable Obedience . This a hard Condition in the degeneracy of our manners ; but that is our own fault . It was easie and universally performed by the primitive Christians . This shown from the Characters of the Apostles , and of the Primitive Writers . Hence it was that they could despise Death , and even provoke Martyrdom . Some Pleas from our impotence against the strictness of this obedience , which are considered in the next Book . NOW as for this intire obedience of the whole man , at all times , to the whole will of God , whereof I have hitherto discoursed in the foregoing Chapters ; it is that very obedience with all the heart , and with all the soul , and with all the mind , and with all the strength , which is so expresly called for in the words of the Commandment , Luke 10.27 . Deut. 11.13 . It is not to be expected that all our heart , and all our mind , and all our soul , and all our strength should be so wholly devoted to God , as that we should never either will , or think , or desire , or do any other thing than what he has commanded us . No , that is a Dream of utter absurdities and impossibilities . For God has not only allowed us , but he has made it plainly necessary for us to employ our thoughts , and desires , and endeavours , upon several other things besides himself and his Commandments . Because we cannot live without meat and other necessaries , and these we cannot get without seeking , nor seek without desiring , nor desire without thinking on them . All the innocent enjoyments of Nature , and all the necessaries of life , all the laudable advantages of converse , and all the lawful benefits of trade and employment , require our minds , and hearts , and souls , and strength , as well as God and our Duty ; all our Powers not only may be exercised about them , but they needs must . For God himself has so ordained it , it being a necessity of his own making ; so that we must employ our endeavours about them , and we cannot do otherwise . And therefore when the Commandment calls for all our hearts and all our strength , &c. it is utterly absurd and unreasonable to understand it of such an all , as excludes the exercise of these faculties upon any thing besides . It doth not ingross all our power to God's use alone , and shut out all other things from any place in them ; but may and must be understood so as to leave room for them likewise . But all that is included in the latitude of that expression , with all thy heart , &c. is set out , agreeably to the use of the Phrase at other times , in these three Particulars . 1. It notes the sincerity and undissembledness of our faculties ; so as the Phrase , with all the heart , signifies the same as in simplicity and honesty , without guile or a double heart . For a dissembling hypocritical man has one heart in shew , and another in reality . His heart is not one intire thing , but double and divided . He appears to will what indeed he doth not will , and to desire what in truth he doth not desire ; so that his whole heart doth not go together , that which he outwardly professes being one , but that which he inwardly intends another . And this simplicity and sincere honesty of intention , is expressed in the course of our common speech by this Phrase , all the heart ; nothing being more usual in our daily converse than to give assurances of our sincerity in any thing which we do , by saying it is with all our heart . And as sincerity is expressed by all the heart , so is dissimulation and hypocrisie on the contrary set out by a double heart . And thus the men of war who were faithful to David , and undissembled in their service of him , are said not to have been of a double heart , Psal. 12.2 . Which sence the word double has , not only when it is applyed to this particular faculty , viz. our wills and hearts , but also when it is attributed to any other . And thus we read of a double , that is , of a dissembling tongue , 1 Tim. 3.8 ▪ 2. This Phrase , all the heart , &c. implies the fervency and concernedness of our faculties . And thus the Latines use the word whole , when they express their being very busie , or industriously intent upon a thing , by saying they are a whole upon it . And as this Phrase , all the heart , &c. in respect of our faculties themselves , denotes these two things , viz. sincerity , and fervency ; so likewise in respect of their object , or that will of God which they are to be employed about , doth it imply 3. Integrity , so as that this fervency and sincerity be shown in obeying , not some , but all the Commandments ; not part , but the whole will of God. For our heart , and soul , and strength must be all or whole for God ; that is , they must be constant and uniform , not various and divided , being sometimes for him , and at other times against him . They must be for all things which he commands , and for nothing that he forbids ; for we must neither think , nor desire , nor do any thing against him . And in this sense the word all or whole is opposed to divided ; and expresses thus much , that our faculties do not stand for some commands ▪ and against others ; that they do not divide and parcel , pick and choose with Gods Laws ; but that they obey wholly and universally , observing all and every one . Now these three , ( viz. ) the sincerity and fervency of our faculties , and the integrity of our obedience , which are conveniently expressed by the word all or whole , are all indispensably required of us ; as appears plainly from what has been above discoursed upon this subject . So that they are all implied in the latitude of this Commandment : Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart , and with all thy mind , &c. But besides them nothing else is . For if we should extend that precept further , and make it include all that the largest compass of those words would comprehend ; we should give it a sence which is , as I said , absurd , and utterly impossible . And to clear this a little more , wherewith so many good souls are oft-times perplexed , we may further observe , that those very men who will'd , and thought , and desired , and acted other things , as well as Gods Laws ; are yet in the Scriptures expresly recorded to have performed all that is meant in this Commandment , because they served God in the particulars which I have mention'd , ( viz. ) sincerely , fervently and entirely . For b Caleb and Joshua are said to have followed the Lord wholly , Numb . 32.12 . David kept my Commandments , saith God , and followed me with all his heart , 1 King. 14.8 . Josiah did what was right in the sight of the Lord , 2 Kings 22.2 . Now these persons were men , not only of as great necessities as others , but also of far higher place , and greater business in the world . For their station required them to be much employed about it , and to spend frequent thoughts , and many desires , and great pains upon it . So that their whole heart , and mind , and soul , and strength , could not be employed in Gods service any otherwise , than as they loved and served him entirely and above all things ; and neither will'd , nor acted any thing besides , when it stood in competition with him . The sincerity , fervency and integrity of their service was all which they had to shew in answer to this Commandment ; and upon the account of them God did accept them , and has left it on record to all the world that they have fulfilled it . As for the last of these , ( viz. ) Integrity , it indeed includes in it all the rest . For it is the greatest warranty and effect of fervency , and the best evidence of the sincerity of our service . Because this , as I said before , is the great measure of acceptance in our thoughts and affections , ( viz. ) that they carry us on to acceptable works and actions . And this is the great Rule whereby to judge of a sincere service , ( viz. ) that men be universal and entire in their obedience . So that if once we perform all that God requires of us ; there is no further question to be made but that we perform it honestly , and with that fervency and concernedness which is sufficient to our acceptance . And this integrity of obedience including both the other , is that very thing which is meant by the service with all the heart , and with all the soul , which is exacted of us in the Commandment . Whereof we have still a further argument , because in almost all the places where any man is said to fulfill this , we find that annexed as its explication : Which is a plain interpretation of the Scripture to it self , that to obey with all our powers in its sence is nothing else , but to be uniform , undivided , and entire in our obedience . David , sayes God , followed me with all his heart ; which appears in this , because he followed me so as to fulfill all my will , and to act nothing against it , but to do that only which is right in mine eyes , 1 Kings 14.8 . Caleb and Joshua followed the Lord wholly ; which was seen in that their obedience was entire to him , and they did not transgress in those particular Laws of Duty , by the breach whereof others provoked him , Numb . 32.10 , 11 , 12. And of Zacharias and Elizabeth , S t Luke sayes that they were blameless , because they walked , not in some , but in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord , Luk. 1.6 . But on the other side , as for all such as were partial in their obedience to God , and kept some instances of duty , but transgressed others according as they themselves listed ; they are said not to be whole in their hearts and other faculties towards him . Jehu , sayes the text , took no heed to walk in the Law of the God of Israel with all his heart , for of this there is a clear proof , in that his heart run after some sins as well as some duties , because he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam , although he did from others , 2 King. 10.31 . If you return unto the Lord with all your heart , sayes Samuel , then put away that particular sin which you still adhere to , your strange Gods , and serve him only , 1 Sam. 7.3 . And that this is true in every mans case , as well as it was in theirs , the Psalmist plainly assures us , when he layes it down for an universal maxime , that they seek the Lord with their whole heart , who do no iniquity , Psal. 119.2 , 3. And thus upon all these accounts it appears , that to serve the Lord with all our heart , and with all our soul , and with all our mind , and with all our strength , according to the tenour of the Commandment ; is neither more nor less than to serve him universally and entirely . For it can bear no other sense , because upon no greater or better service than this , God himself has declared that men have served him with all their heart according to the Commandment ; and more cannot be required when this fulfills it . It can mean no more , because that all which it should mean further is impossible in the present condition of humane nature , and therefore is no fit matter of a Law , nor subject to a Commandment . And lastly , it doth mean no more , because the Scriptures themselves , where they set it down , are wont to annex this interpretation , and thus explain it . And thus at last we have seen what degrees and manner of obedience to all the Laws recounted in the former Book , is necessary to our acceptance . For we must obey sincerely and entirely , if ever we expect to reap the rewards of obedience . We must keep every particular Law of God , and that through our whole lives : we must think on them in our minds , and pursue them with our affections , and choose them with our wills so far , till we perform them with our strength , in outward and bodily operation . This uprightness of obedience , which is a certain evidence of its sincerity , is all that Gods Law requires of us ; and it will infallibly save us at the last day , although less than it nothing in the world will. As for that condition of life and pardon then which the Gospel indispensably exacts of us , we now see plainly what it is . For it is nothing else but our obedience to all the forementioned Laws of God in sincerity and uprightness . It is by this that all the world must stand or fall at the last day ; according to their performance or neglect whereof they shall then be judged either to live or die eternally . This indeed , though it be a very great , will seem a very uncouth and severe truth in the degeneracy of manners , and loose lives of our times . But if it do , that is wholly our own fault , and can be no prejudice at all to the declarations of Christs Gospel . For our Lord has proclaimed it to us plainly enough , and if our own wicked hearts make us shut our eyes , and willing to overlook it ; for that we must blame our selves , but can never hope thereby to evacuate his sentence . This in very deed is the Gospel that he has published , and these are the terms of mercy which he has procured for us : So that if we live up to them , we shall be saved by him ; but if we fail to perform these gracious demands , we have no benefit at all by his death , nor any ground of hope from his Gospel . All that can be said is , that he offered us Grace and Pardon upon most fair and easie terms , but that we would not accept them . But we preferred the pleasure of our sins before all the glory of his rewards , and chose to hazard all those evils which he threatned , rather than to be at the pains to perform that condition which he peremptorily injoyned . But although by our wicked lives we in these dayes cast off the light yoke of Christ as over-burdensome , and make the Covenant of Grace it self to become a rigorous condition : yet once the case was otherwise , and the world was more Christian. For they who professed Christs Religion then , performed all that he commanded , and practised all that , which , as we have seen , his Gospel doth injoyn . And to go no further for an evidence of this , we will take those accounts of the obedience of Christians in the first times , which the Apostles themselves give us . You , sayes the Apostle to the Colossians , that were sometimes , in your Gentile State , alienated from God , and enemies in your minds by means of your wicked works ; yet now , since you become Christians , hath he reconciled in his death , to present you holy , and unblameable , and unreproveable , according to the terms of the Gospel , in his sight , Col. 1.21 , 22. And to the same purpose he speaks of the Ephesians yet more fully . You , saith he , hath God quickned by the preaching of the Gospel , who , before you heard of that , were dead in trespasses and sins , wherein , in times past of Gentilism , ye walked , as well as others , according to the wicked course of this world , according to the instigation of the Prince of the powers in the air , who is the spirit that both aforetime , and even now worketh in the children of disobedience . Among whom also we all , as I say , had our conversation in times past , living , just as they did , in the lusts of our flesh , fulfilling and performing the desires of our flesh , and were thereby the children of wrath as well as others . But God , even when we were thus dead in sins , hath , upon our embracing of Christs Religion , quickned us together with Christ , by that same spirit whereby he raised up him , Ephes. 2.1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5. But the character which he gives of the Corinthians is more particular and compleat still . No unrighteous , saith he , of one sort or other shall enter into the kingdom of heaven . For neither fornicators , nor idolaters , nor adulterers , nor effeminate , nor abusers of themselves with mankind , nor thieves , nor covetous , nor revilers , nor drunkards , nor extortioners , shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such indeed as these were some of you once , ( viz. in your Gentilism ; ) but since you were Christned I bear you record , that you are washed from those impurities , that you are sanctified from those wickednesses , and that you are justified from the condemning force of all these Commandments in the name of the Lord Jesus , and by the help of the enlivening and converting spirit of our God , 1 Cor. 6.9 , 10 , 11. These places are very full and particular for the power of Christianity , and the perfect and entire obedience of Christians in those dayes . And yet there is one testimony more of this Apostle , which I must not omit , because it is so very comprehensive ; and that is the account which he gives us of the Reformation which the Gospel wrought among the Romans . For before it was preached among them , they were strangely debauched , and unaccountably wicked ; as we may be fully informed , were there no other register of their vices , from that prodigious Catalogue of their sins , which S t Paul himself has given us , Rom. 1. For they worshipped and served the Creature more than the Creator . Their very women were so unnatural in their lusts , as to change their natural use , into that which is against nature . And the men leaving the natural use of the women , burned in their lusts towards one another , men with men working that which is unseemly . They were filled with all unrighteousness , fornication , wickedness , covetousness , maliciousness ; being full of envy , murder , debate , deceit , malignity ; whisperers , back-biters , haters of God , despitefull , proud , boasters , inventers of evil things , disobedient to parents , without understanding , covenant-breakers , without natural affection , implacable , unmercifull . Thus had they degenerated from all sense of common honesty and honour ; and fallen into the vilest sink of vices . But when once Christianity took place among them , it quickly turned them from a most impious and monstrously unclean , into a most religious and holy people . For so S t Paul himself bears witness to them . You were , sayes he , in your time of Heathenism , the servants , nay , the rankest slaves of sin , but God be thanked that ye have now , since you became Christians , obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine , which was by us Apostles delivered to you . For being made free from that strange inventory of sins , ye became the servants of righteousness , Rom. 6.17 , 18. And what S t Paul tells us of these particular Churches under his care ; S t Peter will also inform us was true of all the Churches in Pontus and Asia with whom he was concerned , and to whom he directed his first Epistle . The time past of our life may suffice us , saith he , to have wrought the will of the Gentiles ; when we walked with them in lasciviousness , lusts , excess of wine , revellings , banquettings , and abominable idolatries . Yea , indeed this doth suffice us . For since we became Christians we have left off to accompany them in these vices , for which they are estranged to us , and revile us . For they think it strange that we run not with them to the same excess of riot as we used formerly , speaking evil of us for abstaining from them , 1 Pet. 4.3 , 4. Thus honest was the service , and thus entire was the obedience of Christians in the Apostles dayes . And when they had finished their course , and were called out of the world , Christs Gospel had still the same effects , and his subjects continued to pay him the same service . b As for the Religion and Laws of Christ , sayes Lactantius , what excellent effects they have upon the minds and lives of men , is plain from every dayes experience . For give me a man that is fierce , hasty , and ungovernable ; and with this Law I will make him as tractable and gentle as a lamb . Give me one who is covetous , greedy and tenacious ; this Religion shall quickly make him liberal and generous . It will make the cowardly and timorous , to become bold and venturous ; the lustful and intemperate , to turn chast and sober ; the cruel and revengeful , to grow merciful and placable . In one word , it works a perfect change and alteration , making the wicked and injurious , to become forthwith most innocent and holy men . For all manner of sin is renounced at their entrance , all filthy habits are washt off at the Font , and never again resumed . They are so wholly altered in their life and temper by embracing of our Faith , that you will scarce know them to be the same men . Thus were the Christians in those Days the holiest sort of men , and the most noble patterns of Vertue and Goodness : being c distinguishable from other men , as Tertullian says , in nothing so much as this , That they had left off all their former vices . For they lived what they taught , and performed what others only could discourse of ; their common Motto being this , d Although we have not the skill to talk , yet we have the Grace to live as well as any . Nay , their very enemies themselves , who would be sure to spare no pains nor skill in fastening some immoralities upon them , were yet forced at last to confess that they had no fault but one ; and that was , that they were called Christians . For it is a known Story and usage which Tertullian complains of , that the very Heathens themselves could not but cry out , Such or such a one is a very good man , bating only this , That he is a Christian. And when the World of Christians were thus intirely obedient , and compleatly vertuous ; it was no wonder that they could so bravely despise Death ; and not only suffer , but even seek and f provoke martyrdom . They durst dye for the Gospel , because they were sure to g live by it . For they performed all that it required , and were thereby secure of all the happiness which it promised : and when by this means Death was become to them only a passage to a most glorious and eternal life ; it had nothing in it that could fright them . All Sorts , Sexes , and Ages , had lived their Religion so well , that they feared not to dye for it ; but with the most undaunted courage , and h assured hope , they every where in great numbers sealed their profession with their blood , and gave testimony to the truth of their Faith with their own lives . And now if we fall short of that obedience that God requires , and which was performed by former Ages ; whose fault is that , or who must in reason suffer for it ? For Christ's Gospel is the very same that it was sixteen hundred years ago , the Precepts are still unchanged , and the penalty altogether unaltered . It always was , and always will be the same Rule of Faith , and the same measure of mercy or damnation . And therefore if we lose what it promises , we may thank our selves for neglecting what it enjoyns . For the same terms of life have stood fixt hitherto , and shall stand through all Ages ; the primitive Christians kept , and were saved by them , and if we break them , we shall certainly be condemned for them . How small soever therefore that be which in these loose times men perform ; yet an intire obedience is that which God indispensably enjoins . It is the peremptory Demand of his Gospel , and will at the last Day be the inviolable Rule of his Judgment . It saved the antient Christians , and less than it nothing in the World will save us . But this , some will be ready to say , instead of a gracious and merciful , is a very rigorous and severe Condition . It binds us to more than is in our power , and threatens us for what we cannot help , and is a task too heavy for any mere man , and proportioned only to the strength of an Angel. For to obey all God's Laws , and that at all times , who is sufficient ? God's Laws themselves are not Rules so general as to admit of no exception . For we are commanded , for instance , to live in peace ; but yet sometimes we may , and must be engaged in striving and contention . And as it is in this , so it is in other parts of Duty ; the Commandment holds not in every Case , but some are excepted . And who now is of an understanding so discerning and sagacious , as to see in all things where he is fast and where he is loose , and never to mistake that for his liberty , which is indeed his Duty ? To be infallible in judgment , and to think right in all things , is the property of a God , not of a man ; And if through this weakness of understanding , whereto all mankind are subject , we are ignorant at any time and do not see , or erroneous and mistake our Duty ; how is it possible that we should in all instances , and at all times perform and fulfil it . But even where we do know God's Law , yet neither there can we always observe it . For since we have many other thing to do besides our Duty , and opportunities for action call frequently upon the sudden ; we are oft-times drawn to act before we have time to think , and so although we know what we should do in the general , yet in this particular Case we have not leisure to attend to it . We are surprized into action e're we are aware , and perform before we can consider ; and therefore , as the chance happens , many times do ill , because we have not time to look about us , and to see what is well doing . But if an opportunity for some sin happen when we are at leisure to consider of it , and to avoid it ; yet many times , although for the present it doth not , afterwards it shall win upon us . For all temptations do not come upon us suddenly , and pass away as suddenly again ; but some stay long with us , and persist to obtrude themselves upon us . And although we can consider for a while , and watch well , and resist long : yet such is the imperfection of our very faculties , that they cannot be held long at stretch , but they will at last grow weary . They will be tired out by continuing so strict a Guard , and begin at last to remit of their care , and to slacken their diligence : and when they unbend , the temptation encreases , and our lusts take advantage ; so that albeit we were not surprized at first , yet we shall at last , and be tired and wearied into a transgression . And since all these , with others , are infirmities not only incident to , but inseparable from our Natures , and such as we cannot throw off till we shake off our Bodies , and all converse with the tempting world : how can it be thus exacted of us , who cannot always stand upright , that we should never fall , but obey God intirely , in all things , and at all times ? But to give a clear Answer to these difficulties , which are here with great truth objected ; having shown that Obedience is the Condition which is indispensably required of us , and what those particular Laws are which we are to obey , and what degrees and measures of obedience is required to them : I shall now proceed to enquire into that which I promised in the next place , viz. What are the mitigations and allowances of this Condition of happiness , and what those defects are which it bears and dispenses with ; of which in the next Book . BOOK IV. Shewing what defects are consistent with a regenerate state , and dispensed with in the Gospel . CHAP. I. Shewing in general that some sins are consistent with a state of Grace . The CONTENTS . Some failings consistent with a state of Grace . This shewn in the general ; First , From the necessity of humane Nature , which cannot live without them . Secondly , From sundry examples of pious men , who had right to life whilst they lived in them . THAT measure of life or death which Christ has indispensably fixed for all his Servants , is not a perfectly intire , and absolutely unerring obedience . No , it makes allowances for the unconquerable frailties , and unavoidable infirmities of our Natures . It considers that we are but men , and exacts no more of us than a humane service . That integrity which , as we have seen , it requires of us , is an intire obedience only of our free works , and deliberate , chosen actions . For then we are perfect and intire in God's account , when we have done all that was in our power , and have no wilful stain upon us ; when we have no other blemish , than what the unwill'd weakness of our Nature , and the very frame and circumstances of our Constitution have made necessary . And therefore every transgression whatsoever , whether with our wills , or without and beside them , doth not presently blot us out of the Book of life , and put us out of a state of Grace and Salvation . No , some defects there are which do not overthrow , but consist with it . To give a clear account of this , I will shew these two things . 1. In the general , that some slips and transgressions are consistent with a state of salvation , and dispensed with by the Gospel-Covenant ; so that although a man dye before he has amended them , and is reformed from them , yet he shall not at the Day of Judgment be condemned for them . 2. More particularly , what , and of what nature those consistent slips and transgressions are . 1. I say in the general , that some slips and transgressions are consistent with a state of salvation , and are not eternally threatned , but graciously tolerated and dispensed with by the Covenant of the Gospel . And therefore if a man dye in them before he has perfectly amended them , he shall not be condemned for them . Now as for this , the absolute necessity of humane nature makes it evident . For such a state of unerring obedience and impeccability cannot here be performed by any man , whether Heathen , Jew , or Christian ; and therefore it cannot be required of him . No man of any Religion whatsoever can do it ; and so God cannot , he will not exact it . For of this all men may be fully satisfied from that assurance of God's goodness , which is common to all Religions in the World , that he never commands impossibilities , or enjoins men to do that which is not to be done . He doth not require a Beast to be as perfect as a man ; or lay that load upon a man which is fit only for the strength of an Angel. For to do thus were to act the part of a severe Taskmaster , and a cruel imposer ; but by no means to use the Authority of a loving and a gracious Lord. It were indeed to reap where he has not sown , and to call for that which he has never given ; and to command and order , reward or punish ; not to promote obedience , but only to shew power ; not according to mens deserts , but only according to his own will. For if he should bind impossibilities upon us by a Law , and establish it with penalties ; he could not be thought to prescribe a Rule of action , since no man can act after it ; nor to fix a measure of Judgment , since it being in no mans choice to break or to perform , no man can justly be judged by it ; but only to seek a palpable pretence of unjust force and arbitrary cruelty . Because it is all one to torment and punish a man without any Law , as to punish him for the breach of that which it was never possible for him to perform . For there can be no fault where there is no ability ; and a Tree is as much in fault for not walking when it is bidden , or a Stone for not discoursing ; as a man is for not doing that which it is above his power to do . So that whatsoever a man in such case is punished for , will fall at length upon God himself ; because whatsoever he suffers , it is not for that he would not , but for that he could not help it ; which in very deed is to suffer punishment for being no better or abler than God was pleased to make him . Whatsoever therefore no man can a avoid , no man shall ever be punished for . Because God cannot be offended with infirmities of his own making , nor angry at his own workmanship , since that were in reality and reason to be angry at himself . And thus much , I say , all the world may be convinced of in this matter , from that common assurance which all men either have , or may have of Gods Justice and Natural Goodness . But then as for us Christians , we are assured that God cannot injoyn impossibilities , or make that an indispensable condition of his Covenant which the best of us all is not able to come up to ; because such dealing would not only contradict the Goodness and Justice of his nature , which is enough to make any honest Jew or Heathen , to abhor the thoughts of it , but would moreover thwart and destroy all the ends of the Gospel , and the declarations of Grace . For if the Covenant of the Gospel , or of Grace it self , should exact that which no Christian can perform , and damn them for what they cannot help ; it were no Covenant of Grace and Mercy , nor any favour at all to men , seeing it would leave them just where it found them , and not put them into one jot the better case than they were in before it came . Christ could never have called himself the way , if no man could walk in it ; or the life , if none were ever able to live by him . The Angels had never sung joy to all people at his birth , if that joy had been set so far above us , that the tallest of us all could not reach up to it ; nor have proclaimed upon his coming into the world , d on earth peace , and good will towards men ; if yet , after all that he has done and suffered for us , we are still left in such a case , that what none of us all can help shall put God and Vs into a state of ill-will and enmity . How could he have been called a Jesus or a e Saviour ; if he proffered salvation upon such strict terms as no man could ever hope to be saved by ? or f Grace and Truth have been truly affirmed to come by him ; and the preaching of his Religion be called a Gospel or g glad-tidings ; if the conditions of it were so very hard , as that no man could perform them ? To make such offers of Grace , as none were able to accept of , had not been to relieve our necessities , but to deride them ; and that which in the Apostles judgement is a most gross absurdity , would have been in reality a most certain truth ; ( viz. ) that all their preaching was vain , and our faith is vain also , 1 Cor. 15.14 , 17. As for us Christians therefore who are under the gracious Covenant and Gospel of Christ , we are assured that nothing is under the pains of hell and misery required of us , which cannot be performed by us , not only from that common natural knowledge which we , as well as others , have of Gods Goodness and Justice ; but also from all those particular Revelations which we enjoy , above other men , in the Gospel of Grace . Impossibilities can be no condition of our happiness , because as Gods nature cannot bear , so neither can Christs Gospel consist with it . Nay , I add further , so far are all the Laws of Christ from being an impossible task , that to us Christians , who are strengthned by those assistances which Christ affords , and his Gospel Promises , they are neither grievous nor extream difficult , but a burthen fair and easie to be born . His Commandments , saith S t John , are not grievous , 1 Joh. 5.3 . And our Lord himself , who best knew the measures , both of our Natures , and of his own Grace , declares expresly that his Yoke of Precepts is easie or h gracious and favourable , and his burthen light : Upon which inducement he exhorts all men with the greater willingness to take it upon them , and submit to it , Mat. 11.30 . This then all Religions in the world , and we Christians above any , either are , or may be undoubtedly assured of , that no man is indispensably bound to do , what no man can do ; and that those things cannot be injoyn'd , which can never be performed . But now to live wholly without sin , in an impeccable and unerring obedience ; to go on exactly streight in Gods way without the least wandring , and to tread always firm in the paths of righteousness without ever slipping : to walk so uprightly as never to fall , neither by security or rashness , inadvertency or weakness , surprize or weariness , is more than humane nature can do , and is a task , not for a Man , but an Angel . And that some slips and transgressions of this nature are such as no man of what Religion soever , whether Gentile , Jew , or Christian , can avoid ; is plain , because no meer man ever yet did avoid them . It was an undeniable Argument of Atticus in S t Jerome , i Give an instance of some man that did it ; or else confess that no meer man yet ever could do it . For since there is both an utter necessity , and a severe Commandment requiring it ; it cannot be but that some of all mankind , when they had so much reason , and so infinite inducement , should have endeavoured to the utmost , and have done it , if the doing of it had been within the power of humane nature . So that if it be a failing inseparable from the practice of every man , we must conclude it to be unconquerable by the humane nature also . But now as for this inability of performing in every instance , and transgressing at no time ; it has been the complaint of all persons , in all Religions , throughout all ages of the world . For as for the bravest men among the Heathens , we have Seneca their great Moralist confessing freely . k We have all sinned more or less , sayes he even of his Countrey Laws . For some have sinned in great matters , some in little , some out of choice and design , some through constraint , or through the ill example and seduction of others . Some have been too easily driven from good purposes , and sinned , though it were against their wills . Nay , we have not only transgressed thus far , but , what augments our misery , we shall continue still to transgress so long as we have breath in our bodies . Yea , if there be any man who has so well cleansed his soul , as that no temptation can win upon him ; yet has he run through a long train of sins before he attained to that pitch of innocence . l Let us perswade our selves of this in the first place , sayes he again , that we are all sinners . For what man is he that dare say he has broken none even of his Countrey Laws ? But granting that he had kept all them , yet how scanty and defective an innocence is that , to have done only all that Good which they oblige to ? For how many things are required , and not performed , by the Divine Law of Piety , of Humanity , of Liberality , of Justice , of Fidelity ? of all which , whether we keep or break them , the Laws of our Nation take no notice . And as for the Jews , we find David the man after Gods own heart crying out , Who can understand his errors ? Cleanse thou me from my secret faults , Psal. 19 12. And Solomon , who was the wisest and most knowing man that ever was upon the earth , layes it down for an Aphorism of universal observation , that there is not a just man upon earth so perfect as alwayes to do good and never sin , Eccles. 7.20 . Nay , even the Disciples of Christ themselves , who have the noblest encouragements , and the greatest assistances for a most compleat and entire obedience of any men whatsoever ; could never yet attain to such a state as to obey universally without ever slipping . The Holy Fathers in the African Councils felt this by themselves , and were so deeply sensible of it from their own experience , and from what they heard and presumed of others ; that they condemned it as a proud errour for any man to think or speak otherwise . m To say that our Nature is as perfect as ever Adams was , and that any man now may live , if he will , all his life long without sin , and has the same free liberty that Adam had in Paradise never to do amiss ; is an errour that stands condemned by the Holy Councils . And what these good men thus ingenuously confessed , all others have constantly complained of ; there being none among them who was ever able to live up so exactly to the Precepts of the Gospel , as not to do against them in any instance . No , that was the sole Prerogative of the man Christ Jesus , who in that respect had no other man to whom he could be likened . For he was made like unto us in all other things indeed , save only in sin , which we all had more or less , but he wanted , Heb. 2.17 . and chap. 7.26 . And since this state of unerring Obedience is such as in this life no man can , because no meer man ever yet did attain unto ; we may be sure that God doth not indispensably require it . But some infirmities the Gospel must of necessity dispense with , because according to the present circumstances of Humane Nature we cannot help all ; some must be pardoned , since all cannot be escaped . But besides all that has been already said to shew the consistence of some failings with a state of salvation , because of the unavoidable weakness of Humane Nature which cannot perfectly get quit of them : we may add this further , which will evidence it beyond all exception , that the best Saints of God , and the unquestionable heirs of happiness have alwayes lived subject to them . Those very men , who are most certainly gone to Heaven , went thither with some of these slips and infirmities about them . They could not plead an unerring obedience ; but yet notwithstanding all their errours they had right to all the Promises of the Gospel . They died happily , although they could not live wholly without offence . So that some sins do not in any wise destroy a Saint , or subvert the hopes and happiness of a good man , but can and do consist with them . And in the proof of this the Scriptures are many , and plain . Holy Job , who maintained his own Integrity to be such as God would accept and approve of more stoutly , it may be , than any man ever did ; confesses notwithstanding a number of sins , for which , although God of his abundant Grace and Mercy would not , yet if he would he might contend with him . How shall man , sayes he , be just with God ? If he will contend with him , he cannot answer him so much as one of a thousand . If I justifie my self in the unerringness of my obedience , my own mouth shall condemn me ; if I say before him that I am perfect and have sinned in nothing , it should also , by such confessions as he would extort from me , prove me perverse , Job 9.2 , 3 , 20. And David , a man after Gods own heart , acknowledges freely that he is guilty , not only of several sins which he remembers , but also of many more which he doth not know of : Who can understand his errours ? cleanse thou me from my secret faults , Psal. 19.12 . Nay , even Paul the Apostle , who at that time was a most undoubted heir of Heaven , doth yet own freely that as yet he had not attained to perfection , but only endeavoured after it , Phil. 3.12 , 13. But although he were not so perfect as to obey without all errour , and to offend in no instance ; yet had he as much perfection as the Gospel exacts , and such as the best men on earth attain to . For at the 15 th verse , he calls upon as many as be perfect in such measure as the Gospel accepts of , to be thus minded as he was , and forgetting those things whereto they had already attained , which were now behind ; to press on towards that higher perfection which was yet wanting in them and before them , as he told them he himself did , vers . 13. And since men of this full growth and high pitch in goodness , could never yet get free of these unavoidable infirmities ; it cannot be expected that others , who are endowed with a more imperfect Grace and a lower Virtue , should ever live entirely above them . No , alas ! God himself declares plainly by the mouth of his inspired Servants , that no man yet ever did attain so far . There is no man , sayes Solomon , that sins not , 1 Kings 8.46 . He challenges any person , how good and holy soever , to say that he is wholly blameless , and has no stain at all upon him . Who can say I have made my heart clean , I am wholly pure from my sin ? Prov. 20.9 . No man certainly , not the most nobly good and eminently virtuous themselves . For there is not a just man upon earth that doth good , and sinneth not , Eccles. 7.20 . The blessed Saints who are now in heaven , could never get perfectly free from sin till they got thither . For it is only in heaven , the New Jerusalem , where the spirits of just men are made perfect , Heb. 12.23 . But so long as we continue here on earth , let us aspire after that pitch of Righteousness never so much , yet , such is the inseparable infirmity of our nature , we shall still fall short of it . Be favourable in censuring one anothers faults , sayes S t James , because every man will need that favour from others towards his own faults more or less ; for in many things we offend all , Jam. 3.1 , 2. whatever some may falsly pretend , yet in reality no man lives entirely innocent . For if we say that we have no sin , we deceive our selves , and the truth is not in us , 1 Joh. 1.8 . we are never able to show this height of obedience , nor doth Christs Gospel exact it of us . For even there we are taught in our daily prayers to confess our daily trespasses ; and yet notwithstanding that , we are allow'd , nay , commanded in the same breath to call God our Father still , Mat. 6.9 , 12. As for some slips and transgressions therefore , we see plainly that they are consistent with a state of salvation , and are not eternally threatned , but dispensed with by the Covenant of the Gospel . For the infirmity of our Nature is such , that we never can ; and Gods goodness is so great , that he never will require us to be entirely free from them . The very best men , and those very Saints who are now in bliss , have lived subject to them , and fallen under them ; but yet they made no blot in their character , nor robbed them of Gods favour , and that life and pardon which is promised in the Gospel . And that we may be certain is consistent , which , as we plainly see , not only needs must , but indeed alwayes has consisted with a state of Mercy and Regeneration . For the terms of the Gospel are the same to all times , and what they bear with in one , they do likewise in another . God is no respecter of persons , nor can ever render different judgement to them who have done the same things . So that as for some sins , we are fully assured from the foregoing considerations that they are not eternally threatned , but dispensed with by the Covenant of the Gospel ; and that so long as we are free from others , if we die in them without amending them , we shall not at the last day be condemned for them . Thus then in the General it appears , that some slips are consistent with a state of Grace , God under the Gospel-Covenant doth not punish them , but bear with them ; so that although we die unreformed from them , we shall yet be saved notwithstanding them . But to clear up this business more fully , I shall proceed now to what I undertook in the second place ; namely , to shew more particularly what , and of what Nature those allowed slips and transgressions are ; whereof I shall discourse in the ensuing Chapters . CHAP. II. Of the Nature of these consistent slips more particularly . The CONTENTS . Our unchosen sins are consistent with a state of Grace , but our wilfull and chosen ones destroy it . All things are made Good or Evil , a matter of reward or punishment , by a Law. Laws are given for the guidance and reward only of our voluntary and chosen actions . This proved , first from the clear reason of the thing . Where it is inferred from the Nature of Laws , which is to oblige ; from that way that all Laws have of obliging , which is not by forcing , but perswading men ; from the dueness of rewards and punishments , commendations and reproofs ; from the applause or accusations of mens own consciences upon their obedience or transgressions . Secondly , From the express declarations of Scripture . IF any man should ask which of all Christs Laws those are which he may keep or break at his own pleasure , and yet go unpunished ; I must tell him , none at all . For there are no failings and transgressions in a mans life allowed of for this reason , because disobedience is warranted to some Laws , although it be not to others . No , in our whole Religion there is no one Law that is left so naked . For God has not given any Commandments with that indifference to them , as if he cared not what became of them , or were unconcern'd whether men kept or broke them ; but he has established them all under the same penalty , so that he who breaks any one , is guilty , as S t James sayes , and obnoxious to the punishment of all , Jam. 2.10 . It is not therefore the transgression of some Laws which shall be born with , but not of others ; for that which gets an allowance for the breach of one , would procure a favourable sentence for the like violation of all the rest . That then which makes the difference of punishable and unpunishable in mens failings , is not to be sought for in Christs Laws , seeing the punishment of every one of them is the same ; but in their own actions . For some sins shall be born with , not for that they are against a Law whereto no penalty is annexed , there being none such in all Christs Gospel ; but for that they are such imperfect actions as the punishing Law , which they are against , will not take hold of . Every Law of Christ threatens death , but these allowed offences are not of the number of those actions which are threatned by it . For we must take notice that those works of ours whereon Christ's Laws lay restraint , and whereto they , as all other just Laws in the World , threaten punishment , are our voluntary and chosen actions . They bind us up in all those performances which are placed in our own free power , and come from the choice of our own will ; and they denounce woes to us if in them we go beyond those bounds which they have set us . So that in all our free and chosen actions we must take care to do what the Law requires , and to keep back from what it forbids ; and we are sure to suffer if we neglect it . For it is among these actions of choice where the Law reigns , on which it lays Commands , and whereto it threatens punishment . If we chuse and do what is commanded , then have we a right to the promised reward ; and if we chuse to do what is forbidden , then are we guilty , and obnoxious to the punishment denounced . But as for other actions which flow not from our own choice , of which sort are all our pardonable and allow'd infirmities ▪ they fall not under the strict force of the Law , either in the guidance of its Command , or in the sting of its punishment ; so that at the last Day it will not be judged to have been either broken or kept by them . That I may fully clear up this , whereupon so much of that which I shall say under this Head depends , I will show concerning it these two things : 1. That all things whatsoever , which are either good or evil , and a fit matter of reward or punishment , are made such by a Law. 2. That all our actions are not governed by God's Laws , so as to be strictly and directly either enjoined or prohibited , punished or rewarded by them ; but only those among them which are voluntary and chosen . 1. I say , All things whatsoever , which are either good or evil , rewardable or punishable , are made so by some Law. For good and evil , vertue and vice , obedience and sin , which are only so many different Names for the same thing , have all relation to a Commandment . Vertue and obedience is the performance , as vice and sin is the transgression of it . Where there is no Law , saith the Apostle , there is no transgression , Rom. 4.15 . And no man sins , as saith another Apostle , but he that transgresseth the Law ; for sin is the transgression of the Law , 1 John 3.4 . And as Law is the measure of sin and Duty , so is it likewise of reward and punishment . For God never afflicts and torments the Children of men out of the inclination of his Nature , but only out of the necessity of Government . He is the Ruler of the World , and the Lord of men ; and therefore he must maintain his own Laws , and punish the evil Doers . But no man is ever punished without an offence , and he must do evil before he suffer it . He undergoes nothing but that which is his own choice ; for he chose rather to incurr the penalty , than to perform the Commandment . He feels no more than the Law denounced , for God the Judg executes nothing but what the Law threatens ; he punishes according to it , but not without it . The Law doth always make a penalty due to an Offender , before he either can , or doth exact it . Thus are all things , which are either good or evil , rewardable or punishable , made such by a Law. But then 2. As for our actions , all of them are not governed by God's Law , so as to be strictly either enjoined or prohibited , punished or rewarded by them , but only those among them which are voluntary and chosen . And this being a a Point whereof I shall make so much use in all that follows , I will spend the more time in clearing of it up , as I hope , beyond all question , by showing the truth of it , 1. From the clear reason of the thing it self . 2. From the plain declarations of the Scripture concerning it . 1. I say , That only our voluntary and chosen actions are under the restraint of Laws , and either enjoined or prohibited , punished or rewarded by them ; is plain from the great and convincing reason of the thing it self . For let us consider , First , The very nature of a Law , and we shall find that in all those actions whereon it is imposed , it supposes them who exert them to have a power of choice , and a free liberty of making them either a piece of service to it , or a transgression of it . For all Law is a Bond or a Tye , which lays restraint upon us , and induces Obligation . So that in all those actions whereupon the restraint is laid , we are necessarily supposed to be free before it comes . For it is an utter absurdity to bind any thing by a Law , which is before necessitated by its very Nature . Who would ever be so vain and foolish as to give a Law to a Stone , that it should not speak ? or to a Tree , that it should not walk ? or to the Fire , that it should not chill and freeze him ? There can be no place for , nor need of an Obligation , where there is no choice and liberty . For it is only where things have a power to act on both sides , that there is room for a Law to oblige and tye them up to one . And for this reason it is , that among all that variety of Creatures which inhabit in this lower World , men alone are capable of Laws , because no Creature besides is endowed with freedom of will and liberty of choice , which is to be bound up and restrained by them . Nay , even in men themselves , those actions and tempers which are not subject to their own choice , nor under the power of their own wills , are no fit matter of a Law , nor fall under the force of a Commandment . For who can ever be so unreasonable and void of all sence , as to command a man that he should not be born rich or poor , base or noble ; that he should not be sick and weak , hungry and thirsty , sleepy or weary ? No , since none of these instances is in his own choice , or under the free disposal of his own will , in none of them is he capable of an Obligation . Seeing then that it is of the nature of every Law , to be given as a Bond and Obligation to us in such Actions , to which otherwise our will is free , and able either to chuse or refuse them ; it is plain that Laws are intended for a restraint upon us only in our voluntary and chosen actions . For there are none else wherein we are free , and therefore none besides wherein they should intend to bind us . Secondly , That only our voluntary and chosen actions are under the restraint and punishment of Laws , is plain from that way which all Laws have of obliging men . The Law is no Law further than it obligeth ; and all its obligation is only upon our chosen actions . For all the force which it can possibly have upon us to bind us to the performance of any thing , is only so far as it can make us will and chuse it . And therefore as for all unchosen actions , they are not within the reach of Law , because they are not subject to the force of Obligation . Now that this is the only way which all Laws have of obliging us to a thing , viz. their engaging us to will and chuse it , so that the force of obligation can fall upon no action which is unchosen , is evident . For that whereto they would oblige us , is such actions as they injoyn or forbid ; and that power or faculty in us which they would oblige to it , is our wills . For our wills are the Disposers of our actions , seeing we work at our own choice , and do what we will and like our selves . But now as for all the obligation which any thing can possibly lay upon our wills , it is not by way of necessitating , compulsive force , but only of moving and exciting Arguments . Because from the very constitution of our nature , our will cannot be forced by any Bond , but only moved of it self to chuse that which it is intended to be bound to ; so that in its nature it is capable of being obliged to nothing which is unchosen . For the will of man is not a Subject capable of natural force or bodily violence ; a man may as soon hope to grasp a shadow ▪ or to lay violent hands upon an Angel , as to engage it that way . No , it is no Body , nor bodily faculty ; so that it is not subject to any physical force , to be bound hand and foot by a Law as a Thief is by a Chain : but the only possible way whereby to work upon it , is to win it by Arguments . It must determine its own choice , since other things cannot determine it ; and therefore such things must be suggested and proposed to it as can perswade , but nothing that can force and compel it . For this indeed is all the hold that any Law can have upon the will of man ; i● naturally wills and chuses what is good , and hates and refuses what is evil . And this gives a Law some power over it , in binding it to chuse what the Lawgiver has a mind it should , if he first make it desirable . He may win it in its own way , viz. If he make obedience to become its interest , and shew it plainly that it can be no gainer by disobedience , but that it is by far the better for it to chuse what he enjoins , than to refuse it . For the wills own proper motion , and natural way of working carries it on to desire and chuse that which appears to be good , and to fly and refuse that which is known to be evil . And therefore when the things proposed in the Law have a most desirable good annexed to the performance , and a most hateful evil joined with the transgression of them ; this is an engagement and tye upon it indeed to chuse the Duty for the goodness sake , and to avoid the sin for the evil that accompanies it . It binds it so far as its own desires and inclinations can bind it : it tyes it up as much as can be by its own hopes and fears : it lays obedience in the way to that which it loves and longs after ; so that if it would come at that , there is no other means , but this must be the way to it . And this is the way whereby all Laws oblige us . For they are backed with such rewards and punishments as make it every mans advantage to do what they enjoin him . The evil of disobedience is always infinitely greater than the evil of obeying ; so that if the wills of men chuse in their own way , and will be wrought upon by their own motive , they must determine themselves to that whereto the Laws would bind them . And this securing of that which is commanded , by making it far worse for any man to break than to fulfil it , is absolutely necessary and naturally inseparable from all Laws . For a frightful penalty is either expresly mentioned , or , if not , it is always implyed . If the punishment is set down , then they who transgress must suffer what the Law threatens ; but if it be not , they must undergo what the Legislator pleases . So that punishment can never be pulled away from Law , but if there be a Command given which makes no penalty due , nor creates a right of inflicting any ; it has only the name of a Law or Commandment , but that is all , for it contradicts its nature . A request or entreaty it may be , a counsel or advice ; but a Law or Command it never is . And seeing all obligation to action , is only such a motive and convincing reason to our wills , as makes them chuse to act , rather than to omit what the Law intends to oblige them to ; 't is plain that where there is no room for choice , there is none likewise for Law and Obligation . For we cannot be moved to chuse those actions which are unchosen , and therefore we cannot be obliged to them . But all obligation being only a convincing motive to our choice , we cannot be capable of being obliged by Laws in any other than our voluntary and chosen actions . And thus it appears both from the nature of Law , and from the force of obligation , both which are antecedently necessary to make up the nature of sin or obedience , that all the restraint which is laid , and all the punishments which are inflicted by Laws , are only upon our voluntary and chosen actions . And this will yet further appear if we consider some other things which are consequent to sin or obedience , and ensue upon the working or commission of them ; as are , Thirdly , Rewards and punishments , commendation and reproof . Every Lawgiver commends and rewards those who keep his Laws , and punishes and reproves all such as break and transgress them . But now all this can have place only upon their voluntary actions , which were at their own choice , and in their own liberty , either to have exerted , or omitted . For no actions can be imputed to a man , either for him or against him , further than they depended on him . Because there is no thanks at all due to him for doing that which he could not avoid ; nor any charge at all capable to be brought against him for failing to do what he could not do . Who would ever be so absurd as to reprove and punish a man for being low of Stature , or weak of Body , for being born of mean persons , or to a small Fortune ? These , and all other things of like nature , which a man could never help , may be his misfortune , but not his fault ; and whatsoever he suffers upon the account of them , may be , and often is , his calamity , but by no means his punishment . No man can justly be charged with that which was never subject to his own choice ; but if any imputation is laid upon him for its sake , it rests not there , but falls all upon that Cause , whose free pleasure it was so to order him . Agreeably whereunto the Wise man tells us , That whosoever mocketh the poor , reproacheth not him , who cannot help his poverty , but his Maker , whose pleasure it was to dispose of him in that condition , Prov. 17.5 . And as a man can bear no just blame for that which it never was in his power to hinder ; so neither can he undergo any just punishment . Barbarous cruelty indeed he may fall under , which would have taken place without a Law as well as with it ; but legal and just penalties he never can . And seeing no action is punishable but what is chosen , it is plain that the Laws of God impose restraint , and threaten punishment , only to our voluntary actions . Which will still further appear from another effect of every sinful and punishable action ; namely this , Fourthly , That it is such for which our own Consciences will blame and condemn us , and which we shall lament in repentance and remorse . One great part even of Hell torments is this remorse and worm of Conscience . For there is no action for which we shall there be punished , but when it is too late , we shall endlesly repent of it . Their worm there , as our Saviour saith , dyeth not , Mark 9.44 . But now it is an utter absurdity and downright madness for any man to be angry at himself for that which he could never help , and to repent that ever he committed that which it was not in his power to hinder . For doth it ever repent any man that he is not tall of Stature , that he was not born as strong as Samson , or made immortal as an Angel ? Was any man ever touched with remorse , because he breathes , and sleeps , and thirsts , and hungers ? No man ever is , or ever can be angry at himself , but when he sees that he has been wanting to himself ; when he has done that which it was in his own choice to have done otherwise . For all remorse is for a willing offence : a man chuses it when he commits it , and therefore , when afterwards he sees his errour , he condemns himself for it . And since a mans own Conscience condemns him for all those things for which God's Law will punish him , and no man can condemn himself for doing any thing but what he chose to do : neither his own Conscience can condemn , nor the Law punish him for any , but his voluntary and chosen actions . And thus upon all these reasons we see , That it is only our voluntary and chosen actions whereupon God's Laws lay restraint , and wherefore , at the last Day , he will inflict punishment ; so that no sin is damning which is not chosen . This is a very clear and well-grounded truth . For the nature of Law which makes good and evil , of obligation which enforceth it , of rewards and punishments from God , of acquiescence and remorse from our own Conscience , which ensue upon it ; all these evidently evince and prove it . For not any one of them is concerned about any actions , but those which proceed from choice , nor have to do with any works but what are wilful . So that every action whereto there is Law and obligation , exhortation and admonition , reward or punishment , commendation or reproof , acquiescence or remorse , as there are for all those which the Laws of God will sentence ; every such action , I say , is an effect of our own will , or a voluntary chosen action . Thus is it clear from the reason of the thing it self , that all our actions are not governed by God's Laws , so as to be strictly either enjoined or prohibited , punished or rewarded by them ; but only those among them which are voluntary and chosen . And this will appear yet further , 2. From the plain declarations of the Scripture concerning it . That whereby God a looks upon his Laws to be either broken or kept , is the b choice and consent of the heart . My Son , give me thy heart , saith Wisdom , Prov. 23.26 . So long as that is pure , we can have no damning stain upon us , for out of the heart , as our Saviour assures us , all those things must proceed which God will judge to defile a man , Matth. 15.18 , 19 , 20. The lusts of our Flesh must gain the consent of our wills before they become deadly sins , and consummate transgressions . Lust , says S t James , when ( having won over the liking and approbation of our wills , and a half consent to its impure embraces ) it has conceived , bringeth forth the Embryo or rude Draught ( answerable to conception , which is but a half production ) of sin : and this Embryo of sin , when ( by being brought on to a full choice and consent , or , what is more , to action and practice ) it is finished , bringeth forth its genuine Offspring Death , Jam. 1.15 . The consent of our hearts then must compleat our sin , and our own b wills must of necessity concurr to work our ruine . For we must wilfully reject or cast off the Law which would keep us in , and go beyond it when we behold it , before our transgression will have got up to the pitch of a damnable pollution , or a mortal crime . Nay , I add further , till we are come thus far as wilfully to reject the Law , and knowingly to transgress it ; we shall not be interpreted to commit that which the Gospel calls sin , and which it strictly forbids and severely threatens under that name . For if we will take S t John's word , this is his explication of it . Sin , says he , is the transgression , as we render it , but more fully , and more agreeably to the Original it should be , the c renouncing or casting off the Law , 1 John 3.4 . And thus we see that from plain Scripture , as well as from clear reason , it manifestly appears , that all our actions are not governed , nor will hereafter be judged by Gods Laws ; but such only among them as are voluntary and chosen . And therefore although there be no Law of Christ which gives men leave to sin without fear of punishment ; yet some actions there may be against many , or most of Christ's Laws , which shall not be judged to be punishable transgressions of them ; as are all our involuntary and unchosen actions . And of this sort are all those consistent slips which , as I shewed before , not only are , but needs must be born with , and allowed by the Covenant of the Gospel . For it is our involuntary failings which are our unavoidable ones , because we have no power to avoid where we have no liberty to will and chuse ; and since they are such as we cannot help , they are such likewise as God pities , and such as the Gospel doth not punish , but graciously pardon and dispense with . CHAP. III. Of the nature and danger of voluntary sins . The CONTENTS . The nature of a wilfill and a deliberate sin . Why it is called a despising of Gods Law , a sinning presumptuously , and with a high hand . Wilfull sins of two sorts , ( viz. ) some chosen directly and expresly , others only indirectly and by interpretation . Of direct and interpretative volition . Things chosen in the latter way justly imputable . Of the voluntary causes of inconsideration in sins of commission , which are drunkenness , an indulged passion , or a habit of sin . Of the power of these to make men inconsiderate . The cause of inconsideration in sins of omission , ( viz. ) Neglect of the means of acquiring virtue . Of the voluntariness of all these causes . Of the voluntariness of drunkenness ; when it may be looked upon as involuntary . Of the voluntariness of an indulged passion ; mens great errour lies in indulging the beginnings of sin . Of the voluntariness and crying guilt of a habit of sin . Of the voluntariness of mens neglect of the means of virtue . No wilfull sin is consistent with a state of Grace , but all are damning . A distinct account of the effect of wilfull sins , ( viz. ) when they only destroy our acceptance for the present , and when moreover they greatly wound and endanger that habitual virtue which is the foundation of it , and which should again restore us to it for the time to come . These last are particularly taken notice of in the accounts of God. HAving thus clearly shown in the General that all the dispensation , and allowance for our consistent slips under the Gospel , comes not from the nakedness and want of penalty in any of Christs Laws , but only from the imperfection and involuntariness of our own actions : I will descend now to consider particularly what those consistent slips and transgressions are . In the management whereof , I shall shew these two things : First , That our voluntary and chosen sins and transgressions of any of Christs Laws , are not consistent with a state of Grace and Salvation , but are deadly and damnable . Secondly , That our involuntary and unchosen slips are consistent , and such as Christs Gospel doth not eternally threaten , but graciously bear and dispense with . First , I say , No voluntary sin , or chosen transgression of any of Christs Laws is consistent with a state of Grace and Salvation , but is deadly and damning . To make this out , it will be very requisite to show , 1. What sinfull actions are voluntary and chosen : And , 2. That none of them is consistent with a state of Grace , but deadly and damning . 1. What sins and transgressions are voluntary and chosen . Then we commit a wilfull chosen sin , when we see and consider of the sinfulness of any action which we are tempted to , and after that choose to act and perform it . Every chosen sin is a sin against Knowledge , for the will is a blind faculty , and can choose nothing till our mind proposeth it . All choice is an act of a Reason and Vnderstanding , a b preferring one thing before another ; and we must view and consider both before we can prefer either . That which suggests the sinfulness of any action to us , and sets the evil of it before us when we are about to choose it , is our Conscience . For God has placed this Monitor of every mans Duty in every mans breast , to tell him upon every occasion what he requires from him . And till such time as men have debauched their understandings into a gross mistake of their Duty , so as to call Evil Good , and Good Evil ; and God in his just anger has given them up to a reprobate mind , or a mind c void of judgment ; their own consciences will keep them in mind of Gods Laws , and not suffer them to transgress without reproof . So that every wilfull sin , is a sin against a mans own mind or conscience . Nay further , so long as mens hearts are soft , and their consciences are tender , and before such time as they are wholly enslaved to their appetites , and quite hardened in sin ; their consciences , especially in some great and frightfull instances , will not only suggest and represent their Duty , but argue also and debate against their lusts for the practice and performance of it . And then men are not won at the first offer , nor consent to fulfill the sin upon the first assault of the temptation ; but are drawn in after a long deliberation and debate , and dispute the matter with themselves before they submit to it . For when mens consciences do not nakedly suggest , but moreover plead the cause , and urge the observance of their Duty ; there are arguments on both sides to render the choice at first somewhat doubtfull . The Law of God promises an infinite reward to the action of obedience , and threatens an endless punishment if we disobey ; both which are future , and to be expected in the next world . And the temptation inducing us to sin presents us with a fair shew of sensitiv pleasure , profit or honour if we practise , and threatens us with all the contrary evils if we neglect it : both which it sets before us as things present , to be felt and enjoy'd by us even now whilst we are here in this world . Now these are great motives on both sides , each of them bidding fair for our consent . Our minds or consciences suggest the first , and our fleshly appetites and carnal reason represent the latter ; and for a good while these two advocates solicite the cause on both sides , and distract and divide our wills between them . So that when at last the temptation doth overcome , and the Law of Lust in the members prevails over the Law of God in the mind ; yet is that after a strife and a war , after a tedious toyle and much contention . And these wilfull sins , because we underwent a great conflict in our own minds about them , and past through a long deliberation , in an alternate succession of desires and aversations , hopes and fears , imperfect choices and refusals , e're the consent of our wills was gain'd over to the commission of them , are call'd deliberate sins . Every wilfull chosen sin then is a sin against knowledge and against conscience , when our own heart rebukes and checks us at the time of sinning , telling us that God hath forbidden that which we are about to do , notwithstanding which we presume to do it . And if it happen to be in an instance that is greatly criminal , and frightfull unto Conscience , which therefore puts us upon demurs , and creates dispute and arguing ; then is it not only a known , but a deliberate sin also . Nay , where we have time , and there is a sufficient space to consider in between the opportunity and the action ; if we know that the action is sinfull , and are not in ignorance about it , by having either never heard of it , or quite forgot it ; we sin wilfully whether our conscience check us for it , and we consider of it or no. For wheresoever we can consider we can choose , there being motives on both sides sufficient to determine our choice on either . And as for all those sins which we know , whensoever we have time , we can think and consider of them . For all thought is free , and if we have leisure we may employ it according to our own liking . We cannot think , 't is true , of many things at once , but we can consider of any one , and employ our minds upon it when , and how long we please . So that in all such leisurely transgressions , if we acted inconsiderately , our inconsideration was our own fault , and entred only because we suffered it , and had a mind to it . In all such actions therefore as we know are sinfull , every transgression with time and leisure is voluntary and chosen . For either we saw and considered it before we ventured on it , or we might have seen it if we would . Our thoughts indeed are our own , so that even at such times as we have leisure to consider , we may still , if we please , transgress without all consideration . But if we do , that is not our mishap but our fault , and we must answer for it . For where God has given us both Power and Time wherein to see and consider ; he most justly expects , and will certainly exact at our hands an account of what is done as of a known and considerate action . So that not only our considerate and deliberate transgressions ; but such others likewise as are unconsidered shall be judged wilfull sins , if they are acted leisurely , and are in such instances as we know are sinfull . These sins of time and leisure , of knowledge , and of deliberation , are our voluntary wilfull sins . And as for them , they are all of a heinous guilt , and a crying nature , every commission of them is a despising of Gods Law. For when we sin wilfully , both our duty and our sin being set before us , and both being compared and thought of by us , we despise and reject obedience to the Law , and willingly and advisedly , whilst we consider both , prefer the obedience of our sin before it . Upon which account our sinning wilfully is called a despising of the Law , Hebr. 10.28 . And forasmuch as such despising of the Law , ( which is nothing less than the will of Almighty God , who is most extreamly offended by it , and can most severely punish it ) is an act of the greatest boldness and presumption : therefore are our wilfull and chosen sins stiled , in another word , d presumptuous sins , Psal. 19.13 . And since such presuming with open eyes to despise Gods Law is a profest rejecting of his Law and Authority , an open casting off his yoke , and rebelling against his Soveraignty ; doing willingly and advisedly what he forbids , and setting up our own will in opposition to his , which is the highest instance of pride and insolence , and opposing God ; therefore are our wilfull sins said to be acted through rebellious pride , and with a e high hand , Numb . 15.30 , 31. But now as for these sins , which , being thus considered and deliberate , are voluntary and chosen ; they are not all either considered or deliberated of , willed or chosen in the same way . For even among our wilfull sins we must observe this difference . First , Some of them are chosen expresly and directly . Secondly , Others are chosen only indirectly and by interpretation . 1. Some sins are chosen expresly and directly . And such are all those sinfull actions whereto the consideration and thoughts of our minds are particularly directed , and which we eye and view before we choose and act them . They are such sins whereat we deliberate and pause , doubt and demur ; when we have a conflict and dispute in our own minds whether we should commit or keep off from them . And such direct choice and express volition happens when men sin with some tenderness , and sense of conscience . They cannot choose the sin as soon as it is offered , but they undergo a succession of fears and desires . For the temptation solicites them to work the sin , and their conscience being awakened by Gods Law would deter them from it ; so that they have a particular and express consideration of both sides , before they act either . As for this way of sinning therefore by express choice and direct volition , it is incident ordinarily , not to all sinners whatsoever , but only to those of a middle rate , whose consciences being not quite hardened as yet , make them transgress with reluctance and remorse . But besides these there are , 2. Other sinfull actions which are not chosen directly and expresly , but only indirectly and by interpretation . By an indirect and interpretative choice , I mean an express choice of such a state of things , as makes some sinfull actions after that to be no longer a matter of free choice , but almost necessary and unavoidable . For some things are in our power at first either to do , or omit them ; but by some free actions of our own we can , if we will , put that power out of our own hands , so as afterwards we cannot , if we would , keep off from them . Thus a servant , for instance , who is strong and healthy , can , if he please , perform his masters will , and do what he requires of him . But if he choose either to maim his body , or to impair his health ; he has parted with his own ability , and his omission of the things enjoyned him after that is no longer a matter of choice , but of necessity . A wealthy man can easily , if he will , give every man his own , and honestly discharge those debts wherein he may stand ingaged to other men : But if he choose to waste his estate , and to throw away his riches ; he is no longer able to do what he should , but detains the goods of other men thenceforward , not because he will not , but for that he cannot help it . Now these omissions of the lame sick servant , and this dishonesty of the impoverished man , in this necessitous state of things , whereinto they have thrown themselves , are no matter of particular and express choice , because , as the case stands , it is not in their power to refuse them . But yet they were chosen by them indirectly and in the general , when they chose to put themselves into this necessitous state , wherein being once placed , they should not have the power thenceforward to avoid them . So that indirectly and implicitely they have chosen to do that , which particularly and directly it is not at their choice to avoid . And because that which they do now under this necessity of their own making , is interpreted to them , and charged upon them by virtue of their former choice , as if now in every particular , they did expresly choose it : therefore do I say it is chosen by Interpretation ; ( i. e. ) it is imputed to them , and may be exacted of them , as if they had chosen it expresly . This then is an indirect and interpretative choice , even in actions which in the particulars are necessary , ( viz. ) when that was deliberated of and chosen which made them so . All our actions in a necessitous state are indirectly and interpretatively voluntary and chosen , when the necessity it self is of our own choosing . In the particulars , 't is true , we are not free to refuse them , but the reason why we are not , is , because we our selves chuse to be so . For although our present actions are necessary , yet once it was in our power to have kept them free : and that which causes us now to act indeliberately and without consideration , was it self once freely deliberated of and chosen . So that all those actions , which are now necessary in the particulars , were , as the Schools speak , voluntary in the cause ; which is an indirect choice , and interpretative volition . And as for those actions which are chosen only indirectly and implicitely , ( viz. ) in the free choice of that cause which made them afterwards to be all necessary ; they may very fairly be imputed to us , and interpreted to be our own . For in all reason the natural and immediate effects of a mans own free and deliberate choice may be charged upon him , and if he chooses his necessity , it is fit that he should answer for it , and bear the punishment of those sins which he commits under it . What is a matter of any mans choice , may be an article of his accusation , and a matter of his punishment also . But now as for this necessity of sinning , it is a necessity of mens own choosing . For they wilfully threw themselves into it in choosing the cause of it ; and so may very justly be made to answer for all that which they commit under it . All the effects of their present necessity , if they are traced up , will terminate upon their own will ; for they hang upon that file of actions , which had beginning from their own choice ; and being thus chosen by them , they may justly be charged upon them . As for such effects indeed as are so remote , that a mans understanding , in the honest and sincere use of it , cannot see them ; although he do choose the cause , yet neither God nor men will look upon him to have chosen them . For there can be no choice where there is no knowledge , because a man must see a thing before he will and choose it . But when effects lye near , and obvious to any ordinary capacity if it do but use an honest diligence , as most mens necessity of sinning doth to those free actions which produce it ; there it is only mens sloth and negligence if they do not discern it ; and if they chuse blindfold , when , if they would open their eyes , they might see , it is all one in God's account as if they did see it . For it is against all reason in the world that the sinful neglects of men should take away 〈◊〉 rights of God. He has given them faculties wherewith to see things before they chuse them , and he requires that they should . And if they will not use them , that is their own fault ; but what he requires of them he will still exact , and punish them for what is done as for a chosen action . So that as for those sins which men have chosen in their next and discernable Cause , although they are not free to chuse or refuse them in the Particulars themselves , they are a part of their account at the last Judgment . What is chosen indirectly and by interpretation is looked on as their own , and , if it be evil , will be imputed to them for their condemnation . But now several of mens sins are of this last sort . For as we saw of some particular actions , that they are chosen in the Particulars directly and expresly : so are there likewise several others , which in the Particulars cannot be refused , but were chosen in the general , in the free choice of that Cause which has made them all afterwards necessary , so that they are voluntary only indirectly , and chosen by interpretation . For there is nothing so common in the World as for men by their free choice of some sins to bring themselves into a necessity of others : they freely will and chuse some , which necessarily cause and effect more . Now those things which may bring men into this necessity , are such , and so many , as make them inconsiderate and hasty . For therefore it is that in the Particulars we cannot expresly chuse or refuse several sins , because we cannot stay particularly and expresly to consider of them . We have brought our selves to such a pass , that they slip from us without reasoning and enquiring about them . For either our understanding is diverted that it cannot , or so well acquainted with them that it need not look upon them to observe and consider them . And since we do not particularly consider of them when they come , we cannot expresly will and chuse them : but forasmuch as we chose the cause of this inconsideration , we are said to chuse them indirectly and by interpretation . And as for the wilful and chosen Causes of such inconsideration , I shall discourse of them under these two sorts , viz. as causing such inconsideration in sins , either , 1. Of commission , or doing what is forbidden . 2. Of omission , or neglecting to do what is commanded . 1. For those causes of inconsideration in our sins of commission , which make us venture on them without all doubt or disquisition , they are these : First , Drunkenness . Secondly , Some indulged passion . Thirdly , Habit or custom of sinning . For all these , when once we have consented to them , take away either wholly or in great , measure all further freedom , and make us will and chuse what is evil indeliberately , and without consideration . First , As for Drunkenness ; we find daily in those persons who are subject to it , that it so disorders and unsettles all the intellectual powers , that they have scarce any use of them at all . For their memory fails , and their judgment forsakes them . They have no thoughts for that present time of good or evil , of expedient or inexpedient . Their reason is overwhelmed and quite asleep , and there is nothing that is awake and active in them , but their bodily lusts and sensual passions , which then hurry them on to any thing that falls in their way without the least opposition . So that they are wholly governed by their appetites , and , for that time , unbridled passions of lust , or cruelty , or envy , or revenge . They blab out that which in their right wits they would conceal , and do what in a sober mode they would condemn . And so little is there of that reason and understanding in all their speeches and behaviour , which appears in them when the drunken fit is over , that any man may plainly see how , for that present , it is removed from them . So that they act rashly and irrationally , more like brute Beasts than men , committing rapes , or robberies , or bloodshed , or any other mad frolicks and sinful extravagancies without any deliberation or consideration at all . And , Secondly , As for an indulged passion , we daily find that when it is permitted to grow high , it has the same effect in making a man act inconsiderately as Wine it self has . For a man may be drunk and infatuated with a violent anger , an impetuous lust , an overpowering fear , as well as with wine . It shall make him quite forget all Rules of decency and Vertue , and attend no more to them at that time , than if he had never known them . Of anger it is affirmed to a Proverb , that it is a f short fit of madness . And the Case is the same in other passions when they are suffered to go on to amazing and stupifying degrees . How many things are acted in the heat of lust , of fear , of anger , &c. which the men in their sober wits condemn so perfectly , that they would account themselves to be very much injured , if any man should say that they might be insnared into them , and fall under them ? Of so great power are mens passions in clouding , nay for a time quite overwhelming their reason and understanding . For such is the condition of the reasonable soul , that during its being here united to the body , it is subject to all its alterations , and liable , even in its most proper and spiritual operations of reason and knowledg , to be either improved , or hindred , or quite taken away by those changes which befal it . In a sound body , it is free and active ; but if the bodily Spirits , which are those great instruments that it makes use of , are ruffled and disordered ; if they are either confused and overcharged by strong drink or a strong passion ; blended and displaced by a phrensie ; blasted by an apoplexy ; or otherwise mixed and disordered , quenched or oppressed by any other violent Disease : all use of reason and consideration is strangely hindred , if not for a while perfectly eclipsed . And this all men are so sensible of , that every one is apt to plead this in his own behalf for those faults which he commits in the height of passion ; and others are as ready to admit of it . For their great excuse is , That their passion made them almost mad , and spurr'd them on to act they knew not what , without all sober thought and consideration . Thirdly , As for the habit or custom of chusing sinful actions ; it brings our wills to such an acquaintance with them , and to such an unstudied forwardness in embracing of them , that when an opportunity is offered for them we cannot refrain from them if we would , or stand to deliberate whether we should chuse them or no. For custome , as we daily see , in all sorts of actions begets such a promptness and easiness in performing those things which we are accustomed to , that we readily act them upon the next occasion without staying to think and consider of them . Vse , as was observed above , is a second Nature ; and what we have been wont to do by long practice , we do as easily , as quickly , and as indeliberately , as we do those things which flow from the necessity of our very Nature it self . And as it is in all our other actions , so it is likewise in our works of sin and disobedience . By a long acquaintance with them , and practice of them , we learn at last to chuse them whensoever we meet with them , without all thought and examination . For all the little doubts and exceptions of our minds against them , all tormenting fears and checks of Conscience have been so often silenced , that now they are heard no more to make any delay in our embracing of them . And our wills have been so accustomed to strike in with them , and to chuse the sinful action upon every return of the temptation , that now they do not need to pause , but act of hand , and sin without enquiry . And our bodily powers are so naturally disposed to spring out into the commission of them upon occasion , that they hardly stay for a Command , but are as quick and hasty in the dispatch , as our wills were in their indeliberate chusing of them . So that our willing of them after a long use is not a matter of arguing and discourse , of weighing and considering ; but a sudden , inconsiderate motion . It is rather turned into an act of nature than of choice , and has more in it of indeliberate necessity , than of considerate liberty . And as such the Scripture is wont to represent it . For when sin is once grown into a confirmed habit , we are told that it is not so truly an inviting temptation , as a binding Law , Rom. 7.25 . It doth not then so truly perswade , as rule and command us . For we are led Captives by it , ver . 23 ; and sold under it , ver . 14. We submit to it out of necessity , and not out of choice ; because we do not chuse where we cannot refuse , and here we must be under it , and cannot help it . For it is now become our very nature , and it is almost as much out of our power to alter it , as it is for a thing to cast off what is most natural to it . Can the Ethiopian Blackamore change his skin , or the Leopard his spots ? When they can do that , then , saith Jeremy , may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil , Jer. 1● . 23 . If men are so pleased , they may chuse to sin themselves out of their liberty , till they can no longer chuse whether they shall sin any more or no. A compleat habit , and a perfect custome shall make them sin beyond all liberty , because they will sin without all deliberation ; and then they are got up to that pitch whereof S t Peter speaks , Of them who cannot cease from sin , 2 Pet. 2 ▪ 14. In sins of commission then , or doing those things which are forbidden , the causes of indeliberateness and inconsideration are most usually these three , viz. A drunken fit , a high passion , or a confirmed habit . And then , 2. As for the other Branch of sins , viz. those of omission , or neglecting to do what we are commanded ; Besides these three already mentioned , which have their evil influence upon sins of that kind also , there is one great and particular Cause which takes away our liberty of choice in them , and that is a neglect of those means which are necessary to the performance of the omitted Duty . For as it is in all our other actions , so is it also in those of obedience , they hang in a chain of dependance , and are helped on or hindred by several others , which , further than they influence them , are not religious themselves , nor make up any part of obedience . There is a Religion of the means , as well as of the end ; and some actions are helps and preparatives to a religious Duty , but otherwise they are no Duty in themselves . Thus the not staying to look upon a woman , or to gaze upon her beauty , is one means whereto our Saviour directs a man , that he may be preserved from coveting and lusting after her , Matth. 5.28 . So fasting is a furtherance to prayer and repentance , and several other instances of obedience . And the Case is the same in several other things . For meekness , and patience , and contentedness , and forgiveness , and every other Vertue , has some particular helps and furtherances , some things that promote it and dispose us for it , and others that obstruct and hinder it . Now as there is this order in the things themselves so must there be likewise in our endeavours after them . We must take them as they lye , and use the means that we may attain the Vertue . For meekness , humility , contentedness , and the like , are not so perfectly under the power of our wills , as that they can be exerted through their bare Decree and peremptory Commandment . But if we would attain them , besides this imperiousness of Command , we must further use all those means and helps which fit and prepare for them . In habits of the mind men are sufficiently convinced of this . For it is not every one that wills prudence , who is a wise ; or that wills learning , who is presently a learned man. But he who would be so , besides his willing and desiring it , must read , and study , and observe , and seek instruction : he must use all those means which lye in the way to knowledge , and those instruments which prepare for it , and are necessary to introduce it , before he can attain to it . And the Case is the same in all vertuous and moral habits , which are seated in the will likewise . For we must use those instruments which facilitate and dispose us for the Vertue , before the Vertue will become our own ; and we must put in practice all the means and preservatives against any Vice , before we can in reason hope to conquer and avoid it . If we would not be proud or peevish , we must abstain from all the inlets to pride and peevishness . And if we would be meek and humble , we must not neglect the helps and instruments promoting meekness and humility . For the helps and the vertue must both go together ; so that if we neglect the one , we shall certainly miss of the other also . When once we have neglected the means of any Vertue therefore , we have parted with our power of obtaining it . We have thrown away our liberty in losing of our opportunity ; so that now our missing of it is not so much a matter of choice , as of necessity . We omit it and cannot help it , because we neglected to use those means whereby we should have attain'd it . And in sins of omission this is the great and special Cause which puts them without our power ; for we neglect the means of doing what we should , and after that it is not so truly our free choice , as our necessity that we omit it . These then are the causes of our want of choice in the particular instances of sins , whether of commission , or of omission . We do not chuse that evil which we commit for want of considerateness and deliberation , the freedom whereof is taken away from us by drunkenness , passionateness , and a habit or custome of committing it . And we do not chuse the omission of some Duty which we neglect , for want of power , whereof we have deprived our selves through the neglect of those means which are necessary to the performance of it . So that both in doing what is forbidden , and in neglecting what is commanded upon these Causes , we do what for that present we cannot help . For we do not chuse because we cannot refuse it ; and therefore it is not so much through choice , as through necessity that we are involved in the transgression . But although these sins are thus undeliberated in themselves , and thus unchosen in their own Particulars ; yet shall we be punish'd for them as surely , as if we had expresly chosen them , because they were all chosen in their Causes . For we freely and deliberately chose that which made them necessary , and that is enough to make us answer for all those things which we acted under that necessity . For as for drunkenness , which is one of those Causes that deprives us of all liberty by taking away all considerateness and deliberation ; 't is plain that it either is , or may be deliberately considered of and chosen . For drunkenness is a sin which requires time in the very acting of it . It is not entred on in a moment , or dispatched before a man can have time to bethink himself ; for he may pause and deliberate at every Glass , and is free all along to chuse the sin before the Wine inflames him . It has nothing in it of suddenness or surprize , and therefore nothing of indeliberation . Because where a man has time , he may deliberate if he will ; and if he will not , that is his own fault , and he must answer for it , and is punishable in all reason as if he did . 'T is true indeed , to a man who has never tried , and is ignorant of the force of Wine , or of any other intoxicating Liquor , and of its sudden way of discomposing his Spirits and dethroning his Reason : Drunkenness at the first time may be a sin of surprize , and an indeliberate action . Because he suspects not that a free Draught which he takes down now , should a while hence work so great an alteration : he is unacquainted yet with the strength of it , and knows not that it will have such effects upon him . And so long as he doth not see that intoxication is at the end of his present draught , he cannot be said to deliberate of , or considerately to chuse it . It happens to him besides his expectation , and is not an effect of choice , but of surprize . And thus it was with righteous Noah , Gen. 9.20 , 21. And this being unforeseen and indeliberate , what a man commits under it is the more excusable , as was the incest of Lot , Gen. 19.33 . But after a man has felt by himself , or learned from others what the power of Wine , or other intoxicating Drink is , it is generally after his own fault , and his own choice if he be overcome by it . For either he doth , or may see the ill effects of it ; and if for all that he chuse to go on in it , it is at his own peril : because if he chuses drunkenness , he shall be interpreted to chuse all those sinful effects whereto he may see , if he will , that Drunkenness exposes men . So that as for this Cause of indeliberate sins , viz. drunkenness ; it we see is in it self deliberated of , and freely chosen . And as for the second cause of indeliberate sins , viz. some indulged passions , which grow to such a height as to drive us on furiously into the fulfilling of them without suffering us to deliberate about them ; they also are a Cause of our own free choice and deliberation . For it is in our power at first either to give way to a beginning passion , or to repress it . We can check it as we please whilst it is low , because then its strength is very weak , and our own consideration and command is the greatest . But if we slacken the Reins , and give it liberty ; then it knows no bounds , but proves too strong for us , and hurries us on whether we will or no. For in every step which the passion makes , it doth still the more disturb our Spirits , and thereby disable all the power of our reason and consideration . So that proportionably as it encreases , our consideration , and , together with that , our choice and liberty is lessened and impaired . But at the first , whilst it is young and of small strength , it is in the power of our own wills either to indulge it , or to stop and repress it . And therefore if it get ground upon us , it is by our own liking , because either we expresly chuse to stay upon it , and thereby to feed and foment it , or wilfully neglect to use that power which we have over it , in curbing and straining it . And when once we have of our own choice permitted it to go too far , then is it got without our reach , and goes on further without asking our leave , whether we will or no. And herein lyes the great errour of men , viz. in that they freely and deliberately consent to the first beginnings of sin , and by their own voluntary yielding too far , they make all that follows to be plainly necessary . For the lustful man deliberately and wilfully permits his wanton fancy to sport it self with impure thoughts , and lascivious imaginations ; till by degrees his passion gathers strength , and his lusts grow so high , that all his powers of reason and Religion are scattered and clouded , and rendred wholly unable to subdue it . The angry man freely and deliberately hearkens to exasperating suggestions , and cherisheth discontents so long , till at last his passion is got beyond his reach , and flies out into all the unconsidered instances of rage and fury . And the Case is the same in fear , in envy , in love , and hatred , and other passions . Men first consent to the first steps and beginnings of a sinful lust , and when they have deliberately yielded to it a little way , they begin by degrees to be forced and driven by it . For all progress in a vicious lust is like a motion down hill ; men may begin it where they please , but if once they are entred , they cannot stop where they please . All vice stands upon a g Precipice , and therefore although we may stay our selves at the first setting out , yet we cannot in the middle . But although when once we have gone too far , it be not at our own choice whether or no we shall go further ; yet was it in the free power of our own wills not to have gone so far as we did . The entring so far into the passion was an effect of our own will and free deliberation ; and if this make that necessary which is done afterwards , that is a necessity of our own chusing . So that whatsoever our after actions are , this cause of them is a matter of our own will , and freely chosen . And then as for the third cause of indeliberate sins , ( viz. ) a custome and habit of sinning ; that is plainly a matter of our own free choosing . For it is frequent acts that make a habit ; and they are all free and at our own disposal . Because the necessity arises from the habit , and doth not go before it ; so that all those actions which preceded and were the causes of it , were free and undetermined . Wherefore as for that indeliberateness in sinning which ariseth from an habit and custome of sin ; it doth not in any wise lessen or excuse a sinfull action . Nay , instead of that , it aggravates and augments it . For this is sin improved up to the height , and become , not so much a matter of choice , as of nature . And to sin thus , is to sin as the Devils themselves do , from a natural Spring and Principle , without the help of thinking and disputing . Upon which accounts , as it is the most advanced state of sin , so must it be of suffering likewise ; this state of reigning , and prevailing habits of sin being , as S t Paul calls it , a body of death , Rom. 7.23 , 24. All which aggravation both of sin and suffering it has , because it is an aggregate and collected body of many wilfull and presumptuous sins . For before men come so far , they have deliberately chosen , and willfully neglected to refrain from all those precedent actions which have advanced the strength of sin to that pitch , and have made it to be not so much a temptation or a refusable motive , as a binding Law , and necessitating nature . So that although those sinfull actions which flow from us after that we are come to a habit of sin , are indeliberate and unchosen : Yet as for our evil habit it self , which is the cause of them , it was produced by a combination of wilfull sins , and was in all the antecedent degrees a matter of choice and deliberation . And lastly , as for the cause of our involuntary omissions , ( viz. ) our neglect of those means which are necessary to our performance of those things which are commanded ; this is clearly our own fault , and comes to pass only because we choose it and have a mind to it . For the reason why we neglect the means , is , because we will not use them . We have time enough wherein to deliberate and consider of them , and thereby to choose and practise them ; but we will not use it to that purpose . The means and helps to chastity , to meekness , to contentedness , and other virtues , are all before us , and we have power to put them in practice if we think fitting . For it is just the same for that matter with the endowments of our wills , as with those of our minds and bodies . We can see and consider of the means of begetting knowledge and learning in our minds ; and of those receits and rules which are to promote the health of our bodies ; and upon such consideration we not only can , but ordinarily do make choice of them , and put them in practice . And although it happen much otherwise with those wise directions , and helpfull rules that are given for the attainment of virtue , which are read ordinarily only to be known but not to be practised ; yet is it in the choice of our own wills to make use of them if we please , as well as of the other . The neglect of them is a wilfull neglect , for therefore we do not use them because we choose to omit them . So that although when once we neglect the means , it be not at our choice after that to attain the virtue ; yet that neglect it self was . The omissions in themselves it may be are not chosen , because they cannot be refused : but that negligence , which is the cause of their being so , is plainly an effect of our own choice and deliberation . Thus then it plainly appears , that our sinfull commissions upon drunkenness , passionateness , and custome of sinning ; and our sinfull omissions upon our neglect of the means and instruments of virtue , all which are indeliberate and unchosen in themselves , were yet deliberately chosen in their causes . So that all our necessity in them is a necessity of our own making , seeing it was at our own choice whether ever we should have come under it ; although , when once we are subject to it , it be no longer at our liberty whether or no we shall be acted by it . And since all these sins which are thus indeliberate in themselves , were yet so freely chosen and deliberated in their causes , they are all imputable to us , and fit to be charged upon us . They were chosen indirectly and interpretatively in the choice of that cause which made them all afterwards to be almost , if not wholly necessary . For either we did deliberate , or , which is all one , we had time enough to have deliberated as we ought , before we chose our own necessity . So that these sinfull actions which are unchosen and unconsidered in themselves , are yet imputable to us , and fit to be charged upon us as our own , because we chose them by an indirect and interpretative volition . As therefore there are some sins , which are expresly will'd in the particulars by an express choice and deliberation ; so likewise are there several others , which are expresly and deliberately willed only in their cause , but in their own particulars are not chosen otherwise than indirectly and by interpretation . And both these together take up the compass of our wilfull and chosen sins . For either we expresly think , and deliberately consider of the sinfull action when we commit it ; or we expresly and deliberately thought upon that cause , when we chose it , which makes us now to sin without thinking and deliberation . And by all this it appears now at length how considerateness and deliberation is implyed in every wilfull sin . For the sinfull action is seen and considered , ( or it is our faults if it be not , since we had both time and powers for such consideration ) either in it self , or in its cause ; and being it is thus a matter of our consideration , it is likewise a matter of our choice , and a wilfull action . And thus having shewn what sinfull actions are voluntary and chosen ; I proceed now to shew , 2. That none of them is consistent with a state of grace , but deadly and damning . As for our wilfull sins , they are all , as we have seen , of a most heinous nature ; being indeed nothing less than a contempt of Gods Authority , a sinning presumptuously , and with a high hand . They are a plain disavowing of Gods will , and renouncing of his Soveraignty ; they are acted in a way of defiance , and are not the unavoidable slips of an honest and well-meaning servant , but the high affronts of an open i rebel . So that no favourite or child of God can ever be guilty of them , or he must cease to continue such if he be . Because they interrupt all favour and friendship , and put God and him into a state of hostility and defiance ; seeing they are nothing less than a renouncing of his Authority , at least in that instance , and a casting off his Law. And this lawlesness , or rejecting of the Law , is that very word whereby S t John describes sin . For sin , sayes he , is the transgression , as we render it , but more fully it should be the k renouncing of the Law , 1 Joh. 3.4 . In which sense of sin , for a wilfull and rebellious one , he tells us , that whosoever abides in God sins not , vers . 6 ; being indeed no longer a child of God if he do , but of the Devil , vers . 8. They deprive us of all the benefits of Christs sacrifice so long as we continue in them , and of all the blessings purchased for us by his death . This was their effect under the Law of Moses , and it is so much rather under the Gospel of Christ. For the sentence which that Law pronounced upon all presumptuous and wilfull offenders was death without mercy . The soul that doth ought presumptuously , the same , by his contemptuous sin , reproacheth the Lord , and that soul shall be cut off from among his people , Numb . 15.30 . If ever it could be proved against him , by that dispensation there was no hope for him . For he that despised , or contemptuously k transgressed Moses's Law , died without mercy , saith the Apostle , being convicted under the testimony of two or three witnesses , Hebr. 10.28 . For even those very sins for which under the Law God had appointed an attonement , were no longer to be attoned for than they were committed involuntarily and through ignorance . In the fourth Chapter of Leviticus we are l told , that as for those sins which are committed against any of those Commandments which concerned things not to be done ; if they were acted m involuntarily and unwillingly , they should be allowed the benefit of an expiation , and the sacrifices for that purpose are there prescribed . But if they were acted wilfully and advisedly , then had they no right to the expiation there promised , nor would any sacrifices be accepted for them , but that punishment must unavoidably be undergone , which in the Law was threatned to them . For , to name no more , this we are plainly told of two instances ; ( viz. ) the contemptuous making of perfume , and eating of blood , after both had been forbidden . Whosoever shall contemptuously make any perfume like to that ( which was commanded to be made , vers . 35. ) to smell thereto ; that soul shall not be expiated by sacrifice , but cut off from his people , Exod. 30.38 . And whatsoever man there be that eateth any manner of blood , ( viz. willingly and wilfully , the ignorant and involuntary transgressions of this and the like prohibitions being attoneable , Lev. 4. ) I will even set my face against that soul , and will cut him off from among his people , Levit. 17.10 . Thus severe was the sentence , and thus unavoidable was the penalty of all wilfull sins under the Law of Moses . And by how much the ministration of Christ is nobler than the ministration of Moses was , by so much shall the punishment of all wilfull and contemptuous sins against the Law of Christ be more severe , than it was for those against the Law of Moses . And this is the Apostles own argument . For if that word of the Law threatning death , which was spoken unto Moses on Mount Sinai by the mediation only of Angels , was stedfast , and every transgression of it received the just recompence of that death which it threatned , such persons dying without mercy : How shall we Christians hope to escape it , if we wilfully neglect and contemn those Laws which are published to us by so great a means of salvation as the Gospel is ; which was at first spoken to us , not by Angels , but by the Lord Jesus Christ himself , who is far above all Angels , being indeed the Son of God himself , Hebr. 2.2 , 3. Surely , as the Apostle argues in another place , if he who despised even Moses's Law died without mercy for that contempt ; we ought to think with our selves , not of how much less , but of how much sorer punishment he shall be judged worthy , who , by wilfull sinning and despising of his Laws , doth in a manner tread under foot , not Moses , but the Son of God himself , Hebr. 10.28 , 29. His punishment indeed shall be most dreadfull , being nothing less than all those woes which are denounced in the Gospel . For the Law , with all its threats and penalties , is particularly made and designed , as S t Paul sayes , for the lawless ( which is that very word whereby S t John describes sin ) and the wilfully disobedient , who when they see the Law will not be o subject to it , 1 Tim. 1.9 . As for our voluntary and chosen sins then , whether they are chosen directly , or only by interpretation , we see plainly that they are not consistent with a state of Grace and Salvation . For they subject us to all that death which the Law threatens , and deprive us of all that life and happiness which it proposes to us , which , beside all the evidence which the Scripture gives us of it , is plainly demonstrable from the very reason of the thing it self . For certainly if Christs Laws will condemn us for any actions whatsoever , it must be for those , which , being voluntary , may justly be charged upon us , and looked upon to be our own . It must be our willing what sin enjoyns , which can make us Servants of it , and subject us to that death , which God has appointed for its wages : So that both from Reason and Scripture it evidently appears , that every wilfull sin is certainly a deadly one , and puts the sinner out of a state of Gods favour and salvation . 'T is true indeed that every wilfull sin doth not rob us of Gods favour in such measure , as to incapacitate us for regaining of it ever after . But its effect is this , before such time as we have repented of it and amended it , we are under all the threatnings of the Law , and subject , if we die in that instant , to that death which is ordained for the wages of it . We are out of Gods favour for the present , and the state of friendship betwixt him and us is interruped ; and till we repent , we shall not be again restored to it . As for the state of acceptance and salvation it is broken , and destroyed for the present ; for we are put under the punishing part of Gods Government , and are made subject to his vengeance by being sinners against his Law. But as for the foundation of that acceptance , ( viz. ) that habit of virtue and obedience , which , in the wilfull action , we sinn'd against ; it is not quite destroyed , but only wounded and impaired in us . For habits are neither won nor lost by one action , but by many . It is frequency and repetition that must either produce , or destroy them . If therefore a good man is careless in some instance , and loses his innocence , and is vanquished into a wilfull sin ; yet is not the habitual inclination of his soul towards that instance of obedience , against which he offended , quite extinguished in him , but only somewhat weakned and abated . Thus , for instance , a sober man , if he consent once to be drunk , doth not thereby wholly lose his sober inclination . But when the temptation is past , his habitual temper , which was foil'd and over-born , revives again , and he abhors his sin , and confirms his resolution , and so is ready at the next return of the temptation to wash off the stain of his former offence by an opposite instance of new obedience . And the case is the same in the wilfull commissions of any other sin . For although any one wilfull act be a damnable transgression , and put the sinner into a damnable condition for the present ; yet doth it not destroy , but only wound and weaken that habitual temper of virtue , which , if God spare him life , may enable him with ease to act otherwise for the time to come . Although indeed some wilfull sins have such a complication of evil in them , and are carried on against so many suggestions of the spirit , and checks of conscience , and are brought to effect through so many thoughts , and so long contrivance ; that they destroy , not only that innocence which is the condition of our state of Grace ; but also that habitual temper and inclination , which is the principle and foundation of it too . They unravel all , and set us to begin again the work of reformation anew . Of which sort are Idolatry , Witchcraft , Perjury , Sacriledge , Murder , Adultery , Robbery , Oppression , entring into the fields of the fatherless and widow , and such like . For these sins do not only destroy a mans acceptance with God for the present ; but moreover they lay waste his conscience , and spoil all his virtuous temper and inclination , whereby he should recover himself afterwards ; whence they are call'd p wounding , and wasting sins . And this effect they have , because in the very acting of them there is usually so much time and deliberation , and a succession of so many desires and aversations , hopes and fears , chusings and refusals ; that the sin has had a great many imperfect consents before it come to have that which is last and prevailing . Our wills , by a number of imperfect wouldings , are in great part accustomed , and have almost wholly learned to unwill all that good , which they willed before ; so that there is an imperfect habit contained in the very action . Besides , what is most of all considerable , these being such sins as are made up of several combined together , before we can bring our selves to act them , our conscience of their guiltiness must be in great part extinguished , and the good spirit of God exceedingly grieved , if not wholly quenched . For Adultery implies fornication and injustice ; Sacriledge contains theft and impiety ; Perjury includes lying and prophaneness ; and so for all the rest . Now these being complicated sins , and crimes of an accumulated wickedness ; mens Consciences are more than ordinarily afraid of them , and the good spirit of God extraordinarily concerned to keep them from them . They suggest and represent the greatness of the sin , and the greatness of the danger . Which they do with such constancy and importunity , that before men have silenced the one , and extreamly grieved , if not wholly quenched the other , they cannot overcome their own fears , and venture upon the commission of them . And here now is the danger lest their own Conscience be laid asleep , and Gods holy spirit leave them . For he will not alwayes strive with man , Gen. 6 . 3● and from him that hath not ; that is , hath not used that talent of Grace which was granted to him , as the wicked Servant had not done who had hid it , vers . 25 , shall be taken even that , sayes our Saviour , which he hath , Mat. 25.29 . And when men resist the motions of the Holy Ghost to such a degree as this , and after all the repeated suggestions , and obedient inclinations which he threw into their souls during all that time wherein the sin was under deliberation , resolve still to venture on it : no wonder if , being thus grieved and rejected , he withdraw himself , for some time at least , if not for altogether . And of all this we have a clear instance in holy David , upon that wasting sin of his in murdering Vriah , and adulterating his wife . For upon that he felt both these losses which I have mention'd , ( viz. ) the laying waste of the virtuous temper of his own spirit , and the deprivation of the good spirit of God. For this sin being so long in acting ( as it must needs be , since it required such a train of wicked plots and contrivances to the consummation of it ) he must needs feel all the opposition that could be made from the checks of his own Conscience , and from the restraints of the Spirit of God. And when he had born down both for the satisfaction of his lust , and trampled them under foot for the consummation of his sin ; then doth he begin to feel the want , and to be all in fear of losing the habitual rectitude of his own spirit , ( which , by so many contrary actions implyed in that one great one , he had almost quite destroyed ) and of suffering the desertion of Gods spirit , which by his continued provocations contained in it likewise , he had well nigh abandon'd . For to this purpose we find him complaining and crying out in his Psalm of repentance for that great transgression , whereof , at the 14 th verse , he makes express mention . Create , or new make in me a clean heart , O God , sayes he , and renew a right spirit within me . And besides that , cast me not away neither from thy presence , nor take thy holy spirit from me , Psal. 51.10 , 11. So that as for the effect of wilfull sins , it is plainly this . All wilfull sins whatsoever destroy our state of acceptance with God , and put us into a state of enmity and death for the present . But as for those among them which lay waste the Conscience , they effect not that only , but moreover they destroy that virtuous habit , and grieve , nay , sometimes drive away that good spirit , whereby we should restore our selves to it for the time to come . And because this latter sort have the mischievous effect , in making our return thus dubious and difficult ; they are particularly taken notice of in the accounts of God. Thus , for instance , David had committed several deadly sins , for some whereof he had undergone severe punishment ; as particularly for that proud presumptuous offence of his in numbring of the people , 2 Sam. 24.1 , 10 , 13 , &c. But these made no notable decay or devastation in the virtuous temper of his soul ; for his own heart admonished him of the evil which he had done , and he repented quickly , and rose again without delay , and so was presently restored to what he was before . But as for his sin in the matter of Vriah , it was a q lasting work , and took up a long r deliberation and contrivance . It made his Conscience hard and insensible ; for his own heart did not smite him into a change , nor enable him to repent without a s monitor . So that his stay in this crying sin was long , and his return both difficult and dangerous . And therefore in that character which is given of him by the Holy Ghost , when all the rest are buried in silence , this sin particularly is expresly specified . David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord , and turned not from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life , save only in the matter of Vriah the Hittite , 1 Kings 15.5 . Thus then , as for this first part of our enquiry , we see plainly of all our wilful sins that they are not consistent with a state of Grace and salvation , but that they are all deadly and damning for the present , if we dye under them without repenting of them ; and as for the future , that they do all of them wound and weaken , but some almost quite destroy that habitual , inherent Grace , whereby we should recover our selves to the state of pardon for the time to come . CHAP. IV. Of the nature of involuntary sins , and of their consistence with a state of salvation . The CONTENTS . Of involuntary actions . Of what account the forced actions of the Body are in morals . Two causes of involuntariness . First , The violence of mens passions . It doth not excuse . Secondly , The ignorance of their understandings . This is the cause of all our consistent failings , and the sins that are involuntary upon this account are consistent with a state of salvation . This proved , 1. From their unavoidableness ; The Causes of it ; in what sense any particular sin among them is said to be avoidable . 2. From the nature of God. A representation of God's nature from his own Word , and mens experience . The Argument drawn from it for the consistence of such failings . 3. From the nature and declarations of the Gospel . It is fitted to beget a cheerful and filial confidence , and therefore is called the Spirit of Adoption . The Argument from this . The Scripture-Declarations and Examples in this matter . These Arguments summed up . THE second sort of sins are such as are involuntary and unchosen ; and these are consistent with a state of salvation , and such as Christ's Gospel doth not eternally threaten , but graciously bears , and in great mercy dispenseth with . As for the involuntariness of mens actions , that which produces and effects it , is not any force from without upon our will it self . All the things in the material world can never bind and compel the will of man , seeing it is no physical , bodily thing , so as that any bodily force might act upon it . Nothing in the world can make us will and like that which we do not like ; the will of man is liable to no a compulsion , it has this priviledge above all other things on the Earth , that nothing about it can force or constrain it , but that still it wills and chuses as it self pleaseth . As for the actions of men indeed , they are mixt things . Because they flow from the whole man , both Body and Soul ; and beginning in the mind or will within , are consummate in our outward and bodily operation . And as for the last of these , viz. our bodily operation , it may be forced , forasmuch as one Body is liable to the force and compulsion of another . Thus , for instance , a chast Matrons Body may be violently ravished . A peaceable mans hand may , by the overpowering strength of another man , be made the forced instrument of anothers murther . The bodily work and operation can be forced , seeing other Bodies more powerful than it self can compel it . And in this sence the Schools understand the word action , viz. only for the action of the Body , when they make one kind of involuntary actions to be involuntary by b violence or compulsion ; that being a thing whereto not the will it self , but the body only can be liable . But now these forced actions of the Body , although in Nature they be looked upon as actions , yet in morality they are esteemed as none at all . That is , Laws , which are the Rules of good and evil , and the measure of mens manners , take no notice of them , nor look upon themselves to be either broken or kept by them ; because it is not the Body and Carkass , but the whole man , consisting of Soul as well as Body , which Laws are given as a Guide to . So that a ravished Matron , if only her Body suffered , and there was no concurrence of her own consent to it , is as chast and unpolluted in God's account and in the censure of the Law , as is the purest Virgin. And therefore it was a great truth whereby Collatinus and Brutus went about to comfort the poor destowred Lucretia in c Livy ; It is the mind , say they , which sins , and not the Body ; so that in those actions wherein there is nothing of will and deliberation , there is likewise no fault or transgression . And this Case is expresly thus determined , Deut. 22. For in the Case of the ravished Damsel , whose will was no way consenting to it , but who did all that she could against it , it is expresly ordered that to her there is nothing to be done by way of punishment , because in her there is no sin worthy of death ; for like as when one man is slain by another , even so is this case ; she is not acting , but suffering in it , ver . 26. As for him indeed who chose thus to force us , 't is true that the Law will interpret what is done by our Bodies as his action , because he freely chose so to compel us . Our bodily Members , which were forced by him , were his instruments , and not our own ; for he it was , and not we ourselves , who ordered and directed them . We were the same in his hands , as a Sword is in the hand of a man , viz. the Instrument only , but not the Agent . So that what was done by us is not our own , but his who was pleased so to make use of us . In him therefore the unlawful action , being willed and chosen , is really a sin and transgression . But in us , since it was not our own , it is looked upon as none . There is nothing charged upon our account for it , more than if it had never been done ; because we did not act , but suffer ; it had nothing of our own will , and therefore it can be no Article of our condemnation . So much of any action therefore as is forced , viz. the outward , bodily operation , in the estimate of good and evil , of vice and vertue , is of no account to us whatever it be to others ; because it is not our own . For to make any action ours , it must proceed , not from our Bodies , but from our selves , who have Souls as well as Bodies : it must come from the will within , as well as from the body without ; and as for our will it self , 't is plain that it can never be made to chuse involuntarily by force , since it is not subject to any forcible violence and compulsion . But although those actions which we exert our selves , and wherein we are not merely passive instruments in the hands of others , cannot be made involuntary by any force from without upon the will it self : yet may they become so from something else within us . For our wills are not the only internal Principle of humane actions , but several others concur with them , whereby their choice it self is influenced . Our wills indeed chuse and command our actions ; but then our passions move , and our understandings direct and carry away our very wills themselves . So that they are set in a middle Station , being subject to be acted upon and hurried away by some ; as well as they are impowered to command , and govern others . 1. Mens wills are subject to be violently acted by their passions , which hurry them on to consent to those things which are both without and against their habitual liking and inclination . When any passion is grown too strong for them , although they are afraid to act that sin which it hales them to , yet can they not withstand it . For the Law of sin in the Members is of more force with them , and prevails more over them , than the Law of God in the mind . So that although they have several exceptions against it , they are not for all that able to refuse it ; but they are overcome by it , and yield at last to act it , though unwillingly , and to fulfil it though with trouble and regret . Now here is an unwillingness , 't is true , and things are done , which otherwise would not be done , because the power of mens lusts and passions is so strong that their wills cannot restrain them . For all the interest , which the contrary motives of Reason and Religion can make against them , is not able to contend with them . They can and do effect something indeed , so as that the will , when it doth consent to them , doth it not fully and freely , with perfect ease and pleasure ; but unwillingly , with fear and reluctance . But yet that which they do is not enough , for the other side prevails , and the will is not able to hold out , but yields at last to fulfil the lust , and to act the sin still . But now although this be some sort of involuntariness , yet is it not that which will excuse our transgressions , and make all those sins which we commit under it , to be esteemed consistent slips and pardonable infirmities . For this state of unwilling Sinners , as we heard d above , is no state of mercy , but a state of death . It is the state which S t Paul describes in the seventh Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans , viz. a state of captivity and slavery under sin , ver . 14 , 23 ; and thereupon a state of misery and death , ver . 24. All the Grace which Christs Gospel allows to it , is a Grace of deliverance ; a Grace that shall help us out of it , and rescue us from it . In this state of weakness and infirmity Christ found us . For whilst we were yet without strength to help our selves , saith S t Paul , Christ dyed for us , Rom. 5.6 . But now since he has dyed for us , he will not leave us in it , but rescue and deliver us out of it . For now he having dyed for us , we are likewise to reckon our selves to be dead indeed unto sin for him ; that it should no longer master and prevail over us to reign in our mortal bodies so far , as that we should fulfil the lusts thereof , Rom. 6.11 , 12. And as for our bodily members , which are the Stage whereon our lusts and passions reign , we are to yield them up now , not any longer instruments of unrighteousness unto the service of sin , but instruments of righteousness unto the service of God , ver . 13. If therefore we are truly Christians , and such as Christ came to make us , upon our becoming which he has procured Grace and pardon for us , we are not enslaved and led Captives by our passions , but have conquered and subdued them . This S t Paul affirms expresly . For they that are Christ's , says he , have crucified the flesh , with the e passions or affections and lusts , Gal. 5.24 . But then besides our lusts and passions , which although they do make some , cannot yet effect a pardonable unwillingness ; there still remains one cause more which may produce it . For 2. Men are subject to be carried on to work what is both without and against their habitual liking and inclination , through ignorance . And this is the great source and intire cause of all our consistent slips and pardonable infirmities . As for the will of man , it is a blind faculty , it can chuse nothing till the understanding shows it . That is , we cannot desire or will a thing before we see it , nothing can be chosen which is not apprehended . So that if at any time we offend through ignorance or inconsideration , and do amiss either because we did not understand our Duty , or because we did not think of it ; unless our ignorance and inconsideration be themselves damnable , and charged upon us to our condemnation , nothing else will. For God will f impute nothing to us at the last Day , either to save , or to destroy us , but what proceeded from our own will and choice ; and therefore if any sinful action be innocently involuntary , it is likewise uncondemning . And this now is the Case of all our slips and transgressions of the Law of God , which are consistent with a state of Grace and salvation . We act them without understanding or considering of them , and so they are involuntary and unchosen . For in some of them we do not think or consider of what we do at all ; and in others , although we know the action , yet are we ignorant of the sinfulness of it ; so that even in the choice of that this still remains unchosen . For sin and obedience is not all acting of a thing , but an acting of it with certain ends and designs . If we would be thought to obey Gods Law , we must do it because he requires it ; and if we be judged to have sinned against it , it will be for doing something when we saw that he had forbidden it . For that service which God requires is not a heartless service , but a service of the will and choice . So that we must do what he enjoins for his sake , and because his Law requires it , if we expect that he should take himself to be obeyed in it : and we must chuse to do wh●t we g know is against his Law , for the sake of sin before we need to fear that he will punish us as men that have sinned against him . Obedience then and disobedience , besides the action , require likewise the eye and intention ; viz. the chusing of what we do because his Law commands it , or the chusing it when we know that his Law has forbidden it . But if this knowledge of his Law be wanting , although we chuse the evil action , yet do we not chuse the sin , because we do not see that it is sinful . For we would not chuse it if we knew that he had forbid it , so that in our hearts there is no contempt of him , or disobedience at all . When therefore at any time we knowingly and deliberately chuse an action which we do not know to be sinful , except that ignorance be our own fault , whatever the action be as to it self , yet as to its relation to the Law , viz. its sinfulness and disobedience , it is not will'd and chosen . For since we did not see its sinfulness , we could not chuse and consent to it . So that there is no rebellion in our wills , whatsoever there may seem to be in our action ; but they may notwithstanding it be still intirely subject unto God , and ready to obey him in every thing wherein they see he has laid his Commands upon them . As some of our consistent slips and transgressions therefore are not thought of , or considered at all ; so others , although they are known and considered in themselves , are yet unknown under that relation of sinful actions ; so that the sin is all the while unseen , and therefore involuntary and unchosen . Now as for these slips and transgressions which are thus unknown , and thereby involuntary ; they are consistent with a state of Grace , and such as Christs Gospel doth not eternally threaten , but in great mercy bear , and graciously dispense with . To convince us of the truth whereof , besides all that has been above discoursed upon this Argument , it is first considerable that all these involuntary failings upon ignorance or want of knowledge , are unavoidable , and God , we know , will never damn any man for doing that which could not be avoided . For no man can chuse to shun that which he doth not see , but his understanding must first discern and apprehend a thing , before his will is in any capacity to refuse it . And forasmuch as these slips are no matter of our sight and knowledge , they can be none of our refusal and avoidance . Indeed if a man should pause and deliberate , watch and examine at all times ; albeit he might still be subject to one sort of involuntary actions , viz. that which arises from his ignorance of his Duty ; yet would he not be liable to the other which results from this inconsideration of it . For where a man has time , and his Powers are awake , so that he is fit to look about him ; his thoughts are his own , and he may fix them upon the consideration of what he pleases . And where he has the power to consider of any action , he has the power likewise to avoid it . And this is that which is pleaded in behalf of mens ability to keep all Gods Commands intirely , and to live wholly without sin , by Atticus in S t Hierome : i Thus much we say , That a man may live without all sin if he will , for such time and place as his mind is intent , and his care is at stretch , and his bodily infirmities will suffer him to continue so . But as for this power of avoiding all involuntary sins which arise from inconsideration , it is no power at all . For herein we must know lyes every mans unavoidable weakness and infirmity , that whereas our obedience is required at all times , this fitness is only in some certain time and place . For no man is always in that good condition , to be wise and well-disposed , watchful and standing upon his Guard. But he forgets when he should remember , and his faculties are asleep when they should be awake , and he is diverted by other business , and hindred by intervening accidents . So that sometimes either he has not leisure to consider in , or his faculties are not well disposed , and his thoughts free and at his own command , so as , when he has time , duly to consider in it . And this evil state , which thus unfits a man for consideration , is not always in his own power , and at his own choice whether he shall fall under it or no. For as for the want of time , a man in this world is placed in a crowd of business , and whilst his thoughts are hot in the pursuit of one , another many times waits for him . And because opportunities do not stay till we are at leisure , we must take them when we find them ; so that we act oftentimes without considering , since , if we should stay to think , we should stay beyond that time which we are to act in , if we do act at all . Besides , our powers of action , especially where there is any strong temptation of pleasure or profit to act for , are forward of themselves , and ready to spring out upon the first occasion . As soon as the temptation is offered to our thoughts , our wills indeliberately approve , and all our bodily and active powers , by an unconsidered emanation , start up to pursue and endeavour after it ; whence thinking and considering is necessary , not to raise , but to stop and restrain them . And then if either our thoughts have been otherwise engaged , and so cannot readily withdraw themselves to consider of a new object ; or if our thinking powers themselves are dull and heavy , and thereby unfit to consider of it : we presently and indeliberately go on to act the thing without all pausing and due consideration . For this other reason of inconsideration also , viz. the want of power , or indisposition of our thinking faculty it self , is not a thing wholly subject to our own will , to chuse whether , or when we shall fall under it . Because in this state of our souls , during their being here united to our Bodies , they make use of our bodily powers in their use of reason , and in the very exercise of thought and consideration ; and therefore even in them they are liable to be changed and altered , just as our Bodies are . For in a brisk and healthy Body , our thoughts are free , and quick , and easie ; but if our Bodies are dull and indisposed , our minds are so too . A heaviness in our heads , will make us heavy in our apprehensions ; and a discomposure in our Spirits , whether through the strength of Wine , or of a violent passion ; will make us discomposed and incoherent in our thoughts also . And if there be an utter perverting , or blasting of our bodily powers , as is often seen in the bodily Diseases of Epilepsies , Phrensies , Apoplexies , and the like ; there will be the same perversion , or utter extinction of our conceptions likewise . But now these indispositions of our Bodies , which thus unfit our very souls for thought and due consideration , are not in our power to order when and where they shall seize upon us . For our Bodies are liable to be thus acted upon by any other Bodies of the world , whether we will or no. A heavy air , or an indisposing accident will work a change in our bodily temper without our leave ; and when once that is indisposed , we cannot hinder our thoughts themselves from being indisposed too . And since it is not in our power at all times to chuse whether or no we will pause and consider ; although we can avoid offending in those Cases wherein we can consider of it , yet is it manifest that we cannot avoid offence in all . Indeed if we take any particular action , and in our own thoughts separate it from any particular time , and from the Chain of other particular actions amongst which it lyes ; we shall be apt to affirm that it is such whereof we can think and consider . For take any action by it self , and being aware of it , we can let other things alone , and watch for it particularly ; and when we do so , we are sure to find one time or other when our understandings are disposed for a due deliberation , and fit and able to consider of it . But then we must take notice that this supposed state of an action , as separate from the Crowd of other actions , and determined to no time , is only imaginary and in speculation . For when we come to practise them , though in some we have time and power enough , yet in others we find that we have not . Because either they come in the throng of other business , and then our thoughts , being hotly employed upon other things , cannot so easily be drawn from them upon the sudden to consider of them : or if they call upon us when we have time to consider in , yet it happens that our faculties are heavy and indisposed , and so we exert them still without due consideration . When we think of any particular action by it self therefore , we take it out of the throng of business wherein it is involved , and out of that time wherein we are indisposed ; and then we are bold to conclude that we can consider of it . But when we come to practise it , we find that our former speculation supposed false , and that it comes mixt with a crowd of other things , or in a time when we have troubled and discomposed thoughts : So that how subject soever it was to our consideration in that separate state wherein we imagined it , yet have we no power to consider of it in that throng of business or indisposition of faculties wherein we find it . And this is verily the Case of several of our slips and transgressions . For look upon any of the particulars by it self , and take it asunder from the rest ; and then we shall be confident that we may bethink our selves and consider of it . But take it , as indeed it lyes , among the mixt Crowd of other actions , or as offered to our indisposed understandings ; and then we shall find that it slips from us without all consideration . And this , as I take it , is intended by a great man , when he tells us of sins of pardonable infirmitie , that the k liberty which they seem to have when we consider them in special and asunder , they indeed have not when we consider them in the general ; viz. as involved in the crowd of other actions amongst whom they lye , and altogether . Upon which account of their having in them no choice and consideration , he questions whether they contain that which can in strictness and propriety of speech be called sin . And indeed if we understand the same by sin which S t John doth , when he gives the explication of it , 1 John 3.4 ; ( viz. a l rejecting or contemning of the Law , in which sence only a state of Grace is destroyed by it , and he who is born of God cannot commit it ; ) they have not . For men cannot be said to reject and m despise a Law , when they do not see and consider of it . The liberty then which we have about those slips and transgressions which we do not know and consider of , is in effect no liberty at all . For we neither chuse the disobedient action it self , nor the cause of it . We do not chuse the sinful action it self , because we do not know or consider of it : Nor do we chuse the inconsideration , because it is not left to our liberty whether in some of our actions we should be inconsiderate or no. And since our slips and failings which are thus involuntary by ignorance , cannot be chosen or refused , 't is plain that they cannot be avoided . And as for all those things which we cannot avoid , it is clear from what has been said above , that the Gospel doth not eternally threaten us , nor will God ever condemn us for them . But that these slips and transgressions , which being thus unknown are likewise unchosen , and so unavoidable , are not eternally punishable by the Gospel , but consistent with a state of Grace and Salvation , will further appear if we consider , First , The Nature of God. Secondly , The nature and plain declarations of the Gospel . 1. I say their consistency with a state of Grace , or Gods favour , will plainly appear if we consider the Nature of God. God is the most Gracious , Loving , and good natured Being in the whole world . For all the love and kindness that appears among us men proceeds from him , and makes us to resemble him , and to be like unto him . Nay , he is not only Loving , but even Love it self . For God , sayes S t John , is Love , and he who dwells in love dwells in God , and God in him , 1 Joh. 4.16 . And if we will take that character which he gives of himself , it is wholly made up of the various instances of Mercy and Goodness . The Lord , sayes he to Moses , the Lord God mercifull and gracious , long-suffering , and abundant in goodness and truth ; keeping mercy for thousands , forgiving iniquity , transgression and sin , Exod. 34.6 , 7. All his delight is in exercising Love , and showing kindness . For he swears to us as he lives , that he has no delight at all in the death of a sinner , but had rather that every wicked man should turn from his wickedness , and live , Ezech. 33.11 . He is by no means forward to espie faults , or malicious to misconstrue actions , or prone to admit of provocation , or implacably angry when he is once provoked , or cruelly vindictive when once he is angred . The Lord , saith the Psalmist , is mercifull , and gracious , slow to anger , and plenteous in mercy . He will not alwayes chide when he has just reason for it , nor keepeth he his anger for ever , Psal. 103.8 , 9. He is not at all of the humour of severe masters , who are prone to take offence ; but like a most tender father he is all benignity and goodness . For if any thing be pitiable , he pities it ; if any thing is done amiss , he is slow to wrath , and easie to forgive it . Like as a father pitieth his own children , even so the Lord pitieth them that fear him , Psal. 103.13 . Nay , take this Love and Pity of a Parent where it is at the highest pitch of all , ( viz. ) in mothers towards their most helpless , and so most pitiable infants ; and yet this tenderness of God doth infinitely exceed it . Can a woman forget her sucking child , that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb ? Yea , they may forget , sayes God by his Prophet Isaiah , but I will not forget thee , Isa. 49.15 . Thus Loving , Pitiful , and Benign a Nature do the Scriptures represent God to be . And what they declare of him , all the world have experienced , and found by him . For every impenitent sinner is a lasting monument of his long-suffering and forbearance ; and every prosperous event , and deliverance in the world , is an effect of his boundless love and kindness . He is infinitely good beyond all desert , nay , in spite of all provocation . For he is loving even unto the unthankfull and the evil , making his sun to shine , and his rain to fall , and all the other m●r●ies of life to descend upon the unjust as well as upon the just , upon them who contemn , as well as on them who obey him ; as our Saviour observed , Mat. 5.45 . Luk. 6.35 . And this he is to such an astonishing degree , as to bestow upon them , not only the blessings of his substance , of his protection , and of his kind providence : but also , what is a wonder to conceive , for their sakes to part with his own well-beloved , and so much the more beloved , because his only begotten Son. For God , as saith the Apostle , hath recommended his love to us , in that whil'st we were sinners and enemies , Christ his Son came from him , and died for us , Rom. 5.8 . Thus wondrously pitiful , obliging , and good natured then is God , according to that account which both the Scripture , and the Experience of the whole world give of him . And now let any man think with himself how so surpassing kind , and infinitely gracious a nature as this , is like to be affected with the ignorant , or inconsiderate slips and errours of his Servants ? Will he be utterly offended with them , so as quite to cast them off , and for ever to condemn them ? No certainly , but in great mercy he will pity and bear with them . For these slips , where we do not consider , or where we err and do not understand our duty , are such instances of disobedience as imply nothing of contempt or of a rebellious heart , nor have any thing of our will in them . They are clearly involuntary , so that whatsoever the action may appear to be , the will it self is innocent . For the disobedience cannot be chosen , since it is not understood ; which indeed , in the notion and interpretation of Gods Law , makes it not to be that sin and disobedience which is threatned , but something else : for that sin , as S t John tells us , is a rejecting or a renouncing of the Law , whereas in these slips where we do not see it , 't is plain that we cannot renounce it . And since they have nothing in them of a disobedient will , or of a rebellous heart ; can any man think that so gracious and pitifull a nature should be so highly provoked with them , as for ever to condemn his own honest servants , and otherwise obedient children upon the account of them ? Whosoever thou art , who art inclined to think thus , let me advise thee to consider a little what Love is , and whether it can possibly be guilty of such hard usage . If thou hast any competent degrees of that Love and Pity in thine own heart , which are so infinite in God , bethink thy self whether thou could'st do it , for that is the way , and thence take thy measures in judging whether or no God can . Doth any gracious master use that severity towards the oversights and indiscretions of his honest servant ? or , to rise yet higher , can any tender Parent show that rigour upon every errour and inconsideration of his heartily obedient child ? Is not every good man prone to pass by such offences as are committed unwillingly against him ; and the more he has of goodness , is he not still more forward to pardon and bear with them ? There is no Nature upon Earth that is kind and pitifull , but will make allowances for those things which proceed from want of understanding , and will pass over those miscarriages which imply nothing of ill will or ill intention . Every good man will overlook and connive at them when they are committed by a perfect stranger ; but then most of all when they are incurr'd by his own intimate and dear acquaintance or relations , by his own servant , or his own child . This , I say , every good and loving man doth , and the more he has of love and goodness , the proner still he is to do it . For it is a natural and inseparable effect of charity , so that in what proportion it increases , in the same must this increase likewise . Charity , sayes S t Paul , suffereth long , and is kind , charity is not easily provoked , charity thinketh no evil , charity beareth all things , and endureth all things , 1 Cor. 13.4 , 5 , 7. The more therefore that any man has of charity , the more will he be sure to show of sufferance , of pity , of endurance of such slips and oversights as are consistent with an honest , and otherwise obedient heart . And now since those imperfect measures and degrees of Love which are found in the hearts of all good men , are of force more than sufficient to make them pity and bear with these slips of honest ignorance and inconsideration : that infinite height of Love which dwells in God Almighty , must needs make him bear with them much rather . For the most loving man upon earth hath not the thousandth part of his affection ; the more loving any men are indeed the more still they are like him , but when they are arrived to the highest pitch of what humanity can bear , it is not possible , that they should in any measure equal him . And since Gods Love is infinitely more , his pity and forbearance towards such pitiable oversights , which is a most natural and necessary effect of it , cannot possibly be less than ours is . No , if no kind-hearted loving man would , it must needs be the greatest injury to an infinitely loving God to suspect that ever he should be severe in punishing us for them . If we ask Gods Pardon then for all our ignorant and inconsiderate slips and failings ; he is as ready to give as we are to desire it . And this we are assured of , because it is no more than we daily experience at the hands of every loving and good natured man. For since God cannot be equalled , and much less out-done by the very best of us in kindness ; what the weak Love of a man doth every day effect , that certainly the infinite Love of God will effect more abundantly . And as for this way of arguing , it is no more than our Saviour himself uses in another case , when he shows that God will give good gifts unto his children at their request , because all earthly Parents do it unto theirs daily ; whenas yet their Love , which makes them grant the good things asked so readily , is infinitely exceeded by the Love of God , Luk. 11.13 . Thus from the consideration of Gods Nature it plainly appears , that those slips and transgressions which are committed involuntarily and unavoidably , because ignorantly and inconsiderately , do not put us out of a state of Grace , but consist with it . Which will appear yet further , if we consider , Secondly , The Nature , and plain declarations of the Gospel . As for the Nature of the Gospel , S t Paul affirms plainly that it is of such a temper and genius as tends to ingenerate in the professors of it , not a spirit of fear and slavery , which they are possessed with who serve a rigorous and austere Lord ; but a spirit of chearfulness and free confidence , such as they enjoy who serve a gracious and a loving Father . For he tells the Jews at Rome , that in embracing of Christs Gospel they had not received again the spirit of bondage , unto the possessing of their hearts with fears and scruples ; but the spirit of adoption , whereby they were emboldened with the chearfulness and confidence of sons to cry unto God , Abba , Father , Rom. 8.15 . But now if the condition of the Gospel it self were so severe , as that , according to the tenour of it , these unavoidable slips of inconsideration and ignorance should set God and us at enmity ; no Christian man could ever look upon God as upon his tender Father , with this spirit of filial freedom ; but must needs fear and dread him as his angry and avenging Lord. And the Gospel requiring more of us under the forfeiture of Gods favour , than any man among us is able to perform ; it could not minister to ingenerate in us a spirit of chearfull confidence towards him , but quite contrary to that , to fill us with inextricable doubts and fears of him . As for these slips of ignorance then which cannot be avoided , we may be assured that according to the Gospel they never can be punish'd ; for the New Covenant must bear with them , because it cannot ingender in us this spirit of adoption , and filial confidence without such forbearance . And then as for the Declarations of the Gospel , in this matter they are very clear also . For besides those places that are mentioned above , which show clearly that no involuntary sins are damning , and then certainly that our slips of ignorance are not , seeing they have the greatest plea to involuntariness of any : I say , besides those , this consistence of our unknown and unconsidered slips will be evident from other places also . And for this , to seek no further , S t James's Rule is full and plain . To him that knoweth , or , which comes to the same thing , if he will may know how to do good , and doth it not , to him it is sin , Jam. 4.17 . If then we have no other sins to answer for , but only these of inconsideration and ignorance , we are guilty of none wherefore we shall be condemned , these unknown sins not being of that number . And indeed S t James's Rule is verified by Scripture instances . For holy David fell through inconsideration and unadvisedness in sundry things ; as particularly in an inconsiderate despairing of Gods mercy , Psal. 31.22 . and in an excessive sorrow for his Son Absolom , 2 Sam. 18.33 . and ch . 19.4 . But notwithstanding these , and all other his unadvised slips , he was all the while , a man after Gods own heart , a person upright and acceptably obedient still . Zacharias and Elizabeth were surprized no question , as well as other people are , into several slips and inconsiderate follies . For one we have mention'd , even in that short account which the Scriptures have given us of them , and that is this ; viz. that at the first hearing of the joyful message of the Angel , he is incredulous , and is punished with dumbness for his unbelief , Luk. 1.18 , 20. But yet this , and his other involuntary failings of like nature , come not into the account of his sins and disobedience when God speaks of him ; for notwithstanding these their infirmities , of both of them we are told , that they were righteous , and that before God , walking in all the Commandments of the Lord blameless , Luk. 1.6 . As for this sort of slips and transgressions therefore , ( viz. ) our sins of ignorance and inconsideration ; we see plainly that they never will be charged upon us to our condemnation . They do not destroy a Saint , or put us out of a state of Grace and Salvation , but consist with it . This must needs be true , for they must be pardoned , because they cannot be avoided . Besides , the love and pitifulness of Gods Nature infers , and the very temper and genius of his Gospel supposes it ; the Apostle plainly and fully declares it ; and from Gods own mouth we are told of several of his dearest Saints who have experienced the truth of it . By all which it appears , that so long as we are guilty of no other slips but such as these , we are safe in Gods favour , and secure of his promises ; we shall be accepted by him , although we live and dye in them . And thus at length it appears what sins are truly and innocently involuntary ; ( viz. ) those which are acted ignorantly and unwittingly : and that they do not unsaint a man , or destroy his state of Grace and Salvation , but consist with it ▪ CHAP. V. Of these involuntary and consistent sins particularly ; and of the first cause of innocent involuntariness , ( viz. ) Ignorance . The CONTENTS . A twofold knowledge necessary to choice , ( viz. ) a general understanding , and particular consideration . Consistent sins are either sins of ignorance , or of inconsideration . Of sins involuntary through ignorance of the general Law which makes a duty . How there is still room for it in the world . Of crying sins , which are against Natural Conscience , no man can be innocently ignorant . Of what others he may . This ignorance is necessary to all men for some time , and to some for all their lives . Mens sins upon it are not damning . Of sins involuntary through our ignorance of the present actions being included in the known Law , and meant by it . The causes of this ignorance . First , The difference between Good and Evil in some actions being not in kind , but only in degree . Secondly , The limitedness of most Laws , which admit of exceptions . Thirdly , The indirect obligations which pass upon several indifferent actions . Fourthly , The clashing of several Laws , whence one is transgressed in pursute of another ; the great errour upon this score is in the case of zeal . Fifthly , The clashing of Laws with opinions or prejudices . BUt in regard this consistence of our ignorant and unconsidered slips , is a matter of so great account in the quieting and comforting of troubled and fearfull Consciences ; I will yet proceed to enquire of it more distinctly , and to shew what particular ignorances those are which will cause that innocent involuntariness , which Christs Gospel doth not punish , as has been already shewn , but graciously dispense with . To him that knows to do good , saith S t James , and doth it not ; to him 't is sin , Jam. 4.17 . And the reason why it is so is this , because that sin which a man knows and sees , he wills and chooses ; but if he commit sin , when he sees it not , it is not imputed to him for a sin , because it is not chosen by him . That we may clearly understand then what ignorance renders any sin involuntary , and therefore unpunishable , it is very proper to enquire what knowledge is necessary unto choice , and fit to make any sin to be esteemed voluntary and chosen . Now to our choice of any sin , there is a two-fold knowledge necessary . First , An habitual and general knowledge that the action is sinfull . Secondly , An actual use and exercise of that knowledge in a particular animadvertence , and express thinking upon what we know ; which is consideration . Both these are necessary to a chosen sin ; for we must both know an action to be a sin , and also actually bethink our selves , and consider of its sinfulness , before we can be said to chuse the sin , and wilfully to disobey in it . 1. Before we can be said to chuse the sinfulness of any action , it is necessary that we know habitually and in the general , that the action , whensoever it is committed , is sinfull . I call that an habitual and general knowledge , when we are not to learn of any sinfull action that there is a Law that forbids it , nor are in any doubts or darkness in our own thoughts whether it be a sin , or no. But if it is proposed to our minds , they are already resolved about it , and need not further to enquire of it ; they know and judge it to be a sin when they are asked the question , and that is their standing opinion and fixt perswasion . And this knowledge , because it is no more of one particular action than of another , I call general ; and because it is fixt and permanent , having grown into a lasting impression and habitual judgment of the mind , I call an habitual knowledge . Now that we may be said to chuse to sin and disobey in any particular action , it is necessary that we have this general and habitual knowledge of its sinfulness . For if we do not understand that , although we do chuse the action , yet we cannot be esteemed to chuse the sin , since our will may be all the while innocent and obedient , and ready to refuse the action if it were made to see that it is sinful . We can have no choice of that whereof we have no apprehension ; for the will , as it is truly said , is a blind faculty , and can chuse nothing till it be represented and proposed to it by the understanding . So that if our minds are in darkness about any action , and have no knowledge of its being forbidden ; our wills can have no share in chusing of the sin ; but since it was unknown , it must be also involuntary and unchosen . But besides this general and habitual knowledge of the sinfulness of any action ; there is moreover necessarily required to our choice of it , 2. An actual use and exercise of that knowledge in a particular animadvertence , and express thinking upon what we know , which is consideration . For there is no knowledge that directs and influences our choice , further than we actually attend to it , and consider of it ; but if at any time we did not think of it , it is all one as if we did not know it . Nothing is a motive to our will , further than it is heeded and attended to at the time of willing ; and unless we see and consider of it then , when we are to chuse upon it . For in this Case the Civilians Maxim is very true , a That which doth not appear to be , is of no more account than if really it were not at all . That any sin then may be said to be willed and chosen by us , it is necessary that it occur to our thoughts , and be present to our minds at the time of chusing of it . For if we transgress when we do not think of it , our heart may be innocent all the while , and our will incur no disobedience at all , since if we did but consider of the sin , we would by no means embrace , but utterly refuse it . So that all that can be charged upon us in such Cases is only the hast and errour of our understandings , but not any rebellion in our wills ; for our heart is good , although the outward action appear to be evil . Now since both a general knowledge , and a particular consideration are necessary in every wilful and chosen sin ; the involuntariness of any transgressions may arise from the want of either of them . So that those sins are justly reputed to be involuntary and unchosen which proceed , 1. From the want of the general knowledge , as in all sins of ignorance . 2. From the want of particular animadvertence , as in all sins of inconsideration . 1. The first Cause of an innocent and pardonable involuntariness , is ignorance of our Duty ; when we venture to do what God forbids , because we do not know that he has forbidden it . And this ignorance may enter upon two accounts , either , First , From our ignorance , or mistake of the Law it self , when we know not that God has made any such Law as our present action is a transgression of . Or , Secondly , From our ignorance , or mistake of the thing it self , which the Law enjoins or forbids , when we know not that our present action comes under that which in the known Law is enjoined or forbidden . Thus , for instance , a man may sin by backbiting , censoriousness , &c. either because he knows not that backbiting and censoriousness are things prohibited , or because he knows not that what he doth is censuring and backbiting . And either way the errour may be confined to his understanding , and the transgression be no where else but in his mind , but may not reach his heart or will at all . For he would neither utter the backbiting nor censorious word , if he knew that it were against God's will ; but for this very reason he ventures on them , because he knows not that actions of that kind are forbidden , or that his is of that forbidden kind of actions . First , The first sort of ignorance , which can effect an innocent involuntariness , is our ignorance of the general Law which makes a Duty , when we know not that God has given any such Commandment as our present action is a transgression of . All the Laws of Christ are not known by every man , but some are ignorant of one or other of them . Nay there is no man , how perfect soever his knowledg of them be at present , but at some time he did not know them . He had a time of learning before he attained to a compleat understanding of them . For our knowledge of them , as of all things else , is gradual ; it goes on by steps , and from the notice of one proceeds to the notice of another . So that even the wise and learned themselves do not at all times see all those things which Christ has required of them , but pass through a long time of ignorance before they arrive at that pitch of compleat knowledge . But then there are others who have neither abilities nor opportunities to know every particular Law of Christ in a longer time , nor some , it may be , in their whole lives . For how many men are there in the world whose understanding is slow , and who come to apprehend things with great difficulty ? And as their faculties are narrow , so are their opportunies very small . For although they are most heartily willing and desirous to see all that God has required of them , that they may keep and practise it ; yet their education has been so poor , that they cannot read it ; the place which Gods Providence has allotted for them is so destitute , that they are far from them who should instruct them in it ; their condition in the world is so subject and dependant , that they have little time and leisure of their own wherein to seek instruction ; and their apprehensions are so slow , and their memories so frail , that it is not much of it at a time which they can retain when they have got the freedome of it . They are servants , or poor men , and must be working for their bodily maintenance , when they should be in search of spiritual Doctrine . Indeed through the infinite goodness and gracious Providence of God , it seldome happens , if at all , that they who have honest hearts , which stand ready and prepared to obey his Laws , in Christian Countries live long without the means of understanding them . For although they themselves cannot read ; yet , if they desire it , and seek after it , they cannot miss of Christian people , and of Christian Guides who will be most ready and willing to instruct them . So that no man amongst them , whose heart is first desirous of it , can ever be supposed to want all opportunities of coming to the knowledg of his Duty . But then we must consider , that knowledge of our Duty is a word of a great latitude , and has many parts and degrees in it . For our Duty takes up a great compass , no less than all the particular Laws , which are contained under the general Precepts of Piety , Sobriety , Justice , Charity , Peaceableness . And although every mans opportunities will serve him to know some , and to understand the most general and comprehensive ; yet will they not enable him to understand all . Our whole Duty , 't is true , both towards God and men , is comprehended in that one Law of Love , which , as S t Paul says , is the fulfilling of the Law , Rom. 13.10 . So that if every man had but the wit and parts , the time and leisure to make deductions , and to run this general Law into as many particular instances and expressions as it would reach to , in the knowledge of that one Law , which is soon learned , he might have it within his own power when he would to understand all the rest , which are contained within the compass of those two great Branches , and general Heads of Duty . But alas ! it is not every common head , no nor very many even of the wise and learned , who are so quick and ready , so full and comprehensive , in making inferences . But they have need to be showed the particulars , and are not able of themselves to collect them by a tedious ▪ and comprehensive train of consequences . So that even when they have learned their obligation to the most material and general Precepts of the Gospel ; yet may there be several Particular ones still remaining , which not only the poor and ignorant , but they also who think themselves to be more wise and learned , do not see , and take themselves to be obliged by . As for the crying sins of Perjury , Adultery , Murther , Theft , Oppression , Lying , Slander , and the like , which even natural Conscience , without the assistance and instruction of Christ's Gospel , would be afraid of ; these , 't is true , no man , who is grown up to years of common reason and discretion , can be ignorant of , and yet be innocent . But then besides these , there are many other sins which are not of so black a Die , or of so mischievous a Nature , which many of them who profess the Gospel , through the littleness of their abilities , their leisure , or opportunities , do not understand to be sinful . Their Consciences are not afraid of them , nor check them either before , or after they have committed them . For how many are there of the Professors of Christ's Religion , who never think of being called to an account for lasciviousness and uncleanness , for passionateness and uncourteousness , for backbiting and censoriousness , for disturbing the publick peace , and speaking evil of Dignities , for not speaking well of an enemy , or not praying for him , or for the like Breaches of several other particular Laws of Christ's Gospel , whereby at the last Day we must all be judged ? Alas ! they know not of any such Laws , nor ever think of being tryed by them . In the Gospel , 't is very true , they are all recorded , and by Christs Ministers at one time or other they are all proclaimed , and by some exemplary good men , although God knows they are very few , in one place or other they are duly practised ; but yet for all this a great many Christian men are ignorant of some or other of them . For either they cannot read the Scriptures where they are mentioned , or they have not opportunity to hear the Preacher when every one of them particularly is taught , or they are not in sight and observation of those patterns of piety by whom they are practised ; so that still they do not understand them . Or if at last they do come to know them , yet is it some time first , and they acted several times against them , before they saw that they were bound by them . So that still we see there is room in the World for sins of ignorance , from mens not knowing of the Law which they sin against . Several particular Laws , which lye more remote , and are not so plainly of natural obligation , nor startled at by natural Conscience , are oftentimes , and by many persons transgressed , because they do not perceive themselves to be bound by them . And as for this ignorance of one Branch or other of their Duty , it is some mens unhappiness rather than their fault ; they do not so truly chuse it , as through an unchosen necessity fall under it . For it is necessary to all people whether they will or no for some time ; and to some for all their lives . It is necessary , I say , to all people whether they will or no for some time . For by the very constitution of our Nature , which is before any thing of our own chusing , we are born ignorant : the mind of man being , as Aristotle compares it , like a blank paper , wherein is nothing written . No man ever since Adam came into the World in the free exercise of his understanding , and with his perfect wits about him . And when after some time we do begin to know , yet even then is all our knowledg gradual , and by little and little . For we first learn one thing , and then another , and so by several steps attain at last to a competent pitch of knowledge . When therefore any man doth begin to know Gods will , and to discern his Laws ; yet is it not possible that he should understand them all at once : but some of them every man must needs be ignorant of , till he has had time to learn and know them all . To some people , I say , it is necessary for their whole lives , to their dying Day they do not arrive to the understanding of some things which God has required of them . And that because they wanted either abilities , or opportunities , neither of which is of their own chusing . They are of a slow understanding , and have not those means of instruction , or that time and leisure to attend upon it , which others have . And that by reason of their place and low condition in the world , wherein it was Gods pleasure , and not their own , to dispose of them . But now this ignorance of some or other of Christ's Laws , being thus involuntary , it must likewise be innocent . For there is no damning sin and disobedience but in our own choice ; so that as long as the heart is true to God , he will not be at enmity for any thing else which may seem to be against him . And since our ignorance it self is innocent , the sinning upon it will never be rebellious and damning . For the disobedience is not any way chosen , neither in it self , nor in its Cause ; we do not chuse the sin , because we do not see that the action is sinful , nor do we chuse not to see it , because we cannot help it . But where there is no choice , there will be there no condemnation . So that the action which is done against the Law , shall not be punished by the Law , if we were thus innocently ignorant of the Law whereof it was a transgression . And that it will not , is plain . For God never did , nor ever will condemn any man for the transgression of a particular Law , before he has had all due means and necessary opportunities , such as may be sufficient to any honest and willing heart , to understand it . The Jewish Law obliged none but those whom it was proclaimed to , who had the advantages of being instructed out of it . It is they only , says S t Paul , who have sinned in or under the Law , who shall be judged by the Law , Rom. 2.12 . The Law of Christ did not bind men until they had sufficient means and opportunities of knowing it , and being convinced by it . If ye were blind , or wanted abilities , says our Saviour to the Pharisees , you should have no sin , John 9.41 . And again , if I had not given them sufficient opportunities of knowing , come , and spoken unto them , they had not had sin ; but now since I have , they have no cloak , or no b pretence or excuse for their sin . Nay , if I had not given them all due means of conviction , and done among them the works which no other man hath done , they had not had sin still , John 15.22 , 24. These slips of honest ignorance of our Duty are no more punished under the Gospel of Christ , than they were under the Law of Moses . For Christ our High Priest doth attone for them by virtue of his Sacrifice of himself , as well as the Aaronical Priest in behalf of the ignorantly offending Jews , made an attonement for them by his sin-offering , Levit. 4.2 , 3 , &c. This S t Paul tells us in his comparison of Christ's Priesthood with that of the line of Aaron . In his interceding to God , and offering Sacrifice for sins , he can have compassion on the ignorant , Heb. 5.2 . Ignorance therefore of the general Law which makes any thing a Duty , so long as it is not wilful and affected by us , through the merits of Christ's Sacrifice , and the Grace of his Gospel , renders those offences , which we commit under it , pardonable transgressions ; such as do not destroy a state of Grace , but consist with it . And this is the very determination which S t Cyprian gives in the Case of transgressing our Lords institution , in the participation of the Lords Supper . For some Churches in those Days were wont to make use of Water instead of Wine , in which way of communicating several of them had been educated and brought up , having received it ignorantly and in the simplicity of their hearts , as they had done other things of their Religion , from the practice and tradition of their Forefathers . Now as for the usage it self , S t Cyprian declares plainly that it is a breach of Duty , and a custom very dangerous and sinful . c It is , says he , against our Lords Command , who plainly bid us do what he did ; i. e. make use of bread and wine , which were those things that he used . d The blood of Christ is not offered if there be no wine in the cup to represent it ; and how can we ever hope to drink wine with him in his Fathers Kingdom , if we drink it not at his Table here on Earth ? So that in the good Fathers judgment the Duty was express , the Law binding , and the transgression dangerous . But yet as for those innocent and well-meaning souls , who had no opportunity to be told of it , but were bred up in a contrary way , under the authority of a tradition that opposed it , and therefore in the simplicity of their hearts were ignorant of it : e They , says he , even whilst they do transgress shall go unpunished . Their simplicity and ignorance shall excuse them , whilst our knowledg will certainly condemn us ; they shall be pardoned , because they could not know it , but we shall be punished because , when we might have known and kept it , if we would , we neglected and despised it . In the mean time herein is Gods great mercy shown to us , and for this should we return most hearty thanks to him , that even now , when he plainly instructs us in that which under pain of his displeasure we are to do hereafter ; he , at the same time , pardons us for all that , which through simplicity and honest ignorance we have already done . And as this innocent unwill'd ignorance of the Law it self excuses all those transgressions which we incur by reason of it ; so doth 2. The second sort of ignorance , ( viz. ) the ignorance of the thing it self which the Law injoyns or forbids , when we know not that our present action is included in it , or meant by it . Gods Laws , as all others , run in general terms , and never go to reckon up all particular actions which are with them or against them , but leave the judging and discerning of that to our own selves . He tells us that theft and revenge are sinfull , but leaves us to inform our selves what actions are thievish and revengefull . He teaches us that Covetousness is forbidden , but he puts us to see of the action before us that it be covetous ; and the same he doth in every other Law. For that which he expresly mentions , is the general name of the action which he forbids ; but as for the particular application , he leaves that to our own selves . Now here is the wide place for the ignorance and errours of all sorts of men . For what Arrian sayes of happiness and misery , is equally true of sin and duty : f in the application of the acknowledged notion or law to particular things or actions is the cause of all our evils ; here the great scene of ignorance in morals , the field of doubting and dispute lies . The great controversies which men have either in their own thoughts , or with Gods ministers , is not so much whether evil-speaking , back-biting , censoriousness , unpeaceableness , drunkenness , sensuality , or any such prohibited vice be a sin . For as to that the Law is express , the very word is mentioned in it , and he that reads or hears the Law , if he attend to what he reads or hears , cannot but observe and understand it . But the great doubt is , whether this or that particular action , which they are about to commit , be indeed a censorious , an unpeaceable , a sensual , or a drunken action . And the Reasons of this are several . For , 1. In some actions , although we know the general Law , yet we know not whether the particular action be comprehended under it ; because what is forbidden in the Law differs from what is innocent , not in kind , but only in degree . For a great part of our appetites and actions are neither determined to good nor ill in their whole nature , but only as they are in certain measures . The use of meats and drinks within due bounds is harmless , but beyond that 't is intemperance ; the desire and search of money in a moderate degree is lawfull , but above that 't is Covetousness ; the modest pursute of honour and promotion is innocent , but when it exceeds it is ambition ; to have just thoughts of a mans self is allowable , but to be puffed up with over-high conceits is pride ; and so it is in several other instances . A great many passions and actions are not alwayes sinful , but so far only as they are deficient or exceed . Which holding true of several virtues and vices , made Aristotle lay it down as a part of the nature of virtue in general , that it is something consisting in g mediocrity ; and agreeably that vice is something consisting in defectiveness or excess . Now the actions which are prohibited by several Laws , not coming under the compass of the Laws in their whole natures , but only when they are arrived to certain measures and degrees ; herein , after we have known the general Law , lies the difficulty and unresolvedness , whether or no the present action falls under it . For it is a very hard thing , and , it may be , impossible to any humane understanding , to fix the exact bounds and utmost limits of virtue and vice , to draw a line precisely between them , and tell to a tittle how many degrees are innocent , and the just place where the excess begins . Here the Wise and Learned themselves are at a loss , and much more the rude and ignorant ; so that in Laws of this nature they may many times mistake their sin for their liberty and allowance , and go beyond the innocent degree , when they do not know it . 2. In other actions , although we do know the general Law , yet many times we are ignorant of the present actions being comprehended under it , because the Law is not absolute and unlimited , but admits of several exceptions , whereof we may mistake the present action to be one . The great and general Laws of Christ , as of any other Legislator , have several cases which are not included in the general name of the duty injoyned or of the sin prohibited in the Law , but are exempt from it . What Duty is injoyned in more universal words , than that of Peace ? but yet in several cases we not only may , but out of Duty must nourish contention : For we are bid to contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints , Jud. vers . 3. We must be concerned for God and Religion , when others concern themselves against them . We are not tamely and unaffectedly to see Gods Laws cancelled , or our countries peace disturbed ; but must strive and contend with as much wise zeal and active courage , and with infinitely more honour and peace of mind , to maintain and defend , than ill men do to oppose and destroy them . Again , what Law is delivered in fuller and plainer terms , than that of forgiving injuries ? but yet there are several cases wherein we may justly seek amends for them . For we may bring a malefactor to condign punishment , or an injurious man to restitution ; and the like is observable of other Laws . Now those actions which come under the general name of the sin prohibited , not being forbidden universally , but some being excepted ; here again is room for ignorance and mistake about the particular action after we have known the general Duty . For we may take that to be a case excepted , which is indeed a case prohibited ; and venture upon an action as an exempted liberty , which in truth and reality is a forbidden sin . 3. In other actions , although we know the general Law , yet many times we are in ignorance about the particular action , because there are several actions which are not directly forbidden by any Law , but are alwayes innocent and indifferent , unless when some Law takes hold of them indirectly . The action is usually allowed , except when it is committed in such a manner as that the transgression of some Law accompanies it . There is no Law against it self , but only against some thing that is annexed to it . For God has not given a particular Law for every sort of actions , but has left us in several to govern our selves by other motives and inducements of pleasure , honour , or interest , and not by virtue of a Commandment . But although these unrestrained actions are no matter of a particular Law , which expresly names them , and directly binds us up to one side , either in chusing , or refusing the whole kind of them : yet in our use and exercise of them , they may at one time or other fall under the power of several . For , to illustrate this by an instance , there is no Law which directly and expresly , either enjoyns or forbids us to play at cards , or other pastime ; but yet several Laws commanding or forbidding other things may be transgressed in our use of them . For even in a game at cards we may incur the sin of Covetousness , by our desire of money ; the sin of Injustice , by our endeavours to cheat and cozen ; and the sins of passionateness , impatience , and unpeaceableness , by our repining at our ill luck , our quarrelling , and contending ; and the like might be shewn in other cases . Now seeing several actions which in themselves are thus innocent , and under no Law ; may yet , at one time or other , by reason of some thing concomitant , and annexed to them , be indirectly a transgression of a Law : here is still a further reason , why , when we know the general Law , we yet are ignorant of our present actions being forbid by it . For the Law doth not look upon it directly , but takes a compass before it comprehends it . They lie not in the same line , and so one may be particularly seen and considered of , and much more known and understood in the general , without seeing of the other . 4. In other actions , although we know the General Law which we sin against , yet we do not believe that our present action is included in it , or forbid by it , because another Law happens to clash with it in some instance , and seems to injoyn and justifie what we do , although that be transgressed by it . For it often happens in a Christians Life that two Laws interfere , and command differently in the same instance . Our Duty is at variance with it self , so that when we pursue obedience in one particular , another is disobeyed by us . How obvious and usual is it for him who would avoid the passion and impatience of discourse , to fall into a fault of the opposite extream , by fullenness and unsociable moroseness ? What is more common than for men to be over - censorious and troublesomly rigid in conversation , who aim at nothing but to be severely virtuous , and piously austere ? It is an obvious errour for any , whilst they intend a charitable feasting , to run into some small intemperance ; for inoffensiveness and kind compliance , to justle out the due severities of reproof ; for severity to exceed into ungentleness , for affection to degenerate into fondness ; and , which is the great instance of errour upon this score , for our zeal for God to disturb the peace , and transgress the bounds of charity towards men . I do not mean such zeal as transgresses notorious and weighty Laws , for disputable , nay , even for clear and evident Doctrines and Opinions . A zeal that will stick at nothing , but bursts through all Gods Commands to propagate an Article , and ventures upon murders , tumults , lying , slander , wars , blood-shed , and other instances of a most notorious and damning disobedience in practice , to promote an Orthodox belief . For these are such instances of offence as no honest heart can overlook ; but if a man has not debauched his Conscience , they must needs appear to be of a frightful guilt , and of a damning nature . Any virtuous temper must abhor , and every good conscience utterly condemn them . So that no man of an hon●st and obedient heart can ever hope to serve God by them , or think any pretence whatsoever of force enough to justifie the practice of them . But then there are other sins , which are of a smaller guilt , or of a more alterable nature , such as either are not greatly , or not alwayes evil ; but only when they happen to have ill effects , or are in an exorbitant degree : and these an eager zeal doth many times drive men to , and they think all is obedience , even when they proceed so far in them as to disobey . Mens 〈◊〉 for those Opinions which they account Religious , 〈…〉 them daily into estrangedness of mind , and 〈◊〉 of behaviour , into passione disputes , and 〈◊〉 reflections , into animosities , and disquietness , and a great breach of mutual charity and love . And all these , though really they are breaches of their Duty , are looked upon as innocent , nay , praise-worthy ; they judge them to come from an honest Principle , and therefore doubt not but that they will end in an happy reward . The duty of pious zeal is the spring , although it contract much of humane passion in the passage ; and that they hope will be acceptable to God , which goes under cover of a Commandment , and comes to serve him . And this was the case in that hot and sinfull contest , which happened betwixt those two great lights of Virtue and Learning , Epiphanius and Chrysostome . For it was a zeal for publick good , and against such things as were likely , in their opinion , to corrupt the Faith , or disturb the Peace , or pervert the practice of the Church , which transported them into that warm contention that ended in an uncharitable breach and passionate imprecation ; when h Epiphanius wrote to Chrysostome , That he hoped he would lose his See , and never dye a Bishop ; and Chrysostome replyed to him , that he hoped he would come to an untimely end , and never return safe into his own city . And a real transgression of one Law being thus , through the clashing and enterfering of two Laws of Christ , in fair appearance an act of laudable and necessary obedience to another : Here again is a further reason , why , when we know the Law which we sin against , we yet think that our action is not sinfull , because we take it to be justified , nay , what is more , commanded by another . 5. In other actions , although we know the General Law which is transgressed , yet we take our present action not to be comprized under it , because of some prejudices which exempt it . There is oft-times a clashing and enterfering of Laws and Opinions , as well as of one Law with another . For men entertain several perswasions which are inconsistent with some instances of Duty , and that make them look upon themselves in those cases not to be obliged by them . Their Opinion justifies one thing , when the Law commands another ; it contracts its force , and evacuates its obligation ; and makes them venture confidently upon several actions , whereby the Law is transgressed , by making them first to believe that in those actions they are not obliged by it . And because this is so universal a cause of Ignorance and Errour , and so powerfull in making men both overlook Gods plain Laws , and , even whilst they consider of them , evacuate and undermine them ; I think it very needfull to be more full in its explication , and shall therefore state it more largely in the next Chapter . CHAP. VI. Of Prejudice . The CONTENTS . The nature of Prejudice . It a cause of Ignorance of our Duty . The difference betwixt things being proposed to a free and empty , and to a prejudiced or prepossessed mind . An evident proposal sufficient to make a free mind understand its duty ; but besides it , a confutation of its repugnant prejudice is necessary to a mind that is prepossessed . An account of several Opinions which make men ignorant of several instances of Duty . One prejudice , that nothing is lawfull in Gods worship , but what is authorized by an express command , or example of Scripture ; the acts of sin that are justified by this prejudice . Another , that all private men are publick protectors of Religion , and the Christian Faith ; the acts of sin justified by this Opinion . Other Opinions cause a sinfull neglect of the Sacraments . These are incident to some honest and obedient hearts . An account of other prejudices , as that Christ is a Temporal King ; the acts of disobedience authorized by this Opinion . That a good end will justifie an evil action ; the acts of sin upon this perswasion . That Dominion is founded in Grace ; the disobedient acts avow'd by this Principle . These are more disobedient and damning . The case stated , what prejudices are consistent with , and what destroy salvation . Some prejudices get into mens minds , not through a disobedient heart , but through weakness of understanding , and fallibility of the means of knowledge . These are consistent with a state of salvation . An instance of this in the prejudice of the Apostles about preaching of the Gospel to all Nations . Other prejudices get into mens minds through damning lusts or sins . A brief account of the influence of mens lusts and vices upon their Opinions . This is illustrated in the Gnosticks . They were famous for covetousness , and worldly compliances ; and for impure lusts , and excess in bodily pleasures . The effect of these in producing agreeable Opinions . Another of their vices was a turbulent and seditious humour . Their Opinion was answerable . A further illustration of it from the Pharisees . An account of their vices , and the influence which they had in begetting vile perswasions . This influence of mens lusts upon their judgments proved from the Scriptures . The damnableness of such prejudices as enter this way . Certain marks whereby to judge when prejudices proceed from unmortified lusts . As first , If the sin whereto the prejudice serves , is unmortified in them . Secondly , If it lye so near to the prejudice , that we could not but see that it ministred to it , when we embraced it . Thirdly , Though it lye more remote , if we still adhere to it when we plainly see that some unquestionable and notorious Laws are evacuated , or infringed by it . A Rule to prevent disobedient prejudices ; viz. Let Laws be the Rule whereby to judge of truth in opinions , not opinions the Rule whereby to measure the Obligation of Laws . Some Reasons of this , viz. Because Laws are more plain and certain , but opinions are more difficult and dubious : Obedience to Laws is the end of revealed truth , and so fit to measure it , not to be measured by it . A Prejudice is a false Principle , or such a former false Judgment , whereby we afterwards examine and judge amiss in others . For all our rational judgment of things is by Principles , when we determine of the truth or falshood of such as are suspicious and doubtful , by their agreeableness or repugnance to such others as we think are true and certain . So that those opinions , which first take possession of our minds , are the Rules and Standards which all others , that seek to enter after , must be tryed by . And if these anticipations of Judgment are true and solid , if they are taken up upon good reason , and mature deliberation ; they are right Maxims of knowledg , and Principles of understanding . But if they are false and faulty , and entertain'd upon weak grounds , through haste and rashness ; they are false Rules and Principles of errour . And because they hinder us in our after-judgments , making us judge amiss of things , as they needs must who judge according to a false measure , they are called prejudices . And these are a most general Cause of the errours and ignorances of men . For we are ignorant many times of our Duty , and mistake a sinful action for a lawful liberty , when no want of plainness in God's revelations , or in the nature of Vertues and Vices , nor any want of opportunity to be told of them ; but some of these hindrances of our own minds are the causes of our ignorance . Those very Duties which are brought clear and open to our understandings , are sometimes either not at all , or very maimedly and imperfectly understood , because our minds are blocked up by a contrary belief , which makes us not to attend to them , but either wholly to overlook , or in great measure to evacuate and undermine them . Our prejudice has got possession of our souls , and suffers not even a plain and clear Duty to be entertained if it makes against it , but either throws it out all , or pares off so much of it as is inconsistent with it . For one errour begets another in practice , as well as in speculation ; so that if we have an erroneous belief which contradicts our Duty ; it is but rational that we should erroneously evacuate or impair our Duty likewise . So long therefore as the prejudice is entertained , if the Duty be never so plainly expressed , or loudly proposed to our minds , it must needs be excluded , or only so much of it gain our notice and belief , as doth not thwart the prejudice , but agrees with it . To understand this we are to take notice , that any Truths or Duties , which are proposed to our understandings , have a very different success when they are offered to a free and empty , from what they have when they are proposed to a prejudiced and prepossessed mind . For with the former any Duty is sufficiently qualified to beget a right understanding and belief , if it be plainly and in clear words proposed to them ; but with the latter a plain proposal is not enough , but besides that , there is need withal of a confutation of the erroneous prejudices which make against it . 1. To a mind that is open and free , not incensed by any repugnant lust , nor misled by any contrary opinion ; nothing more is needful to make it understand and believe its Duty , than to have a revelation of it from God in plain words , and a clear and evident proposal . For such men are ready and willing , not only to hear and believe what God says , but also to take his meaning from the obvious and simple sence of his own words , and not from any agreement with their own bye-inclinations and prepossessions . They are not biassed by any lust , or made a party by any opinions which should make them lean to one sence , but are unconcerned on one side or another : and therefore they have no temptation to pervert Gods Words and misinterpret them , and to make them speak , not what according to their usual and open sence they should , but what to gratifie their private lusts or opinions they wish they might do . Their minds in themselves are free to any impression , and wait for the plain and simple meaning of such expressions as God shall use to determine them . So that he need do nothing more to give them a right apprehension of his will , than to utter it in such plain , and intelligible words , as in their usual and obvious sence are expressive of it . A plain and clear proposal then of any Duty , is sufficient to make these ingenuously honest , and free minds to understand it ; and nothing is a greater Argument that the expressions wherein our Duty is revealed are ambiguous or obscure , and that the proposal is incompetent ; than that these teachable minds , which have nothing but the inevidence of the revelation to misguide them , do not rightly conceive and apprehend it . But , 2. To a mind that is prejudiced and prepossessed , and , through a love to some former opinions and anticipations of Judgment which are inconsistent with it , unwilling to understand and assent to it ; a plain and evident proposal of any Duty is not enough : but besides it , there is need moreover of silencing those doubts , and confuting those opinions which make against it . To such minds , I say , a plain expression , and evident proposal of Gods will is not sufficient to make them believe , and rightly apprehend it . For their prejudice is a Bar against it , and makes them not to admit , but overlook the most natural and open sence even of plain and clear expressions ; which they do , not because the words do not obviously express , but because their prejudicate opinion cannot consist with it . For their own opinion they believe is true , and that in their own sence , which , what it is , they know most certainly . And whilst they do think this a truth , they cannot believe that to be a true , although never so plain and obvious a sence of any other words , which convinces it of falshood . So that in this Case of clashing and contradiction between a prejudicate opinion , and a new proposal , so long as the prejudice is adhered to one , of these two things must of necessity be chosen ; either for the sake of such contradiction to throw away the new proposal ; or to mitigate it by some sence that is reconcileable to the prejudicate belief . And if the Proposer were any way of a suspected credit , and a person liable to errour and mistake ; such interfering proposals would be rejected without more ado , and not admit of any long debate . But if the person who brings them be of unquestionable credit , both for the untaintedness of his integrity which cannot deceive us , and also for the perfection of his knowledg , whereby he is not subject to be deceived himself ; ( as God is in all those truths which his Word declares , and in all those Duties which his Law enjoins us ) then is there no way left , if we stick still to our opinion , but to seek out for some amicable and consistent interpretation of his words , whereby they may be made to comport with it . And here the natural defect of words , and the universal imperfection of all speech befriends us . For scarce any Sentence is so plain and full for one sense , but that through the witty arts of some , and the irregular and improper use of others , it may be shown capable to speak another . And that other sence we shall be sure to put upon it , although it be never so remote and foreign from that true and obvious interpretation wherein God meant it . Nay , if we cannot readily fix upon it any other than the plain sence , which clashes with our own opinion ; and yet dare not suspect its truth in that sense , be it what it will , wherein God intended it : yet so long as we are true to our prejudicate Principle , we must suspect that it hath another , which although we cannot hit upon at present , yet others , or , at another time , it may be we our selves may . This , I say , we must do ; because so long as we think our own opinion true , we cannot judge another to be true too so far as it contradicts it ; so that if for his sake who proposes it , we must esteem it to be true likewise ; that cannot otherwise be than by softening it into such a sence as our own opinion , whereby we judge of it , can consist with . As for such interfering Truths or Laws then , we shall not interpret them by the plain and obvious sence of those words which express them ; but by the consistence of our own prejudicate belief , whereby we measure the sence and meaning of them . A plain expression then of any Law of God is not sufficient to make us rightly apprehend , nor a clear proposal able of it self to make us understand it against a prejudice , which opposes the plain and true sence of it . Because our prejudice , so long as we adhere to it , will make us reject and overlook the plain and true meaning of the Law which opposes it , and take up with any other false or maimed sence , although it be never so remote , improper , or imperfect , which agrees with it . But that our Duty may be owned and understood in its true and full meaning , 't is necessary not only that it be clearly proposed ; but also that our own doubts be silenced , and our prejudicate principle confuted , which impairs and undermines it . The true and full meaning of the Duty will not enter into our minds , till the gainsaying prejudice is thrown out of them . For in all our judgments of things , this is the natural and necessary course which God himself has set us ; viz. to put a sence , or to pass a sentence upon any thing that is proposed to us , according as we find it to clash or agree with such received opinions and standard-perswasions of our own minds whereby we judg of it . If they infer it , we approve ; but if they overthrow it , we disbelieve it . For it is against the Laws of all reasoning , and the Rules of Argument and Discourse , to reject the plain and necessary consequence of an allowed Principle . So that till we renounce the prejudice which manifestly destroys a Law , we must needs evacuate , or in great part impair the Law which is opposed by it . But to make the Law be understood in its plain meaning , and believed in its full extent ; 't is necessary that the Principle be rejected which thwarts or excludes it . All our Arguments for it must be answered or overborn ; and all our exceptions either against the truth , or fulness of our plain Duty , must be taken off ; and our belief must be won to it by new light , and encrease of Argument . And to conquer all our backwardness , and silence all our doubts , we must be showed that God doth indeed intend his Law in that plain and full sence , which his own words obviously express , but our prejudice opposes , by the importunity and confirmed use of a repeated proof and revelation . Our prejudices then , or anticipated opinions , which are looked upon as great Truths and Rules of Judgment , will in all likelihood make us ignorant of several Duties , or at least of several parts of Duty , which are plainly enough revealed . They will make us to overlook either some whole Laws , or a great part of the compass and extent of them , and to think several actions to be exempt from them , which are really bound up by them . Which , I say , we shall do , because we shall not judge of our Duty from those plain words that express it , which is certainly the safest course whereby to have a full sense of it ; but from our own foreconceived Notions and Opinions , which oftentimes , and in several instances and degrees , if not altogether , evacuate and impair it . To help our apprehensions in this abstract Discourse , we will look a little into the practice of men ; and that will shew us plainly how bad an influence prejudices have upon their minds , in making them ignorant , either of several Duties , or of the sinfulness of several actions which are restrained by them . For we shall find great numbers of men of all sorts to have taken up several false opinions , which are inconsistent with some Vertues , and which make those Laws that they are against to have no force at all , or very little , upon their Conscience , nor any effect upon their practice . So that they misinterpret that to be no Duty which God has made one , and transgress boldly and securely , without fear or remorse . For some , out of a certain timerousness of mind , have entertained a wrong belief , That nothing is lawful in God's Worship , but what either some authentick Example recorded in Scripture has approved , or some Command has made necessary . So that when any Law of their Governours comes to enjoin any Circumstance or Ceremony in Gods service , which God and the Scriptures had left indifferent , although when once such Law has past , the plain and known Precepts of obedience to Laws , and submission to Governours , of peace and unity among Fellow Christians enjoyn it ; they account the fulfilling of it to be no longer a matter of obedience and Duty , but unlawful and a sin . For their mistaken Notion of things being made lawful only by some Example or Law that warrants them , and not on the contrary being lawful and at liberty antecedent to all Laws and Precedents , because no Law forbids them , is the Rule whereby they measure the obligation of all these Duties , and it plainly overthrows them . So that in a confident belief thereof they securely transgress these Laws , and break the unity and disturb the peace of men , thinking that they obey God in so doing . Others have given way to a false opinion , that Religion is so much every mans care , as that not only Kings and Governours , whose Office and Title it is to be Defenders of the Faith , but also every private Christian should contrive and act for the publick maintenance and protection of it . They are not content in securing it to keep within their own sphere , and to do what they are bound in Duty towards it as private Christians . That is , to pray to God earnestly and importunately , that he would preserve it ; and to endeavour industriously in their own place after it , by their own lively and exemplary practice of it , by a careful instruction of other men in the reasons of it , by exhorting them to a close adherence to it , and by pressing upon them all the motives of Heaven and another World to perswade them to a conscientious taking up the Cross , when it shall please God to lay it in their way , and a patient and couragious suffering for it . When God by his Providence brings a National Religion into danger , these are the Duties whereto he calls every private man , and it is his present honour , and shall be his immortal happiness conscientiously to discharge it . And would they content themselves with this , all were well and laudable . But when once they have imbibed this opinion , that they are not only private Promoters , but also publick Contrivers and Protectors of the Faith ; they run beyond all these private means into a censuring of the administration of affairs , and the prudence of Governours , into endless fears and jealousies , murmurings and complaints , and other instances of pragmaticalness , irreverence , and contempt of higher Powers , and disturbance of the publick Peace . All these their Principle justifies , and therefore in assurance of it they boldly venture on them . So that although the Commands of studying to be quiet , and to do their own business , against a pragmatical medling in the affairs , and disturbing the quiet of other men , are expressed in words most plain and easily intelligible ; yet do they overlook them , and in all those instances wherein their prejudice leads them to transgress , quite evacuate all their plain force and obvious Obligation . Some for a long time neglect the dutiful use of one Sacrament , because they think that they have a pious reason against it ; and many other humble and well-meaning minds omit a dutiful participation of the other , as scarce ever thinking themselves to be sufficiently prepared for it . Their false opinion carries them into their sinful neglect , and makes them disobey those Laws which require the use of them , by making them first to think that they would offend God if they should observe them . These breaches of Duty , and indulged acts of sin , well-meaning and honestly obedient minds are oft-times drawn into through erroneous conceits and prejudicate Opinions . For some men of honest hearts , and of humble modest tempers , who are ready to comply in every thing wherein their consciences allow them , are insnared into them , and disobey only because they judge obedience to be unlawful . And that which makes them judge so , is not any lust or sin which is harboured and unmortified in their hearts , which should be ministred to by such erroneous judgment . But the Opinion took possession of their souls by the education of their Parents , or by the authority and instruction of spiritual guides ; they imbibed it at first in the simplicity of their souls , and since that have continually been used to it , and bred up in it . So that although they never serve that sin whereto it ministers in other instances , but alwayes fear and conscientiously avoid it ; yet where this prejudicate Opinion warrants it , they do . These Prejudices , I say , are not altogether inconsistent with an honest and obedient heart , but are sometimes entertained by innocent and religious men , although many others damnably disobey in them . But then there are many others which are of a more heinous , and damning nature ; which although some well-meaning men may pardonably admit at first , before they have seen the damnable consequences , and effects of them : yet very few can adhere to when they are set before them , without being in danger , if repentance intervene not , to be damn'd for them . Of which sort , among several others , I take these to be that follow . Some are possessed with an odd belief , that Christ is a Temporal and Secular King in Sion , ( i. e. ) the Church on Earth , and that his subjects are to fight for his Interests , and for the protection of his Religion , with the same worldly force and armed violence that the subjects of other secular Princes use . And as for Earthly Kings , since they are but Deputies and Delegates of Christ the Supream King of all , that they are no further to be submitted to , than they act serviceably and subordinately under him ; but that they may , yea , ought to be persecuted as Enemies and Apostates from King Jesus , if in any thing they oppose and act against him . Now when men have once imbibed this Principle , they run on furiously , as every man must who understands it , into all the mischiefs of Rebellion and Bloodshed . For in all Instances where this prejudice leads them to it , they utterly overlook , as things not belonging to them , all the plain Laws of Honour and Reverence , Submission and Obedience to Governours ; of Justice and Charitableness , Mercy and Peaceableness towards their Fellow-subjects : and burst out violently into contempt of Governours , and reproachfull usage , and speaking evil of Dignities , into revenge and fierceness , strife and bitterness , sedition and tumults , spoils and robberies , murders and bloodshed ; and into all other licentious and extravagant effects of a most unjust war , and horrible rebellion . In all which they think that they only fight Gods battles , and spoil and slay his enemies , and , like good Subjects and Soldiers of the Lord of Hosts , with all their might maintain his Rights , and serve his Interest . For all this rebellion against earthly Kings , they esteem to be nothing else but a proof of their Loyalty and just Allegiance to King Jesus the Soveraign Lord of all , who by these worldly means must Rule on Earth , although he dwells in Heaven . Others to exalt the Temporal Monarchy and Grandeur of Christs pretended Vicar here on Earth , have imbibed this Principle , that a good end will justifie any action , and that all is lawfull which is necessary and profitable for the advancement of the Churches Interest . And having once sucked in this venemous Opinion , in all those actions wherein it is any wayes concerned , there is no Precept so plain which they cannot overlook , nor any obligation so sacred which they do not cancel . They stick not at the breach of all the most exalted and sublime Laws of Christ. For instead of being meek and gentle , they are fierce and furious ; instead of being slow to wrath , they are enemies without provocation ; instead of forgiving injuries , they are violent to revenge them ; instead of doing good to enemies , they are eager to destroy them ; instead of taking up the Cross , and bearing it with patience themselves , they are utterly impatient till by any means they can force it upon others . Nay , they burst through the most notorious and weighty Laws of Humanity and Nature , in dissimulation and equivocations , in lies and perjuries , in sowing strife , and all manner of unpeaceableness , in spoils and robberies , murders and assassinations , treasons and rebellions , which even natural conscience , where it has any force at all , must needs tremble and be amazed at . But yet all this time they think that they are doing Gods work , whil'st indeed they are subverting his whole Religion ; for their poisonous Principle bears them out through all , and they are confident that what they do will be accepted for his service , because it is intended for the advancement of his Church . Some again of the more extravagant Anabaptists entertained a wild Opinion , that all Dominion is founded in Grace , and that nothing but virtue and holiness can give any man a title to his possessions . And when once they had believed this , they acted but agreeably to their own Principle in overlooking all the plain Laws of Justice and Honesty in all those instances where this Doctrine would warrant the contrary , and in exercising all sorts of fraud , couzenage , spoils and robberies , where they had power and opportunity to commit them . For their spoiling of their neighbours they esteemed to be like Israels spoiling of the Egyptians , ( viz. ) a taking away that which belonged not to them , seeing God had given it away from them . It were endless to recount all the enormously wicked and disobedient Opinions , which ill men take up in favour of their beloved sins . For some overlook the plain duties of temperance , mortification , and self-denial , because they are sensual and fleshly : and others give no heed to the manifest duty of paying tythes , because they are loth to part with their money . When Christ preached up a charitable use of the unrighteous Mammon , the Pharisees , who were covetous , would not believe and understand , but derided him , Luk. 16.14 . And the same way it fares with other duties , when mens unmortified lusts , which are struck at by them , are opposed against them . By these instances , and many more which might be mention'd , it clearly appears how destructive many mens consciences or prejudicate Opinions are of several parts of Religion , and the Divine Laws . They do in great measure cancel the force of Duty , and make men transgress in several instances against known Laws , by making them first to believe that in those cases they do not oblige them . But now to determine which of these prejudices is pardonable and consistent with a justified state , and which destroys and interrupts it ; we must observe in them this difference . First , That some of them get into mens minds or consciences , not through any thing of an evil and disobedient heart , but only through weakness of understanding , or fallibility of the means of knowledge ; and these are consistent with a state of Grace and Salvation . 2. That others get into mens consciences through some damnable lusts and vices , and they are deadly and damning . First , Some prejudices , which lead men into sin and disobedience , get into their consciences , not through any thing of an evil and disobedient heart , but only through weakness of understanding , and fallibility of the means of knowledge ; and these do not destroy , but consist with a state of Grace and Salvation . They get not into mens understandings by means of an evil and disobedient heart . For it is not any love which they have for the damning sins of pride , ambition , sensuality , covetousness , unpeaceableness , faction , or the like , which makes them willing to believe those Opinions true that are in favour of them . When they take up their prejudice , they do not see so far as these ill effects , nor discern how any of these sins is served by it ; and therefore they cannot be thought to admit it with this design to serve them in it . Nay further , what is the best sign of all , that lust or disobedience , which the prejudice happens to minister to in some instance , is mortified and subdued in them ; and so cannot have any such influence upon them . For sometimes those very men , who , in such instances as their prejudice avows it , are irreverent and disrespectful , pragmatical and disobedient to their Governours , or the like ; in all other cases , wherein their Opinion is unconcerned , are most respectfull , quiet , and obedient . Humility and modesty , peaceableness and quietness , submission and obedience , are both their temper and their practice . For they love and approve , and in the ordinary course and constant tenour of their lives conscientiously observe them ; and nothing under such prejudicate Opinion as makes them believe them to be unlawfull in some cases , could over-rule that love and obedience which they have for them , and prevail upon them so far as to act against them . So that with these men it is not the disobedient temper of their hearts which makes their conscience err ; but the errour and prejudice of their conscience which makes their practice disobedient . In such men therefore as are thus qualified , who do not see those sins which their prejudice ministers to when they admit it , and in all the other actions of their lives , except where by this prejudice they are over-ruled , shew plainly that they have mortified and overcome it : 't is clear , that the prejudice did not get into their consciences by any influence of an evil , and disobedient heart . But that which made way for it was only their natural weakness of understanding , or the fallibility of the means of knowledge . They are not of an understanding sufficient to examine things exactly when they embrace their prejudice ; for their Reason then is dim and short-sighted , weak and unexperienced , unable throughly to search into the natures of things , and to judge of the various weight , and just force of reasons , to sift and ransack , separate and distinguish between solidity and show , truth and falsehood . But those arguments whereupon they believe , and upon the credit whereof they take up Opinions , are education and converse , the instruction of spiritual guides , the short reasonings of their neighbours and acquaintance , or the authority of such books or persons as they are ordered to read , and directed to submit to . These are the motives to their belief , and the arguments whereupon they are induced to think one Opinion right , and another wrong , and the only means which they have of discerning between truth and falsehood . But now all these means are in no wise certain ; they are an argument of belief indeed , and the best that such men have ; but yet they are far from being infallibly conclusive . Sometimes they lead men right , but at other times they lead them wrong ; for they are not at all determined one way ; but in several men , and at several times , according as it happens , they minister both to truth and falsehood . In matters that are primarily of belief and speculation in Religion , they lead a hundred men to errour where they lead one to Truth . For there are an hundred Religions in the world whereof one alone is true ; and every one has this to plead in its own behalf , that it is the Religion of the Place and Party where it is believed . The Professors of it are drawn to assent to it upon these Arguments , ( viz. ) because they have been Bred up to it by the care of their Parents and Teachers , and confirmed in it by long Vse and Converse : It was Education and Custome , the Authority of their Spiritual Guides , and the common Perswasion of their Countrey which made them both at first to believe , and still to adhere to it . And every one in these points having these Arguments to plead for his own belief , against the belief of every other man who differs from him : since of all these different Beliefs one alone is true , these Arguments must be allow'd indeed to minister to Truth in that , but in all the rest to serve the Interest of Falsehood . In matters of Duty and Practice , 't is true , there is infinitely more accord and good agreement . For almost all the laws of nature , w ch make up by far the greatest part of every Christians Duty , are the Catholick Religion of all sober Sects and Parties in the world . So that these Arguments of Custome and Education are tolerably good , and right guides to mens Consciences , how ill soever they are to their speculative Opinions ; because although they carry them into a wrong belief , yet will they lead them into a righteous practice . But although in these practical Notions and Opinions they are commonly a right ; yet sometimes , and to several persons they prove a wrong instrument . For even in matters of Duty and Practice , men are no more secure from errour than they are from disobedience ; nor more certain that they shall have no mistakes about them , than that they shall not go beyond them . They have , and , till they come to Heaven , ever will have erroneous Opinions as well as practices ; so that these motives , Education , and Custome , and Authority , will never be wanting in the world to instill into weak and undiscerning minds such Opinions , as will , in some instances and degrees , evacuate , and undermine some duties . And since there will never be wanting in the world such fallible Arguments and means of knowing , nor such weak and unexperienced understandings as must of necessity make use of them : 't is plain , that several disobedient prejudices will in all times get into mens minds , not through any wickedness or disobedience of their hearts , but only through the natural weakness of their minds , and the fallibility of the means of knowledge . And when any prejudices which lead to disobedience enter this way , they do not put us out of Gods favour , or destroy a state of Grace and Salvation ; but consist with it . For in our whole action of disobedience upon them there is nothing that should provoke Gods wrath , and punitive displeasure against us . He will not be at enmity with us , either for acting according to our erroneous Conscience ; or , if the errour was thus innocent , for having an erroneous conscience for our rule of action . He will not be offended at us , I say , for acting according to our erroneous conscience : for whether our conscience be true or false , it is the only rule that we can act by . We cannot perform duty without we understand it , nor obey Laws before we have some knowledge of them : we must judge what is commanded before we can observe it , and whether we judge right or wrong , we have no way to obey , but by acting according to such judgment . Yea , if our Conscience does err , and innocently mistake our Duty , yet whil'st we follow it in the simplicity of our hearts , we perform the life and soul of Obedience , even when we erroneously transgress it . For we do the mistaken action out of an obedient intention , we exert it for Gods sake , in an acknowledgement of his Authority , and a resignation to his pleasure ; and this is so truly the life and spirit of an acceptable obedience , that , in case of such erroneous belief , we should sinfully and damnably disobey should we neglect it . So that if the errour of our conscience it self be inoffensive , God will not take offence at our well meant , and obediently design'd performance of that , which our conscience erroneously tells us we are bound in duty to perform . Nor will God be offended at us for having such a scandal or rock of offence , as this prejudice and errour of our conscience is , if the errour it self is thus innocent . He will not take it ill that we did not judge that to be our Duty , which the Principle we had to judge by told us was no Duty , or it may be a breach of Duty and a sin . For this was truly to judge by Principles , and to have recourse in judgement to the best and likeliest notions , which we could find in our own minds ; which way of passing judgment is all that we have , and the very method which he himself has prescribed us . Neither will he be angry at us for admitting such false Opinions into our minds as should afterwards misguide us , if it were not our sins and passions , but the ordinary way , and usual means of knowledge which got them entrance . For when the very same means of information and discourse , which carry us on to truth in other opinions , mislead us into errour and mistake in these ; we erre in the honesty of our hearts , and in the use of means and ordinary endeavours ; so that nothing remains for our errour to be charged upon , but either a weakness of understanding , or an ill fortune : either that using fallible means , we were not so wise as to avoid being deceived by them ; or that we had the ill hap to be guided by them in such an instance , when errour lay at the end of them . And since these Causes of errour are only our weakness and unhappiness , but not our fault and disobedience ; God will graciously bear with us , and will not be extream to punish us for them . Or if we happen to erre in an instance wherein he will exact obedience , he will at least bear with us so long , till besides the plain declarations of our Duty , and the common means of knowing it , we have had moreover such accumulation of proof and clearing of the Case , as will , if we are not wanting to our selves , answer all our exceptions , and bear down all our prejudices against it . And of this we have a clear instance in the errour of the Apostles , about the discharge of that great Duty of preaching the Gospel to all Nations immediately after Christ's ascension . He had enjoined this in a Command as plain , one would think , as words can make it . All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth ; Go ye therefore , and teach , not the Jews only , to whom I sent you at first , but all Nations , Matth. 28.18 , 19 ; preaching remission of sins upon repentance to all Nations beginning at Jerusalem , Luke 24.47 . But for all this Precept was so express , and this Declaration of their Duty was so plain and evident ; yet was it not of it self sufficient to give them an understanding of it . For those prepossessions which they lay under drew such a Veil before their eyes , and linked their minds so fast to a contrary belief , that they took no notice of it , nor ever thought their contrary practice to be forbid by it . They thought still that Israel was Gods peculiar people , that the Jews were the only seed of Abraham , and that the great Prophet Messiah , whom Moses told them God would one Day raise up among them , for eminence and extraordinariness of Divine Commission , like unto him , was to be theirs peculiarly to whom God had promised him . These prejudices , and anticipations of Judgment , had been instilled into their young and tender minds by the early care of their Parents , and fomented by the instruction of their Teachers , and daily more and more confirmed in them by conversation , and an uninterrupted custom of perswasion . And being thus forcibly impressed upon them , they had so blocked up their obedient and well-meaning minds , that when a plain Command required them to practise contrary to this belief , they did not understand , but overlook it . Insomuch that Peter himself was not convinced of it by the manifest injunction of a clear Law ; but stood in need to have his doubts solved , and his exceptions answered , and his former prejudices confuted and overborn , by such accumulation of proof and evidence , as God was pleased to give him , in a most condescensive Dispute upon that Subject , by an after and repeated Revelation , Acts 10. and 11. Chap●ers . But now this ignorance of their Duty , which was so plainly delivered in the words of a clear Law , did not put them out of Gods favour , because it was occasioned only by such hindrances as were consistent with an honest heart , or such whereto not their sins and passions , but their natural weakness of understanding , and their education and custom , those fallible means of knowledge , had betrayed them . For God still lovingly embraced them ; he bore with their weaknesses , and helped their infirmities ; he pitied their ignorance whilst they laboured under it , and because he saw it was fit and necessary that they should get quit of it , he graciously afforded them a further , and more powerful evidence whereby to overcome it . And all this pardon and forbearance , I say , they found , because their prejudices were consistent with an honest heart , since they were begot in them , not by any lusts or vices , but only by their weakness of understanding , and the fallibility of the means of knowledge . But as some prejudices which lead to sin and disobedience , get into mens Consciences only through weakness of understanding , and fallibility of means , which are therefore consistent with a state of favour and salvation ; so are there , 2. Several others which are got into their Conscences , through the assistance of their lusts and vices ; and these are deadly and damning . Mens lusts and vices have a great influence upon their minds , and the chief hand many times in molding of their judgments and opinions . And therefore we may know mens manners by their perswasions about their Duty , before ever we see their practices . For they who will live wickedly , will quickly bring their minds to think wickedly . Their lusts and vices will soon insinuate themselves into their judgments and apprehensions : they will dispose their souls for such perswasions , as are most serviceable to them ; and win them with ease into a belief of evil things , by making them willing first , and eagerly desirous to believe them . For our belief of any opinion is produced in us by our diligent search and consideration of all such Arguments as can get credit to it ; by overlooking or clearing such difficulties , or industriously considering and improving all the answers to such exceptions as are made against it . As on the contrary , our disbelief of any opinion is effected , by overlooking or weakening all those reasons which are brought to prove it , by darkening it with difficulties , perplexing it with doubts , and raising such exceptions as may shake or overthrow it . But now as for the employing of our wit and industry in either of these , it is plainly in our own choice , and we deal indifferently and impartially between both , or espouse either part as we stand affected . If then we are earnestly desirous , and strongly enclined for one way ; we can overlook or answer all that makes against it , and throw by difficulties , clear up doubts , invent reasons to justifie and prove it . So that the will and pleasure of our hearts will quickly draw after it the judgment of our understandings , and if once we are resolved upon a way , we shall soon find reasons to avow it . When therefore our lusts and vices have got our hearts , and give Laws to our wills and appetites ; they will quickly bear Rule in our understandings also . We shall quickly believe that any of their gratifications are lawful , when once we are greatly desirous to have them so . Nothing being a more probable , and ordinary effect in the nature of things , as well as in the just judgment of God , of a disobedient and rebellious heart , than a reprobate mind , or a mind a void of Judgment , Rom. 1.18 , 21 , 28. So long then as men have wicked hearts , it cannot be expected but that they will have debauched consciences : for whilst they retain unmortified lusts and vices , they will justifie them in their own thoughts by damnably sinful , and disobedient opinions . They will take up prejudices and a wrong belief , not to direct and guide , but to defend their wicked practice . The factious and unpeaceable man will easily perswade himself into that belief which disturbs Peace , and opposes Government . The covetous soul will favour any Tenet which promotes gain , and advances interest . The licentious Libertine will snatch at any opinion that gratifies the flesh , and pleads the Cause of sensuality and softness . Mens pride and ambition , their fierceness and cruelty , their malice and revenge , their contentiousness and faction , their sensuality and covetousness , will make them overlook the humble and lowly , the meek and gentle , the patient and merciful , the quiet and peaceable , the generous and self-denying Laws of Christ , and greedily imbibe such wicked prejudices , and erroneous conceits , as evacuate and overthrow them . To illustrate this business , let us consider it in some instances . That execrable Sect of men the Gnosticks , who were so famous for their impure and lawless consciences , were not more notorious for their vile opinions , than for their evil lives . I will consider both , that it may from thence more clearly appear how influential their lusts were upon their minds , in begetting suitable perswasions . As for their lives , they were infamous for covetousness , cowardice , and softness , in heaping up wealth , and avoiding all loss of Goods and bodily pains , though by means never so wicked and dishonourable : and for the greatest luxury and unnaturalness in their lusts and unclean pleasures . They were notoriously infamous for their covetousness , and abominably soft and irreligious compliances . For they are described as men that have their hearts exercised with covetous practices , 2 Pet. 2.14 ; that do any thing because of advantage , Jude 16 ; that forsake the right way of Worship and Religion , and go astray from it into the by-paths of b idolatry and prophaneness , when they are like to suffer by it ; being thus far fitly compared to Balaam the Son of Bozor , that they , professing true Christianity , join in idol-worship with the idolatrous Gentiles ; as he , being a true Prophet , did in the idolatrous worship of the King of Moab , Numb . 22.40 , 41 : and also in that they sort and combine with the Jewish and Gentile Persecutors of the Christians ; as he did in cursing first , and afterwards in fighting against the Israelites in the Army of Midian , Numb . 31.8 ; upon which accounts , his way or errour they are said to follow , 2 Pet. 2.15 . Jud. 11. Their Character is to desert the publick Assemblies by reason of the heat of persecution against all that dare frequent them , Heb. 10.25 ; to deny the only Lord God , and our Lord Jesus Christ when they are in danger to suffer for the owning of them , Jud. 4. They were also equally notorious for abominable luxury , and unnaturalness in their lusts and unclean pleasures . For they are set out to us as men that are sensual , Jud. 19 ; that account it a pleasure to riot in the day time , 2 Pet. 2.13 ; that defile the flesh , Jud. 8 ; that walk after the flesh in lusts of uncleanness , 2 Pet. 2.10 ; in pernicious , or , as it is rendred from other Copies in the Margin of our Bibles , c lascivious ways , vers . 2 ; that have eyes full of adultery , ver . 14 ; and that are not content to riot in these abominable filthinesses themselves , but use them as baits to decoy and draw in others ; alluring through the lusts of the flesh , and through much wantonness , those who d really , or for a e little while had escaped from such an abominable life of errour , ver . 18. Thus was their life and temper over-run with covetousness , basely cowardous and sinful compliances ; and with most filthy lusts , and unnatural uncleannesses . Both which S t ▪ Peter setting himself against , requires all men , who would be thought to have that true and saving knowledge , which is opposite to that false and spurious one which they pretended to , to give all diligence in adding to it these two Duties , which are directly contrary to their vile lusts ; viz. vertue , or courage and constancy , which is opposite to their base arts of tergiversation and sinful compliances ; and continence or chastity , which is contrary to their unclean practices . Give all diligence to adde to virtue , or valorous courage , knowledge , and to knowledge temperance or g continence , 2 Pet. 1.5 , 6. Now these men having such a Scene of debauchery in their lives , they quickly became as lewd and debauched in their consciences . When once , for all their professions of knowing God , they began , as S t Paul says , in works to deny him ; they quickly made their Consciences to be as filthy and polluted , as were their practices . To these defiled Wretches , saith he , is nothing pure , their very mind and conscience is defiled ; for they have lost all sense of purity and Duty , being unto h every good work reprobate or void of judgment , Tit. 1.15 , 16. They overlooked and disbelieved all the Christian Laws of passive valour , and patient courage , of generosity and contentedness , of mortification and self-denial , chastity and temperance ; and fell into those lewd opinions , for which they were so infamous in the Apostolick Age , and will be still among all men that are but competently sober to the Worlds end . For they introduced into the World the scandalously vile and profligate opinions , that all i filthy and unnatural uncleannesses ; that k denying Christ to be come in the flesh in times of persecution , and that our Jesus was he ; are parts of Christian liberty , and things lawful and allowable in a knowing , in a spiritual , in a perfect man. Turning by this means , as S t Jude says , the Grace of God and his Gospel , which under the highest pains forbids and punishes them ; into a liberty and allowance of these their Characteristick Vices , viz. lasciviousness , with all manner of filthiness , and denying , when they are in danger to suffer for him , the only Lord God , and our Lord Jesus Christ , Jude 4. Another instance of their behaviour we have set down in relation to the Publick ; and that is this , They were of a proud and ungovernable , of a haughty and turbulent , a querulous and seditious humour . Their temper is to be presumptuous and self-willed , 2 Pet. 2.10 ; which they evidence every where by despising Dominion , and speaking evil of Dignities , Jud. 8 ; and by murmuring and complaining , as men that are always discontented , and never pleased with any administration of affairs , ver . 16. And agreeable to this ungovernableness of their lives and tempers , were the licentious principles and opinions of their minds . For they were the men who promised their Followers liberty from all subjection , 2 Pet. 2.19 ; and who despised all Masters and Governours , as being by the new Character of Christianity become their Brethren , and therefore , as they argued from that Title , now only equal to them , not superior , as they must be who would pretend to rule and govern them , 1 Tim. 6.1 , 2. The Abettors of which Doctrine S t Paul assures Timothy do in reality know nothing , notwithstanding all the false show of that swoln Title , l knowing men , which they so vainly arrogate to themselves , ver . 4. The wicked Sect of the Pharisees , who were the reproach of the Jewish , as these filthy Gnosticks were of the Christian Name , were of a life and temper proud and ambitious , covetous and rapacious ; whose heart and inside , as well as their life and practice , was all rottenness and disobedience . For if we would have a character of them , our Saviour himself has given us one in the 23 d of S t Matthew's Gospel , which is most compleat and particular ; wherein a combination of these several vices are set to make up their description . First , Vain-glory. All their works they did to be seen of men , vers . 5. Secondly , Pride and Ambition . They loved the uppermost rooms at feasts , and the chief seats in the Synagogues , and greetings in the publick markets , and to be called of men Rabbi , Rabbi , that is to say Master , or Doctor , vers . 6 , 7. Thirdly , Covetousness , Fraud and Rapaciousness . For besides that S t Luke informs us of their being covetous , Luk. 16.14 ; we are told here , that they would most prophanely abuse the most sacred things for their covetous ends , and make long prayers only for a pretence , that thereby they might be enabled more easily , and without suspicion to devour even Orphans , and Widows houses , vers . 14 : being indeed , whatsoever they might outwardly appear to be , all extortion and excess within , vers . 25. Fourthly , Hypocrisie . For they would dissemble even in their most solemn performances , and use Religion only as a stalking-horse to worldly designs . They made long prayers only for a pretence , vers . 14 ; what they made clean was only the outside , vers . 25 ; for that indeed they beautified , but still they were all stench and rottenness within , vers . 27. In summ , they said , but did not ; they bound heavy burdens on other mens shoulders , but would not touch them themselves with one of their fingers , vers . 3 , 4. Yea , take them , even at the best , where they were Religious ; and that they will be found to have been only in trifles , but not in substantial Duties ; for they strained at gnats , at the same time that they swallow'd Camels ; they paid tythe of cheap and inconsiderable things , such as mint , and annise , and cummin ; but they omitted all the weightier matters of the Law , as Judgment , Mercy , and Faith , vers . 23 , 24. And since they were men of this character , thus unmortified in their lusts , and thus vicious and irreligious in their practice ; what can in reason be expected , but that they should be full of debauchery and disobedience in their consciences and perswasions also ? And so accordingly we find they were . For when Christ preached to them the Doctrine of Charity and Liberality , in opposition to their miserable worldly way ; they , being covetous , instead of believing , fell a mocking and deriding him , Luk. 16.14 . And as they treated Christ in this particular , so did they likewise in all the rest of his Religion . For finding that it required such humility , sincerity , honesty , contentedness , and heavenly-mindedness , as were inconsistent with these unmortified lusts of theirs which I have mention'd ; they would not own and embrace , but for that reason especially reject and disbelieve it . Nay further , even in their own acknowledged way they took up several disobedient prejudices to serve their lusts ; and either wholly evacuated , or in great part impair'd several Laws , by admitting such erroneous perswasions as undermined them . For to gratifie their haughty and stubborn , their petted and revengeful humour , they entertain'd a conceit , that if they did but say it is Corban , or a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me ; ( i. e. ) I bind my self by the vow or oath call'd Corban never more to do any good to thee , which was a form of oath in use among the Jews ; they should be freed from all obligation of the fifth Commandment requiring honour , service , or relief to their Father or Mother , Mat. 15.4 , 5 , 6. And many other things like to this our Saviour tells us they did , Mark 7.13 . But not to enquire further about particulars , we are plainly assured of them in the general , that they transgressed , rejected , and evacuated the Laws of God , through the erroneous perswasions and prejudicate belief of their traditions , Mat. 15.3 , 6. Mark 7.9 . Thus natural and obvious it is for a wicked life to work a disobedient belief ; and for mens unmortified lusts and passions , which set themselves against Gods Laws , to convey such prejudices into their consciences as will evacuate and overthrow them . Their unbelief enters through the corruption of their heart , and is therefore called an evil heart of unbelief , Heb. 3.12 . they are hardened into a want of all sense and conscience of their offences , through the deceitfulness of sin , vers . 13. And this effect is obvious and ordinary ; for not only the nature of things , but even the just judgement of God concur to it : Nothing being more common , than for those men , who hold the truth , as S t Paul sayes , in unrighteousness of living , and even whil'st they know God , do not glorifie him by their service and obedience , which are due to him , and are our way of glorifying him as God , nor are thankfull in their hearts and actions ; to lose that knowledge , and to become vain in their imaginations , their foolish heart being darkned , by Gods giving them over to a reprobate mind , or a mind void of all true judgment , to do those things which are not convenient not knowing they are so , Rom. 1.18 , 21 , 28. But now as for these prejudices which get into our consciences and perswasions , not through any force of reason which compells , but through the witchcraft of lusts and vices which enveagle , and make us willing and desirous to believe them ; they will not excuse us , because they are themselves sinfull , and deserve damnation . For they enter at an ill door , and win upon us through a reigning lust , or a damning sin ; and therefore they are so far from excusing those transgressions which flow from them , that in themselves they are instances and effects of a deadly offence , and if repentance intervene not , will certainly prove desperate and damning . S t Paul in breathing out threatnings against all believers , and in persecuting of the Church , acted only according to the best of his own Judgment and Opinion . For he verily thought with himself , that he not only might , but ought to do several things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth , Acts 26.9 . But as this Opinion was his sin , so would his transgressions upon it have proved his condemnation , had not God shewn pity on him in calling him to repentance and conversion , whereby alone it was that he obtained mercy and pardon . I was , sayes he , a persecutor , and injurious ; but I obtained mercy by that Grace of God conferr'd upon me at my conversion , which was exceeding abundant with these two fundamental Graces , which are a most prolifick spring of all the rest , ( viz. ) Faith , and Love , which is in Jesus Christ , 1 Tim. 1.13 , 14. The Jews who blasphemed and crucified our Saviour , did nothing against their own conscience : for their Opinion bore them out in all that practice , in regard they judged it to be no sinfull murther , but a most necessary act of Justice upon a great impostor , and a most laudable and legal execution . I wot Brethren , sayes S t Peter , that through ignorance ye did it , as did not you only , but also your rulers , Acts 3.14 , 15 , 17. But forasmuch as this Ignorance was their own fault , and their prejudices were owing to their own vices , in regard that for this reason alone their minds would not receive a true belief of Christ and his Laws , because they plainly contradicted their sinfull lusts and practices : therefore should it by no means excuse them , but , if their repentance did not prevent it , it would most certainly in the end prove deadly and damning . For their crucifixion of him , he tells them , was by wicked hands , Acts 2.23 . and it was only upon their repentance , and conversion , that their sins of blasphemy and murder should be blotted out , Acts 3.19 . Again , the transgressions of the Pharisees were justified by their own Opinions ; for they looked upon themselves , notwithstanding them , to be holy men , and favourites of Heaven : But proceeding , as we have seen they did , from unmortified lusts and a wicked life , they rendred them obnoxious to damnation ; How can you escape the damnation of hell ? Mat. 23.33 . The sins of the Gnosticks , notwithstanding they were warranted by their disobedient Principles , were of a damnable nature ; for their heresies and disobedient Principles themselves , being the effects of disobedient and wicked hearts , deserved damnation , and are called by S t Peter , in that Chapter where he recounts them , and with great zeal inveighs against them , damnable heresies , 2 Pet. 2.1 . They are works of the flesh , or the products of unmortified lusts and carnal practices ; and must therefore share in the same judgment with other flesh●● works amongst whom they are reckon'd . The works of the flesh , sayes S t Paul , are manifest , seditions , heresies , envyings , murders , drunkenness ; of the which I tell you , that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God , Gal. 5.19 , 20 , 21. If we will transgress our Duty by disbelieving it first , and giving credit to such Opinions as destroy the obligation of it ; our disbelief of our Duty will by no means excuse our sin , or rescue us from condemnation . For to disbelieve the Laws and threatnings of Christ is the very worst part of unbelief , and the most hatefull and deadly instance of infidelity . And as for unbelievers , sayes S t John , or those men who will not believe Religion , or the best part of it , Laws and Duties , but seek to evade its force after that God has plainly told them of it ; they shall have their part in the Lake which burns with fire and brimstone , Rev. 21.8 . Men without understanding , who will not see their Duty , because they are o blinded by such lusts as fight against it , in the judgment of God are p worthy of death , Rom. 1.31 , 32. The reason why their consciences adhere to such Opinions as utterly destroy their Duty , is only because their lusts and vices have made them hate , and turn away from it : And as for every such prejudice against a Duty , as proceeds from our aversation to it , it is of a great guilt , and liable to a very severe punishment . For in this S t Paul is peremptory ; All they shall be damned who believe a lye , and believe not the truth , through the pleasure which they take in unrighteousness : They shall perish , because they receive not the LOVE of the Truth , that they may be saved by it , 2 Thess. 2.10 , 11 , 12. When our disobedient prejudices therefore enter upon this score , and are begot in us through a wicked heart , and through some reigning lusts and vices which are served by them ; but not by any weakness of understanding , or such fallibility of means as may betray even an honest heart into them : they are subject to a sad doom , and a severe censure ; they will by no means plead our excuse , but are an Article of our condemnation . And as for some marks whereby to judge whether our disobedient prejudices proceed from this deadly Principle , our unmortified lusts and vices , and thereupon are of this dangerous and damning nature , or no ; we may observe these Characters , and judge according to these measures . First , If that Lust or Sin whereto our prejudice is subservient be strong and powerfull , if it reign in us , and in the ordinary course and custome of our lives gives laws to us : the corruption and disobedience of our heart is plainly the cause of our disobedient conscience and corrupt perswasion . It is not only the errour of our conscience which makes us serve the sin , for we serve it equally in other instances where that is wholly unconcerned . The Sin is unmortified and imperious , it carries us on to transgress where it is further'd by the errour of our consciences , and where it wants it . But it is the wickedness of our hearts which makes us to be wicked in our judgments , and to espouse such Opinions as encourage and defend it . For when any lust is so strong in us as to rule our practice , it will be sure to lay a corrupt byass upon our wills , so that we shall be apt still to judge in favour of it , and be very partial in all those Opinions wherein it has any interest . And therefore several disobedient prejudices will be taken up to serve a turn , and we shall work our selves up into a belief of them for the sins sake , which is justified and protected by them . Is any man therefore of a temper and conversation that is fierce and contentious , busie and restless , forward to give Laws , and impatient to submit to them : 'T is no wonder if he takes up Opinions that justifie contempt of Governours , that avow Alteration and Disturbance , and countenance Faction , Sedition , and a Civil War. For the ungovernableness of his Conscience is but agreeable to the ungovernableness of his Practice ; the Sin reign'd first in his heart and life , and was from thence with ease instill'd into his Opinion and Perswasion . Is any man habitually inclined to Pride and Ambition , Wrath and Malice , Revenge and Cruelty ; is he greedy of Gain , and a slave to sensual Delights and bodily Pleasures : He is prepared for any of those Vile Opinions which overturn all Laws to promote Christs Temporal Power on Earth , or to advance the secular greatness of his pretended Vicar and Holy Church ; and for any others of like nature . For the unmortified lusts are a Law to him in his life before they come to govern in his conscience ; he is first wicked and rebellious in his heart , and that makes him to admit of such wicked Opinions into his understanding . In these men then the case is plain ; it is clearly seen how they came by their disobedient prejudices , for their lives and conversations show that abundantly . Disobedience reign'd first in their hearts , and thence got into their consciences and perswasions . Secondly , If the disobedience and the prejudice lay so near , and were so close conjoyn'd , that a man could not but see one when he saw the other ; it is still imputable to his wicked lusts and vices . For he discerned how obedience was impair'd , and how the Sin was served by it when he first gave credit to it ; and therefore he was plainly acted by a want of virtue and an evil heart . For if he had been touched with any love of virtue , he could not have allowed of that which he knew would evacuate and undermine it ; but he would have shewn much more forwardness to reject the Opinion for the sake of the sin , than to embrace it upon any appearances of argument and reason . So that his prejudice enter'd through an aversation to that instance of obedience which it undermined ; and it was his love to the wicked lust which was advanced by it , that made way for it . He willingly and designedly served the sin , and he saw how much the Opinion contributed to it , and therefore he readily embraced it . Nay further , Thirdly , If the sinfull consequences were not discerned when a man at first embraced it ; yet if they are such as are of a plain unquestionable guilt , and greatly sinfull , and when he is shewed afterwards how they follow from it , he still stands by it and adheres to it ; however the prejudicate Opinion might enter at the first , yet it holds possession by a heart that is wicked and disobedient . Some sins there are whose guilt is not altogether so clear and indisputable , but that an innocent and honest , although a weak and erring mind , may sometimes question and overlook it . And thus many truly religious souls do not think that their refusing to observe the commands of men about the ceremonies of divine worship , is disobedience ; or that their over-acting in the cause of God and Religion , is pragmaticalness . For these sins , among several others , although they are plain and obvious to an unprejudiced and piercing understanding , which is able to discern the grounds and reasons of things , and fairly to consider of them : Yet to such minds as have fallen unhappily under some mistaken notions and false prepossessions , they are not evident ; whence many men that have honest and obedient hearts , do yet err , and judge amiss concerning them . But then several other sins are so open and notorious , that no sober mind , and virtuous inclination can ever have any doubts about them . Thus , for instance , no honest man who is willing fairly and seriously to consider things , can ever question , I think , that killing without Commission from Authority , and due process of Law , is Murther ; that spoils without judicial course , are robbery ; that appearing in Arms against the supreme Sovereign Power , or men commissioned by him , is Rebellion ; that intoxicating use of Wine , is Drunkenness ; and a promiscuous use of Women , Adultery or Fornication . These sins , and many others , are of so open and notorious a nature , that no man of an ordinary wit , if he has any competent degrees of honesty , can ever apprehend them to be other than damnably sinful . And if any man has any opinions which in any cases justifie some of these , if he continues to hold them still after he sees how these sins follow from them , which he must needs do when he practises and incurrs them , because the opinions lead him on to them ; 't is plain that his opinion holds possession of his mind , because his heart is wicked : simplicity and ignorance it may be gave it entrance ; but sin and disobedience enable it to persevere . If the man indeed was only simple and short-sighted , rash and forward at the first , and either had not understanding or patience enough to look on so far as the sinful consequences when he gave it entrance ; his lusts and vices at that time could have no share in it , because he did not see how they could be served by it ; and so far the simplicity of a well-m●aning mind , and the obedient temper of an honest heart and a good intention , may plead his excuse for his otherwise wicked and disobedient perswasion . But if afterwards he persists in it , when he sees all the iniquity and disobedience that flows from it , and goes on to cancel and transgress notorious and weighty Laws upon the assurance of it : 't is manifest then that his heart is wicked , and that he is influenced more by a reigning sin , than by a cogent reason . For if his heart were acted by a full resolution of obedience and a love of Vertue , he would quickly renounce such opinions when once he saw such notorious and unquestionable Laws to be overturned by them . But since he will stick to his wicked Principle , even when it destroys obedience , and prefer a disputable opinion before a weighty and plain Duty ; 't is plain to all , that he is not willing to obey , but industrious to seek a shift , and to evade all obligation to obedience . As for this enquiry then , viz. When our disobedient prejudices get into our consciences by the help of our own unmortified lusts and damning vices : from these measures we may make our own souls this Answer : If we are usually , and in the common course of our lives , guided by that lust or vice which our prejudice advances ; if we saw the disobedient effects of it when we first gave credit to it ; or if we still adhere to it after that we have been plainly showed the unquestionable and notorious sins which are avouched by it : Our prejudice took place by virtue of our disobedience , and without our timely repentance it will certainly condemn us . If it entred innocently and honestly through the weakness of our understandings , or the fallibility of the means of knowledge , it would be pardoned and not imputed to us : but since it gains admittance by our love to damning lusts and disobedience , it is of a deadly guilt , and , unless repentance intervene , will certainly destroy us . And thus at last we have seen what ignorance is effected by our prejudices ; and what is to be judged of those transgressions which are incurred under it . And the summ of all is this , That our prejudices make us either quite overlook several Laws , or even whilst we know and consider of them , to venture upon several disobedient actions which really come under them , not knowing that they do . And if such prejudices entred through the fallibility of means , and weakness of an honest understanding , they are pardonable and uncondemning : but if they took place by means of strong lusts , and a wicked heart , they are deadly sins , and fit to be charged upon us , as all others are , without repentance , to our condemnation . But seeing it is much safer , and infinitely more eligible to have no disobedient prejudice at all , than to be put into all this danger about the pardon and forgiveness of it ; before I dismiss this Point , I will set down one plain Rule and easie Method , in matters of Duty and moment , to prevent it . For by this means we may all of us attain , in good measure , to that which S t Paul assures us was his utmost care and industrious exercise ; viz. a conscience void of offence , or rather an n inoffensive conscience , which is no scandal or cause of sin to us , and which doth not stumble and cast us down into any breach of Duty either towards God , or towards men , Acts 24.16 . And the Rule which I would press upon all simple and honest minds for that purpose is this , Begin with Duty and plain Laws , to make them the measure whereby to judge of Notions and Opinions ; not with Notions and Opinions , to make them the measure whereby to interpret plain Laws . For our Duty is made plain and open , and expressed so clearly as that every man may understand it . It is no matter of skill and parts to know Christ's Commandments ; but an honest and a teachable heart is a better preparation to that , than refinedness of wit and philosophick learning . For God who gave us Laws , knew the measure of all capacities , and the compass of every understanding ; and what he intended that all should practise , he wanted not skill to express so plainly that every one might apprehend it . Laws are the Rule of the last Judgment , and our obedience or disobedience to them is a matter of life or death ; and that in all reason and equity ought to be revealed clearly and sufficiently to every understanding , which every man must for ever live or dye by . As for Laws and Duty then , they are plain and easie ; they are expressed in such clear and intelligible words as carry what God means by them in their usual and obvious acceptation . So that in judging of them , if we begin there , there is no great difficulty ; seeing they are easily and obviously understood by any man , who brings along with him an obedient and teachable mind to the obvious understanding of them . But as for abstract Notions and general opinions , they admit of much doubting and dispute , and of great appearance of reason , and variety of argument on one side , as well as on the other . And besides , all capacities are no fit Judges of them ; but those only which have much quickness , and much experience ; that can dispel the darkness , by clear evidence ; and help the confusion , by a distinct representation of things ; that can judge of reasons , and of exceptions , and of the various degrees in evidence , and the just weight of arguments . So that they are a matter , not for the determination of common heads , but for the learned and witty , for refined Parts and Philosophers . Yea and even among them , by reason of their difficulty and doubtfulness , they admit of great disputes , and beget generally much variety of judgment and opinion ; wherein if some think true , as it is very possible , nay often happens that neither do , the rest must of necessity be mistaken . Opinions therefore and Notions are more dark and difficult , less easie to be understood than plain Laws , and much more liable to be mistaken . So that Laws and Duty are fit to be made a Principle , because we may easily understand them , and be well assured of them : but general Notions and Opinions being more dark and liable to errour and mistake , they are not so proper to be themselves a Rule , as to be measured and judged of by them . And that they should so is further reasonable , because in the very designs of God , obedience is primarily and chiefly intended to be ministred to by Divine Truths ; not truths to be served and furthered by obedience . For the revelation of religious truth is given by the Authour of our Religion himself in order to religious practice . The very end and perfection of our Faith being to produce o Good Works , to make us p overcome the World , to q save our souls , or to deliver us from our sins , which are those evils that r Christ came to save us from . And since obedience unto Laws is the end , and general truths are only means whereby to compass it ; 't is certain that no truth can ever oppose a Duty , or evacuate obedience , because God would defeat his own end in revealing it , should he at any time become the Author of it . So that this cannot be a proper , at least it is not a safe way of arguing ; this plain Law in such and such parts , and sorts of instances , contradicts a truth , and therefore it is no Duty : whereas we should proceed quite contrary after this manner ; this or that opinion interferes and undermines this or that plain Law , so that it can never be a true opinion . For this arguing is fair and likely , and withal it is most secure . It is sure to preserve obedience , because it admits of nothing that interferes with it : and it is also very likely to preserve truth ; for it is most certain that no Doctrine can ever come from God which encourages or justifies any wickedness ; so that not only an obedient heart , but even a free and impartial reason must quit the Principle , if it appear to draw after it an evil consequence . To settle Principles and Rules of Judgment then , especially for simple and unlearned minds , the first enquiry ought to be , not what is true or false , but what is good or evil . For since the knowledge of this is more plain and obvious , easie and accessible to all , but to them most especially ; 't is evident , that as all others , so particularly they , if they would secure even Truth as well as Duty , must begin with Laws as their Principle , and from thence make their inference to Doctrines and Opinions . To avoid sinfull errours and disobedient prejudices , they must use Laws and Duties as the measure whereby to judge of notions ; not notions and opinions as the standard whereby to measure and interpret plain Laws . CHAP. VII . A sixth cause of ignorance of the present actions being comprehended under a known Law. And of the excusableness of our transgressions upon both these sorts of ignorance . The CONTENTS . All the forementioned causes of ignorance of our present actions being included in the known Law , are such to knowing and learned men . Besides them , the difficult and obscure nature of several sins is a general cause of it to the rude and unlearned . Sins upon this ignorance , as well as upon ignorance of the Law it self , unchosen , and so consistent with a state of Grace and Salvation . Where there is something of choice in it they extenuate the sin , and abate the punishment , though they do not wholly excuse it . The excuse for these actions is only whilst we are plainly ignorant : they are damning when we are enlightned so far as to doubt of them , but pardonable whil'st we are in darkness or errour . This excuse is for both the modes of ignorance , 1. Forgetfulness ; 2. Errour . All this pardon hitherto discoursed of upon the account of ignorance of either sort , is no further than the ignorance it self is involuntary . The willfulness of some mens ignorance . The several steps in voluntary ignorance . The causes of it . Two things required to render ignorance involuntary , 1. An honest heart , 2. An honest industry . What measures necessary to the acceptance of this industry . Gods candour in judging of its sufficiency . This discourse upon this first cause of an innocent involuntariness , ( viz. ) ignorance , summed up . THus upon all these accounts , which are mention'd in the two former Chapters , we see it will often happen , that although in the general we do know the Law which forbids any sin ; yet shall we still be ignorant of our present actions being comprehended under it . For the small , and barely gradual difference between Good and Evil , the limitedness of most Laws , the indirect obligations which pass upon some indifferent actions , the clashing and enterfering of some of Christs Laws , sometimes with other commands , and sometimes with our own prejudices and prepossessed Opinions ; are also many reasons why after we know the General Laws that forbid them , we shall still venture upon several particular actions through ignorance of their being forbidden . And yet besides all these , which are causes of such ignorance to the most knowing men , and to those who have great parts and learning : there will be moreover one great and general cause of it to the more rude and ignorant , and that is the difficult , and , to them , obscure nature of the sin it self , which in the Law is expresly , and by name forbidden . For how many of them who hear , it may be , of the Law against censoriousness , lasciviousness , uncleanness , carnality , sensuality , refusing of the Cross , and other things ; do not well understand what those words mean ? Alas ! the greater number of men in the world , have but very rude , and imperfect notices of things ; they see them only in a huddle , and by halves . And as it is in their knowledge of other things ; so is it in their understanding of Sin and Duty likewise . For their sight and sence of them is dark and defective , and albeit they have some general and confused apprehensions of them ; yet is not their knowledge so clear and distinct , as that they are thereby enabled to judge of every particular action , whether it falls under any of them , or no. And since they have but such half and imperfect notions of several sins , it is no wonder , although they know the General Law , if they venture upon several actions which really come under it , not knowing that they do . And thus we see , that besides the ignorance of the Law it self , there is also another sort of ignorance which will be a cause of sin to several men of all sorts , and that is their ignorance of their present actions being comprehended under the letter of the Law , and meant by it . But now as for those transgressions , which men of an honest heart are guilty of , through this ignorance of their own actions being included in the Law , when they do know the Law that includes it : They do not put them out of a state of Grace , but consist with it . For this Ignorance is mens unhappiness rather than their fault ; it is not an Ignorance of their own choosing , seeing their will and choice is against it . For they desire to be free from it , and strive to prevent it , and endeavour , according to those abilities and opportunities which God has afforded them , to get right and true apprehensions of all Gods will that they may perform ; and of every evil action that they may avoid it . But it is the difficulty and intricateness of things which renders them ignorant , and that is not of their making . For the sins forbidden are not easily distinguished from the Liberty allow'd , or from the Duty commanded in some cases ; and therefore it is that they mistake them , and are ignorant of the sinfulness of their present action , when their knowledge of it should enable them if they would to avoid it . And since it has so little of their own will , and the men , even when by reason of their ignorance they transgress , are industriously desirous to know their Duty , and prepared to practise it so far as they understand it : it shall have nothing of Gods anger . It is altogether a pardonable slip , and a pitiable instance , and that is enough to recommend it to Gods mercy . For he is never rigorous and severe in a case that is prepared for pity and pardon , so that he will not punish , but graciously forgive it . And if it were otherwise , who could possibly be saved ? For this ignorance of their present actions being comprehended in the words of the known Law , is such as the wisest men have been subject to ; and they , among the rest , who were most eminently skill'd in all the Laws of God. S t Paul is not certain but that some such ignorance adhered to himself . I know or am a conscious of nothing by my self , saith he , but yet I am not hereby justified , because some such sins may have b escaped my knowledge , 1 Cor. 4.4 . Why , sayes S t c Chrysostome , should the Apostle say that he is not thereby justified , although he is conscious of nothing by himself wherefore he should be condemned ? because it might so happen , that he had committed several acts of sin , which , at the time of action , for all his knowledge of the Laws themselves , he did not know were sinfull . And this is no more than holy David , the man after Gods own heart , thought he had reason to suspect himself for before him ; who , says he , can understand his errours ? cleanse thou me from my secret faults , Psal. 19.12 . The best men in all times , whether Jews or Christians , have been subject to miscarriages through this sort of ignorance ; and God , who is never wanting to the necessities of his servants , has alwayes provided a sufficient atonement and propitiation for them . For under the Law , if any honest Israelite happen'd to do any thing which was forbidden to be done by the Commandment of the Lord , and wist not that it was forbidden ; Moses appointed the Priests to make an expiation for him , and several atonements for that purpose are set down , Levit. 4. And under the Gospel our Saviour Christ , by d whom Grace and Favour is said to be given much more largely than it was by the Law of Moses , has provided us of a much more powerfull and valuable propitiation . He himself , by virtue of his own sacrifice , atones for all such unknown offences ; as well as the Jewish Priests did by their Sacrifices , which were prescribed in the Law of Moses . For in comparison of the two Priesthoods , as to that part of their Office which lay in making these atonements , S t Paul assures us , that like as the Jewish Priests had , so Christ can have compassion upon the ignorant , Heb. 5.2 . As for those transgressions then which are therefore involuntary and unchosen , because we do not know that the Law which they are against doth comprehend them ; they shall not finally damn any man. So long as we have an honest heart , that is ready to perform what it knows , and unfeignedly desirous and industrious to know more , that it may perform it likewise ; if in some things still we happen ignorantly to offend , such ignorant offences shall not prove our ruine . For our ignorance will excuse our sin , and make it consistent with Gods Favour , and with all the hopes and happiness of heaven . Nay , even where our heart is not so honest as it should be , and we are ignorant of the present actions being comprized under that sin which the Law forbids through our own fault ; yet even there our ignorance , although it cannot wholly excuse , doth still extenuate our sin , and proportionably abate our punishment . Perhaps it is our rashness , or inconsiderateness , or violent pursuit of some opinions and prejudice against others which makes us judge wrong of some particular actions , and not to see that they are included in the prohibition of some known Law , when really they are . Nay , so far may our mistake go , as not only to judge them to be no sinfull breaches of these Laws ; but moreover to be virtuous performances of others . For our Saviour tells his Disciples , that the time was coming , when even they who killed them should think that thereby they did God good service , Joh. 16.2 . And S t Paul sayes plainly , that he verily thought with himself , that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth , Acts 26.9 . All which murders and persecutions they were ignorantly guilty of ; not as if they did not know the Laws against murder and persecution , but because they thought their present actions to be unconcern'd in them , and not forbid by them ; nay , on the contrary , to be warranted and injoyn'd by other Laws requiring zeal for God , and judgment against false Prophets . Now this Ignorance was such as they might very well have prevented had they been calm , and considerate , humble , and teachable , and would have hearkned honestly , and with an even mind to that evidence which Christ gave of his being the Messiah , which was sufficient to convince any honest mind . And this patience , humility , and teachableness were in their own Power to have exercised if they would ; so that they were ignorant in good measure through their own choice , and by a wilful neglect of those means which would have brought them to a true belief , and a right understanding . And since their Ignorance was thus a matter of their own choice , it is their sin , and they must answer for it . But although , being , as I say , their own fault , it could not wholly excuse ; yet was it fit to lessen and mitigate their crime , and to abate their punishment . Their account should be less by reason of their Ignorance , and the sinfull actions , being committed with an honest heart through a misguided understanding , were much more prepared for pardon than otherwise they would have been . And this Christ himself has plainly taught us , when he uses it as an argument with his Father for the forgiveness of that sinfull murder of the Jews , whereof they were guilty in his Crucifixion . Father , sayes he , forgive them ▪ for they know not what they do ; their killing of me they take to be no sinful murther of an innocent and anointed person , but a virtuous execution of a lying Prophet , Luk. 23.34 . And this likewise S t Paul experienced : I obtained Mercy , sayes he , for persecuting the Church of God , because I did it ignorantly , not thinking it to be a sinfull persecution , but a pious service , 1 Tim. 1.13 . Yea , if the culpa●le ignorance be either of the Law it self , or of our present actions being contained under it ; ●●though God should not call us to repentance for what we ignorantly committed , and so to pardon ; yet even unpardoned we shall undergo a much lighter punishment by reason of our ignorance , than we should have suffered had we sinned in knowledge . For in this Point the words of our Lord and Judge are express , He who knew not his Masters will , and did things worthy of stripes ; shall be beaten with few stripes , Luke 12.48 . This allowance the Gospel makes for our sinful actions , so long as we are ignorant that the Laws which they are against do include and comprehend them . Whilst our Consciences are in darkness about them , and we do not see that we transgress in them ; though that ignorance were in good measure culpably wilful , we should obtain a milder punishment ; but if it were involuntary and innocent , we shall be fully acquitted and excused . This allowance , I say , there is whilst our sin is ignorant , and our Consciences do not see that the known Law is transgressed by our sinful action . But if our Consciences should come to know so much of the sinfulness of that action which we commit , as to scruple its lawfulness ; and to be enlightned so far as really to doubt of it : then is the case quite alter'd , and we cannot plead that we did it ignorantly , because we knew so much by it at least as should have made us forbear it . For if indeed we doubted of it , we knew it was as likely to be a Sin , as to be an innocent Action ; because that is properly Doubting , when we suspend our Assent , and cannot tell which way to determine , when we judge one to be as likely as the other , and do not positively and determinately believe the truth of either . And when this is our case concerning any Action , if we venture on it whilst the doubt remains , we are guilty of sin , and must expect to suffer punishment . For by so doing we shew plainly , that we will do more for sin than we will for God , and that it has a greater interest with us than he ; because even whilst we apprehend it as likely to be our sin as our liberty , yet for the sins sake we chuse to venture on it , rather than for Gods sake to abstain from it . This Contempt of God there is in it , in the Nature of the very thing it self , although God had no ways expressed himself concerning it . But we must know further , that whensoever we are in this estate of doubt and unresolvedness , God has given us a peremptory Command that we should not act what we fear is sinful , but omit it . Abstain , saith he , from all appearance of evil , 1 Thess. 5.22 . So that if after all our Disputes and Demurs we venture at last to commit the Action which we doubted of , we do not only slight God by running the hazard of Disobedience to one Law , whereof we are uncertain ; but we wilfully disobey him in transgressing of this other Law , whereof we all either are , or may be certain if we will. And if in this estate we presume thus to disobey , we shall be sure to suffer for our Disobedience . And in this case St. Paul is plain . For if there be any thing , whose lawfulness our Consciences are unresolved and unperswaded of ; whilst that unresolvedness remains , he tells us plainly , that our commission of it is utterly unlawful . Whatsoever , says he , is not of Faith , or proceeding from a belief and perswasion of its lawfulness , is sin . So that if it be about the eating of meats , for Instance , he that doubts is damn'd , both of God and of himself , if he eat , because he eateth not of Faith , Rom. 14.23 . If our minds therefore are so far enlightned concerning any sinful Action , as that we are come to doubt of it , we are no longer innocently and excusably ignorant . For we see enough by it to make us chuse to abstain from it ; and if for all this we presume still to venture on it , sin lyes at the door , and we must answer for it . We are no longer within the excuse of Ignorance , but we are guilty of a wilful sin , and are got within the bounds of Death and Damnation . But if in any Action we know nothing at all of the Law which forbids it ; or after we have known that , if we are still ignorant of its being contain'd under it ; if we are not come to doubt , but are either in Ignorance , or Errour concerning it ; our Ignorance shall excuse our Fault , and deliver us from Condemnation . We do not chuse the sin which we do thus ignorantly commit , and therefore we shall not suffer that Punishment which is threatned to it ; but our unknown offence is a pardonable slip , such as , according to the gracious Terms of Christs Gospel , shall surely go uncondemned . And this is true , not only of simple Ignorance , but likewise of the two particular Modes of Ignorance , viz. First , Forgetfulness . Secondly , Errour . 1. Our sins of Ignorance will be born with , if we venture upon the sinful Action through Ignorance of its sinfulness , which we knew formerly , but at the time of acting have forgotten . For a slip of Forgetfulness is no more than befel an Apostle , who was for all that a blessed Saint , and an Heir of Life still . St. Paul himself reviles the High-Priest , forgetting both his Duty , and that that man was he whom he spoke to . I wist not , Brethren , says he , that he was the High-Priest , for had I bethought my self I should not have spoke so disrespectfully to him , it being thus written , Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy People , Act. 23.5 . 2. Our sins of Ignorance shall be dispensed with , if we are led to commit them through a mistake of their innocence , when indeed they are sinful , which is an acting of them through errour . For no less a man than Peter was drawn into a sinful dissimulation , through an erroneous conceit that his giving no offence , but keeping in with the Jews ( which was the thing that he aimed at by it ) would justifie and bear him out in it . For which S t Paul tells us when he came to Antioch , he withstood him to the face , because he was to be blamed , Gal. 2.11 , 12 , 13. But yet for all this S t Peter was at that time a true good Saint , and if it had pleased God then to call for him , he had been undoubtedly an Heir of salvation . And to mention no more upon this Point , as there were constant atonements for the errours of the people under the Law , so is there provision made for them under the Gospel . For Christ who is our High Priest , as S t Paul assures us , can have compassion on the ignorant and erroneous , or them who are out of the way , Heb. 5.2 . So long therefore we see as our ignorance of any kind , whether of the Law it self , or of our present actions being comprehended by it , is involuntary and innocent ; so long shall we be born with for all such slips as we incur under it . For God will never be severe upon us for weakness of understanding , or for want of parts , whilst there is nothing in us of a wicked heart : and therefore if our ignorance it self is innocent , our offences under it shall go unpunished . But here we must observe that all this allowance for our ignorance , is so far only as it is involuntary and faultless : but if we chuse to be ignorant , our ignorance is in it self our sin , and will make all our following offences damnable . For we must answer for any thing of our own choice ; and therefore if we chuse the ignorance , we shall be interpreted to chuse , and so put to answer for , all those ill effects which it produces . Those sins which are voluntary in their cause , are interpreted to us , as we have seen , and put upon our score ; so that if we chuse the ignorance which brings them , we shall be adjudged to suffer for them . Now as for the ignorance and errour of many men , which is the cause of their sins and transgressions , it is plainly of their own chusing . They have a mind to be ignorant of their Duty , and that is the reason why they do not understand it . For either they shut their eyes , and will not see it ; or they are idle and careless , and will not enquire after it ; or they bend their wits , at the instigation of their lusts , to dispute against it , that after they have darkened and confounded it in their own thoughts , they may mince or evacuate , mistake or disbelieve it . So that if at last they do not know it , it is because they do not desire the knowledge of it , or will be at no pains for it , or take pains against it , to supplant and disguise it . And these are they , who are not ignorant against their wills , but , as S t Peter says , willingly ignorant , 2 Pet. 3.5 . And as for such ignorance as this , it will by no means excuse us before God ; but if we will be ignorant , God's will and pleasure is , that we shall suffer for our sinful ignorance , and for all those sins that we commit under it , which we might and should have seen and avoided . For all those Laws , which are ignorantly transgressed by us , threaten death , and the ignorance being of our own chusing takes nothing off ; so that death and damnation rest upon us . But that ignorance which can be pleaded to excuse us before God , must be an ignorance that is involuntary ; an ignorance , which in the constitution of our nature is imposed upon us , and is not chosen by us . And a right understanding of this difference in ignorance being of so great moment , I shall , before I dismiss this Point , observe when our ignorance is voluntary , and when it is involuntary . First , I will show when our ignorance is ●●voluntary . As for the knowledge of our Duty , like as of all other things , it doth not spring up in our souls as an Herb doth out of the ground , nor drop into us as the rain doth from a Cloud ; but it must be sought for , and endeavoured after , and unless we use the means of acquiring it we must be content to live without it . The means of obtaining the knowledge of God's Laws , and of the innocence and sinfulness of our own actions , are the reading of his Word , the attendance upon his Ministers , the thinking or considering upon what we read or hear in our own minds , and praying to God to make all these means effectual for our information : and if ever we expect to know God's will , we must put these in practice . But now whether we will make use of these , or no , is plainly in our own choice , and at our own pleasure . For if we will , we may f exercise ; and if we will , we may as well neglect them . And when both these are before us , if we refuse to make use of the means of understanding , and wilfully g neglect the methods of attaining to the knowledg of sin and Duty , good and evil ; if we sit down without the knowledg of Gods Law , it is because we would our selves , and our ignorance is a voluntary and a wilful ignorance . And this is the first way of our ignorance's becoming voluntary , viz. when it is so upon a voluntary neglect of those means which are necessary to attain knowledge . And this in the Schools is called a h supine , slothful , careless ignorance . And if it be of such things as lay near in our way , and might have been known without much pains or much seeking ; it is called i gross or affected ignorance . But besides this sort of wilful ignorance of our Duty , through a wilful neglect of those means which are necessary to the knowledge of it ; there is another which is higher and more enormous , and that is , Secondly , When we do not only sleight the means of knowing God's Law , but moreover use those of confounding or mistaking it . For our knowledge of things is then made perfect and useful , when it is clear and distinct ; and our assent and belief of things is then gained , when their evidence is represented and duly considered of . But now as for the employing of mens thoughts in clearing or confounding , believing or disbelieving of the Laws of God ; it is perfectly in their own power , whether to use it on one side , or on the other . And commonly it is their pleasure to use it on the worse . For they will consider only of the difficulties and intricacies of Gods Laws , which may darken and disturb , confound and perplex their thoughts about them ; and attend only to such exceptions as they can make against them , which may unsettle their minds , either about the meaning , or the truth of them : so that after all their reading and considering of them , they shall not understand , but err and mistake them . As it happens to all those who had disputed themselves out of the knowledge of their Duty , until , as Isaiah says , they call evil good , and good evil , put darkness for light , and light for darkness , Isai. 5.20 . And when men are ignorant of their Duty , because they chose thus to endeavour it , and take pains for it ; this ignorance is voluntary and wilful with a witness . These two reasons of mens being ignorant of their Duty , viz. their neglect of such means as are necessary to the knowledge of it , or their use of the contrary means of confounding or discrediting it , are the causes of their wilful ignorance . And that which makes them guilty of both these , is either the gross idleness , or the profligate wickedness of their hearts , which are wholly inslaved to some beloved lust or sin . They are wretchedly idle , and therefore they will not learn their Duty because that is painful ; they are greatly wicked , and so care not for the knowledge of the Law because that would disquiet them . Men love darkness , says our Saviour , better than light , because their works are evil ; they hate the light and will not come to it , lest their deeds should be reproved by it , John 3.19 , 20. Because they hate and fear the Law , they neglect the means of knowing it ; nay , they pick quarrels with it , and endeavour all they can to perplex or darken , to evacuate or disparage it . So that our ignorance is then wilful , when we are therefore ignorant because we neglect the means of knowledge , or industriously endeavour to be mistaken . And that because we are either too idle to learn , or too wicked to care for the knowledge of our Duty . The idleness and wickedness of our hearts is the first spring , and the neglect of means , and industrious perverting of the truth are the great productive instruments of our wilful ignorance . Which is therefore called voluntary and wilful , because the Principle and the Instruments , the motive and the means to it , are both under the power and choice of our own wills . And these things making our ignorance wilful , viz. a wilful neglect of the means of knowledge , or a wilful perverting of those Laws which we are to know : we shall easily discern , Secondly , What ignorance is unwilled and involuntary ; namely , that which implies a freedome from , and an absence of both these ; so that unto it there is required , First , An honest heart . Secondly , An honest industry . First , In all involuntary ignorance , it is necessary that we have an honest heart . We have S t Paul's word for it , that our receiving of the love of the truth is necessary to a saving belief , and understanding of it . They who believed not the truth , but believed lyes , fell into that miscarriage by this means , says he , because they received not the love of the truth , that they might be saved , 2 Thess. 2.10 , 11 , 12. And our Saviour has taught us , that an obedient heart is the surest step to a right understanding . If any man will , or is willing to do God's will , he shall know of the Doctrine which I preach , whether it be of God , John 7.17 . The heart or will must in the first place be obedient , and unfeignedly desirous to know Gods will ; not that it may question and dispute , but practise and obey it . For a failure here spoils all besides , because the Heart and Will is the Principle of all our actions , and if it be against obeying any Law , it will be also against understanding it , and so will be sure to make us neglect , and omit , more or less , the means of coming to the knowledge of it . To prevent therefore all wilful defects afterwards , care must be taken in the first place that our hearts be honest , and truly desirous to be shewn our Duty , be it what it will. They must entertain no Lusts which will prejudice them against Gods Laws , and make them willing , either to overlook , or to pervert them . But they must come with an entire obedience and resignation , being ready and desirous to hearken to whatsoever God shall say , and resolv'd to practise it whensoever they shall understand it . Of their sincerity in which last , besides their own sense and feeling , they cannot have a greater Argument , than their being careful to be found in the practice of so much as they know already , without which it is not to be expected that they should be perfecter in their practice by knowing more . This Honesty and obedience of the Heart then is necessary in the first place to make our ignorance involuntary , because we should wilfully omit the means of knowledge , and become thereby wilfully ignorant if we wanted it . But then as an effect of this Honesty of the heart , to make our ignorance involuntary and innocent , there is yet further required Secondly , An honest Industry . For the knowledge of our Duty , as was observed , is not to be got without our own search , but we must inquire after it , and make use of the means of obtaining it , before we shall be possessed of it . We must read good Books , which will teach us Gods Will , but especially the Bible ; we must be constant and careful to hear Sermons ; attend diligently to the instructions of our spiritual Guides , whom God has set over us for that very purpose . We must submit our selves to be catechised by our Governours , taught by our Superiours , and admonished by our Equals ; begging always a Blessing from God to set home upon our Souls all their instructions . And after all we must be careful without prejudice or partiality to think and meditate upon those things which we read or hear , that we may the better understand them , and that they may not suddenly slip from us , but we may remember and retain them . All these are such means as God has appointed for the attainment of spiritual knowledge , and laid in our way to a right understanding of his Will. And they are such as he has placed in every mans power , for any of us to use who are so minded . So that if we are ignorant of our Duty through the want of them , we are ignorant , because we our selves would have it so . But if ever we expect that our ignorance should be judged involuntary , we must industriously use all those means of knowledge , which are under the power of our own wills , whereby we may prevent it . And as for the measures of this industry , ( viz. ) what time is to be laid out upon it , and what pains are to be taken in it , that is so much as in every one , according to their several abilities and opportunities , would be interpreted an effect of an honestly obedient heart , and of an unfeigned desire to know our duty , by any honest man. For God has not given all men either the same abilities or opportunities for knowledge ; and since he has not , he doth not expect the same measures from them . He doth not reap where he has not sown , but that which he exacts , is , that every man according to his opportunities , should use and improve that talent , be it more or less , which was intrusted with him , as we are taught in the Parable of the Talents , Mat. 25. And to name that once for all , we have this laid down by our Saviour as an universal maxime of Gods Government ; unto whomsoever much is given , of them shall much be required . Which is the very same equitable proceeding that is daily in use among our selves . For to whom men have committed much , of him they will exact the more , Luk. 12.48 . If any man therefore is industrious after the knowledge of Gods will , according to the measure of those abilities and opportunities which God has given him ; he is industrious according to that measure which God requires of him . All men have not the same leisure , for some are necessarily taken up by their place and way of life in much business , some in less ; some have their time at their own disposal , some are subject to the ordering of others . And all have not the same abilities and opportunities , for some are able by study and reading to inform themselves , some have constant need of the help and instruction of others ; some have most wise and understanding teachers , and may have their assistance when they will ; others have men of meaner parts and attainments , and opportunity of hearing them more seldom . But now of all these , whose leisure and opportunities are thus different , God doth not in any wise exact the same measure : No , one shall be excused for what another shall be punished ; but if every man endeavours according to his opportunities , he has done his Duty , and God has accepted him . And in the proportioning of this , where there is first an honest heart , God is not hard to please . For he knows that , besides their Duty , men have much other business to mind , which his own constitution of Humane Nature has made necessary ; and he allows of it . The endeavours which he exacts of us , are not the endeavours of Angels , but of men , who are soon wearied , and much distracted , having so many other things to employ us . But he accepts of such a measure of industry in the use of all the means of knowledge , as would be interpreted for an effect of an hearty desire to know his Laws , by any honest man. For where there is first an obedient heart , God will not be equalled , and much less out-done by the best of men in pity and kindness . Which is the argument from which our Saviour himself concludes that God will give the holy spirit at our prayers , because that men themselves , who are infinitely below him in goodness , will give good gifts to them that ask them , Luk. 11.13 . Let us therefore take care in the first place to secure our selves of an obedient heart , and to give such evidence of an honest industry , as any kind hearted honest man would accept of ; and then we may have just reason to be confident , that although our endeavour is weak and imperfect , being much hindred , and often interrupted , yet shall it still be esteemed sufficient . For Christ himself , who is to judge of its sufficiency , is no stranger to our weaknesses , but , having felt them in himself , he is prone to pity and pardon them in us . He experimented the backwardness of our flesh , and the number of our distractions , and the tiredness of our powers , and the insinuations and strength of temptations . So that having such an High Priest to intercede for us at present , and to judge us at the last day , who is touched with a feeling of our infirmities , having been tempted himself in all points , even as we are : let us come boldly unto the throne of Grace , as the Apostle exhorts us , that we may obtain mercy for what we cannot master , as well as find grace in a seasonable time of need to conquer what he expects we should overcome , Hebr. 4.15 , 16. And this mercifull connivance at our imperfections , and gracious acceptance of our weak endeavours , we may with the greater reason and assurance hope for ; because Christ our Judge will be most candid and benign , in putting the best sense , and in interpreting most to our advantage all those our actions and endeavours , which shall then be brought before him . Whereof he has given us a clear instance , in that most favourable construction which he made of that Charity , that was shewn unto his Brethren by those on his right hand , Mat. 25. For although it was not expressed to him , but only to their fellow Christians for his sake ; yet because their kindness reached him in the intention of their minds , and what they did to his servants for his sake , they would have done to himself much rather could they have met with an opportunity ; he resented it as if it had been really shown to his own person . For when they say unto him , Lord , when saw we thee an hungred , and fed thee ; or naked , and cloathed thee , &c. he answers , inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren , I take the affection for the performance , and interpret it as if you had done it unto me , vers . 40. When therefore the sufficiency of our endeavours fater the knowledge of our Duty , is come to be enquired into by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ; we may be assured that it will have a favourable tryal . It it to be censured by a candid , equitable , and benign judge , who will interpret it to our advantage as much , nay , more than any good natured honest man would . So that if our industry after the knowledge of Gods will be in such a measure , as a candid and benign man would judge to be a sufficient effect of an obedient heart , and of an honest purpose ; Christ will judge it to be so too . And where our Ignorance of any of Christs Laws is joyned with an honest heart , and remains after such an industry ; we may take comfort to our selves , and be confident that it is involuntary and innocent . If we are desirous to know Gods Laws , and read good Books , frequent Sermons , hearken to any good instructions which we meet with , and that according to our opportunities , and in such measure as any good man would interpret to be an honest endeavour after the knowledge of our Duty if it were to himself : if after all this , I say , in some points we are still Ignorant , our Ignorance is involuntary , and shall not harm us ; it is not chosen by us , and therefore it never will condemn us . And thus we have seen what ignorances excuse our slips and transgressions which are committed under them ; and when those Ignorances are themselves involuntary and innocent , so as that we may comfortably expect to be excused upon the account of them . And the summ of all that has been hitherto discoursed upon this subject is this . That as for the Laws themselves , all men must needs be ignorant of some of them for some time , and some men for all their lives , because they want either ability or opportunity to understand them . And as for their present actions being comprehended under them , that many men of all sorts and capacities , after that they have known the General Laws , will still be ignorant of it likewise . For as for the wise and learned , the small and meer gradual difference between good and evil in some instances , the allowed exceptions from the generality of others , the indirect force and obligation of a third sort , and the frequent clashing and enterfering , whether of Laws with Laws , or of Laws with their repugnant prejudices and opinions ; will be sure to make them very often overlook it . And as for the rude and ignorant , that , besides all these causes of such ignorance which are common to them with learned men , the difficult and obscure nature of several Vices and Virtues themselves , which are plainly and expresly forbidden or injoyn'd , will be of force sufficient to make the generality of them in many instances not to understand it . And as for the pardon and excuse of our ignorance and unknown transgressions from all , or any of these causes ; that it is involuntary and innocent so long as it is joyned with an honest heart , and remains after an honest industry ; and begins then only to be our wilful sin , and an Article of our condemnation , when our Lusts or Vices introduce it , and we have a mind to it , and take no pains against it , or , what is the consummation and height of all , industriously labour and endeavour after it . And this may suffice to have spoken of the first sort of want of Knowledge , which , as I said above , produces an uncondemning involuntariness , ( viz. ) Ignorance , when we commit sin , because we do not know the sinfulness of our present action , or the Law which we sin against . CHAP. VIII . Of Sins consistent through the second Cause of an innocent Involuntariness , viz. Inconsideration . The CONTENTS . Consideration is necessary to choice . Some sins are inconsiderate . Three innocent causes of inconsideration . 1. Suddenness and surprize of opportunity . An account of this . The involuntariness of it . Slips upon it are consistent . 2. Weariness of our thinking powers or understandings . An account of this ; and of its involuntariness . The consistence of our Transgressions by reason of it . 3. Discomposure or disturbance of them . An account of this . The causes of it are Drunkenness , or a strong Passion . Drunkenness is always our own fault . Our Passions grow strong in us sometimes by our own indulgence , and then they are our damning sin , and we must suffer for the evil that we commit under them : sometimes through the suddenness , and greatness of outward objects ; and then they are pardonable , and our inconsiderate slips upon them are excusable . The Passions which have Good for their object , as Love , Desire , &c. cannot by any force of outward objects be so suddenly forced upon us . But the Passions which have Evil , as Grief , Anger , and Fear especially , often are . The reason of this difference . Inconsideration upon the latter excusable , but not upon the former . This difference made by our Saviour in a case where both were criminal . Excusable slips upon discomposure of our thinking powers , are such as proceed from an unwill'd sudden Grief or Anger , but especially from a sudden Fear . No fear is involuntary but what is sudden ; and sins upon deliberate fear are damning ; but upon unwill'd sudden Fear , Grief , or Anger , consistent with Salvation . Cautions about inconsiderate sins to prevent false confidence . No sin is innocently inconsiderate : 1. Where we have time and an undisturbed understanding . 2. Where the sin is mischievous , or greatly criminal . 3. When we do not strive against it . We must endeavour against all involuntary Failings , though we cannot resolve against them . 4. When we are not sorry after we have committed it , nor beg pardon for it . 5. When it is committed with observation . A summary Repetition of this fourth Book . HAving in the foregoing Chapters discoursed largely of the first cause of an innocent Involuntariness , viz. Ignorance of our Duty or want of a general Knowledge , I proceed now to the second , viz. want of particular Animadvertence and Consideration of what we know , which is Inconsiderateness . And this is the second way of rendring our Transgressions pardonably involuntary , which I proposed above ; namely , when in any sinful action we do not bethink our selves , and consider of its sinfulness . It is not all knowledge of our Duty that renders every particular sin against it chosen and voluntary . For a knowledge that is only general , and at such time as the thing occurs to our thoughts , and we are asked the Question , will not do : but as all our choice is of particular actions , so must our knowledge be likewise . Before we can be said to chuse a particular action , we must see and know it particularly ; and if we act it without thinking , we act it also without chusing , seeing all choice is upon sight and knowledge of what is chosen . But now this is the case in several of our Transgressions , they slide from us without this actual application of our minds to them . For we do not think and consider of the evil of them when we commit them ; and so their sinfulness being unseen , it is withal unchosen . They are of the number of our involuntary sins , and such as , implying nothing of our own will , shall have nothing of Gods anger , who will not punish , but graciously bear with them . And these slips stealing from us without our considering and thinking on them , or adverting in the application of our minds to them ; are called by these several names , which are all of the same signification , viz. sins of inadvertency , incogitancy , and inconsideration . Which because they are such as , through the weakness of our Natures , we are continually subject to , and liable daily to incur , are stiled in another word sins of daily incursion . Now as for this second sort of sins , our inconsiderate Transgressions , they may steal from us involuntarily and innocently upon as many grounds , as there may be innocent causes of inconsiderate actions . And as for the unwill'd , and therefore innocent causes of inconsideration , they are reducible to these three . 1. Suddenness and surprize of Opportunity . 2. Weariness , and 3. Discomposure and disturbance of our thinking powers wherewith we should consider . 1. The first cause of inconsideration in our Actions , whereupon we venture upon some sin without thinking or considering of it , is the suddenness of the Opportunity , and the surprize of Temptation . It falls out unexpectedly , and stays for us at such time as our minds are otherwise employ'd ; and so we act it without considering , because it lyes ready and prepared for us just then , when we have no leisure for thinking and consideration . And the first beginnings of a sinful Passion , whether of Anger , of Envy , &c. and the unadvised slips of the Tongue in rash censuring , in uncharitable speaking , in indeliberate backbiting , and the like generally enter this way . For they come upon us in the throng of Conversation , and opportunities are offered for them before we foresee them ; and so we spring out indeliberately to act and exert them . And this inconsideration is such as we cannot avoid . For we have no freedom of acting where we want a freedom of thinking , seeing we cannot chuse without consideration . But as for these inconsiderate slips , they steal from us before we can bethink our selves , and stay not for our consideration , but run before it . For our operative Powers , when they are spurr'd on by any thing of an inward desire , or of a remaining corrupt inclination , ( and who , as long as he lives here , can be wholly free from it ? ) are ready of themselves to spring out into Action and Practice upon the first offer of Temptation , and stand in need of reason and consideration , not to raise and excite , but to restrain and repress them . So that upon the offer of a fit occasion we act many times amiss before we are aware ; and we cannot help it , because we cannot deliberate and consider of it . But as these slips of surprize are such as we cannot avoid , so are they such withal wherefore God will not exact a severe account of us . He will not punish but pity us for them , and in great mercy dispense with them . For they are necessarily incident to all men ; they have been incurr'd by his best servants , but were never looked upon to be of that provoking nature as to put them out of his favour , or to interrupt their state of salvation and acceptance . Just Noah through his ignorance of the strength of Wine was surprized into one sin ; for he was drunken before he was aware , or could discern what effects the fruits of his new Vineyard would have upon him . Noah drank wine , says Moses , and was drunken , Gen. 9.21 . But this was perfectly a mixture of surprize and ignorance , for his wits had left him before he was aware , and before he ever knew that the Wine which he drunk would drive them from him . For it was at his first planting of a Vineyard , before he understood what measure of it would cause intoxication . He began , says the Text , to be a Husbandman , and he planted a Vineyard , and he drank of the wine of his new Vineyard , and was drunken , v. 20 21. The great Apostle Paul himself was guilty of one sudden slip towards Ananias the High Priest , who , whilst his mind was intent upon his Speech which he was making in his own defence , commanded him to be smitten on the face . Upon which unexpected occasion he was surprized into a sudden anger , and into an unadvised irreverence . God shall smite thee , thou whited wall , says he presently to him again , for sittest thou to judge me according to the Law , and yet commandest me to be smitten contrary to the Law ? Act. 23.1 , 2 , 3. But as soon as ever he dad done , he retracts his words , and confesses that his Speech was evil ; but yet he pleads that it was pardonable , as being altogether unconsidered through the suddenness of the occasion . I wist not , Brethren , says he , that he was the High Priest , I did not think of that ; for if I had I should not have spoke so disrespectfully to him , it being thus written , Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy people , v. 4 , 5. 2. Another innocent cause of inconsideration , whereby we venture upon several actions without thinking of their sinfulness , is the natural weariness of our faculties or understandings . It is the very frame of our Natures , and we cannot help it , for our minds to be tired out by being held long and constantly to one thing . We find it is so with us in all Studies whatsoever ; for let our thoughts be employed upon what we will , they cannot be kept at stretch upon it for a long time together , but either we must draw them off and relieve them , or else they will flag and fail of themselves . But now as for some sins , they are a continued temptation . They do not soon come upon us , and go off as soon again ; but they lye before us and stick to us , and for a long time are still alluring and solliciting us . And here although our minds can consider of them , and watch against them for some time ; yet by reason of their long abode with us they wax faint at last , and grow weary and forgetful : and then the temptation gets ground , and enters when we are not aware , and in some thing we prove unadvised , and yield to it because we cannot hold out longer to consider of such things as should guard and preserve us from it . Thus in afflictions and sickness , for instance , by the uneasiness of his flesh , and the hardness of his condition , a man is tempted to fret and murmure , and to be peevish and repining . But for some considerable time he stands upon his guard , and his thoughts are in readiness ; and so long he represses his passion and keeps it under : so that although the sin be importunately offered , it is not embraced . And if the temptation would pass off whilst he stands thus prepared to watch against it , all were well , and his Vertue would remain in safety . But on the contrary it is lasting and permanent , it sticks to him , and incessantly importunes him , and so proves a continual snare to him . And now if his mind would endure to be held always upon the stretch , and in a continued watchfulness against it , all were well , and he would keep back from it still . But alas ! his Faculties , after a long toil , grow weary ; and his Powers of thinking , being constantly imploy'd , are spent and disabled ; and then his watchfulness begins to impair , and his thoughts by degrees to unbend ; and whilst he becomes less attent , and less careful to oppose the Temptation , it wins ground , and prevails upon him when he is not aware : so that although he could not at first , yet he is surprized at last into some impatient thought , or peevish behaviour . And the case is the same in a continued provocation to Anger , Lust , or other sins . Now this weariness , which renders us thus inconsiderate , is no matter of our own chusing ; it is the very frame of our Nature , and not the effect of our will ; so that we must submit to it , and we cannot help it . For the Soul in thinking and understanding uses bodily powers , and they by exercise are spent and wasted , weakned and enfeebled : and therefore when by a fixt watchfulness and consideration of one thing , they have been kept long attent , they naturally grow weak and weary , and there is no avoiding it . And since we cannot help it , God will never exact of us that we should ; but when he comes to judge us for those slips , which were inconsiderate upon this account , he will not punish , but in great mercy pardon and bear with us . And this we find that he has always done . For his best Servants have been wearied into slips of this nature , and yet they have not put them out of a state of Grace , nor made a breach in God's acceptance ; but he has own'd and rewarded them as his faithful Servants still . Job was a man patient to a Proverb , and one to whom , by the testimony of God himself there was none equal in the whole earth ; a perfect and an upright man , one who feared God , and eschewed evil , Job 1.8 . But yet this man of admirable Constancy and Patience , was wearied out of his watchfulness by a tedious Tryal of Afflictions , and in that time of his unadvisedness utter'd many things impatiently with his lips . For after he had watched sore by himself , and kept silence , continuing still his noble Patience when his Friends came to pity him , and stood amazed at his condition for seven days and seven nights together : at last being over-charged with grief , and wearied off from his guard against it , he bursts out into a rash and foolish cursing of the day of his birth , and into many repining Questions and fretful Answers , Job 2.12 , 13 and Chap. 3. But yet notwithstanding all these , and several other fretful expressions of a tired mind , God owns him for his dear Servant still , and honours him in the end with a most noble mark of a particular affection , by accepting of his Sacrifice for his Friends , when he would not accept of it from themselves , Job 42.8 . David , the man after Gods own heart , when in great fear he flyes from Saul , and after several escapes made from one place to another , could not either weary or avoid him ; being tired out of all patience and composure at last , begins sinfully to call in question the truth of Gods promise . For although Samuel had a come from God to anoint him King , and had thereby in Gods Name assured him of the Crown : yet , after a long confidence in Gods Faithfulness , he begins at last in the tiredness of his spirit to doubt within himself whether God would be as good as his word , and to say in his heart , I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul , 1 Sam. 27.1 . which he did , as he himself gives the account of it , only because the weariness of his mind , through his continued and repeated dangers , had made him hasty and inconsiderate . I said in my haste , saith he , I am cut off from before thine eyes ; referring in all likelihood to this very case , Psal. 31.22 . Good Asaph , by the continuance of his troubles , is wearied into a like offence . For although he guarded his spirit well at the beginning , and for some time ; yet after he had laboured long under his affliction , he breaks out at last in the discomposure of his soul into these repining thoughts and distrustful expostulations : Will the Lord cast off for ever , and will he be favourable no more ? Is his mercy clean gone for ever , and doth his promise fail for evermore ? Hath God forgotten to be gracious , and hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies ? Psal. 77.7 , 8 , 9. But when once he had got liberty to recollect his thoughts , and to recover again his former guard ; he doth not any longer give way to these distrustful surmises , but immediately suppresses and corrects them . Then I said , as he goes on , this is mine own infirmity , v. 10 3. A third innocent Cause of inconsideration in our Actions , is the discomposure and disturbance of our thinking powers , which should consider of them . Our souls , as I said , are united to our bodies , and make use of their powers in their most spiritual actions of Knowledge and Apprehension . And therefore upon any ruffling discomposure in our bodily spirits , our thoughts are ruffled and discomposed likewise . They see nothing clearly at such times , nor have any distinct notices of things ; but are blunder'd and confused even as our bodily powers themselves are . Now that which thus discomposes our bodily spirits , so as that our souls can see and consider of nothing through their disorder , is either strong Drink , or a strong Passion . For so much is all exercise of reason and consideration disturbed and hindred by these , that of men in drink or in a high passion , it is usually said , that they are not themselves , and that they have not their wits about them . But although either Wine or any violent passion are sufficient causes of disturbance in our spirits , and of discomposure in our thinking powers , which unfit us to consider of what we do during such time as we are disturbed by them ; yet are not both of them innocent , and able to excuse those inconsiderate slips which we commit by reason of them . For drunkenness is always our own fault , and if we sin unadvisedly through its discomposure , we shall certainly suffer punishment , because that is a discomposure of our own seeking . As for our passions indeed , they are causes of ambiguous quality . For sometimes they grow strong in us by our own fault . Either we feed them , or we indulge them ; we suggest such things to them as will foment them , or we permit them to grow unruly of themselves , without checking and repressing of them , as we might and should , were we so minded . And when our passions are thus indulged , and the violence of them is of our own chusing ; they are themselves our sin , and so cannot plead our excuse and vindication . But then at other times they are forced upon us by the power and suddenness of outward objects , whether we will or no. For we hate them , and are afraid of them ; and if we were aware we would stand upon our guard , and call in against them all the Aids of Reason and Religion to preserve us from being too much disturbed by them . But God's Providence casts them upon us on the sudden , so that we do not see them before they come , nor can consider aforehand to prevent and avoid them . And when once they are come , by their very natural force in disturbing of our Spirits , they take away from us all power of consideration . So that they are unconsidered in themselves , and unconsidered in their effects , and therefore they are involuntary all the way . And when our passions are made violent this way , viz. by being raised in us , not by any thing of our own search or indulgence , but by the timing of God's Providence , and by the suddenness and greatness of outward objects , they are pardonable in themselves , and will excuse our inconsiderate transgressions . Those slips which we incur under them are prepared for pardon , because we did not seek , nor could avoid them . Thus then our innocent Discomposures which unfit us for consideration , are those only which are caused in us by strong passions not of our own indulging . The passion which begets them must enter against our wills , through the greatness and suddenness of outward objects ; it must be forced upon us suddenly and by surprize , and then we cannot refuse it , or the discomposure which ensues upon it , because we have no time beforehand wherein to consider how to prevent it . Now it is not every passion which the power of outward objects can force upon us on such a sudden . For love , desire , and all those passions which have good for their object , are more under our own Command , and spring up in us more gradually . They arrive not to such a discomposing pitch in a moment , but they require more time , and go on more leisurely ; and in all the intermedial steps they are subject to our own power , so that we may arrest them , if we please , before they have got so far . And therefore all the inconsideration which they effect in us is more or less wilful , and a matter of our own choice , because it proceeds from our own permission and indulgence . But then as for other passions of grief , anger , and fear especially , which have evil for their object ; if the opportunity be sudden , and the object great enough , they may be raised in us to such a degree , as to amaze and confound us in a moment . A man may be in such a fright upon the sudden , as not to know what he doth , as we see by daily experience ; and the case is the same in the others likewise . And the reason of this difference between these passions and the former is this , because the suffering of evil is far more repugnant to self-preservation and self-love , which are the fundamental principle of all our passions , than the absence of good . For if we sit without that good which would move our love and desire , we are still where we were : but if we fall under that evil , which excites our fear , we are made miserable , and much the worse : that is only a denial of a farther delight ; but this is a real deprivation , and a step towards destruction . And since our self-love and self-preservation are so much more nearly concerned in the suffering of evil , than in the absence of good ; our passions , which are only their several aspects and expressions , must needs be more quick and violent in that than they are in this , and the discomposure upon them will be so likewise . This difference there is betwixt our inconsiderateness upon the violent fears of evil , and upon our violent desires and pursuit of good . Which is observed by our Saviour in an instance where both were criminal ; in which notwithstanding the discomposure upon the fears of evil , being fit to plead the more excuse , made the transgression that ensued upon it to be a lesser sin . For both the Jews and Pilate concurred in the grievous sin of shedding innocent blood when they crucified and murthered him . In which wicked action , that which moved them was b envy and malice , but that which prevailed with him , was his fear of their calumnies , and of the anger of the Roman Emperour . For in his own heart he was minded to c release him , being convinced of his innocence , and d afraid to have any hand in the Blood of one who called himself the Son of God. But because he called himself a King , which his own e mind could not but suggest to him , as the f Rabble did afterwards , was a Title whereof the Emperour would be extremely jealous : therefore he gives him up to their will , fearing lest , if he did not , he should be traduced as no Friend to that most jealous Prince Tiberius Caesar. And when Christ himself comes to pass Judgment in comparison of his offence and theirs , He who delivered me unto thee , saith he , hath the greater sin , Joh. 19.11 . Those discomposures then of our knowing Faculties , which are innocent , and fit to excuse our inconsiderate slips which proceed from them ; are such as spring from an unwill'd sudden grief , or anger , but especially from an unwill'd sudden fear . To make it unwill'd , I say , it must be sudden ; for if our fear it self , which is a passion that amazes more than all the rest , doth not presently effect any thing , but stays some considerable time , and reigns long before it produces any sinful action : then it is a matter of our own choice , being it is a fear of our own indulging . We give it room and entertainment , we feed it , or give way to it ; and that makes our fear to become our sin , which can never serve for our vindication . For a true Christian must be as bold as a Lyon , and fear nothing so much as the disobedience of his God , and the breach of his Duty . But as for other things , which men use to be afraid of , whether they be loss of Fame , of Estate , of Friends , of Liberty , or even of Life it self ; though he may justly fear and avoid them , when he can innocently ; yet if they are the burden of the Cross imposed upon the doing of his Duty , he must chearfully g take it up , and not fear and fly from , but overlook and contemn them . For God will make us an abundant Recompence in the next World , for any thing which we part with for his sake in this . And therefore he indispensably requires us , as in all reason he very well may , not to fear and shrink from the loss of any thing , even of life it self , when he calls for it ; but in Faith of his Promises , and in hope of his Rewards , most couragiously to undergo it . Persecutions and Dangers , which are the great objects of our fears , are the chiefest tryals of our obedience , for which reason they are so often in Scripture called h Temptations ; and therefore their business is to evidence how much we will part with for obedience , but by no means to excuse us when we disobey . But in relation to them Christs command is this : Fear not them which kill the body , but are not able to kill the soul ; but fear him who can cast both body and soul into Hell , Mat. 10.28 . And if we suffer our fears of them to chase us away from the owning of his Religion , or to drive us from the performance of his Will ; his Sentence against us is plain and peremptory : Whosoever is ashamed of me and my words , and dare not owne them , although it be in a Generation that is sinful and adulterous , wherein he will be sure to suffer for the profession of them ; of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with his holy Angels , Mark 8.38 . As for all Fear then which drives us from our Duty , it is our fault ; and if we stand and pause upon it , and have time to deliberate and arm our selves against it ; if we fear still , our fear is our wilful and deadly sin , and doth not excuse , but deserve our condemnation . And such was the fear of Peter that made him deny his Lord , which cost him so many penitential tears to wash off the stain of it , Mat. 26.75 . And in an instance of a smaller crime , such was the indulged fear of Abraham , when , to save his own life , he exposed his wife Sarah , and Pharaoh King of Egypt to the danger of an adulterous mixture , Gen. 12.11 , 12 , 13 , 15 , &c. Concerning which action S t Chrysostome thus discourses : i He participates in the Adultery of his wife , and doth in a manner minister to the Adulterer unto his wife's reproach , only that he himself may avoid a present death . And this he did , because his mind was still subject to the Tyranny of death , the sting of it was not yet taken out , nor his fears of it subdued ; but the face of it was ghastly and terrible above his courage . And a like sinful practice upon a deliberate fear we meet with in Isaac in the same case , who was a true Child of Abraham in his infirmities , as well as in his piety , Gen. 26.7 . But that Fear , or Grief , or Anger which makes excusable and innocent discomposure , must be sudden and surprizing . It must seize on us suddenly , and disturb our thinking powers unawares , and carry us on to transgress before we can recover our selves from the discomposure . And when it doth so , it is forced upon us , and is not chosen by us ; we are hurried into it without our own consent , and cast upon it whether we will or no : and since the inconsideration it self is thus involuntary , the slips upon it are excusable , and such as God will not severely punish , but has been always prone to pardon and dispense with . David , the man after Gods own heart , when he received the sad 〈◊〉 of Absoloms being slain , was suddenly transported into a most impatient and indecent height of sorrow , 2 Sam. 18.33 . and Chap. 19. v. 2 , 4. Samuel who was a person so dear to God , that if he could be k intreated by any man , he tells us it would be by him or Moses standing to intercede before him : did yet in an instance that would have drawn him into the hazard of his life , dispute Gods command when he should have performed it , and question where in duty it became him to obey . For when God bid him go and anoint David King , which service was sure to draw upon him the cruel and implacable hatred of Saul , through the sudden force of that frightful thought , instead of obeying , he answers again , saying , How can I go ? for if Saul hear of it , he will kill me , 1 Sam. 16.1 2. And a like instance we have of Moses's infirmity , when God was for sending him upon an Errand as hazardous , and much more difficult , viz. his deliverance of the poor oppressed Israelites from the cruel Bondage of the powerful Egyptians , Exod. Chap. 3 , and 4. And Paul and Barnabas , two great Apostles , and most eminently pious Servants of Jesus Christ , in the bitterness of dispute and i heat of quarrel are so hasty and unadvised , as , through the sudden resentment of that contest , to separate companies and part asunder , Act. 15.37 , 38 , 39. And since these slips of inconsideration , through a sudden Grief , Fear , or Anger , were incident to the most perfect Saints , and the most assured Favourites and Heirs of Heaven ; 't is plain , that they are a fit matter of Gods mercy , and will be graciously born with and forgiven , but not severely punished by him . As for our slips of inadvertence then , and inconsiderate transgressions , whether we are inconsiderate through surprize , or weariness , or discomposure of our thinking Faculties , they are such innocently involuntary sins as shall not at the last Day be charged upon us ; they do not unsaint a man , or destroy a state of Salvation ; but consist with it . But to prevent mens false confidences of pardon , and groundless hopes of being excused upon this head ; I think fit to subjoyn these Cautions about inconsiderate sins . 1. No sin is innocently inconsiderate where we have time , and our understandings being undisturbed , are able to make use of it . If we have Time to think , but our minds are troubled and distempered , which makes them unfit to think and consider in it , as it happens in the cases of a great weariness , and a violent sudden passion mentioned above ; there , 't is true , we have no choice , because we have not all that is necessary to consideration . But if we have ability and power as well as time and leisure , our thoughts are at our own choice , and if we transgress inconsiderately , the fault is our own ; for we might have helped it if we would , and if we will not , we must answer for it . 2. No sin is innocently inconsiderate which is of a mischievous nature , and greatly criminal . For if a man has not brought himself into a habit of sin , and under a great hardness of heart ( which is always his own fault , and subjects him to a most dreadful punishment ) his own Soul must needs give back , and his Conscience boggle at every great offence ; and where he doubts and demurs , he cannot say he is rash and inconsiderate . No man therefore can be guilty of an act of Idolatry , Blasphemy , Perjury , Sacriledge , Adultery , Murder , Sedition , Rebellion , Theft , Slander , or any other of those sins which are so great a Terror even to Natural Conscience ; and yet say he wist it not , and ventured on them when he did not think of it . For if his Conscience had any thing of that tenderness , which it should and would have , unless he has sinned it into numbness and stupefaction , he could not commit any of these without checks of mind , nor ever come to be guilty of them without fears and doubtings , disputes and conflicts in his own soul. He must consider them over and over , and view them on one side and on the other , before he can be able to master his own fears , and work himself into courage sufficient to venture on them . As for lesser sins indeed , a mans Conscience has not so quick a sense , nor so great a dread of them ; and therefore he may be surprized sometimes into the commission of them before he considers of them . A good man may speak a rash word , and be carelesly angry , or triflingly peevish , through surprize and suddenness ; but he cannot contrive the death of his neighbour , or stab a man to the heart , without fear and consideration . He may be insnared unawares into a wanton eye , or a lascivous thought ; but he cannot fall into an act of fornication and adultery , till he might look about him , and should bethink himself . He may rashly and unadvisedly be guilty of an uncharitable censure , of a surly behaviour , of a discourteous , uncondescensive , uncandid action : but he cannot slander his neighbour , or entertain malice , wrath , and implacable enmity against him , without deliberation , unless it be his own fault that he will not deliberate , and consider of them . He may run before he bethinks himself into a covetous wish , but not into fraud and circumvention , into theft and robbery , into perfidiousness and oppression : and the like is observable in other instances . These lesser sins , which are acted in more haste , and need less deliberation , because mens consciences are less sensible and afraid of them , men may , and very often do commit inconsiderately and unadvisedly ; they are surprized into them before they bethinks themselves , and consider of them . But then as for greater sins , which either imply thought and contrivance , or require time and leisure , or , for the heinousness of their guilt , are frightful unto conscience ; we can have no excuse of inconsideration when we fall under them . Some , I say , imply thought and contrivance , as fraud and circumvention ; others require time , and a long stay upon the very commission of them , as rapes and adulteries , thefts and robberies , drunkenness and revellings , wrath , anger , and malice ; and all of them are frightful and terrifying to any honest , and truly tender Conscience . And when we think and contrive for them , or dwell long upon them , or are frighted with them , and put into doubts and disputes , fears and demurs about them ; it is gross non-sence and absurd contradiction to say that we did we wist not what , and committed them when we could not consider of them . So that as for any sin which is of a mischievous nature , or greatly criminal , unless it be our own fault , and we have made our Consciences hard and callous , we cannot venture on it without considering it , because we cannot act it without checks and fears of Conscience about it . 3. No sin is innocently and involuntarily inconsiderate , which we do not endeavour and strive against . To endeavour against all sin is in our own power , and at our own choice , although it be not perfectly to overcome it and get free from it . For our endeavours are our own , and are either put forth , or omitted at our own pleasure ; so that it is only because we would have it so if they are wanting . And therefore if we are inconsiderate because we refused , and wilfully neglected to prevent it ; our inconsideration enters upon our own choice , and is so far owing to our own will. For we were willing to come under it , and would not strive against it ; and so far as it was willed by us , it may be charged upon us , and imputed to condemn us . Let no man therefore indulge himself in an inconsiderateness of sinning , and take no pains against it , but quietly submit to it , out of a fond conceit of being excused upon his inconsideration . For if he make no opposition to his inconsiderateness , but carelesly lays himself open to it , and idly waits for it ; he makes it cease to be wholly his infirmity , and in some measure to become his fault . Because it is so far an effect of his own will , as it is of his wilful negligence ; and as he wills it , he shall not be excused , but put to answer and account for it . But if any man expect to have his inconsiderate slips excused as involuntary and innocent , he must not indulge to them , or quietly wait for them , but seriously endeavour and strive against them . 'T is true indeed , he cannot resolve against all , because he cannot live free from all ; and what a man cannot perform , it is downright folly and gross absurdity to resolve upon the performance of . No man in his wits resolves to be as wise as Solomon , to support a Mill-stone by his own strength , or to destroy a vast Army by his single valour . For since these things cannot be done by him , if he understands what he doth , he cannot resolve to do them . And therefore as for the being wholly freed from all infirmity , and never falling by inconsideration ; it is utterly absurd for any man to resolve upon it , because no man can ever attain unto it . But although we cannot resolve against all inconsiderate slips , yet can we endeavour to get quit of them , and strive against them . For we may endeavour to do what is not to be done ; and do as much of it as we can , although we are not able to do it all . Saint Paul himself endeavoured , and exhorts all others who were perfect to such acceptable degrees as he was , to endeavour with him after a state of absolute perfection , although none of them all would ever be able in this life to arrive to it , Phil. 3.14 , 15. They could not resolve upon it indeed , because they could not compass it ; but they could and ought to endeavour after it , and to attain so far as they had power , when they could not so far as they desired . And after that rate must we strive against all inconsiderate transgressions also . For although we shall never get wholly free from them , yet still must we take pains against them ; but if they seize upon us through a neglect of our own endeavours , they seize upon us through our own will ; and then they are unfit to be judged involuntary . 4. No sin is innocently and involuntarily inconsiderate , except we are sorry after we have committed it , and beg Gods pardon for it . When thou art reproved for thy rash and unadvised miscarriages , says the wise Son of Sirach , shew repentance ; and so shalt thou escape the guilt of wilful sin , Ec●lus . 20.3 . Aristotle has long since observed , That ignorance it self doth not render an action involuntary , unless we are troubled at it afterwards when we come to understand it . For m that act of ignorance only is involuntary , says he , which we afterwards with grief repent of . When we come to know that evil which we ignorantly committed , we must have an indignation at it , and beg Gods forgiveness of it ; and then both our inconsideration , and ignorance may be judged involuntary and innocent ; but without that in reason they cannot . For if our wills are not displeased with our offence , when once we come to discern our selves guilty of it , nor seek , by begging Gods pardon , as far as may be to undo it ; it is manifest that really they were not against it . They did not chuse it , 't is true , when it was acted , because then they were not made to see it ; but afterwards they make it their own as much as may be , by showing how readily they are bent and enclined for it . They are not at all sorry for it , nor repent of it , but take a pleasure and delight in it ; and what can any Body judge from thence , but that they avow it . If therefore we would have it thought that our ignorance and inconsideration was at any time against our wills , we must evidence that by showing how much we are troubled , and displeased with it . Our wills must express their dislike of it , and utterly disclaim and renounce it ; or else it will readily be inferred that they either had , or would have had a hand in it . After all these marks whereby to judge of an innocently , and involuntarily inconsiderate sin ; I presume I have no need to adde that it must be such as is unobserved when we venture on it . For if we see and observe it , it is not possible that it should be any longer inconsiderate . And therefore no man may look upon his sin , and say , Is it not a little one , and yet after that venture to commit it with a confidence of being excused for it . For no known and wilful sin is little in Gods account , whatsoever it be in ours , but every offence with open eyes , and with a convinced Conscience , is deadly and damning . The man that presumed wilfully and willingly to carry a burthen of Sticks upon the Sabbath Day , under the Law of Moses , was n struck dead as surely as he would have been for going to plough , or trading at the market . Although this seem to be a little instance , yet was it no small offence ; for be the matter that a man disobeys in what it will , yet a contempt of God , and a wilful rejecting of his Law , can in no case be little . And therefore if at any time we see and observe a sin , we must by all means avoid it ; or else our willing offence will certainly subject us to the curse , and prove of a size sufficient to condemn us . And these are such Conditions as are necessary to make our inconsiderate slips involuntary and innocent . And therefore as ever we expect that the forementioned inadvertencies should excuse us , we must take care that they have all these requisites . We must never be guilty of them where we have time and understanding , nor in any great and mischievous sin , nor without a serious endeavour against them before , and a sorrowful repentance and desire of pardon after we have committed them . All these must concur in us before our inconsiderateness excuse our sin , and rescue us from danger of Damnation . And now I have gone through both the Particulars of our involuntary , because unknown sins , whether their involuntariness proceeds from ignorance , or inconsideration ; neither of which shall be rigorously dealt with , or imputed to us for our Condemnation . And thus at last we see , what in the beginning of this Book I proposed to inquire of ; viz. what are the mitigations of that integrity of obedience which is the Gospel-condition of happiness , and what are those defects ; which it bears and dispenses with . And the result of all is this : That the integrity of obedience , which the Gospel indispensably exacts of us , is an integrity of our chosen actions . And therefore if wittingly and wilfully we transgress any one Commandment , we are under the Curse which the Gospel threatens ; but if we transgress several unwittingly and against our wills , we are out of the reach of it , and intire in Gods account still . We do not lose our integrity , or break the condition by every slip of ignorance , whether that whereof we are ignorant be some Law that forbids any sin , or our present actions being forbid by it : nor by every slip of inconsideration , whether our inconsiderateness proceed from suddenness or surprize , from weariness , or from the discomposure and disturbance of our thinking Faculties . For not any of these Failings will deprive us of that , which Christs Gospel will construe to be a perfect and intire obedience ; they do not destroy a state of Grace and Salvation , but consist with it . And all these allowances the Gospel makes to our sinful actions ; besides some others to our thoughts and o desires , which are sin only in an imperfect birth , and not yet arrived to the guilt of a compleat transgression ; as I shall have a fit occasion to show in answering of those groundless doubts and scruples , that perplex good and honest , but weak minds , which shall hereafter follow . But the great Condition of the Gospel being nothing less than an intire Obedience ; and the generality of men being so maimed and defective in obeying : what shall become of them ? For who is there but at one time , or other , has willingly transgressed some of those Laws which I have described ; and therefore if the Curse take place upon every wilful offence , then wo be to all Mankind . And so indeed it would , if Christ had not taken pity on us , and come into the World for this very purpose , that he might succour and relieve us . But the very end of his coming amongst us , was to find out a remedy for all these evils . He came to rescue us from the Curse of the Law , and to procure for us new Terms , and put us into a capacity of Pardon . So that whatsoever his Laws threaten , or whatsoever we have committed ; yet are we still secure from suffering , if we make use of his remedy , i. e. if we repent of it ; as shall appear in the next Book . BOOK V. Of those Remedies which restore men to a state of Salvation when they are fallen from it ; and of some needless Scruples concerning it . CHAP. I. Of Repentance which restores us to Gods Favour after Sins of all sorts . The CONTENTS . The Rigour of the Mosaick Law is taken away by Christ , who came to preach Pardon upon Repentance where that denounced an unavoidable punishment . Repentance is the great Remedy . God heartily desires mens Repentance , and promises Forgiveness to it . This has been preached in all times . The Remedy for our unknown sins . They are uncapable of a particular Prayer and Repentance , but are forgiven upon a general one . The Remedy of wilful sins is a particular Repentance . That is available for their pardon ; for wilful sins after Baptism , as well as before it . Two places , which seem to deny all pardon to wilful sins after Baptism , cleared ; the wilful sin , Heb 10.26 , is not any wilful transgression of any particular Law of Christ , which have all been pardone● ; but a wilful Apostasie from his whole Religion , which is proved from sundry things there spoken of it . The falling away mentioned Heb. 6 , is likewise Apostasie from Christianity , which is shewn from those things which they are said to fall from , and those others which are said to be implied in their falling . An account of the desperate state of these men . The state of some habitual Sinners desperate and irreclaimable , by reason their period of Grace is over , but this is no discouragement to any mans Repentance . HAving hitherto insisted largely upon that Integrity of Obedience which the Gospel indispensably requires of every man to his Salvation ; and upon those Defects which either destroy , or consist with it : I proceed now to inquire what Remedies it directs us to for recovering a state of Grace and Favour , when at any time we happen to fall from it . Among the Jews , according to the strictness of the Law of Moses , the punishment took place upon the first wilful breach ; and therefore in those Laws which were established under pain of death , when it appeared by sufficient evidence , that any man was guilty of the wilful transgression of them , the Sentence was unavoidable , and the man dyed without mercy . He that despised Moses's Law , saith the Apostle , if it were in an instance whereto the Law threatned death , dyed without mercy , being convicted under the hands of two or three witnesses , Heb. 10.28 . A man that had committed Murder , or Adultery , or any other crime , whereof Death was the established Penalty , was to dye without all remedy ; for no Sacrifice would be accepted for him , nor would the Law admit of any favour or dispensation . And therefore David , when he made his Penitential Psalm for murdering Vriah , and adulterating his Wife , expresses the Legal unpardonableness of his offence in these words — thou desirest not sacrifice , else would I give it ; but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings for such sins as I stand guilty of . No , my crimes are of that nature , for which any man less than a King should dye , and such wherefore no Sacrifice will be accepted , Psal. 51.16 . This was the rigour of that Political Law , which God imposed upon the Jews by Moses ; those punishments that were threatned by it , which were temporal and of this World , were irreversible , when once they were incurred . But when Christ came into the World , his business was to give Laws of a much more gracious nature , which would admit of a Salvo for every sin , and offer men a remedy , which if they did but use , although they had transgressed , they should not suffer punishment . This gracious Covenant , whose Promises and Rewards are future , and to be enjoy'd in the next World , was published more or less ever since Adam . For by the Grace of this , all the holy Patriarchs hoped for pardon ; and by it likewise all the Good men among the Jews , when they should be brought to Gods Tribunal in the next World , hoped to be forgiven . But the Promulgation of it under Moses was dark and obscure , and lay hid in great measure , and almost buried under the crowd of the rigid and inexorable Laws of the Mosaick Covenant . But when Christ came into the World , his Errand was to abrogate all the rigour of Moses's Law , and to preach an universal Pardon upon Repentance . And of this he gave them a clear instance in the case of the Woman , who was taken in the very act of Adultery . Moses , say they , and that very truly , a commanded us in his Law that such should be stoned ; but what sayest thou ? Joh. 8.5 . But his Sentence was , Go and sin no more , and then will not I condemn thee , v. 11 ; which was a fit sentence for that Religion , whereby they should be justified from all those things , from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses , Act. 13.39 . Whatsoever it was therefore under the rigour of the meer Law of Moses , under the Religion and Law of Christ our case is not become quite desperate , and irrecoverable upon the first offence . It is not every wilful sin , and much less our slips of ignorance and inconsideration , which can for ever exclude us from the Favour of God , and incapacitate us for his Mercy . No , the Religion of Christ is not a Religion that seeks advantages of us , and shuts us up close Prisoners of Damnation , as soon as we are guilty of any thing which may deserve it : For Christ need never have come into the World for that end , since the Law had rendred us accursed and miserable enough already . But he came on a quite contrary Errand , to be the Minister of Life and Pardon , and not to seal us up to eternal Death upon the first wilful transgression , but to procure for us remission of all our deadly and damning sins , and to restore us out of a state of Enmity and Death , to a state of Mercy and Reconciliation . He came to find out a remedy for all our evils , and to prescribe us a way of recovering our selves when we had fallen by any sin ; so that although none of us all have lived free from it , yet in the event sin shall not be our ruine . And that remedy which God has provided us for this purpose , is Repentance . He doth not abandon us upon the commission of every sin ; but he is heartily desirous that we should repent of it , and when we do so , he has obliged himself by his Truth and Faithfulness to forgive it . He is heartily desirous , I say , that whensoever we commit any sin we should repent of it . If we dare take his own word , he tells us , as he lives , that he doth not delight in the death of any sinner , but that the wicked turn from his way , and live : turn you , turn you , as he goes on , from your evil ways ; for why will you dye , O house of Israel ? Ezek. 33.11 . And this all the World experience by him , in his long-suffering and forbearance with them . For he doth not exact the punishment so soon as we have incurred it ; but expects long to see if we will return and repent , that then he may with honour pardon and remit it ; this being , as S t Paul assures us , the end of his forbearance and long-suffering , to lead us to repentance , Rom. 2.4 . And what S t Paul says , that we all experience . For during all that time wherein he bears with us , how restless and unwearied , earnest and affectionate are his endeavours for this purpose ? He admonishes us of our faults by his Word , and by his Ministers ; he invites us to return by his Love , and by his Promises ; he moves us to bethink our selves by his Spirit , and by his Providences ; and if we are stubborn , and not to be thus gently won by these methods of mildness , he seeks to reclaim us by a blessed , and a most affectionate force and violence . For he corrects us with his Rod , and visits us in chastisement , and never ceases to try all means of reducing us to a sense of our sin and repentance , till we are become plainly incorrigible , and utterly rebellious , and so fit for nothing but to be swallowed up of ruine . And yet even then his desire of reclaiming us is so strong , and his love so affectionate ; that he scarce knows how to give us over . How shall I give thee up , saith he , O Ephraim ? how shall I deliver thee , O Israel ? Hos. 11.8 . And when we do repent , I say , he has obliged himself by his Truth and Faithfulness most graciously to forgive us . This was the Doctrine of the Prophets . Let the wicked forsake his way , and the unrighteous man his thoughts , and let him return unto the Lord , says Isaiah , for he will have mercy upon him , and to our God , for he will abundantly pardon , Isa. 55.7 . If the wicked man , says God by Ezekiel , will turn from all his sins that he hath committed , and keep all my statutes , and do that which is lawful and right , he shall surely live , he shall not dye . All his transgressions , which he hath formerly committed , shall not be mentioned unto him , but in his righteousness , that he hath done since , he shall live . For have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should dye , saith the Lord God ? and not that he should turn from his ways and live ? Ezek. 18 21 , 22 , 23. This i● the great Doctrine of the Gospel , which is a Covenant of remission of sins , upon Repentance . Repentance is its great Article and fundamental Truth , and is therefore called by S t Paul the Foundation of Repentance , Heb. 6.1 . For that which was taught to all the World , in all the degrees of Publication of the Gospel , was that now God called all men to repent , and that he would forgive them all their sins upon their true repentance . S t John the Baptist , who was Christs Herald and Fore-runner , at his entrance upon that work , begins with it . John , says S t Luke , in all the Country about Jordan , came preaching the Baptism of repentance for the remission of sins , Luk. 3.3 . Our Lord and Saviour Christ himself , when he comes after to proclaim his own Gospel , goes on with it . Jesus began to preach , says S t Matthew , and to say , Repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand , Mat. 4.17 . And when he left the World , the Commission which he gives to his Apostles is to proceed on still in the Promulgation of it to all the World , as he had done to the people of the Jews . For at the last time of his being with them , just before his Ascension into Heaven , when , as S t Matthew b tells us , he commissioned them to preach to all mankind ; those instructions which he gave to them , S t Luke informs us were , that repentance and remission of sins should be preached to all Nations in his Name , beginning at Jerusalem , Luk. 24.47 . This was the chief thing which they had in Commission , and the summ and substance of their Embassy . For that Ministry which was committed to them , was a Ministry of reconciling God and men by this means , as St. Paul says , or a Ministry of Reconciliation ; so that they were Ambassadours for Christ , as though God did beseech men by them , and they as Christs Deputies , who is the prime Mediator , did pray them in his stead to be reconciled to God , 2 Cor. 5.19.20 . And when the Apostles came to execute their Orders , the publishing of this was all their care and practice . For they all of them went about preaching in all places , and to all persons , repentance for the remission of sins . St. Peter in his first Sermon thus exhorts the people ; Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins , Act. 2.38 : and so again Act. 3. Repent and be converted , that your sins may be blotted out , v. 19. And the same he proclaims more generally in his second Epistle , assuring all Christians , that the Lord is not willing that any man should perish , but that all should come to repentance , which is sure to prevent it , 2 Pet. 3.9 . St. Paul preaches to the Athenians , that now God had commanded all men every where to repent , Act. 17.30 . And St. John assures us , that by virtue of that Gospel-Covenant which was confirmed with us in Christs Blood , if with repenting hearts we confess our sins , he is faithful to his word , and just to his promise to forgive us our sins , and to cleanse us from the guilt and stain of all unrighteousness of one sort or other , 1 Joh. 1.9 . I should recite almost the whole New Testament , if I were to repeat all that the Scriptures affirm in this point . But by what I have already offered , I take it to be clear beyond all doubt and scruple , that the Gospel-Covenant is a c Covenant of remission of sins upon repentance . God most earnestly desires that we should repent , and he is most truly and faithfully willing to forgive us all our former sins upon our true repentance . Nay I might add , he is not only willing , but extremely joyful and glad of the occasion . For it is his highest pleasure to go out and meet a returning Soul ; and the joy of his heart to embrace a reclaimed Penitent , as our Saviour has most clearly intimated to us in the most welcome reception of the returning Prodigal , Luk. 15.11 , 12 , &c. There is a general joy in the Heavenly Court , says our Saviour again , and in the presence of all the Angels of God , even over any one sinner that repenteth , Luk. 15.10 : nay there is more joy over one penitent , than there is over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance , v. 7. Thus had God provided us of a means which will most certainly restore us to his favour . He has not left us in our forlorn state , but has prescribed us this method of repentance to recover us out of it , and to be the great Instrument of our Pardon and Reconciliation . And this remedy is adequate to all our needs , and able to regain all that which our sins at any time have made us lose . For it will repair the breach upon all sorts of offences , whether they be our known or unknown , our voluntary or involuntary sins . Of all which I shall now proceed to speak particularly . This remedy of repentance , I say , God has fitted for all sorts of transgressions ; whether they be , 1. Our known , or 2. Our unknown and secret sins . 1. Our unknown and secret sins have the benefit of this remedy , and that whereupon God will pardon them is a general repentance , and a general prayer for forgiveness . As for several both of our voluntary and involuntary sins , they are secret and concealed from us , and quite without our knowledge and remembrance . We are wholly ignorant and in the dark about them , and our Consciences have no more sense of them , than they have of those which we were never guilty of . For as for our involuntary sins , in some of them we are wholly ignorant , and never think them sinful ; and in others we are inconsiderate , and do not many times observe that we sin in them . And as for our voluntary and wilful sins , though we know full well , and observe when we at first commit them ; yet doth our knowledge of them , as of other things , slip out of our minds by degrees , and through length of time , and throng of other thoughts , at last we quite forget them . And these sins being thus quite out of our thoughts , and wholly secret and unknown to us ; we cannot particularly either beg pardon for them , or repent of them . We cannot , I say , particularly beg pardon for them . For no man can become a suiter in behalf of he knows not whom , nor recommend any thing to Gods mercy before he has discovered it himself . And since these particular sins are secret and unknown , they cannot be the matter of a particular prayer and recommendation . Nor can we particularly repent of them . As for our wilful sins indeed , whether we remember them or have forgot them , the case is the same as to one prime part of a particular repentance , viz. our forsaking of them , and beginning to obey that particular known Law which we had wilfully sinned against . We must retract every voluntary sin by a voluntary obedience , and without this we can have no just hopes of pardon . For there is no hopes of salvation to any man but upon a particular obedience to all known Laws ; so that when once he sees and understands a Duty , he must obey it particularly before he can expect to live by it . But now as for those Laws which are transgressed by our wilful sins , they are all known , since we could not will and chuse to disobey them , unless we saw and knew our selves to be bound by them . So that whether we had sinned against them formerly , or no ; whether we remember it , or have forgot it ; obedience to them is our present Duty , and a Duty too so necessary , that without it we cannot be saved . If therefore we have sinned against any such known Law we must amend it , and leave off wilfully to repeat it ; for our obedience to all them is necessary to our pardon , and whether we remember or have forgot that we transgressed formerly , as to the present it is all one , for we must chuse to obey now . As for our wilful sins then , which being long since acted , are now quite forgotten and unknown , one great act of a particular repentance is necessary to their pardon , viz. conversion or new obedience and reformation . For all wilful sins are transgressions of known Laws , and whether a man has broken or kept it formerly , a present obedience in all chosen actions to every such particular Law is necessary to put him into a state of mercy and salvation . But as for other acts of a particular repentance , viz. confession , sorrow , detestation , and the like ; there is no place for them about any of our Secret , whether they be voluntary , or involuntary sins . For no man can confess he knows not what , nor grieve he understands not why , nor hate and detest he knows not whom ; so that he must particularly know his sins before he can be thus particular in his repentance of them . A particular prayer and repentance then have no place about our unknown sins ; they are not capable to be exercised about them , and therefore they cannot be exacted for the pardon of them . But that prayer and repentance whereof they are capable , and whereupon God will graciously forgive them , is indefinite and general . These may very well be used about them . For we may all understand thus much by our selves that we are all Sinners , and are guilty of much more than we know and can remember . Several sins slipt from us at first without our knowledge and observation ; and several others , which were at first observed , were afterwards forgotten . And when we know this general number , although we are not able to recover any particular instance , we may very well be sorry for it , and beg God to forgive it ; and so expiate them as much as may be by a general prayer and repentance . And this remedy God has assigned for our unknown sins , and when we make use of it he will forgive them . Holy David was very sensible that he laboured under many such secret faults , and by this means of a general penitential prayer , he endeavours to procure their pardon . Who , says he , can understand his errours ? Cleanse thou me from my secret faults , Psal. 19.12 . And because such sins are daily slipping from us , that our remedy might be as near as our disease , our Lord has put into our daily prayers this general petition for our expiation , Forgive us our trespasses , Matth. 6.12 . As for this first sort then , our unknown and secret sins , a general prayer and repentance is their remedy . If we obey all known Laws , and particularly repent of all our known transgressions ; our secret and unknown sins need not lye heavy on us . For if we are honestly igrant of them , and use due pains and ingenuity about them ; if we neither overlook them through sloth and negligence , nor mistake them through partiality and wilfulness ; a general and penitential prayer shall serve their turn , and restore us unto mercy and reconciliation . And then , 2. As for all our known sins , God has not been wanting to us in them neither , but has most graciously provided us of a remedy , and means of reconciliation for them , of what nature or degree soever they be . Whether , 1. Our voluntary and wilful ; or , 2. Our involuntary sins . 1. In the Gospel God has provided us of a remedy to restore us again to his favour , when once we have lost it through our voluntary , and wilful sins ; and that remedy is a particular repentance of them . To the pardon of these it is altogether necessary that we particularly amend and forsake them . For they interrupt a state of love and good agreement , and set God and us at enmity and defiance . So long as they are continued in , they keep God and men at a distance , they interpose betwixt us and his mercy , and hinder all the signs of his approbation , and all the expressions of his pardoning Grace from issuing out upon us . To restore us therefore to Gods Grace and acceptance , these voluntary sins must be taken out of the way ; and by a voluntary amendment and reformation , we must undo all that was done amiss in our wilful transgression . And of these sins all those places are meant , that make repentance , which , as we saw above , includes in it amendment , the indispensable condition of life and pardon . As when repentance and remission of sins is commanded to be preached to all Nations , Luke 24.47 : and men are bid to repent , that their sins may be blotted out , Acts 3.19 ; or , as it is in the peremptory and severe words of our Saviour , to repent , or else they shall all perish , Luke 13.3 . And as this particular repentance and reformation is altogether necessary to the pardon of our wilful sins ; so is it most certainly available and sufficient for them . Although they are of a most heinous guilt , and provoking Nature ; yet is not their offence unpardonable , or their case desperate . For after a man has put himself out of a state of Grace and God's favour by them , he is not quite cast off , nor need to despair of getting in again . He is not presently upon every such offence banished this Kings Court and Presence for ever ; but upon his particular repentance and reformation he will be allowed to recover his former station . For the preaching of the Prophets , of the Baptist , of Christ , and of his Apostles , was to call the wilful and all lost Sinners , both of the Jewish and Gentile World to this reconciliation ; Christ , as himself informs us , coming to d save that which was lost , and to e call all Sinners of one sort or another to repentance . Mens very Baptism or entrance into Christianity , is a cleansing of them from the guilt of all former sins without exception . Repent , and be baptized every one , says S t Peter , for the remission of sins , Acts 2.38 ; and be baptized , says Ananias unto Saul , and wash away all thy sins , Acts 22.16 . Nay after men are once baptized , and have all their former wilful sins washt off in that water of regeneration ; yet is not every wilful sin , which they are guilty of , thenceforward irrecoverably damnable , but they are still called to accept of mercy and forgiveness upon repentance , as before . When men come under the Covenant of Grace , and list themselves under the Discipline of Christ ; they do not subject themselves to a Covenant of Terror and Desperation , which takes hold of the first offence , and denounces an irrevocable enmity ever after . No , a baptized offender is under the Grace of repentance as well as others . For that repentance whereto we are called by Christs Gospel , is not so much an act as a state : which S t Paul intimates when he talks of renewing men unto repentance , that is , unto the condition and standing terms of it , Heb. 6.4 , 6. It is of Gods Grace that there is any forgiveness , and , in order thereunto , any place for repentance at all ; and of the same Grace we have received a promise of forgiveness upon repentance for all sins , and at all times whatsoever . If any man among us baptized Christians sin , says S t John , his case is in no wise desperate , for we have an Advocate with the Father , Jesus Christ the righteous , and he is the propitiation for our sins , as well as for the sins of the whole unchristned world , 1 Joh. 2.1 , 2. The Gospel doth not bid every wilfully offending Christian to despair , and conclude himself to be irrevocably lost , and fallen beyond remedy into a damned condition . But its design is quite another thing , to recover them again from that state of death , and to call them by repentance to mercy and forgiveness . For the Spirit of God himself writes to the f back-sliding Church of Ephesus , to remember from whence they were fallen , and to repent and do their first works , Rev. 2.5 . And S t Paul finds fault with the Christians at Corinth for not repenting of their uncleanness , and fornication , and lasciviousness which they had wilfully committed ; threatning to bewail them , or to excommunicate them in sorrow and lamentation , according to the custom of those times , if they did it not , 2 Cor. 12.21 . Nay in the case of the incestuous Criminal , who had committed such a fault as was not so much as named , and much less done among the unbaptized Heathens themselves ; he doth not consign him up to eternal Torments , but endeavours , by the rod of Discipline and Church-censures , to reduce him to repentance , that his spirit might be saved in the judgment day of the Lord Jesus , 1 Cor. 5.1 , 5. And as for the other Members of the Church of Corinth , who were unconcerned and puffed up at such an enormous accident ; he reproves them smartly , that by bringing them to a sense of their sin , he may work them into a reformation , v. 1 , 2. Which good effect when he understood that his reproof had wrought upon them , he rejoyces mightily , and glories in it in his next Letter . I rejoyce , says he , that by my former letter you were made sorry , seeing it was after a godly manner , and you sorrowed to repentance : For such godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation , which is not to be repented of , 2 Cor. 7.8 , 9 , 10. And as he practised thus with baptized wilful offenders himself , so doth he instruct Timothy that he should do likewise . For he tells him , that the way whereby the man of God ought to deal with sinners , even those of the worst sort , who are not only subject , but enslaved to it , is not peremptorily to damn , and seal them up fast unto destruction : but in great meekness to endeavour to reclaim them , that by recovering them to repentance , he may restore them again to life and pardon . The man of God , says he , must in meekness instruct even the refractory and contumacious , or those that oppose themselves against him , if God peradventure will give them repentance , to the acknowledgment of the truth , and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil , who are taken captive by him at his will , 2 Tim. 2.25 , 26. And to name no more instances of this nature , but to summ up all in one , even those great and enormous wilful sinners , whose offences are so hainous , as to make them fit to be expelled the society of Christians ; are not yet in their very Excommunication shut up irrecoverably under the pains of Hell , but quite contrary are endeavoured by this very means to be reduced to repentance , and thereby to pardon and acceptance ; Excommunication it self being , as St. Paul says , for the destruction of the flesh , that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus , 1 Cor. 5.5 . And the Power of the Keys in remitting or retaining sins , that is , in the excommunicating or absolving of offenders , is intrusted with the Ministers of Christs Church for the edification of the excommunicated sinners themselves , and not for their destruction , 2 Cor. 10.8 . and chap. 13.10 . And by all this we see that the Grace of Christs Gospel is a grace of repentance and remission of sins all the way , both before Baptism , and also after it . In all periods , from the beginning to the end , it is an instrument of pardon and a means of peace ; or a word and ministry , as St. Paul says , of reconciliation , 2 Cor. 5.19 . If we break our Baptismal vows , which are the condition of the Covenant , once , and thereby forfeit all our Right to Happiness ; it gives us liberty to repeat them . For we have the freedom both in our private and our publick prayers to renew all our good resolutions , and to make God new promises , and to undertake for the performance of that wherein we have wilfully failed by new engagements . Nay it doth not only allow that we may thus renew the Covenant ; but it requires that we should : it has appointed an Ordinance , the Eucharist or Lords Supper I mean , for this very purpose . For the Bread and Wine which we eat and drink there , our Saviour tells us is a Federal form , the New Covenant , or , according to the manner of the Eastern Nations , who ratified their Covenants by eating and drinking together , the re-entring or confirming of that Covenant , which was at first sealed and confirmed in his Blood. This , says he , is the New Testament or * Covenant in my blood , drink ye all of it , and so , according to the known Rite , confirm this Covenant with God by it , Luk. 22.20 . Mat. 22.27 . And this he has not only allowed , but injoyned to all his Disciples — Do this , says he , in remembrance of me . And that not only at one time , as it is with Baptism , but at all times during your whole lives ; for in this manner of a Federal eating and drinking of this Bread and Wine , you must shew forth the Lords death always , even till he come again the second time , i. e. unto the worlds end , 1 Cor. 11.24 , 25 , 26. Forgiveness of sins then upon repentance is a Grace which is begun in Baptism , and ever after continued , being repeated in every Prayer , and sealed in every Sacrament to the end of our lives . So that no wilful sin can damn us , if we repent of it ; but the damned accursed sinner is only he who lives and dyes impenitent . Insomuch as that very sin , for which St. Paul says there is no benefit from Christs Death , nor any help of Sacrifice under the Gospel ; is therefore excluded from all Grace of pardon , because it is from all possibility of repentance . For therein it is that the irrecoverableness of those lost sinners consists — It is impossible , says he , to renew them to repentance , Heb. 6.6 . Thus then , we see , that Christs Gospel has afforded us a remedy even for our wilful sins , whether they be committed before Baptism , or after it , at one time or at another , at all without exception ; so that although sometimes we do fall under them , yet we shall not be eternally condemned for them . Let us but repent particularly therefore and amend it , and whatever sin we have wilfully been guilty of , our work is done . For our repentance shall set us straight , and our reformation will make us innocent ; and if we are careful to do so no more , our offence will be looked upon as if it never had been done at all . But against this pardonableness of our wilful sins after our belief of the Gospel , and Baptism into the Christian Faith ; some perhaps may be ready to object two places from St. Pauls Epistle to the Hebrews , wherein he may seem to teach us a more rigorous and severe Lesson . In the 10 th Chapter , he lays down this as a great Truth : If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge , or open belief and g acknowledgment of the truth of Christs Gospel , there remains no more benefit to us from Christs sacrifice for sins ; but a certain fearful looking for of judgment , and fiery indignation which shall consume the adversaries , v. 26 , 27. And in the 6 th Chapter , to the eternal Terror of all willing and wilful Back-sliders , he speaks thus to the same purpose : It is impossible for those who were once enlightned , and have tasted of the heavenly gift , and were made partakers of the holy Ghost , and have tasted the good word of God ; if after all this they shall fall away , to be again recovered , or for any of us to renew them to repentance ; seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh , and put him to an open shame , v. 4 , 5 , 6. But now if our wilful sins after Baptism and belief of the Gospel be thus desperate , and utterly excluded from all hopes of cure and benefit of Expiation by Christs Sacrifice , as the Apostle in these places seems to intimate : how can the Gospel be truly called a Ministration of Reconciliation , Grace , and Pardon , towards all sorts of wilful sins ? To take off all this difficulty I will answer to the places severally , that all those good minds , which are wont to be perplexed by them , may be more perfectly relieved by a particular and distinct understanding of them . First then , to begin with that , the words of St. Paul in the 10 th Chapter of his Epistle to the Hebrews are these . Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering ; Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together , as the manner of some is , but exhorting one another to the open owning and frequenting of them ; and this we ought to do so much the more , forasmuch as ye see the day of Gods righteous Judgment approaching . For if we sin wilfully in this backsliding from the publick Assemblies , and from the profession of the Christian Faith , after that we have once received the knowledge , or professed belief and h acknowledgment of the truth of it ; there remains no more benefit to us from Christs sacrifice for sins ; but a certain fearful looking for of that judgment , I say , which shall devour the adversaries . And this all you Hebrews have reason to expect from Christ , from what you very well know of the manner of proceeding in such cases under Moses . For he that despised or rejected the whole , yea or even any one particular instance of Moses's Law , whereto death was threatned , dyed without mercy , if the thing was proved against him under the testimony of two or three witnesses . And then of how much sorer punishment , suppose ye , shall this wilful sinner be thought worthy , who hath , by such wilful rejecting of all Christs Laws and Religion , trodden under foot the Son of God , as if he were not raised up again from the dead , but were yet in his grave ; and hath accounted that blood of his , which confirmed the New Covenant , and wherewith he was sanctified , an unholy thing , making it to have been justly shed , as the blood of a Malefactor ; and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace and all its evidence , by rejecting it as insufficient ? I have set down the place at large , that the very Text it self may afford us an accumulated proof of the ensuing Explication . But now as for this sin , which , being wilfully committed after the belief and acknowledgment of Christs Gospel , is here said to have no help from Christs Sacrifice , nor any benefit of his Propitiation : it is not the sinful transgression of every Law of Christ , no nor of any one ; but a total Apostasie and abrenunciation of them all . The sin , I say , which being wilfully committed after the belief of Christs Gospel is here said to exclude us from all benefit of Christs Sacrifice , is not the transgression of any of Christs Laws whatsoever , nay nor of any one . For the Corinthians were guilty of the wilful transgression of several Laws , and that too after they had embraced the Faith of Christ. They were guilty of an indulged Lasciviousness , Vncleanness , and Fornication , 2 Cor. 12.21 . Nay one of them was guilty of it in such an instance , as was not so much as named , and much less practised among the Gentiles themselves ; viz. in a most incestuous marrying of his Step-mother , or his Fathers wife , 1 Cor. 5.1 . And St. Peter , a great Apostle , after three years converse with his Lord and Master , denies him three times , and that not suddenly e're he could bethink himself , but after a due space of time between one denial and another , Luk. 22.57 , 58 , 59. All which he did in the most aggravated manner , by accumulating perjuries and prophaneness upon the sin of disowning his Master ; for when his bare word would not be believed , he began to curse and to swear that he knew him not , Mar. 14.71 . All these were sins wilful in their commission , and some of them most highly criminal in their nature ; but yet none of them was excluded from the benefit of Christs Sacrifice , for they all enjoyed it . So that it is not any one transgression of a particular Law after men have embraced the Faith of Christ , which is the un-atoned sin here mentioned . But it is an utter rejecting of all the Laws of Christ , and a total Apostasie from his whole Religion . It is the renouncing of Christs Authority , the disowning of his Gospel , and falling quite off from him to Judaism , or Paganism , or something directly Antichristian , which is the sin here intended . And whosoever doth this wilfully , after he has once acknowledged it , and been convinced by it , ( as most men , if not every man , must do who is guilty of it at all ) for him there remains no more sacrifice for sin , but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation , which shall devour him , and all other Antichristian adversaries . That the word which is here translated i sin , signifies sometimes not all sin in general , but particularly this superlative height and aggregation of all sin , an utter revolt from Gods service , and Apostasie from his whole Religion , appears plainly from 2 Pet. 2 ; where the Apostate Angels are called the Angels that k sinned , v. 4. And that this particular way of sinning , by an universal Apostasie , and falling quite off from the profession of the Christian Faith , is that very sin which is here intended , will appear from all those things which are spoken of it in this place . 'T is plain from the Apostles exhortation against it — Let us hold fast , says he , the profession of our faith , and not revolt from it , v. 23. From his further disswasion from it in the verse next but one , — not forsaking the Christian Assemblies , which is a great step towards the disowning of Christ himself , as the manner of some is , v. 25. From his Character of it in the verses that follow , it being a sin that includes in it all these instances of aggravation . By it we become utterly Antichristian , and Adversaries to Christ and his Religion ; — the fiery indignation that is kindled by this sin , shall devour all them , who by reason of it are become Adversaries , ver . 27. By it we deny Christ to be risen , and look upon the Son of God as yet in the Grave and under our feet ; we count his blood , which was spilt for the confirmation of the New Covenant , to have been the impure and unholy blood of a Malefactor justly executed ; we despise all the clear proof and convictive evidence of the Spirit of Grace , which we once thought a sufficient Argument for his Religion , and whereby we were moved to the acknowledgment of that truth of his , which now we contumeliously reject . Whosoever hath committed this sin , saith the Apostle , I will show him what he hath done ; he hath trodden under foot the Son of God , and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an holy thing , and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace , ver . 29. As for the sin then which is here spoken of , it is plainly this ; viz. a sin that is contrary to the holding fast of our Christian profession , that implies a forsaking of the Christian Assemblies , that makes us open enemies and adversaries to Christ and his cause , seeing thereby we deny Christ to be risen , and affirm him to have been an Impostor , and his blood to have been , like that of the Thieves which were crucified with him , unholy and impure as the blood of a Malefactor , and set at nought all the miraculous proofs , and despise all the convictive evidence of the Holy Ghost that Spirit of Grace , which hath proved to us abundantly that that Religion of his , which we now renounce , is a most certain truth of God. All these marks are evidently attributed to that sin which the Apostle here speaks of ; and then what can any man think it to be less , than an absolute Apostasie from the whole Religion , and an utter abrenunciation of all the Laws of Christ ? Now whosoever wilfully falls under this , I confess he is in a very deplorable and most desperate case . Because for him , as saith the Apostle , there remains no more benefit from Christs Propitiation or Sacrifice for sin : He has affronted that so enormously , that God will never suffer him to be the better by it . And this to a Jew ought to be no uncouth or surprizing Doctrine , seeing he who thus renounced Moses could have no Sacrifice to atone for him . For no propitiation was allowed for him who wilfully rejected any one particular Command of Moses , but least of all if he had apostatized from the whole Law. He that despised even any one particular threatning death in Moses's Law , died without mercy under two or three Witnesses . But now this Covenant and Law of Moses was sealed only in the blood of Bulls and Goats ; whereas this Covenant and Law of Christ , which these men renounce that I am speaking of , was confirmed in his own blood : Moses , the Authour of that Law , was but a Servant ; whereas Christ , the Authour of this , was a Son. If then the revolting from Moses was so unpardonable , that it inevitably incurred death , and put a man out of all hopes of propitiation and benefit of Sacrifice ; of how much sorer punishment , as he most rationally argues , must all Apostates from Christ be accounted worthy , who by their falling away from his Religion , tread under foot the Son of God himself , a Person infinitely above Moses ; and count the blood , not of Bulls and Goats , but of the Christ of God , wherewith this Covenant was sealed , to be an unholy thing ? They are indeed irrevocably plunged in death , and their apostatizing or drawing back from that Religion , which upon so good evidence they had before acknowledged , is to their own ruine and destruction , ver . 38. But although this total apostasie and abrenunciation of Christianity it self , when 't is wilfully committed , be thus remediless and desperate a sin ; yet is that nothing to the breach of any particular Law , or to the wilful transgressions of any baptized man , so long as he still continues Christian. For all his sins of one sort or other have the salvo of repentance provided for them : and if he doth but once reform and amend them , he shall not be condemned for them . And thus having shewed that this place in the tenth Chapter to the Hebrews makes nothing against the pardonableness of any Christian mans sin upon repentance , but only against the forgiveness of those who have apostatized from Christ , and become unchristian ; I proceed now , 2. To consider that other place in the sixth Chapter of the same Epistle , where the Apostles words are these : Therefore leaving the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ , wherein we are wont to catechize even Children and Novices ; let us go on unto perfection , and to treat of such things as are fit for grown men : not laying again , for such as are apostatized from it , the first Foundations of the Christian Doctrine , as are the Doctrine of repentance from dead works , and of faith towards God ; of the Doctrine of Baptisms , and of laying on of hands , and of resurrection of the dead , and of eternal Judgment . And this will we do if God permit , without returning , as I say , to prove again the foundations of the Faith to them who are fallen from it ; which indeed were a very vain and fruitless undertaking . For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened or l baptized , and have tasted of the heavenly gift , and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost ; and have tasted of the good word of God , and of the powers of Christs Kingdom , or the World to come ; if after all this they shall wilfully fall away from this Faith , it is impossible for them , I say , to be recovered , or for us by any endeavours of ours to renew them again unto the Grace and Covenant of repentance ; because God is irreconcileably provoked by this revolt , seeing thereby they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh , and put him once again to an open shame . Here indeed the Case is as desperate as it was before ; and 't is no wonder why it should , because the sin is the very same . For it is nothing less than an universal backsliding , an apostasie both in faith and manners , a renouncing of all the Religion and Laws of Christ whereof all these severe things are spoken . As for the word m which is here put to note this falling away , it signifies for the most part a fall which admits of a rise again , and is recoverable ; but sometimes it denotes a fall that is desperate , and beyond all hopes of remedy . Thus the Apostle , speaking of the incredulous Jews , to whom the Religion of Christ was a stumbling block and a rock of offence , distinguishes betwixt these two , n stumbling , and falling ; making the latter to be much more dangerous than the former , and denying it , when he affirms the other . Have they stumbled , says he , that they should o fall mortally and irrecoverably ? God forbid , Rom. 11.11 . And thus it signifies in this place . For the falling away here spoken of is nothing less than a revolting from all Christ's Laws and Doctrines , and an apostatizing from his whole Religion . Which appears from several things that are here said of it , some whereof they are said to fall from , and others are said to be implied in their falling . It appears , I say , from some things , which they are said to apostatize or fall from . They fall away from their Baptism which is expressed by the word p enlightened , the common name in the antient Church to signifie the baptized ; from the remission of sins , the preaching of the Word , and the administration of the Sacraments , which are such priviledges and gifts of God , as are afforded to persons baptized ; from the hopes of Heaven , and all the promises and good word of God ; from the gift of tongues , and other effects of the Holy Ghost , whereof , upon the imposition of the Apostles hands , they had been made Partakers ; and from the power of working miracles , that were so conspicuous under the appearance of Christ , those times of Messiah , which the Jews were wont to call the Age or world to come . If those , says the Apostle , who were once baptized or enlightned , and have tasted of the heavenly gift , and were made partakers of the holy Ghost , and have tasted of the good word or promise of God , and the powers of the world to come ; if they shall fall away or apostatize from all these , it is impossible to renew them , v. 4 , 5 , 6. This , as is evident , is the Apostasie which is here specified , which is nothing less than a renouncing of the Baptismal Covenant , of the preaching of the Word , of the administration of the Sacraments , of all the Gospel-promises , nay of all those miraculous gifts and powers of the Holy Ghost , whereof in the first times they were ordinarily made partakers ; and what can any man take this to be , but an utter renouncing of the whole Gospel and Religion of Christ ? And that it is so , is still further manifest from those things which are said to be implied in their falling . For hereby they are said to condemn Christ as an Impostor ; to justifie his murderers ; to say he was crucified justly , and that were he now alive , they should be ready to crucifie him over again , which is a publishing again to all the world his reproach , and a putting him anew to an open shame . By this falling away , saith the Apostle , they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh , and put him to an open shame , v. 6. But now thus to renounce our Baptism , and all our Christian Priviledges , to condemn Christ as a cheat and Impostor , to justifie his Murderers , and to defame his Religion ; what is it less than a renouncing of his Gospel , and a falling off to persecute the Christian Faith and Profession ? And as for this indeed , the Apostle says expresly that it is desperate , and that it is impossible for him , by any endeavours or arguings which he can use , to renew-again those who are guilty of it , to that Gospel-Covenant which they thus abjure , and which is the only gracious means of repentance and reconciliation . And since it is to no purpose , says he , I will not attempt it , but go on in speaking to those who still retain the Faith , without concerning my self to prove again the foundation to those who have apostatized from it , v. 1 , 3. These wilful Apostates therefore are in a most deplorable case , for they have sinned themselves out of all capacity of mercy , and transgressed beyond all recovery . For there is no pardon to any wilful sinner whatsoever without he repent ; but as for Apostates , it is impossible for any man to renew them again unto repentance . Their renewal I say is impossible . For as for all humane means which any men , even the Apostles of our Lord themselves , could use for their recovery ; they have defeated them already . They know all the evidence of Miracles , and the demonstrations of the Spirit ; nay they have not only seen them , but they themselves have been partakers of them , and impower'd to work them : but yet after all they have renounced that belief which all these perswade to , they are Armour of proof against all these demonstrations of the Holy Ghost , and Infidels to Christ notwithstanding them . So that let an Apostle himself urge any thing to them in behalf of Christs Religion , his Argument has been overcome before he offers it . He tells them nothing new , nor shews them any thing but what they have seen , nay what they themselves were formerly impower'd to shew to others ; but all that was not strong enough to keep them in the Faith , for when they saw it all , they turned Infidels and Apostates still . As for any humane means then , they are of no force with them , they cannot reclaim them , or bring them anew to the acknowledgment of the Gospel , which is the only gracious Ministry of Repentance and Reconciliation . So that if ever they be restored again , it must be by a Divine Power ; for nothing now can possibly prevail with them but a special Providence and a special Grace . But now here is the desperateness of their state , these will never be afforded them . For when men have wilfully sinned up to this height , and fallen off against so great means , and so clear conviction ; God in the ordinary methods of his Grace is resolved to concern himself no further with them , nor to trouble himself any more for their recovery . They have had all the care and cultivation of his Grace which they are like to have , and now , like barren ground , ( which after all that has been laid out upon it , brings forth nothing but thorns and bryers , that are not only useless , but prickling and offensive ) they are nigh unto cursing . And this is the very instance which the Apostle himself uses , and the reason which he gives of that impossibility which he had affirmed to be in that undertaking . It is impossible , says he , for any man to renew them , because God will no longer help on his endeavours with his Grace , nor look any further after them . For with those men who are Infidels after all his care , he will deal just as he doth with ground whose fruit is evil and offensive after all his labour ; and as for his dealing with that , 't is plainly this . That earth indeed which drinketh up the rain that cometh oft upon it , and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it was dressed ; receiveth more blessing still from God. But that which , after it has been thus water'd , bears thorns and bryars , is rejected , and nigh unto cursing , whose end is , not to be water'd any more , but burnt up , v. 7 , 8. As for these two places of the Apostle therefore in his Epistle to the Hebrews , we see indeed that they speak of wilful sins beyond pardon , and of transgressions which are irremissible ; but these sins are not the wilful transgressions of any Christian man , but a wilful Apostasie from Christianity it self . So that after all it is true still , that every man , who owns the Religion , and professes the Faith of Christ , is provided of a remedy for all his wilful sins , whensoever they are committed ; for let him but particularly repent of them and amend them , and he never shall be condemned for them . Nay so fast is the tye , and so inseparable is the connexion under the Gospel of Christ betwixt Repentance and Remission ; that , as I observed , this irremissible sin of wilful Apostasie it self , is therefore alone declared impossible to be forgiven , because it is impossible to bring men to repent of it , Heb. 6.6 . If a man doth but repent then , let his sin be wilfully committed , whether before or after Baptism , it matters not ; for his repentance shall set him straight in both , and his offence shall be quite forgotten , as if it had never been . Indeed if a man goes on in a constant trade of sin , silencing continually his own conscience , and grieving Gods holy Spirit , and despising all the means and offers of his Grace ; he may sin himself beyond his time of mercy , and so his sins will prove irremissible , because he is gone too far ever to repent of them , which is their only remedy and means of pardon . For there is a set period of Grace , and a certain season and space of time wherein God will still make the offers of his help , and of the guidance of his Spirit to reclaim and reform men . But if after all , they slight all his offers , and reject his aid , and prove utterly incorrigible ; he grows weary at last , and will trouble himself no more about them , but leave them wholly to themselves . And this God plainly intimates concerning incorrigible Ephraim , who was just then about to be abandoned , and to be given up to the unmasterable wickedness of his own heart — How shall I give thee up , says he , O Ephraim ? how shall I deliver thee , O Israel ? Hos. 11.8 . And our Saviour says the same over intractable Jerusalem . O! if thou hadst but known , at least in this thy day , the things that belong unto thy peace with God ; but now it is too late , for they are hid from thine eyes , Luk. 19.42 . This , I confess , is a state of sin which is desperate and irrecoverable ; not for that repentance is no sure means of remission ; but because when once men are come thus far , God deserts them , so that they never can repent of them . But as for the time when any man is come up to this unpardonable pitch , that only God in Heaven knows . No man can say , I am beyond my time of repentance , because without a special Revelation no man can understand it . And therefore let a man have sinned never so long , yet cannot that discourage him from repenting , because if he set himself seriously about it , for ought he knows , God will pity him , and afford him his Grace and Spirit , which is never wanting to such as heartily desire it , to aid and strengthen him in his repentance . Nay indeed , if a man be come so far as to bethink himself , and to be apprehensive of his danger , and to be convinced of the destructiveness of his sinful courses ; there is no question to be made but that he will. For the tide is turned , and the change is begun already ; and that is a thing which needed God's Grace as much as any thing that is yet remaining . For a cariere in wickedness is like running down hill ; the great difficulty is to make the first stop , but when once that is done , to return again is much more easie . And therefore if a man has received so much Grace , as makes him break off his evil courses for the present , and stand and deliberate with himself , whether or no he shall proceed in it ; he need not doubt , if he will go on to endeavour as he has begun , but that he shall have more , till at last he is fully enabled to perfect and compleat it . He has an experimental evidence that his time of Grace is not past , he may be sure it is still with him , because it helps and works in him . For it is Grace that brings him on to what he is , and if he be but as willing to be aided by it , as it is ready to assist him , it will not fail to carry him on further . Gods Grace will still grow upon him , as his own endeavours do ; so that if he make good use of this , he shall have more . For this is laid down by our Lord as a certain Rule of Divine dispensations ; To him that hath , that is , maketh a right use of that Grace which he hath , shall more be given even in abundance , Mat. 25.29 . Whatsoever irreconcileableness therefore there may be , and truly is in some states of sin , when men have gone on beyond their time of Grace ; yet he who has so much Grace as to doubt and question , to fear and scruple , has great reason to think that , as for his part , he is not past Grace , but under it . For an irrecoverable sinner is commonly one that is hardned ; he transgresses without sense , and goes on without fear ; he is infatuated with his lusts , and lull'd asleep in his sin , and scarce ever comes to himself till he awakes in Damnation . But if once he begins , especially in the time of health , either through a severe reproof , or a severe providence , to interrupt his sin for the present , and to apprehend the evil of it ; and if from thence he goes on to good desires , and holy purposes of well-doing : then he feels that Grace which he is afraid he wants , and that good Spirit works in him , which he suspects to have deserted him . He is not in this irrecoverable state , but is going on towards a good recovery . Indeed if his Conscience is awakned in the height of horror , and extremity of despair , so that he is obstinate against all good advice , and dead to all endeavour , and continues to be so ; this is not an effect of Grace , and a step towards repentance ; but a terror of Judgment and a fore-taste of Hell. If it deads all industry by excluding all hope ; if he complain of his estate without seeking to get out of it , and despair without all amendment ; this fear of heart and terror of soul , 't is true , doth not bring him nearer unto life and pardon , but by secuing him faster in his sin , it shuts him up a closer Prisoner of Condemnation . But if he be so apprehensive of his danger as to run from it ; if he has so much hope as will put him upon trying all means , and using his best endeavours ; if upon his apprehensions of his present evil state , he fears , and desires , and resolves , and strives to get quit of it ; he is not deprived of a good Providence or of a gracious Spirit , but enjoys the benefit of them , and is conducted by them . He is in the way to Life , and under the recovering methods of Grace ; Gods holy Spirit has not for ever abandoned him , but has begun again to work in him . And thus at last it appears , that as for all the wilful sins of any Christian man , they are in no wise desperate and helpless ; but the Gospel has reached out a remedy for them to all who are willing to make use of it . For let them but particularly repent of them , and amend them , and then they are safe from them . So long as they continue in the profession of the Christian Faith , and do not apostatize from it , there is no sin whatsoever which they wilfully commit , but is pardonable upon their repentance . If once they honestly undo the fault , and conscientiously forsake it , their work is done ; for their penitent reformation shall make them innocent , and whatever punishment the Law may threaten to any sins , when God comes to Judgment , he will not exact it of any man who has been thus reclaimed from them . Do we find our selves guilty then of any unretracted wilful sins , and thereby subject to a dreadful sentence according to those measures that have in great largeness been hitherto discoursed of ? Let us particularly repent of them , and begin to amend them , and then we are safe from it , and shall most certainly prevent it . Have any voluntary faults put us out of a state of favour , and made us obnoxious to the severities of Judgment ? let us reform them , and do so no more , and repair the breach which ensued upon them , and we are surely pardoned . For the Gospel of Christ doth not in any wise intend to amaze and astonish us , or to affright us from amendment , by putting us into a despair of mercy . No , we must lay this down as a most unerring Rule , That that can never come from God which tends to detain us in our sins , and to discourage our reformation . For the summ of all his designs and endeavours , both in the sending of his Son , and in the preaching of his Gospel , is to free and cleanse us from all sin , and to carry us on to reformation and repentance by the sure and stedfast hopes of pardon and acceptance . Whensoever we have wittingly done evil therefore , let us take care to do so no more ; and if it were offensive or injurious to our brethren , to repair the hurt our sin has done , and all is well . And if any Law of the Gospel threaten us , let us begin thus to fulfil it , and then we are safe from it . Let us fulfil it , I say , for that only is a saving repentance , which , as we saw above , implies obedience , and ends in reformation . And if we repent in that manner of any sin , whatsoever it be , or whensoever it be committed , whether before Baptism , or after it , it matters not , we shall surely go unpunished , and shall not be eternally damned for it . CHAP. II. Of Reconciliation , and Restitution upon those Sins , whereby we have offended , or injured our Brethren . The CONTENTS . Of the Necessity of Reconciliation upon Sins whereby we have offended , and of Restitution upon others whereby we have injured our Brethren . In sin three things considerable , the offence against God , and the offence and injury against men . Sins whereby God alone is offended , are sufficiently repented of , and pardonable upon reformation and amendment . Those whereby we have also offended , or injured our brethren , are not sufficiently repented of , or pardonable upon that alone , unless moreover we seek to be reconciled , and make restitution . These two means of pardon , for affronts , and injuries against men , are necessary fruits of a sincere and sufficient repentance . Of sins whereby we have justly offended our Brethren . Their ill effects represented , which are to be redressed by penitential acknowledgments , and seeking to be reconciled . These penitential acknowledgements necessary only to appease those , whom by our sin we have offended ; and so unnecessary , when they know nothing of our offence . Where they do , Reconciliation is necessary so far only as it can be had , and where we have an opportunity of seeking it . This discourse upon Reconciliation sum'd up . Of sins of injustice , whereby we have injured men . Reparation ordinarily necessary to a sincere , and always to a sufficient Repentance of them . 'T is necessary moreover in it self , as an instance of strict justice . An account of particular injuries , how to be repaired where the injured persons can , and how where they cannot receive it . Restitution necessary whether our Brethren know themselves to be injured by us , or no. It is due only upon sins of injustice . Of the perfect right which we have to things of strict Iustice , and of the imperfect right which we have to things of Charity , whence the performance of them is sometimes called righteousness . In sins of injustice , reparation due so far only as we can , and according as we have opportunity to make it . In judging of a just opportunity , caution given that we be neither too strict , so as more than needs to prejudice our selves ; nor too loose , so as to overcharge our Neighbours . This Discourse of reparation upon injuries summed up . FROM what has been discoursed concerning the remedy of wilful sins in the foregoing Chapter , it plainly appears that they are not hopeless , but that at what time soever any of them have been committed by a Christian man , whether before Baptism , or after it , they are still pardonable upon his particular repentance of them . This repentance , as has been shewn , implies amendment , so that we never shall be judged to have repented of them , till we have forsaken them , and are reformed from them . Amendment then is necessary to our repentance , and to the pardon of all voluntary offences whatsoever ; and to the pardon of some , viz. those wherein God alone is concerned , it is not only necessary , but sufficient : but then to a right repentance , and to the pardon of others , which do not barely offend God , but are offensive also and injurious to our Brethren , there is more required . For although God will forgive his own share of any sin , viz. so far as it is an act of disobedience to him , and account us duly penitent upon our amendment and reformation ; yet will he not judge so favourably , or so easily pass over the hurt which is thereby done to other men . And since in several sins , there is not only an offence to God , but withal an affront or injury to our Brethren ; what ever God may do in some , 't is plain that he will not pardon others , or look upon us to have sufficiently repented of them , upon a bare forsaking of the fault , without our seeking also to be reconciled to the offended persons , and making of due reparation . And this being a thing which occasions much doubt and scruple in many honest minds , I will here endeavour to give a plain state of the Duty of reconciliation upon offences , and of restitution upon injuries against our neighbour , that so we may have no needless fears upon this account , or know how to put an end to them when we have just occasion for them . In sin there are three things considerable , according as it may concern either God or men , or both ; viz. the offence against God , and the offence and injury which it may include against men . First , As for the offence against God , as it is a breach of his Law , and a going cross to his pleasure ; it is atoned by reformation and amendment . Till we are reclaimed indeed from our former sins , and are become Gods dutiful Sons , and faithful Servants , for the present , and for the future ; it is not consistent with the honour of his goodness and holiness , with the authority of his Laws , and with the ends of his Government , to bear any complacential love , or show any marks of favour and friendly affection towards us . But as soon as ever we are conscientiously reformed from them , he will be reconciled to us . He will never punish us for any disobedience against his Divine Majesty , after we have forsaken it ; but whensoever we turn off from any evil way , so far as he himself was concerned in the dishonour of the offence , he will graciously pass it by , and as may plainly appear from what has hitherto been discoursed , return to have mercy upon us . But then as for the offence , and also as for the injury which our sins may at any time imply towards men ; he will not judge us savingly to have repented of them , nor pardon them upon amendment alone , unless , together with that , we expiate the first by seeking to be reconciled to the Party whom we have offended , and the latter by making amends for the damage done , and offering a due reparation . These two means of pardon for our sins of affront or injury against men , viz. our seeking to be reconciled , and making all due restitution , are no less natural fruits and necessary effects of repentance for them , than reformation and amendment is for them , and for all others . For the most natural effect of a sincere and sufficient repentance , is to undo the fault , and set things in the same place where they were before , It implies a change of mind from sin , that now our hearts and thoughts are set against it ; which change is helped on and produced in us by our hatred of it , our grief and sorrow for it , and our being ashamed of it : And the natural effect of a change of mind , of hatred , shame , and grief , where they are in any just degrees and perfect measure , is to wish that the action which causes them had never been done , and , as much as it is possible , to undo it again . So that if our repentance for any sin is both true and perfect , if it implies an undissembled hatred , a deep shame , and a great and hearty grief and sorrow for it ; it will make us cancel and undo it , and take away , as far as can be , all the footsteps which it had left behind it . And because there are more effects remaining after some sins , than after others ; the fruits of repentance are more for some , than they are for others . For in some only God is concerned , as it happens in the sins of impiety , and in several instances of unsoberness , when there is no scandal to our Brethren joined with them : and the breach in these being only in God's Authority and Honour , it is repaired by our beginning to owne his Laws , and the stain is wiped off by amendment and new obedience . But in others , our Brethren are concerned too , as it falls out in all those sins whereby we injure , or affront men : and since there remains after these sins , not only a dishonour of God , but also a lasting hurt and offence to our Neighbour . The breach made by these is not repaired barely by our beginning to obey God , unless we also seek to appease and satisfie men , by our penitential acknowledgments and restitution . And therefore if we are so far penitent , as to retract and undo our sins , without which we are not duly ashamed , or sorry , nor sufficiently changed , and reclaimed from them ; we shall be ready , not only to repair the dishonour which they cast upon God , but the injury and offence which they gave to men too . But in the account of these two instances of repentance , and means of pardon to be more particular . 2. In sin we are to consider the offence and just displeasure which it gives to our brethren , as it manifests our contempt of them , and our hostile inclination to insult over them , or to vex and disquiet them : and this is to be put away by our seeking to be reconciled with penitential confessions . In all sins against Justice or Righteousness towards all men in general , or towards any in those particular relations wherein we may be concerned ; there is not only an act of disobedience towards God , but also of affront or injury against our Brethren : And this , if they understand it , will beget an alienation of mind , and create hard thoughts and hostile inclinations . For when they have observed our contempt of them , or our ill will to them , from our mockery and contumelious usage , our whisperings and backbitings , our slanderings , false witness , fraud , cozenage , or any other trespass against them , whether to their damage , or only to their disparagement , or both ; they will have great reason to be afraid of us , and offended with us . They will think our society unsafe , and either fly our company ; or be jealous of us , and stand upon their guard when at any time they are so unhappy as to be ingaged in it . So that upon these sins against the Honour , Persons , and Estates of our Brethren , when once they come to understand how they are damnified by them , there is not only an act of disobedience towards God , but also a plain breach of that friendship , good will , and mutual confidence which ought to be among men . And now to undo all these evils which ensue upon these sins , and to set things in the same state which they held before ; there must not only be an act of reformation and amendment to appease God , but also some outward indications of a change to the parties offended , and such penitential acknowledgments as may repair the breach which they have made among men . We must let the persons grieved know that now we are ashamed , and sorry for our fault , that our temper is changed , and our mind is alter'd ; so that they may safely venture to return again into favour with us , and never fear suffering the like indignities from us any more . And this now will reconcile mens minds , and reunite their hearts , and make them to become again kindly affectionate , secure , and confident , in the society and conversation of each other . And when this is done , and they have both by reformation and amendment made their peace with God , so far as his honour was concerned in it , and also by such penitential acknowledgments made their peace with men ; they have undone , as much as is possible , all that was done amiss , and such repentance shall suffice , and prepare them for Gods pardon . And this is that which our Saviour expresly requires of us , Mat. 5. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar , saith he , and there , before thou offerest it , remembrest that thy brother hath taken just offence , and hath ought against thee , ( whether upon account of thy causless anger in calling him Fool , and Racha , or using any other opprobrious language ; or of any other affront or injury whatsoever ; ) presume not to think of appeasing God before thou hast appeased him , but leave there thy gift before the Altar , and go thy way , first be reconciled to thy brother , and then come and offer thy gift for thy reconciliation unto God , v. 22 , 23 , 24. As for those sins then , whereby we have not only dishonoured God by disobedience , but also provoked and offended men by affront or injury ; to procure the pardon of them , we must not only seek unto God by reformation and amendment , but to them too by such penitential acknowledgments as may repair the breach , and reconcile the difference , which our sins had made betwixt them and us . But here we must observe , that as the necessity of superadding these penitential confessions to our amendment , arises only from the necessity of appeasing men , whom our sins had offended : So whensoever our trespasses against them have given them no offence , there is no need of these acknowledgments for a reconciliation . And therefore in all our sins against them , whereby we have either injured or disparaged them , which they know not of , there is no need of it at all . For if they understand not that we have wronged or abused them , they cannot be angry at us for so doing ; and so there being no breach made by our offence , there is no place for a reconciliation . Yea I add further , if they are come to understand our offence , and have accordingly resented it ; there is not always still a necessity of having them actually reconciled , but then only when it can be had , and we have an opportunity of doing it . There is then only a necessity of having them reconciled , when it can be had . For some men are unalterable in their resentments , and never lay them down ; they are eternal in their hatred , and will not forgive an injury to their lives end . And with these , God doth not require that we should actually be reconciled , neither will he be angry at us , when at last we miss of it . He has not made impossibilities the means of pardon , nor will he make the unconquerable obstinacy of one mans sin , to be an article of anothers punishment and condemnation . And therefore when we have to do with such men , we shall be accepted , if we earnestly seek reconciliation , although we cannot find it . So that if in this case we seriously express our sorrow , and beg pardon for our fault , and promise never after to repeat it , and , by our obliging carriage and after-kindness , endeavour to atone for our past offence , and to show them how safely they may confide in our present engagements : if all this doth not melt them into a compliance , the sinful continuation of the breach is now their own ; but as for us , we have done enough to mend what was amiss , and shall deliver our own souls . And even with those men from whom it might be had , there is then only a necessity of an actual reconcilement when we have an opportunity of doing it . For in the infinite mixture of conversation , and variety of company which we meet with in this world , how universally are men , especially of an abusive sportful wit , and a proud petulant humor , guilty of these offences towards those persons whom they shall never see again , and whom they know not where to find , or when . Now here , by reason of absence of the persons whom they should make it to , an actual acknowledgment and reconciliation , is impossible , and all that can be done towards it , is only sincerely and firmly to resolve to seek it , whensoever an opportunity shall be offer'd . And this honest purpose of reconciliation , till such time as we have an opportunity to perform it , shall be every whit as available to our pardon , as if we were indeed reconciled . The will , as I have a shewn , shall be taken for the deed , where 't is in our power to will only , but not to do , and where the deed would certainly follow , if there were but an opportunity to shew it in . For in this case the Apostles rule is sure ; Where there is first a willing mind , it is accepted according to what a man hath , and not according to what he hath not , 2 Cor. 8.12 . As for the Duty of seeking Reconciliation then , where our sin has given offence to men , it is plainly this : If they know nothing of our fault , they are not angred , and so have need of no atonement . But if they do understand it , and are offended at it ; we must seek a reconciliation , if it can be had , and where we have an opportunity to endeavour it . But if there be no opportunity of making our acknowledgments at present , we must firmly purpose it in our own minds , and resolve to make it when a fitting season shall be offer'd : and upon this honest purpose , which would prove effectual , were the persons present , we shall be pardoned , as if we had performed it . 3. In sin we are to consider the damage and injury which it implies towards our Neighbour , as it causes his unjust loss or hindrance , whether as to his Life , Liberty , Good Name , or Estate ; and this is to be expiated by making amends for the wrong , and restoring what our injury took away , by a just and full reparation . How often doth mens Envy and Revenge , their Covetousness and Ambition , render them not only offensive by indignities and affronts , but really hurtful and injurious to their brethren . They blast their Reputation by slanders and false reports ; they spoil them of their Goods by theft or oppression , by fraud and cozenage ; they rob them of their lives or liberties by murder and false witness ; they inflame their enemies , estrange their friends , and stop or destroy their preferment , by their malicious suggestions , unjust suspicions , and spiteful representations of them . And when at any time we do thus by our Neighbour , he is really a loser by reason of our sin , and has just reason to complain of us , and to stand at a distance from us as dangerous and hurtful persons , till we do not only confess our fault , and seek a reconcilement , but moreover make him a just amends , and set him in the same state , if possibly we can , which he enjoyed before . This we shall surely do , if we are truly and compleatly penitent ; and till we have thus restored a spoil , and repaired a wrong , we cannot be thought truly , or at least perfectly to have repented of it . We cannot ordinarily be thought , I say , to have repented of it truly , but only under a b false disguise and vain hypocrisie . For that is ordinarily no true sorrow which doth not undo the fault , and set things , as much as may be , in the same state which they held before . We shall not be thought to be really angry at the crime , if still we hold fast the bait , and are pleased with the temptation . We shall not be esteemed to hate it , so long as we are in love with that which comes by it ; for we did not love it for it self at first , but only for the unjust gains sake which led us on to it ; and if we yet hold that fast , and will not restore it and let it go , 't is plain we love it , and adhere to it for its sake still . So long then as men are pleased in the fruits of their injustice , and continue the damage which their brother suffered , or hold fast the unlawful gain which they themselves acquired by it ; they cannot in reason be thought to renounce or to redress it , but to justifie and confirm it . They are resolved to have their end in it , and to enjoy that by it which led them on to it ; and this is not to be punished and afflicted for a fault , but to be enriched by it ; it is not repenting of it , but owning and avowing it . But if the sense of Gods wrath , which they have incurr'd by their unjust dealings , should put these men , who will not repair them , into some real trouble of mind and grief of heart , as sometimes it doth ; yet so long as they make no just amends , but suffer all the ill effects upon their brethren to remain , their repentance , such as it is , although it be real and sincere , is not yet perfect and entire , and able to work that reformation which it is designed for . Their mind is changed in part , but 't is but half way ; their sorrow for their sin is something , but not enough ; it would not have strength sufficient to prevent the sin , because it cannot wean them from the temptation . For the unjust gain still keeps possession of their heart , and all their grief and change of mind is not able to remove it : their brothers loss is still their love and delight , and all their repentance cannot bring them to repair it . They still adhere to , and love the fruits of their offence , more than they do the rewards of amendment and obedience : so that if they should be tempted by these inducements again , they would have the same effect upon them which they had at first , and make them as unjust as they were before . Thus necessary is restitution and reparation of a wrong , to evidence that men truly and perfectly repent of it . But besides this way of its being necessary , viz. as a necessary effect of a compleat repentance ; it is also necessary in i●self , as a piece of common justice and natural equity , without which no man , who has done wrong , can be an equal or a just man. For the great Rule of Justice is , That every man should have his own , and that no other mans force or fraud should spoil him of it , or any ways detain it from him . So that if any man has destroyed or wasted any thing belonging to another , he must make it up ; if he has taken it to himself , he must restore it . For whatsoever Goods he has wrested wrongfully from his Neighbour , are not his Goods , but his Neighbours still . For that which transfers Propriety from one private person to another , is his own consent ; this being the very nature of Dominion , that a man may dispose of a thing at his own will , and no other man may meddle with it , without he agree to it : so that it must be his own voluntary act , and not anothers force or fraud that can justly mak● an alienation . If then one man wrongfully possesse● anothers Goods , he is no Owner , but an Vsurper ; he enjoys what belongs not to him , and cannot be a just man , till he has cleared his hands of the others Goods , and made restitution . Thus necessary is restitution of unjust Possessions , and reparation of unjust damages , not only to evidence a sincere and sufficient repentance , but also as an instance of common Equity and natural Justice , and to maintain a mutual peace , security , and confidence in the World. And therefore God , that he might take away all temptation to sportful , or malicious injuries , and unjust gettings in some ; and all enmity and strife , unsociable fears and jealousies , murmurings , and complaints by reason of them in others ; has laid a great stress upon it , and made it plainly necessary to the obtaining of his c pardon . Render to every man his due , saith the Apostle , and owe no man any thing , but to love one another , Rom. 13.7 , 8. This is plainly necessary , and a duty that will not be dispensed with . For as Ezekiel says , it is not only , if the wicked man turn from his sin , and do that which is lawful and right : but if , together with that , he give again what he hath robbed , that he shall surely live , and not dye , Ezek. 33.14 , 15. If then we are guilty of any injury , and have at any time wrongfully damnified our Neighbour ; we must not only seek to be reconciled , and remove the offence , but withal we must repair the loss , and make him in as good a state , if by any means we can , as he was in before . And therefore if we have spoiled him of his Goods by fraud , oppression , or robbery ; we must in the fittest way , which our own prudence , or the wisdom of our friends , and spiritual Guides shall direct , restore them unto him again . If we have injured him in his Good name , and by slanders , false stories , and malicious representations put a blot upon his honour , advantaged his enemies , disingaged his friends , and stopt his promotion ; we must confess our fault , and declare our miscarriage , we must endeavour to wipe off all the dirt which we have thrown upon him , and to set him right again in the apprehensions of all men , but of those most especially , who by our means were brought to think ill and hardly of him . If we have wrongfully deprived him of his liberty , or of any thing else , by false witness , or corrupt judgment , or any other way ; we must take shame to our selves , and clear up his innocence , and take off all the undeserved reproach , and all the criminal disguise , wherein we had involved him . As for some injuries , 't is true , they never can be repaired , nor is it possible to make the persons whole again who suffered by them . Of which sort are Murder , Adultery , a customary constant fraud in traffick , and the like . But although the damage in these can never be intirely repaired , yet in part it may ; and when we cannot do as much as we should , 't is but just and necessary that we do as much as we can . And therefore in those injuries whereby many are made to suffer , as it ordinarily happens in murder and adultery , which damnifie not the persons injured alone , but their Families also and Dependants ; we must make restitution to those that can , that we may be pardoned for neglecting those who cannot receive it . And if few of the injured persons are to be met with , as it happens through the infinity of Sufferers by a constant fraud in commerce ; there cannot be a better commutation , than to put the poor into their place , and make the needy their Receivers . Which exchange was most commendably resolved on by a great offender in this kind , viz. Zaccheus , the Chief among the Publicans . For when he comes to repent of his Publican sins , at Christs calling of him , Luk. 19 : he makes his penitential profession thus ; If I have taken away any thing by 〈◊〉 accusation , or unjust force , says he , from any 〈◊〉 , whom I know and can repay again ; according as the d Law prescribes in that Point , I restore him it again fourfold . And as for all other exactions which can never be particularly repaid , whereof I , and generally e all in my employment are guilty without number ; I endeavour to atone them , according to the f Jewish custom , by giving as much , or more to the indigent and needy in their stead : for behold the half of my Goods I give unto the poor , ver . 8. Thus is restitution to repair the damage , as necessary as confession is to atone the offence which our sins have given to our Brethren . And this it is , whether our Brethren know of the unjust loss or hindrance which we have caused to them , or no. As for the confession of our fault , to have the offended party reconciled ; that , 't is true , is necessary only to make peace where they have taken offence , and therefore it is of no necessity where they do not know our sin , because there they cannot be offended by it . But as for the reparation of unjust damages , that is necessary out of natural equity and strict Justice , so that we are bound to it wheresoever Justice is infringed , and any one is injured , whether he understands it , and be offended at it , or no. If then our Neighbour knows he has been injured by us , and is offended at it ; we must not only make restitution to repair his loss , but also beg his pardon to atone the offence , and to procure a reconciliation . But if he is wronged and knows it not , we need make no acknowledgments , 't is true , since he has no need to be reconciled ; but still we must make a just amends , and repair the damage , be the way of doing it never so private , and managed with as much discretion as can be used about it . But to prevent needless fears , as well as to press a necessary practice in this Point ; I think it not amiss to add these limitations to the obligation of this Duty , viz. that we are bound to it only in 〈…〉 , not of Charity and Courtesy ; and 〈…〉 far as we can , and as we have an opportunity to perform it . First , We are bound to make amends and restitution only upon sins against strict Justice , not upon sins against Charity . All restitution must be of something , whereto another man has a full and compleat right , otherwise it is not restoring , but giving it . It is returning of a thing to its right Owner , and putting him into possession who has the just title and propriety . Now such right as this no man has to things of Charity , but only to things of strict Justice . 'T is true indeed , there is a certain dueness in them , as well as there is in these ; we ought to give Alms , as well as to perform Contracts ; to be grateful , compassionate , courteous , and condescensive , as well as to restore a pledge , or fulfil a bargain . These Points of Charity , as well as those of Justice , are due from us , and ought to be performed by us : and since there is a Duty on our parts to bestow , there must be answerably some kind of right in others to rec●ive them . So that even the instances of kindness and Charity , are in some sence a matter of right and duty ; and because those who receive them are not altogether void of title , but have some right to them , they are oft-times in Scripture called works of righteousness , and the persons who perform them , are called upon that account just , or righteous men . Thus where we read , Take heed that you do not your g Alms before men ; it is read by several Copies , Take heed that you do not your righteousness before them , Matth. 6.1 . The merciful men , Matth. 25 , who are described by their Compassionateness , Alms , and Hospitality , ver . 35 , 36 : are called the righteous men in the next Verse , Then shall the righteous say , Lord , when saw we thee an hungred ? &c. ver . 37. Thus the charitable Lender is called a righteous person , Psal. 37 ; the righteous is merciful , and lendeth , ver . 25 , 26 ; and Joseph's being a pitiful , kind Husband , and unwilling publickly to expose his Wife Mary , whom he found with child before they came together , but resolving to put her away privily , is called his being a i just man , Matth. 1.19 . Some right then our Brethren have to our works of mercy , liberality , gratitude , candor , affability , courtesy , and other instances of common charity : So much dueness there is in them , and so much right and title they have to them , as can denominate them works of righteousness , and us who perform them just and righteous men . But this right is much less than that which they have to all expressions of strict Justice ; and is rather an imperfect draught and a beginning of right , than right it self . For all full and perfect right bestows a title , it invests a man in propriety ; so that what he has a compleat right to , he may justly call his own . And such a right as this all men have to the safety of their persons , goods , and reputations , and all other things which are a matter of strict Justice . They have a full claim to them , and cannot , without their own consent , be deprived of them : and therefore if any private person like themselves damnifies them in these , they may justly complain he wrongs them , and demand satisfaction ; and when they receive it , they do not thank him as for a free and charitable gift , but look on it as their own , and accept it as a debt and necessary restitution . Thus full and perfect is that right which men have to things of strict Justice , it invests them with propriety , and makes the things which they have a right to , to become their own ; so that 't is no gift , nor thank-worthy , when other men either perform at first , or after injury restore it to them . But as for that right , which men have to all expressions of kindness and charity ; it founds no full claim , nor invests a man with Lordship and Propriety ; so that he must owne anothers kindness when he receives them , and cannot say he is deprived of his own , when they are withheld from him . This Right does not confer Propriety , but doth only something towards it ; it makes it anothers duty to give , and his gift must compleat our Title , and bestow a perfect Claim to it . Thus , for instance , if any person has an opportunity put into his hands , to be helpful to a man in want or misery ; when the needful persons ask an alms , they do not demand a debt , but intreat his charity ; they do not exact what is their own , but beg what is his ; so that he has an opportunity , not of doing justice , but of shewing kindness and charity when he gives ; and they are under a duty of acknowledging his kindness , and being thankful when they receive it . And the case is the same in gratitude , candor , courtesie , and other instances of Love and Charity . The right which any man has to them is not so full , that he can say they are his own ; there is a duty indeed on other men to give , and that gift may make them his in time ; but till that is done , he cannot say he is injuriously deprived of any thing which of compleat right belongs to him , or require that they , who have taken nothing that is his from him , should repair the loss , and make a restitution . Restitution then in transgressions against strict Justice is a duty , because there men are deprived of that which is really their own ; and it is but justice , and not thank-worthy , that he who deprives them of that , should give it back again , and restore it to them . But in sins against meer Charity it is no duty ; for there , since men have lost nothing that is their own , they can demand nothing to be restored to them . By these sins of uncharitableness indeed God is dishonoured , and by our amendment that must be repaired ; our Brethren are sometimes justly offended , and when they are so , by our penitential acknowledgment they must be reconciled ; but by a bare uncharitableness none of them is injured , so that there is no unjust loss which should be repaired , nor any thing taken from them which ought again to be restored to them . 2. We are bound to make amends for injuries , and to restore that which was taken away by them , so far only as we can , and as we have an opportunity of doing it . We are bound , I say , to make restitution so far only as we k can . Some injuries in the nature of the thing can never wholly be repaired , as Murder and Adultery , for which satisfaction cannot be made to the persons principally concerned , but only to their families and dependants . Others cannot be compleatly recompensed , because of the number of persons that suffered by them , many whereof will never be seen again , or are forgotten ; as it happens in a customary constant fraud in commerce , which cannot otherwise be perfectly requited than by putting the poor into their stead , or by some other pious and religious commutation . And others , lastly , cannot have a compleat amends , by reason of our inability compleatly to amend them . Some cross accidents of Providence , or some former vices or carelesness of our own , ( which , though now we repent of , yet we cannot help , ) have made us poor , and so unable to preserve all from being losers by us , and to restore to every man again what at any time we had injuriously spoiled , or taken from him . And now when by any of these ways restitution is impossible , and a thing which the truest penitent cannot perform , God will not exact it of him . If he doth what he is able , when he cannot do all ; if he restores the damage to the injured persons dependants and relations , when he can make no restitution to himself ; or if he restores it to charitable and religious uses , when he can do neither ; or if , lastly , he confess his fault , and beg pardon , and be forward to return service and good offices , when he can make no other restitution at all ; he has done what a tr●e penitent ought to do , and God will graciously accept him . His will shall be taken for the deed , since it is in his power to will only , but not to do ; and through his honest readiness and endeavours to perform it , if he could , he shall be interpreted to have performed it . We are bound , I say again , to make an actual restitution only when we have an opportunity of doing it . An honest purpose , as was said above , shall be accepted for all affirmative precepts , till there be a season offered for an actual performance . When there is an opportunity for it , we must not only will , but do and practise them : but till that happens , all that God expects , or that we can do , is to resolve to practise them , as we shall find occasion . And therefore if honestly we seek an opportunity to repair a wrong , but cannot find it : let us not disturb our souls with fears and scruples , but rest in peace ; in confidence that our honest purpose shall bear us out , till Gods Providence affords us an opportune season wherein we may perform . And in judging of this , when a fit season is come , and when such an opportunity is offered as we are bound to make our restitution in ; we must neither be too strict and rigorous , nor too gentle and remiss . We must not be too strict , and tye our selves up to so much quickness in restoring , as to run upon great inconveniencies that are of far more weight than the thing is worth , to prejudice considerably our own affairs , and neglect , it may be , some other as weighty duties , rather than delay a little longer ; especially when it may be done at another time as well as then , and the damage , which the injured person sustains by such delay , is nothing in respect of that which we incur by a precipitate dispatch of it . Under such incommodious circumstances we may be allowed to put it off a while , and we need not fear lest our brother should be offended , or farther injured by such delay , since we have just reason to presume he willingly agrees to it . For thus far we may reasonably presume upon the free consent of all the conversable part of mankind , that , out of common humanity and compassion , they will be content to deny themselves in small things , to advantage us in great ones ; and to want some slight conveniencies themselves , rather than put us , for the supplying of them , to deprive ourselves of such as are considerably weightier . And where we have so good a reason to presume of their consent to it , we shall not be trespassers against them , or any ways offensive to them , by our delaying of it . But then , on the other hand , we must not be too remiss and partial to our selves , in judging of a fitting season for such a reparation , nor prone to press upon our brethrens wants and inconveniencies , but to spare our own . We must not refuse an offer , because it is joyned with some pains , and clog'd with some difficulties , and may occasion some loss and hindrance to us , or additional expence . Our slowness in returning a just amends at any time , but chiefly where the opportunities for it are more uncertain , must not be such as argues that we seek to excuse it , or are very indifferent to it , and easily put by it : it must not seem to intimate that we are in suspense about it , or have not perfectly resolved upon it , or , at least , that the performance of it is a forced , ungrateful thing , so that we would not come to it so long as we can find any pretence to turn it off , or are able to overlook it . For this shews evidently that our repentance is without zeal , that our sorrow is without life , and that , at best , we are acted only by an imperfect and insufficient , if not also by an unsincere purpose . And therefore to vindicate the honour , and perfect the degrees of our repentance and obedient purposes , which are absolutely necessary to our pardon and acceptance , we must shew such an overplus of affectionate haste to repair our injured brothers loss , as manifests that we are more concerned for him , than we are for our selves , and that we regard the pains and burden of our own part much less , than in all rational presumption , were he to judge of it , he himself would . This we shall do where the sorrow of our sin is great , where we have a high zeal against it , and have fully and compleatly repented of it : and when we are actuated and carried on by these , they will prevent all doubts , and never suffer any hard and uncertain question about the fitness of the opportunity , to come into a debate of Conscience . But if men have not so much love for the duty of Restitution , and so much zeal in their repentance as will make them overlook little things ; if their repentance has no more warmth than is just necessary to make them do what is indispensably to be done , so that they come to weigh scruples , and nicely to debate whether some doubtful hindrances are sufficient to delay their restitution , or no : the best way that I can advise them , is to refer their brothers loss in wanting for some time , and theirs in making a present reparation , to the judgment of their spiritual Guides , or any other wise Advisers ; and then peaceably to acquiesce in that course whereto those wise and good men shall direct them . As for the duty of making reparation then where our sins have injured men , it is plainly this . In sins which are not only against Charity , but also against Justice , whereby we have wronged any man either in his Person , Goods , or Reputation ; whether he knows that we have injured him or no , we must make a just amends and restitution . This must be made , where it can , to the injured man himself ; and where that is not to be done , to his family and dependants ; and , where that is impracticable too , to the poor , or to God himself , by some charitable or pious commutation . And this we are bound to do so far as it is in our power , and according as we can find an opportunity ; being desirous of it , and fully resolved upon it when we want one ; and doing as much as we can towards it , and asking pardon for that wherein we fail , when we are disabled from doing all . It is not enough after these sins to do so no more , unless , according to these rules , we make amendment for what we have done already . Reformation and forsaking of the fault will atone for any other wilful sin , whereby we have offended none but God : and that , and , penitential acknowledgments , will expiate those whereby we have offended both God and men ; but if we have not only offended , but wronged also and injured them , we must not only amend our fault to please God , and penitently acknowledge it to appease them ; but , as ever we would secure the pardon of it , we must restore the spoil , and repair the wrong , and set them , as far as may be , in as good a state as our sin took from them . CHAP. III. Of the Remedy for our involuntary Sins . The CONTENTS . Involuntary sins imply something of our own fault , and so 't is fit we should be sorry for them , and beg pardon . They had a remedy under Moses's Lay , and have now likewise under Christs Gospel . We are qualified for their pardon , not by a particular repentance and reformation : but in the general , by our obedience in all our wilful and chosen actions ; in particular , by our prayers for Gods pardon , and our Charity and forgiveness of the sins of other men . This Discourse of Repentance summed up . An Application to particular offenders , whether voluntary or involuntary . A Summary of all that has been hitherto discoursed . HAving shewed in the former Chapters what remedy Christs Gospel has afforded us for the most dangerous sort of offences , viz. our chosen and wilful ones ; I shall proceed now in this to inquire what remedy he has likewise provided for our involuntary and unchosen sins . As for our involuntary slips themselves , they also come under the Letter of the Law , and within the compass of the Penalty . They are a doing what the Law forbids , and so an incurring of that evil which it threatens . For the words of the Law it self are unlimited and universal , they make no exception of voluntary or involuntary , considered or unconsidered ; but they require that something should be performed or omitted , and threaten us if we do it not . So that if they were to be tryed by the strictness and rigour of the Laws ; even our involuntary slips themselves would prove a matter of our condemnation . But if God should proceed to judge us , I will not say according to what the compass of the literal Law would comprehend , but even according to the utmost of what the justice of the thing would bear , the greatest part of our involuntary sins would be charged upon us . For how few are there who live up to the utmost of their possibilities ; but they fall sometimes where they might stand , and are rash in some instances when , if they had used due care , they might have deliberated . We do not come up to that , which , according to the highest ability of our natures , and the utmost stretch of our faculties , might be done : and therefore setting aside the rigour of the Letter , which requiring more than can be performed , must threaten where the punishment that is threatned cannot in justice be exacted : yet should God proceed with us for most of our involuntary slips according to the utmost severity which Justice it self would bear , we should be in an evil state , and give in a sad account for them . So that we have need to be sorrowful even for the greatest part of our involuntary sins , and to beg Gods pardon for them , that all the defects of our care may be made up by the riches of his mercy and goodness . And as for the rest of them , which steal from us not so much through any thing of our culpable neglect as our unhappiness , and are purely involuntary and unavoidable ; an after-grief is necessary in them also , although it be only to evidence our involuntariness in doing them , and that our wills were perfectly against them . Because , as was observed above , our ignorant offences themselves cannot in reason be esteemed involuntary , further than we shew our wills to be set against them , by our trouble at them , and our prayers for pardon , when afterwards we come to discover and understand them . So that some repentance is still due , even for our involuntary and unchosen sins , and they must have our sorrow and our prayers before they are fit to be forgiven . And here we all experience the abundance of Gods Love ; for he allows for these pitiable infirmities , and has provided us of a remedy , which if we make use of , we shall never be condemned for them . Under Moses's Law these involuntary slips of ignorance and inconsideration , being they were continually incurred , were allowed the benefit of a continual atonement . For God himself appointed several Sacrifices for them which should expiate their guilt , so that every man , who was subject to them , was furnished with a sufficient remedy against them . And as they had their remedy and relief under the Law of Moses ; so ought they to have much more under the Gospel of Christ. And in this our Lord has not been wanting , but has afforded us a Salvo for them ; so that although we are all of us guilty of them , yet none of us need to suffer for them . But now as for this remedy which Christ has prescribed for the Expiation of our involuntary sins ; it is not the same which he requires to the Expiation of our voluntary and wilful ones . For that , as we have seen , is nothing less than a particular repentance and amendment , in the forsaking of that very sin which we committed wilfully . But as for our involuntary sins , this can be no cure for them , because it is impracticable , and not possible to be effectually used about them . For we shall always live subject to them more or less ; and although we may labour and strive against them , yet shall we never be able , as long as we are in this world , to get entirely free from them . We have no power and choice to avoid what we cannot see and consider of , and all these sins come in upon the account of our unwill'd ignorance or inconsideration ; and since we cannot see and consider of them , we cannot particularly prevent them , which is effectually to repent of them . A particular Repentance and Reformation then is not the Gospel-remedy for our involuntary sins . It cannot be the cure assigned for them , because it is impossible to them ; their pardon must not depend upon it , because then they were wholly impardonable and desperate , since in them no man on earth can use it . But that remedy which Christ has appointed for them , and that repentance whereupon he will graciously pardon and forgive them , is in the general , an hearty a repentance and reformation of all wilful sins , and an entire obedience in all such actions as are voluntary and chosen . If we serve God faithfully and truly in all our other actions , where we do see our duty , and can chuse to practise it ; he will connive at these slips , which , after an honest care and industry , are involuntary and unchosen . For any kind master would do so to his honest servant ; and more especially every tender father would to his obedient child . And God , who is Love it self , being the first Fountain and the compleatest Pattern of all kindness in the world , will never be out-done in any love that is excellent and praise-worthy by his own creatures . But if their kindness would bear with such infirmities and oversights of an honest mind , his will dispense with them much rather . The faithful servants therefore and obedient children of God , who repent particularly of all their other sins that are known and wilful , and effectually amend them ; shall be sure to find this favour at the hands of their heavenly Lord and Father for all these failings which are involuntary and unchosen . Their obedience in other things shall plead their excuse , and make their unwill'd slips in these to be uncondemning . But to be yet more particular , these involuntary transgressions of men that are obedient in all their voluntary actions , shall certainly be pardoned through the means of these particular duties . 1. Their Prayers . 2. Their Charity , and forgiveness towards the offences of others . 1. Their involuntary failings of ignorance and inconsideration shall be forgiven them upon their prayers ; if they beg Gods pardon for them , he is as ready to grant , as they are to desire it . And this we are sure of , because that no earthly Parent , who is wise and good , would refuse to bestow it in such Cases at the request of his Children ; whereas they have nothing near that pity and tenderness for their Children , which God has for his . And this is an Argument which Christ himself has taught us to rely upon in this matter : If you , says he , being evil , will yet , for all that , at their request give good gifts to your Children ; how much more shall your heavenly Father , who has not the least taint of your illness , give the best of gifts , even the Holy Spirit to them that ask him ? Luke 11.13 . And indeed that we may never want this remedy , Christ has put a Prayer for this purpose daily into our mouths ; that since our involuntary sins are of daily incursion , we may as daily beg pardon for them . For he has made it a part of our daily prayers to ask pardon , among others , for our daily trespasses , this being one of those Petitions which he has taught us to put up as often as we do that for our daily bread , that he would forgive us our trespasses , Matth. 6.11 , 12. And this S t Austin observes of it ; for those small sins , saith he , which no man can avoid , was this Petition in the Lord Prayer inserted . Nay , long before him , S t Clement teaches the same Doctrine of our prayers being a most sure expiation for all our involuntary sins . For in his first Epistle to the Corinthians , relating that truly Christian state wherein their great Apostle Paul had very lately left them ; among several other parts of their Character he gives this for one : c Being filled with holy desires , and a vertuous will , with a good and commendable forwardness of mind , and with a pious assurance of being heard , you lifted up your hands to Almighty God , beseeching him to be merciful and propitious to you , if in any thing you had sinned INVOLVNTARILY . Having first , as says the good Father , a vertuous heart , and a holily disposed will , so that in nothing their heart was disobedient by sinning wilfully ; they were forward to ask God forgiveness for all those sins which they had committed involuntarily . And this forwardness , says he , was d good and commendable , and their confidence of obtaining pardon upon their prayer , was pious ; it was a e godly and a pious confidence . This is a plain and full testimony , and withal it is authentick , and such as we may rely upon as much in a manner , as if an Apostle himself had told us so . For this Clement , as we may observe , was one who was sent out by the Apostles themselves to preach Christ's will , and intrusted by them to declare unto the World what are the terms of remission of sins and the condition of pardon ; so that what we hear from his mouth we may look upon as Gospel . S t Paul himself makes honourable mention of him , calling him his Fellow-Labourer : Help Clement my Fellow-Labourer , whose name is in the Book of Life , Phil. 4.3 . And the thing it self which he testifies , is not so much a matter of saith and 〈◊〉 , wherein an honest man may sometimes erre and be mistaken ; as an historical relation of a matter of fact . For he is recounting what a brave and gallant Church they were in that state , wherein the great Apostle left them : and as one of the Particulars of that relation this comes in , That as for their involuntary sins they begged Gods pardon , and that too with a pious assurance of obtaining it . So that as for this practice , of a confident hope of pardon for their involuntary sins upon their prayers , it was not only such as S t Clement the Companion and Fellow-Labourer of S t Paul approved ; but such moreover as the Apostle Paul himself , who had planted Christianity amongst them , had left with them . This therefore is one great remedy for our involuntary slips , They shall he forgiven us upon our prayers for pardon and forgiveness . And so shall they , 2. Upon our Charity , and forgiveness of the offences of others . As God himself delights in mercy , so doth he require that we should ; and to oblige us to it the more , he has made our kind dealing towards our Brethren the f Condition of his kindness towards us . Above all things , says S t Peter , have fervent Charity among your selves ; for Charity shall cover , or procure pardon for , the multitude of those many , because unavoidable and involuntary , sins , 1 Pet. 4.8 . And hereto Charity is then especially available , when it is shewn in the highest instance of all , viz. in procuring our Brethrens repentance and conversion . For thus says S t James , Brethren , if any of you do err from the truth , and one convert him ; for his encouragement let him know this from me , That he who converts the Sinner from the errour of his way shall not only save the others soul from death , but shall also hide a multitude of his own sins , James 5.19 , 20. Thus is Charity in all acts of kindness and beneficence most available to procure the pardon of our many , because unavoidable and involuntary sins . But among all the instances of Charity , one is particularly singled out by our Saviour as a necessary Condition to our forgiveness at Gods hands , and that is our forgiving others that offend against us . For the man who would have no pity upon his Fellow-servant as his Lord had shewed upon him , was unpardoned all again , and delivered over to the tormentors till he should pay the uttermost Farthing , Matth. 18.32 , 33 , 34 ; and the same measure our heavenly Father will mete out to us , if we forgive not every one his Brother their trespasses , v. 35. And that a Condition so necessary to our forgiveness might never be forgotten our Lord has put it expresly into that Prayer which he has taught us to put up daily for the pardon of our own sins . For he bids us pray that God would forgive us our trespasses against him , even as we forgive those that trespass against us , Matth. 6.12 . And that we may take the more notice of a Point so indispensable , he tells us as soon as ever the Prayer is done , that if we forgive men their trespasses , our heavenly Father will also forgive us ; but if we forgive not men their trespasses ; neither will our heavenly Father forgive us our trespasses , vers . 14 , 15. If we are rigorous and severe therefore with our Brethren , God will be so with us also ; and when he comes to judge us we shall find as little allowance at his hands as they have done at ours . For he shall have judgment from God without mercy , who to men hath shewn no mercy ; but if any man has been merciful to his Brethren , God will be much more so to him ; for mercy rejoyceth even against judgment , James 2.13 . This will be the greatest motive to procure Grace , and the best Plea that can be urged to obtain mercy at Gods hands ; Blessed are the merciful , says our Saviour , for they shall obtain mercy . Mat. 5.7 . And thus as for our involuntary slips , we see now what is their remedy ; they shall be forgiven us upon our prayers , and upon the prayers of our friends and other good Christians for us ; and upon our Charity and forgiveness of other men . With the same measure that we mete , God will mete out to us again , Mat. 7.2 . So that if we shew mercy to the unwill'd sins , yea and the voluntary offences of other men ; if in other things we are obedient , we shall be sure to find it for our own . And thus at last we see what remedy the Gospel has provided us for all sorts of offences , whether they be our voluntary or involuntary sins . And upon the whole matter we find that our case is not desperate under any sort of sins , but that if we will use it , we have a sufficient cure for them . For if we are in a state of death by reason of any wilful sin ; let us but particularly repent of it and amend it , and , if it either injured or offended our Brethren , seek to be reconciled and repair the wrong , and we are restored to pardon . And if in any thing we have fallen involuntarily ; let us but pray and be merciful , and we are forgiven . And either way when God comes to judge us , whether we have in all points fulfilled his Laws , or are pardoned our transgressions of them , we shall be acquitted by him . We shall be safe at that day , if we have either kept the condition , or used the remedy ; for a pardon will justifie us to as much purpo●● ▪ as we should have been justified by an unerring obedience . To apply this then to every mans particular case . Has any man , whether learned or unlearned , committed wilfully and advisedly an act of any known and notorious sin , whether of Blasphemy , Perjury , common Swearing , Witchcraft , Idolatry , Drunkenness , Fornication , Adultery , Lying , Slander , Fraud , Oppression , Theft , Murder , Rebellion , Tumult , or the like ? has he been guilty of these , or of any other sins of like nature whereat all mens consciences are wont to boggle , and their hearts to check them , till they have sinned themselves into numbness and stupefaction ? let him particularly amend that evil way , and retract that very sin , and , if his crime implied any , as far as he can , repair the wrong it did his brethren ; and then he is in a safe condition . For his particular repentance and amendment shall make up the breach which such wilful offence had made betwixt God and him , and shall most certainly procure his pardon . Has any man of opportunities and understanding committed any action of Lasciviousness , Vncleanness , Passionateness , Fierceness , evil Speaking , Backbiting , Censoriousness , Vncandidness , Vnmercifulness , Vnpeaceableness , or the like ? has any such man , or any other whatsoever , been guilty of these or the like offences when his own Soul reproved him , and either did , or would have set the sinfulness of his present action before him , unless he has sinned in it so long , as to lose all sense of it , and to stifle all suggestions against it ? let him also particularly amend and reform such voluntary sin , and make his peace with his offended brethren , that he may be saved . His particular repentance shall likewise make his peace , and procure for him Gods favour and acceptance . Has any man , lastly , been surprized into rash words and censures , into sudden anger , and trifling discontents , and peevish , or uncourteous , or uncandid , or uncondescensive behaviour ? has he been wearied by long importunity into some loose thoughts and wanton fancies , into some small fretfulness , or impatience , or the like ? has he spoke or acted unadvisedly through deep grief , or violent fears , or other astonishing unwill'd passion ? let him bewail his failings , and strive against them , although he be not able perfectly to overcome them ; let him seek peace , and use charity , and shew mercy upon the like errours and escapes , and upon the more wilful offences of his brethren , and then with comfort beg Gods pardon . For his prayers thus attended shall set him straight , and procure his reconciliation . If a man is conscious to himself of any of these sorts of sins , these remedies will certainly restore him . And as for those unknown and secret sins , whereof his conscience cannot inform him ; he has an obvious and an easie expedient , for a general penitential prayer will undoubtedly be accepted for his pardon . Whatsoever therefore his sins be , if he please to make use of it , he is provided of his remedy . Repentance shall surely save his Soul , and make atonement for all his offences . So that of whatsoever nature , number , or degree his faults have been , after once he has thus repented of them , they shall never be imputed to him ; but through the Merits of Christs Death , and the Grace of his Gospel , they shall be looked upon as if they had never been . And thus at last we have seen what that condition is which the Gospel indispensably exacts of us towards our acceptance in the last Judgment , what those defects are whereof it allows , and what those Salvo's for all sorts of disobedience which it offers . For it requires an entire obedience of all our voluntary actions , it bears with all our innocently involuntary failings , and it admits us to recover our former state when once we have lost it , or to persevere in it when we enjoy it , by a particular repentance and amendment of all our wilful sins , and by our prayers and charity for our involuntary ones . This then is the true Test whereby at the last Day we must all be tryed . If we have obeyed entirely , and have been guilty of no wilful sin ; or if , when we have , we did not rest in it , but repented and amended it , and , where there was any , repaired the wrong , and sought to be reconciled ; and if we have beg'd pardon for all our involuntary slips , and have been diligent in shewing charity , and mercy , and forgiveness , to atone for them : then are we innocent in the accounts of the Gospel , and when Christ comes to judge us , we shall hear the joyful Sentence of Come ye blessed of my Father , inherit the kingdom prepared for you , Mat. 25.34 . This repentance and obedience will bear us out , and secure our happiness ; but less than it nothing in the world will. For God will take vengeance , saith S t Paul , on all that obey not the Gospel of Christ , 2 Thess. 1.8 : and , Except you repent , says our Saviour , you shall all perish , Luk. 13.5 . And thus having shewn what condition that is which the Gospel indispensably exacts to our acceptance in the last Judgment , what defects are consistent with it , and what remedies , when once 't is lost , shall again restore to it : I shall now proceed to that which I proposed in the fourth and last place ; namely , to remove those groundless scruples , which perplex the minds of good and safe , but yet erring and misguided people , concerning it ; whereof I shall discourse in the remaining Chapters . CHAP. IV. Of such groundless Scruples as make safe , but weak Minds doubt of their Title to Salvation . The CONTENTS . Pious minds scrupulous . Their condition is safe even then , but uncomfortable . Several needless grounds of their fears . 1. Ineffective desires of evil . This represented . No man otherwise good shall be condemned for ineffective lusts and thoughts of evil . These are considerable either as to their first birth , or indulged continuance . The first stirrings of lusts after evil things are unavoidable . The after-entertainment is by our own indulgence . Even these are uncondemning so long as they neither are consented to , nor fulfilled , being in themselves not deadly under the Gospel , but a temptation to deadly and damning sins . The way whereby sin wins upon men , and the nature and force of temptation . To be tempted is no sin , which is proved from the nature of temptation , from Adams being tempted before he sinned , and from Christs being tempted who knew no sin . Degrees in temptation or in lusts of evil . Some are checked quickly , and are not permitted long to parly . This happens only in grown men and perfect Christians , and that too not in all instances . These certainly are not damning . Others stay longer , and strive and contend with our mind or conscience , although at last they are vanquished by it . This happens ordinarily to younger Converts , and in extraordinary temptations to grown Christians . These still are uncondemning , which is shewn from Gal. 5.16 , 17 ; and from the instance of our Saviour Christ. What lusts and desires of evil are damning . They are condemning when they make us consent to a damning sin . A distinct account of the several steps to a sinful action . A proof of this , that from their gaining of our consent in all the after-steps they are mortal . Our lusts must be mortified to that degree , as to be disabled from carrying us on thus far . This is done when men become true Christians . The better men are , the less difficulty and self-denial do they find in mortification . Watchfulness and strife still necessary . The danger of indulging to temptations , or to lusts and desires of evil . This point summed up . IN matters of Religion and another World , nothing is more ordinarily observable than that those people are wont to have the greatest fears , who have the least reason for them . For good Christians , although they think the best of others , are generally very suspicious of themselves . They have a deep sense of the danger of sin , and a full conviction of the fatal end of disobedience ; and that makes them think , that in a matter wherein it so highly concerns them not to be mistaken , they can never be over-jealous of their own hearts , or too cautious , lest after all , those insupportable punishments of sin should fall to be their own portion . And this they do especially , if in any material point , whereupon , as to the Sentence of Life or Death , the Gospel lays a great stress , they are ignorant and erroneous . For there are no terrors in the world that are comparable to those of Religion , nor have any men upon earth so much reason to be afraid , as they who are in danger to fall under them . And therefore if there is any thing which will be of great account in the last Judgment , or , what is all one , which they think will be severely accounted for ; and they either find themselves to be guilty of it , or , which comes to the same thing , fansie that they are : they must needs be fearfully perplexed , and deprived of all peace and comfort , though really they are in the greatest safety . 'T is true indeed that in the end they shall be no losers , nor shall their mistaken fears ever be fulfilled upon them ; because at the last Day God will judge them according to his own Rule , and not according to their errours and misapprehensions of it ; so that if they have really done all that which he requires to Heaven and Happiness , he will think well of them notwithstanding they think never so hardly of themselves . Their errors shall in no wise pervert his Truth , for he sees what they are , howsoever they may mistake it ; and if he sees them to be righteous , his sentence will follow his own knowledge , and he will declare to all the world that they are so . This is the security of all good men , as it is the eternal terror and astonishment of all hypocrites and sinners , that they shall be brought before an unerring and uncorrupt Judge , who can neither be bribed nor deceived , and who cannot mistake them , or wrongfully condemn them , howsoever they may mistake , or wrongfully condemn themselves . And since it is so , they are really safe in their own goodness , when they most of all suspect their own danger ; and secure from evil , even whilst they are afraid of falling under it . But although every good man is in this safety , let his understanding of himself be what it will ; yet if in any of those things which he takes to be a matter of life or death , he judges wrong of himself , and thinks erroneously , he can enjoy no peace and comfort . He will go to Heaven full of fears , and forbodeing thoughts ; and never think himself in the way to Bliss till he is actually inthroned in it , and possessed of it . He will meet indeed with happiness in the end , but he will have no sight or expectation of it in the way ; for all his life long he will be tormented with doubts and suspicions , fears and jealousies ; and be still by turns concluding himself lost as to the next World , though he be lost no where but in his own fancy . And this imagined future misery will bring him under a real one for the present ; it will make him have sad thoughts and a sorrowful heart , it will bereave him of all joy and peace , and almost overwhelm him in groundless perplexity and vexation . But that pious Souls may not fear where no fear is ▪ nor torment themselves with unreasonable expectations ; having before shewn what that condition really is which renders any mans a safe condition , I will go on now to remove their groundless scruples and mistakes concerning it , by shewing what , and of what force those things are , which are wont , without any sufficient reason , to disquiet the minds , and to disturb the peace of good and safe , but mistaken Christians about it . And as for the causes of good mens fears , so far as I have been able to learn them , they are chiefly these that follow . 1. Good men are wont to call in question the saveableness of their present , and the happiness of their future state ; because after all their care against them , they find that some motions of the flesh , some stirrings of their lusts , some thoughts of evil do still arise up in them . They feel themselves subject to delightsom fancies and desires of forbidden things . They are liable to a lustful thought , a covetous wish , an insurrection of anger , of envy , and of several other damning sins . 'T is true indeed that these lusts do not reign in them , because they do not consent to their instigations , nor do what they would have them . They can only inhabit and stir in them , but have not strength enough to give Laws to them ; for they repress them before they get so far , and prevail over them before they go on to fulfil what they inclined to . Not any of these sinful lusts , whereof they are afraid , has got so much power over them , as to carry them on either to consent to them , or to fulfil them ; for though they may think on some forbidden things in their minds , or desire them in their hearts ; yet do they not will and chuse any of them , and least of all do they work and practise them . They may perhaps have a thought and fancy , a wish and inclination after unchast pleasures ; but they correct themselves there , and go no further , for they never in their hearts consent to an unlawful embrace , nor ever proceed to an unclean action . In a sudden motion of anger , it may be , they may have several expressions of wrath and instances of revenge occur to their thoughts , and obtruding themselves upon their fancy ; but they stop there and go no higher , for they do not consent to utter an injurious word , or to commit a spiteful action ; and the same they experience by themselves in other instances . In all which several forbidden things will get into their thoughts and desires , and steal from them a wish or inclination ; but when once they have done that they can do no more , being unable either to gain their consent , or to command their practice , so as that they should not only desire , but also chuse and fulfil them . But although they do not suffer sin to reign in them so as to consent to it , or to fulfil it in the lusts thereof ; yet they fear lest their very thoughts and inclinations after it should prove damnable . For God requires the obedience of our whole man , of the mind and affections , as well as of our wills and actions ; and he is disobeyed by any , as well as by all our faculties . And seeing every sin is forbidden under pain of death , who knows but that this admission of sin into our thoughts and desires is a deadly transgression . This is one great cause of fear , and a rock of offence to truly honest and good men . But to take off all doubt and scruple upon this account , we must know that our impotent lusts and ineffective desires of evil things , if they are able to get no further than a thought or a wish , though at present they are a matter of our exercise and humiliation ; yet at the Day of Judgment they shall be no Article of death or condemnation . For Christs Gospel doth not sentence us severely upon these first motions of a lust , or beginnings of a sin ; no , if they arrive no higher than fancy and inclination , through the merits of Christs Sacrifice there is Grace enough in store for them , and in the Gospel account they are not grown up to be a matter of Death , nor come within the Confines of destruction . That I may speak with the more distinctness to this Point , I will here shew these two things : 1. That for our feeble lusts and desires after evil , which are unconsented to , and unfulfilled , we shall not at the last day be condemned . 2. For what lusts and desires of them we shall . 1. I say , For our feeble lusts and desires of evil , which are unconsented to and unfulfilled , at the day of Judgment no man otherwise good shall ever be condemned . God will never sentence us to Hell for every sudden desire an inclination after sinful things ; but if it rests there , and goes no further than bare desire , he will pardon and pass it by , but not eternally avenge it . To speak distinctly to this Point , these lustings and desires are considerable either as to their first birth , or as to their indulged and allowed continuance : the first are never damning , and the latter many times are no Article of condemnation . As for our bodily lusts and desires of evil , in their first birth , I say , they are never damning , nor shall any man , who is otherwise vertuous and obedient , be ever judged to dye for them . And if it were otherwise , who could possibly be saved ? For as long as we live in this World , we have all of us these first motions of appetites after evil things more or less ; and there is no avoiding of it . For the Laws of God , which are impositions superinduced upon our Natures , by their prohibitions make several of our most natural appetites and desires themselves to be sinful ; the lusts of the Flesh making up a good part of the prohibitions of the Gospel . But although God by his after-prohibition has made them sinful , yet from that natural necessity which he had laid upon us before , we cannot live intirely free from them . For our Flesh will lust , and make offers after such things as are naturally fitted to its liking ; and we cannot help it : because our Bodies , so long as they are conversant among the things of this World , from their natural frame and constitution will still be delighted with some things , to crave and desire ; and pained by others , to hate and abhor them . This , I say , is natural , whilst there is any life and sense in our Bodies , the good and evil things of the world must of necessity thus sensibly affect them ; and where they are affected with pleasure , there 't is natural for them to desire ; as where they feel pain , 't is natural for them to abhor the thing which occasions and produces it . These first lustings then and cravings after forbidden things are natural , and were made necessary before the prohibition came to make them sinful . And if by an after-Law men shall be condemned for being sensibly affected with outward things , or for having a sudden lust and inclination after them upon their being so sensibly affected with them ; then shall they be condemned for what they could not help , and dye for not performing impossibilities . But God neither can , nor doth make any Laws which exact things so rigorous : He punishes nothing in us but what proceeded from our own will , nor exacts an account of us for our natural lusts and inclinations , further than they are subject to our own choice and free disposal . If a sudden fear , or an unclean desire arise up in the heart of an holy man , from the presence of outward objects or inward imaginations , and the natural temper of his Blood and Spirits ; he shall not be put to answer for it , because he could not prevent it . He could no more hinder it , than he can hinder the beating of his heart , or the motion of his blood ; seeing it was no free work of his will , but a natural effect of his temper . And to be condemned for that , is to suffer for having flesh and blood , as well as Reason and Spirit ; and to undergo punishment for being made up of Body as well as Soul , for being a man and not an Angel. As for several things indeed which follow upon the first suggestion of a prohibited object , and upon the first lusting after it : they are not the effects of nature , but of our own choice . For though a fancy of evil , and a sudden lusting after it from its fansied agreeableness , may obtrude it self upon us whether we will or no , either by chance , or by occasion of a temptation : yet a continued entertainment of it , and a stay upon it in our imaginations , to cherish lust , and inflame desire , cannot come upon us but by our own liking and connivence . For as soon as ever we can observe them , our thoughts are our own , to dispose of how , and upon what we please The first thought , 't is true is not always in our power to hinder , because many times it comes upon us e're we can observe it . For our souls , as I have sometimes said , are souls in flesh , and make use of our bodily powers in their most spiritual operations ; being linked so fast to them , as that they cannot but communicate , and be affected with them . But then the stay upon it , and the continued attention to it in after-entertainment is a thing that cannot be so suddenly forced upon us , but we give way to it only when , and how long we our selves please . So that whatsoever the first fancy and desire of evil was , the after-entertainment is our own ; seeing it came not from any necessity of nature , but from the free determination or connivence of our own will. But yet even these after-thoughts and inclinations after forbidden things are not always an Article of our condemnation ; but then only when we consent to them , or practise and fulfil them . For if the forbidden thing is only fansied in our minds , and craved by our appetites , but has got no consent of our hearts , nor any endeavours of our lives and actions : according to the gracious terms of that Gospel whereby we must stand or fall , it is not yet come within the terrours of Judgment , nor has made us liable to Death and Hell. For the evil and danger of our bodily desires , we must know , is the evil and danger of a temptation . When our appetites desire what the prohibition has made evil , and our Spirits on the other side declare what the Commandment has made good ; then is the time of temptation or tryal whether our wills are resolved to stick to our lusts or to our Duty , and whether they will prefer God or sin . And herein lyes the great danger of our natural appetites ; for although in themselves they are not deadly and damning to any man otherwise good , yet are they traps and snares to deadly and damning sins . In themselves , I say , to any Christian man who is otherwise good and vertuous , our natural appetites are not deadly and damning . The lusting and inclination of our Flesh after Meats and Drinks , and after ease and pleasures ; and the lusting of the eye after gain and riches , are not absolutely and directly forbidden , or in themselves , and before they have got any further , an Article of our condemnation . No , all the desires of the Flesh are naturally necessary , some to preserve our own persons , and some to the preservation and propagation of Mankind . This God himself has made , and he allows of it . It is no mans sin to have a stomach to his meat , or to have desires after ease , and a fleshly inclination after bodily pleasures : because God has so framed our Bodies that they should , and therefore he cannot be angry with us if we do desire them . Indeed he has not left these desires to their own swing , but has put several restraints upon them : he has bound them up from some objects , and in some degrees . For we are forbid to desire and lust after meat and drink , ease and pleasure , riches and plenty , when either we are injurious to other men in procuring that which we lust after , or when we are excessive and intemperate in the use of it , or for its sake transgress any other Commandment . Our desires of meat and drink , for instance , must not carry us on to excessive measures in gluttony and drunkenness ; our carnal lusts must not draw us on to act them with undue objects in fornication , adultery , rapes , or other prohibited uncleannesses ; and our desire of money must not betray us into thefts or robberies , fraud and circumvention , extortion and oppression , niggardliness , uncharitableness , or other sins whether against Justice or Charity . As on the other side our fears and aversations from want , or pain , or other bodily evils , must not induce us to neglect a Commandment that we may please our Flesh , or to deny our Religion for the securing of a bodily enjoyment . These restraints God has laid upon our bodily appetites , having given us these Commands , with several others mentioned above , which we are oft-times tempted to transgress in order to the fulfilling of them . For our bodily appetites themselves do not distinguish , either of objects , or of degrees . A mans palate , or his stomach in any delicious meat or drink which yields a pleasure to it , doth not tell him when they have enough , or cease desiring before they are gone on to be intemperate . Our eyes lust after money , but they consider not whose it is ; but so they may have it , they matter not to whom it belongs , or how they come by it : and so it is in our fleshly appetites of other things . For it is the natural pleasure of those things which we lust after that moves our bodies ; and therefore they lust after them so long as they are pleased with them . They never stop at a fixt measure , or turn away from a forbidden object ; so that if we will be ruled by them , they will carry us on to any thing that agrees with them , whether it be lawful or unlawful , and so are sure to insnare us into sin . And here indeed God has set a strict restraint upon them , and will punish them severely if they go beyond it . For Then , as I said , our lusts are deadly to us , and articles of our condemnation , when they have damning effects , and ensnare us into deadly and damning sins . To any good man the bare lusts and desires of evil are not so truly a damning sin , as a dangerous temptation ; they are not in themselves an Article of Death to him , but they are apt to carry him on to that which is . For that which puts any sin into a capacity to tempt us , is our lust or desire of something which is annexed to it , and which we hope to obtain by it . There is always something that goes along with it , which is naturally fitted to please our flesh , and to excite a carnal appetite ; and by this we are tempted and allured into the practice and commission of it . For bare sin could never tempt any man , nor could any one in his wits ever chuse to disobey for disobedience sake without any thing further : because there is no good in transgression nakedly considered , which should move any mans will to chuse and embrace it ; but on the contrary much evil , that will disswade and affright him from it . For it deprives us of Gods favour , and subjects us to his vengeance , and fills us with sad hearts , and anxious thoughts , and terrible expectations . But that which wins us over to a liking and approbation of it , is the appearance of some pleasure , profit , honour , or other annexed allurement which we expect to reap by it . It is one or other of these that overcomes all our fears , and inveagles us into the commission of it ; for they strike in with our natural appetites , and raise in us desires after it ; and those prove the bait which draws us in , and the insnaring temptation . For herein lies all the force of any temptation : The satisfaction of a lust is joyned with the acting of a sin , which is an invitation to us for the sake of the one to commit the other also . The transgression has something annexed which is agreeable to our fleshly Natures , and raises in us desires of it , and cravings after it ; and when it has got this hold of us , it draws us as much as we can be drawn by our love of our own lusts , and the gratification of our bodily appetites ; which is indeed a great step to our choice and commission of it , and a strong temptation . For this is the natural order of our actions ; either our Consciences or our Passions move and excite us to them , and then our Wills chuse and intend them , and upon that choice and intention our Vnderstandings contrive and direct , and last of all our bodily and executive Powers fulfil and perform them . All our bodily actions are at the choice and under the command of our wills , and all our choice is upon the appearance of some good or other , which either our consciences , or our fleshly lusts and appetites propose to us . For our wills , we must remember , are placed in a middle state , and are canvased and beset on both sides , our lusts being urgent with us to consent to one thing , and our consciences to another . And this is that strife betwixt the flesh and spirit , which is mentioned in the Scriptures ; and that contention which S t Paul describes in the 7 th Chapter to the Romans , between the Law of lust in the members and the Law of God in the mind . These two Principles , our Body and Spirit , or our Lusts and our Consciences , are those great Interests that vie and struggle in us , and emulously contend which shall obtain the consent and choice of the will of man. And whensoever either of them has got that , our actions follow in course . For our bodily members move at our own choice ; and therefore if our lusts after the pleasures of sin have once prevailed upon our wills to consent to it , they have gained their point and their work is done , and we shall go on without more ado to act and commit it . In this then lies all the force of a temptation , that the sin which we are tempted to has something annexed to it wherein our flesh is delighted , and which it lusts after , and desires for the sake of that pleasure which it finds in it . And when by this means any sin has got our fleshly love and desire , it has got a powerful friend in our own bosoms . For our lusts are strong and violent , and where they set upon a thing , they will not easily be denied , but are urgent and importunate with our wills to consent to their gratification , and yield to the fulfilling of them . So that if once any sin has struck in with them , it is able to try its strength , and contend with the Law of God in the mind ; being furnished now with a powerful bait and a strong temptation . Thus are our lusts and desires of forbidden things , not the forbidden sin it self , but the temptation to it ; so that in bare lusting or desiring of them , we do not commit the damning sins themselves , but are tempted only to their commission . And in this S t James is most express ; for then , says he , every man is tempted , when he is drawn away of his own lusts , and enticed to evil by them , Jam. 1.14 . And as for meer temptation to a damning sin , it is not deadly and damning . For our being tempted to sin is not a renouncing of our Lord , but an exercise of our service and obedience to him , and a tryal whether or no we will renounce him . It is the great proof and argument how dearly we love him , and how closely and faithfully our wills adhere to him . It shews how obedience is uppermost in our hearts , and that we will rather deny our dearest lusts and importunate desires , than venture , for their sakes , to offend him . So that to be tempted is no instance of damning disobedience , but a plain proof how much we will lose and suffer rather than we will disobey . It is a tryal of us how we prefer God and our Duty before other things , even those that are most dear to us of all things in the world besides . We do not sin damnably then in being tempted , so long as we consent not to it , but manfully resist and overcome the temptation . And this is evident from hence , because those very men who have lived most free from sin , have not for all that lived free from temptation . Even Adam himself , before he knew what sin was , and during his state of Innocence , was liable to be tempted . For the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil , whereof God had forbidden him to eat , was alluring to his eyes , and an incentive to his lust , as well as any other Tree of the Garden . And because it was so , the Woman was won to eat of it through the strength of such desire after it , notwithstanding God had commanded her to abstain from it . The woman saw that the Tree was good for food , and pleasant to the eye , and she took of the fruit thereof , and did eat ; and by the same inducement she drew in her Husband , and gave it unto him , and he did eat also , Gen. 3.6 . And the second Adam , who was most entirely innocent and guilty of no sort of a sin , was yet liable to temptation like as we are , being in all points tempted like as we are , yet without sin , Heb. 4.15 . Nay , says the Apostle , it was necessary that he should be so ; that by what he felt in himself , he might the better know how to shew mercy and have compassion upon us . In all things , says he , it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren , that he might be a merciful as well as a faithful High Priest ; for in that he himself hath suffer'd being tempted , he is able to succour them that are tempted , Heb. 2.17 , 18. As for our being tempted then , or invited to any sin by our bare lusts and inclinations after it ; in it self , and before it has got any further , it is no deadly sin or damnable transgression . It is the scene of good endeavour , the tryal of obedience , a test of our great love and preference of God and his Law before all the world besides , yea even before our own dearest lusts , and our own selves . It is nothing more than befel Adam before he had sinned , or than befel Christ who never knew sin ; and therefore in it self bare lust and desire , or being tempted and invited to sin , cannot be damnably sinful . As for our Lusts or Temptations , 't is true they differ in degrees , according as our desires of that evil which we are tempted to are indulged , and have advanced more or less . For sometimes a lust may stir , but as soon as ever it is observed it is again extinguished . The pleasure of the sin , whether by being seen or fansied , raises in us a sudden thought or desire after it ; but the lust is expelled as soon as it is discovered , it is not suffered to remain and dwell in us , but is presently thrown out with indignation . For we turn away our fancy from the evil thing , and will not endure to think upon it , or to continue craving and lusting after it . And this is a power over our own desires , and a way of breaking the strength of temptation , which is incident only to grown men and to perfect Christians : and that not in all instances of temptation , but only in such as are not extraordinary in themselves , and which have been often vanquished and triumphed over . It is in such cases where use has made the conquest easie , and long custom of ceasing and turning away from the inveigling desire has taken off all the difficulty ; so that now we are able to silence and subdue the lust as soon as we discern it . And as for these feeble desires and impotent temptations , there is no question but that a good Christian may be under them , and yet be in no danger of being condemned for them . But then at other times our lusts live longer , and advance higher ; they grow up to good degrees , till they are able to contend and strive against our mind and conscience ; so that even when at last they are denied , and our wills chuse to do what God commands in spite of them ; yet is it after much struggling and opposition . The flesh lusteth against the spirit , as well as the spirit lusteth against the flesh ; and although at last the fleshly lusts are overpower'd , and cannot prevail with our wills to chuse on their side ; yet do they strive hard and contend for it . And here a lust is not presently subdued as soon as it is discerned , but it strives and struggles ; it can make head against the Law in the mind , although it cannot overcome it ; it has some interest in the will , although it have not an interest sufficient ; for the will hearkens to it for some time , and considers of what it offers , notwithstanding at last it reject its suit , and through the sollicitations of a more powerful Favourite , resolves against it . And this power our lusts have in us whilst we are young Converts , and of a more imperfect goodness ; nay in some very great temptations indeed , such as are the fear of death and bodily torments especially , they will struggle thus in those who are the most perfect Christians of all . But now when our lusts are in this d●gree , so as to stay upon our Souls for some time , and to strive against our spirits for the consent of our wills before they are ●inally denied it : yet if they go no further than bare lust , and our wills do not after all their struggling consent to them , or chuse the evil thing which is craved by them , they are still uncondemning , and incident to an Heir of Salvation . And this , as I take it , is clear from what S t Paul himself says of the truly regenerate , or of those who , in his words , walk in the spirit . For in them he says plainly , that the flesh lusteth against the spirit , albeit it is not able to prevail over it ; so that even in doing what the spirit commands them , they do against the contrary will and lusting of the flesh which gainsays it . The flesh lusteth against the spirit , and the spirit against the flesh ; so that even in fulfilling the will of the spirit , you contradict another will of your lusts , and cannot do , or b do not the things that you would , Gal. 5.16 , 17. Nay even Christ himself who knew no sin , nor ever committed any thing which could in strict justice be worthy of death ; was yet subject to such a conflict of flesh and spirit as this now mentioned . His very Death and Passion , which was the very c consummation and highest part of his obedience , was not without great struggling of his flesh , and a long and earnest conflict of his bodily desires against it . For he was in a strange fear and discomposure about it ; he began , says S t Mark , to be sore amazed , Mark 14.34 . And when he had recovered himself a little from the maze of that sudden fright , he prays against it — O my Father , if it he possible , let this cup pass from me , Mat. 26.39 . And when his request was not granted at first , he makes a fresh address wherein he is more importunate — being in his Agony , says S t Luke , he prayed more earnestly , Luk. 22.44 ; his supplications he offered up with strong crying and tears , Hebr. 5.7 . All this strife and opposition did the desire of life , and the bodily appetite after ease and safety , together with the sense of God's wrath and high displeasure , raise in him against this obedience of his sufferings . But because all this was only lust and desire , which although it lasted some time , and discomposed him much , was not yet able to gain any thing of his will and d consent to it ; therefore notwithstanding it , was he perfectly innocent . All that can be said is , That he was tempted by the desires of his Flesh against this great and last instance of obedience ; but he did not yield or consent to the temptation . Thus then as for the lusts and desires of our Flesh , whether they be suddenly rejected and make no resistance , or are longer liv'd and contend much ; if they have got no consent of our wills to the fulfilling of them , nor any choice of the evil which is craved by them , they are only a temptation to a damning sin , but in themselves thus far they are not damning . As for these motions and lustings after evil things then , that are unconsented to and unfulfilled , which are the complaint and fear of good men ; they shall not harm them , or be charged upon them to their condemnation . But when God comes to judgment , he will pardon and pass them by , and not eternally punish and avenge for them . And having shewn thus for what lusts and desires of evil we shall at the last day be pardoned ; I come now , 2. To shew for which of them we shall be condemned . And as for this , we have in great part our answer to it already . For our lusts are then damnable and dangerously evil , when they are effectual instruments and temptations to damning evils , and carry us on either to chuse , or practise them . For they are the great Favourites and Seducers of our wills , and thereby the Authors of our actions ; they first bring us to chuse and consent to the deadly sin whereby they are gratified , and then to act it ; and when they are gone on to either of these , they are an Article of our condemnation . They are uncondemning till they come so far , but if once they have got us to consent to the alluring sin , from that consent begins their sting , and both it , and all that follows it , make us liable to eternal destruction . To make this Discourse more clear , I will here set down those several steps whereby we ascend to the completion , and are carried on to the working and commission of any sin . 1. At the representation of the object which is to tempt us to it , whether it be an unchast embrace , an unlawful gain , or the like , either by what we feel of it now if it be before our senses , or by what we fansie if it is in our imagination , our flesh is pleased and delighted with it . And from this pleasure it naturally goes on to love , and from loving to desire it . And desire or lust is the last step among the passions ; for delight begets love , and love ends in desire ; but when once we are come to desire a thing , our passions have done their part , and all that in them lyes towards the action . 2. When in the appetite or animal soul the sin has gone thus far , the next step is , that to gratifie this desire or lust of our Flesh , our wills should consent to it . For our wills are the Disposers of all that follows , so that unless they consent to get that which the Flesh so much desires , there can nothing more be done towards it . But if they do consent to the desire , and intend to fulfil it ; then , 3. Our understanding and contrivance is employed in deliberating and consulting what time , what place , what means are fittest to accomplish it with the least difficulty , and the most delight , and to the greatest advantage . And when our minds have seen which to prefer and fix upon ; then , 4. Our wills resolve upon them , and make choice of them . And when this is done , the last Decree is past , and all the time of doubting and deliberation is over ; so that nothing more remains , but , 5. To apply our bodily powers to perform our resolutions , in the execution and commission of that which was resolved upon . This is the natural order of our faculties , and the process that is observed by our principles of action in their completion and final commission of any sin . The first beginning is in the lower soul , for that is the inlet of all sin , and the seat of temptation ; and there it is that sin hath all its strength and insnaring power , upon which account it is called by S t Paul a Law in the Members , Rom. 7.23 . And when these lusts of our Flesh have won the consent of our wills , they are secure of all our after-contrivances for it , and of our actual performance and execution of it . For both our thoughts and our bodily powers are at the Command of our own wills ; so that if at the instigation of our lusts , our wills have once consented to the sin , they will quickly set our heads awork to contrive for it , and our hands and other bodily powers to execute and fulfil it . And in this method our Principles of action move , when we act with full deliberation , and when they are all employed . Sometimes indeed there is no contrivance at all , because none is needful ; as it happens when the opportunity of the sin is present with us , and just before us at such time as we consent to it ; so that nothing more is wanting but only to act and fulfil it . But when the opportunity is absent , and we are put to forecast and contrive for it ; then is the process of our faculties in that very order which I have here described . For an instance and illustration of this , we will take the sin of drunkenness , and the process will appear to be in that order which I have mentioned . For in a man whose inclination that way disposes him to be tempted by it , the fancy of it in himself , or the having it suggested by another , gives him a thought of the pleasure which accompanies it ; and from that apprehension of its pleasurableness he begins to love , and from that loved he goes on straightway to desire it . And now his will being sollicited by his lust or bodily desire , consents to the fulfilling of it . And this consent being once gained , the next thing in order is to deliberate and contrive what company , what time , and what place are fittest for it . And when by comparing all things together he comes to make a judgment of that , he immediately chuses and resolves upon it ; and that being done , there is nothing remaining further but to execute what he has resolved , and go on to the performance of it . This then is the method and progress , from our lusting and desiring of any thing that is evil , to our acting and committing it . It begins in delight , and love and desire ; and thence goes on to our consenting to it , to our contrivance for it , to our resolutions upon it , and after all these to our practice and performance of it . Now so long as the evil is entertained only in a short delightsom thought , or love , or desires , and rests there , but goes no further : it is not so much our damning sin , as our dangerous temptation ; it will be connived at , and at the last Day we shall not be condemned for it . For thus far the sin is only solliciting our choice , but has not got it ; and as yet we have not committed a mortal crime , but are only under a tryal whether we will be drawn to the commission of it , or no. But if once our wills consent to it , then begins the sting , and there the danger enters ; for the lusting after evil so far as to consent to it , and much more so as to contrive for it , or to fulfil it , makes us liable to death and eternal condemnation . For our own choice , as we heard above ▪ makes any sin damning ; so that if by means of the tempting lust any sin has prevailed so far , it is become a deadly offence , and subjects us to destruction . Lust , says S t James , when it has conceived , or is imperfectly consented to , answering to conception which is an imperfect information , bringeth forth sin ; and sin when by being perfectly consented to , it is finished , bringeth forth death which is the wages of it , Jam. 1.15 . And that our lusts after any sin are then damnably sinful when they are gone beyond desire , and are come on either to our consent , or contrivance , or actual performance ; appears further from these instances in them all three . If we lust so long after any evil thing , as to consent to the sinful enjoyment of it , we are guilty of all that punishment which is threatned to it . He that looks upon a woman , says our Saviour , so long as to lust after her , or to e consent in his heart to the enjoyment of her , he hath committed adultery already with her in his heart , Mat. 5.28 . If we lust so long as to contrive for it , which is a degree further ; we are more guilty of the sin , and more liable to the punishment of it still . The inclinations and contrivances of murder , as was observed above , are reckoned among those things which pollute a man , ( and thereby unfit him for entring into Heaven , where nothing can ever have admittance that is unclean ) as well as murder it self is , Mat. 15.19 . But if our lust after any sinful enjoyment carry us on , not only to consent to it , or to contrive for it , but , what is the perfection of all , to work and fulfil it : then has it ensnared us into as much mischief as it can , and is become dangerous and damning with a witness . For then it has prevailed with us to compleat our sin , and give the last hand to it ; it has brought us under that which is most of all threatned ; for now we fulfil the lusts of the flesh , Gal. 5.16 , 19 ; we work iniquity , Mat. 7.23 . And if we continue to do this not only for once or twice , but in constant returns , and in a fixt course and tenure of action ; then as our sin is grown higher , the acts thereof being more numerous , and the guilt more crying ; so will our punishment also be more dreadfully severe . And this is called walking after the flesh , 2 Pet. 2.10 ; and living after the flesh , Rom. 8.13 . And this being a state of wasted virtue , and habitual reigning sin ; it is not only , through its obnoxiousness to punishment , a state of death ; but also , through its hardness of cure and difficult recovery , a state of great doubt and danger likewise . So that as for all these further degrees , from the consent of our wills , onward ; if our lusts after any sin have gone on to them , they are deadly and damning . For the same Law in the members which wars against the law of the mind , so as thus to captivate and triumph over it , is as the Law of sin , so , as the Apostle says , the Law of death too , Rom. 7.23.24 . All our lustings after evil therefore , when once they come to be consented to , although before they were connived at , are thenceforth deadly and damning . So that whosoever hopes to be saved at the last Day from the punishment of them , must thus far mortifie and kill them . Mortifie , says S t Paul , those desires which are seated in your earthly members , Col. 3.5 ; for it is only if you through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body , that you shall live , Rom. 8.13 . As to these damnable degrees , all fleshly lusts must of necessity be crucified in all good Christian men ; for no man will be reputed to belong to Christ till this change is wrought in him . They that are Christs , says the same Apostle , have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts , Gal. 5.24 . Mortifie and crucifie them , I say , we must ; not so as to have no fleshly appetites and bodily desires of evil ; for then must we have no bodily desires at all . Because our lusts themselves , as was observed , do not distinguish of lawful or unlawful , but are naturally moved by an agreeable object , whether it be with God or against him . But we must mortifie them to that degree , as that they never be able to win us over to consent to any forbidden thing for their gratification . They must never have so much interest in our hearts , as to make us prefer them before our duty , and chuse to perform what they bid us , rather than what God doth . Some stirrings and ineffective motions of them , which cannot prevail against God , nor gain over the consent of our wills to any thing that he has forbidden , are dispensed with ; they are the stage of temptation but not of death ; for God bears with them , and the mortified men themselves do daily feel and labour under them . But it is the prevailing strength of our lusts after evil things , when they get our consent to them , and carry us on to transgress Gods Laws to fulfil them : this conquering power of fleshly lusts , I say , it is which is to be mortified in every good man , because under this strength and empire of them he cannot go to Heaven . And that no good man may call in question the safety of his state , from any needless fears about this mortification ; this we must know every man has done in his conversion to become a good Christian. For before he can be such , he has killed the reigning power of lust , so as not to be acted any longer by its instigation . He feels some small stirrings of it afterwards indeed ; but they do not win upon him , or prevail over him ; for he is always ready to deny the satisfaction of his lust , before he will displease his God ; and makes all the desires of his flesh to give way to the dictates of his Conscience . Ye that are Christs , saith S t Paul , have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts , Gal. 5.24 . And when this is once done , there is no great trouble in it afterwards ; for the more any man is accustomed to obey , the less difficulty doth he find in mortification and self-denial , and in restraining of all those lusts which tempt to disobedience . He is not now in every temptation put to the pain and trouble of cutting off a right hand , or of plucking out a right eye ; the self-denial and mortification went so near him at first , 't is true ; but since he has been used to it , and his flesh is accustomed to bear the yoke and to be under subjection , there are no such pangs and uneasiness attending it . So that if he is not now still upon the severe task of painful mortification , it is because he doth not need it , since it is done already to his hand . His lusts are so far mortified as it is absolutely necessary they should ; they are crucified to that degree , as to be disabled from gaining his consent to them , his contrivance for them , or his fulfilling and performance of them ; and that is as much mortification as God will exact of him . But yet when this is done , and our lusts are mortified to this degree , there is still need of a watchful care over them , and of a continual strife against them , lest they should rebel again and go further . For the objects of sense , and the allurements of our flesh are still before us ; and our bodies naturally are still as capable to be delighted in them , and thereupon to lust and long after them , as ever they were before . It is only the over-powering strength of the Law in the mind or conscience which maintains the resolution of our wills against them , and by that means keeps them under . And therefore if once we begin to slacken our care , and to keep no hank upon them ; but allow them to go where , and how far they please ; they will quickly grow upon us , and prove too hard for us , and bring us first to consent to them , and after that to compleat and fulfil them . Let no man therefore indulge to the thoughts of unlawful pleasures , and by the delights of his fancy foment and cherish the lusts and desires of his Flesh ; presuming that all is safe whilst he doth not consent to them , nor yields to fulfil them . For admitting that all things else are innocent and uncondemning , yet however by this means he lays a snare for his own soul. For he throws himself into temptation , and so cannot expect that God should deliver him out of it . God has promised to relieve us indeed in all necessities of his own making ; if his Providence throws us upon trial , his Grace shall support us under it , and make a way for our escape out of it . He will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able , saith the Apostle , but together with the temptation he will make a way to escape , that ye may be able to bear so much of it as befalls you , 1 Cor. 10.13 . But what is this to us if we bring our selves into snares , and prove our own tempters ? For there is no reason at all to presume that God , if he will deliver us from other enemies , should deliver us also from our own selves ; and that he should secure us by his Spirit from those very snares , which we lay for our own Vertue . No , if we will entertain Serpents in our bosoms , he has no where engaged , nor is there any reason why he should , that we shall not be stung by them . But on the contrary , he warns us against them , and bids us be careful to keep off from them . Yea , so far must we be from bringing temptations upon our selves , that , if we will observe his orders , we must pray daily even against those whereto his Providence might expose us . This being one of those Petitions , which , according to our Lords appointment , we are to put up to God as often as we do that for our daily bread ; viz. That he would not lead us into temptation , Matth. 6.13 . So that if by indulging to delightsome fancies , and growing lusts of evil , we throw our selves into a great temptation , we have just reason to fear that God , for our punishment , should leave us in it , and suffer us damnably to fall by it . Such indulgence is apt of it self to inflame our lusts , and to weaken our resolutions ; and God is also prone to withdraw his Grace , and to leave us to our own strength upon it ; and since at the same time it increases our necessities , and withdraws our aids , it must need● put us into a dangerous condition . If then we would secure our souls , and keep off from damning sins ; we must resist temptations at the beginning , and not give way to them ; we must not cherish and indulge , but timely check , and heedfully suppress them . And thus at last we see what is the just force of this first cause of fear to honest minds , their ineffective lusts , and impotent desires of evil . The first beginnings of lust cannot be avoided , and the longer entertainment of it shall not finally be punished , if it is soon checked by us , nay if it stays longer and contends much with us , so long as it doth not prevail upon us to consent to and fulfil the sin whereto it is a temptation . But when once it has gained our consent and choice of that sin whereto it would engage us , then is it of a damning stain , and all its following effects are mortal . All which S t James insinuates to us in that account which he gives us of the progress and production of sin , which he sets down from the motive or first temptation , to the perfect birth or compleat production , in this order : Then , says he , every man is tempted , when he is drawn away of his own lusts , and inticed to evil by them . This lust or desire of evil is only the first step , being as yet not grown up to the stature of sin , but only to that of temptation . But when it advances , and draws in our other faculties ; then sin begins and ripens ; it is first conceived , and then finished ; and after the finishing of it , it is a matter of condemnation , although before it were uncondemning . For then when lust hath conceived , by being in some imperfected measure willed and consented to , it bringeth forth , answerable to its conception , which is but an imperfect sort of production , an imperfect embryo of sin ; and this embryo of sin , when by a full choice and perfect consent , and much more when by action and practice , it is finished , bringeth forth its proper wages ▪ death . Jam. 1.14 , 15. Although these lustings and desires therefore which good men complain of , may justly be an imployment of their watchfulness and care ; yet ought they not to be a cause of their fear or scruple . For it shall not bring upon them those evils which they are afraid of , nor ever prove their ruine and destruction . The evil thing is entertained only in a thought , or a wish ; they lust after it , and are tempted by it ; but that is all , for they do not consent to the temptation . And since their lusts go no further than thus , they shall not harm them when Christ comes to Judgment , nor ever bring them into condemnation . CHAP. V. Of two other Causes of groundless Scruple to good Souls . The CONTENTS . A second cause of scruple is their unaffectedness or distraction sometimes in their prayers . Attention disturbed often whether we will or no. A particular cause of it in fervent prayers . Fervency and affection not depending so much upon the command of our wills , as upon the temper of our bodies . Fervency is unconstant in them whose temper is fit for it . God measures us not by the fixedness of our thoughts , or the warmth of our tempers , but by the choice of our wills and the obedience of our lives . Other qualifications in prayer are sufficient to have our prayers heard when these are wanting . Yea , those Vertues which make our prayers acceptable , are more eminently shown in our obedience , so that it would bring down to us the blessings of prayer , should it prove in those respects defective . A third cause of scruple is the danger of idle or impertinent words mentioned Matth. 12.36 . The scruple upon this represented . The practical errour of a morose behaviour incurred upon it . This discountenanced by the light of Nature , and by Christianity . The benefits and place of serious Discourse . Pleasureable conversation a great Field of Vertue . The idle words , Matth. 12 , not every vain and useless ; but false , slanderous and reproachful words ; this proved from the place . ANother thing which disquiets the hearts of good and honest men , and makes them needlesly to call in question the saveableness of their present state , and their title to salvation ; is the coldness and unaffectedness , the unsettledness and distractions which they find in themselves when they are at prayers . Good people are wont to cry out of desertions , to think that God has thrown them off , and that his Spirit has forsaken them , if at any time they find a great distraction and dulness of Spirit in their devotions , and a great abatement of that zeal and fervency , that fixedness and attention , which they have happily enjoyed at other times . But this is a great mistake from mens ignorance of Gods Laws , and of their own selves . For God has no where told them that he will judge them at the last day by the steadiness and fixedness , the tide and fervency of their devotions ; but by the integrity of their hearts , and the uprightness of their obedience . The last Sentence shall not pass upon men according to the heat of their affections ; but according to the goodness of their lives . So that if they have been careful to practise all God's Commandments according to their power and opportunities , and this of prayer among the rest , in such sort as their unavoidable infirmities would suffer them , they shall be safe in that Judgment notwithstanding any inequality in their bodily tempers , or unconstancy and abatement in their bodily affections . To state this business so , as that we may neither be unnecessarily scrupulous about these qualifications of our prayers when we cannot , nor , on the other side , irreligiously careless of them when we might , enjoy them ; I shall say something of their necessity when they can be had , as well as of that allowance which God will make to them when , through any bodily indispositions , or unforeseen accidents , they cannot . If we would put up our prayers to God in such manner , as it is fit for us to offer them in , or for him to hear them , we must make them with a due fixedness and attention of mind , and fervency of affection . We must offer them up with a due fixedness and attention of mind . Our thoughts must go along with our lips , and our souls must be intent upon the business which we are about , when we are making our prayers to God. We must not expect that he should mind those vain words , and mere talk , which we do not ; or that he should hear us , when we do not hear our selves : No , it is the work of the Soul , and not the bare labour of the lips , which he attends to ; so that if only our Tongues pray , but our minds are straying , this is as good as no prayer at all . We must offer them up also with much earnestness of desire , and fervency of affection . We must shew that we put a price upon a mercy , before we are fit to receive it ; for otherwise there is no assurance that we shall be duely thankful for it . We must not seem cold , and indifferent after it , for that is a sign that we can almost be as well content without it . But we must be eager in our desire , and express a fervency of affection after it ; such as we are wont to use in the pursuit of any thing which we greatly value : and this is an inducement for God to give us that , which he sees we so dearly love ; it sets a price upon his blessings , and shews the measure of our own vertuous inclinations , and therefore he will encourage and reward it . The effectual , fervent prayer of a righteous man , says S t James , availeth much , Jam. 5.16 . Thus are a due attention of mind , and a fervent heat of desire in devotion , such qualifications as are necessary to render our prayers becoming either us to offer , or God to hear ; so that we must always strive , and , according to our power and present circumstances , endeavour after them . We must take care , as much as we can , to compose our thoughts when we pray , to draw them off from other things for some time before , and still to bring them back again when at any time we find them wandring . And we must endeavour also by a due sense of the necessity , the greatness , and undeservedness of Gods mercies , to heighten our affections , and make them bend vigorously and eagerly after those things which we pray for ; that so God seeing we are serious and in earnest with him , he may be induced to grant those benefits which we desire of him . But then , on the other hand , if after all our care and pains in fixing of our thoughts , and raising of our desires , through some bodily indisposition or unforeseen accidents , which we cannot help , our minds run sometimes still astray , and our desires are cold and languid ; this unwill'd dulness and distraction shall not influence our main state ; it is a thing which we cannot help , and no man living is perfectly free from it , and therefore God will not be severe upon it , but in great mercy he will pity and connive at it . For as for the attention of our minds , and the fixedness of our thoughts , either in prayer , or in any other business ; it is a thing which is not always in our own power , but may be hindred and interrupted by many accidents whether we will or no. For any thing that makes our bodily spirits tumultuary and restless , renders our attention small and interrupted . Any high motion of our blood , any former impression upon our spirits either by our precedent studies , or our crowd of business , will make great variety of thoughts and roving fancies obtrude themselves upon us ; and this is our natural frame and constitution which we must submit to , and cannot remedy . We can no more prevent it , than we can prevent our dreams , but our fancies will be struck , and diverting thoughts will be thrown into us , whether we will or no. For from the natural union of our souls and bodies , our minds , in their most spiritual operations of thinking and understanding , go along with our bodily spirits , and apprehend after their impressions ; and we can as well refuse to see when our eyes are open , or to taste what is put into our mouths , as we can refuse to have a thought of those things which are impressed upon our bodily fancy or imagination . The connexion betwixt these is necessary and natural ; and there is no breaking or avoiding it . So that let us be either at our prayers , or at any other exercise , if any temper of our bodies , any accidental motion of our blood , any former impressions of foregoing studies or other business stir in our fancies ; our thoughts must needs be diverted , and our attention disturbed by them . Nay in our prayers we are more apt to find it thus , than in any other thing . For there men oft-times use violence , and screw up the fixedness of their minds , and the fervency of their hearts to the highest pitch : and then their bodily spirits , being overstrained , are liable , not only to be discomposed by outward accidents , but also to give back and fall of themselves ; and when in this manner they withdraw , there is room made , till they can be again recollected , for other thoughts to arise instead of them . All this , I say , happens from the very nature and frame of our bodies , and from that dependance which our minds and thoughts themselves have upon them ; so that we cannot prevent or overcome it wholly . We may , and ought indeed to strive against these distractions as much as we can , and to compose our thoughts as much as our natural temper , or our present circumstances will suffer us : when they wander in our prayers , as soon as we discern it we may recollect them ; and when other thoughts intrude , as soon as they are observed we may reject them : but then this is all that we can do , or that God requires we should do ; for we cannot pray perfectly and continuedly without them . And then as for the zeal and fervency of our affections , whether in our prayers or in any thing else , they are fickle and very changeable , and do not depend so much upon the choice of our wills , as upon the temper of our bodies . Some upon every occasion are more warm and eager in their passions , either of love or hatred , hopes or fears , joy or sorrow , than other men either are , or can be . For there is a difference in tempers , as well as in palates ; and mens passions do no more issue out upon the same things , in the same eagerness ; than their stomachs do after the same food with the same degrees of appetite . So that as for a great fervency and a vehement affection ; every man cannot work himself up to it , because all tempers do not admit of it . For zeal and affectionateness in Devotion , as in other things , is more a mans temper than his choice ; and therefore it is not to be expected that all people should be able to raise themselves up to a transporting pitch in it ; but only that they should , who are born to it . Nay even they whose natural temper fits them for a great fervency and a high affection , are not able to work themselves up to it at all times . For no mans temper is constant and unchangeable ; seeing our very bodies are subject to a thousand alterations either from things within , or from others that are without us . If a mans blood is put into an irregular ferment either by a cold air , or an inward distemper , or any discomposing accident ; it spoils , not only the fixedness of his thoughts , but the zeal of his affections likewise ▪ Let there be any damp or disorder , any dulness or indisposition , either upon a mans blood or spirits ; and the discomposure of his body is presently felt in his soul , for his thoughts flag , and his passions run low , and all his powers are under a cloud , and suffer an abatement . And this every man finds in himself , when he labours under a sickly and crazy temper , an aking head , or any other bodily indisposition . For our passions are bodily powers , and are performed altogether by bodily instruments ; they live and dye with them , and are subject to all their coolings and abatements , their changes and alterations . And therefore as long as our bodily tempers and dispositions alter , and , by reason of a number of accidents , whether from without or from within themselves , are still changeable and unconstant ; the zeal and fervency of our affections must needs be so too . Thus is some distraction of mind and chilness of affection , either in our prayers , or in pursuit of any other thing , most necessarily incident to all men . We cannot wholly prevent them , or live altogether free from them ; but sometimes they will break in , and seize upon us do what we can . And since we cannot help them , God will not be always angry , or eternally torment us for them . No , he knows that we are flesh and blood , and his love and favour to us doth not alter as our unsetled thoughts , or bodily tempers do . He measures us not by the fixedness of our thoughts , or by the fervency of our affections , which are not always in our own power ; but by our wills and actions which are . So that if we are careful to will and chuse what is pleasing to him , and from our hearts entirely to obey him ; we need not doubt but that whatever involuntary distractions there may be sometimes in our thoughts , or abatements in our bodily tempers whilst we are at our prayers ; we shall still be accepted by him . We shall be accepted , I say , and the blessings which we sue for obtained , although sometimes our prayers are less attent , and less affectionate , than at other times they are , and we at all times greatly desire they might be . For our fixedness and fervency are not the only things which procure acceptance for our prayers . They are great good things , as I said , and such qualifications as make our requests fit , both for us to offer , and for God to hear ; and therefore we must take care still when we pray , in such measure as we are able , to be provided with them . But although they are some , yet are they not the only qualifications of our prayers which prevail with God , and move him to hear them . For our trust and dependance , our submission and resignedness , and other spiritual vertues and instances of obedience , are likewise dispositions which God respects in them ; nay indeed which he prizes above all , and principally looks at . So that if we pray with these , God is honoured by our prayers , and he will reward them ; and our petitions shall not be put up in vain , although , by reason of some bodily dulness or distraction , the fixt attention of our minds , and the fervency of our hearts , which we endeavour after always , and enjoy at other times , should happen to be wanting . Yea I add further , so long as our hearts are honest , and our lives entirely obedient , we are always furnished with those qualifications which are sufficient to bring down Gods Grace and Blessing upon us , and which are the principal things that make our prayers themselves an acceptable Offering . A good man is drawing down the blessings of Heaven upon himself all his life long , and not only whilst he is upon his knees : so that if at any time his prayers are less perfect , and chance to falter ; that defect will be otherwise supplied , and he will have all that mercy conveyed to him through another means , which his prayers should have obtained for him ; seeing that which makes his prayers procure Gods love and mercy for him , will make his obedience procure the very same . For I suppose no man is so silly as to imagine that it is the lifting up of his eyes and hands , the composedness of his countenance , the quaintness of his phrase , the eloquence of his expressions , the volubility of his language , or any other external thing which makes his prayers so powerful , and brings down the blessing of God upon them . But it is that dependance upon God , that confidence in God , that love of God and desire of goodness , that acknowledgment of his tenderness and power , that submission to his Authority , and resignation to his pleasure , which are all implied in prayer , and fitly expressed by it , and which make up the very life and spirit of it : these , I say , it is which God looks at in our prayers , and for the sake whereof he so graciously accepts and rewards them . But now as for all these , they are expressed every whit as much by the obedience of our lives , as by the prayer of our lips ; nay indeed much more ▪ in as much as our actions are a more perfect expression and certain evidence of all these tempers of a good heart , than our words are . They differ as much as words and deeds , as profession and performance ; for whereas in our prayers we only speak and profess all this , in the obedience of our lives we work and perform it . We shew our love and resignation to God , when for his sake we deny our selves , and give up our own will in obedience to his . We acknowledge his Power and Authority most effectually , when we obey it ; and owne his Providence to the best purpose , when we contentedly acquiesce in it , and patiently submit to it ; and confess his love and kindness after the most acceptable sort , when we throw our selves upon it , and work and endeavour all our lives long in hopes and expectations of it . In our daily actions of Justice and Charity , of Temperance and Sobriety , of Meekness , Patience , Mercy and Forgiveness , and in all other instances of obedience , we give God the honour to chuse for us , to dispose of us , to be sought after and intrusted by us . We evidence our esteem of him , our love for him , our trust in him , our dependance on him , our resignation to him ; and that most effectually . So that whatsoever can move God in our prayers , will move him in a higher degree , and after another fashion in our obedience ; the Spirit of goodness which is evidenced in our prayers , being evidenced much more in the course of good actions . No Rhetorick therefore of our Prayers is like to that of a good life , every action of obedience in a good man having the effect of a prayer , and calling down upon him the same mercy and the same Grace , which would be procured by a supplication . Let a man therefore make sure in the first place of a good life , and of an honest and intire obedience ; and then he need not fear to want those things which all good men have need to pray for , seeing he will shew so much daily in his life as will make his requests be granted , and his prayers be hearkened to . He cannot perish for want of those mercies which he prays for , although it be sometimes with coldness and distraction ; because not only the other obedient tempers of his prayers , when through some unchosen hindrances a due fixedness and fervency are wanting , but also the constant and uninterrupted obedience of his life is daily ascending up , and brings them down upon him . Let no good soul therefore be further troubled and disquieted upon this account , as if , because after all his care his prayers are sometimes dull and cold , and his thoughts therein are much distracted , he should either be eternally punished for them , or at least go without those blessings which he desires in them . For so long as the Spirit of obedience appears both in his Prayers and in his actions , the unwilled distractions of his mind , and the dulness and frozenness of his affections at some times , shall be no hindrance either to his Suit at present , or to his happiness hereafter : his request shall not be thrown by , nor he condemned for them ; but , so far as God sees it fitting for him , it shall be granted , and he shall eternally be saved notwithstanding them . 3. A third scruple which is wont causelesly to disquiet and trouble good and honest minds , is the words of our Saviour Matth. 12. I say unto you , That as concerning every idle word which men shall speak , they shall give an account thereof at the Day of Judgment , ver . 36. This seems to be a strict and a severe Saying . For in all the crowd and variety of converse , in the infinite numbers of Questions and Answers , and other occasions of discourse ; what man in all the World , but especially of those who are of a conversation that is free and open , courteous and ingenuous , cheerful and delightsome , which tempers the Gospel doth not only allow , but approve of ; who , I say , of all men , but of men of this temper especially , among all the occasions of speech can avoid a multitude of words ? and where much is said , how can it be but that much must be idle and impertinent ? This is a great snare , and to avoid it men run into a great errour . For they are led to place a great Religion in holy talk , and religious forms of expression , which they prize so far as to think their conversation is unhallowed without it . And if at any time their seriousness was thrown aside , and their Discourse , though innocent , was vain and useless , they are greatly troubled and afraid , and think they are fallen within the limits of damnation . And this has a very ill effect , for it frights men from all the innocent freedom of converse , and the cheerful entertainments of company . It makes them to appear staid and reserved , silent and morose ; to contribute nothing to the harmless mirth and cheerfulness of conversation themselves , and to frown upon it in others . For all converse and society is managed by the tongue , and the ordinary entertainment of company is talking and discourse ; but where men think every idle and useless word so dangerous a sin , they are afraid to speak . So that all that comes from them is studied and deliberate , grave and composed ; they neither dare use any freedom themselves , nor can without offence allow it to be used by others . But this is so far from being injoined by Christ , that it is discountenanced by nature ; it is so far from being a piece of Religion and a holy Duty , that 't is rather a piece of immorality and ill manners . For Aristotle and other Philosophers of old , have long ago made urbanity , or an innocent freedom and fac●tiousness in conversation , a Vertue ; and have noted this affected reservedness and unpleasurable moroseness in Discourse with a harsh censure . a Those , says he , who will neither contribute to the harmless mirth of company themselves , nor bear with it in others , are justly to be branded with the reproachful names of clownish and morose . And as it was discountenanced by the light of nature , so is it also by the Laws of Christ. For whatsoever some men may think of it , or how innocently soever they may be misled into that conceit about it ; yet is it a temper which Christ never intended to plant amongst us . For his coming into the world was after another way , in a free use of the innocent allowances , and liberties of mankind . The Son of man , says S t Matthew , came eating and drinking , i. e. not in the singular Austerities of John the Baptist , but in a free way of conversation , such as others used , Mat. 11.19 . And his Religion injoyns the vertues of candor and benignity , affability and courtesie , an open freedom and alacrity , and all those other ways whereby our conversation may be rendred innocently agreeable , and whereby we may in any wise benefit , whether by profiting or pleasing one another . Whatsoever things , says S t Paul , are b lovely or grateful to men , think on these things , Phil. 4.8 . Love is the Epitome of our whole Duty , and all the sweetners and endearments of society that can be , so long as they are lawful and honest , are not only consistent with it , but parts and expressions of it . As for the grave entertainments of discourse and religious conference ; they , without doubt , have a great use , and in their place may deserve a great commendation . For good Christians may be much better'd and improved , by having their Graces awakned , their pious affections inflamed , their holy purposes fixt and setled , their endeavours directed and encouraged , and every thing that is good in them quickned and confirmed by them . But then 't is to be considered that even good things themselves must be taken in their own season , and must not be suffered to ingross all our time , a great part whereof is to be spent upon other things . For we have not only one thing to do , but at several times sundry things call for us . There is a time , says Solomon , to every thing , and a season to every purpose under Heaven : there is a time to weep , and a time to laugh , a time to mourn , and a time to dance , Eccles. 3.1 , 4. There is a time for diversion , as well as a time for business ; a time wherein to have a more liberal and free discourse , as well as a time for godly and religious conference . Nay the innocent delights of conversation and pleasurable entertainments of discourse , are themselves a great field of vertue , and an exercise and occasion of many instances of obedience . For in them we may every one of us exercise in our own persons , and be examples unto others , of much courtesie and kindness , civility and condescension , affability and obligingness Let no man think then that his hours of common converse are lost hours , and that whatsoever time he spends upon offices of civility , and freedom of company , is misplaced , and stoln from God and Religion . For we are fulfilling Gods Laws , and doing his work , whilst we keep all these Commandments in the pleasurable entertainments of common life ; they are such business as he has set us , and our obedient performance of them is no less his service , than Devotion , holy Conference , and Meditation . It is no prejudice or hindrance to Religion therefore to be free and open in conversation , and pleasurable and chearful in common life ; but rather an instance and expression of it . It is no part of any mans duty to be talking always in Scripture-phrase and sanctified expression , or else to be wholly silent and severely morose , and not to talk at all . For an innocent chearfulness , and freedom of discourse is not so truly the good mans sin , as the exercise of his vertue and obedience . But as for that opinion , that every idle and impertinent word shall be severely accounted for at the Day of Judgment , which is the great sourer of conversation , and the occasion of this conceit ; it is a great mistake . For it is not every idle and unprofitable , but every false , slanderous , or otherwise sinful and unlawful word whereof our Saviour speaks , when in that 12 th of S t Matthew he tells us , that every idle word that men shall speak , they shall give an account thereof in the day of Judgment . As for the word which we translate c idle , it may signifie false and deceitful ; as those words are which belye our d works , when our actions do not answer them . And this is agreeable to the use of the word e vain , which sometimes signifies the same that false or lying . In which sense it is used in the third Commandment , where we are bid not to take the Name of God in vain , i. e. in perjury or falshood . For that sense our Saviour gives to it in his repetition of the Commandments , Mat. 5. It hath been said to them of old , saith he , in the third Commandment , thou shalt not forswear thy self or swear falsly , v. 33. But if nothing more than useless and unprofitable were noted by the word it self which we translate idle ; yet is it no unusual thing in the Scriptures by several words to mean and intend more , than in their literal sense they do express . Thus are the abominable works of darkness mentioned Eph. 5 , called f unfruitful works ; where the meaning surely is , not only that they bring in no profit or advantage , but also that they are most deadly and mischievous , v. 11 : and the wicked servant spoken of Mat. 25 , is called the g unprofitable servant , v. 30. And after the same use of speech , our words , which do not only tend to none , but to very ill fruit , may be called h idle or unprofitable words . And so they are in this place . For the idle words whereof our Saviour speaks v. 36 ; are such words as are not only idle and unprofitable , but positively wicked and evil ; being indeed false , slanderous , and reviling words ; as will appear from the consideration of these particulars . For the words which are threatned in that 36. ver . are such as are a sign , not of a trifling , but of an evil heart . How can ye , says he , being evil , speak good things ; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh . So that as a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth , or speaketh good things ; an evil man likewise , out of the evil treasure of his heart , bringeth forth evil things , v. 34 , 35. And being the fruits of an evil heart , they are the signs , not of an impertinent , but of an evil man. The tree is corrupt , says he , if the fruit be corrupt ; for the tree is known by its fruits , v. 33. And since they are such words as are thus sinful in themselves , and an argument of so much sin in us ; they shall in the last Judgment be charged upon us to condemn us . For by thy words , says he , as well as actions , thou shalt be justified , and by thy words , if they be such idle words as I mean , thou shalt be condemned , v. 37. The words then which are spoken of in this place from the 33. to the 38. ver . are such as are a sign of a wicked heart , as make a wicked man , and render us in the last Judgment liable to condemnation . But now words of this black dye and of these mischievous effects , are not every idle and impertinent ; but false , slanderous , railing , or otherwise sinful and forbidden words . But false and slanderous words are especially struck at in this place , such as were those lying and contumelious ones that occasioned all this discourse , when the Jews most reproachfully charged his Miracles upon the Devil , telling him that he cast out Devils through Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils , v. 24. Upon occasion of which black calumny , he proceeds in all the following verses to warn them against such blasphemous speeches ; demonstrating clearly the unreasonableness of them , v. 25 , to 31 ; the sinfulness of them , ver . 33 , 34 , 35 ; and the mischievous effects of them in the two next verses . Such reproachful words as these let me tell you , says he , you shall be called to an account for , as well as for your works and actions . I say unto you , and you may believe me , for you will find it true , that every idle , or slanderous and reproachful word , such as now you have spoken against me , that men shall speak , they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment . For when that day comes , think you of it as you please now , mens words as well as their actions shall be called to an account : by thy words thou shalt be justified , and , if they have been such as yours now are , by thy words thou shalt be condemned , ver . 36 , 37. And thus by all this it appears , that the idle word here threatned by our Lord , is not every word that is vain and useless , but only such as are railing , false , or slanderous . And in this sense some Manuscripts read the place . For in the Book of Steph. it is not every idle , but every i wicked word that men shall speak , they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment . So that as for this third scruple , it is as groundless as was the former ; no good man need to be disquieted by it , since they shall never be condemned for it . CHAP. VI. Of the Sin against the Holy Ghost , which is a fourth cause of scruple . The CONTENTS . Some good mens fear upon this account . What is mea●● in Scripture by the Holy Ghost . Holy Ghost or Spirit is taken for the gifts or effects of it ; whether they be first ordinary , either in our minds and understandings , or in our wills and tempers ; or secondly , extraordinary and miraculous . Extraordinary gifts of all sorts proceed from one and the same Spirit or Holy Ghost ; upon which account any of them indifferently are sometimes called Spirit , sometimes Holy Ghost . Holy Ghost and Spirit are frequently distinguished , and then by Holy Ghost is meant extraordinary gifts respecting the understanding ; by Spirit extraordinary gifts respecting the executive powers . The summ of this Explication of the Holy Ghost . What sin against it is unpardonable . To sin against the Holy Ghost is to dishonour him . This is done in every act of sin , but these are not unpardonable . What the unpardonable sin is . Of sin against the ordinary endowments of the Holy Ghost , whether of mind or will ; the several degrees in this , all of them are pardonable . Of sin against the Spirit . Blaspheming of this comes very near it , and was the sin of the Pharisees , Mat. 12 ; but it was pardonable . Of sinning against the Holy Ghost . The Holy Ghost the last means of reducing men to believe the Gospel , that Covenant of Repentance . The sin against it is unpardonable , because such sinners are irreclamable . All dishonour of this is not unpardonable ; for Simon Magus dishonoured it in actions , who was yet capable of pardon ; but only a blaspheming of it in words . No man is guilty of it whilst he continues Christian. ANother causless ground of fear , which disquiets the minds , and affrights the hearts of good Christian people , is the sin against the Holy Ghost . They hear very dreadful things spoken of it , for our Saviour Christ who knew it best , and who at the last Day is to judge of it , has told us plainly before-hand , that he who blasphemeth the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven , neither in this world , nor in the world to come , Mat. 12.32 ; or , as S t Mark expresses it , he shall never have forgiveness , but is liable to eternal damnation , Mark 3.29 . This is a fearful Sentence upon a desperate sin ; and seeing they are in darkness about it , and do not well understand it , they know not but that they themselves may be guilty of it ; nay some of a timorous temper and abused minds go further , and think that they really are . But to cure their fears , and to quiet their minds in this matter , there needs nothing more be done than to give them right apprehensions , and a clear explication of this sin ; for if they once knew what it is , they would be at ease from such tormenting suspicions , and unreasonable fears about it . To explain this I will consider , 1. What is meant in Scripture by the Holy Ghost . 2. What is meant here by sinning against it . 1. What is meant in Scripture by the Holy Ghost . By the word Holy Ghost or holy Spirit , according to an usual Metonymie of the giver for the gift , or of the cause for the effect , is very often meant the gifts or effects of the holy Spirit , whether they be such as he ordinarily produces in us , or such as are extraordinary and miraculous . Sometimes it signifies such gifts and dispositions , whether of mind or temper , as the Holy Ghost or Spirit of God , is wont ordinarily to produce in men . It notes , I say , the good qualifications of our minds or understandings , which , as all other good gifts , are wrought in us by the Spirit , and derived to us from God. Thus a man endued with wisdom and discretion , such as Joseph advised Pharaoh to set over all the Land of Egypt , is called a man in whom the Spirit of God is , Gen. 41.33 , 38 ; and the Spirit of the Lord mentioned Isai. 11 , is in the very next words explained by the Spirit of wisdom , the Spirit of understanding , the Spirit of counsel , the Spirit of knowledge , and the Spirit of quick understanding , vers . 2 , 3. It signifies also the vertuous tempers and good qualifications of our hearts , which , like as the former were , are given us of God. Thus that good and charitable temper which is so exemplary in God , and which is wrought in our souls by him , is called the Spirit of God , 1 John 4. If we love one another , God dwells in us ; so that a hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us , because he hath given us that loving temper of his Spirit , ver . 12 , 13. The temper which was so observable in Christ is called the Spirit of Christ , Rom. 8.9 ; the temper of Elias is called the spirit of Elias , Luke 1.17 ; the Spirit of the Lord is explained by the Spirit of the fear of the Lord , Isai. 11.2 ; and that spirit which God hath given us , says S t Paul , is not the spirit of fear , but the spirit of power , of love , and of a sound mind , 2 Tim. 1.7 . Thus doth the Spirit of God signifie many times in Scripture those ordinary gifts and Graces , which are the good effects of the Spirit . But besides these effects of it in the good endowments and perfections of our natural faculties , whether of mind or temper , which are common and ordinary ; sometimes it signifies more especially those gifts which are extraordinary and miraculous . Of which sort are the gift of tongues , of prophecy , of healing Diseases without any natural means , and performing other miraculous operations , so famous in the first times of the Gospel . Thus , for example , that Saying , I will pour out in those days of my Spirit , is interpreted by this in the next words , And they shall prophesie , Acts 2.18 . And the elder Brothers , which was a double share of the prophetick power of Elias , is called a double portion of his Spirit , 2 Kin. 2.9 . And the Corinthians zealous pursuit of the miraculous and extraordinary gifts of prophecy , speaking with tongues , healing diseases , and working miracles ; is called by the Apostle their being b zealous of Spirits , or , as we translate it , of spiritual gifts , 1 Cor. 14.12 . Now as for these extraordinary gifts , they are all wrought in us by the same cause , and proceed from the same Principle , viz. the holy Spirit of God , or the holy Ghost . There are in the Church now in our times , saith the Apostle , diversities of gifts , but yet one and the same Spirit is the Donor of them all . For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom , or of Gospel truths and revelations ; to another the word of knowledg , or discerning of remote things , and prophetical predictions , by the same Spirit ; to another faith of his being Divinely assisted to produce supernatural effects ; to another miraculous gifts of healing Diseases without use of means , by the same Spirit ; to another the working of miracles , or the utmost activity and energy of powers in the highest instances and effects of them , of which sort are raising the Dead , casting out Devils , inflicting bodily torments on contumacious Sinners , &c. to another prophecy , or exposition of Scripture and inspired ; Hymns to another discerning of Spirits , both in seeing into mens spiritual thoughts and intentions , and also in discerning who wrought true Miracles , and who Satanical Delusions , who were divinely inspired , and who were mere Pretenders ; to another the ecstatick gift of speaking divers kinds of tongues in such rapturous transports as permitted them not to stay to interpret what they said , and made them afterwards forget it ; to another the gift of interpreting into the vulgar language of any in the Congregation those strange tongues . But all these diversities of gifts worketh that one and the self same Spirit , dividing all these different gifts to every man severally as he will , 1 Cor. 12.4 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11. And seeing it is the same Spirit or Holy Ghost , which is the Authour and Giver of them all ; therefore are they all indifferently called by either name . For sometimes all these extraordinary gifts , both the power of miracles , and the gift of tongues and prophecy , are called the Spirit . Thus when the Apostles began to speak with tongues , and to prophesie , as well as to work miracles and heal diseases , it is said that the Spirit was poured out upon them , Acts 2.17 , 18 , 19 ; and all these varieties of gifts o● one sort or other , which are reckoned up by S t Paul in this twelfth Chapter to the Corinthians , are attributed to the Spirit , and said to be wrought by it ; and the Apostles being filled with the Holy Ghost , and speaking with tongues , is called their speaking by the spirit , — they were all filled with the Holy Ghost , says S t Luke , and began to speak as the Spirit gave them utterance , Acts 2.4 . And in like manner at other times all these same powers , whether of understanding or action , of tongues or miracles , are called the Holy Ghost . Thus the gifts of signs and wonders , and divers miracles , are reckoned among the gifts of the Holy Ghost , Heb. God , says Saint Paul , bearing the Apostles witness , with signs , and wonders , and divers miracles , and other gifts of the Holy Ghost , ver . 4. And the signs and wonders which were done by the hands of the Apostles , particularly that of healing the lame man , so much taken notice of Acts 3 ; is said to be the witness of the Holy Ghost , Acts 5.12 , 32. Thus , I say , by reason that all these extraordinary gifts , whether relating to our minds in knowledge and speaking with tongues , or to our executive powers , in healing diseases , and working miracles , proceed all from the self same Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit ; the gifts of either sort are called indifferently by either name , being sometimes called the Spirit , and sometimes the Holy Ghost . But although , as I say for this reason the words Spirit and Holy Ghost are sometimes used promiscuously to signifie all or any of these extraordinary gifts indifferently ; yet , what is very material to our purpose , sometimes , nay very frequently , they are d distinguished . And then by the Holy Ghost is meant not all extraordinary gifts indifferently , but particularly those which respect our understandings , not executive powers , consisting rather in illumination , than in power and action ; of which sort are the gift of tongues , of prophecy , of discerning Spirits , of knowledg , of revelation , and such like . Thus the lying against that part of the gift of discerning Spirits , which consisted in understanding the thoughts and purposes of the heart , is called lying to the Holy Ghost . For so S t Peter , who was endowed with this gift , tells Ananias , when he would have imposed upon him ; Why hath Satan filled thine heart , saith he , to lye to the Holy Ghost ? Acts 5.3 . And S t Stephen's being filled with an extraordinary revelation of Christ's sitting at God's right hand in Heaven , is called his being filled with the Holy Ghost , Acts 7.55 . But more especially the gift of Tongues and Prophecy is dignified with that name . Thus in the 10 th Chapter of the Acts , when the Gentiles in Cornelius's house begun to speak with Tongues upon S t Peters preaching ; it is said , that the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word , and that on the Gentiles was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost , v. 44 , 45 , 46. The Disciples at Ephesus , who being baptized with the Baptism of John , cannot be supposed ignorant of the many miraculous Cures so much talked of among the Jews , and of the strange effects of the Spirit in Jesus whom John preached ; did yet tell Paul , that they had not so much as heard of the Holy Ghost , Act. 19.2 ; which might very well be , because the Holy Ghost , or gift of Tongues and Prophecy , were not given till after Jesus was glorified , Joh. 7.39 . But upon the preaching of S t Paul they were made partakers of it , for when Paul laid his hands on them , the Holy Ghost came upon them , and they spake with tongues , and prophesied , Act. 19.6 . And to name no more instances in this matter , that place which I now hinted in the 7 th Chapter of S t John , is a full proof of this restrained acceptation . For there after all the instances of curing diseases , casting out Devils , and other effects of the Spirit in miraculous operations , which Christ shewed wheresoever he came ; it is yet expresly affirmed , that the Holy Ghost was not yet given , because Jesus was not yet glorified by his Exaltation to the right hand of God , v. 39. The Holy Ghost , i. e. these gifts of Tongues , of Prophecy , and the like , which are all that remained still to be shed abroad , and which came upon the Apostles at the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost , Act. 2. Thus is the Holy Ghost set to denote , not all the miraculous and extraordinary gifts of the Spirit promiscuously , but particularly those which respect the mind or understanding ; such as the gift of Tongues , of Prophecy , of deep Knowledge , and the like . And on the other side as for the word Spirit , it is set to express , not all extraordinary gifts and effects of the Spirit in general , but those by name which respect our executive , not knowing powers , and which consist , not in illumination , but in action . Of which sort are the gift of healing diseases , of casting out Devils , of raising the dead , and other miraculous operations . Thus the miraculous courage and valour which was given to Othoniel , is called the Spirit of the Lord , Judg. 3.10 ; as is that likewise which was given to Gideon , Judg. 6.34 ; and the miraculous strength of Samson is called the Spirit of the Lord upon Samson , Judg. 14.6 . And upon Christs working the miraculous cure upon the man with the withered hand , S t Matthew applies to him that saying of the Prophet , the Spirit of the Lord came upon him , Mat. 12.18 ; and his casting out Devils he himself attributes to the Spirit of God , I , says he , by the spirit of God cast out devils , v. 28. As by the Holy Ghost therefore are meant particularly the gifts of illumination in Tongues and Prophecy ; so by the Spirit are signified the gifts of Power in healing diseases , casting out Devils , and doing mighty and miraculous works . And both these together take up the full compass of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit , and are both distinctly expressed by S t Peter , when he says , that Jesus was anointed with the holy Ghost , and with Power , Act. 10.38 . These then are the several meanings of the words , Holy Ghost , and holy Spirit . They denote , as the third Person in the Trinity , the Holy Ghost himself ; so also those gifts and effects which proceed from him . Whether those gifts are ordinary , either in the endowments of our minds , or the vertuous tempers and dispositions of our wills and hearts ; or extraordinary and miraculous . Wherein yet we must observe this difference , that the gifts of the executive powers in healing diseases , casting out Devils , working Miracles , are by a peculiar name called the Spirit ; and the gifts of the knowing or understanding Faculties , in Prophecies , Revelations , speaking with divers sorts of Tongues , are by a contradistinct name called the Holy Ghost . And thus having shewn what is meant by the Holy Ghost , I proceed now to show , 2. What is meant by sinning against it ; and which of all those which are committed against it , is the unpardonable sin . The only way whereby any men are capable to sin against God , as was observed , is by affront and dishonour ; for God is out of our reach for any other sort of injury , and we cannot otherwise hurt him , than by shewing our contempt and disrepect of him . And in regard the Holy Ghost in his own person is very and essential God , this must needs be the only way whereby we can sin against him likewise . We cannot injure him in his Nature , but only in his Honour ; but then we sin against him , when we walk cross to him , and oppose him , or any way slight and contemn , undervalue or reproach him , or any of those excellent and Divine gifts which proceed from him . Now this we do more or less in every sin . For this Spirit of God is an universal instrument of faith and good life ; it has taken the utmost care by miracles , and other its convictive evidences to evince the truth of Christs Doctrine ; and doth now still by his daily suggestions and sollicitations excite men to the observance of it . And seeing the Spirit of God has shown it self so much concerned for our faith and obedience ; every act of unbelief and disobedience is a direct opposition to it , and reproach of it , and therefore is a sin against it . But every such sin is not the unpardonable fault here mentioned . For our very wilful sins themselves , as has been shewn , are not desperate under Christs Religion , the Gospel being a Covenant that doth not damn men upon all voluntary sin , but encourages their repentance with the promise of pardon ; so that although all our sins are against God and his Spirit , they are not irremissible , but will be remitted to every man who repents of them . It is not every sin against the Spirit of God then , which this place in S t Matthew threatens so severely . But the unpardonable sin is a sin by it self ; it has something peculiar in it from all other sins , which by shutting us out from all possibility of repentance , excludes it from all hopes of being forgiven . And indeed it is plainly this . It is a sinning against the Holy Ghost in the last sense , as it signifies not only the power of miracles , but also the gift of tongues , and other illuminations of the Holy Ghost , which came down upon the Apostles at Pentecost ; and it is such a sinning against these , as is particularly by reviling and blaspheming them . This , and none other , I take to be the sin here mentioned . For the clearer discerning whereof , we will consider the sins against the Holy Ghost in all the acceptations before laid down ; and in all of them , except the last , we shall find room for pardon and remission . First then , to sin against the Holy Ghost , as it signifies the ordinary endowments , and vertuous tempers of our minds and wills , is not the unpardonable sin that is here spoken of . For every sin against any particular vertue is a sin against the Holy Ghost in that sense . Every act of drunkenness , for instance , is against the gift of sobriety ; and every act of uncleanness is against the gift of continency ; and so it is in the several actions of all other sorts of sin . But now as for all these , the great offer and invitation of the Gospel is , that men would accept of mercy upon repentance . The Incestuous Corinthian sinned deeply against the grace of chastity , and he repented , and was forgiven ; S t Peter denied his Lord and upon his repentance he was also pardoned ; and the same Grace has been allowed , as we have seen , to all other wilful sinners . Nay in this sort of sinning against the Holy Ghost , viz. by sinning against those Christian gifts and graces which he works in us , there is mercy to very great degrees . For sometimes we do not hearken to his holy motions , but fall into lesser sins and offensive indecencies , notwithstanding all his vertuous suggestions and endeavours to the contrary : and then he is troubled and grieved at us , Eph. 4.30 . And at other times we venture upon more hainous crimes , which quite lay waste the conscience , and undo all the vertuous temper and resolution of our souls , so that we lie long in our impenitence , as David did in the matter of Vriah , and are almost hardned in our wicked way before we are able again to recover out of it : and in these offences the Spirit has been so much affronted , and his importunate suggestions so frequently thrown out , that he is almost ready to forsake us , and to leave us to our selves , so that it may be called a quenching of him , 1 Thess. 5.19 . But although the last of these especially be very dangerous ; yet is neither of them desperate . But after we have been guilty of them , God continues still to make offers and invitations , and by his long-sufferance , and his gracious providences , and the repeated calls of his Word and Ministers ; he still endeavours to recover us to pardon , by recalling us to repentance . Yea the holy Spirit it self makes fresh assaults upon us , and tries again whether we will hearken to it , and be relieved by it ; as it was with David after he had complained of his being deprived of Gods presence , and of the holy Spirit 's being taken from him , Psal. 51.11 ; and as it is with every other reclaimed back-slider . The sinning against the Holy Ghost therefore in this sense , as it signifies the ordinary gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost , is far from being the unpardonable sin , and is manifestly under the grace of pardon and repentance . Secondly , Nor is a sin against the extraordinary gifts of casting out Devils , healing diseases , working miracles , or other things called the Spirit , that unpardonable sin which is here intended . To blaspheme the Spirit , 't is true , comes very near it , and when men are once gone on to that , God is very nigh giving of them up , and using no more means about them to bring them either to Faith or Repentance , which are the only way to pardon and forgiveness . But although this pitch of sin be extreme dangerous , yet in great likelihood it is not wholly desperate ; for after all the dirt that men had thrown upon this evidence , viz. the miraculous operation wrought by Christ whilst he continued upon earth , God was still pleased to use some means further to bring them to believe ; and that was the evidence of the Holy Ghost which came down to compleat all after that Jesus was glorified , Act. 2. This great proof , which was to be poured out upon the Disciples at Pentecost , and upon other Christians at the Imposition of their hands for a good while after , might effect that wherein the other had failed , and be acknowledged by those very men who had blasphemed the former . So that their case , notwithstanding it were gone extreme far , was not for all that quite hopeless , because one remedy still remained which God resolved he would use to reclaim them , though after that he would try no more . The blaspheming of the Spirit then was very near the unpardonable , because unamendable , sin , but yet it was not fully grown up to it ; it was in the next degree to unpardonable , but yet , if it went no further , it might be pardoned still . And of this I think we have a clear proof , even in those blasphemous Pharisees , whose reviling of the Spirit was the occasion of all this discourse . For as for the Spirit , they blasphemed it in this very Chapter , when upon occasion of the miraculous cure of the man with the withered hand , v. 13 ; and of Christs casting out of Devils , v. 28 ; both which were so manifestly wrought before their eyes , that none of them durst question , or deny the working of them ; they go blasphemously to charge these evident effects of the Spirit upon the power of Magick , and to say that these works of God were performed by the Devil . For when these mighty effects of the Spirit were urged to them in behalf of Jesus , they answered and said , says S t Matthew , this Fellow doth not cast out Devils , but by Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils , v. 24. Here is a reproach to these miraculous gifts of the Spirit , as great as can be invented ; for it is nothing less than an attributing them to the most foul and loathsom Fiends in Nature , even to the very Devils themselves . But yet this Blasphemy , as dangerous as it was , is not utterly unpardonable and hopeless . For our Lord himself in this very Chapter encourages their hopes , by giving them a promise that some further means should still be used to cure their Infidelity , after that they had blasphemed this ; telling these very men , that the sign of his Death and Resurrection , with the other evidences of the Holy Ghost which were to ensue upon it , should be a further argument to satisfie them in what they inquired after , viz. his being the Messiah , or the Son of God. For when certain of the Pharisees , presently upon his finishing this Discourse of their Blaspheming of the Holy Spirit , v. 37 , made Answer to him saying , Master , we would see a sign from thee to confirm to us the truth of that pretension : he answered , as S t Matthew goes on , an evil and an Adulterous Generation seeketh a sign , and there shall no further sign be given it , but only the sign of the Prophet Jonas , and that indeed shall . For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the Whales Belly , and was afterwards deliver'd out of it to go and preach to the Ninevites : so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth , and after that rise again to preach by his Apostles to you and all the world , sending to you , for a further evidence still , the Holy Ghost , v. 38 , 39 , 40. So that as for this blasphemy of the spirit , wherewith the Pharisees reviled it , it was not utterly unpardonable , but was still within the possibility of pardon . For after they had committed it , Christ promised them a further Argument in his Resurrection after the Example of Jonas , which should be a new sign added to all that they had already seen , to gain them over to faith or belief , and thereby to pardon and forgiveness ; every sin being pardonable to him that believeth . And this pardonableness of blaspheming of the spirit , our Lord further intimates in that very place , by a wary change of the phrase when he comes to speak of the unpardonableness of it ; calling the unpardonable blasphemy , not a blasphemy against the spirit , ( although it was the spirit which was indeed blasphemed v. 24 ; and whereof he had just made mention , v. 28 ; ) but a blasphemy against the Holy Ghost , which being , as S t John says , * not yet given , could not yet be blasphemed , v. 31 , 32. But Thirdly , The desperate and unpardonable sin here mentioned , which shall never be forgiven , neither in this world , nor in that which is to come , is a sin against the last and greatest evidence of all , viz. the gift of tongues , of prophecy , and of other things called the Holy Ghost . In all the other evidence that came before to win men to a belief of Christ's Religion , which is the only means of pardon to the World ; God had still a reserve , and resolved upon some further course if they proved ineffectual . If the testimony of John Baptist to Christ's being the Lamb of God , if the message of an Angel at his conception , the Star at his birth , and the Quire of Angels at his entrance into the World ; if the innocency of his life , the wisdom of his words , and the mightiness of his wonders in commanding the winds and seas , in curing diseases , in casting out Devils , in restoring the weak to strength , and the dead to life ; if all these prove unsuccessful , and unable to perswade an Infidel , and perverse Generation : yet still God resolves to try one means more , which before that time the World never saw nor heard of , and that is the ample and most full effusion of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles at Pentecost , and upon others at the imposition of their hands for a long time after . This further evidence shall still be given to subdue the stubbornness of mens unbelief , which had proved too hard for all the former . When I am departed from you , says our Saviour to his Apostles , I will send the Holy Ghost , who is the Comforter or d Advocate , unto you . And when he is come , he shall plead my Cause more convincingly , than the operations of the Spirit have done hitherto . For he shall reprove and e convince the world , and those who remained Infidels after they had seen all the evidence of the Spirit , of their own sin in not believing on me , and of my righteousness and truth in saying I am the Messiah , because he shall shew that I am owned above , and am gone to my Father , whence I have sent him down so plentifully upon you , John 16.8 , 9 , 10. But when once God had given this proof , he had done all that he designed : for this is the last remedy which he had decreed to make use of to cure the infidelity of an unbelieving Age. So that if men shall use it , as they have done all that went before ; and if instead of being perswaded by it , they shall proceed not only to sleight and despise , but , what is more , to revile and blaspheme it , as they have already done with the Spirit ; then is the irreversible Decree gone out against them , and God is unalterably resolved to strive no more with them , but to let them dye in their unbelief . If they should be won by it indeed , and believe upon it ; be their former offences what they will , no less than a blaspheming of the Spirit , yet may they justly expect to be pardoned . For the offer of Grace is universal , Whosoever believes and is baptized shall be saved , Mark 16.16 : and nothing is impossible to him that believeth , Mark 9.23 . But when once men have gone so far as to be guilty of it , their sin is unpardonable , because their Faith is impossible . For they have rejected all the evidence which any man can urge for their conviction : seeing they have despised all that which God has offered . Their infidelity is stronger than can be cured , by any Argument that Christ either has , or will afford to prevail over it ; so that they must dye in their sin , and there is no hope for them . Indeed if God so please , there is no question but that after they have once blasphemed it , he can still so melt and soften , fashion and prepare their minds , that afterwards they shall hearken to the incomparable evidence of the Spirit and the Holy Ghost , which to any honest mind are irresistible . But this sin is of so provoking a nature , that when once they are guilty of it he will not . He has past an irreversible Decree upon them , never more to meddle with them ; so that they never will be pardoned , because , as things stand , they never will be reclaimed . Which is the very reason which the Apostle himself gives of the desperate state of Apostate Christians . For by renouncing of that faith , which , upon the evidence both of the spirit , and the Holy Ghost , they had been before convinced of ; they despite , says he , the Spirit of Grace , as it implies both the Spirit and the Holy Ghost too , so that as for them , it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance ; that being such a sin as God will never give repentance to , Heb. 6.6 . The sinning against the Holy Ghost in this sence then , as it denotes the gift of tongues , of prophecy , &c. which is the last evidence that God is resolved to make use of for the conversion of an unbelieving World , is that unpardonable sin which shall never be forgiven . And yet even here in this limited and contracted sence of the word Holy Ghost , we must still proceed with some caution . For it is not every affront and dishonour that is put upon these gifts , which is the sin here styled irremissible . Simon Magus cast a very high indignity and reproach upon them in his actions : for he went about to purchase the gift of tongues , and other sacred illuminations called the Holy Ghost , which fell upon men at the imposition of the Apostles hands , as if they had been only a trick to get money , or a fit thing to drive a trade withal , and make a gainful merchandise ; When Simon saw that through the laying on of the hands of the Apostles the Holy Ghost was given , he offered them money , says S t Luke , saying , Give me also this power , that on whomsoever I lay hands , he may receive the Holy Ghost , Acts 8.18 , 19. This was a very great abuse , and a most unworthy comparing of the heavenly and holy Spirit of God to a mercetable ware , and vendible commodity ; thinking it fit to serve any ends , and to minister to the basest purposes of filthy lucre and covetousness . But yet this sin against the Holy Ghost in its strictest acceptation , was not the unpardonable sin ; it came very near it indeed , and would hardly be remitted ; but still in all likelihood it was remissible . And therefore S t Peter , although he be very severe upon this sordid man for the high affront , doth not yet pronounce an irreversible doom of damnation upon him , but on the contrary exhorts him to repent , that the sin of his heart may be forgiven . Repent , says he , of this thy wickedness , and pray God , if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee , ver . 22. But that which is the desperately damning sin against the Holy Ghost , which shall never be forgiven either in this world , or in that which is to come ; is the sinning against it , not by interpretation only in our actions , but directly in our words and expressions . It is our speaking reproachfully and slanderously of it , as the Pharisees did of the spirit when they attributed it to Beelzebub . And therefore it is expresly called the speaking blasphemously against the Holy Ghost . Whosoever speaketh f blasphemously against the Holy Ghost when he shall come , it shall never be forgiven him , neither in this world , nor in the world to come , Matth. 12.21 , 32. The great weight lyes in that , for this heavy doom he denounced upon them , says S t Mark , because they said he hath an unclean spirit , Mark 3 30. And thus at length we see what that sin against the Holy Ghost is , whose doom is so dreadful , and whose case is so desperate under the Gospel . It is nothing less than a slandering and reviling , instead of owning and assenting to that last evidence , which God has given us of the truth of the Gospel in the gifts of tongues , prophecy , and other extraordinary illuminations called the Holy Ghost . So that no man who ownes Christ's Religion , and thinks he was no Impostor , and believes that these miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost were no magical shows or diabolical delusions , can ever be guilty of it . No , before he arrive to that , he must not only be an Infidel to the faith , but also a Blasphemer of it ; he must not only disbelieve this last and greatest evidence , but disparage and rail against it . If then there be any man who ownes Christ's Authority , and obeys his Laws , and believes his Gospel , and hopes in its promises , and fears its threatnings , and expects that every word of that Covenant , which was confirmed to us by the infallible evidence of the Spirit and the Holy Ghost , shall come to pass ; he is not more guiltless of any sin , than of this against the Holy Ghost ; for he doth not so much as sleight and disparage , but ownes and submits to it . If good men therefore are afraid by reason of the irremissibleness of the sin against the Holy Ghost ; they fear where they need not , and their scruple is utterly unreasonable and groundless , For let it be as unpardonable as it will , that shall not hurt them , for they can never suffer by it , since , whilst they continue such as now they are , they cannot possibly be guilty of it , or of any thing that comes near it . CHAP. VII . The Conclusion . The CONTENTS . Some other causless scruples . The point of growth in Grace more largely stated . A summary repetition of this whole Discourse . They may dye with courage whose Conscience doth not accuse them . This accusation must not be for idle words , distractions in Prayer , &c. but for a wilful transgression of some Law of Piety , Sobriety , &c. above mentioned . It must further be particular and express , not general and roving . If an honest mans heart condemn him not for some such unrepented sins , God never will. BEsides these scruples already mentioned , some good minds may be put in fear , and doubt of the safety of their present state , because S t John says , that whosoever is born of God sinneth not , being no longer a child of God if he do , 1 Joh. 3.6 , 9. But the sin here spoken of , as was observed a above , is defined by S t John himself at the fourth verse of this Chapter , to be not every deviation or going beside the Law , but a wilful transgression and b rejecting of the Law it self . And this indeed is inconsistent with a regenerate state , and puts us out of Gods favour , making us liable to eternal destruction . But then the case for these sins is not desperate , seeing if once we forsake them , and repent of them , we are as safe again as ever we were before we committed them . For our repentance will set us straight ; and if we transgress not wilfully again , we are without the reach of condemnation . Others doubt whether when once they have wilfully sinned they ever can repent , or shall afterwards be pardoned , because they read of Esau , that after he had sold his birth-right with the blessing that attended it , when he would have inherited it afterwards he was rejected , and found no place of a c change of mind or repentance , though he sought it carefully with tears , Heb. 12.17 . In answer to this it will be sufficient to observe , that this change of mind or repentance which Esau sought , but could not find , was not in himself , but in his Father Isaac . It was not in himself , I say , for there he did find a place for it , being he was really possessed of it . For he was heartily sorry for his former folly in parting with his birth-right ; and for his present unhappiness in being cozen'd of his Father Isaacs blessing , and he sought to have them reverst with bitter crys , and importunate desires , and much unfeigned intreaties ; which clearly show that Esaus own mind was changed abundantly . But that repentance , or change of mind in reversing of the blessing , for which he laboured hard , but without effect , was in his Father Isaac . The good Old man had already pronounced the blessing upon Jacob , and when Esau most earnestly intreated him to reverse it , he told him flatly he would not : I have blessed him ▪ saith he , yea and he shall be blessed , Gen. 27.33 . For the story , as it is there recited , is plainly this . When Isaac bid his Son Esau provide him some Venison , that he might eat thereof , and bless him before he died : Jacob , by the counsel and assistance of his Mother Rebecca , counterfeited both the person and the Venison of Esau , and going in therewith to his Father before Esau returned , craftily stole away the blessing from him . And when Esau came in afterwards to receive the blessing which Isaac his Father had promised him , he tells him that Jacob his Brother had come with subtilty before him , and under a crafty disguise had taken it away from him . For I have made him thy Lord , saith he , and all his brethren have I given to him for servants . And although Esau intreated his Father to reverse it , and cryed , as it is there said , with a great and exceeding bitter cry ; yet Isaac would not change his mind , or alter what he had pronounced : I have blessed him , saith he , yea and he shall be blessed . This reversion of the blessing , and repentance or change of mind in his Father Isaac , was that which Esau endeavoured after , and which , as St. Paul here says , he sought carefully with tears . But as he observes out of this story all was in vain , for it would not be granted him . When he sought to inherit the blessing , his suit was not granted but rejected ; for Isaacs Decree was past , and he found no place of repentance , or way to make him change his mind ; although he sought that d change carefully with tears . In this place then the Apostle says not at all that it was impossible for Esau to repent of his sins against God , or that God would not forgive him upon his repentance : but only that Isaac would not repent of his decree , or reverse that blessing which he had pronounced upon Jacob. Which inflexibleness of Isaac he doth indeed make use of in these verses to illustrate Gods inexorableness towards some sinners ; but then those are not all wilful sinners indifferently , but only Apostates , who have wilfully renounced their Christianity , which , as we have seen before , is a sin that God will afford no more grace , or place of repentance to . And this , as I take it , appears plainly from the foregoing verses . Take care , says he , lest that which is lame , or the weak Christian , be turned out of the way of his Christian profession through fears of Persecution , v. 13 ; Look diligently lest any man fail , or fall from the Grace or Gospel of God , v. 15 ; which I exhort you the more earnestly to do , because if any man doth reject all those Gospel-blessings and priviledges , which in that Religion which you have received are now offered to him , and apostatize from them ; God will never afford him the tender of them again , but will be as unalterable in his Decree against him , as Isaac was in his against Esau , who , as you know from the story , after once he had mist of the blessing , found no place of repentance , though he sought it carefully with tears , v. 17. Others again are troubled in mind , and are afraid lest their Souls are yet in danger , because they do not perceive themselves to grow in grace , and to be increased in goodness . They complain that their spiritual life is at a stand , and that they are not more devout and piously affected , more vertuous and better Christians than they were for some considerable time before . And this makes them jealous lest they should pass for idle servants , who have not used and improved their Talents and who shall be dealt with at the last Day as if they had abused them . To speak clearly to this business , and yet to be as brief as conveniently I can , it is first observable , that to grow in grace is the same thing as to grow in vertue and goodness , or to go on to higher measures of life and perfection in any , or in all the instances of duty and obedience . For an obedient life , as I have largely shewn , is that sole instance and proof of grace , which can render any of us acceptable in Gods sight , and whereupon the Gospel encourages us to hope for pardon and a happy Sentence at the last Judgment . So that if any mans life is more perfect than it was , if he grows in doing good , and keeping back from evil , and goes on higher still in performing all Gods Commandments ; if he begins to have a greater honour for God , to be more careful to please , and more afraid to offend him ; if he is more forward to depend upon his Providence , to trust in his Promises , to resign himself up to his Will , and to submit to his pleasure , to praise him for all his Excellencies and Disposals , and to perform all his Precepts : if he is more humble and heavenly-minded , chast and temperate , just and charitable ; if he is more meek and gentle , courteous and affable , quiet and peaceable , more ready to repair wrongs , and to forgive injuries than formerly : if he thus advances to higher measures , to greater ease , or to more constancy and evenness of obedience in any , or in all instances of Duty towards God and men , and that in all relations ; his vertue is in its spring , and is still going on ; he grows in grace , and God will accordingly reward him . One particular Vertue there is , which men are wont to look at more especially in this matter , and that is Prayer . They measure their growth in grace by their improvement in this , and think their spiritual life is then most perfect , when their Devotions are most inlarged . Which they conclude they are , not when they are put up with the greatest trust and dependance , submission and resignedness to God Almighty , or with any other of those obedient tempers implied in Prayer which are apt to influence our whole lives : but when they are accompanied with the most sensible joys , and ravishing transports , and unusual height of fervency and affection . So that if at any time they can pray more passionately , and put forth more intense desires , and work themselves up to more heavenly raptures than ordinarily they have been able to attain to ; they fancy that they do indeed grow in grace , and are become higher in Gods favour and acceptance . But if ever this service happens to be more irksom to them , and they discharge it with much backwardness and weariness , dulness and indifference ; they think God frowns upon them , and has deserted them , and that their grace is in a declining state , and sinking down to nothing . But this is a very uncertain and dangerous mark for any man in this case to judge by , and will very often deceive him that builds upon it . For these fervent heats , and delightsom transports of Devotion , are not so much a duty as a priviledge , which all tempers cannot attain to , but only those that are naturally disposed for it : so that a growth in them , is not a growth in saving grace , but rather in sensible joy and happiness , and renders us not so truly gracious in Gods eyes , as happy in our own . Besides , as an improvement in these religious and pleasing raptures is not a growth in grace it self , so neither is it always joyned with it , and therefore no sure argument can be deduced from it . For 't is easily observable , that several persons of devotional tempers , who are usually raised up to a high pitch , and ravished with most delightsom transports in their Prayers ; are yet very dangerously defective in many instances of necessary Duty and a holy life . They fall oft-times , even whilst they enjoy their blissful heats and heavenly raptures of Devotion , into damning acts of fraud and injustice , anger and malice , strife and variance , fierceness and revenge : they live in them , and are habitually inslaved to them , and yet for all that they find no want of this delight in prayer , nor any abatement of their devout intenseness of mind , and earnest fervour of affection still . But now these men , being so maimed and partial in their service , and having no entire obedience to confide in ; they have not grace enough , as manifestly appears from what has been said upon that point , to bear them out , nor so much vertue as God has indispensably required to save them . As for these qualifications of our Prayers then , those sensible joys and passionate transports which accompany them ; they are no instance of obedience and saving grace themselves , nor any certain argument that those persons are endowed with it who are allowed to enjoy them . They are oft-times found in ill men , who , so long as they rest there and grow no better , cannot go to Heaven . And then as for the other more acceptable and obedient tempers of our prayers , such as trust and dependance , submission and resignedness , &c. which the men of sober devotion most justly prefer before the former , as usually most others do when once their religious heats are over : though a growth in them is truly a growth in grace , yet a growth in them alone is not enough to save us . They indeed in themselves are so many particular instances of obedience , and besides that , they are also great means and proper instruments to produce others : so that our growth in them is a growth in some particular Graces , and a very likely way to grow in others also . But still we must remember that they are but one part of saving Grace , and by no means the whole ; so that till we are grown in others too , we cannot hope to be saved by them . They are some instances of vertue , and a growth in them is in part a growth in grace : but a growth in them alone , or in any other particular vertues whatsoever , except we are grown up to a saving pitch in all the rest , and are come up to an entire obedience , is not enough to serve our turn . For this is the indispensable condition of the Christian Religion , and this the f perfect man and just stature in the Christian Faith ; that we be grown up to an habitual obedience in all our voluntary and chosen actions , not only to some few , but to all the parts of Duty , and the Laws of God. But if we would single out some one , or some few Vertues , from our growth and improvement wherein we may justly presume that we have attained to saving degrees in all the rest : S t James directs us to the duties of the tongue , in abstaining from back-biting , censuring , and evil-speaking , &c. which under all the invitations of conversation , and the temptations of common life , is usually the last point which good men gain , and that wherein g they , who scarce ever sin wilfully at all , or very rarely , are wont most frequently through indeliberation and inadvisedness to miscarry . If any man , saith he , offendeth not in word , but has attained to an innocent and obedient guidance of his tongue ; that same man need not be defective in other duties , he is a perfect man , and able also to bridle the whole body , Jam. 3.2 . Thus is mens growth in saving Grace , not a growth only in some one , or in some few vertues ; but in an universal and entire obedience . And this every Christian is bound incessantly to endeavour after . The longer he lives , the higher improvement ought he to make , and to attain every vertue in a larger measure , and in greater firmness and perfection , than he had before . Grow in grace , says S t Peter , and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ , 2 Pet. 3.18 . Forgetting those things which are behind me , and already attained , says S t Paul , and reaching out after those things which are still before me , I press on forward towards the mark , that I may acquire a more compleat growth than yet I have . And let as many among you as be perfect , be thus minded , Phil. 3.13 , 14. Thus are all good Christians bound to advance still further in a virtuous course , and the longer they live , to be still more uniform and constant , firm and perfect in all instances of obedience and a holy life . But then this obligation is not always laid upon them under the forfeiture of Heaven , but when once they have attained so far as is indispensably necessary to their acceptance , only of some higher rewards and greater degrees of happiness which are to be enjoyed there . For there are different degrees in happiness , answerable to the different measures in mens obedience : they that perform most , shall be rewarded highest ; but they who perform no more than is indispensably required , although they miss of that accession of reward which by the Grace of the Gospel is due to an eminent height of obedient endeavours , shall yet obtain the pardon of their sins , and a state of joy and blessedness in Heaven , as well as they who have endeavoured and performed more . An entire obedience in all chosen actions , and a particular repentance and amendment of all those sins wherein at any time we have wilfully disobeyed God , is sufficient , as has been shown , to secure the happiness of the next life . According as we have attained to greater or lesser perfection in it , so shall the degrees of our reward there be proportioned ; but if we have arrived to it at all , we have as much to show as is just necessary . And therefore whilst we are yet in the more imperfect measures of it , and only thirst after a more perfect obedience , that we may still be more acceptable to God , and have right to a more noble and excellent reward ; we are in a safe state , and have no need to disquiet our Souls with fears and jealousies , lest they should eternally miscarry . If any person then has used Gods Grace , and improved his Talents to this measure , he has not been unprofitable and useless , but has profited so far as is necessary to his happiness . He is bound indeed still to advance higher , and in every instance of Vertue to improve further ; but this he is , not under the loss of Heaven , but only under the danger of falling back into such a state of sin as would destroy the hopes of it again , and the forfeiture of greater glory and rewards there when an intire obedience in all chosen instances , and a particular reformation and repentance of all wilful sins is once secured , there is so much growth in grace as is absolotely necessary ; an exalted pitch and compleat measures of this obedience with more ease and pleasure , constancy and evenness , with less mixture of voluntary sins which need particular repentance , and with a greater freedom from innocent and unwilled infirmities , is necessary to more absolute degrees and greater hights of glory : but till that can be had , this is sufficient to a mans salvation . Several other scruples there are which are wont to disquiet and perplex the minds of good and honest people who are safe in Gods account , although their Case seems never so hazardous in their own . And of this sort are their fears that their obedience is unsincere , because they have an eye at their own good , and a respect to their own safety ; since they serve God in hopes to be better by him , and out of a fear , should they disobey , of suffering evil from him . They are afraid also that it is defective in a main Point , for they cannot love and serve him in that comprehensive latitude which the Commandment requires , viz. With all their heart , and with all their soul , and with all their mind . They doubt they are past Grace and Pardon , because they have sinned after that they have been enlightned , and that wilfully ; and the Apostles affirms that for such there remains no more Sacrifice for sins , Heb. 10.26 . These doubts are still apt to disturb their peace , and make sad their hearts ; and some others of like nature . But of these and several others I have given sufficient Accounts above ; such as , I hope , may satisfie any reasonable man , who is capable to read and to consider of them ; and thither I refer the Reader , not thinking fit here to repeat them . And thus at last we have seen when an honest and entire obedience is taken care for in the first place , how plainly groundless those fears are , which are wont to perplex the thoughts of good and safe , yet ignorant and misguided people about their state of happiness and salvation . And now I have done with all those points which I thought necessary to be enquired into , to the end that I might shew every man now before-hand how he stands prepared for the next world ; and which at the beginning of this whole Discourse I proposed to treat of . I have shown what that condition is of bliss or misery , which the Gospel indispensably exacts of us , and that , as I take it , so particularly , that no man , who will be at the pains to read and consider of it , can overlook or mistake it ; what those defects are , which it bears and dispenseth with ; what those remedies and means of reconciliation are , which it has provided for us ; and , when all these are taken care for , how groundless all those other scruples are , which are wont to disquiet honest minds about the goodness of their present state , and their title to eternal salvation . And upon the whole matter the sum of all amounts to this , that when Christ shall come to sit in judgment at the last day , and to pass sentence of life or death upon every man according to the direction of his Gospel , he will pronounce upon every man according to his works . If he has honestly and entirely obey'd the whole will of God in all the particular Laws before-mention'd , never willfully and deliberately offending in any one instance , nor indulging himself in the practice of any thing which he knows to be a sin ; he is safe in the Accounts of the last Judgment , and shall never come into Condemnation . Nay if he has been a damnable offender , and has willfully transgressed either in one instance , or in many ; in frequent repetitions of his sin , or in few ; yet if he repent of it before death seize him , and amend it ere he is haled away to Judgment ; he is safe still . For he shall be judged according as his works then are when God comes to enquire of them ; so that if ever he be found in an honest obedience , observing everything which he sees to be his duty , and willfully venturing upon nothing which his Conscience tells him is sinful ; he is found in the state of Grace and Pardon , and if he die in it , he shall be saved . All his unwill'd ignorances and innocent unadvisednesses upon his Prayers for pardon and his mercifulness and forgiveness of other men , shall be abated ; all his other causes of fear and scruple shall be overlooked ; they shall not be brought against him to his Condemnation , but in the honest and entire obedience which he hath performed , in that shall he live . If then we have an honest heart , and walk so as our own Conscience has nothing whereof to accuse us ; we may meet Death with a good Courage , and go out of the World with comfortable Expectations . For if we have an honest and a tender heart , whensoever we sin willfully and against our Consciences , our own Souls will be our Remembrancers . They will be a witness against us both whilst we are in this World , and after we are taken out of it , and brought to Judgment . Mens Consciences , says the Apostle , shall accuse or excuse them , in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men according to my Gospel , Rom. 2.15 . Indeed if men have harden'd their hearts in wickedness , and sin'd themselves out of the belief of their duty , having come to call evil , good ; and good , evil : then their Consciences having no further sense of sin , will have no accusations upon it . But if they really believe the Gospel , and study to know their duty , and desire to observe it , and are afraid to offend in any thing which they see is sinful ; whilst thus their heart is soft , and their Conscience tender , they cannot venture upon any sin with open Eyes , but that their own hearts will both check them before , and smite them afterwards . They will have a witness against them in their own bosoms , which will scourge and awake them , so that they cannot approach death without a sense of their sin , nor go out of the World without discerning themselves to be guilty . If our own Conscience then cannot accuse us of the wilful and presumptuous breach of any of Gods Commandments , and we know of none but what we have repented of ; we have just reason to take a good heart to our selves , and to wait for death in hopeful expectations . If our own hearts condemn us not , says Saint John , then have we confidence towards God , 1 John 3.21 . There is no sin that will damn us but a wilful one , and when we sin wilfully , if our heart is soft and honest , we sin willingly and against our Conscience ; our own heart sees and observes it before , and will keep us in mind of it after we have committed it . So that if any man has a vertuous and a tender heart , a heart that is truly d●sirous to obey obey God , and afraid in any thing to offend him ; when his Conscience is silent he may justly conclude that his Condition is safe , for if it doth not condemn him , God never will. An honest mans heart , I say , must condemn him before he have sufficient reason to condemn himself . And that too not for every idle word , or every fruitless lust , or every dulness of spirit , and distraction in prayer , and coldness in devotion , or such other mistaken marks whereby too many are wont to judge of their title to salvation . No , Heaven and Hell are not made to depend upon these things , but although a man be guilty of them , he may be eternally happy notwithstanding them . But that accusation of his Conscience which may give an honest man just reason to condemn himself , must be an accusation for a wilful breach or deliberate transgression of some particular Law of Sobriety , Piety , Justice , Charity , Peaceableness ; it must accuse him of an unrepented breach of some of those Laws above mentioned , which God has plainly made the terms of life , and the condition of salvation . And the accusation for the breach of these Laws must be particular and express ; not general and roving . For some are of so suspicious and timorous a temper , that they are still suspecting and condemning of themselves when they know not for what reason . They will indict themselves as men that have sinned greatly , but they cannot shew wherein ; they judge of themselves , not from any reason or experience , but at a venture , and by chance ; they speak not so truly their opinions as their fears ; not what their understandings see and discern , but what their melancholy suggests to them . For ask them as to any one Particular of the Laws of God , and run them all over , and their Consciences cannot charge them with any wilful , which is withal an unrepented transgression of it . But let them overlook all Particulars , and pass a judgment of themselves only in general , when they do not judge from particular instances , which are true evidence , but only from groundless and small presumptions ; and then they pass a hard sentence upon themselves , and conclude that their sins are very great and their condition dangerous . But no man shall be sentenced at the last Day for Notions and Generalities : but it is our particular sins which must then condemn us . For God's Laws bind us all in single actions ; and if our own Consciences cannot condemn us for any one wilful , which is withal an unrepented action ; God will not condemn us for them altogether . If our own heart therefore doth not accuse us for the particular , wilful , and unrepented breaches of some or other of those Laws above mentioned , which God has made the indispensable condition of our acceptance ; we are secure as to the next World , and may comfortably hope to be acquitted in the last Judgment . Being conscious of no wilful sin but what we have repented of , and by mercy and forgiveness of other men , and our prayers to God , begging pardon for our involuntary sins ; we shall have nothing that will lye heavy upon us at the last Day , but may go out of the World with ease , and dye in comfort . Our departure hence may be in peace , because our appearance at Gods Tribunal shall surely be in safety . For we shall have no worse charged upon us there , than we are able here to charge upon our selves ; but leaving this World in a good Conscience , we shall be sentenced in the next to a glorious reward ; and bid to enter into our Masters joy , there to live with our Lord for ever and ever . Amen . Soli Deo Gloria . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A47301-e5440 * 1 Joh. 2 . 17-29 . ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Cl●m . Ro. 1. Epist. ad Cor. c. 30. a Gal. 3.19 . b Matt 1.21 . c Jam. 2.22 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; Clem. Rom. Ep. 1. ad Cor. c. 31. e Quid est ●ide liter Christo credere ● est fideliter Dei mandata servare . Salvian de Gub. l. 3. p. 67. Ed. Oxon. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Clem. Rom. 1. Ep. ad Cor. c. 10. f Matt. 25.34 , 35 , 3● , &c. g Heb. 1.17 , 19. h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , wrought to his works or to make him work . i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . k Ne● Christianus esse videtur , qui Christiani nominis opus non agit . Salvian . de Gub. l ▪ 4. p. Ed. Ox. 90. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . b Noah's preaching Righteousness and Repentance before the flood , 2 Pet. 2.5 . and 1 Pet. 3.20 . is thus expessed by St. Clement , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 1. Epist. ad Cor. c. 9. c Prophetarum Filii . And in the like sence among the Gentiles , Poetarum Filii . d Jer. 8.6 . So St. Clement uses the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 promiscuously . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . And what in the Septuagint , whom he follows in Citations , is expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Ezek. 33.11 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. he , giving the sence , though not the words , according to the Apostolical usage , expresses thus , — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Clem. Rom. 1. Ep. ad Cor. c. 7.8 . And agreeably to this , the compilers of our Liturgy in the Sentences before Morning Service in our Old Common Prayer Books , translate Matt. 3.2 . Repent ye , for the Kingdom of God is at hand ; thus — Amend your lives , for the Kingdom , &c. As on the other side , they expound Ezek. 18.21 . If the wicked turn from all his sins that he hath committed , and keep all my statutes , and do that which is lawful and right , &c. thus — At what time soever a sinner repenteth , &c. Quid planius quàm quod voluntas pro facto reput●tur , ubi factum excl●dic necessitas ? nisi forte putetur in malo , quàm in bono efficacior inveniri voluntas apud Deum , qui charitas est ; & promptioresset ad ulciscendum , quam ad remunerandum misericors & miserator Dominus . Bernard . Ep. ad Hugonem de Sancto Victore quae est Ep. 77. p. op . 1458. f Quid dicam nescio , quid promittam penitus ignoro ; revocare ab inquisitione ultimi remedii periclitantes , durum & impium ; spondere autem aliquid in tam sera cautione , temerarium . Salv. de Avaritia , l. 1. p. 363. Ed. Oxon. a Levit. 26.40.42 . b Novum monstri genus , ●adem pene omnes j●giter fa●iu●t , quae fecisse se plangunt ; & qui intrant Ecclesiasticam Domum ut mala anti ●ua d●fleant , exeunt ut moliantur — Et sic oratio eorum RIXA est magis Criminum , quam exoratrix . Salvian de Gub. l. 3. p. 89. Ed. Oxon. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . b Such were the old Jewish forms of Prayer for PARDON , whether with Sacrifice , or without it : with Sacrifice — Obsecro , Domine , 〈◊〉 , deliqui , 〈◊〉 , hoc aut illud seci ; nunc aut●m POENITENTIAM ago , sitque 〈◊〉 ha●● 〈◊〉 m●a . Without Sacrifice — Obsecro , Domine , peccavi , deliqui , rebellavi , hoc aut illud feci ; nunc mei me facti POENITET , PVDETQVE , neque unquam ITERVM ad id REVERTAR , as they are cited out of Maimonides by the famous Dr. Outram in his Book de Sacrificiis l. 1. c. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c Clem. Rom. 1. Ep. ad Cor. c. 9. d Jam. 5.16 . Ps. 115.11 , 13· a S t Clemens Retells us of these hights of Charity , which were practised in his Time , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 1 Ep. ad Cor. c. 55. And the Parabolani or men who hazarded their own lives to redeem the lives of others , were very numerous among the Christians in the first times . Which Office St. Paul tells us Priscilla and Aquila , and E●aphroditas had done for him , Rom. 16.3 , 4. Phil. 2.30 . This practice is a most excellent Comment upon this Text. Notes for div A47301-e27090 b So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the Greek name for sobriety , is fetched by the Greek Lexicons from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , from its preserving and evidencing a sound Mind or Reason . c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is that whereby a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Andron . Rh. lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Theoph. Char. Ethic. c. 25. e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are reckoned by Arist. as the extremities of veracity and species of a he . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he says is one , who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Ethic. ad Nicom . l. 2. c. 7. & l. 4. c. 7. Theop●●a●●●s defines it to be a ●aising a greater opinion of us than we really deserve . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Char. Ethic. 24. And Hesych . explains 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesych . g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Hesych . h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Hesych . i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ Hesych . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , says Theophras●us , is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Char. Eth. c. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Maximus Tyrius Dissirt 4. Agreeably whereto Plutarch says in Alexandro , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . b The Idolatrous Images mentioned Isa. 44. are called a Lye , v. 20. and Hos. 7.1 . Jer. 13.25 . In which sense 't is true of the Romans , that in changing the Glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like to a corruptible man ; they turned the truth of God into a Lye , Rom. 1.23 , 25. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , says Andronicus Rhodius , is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Vertue that makes us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Andron . Rhod. lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Suld . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meo judicio est vitium animi , quo hamo inclinatur ad nocendum aliis etiam sine causa , sed ex quadam in maium proclivitate ; qualis est malitia Daemonis ; quem ea de causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellamus , Tolet. in Cap. 1. Ep. ad Rom. v. 29. d Maledictio si petulantius jactatur , convitium est , Cic. Orat . pro M. Caelio . d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Arist. N●●t . l. 2. c. 13. c Non monstrare vias eadem nisi sacra colenti : Quaesitum ad fontem solos deducere verpos , Juv. Sat. 14. Apud ipsos sides obstinata , misericordia in promptu : sed adversus omnes alios hostile odium , Tacit. Hist. l. 5. f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Humility . Heavenly-mindedness . Temperance , Patience . Continence . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Chastity . c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Contempt of the world . Contentment . Self-denial . Taking up the Cross. Mortification . e Rom. 13.14 . Sobriety . Watchfulness . Diligence . Piety . Honour . Worship . Faith. Knowledge . Love. Hope . Trust. Dependence . Prayer . Fear . Thankfulness . Zeal . Obedience . f Gal. 5.6 . & 6.13 . S●bjection or Resignedness . Righteousness . Justice . Charity . Goodness or Kindness . Brotherly kindness . Honour of our Brethren for their Vertues . Vindicating their injured reputation . Alms-giving . Hospitality . Speaking well of enemies . Congratulatio● . Compassion . Vnity . Assability . Condescension . g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . h Phil. 2.3 . i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . m Gal. 6.2 . & 1 Pet. 3.8 , 11 , 12. n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Doing good to enemies . o Rom. 1.5 . & 15.15 . Ephes. 3.8 . p Heb. 10.28 . Gentleness . Placableness . Mercifulness . q James 2.13 . r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Courtesie . Meekness . Long-suffering . Forgiving injuries . s Mat. 6.14 , 15. t 1 Pet. 3.8.12 . Affability . u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Mercifulness . y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Covering mens defects . Candor . Patience ▪ a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Speaking good of enemies . Doing good 〈◊〉 them . Praying for 〈◊〉 them . Friendly reproof . b Their practice in this Case is thus described ; Qui arguit socium suum , debet primùm hoc sacere placide inter se & ipsum solum verbis mollibus , ita ut non pudesaciat eum . Si resipiscit , b●xe est ; sin , debet eum acriter arguere , & pudesacere inter se & ipsum . Si non resipiscit , debet adhibere Socios , ipsúmque coram illis pudore afficere ; si nec modo qui●●uam proficit , debet eum pud●sacere coram multis , ejúsque delictum publicare . Nam certe detegendi sunt Hypocrit●e . Lib. Musar . as it is ci●ed by Dru●●●● , Not. ad loc . c Verse 21. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Restraining our Christian Liberty for our weak Brothers edification . Rom. 14.22 . Peace . Peace . e 1 Pet. 3.8 . Phil. 2.1 , 2. Concord . Condescension . Peaceableness . f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Forbearance or Long-suffering . h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quietness . Doing our own business . Satisfying for injuries . i Luke 19.8 . Peace-making . Laws in the relation of Subjects to our Kings . Subjection . Paying Tribute and Custom . Reverence and Honour . i 1 Pet. 2.17 . Obedience . k 1 Pet. 2.13 , 14 , 15. Prayer for Kings . Laws in the relation of people to their Pastors . Honour and Reverence for their works sake . l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . n 1 Tim. 5.17 , 18. 1 Cor. 9.4 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 14. Maintenance of Ministers . Obedience . Prayer for men . o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Ignat. Ep. ad Smyrn . Ed. Voss. p. 6. Laws in the relation of Husband and Wife . Communicating in each others bliss or misery . Bearing each others infirmities . Praying for each other . On the Husbands side , Condescension and Compliance . Providing for her . Protecting her . Flexible , winning Government . p Col. 3.19 . On the Wives side , Observance . Subjection . q Tit. 2.5.15 . Reverence . Fidelity on both sides . Obedience on the Wives . Laws in the relation of Parents and Children . r 2 Tim 3.3 . s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . On the Parents side , Maintenance or Provision . Loving Government . Religious ●ducation . t Col. ● . 20 , 21. u Mat. 15.4 . Obedience on the Childrens side . Honour . Requiting their Parents . Laws in the relation of Brethren and Sisters . Laws in the relation of Masters and Servants . On the Masters side , Maintenance . Just and equal Government . P●nctual payment of the wages of the Hireling . x Lev. 19.13 . y Jer. 22.13 . Religious instruction . Forbearing threatning . On the Servants side , Honour . Obedience . z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Hearty service . Reverence . Observance . Vindicating their inj●red reputation . Concealing their defects . Fidelity . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Baptism . Lords Supper . Repentance . Vnsoberness . a Mat. 5.28 , 30. Adultery . Fornication . Vncleanness . Lasciviousness . Drunkenness . Revelling . Emulation . b Luke 21.34 . c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Clem. Rom. 1. Ep. ad Cor. c. 30. Effeminateness . Sodomy . Ravishers . Vain-glory. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . e 1 Cor. 5.11 . & 6.10 . Fearfulness . f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Whoredome . Filthiness . Obscene Jesting . g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . h Col. 3.8 . i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Covetiusness . Carnality . k Rom. 8.6 , 18. 1 Tim. 5.6 . Covetousness . Pride . Arrogance . Incontinence . Haughtiness . Insolence . Sensuality . l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . n Jude 19. Backbiters . o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Gluttony . Voluptuousness . Worldliness . p James 4.4 . q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Ambition . s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Refusing of t●● Cross. Impiety . t Exod. 20.4 , 5. Idolatry . Witchcraft . u Mark 16.16 . Vnbelief . Sorcery . x Psal. 64.5 , ● . Denying Providence . y Mark 7.22 . Tit. 3.3 . Hating God. Foolishness . z Matt. 15.19 , 20. Blasphemy . Vnthankfulness . Headiness . Dishonour . Want of zeal . Perjury . a Deut. 5.11 . b James 5.12 . Common swearing . Disobedience . Prophaneness . c 1 Cor. 10.10 11. Contumacy . Injustice . Adultery . Murther . Covetousness . Deceit . Per●idy . Circumvention . Oppression . d 1 Pet. 2.1 , 2 , 3. Stealing or t●ievery . Slander . False witness . e Lev. 25.14 . Luke 18.11 . Extortion . f 1 Pet. 2.12 . Lying . Vncharitableness . g 1 Tim. 6.4 , 5. Maliciousness . h Matth. 6.14 . i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Wickedness . Envy . Malignity . Whispering . Back-biting . Implacableness . Vnmercifulness . Cont●inely . Revenge . ●●●roaching en●mies . i Matth. 5.22 . k 1 Pet. 2.1 , 2 , 3. Bitterness . Anger . Wrath. Clamour . Evil-speaking . Malice . l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . S●rline●s . m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Vnthankfulness . Despising and hating good men . Has●iness to punish . n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Vncourteousness . o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Difficulty of access . Vncondescension . Contumely . p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Mocking . Vpbraiding . Reproaching . q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Rigour . r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Rejoycing in evil . Variance or Debate . s 2 Cor. 12.20 . Railing or reviling . Censoriousness . r Steph. MS , reads , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Make not your self a Judge to censure and give Sentence against any one , and you shall not have Sentence given against you . Vncharitableness in Alms. Vnhospitableness . u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Scandalizing weak Brethren . Discord . x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Emulation or provoking one another . Strife or contention . Seditions . Heresies . Schism . Vnpeaceableness . y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Ignat . Ep. ad Phil. Ed. Voss. p. 40. z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Vnpeaceablenes● . a 2 Thess. 3.11 , 12. 1 Pet. 4.15 . B●sie Bodies . Tale-bearing . Tumults . Laws in the relation of Subjects to our Sovereigns . Dishonour . Irreverence . Speaking evil of Dignities . Resisting lawful Powers . Rebellion . Refusing Tribute and Taxes . Disobedience . Traitors . Laws in the relation of people to their Pastors . Dishonour . Irreverence . Evil-speaking . Mocking . Setting them at nought for their works sake . Disobedience . Not providing for them , or not maintaining them . b Gal. 6.6 . Matth. 10.10 . 1 Tim. 5.17 , 18. Sacriledge . Laws in the relation of Husband and Wife . Vnconcernedness . Estrangedness . Not bearing each others infirmities . Provoking one another . Publishing their mutual defects . Adultery . On the Husbands side , Imperiousness . Vncompliance . Not maintaining his Wife . Disobedience of the Wives . Laws in the relation of Parents and Children . b Ro. 1.31 , 32. Want of natural affection . Disobedience in Children . Parents not providing for their Children . Provoking them to anger . Irreligious education . c Prov. 20.20 . Gen. 9.22 , 25. Reproaching Parents . Contempt , and mocking them . Robbing them . Contumacy . Laws in the relation of Brethren and Sisters . Want of natural affection . Laws in the relation of Masters and Servants . On the Masters side , Vnjustness , and rigour in commanding . Vnequal Government of them . Immoderate threatning . Railing at them . Not maintaining them . Defrauding the hireling of his wages . On the Servants side , Disobedience . Vnob●ervance . Answering again . Purloining . Vnfaithf●lness . Dishonour . Irreverence . Publishing or aggravating their Masters faults . d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Eye-service . Contumacy . e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . f Luke 12.48 . g Placet Stoicis suo quamque rem nomine appellare . Sic en●m disserunt , nihil esse obscoenum , nihil turpe dictu , &c. Cic. Ep. ad Famil . l. 9. Ep. 22. quae est ad L. Papyrium Petum . h To prevent Adulteries , this sage Cato adviseth to , Quidam notus homo cum exiret Fornice , Macte virtute esto , inquit Se●tentia Dia Catonis , &c. Horat . lib. 1. Ser. Sat. 2. Nemo hic prohib●t , nec vetat , quin quod palam est venale , si argentum est , emas . Nemo ire quenquam publica prohibet via ; dum ne per fundum septum facias semitam , dumtete abstineas nupta , vidua , Virgine , Juventute & Pueris liberis , ama quod lubet , Plautus de usu Meretricum in Curculione , Act 1. Scen. 1. And Cicero in his defence of Marcus Coelius : Vincat aliquando [ in adolescentibus ] cupiditas rationem , dummodo parcat juventus pudicitiae suae , ne spoliet alienam , &c. Si quis Mer●triciis amoribus interdictum juventuti putet , est ille quidem valde severus , abhorret non modo ab hujus seculi licentia , verum etiam à majorum consuetudine ac concessis . Quando enim hoc non factum est ? Quando reprehensum ? Quando non permissum ? Cic. Orat. pro M. Coelio . Upon the account of this Gentile opinion of the lawfulness of Fornication , and because they reputed it as an indifferent thing , although really and in it self it were most necessary , it is sorted amongst other indifferent things in the Canons made for the Gentile World at the Council of Jerusalem , Acts 15.20 , 28 , 29. i Minerva in Homer , when she advises Achilles to cease the Quarrel with Agamemnon , and to keep off from fighting and blows ; doth yet allow him this liberty , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . k Nullam aliam Virtus mercedem laborum periculorúmque desiderat , praeter hanc Laudis & Gloriae : qua quidem detracta , quid est quod in hoc tam exiguo vitae curriculo , & tam brevi tantis nos in laboribus exerceamus ? Cic. Orat. pro Arch Poet. sub finem . l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [ which is his d●finition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Arist. Eth. Nicom . l 4. c. 7. m Plus tunc indulgentiae erat , & plus licentiae : tunc esus carnium praedicabatur , nunc abstinentia : tunc in omni vita jejuniorum paucissimi dies , nunc quasi unum jejunium Vita omnis : tunclaesis ultio suppetebat , nunc patientia : tunc irascentibus Lex ministra , nunc adversaria : tunc accusatori gladiumporrigebat , nunc Charitatem : tunc etiam earnali illecebrae Lex indulgebat , nunc evangelium nec aspectui : tunc corporeae volup●ates habebant quandam licentiam , nunc jubentur etiam oculi custodire censuram : tunc ad multas Vxores recipiendas unius Mariti torum Lex dilatabat : nunc etiam ad unam exciudendam casti affecte ; tus devotione constringit . Superest enim , inquit Apostolus , ut qui habent Vxore● , &c. 1 Cor. 7.29 , 30 , 31. says Salvian of the strictness of the Christian above the Jewish Law , de avaritia , l. 2. p. 383. Ed. Oxon. The reason whereof he addes p. 385. Majora solvimus , quia majora debemus . Judaei hab●bant rerum umbram , nos veritatem : Judaei suerunt servi , nos adoptivi , &c. n Matth. 19.8 . o Matth. 5.38 . p Psal. 5.8 , 10. and 7.6 . and 28.24 . and 35.8 . and 109. from ver . 1. to the 20. all which Curses appear to be directed against his Adversaries , ver . 20. q Acts 26.5 . Notes for div A47301-e84610 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qu. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : that being true , and not counterfeit , doth not fear the light , but is willing to be tryed in the brightest Sun. And the Apostle joins these two , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , opposing sincerity to fraud , and a double heart , and making it the same with simplicity , 2 Cor. 1.12 . And again he joins it with Truth , The unleavened ●read of sincerity and truth , 1 Cor. 5.8 . And so sincerus by the Latine Grammarians is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as signifying the same with cum corde , heartily and unfeignedly . b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is joined with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Matth. 6.5 . Which is an intimation of its being taken from publick Plays and Theaters . c Si pro arbitrio suo S●rvi Dominis obtem●●rant , nec in iis quidem , in quibus o●t●mp●rarint , obs●quuntur . Quando enim Servus ex Domini jussis ea sacit tantummodo quae vu●●●●cere ; jam non Dominicam implet voluntatem sed suam , Salvian . de Gub. Dei. l. 3. p. 79. Ed. Oxon. d Rom. 2.28 , 29. e Matth. 22.36 , 37 , 38. f Joh. 3.3 . g Ephes. 4.24 . Coloss. 3.10 . h Gal. 6.15 . 2 Cor. 5.17 . i 2 Pet. 1.4 . Mat. 5.48 . k Thus sincerum mel , is honey without any mixture of wax in it ; and sincerum is explained by the Grammarians to signifie the same as sine cera . Mark 12.30 . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Which being set immediately before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and the sins here being reckoned up according to the order of the ten Commandments , determine the wicked machinations to this particular , viz. murtherous only . b Chap. 8. c See this slated Lib. 5. Cap. 3. d See this stated Book 5. Chap. 3. e Cum ab homine mala ressolâ necessitate non agitur , ipsa rei turpis cupi●itas pro actione damnatur , Salvian de Prov. l. 6. p. 205. Ed. Oxon. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . b Rom. 13.14 . c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Andron . Rhod. Paraph. in Eth. Arist. l. 3. c. 2. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Ibid. and Arist. Eth. ad Nicom . l. 3. c. 1. Verse 15. 19. 18. 23. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Verse 25. a 1 Cor. 10. ver . 22 , 23. and ●● , 30. ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in exem . Claromont . & vers . Lat. Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Chap. 6. Verse 14. Chap. 6. Verse 15. 16. 17. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 18. Chap. 6. Verse 19. 20. 21. 22. Chap. 6. Verse 23. Chap. 7. Verse 1. 2. 3. Chap. 7. Verse 4. c Ephes. 2.15 . Col. 2.14 , 16 , 17. d Matth. 28.18 . 5. Chap. 7. Verse 6. 7. e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; Chap. 7. Verse 8. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Chap. 7. Verse 9 ▪ 10. 11. Chap. 7. Verse 12. 13. Chap. 7. Verse 14. 15. Chap. 7. Verse 16. 1● . Chap. 7. Verse 18. 19. 20. 21. Chap. 7. Verse 22. 23. 24. 25. Chap. 7. f In exemp . Clarom . 't is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which reading is also follow'd by the old Latin Vers. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Chap. 8. Verse 1. Chap. 8. Verse 2. ‖ Luke 11.13 . 3. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 4. * Such as Deut. 14.1 , 2. Ye are the Children of the Lord your God , ye shall not cut your selves for the dead . Which , say they , were rather to be done for that reason of their being Gods Children and a Kings Son , were it not for the blessed immortality of the departed Soul which this reason suggests to them . Such also are Deut. 32.39.47 . Deut. 4.4 , &c. All which must be brought about to speak it by Rabbinical Art , and unwonted fetch of consequence . See witness to Christ. pt . 2. chap. 13. ‖ Gal. 3.10 . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * Gal. 3 9 , 10 , 11 , 12. * Galat. 4.9 . * 1 Joh. 2.17.29 . a Neque est justa causatio cur praeferantur aliqua , ubi facienda sunt omnia . Sal. de Prov. l. 3. p. 80. Ed. Oxon. b Si pro arbitrio suo Servi Dominis obtemperant , ne in iis quidem , in quibus obtemperaverint , obsequuntur . Quando enim Servus ex Domini jussis ea facit tantummodo quae vult facere ; jam non Dominicam implet voluntatem , sed suam . Id. p. 79. c 〈…〉 exqai●tior quaeque crudelitas ●es●ra , ill●cebra est magis Secle . ● Plures essi 〈◊〉 quoti●s metimu●● v●bis , semen est sanguis Christianorum . Tertul. Apol. c. 50. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . e Mat. 11.6 . f 1 Pet. 2.8 . Galat. 5.11 . g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , says Nazianzen of the putting by Julian's designs against the Christians . Orat . 3. adv . Julian . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . b Psal. 18.22 , 23. c Col. 3.5 . d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . e Exod. 23.21 , 22. f Psal. 119.2 , 3. a Totus in hoc sum . b Numb . 14.24 . Deut. 1.36 . Vers. 25.26 . 27. 29. 30. 31. b Dei autem praecepta , quantum valeant in animis hominum , quotidiana experimenta demonstrant . Da mihi virum qui sit iracundus , maledicus , effraenatus ; paucissimis Dei verbis tam placidum quam ovem reddam . Da cupidum , avarum , tenacem ; jam tibi eum liberalem dabo , & pecuniam suam plenis manibus largientem . Da timidum doloris ac mortis ; jam cruces , & ignes , & Phalaridis taurum contemnet . Da libidinosum , adulterum , ganeonem ; jam sobrium , castum , continentem videbis . Da crudelem , & sanguinis appetentem ; jam in veram clementiam furor ille mutabitur . Da injustum , insipientem , peccatorem ; continuo & aequus , & prudens , & innocens erit . Vno enim lavacro malitia omnis abolebitur ; pauca Dei praecepta sic totum hominem immutant , & exposito vetere , no●um reddunt , ut non cognoscas eundem esse . Lactant. de Fals. Sap. l. 3. c. 26. c Non aliunde noscibiles quam de emendatione vitiorum pristinorum . Tertul. ad Scap. c. 2. d Non magna loquimur , sed vivimus . Cypr. de bono patientiae Ed. Rig. p. 222. Bonus vir Caius Sejus , sed malus tantùm quod Christianus . Tertul. Apol . c. 3. f Quid facies de tantis millibus hominum , tot viris ac foeminis , omnis Sexus , omnis Aetatis , omnis Dignitatis , offerentibus se tibi ? Tertul. ad Scap. c. 4. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Ignat. Epist. and Smyrn . h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is S t Clement's Character of good men , 1 Ep. ad Cor. c. 26. Notes for div A47301-e157650 a Quis peccat in ●o , quod nullo modo careri potest ? Aug. de lib. Arbit . l. c. 18. ●ohn 14.6 . Luke 2.10 . d Verse 14. e Mat. 1.21 . f Joh. 1.17 . g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . i Da exemplum qui absque peccato fuerit in perpetuum , aut confitere imbecillitatem tuam . Jerom. lib. 1. Dial. adv . Pel. paulo ab initio . k Peccavimus omnes , alii gravia , alii leviora , alii ex destinato , alii fortè impulsi , alii aut aliena nequitia ablati : alii in bonis consiliis parùm fortiter s●●timus , & innocentiam inviti , ac renitentes perdidimus . Nec delinquimus tantum , sed usque ad extremum aevi delinquimus . Etiam siquis tam bene purgavit animum , ut nihil eum obturbare amplius possit , ac fallere ; ad innocentiam tamen peccando pervenit . Sen. de clem . lib. 1. cap. 6. l Hoc primum nobis suademus , neminem nostram esse sine culpâ . Quis iste est qui se profitetur omnibus legibus innocentem ? Et ut hoc ita sit , quam angusta innocentia est ad legem bonum esse ? quàm multa pietas , humanitas , liberalitas , sides , justitia exigunt ? quae omnia extra publicas tabulas sunt . Id. de Ira , lib. 2. cap. 27. m Et Quoniam tales nascantur nunc quoque qualis Ille suit nostri Generis pater ante reatum : Posse hominem sine peccato decurrere vitam Si velit , ut potuit nullo delinquere primus Libertate sua : nempe haec damnata fateris Conciliis — Prosper lib. de Ingrat . contra Pelag . cap. 9. a 1 Sam. 16.7 . b Non est cui recte imputetur peccatum , nisi colenti . Aug. de lib. Arbit . l. 3. c. 17. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Justin Martyr , Apol. 1. c He calls it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is the proper word to denote a going beside the Law , or a transgression of it ; but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which imports a being without Law , or a renouncing of it . As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the lawless and disobedient . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Andron . Rhod. Paraph. in Eth. Arist. lib. 3. cap. 4. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Ibid. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Rom. 1.28 . d Deut. 17.12 . Will do presumptuously , is explained by will not hearken . e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . f Ira furor brev●s ●st . g Omne in praecipiti vitium . Stat. Juv. Sat. 1. Rom. 7.23 . i Elatio contemnentis in minimis mandatis culpam facit non minimam , & convertit in crimen gravis rebellionis naevum satis levem simplicis transgressionis . Bernard . de Praecept . & Dispens . c. 14. p. op . 931. k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . k In the Syriack version , according to Tremeli●s's translation● it is transgressus est , s●●l aspernanter . l Vers. 2. m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vers . 70. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . p Peccata sanciantia , and vastantia . q 2 Sam. 11.4 , 5 , 27. r vers . 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 13 , 14 , 15. s Chap. 12. vers . 1 , 5. a Voluntas non potest cogi . Axioma Scholast . b Invitae per vim . c Me●tem peccare , non corpus , & ●nde consilium abju●rit , ●ulpam abiss● . Liv. Dec. ● . vers . sin . d Book 3. Ch. 4. e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . f — Ergo non est cui relle impatetur peccatum nisi vol●nti . Aug. de lib. ●rbit . l. 3. c. 17. g Non sacit aliquid contra Legem Legis ignarus — Nullus potest ejus rei praevaricator esse quam nescit . Salvian de Gub. Dei l. 4. p. 134 , 138. Ed. Oxon. i Hoc & nos dicimus , poss● hominem non peccare si velit , pro tempore , pro loco , pro imbecillitate corporea , quamdiu intentus est animus , quamdiu chorda nullo vitio laxatur in cithara . Hieron . Dial. adv . Pel. l. 3. p. 302. Ed. Erasm. k Libertatem eam , quam in specie habere videntur , in sua generalitate considerata non habeant . Grot. de Jure Belli , l. 2. c. 20. §. 19. l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . m Nil contemptu agunt c●●lestium praeceptorum , praecepta Domini nes●ientes , &c. — Nemo ignota contemnit , &c , Salv. de Gub. Dei , l. 4. p. 134. & 148. Ed. Oxon. a Non apparentis , & non existentis , eadem est ratio . Rom. 5.13 . b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . c Invenimus non à nobis observari quod mandatum est , nisi eadem quae Dominus secit , nos quoque faciamus , & calicem pari ratione miscentes à Divino magisterio non recedamus . d Apparet sanguinem Christi non offerri , si deest vinum calici , nec Sacrificiam Domini cum legitima Sanctificatione celebrari , nisi Oblatio & Sacrificium nostrum responderit Passioni . Quomodo ●lim de Creatura vitis novum vinum cum Christo in Regno Patris bibemus , si in Sacrificio Dei Patris & Christi vinum non offerimus , nec calicem Domini Dominica traditione miscemus ? e Siquis de antecessoribus nostris vel ignoranter , vel simpliciter non hoc observavit ac tenuit , quod nos Dominus ●acere exemplo & magisterio suo docuit : potest simplicitati ejas de indulgentia Domini venia concedi ; nobis vero non poterit ignosci , qui nunc à Domino admoniti & instructi sumus ut calicem Dominicum vino mixtum , secundum quod Dominus obtulit , osseramus . — agentes graetias quod dum instruit de futuro quid facere debeamus ; de praeterito ignoscit quod simpliciter erravimus . Cypr. Ep. ad Caecil . quae est Ed. Rigalt . 63. f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Arrian . Comment . in Epict. lib. 3. cap. 26. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. Arist. Eth. ad Nicom . l. 2. c. 6. h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Sozom. Hist. Eccl. lib. 8. c. 15. Another instance of this we have in Tertullian , who through a Zeal for a severe virtue , which he thought was more strictly injoyn'd among the Montanists than the Catholicks , was erroneously insnared into the Montanists Separation , and into a sinfull neglect of the Catholick Communion . Concerning whose Opinions , which led him into that criminal breach , Rigaltius sayes thus , — Haereses Tertulliani quae dicuntur , eae vix aliud praecipiebant quam martyria fortiora , jejunia sicciora , castimoniam sanctiorem , nuptias scilicet unas aut nullas . In quibus quicquid peccavit , id omne virtutis amore vehementiore peccasse videatur . Rigalt . Observ. in lib. Tertull. ad Praxeam . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . b Idolothyta indisserenter manducant , nihil inquinari abiis putantes ; & in omnem Diem Festum Ethnicorum , pro voluntate in honore Idolorum factum , primi conveniunt , &c. Iren . adv . Haereses , l. 1. c. 1. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , MS. Alexand. & plur . al. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . e The Kings MS. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . h Quemadmodum aurum in coeno depositum non amittit decorem suum , sed suam naturam custodit cum coenum nil nocere auro possit : sic & semet ipsos dicunt , licet in quibuscunque materialibus operibus sint , nil noceri , neque amittere spirit●alem substantiam . Quapropter & intimorate omnia quae vetantur , hi , qui sunt ipsorum pe●●ecti , operantur ; de quibus Scripturae confirmant quoniam qui faciunt ea , Regnum Dei non haereditabunt ▪ Iren. l. 1. c. 1. i Concerning lascivious pleasures being allowed to them who are perfect and spiritual ; and denied to others who , as they were wont to speak , are animal , they taught thus : Quicunque in saeculo est & Vxorem non amat ut ei conjugatur , non est de veritate , & non transiet in veritatem . Qui autem de saeculo est mixtus muli●ri , non transit in veritatem , quoniam in concupiscentia est mixtus mulieri . Quapropter nobis quidem , quos Psychicos vo●ant , & de sa●culo esse dicunt necessariam continentiam & bonam operationem , uti per eam veniamus in medietatis locum : sibi autem , spiritalibus & perfectis vocatis , nullo modo . Iren. ib. k Agrippa Cas●or says that Basilides , one of their chief Heads , taught thus : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : As he is cited by Eusebius , Eccl. Hist. l. 4. c. 7. See also Epiphan . Haeres . 24. l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . o Rom. 1.21 , 28. p Mat. 15.14 . n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . o Jam. 2.22 . p ● Joh. 5.4 . q 1 Pet. 1.9 . r Mat. 1.21 . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . b nihil mihi conscius , &c. quia legerat , delicta quis intelligat , &c. temperabat sententiam n●●ortè per ignorantiam deliquisset ▪ Hieron . Dial. adv . Pelag. lib. 2. p. 284. Ed. Erasm. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Chrysost. Hom. 11. in 1 Epist. ad Chor. c. 4. vers . 4. Tom. 3. p. 307. Ed. Savil. d Joh. 1.17 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . f Nulii homini ablatum est scire utiliter quar●re , quod inutiliter ignorat , & humiliter consitendam esse imbecillitatem , ut quaerenti & consitenti ille subveniat , qui nec errat dum subvenit , nec laborat . Aug de lib arbit . l. 3. c. 19. g Non tibi deputatur ad culpam quod invitus ignoras , sed quod negligis quaerere quod ignoras . August . ib. h Ignorantia supina . i Ignorantia crassa & assectata . a 1 Sam. 16.13 . b Mat. 27.18 . c John. 18 38 , 39. d John 19 8. e John ●8 33. f John 19.12 , 13. g Mat. 16.24 25. and Chap. 10. ver . 37. h 2 Pet. 2.11 . 1 Cor. 10.13 . Jam. 1.2 , 3. i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . And that because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Chrysost. Homil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . in Gen. c. 12. v. 12 , 13. p. 259 , 260. Tom. 1. Ed. Savil. k Jer. 15.1 . i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Arist Ethic. ad Nicom . l. 3. c. 1. n Numb . 15.36 . o See Book 5. Chap. 4. Notes for div A47301-e207140 a Lev. 20.10 . b Matth. 28.19 . c This is that Grace which Christs bloud procured for us — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Clem. Rom. 1. Ep. ad Cor. c. 7. And that which ensued upon his exaltation — exalted to give repentance and remission of sins , Acts 5.31 . d Matth. 18.11 . e Matth. 9.13 . f Rev. 2.16 , 21. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Verse 23. 25. 26. h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 27. 28. 29. i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Verse . 1. 2. 3. 4. l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 5. 6. m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . See Heb. 14.32 . a Book 1. c. 3. b Si res aliea , propter quam peccatum est , cum reddi possit non redditur , non agitur poenitentia , sed fingitur . Aug. ad Macedon . quae est Ep. 54. c Non remittitur peccatum , nisi restituatur ablatum . Aug. ad Maced . d Exod. 22.1 e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Dict. Zenon . Comoed. f Vid. D r Light. Hor. Heb. in loc . g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . k Non remittetur peccatum , nisi restituatur ablatum ; sed cùm restitui potest . Aug. Ep. ad Maced . quae est Ep. 54. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Clem. Ro. 1. Ep. ad Cor. c. 35 , 36. Tenete vitam bonam in Praeceptis Dei , ut Baptismum custodiatis in finem . Non dico vobis quia sine peccato hic vivetis : sed sunt venialia sine quibus vita is●a non est . Propter omnia peccata Baptismus inventus est : propter levia , sine quibus esse non possumus , Oratio inventa . Quid habet Oratio ? Dimetre nobis debita nostra , si●ut nos dimittim●s D●bitoribus nostris . S●m●l abluim●r Baptismate , quotidiè Oratione . August . de Symb. ad Catechum . in Art. de Remis . Peccat , l. 1. c. 6. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Clem. Rom. Ep. 1. ad Cor. c. 2. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . f Luke 6.36 , 37 , 38. a 1 Pet. 2.22 . John 14.30 . b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . c Phil. 2.8 . d Matth. 26.39 , 42. e Juxta Domini nostri Dictum , Qui Mulierem viderit ad concupiscendum , reus est Adulterii corde concepti : intelligere possumus quod et sires turpes & damnabiles necessitate non agimus , pro ipsa tamen rerum turpium voluntate damnamur . Sal. de Prov. l. 6. p. 205. Ed. Oxon. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Ethic ad Nicom . l. 4. c. 8. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. a 1 John 3.24 . b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . d See the excellent D r Patrick's Witness to Christ , part 1. chap. 7. * John 7.39 . d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a Book 4. Chap. 2. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Verse 37. ver . 34 , 38. 33. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Book 3. f Eph. 4.13 . g Ecclus 19.16 . and 14.1 . ● Pet. 3.21 . 
A09339	----	A golden chaine: or The description of theologie containing the order of the causes of saluation and damnation, according to Gods word. A view whereof is to be seene in the table annexed. Hereunto is adioyned the order which M. Theodore Beza vsed in comforting afflicted consciences. Selections Perkins, William, 1558-1602. 1600 Approx. 3857 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 561 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-07 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A09339 STC 19646 ESTC S114458 99849683 99849683 14845 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A09339) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 14845) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 516:7) A golden chaine: or The description of theologie containing the order of the causes of saluation and damnation, according to Gods word. A view whereof is to be seene in the table annexed. Hereunto is adioyned the order which M. Theodore Beza vsed in comforting afflicted consciences. Selections Perkins, William, 1558-1602. Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605. [8], 184, [14], 185-524, [4], 525-570, [2], 571-684, [2], 685-711, [3], 713-771, [3], 773-830, [4], 831-906, [4], 907-1057, [1] p., [6] tables (some folded) Printed by Iohn Legat, printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge, [Cambridge] : 1600. "To the Christian reader" signed: W.P., i.e. William Perkins. "An exposition of the Symbole or Creede of the Apostles", "An exposition of the Lords prayer .. Printed for Iohn Porter, and Ralph Iackson. ..", "A treatise tending vnto a declaration, whether a man be in the estate of damnation, or in the estate of grace .. Printed for I.P. and I.L. ..", "A case of conscience .. Printed for Thomas Man, and Iohn Porter. ..", "A direction for the gouernment of the tongue", "Two treatises", "A salue for a sicke man", "A declaration of the true manner of knovving Christ crucified," "A discourse of conscience", "A reformed Catholike", "The foundation of Christian religion .. Printed for I.L. and I.P. ..", and "A graine of musterd-seede .. Printed for Ralph Iackson. .." each has separate dated title page; pagination and register are continuous. Includes index. 3K8 is cancelled. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. 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Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Theology, Doctrinal -- Early works to 1800. Salvation -- Early works to 1800. Predestination -- Early works to 1800. 2000-00 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2001-09 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-05 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2003-05 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-06 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A golden Chaine : OR , THE DESCRIPTION OF Theologie , containing the order of the causes of Saluation and Damnation , according to Gods word . A view whereof is to be seene in the Table annexed . Hereunto is adioyned the order which M. Theodore Beza vsed in comforting afflicted consciences . Printed by IOHN LEGAT , Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge . 1600. To the Christian Reader . CHristian Reader , there are at this day foure seuerall opinions of the order of Gods predestination . The first is , of the olde and new Pelagians ; who place the cause of Gods predestination in man ; in that they hold , that God did ordaine mē either to life or death , according as he did foresee , that they would by their natural free-will , either reiect or receiue grace offered . The second of them , who ( of some ) are tearmed Lutherans ; which teach , that God foreseeing , howe all mankinde beeing shutte vp vnder vnbeleefe , would therefore reiect grace offered , did hereupon , purpose to choose some to saluation of his meere mercie , without any respect of their faith or good workes , and the rest to reiect , beeing mooued to doe this , because hee did eternally foresee that they would reiect his grace offered them in the Gospell . The third Semipelagian Papists , which ascribe Gods predestination , partly to mercie , and partly to mens foreseene preparations and meritorious workes . The fourth , of such as teach , that the cause of the execution of Gods predestination , is his mercie in Christ , in them which are saued ; and in them which perish , the fall and corruption of man : yet so , as that the decree and eternall counsell of God , concerning them both , hath not any cause beside his will and pleasure . Of these foure opinions , the three former I labour to oppugne , as erronious , and to maintaine the last , as beeing trueth , which will beare waight in the ballance of the Sanctuarie . A further discourse whereof , here I make bold to offer to thy godly consideration : in reading whereof , regard not so much the thing it selfe , penned very slenderly , as mine intent & affection : who desire among the rest , to cast my mite into the treasurie of the Church of England , and for want of gold , pearle , and pretions stone , to bring a rammes skinne or twaine , and a little Goates haire , to the building of the Lords tabernacle . Exod. 35.23 . The Father of our Lord Iesus Christ grant that according to the riches of his glorie , thou maiest bee strengthened by his spirit in the inner man , that Christ may dwell in thy heart by faith ; to the end that thou being rooted and grounded in loue , maiest bee able to comprehend with all Saints , what is the breadth , and length , and height thereof ; & to knowe the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge , that thou maiest be filled with all fulnes of God. Amen . Farewell . Iulie 23. the yeare of the last patience of Saints . 1592. Thine in Christ Iesus , W. P. A GOLDEN CHAINE : OR , THE DESCRIPTION OF Theologie . THE CONTENTS . 1 Of the bodie of Scripture , and Theologie . pag. 1 2 Of God and the nature of God. ibid. 3 Of the life of God. pag. 3 4 Of Gods glorie and blessednes . pag. 5 5 Concerning the persons of the Godhead . pag. 6 6 Of Gods workes and his decree . pag. 8 7 Of Predestination and creation . pag. 10 8 Of Angels . pag. 11 9 Of Man & the state of innocencie . pag. 12 10 Of sinne and the fall of angels . pag. 13 11 Of mans fall and disobedience . pag. 15 12 Of Originall sinne . pag. 16 13 Of Actuall sinne . pag. 19 14 Of the punishment of sinne . pag. 22 15 Of Election and of Iesus Christ the foundation thereof . pag. 23 16 Of the vnion of the two natures in Christ. pag. 25 17 Of the distinctiō of both natures . pag. 27 18 Of Christs natiuitie and office . pag. 27 19 Concerning the outward meanes of executing the decree of Election , and of the Decalogue . pag. 36 20 Of the first commandement . pag. 38 21 Of the second commandement . pag. 42 22 Of the third commandement . pag. 54 23 Of the fourth commandement . pag. 61 24 Of the fift commandement . pag. 66 25 Of the sixt commandement . pag. 73 26 Of the seuenth commandement . pag. 82 27 Of the eight commandement . pag. 88 28 Concerning the ninth commaundement . pag. 95 29 Of the tenth commandement . pag. 100 30 Of the vse of the Law. pag. 101 31 Of the Couenant of grace . pag. 102 32 Of the Sacraments . pag. 103 33 Of Baptisme . pag. 107 34 Of the Lords Supper . pag. 111 35 Of the degrees of executing Gods decree in election . pag. 113 36 Conce●ning the first degree of the declaration of Gods loue . pag. 114 37 Concerning the second degree of the declaration of Gods loue . pag. 121 38 Concerning the third degree of the declaration of Gods loue . pag. 124 39 Of Repentance and the fruit thereof . pag. 128 40 Of Christian warfare . pag. 129 41 Of the first Assault . pag. 130 42 Of the second Assault . pag. 131 43 Of the third Assault . pag. 134 44 Of the patient bearing of the Crosse. pag. 136 45 Of the calling vpon God. pag. 138 46 Of Christian Apologie and Martyrdome . pag. 139 47 Of edification and Almes among the faithfull . pag. 140 48 Of the fourth degree of the declaration of Gods loue , and of the estate of the Elect after this life . pag. 141 49 Of the estate of the Elect at the last day of iudgement . pag. 143 50 Of the estate of the Elect after iudgement . pag. 144 51 Concerning the order of the causes of Saluation according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome . pag. 146 52 Concerning the decree of Reprobation . pag. 163 53 Concerning the ex●●●tion of the decree of Reprobation . pag. 164 54 Concerning a new deuised doctrine of Predestination , taught by some new and late Diuines . pag. 167 55 Of the state and condition of the Reprobates when they are dead . pag. 175 56 Of the state of the Reprobates in hell . pag. 176 57 Of the Application of Predestinanation . ibid. AN EPOSITION OF THE SYMBOLE OR Creede of the Apostles . THE CONTENTS . The Creede . pag. 185 Faith. pag. 187 God. pag. 198 The three persons . pag. 202 The Father . pag. 205 Gods omnipotencie . pag. 212 The creation . 217. 221 Gods counsell . pag. 218 The creation of heauen . pag. 228 The creation of Angels . pag. 231 The creation of Man. pag. 236 Gods prouidence . pag. 242 Adams fall and Originall sinne . pag. 252 The couenant of grace . pag. 259 The title , Iesus . pag. 262 The title , Christ. pag. 266 The title , Sonne . pag. 271 The title , Lord. pag. 278 The incarnation of Christ. pag. 279 Christs humiliation . pag. 295 Christs passion . pag. 297 Christs arraignment . pag. 300 Christs execution . pag. 328 Christs sacrifice . pag. 350 Christs triumph . pag. 356 Christs buriall . pag. 376 The descension of Christ. pag. 372 Christs exaltation . pag. 370 Christs resurrection . pag. 379 Christs ascension . pag. 396 Christs sitting at , &c. pag. 407 Christs intercession . pag. 409 Christs kingdome . pag. 417 The last iudgement . pag. 420 The holy Ghost . pag. 436 The Church . 451.488 Predestination . pag. 453 The mysticall vnion . pag. 483 The communion of Saints . pag. 500 The forgiuenes of sinnes . pag. 506 The Resurrection of the bodie . pag. 509 Life euerlasting . pag. 516 AN EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS PRAIER . THE CONTENTS . The exposition of the Lords prayer . pag. 525 The vse of the Lords prayer . pag. 561 Of the circumstances of praying . pag. 562 Of Gods hearing our prayers . pag. 563 The prayers of Paul. pag. 564 A TREATISE TENDING VNTO a declaration , whether a man be in the estate of damnation , or in the estate of grace . THE CONTENTS . 1 How farre a Reprobate may goe in Christian religion . pag. 574 2 The estate of a true Christian in this life : which also sheweth how farre the Elect beeing called , goe beyond all reprobates in Christianitie . pag. 584 3 A Dialogue to the same purpose , gathered out of the sauorie writings of M. Tyndal and Bradford . pag. 617 4 How a Reprobate may performe all the religion of the church of Rome . pag. 642 5 The conflicts of Sathan with a Christian . pag. 756 6 How the word of God is to be applied aright vnto the conscience . pag. 663 7 Consolations for the troubled consciences of weake Christians . pag. 666 8 A Declaration of certaine spiritual Desertions . pag. 674 A case of Conscience . THE CONTENTS . A case of conscience resolued out of the word of God ; How a man may know whether he be the child of God or no. pag. 685 A Discourse taken out of the writings of Hier. Zanchius , wherein the aforesaid Case of conscience is disputed , and resolued . A Direction for the gouernment of the tongue according to Gods word . THE CONTENTS . 1 The generall meanes of ruling the tongue . pag. 713 2 The matter of our speech . pag. 714 3 The manner of our speech , & what must be done before our speech . pag. 716 4 What is to be done in speaking , and of wisdome . ibid. 5 Of trueth and reuerence in speech . pag. 718 6 Of modestie and meekenes . pag. 722 7 Of sobrietie , vrbanitie , fidelitie , and care of others good name . pag. 725 8 Of the bonds of trueth . pag. 729 9 What is to bee done when wee haue spoken . pag. 730 10 Of writing . ibid. 11 Of silence . pag. 731 12 An exhortation to keepe the tongue . TWO TREATISES : I. Of the nature and practise of Repentance . THE CONTENTS . 1 What Repentance is . pag. 738 2 Of the causes of Repentance . pag. 740 3 How Rep●ntance is wrought . pag. 741 4 Of the partes of Repentance . pag. 742 5 Of the degrees of Repentance . pag. 743 6 Of the persons which must repent . ibid. 7 Of the practise of repentance . ibid. 8 Of l●gall motiues to Repentance . pag. 752 9 Of motiues Euangelicall . pag. 755 10 Of the time of Repentance . pag. 756 11 Of c●rtaine cases in repentance . pag. 758 12 Of the contraries to repētance . pag. 757 13 Of corruptions in the doctrine of repentance . pag. 761 II. Of the combat of the flesh and Spirit . pag. 762 The treatise of Dying well . p. 773. The treatise of the right knowledge of Christ crucified . p. 815. A Discourse of Conscience . THE CONTENTS . 1 What conscience is . pag. 831 2 The actions or duties of conscience where the point is handled , Howe any thing is saide to binde the conscience . pag. 832 3 The kinds and differences of conscience , where is handled libertie of conscience , and the question disputed whether a man may in conscience bee vnfallibly certain of his saluation . pag. 867 4 Mans duty touching conscience , which is to get and keepe it . pag. 900 A Reformed Catholike : OR , A DECLARATION SHEWing how neare we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of Religion : and wherein we must for euer depart from them . THE CONTENTS . 1 Of free will. pag. 910 2 Of Originall sinne . pag. 915 3 Assurance of saluation . pag. 918 4 Iustification of a sinner . pag. 925 5 Of merits . pag. 940 6 Of satisfactions for sinne . pag. 945 7 Of Traditions . pag. 950 8 Of Vowes . pag. 955 9 Of Images . pag. 961 10 Of reall presence . pag. 966 11 The sacrifice of the Masse . pag. 972 12 Of Fasting . pag. 977 13 Of the state of perfection . pag. 980 13 Of the worshipping of saints departed . pag. 985 15 Of Implicite faith . pag. 991 16 Of Purgatorie . pag. 995 17 Of the supremacie . pag. 996 18 Of the efficacie of the sacraments . pag. 1000 19 Of Faith. pag. 1003 20 Of Repentance . pag. 1006 21 The sinnes of the Romane Church . pag. 1014 An aduertisement to Romane Catholikes . pag. 1018 The foundation of Christian Religion , gathered into sixe principles . p. 1029. A Graine of Musterd-seede . THE CONTENTS . A man that doth but beginne to be conuerted , is euen at that instant the very child of God , though inwardly hee be more carnall then spirituall . pag. 1046 2. Conclusion . The first materiall beginning of the conuersion of a sinner , or the smallest measure of renewing grace , haue the promises of this life , and the life to come . pag. 1047 3. Conclusion . A constant and earnest desire to be reconciled to God , to beleeue and to repent , if it bee in a troubled heart , is in acceptation with God , as reconciliation , faith , repentance it selfe . pag. 1048 4. Conclusion . To see and feele in our selues the want of any grace , and to be grieued therfore , is the grace it selfe . pag. 1053 5. Conclusion . He that hath begunne to subiect himselfe to Christ and his word , though as yet hee be ignorant in most points of religion : yet if he haue care to increase in knowledge , and to practise that which he knoweth , hee is accepted of God , as a true beleeuer . pag. 1053 6. Conclusion . The aforsaide beginnings of grace are counterfeite , vnlesse they encrease . pag. 1054 The bodie of holy Scripture is distinguished into sacred sciences , whereof One is principall . Theologie is a science of liuing well and blessedly for euer . Other attendants or handmaids . I. Ethiques , a doctrine of liuing honestly and ciuilly . II. Oeconomickes , a doctrine of gouerning a familie well . III. Politiques , a doctrine of the right administration of a common weale . IIII. Ecclesiasticall discipline , a doctrine of well ordering the Church . V. The Iewes commonweale , In as much as it differeth from Church gouernement . VII . Academie , the doctrine of gouerning Schooles well : especially those of the Prophets . CHAP. 1. Of the bodie of Scripture and Theologie . THe bodie of Scripture , is a doctrine sufficient to liue well . It comprehendeth many holy sciences , whereof one is principall , others are handmaids or retainers . The principall science is Theologie . Theologie , is the science of liuing blessedly for euer . Blessed life consisteth in the knowledge of God. Ioh. 17 : 3. This is life eternall , that they know thee to be the onely very God and whome thou hast sent Christ Iesus . Esai 53.11 . By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant ( viz. Christ ) iustifie many . And therefore it consisteth likewise in the knowledge of our selues , because we know God by looking into our selues . Theologie hath two parts : the first of God , the second of his workes . CHAP. 2. Of God , and the nature of God. THat there is a God , it is euident : 1. by the course of nature : 2. by the nature of the soule of man : 3. by the distinction of things honest and dishonest : 4. by the terrour of conscience : 5. by the regiment of ciuill societies : 6. the order of all causes hauing euer recourse to some former beginning : 7. the determination of all things to their seuerall ends : 8. the consent of all men well in their wits . God is Iehouah Elohim . Exod. 6.2 . And Elohim spake vnto Moses , and said vnto him , I am Iehouah : and I appeared vnto Abraham , to Isaac , and to Iacob , by the name of God almightie , but by my name Iehouah was I not knowne vnto them . Exod . 3.13 . If they say vnto me , What is his name ? What shall I say vnto them ? And God answered Moses , I am that I am : Also he said , thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel , I am hath sent me vnto you . And God spake further to Moses , Thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel , Iehouah Elohim , &c. hath sent me vnto you . In these wordes , the first title of God , declareth his Nature , the second his Persons . The Nature of God , is his most liuely and most perfect essence . The perfection of the nature of God , is his absolute constitution , by the which he is wholly complete within himselfe Exod. 3. 13. I am that I am . Act. 17.24 . God that made the world , and all things that are therein , seeing that he is the Lord of heauen and earth , dwelleth not in temples made with hands , neither is worshipped with mens hands , as though he needed any thing , seeing he giueth to all life and breath and all things . The perfection of his Nature , is either Simplenes , or the Infinitenes therof . The Simplenesse of his nature , is that by which he is void of all Logical relation . He hath not in him , subiect or adiunct . Ioh. 5.26 . As the Father hath life in himselfe , so hath he giuen to the Sonne to haue life in himselfe : conferred with Ioh. 14.6 . I am the way , the truth , and the life . 1. Ioh. 1.7 . But if we walke in light , as he is in light : conferred with v. 5. God is light , and in him is no darkenesse . Hence it is manifest , that to haue Life , and to be Life : to be in Light , and to be Light , in God are all one . Neither is God subiect to generalitie , or specialtie : whole , or parts : matter , or that which is made of matter : for so there should be in God diuers things , and one more perfect then another . Therefore , whatsoeuer is in God , is his essence , and all that he is , he is by essence . The saying of Augustine in his 6. booke and 4. chap. of the Trinitie , is fit to prooue this : In God ( saith he ) to be , and to be iust , or mightie , are all one : but in the minde of man , it is not all one to be , and to be mightie , or iust : for the minde may be destitute of these vertues , and yet a minde . Hence it is manifest , that the Nature of God is immutable and Spirituall . Gods immutabilitie of nature , is that by which he is void of all composition , diuision , and change . Iam. 1. 17. With God there is no variablenesse nor shadowe of changing . Mal. 3.6 . I am the Lord and am not changed . Where it is saide , that God repenteth , &c. Gen. 6.6 . the meaning is , that God changeth the action , as men doe that repent : therefore repentance , it signifieth not any mutation in God , but in his actions , and such things as are made and chaunged by him . Gods Nature , is spirituall in that it is incorporall , and therefore inuisible . Ioh. 4.24 . God is a spirit . 2. Cor. 3. 17. The Lord is the spirit . 1. Tim. 1.17 . To the King eternall , immortall , inuisible , onely wise God , be glorie and honour for euer and euer . Col. 1.15 . Who is the image of the inuisible God. The infinitenesse of GOD , is twofolde : his Eternitie , and Exceeding greatnesse . Gods eternitie , is that by which he is without beginning and ending , Psal. 90. 2. Before the mountaines were made , and before thou hadst formed the earth and the round world , euen from euerlasting to euerlasting , thou art our God. Revel . ● . 8. I am Alpha and Omega , that is , the beginning and ending , saith the Lord , Which is , Which was , and Which is to come . Gods exceeding greatnes , is that by which his incomprehensible nature is euery where present , both within and without the world . Psal. 145.3 . Great is the Lord , and worthie to be praised , and his greatnes is incomprehensible . 1. King. 8.27 . Is it true indeede that God will dwell on the earth ? behold the heauens , and the heauens of heauens are not able to containe thee : how much lesse is this : house that I haue built ? Ier. 23. 24. Doe not I fill the heauen and earth , saith the Lord ? Hence it is plaine : First , that he is onely one , and that indiuisible , not many . Eph. 4.5 . One Lord , one faith , one Baptisme , one God and Father of all . Deut. 4. 35. Vnto thee it was shewed , that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God , and that there is none but he alone . 1. Cor. 8.4 . We know that an idoll is nothing in the world , and that there is none other God but one . And there can be but one thing infinite in nature . Secondly , that God is the knower of the heart . For nothing is hidden from that nature , which is within all things , and without all things , which is included in nothing , nor excluded from any thing . Because 1. King. 8. 39. the Lord searcheth all hearts , and vnderstandeth euery worke of the minde . Psal. 139.1,2 . Thou knowest my sitting downe , and my rising vp , thou vnderstandest my cogitation a farre off . CHAP. 3. Of the life of God. HItherto we haue spoken of the perfection of Gods nature . Now followeth the life of God , by which the Diuine Nature is in perpetuall action , liuing , and moouing in it selfe , Psal. 42. 2. My soule thirsteth for God , euen for the liuing God , when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God ? Hebr. 3. 12. See that there be not at any time in any of you an euill heart to depart from the liuing God. The diuine Nature , is especially in perpetual operation by three attributes , the which doe manifest the operation of God towards his creatures . These are his Wisdome , Will , and Omnipotencie . The wisdome or knowledge of God , is that by the which God doth not by certaine notions abstracted from the things themselues , but by his owne essence , nor successiuely and by discourse of reason , but by one eternall and immutable act of vnderstanding , distinctly and perfectly know himselfe , and all other things , though infinite , whether they haue beene or not . Matth. 11.27 . No man knoweth the Sonne but the Father , nor the Father but the Sonne , and he to whome the Sonne will reueale him . Hebr. 4. 13. There is nothing created , which is not manifest in his sight : but all things are naked and open to his eyes , with whome we haue to doe . Psal. 147.5 . His wisdome is infinite . Gods wisdome hath these parts : his foreknowledge , and his counsell . The foreknowledge of God , is that by which he most assuredly foreseeth all things that are to come . Act. 2.23 . Him haue ye taken by the hands of the wicked , beeing deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God , and haue crucified and slaine . Rom. 8. Those things which he knew before , he also predestinated to be made like to the image of his sonne . This is not properly spoken of God , but by reason of men , to whome things are past or to come . The counsell of God , is that by the which he doth most straightly perceiue the best reason of all things that are . Prov. 8. 14. I haue counsell and wisdome , I am vnderstanding , and I haue strength . The will of God , is that by the which he both most freely and iustly with one act willeth all things . Rom. 9. 18. He hath mercie on whom he will , and whom he will hardeneth . Eph. 1.5 . Who hath predestinate vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe , according to the good pleasure of his will. Iam. 4. 15. For that which you should say , if the Lord will , and we liue , we will doe this or that . God willeth that which is good , by approouing it ; that which is euill , in as much as it is euill , by disallowing and forsaking it . And yet he voluntarily doth permit euill : because it is good that there should be euill . Act. 14.16 . Who in time past suffered all the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies . Psal. 81.12 . So I gaue them vp to the hardnes of their heart , and they haue walked in their owne counsels . The will of God , by reason of diuers obiects , hath diuers Names , and is either called Loue and Hatred , or Grace and Iustice. The Loue of God is that , by the which God approoueth first himselfe , and then all his creatures , without their desert , and thē doth take delight . 1 Ioh. 4. 16. God is loue , and who so remaineth in loue , remaineth in God , and God in him . Ioh. 3.16 . So God loued the world , that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne , &c. Rom. 5.8 . God setteth out his loue towards vs , seeing that while we were yet sinners , Christ died for vs. The Hatred of God , is that by the which he disliketh and detesteth his creature offending , for his fault . 1. Cor. 10.5 . But many of them the Lord misliked , for they perished in the wildernes . Psal. 5. 5. Thou hatest all the workers of iniquitie . Psal. 44.8 . Thou hast loued iustice and hated iniquitie . The Grace of God , is that by which he freely declareth his fauour to his creatures . Rom 11.6 . If it be of grace , it is no more of workes : otherwise grace is not grace , but if it be of workes , it is no more grace . Tit. 2. 11. The sauing grace of God shined to all men , teaching vs to denie impietie , &c. The Grace of God , is either his Goodnes , or his Mercie . The Goodnes of God , is that by which he beeing in himselfe absolutely good , doth freely exercise his liberalitie vpon his creatures . Matth. 19.17 . Why callest thou me good , there is none good but one , euen God. Math. 5. 45. He maketh his sunne to shine vpon the good and bad , and he raineth vpon the iust and vniust . Gods mercie , is that by which he freely assisteth all his creatures in their miseries . Esai 30. 18. Yet will the Lord waite , that he may haue mercie vpon you . Lament . 3.22 . It is the Lords mercies , that we are not consumed , because his compassions faile not . Exod. 39.19 . I take pitie on whome I take pitie , and am mercifull on whome I am mercifull . Gods Iustice , is that by which he in all things willeth that which is iust . Psal. 10. The iust Lord loueth iustice . Psalm . 5.4 . For thou art not a God that loueth wickednesse . Gods iustice is in word or deede . Iustice in word , is that truth by which he constantly , and indeede willeth that which he hath ●aid . Rom. 3.4 . Let God be true , and euery man a lyar . Matth. 24.25 . Heauen and earth shall passe away , but my word shall not passe away . Hence it is , that God is iust in keeping his promise . 1. Ioh. 1.9 . If we confesse our sinnes , God is faithfull and iust to forgiue our sinnes . 2. Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnes , which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day . Iustice indeede , is that by which he either disposeth or rewardeth . Gods disposing iustice , is that by which he , as a most free Lord ordereth rightly all things in his actions . Psal. 45.17 . The Lord is righteous in al his waies . Gods rewarding iustice , is that by which he rendreth to his creature according to his worke . 2. Thess. 1.6 . It is iustice with God , to render affliction to such ●● afflict you , but to you which are afflicted , releasing with vs. 1. Pet. 1.17 . Therefore if you call him Father , which without respect of person iudgeth according to euery worke , passe the time of your dwelling here in feare . Ierem. 51. 56. The Lord that recompenseth shall surely recompence . The Iustice of God , is either his Gentlenes , or Anger . Gods Gentlenes , is that by which he freely bestoweth vpon his creature a reward . 2. Thess. 1. 5. Which is a token of the righteous iudgement of God , that ye may be counted worthie the kingdome of God , for the which yee also suffer . Matth. 10. 41 , 42. He that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet , shall haue a Prophets reward : and he that receiueth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man , shall receiue the reward of a righteous man. And whosoeuer shall giue vnto one of these little ones to drinke a cup of cold water onely in the name of a Disciple , verely I say vnto you , he shall not loose his reward . Gods Anger , is that by which he punisheth the transgression of his creature . Rom. 1.18 . For the wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlines , and vnrighteousnes of men , which withhold the truth in vnrighteousnes . Ioh. 3.36 . He that obeyeth not the Sonne , shal not see life , but the wrath of God abideth on him . Thus much concerning the will of GOD. Now followeth his omnipotencie . Gods omnipotencie , is that by which he is most able to performe euery worke . Math. 19.29 . With men this is impossible , with God all things are possible . Some things notwithstanding are here to be excepted . First , those things whose action argueth an impotencie , as to lie , to denie his word . Titus 1. 2. which God , that cannot lie , hath promised . 2. Tim. 2. 13. He cannot denie himselfe . Secondly , such things as are contrarie to the Nature of God , as to destroy himselfe , and not to beget his Sonne from eternitie . Thirdly , such things as imploy contradiction . For God cannot make a trueth false , or that which is , when it is , not to be . Gods power , may be distinguished into an absolute and actuall power . Gods absolute power , is that by which he can doe more , then he either doth , or will doe . Matth. 3.9 . I say vnto you , God is able of these stones to raise vp children to Abraham . Philip. 3. 21. According to the working , whereby he is able to subdue euen all things vnto himselfe . Gods actuall power , is that by which he causeth all things to be , which he freely will. Psal. 135. 6. All things which God will , those he doth in heauen and in earth , and in all depths . CHAP. 5. Of Gods glorie , and blessednesse . OVt of the former attributes , by which the true Iehouah is distinguished from a fained god , and from idols , arise the glorie of God , and his blessednesse . Gods glorie or maiestie , is the infinite excellencie of his most simple and most holy diuine Nature . Hebr. 1.3 . Who beeing the brightnesse of his glorie , and the ingraued forme of his person , &c. Dan. 3. Thou art onely God , and glorious vpon the earth . By this we see , that God onely can know himselfe perfectly . Ioh. 6.46 . Not that any mā hath seene the Father , saue he which is of God , he hath seen the Father . 1. Tim. 6. 16. Who onely hath immortalitie , and dwelleth in the light , that none can attaine vnto , whom neuer man saw , neither can see . Exod. 33.18 . Thou canst not see my face . Notwithstanding there is a certaine manifestation of gods glorie : partly more obscure , partly more apparant . The more obscure manifestation , is the vision of Gods maiestie in this life by the eies of the mind , through the help of things perceiued by the outward senses . Esa. 6.1 . I saw the Lord sitting vppon an high throne , and lifted vp , and the lower parts thereof filled the temple . Exod. ●3 . 22 . And while my glorie passeth by . I will put thee in a cleft of the rocke , and will couer thee with my hand whiles I passe by : after I will take away mine hand , and thou shalt see my backe parts , but my face shall not be seene . 1. Cor. 13. 12. Nowe we se as through a glasse darkely . The more apparant manifestation of God , is the contemplation of him in heauen face to face . 1. Corinth . 13. 12. But then shall we see face to face . Dan. 7. 9 , 10. I beheld till the thrones were set vp , and the ancient of daies did fit , whose garment was white as snow , &c. Matth. 19.16 . Gods blessednes , is that by which God is in himselfe , and of himselfe all sufficient , Gen. 17.1 . I am God all sufficient , walke before me , and be thou vpright . Col. 2.2.9 . For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the godhead bodily . 1. Tim. 6.5 . Which in due time he shall shew , that is blessed and Prince onely , &c. CHAP. 5. Concerning the persons of the Godhead . THe persons are they , which subsisting in one Godhead , are distinguished by incommunicable properties . 1. Ioh. 5.7 . There are three that beare record in heauen , the Father , the Word , and the holy Ghost , and these three are one . Gen. 19.24 . Then Iehouah raigned vpon Sodom and vpon Gomorrah , brimstone , and fire from Iehouah in heauen . Ioh. 1.1 . In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God , and that Word was God. They therefore are coequall , and are distinguished not by degree , but by order . The Constitution of a person is , when as a personall proprietie or the proper manner of subsisting is adioyned to the Dietie , or one diuine nature . Distinction of persons , is that , which albeit euery person is one and the same perfect God , yet the Father is not the Sonne or the holy Ghost , but the Father alone ; and the holy Ghost is not the Father or the Sonne , but the holy Ghost alone : neither can they be deuided , by reason of the infinitnesse of their most simple essence , which is all one in number , and the same in the Father , the same in the Sonne , and the same in the holy Ghost : so that in these there is diuersitie of persons , but vnitie in essence . The communion of the persons , or rather vnion , is that by which each one is in the rest , and with the rest , by reason of the vnitie of the Godhead : & therfore euerie each one doth possesse , loue , and glorifie another , and worke the same thing . Ioh. 4.10 . Beleeuest thou not that I am in the Father , and the Father is in me ? the wordes that I spake vnto you , I speake not of my selfe , but the father that dwelleth in me , he doth the workes . Prov. 8.22 . The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way : I was before the works of old . And vers . 20. Them was I with him as a nourisher , and I was daily his delight , reioicing alwaie before him . Ioh. 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God , and that Word was God. and chap. 5.19 . The Sonne can doe nothing of himselfe , saue that he seeth the Father do : for whatsoeuer things he doth , the same doth the Sonne also . There be three persons : the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost , Matth. 3.16.17 . And Iesus when hee was baptized , came straight out of the water , and lo , the heauens were opened vnto him , and Iohn saw the Spirit of God , descending like a doue , and lighting vpon him : and loe , a voyce came from heauen , saying , This is my belooued sonne , in whome I am well pleased . The father , is a person without beginning , who from all eternitie begate the Sonne , Heb. 1.3 . Who being the brightnes of the glorie , and the ingraued forme of his person . Psal. 2.7 . Thou art my Sonne , this day haue I begotten thee . In the generation of the Sonne , these properties must be noted : I. Hee that begetteth , and he that is begotten are togither , and not one before another in time . II. He that begetteth doth communicate with him that is begotten , not some one part , but his whole essence . III. The Father begot the Sonne not out of himselfe , but within in himselfe . The incommunicable propertie of the Father , is to be vnbegotten , to be a Father , and to beget . He is the beginning of actions , because he beginneth euery action of himselfe , effecting it by the Sonne and the holy Ghost . 1. Cor. 8.6 . Yet vnto vs , there is but one God , which is the Father of whome are all things and we in him , and one Lord Iesus Christ , by whome are all things , and wee by him . Rom. 11. ●6 . For of him , and through him , and for him are all things . The other two persons haue the Godhead , or the whole diuine essence , of the Father by communication , namely , the Sonne and the holy Ghost . The Sonne is the second person , begotten of the Father from all eternitie . Heb. 1.5 . For vnto which of the Angels said be at any time , Thou art my Sonne , this day begat I thee ? Col. 1.15 . Who is the image of the inuisible God , the first borne of euery creatur● . Ioh. 1.14 . And we saw the glory thereof as the glory of the only begotten sonne of the father . Rom. 8.32 . He who spared not his owne sonne . For this cause he is said to be sent from the father . Ioh. 8.42 . I proceeded forth and came from God , neither came I of my selfe , but he sent me . This sending taketh not away the equalitie of essence and power , but declareth the order of the persons . Ioh. 5●18 . Therefore the Iewes sought the more to kill him , not onely because he had broken the Sabboth : but said also that God was his Father , and made himselfe equall with God. Phil. 2.6 . Who being in the forme of God , thought it no robberie to be equall with God. Although the Son be begotten of his Father , yet neuertheles he is of & by himselfe very God : for he must be considered either according to his essence or according to his filiatiō or Sonship . In regard of his essence , he is ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) i. of and by himselfe very God : for the Deitie which is commō to all the t●ree persons is not begotten . But as he is a person , and the sonne of the Father , he is not of himselfe , but from another : for he is the eternall Sonne of his father . And thus he is truely said to be very God of very God. For this cause also he is the WORD of the father , not a vanishing , but an essentiall word ; because as a word is , as it were , begotten of the mind , so is the Sonne begotten of the Father ; and also , because hee bringeth glad tydings from the bosome of his Father . Nazian . in his Oration of the Sonne . Basil in his preface before Iohns Gospel . The propertie of the Sonne , is to be begotten . His proper manner of working , is to execute actions from the Father , by the holy Ghost . 1. Cor. 8. 6. Our Lord Iesus Christ , by whome are all things , and we by him . Ioh. 5.19 . Whatsoeuer things he doth , the same doth the Sonne also . The holy Ghost , is the third person , proceeding from the Father and the Sonne . Ioh. 15. 26. But when the Comforter shall come , whom I will send vnto you from the Father , euen the Spirit of truth , which proceedeth of the Father , he shall testifie of me . Rom. 8. 9. But ye are not in the flesh , but in the spirit , seeing the spirit of God dwelleth in you . But if there be any that hath not the spirit of Christ , he is not his . Ioh. 16.13,14 . But when the Spirit of truth shall come , he shall conduct you into all truth : for he shall not speake of himselfe , but whatsoeuer he heareth , he shall speake , and shall declare vnto you such things as are to come . He shall glorifie me , for he shall receiue of mine , and shew it vnto you . What may be the essentiall difference betwixt proceeding , and begetting , neither the Scriptures determine , nor the Church knoweth . The incommunicabl● propertie of the holy Ghost , is to proceed . His proper manner of working , is to finish an action , effecting it , as from the Father and the Sonne . And albeit the Father and the Sonne are two distinct persons , yet are they both but one beginning of the holy Ghost . CHAP. 6. Of Gods workes , and his decree . THus farre concerning the first part of Theologie : the second followeth , of the workes of God. The workes of God , are all those , which he doth out of himselfe , that is , out of his diuine essence . These are common to the Trinitie , alwaies reserued the peculiar manner of working to euery person . The end of all these , is the manifestation of the glorie of God. Rom. 11.36 . For him are all things , to him be glorie for euer . The worke , or action of God , is either his decree , or the execution of his decree . The decree of God , is that by which God in himselfe , hath necessarily , and yet freely , from all eternitie determined all things . Eph. 1. 11. In whome also we are chosen when we were predestinate , according to the purpose of him , which wor●eth all things after the counsell of his owne will. and vers . 4. As he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world . Matth. 10.29 . Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing , and not one of them falleth on the ground without your Father ? Rom 9. 21. Hath not the potter power on the clay , to make of the same lumpe one vessell ●● dishonour , and another to honour . Ther●fore the Lord , according to his good pleasure , hath most certainely decreed e●ery both thing and action , whether past , present , or to come , together with their circumstances of place , time , meanes , and ende . Yea , he hath most iustly decreed the wicked workes of the wicked . For if it had not so pleased him , they had neuer beene at all . And albeit they of thei● owne nature , are and remaine wicked ; yet in respect of Gods decree , they are to be accounted good . For there is not any thing absolutely euill , 1. Pet. 3.17 . For it is better ( if the will of God be so ) that ye suffer for well doing , then for euill doing . The thing which in the owne ●ature is euill , in Gods eternal counsel comes in the place of a good thing ; in that it is some occasion and way to manifest the glorie of God in his iustice , and his mercie . God his foreknowledge , is conioyned with his decree ; and inde●●e is in nature before it : yet not in regard of God , but vs ; because knowledge goeth before the will , & the effecting of a worke . For we doe nothing , but those things that we haue before willed , neither doe we will any thing which we know not before . God his foreknowledge in it selfe , is not a cause why things are , but as it is conioyned with his decree . For things doe not therefore come to passe , because that God did foreknow them ; but because he decreed and willed them : therefore they come to passe . The execution of Gods decree , is that by which all things in their time are accomplished which were foreknowne , or decreed , and that euen as they were foreknowne and decreed . The same decree of GOD , is the first and principall working cause of all things , which also is in order , and time before all other causes . For with Gods decree is alwaies his will annexed , by the which he can willingly effect that he hath decreed . And it were a signe of impotencie , to decree any thing which he could not willingly compasse . And with Gods will is conioyned an effectuall power , by which the Lord can bring to passe , whatsoeuer he hath freely decreed . This first and principall cause , howbeit in it selfe it be necessarie , yet it doth not take away freedome of will in election , or the nature and propertie of second causes , but onely brings them into a certaine order , that is , it directeth them to the determinate ende : whereupon the effects and euents of things are contingent or necessarie , as the nature of the second cause is . So Christ according to his Fathers decree died necessarily , Act. 17.3 . but yet willingly , Math. 25. 39. And if we respect the temperature of Christs bodie , he might haue prolonged his life ; and therefore in this respect may be said to haue died contingently . The execution of Gods decree , hath two branches , his operation , and his operatiue permission . Gods operation , is his effectuall producing of all good things , which either haue beeing or moouing , or which are done . Gods operatiue permission , is that by which he onely permitteth one and the same worke to be done of others , as it is euill ; but as it is good , he effectually worketh the same . Gen. 50.20 . You indeede had purposed euill against me , but God decreed that for good , that he might , as he hath done this day , preserue his people aliue . And Gen. 45.7 . God hath sent me before you to preserue your posteritie in this land . Esai 10. 5 , 6 , 7. Woe vnto Asshur , the rod of my wrath , and the staffe in their hands is mine indignation . I will send him to a dissembling nation , and I will giue him a charge against the people of my wrath to take the spoile , & to take the praie , and to tread them vnder feete like the myre in the streete . But he thinketh not so , neither doth his heart esteeme it so : but he imagineth to destroy , and to cut off not a few nations . God permitteth euill , by a certaine volun●arie permission , in that he forsaketh the second cause in working euill . And he for●aketh his creature , either by detracting the grace it had , or not bestowing that which it wanteth . Rom. 1.26 . For this cause God gaue them vp vnto vile affections . 2. Tim. 2.25 , 26. Instructing them with meekenes that are contrarie minded , proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance , that they may know the trueth , and that they may come to amendment out of the snare of the diuell , which are taken of him at his will : Neither must we thinke God vniust , who is indebted to none , Rom. 9.15 . I will haue mercy on him to whome I will shew mercie . Yea , it is in Gods pleasure to bestowe how much grace and vpon whome he will. Matth. 20.15 . Is it not lawfull for me to doe as I will with mine owne ? That which is euill , hath some respect of goodnes with God : first , in that it is the punishment of sinne : and punishment is accounted a morall good , in that it is the part of a iust Iudge to punish sinne . Secondly , as it is a meere action or act . Thirdly , as it i● a chastisement , a triall of ones faith , martyrdome , propitiation for sinne , as the death and passion of Christ. Act. 2.23 . and 4.24 . And if we obserue these caueats , God is not onely a bare permissiue agent in an euill worke , but a powerfull effectour of the same , yet so , as he neither instilleth an aberration into the action , nor yet supporteth , or intēdeth thesame , but that he most freely suffereth euill , and best disposeth of it to his own glorie . The like we may see in this similitude : Let a man spurre forward a lame horse ; in that he mooueth forward , the rider is the cause ; but that he halteth , he himselfe is the canse . And againe , wee see the sunne beames gathering themselues into a sunne glasse , they burne such things as they light vpon : now , that they burne , the cause is not in the sunne , but in the glasse . The like may bee said of Gods action in an euill subiect . CHAP. 7. Of Predestination and Creation . GOds decree , in as much as it concerneth man , is called Predestination : which is the decree of God , by the which he hath ordained all men to a certaine and euerlasting estate : that is , either to saluation or condemnation , for his owne glorie . 1. Thes. 5.9 . For God hath not appointed vs vnto wrath , but to obtaine saluation by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ. Rom. 9.13 . As it is written , I haue loved Iacob , and hated Esau. and vers . 22. What and if God would , to ●hewe his wrath , and to make his power knowne , suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction , and that he might declare the riches of his glorie vpon the vessells of mercie , which he hath prepared vnto glorie ? The meanes of accomplishing Gods Predestination are two fold : The creation , and the fall . The creation , is that by which God made all things very good , of nothing , that is , of no matter which was before the creation , Gen. 1.1 . In the beginning God created the heauen , &c. to the end of the chapter . Gods manner of creating , as also of gouerning , is such as that by his word alone , he , without any instruments , meanes , assistance , or motion produced al sorts of things . For to will any thing with God , is both to be able● and to performe it , Heb. 11.3 . By faith we vnderstand , that the world was ordained by the word of God , so that the things which wee see , are not made of things which did appeare . Psal. 148.5 . Let them praise the name of the Lord , for he commanded and they were created . The goodnes of the creature , is a kind of excellencie , by which it was void of all sinne , that is , free from punishment and transgression . The creation , is of the world , or inhabitants in the world . The world , is a most beutifull palace , framed out of a deformed substance , and fit to be inhabited . The parts of the world , are the heauens and earth . The heauens are threefold : the first is the aire , the second the skie , the third an inuisible and incorporall essence , created to bee the seate of all the blessed , both men , and Angels . This third heauen is called Paradise , 2. Cor. 13.4 . The inhabitours of the world , are reasonable creatures made according to Gods owne image : they are either Angels or men , Gen. 1. 26. Furthermore , God said , Let vs make man in our owne image , according to our likenes . Iob. 1.6 . When the children of God came and stood before the Lord , Satan came also among them . The image of God , is the integritie of the reasonable creature , resembling God in holines , Eph. 4. 24. And put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse . CHAP. 8. Of Angels . THe Angels each of them beeing created in the beginning , were setled in an vpright estate . In whome these things are to be noted . First their nature . Angels are spirituall and incorporall essences . Heb. 2. 16. For he in no sort tooke the Angels , but he tooke the seede of Abraham . Heb. 1.7 . And of the Angels he saith , he maketh the spirits his messengers , and his ministers a flame of fire . Secondly , their qualities . First , they are wise , 2 Sam. 14.18 . My lord the king is euen as an Angel of God in hearing good and badde . 2. They are of great might , 2. Thes. 1.7 . When the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty Angels . 2. Sam. 24. Dauid sawe the Angel that smote the people . 2. King. 19.35 . The same night the Angel of the Lord went out and smote in the campe of Ashur , an hundreth , fourescore , and fiue thousand . 3. They are swift and of great agilitie , Esay , 6,6 , Then flew● one of the Seraphims vnto me with an hotte cole in his hand . Dan. 9 . 21● The man Gabriel whome I had seene before in a vision , came flying and touched me . This is the reason why the Cherubins in the Tabernacle were painted with winges . Thirdly , they are innumerable , Gen. 3.2 . Now Iacob wēt forth on his iourney , and the angel of God met him . Dan. ●0 . 7 . Thousand thousands ministred vnto him , and ten thousand thousands stood before him . Matth. 26.25 . Thinkest thou I cannot praie to my father , and he will giue me moe then twelue legions of Angels ? Heb. 12. 22. To the company of innumerable angels . Fourthly , they are in the highest heauen , where they euer attēd vpon God , and haue societie with him . Mark. 18.10 . In heauen their Angels alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heauen . Psal. 68.17 . The chariots of God are twentie thousand thousand Angels , and the Lord is among them . Mark. 12.25 . But are as Angels in heauen . Fiftly , their degree . That there are degrees of Angels , it is most plaine . Colos . 1.16 . By him were all things created which are in heauen and in earth , things visible and invisible : whether they be thrones or dominions , or principalities , or powers . Rom. 8.38 . Neither Angels , nor principalities , nor powers &c. 1. Thes. 4.16 . The Lord shall descend with the voice of the Aarchangel , and with the trumpet of God. But it is not for vs to search , who , or how many bee of each order , neither ought we curiously to enquire howe they are distinguished , whether in essence , or qualities . Coloss. 2. 18. Let no man at his pleasure beare rule ouer you by humblenes of minde , and worshipping of Angels , advancing himselfe in those things which he neuer saw . Sixtly , their office . Their office is partly to magnify God , & partly to performe his commandements . Psalme 103. vers . 20. 21. Praise the Lord , ye his Angels that excell in strength , that doe his commandement in obeying the voice of his vvorde . Praise the Lord , all ye his hostes , ye his seruants that doe his pleasure . Seuenthly : The establishing of some Angels in that integritie , in which they were created . CHAP. 7. Of man , and the estate of innocencie . MAn , after he was created of God , was established in an excellent estate of innocencie . In this estate seuen things are chiefly to be regarded . I. The place . The garden of Heden , that most pleasant garden . Gen. 2. 15. Then the Lord tooke the man , and put him into the garden of Heden . II. The integritie of mans nature . Which was Eph● 4.24 . Created in righteousnes and true holines . This integritie hath two parts . The first is wisdome , which is true and perfect knoweledge of God , and of his will , in as much as it is to be performed of man , yea , and of the counsell of God in all his creatures . Coloss. 3. 10. And haue put on the newe man , which is renewed in knowledge , after the image of him that created him . Gen. chap. 2.19 . When the Lord God had formed on the earth euery beast of the field , and euery foule of the heauen , he brought them vnto the man , to see howe he would call them : for howesoeuer the man called the liuing creature , so was the name thereof . The second is Iustice , which is a conformitie of the will , affections , and powers of the body to the will of God. III. Mans dignitie , consisting of foure parts . First , his communion with God , by which as God reioiced in his own image , so likewise man was incensed to loue God : this is apparent by Gods familiar conference with Adam , Gen. 1.29 . And God said , Behold , I haue giuen vnto you euery hearb bearing seede &c. that shall be to you for meate . Secondly , his dominion ouer all the creatures of the earth , Gen. 2. 19. Psal. 8.6 . Thou hast made him Lord ouer the workes of thine hands , & hast set all things vnder his feet , &c. Thirdly , the decencie , & dignitie of the bodie , in which , though naked , as nothing was vnseemely , so was there in it imprinted a princely maiestie . Psal. 8. Thou hast made him little lower then then God , and crowned him with glorie and worship . Gen. 2.25 . They were both naked ; and neither ashamed . 1. Cor. 12.22 . Vpon those members of the bodie , which we thinke most vnhonest , put we more honestie on , and our vncomely parts haue more comelines on . Fourthly , labour of the bodie without paine or griefe . Gen. 3. 17,19 . Because thou hast obeyed the voice of thy wife , &c. cursed is the earth for thy sake , in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the daies of thy life , &c. IV. Subiection to God , whereby man was bound to performe obedience to the commandements of God : which were two . The one was concerning the two trees : the other , the obseruation of the Sabboth . Gods commandement concerning the trees , was ordained to make examination , and triall of mans obedience . It consisteth of two parts : the first , is the giuing of the tree of life , that as a signe , it might confirme to man his perpetuall abode in the garden of Heden , if stil he persisted in his obedience . R●uel . 2. 7. To him that ouercōmeth , will I giue to eate of the tree of life , which is in the midst of Paradise of God. Prov. 3.18 . Shee is a tree of life to them which lay hold on her : and blessed is he that retaineth her . The second , is the prohibition to eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and euil , togither with a commination of temporall and eternall death , after the transgression of this commandement . Gen. 2.17 . Of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill , thou shalt not eate of it : for in the day that thou eatest thereof , thou shalt die the death . This was a signe of death , and had his name of the euent , because the obseruation thereof would haue brought perpetuall happines , as the violation gaue experience of euill , that is , of all miserie , namely of punishment , and of guiltinesse of sinne . Gods commandement concerning the obseruation of the Sabboth , is that , by which God ordained the sanctification of the Sabboth . Gen. 2.3 . God blessed the seauenth day , and sanctified it . V. His calling , which is his seruice of God , in the obseruation of his commandements , & the dressing of the garden of Heden . Prov. 16.4 . God made all things for himselfe . Gen. 2.15 . He placed him in the garden of Heden , to dresse and keepe it . VI. His diet was the hearbs of the earth , and fruit of euery tree , except the tree of the knowledge of good and euill . Gen. 1.29 . And God said , Behold , I haue giuen vnto you euery hearb bearing seede , which is vpon all the earth , and euery tree , wherein is the fruit of a tree bearing seede , that shall be to you for meate . and chap. 3.17 . But of the tree of knowledge of good and euill , thou shalt not eate . VII . His free choice , both to will , and performe the commandement concerning the two trees , and also to neglect and violate the same . Whereby we see that our first parents were indeede created perfect , but mutable : for so it pleased God to prepare a way to the execution of his decree . CHAP. 10. Of sinne , and the fall of Angels . THe fall , is a reuolting of the reasonable creature from obedience to sinne . Sinne , is the corruption , or rather depriuation of the first integritie . More plainely , it is a falling or turning from God , binding the offendour by the course of Gods iustice , to vndergoe the punishment . Here a doubt may be mooued , whether sinne be a thing existing , or not . The answere is this : Of things which are , some are positiue , other primitiue . Things positiue , are all substances together with those their properties , effects , inclinations , and affections , which the Lord hath created and imprinted in their natures . The thing is called priuatiue which graunteth or presupposeth the absence of some such thing , as ought to bee in a thing . Such a thing is sinne , the which properly and of it selfe is not any thing created , and existing ; but rather the absence of that good which ought to bee in the creature . Sinne hath two parts : A defect , or impotencie ; and is a confusion or disturbance of all the powers and actions of the creature . Impotencie is nothing els , but the very want or losse of that good , which God hath ingrafted in the nature of his creature . The fall was effected on this maner . First , God created his reasonable creatures good indeede , but withall changeable , as we haue shewed before . For to bee vnchangeable good , is proper to God alone . Secondly , God tried their obedience in those things about which they were conversant . Deu. 13.13 . Thou shalt not hearken to the wordes of the Prophet , or vnto that dreamer of dreames : for the Lord your God prooueth you , to knowe whether you loue the Lord your God , with all your heart , and with all your soule . Thirdly , in this triall God doth not assist them with new grace to stand , but for iust causes forsaketh thē . Lastly , after God hath forsaken them , and left them to themselues , they fall quite from God : no otherwise , then when a man staying vp a staffe from the ground , it standeth vpright : but if he neuer so little withdraw his hand it falleth of it selfe . The fall , is of men , and Angels . The fall of Angels , is that by which the vnderstanding , pointing at a more excellent estate , and of it own accord approouing the same , together with the will making especiall choice thereof , they , albeit they might freely by their integritie , haue chosen the contrarie , were the sole instruments of their fall from God. 2. Pet. 2.4 . If God spared not the angels which sinned , but cast them downe into hell , and deliuered them into chaines of darkenes , to be kept vnto damnation , &c. Iud. 6. The Angels which kept not their first estate , but left their own habitation , he hath reserued in euerlasting chaines , &c. Ioh. 8.44 . He was a murtherer from the beginning , and continued not in the trueth : for their is no trueth in him . In the fall of Angels , consider : First , their corruption , arising from the fall , which is the deprauation of their nature ; and is either that fearefull malice and hatred , by which they set themselues against God , or their insatiable desire to destroy mankinde ; to the effecting whereof , they neglect neither force nor fraud . 1. Ioh. 3.8 . He that committeth sinne , is of the diuell , because the diuell sinned from the beginning . For this cause was the Sonne of God reuealed , to dissolue the works of the diuell . 1. Pet. 5.8 . Your aduersarie the diuell goeth about like a roaring lyon , seeking whom he may devoure . Eph. 6.12 . You striue not against flesh and blood but against Principalities , and powers , and wordly gouernours , the princes of darkenes of this world , against spirituall wickednesses , which are in supercelestiall things . II. Their degree , and diuersitie : for of these Angels , one is cheife , and the rest attendants . The chiefe is Beelzebub , prince of the rest of the diuels & the world , farre aboue them all in malice . Matth. 25.41 . Away from me ye cursed , into euerlasting fire , prepared for the diuell & his angels . 2. Cor. 4.4 . Whose minds the god of this world hath blinded . Revel . 12. 7. And there was warre in heauen , Michael , and his Angels fought with the dragon , & the dragon & his angels fought . Ministring angels , are such as waite vpon the diuell , in accomplishing his wickednesse . III. Their punishment . God , after their fall , gaue them ouer to perpetuall torments , without any hope of pardon . Iude vers . 6.2 . Pet. 2.4 . God spared not the Angels that had sinned , but cast them downe into hell , and deliuered them into chaines of darke●es , to be kept vnto damnation . This he did : first , to admonish men , what great punishment they deserued . Secondly , to shew , that grieuous sinnes must more grieuously be punished . The fall of Angels was the more grieuous , because both their nature was more able to resist , and the diuell was the first founder of sinne . Their punishment is easier , or more grieuous . Their easier punishment is double . The first , is their deiection from heauen . 2. Pet. 2.4 . God cast the Angels that sinned into hell . The second , is the abridging and limitation of their power , Iob. 1. 12. The Lord said vnto Satan , Behold , all that he hath is in thine hand , onely vpon him lay not thine hand . The more grieuous paine , is that torment in the deepe , which is endlesse & infinite , in time and measure . Luk. 8.31 . And they besought him , that he would not command them to goe downe into the deepe . CHAP. 11. Of mans fall and disobedience . Adams fall , was his willing reuolting to disobedience by eating the forbidden fruite . In Adams fall , we may note the manner , greatnesse , and fruite of it . I. The manner of Adams fall , was on this sort . First , the diuell , hauing immediately before fallen himselfe , insinuateth vnto our first parents , that both the punishment for eating the forbidden fruite was vncertaine , and that God was not true in his word vnto them . Secōdly , by this his legerdemain , he blinded the eies of their vnderstanding . Thirdly , being thus blinded , they begin to distrust God , and to doubt of Gods fauour . Fourthly , they thus doubting , are mooued to behold the forbidden fruit . Fiftly , they no sooner see the beautie thereof , but they desire it . Sixtly , that they may satisfie their desire , they eate of the fruit , which by the hands of the woman , was taken from the tree : by which act they become vtterly disloyall to God. Gen. 3.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 . Thus without constraint , they willingly fall from their integritie , God vpon iust causes leauing them to themselues , and freely suffering them to fall . For wee must not thinke that mans fall was either by chance , or God not knowing it , or barely winking at it , or by his bare permission , or against his will : but rather miraculously , not without the will of God , but yet without all approbation of it . II. The greatnes of this transg●●●●●● must be esteemed , not by the externall obiect , or the basenes of an apple , but by the off●n●● it containeth against Gods maiestie . This offence appeareth by many trespasses committed in that action . The 1. is doubting of Gods word . 2 : want of faith . For they beleeue not Gods threatning , [ In that day ye eate therof , you shal die the death : ] but being bewitched with the diuels promise , [ ye shal be like gods ] they cease to feare Gods punishment , and are inflamed with a desire of greater dignitie . 3. Their curiositie , in forsaking Gods word , and seeking other wisdome . 4. Their pride , in seeking to magnifie thēselues , and to become like God. 5. Contempt of God , in transgressing his commandements against their owne conscience . 6. In that they preferre the diuell before God. 7. Ingratitude , who , in as much as in them lieth , expel Gods spirit dwelling in them , and despise that blessed vnion . 8. They murther both themselues and their progeni● . III. The fruit or effects . Out of this corrupt estate of our first parents , arose the estate of infidelitie or vnbeleefe , whereby God hath included all men vnder sinne , that he might manifest his mercie in the saluation of some , and his iustice in condemnation of others . Rom. 11.32 . God hath shut vp all men in vnbeleefe , that he might haue mercie on all . Gal. 3.22 . The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne , that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue . In this estate , we must consider sinne , and the punishment of sinne . Sinne is threefold . The first , is the participation of Adams both transgression and guiltinesse : whereby in his finne , all his posteritie sinned . Rom. 5. 12. As by one man sinne enered into the world , and by sinne death : so death entred vpon all men , in that all men haue sinned . The reason of this is ready . Adam was not then a priuate man , but represented all mankinde , and therefore looke what good he receiued from God , or euill elsewhere , both were common to others with him . 1. Cor. 15.22 . As in Adam all men die , so in Christ all men rise againe . Againe , when Adam offended , his posteritie was in his loynes , from whō they should by the course of nature , issue : and therefore take part of the guiltines with him . Hebr. 7.9,10 . And to say as the thing is , Levi &c. paied tithes to Melchisedec : for he was yet in the loynes of his father Abraham , when Melchisedec met him . CHAP. 12. Of Originall sinne . OVt of the former transgression ariseth another , namely Originall sinne , which is corruption ingendred in our first conception , whereby euery facultie of soule and bodie is prone and disposed to euil . Psal. 1.1 . I was borne in iniquitie , and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me . Gen. 6. 5. Tit. 33. We our selues were in times past vnwise , disobedient , deceiued , seruing the lusts and diuerse pleasures , liuing in maliciousnes and enuie , hatefull , and hating one another . Hebr. 12.1 . Let vs cast away euery thing that presseth downe , and the sinne that hangeth so fast on . By this we see , that sinne is not a corruption of mans substance , but onely of faculties : otherwise neither could mens soules be immortal , nor Christ take vpon him mans nature . All Adams posteritie is equally partaker of this corruptiō : the reason why it sheweth not it selfe equally in all , is because some haue the spirit of sanctification , some the spirit , onely to bridle corruption , some neither . The propagation of sinne , from the parents to the childrē , is either because the soule is infected by the contagion of the body , as a good ointment by a fustie vessell ; or because God , in the very moment of creation and infusion of soules into infants , doth vtterly forsake them . For as Adam receiued the image of God , both for himselfe and others : so did he loose it from himselfe and others . But whereas the propagation of sinne is as a common fire in a towne , men are not so much to search howe it came , as to bee carefull howe to extinguish it . That wee may the better knowe originall sinne in the seuerall faculties of mans nature , three circumstances must be considered . 1. How much of Gods image we yet retaine . 2. How much sinne man receiued from Adam . 3. The increase thereof afterward . I. In the minde . The remnant of Gods image , is certaine notions concerning good and euill : as , that there is a God , and that the same God punisheth transgressions : that there is an euerlasting life : that we must reuerence our superiours , & not harme our neighbours . But euen these notions , they are both generall and corrupt , and haue none other vse , but to bereaue man of all excuse before Gods iudgement seat . Rom. 1.19,20 . That which may be known concerning God , is manifest in them : for God hath shewed it vnto them . For the inuisible things of him , that is , his eternall power & Godhead , are seene by the creation of the world , being considered in his works , to the intent they should be without excuse . Mens mindes receiued from Adam : 1. Ignorāce , namely , a want , or rather a depriuation of knowledge in the things of God , whether they concerne his sincere worship , or eternall happines . 1. Cor. 2.14 . The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God , for they are foolishnes vnto him , neither can hee know thē , because they are spiritually discerned . Rom. 8.7 . The wisdome of the flesh is enimitie with God , for it is not subiect to the law of God , neither indeede can be . II. Impotencie whereby the minde of it selfe is vnable to vnderstand spirituall things , though they be taught . Luk. 24.45 . Then opened he their vnderstanding , that they might vnderstand the Scriptures . 2. Cor. 3.5 . Not that we are sufficient of our selues , to think any thing as of our selues : but our sufficiēcie is of God. III. Vanitie , in that the minde thinketh falsehood truth , and trueth falsehood . Eph. 4.7 . Walke no more as other Gentiles , in the vanitie of your vnderstanding . 1. Cor. 1.21 . It pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching , to saue those which beleeue . 23. We preach Christ crucified , to the Iewes a stumbling blocke , but to the Grecians foolishnes . Prou. 14.12 . There is a way which seemeth good in the eies of men , but the end thereof is death . IV. A naturall incl●nation onely to conceiue and deuise the thing which is euill . Gen. 6.5 . The Lord saw that the wickednes of man was great vpon earth , & all the imaginations of the thoughts of the heart were on●ly euill continually , Iere. 4. 22. They are wise to doe euill , but to do well they haue no knowledge . Hence it is apparant , that the originall , and as I may say , the matter of all heresies , is naturally ingrafted in mans nature . This is worthie the obseruation of students in diuinitie . The increase of sin in the vnderstanding , is 1. a reprobate sense , when God withdraweth the light of nature . Ioh. 12.40 . He hath blinded their eies , and hardened their harts , least they should see with their eies , & vnderstād with their harts , and I should heale them , and they be conuerted . Rom. 1.28 . As they regarded not to know God , so God deliuered thē vp vnto a reprobate minde , to do those things which are not conuenient . 2. The spirit of slumber , Rom. 11.8 . God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber , &c. 3. A spirituall drunkennesse , Esay 29.9 . They are drunken , but not with wine , they stagger , but not with strong drinke . 4. Strong illusions . 2. Thess. 2.11 . God shall send them strong illusions , & they shall beleeue lies . The remnant of Gods image in the conscience , is an obseruing and watchfull power , like the eye of a keeper , reserued in man , partly to reprooue , partly to represse the vnbridled course of his affections . Rom. 2.15 . Which shewe the effect of the law written in their hearts , their conscience also bearing witnesse , and their thoughts accusing one another or excusing . That which the conscience hath receiued of Adam , is the impurenes therof . Titus 1.15 . To them that are defiled a●● vnbeleeuing nothing is pure , but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled . This impuritie hath three effects : the first , is to excuse sinne ; as , if a man serue God outwardly , he will excuse and cloake his inward impietie . Mark 10.19,20 . Thou knowest the commandements . Thou shalt not , &c. Then he answered , and said , Master , all these things haue I obserued from my youth . Againe , it excuseth intents not warranted in Gods word , 1. Chron. 13.9 . When they came to the threshing floore of Chidon , Vzza put forth his hand to hold the Arke , for the oxe did shake it . The second , is to accuse and terrifie for doing good . This we may see in superstitious idolators , who are grieued when they omit to performe counterfeit and idolatrous worship to their gods . Colos. 2.21,22 . Touch not , tast not , handle not , which all perish with vsing , and are after the commandements and doctrines of men . Esay 29.13 . And their feare toward me was taught them by the precepts of men . The third , is to accuse and terrifie for sinne . Gen. 50. 15. When Iosephs brethren saw that their father was dead , they said , It may be that Ioseph will hate vs , and will pay vs againe all the euill , which we did vnto him . Ioh. 8.9 . And when they heard it , beeing accused by their owne consciences , they went out one by one . 1. Ioh. 3. 20. If our heart condemne vs , God is greater then our heart . Though the conscience shal accuse a man truly , yet that will not argue any holinesse in it : which appeareth , in that Adam in his innocency had a God , yet no accusing conscience . Impurenes increased in the conscience , is first such a senseles numnesse , as that it can hardly accuse a man of sinne . Eph. 4.19 . Who beeing past feeling haue giuen themselues to wantonnes , to worke all vncleannes , euen with greedines . 1. Tim. 4.2 . Hauing their consciences burned with an hot yron . This senselesnes springeth from a custome in sinning . 1. Sam. 25.37 . Then in the morning when the wine was gone out of Nabal , his wife told him those words , and his heart died within him , and he was like a stone . II. Some grieuous horror , & terrour of the conscience , Gen. 4.14 . 〈◊〉 hold thou hast cast me this day from the earth , and from thy face shall I be hid . And ver . 13. My punishment i● greater , then I can beare . The Symptomes of this disease , are blasphemies , trembling of body , fearefull dreames . Act. 24.26 . And 〈◊〉 h● disputed of righteousnes , and temperance and the iudgement to come , Felix tr●mled &c. Dan. 5.9 . Then the kings co●ntenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him , so that the ioynts of his loynes were loosed , and his knees smote one against the other . In the will , the remnant of Gods image , is a free choice . First , in euery naturall action , belonging to each liuing creature , as to nourish , to engender , to mooue , to perceiue . Secondly , in euery humane action that is , such as belong to all men ; and therefore man hath freewill in outward actions , whether they concerne manners , a familie , or the common-wealth , albeit both in the choice and refusall of them it be very weake . Rom. 2.14 . The Gentiles which haue not the law , by nature doe those things which are of the law . The will receiued . I. An impotencie , whereby it cannot will , or so much as lust after that , which is indeede good , that is , which may please and be acceptable to God. 1. Cor. 2.14 . The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnes vnto him neither can he know them , because they are spiritually discerned . Rom. 5.6 . Christ when wee were yet of no strength , at his time died for the vngodly . 2. Tim. 2.26 . Phil. 2.13 . It is God which worketh in you both the will and the deede , euen of his good pleasure . II. An inward rebellion , wherby it vtterly abhorreth that which is good , desiring and willing that alone which is euill . By this it appeareth , that the will is no agent but a meere patient in the first act of conuersion to God , and that by it selfe it can neither begin that conuersion , or any other inward and sound obedience due to Gods law . That which the affections receiue , is a disorder , by which they therfore are not well affected , because they eschew that which is good , and pursue that which is euill . Galat. 5.24 . They that are Christs , haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof . Rom. 1.26 . Therfore God gaue them ouer to filthy lusts . 1. King. 22.8 . The king of Israel said vnto Iehosophat , yet is there one of whom thou maiest take counsell , but him I hate , &c. and 21.4 . therefore Achab came home to his house discontented and angrie for the word which Naboth spake vnto him ; and he laid himselfe on his bed , turning away his face least he should eate meate . That which the bodie hath receiued , is I. fitnes to begin sinne . This doth the bodie in transporting all obiects and occasions of sinne to the soule . Gen. 3.6 . The woman seeing that the tree was good for meate , and pleasant to the eyes , &c. tooke of the fruit thereof , and did eate . II. A fitnesse to execute sinne , so soone as the heart hath begun it . Rom. 6. Neither giue your members as weapons of iniustice to sinne , and vers . 19. As you haue giuen your members as seruants to vncleannes and iniquitie , to commit iniquitie , &c. CHAP. 13. Of actuall sinne . A After original sin in Adams posteritie , actuall transgression taketh place . It is either inward or outward . Inward , is of the minde , will , & affections . The actuall sinne of the minde , is the euill thought or intent thereof , cōtrary to Gods law . Examples of euill thoughts : God ( the onely knower of the heart ) hath in diuers places set downe in his word . I. That there is no God , Psal. 10.4 . The wicked is so proud , that he seeketh not for God , he thinketh alwaies there is no God. Psal. 14. 1. The foole saith in his heart , there is no God. II. That there is neither prouidence nor presence of God in the world . Psal. 10.11 . He hath said in his heart , God hath forgotten : he hideth away his face & will neuer see . vers . 13. Wherefore doth the wicked centemne God ? he saith in his heart , thou wilt not regard . III. It imagineth safegard to it selfe from all perils . Psal. 10. 6. He saith in his heart , I shall neuer be mooued nor be in daunger . Revel . 18.7 . She saith in her heart , I sit beeing a Queene , and am no widowe , and shall see no mourning . IV. It esteemeth it selfe more excellent thē other . Apoc. 18.7 . I sit as a queene . Luk. 18.11 . The Pharisie standing thus , praied to himselfe , I thanke thee , O God , that I am not as other men , extortioners , vniust , adulterers , nor yet as this Publi●an . vers . 12. I fast twise in the weeke , and giue tithe of all my possessions . V. That the Gospell of Gods kingdome is meere foolishnes . 1. Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God , for they are foolishnes vnto him . VI. To thinke vncharitably & malitiously of such as serue God sincerely . Math. 12.24 . When the Pharisies heard that , they said , he casteth not out diuels but by the prince of diuels . Psal. 74.2 . They said in their hearts● Let vs destroy them altogither . VII . To thinke the day of death farre off . Esay 28.15 . Ye haue said , We haue made a couenant with death , and with hell we are at agreement , though a scourge runne ouer and passe through , it shall not come at vs. VIII . That the paines of hell may be eschewed , in the place before mentioned , they say , With hell haue we made agreement . IX . That God will deferre his both particular and last generall comming to iudgement . Luk. 12. 19. I will say vnto my soule , soule thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeres . and vers . 45. If that seruāt say in his heart , my master will deferre his comming , &c. Many carnall men pretend their good meaning : but when God openeth their eies , they shall see these rebellious thoughts rising in their minds , as sparkles out of a chimney . The actuall sinne of both wil and affections , is euery wicked motion , inclination , and desire . Gal. 5. The flesh lusteth against the spirit . An actuall outward sinne , is that , to the committing whereof , the members of the bodie doe , together with the faculties of the soule , concurre . Such sinns as these are infinite . Psal. 40. 12. Innumerable troubles haue compassed me , my sins haue taken such hold vpon me , that I am not able to looke vp : yea , they are more in number then the haires of mine head . Actuall sinne , is of omission or commission : Again , both these are in words or deedes . In the sinne of commission , obserue these two points . The degrees in committing a sinne , and the differences of sinnes committed . The degrees , are in number foure . Iames 1. 14 , 15. Euery man is tempted , when hee is drawne away by his owne concupiscence , and is entised : Then when lust hath conceiued , it bringeth foorth sinne , and sinne when it is finished , bringeth foorth death . The first degree , is temptation , whereby man is allured to sinne . This doth Satan by offering to the mind that which is euill . Ioh. 13.2 . The diuell had now put into the heart of Iudas Iscariot Simons sonne to betray him . Act. 5.3 . Peter said to Ananias , Why hath Satan filled thine heart that thou shouldest lie ? &c. 1. Chr. 21. 1. And Satan stood vp against Israel , and prouoked David to number Israel . This also is effected vpon occasion of some externall obiect , which the senses perceiue . Iob 31.1 . I haue made a couenant with mine eyes , why then should I looke vpon a maide ? Tentation hath two parts : abstraction , and inescation . Abstraction , is the first cogitation of committing sinne ; whereby the mind is withdrawne from Gods seruice , to the which it should be alwaies readie prest . Luk. 10.27 . Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart , and all thy soule , with all thy thought . Inescation , is that whereby an euill thought conceiued , and for a time retained in the minde by delighting the will and affections , doth as it were , lay a baite for them to draw them to consent . The second degree , is conception , which is nothing els but a consent and resolution to commit sinne . Psal. 7. 14. He shall trauaile with wickednes , he hath conceiued mischiefe , but he shall bring forth a lie . The third degree , is the birth of sinne , namely , the committing of sinne , by the assistance both of the faculties of the soule , and the powers of the bodie . The fourth degree , is perfection , when sinne beeing by custome perfect , and , as it were ripe , the sinner reapeth death , that is , damnation . This appeareth in the example of Pharaoh : wherefore custome in any sinne is fearefull . Sinne actually committed , hath fiue differences . First , to consent with an offendour , and not actually to commit sinne . Eph. 5.11 . Haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull works of darknes , but reprooue them rather . This is done three manner of waies . I. When as a man in iudgement somewhat alloweth the sinne of another . Numb . 20.6,10 . Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rocke , and Moses said vnto them , Heare now ye rebels : shall we bring you water out of the rocke ? vers . 12. The Lord spake to Moses and Aaron , because ye beleeued me not , to sanctifie me in the presence of the children of Israel into the land which I haue giuen them . II. When the heart approoueth in affection and consent . Hither may we referre both the Ministers and the Magistrates concealing and winking at offences . 1. Sam. 2. 23. Ely said , Why doe ye such things ? for of all this people I heare euill of you . Doe no more my sonnes , &c. Now that Elies will agreeth with his sonnes sinnes , it is manifest , vers . 29. Thou honourest thy children aboue me . III. Indeede , by counsell , presence , entisement . Rom. 1. 31. They doe not onely doe the same , but also fauour them that doe them . Mark. 6.25 , 26. Shee saide vnto her mother , What shall I aske : and shee said , Iohn Baptists head , &c. Act. 22. 20. When the blood of thy Martyr Steuen was shed , I also stood by , and consented vnto his death , and kept the clothes of them that slue him . The second difference , is to sinne ignorantly , as when a man doth not expresly and distinctly know whether that which he doth , be a sinne or not , or if he knew it , did not acknowledge and marke it . 1. Tim. 1.23 . I before was a blasphemer , and a persecutor , and an oppressour : but I was receiued to mercie , for I did it ignorantly through vnbeleefe . Nomb. 35.22 , 23 , 24. If he pushed him vnaduisedly and not of hatred , or cast vpon him any thing without laying of waite , or any stone ( whereby he might be slaine ) and saw him not , or caused it to fall vpon him , and he die , and was not his enemie , neither sought him any harme : then the congregation shall iudge betweene the slayer and the auenger of blood , according to these lawes . 1. Cor. 4 4. I know nothing by my selfe , yet am I not thereby iustified . Psal. 19 : 13. Cleanse me from my secret sinnes . The third difference , is to sinne vpon knowledge , but of infirmitie , as when a man fearing some imminent daunger , or amazed at the horrour of death , doth against his knowledge denie that truth , which otherwise he would acknowledge and embrace . Such was Peters fall , arising from the ouermuch rashnes of the minde , mingled with some feare . Thus all men offend , when the flesh , and inordinate desires so ouerrule the will and euery good endeauour , that they prouoke man to that , which hee from his heart detesteth . Rom. 7.19 . I doe not the thing which I would , but the euill which I would not , that doe I. The fourth difference , is presumptuous sinning vpon knowledge . Psal. 19. 13. Keepe thy seruant from presumptuous sinnes : let them not raigne ouer me . Hitherto belongeth , I. euery sinne committed with an high hand , that is , in some contempt of God. Numb . 15.30 . The person that doth presumptuously , &c. shal be cut off from amongst his people : because he hath despised the word of the Lord , and and hath broken his commandement . II. Presumption of Gods mercie in doing euill . Eccles. 8.11 . Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily , therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to doe euill . Rom. 2.4 . Despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnes , &c. not knowing that the bountifulnes of God leadeth thee to repentance , &c. The fift difference , is to sinne vpon knowledge and set malice against God , and to this is the sinne against the holy Ghost referred . CHAP. 14. Of the punishment of sinne . HItherto we haue intreated of sinne , wherewithall all mankind is infected : in the next place succeedeth the punishmēt of sinne , which is threefold . The first is in this life , and that diuerse waies . The first concerneth the bodie , either in the prouision with trouble for the things of this life , Gen. 3. 17. or a pronenesse to disease , Matth. 9.2 . Sonne be of good comfort , thy sinnes be forgiuen thee . Ioh. 5. 14. Behold , thou art made whole , sinne no more , least a worse thing fall vpon thee . Deut. 28.21,22 . The Lord shall make the pestilence cleaue vnto thee , vntill he hath consumed thee from the land , &c. Or shame of nakednesse , Gen. 3.7 . Or in womens paines in childbirth . Gen. 3. 16. Vnto the woman he said , I will greatly encrease thy sorrowes , and conceptions : in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children . II. The soule is punished with trembling of conscience , care , trouble , hardnesse of heart , and madnesse . Deut. 28.28 . The Lord shall smite thee with madnesse , and with blindnesse , and with astonying of heart . III. The whole man is punished , 1. with fearefull subiection to the regiment of Satan . Col. 1.13 . Which freed vs from the power of darknesse , and translated vs into the kingdome of his beloued Sonne . Heb. 2. 14. He also himself tooke part with them , that he might destroy through death , him that had power of death , that is , the diuell . 2. A separation from the fellowship of God , and trembling at his presence . Eph. 4. 18. Hauing their cogitation darkned , and beeing straungers from the life of God. Gen. 3. 10. I heard thy voice in the garden , and was afraid , because I was naked , therefore I hid my selfe . 3. Vpon a mans goods , diuers calamities and dammages . Deut. 28.29 . Thou shalt euer be oppessed with wrong , and be pouled , and no man shall succour thee , &c. to the ende of the chapter . To this place may be referred distinction of Lordships : and of this commeth a care to enlarge them , and bargaining with all manner of ciuill seruitudes . 4. The losse of that Lordly authoritie , which man had ouer all creatures ; also their vanitie , which is not onely a weakning , but also a corrupting of that excellencie of the vertues and powers which God at the first put into them . Rom. 8.20 , 21. The creature is subiect to vanitie , not of it owne will , but by reason of him , which hath subdued it vnder hope , &c. 5. In a mans name , infamie and ignominie sometimes after his death . Ierem. 24.9 . The second , is at the last gaspe , namely death , or a change like vnto death , Rom. 6.23 . The wages of sinne is death . The third is , after this life , euen eternall destruction from Gods presence , and his exceeding glorie . 2. Thess. 1.9 . Who shal be punished with euerlasting perdition , from the presence of God , and the glorie of his power . CHAP. 15. Of Election , and of Iesus Christ the foundation thereof . PRedestination hath two parts : Election , and Reprobation . 1. Thess. 5.9 . God hath not appointed vs to wrath , but to obtaine saluation by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ. Election , is Gods decree , whereby on his owne free will , he hath ordained certaine men to saluation , to the praise of the glorie of his grace . Eph. 1.4 , 5 , 6. He hath chosen vs in him , before the foundation of the world , according to the good pleasure of his will , to the praise of the glorie of his grace . This decree , is that booke of life , wherein are written the names of the Elect . Revel . 20.12 . Another booke was opened , which is the booke of life , and the dead were iudged of those things , that were written in the bookes , according to their workes . 2. Tim. 2.19 . The foundation of God remaineth sure , and hath this seale , The Lord knoweth who are his . The execution of this decree , is an action , by which God , euē as he purposed with himselfe , worketh all those things , which he decreed for the saluation of the Elect. For they whome God elected to this ende , that they should inherite eternall life , were also elected to those subordinate meanes , whereby , as by steppes , they might attaine this end , and without which , it were impossible to obtaine it . Rom. 8. 29 , 30. Those which he knew before , he also predestinate to be made like to the image of his Sonne , that he might be the first borne amongst many brethren : Moreouer , whome he predestinate , them he called , whome he called , them ●ee iustified , and whome hee iustified , them also he glorified . There appertaine three things to the execution of this decree . First , the foundation . Secondly , the meanes . Thirdly , the degrees . The foundation is Christ Iesus , called of his father from all eternitie , to performe the office of the Mediator , that in him , all those which should be saued , might be chosen . Heb. 5.5 . Christ tooke not to himselfe this honour , to bee made the high Priest , but he that said vnto him , Thou art my Sonne , this day begate I thee , gaue it him &c. Esa. 42.1 . Behold my seruant : I will stay vpon him , mine elect , in whome my soule delighteth : I haue put my spirit vpon him , he shall bring foorth iudgement to the Gentiles . Eph. 1.4 . Hee hath chosen vs in him , meaning Christ. Question . Howe can Christ be subordinate vnto Gods election , seeing he together with the Father decreed all things ? Answ. Christ as he is Mediator , is not subordinate to the very decree it selfe of election , but to the execution thereof onely . 1. Pet. 1.20 . Christ was ordained before the foundation of the world . Augustine in his booke of the Predestinaiion of the Saints , chap. 5. Christ was Predestinate that he might be our head . In Christ we must especially obserue two things , his incarnatiō , & his Office. To the working of his Incarnation , concurre : First , both his Natures . Secondly , their Vnion . Thirdly , their distinction . Christs first Nature , is the Godhead , in as much as it belongeth to the Son , whereby he is God. Phil. 2.6 . Who beeing in the forme of God , thought it no robberie to be equall with God. Ioh. 1.1 . In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God , and that Word was God. It was requisite for the Mediatour to be God ; 1. That he might the better sustaine that great miserie , wherewith mankind was ouerwhelmed ; the greatnesse whereof , these foure things declare : I. The grieuousnesse of sinne , wherwith Gods maiestie was infinitely offended . II. Gods infinite anger against this sinne . III. The fearefull power of death . IV. The diuels tyrannie who is prince of this world . 2. That he might make his humaine nature both of plētifull merite , and also of sufficient efficacie , for the work of mans redemption . 3. That he might instill into all the elect eternall life , and holinesse . Esa. 43.12 . I am the Lord , & there is none besides me a Sauiour , I haue declared , and I haue saued , and I haue shewed , when there was no strange god among you : therefore ye are my witnesses , saith the Lord , that I am God. I say , the Godhead , in as much as it is the Godhead of the Sonne , is Christs diuine Nature : not as it is the Godhead of the Father , or the holy Ghost , for it is the office of the Sonne , to haue the administration of euery outward action of the Trinitie , from the Father to the holy Ghost . 1. Cor. 6.8 . And he being by nature the Sonne of the father , bestowet● this priuiledge on those that beleeue , that they are the Sonnes of God by adoption . Ioh. 1.12 . As many as receiued him , to them he gaue to be the sonnes of God. If either the Father or the holy Ghost , should haue beene incarnate , the title of Sonne should haue beene giuen to one of them , who was not the Sonne by eternall generation ; and so there should be moe sonnes then one . Christs other nature , is his humanity , wherby he , the Mediator , is very mā● 1. Tim. 2.5 . One God , & one Mediator betwene God & man , the man Christ Ie●●s . It was necessarie that Christ should be man. First , that God might be pacified in that nature , wherein he was offended . Secondly , that he might vndergo punishment due to sinne , the which the Godhead could not , being void and free from all passion . Furthermore , Christ , as he is man , is like vnto vs in all things , sinne onely excepted . Heb. 2.17 . In all things it became him to be made like vnto his brethren . 1. Cor. 13.4 . Christ therefore is a perfect man , consisting of an essentiall and true soule & bodie , whereunto are ioyned such faculties and properties , as are essentiall vnto both . In his soule , is vnderstanding , memorie , will , and such like : in his bodie , length , breadth , and thicknesse : yea , it is comprehended in one onely place , visible , subiect to feeling , neither is there any thing wanting in him , which may either adorne or make for the beeing of mans nature . Againe , Christ in his humanitie , was subiect to the infirmities of mans nature , which are these : I. to be tempted . Matth. 4.1 . Iesus was carried by the spirit into the desart , to be tempted of the Diuell . II. To feare . Heb. 5.7 . Who in the daies of his flesh did offer vp praiers and supplications with strong crying and teares , vnto him that was able to saue him from death , and was also heard in that which he feared . III. To be angrie . Mark. 3.5 . Then he looked round about on them angerly , mourning also for the hardnesse of their hearts , and said vnto the man , Stretch forth thine hand . IV. Forgetfulnesse of his office imposed vpon him , by reason of the agonie astonishing his senses . Matth. 26.39 . He went a little further , and fell on his face , and praied , saying , O Father , if it be possible , let this cup passe from me : neuertheles , not as I will , but as thou wilt . VVe must hold these things concerning Christs infinitenes ; I. They were such qualities , as did onely affect his humane nature , and not at all constitute the same : and therefore might be left of Christ. II. They were such as were common to all men ; as to thirst , to be wearie , and to die : and not personall , as are agues , consumptions , the leprosie , blindnes , &c. III. He was subiect to these infirmities , not by necessitie of his humaine nature , but by his freewill & pleasure , pitying mankind : therefore in him , such infirmities were not the punishment of his owne sinne , as they are in vs , but rather part of that his humiliation which he did willingly vndergoe for our sakes . CHAP. 16. Of the Vnion of the two natures in Christ. NOwe followeth the Vnion of the two natures in Christ , which especially concerneth his Mediation , for by it his humanity did suffer death vpon the crosse in such sort , as he could neither be ouercome , nor perpetually ouerwhelmed by it . Three things belong to this vniting of Natures . I. Conception , by which his humaine nature was by the wonderfull power and operation of God , both immediately , that is , without mans help , and miraculously framed of the substance of the Virgin Marie . Luke 1.35 . The holy Ghost shall come vpon thee , & the power of the most high shall ouershadow thee . The holy Ghost cannot be said to be the father of Christ , because he did minister no matter to the making of the humanitie , but did onely fashion and frame it of the substance of the Virgin Marie . II. Sanctification , whereby the same humane nature was purified , that is , altogether seuered by the power of the holy ghost , from the least staine of sin , to the end that it might be holy & be made fit to die for others . Luk. 1.35 . That holy thing which shall be borne of thee shall be called the Sonne of God. 1. Pet. 3.18 . Christ hath once suffered for sinnes , the iust for the vniust . 1. Pet. 2.22 . Who did not sinne , neither was there guile found in his mouth . III. Assumption , whereby the Word , that is , the second person in Trinity , tooke vpon him flesh , and the seed of Abraham , namely that his humaine Nature , to the end that it beeing destitute of a proper and personal subsistēce , might in the person of the Word obtaine it : subsisting , and , as it were , beeing supported of the Word for euer . Iohn 1.14 . That Word was made flesh . Heb. 2.16 . Hee tooke not vpon him the nature of Angels , but the seede of Abraham . In the assumption , we haue three things to consider : I. The difference of the two natures in Christ. For the diuine nature , as it is limited to the person of the Sonne is perfect and actually subsisting in it selfe : the other not . II. The manner of vnion . The person of the Sonne did by assuming the humane Nature , create it , & by creating , assume it . III. The product of the Vniō . Whole Christ , God and man , was not made a newe person of the two natures , as of partes compounding a new thing ; but remained still the same person . Nowe whereas the ancient Fathers tearmed Christ a compound person , wee must vnderstand them not properly , but by proportion . For as the parts are vnited in the whole , so these two natures doe concurre togither in one person , which is the Sonne of God. By this we may see , that Christ is one onely Sonne of God , not two : yet in two respects is he one . As he is the eternall Word , hee is by nature the Son of the Father . As he is man , the same Sonne also , yet not by nature or by adoption , but only by personal vnion . Luk. 1.35 . Matth. 3.17 . This is my beloued Son , &c. The phrase in Scripture agreeing to this Vnion , is the communion of properties , concerning which , obserue two rules . I. Of those things , which are spoken or attributed to Christ , some are only vnderstood of his diuine nature . As that Ioh. 8.58 . Before Abraham was , I am . And that Coloss. 1.15 . Who is the image of the inuisible God , the first borne of euery creature . Some againe agree only to his humanitie , as borne , suffered , dead , buried , &c. Luk. 2.52 . And Iesus increased in wisdome and stature , and in fauour with God and man. Lastly , other things are vnderstood , only of both natures vnited togither . As Matth. 17.5 . This is my beloued Son , in whome onely I am well pleased , heare him . Eph. 1.22 . He hath made subiect all things vnder his feete , and hath appointed him ouer all things to be the head to the Church . II. Some things are spoken of Christ , as he is God , which must be interpreted according to his humane nature . Act. 20.28 . To feed the Church of God , that is , Christ , which he ( according to his manhood ) hath purchased with his own blood . 1. Cor. 2.8 . If they had knowne this , they would neuer haue crucified the Lord of glory . Contrarily , some things are mentioned of Christ , as he is man , which onely are vnderstood of his diuine nature . Ioh. 3.13 . No man ascended vp to heauen , but he that hath descended from heauen , the sonne of man which is in heauen . This is spoken of his manhood , whereas we must vnderstand , that onely his Deitie came downe from heauen . Ioh. 6.62 . What if ye should see the sonne of man , ( vz. Christs humane nature ) ascend vp , where hee ( vz. his Deitie ) was before . Lastlie , by reason of this Vnion , Christ , as he is man , is exalted aboue euery name : yea , he is adored , and hath such a great ( though not infinite ) measure of gifts , as farre surpasse the gifts of all Saints and Angels . Eph. 1.21 . And set him at his right hand in heauenly places ●●●re aboue all principalitie , and power , and might , and domination , and euery name that is named , not in this world onely , but in that also that is to come . Heb. 1.6 . When he bringeth his first begotten Sonne into the world , he saith , And let all the Angels of God worship him . Col. 2.3 . In whome all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge are hidden . Phil. 2.9 , 10. Therefore god exalted him on hie , & gaue him a name aboue all names , that at the name of Iesus euery knee should bow ( namely , worship , and be subiect to him ) both of things in heauen , and things in earth , and things vnder the earth . CHAP. 17. Of the distinction of both Natures . THe distinction of both Natures , is that , whereby they , with their properties and effects , remaine , without composition , mingling , or conuersion , distinct . Ioh. 10.17,18 . Therefore doth my Father loue me , because I lay downe my life , that I may take it againe . No man taketh it from me , but : I lay it downe of my selfe . I haue power to lay it downe , and haue power to take it againe . Ioh. 13.31 , 32. Now is the Son of man glorified , & God is glorified in him . If God be glorified in him , God shall also glorifie him in himselfe . Here we may obserue , that there is one will in Christ , as God : another , as man. Matth. 26.39 . Not as I will but as thou wilt . This also approoueth that sentence of the Chalcedon Creede . Wee confesse , that one and the same Christ Iesus , both Sonne , Lord , only begottē , is known and preached to be in two natures without confusion , mutation , distinction , or separation . Lastly , hereby it is manifest , that Christ , when he became that which he was not ( namely man ) continued still that which he was ( very God. ) CHAP. 18. Of Christs Natiuitie and Office. THus much concerning Christs incarnation , the cleere declaration thereof was by his natiuitie . The natiuity of Christ , is that wherby Mary a Virgin , did after the course of nature , and the custome of women , bring forth Christ that Word of the father , and the Son of Dauid : so that those are much deceiued , which are of opinion that Christ , after a miraculous maner , came into the world , the wombe of the Virgin beeing shut . Luk. 2.23 . Euery man child which first openeth the womb , shall be called holy to the Lord. The which place of scripture is applyed to Mary & our Sauiour Christ. Hence is it , that the Virgin Marie is said ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) to bring forth god albeit she is not any way mother of the Godhead . For Christ as hee is God , is without mother , and as man , without Father . It is conuenient to be thought ; that Mary continued a Virgin vntill her dying day , albeit we make not this opinion any article of our beleefe . I. Christ beeing now to depart the world , committed his mother to the tuition and custodie of his disciple Iohn , which it is like he would not haue done , if shee had had any children , by whom , as custome was , shee might haue beene prouided for . Ioh. 19. 26. II. It is likely that shee who was with childe by the holy Ghost , would not after know any man. III. It is agreed of by the Church in all ages . Christ beeing now borne , was circumcised the eight day , that he might fulfill all the righteousnes of the law : and b●●●g thirtie yeares of age , he was baptized , that he beeing publiquely and solemnly inuested into the office of his Mediatorship , might take vpon him the guilt of our sinnes . He was both circumcised and baptized , that we might learne : I. That the whole efficacie of the Sacraments , depend alone and wholly vpon him . II. That he was Mediatour of mankind , both before and after the Law , as also vnder grace . III. That he is the knot and bond of both couenants . His Office followeth , to the perfect accomplishing whereof , he was annointed of his Father , that is , he was sufficiently furnished both with gifts and authoritie . Hebr. 1.9 . Therefore God , euen thy God annointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes . Esa. 61.1 . The Spirit of the Lord was vpon me , therfore be annointed me . Ioh. 3.34 . God giueth him not the Spirit by measure . If any man inforce this as a reason , that Christ could not performe the Office of a Mediatour , beeing not the meane or middle betwixt God and man , but the partie offended , & so one of the extreames : we must know that Christ is two waies said to be the middle or meane . I. Betwixt God and all men : for being both God and man , he doth participate with both extreames . II. Betwixt God and the faithfull onely : first , according to his humanitie , whereby he receiued the Spirit without measure . Secondly , according to his diuine nature , namely , as he is the Word . Now the Word is middle , betwixt the Father and the faithfull : I. In regard of order , because the Word was begotten of the Father , and by it we haue accesse vnto the Father . This subordination , which is of the Sonne to the Father , is not in the diuine essence , seuerally and distinctly considered , but in the relation or manner of hauing the essence . And after this manner those things which are subordinate , cannot be vnequall , if they haue one and the same singular essence . II. In regard of his office , the which , beeing imposed on him by his Father , he did willingly vndergoe , and of his owne accord . Christ doth exercise this office according to both natures vnited in one person , and according to each nature distinct one from the other . For in reconciling God and man together , the flesh performeth some things distinctly , and the Word other things distinctly . Againe , some other things are done not by the Word or flesh alone , but by both together . This office is so appropriate to Christ , that neither in whole , or in part , can it be translated to any other . Hebr. 7.24 . This man because he endureth for euer , hath an euerlasting priesthood , or a priesthood that cannot passe from one to another . Therfore Christ , as he is God , hath vnder him , Emperours , Kings , Princes to be his Vicegerents ; who therefore are called Gods. Psal. 82.1 . But as he is Mediator , that is , a Priest , a Prophet , & King of the Church , he hath no Vicegerent , Vicar , or Lieuetenant , who , in his either Kingly or Priestly office , in both , or but one , can be in his stead . Christs office is threefold , Priestly , Propheticall , Regall , Psal. 110.1,2,3,4 . Esai 42.1 . Christs Priesthood , is an office of his , wherby he performed all those things to God , whereby is obtained eternall life . Heb. 5.9 . And being consecrate , was made the author of eternall saluation , vnto all them that obey him : and is called of God an high Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec . Chap. 7. 24,25 . This man because he endureth for euer , hath an euerlasting Priesthood , wherefore he is able also perfectly to saue all them that come vnto God by him . His Priesthood , consisteth of two parts . Satisfaction , and Intercession . Satisfaction , is that , whereby Christ is a full propitiation to his Father for the Elect. Iob. 23.23 . If there be a messenger with him , or an interpreter , one of a thousand , to declare vnto man his righteousnes , then will he haue mercie vpon him , and will say , Deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit , for I haue found a reconciliation . Rom. 3.24 . And are iustisied freely by his grace , through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus . v. 25. Whome God hath set forth to be a reconciliation thorough faith in his blood . 1. Ioh. 2. 2. He is a propitiation for our sinnes . Christ satisfied Gods anger for mans offence , according to his humanitie , by performing perfect obedience to the will of God , according to his Deitie , by ministring such especiall dignitie to his perfect obedience , as was both full of merit and efficacie before God , for the saluation of the Elect. Ioh. 17.19 . For their sakes sanctifie I my selfe , that they also may be sanctified through the truth . Act. 20.28 . To feed the flocke of God , which he hath purchased with his owne blood . 2. Cor. 5.19 . God was in Christ , and reconciled the world to himselfe , not imputing their sinnes vnto them . Satisfaction , comprehendeth his passion , and fulfilling the Law. His passion , is the first part of satisfaction , by which , he hauing vndergone the punishment of sinne , satisfied Gods iustice , and appeased his anger for the sinnes of the faithfull . His passion was on this manner . a Somewhat before his death , partly feare arising from the sense of Gods wrath imminent vpon him , partly griefe possessing , as it were , each part of him , so disturbed his sacred minde , b that inwardly for a while it stroke into him a strange kinde of astonishment , or rather obliuion of his dutie imposed vpon him : and outwardly c made him pray vnto his Father ( if he would ) to remooue that cuppe from him , the which he did expresse with no small crie , many teares , and a bloody sweate , d trickling from his bodie vnto the ground . But when he came againe vnto himselfe , e he freely yeelded himselfe vnto his Father to satisfie vpon the crosse for the transgression of man. After this his agonie was ouerpassed , f by Iudas his treacherie Christ is apprehended , and g first he is brought to Annas , after to Caiaphas , where Peter denieth him : h from Caiaphas is he lead bound to Pilate , i Pilate posteth him ouer to Herod , k he transposteth him backe againe to Pilate , l who acknowledgeth his innocencie , and yet condemneth him as an offender . This innocent thus condemned , is m pitifully scourged , crowned with thornes , scoffed , spitted at , spitefully adiudged to the death of the crosse ; n on which his hands and feete are fastened with nayles . Here staied not his passions , but after all these , o he became accursed to God the Father , that is , God poured vpon him , beeing thus innocent , such a sea of his wrath , as was equiualent to the sinnes of the whole world . He now beeing vnder this curse , through the sense and feeling of this straunge terrour , p complaineth to his Father , that he is forsaken : who notwithstanding , encountring then with Satan and his Angels , did vtterly vanquish q and ouercome them . When this was ended , his heart r was pierced with a speare , till the bloode gushed out from his sides , and he gaue vp s the ghost : and t commended his spirit to his Fathers protection , the which immediately went into Paradise . His bodie , u whereof not one bone was broken , was buried , and three daies was x ignominiously captiuated of death . In this description of Christs passion , we may note fiue circumstances especially . I. His Agonie , namely , a vehement anguish , arising vpon the conflict of two contrarie desires in him : The first , was to be obedient to his Father . The second , to auoid the horror of death . Luk. 22.44 . Beeing in an agonie , be prayed more earnestly , and his sweate was like droppes of blood , trickling downe to the groūd . Hebr. 5.7 . In the daies of his flesh did offer vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him , that was able to saue him from death , and was also heard in that which he feared . II. His Sacrifice , which is an action of Christs , offering himselfe to God the Father , as a ransome for the sinnes of the Elect. Hebr. 9.26 . Nowe in the ende of the world hath he appeared once to put away sinne , by the sacrifice of himselfe . In this sacrifice , the oblation was Christ , as he was man. Heb. 10.10 By the which will we are sanctified , euen by the offering of Iesus Christ once made . The Altar also was Christ , as he was God. Heb. 13.10 . We haue an Altar , whereof they haue no authoritie to eate which serue in the Tabernacle . Hebr. 9.14 . How much more shall the bloode of Christ , which through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God , purge your conscience from dead workes , to serue the liuing God ? Hence it is that Christ is saide to sanctifie himselfe , as he is man , Ioh. 17.19 . For their sakes sanctifi● I my selfe . Math. 23.17 . As the altar , the gift , and the temple , the gold . Math. 23.17 . Christ is the Priest , as he is God and man. Heb. 5.6 . Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec . 1. Tim. 2.5,6 . One Mediatour betweene God and man , the man Christ Iesus , who gaue himselfe a ransome for all men , to be a testimonie in due time . III. God the fathers acceptation of that his sacrifice in which he was wel pleased . For , had it beene that God had not allowed of it , Christs suffering had beene in vaine . Matth. 3.17 . This is my beloued Sonne , in whome I am well pleased . Eph. 5.1 . Euen as Christ loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs to be an offering and a sacrifice of a sweete smelling sauour to God. IV. Imputation of mans sinne to Christ , whereby his Father accounted him as a transgressour , hauing translated the burden of mans sinnes to his shoulders . Esai 53. 4. He hath borne our infirmities , and caried our sorrowes : yet we did iudge him as plagued and smitten of God , and humbled : But he was wounded for our transgressions , he was broken for our iniquities , &c. and v. 12. He was counted with the transgressours , and he bare the sinnes of many . 2. Cor. 5.21 . He hath made him to be sinne for vs , which knew no sinne , that we should be made the righteousnes of God in him . V. His wonderfull humiliation , consisting of two parts : I. In that he made himselfe of small or no reputation in respect of his Deitie . Philip. 2.7,8 . He made himselfe of no reputation , &c. he humbled himselfe , and became obedient vnto the death , euen the death of the crosse . We may not thinke , that this debasing of Christ came , because his diuine nature was either wasted or weakened , but because his Deitie did , as it were , lay aside , and conceale his power and maiestie for a season . And as Irenaeus saith , The Word rested , that the humane nature might be crucified , and dead . II. In that he became execrable , which is , by the law accursed for vs. Gal. 3.10 . Cursed is euery one that remaineth not in all things written in the booke of the Law to doe them . This accursednesse , is either inward or outward . Inward is the sense of Gods fearefull anger vpon the crosse . Revel . 19. 15. He it is that treadeth the winepresse of the fiercenes and wrath of Almightie God. Esai 53.5 . He is grieued for our transgressions , the chastisment of our peace was vpon him , and with his stripes we were healed . This appeared by those droppes of bloode , which issued from him , by his cryings to his Father vpon the crosse , and by sending of Angels to comfort him . Hence was it , that he so much feared death , which many Martyrs entertained most willingly . His outward accursednes , standeth in three degrees . I. Death vpon the crosse , which was not imaginarie , but true , because blood and water issued frō his heart . For seeing that water and blood gushed forth together , it is very like , the casket or coate which inuesteth the heart called Pericardion , was pierced . As Columbus obserueth in his Anatomie , 7. booke . Ioh. 19●4 . His death was necessarie , that he might confirme to vs the Testament , or Couenant of grace promised for our sakes . Heb. 19.15,16 . For this cause is he the Mediator of the new Testament , that through death , &c. they which were called , might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance : for where a testament is there must be the death of him that made the testament , &c. ver . 17. II. Buriall , to ratifie the certentie of his death . III. Descension into hell , which we must not vnderstand that he went locally into the place of the damned , but that for the time of his abode in the graue he was vnder the ignominious dominion of death . Act. 2.24 . Whome God hath raised vp and loosed the sorrowes of death ; because it was vnpossible that he should be holden of it . Ephes. 4.9 . In that he ascended , vvhat vvas it but that he also he descended first into the lowest part of the earth ? It was necessarie that Christ should be captiuated of death , that he might abolish the sting , that is , the power thereof . 1. Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting ! O hell where is thy victorie ! Thus we haue heard of Christs maruelous passion , whereby he hath abolished both the first and second death , due vnto vs for our sinnes , the which ( as we may further obserue ) is a perfect ransom for the sinnes of all and euery one of the Elect. 1. Tim. 2.6 . Who gaue himself a ransome for all men . For it was more , that Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God , yea , God himselfe for a small while should beare the curse of the Law , then if the whole world should haue suffered eternall punishment . This also is worthie our meditation , that then a man is wel grounded in the doctrine of Christs passion , when his heart ceaseth to sinne , & is pricked with the griefe of those sinnes , whereby , as with speares he pierced the side of the immaculate lambe of God. 1. Ioh. 3.6 . Who so sinneth , neither hath seene him , nor knowne him . Zach. 12.10 . And they shall looke vpon him , whome they haue pierced , and they shall lament for him , as one lamenteth for his onely sonne , and be sorie for him , as one is sorie for his first borne . After Christs passion , followeth the fulfilling of the Law , by which he satisfied Gods iustice in fulfilling the whole Law. Rom. 8. 3,4 . God sent his owne Sonne , that the righteousnes of the Law might be fulfilled by vs. He fulfilled the Law , partly by the holines of his humane nature , and partly by obedience in the works of the Law. Rom. 8.2 . The Law of the spirit of life , which is in Christ Iesus , hath freed me from the Law of sinne , and of death . Matth. 3. 15. It becommeth vs to fulsill all righteousnes , &c. Ioh. 17.19 . Now succeedeth the second part of Christs priesthood , namely , intercession , whereby Christ is an Aduocate , and intreater of God the Father for the faithfull . Rom. 8.34 . Christ is at the right hand of God , and maketh request for vs. Christs intercession is directed immediately to God the Father . 1. Ioh. 2.1 . If any man sinne , we haue an Aduocate with the Father , euen Iesus Christ the iust . Now as the Father is first of the Trinitie in order , so if he be appeased , the Sonne and the holy Ghost are appeased also . For there is one and the same agreement and will of all the persons of the Trinitie . Christ maketh intercession according to both natures . First , according to his humanitie , partly by appearing before his Father in heauen , partly by desiring the saluation of the Elect. Hebr. 9.24 . Christ is entred into very heauen to appeare now in the sight of God for vs. and chap. 7. 25. He is able perfectly to saue them that come to God by him , seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them . Secondly , according to his Deitie , partly by applying the merit of his death ; partly by making request by his holy Spirit , in the hearts of the Elect , with sighes vnspeakable . 1. Pet. 1.2 . Elect according to the foreknowledge of the Father to the sanctification of the Spirit . Rom. 8. ●6 . The Spirit helpeth our infirmities : for we know not what to pray as we ought , but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed . We are not therefore to imagine or surmise , that Christ prostrateth himselfe vpon his knees before his Fathers throne for vs , neither is it necessarie , seeing his very presence before his father , hath in it the force of an humble petition . The end of Christs intercession is , that such as are iustified by his merits , should by this meanes continue in the state of grace . Now Christs intercession preserueth the elect in couering their continuall slipps , infirmities , and imperfect actions , by an especiall and continuall application of his merits . That by this meanes mans person may remaine iust , and mans works acceptable to God. 1. Ioh. 2.2 . Hee is a reconciliation for our sinnes , and not for ours onely , but for the sinnes of the whole world . 1. Pet. 2.5 . Yee as liuely stones , be made a spirituall house and holy Priesthood , to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. Reuel . 8.3,4 . And another Angell came and stood before the altar , hauing a golden censer , and much odours was giuen vnto him that he should offer with the prayers of all Saints vpon the golden altar , which is before the throne , and t●● smoke of the odors with the prayers of the Saints , went vp before God out of the Angels hand . Thus farre concerning Christs priesthood ; nowe follow his Propheticall and Regall offices . His Propheticall office , is that , whereby he immediately from his Father , renealeth his word and all the meanes of saluation comprised in the same . Ioh. 1.18 . The Son , which is in the bosome of his father , he hath declared vnto you . Ioh. 8.26 . Those things which I heare of my father , I speake to the world . Deut. 18.18 . I will raise them vp a Prophet , &c. The word was first reuealed , partly by visions , by dreames , by speech ; partly by the instinct and motion of the holy ghost . Heb. 1.1 . At sundry times , & in diuers manners , God spake in old time to our Fathers the Prophets : in these last daies he hath spoken to vs by his sonne . 2. Pet. 1.21 . Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man , but holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy ghost . The like is done ordinarily onely by the preaching of the word , where the holy ghost doth inwardly illuminate the vnderstanding . Luk. 24.45 . Then opened he their vnderstanding , that they might vnderstand the Scriptures . v. 21.15 . I I will giue you a month and wisdome , where against all your aduersaries shall not bee able to speake , nor resist . Act. 16.14 . Whose heart the Lord opened that shee attended on the things that Paul spake . For this cause , Christ is called the Doctor , Lawegiuer , and Counsellour of his Church . Matth. 23.10 . Be ye not called D●ctors , for one is your Doctor , Iesus Christ. Iam. 4.12 . There is one Lawgiuer which is able to saue and to destroy . Esa. 9.6 . He shall call his name Counsellour , &c. Yea , he is the Apostle of our profession . Heb. 3.1 . The Angell of the couenant . Malac. 3.1 . And the Mediatour of the new couenant . Heb. 9.15 . Therefore the soueraigne authoritie of expoūding the Scripture , only belongs to Christ : and the Church hath onely the ministerie of iudgement and interpretation committed vnto her . Christs Regall office , is that , whereby he distributeth his gifts , and disposeth all things for the benefit of the elect . Psal. 2. and 110.31.2 . The Lord said vnto my Lord , sit t●ou on my right hand , till I make thine enimies thy footestoole . The execution of Christs Regall office , comprehendeth his exaltation . Christs exaltation , is that , by which he , after his humiliation , was by little and little exalted to glorie ; and that in sundrie respects according to both his natures . The exaltation of his diuine nature , is an apparant declaration of his diuine properties in his humane nature , without the least alteration thereof . Rom. 1. 4. Declared mightily to be the sonne of God , touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead . Act. 2.36 . God hath made him both lord & Christ , whome ye haue crucified . The exaltation of his humanitie , is the putting off from him his seruile cōdition , and all infirmities , and the putting on of such habituall gifts ; which albeit they are created and finite ; yet they haue so great and so marueilous perfection , as possibly can be ascribed to any creature . The gifts of his minde , are wisdome , knowledge , ioy , and other vnspeakeable vertues of his bodie , immortalitie , strength , agilitie , brightnesse . Philip. 3.21 . Who shall change our vile bodies , that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body . Math. 17.2 . He was trāsfigured before them , & his face did shine as the sunne , and his cloathes were as white as the light . Heb. 1.9 . God euen thy God hath annointed the with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellows . Eph. 1.20.22 . Christs bodie , although it be thus glorified , yet is it still of a solide substāce , compassed about , visible , palpable , and shall perpetually remaine in some certaine place . Luk. 24.39 . Behold my hands , and my feete , it is euen I , touch me , and see : a spirit hath no flesh and bones , as ye se me haue . There be three degrees of Christs exaltation . I. His resurrection , wherein by his diuine power he subdued death , and raised vp himselfe to eternall life . 2. Cor. 13.4 . Though he was crucified concerning his infirmitie , yet liueth he through the power of God. Matth. 28.6 . Hee is not here , for he is risen , as he said , Come see the place where the Lord was laid . The ende of Christs resurrection , was to shewe that his satisfaction , by his passion and death , was fully absolute . For one onely sinne would haue detai●ed the Mediatour vnder the dominion of death , though he had fully satisfied for all the rest . 1. Cor. 15.17 . If Christ be not raised , your faith is in vaine : yee are yet in your sinnes . Rom. 4.25 . Who was deliuered to death for our sinnes , and is risen againe for our iustification . II. His ascension into heauen , which is a true , locall , and visible translation of Christs humane nature from earth into the highest heauen of the blessed , by the vertue & power of his Deitie . Act. 1.9 . When he had spoken these things , while they beheld , he was taken vp : for a cloud tooke him vp out of their sight : and while they looked stedfastly towards heauen , as he went beholde , two men stood by thē in white apparell : which also said , Ye men of Galile , why stand ye gazing into heauen , this Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen , shall come as ye haue seene him goe into heauen . Eph. 4.10 . He ascended farre aboue all the heauens . The end of Christs ascens●on was , that he might prepare a place for the faithfull , giue them the holy ghost , and their eternall glorie . Ioh. 14.2 . In my fathers house are many mansions : if it were not so , I would haue told you : I goe to prepare a place for you . c. 16.7 . If I goe not away , the Comforter will not come vnto you : but if I depart , I will send him vnto you . III. His sitting at the right hand of God the father , which metaphorically signifieth that Christ hath in the highest heauens actually all glorie , power , & dominion . Heb. 1.3 . By himselfe he hath purged our sinnes , and sitteth at the right hand of the maiestie in the highest places . Psal. 110.1 . The Lord said to my Lord , sit thou at my right hand , till I make thine enimies thy footstoole . 1. Cor. 15.25 . Hee must raigne till he hath put all his enemies vnder his feete . Act. 7.55 . He being full of the holy Ghost looked stedfastly into heauen , and sawe the glory of God , and Iesus standing at the right hand of God. Mark. 20.22 . His regall office hath two parts . The first is , his regiment of the kingdome of heauen , part whereof is in heauen , part vpon the earth , namely the congregation of the faithfull . In the gouernment of his Church , hee exerciseth two prerogatiues royall . The first is , to make lawes . Iames 4.12 . There is one Lawgiuer which is able to saue and to destroy . The second is , to ordaine his ministers . Eph. 4.11 . He gaue some to be Apostles , others Prophets , others Evangelists , some Pastours and teachers , &c. 1. Cor. 12.28 . God hath ordained some in the Church , as first , Apostles , secondly Prophets , thirdly teachers , then them that doe miracles , after that the gifts of healing , helpers , gouernours , diuersitie of tongues . Christs gouernment of the Church , is either his collection of it out of the world or conseruation being collected . Eph. 4.12 . Psal. 10. The second part of his Regall office , is the destruction of the kingdome of darknes . Col. 1.13 . Who hath deliuered vs from the kingdome of darknes . Psal. 2.9 . Thou shalt crus● them with a scepter of yron , and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell . Luk. 19.27 . Those mine enimies , that would not that I should raigne ouer them , bring hither , and slay them before me . The kingdome of darkenesse , is the whole company of Christs enemies . The prince of this kingdome , and of all the members thereof , is the diuell . Eph. 2.2 . Ye walked once according to the counsell of the world , and after the prince that ruleth in the aire , enen the prince that nowe worketh in the children of disobedience . 2. Cor. 4.4 . The God of this world hath blinded the eies of the infidels . 2. Cor. 6.15 . What concord hath Christ with Belial , or what part hath the beleeuer with the infidel . The members of this kingdome , and subiects to Satan , are his angels , and vnbeleeuers , among whome , the principall members are Atheistes , who say in their heart , there is no God. Psal. 14.1 . And Magitians , who bargaine with the diuell , to accomplish their desires . 1. Sam. 28.7 . Psal. 58.5 . Idolatours , who either ador● false Gods , or the true God in an idol 1. Cor. 10.7.20 . Turkes and Iewes are of this bunch ; so are Heretiks , who are such as erre with pertinacie in the foundation of religion . 2. Tim. 2. 18. Apostates , or reuolters from faith in Christ Iesus . Heb. 6.6 . False Christs , who b●are men in hand , they are true Christs . Matth. 24.26 . There were many such about the time of our Sauiour Christ his first comming , as Iosephus witnesseth , book 20. of Iewish antiquities , the 11,12 . & 14. chapters . Lastly , that Antichtist , who , as it is now apparant , can be none other but the Pope of Rome . 2. Thess. 2.3 . Let no man deceiue you by any meanes , for that day shall not come , except there come a departing first , and that that man of sinne bee disclosed , euen the sonne of perdition , which is an aduersarie , and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God , or that is worshipped : so that he doth sit as God in the temple of God , shewing himselfe that he is God. Reuel . 13.11 . And I beheld another beast comming out of the earth , which had two hornes like the Lambe , but he spake like the dragon : And he did all that the first beast could doe before him , and he caused the earth , and them that dwell threin , to worship the beast , whose deadly wound was healed . There were then , first , Antichristes at Rome , when the Bishops thereof would be entitled Vniuersall , or supreame gouernours of the whole world , but then were they complete , when they , togither with Ecclesiasticall censure vsurped ciuill authoritie . After that Christ hath subdued all his enemies , these two things shall ensue : I. The surrendering ouer of his kingdome to God the Father , as concerning the regiment : for at that time shal cease both that ciuil regiment , and spirituall policie , consisting in word and spirit together . II. The subiection of Christ , onely in regard of his humanity , the which then is , when the Sonne of God shall most fully manifest his maiestie , which before was obscured by the flesh as a vaile , so that the same flesh remaining both glorious & vnited to the Sonne of God , may by infinite degrees appeare inferiour . We may not therefore imagine , that the subiection of Christ , consisteth in diminishing the glorie of the humanitie , but in manifesting most fully the maiestie of the Word . CHAP. 19. CONCERNING THE OVTWARD MEANES of executing the decree of election , and of the Decalogue . AFter the foundation of Election , which hath hitherto beene deliuered , it followeth , that we should intreat of the outward meanes of the same . The meanes are Gods Couenant , and the seale therof . Gods couenant , is his contract with man , concerning life eternall , vpon certaine conditions . This couenant consisteth of two parts : Gods promise to man , Mans promise to God. Gods promise to man , is that , whereby he bindeth himselfe to man to bee his God , if he breake not the condition . Mans promise to God , is that , whereby he voweth his allegiance vnto his Lo●d , and to performe the condition betweene them . Againe , there are two kindes of this couenant . The couenant of workes , & the couenant of grace . Ierm . 31 . 3●.42.43 . Behold the daies come , saith the Lord , that I will make a now cou●nant with the house of Israel , and with the house of Iudah , not a●cording to the couenant I made with their fathers , when I tocke them ●y the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt ; the which my couenant they brake ; al●hough I was an husband to them , saith the Lord. But this shall be the couenant , that I will make with the house of Israel : after those daies , saith the Lord , I will put my law in their inward parts , and write it in their hearts , and will be their God , and they shall be my people . The couenant of works , is Gods couenant , made with condition of perfect obedience , and is expressed in the morall law . The Morall Law , is that part of Gods word , which commandeth perfect obedience vnto man , as well ●n his nature , as in his actions , and forbiddeth the contrarie . Rom. 10.5 . Moses thus describeth the righteousnes which is of the Law , that the man , which doth these things , shall liue thereby . 1. Tim. 1.5 . The end of the commandement ; is loue out of a pure heart , and of a good conscience , and faith vnfained . Luk. 16.27 . Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God , with all thine heart , with all thy soule , and with all thy strength . Rom. 7. We know that the law is spirituall . The Law hath two parts . The Edict , commanding obedience , and the condition binding to obedience . The condition is eternall life to such as fulfill the law : but to transgressours , euerlasting death . The Decalogue or ten Commandements , is an abridgement of the whole Law , and the couenant of workes . Exod. 34.27 . And the Lord said vnto Moses , Write thou these words , for after the tenour of these words , I haue made a covenant with thee , and with Israel . And was there with the Lord fourtie daies and fourtie nights , and did neither eate bread , nor drinke water , and he wrote in the Tables the words of the covenant , euen the tenne Commandements . 1. King. 8.9 . Nothing was in the Arke , saue the two Tables of stone , which Moses had put there at Horeb , where the Lord made a couenant with the children of Israel , when he brought them out of the land of Egypt . Matth. 22.40 . On these two commandements hangeth the whole Law and the Prophets . The true interpretation of the Decalogue , must be according to these rules . I. In the negatiue , the affirmatiue must be vnderstood : and in the affirmatiue , the negatiue . II. The negatiue bindeth at all times , and to all times : and the affirmatiue , bindeth at all times , but not to all times : and therefore negatiues are of more force . III. Vnder one vice expressely forbidden , are comprehended all of that kind , yea , the least cause , occasion , or entisement thereto , is as well forbidden , as that 1. Ioh. 3.15 . Whosoeuer hateth his brother , is a manslayer . Matth. 5.21 . to the ende . Euill thoughts are condemned , as well as euill actions . IV. The smallest sinnes are entituled with the same names , that that sinne is , which is expressely forbidden in that commandement , to which they appertaine . As in the former places , hatred is named murther , and to looke after a woman with a lusting eye , is adulterie . V. We must vnderstand euery commandement of the law so , as that we annex this condition : vnlesse God command the contrarie . For God being an absolute Lord , and so aboue the law , may command that which his law forbiddeth : so he commanded Isaac to be offered , the Egyptians to be spoiled , the brasen Serpent to be erected which was a figure of Christ , &c. The Decalogue , is described in two Tables . The summe of the first Table , is , that we loue God with our mind , memorie , affections , and all our strength . Matth. 22. 37. This is the first , ( to wit , in nature and order ) and great commandement , ( namely , in excellencie , and dignitie . CHAP. 20. Of the first commandement . THe first table hath foure commandements . The first , teacheth vs to haue and choose the true God for our God. The words are these . I am Iehouah thy God , which brought thee out of the land of Egypt , and out of the house of bondage . Thou shalt haue none other God but me . The Resolution . I am ] If any man rather iudge , that these words are a preface to al the commandements , then a part of the first , I hinder him not : neuerthelesse , it is like , that they are a perswasion to the keeping of the first commandement : & that they are set before it , to make way vnto it : as being more hard to be receiued , then the rest . And this may appeare , in that the three commandements next following haue their seuerall reasons . Iehouah ] This word signifieth three things : I. Him who of himselfe , and in himselfe , was from all eternitie . Reuel . 1.8 . Who is , who was , and who is to come . II. Him which giueth being to all things , when they were not , partly by creating , partly by preseruing them . III. Him which mightily causeth that those things which he hath promised , should both be made , and continued . Exod. 6.1 . Rom. 4. 17. Here beginneth the first reason of the first commandement , taken from the name of God : it is thus framed . He that is Iehouah , must alone be thy God. But I am Iehouah : Therefore I alone must be thy God. This proposition is wanting : the assumption is in these words ( I am Iehouah ) the conclusion is the commandement . Thy God ] These are the words of the couenant of grace . Ier. 32.33 . wherby the Lord promiseth to his people , remission of sinnes , and eternall life . Yea these words are as a second reason of the commandements , drawne from the equalitie of that relation , which is betweene God and his people . If I be thy God , thou againe must be my people , and take me alone for thy God. But I am thy God : Therefore thou must be my people , and take me alone for thy God. The assumption , or second part of this reason , is confirmed by an argumēt taken from Gods effects , when he deliuered his people out of Egypt , as it were , from the seruitude of a most tyrannous master . This deliuerie was not appropriate onely to the Israelites , but in some sort to the Church of God in all ages : in that it was a typ●●f a more surpassing deliuerie , from that fearefull kingdome of darkenes . 1. Cor. 10.1,2 . I would not haue you ignorant , brethren , that all our Fathers were vnder the cloude , and all passed through the red sea , and were all baptized vnto Moses in the cloude , and in the sea . Coloss. 1.13 . Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenes , and translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne . Other Gods or strange gods ] They are so called , not that they by nature are such , or can be , but because the corrupt , and more then diuelish heart of carnall man esteemeth so of them . Phil. 3.19 . Whose God is their bellie . 1. Cor. 4.4 . Whose mindes the God of this world hath bewitched . Before my face ] That is , ( figuratiuely ) in my sight or presence , to whom the secret imaginations of the heart are knowne : and this is the third reason of the first commandement , as if he should say . If thou in my presence reiect me , it is an heinous offence : see therfore thou doe it not . After the same manner reasoneth the Lord. Gen. 17.1 . I am God almightie , therefore walke vpright . The affirmatiue part . Make choice of Iehouah to be thy God. The duties here commanded , are these : I. To acknowledge God , that is , to know and confesse him , to bee such a God , as he hath reuealed himselfe to be in his worde , and creatures . Col. 1.10 . Increasing in the knowledge of God. Ierem. 24. 7. And I will giue them an heart to know me , that I am the Lord , and they shall be my people , and I will be their God : for they shall return vnto me with their whole heart . In this knowledge of God must we glorie . Ierem. 9.24 . Let him that glorieth , glory in this , that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me : for I am the Lord which shew mercie , iudgement , and righteousnes in the earth . II. An vnion with God , whereby man is knit in heart with God. Iosh. 23. 8. Sticke fast vnto the Lord your God , as yee haue done vnto this day . Act. 11.23 . He exhorted all , that with purpose of heart , they would cleaue to the Lord. Man cleaueth vnto God three manner of waies : in affiance , in loue , and feare of God. Affiance , is that , whereby a man acknowledging the power and mercie of God , and in him , against all assaults whatsoeuer , doth stedfastly rest himselfe . 2. Chro. 20.20 . Put your trust in the Lord your God , and ye shall be assured , beleeue his Prophets and ye shal prosper . Psal. 27.1 . God is my light , and my saluation , whome should I feare ? God is the strength of my life , of whom should I be afraid ? v. 3. Though an hoast pitched against me , mine heart should not be afraide : though warre be raised against me , I will be secure . Hence riseth patience , and alacritie in present perils . Psal. 39.19 . I should haue beene dumb , and not opened my mouth , because thou didst it . 2. Sam. 16.10 . the King said , What haue I to doe with you , ye sonnes of Zeruiah ? If he cursed , because the Lord said , Curse Dauid , what is he that dare say , Why doest thou so ? Gen. 45.5 . Be not sad neither grieued with your selues , that ye sold me hither : for God did send me before you for your preseruatiō . v. 8. Now then , you sent me not , but god himselfe . 2. King. 6.16 . Feare not , for they that be with vs , are moe , thē they that be with thē . This affiance engendreth hope , which is a patient expectatiō of Gods presence & assistance in all things that are to come . Psal. 37.5 . Cōmit thy way vnto the Lord , and trust in him , and he shall bring it to passe . vers . 7. Waite patiently vpon the Lord , and hope in him . Prou. 16.3 . Commit thy worke vnto the Lord , and thy thoughts shall be directed . The loue of God , is that , wherby man acknowledging Gods goodnes and fauour towards him , doth againe loue him aboue all things . Deut. 6.5 . Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart , with all thy soule , and with all thy strength . The marks of the true loue of God are these : I. To heare willingly his word . II. To speake often to him . III. To thinke often of him . IV. To do his will without irkesomnes . V. To giue bodie , and all for his cause . VI. To desire his presence aboue all , & to bewaile his absence . VII . To embrace al such things as appertaine to him . VIII . To loue and hate that which he loueth and hateth . IX . In all things to seeke to please him . X. To draw others vnto the loue of him . XI . To esteeme highly of such gifts and graces , as he bestoweth . XII . To stay our selues vpon his counsels reuealed in his word . Lastly , to call vpon his name with affiance . The feare of God , is that whereby man , acknowledging Gods both mercy and iustice , doth as it were a capital crime feare to displease God. Psal. 103. 3. With thee is mercie , that thou maist be feared . Habak . 3.16 . When I heard it , my belly trembled , my lips shooke at the voice : rottennes entred into my bones , & I trembled in my selfe , that I might rest in the day of trouble , when he commeth vp against the people to destroy them . Psal. 4.4 . Tremble , and sinne not . Hence ariseth the godly mans desire , to approoue himselfe in all things to his God. Gen. 5.22 . And Henoch walked with God , after that , &c. Gen. 17. 1. God said to him , I am al-sufficient , walke before me and be thou perfect . Out of these three former vertues , proceedeth humilitie , whereby a man acknowledging Gods free bountie , and prostrating himselfe before him , doth ascribe vnto him all praise and glorie . 1. Cor. 1.31 . Let him that glorieth , glorie in the Lord. 1. Pet. 5.5 . Decke your selues inwardly with lowlinesse of mind : for God resisteth the proud , and giueth grace to the humble . v. 6. Humble your selues therefore vnder the mightie hand of God , that he may exalt you in due time . 1. Chro. 29. 10,11 . And Dauid sayd , Blessed be thou , O Lord God of Israel our father for euer , and thine , O Lorde , is greatnes and power , and glorie , and victorie , and praise : for all that is in heauen , and in earth is thine , &c. and v. 14. But who am I , and what is my people , that we should be able to offer willingly on this sort : for all things come of thee , and of thine owne hand we haue giuen thee , &c. The negatiue part . Account not that as God , which is by nature no God. In this place are these sinnes forbidden : I. Ignorance of the true God and his will , which is not only not to know , but also to doubt of such things , as God hath reuealed in his word , Ierem. 4. 22. My people is foolish , they haue not known me : they are foolish children , and haue none vnderstanding : they are wise to doe euill , but to doe well , they haue no knoweledge . Ierem. 9.3 . They proceede from euill to worse , and haue not knowne me , saith the Lord. II. Atheisme , when the heart denieth either God , or his attributes : as , his Iustice , Wisdome , Prouidence , Presence . Psal. 14. 1. The foole hath said in his heart there is no God. Eph. 2. 12. Ye had no hope , and were without God in the world . Malach. 1.2 . I loue you , saith the Lord , yet ye say , wherein haue we spoken against thee ? v. 14. Ye haue said , it is in vaine to serue God : & what profit is it , that we haue kept his commandements , and that we walked humbly before the Lord of hosts ? III. Errours concerning God , the persons of the Deitie , or the attributs . Heere is it to be reprooued Hellenisme , which is the acknowledging & adoring of a multiplicitie of Gods. August in his 6. booke of the Citie of God. chap. 7. Againe , Iudaisme is here condemned , which worshippeth one God without Christ. The like may be said of the heresies of the Maniches , and Marcian , who denie God the Father : of Sabellius , denying the distinction of three persons : and Arrius , who saith , that Christ the Sonne of God , is not very God. IV. To withdraw , and remooue the affections of the heart , from the lord , and set them vpon other things . Esay 29.13 . The Lord said , this people draweth neere me with their mouth , and honour me with their lips , but their heart is farre from me . Ierem. 12.2 . Thou art neere in their mouth , and farre from their reynes . The heart is many waies withdrawne from God. I. By distrust in God. Heb. 10.38 . The iust shall liue by faith , but if any withdraw himselfe , my soule shall haue no pleasure in him . From this diffidence arise ; I. Impatience in suffering afflictions . Ierem. 20. 14. Cursed be the day wherein I was borne , and let not the day wherein my mother bare me , be blessed . v. 13. Cursed be the man , that shewed my father , saying , a man child is born● vnto thee , and comforted him . v. 18. How is it that I came forth of the wombe , to see labour & sorrow , that my daies should be consumed with shame ? II. Tempting of God , when such as distrust , or rather contemne him , seeke signes of Gods trueth and power . Matth. 4.7 . Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 1. Corinth . 10.6 . Neither let vs tempt God , as they tempted him , and were destroyed by serpents . v. 10. Neither murmure ye , as some of thē murmured , and were destroyed of the destroyer . III. Desperation . Gen. 4. 13. Mine iniquity is greater then can be pardoned . 1. Thes. 4. 13. Sorrow ye not , as they which haue no hope . IV. Doubtfulnes , concerning the trueth of Gods benefits present , or to come . Psal. 116.11 . I said in mine hast , all men are lyers . II. Confidence in creatures , whether it be in their strength , as Ierem. 17.5 . Cursed is the man that hath his confidence in man , and maketh flesh his arme , but his heart slideth from the Lord. Or riches . Matth. 6.24 . Ye cannot serue God and riches . Eph. 5.5 . No coueto●s person , which is an idolater , hath inheritance in the kingdome of Christ and of God. Or defenced places . Iere. 49. 16. Thy feare , & the pride of thine heart hath deceiued thee , that thou dwellest in the clefts of the Rocke , and keepest the height of the hill : though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the Eagle , I will bring thee downe from thence , saith the Lord. Or pleasure , and dainties : to such their bellie is their God. Phil. 3. 14. Or in physitians , 2. Chron. 6. 12. And Asa in the nine and thirtieth yeare of his raigne , was diseased in his feete , and his disease was extreame , yet he sought not the Lord in his disease , but to the Physitians . Briefly , to this place principally may be adioyned that diuelish confidence , which Magitians , and all such as take aduise at them , doe put in the diuell , and his workes . Leuit. 20. 6. If any turne after such as worke with spirits , and after soothsayers , to goe a whoring after them , then will I set my face against that person , and will cut him off from among this people . III. The loue of the creature , aboue the loue of God , Math. 10.37 . Hee that loueth father or mother more then me , is not worthie of me , and he that loueth sonne or daughter more then me , is not worthy of me . Iohn 12. 43. They loued the praise of man , more then the praise of God. To this belongeth selfe-loue . 2. Tim. 3.2 . IV. Hatred and contempt of God , when man flieth from God , and his wrath , when he punisheth offences . Rom. 8.7 . The wisdome of the flesh , is enmitie with God. Rom. 1. 30. Haters of God , doers of wrong . V. Want of the feare of God. Psal. 36.1 . Wickednes saith to the wicked man , euen in mine heart , that there is no feare of God before their eyes . VI. Feare of the creature , more then the Creator . Rev. 21.8 . The fearefull and vnbeleeuing , shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone . Matth. 10.28 . Feare not them which kill the bodie , but feare him that can cast both bodie and soule into hell fire . Ierem. 10.2 . Be not afraid of the signes of heauen , though the heathen be afraid of such . VII . Hardnes of heart , or carnall seruice , when a man , neither acknowledging Gods iudgements , nor his owne sinnes , dreameth he is safe frō Gods vengeance , and such perils , as arise from sinne . Rom. 2.5 . Thou after thine hardnesse , and heart that can not repent , heapest to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath . Luk. 21.34 . Take heede to your selues , least at any time , your hearts be oppressed with surfetting , and drunkennes , and cares of this life , and least that day come on you as vnawares . These all doe ioyntly ingender pride , whereby man ascribeth all he hath that is good , not to God , but to his owne merit , and industrie , referring and disposing them wholly vnto his owne proper credit . 1. Cor. 4.6 . That ye might learne by vs , that no man presume aboue that which is written , that one swell not against another , for any mans cause . vers . 7. For who separateth thee ? or what hast thou , that thou hast not receiued ? if thou hast receiued it , why reioycest thou , as though thou hadst not receiued it ? Gen. 3.5 . God doth know , that when yee shall eate thereof , your eyes shall be opened , and ye shall be as Gods , knowing good and euill . The highest stayre of prides ladder , is that fearefull presumption , by which many clime rashly into Gods seate of maiestie , as if they were gods . Act. 12. 22 , 23. The people gaue a shout , saying , The voyce of God , and not of man : but immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him , because he gaue not glorie vnto God , so that he was eaten vp of wormes , and gaue vp the ghost . 2. Thess. 2.4 . Which is an aduersarie , and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God , or that is worshipped : so that he doth sit as God in the temple of God , shewing himselfe that he is God. CHAP. 21. Of the second Commandement . HItherto haue we entreated of the first Commandement , teaching vs to entertaine in our hearts , and to make choice of one onely God. The other three of the first Table , concerne that holy profession , which we must make towards the same God. For first , it is necessarie to make choyce of the true God. Secondly , to make profession of the same God. In the profession of God , we are to consider the parts thereof , and the time appointed for this profession . The parts are two : The solemne worship of God , and the glorifying of him . The second Commandement , describeth such holy and solemne worship , as is due vnto God. The words of the Commandement are these : Thou shalt make thee no grauen image , neither any similitude of things which are in heauen aboue , neither that are in the earth beneath , nor that are in the waters vnder the earth : thou shalt not bow downe to them , neither serue them , for I am the Lord thy God , a iealous God , visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children , vpon the third generation , and vpon the fourth of them that hate me , and shew mercie vnto thousands , vpon them that loue me and keepe my Commandements . The Resolution . Thou shalt not make ] This is the first part of the commandement , forbidding to make an idol : Now an idol is not onely a certaine representation , and image of some fained God , but also of the true Iehouah . The which may be prooued against the Papists by these arguments . The first is , Deut. 4.15 , 16. Take therfore good heede vnto your selues : for yee saw no image in the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb , out of the middest of the fire , that yee corrupt not your selues , and make you a grauen image or representation of any figure : whether it be the likenesse of male or female . Out of the words vttered by Moses , a reason may be framed thus : If ye saw no image ( namely of God ) ye shall make none : But ye saw no image , onely heard a voyce : Therefore ye shall make no image of God. The second reason : That idolatrie which the Israelites committed , the very same is prohibited in this commandement . But the Israelites idolatrie was the worship of God in an image , Hos. 2. 16. At that day , saith the Lord , thou shalt call me no more Baali , but shalt call me Ishi . The golden calfe was an image of God : for when it was finished , Aaron proclaimed that to morrow should be a feast to Iehouah . Exod. 32.5 . And the same calfe is tearmed an idol . Act. 7.41 . Therefore the worshipping of God in an image , is here prohibited . Any grauen image ] Here the more speciall is put for the more generall , namely , a grauen image for all counterfeit meanes of Gods worship . The first part of the commandement is here illustrated , by a double distribution . The first is drawne from the causes . Thou shalt not make thee any idol , whether it be engrauen in wood , or stone : or whether it be painted in a table . The second , is taken from the place . Thou shalt not make thee an idol of things in heauen , as starres and birds : or in the earth , as of man , woman , beasts : or vnder the earth , as fishes . This place is so expounded by Moses , Deut. 4. 14. to the 20. verse . Thou shalt not bow downe to them ] This is the second part of the commandement , forbidding all men to fal downe before an idol . In this word , Bow down , is againe the speciall put for the generall : for in it is inhibited all fained worship of God. For I ] These words are a confirmation of this commandement , perswading to obedience , by foure reasons . The Lord ] ( which is strong ) The first reason , God is strong , and so able to reuenge idolat●ie : Heb. 10.31 . A iealous God ] This speech is taken from the estate of wedlocke : for God is called the husband of his Church . Esay 54.5 . Eph. 5.26,27 . And our spirituall worship , is , as it were , a certaine marriage of our soules , consecrated vnto the Lord. Ier. 2. 2. I remember thee with the kindnes of thy youth , and the loue of thy mariage , when thou wentest after me in the wildernes , in a land that was not sowne . Here is another argument drawne from a comparison of things that be like . Gods people must alone worship him , because they are linked to him , as a wife is to her husband , vnto whome alone she is bound : therefore if his people forsake him , and betroth themselues vnto idols , he will vndoubtedly giue them a bill of diuorcement , and they shall be no more espoused vnto him . Visiting ] To visit , is not onely to punish the children for the fathers offences , but to make notice , and apprehend them in the same faults : by reason they are giuen ouer to commit their fathers transgressions , that for them they be punished . And this is the third reason drawne from the effects of Gods anger . Hate me ] It may be , this is a secret answer , the obiection whereof is not here in expresse wordes set downe , but may be thus framed . What if we vse Idols to inflame and excite in vs a loue and remembrance of thee . The answer is this by the contrarie : You may thinke that your vse of idols kindleth in you a loue of me , but it is so farre from that , that all such as vse them cannot choose but hate me . Shew mercie ] The fourth reason deriued from the effects of Gods mercie to such as obserue this commandement . Here may we first obserue , that Gods mercie exceedeth his iustice . Psal. 103.8 . The Lord is full of compassion and mercie , slow to anger , and of great kindnes . vers . 17. The louing kindnes of the Lord , endureth for euer . vers . 9. He will not alway chide , neither keepe his anger for euer . Secondly , we may not surmise , that this excellent promise is made to euery one particularly , who is borne of faithfull parents . For godly Isaak had godlesse Esau to his sonne , and godlesse Saul , had godly Ionathan . The negatiue part . Thou shalt neither worship false gods , nor the true God with false worship . Many things are here forbidden : I. The representation of God , by an image . For it is a lie . Habak . 2. 18. What profiteth the image ? for the maker thereof hath made it an image and a teacher of lies . Zach. 10.2 . The idols haue spoken vanitie . Ierem. 10. 8. The stocke is a doctrine of vanitie . The Eliber Councel in the 39. canon hath this edict . We thought it not meete to haue images in Churches , least that which is worshipped and adored , should be painted vpon wals . Clement . booke 5. ad Iacob . Dom. That serpent by others is wont to speake these words : We in honour of the inuisible God , are accustomed to adore visible images , the which out of all controuersie , is very false . August . in his treatise vpon the 113. Psalme . The image also of the crosse and Christ crucified , out to be abolished out of Churches , as the brasen serpent was , 2. King. 18.4 . Hezekiah is commended for breaking in pieces the brasen serpent to which the children of Israel did then burne incense . This did Hezekiah , albeit at the first this serpent was made by the Lords appointment . Numb . 21.8 . and was a type of Christs passion . Ioh. 3.14 . Origen in his 7. booke against Celsus . We permit not any to adore Iesus vpon the altars in images , or vpon Church walls : because it is written , Thou shalt haue none other gods but me . Epiphanius● in that epistle which he wrote to Iohn Bishop of Ierusalem , saith , It is against the custome of the Church , to see any image hanging in the church , whether it be of Christ , or any other saint , and therefore euen with his owne hands rent he asunder the vaile , wherein such an image was painted . Some obiect the figure or signe , which appeared to Constantine , wherein he should ouercome : but it was not the signe of the crosse ( as the Papists doe triflinly imagine ) but of Christs name : for the thing was made of these two greeke letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conioyned together , Euseb. in the life of Constant. booke 1. chap. 22,25 . Neither serue the Cherubims , which Salomon placed in the temple , for the defence of images : for they were onely in the holy of holiest , where the people could not see them . And they were types of the glorie of the Messiah , vnto whome the very Angels were subiect : the which we haue now verified in Christ. If any man replie , that they worship not the image , but God in the image : let him know , that the creature cannot comprehend the image of the Creator ; and if it could , yet God would not be worshipped in it , because it is a dead thing : yea , the worke of mans hands , not of God : and therefore is more base then the smallest liuing creature , of the which we may lawfully say , it is the worke of God. This euinceth , that no kinde of diuine worship belongeth to an image , either simply or by relation , whatsoeuer the sophisticall schoolemen iangle to the contrarie . If any man be yet desirous of images , he may haue at hand the preaching of the Gospell , a liuely image of Christ crucified . Gal. 3.1 . O foolish Galatians , who hath bewitched you , that yee should not obey the truth , to whome Iesus Christ before was described in your sight , and among you crucified ? The like may be saide of the two Sacraments . And that saying of Clemens is true , in his fifth booke of Recognit . If you will truly adore the image of God , doe good vnto man , and ye shall worship his true image : for man is the image of God. II. The least approbation of idolatrie . Hos. 13.2 . They say one to another whilest they sacrifice a man , let them kisse the calues . Now a kisse , is an externall signe of some allowance of a thing . Gen. 48.11 . Therefore it is vnlawfull to be present at Masse , or any idolatrous seruice , though our mindes be absent . 1. Cor. 6,20 . Ye are bought with a price , therefore glorifie God in your bodie , and in your spirits , which are Gods. Rom. 11.4 . What saith the Scripture ? I haue reserued vnto my selfe seuen thousand men , which haue not bowed the knee to Baal . Euseb. 3. booke . The Martyrs , when they were haled vnto the temple of idols , cried out , and with a loud voyce in the middest of their tortures testified that they were not idolatrous sacrificers , but professed and constant Christians , reioycing greatly that they might make such a confession . That which may be obiected of Naaman the Syrian , who worshipped in the temple of Rimmon , is thus answered , that he did it not with purpose to commit idolatrie , but to performe that ciuill obeysance , which he was wont to exhibit to the Kings maiestie . 2. King. 5.17,18 . And for this cause , are vtterly forbidden all such processions , playes , and such feasts , as are consecrated to the memoriall , and honour of idoles . Exod. 32.6 . They rose vp the next day in the morning , and offered burn● offerings● and brought peace offerings : also the people sate them downe to eate and drinke , and rose vp to play . 1. Cor. 10.7 . Neither be ye idolaters as some of them were , as it is written , &c. And Paul ( 1. Cor. 8.4 . to the ende ) earnestly dehorteth the Corinthians from sitting at table in the idols temple ; albeit they know that an idol is nothing in the world . Tripartite historie , booke 6. chap. 30. Certaine souldiers refused to ado●e , as the custome was , the banner of Iulian , in which were painted the images of Iupiter , Mercurie , and Mars : others bring againe the rewards , which they , after they had burned incense on an altar in the Emperours presence , had receiued . Crying , that they were Christians , and world liue and die in that profession : and as for their former fact , it was of ignorance● yea though they had polluted hands with idolatrie of the Painyms , yet they kept their consciences cleane . III. All reliques and monuments of idols : for these● after the idols themselues are once abolished , must be rased out of all memorie . Exod. 23.13 . To shall make no mention of the name of others gods , neither shall it be heard out of thy mouth . Esai 30.22 . And ye shall pollute the couering of the images of siluer , and the rich ornament of the images of gold , and cast them away as a menstruous cloath , and thou shalt say vnto it , Get thee hence . IV. Societie with infidels , is here vnlawfull , serueth not onely to maintaine concord , but also to ioyne men in brotherly loue . Of this societie there are many branches . The first , is marriage with infidels . Gen. 6.2 . The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire , and they tooke them wiues of all that they liked . Mal. 2.11 . Iudah hath transgressed , and an abomination is committed in Israel , and in Ierusalem : for Iudah hath defiled the holinesse of the Lord , which he loued , and hath maried the daughters of a strange god . Ezra 9.14 . Should we returne to break thy commandements , and ioyne in affinitie with the people of such abomination ? 2. King. 8.18 . He walked in the waies of the Kings of Israel , as did the house of Ahab : for the daughter of Ahab was his wife : and he did euill in the sight of the Lord. The second , is the league in warre : namely a mutuall confederacie to assist one another in the same warre , and to haue one and the same enemies . This is sundrie waies impious : I. If it be vnlawfull to craue assistance of Gods enemies , it is likewise vnlawfull to indent with them , that we will assist them . II. It obscureth Gods glorie , as though he himselfe , either would not , or could not aide his Church . III. It is a thousand to one least we be infected with their idolatrie , and other impieties . IV. It endangereth vs to be made partakers of their punishments . 2. Chron. 19. 2. And Iehu the sonne of Hanani the Seer , went out to meete him , and said to King Iehosaphat , Wouldest thou helpe the wicked , and loue them that hate the Lord ? therefore for this thing is the wrath of the Lord vpon thee . The third , is Traffique : as when a man wittingly and willingly , doth , in hope to enrich himselfe , make sale of such things as he knoweth must serue to an idolatrous vse . This condemneth all those marchants , which trāsport wares to idolatours , and sell them frankencense , waxe , cloath , or other such things as helpe them in the seruice of their idols . The fourth , is triall of suites in law before Iudges which are infidels , when Christian courts may be frequented : but if they cannot , and we haue to deale with infidels , we may appeale to infidels . 1. Cor. 9.6 . Brother goeth to law with brother , and that vnder infidels . Act. 25.11 . Paul appealeth to Cesar. The fifth , is the worshipping of the beast , and receiuing his marke . Rev. 14. 9. If any man worship the beast , and his image , and receiue the marke in his forehead , or in his hand . vers . 10. The same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God. This beast is the Church of Rome , I meane not that old , but this new Rome , now no better then an hereticall and apostaticall Synagogue . V. Will worship , when God is worshipped with a naked and bare good intention , not warranted by the word of God. Colos. 2.23 . Which things indeed haue a shew of wisdome in voluntarie religion , and humblenesse of minde , and in not sparing the bodie : neither haue they it in estimation to satisfie the flesh . 1. Sam. 13. 9,10 . And Saul said , Bring a burnt offering to me , and peace offerings : and he offered a burnt offering . And as soone as he had made an ende of offering the burnt offering , behold , Samuel came , and vers . 13. said to Saul , Thou hast done foolishly , thou hast not kept the commandement of the lord thy God , which he commanded thee . Hitherto may we adde popish superstitions in sacrifices , meates , holidaies , apparell , temporarie and bead-ridden prayers , indulgences , austere life , whipping , ceremonies , gestures , gate , conuersation , pilgrimage , building of altars , pictures , Churches , and all other of that rabble . To these may be added consort in musicke in diuine seruice , feeding the eares , not edifying the minde . 1. Cor. 14.15 . What is it then ? I will pray with the spirit , but I will pray with the vnderstanding also . I will sing with the spirit , but I will sing with the understāding also . Iustinus Martyr in his booke of Christian quest . and Ans. 107. It is not the custome of the Churches , to sing their meeters with any such kinde of instruments , &c. but their manner is onely to vse plaine-song . Lastly , monasticall vowes , which I. repugne the law of God : as that vnchast vow of single life , and proud promise of pouertie doe plainly euince : for he that laboureth not , must not eate , saith Paul : And it is better to marrie , then to burne in lust , saith the same Paul. II. They are greater then mans nature can performe : as in a single life , to liue perpetually chast . III. They disanull Christian libertie , and make such things necessarie , as are indifferēt . IV. They renue Iudaisme . V. They are idolatro●s , because they make them parts of Gods worship , and esteeme them as meritorious . VI. Hypocrisie , which giueth to God painted worship , that is , if you regard outward behaniour , great sinceritie : if the inward and heartie affections , none at all . Matth. 15.7 . Hypocrites , well hath Esaias prophecied of you , saying , This people commeth neere me with their mouth , and honour me with their lippes , but their heart is farre from me . Psal. 10.4 . The wicked man is so proud , that he seeketh not for God. The effects of hypocrisie are these : 1. To seeke the pompe and glorie of the world , and by all meanes to enrich it selfe , notwithstanding it make a glorious shewe of the seruice of God. 2. It is sharpe sighted , and hath eagles eyes to obserue other mens behauiour , when in the regarding its owne , it is as blinde as beetle . 3. To be more curious in the obseruation of ancient traditions , then the statutes and commandements of almightie God. 4. To stumble at a straw , and skip ouer a blocke , that is , to omit serious affaires , and hunt after trifles . Matth. 23.4 . 5● To doe all things that they may be seene of men . Matth. 6.5 . Popish fasting , is meere hypocrisie : because it standeth in the distinction of meates , and it is vsed with an opinion of merit . Externall abstinence from meates , without internall and spirituall fasting from sinne , and vnlawfull desires . Esai 58.5,6 . Is this such a fast , as I haue chosen , that a man should afflict his soule for a day , and bowe downe his head as a bulrush , and lie downe in sack●loth and ashes ? wilt thou call this a fasting , or an acceptable day vnto the Lord ? Is not this the fasting that I haue chosen , to loose the bands of wickednes , to take off the heauie burdens , and to let the oppressed goe free , and that ye breake euery yoake ? VII . Contempt , neglect , and intermission of Gods seruice . Rev. 3.15,16 . I know thy workes , that thou art neither cold nor hote : I would thou werest cold or hote . Therefore because thou art luk●warme , and neither cold nor hote , it will come to passe , that I shall spew thee out of my mouth . VIII . Corrupting of Gods worship , and that order of gouernment , which he hath ordained for his Church : the which is done , when any thing is added , detracted , or any way , against his prescript , mangled . Deut. 12.32 . Euery thing which I command you , that doe : neither adde to it , nor detract from it . This condemneth that popish eleuation of bread in the Lords Supper , and the administration of it alone to the people without wine , together with that fearefull abomination of the Masse . By this we may learne to reiect all popish traditions , Matth. 15.9 . In vaine doe they worship me , teaching for doctrines , mens precepts . Now it is manifest , that all popish traditions , they either on their owne nature , or others abusing of them , serue as wel to superstition and false worship , as to enrich that couetous and proud Hierarchie : whereas the Scriptures contained in the Old & New Testament , are all-sufficient , not onely to confirme doctrines , but also to reforme manners . 2. Tim. 3.16 . The whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God , and is profitable to teach , to improoue , and to correct , and to instruct in righteousnes : that the man of God may be absolute , beeing made perfect vnto all good workes . The Romish Hierarchie is here also condemned , from the parratour to the Pope : the gouernment whereof , is an expresse image of the old Romane Empire , whether we consider the regiment it selfe , or the place of the Empire , or the large circuite of that gouernment . Revel . 13.15 . And it was permitted to him , to giue a spirit to the image of the beast , so that the image of the beast should speake , and should cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast , should be killed . IX . A religious reuerence of the creature , as when we attribute more vnto it , then we ought . Revel . 22.8 . When I had heard and seene , I fell downe to wors●ip before the feete of the Angel , which shewed me these things . But he saide vnto me , See thou doe it not : for I am thy fellow seruant . Act. 10. 25. As Peter came in , Cornelius met him , and fell downe at his feete , and wors●ipped him . But Peter tooke him vp , saying , Stand vp , for euen I my selfe am a man. If then it be so hainous a thing , to reuerence the creature much more to pray vnto it , whether it be Saint or Angel. Rom. 10.14 . How shall they call vpon him , in whome they haue not beleeued . Matth. 4.10 . Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God , and him onely shalt thou serue . Neither may we pray vnto Christ , as he is only man , but as he is God and man : for we direct not our prayers vnto the humanitie , but to the deitie , to which the humanity is knit by an hypostaticall vnion . This teacheth vs plainely , that invocation of any creature is vnlawefull : for we must pray to them , that are able to knowe the secrets of the heart , and discerne the wisdom of the spirit : now none is able to doe that , but such a nature as is omnipotent . Rom. 8.27 . He that searcheth the hearts , knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit : for he maketh request for the Saints , according to the will of God. Neuerthelesse such as are Saints indeede , are to be honoured by an approbation of Gods gifts in them , and by an honourable mention of them , and also by imitation of their manners and liues , being as patterns for vs to walke after . X. Worshippe of diuells : I. Magique , which is a mischieuous art , accomplishing wonders by Satans assistance . For it is appropriate to God to doe miracles ; for he alone both beyond , and against the course of nature , doeth wonderfull things . Nowe the instruments which God vseth in producing miracles , are onely they , who doe in the true Church of God , make profession of the faith . Albeit the diuels cannot worke miracles , yet may they effect maruailes , or wonders , and that , not by making a newe thing , which before was not at all : but rather by moouing , transporting , and applying natural things diuersly , by causing a thinne body , as the ayre , to be thick and foggie , & also by bewitching the senses of men . The foundation of Magique , is a couenant with Satan . A couenant with Satan , is such a contract , by which Magitians haue mutually to doe with the diuell . In this obserue : The originall of this mutuall contract : I. Satan maketh choice of such men to be his seruants , as are by nature either notorious badde persons , or very sillie soules . II. He offereth vnto them diuers meanes , either by other Magitians , or by some bookes written by such : Satanicall meanes , I call those , which are vsed in the producing of such an effect , to the which they neither by any expresse rule out of Gods word , nor of their owne nature were euer ordained . Such are concealed speeches , wordes of the Scripture wrested , and abused , to the great contumelie and disgrace of the Lord God ; holy , or rather vnholy water , sieues , seales , glasses , images , bowings of the knee , and such like diuers gestures . III. When the wicked see these meanes offered vnto them , they presently are not a little glad , and assuredly beleeue , that in those things there is vertue to worke wonders by . IV. They declare this their satanicall confidence , by their earnest desire , practising , and abusing the meanes . V. Then the diuell is at their elbowes , being thus affected ; that he may both assist them , & in them shew diuers trickes of his legerdemaine ; because he alone doth by meanes voide of all such vertue , effect that , which his wicked instrument intended . Againe , obserue Satans counterfeiting of God. He is Gods Ape , & taketh vpon him , as though he were God. I. As God hath his word , his Sacraments , and faith due vnto h●m● so hath the diuell his Word ; and to seale it vnto the wicked , he annexeth certaine signes , namely characters , gestures , sacrifices ; &c. as it were sacraments , that both he may signfie his diuellish pleasure to his Magitians , and they againe may testifie their satanicall both obedience and confidence to him . II● As God heareth such as call vpon , trust in , and obey him : so the diuell is greatly delighted with magicall ceremonies and invocations ; because by them God is dishonoured , and he magnified : therefore , if God cut him not short , he is readie prest to assist such , as shall vse such ceremonies or inuocations . The couenant is either Secret , or Expresse . Secret , or implicite , when one doth not expresly compact with Satan , yet in his heart aloweth of his meanes , assuredly and vpon knowledge beleeuing , that if such means were vsed , there might indeed that great wōder be wrought which he desired . Expresse , when one doth not onely put his confidence in Satan , but couenanteth with him vpon conditions , that he , giuing himselfe wholly ouer to the diuell , may againe , by obseruing certaine ceremonies , accomplish his desire . Magique , is either coniecturall , or operatiue . Coniecturall , whereby things are by Satans direction prophesied of before . Of prophesies , some are done with meanes , others without . Prophesies done with meanes , are these . I. Soothsaying , diuination by the flying of birds . Deut. 18.11 . II. The kind of diuination , which is , by looking into beasts entrals . Ezech. 21.21 . The king of Babel , &c consulted with idols , and looked in the liuer . III. Necromancie , or coniuring : by which the diuel , in the forme of some dead man , is sought vnto for counsell . 1. Sam. 28. 11. Then said the woman ; Whome wilt thou I call vp vnto thee ? And ●e said , Call vp Samuel vnto me . vers . 13. Then said he vnto her , Feare not , but what sawest thou ? And the woman saide vnto Saul , I saw gods ascending out of the earth . v. 14. Then said he vnto her , What fashion is he of ? and she answered , An old man commeth vp lapped in a mantle . And Saul knewe that it was Samuel , and he enclined his face to the ground , and bowed himselfe . And Samuel said to Saul , why hast thou disquieted me , to bring me vp ? Thē Saul answered , I am in great distresse : for the Philisti●●s make warre against me , &c. This Samuel , was not that true Prophet of God , who annointed Saul King ouer Israel : for , 1. the soules of the Saints departed , are farre from the diuels clawes and dominion . 2. That good Samuel , if it had beene he indeed , would neuer haue permitted Saul to worship him . 3. He faith to wicked Saul , To morrow shalt thou be with me , v. 14. Neither could this be a bare illusion , and , as I may say , legerdemeine of the witch , for he plainely foretolde Sauls destruction , which an ignorant woman could not knowe , much lesse durst she constantly auouch any such matter to the king . It remaineth then , that this Samuel , was a meere illusion of Satan . Diuining without meanes is , when such as are possessed with an vncleane spirit , vse immediatly the helpe of the same spirit , to reueale secrets . Act. 16. 16. A certaine maide hauing a spirit of diuination , met vs , which gate her master much vantage with diuining . Esay . 94.4 . Thy voice shall be out of the grounde , like him that hath a spirit of diuination , and thy talking shall whisper out of the dust . Magique operatiue , hath two parts : Iuggling , and Inchantments . Iuggling , whereby , through the diuels conueiance , many great and very hard matters , are in shew effected . Exod. 7.10.11,12 . Aaron cast forth his rod before Pharaoh , and before his seruants , and it was turned into a serpent : then Pharaoh called also for the wise men , and sorcerers , and those charmers also of Egypt did in like manner with their enchantments : for they cast downe euery man his rod , and they were turned into serpents : but Aarons rodde deuoured their rod. Enchantment , or charming , is that , wherby beasts , but especially yong children , & men of riper yeares , are by Gods permission infected , poisoned , hurt , bounden , killed , and otherwise molested ; or contrarily , sometimes cured of Satan , by mumbling vp some fewe wordes , making certaine characters & figures , framing circles , hanging amulets about the necke , or other parts , by hearbes , medicines , and such like trumperie , that thereby the punishment of the faithles may be augmented , in reposing their strength vpon such rotten staues , and the faithfull may be tried , whether they will commit the like abomination . Psal. 18.4 . Their poison is euen like the poison of a serpent : like the deafe adder that stoppeth his eare , which heare not the voice of the enchanter ; though he be most expert in charming . Eccles. 10. 11. If the serpent bite when he is not charmed , &c. Thus haue we heard Magique described out of gods word , the which , how as yet , common it is , in those especially which are without God in the worlde , & whome Satan by all meanes strongly deludeth , the lamentable experience which many men , and most places haue thereof , can sufficiently proue vnto vs. And surely , if a man will but take a view of all poperie , he shall easily see , that the most part is meere Magique . They which spread abroad by their writing or othewise , that witches are nothing els , but melancholike doting women , who through the diuels delusion , suppose that they themselues doe that , which indeede the diuell doth alone : albeit they endeauour cunningly to cloake this sinne , yet by the same meanes they may defend murther , adulterie , and what other sinne soeuer . II. Those which doe consult with Magitians , they doe also worship the diuel : for they reuolt frō God to the diuell , howesoeuer they plaister vp their impietie with vntempered morter , that they seeke Gods helpe , though by the meanes of Magitians . 1. Sam. 28.13 . The woman said to Saul , I saw gods ascending from the earth . Leu. 20.6 . If any turne after such as worke with spirit● , and after soothsayers , to goe a whoring after them , then will I set my face against that person , and will cut him off from among his people . Esay 8.19 , 20. When they shall say to you , Enquire at them which haue a spirit of diuination , and at the soothsayers , which whisper and murmure . Should not a people enquire as their God ? from the liuing to the dead ? to the law , and to the testimonie . The affirmatiue part . Thou shalt worshippe God in spirit and trueth . Iohn 4. 24. God is a spirit , and they that worship him , must worship him in spirit and trueth . For so soone as any man beginneth to worship God after an ouerthwart and vnlawefull manner , he then adoreth an idoll , howsoeuer he seemeth to colour his impietie . Paul therefore Rom. 1.23 . saith , that such as worshipped the creature , and turned the glorie of the incorruptible God , to the similitude of a corruptible man , did forsake the Creator . v. 25. and 1. Cor. 10.20 . Those things which the Gentiles sacrifice , they sacrifice to diuells , and not vnto God. To this part therfore appertaine such things , as respect the holy & solemne seruice of God. I. The true and ordinarie meanes of Gods worshippe , as calling vpon the name of the Lord by humble supplication , and hartie thanksgiuing : and the ministerie of the Word , and Sacraments . Act. 2.41,42 . They that gladly receiued his word , were baptized : & the same day there were added to the Church about three thousand soules . And they continued in the Apostles doctrine , and fellowship , and breaking of bread , and of prayers . 1. Tim. 2.1 . I exhort you especially , that praiers & supplicatiōs be made for all men , for kings , & all in authoritie . Act. 20.7 . The first day of the weeke , the Disciples being come togither to breake bread , Paul preached vnto them , readie to depart on the morrow , and continued the preaching vnto midnight . Tertul. Apolog. chap. 39. We come into the assemblie and congregation , that with our praiers , as with an armie , we might compasse God. This kind of violence offered to God , is acceptable to him . If any man so offend , that he must bee suspended from the publike place of praier , and holy meetings , all ancient men , that be of any account , beare rule , being aduanced to this honour , not by bribes , but by their good report , &c. read the rest . II. An holy vse of the meanes . First , in the ministers , who ought to administer al things belonging to Gods worship , according to his word . Math. 28. 20. Teaching them to obserue all things , which I haue commaunded . 1. Corinthians 11. 23. I haue receiued of the Lord that which also I haue deliuered . Secondly , in the rest of the assemblie : whose dutie is in praying vnto God , in hearing the word preached and read , and in receiuing the Sacraments to behaue thēselues outwardly in modestie , and without offence . 1. Corinth . 14.40 . Let all things be done honestly , and by order . Inwardly , they must take heede , that their hearts be well prepared to serue God. Eccles. 4.17 . Take heede to both thy feete , when thou entrest into the house of God , &c. and chap. 5.1 . Be not rash with thy mouth , nor let thine heart he hastie to vtter a thing before God. Againe , wee must looke that wee approch neere God in confidence of his mercie , togither with a contrite and repentant heart for all our sinnes . Heb. 4. 2. The word that they heard profited not , because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it . Psal. 26.6 . I will wash mine hands in innocencie ; O Lord , and so come before thine altar . III. The helps and furtherances of the true worship , are two ; Vowes and Fasting : and they are not to be takē , as the worship of God it selfe . For we may not obtrude any thing to God , as good seruice , and as though it did binde the conscience , except he haue ordained it for that end and purpose . A vow , in the New Testament , is a promise to God , with a full intent to obserue some corporall and externall duties , which a Christian hath on his owne accord , without iniunction , imposed vpon himself , that he may thereby the better be excited vnto repentance , meditation , sobrietie , abstinence , patience , and thankfulnes towards God. Gen. 28.20 . Then Iaakob vowed a vow , saying , If God will be with me , and will keepe me in this iourney , which I goe , and will giue me bread to eate , and cloathes to put on , so that I come againe to my fathers house in safetie : then shall the Lord be my God , and this stone which I haue set vp as a pillar , shall be Gods house , and of all that thou shalt giue me , I will giue the tenth to thee . In vowing , we haue these things to obserue : 1. We must not vow that which is vnlawfull . 2. We ought not to vowe the performance of that , which is contrarie to our vocation . 3. Vowes must be of that which we can doe . 4. They must be farre from so much as a conceit of merit , or worship of God. 5. We must so performe our vowes , as that they encroch not vpon Christian libertie , giuen vs in Christ : for we are bounden to pay our vowes , no longer then the causes thereof either remaine , or are taken away . Deut. 23.18 . Thou shalt neither bring the hire of a whore , nor the price of a dogge , into the house of the Lord thy God , for any vow . v. 21. When thou shalt vow a vow vnto the Lord thy God ; thou shalt not be slacke to pay it : for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee : but when thou abstainest from vowing , it shal be no sinne vnto thee , &c. v. 23. Psal. 66.14 . I will pay thee my vowes which my lips haue promised . Fasting , is when a man perceiuing the want of some blessing , or suspecting and seeing some imminent calamitie vpon himselfe , or other , abstaineth not onely from flesh for a season , but also from all delights and sustenance , that he thereby may make a more diligent search into his owne sinnes , or offer most hūble praiers vnto God , that he would withhold that , which his anger threatned : or bestow vpon vs some such good things as we want . Matth 9.15 . Can the children of the marriage chamber mourne , so long as the bridegrome is with thē ? 1. Cor. 7.5 . Defraud not one another , except for a time , that ye may the better fast and pray . Ioel 2.12 . Wherefore euen now , saith the Lord , be ye turned vnto me , with all your heart , with fasting and prayer . vers . 13. Rent your hearts , and not your garments , and turne vnto the Lord your God : for he is gratious and mercifull , long ●uffering , and of great kindnes , that he might repent him of this euill . vers . 15. Blow the trumpet in Sion , sanctifie a fast , call a solemne assemblie . vers . 16. Gather the people , sanctifie the Congregation , gather the Elders , assemble the children , and those that sucke the breasts . Let the bridegrome goe forth of his chamber , and the bride out of her bride chamber . vers . 17. Let the Priests the ministers of the Lord , weepe between the porch and the altar , and let them say , Spare thy people , O God , &c. A fast , is sometime priuate , sometimes publike . 2. Chron. 20.3 . Iehosaphat feared , and set himselfe to seeke the Lord , and proclaimed a fast throughout all Iudah . Hest. 4. 16. Fast ye for me , and neither eate nor drinke for the space of three daies and nights . I also and my maides will fast . A fast is either for one day alone , or for many daies together . Each of them is as occasion serueth , an abstinence from meate at dinner alone , or supper alone , or both dinner and supper . Iudg. 20.23 . The children of Israel had gone vp and wept before the Lord vnto the euening , &c. Dan. 10.3 . I Daniel was in heauines for three weekes of daies , I ate no pleasant bread , neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth , &c. IV. Leagues of amitie among such as feare God according to his worde● are lawfull : as , contracts in matrimonie , league in warre , especially if the warre be lawefull , and without confidence in the power of man. 2. Chro. 19.2 . Mal. chap. 2. vers . 11. To these may be added , that couenant which the magistrate and people make among themselues , and with God , for the preseruation of Christian religion . 2. Chr. 15.12 . And they made a couenant to seeke the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart , & with all their soule , &c. v. 14. And they sware vnto the Lord with a loud voice , and with shouting , and with trumpets , and with cornets . CHAP. 22. Of the third commandement . THe third commandement concerneth the glorifying of God in the affaires of our life , without the solemne seruice of God. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine : for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine . The Resolution . Name ] This word properly signifieth Gods title : here figuratiuely it is vsed for any thing , whereby God may be knowne , as men are by their names : so it is vsed for his word , workes , iudgements . Act. 9.15 . He is an elect vessell , to conuey my name among the Gentiles . Psal. 8.1 . O Lord our God , how great is thy name through all the world ! which settest thy glory aboue the heauens . Take ] That is , vsurpe : this word is translated from pretious things , which may not be touched without licence . And in trueth , men , which are no better then wormes creeping on the earth , are vtterly vnworthie to take , or , as I may say , touch the sacred name of God with minde , or mouth : neuerthelesse God of his infinite kindnes permitteth vs so to doe . In vaine ] Namely , for no●cause , any matter , and vpon each light and fonde occasion . For ] The reason of this cōmandement is taken from the penaltie annexed . He that abuseth Gods name , is guiltie of sinne before Gods iudgement seate : and therefore is most miserable . Psal. 32.1,2 . Blessed is the man whose iniquitie is forgiuen , and whose sinne is couered : blessed is the man to whome God imputeth not s●nne . Guiltlesse ] That is , he shall not be vnpunished . The negatiue part . Thou shalt not bereaue God of that honour that is due vnto him . Here is included each seuerall abuse of any thing , that is vsed in the course of our liues , out of the solemne seruice of God. I. Periurie , when a man performeth not that , which he on his own accord sware to doe . Math. 5. 33. Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe , but performe thine oath to the Lord. Periurie containeth in it foure capitall sinnes . 1. Lying . 2. False inuocation on Gods name , because a forswearer calleth on God to confirme a lye . 3. Cōtempt of Gods threatnings , that he will most grieuously punish periurie . 4. A lye in his couenant with God , for the forswearer bindeth himselfe to God , and lieth vnto God. II. To sweare that which is false . This is to make god and the diuell both alike . Ioh. 8.44 . Ye are of your father the diuel , &c. when he speaketh a lie , he speaketh of himselfe , because he is a lyer , and the father of lies . Zach. 5.4 . It shall enter into the house of him , that sweareth falsely by my name . III. To sweare in common talke . Matth. 5.37 . Let your communication be yea , yea , and nay , nay : for whatsoeuer is more then these commeth of euill . IV. To sweare by that which is no God. Matth. 5. 34 , 35. But I say vnto you , sweare not at all , neither by heauen , for it is Gods throne : neither by the earth , for it is his footstoole : neither by Hierusalem , for it is the citie of the great king . 1. King. 19.2 . Iesabel sent a messenger to Elias , saying , Thus doe the gods , and so let them deale with me , if I by to morrow this time , make not thy life , as is the life of euery one of them . Iere. 12.16 . They taught my people to sweare by Baal . Iere. 5.7 . Thy sonnes forsake me , and sweare by them which are no gods . This place condemneth that vsuall swearing by the masse , faith , and such like . Matth. 23.22 . He that sweareth by heauen , sweareth by Gods throne , and him that sitteth thereon . But for a man to sweare by Christs death , wounds , blood , & other parts of his , is most horrible : & is as much , as to crucifie Christ againe with the Iewes , or account Christs members , as God himselfe . V. Blasphemie , which is a reproch against God ; and the least speech , that sauoureth of contempt to his maiestie . Leuit. 24.15 , 16. Whosoeuer curseth his God , shall beare his sinnes . And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord , shall be put to death . 2. King. 19.10 . So shall ye say to the king of Iudah : let not thy God deceiue thee , in whome thou trustest , saying , Ierusalem shal not be giuen into the hand of the King of Ashur . Aiax in the Tragedie , hath this blasphemous speech , that euery coward may ouercome , if he haue God on his side : as for him , he can get the victorie without Gods assistance . That slie taunt of the Pope is likewise blasphemous , wherein he calleth himselfe the seruant of all Gods seruants : when as in trueth , he maketh himselfe Lord of Lords , and God subiect to his vaine fantasie . VI. Cursing our enemies : as , Goe with a vengeance : or , the diuel goe with thee : Or , our selues ; as , I would I might neuer stirre : or , as God shall iudge my soule , &c. To this place we may referre the execrations of Iob 3. Ier. 15. VII . To vse the name of God carelesly in our common talke : as , when we say , Good God! good Lord ! O Iesus ! or , Iesus God! &c. Phil. 2.10 . At the name of Iesus , shall euery knee bow , of things in heauen , things in earth , & things vnder the earth . Esay● 45.23 . Euery knee shall bow vnto me , and euery tongue shall sweare by me . VIII . Abusing Gods creatures : as , when we either deride the workmāship of God , or the manner of working : againe , when we debase the excellencie of the worke , obscure Gods gifts in our brother , or discōmend such meats as God hath sent vs to eate : finally , when as wee in the contemplation of any of Gods creatures , giue not him the due praise and glorie . 1. Cor. 10.31 . Whether ye eate or drinke , or whatsoeuer ye doe els , see that ye doe all to the glory of God. Psal. 19.1 . The heauens declare the glorie of God , and the firmament sheweth his handie worke . IX . Lots , as when we search what must be ( as they say ) our fortune , by dice , bones , books , or such like . For we are not to vse lots , but with great reuerence : in that the disposition of them immediately commeth from the Lord , & their proper vse is to decide great controuersies . Prou. 16.33 . The Lot is cast into the lappe , but the whole disposition thereof is in the Lord. Prou. 18.18 . The lot causeth contentions to cease , and maketh a partition among the mightie . For this cause the land of Canaan was diuided by lots . Iosh. 14. and 15. chap. By which also both the high priests , and the kings were elected : as Saul , 1. Sam. 10. And Matthias into the place of Iudas Iscariot . Act. 1.23 . X. Superstition , which is an opinion conceiued of the works of Gods prouidence : the reason whereof , can neither be drawne out of the worde of God , nor the whole course of nature . As for example , that it is vnluckie for one in the morning to put on his shoe awry , or to put the left shoe on the right foot , to sneeze in drawing on his shoes , to haue salt fal toward him , to haue an hare cro●se him , to bleed some fewe drops of blood , to burne on the right eare . Againe , that it is contrarily good lucke to finde old yron , to haue drinke spilled on him , for the left eare to burne , to pare our nailes on some one day of the weeke , to dreame of some certaine things . The like superstition , is to surmise that beasts may be tamed by verses , prayers , or the like ; that the repetition of the creede or the Lords praier , can infuse into hearbs a facultie of healing diseases . Deut. 18.11 . Here also is Palmestrie condemned , when by the inspection of the hand , our fortune is foretold . These and such like , albeit they haue true euents , yet are we not to giue credence vnto them : for God permitteth them to haue such successe , that they which see and heare such things● may be tried , and it may appeare what confidence they haue in God. Deut. ●3 . XI . Astrologie , whether it bee in casting of natiuities , or making of Prognostications . This counterfeit art is nothing els , but a meere abuse of the heauens , and of the starres 1. The twelue houses , which are the ground of all figures , are made of the fained signes of a supposed Zodiacke , in the highest spheare commonly called the first Mooueable : and therefore to these houses a man cannot truely ascribe any influence or vertue . 2. This arte ariseth not from experience , because it neuer happeneth that the same position of all starres is twise togither obserued : and if it were , yet could there not certaine ground arise from thence , in that the efficacie & influence of the stars is confusedly mixed both in the aire and in the earth , as if all hearbs were mingled togither in one vessell . 3. This art withdraweth mens mindes from the contemplation of Gods prouidence , when as they heare , that all things fall out by the motion , and disposition of the starres . 4. Starres were not ordained to ●oretell things to come , but to distinguish daies , months , and yeares . Gen. 1. 14. Let there be lights in the firmament of the heauen , to separate the day from the night : and let them be for signes and for seasons , and for daies and for yeres . Esay . 47.13 . Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsells : let nowe the Astrologers , the starre gazers , and Prognosticators stand vp and saue thee from these things , that shall come vpon thee . vers . 14. Behold , they shall be as stubble : the fire shall burne them , &c. Dan. 2.2 . The king commanded to call the Inchanters , Astrologers , Sorrers , and Chaldeans , to shewe the king his dreames . Act. 19.19 . Many of thē which vsed curious artes , brought their bookes and burned them before all men . 5. Astrological predictions are conuersant about such things , which either simply depend on the meere will and disposition of God ; and not on the starres : or els such , as depending vpon mans free-will , are altogether contingent : and therefore can neither be forseene , not foretold . 6. It is impossible by the bare knowledge of such a cause , as is both common to many , and farre distant from such things as it worketh in , precisely to set downe particular effects : but the starrs are such causes as are both common to many , and farre distant from all things done vpon earth : and therefore a man can no more surely foretell what shall ensue by the contemplation of the starres , then he which seeth an henne sitting , can tell what kinde of chickens shall be in euery egge . Question . Haue then the starres no force in inferiour things ? Answer . Yes vndoubtedly , the starres haue a very great force , yet such as manifesteth it selfe onely in that operation which it hath in the foure principall qualities of naturall things , namely in heate , cold , moysture , and drinesse : and therefore in altering the state , and disposition of the ayre , and in diuersly affecting compound bodies , the starres haue no small effect . But they are so farre from enforcing the will to doe any thing , that they cannot so much as giue vnto it the least inclination . Nowe to define howe great force the starres haue , it is beyond any mans reach . For albeit the effects of the Sunne , in the constitution of the foure parts of the yeare , are apparant to all , and the operation of the Moone not very obscure ; yet the force and nature both of planets and fixed starres , which are to vs innumerable , are not so manifest . Therefore seeing man knoweth onely some starres , and their onely operation , and not all , with their forces , it cannot be that he should certainly foretel future things , although they did depend on the starres . For what if the position of such and such certaine starres , doe demonstrate such an effect to ensue ? may not the aspects of such as thou yet knowest not , hinder that , and produce the contrarie ? Question . Is then the vse of Astrologie vtterly impious ? Answer . That part of Astrologie , which concerneth the alteration of the ayre , is almost all both false and friuolous ; and therefore in a manner all predictions grounded vpon that doctrine are meere toyes , by which the sillie and ignorant people are notably deluded . As for that other part of Astrology , concerning natiuities , reuolutions , progressions , & directions of natiuities , as also that which concerneth election of times , & the finding againe of thinges lost , it is very wicked ; and it is probable , that it is of the same brood with implicite and close Magique . My reasons are these : I. The word of God reckoning Astrologers amongst Magitians , adiudgeth them both to one and the same punishment . II. But the Astrologer saith , he foretelleth many things , which , as he said , come so to passe : be it so : But howe , I demaund ? and by what meanes ? He saith by arte , but that I denie . For the precepts of his arte will appeare to such as read them not with a preiudicate affection , very ridiculous . VVhence then , I pray you , doth this curious diuiner foreshew the trueth , but by an inward & secret instinct from the diuell ? This is Augustines opinion in his 5. booke and 7. chapt . of the Citie of God. If we weigh all those things , saith he , we will not without cause beleeue , that Astrologers , when they doe wonderfully declare many truths , worke by some secret instinct of euill spirits , which desire to fill mens braines with erronious and daungerous opinions of starrie destinies , and not by any arte , deriued from the inspection and consideration of the Horoscope , which indeed is none . XII . Popish consecration of water and salt , to restore the minde vnto health , and to chase away diuels . The reformed Missal . pag. 96. XIII . To make iests of the Scripture phrase . Esai 66.2 . I will looke , euen to him that is poore , and of a contrite spirit , and which trembleth at my wordes . We haue an example of such scoffing in the Tripart . hist. chapter 36. booke 6. The heathen did grieuously oppresse the Christians , and inflicted sometimes vpon their bodies corporall punishments . The which when the Christians signified vnto the Emperour , he disdained to assist them , and sent them away with this scoffe : You are to suffer iniuries patiently , for so are ye commanded of your God. XIIII . Lightly to passe ouer Gods iudgements , which are seene in the world . Matth. 26.34 . Verily , verily , I say vnto thee , this night before the cocke crow , thou shalt denie me thrise . vers . 35. Peter said vnto him , Though I should die with thee , I will not denie thee . Luk. 13.1,2,3 . There were certaine men present at the same season , that shewed him of the Galileans , whose blood Pilate had mingled with their owne sacrifices . And Iesus answered , and said vnto them , Suppose ye that these Galileans were greater sinners , then all the other Galileans , because they haue suffered such things ? I tell you nay , but except ye amende your liues , ye shall likewise perish . XV. A dissolute conuersation . Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before mē , that they seeing your good workes may glorifie your Father which is in heauen . 2. Sam. 12.14 . Because that by this deede , thou hast made the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme , the child that is borne vnto thee , shall surely die . The affirmatiue part . In all things giue God his due glorie . 1. Cor. 10.13 . To this appertaine : I. Zeale of Gods glorie aboue all things in the world besides . Numb . 25.8 . When Phineas the sonne of Eleazer saw it , he followed the man of Israel into his tent , and thrust them both through : to wit , both the man of Israel and the woman through hir bellie . Psal. 69.22 . The zeale of thine house hath eaten me vp , and the reproches of the scornefull haue fallen vpon me . II. To vse Gods titles onely in serious affaires , and that with all reuerence . Deut. 28.58 . If thou wilt not keepe and doe all the words of this law ( that are written in this booke ) and feare this glorious and fearefull name , THE LORD THY GOD. Rom. 9.5 . Of whome are the fathers , and of whome , concerning the flesh , Christ came , who is God ouer all , blessed for euer , Amen . III. An holy commemoration of the creature , whereby we , in the contemplation and admiration of the dignitie and excellencie thereof , yeeld an approbation when we name it , and celebrate the praise of God , brightly shining in the same . Psal. 64.9,10 . And all men shall see it , and declare the worke of God , and they shall vnderstand what he hath wrought : but the righteous shall be glad in the Lord , and trust in him : and all that are vpright of heart shall reioyce . Luke 2. 18,19 . And all they that heard it , wondered at the things that were told them of the shepheards : but Marie kept all these things , and pondered them in her heart . Ierem. 5.12 . Feare ye not me , saith the Lord ? or will ye not be afraid at my presence , which haue placed the sands for the bounds of the seas , by the perpetuall decree , that it cannot passe it , and though the waues thereof rage , yet can they not preuaile , though they rore , yet can they not passe ouer . IV. An oth , in which we must regard : 1. How an oth is to be taken . 2. How it is to be performed . In taking an oth , foure circumstances must be obserued . I. The matter or parts of an oth : the parts are in number foure . 1. Confirmation of a truth . 2. Inuocation of God alone , as a witnesse of the truth , and a reuenger of a lie . 3. Confession that God punisheth periurie , when he is brought in as a false witnesse . 4. An obligation , that we will vndergoe the punishment at Gods hand , if we performe not the condition . II. The forme . We must sweare 1. truly , least we forsweare . 2. Iustly , least we commit impietie . 3. In iudgement , for feare of rashnes . Ierem. 4.2 . Thou shalt sweare , the Lord liueth , in truth , in iudgement , and righteousnes . Esa. 48. 1. Which sweare by the name of the Lord , and make mention of the God of Israel , but not in truth nor in righteousnes , &c. Therefore the oth of drunken , furious , and franticke men , also othes of children , they doe not impose an obseruation of them , but by law are no othes . III. The ende , namely to confirme some necessarie truth in question . Hebr. 6. 16. Men sweare by him that is greater then themselues : and an oth for confirmation , is among them an end of all strife . I call that a necessarie truth , when some doubt , which must necessarily be decided , can none other way be determined then by an oth : as when Gods glorie , our neighbours bodie or goods , or the credit of the partie for whom the oth is ministred , are necessarily called into question . Rom. 1.9 . God is my witnes ( whom I serue in my spirit in the Gospel of his Sonne ) that without ceasing I make mention of you . 2. Cor. 1. 23. I call God for a record into my soule , that to spare you , I came not as yet vnto Corinth . IV. The diuers kinds or sorts of othes . An oth is publike , or priuate . Publike , when the Magistrate , without any peril to him that sweareth , doth vpon iust cause exact a testimonie together with an oth . A priuate oth is , which two or more take priuately . This , so that it be sparingly , and warily vsed , is lawfull . For if in serious affaires , and matters of great importance , it be lawfull in priuate to admit God as a Iudge , why should he not as well be called to witnesse ? Againe , the examples of holy men shew the practise of priuate othes , as not vnlawfull . Iacob and Laban confirmed their couenant one with an other by priuate oth : the like did Booz in his contract with Ruth . To this place may be added an asseueration , the which albeit it be like an oth , yet indeede is none : and is nothing else , but a constant assertion of our mind , intersetting sometimes the name of a creature . Such was Christs assertion , Verely , verely , I say vnto you . And Pauls , I call God to record in my spirit . Where is both an oth & an asseueration . 1. Cor. 15.31 . By your reioycing which I haue in Iesus Christ , I die daily . 1. Sam. 20.3 . Indeede , as the Lord liueth , and as my soule liueth , there is but a step betweene me and death . And surely in such a kind of asseueration there is great equitie : for albeit it be vnlawfull to sweare by creatures , least Gods honour and power should be attributed vnto them : yet thus farre may we vse them in an oath , as to make pledges , and as it were cognisances of Gods glorie . The performance of an oth , is on this manner . If the oth made be of a lawfull thing , it must be performed , be it of much difficultie , great dammage , and extorted by force of him that made it . Psal. 15.4 . He that sweareth to his owne hinderance and changeth not , he shall dwell in Gods tabernacle . Yet may the Magistrate , as it shall seeme right and conuenient , either annihilate or moderate such othes . Contrarily , if a man sweare to performe things vnlawfull , and that by ignorāce , error , or infirmitie , or any other way , his oth is to be recalled . For we may not adde sinne vnto sinne . 1. Sam. 25.21 . And Dauid said , Indeede I haue kept all in vaine , that this fellow had in the wildernes , &c. vers . 22. So and more also doe God vnto the enemies of Dauid : for surely I will not leaue of all that he hath , by the dawning of the day , any that pisseth against the wall . vers . 33. Dauid said , Blessed be thy counsell and blessed be thou , which hast kept me this day from comming to shedde blood ; and that mine hand hath not saued me . 2. Sam. 19.23 . Dauid promiseth that Shimei should not die : but 1. King. 2.8,9 . Dauid saith to Salomon , Though I sware so , yet thou shalt not count him innocent , but cause his hoare head to goe downe to the graue with blood . V. Sanctification of Gods creatures and ordinances , the which is a separation of them to an holy vse . Thus ought we to sanctifie our meates and drinks , the works of our calling , and marriage . The meanes of this sanctification are two : Gods word , and prayer . 1. Tim. 4.4 . All which God hath created is good , and nothing must be reiected , if it be receiued with thanksgiuing : for it is sanctified by the word and prayer . By the word we are instructed ; first , whether God alloweth the vse of such things , or not : secondly , we learne after what holy manner , in what place , at what time , with what affection , and to what end we must vse them . Heb. 11.6 . Without faith it is impossible to please God. Psal. 119.24 . Thy testimonies are my delight , they are my counsellers . Iosh. 22.19,29 . 1. Sam. 15.23 . Prayer , which sanctifieth , is petition and thanksgiuing . By petition , we obtaine of Gods meiestie , assistance by his grace , to make an holy vse of his creatures , and ordinances . Col. 3. 17. Whatsoeuer ye shall doe in word or deede , doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus , giuing thanks to God euen the Father by him . 1. Sam. 17.45 . Then said Dauid to the Philistim , Thou commest to me with a sword , and with a speare , and with a shield : but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts , the God of the host of Israel , whome thou hast railed vpon . Mich. 4. 5. We must walke in the name of the Lord our God , for euer and euer . Here may we obserue prayer made vpon particular occasion . 1. For a prosperous iourney . Act. 21.5 . When the daies were ended , we departed , and went our way , and they all accompanied vs with their wiues and children , euen out of the citie : and we kneeling downe on the shore prayed , &c. 2. For a blessing vpon meats at the table . Ioh. 6.11 . Then Iesus tooke the bread , and when he had giuen thankes , he gaue it to his Disciples , and the Disciples to them that were set downe : and likewise of the fishes as much as they would . Act. 27.35 . He tooke bread , and gaue thanks to God , in presence of them all , and brake it , and began to eate . 3. For issue in childbirth . This did Anna , 1. Sam. 1.14 . And Zacharie , Luk. 1.13 . 4. For good successe in busines , Gen. 24. 12. Abrahams seruant praied . Thanksgiuing is the magnifying of Gods name , euen the Father through Christ , for his grace , ayde , and blessing in the lawfull vse of the creatures . Phil. 4.6 . In all things let your requests be shewed vnto God , in prayer , and supplication , and giuing of thanks . 1● Thess. 5. 18. In all things giue thanks : for this is the will of God in Christ towards you . This we may read vsed , 1. after meate , Deut. 8.10 . When thou hast eaten and filled thy selfe , thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God , for the good land which he hath giuen thee . 2. After the losse of outward wealth . Iob 1.21 . And Iob saide , Naked came I out of my mothers wombe , and naked shall I returne againe : the Lord hath giuen , and the lord hath taken away , blessed be the name of the Lord for euermore . 3. For deliuerance out of seruitude . Exod. 18. 10. Iethro said , Blessed be the Lord , who hath deliuered you out of the hands of the Egyptians , and out of the hand of Pharaoh , who also hath deliuered the people from vnder the hand of the Egyptians . 4. For children . Gen. 29.35 . Shee conceiued againe and bare of sonne , saying , Now will I praise the Lord : therefore shee called his name Iudah . 5. For victorie . 2. Sam. 22.1 . And Dauid spake the words of this song vnto the Lord , what time the Lord had deliuered him out of the hands of all his enemies , and out of the hand of Saul , and said , The Lord is my rocke , and my fortresse , &c. 6. For good successe in domesticall affaires . Abrahams seruant , Gen. 24.12 . blessed the Lord of his master Abraham . CHAP. 23. Of the fourth Commandement . THe fourth Commandement concerneth the Sabboth : namely , that holy time consecrated to the worship and glorifying of God. The words are these : Remember the Sabboth to keepe it : sixe daies shalt thou labour , and doe ●ll thy worke : but the seuenth day is the Sabboth of the Lord thy God , in it thou shalt doe no manner of worke , thou , nor thy sonne , nor thy daughter , thy man seruant , nor thy maid , nor thy beast , nor thy straunger that is within thy gates . For in sixe daies the Lord made the heauen and the earth , the sea and all that in them is , and rested the seauenth day : therefore the Lord blessed the seauenth day , and hallowed it . The Resolution . Remember ] This clause doth insinuate , that in times past there was great neglect in the obseruation of the Sabboth : and would that all degrees and conditions of men should prepare themselues to sanctifie the same : especially those that be gouernours of families , in corporations , and cities , to whome this commandement is directed . To keepe it holy , or , to sanctifie it ] To sanctifie it , is to seuer a thing from common vse , and to consecrate the same to the seruice of God. Here are described the two parts of this commandement : the first where of , is rest from labour : the second , sanctification of that rest . Sixe daies ] These wordes containe a close answer to this obiection . It is much to cease from our callings one whole day . The answer ( together with a first reason to inforce the sanctification of the Sabbath ) is in these wordes , which is taken from the greater to the lesse . If I permit thee to follow thy calling , sixe whole daies , thou maist well , and must leaue one onely to serue me . But the first is true . Therefore the second . The first propositiō is wanting : the second , or assumption are these words , Sixe daies , &c. The conclusion is the commandement it selfe . Here may we see , that God hath giuen vs free libertie to worke all the sixe daies . The which freedome no man can annihilate . Neuerthelesse , vpon extraordinarie occasions , the Church of God is permitted to separate one daie or more of the seuen , as neede is , either to fasting , or for a solemne day of reioycing , for some benefit receiued . Ioel 2.15 . The seuenth day ] The second reason of this commaundement taken from the ende thereof . If the Sabbath were consecrated to God , and his seruice , we must that day abstain from our labours . But it was consecrated to God , and his seruice . Therefore we must then abstaine from our labours . The assumption is in these words ( the seuenth day , &c. ) where we must note , that God alone hath this priuiledge , to haue a Sabbath consecrated vnto him : and therefore all holy daies dedicated to what soeuer either Angel or Saint , are vnlawfull : howsoeuer the Church of Rome haue imposed the obseruation of them vpon many people . In it thou shalt doe ] This is the conclusion of the second reason , illustrated by a distribution from the causes . Thou , thy sonne , thy daughter , thy seruant , thy cattell , thy stranger , shall cease that day from your labours . Any worke ] That is , any ordinarie worke of your callings , and such as may be done the day before , or left well vndone till the day after . Yet for all this we are not forbidden to performe such workes euen on this day , as are both holy and of present necessitie . Such are those works , which doe vpon that day preserue and maintaine the seruice and glorie of God , as I. a Sabbath daies iourney . Act. 1.12 . Which is now Hierusalem , containing a Sabbath daies iourney . II. The killing and dressing of sacrificed beasts in the time of the law . Matth. 12.5 . Haue ye not read in the law , how that on the Sabbath daies , the Priests in the Temple breake the Sabbath , and are blamelesse ? III. Iourneys vnto the Prophets , and places appointed vnto the worship of God. 2. King. 4.23 . He said , Why wilt thou goe to him this day ? it is neither new moone , nor Sabbath day . Psal. 84.7 . They go from strength to strength , till euery one appeare before God in Zion . Such also are the works of mercie , whereby the safetie of life or goods is procured : as that which Paul did , Act. 20. 9. As Paul was long preaching , Eutychus ouercome with sleepe , fell downe from the third loft , and was taken vp dead : but Paul went downe and laid himselfe vpon him , and embraced him , saying , Trouble not your selues : for his life is in him . vers . 12. And they brought the boy aliue , and they were not a little comforted . II. To helpe a beast out of a pit . Luk. 14.5 . Which of you shall haue an oxe , or an asse fallen into a pit , and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath day ? III. Prouision of meate and drinke . Matth. 12.1 . Iesus went through the corne on a Sabbath day , and his Disciples were an hungred , and began to plucke the eares of corne , and to eate . In prouision , we must take heede that our cookes , and houshold ●eruants breake not the Sabbath . The reason of this is framed from the lesser to the greater , out of that place , 2. Sam. 25.15 . Dauid longed , and said , Oh that one would giue me to drinke of the water of the well of Beth-lehem , which is by the gate . vers . 16. Then the three mightie brake into the host of the Philistims , and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem that was by the gate , and tooke and brought it to Dauid , who would not drinke thereof , but powred it for an offering vnto the Lord. vers . 17. And said , O Lord , be it farre from me that I should doe ●his : is not this the blood of the men , that went in ieopardie of their liues ? therefore would he not drinke . The reason standeth thus . If Dauid would not haue his seruants aduenture their corporall liues for his prouision , nor drinke the water when they had prouided it : much lesse ought we for our meates to aduenture the liues of our seruants . IV. Watering of cattell . Math. 12.11 . The Lord answered , and said , Thou hypocrite , will not any of you on the Sabbath daies , loose his oxe or asse out of the stable , and bring him to the water ? Vpon the like present and holy necessitie , Phisitians , vpon the Sabbath day , may take a iourney to visit the diseased , Mariners their voyage , Shepheards may tend their flocke , and Midwiues may helpe women with childe . Mark. 2.27 . The Sabbath was made for man , and not man for the Sabbath . Within thy gates ] This word gate , signifieth by a figure , iurisdiction and authoritie . Math. 16.18 . The gates of hell shall not ouercome it . Let this be a looking glasse , wherein all Inholders , and intertainers of strangers may looke into themselues , and behold what is their dutie . For in sixe daies ] The third reason of this commaundement from the lik● example . That which I did , thou also must doe , But I rested the seauenth day and hallowed it : Therefore thou must doe the like . God sanctified the Sabbath when he did consecrate it to his seruice ; men sanctifie it when they worship God in it . In this place we are to confider the Sabbath , how farre forth it is ceremoniall , and how farre forth morall . The Sabbath is ceremoniall , in respect of the strict obseruation thereof , which was a type of the internall sanctification of the people of God , and that is , as it were , a continuall resting from the worke of sinne . Exod. 31.1.3 . Speake thou also vnto the children of Israel , and say , Notwithstanding keepe ye my sabbath : for it is a signe betweene me and you in your generation , that ye may know that I the Lord doe sanctifie you . The same is recorded , Ezech. 20.12 . It signified also that blessed rest of the faithfull , in the kingdom of heauen : Esai 66. 23. From moneth to moneth , and from sabbath to sabbath , shall all flesh come to worship before me , sa●●h the Lord. Heb. 4.8,9 , 10. If Iesus had giuen them a rest , &c. The Sabbath is likewise ceremoniall , in that it was obserued the seauenth day after the creation of the world , and was then solemnized with such ceremonies . Numb . 28.9 . But on the sabbath day ye shall offer two lambes of a yeare old without spot , and two tenth deales of fine floure for a meate offering , ●ingled with oyle , and the drinke offering thereof . 10. This is the burnt ●ffering of euery Sabbath , beside the continuall burnt offering and drinke offering thereof . But now in the light of the Gospel , and the Churches professing the same , the ceremonie of the Sabbath is ceased . Col. 2.16 . Let no man condemne you in meate and drinke , or in respect of an holy day , or of the new moone , or of the Sabbath : 17. which are but shadowes of things to come , but the bodie is Christ. The obser●ation of the Sabbath was translated by the Apostles from the seuenth day , to the day following . Act. 20. 7. The first day of the weeke , the Disciples beeing come together to breake bread , Paul preached to them . 1. Cor. 16.1,2 . Concerning the gathering for the Saints , as I haue ordained in the Churches of Galatia , so doe ye also euery first day of the weeke , let euery one of you put aside by himselfe , and lay vp ●s God hath prospered him , that then there be no gatherings when I come . This day , by reason that our Sauiour did vpon it ri●e againe , is called the Lords day . Revel . 1.10 . I was rauished in the spirit on the Lords day . The obseruation of the Sabbath thus constituted by the Apostles , was neuerthelesse neglected of those Churches which succeeded them , but after was reuiued and established by Christian Emperours , as a day most apt to celebrate the memorie of the creation of the world , and to the serious meditation of the redemption of mankind . Leo and Anton. Edict . of holy daies . The obseruation of the Sabbath is morall , in as much as it is a certaine seauenth day , preserueth and conserueth the ministerie of the word , and the solemne worship of God , especially in the assemblies of the church . And in this respect we are vpon this day , as well inioyned a rest from our vocations , as the Iewes were . Esai 58.13 . If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath , from doing thy will on mine holy day , and call my Sabbath a delight , to consecrate it , as glorious to the Lord , and shalt honour him , not doing thine owne waies , &c. Finally , it is morall , in that it freeth seruants and cattell from their labours , which on other daies doe seruice vnto their owners . The affirmative part . Keepe holy the Sabbath day . This we doe , if we cease from the workes of sinne , and our ordinarie calling : performing those spirituall works , which we are commanded in the second and third Commandement . I. To arise earely in the morning , that so we may prepare our selues to the better sanctifying of the Sabbath ensuing . This preparation consisteth in priuate praiers and taking account of our seuerall sinnes . Mark. 1.35 . In the morning very earely before day , Iesus arose and went into a solitarie place , and there prayed . The day following was the Sabbath , when he preached in the Synagogues . 39. Exod. 32. 5 , 6. Aaron proclaimed , saying , To morrow shal be the holy day of the Lord : so they rose vp the next day earely in the morning . Eccles. 4. vers . last . Take heede to thy feete when thou entrest into the house of God. II. To be present at publique assemblies , at ordinarie howers , there to heare reuerently and attentiuely the word preached and read , to receiue the Lords Supper , and publikely with the congregation , call vpon and celebrate the name of the Lord. 1. Tim. 1.2,3 . Act. 20.7 . 2. King. 4.22,23 . Act. 13.14 , 15. When they departed from Perga , they came to Antiochia , a citie of Pisidia , and went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day , and sate downe . And after the lecture of the Law and Prophets , the rulers of the Synagogue sent vnto them , saying , Ye men and brethren , if ye haue any word of exhortation for the people , say on . III. When publique meetings are dissolued , to spend the rest of the Sabboth in the meditation of Gods word , and his creatures . Psal. 29. from the beginning to the ending . Act. 17. 11. These were also more noble men , then they which were at Thessalonica , which receiued the word with all readinesse , and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so . We must also exercise then the workes of charitie : as , to visit the sicke , giue almes to the needie , admonish such as fall , reconcile such as are at iarre and discord amongst themselues , &c. Nehem. 8.12 . Then all the people went to eate and to drinke , and to send away part , and to make great ioy . The negatiue part . Pollute not the Sabboth of the Lord. This is a grieuous sinne , Matth. 24.20 . Pray that your flight be not in winter , nor on the Sabboth daie . Lament . 1.7 . The aduersaries saw her , and did mocke at her Sabboths . Leuit. 19.30 . Ye shall keepe my Sabboths , and reuerence my Sanctuarie , I am the Lord. In this part are these things forbidden : I. The workes of our calling , wherein if we doe ought , it must be altogether in regard of charitie , and not in regard of our owne priuate commodity . II. Vnnecessarie iourneyes . Exod. 16.29 . Tarrie euery man in his place , let no man goe out of his place the seuenth day . By this reason , the master of the family must that day remaine at home , to sanctifie the Sabbath with his household . III. Faires vpon the Sabboth daie , Nehem. 3.19 . When the gates of Ierusalem began to be darke before the Sabboth , I commaunded to shut the gates , & charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabboth , and some of my seruants , set I at the gate , that there should no burden be brought in on the Sabboth day . read v. 15,16,17,18 . IV. All kind of husbandrie ; as plowing , sowing , reaping , mowing , bringing home haruest , & other the like . Exod. 34. 21. In the seauenth day shalt thou rest , both in earing time , and in haruest shalt thou rest . V. To vse iestes , sports , banquetting , or any other thing whatsoeuer , which is a means to hinder , or withdraw the mind from that serious attention , which ought to be in Gods seruice : for if the workes of our calling must not be exercised , much lesse these , whereby the minde is as well distracted from Gods seruice , as by the greatest labour . VI. An externall obseruation of the Sabboth , without an internall regard of godlines . Esa. 1.14,15 . My soule hateth your new moones , and your appointed feastes , they are a burden vnto me , I am wearie to beare them : and when you shall stretch forth your handes , I will hide mine eies from you , and though you make many praiers , I will not heare : for your handes are full of blood . 2. Tim. 3.5 . Which haue a shew of godlines , but denie the force thereof , such therefore auoyd . VII . The manifest prophanation of the Sabboth , in pampering the belly , surfeting , adulterie , and other like prophanenesse , which is nothing els , but to celebrate a Sabboth to the diuell , and not to God. CHAP. 24. Of the fifth commandement . HItherto we haue spoken of the commandements of the first table : nowe followeth the secōd table , which concerneth the loue of our neighbour . Rom. 13.9 . Thou shalt not commit adulterie , thou shalt not kill , thou shalt not steale , thou shalt not beare false witnes , thou shalt not couet : and if there be any other commandement , it is briefly comprehēded in this saying , namely , thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe . Our neighbour is euery one , which is of our owne flesh . Esa. 58.7 . When thou seest the naked couer him , and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh . The manner of louing is so to loue our neighbour as our selues , to witte , truly and sincerely : when as contrarily , the true manner of louiug God , is to loue God without measure . The second table containeth sixe Commandements : whereof the first , & , in the order of the ten commandements , the fift , concerneth the preseruation of dignity and excellencie of our neighbour . The words are these : Honour thy Father and thy mother , that they may prolong thy daies in the lande , which the Lord thy God giueth thee . The Resolution . Honour ] This Word , by the figure , signifieth all that dutie , whereby our neighbours dignitie is preserued , but especially our Superious . This dignitie proceedeth of this , that euery man beareth in him some part of the image of God , if we respect the outward order and decency , which is obserued in the Church and common wealth . In the Magistrate there is a certaine image of the power and glory of God. Dan. 2.37 . O King , thou art a King of Kings , for the God of heauen hath giuen thee a kingdome , power , and strength , & glorie . Hence is it , that Magistrates are called Gods. Psal. 82. 1. In an olde man is the similitude of the eternity of God : in a father , the likenesse of his fatherhood . Math. 2● . 9 . And call no man your father vpon the earth : for there is but one , your Father which is in heauen . In a man is the image of Gods prouidence and authoritie . 1 Cor. 11.7 . For a man ought not to couer his head , because he is the image of the glory of God : but the woman is the glory of her husband . Finally , in a learned man , is the likenesse of the knowledge and wisdome of God. Nowe therefore that person , in whome euen the least title of the image of God appeareth , is to be be honoured and reuerenced . Thy father ] By a figure , we must here vnderstand , all those that are our superiours : as , Parents , and such like of our kindred , or aliance which are to vs in stead of Parents : Magistrates , Ministers , our Elders , and those that doe excell vs in any gifts whatsoeuer . The kings of Gerar were called Abimelech , my father the king . Gen. 20.2 . Gen. 45.8 . God hath made me a father vnto Pharaoh , and Lord ouer all his house . 1. Cor. 4.15 . For though ye haue ten thousand instructers in Christ , yet haue ye not many Fathers : for in Christ Iesus I haue begotten you . 2. King. 5.13 . But his seruants came , and spake vnto him , and said , Father , if the Prophet had commanded thee a great thing● wouldest thou not haue done it ? 2. King. ● . 12 . And Elisha sawe it , and he cried , My Father , my Father , my Father , the chariot of Israel , and the horsemen thereof . And thy mother ] This is added , least we should despise our mothers , because of their infirmities , Prou. 23.22 . Obey thy father which hath begotten thee , and despise not thy mother when shee is olde . Here we are put in mind to performe due honour to our stepmothers and fathers in law , as if they were our proper and naturall parents . Ruth . 3. 1. and 5. Afterward Naomi her mother in lawe said vnto her , My daughter , shall not I seeke rest for thee , that thou maiest prosper ? And shee answered her , All that thou biddest me , I will do . Exod. 18.17 . But Moses father in law said vnto him , The thing which thou doest is not well . 19. Heare nowe my voice , I will giue thee counsell , and God shall be with thee . 24. So Moses obeied the voice of his father in law , and did all that he had said . Mich. 7.6 . For the sonne reuileth the Father , the daughter riseth vp against her mother , the daughter in law against her mother in lawe . That they may prolong ] Parents are said to prolong the liues of their children , because they are Gods instruments , whereby their childrens liues are prolonged : for oftentimes the name of the action is attributed to the instrument , wherewith the action is wrought . Luk. 16.9 . Make you friendes with the riches of iniquitie , that when ye shall want , they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations . 1. Tim. 4.16 . For in doing so , tho● shalt both saue thy selfe and them that heare thee . But Parents doe prolong the liues of their children in commanding them to walke in the waies of the Lord , by exercising iustice and iudgement , Gen. 18.19 . For beeing become godly , they haue the promise both of this life , and the life to come . 1. Tim. 4.8 . Further , they effect the same thing by their praiers made in the behalfe of their children . Hereby it plainely appeareth , that the vsuall custome of children saluting their parents , to aske them their blessing , is no light or vaine thing . Moreouer , in these words , the reason to mooue vs to the obedience of this commandement , is drawne from the ende , which reason is also a promise , yet a speciall promise . Eph. 6. 2. Honour thy father and thy mother , which is the first commandement with promise , ( I say , speciall ) because the promise of the second commandement is generall , and belongeth to all the rest of the commandements . And God promiseth long life not absolutely , but so farre as it is a blessing . Eph. 6.3 . That it may be well with thee , and that thou maiest liue long on earth . For wee must thinke that long life is not alwaie a blessing , but that sometime it is better to die then to liue . Esay 57.1 . The righteous perisheth , and no man considereth it in heart : and mercifull men are taken away , and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come . But if at any time the Lord giueth a short life to obedient children , hee rewardeth them againe with eternall life in heauen , and so the promise faileth not , but changeth for the better . The affirmative part . Preserue the dignitie of thy neighbour . Vnder this part is commaunded : First , reuerence towards all our superiours : the actions whereof , are ; reuerently to rise vp before any man which passeth by vs. Leu. 19.32 . Rise vp before the hoorehead , and honour the person of the old man , and dread thy God : I am the Lord. To meete him that commeth towards vs. Gen. 18.2 . And he lifted vp his eies , and looked : and loe , three men stood by him , and when he saw them , hee ranne to meete them from the tent doore . 1. King. 2. 19. When Bethsheba came to speake to king Solomon , the king rose to meete her , and bowed himselfe vnto her . To bowe the knee . Mark. 10.17 . And when he was gone out of the waie , there came one running , and kneeled to him . Gen. 18.2 . He ran to meete them , and bowed himselfe to the ground . To stand by those that sit downe , Gen. 18.8 . And he tooke butter , and milke , and the calfe that he had prepared , and set before them , and stoode himselfe by them vnder the tree , and they did eate . Exod. 18.13 . Now on the morrowe , when Moses sate to iudge the people , the people stoode about Moses from morning vnto euen . To giue the cheife seate . 1. King. 2.19 . And he sate downe on his throne , and he caused a seate to be set for the kings mother , and shee sate downe at his right hand . Luk. 14. 7,8,9 . He spake also a parable vnto the guests , when he marked how they chose out the chiefe roomes , and said vnto them , When thou shalt be bidden of any man to a wedding , set not thy selfe downe in the chiefest place , least a more honourable man then thou be bidden of him , and he that bade both him and thee , come and say to thee , Giue this man roome , and thou then beginne with shame to take the lowest roome . Gen. 43.33 . So they sate before him , the eldest according to his age , and the youngest according to his youth , and the men marueiled among themselues . To let our Superiours speake before vs. Iob. 32.6,7 , 17. To keepe silence in courts and iudgement places , vntill we be bidden to speake . Act. 24. 10. Then Paul after that the Gouernour had beckened vnto him that he should speake , answered . To giue them such their right and iust titles , as declare our reuerence when we speake vnto them . 1. Pet. 3.6 . As Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord : whose daughters ye are , whiles ye doe well . Mar. 10. 17. Good Master , what shall I doe , that I may possesse eternall life ? 20. Then he answered , and said vnto him , Master , all these things haue I obserued from my youth . 1. Sam. 1.14 , 15. And Eli said vnto her , How long wilt thou be drūken ? Put away thy drunkennes from thee : then Hannah answered and said , Nay my Lord , but I am a woman troubled in spirit : I haue drunke neither wine nor strong drinke . Secondly , towards those that are our superiours in authoritie : and first , obedience to their commandements . Rom. 13.1 . Let euery soule be subiect to the higher power . VVe are to be admonished to obedience : because euery higher power is the ordinance of God , and the obedience which we performe to him , God accepteth it as though it were done to himselfe and to Christ● Rom. 13.2 . Whosoeuer therfore , resisteth the power , resisteth the ordinance of God , and they that resist , shall receiue to themselues iudgement . Col. 3.23 . And whatsoeuer ye doe , doe it hartilie , as vnto the Lord , & not vnto them . 24. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward of the inheritance : for ye serue the Lord Christ. Obedience is to be performed to our superiours with diligence and faithfulnes . Gen. 24.2 . Abraham said vnto his eldest seruant of his house , which had the rule ouer all that he had : put now thy hand vnder my thigh , and I will make thee sweare by the Lord God of heauen , and God of the earth , that thou shalt not take a wife vnto my sonne of the daughters of the Canaanites , amongst whome I dwell . 10. So the seruant tooke ten Camels of his master , and departed . 12. And he said , O Lord God of my master Abraham , I beseech thee send me good speede this day , and shew mercie vnto my master Abraham . 33. Afterward the meate was set before him , but he said , I will not eate , vntill I haue said my message : And Laban said , Speake on . 56. But he saide , Hinder me not , seeing the Lord hath prospered my iourney : send me away that I may goe to my master . Gen. 31.38 . This twentie yeares haue I beene with thee , thine ewes and thy goates haue not cast their young , and the rammes of thy flocke haue I not eaten . 39. Whatsoeuer was torne of beasts , I brought it not vnto thee , but made it good my selfe : of mine hand diddest thou require it , were it stollen by day , or stollen by night . 40. I was in the day consumed with heat , and with frost in the night , and my sleepe departed from mine eyes . Furthermore , we must yeelde obedience to our Superiours : yea , although they be cruell and wicked , but not in wickednesse . 1. Pet. 2.18 . Seruants , be subiect to your masters with all feare , not onely to the good and courteous , but also to the froward . Act. 4.19 . Whether it be right in the sight of God , to obey you rather then God , iudge ye . Subiection in suffering the punishments inflicted by our Superiours . Gen. 16.6 . Then Abraham saide to Sarai , Behold , thy maide is in thine hand , doe with her as it pleaseth thee : then Sarai dealt roughly with her : wherefore shee fledde from her . 9. Then the Angel of the Lord said vnto her , Returne vnto thy dame , and humble thy selfe vnder her hands . And although the punishment should be vniust , yet must we suffer it , vntill we can get some lawfull remedie for the same . 1. Pet. 2.19 . For it is thanke-worthie , if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe , suffering wrongfully . 20. For what praise is it , if when ye be buffeted for your faults , ye take it patiently ? but and if , when ye doe well , ye suffer wrong , and take it patiently , this is acceptable to God. III. Thankfulnes in our praiers . 1. Tim. 2.1 , 2. I exhort you therefore , that first of all , supplications , prayers , intercessions , and giuing of thankes be made for all men , for kings , & for all that be in authoritie , that we may lead a quiet & a peaceable life , in all godlines and honestie . 1. Tim. 5.17 . Elders that rule well , are worthie of double honour . Gen. 45.9 . Haste you , and goe vp to my Father , and tell him , Thus saith thy sonne Ioseph , God hath made me lord ouer all Egypt , come downe to me , tarie not . 10. And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen . 11. Also I will nourish thee there , for yet remaine fiue yeares of famine , least thou perish through pouertie , thou and thy houshold , and all that thou hast . Thirdly , towards those that excell vs in gifts : our dutie is to acknowledge the same gifts , and speake of them to their praise . 1. Cor. 8.22,23 . Fourthly , toward all our equals : to thinke reuerently of them . Phil. 2.3 . Let nothing be done through contention or vaineglorie , but in meeknes of minde , let euery man esteeme other better then himselfe . In giuing honour , to goe one before an other , and not in receiuing it . Rom. 12. 10. Submitting your selues one to another in the feare of God. To salute one an other with holy signes , whereby may appeare the loue which we haue one to another in Christ. 1. Pet. 5.14 . Greet ye one another with the kisse of loue . Rom. 16. 16. Salute one another with an holy kisse . Exod. 18.7 . And Moses went out to meete his father in law , and did obeysance and kissed him . Ruth . 2.4 . And beholde , Boaz came from Bethlehem , and said vnto the Reapers , the Lord be with you . And they answered , The Lord blesse thee . Fiftly , the duties of all Superiours towards their inferiours : to yeeld to them in good matters , as to their brethren . Deut. 17. 20. That his heart be not lifted vp aboue his brethren , and that he turne not from the commaundement , to the right hand , or to the left . Iob. 31.13 . If I did contemne the iudgement of my seruant , and of my maide . 2. King. 5.13 . And his seruant came and spake vnto him , and said . 14. Then he went downe , and washed himselfe seuen times in Iordan , &c. To shine before their inferiours by an ensample of a blamelesse life . Titus 2.2 . That the elder men bee sober , honest , discreete , sound in the faith , in loue , and in patience . 3. The elder women likewise , that they be in such behauiour as becommeth holines , not false accusers , not giuen to much wine , but teachers of honest things . 1. Pet. 5.3 . Not as though ye were Lords ouer Gods heritage , but that ye may be ensamples to the flock . Phil. 4.9 . To shewe forth grauitie ioyned with dignitie , by their countenance , gesture , deedes and wordes . Tit. 2. 3,4,5,6,7 . Iob. 29.8 . The younge men saw me and hid themselues , the aged arose , and stood vp . Sixtly , towards inferiours in obedience , that is , toward their subiects . 1. To rule them in the Lord , that they doe not offend . 1. Pet. 2.13 . Submit your selues vnto all manner of ordinance of man , for the Lords sake , whether it be vnto kings as vnto superiours , 14. or vnto gouernours , as vnto them that are sent of the king , for the punishment of euill doers , and for the praise of them that doe well . Deut. 17.19 . And it shall be with him ( namely the booke of the lawe ) and he shal read therein all the daies of his life , that he may learne to feare the Lord his God , and to keepe all the wordes of this lawe , and those ordinances to doe them . Col. 4. 1. Ye masters doe vnto your seruants , that which is iust and equall : knowing that ye also haue a master in heauen . 2. To prouide such things as shall be to the good of their subiects , whether they belong to the bodie or to the soule . Rom. 13.4 . For he is the minister of god for thy wealth . Esa. 49.23 . And kings shall be thy nursing Fathers , & Queenes shall be thy nurses . Psal. 132.1 . Lord remember Dauid with all his troubles . 2. Who sware vnto the Lord , and vowed vnto the mightie God of Iaacob , saying , 3. I will not enter into the tabernacle of mine house , nor come vpon my pallet or bed , 4. nor suffer mine eies to sleepe , nor mine eie lids to slumber , 5. vntil I finde out a place for the Lord , an habitation for the mightie God of Iacob . 3. To punish their faults , the lighter by rebuking , the greater by correction , that is , by inflicting reall or bodily punishment . There is an holy maner of punishing the guilty , whereunto is required : I. After diligent and wise examination be had , to be assured of the crime committed . II. To shewe forth of Gods word , the offence of the sin : that the conscience of the offender may be touched . III. It is conuenient to deferre or omit the punishment , if thereby any hope of amendment may appeare . Eccl. 7.23 . Giue not thy heart also to all the words that men speake , least thou doe heare thy seruant cursing thee . 24. For oftentimes also thine heart knoweth , that thou likewise hast cursed others . 1. Sam. 10. vers . 27. But the wicked men said , Howe shall he saue vs ? so they despised him , and brought him no presents : but he held his tongue . IV. To inflict deserued punishment , not in his owne name , but in Gods name , adding the same holily and reuerently . Iosh. 7. 19. Then Ioshua said vnto Achan , My sonne , I beseech thee , giue glorie to the Lord God of Israel , and make confession vnto him , and shew me nowe what thou hast done , hide it not from me . 20. And Achan answered Ioshua , and said , Indeede I haue sinned against the Lord God of Israel , and thus and thus haue I done . 25. And Ioshua said , In as much as thou hast troubled vs , the Lord shall trouble thee this day : and all Israel threwe stones at him , and burned them with fire , and stoned them with stones . V. and lastly , When thou punishest , aime at this one onely thing , that the euill may be purged and amended , and that the offender by sorrowing for his sinne , may vnfainedly repent for the same . Prou. 20.30 . The blewnesse of the wound serueth to purge the euill , and the stripes within the bowels of the belly . Seuenthly , and lastly , there is a certaine duty of a man to bee performed toward himselfe , which is , that a man should preserue and maintaine with modestie , the dignitie and worthinesse , which is inherent in his own person . Phil. 4.8 . Furthermore , brethren , whatsoeuer things are true , whatsoeuer things are honest , whatsoeuer things are iust , whatsoeuer things are pure , whatsoeuer thinges pertaine to loue , whatsoeuer things are of good report , if there be any vertue , or if there be any praise , thinke on these things . The negatiue part . Diminish not the excellencie , or dignitie , which is in the person of thy neighbour . Hither are referred these sinnes : First , against our superiours : I. Vnreuerent behauiour and contempt of them . The sinnes hereof , are , deriding our superiours . Gen. 9. 22. And when Ham the Father of Canaan sawe the nakednesse of his father , he told his two brethren without . Prou. 20.17 . The eie that mocketh his father , and despiseth the instruction of his mother , let the rauens of the valley picke it out , and the young eagles eate it . To speake euill of , or reuile our superiours . Exod. 21.17 . And he that curseth his father or his mother , shall die the death . II. Disobedience , whereby we contemne their iust commādements . Rom. 1.30 . Disobedient to Parents . 2. Tim. 3.3 . No striker , but gentle , no fighter . The sinnes hereof , are , To make contracts of mariage , without the counsel & consent of the Parents . Gen. 6. 2. Then the sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire , and they tooke them wiues of all that they liked . Gen. 28.6,9 . And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan displeased Izhac his father , then went Esau to Ishmael , and tooke vnto the wiues which he had , Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael , Abrahams sonne , the sister of Nabaioth , to be his wife . The eie seruice of seruants . Coloss. 3.22 . Seruant● be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh , in all things , not with eie seruice as men pleasers , but in singlenes of heart , fearing God. Eph. 6.6 . Not with seruice to the eie , as men pleasers Answering againe , when they are reprehended . Tit. 2.9 . Let seruants be subiect to their masters , and please them in all thinges , not answering againe . Deceitfulnesse and wasting their Masters goods . Titus 2. 10. Neither pikers , but that they shewe all good faithfulnesse . To flee from the power of their superiour . Gen. 16.6 . Then Sarah dealt roughly with her , wherfore shee fled frō her . To resist the lawful authoritie of their Superiours . 1. Pet. 2.20 . To obey them in things vnlawfull● Act. 4. 19. To extoll themselues aboue their betters : this is the sinne of Antichrist . 2. Thess. 2.3 , 4. Which ( man of sinne ) exalteth himselfe against all that is called God. Lastly , the freedome of the Papists , whereby they free children from the gouernment of their parents : and subiects from the authoritie of their Princes : so that they make it lawefull for them to pretende and procure their death . 1. Sam. 26.8,9 . Then said Abishai to Dauid , God hath closed thine enemie into thine hand this day : now therefore I pray thee , let me smite him once with a speare to the earth , and I will not smite him againe : And Dauid said to Abishai , Destroy him not : for who can lay his hand on the Lords Annointed and bee guiltlesse ? III. Ingratitude , and want of a louing affection towards Parentes . Matth. 15.5,6 . But ye say , whosoeuer shall say to father or mother , By the gift that is offered by me , thou maiest haue profit , though he honour not his father or mother , shall be free . 1. Tim. 5.4 . Secondly , we offend against our equalls , in preferring our selues before them , in talking or in sitting downe . Matth. 20.20 . Then came vnto him the mother of Zebedeus children , with her sonnes , worshipping him , and desiring a certaine thing of him . 21. And he said , What wouldest thou ? And shee said to him , Graunt , that these my two sonnes may sit , the one at thy right hand , and the other at thy left hand in thy kingdome . 24. And when the other ten heard this , they disdained at the two brethren . Thirdly , toward our inferiours : I. Through negligēce in gouerning them , and prouiding for their good estate . Hagg. 1.4 . Is it time for your selues to dwel in your fieled houses ; and this house to lie wast ? Dan. 3.28 . This condemneth those mothers , which put forth their children to be nursed , hauing both sufficient strength and store of milke themselues to nurse them . 1. Tim. 5.10 . If shee haue nourished her children . II. By too much gentlenes and lenitie in correcting thē . 1. King. 1.5 . Then Adonijah the sonne of Haggith exalted himselfe , saying , I will be king . 6. And his father would not displease him from his childhood , to say , Why hast thou done so ? 1. Sam. 2. 22. So Eli was very old , & heard all that his sonnes did vnto all Israel , and howe they lay with the women that assembled at the doore of the Tabernacle of the congregation . 23. And he said vnto them , Why doe ye such things ? for of all this people I heare euill reports of you . 24. Do no more , my sonnes for it is no good report that I heare , namely , that ye make the Lords people to trespasse . 25. Notwithstanding they obeyed not the voice of their father , because the Lord would slay them . III. By ouermuch crueltie and threatnings . Eph. 6.4 . And ye fathers prouoke not your children to wrath . 9. And ye masters doe the same things vnto them , putting away threatnings . Fourthly and lastly , a man offendeth against himselfe , when through his naughtie behauiour , he doth obscure and almost extinguish those gifts which God hath giuen him . Math. 25.2 . 16. Or contrarilie , when he is too wise in his owne conceit . Rom. 12.3 . For I say through the grace that is giuen vnto me , to e●ery one that is among you , that no man presume to vnderstand , aboue that which is meete to vnderstand . CHAP. 25. Concerning the sixt commandement . THou shalt not kill . The Resolution . Kill ] The part is here set for the whole , by a Synecdoche : for killing signifieth any kind of endamaging the person of our neighbour . The equitie of this commandement appeareth by this , that man was created after the likenesse of God. Gen. 9.6 . He that sheddeth mans blood , by man shal his blood be shed : for in the image of God hath he made man. Againe , all men are the same flesh . Esay 58.7 . When thou seest the naked couer him , and hide not thy face from thine owne flesh . Neither ought we to be ignorant of this also , that it is vnlawful for any priuate person , not called to that dutie , to kill another , but a publike officer may , that is , if he be warranted by a calling . So did Moses , Exod. 2. 12. And he looked round about , and when he saw no man , he slue the Egyptian , and hid him in the sand . Act. 7.25 . For he supposed his brethrē would haue vnderstood , that God by his hand should giue them deliuerance . And Phinehas . Nomb. 25. 8. And he followed the man of Israel into the tent , and thrust them both through ( to wit , the man of Israel and the woman ) through her bellie : so the plague ceased from the children of Israel . 31. Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar , hath turned mine anger away from the children of Israel , while he was zealous for my sake among them : therefore I haue not consumed the childrē in my iealousie . And Elijah . 1. King. 18.40 . And Eliiah said vnto them , Take the Prophets of Baal , let not a man of them escape : and they tooke them , and Elijah brought them to the brooke of Kishon ; & slue them there . And souldiers in battels , waged vpon iust causes . 2. Chro. 20.15 . Feare ye not , neither be afraid of this great multitude : for the battell is not yours , but Gods. The negatiue part . Thou shalt neither hurt , nor hinder , either thine owne , or thy neighbours life . The sinnes then that are referred to this part are such , as are committed against our neighbour , or our selues . Against our neighbour , are these following : I. In heart ; as ● . Hatred against him . 1. Ioh. 3.15 . Who so hateth his brother , is a manslayer . 2. Vnaduised anger , Matth. 5.22 . I say vnto you , whosoeuer is angrie with his brother vnaduisedly , is in danger of iudgement . 3. Enuie . Rom. 1.29 . Full of anger , murther , contention . 4. Grudges . Iam. 3.14 . If ye haue bitter enuying and strife in your hearts reioice not . 5. Want of compassion , and sorrowe at our neighbours calamities . Amos 6.5,6 . They sing to the sound of the Viole , &c. but no man is s●rry for the affliction of Ioseph . 6. Frowardnes , when we will not be reconciled to our neighbour . Rom. 1.30 . Such as can neuer be appeased , vnmercifull . 7. Desire of reuenge . Psal. 5.6 . The Lord will abhorre the bloody man and deceitfull . II. In wordes : 1. Bitternes in speaking . Prou. 12. 18. There is that speaketh wordes , like the prickinges of a sword : but the tongue of wise men is health . 2. Reproches and railing , which is a casting of a mans sinnes in his teeth which hee hath committed , or an obiecting vnto him some inherent infirmities , Matth. 5.22 . Whosoeuer saith vnto his brother , Raca , shall be worthy to be punished by the councell : ● And whosoeuer shall say , Foole , shall be worthy to be punished with hel fire . 2. Sam. 6.16 . As the Arke of the Lord came into the citie of Dauid , Michal Sauls daughter looked through a window , and saw king Dauid leape and dance before the Lord , and shee despised him in her heart , 20. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meete Dauid , and saide , O how glorious was the King of Israel this day , which was vncouered to day in the eyes of the maidens of his seruants , as a foole vncouereth himselfe . 3. Contentions , when two or more striue in speech one with another , for any kind of Superioritie . 4. Brawlings in any conference . 5. Crying , which is an vnseemely eleuation of the voice against ones adu●rsarie . Gal. 5.19 . The workes of the flesh are manifest , which are , 20. emulations , wrath , contentions , seditions . Eph. 4. 31. Let all bitternesse , and anger , and wrath , crying and euill speaking be put away from you , with all malitiousnes . 32. Be courteous one to another . Gen. 16. 11. He ( vz. Ismael ) shal be a wild man , his hand shal be against euery man , and euery mans hand against him . 6. Complaints to euery one of such as offer vs iniuries . Iam. 5.9 . Grudge not one against another , brethren , least ye be condemned . III. In countenance and gesture , all such signes , as euidently decipher the malitious affections lurking in the heart . Gen. 4.5,6 . His countenance fell down : and the Lord said vnto Cain , Why art thou so wrath ? Math. 27.39 . They that passed by rayled on him , nodding their heades . Hence is it , that derision is tearmed persecution . Gen. 21. 9. Sarai saw the sonne of Hagar the Egyptian mocking , &c. Gal. 4.29 . He that was borne after the flesh , persecuted him that was borne after the spirit . IV. In deedes : 1. To fight with , or to beat our neighbour , and to maime his bodie . Leuit. 24. 19 , 20. If any man cause any blemish in his neighbour : as he hath done , so shall it be done to him , breach for breach , eie for eie , tooth for tooth . 2. To procure any way the death of our neighbour , whether it be by the sword , famine , or poison . Gen. 4.8 . Cain rose vp against his brother , and slue him . 3. To exercise tyrannous crueltie in inflicting punishments . Deut. 25.3 . Fourtie stripes shall he cause him to haue , and not past , least if he should exceede , and beate him aboue that with many stripes , thy brother should appeare despised in thy sight . 2. Cor. 11. 24. Of the Iewes I receiued fiue times fourtie stripes saue one . 4. To vse any of Gods creatures hardly . Prouerb . 12.10 . A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast , but the mercies of the wicked are cruell . Deut. 22.6 . If thou finde a birds nest in the way , in any tree , or on the ground , whether they be young , or egges , and the damme sitting vpon the young , or vpon the egges , thou shalt not take the damme with the young , but shalt in any wise let the damme goe , and take the yong to thee , that thou maist prosper and prolong thy daies . 5. To take occasion by our neighbours infirmities , to vse him discourteously , and to make him our laughing stocke , or tanting recreation . Leuit. 19 .14 . Thou shalt not curse the deafe , nor put a stumbling blocke before the blinde . 2. King. 2. 23. Little children came out of the citie , and mocked him , and saide vnto him , Come vp thou baldhead , come vp thou baldhead . 6. To iniurie the impotent , feeble , poore , strangers , fatherlesse or widowes . Exod. 22.21,22 . Thou shalt not doe iniurie to a straunger , neither oppresse him : for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt . Yee shall not trouble any widow or fatherles childe . 25. Thou shalt not be an vsurer vnto the poore . We then iniurie these : 1. If we pay not the labourer his hire . Deut. 24.14 . Thou shalt not oppresse an hired seruant that is needie and poore , neither of thy brethren , nor of the straunger that is within thy gates . 15. Thou shalt giue him his hire for his day : neither shall the sunne goe downe vpon it : for he is poore , and therewith sustaineth his life : least he crie against thee to the Lord , and it be sinne vnto thee . 2. If thou restore not the pledge of the poore . Exod. 22.26,27 . If thou take thy neighbors rayment to pledge , thou shalt restore it vnto him before the sunne goe downe : for that is his garment onely , and his couering for his skin . 3. If we withdraw corne from the poore . Prou. 11.26 . He that withdraweth the corne , the people will curse him : but blessing shall be vpon the head of him that selleth corne . Againe , this law is as well transgressed by not killing , when the law chargeth to kill , and by pardoning the punishment due vnto murther , as by killing when we should not . Nomb. 35.16 . If one smite another with an instrument of yron , that he die , he is a murtherer , and the murtherer shall die the death . 33. The land can not be clensed of the bloode that is shedde therein , but by the bloode of him that shedde it . By this place also are combates of two men hand to hand , for deciding of controuersies , vtterly vnlawfull . 1. Because they are not equall meanes ordained of God , to determine controuersies . 2. In that it falleth out in such combates that he is conquerour before man , who indeed is guiltie before God. This also condemneth Popish Sanctuaries , and places of priuiledge : as Churches , and the like , wherein murtherers shelter and shroud themselues from the danger of the law . For God expressely commandeth ( Exod. 21.14 . ) that such an one shal be taken from his altar , that he may die . And Ioab 1. King. 2.24 . touching the hornes of the altar , was slaine in the Temple . Hitherto in like sort belong such things as concerne the soule of our neighbour . 1. To be a scandale or offence to the soule of our neighbor , either in life or doctrine . Math. 18.7 . Woe be to the world because of offences : it is necessarie that offences should come : but woe be to them by whome they doe come . 2. To minister occasions of strife and discord . The which we then doe : 1. When we cannot be brought to remit somewhat of our owne right . 2. When we returne snappish and crooked answers . 3. When we interpret euery thing amisse , and take them in the worst part . 1. Sam. 25. 25. Nabal is his name , and follie is with him . 2. Sam. 10.3 . And the Princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their Lord , Thinkest thou that Dauid doth honour thy father , that he hath sent comforters to thee ? hath not Dauid rather sent his seruants vnto thee , to search the citie , to spie it out , and to ouerthrow it ? wherefore Hanun tooke Dauids seruants , and shaued off the halfe of their beards , and cut off their garments in the middle , euen to their buttockes , and sent them away . 3. The Ministers sinne against their neighbours , is this , not to preach the word of God to their charge , that they thereby might be instructed in the waies of life . Prou. 29.18 . Where there is no vision the people decay , but he that keepeth the Law is blessed . Esai 56. 10. Their watchmen are all blind , they haue no knowledge , they are all dumbe dogs , they cannot barke : they lie and sleepe , and delight in sleeping . And these greedie dogges can neuer haue ynough : and these shepheards they cannot vnderstand : for they all looke to their owne way , euery one for his aduantage , and for his owne purpose . Ezech. 3. 18. When I shall say to the vvicked , Thou shalt surely die , and thou giuest him not warning , the same wicked man shall die in his iniquitie , but his blood will I require at thy hands . And not onely not to preach at all , but to preach negligently , is vtterly condemned . Ier. 48.10 . Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently . Revel . 3.16 . Because thou art lukewarme , and neither hote nor cold : it will come to passe that I shall spew thee out of my mouth . This reprooueth nonresidencie of ministers , which is an ordinarie absence of the minister from his charge : namely , from that particular congregation committed vnto him . Esai 62.6 . I haue set watchmen vpon thy walls , O Hierusalem , which all the day and all the night continually shall not cease : yee that are mindfull of the Lord keepe not silence , and giue him no rest , till he repaire , and till he set vp Ierusalem the praise of the world . Act. 20.28,29,30,31 . Take heede therefore vnto your selues , and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers , to feede the Church of God , which he hath purchasedwith his owne blood . For I know this , that after my departing , shall grieuous wolues enter in among you , not sparing the flocke . Moreouer , of your selues shall men arise , speaking peruerse things to draw disciples after them . Therefore watch and remember , that by the space of three yeares , I ceased not to warne euery one night and day with teares . 1. Pet. 5.2,3 . Feede the flocke of God , which dependeth vpon you , caring for it , not by constraint but willingly : not for filthie lucre , but of a readie minde : not as though ye were Lords ouer Gods heritage , but that ye may be ensamples to the flocke . Ezech. 34.4 . and 33. The Councel of Antioch , the 17. Can. If any Bishop by imposition of hands inducted into a charge , and appointed to gouerne a people , and he neglect to take vpon him that office , but delaieth to goe vnto the congregation allotted vnto him : such an one shall be prohibited from the Lords table , till he be enforced to attend vpon that charge , or at the least somewhat be determined by a complete assembly of the Ministers of that Prouince . The Councel of Sardice , the 14. Canon . We remember that our brethren in a former assemblie decreed , that if any lay-man remaining three Sabboths or Lords daies , that is , three weekes in a citie , did not in the same citie frequent the Church assemblies , he should be excommunicated : If then such things are not allowable in lay-men , much lesse in Ministers , for whome it is neither lawfull nor conuenient , without vrgent necessitie , to be absent from his parish Church longer then the time aboue mentioned . To this decree there was not one non placet , but euery one said , It liketh vs well . The Coūcel held at Const. in the 24. Canon decreed that Ministers ought not to haue their substitutes , or vicars , but in their owne persons , with feare and cheerefulnesse , performe all such duties , as are required of them in the seruice of God. The Canon law doth conclude the same things , dist . 39. Canon . si quis vult . debent indesinenter , &c. The Bishops ( saith the Canon ) ought to be continually resident in Gods tabernacle , that they may learne somewhat of God , and the people of them , whilest they read often and meditate vpon Gods word . Againe , in the Canons intituled Pontifices , and siquis in clero . Episcopos , qui dominici gregis suscipiunt curam , &c. The Bishops which take upon them to feede Gods flocke , ought not to depart from their dutie , least they loose that excellent talent which God hath bestowed vpon thē , but rather striue with that one talent , to get three more talents . And in the 80. Can. of those which are tearmed the Canōs of the Apostles , there is an expresse mandate that such , whether Bishop or Senior , who attendeth not vpon their office in the Church , shall forthwith be remooued from that place . The Chalcedon Councell , Canon . 10. Let no man be ordained Minister of two Churches , in two seuerall cities , but let him remaine in that , vnto which he was first called . And if for vaine glorie , he shall afterward goe to a greater congregation , let him immediately be recalled to his first charge , and in that onely exercise his ministerie . But if one be called to another charge , let him simply giue ouer the former , and haue no interest in the same , &c. For this thing , looke to the decree of Damasus , and the Councel of Trent , sect . 7. Can. 8. There are , notwithstanding the former testimonies , some cases , wherein it is permitted to the Minister that he may be absent : if by his absence the congregation be not endammaged : I. Sicknes : the Councell of Men●z , 25. Canon . If a Bishop be not at home , or be sicke , or vpon some exigent , cannot be present at his parish , let him procure one , who vpon Sabbothes and festiuall daies , will preach vnto his charge . Augustine testifieth , epist. 138. that he was absent on the like occasion . II. Allowance of the Church , to be absent for a time vpon some necessarie and publike commoditie for the same . Coloss. 1.7 . Epaphras is their minister , but chap. 4.12 . he beeing absent saluteth them . And Ambrose though he were Bishop of Millaine , yet went he twise Ambassador into France , to make agreement betwixt Maximus and Valentinian . Ambrose 5. booke . and 27. epist . to Valentinian the Emperour . III. If by reason of persecution he be enforced to flee , and see no hope to procure the safetie of his people . This made Cyprian to be absent from Carthage , as he testifieth in his epistles . Thus much concerning sinnes against our neighbour . Now follow such sinnes , as a man committeth against his owne person ; as when a man doeth hurt , kill , and endanger himselfe . Matth. 16.24 . If any man will follow me , let him denie himselfe , take vp his crosse , and follow me . Matth. 4. 6. He saide vnto him , If thou be the sonne of God , cast thy selfe downe headlong : for it is written , He shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee , and with their hands they shall lift thee vp , least at any time thou shouldest dash thy foote against a stone . 7. Iesus said vnto him : It is written againe , Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Therefore for a man to be his owne executioner , though to escape a most shameful death , is vtterly vnlawfull and vngodly . The affirmatiue part . Thou shalt preserue the life of thy neighbour . Hitherto may we referre these duties : I. Such as appertaine to the person of our neighbour , and concerne , first his welfare both of bodie and minde ; as , to reioyce with them that reioyce . Rom. 12.15 . Mark. 10.20 . Then he answered and said vnto him , All these things I haue obserued from my youth . And Iesus beheld him , and loued him . Secondly , his miseries , to be grieued with him for them . Rom. 12.15 . Mourne with those that mourne . Esa. 24.16 . And I said , My leannesse , my leannesse , woe is me , the transgressours haue offended , yea the transgressours haue grieuously offended . Psal. 119. vers . 136. Mine eies gus● out with water , because men obserue not thy law . Againe , we must helpe him as much as in vs lieth . Iob 29.15 . I was as an eye to the blind , and a foote to the lame . 2. Cor. 8. 2. To their power , yea beyond their power , they were willing . And that we doe , we must doe speedily . Prov. 3.28 . Say not to thy neighbour , Goe and come againe to morrow , and I will giue thee , if thou now haue it . Levit. 19.17 . Thou shalt plainly rebuke thy neighbour , and not suffer him to sinne . Thirdly , concerning such iniuries , as he offereth vnto thee : I. Thou shalt not be angrie against him , vpon a small occasion . Nomb. 12. 3. Moses was a meeke man aboue all that liued vpon the earth . Prov. 9.11 . The discretion of a man deferreth his anger , and his glorie is to passe by an offence . II. Thou must be slow to wrath , and neuer angrie , but for a most iust cause . Mark. 3.5 . Then he looked round about on them angerly , mourning also for the hardnesse of their hearts . Prov. 14.29 . He that is slow to wrath , is of great wisdome : but he that is of an hastie minde exalteth follie . III. Thine anger must be but for a while . Eph. 4. 26. Be angrie and sinne not , let not the sunne goe downe vpon thy wrath . IV. Forgiue freely an iniurie , and reuenge it not . Eph. 4. 32. Be ye courteous one to another , and tender hearted , forgiuing one another , euen as God for Christs sake forgaue you . Fourthly , his wants and infirmities : 1. Auoid occasions whereby they may be stirred and laid open . Gen. 13.8 . Then said Abraham to Lot , Let there be no strife I pray thee , betweene thee and me , neither betweene thy heardsmen and mine : for we are brethren . 9. Is not the whole land before thee ? depart , I pray thee , from me : If thou wilt take the left hand , I will take the rights or if thou goe to the right hand , I will take the left . Gen. 27.44 . And tarie with him a while vntill thy brothers fiercenesse be asswaged , 45. And till thy brothers wrath turne away from thee , and he forget the things which thou hast done to him . 2. Depart somtimes from thine owne right . Mat. 17.25,26 . What thinkest thou Simon ? of whō doe the kings of the earth take tribute , or poll money ? of their children , or of strangers ? Peter said vnto him , Of strangers . Then said Iesus vnto him , Then are the children free . 27. Neuertheles , lest we should offend thē , go to the sea , and cast in an angle , & take the first fish that commeth vp , and when thou hast opened his mouth , thou shalt finde a piece of twentie pence : that take and giue it vnto them for me and thee . 3. To appease anger kindled : which is done , I. by ouercomming euill with goodnes . Rom. 12.21 . Be not ouercome of euill , but ouercome euill with goodnes . II. By following after peace . 1. Pet. 3.11 . Decline from euill , and doe good , seeke peace , and follow after it . III. By courteous answers . Prou. 15. 1. A soft answer putteth away wrath : but grieuous words stir vp anger . 1. Sam. 1.14 . Eli said vnto her , How long wilt thou be drunken ? put away thy drunkennes from thee . 15. Then Hannah answered , and saide , Nay my Lord , but I am a woman troubled in spirit : I haue drunke neither wine nor strong drinke , but haue poured out my soule , before the Lord. Philem. v. 15. It may be that he therefore departed for a season , that thou shouldest receiue him for euer . IV. By ouerpassing some wants and infirmities in mens words and deedes . Prou. 19.11 . It is a mans honour to passe by infirmities . V. By couering thē with silence . 1. Pet. 4.8 . Aboue all things haue feruent loue amongst you , for loue couereth a multitude of sinnes . Prou. 17.9 . He that couereth transgression , seeketh loue : but he that repeateth a matter , separateth the Prince . VI. By taking euery thing ( if it be possible ) in the best part . 1. Cor. 13. 5. Loue thinketh none euill . This sheweth the lawfulnes of truces , couenants , & other agreements concerning peace , being made to auoid iniuries , maintaine ancient bounds , procure securitie in traffique , possessions , and iournies , set pensions , commons for cattell , liberties of hunting , fishing , or fouling , and getting fewell , or other necessaries for publike commodities , if there be no vnlawfull conditions annexed vnto the same . And we may make this couenant not onely with Christians , but for the maintenance of peace , with infidels also . For that which is godly to be performed , is no lesse godly to be promised . But it is a note of true godlines , to be as much as may be , at peace with all men . Therfore to promise peace by couenant , is very godly . We may see the experience of this in the liues of holy men . Gen. 21.22 . At that same time Abimelech and Pichol his chiefe captaine , spake vnto Abraham , saying , God is with thee in all that thou doest . 23. Now therefore sweare vnto me here by God , that thou wilt not hurt me , nor my children , nor my childrens children , &c. 24. Then Abraham said , I will sweare . 27. Then Abraham tooke sheepe and beeues , and gaue them vnto Abimelech : and they two made a couenant . Gen. 31.44 . Now therefore come and let vs make a couenant , I and thou , which may be a witnes betweene me and thee . 45. Then Laban said to Iaakob , Behold this heape , and behold the pillar , which I haue set vp betweene me and thee . 53. The God of Abraham , and the gods of Nahor , and the god of 〈◊〉 father be iudge betweene vs : But Iaakob sware by the feare of his father Izhak . II. Concerning his bodie , we are to regard it aliue and dead . Being aliue , we ought if neede be : I. To minister vnto it foode and raiment . Math. 25.41 , 42. Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire , which is prepared for the diuell and his angels . For I was an hungred , and ye gaue me no meate , I thirsted , and ye gaue me no drink , &c. 45. In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these , ye did it not to me . II. To lend our helping hand , when our neighbours bodie is in any daunger . 1. Ioh. 3.16 . Hereby we perceiued loue , that he laide downe his life for vs , therefore also ought we to lay downe our liues for the brethren . When a man is dead , we ought to commit the dead corpes to the graue , as may appeare by these arguments : I. The instinct of Nature it selfe . II. The examples of the Patriarks , and other holy personages . Abraham buried Sarah . Gen. 23.19 . Iaakob is buried by his sonnes . Gen. 50.12 . Steuen by religious and deuout men . Act. 8.2 . III. The Lords owne approbation of buriall , in that he numbreth it amongst his benefits . For the want thereof is a curse . Ier. 22.19 . He ( vz. Iehoiakim ) shall be buried as an asse is buried , euen drawne and cast forth without the gates of Ierusalem . Therefore rather then Moses should be vnburied , the Lord himselfe did burie him . Deut. 34.5,6 . Moses the seruant of the Lord died in the land of Moab , according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in a valley , in the land of Moab , ouer against Beth-peor , but no man knoweth of his sepulchre vnto this day . IV. There is no dead carkase so lothsome as man is , the which both argueth the necessitie of buriall , and how vgly we are in the sight of God , by reason of sinne . V. The bodie must rise againe out of the earth , that it may be made a perpetuall mansion house for the soule to dwell in . VI. The bodies of the faithfull are the temples of the holy Ghost , & therefore must rise againe to glorie . VII . Buriall is a testimonie of the loue and reuerence we beare to the deceased . A funeral ought to be solemnized after an honest and ciuil manner : namely , agreeable to the nature , and credit as well of those which remaine aliue , as them which are dead . Concerning the liuing , they must see that I. their mourning be moderate , and such , as may well expresse their affection and loue to the partie departed . Ioh. 11.34 . He said , Where haue ye laid him ? they answered , Lord , come and see . ●5 . Then Iesus wept . And ( vers . 36. ) the Iewes said , Behold how he loued him . II. They must auoid superstition , and not surmise that funerall ceremonies are auaileable to the dead . Such are the rites of the Church of Rome ; as to be buried in a Church , especially vnder the altar , and in a Friars coole . III. They ought to take heede of superfluous pompe and solemnities . For of all ostentations of pride , that is most foolish , to be boasting of a loathsome and a deformed corps . Esai 22. 15 , 16. Thus saith the Lord God of hostes , Goe , get thee to that treasurer , to Shebnah the steward of the house , and say , What hast thou to doe here ? and whome hast thou here ? that thou shouldest here hew thee out a sepulchre , as he that heweth out his sepulchre in an high place , or that graueth an habitation for himselfe in a rocke . To this commandement belongeth these duties : I. Before the vintage or haruest , w●●ught to permit any man , for the repressing of hunger , to gather grapes , or ●●ucke off the eares of corne in the field . Deut. 23.24,25 . When thou commest into thy neighbours vineyard , then thou maist eate grapes at thy pleasure , as much as thou wilt : but thou shalt put none in thy vessel . When thou commest into thy neighbours corne , thou maist plucke the eares with thine hand ; but thou shalt not mooue a sickle to thy neighbours corne . Math. 12. 1. Iesus went on the Sabbath day through the corne , and his Disciples were an hungred , and began to plucke the eares of the corne , and to eate , &c. II. In the vintage , and time of haruest , we ought neither to leaue the trees naked of grapes , nor rake vp after the reaping , eares of corne : but to leaue the after gatherings for the poore . Leu. 23.22 . When you reape the haruest of your land , thou shalt not rid cleane the corners of thy field when thou reapest : neither shalt thou make any after gathering of thy haruest : but shalt leaue them vnto the poore , and to the stranger : I am the Lord your God. Ruth 2.8 . Goe to none other field to gather , neither goe from hence , but abide here by my maidens . 7. So shee gleaned in the field vntill euening . III. Concerning the soule of our neighbour : I. We must seeke all meanes to winne him to the profession of Christian religion . 1. Cor. 10. 33. I please all men in all things , not seeking mine owne profit , but the profit of many , that they might be saued . Hebr. 10.24 . Let vs consider one another , to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes . II. We must liue amongst men without offence . 1. Cor. 10.32 . Giue no offence neither to the Iewes , nor to the Grecians , nor to the church of God. 1. Cor. 8.13 . If meate offend my brother , I will eate no flesh while the world standeth , that I may not offend my brother . III. The light of our good life , must be as a lanterne to direct the waies of our neighbours . Act. 24.14 . This I cōfesse vnto thee , that after the way ( which they call heresie ) so worship I the God of my fathers , beleeuing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets , 15. And haue hope towards God , that the resurrection of the dead , which they themselues looke for also , shall be both of iust and vniust . 16. And herein I endeauour my selfe to haue alway a cleere conscience toward God , and toward men . IV. If our neighbour offend , we are to admonish him . 1. Thess. 5.14 . We desire you , brethren● admonish them that are vnruly : comfort the feeble minded : beare with the weake : be patient towards all men . V. If our neighbour runne the waies of Gods commaundement ( as Dauid speaketh ) we ought to encourage him in the same . VI. Wee may referre such things vnto this commandement , as appertaine to the peculiar preseruation of euery seuerall mans life : 1. Recreation , which is an exercise ioyned with the feare of God , conuersant in things indifferent , for the preseruation of bodily strength , and confirmation of the minde in holines . Eccles. 2.2 . I said of laughter , thou art madde , and of ioy , what is this that thou doest ? Esay . 5.12 . The harpe , violl , timbrell , & pipe , and wine , are in their feasts , but they regard not the worke of the Lord , neither consider the works of his handes . 1. Cor. 10.7 . Neither bee ye idolaters , as were some of them , as it is written : The people sate down to eate and drinke , & rose vp to play . Luk. 6.25 . Wo be to you that laugh : for ye shall waile and weepe . Deut. 12.7 . There ye shall eate before the Lord your God , and ye shall reioice in all that you put your handes vnto , both ye and your households , because the Lord thy God hath blessed thee . To this end hath the worde of God permitted shooting . 2. Sam. 1.18 . He bade them teach the children of Iudah to shoot , as it is written in the booke of Iashur . And musicall consort . Nehem. 7. 67. Besides their seruants and maides which were seuen thousaud , three hundreth , and seauen and thirtie : they had two hundreth and fiue and fortie singing men , and singing women . And putting forth of riddles . Iudg. 14. 12. Sampson said vnto thē , I will now put forth a riddle vnto you , and if you can declare it me within seuen daies of the feast , and finde it out , I will giue you thirtie sheetes , and thirtie change of garments . 13. And they answered him , Put forth thy riddle that we may heare it . 14. And he saide vnto them , Out of the eater came meate , and out of the strong came sweetnesse : and they could not in t●ree daies expound the riddle . And hunting of wild beasts . Cant. 2.15 . Take vs the foxes , the little foxes which destroy the vines : for our vines haue small grapes . Lastly , the searching out or the contemplation of the works of God. 1. King. 4.33 . And he spake of trees from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon , euē vnto the hyssop that springeth out of the wal : he spak● also of beasts , and of foules , & of creeping things , and of fishes . 2. Phisicke , the vse whereof is holy , if before the receit of it , a man craue remission of his sinnes , and repose his confidence only vpon god , not vpon the means . Math. 9.2 . And lo , they brought vnto him a man sicke of the palsie , lying on a bed . And Iesus seeing their faith , said to the sicke of the palsie , Sonne , be of good comfort , thy sinnes are forgiuen thee . 6. The● he said to the sicke of the palsie , Arise , take vp thy bed and walke to thine house . Ioh. 5.5 . A certaine man was there , which had beene diseased eight and thirtie yeares . 8. Iesus said vnto him . Take vp thy bed & walke . 14. After that Iesus found him in the temple , and said vnto him , Beholde , thou art made whole : sinne no more , least a worse thing come vnto thee . 2. Chro. 16.12 . And Asa in the nine & thirtieth yeare of his raigne was diseased in his fecte , and his disease was extreame : yet he sought not to the Lord in his disease , but to the Phisitiās . 3. Auoiding of an iniury , offered by some priuate person : this , if it be against an vnruly and vnstaied aduersarie , and the defense be faultlesse , is very lawfull , and is so farre from a priuate reuenge , that it is to be accounted a iust defence . The defence is then faultlesse , when a man doth so assault his aduersarie , as that he neither purposeth his owne reuenge , or his enemies hurt , but onely his alone safetie from that imminent danger . A doubt . Whether may a man flie in the plague time ? Answer . Such as bee hindered by their calling , may not ; as , Magistrates , and Pastoures , hauing charge of soules : yet free men not bound by calling , may . Reasons . I. A man may prouide for his owne safetie , if it be not to the hinderance of another . II. A man may flie warres , famine , floudes , fire , and other such daungers : therefore the plague . III. There is lesse daunger of sicknesse , the more the multitude of peeple is diminished . Obiection . I. To flie , is a token of distrust . Answer . This diffidence is no fault of the fact , but of the person . II. It is offensiue . Answer . The offence is giuen , not taken . III. To flie , is to forsake our neighbour against the rule of charitie . Answer . It is not , if kinsfolke and Magistrates bee present . IV. Men are to visit the sicke by Gods appointment . Answer . Lepers were excepted among the Iewes : and so likewise they in these daies which are infected with a disease ; answerable to the leprosie , namely , if it be dangerously contagious . CHAP. 26. Of the seuenth Commandement . THe seuenth Commandement sheweth how we may preserue the chastitie of our selues , and of our neighb●ur . The words are these : Thou shalt not commit adulterie . The Resolution . Adulterie ] To commit adulterie , signifieth as much , as to doe any thing , what way soeuer , whereby the chastitie of our selues , or our neighbours may be stained . Math. 5.28 . The negatiue part . Thou shalt no way either hurt , or hinder thy neighbours chastitie . In this place are prohibited : I. The lust of the heart , or the euill concupiscence of the flesh . Matth. 5.28 . I say vnto you , whosoeuer looketh on a woman to lust after her , he hath already committed adulterie with her in his heart . Colos. 3.5 . Mortifie your members which are on earth : fornication , vncleannesse , the inordinate affection , euill concupiscence . II. Burning in the flesh , which is an inward feruencie of lust , whereby the godly motions of the heart are hindered , ouerwhelmed , and , as it were , with contrarie fire , burnt vp . 1. Cor. 7.9 . If they cannot abstaine , let them marrie : for it is better to marry then to burne . III. Strange pleasures about generation , prohibited in the word of God : the which are many . I. With beasts . Leuit. 18.23 . Thou shalt not be with any beast , to be defiled therwith , neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie downe thereto : for it is an abomination . II. With the diuel , as witches do by their own confession . For why should not a spirit as well haue societie with a witch , as to eate meate ? III. With one of the same sexe . Leuit. 18.22 . Thou shalt not lie with the male as one lieth with a woman : for it is abomination . This is a sinne which they commit , whome God hath giuen ouer into a reprobate sense . Rom. 1.26 . For this cause God gaue them vp to vile affections : for euen their women did change their naturall vse into that which is against nature . 27. And the men left the naturall vse of the women , and burned in their lusts one toward another , and man with man wrought filthinesse . It was the sinne of Sodome . Gen. 19. where it was so common , that to this day it is tearmed Sodomie . IV. With such as be within the degrees of consanguinitie or affinitie , prohibited in the word of God. Leuit. 18.6 . None shall come neere to any of the kinred of his flesh , to vncouer her shame . I am the Lord. V. With vnmarried persons . This sinne is tearmed fornication . Deut. 22. 28. If any man finde a maide that is not betrothed , and take her and lie with her , and they be found . 29. Then the man that lay with her , shall giue vnto the maides father fiftie shekels of siluer : and she shall be his wife , because he hath humbled her : he cannot put her away all his life . 1. Cor. 10.8 . Neither let vs commit fornication , as some of them committed fornication , and fell in one day one and twentie thousand . VI. With those , whereof one is married , or at the least betrothed . This sin is called adulterie : and God hath inflicted by his word the same punishment vpon them , which commit this sinne , after they be betrothed , as he doth vpon such as are alreadie married . Deut. 22.22 . If a man be found lying with a woman married to a man , then they shall die euen both twaine : to wit , the man that lay with the wife , and the wife : so thou shalt put away euill from Israel . 23. If a maide bee betrothed to an husband , and a man finde her in the towne and lie with her . 24. Then shall yee bring them both out vnto the gates of the same citie , and shall stone them to death with stones . This is a marueilous great sinne , as may appeare in that it is the punishment of idolatrie . Rom. 1.23 . They turned the glory of the vncorruptible God , to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man , &c. 24. Wherefore God gaue them vp vnto their hearts lusts , vnto vncleannes . Yea , this sinne is more hainous then theft . Prou. 6.30 . Men doe not despise a theefe , when he stealeth to satisfie his soule when he is hungrie : 32. But he that committeth adulterie with a woman , is destitute of vnderstanding , he that doth it , destroyeth his owne soule . Againe , the adulterer breaketh the couenant of marriage , which is Gods couenant . Prou. 2.17 . Which forsaketh the guide of her youth , and forgetteth the couenant of her God. Adulterers dishonest their owne bodies . 1. Cor. 6.18 . Flee fornication , euery sinne that a man doth , is without the bodie : but he that committeth fornication , sinneth against his owne bodie . And bereaue their neighbours of a great and vnrecouerable benefit : namely of chastity . As for the children which are begotten in this sort , they are shut out from that preheminence , which they otherwise might obtaine in the congregation . Deut. 23.2 . A bastard shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord : euen to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord. He maketh his familie a stewes , as appeareth in Dauid , whose adultery was punished by Absoloms lying with his fathers cōcubines . 2. Sam. 16.21 . Achitophel said to Absolom , Goe to thy fathers concubines , which he hath left to keepe the house . Iob. 31.9 . If mine heart haue beene deceiued by a woman , or if I haue laide waite at the doore of my neighbour : let my wife grind vnto another man : and let other men bowe downe vpon her . Mans posteritie feeleth the smart of this sinne . Iob. 31. 12. This ( adulterie ) is a fire that shall deuoure to destruction , and which shall roote out all mine increase . To conclude , though this sinne be committed neuer so closely , yet God will reueale it . Numb . 5. from the 12. verse to the 23. And it vsually hath one of these two , as companions : namely , dulnesse of heart , or a marueilous horror of conscience , Hose . 4.11 . Whordome , and wine , take away their heart . As for the Patriarkes Polygamie , or marrying of many wiues , albeit it cannot be defended , yet it may be excused : either because it serued to the enlarging of the number of mankind , when there were but fewe : or at the least , to the propagation of the Church of God. VII . With man and wife . They abuse their libertie , if they know each other so long as the woman is in her flowers . Ezech. 22.10 . In thee haue they discouered their fathers shame : in thee haue they vexed her that was polluted in her flowers . Leuit. 18.19 . Thou shalt not goe vnto a woman to vncouer her shame , as long as she is put apart for her disease . Ezek. 8.6 . If a man hath not lien with a menstruous woman . Ambros. lib. de Philos. which Augustine citeth , lib. 2. contra Iulian saith , that he committeth adulterie with his wife , who in the vse of wedlocke hath neither regard of seemelines , nor honestie . Hierome in his 1. book , contra Iulianum , saith : A wise man ought to rule his wife in iudgement , not in affection . He will not giue the bridle vnto headstrong pleasure , not headily company with his wife . Nothing ( saith he ) is more shamelesse , then to make a strumpet of his wife . VIII . Nocturnall pollutions , which arise of immoderate diet , or vnchaste cogitations , going before in the day . Deutr. 23.10 . Onans sinne ( Gen. 38.8 . ) was not much vnlike these . IX . Effeminate wantonnesse , wherby occasions are sought to stir vp lust . Galat. 5.19 . The workes of the flesh are manifest , which are adulterie , fornication , vncleannesse , wantonnesse . Of this kind are , 1. eyes full of adulterie . 2. Pet. 3.14 . Hauing eies full of adulterie , and that cannot cease to sinne . 2. Idlenes , 2. Sam. 11. 2. When it was euening tide , Dauid arose out of his bed , and walked vpon the roofe of the kings palace : and from the roofe he sawe a woman washing her selfe : and the woman was very beutiful to looke vpon . 3. And Dauid sent , and inquired what woman it was : and one said , Is not this Bethsheba the daughter of Elian , wife to Vriah the Hittite ? Then Dauid sent messengers , and tooke her away : and shee came vnte him , and he lay with her . 3. Riotous and lasciuious attire . 1. Tim. 2.9 . The women shall array themselues in comely apparell , with shamefastnes and modestie , not with broydered haire , or gold or pearles , or costly apparell , but ( as becommeth women that professe the feare of God ) with goodworkes . Esay 3.16 . Because the daughters of Zion are hautie , and walke with stretched out necks , and with wandring eies , walking and minsing as they goe , and making a tinkeling with their feete . 17. Therefore shall the Lord make the heades of the daughters of Zion balde , and the Lord shall discouer their secret parts . 18. In that day shall the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers , and the caules , and the round tyers , 19. The sweete balles , and the bracelets , and the bonnets , 20. The tyers of the head , and the sloppes , and the headbands , and the tablets , and the earings , 21. The rings and the mufflers , 22. The costly apparell and the vailes , and the wimples , and the crisping pinnes , 23. And the glasses , and the fine linnen , and the hoodes , and the launes . And no maruaile if the Prophet be so sharp against excessiue and wanton apparell : for this is , I. a lauish and prodigall wasting of the benefits of God , which might well be employed vpon better vses . II. It is a testimonie , and , as it were , the cognisance or ensigne of pride , whereby a man would haue himselfe in greater reputation then an other . III. It is a note of great idlenesse and slouthfulnesse . For commonly such as bestow much time in tricking and trimming themselues vp , doe quite neglect other busines , & of all things , can not away with paines . IV. It argueth leuitie , in deuising euery day some new fashion , or imitating that which others deuise . V. It maketh a confusion of such degrees and callings as God hath ordained , when as men of inferiour degree and calling , cannot be by their attyre , discerned from men of higher estate . 4. Fulnesse of bread and meate , which prouoke lust . Ezech. 16.45 . This was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodome , pride , fulnesse of bread , and idlenesse was in her , and in her daughters . Luk. 16.19 . There was a certaine rich man , which was cloathed in purple and fine linnen , and fared well and delicately euery day . Rom. 13.13 . Walke honestly , as in the day time , not in gluttonie and drunkennesse , neither in chambring and wantonnesse . 5. Corrupt , dishonest , and vnseemely talke . 1. Cor. 15.33 . Erre not , euill talke corrupteth good manners . Such are vaine loue-songs , ballades , enterludes , and amorous bookes . This is the thing we are carefully to shunne in the reading of Poets , yet so , as mariners doe in nauigation , who forsake not the sea , but decline and flie from the rockes . 6. Lasciuious representations of loue matters , in Playes and Comedies . Eph. 5.3,4 . Fornication and all vncleannesse , let it not once be named among you , as it becommeth Saints , neither filthinesse , nor foolish talking , neither iesting , which are things not comely . 7. Vndecent and vnseemely pictures . 1. Thess. 5. 22. Abstaine from all appearance of euill . 8. Lasciuious dauncing of man and woman together . Mark. 6.22 . The daughter of the same Herodias came in and danced , and pleased Herod , &c. 9. Companie with effeminate persons . Prou. 7. 25. Let not thine heart decline to her waies : wander thou not in her paths . V. To appoint some light or sheet-punishment for adulterie , such as that Romish Synagogue doth . For this is nothing els , but to open a gap for other lewd persons , to runne headlong into the like impietie . The affirmatiue part . Thou shalt preserue the chastitie of thy neighbour . Chastitie is the puritie of soule and bodie , as much as belongeth to generation . The minde is chaste , when it is free , or at the least , freed from fleshly concupiscence . The bodie is chaste , when it putteth not in execution the concupiscences of the flesh . 1. Thess. 4. ● . This is the will of God , euen your sanctification , and that ye should abstaine from fornication . 4. That ●uery one of you should knowe how to possesse his vessell in holines and honour , 5. And not in the lust of concupiscence , euen as the Gentiles , which know not God. 1. Cor. 7.34 . The vnmarried wom●n careth for the things of the Lord , that shee may be holy both in bodie and spirit . There are two especiall vertues which preserue chastitie , Modestie , and Sobrietie . Modestie is a vertue which keepeth in each worke an holy decorum , or comelines : and it is seene , I. in the countenance and eyes , namely , when they neither expresse , nor excite the concupiscence of the heart . Iob. 31.1 . I made a couenant with mine eye , why then should I thinke on a maid ? Gen. 24.64 . Rebekah lift vp her eyes , and when she saw Izhak , she lighted downe from the camel . 65. So she tooke a vaile , and couered her face . Prou. 1● . 13 . Shee caught him , and kissed him , and with an impudent face said vnto him , &c. II. In words : when a mans talk is decent , in speaking of such things , we cannot but be ashamed of . Gen. 4.1 . Then Adam knew Heuah his wife : who , &c. Psal. 51.1 . A Psalme of Dauid , when the Prophet Nathan came vnto him , after he had gone into Bethsheba . Esay 7.20 . In that day shall the Lord shaue with a rasor that is hired , euen by them beyond the riuer , by the King of Ashur , the head and the haire of the feete , and it shall consume the beard . Iudg. 3.24 . When he was gone out , his seruāts came : who seeing that the doores of the parlar were shut , they said , Surely he couereth his feete , ( that is , he doth his easement ) in his summer chamber . Againe , a mans talke must be little and submisse Matth. 12.19 . Behold my seruant whome I haue chosen , he shall not striue , nor crie , neither shall any man heare his voice in the streetes . Prou. 10.19 . In many words there cannot want iniquitie : but he that refraineth his lips is wise . And it is a note of a strumpet to be a giglot , and loud tongued . Prou. 7.11 . Shee is babling and loud . In apparell , we must obserue an holy comelinesse . Tit. 2. ● . The elder women must be of such behauiour , as becommeth holinesse . Holy comelinesse is that which expresseth to the eie the sinceritie , that is , the godlines , temperance , and grauitie either of man or woman . This decencie wil more plainly appeare , if we consider the endes of apparell , which are in number fiue . 1. Necessitie , to the ende that our bodies may be defended against the extremity of parching heate , and pinching colde . 2. Honestie , that that deformitie of our naked bodies might be couered , which immediately followed the transgression of our first parents . 3. Commoditie , whereby men , as their calling , worke , and trade of life is different , so do they apparell themselues : and hence it is , that some apparell is more decent for certaine estates of men , then other . 4. Frugalitie , when a mans attire is proportionable to his abilitie and calling . 5. Distinction of persons , as of sexe , ages , offices , times , and actions . For a man hath his set attire , a woman hers , a young man apparelled on this fashion , an olde man on that . And therefore it is vnseemely for a man to put on a womans apparell , or a woman the mans . Deut. 22.5 . The woman shall not weare that which pertaineth to the man , neither shall a man put on womans raiment : for all that doe so , are an abomination to the Lord thy God. To set downe precisely out of Gods word what apparrell is decent , is very hard : wherefore in this case , the iudgement and practise of modest , graue , and sincere men , in euery particular estate , is most to be followed , and men must rather keepe too much within the bounds of measure , then to step one foot without the precincts . Concerning the purging of excrements of nature , care must be had , that they bee cast foorth into some separate and close place , and there also couered . Deut. 23.12 . Thou shalt haue a place without the host , whither thou shalt resort . 13. And thou shalt haue a paddle among thy weapons , & when thou wouldest sit downe without , thou shalt digge therewith , and returning , thou shalt couer thine excrements . 14. For the Lord thy God walketh in the middest of the camp to deliuer thee : therefore thine host shall be holy , that he see no filthy thing in thee , & turne away from thee . 1. Sam. 24.4 . And he came to the sheepe-coats by the way , where there was a caue , and Saul went in to couer his feete . Sobrietie is a vertue , which concerneth the vsage of our diet in holines . For the better obseruation thereof , these rules may serue : I. The cheifest at the banket , let him consecrate the meates to God , by saying grace . 1. Sam. 9.13 . The people will not eate , till he ( that is , Samuel ) came , because he wil blesse the sacrifice : and then eate they , that be bidden to the feast . Mark. 6.39 . He commanded thē to make them all sit downe by companies vpon the grasse , &c. 41. And he tooke the fiue loaues and two fishes , and looked vp to heauen , and gaue thankes . Act. 27.35 . When he had thus said , he ( that is , Paul ) gaue thankes in the presence of them all , & when he had broken bread , he began to eate . II. It is lawefull to furnish a table with store of dishes not onely for necessity , but also for the good entertainment of a friende , and for delight . Luk. 5. 29. Leui made him ( that is , Iesus ) a great feast in his owne house , where there was a great company of Publicans , and of other that sate at tabe with him . Psal. 104.15 . He giueth wine that maketh glad the heart of man , & oyle to make the face shine , & bread that strengtheneth mans heart . Ioh. 12.2 . There they made him a supper , and Martha serued , but Lazarus was one of them that sate at table with him . 3. Then tooke Marie a pound of oyntment of Spikenard , very costly , and annointed Iesus feete . III. Choose the lower roome at a banquet , and rather then be troublesome , sit as the master of the feast assigneth thee . Luk. 14.7 . He spake a parable to the guests , when he marked howe they chose out the chiefe roomes , and said , 8. When thou shalt be bidden of any man to a wedding , set not thy selfe downe in the chiefest place , least a more honourable man then thou be bidden of him . 9. And he that bade both him and thee , come and say , Giue this man roome . 10. But goe and sit downe in the lowest roome , that when he that bade thee , commeth , he may say vnto thee , Friend , sit vp higher . Prou. 25.5 . Stād not in the place of great mē , &c. IV. Man must eate at due times , not at vnseasonable houres . Eccl. 10.16 . Woe be to thee , O land , whē thy Princes eate in the morning . 17. Blessed art thou , O land , when Princes eate in time . V. Man must eate and drinke moderately , so that the body may receiue strength thereby , & the soule be more fresh and liuely , to performe the actions of godlines . Luk. 21. 34. Take heede to your selues , least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse . Prou. 23.29 . To whome is woe ? &c. Euen to them that tarry long at wine , to them that goe and seeke mixt wine . 3. Looke not thou vpon the wine when it is red , and when it sheweth his colour in the cup , and goeth downe pleasantly , &c. Prou. 25.16 . If thou hast found hony , eate that is sufficient for thee , least thou be ouer full , and vomit . Prou. 31.4 . It is not for Kings to drinke wine , nor for Princes strong drinke . 5. Least he drinke and forget the decree , and change the iudgement of all the children of affliction . VI. We must then especially regard these things , when we eate at great mens tables . Prou. 23.1 . When thou sittest to eate with a ruler , consider diligently what is before thee . 2. Put the knife to thy throate , if thou be a man giuen to thine appetite . 3. Be not desirous of his dainty meates : for it is a deceiueable meate . VII . Godly mirth at meate is tollerable . Act. 2.46 . They did eate their meat togither with gladnes and singlenes of heart . VIII . Table talke ( according as occasion of talke is offered ) must be such as may edifie . Such was Christs talke at the Pharises table . Luk. 14. from th● 1. verse to the 16. verse . IX . See that after the banquet ended , the broken meate be not lost , but reserued . Iohn 6.12 . When they were satisfied , he said vnto his Disciples , Gather vp the broken meate which remaineth , that nothing be lost . X. At a feast leaue somwhat . Ruth . 2.14 . Shee did eate , and was sufficed , and left thereof . Chastitie is double : one of single life , another in wedlocke . They that are single , must I. with great care keepe their affections and bodies in holinesse . Psal. 119. 9. Howe shall a young man purge his waies ! by directing the same after thy word . 1. Ioh. 2. 13. I write vnto you fathers , because ye haue knowne him , that is from the beginning . I write vnto you young men , because ye haue ouercome that wicked one . 14. I write vnto you babes , because ye haue knowne the Father . Eccl. 12.1 . Remember thy creator in the daies of thy youth , whiles the euill daies come not , nor the yeares approch , wherein thou shalt say , I haue no pleasure in them . II. They must fast often . 1. Cor. 9.27 . I beate downe my bodie , and bring it into subiection , least by any meanes , after I haue preached to others , I my selfe should be reprooued . III. They must take heede they burne not in lust : for , 1. Cor. 7.9 . It is better to marry then to burne . Chastitie in wedlocke , is when the holy and pure vse of wedlocke is obserued , Heb. 13.4 . Mariage is honourable among all , & the bed vndefiled : but whoremongers and adulterers God will iudge . To preserue puritie in wedlocke , these cautions are profitable : I. Contracts must be in the Lord , and with the faithful onely . Malac. 2.11 . Iudah hath transgressed , and an abomination is committed in Israel , and in Ierusalem : for Iudah hath defiled the holinesse of the Lord , which he loued , and hath maried the daughter of a strange god . 1. Cor. 7.39 . If her husband be dead shee is at libertie to marrie with whome shee will , onely in the Lord. II. Both parties must separate themselues in the time of a womans disease , and at appointed fasts . Ezech. 18.6 . 1. Cor. 7.5 . Defraud not one another , except it be with consent for a time , that ye may giue your selues to fasting and praier , and againe come together , that Satan tempt you not for your incontinencie . III. Wedlocke must be vsed rather to suppresse , then to satisfie that corrupt cōcupiscence of the flesh , and especially to enlarge the Church of God. Rom. 13.14 . Put on the Lord Iesus Christ , and take not care of the flesh to satisfie the lusts thereof . IV. It must bee vsed with prayer and thanksgiuing . 1. Tim. 4.3,4 . CHAP. 27. Of the eight Commandement . THis cōmandement concerneth the preseruatiō of our neighbours goods . The wordes are these : Thou shalt not steale . The Resolution . Steale ] To steale , is properly to conuey any thing closely from another . Gen. 31. ●0 . Iaakob stole away the heart of Laban the Aramite . In this place it signifieth generally , to wish that which is another mans , to get it by fraud , and any way to impaire his wealth . The negatiue part . Thou shalt neither be wanting to preserue , nor a meanes to hinder or hurt thy neighbours goods , In this pl●ce these sinnes are forbidden : I. Inordinate liuing , whether it be in no ●et calling , or idely , wherein by neglecting their duties , such persons mispend their time , goods , and reuenues . 2. Thes. 2.11 . We heare that there are some among you ; which walke inordinately , and worke not at all , but are busie bodies . Gen. 3.9 . In the sweate of thy browes shalt thou eate thy bread , till thou returne to the earth . 1. Tim. 5.8 . If there be any that prouideth not for his owne , especially for them of his houshold , he denieth the faith , and is worse then an infidel . II. Vniust dealing , the which is either in heart , or deede . Vniust dealing in heart , is named couetousnesse . Matth. 15.19 . Out of the heart come euill thoughts , murthers , adulteries , fornications , thefts , &c. Couetousnesse is idolatrie . Eph. 5.5 . We knowe that no couetous person , which is an idolatour , shall enter into the kingdome of Christ and of God. Yea , it is the very roote of all euill . 1. Tim. 6. 9. The loue of money is the roote of all euill , which whilest some lusted after , they erred from the faith , and pierced themselues through with many sorrowes . Vniust dealing indeede is , in bargaining , or out of bargaining . Vniust dealing in bargaining , hath many branches . 1. Thes. 4.6 . Let no man oppresse , or deceiue his neighbour in a bargaine : for God is the auenger of such things . I. To sell , or bargaine for that which is not saleable . Of this kind , I. Is the gift of the holy Ghost , which cannot be bought with money . Act. 8.18 . When Simon saw , that through laying on of the Apostles handes , the holy Ghost was giuen , he offered them money , 16 , Saying , giue me also this power , that on whome soeuer I lay the handes , he may receiue the holy Ghost . 20. Then Peter said vnto him , Thy money perish with thee , because thou thinkest that the gift of God may be obtained with money . II. Church goods are not saleable . Therefore it is not to be allowed , for men to fell or alienate them from the Church . Prou. 20.25 . It is destruction for a man to deuoure that which is sanctified , and after the vowes to enquire . Malac. 3.8 . Church goods are the possessiō of the Lord. III. Whatsoeuer is vnprofitable either to the Church , or common-weale , must not be sold. II. All coloured forgerie & deceit in bargaining . Luk. 19.8 . Zaccheus stood foorth , & said vnto the Lord , Behold , Lord , the halfe of my goods I giue to the poore : and if I haue taken ought from any man by forged cauillation , I restore it foure folde . This deceit is vsed , I. when men sel that , which is counterfeit , for good : as copper for gold , and mingle any waies badde with good , making shew onely of the good . Amos 8.4,5,6 . Heare this , ye that swallow vp the poore , saying , when wil the newe moneth be gone , &c. that we may sell the refuse of the wheate . II. When men falsifie measures & weights . Deut. 25.13 . Thou shalt not haue in thy bagge two manner of weights , a great and a small . 14. But thou shalt haue a right and a iust weight : a perfit , and a iust measure shalt thou haue . Leuit. 10.35 . Ye shall not doe vniustly in iudgement , in line , in weight , or in measure . 36. Ye shall haue iust balances , true weights ; a true Epha , and a true Hin . Amos 8.4 . Heare this , ye that say , When will the Sabbath be gone , that we may sell corne , and make the Epha small , and the shekell great , and falsifie the weights by deceit . III. When the buyer concealeth the goodnes of the thing , or the seller the faults of it , and blindfoldeth the trueth with counterfeit speeches . Matth. 7. 12. Whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe to you , euen so doe to them : for this is the Lawe and the Prophets . Prou. 20.14 . It is naught , it is naught , saith the buyer : but when he is gone apart , he boasteth . IV. When in buying and selling the people are oppressed . And this is , 1. When the iust price of things is raised . For in bargaining , it is not lawfull to purse one pennie , without the giuing of a penniworth . 2. Sale vpon a set day , which is , when day is giuen , that the price may be inhanced . For what is this , I pray you , but to sell time , and to take more of our neighbour , then right ? 3. To ingrosse , which is to buie vp all of one commoditie into thine owne hands , that when no other hath any of the same , thou maist sell it at thine owne price . 4. To become bankcrupt , that thou maist be enriched by the damages , and goods of other men . 5. Not to restore that , which was lent to one , pledged to him , or found by him . Ezech. 18.7 . Neither hath oppressed any , but hath restored the pledge to his debte● : he that hath spoyled none by violence , &c. 6. To delay any kinde of restitution , from one day to another . Prouerb . 3. 28. Say not to thy neighbour , Depart , and come againe , to morrow I will pay you , when thou maist doe it then . Psal. 37.21 . The wicked man boroweth , and paieth not againe , but the righteous is mercifull , and lendeth . 7. To practise vsurie . Psal. 15.5 . Which hath not put his money to vsurie . Exod. 22. 25. If thou lendest money to my people , to the poore man which dwelleth with thee , be not to him as an vsurer , lay not vsurie vpon him . Vsurie is a gaine exacted by couenant , aboue the principall onely in lue , and recompence of the lending of it . Vsurie beeing considered as it is thus described , is quite contrarie to Gods word , and may very fitly be tearmed biting lucre . Exod. 22.14 . If any man hath borrowed any-thing of another , whatsoeuer is hurt or dieth , if the owner of the thing be not present , let him be recompensed . 15. If he be present , recompence him not : if it be hired for a price , it is sold for the same price . Ezek. 18.8 . He hath not giuen to vsurie , neither hath taken increase . 2. Cor. 8.13 . Neither is it that other men should be eased , and you grieued , 14. But vpon like condition at this time , your abundance supplieth their lacke ; that also their abundance may be for your lacke : that there may be equalitie . And this vsurie , positiue lawes doe not onely restraine , but not allowe . Quest. Is it not lawfull to take at some time aboue the principall ? Ansvver . Yes surely , with these conditions : I. If a man take heed that he exact nothing , but that which his debter can get by good and lawfull meanes . II. He may not take more then the gaine , nay not all the gaine , nor that part of the gaine which drinketh vp the liuing of him that vseth the money . III. He must sometimes be so farre from taking gaine , that he must not require the principall , if his debter be by ineuitable and iust casualities brought behinde , and it be also plaine that he could not make , no not by great diligence , any commoditie of the money borrowed . The reasons why a man may take sometimes aboue the principall , are ; 1. That which the debter may giue , hauing himselfe an honest gaine besides , and no man any waies endomaged , that the creditor may safely receiue . 2. It is conuenient , that he which hath money lent him , and gaineth by it , should shew all possible gratitude to him , by whose goods he is inriched . 3. It is often for the benefit of the creditor , to haue the goods in his owne hands which he lent . Obiect . Money is not fruitfull , therefore it is vnlawfull to receiue more then we lent out . Answ. Albeit money in it selfe be not fruitfull , yet it is made very fruitfull by the borrowers good vse , as ground is , which is not fruitfull except it be tilled . Last of all , when a man detaineth the labourers wages . Iam. 5.4 . Behold , the hire of the labourers ( which haue reaped your fields , which is of you kept backe by fraud ) crieth , and the cries of them which haue reaped , are entred into the eares of the Lord of hosts . Vniust dealing out of bargaining , is likewise manifold : I. To pronounce false sentence or iudgement for a reward , either profered , or promised . Esai 1. 23. Thy Princes are rebellious , and companions of theeues : euery one loueth gifts , and followeth after rewards : they iudge not the fatherlesse , neither doth the widowes cause come before them . This is the Lawyers and Iudges sinne . II. To feede , or clothe stout and lustie rogues or beggers . 2. Thess. 3.10 . When we were with you we inioyned you this , that if any would not labour , the same should not eate . What then thinke you , must those licensed rogues and beggers by authoritie , I meane all idle Monkes and Abby-lubbers haue ? Socrates in the Tripartite historie , saith plainly , that that Monke which laboureth not with his hands , is no better then a theefe . III. Gaming for money and gaine . For thou maist not enrich thy selfe by impouerishing thy brother . This gaming is worse farre then vsurie , and in a short while will more enrich a man. IV. To get money by vnlawfull arts : such are Magicke , Iudiciall Astrologie , Stage-playes , and such like . Eph. 4. 28. Let him that hath stollen , steale no more , but rather let him labour , working with his owne hands the thing that is good , that he may giue vnto him that hath neede . Deut. 18.11 . Eph. 5.3 . 1. Thess. 5.22 . Abstaine from all appearance of euill . V. To filch or pilfer the least pin , or point from another . Mark. 10. 19. Thou shalt not steale , thou shalt not hurt any man. Rom. 3.8 . And ( as we are blamed , and as some affirme that we say ) why do we not euill , that good may come thereof ? whose damnation is iust . VI. To remooue ancient bounds . Prou. 22. 28. Thou shalt not remooue the ancient bounds which thy fathers haue made . Hos. 5. 8. The Princes of Iudah are like them which remooue the bounds . VII . To steale other mens seruants , or children , to commit sacriledge , or robberie . 1. Tim. 1. 10. To whoremongers , buggerers , and menstealers . Iosh. 7.19 . Achans theft . 1. Cor. 6.10 . Neither theeues , nor couetous persons , nor robbers , &c. shall inherit the kingdome of God. For robberies , these sorts of men especially are famous : Theeues by the Queenes high waies , Pyrates vpon the seas , Souldiers not content with their pay , and whosoeuer they be , that by maine force take that which is none of their owne . Luk. 3.14 . The souldiers asked him , saying , What shall we doe ? he said , Doe violence to no man , neither accuse any man falsely , and be content with your wages . VIII . To conspire with a theefe , whether by giuing aduice how he may compasse his enterprise , or by concealing his fact , that hee be not punished . Prou. 29.24 . He that is partaker with a theefe , hateth himselfe , and he that heareth cursing , and discouereth it not . The punishment of theft , may at the discretion of the Iudge be sometimes aggrauated , as he seeth the qualitie of the offence to be . Therefore theeues sometimes are punished with death . Now if any man obiect , that the Iudiciall law of God , doth onely require the restitution thereof fourefold for such an offence : I answer , that the ciuill Magistrate , when he seeth some one , or many offences to increase , he may by his authoritie encrease the ciuill punishment due to that sinne . Now it is manifest , that the sinne of theft is farre more grieuous in our Common-weale , then it was among the Iewes . For first the inhabitants of this common-weale , are generally by many degrees poorer then the Iewes were : therefore to steale a thing , but of some small value , from one in this countrey , doth more endamage him , then a thing of great value would haue done the Iewes . Againe , the people of this countrey are of a more stirring and fierce disposition : the which maketh theeues to be more outragious , with their robberies ioyning violence , and the disturbance of the publike tranquilitie of the country whereof more r●gard ought to be had , then of one priuate mans life . The affirmatiue part . Thou shalt preserue and increase thy neighbours goods . To this are required these that follow : I. A certen calling : wherein euery man , according to that gift which God hath giuen him must bestow himselfe honestly , to his owne and neighbours good . 1. Cor. 7. 24. Let euery man wherein he was called , therein abide with God. Eph. 4.28 . 1. Pet. 4.10 . According as euery man hath receiued a gift , so let him administer to another , that ye may be good dispensers of the manifold graces of God. Galat. 5.13 . In loue serue one another . II. The true vse of riches , and all the goods a man hath : to which belong two vertues ; Contentation , and Thriftinesse . Contentation is a vertue , whereby a man is well pleased with that estate , wherein he is placed . 1. Tim. 6.6 . Godlinesse is great gaine , with a contented mind : 7. For we brought nothing into the world , neither shall we carie any thing out of the world . But , hauing foode and raiment , let vs be content . Philip. 4.11 . I haue learned in whatsoeuer state I am , therewith to be content . 12. I can be abased , and I can abound , euery where in all things I am instructed , both to be full , and to be hungrie , and to abound , and to haue want . Math. 6.11 . Giue vs this day our daily bread . Heb. 13. 5. Let your conuersation be without couetousnes , and be cōtent with the things which you haue : for he saith , I will not forsake thee , nor leaue thee . Thriftinesse or frugalitie , is a vertue , whereby a man carefully keepeth his goods which he hath gotten , and imploieth them to such vses , as are both necessarie and profitable . Prou. 5.15 . Drinke the water of thy cesterne , and of the riuers out of the middes of thine owne well . 16. Let thy fountaines flow forth , and the riuers of waters in the streetes . 17. Let them be thine owne , yea , thine onely , and not the strangers with thee . Prou. 21. 5. The thoughts of the diligent doe surely bring abundance . 17. He that loueth pastime , shall be a poore man , and he that loueth wine and oyle shall not be rich . Prou. 12.27 . The deceitfullman rosteth not that which he hath taken in hunting : but the riches of the diligent are pretious . Ioh. 6.12 . III. To speake the truth from the heart , and to vse an harmelesse simplicitie in all affaires . Psal. 15.2 . He that walketh vprightly , and worketh righteousnes , he that speaketh the truth in his heart . Gen. 23.15 . Ephron said to Abraham , The land is worth foure hundreth shekels of siluer , what is that betweene me and thee ? burie therefore thy dead . 16. So Abraham harkned to Ephron , and Abraham weighed to Ephron the siluer , which he had named in the audience of the Hittites , euen foure hundreth shekels of currant money among marchants , &c. IV. Iust dealing . 1. Thess. 4.6 . Of this there are many kindes : I. In buying and selling , in setting and hiring of Farmes , tenements , lands : in marchandize , and all manner of commodities , men must racke nothing , but keepe a iust price . A iust price is then obserued , when as the things prized , and the price giuen for them , are made equall , as neere as may be . For the obseruation of this equalitie , these foure rules are to be considered : for by them all bargaines must be ordered . I. There must be a proportion and equalitie in all contracts : the which will then be , when as the seller doth not value the thing , onely according to his owne paines , and cost bestowed vpon it , but also seeth what profit it may be to the buyer , and in what need he standeth of it . Leuit. 25.14 . When thou sellest ought to thy neighbour , or buyest ought at his hands , ye shall not oppresse one another : 15. But according to the number of the yeres after the Iubilee , thou shalt buie of thy neighbour . Also according to the number of yeeres of thy reuenues , he shall sell vnto thee . ●6 . According to the number of yeeres thou shalt increase the price thereof : and according to the fewnesse of yeeres , thou shalt abate the price of it : for the number of fruits doth he sell vnto thee . II. They must be squared according to the law of nature , the summe whereof Christ propoundeth in these words : Whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe to you , doe the same vnto them . III. The bonde of nature must be kept , which bindeth him that receiueth a benefit , and maketh a lawfull gaine of another mans goods , that he beeing once enriched , shall make a proportionable and naturall recompence , euen aboue the principall . IV. Men must communicate and make vse of their goods , with that cauent which Paul giueth . 2. Cor. 8.13 . not so to bestow them , as that others may be eased , and they grieued : or contrariwise . II. Men must make ●ale of such things , as are in their kinde substantiall , and profitable . III. They must vse iust waights and measures Deut. 25.13 . Thou shalt not haue in thy bagge two manner of waights , a great and a small : but thou shal● haue a right and iust waight , a perfect and iust measure shalt thou haue . Ezech. 55.10 . Ye shall haue iust ballances , a true Ephah , and a true Bath . Mich. 6.11 . Shall I iustifie the wicked ballances , and the bagge of deceitfull waights ? IV. He that hireth any thing , must not onely pay the appointed hire , but make that which he hired good , if ought but good come vnto it , by his default . Exod. 22.14,15 . If a man borrow any thing of his neighbour , and it be hurt , he shall surely make it good , &c. V. The pledge or pawne ought to be redeemed , and if it be of important necessitie , as that which preserueth the life of our neighbour , it must be restored to him in continently . Exod. 22. 26. If thou take thy neighbours rayment to pledge● thou shalt restore it againe before the sunne goe downe : for that is his couering onely . Deut. 24.6 . No man shall take the neather or vpper milstone to pledge● for this gage is his liuing . Neither may a man in a pledge be his owne caruer , but he must take such an one as is offered . Deut. 34 . 1● . When thou shalt aske againe of thy neighbour any thing lent , thou shalt not goe into his house to fetch his pledge . 11. But thou shalt stand without , and the man that borrowed it of thee , shall bring the pledge out of the doores vnto thee . 12. Furthermore , if it be a poore bodie , thou shalt not sl●epe with his pledge . 13. But shal● restore him the pledge , &c. VI. To become surety only for men that are honest , & very well known : and that warily , with much deliberation . Prou. 11. 15. He shall be sore vexed that is suretie for a straunger . And he that hateth suretiship is sure . Prouerb . 17. 18. A man destitute of vnderstanding toucheth the hand , and becommeth suretie for his neighbour . Prou. 22. 26. But if it be so that a man hath intangled himselfe by suretiship , the best way is to craue his creditours fauour , by his owne humble suit , and the instant request of his friends . Prou. 6. 1. My sonne , if thou be suretie for thy neighbour , and hast stricken hands with the straunger . 2. Thou art snared with the words of thine owne mouth . 3. Doe this now , my sonne , and deliuer thy selfe , seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour , goe , and humble thy selfe , and sollicite thy friends . 4. Giue no sleepe to thine eyes , nor slumber to thine eye liddes . 5. Deliuer thy selfe , as a Doe from the hand of the hunter , and as a bird from the hand of the fouler . VII . All iust couenants and promises , though they be to our hindrance , must be performed . For a promise doth binde , if it be lawfull , so farre forth as he will , vnto whome we make the promise . Psal. 15. 4. Which sweareth to his hurt , and changeth not . Prou. 25.14 . A man that boasteth and keepeth not promise , is like cloudes and winde without raine . Iudg. 1.24 . The spies saw a man come out of the citie , and they said vnto him , Shew vs , we pray thee , the way into the citie , and we will shew thee mercie . 25. And when he had shewed them the way into the citie , they smote the citie with the edge of the sword , but they let the man and all his houshold depart . Therefore if after promise made , he either see that he shall be endamaged thereby , or hindred in the performance of his promise , he may craue release , and if it be granted , accept of it . VIII . To lend that we doe , freely . Luk. 6.35 . Lende , looking for nothing againe , and your reward shal be great . And when we borrow , we must be carefull to make restitution , euen , if neede be , with the sale of our owne goods . 2. King. 4.2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7. Here the wife of the sonnes of the Prophets selleth her oyle which God sent by the hand of Elisha , to pay her creditour . IX . To restore that , which is committed to our custodie without delay . Math. 21.41 . He wil destroy the euill husbandmen , & let out his vineyard to others , which shall deliuer him the fruits in their season . Prouerb . 3.28 . But if such a thing be lost , not by our default , we are not vrged to repay it . Exod. 22.7 . If a man deliuer his neighbour money , or stuffe to keepe , and it be stollen out of his house , if the theefe be found , he shall pay the double . 8. If the theefe be not found , then the master of the house shall be brought before the Iudges , to sweare whether he haue put his hand to his neighbours goods or no. X. That which a man findeth , is to be kept in his owne hand , if the true owner cannot be heard of : but if he be , he must restore it . Deut. 22.1 . Thou shalt not see thy brothers oxe , nor his sheepe goe astray , and withdraw thy selfe from them , but shalt bring them againe vnto thy brother . 2. If he be not neere vnto thee , or thou know him not , thou shalt bring it into thine house , and it shall remaine with thee , vntill thy brother seeke after it , then shalt thou deliuer it to him againe . 3. So shalt thou doe with all lost things . XI . To get our owne , we may , if we cannot doe otherwise , sue our neighbour in law . But we must follow our suites in an holy manner , and with these circumstances . I. In all suites , we must not doe any thing , that may preiudice the profession of Christian religion . Therefore all suiters in law , offend , when they trust more in man , then in God , and make their religion a iest to worldlings , partly by striuing about things of small importance : and partly by not admitting any conditions of reconciliation . 1. Cor. 6.1 . Dare any of you , hauing busines against another , be iudged vnder the vniust , and not vnder the Saints ? II. Law must be the last remedie , as a desperate medecine is the last remedie the Physitian vseth . We must assay all meanes possible , before we vse this , especially to a brother . 1. Cor. 6.7 . There is vtterly a fault among you , because ye goe to law one with another : why rather suffer ye not wrong ? why rather sustaine ye not harme ? III. In all suites of law , we must be mindfull of the law of charitie , and not so much indeauour to maintaine our owne right , as to recall our brother , which erreth , into the right way . CHAP. 28. Concerning the ninth Commandement . THe ninth Commandement belongeth to the preseruation of our neighbours good name . The words are these : Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour . The Resolution . Thou shalt not beare ] That is , answer when thou art asked before a Iudge . Deutr. 19.17 . Then both the men which striue together , shall stand before the Lord , euen before the Priests and the Iudges which shall be in those daies . 18. And the Iudges shall make diligent inquisition , and if the witnesse be found false , and hath giuen false witnesse against his brother . Witnesse ] By a figure signifieth euery word , whereby the credit and estimation of our neighbour is either impaired or diminished . The negatiue part . Thou shalt not diminish or hurt the good name and estimation of thy neighbour . Here is forbidden : I. Enuie , disdaine of others , desire of a mans owne glorie . 1. Tim. 6.4 . He is puft vp , and knoweth nothing , but doteth about questions , and strife of words , whereof commeth enuie , strife , railings . 1. Pet. 2.1 . Wherefore , laying aside all maliciousnes , and enuie and all guile , and euill speaking . Math. 21.15 . But when the chiefe Priests and Scribes saw the marueiles that he did , and the children crying in the Temple , and saying , Hosanna the sonne of Dauid , they disdained . II. Euill suspicions . 1. Tim. 6.4 . 1. Sam. 17.28 . And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake vnto the men , and Eliab was angrie with Dauid , and said , Why camest thou downe hither ? and with whome hast thou left those few sheepe in the wildernesse ? I know thy pride , and the malice of thine heart . Act. 28.4 . Now when the Barbarians saw the worme hang on his hand ; they said among themselues . This man surely is a murtherer , whom though he hath escaped the sea , yet vengeance hath not suffered to liue . Here are condemned , hard censures and sinister iudgements against our neighbour . Matth. 7. 1. Iudge not ; that yee be not iudged . 2. For with what iudgement yee iudge , ye shall be iudged : and with what measure yee mete , it shall be measured to you againe . These iudgements which Christ forbiddeth , are priuate and reprochfull or slaunderous iudgements : namely , when either a good or an indifferent action is interpreted to the worse part : or when a light offence is made hainous through euill will , without all desire either to amend , or to couer the same . Act. 2.13 . And other mocked and saide , They are full of new wine . 14. But Peter standing with the eleuen , lift vp his voice , and said vnto them , Ye men of Iudea , and all ye that inhabite Ierusalem , be this knowne vnto you , and hearken vnto my words ; 15. For these are not drunken , as ye suppose , since it is but the third houre of the day . 1. Sam. 1.13 . For Hannah spake in her heart , her lips did mooue onely , but her voice was not heard , therfore Eli thought she had beene drunken . But we must know that there are three kinds of iudgements which are not forbidden by this commandement of Christ. The first is , the ministerie of the Gospel , which iudgeth & reprooueth sinne . The secōd is , the iudgement of the Magistrate . The third is , the iudgement of a friend admonishing vs : as when he saith , Abstaine from the companie of such a man , for I know him to be a drunkard , &c. III. A relation of the bare words onely , and not of the sense and meaning of our neighbour . Math. 26.59 . Now the chiefe Priests , and the Elders , and all the whole Councell , sought false witnes against Iesus , to put him to death . 60. But they found none , and though many false witnesses came , yet found they none : but at the last came two false witnesses . 61. And said , This man saide , I can destroy the Temple of God , and build it in three daies . Indeede Christ saide some such thing in wordes , as appeareth , Ioh. 2.19 . Iesus answered and said vnto them , Destroy this temple , and in three daies I will raise it vp againe . IV. A lie , whereby euery falshood with purpose to deceiue is signified , whether in wordes , or in deedes , or concealing the truth , or any other way whatsoeuer ; be it for neuer so great a good to our neighbour . V. To pronounce vniust sentence in iudgement , to rest in one witnesse , to accuse another wrongfully , to bewray a mans cause by collusion . 1. King. 21.12 . They proclaimed a fast , and set Nabaoth among the chiefe of the people . 13. And there came two wicked men , and sate before him , and the wicked men witnessed against Nabaoth in the presence of the people , saying , Nabaoth did blaspheme God and the King : then they caried him away out of the citie , and stoned him with stones that he died . Deut. 17.6 . At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he , that is worthie of death , die : but at the mouth of one witnesse he shall not die . VI. Openly to raise forged and hurtfull tales and reports of our neighbour , or priuily to deuise the same . Rom. 1.29 . Whisperers . 30. Backbiters , haters of God , proud , boasters , inuenters of euill things . Leuit. 19.16 . Thou shalt not walke about with tales among thy people , thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy neighbour : I am the Lord. 1. Tim. 5.13 . And likewise also beeing idle , they learne to goe about from house to house : yea , they are not onely idle , but also pratlers and busi-bodies , speaking things which are not comely . To spread abroad flying tales , or to faine and adde any thing vnto them . Prou. 26.20 . Without wood the fire is quenched , and without a talebearer strife ceaseth . 21. As a coale maketh burning coales , and wood a fire , so the contentious man is apt to kindle strife . 22. The wordes of a talebearer are as flatterings , and they goe downe into the bowels of the belly . 2. Cor. 12.20 . For I feare least when I come , I shall not finde you such as I would , and that I shall be found to you such as I would not , and least there be strife , enuying , wrath , contentions , backbitings , whisperings , swellings , and discord among you . To receiue or beleeue those tales which we heare of others . Exod. 23.1 . Thou shalt not receiue a false tale , neither shalt thou put thine hand with the wicked , to be a false witnesse . 1. Sam. 24.10 . And Dauid said to Saul , Wherefore giuest thou an eare to mens wordes , that say , Behold , Dauid seeketh euill against thee ? VII . To accuse our neighbour , for that which is certaine & true , through hatred , and with intent to hurt him . 1. Sam. 22.9 . Then answered Doeg the Edomit● ( who was appointed ouer the seruants of Saul ) and said , I saw the sonne of Ishai when he came to Nob , to Abimelech the sonne of Ahitub , 10. Who asked counsell of the Lord for him , and gaue him victualls , and he gaue him also the sword of Goliah the Philistim . Of this deede Dauid thus speaketh . Psal. 52.1 . Why boastest thou thy selfe in thy wickednesse , O man of power ? the louing kindnesse of the Lord endureth for euer . 2. Thy tongue imagineth mischeife , and is like a sharpe rasor , that cutteth deceitfully . 3. Thou doest loue euill more then good : and lies , more then to speake the trueth . 4. Thou louest all wordes that may destroy , O deceitfull tongue . VIII . To open or declare our neighbours secret to any man , especially , if he did it of infirmitie . Mat. 18.15 . Moreouer , if thy brother trespasse against thee , goe and tell him his fault between thee and him alone : if he heare thee , thou hast wonne thy brother . Pro. 11.13 . He that goeth about as a slanderer , discouereth a secret : but he that is of a faithfull heart , concealeth a matter . IX . All babling talke and bitter wordes . Eph. 5.3 . But fornication and all vncleannesse , let it not be once named among you . 4. Neither filthinesse , neither foolish talking , neither iesting , which are not comely , but rather giuing of thankes . Ioh. 9.34 . They answered and said vnto him , Thou art altogither borne in sinnes , and doest thou teach vs ? so they cast him out . This iesting , or as it is nowe tearmed , wit , which Aristotle the Philosopher maketh a vertue , is by Paul the Apostle accounted a vice : and that not without cause ; I. Such quipps as sting others , though they be a great pleasure for some to heare , yet are they very offensiue to such as are so girded . II. It is very hard to make Christian both godlinesse and grauity to agree with such behauiour . Obiect . But salt and tart speeches are vsull in the scriptures , 1. King. 18. 27. Eliah mocked the Priests of Baal . Esa. 14.9 . Answer . Such speeches are not spoken to please others , but are sharply deuounced against Gods enemies to his glorie . X. Flatterie , whereby we praise our neighbour aboue that , we knowe in him . Prou. 27.6 . The woundes of a louer , are faithfull , but the kisses of an enemie are to be shunned . 14. He that praiseth his friende with a loud voice , rising early in the morning , it shall be counted to him as a curse . Act. 12.22 . And the people gaue a shout , saying , The voice of God , and not of man. This is a grieuous sinne in the ministers of the word . 1. Thess. 2.5 . Neither did we euer vse flattering wordes , as ye knowe , nor coloured couetousnesse , God is record . Ier. 6.13 . For from the least of thē , euen vnto the greatest of them , euery one is giuen vnto couetousnesse , and from the Prophet , euen vnto the priest , they all deale falsely . 14. They haue healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people with sweete wordes , saying , Peace , peace , when there is no peace . Rom. 16.18 . For they that are such , serue not the Lord Iesus Christ , but their owne bellies , and with faire speech and flattering , deceiue the hearts of the simple . XI . Foolish and ouer confident boasting . Prou. 27.1 . Boast not thy selfe of to morrow , for thou knowest not what a daie may bring forth . 2. Let another praise thee , and not thine owne mouth , a stranger and not thine owne lips . XII . To accuse , or witnesse against one falsely . 1. King. 21.13 . Naboth blasphemed God and the king . The affirmatiue part . Preserue the good name of thy neighbour . Eccles. 7.3 . A good name is better then a good ointment . Here is commanded : I. A reioicing for the credit and good estimation of thy neighbour . Gal. 5.22 . But the fruit of the spirit , is loue , ioy , peace , gentlenesse . Rom. 1.8 . First I thank my God through Iesus Christ , for you all , because your faith is published throughout the whole world . II. Willingly to acknowledge that goodnes we see in any man whatsoeuer , and onely to speake of the same . Tit. 3.2 . That they speake euill of no man , that they be no fighters , but soft , shewing all meekenes to all men . Moreouer , wee must with all desire , receiue and beleeue reports of our neighbours good . Act. 16.1 . Then came he to Derbe and Lystra , and behold , a certaine Disciple was there , named Timotheus , a womans sonne which was a Iewesse , & beleeued , but his father was a Grecian . 2. Of whome the brethren which were at Lystra & Iconium , reported wel . 3. Therefore Paul would that he should goe forth with him , and tooke and circumcised him . Notwithstanding , this must so be performed of vs , that in no wise wee approoue and allowe of the vices and faults of men . 2. Chron. 25.2 . And hee did vprightly in the eies of the Lord , but not with a perfect heart . And chap. 27.2 . And he did vprightly in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Vzziah did , saue that he entred not into the temple of the Lord , & the people did yet corrupt their waies . III. To interpret a doutfull euill , to the better part . Cor. 13.5 . Loue thinketh not euill . 7. It beleeueth all things , it hopeth all things . Gen. 37.31 . And they tooke Iosephs coate , and killed a kidde of the goats , and dipped the coat in the bloode . 32. So they sent that parti-coloured coate , and they brought it to their father , and said , This haue we found , see now , whether it be thy sonnes coate or no. 33. Then hee knew it , and said , It is my sonnes coate , a wicked beast hath deuoured him , Ioseph is surely torne in peeces . And here obserue the religiō of that Ioseph , which was betrothed to Mary , who when he sawe that Mary was with child , was readier to conclude that before her betroathing she was with child by committing fornication , then after by cōmitting adulterie . Mat. 1.19 . But for all this , men must not be too too credulous , or light of beleefe . Ioh. 2.24 . But Iesus did not commit himselfe vnto them● because he knewe them all . IV. Not to beleeue an euill report , running abroad amongst the common people , by the whisperings of talebearers , as it were , by conduit pipes . Psal. 15.3 . Hee that slaundereth not with his tongue , nor doth euill to his neighbour , nor receiueth a false report against his neighbour . Ierem. 40.14 . And they saide vnto him , Knowest thou not , that Baalis the king of the Ammonites , had sent Ishmac● the sonne of Nethaniah , to slay thee ? but Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam , beleeued him not . 16. But Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam , said vnto Ionathan , the sonne of Kareah , thou shalt not doe this thing , for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael . But we ought also to be angrie at such whisperings . Pro. 25.23 . As the North wind driueth away the raine , so doth an angrie countenance the slaundering tongue . V. To keepe secret the offence of our neighbour , except it must of necessitie be reuealed . Prou. 10.12 . Hatred stirreth vp contention : but loue couereth all trespasses . Mat. 1.19 . Then Ioseph her husband beeing a iust man , and not willing to make her a publike example , was minded to put her away secretly . A man would suppose , that by this means , we should be partakers of other mens sins . But we must know , that we ought to conceale our neighbours imperfections , least he should be prouoked to offence : yet in the meane season , he must be admonished that he may amend . Gal. 6.1 . Iam. 5.19 . Brethren , if any of you haue erred from the trueth , and some man hath conuerted him . 20. Let him know ; that he which hath conuerted the sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue a soule from death , and shall hide a multitude of sinnes . But if the sin which is concealed , cannot thereby be taken away , then must we in loue and charitie , declare the same to those , which may remooue and amend the same . Gen. 37.2 . When Ioseph was seuenteene yere olde , he kept sheepe with his brethren , and the child was with the sonnes of Bilhah , and with the sonnes of Zilpah , his fathers wiues : and Ioseph tolde vnto their father , their euill sayings . 1. Cor. 1.11 . For it hath beene declared vnto me , my brethren , of you by them that are of the house of Cloe , that there are contentions among you . Mat. 18.16 . But if hee heare thee not , take with thee one or two , that by the mouth of two or three witnesses , euery word may be confirmed . To get a good name and estimation amongst men , and to keepe the same , when we haue gotten it . Phil. 4.8 . Furthermore , brethren , whatsoeuer things are true , whatsoeuer things are honest , whatsoeuer things are iust , whatsoeuer things are pure , whatsoeuer things pertaine to loue , whatsoeuer things are of good report , if there be any vertue , if there be any praise , thinke on these things . A good name is gotten , 1. If we , seeking the kingdome of God before all things , doe repent vs of all our sinnes , and with an earnest desire , imbrace and follow after righteousnesse . Prou. 10.7 . The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed : but the name of the wicked shall rot . Mar. 14.9 . Verily I say vnto you , wheresoeuer this Gospell shall bee preached throughout the whole world , this also , that she hath done , shall be spoken of in remembrance of her . 2. Wee must haue a care both to iudge , and speake well of others . Mat. 7.2 . With what iudgement ye iudge , yee shall be iudged . Eccl. 7.23 . Giue not thine heart also to all the wordes that men speake , least thou doe heare thy seruant cursing thee . 24. For oftentimes also thine heart knoweth● that thou likewise hast cursed others . 3. Wee must abstaine from all kinde of wickednesse : for one onely vice or sinne , doth obscure and darken a mans good name . Eccles. 10.1 . Dead flies cause to stinke , and putrifie the ointment of the Apothecarie : so doth a little follie him that is in estimation for wisdome , and for glorie . 4. We must in all things earnestly seeke for the glorie of God onely , and not our owne . Matth. 6.5 . And when thou praiest , bee not as the hypocrites , for they loue to stand and praie in the Synagogues , and in the corners of the streetes , because they would bee seene of men : verily I say vnto you● they haue their reward . 6. But when thou praiest , enter into thy chamber ; and when thou hast shut thy doore , pray vnto thy father which is in secret , and thy father which seeth in secret , shall reward thee openly . But if● when we seeke the glory of God , honest and godly men doe praise and testifie well of vs , we must not despise this their testimonie and commendation : & although they neuer praise vs nor testifie of vs at all , yet must wee take it in good part . 2. Cor. 1.12 . For our reioysing is this , the testimonie of our cōscience , that in simplicitie and godly purenes , and not in fleshly wisdome , but by the grace of God , we haue had our conuersation in the world , & most of all to you wards . And chap. 10.13 . But we will not reioice of things which are not within our measure , but according to the measure of the line , whereof God hath distributed to vs a measure , to attaine euen vnto you . Psal. 16.5 . The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance , and of my cup : thou shalt maintaine my lot . 6. The lines are fallen vnto me in pleasant places : yea , I haue a faire heritage . 1. Cor. 1.31 . He that reioiceth , let him reioice in the Lord. CHAP. 29. Of the tenth Commandement . THe tenth Commaundement concerneth concupiscences , committed against our neighbour . The wordes are these : Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house , thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife , nor his seruant , nor his maide , nor his oxe , nor his asse , nor any thing thy neighbour hath . The Resolution . Couet ] The cogitation or motion of the heart , is of three sorts . The first is , some glancing or suddaine thought , suggested to the minde by Satan , which suddenly vanisheth away , and is not receiued of the minde . This is no sinne . For it was in Christ , when he was tempted by the deuill . Matth. 4. v. 1. The second is , a more permanent thought or motion , the which , as it were , tickleth & inueigleth the mind with some inward ioy . The third is , a cogitation drawing from the will and affection , full assent to sinne . We are to vnderstand this commandement of the second sort of motions onely , not of the first , or of the last , to which the fiue former commandements doe belong . Now then to couet , is to think inwardly , and also to desire any thing , wherby our neighbour may be hindered , albeit , there ensue no assent of the will , to commit that euill . For the very Philosophers condemne couetousnesse of the very heart , and Ciuilians disallow a purpose onely to doe euill , if it be conioyned with a manifest deliberation . And as for the concupiscence in this place forbidden we may well thinke it is more close and secret , because S. Paul a doctour of the law was altogither ignorant of it . Rom. 7.7 . I had not knowne lust , except the Law had said . Thou shalt not lust . Againe , if that concupiscence immediately going before the consent , were not prohibited in this place , there must bee a great confu●ion in the decalogue . For the seuenth commandement forbiddeth some kinde of coueting of our neighbours wife . Hou●e ] The commandement is illustrated by an argument drawne from the distribution of the obiects of concupiscence ; whence it is apparent , that onely euill concupiscence is condemned in this place . Coloss. 3.5 . For there is a good concupiscence or desire : as of meate and drinke , and that of the spirit . Gal. 5.17 . The spirit lusteth against the flesh . The negatiue part . Thou shalt not couet that which is thy neighbours . Here are prohibited : I. Concupiscence it selfe , namely , originall corruption , in as much as it is hurtfull to our neighbour . Iam. 1.14 . II. Each corrupt and sudden cogitation & passion of the heart , springing out of the bitter roote of concupiscence . Gal. 5.17 . The flesh lusteth against the spirit . Luk. 10.27 . Thou shalt loue the Lord with all thy soule . To this place appertaineth Satans suggestion , if after the first offer it be entertained and receiued in the closet of the heart . III. The least cogitation and motion , the which , though it procure not consent , delighteth and tickleth the heart . Of this kinde are these foolish wishes : I would such an house were mine , such a liuing , such a thing , &c. And hitherto may we referre all vnchast dreames , arising from concupiscence . The affirmatiue part . Couet that onely , which is auaileable to thy neighbour . Here are commended : I. A pure heart towards our neighbour . 1. Tim. 1.5 . The end of the commandement is loue , out of a pure heart , a good conscience and faith vnfained . II. Holy cogitations and motions of the spirit . Paul praieth , 1. Thess. 5.23 . that the Thessalonians may be holy , not onely in bodie and soule , but also in spirit . Eph. 4.23 . III. A conflict against the euill affections and lusts of the flesh . Rom. 7.22 . I reioyce in the law of God , in regard of the inward man. 23. But I see another Law in my members , rebelling against the Law of my minde , and making me captiue to the law of sinne , which is in my members . 24. Miserable man that I am , who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death ? 2. Cor. 12.7 , 8 , 9. CHAP. 30. Of the vse of the Law. THe vse of the Law in vnregenerate persons , is threefold . The first is , to lay open sinne , and make it knowne . Rom. 3.20 . By the workes of the Law shall no flesh be iustified in his sight : for by the law commeth the knowledge of sinne . The second vse is accidentarily , to effect and augment sinne , by reason of the flesh , the which causeth man to decline from that which is commanded , and euer to encline to that which is prohibited . Rom. 7.8 . Sinne tooke occasion by the commandement , and wrought in me all manner of concupiscence : for without the Law sinne is dead . 9. For I once was aliue without the Law , but when the commandement came , sinne reuiued . 10. But I died , and that commandement , which was ordained vnto life , was found to be vnto me vnto death . The third vse is , to denounce eternall damnation for the least disobedience , without offering any hope of pardon . This sentence the law pronounceth against offendours , and by it , partly by threatning , partly by terrifying , it raigneth and ruleth ouer man. Rom. 3.19 . Wee know that whatsoeuer the Law saith , it saith it to them which are vnder the Lawe , that euery mouth may be stopped , and all the world be culpable before God. Gal. 3.10 . As many as are of the workes of the law , are vnder the curse : for it is written , Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all that is written in the booke of the Lawe to doe them . 2. Cor. 3.7 . If the ministration of death written with letters , and ingrauen in stones was glorious : 8. Howe shall not the ministration of the spirit be more glorious ? For if the ministration of condemnation were glorious , &c. The ende why sinne raigneth in man , is to vrge sinners to flie vnto Christ , Galat. 3.22 . The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne , that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue . 24. Wherfore the law was our schoolemaster to Christ. Heb. 12.18,19,20 . The continuance of this power of the law is perpetuall , vnlesse a sinner repent : and the very first act of repentance so freeth him , that he shall no more be vnder the lawe , but vnder grace . 2. Sam. 12.13 . Then said Dauid to Nathan , I haue sinned against the Lord : wherfore Nathan said to Dauid , The Lord also hath forgiuen thy sinne , and thou shalt not die . Rom. 6.14 . Sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you : for ye are not vnder the law , but vnder grace . If therefore , thou desirest seriously eternall life : first take a narrowe examination of thy selfe , and the course of thy life , by the square of Gods lawe : then set before thine eies the curse that is due vnto sinne , that , thus bewailing thy miserie , and despairing vtterly of thine own power , to attaine euerlasting happinesse , thou maiest renounce thy selfe and be prouoked to seeke and sue vnto Christ Iesus . The vse of the Law in such as are regenerate is far otherwise : for it guideth them to new obedience in the whole course of their life , which obedience may be acceptable to God by Christ. Rom. 3.31 . Doe we therefore through faith make the Law of none effect ? God forbid : nay we rather establish the Law. Psal. 119. 24. Thy testimonies are my delight , they are my counsellers . v. 105. Thy word is a lantarne vnto my feete , and a light vnto my pathes . CHAP. 31. Of the couenant of Grace . HItherto concerning the couenant of works , and of the Law , now followeth the couenant of grace . The couenant of Grace , is that whereby God freely promising Christ , and his benefits , exacteth againe of man , that he would by faith receiue Christ , and repent of his sinnes . Hos. 2.18 . In that daie will I make a couenant for them , &c. 19. And I will marrie thee vnto me for euer : yea , I will marrie thee vnto me in righteousnesse , and in iudgement , and in mercie , and in compassion . v. 20. I will euen marrie thee vnto me in faithfulnesse , and thou shalt knowe the Lord. Ezech. 36.25 . I will poure cleane water vpon you , and ye shall be cleane : yea from all your filthinesse , and from all your idols will I clense you . v. 26. And I will giue you a newe heart , and a newe spirit will I put within you . v. 27. And cause you to walke in my statutes . Malach . 3.1 . The Lord , whome ye seeke , shall speedily come to his temple : euen the messenger of the couenant whome ye desire : behold , he shall come , saith the Lord of hosts . This couenant is also named a testament : for it hath partly the nature and properties of a testament or will. First it is confirmed by the death of the testator . Heb. 9.16 . Where a testament is , there must be the death of him that made the testament . 17. For the testament is confirmed when men are dead : for it is yet of no force , so long as he that made it is aliue . Secondly , in this couenant we doe not offer much , and promise small to God , but in a manner doe onely receiue : euen as the last will and testament of a man , is not for the testators , but the heires commodity . The couenant albeit , it be one in substance , yet it is distinguished into the old and new testament . The olde testament or couenant is that , which in types and shadowes prefigured Christ to come , and to be exhibited . The newe testament declareth Christ already come in the flesh , and is apparantly shewed in the Gospel . The Gospell is that part of Gods word , which cōtaineth a most worthy & welcome message : namely , that mankind is fully redeemed by the blood of Iesus Christ , the only begotten sonn of God , manifest in the flesh , so that now for all such as repent and beleeue in Christ Iesus , there is prepared a full remission of all their sinnes , togither with saluation and life euerlasting . Ioh. 3.14 . As Moses lifted vp the serpent in the wildernesse : so must the sonne of man be lift vp . 15. That who so beleeueth in him , should not perish but haue euerlasting life . Act. 10.43 . To him also giue all the Prephets witnes , that through his name , all that beleeue in him , shall receiue remission of sinnes . The ende and vse of the Gospell is , first to manifest that righteousnesse in Christ , whereby the whole law is fully satisfied , & saluation attained . Secondly , it is the instrument , and , as it were , the conduit pipe of the holy ghost , to fashion and deriue faith into the soule ; by which faith , they which beleeue , doe as with an hand apprehend Christs righteousnes . Rom. 1.16 . I am not ashamed of the gospell of Christ , for it is the power of God to saluation to as many as beleeue , to the Iewe first , and then to the Grecian . 17. For the iustice of God is reuealed by it from faith to faith . Ioh. 6. 33. It is the spirit which quickeneth , the flesh profiteth nothing : the words which I speake are spirit and life . 1. Cor. 1.21 . It pleased God by the foolinesse of preaching , to saue such as beleeue . The Gospell preached is , in the flourishing estate of Christs Church , that ordinarie meanes to beget faith : but in the ruinous estate of the same , when as by apostasie , the foundations thereof are shaken , and the cleere light of the word is darkened , then this word read or repeated , yea the very sound thereof beeing but once heard , is by the assistance of Gods spirit , extraordinarily effectuall , to them whome God will haue called out of that great darkenesse into his exceeding light . Rom. 10.14 . How shall they call on him , in whome they haue not beleeued ? and how shall they beleeue in him , of whome they haue not heard ? And howe shall they heare without a preacher ? Act. 11.19 . And they which were scattered abroad , because of the affliction that arose about Steuen , walked throughout till they came to Phenice , and Cyprus , and Antiochia , preaching the worde to no man , but to the Iewes onely . 30. Nowe some of them were men of Cyprus , and of Cyrene , which when th●y were come into Antiochia , spake vnto the Grecians , and preached the Lord Iesus . 21. And the hand of the Lord was with them , so that a great number beleeued , and turned vnto the Lord. Ioh. 4. 28. The woman then left her water pot , and went her way into the city , and said to the men , 29. Come , and see a man which hath told me all things that euer I did : Is not he the Christ ? then they went out of the citty , and came vnto him . 39. Now many of the Samaritans beleeued in him , for the saying of the woman which testified , He hath tolde me all things that euer I did . 41. And many moe beleeued , because of his own word . 42. And they said vnto the woman , Nowe we beleeue not because of thy saying : for we haue heard him our selues , and knowe that this is indeede the Christ the Sauiour of the world . Rom. 10.18 . I demaunde , haue they not heard ? no doubt their sounde went out through all the earth , and their wordes into the endes of the world . Thus we may see , how many of our forefathers , & ancestors in the midst of popery obtained eternall life . Reuel . 12. 17. The dragon was wroth with the woman , and went and made warre with the remnant of her seede , which kept the commandements of God , and haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ. Rom. 11.4 . What saith the diuine Oracles ? I haue reserued to me seuen thousand men , which neuer bowed knee to Baal . CHAP. 32. Of the Sacraments . THus much of the preaching of the word : now follow the appendants to the same : namely , the Sacraments . A Sacrament is that , whereby Christ and his sauing graces , are by certaine externall rites , signified , exhibited , and sealed to a Christian man. Rom. 4.11 . He receiued the signe of circumcision , as the seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had , when he was circumcised . Gen. 7.11 . Ye shall circumcise the foreskin of your flesh , and it shall bee a signe of the couenant betweene me and you . God alone is the author of a Sacrament ; for the signe cannot confirme any thing at all , but by the consent and promise of him , at whose handes the benefit promised must be receiued . Therefore God it is alone which appointed ●ignes of grace , in whose alone power it is to bestowe grace . And God did make a Sacrament by the sacramentall word , as Augustine witnesseth , saying , Let the word come to the element , and there is made a Sacrament . The sacramentall word , is the word of institution , the which God after a seuerall manner , hath set downe in each Sacrament . Of the worde there are two parts : the commandement , and the promise . The commandement is , by which Christ appointeth the administration of the Sacraments , and the receiuing of the same . As in Baptisme , Goe into the whole world baptizing them in the Name , &c. In the Lords Supper . Take , eate , drinke , doe ye this . The promise is the other part of the institution , whereby God ordained elements that they might be instruments and seales of his grace . As in Baptisme , I baptize thee in the name of the father , of the sonne , and of the holy Ghost . In the Supper , This is my body giuen for you : and , This this is my blood of the new Testament . Therefore this word in the administration of the Sacrament ought to be pronounced distinctly and aloud , yea , and as occasion serueth , explained also : to the ende , that all they to whome the commandement and promise appertaineth , may knowe and vnderstand the same . And hence it is very plaine , that the ministers impietie doth not make a nullitie of the Sacrament , neither doth it any whit hinder a worthy receiuer : no more then the pietie of a good minister can profite an vnworthy receiuer : because all the efficacie and worthines therof dependeth onely vpon Gods institution , if so be that be obserued . The parts of a Sacrament are , the Signe , and the Thing of the Sacrament . The signe , is either the matter sensible , or the Action conuersant about the same . The matter sensible , is vsually called the signe . The mutation of the signe , is not naturall , by changing the substance of the thing ; but respectiue , that is , onely in regard of the vse . For it is seuered from a common to an holy vse : Therfore there is not any such either force or efficacie of making vs holy , inherent , or tied vnto the externall signes , as there is naturally in bathes to purifie corrupt diseases : but all such efficacie is wholly appropriate to the holy Spirit , yet so , as it is an inseperable companion of true faith and repentance , and to such as turne vnto the Lord , is , together with the signe exhibited . Whence it commeth to passe , that by Gods ordinance , a certaine fignification of grace , and sealing thereof agreeth to the signe . The thing of the Sacrament , is either Christ & his graces which concerne our saluation , or the action conuersant about Christ. I say , first Christ , and then his graces , because no man receiueth grace frō Christ , vnlesse he be made truely partaker of his very bodie and blood : euen as no man can by right reape any fruite of the ground , whereof first hee hath no iust title and interest . The action about Christ is spirituall , and is either the action of God , or of Faith. The action of God is , either the offering , or the Application of Christ & his graces to the faithfull . The action of faith is , the consideration , desire , apprehension , and receiuing of Christ in the lawefull vse of the Sacrament . Thus much of the parts of a Sacrament : nowe followeth the vnion of the parts . This sacramentall vnion , I. is not naturall according to the place : for there is no mutation of the signe into the thing signed ; neither is the thing signed , either included in , or fastened vpon the signe . But II. it is respectiue , because there is a certaine agreement and proportion of the externall things with the internall , and of the actions of one with the actions of the other : whereby it commeth to passe , that the signes , as it were , certaine visible wordes incurring into the externall senses , doe by a certaine proportionable resemblance drawe a Christian mind to the consideration of the things signified , & to be applied . This mutuall , and , as I may say , sacramentall relation , is the cause of so many figuratiue speeches , and metonymies , which are vsed : as , when one thing in the Sacrament is put for another . As , I. The signe is vsed for the thing signified . Exod. 12. 11. Ye shall eate it ( namely the Lambe ) in hast , for it is the Lords passeouer . Ioh. 6. 52. I am the liuing bread , which came downe from heauen : if any eate of this breade , he shall liue for euer , and the bread which I will giue is my flesh , which I will giue for the life of the world . 1. Cor. 5.7 . Christ our Passeouer is sacrificed for vs. 1. Cor. 10.17 . We that are many , are one bread , and one bodie , because we are all partakers of one bread . II. The name of the thing signified is giuen to the signe : as , The bread is Christs bodie , the cuppe is Christs blood . 1. Cor. 11.24 . Math. 26.28 . III. The effect of the thing signified is giuen to the signe , as Circumcision is a couenant , Gen. 17. 10. Act. 7.8 . The cup is the new Testament in Christs blood . Luk. 22.16 . Baptisme is the washing of the new birth . Tit. 3.5 . IV. That which properly belōgeth to the signe , is attributed to the thing signified . Deut. 10.16 . Circumcise the foreskin of your hearts . Ioh. 6.53 . Vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man , and drinke his blood , ye shall haue no life in you . The end why a Sacrament was ordained , is I. for the better confirmation of our faith : for by it as by certaine pledges giuen , God of his great mercie , doth as it were binde himselfe vnto vs. Now a Sacrament doth confirme our faith , not by any inherēt or proper power it hath in it selfe , as hath a soueraigne medecine receiued by a patient , the which whether a man sleepe or wake it confirmeth his strength : but rather by reasoning , and vsing the signes , when the holy Ghost shall frame in our hearts such a conclusion , as this : All such as are conuerted , rightly vsing the Sacraments , shall receiue Christ and his graces : But I am conuerted , and either now doe , or before haue rightly vsed the Sacraments : Therefore I shall receiue Christ and his graces . II. That it might be a badge and note of that profession by which the true Church of God is distinguished from other congregations . III. That it might be a meane to preserue , and spread abroad the doctrine of the Gospel . IV. It serueth to binde the faithfull that they doe continue both loyall , and gratefull to their Lord God. V. It is the bond of mutuall amitie betwixt the faithfull . How a Sacrament is necessarie to saluation . The couenant of Grace is absolutely necessarie to saluation : for it comprehending Christ Iesus the very substance of the Couenant , man must necessarily either receiue it , or perish eternally : but a Sacrament is not absolutely necessarie , but onely as it is a prop and stay for faith to leane vpon . For it cannot entitle vs into the inheritance of the sonnes of God , as the couenant doth , but onely by reason of faith going before , it doth seale that which before was bestowed vpon vs. As we see in humane contracts the bond ariseth from the mutuall consent of the parties : but the instrument or bill , and the setting to of the seale , they doe not make , but rather confirme the bond mutually before made : the which mutuall consent remaining firme , the contract standeth still in force , though the instrument or seale be wanting . Therefore the want of a Sacrament doth not condemne , but the contempt is that which will condemne a man. The want of a Sacrament is , when we are iustly hindred from the receiuing of the same ; as , when one is preuented by death , or liueth in such a place where he cannot receiue the Sacrament . And as for the neglect of a Sacrament , albeit it be a very grieuous sinne , yet is it such an one , as for which he that is heartily penitent for the same , may well hope for pardon . The holy vse of a Sacrament is , when such as are truly conuerted , doe vse those rites which God hath prescribed vnto their true ends , in the receiuing of a Sacrament . Therefore I. the reprobate , though God offer the whole Sacrament vnto them , yet they receiue the signes alone without the things signified by the signes : because the signe without the right vse thereof , is not a Sacrament to the receiuer of it . So Paul saith , Rom. 2. 25. Circumcision verely is profitable if thou keepe the Law : but if thou be a transgressour of the Law , thy circumcision is made vncircumcision . And Augustine hath this saying , If thou receiue it carnally , yet ceaseth it not to be spirituall , though to thee it be not so . II. The Elect as yet not conuerted to the Lord , doe receiue in like manner the bare signes without the thing signified ; yet so , as that , that Sacrament shall in them afterward haue his good effect . For the Sacrament receiued before a mans conuersion , is afterward to the penitent both ratified , and becommeth profitable : and that vse of the Sacrament which before was vtterly vnlawfull , doth then become very lawfull . III. The Elect alreadie conuerted , doe to their saluation receiue both the signe and the thing signified together ; yet so , as that for their vnworthie receiuing thereof , the which commeth to passe by reason of their manifold infirmities , and relapses into sinne , they are subiect vnto temporall punishments . The difference betwixt a Sacrament and a Sacrifice , is , in a Sacrament God bestoweth his graces vpon vs : but in a sacrifice , we returne vnto God faith and obedience . There are many differences betwixt the Sacraments of the Old testament , and these of the New. I. They were many , these but few . II. They pointed at Christ to come ; these shew that he is come . III. They were appropriate vnto the posteritie of Abraham ; but these are common to the whole Church culled out of the Iewes and Gentiles . CHAP. 33. Of Baptisme . THere are two Sacraments . 1. Cor. 10. 1. I would not haue you ignorant , that all our fathers were vnder the cloude , and all passed through the sea . 2. And were all baptized vnto Moses in the cloude , and in the sea . 3. And did all eate the same spirituall meate , 4. And dranke all the same spirituall drinke : ( for they dranke of the spirituall rocke that followed them , which rocke was Christ. ) Tertull . 4. booke , contra Marcion . August . de Symbol ad Catechum . 4. booke 6. chap. The first Sacrament is that , whereby Christians are initiated , and admitted into the Church of God : and this is Baptisme . The second Sacrament , whereby the Church is preserued and nourished , is the Lords Supper . Baptisme is a Sacrament , by which such as are within the couenant are washed with water , in the name of the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost : that beeing thus engraffed into Christ , they may haue perpetuall fellowship with him . Matth. 28.19 . Goe ; teach all nations , baptizing them in the name of the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost . Matth. 16.16 . He that beleeueth and is baptized , shall be saued : he that beleeueth not , shall be condemned . 1. Cor. 1.13 . Is Christ deuided ? was Paul crucified for you ? ●i●her were ye baptized into the name of Paul. 14. I thanke God , I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius . 15. Least any should say , I had baptized into mine owne name . Within the couenant are all the seede of Abraham , or the seede of the faithfull . These are either of riper yeares , or infants . Those of riper yeares , are all such as adioyning themselues to the visible Church , doe both testifie their repentance of their sinnes , and hold the foundations of religion , taught in the same Church . Matth. 3. 6. And they were baptized of him in Iorden , confessing their sinnes . Act. 8.36 . As they went they came to a water : then the Eunuch saide , See , here is water , what hindreth me to be baptized ? 37. Then Philip said , If thou beleeue with all thine heart , thou maist : he said , I beleeue that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God. 38. And they went downe into the water , both Philip and the Eunuch ; and he baptized him . Exod. 12.48 . If a stranger dwell with thee , and will observe the Passeouer of the Lord , let him circumcise all the males that belong vnto him , and then let him come and obserue it , and then he shall be as one that is borne in the land : for none vncircumcised person shall eate thereof . Infants within the Couenant , are such , as haue one at the least of their parents faithfull . 1. Cor. 7.14 . The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified by the wife , and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the husband , else were your children vncleane , but now they are holy . Rom. 11.16 . If the first fruits be holy , so is the whole lumpe : and if the roote be holy , so are the branches . Gen. 17.7 . I will establish my couenant betweene me and thee , and thy seede after thee , in their generations , for an euerlasting couenant , to be God vnto thee , and thy seede after thee . 13. He that is borne in thine house , and he that is bought with money , must needes be circumcised : so my couenant shall be in your flesh for an euerlasting couenant . Act. 16.31 . They said , Beleeue in the Lord Iesus , and thou shalt be saued , and thy whole houshold . Quest. How are the children of faithfull parents in the couenant ? Answer . Holy parents are two waies to be considered . First , as they were the sonnes of the first Adam , and so are as yet partly carnall . In this estate they in like sort doe beget their sonnes the children of wrath . For the father begetteth a sonne , not as he is a good man , but simply as a man ; and therefore beeing impure , he must needes beget that which is impure . Secondly , we must consider the parents as they are the sonnes of God , engraffed into the second Adam . In this estate though they cannot deriue faith vnto their posteritie , ( for the sonnes of God are not made such by naturall generation , but by the adoption of God the Father ) yet may they beleeue both for themselues and others , according to the tenour of the couenant of grace : as Adam did sinne both for himselfe and others : and as parents in bargaines doe couenant both for themselues and their heires after them . Hence it is that Paul saith , that the parents are like vnto the first fruits which doe sanctifie the whole lumpe . So then , the faith of the parents maketh those their sonnes to be accounted in the couenant , which by reason of their age doe not yet actually beleeue . To be baptized into the name of the Father , &c. after the receit of the outward signe of washing , is to be made one of Gods familie , which is his church , and to be partaker of the priuiledges thereof . Gen. 48.16 . The Angel which hath deliuered me from all euill , blesse the children , and let my name be named vpon them , and the name of my fathers , Abraham and Izhak , that they may grow as fish into multitude , in the middest of the earth . Esai 4. 1. In that day shall seuen women take hold of one man , saying , We will eate our owne bread , and we will weare our owne garments : onely let vs be called by thy name , and take away our reproch . By this it is manifest , that in this washing of Baptisme , there is sealed and propounded a marueilous solemne couenant and contract : first , of God with the baptized , in that God the Father vouchsafed to receiue him into fauour , the Sonne to redeeme him , the holy Ghost to purifie and regenerate him : secondly , of the baptized with God , who promiseth to acknowledge , inuocate , and worship none other God , but the true Iehouah , which is the Father , Sonne , and holy Ghost . The externall and visible matter of baptisme , is water : for the minister may not baptize with any other liquor , but onely with naturall water . This was the iudgement of the Primitiue Church . For when as a certaine minister , for want of water , tooke sande , and baptized one with that : the partie thus besanded , was further baptized , the former beeing esteemed of none effect . Niceph. histor . 3. booke . 33. chapter . The externall forme of baptisme , is the ministers washing of the baptized , according to the prescript rule of Gods word . Rom. 10. 4. The ancient custome of baptizing , was to dippe , and , as it were , to diue , all the bodie of the baptized in the water , as may appeare in Paul , Rom. 6. and the Councels of Laodicea , and Neocaesarea : but now especially in cold countries , the Church vseth onely to sprinkle the baptized , by reason of childrens weaknesse : for very few of ripe yeares are now a daies baptized . We need not much to marueile at this alteration , seeing charitie and necessitie may dispense with ceremonies , and mitigate in equitie the sharpnes of them . The Sacramentall vnion of the parts of baptisme , is on this sort . The element of water whereby the vncleannesse of the body is purified by a most conuenient proportion shadoweth out the blood of Christ , and by the figure Synecdoche , taking the part for the whole , whole Christ. 1. Ioh. 1.7 . And the blood of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from all sinne . The action of the Minister , is his washing of the partie baptized with the element of water . This sealeth and confirmeth a double action of God. I. The engrafting or incorporating of the baptized into Christ. Gal. 3.27 . As many as are baptized into Christ , haue put on Christ. 1. Cor. 12.13 . By one spirit we are all baptized into one bodie . II. Our spirituall regeneration . Tit. 3.5 . Not by the workes of righteousnes which we had done , but according to his mercie he saued vs by the washing of the new birth , and the renewing of the holy Ghost . Of washing there be three parts . The putting into the water : the continuance in the water : and the comming out of the water . The putting into , or the sprinkling of water , doth ratifie I. the shedding of the blood of Christ for the remission of all our sinnes , and the imputation of his righteousnesse . Act. 22.16 . Arise and be baptized , and wash away thy si●nes in calling on the name of the Lord. 1. Cor. 6. 11. And such were some of you , but ye are washed , but ye are sanctified , but ye are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus , and by the spirit of our God. II. The mortification of sinne by the power of Christs death . Rom. 6.3 . Know ye not that all we which haue beene baptized into Iesus Christ haue beene baptized into his death ? 6. Knowing this , that our old man is crucified with him , that the bodie of sinne might be destroied , that henceforth we should not serue sinne : for he that is dead is freed from sinne . The continuance in the water , it noteth the buriall of sinne ; namely , a continuall increase of mortification by the power both of Christ his death and buriall . Rom. 6.4 . We are buried then with him by baptisme into his death . The comming out of the water doth confirme our spiritual vi●ification to newnesse of life in all holinesse and iustice , the which we attaine vnto by the power of Christs resurrection . Rom. 6. 4. Like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of the Father : so we also should walke in newnesse of life . 5. For if we be graffed with him to the similitude of his death , euen so shall we be to the similitude of the resurrection . The action of the partie to be baptized , is two-fold . The first is , to offer himselfe to be baptized before the minister , and that in the presence of the congregation . This signifieth that he doth consecrate himselfe vnto the Lord , and that he vtterly renounceth the flesh , the world , and the diuell . 1. Pet. 3.21 . To the which also the figure which now saueth vs , euen baptisme agreeth , ( not the putting away of the filth of the flesh , but in that a good conscience maketh request vnto God ) by the resurrection of Iesus Christ. The second is , to receiue the externall washing by water : this signifieth , that the partie baptized doth receiue the internall washing , which is by the blood of Christ , or at the least that it is offered vnto him . Rebaptizing is at no hand to be admitted : for as in naturall generation man is once onely borne ; so must he be in the spiritual regeneration . Therfore they that are baptized of a minister , which is an heretike , not yet degraded from that calling , ( if the externall forme of administration be obserued ) must not be baptized againe of the Church of God : especially , if after baptisme they haue beene made partakers of the Lords Supper : onely they ought to be instructed in the true faith . Euseb. Eccles. hist. lib. 7. c. 8. saith , There was in our Prouince an ancient professour of the faith , yea before I was created Bishop , nay before my predecessour Heraclas : who , when he was present at the baptisme of some , & heard what questions they were asked , & what answer they returned , forthwith came weeping vnto me , and humbling himselfe before me , confessed that he was baptized by an heretike : yet in regard of that administration which he saw in our Church , he accoūted that no baptisme , in that the confession there vsed , was fraught with blasphemies . This also he added , that he was for this offence so sore grieued , that he durst not so much as lift vp his eyes to heauen : wherefore he most earnestly besought me , that ●e might be clensed and purified with the baptisme of our Church , and so receiue the gift of the holy Ghost . The which notwithstanding , I durst not presume to administer , but said , it was sufficient for him that he had beene so long a professour amongst vs , & that at the receit of the Lords Supper , he answered , Amen . These things I told him were of force enough to purge him . And therefore I aduised him , to rest himselfe in his former faith and conscience alreadie sufficiently purified , especially in that he so long was partaker with vs in the Sacraments . Aug. lib. 3. c. 2. contra Petil. literas . The right vse of baptisme is this . When inwardly in thine heart thou sensibly feelest , that through the heat of concupiscence , thou art mooued to commit some sinne , then beginne to haue some holy meditation of that solemne vow , which thou diddest make to God in baptisme . Againe , if through infirmitie , thou fallest once or often into some sinne , stil haue recourse vnto baptisme , that there thou maist receiue courage to thy soule . For although baptisme be but once onely administred , yet that once testifieth that all mans sinnes past , present , and to come , are washed away . 1. Pet. 3.20 . Eph. 5. 25 , 26 , 27. Therefore baptisme may be truly tearmed the Sacrament of repentance , and , as it were , a board to swimme vpon , when a man shall feare the shipwracke of his soule . Mark. 1.4 . 1. Tim. 1.19 . Rom. 6.4,6 . Last of all , see thou neuer rest , till such time as thou haue a feeling of that renuing power , signified in baptisme : namly , the power of Christs death mortifying sinne , and the vertue of his resurrection , in the renouation of the Spirit . CHAP. 34. Of the Lords Supper . THe Lords Supper is a Sacrament , wherewith in the signes of bread and wine , such as are engraffed into Christ , are in him daily , in a spirituall manner , nourished to eternall life . 1. Cor. 11.23,24,25 . Rom. 6.5 . The proportion of the parts of the Lords Supper , is on this wife . The Elements of bread and wine , are signes and seales of the bodie and blood of Christ. The action of the Minister , is a note of Gods action . The Ministers action is fourefold . The first is , his taking the bread and wine into his owne handes : this doth seale the action of God the Father , by which he , from all eternitie , did separate and elect his Sonne , to performe the duetie of a Mediatour betwixt God and man. Ioh. 6.27 . For him hath the Father sealed . The second is , his blessing of it , whereby he , by the recitall of the promises , and praiers conceiued to that ende , doth actually separate the bread and wine receiued from their common vnto an holy vse . This doth seale that action of God , by which he did in the fulnesse of time , send Christ to performe the office of a Mediatour , vnto the which he was fore-ordained . The third is , the breaking of the bread , and powring out of the wine : this doth seale the passion of Christ , by which he , verely vpon the crosse was , both in soule and bodie , bruised for our transgressions . The fourth is , his distributing of the bread and wine into the hands of the communicants . This sealeth the action of God , offering Christ vnto all , yea , to the hypocrites ; but giuing him indeede vnto the faithful , for the daily encrease of their faith , and repentance . The action of the receiuer , is double . The first is , his taking the bread and wine in his hand . This sealeth a spirituall action of the receiuer , namely , his apprehension of Christ by the hand of faith . Ioh. 1. 1● . The second is , his eating of the bread , and drinking of the wine , to the nourishment of his bodie . This sealeth his application of Christ by faith , that the feeling of his true vnion and communion with Christ may daily be encreased . 1. Cor. 11.16 . The cuppe of blessing which we blesse , is it not the communion of the blood of Christ ? the bread which we breake , is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ ? That doctrine of Transubstantiation , which teacheth that the bread is turned into the very bodie of Christ , and the wine into his blood , is a very fable : the reasons why , are these . I. In the first institution of the Supper , which was before Christ his passion , the bodie of Christ was then eaten as alreadie crucified . Now , how the bodie of Christ crucified should after a corporall manner be eaten , he himselfe being not as yet crucified , it is impossible to imagine . II. The bread after the consecration , is distributed into parts : but the whole bodie of Christ is receiued of euery singular communicant . III. The bread is the communion of Christs bodie : therefore not his very bodie . IV. By this meanes the bodie of Christ should not onely be made of the substance of the Virgin Marie , but also of the bakers bread . V. Let the bread & wine be kept for a time , and the bread will mould , and the wine turne to vineger after the consecration , by which we may conclude , that there did remaine the substāce of bread and wine . VI. This opinion quite ouerthroweth the sacramentall vnion , namely , the proportion which is betwixt the signe and the thing signed . Th● l●ke may be said of the Lutherans Consubstantiation , whereby they b●●re men in hand that there is a coexistence , by which the bodie of Christ is eith●● in , or with , or about the bread . Against this , these reasons may suffice : I. The ●ho●●●ction of the Supper is done in remembrance of Christ , now what 〈…〉 f the bodie of Christ were really present . II. Act. 3.21 . Whom the heauens 〈◊〉 containe , vntill the time that all things be restored . III. This is an essential propertie of euery magnitude , and therfore of the bodie of Christ , to be in one place , and circumscribed or compassed of one place . IV. If that Christs bodie were eaten corporally , then should the wicked as well as the faithfull be partakers of the flesh of Christ ; but to eate his flesh , is to beleeue in him , and to haue eternall life . V. It were very absurd to thinke , that Christ sitting amongst his Disciples , did with his owne hands take his owne bodie , and giue it wholly to each of his Disciples . Such as will , in an holy sort prepare themselues to celebrate the Lords Supper , must haue : First , a knowledge of God and of mans fall , and of the promised restauration into the couenant by Christ. 1. Cor. 11.26 . So often as ye shall eate this bread , and drinke of this cuppe , ye shew the death of the Lord till he come . 29. and discerne his bodie . Secondly , true faith in Christ : for euery man receiueth so much , as he beleeueth he receiueth . Heb. 4.2 . For vnto vs was the Gospel preached , as also vnto them : but the word , that they heard , profited not them , because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it . Furthermore , true repentance of their sinnes . Esai 66.3 . He that killeth a bullocke , as if he slue a man : he that sacrificeth a sheepe , as if he cut off a dogges necke : he that offereth an oblation , as if he offered swines blood : he that remembreth incense , as if he blessed an idol : yea , they haue chosen their owne waies , and their soule delighteth in their abominations . Psal. 26.6 . I wash mine hands in innocency , O Lord , and so come before thine altar . Thirdly , renued faith and repentance , for daily and new sinnes committed vpon infirmitie : because euery new sinne requireth a new act , both of repentance and faith : & this renouation must be seene by our reconciliation of our selues to our neighbours , for iniuries and wrongs . Mat. 5.23 . If thou bring thy gift to the altar , and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee , 24. Leaue thy gift before the altar , and goe , first be reconciled to thy brother , then come and offer thy gift . If thou canst come furnished with these things , abstaine not from the Lords table , by rea●●n of thy many infirmities . If being thus prepared , thou feelest that thou hast a corrupt and rebellious heart , know this : that then thou art well disposed to the Lords table , whē thou art liuely touched with a sense of thy crooked disposition . Luk. 4.18 . The spirit of the Lord is vpon me , because he hath annointed me , that I should preach the Gospell to the poore : he hath sent me , that I should heale the broken hearted , that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues , and recouering of sight to the blind , that I should set at libertie them that are bruised . Mat. 15.24 . He answered , and said , I am not sent , but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel . The Lords Supper is a medicine to the diseased and languishing soule : and therefore men must as well seeke to purifie and heale their hearts in it , as to bring pure and sounde hearts vnto it . If thou feele in thy selfe some great defect and want of faith , pray vnto god earnestly , that he will vouchfafe to increase it . Mark. 9.24 . The father of the child crying with teares , said , Lord , I beleeue , helpe mine vnbeleefe . If thou canst not doe this thy selfe , vse the aide of the faithfull , which may by their faith carrie thee , as men did the sicke of the palsie vpon their sholders and laid him before Christ. Mark. 2.3 . If thou come not furnished on this maner to the Lords table , thou shalt be adiudged guiltie of the bodie and blood of Christ : as he is guiltie of high treason , who doth counterfeit or clip the Princes coyne . 1. Cor. 11.27 . He that eateth this bread , and drinketh this cuppe vnworthily , shall be guilty of the body and blood of Christ. But such as feele not thēselues penitent , they neither can come to the Lords table without repentance , least they eate and drink their own damnation , neither must they deferre repentance , by which they may come , least they procure to themselues finall destruction . CHAP. 35. Of the degrees of executing Gods decree of Election . VVE haue hitherto declared the outward meanes , whereby Gods decree is executed . Now follow the degrees of executing the same . The degrees are in number two . The loue of God , and the declaration of his loue . Eph. 1.6 . To the praise of the glory of his grace , wherwith he hath made vs accepted in his blood . 9. And hath opened vnto vs the mysterie of his will , according to his good pleasure , which he hath purposed in him . Gods loue is that , whereby God doth freely loue all such as are chosen in Christ Iesus , though in themselues altogither corrupt . 1. Ioh. 4. 19. Wee loued him because he loued vs first . Rom. 5.8 . God setteth out his loue towards vs , seeing that , while we were yet sinners , Christ died for vs. 10. For if when wee were enemies , we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne , much more wee beeing reconciled shall be saued by his life . The declaration of gods loue is two-fold The first , towards infants elected to saluation : the second , towards men of riper yeares . The declaration of Gods loue towards infants , is on this manner . Infants alreadie elected , albeit they in the wombe of their mother before they were borne , or presently after , depart this life , they , I say , being after a secret and vnspeakable manner by Gods spirit engraffed into Christ obtaine eternall saluation . 1. Cor. 12. 13. By one spirit wee are all baptized into one bodie , whether Iewes , or Grecians , bond , or free , and haue beene all made to drinke into one spirit . Luk. 1. 35. The Angell answered , and said vnto her , The holy Ghost shall come vpon thee , and the power of the most High shall ouershadow thee : therefore also that holy thing , which shall be borne of thee , shall be called the sonne of God. 41. And it came to passe , as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Marie , the babe sprang in her bellie , and Elizabeth was filled with the holy Ghost . 64. And his mouth was opened immediately , and his tongue loosed , and he spake and praised God● 80. And the child grewe , & waxed strong in spirit . Iere. 1.5 . Before I formed thee in the womb , I knew thee , and before thou camest out of the wombe , I sanctified thee . I call the manner of infants saluation secret and vnspeakable , because I. they want actuall faith to receiue Christ : for actuall faith necessarily presupposeth a knowledge of Gods free promise , the which he that beleeueth , doth applie vnto himselfe : but this , infants cannot any waies possibly performe . And surely if infants should haue faith actually , they generally either lo●e it when they come to mens estate , or at least shew no signes thereof , both which they could not doe , if before they had receiued actuall faith . Nay we see that in those of riper yeares , there are not so much as the shadowes or sparkes of faith to bee seene , before they be called by the preaching of the Gospell . II. Infants are said to be regenerated onely in regard of their internall qualities and inclinations , not in regard of any motions , or actions of the minde , will , or affections . And therefore they want those terrors of conscience , which come before repentance as occasions thereof , in such as are of riper yeares of discretion . Againe , they are not troubled with that conflict and combate betwixt the flesh and the spirit , wherewith those faithfull ones that are of more yeares are marueilously exercised . CHAP. 36. Concerning the first degree of the declaration of Gods loue . THe declaration of Gods loue , in those of yeres of discretion , hath especially foure degrees . Rom. 8.30 . 1. Cor. 1.30 . The first degree , is an effectuall calling , whereby a sinner being seuered frō the world , is entertained into Gods familie . Eph. 2.17 . And came , and preached peace vnto you , which were a farre off , and to them that were neere . 19. Nowe therfore ye are no more strangers and forrainers , but citizens with the Saints , and of the ●oushold of God. Of this there be two parts . The first is , Election , which is a seperation of a sinner from the cursed estate of all mankind . Ioh. 15.19 . If ye were of the world , the world would loue his own : but because ye are not of the world , but I haue chosen you out of the world , therefore the world hateth you . The second is , the reciprocall donation or free gift of God the Father , whereby he bestoweth the sinfull man to be saued vpon Christ , and Christ againe actually & most effectually vpon that sinfull man , so that he may boldly sa●e this thing , namely Christ , both God and man , is mine , and I for my benefit and vse enioy the same . The like we see in wedlocke : The husband saith , this woman is my wife , whome her parents haue giuen vnto men , so that , shee being fully mine , I may both haue her , and gouerne her . Againe , the woman may say , this man is mine husband , who hath bestowed himselfe vpon me , & doth cherish me as his wife . Rom. 8.32 . He spared not his owne sonne , but gaue him for vs. Esa. 9.6 . Vnto vs a child is born , & vnto vs a son is giuen . Ioh. 17.2 . Thou hast giuen him power vpon all flesh , that he should giue eternall life to all thē whome thou hast giuen him . 6. I haue declared thy name to the men which thou gauest me out of the world : thine they were , and thou gauest them me , and they kept thy worde . 7. Nowe they know that all things , whatsoeuer thou hast giuen me , are of thee . Ioh. 10.29 . My father , which gaue them me , is greater then all , and none is able to take them out of my fathers hands . Hence commeth that admirable vnion , or coniunctiō , which is the ingraffing of such as are to be saued , into Christ , and their growing vp togither with him : so that after a peculiar manner , Christ is made the head , and euery repentant sinner , a member of his mysticall bodie . Ioh. 17.20 . I pray not for these alone , but for them also which shall beleeue in me , through their word . 21. That they all may be one , as thou , O father , art in me , and I in thee : euen that they may be also one in vs. Eph. 2.20 . We are members of his bodie , of his flesh , and of his bones . Ioh. 25.1 . I am that true vine , and my father is the husbandman . 2. Euery branch that beareth not fruit in me , he taketh away : and euery one that beareth fruite , he purgeth it , that it may bring forth more fruite . Eph. 2. 20. Built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles , ●hose corner stone is Iesus Christ himselfe . 21. In whō all the building coupled togither , groweth vnto an holy temple in the Lord. 22. In whome ye are also built togither , to be the habitation of God by the spirit . This , albeit it be a most neere and reall vnion , yet we must not thinke , that it , by touching , mixture , or , as it were , by souldring of one soule with another , neither by a bare agreement of the soules among themselues : but by the communion and operation of the same spirit , which beeing by nature infinite , is of sufficient abilitie to conioyne those things togither , which are of themselues farre distant from each other : the like we see in the soule of man , which conioyneth the head with the foote . Eph. 2.22 . 2. Pet. 1.4 . Whereby most great and precious promises are giuen vnto vs , that by them ye should be partakers of the godly nature , in that ye flie the corruption , which is in the world through lust . Phil. 2.1 . If there be any consolation in Christ , if any comfort of loue , if any fellowship of the spirit , &c. The things vnited . In this vnion not our soule alone is vnited with Christs soule , or our ●lesh with his flesh : but the whole person of euery faithfull man , is ●erely conioyned with the whol person of our Sauiour Christ God & man. The manner of their vnion is this . A faithfull man first of all and immediatly is vnited to the flesh , or humane nature of Christ , & afterward by reason of the humanitie , to the Word it selfe , or diuine nature . For saluation and life dependeth on that fulnesse of the godhead which is in Christ , yet it is not cōmunicated vnto vs , but in the flesh , and by the flesh of Christ. Ioh. 6 . 5● . Except ye eate the flesh , and drinke the blood of the Sonne of man , ye haue no life in you . 56. He that eateth my flesh , and drinketh my blood , dwelleth in me , and I in him . The bond of this vnion . This vnion is made by the spirit of God applying Christ vnto vs : and on our parts by faith receiuing Christ Iesus offered vnto vs. And for this cause is it tearmed a spirituall vnion . Christ , because he is the head of the faithfull , is to be considered as a publike man sustaining the person of all the elect . Hence is it that the faithfull are ●aid to be crucified with Christ , and with him to die , & to be buried . Rom. 6.4 , 5,6 , to be quickened . Eph. 2.5 . to be raised vp , and placed in heauen . v. 6. Col. 3.1 . the which is not onely in regard of the hope of the faithful , but because they are accepted of God certainely to haue done all these things in Christ : euen as in Adams first sinne all his posteritie afterward was tainted of sinne . A member of Christ is diuersly distinguished : and is so either before men , or God. Before mē they are the members of Christ , who outwardly professing the faith , are charitably reputed by the Church as true members . But such deceiuing at length , both themselues and the Church , may be reprobates : & therefore in Gods presence they are no more true members , then are the noxious humours in mans bodie , or a woodden legge or other ioynt cunningly fastened to another part of the bodie . Againe , members before God , they are such , as either are decreed to be so , or actually are so already . Such as are decreed to be so , are they , who , being elect from all eternitie , are either as yet not borne , or not called . Ioh. 10. 16. Other sheepe haue I , which are not of this fold : them also must I bring . Actuall members of Christ , are either liuing or dying members . An actuall liuing member of Christ is , euery one elected , which being engraffed by faith , and the spirit into Christ , doth feele and shewe forth the power of Christ in him . An actuall dying or decaying member is , euery one truely engraffed into Christ , and yet hath no feeling of the power and efficacie of the quickening spirit in him . He is like vnto a benummed legge without sense , which indeede is a part of mans body , and yet receiueth no nourishment : such are those faithfull ones , who for a time doe faint and are ouercome vnder the heauie burthē of tentations , and their sinnes : such are also those excommunicate persons , who in regard of their engraffing are true members , howesoeuer in regard of the externall communion with the Church , and efficacie of the spirit , they are not members , till such time as they being touched with repentance , doe begin as it were , to liue againe . God executeth this effectuall calling by certaine meanes . The first , is the sauing hearing of the word of God , a which is , when the said word outwardly is preached , to such an one as is both dead in his sinnes , and doth not so much as dreame of his saluation . b And first of all , the Law shewing a man his sinne , and the punishment thereof , which is eternall death : afterward the Gospel , shewing saluation by Christ Iesus , to such as beleeue . c And inwardly the eyes of the minde are enlightened , d the heart and eares opened that he may see , heare , and vnderstand the preaching of the word of God. The second , is the mollifying of the heart , the which must be bruised in pieces , that it may be fit to receiue Gods sauing grace offered vnto it . Ezech. 11. 19. I will giue them one heart , and I will put a new spirit within their bowels . And I will take the stonie heart out of their bodies , and will giue them an heart of flesh . There are for the brusing of this stonie heart , foure principal hammers . The first , is the knowledge of the law of God. The second , is the knowledge of sinne , both originall , and actuall , and what punishment is due vnto them . The third , is compunction , or pricking of the heart , namely , a sense and feeling of the wrath of God for the same sinnes . The fourth , is an holy desperation of a mans owne power , in the obtaining of eternall life . Act. 2.37 . When they heard these things , they were pricked in heart , and said vnto Peter , and the rest of the Apostles , Men and brethren , what shall we doe ? 38. Peter said vnto them , Repent , and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus into the remission of sinnes , and ye shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost . Luk. 15.17 . Then he came to himselfe , and said , How many hired seruants at my fathers haue bread ynough , and I die for hunger ? 18. I will rise , and goe to my father , and say vnto him , Father , I haue sinned against heauen , and before thee , 19. And am no more worthie to be called thy sonne : make me as one of thy hired seruants , &c. Matth. 15. 24. He answered , and said , I am not sent , but to the lost sheepe of Israel . The third , is faith , which is a miraculous and supernaturall facultie of the heart , apprehending Christ Iesus , being applied by the operation of the holy Ghost , and receiuing him to it selfe . Ioh. 1.1,2,6.35 . Iesus said vnto them , I am the bread of life , he that commeth vnto me shall neuer hunger : and he that beleeueth in me , shall neuer thirst . Rom. 9.30 . What shall we say then ? the Gentiles which followed not righteousnesse , haue attained vnto righteousnesse , euen the righteousnes which is of faith . Christ is receiued , when euery seuerall person doth particularly apply vnto himselfe , Christ with his merits , by an inward perswasiō of the heart , which commeth none other way , but by the effectuall certificate by the holy Ghost concerning the mercy of God in Christ Iesus . 1. Cor. 2.12 . Wee haue receiued , not the spirit of the world , but the spirit which is of GOD , that we might knowe the things that are giuen to vs of GOD. Ezech. 12.10 . I will poure the spirit of grace vpon the house of Dauid , and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem : and they shall looke vnto me , whome they haue wounded . Rom. 8.16 . His spirit beareth witnesse to our spirit , that we are the sonnes of God. Eph. 1.13 . In whom also ye haue trust , after that ye heard the word of truth , euen the Gospell of your saluation , wherein also after that ye beleeued , ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise . 2. Cor. 1.22 . In the worke of faith , there are foure degrees , or motions of the heart , linked and vnited togither , and are worthy the consideration of euery Christian. The first , is knowledge of the Gospell , by the illumination of gods spirit . Esay 53.11 . By his knowledge shall my seruant iustifie many . Ioh. 7.3 . This is life eternall , that they knowe thee to be the onely very God , and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. To this , in such as are truely humbled , is annexed a serious meditation of the promises in the Gospell , stirred vp by the sensible feeling of their owne beggerie . And after the forsaid knowledge in all such as are enlightened , commeth a generall faith , whereby they subscribe to the trueth of the Gospell . Heb. 4.2 . Vnto vs was the Gospell preached , as also vnto them : but the word that they heard profited not them , because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it . 1. Tim. 1.19 . Hauing faith and a good conscience , which some haue put away , and as concerning the faith , haue made shipwracke . 1. Tim. 2.4 . Who will that all men should bee saued , and come vnto the knowledge of the trueth . This knowledge if it be more full and perfect , is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , the full assurāce of vnderst●̄ding . Col. 2.2 . That their hearts might be comforted , and they knit togither in loue , and in all riches , of the full assurance of vnderstanding , to knowe the mysterie of God , euen the father , and of Christ. Rom. 14.14 . I knowe , and am perswaded through the Lord Iesus , that there is nothing vncleane of it selfe . Luk. 1.1 . For as much as many haue taken in hand to set forth the storie of those things , whereof we are fully perswaded . 1. Thes. 1.5 . Our gospell was vnto you , not in word onely , but also in power , and in the holy Ghost , and in much assurance . The second , is hope of pardon , whereby a sinner , albeit he yet feeleth not that his sinnes are certainly pardoned , yet he be beleeueth that they are pardonable . Luk. 15.18 . I will goe vnto him father , and say , Father , I haue sinned against he●uen and against thee , and am no more worthie to be called thy sonne , make me as one of thy hired seruants . The third , is an hungring and thirsting after that grace which is offered to him in Christ Iesus , as a man hungreth and thirsteth after meate and drinke . Ioh. 6.35 . and 7.37 . Reu. 21.6 . And he said vnto me , It is done . I am A and Ω , the beginning and the ende , I will giue to him that is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely . Matth. 5.6 . Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousnes , for they shall be satisfied . The fourth , is the approching to the throne of Grace , that there flying from the terror of the Law , he may take hold of Christ and finde fauour with God. Heb. 4.16 . Let vs therefore goe boldly to the throne of grace , that we may receiue mercie , and finde grace to helpe in time of neede . This approching hath two parts . The first , is an humble confession of our sinnes before God particularly , if they be knowne sinnes ; and generally , if vnknowne : this done , the Lord forthwith remitteth all our sinnes . Psalm . 32.5 . I thought , I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord , and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne . Selah . 2. Sam. 12. 13. Dauid said to Nathan , I haue sinned against the Lord : wherefore Nathan said to Dauid , The Lord hath taken away thy sinne , thou shalt not die . Luk. 15.19 . The secōd , is the crauing pardon of some sinnes , with vnspeakable sighes , and in perseuerance . Luk. 15.21 . Act. 8.22 . Repent of this wickednesse , and pray God , that if it be possible , the thought of thine heart may be forgiuen thee . Rom. 8. 26. The spirit helpeth our infirmities : for we knowe not what to pray as we ought : but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs , with sighes which cannot be expressed . Hos. 14.2,3 . O Israel , returne vnto the Lord thy God , for thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie : Take vnto you wordes , and turne to the Lord , and say to him : take away al iniquitie , and receiue vs gratiously . The fift arising of the former , is an especiall perswasion imprinted in the heart by the holy Ghost , whereby euery faithful man doth particularly apply vnto himselfe those promises which are made in the Gospell . Matth. 9.2 . They brought vnto him a man sicke of the palsie : and when Iesus saw their faith , he saide vnto the sicke of the palsie , Sonne , be of good comfort , thy sinnes are forgiuen thee . Mat. 15.28 . O woman , great is thy faith , bee it vnto thee as thou desirest . Gal. 2.20 . I liue , yet not I nowe , but Christ liueth in me : and in that I nowe liue in the flesh , I liue by the faith of the sonne of God , who hath loued me , and giuen himselfe for me . This perswasiō is , & ought to be in euery one , euē before he haue any experiēce of Gods mercies . Mat. 15.22 . A womā , a Canaanite , came out of the same coasts , and cried , saying vnto him , Haue mercie on me , O Lord , the sonne of Dauid , my daughter is miserably vexed with a deuill , &c. 23,24,25,26,27 . Ioh. 20.29 . Iesus said vnto him , Thomas , because thou hast seene me , thou beleeuest : blessed are they which haue not seene , and haue beleeued . Hebr. 11. 1. Faith is the ground of things hoped for , and the euidence of things which are not seene . In philosophy wee first see a thing true by experience , and afterward giue our assent vnto it : as in naturall philosophy ; I am perswaded that such a water is hot , because when I put mine hand into it , I perceiue by experience an hot qualitie . But in the practise of faith it is quite contrarie . For first , we must consent to the word of God , resisting all doubt and diffidence , and afterward will an experience , and feeling of comfort followe . 2. Chron. 20.20 . Put your trust in the Lord your God , and ye shall be assured ; beleeue his Prophets , and yee shall prosper . They therefore doe very ill , who are still in a doubt of their saluation , because as yet , they feele not in themselues , especiall motions of Gods spirit . Thus much concerning the way which God vseth in begetting of faith . There are beside this , two notable degrees of faith . The one is , the lowest , and as I may speake , the positiue degree : the other is the highest , or superlatiue . The lowest degree of faith , is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a little or weake faith , like a graine of mustard seede , or smoking flaxe , which can neither giue out heate nor flame , but onely smoke . Math. 8.25 . His Disciples awaked him , saying , Saue , master , we perish . 26. And he said vnto them , Why are ye fearefull , O ye of little faith . Math. 7.20 . If ye haue faith as much as a graine of mustard seede , ye shall say vnto the mountaine , Mooue , and it shall remooue . Esay 42.3 . The smoking flaxe shall he not quench . Faith is then said to be weake and feeble , when as , of those fiue degrees aboue mentioned , either the first , which is knowledge , or the fift , which is , application of the promises , is very feeble , the rest remaining strong . Rom. 14.2 . One beleeueth that he may eate all things , and another which is weake , eateth hearbes . 3. Let not him that eateth , despise him that eateth not : and let not him which eateth not , iudge him which eateth : for God hath receiued him . The Apostles although they beleeued , that Christ was the Sonne of the liuing God : yet they were ignorant of his death and his resurrection . Matth. 16. 16. Ioh. 6.69 . Matth. 17. 22. Luk. 9.49 . They vnderstood not that word : for it was hid from thē , so that they could not perceiue it . Act. 1.6 . They asked him , saying , Lord , wilt thou restore at this time the kingdome of Israel ? For the better knowledge of this kind of faith , we must obserue these two rules . I. A serious desire to beleeue , and an indeauour to obtaine Gods fauour , is the head of faith Mat 5.6 . Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse , for they shall be satisfied . Reu. 21.6 . I will giue to him that it is a thirst , of the well of the water of life freely . Psal. 145.19 . He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him : he also will heare their crie , and will saue them . For in such as begin to beleeue and to be renued , the minde will lie not idle , but being mooued by the holy ghost , striue with doubtfulnesse and distrust , & indeauour to put their assent to the sweete promises made in the Gospell , and firmely to apply the same to themselues , and in the sense of their weakenesse , desire assistance from aboue , and thus faith is bestowed . II. God doth not despise the least sparke of faith , if so be , it , by little and little , doe encrease , and men vse the meanes to increase the same . Luk. 17.5 . The Apostles said vnto the Lord , encrease our faith . 6. And the Lord said , If ye had faith as much as a graine of mustard seed , and should saie vnto this mulberrie tree , Plucke thy selfe vp by the rootes , and plant thy selfe in the sea , it should euen obey you . Man must therefore stirre vp his faith , by meditation of Gods word , serious prayers , and other exercises belonging vnto faith . The highest degree of faith , is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a full assurance , which is not onely certaine and true but also a full perswasion of the heart , whereby a Christian much more firmely taking hold on Christ Iesus , maketh full and resolute account that God loueth him , and that he will giue to him by name , Christ , and all his graces pertaining to eternall life , Rom. 4.20 . Neither did be doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe , but was strengthened in the faith , and gaue glory to God. 21. Beeing fully assured that he , which had promised , was able also to doe it . Rom. 8.38 . I am perswaded , that neither life , nor death , &c. can separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus . 1. Sam. 17.36 . Thy seruant slue both the lyon and the beare : therfore this vncircumcised Philistim shall be as one of them , seeing he hath railed on the hoste of the liuing God. Psal. 23.6 . Doubtlesse , kindnesse and mercy shal follow me all the daies of my life . Conferred with v. 1,2,3,4 . Man commeth to this high degree , after the sense , obseruation , & long experience of Gods fauour and loue . Quest. Whether is iustifying faith commanded in the law ? Answer . It is commanded in the lawe of faith , namely , the Gospel , but not in the law of works , that is , in the morrall law . Rom. 3.27 . the reasons are these : I. That which the law reuealeth not , that it commandeth not : but the lawe is so farre from reuealing iustifying faith , that it neuer knew it . II. Adam had fully before his fall written in his heart the morall lawe , yet had he not iustifying faith , which apprehendeth Christ. Obiect . I. Incredulitie is condemned by the law . Answer . That incredulitie which is toward God , is condemned in the lawe , but that incredulitie which is against the Messiah Christ Iesus , is condemned by the Gospel . For as by the Gospel● not by the law , incredulitie in the Sonne as Mediatour , appeareth to be a sinne : so likewise not by the law is incredulitie in the Messiah condemned , but by the Gospel , which commandeth vs to heare him and to beleeue in him . Mat. 17.5 . 1. Ioh. 3.23 . Thus it is plaine that this sinne , not to beleeue in Christ , is expressely and distinctly made manifest , and condemned by the Gospel . And albeit the knowledge of sinne be by the law , yet not euery thing which doth reprooue , and declare some sinne , is the lawe of workes or belongeth thereto . Obiect . II. But ceremonies belong to the decalogue . Answer . Ceremonies may be as examples referred to the decalogue , but indeede they are appendants to the Gospell . CHAP. 37. Concerning the second degree of the declaration of Gods loue . THe second degree , is iustification , whereby such as beleeue , are accounted iust before God , through the obedience of Christ Iesus . 2. Cor. 5.21 . He hath made him to be sinne for vs , which knewe no sinne : that we should bee made the righteousnesse of God in him . 1. Cor. 1.30 . Rom. 5.19 . As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners , so by the obedience of one ( that is , Iesus Christ , v. 17 . ) shall many also be made righteous . Quest. Whether did Christ performe full obedience to the law , for vs men alone , or for himselfe also . Answer . I. Not for himselfe , as some not rightly would haue him : for the flesh of Christ beeing hypostatically vnited to the Word , and so in it selfe fully sanctified , was euen from the first moment of conception , most worthy to be blessed with eternall life . Therefore by all that obedience which he performed after his conception , Christ , he merited nothing for himselfe . II. For vs , namely , for the faithfull , he fulfilled all the righteousnes of the law : and hence is it that he is called the ende of the law vnto righteousnes to euery one that beleeueth . Rom. 10. Here may be obiected : I. Christ as he is man , is bound to performe obedience to the law for himselfe . Answer . He is not bound by nature , but of his owne accord : for he was not a bare man , but God and man. And albeit Christ did neither suffer nor fulfill the law , but in that flesh which he tooke vpon him ; yet by reason of the hypostaticall vnion , this his passion and obedience hath respect vnto the whole person , considered as God and man , and therefore his obedience was not due on his part , and so was without merit to himselfe : yea , in that the flesh of Christ is vnited to the person of the Word , and so exalted in dignitie and sanctitie aboue all Angels , it may seeme to be exempted from this naturall obligation of performing the law . II. If then Christ performed the law for vs , we are no more now bounden to the obseruance of the same : as we doe not vndergoe eternall punishments for our sinnes , the which Christ in his person did beare vpon the crosse . Answer . If we keepe the same respect of performing obedience to the law , the consequence is very true , otherwise it is not so : for Christ performed obedience to the law for vs , as it is the satisfaction of the law : but the faithfull they are bounden to obedience , not as it is satisfactorie , but as it is a document of faith , and a testimonie of their gratitude towards God , or a meanes to edifie their neighbours : euen as Christ suffering punishments for our sinnes , we also suffer punishments as they are either trialls , or chastisments vnto vs. III. The law and iustice of God doth not togither exact both , namely , obedience , and punishment . Answer . In mans perfect estate , the iustice of God requireth onely obedience : but in his estate corrupted , he requireth both obedience , and punishment . Punishment , as the law is violated : obedience , that legall iustice may be performed . Gal. 3.10 . It is therefore plaine , that not onely Christs passion , but also his legall obedience , is our righteousnes before God. Iustification hath two parts : Remission of sinnes , and imputation of Christs righteousnes . Remission of sinnes , is that part of iustification , whereby he that beleeueth , is freed from the guilt and punishment of sinne , by the merits of the passion of Christ. Coloss. 1.21,22 . You hath he now reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to make you holy , and vnblameable , and without fault in his sight . 1. Pet. 2.24 . Who , in his owne flesh , bare our sinnes in his bodie , on the tree , that we beeing deliuered from sinne , should liue in righteousnes , by whose stripes ye are healed . Imputation of righteousnes , is the other part of iustification , whereby such as beleeue , hauing the guilt of their sinnes couered , are accounted iust in the sight of God , through Christs righteousnes . 2. Cor. 5.21 . Psal. 32.1 . Blessed is he whose wickednes is forgiuen , and whose sinne is couered . Rom. 4. the whole chapter , where the Apostle repeateth imputation eleuen times . Philip. 3.9 . I haue counted all things losse , and doe iudge them to be domage , that I might winne Christ , and might be f●●●d in him , that is , not hauing mine owne righteousnes , which is by the law , but that which is through the faith of Christ , euen the righteousnes which is of God through faith . The forme of iustification , is , as it were , a kinde of translation of the beleeuers sinnes vnto Christ , and againe Christs righteousnes vnto the beleeuer , by meanes of Gods diuine imputation . As is apparant in this picture falling . This obedience of Christ , is called the Righteousnes of God , and of Christ. Of God , I. not because it is in God , but of God : for it taketh all the power and merit it hath from the deiti● of the Sonne : whence it is that Ieremie saith , Iehouah our Righteousnesse . II. God doth onely accept of it for vs , because that alone maketh vs boldly to approch vnto Gods throne of grace , that we may haue pardon for our sinnes , and be receiued to eternall life . It is also called the Righteousnesse of Christ , because being out of vs , it is in the humanitie of Christ as in a subiect . Obiect . I. No man is made iust by another mans iustice . Answer . This iustice is both an others , and ours also . An others , because it is in Christ as in a subiect : ours , because by meanes of the forenamed vnion , Christ with all his benefits is made ours . Obiect . II. The ancient fathers neuer dreamed of this imputatiue iustice , and it may seeme too of no greater continuance then fiftie yeares . Ans. This is both false , & impious to affirme . August . 3. Tract . vpon Iohn , saith , All such as are iustified by Christ , are iust not in themselues , but in him . Barnard in his sermon ( ad milites templi cap : 11. ) Mors in Christi morte fugatur , & Christi iustitia nobis imputatur : that is , Death in Christ his death is put to flight , and the iustice of Christ is imputed vnto vs. And in his 62. sermon v●on the Canticles : Where is there any rest ( saith he ) but in the wounds of our Sauiour ? I will further sing , but what ? mine owne iustice ? nay , O Lord , I will remember thy iustice alone : for that is also my iustice . For thou wast made of God vnto me iustice : But should I feare , whether that one iustice would suffice two ? nay it is not a short cloake that is not able to couer a couple . Thy iustice is iustice for euermore , and will both couer thee and me , it is largely large and eternall iustice : and in me it couereth the multitude of my sinnes , &c. August . lib. de Spiritu & litera cap. 9. & 26. We must vnderstand this saying so . The doers of the Law shall be iustified , that we may know , that there are no doers of the law but such as are iustified , so that they are not first doers of the law , and then iustified , but first iustified , and then doers of the law . So it is said they shall be iustified , as if it should be said , they shall be reputed iust and ac●ounted iust . Iustification hath annexed vnto it Adoption , whereby all such as are predestinate to be adopted , receiue power , to be actually accounted the sonnes of God by Christ. Eph. 1. 5. Who hath predestinate vs , to be adopted through Iesus Christ , vnto himselfe , according to the good pleasure of his will. By meanes of adoption , God hath bestowed many notable priuiledges vpon his children . I. They are the Lords heires apparant . Rom. 8.17 . If we be children , we be also heires , euen the heires of God. II. They are fellow heires with Christ , yea kings . Rom. 8. 17. Rev. 1.6 . And made vs Kings and Priests , euen to God his Father . III. All their afflictions , yea euen their wants , and offences , are turned to trials or fatherly chastisments , inflicted vpon them for their good . Rom. 8.28 . We know that all things worke together for the best , vnto them that loue God. 36. It is written , for thy sake are we killed all the day long : we are counted as sheepe for the slaughter . 37. Neuerthelesse , in all these things , we are more then conquerours thorough him that loued vs. Psal. 89.32 . I will visit their transgressions with the rodde , and their iniquitie with strokes . 33. Yet my louing kindnes will I not take from him . 2. Cor. 12.7 . There was giuen vnto me a pricke in the flesh , the messenger of Satan to buffet me , because I should not be exalted out of measure . 2. Sam. 7. 14. I will be to him a father , and he shall be to me a sonne : and if he sinne , I will chasten him with the rodde of men , and with the plagues of the children of men . IV. They haue dominion ouer all creatures , yet so , as that in this life they haue onely right to the thing ; but after this life also in the same . Whence it is apparant , that the faithfull alone haue the true vse of the Lords goods , I. because their persons are in Christ acceptable vnto him , in whom also they haue restitution made vnto them of those goods which they lost in Adam , that they may with a good conscience vse them . II. They vse them with thanksgiuing to their ends appointed by God. 1. Cor. 3.22,23 . Whether it be Paul , or Apollos , or Cephas , or the world , or life , or death , whether they be things present , or things to come , euen all are yours . Heb. 2.7 . Thou madest him little inferiour to the Angels , thou crownedst him with glorie and honour , and hast set him aboue the workes of thine hands . 8. Thou hast put all things in subiection vnder his feete . Last of all , they may haue the Angels as ministring spirits attending vpon them for their good . Hebr. 1.14 . Are they not all ministring spirits , sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation ? Psal. 34.7 . The Angel of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him , and deliuereth them . CHAP. 38. Concerning the third degree of the declaration of Gods loue . THe third degree , is Sanctification , whereby such as beleeue , beeing deliuered from the tyrannie of sinne , are by little and little renued in holines and righteousnes . 1. Ioh. 3.9 . Whosoeuer is borne of God , sinneth not : for his seede remaineth in him , neither can he sinne , because he is borne of God. Rom. 8.1 . There is no condemnation to those which are in Christ Iesus , which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit . Sanctification hath two parts : Mortification , and Viuification . The mortification of ●inne , is the first part of sanctification , whereby the power of sinne is abated , and crucified in the faithfull . Rom. 6.2 . How shall we that are dead to sinne , liue yet therein ? 3. Know ye not that all we which haue beene baptized into Iesus Christ , haue beene baptized into his death ? 4. We are buried then with him by baptisme into his death , that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead , by the glorie of the father , so we also should walke in newnes of life . Eccles. 5.6 , 7 , 11 , 12 , 13. Galat. 5.24 . They which are Christs ha●e crucified the flesh , with the affections and lusts thereof . The meanes that worke mortification , is the death & buriall of Christ , frō whence , sinn being by it at the first nipped in the head , proceedeth such a vertue , as doth both keepe vnder the strength that it cānot break out as it would , and in man , as it were in a graue , doth cause it to die and eke putrifie . Rom. 6.6 . Our old man is crucified with him , that the bodie of sinne might be destroyed . The power of Christ his death , is a certaine power issuing into his humanitie , suffering , and dying , from his deitie ; whereby he did ; in the ●ame his humanitie , both concerning the guilt , and also the punishment , vanquish our sinne , imputed vnto him , beeing our suretie : that in like sort , he , in vs his members , might by the same power abolish the corruption of sinne . Viuification , is the second part of sanctification : whereby inherent holines being begun , is still augmented and enlarged . First , we receiue the fi●st fruits of the spirit , then a continuall encrease of them . Eph. 4.23 . Be renued in the spirit of your minde . 24. And put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes , and true holines . Eph. 2. 1. And you , hath he quickned , that were dead in trespasses and sinnes . Gal. 2. 20. Thus I liue , yet not I now , but Christ in me : and in that I now liue by the flesh , I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God , who hath loued me , and giuen himselfe for me . Rom. 8.23 . We which haue the first fruits of the spirit , euen we doe sigh in our selues , waiting for the adoption , euen the redemption of our bodies . 1. Cor. 15.45 . The first man Adam was made a liuing soule , ●nd the second man Adam was made a quickning spirit . The efficient cause of them both is the holy Ghost , who doth by his diuine power conuey himselfe into the beleeuers hearts , and in them , by applying the power of Christ his death ; and resurrection , createth holinesse . Iob 3● . 24 , 25. Rom. 8.9 . Now ye are not in the flesh , but in the spirit , because the spirit of God dwelleth in you : but if any man haue not the spirit of Christ , the same is not his . 11. But if the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you , he that raised vp Christ from the dead , shall also quicken your mortall bodies , because that his spirit dwelleth in you . The preseruatiue of viuification , is a vertue deriued from Christs resurrection , to those that are quickned , which maketh them to rise vp to newnesse of life . Philip. 3.10 . That I may know him , and the vertue of his resurrection . The power of Christs resurrection is that , whereby he ●irst , did in his owne ●lesh , as conquerer ouer death and sinne , beginne to liue with God , and to be exalted aboue euery name : and then by it , he , in his members , sinne beeing d●ad and buried , doth cause in them a studie and purpose to liue according to the will of God. Furthermore , this inherent holines is to be distinguished into parts , according to the seuerall faculties of the bodie & soule of man. 1. Th. 5.23 . The very God of peace sanctifie you throughout : And I pray God , that your whole spirit , soule , and bodie may be kept blamelesse , vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. I. The holines or renuing of the minde , which is the illumination thereof , to the knowledge of the will of God. Coloss. 1.9 . We cease not to pray for you , and to desire that ye might be fully filled with knowledge of his will , in all wisdom and spirituall vnderstanding . 1. Cor. 12.8 . To one is giuen by the spirit , the speech of wisdome , to an other the speech of knowledge , by the same spirit . Illumination , is either spirituall vnderstanding , or spirituall wisdome . Spirituall vnderstanding , is an illumination of the minde , whereby it acknowledgeth the knowne truth of the word of God. Spirituall wisdome , is also an illumination of the minde , whereby the same truth , is applied to the good ordering of particular both things and actions , as person , place , and time require . These two , haue these effects , which follow . I. To discerne betweene good and euill . Heb. 5.14 . Strong meate belongeth to them that are of age , which through long custome haue their exercised to discerne both good and euill . Phil. 10.1 . That we may discerne things that differ one from an other . II. To discerne of spirits . 1. Ioh. 4.1 . Deerely beloued , beleeue not euery spirit , but trie the spirits whether they are of God. 1. Thess. 5.21 . Trie all things , and keepe that which is good . Act. 17.11 . There were more noble men , then they which were at Thessalonica , which receiued the word with all readines , and searched the Scriptures daily , whether these things were so . III. To meditate vpon the word and works of God. Psal. 1.2 . But his delight is in the Law of God , and in that Law doth exercise himselfe day and night . Psal. 119.15 . I will meditate in thy precepts , and consider thy waies . Psal. 107. the whole psalme . IV. To discerne and acknowledge mans owne inward blindnes . Psal. 119.33 . Teach me , O Lord , the way of thy statutes , and I will keepe it vnto the end● . 28. Open mine eyes , that I may see the wonders of thy Law. II. The sanctitie of the memorie , is an abilitie to keepe a good thing , when it is offered to the minde , and as neede serueth , to remember it . Psal. 119.11 . I haue hid thy promise in mine heart , that I might not sinne against thee . Psal. 16.7 . I will praise the Lord who hath giuen me coūsell : my reines also teach me in the nights . Luk. 2.51 . His mother kept all these things in her heart . III. The sanctitie of conscience , which is a grace of God , whereby a mans conscience excuseth him for all sinnes , after they are forgiuen him in Christ , as also of his vpright walking in the whole course of his life . 1. Tim. 1.19 . Hauing faith and a good conscience , which some hauing put away , &c. 1. Cor. 4.4 . I know nothing by my selfe : yet am I not thereby iustified . Act. 23. 1. Paul said , I haue in all good conscience , serued God vntill this day . Act. 24.16 . I endeauour my selfe to haue alway a cleare conscience , toward God and toward men . Psal. 26. 1 , 2 , 3. Iudge me , O Lord , for I haue walked in mine innocencie , my trust hath beene also in the Lord : therefore shall I not slide . Prooue me , O Lord , and trie me , examine my reines and mine heart . For thy louing kindnesse is before mine eyes , therefore haue I walked in thy truth . Hence , in all godly men ariseth the inward peace of God , and the outward alacritie in the countenance . Phil. 4.7 . The peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding , shall preserue your hearts and mindes in Iesus Christ. Prov. 28.1 . The wicked flee , when none pursueth : but the righteous are bold as a Lyon. IV. Sanctitie of will , whereby man beginneth to will that which is good , and to refuse the contrarie . Therfore in this estate , the will is partly freed from bondage , partly in bondage to sinne . Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you , both the will and the deede , euen of his owne pleasure . Rom. 7. 18. I know that in me , that is , in my flesh , dwelleth no good thing : for to will is present with me , but I finde no meanes to performe that which is good , &c. v. 19 , 20 , 21 , 22. V. Sanctitie of affections , is the right moouing of them . 1. Thess. 5. 23. Rom. 7.24 . Affections of most especiall note , are these : I. Hope , whereby men with sighings , looke for the accomplishing of their redemption . Rom. 8.23 . This hope , when it is once strong and liuely , hath also her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , full assurance , as faith hath . Heb. 6.11 . And we desire that euery one of you shewe the same diligence , to the full assurance of hope vnto the ende . 1. Pet. 1.3 , Blessed be God , euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ , which , according to his aboundant mercie , hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope , by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead . II. Feare of offending God , because of his mercie , 1. Pet. 1.17 . If yee call him father , which without respect of person , iudgeth according to euery mans worke , passe the time of your dwelling here in feare . Psal. 103.4 . There is mercie with thee , that thou maist be feared . III. A base account of all worldly things , in respect of Christ Iesus . Phil. 3. 7. But the things that were aduantage to me , I accounted losse for Christs sake . 8. Yea doubtlesse , I thinke all things but losse , for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord , for whome I haue counted all things losse , and doe iudge them to be ●o●●g , that I might winne Christ. IV. The loue of God in Christ , which is like vnto death , and as a fire that cannot be quenched . Cant. 8.6 . Loue is strong as death , iealousie is cruell as the graue , the coles thereof are fire coles , and a vehement flame . V. A feruent zeale to Gods glorie . Rom. 9.3 . I vvould wish my selfe to be separate from Christ , for my brethren , that are my kinsmen , according to the flesh . VI. An anguish of minde for our owne sinnes and others also . Psal. 119 . 1●6 . Mine eyes gush out with teares , because men keepe not thy law . 2. Pet. 2.7 . And deliuered iust Lot , being vexed with the vncleanly conuersation of the wicked . 8. For he beeing righteous , and dwelling among them , in seeing and hearing , vexed his righteous soule from day to day , with their vnlawfull deedes . VII . Exceeding great ioy in the holy Ghost . Rom. 14.17 . The kingdome of God is not meate and drinke , but righteousnes , and peace , and ioy in the holy Ghost . VI. Sanctitie of bodie , whereby it is a sit instrument for the soule to accomplish that which is good . Rom. 6.19 . As ye haue giuen your members seruants to vncleannesse , and to iniquitie , to commit iniquitie : so now giue your members seruants vnto righteousnes in holines . CHAP. 39. Of Repentance and the fruits thereof . FRom sanctification , Repentance is deriued , because no man can earnestly repent , except he , denying himselfe , doe hate sinne , euen from his heart , and embrace righteousnes . This no man either will , or can performe , but such an one as is in the sight of God regenerated and iustified , and indued with true faith . Therefore albeit in such as are conuerted , repentance doth first manifest it selfe , yet regarding the order of nature , it followeth both faith and sanctification . Hence also is it euident that this repentance , legall contrition beeing some occasion , and , as it were , a preparation to true conuersion , is begotten by the preaching of the Gospel . Repentance is , when a sinner turneth vnto the Lord. Act. 26.20 . He shewed first vnto them of Damascus , and at Ierusalem , and through all the coasts of Iudea , and then to the Gentiles , that they should repent and turne to God , and to doe workes worthie amendment of life . 1. Ioh. 3.3 . Euery man that hath this hope in him , purgeth himselfe , as he is pure . This is performed , when as any one , by the instinct of the holy Ghost , doth purpose , will , desire , and endeauour to relinquish his former sinnes , and to become a new man. Psal. 119.112 . I haue applied my heart to fulfill thy statutes alway , euen vnto the ende . 1. Ioh. 3.3 . Act. 11.23 . Who when he was come , and had seene the grace of God , was glad , and exhorted all , that with purpose of heart , they would cleane vnto the Lord. The fruit of Repentance is , a Christian conuersation , wherein are brought forth fruits worthie amendment of life . Matth. 3.8 . Bring yee therefore forth fruits worthie of repentance . A Christian conuersation , is such a course of life , whereby we , following Christs example , doe by him , performe new obedience to God. Math. 11.29 . Take my yoke on you , and learne of me , that am meeke and lowly in heart : and ye shall finde rest vnto your soules . 1. Pet. 4.1 . For as much as Christ hath suffered for vs in the flesh , arme your selues likewise with the same minde , which is , that he which hath suffered in the flesh , hath ceased from sinne . 1. Pet. 2.21 . For hereunto are ye called , for Christ also suffered for vs , leauing vs an ensample that we should follow his steps . 1. Pet. 3.10 , 11. If any man long after life , and to see good daies , let him refraine his tongue from euill , and his lippes that they speake no guile . Let him eschew euill and doe good , let him seeke peace and follow after it . There are two parts of new obedience : the deniall of our selues , and the profession of Christ. Math. 16.24 . If any man will follow me , let him forsake himselfe , take vp his crosse , and follow me . The deniall of our selues , consisteth partly in Christian warrefare , partly in the patient bearing of affliction . CHAP. 40. Of Christian warfare . CHristian warfare , is concerning the right way of fighting in the spirituall battell . The partes thereof , are the preparation to battell , and the combate it selfe . To the preparation , we must vse the complet armour of God. Eph. 6.13 . For this cause , take vnto you the whole armour of God , that yee may be able to resist in the euill day , and hauing finished all things , stand fast . The parts hereof , are especially sixe . I. Trueth . II. Iustice. III. Euangelicall obedience . IV. Faith. V. The word of God. VI. Continuall and feruent prayer with watching . Eph. 6.14 . Stand therefore , and your loynes girded about with veritie , and hauing on the brestplate of righteousnesse . 15. And your feete shodd with the preparation of the Gospell of peace . 16. Aboue all , take the sheild of faith , wherwith ye may quench all the fierie dartes of the wicked . 17. And take the helmet of saluation , and the sword of the spirit , which is the word of God. 18. And praie alwaies with all manner praier and supplication in the spirit , and watch thereunto with all perseuerance and supplication for all Saints . 1. Pet. 5.8 . Be sober , and watch : for your aduersarie the deuill , as a roaring lyon , walketh about seeking whome hee may deuoure . The combate , is a mutuall conflict of them that fight spiritually . The warriours , are the tempter and the Christian souldier . Ephes. 6.12 . For we werestle not against flesh and blood , but against principalities , against powers , and against the wordly gouernours , the princes of the darkenesse of this world , against spirituall wickednesses , which are in high places . The Tempter , is the prince , or his helpers . The prince , is Satan and his angels , which are spirituall wickednesses , in high things . His helpers are the flesh and the world . The conflict of all these , is temptation , whereby man is prouoked to cōmit such wickednes , as is hurtfull to the saluation of his soule . 1. Pet. 2.11 . Dearly beloued , I beseech you , as strangers and pilgrims abstaine from fleshly lusts , which fight against the soule . In the Souldier , two things are to be considered : his resisting and his fall . Resistance is an action , whereby the souldier doth withstand temptation , through grace working inwardly in him . 1. Ioh. 2.14 . I write vnto you babes , because ye haue knowne the father : I haue written to you fathers , because ye haue known him that is from the beginning : I haue written to you yong men , because ye are strong , and the word of God abideth in you , and ye haue ouercome the wicked . 1. Pet. 5.8 . Eph. 6.16 . Psal. 91.13 . Thou shalt walke vpon the lyon and aspe : the young lyon and the dragon shalt thou tread vnder feete . To confirme this , these preseruatiues which follow , are very necessarie . I. When thou art tempted to sinne , doe not onely abstaine from it , but earnestly loue and followe after the contrarie . Ioh. 8.44 . II. Neuer yeeld or consent to Satans wordes , whether he speake the truth , accuse falsely , or flatter dissemblingly . Ioh. 8.44 . Yee are of your father the deuil , and the lusts of your father ye will doe : he hath beene a murderer from the beginning , and abode not in the truth , because there is no truth in him : when he speaketh a lie , then speaketh he of his owne : for he is a lier and the father thereof . Mark. 1.24 . And cried with a loud voice , and said , What haue I to do with thee , Iesus , the sonne of the most high God. And Iesus said , Hold thy peace and come out of him . Act. 16.17 . Shee followed Paul and vs , and cried , saying , These men are the seruants of the most high God , which shewe vnto vs the waie of saluation , &c. August . Serm. 241. III. One temptation is to be looked for after another , and then especially , when our enemie after he hath set his snares , is at rest : for the deuill neuer maketh an ende of his malice . 1. Pet. 5.8 . The fall is , whereby the souldier through infirmitie fainteth , being subdued by the power of the enemie . Gal. 6.1 . Brethren , if a man be fallen by occasion into any fault , ye which are spirituall , restore such a one with the spirit of meeknesse , considering thy selfe , least thou also be tempted . To this appertaineth the spirituall remedie . A remedie , is a thing hauing aptnesse to restore him which is fallen to his former estate . Gal. 6.1 . And here two things must alwaies be thought on . I. If there be a willing mind , euery one is accepted for that grace which he hath , not for that which he hath not . 2. Cor. 8.12 . For if there be first a willing mind , it is accepted according to that a mā hath , & not according to that he hath not II. In all these things , whosoeuer will lead a godly life in Christ , the power of God is to be made perfect through their infirmitie . 2. Cor. 12.9 . And hee said vnto me , My grace is sufficient for thee , for my power is made perfect through weakenesse : very gladly therefore will I reioice rather in mine infirmities , that the power of God may dwell in me . 10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities , in reproches , in necessities , in persecutions , in anguish for Christs sake , for when I am weake , then am I strong . CHAP. 41. Of the first Assault . ASsaults are threefold . The first is , about the Christian mans effectuall calling . The temptation is , the enterprise of the diuell to blindfold mans minde , and to harden his heart , least the word of GOD should worke in him to saluation . Matth. 13.4 . And as he sowed , some fell by the waie side , and the fowles came and deuoured thē vp . 5. And some fell vpon stonie ground , where they had not much earth , and anon they sprang vp , because they had no depth of earth . 6. And when the Sunne rose vp , they wer parched , and for lacke of rooting withered awaie . 7. And some fell among thornes , and the thornes sprung vp and choked them . 19. Whensoeuer a man heareth the word of the kingdome , and vnderstandeth it not , the euill one commeth , and catcheth away that which was sowne in his heart : and this is he which hath receiued the seede by the way side . A resistance in those that are called , is wrought by the spirit of God , that causeth men to lend their eares to heare , and doth ingraffe the word in their hearts , that the immortall seede of regeneration may spring in them . Psal. 40.6 . Ioh. 6.44 . Act. 16.14 . Iam. 1. 21. Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse , and superfluitie of maliciousnesse , and receiue with meeknes the word that is graffed in you , which is able to saue your soules . 1. Pet. 1.22 . Seeing your soules are purified in obeying the truth through the spirit , to loue brotherly without faining , loue one another with a pure heart feruently . 1. Ioh. 3.9 . Whosoeuer is borne of god sinneth not : for his seede remaineth in him , neither can he sinne , because he is borne of god . A resistance in those that are to be called , is when in a sincere heart they doe ioyne the word which they haue heard , with faith . Luk. 8.15 . But that which fell in good ground , are they which with an honest and good heart , heare the word and keepe it , and bring forth fruit with patience . Heb. 4.2 . Here are certaine preseruatiues to be noted . I. Premeditation of the power and vse of the word . Eccles. 4.17 . Take heede to thy feete , when thou entrest into the house of the Lord , and be more neere to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles : for they knowe not that they doe euill . Chap. 5.1 . Be not rash with thy mouth , nor let thine heart be hastie to vtter a thing before god : for God is in the heauen , and thou art on the earth : therefore let thy wordes be few . II. Diligent attention of the minde . Act. 16.14 . III. An hungring desire of the heart . Ioh. 7.37 . Nowe in the last and great day of the feast , Iesus stood and cried , saying , If any man thirst , let him come to me and drinke . IV. Integritie of life . Psal. 26.6 V. The casting away of euil affectiōs . Iam. 1.22 . And be ye doers of the word , and not hearers onely , deceiuing your owne soules . VI. The inward consent and agreement of the heart with the word preached . Act. 2.37 . VII . An hiding of the word in the heart , least we should sinne . Psal. 119.11 . I haue hid thy word in mine heart , that I might not sinne against thee . VIII . A trēbling at the presence of God in the assemblie of the Church . Esay 66.2 . For all these things hath mine hand made , and all these things haue been saith the Lord , and to him will I looke , euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit , and trembleth at my words . Act. 10.33 . Then sent I for thee immediatly , and thou hast well done to come : nowe therefore are we all here present before God , to heare all things that are commanded thee of God. The fall , is either a coldnesse in receiuing the word , and a neglect thereof , or else a falling into errours . The remedie for this , is subiection , which must be made to the iudgement and censure of the brethren and ministers . Reuelat. 3.15 . I knowe thy works , that thou art neither cold nor hote : I would thou werest cold or hote . Gal. 6.2.1 . Tim. 1.20 . Of whome is Hymeneus and Alexander , whome I haue deliuered vnto Satan , that they might learne not to blaspheme . CHAP. 42. Of the second Assault . THe second assault , is concerning faith . The temptation , is an illusion which the diuell casteth into the hearts of godly men : as when he saith , Thou art not of the number of the elect : thou art not iustified : thou hast no faith : thou must certenly be condemned for thy sinnes . Mat. 4.3 . Then came to him the tempter , and said , If thou be the Sonne of God , command that these stones be made bread . Helpes , which the deuil abuseth for the strengthening of such illusions , are these : I. Aduersitie : as dangers , losses , persecutions , iealousie , grieuous offences , &c. Psal. 73.12 . Loe , these are the wicked , yet prosper they alway , and increase in riches . 13. Certainely , I haue clensed mine heart in vaine , & washed mine hands in innocency . Iob. 13.23 . How many are mine iniquities & sinnes ? shew me my rebelliō and my sinne . 24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face , and takest me for thine enemie ? 25. Wilt thou breake a leafe driuen to and fro , and wilt thou pursue the drie stubble ? II. The remembrance of sins past . Iob. 13.26 . For thou writest bitter things against me , and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth . III. A feeling of death euen alreadie at hand . The resistance is made by a true faith , applying Christ with all his merits particularly , after this manner . I assuredly beleeue that I shall not be condemned , but that I am elected , and iustified in Christ , and am out of all doubt that all my sinnes are pardoned . Esai . 53.11 . Hee shall see the trauaile of his soule , and shall be satisfied : by his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many : for he shal beare their iniquities . Rom. 8.38 . For I am perswaded , that neither death , nor life , nor angels , nor principalities , nor powers , nor things present , nor things to come , 39. Nor height , nor depth , nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God , which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. The preseruatiue , is in temptation , not to behold faith , but the obiect of faith which is Christ. Philip. 3.12 . Not as though I had alreadie attained vnto it , either were already perfect : but I follow if that I may comprehend that , for whose sake also I am comprehended of Christ Iesus . 13. One thing I doe , I forget that which is behinde , & indeauour my selfe to that which is before . 14. And follow hard toward the marke , for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus . Ioh. 3.14 . And as Moses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernes , so must the sonne of man be lift vp , that he that beleeueth in him , &c. The falling , is doubtfulnes , and distrust of our election , and of Gods mercie . Psal. 77.6 . I called to remembrance my song in the night : I communed with mine owne heart , and my spirit searched diligently . 7. Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer ? and will he shew no more fauour ? 8. Is his mercy cleane gone for euer ? doth his promise faile for euermore ? So Dauid of himselfe saith , Psal. 22.1 . My God , my God , why hast thou forsaken me , and art so farre from my health , and from the words of my roring . The remedie is double . First the operatiō of the holy spirit stirring vp faith & increasing the same . Phil. 1.6 . I am perswaded of this same thing , that he that hath begunne this good worke in you , will performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ. Luk. 17.5 . And the Apostles said vnto the Lord , Increase our faith . The second is , an holy meditation , which is manifold . I. That it is the commandement of God that we should beleeue in Christ. 1. Ioh. 3.22 . This is then his commandement , that we beleeue in the name of his Sonne Iesus Christ , and loue one another , as he gaue commandement . II. That the Euangelicall promises are indefinite , and doe exclude no man , vnlesse peraduenture any man doe exclude himselfe . Esay . 55. 1. Ho , euery one that thirsteth , come ye to the waters , and ye that haue no siluer , come , buie , and eate : come , I say , buie wine and milke without siluer and without money . Matth. 11.28 . Come vnto me , all ye that are wearie and laden , and I will ease you . Ioh. 3.15 . That whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish , but haue eternall life . Also the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper , doe to euery one seuerally applie indefinite promises , and therefore are very effectuall to enforce particular assurance or plerophorie of forgiuenes of sinnes . III. That doubtfulnes and despaire are most grieuous sinnes . IV. That contrarie to hope , men must vnder hope beleeue with Abraham . Rom. 4.18 . Which Abraham aboue hope beleeued vnder hope , that he should be the father of many nations : according to that which was spoken to him , so shall thy seede be . V. That the mercie of God , and the merit of Christs obedience , beeing both God and man , are infinite . Esai 54.10 . For the mountaines shall remooue , and the hills shal fall downe : but my mercie shall not depart from thee , neither shal my couenant of peace fall away , saith the Lord , that hath compassion on thee . Psal. 103.11 . For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth , so great is his mercie toward them that feare him . 1. Ioh. 2.1 . My babes , these things write I vnto you , that ye sinne not : and if any man sinne , we haue an aduocate with the Father , Iesus Christ the iust . 2. And he is the reconciliation for our sinnes : and not for ours onely , but also for the sinnes of the whole world . Psal. 130.7 . Let Israel wait on the Lord : for the Lord is mercie , and with him is great redemption . VI. That God measureth the obedience due vnto him , rather by the affection and desire to obey , then by the act and performance of it . Rom. 8.5 . For they that are after the flesh , sauour the things of the flesh , but they that are after the spirit , the things of the spirit . 7. Because the wisdome of the flesh , is enmitie against God : for it is not subiect to the law of God , neither indeede can be . Rom. 7.20 . Now if I doe that I would not , it is no more I that doe it , but the sinne that dw●lleth in me . 21. I find then by the law , that when I would doe good , euill is present with me . 22. For I delight in the law of God , concerning the inner man. Mal. 3.17 . I will spare them , as a man spareth his sonne , that reuerenceth him . VII . When one sinne is forgiuen , all the rest are remitted also , for remission being giuen once , without any prescriptiō of time , is giuen for euer . Rom. 11.29 . For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance . Act. 10.43 . To him also giue all the Prophets witnes , that through his name , all that beleeue in him , shall receiue remission of sinnes . VIII . That grace and faith are not taken away by falls of infirmitie , but thereby are declared and made manifest . Rom. 5.20 . Moreouer , the law entred thereupon , that the offence should abound : neuerthelesse , when sinne abounded , there grace abounded much more . 2. Cor. 12.7 . And least I should be exalted out of measure , &c. there was giuen vnto me a pricke in the flesh , the messenger of Satan to buffet me . 8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrise , that it might depart from me . 9. He said . May grace is sufficient for thee . IX . That all the workes of God are by contrarie meanes . 2. Cor. 12.9 . My power is made perfect through weakenesse . CHAP. 43. Of the third Assault . THe third Assault is concerning Sanctificatio● . The tentation , is a prouoking to sinne , according as the disposition of e●●ry man , and as occasion shall offer it selfe . 1. Chron. 21.1 . And Satan st●●d vp against Israel , and prouoked Dauid to number Israel . Ioh. 13.2 . And when supper was done , the deuill had now put into the heart of Iudas Iscariot , Simons sonne , to betray him . In this tentation , the deuil doth wonderfully diminish and extenuate those sinnes , which men are about to commit , partly by obiecting closely the mercy of god , and partly by couering or hiding the punishment , which is due for the sinne . Then , there are helpes to further the deuill in this his tentation . First , the flesh which lusteth against the spirit , sometimes by begetting euill motions and affections , and sometimes by ouerwhelming and oppressing the good intentents and motions . Gal. 5.17 . For the flesh lusteth against the spirit , & the spirit against the flesh : and thes● are contrarie one to another , so that ye cannot doe the same things that ye would . 19. Moreouer , the works of the flesh are manifest , which are adulterie , fornication , vncleannesse , wantonnesse . 20. Idolatrie , witchcraft , hatred , debate , emulations , wrath , contentions , seditiōs , heresies . 21. Enuy , murthers , drunkennesse , gluttonie , and such like , whereof I tell you before , as I also haue told you before , that they which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of god . Iam. 1.14 . But euery man is tempted , when he is drawne away by his owne concupiscence , and is entised . Secondly , the world , which bringeth men to disobedience , through pleasure , profit , honour , and euill examples . Eph. 2.3 . Among whom we also had our conuersation in time past , in the lusts of our flesh , in fulfilling the will of the flesh , and of the minde , and were by nature the children of wrath , as well as others . 1. Ioh. 2. 16. For all that is in the world , as the lusts of the flesh , and the lust of the eies , and the pride of life , is not of the father , but is of the world . Resistance , is made by the desire of the spirit , which worketh good motiōs and affections in the faithfull , and driueth forth the euill . Gal. 5.22 . But the fruite of the spirit is loue , ioy , peace , long suffering , gentlenes , goodnes , faith , 23. Meeknes , temperancie : against such there is no law . 24. For they that are Christs , haue crucified the flesh , with the affections and the lusts thereof . 26. Let vs not be desirous of vaine glory , prouoking one another , enuying one another . The preseruatiues are these , whereby Men are strengthened in resisting . I. To account no sinne , light or small . Gal. 5.9 . A little leauen doth leauen the whole lumpe . Rom. 6.23 . For the wages of sinne is death , but the gift of God is eternall life , through Iesus Christ our Lord. II. To auoide all occasions of sinne . To these rather agreeth the prouerbe vsed of the plague : longè , tardè , citò : that is , aloofe , slowly , quickly . 1. Thess. 5.22 . Abstaine from all appearance of euill . Iud. v. 23 . And other saue with feare , pulling them out of the fire , and hate euen the garment spotted by the flesh . III. To accustome thy selfe to subdue the lesser sinnes , that at the last , thou maist also ouercome the greater . Rom. 13.4 . IV. To apply thy selfe to thy appointed calling , and alway to be busily occupied about something in the same . V. To oppose the lawe , the iudgements of god , the last iudgement , the glorious presence of God , and such like , against the rebellion and loosenesse of the flesh . Prou. 28.14 . Blessed is the man that feareth alway : but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into euil . Gen. 39.9 . There is no man greater in this house then I : neither hath he kept any thing from me , but onely thee , because thou art his wife : how then can I doe this great wickednesse , and so sinne against God. Here certaine remedies take place . Against vniust anger , or priuate desire of reuenge . Here meditate , I. Iniuries ; they happen vnto vs by the Lords appointment , for our good . 2. Sam. 16. to II. God of his great goodnes forgiueth vs far more sinnes , then it is possible for vs to forgiue men . III. It is the dutie of Christian loue to forgiue others . IV. We must not desire to destroy them , whom Christ hath redeemed by his pretious blood . V. We our selues are in danger of the wrath of God , if we suffer our wrath to burne against our brother . Forgiue ( saith he ) and it shall be forgiuen . VI. We know not the circumstances of the facts , what the minde was , and purpose of them against whome we swell . Bridles , or externall remedies , are these : I. In this we shall imitate the clemencie of the Lord , who for a very great season doth often tollerate the wicked . Learne of me , for I am humble and meeke . II. There must be a pausing and time of delay , betwixt our anger and the execution of the same . Athenodorus counselled Augustus that he , beeing angrie , should repeat all the letters of the Alphabet , or A B C , before he , against another , did either speake or doe any thing . III. To depart out of those places where those are , with whom we are angrie . IV. To auoide contention , both in worde and in deede . Doe nothing through contention . Remedies against those bad desires of riches , and honour , I. God doth euē in famine quicken and reuiue them , which feare him . Psal. 33.18 , 19. The eye of the Lord is vpon them that feare him , to deliuer their soules from death , and to preserue them from famine . II. Godlines is great gaine , if the minde of man can be therewith content . 1. Tim. 6.6 . III. We do wait & looke for the resurrection of the bodie , and eternall life : therefore we should not take such carking care for this present mortal life . IV. We are seruāts in our fathers house , therefore looke what is conuenient for vs , that will he louingly bestowe vpon vs. V. The palpable blindnes of an ambitious minde , desireth to be set aloft , that he may haue the greater downe-fall : and he feareth to be humbled , least he should not be exalted . VI. Adam when he would needes be checke-mate with God , did bring both himselfe and his posteritie headlong to destruction . VII . He is a very ambitious rob-God , which desireth to take that commendation to himselfe , which is appropriate onely to the Lord. Preseruatiues against the desires of the flesh . I. He that will be Christs disciple , must euery daie take vp his crosse . Luk. 9.23 . II. They which are according to the spirit , sauour of such things as are according to the spirit . Rom. 8.5 . III. We ought to behaue ourselues as citizens of the kingdome of heauen . Phil. 3.20 . IV. We are the temple of god . 1. Cor. 3.6 . Our members , they are the members of Christ. 1. Cor. 6.15 . And we haue dwelling within vs the spirit of Christ , which we should not grieue . Eph. 4.30 . Concerning this , look more in the explication of the seuenth commandement . In this tentation the fall is , when a man beeing preuented , falleth into some offence . Gal. 6.1 . Here Satan doth wonderfully aggrauate the offence committed , and doth accuse and terrifie the offender with the iudgements of God. Mat. 27.3 . Then when Iudas which betraied him , sawe that he was condemned , he repented himselfe , and brought again the thirtie pieces of siluer , to the chiefe priests & elders , 4. saying , I haue sinned , betraying the innocent blood : but they said , What is that to vs ? see thou to it . 5. And when he had cast downe the siluer pieces in the temple , he departed , and went and hanged himselfe . The remedie is , a renued repentance , the beginning whereof is sorrowe in regard of God , for the same sinne : the fruits herof are especially seuen . 2. Cor. 7.9 . Nowe I reioice not that ye were sorrie , but that ye sorrowed to repentance : for ye sorrowed godly , so that in nothing ye were hurt by vs. 10. For godly sorrowe causeth repentance vnto saluation , not to be repented of : but worldly sorrow causeth death . 11. For behold , this thing that ye haue beene godly sorrie , what great care hath it wrought in you : yea , what clearing of your selues : yea , what indignation : yea , what feare : yea , how great desire : yea , what zeale : yea , what punishment : in all things ye haue shewed your selues , that ye are pure in this matter . I. A desire of doing well . II. An Apologie , that is , a confession of the sinne before God , with a requiring of pardon for the offence . Psal. 32.5 . Then I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee , neither hid I mine iniquitie : for I thought , I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord , and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne . 2. Sam. 12. 13. Then Dauid said vnto Nathan , I haue sinned against the Lord : and Nathan said vnto Dauid , The Lord also hath put away thy sinne , thou shalt not die . III. Indignation against a mans selfe , for his offence . IV. A feare , not so much for the punishment , as for offending the Lord. Psal. 130.3 . If thou straightly markest iniquities , O Lord , who shall stand ? V. A desire to be fully renued , and to be deliuered from sinne . VI. A feruent zeale to loue God , and to embrace and keepe all his commandements . VII . Reuenge , whereby the flesh may be tamed and subdued , least at any time afterward , such offences be committed . CHAP. 44. Of the patient bearing of the crosse . THe patient bearing of the crosse , teacheth how Christians should vndergoe the burden . The crosse , is a certaine measure of afflictions , appointed by God , to euery one of the faithfull . Matth. 16.24 . If any man will follow me , let him forsake himselfe , take vp his crosse and follow me . Col. 1.24 . Now reioice I in my sufferings for you , and fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh , for his bodie sake , which is the Church . We ought to take vp this crosse willingly● euen with both hāds , whē it shal please God to lay it vpon vs. And after we haue taken it vp , we must beare it with patience and perseuerance . Col. 1.11 . Strengthned with all might , through his glorious power , vnto all patiēce & lōg suffering with ioyfulnes . Luk. 21.19 . Possesse your soules with patiēce . The preseruatiues of patience , are : I. Strength by the holy ghost . Phil. 4. 13. I am able to doe all things through the help of Christ , which strengthneth me . Phil. 1. 20. It is giuen to you for Christ , that not onely ye should beleeue in him , but also suffer for his sake . II. An holy meditation , which is manifold . I. That the afflictions of the faithfull , come not by chance , but by the counsell & prouidence of God , which disposeth all things in a most excellent sort . Gen. 45.4,5 . It was God that sent Ioseph into Egypt . 2. Sam. 16. 10. The Lord biddeth Shemei curse Dauid . Psal. 119.71 . It was good for me , that I was afflicted , that I might learne thy statutes . Hence it is euident , that afflictions to the godly are ineuitable . Act. 14.21 . By many afflictions you must enter into the kingdome of god . Mat. 7.14 . The gate is straight , and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life , and fewe there be that finde it . Ioh. 16.20 . In the world ye shall haue troubles . II. That albeit afflictions are grieuous , yet are they good & profitable . For they are helps , whereby men beeing humbled for their sinnes before god , obtaine peace , and holines of life . 2. Cor. 1.9 . We receiued sentence of death in our selues , because we should not trust in our selues , but in God , which raiseth the dead . Esay 26. 16. Lord , in trouble haue they visited thee , they powred out a praier , when thy chastening was vpon them . Hos. 5.15 . I will goe , and returne to my place , til they acknowledge their fault , and seeke me : in their affliction they will seeke me diligently . Psal. 78.34 . When he ●lue them they sought him , and they returned , and they sought God earely . Ier. 31.18 . I haue heard Ephraim lamenting thus , Thou hast corrected me , and I was chastised as an vntamed calfe : conuert thou me , and I shall be conuerted . Heb. 12 . 11● No chastisment for the present seemeth ioyous , but grieuous : but afterward , it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnes vnto them , which are thereby exercised . Psal. 30.5 . Weeping may abide at euening , but ioy commeth in the morning . Ioh. 15.2 . Euery braunch that beareth fruite , he purgeth it , that it may bring foorth more fruite . 1. Pet. 1.6 . Wherein ye reioice , though nowe for a season ( if neede require ) ye are in heauines through many tentations . 2. Cor. 1.4 . The God of all comfort , which comforteth vs in all our tribulations , that we may be able to comfort thē which are in any affliction , by the comfort wherewith we our selues are comforted of God. Rom. 5. 3. We glory in afflictions , knowing that affliction bringeth patience . Heb. 2. 10. He did consecrate the Prince of their saluation through affliction . Wee permit Chirurgians that they should both bind vs lying diseased , in our beds , and seare vs with hot irons , yea lanch and search our members with rasors : and lastly , we send them away vsually with friendly and kind speeches , and often with a golden fee for their thus hādling vs. Shal we then suffer so many things of a Chirurgian to cure a bodily disease , and will we not giue God leaue to cure by afflictions the most festered diseases of our sicke ●oules ? By this also may we gather , that the afflictions of the godly are signes of their adoption . Hebr. 12.6 . Whome the Lord loueth , he chasteneth , and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth . 7. If ye endure chastisement , God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes . And that they are to them , the Kings high way to heauen . Iam. 1.12 . Blessed is the man that endureth t●ntation : for when he is tried , he shall receiue the crowne of life , which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him . 2. Cor. 4. 17. For our ●ight affliction which is but for a moment , causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent and an eternall waight of glorie . III. That God hath promised fauour , mitigation of punishment , his presence , and deliuerance . Philip. 1. 29. 1. Cor. 10. 13. God is faithfull , who will not suffer you to be tempted aboue measure , but with tentation will giue deliuerance . 2. Sam. 7.14 . Psal. 50.15 . Call vpon me in time of trouble , and I will deliuer thee , and thou shalt glorifie me . Psal. 121.4 . He that keepeth Israel will neither slumber nor sleepe . Esa. 43.2 . When thou passest through the waters , I will be with thee , and thorough the floods that they doe not ouerflow thee : when thou walkest through the very fire , thou shalt not be burnt , neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee : 3. For I am the Lord thy God , the holy one of Israel thy Sauiour . IV. That in all troubles of the faithfull , Christ is a companion . 1. Pet. 4.13 . Reioyce , that ye are partakers of the afflictions of Christ. 2. Cor. 4. 10. Euery where we beare about in our bodie the dying of Christ , that the life of Iesus might also be made manifest in our bodies . Col. 1.21 . V. That the Angels are readie to defend such as feare God. Psal. 34.8.2 . King. 6.16 . Feare not , there are more with vs then against vs. CHAP. 45. Of the calling vpon God. THus much concerning the deniall of our selues , now followeth the profession of Christ. In which we consider either Christ himselfe , or his mēb●rs : namely , the faithfull . Math. 25.40 . Verely , I say vnto you , in as much as ye did it to one of the least of my brethren , ye did it vnto me . That profession which directly concerneth Christ , is either continuall , or onely in the time of danger . Continuall , is the calling vpon the Name of God , and ought euer to be performed of vs , in the Name of Christ Iesus our Mediatour . 1. Cor. 1.2 . To the Church of God which is at Corinthus , to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus , in euery place , both their Lord and ours . Act. 9. 14. He hath authoritie from the high Priest , to binde all that call vpon thy Name . Col. 3. 17. Whatsoeuer ye shall doe in word or in deede , doe it in the Name of the Lord Iesus , giuing thankes to God , and the Father by him . The calling vpon Gods name , is by praier or thanksgiuing . Phil. 4. 6. In all things let your requests be shewed vnto God , in praier and supplication , with giuing of thankes . Prayer hath two parts : Petition , and Assent , Mark. 11.24 . I say vnto you , whatsoeuer ye desire when ye pray , beleeue that ye shall haue it , and it shall be done vnto you . Petition , is the first part of prayer , whereby we , according to the rule of Gods word , aske his helpe , for the obtaining of such necessaries as we want . 1. Ioh. 5.14 . This is the assurance that we haue in him , that if we aske any thing according to his will , he heareth vs. In euery petition , we must expresse two things : I. A sense of our wants . II. A desire of the grace of God to supplie those wants . 1. Sam. 1. 10. Shee was troubled in her minde , and praied vnto the Lord , and wept sore . Dan. 9. 4. And I praied to the Lord my God , and made my confession , saying , 5. We haue sinned and haue committed iniquitie , &c. 16. O Lord , according to thy righteousnes , I beseech thee , let thine anger and thy wrath be turned from thy citie Ierusalem , &c. to the 20. verse . Psal. 130.1 . Out of the deepe I called to thee , O Lord. 1. Sam. 1.15 . Then Hannah answered and said , Nay my lord , but I am a woman troubled in spirit : I haue drunken neither wine , nor strong drinke , but haue powred out my soule before the Lord , &c. to the 16. verse . psal . 143. 6. I stretch forth mine hands vnto thee , my soule desireth after thee , as the thirstie land . Assent , is the second part of prayer , whereby we beleeue , and professe it before God , that he , in his due time , will grant vnto vs those our requests , which before we haue made vnto his maiestie . 1. Ioh. 5. 14 , 15. This is the assurance that we haue in him , that if we aske any thing according to his will , he heareth vs. And if we know that he heareth vs , whatsoeuer we aske , we k●●w that we haue the petitions that we haue desired of him . Math. 6.13 . Lead vs not into temptation , but deliuer vs from euill . For thine is the kingdome , thine is the power , and thine is the glorie , for euer and euer , Amen . As for the faithfull , howsoeuer they in their praiers , bewray many infirmities : yet no doubt they haue a notable sense of Gods ●auour , especially , when they pray zealously , and often vnto the Lord. Iam. 5. 16. Pray one for another , that ye may be healed : for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much , if it be feruent . Luk. 1.13 . The Angel said vnto him , Feare not , Zacharias : for thy prayer is heard . Ionah . 4.1 . It displeased Ionah exceedingly , and he wa● angrie . 2. And Ionah praied vnto the Lord , and saide , I pray thee , O Lord , was not this my saying , when I was yet in my countrey ? therefore I preuented it to flee vnto Tarshish : for I knew that thou art a gratious God , and mercifull , slow to anger , and of great kindnes , and repentest thee of the euill . Rom. 8.26 . Gen. 19.18 . Lot saide vnto them , Doe not so , I pray you , my lords , &c. psal . 6.1 . O lord , rebuke me not in thine anger , neither chastise me in thy wrath , &c. v. 2,3,4,5 . psal . 8.9 . psal . 20.5 . psal . 35.9.18.28 . psal . 16.7 . Thanksgiuing , is a calling vpon Gods name , whereby we , with ioy and gladnes of heart , doe praise God for his benefits either receiued , or promised , psal . 45.1 . Mine heart will vtter forth a good matter , I will intreat in my words of the King : my tongue is as the pen of a swift writer . Eph. 5.20 . Giuing thanks alwaies for all things vnto God , euen the father , in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ. psal . 36.8,9 . How excellent is thy mercie , O God ? therefore the children of men trust vnder the shadow of thy wings . They shall be satisfied with the fatnesse of thine house , and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuer of thy pleasures . Coloss. 3.16 . CHAP. 46. Of Christian Apologie , and Martyrdome . THe profession of Christ in dangers , is either in word , or deede . Profession in word , is Christian Apologie , or the confession of Christ. Rom. 10. 10. With the heart , man beleeueth vnto righteousnes : and with the mouth , man confesseth to saluation . psal . 22.23 . I will declare thy name vnto my brethren : in the middes of the congregation will I praise thee . Christian Apologie , is the profession of Christ in word , when as we are readie with feare and meeknes , to confesse the truth of Christian religion , so often as neede requireth , and the glorie of God is endangered , euen before vnbeleeuers , especially , if they be not past all hope of repentance . 1. Pet. 3. 15. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts : and be readie alwaies to giue an answer to euery man t●●t asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you : 16. And that with meeknesse and reuerence , hauing a good conscience , that when they speake euill of you as of euill doers , they may be ashamed , which blame your good conuersation in Christ. Act. 7. the whole chap. Steuen there maketh an Apologie for himselfe . Math. 7.6 . Giue not that which is holy to dogs , nor cast your pearles before swine , least they tread them vnder their feete , and turning againe , all to rent you . Profession , which is in deede , is called Martyrdome . Martyrdome is a part of Christian profession , when as a Christian man doth , for the doctrine of faith , for iustice , and for the saluation of his brethren , vndergoe the punishment of death imposed vpō him by the aduersaries of Christ Iesus . Mar. 6.18 , 27,28 . Iohn tolde Herod , It is not lawfull for thee to haue thy brothers wife . And immediately the King sent the hangman , and gaue him charge that his head should be brought : so he went and beheaded him in the prison . 2. Cor. 12. 15. I will most gladly bestow , and be bestowed for your soules , though the more I loue you , the lesse am I loued . Notwithstanding , it is lawfull for Christians to flie in persecution , if they finde themselues not sufficiently resolued and strengthened by Gods spirit to stand . Math. 10.23 . When they persecute you in one citie , flee into another . Verely I say vnto you , ye shall not haue finished all the cities of Israel , till the Sonne of man come . Ioh. 10.39 . Againe they studied to apprehend him , but he escaped out of their hands . Act. 9.30 . When the brethren knew it , they brought him to Cesarea , and sent him forth to Tarsus . 1. King. 18.23 . Was it not told my lord what I did , when Iesabel slue the Prophets of the Lord , how I hid an hundred men of the Lords Prophets , by fifties in a caue , and fedde them with bread and water ? Act. 20.22 . Now behold , I goe bound in the spirit vnto Ierusalem , and know not what things shall come vnto me there . CHAP. 47. Of Edification , and Almes among the faithfull . THat profession of Christ , which concerneth his members , namely , the Saints and faithfull ones , is either Edification , or Almes . Edification , is euery particular dutie towards our brethren , whereby they are furthered either to grow vp in Christ , or else are more surely vnited to him . Rom. 14. 19. Let vs follow those things which concerne peace , and wherewith one may edifie another . To Edification , these things which follow appertaine . I. To giue good example . Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men , that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen . 1. Pet. 2.12 . Haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles , that they which speak euill of you as of euill doers , may by your good works which they shall see , glorifie God in the day of thy visitation . II. To exhort . Heb. 3. 13. Exhort one another daily , while it is called to day , least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne . Rom. 1.12 . That I might be comforted togither with you through our mutuall faith , both yours & mine . III. To comfort . 1. Thess. 5.14 . Comfort the feeble minded , beare with the weake : be patient towards all men . Iam. 5. 16. Acknowledge your faults one to another , and pray one for another , that ye may be healed . 20. He that conuerteth a sinner from going astray out of his way , shall saue a soule from death , and shall hide a multitude of sinnes . 1. Thess. 4. 18. Comfort your selues one another , with these words . IV. To admonish . Rom. 15. 14. I my selfe am perswaded of you , brethren , that yee also are full of goodnes , and filled with all knowledge : and are able to admonish one another . 1. Thess. 5. 14. We desire you , brethren , admonish them that are vnruly . They shall obserue an holy manner of admonition , who in the spirit of meeknes , and as it were , guiltie of the like infirmitie themselues , doe admonish forthwith all their brethren of such faults , as they certenly know by them , and that out of Gods word . Gal. 6.1 . Brethren , if any man by occasion be fallen into any fault , yee , which are spirituall restore such an one in the spirit of meeknes , considering thy selfe , least thou also be tempted . Matth. 5. 7. Thou hypocrite , cast out first the beame out● of thine owne eye , and then shalt thou see to take the mote out of thy brothers eye . 2. Tim. 4.2 . Preach the word : be instant in season and out of season : improoue , rebuke , exhort , with all long suffering and doctrine . Math. 18. 15. If thy brother trespasse against thee , goe and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone : if he heare thee , thou hast wonne thy brother . Rom. 15.14.2 . Tim. 4.2 . Leuit. 19.17 . Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart , but thou shalt plainely rebuke thy neighbour , and suffer him not to sinne . Reliefe peculiar to the godly among themselues , is a dutie , whereby the rich doe out of their plentie supplie the wants of the poore , both according to their abilitie , and sometimes beyond their abilitie . 2. Cor. 8.3 . To their power ( I beare record ) yea , beyond their power they were willing . Act. 2.44,45 . All that beleeued were in one place , and had all things common : and they solde their possessions and goods , and parted them to all men , as euery one had neede . CHAP. 48. Of the fourth degree , of the declaration of Gods loue : and of the estate of the Elect , after this life . THe fourth degree of the declaration of Gods loue , is Glorification . Roman . 8.30 . Glorification , is the perfect transforming of the Saints into the image of the Sonne of God. Philip. 3.21 . Who shall change our vile bodie , that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie , according to the working whereby he is able euen to subdue all things vnto himselfe . 1. Cor. 15.44 . It is sowne a naturall bodie , and is raised a spirituall bodie : there is a naturall bodie , and there is a spirituall bodie . 45. And it is also written , The first man Adam was made a liuing soule : the last Adam was made a quickning spirit . 49. And as we haue borne the image of the earthly , so shall we beare the image of the heauenly . Psal. 17. 15. I will behold thy face in righteousnes , and when I awake , I shall be satisfied with thine image . The beginning of Glorification , is in death , but it is not accomplished and made perfect before the last day of iudgement . The death of the Elect , is but a sleepe in Christ , a whereby the bodie and soule is seuered . The bodie , b that after corruption it may rise to greater glorie , The soule , that it c being fully sanctified , may d immediatly , after departure frō the bodie , be transported into the kingdom of heauen . Against the feare of death , note these preseruatiues : I. Death , it freeth the godly from the tyrannie of Satan , sinne , the world , the flesh , and eternall damnation , yea , from infinite both perills and losses , and doth place vs both safe and happie , vnder the shadow , as it were , of Christs wings . II. Christ by his death , hath sanctified vnto vs both death and the graue . III. Christ is both in life and death , gaine to the godly . Phil. 1.12 . IV. Those consolations which the spirit of Christ doth suggest to the soules of the faithfull , doe by many degrees surmount the dolours of death . V. The desire of that most bright and glorious beholding of God , and the presence of those Saints which are departed before vs. VI. In stead of our bodies we shall be clothed with glorie . 2. Cor. 5.1 . VII . The stings of death , namely sinne , is then so taken away , as that that serpent can no more hurt vs. 1. Cor. 15.55 . O death , where is thy sting ! O graue , where is thy victorie ! Heb. 2.15 . That he might deliuer all them , which for feare of death , were all their life time subiect to bondage . VIII . We should not so much thinke of our death , as to take an exact account of our life . For that man can not die ill , who hath liued well : and he seldome dieth well , that hath liued badly . IX . The Angels they stand at our elbowes , that so soone as a Saint departeth , they may with all speede , immediatly transport his soule into heauen . Soules being once in heauen , remaine there till the last day of iudgement , where they partly magnifie the Name of God , and partly doe waite , and pray for the consummation of the kingdom of glorie , and full felicitie in body and soule . Reuel . 5.8 . And when he had taken the booke , the foure beasts , and the foure and twentie Elders fell downe before the Lambe , hauing euery one harpes and golden vials full of odours , which are the prayers of the Saints . 9. And they sang a new song , saying , Thou art worthie to take the booke , and to open the seales thereof : because thou wast killed , and hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood , out of euery kinred , and tongue , and people , and nation . Reuel . 14. 2. I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps . 3. And they sung , as it were , a new song before the throne : and they cried with a loud voice , saying , How long , Lord , holy and true ? doest not thou iudge and auenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth ? CHAP. 49. Of the estate of the Elect , at the last day of iudgement . THe last day of iudgement shall be on this manner . I. Immediatly before the comming of Christ , a the powers of heauen shall be shaken : the Sunne and Moone shall be darkned , and the starres shall seeme to fall from heauen : b at which sight the Elect then liuing shall reioyce , but the reprobate shall shake euery ioynt of them . II. Then the heauens , beeing all set on fire , shall with a noise , like to that of charriot wheeles , suddenly passe away , and the elements , with the earth , and all therein , shall be dissolued with fire . 2. Pet. 3. 12. L●●king for , and h●●sting vnto the comming of the day of God , by which the heauens beeing 〈◊〉 shall be dissolued , and the elements shall melt with heate . 13. 〈…〉 new heauens , and a new earth , according to his promise , wherein d 〈…〉 ousness . At the same time , when as all these things shall come to passe , a 〈◊〉 sound of the last trumpet shall be heard , sounded by the Archang●●● b And Christ shall come suddenly in the cloudes , with power , and glorie , and a great traine of Angels . III. Now at the sound of the trumpet the Elect , which were dead , shal arise with their bodies : and those very bodies which were turned to dust , and one part rent from another , shall by the omnipotent power of God , be restored , and the soules of them shall descend from heauen , and be brought againe into those bodies . As for a them which then shall be aliue , they shall be changed in the twinckling of an eye , and this mutation shall be in stead of death . And at that time , the bodies shall receiue their full redemption : b and all the bodies of the Elect shall be made like the glorious bodie of Christ Iesus , and therefore shall be spirituall , immortall , glorious , and free from all infirmitie . IV. Last of all , when they are all conuented before the tribunall seate of Christ , he will forthwith place the Elect , seuered from the reprobate , and taken vp into the aire , at his right hand , and to them being written in the booke of life , will he pronounce this sentence : Come ye blessed of my father , possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world . Matth. 25.33 . He shall set the sheepe on his right hand , and the goates on the left . 1. Thess. 4. 17. Reu. 20. 12. whosoeuer was not found written in the booke of life , was cast into the lake of fire . CHAP. 50. Of the estate of the Elect after iudgement . THe last iudgement beeing once finished , the Elect shall enioy immediatly blessednes in the kingdome of heauen . Blessednes is that , whereby God himselfe is all in all his Elect. 1. Cor. 15. 28. When all things shall be subdued to him , then shall the Sonne also himselfe be subiect vnto him , that did subdue all things vnder him , that God may be all in all . And it is the reward of good workes , not because workes can merit , but by reason of Gods fauour , who thus accepteth workes , and that in respect of the merit of Christs righteousnes imputed to the Elect. Rom. 6.23 . The wages of sinne is death , but eternall life is the gift of God , through Iesus Christ our Lord. 2. Tim. 4. 8. Reu. 22. 12. Behold , I come shortly , and my reward is with me , to giue euery man according as his worke shall be . Blessednesse hath two parts : Eternall life , and perfect glorie . Eternall life is that fellowship with God , a whereby God himselfe is , thorough the Lambe Christ , life vnto the Elect. For in the kingdome of heauen , the Elect shall not neede meat , drinke , sleepe , aire , heat , cold , phisicke , apparell , or the light of the Sunne and moone : b but in place of all these , shall they haue in them Gods spirit , by which immediatly they shall be quickned for euer . Perfect glorie , is that wonderfull excellencie of the Elect , wherby they shal be in a farre better estate then any heart can wish . This glorie consisteth in three points . I. In that they shall still behold the face of God , which is his glory and maiestie . Reuel . 22.4 . And they shall see his face , and his name shall be in their forheads . Psal. 17.15 . I will behold thy face in righteousnes , and when I awake I shall be satisfied with thine anger . II. In that they shall be most like to Christ , namely , iust , holy , incorruptible , glorious , honorable , excellent , beautifull , strong , mightie , and nimble . 1. Ioh. 3.2 . Dearely beloued , now are we the sonnes of God , but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be : and we knowe that when he shall appeare , we shall be like him : for we shall see him as he is . Phil. 3.21 . Who shall change our vile bodie , that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie , according to the working whereby he is able euen to subdue all things to himselfe . III. They shall inherit the kingdome of heauen , yea , the newe heauens and newe earth shal be their inheritance . 1. Pet. 1.4 . God hath begotten you to an inheritance immortall & vndefiled , and that fadeth not away , reserued in heauen for you . Mat. 25.34 . Then shall the king say to them on his right hand , Come ye blessed of my Father , possesse a kingdome prepared for you before the foundations of the world were laid . Reu. 5.10 . Thou hast made vs vnto our God kings and priests , and we shall raigne on the earth . Reuel . 21.7 . Hee that ouercommeth , shall inherite all things , and I will be his God & he shall be my sonne . The fruit that commeth from both these parts of blessednes , is of two sorts : Eternall ioy , and the perfect seruice of God. Psal. 16.11 . Thou wilt shewe me the path of life , in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy : and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore . Psal. 36.8 . They shall be satisfied with the fatnes of thine house , and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuer of thy pleasures . 9. For with thee is the well of life , and in thy light shall we see light . The parts of Gods seruice , are Praise , and Thanksgiuing . Reuel . 21.3 . And I heard a great voice out of heauen , saying , behold , the Tabernacle of God is with men , and he will dwell with them : and they shall be his people , and God himselfe shall be their God with them . Chap. 5.12 . Saying with a loud voice , Worthy is the Lambe that was killed , to receiue power , and riches , and wisdome , and strength , and honour , and glory , and praise , &c. 13. Chap. 11.17 . The foure and twentie Elders which sate before God on their seates , fell vpon their faces and worshipped God , saying , Wee giue thee thanks , Lord God Almightie , which art , and Which wa st , and Which art to come : for thou hast receiued thy great might , and hast obtained thy kingdome . The manner of performing this seruice , is to worship God by God himselfe immediately . In heauen there shall neither be temple , ceremonie , nor Sacrament , but all these wants shal God himselfe supply togither with the Lābe , that is , Christ. Reuel . 21.22 . I sawe no temple therein , for the Lord God Almightie , and the Lambe are the Temple of it . This seruice shall be daily , and without intermission . Reuel . 7.15 . They are in the presence of the throne of God , and serue him day and night in his temple . A Corollarie , or the last conclusion . THus God , in sauing the Elect , doeth clearely set forth his iustice and mercy . His iustice , in that he punished the sinnes of the elect , in his Sonnes owne person . His mercie , in that he pardoned their sinne , for the merites of his Sonne . Eph. 1. 18. That the eies of your vnderstanding may be lightned , that ye may knowe what the hope is of his calling , and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in his Saints , 19. And what is the exceeding greatnes of his power towardes vs , which beleeue , according to the working of his mightie power , 20. Which he wrought in Christ. Chap. 3.18 . That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints , what is the breadth , and length , and depth , and height : 19. And to knowe the loue of Christ. All these things the Lord himselfe hath thus decreed , and in his good time will accomplish them , to the glorious praise of his Name . Pro. 16.4 . The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake : yea euen the wicked for the daie of euill . CHAP. 50. Concerning the order of the causes of saluation according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome . THere are two things requisite to obtained saluation : Predestination , and the Execution thereof . Predestination , is a foreordaining of the reasonable creature to grace in this life , & glory in the life to come . Sebast. Cattaneus . Enchirid. tract . 1. chap. last . This in regard of the first effects thereof , which are vocation , election , and ordination to eternall life , hath the cause of it in God , namely his will : but in regard of the last effect , which is , the execution of such an ordinance , and the obtaining of eternall life , it hath the cause of it from man , because according to the common opinion , Gods predestination is by reason of workes foreseene in men , that is , God doth therefore predestinate or reiect some man , because he foreseeth that he will well or badly vse his grace . But for the more euident declaration of this , these seuen conclusions must be set downe . I. The Predestination , and Reprobation of God , do not constraine or inforce any necessitie vpon the will of man. II. God hath predestinated all men , that is , he hath appointed and disposed all men , so as they might obtaine eternall saluation . III. Man is neither by necessitie nor chance saued or condemned , but voluntarily . IV. God hath predestinated some , other hath he reiected . V. Those whome God hath predestinated by his absolute predestination , which can not be lost they shall infallibly die in grace : but they which are predestinate , by that predestination which beeing according to pre●ent iustice , may be lost by some mortall sinne which followeth , are not infallibly saued , but oftentimes such are condemned , and loose their crowne and glory . Hence ariseth that position of theirs , that he which is iustified may be a reprobate , & perish eternally . Torrensis Aug. Confess . 2. booke . 4. chap. 20. Sect. Therfore predestination is not certaine , seeing it may be lost . VI. God alone doth know the certaine and set number of them which are predestinate . VII . There is one set number of them which are predestinate , or reprooued , and that can neither be increased nor diminished . The execution of Predestination , is either in infants , or those of yeres of discretion . Concerning infants , the merite of Christ is appliyed vnto them , by baptisme rightly administred : so that whatsoeuer in originall corruption may truely and properly be accounted for sinne , it is not onely , as I may say , not pared away , or not imputed , but vtterly taken away . For there is nothing that God can hate in such as are renued . Concil . Trid. 5. sect . 5. Can. Neuertheles they are vrged to confesse , that there remaineth yet in such as are baptized concupiscence , or the reliques of sinn . The which seeing it is left in men for them to wrestle withall , it hath not power to hurt such as yeeld not vnto it . The execution of predestination in such as are of riper yeares , hath sixe degrees . The first is vocation , whereby men , not for their owne merits , but by Gods preuenting grace through Christ , are called to turne vnto God. The second is , a preparation to righteousnesse , whereby men , through the inherent power of free-will , do apply themselues to iustification , after that the same power is stirred vp by the holy Ghost . For free-will is onely somewhat diminished , and not extinguished : and therefore so soone as the holy Ghost toucheth and inlighteneth the heart , it worketh togither with the same spirit , freely assenting vnto the same . This preparation hath seuen degrees● Biel. 4. booke . 14. dist . 2. quest . The first is faith , which is a knowledge and an assent , whereby men agree that those things are true which are deliuered concerning God , and his will , reuealed in the word of God. This is the foundation of iustification , and prepareth the heart : because it stirreth vp free-will that it may affect the heart , with those motions by which it is prepared to iustification . I. The act of faith is , to apprehend the ouglines of sin & the wages therof . II. After this , followeth a feare of Gods anger , and of hell fire . III. Then begin men to dislike , and in some sort to detest sinne . From these ariseth a certaine disposition , which hath annexed vnto it , the merite of congruitie , yet not immediate nor sufficient , but imperfect . IV. At the length , faith returneth to the contemplation of Gods mercies , & beleeueth that God is readie to forgiue sinnes by the infusion of charitie into those , which are before sufficiently prepared and disposed . V. Out of this contemplation proceedeth the act of hope , whereby faith beginneth to desire and to waite on God , as the chiefest good . VI. Out of this act of hope ariseth loue , whereby God is loued aboue all things in the world . VII . After this loue followeth a new dislike , and detestation of sinne , not so much in regard of feare of the punishment in hell fire , as in regard of the offence of God who is simply loued more then all other things . VIII . After all these , followeth a purpose of amendment of life : and here comes in the merit of congruitie , that is , sufficient : or els , the immediate , sufficient , and last disposition before the infusion of grace . The third degree of Predestination , is the first iustification wherby men of vniust , are made iust , not only through the remission of their sinnes , but also by a sanctificatiō of the inward mā , by his volūtary receiuing of grace & gifts . The efficient cause of this iustification , is the mercy of God , and the meritorious passion of our Sauiour Christ , whereby he purchased iustification for men . The instrumentall cause is baptisme . The formall cause is not that iustice which was inherent in Christ , but which he infuseth into man : and that is especially hope , and charitie . The fourth degree , is the second iustification wherby men are of iust , made more iust : the cause hereof is faith , ioyned with good workes . It is possible for such as are renued , to keepe the commaundements : And therefore it is false that a iust man committeth so much as a veniall sinne in his best actions , much lesse , that he deserueth eternall death for the same . The fift degree , is the reparation of a sinner by the sacrament of Penance . The which is , as it were , the second boord after a shipwracke . The cause why this reparation is necessarie , is , because men loose the grace of iustification by euery mortall sinne . The last degree is the fruit of iustification , namely , the glory of eternall life , the which works done in grace , doe ex condigno , condignly merit , of sufficient worthinesse . Condigne merite is , when as the reward is after such sort due , as that if it be not giuen , iniustice will be committed . This by the rigor of iustice is due . Two conditions are requisite to make a merit . I. That a reward should by some compact or bargain be due : And this condition is in works , in regard of God. For God in the Scriptures hath promised a reward to such as work wel . II. That besides this compact whereby the debter is bound , there should bee also some worthines in the worke , or some proportion of the worke to the reward . The worthinesse or dignitie of the worke , dependeth I. on Christ , because Christ did not only merite that his owne proper actions should be meritorious , but the actions also of his members . II. On the holy Ghost . For the holy Ghost doth inspire , excite , and mooue men to doe . III. On an Habituall grace , which is a certaine participation of the diuine essence . Thus much concerning the degrees of executing Predestination . Nowe followeth the applying of Predestination particularly to the persons of men . No man , so long as he liueth in this mortall life , ought so much to presume on the secret mysterie of Gods predestination , as to determine vndoubtedly that he is in the number of them whome God hath ordained to eternall happines . For no man , without especiall reuelation can know , whome God hath chosen to be his heires . Sess. 6. c. 12. The summe of all these , is this . God by a certaine grace giuen freely , or rather a grace preuenting , or comming before , the which is tearmed an especiall aid , doth mooue a man , that he may dispose himselfe vnto his iustifying grace , namely , that he may beleeue , feare , repent , loue , & propound to himselfe newnes of life , &c. Furthermore , if a sinner do by his free-will yeeld his assent vnto this diuine motion , and doth consequently and accordingly rightly dispose himselfe , God doth incontinently forgiue him his sinne , and withall doth infuse into him iustifying grace , by which he may doe good workes , and so by them merit eternall life . Bellarmine . Errours of the Papists in their distributing of the causes of saluation . And thus is the doctrine of the Church of Rome , surely a very blasphemous doctrine , and no better to be accounted of then as a gallowes set vp for the torture and massacre of mens consciences . And that this may the more manifestly appeare to be so , I will set downe the most principall points of popish doctrine in this case . The I. errour . Predestination is onely of the Elect , the Reprobate they are onely foreknowne . The Confutation . The name of Predestination , by a figure called Synecdoche , the whole for the part , is taken indeed sometimes in the good part , and spoken of the Elect , and faithfull called , as Rom. 8.30 . Whome he predestinated , them also he called , and whome he called , them also he iustified , and whome he iustified , them also he glorified . So are the Ephesians saide to be predestinate into the adoption of the sonnes of God. Eph. 1.5 . Yet may this word Predestination , neuerthelesse generally be extended vnto the decree of God , whether it be that of predestination to eternall life , or the other vnto eternall death . The reasons : I. Act. 4. 27,28 . They gathered themselues together against thine holy sonne Iesus : to doe whatsoeuer thine hand & thy counsel had determined ( or foreordained , or predestinated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) before to be done . II. August . de Bono persev . chap. 17. he calleth Predestination the disposition of future workes : and in his 15. booke of the Citie of God , chap. 1. he deuideth all mankinde into two cities : whereof one is predestinate to raigne with God eternally , the other predestinate to vndergoe eternall punishment with the deuill . And in his Manuel to Laurentius , chap. 100. he saith , That God hath iustly predestinated wicked men vnto punishment , and mercifully predestinated the good vnto grace . Thomas of Aquine 1. part . quest . 23. artic . 4. It mattereth not in regard of the name of predestination , whether a man be said to be predestinate to life eternall or not . Furthermore , for a man to say that the Reprobates are foreknowne , & not predestinate , it is very iniurious : because Gods foreknowledge , may in nothing which is to be , be seuered from his will and eternall decree . For that , which beeing hereafter to be , is foreknowne of God , that assuredly will come to passe , and shall be , and that either by the will of God , or without his will : if with his will , then no doubt he both decreed & preordained the same : if without or against his will , how is God then said to be omnipotent ? And surely euill it selfe , albeit god wil it not in his approouing or allowing will ; yet willeth he the free , and willing-permission thereof . August . in his Manuel or Enchiridiō to Laurētius , chap. 100. hath an excellēt saying to this purpose . Although ( saith he ) that those things which are euill in that they are euill cannot be good , yet that there are not onely good , but also euill things , it is very good : to the intent that after a marueilous and vnspeakeable manner , that thing may not be besides , or without his will , which also is done against his will , because it should not be done , vnlesse he suffered it , neither doth he suffer it , against his will , but willingly . The II. errour . That Predestination is mutable . For , ( according to the common opinion of the Papists ) whosoeuer is predestinate , he is contingently predestinated , as well on Gods part , as on mans : whence it followeth , that he which is predestinated , that is , appointed to saluation , may be condemned , and he which is foreknowne , that is , appointed to damnation may be saued . The Confutation . The contrarie to this their doctrine is most true . Namely , that the decree of God concerning euery mans eternall both saluation & damnation , is from all eternitie , set downe , and immutable . The reasons . I. Testimonies of scripture . Rom. 11.29 . The gifts and calling of God they are , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , such as are without repentance . Mat. 24.24 . There shall arise false Christs , and false Prophets : and shall doe great signes and miracles , so that ( if it were possible ) they should deceiue euen the elect . Rom. 8.33 . Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen ? it is God that iustifieth , who shall condemne ? 2. Tim. 2.19 . The foundation of god standeth sure , and hath this seale , the Lord knoweth who are his . II. Election & reprobation they are in God , not in men : nowe there can be nothing in God which is not immutable . Mal. 3.6 . I Iehouah am not changed . Esay 46.10 . My counsell shall stand , and I will doe whatsoeuer I will. III. If this Popish conclusion should be graunted , then would it follow of necessitie , that the foreknowledge of God must be made void , his power weakened , and his will changed , each of which is impious once to dreame of . For he which changeth his coūsell , or his will , doth therefore change it either because he at the length seeth that he might haue taken better aduise , or els in that he seeth that he could not bring his former purpose about as he would . Either of these are farre from our Lord God. IV. If we resolue that the counsell of God is any waies mutable , it will by this come to passe that euery man must bee vncertaine whether he be predestinate to life or not : whereby that notable staie & ground of our full assurance to be saued , is vtterly shaken & ouerturned . Wherefore let this truth be maintained of vs , namely , that both the election and reprobation of God stand immutable , so that neither the elect can become reprobates , nor the reprobates elect ; and consequently neither these be saued , nor they condemned . Against this doctrine , the popish sort except . If you speake in a compound sense or meaning ( in sensu composito ) it is very true that the predestinate can not be saued , nor such as are foreknowne perish : but if in a sense diuided ( in sensu diuiso ) it is not so . This distinction is plaine by this example . White colour in a compound meaning cannot be blacke , because blackenesse is repugnant & contrarie to whitenesse . But in a deuided sense , white colour nowe may afterwards be made blacke . In like sort , one predestinated to saluation may , by reason of the free-will he hath , sinne , & so be damned . Ans. These are silly shifts , and meere sophismes , because such as are predestinated to the end , namely saluation , are necessarilie predestinate to the meanes of saluation , the which they cannot but vse , and by them come to the end it selfe . The III. errour . All men are predestinate , that is , disposed and ordayned of God , so as they might attaine eternall life . Sebast. Cattaneus in his Enchirid. chap. of Predest . The Confutation . This is manifestly false . For I. Infants , who so sonne as they are borne , depart this life , seeing for want of time they cannot in this life vse the meanes of saluation , albeit they may haue life eternall , yet obtaine they it not by vsing the meanes vnto the same . II. That which the Lord indeed actually doth , the very same hath he determined to doe . For he doth nothing either vnaduisedly , or vnwillingly : but he actually forsaketh a very great part of mankind , the which being shut vp vnder contumacy , he doth leaue to it selfe . Act. 14.16 . Who in times past suffered all the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies . Hence also is it , that Eph. 2. all the Gentiles are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , without God in the world . Therefore God decreed to forsake some men in this life , and consequently he ordained not all men to the obtaining of eternall life . Nay , if God once but would in his secret will , that all men should be saued , it were vnpossible for any to perish : because Gods willing , is his doing of it : and if he that was ordained to saluation perish , then must God now needes haue left off to will that , which he would from all eternitie , or els begin to will that , which before hee would not , the which cannot be said of God , without blasphemie . III. Paul 2. Thes. 2.10 . saith , that there be certaine men , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which perish , and them he distinguisheth from the elect . v. 13. Rom. 9.21,22 . Hath not the potter power , &c. Where there is not onely mention made of vessels of glorie , and mercie , but also of certaine made , and fashioned in Gods eternall counsell , as vessels of wrath . Now looke whome God hath made to wrath and destruction , them he neuer disposed to obtaine eternall life . The IV. errour . Predestination in regard of the last effects thereof , hath this cause in man , that is , in mans free-will , and workes : for they whome God had foreseene , that they would receiue grace offered in Christ , and lead their life according to the lawe , thē he predestinated , not of works , but of his mercie ; yet so , as that he had respect vnto works , or to deale with them according to their workes : or ( as others say ) to ordaine them by their works foreseene : As for example : God did from all eternitie foresee and foreknow , that Peter should be saued , and Iudas condemned , because he from the same eternitie did both foresee & foreknow , that Peter would accept of the grace offered vnto him , and after vse the same aright : and he did also foresee that Iudas should receiue the grace offered , yet notwithstāding by reason of his peruerse will , vse the same peruersly . The Confutation . This their forged deuise of foreseene workes , I. Paul doth shewe to bee plainely counterfeit , when as he saith , that the Ephesians were elected in Christ before the foundations of the world were laide : and that not because he did foresee that they would be holy , but that they might be holy and vnblameable before God with loue . And 2. v. 10. he saith , they were created to good workes in Christ , that they might walke therein . In which places , good workes they are made effectes of predestination ; but the effect foreseene cannot bee the cause of his cause : for that euery cause , in the order both of nature and knowledge , doth goe before his effect . II. Tit. 3.5 . Not of workes which we haue done , but according to his mercie did God elect and saue vs. III. God in electing vs , did not regard any thing out of himselfe , but in himselfe did he elect vs. Eph. 1.4 . and 9. Therefore did he not regard future workes . IV. Some of the popish schoolemen confesse , that Predestination doth put nothing in the partie predestinated , in respect of him , for which God did predestinate him . Thom. 1. primae . quest . 23. art . 2. V. Election is onely on Gods mercie . Rom. 9.16 . VI. God saw no grace in man , but that which he himselfe must bestow vpon him : whence it is apparant , that in election the beginning thereof proceedeth from grace . VII . Seeing there is nothing either aboue God , or greater then God , it must needes be impious to assigne any cause of his will , either out of , or aboue his maiestie : and therefore that his foreknowledge of faith & workes should bee accounted the impulsiue cause of his decree , concerning mans saluation , we doe rightly denie . The V. errour . By Baptisme rightly administred , not only the guiltines , but also the corruption of originall sin , is so washed away as that it is not afterward properly accounted a sinne . The Confutation . We contrarily doe thus distinguish of sinne . Sinne in regard of the guiltines of Gods wrath , and also in regard of the punishment togither by one act is taken away in Baptisme : but in regard of that errour and corruption of nature , it is not at the first quite taken away , but successiuely , and by little and little it is extinguished ; euen as our renouation wrought by the holy Ghost , is by little and little begun and increased in vs. Reasons . I. Paul would not so greatly bewaile his originall sinne , if after Baptisme it ceased any more to bee sinne . I see , saith he , another law in my mēbers , rebelling against the law of my mind , and leading me captiue vnto the lawe of sinne which is in my members . O miserable man ● who shall deliuer me from this body of death ? II. Originall sinne , is called a sinne out of measure sinfull . Rom. 7.13 . And Heb. 12.1 . a sinne that hangeth fast on , or , easily compasseth vs about . III. Concupiscence is the roote of actuall sin ; and therefore euen after Baptisme , it must properly be a sin . IV. Vnlesse that concupiscence were a sinne , where would or could be that vehement and hote combate betwixt the flesh and the spirit ? The VI. errour . Baptisme is absolutely necessarie to saluation , especially for children . The Confutation . Wee denie that Baptisme is of absolute necessitie to saluation . Reasons . I. Sacraments doe not conferre grace , but rather confirme grace , when GOD hath conferred the same . The children of faithfull parents are borne holy , not by naturall generation , but by the grace of God , and are not first made holy by baptisme : and as for such as are of yeares of discretion before they be baptized , they cannot be baptized vnlesse they beleeue . Nowe all such as beleeue , they are both iustified , and reconciled to God ; and therefore , albeit they without their owne default , are depriued of the Sacraments it is vnpossible for thē to perish . II. God did precisely appoint circumcision to be on the eight day , not on the first , or the second : nowe there is no doubt but that many infants before their eight daie were preuented of circumcision by death , all which for a man peremptorily to set downe as condemned , were very absurd . III. If circumcision were of such absolute great necessitie , why was it for the space of fourtie yeares in the desart intermitted ? and that onely because the Israelites beeing often in iourney , such as were circumcised were by it in ieopardy of death : no doubt Moses and Aaron would neuer haue omitted this Sacrament so long , if it had bene absolutely necessarie to saluation . IV. This doctrine of the absolute necessitie of Baptisme was vnknowne to the auncient Fathers . For the primitiue Church did tollerate very godly men ( though we allow not this their fact ) that they should deferre their baptisme many yeares , yea often to the time of their death . Hence was it that Constantine the great was not baptised till a little before his death : and Valentinian by reason of his delay , was not at all baptized : whome notwithstanding Ambrose pronounceth to be in heauen . And Bernard in his 77. epist. disputeth , that not euery depriuation of Baptisme , but the contempt or palpable negligence , is damnable . The VII . errour . Man after the fall of Adam hath free-will as well to doe that which is good , as that which is euill , although it be in a diuers manner , that is , he hath free-wil to do● euill simplie , and without any externall aide : but to doe well , none at all , but by the grace of God preuenting , or guiding vs : the which grace notwithstanding euery man hath , and to the which grace it is in our free-will either to consent and togither worke with the same , or not . And therfore the power of free-will to doe that which is good & acceptable to God , is onely attenuated & weakened before conuersion , and therefore man can of himselfe worke a preparation to iustification . The Confutation . Man not regenerated hath free-will to doe onely that which is euill , none to doe good . He beeing not already conuerted cannot so much as will to haue faith , and be conuerted . Reasons . I. Man is not said to be weake or sicke , but dead in sinnes . Ephe. 2.1 . Col. 1.13 . As he therefore that is corporally dead can not stirre vp himselfe , that he may performe such workes of viuification , no not then when others helpe him : so he that is spiritually dead , cannot mooue himselfe to liue vnto God. II. He is the seruant of Satan , and bondslaue of sinne . Eph. 2.2 . Rom. 6.13 . Nowe we knowe that a seruant standeth at the becke & pleasure of another , and can doe nothing els . III. That which no man can by himselfe knowe and beleeue , the same he cannot will : but no man can knowe & beleeue those things that appertaine to the kingdome of GOD. 1. Cor. 2. vers . 14. The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God. 2. Cor. 3. 5. We are not sufficient of our selues , to thinke any thing as of our selues . Therefore no man can will by himselfe , those things that appertaine to Gods kingdome . IV. That which is a deadly enemie to goodnes , and is directly repugnant thereunto the same desireth not that which is good ; but the will is an enemie & directly repugnant vnto goodnes . Rom. 8.7 . The wisdome of the flesh is hatred against God : for it is not subiect to the lawe of God , neither indeed can bee . Obiect . I. The word is neere vnto thee in thine heart , and in thy mouth , that thou maiest doe the same . Deut. 30. Answer . It is easie to performe the lawe legallie , but not Euangelically : Now this is done , when as any man doth fulfill the law by a Mediatour , and from him receiuing the spirit of god , doth endeuour to performe new obedience . Obiect . II. God giueth many precepts by which we are commanded to repent , beleeue , obey God , &c. Therefore to doe these , we haue free-will . Answ. Such places doe not shew vs what we can doe , but what we should doe , & our weaknes what we cannot doe : neither doe they shew what men can doe , but what men should doe . II. They are instruments of the holy Ghost , whereby he doth renue and conuert such as shall be saued . They obiect againe . God in commanding these , doth not require things impossible . Ans. He doth not indeede to men in their innocencie , but now to all such as fell in Adam he doth , and that by their owne default , not Gods. Obiect . III. Philip. 3. 12. Worke your saluation with feare and trembling . Answer . Paul speaketh of such as are alreadie conuerted , which haue their wil in part freed . Obiect . IV. If the will be a meere patient , it is constrained to doe that , which is good . Answ. The will both in it selfe , and of it selfe , is a meere patient in her first conuersion vnto God ; but if it be considered as it is mooued by the spirit of God , it is an agent . For , being mooued , it mooueth . It is not therefore compelled , but of a nilling will , is made a willing will. The VIII . errour . The holy Ghost doth not giue grace to will , but onely doth vnloose the will which before was chained , and also doth excite the same : so that the will by her owne power , doth dispose her selfe to iustification . The Confutation . It is apparantly false . To will those things which concerne the kingdome of God , as faith , conuersion , and new obedience , is the meere gift of Gods spirit . Matth. 11.28 . No man knoweth the Father but the Sonne , and he to who●● the Sonne will reueale him . Luke 8. To you it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of God. Philip. 2. It is God which worketh in you to will and to doe . 1. Cor. 12. 13. No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost . Briefly he , who according to God is to be created to righteousnes and holiness , Eph. 4.24 . cannot any waies dispose himselfe to iustification , or new creation . For it is impossible that a thing not yet created , should dispose it selfe to his creation . The IX . errour . That preparation to grace , which is caused by the power of free-will , may by the merit of congruitie deserue iustification . The Confutation . These things smell of more then Satanicall arrogancie . For what man , but such an one as were not in his right mind , would beleeue , that he , vnto whom so many millions of condemnations are due , could once merit the least dramme of grace . The prodigall sonne , he was not receiued into fauour by reason of his deserts , but by fauour . Luk. 15.21 . His sonne said vnto him , I haue sinned against heauen , and against thee , and am no more worthie to be called thy sonne . The X. errour . The faith of the godly , or that which iustifieth , is that whereby a man doth in generall beleeue the promised blessednes of God , and by which also he giueth his assent to other mysteries reuealed of God concerning the same . The Confutation . Faith is not onely a generall knowledge , and assent to the historie of the Gospel , but further also a certaine power , both apprehending and seuerally applying the promises of God in Christ , whereby a man doth assuredly set downe that his sinnes are forgiuen him , and that he is reconciled vnto God. Reasons . I. A particular assurāce of the fauour of god , is of the nature of faith . Eph. 3.12 . By whom we haue boldnes ; and entrance with confidence , by faith in him . Rom. 4.20 . Neither did he doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe , but was strengthened in the faith , and gaue glorie vnto God. 21. Beeing fully assured that he which had promised , was also able to do it . Heb. 10.22 . Let vs draw nere with a true heart in assurance of faith . II. Particular doubtings is reprehended Mat. 14. ●● . O thou of litle faith , why didst thou doubt ? Luk. 12.29 . Hang ye not in suspence . III. That which a mā praieth for to god , that must he assuredly beleeue to receiue . Math. 11.24 . But the faithfull in their praiers make request for adoption , iustification , and life eternall : And therefore they must certainely beleeue that they shall receiue these benefits . IV. Rom. 5.1 . We beeing th●refore iustified , we haue peace with God. But there can be no peace , where there is not a pa●ticu●ar assurance of Gods fauour . V. That which the spirit of God doth testifie vnto vs particularly , that must also be beleeued particularly : But the spirit of God doth giue a particular testimonie of the adoption of the faithfull . Rom. 8.16 . Gal. 4.6 . This therefore is in like sort to be beleeued . Whereas they say , that no man hath a particular assurance , but by especiall reuelation , as was that which Abraham , and Paul had , it is false . For the faith of these two is set downe in Scripture , as an example which we should all follow . For this cause Abraham is called the Father of the faithfull : and Paul testifieth the very fame of himselfe . 1. Tim. 1.16 . For this cause ( saith he ) was I receiued to mercie , that Iesus Christ should first shew on me all long suffering , vnto the example of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life . Againe , whereas they say , that we haue a morall assurance , but not the assurance of faith , it is a popish deuise . For , Rom. 8.16 . The spirit of adoption ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) together beareth witnesse to our spirits . Where we see two witnesses of our adoption ; our owne spirit , and the spirit of God. Our spirit doth testifie morally of our adoption , by sanctification , and the fruits thereof : and therefore also the spirit of God witnesseth after another manner , namely , by the certaintie of faith , declaring and applying the promises of God. Obiect . I. We are commanded to worke our saluation with feare & trembling . Ans. This feare is not in regard of Gods mercie forgiuing our sinnes , but in respect of vs and our nature , which is euer prone to slide away , and starting from God. Obiect . II. In respect of Gods mercie , we must hope for saluation : but in respect of our vnworthines , we must doubt : Ans. I. We may not at all lawfully doubt of Gods mercie , because doubtfulnes is not of the nature of faith , but rather a naturall corruption . II. If we consider our owne vnworthines , it is out of all doubt , that we must be out of all hope , and despaire of our saluation . Obiect . III. There be many sinnes vnknowne vnto vs , and so also vncertaine whether they be pardoned vnto vs. Answer . He that certenly and truly knoweth that but one sinne is pardoned him , he hath before God all his sinnes remitted , whether they be knowne or vnknowne . Obiect . IV. No man dare sweare , or die in the defence of this proposition , I am the child of God , or in Gods fauour , and iustified . Answ. They which haue an vnfained faith , will if they be lawfully called , not onely testifie their adoption by an oath , but seale it also by their blood . Obiect . V. A man may haue this faith which the Protestants talke of , and lie in a mortall sinne , and haue also a purpose to perseuere in a mortall sinne . Ans. It is farre otherwise , for Act. 15.9 . True faith purifieth the heart . These Sophisters doe further affirme , that this faith , which to them is nothing but a knowledge and illumination of the mind concerning the truth of Gods word , is the roote and foundation of iustification . The which if it be true , why should not the deuill be iust ? for he hath both a knowledge of Gods word , and thereunto by beleeuing doth giue his assent ; who notwithstanding he haue such a faith , yet can he not be called one of the faithfull . Here they except , and say . The deuils faith is void of charitie , which is the forme of faith . But this is a doting surmise of their owne braine . For charitie is the effect of faith , 1. Tim. 1.5 . But the effect cannot informe the cause . The XI . errour . Mans loue of God , doth in order and time goe before his i●stification and reconciliation with God. The Confutation . Nay contrarily , vnlesse we be first perswaded of Gods loue towards vs , we neuer loue him . For we loue him , because he loued vs first . 1. Ioh. 4.19 . Againe , it is impossible that Gods enemie should loue him : but he which is not as yet iustified , or reconciled to God , he is Gods enemie . Rom. 5.9,10 . Neither is any man before the act of iustification , made of Gods enemie his friend . The XII . errour . Iufused or inherent iustice , is the formall cause of i●stification , whereby men are iustified in the sight of God. The Confutation . We doe contrarily hold , that the materiall cause of mans iustification is , the obedience of Christ in suffering , & fulfilling the law for vs : but as for the formall cause that must needes be Imputation , the which is an action of God the Father accepting the obedience of Christ for vs , as if it were our owne . Reasons . I. Looke by what we are absolued from all our sinnes , and by which we obtaine eternall life , by that alone are we iustified : But by Christs perfect obedience imputed vnto vs , we are absolued from all our sinnes , and through it we are accepted of God to eternall life ; the which we cannot doe by inherent holinesse . Therefore by Christs perfect obedience imputed vnto vs , are we alone iustified . This will appeare to be true in the exercises of inuocation on Gods name , and also of repentance . For in tentation , and conflicts with sinne and Satan , faith doth not reason thus : Now I haue charitie and inherent grace , and for these God will accept of me : But faith doth more rightly behold the sonne of God , as he was made a sacrifice for vs , and sitteth at the right hand of his Father , there making intercession for vs : to him , I say , doth faith flie , and is assured that for this his sonne , God will forgiue vs all our sinnes , and will also be reconciled vnto vs , yea , and account vs iust in his sight , not by any qualitie inherent in vs , but rather by the merit of Iesus Christ. Rom. 5.19 . II. As Christ is made a sinner , so by proportion such as beleeue are made iust : But Christ was by imputation onely made and accounted a sinner for vs. 2. Cor. 5. 21. For he became a suretie for vs , and a sacrifice for our sinnes , vpon which all both the guiltinesse of Gods wrath , and punishment for vs was to be laide . Hence is it that he is said to become ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) a curse for vs : Therfore we againe are made iust only by imputation . III. The contrarie to condemnation is remission of sinnes , and iustification is the opposite of condemnation . Rom. 8. 33. It is God that iustifieth , who shall condemne ? Therefore iustification is the remission of sinnes . Now remission of sinnes dependeth onely vpon this imputation of Christs merits . IV. Albeit infused and inherent iustice may haue his due place , his praise , and also deserts , yet as it is a worke of the holy Ghost , it is not in this life complete , and by reason of the flesh● whereto it is vnited , it is both imperfect , and infected with the dregges of sinne . Esai 64. Therfore before Gods iudgement seate it cannot claime this prerogatiue , to absolue any from the sentence of condemnation . Obiect . I. This imputation is nothing els but a vaine cogitation . Answ. I. Yes , it is a relation or diuine ordinance , whereby one relatiue is applied to his correlatiue , or as the Logitians say , is as the foundation to the Terminus . II. As the imputation of our sinnes vnto Christ , was indeede something : so the imputation of Christs iustice vnto vs , must not be thought a bare conceit . III. Againe , the Church of Rome doth her selfe maintaine imputatiue iustic● , namely , when as by Ecclesiasticall authoritie shee doth applie the merits and satisfactions of certain persons , vnto other members of that Church . Whence it is apparant , that euen the Popes indulgences they are imputatiue . Obiect . II. Imputatiue iustice , is not euerlasting : but that iustice which the Messiah bringeth is euerlasting . Ans. Although after this life there is no pardon of sinnes to be looked for , yet that which is giuen vs in this life , shall to our saluation continue in the life to come . Obiect . III. If iustification be by imputation , he may before God be iust , who indeede is a very wicked man. Ans. Not so any waies : for he that is once by imputation iustified , he is also at that same instant sanctified . The XIII . errour . There is also a second iustification , and that is obtained by workes . The Confutation . That popish deuice of a second iustification , is a fantasticall delusion . For , I. The word of God doth acknowledge no more but one iustification at all , and that absolute and complete of it selfe . There is but one iustice , but one satisfaction of God being offended therefore there cannot be a manifold iustification . II. If by reason of the increase of inherent iustice , iustification should be distinguished into seuerall kindes or parts , we might as well make an hundreth kinds , or parts of iustification , as two . III. That which by order of nature doth follow after full iustification before God , it cannot be said to iustifie : But good workes doe by order of nature follow mans iustification , and his absolution from sinnes : because no worke can please God , except the person it selfe , that worketh the same , doe before please him . But no mans person can please God , but such an one as beeing reconciled to God , by the merits of Christ hath peace with him . IV. Such workes as are not agreeable to the rule of legall iustice : they , before the tribunall seat of God , cannot iustifie , but rather both in , and of themselues are subiect to Gods eternall curse . For this is the sentence of the Law , Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things written in the booke of the Law to doe them . Now the works euen of the regenerate ; are not squared according to the rule of legall iustice : wherefore Dauid being , as it were stricken , with the cōsideration of this , durst not once oppose , no not his best works to the iudgement of God , that by them he might plead pardon of his sinnes ; whence it is that he crieth out and saith , Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant , O Lord : for then no flesh liuing shall be iustified in thy sight . The like doth Iob 9.3 . If he ( namely , such an one as saith he is iust ) contend with God , he cannot answer him one of a thousand . And Dan. 9. 18. We doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse , but for thy great tender mercies . V. Iustification by works , let them be whatsoeuer they can be , doth quite ouerturne the foundation of our faith . Gal. 5.2 . If ye be circumcised , Christ will profit you nothing . and v. 4. Ye are abolished from Christ , whosoeuer are iustified by the law : ye are fallen from grace . In this place the Apostle speaketh of them , not which did openly resist Christ , and the Gospel , but of such as did with the merit of Christ mingle together the workes of the Law ; as though some part of our saluation consisted in them . Exception . This place doth onely exclude such morall works of the flesh , as doe goe before faith , or the workes of the law of Moses . Ans. This is vntrue . For euen of Abraham being already regenerated , and of those his works which were done when he was iustified , Paul speaketh thus , To him , not which worketh , but which beleeueth is faith imputed . Those works which God hath prepared that the regenerate should walke in them , are morall works , and workes of grace ; but these are excluded from iustification , and working mans saluation . Eph. 2.10 . And Paul beeing regenerate saith thus of himselfe , I am not guiltie vnto my selfe of any thing , yet am , I not thereby iustified . VI. The cause of the cause is the cause of the thing caused ; but grace without works is the cause of mans predestination , the which is the cause of his iustification : and therefore grace without workes shall much more be saide to be the cause of iustification . Obiect . I. Levit. 18.5 . He that keepeth my statutes shall liue in them . Ans. This saving is a legall sentence : and therefore sheweth not what men can doe , but what they should doe . Obiect . II. Psal. 119.1 . Blessed are those that walke in the Law of the Lord. Ans. Man is not here said to be blessed , because he walketh vprightly , but because the person of such : walker is , by the merits of Christ , iustified before God. Obiect . III. Iudge me according to my righteousnes . Psal. 7. And the fact of Phinees was imputed to him for righteouses . Ans. These places are not meant of that righteousnes of the person , by which it is righteous before God ; but of the righteousnes of some particular cause , or worke . For where as Dauid was accused of this crime , that he did affect Sauls kingdome , he in this point doth in the words aboue mentioned , testifie his innocencie before God. Obiect . IV. We are iudged according to our workes , therefore also by them iustified . Ans. The reason is not alike : because the last iudgement is not the iustifying of a man , but a declaration of that iustification which he had before obtained . Therfore the last iudgement must be pronounced and taken , not from the causes of iustification , but from the effects and signes thereof . Obiect . V. Make you friends of vnrighteous Mammon , &c. that they may receiue you into eternall habitations . Ans. This they doe , not as authors of saluation , but as witnesses of the same . Obiect . VI. Dan. 4.24 . Redeeme thy sinnes by righteousnes , and thine iniquitie by mercie towards the poore . Ans. It is rather , breake off thy sinnes , then redeeme , for so is the originall : now men breake off their sinnes , by ceasing from them , not satisfying for them . Obiect . VII . Euill workes condemne : therefore good workes iustifie . Answ. It followeth not ; because good works are not perfectly good , as euill works are perfectly euill . Obiect . VIII . We are saued by hope , Rom. 8. Answer . We must distinguish betwixt iustification , and saluation : saluation is the end , iustification is one degree to come to the ende : but there is more required to the ende then to a degree subordinate to the ende : therefore we are saued by hope and faith , but iustified by faith alone . Obiect . IX . Affliction causeth eternall glorie , 2. Cor. 4.17 . Ans. This is doth not , as by it owne merit , effecting the same , but , rather as a path and way manifesting and declaring the same . Obiect . X. Iam. 2.21 . Abraham was iustified by workes . Ans. Not as any cause of iustification , but as a manifestation thereof . Obiect . XI . He that is iust , let him be more iust . Ans. This place must be vnderstood of iustification before men , namely , of sanctification , or an holy life : not of iustification in the sight of God. Obiect . XII . We are iustified by faith , therefore by a worke . Ans. We are iustified by faith , not as it is a vertue , and a worke , but as it is an instrument apprehending the iustice of Christ , whereby we are iustified . And in this respect faith is said , by the figure called Metonymia , to be imputed to vs vnto righteousnesse . Obiect . XIII . The workes of grace are dyed in the blood of Christ. Ans. They are indeed dyed therein , but to the ende they might the better please God , not iustifie man : and whereas they are so stained as that they neede dying in the blood of Christ , therefore can they not any waies iustifie sinnefull man. And the person of the worker , is as well died in Christs blood , as is his work , yet he can not say that his person doth therefore iustifie him . And as I haue now prooued that this doctrine of the Papists is very erronious , so I also auouch that it is most ridiculous . Because for a man to say that inherent righteousnes is , by good works , namely the fruits of righteousnes , augmented ; is as if a man should say , that the vine is made more fruitfull by bearing grapes , or that the internall light of the sunne is augmented by the externall emission of the beames . Luthers saying is farre more true . Good workes doe not make a good man , but a good man doth make workes good . The XIIII . errour . Grace is quite extinguished , or rather vtterly lost by any mortall sinne . The Confutation . I. The word of God doth manifestly declare that it is farre otherwise , Ioh. 6. All that the Father giueth me , shall come vnto me : and him that commeth vnto me , I cast not away . Math. 16.16 . Thou art Peter , and vpon this rocke will I build my Church : so that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it . 1. Ioh. 2.19 . They went out from vs , but they were not of vs : for if they had beene of vs , they would haue continued with vs. Rom. 5. 1. Beeing therefore iustified we haue peace with God. Now how could this be true , if he that was before iustified , could any way quite fall from grace , and so perish . II. The elect after their very grieuous fallings from God forthwith repented them of their sinnes , as we may see in the example of Dauid , Peter , &c. the which argueth that they had not quite fallen from grace , and lost the spirit of God. III. If grace be once vtterly lost , then the ingraffing of that partie into Christ is quite abolished : therefore for such as repent ; there must needs succeed a second new ingraffing into Christ : & then it will also follow , that they must of necessitie be baptized anew , which is absurd to thinke . But for all this , we denie not but grace may in part , and for a time be lost , to the end that the faithfull may thereby acknowledge and know their weaknes , and for it be humbled : but that there is any totall or finall falling from grace , we vtterly denie . The XV. errour . It is possible to fulfill the Law in this life . The Confutation . The Law is euangelically fulfilled , by beleeuing in Christ ; but not legally , by doing the works thereof . Reason . They which are carnall cannot possibly fulfill the law of God : but the most regenerate , so long as they liue in this life , are carnall in part . Rom. 7.14 . I am , saith Paul of himselfe , carnall , and sold vnder sinne . Prou. 20. Who can say , Mine heart is pure , I am pure from sinne ? Eccles. 7. There is none so iust vpon earth , which doth good , and sinneth not . Psal. 130. If thou , Lord , obserue what is done amisse , Lord who shall abide it ? We are daily taught to pray vnto God , Forgiue vs our sinnes . Exception . Indeede if the iustice of the faithfull be absolutely considered , it is imperfect , but as God doth exact it of our frailtie , it is perfect . Answer . This is but the fansie of some doting Iesuite . For this sentence of the Law is simple , eternall , and immooueable , Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in this booke to do them . Neither may we imagine , that God will not therefore exact the ful accomplishing of the law , because we are fraile . For we are creatures and debters : now we know that the debt doth not decrease , by reason of the debters pouertie . Obiect . The faithfull are said to be perfect in this life . Ans. There is a twofold perfection , the one incomplete , the which is an endeauor or care to obey God in the obseruation of all his precepts ; the other is tearmed complet , this is that iustice which the lawe requireth , namely , a perfect and absolute iustice , according to that measure which man performed to God in his innocency . In the first sense the faithfull are said to be perfect , not in this latter . The XVI . errour . Workes done in grace doe ( ex condigno ) condignely merit eternall life . The Confutation . I. Eternall life is the free gift of God. Rom. 6.23 . The wages of sinne is death , but the gift of God is eternall life through Christ Iesus . Therefore it is not obtained by the merit of workes . II. The merit of condignitie , is an action belonging to such an nature as is both God and man , not to a bare creature . For the Angels themselues cannot merit any thing at Gods hands : yea and Adam also , if he had stood in his first innocencie , could haue deserued nothing of god , because it is the bounden dutie of the creature to performe obedience vnto his Creator . The merit therefore of condignitie , doth only agree vnto Christ God and man , in whome each nature doth , to the effecting of this merit , performe that which belongeth to it . For the humanitie it doth minister matter vnto the meritorious worke , by suffering and performing obedience : but the Deitie of Christ , whereunto the humanitie is hypostatically vnited doth conferre full and sufficient worthinesse vnto the worke . Hence is it that the Father doth speake thus of his sonne , Mat. 3.17 . This is my beloued Sonne , in whom I am well pleased ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ) III. In the second commandement God doth promise eternall life to the keepers of his commandements , yet he saith not that they shall obtaine it by desart , but that he will shew mercy to thousands of them that loue him , and keepe his commandements . IV. That a worke may be meritorious , first there must be an equall proportion betwixt it , and legall iustice , or eternal life : secondly , merite doth presuppose this also , that in God there must bee a due debt towards man , for God then ought on dutie , not by fauour , to accept of the person of man. But all our workes , yea our most holy workes , they cannot come neere vnto legall righteousnesse . For , seeing all the regenerate are partly carnall , and partly spirituall , all their workes in like sort are imperfectly good . For looke what the causes are , and such must the effects needs be . So then , good workes doe presuppose a due debt in man , none in God. V. The auncient Fathers doe not acknowledge this merite of condignitie as currant . August . in his manuel , chap. 22. My merite is Gods mercie . Bernard . ser. 63. vpon the Cant. It is sufficient to knowe this , that merits are not sufficient . And ser. 61. Cant. Mans iustice is Gods goodnesse . And epist. 190. That the satisfaction of one may be imputed to all , as the sinnes of all were borne by one . And as for ancient doctours , merit was nothing els to them but a good worke acceptable to God. Aug. epist. 105. to Sixtus . If it be grace , then is it not bestowed by reason of any merit , but vpon free mercie . What merits of his owne can he that is set at libertie bragge of , who if he had his merits should haue beene condemned ? So the word merite doth signifie to doe wel , to be acceptable , to please , as the old interpreter hath , for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to please God , vsed this Latine word promereri , To merit . Obiect . I. Works haue attributed vnto them reward . Answer . Reward is not so much attributed to the work , as to the worker , and to him not for himselfe , but for Christs merits apprehended by faith . Therefore not our merit , or personall merit , but Christs merit , and our reward are correlatiues . Obiect . II. 2. Thess. 1.6 . It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulations , &c. Ans. It is righteous , not because God ought so to doe of duty , but because he promised : now for God to stand to his word . it is a part of iustice . Obiect . III. Christ hath merited , that workes might merit . Ans. I. This taketh quite away the intercession of Christ. II. It is against the nature of a legall worke , to merit ( ex condigno ) condignly : because both the lawe of nature and creation doe bind man to performe legall workes vnto God. And further , all workes are very imperfect , and mixed with sinne . III. This doctrine concerning works , doth obscure and darken the merit of Christ : because that the obtaining of eternall life is withdrawne from his death and obedience , & attributed vnto workes . For they say thus , that Christ by his passion did merit indeede for the sinner iustification : but a sinner once iustified , doth for himselfe by his owne merits euen condignly merit eternall life . Obiect . IV. The works of the regenerate , are the workes of the holy Ghost , therfore perfect and pure . Ans. I. The workes of God are all perfect , but yet in their time , and by degrees : therefore sanctification which is a worke of god , must in this life remaine incomplete , & is made perfect in the world to come . II. The works of God are pure , as they are the workes of God alone , not of God and impure man : but nowe good workes they doe come immediatly from the naturall faculties of the soule , namely , from the vnderstanding , and the wil , ( in which , they being as yet , but partly regenerated , some corrupt qualities of sinne doe yet remaine ) and are not immediatly and simply , or wholly deriued from Gods spirit . And hence it is that they are all stained with sinne . The XVII . errour . Man knoweth not but by especiall reuelation , whether hee be predestinated or not . The Confutation . The contrarie to this , is a plaine trueth . Reasons . I. That which a man must certainly beleeue , that may he also certainely know without an especiall reuelation : but euery faithful man must beleeue that he is elected . It is Gods commandement , that we should beleeue in Christ. 1. Ioh. 3.23 . Now to beleeue in Christ , is not onely to beleeue that we are adopted , iustified , and redeemed by him ; but also in him elected from eternitie . II. That which is sealed vnto vs by the spirit of God , of that we are very sure without speciall reuelation : but our adoption , and so consequently our election , is sealed vnto vs by the spirit of God. 1. Cor. 2. 12. We haue not receiued the spirit of the world , but the spirit which is of God : that we might knowe the things that are giuen to vs of God. Therefore is our election certainely knowne vnto vs. Eph. 1.13 . In whome also ye haue trusted after that ye heard the word of trueth , euen the Gospell of your saluation , wherein also after that ye beleeued , ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise . Exception . The holy Ghost doth seale vnto vs our adoption morally by works , and therefore the knowledge of our adoption is but onely probable . Answer . It sealeth vnto vs our adoption , by begetting a speciall trust and confidence . For when as we heare Gods promises , and withall thinke vpon them , then doth the holy Ghost by the same promises mooue our vnderstandings and wils to embrace them , and in moouing them , doth make vs both to giue our assent vnto them , and in them to rest our selues : whence ariseth a speciall assurance that we are adopted , and in the fauour of God. Luk. 10. 20. Reioice rather that your names are written in heauen . But no man can be glad for that good which he is in doubt whether he haue receiued it , or not . IV. 2. Pet. 1. 10. Studie to make your vocation and election sure , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : but this is not in respect of God , but ourselues . Obiect . No man must by the Catholike faith beleeue any thing which God hath not reuealed either in the written or vnwritten word , namely tradition . But there is no such either writing or tradition as this , namely , that such a particular man , suppose Peter , or Henrie , is predestinated of God. Therefore no man must particularly beleeue that he is saued . Ans. Albeit this particular proposition , I am elected , is not expresly set downe in the Scriptures , yet is it inclusiuely comprehended in them , as the Species is in his Genus , as the Logitians speake : so that it may by iust consequent be gathered out of Gods word , if we reason thus : They which truely beleeue , are elected , Ioh. 6.35 . I truly beleeue : therefore I am elected . The first proposition is taken from the Scriptures : the second , from the beleeuers conscience , and from them both the conclusion is easily deriued . CHAP. 52. Concerning the decree of Reprobation . THus much shal suffice for the decree of Election , now followeth the decree of Reprobation . The decree of Reprobation , is that part of predestination , whereby God , according to the most free and iust purpose of his will , hath determined to reiect certain men vnto eternal destruction , and miserie , and that to the praise of his iustice . Rom. 9.21 . Hath not the potter power ouer the clay , to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour , and another to dishonour ? 1. Pet. 2.8 . To thē which stūble at the word , beeing disobedient , vnto which thing ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) they were euen ordained . Iud. v. 4. There are certaine men crept in , which were before of old ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) ordained to this condemnation . 1. Thess. 5.9 . God hath not appointed vs vnto wrath but to saluation . In the Scriptures Cain and Abel , Ismael and Isaac , Esau and Iacob , are propounded vnto vs as types of mankinde partly elected , and partly reiected . Neither doe we here set downe any absolute decree of Damnation , as though we should thinke that any were condemned by the meere and alone will of God , without any causes inherent in such as are to be condemned . For vnto the decree of God it selfe , there are certaine meanes for the execution thereof annexed , and subordinate . And therefore , though we neuer doe , or can separate Gods decree , and the meanes to execute the same , yet doe we distinguish them , and doe consider the purpose of God , sometimes by it selfe alone , and sometimes againe not by it selfe , but with middle causes subordinate therto . And in this second respect , Christ is said to be predestinate : but in the former , namely , as the decree is considered by it selfe , he is not predestinated , but togither with God the Father , a Predestinator . Againe , the decree of God is secret . I. Because it ariseth onely from the good pleasure of God , vnsearchable , & adored of the very angels themselues . II. Because it is not knowne but by that which is after it , namely , by the effects thereof . CHAP. 53. Concerning the execution of the decree of Reprobation . IN the executing of this decree , there is to be considered , the foundation or beginning , and the degrees or proceeding thereof . The foundation of executing the decree of Reprobation , is the fall of Adam , by which fall he was subiect both to sinne and damnation . Rom. 11.32 . For God hath shutte vp all in vnbeleefe , that he might haue mercy on all . 1. Pet. 2.8 . Here wee must note , that God hath so decreed to condemne some , as that notwithstanding ; all the fault and guilt of condemnation remaineth in the men onely . Further , whome God reiecteth to condemnation , those he hateth : this hatred of God is , whereby he detesteth and abhorreth the reprobate when he is fallen into sinne , for the same sinne . And this hatred which God hath to man , comes by the fall of Adam : and it is neither an antecedent nor a cause of Gods decree , but onely a consequent and followeth the decree . Reprob●tes are either Infants or men of riper age . In reprobate infants , the execution of Gods decree is this : assoone as they are borne , for the guilt of originall and naturall sinne , being left in Gods secret iudgement vnto themselues , they dying are reiected of God for euer . Rom. chap. 5. ver . 14. But death raigned from Adam to Moses , euen ouer them also that sinned not after the like manner of the transgression of Adam , which was the figure of him that was to come . Rom. 9.11 . For ere the children were borne , and when they had neither done good nor euill , that the purpose of God might remaine according to election not by workes , but by him that calleth . Reprobates of riper age , are of two sorts , they that are called ( namely , by an vneffectuall calling ) and they that are not called . In the Reprobates which are called , the execution of the decree of Reprobation hath three degrees , to wit , an acknowledgement of Gods calling , a falling away againe , and condemnation . The acknowledgement of Gods calling is , whereby the Reprobates for a time , doe subiect themselues to the calling of God , which calling is wrought by the preaching of the worde . Mat. 22.14 . For many are called , but fewe are chosen . And of this calling there are fiue other degrees . The first is , an enlightning of their mindes , whereby they are instructed of the holy Ghost to the vnderstanding and knoweledge of the word . Heb. 6.4 . For it is impossible that they which were once lightned , &c. 2. Pet. 2.20 . For if they , after they haue escaped from the filthinesse of the world , through the knowledge of the Lord , and of the Sauiour Iesus Christ , are yet tangled againe therein , and ouercome , the latter end is worse with them then the beginning . The second , is a certaine penitencie , whereby the Reprobate , I. doth acknowledge his sinne . II. Is pricked with the feeling of Gods wrath for sinne . III. Is grieued for the punishment of sinne . IV. Doth confesse his sinne . V. Acknowledgeth God to be iust in punishing sinne . VI. Desireth to be saued . VII . Promiseth repentance in his miserie or affliction , in these words , I will sinne no more . Math. 27.3 . Then when Iudas which betraied him , saw that he was condemned , he repented himselfe , and brought againe the thirtie pieces of siluer , to the chiefe Priests and Elders . Heb. 12.17 . For yee know how that afterward also when h● would haue inherited the blessing , he was reiected : for he found no place to repentance , though he sought the blessing with teares . 1. King. 21.27 . Now when Ahab heard those wordes , he rent his clothes , and put sackcloath vpon him , and fasted , and lay in sackcloth , and went softly . Numb . 23.10 . Let me die the death of the righteous , and let my last ende be like his . Psal. 78.32 . For all this , they sinned still , and beleeued not his wondrous workes . 33. Therefore their daies did he consume in vanitie , and their yeares hastily . 34. And when he slue them , they sought him , and they returned , and sought God earely . 35. They remembred that God was their strength , and the most high God their redeemer . The third degree is , a temporarie faith , whereby the reprobate doth confusedly beleeue the promises of God , made in Christ , I say confusedly , because he beleeueth that some shall be saued , but he beleeueth not that he himselfe particularly shall be saued , because he beeing content with a generall faith , doth neuer applie the promises of God to himself , neither doth he so much as conceiue any purpose , desire , or endeuour to applie the same , or any wrastling or striuing against securitie or carelesnes and distrust . Iam. 2. 19. Thou beleeuest that there is one God , thou doest well : the deuils also beleeue it , and tremble . Math. 13.20 . And he that receiued seede in the stony ground , is he which heareth the word , and incontinently with ioy receiueth it . 21. Yet hath he no roote in himselfe , and dureth but a season . Ioh. 2.23 . Now when he was at Ierusalem at the Passeouer in the feast , many beleeued in his Name when they saw his miracles which he did . 24. But Iesus did not commit himselfe vnto them , because he knew them all . The fourth is , a tasting of heauenly gifts : as of Iustification , and of Sanctification , and of the vertues of the world to come . This tasting is verely a sense in the hearts of the Reprobates , whereby they doe perceiue and feele the excellencie of Gods benefits , notwithstanding they doe not enioy the same . For it is one thing to tast of dainties at a banquet , and another thing to feede and to be nourished thereby . Heb. 6.4 . For it is impossible , that they which were once lightened , and haue tasted of the heauenly gifts , and were made partakers of the holy Ghost . The fifth degree is , the outward holines of life for a time , vnder which , is comprehended a zeale in the profession of religion , a reuerence and feare towards Gods ministers , and amendment of life in many things . Mark. 6.20 . For Herod feared Iohn , knowing that he was a iust man , and an holy , and reuerenced him , and when he heard him● he did many things , and heard him gladly . Act. 18.13 . Then Simon himselfe beleeued also , and was baptized , and continued with Philip , and wondred when he saw the signes and great miracles which were done . Hos. 6.4 . O Ephraim , what shall I doe vnto thee ? O Iudah , how shall I entreate thee ? for your goodnes is as a morning cloud , and as the morning dewe it goeth away . The second degree of the execution of Gods counsel of reprobation , in mē of ripe age which are called , is a falling away againe , which for the most part is effected and wrought after this manner . First , the reprobate is deceiued by some sinne . Secondly , his heart is hardened by the same sin . Thirdly , his heart being hardened , it becommeth wicked and peruerse . Fourthly , then followeth his incredulitie and vnbeleefe , whereby he consenteth not to Gods word , when he hath heard and known it . Fiftly , an Apostasie , or falling away from faith in Christ , doth immediately follow this vnbeleefe . Hebr. 3.12,13 . Take ●eed , brethren , least at any time there be in any of you an euill heart , and vnfaithfull , to depart awaie from the liuing God. 1. Tim. 1.19 . This Apostasie , is sometimes sinne against the holy Ghost . In the sinne against the holy Ghost , we haue haue these seuerall points to be considered : I. The Name ; it is called a sinne against the holy ghost , not because it is done against the person , or deitie of the holy Ghost ( for in this respect he that sinneth against the holy Ghost , sinneth in like sort against both the father , & the Sonne ) but it is so called , because it is done contrarie to the immediate action , namely , the illumination of the holy Ghost . For albeit this be an action common to the whole Trinitie , yet the Father and the sonne doe effect the same by the holy Ghost . II. The efficient cause of it ; which is a set & obstinate malice against God , and against his Christ. Therefore when a man doth in the time of persecution , either for feare , or rashly denie Christ , he doth not commit this sinne against the holy Ghost , as may appeare by the example of Peter who denied Christ. Mat. 26.73.74.75 . Neither doth he which persecuteth Christ and his Church vpon ignorance fall into this sinne . Paul persecuted the Church of Christ , and yet God had mercie on him , because he did it ignorantly . 1. Tim. 1.13 . Many of the Iewes crucified our Sauiour Christ , who afterward , because they committed that grieuous fact vpon ignorance , repenting at Peters sermon , they did obtaine remission of their sinnes . Act. 3.17 . 37. III. The Obiect , namely God himselfe , and the Mediatour Christ Iesus . For the malice of this sinne is directed against the very maiestie of God himselfe , and against Christ. Hebr. 10.29 . Of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall he be worthie , which treadeth vnderfoote the Sonne of God , and counteth the blood of the Testament as an vnholy thing , wherewith he was sanctified , and doth despise the spirit of grace ? Therefore this sinne doth directly respect the first table of the morall law , and is not some particular slipping aside from the obseruation of those commandements which are contained in this first table , such as are some doubtings concerning God , or of the truth of the scriptures , or of Christ , &c. but it is a generall defection & apo●tasie from God , and that totally . IV. The subiect in which it is . This sin is found in none at al , but such as haue been enlightened by the holy Ghost , and haue tasted of the good gift of God. Heb. 6.5,6 . Neither is it in him a bare cogitation alone , but an externall action , or rather such a blasphemie against God as proceedeth from a malitious , and obstinate heart . Matth. 12. 31. V. The Elect cannot commit this sinne : and therfore they who feele in themselues a sure testimonie of their election , neede neuer to despaire : nay , this sinne is not in euery reprobate : for many of them die before they haue this illumination by Gods spirit . VI. This sinne cannot be forgiuen , not because it is greater then that Christs merit can satisfie for it , but because after a man hath once committed this sinne , it is impossible for him to repent . For the gift of repentance proceedeth from the holy Ghost , and the holy ghost remaineth in vs through Christ apprehended by faith : now no man doth apprehend Christ , that doth malitiouslie despise and contemne him . VII . It is very hard to knowe when a man committeth this sinne , because the roote thereof , namely , set malice , lurketh inwardly in the heart , and is not so easily discerned . Out of all this which hath bene spoken , we may thus define this sinne . The sinne against the holy Ghost is a voluntarie , and obstinate deniall of , and blasphemie against the Sonne of God , or that trueth which was before acknoweledged concerning him , & so consequently an vniuersall defection from God and his true church . We haue an example of this sinne partly in the diuel , who albeit he knewe well inough that Iesus was that Christ , yet he neuer ceased both wittingly and willingly with all his power , to oppugne the sacred Maiestie of GOD , togither with the kingdome of Iesus Christ , and , as farre forth as he could , vtterly to supplant the same , partly in the Pharises , Matth. 12.32 . Ioh. 3.2 . After Apostasie followeth pollution , which is the very fulnesse of all iniquitie , altogether contrarie to sanctification . Gen. 15.16 . And in the fourth generation they shall come hither againe , for the wickednesse of the Amorites is not yet full . The third degree is damnation , whereby the Reprobates are deliuered vp to eternall punishment . The execution of damnation beginneth in death , and is finished in the last iudgement . Luk. 16.22 . And it was so that the begger died , and was carried by the Angel into Abrahams bosome ; the rich man also died and was buried . 23. And being in hell torments , he lift vp his eies and sawe Abraham a farre off , and Lazarus in his bosome . The execution of the decree of reprobation in Infidels , which are not called , is this . First , they haue by nature ignorance and vanitie of minde . After that followeth hardnesse of heart , whereby they become voide of all sorrowe for their sinnes . Then commeth a reprobate sense , which is , when the naturall light of reason , and of the iudgement of good and euil , is extinguished . Afterward when the heart ceaseth to sorrowe , then ariseth a committing of sinne with greedinesse . Then commeth pollution , which is the fulnesse of sinne . Lastly , a iust reward is giuen to all these , to wit , fearefull condemnation . Eph. 4. 18. Hauing their cogitations darkened , and beeing strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them , because of the hardnes of their hearts . Rom. 1.28 . For as they regarded not to know God , euen so God deliuered them vp to a reprobate minde , to doe those things which are not conuenient . CHAP. 54. Concerning a newe deuised doctrine of Predestination , taught by some new and late Diuines . CErtaine newe Diuines of our age , haue of late erected vp a new doctrine of Predestination , in which , fearing belike , least they should make God both vniust , and vnmercifull , they doe in the distribution of the causes of saluation and damnation , turne them vpside down ; as may appeare by their description in this table . But this their doctrine hath some foule errours and defects , the which I , according as I shall be able , will briefly touch . The I. errour . There is a certaine vniuersall or generall election , wherby God , without any either restraint , or exception of persons , hath decreed to redeeme by Christ , and to reconcile vnto himselfe all mankind wholly , fallen in Adam , yea euery singular person , as well the Reprobate , as the Elect. The Confutation . The very name of Election doth fully confute this : for none can be said to be elected , if so be that God would haue all men elected in Christ. For he that electeth , or maketh choice , cannot be said to take all : neither can he that accepteth of all , be said to make choice onely of some . Obiect . Election is nothing els but dilection , or loue : but this we know , that God loueth all his creatures ; therefore he electeth all his creatures . Answer . I. I denie that to elect is to loue , but to ordaine and appoint to loue . Rom. 9.13 . II. God doth loue all his creatures , yet not all equally , but euery one in their place . Furthermore , this position doth flatly repugne the most plaine places of holy Scripture . Tit. 2.14 . Who gaue himselfe for vs , that he might redeeme vs from all i●iquitie , and purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe . Ioh. 10. I giue my life for my sheepe . Exception . All men are the sheepe of Christ. Answer . Iohn addeth , And my sheepe heare my voice , and I knowe them , and they followe me , and I giue vnto them eternall life , neither shall they perish . Eph. 5.23 . Christ is the head of the Church , and the same is the Sauiour of his body . vers . 25. Christ loued the Church , and gaue himselfe for it . Redemption and remission of sins , is the inheritance of the Saints , and of such as are made heires of the kingdome of Christ. Coloss. 1.13 . Againe , looke for whom Christ is an Aduocate , and to them onely is he a Redeemer ; for redemption and intercession , which are parts of Christs priesthood , the one is as generall and large as the other , and are so surely vnited and fastened togither , as that one cannot be without the other . But Christ is only an Aduocate of the faithfull . Ioh. 17. in that his solemne praier , he first praieth for his own , namely his disciples elected not only to the Apostleship but also to eternall life : and then vers . 20. he praieth likewise for them that should beleeue in him by their worde . Nowe against these , he opposeth the worlde , for which he praieth not that it may attaine eternall life . And Rom. 8. Who shall accuse Gods elect ? Christ sitteth at the right hand of the father , and maketh intercess●on for vs. Furthermore , the members of Christs Church , are called the Redeemed of the Lord , Psalme 87. Therefore this priuiledge is not giuen to all alike . Exception . This vniuersall reconciliation is not in respect of man , but God himselfe , who , both made it for all , and offereth it to all . Ans. If Christ became once before God a reconciliation for all mens sinnes , yea and also satisfied for them all , it must needes followe that before God al those sinnes must be quite blotted out of his remembrance . For the actuall blotting out of sinnes , doth inseparably depend vpon reconciliation for sinnes : and satisfaction doth infer by God , and that necessarily , the very reall and generall abolishment of the guilt and punishment of sinne . Obiect . I. Christ tooke vpon him mans nature : therefore he redeemed mans nature generally . Answer . I. It followeth not , except we would say that Christ redeemed his owne humanitie , which cannot be any waies possible . II. Euery woman doth partake the humane nature of euery man , yet is not euery man each womans husband , but hers alone , with whome by the couenant in matrimorie , he is made one flesh : and in like sort Christ did by his incarnation ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) take also vpon him mans nature , and that common to all Adams progenie , yet is he the husband of his Church alone , by another more peculiar coniunction , namely , the bond of the spirit and of faith . And by it the Church is become flesh of his flesh , and bone of his bone . Eph. 5.20 . And therefore shee alone may iustly claime title to the death of Christ and al his merits . Obiection . II. Christs redemption is as generall , as Adams fall was : and therfore it appertaineth to all Adams posteritie . Answer . Adam was a type of Christ , and Christ a counter-type correspondent to Adam . Adam was the roote of all his successors , or all that should come of him , from the which first Adam , was sinne and death deriued : againe , Christ he is also a roote , but of the elect onely , and such as beleeue , to whome , from him , proceede righteousnes , and life eternall . He cannot be said to bee the roote of all , and euery singular man , because that all doe not drinke and receiue this his righteousnesse , and life neither are they actually by him made righteous . Romans 12.17.19 . Obiect . The benefit of Christs death redounded to all . Answer . It did , to all that beleeue . For as Adam destroyed all those that were borne of him : so Christ doth iustifie and saue all those that are borne anewe by him , and none other . Obiect . If tha● Adams sinne destroyed all , and Christs merit doth not saue all : then is Adams sinne more forcible to condemne , then Christs mercie is to saue . Answer . We must not esteeme of the mercie of Christ by the number of men which receiue mercie ( for so indeede I grant , that as Adams fall made all vniust , so the mercie of Christ and his redemption should actually iustifie all ) but we mu●t rather measure it by the efficacie and dignitie thereof , then by the number on whom it is bestowed . For it was a more easie thing to destroy all by sinne , then by grace to saue but one . Man , being but meere man , could destroy all : but to saue euen one , none could doe it , but such an one as was both God and man. Obiect . III. Many places of Scripture there are which affirme this , that the benefit of Christs death doth appertaine vnto all . Rom. ●1 . God hath shutte vp all vnder sinne , that he might haue mercie vpon all . 1. Tim. 2.4 . God would haue all men to bee saued . 2. Pet. ● . 9 . God would not haue any to perish , but all come to repentance . Answer . I. You must vnderstand all that beleeue , as it is Math. 11.28 . All that are wearie and heauie laden . Ioh. 3.6 . All that beleeue . Gal. 3.23 . The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne , that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ , should be giuen to them which beleeue . Act. 10.43 . All which beleeue . And surely there is as well a generalitie of them that beleeue , as of the whole world . II. We may vnderstand by [ all ] of all sorts some , not euery singular person of all sorts . So , Reuel . 5.9 . Christ is said to haue redeemed some out of euery kinred , and tongue , and people , and nation . And Gal. 3.28 . There is neither Iew nor Grecian , neither bond nor free , there is neither male nor female , for ye are all one in Christ Iesus . Matth. 4. Christ is said to haue healed euery disease , that is , euery kind of disease . And Augustine to this purpose hath a fit rule . All is often vsed for many , as Rom. 5.18,19 . Augustine in his Manuel to Laur. chap. 103. It is thus saide ( saith Augustine ) God would haue all to be saued , not because there was no man which he would haue damned , who therefore would not doe miracles amongst them , which would as he saith , haue repented , if he had done miracles , but that by all men we should vnderstand all sorts of men , howsoeuer distinguished , whether Kings , priuate persons , &c. And in his booke de Corrept . & gratia , chap. 14. It is saide , he would haue all to be saued , so as we must vnderstand all such as are predestinate to be saued , because amongst them there are all sorts of men , as he said to the Pharises , You tythe euery hearb . III. These two , to be willing to saue man , and that he should come to the sauing knowledge of the truth , are inseparably vnited together . 1. Tim. 2.4 . But the second we see doth not agree to all and euery singular person : therefore the first cannot . Obiect . IV. In many places of Scripture Christ is said to redeeme the world , as 1. Ioh. 2.2 . He is a propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world . Ans. This word world , signifieth , I. the frame of heauen and earth . II. All men both good and bad together . III. The companie of vnbeleeuers , and malignant haters of Christ. IV. The congregation of the Elect , dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth , and to be gathered out of the same . In this fourth signification we must vnderstand such places as are aboue mentioned . Abraham is called the heire of the world , Rom. 4.13 . that is , of many nations . Gen. 17.45 . Obiect . V. God will not the death of a sinner , but rather that he repent and liue , Ezech. 18.23 . Answer . Augustine in his 1. booke to Simplicius , 2. quest . answereth this question . You must , saith he , distinguish betwixt man , as he is borne man , and man , as he is a sinner . For God is not delighted with the destruction of man , as he is mā , but as he is a sinner : neither wil he simply the death of any as he is a sinner , or as it is the ruine and destruction of his creature : but in that , by the detestation and reuenge of sinne with eternall death , his glorie is exceedingly aduanced . God therefore will the death of a sinner , but as it is a punishment , that is , as it is a meanes to declare and set out his diuine iustice : and therfore it is an vntruth for a man to say that God would haue none condemned . For whereas men are once condemned , it must be either with Gods will , or without it : if without it , then the will of God must needes suffer violence , the which to affirme is great impietie : if with his will , God must needes change his sentence before set downe , but we must not presume to say so . Obiect . VI. God is the Father of all , Malach. 2.10 . Ans. This place is meant of Gods Church , out of which , all men , standing in that corrupt estate by Adā , are the children of wrath , and of the deuill . Eph. 2.2 . Ioh. 8.44 . Obiect . VII . If God did elect some , and reiect others , he must needes be [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] a respecter of persons . Ans. I. One is said then to accept , or haue respect of persons , when as he by some circumstances inherent in the person , is mooued to doe this or that . Now , as for God , he did vpon his meere pleasure elect some , and reiect others eternally , not mooued or vrged thereunto by any thing whatsoeuer , out of himselfe . II. He is debter to none , but may by good right doe with his creatures what seemeth good vnto him in his owne eyes . III. It is one thing with God to accept of persons , and another to make choice of men . This if we should not graunt , it would follow that God must be deemed blame-worthie , because he made not all his creatures most glorious Angels . Obiect . VIII . If God decreed to reiect certaine men , then did he hate his creature . Answ. God decreed to reiect his creature and workmanship , not because he hated it , but because he appointed it to hatred . And it is one thing to hate , and another to appoint to hatred . And indeede God doth not actually hate any thing , but for sinne . That saying of Augustine to Simplicius is fitte for this purpose . When God maketh the wicked , whome he doth not iustifie , vessells of wrath , he doth it not to hate that which he made : for in that he made them vessels , they haue their vse , namely , that by their paines to which they were ordained , the vessels of honour might reape profit . God therefore doth not hate them , in that they are men , or vessels , neither any thing that he made in them by creation , or ordination . For God hateth nothing which he hath made . But in as much as he made them vessels of destruction , he did it to instruct others . As for their impietie , which he neuer made , that he hateth vtterly . As therfore a iudge hateth theft in a mā , but he doth not hate his punishment that he is sent to worke in the mines . For the theefe doth the first , the iudge the latter : so God , whereas of the companie of them which perish , he maketh vessels of perdition , he doth not therefore hate that which he doth , that is , the cōdemnation of those which perish in their due punishment for sinne . Obiect . IX . The reprobates are said in many places of Scripture to be redeemed by Christ , as 2. Pet. 2.1 . Ans. First , we must not vnderstand such places meant of all reprobates , but of such as are for a time in the Church . II. They are saide to be redeemed , iustified , and sanctified , both in their owne iudgements , and the Churches also , in as much as they make an externall profession of the faith . But this is a iudgement of charitie , not of certentie . Obiect . X. God might be thought cruell , if that he had ordained the greatest part of the world to destruction . Answer . God could well enough haue decreed , that euen all men should vtterly haue beene reiected , and yet he should haue beene neuer a whit either cruell or vniust . Reasons . I. He adiudged all and euery one of those soule and wicked spirits which fell from him , to eternall torments . II. He decreed also , as is apparant by the euent , that men should liue by the slaughter of beasts ; and yet God is not therefore cruell against them : and surely God is no more bounden vnto man , then vnto the very bruit beasts . Exception . God appointed all to be saued , with this caueat and condition , If they beleeue . Answer . This is absurd to affirme : for , I. by this meanes the decree of God should depende vpon the will of man● when as contrarily Gods decree doth limit and order all inferiour causes . II. It quite taketh away the certaintie of Gods decree , because a conditionall proposition doth set downe nothing as beeing , or , it doth not certainly affirme any thing . Obiect . If the merit of Christ did not extend it selfe as farre as the fall of Adam , then is not the head of the Serpent broken , nor Satans kingdome abolished by Christ. Ans. This brusing of the Serpents head , is seene in them onely which are at enimitie with the Serpent , namely in such as truly beleeue . Gen. 3.15 . compared with Rom. 16.20 . To conclude , that is not true which they say , namely , that this opinion of an vniuersall and effectuall redemption of euery singular man , is a notable remedie to comfort afflicted consciences . For I appeale to the iudgement of all men , whether there is in this manner of consolation , any great comfort to the conscience afflicted . Christ died for all men : Thou art a man : Therefore Christ died for thee . The II. errour . God did foreknow the fall of Adam , but he did not by his eternall decree foreordaine the same : and therefore that his fall was without the agent permission of God. The Confutation . It is false . For , I. there is not the least thing in nature , but it commeth to passe by the decree and will of God. Math. 10.30 . Wherefore such as affirme , that God did onely foreknow this , or that , they doe either quite ouerturne the prouidence of GOD , or at the least imagine that it is a very idle prouidence . II. The fact of Herod and Pilate in deliuering Christ against their own consciences , to be crucified , may seeme to be as heinous as was Adams fall , and yet they are said to haue done that , which the hand of the Lord had fore-ordained to be done . Act. 4. 28. Againe , the fall of Adam was two manner of waies by Gods actiue , or rather operatiue permission . I. In as much as the fall was an action : for in God alone we liue , we mooue , and haue our beeing . II. In as much as that his fall was but a bare triall of his loyaltie to God , whereby God would trie both the power , and will of his creature . The III. errour . God , by reason that he did foresee the disobedience of some , or , that they would contemne the Gospel , did decree their destruction and condemnation . The Confutation . We vtterly denie , that the foreseeing of the contempt of grace in any , was the first and principall cause of the decree of reprobation . Reasons . I. Paul , Rom. 1. doth deriue the common condemnation of the Gentiles from hence , namely , that they withheld the truth in vnrighteousnes , that is , because they did wittingly extinguish that light of nature , by their wicked doings , which they had of the knowledge of God and would not obey their consciences inwardly checking them for the same . II. If that faith foreseene , be not the cause of the decree of Election , it can not be that the want of faith foreseene , should be the cause of the decree of reprobation ; but rather as faith doth in order of causes follow after election , so must incredulitie reprobation . For there is the like reason or proportion of contraries . III. Many infants depart this life , both beeing out of the true Church , and before they haue any vse of reason : and againe many there are , which albeit they liue long , yet being either idiots and fooles , or borne deafe , they cannot come to the true vse of reason : in all which , it is not credible that their should be suspected any contempt of the Gospel which they could not learne . IV. Esau was hated of God for none other cause , but for that it so pleased him . Rom. 9.18 . V. If this opinion should be true , then would it follow that men should be condemned for nothing else but incredulitie : the which is not so . Ioh. 3.36 . Christ speaking of vnbeleefe , saith not that for it the wrath of God came vpon man , but remaineth vpon him . And why should we daily aske pardon for our sinnes , if nothing but incredulitie or vnbeleefe condemned vs ? nay , although that there were neuer any contempt of the Gospell , yet that corruption of originall sinne , were sufficient enough to condemne men . VI. Also that admiration which Paul hath , Rom. 9.20 . O man , who art thou which disputest with God● doth plainly shew that the cause of the decree of God in reiecting some , is vnsearchable : and that it doth not at all depend vpon any foreseene contumacie towards the grace of God offered in the Gospel . For if it were otherwise , we might easily giue a reason of Gods decree . August . epist. 105. saith very well . Who ( saith he ) created the reprobates , but God ? and why , but because it pleased him ? but why pleased it him ? O man , who art thou that disputest with God! Some Diuines perceiuing that this is an hard sentence , they goe about to mitigate it in this sort . The matter , say they , or obiect of predestination , is a reasonable creature , and that not simply or absolutely considered , but partly as it fell , partly as of it selfe it was subiect to fall : and thereupon God preordaining men from euerlasting , considered them , not simply as he was to make them men , but as they were such men as might fall into sinne , and againe be redeemed by Christ , and after called to the light of the Gospel . The efficient or first motiue cause , was not any foreknowne cause either this or that , but the meere will of God. For he disposeth all things not of , and by his foreknowledge , but rather according to the same . But these things albeit they may seeme to be subtile deuises , yet are they not altogether true . Reasons . I. The potter when he purposeth to make some vessell , doth not consider the clay , and regard in it some inherent qualitie , to make such a vessell , but he maketh it of such and such a forme , to this or that vse , euen of his alone free-will and pleasure . II. Rom. 9.21 . Hath not the potter power to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour , and another to dishonour ? In which place we may not vnderstand by the name lumpe , all mankinde corrupted , and fallen , and so to be redeemed in Christ : for then Paul would not haue said that God made vessels of wrath , but rather that he did forsake them after they were made . III. This seemeth preposterous , that God did first foreknow mankind , created , fallen , and redeemed in Christ : and that afterward he ordained them so foreknown , to life or to death . For the ende is the first thing in the intention of the agent : neither will a most skilfull workman first prepare meanes by which he may be helped to doe a thing , before he hath set downe in his minde all the endes , both such as are most neere , and them that are very farre off . Now we know this , that mans creation ; and his fall in Adam , are but meanes to execute Gods predestination , and therefore are subordinate vnto it : but the ende of Gods decree is the manifestation of his glorie in sauing some , and condemning others . Therefore we may not once imagine that God did first consult of the meanes whereby he determined to execute his decree , before he deliberated of the election , and reprobation of man. The IIII. errour . Gods calling to the knowledge of the Gospell is vniuersall , yea of all men and euery singular person , without exception . The Confutation . This is a very vnreasonable position . Reasons . I. God would not haue all men called , Math. 20.16 . Many are called , but few are chosen . He saith not that all , but many are called . Christ in his Disciples first ambassage , chargeth them that they should not preach to the Gentiles of his comming : and to the Cananitish woman he saith , It is not lawfull to giue that which is holy vnto dogges . Mat. 13.11 . It is not giuen to euery one to know the mysteries of the kingdome of God. Rom. 16. 25. The mysterie of the Gospel ( whether it be meant of Christ , or the calling of the Gentiles ) was kept secret from the beginning of the world . II. There be many millions of men , which haue not so much as heard of Christ. Act. 14.16 . God in times past suffered all the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies . III. The greatest part of the world hath euer beene out of the Couenant . Eph. 2. 12. Ye were , I say , at that time without Christ , and were aliants from the common-wealth of Israel , and strangers from the couenants of promise , and had no hope , and were without God in the world : but now ye are no more strangers and forrenners , but citizens with the Saints . Obiect . They are said to be [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] not simply alienated , but abalienated from God : now how could they be abalienated , except either they or their predecessors had beene in the couenant ? Ans. The Gentiles are not said to be abalienated from the couenant , but from the common-wealth of Israel : because that God had then by certaine lawes , rites , and ceremonies , vtterly seuered , and distinguished the people of the Iewes from all other nations . Obiect . This generall calling is not to be vnderstood simply of the ministerie of the word , but of the will of God , deliuered presently after the fall in his vnwritten word , but afterward in his written word : and this all men ought to know , although many , through their owne default , know it not . Ans. But the Scriptures were committed to the custodie of the Church of God , and euery one was not credited with them . Rom. 3.2 . Vnto the Iewes were of credit committed the Oracles of God. 1. Tim. 3. 15. The Church is the pillar and ground of truth . Psal. 147. 19. He shewed his words vnto Iacob , and his statutes and lawes to the house of Israel . 20. He hath not dealt so with euery nation : therefore they haue not knowne his law●s . Psal. 76. 1. The Lord is famous in Iudea , and in Israel is his name great . Obiect . The couenant of Grace was made with Adam and Eue , and in them all mankind was receiued both into the Church , and couenant , and also called to the knowledge of God. Ans. I. This reason wanteth euen common reason and sense , to say that God giuing his promise in the daies of Adam and Noah , did in them call all mankind that should come after . II. Adam before his fall , did indeede receiue the grace both for himselfe , and for others also : and in the fall , he lost it both for himselfe , and for all others : but after the fall , he receiued the promise for himselfe alone , and not for the whole world , otherwise the first Adam should not onely haue beene a liuing creature , but a quickning spirit , the which is proper to the second Adam . 1. Cor. 15.45 . The conclusion . If we should graunt this doctrine to be true , then must we needes allow of these absurdities in diuinitie , which follow . I. That God would haue all , and each singular man to be saued : and withall he would haue some ordained to hatred , and perdition : or , That in regard of God , all men are elected , and redeemed , but in regard of the euent many perish . II. The guilt of Adams sinne must not be imputed to any one of his posteritie , because that God , hauing mercie of all generally in Christ , did take into the couenant of reconciliatiō all mankind . Now if but the guiltines of Adams fall be taken away , the punishment forthwith ceaseth to be a punishment , and corruption it selfe is by little and little abolished in all men . CHAP. 55. Of the state and condition of the Reprobates when they are dead . THe death of the Reprobate , is a separation of the bodie and the soule : of the bodie , that for a time it may lie dead in the earth : of the soule , that it may feele the torments of hell , euen vntill the time of the last iudgement : at which time the whole man shall be cast into the most terrible and feareful fire of hell . 1. Pet. 3.19 . By the which he also went and preached vnto the spirits that are in prison . Luk. 8. 2. Pet. 2.4 . For if God spared not the Angels that sinned , but cast them downe into hell , and deliuered them into chaines of darknes to be kept vnto damnation , &c. The reprobate when they die , doe become without sense and astonished , like vnto a stone : or els they are ouerwhelmed with a terrible horrour of conscience , and despairing of their saluation , as it were , with a gulfe of the sea ouer turning them . 1. Sam. 25.37 . Then in the morning when the wine was gone out of Nabal , his wife told him those wordes , and his heart died within him , and he was like a stone . 38. And about ten daies after the Lord smote Nabal that he died . Mat. 27.5 . And when he had cast downe the siluer pieces in the temple , he departed , and went and hanged himselfe . CHAP. 56. Of the condemnation of the Reprobates at the last iudgement . IN the last iudgement , at the sound of the trumpet , the liuing beeing striken with horrour and feare , shall be changed in a moment , the dead shall rise againe to condemnation : both the liuing and the dead shall then haue immortall bodies , but without glorie : and they standing vpon the earth at the left hand of Christ the Iudge , shall heare the sentence of condemnation : Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire , which is prepared for the deuil and his angels . Ioh. 5.29 . And they shall come forth that haue done good , vnto the resurrection of life : but they that haue done euill , vnto the resurrection of condemnation . Matth. 25. 41. 1. Thess. 4. 16. For the Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen with a shout , and with the voice of the Archangel , and with the trumpet of God , and the dead in Christ shall rise first . 17. Then shall we , which liue and remaine , be caught vp with thē also in the cloudes , to meete the Lord in the ayre and so shal we be euer with the lord , CHAP. 57. Of the estate of the Reprobates in hell . AFter that the sentence of condemna●●on is pronounced , then followeth euerlasting death : whereof this is the estate . I. The Reprobates are separated from the presence and glorie of God. II. They are punished with eternall confusion , & most bitter reproches : because all their secret wickednesses and sinnes are reuealed . 2. Thess. 1.9 . Which shall be punished with euerlasting perdition , from the presence of the Lord , and from the glorie of his power . Math. 5.8 . Blessed are the pure in heart , for they shall see God. 1. Ioh. 2.28 . And now little children , abide in him , that when he shall appeare , we may be bold , and not be ashamed before him at his comming . III. They haue fellowship with the diuell and his angels , Math. 25.41 . IV. They are wholly in bodie and soule tormented with an incredible horrour , and exceeding great anguish , through the sense and feeling of Gods wrath , powred out vpon them for euer . Esai 66. 24. And they shall goe forth , and looke vpon the carkases of men , that haue transgressed against me : for their worme shall not die , neither shall their fire be quenched : and they shall be an abhorring vnto all flesh . Hereupon is the punishment of those that are condemned , called Hell fire , a worme , weeping , and gnashing of teeth , vtter darknesse , &c. Rev. 21.8 . But the fearefull , and vnbeleeuing , and the abominable , and murtherers , and whoremongers , and sorcerers , and idolaters , and all lyers , shal haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone , which is the second death . Math. 13.42 . And shall cast them into a furnace of fire , ther● shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth . Esai 66. 24. A Corollarie . ANd this is the full execution of Gods decree of reprobation , whereby appeareth the great iustice of God in punishing sinne : from whence also commeth Gods glorie , which he propoundeth to himselfe , as the last & chiefest end in all these things . Therefore let euery Christian propound the same end vnto himselfe . Rom. 9.14 . What shall we say then ? is there vnrighteousnesse with God ? God forbid . 15. For he said to Moses , I will haue mercie on him to whome I will shew mercie : and will haue compassion on him on whome I will haue compassion . 16. So then , it is not in him that willeth , nor in him that runneth , but in God that sheweth mercie . 17. For the Scriptures saith vnto Pharaoh , For this same purpose haue I stirred thee vp , that I might shew my power in thee , and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth . 1. Cor. 10.31 . Whether therefore ye eate or drinke , or whatsoeuer ye doe , doe all to the glorie of God. CHAP. 58. Of the application of Predestination . THe right applying of Predestination to the persons of men , is very necessarie : and it hath two parts . The first is , the iudgement of particular predestination , and the second is , the vse of it . The iudgement and discerning of a mans owne predestination , is to be performed by meanes of these rules which follow . I. The Elect alone , and all they that are elect , not onely may be , but also in Gods good time , are sure of election in Christ to eternall life . 1. Corinth . 2.12 . 2. Cor. 13.5 . II. They haue not this knowledge from the first causes of Election , but rather from the last effects thereof : and they are especially two : The testimonie of Gods spirit , and the workes of Sanctification . 2. Pet. 1. 10. Romans 8.16 . III. If any doubt of this testimonie , it will appeare vnto them , whether it come from the Spirit of God , or their owne carnall presumption : First , by a full perswasion which they shall haue ; for the holy Ghost will not barely say it , but perswadeth such , that thay are the children of God , the which the flesh can not in any wise doe . Secondly , by the manner of perswasion : for the holy Ghost draweth not reasons ●rom the workes , or worthinesse of man , but from Gods fauour and loue : and this kinde of perswasion is far different from that which Satan vseth . Thirdly , by the effects of that testimonie . For if the perswasion arise from presumption , it is a dead perswasion : but contrarily , it is most liuely and stirring , if it come from the holy Ghost . For such as are perswaded that they are elected , and adopted children of GOD , they will loue god , they wil trust in him , and they will call vpon him with their whole heart . IV. If the testimonie of Gods spirit be not so powerfull in the elect , then may they iudge of their election , by that other effect of the holy ghost ; namely , Sanctification : like as we vse to iudge by heate that there is fire , when wee cannot see the flame it selfe . V. And of all the effects of sanctification , these are most notable . I. To feele our wants , and in the bitternes of heart to bewaile the offence of GOD in euery sinne . II. To striue against the flesh , that is , to resist , and to hate the vngodly motions thereof , and with griefe to think them burthenous & troublesome . III. To desire earnestly and vehemently the grace of God , and merite of Christ to obtaine eternall life . IV. When it is obtained , to account it a most pretious iewel . Phil. 3.8 . V. To loue the minister of Gods word , in that he is a minister , and a Christian , in that he is a Christian : and for that cause , if neede require , to be readie to spende our blood with them . Mat. 10.42 . 1. Ioh. 3.16 . VI. To call vpon God earnestly , and with teares . VII . To desire and loue Christs comming , and the day of iudgement , that an ende may bee made of the daies of sinne . VIII . To flie all occasions of sinne , and seriously to endeauour to come to newnesse of life . IX . To perseuere in these things to the last gaspe of life . Luther hath a good sentence for this purpose . Hee that will serue God , must , saith he , beleeue that which cannot bee seene , hope for that which is deferred , and loue God , when he sheweth himselfe an enemie , and thus remaine to the ende . VI. Nowe , if so be all the effects of the spirit are very feeble in the godly , they must know this , that God trieth them , yet so , as they must not therewith be dismaied , because it is most sure , that if they haue faith , but as much as a graine of mustard seede , and bee as weake as a young infant is , it is sufficient to ingraffe thē into Christ , & therefore they must not doubt of their election , because they see their faith feeble , and the effects of the holy Ghost faint within them . VII . Neither must hee , that as yet hath not felt in his heart any of these effects , presently conclude , that hee is a Reprobate : but let him rather vse the word of God , and the Sacraments , that hee may haue an inward sense of the power of Christ , drawing him vnto him , and an assurance of his redemption by Christs death and passion . VIII . No man may peremptorily set downe , that himselfe , or any other is a reprobate . For God doth oftentimes preferre those which did seeme to be most of all estranged from his fauour , to be in his kingdome aboue those , who in mans iudgement were the children of the kingdome . Hence is it that Christ saith : The Publicanes and harlots goe before you : and , many an one is called at the eleuenth houre , as appeareth by that notable example of the thiefe vpon the crosse . The vses , which may be made of this doctrine of predestination , are very many . First , for our instruction , we are taught these things . I. That there is neither any iustification by workes , nor any works of ours that are meritorious . For election is by the free grace of God : and therefore in like sort is iustification . For , as I saide before , the cause of the cause , is the cause of the thing caused . And for this reason , in the worke of saluation , grace doth wholly challenge al to it selfe . Rom. 11.5 . At this time there is a remnant through the election of grace . 2. Tim. 1.9 . Who hath saued vs , and called vs with an holy calling , not according to our workes , but according to his owne purpose & grace , which was giuen to vs , through Christ Iesus before the world was . Phil. 1. 29. Vnto you i● is giuen for Christ , that not onely ye should beleeue in him , but also suffer for his sake . Rom. 3.24 . Wee are iustified freely by grace . Tit. 3.5 . Not by the workes of righteousnesse , which we had done , but according to his mercie he saued vs. Ezech. 36. 27. I will cause you to walke in my statutes . Rom. 6.23 . The gift of God is eternall life . II. That Astrologie , teaching , by the casting of Natiuities , what men will be , is ridiculous , and impious : because it determineth , that such shall be very like in life , and conuersation , whom God in his predestination hath made vnlike . Iacob and Esau , borne of the same parents , and almost in the same moment of time , ( for Iacob held Esau by the heele as he was borne ) were of most vnlike dispositions , and had diuers euents . The like may we see in all twinnes , and others , which are borne at the same time . III. That God is most wise , omnipotent , iust , and mercifull . O the wonderfull riches , both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! howe vnsearchable are his iudgements , and his waies past finding on t ! Eph. 1.5 . Who hath predestinate vs , to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe , according to the good pleasure of his will. Secondly , beeing the seruants of Christ we are admonished : I. To fight against all doubting and diffidence of our saluation , because it neither depēdeth vpon workes , nor faith , but vpon Gods decree which is immutable . Math. 24.24 . Luk. 10.20 . Reioice that your names are written in the booke of life . Rom. 8.33 . Who shall any thing to the charge of Gods chosen ? it is God that iustifieth , who shall condemne ? 2. Tim. 2.19 . This teacheth , that the anker of hope must be fixed in the trueth , and stabilitie of the immutable good pleasure of God : so that albeit our faith bee so tossed , as that it is in danger of shipwracke , neuerthelesse it must neuer sinke to the bottome , but euen in the middest of danger , take hold vpon repentance , as on a board & so recouer it selfe . II. To humble our soules vnder the mightie hand of God : for wee are as clay in the hand of the potter . Rom. 9.21 . They through infidelitie are broken off , but thou standest through faith . Be not high minded , but feare . III. To giue all glorie to God. 2. Thess. 2.13 . We ought to giue thankes alwaie to God for you brethren , beloued of the Lord , because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation . IV. To beare crosses patiently . Rom. 8.29 . Those which he knewe before , he hath also pre●estinate , to be made like to the image of his sonne . This likenesse to Christ , is in bearing afflictions . Phil. 3.10 . That I may know him , and the vertue of his resurrection , and the fellowship of his afflictions , to be made conformable to his death . V. To doe good workes . Eph. 2. 10. Wee are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus to doe good workes , which God hath ordained , that we should walke in them . Thus much concerning Theologie . AN EXCELLENT TREATISE of comforting such , as are troubled about their Predestination , Taken out of the second answer of M. Beza , to D. Andreas , in the act of their Colloquie at Mompelgart , &c. VNlesse ( saith D. Andreas ) regeneratiō be alwaies vnited to baptisme , and remaineth in such as are baptized , howe should the troubled consciences of those be eased and cōforted , who because they feele not in themselues any good motions of gods holy spirit , finde none other refuge , but the Word and Sacraments , especially the Sacrament of Baptisme ? Now this remedie would be of small force , except it be opposed against those imaginations , which the diuell casteth into a troubled heart ; yea , except it taught such , that God is greater then our heart , who in Baptisme hath not onely offered vs the adoption of sonnes , but hath indeede bestowed the same vpon vs : as it is said by Christ , Hee that beleeueth , and is baptized , shall be saued . And by Paul , Ye which are baptized , haue put on Christ. Dauid beeing armed with the like comfort from his circumcision , feared not to ioyne battell with that great giant Goliah : and if this were not so , it must needs followe , that Baptisme were nothing els but an idle ceremonie , and also the persons of the Trinitie would be thought lyars . Wherefore those afflicted men , when Satan assaulteth them , must resist him with these wordes : Depart from me Satan , thou hast neither part nor portion in the inheritance of my soule , because I am baptized in the Name of the holy Trinitie , and so am truely made the sonne of God by adoption . And are these the strong weapons , which so many times , and in so many wordes , haue beene obiected against me by D. Andreas ? and whereby he hath gotten the victorie ? But because this his reason is somewhat intricate , I will explaine it after this sort . First , for the place of Scripture which he alleadgeth , namely , that God is greater then our hearts : It is so farre from comforting an afflicted conscience , that it will rather driue him to de●paire . Neither doth Iohn 1. epist. 3.20 . make mention of it , to ease such as are in despaire , shewing vnto them by that sentence , the greatnes of Gods mercies ; but rather that he might therby , euen bruise in peeces the hearts of proude persons , when they consider the greatnesse of Gods maiestie . And for the other place , when as a man doubteth of his saluation , and feeleth no testimonies of faith in himselfe , ( for such an one wee here speake of ) what comfort , thinke you , can hee haue in these wordes : Hee that beleeueth , and is baptized , shall be saued ? For hee would rather reason contrarily thus : I indeede am baptized , yet for al that I beleeue not , and therefore my Baptisme is not auaileable , I must needes be condemned . For the saying of August . in his treatise vpon Ioh. 6. is verie true , who speaking of Simon Magus , saith , What good did it to him to be baptized ? bragge not therefore , saith he , that thou art baptized , as though that were sufficient for thee , to inherit the kingdome of heauen . As for the place of Paul , Gal. 3. I shewed plainely before , how D. Andreas did violently wrest it to his purpose . Neither are his reasons taken from the absurditie that would follow , of more force then the former , albeit he maketh them especiall pillars to vnderproppe the truth of his cause . For , I pray you , is God of lesse truth , because his truth is neglected , and derided of them that contemne it ? Is the ceremonie of Baptisme therefore in vaine , because some refuse the grace offered in Baptisme : others ( if we may beleeue D. Andreas ) reiect that grace when they haue receiued it ? What ? Is not the Gospel therfore the power of God to saluation , because it is to such as beleeue not , the sauour of death to eternall death ? May not the Supper of the Lord , be a pledge of Gods couenant , because so may abuse these holy signes , or , ( as D. Andreas is of opinion ) the very bodie and blood of our Sauiour Christ ? And , that I may reason from that which is true in the experience of euery childe , can the Sunne be saide to be without light , because they which are blinde , and asleepe , haue no benefit by the light thereof , neither such as shut their eyes so close , that they will not enioy the comfort of the light ? But amongst all , this one is most childish , that D● Andreas will make this his principall argument , namely , that in vaine did men , thus tempted , flie at all vnto Baptisme , vnlesse we conclude with him , that all such as are baptized , are in Baptisme adopted the sonnes of God. For first , if this were a good consequent from baptisme , it were in vaine , for such an afflicted conscience , to gather vnto himselfe a testimonie from the word of God , and the other Sacrament of the Lords Supper , vnlesse we make all those to be in like sort regenerate and adopted , vnto whome the word of God is preached , and the Lords supper administred , either of which , for D. Andreas to affirme , is a bold vntruth . But to omit this , what if we graunt this which D. Andreas requireth concerning Baptisme ? may not for all that , any that is so tempted , by Satans pollicie , refell this great comforter , by his owne argument ? after this sort : I will grant D. Andreas your question : suppose I haue beene baptized and adopted the sonne of God , yet seeing you teach , that the grace of God is not so sure but that I may fal frō the same , as indeed I feele that I haue grieuously fallen , what doe you now els but lift me vp with one hand to heauen , and with the other cast me downe into hell ? What meane you therefore to teach me those things which are so farre from easing me , as that contrarily , they doe more and more lay out vnto me mine abominable and vngratefull heart ? See now what sure consolation , consciences grieuously afflicted may reape by this doctrine of their comforter D. Andreas . Now if any be desirous to know , what spirituall comfort is most meete to be ministred vnto consciences so troubled , I will shew them that which is grounded vpon a sure foundation , and which I my selfe haue often found to be true in mine owne experience : the which also I purpose to handle more largely , for the benefit of the Christian reader . First therefore we teach , contrarily to that which D. Andreas doth most falsly obiect against vs , that the eternall decree , or as Paul speaketh , the purpose of God , must not be sought in the bottomlesse counsel of God , but rather in the manifestation of it , namely , in his vocation , by the Word and Sacraments . This I speake of such as are of yeares of discretion , as they must needes be , whome we seeke to comfort in this place . Nowe because that externall vocation , is not proper onely to the elect ( for many are called , but fewe are chosen ) but such a vocation as is effectuall , that is , whereby the vnderstanding is not onely enlightened with the sauing knoweledge of God , but in the will also there is created a true , though not a perfect hatred of sinne , from whence ariseth an abhorring of sinne , and loue of that which is good , or rather a desire to will , and do that which is right . Therefore when wee see one thus dangerously tempted , we apply vnto his afflicted conscience , that true Nepenthes , and comfortable and restoratiue medicine , which is taken from Gods effectuall vocation , as it were out of an Apothecaries boxe . If therefore I haue to doe with such an one , who either was neuer called by the preaching of the Gospel , or if he were called , yet seemeth both to himselfe and others , neuer to haue regarded him that called : and hence concludeth that he is not in the number of them , whome God hath purposed to take pitie vpon : I forthwith tell him , that Satan plaieth the Sophister , in teaching him thus to conclude : for this his reason is as vntrue , as if a man looking at midnight , & seeing that the Sunne is not then risen , should therefore affirme that it would neuer rise . And this is that which when I obiected to D. Andreas , pag. 482. he very boldly corrupting my meaning printed this as mine assertion , Say vnto a man that is asflicted , the sunne is risen , although as yet it be not risen . But I teach not lies , howesoeuer this deprauation of my wordes came from D. Andreas printers , or himselfe . And whereas D. Andreas excepted , that this consolation were to no purpose , because he that was afflicted might doubt whether this sunne would euer rise or not : I answered to him , that which the printers haue quite left out , and which I will now therefore more fully repeat . I was woont therefore to tell the partie thus troubled , after he had forsaken his false and diueli●h position : that although an externall vocation were not of force enough to appease an a●flicted conscience , yet it was of sufficient force and efficacie against the deuill . For I tell him that they which neuer had externall nor internall calling , they ( if wee regard an ordinarie calling ) must needes perish : but whosoeuer is once called , he hath set as it were● his foote in the first entrie into the kingdome of heauen : and vnlesse it be by his owne default , he shall come afterwards into the courts of God , & so by degrees into his Maiesties pallace . And for the confirmation of this , I vse diuers waies . For why , say I , doubtest thou of his good will towards thee , who in mercy hath sent me a minister to cal thee vnto him ? thou hast no cause , vnlesse thou alleadge the number of thy sinnes . If this be all , why , oppose the infinite greatnes of Gods mercie against thy sinnes , who hath sent me to bring thee vnto him . The Lord vouchsafeth to bring thee into the way of the elect , why art thou a stumbling blocke vnto thy selfe ? & refusest to ●ollow him ? If thou feelest not as yet inwardly thy selfe to be stirred forward , pray that thou maist be-know this for a most sure truth , that this desire in thee is a pledge of God● fatherly good will towards thee . He neither can , nor will be wanting to this which he hath stirred vp in thee . After these exhortations , I shewe him , howe some are called at the eleuenth houre , how the Gentiles after many thousand yeares were called to be Gods people , how the theefe was saued vpon the crosse : these and other remedies I vsed , whereof , I neuer remember , that it repented me . But if I deale with such as haue before obeyed the Lords calling , and either by reason of some grieuons sinne into which they haue fallen , or because they haue absented themselues from the Church of GOD , or in that they , refusing publike and priuate admonitions , haue beene offensiue to the Church , or which in mine experience , hath befallen many very good and godly persons , whilest they satisfie not th●mselues they are so altogither busily conuersant in reprehending and iudging themselues that they for a while forget the mercie of God : with these , to omit such as for some natural infirmities , are , if they procure not speedy helpe of some expert Minister , most dangerously tempted , with these I say , I vse this order . First , I desire that they intimate vnto me , that which especially grieueth thē , and as I vnderstand both , the thing , and measure thereof by them : I take especiall care of this , that they beeing already ouermuch cast down , that I then , by the seuere denunciation of the Law , doe not quite ouerturne them : yet so as that I doe not altogither withdrawe them either from condemning their former sinnes , or the meditation of Gods iudgement : And so , as much as I can , I temper the words of consolation , as that I nothing cloak Gods anger against them for their sinnes . After I haue thus prepared them , I then demand , whether they haue beene euer in this case or no ? Nay , ( say they , for the most part ) the time was , when I was in great ioy and peace of conscience I serued the Lord , then was I an happie person , full of faith , full of hope : But now wretch that I am , I haue lost my first loue , and there is nothing vexeth me more , then to remember those times past . But say I , whether consideration is more grieuous vnto thee , the apprehension of Gods iudgements , or the dislike of thy selfe that thou shouldest offend so gratious and so louing a father ? Both , say they , but especially the latter . Therefore , say I , sinne also displeaseth thee in that it is sinne , namely , because it is euill , and God who is goodnesse it selfe , is offended with it ? It is euen as you tolde vs , say they , and I am now ashamed that so vile and wicked a wretch as my selfe , should come before so gratious and mercifull a father . Then I tell them , that no man is offended , but rather is glad , when he can iniurie one whome hee hateth : this they graunt , and withall say , God forbidde , that albeit the Lord hate me , I in like sort should hate him , vnto whome , if it were possible , I would be reconciled againe . Then I adde this : Bee of good comfort , my deare brother , you are in good case . For who can loue God , especially when he is wounded by him ? who can bewaile the losse of his friendshippe ? who can desire to come againe into his fauour , but he , whom God still loueth although for a time he be angrie with him ? except peraduenture you haue not learned thus much , that the knowledge of our saluation commeth not from flesh and blood , but from God himselfe , who first vouchsafed to instruct vs , and from Christ Iesus , manifesting the Father vnto vs : And that it is Gods blessing , that we doe loue God , who loued vs first , when we were his enemies . You haue therefore , my good brother , iust cause , why you should be greatly displeased with many things past , but there is no cause why you should despaire . Briefly , you haue inwardly , and , as it were , dwelling with you , euident testimonies of you future reconciliation with God : especially if you cease not to pray vnto him earnestly , who hath laid the foundation of repentance in you , to wit , a dislike of sinne , and a desire to be reconciled vnto him . The sheep which wandered out of the fold ceased not to be a sheep , albeit it went astray for a time : you now are that sheep , to whome that faithfull sheapheard of al those sheep , which the father hath committed to him , leauing those ninetie and nine , doth not so much by my ministerie , declare that he seek●th you , as hauing alreadie sought you , though you not seeking him , hath indeede founde you . Knocke ( saith he ) and it shall bee opened vnto you . And haue you nowe forgotten those promises , which were so often made to them that repent ? and also which they had experience of , who in the sight of the world were in a desperat case . But I , saith he , againe feele no motions of the Comforter , I haue nowe no sense of faith , or hope : but I feele all the contrarie . Nay say I , you deceiue your selfe , as I tolde you before . For it is the Comforter alone , which teacheth you to hate sinne , not so much for the punishment , as because it is euill and disliketh God , albeit hee shewe not himselfe so fully at the first : because you had so many waies grieuously offended him , as that he seemeth for a while quite to forsake you . And , that you haue not quite lost him , but that hee is yet in some secret corner of your soule , from whence at your instant praiers he will shewe himselfe vnto you , this will plainely declare vnto you , which I now admonish you of the second time . But let vs graunt as much as you can say : yet , sure it is , that your faith was not dead , but onely possessed with a spirituall lethargie . You liued in the wombe of your mother , and there were ignorant of your life . A drunken man , although hee loose for a time the vse of reason , and also of his limmes , yet he neuer looseth reason it selfe . You would think that in winter the trees were dead , but they spring againe in the sommer season . At night the Sun setteth , but in the next morning it riseth againe . And howe often see wee by experience , that he which at one time tooke the foile in a combate , at another did win the price ? And knowe this , that in the spirituall combate of the flesh with the spirit , the like we may see in many , partly by reason of the weaknes of our nature , partly through sloth to resist , and partly for default to beware . To these he replieth for such temptations are very hardly remooued , I would to God , saith he , I could perswade my selfe that these promises belonged to me . For my present estate constraineth me to doubt , whether I am the childe of God , or not . Laus Christo nescia finis . A briefe table directing the Reader of this booke to the principall things in the same . ABsence in a Pastor when allowed . 77 externall Abstinence . 48 Abstraction . 21 Abuse of Gods name & creatures . 55 Accusations on malice . 97 vniust Accusations . 98 Accusing conscience . 18 to Acknowledge God , what . 39 Acknowledge others good gifts . 98 Actuall sinne . 20 Adam representing all men . 16 his estate in innocency . 12 his fall . 15 priuate Admonition . 141 Adoption . 124 Adulterie what . 82 lightly punished . 85 Affections corrupted . 19 Afflictions . 124,137 Affiance in God. 39 All , how said to be saued . 169 Allowance of others sinnes . 21 Ambition how healed . 135 our Ancestours how saued . 104 Andreas opinion confuted . 180 Angels with their nature & office . 11 their fall . 13 it was more grieuous then mans . 15 they serue the elect . 142 rash Anger . 73 preseruatiues against Anger● 135 slowe to Anger . 78 snappish Answers . 75 curteous Answers . 78 Antichrist Satans subiect . 35 his sinne . 72 when first at Rome . 36 Apologie . 136,139 Apostates Satans subiects . 35 Apostasie . 166 Iasciuious Aparrell . 84 decent Apparell . 86 Approbatiō of idolatry cōdēned . 45 Approching to God how . 52 to his throne . 119 Application of Gods promises necessarie . 119 Armour complet with parts . 129 Arrius condemned . 41 Astrologie . 56,57 Artes which are vnlawfull . 91 Assaults of a Christian about his calling . 130 his faith . 131 sanctification . 134 assent . 139 Asseueration . 59 Assurance of knowlege . 118 Atheisme . 40 Atheists Satans subiects . 35 Authoritie ouer creatures lost . 23 Authoritie must be obeyed . 68 B Babling . 97 Ballades . 85 Banketting . 85,87 on the Sabbath day vnconuenient . 65 Bankerupts . 90 Baptisme . 107,152 the matter , water , 109 the forme . 109 the couenants in Baptisme . 109 vse of it . 111 Bargaining . 89 the Beast who . 47 pleasures with Beasts . 82 to Beare , what it signifieth . 95 the Birth of sinne . 21 Bitter speaking . 73,97 Blasphemie . 19,55 Blessednes . 144 in what . 144 Blessing of children . 67 Boasting . 97 the Bodie corrupted . 19 punished . 19 amorous Bookes● 85 Booke of life . 144 to Bow downe to , what . 43 Bounds not to be remooued . 91 Brawling . 73 Buriall of the dead . 79 Burning of the flesh . 82 Buyers sinne . 89 Buying . 89 Buggerie . 82 C Callings must be sanctified with praier . 60 a Calling to liue in . 92 effectuall Calling . 114 how wrought . 116,117 vneffectuall Calling . 164 all are not Called . 174 Calling on God. 52,139 Carelesse vsing of Gods name . 55 Ceremonies . 121 Chastitie . 85,88 Charming . 51 Cherubims defend not images . 45 Children must obey parents . 67 Childrē freed from it by the pope . 72 Cherubims why painted with wings . 11 Choice of one God. 42 Censures . 95 Christ the foundation of election . 24 how subordinate to election . 24 why God and man. 24,25 his infirmities . ibid. vnion of two natures . 25 Conception . ibid. sanctification . ibid. assumption of flesh . ibid. Communion of properties . 26 distinction of both natures . 27 how two wills in him . ibid. his natiuitie . ibid. Circumcision . 28 office . ibid. princes his vicegerents . ibid. as Mediatour he hath none . 29 his Priesthood . ibid. he satisfied onely for the elect . 29,168 how he did it . 29 his passion . 9,29 agonie . 30 sncrifice . ibid. he is the altar . ibid. how a priest . ibid. humiliation . 31 accursednesse . ibid. dead . ibid. power of it . 32 buried . 31 descension into hell what . 31 abolishing of death . 32 fulfilling of the Law. 32 intercession . 32,33 his propheticall office . 33 regall office . 33,34 exaltation . 33 bodie is visible . 34 resurrection . 33 power of it . 125 ascension . 34 his sitting at Gods right haud . 34 prerogatiue royall . 35 his iustice ours . 123 things spoken of him as God and man. 26 his manhood exalted . 27 he that onely lawgiuer . 33 his merits infinite . 133 his surrendring his kingdome to his father . 36 Christ when receiued . 118 Christian conuersation . 128 Church goods are not to be sold. 89 the Church may appoint holy daies . 62 Ciuill authoritie in Bish. of Rome Antichrist . 36 Comedies . ●5 Combats vnlawfull . 75 Cōforts for aff●cted cōsciences . 132 Combat of afflicted conscience . 129 Commemoration of the creature . 55 Commendation for well doing to be vsed . 100 Commaundements to man in innocencie . 13 Companie . 85 want of Compassion . 74 Complaints . 74 Compunction . 165 Concupiscence . 100 Conception of sinne . 21 Condemnation is by man. 164 Confession of sinnes . 119 Confidence in creatures . 41 Cookes must keepe the sabbath . 63 Coniuring . 50 Coniunction with God. 115 Conscience corrupted . 18 not Comforted by a generall election . 172 Concealing of sinnes . 21,99 Consent in sinne . 21 Contentation . 92 Contentions . 74 Contempt of superiours . 71 Contempt of Gods seruice . 48 Corne for the poore . 75 Conuersation . 58 to Couet , what . ●00 Counterfait wares . 89 Countenance austere . 74 Couetousnes . 89 Couenant of grace and workes . 36 , 102 Couenant with sathan . 49 who are in the Couenant . 108 Contracts how , & with whome . 88 Contingencie not taken away by gods decree . 9 Controuersies how decided . 75 Conuersion to God whence . 19 Crauing pardon for sinnes . 119 Credulitie . 98 Creation . 10 creatures must not be vsed hardly . 74 Cryings . 74 Crosses . 136 Crueltie . 72 Cursings . 55 Custome in sinne . 21 Constātine , & what figure he saw . 4● D Damage in goods a punishment . 23 Damnation . 164,171 Dauncing . 85 Death a punishment . 23 Death not to be feared . 142 Death of the elect . 141 Death driuen farre off . 20 Decalogue . 36 Decree of God. 8 it is secret . 164 Degrees in sinning . 20 Degrees in deuills . 15 Defence of a mans selfe . 81 Deniall of our selues . 1●8 Derision is persecution . 74 Derision of Gods creatures . 55 of superiours . 71 Desire to please God. 40 desires of the flesh how auoided . 135 holy Desperation . 117 Deuils . 36 what they can doe . 49 Differences of actuall sinne . 21 Disdaine . 95 Disobedience . 71 Distinction of dominions a punishment . 23 Distinction of persons . 6 Distrust in God. 40 Dissolute life . 58 Doubtfulnes . 40,132 Dreames . 19 Diuination . 50 Discerning . 126 Duties of man to himselfe . 71 E Eares of corne may be pulled to satisfie hunger . 80 Eating , with circumstances . 87 Edict of the law . 36 Edification . 140 Elders , fathers . 66 Elect know themselues elect . 163 election . 23,114,146 by Christ. 24,114 meanes of election . 24,36 it is Gods gift . 114 it is not generally of all . 168 notes of election . 177 elect can not finally fall . 160 elect haue dominion ouer creatures . 124 Elohim , what . 1 eleuation in the masse . 48 enchantments . 51 enterludes . 85 enuie . 74,95 entising to sinne . 21 encourage such as feare God. 81 equalitie in contracts . 93 errours of Predest . confuted . 149 estate of infidelitie . 16 estate of the elect after death . 141 , 143,144 estate of wicked men . 175 estimation of our selues . 20 eternall life . 144 eternall ioy . 145 eternall destruction . 23,174,175 euangelicall promises indefinite . 132 euill things , how good with God. 9 , 10 euill thoughts . 20 excellencie of gifts reuerenced . 69 excuse of sinne whence . 18 execution of Gods decree . 23 execution of election . 25 execution of the decree of reprobation . 164 exposition of scripture to xpe . 33 externall obseruation of the sabbath . 65 extolling of a mans selfe aboue others . 72 eyes full of adulterie . 84 F the Fall of a christian souldier . 130 , 131 the remedies . 131 before my Face what . 39 the Fall. 14 Falling from God. 166 decreed of God. 16,173 Faith. 117,120,155 a temporarie faith . 166 how faith is begotten . 33,103 degrees in working it . 118 degrees in Faith. 120 Faith how shaken . 120 not commaunded in the morall law . 121 Faires may not be on the sabbath . 65 the Faithfull alone haue title to Gods goods . 124 False witnesse . 95 False sentence . 91 Fasting . 53,88 Father what . 66 Fatherlesse . 74 Feare of God. 40 of de●th . 166 to offend God. 127 Feasts . 87 to idols . 45 at Feasts leaue somewhat . 87 Feeble not to be inuried . 74 Fighting . ibid. Flatterie . 97 Flight in persecution . 140 Forgerie . 99 Foreknowledge of God. 9 Fornication . 82 Found things restore . 89,94 Free-will not taken away by Gods decree . 9 Free-will . 151,153 Frowardnes . 74 Funerals how to be solemnized . 79 Fulnes of bread . 85 G Gaine lawfull . 91 vnlawfull . ibid. Gaming for gaine . ibid. Gate , what . 63 Gifts of the holy Ghost not saleable . 89 Gleanings . 80 Glorification . 141 perfect Glorie . 144 Glorie of God sought aboue all . 100 it is the ende of all . 146 , 176 Gospell . 103 thought follie . 20 God is , and what . 1 he is denied . 20 his nature . 1 simplenes . 2 infinitenesse . 2 he hath neither subiect nor adiunct . 2 his essence . ibid. immutabilitie . ibid. searcher of the heart . 3 the life of God. ibid. how he willeth euill . 3 his loue , mercie , &c. ibid. what God can doe . 5 his glorie knowne onely to himselfe . ibid . how God is knowne to man. ibid. God the Father . 7 his properties . ibid. God the Sonne . ibid. he onely incarnate . 24 how sent . 7 how the Word . ibid. his properties . 7 God the holy Ghost . 8 Gods operation and operatiue permission . 9 thy God , what . 38 others gods , what . 38 , 39 Good meaning . 20 Good name . 99 Goodnes of the creature . 11 Gouernment of Christs Church . 35 when corrupted . 48 Grace can not be extinguished . 160 Grapes may be plucked . 79 Grief for others & our own sins . 127 Grauen image . 43 Grudges . 74 Guiltlesse , what . 54 H Hallow the sabbath . 61 Hardnes of heart . 23 Hard , and soft heart . 42 Hatred of God. 42,164 of our neighbour . 74 Heauens threefold . 11 Hellenisme . 40 Heresies spring frō original sin . 17,18 Hell fire . 176 Holy Ghost . 8 not Christs father . 25 Holines of mind . 126 of memorie . ibid. conscience . ibid. will. 127 affections . ibid. bodie . 128 Honour what . 83 Hope . 39,127 Hope of pardon . 118 House coueted . 100 Humilitie . 40 Hungring after grace . 118 Hunting . 81 Husbandrie on the sabbath . 65 Hypocrisie . 47,48 I Idlenes . 88 Iealous what . 43,44 Iesting at scripture . 58 Iewes . 35 Idolatrie . 45 Idolaters . 35 Idol . 43 Idolatrous seruice may not be heard . 45 Idolaters sorie when they omit their fained worship . 18 Illumination . 126 Iehouah . 38 Image of God. 11 how much of Gods Image we reteined . 17 Ingrossing commodities . 90 Infamie a punishment . 23 Infants how saued . 114 Infants in the couenant . 108 Infants which condemned . 164 Ingratitude . 72 Inhabitants of the world . 11 Inholders dutie . 63 Ignorance from Adam . 17 sinne of Ignorance . 21,22 Impatience in afflictions . 41 Impotencie of minde . 17 of will. 19 Inclination to euill . 17 Impuritie of conscience . 18,19 Inescation . 21 Iniuries . 74 Indulgences . 47 Imputatiō of mans sins to Christ. 31 Imputation of Christs righteousnes to man. 122 imputatiue iustice prooued . 123,156 Iosephs pietie . 98 Iourneies on the sabbath day . 65 Iudaisme . 40 Images in Churches vnlawfull . 44 Infirmities to be concealed . 78,97,99 Infirmities of the bodie couered by Christ. 33 Infidels how damned . 167 Ioy in the holy Ghost . 128 Iudgements of God must be regarded . 58 Iudging . 99 last Iudgement . 143 Iust dealing . 92 Iugling . 51 Iustice. 129 of the faithfull . 160 Iustification . 121,122 second Iustification confuted . 157 Intermission of Gods seruice . 48 Interpreting amisse . 75 Interpreting wel . 98 Iustice inherent . 156 K to Kill , what , who , when . 73 the Knowledge of Gods law bruiseth the heart . 177 the Knowledge of the Gospel . 118 Kings are fathers . 66 L Labour commanded . 88 Labourers must be paid . 74,91 Law of God morall . 36 the Lawe can not be fulfilled in this life . 160 vse of the Law. 101 vse of it in the regenerate . 102 Church Lawes by Christ. 33 Lawe . 95 Lawyers sinne . 91 Leagues , which are lawfull . 78 Leagues with infidels . 79 Leagues with the godly . 54 Lenitie in correction . 72 Lending freely . 94 Life vnoffensiue . 81 vnordinate . 88 long Life promised to children . 67 Lordships distinguished . 23 Lottes . 56 Loue of God. 39,41 markes of it . 40 Loue of God in Christ. 113 Loue of the creature more then god . 41 the Lords supper . 111 Lower roome at table . 87 Lying . 54,96 Lucke good and bad . 56 Lust of heart . 82 Lutherans consubstantiation . 112 M Madnes a punishment of sinne . 23 Magistrates fathers . 66 Magistrates winking at sinne . 21 Magistrates to be obeyed . 68 Magicke . 49 Magitians . 35,41,49 Magitians not to be sought vnto . 51 Malice 95 Man and wife abusing their libertie . 84 Mans creation with circumstances . 12 , 13 created mutable . 13 his fall . 15 Man Gods image . 45,56 pleasures with Men. 82 Manichees condemned . 41 Mariage to be sanctified with praier . 60 Mariage without parents consent . 71 with infidels . 46 Marie Christs mother continued a virgine . 27 Marcion . 41 Martyrdome . 139 Marchandise solde to an idolatrous vse . 46 Masse may not be heard . 45 Mayming of the bodie . 74 Meditation of the creation on the Sabbath . 65 Meditation of Christs passion . 31 Meditation in the promises of the Gospel . 118 Meanes of Gods worship . 52 Members of Christ. 116 Gods mercie aboue his iustice . 44 Merit of congruitie . 154 of condignitie . 161 the Minde corrupted . 17 MINISTERS , fathers . 66 Ministers sinnes . 21 Ministers dutie . 52 Mirth at meate . 87 Miseries of our neighbour . 77 Modestie . 85 Monasticall vowes . 47 Monkes . 91 Monuments of idolatrie . 46 Mortification . 124 Mourning . 80 Mother , what . 67 Mothers must nurse their owne children . 72 Musicke lawfull . 81 Musicke in Churches . 47 Murder vnpardonable . 75 N Naamans worship in the Temple of Rimmon . 45 Name of God. 54 good Name . 99 Necromancie . 50 Neglect of Gods seruice . 48 Neighbours who and how to be loued . 66,74 Non-residencie reprooued by scripture and councels . 76,77 Notions of the minde . 17 O Obedience to god how measured by him . 48 Obedience to superiours . 69 Obedience to the law . 20 euangelicall Obedience . 129 Occasiōs of strife how ministred . 76 Offences against superiours . 71 equalls . 72 inferiours . 72,77 Old men fathers . 67 Operation of God. 9 Oppression . 89 Originall sinne . 17 not taken away by baptisme . 152 Outward actuall sinne . 20 Originall sinne deserueth death . 173 Othes . 59 lawfull . ibid. vnlawfull . ibid. P Particular perswasion of saluation . 119 Paines in childbirth . 23 a Punishment for sinne . 23 Parents how said to be holy . 108 Parents prolong their childrens life . 67 Patience in perils . 39 Patience with preseruatiues . 137 Peace of God. 148 Perfection of sinne . 21 Permission of euill . 14 Periurie . 5 Peoples dutie in Gods seruice . 52 petition . 60 Peters fall . 22 Pirats . 91 philosophie . 81 phisicke . 81 pictures . 44 plague . 81 plaies . 85 Pledges to be restored . 75,90 to be redeemed . 93 strange Pleasures . 82 pollution . 197 pollution by night . 84 the Pope Antichrist . 35 Popish superstitions . 47,58 popish fasting . 48 popish traditions . 48 power of the law . 102 of Christs death . 126 preaching of the Gospel an image of Christ. 45 it begetteth faith . 33 praier . 138 praiers of the faithful . 139 to creatures . 49 a meanes to sanctifie Gods creatures . 60 praiers on particular occasions . 60 praising of God in heauen . 145 Predestination . 10,167 it is both of the Elect and reprobate . 149 immutable . 150 not by foreseene workes in man. 172 it may be knowne . 177 what it is to the Papists . 146 Predestination applied . 176 preseruatiues against assaults of temptation . 131 vocation . 131 faith . 132 sanctification . 134 presumption . 22,42 pride . 42 promises of God and man. 36 promises must be kept . 94 pronenesse to diseases a punishment . 22 pronouncing vniust sentence . 96 propagation of sinne . 17 profession of God commanded . 39 , 138 processions . 45 prognostications . 56 prophesies . 50 prophanations of sabbaths . 64 punishments of sinne . 22 punishments inflicted by superiours to be borne . 69 punishments how to be inflicted . 70 Q Quarrellings . 74 R Railings forbidden . 74 Raising of prises in wares . 89 Remission of sinnes . 122 reioycing at our neighbors good . 77 Rebaptizing . 110 Rebellion inward . 20 Recreation . 81 Relikes of idols vnlawfull . 46 Reliefe of such as are godly . 140 Remember , what it signifieth . 61 Representing of God in an image . 44 Reprobates . 165 how farre they may go in godlines . 164 Reprobates may know the lord . 165 haue temporary faith . 165 a tast of the heauenly gifts . ibid. outward holines . ibid. their falling from God. ibid. death . 175 condemnation . ibid. estate in hell . 176 Reprobation . 163 Reprobate sense . 17 Reuerence to superiours with many branches . 68 Reuenge . 74 Restitution . 89,94 Repentance . 129 howe in Reprobates . 165 howe in God. 2 Resurrection . 143 Reading sometimes begetteth faith . 103 to rise early on the Sabbath . 63 Rogues . 91 Robberies . ibid. the Romish Hierarchie . 48 Rules for the communion of properties . 7,26 Rules for vowes . 52 Rules for equalitie in contracts . 93 Rules for the interpretation of the decalogue . 37 Rules for such as would be saued . 103 S Sabellius condemned . 41 Sabbath commanded in Paradice . 63 Sabbath . 61 how sanctified . 63 how morall and ceremoniall . 63,64 why changed . 64 a Sabbath daies worke . 62 preparation to the Sabbath . 64 how prophaned . 65 Sacraments . 104 how necessarie . 107 Sacrifice and Sacrament differ . 107 Saluation . 146,171 Saluation according to the Church of Rome . 146 Saints not to be praied for . 49 Samuel raised vp , not true Samuel . 50,51 Sanctuaries . 76 to Sanctifie what . 61 Sanctification of Gods creatures . 60 Sanctification with the effects thereof . 124 Satans shifts to cause infidelitie . 132 Satan Gods ape . 50 his Sacraments . 50 Scandals . 76 Scriptures only expoūded by Christ. 34 Serpents head bruised . 171 Second causes are not frustrate by Gods decree . 8 Securitie . 20,42 Seruice of God in heauen . 145 Sellers sinne . 89 Seruants eie seruice . 72 Shame of nakednes a punishment . 22 Shooting . 81 Signes in the sacraments . 105 Sinne what . 13 mortall Sinne. 160 why it raigneth in man. 102 one Sinne forgiuen all forgiuen . 134 Sinne corrupteth onely faculties . 17 Sinnes of omission and commission . 20 Sinne against the holy ghost . 22,166 Sixe daies to worke . 62 Single life . 87 Sobrietie . 86 Soule punished . 23 Sorrow for sinne . 136 Societie with infidels . 46 Soules in heauen . 142 Southsaying . 50 christian Souldier . 129 Spirit of slumber . 18 Spirituall drunkennes . ibid. Sports on the Sabbath . 65 Starres what force they haue . 57 Stealing . 88 Step-parents to be honoured . 66 Strangers not to be iniuried . 78,80 the Sting of death . 142 Subiect to satan . 35 Subiection to Satan a punishment . 23 Suretiship . 94 Suites in law . 47 Supremacie in the Pope , a note of Antichrist . 35 Superstition . 56 Suspitions . 96 Superiours dutie to inferiours . 70 Superiours to be reuerenced . 67 they must speake first . 68 Subiects are freed from their allegiance to their prince by the Pope . 72 Swearing any way . 55 T to Take the name of god in vaine . 54 Talke corrupt . 85,97 table Talke . 87 Tales raised . 97,98 Taunting . 75 Tempting of God. 41 Temptation . 21,130,132 Tempter . 129 Terrour of conscience . 19,23 Terrours for well doing . 19 Testament . 103 Thanksgiuing . 52,60,130 Theologie , what . 2 Theft how punished . 91,92 Thrift . 92 Titles of God where to be vsed . 5● Titles may be giuen to men . 68 Trafficke with infidels . 46 Transubstantiation . 112 Trembling at gods presence . 23,113 Trials of suites before infidels . 47 Trouble of minde . 23 Truth to be spoken . 92 Truces . 79 Turkes the deuils subiects . 35 the two Trees in Eden . 13 Tyrants to be obeyed . 69 Tyrants punishment . 75 V Vanitie from Adam . 18 Vaine-glorie . 96 Vertue of creatures lost by sinne . 23 Vices not to be allowed , 96,97 abstained from . 98 to Visite . 44 Viuification . 126 Vowes . 47,53 Vncharitable opinions of such as feare God. 20 Vnion with God. 41 Vnion of christians with Christ. 115 spirituall Vnderstanding . 126 Vniust dealing . 88 Vnprofitable warres . 89 Vsurie . 90 W Washing in baptisme . 109 Wasting others goods . 72 Wages deteined . 75 Wantonesse . 84 Christian Warrefare . 129 Warriars . 129 Weights falsified . 89,93 Wedlocke . 87 Will corrupted . 19 Will worship . 47 spirituall Wisdome . 126 Witches . 52 Wishing . 101 Witnesse . 98 the Worke of God. 8 Works of the elect , howe acceptable to God. 98 the World and parts thereof . 11 how the godly esteem of the World. 127 the Word how first reuealed . 33 the Word preached a meanes of saluation 33 to sanctifie Gods creatures . 60 Wise in his own conceit . 73 Widowes not to be iniuried . 75 to Winne men to religion . 51 Wares to be saleable . 93 Gods worship when corrupted . 48 meanes by which God is Worshipped . 50 Workes iustifie not . 151,161 Workes foreseene . 172 Worme of conscience . 176 Whole man punished . 23 Worshipping the beast . 47 of deuills . 49 Z Zeale of Gods glorie . 58,127 FINIS . AN EXPOSITION OF THE SYMBOLE OR CREEDE OF THE APOSTLES , ACCORDING TO THE TENOVR OF THE SCRIPTVRE , AND the consent of the Orthodoxe Fathers of the Church : reuewed and corrected BY William Perkins . They are good Catholikes , which are of sound faith and good life . August . lib. quaest . in Matth. cap. 11. PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT PRINTER to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge . 1600. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE , EDWARD Lord Russell , Earle of Bedford . Grace , and peace , &c. RIght Honourable , excellent is the saying of Paul to Titus , To the pure all things are pure : but to the impure and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure , but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled . In which wordes he determines three questions . The first , whether things ordained and made by God , may become vncleane or no ? his answer is , that they may : and his meaning must be conceiued with a distinction . By nature , things ordained of God are not vncleane : for Moses in Genesis saith , that God saw all things which he had made , and they were very good : yet they may become vncleane either by lawe , or by the fault of men . By law , as when God forbids vs the things which in themselues are good : without whose commandement , they are as pure as things not forbidden . Thus for the time of the olde Testament God forbade the Iewes the vse of certaine creatures ; not because they were indeeede worse then the rest , but because it was his pleasure vpon speciall cause to restraine them , that he might put a difference betweene his owne people and the rest of the world : that he might exercise their obedience , and aduertise them of the inward impuritie of minde . Now this legall impuritie was abolished at the ascension of Christ. By the fault of men things are vncleane when they are abused , and not applied to the ends for which they were ordained . The second question is , to whome things ordained of God are pure ? He answers , to the pure : that is , to them whose persons stand iustified and sanctified before God in Christ in whome they beleeue : who also doe vse Gods blessings in holy manner to his glorie and the good of men . The third question is , who they are to whome all things are vncleane ? his answer is , to the vncleane : by whome he vnderstands all such I. whose persons displease God , because they doe not indeede beleeue in Christ : II. who vse not the gifts of God in holy manner , sanctifying them by word and praier : III : who abuse them to bad endes , as to riot , pride , and oppression of men , &c. Nowe that to such , the vse of all the creatures of God is vncleane , it is manifest : because all their actions are sinnes in that they are not done of faith : and a mans persons must first please God in Christ , before his action or worke done can please him . Againe they vse the blessings and creatures of God with euill conscience , because so long as they are forth of Christ , they are but vsurpers thereof before God. For in the fall of the first Adam we lost the title and interest to all good things : and though God permitte the vse of many of them to wicked men ; yet is not the former title recouered but in Christ the second Adam , in whome we are aduanced to a better estate then we had by creation . Hence it followes necessarily , that ( to omit all other things , ) Nobilitie , though it be a blessing and ordinance of God in it selfe , is but an vncleane thing , if the enioyers thereof be not truly ingrafted into Christ , and made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh . The blood vnstained before men , is stained blood before God by the fall of Adam , if it be not restored by the blood of Christ the lambe of God. And hence it follows againe , that Nobilitie must not dwell solitarie , but combine her selfe in perpetuall fellowship with heartie loue and syncere obedience of pure and sound religion : without the which all pleasant pastimes , all sumptuousnes of building , all brauerie in apparell , all glistering in gold , all delicate fare , all delightfull musicke , all reuerence done with cappe and knee , all earthly pleasures and delights that heart can wish , are but as a vanishing shadow , or like the mirth that beginnes in laughing and endes in woe . A happie thing were it , if this consideration might take place in the hearts of all noble men : it would make them honour God that they might be honoured of God with euerlasting honour : and it would make them kisse the Sonne least he be angrie , and they perish in the way . I speake not this as though I doubted of your Lordships care in this very point : but mine onely meaning is to put you in minde , that as you haue begunne to cleane vnto Christ with full of purpose of heart , so you would continue to doe it still , and doe it more : & withal to manifest the same vnto the whole world , by honouring Christ with your owne honour , and by resembling him specially in one thing , in that , as he grew in stature and yeares , he also grew in grace and fauour with God and men . And for this very cause ( without any consideration of earthly respects ) I further present vnto you an Exposition of another part of the Catechisme , namely the Symbole or Creede of the Apostles : which is indeede the very pith and substance of Christian religion , taught by the Apostles , imbraced by the ancient fathers , sealed by the blood of martyrs , vsed by a Theodosius the Emperour as a meanes to ende the controuersies of his time : and hereupon hath beene called the b rule of faith , the d keye of faith . And furthermore I hope that your Lordship will accept the same in good part , the rather because you vouchsafed when you were in Cambridge to be an hearer thereof when it was taught and deliuered . Thus crauing pardon for my boldnes , I take my leaue , commending your L. and yours to the protection of the Almightie . Ann. 1595. Apr. 2. Your L. to command , William Perkins . The Contents of the booke . The Creede . pag. 185 Faith. 187 God. 198 The three persons . 202 The Father . 205 Gods omnipotencie . 212 The Creation . 217,221 Gods counsel . 218 The creation of heauen . 228 The creation of Angels . 231 The creation of man. 236 Gods prouidence . 242 Adams fall , and originall sinne . 252 The couenant of grace . 259 The title , Iesus . 262 The title , Christ. 266 The title , Sonne . 271 The title , Lord. 278 The Incarnation of Christ. 279 Christs humiliation . 295 Christs passion . 297 Christs arraignment . 300 Christs execution . 328 Christs sacrifice . 350 Christs triumph . 356 Christs buriall . 367 The descension of Christ. 372 Christs exaltation . 378 Christs Resurrection . 380 Christs ascension . 396 Christs sitting at , &c. 407 Christs intercession . 409 Christs kingdome . 417 The last iudgement . 420 Of the holy Ghost . 436 The Church . 451,488 Predestination . 453 The mysticall vnion . 483 The communion of Saints . 500 The forgiuenesse of sinnes . 506 The resurrection of the bodie . 509 Life euerlasting . 516 In handling of the foresaid points for orders sake , is considered , 1. The meaning , or such points of doctrine as are necessarie to bee knowne thereof . 2. The duties to be learned thereby . 3. The comforts that Gods pleople may gather thence . AN EXPOSITION OF THE CREED . I beleeue in God. &c. NO man iustly can be offended at this , that I begin to treat of the doctrine of faith without a text ; though some be of mind , that in Catechising the minister is to proceed as in the ordinary course of preaching , onely by handling a set portion of scripture : & therefore that the handling of the Creede beeing no scripture , is not conuenient . Indeede I graunt , that other course to bee commendable : yet I doubt not , but in Catechising the minister hath his libertie to followe or not to followe a certaine text of scripture , as we doe in the vsuall course of preaching . My reason is taken from the practise of the Primitiue Church ; whose Catechisme ( as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues sheweth ) was contained in sixe principles or grounds of religion , which were not taken out of any set text in the old Testament : but rather was a forme of teaching gathered out of the most cleare places thereof . Hence I reason thus : That which in this point was the vse and manner of the Primitiue Church , is lawfull to be vsed of vs now : but in the Primitiue church it was the manner to catechize without handling any set text of scripture : and therefore the ministers of the Gospell at this time may with like libertie do the same : so be it they doe confirme the doctrine which they teach with places of scripture afterward . Nowe to come to the Creede , let vs begin with the name or title thereof . That which in English we call the Apostles Creed , in other tongues is called Symbolum , that is , a shot or a badge . It is called a shot , because as in a feast or banquet euery man payeth his part : which beeing all gathered , the whole ( which we call the shot ) amounteth : and so out of the seuerall writings of the Apostles ariseth this creed or briefe confession of faith . It is a badge , because as a souldier in the field by his badge and liuerie is knowne of what band he is , and to what captaine he doth belong : euen so by this beleefe a christian man may be distinguished and knowne from all Iewes , Turkes , Atheists , and all false professours : and for this cause it is called a badge . Againe it is called the creed of the Apostles , not because they were the pēners of it , conferring to it besides the matter a the very style & frame of words as we haue thē now set down . Reason . I. there are in this creed certen words & phrases which are not to be found in the writings of the Apostles , and namely these : He descended into hell ; the Catholike Church . The latter whereof no doubt a first began to be in vse , when after the Apostles daies the Church was dispersed into all quarters of the earth . Secondly if both matter and wordes h●d beene from the Apostles , why is not the creede Canonicall Scripture , as well as any other of their writings ? III. The Apostles had a summarie collecollection of the points of Christian religion which they taught , and also deliuered to others to teach by ; consisting of two heads , faith and loue : as may appeare by Pauls exhortation to Timothie , wishing him to keepe the patterne of wholesome wordes : which he had heard of him in faith and loue , which is in Christ Iesus . Nowe the Creed consists not of two heads but of one , namely of faith only & not of loue also . Wherfore I rather think , that it is called the Apostles Creede because it doth summarily conteine the cheife and principall points of religion , handled and propounded in the doctrine of the Apostles : and because the points of the Creede are conformable and agreeable to their doctrine and writings . And thus much of the title . Now let vs heare what the creed is : It is a summe of things to be beleeued concerning God and concerning the Church , gathered forth of the scriptures . For the opening of this description . First I say , it is a summe of things to be beleeued , or an abridgement . It hath beene the practise of teachers both in the newe and olde Testament to abridge and contract summarily the religion of their time . This the Prophets vsed . For when they had made their sermons to the people they did abridge them and penned thē briefly : setting them in some open place , that all the people might reade the same . So the Lord bad Habakuk to write the vision which he sawe , and to make it plaine vpon tables , that he may runne that readeth it . And in the newe testament the Apostles did abridge those doctrines , which otherwise they did handle at large , ●s as may appeare in the place of Timothie afore named . Nowe the reason ●hy both in the old and newe Testament the doctrine of religion was abridged , is that the vnderstandings of the simple , as also their memories might be hereby helped , and they better inabled to iudge of the trueth , and to discerne the same from falshood . And for this ende the Apostles Creede beeing a summary collection of things to bee beleeued , was gathered briefly out of the word of God b for the helping of memory and vnderstanding of men . I adde that this Creede is concerning God and the Church . For in these two points consisteth the whole summe thereof . Lastly , I say , that it is gathered forth of the scripture , to make a difference between it and and other writings , and to shew the authoritie of it , which I will further declare on this manner . There bee two kinde of writings in which the doctrine of the Church is handled , and they are either diuine or Ecclesiasticall . Diuine , are the bookes of the olde and newe Testament penned either by Prophets or Apostles . And these are not onely the pure word of God , but also the scripture of God : because not onely the matter of them but the whole disposition thereof with the style and the phrase was set downe by the immediate inspiration of the holy ghost . And the authoritie of these bookes is diuine , that is , absolute and soueraigne , and they are of sufficient credit in and by themselues needing not the testimonie of any creature , not subiect to the censure either of men or Angels , binding the consciences of all men at all times , and beeing the only foundation of faith , and the rule and canon of all trueth . Ecclesiasticall writings are all other ordinarie writings of the Church consenting with Scriptures . These may be called the word or trueth of God , so far forth as their matter or substance is consenting with the written word of god : but they cannot be called the scripture of God because the style and phrase of them was set downe according to the pleasure of man , and therefore they are in such sort the word of God , as that also they are the word of men . And their authoritie in defining of trueth and falshood in matters of religion is not soueraigne , but subordinate to the former : and it doth not stand in the authoritie and pleasures of men & councels , but in the consent which they haue with the scriptures . Ecclesiasticall writings are either generall , particular , or proper . Generall , are the Creedes and confessions of the Church dispersed ouer the whole worlde , and among the rest the Creede of the Apostles , made either by the Apostles themselues , or by their hearers and disciples , apostolicall men deliuered to the Church , and conueied from hand to hand to our times . Particular writings are the confessions of particular Churches . Proper writings are the bookes and confessions of priuate men . Nowe betweene these we must make difference . For the Generall Creede of the Apostles , ( other vniuersall Creeds in this case not excepted ) though it be of lesse authoritie then scripture ; yet hath it more authoritie then the particular & priuate writings of Churches and men . For it hath beene receiued and approoued by vniuersall consent of the Catholike Church in all ages , and so were neuer these : in it the meaning and doctrine can not be changed by the authoritie of the whole Catholike Church : and if either the order of the doctrine or the wordes whereby it is expressed , should vpon some occasion be changed , a particular Church of any country can not do it , without Catholike consent of the whole Churche : yet particular writings and confessions made by some speciall Churches may be altered in the words & in the points of doctrine by the same Churches without offence to the Catholike Church . Lastly it is receiued as a rule of faith among all Churches to trie doctrines & interpretations of scriptures by , not because it is a rule of it selfe , for that the scripture is alone ; but because it borroweth his authoritie frō scripture with which it agreeth . And this honour no other writings of men can haue . Here some may demand the number of Creedes . Ans. I say but one Creede , as there is but one faith : and if it be alleadged that wee haue many Creedes , as besides this of the Apostles , the Nicene Creede and Athanasius Creed , &c. I answer , the seuerall Creedes and confessions of Churches containe not seueral faiths and religions , but one and the same : and this called the Apostles creede is most ancient , and principall : all the rest are not newe Creedes in substance , but in some points penned more largely for the exposition of it , that men might better auoid the heresies of their times . Further , it may be demanded , in what forme this Creede was penned ? Ans. In the forme of an answere to a question . The reason is this . In the Primitiue Church , when any man was turned from Gentilisme to the faith of Christ , and was to be baptised , this a question was asked him , What beleeuest thou● then he answered according to the forme of the Creede , I beleeue in God , &c. And this maner of questioning was vsed euen from the time of the Apostles . When the Eunuch was conuerted by Philip , he said , What doth let me to be baptised ? Philip said , If thou doest beleeue with all thine heart , thou maist . Then he answered , I beleede that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God. By this it appeares , that although all men , for the most part , amongst vs can say this Creede , yet not one of a thousand can tell the ancient and first vse of it : for commonly at this day of the simpler sort it is saide for a prayer , beeing indeede no prayer : and when it is vsed so , men make it no better then a charme . Before we come to handle the particular points of the Creede , it is very requi●ite that we should make an entrance thereto by describing the nature , properties , and kindes of faith , the confession and ground whereof is set forth in the Creede . Faith therefore is a gift of God , whereby we giue assent or credence to Gods word . For there is a necessarie relation betweene faith and Gods word . The common propertie of faith is noted by the author of the Hebrewes , when he saith , Faith is the ground of things hoped for : and , the demonstration of things that are not seene . For all this may be vnderstood , not onely of iustifying faith , but also of temporarie faith , and the faith of miracles . Where faith is said to be a ground , the meaning is , that though there are many things promised by God , which men doe not presently enioy , but onely hope for ; because as yet they are not : yet faith doth after a sort giue subsisting or beeing vnto them . Secondly it is an euidence or demonstration , &c. that is , by beleeuing a man doth make a thing as it were visible , beeing otherwise inuisible and absent . Faith is of two sorts : either common faith , or the faith of the Elect : as Paul saith , he is an Apostle according to the faith of Gods elect : which also is called faith without hypocrisie . The common faith is that , which both elect and reprobate haue , and it is threefold . The first is historicall faith , which is , when a man doth beleeue the outward letter and historie of the word . It hath two parts ; knowledge of Gods word , and an assent vnto the same knowledge : and it is to be found in the deuill and his angels . So Saint Iames saith , the deuills beleeue and tremble . Some will say , what a faith haue they ? Ans. Such as thereby they vnderstand both the Law and the Gospell : besides they giue assent to it to be true : and they doe more yet , in that they tremble and feare . And many a man hath not so much . For amongst vs , there is many a one which hath no knowledge of God at all , more th●n he hath learned by the common talke of the world : as namely , that there is a God , and that he is mercifull , &c. and yet this man will say , that he beleeueth with all his heart : but without knowledge it can not be that any should truly beleeue , and therefore he deceiu●th himselfe . Quest. But whence haue the deuils historical faith ? were they illuminated by the light of the spirit ? Ans. No : but when the Gospell was preached , they did acknowledge it , and beleeued it to be true , and that by the vertue of the reliques of Gods image , which remained in them since their fall . And therefore this their faith doth not arise from any speciall illumination by his spirit , but they attaine to it euen by the very light of nature , which was left in them from the beginning . The second kinde of faith is Temporarie faith , so called because it lasteth but for a time and season , and commonly not to the ende of a mans life . This kinde of faith is noted vnto vs in the parable of the seede , that fell in the stonie ground . And there be two differences or kindes of this faith . The first kinde of temporarie faith hath in it three degrees . The first is , to knowe the Word of God and particularly the Gospell . The second , to giue an assent vnto it . The third , to professe it , but to goe no further : and all this may be done without any loue to the word . This faith hath one degree more then historicall faith . Examples of it we haue in Simon Magus , Acts 8.13 . who is saide to beleeue , because he held the doctrine of the Apostle to be true ; and withall professed the same : and in the deuils also , who in some sort confessed , that Christ was the sonne of the most highest , and yet looked for no saluation by him , Mark. 5.7 . Act. 19.15 . And this is the common faith that abounds in this land . Men say they beleeue as the Prince beleeueth , and if religion change they will change . For by reason of the authoritie of princes lawes , they are made to learne some litle knowledge of the word : they beleeue it to be good , and they professe it : & thus for the space of thirtie or fourtie yeares men heare the word preached , and receiue the sacraments , beeing for all this as voide of grace as euer they were at the first day : and the reason is , because they doe barely professe it , without either liking or loue of the same . The second kinde of temporarie faith hath in it fiue degrees . For by it first a man knowes the word . Secōdly he assenteth vnto it . Thirdly , he professeth it . Forthly , he reioiceth inwardly in it . Fiftly , he bringeth forth some kind of fruit : and yet for all this hath no more in him , but a faith that will faile in the ende ; because he wanteth the effectuall application of the promise of the Gospel , and is without all manner of sound conuersion . This faith is like corne in the house top , which groweth for a while , but when heate of sommer commeth , it withereth . And this is also set forth vnto vs in the parable of the seede , which fell in a stonie ground , which is hastie in springing vp : but because of the stones , which will not suffer it to take deepe roote , it withereth . And this is a very common faith in the Church of God : by which many reioyce in the preaching of the word , and for a time bring forth some fruits accordingly with shewe of great forwardnesse , yet afterward shake off religion and all . But ( some will say ) how can this be a temporarie faith , seeing it hath such fruits ? Ans. Such a kind of faith is temporarie , because it is grounded on temporarie causes which are three . I. A desire to get knowledge of some straunge points of religion . For many a man doth labour for the fiue former degrees of temporarie faith , onely because he desires to get more knowledge in Scripture , then other men haue . The second cause is a desire of praise among men , which is of that force that it will make a man put on a shewe of all the graces , which God bestoweth vpon his owne children , though otherwise he want them : and to goe very farre in religion ; which appeareth thus . Some there are which seeme very bitterly to weepe for the sinnes of other men , and yet haue neither sorrow nor touch of conscience for their owne : and the cause hereof is nothing else but pride . For he that sheddes teares for an other mans sinnes , should much more weepe for his owne , if he had grace . Againe , a man for his owne sinnes will pray very slackly and dully , when he prayeth priuately : and yet when he is in the companie of others , he praies very feruently and earnestly . From whence is this difference ? surely often it springeth from the pride of heart and from a desire and praise among men . The third cause of temporarie faith is profit , commoditie , the getting of wealth and riches : which are common occasions to mooue to choose or refuse religion , as the time serueth : but such kinde of beleeuers embrace not the Gospell because it is the Gospell , that is , the gladde tydings of saluation ; but because it brings wealth , peace , and libertie with it . And these are the three causes of temporarie faith . The third kinde of faith is the faith of Miracles : when a man grounding himselfe on some speciall promise or reuelation from God , doth beleeue , that some straunge and extraordinarie thing , which he hath desired or foretold , shall come to passe by the worke of God. This must be distinguished from historicall and temporarie faith . For Simon Magus hauing both these kinds of faith , wanted this faith of miracles , and therefore would haue bought the same of the Apostles for money . Yet we must know that this faith of miracles may be in hypocrites , as it was in Iudas , and at the last iudgement it shall be found to haue bin in the wicked and reprobate ; which shall say to Christ , Lord , in thy name we haue prophesied , and cast out deuills , and done many great miracles . And thus much for the three sorts of common faith : Now we come to the true faith , which is called the Faith of the Elect. It is thus defined : Faith is a supernaturall gift of God in the minde , apprehending the sauing promise with all the promises that depend on it . First , I say , it is a gift of God , Philip. 1.29 . to confute the blinde opinion of our people , that thinke that the faith whereby they are to be saued , is bredde and borne with them . I adde that this is a gift supernaturall ; not onely because it is aboue that corrupt nature in which we are borne , but also because it is aboue that pure nature , in which our first parents were created . For in the state of innocencie they wanted this faith , neither had they then any neede of faith in the same God as he is Messias : but this faith is a new grace of God added to regeneration after the fall , and first prescribed and taught in the couenant of grace . And by this one thing , faith differeth from the rest of the gifts of God , as the feare of God , the loue of God , the loue of our brethrē , &c. for these were in mans nature before the fall , and after it , when it pleaseth God to call vs , they are but renewed : but iustifying faith admits no renuing . For the first ingrafting of it into the heart , in the conuersion of a sinner after his fall . The place and seate of faith ( as I thinke ) is the minde of man , not the will : for it stands in a kind of particular knowledge or perswasion , and there is no perswasion but in the minde . Paul saith indeede , that we beleeue with the heart , Rom. 10. but by the heart he vnderstands the soule without limitation to any part . Some doe place faith in the minde , and partly in the will , because it hath two parts ; knowledge , and affiance : but it seemes not greatly to stand with reason , that one particular and single grace should be seated in diuerse parts or faculties of the soules . The forme of faith is , to apprehend the promise , Gal. 3. 14. that we might receiue the promise of the spirit through faith : and , Ioh. 1.12 . to receiue Christ , and to beleeue , are put one for another ; and to beleeue , is to eate and drinke the bodie and blood of Christ. To apprehend properly , is an action of the hand of man , which laies hold of a thing , and pulls it to himselfe : and by resemblāce it agrees to faith , which is the hand of the soule , receiuing and applying the sauing promise . This apprehension of faith , is not performed by any affection of the will , but by a certen and particular perswasion , whereby a man is resolued that the promise of saluation belongs vnto him . Which perswasion is wrought in the minde by the holy Ghost , 1. Cor. 2.12 . And by this , the promise which is generall is applied particularly to one subiect . By this one action , sauing faith differeth from all other kindes of faith . From historicall ; for it wanteth all apprehension , and standeth onely in a generall assent . From temporarie faith , which though it make a man to professe the Gospell and to reioyce in the same , yet doth it not throughly applie Christ with his benefits . For it neuer brings with it any thorough touch of conscience or liuely sense of Gods grace in the heart . And the same may be said of the rest . The principall and maine obiect of this faith is , the sauing promise , God so loued the world , that he gaue his onely begotten sonne , that whosoeuer beleeues in him , shall not perish , but haue euerlasting life . But some will say , Christ is commonly said to be the obiect of faith . Ans. In effect it is all one to say the sauing promise , and Christ promised , who is the substance of the couenant . Christ then as he is set forth vnto vs in the word & Sacraments , is the obiect of faith . And here certaine questions offer themselues to be skanned . The first , What is , that particular thing , which faith apprehendeth ? Answ. Faith apprehendeth whole Christ God and man. For his godhead without his manhoode , and his manhoode without his godhead doth not reconcile vs to God. Yet this which I say must be conceiued with some distinction according to the difference of his two natures . His godhead is apprehended not in respect of his essence or nature , but in respect of his efficacie manifested in the manhood , whereby the obedience thereof is made meritorious before God : as for his manhoode , it is apprehended both in respect of the substance or thing it selfe , and also in respect of the efficacie and benefits thereof . The second , In what order faith apprehends Christ ? Answ. First of all it apprehendes the very bodie and bloode of Christ : and then in the second place the vertue and benefits of his bodie and blood : as a man that would feele in his bodie the vertue of meate and drinke , must first of all receiue the substance thereof . To goe forward . Besides this mayne promise , which concernes righteousnesse and life euerlasting in Christ , there be other particular promises touching strength in temptations , comfort in afflictions , and such like , which depend on the former : and they also are the obiect of iustifying faith : and with the very same faith we beleeue them , wherewith we beleeue our saluation . Thus Abraham by the same faith wherewith he was iustified , beleeued that he should haue a sonne in his olde age , Rom. 4.19,22 . And Noe by that faith whereby he was made heyre of righteousnes , beleeued that he and his familie should be preserued in the floode : this conclusion beeing alwaies laide downe , that , To whome God giues Christ , to them also he giues all things needefull for this life or the life to come , in and by Christ. And hereupon it comes to passe that in our prayers , besides the desire of things promised , we must bring faith whereby we must be certenly perswaded , that God will graunt vs such things as he hath promised : and this faith is not a newe kind or distinct faith from iustifying faith . Thus we see plainly what sauing faith is . Whereas some are of opinion , that faith is an affiance or confidence , that seemes to be otherwise : for it is a fruit of faith , and indeede no man can put any confidence in God , till he be first of all perswaded of Gods mercie in Christ towards him . Some againe are of minde , that loue is the very nature and forme of faith : but it is otherwise . For as confidence in God , so also loue is an effect which proceedeth from faith . 1. Tim. 1.5 . The ende of the law is loue from a pure heart and good conscience and faith vnfained . And in nature they differ greatly . Christ is the fountaine of the waters of life . Faith in the heart is as the pipes and leads that receiue in , and hold the water : and loue in some part is as the cocke of the conduit , that lets out the water to euery commer . The propertie of the hand is to hold , and of it selfe it can not cut : yet by a knife or other instrument put into the hand , it cuts : the hand of the soule is faith , and his propertie is to apprehend Christ with all his benefits , and by it selfe it can doe nothing else ; yet ioyne loue vnto it , and by loue it will be effectuall in all good duties . Now to proceede further : first we are to consider , how faith is wrought : secondly , what be the differences of it . For the first , faith is wrought in and by the outward ministerie of the Gospell , accompanied by the inward operation of the spirit , and that not suddenly , but by certaine steps and degrees : as nature frameth the bodie of the infant in the mothers wombe , 1. by making the brain and heart , 2. by making veines , sinewes , arteries , bones : 3. by adding flesh to them all . And the whole operation of the spirit stands in two principall actions . First , the enlightening of the minde : the second , the moouing of the will. For the first , the holy Ghost inlightens mens minds with a further knowledge of the law then nature can affoard ; and thereby makes them to see the sinnes of their hearts and liues with the ouglines thereof , and withall to tremble at the curse of the law . Afterward the same spirit opens the eye to vnderstand and consider seriously of righteousnes and life eternall promised in Christ. This done , then comes the second worke of the holy ghost , which is the inflaming of the will , that a man hauing considered his fearefull estate by reason of sinne , and the benefits of Christs death , might hunger after Christ ; and haue a desire not so much to haue the punishments of sinne taken away , as Gods displeasure : and also might enioy the benefits of Christ. And when he hath stirred vp a mā to desire recōciliation with god in Christ , then withall he giues him grace to pray not onely for life eternall , but especially for the free remission and pardon of all his sinnes : and then the Lords promise is , Knocke and it shall be opened , seeke and ye shall finde . After which he further sendes his spirit into the same heart that desireth reconciliation with God , and remission of sinnes in Christ ; and doth seale vp the same in his heart by a liuely and plentifull assurance thereof . The differences & degrees of faith are two : I. a weake faith : II. a strong faith . Concerning the first , this weake faith shewes it selfe by this grace of God , namely an vnfained desire , not onely of saluation ( for that the wicked and graceles man may haue ) but of reconciliation with God in Christ. This is a sure signe of faith in euery touched and humbled heart , and it is peculiar to the elect : and they which haue this , haue in them also the ground and substance of true sauing faith : which afterwardes in time will grow vp to greater strength . Reasons : I. Promise of life euerlasting , is made to the desire of reconciliation , Psal. 10.17 . Lord , thou hast heard the desire of the poore . Psal. 143. 6. My soule desireth after thee , as the thirstie lande . Psal. 145. 19. He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him . Matth. 5.6 . Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse , for they shall be satisfied . Reuelat. 21.6 . I will giue vnto him which is a thirst , of the well of the water of life freely . II. The hungering desire after grace is a sanctified affection : where one affection is sanctified , all are sanctified : where all are sanctified , the whole man is sanctified : and he that is sanctified , is iustified and beleeues . III. God accepts the will and desire to repent and beleeue , for repenting and beleeuing indeed : wherefore this desire of reconciliation ( if it be soundly wrought in the heart ) is in acceptation with God as true faith indeede . But carnall men will say , If faith , yea true faith shew it selfe by a desire of reconciliatiō with God in Christ for all our sinnes , then we are well ynough , though we liue in our sinnes : for we haue very good desires . I answer , That there be many sundrie fleeting motions and desires to doe good things which grow to no issue or head , but in time vanish as they come . Nowe such passions haue no soundnesse in them , and must be distinguished from the desire of reconciliation with God , that comes from a bruised heart● and brings alwaies with it reformation of life : therefore such whatsoeuer they are that liue after the course of this world , and thinke notwithstanding that they haue desires that are good , deceiue themselues . Now faith is saide to be weake , when a man either failes in the knowledge of the Gospell ; or else hauing knowledge , is weake in grace to applie vnto himselfe the sweet promises thereof . As for example , we know that the Apostles had all true sauing faith ( except Iudas ) and when our Sauiour Christ asked them , whome they thought that he was ; Peter in the person of the rest , answered for them all , and said ; Thou art Christ , the Sonne of the liuing God : for which our Sauiour commended him , and in him , them all , saying : Thou art Peter , and vpon this rocke , ( that is , vpon Christ , which Peter confessed in the name of them all ) will I build my Church . And yet about that time we shall finde in the Gospell , that they are called men of little faith . Now they failed in knowledge of the death of Christ , and of his passion , and resurrection ; and were caried away with a vaine hope of an earthly kingdome . And therefore when our Sauiour shewed them of his going downe to Ierusalem and of his sufferings there , Peter a little after his notable confession beganne to rebuke Christ , and said , Master haue pitie on thy selfe , this shall not be vnto thee . And vntill he had appeared to them after his death , they did not distinctly beleeue his resurrection . Again , weake faith though it be ioyned with knowledge , yet it may faile in the applying or in the apprehension & appropriating of Christs benefits to a mans owne selfe . This is to be seene in ordinarie experience . For many a man there is of humble and contrite heart , that serueth God in spirit and truth , yet is not able to say without great doubtings and wauerings ; I know and am fully assured that my sinnes are pardoned . Now shall we say , that all such are without faith ? God forbid . Nay , we may resolue our selues , that the true child of God may haue a hungering desire in his heart after reconciliation with God in Christ for all his sinnes with care to keepe a good conscience , and yet be weake sometime in the apprehension of Gods mercie and the assurance of the remission of his owne sinnes . But if faith faile either in the true knowledge , or in the apprehension of Gods mercies , how can a man be saued by it ? Ans. We must know that this weake faith will as truly apprehend Gods mercifull promises for the pardon of sinne , as strong faith , though not so soundly . Euen as a man with a palsie hand can stretch it out as well to receiue a gift at the hand of a king , as he that is more sound , though it be not so firmely and steadfastly . And Christ saith , that he will not breake the bruised reede , nor quench the smoking flaxe . The Church of Rome beares men in hand , that they are good Catholicks , if they beleeue as the Church beleeues ; though in the meane season they can not tell what the Church beleeues . And some Papists commend this faith by the example of an old deuout father , who beeing tempted of the deuill , and asked how he beleeued ; answered that he beleeued as the Church beleeued : beeing againe asked how the Church beleeued , he answered , as I beleeue : whereupon the deuill ( as they say ) was faine to depart . Well , this fond and ridiculous kind of faith we renounce , as being a meanes to nuzle men in blindnes , superstition , and perpetuall ignorance : yet withall we doe not denie but that there is an implicite or infolded faith ; which is , when a man as yet hauing but some little portion of knowledge in the doctrine of the Gospel , doth truly performe obedience according to the measure thereof ; and withall hath care to get more knowledge , and shewes good affection to all good meanes whereby it may be increased . In this respect a certaine ruler , who by a miracle wrought vpon his child , was mooued to acknowledge Christ for the Messias , and further to submit himselfe to his doctrine , is commended for a beleeuer : and so are in the like case , the Samaritanes . And thus much of weake faith : which must be vnderstood to be in a man not all the daies of his life , but while he is a yong babe in Christ. For as it is in the state of the bodie , first we are babes and grow to greater strength as we grow in yeres ; so it is with a christian man. First he is a babe in Christ , hauing weake faith , but after growes from grace to grace , till he come to haue a strōg faith : example wher●of we haue in Abraham , who was strong and perfect both in knowledge and apprehension . This strong faith is , when a man is indued with the knowledge of the Gospell and grace to apprehend and apply the righteousnes of Christ vnto himselfe for the remission of his owne sinnes : so as he can say distinctly of himselfe and truely , that he is fully resolued in his owne conscience , that he is reconciled vnto God in Christ for all his sinnes , and accepted in him to life euerlasting . This degree of faith is proper to him that beginnes to be a tall man and of ripe yeares in Christ. And it commeth not at the first calling of a man vnto grace . And if any shall thinke that he can haue it at the first , he deceiueth himself . For as it is in nature : first we are babes , & then as we increase in yeares , so we growe in strength : so it is in the life of a Christian ; first ordinarily he hath a weake faith , and after growes from grace to grace , till he come to stronger faith : and at the last he be able to say , he is fully assured in his heart and conscience of the pardon of his sinnes & of reconciliation to God in Christ. And this assurance ariseth from many experiences of Gods fauour and loue in the course of his life by manifold preseruations and other blessings , which beeing deepely and duly considered bring a man to be fully perswaded , that God is his God , and God the father , his father , and Iesus Christ his redeemer , and the holy Ghost his sanctifier . Now howesoeuer this faith be strong , yet is it alwaies imperfect , as also our knoweledge is ; and shall so long as wee liue in this worlde be mingled with contrarie vnbeleefe and sundry doubtings more or lesse . A great part of men amongest vs , blinded with grosse ignorance , say they haue faith , and yet indeede haue not . For aske them what faith they haue , they will answere , they beleeue that God is their father , and the Sonne their redeemer , &c. aske them how long they haue had this faith , they will answer , euer since they could remember : aske them whether they euer doubt of Gods fauour ? they will say , they would not once doubt for all the world . But the case of these men is to bee pitied : for howesoeuer they may perswade themselues , yet true it is , that they haue no sound faith at all : for euen strong faith is assaulted with temptations and doubtings : and God will not haue men perfect in this life , that they may alwaies goe out of themselues , and depend wholly on the merite of Christ. And thus much of these two degrees of faith . Nowe in whome soeuer it is , whether it be a weake faith , or a strong , it bringeth forth some fruit , as a tree doth in the time of sommer . And a speciall fruite of faith , is this confession of faith , I beleeue in God , &c. so Paul saith , With the heart a man may beleeue vnto righteousnesse , and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation . Confession of faith is , when a man in speech and outwarde profession doth make manifest his faith for these two causes . I. That with his mouth outwardly he may glorifie God and doe him seruice both in body and soule . II. That by the confession of his faith , he may seuer himselfe from all false Christians , from Atheists , hypocrites , and all false seducers whatsoeuer . And as this is the dutie of a Christian man , to make profession of his faith ; so here in this Creede of the Apostles , wee haue the right order and forme of making confession set downe , as we shall see in handling the parts thereof . The Creede therefore setts downe two thinges concerning faith , namely , the action of faith and his obiect , which also are the parts of the Creed . The action in these wordes , I beleeue : the obiect in all the wordes following , in God the Father Almightie , maker , &c. And first let vs beginne with the action . I beleeue in God ] Wee are taught to saie , I beleeue , not vvee beleeue , for two causes . First because ( as wee touched before ) in the Primitiue Church this Creede was made to bee an aunswere to a demaunde or question , which was demaunded of euery particular man that was baptized : for they asked him thus ; What doest thou beleeue ? then he aunswered , I beleeue in God the Father , &c. And thus did euerie one of yeares make profession of his faith : and it is likely that Peter alluded hereunto , saying the stipulation or aunswere of a good conscience maketh request to God. The second cause is , howesoeuer we are to pray one for another by saying● O our Father , &c. yet when we come to yeares , we must haue a particular faith of our own : no man can be saued by another mans faith , but by his owne , as it is said : The iust shall liue by his faith . But some will say , this is not true , because children must be saued by their parents faith : the aunswere is this , the faith of the parent doth bring the child to haue a title or interest to the Couenant of grace and to all the benefits of Christ : yet doth it not applie the benefits of Christs death , his obedience , his merits , and righteousnesse vnto the infant : for this the beleeuer doth onely vnto himselfe and to no other . Againe , some may say , if children doe not apprehend Christs benefits by their parents faith , howe then is Christs righteousnesse made theirs and they saued ? Answer . By the inwarde working of the holy Ghost , who is the principal applier of all graces , whereas faith is but the instrument . As for the places of scripture that mention iustification and saluation by faith , they are to be restrained to men of yeares : whereas infants dying in their infancie , and therefore wanting actuall faith which none can haue without actuall knowledge of Gods will and worde , are no doubt saued by some other speciall working of Gods holy spirit , not knowne to vs. Furthermore , to beleeue signifieth two things ; to conceiue or vnderstand any thing , and withall to giue assent vnto it to be true : and therefore in this place , to beleeue signifieth to knowe and acknowledge that all the points of religion which followe , are the trueth of God. Here therefore wee must remember , that this clause ( I beleeue ) placed in the beginning of the Creede , must bee particularly applied to all and euerie article following . For so the case standes , that if faith faile in one maine point , it faileth a man in all : and therefore faith is saide to bee wholly copulatiue . It is not sufficient to holde one article , but hee that will holde any of them for his good , must holde them all : and hee which holdes them all in shewe of wordes , if hee ouerturne but one of them indeede , hee ouerturnes them all . Againe , to beleeue is one thing , and to beleeue in this or that is another thing : and it containeth in it three points or actions of a beleeuer . I. To knowe a thing : II. To acknowledge the same : III. To put trust and confidence in it . And in this order must these three actions of faith be applyed to euery article following which concerneth any of the persons in Trinitie . And this must bee marked as a matter of speciall moment . For alwaies by adding them to the wordes following , we do apply the article vnto our selues in a very comfortable manner . As I beleeue in the father , and doe beleeue that hee is my father : and therefore I put my whole trust in him , and so of the rest . Nowe wee come to the obiect of generall faith , which is either God or the Church ; in handling of both which , I will obserue this order . I. I will speake of the meaning of euery article . II. Of the duties which we ought to learne thereby . III. And lastly , of the consolations which may be gathered thence . Concerning God , three things are to be considered . And first by reason of manifolde doubtings that rise in our mindes , it may be demaunded , whether there be a God ? many reasons might bee vsed to resolue those that haue scruple of conscience : otherwaies wee are bounde to beleeue that there is a God without all doubting . As for those Atheists which confidently auouch there is no God , by Gods lawe they ought to die the death : nay , the earth is to good for such to dwell on . Malefactours , as theeues and rebells , for their offences haue their rewarde of death : but the offence of those , which denies that there is a God , is greater : and therefore deserues most cruell death . The second point followeth , namely what God is ? Answer . Moses desiring to see Gods face , was not permitted but to see his hinder parts : and therefore no man can bee able to describe God by his nature , but by his effects and properties , on this or such like manner : God is an essence spirituall , simple , infinite , most holy . I say first of all , that God is an essence , to shewe that he is a thing absolutely subsisting in himselfe , and by himselfe , not receiuing his beeing from any other . And herein hee differeth from all creatures whatsoeuer , which haue subsisting and beeing from him alone . Againe , I say hee is an essence spirituall , because hee is not any kinde of bodie , neither hath hee the partes of the bodies of men or other creatures , but is in nature a spirit inuisible , not subiect to any of mans senses . I adde also , that he is a simple essence , because his nature admits no manner of composition of matter or forme or partes . The creatures are compounded of diuers parts , and of varietie of nature , but there is no such thing in God : for whatsoeuer thing he is , hee is the same by one and the same singular and indiuisible essence . Furthermore he is infinite , and that diuers waies : infinite in time , without any beginning and without end : infinite in place ; because hee is euery where and excluded no where , within all places , and foorth of all places . Lastly hee is most holy , that is , of infinite wisdome , mercie , loue , goodnes , &c. and he alone is rightly tearmed most holy , because holines is of the very nature of God himselfe ; whereas among the most excellent creatures , it is otherwise . For the creature it selfe is one thing , and the holines of the creature another thing . Thus wee see what God is , and to this effect God describes himself to be Iehova Elohim : & Paul describes him to be a King euerlasting , immortall , inuisible , & onely wise , to whome is due all honour and glorie for euer . The third point is , touching the number of Gods , namely whether there be more gods then one or no. Ans. There is not , neither can there be any more Gods then one . Which point the Creed auoucheth , in saying , I beleeue in God , not gods : and yet more plainely the Nicene Creede and the Creed of Athanasius , both of them explaining the words of the Apostles Creede on this manner , I beleeue in one God. Howesoeuer some in former times haue erroniously held , that two gods were the beginning of all things , one of good things , the other of euill things : others , that there was one God in the old testament , another in the newe : others againe , namely the Valentinians , that there were thirty couple of gods : and the heathen people ( as Augustine recordeth ) worshipped thirtie thousand gods : yet we that are members of Gods Church , must holde and beleeue one God alone , and no more , Deut. 4.39 . Vnderstand this daie and consider in thine heart , that Iehouah hee is God in heauen aboue and vpon the earth beneath : there is none other . Eph. 4.6 . One God , one faith , one baptisme . If it be alleadged that the Scripture mentioneth many gods , because a Magistrats are called Gods , b Moses is called Aarons god , c the deuill and all idols are called gods . The answere is this : They are not properly or by nature gods , for in that respect there is onely one God : but they are so tearmed in other respects . Magistrates are gods , because they be Vicegerents placed in the roome of the true God , to gouerne their subiects : Moses is Aarons god , because he was in the roome of God to reueale his will to Aaron : the deuill is a god , because the hearts of the wicked would giue the honour vnto him , which is peculiar to the euerliuing God : idols are called gods , because they are such in mens conceits and opinions who esteeme of them as of gods . Therefore Paul saith , an idol is nothing in the world , that is , nothing in nature subsisting , or nothing in respect of the diuinitie ascribed vnto it . To proceede forwarde , to beleeue in this one God , is in effect thus much : I. To knowe and acknowledge him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his worde : II. To beleeue him to bee my God : III. From mine heart to put all mine affiance in him . To this purpose Christ saith , This is eternall life to knowe thee the onely God , and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Nowe the knowledge here meant , is not a bare or generall knowledge , for that the deuils haue , but a more speciall knowledge wherby I know God not onely to be God , but also to be my God , and thereupon doe put my confidence in him . And thus much of the meaning of the first wordes , I beleeue in God , &c. Nowe followe the duties which may bee gathered hence . First of all , if we are bound to beleeue in God , then we are also bound to take notice of our naturall vnbeleefe , whereby we distrust God , to checke our selues for it , and to striue against it . Thus dealt the father of the child that had a dumme spirit , Lord ( saith he ) I beleeue , Lord helpe mine vnbeleefe . And Dauid , Why art thou cast downe my soule ? and w●y art thou so di●quieted in me ? wait on God. And that which our Sauiour Christ saide once to Peter , men should daiely speake to themselues : O thou of littl● faith , why hast thou doubted ? But some may say , wherein standes our vnbeleefe ? Answere . It standes in two thinges : I. In distrusting the goodnesse of God , that is , in giuing too litle or no affiance to him ; or in putting affiance in the creature . For the first , few men will abide to be told of their distrust in God : but indeede it is a common and ri●e corruption : and though they soothe themselues neuer so , yet their vsuall dealings proclaime their vnbeleefe . Goe through all places , it shall be found that scarse one of a thousand in his dealings makes conscience of a lie : a great part of men gets their wealth by fraud and oppression and all kinde of vniust and vnmercifull dealing . What is the cause that they can doe so ? Alas , alas , if there be any faith , it is pinned vp in some by-corner of the heart , and vnbeleefe beares sway as the lord of the house . Againe , if a man had as much wealth as the world comes to , he could finde in his heart to wish for an other ; and if he had two worlds , he would be casting for the third , if it might be compassed : the reason hereof is , because men haue not learned to make God their portion , and to stay their affections on him : which if they could doe , a meane portion in temporall blessings would be enough . Indeede these and such like persons will in no wise ●eelde that they doe distrust the Lord , vnlesse at some time they be touched in conscience with a sense and feeling of their sinnes , and be throughly humbled for the same : but the truth is , that distrust of Gods goodnesse is a generall and a mother-sinne , the ground of all other sinnes , and the very first and principall sinne in Adams fall . And for the second part of vnbeleefe , which is an affiance in the creatures , read the whole booke of God , and we shall finde it a common and vsuall sinne in all sorts of men , some putting their trust in riches , some in strength , some in pleasures , some placing their felicitie in one sinne , some in an other . When King Asa was sicke , he put his whole trust in the Phisitians , and not in the Lord. And in our daies the common practise is , when crosses and calamities fall , then there is trotting out to that wise man , to this cunning woman , to this sorcerer , to that wizzard , that is , from God to the deuill , and their counsell is receiued and practised without any bones making . And this shewes the bitter roote of vnbeleefe , and confidence in vaine creatures ; let men smoothe it ouer with goodly tearmes as long as they will. In a word , there is no man in the world , be he called or not called , if he looke narrowly vnto himselfe , he shall finde his heart almost filled with manifold doubtings and distrustings , whereby he shall feele himselfe euen carried away from beleeuing in God. Therefore the dutie of euery man is , that will truly say that h● beleeues in God , to labour to see his owne vnbeleefe and the fruits thereof in his life . As for such as say they haue no vnbeleefe , nor feele none ; more pitifull is their case . For so much the greater is their vnbeleefe . Secondly , considering that we professe our selues to beleeue in God , we must euery one of vs learne to know God. As Paul saith , How can they beleeue in him , of whome they ha●e not heard ? and how can they heare without a preacher ? therefore none can beleeue in God but he must first of all heare and be taught by the ministerie of the word to know God aright . Let this be remembred of young and old . It is not the pattering ouer of the beleefe for a praier , that will make a man a good beleeuer , but God must be knowne of vs and acknowledged as he hath reuealed himselfe partly in his word and partly in his creatures . Blinde ignorance and the right vse of the Apostles Creede will neuer stand togither . Therefore it standes men in hande to labour and take paines to get knoweledge in religion , that knowing God aright , they may come steadfastly to beleeue in him , and truely make confession of their faith . Thirdly , because wee beleeue in God , therefore another dutie is , to denie our selues vtterly , and to become nothing in our selues . Our Sauiour Christ requires of vs to become as little children , if wee would beleeue . The begger depends not on the releefe of others , till hee finde nothing at home : and till our hearts bee purged of selfe-loue and pride , wee cannot depend on the fauour and goodnesse of God. Therefore hee that would trust in God , must first of all be abased and confounded in himselfe , and in regard of himselfe be out of all hope of attaining to the least sparke of the grace of God. Fourthly , in that wee beleeue in God , and therefore put our whole trust and assurance in him : we are taught , that euery man must committe his bodie , his soule , goods , life , yea all that he hath into the handes of God , and to his custodie . So Paul saith , I am not ashamed of my sufferings , for I knowe whome I haue beleeued , and am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day . A worthie saying : for what is the thing which Paul committed vnto the Lord ? it was his owne soule and the eternall saluation thereof . But what mooues him to trust God ? surely his perswasion whereby he knewe that God would keepe it . And Peter saith : Let them that suffer according to the will of God , committe their soules to him in well doing as vnto a faithfull creatour . Looke as one friende laieth downe a thing to be kept of another , so must a man giue that he hath to the custodie of God. Fewe or none can practise this , and therefore when any euill befalls them either in bodie or in goods , or any other way whatsoeuer , then they presently shewe them-selues rather beastes then men in impatience . For in prosperitie they had no care to put their trust in God , and therefore in aduersitie when crosses come , they are void of comfort . But when a man hath grace to beleeue , and trust in God , then he commits all into Gods handes : and though all the world should perish , yet he would not bee dismaied . And vndoubtedly if a man will bee thankefull for the preseruation of his goods , or of his life , he must shewe the same by committing all he hath into God hands , and suffer himselfe to be ruled by him . Nowe followes the consolations and comforts which Gods Church and children reape hereby . Hee that beleeues in God , and takes God for his God , may assure himselfe of saluation , and of a happie deliuerance in all daungers and necessities . When God threatned a plague vpon Israel for their idolatrie , good King Iosiah humbled himselfe before the Lord his God : and hee was safe all his daies . And so King Hezekiah , when Senacherib the King of Ashur offered to inuade Iudah , hee trusted likewise in the Lord , and praied vnto him , and was deliuered . Whereby wee see , if a man puts his whole trust in God , he shall haue securitie and quietnesse , as Iehosaphat saide to the men of Iudah . And our Sauiour Christ when hee was vpon the crosse , and felt the whole burden of the terrible wrath of God vpon him , cried , My God , my God , why hast thou forsaken me ? And it appeareth in the Epistle to the Hebrewes , that Christ was heard in that he feared : whereby we are giuen to vnderstand , that they shall neuer be vtterly forsaken that take God for their God. And King Dauid hauing experience of this , vseth most excellent speeches for this ende , to shewe that the ground of his comfort was , that God was his God. And it is saide that Daniel had no manner of hurt in the Lyons denne ; because he trusted in the Lord his God. And contrariwise , such as distrust God are subiect to all miseries and iudgements . The Israelites in the wildernesse beleeued not God , and trusted not in his helpe , therefore God was angrie , and his fire was kindled in Iacob , and wrath came vpon Israel . God , the Father Almightie . ] Some haue thought that these words are to be coupled to the former without distinction , as if the title of God had beene proper to the first person the Father , and not common to the rest● and thus haue some heretickes thought . But in deede there must a pause or distinction be made , that the name or title of God may bee set in the fore-front , as common to all the three persons following . For that is the very intent of the order of this Creede , to teach vs to beleeue in one God , who is distinct into three subsistances or persons called the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost . And here offers it selfe to bee considered euen one of the greatest mysteries of our religion : namely , that God is the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost : and againe , that the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost are one and the same God. Some at the first may possibly say , that this cannot stande , because it is against all reason that one should bee three , or three one . The aunswere is , that indeede if one and the same respect bee kept it is not possible , but in diuers considerations and respects it may . And thus the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost are three , namely in person ; and againe , they three are one , not in person but in nature . By nature is meant , a thing subsisting by it selfe , that is common to many : as the substance of man consisting of bodie and soule common to all men , which wee call the humanitie of a man , is the nature of man. By person is meant , a thing or essence subsisting by it selfe , not common to many , but incommunicable : as among men , these particulars , Peter , Iohn , Paul , are called persons . And so in the mysterie of the Trinitie , the diuine nature is the godhead it selfe simply and absolutely considered ; and a person is that which subsisteth in this Godhead , as the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost . Or againe , a person is one and the same godhead not absolutely considered , but in relation , and as it were , restrained by personall or caracteristicall proprieties : as the godhead or God begetting is the Father . God againe considered not simply but so farre foorth as hee is begotten is the Sonne ; and God proceeding of the Father and the Sonne , the holy Ghost . And if any man would conceiue in minde rightly the diuine nature , hee must conceiue God or the godhead absolutely ; if any of the persons , then hee must conceiue the same godhead relatiuely with personall proprieties . Thus the godhead considered with the proprietie of fatherhoode or begetting is the father : and conceiuing the same godhead with the proprietie of generation , we conceiue the Sonne , and the godhead with the proprietie of proceeding , we conceiue the holy Ghost . Neither must it seeme straunge to any that we vse the names of nature and person , to set forth this mysterie by : for they haue beene taken vp by common consent in the primitiue Church , and that vpon weightie consideration to manifest the trueth , and to stop the mouthes of hereticks : and they are not vsed against the proper sense of the scriptures , nay they are therein a contained . Thus wee see howe it comes to passe that the three things signified by these names , Father , Sonne , holy Ghost , are ech of them one and the same God. And this mysterie may well be conceiued by a comparison borrowed from light . The light of the sunne , the light of the moone , and the light of the aire for nature and substance are one and the same light : and yet they are three distinct lights . The light of the sunne beeing of it selfe and from none , the light of the moone from the sunne , and the light of the aire from them both . So the diuine nature is one , & the persons are three , subsisting after a diuers manner in one and the same nature . And for the further clearing of this point , we must yet further marke and remember two things : namely , the vnion and the distinction of the persons . The vnion is , whereby three persons are one not simply , but one in nature , that is , coessentiall or cōsubstantiall ; hauing all one godhead . For the Father is God , the sonne is god , and the holy ghost is god : now there are not three distinct Gods , but one God , because there is one God and no more in nature ; considering that the thing which is infinite is but one and is not subiect to multiplication : and the Father is this one God , as also the Sonne and the holy Ghost . And as these three persons are one in nature , so whatsoeuer agrees to God simply considered , agrees to them all three . They are all coequal and coeternall : all most wise , iust , mercifull , omnipotent , by one and the same wisdome , iustice , mercie , power . And because they haue all one godhead , therefore they are not onely one with another , but also ech in other , the Father , in the Sonne , and the Sonne in the Father , and the holy Ghost in them both . And we must not imagine that these three are one God , as though the Father had one part of the Godhead , the Sonne another part , and the holy Ghost a third . For that is most false , because the infinite and the most simple godhead is not subiect to composition or diuision : but euery person is whole god , subsisting not in a part , but in the whole godhead : and the whole entire godhead is communicate● from the father to the sonne● & from both father and sonne to the holy Ghost . But some may yet say , that this doctrine seemes to bee impossible ; because three creatures , as for example , Peter , Paul , Timothy beeing three persons and so remaining , cannot haue one and the same nature , that is , the same body & the same soule . Answ. Three or moe men may haue the same nature b in kind , but the truth is , they cannot possibly haue a nature which shal be one and the same c in number , in them all three . For a man is a substance created and finite , and the bodies of men are quantities , and therefore diuisible and separable one from another . Hereupon it comes , that the persons of men are not only distinguished by proprieties , but also diuided and sundered one from another . And though Peter , Paul , Timothy haue all one common and vniuersall forme , yet they three are not one man , but three men . Nowe it is otherwise with the diuine nature or godhead which is vncreated and infinite , and therefore admits neither composition nor diuision , but a distinction without any seperatiō : so as the three persons subsisting in it , shal not be three gods but one and the same God. Yet further some wil obiect , that it is truely said of the father , that he is god , but the same godhead is not in the sonne , nor in the holy ghost ; for the sonne and the holy ghost haue their beginning from the father . Ans. The sonne and the holy ghost haue not a beginning of their nature or of their godhead from the Father , but of their person onely : the person of the Sonne is from the Father ; and the person of the holy ghost is both from the father and from the Sonne : but the godhead of all three persons is vncreate and vnbegotten , and proceeding from none . Yet some may say , both the sonne and the holy ghost haue receiued from the Father al their attributes , as wisdome , knowledge , power , &c. Nowe he that receiueth any thing from another , is in that respect inferiour to him that giueth it : and therefore the Sonne and the holy Ghost are not God as he is . Ans. We must knowe , that , which the Sonne receiueth of the Father , he receiueth it by nature , and not by grace : and he receiueth not a part but all that the father hath , sauing the perso●all proprietie . And the holy ghost receiueth from the Father and the Sonne by nature , and not by grace : and therefore though both the sonne and the holy Ghost receiue from the Father , yet they are not inferiour to him , but equall with him . And thus much is both necessary and profitable to be learned of the vnion betweene the three persons in Trinitie , whereby they beeing three haue all one and the same godhead . The second point to be considered is , that that though these three haue but one godhead , and all make but one God : yet they are distinguished one from another : for the father is the father , and not the sonne , or the holy Ghost : the sonne is the sonne , and not the father , nor the holy Ghost : and the holy ghost is the holy ghost , not the father nor the sonne . This distinction of the persons is notably set forth vnto vs in the baptisme of our Sauiour Christ : where it is said , that vvhen Iesus was baptized , he came out of the water : there is the second person : and the holy Ghost descended vpon him in the forme of a doue ; there is the third person : and the father the first person pronounced from heauen , that he was his onely beloued sonne in whome he was well pleased . And wee must conceiue this distinction in such manner as though these three , Father , Sonne , and holy Ghost were three names of one God. For the three persons doe not in name or word , but really in trueth distinctly subsist in the same diuine nature . Neither must we imagine that the three persons are three formes or differences of one God , as some hereticks haue dreamed , who taught that the father alone is God , and that he is called a father in one respect , the sonne in another , and the holy Ghost in a third . For this were nothing els but to make the personall proprieties to be nothing but imaginarie accidents , which indeede , or at the least in mans conceit , might come and goe , and be either in the persons or forth of them . For the personall r●lations though in a minde they may be distinguished from the diuine essence , yet b indeede they are one with it . But some will say , if they make this distinction , there is rather a quaternitie then a trinitie : for the godhead is one , the father an other , the sonne a third , and the holy Ghost a fourth . Thus some heretikes haue obiected against the distinction of the trinitie : but it is vntrue which they say . For the godhead must not be seuered from the Father , nor from the Sonne , nor from the holy Ghost : for the father is God or the whole godhead , so also is the sonne and the holy Ghost : and the godhead likewise is in euery one of these three persons , and euery one of them subsisting in the godhead , and the godhead must be conceiued to be in them all , and not as a fourth thing out of them . And therefore we must still m●intaine , that these three persons are distinguished and not deuided , as three men are deuided in beeing and substance : for this diuision can not be in them ; because all three haue one dr●ine nature and one godhead . This is the mysterie of all mysteries to be receiued of vs all , namely , the trinitie of the persons in the vnitie of the godhead . This forme of doctrine must be retained and holden for these causes : I. because by it we are able to distinguish this true God from all false gods and idols . II. because among all other points of religion this is one of the chiefest , beeing the very foundation thereof . For it is not sufficient for vs to know God as we can conceiue of him in our owne imagination : but we must know him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word . And it is not sufficient to saluation to beleeue in God confusedly , but we must beleeue in one God distinct into three persons , the Father , the Sonne , the holy Ghost : yea and more then this , we must hold and beleeue that God the father is our father , the Sonne our redeemer , the holy Ghost our sanctifier and comforter . Well then , if we must in this manner beleeue in God , then we must also know him : for we can haue no faith in the thing which is vtterly vnknowne . Wherefore if we would beleeue in the father , sonne , or holy Ghost , we must know them in part , Ioh. 17. This is life eternall to know thee the onely God , and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Ioh. 14. 17. The world can not receiue the spirit of truth because it hath neither seene him nor knowne him . 1. Ioh. 2.23 . Whosoeuer denieth the sonne hath not the father . Thirdly , this doctrine directs vs in worshipping God aright : for vnitie in trinitie , and trinitie in vnitie is to be worshipped : one God must be worshipped in the Father , in the Sonne , and in the holy Ghost : and if wee worship God the father without the Sonne and the holy Ghost : or if we worship the Sonne without the father and the holy Ghost : and the holy Ghost without the father and the Sonne , we worship nothing but an Idol . Againe , if we worship the three persons not as one God , but as three Gods , then likewise we make three Idols . Note further , that of all the three persons , the first person the Father is set in the first place , and described to vs by three things : I. by his title that hee is a Father . II. by his attribute that he is Almightie . III. by his effect , that he is maker of heauen and earth : of these in order as they lie in the Creed . And first of the title [ Father . ] It may seeme that he hath some prerogatiue ouer the Sonne and the holy Ghost , because he is set before them : but wee must knowe , that hee is set before them neither in regard of time● nor of dignitie , for therein all three are equall ; but in regard of order onely . The Father is the first , the Sonne the second , and the holy Ghost the third : as may appeare by this similitude . If three Emperours equall in dignitie should meete all in one place , beeing equall also in power and maiestie , if all three should sit downe , though one be no better then an other ; yet one of them must needes sit downe the first , and an other in the second place , and then the third : but yet we cannot say , that he which sate downe first is the chiefest . And so it is in the Trinitie , though none be greater or aboue another ; yet the Father is in the first place , not because he is before the Sonne , or the holy Ghost in dignitie or honour , but because he is the fountaine of the Deitie , the Sonne beeing from him , and the holy Ghost from them both . Now let vs come to the title of the first person . The name Father in Scriptures is ascribed either to God taken indefinitely , and so by consequent to all the three persons in Trinitie : or particularly to the first person alone . For the first , God is a father properly and principally , according to the saying of Christ , Call no man father vpon earth , for there is but one your father which is in heauen : that is , principally : whereas earthly parents , whome we are commaunded to worship and honour are but certaine images or resemblances of our heauenly Father , hauing this blessing that they are fathers , from him . And hereupon this title agrees to men , not simply , but so farre forth as God honoureth them with fatherhoode in calling them to be fathers , whereas God himselfe receiues this honour from none . God is tearmed a Father in respect both of nature and grace . He is a father in regarde of nature● because he created and gouerneth all things . In this regard he is called the a father of spirits , and b Adam is called the Sonne of God. He is a father in respect of grace , because we are regenerate by him , and accepted to be his sonn●s by adoption thorough the merite of Christ. And in this respect the second person as well as the first is called c a Father , and saide to haue an offspring d or seede and e children . But when the name of Father is giuen to the first person , it is done vpon a speciall consideration , because he is a father by nature to the fe 〈◊〉 ●erson begetting him of his owne substance before all worldes . By th●● 〈◊〉 ●●peares , that out of the title of the first person , we may fetch a ●●●cription thereof on this manner . The Father is the first person in Trinitie , begetting the sonne . Nowe to beget is the personall proprietie whereby he is distinguished from the other two . If it be saide that creatures doe beget , and that therefore to beget is not proper to the father : the answer is , that in this point there are many differences betweene God the father and all creatures . First the father begets the sonne before all eternitie : and therefore God the father begetting , and the sonne begotten are equall in t●me : whereas in earthly generation the father is before the sonne in time . Secondly , God the father begets his Sonne by communicating to him his whole essence or godhead , which can not be in earthly parents vnlesse they should be abolished and come to nothing . Whereas neuerthelesse , God the Father giuing his whole nature to his sonne , retaines the same still , because it is infinite . Thirdly , the father begets the sonne in himselfe and not forth of himselfe : but in earthly generation the father begetting is forth of the child , and the child forth of the father . And that must not trouble vs which heretiques alleadge against this doctrine , namely , that if the father who is of one nature with the sonne , did beget the sonne , then he did beget himselfe : for the godhead of the father doth not beget either the godhead or the person of the sonne : but the person of the father begets the person of the sonne , both which in one godhead are really distinct . Thus we see what the Father is . Now to beleeue in the father , is to be perswaded , that the first person in Trinitie , is the father of Christ , and in him my father particularly , & that for this cause I intend and desire for euer to put my tru●t in him . The duties which we may learne hence are manifold . And here we haue occasion offered first of all to consider who is our father by nature . I shall say to corruption ( saith Iob ) thou art my father : and to the worme , thou art my mother : seeing God vouchsafeth this great prerogatiue to them that loue him , that he will be their father : therefore Iob in consideration hereof would haue euery man to haue recourse to his owne naturall condition , to see who is his father by nature● Iob saith , corruption is his father : but if we marke well the condition of our nature , we shall further see euery man to be the childe of wrath , and that Sathan is his father : for so long as a man walkes in his sinnes ( which euery man doth by nature ) so long doth he shewe himselfe to be the liuely childe of the deuill . And thus Christ reasoneth against the Scribes and Pharises . Ye are of your father the deuill , and the lusts of your father ye will doe . And true it is , that no child is so like his father that begat him , as euery man by nature is like the deuill : and the whole tenour and course of his naturall life without grace is a liuely resemblance of the disposition of Satan . Secondly , euery one that beleeues God to be a Father , and in Christ his father , must as a good child be obedient to his fathers will. So Salomon saith , A wise sonne maketh a glad father . How ? by doing his will : and therefore when one told our Sauiour Christ that his mother and brethren stoode without , desiring to speake with him , he said , Whosoeuer shall doe my fathers will which is in heauen , the same is my father , my sister , and mother : where we may note , that he that will haue God the father to be his father , and Christ Iesus his brother , must doe the wil of God the father . And hence God saith , If I be a master , where is my feare ? if I be a father , where is my honour ? Where is plainely taught this second dutie ; that if God be our father , then as good children we must shew obedience vnto him : but if we disobey him , then we must know , that that former saying of Christ will be verefied vpon vs : that because men doe the lusts of the deuill , therefore they are the children of the deuill . But least this fearefull sentence be verefied of vs , it is the dutie of euery man that maketh this confession , that he beleeues God to be his father , first to labour to know Gods will ; and secondly , to performe continuall obedience vnto the same : like vnto a good child that would fain please his father , and therefore is alwaies readie to doe the best he can . And without doubt that man which vnfainedly takes God for his father , is then most grieued , when as by any sinne he displeaseth him , and no other crosse or calamitie is so grieuous vnto him . The greatest griefe that the prodigall sonne vpon his repentance had , was that he had offended his father by sinning against heauen , and against him : the same also must be our griefe : and all our care must be set on this , to consider how we may be obedient children to this our louing father . Thirdly , that man that beleeues God to be his father , must imitate and follow him : for it is the will of God that his children should be like vnto himselfe . Now we follow God especially in two things . I. In doing good to them that persecute vs : so saith our Sauiour Christ , Pray for them that hurt you , that you may be the children of you , father which is in heauen : for he maketh the sunne to rise on the euill and on the good , and sendeth raine on the iust and vniust . II. Our heauenly father is mercifull : for he is a father of the fatherlesse : and therefore he that will be a sonne of this father , must be mercifull to his poore brethren , as Iob saith of himselfe , I was the eyes to the blinde , and I was the feete vnto the lame : I was a father vnto the poore . Fourthly , seeing we beleeue god to be our father , we are hereby taught to vse moderate care for the things of this life : for if a man know himselfe to be the childe of God , then he also knowes that God will prouide for him , as we know in a familie the father prouideth for all . Now God is a father , and his Church is his familie : therefore if thou wilt be a member of Gods Church , and a child of God , thou must cast thy care on God , and follow the counsell of Christ. Be not too carefull for your life what ye shall eate , or what ye shall drinke . And marke his reason drawne from the point which we haue in hand . The fowles of the heauen ( saith he ) they neither sow nor reape , nor carrie into barnes : and yet your heauenly father feedeth them : are ye not much better then they . But alas , the practise of the world is contrarie : for men haue no care for the knowledge of Gods word , nor the means of their saluation : all their mindes are set on the things of this life , when as Christ saith , First seeke the kingdome of heauen , and the righteousnes thereof , and all these things shall be ministred vnto you . If you should see a yong man prouide for himselfe , and no man else for him , we would presently say , surely his father is dead : euen so , when a mans care is set wholly both day and night for the things of this life , it argues that God hath either cast him off , or else that he takes him for no father of his . Fifthly , if God be our father , then we must learne to beare any crosse patiently that he shall lay vpon vs , either in bodie or in minde , and alwaies looke for deliuerance from him : for whome the Lord loueth , them he chastiseth : and if ye endure chastising ( saith the Apostle ) God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto children : which may appeare more plainly by this comparison . If two children should fight , and a man comming by , should part them , and after beate the one , and let the other goe free : euery man that seeth this will say , that that child which he beates is his owne sonne . Euen so , when God chastiseth vs , he sheweth himselfe vnto vs as a father , if we submit our selues . Now if our earthly fathers corrected vs and we gaue them reuerence , taking it patiently : should we not much rather be in subiection to the father of spirits that we may liue . Therefore the conclusion is this : if we displease God , be ye sure , he will correct vs ; and when his hand is vpon vs we must not murmure against him , but beare it with a milde spirit : and furthermore when we are vnder the crosse , we must alwaies looke for deliuerance from this our father onely . If a sonne when he is beaten should flee to his fathers enemies for helpe and counsell ; it would argue that he were but a gracelesse childe . Sundrie and diuers calamities and crosses befall men in this life , which they can not brooke : and therefore it is a common practise of many among vs in th●se daies , when Gods hand is vpon them , to goe for helpe to the deuill ; they seeke for counsell at witches and wise men ( as I haue said ) but let them looke vnto it , for that is the right way to double their miserie , and to shew themselues lewde children . Lastly , if we confesse and beleeue God to be the father of Christ , and in him our father also ; then in regard of our conuersation , we must not frame our selues like vnto the worlde : but the course of our liues must be in righteousnesse and true holinesse . Paul exhorteth the Corinthians to separate themselues from Idolaters , alledging the place out of the old Testament , where the Lord biddeth the Israelites to come out from Idolaters , and to touch no vncleane thing : and the reason followeth out of Ieremie , that if they doe so , then God will be their father , and they shall be his children , euen his sonnes and daughters : which reason Paul vrgeth in the next chapter to this effect : considering wee haue these promises , that therefore we should clense our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit , and growe vp vnto holinesse in the feare of the Lord : where , if we marke the place diligently , we shall finde this lesson , that euery man who takes God for his father , must not onely in this sinne of Idolatrie , but in all other sinnes separate himselfe , that men by his godly life may know whose child he is . But some will say , this exhortation is needlesse amongst vs , for we haue no cause to separate our selues from others , because all among vs are Christians , all beleeue in God and are baptized , and hope to be saued by Christ. Answer . In outward profession , I confesse , we carrie the shew of Christians , but in deede and truth , by our liues and conuersations , very many among vs denie Christ : for in euery place the common practise is , to spend the time in drunkennes and surfetting , in chambering and wantonnesse : yea , great is the companie of those that make a trade of it : take this lewd conuersation from many men , and take away their liues . And on the Lords day it may be seene both publikely and priuately , in houses and in the open streetes , there is such reuell , as though there were no God to serue . In the sixe daies of the weeke , many men walke very painefully in their callings : but when the Lords day commeth , then euery man takes license to doe what he will : and because of the Princes lawes , men will come formally to the Church for fashions sake : but in the meane time how many doe nothing else but scorne , mocke , and deride , and as much as in them lyeth , disgrace both the word and the ministers thereof ? so that the common saying is this : oh he is a precise fellow , he goes to heare Sermons , he is too holy for our companie . But it stands men in hand to take out a better lesson , which is , if we will haue God to be our father , we must shew our selues to be the children of God by repentance and newnesse of life : he can not be but a gracelesse child , that will lead a rebellious life flat against his fathers minde . Let vs then so behaue our selues , that we may honour our father which is in heauen , and not dishonour him in our liues and callings : rather let vs separate our selues from the filthinesse of the flesh , loathing those things which our father lotheth , and fleeing from those things which our father abhorreth . And thus much for the duties . Now follow the consolations which arise from this point . But first we are to know that there are three sorts of men in the world . The first are such as will neither heare nor obey the word of God. The second sort are those which heare the word preached vnto them but they will not obey : both these sorts of men are not to looke for any comfort hence . Now there is a third sort of men , which as they heare Gods word ; so they make conscience of obeying the same in their liues and callings : and these are they to whome the consolations that arise out of this place , doe rightly belong , and must be applied . First therefore , seeing God the father of Christ , and in him the father of all that obey and doe his will , is our father , here note the dignitie and prerogatiue of all true beleeuers : for they are sonnes and daughters of God , as saith Saint Iohn , So many as receiued him , to them he gaue a prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God : euen to them that beleeue in his name . This priuiledge will appeare the greater if we consider our first estate ; for as Abraham saith , We are but dust and ashes , and in regard of the depriuation of our natures , we are the children of the deuill ; therefore of such rebells to be made the sonnes of God , it is a wonderfull priuiledge and prerogatiue , and no dignitie like vnto it . And to inlarge it further , he that is the sonne of God , is the brother of Christ , and fellow heire with him ; and so heire apparant to the kingdome of heauen : and in this respect , is not inferiour to the very angels . This must be laide vp carefully in the hearts of Gods people , to confirme them in their conuersation among the companie of vngodly men in this world . Secondly , if a man doe indeauour himselfe to walke according to Gods word , then the Lord of his mercie will beare with his wants : for as a father spareth his owne sonne , so will God spare them that feare him . Now a father commandes his childe to write or to applie his booke : though all things herein be not done according to his minde , yet if he finde a readinesse with a good indeauour , he is content , and falls to praise his childes writing or learning . So God giueth his commaundement , and though his seruants faile in obedience ; yet if the Lord see their heartie indeauour , and their vnfained willingnesse to obey his will , though with sundrie wants , he hath made this promise and will performe it , that as a father spareth his sonne , so will he spare them . If a child be sicke , will the father cast him off ? nay , if through the grieuousnes of his sicknesse he can not take the meate that is giuen him , or if he take it , and for faintnesse picke it vp againe , will the father of the childe thrust him out of doores ? no : but he will rather pitie him . And so when a man doth indeauour himselfe through the whole course of his life to keepe Gods commandements , God will not cast him away though through weakenesse he faile in sundrie things and displease God. This prerogatiue can none haue , but he that is the childe of God : as for others when they sinne , they doe nothing els but draw downe Gods iudgements vpon them , for their deeper condemnation . Thirdly hence we learne , that the childe of God can not wholly fall away frō Gods fauour , I doe not say , that he cannot fall at all : for he may fall away in part but he can not wholly . Indeed so oft as he sins , he depriues himself wholly of Gods fauour as much as in him lieth : yet god for his part still keepeth the minde and purpose of a father . Dauid loued his sonne Absolon wonderfully , but Absolon like a wicked sonne plaied a lewd pranck , & would haue thrust his father out of his kingdome : and Dauid although he was sore offended with Absolon , and shewed tokens of his wrath , yet in heart he loued him , and neuer purposed to cast him off . Herupon when he went against him , he commāded the captains to intreat the yong man Absolon gently for his sake . And whē he was hāged by the haire of the head in pursuing his father , thē Dauid wept and cried , O my sonne Absolon , my sonne Absolon , would God I had died with thee , Absolon my sonne . And so it is with God our heauenly father , when his children sinne against him , and thereby loose his loue and fauour , and fall from grace , he forsakes them : but how farre ? Surely he shewes signes of anger for their wickednes , and yet indeede his loue remaines towards them still : and this is a true conclusion , the grace of God in the adoption of the elect is vnchāgeable , and he that ●s the child of God can neuer fall away wholly or finally . On the contrarie , that is a bad and comfortlesse opinion of the Church of Rome ; which holdeth that a man may be iustified before God , and yet afterward by a mortall sinne , finally fall from grace and be condemned . Fourthly , the childe of God that takes God the father for his father , may freely come into the presence of God , and haue libertie to pray vnto him . We know it is a great priuiledge to come into the chamber of presence before an earthly prince : and fewe can alwaies haue this prerogatiue though they be great men : yet the kings owne sonne may haue free entrance , and speake freely vnto the king himselfe , because he is his sonne . Now the children of God haue more prerogatiue then this : for they may come into the presence , not of an earthly king , but of Almightie God the King of kings , and as they are the sonnes of God in Christ , so in him they may freely speake vnto God their father by praier . And this ouerthrowes the doctrine of such as be of the Church of Rome , which teach and hold , that a man must come to speake to God by by praier through the intercession of Saints : for say they , the presence of God is so glorious , that we may not be so bold , as of our selues to speake vnto him ; but needes must haue the intercession of others . Lastly , God will prouide for all his Church and children all things needefull both for their bodies and soules : so our Sauiour Christ bids his disciples take no thought what they should eate , or what they should drinke , or wherewith they should be clothed , adding this reason , for your heauenly Father knoweth all your wants . And if we take thought , it must be moderate , and not distrustfull : it is a part of the fathers dutie to prouide for his familie and children , and not the children for the father . Now shall an earthly father haue this care for his children : and shall not our heauenly father much more prouide for those that feare and loue him ? Nay marke further , in Gods Church there be many hypocrites which receiue infinite benefits from God , by reason of his elect children with whome they liue : and we shall see this to be true , that the wicked man hath euer fared better for the godly mans cause . Sodome and Gomorrha receiued many benefits by reason of righteous Lot : and when the Lord was purposed to destroy Sodom , he was faine to pull Lot forth of the citie : for the text saith the Angel of the Lord could not doe any thing till he was come out of it . So also in Pauls dangerous voyage towardes Rome , all the men in it fared better for Pauls company : for the Lord tolde Paul by an angel , that there should be no losse of any mans life , for the Lord had giuen to him all that sailed with him . And vndoubtedly if it were not for some fewe that feare God , he would powre downe his vengeance vpon many nations and kingdomes , there is such excesse of wickednesse in all sorts . Againe , if the Lord doe thus carefully prouide for his children all kinde of benefits ; what a wonderful wickednesse is this , for men to get their liuing by vngodly meanes : as vsury , carding , dicing , and such like exercises . If a man were perswaded that God were his father , and would prouide sufficiently both for his bodie and soule ; so that vsing lawfull meanes he should eue● haue enough : out of all doubt he would neuer after the fashion of the world vse vnlawefull and prophane meanes to get a liuing . But this prooueth , that howesoeuer such men say , God is their father , yet indeede they denie him . And thus much of 〈◊〉 ti●le , Father , the first thing whereby the first person is described . Nowe followeth the second point , namely his attribute of omnipotencie in the word almightie . And whereas the father is said to be almightie , it is not so to b● vnderstood as though the Sonne were not almightie , or the holy ghost no●●lmightie : for euery propertie and attribute ( saue the personal properties ) is c●mmō to all the three persons . For as God the father doth impart his godhead vnto the sonne , and to the holy ghost , so doth he communicate the propriet●es of the godhead to them also . God is omnipotent two waies : I. Because hee is able to doe whatsoeuer hee will. II. Because he is able to doe more then he will doe . For the first , that god is able to doe whatsoeuer he will , Dauid saith : Our God is in heauen , and he doth whatsoeuer he will : for there is nothing that can hinder God ; but as he willeth , so euery thing is done . Secondly , that God can doe more then he willeth to be done , it is plaine where Iohn Baptist saith : God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham : for though God can doe thus much , yet he will not doe it . So likewise when Christ was betraied , the Father could haue giuē him more then 12. legions of angels to haue deliuered him out of their handes , but yet he would not : & the like may be said of many other things . The father is & was able to haue created another world , yea a thousand worldes ; but he would not , nor will not . And likewise Christ being vpon the crosse , was able at their bidding to haue come downe , and saued himselfe from death ; but he would not : and therefore this is true , the Lord can doe any thing that he willeth to bee done actually , yea and more then he will. But some will say , God can not doe some things which man can doe , as God cannot lie , nor denie himselfe : and therefore he is not omnipotent . Answere . Although some haue thought that God coulde doe euen these things , and that he did them not , because hee would not : yet wee must knowe and beleeue that God can neither lie , nor denie himselfe : indeede man can doe both , but these and many other such things if God could doe them , hee could not bee God. God indeede can doe all things which shewe foorth his glory and maiestie : but such things as are against his nature , he cannot doe● as for example : God can not sinne , and therefore cannot li● : and because he cannot doe these things , for this very cause he is omnipotent : for these and such like , are workes of impotencie : which if god could doe , he should euen by his owne word be iudged impotent . Secondly , he cannot doe that which implies contradiction : as when a thing is , to make it at the same time to be , and not to be : as when the Sunne doth shine , to make it at the same instant to shine and not to shine . And therefore false is the doctrine of the church , which in their transubstātiation make the bodie of Christ , ( whose essentiall propertie is to bee onely in one place at once ) to be circumscribed , and not to be circumscribed : to be in one place , and not to be in one place . And thus much for the meaning . Nowe follow the duties whereunto wee are mooued by this doctrine , of Gods omnipotencie . First , whereas God the father is said to be almightie , we are taught true humiliation : Humble your selues vnder the mightie hand of God , saith Peter : where he giueth an exhortation to humilitie , and alleadgeth the cause , because God is almightie . To make this more plaine . Euery one of vs was borne in sinne , & by nature we are most wretched in our selues : now what an one is God ? Surely he is able to doe whatsoeuer he will , yea and more then he will , and is able to destroy such as rebell against him euery moment . Therefore our dutie is , to cast downe our selues for our sinnes in his presence . This true humiliation was that which our Sauiour Christ would haue brought the younge man in the Gospell vnto , when hee bade him goe sell all that he had and giue to the poore . Therefore whosoeuer thou art , take heed thou must : for if thou runne on in thy wickednesse , and still rebell against God , it is a thousand to one at length he will destroy thee . For he is an almightie God , and able to doe whatsoeuer hee will : his hand is mightie , it boots not a man to striue with him : for hee was neuer yet ouermastered , and for this cause wee must needs ●ast down our selues vnder his hand . It is a fearefull thing ( saith the holy Ghost ) to fall into the hands of the liuing God : therefore if wee would e●cape his heauie and terrible displeasure , the best way for vs is , to abase our selues , and be ashamed to followe our sinnes . Christ biddeth vs not to feare him that is able to kill the body , and can goe no further : but wee must feare him that is able to cast both bodie and soule into hell fire . Example of this we haue in Dauid , who when he was persecuted by his owne sonne Absolon , he said vnto the Lord , If he thus say , I haue no delight in thee , behold here I am , let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eies . But some will say , I will liue a little longer in my sinnes , in lying , pride , Sabbath breaking , in swearing , dicing , gaming , and wantonnesse : for God is mercifull , and in my old age I will repent . Ans. Well , soothe not thy selfe : but marke , vsually when God holds backe his hand for a season , he doth as it were fetch a more mightie blowe , for the greater confusion of a rebellious sinner ; therefore humble , submit , and cast downe thy selfe before God , and doe not striue against him : his hand is mightie , and will ouerthrow thee . Though thou hadst all learning , wisdome , might , riches , &c. yet ( as Christ said to the younge man ) one thing is wanting , that thou shouldest bee humbled ; and vntill thou bee humbled , nothing is to bee looked for but Gods iudgement for sinne , Secondly seeing God is almightie ; we must tremble and feare at all his iudgements , we must stand in awe , quake , and quiuer at them , as the poore childe doth , when he seeth his father come with the rod. Example of this we haue often in Gods word ; as when the sonnes of Aaron offered straunge fire before the Lord , he sent fire from heauen , and burned them vp . And though Aaron was very sorry for his sonnes : yet when Moses told him , that the Lord would be glorified in all that came neere him , then the text saith , Aaron helde his peace . So also we read that the Apostles reprooued Peter , for preaching vnto the Gentiles : but when Peter had expounded the things in order which he had seene , then they held their peace , and glorified God. As also Dauid saith : I held my tongue O Lord , because thou didst it . Isaiah saieth , In hope & silence is true fortitude . If a man be in trouble he must hope for deliuerance , and be quiet and patient at Gods iudgements . But the practise of the world is flat contrarie . For men are so farre from trembling at them , that they vse to pray to god that plagues , curses , and vengeance may light vpon them , and vpon their seruants and childrē . Nowe the Lord being a mighty God , often doth answerably bring his iudgements vpon them . Againe , many caried with impatiencie wish themselues hanged or drowned : which euils they thinke shal neuer befall them : yet at the length God doth in his iustice bring such punishments vpon them according as they wished . And ( which is more ) in all ages there haue bene some which haue scorned and mocked at Gods iudgements . Hereof we had not far hence a most fearefull example . One beeing with his companion in a house drinking on the Lords day , when he was readie to depart thence , there was great lightening and thunder : whereupon his fellow requested him to stay , but the man mocking and iesting at the thunder and lightning , said ( as report was ) it was nothing but a knaue cooper knocking on his tubbes , come what woulde , hee would goe ; and so went on his iourney : but before hee came halfe a mile from the house , the same hand of the Lord which before he had mocked , in a crack of thunder stroke him about the girdlestead , that he fell downe starke deade . Which example is worthy our remembrance , to put vs in mind of Gods heauy wrath against those which scorne his iudgements : for our dutie is to tremble and feare : and it were greatly to be wished , that wee coulde with open eye beholde the terriblenesse and fearefulnesse of Gods iudgements : it would make a man to quake and to leaue off sinne . If a man passe by some high and daungerous place in the night when hee cannot see , hee is not affraide ; but if yee bring him backe againe in the day , and let him see what a steepe and dangerous way hee came , hee will not be perswaded to passe the same way againe for any thing : so it is in sinning : for men liuing in ignorance and blindenesse , practise any wickednesse , and doe not care for Gods iudgements : but when God of his goodnesse bringeth them backe , and openeth their eies to see the downfall to the pit of hell , and the iudgements of God due to their sinnes : then ( they say ) they will neuer sinne as they haue done , but become new men , and walke in the way to eternall life . Thirdly , we are taught by the Apostle Paul , that if wee be to doe any duty to our brethren , as to releeue them , wee must doe it with chearfulnesse : for he laboureth to perswade the Corinthians to cheerefull liberalitie ; and the reason of his perswasion is , because God is able to make all grace to abound towardes them . Where also this dutie is taught vs , that seeing God is omnipotent , and therefore able to make vs abound , therefore wee must giue cheerefully to our poore brethren which want . Fourthly , whereas there are many in euery place , which haue liued long in their sinnes , euen from their cradle ; some in wantonnes , some in drunkennes , some in swearing , some in idlenesse , and such like : out of this place to all such there is a good lesson , namely that euery one of them doe nowe become new men , and repent of all their sinnes , for all their life past . For marke what Paul saith of the Iewes which are cutte off from Christ through vnbeleefe , and haue so continued in hardnesse of heart , and desperat malice against him , almost 16. hundreth yeares : If ( saith he ) they abide not still in vnbeleefe , they may bee grafted into their oliue againe : and his reason is this , because God is able to graft them in againe . Euen so though wee haue liued many yeares in sinne , ( and sure it is a daungerous and fearefull case for a man to liue 20.30 . or 40. yeares vnder the power of the diuell ; ) yet wee must knowe that if wee will nowe liue a newe life , forsake all our sinnes and turne to God , wee may be receiued to grace , and be made a branch of the true oliue , though we haue borne the fruits of the wilde oliue all our life long . But some will obiect , that they haue no hope of Gods fauour , because they haue beene so grieuous sinners , and continued in them so long . Ans. But knowe it , whosoeuer thou art , God is able to graft thee in ; and if thou repent , he will receiue thee to his loue and fauour . This must be obserued of all , but especially of such as are olde in yeares , and yet remaine ignorant without knowledge ; they must turne to the Lord by repentance : otherwise , if they continue still profane and impenitent , they must knowe this , that their damnation comes post hast to meete them , and they to it . And thus much for the duties . Nowe followe the consolations which Gods Church reape from this , that God the father is omnipotent . First , the wonderfull power of God serueth to strengthen vs in praier vnto God ; for hee that will pray truely , must onely pray for those things for which he hath warrant in Gods word : all our prayers must bee made in faith , and for a man to praie in faith , it is hard : therefore a speciall meanes to strengthen vs herein , is the mightie power of God. This was the ground and stay of the leper whom our Sauiour Christ clensed : Lord ( saith he ) if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane . And in the Lords praier , when our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs to make sixe petitions ; in the end he giueth vs a reason , or motiue to induce vs to stand vpon , and to waite for the benefits before craued , in these wordes : Thine is the kingdome , thine is the power , &c. Secondly , hence wee learne this comfort , that all the gates of hell shall neuer bee able to preuaile against the least member of Christ. I doe not say they shall neuer be able to assault , or tempt them , for that may be : but they shal neuer ouercome them . How ( will some say ) may we be resolued of this ? I aunswer , By reason of faith : for if a Christian man do beleeue that God the father , and in Christ his father , is almightie , no enemie shall euer be able to preuaile against him . So S. Iohn reasoneth : Litle children , ye are of God , & haue ouercome them , that is , all false teachers , because greater is he that is in you , that is , Christ Iesus by his holy spirit , who is God , and therefore almightie , then he that is in the world , that is , the spirit of satan : therefore you neede not to feare . So Dauid compareth himselfe to a silly sheepe , and saith : Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death , that is , as it were in the mouth of the lyon , yet I will feare none euill : why so ? because the Lord is with him : thy rodde ( saith he ) and thy staffe comfort me . Thus much for the benefits . Now whereas it is said the first person is a Father , as also Almightie : ioyne these two togither , and hence will arise singular benefits and instructions . First , whereas we are taught to confesse , that the first person is a Father Almightie , we and euery man must learne to haue experience in himselfe , of the mightie power of this almightie father . Why , will some say , that is nothing , for the deuill and all the damned soules feele the power of the Almightie ? True indeede they feele the power of God , namely , as he is an almightie . Iudge condemning them ; but they feele not the power of an almightie father : this is the point whereof we must indeauour to haue experience in our selues . Paul prayeth that the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the father of glorie , would giue vnto the Ephesians the spirit of wisedome , to see what is the exceeding greatnes of his power in them which beleeue , according to the working of his mightie power which he wrought in Christ. Which place must be considered : for here the Apostle would haue vs haue such a speciall manifestation of Gods power in our selues , like to that which he did once shew forth in Christ. But how did Christ see and finde the power of God as he was man● Answer . Diuers waies : I. On the crosse he died the first death ; which is the separation of bodie and soule : and he suffered the sorrowes of the second death . For in his soule he bare the whole wrath of God , and all the pangs of hell , and after was buried and laide in the graue , where death triumphed ouer him for the space of three daies . Nowe in this extremitie God did shewe his power , in that he raised Christ from death to life . And looke as his power was manifested in Christ the head : so must it be manifested in all his members : for euery man hath his graue , which is naturall sinne and corruption , which we drawe from our first parents , and looke as a man lies dead in the graue , and can mooue neither hand nor foote : so euery man by nature lyeth dead in sinne . Now as God did shew his power in raising Christ from death : so euery one must labour to haue this knowledge and experience in himselfe of the mightie power of God , in raising him from the graue of sinne to newnesse of life . For thus Paul makes a speciall request , that he might know Christ , and the vertue of his resurrection , that is , that he might feele in himselfe that power whereby Christ was raised from death to life , to raise him also from the bondage of his sinnes to a newe life more and more . Furthermore , when Christ was vpon the crosse , and all the gates of hell were open against him , then did he vanquish Satan ; he bruised the serpents head , and as Paul saith , he spoyled principalities and powers , and made a shew of them openly , and hath triumphed ouer them in the crosse : he ouercame the deuill and all his angels by the power of his almightie father , and by his owne power as he is God. And euen so must Christian men labour to finde the same power in themselues of this almightie father by which Christ did triumph ouer Satan : that by it they may tread him vnder their feete , which men can neuer doe by any power in themselues . Againe , Christ praieth that that cup might passe from him : and yet hee saith : Not my will , but thy will be fulfilled . For it was necessary that Christ should suffer . And this request was heard , not because he was freed from death , but because God his father Almightie gaue him power and strength in his manhood to beare the brunt of his indignation . Nowe looke as this power was effectuall in Christ Iesus the head , to make him able and sufficient to beare the pangs of hell : so the same power of God , is in some measure effectuall in al the members of Christ , to make them both patient , & of sufficient strength to beare any affliction , as Saint Paul saith : beeing strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioifulnesse . And this is a notable point which euery one ought to learne : that whereas they confesse God to be their Almightie father , they should herewithall labour to feele and haue experience in themselues , that hee is almightie in the beginning and continuing of grace vnto them , and in giuing them power and patience to suffer afflictions . Further , Christ Iesus when the worke of our redemption was accomplished , was lifted vp into heauen , and set at the right hand of God in heauenly places , farre aboue all principalities and powers , &c. euen by the power of his father : well , as this power was made manifest in the head : so must it bee in the members thereof . Euery childe of God shall hereafter see and feele in himselfe the same power , to translate him from this vale of misery in this life , to the kingdome of heauen . Wherefore to conclude , we haue great cause to bee thankefull and to praise God for this priuiledge , that hee sheweth his power in his childrē in regenerating thē , in making them die vnto sin , and to stand against the gates of hel , and to suffer afflictions patiently : as also that he translates them from death to life . And euery one should shew his thankefulnesse in labouring to haue experience of this power in himselfe , as Paul exhorteth vs in his Epistles to the Colossians and Ephesians : yea , read all his epistles , and we shal find he mentioneth no point so often as this , namely the mighty power of God , manifested first in Christ , and secondly in his members : and he accounteth all things losse that he might knowe Christ , and the vertue of his resurrection . This point is the rather to be marked , because his power in the matter of grace is not to be seene with eye ; and fewe there be in respect that haue felt the vertue thereof in themselues : for the diuell doth mightily shewe his contrary power in the greatest part of the world , in carrying them to sinne and wickednesse . Secondly , hence we learne that which Paul teacheth , namely to knowe that all thinges worke togither for the best vnto them that loue God. God is almightie , and therefore able to doe whatsoeuer he will : he is also a father , and therefore is willing to doe that which is for our good . But some will say , we are subiect to many crosses , yea to sinne : what ? can our sinnes turne to our good ? Ans. If God almightie be thy father , he will turne thine afflictions , yea thy sinnes which by nature are euil , beyond all expectation vnto thy saluation . And thus much God will doe to all such as be obedient vnto him : yet no man must hereupon presume to sinne . Thirdly , whereas we beleeue that God is a mightie father , it serues to confirme gods children in the promises of mercy reuealed in his word . The chiefest whereof is , that if men will turne from their sinnes , and beleeue in Christ , they shall not perish but haue life euerlasting . I knowe some men will make it an easie thing to beleeue , especially those which neuer knewe what faith meant . But such persons neede no meanes of confirmation of faith : therefore let all those which haue tasted of the hardnes of attaining vnto it , learne howe to establish their wauering hearts in the promises of God , by the consideration of these two points : God is a father , and therefore he is willing : he is also almightie , and therefore he is able to performe his promises . He that will bee truely resolued of Gods promises , must haue both these setled in his heart , and build on them as on two foundations . It followeth , Creatour of heauen & earth ] We haue spoken of the title of the first person , and of his attributes : nowe we come to speake of his effect , namely the creation : but before we come to it , we are to answer a certaine obiection which may be made . At the first it may seeme strange to some , that the worke of creation is ascribed to the first person in Trinitie the father : whereas in the Scripture it is common to them all three equally . And first that the father is Creatour , it was neuer doubted : as for the second person the Sonne , that hee is Creatour , it is euident : All things are made by it , that is , by the Sonne , who is the substantiall worde of the father , and without it was made nothing that was made . And againe it is saide , that God by his sonne made the worlde . As for the holy Ghost , the worke of creation is also ascribed vnto him : and therefore Moses saith , The spirit mooued vpon the waters : and Iob saieth , His spirit hath garnished the heauens . Howe then is this peculiar to the father , beeing common to all the three persons in trinitie ? I answer , The actions of God are twofold : either inward , or outward . The inwarde actions are those , which one person doth exercise towards another : as the father doth beget the sonne , and this is an inward action peculiar to the father : and all inward actions are proper to the persons from whome they are . So the Sonne doth receiue the Godhead by communication from the Father : and the holy Ghost from them both : and these are inward actions peculiar to these persons . So likewise , for the father to send his sonne , it is an inward action proper to the father and cannot be communicated to the holy ghost : and the sonne to bee sent by the father onely is a thing proper to the Sonne , and not common to the father , or to the holy Ghost . Now outward actions are the actions of the persons in the Trinitie to the creatures : as the worke of creation , the worke of preseruation , and of redemption . These and all such actions are common to al the three persons : the father createth , the sonne createth , and the holy Ghost createth : and so we may say of the works of gouernment , and of redemption , and of all outward actions of the persons to the creatures . But some againe may say , howe then can the worke of creation , beeing an outward action of God to the creature , be peculiar to the first person the father ? I answere , the work of creatiō is not so proper to the first person the father , as that it cannot also be cōmon to the rest : for all the three persons ioyntly created all things of nothing ; only they are distinguished in the maner of creating . For the father is the cause that beginneth the worke , the sonne puts it in execution , the holy ghost is the finisher of it . And againe , the father createth by the sonne ; & by the holy ghost : the sonne createth by the holy ghost , and from the father : the holy ghost createth not by the father , nor by the sonne ; but from the father & the sonne . And this is the reason why the worke of creation is ascribed here vnto the father , because he alone createth after a peculiar manner , namely by the sonne , and by the holy Ghost : but the Sonne and the holy Ghost create not by the father but from him . Thus hauing answered the obiection , we come to speake of the creation it selfe . In handling whereof , we must withall treat of the Counsell of God , as beeing the cause therof , and of the Gouernment of the creatures , as being a work of God whereby he continunes the creation . And the order which I will obserue , is first to speake of the Counsell of God , and secondly of the exequution of his Counsell , which hath two speciall branches , the first the creation , the second the preseruation or gouernment of things created . The Counsell of God , is his eternall and vnchangeable decree , whereby he hath ordained all things either past , present , or to come , for his owne glorie . First I call it a decree , because God hath in it sette downe with himselfe and appointed as soueraigne Lord , what shall be , what shall not bee . I adde further , that all things whatsoeuer come vnder the compasse of this decree ; as Paul saith , He worketh all things according to the counsell of his will. And our Sauiour Christ saith , that a sparrowe cannot fall on the ground without the heauenly father : yea further , he tels his disciples , that the very haires of their heades are numbred , meaning that they are knowne and set downe in the counsell of God. And considering that God is King of heauen and earth ; and that most wise , yea wisdome it selfe ; and most mightie , yea might and power it selfe : it must needes bee that he hath determined how all things shall come to passe in his kingdome , with all their circumstances , time , place , causes , &c. in such particular manner , that the very least thing that may bee , is not left vnappointed and vndisposed . The counsell of God , hath two properties , eternitie , and vnchaungeablenes . It is eternall , because it was set downe by God from euerlasting before all times , as Paul saith , God hath chosen the Ephesians to saluation before all worldes . And he saith of himselfe , that hee was called according to the purpose of God , which was before all worldes . Againe , the same counsell once set downe , is vnchangeable . God saith , I am Iehouah , and I chaunge not . With God ( saith S. Iames ) there is no variablenesse , nor shadowe of chaunge . Nowe such as God is , such is his decree or counsell . And beeing vnchangeable , his counsels also are vnchangeable . Gods counsell hath two parts : his foreknoweledge , and his wil or pleasure . His foreknowledge , whereby he did foresee all thinges which were to come . His will , whereby in a generall manner he wills and ordaines whatsoeuer is to come to passe : and therefore such things as God altogither nilleth , cannot come to passe . Now these two-parts of the counsell of God must be ioyned together , and not seuered . Will without knowledge is impotent , and foreknowledge without will is idle . And therefore such as holde that God doeth barely foresee sundrie things to come , no manner of way either willing or decreeing the issue and euent of them , doe bring in little better then Atheisme . For if we say that any thing comes to passe either against Gods will , or God not knowing of it , or not regarding it , we shall make him either impotent or carelesse , and rase the very foundation of Gods prouidence . And this decree of God must be conceiued of vs as the most generall cause of all things subsisting : being first in order hauing all other causes vnder it , and most principall , ouerruling all , ouerruled by none . Thus wee see what is to be held touching Gods counsell : nowe for the better clearing of the trueth , three obiections of some difficultie are to be answered . First may some man say , if God decree and ordaine all things whatsoeuer , then he decreeth and ordaineth sinne : but God decrees not sinne in as much as it is against his will : and therefore he decrees not all things . Ans. Wee vse not to say that God doth simply will or decree sinne , but onely in part , adding withall these caueats : I. That God willeth and decreeth sinne , not properly as it is sin , but as it hath in it sundry regards and respects of goodnes , so farforth as it is a punishment , or chastisement , or triall , or action , or a hath any existence in nature . II. God can so vse euil instruments , that the work done by them beeing a sinne , shall neuerthelesse in him bee a good worke : because hee knowes howe to vse euill instruments well . If it be further alleadged , that God willeth no wickednesse , Psal. 5.5 . we must knowe , that Gods will is two-folde , generall , and speciall . Generall , whereby God willeth and decreeth that a thing shall bee : and by this kinde of will he may be saide to will sinne ; and that without sinne . For though he decree it thus , yet doth he not instill wickednesse into the heart of any sinner , and his decree is onely for a most excellent ende . For in regard of God which decreeth , it b is good that there should be euill . To this purpose Augustine saith excellently , By an vnspeakeable manner it comes to passe , that that which is against Gods will , is not without his will. c Nowe the speciall will of God is that whereby he willeth any thing in such manner , that he approoueth it , and delighteth in it . And thus indeede we cannot say without blasphemie , that god willeth sinne . Thus then we see in what manner and how farforth God may be said to decree sinne , that is , to will and appoint the permission of it . Againe it may be obiected thus . If all things be determined by the vnchangeable decree of God , then all things come to passe by an vnchangeable necessitie : and men in their actions haue no freewill at all , or libertie in doing any thing . Answer . This must be learned as a certaine rule , that the necessarie decree of God , doth not abolish the nature of the second causes , and impose necessitie vpon the will of man , but onely order and incline it without any constraint , to one part . As for example : when a people is gathered togither to heare gods word , there is none of them but they knowe that they come thither by Gods prouidence ( & In that respect necessarily ) yet before they come , they had all freedome and libertie in themselues to come or not to come : and Gods eternall counsell did not hinder the libertie of our wills , in comming or not comming , nor take away the same : but onely incline and turne them to the choice of one part . An other example hereof we may haue in our Sauiour Christ , whose state and condition of bodie , if we regard , he might haue liued longer : yet by the eternall counsell of God , he must die at that place , at that time , at that houre where and when he died . Whereby we may see , that Gods counsell doth not hinder the will of man ; but only order and dispose it . Which answer being well marked , we shall see these two will stand togither : the necessarie and vnchangeable counsell of God , and the free will of man. And againe , that the same action may be both necessarie and contingent : necessarie in regard of the highest cause , the counsell of God ; not necessarie but contingent in respect of the second causes , as among the rest , the will of man. Thirdly , some will yet obiect against this doctrine , that if all things come to passe according to Gods vnchangeable decree , then what needes the vsing of any meanes ? what needs the preaching of the word , and receiuing of the Sacraments ? what needes any lawes , Princes , Magistrates , or gouernment ? what needes walking in mens ordinarie callings ? all is to no ende : for let men play or worke , sleepe , or wake ; let them doe what they will : all is one : for Gods eternall counsell must needes come to passe : therefore it may seeme in vaine for men to busie themselues about such things . Answ. But we must know , that as God hath appointed all things to come to passe in his eternall and vnchangeable counsell ; so in the same decree , he hath together set downe the meanes and waies whereby he will haue the same things brought to passe : for these two must neuer be seuered ; the thing to be done , and the meanes whereby it is done . We may read in the Acts in Pauls dangerous voyage towardes Rome , and Angel of the Lord tolde Paul , that God had giuen him all that sailed with him in the shippe : now the soldiers and marriners hearing this , might reason thus with themselues : Seeing God hath decreed to saue vs all , we may do what we will , there is no danger , for we shall all come to land aliue : but marke what Paul saith , except these abide in the shippe , ye can not be safe : where we see , that as it was the eternall counsell of God to saue Paul , and all that were with him : so he decreed to saue all by this particular meanes of their aboad in the shippe . King Ezechias was restored to his health , and receiued from God a promise that he should haue 15. yeares added to his daies , and the promise was confirmed by signe : now , what doth he ? cast off all meanes ? no : but as he was prescribed , so he applieth a bunch of drie figges to his sore , and vseth still his ordinarie diet . Therefore it is grosse ignorance and madnesse in men to reason so against Gods decree ; God in his vnchangeable counsell , hath decreed and set downe all things how they shall be ; therefore I will vse no meanes , but liue as I list : nay rather we must say the contrarie ; because God hath decreed this thing or that to be done : therefore I will vse the meanes which God hath appointed to bring the same to passe . Now follows the Creation , which is nothing else but a worke of the blessed Trinitie , forming and framing his creatures which were not before , and that of nothing . The points to be knowne concerning the creation are many . The first is , the thing by which God did beginne and finish the creation . And we must vnderstand , that at the first God made all things , without any instrumēt or meanes , and not as men doe which bring to passe their busines by seruants and helps ; but onely by his word and commandement : as the Psalmist saith , He commanded , and all things were made . In the beginning God saide , Let there be light , and there was light : and by the same meanes was the creation of euery creature following . The very power of the word & commandement of God was such , as by it that thing was made and had a beeing , which before was not . It may be demaunded , what word this was by which God is saide to make all things . Answ. The word of God in Scripture is taken three waies : for the substantiall word , for the sounding or written word , for the operatiue or powerfull word . The substantiall word , is the second person begotten of the substance of the father . Now howsoeuer it be true , that God the father did create all things by his word , that is , by his Sonne : yet doth it not seeme to be true that by these words [ God said , let there be , this or that ] that the Sonne is meant . For that word which God gaue out in the creation was in time , whereas the Sonne is the word of the father before all times : and againe , it is a word common to the three persons equally , whereas the Sonne is the word of the father onely . Furthermore , it is not like that it was any sounding word standing of letters and syllables , and vttered to the creatures after the vsuall manner of men , that was the cause of them : it remaines therfore that all things were made by the operatiue word , which is nothing but the pleasure , will , and appointment of God , and is more powerfull to bring a thing to passe then all the meanes in the world beside . For Gods willing of any thing is his effecting and doing of it . And this is prooued by Dauid , when he saith , He spake the word , and they were made : he commanded , and they were created . Hence we must take out a speciall lesson , needfull to be learned of euery man. Looke what power God vsed and shewed in making the creatures when they were not , the same power he both can and will shew forth in recreating and redeeming sinnefull men by the pretious blood of Christ. By his word he created mans heart when it was not ; and he can and will as easily create in vs all new hearts , specially when we vse the good meanes appointed for that ende . As , when Christ said to dead Lazarus , Lazarus come forth , he arose and came forth of his graue , though boūd hand & foot : so when the Lord speaks to our dead hearts by his word and spirit , we shall rise forth of the graues of our sins & corruptions . In the creation of the great world , God saide let there be light , and presently darknes gaue place : and the same he can do to the little world , that is , to man. We are by nature darknes , and let God but speake to our blind vnderstandings , our ignorance shall depart , and we shall be inlightened with the knowledge of the true God and of his will : as Paul saith , God that commanded the light to shine out of darknesse , is he which hath shined in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus Christ. Secondly , God made all creatures , without motion , labour , or defatigation : for his very bidding of the worke to be done , was the doing of it . And this thing no creature can doe , but God onely , though vnto Adam labour was without paine before the fall . Thirdly , the matter and the first beginning of all creatures was nothing , that is , all things were made , when as there was nothing whereof they might be made , as Paul saith , God calleth those things which be not , as though they were . And indeede in the first creation , all things must be made either of the essence of God or of nothing : but a creature can not be made of the essence of God , for it hath no parts , it is not diuisible : and therefore God made all things that were made out of himselfe or his owne essence : the conclusion then is , that the framing of the creatures in the beginning , was not of any matter , but of nothing , because before the creation , out of God there was nothing . This must teach vs to humble our selues . Many there be that stand vpon their ancestours : but let them here looke whence they came first , namely , as Abraham saith of himselfe , of dust and ashes . And what was this dust and ashes made of ? surely of nothing : wherefore euery mans first beginning is of nothing . Well then , such men as are caried away with their pedigree and descent , if they look well into it , they shall finde small cause to boast or bragge . And this consideration of our first beginning must mooue vs to true humiliation in our selues . Fourthly , God in framing his creatures , in the beginning made them good ; yea very good . Now the goodnes of the creature is nothing else , but the perfect estate of the creature , whereby it was conformable to the will and minde of the Creator allowing and approouing of it when he had made it : for a creature is not first good , and then approoued of God : but because it is approoued of God , therefore it is good . But wherein , will some say , stands this goodnes of the creature ? I an●wer , in three things : I. in the comelines , beautie , and glorie of euery worke in his kind both in forme and constitution of the matter . II. In the excellencie of the vertue which God hath giuen to it : for as he hath appointed euery creature for some especiall ende , so he hath fitted and furnished it with sufficient power and vertue for the accomplishing of the same ende . III. In the exceeding benefit and profitablenesse that came by them to man. But since the fall of man this goodnes of the creature is partly corrupted and partly diminished . Therefore when we see any want , defect , or deformitie in any of them , we must haue recourse backe againe to the apostasie of our first parents , and remember our fall in them , and say with a sorrowfull heart , this comes to passe by reason of mans most wretched sinne , which hath defiled heauen and earth , and drawne a curse not onely vpon himselfe , but vpon the rest of the creatures for his sake , whereby there goodnes is much defaced . Fifthly , the ende of creation , is the glorie of God , as Salomon saith , God made all things for his owne sake , yea euen the wicked for the day of euill . And God propounds this principall ende to himselfe , not as though he wanted glorie , and would purchase it vnto himselfe by the creation ; for he is most glorious in himselfe , and his honour and praise beeing infinite , can neither be increased nor decreased : but rather that he might communicate and make manifest his glorie to his creatures , and giue them occasion to magnifie the same . For the reasonable creatures of God beholding his glorie in the creation , are mooued to testifie and declare the same among men . The sixth shall be touching the time of the beginning of the world which is betweene fiue thousand and sixe thousand yeares agoe . For Moses hath set downe exactly the computation of time from the making of the world to his owne daies : and the Prophets after him haue with like diligence set downe the continuance of the same to the very birth of Christ. But for the exact account of yeares Chronologers are not all of one minde . Some say there be 3929. from the creation to Christs birth , as Beroaldus : some 3952. as Hierome and Bede : some 3960. as Luther and ●o . Lucidus : some 3963. as Melancthon in his Chronicle and Functius : some 3970. as Bullinger and Tremellius : some towards 4000. as Buntingus . Now from the birth of Christ to this day are 1592. yeares , and adding these together , the whole time amounteth . And God would haue the very time of the beginning of the world to be reuealed , first that it might be knowne to the Church , when the couenant of grace was first giuen by God to man , and when it was afterward renewed , and how Christ came in the fulnesse of time , Gal. 4. secondly that we might know that the world was not made for the eternall and euerliuing God , but for man : thirdly that we might learne not to set our hearts on the world & on the things therein which haue beginning and ende , but seeke for things eternall in heauen . And before the time which I haue named began , there was nothing beside God , the world it selfe and all things else were vncreated . Some men vse to obiect and say , what did God all that while before the world was ? how did he imploy himselfe ? what was he idle ? Ans. The Iewes to this badde question make as badde an answer . For they say he was continually occupied in making many little worlds , which he continually destroied as he made them , because none pleased him till he made this . But we must rather say , that some things are reuealed which God did then , as that he decreed what should come to passe when the world was : & that then the blessed persons in Trinitie did take eternal delight each in other . If any man will needes know more , let him heare what Moses saith , Secret things belong to the Lord our God , but things reuealed to vs and to our children for euer : and let them marke what one eluding the question , answered : namely , that God was making hell fire to burne all such curious persons as will needes know more of God then he hath reuealed to them : for where God hath not a mouth to speake , there we must not haue an eare to heare : therefore our dutie is , to let such curious questions passe . Seuenthly , some may aske in what space of time did God make the world ? I answer , God could haue made the world , and all things in it in one moment : but he began and finished the whole worke in sixe distinct daies . In the first day he made the matter of all things and the light : in the second the heauens ; in the third day he brought the sea into his compasse , and made the drie land appeare , and caused it to bring forth hearbs , plants , and trees : in the fourth he made the Sunne , the Moone , and the starres in heauen : in the fifth day he made the fishes of the sea , the foules of the heauen , and euery cree●ing thing : in the sixth day he made the beasts of the field , and all cattell , and in the end of the sixth day he made man. Thus in sixe distinct spaces of time , the Lord did make all things : and that especially for three causes . I. To teach men that they ought to haue a distinct and serious consideration of euery creature : for if God made the world in a moment , some might haue saide , this worke is so mysticall , that no man can speake of it . But for the preuenting of this cauill , it was his pleasure to make the world and all things therein in sixe daies : and the seuenth day he commanded it to be sanctified by men , that they might distinctly and seriously mediate vpon euery daies worke of the creation . II. God made the world , and euery thing therein in sixe distinct daies , to teach vs , what wonderfull power and libertie he had ouer all his creatures : for he made the light when there was neither Sunne nor Moone , nor starres : to shew , that in giuing light to the world , he is not bound to the Sunne , to any creature , or to any meanes : for the light was made the first day : but the sunne , the moone , and the starres were not created before the fourth day . Againe , trees and plants were created the third day : but yet the sunne , moone , and the starres , and raine which nourish and make hearbs , trees , and plants to grow were not created till after the third day : which shewes plainely , that God can make trees , plants , and hearbs to grow without the means of raine , and without the vertue and operation of the Sunne , the Moone , and the starres . III. He made the world in sixe distinct daies , and framed all things in this order , to teach vs his wonderfull prouidence ouer all his creatures : for before man was created he prouided for him a dwelling place , and all things necessarie for his perpetuall preseruation , and perfect happines and felicitie . So also he created beasts and cattell : but not before he had made hearbs , plants , and grasse , and all meanes whereby they are preserued . And if God had this care ouer man when as yet he was not : much more will God haue care ouer him now when he is , and hath a beeing in nature . And thus much concerning the points of doctrine touching the creation . The duties follow . And first by the worke of creation we may discerne the true Iehouah from all false gods and idols in the world . This Esaiah maketh plaine , bringing in the Lord reasoning thus : I am God , and there is none other God besides me . How is that prooued ? thus : I forme the light , and create darkenesse , I make peace , and create euill : I the Lord doe all these things . If a man aske thee how thou knowest the true God from all false gods : thou must answer , by the worke of creation : for he alone is the maker of heauen and earth , and all things in them . This propertie can not agree to any creature , to any man , Saint , or Angel : nay , not to all men and all Angels they can not giue beeing to a creature which before was nothing . Secondly , whereas God the father is Creator of all things , and hath giuen vnto man reason , vnderstanding , and abilitie , more then to other creatures , we are taught to consider and meditate of the worke of Gods creation . This the wise man teacheth vs , saying , Consider the worke of God. And indeede it is a speciall dutie of euery man which professeth himselfe to be a member of Gods Church , as he acknowledgeth God to be the Creatour , so to looke vpon his workemanship and viewe and consider all creatures . A skilfull workeman can haue no greater disgrace , then when he hath done some famous thing , to haue his friend passe by his worke , and not so much as looke vpon it . If it be demaunded for what ende must we looke vpon the worke of Gods creation ? I answer , that in it we may see and discerne Gods power , wisdome , loue , mercie , and prouidence , and all his attributes , and in all things his glorie . This is a most necessarie dutie to be learned of euery man : we thinke nothing too much or too good to bestowe on vaine shewes , and plaies , idle sports and pastimes , which are the vanities of men , and we doe most willingly behold them : in the meane season vtterly neglecting and contemning the glorious worke of Gods creation . Well , the Lord God hath appointed his Sabbath to be sanctified not onely by the publike ministerie of the word , and by priuate praier , but also by an especiall consideration and meditation of Gods creatures : and therefore the dutie of euery man is this , distinctly and seriously to view and consider the creatures of God ; and thereby take occasion to glorifie his name , by ascribing vnto him the wisdome , glorie , power , and omnipotencie that is due vnto him and appeares in the same . Thirdly , we must giue God glorie in all his creatures , because he is the creator of them all . So in the Reuelation the foure and twentie Elders fall downe before him , and say , Thou art worthie , O Lord , to receiue glorie and honour , and power : giuing this reason , for thou hast created all things , and for thy wills sake they are and haue beene created . Read the Psalmes 147. and 148. both which tende to this effect , that God must be praised , because he is the Creator of all things , to whome all glorie is due . We know , that when men behold any curious worke of a cunning and skilfull craftesman , straightway they will leaue the worke , and inquire after him that made it , that they may praise his skill . The same is our dutie in this case , when we come abroad , and behold euery where in all the creatures the admirable and vnspeakable wisedome , goodnesse , and power of God , then we must make hast from the creature , and goe forward to the Creatour , to praise and glorifie him : and herein must we shew our selues to differ from bruit beasts , in that by the vse and viewe of Gods creatures , we doe returne due glorie , praise , and honour vnto the Creatour . Our fourth dutie is set downe by the Prophet Amos , who moouing the people to meete God by repentance , addeth a reason taken from the creation : He that fourmeth the mountaines and createth the winds , which declareth vnto man what is his thought , which maketh the morning darkenesse , &c. the Lord God of hosts is his name . The meaning of the Prophet is this : God is a terrible iudge , and we are as traytors & rebels against him : therfore the best way that we can take is this : he is comming to iudgement , let vs therefore meete him and fal downe before him , and humble our selues vnder his mightie hand . And the holy Ghost by the Prophet would mooue the people to meete God by serious repentance , by a reason framed thus : If God who is their iudge , be able to create the winds , and to forme the mountaines , and to make the morning darknes : then he is also able to make an eternall iudgement for their confusion . And therfore all such as be impenitent sinners , let thē prepare thēselues to turne vnto him : & surely if men had grace to lay this to their hearts ; they would not liue so long in their sinnes without repentance as they doe : nay rather , they would prepare thēselues to meete him in the way before he come to iudgement , because he is a Creator , and therefore able to bring infinite punishments vpon them at his pleasure , and to bring them to nothing as he made them of nothing . And let them know it , whosoeuer they be that go forward in their sinns , that God the creator whensoeuer he will , can open hell to deuoure them : and that he can shew himselfe as mightie in his iudgement to mens destruction , as he was mightie in the beginning in giuing vs a beeing when we were nothing . Wherefore notable is the practise of Dauid , who inures himselfe to the feare of God by the consideration of his creation , saying , I am fearefully and wonderfully made , &c. Lastly , those which haue beene impenitent sinners through all their life past , must not onely learne to repent for their sinnes ; but also endeauour to performe obedience vnto Gods word . God is a creator , and the thing created should in all respects be conformable to his will : for Dauid saith , Thine hands haue fashioned me , and framed me , giue me vnderstanding therefore that I may learne thy commandements . And good reason : for there is no man of any trade , but he would faine haue all that he maketh and deuiseth to be vsed : but yet so as the vse thereof must be conformable to the will of the maker . For this cause Moses that faithful seruāt of God saith , that the people of Israel dealt wrongfully with the Lord : why ? for he hath created them , and proportioned them , he is their father and be bought them : yet they haue dishonoured him by corrupting thēselues towards him by their vice . All creatures in heauen and in earth doe the will of the Creator , except man , and the deuill and his angels : for the Sunne , the Moone , and the Starres , they keepe that course which God hath appointed them : but man though he be bound to doe the will of God , because God is his Creator , yet he rebells against him . The potter if in tempering his clay , he can not make and frame it according to his minde , at length he will dash it in pieces : so God , he createth man , not that he should doe his owne will , but Gods will : and therefore the Lord in his wrath will confound him eternally who soeuer he be that followeth the lusts of his owne wicked heart , and will not be brought to be conformable to Gods will , but goes on his rebellion without stay . For this cause it stands euery man in hand to yeelde himselfe pliable vnto Gods will , & to indeauour to obey it by keeping a good conscience before God and all men , and by walking faithfully in his calling , least the ende be confusion . If a man haue a trade and other men come into his shoppe , and vse such tooles and instruments as be there to wrong ends , he will in no wise brooke it , but take the abuse in great displeasure : now the world is as it were an opened shoppe in which God hath set forth vnto vs his glorie and maiestie : and the creatures of all kinds be instruments appointed for excellent vses , and specially man for the accomplishment of his will. And therefore when he rebells against the will of God , and by sinne puts the creatures to wrong ends , he can not but most grieuously offend God. And thus much of the duties . Now in the third place follow the consolations vnto Gods Church and people . First as S. Peter saith , God is a creator , yea a faithfull creator . The properties of a faithfull creator are two : I. He will preserue his creature : no man is so tender ouer any worke as he that made it , for he cannot abide to see it any way abused . God therefore beeing a faithfull creator , tenderly loues all his creatures . So Iob reasoneth with God , that he will not cast him off , because he is the worke of his handes . II. God will beare with his creature , to see whether it will be brought to any good ende and vse before he will destroy it . And to vse the former comparison : the potter will turne and worke the clay euery way to make a vessell vnto his minde ; but if it frame no way , then will he cast it away and dash it against the wall . And so God who created man , still preserueth him , and vseth all meanes to make him conformable to his wil , before he cast him off . The Lord did long striue with men in the old world , to turne them from their wickednesse : but when nothing would serue them , it is said , It repented the Lord that he made man on the earth . And in like manner , if wee which are the creatures of God , shall rebell against this our creator , it may be , he will beare with vs for a time : but if we continue therein , and do not turne to him by repentance , he will bring vpon vs a finall destruction both in bodie and soule . Yet I say , before he doe this , his manner is to trie all meanes to preserue vs , and turne vs vnto him : and afterward if nothing will serue , then will he shewe forth his power in mens confusion : and therefore it standes vs in hand to looke vnto it betime . Secondly , looke what power the Lord did manifest in the creation of all things , the same power he both can and will make manifest in the redemption of mankinde . In the beginning God made all things by his word ; and so likewise he is able still to make by the power of his word , of a wicked man that is dead in sinne , a true and liuely member of Christ : which the Prophet Esay signifieth when he saith , The Lord that created the heauens and spread them abroad , he that stretcheth forth the earth and the bodie thereof , &c. I the Lord haue called thee in righteousnesse . This must not incourage euil men in their wickednes , but it serueth to comfort the people of God , considering that the same God which once created them , is also as able to saue them : and will shew himselfe as mightie in their redemption , as he was in their creation of nothing . And thus much of the creation in generall . Nowe it followeth that wee come to the handling of the parts thereof . For it is not said barely that God is a Creator ; but particularly that he is a creatour of heauen and earth : of both which wee will speake in order : and first of the creation of heauen . Heauen ] in Gods worde signifieth all that is aboue the earth : for the ayre wherein we breath is called heauen . And according to this acceptation of the word , there are three heauens , as Paul saith , He was taken vp into the third heauen . The first of these heauens is that space , which is from the earth vpwarde vnto the firmament , where the starrs are . Thus the birds which flie in the aire betweene the earth and the starres , are called the foules of the heauen : and when God sent the flood to drowne the olde world , Moses saith , the windows of heauen were opened : meaning , that God powred downe raine from the cloudes aboundantly , for the making of a flood to drowne the world . The second heauen is that which containeth the Sunne , the Moone , and the starres : so Moses saith , that God in the beginning created the Sunne , the Moone , and the starrs , and placed them in the firmament of heauen . Besides these two heauens , there is a third which is inuisible : and yet it is the worke of Gods handes : and it is that glorious place where Christ euen in his manhoode sitteth at the right hand of the father : and whither the soules of the faithfull departed are carried , and placed : and in which at the ende of the world shall all the elect both in body and soule , haue perfect ioy and blisse in the glorious sight and presence of God for euer . But for the better conceiuing the trueth , wee are to skanne and consider diligently three questions . First , whether this third heauen be a creature ; for many haue thought it was neuer created , but was eternall with God himselfe : but it is a grosse errour contrarie to Gods word . For the Scripture saith , Abraham looked for a cittie ( meaning the heauenly Ierusalem , this third heauen ) hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God. Further if it be eternall , it must either be ? Creator or a creature : but it is no creator , for then it should be God : and therefore it must needs be a creature . But some will say , the Lord is eternall , and this third heauen hath alwaies beene the place of the Lordes aboade , and therefore it is also eternall . Answer . True it is indeede that God doth shewe his glorie and maiestie in the third heauen : but yet that cannot possibly containe his Godhead , as Salomon saith , Beholde the heauens , and the heauens of heauens are not able to containe thee . Wherefore though God doth manifest his eternall glorie in this third heauen , yet doth it not followe that therefore this place should bee eternall : for hee needes no habitation to dwell in : hee is euery where filling all things with his presence , excluded from no place . The second question is , where this third heauen is ? A●●were . There are some protestants say , it is euery where : and they holde this opinion to maintaine the reall presence of the Lordes bodie in or about the Sacrament . But if it were euery where , then hell should be in heauen , which no man will say : but heauen indeede is aboue these visible heauens which wee see with our eies : so the Apostle saith , Christ ascended on high farre aboue all heauens , &c. And againe it is said of Steuen , that beeing full of the holy Ghost , Hee looked vp steadfastly into the heauens , and sawe them open , and the sonne of man standing at the right hand of God. Thirdly it may bee demaunded , why God created this third heauen ? Answer . God made it for this cause , that there might bee a certaine place wherein he might make manifest his glorie and maiestie to his elect angels and men ; for the which cause it was created a thousand fold more glorious then the two former heauens are , and in this respect it is called Paradise , by reason of the ioy and pleasure arising from Gods glorious presence . And our Sauiour Christ calleth it the house of God his father ; because into it must be gathered all gods children . It is called the kingdome of heauen , because God is the king thereof and ruleth there in perfect glorie . True it is , God hath his kingdome here on earth : but he ruleth not so fully and gloriouslie here , as he ●hall in heauen : for this is the kingdome of grace , but that is the kingdome of his glorie , where he so raigneth , that he will be all in all , first in Christ , & then in the elect both angels and men . Nowe followe the duties whereunto we are mooued principally in consideration of the making of the third heauen . First , if God created it especially for the manifestion of his glory vnto men , that at the ende of this worlde , by the fruition of Gods most glorious presence , there they might haue perfect ioy and felicitie : we haue occasion here to consider the wonderfull madnesse and forgetfulnesse that raigneth euery where among men , which onely haue regard to the estate of this life , and cast all their care on this worlde , and neuer so much as once dreame of the ioyfull and blessed estate which is prepared for Gods children in the highest heauen . If a man hauing two houses● one but a homely cottage , and the other a princely pallace , should leaue the better and take all the care and paines for the dressing vp of the first , would not euery man say , he were a madde man ? yes vndoubtedly . And yet this is the spirituall madnesse that takes place euery where among men : for God hath prepared for vs two houses , one is this our bodie which we beare about vs , which is an house of clay , as Iob saith , We dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is dust , which shal be destroyed before the moth : & as Peter saith , a tabernacle or tent , which we must shortly take downe ; and wherein we abide but as pilgrimes and straungers . Againe , the same God of his wonderfull goodnesse hath prouided for vs a second house in the third heauen , wherein wee must not abide for a time and so depart : but for euermore enioy the blessed felicitie of his glorious presence . For all this marke a spirituall phrensie possessing the mindes of men ; for they imploy all their care and industrie for the maintaining of this house of clay , whose foundation is but dust : but for the blessed estate of the second house , which is prepared for them in the kingdom of heauen , they haue little regard or care . They will both runne and ride from place to place day and night , both by sea and land : but for what ? Is it for the preparing of a mansion place in the heauenly Ierusalem ? Nothing lesse , for they will scarse goe forth of the doore to vse any meanes whereby they may come vnto it : but all their studie is to patch vp the ruines and breaches of their earthly cabbine . Now let all men iudge in their owne consciences , whether as I haue said , this be not more then senselesse madnesse ? Againe , the bodie is but a tabernacle wherein we must rest as it were for a night , as a straunger doth in an Inne , and so away : but the second house is eternall in the heauens , an euerlasting seate of all felicitie and happinesse . And therefore our dutie is aboue al things , to seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse , as Christ himselfe biddeth vs. And if the Lord haue there prepared such a place for vs , thē we must in this world vse all good meanes , whereby we may be made worthie the fruition of it ; and also fitte and readie at the day of death to enter into it : which at the day of iudgement we shall fully possesse both in soule and bodie , and there raigne eternally in all happinesse with God Almightie our creatour , the Father , the Sonne , and the Holy Ghost . But some may say , how shall a man so prepare himselfe , that hee may bee fitte for that place ? Answere . This the holy Ghost teacheth vs : for speaking of this heauenly Ierusalem , he saith , There shall enter into it none vncleane thing , neither whatsoeuer worketh abomination or lies . The meanes then to make our selues fitte is , to seeke to bee reconciled to God in Christ for our sinnes past , and withall to endeauour to haue an assurance of the free remission and pardon of them all in the blood of Christ. And as touching that part of life which is to come , we must remember what Saint Iohn saith , Euery one that hath this hope purifieth himselfe , meaning , that he which hath hope to raigne with Christ in heauen , vseth the meanes whereby he may purifie and keepe himselfe from sinne , as also he saith after , that he which is borne of God keepeth himselfe , and the wicked one toucheth him not . Signifying , that all such persons as are truely iustified and sanctified , carrie such a narrowe and straite watch ouer the whole course of their liues and conuersations that the deuill can neuer giue them deadly woundes , and wholly ouercome them . Nowe the man that i● resolued in his conscience of the pardon of his sinne for the time past , and hath a steadfast purpose in his heart to keepe himselfe vpright , & continually to walke in righteousnesse and true holinesse all the daies of his life : this man , I say , is prepared and made fit to enter into the heauenly Ierusalem : come death when it will , he is readie . And howesoeuer he must not looke for heauen here vpon earth , yet he is as it were in the suburbes of this heauenly cittie : and at the end of this life , the king thereof , the Lord Iesus will open the gates , and receiue him into his kingdome , for he is alreadie entred into the kingdome of grace . To conclude this point , let euery man in the feare of god , be mooued hereby to set his heart to prepare himselfe ; that when God shall call him hence , he may be fitte to enter into that glorie . Secondly , seeing God hath prepared the third heauen for vs , it teacheth euery man in this worlde to be content with the estate wherein God hath placed him , whether it bee high or lowe , rich or poore : why so ? because here he is but a pilgrime , and liues in a cottage of clay , and in a tent wherein he must abide but a while , as a pilgrime doth , oftentimes carrying his house about with him ; and we shall in better sort accept the afflictions which God sendes vs in this life ; if we remember that there is prepared for vs a place of ioy , which must bee our resting place and perfect felicitie for euermore . This was the practise of the chidren of God , especially of Abraham : for when the Lord called him out of his own country , he obeyed , and by faith abode in the promised land , as in a straunge countrie , as one that dwelt in tents with Isaac and Iaakob , heires with him in the same promise : and the reason followeth , for he looked for a cittie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God. They beleeued that these things which the Lord promised , were shaddowes of better things : and hereon staied themselues , beeing well content with that estate whereto God had called them . So Paul was cōtented to beare the afflictions which God had laid vpon him , and his reason was , Because ( saith he ) we looke not on things which are seene , but on things which are not seene : for the things which are seene are temporall , but the things which are not seene are eternall . And in the next chapter : We knowe ( saith he ) that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed , we haue a dwelling giuen vs of God , that is , an house not made with hands , but eternall in the heauens . And for this cause his desire was rather to remooue out of this body , and to be with the Lord. And thus much concerning heauen . Nowe followeth the second part of Gods creation in these wordes . And earth ] Earth signifieth the huge masse or body standing of sea and land , on which we liue , and all things that be in or vpon the earth whatsoeuer : as Paul saith , For by him were created all things that are in heauen or in earth , &c. In other Creeds which were made since this of the Apostles , beeing expositiōs of that ; there is added , maker of all things visible and invisible . Here we haue occasion to speake of all creatures , but that were infinite : therefore I will make choice of these two , good Angels and Men. I. That Angels had a beginning it is no question : for Paul saith , that by God all things were created in heauen and earth , things visible and inuisible , whether thrones , principalities , or powers . And in respect of the creation , angels are called the sonnes of God. But the time & day of their creatiō cannot be set down further thē this , that they were created in the cōpasse of the sixe daies . For Moses saith , Thus , namely in the compasse of the first sixe daies , the heauens and the earth were fashioned , and all the h●ast of them : that is , all varietie of creatures in heauen and earth seruing for the beauty and glory thereof : whereof no doubt the Angels are the principall . II. Touching the nature of Angels , some haue thought that they are nothing but qualities and motions in the mindes of men , as the Sadduces and the Libertines of this time : but the truth is , that they are spirits , that is , spirituall and inuisible substances created by God , and really subsisting : for the Scripture ascribes vnto them such kinde of actions which can not be performed by the creatures , saue onely such as be substances : as to stande before the throne of God , to behold the face of the Father , to carie mens soules to heauen , &c. yet must we not imagine that they are bodily substances consisting of flesh and bone . And though they tooke vpon them visible shapes and formes , and did eate and drinke in the companie of men , and thereupon are called Men in Scripture : yet they did this by diuine dispensation for a time , that they might the better performe the actions and businesses among men , to which they were by God appointed . And the bodies of men which they assumed , were no parts of their natures vnited to them , as our bodies are to vs ; but rather they were as garments are to vs , which they might put off and on at their pleasure . If any shall aske , whence they had these bodies , the answer is , that either they were created of nothing by the power of God , or framed of some other matter subsisting before . If againe it be asked what became of these bodies when they laid them downe , because they vsed them but for a time , the answer may be , that if they were made of nothing , they were againe resolued into nothing : if made of other creatures , that then they were resolued into the same bodies of which they were first made ; though indeede we can define nothing certenly in this point . III. Angels are reasonable creatures of excellent knowledge and vnderstanding , farre surpassing all men saue Christ. Their knowledge is threefold : naturall , reuealed , experimentall . Naturall , which they receiued from God in the creation . Reuealed , which God makes manifest to them in processe of time , whereas before they knew it not . Thus God reuealed to Gabriel the mysterie of the 70. weekes , Dan. 8 , and 9. And in the Apocalyps many things are reuealed to the Angels that they might reueale thē to vs. Experimentall knowledge , is that which they get by obseruing the dealings of God in the whole world , but specially in the Church . And thus Paul saith , that to principalities and powers in heauenly places is knowne the manifolde wisedome of God by the Church . IV. And as the knowledge , so also the power of the good Angels is exceeding great . They are able to doe more then all men can . Therefore Paul calls them mightie Angels , 2. Thess. 1.7 . Yea their power is farre superiour to the power of the wicked angels , who since the fall are vnder them and can not preuaile against them . V. The place of the aboad of Angels , is the highest heauen , vnlesse they be sent thence by the Lord , to doe some thing appointed by him . This our Sa●iour Christ teacheth when he saith , that the angels of litle ones doe alreadie behold the face of their father in heauen . And the wicked angels before their fall were placed in heauen , because they were cast thence . VI. That there be certaine distinctions and diuersities of angels , it is very likely , because they are called thrones , and principalities , and powers , Ch●rubim and Seraphim . But what be the distinct degrees and orders of Angels , and whether they are to be distinguished by their natures , gifts , or offices , no man by scripture can determine . VII . The ministerie of angels to which the Lord hath set them apart is threefold , and it respecteth either God himselfe , or his church , or his enemies . The ministerie which they performe to God , it first of al , to adore , praise , and glorifie him continually . Thus the Cherubims in Esaies vision crie one to another , Holy , holy , holy is the Lord God of hosts : the world is full of his glory . And when they were to publish the birth of the Messias , they begin on this maner , Glory to God in the highest heauens , peace on earth . And Iohn in his vision heard the angels about the throne , crying with a loud voice , Worthy is the Lambe , &c. to receiue power , riches , and strength , wisdome , and honour , and glory , and praise . And indeede the highest ende of the ministerie of Angels is the manifestatiō of the glory of God. The second , is to stand in Gods presence , euermore readie to doe his commandements , as Dauid saith , Praise the Lord , yee his Angels that excell in strength that doe his commandements in obeying the voice of his word . And here is a good lesson for vs. Wee pray daily , that we may doe the will of God as the Angels in heauen doe it : let vs therefore be followers of the holy Angels in praising God and in doing his commandements as they doe . The ministerie of Angels concerning the Church , standes in this , that they are ministering sprits for the good of them which shall be heires of saluation . The good is threefold ; in this life , in the ende of this life , and in the last iudgemēt : again , the good which they procure to the people of god in this life , is either in respect of body or soule . In respect of the body , in that they doe most carefully performe al maner of duties which do necessarily tend to preserue the temporall life of Gods children , euen from the beginning of their daies to the ende . Dauid saith , that they pitch their tents about them that feare the Lord. When Agar was cast forth of Abrahams family , and wandered in the wildernesse , an angell comes vnto her and giues her counsell to returne to her mistresse and humble her selfe . When Elias fled from Iesabel , he was both comforted , directed , and fed by an angel . And an angel bidds the same Elia● be of good courage and without feare to goe to King Achazias & reproou● him . Angels bring Lot and his family out of Sodom and Gomorrha , before they burne the citties with fire and brimstone . When Iacob feared his brother Esau , hee sawe angels comming vnto him : and he plainely acknowledgeth that they were sent to be his protectours & his guides in his iourney . Abraham beeing perswaded of the assistance of Gods angels in al his waies , said to his seruant , The Lord God of heauen , who tooke me from my fathers house , &c. will send his angels before thee . The wise men that came to see Christ are admonished by angels to returne another way : and Ioseph by the directiō of an angel fled into Egypt , that he might preserue Christ from the hands of the cruel tyrant . The tents of the Israelites was garded by angels . The three children are deliuered from the fierie furnace : and Daniel out of the Lyons denne by angels . When Christ was in heauinesse they ministred vnto him and comforted him : and they brought Peter out of prison and set him at libertie . Againe , the angels procure good vnto the soules of the godly , in that they are maintainers and furtherers of the true worshippe of God , and of all good meanes , whereby we attaine to saluation . The lawe was deliuered in Mount Sina by angels : and a great part of the Reuelation of Iohn . They expound to Daniel the seuenty weekes They instruct the Apostles touching the returne of Christ to the last iudgement . An angel forbids Iohn to worship him , but to worship God the creatour of heauen and earth . They fetch the Apostles out of prison , and bidde them teach in the temple . An angel bringes Philip to the Eunuch that he may expound the Scriptures to him . Lastly , they reueale the misteries and the will of God : as to Abraham that he should not kill his sonne Isaac , to Mary and Elizabeth the natiuity of Iohn Baptist , & of Christ our Sauiour , and all this they doe according vnto the will of God , Gal. 1.8 . Beside all this , angels reioice at the conuersion of sinners by the ministerie of the Gospel . And for the Churches sake , they protect not only particular men , but euen whole nations and kingdomes . The ministerie of Angels in the end of this life , is to carrie the soules of the godly into Abrahams bosome as they did the soule of Lazarus . And in the day of iudgement to gather all the Elect that they may come before Christ , and enter into eternall fruition of glory both in body and soule . The third and the last part of the ministerie of Angels , concernes Gods enemies ; and it is to execute iudgements on all wicked persons and impenitent sinners . Thus all the first borne of Egypt are slaine by an angell . When Iosua was about to sacke Ierico , an angel appeared vnto him as a captaine , with a drawne sword to fight for Israel . When the hoste of Zenacherib came against Israel , the angel of the Lord in one night slue an hundred eightie & fiue thousand . Because Herod gaue not glorie vnto God , the angell of the Lord smote him so as he was eaten vp of lyce and died . And thus we see what points we are to marke touching the good Angels . Now followeth the vse which we are to make in regard of their creation . First whereas they are Gods ministers to inflict punishments vpon the wicked , here is a speciall point to be learned of vs ; that euery man in the feare of God take heede howe he liueth and continueth in his sinnes , for the case is dangerous considering that God hath armies of Angels , which stande readie euerie where to execute Gods heauie iudgements vpon them that liue thus . When the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord , Moses saith , they were naked , that is , open to al the iudgements of god ; euē destitute of the guard of his good angels . Wretched Balaā that wizzard went to Balaac to curse the children of Israel : and as he went it is said , the Angel of the Lord stood in his way with a drawn sword : & if the asse had not bin wiser thē his master , the angel had slaine him . Wherby it appeares , that whē we rush on into the practise of any sin , we do as much as in vs lieth to cause god to send down his iudgements vpon vs for our sinnes , and that by the ministerie of his angels . Secondly , we are taught another lesson by Christ himselfe : See ( saith he ) that you despise not one of these little ones : nowe marke his reason : for I say vnto you , that in heauen their angels do alwaies behold the face of my father . By little ones he meaneth young infants which are within the couenant ; or others which are like to young infants in simplicitie and innocency of life and humility . And Christ will not haue them to be despised . A duty very needfull to bee stood vpon in these times . For nowe a daies if a man carrie but a shewe of humilitie , of good conscience● and of the feare of God , hee is accounted but a silly fellowe , hee is hated , mocked , and despised on euery hand . But this should not be so . For him whome God honoureth with the protection of his good angels , why should any mortall man despise ? And it stands mockers and scorners in hand to take heede whome they mocke . For though men for their parts put vp many abuses and iniuries , yet their angels may take iust reuenge by smiting them with plagues and punishments for their offences . Thirdly , seeing angles are about vs , and serue for the good of men , we must do whatsoeuer we do in reuerent and seemely maner , as Paul giues counsel to the Philippians , Brethren , saith he , whatsoeuer things are true , whatsoeuer things are honest , iust , pure , & pertaine to loue , of good report : if there be any vertue , if there be any praise , thinke on these things : many men doe all their affaires orderly for auoiding shame , but wee must doe the same vpon a further ground , namely because Gods holy angels waite on vs. And considering that men haue care to behaue themselues well when they are before men : what a shame is it for a man to behaue himselfe vnseemely either in open or in secret , he then beeing before the glorious angels . Paul saith , that the woman ought to haue power on her head , because of the angels , that is , not onely the ministers of the Church , but gods heauenly angels , which daily waite vpon his children , and guard them in all their waies . Fourthly , this must teach vs modestie , and humility : for the angels of God are very notable and excellent creatures ; and therefore they are called in the Psalmes Elohim , gods : yet how excellent soeuer they be , they abase themselues to become guardians and keepers vnto sinnefull men . Nowe if the Angels doe so abase themselues ; then much more ought euery man to abase and humble himselfe in modestie● and humilitie before God ; and whatsoeuer our calling is , we must not be puffed vp but be content . This is a necessarie dutie for all , but especially for those which are in the schooles of the Prophets ; whatsoeuer their gifts or birth be , they must not thinke themselues too good for the calling of the ministerie . And if god haue called vs thereunto , we must be content to become seruants vnto all in the matter of saluation : though the men whom we teach be neuer so base or simple ; for no man doth so farre excell the basest person in the world , as the glorious Angels of God doe exceed the most excellent man that is ; therefore seeing they vouchsafe to become seruants vnto vs , we must not thinke our selues too good to serue our poore brethren . And thus much of the duties . Nowe followe the consolations that arise from this , that God hath giuen his glorious angels to serue for the protection and safegard of his church and people . If mens spirituall eies were open , they should see the deuil and his angels , and all the wicked of this world to fight against them : & if there were no means of comfort in this case , then our estate were most miserable . But marke ; as Gods seruant hath all these wicked ones to bee his enimies : so he hath garrisons of angels that pitch their tents about him and defend him from them all . So Dauid saith , He shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee , & they shall keepe thee in all thy waies , that thou dash not thy foote against a stone : where the angels of God are compared to nources , which carry little children in their armes , feed them , and are alwaies readie at hand , to saue them from fals and many other dangers . When the king of Syria sent his horses & chariots to take Elisha the Lords prophet , because he reuealed his counsell to the king of Israel : his seruant sawe them round about Dothan where he was , and he cried , Alas , master , vvhat shall wee doe ? then Elisha answered , Feare not : for they that be with vs , are more then they that be with them : & he besought the Lord to open his seruants eyes , that he might see : and the Lord opened his eies , and he looked and beholde , the mountaines were full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha . So likewise not many yeres agoe , our land was preserued from the inuasion of the Spaniards , whose huge Nauy lay vpon our sea coasts ; but how were we deliuered from them ? surely by no strēgth nor power , nor cunning of man ; but it was the Lord , no doubt , by his Angels that did keepe our coasts , and did scatter our enemies , and drowne them . Let enemies rage , and let them doe what they will , if a man keepe himselfe in the waies which God prescribeth , hee hath Gods Angels to guide and preserue him : which thing must mooue men to loue and embrace the true religion , and to conforme themselues in all good conscience to the rule of Gods worde . For when a man doeth not so , all the Angels of God are his enemies , and at all times readie to execute Gods vengeance vpon him : but when men carrie themselues as dutifull children to God , they haue this prerogatiue that Gods holy Angels doe watch about them , and defend them day and night from the power of their enemies , euen in common calamities and miseries . Before God sendes his iudgementes on Ierusalem , an angell is sent to marke them in the foreheades that mourne for the abominations of the people . And this priuiledge none can haue but he whose heart is sprinckled with the bloode of Christ , and that man shall haue it vnto the ende . And thus much of the creation of Angels . Now it followes to speake of the creation of Man : wherein we must consider two things : I. the points of doctrine : II. the vses . For the points of doctrine . First , Man was created and framed hy the hand of God , and made after the image of God : for Moses bringes in the Lord speaking thus , Let vs make man in our image , &c. in the image of God created he them , which also must be vnderstood of Angels . The image of God , is nothing els but a conformitie of man vnto God , whereby man is holy as God is holy : for Paul saith , Put on the newe man which after God , that is , in Gods image , is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse . Nowe I reason thus : wherein the renuing of the image of God in man doth stand , therein was it at the first : but the renuing of Gods image in man doth stand in righteousnesse and holinesse : therefore Gods image wherein man was created at the beginning , was a conformitie to God in righteousnes and holines . Now whether Gods image doth further consist in the substance of mans bodie and soule , or in the faculties of both , the Scripture speaketh nothing . This Image of God hath two principall parts : I. wisdome : II. holinesse . Concerning wisdome Paul saith , Put ye on the new man which is created in knowledge , after the image of him which created him . This wisdome consisteth in three points : I. in that he knew God his creator perfectly : for Adam in his innocencie knewe God so farre forth as it was conuenient for a creature to know his creatour . II. He knewe Gods will so farre forth as it was conuenient for him , to shewe his obedience thereunto . III. He knewe the wisdome and will of his creatour touching the particular creatures : for after Adam was created , the Lord brought euery creature vnto him , presenting them vnto him as beeing lord and king ouer them , that he might giue names vnto them . Whereby it appeares that Adam in his innocencie did know the nature of all creatures , and the wisdome of God in creating them , else he could not haue giuen them fitte names : and when God brought Eue vnto Adam , he knew her at the first , and said , This is now bone of my bone , and flesh of my flesh , shee shall be called woman , &c. The second part of Gods image in man , is holines and righteousnes ; which is nothing els but a conformity of the wil & affections , and of the whole disposition of man both in bodie & soule , to the will of God his creator . Yet we must remember that Adam in his innocencie had a changeable will , so as he could either will good or euill : he was created with such libertie of will , as that he could indifferently will either . And we must not thinke that the will of the creature was made vnchangeably good : for that is peculiar to the will of God , and hereby is the Creatour distinguished from the creature . And here two things offer themselues to be considered . The first , why the man is called the image of God , and not the woman . Ans. He is so called , not because holinesse and righteousnesse is peculiar to him which is common to both : but because God hath placed more outward excellencie and dignitie in the person of a man then of a woman . The second , how Christ should be called the image of God. Ans. He is so called for two speciall causes . First , because he is of the same substance with the father ; and therefore is his most absolute image , and as the author of the Hebrewes saith , the brightnesse of his glorie and the ingraued forme of his person . Secondly , because God beeing inuisible doth manifest himselfe in Christ ; in whome as in a glasse we may behold the wisdome , goodnes , the iustice and mercie of God. The second point to be considered in the creation of man is the dignitie of his person : for Dauid saith , Thou hast made man little inferiour to the Angels , and crowned him with glorie , and worship . This dignitie stands in foure points . I. A blessed communion with the true God : for Paul speaking of the Gentiles which were not called , saith they were straungers from the life of God. Where by the contrarie we may gather , that our first parents in their innocencie liued the life of God , which is nothing else but to lead such a life here on earth , as that the creature shall haue a blessed and immediate fellowship with God , which stands in this , that before the fall of man , God reuealed himselfe in a speciall manner vnto him , so as his very bodie and soule was a temple and dwelling place of the Creatour . This fellowship betweene God and man in his innocencie , was made manifest in the familiar conference which God vouchsafed to man : but since the fall , this communion is lost : for man can not abide the presence of God. And therfore when Peter had fished all night , and caught nothing , our Sauiour bad him cast downe his net to make a draught , who did so ; but when he saw the great multitude of fishes that were taken , at this sight beholding but as it were some sparkes of the glorious maiestie of God in Christ , he fell downe at his feete , saying , Lord , depart from me , for I am a sinner . The second point wherein mans dignitie consisteth , is , that man was made lord and king ouer all creatures , as Dauid saith , Thou hast made him to haue dominion in the workes of thy handes : and therefore God hauing created him in his image , biddeth him rule ouer the fishes of the sea , ouer the fowles of the heauen , and ouer euery beast that mooueth vpon the earth : & afterward he brought them all to him , as to a soueraigne lord and king to be named by him : and answerably euery creature in his kind gaue reuerence and subiection vnto man before his fall , as vnto their lord and king . Where by the way we must remēber , that when we see any creature that is hurtfull and noysome vnto man , and would rather deuoure then obey him ; it must put vs in minde of our sinne : for by creation we were made lords and kings ouer all creatures , and they durst not but reuerence and obey vs : but the rebellion of man vnto God is the cause of the rebellion of the creatures vnto vs. The third part of mans dignitie by creation is , that before his fall he had a wonderfull beautie and maiestie aboue all creatures in his bodie : whereupon Dauid saith , the Lord hath crowned him with glorie and worship . And in the renuing of the couenant with Noe , God saith , that the dread and feare of man shall be vpon all creatures : which nowe though it be but small , yet doth it plainely shewe what was the glorie and maiestie of mans person at the first . The fourth dignitie of mans estate in innocencie is , that his labour was without paine or wearinesse : if he had neuer fallen he should haue laboured in the garden ; but so as he should neuer haue beene wearied therewith . For when Adam was fallen , God said , In the s●eate of thy face , shalt thou eate thy bread : now if the paine in labour come after as a curse vpon man for his transgression , then before his fall man felt no paine in his affaires . And in these foure things consisteth mans dignitie which he had in the creation . Now in the third followeth mans calling before his fall : which is twofold : I. particular : II. generall . Mans particular calling was to come into the garden of Eden , to keepe it , and to dresse the trees and fruits thereof . This shewes vnto vs a good lesson , that euery man must haue a particular calling wherein he ought to walke : and therefore such as spende their time idlely in gaming and vaine delights , haue much to answer to God at the day of iudgement . This will not excuse a man to say thē , that he had land & liuing to maintaine himselfe , and therefore was to liue as he list , for euen Adam in his innocencie had all things at his will , & wanted nothing ; yet euen then God imploied him in a calling : therfore none must be exempted , euery man both high & low must walke in his proper calling . Adās general calling , was to worship his Creatour , to which he was bound by the right of creation , considering the morall law was written in his heart by nature . Which is signified in the Decalogue ; where the Lord requires worship and obedience of his people , because he is Iehouah , that is , one which hath beeing in himselfe , and giues beeing to all men by creation . For the better vnderstanding of this point , we are to consider three things . I. The place where Adam did worshippe . II. The time . III. The sacraments . For the first , God euer since the beginning had a place where he would be worshipped , and it is called Gods house , which then was the garden of Eden . For it was vnto Adam a place appointed by God for his worship , as Church-assemblies are vnto vs : where also the Lord at some time did in a speciall manner shew himselfe vnto his creature . Touching the time of Gods worship , it was the seuenth day from the beginning of the creation , the Sabbath day . And here we must note , that the keeping of the Sabbath is morall . Some indeede doe pleade that it is but a ceremonie ; yet falsly : for it was ordained before the fall of man , at which time Ceremonies signifying sanctification had no place . Nay marke further : Adam in his innocencie was not clogged with sinne as we are ; and yet then he had a set Sabbath to worship God his creatour : and therefore much more neede hath euery one of vs of a sabbath day , wherein we may seuer our selues from the workes of our callings , and the workes of sinne , to the worship of God in the exercise of religion , and godly meditation of our creation . This point must be learned of vs , for when no occasion is offered of busines , then men will formally seeme to keepe the sabbath : but if there come occasion of breaking the sabbath , as traffike , gaming , and vaine shewes , then Sabbath farewell , men will haue their pleasures , let them worship God that will. But let vs remember in the feare of God , that whosoeuer continueth in the breach of this law beeing moral , God will no lesse powre forth his punishments vpon them , then for the breach of any other commaundement : the consideration whereof , must mooue euery man to a reuerent sanctifying of the Lords day . Now for Adams sacraments they were two : the tree of life , and the tree of knowledge of good and euill : these did serue to exercise Adam in obedience vnto God. The tree of life was to signifie assurance of life for euer , if he did keepe Gods commandements : the tree of knowledge of good and euill , was a sacrament to shew vnto him , that if he did transgresse Gods cōmandements , he should die : and it was so called , because it did signifie that if he transgressed this law , he should haue experience both of good and euill in himselfe . Now in the fourth place followeth the ende of the creation of man , which is twofold . First , that there might be a creature to whome God might make manifest himselfe , who in a speciall maner should set forth and acknowledge his wisdome , goodnesse , mercie , in the creation of heauen and earth , and of things that are in them , as also his prouidence in gouerning the same . Secondly , God hauing decreed to glorifie his name in shewing his mercie and iustice vpon his creature , hereupon in time createth men to shew his mercie in the saluation of some , and to shew his iustice in the iust and deserued damnation of other some . And therfore he hath appointed the creation specially of man , to be a meanes of manifestation and beginning of the execution of his eternal counsell . Thus much concerning mans creation in generall . The speciall parts of man are two ; bodie , and soule . And the reason why the Lord would haue him stand on these two parts is this : Some creatures made before him were onely bodily ; as beasts , fishes , foules : some spirituall , as Angels : now man is both ; spirituall in regard of his soule , corporall and sensible in regard of his bodie ; that nothing might be wanting to the perfection of nature . If it be alleadged that man consists of three parts ; bodie , soule , and spirit ; because Paul praies that the Thessalonians may be sanctified in bodie , soule , and spirit : the answer is , that the spirit signifies the minde whereby men conceiue and vnderstand such things as may be vnderstood : and the soule is there taken for the will and affections : and therefore these twaine are not two parts , but onely two distinct faculties of one and the same soule . The bodie of man at the first was formed by God of clay or of the dust of the earth , not to be the graue of the bodie , as Plato said , but to be an excellent and most fit instrument to put in execution the powers and faculties of the soule . And howsoeuer in it selfe considered , it is mortall ; because it is compoūded of contrarie natures called Elements : yet by the appointment and blessing of God in the creation , it became immortall till the fall of man. As for the soule , it is no accidentarie qualitie , but a spirituall and inuisible essence or nature , subsisting by it selfe . Which plainely appeares in that the soules of men haue beeing and continuance as well forth of the bodies of men as in the same ; and are as well subiect to torments as the bodie is . And whereas we can and doe put in practise sundrie actions of life , sense , motion , vnderstanding ; we doe it onely by the power and vertue of the soule . Hence ariseth the difference betweene the soules of men , and beasts . The soules of men are substances : but the soules of other creatures seeme not to be substances ; because they haue no beeing out of the bodies in which they are : but rather they are certaine peculiar qualities arising of the matter of the bodie , and vanishing with it . And it may be for this cause that the soule of the beast is said to be in the blood ; whereas the like is not said of the soule of man. And though mens soules be spirits as angels are , yet a difference must be made . For angels can not be vnited with bodies so as both shall make one whole and entire person ; whereas mens soules may : yea the soule coupled with the bodie is not onely the moouer of the bodie , but the principall cause that makes man to be a man. The beginning of the soule is not of the essence of God ; vnlesse we will make euery mans soule to be God : neither doth it spring of the soule of the parents , for the soule can no more beget a soule , then an angel can beget an angel . And Adam is called a liuing soule , and not a quickning soule . And earthly fathers are called the fathers of our bodies , and not of our soules . It remaines therefore as beeing most agreeable to the Scriptures , that the soules of men are then created by God of nothing , when they are infused into the bodie . And though the soule● of men haue a beginning , yet they haue no end , but are eternall . And when they are saide to die , it is not because they cease at any time to subsist or haue beeing in nature , but because they cease to be righteous or to haue fellowship with God. Whereas our bodies are Gods workemanship , we must glorifie him in our bodies , and all the actions of bodie and soule , our eating and drinking , our liuing and dying , must be referred to his glorie : yea we must not hurt or abuse our bodies , but present them as holy and liuing sacrifices vnto God. And whereas God made vs of the dust of the earth , we are not to glorie and boast our selues , but rather to take occasion to praise the great goodnesse of God , that hath vouchsafed to honour vs beeing but dust and ashes . And after that man is created , what is his life ? alas , it is nothing but a little breath : stoppe his mouth and his nostrells , and he is but a dead man. By this we are put in minde to consider of our fraile and vncerten estate , and to lay aside all confidence in our selues : and for this cause the Prophet Esay teacheth vs to haue no confidence in man , because his breath is in his nostrills . Againe , let vs marke the frame and shape of mans bodie . All other creatures goe with their bodies and eyes to the ground-ward ; but man was made to goe vpright : and whereas all other creatures haue but foure muscles to turne their eyes round about , man hath a fifth to pull his eyes vp to heauen-ward . Now what doth this teach vs ? surely that howsoeuer we seeke for other things , yet first of all , and aboue all , we should seeke for the kingdome of heauen , and the righteousnesse thereof : and that our whole desire should be set to enioy the blessed estate of Gods children in heauen . Secondly , it teacheth vs in receiuing Gods creatures , to returne thankfulnes vnto God by lifting vp the heart to heauen for the same . These are very needfull and profitable lessons in these daies ; for most men indeede goe vpright : but looke into their liues , and they might as well goe on all foure : for in their conuersation they set their whole hearts vpon the earth , as the beast doth , and their eyes vpon the things of this world : hereby they doe abase themselues , and deface their bodies , and beeing men make themselues as beasts : we shall see great numbers of men that runne and ride from place to place , to prouide for the bodie , but to seeke the kingdome of heauen where their soules should dwell after this life in ioy for euer , they wil not stirre one foote . Thirdly , mans bodie by creation , was made a temple framed by Gods owne hands for himselfe to dwell in ; therefore our dutie is to keepe our bodies pure and cleane , and not to suffer them to be instruments wherby to practise the sinne of the heart . If a man had a faire house wherein he must entertaine a prince , and should make hereof a swinestie , or a stable , would not all men say , that he did greatly abuse both the house and the prince : euen so mans bodie beeing at the first made a pallace for the euerliuing God ; if a man shall abuse it by drunkennesse , swearing , lying , fornication , or any vncleannesse , he doth make it in stead of a temple for the holy Ghost , to be a stie or stable for the deuill . For the more filthie a mans bodie is , the more fit it is to be a dwelling place for sinne and Sathan . Fourthly , man by creation was made a goodly creature in the blessed image of God : but by Adams fall men lost the same , and are now become the deformed children of wrath : our dutie therefore is , to labour to get againe our first image , and indeauour our selues to become newe creatures . If a noble man should staine his blood by treason , after his death the posteritie will neuer be at rest , till they haue got away that spot : Man by Adams fall , is become a limm of the deuill , a rebell and traytor against Gods maiestie : and this is the state of euery one of vs : by nature we are at enmitie with God , and therfore we ought to labour aboue all things in the world , to be restored in Christ to our first estate and perfection , that so we may become bone of his bone , flesh of his flesh , beeing iustified and sanctified by his obedience , death , and passion . Fifthly , man was created that there might be a way prepared , wherby God might shew his grace and mercie in the saluation of some , and his iustice in the deserued damnation of others for their sinnes : and in the creation of man Gods eternall counsell beginnes to come into execution . Hereupon it stands vs in hand to make conscience of euery euill way , beeing repentant for all our sinnes past , and hauing a constant purpose neuer to sinne more as we haue done , that by our good conuersation here in this life we may haue assurance that we be eternally chosen to saluation by the Lord himselfe . Lastly , whereas we haue learned that the soule of man is immortall , we are hereby taught to take more care for the soule then for the bodie . For it can not be extinguished . When it is condemned , euen then it is alwaies in dying , and can neuer die . But alas , in this point the case is flat contrarie in the wo●ld : for men labour all their liues long to get for the bodie , but for the soule they care little or nothing at all : whether it sinke or swimme , goe to heauen or to hell , they respect not . This doth appeare to be true , by the practise and behauiour of men on the Lords day : for if the number of those which come to heare Gods word , were compared with those which runne about their worldly wealth and pleasure , I feare me the better sort would be found to be but a little handfull to a huge heape , or as a droppe to the Ocean sea , in respect of the other . But wilt thou goe an hundred myle for the encrease of thy wealth , and delight of thy bodie ? then thinke it not much to goe ten thousand myles ( if neede were ) to take any paines for the good of thy soule , and to get foode for the same , it beeing euerlasting . And thus much for the duties Now follow the consolation● . Although by reason of the fall of man we can haue but little comfort now : yet the creation doth confirme the vnspeakable prouidence of God ouer his creatures , but especially ouer man , in that the Lord created him the sixth day : and so before he was made prepared for him a Paradise for his dwelling place , and all creatures for his vse and comfort . And if he were thus carefull for vs when we were not , then no doubt he will be much more carefull for vs at this present , in which we liue and haue beeing . Nay , marke further , since the fall man eates and drinkes in quantitie a great deale , which in common reason should rather kill him , then turne to the strength and nourishment of his bodie : yet herein doth the wonderfull power of the Creatour most notably appeare , who hath made mans stomacke as a lymbecke or still to digest all meates that are hole-some for his nourishment and preseruation . And thus much for the Creation . Now in these words , maker of heauen and earth ] is more to be vnderstood then the worke of creation , namly Gods prouidence in gouerning all things created , as he appointed in his eternall decree● and therefore Saint Peter saith , God is a faithfull creatour , that is , God did not onely make heauen and earth , and so leaue them , as masons and carpenters leaue houses when they are built : but by his prouidence doth most wisely gouerne the same . Now therefore let vs come to speake of Gods prouidence . And first of all the question offers it selfe to be considered , whether there be any prouidence of God or no : for the mindes of men are troubled with many doubtings hereof . And to make the question out of all doubt , I will vse foure arguments to confirme the prouidence of God. The first is the testimonie of the Scripture , which ascribeth the euent of all particular actions , euen such as are in themselues casuall , as the casting of lots and such like to the disposition of God : which very thing also teacheth that euen men themselues , indued with reason and vnderstanding , haue neede to be guided in all things and gouerned by God : and it serueth to confute those that denie Gods prouidence . Why saiest thou , O Iacob , and speakest , O Israel , my way is hid from the Lord , and my iudgement is past ouer by my God ? The second argument may be taken from the order which appeareth in the whole course of nature . First to begin with families ; there is to be seene and eutaxie or seemely order , in which some rule and some obey : and the like is to be found in townes , cities , countries , and kingdomes : yea euen in the whole world : in which all things are so disposed , that one serueth for the good of another . Trees and hearbs , and grasse of the field serue for beasts and cattell : beasts and cattell serue for men : the heauens aboue serue for them which are beneath : and all the creatures which are aboue and beneath serue for God. This argueth that God is most wise and prouident in ordering and disposing all things whatsoeuer . The third argument is taken from the conscience specially of malefactours . Suppose a man that cōmits a murder so closely that no man knowes thereof , and that the partie himselfe is free from all the daunger of law : yet shall he haue his owne conscience to accuse , vpbraid , and condemne him , yea euen to fright him out of his witte , and to giue him no more rest then he can find vpon the racke or gibbet . Now this accusation and terrour of conscience , is nothing els but the forerunner of an other most terrible iudgement of God , who is Lord of all creatures and iudge of all men . And this also prooues the prouidence of God. For if the conscience can finde a man out , and lay his faults to his charge , how much more shall God himselfe the creator of the conscience see and consider all his doings . The fourth and last argument is this . The prophesies of things to come should be vncerten or false , if God gouerned not the world . But now ●●●sidering things many yeares agoe foretold , come to passe in the same maner as they were foretold by the Prophets and Apostles : hereby we must certenly conclude that there is a prouidence of God whereby all and euerything is gouerned . Against the prouidence of God sundrie things be alleadged . The first and speciall is , that prouidence and disorder , confusion and order can not stande together . Now in the world there is nothing but disorder and confusion in seditions , treasons , conspiracies , and subuersions of kingdomes : where also sinne and wickednesse preuailes . Ans. It is true indeede there hath bin confusion in the world euer since the fall of man and angels : and it ariseth not from God , but from them alone : who as they did at the first transgresse the will of God , so they doe what they can to turne all vpside downe . Now then coufusion , & disorder is onely in respect of the deuill and his instruments : but in regard of God in the very middest of all confusion there is order to be founde , because he can and doth despose it to the glorie of his owne name , and to the good and saluation of his chosen , as also to the confusion of his enemies . Againe it may be obiected , that with vngodly and wicked men all thinges goe well , and contrariwise with the godly all things goe hardly . For through the world , none are more molested and more vnder outward miserie then they : but if there were any prouidence of God then it should be otherwise ; the godly should flourish , and the wicked perish . Ans. The consideration of the outward estate of men in the world , was to Dauid an occasion of a sore temptation . For when he sawe the wicked to prosper alwaie , and their riches to increase , he brake forth and said , Certenly I haue clensed my heart in vaine , and washed mine hands in innocencie . Now if we would repell this temptation , as Dauid afterward did , then wee must goe into the Lords sanctuarie with him , and learne to be resolued in these points . I. Though the godly bee laden with miseries , yet euen that , by the especiall prouidence of God , turnes to their great good . For euery man since the fall of Adam is stained with the loathsome contagion of sinne . Now the child of God that is truly regenerate , and must be fellow heire with Christ after this life in the kingdome of glory , must in this life be cast into the Lords furnace , that in the fire of afflliction he may more and more be skoured and purified from the corruption of his nature , and be estranged from the wickednes of the worlde . II. The prosperous successe of the wicked , their spoiles , their reuenewes , and all their honour turnes to their greater woe in the ende : as doth appeare in Iobs historie , & in the examples of the Chaldeans , of Dauids enimies , and of Diues and Lazarus . Thirdly , it may be obiected , that many things came to passe by chance , and therefore not by Gods prouidence : because chaunce and prouidence cannot stand togither . Ans. We must distinguish betweene chance and meere chance . Chaunce is , when any thing comes to passe , the cause thereof beeing vnknowne not simply but in respect of man : aad therefore in regard of men which knowe not the reason of things , we may say there is chaunce : and so the spirit of God speaketh , Time and chaunce commeth to them all . And againe , By chaunce there came downe a priest the same way . Now this kind of chance is not against the prouidence of God , but is ordered by it . For things which in regard of men are casuall , are certainely knowne and determined by God. Meere chaunce is , when things are said or thought to come to passe without any cause at all . But that must be abhorred of vs as ouerturning the prouidence of God. Thus seeing it is plaine that there is a prouidēce , let vs in the next place see what it is . Prouidence is a most free and powerfull action of God , whereby he hath care ouer all things that are . Prouidence hath two parts ; knowledge and gouernment . Gods knowledge is , whereby all things from the greatest to the least are manifest before him at al times . As Dauid saith , His eies will consider : his eie lids will trie the children of mē . And againe , He abaseth himselfe to beholde the things that are in the heauen and the earth . And the Prophet Hanani said to Asa , The eies of the Lord behold all the earth . And Saint Iames saith , From the beginning of the world God knoweth all his workes . This point hath a double vse . First as Saint Peter saith , it must mooue vs to eschewe euill and doe good : why ? Because , saith he , the eies of the Lord are vpon the iust , and his countenance against euill doers . Secondly it must comfort all those that labour to keepe a good conscience . For the eies of God behole all the earth to shewe himselfe strong with them that are of perfect heart towards him . Gouernment is the ●econd part of Gods prouidence , whereby he ordereth all things and directeth them to good endes . And it must be extended to the very least thing that is in heauen or earth , as to the sparrowes , and to oxen , and the haires of our heades . And here we must consider two things : the manner of gouernment , and the meanes . The manner of gouernment is diuers , according as things are good or euill . A good thing is that which is approoued of God. As first of all the substances of all creatures ; euen of the deuils themselues : in whome whatsoeuer is remaining since their creation is in it selfe good . Secondly , the quantities , qualities , motions , actions , and inclinations of the creatures in themselues considered with all their euents are good . Againe , good is either naturall or moral . Naturall , which is created by God for the lawefull vse of man. Morall , which is agreeable to the eternall and vnchangeable wisdome of God , reuealed in the morall lawe . Now God gouerneth all good things two waies . First by sustaining & preseruing them that they decay not : secondly by moouing them that they may attaine to the particular endes for which they were seuerally ordained . For the qualities and vertues which were placed in the Sunne , Moone , starres , trees , plants , seedes , &c. would lie dead in them and be vnprofitable , vnlesse they were not onely preserued , but also stirred vp and quickened by the power of God so oft as he imploies them to any vse . Euill is the destruction of nature : and it is taken for sinne , or for the punishment of sinne . Nowe sinne is gouerned of God by two actions : the first is an operatiue permission . I so call it , because God partly permitteth sinne , and partly worketh in it . For sinne as it is commonly taken hath two parts ; the subiect or matter , and the forme of sinne : the subiect of sinne is a certaine qualitie or action ; the forme is the anomie or transgression of Gods lawe . The first is good in it selfe , and euery qualitie or action so farre forth as it is a qualitie or action is existing in nature , and hath God to be the author of it . Therefore sinne though it be sufficiently euil to eternall damnation● yet can it not be said to be absolutely euill as God is absolutely good , because the subiect of it is good , & therfore it hath in it respects & regards of goodnes . In respect of the second , that is , the breach of the lawe it selfe , God neither willeth , nor appointeth , nor commandeth , nor causeth , nor helpeth sin ; but forbiddeth , condemneth , and punisheth it : yet so , as withall he willingly permitteth it to be done by others , as men and wicked angells , they beeing the sole authors and causes of it . And this permission by God is vpon a good ende : because thereby he● manifesteth his iustice and mercie . Thus it appeares that in originall sinne , the naturall inclination of the minde , will , and affections in it selfe considered , is from God , and the ataxie or corruption of the inclination in no wise from him , but onely permitted : againe that in actuall sinne the motion of the bodie or minde is from God , but the euilnes and disorder of the motion is not from him , but freely permitted to be done by others . As for example in the act of murder , the actions of moouing the whole bodie , of stirring the seuerall ioynts , and the fetching of the blowe whereby the man is slaine , is from God ; for in him we liue , mooue , and haue our beeing : but the disposing and applying of all these actions to this ende , that our neighours life may be taken away , and we thereby take reuenge vpon him , is not from God , but from the wicked will of man and the deuill . Gods second action in the gouernment of sinne , is after the iust permission of it , partly , to restraine it more or lesse according to his good wil and pleasure , and partly to dispose and turne it against the nature thereof to the glorie of his owne name , to the punishment of his enemies , and to the correcting & chastisement of his elect . As for the second kind of euill , called the punishment of sinne , it is the execution of iustice , and hath God to be the author of it . And in this respect Esai saith , that God createth euill : and Amos , that there is no euill in the cittie which the Lord hath not done . And God as a most iust iudge may punish sinne by sinne , himselfe in the meane season free from all sinne . And thus the places must be vnderstood in which it is said , that God giueth kings in his wrath , hardeneth the heart , blindeth the eies , mingleth the spirit of errours , giueth vp men to a reprobate sense , sends straunge illusions to beleeue lies , sends euill spirits giuing them commandement to hurt , and leaue to deceiue , &c. Thus hauing seene in what manner God gouerneth all things , let vs nowe come to the means of gouernment . Sometimes god worketh without means , thus he created all thinges in the beginning ; and he made trees and plants to growe and flourish without the heate of the sunne or raine : sometimes hee gouernes according to the vsuall course and order of nature , as when he preserues our liues by meate and drinke : yet so , as he can and doth most freely order al things by meanes either aboue nature or against nature , as it shall seeme good vnto him . As when he caused the sunne to stand in the firmament , and to goe backe in Achas diall : when he caused the fire not to burne the three children : when he kept backe dewe and raine three yeres in Israel : when hee made waters to flowe out of the rocke : when he caused Elias cloake to deuide the waters of Iorden : when he caused Iron to swimme : when he preserued Ionas aliue three daies and three nights in the whalles bellie : when he cured diseases , by the strength of nature incureable , as the leprosie of Naaman , the issue of blood , and blindnesse , &c. Among all the meanes which God vseth , the speciall are the reasonable creatures , which are no passiue instrument , as the toole in the hand of the workman , but actiue : because as they are mooued by God , so againe being indued with will and reason , they mooue themselues . And such instruments are either good or euill . Euill , as wicked men and angels . And these he vseth to do his good will and pleasure , euen then when they doe least of all obey him . And considering that the sinning instrument which is mooued by God , doth also mooue it selfe freely without any constraint on Gods part : God himselfe is free from all blame , when the instrument is blame-worthie . In directing the instrument , God sinneth not : the action indeede is of him , but the defect of the action from the instrument : which being corrupt , can it selfe doe nothing but that which is corrupt : God in the meane season by it bringing that to passe which is very good . The whole cause of sinne is in Satan and in vs : as for God he puts no wickednes into vs , but the euill which he findes in vs he mooues , that is , orders , and gouerns , and bendes it by his infinite wisdome , when and in what manner it pleaseth him , to the glory of his name , the euil instrument not knowing so much , nay intending a farre other ende . As in the mill the horse blindfolded goes forward , and perceiues nothing but that he is in the ordinary waie , whereas the miller himselfe whips him and stirres him forward for another ende , namely for the grinding of corne . And this is that which we must hold touching Gods prouidence ouer wicked men and angels : and it stand●s with the tenour of the whole Bible . Iosephs brethren sold him into Egypt very wickedly , euen in the testimonie of their own consciences : yet Ioseph hauing respect to the counsell and worke of God , which he perfourmed by his brethren , saith , that the Lord sent him thither . And the Church of Ierusalem saith , that Herod and Pontius Pilate did nothing in the death of Christ but that which the hand & counsell of god had determined to be done : because though they wickedly intended nothing but to shewe their malice and hatred in the death of Christ : yet God propounding a further matter by them then euer they dreamed of , shewed forth his endles mercy to man in the worke of redemption . On this manner must all the places of Scripture be vnderstood , in which it is said , that God gaue the wiues of Dauid to Absalom : that God mooued Dauid to number the people ; that he commanded Shemei to raile on Dauid ; that the Medes and Persians are his sanctified ones : that the reuolt of the tenne tribes was done by God , &c. By all these examples it appeares , that wee must not seuer Gods permission from his wil or decree , and that we must put difference betweene the euill work of man , and the good worke of God which he doth by man : & the whole matter may yet be more clearely perceiued by this comparison . A theefe at the day of assise is condemned , & the magistrate appoints him to be executed ; the hangman owing a grudge to the malefactour , vseth him hardly & prolongeth his punishment longer then he should . Now the magistrate and the hangman doe both one and the same worke : yet the hangman for his part is a murderer , the magistrate in the meane season no murderer , but a iust iudge putting iustice in executiō by the hangman : so god though he vse euil instruments , yet is he free from the euil of the instrumēts . And further we must here marke the difference which must be made in Gods vsing of all kinds of instruments . When he vseth good creatures , as angels , he worketh his will not onely by them but also in them : because hee inspires them and guides them by his spirit , so as they shall , will , and doe that which he willeth and intendeth . As for euill instruments , he worketh by them only , and not in them ; because he holds backe his grace from them and leaues them to themselues , to put in practise the corruption of their owne hearts . Thus much of the parts of Gods prouidence : now follow the kinds thereof . Gods prouidence is either generall or speciall . Generall , is that which extends it selfe to the whole world and all things indifferently , euen to the deuills themselues . By this prouidence God continues and maintaines the order which he set in nature in the creation , and he preserues the life , substance , and the beeing of all and euery creature in his kinde . The e●peciall prouidence is that , which God sheweth & exerciseth towards his Church and ●hosen people , in gathering and guiding them , and in preseruing them by his mightie power against the gates of hell . And therfore Gods Church here vpon earth is called the kingdome of grace , in which he shewes not onely a generall power ouer his creatures , but withall the speciall operation of his spirit in bowing and bending the hearts of men to his will. Thus much concerning the doctrine of Gods prouidence . Now followes the duties . First , seeing there is a prouidence of God ouer euery thing that is , we are hereby taught to take good heede of the transgression of the least of Gods commandements . If men were perswaded that the Prince had an eye euery where , doubtlesse many subiects in England would walke more obediently to the lawes of the land then they doe : and durst in no wise worke such villanies as are daily practised . Well , howsoeuer it is with earthly princes , yet this all-seeing-presence is least wanting in God : he hath an eye euery where : wheresoeuer thou art , there God beholdeth thee , as Dauid saith , God looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men , to see if there were any that would vnderstand and seeke God. Therefore except thou be brutish and past shame take heede of sinne . If men had but a sparke of grace , the consideration of this would make them loath the practise of any euill worke . Eliah saith to Ahab , As the Lord God of Israel liueth before whome I stand , there shall be neither dewe nor raine these three yeares . Where the Prophet confirmeth his speach with an oath , saying , As the Lord of hosts liueth it shal be so . And least Ahab should think he made no conscience what he said , he addeth this clause , that he stood in the presence of God. As if he should say : howsoeuer thou thinkest of me , yet as it stands me in hand , so doe I make conscience of my word : for I stand in the presence of God , and therefore know it , as the Lord liueth there shall be no raine now dew these three yeares . So Cornelius hauing an eye to Gods prouidence , doth mooue himselfe , and all his houshold to a solemne hearing of the word of God deliuered by the mouth of Peter , saying , that they were all present before God , to heare all things commanded of him . As these men had regard to Gods prouidence , so we likewise must behaue our selues reuerently , making conscience of our behauiour both in words and works : because wheresoeuer we be , we are in the presence of God. Secondly , if there be a prouidence of God ouer euery thing , then we must learne contentation of mind in euery estate : yea , in aduersitie vnder the crosse when all goes against vs we must be content , because Gods prouidence hath so appointed . So Dauid in the greatest of his griefes was dumbe and spake nothing ; his reason was , because thou Lord didst it . And when Shemei cursed Dauid , Abisha would haue had the king to haue giuen him leaue to haue slaine him : but Dauid would not suffer it , but said , He curseth euen because the Lord hath bidden him curse Dauid ; who dare then say , wherefore hast thou done so ? In whose example we may see a patterne of quietnesse of minde . When a crosse commeth it is a hard thing to bee patient ; but we must drawe our selues thereunto by consideration of Gods especial prouidence . Thirdly , when outward meanes of preseruation in this life doe abound , as health , wealth , honour , riches , peace , and pleasure , then we must remember to be thankefull ; because these things alwaies come by the prouidence of God. Thus Iob was thankfull both in prosperitie and aduersitie : The Lord , saith he , gaue , and the Lord taketh away , blessed be the name of the Lord. Indeede to bee patient in euery estate and thankefull to God , is a very harde matter : yet will it be more easie , if we learne in all thinges that befall vs in this life , neuer to seuer the consideration of the things that come to passe from Gods prouidence . For as the bodie and the soule of man ( though we see only the bodie ) are alwaies togither , as long as a man liueth : so is Gods prouidence ioyned with the thing done : wherefore as we looke on the thing done , so we must also in it , labour to see and acknowledge the good pleasure & appointment of God. As for example : a mans house is set on fire , and all his goods consumed ; this very sight would make him at his wits end : but now as he beholds this euent with one eie , so with the other eie he must at that very instant looke vpon Gods blessed prouidence . When a man beholds and feels the losse of his friendes , he cannot but greiue thereat , vnlesse he be more senselesse then stocke or stone : yet that he may not be ouerwhelmed with griefe , he must euer with one eie looke at the pleasure of God herein . This practise wil be an especiall meanes to stay the rage of any headstrong affection ●r all our afflictions . In the world the maner of men is if health● wealth and ease abound to thinke all is well : but if cros●es come , as losse of friendes , & losse of goods , then men crie out , as beeing straught of their wittes : the reason is , because they looke onely at the outward meanes , and tie Gods prouidence to them ; not beeing able to see any goodnesse or prouidence of God out of ordinarie meanes . Againe , when a man is stored with riches , honour , wealth and prosperitie , he must not barely looke on them , but behold withal Gods goodnes , and blessing in them : for if that be wanting , all the riches in the world are nothing . Likewise in receiuing thy meate and drinke , thou must looke further into the blessing of God vpon it : which , if it be away , thy meate and thy drink can no more nourish thee then the stone in the wall . And the same must wee do in euery busi●es of our callings : which if men could learne to practise , they would not so much trust to the meanes , as honour , wealth , fauour , &c. but rather to God himselfe . The Lord by the prophet Habaccuc reprooueth the Chaldeans for offering sacrifi●es vnto their nets : which sinne they committed , because they looked onely vpon outward things : and like blind moles had no power to see further into them , and to behold the worke of God in all their proceedings . And this is the very cause why we are vnthankefull for Gods benefits : for though we beholde the bare creatures , yet are we so poreblinde that we cannot discerne any blessing and prouidence of God in them . Therefore let vs learne to looke vpon both ioyntly togither , and so shall wee bee thankfull vnto God in prosperitie , and patient in aduersitie with Iob and Dauid . This lesson Paul learned ; I can be abased ( saith he ) and I can abound euery where , in all things I am instructed , both to be full , and to be hungrie : and to abound , and to be in want . Fourthly , seeing Gods prouidence disposeth all things , wee are taught to gather obseruations of the same , in things both past , and present : that we may learne thereby to be armed against the time to come . Thus Dauid when hee was to encounter with Goliah , gathered hope and confidence to himselfe for the time to come , by the obseruation of Gods prouidence in the time past : for saith he , when I kept my fathers sheepe , I slue a lyon and a beare that deuoured the flocke : nowe the Lord that deliuered me out of the paw of the lyon , and out of the paw of the beare , he will deliuer me out of the hand of this Philistim . Fifthly , because Gods prouidence disposeth all things , when we make lawfull promises to doe any thing , we must put in , or at the least conceiue this condition [ if the Lord will ] for S. Iames saith , that we ought to say , If the Lord will , and if we liue , we will doe this or that . This also was Dauids practise : for to all the congregation of Israel he saide , If it seeme good to you , and if it proceede from the Lord our God , we will send to and fro . Sixtly , seeing Gods prouidence is manifested in ordinary means , it behooueth euery man in his calling to vse them carefully : & when ordinarie meanes be at hand , wee must not looke for any help without them , though the Lord be able to doe what he wil without meanes Ioab when many Aramites came against him , he heartened his souldiers though they were but fewe in number , bidding them be strong and valiant for their people , and for the citties of their god , and then let the Lord doe that which is good in his eies . And our Sauiour Christ auoucheth it to be flat tempting of God for him to leape downe from the pinacle of the temple to the ground , wheras there was an ordinarie way at hand to descend by staires . Hence it appeares , that such persons , as wil vse no means whereby they may come to repent and beleeue , doe indeede no more repent and beleeue , then they can be able to liue which neither eate , nor drinke . And thus much of the duties . Nowe followe the consolations : first this very point of Gods speciall prouidence is a great comfort to Gods Church : for the Lord moderateth the rage of the deuill and wicked men , that they shal not hurt the people of God. Dauid saith , The Lord is at my right hand , therefore I shall not slide . And when Iosephs brethren were afraid because they had solde him into Egypt , he comforteth them , saying , that it was God that sent him before them , for their preseruation . So king Dauid when his owne souldiers were purposed to stone him to death , he was in great sorrow ; but it is said , he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God. Where we may see , that a man which hath grace to beleeue in God , and rely on his prouidence in all his afflictions and extremities , shall haue wonderfull peace and consolation . Before we can proceede to the articles which followe , it is requisite that we should intreat of one of the greatest workes of Gods prouidence that can be ; because the opening of it giueth light to all that in●ueth . And this worke is a Preparation of such meanes whereby God will manifest his iustice & mercie . It hath two parts , the iust permission of the fall of mā , & the giuing of the Couenāt of grace . For so Paul teacheth whē he saith , That god shut vp all vnder vnbeleefe that he might haue mercie vpon all . And againe , The scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne , that the promise by the faith of Christ Iesus should be giuen to them that beleeue . Touching the first , that we might rightly conceiue of mans fall , we are to search out the nature and parts of sinne . Sinne is any thing whatsoeuer is against the will and word of God : as S. Iohn saith , Sinne is the transgression of the lawe . And this definition Paul confirmeth when he saith , that by the lawe comes the knoweledge of sinne , and , where no lawe is there is no transgression : and , sinne is not imputed where there is no lawe . In sinne we must consider three things : the fault , the guilt , the punishment . The fault is the anomie or the inobedience it selfe , and it comprehends not onely huge and notorious offences , as idolatrie , blasphemie , theft , treason , adulterie , and all other crim●s that the world cri●s shame on : but euery disordered thought , affection , inclination : yea , euery defect of that which the law requireth . The guilt of sinne is , whereby a man is guiltie before God , that is , bounde & made subiect to punishment . And here two questions must be skanned : where man is bound ? and by what ? For the first , Man is bound in conscience . And hereupon the conscience of euery sinner sitts within his heart as a little iudge to tell him that he is bound before God to punishment . For the second , it is the order of diuine iustice set downe by God which bindes the conscience of the sinner before god : for he is Creatour and Lord , and man is a creature , and therefore must either obey his will and commandement● or suffer punishment . Nowe then by vertue of Gods lawe , conscience bindes ouer the creature to beare a punishment for his offence done against God : yea it tells him , that he is in danger to be iudged and condemned for it . And therefore the conscience is as it were the Lordes Sergeant to informe the sinner of the bond and obligation whereby he alwaies stands bound before God. The third thing which followeth sinne is punishment , and that is death . So Paul saith , The stipend of sinne is death : where , by death wee must vnderstand a double death , both of bodie and soule . The death of the bodie is a separation of the bodie from the soule . The second death is a separation of the whole man , but especially of the soule from the glorious presence of God. I say not simplie from the presence of God , for God is euery where : but only from the ioyfull presence of Gods glorie . Now these two deaths are the stipends or allowance of sinne : and the least sinne which a man committeth , doth deserue these two punishments . For in euery sinne the infinite iustice of God is violated : for which cause there must needes be inflicted an infinite punishment , that there may be a proportion betweene the punishment and the offence . And therefore that distinction of sinne which Papists make , namely , that some are in themselues veniall , and some mortall is false , and hereby confuted : otherwise in respect of the diuers estate and condition of men , sinnes are either veniall or mortall . Veniall they are to the elect , whose sinnes are pardonable in Christ : but to the reprobate all sinnes are mortall . Neuertheles we holde not all sinnes equall , but that they are greater or lesse according to the diuersitie of obiects and other circumstances . Thus much of sin in generall : nowe we come to the parts of it . The first sin of all that euer was in man , is the sinne of Adam , which was his disobedience in eating the forbidden fruite . In handling whereof sundrie points are to bee opened , but let vs begin with the causes thereof . The outward efficient cause was the deuill . And though he bee not named by Moses in the historie of the fall , yet that is not to trouble vs : for wee must not conceiue otherwise of the serpent , then of the instrument and mouth of the deuill . For it is not likely that it beeing a bruite creature should be able to reason and determine of good and euill , of trueth and falshood . Nowe in this temptation the deuill shewes his malice and his fraud . His malice , in that , whereas he cannot ouerturne God himselfe , yet he labours to disturbe the order which he hath set downe in the creation , and especially the image of God in the most excellent creatures on earth , that they may be in the same miserable condition with himselfe . His fraud , first in that he begins his temptation with the woman being the weaker person , & not with the man , which course he still continues : as may appeare by this , that (a) more women are intangled with witchcraft and sorcerie then men . Secondly he shewes his fraude , in that he proceeds very slily and intangles Eve by certaine steppes and degrees . For first by moouing a question , he drawes her to listen vnto him , and to reason with him of Gods commandement . Secondly , he bringes her to looke vpon the tree , and wishly to viewe the beautie of the fruite . Thirdly , he makes her to doubt of the absolute truth of Gods word and promise , and to beleeue his cōtrarie lies . Fourthly , hauing blinded her minde with his false perswasions , shee desires and lustes after the forbidden fruit , and therevpon takes it , eates it and giues it to her husband . The inward cause , was the wil of our first parents , euen in the testimonie of their owne consciences , as Salomon saith , This haue I found that God made man righteous ; but they haue found many inuentions . But it may be obiected , that if Adam were created good , he could not be the cause of his owne fall , because a good tree cannot bring forth euill fruit . Answer . Freedome of wil is fourefold : I. freedome to euil alone : this is onely in wicked men and angels , and is indeed a bondage : the second is freedome to good alone , and that is in God and the good Angels by Gods grace : the third is freedome to good in part , ioyned with some want of libertie by reason of sinne : and this is in the regenerate in this life : the fourth is freedom either to good or to euill indifferently . And this was in Adam before his fall , who though he had no inclination to sinne , but onely to that which was acceptable to God : yet was he not bound by any necessitie , but had his libertie freely to choose or refuse either good or euil . And this is euident by the very tenour of Gods commandement in which he forbids Adam to eate the forbidden fruit : and thereby shewing that hee beeing created righteous and not prone to sinne , had power to keepe or not to keepe the commandement : though since the fall both hee and wee after him cannot but sinne . Wherefore Adam beeing allured by Satan , of his owne free accord changed himselfe and fell from God. Nowe then , as the good tree chaunged from good to euill brings forth euill fruite : so Adam by his owne inward and free motion changing from good to euil , brings forth euill . As for God , he is not to be reputed as an author or cause any way of this sinne . For he created Adam and Eue righteous , indued them with righteous wills : and he told them what he would exact at their hands , and what they could performe : yea he added threatnings , that with the feare of daunger he might terrifie them from sinne . Some may say , whereas God foresaw that Adam would abuse the libertie of his will , why would he not preuent it . Answ. There is a double grace , a the one to be able to will and doe that which is good , the other to be able to perseuere in willing and doing the same . Nowe God gaue the first to Adam , and not the second . And he is not to be blamed of vs , though he confirmed him not with new grace , for he is debter to no man to giue him so much as the least grace ; whereas he had alreadie giuen a plentifull measure thereof to him . And God did hold backe to conferre any further grace vpon iust grace . I. It was his pleasure that this fact should be an occasion or way to exercise his mercie in the sauing of the Elect , and his iustice in the deserued condemnation of impenitent sinners . And vnlesse Adam had fallen for himselfe and others , there should haue beene found no miserie in men , on whome God might take pitie in his Sonne , nor wickednesse which he might condemne ; and therefore neither manifestation of iustice , nor mercie . II. Againe , it was the will of God in part to forsake Adam , to make manifest the weaknes that is in the most excellent creatures , without the speciall and continuall assistance of God. III. There is a double libertie of will , one is to will good or euill : this belongs to the creature in this world , and therefore Adam receiued it . The other , is to will good alone . This he wanted , because it is reserued to the life to come . And though he knew no cause of this dealing of God , yet is it one steppe to the feare of God for vs to hold that good and righteous which he appointeth or willeth : and not to square the workes and iudgements of God by our crooked reason . And yet to come to reason it selfe . Who can here complaine of God ? Can the deuill ? but God did not cause him to tempt or deceiue our first parents . Can Adam and Eue ? but they fell freely without any motion or instigation from God , and their owne consciences accused them for it . Can the posteritie of Adam ? but the Elect receiue more in Christ then they lost in Adam : and the reprobate , ouerwhelmed with the burden of their owne sinnes , and thereupon receiuing nothing but due and deserued damnation can not finde fault . But some may further replie and say , he that foreseeth an euill and doth not preuent it , is a cause of it : but God did foresee the fall of man , and did not preuent it . Answ. The rule is generally true in man , that the foreseer of an euill not preuenting it , is in some sort a doer of it : for it is the sentence of the law of God , to which man was bound from the first creation . But God is aboue all his laws , and not bound to them : he is an absolute lord and law-giuer ; and therfore his actions are not within the compasse of morall lawes , as mens are . Whereupon it followes , that though he did foresee mans defection , yet is hee free from all blame in not preuenting of it . For with him there be good causes of permitting euill . And though God be no cause of mans fall , yet must we not imagine that it came to passe by chance or fortune , whereas the least things that are , come to passe with Gods prouidence . Neither was it by any bare permission without his decree and his will ; for that is to make an idle prouidence : neither did it happen against the will of God , he vtterly nilling it : for then it could not haue beene , vnlesse we denie God to be omnipotent . It remaines therefore that this fall did so proceede of the voluntarie motion of Adam , as that God did in part ordaine and will the permitting of it , not as it was a sinne against his commandement , but as it was further in the counsell of God a way to execute his iustice and mercie . Against this which I say , diuers things are obiected . First , that if Adam did that which God in any respect willed , then he did not sinne at all . Answ. He that willeth and doth that which God willeth , for all that sinnes ; vnlesse he will it in the same manner with God and for the same ende . Now in the permitting of this fact , God intended the manifesting of his glorie : but our first parents intending no such thing , sought not onely to be like but also to be equall with God. Secondly , it is alleadged that Adam could not but fall necessarily if God did decree it . Answ. Adams fall that came not to passe without Gods decree , and therefore in that respect was necessarie ; was neuerthelesse in respect of Adams freewill contingent and not necessarie : Gods decree not taking away the freedome of will but onely ordering it . Lastly , it is alleadged that Gods will is the cause of Adams will , and Adams wil the cause of his fall , and that therefore Gods will shall be the cause of the fall . Ans. It must be granted that Gods will is a moouing cause of the wills of euil men ; yet marke how : not as they are euill wills simply , but as they are wills : and therefore when God inclines the euill will of his creature to his good purpose , he is nothing at all intangled with defect or euill of his will. Touching the time of the fall , the receiued opinion in former ages hath beene that our first parents fell the same day in which they were created , and therefore Augustine writes that they stood but sixe houres . And though we cannot determine of the certen time , yet in all likelihood was it very short . For Moses presently after that he had set downe the creation of man , without the interposition of any thing else , comes immediatly to the fall . And considering the nature of the deuill is without ceasing to shew his malice , no doubt he tooke the first occasion that possibly might be had to bring man to the same damnation with himselfe . And our Sauiour Christ saith , that the deuill was a man-slayer from the beginning , namely from the beginning not of the creation of the world , or of time , but of man. And Eue saith , We shall eate of the fruit of the trees of the garden , it may be , insinuating that as yet shee had not eaten when the deuill tempted her . Touching the greatnes of mans fall , some haue made a small matter of it , because it was the eating of an apple or some such fruit But we must not measure the greatnesse or the smalnesse of a sinne by the obiect or matter whereabout it is occupied , but by the commandement of God , and by the disobedience or offence of his infinite maiestie . And that this fact of Adam and Eue was no small fault , but a notorious crime and Apostasie in which they withdraw themselues from vnder the power of God , nay reiect and denie him , will euidently appeare if we take a viewe of all the particular sinnes that be contained in it . The first is vnbeleefe , in that they doubted and distrusted of the truth of Gods word which he spake to them . The second is contempt of God , in that they beleeued the lies of the deuill rather then him . For whē God saith , In the day that ye shall eate thereof , ye shall die the death , it is as nothing with Eue : but when the deuill comes and saith , Ye shall not die at all , that shee takes hold on . The third , is pride and ambition . For they did eate the forbidden fruit that they might be as gods , namely as the Father , the Sonne , the holy Ghost . The fourth , is vnthankfulnesse . God had made them excellent creatures in his owne image ; that is nothing with them to be like vnto him , vnlesse they may be equall vnto him . The fifth is curiositie , whereby they affected greater wisdome then God had giuen them in creation , and a greater measure of knowledge then God had reuealed to them . The sixth is reprochfull blasphemie , in that they subscribe to the sayings of the deuill , in which he charged God with lying and enuie . The seuenth is murder . For by this meanes they bereaue themselues and their posteritie of the fellowship and graces of Gods spirit , and bring vpon their owne heads the eternall wrath of God. The eight is discontentation , in that they sought for an higher condition then that was , in which God had placed them . In a word , in this one single fact is comprised the breach of the whole law of God. And we should often thinke vpon this , that we may learne to wonder at the iust iudgements of God in punishing this fall , and his vnspeakable goodnesse in receiuing men to mercie after the same . And here we must not omit to remember the largenesse of Adams fall . Sinnes are either personall , or generall . Personall are such , as are peculiar to one or some fewe persons and make them alone guiltie . Generall , that is common to all men : and such is Adams fall . It is a sinne not onely of the person of one man , but of the whole nature of man. And Adam must be considered not as a priuate man , but as a roote or head bearing in it all mankind ; or as a publike person representing all his posteritie , and therefore when he sinned , all his posteritie sinned with him ; as in a Parliament whatsoeuer is done by the burgesse of the shiere , is done by euery person in the shiere . As Paul saith , By one man sinne entred into the world , and so death went ouer all for as much as all haue sinned . And here lies the difference betweene Adams fall and the sinnes of men , as Cains murder , which makes not the posteritie of Cain guiltie , because he was neuer appointed by God to be the roote of his posteritie , as Adam was : and therefore his sinne is personall , whereas Adams is not . Yet this which I say , must not be vnderstood of all the sinnes of Adam , but onely of the first . From the fall of Adam , springeth originall sinne , so commonly called not onely as a fruit thereof , but also as a iust punishment of it . And after the foresaid fall , it is in Adam and his posteritie , as the mother and roote of all other sinne : yet with this distinction , that actuall sinne was first in Adam , and then came originall , but in vs first is originall sinne , and then after followes actuall . Originall sinne is tearmed diuersly in Scriptures , as the flesh , the old man , because it is in vs before grace : concupiscence , sinne that is readie to compasse vs about , the sinning sinne : and it is tearmed originall , because it hath beene in mans nature euer since the fall , and because it is in euery man at the very instant of his conception and birth , as Dauid plainely saith , Behold , I was borne in iniquitie , and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me : not meaning properly his parents sinne ( for he was borne in lawfull marriage ) but his owne hereditarie sinne , whereof he was guiltie euen in his mothers wombe . But let vs a little search the nature of it . Considering it hath place in man , it must be either the substance of bodie or soule or the faculties of the substance , or the corruption of the faculties . Now it cannot be the substance of man corrupted : for then our Sauiour Christ in taking our nature vpon him , should also take vpon him our sinnes , and by that meanes should as well haue neede of a redeemer as other men : and againe the soules of men should not be immortall . Neither is it any one or all the faculties of man. For euery one of them as namely the vnderstanding , will , affections , and all other powers of bodie or soule were in man from the first creation , whereas sinne was not before the fall . Wherefore it remaines that originall sinne is nothing else but a disorder or euill disposition in all the faculties and inclinations of man , whereby they are all caried inordinately against the law of God. The subiect or place of this sinne , is not any part of man , but the whole bodie and soule . For first of all , the naturall appetite to meate and drinke , and the power of nourishing is greatly corrupted as appeares by diseases , aches , surfets , but specially by the abuse of meate and drinke . Secondly , the outward senses are as corrupt , and that made Dauid to pray that God would turne his eyes from beholding of vanitie : and Saint Iohn to say , whatsoeuer is in the world is the lust of the flesh , the lust of the eye , and the pride of life . Thirdly , touching the vnderstanding , the spirit of God saith , that the frame of the heart of man is onely euill continually : so as we are not able of our selues to thinke a good thought . And therefore withall , the will of man and his affections are answerably corrupt ; and hereupon the doctrine of Christ is , that we must renounce our own wills . Lastly , all mans strength in good things is nothing out of Christ. The propagation of this sinne , is the deriuing of it from Adam to all his posteritie , whereby it runneth as a leprosie ouer all mankind . But in what maner this propagation is made , it is hard to define . The common opinion of Diuines is , that it may be done two waies . The first is this . God when he created Adam in the beginning , set downe this appointment and order touching the estate of man , that whatsoeuer Adam receiued of God , he should re●●iue it not onely for himselfe , but for his posteritie , and whatsoeuer grace of God he lost , he should loose not onely to himselfe , but to all his posteritie . And hereupon Adam when he sinned , he depriued first of all himself , and then secondly all his posteritie of the image of God ; because all mankind was in ●is loines when he sinned Now then vpon the former appointment , when the soules of men are created and placed in the bodie , God forsakes them , not in respect of the substance of the soule or the faculties , but onely in respect of his owne image wherof the soules are depriued ; after which followes the defect or want of righteousnesse , which is originall sinne . And God in depriuing man of that which Adā lost , is not therefore to be thought to be the author or maintainer of sinne , but a iust iudge . For this depriuation of the image of God , so farforth as it is inflicted by him vpon mankind , it must be conceiued as a deserued punishment for the sinne of Adam and all men in him , which punishment they pulled vpon themselues . The second way is , that the corruption of nature is deriued from the parents in generation by the bodie ; for as sweete oyle powred into a fustie ves●ell , looseth his purenesse and is infected by the vessell : so the soule created good , & put into the corrupt bodie , receiues cōtagion thēce . And this coniunction of the pure soule with the corrupt bodie , is not against the goodnes of God ; because it is a iust punishment of the sin of all men in Adā . It may be this which hath bin said wil not satisfie the minds of all : yet if any will be curious to search further into this point , let them know that there is an other matter which more concernes them to looke vnto . When a mans house is on fire , there is no time then to inquire how and which way and whence the fire came , but our dutie is with all speed and expedition to vse all good means to stay it . And so considering that our whole natures are really infected and poisoned with the loathsome contagion of originall sinne , which is a weight sufficient to presse downe the soule to the gulfe of hell , it standes vs in hand a thousand fold more to vse the meanes whereby it may be taken away , then to dispute how it came . Some may alleadge against the propagation of sinne , that holy parents beget holy children , which are void of originall sinne , because it stands not with reason , that parents should conuey that to their children which they thēselues want , namely the guilt and the punishment and the fault of sinne in part . Answ. I. Men are not in this life perfectly holy . For sanctification is but in part , and therefore they can not possibly beget children pure from all sinne . Secondly , parents beget children as they are men , and not as they are holy men ; and by generation they deriue vnto their children nature with the corruption thereof , and not grace which is aboue nature . Take any corne , yea the finest wheate that euer was , winow it as cleane as possibly may be : afterward sow it , weede it also when it is sowen , and reape it in due time , and carie it to the barne ; when it is thresht , you shall finde as much chaffe in it as euer was before : and why ? because God hath set this order in the creation that it shall spring and grow so oft as it is sowed with the stalke , eare , blade , and all : so likewise though the parents be neuer so holy , the children as they come of them are conceiued and borne wholly corrupt , because God tooke this order in the creation , that whatsoeuer euill Adam procured , he should bring it not onely on himselfe , but vpon all his posteritie : by vertue of which decree , the propagation of sinne is continued without any interruption , though parents themselues be borne anew by the spirit of God. And here we must not omit to speake of the quantitie or greatnesse of originall sinne , for the opening wherof we must consider three points . The first , that originall sinne is not diuers , but one and the same in kind in euery man , as the generall and common nature of man is one and the same in all men . The second , that this sinne is not in some men more , in some men lesse , but in euery man equally , as all men doe equally from Adam participate the nature of mā , and are equally the children of wrath . Some , it may be , will say , that this can not be true , because some men are of better natures then others are : some of disposition cruell and seuere , some againe gentle and milde : some very licentious and disordered , some very ciuill . Answ. The differences that be in men wanting the feare of God , arise not of this that they haue more or lesse originall corruption , but of the restraint and limitation of mans corruption . For in some God bridleth sinne more then in others , & in them is found ciuilitie : & againe in some lesse , and in such the rebellion of nature breakes forth vnto all misdemeanour . And indeede if God should not keepe the vntoward dispositions of men within compasse , otherwhiles more , otherwhiles lesse , as it shall seeme good vnto his Maiestie ; impietie , crueltie , iniustice , and all manner of sinnes would breake out into such a measure that there should be no quiet liuing for men in the world , and no place for Gods Church . And thus it is manifest that although all men be not equall in the practise of wickednesse , yet that is no hindrance but they may be equal in the corruption of nature it selfe . The third point is , that Originall sinne is so huge and large euery way , that it may truly be tearmed the root or seede not of some few sinnes , but of all sinns whatsoeuer , euen of the very sinne against the holy Ghost . We must not imagine it to be an inclination or pronenes to one or two faults , but a pronenes to all and euery sinne that is practised in the world ; and that in all persons young and old , high and low , male and female . It is a most horrible villanie for a man to kill his father , or his mother , or his child : yet some there be that doe so : at the hearing whereof we vse to wonder , and to testifie our dislike by saying , that the doers thereof were wicked and deuilish persons , and it is truly said . Neuertheles we must vnderstand , that although we abstaine from such h●inou● practises , yet the very roote of such sinnes , that is , a disposition vnto them , is fo●●d in vs also . Iulian the Apostata both liuing and dying blasphemed Christ●●●rod and Pontius Pilate and the wicked Iewes crucified him , and Iudas 〈◊〉 ed him . Men vse to say that if Christ were now aliue , they would not do● so for all the world . But let vs better consider of the matter . The same na●●●●● corruption of heart that was in them , is also in vs , we being the children of Adam as well as they : and by the force of this corruption , if Christ were now liuing on earth , thou wouldest , if like occasion were offered , either doe as Iudas did in betraying him , or as Pilate did , deliuer him to be crucified , or as the soldiers , thrust him through with their speares , or as Iulian , pierce him with all manner of blasphemies , if God withheld his graces from thee , and leaue thee to thy selfe . In a word , let men conceiue in minde the most notorious trespasse that can be , though they doe it not , nor intend to doe it , and neuer doe it : yet the matter , beginning , and seede thereof is in themselues . This made Ieremie say , The heart of man is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things , who can know it ? It is like a huge sea , the bankes whereof can not be seene , nor the bottome searched . In common experience we see it come to passe , that men , protestants to day , to morrow papists ; of Christians , heretikes ; now friends , but presently after foes ; this day honest and ciuill men , the next day cruell murderers . Now what is the cause of this difference ; surely the hidden corruption of the heart , that will thrust a man forward to any sinne when occasion is offered . This point must be remembred and ●ften thought vpon . From originall sinne springeth actuall , which is nothing ●ls but the fruit of the corrupt heart , either in thought , word , or deede . Thus much touching mans fall into sinne by Gods iust permission . Now followes the good vse which we must make thereof . First by this we learne to acknowledge and bewaile our owne frailtie . For Adam in his innocencie beeing created perfectly righteous , when he was once tempted by the deuill , fell away from God : what shall we doe then in the like case which are by nature sold vnder sinne , and in our selues a thousand times weaker then Adam was ? Many men there be that mingle themselues with all companies : tell them of the daunger thereof , they will presently replie that they haue such a strong faith that no bad companie can hurt them . But alas , silly people , Satan bewitcheth them , and makes them to beleeue falshoode to be truth : they know not their miserable estate . If Adam , saith Barnard , had a downfal in Paradise , what shall we doe that are cast forth to the dunghill ? Let vs therefore often come to a serious consideration of our owne weaknesse , and follow withall the practise of Dauid , who beeing priuie to himselfe touching his owne corruption , praieth to God on this manner , Knit my heart to thee , O Lord , that I may feare thy name . Secondly , we learne hereby absolutely to submit our selues to the authoritie of God , and simply to resolue our selues , that whatsoeuer he commands is right and iust , though the reason of it be not knowne to vs. For Eue condiscended to listen to the speech of the serpent , and without any calling shee reasoned with it of a most weightie matter , and that in the absence of Adam her head and husband , namely of the truth and glorie of God : and hereby was brought to doubt of Gods word , and so ouerturned . Thirdly , if all men by Adams fall be shut vp vnder damnation , there is no cause why any of vs should stand vpon his birth , riches , wisdome , learning , or any other such gifts of God : there is nothing in vs that is more able to couer our vilenesse and nakednesse , then figtree leaues were able to couer the offence of Adam from Gods eyes . We are vnder the wrath of God by nature , and can not attaine to euerlasting life of our selues . Wherefore it doth stand euery one of vs in hand to abase our selues vnder the mightie hand of God , in that we are become by our sinnes the very basest of all the creatures vpon earth , yea vtterly to dispaire in respect of our selues , and with bleeding hearts to bewaile our owne cases . There is no daunger in this : it is the very way to grace : none can be a liuely member of Christ till his conscience condemne him , and make him quite out of heart in respect of himselfe . And the want of this is the cause why so fewe perceiue any sweetnesse or comfort in the Gospell : and why it is so little loued and embraced now a daies . Lastly , if all mankind be shut vp vnder vnbeleefe , the dutie of euery man is , to labour in vsing all good meanes whereby we may be deliuered from this bondage , and to pray to God with Dauid , Create in me a ●l●an heart , O God , and renew a right spirit within me . And crie out with Paul , O wretched man that I am , who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death ? And we must neuer be at rest till we haue some assurance in conscience that in Christ we haue freedome from this bondage , and can with the Colossians giue thanks that we are deliuered from the power of darknesse , and translated into the kingdome of Christ. This should be the affection of euery man , because the spirituall thraldom vnder sinne is of all miseries most loathsome and burdensome . And in this respect the day of death should be vnto vs most welcome , because it doth vnloose vs from this miserable estate , in which we doe almost nothing but displease God. For this is the greatest griefe that can be to such as are indeed the children of God , by their sinnes to offende their mercifull father . As for those which feele not the weight of their natural guiltinesse and corruption , but lie slumbring in the securitie of their owne hearts , they are therefore the more miserable , in that beeing plunged in the gulfe of all miserie , yet they feele no miserie . Thus much of the permission of the fal of man. Now we come to the Couenant of grace . Which is nothing els but a compact made betweene God & man touching reconciliation and life euerlasting by Christ. This couenant was first of all reuealed and deliuered to our first parents in the garden of Eden , immediately after their fall by God himselfe , in these wordes , The seede of the woman shall bruise the serpents head , and afterward it was continued and renued with a part of Adams posteritie , as with Abraham , Isaac , Iacob , Dauid , &c. but it was most fully reuealed & accomplished at the comming of Christ. In the Couenant I will consider two things ; the parties reconciled between whome the Couenant is made , and the foundation thereof . The parties are God and man. God is the principal , and he promiseth righteousnesse and life eternall in Christ : Man againe bindes himselfe by Gods grace to beleeue and to rest vpon the promise . Here it may be demanded why man is more in the couenant then angels . Ans. The will of God in this point , is not reuealed vnlesse it be because angels fell of themselues , not mooued by any other : but man did fall by them . Againe it may be asked , whether all mankind were euer in the couenant or no ? Ans. We can not say that all and euery man hath bin and nowe is in the couenant , but onely that little part of mankinde which in all ages hath bin the Church of God , and hath by faith embraced the couenant : as Paul plainly auoucheth , The scripture ( saith he ) hath concluded all vnder sin : that the promise of the saith of Iesus Christ should be giuē [ not vnto all men ] but to thē that beleeue . Without faith no man can please God ; and therefore God makes no couenant of reconciliation without faith . Againe since the beginning of the world there hath bin alwaies a distinction betweene man and man. This appeares in the very tenour of the words of the couenant made with our first parents , where God saith he will put difference betweene the seede of the woman and the seede of the serpent : meaning by the seede of the woman , Christ with all the elect whome the father hath giuen vnto him , who shall bruise the serpents head , and tread Satan vnder their feete . And by the seede of the serpent he meaneth wicked men that liue & die in their sinnes , as S. Iohn saith , he that committeth sinne is of the deuil . And according to this distinction in times following was Abel receiued into the couenant , and Cain reiected : some were the sonnes of God in the daies of Noe , some the sonnes of men : In Abrahams family , Ismael is cast out , and the couenant established in Isaac : Iacob is loued , Esau is hated . And this distinction in the families of Abraham , Isaac , and Iacob , Paul approoueth when he maketh some to be the children of the flesh , and some other the children of the promise . And againe , the Iewes a people of God in the couenant , the Gentiles no people . For Paul makes it a priuiledge of the Iewes to haue the adoption , and couenants , and the seruice of God , and the promises belonging vnto them : whereas he saith of the Ephesians that they were alients from the common wealth of Israel , and were straungers from the couenants of promise , and had no hope , and were without Christ and without God in the world . And the same may be said of the whole bodie of the Gentiles excepting here and there a man , who were conuerted and became Proselytes . And this is manifest in that they wanted the word and the Sacraments , & teachers . And this saying of the prophet Ose , I will call them my people which were not my people : and her belooued which was not beloued , is alleadged by Paul to prooue the calling of the Gentiles . Some doe alleadge to the contrarie , that when the couenant was made with our first parents , it was also in them made with al mankind , not one man excepted : & that the distinction and difference betweene man and man ariseth of their vnbeleefe and contempt of the couenant afterward . Ans. Indeed in the estate of Innocency Adam by creation receiued grace for himselfe and his posteritie : and in his fall he transgressed not onely for himselfe but for all his posteritie : but in receiuing of the couenant of grace it cannot be prooued that he receiued it for himselfe and for all mankind : nay the distinction betweene the seede of the woman and the seede of the serpent , mentioned in the very first giuing of the couenant , shewes the contrarie : for , if after the fall , all and euery part of mankinde were receiued into the couenant : then all men without restraint should be the seed of the woman , bruising the serpents head , and the serpent should haue no seede at all . And againe , all men can not be charged with vnbeleefe and contempt in respect of the Euangelicall couenant , but onely such persons as haue knowne it , or at the least heard of it . And therefore sundrie heads of the nations may be charged with vnbeleefe , as Cain , Cham , Iaphet , Ammon , Moab , Ismael , Esau , Madian , for they beeing neere to the fathers heard the promises concerning Christ , offered sacrifices , and obserued externall rites of the Church , but afterward fell away from the sincere worship of the true God to idolatrie and all manner of wickednesse , and became enemies of God and his people . But we plainely denie , that there was or could be the like vnbeleefe and contempt of Gods grace in their posteritie , which for the most part neuer so much as heard of any couenant : their ancetours indeauouring alwaies to burie and extinguish the memorie of that which they hated . It is obiected againe , that the couenant was made with Abraham and with all mankind after him , Because , saith the Lord , thou hast obeyed my voice , in thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed . Ans. Paul giues a double answer , first that the place must be vnderstood of many nations : secondly that it must bee vnderstood not of all nations in all ages , but of all nations of the last age of the world . For , saith he , the scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles through faith , preached before the gospell vnto Abraham , saying , in the shall all thee nations be blessed . Well , to conclude this point , in the making of the couenant there must be a mutual consent of the parties on both sides , and beside the promise on Gods part , there m●st be also a restipulation on mans part ; otherwise the couenant is not made . No●e then , it must needes followe that all vnbeleeuers contemning grace offered in Christ are out of the couenāt ; as also such as neuer heard of it , for where there is no knowledge , there is no consent : and before the comming of C●●ist● the greatest part of the world neuer knewe the Messias , nor heard of the couenant , as Paul saith to the learned Athenians , the time of this ignorance God regarded not ; but nowe he admonisheth all men euery where to repent . The foundation and ground worke of the couenant is Christ Iesus the Mediatour , in whome all the promises of God are yea and amen , and therefore he is called the angel of the conenant , and the couenant of the people to bee made with all nations in the last age . Now then that we may proceede at large to open the substance of the couenāt , we are in the next place to come to that part of the creede which concernes the second person in Trinitie , set downe in these wordes , And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne , &c. from which wordes to the very ende of the Creede , such points onely are laid downe as doe notably vnfolde the benefits and the matter of the couenant . Nowe the second person is described to vs by three things ; first , his titles ; secondly , his incarnation ; thirdly , his twofold estate . His titles are in number foure . I. Iesus . II. Christ. III. his onely sonne . IIII. our Lord. His incarnation and his twofolde estate are set downe afterward . To come to his titles , the first is Iesus , to which if we adde the clause , I beleeue , on this manner , I beleeue in Iesus &c. the article which wee nowe haue in hand will appeare to be most excellent ; because it hath most notable promises annexed to it . When Peter confessed Christ to be the sonne of the liuing God , he answered , vpon this rocke will I build my church , and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it . And againe , He that confesseth that Christ is the sonne of God , God dwelleth in him , and he in God. And againe , To him giue all the prophets witnesse that through his name all that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes . Paul saith , Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and all thy houshold . Thus then the confession in which we acknowledge that we beleeue in Iesus Christ , hath a promise of fellowship with God and of life euerlasting . But it may be obiected , that euery spirit ( as S. Iohn saith ) which confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. Nowe the deuil and all his angels and vnbeleeuers doe thus much : therefore why may not they also haue the benefit of this confession . Ans. By spirit in that place is neither meant angels nor mē , nor any creature , but the doctrine which teacheth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh ; & it is of God because it is holy and diuine and hath God to be the author of it . As for the deuill and his angels they can indeede confesse that Christ the sonne of God was made man , and a wicked man may teach the same ; but vnto the confession whereunto is annexed a promise of eternall life , is required true faith , whereby wee doe not onely knowe and acknowledge this or that to be true in Christ , but also rest vpon him : which neither Satan nor wicked men can doe . And therefore by this confession the Church of God is distinguished from all other companies of men in the worlde which beleeueth not ; as Panyms , hereticks , Atheists , turks , Iewes , & al other infidels . This name Iesus , was giuen to the sonne of God by the father , and brought from heauen by an angel vnto Ioseph and Marie : and on the day when hee was to be circumcised , as the manner was , this name was giuen vnto him by his parent●● as they were commanded from the Lord by the Angel Gabriel . And therefore the name was not giuen by chance , or by the alone will of the parents , but by the most wise appointment of God himselfe . The name in Hebrew is Iehosoua , and it is changed by the Grecians into Iesus which signifieth a Sauiour . And it may be called the proper name of Christ , signifying his office and both his natures , because he is both a perfect and absolute Sauiour , as also the alone Sauiour of man , because the worke of saluation is wholly and onely wrought by him , and no part thereof is reserued to any creature in heauen or in earth . As Peter saith , For among men there is no other name giuen vnder heauen whereby we may be saued but by the name of Iesus , And the author to the Hebrues saith , That he is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him , seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them . If any shall obiect , that the promises of saluation are made to them which keepe the commandements : the answer is , that the lawe of God doth exact most absolute and perfect obedience , which can be found in no man but in Christ , who neuer sinned and therefore it is not giuen vnto vs nowe that we might by our selues fulfil it , and worke out our owne saluation , but that beeing condemned by it , wee might wholly depende on Christ for eternall life . If any further alleadge , that such as walke according to the commandements of God , though their obedience be imperfect , yet they haue the promises of this life and of the life to come . The answer is , that they haue so indeede , yet not for their works , but according to their works which are the fruites of their faith , wherby they are ioyned to Christ , for whose merits onely they stand righteous and are acceptable before God. And whereas it is said by Peter , that baptisme saueth vs , his meaning is not to signifie that there is any vertue in the water to wash away our sinnes and to sanctifie vs , but that it serues visibly to represent and confirme vnto vs the inward washing of our soules by the blood of Christ. It may further be said , that others haue beene Sauiours beside Christ as Iosuah the sonne of Nun , who for that cause is called by the same name with Christ. Ans. Iosua after the death of Moses was appointed by God to be a guide to the children of Israel , which might defend them from their enemies and bring them to the land of Canaan : but this deliuerance was onely temporal , and that onely of one people . Nowe the Sonne of God is called Iesus , not because hee deliuereth the people of the Iewes onely , or because he saueth the bodies of men onely , but because he saueth both body and soule , not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles , from hell , death , and damnation . And whereas Prophets and ministers of the word are called Sauiours ; it is because they are the instruments of God to publish the doctrine of saluation which is powerfull in mens hearts , not by any vertue of theirs , but onely by the operation of the spirit of Christ. Lastly , it may bee obiected that the father and the holy Ghost are Sauiours , and therefore not onely the sonne . Ans. True it is , that in the worke of saluation all the three persons must bee ioyned together , and in no wise to bee seuered : the Father saueth , the Sonne saueth , the holy Ghost saueth : yet must we distinguish them in the manner of sauing : the father saueth by the Sonne ; the Sonne saueth by paying the ransome and price of our saluation ; the holy Ghost saueth by a particular applying of the ransome vnto men . Nowe therefore whereas the sonne paies the price of our redemption and not the Father or the Holy Ghost , therefore in this speciall respect he is called in Scriptures and intituled by the name of Iesus , and none but he . By this which hath beene saide , the Papists are faultie two waies . First , that they giue too much to the name of Iesus : for they write in plaine tearmes , that the bare name it selfe beeing vsed hath great power and doth driue away deuils , though the parties that vse it be void of good affection : whereas indeed it hath no more vertue then other titles of God or Christ. Secondly , they are faultie that they giue too little to the thing signified . For Christ must either be our alone and whole Sauiour or no Sauiour . Now they make him but halfe a Sauiour , and they ioyne others with him as partners in the worke of saluation , when they teach , that with Christs merits must be ioyned our workes of grace in the matter of iustification , and with Christs satisfaction for the wrath of God , our satisfaction for the temporall punishment ; and when they adde to Christs intercession the intercession and patronage of Saints , especially of the Virgin Marie , whome they call the Queene of heauen , the mother of mercie , withall requesting her , that by the authoritie of a mother she would commaund her sonne . If this doctrine of theirs may stand , Christ can not be the onely Sauiour of mankinde , but euery man in part shall be Iesus to himselfe . But let vs goe on yet further to search the special reason of the name , which is notably set downe by the Angel. Thou shalt ( saith he ) call his name Iesus , for he shall saue his people from their sinnes . In which words we may consider three points , I. Whome the Sonne of God shall saue . II. By what ? III. From what ? For the first , he shall saue his people , that is , the elect of the Iewes and Gentiles : and therefore he is called the Sauiour of his bodie . We must not here imagine that Christ is a Sauiour of all and euery man. For if that were true , then Christ should make satisfaction to Gods iustice for all and euery mans sinnes : and Gods iustice beeing fully satisfied he could not in iustice condemne any man : nay , all men should be blessed because satisfaction for sinne and the pardon of sinne depende one vpon an other inseparably . Againe , if Christ be an effectuall Sauiour of all and euery particular man , why is any man condemned ? It will be saide , because they will not beleeue ; belike then mans will must ouerrule Gods will , whereas the common rule of diuines is , that the first cause ordereth the second . The meanes of saluation by Christ are two : his merit , and his efficacie . His merit , in that by his obedience to the law and by his passion , he made a satisfaction for our sinnes , freed vs from death , and reconciled vs vnto God. Some may obiect , that the obedience and the passion of Christ beeing long agoe ended , can not be able to saue vs now : because that which he did 1500. yeares agoe may seeme to be vanished and come to nothing at this day . Ans. If Christs obedience be considered as an action , and his passion as a bare suffering , they are both ended long agoe : yet the value and price of thē before God is euerlasting : as in Adams fall the action of eating the forbidden fruit is ended , but the guilt of his transgression goes ouer all mankind , and continues still euen to this houre , and shall doe to the end of the world in those which shall be borne hereafter . The efficacie of Christ is , in that he giues his spirit to mortifie the corruption of our natures , that we may die vnto sinne and liue to righteousnesse , and haue true comfort in terrours of conscience and in the pangs of death . The euils from which we are saued are our owne sinnes , in that Christ freeth vs from the guilt and the punishment and fault of them all , when wee beleeue . Thus much for the meaning of this title Iesus . Nowe follow the vses which arise of it . First of all , whereas we are taught to make confession that the sonn● of God is Iesus , that is , a Sauiour ; hence it must needes followe that wee are lost in our selues . And indeed before we can truly acknowledge that Christ is our Sauiour , this confession must needes goe before , that we are in truth , and therewithall doe feele our selues to bee miserable sinners vnder the wrath of God , vtterly lost in regard of our selues : for Christ came to saue that which was lost . And when he talked with the woman of Cannan , he checked her & said , he was not sent , but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel . Christ Iesus came to poure oile into our woundes : Christ came to set them at libertie which are in prison : and to place them in freedome that are in bondage . Now a man cannot poure oile into a wound , before there be a wound , or before it be opened and we feele the smart of it . And how can wee be set at libertie by Christ , except we feele our selues to be in bondage , vnder hell , death , and damnation ? When the Disciples of Christ were vpon the sea in a great tempest , they cried , Master , saue vs , we perish . So no man can hartily say , I beleeue Iesus Christ to be my Sauiour , before he feele , that in himselfe he is vtterly lost and cast away without his helpe . But after that we perceiue our selues to be in danger and to be ouerwhelmed in the sea of the wrath of God , then we crie out with the disciples , Lord Iesus saue vs , we perish . Many protestants in these daies hold Christ to be their Sauiour , but it is onely formably from the teeth outward , and no further : for they were neuer touched with the sense of their spirituall miserie that they might say with Daniel , Shame and confusion belongeth vnto vs : and with the Publicane , I am a sinner , Lord be mercifull to me . And therefore the conclusion is this , that if we will haue Christ to be our Sauiour , we must first beleeue that in our selues we are vtterly lost ; and so must that place be vnderstood where Christ saith , he is not sent , but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel , that is , to those which in their owne sense and feeling are lost in themselues . Secondly , if Christ be a Sauiour , then we must acknowledge him to bee so . But howe shall we doe this ? I answer , Thus : A man is taken to be a skilful Phisition by this , that many patients come vnto him , and seeke for helpe at his hands . And so should it be with Christ. But alas , the case is otherwise . Euery man can talke of Christ , but fewe acknowledge him to be a Sauiour , by seeking to him for their saluation , because they iudge themselues righteous , and feele not themselues to stand in need of the helpe of Christ. Nay which is more , If a man be knowne that can cure straunge diseases , men will seeke to him by sea and land , and sell both goods and landes to get helpe at his hands . Euen so , if men were perswaded that Christ were a perfect Sauiour , and that they were sicke and vtterly vnable to be saued without him , they would neuer rest nor be in quiet but seeke vnto him for his help , and crie with Dauid , O Lord , say vnto my soule that thou art my saluation . The womā that was diseased with an issue of blood , came behinde our Sauiour Christ , and when shee had but touched him , shee was healed . In the same maner , if we shal seeke to come to Christ , and doe but touch his pretious bodie and bloode by the hand of faith , the issues & the bleeding wounds of our soules shall be dried vp . When a man that had beene sicke eight and thirtie yeres was come to the poole of Bethesda , he was faine to lie there vncured ; because when the angel troubled the water euermore some stept before him : but if we will seeke to Christ for the saluation of our soules , no man shall preuent vs or steppe before vs. And if we finde our selues to be so laden with the burden of our sinnes that we can not drawe neere vnto him , let vs then doe as the palsie man did : he got foure men to carrie him on their shoulders to the place where Christ was : and when they could not by reason of the prease of people enter into the house , they opened the roofe and let him downe in his bed by cordes to Christ , that hee might be healed . And so let vs vse the helpe of such as be godly , that by their instructions and consolations they may as it were put to their shoulders , and by their praiers as with cordes bring vs to Christ , that we may receiue eternall saluation , beeing otherwise dead in sinne and subiect to damnation . Lastly , whereas Ioseph and Marie gaue this name not at their owne pleasure , but at the appointment of God himselfe ; this ministers a good instruction to all parents touching the naming of their children when they are baptised , that they are with care and deliberation to giue conuenient names vnto them , which may put them in minde of duties either to God or men . This is worthie of our obseruation , for many care not howe they name their children , yea it is at this day and euer hath beene , that some giue such names to them , as that at the very rehearsing thereof laughter ensueth . But this ought not to be so ; for the name is giuen vnto children at the time of their baptisme in the presence of God , of his Church , and angels , euen then when they are to be entred into the Church of God and that in the name of the Father , the Sonne , and the holy ghost : therefore though we doe not place religion in titles , or names , yet neuerthelesse a wise & godly choice in this matter is to be had , that the names imposed may be in steade of instructions and admonitions to the parties named : and for this cause in the olde Testament names were giuen either by propheticall instinct , or according to the euent of things which came to passe about the time of the birth of children , or they were borrowed from the holy ancetours , to put the posteritie in mind to follow their steps . And thus much of the duties : Now followe the consolations that Gods Church & people r●ape from this , that the sonne of god is our Sauiour . Whē as all mankind was included vnder sin and condemnation , then the Lord had mercy vpon vs and gaue vnto man the couenant of grace in which he promised that his owne sonne should be our redeemer . This is a great and vnspeakable comfort , as may appeare in that the angels so greatly reioiced herein whē Christ was born , Behold , say they , I bring you tidings of great ioy that shall be to all the people , that is , that vnto you is borne in the citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the lord . Now if they reioice thus exceedingly at Christs birth , who was not their Sauiour , because they stood not in need to be redeemed : then much more ought the Church of God to reioyce herein whome it doth principally concerne : and no maruel : for if we had wanted this blessed Sauiour , it had bin better to haue bin a bruit beast or any other cre●ture then a man ; for the death of a beast is the ende of his woe , but the death of a man without a Sauiour is the beginning of endlesse miserie . Satan and his angels are fallen and haue no Sauiour , but when man was fallen , God of his mercie dealt not so with him , but gaue his owne sonne to restore him to a better estate , whereas he might as iustly haue damned all men for the fall of our first parents , as he did the wicked angels for theirs ; for God is not bound to any creature : behold then a matter of vnspeakeable ioy : let vs therefore receiue and embrace Christ our Sauiour , flie to him for the pardon of all sinnes , and praise his name therefore . Now we come to the second title of the sonne of God , whereby he is tearmed Christ : which title is as it were the surname of the second person as some doe thinke : yet according to the opinion of some others it is no name at all , but onely a meere appellation , as when in the like case a particular man is called a Duke or a King. It is all one with Messiah in Hebrewe wherewith the redeemer was named in the old Testament , and both signifie annointed . Among the Iewes before the comming of Christ three estates or orders of men were annointed with oile : First of all Kings , as Saul , Dauid , and the rest of the Kings of Iuda . Secondly , the priests that serued in the Tabernacle and Temple before the Lord when they were ordained , and as it were , installed into the priesthood , were annointed with oyle , as first of all Aaron and his sonnes , but afterward the high priests alone . Thirdly Prophets were thus annointed , as Elisha . Nowe this legall annointing was a type and figure of the annointing of Christ : which was not with bodily oile , but by the spirit , and it was more excellent then all other annointings were . For Dauid saith , he was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue all his fellowes , signifying , that neither king , priest , nor prophet , was euer annointed in the same manner as he was . Christs annointing is according to both his natures ; for in what nature ●e is a Mediatour , in the same he is annointed : but according to both his natures ioyntly he is a Mediatour : the godhead is no mediatour without the manhood , nor the manhood without the godhead : and therefore his annointing extends it selfe both to his godhead and to his manhood . Christs annointing hath two parts , both of them figured by the annointing of the Iewes . The first is his consecration whereby he was set apart to do the office of a Mediatour betweene God and man : and therfore to be a king , a priest , a prophet : a king , to gather and withall to gouerne his Church and people : a priest , to make satisfaction and intercession for the sinnes of the elect : a prophet , to reueale and teach his people the will of God his father . And though it be true that Christ is set apart to the work of mediation as he is mediatour or as he is man : yet as he is God he doth designe and set himselfe apart to the same worke . For to designe the mediatour is a common action of the three persons , the father , the sonne● and the holy ghost : and yet considering the father is first in order , and th●refore hath the beginning of the action ; for this cause he is said especially to designe , as when S. Iohn saith ; Him hath God the father sealed . The second part of Christs annointing is the powring out of the fulnesse of the spirit or grace into the manhood of Christ : and it was particularly figured by the holy oile . For first , that oile had no man but God alone to bee the author of it : so the most excellent and vnspeakeable graces of the manhood of Christ haue their beginning from the godhead of Christ. Againe , though the same oile was most precious , yet was it compounded of earthly substances , as myrrhe , calamus , and Casia , and such like , to signifie , that the spirituall oile of grace whereof the manhood of Christ was as it were , a vessell or storehouse , did not consist of the essentiall properties of the godhead , as Eutiches and his followers in these daies imagine , but in certaine created gifts and qualities placed in his humaine nature : otherwise we should not haue any participation of them . Thirdly , the sweete sauour of the holy oile figured , that the riches of all grace with the effect thereof in the obedience of Christ , doth take away the noisome sent of our loathsome sinnes from the nosthrilles of God , and withal doth make our persons and al our actiōs acceptable vnto him as a sweete perfume , as Paul saith , we are vnto God the sweete sauour of Christ , &c. And Christs death is for this cause tearmed a sacrifice of sweete smelling sauour . And we must further vnderstand that the●e gifts of Christs manhood are not conferred in a small scantling or measure ; for Iohn saith , God giueth the spirit not by measure ; because the graces which are in Christ are farre more both in number and degree , then all men or angels haue or shall haue : though the good angels and the saints of God in heauen are very excellent creatures stored with manifold graces and gifts of God. For this cause Christ is called the head of man ; because he is euery way the most principal and glorious man that euer was . Yet for all this are not the gifts of Christs manhood infinite any way ; because it is a creature and finite in nature , and therefore not capable of that which is infinite . By Christs annointing the people of God reape great benefit & comfort , because they are to be partakers thereof . For this cause the oile wherewith he was annointed is called the oyle of gladnes , because the sweete sauour of it gladdeth the hearts of all his members , and brings the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding . The holy oyle poured vpon Aarons head came downe to his beard , and to the very skirts of his garments : and it signified that the spirituall oyle of grace was first of all poured vpon our head Christ Iesus , & from thence consequently deriued to al his members , that by that meanes he might be not onely annointed himselfe , but also our annointer . Nowe the benefits which we receiue by his annointing are two . The first is , that all the elect when they are called to the profession of the Gospell of Christ , are in and by him set apart and made spirituall kings , priests , and prophets , as S. Iohn saith , He hath made vs kings and priests vnto his father . And S. Peter out of Ioel , I will poure ( saith the Lord ) my spirit vpon all flesh , and your sonnes and daughters shall prophesie . The second benefit it , that all the faithfull receiue the same oile , that is , the same spirit of God in some little & conuenient measure which he receiued aboue measure , as Saint Iohn saith● The annointing which ye haue receiued of him dwelleth in you and teacheth you all things : where by annointing is meant the holy Ghost . And hence it is , that men are called Christians of the name of Christ , that is , annointed with the same oyle wherewith Christ was annointed . And the holy oyle might not be giuen to a straunger , to signifie , that to haue the spirit of Christ , and to be guided by it , is peculiar to them that are Christs . Now then let vs all lay these things to our hearts , and extoll the vnspeakable goodnesse of God that hath aduanced vs to the dignitie of kings , priests , prophets , before him , and hath giuen vs his spirit vnto vs to inable vs to be so indeede . Now follow the duties which are to be learned hence . And first , whereas all Christians receiue annointing from the holy one Christ Iesus , to become prophets in a sort , we must doe our endeauours , that the word of God may dwell plentifully in vs , and for that cause we must search the Scriptures , euen as hunters seeke for the game , and as men seeke for gold in the very mines of the earth . There is nothing more vnbeseeming a man , then grosse ignorance a Christian. Therefore the author of the epistle to the Hebrewes reprooues them , that whereas for the time they ought to haue bin teachers , they had need againe to be taught the first principles of the word of God. Againe , that portion of knowledge which we haue receiued of God is further to be applied to the benefit and good of others : this is that most pretious baulme that on our parts should neuer be wanting to the heads of men . And here euery man that is set ouer others must remember within the compasse of his calling and charge to instruct those that be vnder him so far forth as possibly he can . Gouernours of families must teach their children and seruants and their whole houshold the doctrine of true religion , that they may know the true God and walke in all his waies in doing righteousnes & iudgement . If housholders would make conscience of this their dutie , and in some sort and measure prepare their families against they come to the publike congregation , the ministers of the Gospel with greater comfort and farre mor● ease should performe their dutie : and see farre more fruit of their ministerie then now they doe . But whereas they neglect their dutie , falsly perswading themselues that it doth not belong to them at all to instruct others ; it is the cause of ignorance both in townes and families , in masters themselues , in seruants and children and all . Lastly , by this we are admonished to take all occasions that possibly can be offered , mutually to edifie each other in knowledge , saying among our selues ( as it was foretolde of these times ) Come , let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob , and he will teach vs his waies , and we will walke in his paths : and withall , wee should confirme each others , as Christ saith to Peter , When thou art conuerted confirme thy brethren ; and be readie at all times to render an account of our faith and religion euen before our enemies when we are iustly called so to do . Secondly , because we are set apart in Christ , to become spirituall priests vnto God , we must therefore offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable vnto him : and they be in number seuen . The first is an affiance whereby we rest vpon God , as Dauid saith , Offer the sacrifice of righteousnesse and trust in the Lord. The second is wholly to subiect our selues to the ministerie of the Gospel , that we may be changed and conuerted by it , as Paul saith , That he ministreth the Gospel to the Gentiles , that the offering vp of them might be acceptable , beeing sanctified by the holy Ghost . The third is , all manner of praiers and supplications made vnto God. Let my prayer , saith Dauid , be directed in thy sight as incense , and the lifting vp of mine hands as an euening sacrifice . The fourth is praising and thanksgiuing vnto God. Let vs by him offer the sacrifice of praise alwaies to God , that is , the fruit of the lippes which confesse his name . And in the Reuelation the golden vials full of odours are the praiers of the Saints . The fifth is the reliefe of our poore brethren according to our abilitie , as Paul saith , I was euen filled after that I had receiued of Epaphroditus that which came from you , an odour that smelleth sweete , a sacrifice pleasant and acceptable to God. The sixth is the deniall of our selues with a contrite and broken heart . The seuenth is , to resigne our selues , bodies , and soules wholly to the seruice of God : Set your selues ( saith Paul ) to God , as they that are aliue from the dead : and your members as weapons of righteousnesse vnto God. In which wordes he alludes to the manner of the olde Testament : when a man offred any sacrifice for himselfe , he brought the beast into the temple or tabernacle and set it before the altar , in token that he did resigne it vnto God : and so we for our parts must not giue our bodies & soules to become the instruments of sinne and satan , but we must haue them alwaies in read●nesse , freely presenting them vnto God that he may haue the whole disposition of them according to his good pleasure , to the honour and glorie of his name . Againe , in the whole burnt offering all was consumed and turned to smoke , no man hauing benefite of it , to signifie , that wee must giue our selues not in part but wholly to the seruice of God , euen to death if neede be . If this be so , miserable is the practise of such that giue vp their bodies and soules to liue in licentious wantonnesse , in the pleasures of their beastly sinnes , in idlenes . For they offer themselues a sacrifice , not to God but to the deuill . Thirdly , considering we are annointed to be spirituall kings euen in this life , we must walke worthie so great a calling . That this may be so , first of all such as are gouernours set ouer others , must rule not according to their wills and pleasures , but in the Lord : withall , doing homage to their head and king Christ Iesus himselfe . Secondly , we must euery one of vs rule and beare sway euen as kings ouer our owne thoughts , wills , affections , ouer-mastering them as much as we possibly can by Gods word and spirit : withall , maintaining and proclaiming continuall warre against our corrupt natures , the deuill , and the world . And truly he which can beare rule ouer his owne heart , is a right king indeede : and hauing receiued some measure of grace to raigne ouer himselfe in this life , he shall raigne for euer with Christ in the life to come . As for such as are carried away with the swinge of their corruptions , hauing blindnes and ignorance to raigne in their minds , rebellion in their wils and affections , loosenes in their whole liues , they may carrie the outward forme and shew of Christians as long as they will , but indeede they are no spirituall kings but very bondmen : the strong man Satan keepes as yet the hold of their hearts , and as Lord and king holds vp his scepter there . Lastly , seeing Christ is annointed with the most pretious baulme that euer was , and that for our sakes , he must be sweete and sauourie vnto vs , and all other things must be as vnsauorie drosse and dung in regard of him . We must in this case indeauour to say as the spouse of Christ doth : Because of the sauour of the good oyntments , thy name is an oyntment poured out : therefore the virgins loue thee . O that we could sauour in the feare of God , that we might feele how all his garments smell of myrrhe , aloes , and cassia , comming forth of his iuorie pallaces vnto vs. And because the holy oyntment of Christ is poured forth vpon all his members to make them sauorie and sweete in the presence of God , let vs make conscience of all manner of sinne , least by the poison and stinke thereof we infect not onely our selues , but all the creatures of God which we vse , yea heauen and earth it selfe . It stands not with equitie that after we haue beene embaulmed and sweetened by the pretious merits of Christ that we should make our selues two-footed swine , to returne to the mire of our old sinnes . The coupling and combining of these two former titles together , contains the principall question of the whole Bible , which is , whether Iesus the sonne of Marie be Christ or no ; as S. Iohn saith , These things are written , that ye might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God , and that in beleeuing ye might haue life euerlasting . This conclusion was denied by the Iewes , but auouched and confirmed both by Christ and by his Apostles ; and their principall argumēt was framed thus . He which hath the true notes of Christ is the Messias or Christ indeede : but Iesus the Sonne of Marie hath the true notes of Christ : therefore Iesus is Christ. The proposition is opened at large in the prophesies of the old testament : the assumption is confirmed in the writings of the new testament : and the principall reasons of the confirmation are couched in the articles which concerne the second person . The conclusion follows , and is set down as I haue said , in the knitting together of the titles , Iesus and Christ. Thus much of the second title : now follows the third , his onely Sonne : that is , the onely Sonne of the first person the Father . In this title we must consider two things : the first , that he is the Sonne of God : the second , that he is the onely Son of God. Touching the first , Christ is called the Sonne of God , because he was begottē of the Father . Now for the opening of this eternall generation , we must consider three points : the thing begotten , the manner of begetting , & the time . For the thing it selfe , it is Christ ; who must be cōsidered two waies , as he is a sonne , & as he is God. As he is a son , he is not of himselfe , but the sonne of the father begotten of him : neuerthelesse as he is God , he is of himselfe neither begotten nor proceeding ; for the essence or godhead of the father is of it selfe without all beginning : but the Godhead of the sonne is one and the same with the godhead of the father : because by what Godhead the father is God , by the same and no other the sonne is God : therefore the sonne , as he is God , he is God of himselfe without beginning euen as the father . Whereupon it followes , that the sonne is begotten of the father as he is a sonne , but not as he is God. The manner of this generation is this . The sonne is begotten of the substance of the father not by any fluxe , as when water is deriued from the head of the spring to the chanell : nor by decision , as when a thing is cut in pieces : nor by propagation , as when a grift is transplanted into a new stocke : but by an vnspeakable communication of the whole essence or Godhead from the father to the sonne ; in receiuing whereof the sonne doth no more diminish the maiestie or godhead of the father , then the light of one candle doth the light of the other from which it is taken . Whereupon the Councill of Nicene hath saide well , that the sonne is of the father as light of light not proceeding but begotten . The time of this generation hath neither beginning , middle , or ende : and therefore it is eternall before all worlds : and it is a thing to be wondered at , that the father begetting and the sonne begotten are coeternall , and therefore equall in time . Wisdome in the Prouerbs ( which with one consent of all Diuines is said to be Christ ) affirmeth that she was before the world was created , that is , from eternitie : for before the world was made there was nothing but eternitie . But it may be alleadged to the contrarie , that the saying of the father , This day haue I begotten thee , is expounded by Paul of the time of Christs resurrection . Ans. We must distinguish betweene generation it selfe , and the manifestation of it : and of the second must the place be vnderstood , which was indeed accomplished at the time of Christs resurrection in which he was mightily declared to be the sonne of God , and though this be so , yet the generation it selfe may be eternall . If any man alleadge further that the person which begetteth must needs goe before the person begotten , the answer is , that there is a double prioritie ; one of order , the other of time : now in the generation of creatures there is prioritie both of order and time ; but in the generation of the second person in trinitie there is prioritie of order alone : the father beeing first , the sonne second , without prioritie of time : because they both in that respect are equall , and neither is before or after other : because the beeing or subsisting of the persons is not measured by time . Hence it followeth necessarily , that Iesus Christ is true God : and the whole tenour of the Scriptures confirme it sufficiently : I. He is made equall to God the father , who beeing in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God : againe , All things that the father hath are mine . The children of Israel are saide to haue tempted Iehouah : and Paul saith , that he whome they tempted was Christ. Iehouah founded the earth , and the same is saide of Christ. II. Christ the sonne of God is by name called God : Iesus Christ is very God and life eternall . III. The properties of the godhead are ascribed vnto him . He is eternall , because he was then when there was no creature . In the beginning was the Word : and , before Abraham was I am . He is omnipresent , Where two or three are gathered together in my name , ●here am I in the middest amongst them . Lastly he is omnipotent , What soeuer things the father doth , the same doth the sonne also . IV. The works of creation and preseruation are as well ascribed to the sonne as to the father . By him the father made the world , and he beareth vp all things by his mightie power : and miracles , which are works either aboue or against the order of nature peculiar to God , were done by Christ. V. Diuine worship is giuen to him : for he is adored , invocated , and beleeued in , as God the father . To him is giuen a name , at which euery knee doth bow , of things in heauen , and things in earth , and things vnder the earth . As for the reasons which be alleadged to the contrarie , they are of no moment . I. Obiect . The word of God can not be God : the sonne is the word of the father : therefore he is not God. Answ. The word is taken two waies : first for a sounding word standing of letters and syllables vttered either by God or by the creatures : now on this manner Christ is not the word of God. Secondly there is a substantiall word , which is of the substance of him whose word it is . And thus Christ is the word of God the father . And he is so tearmed , I. in respect of the father : for as reason and speach hath his beginning from the mind without any passion in the minde , so hath he beginning from the father . And as the speach is in the minde and the minde in the speach , so the father is in the sonne , and the sonne in the father . II. In respect of all creatures . The father doth all things by the sonne ; by whose powerfull word the world was made , is now preserued and shall be abolished . III. In respect of the Church . For the father by him speakes vnto vs both in the outward ministerie of the word , and by the inward operation of the spirit : and againe we by him speake to the father . II. It may be obiected thus , God hath no beginning from any other ; Christ hath beginning from the father : therefore he is not God. Answ. Christ must be considered both in regard of his godhead and in regard of his person : in regard of his godhead he came not of any but is of himselfe , as well as the father is : yet in regard of his person he is from the father , who is a beginning to the rest of the persons , both in respect of order ( for the Scripture saith not ; the holy Ghost , the Sonne , the Father : but the Father , the Sonne , the holy Ghost ) as also in respect of the communication of the Godhead . And whereas it is said that God is of himselfe , if the name of God , be taken for the Godhead it selfe absolutely considered , it is true : but if it be taken for any particular person in the godhead , it is false . III. Ob. None is greater then God : but the father is greater then Christ , for so he saith , the father is greater then I. Ans. Christ there speakes of himselfe as he was a man abased in the forme of a seruant : in which respect he is lesse then the father , who neuer was incarnate and abased in our nature . And though Christ in respect of his nature assumed be inferiour to the father , yet doth it not hinder but that he may be equall to him , as he is the second person in trinitie , or as he is God by one and the same Godhead with the father . IV. Obiect . He that is made of God , this or that , is not God : but Christ is made God , as Paul saith , Christ is made vnto vs wisdome , righteousnes , &c. Answ. Christ is said to be made , not because there was any beginning of his godhead , or any change or alteration in his person : but because in the eternall counsell of the father , he was set apart before all times to execute the office of a Mediatour , and was withall in time called , and as it were consecrated and ordained thereunto in his baptisme : he is made therefore in respect of his office , but not in respect of his person , or nature . V. Obiect . God hath no head , Christ hath an head , as Paul saith , God is Christs head . Answ. God , that is , the father , is head of Christ , not as he is God simply , but as he is God incarnate , or made manifest in the flesh , and in respect of the office to which he willingly abased himselfe . VI. Obiect . He which giues vp his kingdome is not God , Christ giues vp his kingdome . Then , saith Paul , shall be the ende , when he hath deliuered vp the kingdome to God euen the father . Answ. Christ is king two waies , as he is God , and as he is Mediatour : as he is God , he raignes eternally with the Father and the holy Ghost : but as he is Mediatour , in the ende of the world when all the companie of the Elect are gathered , his kingdome shall cease not simply but in respect of the outward manner of administration : for the execution of ciuill and ecclesiasticall functions shall cease . And whereas in the same place , it is saide that Christ shall be subiect vnto God eternally after the ende , it must be vnderstoode partly in regard of the assumed manhoode , partly in respect of his mysticall bodie the Church most neerely ioyned vnto him in heauen . VII . Obiect . The first borne of euery creature , and of many brethren , is a creature and not God : but Christ is the first borne of euery creature , and of many brethren . Answ. He is called the first borne by resemblance or allusion to the first borne in the old testament : for as they were principall heires hauing double portions allowed them ; and the chiefe or gouernours of the familie : so Christ is made heire of the world , and the head of Gods familie which is his church elected and adopted in him . And againe he is called the first borne of euery creature , because he was begotten of the substance of his father before any creature was made , and therefore it is not here saide that he was first created , but first begotten . By the reasons which haue bin alleadged , as also by the insufficiencie of the contrarie arguments , it is more then manifest against all heretikes that Christ is very God. Yet to stoppe the mouths of all Atheists , and to satisfie all wauering and doubting minds , I will adde one reason further . The Gospel of Saint Iohn was chiefly penned for this end , to prooue the deitie of Christ : & among other arguments alleadged ; this is one , that Christ gaue a resolute and a constant testimonie of himselfe , that he was the sonne of God , and very God. Now if any man shall say , that sundrie persons since the beginning of the world haue taken vpon them and that falsly , to be gods : I answer , that neuer any creature tooke this title and honour vpon him to be called God , but the fearefull iudgements of God were vpon him for it . In the estate of mans innocencie the deuill told our first parents that by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and euill , they should be as gods knowing good and euill : now , they beleeued him , and affected diuine honour , but what came of it ? surely Adam with all his posteritie is shut vp for this very cause vnder eternall damnation . Herod likewise araied in royall apparell , and sitting on the iudgement seat , made an oration to the men of Tyre and Sidon , who gaue a shout , saying , the voyce of God , and not of man. Now because he tooke the glorie of God to himselfe , and did not returne it to him to whome it was due , immediately the angel of the Lord smote him . And so , if Christ had bin but a meere man , and not very god , as he auouched , vndoubtedly the hand of God would haue bin vpon him likewise for his confusion : but when he suffred for vs , and bare the punishment due for our sinnes , he most triumphed . And the iudgements of God were vpon Herod , Pontius Pilate , Caiphas , and vpon all those that were enemies to him , and to his Church afterward , and that partly in life and partly in death . Wherefore considering God cannot abide that his glorie should be giuen to any creature , and seeing for that cause he takes reuenge on all those that exalt themselues to be gods , it remaines that the testimony which Christ gaue of himselfe that he was God , is vnfallibly true , and without all question to be beleeued of vs. And to conclude , I would haue all the deuills in hell with the cursed order of Lucians , Porphyrians , and Atheists whatsoeuer to answer ●his one point , how it could come to passe , that Christ by publishing the doctrine of the Gospel , that is as contrarie to mans reason , will , and affections , as water to fire , should winne almost the whole world to become his disciples , and to giue their liues for him , vnlesse he were God indeede , as he professed himselfe to be . There be sundrie speciall reasons wherefore it was necessarie that Christ should be God. I. There is none which can be a Sauiour of bodie and soule but God. I euen I am the Lord , and besides me there is no Sauiour . And , I am the Lord the God from the land of Egipt , and thou shalt know no God but me : for there is no Sauiour beside me . II. There must be a proportion betweene the sinne of man and the punishment of sinne : now the sinne of man in respect of the offence of the maiestie of God is infinite , in that he is infinitely displeased with man for the breach of his law : therefore the punishment of sinne must be infinite : and hence it followeth , that he which suffereth the punishment beeing man , must withall be God , that the manhood by the power of the Godhead may be supported , that in suffering it may vanquish death , and make a sufficient satisfaction . III. He that must be a Sauiour , must be able first to deliuer men from the bondage of their spirituall enemies , namely sinne and Satan : secondly to restore the image of God lost by the fall of Adam , and to conferre righteousnes and life euerlasting : thirdly , to defend them from hel , death , damnation , the flesh , the deuill , the world : fourthly , to giue them full redemption from all their miseries both in bodie and soule , and to place them in eternall happines : all which none can doe , but he which is very God. IV. It was the pleasure of God , to shew his incomprehensible goodnes in this , that his grace should not onely be equal to our sinne , but also by many degrees goe beyond it . And therefore the first Adam beeing but a meere man , the second Adam must be both God and man : that as the second was more excellent then the first , so our comfort might be greater in our redemption by the second , then our miserie and discomfort was by the fall of the first . Hitherto we haue shewed how Christ is the sonne of God : now let vs come to the second point , namely that he is the onely sonne of God. And he is so tearmed because he is the sonne of the father , in a speciall manner , so as nothing can be the sonne of God as he is . Angels indeede are tearmed the sonnes of God , but that is onely in respect of their creation : & all that beleeue in Christ are sonnes of God by adoption , beeing receiued into the familie of God which is his church by the merit of Christ , whereas by nature they were the children of wrath . Christ also as he is man ( I say not his manhood which is a nature and no person ) is the sonne of God by the grace of personal vnion , and not by nature or adoption . Lastly Christ as he is the second person in trinitie , th● eternall word of the father , coeternall and consubstantiall with him , is also the sonne of God. But how ? neither by creation , nor adoption , nor by the vertue of personall vnion , but by nature ; as he was begotten of the very substance of the father before all world : and therefore he is called the proper and onely begotten sonne of God. It may be obiected on this manner . If the father beget the sonne , he doth it either willingly , or against his will : if willingly , thē the son is begotten by the free will of the father , and no sonne by nature . Ans. The father did communicate to the sonne his whole godhead willingly without cōstraint , yet not by his will ; and therfore he is the Sonne of the father by nature , not by will. It may be further said , that if Christ be the sonne of God by nature , as he is the essentiall word of the father , and by personall vnion as he is man , then is hee not one but two sonnes . Ans. As he is but one person , so is he but one sonne : yet not in one but in two respects : two respects make not two thinges , whereas one and the same thing not altered but still remaining one may admitte sundrie respects . Thus much of the meaning of the third title : nowe followe the comforts which may be gathered hence . Whereas Christ Iesus is the sonne of God , it serues as a meanes to make miserable and wretched sinners that are by nature the children of wrath and damnation , to be the sonnes of God by adoption : as S. Iohn testifieth . Nowe what a benefit is this to be the childe of God , no tongue can expresse . Christ saith , Blessed are the peacemakers : but why are they blessed ? for , saith he , they shall be called the sonnes of God. Whereby he testifieth that the right of adoption is a most excellent priuiledge ; & not without cause . For he which is the child of God , is spiritually allied to Christ , and to all the Saints and seruants of God both in heauen and earth , hauing his owne redeemer for his elder brother , and all his members as his brethren and sisters ; yea if we be Gods adopted children , we are also heires , euen heires of God , and heires annexed with Christ. Well , how great soeuer this prerogatiue is , yet few there be that rightly way it & consider of it . Children of noble mē & Princes heires are had in account and reputation of all men , they are the verie speach and wonder of the worlde . But it is a matter of no account to be the sonne of God and fellow-heire with Christ. The dearest seruants of God haue beene esteemed but as the offscouring of the worlde . And no maruaile , for they which are after the flesh , sauour the thinges of the flesh . Fewe men haue their vnderstandings inlightened to discerne of such spirituall things as these are , & therefore are they little or nothing regarded . A blinde man neuer seeing the sunne , is not brought to wonder at it : and earthly minded men neither seeing nor feeling what an excellent thing it is to bee the childe of God , cannot bee brought to seeke after it . But let all such as feare God enter into a serious consideration of the vnspeakeable goodnesse of God , comforting themselues in this , that God the father hath vouchsafed by his owne sonne to make them of the vassals of satan , to be his owne deere children . Nowe followe the duties which are two . First , we beleeue that Iesus Christ who was to be the Sauiour of mankinde , must needs be God : what is the reason hereof ? surely because no creature , no not all the creatures in heauen and earth were able to saue one man : so vile , wretched , and miserable is our estate by Adams fall . And therefore the sonne of God himselfe pitied our estate , and beeing king of heauen and earth , was faine to come from heauen , and lay downe his crowne and become a seruant , and taking vpon him our nature , was also faine to take vpon him our case and condition , and suffer death for our sinnes , which otherwise euery one of vs should haue suffered both in bodie and soule world without ende . To make this more plaine , let vs suppose that some one hath committed an offence against a prince ; and the trespasse to be so grieuous , that no man can appease the kings wrath , saue only the kings onely sonne ; and which is more , the kings sonne himselfe cannot release him , vnlesse hee suffer the punishment for him in his owne person , which is due vnto the malefactour . Nowe what is to be thought of this mans estate ? surely all men will say that he is in a most miserable taking , and that his trespasse is notorious : and so it is with euery one of vs by nature , whatsoeuer we are . No man could saue our soules , no not all the angels in heauen , vnlesse the king of heauen and earth the onely sonne of God had come down from heauen and suffered for vs , bearing our punishment . Nowe the consideration of this must humble vs and make vs to cast downe our selues vnder the hand of God for our sinnes , and pray continually that the Lord would send some Moses or other which might smite the rockes of our hearts , that some teares of sorrowe and repentance might gush out for this our wofull miserie . Secondly , whereas God the Father of Christ gaue his onley sonne to be our Sauiour , as we must be thankefull to God for all things , so especially for this great and vnspeakable benefit . Common blessings of God , as meat , drinke , health , wealth , and libertie , must at all times mooue vs to be thankeful ; but this , that Christ Iesus the onely sonne of God , redeemed vs beeing vtterly lost , this I say , must be the maine point of all our thankfulnes : but alas , mens hearts are so frozen in the dreggs of their sinnes , that this dutie comes little in practise nowe adaies . When our Sauiour Christ clensed ten lepers , there was but one of them that returned to giue him thankes : and this is as true in the leprosie of the soule , for though saluation by Christ be offered vnto vs daily by Gods ministers , yet not one of tenne , nay scarse one of a thousand giues praise and thankes to God for it , because men take no delight in things which concerne the kingdome of heauen , they thinke not that they haue neede of saluation , neither do they feele any want of a Sauiour . But we for our parts must learne to say with Dauid , What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits ? yea we are to practise that which Salomon saith , My sonne giue me thy heart : for we should giue vnto God both bodie and soule in token of our thankefulnesse for this wonderful blessing that he hath giuen his onely sonne to bee our Sauiour ; and we are to hold this for trueth , that they which are not thankfull for it , let them say what they will , they haue no soundnes of grace or power of religion at the heart . And thus much of the third title . The fourth and last title is in these wordes , our Lord. Christ Iesus the onely sonne of God is our Lord three waies : first by creation in that he made vs of nothing , when we were not : secondly he is our Lord in the right of redemption . In former times the custome hath bin when one is taken prisoner in the field , he that paies his raunsome shall becom alwaies after his Lord : so Christ when we were bondslaues vnder hell , death , and condemnation , paide the ransome of our redemption , and freed vs from the bondage of sinne and satan , and therfore in that respect he is our Lord. Thirdly he is the head of the Church ( as the husband is the wiues head , ) to rule and gouerne the same by his word and spirit . And therefore in that respect also Christ is our Lord. And thus much for the meaning . Nowe followe the duties . And first of al , if Christ be our Soueraigne Lord , we must performe absolute obedience vnto him , that is , whatsoeuer he commandes vs , that must we doe . And I say , absolute obedience , because Magistrates , Masters , Rulers , and fathers may command , and must bee obeyed , yet not simply , but so farre foorth as that which they command doth agree with the word and commandement of God : but Christs will and word is righteousnesse it selfe , and therfore it is a rule and direction of all our actions whatsoeuer : and for this cause he must be absolutely obeyed . Thus he requires the obedience of the morall lawe : but why ? because he is the Lord our god . And in Malachie he saith , If I be your Lord where is my feare ? And againe , we must resigne both bodie and soule , heart , mind , wil , affections , and the course of our whole liues to be ruled by the will of Christ. He is Lord not onely of the bodie , but of the spirit and soule of man : he must therefore haue homage of both . As wee adore him by the knee of the bodie , so must the thoughts and the affections of our hearts haue their knees also to worship him , and to shewe their subiection to his commandements . As for such as doe hold him for their Lord in word , but in the meane season will not indeauour to shewe their loyaltie in all manner of obedience , they are indeede no better then starke rebels . Secondly , when by the hande of Christ straunge iudgements shall come to passe , as it is vsuall in all places continually ; we must stay ourselues without murmuring or finding fault , because he is an absolute Lorde ouer all his creatures ; all things are in his handes , and hee may doe with his owne whatsoeuer he will ; and therefore wee must rather feare and tremble whensoeuer we see or heare of them : so Dauid saith , I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou didst it . And againe , My flesh trembleth for feare of thee , and I am afraid of thy iudgements . Thirdly before wee vse any of Gods creatures or ordinances , wee must sanctifie them by the direction of his word and by praier : the reason is this , because he is Lord ouer all , and therefore from his word we must fetch direction to teach vs whether we may vse them or not , and when and how they are to be vsed : and secondly we must pray to him , that he would giue vs libertie and grace to vse them aright in holy maner . Also we are so to vse the creatures and ordinances of God , as being alwaies readie to giue an account of our doings at the day of iudgement : for we vse that which is the Lords , not our owne ; we are but stewards ouer them , and we must come to a reckoning for the stewardship . Hast thou learning ? then imploy it to the glory of God , and the good of the Church : boast not of it as though it were thine owne . Hast thou any other gift or blessing of God , be it wisdome , strength , riches , honour , fauour , or whatsoeuer , then looke thou vse it so , as thou maist be alwaies readie to make a good account thereof vnto Christ. Lastly , euery one must in such manner lead his life in this world , that at the day of death hee may with cheerefulnes surrender and giue vp his soule into the handes of his Lord , and say with Steuen , Lord Iesus receiue my soule . For consider this with thy selfe , that thy soule is none of thine owne , but his who hath bought it with a price , and therefore thou must so order and keepe it as that thou maiest in good manner restore it into the hands of god at the ende of thy life . If a man should borrowe a thing of his neighbour , and afterward hurt it and make a spoile of it , he would be ashamed to bring it againe to the owner in that manner , and if he doe , the owner himselfe will not receiue it . Vngodly men in this life doe so staine their soules with sinne , that they can neuer be able willingly to giue them vp into the handes of God at the day of death : and if they would , yet God accepts them not , but casts them quite away . We must therefore labour so to liue in the world , that with a ioyfull heart at the day of death we may commend our soules into the handes of our Lord Christ Iesus , who gaue them vnto vs. This is a harde thing to bee done and he that will doe it truely , must first be assured of the pardon of his owne sinnes , which a man can neuer haue without true & vnfained faith and repentance : wherefore while we haue time , let vs purge and clense our soules and b●dies , that they may come home againe to God in good plight . And here all gouernours must be put in mind that they haue an higher Lord , that they may not oppresse or deale hardly with their inferiours . This is Paul , reason , Ye masters , saith he , doe the same things vnto your seruants , putting away threatning : and knowe that euen your master is also in heauen , neither is there respect of persons with him . Inferiours againe must remember to submit themselues to the authoritie of their gouernours , especially of magistrates . For they are set ouer vs by our soueraigne Lord and king Christ Iesus : as Paul saith , Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers . For there is no power but of God , and the powers that be ordained are of God. And againe , Seruants be obedient to your Masters according to the flesh , with feare and trembling , in singlenes of your hearts , as vnto Christ. The comfort which Gods Church may reape hence , is very great : for if Christ be the Lord of lords , and our Lord especially whome he hath created and redeemed , we neede not to feare what the deuil or wicked men can doe vnto vs. If Christ be on our side , who can be against vs ? wee neede not feare them that can destroy the bodie and doe no more : but we must cast our feare on him that is Lord of body and soule , and can cast both to hell . Thus much of the fourth title . Nowe followes Christs incarnation , in these wordes , Conceiued by the holy Ghost , borne of the Virgin Marie . And they containe in them one of the most principall points of the doctrine of godlines , as Paul saith , Without controuersie great is the mysterie of godlinesse , which is , God is made manifest in the flesh , iustified in the spirit , &c. And that we may proceede in order , in handling them , I will first speake of the incarnation generally , and then after come to the parts thereof . In generall we are to propound fiue questions , the answering whereof will be very needefull to the better vnderstanding of the doctrine following . The first question is , who was incarnate● or , made man ? Answ. The second person in Trinitie , the sonne of God alone , as it is set downe in this article according to the Scripture . S. Iohn saith , The Word was made flesh : and the angel saith , The holy one which shall be borne of thee , shall be called the sonne of the most high . And Paul saith , that Christ Iesus our Lord was made of the seede of Abraham according to the flesh . And there be sundrie reasons , why the second person should rather be incarnate then any other . I. By whom the father created all things , and man especially ; by him man beeing fallen is to be redeemed , and as I may say recreated : now man was at the first created of the father by the sonne : and therefore to be redeemed by him . II. It was most conuenient , that he which is the essentiall image of the father , should take mans nature that he might restore the image of God lost and defaced in man , but the second person is the essentiall image of the father , and therefore he alone must take mans nature . III. It was requisite that that person which was by nature the sonne of God , should be made the sonne of man , that we which are the sonnes of men , yea the sonnes of wrath , should againe by grace be made the sonnes of God : now the second person alone is the sonne of God by nature , not the Father , nor the holy Ghost . As for the Father , he could not be incarnate . For to take flesh is to be sent of an other , but the Father can not be sent of any person , because he is from none . Againe , if the Father were incarnate , he should be father to him which is by nature God , and the sonne of a creature , namely the virgin Marie , which things can not well stand . And the holy Ghost could not be incarnate● for then there should be more sonnes then one in the Trinitie , namely the second person the sonne of the father , and the third person the holy Ghost , the sonne of the virgin Marie . It may be obiected to the contrarie on this manner : The whole diuine essence is incarnate , euery person in Trinitie is the whole diuine essence , therefore euery person is incarnate . Ans. The whole Godhead indeede is incarnate , yet not as it is absolutely considered , but so farre forth as it is restrained and limited to the person of the sonne ; and to speake properly , the godhead it selfe is not incarnate , but the very person of the sonne subsisting in the Godhead . And though all the persons be one and the same essence , yet doe they really differ each from other in regard of the peculiar manner of subsisting : and therefore mans nature may be assumed of the second person , and be not assumed either of the father or of the holy Ghost ; as in the like case the soule of man is wholly in the head and wholly in the feete , yea wholly in euery part : and yet the soule can not be said to vse reason in the feete or in any other part , but onely in the head . Againe it may be alleadged , that the incarnation beeing an outward action of God to the creature , is not proper to the sonne . For the rule is , that all outward actions of God are common to all the persons in Trinitie equally . Ans. a The incarnation stands of two actions , the first is the framing and creating of that manhood which was to be assumed by the Sonne , or Word of the father : and this action is common to all the three persons equally : the second is the limiting or the receiuing of it into the vnitie of any person , & in respect of this action , the worke of incarnation is peculiar to the Sonne . To this purpose Augustine speaketh , That creature ( saith he ) which the Virgin conceiued and brought forth , though it appertaine to the person of the sonne alone , yet was it made by the whole Trinitie : as when three men weaue one and the same garment , and the second onely weares it . The second question is , what manner of man the sonne of God was made ? Answ. He was made a proper or particular man , and a perfect or a very man. I say that he was a particular man , to shew that he tooke not vnto him the generall forme or idea of mans nature conceiued onely in minde , nor the common nature of man as it is existing in euery man : but the whole nature of mā , that is , both a bodie and a resonable soule , existing in one a particular subiect . I say further that he was and is a true and perfect man , beeing in euerie thing that concernes mans nature like to Adam , Abraham , Dauid , and all other men , sauing onely in sinne . For first of all he had the substance of a true body and of a reasonable soule : secondly , the properties of body and soule : in the bodi● , length , breadth , thicknesse , circumscription , &c. in the soule , the faculties of vnderstanding both simply and compounde : will , affections , as loue , hatred , desire , ioy , feare , &c. the powers also of hearing , feeling , seeing , smelling , tasting , moouing , growing , eating , digesting , sleeping , &c. Thirdly , hee tooke vnto him the infirmities of mans nature , which are certaine naturall defects or passions in bodie or minde , as to be hungrie , thirstie , wearie , sadde and sorrowfull , b ignorant of some things , angrie , to increase in stature , and wisdōe , and knowledge , &c. yet this which I say must be vnderstood with two caueats . The first is , that infirmities be either certaine vnblameable passions , or else such defects as are sinnes in themselues : nowe Christ takes the first onely , and not the second . Secondly , infirmities be either generall , or personall ; generall● which appertaine to the whole nature of man , and are to be founde in euery man that comes of Adam : as to be borne vnlearned , and subiect to naturall affections , as sorrow , anger , &c , Personall , are such as appertaine to some particular men , and not to all , and arise of some priuate causes & particular iudgements of God , as to be borne a foole , to bee sicke of an ague , consumption , dropsie , plurisie , and such like diseases . Nowe the first sort bee in Christ , and not the second : for as he tooke not the person of any man● but onely mans nature , so was it sufficient for him to take vnto him the infirmities of mans nature , though he tooke not the priuate infirmities of any mans person . And the reason why Christ would put on not onely the substance and faculties of a true man , but also his infirmities , was ; that he might shewe himselfe to be very man indeede , also that he might suffer for vs both in bodie and soule , and that he might giue vs an example of patience in bearing all manner of euill for Gds glory and the good of our neighbour . Nowe the things which may bee alleadged to the contrarie for the infringing of the trueth of Christs manhoode , are of no moment . As first , because Christ appeared in the forme of a man in the olde testament , beeing no man : therfore he did so at his comming in the newe testament : but the reason is not like . For Christ in the olde testament as the angel of his father in some speciall affaires , tooke vnto him the bodie of a man for some space of time ; but he did not receiue it into the vnitie of his person ; but laid it downe when the busines which he enterprised with men was ended . Nowe in the fulnesse of time he came from heauen , as the angel of the couenant , and for that cause he was to vnite into his owne person the nature of man , which thing was neuer done before . And when as Paul saith , that Christ came in the similitude of sinnefull flesh , his meaning is not to signifie , that he was a man onely in resemblance and shewe ; but to testifie , that beeing a true man which was indeede void of sinne , he was content to abase himselfe to that condition in which he became like to a miserable sinner in bearng the punishment for our sinne . For Paul doth not say that hee tooke vpon him the similitude of flesh simply as it is flesh , but of the flesh of sinne or sinnefull flesh . The third question is , why the sonne of God must become man ? Ans. There be sundrie reasons of this point , and the most principall are these . First of all it is a thing that greatly standes with the iustice of God , that in that nature in which God was offended , in the same should a satisfaction be made to God for sinne : nowe sinne was committed in mans nature : Adam sinned first and in him all his posteritie : therefore it is very necessarie that in mans nature there should bee a satisfaction made to Gods iustice , and for this cause the sonne of God must needes abase himselfe and become man for our sakes . Secondly , by the right of creation euery man is bound in conscience to fulfill euen the very rigour and extremitie of the morall lawe . But considering man is nowe fallen from his first estate and condition , therfore it was requisite that the Sonne of God should become man , that in mans nature he might fulfill all righteousnesse which the lawe doth exact at our handes . Thirdly , hee that is our redeemer must die for our sinnes ; for there is no remission of sinnes without shedding of blood : but Christ as he is God cannot die . For no passion can befall the Godhead . Therefore it was needefull that he should become man , that in mans nature he might die and fully satisfie Gods iustice for mans offence . Lastly he that must make reconciliation betweene God and man , must be such an one as may make request or speake both to God and man. For a Mediatour is as it were a middle person making intercession betweene two other persons , the one offended the other offending . Therefore it is necessarie that Christ should not onely be God , to speake vnto the father for vs and to present our prayers vnto him ; but also man , that God might speake to vs , and we to God by Christ. For howsoeuer before the fall , man could speak to God euen face to face , yet since the fall , such feare possesseth mans corrupt nature that he cannot abide the presence of God , but flyeth from it . Nowe whereas I say that it was necessarie that the sonne of God for the causes before alleadged must become man ; the necessitie must be vnderstood in respect of Gods will , and not in respect of his absolute power . For if it had so pleased God he was able to haue laid downe an other kind of way of mans redemption , then by the incarnation of the sonne of God : and he appointed no other way , because he would not . Thus much of the Incarnation in generall . Nowe followe the duties which arise of it . And first we are taught hereby to come to Christ by faith , and with all our hearts to cleaue vnto him . Great is the deadnesse and sluggishnesse of mans nature : for skarse one of a thousand care for him , or seeke vnto him for righteousnesse and life euerlasting . But wee shoulde excite our selues euery way to drawe neare to him as much as possibly we may : for when he was incarnate , he came neere vnto vs by taking our nature vpon him , that wee againe whatsoeuer we are , might come neere vnto him by taking vnto vs his diuine nature . Againe , when Christ was incarnate , he was made bone of our bone , and flesh of our flesh ; and therefore proportionally wee must labour to become bone of his bone , and flesh of his flesh : which we shall bee , when we are mystically vnited vnto him by faith , and borne anewe by his spirit . Moreouer Christ by his incarnation came downe from heauen to vs , that we being partakers of his grace might ascend vp to heauen by him . And thus we see how the meditation of Christs incarnation should be a spurre to prick vs forward still more and more to come to Christ. Secondly , Christs incarnation must be a patterne vnto vs of a most wonderfull and straunge humilitie . For as Paul saith , Being in the forme of God and thinking it no robberie to bee equall with God , made himselfe of no reputation , and tooke on him forme of a seruant : and humbled himselfe and became obedient to death , euen to the death of the crosse . Yea so farre forth he abased himselfe , that ( as Dauid saith ) he was a worme and no man. And this teacheth vs to lay aside al selfe-loue and pride of heart , and to practise the duties of humility , as the Apostle exhorts the Philippians in the same place : and that shall we doe when we beginne to cast off that high opinion which euery man by nature conceiueth of himselfe , and become vile and base in our owne eies . Secure & drowsie protestants thinke themselues blessed , and say in their hearts as the Angel of the Church of Laodicea said , I am rich & increased with goods , and haue need of nothing ; whereas indeed they are most miserable and wretched , and poore , and naked , and blind . And the same fond opinion possesseth the mindes of our ignorant people , who chant it in the very same tune , saying , that God loues them , and that they loue God with al their hearts , and their neighbours as themselues : that they haue perfect faith in Christ , and euer had , not once so much as doubting of their saluation : that all is well with them , and that they are past all danger whatsoeuer , in the matter of their saluation , and therefore neede not take so much care for it . Thus yee may see howe men are commonly carried away with vaine and fond conceits of their owne excellencie . And truely so long as this ouerweening of our owne righteousnesse raignes in our hearts , let preachers speake and say what they will , we can neuer become followers of Christ in the practise of humilitie . Some will say peraduenture , that they neuer had any such opinion of their owne righteousnes ; but I answere againe ; that there was neuer yet any man descending of Adam , saue Christ ; but he had this proud phantasie ruling and raigning in him , till such time as God gaue grace to chāge & alter his heart : & this inward pride the lesse we discern it the more it is , and the more we discerne it the lesse it is . Therefore though as yet thou see it not in thy selfe , yet labour both to see it & to feele it , & to striue against it , casting down thy selfe for thy own miserie after Christs own example , who being God abased himselfe to the condition of a miserable man. For thou shalt neuer be filled with the good things of god , till thou be emptied of selfe-loue and selfe-liking . For this cause let vs purge and emptie our selues of all conceit of our own righteousnes that god may fil our hearts with his grace . Furthermore , the incarnation of Christ is the ground and foundation of all our comfort , as the names of Christ seruing to expresse the same doe testifie . I●akob in his last Testament saith , that the scepter shall not depart from Iudah in Shilo , that is , the Messias come . Nowe the name Shilo signifieth the tunicle or skinne that lappeth the infant in the mothers wombe , called by the Phisitians the secundine : and by a kind of figure it is put for the Sonne of God in the wombe of the virgine , made man. And Iob to comfort himselfe in his affliction saith , I knowe that my redeemer liueth . Nowe the word which he vseth to signifie his redeemer by , is verie emphaticall , for it signifieth a kinsman neere allied vnto him of his owne flesh that will restore him to life . And the Lord by the prophet Esay calleth Christ Immanuel , that is , God with vs : which name importeth very much , namely , that whereas by nature we haue lost our fellowshippe with God , because our sinnes are a wall of partition seuering vs from him : yet neuerthelesse the fame is restored to all that beleeue by the Mediatour Christ Iesus : because his diuine nature is coupled to mans nature , and so the word is made flesh . And this strait coniunction of two natures into one person , ioynes God to men and men to God : yea by Christ we are brought to God and haue free accesse vnto him , and againe in him we apprehend God and are made one with him . And further whereas Christ beside our nature tooke our infirmities also , it is a wonderfull comfort vnto Gods Church : for it shewes , that he is not only a Sauiour , but also a very compassionate and pitiful Sauiour . As the holy Ghost saith , In all thinges it became Christ to be like vnto his brethren , that hee might be mercifull and a faithfull high priest in things concerning God. Let a man be sicke of a grieuous disease , and let a friend come that hath beene troubled with the very same disease , he will presently shewe more compassion then twentie others : and so Christ hauing felt in his owne soule and bodie the anguish and the manifold perplexities that we feele in our temptations and afflictiōs , hath his bowels as it were yearning towards vs , euermore being prest and readie to releeue vs in all our miseries . In the daies of his flesh , he wept ouer Ierusalem when he sawe it a farre off , because shee continued in her olde sinnes , and did not knowe the time of her visitation : and no doubt , though now he be exalted in glorie in heauen , yet his compassion to his poore members vpon earth is no whit diminished . Now we come to speake of the Incarnation more particularly : & the creed yet further expresseth it by two parts ; the first is the conception of Christ in these words , Conceiued by the holy ghost : the second is his birth , in the words following , Borne of the virgine Marie . The conception of Christ is set downe with his efficient cause , the Holy Ghost , as the angel said to Ioseph , Feare not to take Marie for thy wife , for that which is conceiued in her is of the holy ghost . Here it may be demanded why the conception of Christ should be ascribed to the Holy Ghost alone , which is common to all the persons in Trinitie , as all other such actions are . Ans. It is not done to exclude the Father or the Sonne himselfe from this worke : but to signifie that it comes of the free gift and grace of God ( which commonly is tearmed by the holy ghost ) that the manhood of Christ beeing but a creature , should be aduanced to this dignitie , that it should become a part of the Sonne of God. And againe , the Holy Ghost is the author of this conception in a speciall manner : for the father and the sonne did cause it by the holy Ghost from them both immediately . In the conception of Christ we must obserue and consider three thinges . The framing of the manhood , the sanctifying of it , and the personall vnion of the manhood with the Godhead . And howsoeuer I distinguish these three for orders sake , yet must we know and remember , that they are all wrought at one and the same instant of time . For when the holy Ghost frames and sanctifies the manhood in the wombe of the Virgin ; at the very same moment it is receiued into the vnitie of the second person . In the framing of Christs manhood two things must be considered , the matter and the maner . The matter of his bodie was the very flesh and blood of the virgin Marie ; otherwise he could not haue beene the sonne of Dauid , of Abraham , and Adam according to the flesh . As for his soule , it was not deriued from the soule of the virgin Marie as a part thereof , but it was made as the soules of all other men be , that is , of nothing , by the very power of God , and placed in the bodie : both of them from the first moment of their beeing , hauing their subsistance in the person of the sonne . And here we must take heed of two opinions : the first is of the Anabaptists , which holde , that the flesh of Christ came downe from heauen , and passed through the virgin Marie as through a pipe , without taking any substance from her : the places which they alleadge for the purpose are manifestly abused . For whereas Christ saith of himselfe that he descended from heauen , his speech must be vnderstoode in respect of his Godhead , which may be said in some sort to descend , in that it was made manifest in the manhood here vpon earth . And whereas Paul calleth him heauenly and the Lord from heauen , it is not in respect of the substance of his bodie , but in respect of the glorious qualities which he receiued after this resurrection . The other opinion is of the Papists , that hold the bread in the sacrament to be turned substantially into the bodie of Christ : which thing if it be true , then the bodie of Christ is made of bread kneaded and tempered by the hand of the baker , and not of the substance of the virgin Marie . As for the manner of the making and framing of the humane nature of Christ , it was miraculous ; not by generation according to the ordinarie course of nature , but by an extraordinary operation of the holy Ghost aboue nature : and for this cause , it is not within the compasse of mans reason either to conceiue or to expresse the manner and order of this conception . The Angel ascribes two actions to the holy Ghost in this great worke ; the one to come vpon the virgin Marie ; the other , to ouershadow her : by the first is signified the extraordinarie worke of the holy Ghost in fashioning the humane nature of Christ , for so much the phrase a elsewhere importeth . The second signifieth , that the holy Ghost did as it were b cast a cloud ouer her , to teach vs , that we should not search ouer much into the mysterie of the Incarnation . It may be obiected against this which hath bin said , that if Christ be in this manner conceiued by the holy Ghost , then the holy Ghost shall be father to Christ , and Christ his sonne . Answ. The reason is not good . For he that is a father is not a bare efficient cause , but one which in the effecting of any thing conferres the matter vnto it from himselfe , whereof it shall be made . Now the holy Ghost did not minister any matter vnto Christ from his own substance , but did onely as it were , take the masse and lumpe of mans nature from the bodie of the virgin Marie , and without ordinarie generation made it the bodie of Christ : as Basil saith , Christ was conceiued not of the substance , but of the power , not by any generation , but by the appointment and benediction of the holy Ghost . The second point in the conception ; is the sanctifying of that masse or lumpe which was to be the manhood of Christ. And that was done vpon speciall cause : first , that it might be ioyned to the person of the Sonne , which could not haue beene if it had beene defiled with sinne . Secondly , Christ was a Sauiour as he is both God and man : now then beeing man , if he had beene sinnefull himselfe , he could not haue saued others , but should haue stoode in neede of a Sauiour for himselfe . This sanctification hath two parts : the first is , the stay and stoppage of the propagation of originall sinne , and of the guilt of Adams sinne ; which was on this manner . God in the beginning set downe this order touching man , that what euill or defect soeuer he brought vpon himselfe , he should deriue the same to euery one of his posteritie begotten of him : and hereupon when any father begets his childe , he is in the roome of Adam , and conueies vnto it beside the nature of man the very guilt and corruption of nature . Now for the preuenting of this euill in Christ , God in great wisdome appointed that he should be conceiued by the holy Ghost without any manner of generation by man. And by this meanes he takes substance from the Virgin without the guilt and corruption of the substance . But it may further be obiected thus . All that be in Adam haue sinned in him : but Christ was in Adam as he is man : therefore he sinned in him . Ans. The proposition is false , vnlesse it be expounded on this manner : All that were in Adam haue sinned in him so be it they come of him by generation . Paul saith not , out of one man , but , by one man sinne entred into the world , to shew , that man propagates his corruption to no more then he begets . Againe , Christ is in Adam not simply as other men are , but in some part : namely in respect of substance which he took from him , and not in respect of the propagation of the substance by ordinarie generation : other men are both from Adam and by Adam , but Christ is from him alone and not by him as a begetter or procreant cause . The second part of sanctification is the infusion of all purenesse and holinesse into the manhoode of Christ , so farre forth as was meete for the nature of a redeemer . The duties to be learned hence are these : First , whereas Christ was sanctified in the wombe of the virgin Marie , we likewise must labour to be sanctified in our selues , following the commandement of God , Be ye holy as I am holy . S. Iohn saith , that he which hath hope to be with Christ in glorie in heauen , purifieth himselfe euen as he is pure : no doubt setting before himselfe the example of Christ as a patterne to follow in all his waies . And because our hearts are as it were seas of corruptions , we must daily cleanse our selues of them by little & little , following the practise of the poore begger that is alwaies peecing and mending , and day by day pulls away some ragges and puts better cloath in the roome . And if we shall continually indeauour our selues to cast off the remnants of corruption that hang so fast on , and make a supplie thereof by some new portions of Gods heauenly grace ; we shall be vessells of honour sanctified and meete for the Lord , and prepared vnto euery good worke . Christ could not haue beene a fit Sauiour for vs vnlesse he had first of all bin sanctified : neither can we be fit members vnto him , vnlesse we be purged of our sinnes and in some measure truly sanctified . The comfort which Gods people may reape of the sanctification of Christs manhood is great . For why was he sanctified ? Surely if we marke it well , we shall finde it was for the good and benefit of his Elect. For Adam and Christ be two rootes as hath beene shewed . Adam by creation , first receiued Gods image , and after lost the same for himselfe and his posteritie . Now Christ to remooue the sinne of man is made the second Adam , and the roote and very head of all the Elect. His manhood was filled with holinesse aboue measure : that from thence as from a storehouse it might be deriued to all his members . And therefore by his most holy conception , our sinnefull birth and conception is sanctified , and his holinesse serues as a couer to hide our manifolde corruptions from the eyes of God. Yea it serues as a buckler to award the temptations of the deuill : for when he shall say to our hearts on this manner ; no vncleane thing can enter into the kingdome of heauen ; but thou by reason of the remnants of originall sinne art vncleane : therefore thou canst not enter into the kingdome of heauen : we returne our answer , saying , that Christs righteousnesse is our righteousnesse , seruing to make vs stand without blame or spot before God. And as Iacob put on Esaus garments that he might get his fathers blessing : so if by faith we doe put on the white garment of righteousnes of our elder brother Christ Iesus , and present our selues in it vnto our heauenly father , we shall obtaine his blessing which is eternall happines . Now remaines the third and last part of the conception , which is the Vnion of the godhead and the manhood : cōcerning which , many points are particularly to be handled . The first is , what kinde of Vnion this is ? Ans. In the Trinitie there be two sorts of vnions : vnion in nature , and vnion in person . Vnion in nature is , when two or moe things are ioyned and vnited into one nature , as the Father , the Sonne , the holy Ghost beeing and remaining three distinct persons , are one and the same in nature or Godhead . Vnion in person is , when two things are in that maner vnited , that they make but one person or subsistance : as a bodie created by God and a reasonable soule ioyned both togither make one particular man , as Peter , Paul , Iohn , &c. And this second , is the vnion whereof we intreat in this place : by which the second person in Trinitie the sonne of God did vnite vnto himselfe the humane nature , that is the bodie and soule of man : so as the Godhead of the Sonne and the manhood concurring togither made but one person . The second point is , in what thing this vnion doth consist . Answ. It consists in this , that the second person the Sonne of God doth assume vnto it a manhood in such order , that it beeing voide of all personall being in it selfe , doth wholly and onely subsist in the same person . As the plant called Missell or Misselto hauing no roote of his owne , both growes and liues in the stocke or bodie of the Oke or some other tree : so the humane nature hauing no proper substance , is , as it were , ingrafted into the person of the sonne , and is wholly supported and sustained by it so as it should not be at all , if it were not sustained in that manner . And for the better vnderstanding of this point , we must consider , that there be foure degrees of the presence of God in his creatures . The first is his generall presence , and it may be called the presence of his prouidence , whereby he preserueth the substances of all creatures , and giueth vnto them to liue , mooue , and haue beeing : and this extendeth it selfe to all creatures good and bad . The second degree is the presence of grace , wherby he doth not onely preserue the substāces of all his creatures , but also giueth grace vnto it : & this agreeth to the Church & people of God vpon earth . The third degree is the presence of glorie peculiar to the Saints and angels in heauen : and this stands in three things , for God not onely preserues their substances , and giues them plentie of his grace , but also admits them into his glorious presence , so as they may behold his maiestie face to face . The fourth and last is that , whereby the Godhead of the sonne is present and dwells with and in the manhood , giuing vnto it in some part his owne subsistance . Wherby it comes to passe that this manhood assumed is proper to the sonne , and can not be the manhood of the Father , or of the holy Ghost , or of any creature whatsoeuer . And this is a thing so admirable and so vnspeakable , that among all the works of God there can not be found an other example hereof in all the world . Hence it follows necessarily , that the manhood of Christ consisting of bodie and reasonable soule , is a nature onely and not a person : because it doth not subsist alone as other men , Peter , Paul , Iohn doe ; but wholly depends on the person of the word , into the vnitie whereof it is receiued . The third point is , in what order the diuine and humane nature of Christ are vnited togither . Ans. The common consent of Diuines is , that , albeit all the parts of the manhood and the godhead of Christ be vnited at one instant : yet in respect of order he vnites vnto himselfe first and immediately the soule , and by the soule the bodie . And it seemes vnmeete that God beeing a most simple essence should immediately be ioyned to a compound bodie : and therefore it may well be saide that he is vnited vnto it by the more simple part of man , which is the soule . Againe the manhood of Christ is first and immediately ioyned to the person of the sonne himselfe , and by the person to the godhead of the sonne . The fourth point is , whether there remaine any difference or diuersitie of the two natures after that the vnion is made . Answ. The two natures concurring make not the person of the sonne to be compounded properly , but onely by analogie : for as bodie and soule make one man , so God and man make one Christ : neither are they turned one into an other , the godhead into the manhood or the manhood into the godhead , as water was turned into wine at Cana in Galile : neither are they confused and mingled togither as meates in the stomacke : but they now are , and so remaine without composition , conuersion , or confusion , really distinct and that in three respects . First in regard of essence . For the godhead of Christ is the godhead and can not be the manhood : and againe , the manhood of Christ is the manhood and not the godhead . Secondly , they are distinguished in proprieties : the godhead is most wise , iust , mercifull , omnipotent : yea wisdom , iustice , mercie , and power it selfe : and so is not the manhood , neither can it be . Againe , Christ as he is God hath his will eternall and vncreated , which is all one with the will of the father and the holy Ghost . And as he is man he hath another will created in time , & placed in his reasonable soule : & this Christ signifieth when he saith , Not my will but thy will be done . Thirdly , they are distinct in their actions or operations ; which though they goe togither inseparably in the worke of redemption : yet they must in no wise be confounded but distinguished as the natures themselues are . Christ saith of himselfe , I haue power to lay downe my life , and I haue power to take it vp againe : and hereby he shewes the distinction of operations in his two natures . For to lay downe his life is an action of the manhood , because the Godhead can not die : and to take it vp againe is the worke of the Godhead alone , which reunites the soule to the bodie after death . The fifth and last point is , what ariseth of this vnion ? Ans. By reason of this hypostatical vnion , though the godhead receiue nothing from the manhood , yet the manhood it selfe , which is assumed , is thereby perfected and enriched with vnspeakable dignitie . For first of all it is exalted aboue all creatures whatsoeuer , euen angels themselues , in that it hath subsistance in the second person in Trinitie . Secondly , togither with the godhead of the Sonne , it is adored and worshipped with diuine honour , as in like case the honour done to the King himselfe , redoundes to the crowne on his head . Thirdly by reason of this vnion , the godhead of Christ workes all things in the matter of our redemption , in and by the manhoode . And hereupon the flesh of Christ though it profit nothing of it selfe , yet by the vertue which it receiueth from that person to which it is ioyned , it is quickning flesh and the bread of life . Againe from this vnion of two natures into one person , ariseth a kinde of speech or phrase peculiar to the Scriptures , called the communication of proprieties when the propertie of one nature is attributed to the whole person or to the other nature , as when Paul saith , that God shed his blood , that the Lord of glorie was crucified . And when Christ saith that he talking with Nichodemus was then in heauen . The vse of the personall vnion is threefold . First it serues to shew the hainousnesse of our sinnes , and the greatnesse of our miserie . For it had not bene possible to make a satisfaction to Gods iustice in mans nature for the least offence , vnlesse the same nature had first of all beene neerely ioyned to the godhead of the sonne ; that thereby it might be so farre forth supported and sustained that it might ouercome the wrath of God. Secondly it sets forth vnto vs the endlesse loue of God to man. For whereas by reason of Adams fall we were become the vilest of all creatures , except the deuill and his angels : by his mysticall coniunction , our nature is exalted to such an estate and condition as is farre aboue all creatures euen the angels themselues . Thirdly it is as it were the keye of all our comfort : for all sound comfort stands in happines , all happines is in fellowship with God , all fellowship with God is by Christ , who for this cause beeing very God , became very man , that he might reconcile man to God , and God to man. Thus much of the conception of Christ : now followes his birth : whereby in the ordinarie time of trauell according to the course of nature he was brought forth into the world by the virgin Marie . And it was the will of God , that Christ should not onely be conceiued , but also borne , and that after the manner of men , that he might be knowne to be very man indeede . In the birth we may consider foure things ; the time , the place , the manner , the manifestation of it . The time was in the last daies , toward the end of the 70. weekes of Daniel , which are to be accounted from the ende of the captiuitie of Babylon , and make in all 490 yeares : or more plainly 3900 yeares and more from the beginning of the world , and as Paul saith in the fulnesse of time . And the Euangelists haue noted of purpose the time to haue beene when Augustus Caesar taxed the Iewes and all nations vnder his dominions ; to signifie that Christ was borne at the very time foretold by Iaacob , when the crowne and scepter was taken from Iuda : and withall , to shew that his kingdome was not of this world . And it was the good pleasure of God that Christ should not be borne either later or sooner , but so many ages from the beginning of the world . And this consideration of the very time it selfe serues greatly for the confirmation of our faith . For thus may we reason with our selues : If God who in the beginning made a promise to our first parents concerning the seede of the woman , deferred it almost 4000 yeares , and yet at length accomplished the same to the very full : then no doubt God hauing promised the resurrection of the dead and life euerlasting , will in his good time bring them to passe , though as yet we see them not . And thus by the accomplishment of all things past , should we confirme our hope concerning things to come . The place was not at Ierusalem nor Nazareth , nor any other citie , but onely a village of Iuda called Bethleem , that the prophesie of Micheas might be fulfilled , Thou Bethleem Ephrata art little to be among the thousands of Iuda , yet out of thee shall he come forth vnto me , that shal be the ruler in Israel . And here we may obserue a memorable example of Gods prouidence which ouerruleth the proceedings of cruell tyrants , to the accomplishing of his owne will , they themselues for their parts intending nothing lesse . Augustus not so much as dreaming of the birth of the Messias , gaue commandement that euery man should goe to his owne citie to be taxed : and hereupon Ioseph and Marie take their iourney from Nazareth to Bethleem : which iourney God himselfe appointed and disposed to this ende , that the Messias might be borne in the place which he preordained and foretold by his Prophet . The manner of Christs birth was very base and poore : for the place where he was borne was a stable , and the cradle where he lay was a cratch . And he willingly tooke vpon him this pouertie for sundrie causes . I. That the Scripture might be fulfilled , which saith , that he should be the shame and contempt of the people : and that he shall grow vp as a roote out of a drie ground and haue neither forme nor beautie . II. That he might afterward from this base condition be exalted euen in his manhoode to that rich and glorious estate in which he should manifest himselfe to be Lord of heauen and earth . III. He was borne in exceeding pouertie that he might shame the wise men of this world , who exceedingly esteeme of their riches , power , and glorie , perswading themselues that without such meanes no good thing can be done . And yet for all this they can not so much as reconcile one man to God by all their might & wealth : wheras Christ himselfe hath done the same both in pouertie and weaknesse ; and can enlarge and preserue his kingdome without earthly helps . When he hung vpon the crosse the souldiers stript him of his garments : and beeing naked he brought that to passe which all the Monarchs of the earth in all their royalties could neuer haue performed . And whether Christ lie in the manger betweene the Oxe and the Asse , or in the pallace of the King , it matters not in regard of our saluation . IV. He came in this maner that there might be a difference betweene his first comming in the flesh and his last oomming to iudgement . In the first he came onely for this ende , not to make any outward alterations in the world , but to chaunge the conscience and to put in execution the worke of our spirituall redemption : and therefore he hath reserued the ouerturning of all earthly estates with the manifestation of his owne glorie to the latter . V. Lastly he was borne in a poore estate that he might procure true riches for vs in heauen : and withall , sanctifie vnto vs our pouertie vpon earth . As Paul saith , Ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ , that he beeing rich for your sakes became poore , that ye thorough his pouertie might be made rich . He was content to lie in the manger that we might rest in heauen . This serues to teach vs to be content to beare any meane condition that the Lord shall send vpon vs : for this is the very estate of the sonne of God himselfe . And if for our cause he did not refuse the basest condition that euer was , why should we murmure at the same : for what is the best of vs but miserable sinners , and therfore vtterly vnworthie either to go or lie vpon the bare earth ? and though we fare and lie better then our Lord himselfe , yet such is our daintinesse , we are not pleased therewith : whereas he for his part disdained not the manger of the Oxe . And if the Lord of heauen and earth comming into the world finde so little entertainment or fauour , we for our parts beeing his members , should willingly prepare our selues to take as hard measure at the hands of men . The last point is the manifestation of Christs birth that it might be known to the world . Where consider two circumstances , the first , to whome ? namely to poore shepheards tending their flockes by night , and not to great or mightie men , louers of this world , nor to the priests at Ierusalem contemners of Gods grace ; and that for two causes : one , because the shepheards were the fittest persons to publish the same at Bethlehem : the other , it was Gods pleasure to manifest that in the birth of Christ which Paul saith , Not many wise men after the flesh , not many mightie , not many noble are called : but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise . The second is , by whome ? by the angels of the Lord appearing in great glorie vnto the shepheards . For the priests of Ierusalem and the rulers of the Synagogues , to whome this o●fice did belong , held their peace : beeing blinded in their manifold errours & wicked waies . The duties to be learned of the birth of Christ are these . First we are admonished hereby to magnifie and praise the name of God , saying with Mary , My soule doth magnifie the Lord , and my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour . And with Zacharie , Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people . And with the Angels of heauen , Glorie to God in the highest heauens . For in this birth is made manifest the wisdome , the truth , the iustice and mercy , and goodnesse of God towards vs , more then euer it was before : yea as Christ God and man , is more excellent then the first Adam created according to Gods owne image : and as the spirituall life is better then the naturall life , and as the eternall and most holy marriage of Christ the husband and his spouse the Church arising as it were out of the bloode that trickled out of his side , is more wonderfull then the creation of Eve of the rib of Adam : lastly , as it is a farre greater matter by death to ouercome death , and to turne it into eternal life , then to commaunde that to exist and be which was not before : so is the worke of redemption begunne in the birth of Christ more vnspeakable and admirable then the first creation of man. Hereupon not 6. cherubims as in the vision of Isaiah , not 24. elders as in the Apocalyps , but a great multitude of Angels like armies were heard to praise God at the birth of Christ , and no doubt the like sight was not seene since the beginning of the worlde . And the Angels by their example put vs in minde to consider aright of this benefit , and to praise God for it . But alas , this practise is very rare in this fruitlesse and barren age of the worlde ; where sinne and iniquitie abounds , as may be seene by experience ; for by an old custome we retaine still in the Church the feast of the natiuitie of Christ , so commonly called : which neuerthelesse is not spent in praising the name of God who hath sent his sonne from his owne bosome to be our redeemer , but contrariwise in rifling , dicing , carding , masking , mumming , and in all licentious libertie for the most part , as though it were some heathen feast of Ceres or Bacchus . Secondly , Christ was conceiued and borne in bodily manner , that there might be a spirituall conception and birth of him in our hearts , as Paul saith , My little children of whome I trauell till Christ he formed in you : and that is , when we are made newe creatures by Christ , and performe obedience to our creatour . When the people said to Christ that his mother and his brethren sought him , he answered , He that doth the will of God is my brother , my sister , and mother . Therefore let vs goe with the sheapheards to Bethlehem , and finding our blessed Sauiour swadled and lying in the cratch , let vs bring him thence and make our owne hearts to be his cradle : that we may be able to say that we liue not , but Christ liues in vs : and let vs present vnto him our selues , our bodies & soules as the best gold , mirrhe , and frankincense that may be : and thus conceiuing him by faith , he remaining without chaunge , wee shall be chaunged into him and made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh . The world , I know , neuer so much as dreameth of this kinde of conception and birth , for as Dauid saieth , Men trauell with wickednesse , conceiue mischiefe , and bring forth a lie . And S. Iames saith , Men are drawne away by their owne concupiscence , which when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sinne . And these are the ougly and monstrons birthes of these daies . But let vs , I pray you , contrariwise waile and mourne for the barrennes of our hearts that doe so little conceiue the grace of Christ in heart , and bring it forth in action . The mother of Christ vndoubtedly was a blessed woman : but if shee had not as well conceiued Christ in her heart , as shee did in her wombe , shee had not bin saued ; and no more can wee , vnlesse doe the same . The birth of Christ to them that haue touched hearts , is the comfort of cōforts , and the sweetest balme or confection that euer was . Behold say the Angel to the she●pheards , we bring tidings of great ioy that shall be to all people : but wherein standes the ioy ? they adde further , vnto you this daie is borne in the citi● of Dauid a S●uiour , which is Christ the Lord. And no maruel : for in that birth is manifested the good will of God to man , and by it we haue peace , first with God , secondly with our selues in conscience , thirdly with the good Angels of God , fourthly with our enemies : lastly with al the creatures . For this cause the Angels sang , Peace on earth , good will towards men . In the last place the Creede notes vnto vs the parent or mother of Christ , the Virgine Mary . And here at the verie first it may be demanded , howe hee could haue either father or mother ; because he was figured by Melchisedech who had neither father nor mother . Ans. Melchisedech is said to be without father and mother , not because he had none at all . For according to the ancient and receiued opinion , it is very likely that he was Sem the sonne of Noe : but because where hee is mentioned vnder this name of Melchisedech in the 14. chapter of Genes . there is no mention made of Father or Mother : and so Christ in some sort is without father or mother : as he is man he hath no father , as he is God he hath no mother . And whereas Christ is called the sonne of Ioseph , it was not because hee was begotten of him , but because Ioseph was his reputed father : or , which is more , because he was a legall father , namely according to the Iewes lawes : in that ( as sundrie diuines think ) he was the next of his kin , and therefore to succeede him as his lawfull heire . Mary became the mother of Christ by a kind of calling thereto , which was by an extraordinarie message of an angel concerning the conception & birth of Christ in and by her : to which calling and message shee condescended , saying , Behold the handmaid of the Lord , be it vnto me according to thy worde . And hereupon she conceiued by the holy ghost . This being so it is more then sensles folly to turne the salutatiō of the angel , Haile freely beloued &c. into a praier . For it is as much as if we should stil call her to become a mother of Christ. And shee must be held to be the mother of whole Christ God and man : & therfore the ancient Church hath called the mother of God : yet not the mother of the godhead . Furthermore the mother of Christ is described by her qualitie , a virgin , & and by her name Mary . Shee was a virgine , first that Christ might be conceiued without sinne and be a perfect Sauiour : secondly , that the saying of the prophet Esay might be fulfilled , Behold a virgine shall conceiue & beare a sonne : according as it was foretold by God in the first giuing of the promise , the seede of the woman , not the seede of the man , shall bruise the serpents heade . Nowe the Iewes to elude the most pregnant testimonie of the prophet , saie , that Alma signifies not a virgin , but a young woman which hath knowne a man. But this is indeede a forgerie . For Esay there speakes of an extraordinary worke of God aboue nature , whereas for a woman hauing knowne man to conceiue , is no wonder . And the word Alma , through the whole bible is taken for a virgin , as by a particular search will appeare . As Ma●ie conceiued a virgin , so it may be well thought that shee continued a virgine to the ende , though wee make it no article of our faith . When Christ was vpon the crosse , h●e commended his mother to the custodie of Iohn ; which probably argueth , that she had no child to whose care and keeping shee might be cōmēded . And though Christ be called her first born , yet doth it not followe that shee had any child after him : for as that is called last after which there is none , so that is called the first before which there was none . And as for Ioseph , when he was espoused to Marie , he was a man of eightie yeares old . And here we haue occasion to praise the wisdome of God , in the forming of man. The first man Adam was borne of no man ; but immediately created of God : the second , that is Eve , is formed not of a woman , but of a man alone : the third & all after , begotten both of womā & man : the fourth , that is , Christ , God and man , not of no man as Adam , not of no woman as Eve ; not of man and woman as we : but after a newe manner , of a woman without a man hee is conceiued and borne . And hereupon our dutie is not to despise , but highly to reuerence the virgin Marie , as being the mother of the sonne God , a a prophetisse vpon earth , a Saint in heauen . And we do willingly condescend to giue her honour three waies , first by thanksgiuing to God for her , secondly by a reuerent estimation of her , thirdly by imitation of her excellent vertues : yet farre be it from vs to adore her with diuine honour , by praier to cal vpon her , as though shee knew our hearts , and heard our requests , and to place her in heauen as a queene aboue the sonne of God. The name of the mother of Christ is added , to shewe that he came of the linage of Dauid , and that therefore he was the true Messias before spoken of . It may be obiected , that both Mathew and Luke sets downe the genealogie of Ioseph , of whom Christ was not . Ans. Mathew sets downe indeede in Christs genealogie , the natural descent of Ioseph , the husband of Marie , hauing Iaacob for his naturall father : but Luke taking another course , propounds the natural descent of Marie the mother of Christ : and when he saith that Ioseph was the sonne of Eli , he meanes of a legall sonne . For sonnes and daughters in law , are called sonnes and daughters to their fathers and mothers in law : Mary her selfe and not Ioseph , being the naturall daughter of Eli. And whereas Luke doth not plainely say , that Marie was the daughter of Eli , but puts Ioseph the sonne in lawe in her roome , the reason hereof may bee , because it was the maner of the Iewes to account and continue their genealogies in the male and not in the female sexe , the man beeing the head of the familie , and not the woman . And though Ruth , and Rahab , and other women be mentioned by Matthew , yet that is onely by the way : for they make no degrees herein . Againe it may be further demanded , howe Christ could come of Dauid by Salomon , as Mathew saith , and by Nathan as Luke saith ; they twaine being two distinct sonnes of Dauid . Ans. By vertue of the lawe , whereby the brother was bound to raise vp seed to his brother : there was a double descent in vse among the Iewes , the one was naturall , the other legall . Naturall , when one man descended of another by generation , as the child from the naturall father , Legall , when a man not begotten of another , yet did succeede him in his inheritance ; and thus Salathiel is the naturall sonne of Neri , and the legall sonne of Iechonias . Nowe Saint Luke setts downe the naturall descent of Christ from Dauid by Nathan , and Saint Mathewe the other descent , which is legall , by Salomon ; whome Christ succeeded in the right of the kingdome , beeing borne the King of the Iewes : none that could possibly be named , hauing more right to it , then he . By this descent of Christ wee haue occasion to consider , that Christ was euen in his birth the most excellent and noble man that euer was , descending o● the eternall father as he is the sonne of God , and as he is man , descending of the Patriarks , and of the renowmed kings of Iudah . And this his nobilitie hee conuaies in part to his members , in that he makes them the sonnes of God , a royall priesthood , and a peculiar people to himselfe : inriching them also with the reuenewes of the whole worlde , and with title and right to the kingdome of glorie in heauen , as their inheritance . And withall , Christ beeing the liuely patterne of true nobilitie , by his example men of blood are taught not to stand so much on their pedigree , and their ancetours , as though nobilitie stood in this , that man descends of man : but to labour with all that they may be the sonnes and daughters of God by regeneration in Christ. This indeede is the ornament of the blood , the best part in the noble mans skutchin , and the finest flowre in his garland . And though a man bee neuer so noble or great an estate , yet if he be not a repentant sinner , he is base and vile , and his nobilitie stinkes in the nosthrils of god . Christ in his genealogie doth not so much as vouchsafe to name those his ancetours that ruled wickedly ; and hereupon Saint Mathewe omitteth three kings of Iudah , Achaziah , Ioas , and Amaziah : whereas neuerthelesse hainous offendours that repented are mentioned , as Ruth , & Thamar , and Bathshabe . Thus much of the incarnation of Christ : nowe followeth the third and last point which is to be considered in the description of Christ , namely , the estate of Christ after his birth , which is two-fold , the estate of humiliation , and the estate of exaltation . The estate of humiliation , is the condition of Christ the Mediatour , in which he abased himselfe euen to the death of the crosse , that by that meanes he might performe the office of a priest in making satisfaction to the iustice of his father . This estate agrees to the whole person of Christ according to both natures . For first of al his manhood was abased and humbled , in that it was made subiect to the infirmities of mans nature , as also to the miseries and punishments which were due vnto man for sinne . Secondly , his Godhead was abased ; not as it is considered in it selfe . For so it admits no alteration or chaunge . But in respect of the flesh or manhood assumed ; vnder the which as vnder a vaile , the Godhead lay hid from the first moment of the incarnation to the time of his resurrection , without any great manifestation of his power & maiestie therein . The order of these two estates must be marked . First is the estate of humiliation , and then in the second place followes the estate of exaltatiō . As Christ saith of himselfe , O fooles , & slow of heart to beleeue , &c. ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and to enter into his glorie . And here we for our parts must learne a lesson . The same which was true in Christ the head , must be verified in all his members ; they must all haue their two-fold estate : first in this life the estate of humiliation : secondly after this life the estate of glorie . And as Christ first entred into the state of his humiliation , and then into glorie : so it is with his members , first they must be abased in this life , and secondly exalted in the world to come . He that will raigne with Christ and be exalted , must first suffer with him , and be humbled : he that will weare the crowne of glorie , must weare first a crowne of thornes : they that will haue all teares wiped from their eyes , must here first in this life shedde them . And the children of God before they can sing the song of Moses , and of the seruants of God , and of the lambe , must first swimme through the sea of burning glasse : whereby it is signified , that those which after this life would sing songs of praises to Christ , must in this life be cast into a sea of miserie . And if this be true , then we may heare learne , that it is a wretched case for a man in this life to haue perpetuall ease , rest , and quietnes both in bodie & soule , goods , & good name : for we see by Christs example , that through aduersitie we must come to happines : and if a man would haue rest and peace in the life to come , then in this life he must looke for trouble , persecution , and sorrow . Indeede in the iudgement of the world , they are blessed that alwaies liue at rest ; but before God they are most miserable , and ( as oxen which are made fatte in the best pasture ) readie for the slaughterhouse euery day . Secondly , here is an excellent consolation for those which professe the Gospel of Christ ; in the time of trouble and persecution they must reioyce , because the state of humiliation in this life is a signe that they are in the plaine and right way to saluation and glorie . A man is to take his iourney into a farre countrey , and inquiring for the way , it is told him that there are many plaine waies ; but the straight and right way is by woods , and hills , and mountaines , and great daungers : now when he is trauailing , and comes into those places , he gathereth certenly that he is in the right way : so the childe of God that is going to the kingdome of heauen , though there be many waies to walke in , yet he knowes that there is but one right way , which is very straight and narrowe , full of trouble , sorrowe , and persecution : full of all manner of crosses and afflictions : and when in this life he is persecuted and afflicted for good causes , whether in bodie or in minde , if he be content to beare his crosse , it argueth plainely that he is in the right way vnto saluation : for through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdome of heauen . The humiliation of Christ is first of all set downe in the Creede generally , and secondly by his parts or degrees . Generally , in these words , Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate . Where we must consider two things ; the Passion it selfe , and vnder whome it was . For the first , that we may the better conceiue the passion in his owne nature , seuen speciall points must be opened . I. The cause efficient . The principall cause of the passion , as it is the price of our redemption , was the decree and prouidence of God ; as Peter saith expressely that Christ was deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God. The impulsiue cause that mooued God to worke our saluation by this meanes , was nothing in man ( for al mankinde was shut vp vnder vnbeleefe , and therefore vnable to procure the least fauour at Gods hand ) but the will and good pleasure of God within himselfe . The instruments which the Lord vsed in this busines , were the wicked Iewes and Gentiles , and the deuill himselfe ; by whome he brought to passe the most admirable worke of redemption , euen then when they according to their kind did nothing els but practise wickednes and malice against Christ. II. The matter of the passion , is the whole malediction or curse of the Law , containing in it all manner of aduersities and miseries both of bodie and minde . All which may be reduced to three heads , the temptations of Christ , his ignominies and slaunders , his manifolde sorrowes and griefes , especially those which stand in the apprehension of the vnsupportable wrath of God. III. The forme of the passion , is that excellent and meritorious satisfaction which in suffering Christ made vnto his father for mans sinne . We doe not rightly consider of the passion , if we conceiue 〈◊〉 to be a bare and naked suffering of punishment , but withall we must conceiue it as a propitiation or a meanes satisfactorie to Gods iustice . The passion considered as a passion , ministers no comfort : but all our ioy and reioycing stands in this , that by faith we apprehend it as it is a satisfaction or a meanes of reconciliation for our offences . In this very point standes the dignitie of the passion , whereby it differs from all other sufferings of men whatsoeuer . Therefore most damnable and wicked is the opinion of the papists , who besides the alone passion of Christ , maintaine workes of satisfaction , partly of their owne , and partly of the Saints departed : which they adde to the passion as an appendance thereof . IV. The ende of the passion is , that God might bring to passe a worke in which he might more fully manifest his iustice and mercie , then he did in the creation , and that is the reconciliation betweene God and man. And here remember with the passion to ioyne the actiue obedience of Christ in fulfilling the law : for Christ in suffering obeyed , and in obeying suffered . And they must be ioyntly conceiued together for this cause . In reconciliation with God , two things are required : the remoouing of sinne in regard of the guilt , of the fault , and the punishment , and the conferring or giuing of righteousnes . Nowe the passion of Christ considered apart from his legall obedience , only takes away the guilt and punishment , frees man from death ; and makes him of a sinner to be no sinner : and that he may be fully reconciled to God , and accepted as righteous to life euerlasting , the legall obedience of Christ must also be imputed . And therfore in the Scriptures , where all our redemption is ascribed to the death and passion of Christ , this very obedience which standes in the perfect loue of God and man must be included and not excluded . V. The time of the passion was from the very birth of Christ to his resurrection : yet so , as the beginnings onely of his sufferings were in the course of his life , and the accomplishment thereof to the very full vpon the crosse . VI. The person that suffered was the sonne of God himselfe : concerning whome in this case two questions must be resolued . The first ; how can it stand with Gods iustice● to lay punishment vpon the most righteous man that euer was , and that for grieuous sinners : considering that tyrants themselues will not doe so . Ans. In the passion , Christ must not be considered as a priuate person : for then it could not stand with equitie that hee should be plagued and punished for our offences ; but as one in the eternal counsell of God set apart to be a publike suretie or pledge for vs , to suffer and performe those things which we in our persons should haue suffered and performed . For this cause God the father is said to giue his sonne vnto vs , and the sonne again to giue his life for his friends . The ●econd question is , how by the short and temporary death of the sonne of God , any man can possibly bee freed from eternall death and damnation , which is due vnto him for the least sinne . Ans. When we say that the sonne of God suffered , it must be vnderstood with distinction of the natures of Christ not in respect of the Godhead , but in respect of the assumed manhood : yet neuerthelesse the passion is to be ascribed to the whole person of Christ God and man : and from the dignitie of the person which suffered , ariseth the dignitie & excellencie of the passion , wherby it is made in value and price , to counteruaile euerlasting damnation . For when as the sonne of God suffered the curse for a short time , it is more then if all men and angels had suffered the same for euer . VII . The difference of the passion of Christ , and the sufferings of Martyrs : and that stands in two thinges . First Christs passion was a cursed punishment ; the sufferings of the Martyrs are no curses , but either chastisements or trials . Secondly , the passion of Christ is meritorious for vs euen before god , because he becam our mediatour and suretie in the couenant of grace , but the sufferings of Martyrs are not of value to merit for vs at Gods hand : because in suffering they were but priuate men , and therefore they nothing appertaine to vs. By this it appeares that the Treasury of the Church of Rome , which is as it were a common chest containing the ouerplus of the merits of saints , mingled with the merits of Christ , kept and disposed by the Pope himselfe , is nothing els but a sensles dotage of mans braine . And whereas they say that Christ by his death did merit that Saints might merit both for themselues and others , it is as much as if they should say , the sonne of God became Iesus , to make euery one of vs Iesus . And it is a manifest vntruth which they say . For the very manhood of Christ considered apart from the Godhead , cannot merit properly : cōsidering whatsoeuer it is , hath , or doth ; it is , hath , and doth the same , wholly and onely by grace : whereas therefore Christ meriteth for vs , it is by reason he is both God and man in one person . For this cause it is not possible that one meere man should merit for another . The vse of the passion followeth . It is the manner of Friers and Iesuits in the Church of Rome to vse the consideration of the passion of Christ , as a meanes to stirre vp compassion in themselues , partly towards Christ , who suffered grieuous torments , and partly towards the virgin Marie , who for the torments of her deere sonne was exceedingly troubled : and withall to kindle in their hearts an indignation towards the Iewes , that put Christ to death . But indeede this kind of vse is meere humane , and may in like manner be made by reading of any humane historie . But the proper and the speciall vse of the passion indeede is this : first of all we must set it before our eies as a looking glasse , in which we may clearely beholde the horriblenesse of our sinnes , that could not be pardoned without the passion of the sonne of God : and the vnspeakable loue of Christ , that died for vs , and therefore loued his own enemies more then his owne selfe : and lastly our endlesse peace with God and happinesse : in that , considering the person of our redeemer , who suffered the pangs of hell , wee may after a sort finde our paradise euen in the middest of hell . Secondly , the meditation of Christs passion serues as a most worthie mean● to beginne and to confirme grace , specially when it is mingled with faith ; and that two waies . For first , it serues to breede in our hearts a godly sorrowe for our sinnes past , when we doe seriouslie with our selues consider , that our owne sinnes were the cause of all the paines and sorrowes & calamities which he suffered in life and death . When any man had sinned vnder the lawe , hee brought vnto the temple or tabernacle some kind of beast for an offering , according as he was prescribed , laying his hand vpon the head of it , and afterward slaying it before the Lord. Now by the ceremony of laying on the hand he testified that he for his part had deserued death , and not the beast ; and that it beeing slaine and sacrificed , was a ●igne vnto him of the sacrifice of Christ offered vpon the crosse for his ●innes . And hereby we are taught , that so oft as we remember the passion of Christ , we should lay our hands as it were vpon our owne heades , vtterly accusing and condemning our selues , euermore keeping this in our hearts , that Christ suffered not for himself , but for our offences , which were the proper cause of all his woe and miserie . And as Christs passion was grieuous and bitter vnto him , so should our sinnes likewise bee grieuous and bitter vnto vs : let vs alwaies remember this ; otherwise we shall neuer reape any sound benefit by the passion of Christ. Againe , the passion of Christ is a notable meanes to stirre vp in our hearts a purpose and a care to reforme our selues , and liue in holines and newnes of life ; on this manner . Hath the sonne of God so mercifully dealt with me , as to suffer the curse of the whole lawe for my manifolde iniquities , and to deliuer me from iust and deserued damnation ? yea , no doubt , he hath , I am resolued of it : if I should go on in mine old course , I should be the most ingratefull of all creatures to this my louing Sauiour : I will therefore by his grace returne and reforme my life . And in this very point of reformation , the passion of Christ is set before vs as a most liuely patterne and example to followe . For as much ( saith S. Peter ) as Christ hath suffered for vs in the flesh , arme your s●lues likewise with the same minde , which is , that he which hath suffered in the flesh , hath ceased from sinne . Where he teacheth , that there must be in vs a spirituall passion answerable to the passion of Christ. For as his enemies did lade him with miseries euen to the death of the crosse ; so should we lade our owne flesh , that is , the corruption of our natures , with all such meanes as may subdue and weaken , crucifie and kill it . To the doing of this , three things especially are required . First , we must consider that the corruption of our rebebellious natures is like the great and mightie Goliah , and the grace of God which we receiue like young and little Dauid : and therefore if wee desire that grace should preuaile against corruption , we must disarme the strong man , and strippe him of all his weapons : which is done , by giuing all the members of our bodies to be instruments of the seruice of God in righteosnesse and holinesse . Secondly , we must indeauour to keepe in the corruption of nature as it were choking and smothering it in the heart ; that by it neither the world nor the deuill preuaile against vs. And this must be done by hauing a narrowe regard vnto all the powers and faculties of bodie and soule , setting a watch before our eies , eares , lippes , and all other parts of the bodie , that are in any action the instrumentes of the soule ; and aboue all , as Salomon saith , by countergarding the heart with all diligence . By the outward senses of the bodie , as through open windowes the deuill creeps into the heart ; and therefore our dutie is , to stoppe all such waies of entrance . Thirdly , when original corruption begins to rebel either in the minde , will , or any of the affections , then must we drawe out the sword of the spirit which is the word of God , and incounter with that hydeous gyant , laying loade vpon him by the iudgements and threatnings of the lawe , and as it were beating him downe with clubbes , as Paul speaketh . And if it fall out that concupiscence begin to conceiue and bring forth any sinne , we must cruise it in the head , and dash it against the ground , as a bird in the shell , least it grow vp to our vtter confusion . These are the duties which wee should learne by the passion of Christ. But lamentable are our daies , in which all for the most part goes contrarie : for commonly men are so farre from killing and subduing the rebellion of the naturall concupiscence , that all their studie and care is , howe they may feede and cherish it , and make it stronger then the mightie Goliah . But let vs for our parts be conformable to Christ in his passion , suffering in our flesh as he suffered in bodie and soule for . And let vs daily more and more by the hand of faith apprehend and apply to our hearts and consciences the passion of Christ , that it may as a fretting corasiue eate out the poison of our sinfull natures and consume it . Nowe followeth the second point concerning the passion of Christ , which is , vnder whome he suffered , namely vnder Pontius Pilate . And Christ may be saide to suffer vnder him in two respects . First , because he was then the president of Iurie . For a little before the birth of Christ the kingdome of the Iewes was taken away by the Romane Emperour , and reduced into a Prouince , and Pontius Pilate was placed ouer the Iewes , not as king , but as the Romane Emperours deputie . And this circumstance is noted in the history of the Gospell , and here specified in the Creed , to shewe that the Messias was exhibited in the time foretold by the Prophets . Iacob foretold that Shilo must be borne after the scepter is remooued from Iudah . Isaiah saith , that the family of Ishai shall be worne as it were to the roote before Christ as a braunch shall spring out of it . Againe , Christ suffered vnder Pontius Pilate as he was a iudge : whereby we are giuen to vnderstand of a wonder , namely that Christ the sonne of God , King of heauen and earth , was arraigned at the barre of an earthly iudge , and there condemned . For thus much the words in meaning import , that Pontius Pilate sate as iudge vpon Christ , to examine him , to arraigne him , and giue sentence against him . Wherefore before wee come to speake of the degrees of the passion of Christ , we must needs intreat of his arraignment vpon earth . In handling whereof we must generally consider these points . First that when he was arraigned before Pilate he was not as a priuate man , but as a pledge and surety that stood in the place and stead of vs miserable sinners , as the Prophet Isaiah saith , He bare our infirmities , and carried our sorrowes : and withall in him was mankind arraigned before God. Secondly , this arraignment was made not priuately in a corner , but openly in the publike court , and that in a great feast of the Iewes , as it were in the hearing of the whole world . Thirdly , though Pilate in citing , examining , and condemning Christ , intended not to worke any part of mans redemption , yet was this wholly set downe in the counsell and good pleasure of God , in whose roome Pilate sate , and whose iudgement he exercised . The generall vse of Christs arraignment , is two-fold . First , it is a terrour to all impenitent sinners : for there is no freedome or protection from the iudgement of God , but by the arraignment of Christ : and therefore such as in this life receiue him not by faith , must at the ende of this world be brought out to the most terrible barre of the last iudgement , there to be arraigned before the King of heauen and earth . And marke the equitie hereof . Christ himselfe could not haue beene our Sauiour and redeemer , vnlesse he had bin brought out to the barre of an earthly iudge , and arraigned as a guilty malefactour : and therefore there is no man vpon earth that liues and dies out of Christ , but he must whether he will or no , hold vp his hand at the barre of the great iudge of all mankind , where he shall see hell vnderneath him burning redde hotte , and opening it selfe wide to swallow him vp : and on the right hand of God standing all the Prophets , Apostles , and Saints of God giuing iudgement against him : on the left hand , the deuill and all his angels accusing him ; and within him a guilty conscience condemning him . And thus one day shal the arraignment of those persons be , that with full purpose of heart cleaue not to Christ : and yet , alas , huge and infinite is the number of those which make more account of transitorie and earthly matters , euen of their pigges with the Gaderens , then of him and his benefits : and such persons should rather be pitied then despised of vs all , considering their estate is such , that euery day they are going as traytours pinnioned to their owne iudgement , that they may goe thence to eternall execution . Secondly , Christs arraignment is a comfort to the godly . For he was arraigned before Pilate , that all such as truly beleeue in him , might not be arraigned before God at the day of the last iudgement : he was accused before an earthly iudge , that they might be cleared and excused before the heauenly iudge : lastly he was here condemned on earth , that we might receiue the sentence of absolution and be eternally saued in heauen . The arraignment of Christ hath three parts : his apprehension , his accusation , his condemnation . In the apprehension , we must consider two things : the dealing of Christ , and the dealing of Iudas and the Iewes . The dealing and proceeding of Christ was this : when he saw that the time of his apprehension and death was neere , he solemnly prepared himselfe thereto . And his example must teach euery one of vs , who know not the shortnesse of our daies , euery houre to prepare our selues against the day of death , that thē we may be found readie of the Lord. What ? shall the Sonne of God himselfe make preparation to his owne death , and shall not we most miserable sinners doe the same , who stand in need of a thousand preparations more then he ? wherefore let vs continually thinke with our selues that euery present day is the last day of our life , that so we may addresse our selues to death againe the next day . The first thing which Christ doth in this preparation , is to make ●hoice of the place , in which he was to be apprehended , as will appeare by conferring the Euangelists together . S. Matthew saith , he went to the place called Gethsemane : S. Luke saith , he went to the mount of Oliues as he was accustomed . And that we might not imagine that Christ did this that he might escape and hide himselfe from the Iewes , S. Iohn saith , that Iudas which betraied him knew the place , because oftentimes he resorted thither with his Disciples : whereas if he had feared apprehension he would haue rather gone aside to some other secret and vnwonted place . This then is the first point to be considered , that Christ knowing the time of his owne death to be at hand , doth willingly of his owne accord resort to such a place in which his enemies in all likelihood might easily finde him , and haue fit opportunitie to attach him . For if he should haue still remained in Ierusalem , the Scribes and Pharises durst not haue enterprised his apprehension , because of the people whome they feared : but out of the citie in the garden all occasion of feare is cut off . By this it is manifest , that Christ yeelded himselfe to death willingly , and not of constraint : and vnlesse his sufferings had bin voluntarie on his part , they could neuer haue bin a satisfaction to Gods iustice for our sinnes . Here a question offereth it selfe to be considered , whether a man may lawfully flie in danger and persequution , seeing Christ himselfe doth not . Answ. When good meanes of flying and iust occasion is offered , it is lawfull to flie . When the Iewes sought to kill Paul at Damascus , the Disciples tooke him by night , and put him through the wall , and let him downe in a basket to escape their hands . When Moses was called by God to deliuer the Israelites , after he had slaine the Egyptian , and the fact was knowne , and Pharao sought to kill him for it , he fledde to the land of Madian . And our Sauiour Christ sundrie times when he was to be stoned , and otherwaies hurt by the Iewes , withdrew himselfe from among them . It is lawfull then to flie in persecution , these caueats obserued . First , if a man finde not himselfe sufficiently strengthened to beare the crosse . Secondly , his departure must be agreeable to the generall calling of a Christian , seruing to the glorie of God and the good of his brethren , and the hurt of none . Thirdly , there must be freedome at the least for a time from the bond of a mans particular calling . If he be a Magistrate , he must be freed from ruling : if a Minister , from preaching and teaching , otherwaies he may not flie . And in this respect Christ , who did withdraw himselfe at other times , would not flie at this time ; because the houre of his suffering was come , wherein he intended most willingly to submit himselfe to the good pleasure and will of his father . The second part of the preparation , is the praier which Christ made vnto his father in the garden . And herein his example doth teach vs earnestly to pray vnto God against the danger of imminent death , and the temptations which are to come . And if Christ , who was without sinne , and had the spirit aboue measure had need to pray , then much more haue we need to be watchfull in all kinde of praiers , who are laden with the burden of sinne , and compassed about with manifold impediments and dangerous enemies . In this prayer sundrie points worthie our marking are to be considered . The first , who praied ? Answ. Christ the Sonne of God : but still we must remember the distinction of natures & of their operations in one and the same Christ ; he praieth not in his Godhead , but according to his manhood . The second is , for whome he praieth . Ans. Some haue thought that this and all other his prayers were made for his mysticall bodie the Church ; but the truth is , he now praies for himselfe , yet not as he was God , for the Godhead feeles no want : but as he was a man abased in the forme of a seruant ; and that for two causes . First , in that he was a man , he was a creature , and in that respect was to performe homage to God the creator . Secondly , as he was man , he put on the infirmities of our nature , and thereupon praied that he might haue strength and power in his manhoode to support him in bearing the whole brunt of the passion to come . The third point is , to whome he praied ? Answ. To the father : neither must this trouble vs , as though Christ in praying to the father , should pray to himselfe , because he is one and the same God with him . For though in essence they admit no distinction , yet in person or in the proper manner of subsisting they doe . The Father is one person , the Sonne an other : therefore as the father saying from heauen , This is my welbeloued Sonne , spake not to himselfe , but to the Sonne : so againe the Sonne when he praieth , he praies not to himselfe , but to the Father . The fourth point , what was the particular cause of his prayer . Ans. His agonie in which his soule was heauie vnto death ; not because he feared bodily death , but because the malediction of the law , euen the very heate of the furie and indignation of God was poured forth vpon him , wherewith he was affected and troubled , as if it had beene defiled with the sinnes of the whol world . And this appeares , first by the words whereby the Euangelists expresse the agonie of Christ , which signifie exceeding great sorrow and griefe : secondly , by his dolefull complaint to his Disciples in the garden , My soule is heauie vnto the death : thirdly , by his feruent praier thrise repeated , full of dolefull passions : fourthly , by the comming of an Angel to comfort him : fifthly , by his bloodie sweat , the like whereof was neuer heard . And herein lies the difference betweene Christs agonie , and the death of Martyrs : he put on the guilt of all our sinnes , they in death are freed from the same : he was left to himselfe void of comfort , they in the middest of their afflictions feele the vnspeakable comfort of the holy Ghost : and therefore we neede not meruaile why Christ should pray against death , which neuerthelesse his members haue receiued and borne most ioyfully . Againe , this most bitter agonie of Christ is the ground of all our reioycing , and the cause why Paul biddes all the faithfull in the person of the Philippians , to reioyce alwaies in the Lord , and againe to reioyce . And here we are further taught , that when we are plunged into a sea of most grieuous afflictions , and ouerwhelmed with the gulfes of most dreadfull temptations , euen then , then I say , we should not be discouraged , but lift vp our hearts by feruent praier to God. Thus did Christ when in the garden he was about to drinke the cuppe of the wrath of God , and to sucke vp the very dregges of it : and Dauid saith , that out of the deepes he called of the name of the Lord and was heard . The fifth point , what is the matter and forme of this prayer . Answ. Christ praies to be deliuered from the death and passion which was to come , saying on this manner , Father , let this cuppe passe from me : yet with two clauses added thereto , If it be possible , and , Not my will , but thy will be done . But it may be demanded , how it could be that Christ knowing that it was his Fathers will and counsell that he should suffer death for man , and also comming into the world for that ende , should make such a request to his Father without sinne . Answ. The request proceedes onely of a weaknes or infirmitie in Christs manhood without sinne , which appeareth thus . We must still consider that when he made this prayer to his father , the whole wrath of God and the very dolours and pangs of hell seazed vpon him : whereby the senses and powers of his minde were astonished , and wholly bent to releeue nature in this agonie . For as when the heart is smitten with griefe , all the blood in the bodie flowes thither to comfort it : so when Christ was in this astonishment , the vnderstanding and memorie , and all the parts of his humane nature ( as it were for a time suspending their owne proper actions ) concurred to sustaine and support the spirit and life of Christ , as much as possibly might be . Now Christ beeing in the middest of this perplexed estate , prayeth on this manner , Father , if it be possible let this cuppe passe . And these words proceede not from any sinne or disobedience to his Fathers will , but onely from a meere a perturbation of minde , caused onely by an outward meanes , namly the apprehension of Gods anger ; which neither blinded his vnderstanding nor tooke away his memorie so as he forgot his fathers will , but onely stopped and staied the act of reasoning and remembring for a little time : euen as in the most perfect clocke that is the motion may be staied by the ayre , or by mans hand , or by some outward cause without any defect or breach , made in any part of it . It may be obiected that Christs will is flatte contrarie to the wil of his father . Ans. Christs will as he is man and the will of his father in this agonie , were not contrarie , but onely diuers , and that without any contradiction or contrarietie . Now a man may will a diuers thing from that which God willeth , and that without sinne . Paul desired to preach the word of God in Asia and Bithynia , but he was hindred by the spirit . For all this , there is no contrarietie betweene Paul and the spirit of God ; but in the shew of discord great consent . For that which Paul willeth well , the spirit of God willeth not , by a better will : though the reason hereof be secret , and the reason of Pauls will manifest . Againe the minister in charitie reputing the whole congregation to be elect , in holy manner seeketh and willeth the saluation of euery one , which neuerthelesse the Lord in his eternall counsell willeth not . Now betweene both these wills there may be and is a difference without contrarietie . For one good thing as it is good may differ from another ; but it cannot be contrarie vnto it . It may further be alleadged , that in this praier there seemes to be a combate and fight in the minde , will , and affections of Christ , and therefore sinne . Ans. There are three kind of combates : the one betweene reason and appetite , and this fight is alwaies sinnefull , and was not in Christ : the second is betweene the flesh and the spirit , and this may be in Gods child who is but in part regenerate ; but it did not befall Christ who was perfectly holy . The third is a combate of diuers desires , vpon sundrie respects drawing a man to and fro . This may be in mans nature without fault : and was in Christ , in whome the desire of doing his Fathers will striuing and struggling with another desire ; whereby nature seekes to preserue it selfe , caused him to pray in this manner . The sixth point is , in what manner Christ prayed . Answ. He praied to his Father partly kneeling , partly lying on his face , and that with strong cries and teares , sweating water and blood : and all this he did for our sinnes . Here then behold the agonie of Christ as a cleare chrystall , in which we may fully see the exceeding greatnes of our sinnes , as also the hardnes of our hearts . We goe vaunting with our heads to heauen as though it were nothing to sinne against God , whereas the horrour of the wrath of God for our rebellions , brought downe euen the sonne of God himselfe , and laide him groueling vpon the earth . And we cānot so much almost as shed one teare for our iniquities , wheras he sweates blood for vs. Oh let vs therefore learne to abase our selues , and to carrie about vs contrite and bleeding hearts , and be confounded in our selues for our sinnes past . The last point is the euent of the prayer , which is to be heard , as the author of the Hebrewes saith , Christ Iesus in the daies of the flesh , did offer vp vnto his father prayers , and supplications , with strong cries and teares , vnto him that was able to saue him : and was also heard in that thing which he feared . But some will say , how was Christ heard , seeing he suffered death and bare the pangs of hel , and the full wrath of God ? if he had beene heard he should haue beene deliuered from all this . Answ. We must know that God heares our praiers two waies : I. when he directly graunts our request . II. when knowing what is good for vs , he giues not vs our requests directly , but a thing answerable thereunto . And thus was Christ heard : for he was not deliuered from suffering ; but yet he had strength and power giuen him , whereby his manhood was made able to beare the brunt of Gods wrath . And in the same manner God heareth the praiers of his seruants vpon earth . Paul praied to be deliuered from the angel Satan that buffeted him : but the Lord answered that it should not so be , because his grace whereby he was inabled to resist his temptation was sufficient : and Paul finding the fruit of his prayers on this manner , protests hereupon that he will reioyce in his infirmities . Others pray for temporall blessings , as health , life , libertie , &c. which notwithstanding God holds backe , and giues in stead thereof spirituall graces , patience , faith , contentation of minde . Augustine saith , God heares not our prayers alwaies according to our wills and desires , but according as the things asked shall be for our saluation . He is like the Physitian , who goes on to launch the wound and heares not the patient though he crie neuer so , till the cure be ended . Now followeth the second thing to be considered in Christs apprehension , namely the dealing of the Iewes : wherein we must consider foure things : I. how they consult togither concerning Christs apprehension . II. how they came to the place and mette him . III. how they laid hands on him . IIII. how they bound him and tooke him away . For the first : before they enterprised this matter , they did wisely and warily lay their heads togither , to consult of the time and place : and also of the manner of apprehending him . So Saint Matthew saith , There assembled together the chiefe Priests , and the Scribes , and the El●ers of the people into the hall of the chiefe Priest called Caiphas : and consulted how they might take Iesus by subtiltie . Whence we learne two good instructions : first , the Iewes hauing a quarrell against Christ , could neuer be at ●est till they had his blood : and therefore they consult how they might take him : but God did so order the matter , and dis●●ose of their purposes and consultations , that euen thereby he did confound them and their whole nation . ●or by reason of this hainous sinne against Christ , came the iust wrath of God vpon them , and so remaineth vnto this day . Whereby we see , that the Lord will ouerthrow such in their owne wisdome , that will be wise without the direction of Gods word , and against Christ. And thus it was with Achi●ophel , who for wisdome was as the oracle of God : yet because he rebelled against the Lords annointed , God confounded him in his owne wisdome . For when his counsell which he gaue against Dauid was not followed , he thought hims●●●e despised as the text saith , and sadled his asse , and arose and went home into his 〈◊〉 and put his houshold in order and hanged himselfe : & in this action he shewed himselfe more senslesse then a bruit beast . And in our daies the Leaguers that haue bound themselues by othe to roote out the Church of God ; by his most wonderfull prouidence turne their swords against themselues and destroy each other . Therefore if we would be wise , we must learne to be wise in Christ : for els our counsell will be our owne confusion . Secondly , hence we learne , that if any shall liue in stubbernnesse and rebellion against Christ , t●● Lord will so carrie and order those men , or that people , that in the 〈…〉 shall be the very causes of their owne perdition . This we see most p●●●n●●y in the example of these Iewes : for they euermore enuyed Ch●●st , and now they goe on to take counsell against him ; but God so disposed thereof , that euen by this meanes they brought destruction vpon themselues and their countrey . This must teach thee to take heed how thou liuest in thy sinnes : for if thou doe so , the Lord hath many waies to worke thy confusion : as , thy conscience to condemne thee ; thy friends to forsake thee ; the deuill & his angels to torment & molest thee ; and his creatures to annoy thee . Yea , the Lord can leaue all these , and m●ke thine owne selfe to be the direct meanes of working thine own confusion , both in bodie and soule eternally : & that euen then , wh● thou art most warie and wise in thine owne behalfe : and this is the reward of all those that walke on in their euill waies without any true conuersion . Hauing consulted , in the next place they come to the garden , where Christ was to be apprehended . And here we are to consider who they were that 〈◊〉 , ●●mely , the Scribes , and Pharises , the high priests , and their seruants ; a ●●nd of s●●ldiers , & the seruants of Pontius Pilate , & the Elders of the Iewes : a●●●hich came with one cōsent to the place where Christ was , that they might 〈◊〉 him . Where we learne a good lesson ; that all sorts of wicked men disagreeing among themselues , can agree against Christ. The Scribes and Pharise●●ere two contrarie sects , and at discord one with another in matters of re●●gio●● and Iudas was one of Christs disciples : the Elders differed from thē all : 〈◊〉 souldiours were Gentiles : all these were at variance among themselues , and could not one brooke another . So also we read that Herod and Pontius Pilate were not friends : but at the same time when Christ was apprehended , Pilate sent him to Herod , and they were made friends . Now as these wicked men did all conspire against Christ ; so doe the wicked ones of this world in all countries and kingdomes band themselues against the Church of Christ at this day . And howsoeuer such be at discord among themselues , yet they doe all ioyne hand in hand to persecute Christ in his members . And the reason is plaine ; because Christ and his religion is as flatte opposite to the corrupt disposition of all men , as light is to darknes . Againe , whereas we see so many sorts of men so amiably consenting to take Christ : we may note how all men naturally doe hate and abhorre him , and his religion . And looke as then it was with Christ , so hath it bin with all his members , and will be to the ende of the world . They are accounted as the offscouring of the world , men not worthie to liue on the face of the earth : as Christ told his Disciples , saying , Ye shall be hated of all nations for my names sake . Let vs also marke how all these came furnished to apprehend Christ : the text saith , they came with clubs and staues as vnto a theefe . All the whole nation of the Iewes knew right well that Christ was no man of violence , but meeke and lowly : and yet they came armed to apprehend him ; as though he had beene some mightie potentate that would not haue beene apprehended , but haue resisted them . Where we see the propertie of an euill conscience , which is to feare where there is no cause at all . This causeth some to be afraid of their own shadowes : and if they see but a worme peepe out of the ground , they are at their wits ende : and as Salomon saith , The wicked flee when none pursueth them . After that they are now come to Christ , we are to consider two things in their meeting : I. Christs communication with them . II. The treason of Iudas . Concerning their conference , it is said , Iesus knowing all things that should come vnto him , went forth , and said vnto them , Whome seeke ye ? they answered him ; Iesus of Nazareth : Iesus answered , I am he . Now so soone as he had said , I am he , the stoutest of them fell to the ground , as beeing astonished at the maiestie of his word . Where note , that the word of God is a word of power . The same power was in his word when he raised vp Lazarus : for when he had lien in the graue , and had entred into some degrees of corruption , he did no more , but saide , Lazarus come forth ; and he that was dead came forth . And hence we may also marke what a wonderfull might and power is in the word preached : for it is the very word of Christ , and therefore beeing preached by his ministers lawfully called by him thereunto ; hath the same power & force in it which Christ himselfe shewed when he spake on earth . It is the sauour of life vnto life to saue those that heare it : or the sauour of death vnto death . It is like to a vapour or perfume in the aire , which in some mens nostrills is sauorie and pleasant , and doth reuiue them : and others againe it striketh dead . And therefore euery one that either now , or heretofore hath heard this word preached , shall finde it to be vnto them either a word of power to saue their soules , or through their corruption the ministerie of death and condemnation . Againe , if a word spoken by Christ , beeing in a base or low estate , be able to ouerthrow his enemies , then at the last day when he shall come in his glory , and power , and maiestie to iudge both the quicke and the dead ; what power shall his words haue , Goe you cursed of my father into euerlasting fire which was prepared for the deuill and his angels ? The consideration of this , that the word of Christ shall euen be as powerfull at that day , must be a motiue to euery one of vs to cause vs to come vnto him : and while we haue time in these daies of grace and mercy to seeke to be reconciled vnto him for al our sinnes , least at the last day we heare that dreadful voice of Christ sounding against vs , Goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire , &c. And thus much for the communication . Nowe followeth Iudas his treason : wherein we are to obserue these things . I. the qualities and conditions of the man that did the treason . He was by calling a disciple chosen to be an Apostle , which is the chiefest in Ecclesiall callings : and among the disciples hee was in some account ; because he was as it were a steward in Christs familie , and bare the bagge : but yet he was a traitour , and did more against Christ then all the Iewes did . For he brought them to the place where they might apprehend him : and when they were come did point him out vnto them , and deliuered him into their handes : nay he gaue them a signe and token , saying , Whome I kisse , he it is : take him and lead him away warily . Here wee see the cause why Christ called Iudas a Deuil : for he said . Haue I not chosen you twelue , and one of you is a deuill . Hee became to be a deuil and a traitour by nourishing a wicked and a couetous heart . And heare we are taught that the ministers of the word , if they make no conscience of sinne , by the iust iudgement of God doe prooue deuils incarnate : this example of Iudas doth manifest the same : and the reason is plaine , for the more knowledge a man hath , the more wicked he is if he want grace . They are like in this case vnto a man that hath meat and drink enough , but no stomacke to digest meate : whereby the more he eateth , the more it turneth to his hurt . This I speake not to deface the callings of ministers ; but that those which preach Gods worde , should not doe it with impenitent hearts , liuing in their owne sinnes . For it is a fearefull thing for a man to speake vnto the people of the pardon of their sinne , and yet himselfe not to apprehend the same by faith . A lump of waxe if you keepe it from heate , or from the fire it keepes his own forme still , but if it be held to the fire , it melts and runnes abroad : so ministers who by reason of their callings come neere God , if they be lumpes of iniquitie and liue in their sinnes , they shall finde that the corruptions of their hearts will melt abroad as waxe at the fire . And therfore euery one that is designed to this calling , must first purge himselfe of his owne sinnes , or els Gods iudgements shal fal vpon him , as they did on Iudas that betraied Christ. Secondly , let vs consider what mooued Iudas to betray his master : namely , the desire of wealth and gaine : and this couetousnes , which is an insatiable desire of money , is the roote of all sinne : not that all sinnes came of it , but because where it is , there all other sinnes are preserued , & do get strength . The desire of thirtie peeces of siluer caused Iudas to make an agreement with the Iewes to betray his master . Some man will happely say that this practise of Iudas was very straunge , and that no man now liuing would doe the like for any money . Ans. Iudas is dead indeede , but his practise is yet aliue : for in the high and waightie calling of the ministerie , he that hath charge of soules , and either can not teach and feede his flocke , or else will not though he betray not Christ in his own person , yet he betraies the members of Christ vnto the deuil . If a nour●e should take a mans childe to bring vp , and yet seldome or neuer giue it milke ; in so much that the childe pineth away for very hunger : is not shee the verie cause of the death of it ? yes verely . And so it is with him that taketh vpon him the charge of Gods people , and neuer feedes them with the milk of gods word , or else so seldom that their soules do famish : he is the murtherer of them , and hath betraied them into the hands of their enemie : and shall be condemned for them as a traitour vnto God vnlesse he repent . Besides , those that liue by traffique in buying and selling , make gaine by lying , swearing , and breaking the Lords Sabboth : & they are also very Iudasses : for they choppe away their soules with the deuill for a little gaine . And more lamentable is their case , because it is hard to finde one of an hundred in the world that makes conscience of a lie , or of any badde dealing ; if any gaine at all may come thereby . Men vse to crie out on Iudas for betraying Christ : and they doe well ; yet they themselues for a little worldly pelfe betray their owne soules . If such would not be counted Iudasses , they must leaue off to sin & keep a good conscience in gods worship , & the works of their callings . Thirdly , let vs consider what course Iudas tooke in betraying Christ : hee was very submisse , saying , Haile , Master , and kissed him . Why did he so ? Herein he played the most palpable hypocrite : for hauing gotten a peece of money , he thought that neither Christ , nor any of his fellowe disciples should haue knowne of it ( though Christ knewe it well enough ) and therefore hee comes in this maner to him , thinking that Christ would haue conueyed himselfe from amongst them all at the verie pinch , as he had done sometimes before . And this practise also of Iudas is common in the world : Iudas an enemie vnto Christs speakes him faire , and salutes him , and so doe most of our secure and drowsie protestantes in England : they salute Christ , both by hearing his word and receiuing his sacraments : and as the Prophet saith , they honour God with their lipps , but their hearts are farre frō him . We may see daily experiēce of this : euery man will say , Lord , Lord , but in their liues and conuersations , fewe there bee that denie him not , both in the duties which they owe vnto God , as also in duties towards their brethren . Many come to heare Gods worde because they are compelled by the magistrates lawes : but when they are come , they worship not God in their hearts : which is plainely seene by the breach of Gods holy sabboth in euery place : and that they make more account of a messe of pottage with Esau , then of their birth-right : and of thirtie peeces of siluer , then of Christ himselfe . The third point to bee handled in Christs apprehension is , that they lay hold on him : wherein we must consider two things . I. the resistance made by Christs disciples . II. their flight . For the first , Christs disciples resisted , and specially Peter drawing his sword , stroke one of the high priests seruants , and cut off his eare . This fact our Sauiour Christ reprooues : and that for these causes . I. because his disciples were priuate men : and they that came to apprehend him were magistrates . Secondly , he was to worke the worke of mans redemption : nowe Peter by this fact did what he could to hinder him . And from this practise of Peter we may learne , that nothing in the world is so hard to a man as to take vp his crosse and followe Christ. One would thinke it should bee a hard matter for him to encounter with enemies , especially they being stronger then he : but Peter stoutly resisting makes nothing of it : whereas a little before when Christ tolde him and the rest concerning his passion , they were so heauie with griefe that they could not hold vp their heads : so hard a thing it is to beare the crosse ; and for this very cause afterward when Christ reprooued him for striking , both he and all the rest of the disciples fled away . Secondly , Peter in all mans reason was to be commended , because he strake in the defence of his master : but Christ reprooues him for it . Whence we learne , that if a man be zealous for Christ ; hee must be zealous within the compasse of his calling : and not be zealous first , and then looke for a calling , but first looke for a calling , and then be zealous . Which thing if Peter had marked hee had not dealt so rashly ; for being without the compasse of his calling he could not but doe amisse . Here it may be demaunded , whether Christ and his religion may not be maintained by the sword ? I answer , that the magistrate , which is the vicegerent of the Lord , is the keeper of both tables : and therefore is to maintaine religion with the sword : and so may put to death Atheists , which holde there is no God , of which sort there are many in these daies : and heretiques , which malitiously maintaine , and holde any thing that ouerthrowes the foundation of religion in the Churches wherof they were members . But some obiect , that in the parable of the fielde , the seruants are commanded not to pluck vp the tares from the wheat , but to suffer both to growe till haruest : and that therefore there must bee no separation of heretickes , and true Christians before the last day of iudgement . Ans. The scope of that place is not to forbidde the execution of heretiques ; but it speakes only of the finall separation which must be in the ende of the world . For there the master of the familie doth signifie God himselfe , aud the fielde , the Church militant spread ouer the face of the whole earth : and by tares is meant not onely heretiques ; but also all those that are forth of the church : the seruants are Gods holy angels , and the haruest is the last iudgement . Here further it may bee demaunded , who may vse the sword ? Ans. All m●n may vse the sword to strike and to kil , into whose hands God putteth the sword . Nowe God putteth it into the hand first and principally of the publike magistrate , who when iust occasion serues may drawe it out . And againe it is put into a priuate mans hand sometime . A priuate man when he is assailed of his enemie may take the sworde in way of his owne defence , and may kill his enemie therewith ( if there be no other helpe ) not doing it vpon malice , but because he can no otherwise escape , and saue his own life : and so for want of a magistrate , he is a magistrate vnto himselfe . In the ●light of the disciples we may consider two things : the time , and the qualitie of the persons . The time was at the apprehension of our Lord & Sauiour . And this came to passe not without the speciall prouidence of God : that it might be known , that Christ had no helper or fellow in the accōplishment of the work of our redēption : & that , wheras we for our sinnes deserued to be forsaken of all creatures , he being our pledge and surety might be forsaken for vs. As for the qualitie of the persons that flie , they were the chosen disciples of Christ , such as had beleeued in him , confessed him , and preached in his name . And this serueth to teach vs that God will otherwhiles forsake his owne children and seruants and leaue them to themselues in some part , that they may feele their wants and miseries , & their weakenesse in themselues , and by that meanes be humbled throughly , and be touched with an hungring desire after Christ. As a mother sets down her child and hides her selfe , suffering it to crie , fall , and breake the face , not becanse shee hates it , but that shee may teach it to depend vpon her , and loue her : so god giueth grace to his children , & yet againe sometime he doth in part withdrawe it from them , & then they faile in their duties sundrie waies : and this he doth to make them ashamed of themselues , and to cause them to put all their confidence out of themselues in the merits of Christ. The fourth thing to be considered in Christs apprehension , is their binding of him . In which action of theirs we are to obserue first of al the circumstance of time , when this binding was . When our Sauiour Christ had said vnto them , I am he , they being astonished fell to the ground : and with all , when Peter had smitten off Malchus eare with his sworde , Christ healed the same miraculously . Yet after all this , though they had seene his wonderfull power both in word and deede , they proceede in malice against him ; and lay handes on him , and bind him as a malefactour . In this wee note what a fearefull sinne hardnesse of heart is : the danger whereof appeareth in this , that if a man be ouertaken with it , there is nothing that can stay or daunt him in his wicked proceedings : no not the powerfull words and deedes of Christ himselfe . And indeede among Gods iudgements there is none more feareful then this : and yet ( how feareful soeuer it be ) it is a rise sinne amongst vs in these our daies . For it is very euident by common experience , that the more men are taught the doctrine of the lawe , and of the Gospell , the more harde and senslesse are their hearts : like vnto the stithie ; which , the more it is beaten vpon with yron hammer , the harder it is . And againe , it is hard to find men that sorrowe for their sinnes , and feele the want of Christ : which argueth the exceeding deadnes of spirit● And let vs be resolued that it is a most terrible iudgement of God , the rather to be feared , because it is like a pleasant sleepe , into which when a man is fallen , he feeles neither paine nor griefe . And therefore we for our parts must looke vnto it with feare and trembling , least it take such hold of vs , that we be past all hope of recouerie . Furthermore , this binding of Christ was prefigured vnto vs in the sacrifices of the old testament : for the beast that was to be sacrificed , was tyed with cordes & bound , and so brought to the altar . And wheras Christ was bound , we must not consider him in his own person ; but as he standing in our roome and stead beares the person of all sinners : and therefore whereas he is thus taken captiue by his enemies , to be brought before a mortall iudge , there to be arraigned for vs : hence we learne two good instructions . First here is a comfort to al the people of god : Christ was bound by his enemies , that they might be vnloosed from the bondage of Satan , sinne , & their own corruptions ( vnder which they lie bounde by nature ) and might haue free libertie in and by him . Secondly all impenitent sinners are taught hereby to reforme and amend their hearts & liues . For what exceeding madnes is , that they by Christs bonds being set at libertie , will yet liue and die in their sinnes , and take pleasure to lie bound hand and foote vnder the power of sinne and Satan . And indeede this sheweth vnto vs the fearefull and dangerous estate of all those that goe on still in their sinnes . For what can they say for themselues at the day of iudgement , when as now they haue freedome offered and will not accept of it ? Thus much of Christs apprehension : Now followeth the inditement . For they proceed against him iudicially , after the custome of the Iewes Christs inditement was twofold . One before Caiphas the high priest in the great counsell as Ierusalem ; the second before the ciuill Iudge Pontius Pilate , as is plainly set forth by all the Euangelists . And Christs arraignment before Caiphas was a preparation to the second before Pontius Pilate , that the Iewes might throughly proceede against him . In the first we are to consider these points : I. the time in which Christ was indited . II. the end of his inditement . III. the whole tenour and proceeding thereof . For the first : Christ was indited earely in the morning at the breake of the day : for he was apprehended in the night , and with all hast brought into Caiphas hall , where they kept him all might : and at the breake of the day Caiphas the high priest , and the Elders with the Scribes and Pharises , held a solemne councill against him : and there they receiued accusations and condemned him before morning , at which time they sent him to the common hall , as Saint Matthew saith , When the morning was come , all the chiefe Priests and Elders of the people tooke counsell against Iesus to put him to death : and ledde him away bound , and deliuered him to Pontius Pilate . In which action of theirs we are to marke two points . First the diligence of vngodly men and the quicknesse of their nature to practise sinne and wickednes : as it was saide of the olde Iewes , their feete runne to euill , and they make hast to shed blood . When the Israelites would sacrifice to the golden calfe which they had made ; it is saide , they rose vp earely in the morning . Hence it appeares , that if God leaue vs to our selues , we are as readie to practise any mischiefe as the fire is to burne without delay and that with much violence . Now the consideration of this must mooue euery one of vs to take heede of all occasions and prouocations to sinne whatsoeuer they be , that the corruption of our nature breake not forth any way . Secondly , in the circumstance of time of this councill , we may marke the rashnes of this solemne assembly in iudiciall proceedings : whereas they examine him both of his doctrine , and also of his disciples , omitting such circumstances as should haue bin vsed ; as the serious examining of witnesses , and the weying of his contrarie answers : for he is taken and brought before the Iudge and condemned on a sudden . Now as this was the practise of this councill , so on the contrarie the common complaint of these times is of the slow dispatch of matters in law , & of the long delay : in somuch that some be almost vndone before their suits be ended ; whereas iudiciall proceedings were ordained by God , not for mens vndoing , but for the maintaining of the common peace , and libertie , and wealth . And therefore iustice ought to be dispatched with such speede , as men thereby might be furthered , and not hindred . The end of Christs inditement was directly to kill him , and to put him to death . Here is no indifferent proceeding to be looked for , but plotting on euery h●nd for the very blood of Christ. Where note , that in the hearts of all wicked men , there is an ingrafted hatred of Christ , and as it were bred in the bone : and the same affection the world carrieth to the members of Christ. This hatred is manifested in the first giuing of the promise , I will put enmitie betweene thee and the woman , betweene thy seede and her seede . It appeares in the hatred that Cain bare to his brother Abel , Ismael towards Isaac , Esau towards Iacob : and the Gentiles that were without the couenant , towardes the Church of God at all times . And to come neere to our selues , this ingrafted hatred that is in the heart of the wicked against Christ and his members , is as plentifull , and as euident as euer it was , euen in these our daies . For among all men none are more maligned and hated then those that professe Christ : and for none other cause , but because they professe Christ. And hereupon the very profession of religion is laden with nicknames and reprochfull tearmes by all sorts of men . And thus much of the ende and intent of their counsell . The proceeding in iudgement standes in these points . I. they examine Christ. II. they bring witnesses against him . III. they adiure him to tell thē who he is : of these in order . First , they examine our Sauiour Christ of his doctrine suspecting him to bee a false prophet : secondly , of his disciples , as suspecting him seditiously to raise vp a newe sect vnto himselfe , to make a faction amongst the Iewes . Nowe to this examination let vs marke Christs answere , in which he saith nothing at all concerning his disciples : whereas notwithstanding he might haue said , that one of them betraied him , another denied him , and the rest fled away : whereby we note , that it is not our dutie at all times , and in all places , to speake of the faults and wants that we knowe by others . Secondly , the aunswere which hee makes is onely concerning his doctrine : whereby the ministers of God and al men els are taught , that beeing called before their enimies , to giue reason of their doctrine : they are ( as Saint Peter saith ) to be alwaies readie to giue an account of the hope that is in them . And further we are to consider the wisdome that Christ vseth in answering ; for he saith nothing of his doctrine in particular , but said , I speake openly to the worlde , I euer taught in the Synagogue , and in the temple whither the Iewes resorted : in secret haue I taught nothing : aske them therfore what I said which heard me : Behold they can tell you what I said . Now the reason why he answered thus sparingly in generall tearmes is ; because their examination serued onely to intangle him : and out of his words to gather matter of accusation . After whose example wee may learne , that beeing called to make answere of our faith and doctrine before our enemies , wee are to doe it so , as thereby we doe not intangle our selues ; nor giue any aduantage vnto our enemies : and hereof we haue a notable example in the Apostle Paul , Act. 23. 6. Againe in the words of Christs answere we must obserue two things . First , that the place where Christ taught was publike . Now hence it may be demanmanded , whether ministers may handle the worde of God priuately or no ? Ans. The state of Gods Church is two-fold : peaceable or troublesome . In the time of peace ministers must preach the word publikely : but in time of persecution , for the safe●● and preseruation of the Church of God , they may with good warrant pr●●h priuately : and indeede at such times the assemblies of the church make priuate places publike . And hence we learne , that in time of peace , all those that are called to the office of the ministerie , must ( if it be possible ) spend their labour publikely , so as they may doe most good . Secondly whereas Christ saith , he preached in their synagogues and temple , which at that time were places full of disorder ; in so much as he called the temple a den of theeues : and the Scribes and Pharisies had corrupted the doctrine of the Lawe , transgressing the commandements of God in their owne traditions : and they taught iustification by the workes of the lawe , as Paul saith , they being ignorant of the righteousnes of God , and going about to stablish their owne righteousnesse which is by workes , and not submitted themselues to the righteousnesse of God. Besides all this , they were loose and wicked men in their liues and conuersations : and therefore Christ commanded the people that they should obserue , and doe whatsoeuer the Scribes and Pharisies bidde them , sitting in Moses chaire : but after their workes they must not doe ; because they say and doe not . Nowe although these corruptions and deformities were in the Iewish Church , yet our Sauiour Christ made no separation from it , but came and preached both in their temple and synagogues , where these seducers and false teachers were . And hence we gather , that the practise of all those men in our Church which separate themselues from all assemblies for the wants therof , holding that our Church is no Church , that the grace which is wrought by the preaching of the word among vs is nothing els but a sathanicall illusion ; that our Sacraments are no Sacraments , I say , this their practise is condemned by our Sauiour Christs conuersing among the Iewes . For if Christ should haue followed their opinion , he ought to haue fled from amongst the Iewes , & not so much as once to haue come into the temple , or taught in their Synagogues ; but contrariwise he ioyned himselfe with them : and therfore we can not in good conscience disioyne our selues from the Church of England . The second thing to be obserued in Christs answer is , that he referres Caiphas to the iudgement of his hearers , being resolued of the trueth of his owne doctrine , though sundrie of them were his vtter enemies . Behold then a good example for all the ministers of Gods word to follow ; teaching them to deliuer Gods word so purely and sincerely , that if they be called into question about the same , they may bee bold to appeale to the cōsciēces of their hearers although they be wicked mē . Nowe after this answer , one of the seruants of Caiphas smites Christ with a rodde : in whome the saying is verified , Like master , like seruant : that is , if the master be wicked , seruants commonly will be wicked also : if the master be an enemie to Christ , his seruant will be Christs enemie also . And this is the cause why there are so many lewd apprentises and seruants , because there are so many lewd masters . Many masters complaine of seruants nowe adaies ; but there is more cause why they should complaine of themselues : for vsually seruants will not become obedient to their masters , till their masters first become obedient vnto Christ : therefore let masters learne to obey God , and then their seruants will obey them also . Further , Christ being smitten , makes this answer : If I haue euill spoken , beare witnesse of the euill : but if I haue well spoken , why smitest thou me ? making complaint of an iniurie done vnto him . Nowe hereupon scoffing Iulian the Apostata saith , Christ keepes not his owne lawes , but goeth against his owne precept ; when as he said , If one strike thee on the one cheeke , turne to him the other also . But we must knowe , that in these wordes Christs meaning is , that a man must rather suffer a double wrong , then seeke a priuate reuenge . And before Christ spake in his owne defence , which a man may lawefully doe , and not seeke any reuenge : for it is one thing to defend his owne cause , and another to seeke reuenge . Nowe followes the second point in their proceeding , which is , the producing of false witnesses against him ; as Saint Mathew saith , The whole Counsell sought false witnesse against him , and thongh many came yet found they none : for they could not agree togither , because they alleadged false thinges against him , which they could not prooue . And thus the members of Christ haue often such enemies as make no bones shamefully to auouch that against them , which they cannot be able to iustifie . The ten persecutions which were in the first 300. yeares after Christ , arose oftentimes of shamelesse reports that men gaue out , which said that Christians liued of mans flesh : and therefore slewe their owne children : 2. that they liued on rawe flesh , 3. that they committed incest one with another in their assemblies : 4. that they worshipped the head of an asse : 5. that they worshipped the Sunne and Moone : 6. that they were traitours and sought to vndermine the Romane Empire : and lastly , whersoeuer was thunder or earthquakes , seditions or tumults , or any disquietnesse or trouble , Christians were accused as the authors thereof . Such enemies haue they had in all ages : and in these our daies the same is practised , and will bee to the worldes ende . Nowe when the first witnesses could not agree among thēselues , then two other false witnesses came forth , which auouched that Christ said , I will destroy this temple made with hands , & within three daies will build another made without handes . Indeede Christ said some such wordes : for saith he , Destroy this temple and within three daies I will build it vp againe . But he spake this of the temple of his bodie : whereas they malitiously did interpret him to haue spoken of the temple in Ierusalem . And againe they change the wordes , for Christ said , Destroy this temple , &c. but these witnesses affirme he said , I will destroy this temple made with hands , &c. And thus they change both words and meaning : and therefore the Holy Ghost calleth them false witnesses . By this we must be aduertised to take heed howe we report mens wordes : for if wee change the meaning , though in part we retaine the wordes , we may soone become slanderers and false witnesses : and as this dutie must be performed towards all men , so especially towards the ministers of the Gospel : and the neglect of this dutie procureth many slaunders to thē in this our Church : whereof indeede the re●orters are the cause , and not the ministers themselues . Now at this false accusation Christ was silent , so as Caiphas asked him why he answered nothing . Herein we are to consider many things : I. why Christ was silent . The causes be two : first he was to shewe himselfe a patterne of true humilitie & patience , therfore euen then would he be silent whē he was most falsely accused of his aduersaries . Secondly he is silent , that standing before the iudge to be condemned , the sentence might proceed against him , and hee might suffer the death appointed , which was due vnto vs , and so become our redeemer . And in Christs example we must note that it is a speciall dutie to knowe when to speake , and when to be silent . The ordering of the tongue is a rare gift , and few attaine vnto it . Some will peraduenture aske what rule wee haue to direct vs herein ? Ans. The general rule for the ordering of the tongne , is the lawe of God. We are commanded to seeke the glorie of God in the first table ; and in the second the good of our neighbour : when thy speech therefore will serue either for Gods glorie , or the good of thy neighbor , then thou must speake : if it serue for neither , then bee silent . Againe , if thy silence bee either for Gods glorie , or the good of thy neighbour , then be silent : if it wil not then speake . And because it is hard for a man to knowe when his speech or silence will serue for these two ends : therfore we must praie vnto God that hee will teach and direct vs herein : as Dauid doth , Set a watch ( saith he ) O Lord before my mouth , and keepe the doore of my lippes : and againe , Open thou my lipps , O Lord , and my mouth shall shewe forth thy praise . Thus much for the false witnesses produced . Now followeth the third point which is , the adiuring of Christ : for Caiphas the high priest charged him to tel him whether he were the Christ the sonne of God or no. To adiure a man , is to charge and command him in the name of God , to declare a trueth , not onely because God is witnesse thereof , but also because he is a iudge to reuenge , if he speake not the trueth . Thus Paul adiured the Thessalonians , charging them in the Lord , that his epistle should be read vnto all the brethren the Saints . And the like doth Caiphas to Christ. And hea●e is a thing to be wondred at ; Caiphas the high priest adiureth him in the name of God , who is very God , euen the Sonne of God. And this shewes what a small account hee made of the name of God ; for hee did it onely to get aduantage on Christs wordes : and so do many nowe adaies , who for a little profit or gaine make a matter of nothing to abuse the name of God a thousand waies . Christ beeing thus adiured , though silent before , yet nowe in reuerence to Gods maiestie● answered and said : first , Thou hast said it : and in Saint Marke , I am he . In this answer , appeares the wonderful prouidence of god . For though Caiphas take hence the occasion of condemning Christ , yet hath he withall drawne from him a most excellent confession , that he is the Sonne of God , & our alone Sauiour . And by this meanes he proceeds to shut heauen against himselfe , and to open the same for vs. Thus we haue ended the first inditement of Christ before Caiphas . Nowe followeth the second , which was before Pontius Pilate , in the common hall at Ierusalem . The historie of it is set downe at large in all the Euangelists . In this second inditemēt of Christ ( that we may referre euery matter to his place ) we are to obserue foure things : I the accusation of Christ before Pilate . II. his examination . III. Pilates pollicie to saue Christ. IV. Pilats absoluing of him ; and then the condemnation of Christ in both courts , Ecclesiasticall and ciuill : of these in order . In Christs accusation , we must consider many points . The first is , who were his accusers , namely the high Priest , the Scribes , and Pharisies , and Elders of the people , and the common people : all these conspired togither to accuse him . The cause that mooued the Pharises and Elders of the people hereunto , is noted by Saint Matthew , who saith of enuie they deliuered him . Enuie is nothing but a sadnesse in a mans heart , at the prosperitie of his better . And it raigned in the Scribes and Pharises , and the occasion was this . Christ had taught most heauenly doctrine , and confirmed the same by most wonderfull miracles , and did greatly exceede them all , and was in more account among the people : and for this cause the Scribes and Pharises & high Priests , repined and grudged at him . Now their example serues to admonish vs to take heede of this sinne , as beeing the mother of many mischiefes . And we must rather follow the example of Moses , who when Iosua desired him to forbid Eldad and Medad to prophecie , answered , Enuiest thou for my sake ? yea I would to God all the lords people were prophets . And we must be of the same minde with Iohn Baptist , who hearing by his disciples that the people left him and followed Christ , said , his ioy was fulfilled , for Christ must increase , and he must decrease . And so we must be glad and content when we see the prosperitie of our neighbours any way . Now the cause why the common people ioyne with them was , because the chiefe Priests and the Scribes & Elders had perswaded them to a bad conceit of Christ. Hence it appeares that it is most requisite for any people , be they neuer so good , to haue good magistrates , & godly rulers to gouerne them by wise and godly counsell . The necessitie hereof was well knowne to Iethro Moses father in law , though he were a heathen man : for he biddeth Moses to prouide among all the people men of courag● fearing God , men dealing truly , hating couetousnesse , and appoint them to be rulers ouer the people . Teaching vs , that if couetous , malitious , and vngodly men , not fearing God● goe before the people , they also shall in all likelihood be carried into the like sinnes by their example . The next point concernes the place where they accuse him , which was at the doore of the common hall : for hauing brought him before the counsell at Ierusalem and there condemned him of blasphemie , afterward they bring him into the common hall where Pilate sate iudge . Yet did they not enter in , but staied without at the dore , least they should be defiled , and be made vnfit to eate the passeouer . In which practise of theirs , we are to marke an example of most notable both superstition , and most grosse hypocrisie . For they make no bones to accuse and arraigne a man most iust and innocent , and yet are very strict and curious in an outward ceremonie . And in like maner they make no conscience to giue thirtie pieces of siluer to betray Christ : but to cast the same into the treasurie , they make it a great and heinous offence . And for this cause Christ pronounceth a woe vnto the Scribes and Pharises , calling them hypocrites : for , saith he , you tithe mynt , anyse , and commin , and leaue the weightie matters of the law , as iudgement , and mercie . And the very same thing we see practised of the Church of Rome at this day , and of sundrie Papists that liue amōgst vs : they will not eate flesh in Lent , or vpon any of the Popes fasting daies for any thing : and yet the same men make no conscience of seeking the bloode of the Lords annointed , and their dread soueraigne . And in this we see the most palpable , and most grosse hypocrisie of those that be of that Church . But shall we thinke that our owne Church is free from such men ? no assuredly : for take a view of the profession that is vsed among the people of England , and it will appeare that they place their whole religion for the most part in the obseruation of certaine ceremonies . The manner of most men is to come to the place of assemblies , where God is worshipped , & there mumble vp the Lords prayer , the commandements , and the beleefe in stead of praiers , which being done , God is well serued thinke they : whereas in the meane season they neglect to learne and practise such things as are taught them for their saluation by the ministers of Gods word . At the feast of Easter , euery man will be full of deuotion and charitie , and come to receiue the Lords Supper , as though he were the holiest man in the world ; but when the time is past , all generally turne to their old by as againe : and all the yeare after liue as they list , making no conscience of lying , slandering , fraud , and deceit in their affaires among men . But we must know that there is no soundnes of religion , but grosse hypocrisie in all such men : they worship God with their lippes , but there is no power of godlinesse in their hearts . The third point is , concerning the partie to whome they make this accusation against Christ , namely , not to a Iewe , but to a Gentile : for hauing condemned him in their Ecclesiasticall court before Caiphas the high priest , they bring him to Pontius Pilate the deputie of Tiberius Caesar in Iudea . Where we must obserue the wonderfull prouidence of God , in that not onely the Iewes , but the Gentiles also had a stroke in the arraignment of Christ , that that might be true which the Apostle saith , God shut vp all vnder sinne , that he might haue mercie vpon all . The fourth point is , the matter of their accusation : they accuse our Sauiour Christ of three things : I. that he seduced the people . II. that he forbad to pay tribute to Caesar. III. that he saide he was a king . Let vs well consider these accusations , especially the two last , because they are flat contrarie both to Christs preaching , and to his practise . For when the people would haue made him a King , after he had wrought the miracle of the fiue loaues & two fishes , the text saith he departed from among them vnto a mountaine himselfe alone . Secondly , when tribute was demanded of him for Caesar , though he were the Kings sonne , and therefore was freed ; yet saith he to Peter , least we should offend them goe to the sea , and cast in an angle and take the first fish that commeth vp , and when thou hast opened his mouth , thou shalt finde a piece of twentie pence , that take and giue vnto them for thee and me . And when he was called to be a iudge to deuide the inheritance betweene two brethren , he refused to doe it , saying , Who made me a iudge betweene you ? Therefore in these two things , they did most falsly accuse him . Whereby we learne , that nothing is so false and vntrue , but the slanderer dare lay it to the charge of the innocent : the tongues of the slanderers are sharpe swords , and venemous arrowes , to woūd their enemies : their throats are open sepulchres , the poyson of aspes is vnder their lippes . If a man speake gracious words , his tongue is touched with the fire of Gods spirit : but as S. Iames saith , the tongue of the wicked is fire , yea a world of wickednes , and it is set on fire with the fire of hell : therefore let this example be a caueat to vs all , to teach vs to take heede of slandering , for the deuill then speakes by vs , and kindles our tongues with the fire of hell . The fifth point is , the manner of their accusation , which is diligently to be marked : for they doe not onely charge him with a manifest vntruth , but they beseech Pilate to put him to death , crying , a Crucifie him , crucifie him : in so much that Pontius Pilate was afraid of them : where we see how these shamelesse Iewes goe beyond their compasse , and the bounds of all accusers , whose dutie is to testi●ie onely what they know . Now in the matter of this their accusation , appeares their wonderfull inconstancie . For a little before when Christ came to Ierusalem riding vpon an asse , shewing some signes of his kingly authoritie , they cut downe branches from the trees , and strawed them in the way , crying , Hosanna , Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord : but now they sing another song , and in stead of Hosanna , they crie , Crucifie him , crucifie him . And the like inconstancie is to be found in the people of these our times . They vse to receiue any religion that is offered vnto them : for in the daies of King Edward the sixth , the people of England receiued the Gospel of Christ : but shortly after in Queene Maries time , the same people receiued the wretched and abhominable doctrine of the church of Rome . And not many yeares after when it pleased God to bring againe the light of his glorious Gospel by our gracious Prince , the same people turned from poperie , and embraced the true religion againe . And thus with the Iewes one while they crie Hosanna to Christ , and receiue his Gospel ; and shortly after they crie , Crucifie him , crucifie him , by embracing idolatrous poperie . Let vs therefore learne in the feare of God , by the ficklenes of the Iewes● that sing two contrarie songs in so short a space , to acknowledge our inconstancie and weaknes in the matter of religion : whereby if God leaue vs 〈…〉 ●itle to our selues , we shall straightway forsake Christ , his Gospel , and all . T●●●●●ch of the accusation . Now followeth Christs examination before ●o●●●us Pilate : for when the Iewes had thus falsly accused him , then Pontius Pilate tooke him and brought him into the common hall , and asked him this question , Art thou the King of the Iewes ? Now Christ beeing thus examined , made as Paul also testifieth , a good confession . The summe thereof stands in foure heads . The first is , that he confesseth himselfe to be a King ; not such an one as they accused him to be , yet a true King. Whence we may learne diuers instructions : first , that euery Christian man in the midst of his miserie and affliction , hath one that is most sufficient euery way to defend him against all his enemies , the world , the flesh , and the deuill . For this King can doe whatsoeuer he will : and therefore when the legion of deuills would enter into a herd of swine , they could not without his leaue . And when the Centurions daughter was dead , he but spake the word and shee arose . And when Lazarus was dead , and had lien in the graue foure daies , he but saide , Lazarus come forth , and he came forth bound hand and foote . Yea euen hell and death giue place to his word , and nothing can resist his power . And therefore he that is a true member of Christ , needes not to feare any enemies be they neuer so great or so many . And againe , as Christ is able , so is he readie and willing to saue and defend all that beleeue in him . For he it is that gaue his life for his subiects , which no King would doe , and shedde his blood for their redemption : which he would neuer haue done , if he had not desired their saluation . Secondly , whereas Christ is a mightie King , which can doe whatsoeuer he will , let all such among vs that haue hitherto liued in ignorance , and by reason of ignorance liue in their sinnes , at length begin to come vnto him , and doe him homage , and with penitent hearts fall downe before him : otherwise if they continue in their old rebellions , let them know whatsoeuer they be , high or low , that he hath a rod of iron in his hand to bruise them in pieces ; their soules shall smart for it : as both Pilate , Caiphas , and the rest of the Iewes were with a full cup rewarded for crucifying the Lord of life . And if Christ cannot draw thee in this life from thy crooked waies , be sure at the houre of death he will breake thee in pieces like a potters vessell . This must we learne in regard of the first point , that he said plainely , He was a King. Now follows the second part of his confession , namely that his kingdome was not of this world . Where he sets downe what kinde of King he is ; he is no earthly king , his kingdome stands not in the power of men , nor in earthly and outward gouernment ; but his kingdome is spirituall , and his gouernment is in the very hearts and consciences of men . His kingdome is not outward to be seene of men , but inward in the heart and ●oule ; and therefore it is onely begunne in this life , and is continued and accomplished in the world to come in the kingdome of glorie : where Christ shall be all in all in the hearts and consciences of all the Elect. Now then , if this be so , howsoeuer Satan haue heretofore raigned in vs , and made our hearts as it were his pallaces : yet now let vs prepare a roome for Christ that he may come and dwell in vs : let him rule our hearts , wills , and affections , that they may become conformable to his will : let vs resigne our selues wholly to be ruled by him , that his spirituall kingdome may be in vs. This kingdome in the heart and conscience is the pearle and hidde treasure , which when a man findeth , he sells all that he hath and buieth it . Let vs therefore in the feare of God , esteeme it as the most pretious thing that may be , and so liue in this world , as that Christ may rule inwardly in vs , by his word and spirit . And againe seeing this regiment of Christ is heauenly , and the full manifestation of it is reserued till the life to come : we must therefore vse this world and all things in it , as honour , wealth , ease , and libertie , as though we vsed them not . As a trauailer vseth his staffe in his iourney ; as long as it doth further him , so long he will carrie it with him ; but when it hindereth him , then he casts it away : so must we vse the things of this life , namely as long as they are helps to further and make vs fitte for the kingdome of heauen , but if they be any hinderance to this spirituall regiment of Christ , we must renounce them and cast them away , be they neuer so pretious to vs. The third point of Christs confession is , concerning the meanes whereby he gouerneth his kingdome : I came ( saith he ) into this world to beare witnesse of the truth , that is , to preach the Gospell and doctrine of saluation : and hereby he teacheth that the outward administration of his kingdome , stands specially in the preaching of the word , which is a principall ordinance of his , seruing to gather his Church from the beginning of the world to the ende thereof . And for this cause he hath in all ages set apart chosen ministers for the publishing of the doctrine of the Gospell . And hence it is manifest that the gift of prophecie , is the greatest gift that God bestowes on his Church for the building thereof . And therfore it ought to be most highly esteemed , as a most pretious iewell . And for this cause also the schooles of learning are to be reuerenced & maintained , & all other meanes vsed for the furthering of them ; because they are vnder God the fountaines and welsprings of this gift of prophecie . The last point is , concerning the subiects of Christs kingdome , expressed in these words , They which are of the truth , heare my voice . In which he sets down the true marke of his seruants and subiects , that they are hearers of that heauenly and sauing word which he reuealed from the bosome of his father . It may be alleadged the most wicked men vpon earth , yea the deuils themselues may be hearers of the truth of Christ. Ans. There be two kind of hearers : one which heareth onely the outward sound of the word with his bodily eares , and he hauing eares to heare doth not heare : the secōd , is he that doth not only receiue the doctrine that is taught with his eares , but also hath his heart opened to feele the power of it , and to obey the same in the course of his life . This distinction is notably set forth by Dauid , saying , Sacrifice and burnt offerings thou wouldest not haue : but my eares hast thou pierced : whereby he insinuates as it were two kinds of eares : one that is deafe and cannot heare : and thus are the eares of all men by nature in hearing the doctrine of saluation : the other is a newe eare pierced and bored by the hand of God , which causeth a mans heart to heare the sound and operation of the word , and the life to expresse the truth of it . Now the subiects of Christs kingdom are such , as with the outward hearing of the word , haue an inward hearing of the soule , & grace also to obey : & therefore all those that make no conscience of obedience to the word of god preached vnto them , are no lesse then rebels to Christ. We may perswade our selues that we are good subiects , because we heare the word & receiue the Sacraments , but if our liues abound with sinne , and if our hearts be not pierced through by the sword of Gods spirit , whether we be high or low , rich or poore , let vs be what we will be , we are no right subiects indeed , but rebells & traytours vnto the euerliuing God. It may be hereafter God will giue further grace ; but as yet all impenitent persons , though liuing in the midst of Gods church , are no obedient and faithfull subiects : & therfore while we haue time , let vs labour to performe in deede that which we doe in word professe . Thus much of the examination and confession of Christ. Now followeth the third point concerning the pollicies which Pilate vsed to saue Christ : and they are three . First , when he heard that Christ was of Galilee , he tooke occasion to send him to Herod , thinking thereby to shift his hands of him , and not to shed his blood . In which pollicie , though he seeme vnwilling to put Christ to death , yet herein he is a most vniust iudge : for hauing giuen testimonie of Christ , that he is innocent , he ought to haue acquitted him , and not haue sent him to Herod for further iudgemēt . In Herods dealing with Christ , we may obserue these points . The first , that he is wonderfully glad of his cōming . Why so ? the text saith , because he was desirous to see him of a long season , because he had heard many things of him , and trusted to haue seene some signe done by him . Here marke how he reioyced , not in Christ because he was Christ , that is , his Messias and redeemer , but because he wrought myracles , signes , & wonders . And so it is among vs at this day : it is a rare thing to finde a man that loueth Christ , because he is Christ : some loue Christ for honour , some for wealth , & others for praise : that is , because they get honour , wealth , and praise by confessing his name . Againe , many professe Christ , onely because it is the law and custome of their nation . But we must learne to be of this minde , to loue Christ , because he is Christ , euen for himselfe , and not for any other sinister respect : & we must reioyce in Christ for himselfe , though we neuer haue profit nor pleasure , neither honour or wealth by him . And if we loue him for wealth or pleasure , or for any other ende but for himselfe alone , when these things are taken away , then we shall vtterly forsake Christ in like manner . The second point is , that Herod desires Christ to worke a miracle . He can be content to see the works of Christ , but he cannot abide to heare his word , and to beare his yoke . Like to him are many in these daies , which gladly desire to heare the Gospel of Christ preached , onely because they would here speach of some strange things , laying aside all care and conscience to obey that which they heare . Yea many in England delight to read the straunge histories of the Bible ; & therefore can rehearse the most part of it , ( and it were to be wished that all could doe the like : ) yet come to the practise of it , the same persons are commonly found as bad in life & conuersation , yea rather worse then others . Let vs therfore labour that with our knowledge we may ioyne obedience , & practise with our learning ; & as well to be affected with the word of Christ , as with his works . The third point is , that Herod derides Christ , & sends him away , cloathed in a white garment . This is that Herod whom Christ called a foxe ; who also when he heard Iohn Baptist preach , did many things , and heard him gladly . How then comes Herod to this outrage of wickednes , thus to abuse Christ ? Ans. We must know , that although Herod at the first hea●d Iohn preach , yet withall he followed his owne affections , and sought how to fulfill the lusts of his flesh . For when Iohn told him that it was not lawfull ●or him to haue his brother Philips wife , he cast him in prison , and afterward ●ut off his head for it : after which offence , he is growne to this height of impietie , that he now despiseth Christ , & can not abide to heare him . Where we learne , that as we are willing to heare Gods word preached , so withall we must take heede that we practise no manner of sinne ; but make conscience of euery thing that may displease God. Thou maist , I graunt , be one that feareth and fauoureth Iohn Baptist for a time , wallowing in thy olde sinnes : but after a while , yeilding to the swinge of thy corrupt heart , thou wilt neuer heare Iohn , nor Christ himselfe , but hate and despise them both . This is the cause why some which haue beene professours of religion heretofore , and haue had great measure of knowledge , are now become very loose persons , and can not abide to heare the word preached vnto them ; the reason is , because they could not abide to leaue their sinnes . Therefore that we may begin in the spirit and not ende in the flesh , let euery one that calls on the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie . Now follows the second pollicie of Pilate . For when he saw the first would not preuaile , then he tooke a new course : for he tooke Iesus into the common hall and s●ourged him , and the souldiers platted a crowne of thornes and pu● it on his head , and they put on him a purple garment , and said , Haile King of the Iewes , and smote him with their roddes . And thus he brought him forth before the Iewes , perswading himselfe that when they saw him so abased , and so ignominiously abused , they would be content therewith , and exact no greater punishment at his hands : thinking thus to haue pacified the rage of the Iewes and so to haue deliuered Christ from death , by inflicting vpon him some lesser punishment . This pollicie is as it were a looking glasse , in which we may behold of what nature and condition all plotts and pollicies of men are , which are deuised and practised without the direction of Gods word . In it we may obserue two things : the first is , the ground thereof ; which is a most silly , simple , or rather senslesse argument . For he reasoneth vs : I finde no fault in this man , therefore I will chastise him and let him goe . A man would hardly haue thought , that one hauing but common sense , would haue made such a reason , much lesse a gre●t iudge sitting in the roome of God. But in him we may behold and see the ground of all humane pollicie which is beside the word of God , namely the foolish and blind reason of men . The second thing to be considered is , the proceeding and is●ue of this pollicie . Pilate must either whippe Christ beeing innocent ; or put him to death : which are both sinnes and great offences . Now he maketh choice of the lesser , which is to whippe him , and is perswaded that he ought to doe so : whereas of two sinnes or euils , a man ought to doe neither . And in doing this , Pilate beginnes to make a breach in his conscience ; and that is the fruit that all politicks reape of their deuis●s , which proceede by the light of their owne reason , without the word of God. By this example , we are admonished of two things : first , that before we enterprise any businesse , we must rectifie our iudgements by Gods word . Dauid was a most wise King , and no doubt , had withall a graue and wise counsell , but yet he preferred the word of God before all , saying , Thy tes●●m●●ies are my counsellers . Secondly , in our proceedings we must keepe an vpr●ght , pure , and vnblameable conscience , as Paul exhorteth Timothie to haue the mysterie of faith in a pure conscience ; giuing vs thereby to vnderstand , that a good conscience is at it were a chest or cupboard , in which we are to keepe and locke vp our religion , and all other graces of God , as the most pretious iewells that can be : and that if we suffer this chest to be broken vp , all our riches and iewels are gone . But let vs yet viewe the dealing of Pilate more particularly : he whippes Christ , puts on him a purple garment , puts a reede in his hand , sets a crowne of thornes vpon his head , and causes the souldiours to mocke him , and spit in his face . Now in this that Christ standing in our roome , was thus shamefully abused , we must consider what was due vnto euery one of vs for our sinnes , namely shame & reproch in this life , & in the life to come endles confusion . And we see the confession of Christ to be true which he made to Pilate , that his kingdome was not of this world ; for if it had beene so , they would haue put a crowne of gold vpon his head , and not a crowne of thornes , which nothing at all beseemed an earthly king : and in stead of a reede they would haue put a scepter into his hand : and in stead of buffetting and spitting on him , they would haue adored him , and fallen downe before him . Againe , whereas Chri●● our head in this world , ware no other crown but one made of tho●ns , it serueth to teach all those that are the members of Christ , that they must not looke for a crowne of glorie in this life ; because that is reserued for the life to come . And if we would then weare the crowne of glorie with Christ ; we must here in this life weare a crown of thornes , as he did : for as Paul saith , If we suffer with Christ , we shall also raigne with him : and that which was fully verified in Christ the head , must in some sort be verified in euery true member of Christ. Pilates third pollicie was this ; when he sawe that neither of the two former would preuaile , he comes forth vnto the Iewes , and makes an oration to this effect ; that nowe was the feast of the passeouer , and that they had a custome that the Gouernour should then deliuer vnto the people a prisoner whome they would : therefore he asked them whether he should let loose to them Barrabas , or Iesus which is called Christ : this Barrabas was a notable malefactour , that with insurrection had committed murther . And thus Pilate cunningly matcheth Christ with Barrabas , thinking that the Iewes would rather chuse him then Barrabas beeing a notorious malefactour , not worthie to liue on the face of the earth : and by this meanes he thought to haue deliuered Christ from death , though otherwise he accoūted him as a malefactour . The ground of this pollicie ( as we see ) is an old custome of the Iewes , that a prisoner should be let loose at Easter . And it may be the ende of this custome was , to increase the solemnitie of the feast . But whatsoeuer in trueth the ende was , the fact it selfe was but a prophanation of the time , and an abomination before the Lord : for Salomon saith , He that iustifieth the wicked , & condemneth the iust , euen they both are abominatiō before the Lord. The like practise takes place with many in these daies , who thinke the Lords day neuer well spent vnlesse they may adde solemnitie thereunto , by reuel & riot , by frequēting of tauerns and alehouses . And furthermore , where Pilate matcheth Christ beeing innocent with Barrabas , and the people preferre him before Christ , hauing libertie to choose either ; it shewes that God in his prouidence had appointed that Christ should not stand in his owne roome before Pilate , but in our roome and steade , as a Mediatour betweene God and vs. And in this fact of the people we see howe sinne by degrees takes hold of men and that speedily . Who would haue thought that these Iewes , which a little before cried Hosanna , and spread their garments before Christ in the way , would euer haue preferred a murtherer before him ? But it was the doing of the high priestes , the Scribes , and Pharises , who did animate and stirre them vp to this wickednes : and hereupon when they had yeelded first to to attach him , and then to accuse him , they are carried to an higher degree of impietie , namely to seeke his blood : and least he should escape their handes , they plunge themselues deeper yet preferring a wretched murtherer , euē seditious Barrabas before him . This must teach euery one of vs to take heede of the beginnings euen of the least sinnes ; for the deuill is cunning , he will not plunge a man into the greatest sinnes at the first : but this manner is , by little and little to creepe into the heart : and hauing once possession thereof , by steppes to bring men to the height of sinne , and that with speede . We must therefore in the feare of God preuent sinne betimes , and at the first motion cut off all occasions hereof : that which Paul saith of heresie , comparing it to a canker or gangrene , may be ●aid of all sinne . The nature of the gangrene is to runne from one ioynt to another , from the toe to the foote , from the foote to the legge , from the legge to the thigh , til it haue wasted and destroyed the life of the bodie : so giue any sinne but an entrance , and it will soone ouerspread the whole man : and if the deuill may be suffered but to put one talent into thy heart , he will presently winde himselfe into thee , his head , his bodie and all . The Psalmist saith , that he is blessed that taketh the children of the Babylonians and dasheth them against the stones ; and as truely it may be said , blessed is the man that dasheth the head of his sinnes against the ground while they are young , before they get strength to ouermaster him . Thus haue we seene the pollicies of Pilate : now followeth the absolution of Christ : for when Pilate had vsed many meanes to deliuer him , and none would preuaile , then he absolues him , by giuing diuers testimonies of his innocency : for he came forth three times , and bare witnesse thereof : and last of all he testified the same by washing of his handes , which rite signifieth properly the defiling of the handes before , but as yet Pilate had not defiled his handes , and therefore he vsed it as a token , to shewe , that Christ was innocent , and that he would not defile his owne hands with innocent bloode . There were three causes that mooued Pilate to absolue Christ. First he sawe that hee was a iust man , as Saint Matthew noteth , and that the high priests and people had deliuered him vp of enuie , as Saint Marke saith . By this it is plaine , that a very Pagan or infidell may in some things goe beyond such as be in Gods Church , hauing better conscience , and dealing more iustly then they . Pontius Pilate was a heathen man and a Gentile , the Iewes were the Church and people of the liuing God : yet he sees plainely that Christ was a iust man , and therupon is mooued to absolue him : whereas the Iewes which should be men of conscience and religion , seeke his death . And thus a very Pagan may otherwhiles see more into a matter then those that be reputed of the Church . And this must admonish all such as professe the Gospell to looke vnto their proceedings , that they doe al things with vpright conscience : for if we deale vniustly in our proceedings , we may haue neighbours , men of no religion , that wil looke through vs , and see the gros●e hypocrisie of our profession , which also would be loath to doe those things which wee doe . The second cause that mooued Pilate to absolue Christ , was his wiues dreame : for when he was set downe vpon the iudgement seate , shee sent vnto him , saying , Haue thou nothing to doe with that iust man : for I haue suffered many things in a dreame by reason of him . Dreames are of three sortes : naturall , rising from the constitution of the bodie : diabolicall , such as come by the suggestion of the deuill : diuine , which are from God. Some haue thought that this dreame was of the deuill ; as though he had laboured thereby to hinder the death of Christ , and consequently our saluation : but I rather thinke it was occasioned by the things which shee had heard before of Christ , or that it was immediatly from God , as the dreames of Pharao and Nabuchodonoser , and serued for a further manifestation of Christs innocency . Here it may be asked , whether we may regard our dreames now , as Pilates wife did or no ? Ans. We haue the bookes of the olde and newe testament to be our direction , as Esai saith : to the lawe & to the testimonie , they must be our rule and guide . In these daies we must not looke to be taught by visions and dreames : yet shal it not be amisse to obserue this caueat concerning dreames , that by them wee may gesse the constitution of our bodies , and oftentimes at the sinnes whereunto we are inclined . The last motiue which caused Pilate to absolue Christ was a speech of the Iewes : for they said , that Christ ought to die by their law , because he said he was the sonne of God. And the text saith , when Pilate heard that , he was afraid . Marke how a poore Painym that knewe not Gods word , at the hearing of the name of the sonne of God is stricken with feare . No doubt hee shall rise in iudgement against many among vs that without all feare rend the name of god in peeces by swearing , blaspheming , cursed speaking . But let all those that feare the Lord learne to tremble and be afraid at his blessed name . Thus much for the causes that mooued Pilate to absolue Christ : as also for the second part of Christs arraignment , namely his accusation . Now followes the third part , which is his condemnation : and that is twofold . The first by the Ecclesiasticall assemblie and counsell of the Iewes at Ierusalem , in the high priests hal before Caiphas . The tenour of his condemnation was this . He hath blasphemed , what haue we any more neede of witnesses , he is worthie to die ? The cause why they saie not he shall die , but , he is worthy to die , is this . The Iewes had two iurisdictions , the one Ecclesiasticall , the other ciuill , both prescribed and distinctly executed by the commandement of God , till the time of the Machabees , in which both iointly together came into the handes of the priests : but afterward about the daies of Herod the great , the Romane Emperour tooke away both iurisdictions from the Iewes and made their kingdome a prouince , so as they could doe no more but apprehend ; accuse , and imprison : as doth appeare by the example of Saul , who gate letters from the high priest to Damascus , that if hee found any either man or woman that beleeued in Christ , he might bring them bound to Ierusalem , and imprison them : but kill or condemne they could not . By the fact of this Counsell wee learne sundrie points : first , that generall counsels and the Pope himselfe sitting iudicially in his consistorie may erre . If there were any visible Church of God at the time of Christs arraignment vpon the face of the whole world , it was no doubt the Church of the Iewes . For Caiphas the high priest was a figure of Christ , the Scribes and Pharises sate in Moses chaire , and Ierusalem is called by Christ , the holy citie , Math. 4.5 . and 27.53 . Yet for al this that which was foretold is now verified , namely that the chiefe corner stone should be reiected of master builders . For by the generall consent of the counsell at Ierusalem , Christ the head of the Catholike Church and the redeemer of mankinde is accused of blasphemie , and condemned as worthie of death . Wherefore it is a meere dotage of mans braine to auouch , that the Pope cannot possibly erre in giuing a definitiue sentence in matters either of faith or maners . Neither can the Church of Rome plead priuiledge , for Ierusalem had as many prerogatiues as any people in the worlde could haue . Againe , by this we see there is no reason why we should ascribe to any man or to oecumenicall counsels themselues , absolute and soueraigne power to determine and giue iudgement in matters of religion , considering they are in danger to be ouertaken with notable slippes and errours . And therefore the soueraignitie of iudgement is peculiar to the sonne of god , who is the only doctour and law-giuer of the Church : and he puts the same in execution in and by the written word . As for the speech of the papists calling the Scriptures a dumbe Iudge , it is little to be regarded : for the Scriptures are , as it were , the letter of the liuing God sent from heauen to his Church vpon earth : and therefore they speake as plainely and as sufficiently vnto vs of all matters of faith , as a man can speake vnto his friende by letter , so be it , we haue the gift of discerning . Yet doe we not barre the Church of God from all iudgement . For the ministeriall power of giuing iudgement both publikely and priuatly is graunted vnto it of God : and that is to determine and giue sentence of matters in question according to the word as the lawyer giues iudgement , not according as he will , but according to the tenour of the law . Thirdly wee learne , that personall succession is no vnfallible marke of the true faith , and of true pastours ; vnlesse withall be ioyned succession in the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles . For Caiphas held his office by succession from Aaron : and yet in publike assembly condemned the Messias spoken of by Moses and the prophets . Therefore the succession of bishops of Rome from Peter is of no moment , vnlesse they can prooue that their religion is the religion of Peter , which they can neuer doe . And thus much of Christs first condemnation . The second was by Pontius Pilate , who sate in an other court as a ciuill iudge , and the tenour of his sentence was , that the Iewes should take him and crucifie him . Here we must consider the reasons that mooued Pilate to determine thus : the first was , the impatience of the Iewes : he for his part was loath to defile his handes with innocent blood , but the Iewes cried , his blood be vpon vs , and on our children : which according to their wish came vpon them within fewe yeares after , and so remaineth still vnto this daie . By which we are taught to take heede of imprecations against our selues , our children , or seruants , or any other creatures : for God heareth mens praiers two waies : either in mercy , or in his wrath and danger . If thou curse thy selfe , or any other , except thou turne vnto the Lord by speedie repentance , he may heare thy praier in his wrath , and verifie thy curse vpon thee to thy vtter confusion . The second reason that mooued Pilate to condemne Christ was , because he feared men more then God : for beeing deputie vnder Tyberius Cesar ouer the prouince of Iudea , for feare of loosing his office , and of displeasing the Iewes , hee condemned Christ after hee had absolued him : whereby wee see , that it is a grieuous sinne to feare dust and ashes more then the liuing God. And therefore Saint Iohn saith , that the fearefull shall haue their portion in the burning lake : that is , such as are more afraide of man then of God. And this sinne in Pilate wanted not his iust rewarde : for not long after he lost his deputie-shippe , and Cesars fauour , and fled to Vienna ; where liuing in banishment , he killed himselfe . And thus God meetes with them that feare the creature more then the Creatour . That we may therefore auoid the heauie hand of God , let vs learne to feare God aboue all : else we shall dishonour God , and shame the religion which we professe . The proper ende of Christs condemnation set downe though not in Pilates will , yet in Gods eternall counsell was , that he might be the cause of absolution at the barre of Gods iustice vnto all those whatsoeuer they are which shall come to life eternall . For we must still remember , that when Christ was condemned by mortall Iudges , he stood in our place , and in him were all our sinnes condemned before God. Therefore to conclude this point ; if this were the ende of the counsell of God , to haue his owne sonne condemned by Pontius Pilate a mortall iudge , that we might not be condemned but absolued before Gods iudgement seate : let vs all labour to haue this absolution sealed vp in our hearts by the testimonie of Gods spirit . For one day we must come to the barre of Gods iudgement : and if wee haue not an absolution by Christs condemnation at Pilates earthly barre , let vs looke for nothing else but the fearefull sentence of condemnation at the celestiall barre of Gods iustice , to be vttered at the day of the last iudgement . If a man should commit such an heynous offence , as that he could no other way escape death but by the Princes pardon , he neither would nor could be at rest , till by one meanes or other he had obtained the same , and had gotten it written and sealed : which done , he would carrie it home , locke it vp safe and sound , and many times looke vpon it with great ioy and gladnesse . Well , this is the case of euery one of vs : by nature we are rebells and traytours against God , and haue by our sinnes deserued tenne thousand deaths . Now our onely stay and refuge is , that Christ the sonne of God was condemned for vs : and therefore in Christ we must sue for pardon at Gods hands , and neuer rest till we haue the assurance thereof sealed vp in our hearts and consciences : alwaies remembring , that euer after we lead a new life , and neuer commit the like sinnes against God any more . It were a blessed thing if this would enter into our hearts : but alas , we are as dead in our sinnes as a dead carkasse is in the graue . The Ministers of God may teach this often vnto vs , and we may also heare the same : but satan doth so possesse mens hearts , that they seldom or neuer begin to beleeue or receiue it till it be too late . Euery one can say , God is mercifull , but that is not enough : for Christ beeing most righteous was condemned , that thou beeing a wretched sinner mightest be saued : and therefore thou must labour for thy selfe , to haue some testimonie of thine absolution by Christs condemnation , sealed vp in thine owne conscience , that thou maist more assuredly say , God is and will be mercifull vnto thee . Hauing spoken of the whole arraignment of Christ , and of his passion in generall . Now let vs proceede to the parts of the passion , which are three : Christs Execution , his Buriall , and his Descending into hell . This beeing withall remembred , that these three parts , are likewise three degrees of Christs humiliation . Christs Execution is that part of his passion , which he bare vpon the crosse , expressed in the words of the Creede , he was crucified , and died . In handling of it we must obserue fiue things : I. the person that suffered : II. the place where he suffered . III. the time when he suffered . IV. the manner howe he suffered . V. the excellencie of his passion . For the first , the person that suffered was Christ the iust , as Peter saith , Christ also hath once suffered for sinnes , the iust , for the vniust : and againe , Christ Iesus the iust ( saith S. Iohn ) is the reconciliation for our sinnes . And in his execution , we shall haue manifest declarations of his righteousnes and iustice , consisting in two most worthie points . First , when he was vpon the crosse , and the souldiours were nailing his handes and feete thereunto , and racking his bodie most cruelly , he praied , Father , forgiue them , they know not what they do . These souldiers were by al likelihood the very same that apprehended him , and brought him before Caiphas , and from thence to Pontius Pilate , and there platted a crowne of thornes and set it on his head , & buffeted him , and spitefully intreated him as we haue heard : and yet Christ speakes no worde of reuenge vnto them , but with all patience in the very extremitie of their malice and iniurie , he praieth vnto his father to forgiue them . Hence wee are taught that when iniuries are done vnto vs , we ought to abstaine from all affection of reuenge , and not so much as manifest the same either in word or deede . It is indeede a hard lesson to learne and practise : but it is our parts to indeauour to do it : and not onely so , but to be readie for euil to doe good : yea , euen at that instant when other men are doing vs wrong : euen then ( I say ) wee must be readie , if it be possible to doe them good . When as Christs enemies were practising against him all the treacherie they could , euen then he performeth the worke of a Mediatour , and praieth for them vnto his father , and seeketh their saluation . Againe , whereas Christ praieth thus , Father , forgiue them , we gather , that the most principall thing of all that man ought to seeke after in this life , is the forgiuenesse of sinnes . Some thinke that happines consisteth in honour , some in wealth , some in pleasure , some in this , some in that : but indeed the thing which we should most labour for , is reconciliation with God in Christ , that wee may haue the free remission of all our sinnes . Yea this is blessednes it selfe , as Dauid saith , Blessed is he whose iniquitie is forgiuen , and whose sinne is couered . Here then beholde the madnesse of the men of this worlde , that either seeke for this blessing in the last place or not at all . The second testimonie of Christs righteousnesse giuen in the middest of his passion was , that he behelde his mother standing by , and commended her to the custodie of Iohn his disciple : whereby he gaue an example of most holy obedience vnto the fifth commandement , which prescribeth honour vnto father and mother . And this his fact sheweth , that the obseruing of this commandement standeth not in outward shew and reuerence onely ; but in a godly recompence , in procuring vnto parents all the good we can , both concerning this and a better life . It often falls out that children be as it were Cains to father and mother : some raile on them , some fight with them ; others see them pine away and sterue , and not releeue them . But all dutiful children must here learne , that as their parents haue done many duties vnto them , and brought them vp : so they againe must in all reuerence performe obedience vnto them both in word and deede : and when occasion is offered releeue them , yea in all they can , doe good vnto them . Againe in this we may see what a wretched state is that which the Church of Rome calleth the state of perfection ; namely to liue apart from the companie of men , in fasting and praying all the daies of a mans life : for hereby the bond of nature is broken , and a man can not do the dutie vnto his parents which Gods lawe requireth , and Christ here himselfe practiseth , nor the duties of a member of Christ which are to be done to the whole Church , and to the rest of the members thereof . The place where Christ suffered is called Caluarie or Golgotha , that is , the place of dead mens skulles , without the walles of Ierusalem . Concerning the reason of this name , men bee of diuers opinions . Some say it was so called , because Adam was buried there , and that his skull beeing there found gaue the name to the place . And this is the verie opinion of some ancient diuines , that Christ was there crucified where Adam was buried ; but because it hath no certaine grounde , I leaue it as vncertaine . Others thinke it was called Caluarie , because the Iewes were wont to carrie out the bones of the dead men , and there to heape them togither , as in times past the manner was in the vauts of sundrie Churches in this land . And some others thinke it was called Golgotha or Caluarie , because theeues and murtherers , and malefactours were there executed , stoned , burned : whereby it came to passe that many skulls and bones of dead men were found there . The time when Christ was executed , was at the Iewes passeouer , when not onely the Iewes , but also many Proselytes of many countries and nations were assembled : and therefore this execution was not in a priuate corner , but openly in the viewe of the world . For as he was a Sauiour not to the Iewes onely but also the Gentiles : so it was very requisite that his death should bee publike before all men both Iewes and Gentiles . As for the houre of the day , in which he suffered , there is some difficultie in the Euangelists : for S. Iohn saith , that he was condemned about the sixt houre of the day : and Saint Marke saith , he was crucified the third houre . Hence it may be demaunded , howe both these can stand togither . Ans. Howesoeuer the Iewes naturall daie beganne at euening , yet the arti●ificiall daie beganne at sunne-rising , and ended at sunne-setting : and it was diuided two waies . First , into twelue partes called twelue houres , whether the daies were longer or shorter . Secondly into foure partes or quarters , and euery part contained three houres : as from the first houre to the third was one part called morning : from the third houre to the sixt , another part called the sixt houre : from the sixt houre to the ninth , the third part called the ninth houre : and from the ninth houre to the twelfth , the fourth part called euening . Nowe when Saint Iohn saith , Christ was condemned about the sixt houre : it must be vnderstood of the second quarter of the daie , called the sixt houre : and whereas Saint Marke saith he was crucified the third houre of the day , hee speakes of the lesser houres , twelue whereof made the whole day : and thus they both agree , for the third houre of the day and the beginning of the second quarter followe each other immediately . Againe it may be answered , that Christ was condemned at sixe of the clocke after the Romane account , which begins the day at midnight ; and crucified at three ( which is nine of the clocke in the morning with vs ) after the Iewes account who begin their artificiall day , as I said , at the sunne rising . The fourth and last point , is the order and whole proceding of Christs execution ; which may be reduced to foure heades : the I. his going to execution , the II. his crucifying , the III. his death , the IV. the consequents of his death . Againe in his going to execution we may consider many points . The first , that he is brought out of Ierusalem as a malefactour . For the old and ancient custome of the Iewes was to put those whome they iudged to be notorious offenders to death without their te●ts when they wandered in the wildernesse , and without the walls of Ierusalem , least they should any way be defiled with their blood . And this fell out by the speciall prouidence of God , that that might be fulfilled in Christ which was prefigured in the sacrifices of the old testament , when the bodies of beasts were not eaten of the priests , but burnt without the campe : therefore ( saith the holy Ghost ) euen Iesus that hee might sanctifie the people with his owne blood , suffered without the gates . Hence may all Christians learne to knowe their owne estate and condition : first , in this worlde they must looke to be accounted the ofscouring of the earth , and the filth of the word , as the Apostle saith , and wee must all prepare our selues to beare this estate . They that will be Gods children must not look to be better accepted of in the world then Christ was . Secondly by this euery one of vs must learne to bee content to vse this worlde , as straungers and pilgrimes ; beeing euery daie and houre and readie to leaue the same . For if Christ the sonne of God himselfe was brought out of Ierusalem , as not beeing worthie to haue his aboade there , then must euery christian man looke much more for the like extremitie . And therefore it is not good for vs to haue our hearts tied to the world , and to seeke alwaies to be approoued of the same : for that argueth that we are not like to Christ : but we must rather doe as poore pilgrimes in straunge countries ; and that is onely to looke for safe conduct thorough the miseries in this world , hauing in the meane season our hearts , wills , and affections set on the kingdome which is in heauen . The second thing is , that Christ was made to beare his owne crosse : for so it seemes the manner of the Romans was to deale with malefactours . And this must put vs in minde of that notable lesson which Christ himselfe taught his disciples ; namely , that if any man will be his disciple , hee must denie himselfe , take vp his owne crosse d●ily , and followe him : where by the crosse we must vnderstand , that portion of affliction , which god hath alotted to euery one of his children : for there is no child of God to whome he hath not measured out as it were some bitter cup of miserie in this life . And therefore Paul saith , Nowe reioice I in my suffering for you , and fulfill the rest of the fu●ferings of Christ in my fle●● . By Christs sufferings he meaneth not the passion of Christ , but the sufferings of the bodie of Christ , that is , the Church whereof Christ is the head . Moreouer we must suffer as he did , & that daily : because as one day followeth another , so one crosse comes in the necke of another . And whereas Christ beares the crosse that was laid on him by the handes of the souldiers , it must teach vs not to pull crosses vpon our selues , but waite til God lay them on vs ; and when that time comes we must willingly bend our shoulders , stoope downe , and take them vp ; whether they be in bodie or in soule : and that euery daie if it be Gods will so long as we liue : and by this shall we most notably resemble our Sauiour Christ. Thirdly , when Christ had carried his crosse so long til he could carrie it no longer , by reason of the faintnesse of his bodie , which came by buffets , whippings , and manifold other iniuries , then the souldiers meeting with one Simō of Cyrene a stranger , made him to beare the crosse : where we are put in mind , that if we faint in the way and be weari●ed with the burden of our aff●●ctions , God will giue good issue , and send as it were some Simon of Cyrene to helpe vs , and to be our comforter . The fourth point is , that when Christ was carrying his owne crosse , and was nowe passing on towards Golgotha , certaine women met him , and pitying his case wept for him : but Christ answered them and said , Daughters of Ierusalem , weepe not for me , but for your selues , and your children , &c. By this we are first of all taught to pitie the state of those that be in affliction and miserie , especially those that be the children of God : as the Apostle exhorteth vs , saying , Remember them that are in bondes , as though you were bound with them : and them that are in affliction , as though you were afflicted with them . In this lande by Gods especiall blessing we haue enioied the Gospell of Christ with peace a long time , whereas other countries and churches are in great distresse : some wallowe in palpable ignorance and superstition : others haue libertie to enioy the Gospell and want teachers : and some haue both the word and teachers & yet want peace , and are in continuall persecution . Nowe when we that haue the Gospel with peace doe heare of these miseries in our neighbour churches , wee ought to bee mooued with compassion towards them , as though wee our selues were in the same afflictions . Secondly , whereas Christ saith , Weepe not for me , but for your selues , he doth teach vs to take occasion by other mens miseries to bewaile our owne estate : to turne our worldly griefes into godly sorrowe for our sinnes , which causeth vs rather to weepe for our offences , thē for our friends , although euen this may also be done in a godly maner . When a man by bleeding at the nose is brought into danger of his life , the Phisitian lets him bloode in another place , as in the arme , and turnes the course of the blood another waie to saue his life : & so must we turne our worldly sorrowes for losse of goods or friendes , to a godly sorrowe for our offences against God : for as S. Paul saith ; Godly sorrowe causeth repentance vnto saluation , not to be repented of : but worldly sorrow causeth death . The fift point is , that when Christ was brought to the place of execution , they gaue him vineger to drinke mingled with mirrhe and gall : some say it was to intoxicate his braine , and to take away his senses and memorie . If this be true , we may here behold in the Iewes a most wicked part , that at the point of death when they were to take away the life of Christ , they for their partes had no care of his soule . For this is a dutie to be obserued of all magistrates , that when they are to execute malefactors they must haue a speciall regard to the good and saluation of their soules . But some thinke rather that this potion was to shorten and ende his torments quickly . Some of vs may peraduenture thinke hardly of the Iewes , for giuing so bitter a potion of Christ at the time of his death : but the same doth euery sinner that repenteth not . For whensoeuer wee sinne , we doe as much as temper a cup of gall , or the poison of aspes , and as it were giue it to God to drinke : for so God himselfe compareth the sinne of the wicked Iewes to poyson , saying , There vine is of the vine of Sodom , and of the vines of Gomorrha , their grapes are grapes of gall , their clusters be bitter , their wine is the poison of dragons , and the cruell gall of aspes . And for this cause we ought to thinke as hardly of our selues as of the Iewes , because so oft as we commit any offence against God , we doe as much as mingle ranke poison , and bring it to Christ to drink . Now afterward , when this cup was giuen him he tasted of it , but dranke not , because he was willing to suffer all things that his father had appointed him to suffer on the crosse , without any shortening or lessening of his paine . Thus we see in what manner Christ was brought ●orth to the place of execution : Now followeth his crucifying . Christ in the prouidence of God was to be crucified for two causes : one , that the ●igures of the old testament might be accomplished and verified . For the heaue-offering lifted vp and shaked from the right hand to the left , and the brasen serpent erected vpon a pole in the wildernesse , prefigured the exalting of Christ vpon the crosse . The second , that we might in conscience be resolued , that Christ became vnder the law and suffered the curse thereof for vs , and bare in his owne bodie and soule the extremitie of the wrath of God for our offences . And though other kinds of punishments were notes of the curse of God , as stoning and such like ; yet was the death of the crosse in speciall manner aboue the rest accursed , not by the nature of the punishment , not by the opinions of men , not by the ciuill lawes of countries and kingdomes , but by the vertue of a particular commandement of God , foreseeing what maner of death Christ our redeemer should die . And hereupon among the Iewes in all ages this kind of punishment hath beene branded with speciall ignominie , as Paul signifieth when he saith , He abased himselfe to the death , euen to the death of the crosse : and it hath beene allotted as a most grieuous punishment to most notorious malefactours . If it be said that the repentant thiefe vpon the crosse dyed the same death with Christ and yet was not accursed , the answer is , that in regard of his offences he deserued the curse and was actually accursed , and the signe of this was the death which he suffered , and that in his owne confession : but because he repented , his sinnes were pardoned , and the curse remooued . It may further be said , that crucifying was not knowne in Moses daies , and therefore not accursed by any speciall commandement of God in Deuteronomie . Answ. Moses indeede speakes nothing in particular of crucifying , yet neuerthelesse he doth include the same vnder the generall . For if euery one which hangs vpon a tree be accursed , then he also which is crucified ; for crucifying is a particular kinde of hanging on the tree . Lastly it may be alleadged , that Christ in his death could not be accursed by the law of Moses , becavse he was no malefactour . Answ. Though in regard of himselfe he was no sinner , yet as he was our suretie he became sinne for vs , and consequently the curse of the law for vs , in that the curse euery way due vnto vs , by imputation and application was made his . Furthermore Christ was crucified not after the manner of the Iewes , who vsed to hang malefactours vpon a tree binding them thereto with cords , and that when they were dead , but after the vsuall maner of the Romanes ; his bodie being partly nayled to the crosse , and partly in the nayling extreamely racked , otherwise I see not but that a man might remaine many daies togither aliue vpon the crosse . And here we haue occasion to remēber that the Papists who are so deuout and zealous towardes crucifixes are farre deceiued in the making of them . For first of all , the crosse was made of three pieces of wood , one fastened vpright in the ground to which the bodie & back leaned , the second fastened towards the top of the first ouerthwart , to which the hāds were nailed : the third fastened towards the bottome of the first , on which the feete were set and nailed : whereas contrariwise popish caruers and painters fasten both the feet of the crosse to the first : secondly the feete of Christ were nailed asunder with two distinct nailes , and not nailed one vpon another with one naile alone as Papists imagine , and that to the very bodie of the crosse : for then the souldiers could not haue broken both the legges of the theeues , but onely the outmost : because one of them lay vpon the other . Let vs now come to the vse which may be made of the crucifying of Christ. First of all here we learne with bitternesse to bewaile our sinnes : for Christ was thus cruelly nailed on the crosse , and there suffered the whole wrath of God , not for any offence that euer he committed , but beeing our pledge and suretie vnto God , he suffered all for vs : and therefore iust cause haue we to mourne for our offences , which brought our Sauiour Christ to this lowe estate . If a man should be so farre in debt that he could not be freed , vnlesse the suretie should be cast into prison for his sake ; nay , which is more , be cruelly put to death for his debt , it would make him at his wits end ; and his very heart to bleed . And so is the case with vs by reason of our sinnes ; we are Gods debters , yea bankrupts before him , yet haue we gotten a good suretie , euen the son of God himselfe , who to recouer vs to our former libertie was crucified for the discharge of our debt . And therefore good cause haue we to bewaile our estate euery day , as by the prophet it is said , They shall looke on him whome they haue pearced , they shall l●ment for him as one mourneth for his owne sonne : they shall be ●orie for him as one is sorie for his first borne . Looke as the blood followed the nailes that were stricken through the blessed hands and feete of Christ , so should the meditation of the crosse and passion of our Redeemer be as it were nayles and speares to pierce vs , that our hearts might bleed for our sinnes : and we are not to thinke more hardly of the Iewes for crucifying him then of our selues , because euen by our sinnes we also crucified him . These are the very nayles which pierce his hands and feete , and these are the speares which pierce through his side . For the losse of a little worldly pelfe , oh how are we grieued ! but seeing our transgressions are the weapons whereby the sonne of God was crucified , let vs ( I say it againe and againe ) learne to be grieued for them aboue all things , and with bleeding and melting hearts bow and buckle vnder them , as vnder the crosse . Secondly , Christ saith of himselfe , as Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernes , so must the sonne of man be lifted vp : the comparison is excellent and worthie the marking . In the wildernes of Arabia the people of Israel rebelled against God , and thereupon he sent fierie serpents among them , which stung many of them to death : now when they repented , Moses was commanded to make a brasen serpent , and to set it vpon a pole , that as many as were stung might looke vnto it and recouer : and if they could but cast a glaunce of the eye on the brasen serpent , when they were stung euen to death , they were restored to health and life . Now euery man that liueth is in the same case with the Israelites ; Satan hath stung vs at the heart , and giuen vs many a deadly wound , if we could feele it , and Christ who was figured by the brasen serpent was likewise exalted on the crosse , to conferre righteousnesse and life eternall to euery one of vs : therefore if we will escape eternall death , we must renoūce our selues , and lift vp the eyes of our faith to Christ crucified , and pray for the pardon of our sinnes : and then shall our hearts and consciences be healed of the wounds and gripes of the deuill : and vntill such time as we haue grace to doe this , we shall neuer be cured , but still lie wounded with the stings of Satan , and bleeding to death euen at the very heart , although we feele no paine or griefe at all . But some may aske how any man can see him crucified now after his death ? Ans. Wheresoeuer the word of God is preached , there Christ is crucified , as Paul saith , Oh foolish Galatians , who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth , to whome before Iesus Christ was described in your sight , and among you crucified ? meaning that he was liuely preached among them . We neede not to goe to wodden crosses , or to golden crucifixes to seeke for him ; but where the Gospel is preached , thither must we goe , and there lift vp our eyes of faith to Christ , as he is reuealed vnto vs in the word ; resting on him and his merits with all our hearts , and with a godly sorrow confesse and bewaile our sinnes , crauing at his hands mercie and pardon for the same . For till such time as we doe this , we are grieuously stung by Satan , and are euery moment euen at deaths dore . And if we can thus behold Christ by faith , the benefits which come hereby , shall be great : for as Paul saith , the old man , that is , the corruption of our nature , and the bodie of sinne that raigneth in vs , shall be crucified with him : for when Christ was nailed on the crosse , all our sinnes were laid vpon him ; therefore if thou dost vnfainedly beleeue , all thy sinnes are crucified with him , and the corruption of thy nature languisheth and dieth as he languished and died vpon the crosse . Thirdly , we must learne to imitate Christ : as he suffered himselfe to be nayled to the crosse for our sinnes , so answerably must euery one of vs learne to crucifie our flesh , and the corruption of our nature , and the wickednesse of our owne hearts , as Paul saith , They that are Christs , haue crucified the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof . And this we shall doe , if for our sinnes past we waile and mourne with bitternesse , and preuent the sinnes to come into which we may fall by reason of the corruption of our natures , by vsing all good meanes , as praier and fasting , and the word of God preached , and by flying all occasions of offence . We are not to destroy our bodies or to kill our selues , but to kill and crucifie sinne that liueth in vs , and to mortifie the corruption of our nature that rebels against the spirit . Christianitie stands not in this , to heare the word of God , and outwardly to professe the same , and in the meane season still to liue in our sinnes , and to pamper our owne rebellious flesh ; but it teacheth vs alwaies to haue in readines some speare or other to wound sinne , and the sword of the spirit to cut downe corruption in vs , that thereby we may shew our selues to be liuely followers of Christ indeede . Fourthly , by this wee may learne that the wrath of God against sinne is wonderfull great , because his owne Sonne bearing our person , and beeing in our place , was not onely crucified , and racked most cruelly , but also bare the whole wrath of God in his soule : and therefore we must leaue off to make so little account of sinne as commonly we doe . Fifthly , whereas the person crucified was the sonne of God , it sheweth that the loue of God which he bare vnto vs in our redemption is endlesse ; like a sea without banke or bottome , it can not be searched into : and if we shall not acknowledge it to be so , our condemnation will be the greater . Sixtly , in this that Christ bare the curse of the law vpon the crosse ; we learne that those that be the children of God , when they suffer any iudgement , crosse , or calamitie , either in bodie or in minde or both , doe not beare them as the curses of God , but as the chastisments of a louing father . For it doth not stand with the iustice of God to punish one fault twise : and therefore when any man that putteth his whole confidence in God , shall either in his owne person , in his good name , or in his goods feele the heauie hand of God , God doth not as a iudge curse him , but as a father correct him . Here then is condemned the opinion of the Church of Rome , which hold , that we by our sufferings doe in some part satisfie the iustice of God : but this can not stand , because Christ did make a perfect fatisfaction to the iustice of his father for all punishment . And therefore satisfaction to God made by man for temporall punishment is needlesse , and much derogates from Christs passion . In the crucifying of Christ , two things specially must be considered : The manner of the doing of it , and his continuance aliue vpon the crosse . Touching the manner , the spirit of God hath noted two things . The first , that Christ was crucified between two theeues , the one vpon his left hand , the other vpon his right ; in which action is verefied the saying of the Prophet Esai , He was numbred among the wicked : and the Iewes for their parts doe hereby testifie , that they esteemed him to be , not some common wicked man , but euen the captaine and ringleader of all theeues and malefactours whatsoeuer . Nowe whereas Christ standing vpon the crosse in our roome and stead , is reputed the head and prince of all sinners , it serueth to teach euery one of vs that beleeue in him , to iudge our selues most vile and miserable sinners , and to say of our selues with Paul , that we are the chiefe of all sinners . The second thing is , that Christ was crucified naked : because he was stripped of his garments by the souldiours when he was to be crucified . The causes why he suffered naked , are these . First , Adam by his fall brought vpon all mankind death both of bodie and soule , and also the curses of God which befall man in this life : among which this was one , that the nakednesse of the bodie should be ignominious ; and hereupon when Adam had sinned , and saw himselfe naked , he fledde from the presence of God , and hid himselfe euen for very shame . Christ therefore was stripped of his garments , and suffered naked , that he might beare all the punishment and ignominie that was due vnto man for sinne . Se●ondly , this came to passe by the goodnesse of God , that we might haue a remedie for our spirituall nakednesse , which is , when a man hath his sinnes lying open before Gods eyes ; and by reason thereof he himselfe lieth open to all Gods iudgements . Hereof Christ speaketh to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea , saying , Thou saiest I am rich , and encreased with goods , and haue neede of nothing , and knowest not how thou art wretched , miserable , blinde , and naked . So when the Israelites had committed idolatrie by the golden calfe , Moses telleth them that they were naked , not onely because they had spoiled themselues of their earings , but especially because they were destitute of Gods fauour , & lay open & naked to all his iudgements for that sinne . And Salomon saith , Where there is no vision , there the people are made naked , that is , their sins lie open before God ; and by reason thereof they themselues are subiect to his wrath and indignation . Now Christ was crucified naked , that he might take away from vs this spirituall nakednesse ; and also giue vnto vs meete garments to cloath vs withall in the presence of God , called white rayment , as Christ saith , I counsell thee to buie of me white rayment , that thou maist be cloathed , and that thy filthie nakednesse doe not appeare : and , Long white robes dipped in the bloode of the Lambe , which serue to hide the nakednesse of our soules . What these garments are , the Apostle sheweth when he saith , All that are baptized into Christ , haue put on Christ. And , Put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes and true holinesse . Our nakednesse maketh vs more vile in the sight of God , then the most loathsome creature that is , can be vnto vs ; vntill we haue put on the righteousnesse of Christ to couer the deformitie of our soules , that we may appeare holy , and without spot before God. Thirdly , Paul saith , We know if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed , we haue a building giuen of God , &c. For therefore we sigh , desiring to be cloathed with our house which is from heauen , because if we be cloathed we shall not be found naked . Where it is like that the Apostle alludeth to the nakednesse of Adam after his fall ; and therefore giueth vs another reason why Christ was crucified naked , namely that after this life hee might cloath all his members with eternall glorie . If this be so , that a part of our reioycing stands in the glorious nakednes of Christ crucified , there is no reason why we should be puffed vp with the vanitie of our apparell . It should rather be an occasion to make vs ashamed , then to make vs proude . The theefe may as well bragge of the brand in his hand , or of the fetters on his heeles , as we may of our attire ; because it is but the couering of our shame : and therefore should put vs in mind of our sinne and shamefull nekednesse . The aboad of Christ vpon the crosse , was about the space of sixe houres . For the death of the crosse was no suddaine but a a lingering death . And in this space of time there fell out fiue notable euents . The first , that the souldiours hauing stripped Christ of his garments , deuided them into foure parts , and cast lottes for his coate , because it was wouen without seame . And by this appeares the great loue of Christ to man , who was not only content to suffer , but also to loose all that euer he had , euen to the garments on his backe to redeeme vs ; teaching vs answerably that if it please god to call vs to any triall hereafter , we must be content to part withall for his sake , that we may winne him . Againe , in these souldiours we may behold a picture of this world : when they had nayled Christ to the crosse , they will not loose so much as his garments , but they come and deuide them and cast lottes for them : as for Christ himselfe , the Sauiour and redeemer of mankinde , they regard him not . And thus fareth the world ; it is a hard to finde a man to accept of Christ , because he is Christ his redeemer : but , when gaine comes by Christ , then he is welcome . Esau that esteemed nothing of his fathers blessing , made great account of his brothers pottage . The Gaderenes made more account of their swine , then of Christ : for when they heard that they were drowned , they beseech him to depart out of their coasts . Nay so bad is this age , that such as will be taken to be the speciall members of Christ , doe not onely with the souldiours strippe Christ of his garments , but more then this , they bereaue him of his natures and offices . The church of Rome by their transubstantiation strippe him of his manhood : and by making other priests after the same order with him , which doe properly forgiue sinnes , strippe him of his priesthood : and of his kingly office , by ioyning with him a Vicar on earth , & head of the Catholike church , and that in his presence : whereas all deputiships and commissions cease in the presence of the principall . And when they haue done all this , then they further load him with a number of beggarly ceremonies ; and so doe nothing else but make a a feigned Christ , in stead of the true and alone Messias . The second euent was , that Christ was mocked of all sorts of men . First , they set vp the cause written why he was crucified , namely , This is the King of the Iewes : then the people that passed by reuiled him , wagging their heads at him , and said , Thou that destroiest the temple and buildest it in three daies , saue thy selfe , &c. Likewise the high Priest mocking him , with the Scribes and Pharises & the Elders , said , He saued others , let him saue himselfe . The same also did one of the theeues that was crucified with him , cast in his teeth . Behold here the wonderfull strange dealing of the Iewes : they see an innocent man thus pitifully and grieuously racked , and nayled on the crosse , and his bloode distilling downe from hands and feete : and yet are they without all pitie and compassion , and doe make but a mocke and a skoffe at him . And in this we may plainly see how dangerous and fearefull their case is , who are wholly giuen vp to the hardnesse of their owne hearts : and we are further admonished to take heede how we giue our selues to iesting or mocking of others . And if any man thinke it to be a light sinne , let them consider what befell the Iewes for mocking Christ. The hand of God was vpon them within a while after , and so remaineth to this day . Little children wickedly brought vp , when they saw Elisha the man of God comming , they mocked him , and saide , Come vp thou bald pate , come vp thou bald pate : but Elisha looked backe on them , and cursed them in the name of the Lord , and two wilde beares came out of the forrest and tare in pieces two and fourty of them . Iulian once a Christian Emperour , but after an Apostata , did nothing els but mocke Christ and his doctrine , and made ieasts of sundry places of Scripture : but being in fight against the Persians , was wounded with a dart ( no man knowing how ) and died scoffing and blaspheming . And such like are the iudgements of God , which befall mockers and scorners . Let vs therefore in the feare of God learne to eschew and auoid this sinne . Furthermore if we shall indifferently consider all the mocks and scornings of the Iewes , we shall finde that they can not truly conuince him to the least sinne ; which serueth to cleare Christ , and to prooue that he was a most innocent man , in whose waies was no wickednes , and in whose mouth was found no guile : and therefore he was most fit to stand in our roome , and suffer for vs which were most vile and sinnefull . And here by the way a question offereth it selfe to be skanned . S. Matthew saith , The theeues which were crucified with him , cast the same in his teeth which the Scribes and Pharises did . S. Luke saith , that one of the theeues mocked him . Now it may be demanded , how both these can be true ? Ans. Some reconcile the places thus ; that the Scripture speaking generally of any thing , by a figure doth attribute that to the whol , which is proper to some part onely ; and so here doth ascribe that to both the theeues which agreeth but to one . Others answer it thus : that at the first both of the euill doers did mocke Christ , and of that time speaketh Matthew : but afterward one of them was miraculously conuerted , then the other alone mocked him , and of that time spake S. Luke . And this I rather take to be the truth . But what was the behauiour of Christ , when he is thus laden with reproch ? In wonderfull patience he replies not , but puts vp all in silence . Where we are taught , that when a man shall raile on vs wrongfully , we must not returne rebuke for rebuke , nor taunt for taunt : but we must either be silent , or els speake no more then shall serue for our iust defence . This was the practise of the Israelites , by the appointment of Hezekias , when Rabshakah reuiled the Iewes , and blasphemed the name of God ; the people held their peace , and answered him not a word : for the kings commandement was , answer him not . So Hannah beeing troubled in minde , praied vnto the Lord , and Hely marked her mouth , for shee spake in her heart , and her lippes did mooue onely , but her voice was not beard , therefore Hely thought shee had bin drunken , and said , How long wilt thou be drunken ? put away thy drunkennesse from thee . Such a speech would haue mooued many one to very hard wordes : but shee saide , Nay , my lord , but I am a woman troubled in spirit , I haue drunke neither wine nor strong drinke : but haue powred out my soule before the Lord. This is a hard lesson for men to learne ; but we must indeauour our selues to practise it , if we will be followers of Christ , and ouercome euill with good . The third thing that fell out in the time of Christs crucifying , was the pitifull complaint , in which he cried with a loud voice , El● , El● , lamasabacthani , that is , My God , my God , why hast thou forsaken me ? In the opening of this cōplaint many points must be skanned . The first is , what was the cause that mooued Christ to complaine ? Ans. It was not any impatience or discontentation of mind , or any despaire , or any dissembling , as some would haue it : but it was an apprehension and a feeling of the whole wrath of God , which seazed vpon him both in bodie & soule . The second , what was the thing whereof he doth complaine . Ans. That he is forsaken of God the father . And from this point ariseth another question . How Christ beeing God , can be forsaken of God ? for the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost are all three but one and the same God. Ans. By God we must vnderstand God the father the first person . According to the common rule , when God is compared with the Sonne or the holy Ghost , then the father is meant by this title , God ; as in this place : not that the father is more God then the Sonne , for in dignitie all the three persons are equall : but they are distinguished in order onely , and the father is first . And againe whereas Christ complaineth that he was forsaken , it must be vnderstood in regard of his humane nature , not of his godhead . And Christs manhood was forsaken , not that his godhead and manhood were seuered , for they were euer ioyned togither from the first moment of the incarnation : but the godhead of Christ , and so the godhead of the father did not shewe foorth his power in the manhoode , but did as it were lie a sleepe for a time , that the manhood might suffer : when a man sleepeth , the soule is not seuered from the bodie , but lieth as it were dead , and exerciseth not it selfe : euen so the godhead lay stil , & did not manifest his power in the manhood , & thus the manhood seemed to be forsaken . The third point is , the manner of this complaint ; My God , my God , saith hee : these wordes are wordes of faith , I say not of iustifying faith , whereof Christ stood not in neede : but hee had such a faith or hope , whereby he did put his confidence in God. The last wordes , why hast thou forsaken me ? seeme at the first to be wordes of distrust . Howe then ( will some say ) can these wordes stand with the former : for faith and distrust are flat contraries ? Ans. Christ did not vtter any speech of distrust , but onely make his mone and complaint , by reason of the greatnes of his punishment : and yet still relied himselfe on the assistance of his father . Hence wee learne first that religion doth not stand in feeling but in faith : which faith wee must haue in Christ , though we haue no feeling at all : for God oftentimes doth withdrawe his grace and fauour from his children , that hee may teach them to beleeue in his mercy in Christ then , when they feele nothing lesse thē his mercie . And faith and feeling cannot alwaies stand togither ; because faith is a subsisting of things which are not seene , & the ground of this hoped for , and we must liue by faith , and not by feeling . Though feeling of Gods mercy be a good thing , yet God doth not alwaies vouchsafe to giue it vnto his children : and therefore in the extremitie of afflictions and temptations , wee must alwaies trust and rely on god by faith in Christ ; as Christ himselfe doth when he is as it were plunged into the sea of the wrath of God. Secondly , here wee may see how God dealeth with his children : for Christ in the sense and feeling of his humane nature was forsaken , yet had he sure trust and confidence in God , that caused him to say , My God , my God. God will oftentimes cast his deere children into huge gulfes of woe and miserie , where they shall see neither banke nor bottome , nor any way to get out : yet men in this case must not despaire , but remember still that that which befell Christ the head , doth also befall his members . Though Christ him-selfe at his death did beare the wrath of God in such measure , as that in the sense and feeling of his humane nature he was forsaken : yet for all this he was the sonne of God , and had the spirit of his father , crying , My God , my God. And therefore though we be wonderfully afflicted either in bodie or in minde , so as we haue no sense or feeling of Gods mercy at all , yet must we not despaire and thinke that we are cast-awaies , but still labour to trust and rely on God in Christ , and build vpon this that we are his children , though wee feele nothing but his wrath vpon vs ; against mercy cleauing to his mercie . This was Dauids practise : In the day of trouble ( saith he ) I sought the Lord : my sore ranne and ceased not in the night : my soule refused comfort . I did thinke vpon God and was troubled : my soule was full of anguish : and so he continueth on , saying , Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer ? and will he shewe no more fauour ? hath God forgotten to be mercifull ? but in the ende he recouereth himselfe out of this gulfe of temptation , saying , Yet I remember the yeres of the right hand of the most high : I remember the workes of the Lord , certenly I remember the wonders of olde . Wherefore this practise of Christ in his passion , must then be remembred of vs all , when God shall humble vs either in bodie or soule , or both . The fourth thing which fell out when Christ was on the crosse was this : after Christ knew that all things were performed , and that the scriptures were fulfilled ; he said , I thirst , and then there standing a vessel full of vineger , one ranne and filled a sponge therewith , and put it about an hyssop stalke , and put it to his mouth : which when he had receiued , he said , It is finished . The points here to be considered , are foure . The first , that Christ thirsteth . And we must knowe that this thirst was a part of his passion ; and indeede it was no small paine , as we may see by this : when Sisera was ouercome by Israel , and had fled from his enemies to Iaels tent , he called for a little water to drinke , being more troubled with thirst , then with the feare of death at the hand of his enemies . And indeede thirst was as as grieuour to men in the East countrie , as any torment else . And hereupon Sāpson was more grieued with thirst , then with feare of many thousand Philistims . Againe , whereas Christ complaines that he thirsteth ; it was not for his own sake ; but for our offences : and therefore answerably we must thirst after Christ and his benefits , as the drie & thirstie land where no water is , doth after raine : and as the hart brayeth after the riuers of water , so must we say with Dauid , My soule panteth after thee , O Lord , and the benefits of thy death . The second that a sponge full of vineger tied vpon an hyssop stalke , was reached to Christ vpon the crosse . Now it may be demanded , how this could bee , considering the stalke of the hyssop is not past a foote long . Ans. As the tree of mustard seed with the Iewes is farre greater and taller then with vs , in so much that the birdes of lieauen build their neasts in it : so it may bee that hyssop groweth much longer in those countries then with vs. Or , as I take it rather , the hyssop stalke was put vpon a reede , and by that meanes the sponge was put vp to the mouth of Christ. The third point is , that Christ drinketh the vineger offered : but when ? Not before all things were finished that were to bee done on the crosse . And by this he shewes his exceeding care for our saluation . He laid aside al things that would turne to his own ease , that he mightfully work our redemptiō , & sulfil the will of his father who sent him into the world for that end . The like care ●ust euery one of vs haue to walke dutifully ; and , as it were , to goe with tho●ugh-stitch in our particular callings , that God may be glorified by vs. Whē Abrahams seruant came : to Bethuel to get a wife for Isaac , meat was set before him , but he said , I will not eate before I haue said my message : so likewise wee must first see Gods glorie procured in our affaires , and then in the second place , if commodity or praise redound to vs , we must afterward take it . The last point is , that when Christ had drunke the vineger , he said , It is finished . Which words may haue a double sense : one , that such things as were figured by the sacrifices of the old testament are accomplished ; the other , that nowe vpon the crosse hee had finished his satisfaction to the iustice of his father for mans sinne . And this of the twaine I rather think to be his meaning . If it be said , that the buriall and resurrection and ascention of Christ , &c. which are very necessarie to mans redemption , were not yet begun , the aunswere is , that the workes of Christs priesthood which followe his death serue not to make any satisfaction to Gods iustice for sinne , but onely to confirme or apply it , after it is made and accomplished on the crosse . And if this be so , that Christ in his owne person accomplished the worke of redemption , and made a full and perfect satisfaction for vs , as these words import , It is finished , then humane satisfactions to gods iustice for sinne are altogither superfluous . The fifth euent that fell out when Christ was vpon the crosse was , that hee cried with a loud voice , and said , Father , into thy handes I lay downe my spirit , that is , I commend my soule as being the most pretious thing which I haue in this world into thy custodie , who art a most faithfull keeper thereof . These wordes are taken by Christ out of the Psalmes : for when Dauid was in danger of his life by reason of Saul , and had no friend to trust , he makes choise of God to be his keeper , and said , Into thy handes , O Lord , do I commend my spirit . Nowe our Sauiour Christ being in the like distresse , both by reason of the Iewes , who euery way sought his final destruction & confusion , & especially because he felt the full wrath of God seazing vpon him , doth make choice of Dauids words , and apply them to himselfe in his distresse . And by his example was are taught not onely to reade the generall history of the bible , but also to obserue the things commanded and forbidden , and to apply the same vnto our selues , and to our particular estates and dealings whatsoeuer : thus the prophet Dauid saith , God! How can this be ? for no part of Scripture penned before the daies of Dauid saith thus of him . True indeede ; but as I take it , Dauids meaning is , that he read the booke of the lawe , and found generall precepts and commandements giuen to Kings and Princes , that they should keepe all the ordinances and commandements of God : which , he beeing a King , applyes particularly to his owne person , and thereupon saith , In the volume of the booke it is written of me , &c. And this dutie is well practised by the people of God at this day ; for the Psalmes of Dauid were penned according to the estate of the Church in his time : and in these daies the Church of God doeth sing the same with the same spirit that Dauid did , and doth apply their seueral estates and conditions . Nowe in that Christ commends his soule into the handes of his father , hee doth it to testifie that he died not by constraint , but willingly : and by his own practise he doth teach vs to do the like , namly to giue vp our own soules into the hands of god : & because this dutie is of some difficultie , we must obserue three motiues or preparatiues which may induce vs to the better doing of it . The first is , to consider that God the father of Christ , is the creatour of our soules , and therefore he is called the father of spirits . And if he be a creatour of them , then is he also a faithfull preseruer of them . For sure it is , that God will preserue his owne workemanship . Who is or can be so carefull for the ornament & preseruation of any worke as the craftes-master ? and shall not God be more carefull then man ? Wherefore S. Peter exhorteth vs to committe our soules vnto God , as vnto a faithfull creatour . The second motiue is this : wee must looke to be resolued in our consciences , that ●od the father of Christ is our father : euery man for himselfe must labour to haue the assurance of the pardon of his owne sinnes , and that the corruption of his soule bee washed away in the blood of Christ , that he may say , I am iustified , sanctified , and adopted by Christ. And when any man can say thus , he shall be most desirous and willing to commit his soule into the handes of God. This was the reason which mooued Christ to lay down his soule into the handes of God , because he is his father . The third motiue or preparatiue is , a continuall experience & obseruation of Gods loue and fauour towards vs , in keeping and preseruing him ; as appeares by Dauids example , Into thy hands ( saith he ) I commit my soule : for thou hast redeemed me , O thou God of trueth . The time when we are specially to commend our soules into the hand of God , is first of all the time of any affliction or danger . This was the time whē Dauid commended his soule into the hands of God in the Psalme before named . We knowe that in any common danger or perill , as the sacking of a citty , or burning of an house , if a man haue any pretious iewell therein , he will first fetch that out , and make choise of a faithfull friende , to whose custodie he will commit the same : euen so , in cōmon perils and daungers we must alwaies remember to commit our soules as a most pretious iewell into the handes of God , who is a faithfull creatour . Another more speciall and necessarie time of practising this dutie , is the houre of death , as here Christ doth , and Steuen , who when the Iewes stoned him to death , called on God , and said , Lord Iesus receiue my spirit . And as this dutie is very requisite and necessarie at all times , so most especially in the houre of death ; beca●se the danger is great by reason that Satan will then chiefely assault vs , and the guilt of sinne will especially then wound the conscience . Lastly , at al times we must commit our soules into Gods handes : for though we be not alwaies in afflictio● , yet we are alwaies in great danger : and when a man lieth downe to rest , he knoweth not whether he shall rise againe or no : and when he ariseth , he knoweth not whether hee shall lie downe againe . Yea , at this very houre we knowe not what will befall the next . And great are the comforts which arise by the practise of this dutie . When Dauid was in great danger of his life , and his owne people would haue stoned him , because their hearts were vexed for their sonnes and daughters which the Amalekites had taken ; it is said hee comforted himselfe in the Lord his God. And the practise of Paul in this case is most excellent : for the which cause ( saith he ) I suffer those things , but I am not ashamed : for I knowe whome I haue beleeued , and I am perswaded that hee is able to ke●pe that which I haue committed vnto him again●t that day . This worthie seruant of God had committed his life and soule into Gods hand : and therefore he saith , In all my sufferings I am not ashamed : where we see , that if a man haue grace in his life-time to commit his soule into Gods hand , it will make him bold euen at the point of death . And this must be a motiue to cause euery man daily and hourely to lay downe his soule into the handes of God , although by the course of nature he may liue twentie or fourtie yeares longer . But howsoeuer this dutie be both necessarie and comfortable , yet few there be that practise the same . Men that haue children are very carefull and diligent to bring them vp vnder some mans tuition ; & if they haue cattel , sheep , or oxen , they prouide keepers to tend them : but in the meane season for their owne soules they haue no care : they may sinke or swimme or doe what they will. This shewes the wonderfull blindnes or rather madnesse of men in the world , that haue more care for their cattell , then for their owne soules : but as Christ hath taught vs by his example , so let euery one of vs in the feare of God , learne to commit our soules into the hand of God. Againe , in that Christ layes downe his owne soule , and withall the soules of all the faithfull into the hands of the father , we further learne three things . The first , that the soule of man doth not vanish away as the soules of beasts and other creatures : there is g●eat difference betweene them : for when the beast dieth , his soule dieth also : but the soule of man is immortall . The consideration whereof must moooue euery man aboue all things in this world to be careful for his soule : if it were to vanish away at the day of death as the soule of beasts doe , the neglect thereof were no great matter : but seeing it must liue for euer , either in eternall ioy , or else in endlesse paines and torments , it stands vs vpon , euery man for himselfe , so to prouide for his soule in this life , that at the day of death when it shall depart from his bodie , it may liue in eternall ioy and happinesse . The second , that there is an especiall and particular prouidence of God , because the particular soule of Christ is committed into the hands of his father , and so answerably the soules of euery one of the faithfull are . The third , that euery one which beleeues himselfe to be a member of Christ , must be willing to die when God shall call him thereunto . For when we die in Christ , the bodie is but laid asleepe , and the soule is receiued into the hands of a most lo●ing God and mercifull father , as the soule of Christ was . Lastly , whereas Christ surrendring his soule into his fathers hands , calls it a spirit , we note , that the soule of man is a spirit , that is , a spirituall , inuisible , simple essence without composition created , as the angels of God are . The question whether the soule of a childe come from the soule of the parents as the bodie doth come from their bodies , may easily be resolued . For the soule of man beeing a spirit , can not beget another spirit , as the angels beeing spirituall doe not beget angels : for one spirit begetteth not an other . Nay which is more , one simple element begetteth not an other , as the water begetteth not water , nor aire begetteth aire : and therefore much lesse can one soule beget an other . Againe , if the soule of the child come from the soule of the parents , then there is a propagation of the whole soule of the parent or of some part thereof . If it be saide , that the whole soule of the parents is propagated , then the parents should want their owne soules and could not liue . If it be said that a part of the parents soule is propagated : I answere● that the soule being a spirit or a simple substance cannot be parted : and therefore it is the safest to conclude , that the bodie indeede is of the bodie of the p●rents , and that the soule of man while the bodie is in making , is created of nothing : and for this very cause God is called the father of spirits . Thus much of the crucifying of Christ : nowe followeth his death . For hauing laid downe his soule into the hands of his father , the holy Ghost saith , he gaue vp the ghost : to giue vs to vnderstand , that his death was no fantasticall but a reall death , in that his bodie and soule were ●euered as truely as when any of vs die . In treating of Christs death we must consider many points . The first , that it was needfull that he should die , and that for two causes . First , to satisfie Gods iustice : for sinne is fo odious a thing in Gods sight , that he will punish it with an extreame punishment : therefore Christ standing in our roome must not onely suffer the mi●eries of this life , but also die on the crosse , that the very extremitie of punishment which wee should haue borne , might bee laid on him : and so we in Christ , might fully satisfie Gods iustice : for the wages of sinne is death . Secondly , Christ died that he might fulfill the trueth of Gods word which had said , that man for eating the forbidden fruit should die the death . The properties of Christs death are two : the first , that it was a volūtarie and willing death : the second , that it was a cursed death . For the first , whereas I say Christs death was voluntarie , I meane that Christ died willingly , and of his owne free accord gaue vp himselfe to suffer vpon the crosse . Howsoeuer the Iewes did arraigne , and condemne , and crucifie him , yet if hee had not willed his own death , and of his free accord giuen himselfe to die : not the Iewes nor all the whole worlde could euer haue taken away his life from him He died not by constraint or compulsion , but most willingly : and therefore hee saith , No man taketh my life from me , but I ( saith he ) lay it downe of my selfe : I haue power to lay it downe , and haue power to take it againe . And our Sauiour Christ gaue euident tokens hereof in his death , for then Iesus cried with a loud voice , and gaue vp the ghost . Ordinarily men that die on the crosse , lāguish away by little & little , & before they come to yeeld vp their liues they loose their speech , and onely rattle or make a noise in the throate : but Christ at that very instant when he was to giue vp the ghost , cried with a loud voice : which sheweth plainely , that he in his death was more then a conquerour ouer death . And therefore to giue all men a token of his power , and to shewe that he died voluntarily , it pleased him to crie with a loud voice . And this made the Centurion to say that he was the Sonne of God. Againe , Christ died not as other men doe ; because they first giue vp the ghost , and then lay their heads aside : but he in token that his death was voluntarie , first laies his head aside after the manner of a dead man , and then afterward giues vp the ghost . Lastly , Christ died sooner then men are wont to doe vpon the crosse , and this was the cause that made Pilate wonder that he was so soone dead . Now this came to passe not because he was loath to suffer the extremitie of death : but because he would make it manifest to all men that he had power to die or not to die . And indeede this is our comfort that Christ died not for vs by constraint , but willingly of his owne accord . And as Christs death was voluntarie , so was it also an accursed death , and therefore it is called the death of the crosse . And it containeth the first and the second death : the first is the separation of the bodie from the soule : the second is the separation of bodie and soule from God : and both were in Christ : for beside the bodily death , hee did in soule apprehend the wrath of God due to man for sinne : and that made him crie , My God , my God , why hast thou forsaken me ? And here wee must not omitte a necessarie point , namely how farre foorth Christ suffered death . Answere . Some thinke that hee suffered onely a bodily death , and such paines as followe the dissolution of nature : but they , no doubt , come to short , for why should Christ haue feared death so greatly if it had beene nothing but the dissolution of nature . Some againe thinke that he died , not onely the first , but also the second death : but it may bee they goe to farre : for if to die the first death bee to suffer a totall separation of bodie and soule , then also to die the second death is wholly and euerie way to bee seuered from all fauour of God , and at the least for a time to bee oppressed of the same death as the damned are . Nowe this neuer befell Christ , no not in the middest of his sufferinges , considering that euen then he was able to call God his God. Therefore the safest is to follow the meane ; namely that Christ died the first death in that his bodie and soule were really and wholly seuered , yet without suffering any corruption in his bodie , which is the effect and fruit of the same : & that withall he further suffered the extreame horrours and pangs of the second death , not dying the same death nor being forsaken of God , more then in his own apprehension or feeling . For in the very middest of his sufferings the father was well pleased with him . And this which I say doth not any whit lesson the sufficiencie of the merit of Christ : for whereas he suffered truely the very wrath of God , and the very torments of the damned in his soule , it is as much as if all the men in the worlde had died the second death , and had bin wholly cut off from God for euer and euer . And no doubt Christ died the first death onely suffering the pangs of the second ; that the first death might be an entrance not to the second death which is eternall damnation , but a passage to life eternall . The benefits and comforts which arise by the death of Christ are specially foure . The first is the change of our naturall death , I say not the taking of it away , for we must all die ; but whereas by nature death is a curse of God vpon man for eating the forbidden fruite , by the death of Christ it is changed from a curse into a blessing : and is made as it were a middle way and entrance to cōuaigh men out of this worlde into the kingdome of glorie in heauen : and therefore it is said , Christ by his death hath deliuered them from the feare of death , which all the daies of their liues were subiect to bondage . A man that is to encounter with a scorpion , if he knowe that it hath a sting , he may be dismaied ; but beeing assured that the sting is taken away , he neede not feare to encounter therewith . Nowe death in his owne nature considered , is this scorpion armed with a sting : but Christ our Sauiour by his death hath pulled out the sting of our death , and on the crosse triumphantly saith , O death , where is thy sting ? O graue , where is thy victory ? and therefore euen then when wee feele the pangs of death approch , wee should not feare but conceiue hope , considering that our death is altered and changed by the vertue of the death of Christ. Secondly , the death of Christ hath quite taken away the second death from those that are in Christ : as Paul saith , There is no no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus , which walke not after the flesh , but after the spirit . Thirdly , the death of Christ is a meanes to ratisie his last will and testament : For this cause was Christ the Mediatour of the newe testament , that through death ( which was for the redemption of the transgressions which were in the former testament ) they which were called might receiue the promise of the eternall inheritance . For where a testament is , there must be the death of him that made the testament : for the testament is confirmed when men are dead : for it is yet of no force as long as he is aliue that made it . And therefore the death of Christ doth make his last wil and testament which is his couenant of grace , authentical vnto vs. Fourthly , the death of Christ doth serue to abolish the originall corruption of our sinnefull hearts . As a strong corasiue laid to a sore , eates out all the rotten and dead flesh : euen so Christs death being applyed to the heart of a penitent sinner by faith , weakens and consumes the sinne that cleaues so fast vnto our natures and dwells within vs. Some will say , howe can Christs death which now is not , because it is long agoe past and ended , kill sinne in vs nowe ? Answ. Indeede if we regard the act of Christs death , it is past , but the vertue and power thereof endureth for euer . And the power of Christs death is nothing els but the power of his Godhead , which inabled him in his death to ouercome hell , the graue , death , and condemnation , and to disburden himselfe of our sinnes . Nowe when we haue grace to denie our selues , and to put our trust in Christ , & by faith are ioyned to him , thē as Christ himselfe by the power of his godhead ouercame death , hell , and damnation in himselfe ; so shall wee by the same power of his godhead kill and crucifie sinne & corruption in our selues . Therefore seeing we reape such benefit by the death of Christ , if wee will shewe our selues to bee Christians , let vs reioyce in the death of Christ : and if the question bee , what is the chiefest thing wherein wee reioyce in this world ? we may answer , the very crosse of Christ , yea the verie least drop of his blood . The duties to be learned by the death of Christ are two : the first concernes all ignorant and impen●tent sinners . Such men whatsoeuer they be , by the death of Christ vpon the crosse , must be mooued to turne from their sinnes : and if the consideration hereof will not mooue them , nothing in the world will. By nature euery man is a vassall of sinne , and a bondslaue of Satan : the deuill raignes and rules in al men by nature , and we our selues can do nothing but serue and obey him . Nay ( which is more ) we liue vnder the fearefull curse of God for the least sinne . Well now , see the loue of the sonne of God , that gaue himselfe willingly to death vpon the crosse for thee● that he might free thee from this most feareful bondage . Wherfore let all those that liue in sin & ignorāce reason thus with thēselues : Hath Christ the son of god done this for vs , and shal we yet liue in our sinnes ? hath he set open as it were the ve●ie gates of hell , and shall we yet lie weltring in our damnable waies and in the shadowe of death ? In the feare of God let the death of Christ be a meanes to turne vs to Christ : if it can not mooue vs , let vs be resolued that our case is dangerous . To goe yet further in this point , euery one of vs is by nature a sicke man , wounded at the very heart by Satan : though we feele it not , yet we are deadly sicke : and beholde , Christ is the good phisitian of the soule , and none in heauen or earth , neither Saint , angel , nor man can heale this our spirituall wound but he alone : who though he were equall with the Father , yet he came downe from his bosome and became man , and liued here many yeares in miserie and contempt : and when no hearbe nor plaister could cure this our deadly wound or desperat sicknesse , he was content to make a plaister with his owne blood : the paine he tooke in making it caused him to sweate water and blood : nay the making of it for vs cost him his life , in that he was content by his owne death to free vs from death : which if it be true , as it is most true , then wofull & wretched is our case if we will still liue in sinne , and will not vse meanes to lay this plaister vnto our hearts . And after the plaister is applyed to the soule , wee should do as a man that hath bin grieuously sick , who when he is on the mending hand , gets strength by little and little . And so should we become newe creatures going on from grace to grace , and shew the same by liuing godlily , righteously , and soberly , that the worlde may see that we are cured of our spirituall disease . O happie , yea thrice happie are they that haue grace from god to doe this . The second dutie concernes them which are repentant sinners . Hath Christ giuen himselfe for thee , and is thy conscience setled in this ? then thou must answerably beare this mind , and if thy life would serue for the glory of God and the good of his Church , thou wouldst then giue it most willingly if thou be called thereto . Secondly , if Christ for thy good hath giuen his life , then thou must in like maner be content to die for thy brethren in Christ , if neede be : He● ( saith Saint Iohn ) laid downe his life for vs , therefore we● ought to lay downe our liues for our brethren . Thirdly , if Christ was content to shedde his owne heart blood not for himselfe , but for the sinnes of euerie one of vs , then we must be thus affected , that rather then by sinning wee would willingly offend God , we should be content to haue our own blood shed : yea if these two things were put to our choise , either to doe that which might displease God , or els to suffer death● wee must rather die then doe the same . Of this minde haue beene all the Martyrs of God , who rather then they would yeeld to Idolatrie , were content to suffer most bitter torments and cruell death . Yea , euery good Christian is so affected , that he had rather choose to die then to liue , not mooued by impatience in respect of the mis●ries of this life : but because hee would cease to offend so louing a father . To sinne is meate and drinke to the worlde , but to a touched and repentant heart there is no torment so grieuou● as this is , to sinne against God , if once he bee perswaded that Christ died for him . Thus much for Christs death : nowe followe those things which befell Christ when he was newely dead ; and they are two especially . The first , that his legges were not broken as the legges of the two theeues were . Of the first , S. Iohn r●ndreth a reason , namely , that the Scripture might be fulfilled , which saith , not a bone of him shal be broken : which wordes were spoken by Moses of the paschall lambe , and are here applied to Christ , as beeing typically figured thereby . And hence we obserue these two things . First , that Christ crucified is the true paschall lambe , as S. Paul saith , Christ our passeouer is sacrificed : and S. Iohn saith , Behold the lambe of God , distinguishing him thereby from the typicall lambe . In this that Christ crucified is the true paschall lambe , the childe of God hath wonderfull matter of comfort . The Israelites did eate the passeouer in Egypt , & sprinkled the blood of the lambe on the posts of their dores , that when the angel of God came to destroy the first borne both of man and beast , and saw the blood vpon their houses might passe ouer them , that the plague should not be vpon them to destruction . So likewise if thou dost feed on the lambe of God , and by a liuely faith sprinkle the dore of thine heart with his bloode , the iudgements of God in this life , and the terrible curse of death , with the fearefull sentence of condemnation at the day of iudgement , and all punishments due vnto thy sinnes shall passe ouer thee , and not so much as touch thee . And whereas the legges of our Sauiour Christ were not broken by the souldiours , who sought by all meanes possible to worke against him all the mischiefe they could : we may note , that the enemies of Christ and his Church , let them intend to shew neuer so much malice against him , they can not goe beyond that libertie which God giueth them , they can doe no more for their liues then that which God willeth . The Medes and Persians are called the Lords sanctified ones : Cyrus is called the man of Gods counsell , because whatsoeuer they intended against the people of God , yet in all their proceedings they did nothing but that which God had determined before to be done . And when Senacherib came against the Iewes as a wilde beast out of his denne , the Lord telleth Hezekiah concerning Ashur that he will put his hooke in his nostrills , and his bridle in his lippes , and bring him backe againe the same way he came , that is , he will so rule him that he shall not doe the least hurt vnto the Iewes , more then God will. This is a matter of great comfort to Gods church oppressed with manifold enemies , Papists , Iewes , Turks and all infidels , malitiously bent against it for Christs sake . For though they intend and practise mischiefe , yet more then Gods will and counsell is , they can not doe : because he hath his ring in their nostrils , and his bridle in their lippes to rule them as he listeth . The second thing which fell out immediately vpon the death of Christ is , that the souldiours pearced his side with a speare , and thence issued water and blood . The vse which ariseth of this point is two-fold : first , it serues to prooue that Christ died truly , and not in shew , or a fained death : for there is about the heart a filme or skinne like vnto a purse wherein is contained cleare water to coole the heat of the heart , and therefore when water and bloode issued out after piercing of the side , it is very likely that a that very skinne was pierced : for els in reason we can not coniecture whence this water should come . Saint Iohn an eye-witnes of this thing , beeing about to prooue that Iesus the sonne of Marie was the true Messias , bringeth in sixe witnesses : three in heauen , the Father , the Word , and the holy Ghost : & three in earth , the Water , the Spirit , and the blood : where no doubt he alludeth to the water and blood that issued out of the side of Christ : by spirit we may vnderstand the efficacie and operation of Gods spirit making men to bring forth the fruits of the same , as loue , peace , ioy , &c. And the second witnes , namely water , hath relation to the water that came forth of Christs side , which signifieth the inward washing away of sinne , and the purging of the heart by Christs blood : which also is and was signified by the outward washing of the bodie with water in baptisme . The third witnes he calls blood , alluding to the blood that issued out of Christs side : whereby is signified the expiation or satisfaction made to Gods iustice for mans sinne . The same vse had the ceremoniall sprinkling in the old testament , typically signifying the sprinkling of Christs blood . Now these three witnesses are not to be sought for in heauen , but euery Christian man must search for them in his owne heart and conscience , and there shall he finde them in some measure . And this water and blood flowing out of the side of Christ beeing now dead , signifieth that he is our iustification and sanctification euen after his death : and that out of his death springs our life : and therfore as Eue was made of a ribbe taken out of the side of Adam : so springs the Church out of the blood that flowes out of the side of the second Adam . Hauing thus intreated of Christs execution , let vs now come to the last point , namely the excellencie of Christs passion , cōsisting in these two points : I. a Sacrifice : II. a triumph . For the first , when Christ died he offered a propitiatorie and reall sacrifice to his father : and herein his death and passion differeth from the sufferings and deaths of all men whatsoeuer . In this sacrifice , we must consider foure things : I. who was the priest . II. what was the sacrifice . III. what was the altar . IV. the time wherein this sacrifice was offered . The priest was Christ himselfe , as the author of the epistles to the Hebrewes prooues at large from the third chap. to the 9. and of him we are to consider these foure points . The first , what is the office of Christs priesthood . Ans. The office of Christs priesthood stands in three things : I. to teach doctrine , and therefore he is called the high priest of our profession , that is , of the Gospel which we professe , because he is the author and Doctour of the same . II. to offer vp himselfe vnto his father in the behalf of man , for the appeasing of his wrath for sinne . III. to make request or intercession to God the father , that he would accept the sacrifice which he offered on the crosse for vs. The second point is , According to which nature he was a priest : whether in his manhood , or in his godhead , or both togither ? Ans. The office of his priesthood is performed by him according to both his natures : and therefore he is a priest not as the Papists would haue him , according to his manhood onely , but as he is both God and man : for as he is a Mediatour , so is he a priest : but Christ is a Mediatour according to both natures : each nature doing that which is peculiar to it , & conferring something to the worke of redemption : and therfore he is a priest as he is both God and man. The third point , After what order he is a priest ? Ans. The Scripture mentioneth two orders of priests : the order of Leui , and the order of Melchisedeck . Christ was not a priest after the order of Aaron : and yet notwithstanding in that priesthood were many notable rites whereby the priesthoode of our Sauiour Christ was resembled , and we may note fiue especially . First in the annointing of the high priests , as of Aaron and his sonnes after him , oile was poured on his head , and it ran down to the very edge of his garments , whereby was signified that Christ the true high priest was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes , that is , that his manhoode was filled with the gifts and graces of God , both in measure , number , and degree aboue all men and angels . Secondly , the sumptuous and gorgious apparell which the high Priest put on , when he came into the sanctuarie , was a signe of the rich and glorious robe of Christs righteousnesse , which is the puritie and integritie of his humane nature and of his life . Thirdly , the speciall parts of the high Priests attire were , first the Ephod , the two shoulders whereof had two onyx stones , whereon were engrauen the names of the twelue tribes of Israel : sixe names on the one stone , and sixe on the other , as stones of remembrance of the children of Israel to God ward : secondly , the brestplate of iudgement like the worke of the Ephod , wherein were set twelue stones according to the names of the children of Israel , grauen as signets euery one after his name . Now by these two ornaments were figured two things in Christ : by the first , that he carries all the Elect on his shoulders , and supports them by his spirit so lōg as they are in this world , against the world , the flesh , and the deuill . By the second , that Christ our high priest beeing now in his sanctuarie in heauen , hath in memorie all the Elect , & their very names are written as it were in tables of gold before his face , and he hath an especiall loue vnto them and care ouer them . Vpon this ground the church in the Canticles praies on this manner , Set me as a seale on thy heart , and as a signe● vpon thy arme . And indeede this is a matter of comfort vnto vs all , that Christ hath our seuerall names written in pretious stones before his face , though he be now in heauen and we on earth : and that the particular estate of euery one of vs is both knowne and regarded of him . Againe , God gaue to Moses the Vrim and Thummim , which was put on the breastplate of the high priest , when he was to aske counsell from God of things vnknowne , before the mercie seat , whence God gaue answer . What the Vrim and Thummim was , it is not knowne : and it is like it was not made by any art of man , but giuen by God ; and how it was vsed we can not tell : but yet the signification of the words affoardeth matter of meditation . Vrim signifies lights , and Thummim signifies perfections . And by this a further matter was prefigured in Christ , who hath the perfit Vrim and Thummim in his breast : first , because in him are hidde all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge : secondly , because he reueales to his Church out of his word such things as none can know but the children of God : as Dauid saith , The secret of the Lord is reuealed to them that feare him . And for this cause the spirit of Christ is called the spirit of wisdome and reuelation : and the spirit of God , whereby we know the things that are giuen vnto vs of God : as namely , our election , vocation , iustification , and sanctification in this life , and our eternall glorification after this life : yea to euery member of Christ within his Church he giues a speciall spirit of reuelation out of the word , whereby he may know that God the father is his father ; the sonne the redeemer , his redeemer ; and the holy Ghost his sanctifier and comforter . Lastly , the high priest had a plate on his forehead , and therein was engrauen the holines of Iehouah : this signified the holines of Christ : for as he is God , he is holines it selfe : and as he is man , he is most holy , beeing sanctified by the holy Ghost for this ende , that he might couer our sinnes and vnrighteousnes , with his righteousnes and holy obedience . The second order of priesthood is the order of Melchisedeck , of which order Christ was , as Dauid saith , Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedeck : and that in two speciall respects . I. Melchisedeck was both a priest and a king : so was Christ. II. Melchisedeck had neither father nor mother , because his historie is set downe with mention of neither : so likewise Christ as he is God , had no mother ; and as he is man , he had no father . The Papists auouch Christ to be a priest of this order in a new respect , in that as Melchisedeck offered bread and wine , when Abraham came from the slaughter of the Kings : so ( say they ) Christ in his last supper did offer his owne bodie & blood vnder the formes of bread and wine . But this is a friuolous deuice of theirs : for if we read Hebr. 7. where this point is handled , there is no comparison at all made of their two sacrifices ; but the resemblances before named are set downe , in which , person is compared with p●rson . Againe , it is not said in Genesis that Melchisedeck offered sacrifice ; but that he brought forth bread and wine , and made a feast to Abraham and his companie . And if Christ should be of the order of Melchisedeck , in regard of the offering of bread and wine , yet would this make much against the Papists . For Melchisedeck brought forth true bread and true wine ; but in the sacrifice of the masse there is no true bread nor true wine : but ( as they say ) the reall bodie and blood of Christ vnder the forme of bread and wine . The fourth point is , whether there be any more reall priests of the newe Testament beside Christ or no ? Ans. In the old testament there were many priests one following another in continuall succession , but of the new Testament there is one onely reall priest , Christ Jesus God and man , and no more : as the author of the Hebrewes saith , because he endureth for euer , he hath an euerlasting priesthoode : and the word translated [ euerlasting ] signifieth such a priesthood , which can not passe from him to any other , as the priesthood of Aaron did . And therefore the priesthood of Christ is so tied to his owne person , that none can haue the same but he ; neither man nor angel , nor any other creature , no not the Father nor the holy Ghost . But the factours of the church of Rome will say , that Christ may haue men to be his deputies in his stead to offer sacrifice . Ans. We must consider Christ two waies : I. as he is God : II. as he is Mediatour . As he is God with the father and with the holy Ghost , he hath Kings and Magistrates to be his deputies on earth : and therefore they are called Elohim , that is , gods . But as he is Mediatour , and so consequently a priest and a King , he hath neither deputie nor vicegerent ; neither king to rule in his stead ouer his Church , nor priest to offer sacrifice for him : nay he hath no Prophet to be his deputie , as he is the doctour of the Church . And therefore he saith to his disciples ; be not called doctors , for one is your doctor . Indeed he hath his ministers to teach men his wil : but a deputie to offer sacrifice in his stead he hath not . And therefore we may with good conscience abhorre the massing priesthood of the church of Rome , as a thing fetched frō the bottom of hell : and their massing priests as instruments of Satan ; holding this for a very truth , that we haue but one onely priest euen Christ himselfe God and man. Indeede all Christians are priests to offer vp spirituall sacrifice : but it is the propertie of Christ alone to offer an outward and reall sacrifice vnto God now in the new Testament . Thus much of the first point who is the priest . The second followeth : what is the sacrifice . Answ. The sacrifice is Christ , as he is man , or the manhoode of Christ crucified . As the priest is both God and man ; so the sacrifice is man , a not God. So it is saide , we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Iesus Christ. Touching this sacrifice , sundrie questions are to be skanned . The first , what kind of sacrifice it was ? Ans. In the old testament there were two kinde of sacrifices : one , propitiatorie which serued to satisfie for sinne : the other eucharisticall for praise and thanksgiuing . Now the sacrifice of Christ was a sacrifice propitiatorie specially prefigured by the typical sacrifice , called the whole burnt offering ; for as it was all consumed to ashes vpon the altar , and turned into smoke , so the fire of Gods wrath did seaze vpon Christ on the crosse , and did consume him as it were to nothing to make vs something . Secondly , when Noe offered an whole burnt offering after the flood , it is saide , God smelled a sauour of rest : not because he was delighted with the smell of the sacrifice , but because he approoued his faith in Christ. And hereby was figured , that Christ vpon the crosse was an offering , & a sacrifice of a sweete smelling sauour vnto God : because God was well pleased therewith . Now whereas Christ was content wholly to offer vp himselfe to appease the wrath of his father for vs : it must teach vs to giue our bodies and soules , as holy , liuing , and acceptable sacrifices , wholly dedicating them to the seruice of God. The second question is , how oft Christ offered himselfe ? Ans. Once onely and no more . This must be held as a principle of diuinitie : With once offering hath he consecrated for euer , them that are sanctified : and againe , Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many . And it serueth to ouerthrow the abominable sacrifice of the masse , in which the true bodie and blood of Christ is offered vnder the formes of bread and wine , really and substantially ( as they say ) for the remission of the sinnes of the quicke and the dead , and that continually : but if this vnbloodie sacrifice of Christ be good , then it is either the continuing of that which was begunne on the crosse by Christ himselfe , or the iteration of it by the masse priest . Now let Papists chuse whether of these two they will : if they say it is the continuing of the sacrifice of Christ , then they speake outragious blasphemie : for it is in effect to say , that Christs sacri●ice was not perfect , but onely begun on the crosse , and must be accomplished by the masse priest to the end of the world . If they affirme the second , that it is an iteration of Christs sacrifice , then also they speake blasphemie : for hereby they make it also an imperfit sacrifice , because it is repeated and iterated : for vpon this ground doth the author to the Hebrues prooue , that the sacrifices of the old testament were imperfit , because they were daily offered . And whereas they say there be two kinds of sacrifices , one bloody once onely offered vpon the crosse : the other vnbloody , which is daily offered , I answer , that this distinction hath no ground out of Gods word : neither was it knowne to the holy Ghost who saith , that without blood there is no remission of sinnes . The third question is , what is the fruit of this sacrifice ? Ans. The whole effect thereof is contained in these foure things : I. the oblation of Christ purgeth the beleeuer from all his sinnes whether they be originall or actuall : so it is said , If we walke in the light , we haue fellowship one with another : and the blood of Iesus Christ his sonne purgeth vs from all sinne : whether they be sinnes of omission in regard of our duties : or of commission in doing euill . II. the oblation serueth for the iustifying of a sinner before God , as Paul saith , We are iustified by his blood , and are reconciled to God by his death . This being here remembred , that in the passion of Christ we include his legall obedience , whereby he fulfilled the law for vs. III. the oblation of Christ serues to purge mens consciences from dead workes ; How much more then shall the blood of Christ , which through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God , purge your consciences from dead works to serue the liuing God. IV. the oblation of Christ procures vs libertie to enter to heauen , By the blood of Christ Iesus we may be bold to enter into the holy place , by the new and liuing way which he hath prepared for vs through the vaile , that is , his flesh . By our sinnes there is a partition wall made betweene God and vs : but Christ by offering himselfe vpon the crosse , hath beaten downe this wall , opened heauen , and as it were , trained the way with his owne blood , whereby we may enter into the kingdome of God , and without the which we can not enter in at all . The last questiō is , how this sacrifice may be applied to vs. Ans. The meanes of applying this sacrifice be two : I. the hand of God which offereth . II. the hand of the beleeuer that receiueth the sacrifice offered . The hand of God wherby he offereth vnto vs his benefit , is the preaching of the word , & the administration of the Sacraments , baptisme , and the Lords supper ; and wheresoeuer these his holy ordinances are rightly administred and put in practise , there the Lord puts forth his hand vnto vs , and offereth most freely the vertue and benefit of the death of Christ. And then in the next place commeth the hand of the beleeuer which is faith in the heart ; which , when God offereth doth apprehend and receiue the thing offered , and make it ours . The third thing to be spoken of is , the altar whereon Christ offered himselfe . The altar was not the crosse , but rather the godhead of Christ. He was both the priest , the sacrifice , and the altar : the sacrifice , as he is man ; the priest , as he is both God and man ; the altar , as he is God. The propertie of an altar , is to sanctifie the sacrifice : as Christ saith , ye fooles and blind , whether is greater the offering , or the altar that sanctifieth the offering ? Now Christ as he is God , sanctifieth himselfe as he was man : and therefore ( saith he ) for their sakes sanctifie I my selfe , by doing two things : I. by setting apart the manhood to be a sacrifice vnto his father for our sinnes . II. by giuing to this sacrifice merit or efficacie to deserue at Gods hands remission of our sinnes : the manhood of Christ without the Godhead hath no vertue nor efficacie in it selfe to be a meritorious sacrifice : and therefore the dignitie and excellencie which it hath is deriued thence . As for the chalkie and stonie altars of the Church of Rome ; they are nothing els but the toyes of mans braine . Christ himselfe is the onely reall altar of the new testament . And in stead of altars which were vnder the law , we haue now the Lords table wheron we celebrate the Sacrament of his bodie and blood , to shew forth his death till he come . The fourth point is , concerning the time of Christs oblation , which he himselfe calleth the acceptable yeare of the Lord : alluding vnto an other yere vnder the law called the yeare of Iubile , which was euery fiftie yeare among the Iewes , in which at the sound of a trumpet all that had set or sold their possessions receiued them againe : all that were bondmen were then set at libertie . This Iubile was but a figure of that perfect deliuerance which was to be obtained by Christs passion , which was not temporarie deliuerance for euery fiftie yeare , but an eternall freedome from the bondage of sinne , hell , death , and condemnation . And the preaching of the word is the trumpet sounded which proclaimeth vnto vs freedome from the kingdome of darknes , and inuites vs to come and dwell in perfect peace with Christ himselfe . Well , if the yeare of perpetuall Iubile be now come , in what a wretched estate all our loose and blind people that esteeme nothing of that libertie which is offered to them , but choose rather to liue in their sinnes , and in bondage vnder Satan and condemnation , then to be at freedome in Christ. Now follow the vses which are to be made of the sacrifice of Christ. The prophet Aggai saith , that the second temple built by Zorubbabel was nothing in beautie vnto the first which was built by Salomon : and the reason is plaine , for ( as the Iewes write ) it wanted fiue things which the first tēple had : I. the appearing of the presence of god at the mercie seat between the two Cherubims . II. the Vrim and Thummim on the breast-plate of the high priest . III. the inspiration of the holy Ghost vpon extraordinarie Prophets . IIII. the Arke of the Couenant : for that was lost in the captiuitie . V. fire from heauen to burne the sacrifices . Yet for all this , the Prophet afterward saith , The glorie of the last House , shall be greater then the first . Now it may be demanded , how both these sayings can stand together . Ans. We are to know , that the second Temple was standing in the time when Christ was crucified for our ●innes ; and it was the sacrifice of Christ which gaue glorie and dignitie to the second temple , though otherwise for building and outward ornaments it was farre inferiour to the first . And by this we are taught , that if we would bring glorie vnto our owne selues , vnto our houses and kindred , either before God or before men , we must labour to be partakers of the sacrifice of Christ , and the sprinkling of his blood to purge our hearts . This is the thing that brings renowne both to place and person , how base soeuer we be in the eyes of the world . Secondly , all oblations and meate offerings were sprinkled with salt , and euery sacrifice of propitiation which was to be burned to ashes , was first salted : and hereby two things were signified . The first , that euery one of vs in our selues are loathsome or vile in the sight of God ; like vnto stinking carrion or raw-flesh kept long vnpoudered . A dead and rotten carkeise is loathsome vnto vs ; but we in our selues are a thousand times more loathsome vnto God. The second , that we are as it were salted and made sauorie and acceptable to God by the vertue of the sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse . Our dutie then is to labour that we may feele in our selues the biting and sharpnes of the oblation of Christ , to wast and consume the superfluities of sinne and the corruptions of our natures . And we must withall indeauour , that the whole course of our liues , and our speech it selfe be gratious and poured with salt , least God at length spue vs out of his mouth . To this ende hath God appointed his ministers to be the salt of the earth , that by their ministerie they might apply the death of Christ , and season the people . And it hath pleased God to be sprinkle this land with more plentie of this salt then hath beene heretofore . But , alas , small is the number of them that giue any relish of their good seasoning . The more lamentable is their case . For as flesh that cannot be seasoned with salt , putrifies : so men , that cannot bee sweetned and changed by the sacrifice of Christ , doe rot and perish in their sinnes . The waters that ishued from vnder the threshold of the Sancturie , when they came into a the dead sea , the waters thereof were holesome : but myrie places and marishes which could not be seasoned , were made saltpits . Now these waters are the preching of the gospel of Chrtst , which flowing through all the parts of this I le , if it doe not season & change our nation , it shal make it as places of nettles & saltpits , & at length be an occasion of the eternal curse of god . Thirdly , Christs priesthood serues to make euery one of vs also to be priests . And being priests , we must likewise haue our sacrifice and our altar . Our sacrifice is the cleane offering , which is the lifting vp of pure handes to God without wrath or doubting in our prayers : also our bodies and soules , our hearts , and affections , the workes of our liues , and the workes of our callings : all which must be dedicated to the seruice of god for his glorie , and the good of his Church . The altar wheron wee must offer our sacrifice , is Christ our redeemer , both God and man , because by the vertue of his death as with sweete odours he perfumes all our obedience , and makes it acceptable to God. The ministers of the Gospell are also in this manner priests , as Paul insinuateth when hee calleth the Gentiles his offering vnto God. And the preaching of the word is as it were a sacrificing knife , wherby the old Adam must be killed in vs ; & we made an holy & acceptable sweete smelling oblation vnto God , sanctified by the holy Ghost . Therefore euerie one that heareth Gods worde preached and taught , must indeauour that by the profitable hearing thereof , his sinnes and whole nature may be subdued and killed ; as the beast was slaine & sacrificed vpon the altar by the hand of the Leuite . Lastly the exhortation of the holy ghost must here be considered . Seeing ( saith he ) we haue an high priest , which is ouer the house of god , let vs draw neere with a true heart in assurance of faith , sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience , and washed in our bodies with pure water : the meaning of the wordes is this , that if Christ haue offered such a sacrifice of such value and price , which procureth pardon of sinne , iustification , sanctification , and redemption , then we must labour to be partakers of it ; to haue our bodies and soules purified and clensed by his blood , and sanctified throughout by the holy ghost , that thereby we may be made fitte to doe sacrifice acceptable to God in Christ. This is the vse which the Apostle maketh of the doctrine of Christs priesthood in that place , which also euery man should apply vnto himselfe : for why should we liue in our sinnes and wicked waies , euery houre incurring the danger of Gods iudgements , seeing Christ hath offered such a sacrifice whereby we may be purged and clensed , and at length freed from all woe and miserie . Thus much of Christs sacrifice : now followes his triumph vpon the crosse . That Christ did triumph when he was vpon the crosse , it is plainly set downe by the Apostle Paul , where he saieth , that putting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against vs , which was contrarie to vs , he euen tooke it out of the way , and fastened it vpon the crosse , and hath spoiled the principalities and powers , and hath made shewe of them openly , and hath triumphed ouer ●hem in the same crosse . This triumph is set forth by signes and testimonies of two sorts . I. By signes of his glorie and maiestie . II. By signes of his victorie on the crosse . The signes of his glorie and maiestie are principally seuen . The first is the title set ouer his head vpon the crosse , Iesus of Nazareth king of the Iewes . The ende why titles were set ouer the heads of malefactours was , that the beholders might knowe the cause of the punishment , and bee admonished to take heede of like offences , and be stirred vp to a dislike of the parties executed for their offences . And therfore no doubt , Pilate wrote the title of Christ for the aggrauating of his cause , and that with his owne hand . Yet marke the straunge euent that followed : for when Pilate was about to write the superscription , God did so gouerne and ouer-rule both his heart and hand , that in stead of noting some crime , he sets downe a most glorious and worthie title , calling him , Iesus of Nazareth king of the Iewes : which wordes containe the very summe and pith of the whole gospel of Christ , deliuered by the Patriarches and prophets from age to age . We must not thinke that Pilate did this of any good minde ; or vpon any loue or fauour that he bare to Christ : but onely as he was guided and ouerruled by the power of God for the aduancement of the honour and glorie of Christ. The like did Caiphas , who though a sworne enemie to Christ , yet he vttered a prophecy of him , saying , that it was necessarie that one should die for the people : not that he had any intent to prophecy : but because the Lord vsed him as an instrument to publish his trueth . And when Balaam for the wages of vnrighteousnesse would haue cursed the Lords people , for his life he could not ; nay all his cursings were turned into blessings . By this then it appeares , that it is not possible for any man , doe what he can , to stoppe the course of the gospel of Christ : nay : ( as we see ) God can raise vp the wicked sometime to spread abroad and to publish the truth , though they thēselues intend the contrarie . Furthermore let vs marke that when the Iewes did most of all intend to bring disgrace and ignominie vpon our Sauiour Christ , then did they most of all extoll and magnifie his name : they could not for their liues haue giuen him a more renowmed title then this , that he was King of the Iewes . And the same is the case of all the members of Christ : for let a man walke in good conscience before God and man , he shall finde this to bee true , that when hee is most disgraced in the world , then commonly he is most honoured with God and men . Further , Pilate wrote this superscription in three languages , Hebrew , Greeke , and Latine . And no doubt the end thereof in the prouidence of God was , that the passion of Christ , as also the publishing of his kingdome & Gospell might be spread ouer the whole world . This shewes the malice of the Church of Rome , which will not suffer the word of God to be published but in the Latine tongue , least the people should be intangled in errours . Againe , when Pilate had thus written the superscription , the high priests and Pharises offended thereat , came to Pilate willing him to change the title , saying , Write not the King of the Iewes , but that he said , I am the King of the Iewes : but Pilate answered them againe , That which I haue written , I haue written . Though Pilate had beene ouer-ruled before to condemne Christ to death , against his owne conscience , yet will he not in any wise condiscend to change the superscription . Howe comes this to passe ? Surely , as he was ruled by the hand of God in penning it , so by the same hand of God was he confirmed in not changing it . Hence we learne sundrie instructions . First , that no man in the world , let him indeauour himselfe to the vttermost of his power , is able to stoppe the course of the kingdome of God : it stands firme and sure , and all the worlde is not able to preuaile against it . Secondly , whereas Pilate beeing but an heathen man was thus constant , that he will not haue his writing changed ; we may note , how permanent & vnchangeable the writings of the holy word of God are . They are not the words of heathen men , but were spoken by the mouth of the Prophets and Apostles , as God gaue them vtterance . The booke of Scripture therefore is much more immutable , so as no creature shall be able to change the least part of it till it be fulfilled . Thirdly , by Pilates constancy , we learne to be constant in the practise and profession of the religion of Christ : this is a necessarie lesson for these daies , wherin mens professions doe fleete like water and goe and come with the tyde . Many zealous professours to day , but to morrowe as could as water . And the complaint of the Lord touching times past , agrees to our daies : O Ephraim , What shall I say to thee ? thy righteousnesse is like the morning dewe . The second is , the conuersion of the theife : a most worthy argument of the godhead of Christ. For by it when he was vpon the crosse , and in the very middest of his passion , he giues vnto all the worlde a liuely and notable experience of the vertue and power of his death , so as his verie enemies might not onely beholde the passion it selfe , but also at the same time acknowledge the admirable efficacie thereof . And therefore with the passion of Christ , wee must ioyne the conuersion of the thiefe : which is as it were a crystall glasse wherein we may sensibly behold the endlesse merit and vertue of the obedidience of Christ to his father , euen to the death of the crosse . And therefore I will briefely touch the speciall instructions which are to be learned by it . First let vs marke that both the thieues in euery respect were equall , both wicked and lewd liuers : and for their notorious faults both attached , condemned , and executed both on the crosse at the same time with Christ : yet for all this , the one repenting was saued , the other , was not . And in their two examples we see the state of the whole worlde , whereof one part is chosen to life eternall : and thereupon attaines to faith and repentance in this life : the rest are reiected in the eternall counsell of God , for iust causes knowne to himselfe , & such being left to themselues neuer repent at al. Secondly we are taught hereby , that the whole worke of our conuersion and saluation must bee ascribed wholly to the meere mercie of God : of these two thieues the one was as deeply plunged in wickednes as the other , & yet the one is saued , the other condēned . The like was in Iacob & Esau ; both borne at one time , and of the same parents , and neither of them had done good nor euill when they were borne : yet one was then loued , the other was hated : yea if we regard outward prerogatiues , Esau was the first borne , and yet was refused . Furthermore , the theife on the crosse declareth his conuersion , by manifest signes and fruites of repentance , as appeares by the wordes which he spake to his fellow , Fearest not thou god seeing thou art in the same condemnation . Though handes and feete were fast nailed to the crosse , yet heart and tongue are at libertie to giue some tokens of his true repentance . The people of this our land heare the word , but for the most part are without either profit in knowledge or amendement of life : yet for all this , they perswade themselues that they haue good hearts and good meanings , though they can not beare it away , and vtter it so well as others . But alas , poore soules , they are deluded by Satan : for a man that is conuerted , can not but expresse his conuersion , and bring foorth the fruits thereof . And therefore our Sauiour Christ saith , If a man beleeue in me , out of his bellie shall flowe riuers of water of life . The grace ( as Elihu saith ) of God is like newe wine in a vessell which must haue a vent ; and therefore hee that sheweth no tokens of Gods grace in this life , is not as yet conuerted ; let him thinke and say of himselfe what he will. Can a man haue life , and neuer mooue nor take breath ? and can hee that bringeth forth no fruite of his conuersion liue vnto God ? Wel , let vs now see what were the fruits of the thiefes repentance . They may be reduced to foure heads . First , he rebukes his fellow for mocking Christ , indeauouring thereby to bring him to the same condition with himselfe , if it were possible : whereby he discouers vnto vs the propertie of a true repentant sinner , which is , to labour and striue , so much as in him lieth , to bring all men to the same state that hee is in . Thus Dauid hauing tryed the great loue and fauour of God toward himselfe , breaketh foorth and saith , Come children , harken vnto me , and I will teach you the feare of the Lord : shewing his desire that the same benefits which it had pleased God to bestow on him , might also in like manner be conueied to others . Therfore it is a great shame to see men professing religion , carried away with euery company , and with the vanities and fashions of the world , whereas they should rather drawe euen the worst men that be to the fellowship of those graces of God which they haue receiued . That which the Lord spake to the prophet Ieremie , must be applied to all men : Let them returne vnto thee , but returne not thou vnto them . In instruments of musicke the string out of tune must be set vp to the rest that be in tune , and not the rest to it . Againe , in that he checkes hi fellowe , it shewes that those which be touched for their owne sinnes , are also grieued when they see other men sinne and offend God. But to goe further in this point , let vs diligently and carefully marke the manner of his reproofe , Fearest thou not God , seeing thou art in the same condemnation . In which words he rips vp his lewdnes euen to the quicke , and giues him a worthie item , telling him that the cause of all their former wickednesse , had beene the want of the feare of God. And this point must euery one of vs marke with great diligence . For if we enter into our hearts and make a through search , wee shall finde that this is the roote and fountaine of all our offences . Wee miserable men for the most part haue not grace to consider that we are alwaies before God ; and to quake and tremble at the consideration of his presence : and this makes vs so often to offend God in our liues as we doe . Abraham comming before Abimelech , shifting for himselfe , saide , that Sara was his sister , and being demanded why he did so , answered , because he thought the feare of God was not in that place : insinuating that he which wants the feare of God , wil not make conscience of any sinne whatsoeuer . Would we then euen from the bottome of our hearts turne to God , and become new creatures , then let vs learne to feare God : which is nothing els but this , when a man is perswaded in his owne heart and conscience that wheresoeuer he be , he is in the presence and sight of God , and by reason therof is afraid to sinne . This we must haue fully settled in our hearts , if we desire to learne but the first lesson of true wisdome . But what reason vseth the theefe to draw his fellow to the feare of God ? Thou art ( saith he ) in the same condemnation , that is , by thy sinnes & manifold transgressions thou hast deserued death , and it is now most iustly inflicted vpon thee ; wilt thou not yet feare God ? Where we are taught , that temporall punishments and crosses , ought to be meanes to worke in vs the feare of God ; for that is one end why they are sent of God. It is good for me ( saith Dauid ) that I haue been chastised , that I may learne thy statutes . And Paul saith , When we are chastised , we are nurtured of the Lord. And the Iewes are taught by the prophet Micah to say , I will beare the wrath of the Lord , because I haue sinned against him . The second fruit of his conuersion is , that he condemneth himselfe and his fellow for their sinnes , saying , Indeede we are righteously here , for we receiue things worthie for that we haue done , that is , we haue wonderfully sinned against Gods maiestie , and against our brethren : and therefore this grieuous punishment which we beare , is most iust and due vnto vs. This fruit of repentance springs and growes very thinne among vs , for fewe there be which doe seriously condemne themselues for their owne sinnes : the manner of men is to condemne others , and to crie out that the world was neuer so bad , but bring them home to themselues , and you shall find that they haue many excuses and defences as plaister-worke to cast ouer their foule and filthie sinnes : and if they be vrged to speake against themselues , the worst will be thus ; God helpe vs , we are all sinners , euen the best of vs. But certen it is , that he which is thoroughly touched in conscience for his sinnes , both can and will speake more against himselfe for his manifold offences , then all the world besides . Thus Paul when he was conuerted , calls himselfe the chiefe of all sinners . And the prodigall childe confessed that he had sinned against heauen and against his father , and was not worthie to be called his child . The third fruit of his conuersion is , that he excuseth our Sauiour Christ , and giueth testimonie of his innocencie , saying , But this man hath done nothing amisse . Marke here : Pilate condemned Christ , Herod mocked him , all the learned Scribes and Pharises condemned him , and the people crie , away with him , let him be crucified : and among his owne disciples Peter denied him , and the rest ranne away : there remaines onely this poore silly wretch vpon the crosse to giue testimonie of Christs innocencie : whereby we learne , that God chooseth the simple ones of this world , to ouerthrow the wisdom of the wise : and therefore we must take heede that wee be not offended at the Gospell of Christ , by reason that for the most part simple and meane men in the world embrace it . Nay marke further , this one theife beeing conuerted had a better iudgement in matters concerning Gods kingdome , then the whole bodie of the Iewes . And by this all students may learne , that if they desire to haue in themselues vpright iudgement in matters of religion , first of all they must become repentant sinners : and though a man●haue neuer so much learning , yet if he be carried away with his owne blind affections and lusts , they will corrupt and darken his iudgement . Men which worke in mines and coale-pits vnder the earth , are troubled with nothing so much as with damps , which make their candle burne darke , and sometimes put it quite out . Nowe euery mans sinnes are the damps of his heart , which when they take place , doe dim the light of his iudgement , and cast a mist ouer the mind , and darken the vnderstanding and reason : and therefore a needefull thing it is , that men in the first place should prouide for their own conuersion . The fourth fruit of his repentance is , that he praieth for mercy at Christs hands , Lord ( saith he ) remember me when thou commest into thy kingdom : in which praier we may see what is the propertie of faith . This theife at this instant heard nothing of Christ but the scornings and mockings of the people , and he saw nothing but a base ●state full of ignominie and shame , and the cursed death of the crosse , yet neuerthelesse hee nowe beleeues in Christ , and therefore intreats for saluation at his hand . Hence we learne , that it is one thing to beleeue in Christ , and another to haue feeling and experience : and that euen then when we haue no sense or experience we must beleeue : for faith is the subsisting of things which are not seene : and Abraham aboue hope did beleeue vnder hope : and Iob saith , though thou kill me , yet will I beleeue in thee . In Philosophy a man beginnes by experience , after which comes knoweledge and beleefe ; as whē a man hath put his hand to the fire , & feeles it to be hot , he comes to knowe thereby that fire burnes : but in Diuinitie wee must beleeue though we haue no feeling : first comes faith , and after comes sense and feeling . And the ground of our religion standes in this , to beleeue things neither seene not felt to hope aboue all hope , and without hope : in extremitie of affliction to beleeue that God loueth vs , when he seemeth to be our enemie , and to perseuere in the same to the end● The answer which Christ made to his praier was , This night shalt thou bee with me in Paradise . Whereby he testifies in the middest of his sufferings the power which he had ouer the soules of men : and verifies that gratious promise , Aske and ye shall receiue , seeke and ye shall finde , knocke and it shall be opened to you : and withall confutes the popish purgatory . For if any man should haue gone to that forged place of torment , then the theife vpon the crosse , who repenting at the last gaspe wanted time to make satisfaction for the temporall punishment of his sinnes . And by this conuersion of the thiefe we may learne that if any of vs would turne to God and repent , we must haue three things . I. The knowledge of our owne sinnes . II. From the bottome of our hearts wee must confesse and condemne our selues for them , and speake the worst that can be of our selues , in regard of our sinnes . III. We must earnestly craue pardon for them , and call for mercie at Gods handes in Christ , withall reforming our liues for the time to come : if we doe , we giue tokens of repentance ; if not , we may thinke what we will , but we deceiue our selues , and are not truely conuerted . And here we must be warned to take heede least we abuse , as many do , the example of the thiefe , to conclude thereby that we may repent when we will , because the thiefe on the crosse was conuerted at the last gaspe . For there is not a second example like to this in all the whole Bible : it was also extraordinarie . Indeed sundrie men are called at the eleuenth houre , but it is a most rare thing to finde the conuersion of a sinner after the eleuenth houre , and at the point of the twelfth . This mercy God vouchsafed this one thiefe ; that he might be a glasse in which we might behold the efficacie of the death of Christ , but the like is not done to many men , no not to one of a thousand . Let vs rather consider the estate of the other thiefe , who neither by the dealing of his fellow , nor by any speech of Christ could be brought to repentance . Let vs not therefore deferre our repentance to the houre of death : for then we shall haue sore enemies against vs : the world , the flesh , the deuill , and a guiltie conscience ; & the best way is before hand to preuent them . And experience shewes that if a man deferre repentance to the last gaspe , often when he would repent he cannot . Let vs take Salomons counsel , Remēber thy creatour in the daies of thy youth , before the euill daies come . If we will not heare the Lord when he calleth vs , hee will not heare vs when we call on him . The third signe was , the ecclipsing or darkening of the sunne from the sixt houre to the ninth . And this ecclipse was miraculous . For by the course of nature the sinne is neuer ecclipsed , but in the newe moone : whereas contrariwise this ecclipse was about the time of the passeouer which was alwaies kept at the full moone . Question is made touching the largenes of it : some mooued by the words of Luke , who saith that darkenes was vpon the whole earth , haue thought that the ecclipse was vniuersall ouer the whole world : but I rather thinke that Saint Lukes meaning is , that it was ouer the whole region or countrie of Iurie . For if such a wonder had happened ouer the whole worlde , all Historiographers Greeke and Latine and Astronomers , diligent obseruers of all ecclipses , would haue made speciall mention thereof . And though some a writers say that it was ouer the whole earth , and that it was set downe in record both by the Romans and Grecians , yet all their writings prooue no more but this , that it was ouer Iurie and Galely and the countries bordering neere vnto . The vses of this miracle are manifolde . I. This darkening of the sunne giues a checke to the Iewes for their crucifying of Christ : they were not ashamed to apprehend , accuse , and condemne him : yet this glorious creature the sunne pulleth in his beames , beeing as it were ashamed to behold that , which they were not ashamed to doe . II. It serues to signifie the great iudgement of God to come vpon the Iewes . For when as Christ suffered , darkenesse was ouer all the land of Iurie , and all the world besides had the light of the sunne , so shortly after blindenesse of minde was ouer the whole nation of the Iewes , and all the world besides sawe the sonne of righteousnesse shining vnto them in preaching of the gospel . III. It serues to aduertise vs that such as carrie themselues towardes Christ as the Iewes did , haue nothing els in them but darkenes , and they that sit in darkenesse and shadow of death ; and therefore not able any whit better to see the way that leadeth vnto life , then he which is cast into a dark dungeon can ; who if they thus remaine , shal at length be cast into vtter darkenes . This being the estate of all them that be forth of Christ , wee must labour to be freed from this darkenesse , that the day-starre may rise in our hearts , and shine vpon vs , and put life into vs. IV. This miraculous and wonderfull darkening of the sunne doth conuince the Iewes , that Christ whome they crucified was the Lord of glorie , and the Sauiour of the world : and it is very like that this was the principall ende of this miracle . For whereas neither his doctrine , nor his former miracles could mooue them to acknowledge him for that Messias , yet this one worke of God doth as it were strike the naile to the head , and stop al their mouthes . V. Besides this , whereas at the very instant when Christ was about to make a satisfaction to the iustice of his father for our sinnes ; the sunne was thus darkened : it teacheth vs first to think of the passion of Christ , not as of a light matter , but as one of the greatest wonders of the world , at the sight whereof the verie frame of nature was changed : secondly , to thinke of our owne sinnes , as the vilest things in the worlde , and that they deserue the intollerable wrath of God : considering that at the time when they were to bee abolished , the course of nature euen in the very heauens is turned vpside downe . The fourth signe is , the rending of the vaile of the temple from the top to the bottome . The temple was deuided into two parts : the one more inward into which no man might come but the high priest , and that once a yeare ; and it was called the holy of holies : the other was that where the people came and offered sacrifices vnto the Lord. Nowe that which parted the temple into these two parts was called the vaile , & at the time of Christs passion it was rent from the toppe to the very bottome . This hath diuers vses : I. The holy of holies signified the third heauen , where God sheweth himselfe in glory and maiestie vnto his Saints : and the rending of the vaile sigureth vnto vs , that by the death of Christ heauen which was otherwise shut by our sinnes is now set open , and a way made to enter thereto . II. It signifieth , that by the death of Christ we haue without impediment , free accesse to come vnto God the father by earnest praier in the name of Christ ; which is a most vnspeakable benefit . III. It signifieth that by Christs death an end is put to all ceremonies , to ceremoniall worship , and the sacrifices of the old testament : and that therefore in the newe testament there remaineth one onely reall and outward sacrifice , that is , Christ crucified on the crosse : and the whole seruice and worship of God for outward ceremonies most simple and plaine . IV. The temple was the chiefe and one of the most principal prerogatiues that the Iewes had ; it was their glorie that they had such a place wherein they might worship and doe seruice to the true God : and for the temples sake God often spared them , and therefore Daniel praieth : O Lord , heare the praier of thy seruant , and his supplication , and cause thy face to shine vpon the sanctuarie that lieth wast for the Lords sake . Yet for all this , when they began to crucifie the Lord of life , their prerogatiues helpes them not , nay they are depriued thereof , and God euen with his owne hand rendes the vaile of the temple in sunder , signifying vnto them , that if they forsake him , he will also forsake them . And so may we say of the church of England . No doubt for the gospels sake we haue outward peace and safetie , and many other blessings , and are in account with other nations : yet if we make no conscience to obey the word of God , & if we haue no loue of Christ and his members , God wil at length remooue his candlesticke from vs , and vtterly depriue vs of this ornament of the Gospell , and make our land as odious vnto all the world , as the land of the Iewes is at this day . Let vs therfore with all care and diligence shewe forth our loue both to Christ himselfe and to his members , and adorne the gospell which wee professe by bringing forth fruits worthy of it . The fifth signe is the earthquake , whereby hard rockes were clouen a sunder . And it serues very fitly to signifie further vnto vs , that the sinne of the Iewes in putting Christ to death was so heauie a burden , that the earth could not beare it , but trēbled thereat , though the Iewes themselues made no bones of it . And it is a thing to be wondred at : that the earth doeth not often in these daies , tremble and quake at the monstrous blasphemies and feareful othes by the wounds and blood and heart of Christ , whereby his members are rent asunder , and he traiterously crucified againe . Secondly , the earthquake shewes vnto vs the exceeding and wonderfull hardnes of the hearts of the Iewes , and ours also : they crucified Christ and were not touched with any remorse ; and wee can talke and heare of his death , yea we can say hee was crucified for our sinnes : and yet are we nothing affected therewith , our hearts will not rende when as hard rockes cleaue asunder . Thirdly , the moouing of the ea●th , and the rending of the rockes asunder , may be a signe vnto vs of the vertue of the doctrine of the gospel of Christ : which is nothing els but the publishing of the passion of his death : which being preached , shall shake heauen and earth , sea and land . It shall mooue the earthen , hard , and rockie hearts of men ; and raise vp of meere stones and rockes children vnto Abraham . But the maine vse and ende of this point is , to prooue that he that was crucified , was the true Messias the sonne of God : and therefore had the power of heauen and earth , and could mooue all things at his pleasure . The sixt signe of the power of Christ is , that graues did open , & many bodies of the Saints which slept arose , and came out of their graues after his resurrectiō , and went into the holy citie , and appeared vnto many . The vse of this signe is this : it signifies vnto vs , that Christ by his death vpon the crosse did vanquish death in the graue , and opened it● and thereby testified that hee was the resurrection and the life : so that it shall not haue euerlasting dominion ouer vs : but that he will raise vs vp from death to life , and to euerlasting glorie . The seuenth signe is the testimonie of the Centurion with his souldiours which stood by to see Christ executed : S. Marke saith , when he sawe that Christ thus crying gaue vp the ghost , he said , truely this was the sonne of God. Thus wee see it is an easie matter for Christ to defend his owne cause : let Iudas betray him , Peter denie him , and all the rest forsake him , yet he can if it so please him make the Centurion that standeth by to see him executed to testify of his innocency . But what was the occasion that mooued him to giue so worthie a testimonie ? S. Matthew saith , it was feare , and that feare was caused , by hearing the loud crie of Christ , and by seeing the earthquake & things which were done . And this must put vs in minde not to passe by Gods iudgements which daily fall out in the world , but take knowledge of them , and as it were , to fixe both our eyes on them . For they are notable meanes to strike and astonish the rebellious heart of man , and to bring it in awe and subiection to God. After that the two first captaines with their fifties commanding the Prophet Elias to come downe to king Achaziah , were consumed with fire from heauen , the king sent his third captain ouer fiftie with his fiftie to fetch him down : but what doth he ? it is said , he fell on his knee before Eliah , and besought him , saying , O man of God , I pray thee , let my life and the liues of these fiftie seruants be pretious in thine eyes . But what was the cause why he praied thus ? Surely he obserued what iudgements of God fell vpon his two former fellow captaines , Behold , saith he , there came downe fire from heauen , and deuoured the two former captaines with their fifties : therefore let my life be pretious now in thy sight . Thus laying to his owne heart and making vse of Gods iudgements , he humbled himselfe and was spared with his fiftie . And Habaccuk saith , When I heard the voyce , namely of Gods iudgements , rottennes entred into my bones , and I trembled in my selfe that I might be safe in the day of the Lord. Now what this feare of the Centurion was , there is a further question , and it is very like that it was but a sudden motion or a certaine preparatiue to better things . For he was but an heathen man , and had as yet no knowledge of Christ , and whether he repented or not it is vncerten : and we must not maruell at this , for there are many suddaine motions in shew very good , that vpon like occasions rise in the hearts of naturall men . When God plagued the land of Egypt , then Pharaoh sent for Moses and confessed that the Lord was righteous , but he and his people were wicked ; and desired Moses to pray to God to take away the plague , who did so : but so soone as the hand of God was stayed , he returned to his old rebellion againe . And as a dogge that commeth out of the water shaketh his cares , and yet returneth into it againe : so is the manner of the world : when crosses and calamities befall men , as sicknesse , losse of friends or goods , then with Ahab they outwardly humble themselues and goe softly : they vse to frequent the place where the word is preached and Gods name called vpon : but alas , common experience shewes that these things are but fittes arising of vncerten and flittering motions in the heart . For so soone as the crosse is remooued , they returne to their old by as againe , and become as bad and as backeward as euer they were : beeing like to the tree that lies in the water , which for a while is greene , but afterward withereth . And therefore we for our parts , when any good motions come into our hearts as the beginnings of further grace , we ( I say ) must not quench them but cherish and preserue them , remembring that the kingdome of heauen , is like a graine of mustard seede , which when it is sowne is the least of all seedes : but afterward it groweth vp into a tree , that the soules of the heauen may build their nests in it : and like to this are the first motions of Gods spirit , and therefore they must be cherished and maintained . And thus much for the seuen signes of the power of Christs godhead . Now followes the second part of the triumph of Christ , which containeth signes of his victorie vpon the crosse , notably expressed by Paul when he saith , And putting out the hand writing of ordinances which was against vs , which was contrarie to vs , he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vpon the crosse , and hath spoiled the principalities and powers , and hath made a shew of them openly , and hath triumphed openly in the same . In which words he alludeth to the manner of heathen triumphs : for it was the custome of the heathen princes when they had gotten the victorie ouer their enemies , first to cause a pillar of stone , or some great oke to be cut downe , and set vp in the place of victorie , vpon which either the names of the chiefe enemies were set , or their heads were hanged , or words were written in the pillar to testifie the victorie . This beeing done , there followed an open shew , in which first the conquerour prepares for himselfe a chariot of victorie wherein he was himselfe to ride , and then the chiefe of his enemies bound and pinioned , were led openly after him . Now on the same manner vpon the crosse there was a pitched field ; the Emperour on the one side was Christ ; his enemies on the other side were the world , the flesh , hell , death , damnation , the deuill , and all his angels : all which , banding themselues against him were all subdued by him vpon the same crosse : and he himselfe gaue two signes of his triumph , one was a monument of the victorie , the other an open shew of his conquest . Now the monument of Christs victorie was the crosse it selfe , whereon he nailed the obligation or bill which was against vs : whereby satan might haue accused and condemned vs before God. For we must consider that God the father is as a creditour , and we all debters vnto him : he hath a bill of our hands which is the law , in that it giueth testimonie against vs ; first by the legall washings , which did shew and signifie that we were altogether defiled and vncleane ; secondly by the sacrifices that were daily offered for the propitiation for our sinnes . Now Christ was our suretie , and paid euery iotte of the debt which we should haue paide , and requiring the acquittance , taketh the ceremoniall law , and the curse of the morall law , and nailes them to the crosse . Furthermore in the shew of conquest , the chariot is the crosse likewise : for it was not onely a monument of victorie , but also a chariot of triumph . And the captiues bound and pinioned which follow Christ , are the principalities and powers , that is , the deuill , and his angels , hell , death , and condemnation : all which are as it were taken prisoners , their armour and weapons are taken frō them , and they chained and bound each to other . The meditation of this point serueth to admonish vs to abandon all manner of sinne , and to make conscience of euery good dutie if we will aright professe the gospel of Christ : for when we sinne , we doe as it were pull Christ out of his chariot of triumph , and vntie Sathans bonds , & giue him weapons , and ( as much as we can ) make him valiant and strong againe . Now for any man to make Sathan and sinne valiant and strong against himselfe , whereas Christ hath weakned him , and euen bruised his head , is no better then to become an enemie to the crosse of Christ. Againe , hereby we are taught to pray vnto God that our blinde eyes may be opened , that we may discerne aright of the passion of Christ. It is a wonder to see howe men are carried away with a liking of vaine shewes , games , and enterludes : how they spende euen whole daies in beholding them , and their money also that they may come to the places where they are : oh then how exceedingly ought our hearts to be rauished with this most admirable shew , in which the sonne of God himselfe rides most gloriously in his chariot of triumph , and leades his and our most cursed enemies captiue , yea treades them vnder his foote . This triumph is set forth vnto vs in the preaching of the Gospel , and may be seene of vs all freely without money or money-worth . What wretches then shall we be , if we suffer our hearts to be filled with earthly delights , and in the meane season haue little or no desire to behold with the eyes of our minde this goodly spectacle that is to be seene in the passion of Christ , that serues to reuiue and refresh our soules to life eternall . Thirdly , if Christ when he was most weake and base in the eyes of men , did most of all triumph vpon the crosse ; then euery one of vs must learne to say with the Apostle Paul , God forbid that I should reioyce in any thing but in the crosse of Christ Iesus our Lord. That we may say this truly , first of all we must labour to haue the benefit of the crosse of Christ not onely in the remission but also in the mortification of our sinnes : secondly , we must not be discomforted , but rather reioyce and triumph therein . A Christian man can neuer haue greater honour then to suffer for the Gospel of Christ when God calleth him thereunto : and therefore Saint Paul setteth forth another most glorious shew which all those must make that suffer any thing for Gods cause . They must encounter with the world , the flesh , and the deuill , and are placed as it were on a theater : and in this conflict the beholders are men and angels ; yea , the whole hoast of heauen and earth : the vmpire or iudge is God himselfe , who wil giue sentence of victorie on their side , and so they shall ouercome . We must not hereupon thrust our selues into danger : but when it shall please God to call vs thereunto , we must thinke our selues highly honoured of him . As when God sendeth losse of friends , of substance , or good name , or any other calamitie , we must not despaire , or be ouer grieued , but rather reioyce and addresse our selues then with our Sauiour Christ to make a triumph . Thus much of Christs triumph , and the passion of his crosse . Now followeth the second degree of his humiliation , in these words , And buried . Where we must consider these points : I. why it was needefull that Christ should be buried . II. who was the author of his buriall . III. the manner or preparation to his buriall . IV. the place and time where and when he was buried . Of these in order . For the first ; the causes are many , but especially foure why Christ was to be buried . I. that the truth and certentie of his death might be confirmed vnto vs , and that no man might so much as imagine that his death was a fantasticall death , or his bodie a fantasticall bodie : for men vse not to burie a liuing but a dead man , or a man in shew but a true man. II. that his buriall might be vnto him a passage from the estate of humiliation to the estate of exaltation , which began in his resurrection : and he could not haue risen againe if he had not beene first buried . III. that the outward humiliation in the forme of a seruant , which he tooke vpon him , might be continued vpon him to the lowest degree of all : and therefore it was not sufficient that he should be crucified euen to death , but beeing dead , he must be also buried . IV. Christ was buried , that he might not onely vanquish death on the crosse , but euen after the manner of conquerours subdue him at his owne home , and as it were plucke him out of his owne cabine or denne . The authours of Christs buriall were Ioseph of Arimathea , and Nichodemus , who came to Iesus by night . Now concerning them and this their fact , there are many things worthie to be considered in this place . First of all they were disciples of Christ , and the difference betweene them and the rest is to be considered . The other disciples though in number they were but few , yet in the feast before his passion they openly followed him : but when Christ was to be arraigned , and the persecution of the Church of the new testament began in him , then Iudas betraied him , Peter denied him , and the rest fled away : yet euen at the same instant these two secret disciples of our Sauiour Christ , Ioseph of Arimathea and Nichodemus take courage to themselues , and in time of danger openly professe themselues to be Christs disciples by an honourable and solemne buriall ; God no doubt opening their hearts and inabling them to doe so . The like is to be seene in all ages since the passion of Christ in the Church of God , in which men zealous for the Gospel in peace haue beene timerous in persecution , whereas weake ones haue stood out against their enemies euen vnto death it selfe . The reason is , because God will humble those his seruants which are oftentimes indued with great measure of graces , and contrariwise exalt and strengthen the weake and feeble : and the same no doubt will be found true among vs , if it should please God to sende any new triall into the Church of England . This serues to teach vs to thinke charitably of those which are as yet but weake among vs : and withall in our profession to carrie a low saile and to thinke basely of our selues , and in the whole course of our liues creepe alow by the ground , running on in feare and trembling , because the Lord oftentimes humbles those that be strong , and giue courage and strength to weake ones boldly to confesse his name . Secondly , whereas these two disciples haue such care of the buriall of Christ , we learne that it is our dutie to be carefull also for the honest and solemne buriall of our brethren . The Lord himselfe hath commanded it , Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne . Also the bodies of men are the good creatures of God , yea the bodies of Gods children are the temples of the holy Ghost , & therefore there is good cause why they should be honestly laid in the earth . And it was a curse and iudgement of God vpon Iehoiakim that he must not be buried , but like a dead asse be drawne and cast out of the gates of Ierusalem . And so the Lord threatens a curse vpon the Moabites , because they did not burie the king of Edom , but burnt his bones into lime . And therefore it is a necessarie dutie one neighbour and friend to looke to the honest buriall of another . Hence it followes , that the practise of Spaine and Italie and all popish cuntries , which is to keepe the parts of mens bodies and such like reliques of Saints vnburied , that they may be seene of men and worshipped , hath no warrant : dust they are and to dust they ought to be returned . Furthermore the properties and vertues of both these men are seuerally to be considered . And first to begin with Ioseph , he was a Senatour ; a man of great account , authoritie , and reputation among the Iewes . It may seeme a strange thing that a man of such account would abase himselfe so much as to take downe the bodie of Christ from the crosse . It might haue beene an hinderance to him and a disgrace to his estate and calling : as we see in these daies , it would be thought a base thing for a knight or lord to come to the place of execution and take downe a thiefe from the hand of the hangman to burie him : but this noble Senatour Ioseph for the loue he bare to Christ , made no account of his state and calling , neither did he scorne to take vpon him so base an office , considering it was for the honour of Christ : where we learne , that if we truly loue Christ , and our hearts be ●et to beleeue in him , we will neuer refuse to performe the basest seruice that may be for his honour , nothing shall hinder vs. It is further said that he was a good man and a iust : and also a rich man. And the first appeareth in this , that he would neither consent to the counsell nor fact of the Iewes in crucifying Christ. It is rare to finde the like man in these daies . From this example we learne these lessons . I. that a rich man remaining a rich man may be a seruant of God , and also be saued : for riches are the good blessings of God , and in themselues doe no whit hinder a man in comming to Christ. But some will say , Christ himselfe saith , It is easier for a a cable to goe through the eye of a needle● then a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen . Answ. It is to be vnderstood of a rich man , so long as he swelleth with a confidence in his wealth : but we know , that if a cable be vntwisted and drawne into small threeds , it may be drawne through the eye of a needle : so he that is rich let him denie himselfe , abase himselfe , and lay aside all confidence in himselfe , in his riches and honour , & be as it were , made small as twine threed , and with this good Senatour Ioseph become the disciple of Christ , he may enter into the kingdome of heauen . But Christ saith in the parable that riches are thornes , which choke the grace of God. Answ. It is true , they are thornes in that subiect or in that man that putteth his trust in them ; not in their owne nature , but by reason of the corruption of mans heart , who makes of them his God. Saint Iohn saith further , that Ioseph was a disciple of Christ , but yet a close disciple for feare of the Iewes . And this shewes , that Christ is most ready to receiue them that come vnto him , though they come laden with manifold wants . I say not this , that any hereby should take boldnes to liue in their sinnes , but my meaning is , that though men be weake in the faith , yet are they not to be dismaied , but to come to Christ , who refuseth none that come to him . Draw neere to God ( saith S. Iames ) and he will draw neere to you . Christ doth not forsake any , till they forsake him first . Lastly the holy Ghost saith of him , that he waited for the kingdome of God , that is , he did beleeue in the Messias to come , and therefore did waite daily till the time was come , whē the Messias by his death and passion should abolish the kingdome of sinne and Satan , and establish his owne kingdome throughout the whole world . The same is said of Simeon that he was a good man and feared God , and waited for the consolation of Israel . This was the most principall vertue of all that Ioseph had , and the very roote of all his goodnes and righteousnes , that he waited for the kingdome of God. For it is the propertie of faith whereby we haue confidence in the Messias to change our nature , and to purifie the heart , and to make it bring forth works of righteousnes . There be many among vs , that can talke of Christs kingdome , and of redemption by him , and yet make no conscience of sinne , & haue little care to liue according to the Gospel which they professe : and all is , because they doe not soundly beleeue in the Messias , and they waite not for the kingdome of heauen , & therefore there is no change in them : but we for our parts must labour to haue this affiance in the Messias with Ioseph , and to waite for the second appearance , that thereby we may be made new creatures , hauing the kingdome of Satan battered and beaten downe in vs , and the kingdome of God erected in our hearts . Touching Nichodemus Saint Iohn saith , that he came to Iesus by night . Many men build vpon this example , that it is lawfull to be present at the Masse ; so be it , in the meane season we keepe our hearts to God : and indeede such men are like Nichodemus in that they labour to burie Christ as much as they can , though now after his resurrection he should not be buried againe . But though Nichodemus durst not opēly at the first professe the name of Christ , yet after his death when there is most daunger he doth : and by this meanes he reformeth his former action . Thus much of the persons that buried Christ. The third thing to be obserued is the manner of Christs buriall , which standeth in these foure points . First , they take downe his body from the crosse : secondly , they winde it : thirdly , they lay it in a tombe : fourthly , the tombe is made sure . Of these in order . First , Ioseph taketh downe the bodie of Christ from the crosse whereon he was executed , but marke in what maner : he doth it not on his own head without leaue , but he goeth to Pilate and beggeth the bodie of Christ , and craueth libertie to take it downe , because the disposing of dead bodies was in Pilates hand , he beeing deputie at that time : whereby we learne , that in all our dealings and actions ( though they haue neuer so good an end ) our dutie is to proceede as peaceably with all men as may be , as Saint Iames saith : the wisdome that is from aboue is first pure , then peaceable ; gentle , &c. Againe , this teacheth vs , that in all things which concerne the authoritie of the Magistrate , and belong vnto him by the rule of Gods word , we must attempt or doe whatsoeuer we doe by leaue . And by this we see what vnaduised courses they take , that being priuate men in this our Church , will notwithstanding take vpon them to plant Churches without the leaue of the Magistrate beeing a Christian Prince . Hauing thus taken the bodie of Christ downe , they goe on to winde it . And Ioseph for his part brought linnen cloathes , and Nichodemus a mixture of myrrhe and aloes to the quantitie of an hundred pounds for the honourable buriall of Christ. His winding was on this manner : they wrapped his bodie hastily in linnen clothes , sweete odours put thereto . Besides all this , in the Iewes burialls there was embalming and washing of the bodie , but Christs body was not a embalmed or washed , because they had no time to doe it , for the preparation to the Passeouer drew neare . And whereas these two men burie Christ at their owne cost and charges , we are taught to be like affected to the liuing members of Christ : when they want we must releeue and comfort thē liberally● and freely . It may here be demanded , whether men may not be at cost in making funerals , considering euen Christ himselfe is with much cost buried . Ans. The bodies of all dead men are to be buried in seemely and honest manner , and if they be honourable , they may be buried honourably : yet now there is no cause why mens bodies should be washed , anointed , and embalmed , as the vse was among the Iewes : for they vsed embalming as a pledge and signe of the resurrection ; but now since Christs comming we haue a more certen pledge thereof , euen the resurrection of Christ himselfe , and therefore it is not requisite that we should vse embalming and washing as the Iewes did . And the clause which is specified in Saint Matthew is not to be omitted , that Ioseph wrapped Christs bodie in a cleane linnen cloath : whereby we learne , that howsoeuer the strange fashions fetcht from Spaine and Italie are monstrous and to be abhorred : yet , seeing the bodie of a man is the creature of God , therefore it must be araied in cleanly manner , and in holy comelines . Paul requires that the minister of the Gospel in all things be seemely or comely : and herein he ought to be a patterne of sobrietie vnto all men . Thirdly , after they haue wound the bodie of Christ , they lay it in a tombe , and lastly they make it sure , closing it vp with a stone rolled ouer the mouth of it . Also the Iewes request Pilate to seale it that none might presume to open it : besides , they set a band of souldiours to watch the tombe , and to keepe it that his bodie be not stollen away . Many reasons might be alleadged of this their dealing , but principally it came to passe by the prouidence of God , that hereby he might confirme the resurrection of Christ. For whereas the Iewes would neither be mooued by his doctrine nor by his works and miracles to beleeue , he causeth this to be done , that by the certentie of his resurrection he might conuince them of hardnesse of heart , and prooue that he was the sonne of God. Thus much of the manner of his buriall . Now followes the place where Christ was buried . In the place we are to marke three things : first , that Christ was laid in Iosephs tombe , whereby we may gather the greatnes of Christs pouertie , in that he had not so much ground as to make himselfe a graue in : and this must be a comfort to the members of Christ that are in pouertie . And it teacheth them , if they haue no more but food and raiment , to be therewith content , knowing that Christ their head and king hath consecrated this very estate vnto them . Secondly , the tombe wherein Christ was laide was a new tombe wherein neuer any man lay before . And it was the speciall appointment of Gods prouidence that it should be so , because if any man had bin buried there aforetime , the malitious Iewes would haue pleaded , that it was not Christ that rose againe but some other . Thirdly we must obserue , that this tombe was in a garden , as the fal of man was in a garden , and as the apprehension of Christ in a garden beyond the brooke Cedron . And here we must note the practise of a good man. This garden was the place of Iosephs delight and holy recreation , wherein he vsed to solace himselfe in beholding the good creatures of God ; yet in the same place doth he make his owne graue long before he died : whereby it appeares , that his recreation was ioyned with a meditation of his ende : and his example must be followed of vs. True it is , God hath giuen vs his creatures not onely for necessitie , but also for our lawfull delight ; but yet our dutie is , to mingle therewith serious meditation and consideration of our last end . It is a brutish part to vse the blessings and creatures of God , and not at all to be bettered in regard of our last end by a further vse thereof . The time when Christ was buried was the euening , wherein the Sabbath was to begin according to the manner of the Iewes , which began their daies at sunne setting from euening to euening according to that in Genesis : the euening and the morning was the first day . Nowe Ioseph commeth a little before euening and beggeth the body of Christ and burieth it : where note , that howsoeuer we are not bounde to keepe the sabbath so strictly as the Iewes were , yet when we haue any busines or worke to be done of our ordinarie calling , wee must not take a part of the Lords sabbath to doe it in , but preuent the time , and doe it either before as Ioseph did , or rather after the sabbath . This is little practised in the worlde . Men thinke if they goe to Church before and after noone to heare Gods worde , then all the day after they may doe what they list , and spend the rest of the time at their owne pleasure : but the whole day is the Lords , and therefore must be spent wholly in his seruice both by publike hearing of the word , and also by priuate reading and meditation on the same . To conclude the doctrine of Christs buriall . Here it may bee demanded , howe he was alwaies after his incarnation both God and man , considering he was dead and buried , and therfore bodie and soule were sundered , and a dead man seemes to be no man. Ans. A dead man in his kind is as true a man as a liuing man : for though bodie and soule be not vnited by the bond of life , yet are they vnited by a relation which the one hath to the other in the counsell & good pleasure of god ; and that as truely as man and woman r●maine coupled into one flesh by a couenant of marriage , though afterward they be distant a thousand miles asunder . And by vertue of this relation euery soule in the day of iudgement shall be reunited to his own bodie , and euerie bodie to his own soule . But there is yet a more straighter bond betweene the bodie and soule of Christ in his death and buriall . For as when he was liuing his soule was a meane or bond to vnite his godhead and his bodie togither : so when hee was dead his verie Godhead was a meane or middle bonde to vnite the bodie and soule : and to say otherwise is to dissolue the hypostaticall vnion , by vertue whereof Christs bodie and soule though seuered each from other , yet both were still ioyned to the godhead of the sonne . The vse and profit which may be made of Christs buriall is twofolde : I. It serueth to worke in vs the buriall of all our sinnes . Knowe ye not ( saith Paul ) that all who haue beene baptized into Christ ; haue beene baptized into his death , & are buried with him by baptisme into his death ? If any shall demaund howe any man is buried into the death of Christ , the answere is this : Euery Christian man and woman are by faith mystically vnited vnto Christ , and made all members of one bodie , whereof Christ is the head . Nowe therefore as Christ by the power of his godhead when hee was dead and buried , did ouercome the graue & the power of death in his own person : so by the very same power by meanes of his spirituall coniunction doth he worke in all his members a spirituall death and buriall of sinne and naturall corruption . When the Israelites were in burying of a man , for feare of the souldiours of the Moabites , they cast him for hast into the sepulchre of Elisha . Nowe the dead man , so soone as hee was downe , and had touched the bodie of Elisha , hee reuiued and stood vpon his feete : so let a man that is dead in sinne bee cast into the graue of Christ , that is , let him by faith but touch Christ dead and buried ; it will come to passe by the vertue of Christs death and buriall that he shall be raised from death and bondage of sinne to become a newe man. Secondly , the buriall of Christ serues to be a sweete perfume of all our graues and burials : for the graue in it selfe is the house of perdition ; but Christ by his buriall hath as it were consecrated and perfumed all our graues : and in stead of houses of perdition , hath made them chambers of rest and sleepe , yea beds of downe , and therefore howesoeuer to the eie of man the beholding of a funerall is terrible , yet if wee could then remember the buriall of Christ , and consider howe he thereby hath changed the nature of the graue , euen then it would make vs to reioice . Lastly , wee must imitate Christs buriall in beeing continually occupied in the spirituall buriall of our sinnes . Thus much of the buriall . Nowe followeth the third and last degree of Christs humiliation : He descended into hell . It seemes very likely that these words were not placed in the Creede at the first , ( or as some thinke ) that they crept in by negligence , because aboue threescore Creeds of the most ancient counsels and fathers want this clause : and among the rest the Nicene Creede . But if the auncient and learned fathers assembled in that Counsell had beene perswaded , or at the least had imagined that these words had bin set down at the first by the Apostles , no doubt they would not in any wise haue left them out . And an auncient writer saith directly , that these wordes , he descended into hell , are not found in the Creede of the Romane Church , nor vsed in the churches of the East : and if they be , that then they signifie the buriall of Christ. And it must not seeme straunge to any● that a worde or twaine in processe of time should creepe into the Creed , considering that the originall copies of the bookes of the olde and new testament haue in them sundrie a varieties of readings and b wordes otherwhiles which from the margine haue crept into the text . Neuerthelesse considering that this clause hath long continued in the Creede , and that by common consent of the Catholike Church of God , and ●t may carrie a fitte sense and exposition ; it is not as some would haue it , to bee put forth . Therfore that we may come to speake of the meaning of it , we must know that it hath foure vsuall expositions , which we will rehearse in order , and then make choice of that which shall be thought to be the fittest . The first is , that Christs soule after his passion vpon the crosse , did really and locally descend into the place of the damned . But this seemes not to be true . The reasons are these . I. all the Euangelists , and among the rest S. Luke , intending to make an c. exact narration of the life and death of Christ , haue set downe at large his passion , death , buriall , resurrection , and ascension , and withall they make rehearsall of small circumstances , therefore no doubt they would not haue omitted Christ locall descent into the place of the damned , if there had beene any such thing . And the ende why they penned this historie was , that wee might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God ; and beleeuing , wee might haue life euerlasting . Nowe there could not haue beene a greater matter for the confirmation of our faith then this , that Iesus the sonne of Marie who went downe to the place of the damned , returned thence to liue in happines for euer . II. If Christ did goe into the place of the damned , then either in soule or in bodie , or in his godhead . But his Godhead could not descend , because it is euery where , and his bodie was in the graue . And as for his soule it went not to hell , but presently after his death it went to paradise , that is , the third heauen , a place of ioy and happinesse , Luk. 23.43 . This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise : which wordes of Christ must be vnderstoode of his manhood or soule , and not of his Godhead . For they are an answere to a demand : and therefore vnto it , they must be sutable . Nowe the thiefe seeing that Christ was first of all crucified , and therefore in all likelihood should first of all die , makes his request to this effect : Lord , thou shalt shortly enter into thy kingdome , remember me then ; to which Christs answere ( as the very wordes import ) is thus much . I shall enter into paradise this day , and there shalt thou bee with me . Now there is no entrance , but in regard of his soule or manhood . For the Godhead which is at all times in all places , cannot be said properly to enter into a place . Againe when Christ saith , thou shalt be with me in Paradise , he doth intimate a resemblance , which is betweene the first and second Adam . The first Adam sinned against God , and was presently cast forth out of paradise . Christ the second Adam hauing made a satisfaction for sinne , must immediately enter into paradise . Nowe to say that Christ in soule descended locally into hell , is to abolish this anolagie between the first & second Adā . III. Auncient councels in their confessions and Creeds omitting this clause shew , that they did not acknowledge any reall descent , and that the true meaning of these words , he descēded , was sufficiētly included in some of the former articles , and that may appeare , because when they set downe it , they omit some of the former : as Athanasius in his Creede setting downe these words , he descended , &c. omits the buriall , putting them both for one , as he expoundes himselfe a elsewhere . Now let vs see the reasons which may be alleadged to the cōtrary . Obiect . I. Matth. 12.40 . The sonne of man shall be three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth , that is , in hell . Ans. I. This exposition is directly against the scope of the place : for the Pharises desired to see a signe , that is , some sensible and manifest miracle : and hereunto Christ answers that he will giue them the signe of Ionas , which cannot be the descent of his soule into the place of the dāned , because it was insensible ; but rather his buriall , and after it his manifest and glorious resurrection . II. The heart of the earth may as well signifie the graue as the center of the earth . For thus Tyrus bordering vpon the sea , is said to be in the heart of the sea . III. This exposition takes it for graunted that hell is seated in the middest of the earth : whereas the scriptures reueale vnto vs no more but this , that hell is in the lower parts : but where these lower parts should be , no man is able to define . Obiect . II. Act. 2.37 . Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell , neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption . Answer . These words cannot prooue any locall descent of Christs soule . For Peters drift in alleadging of them is , to prooue the resurrection , and he saith expresly , that the words must be vnderstood of the resurrection of Christ , vers . 31. Hee seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ. What ? namely these wordes , his soule was not left in hell , &c. Nowe there is no resurrection of the soule , but of the bodie onely , as the soule can not be said to fall , but the bodie . It will be replied that the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot signifie the bodie , and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the graue . Ans. The first worde signifies not onely the spirituall part of a man , the soule ; but also the whole person , or the man himselfe , Rom. 13.1 . 1. Cor. 15.41 . And the second is as well taken for the graue , as for hel . Apoc. 20. 14. Death and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are cast into the lake of fire . Nowe wee can not say , that hell is cast into hell , but the graue into hell . And the very same word in this text , must needes haue this sense . For Peter makes an opposition betweene the graue into which Dauid is shut vp , and the hell out of which Christ was deliuered , vers . 29.31 . Againe it will be said , that in this text there be two distinct partes : the first of the soules comming forth of hell , in these wordes , Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell . The secōd , of the bodies rising out of the graue , in the next words : neither wilt thou suffer my flesh to see corruptiō . Ans. It is not so . For flesh in this place signifies not the bodie alone , but the humane nature of Christ , as appeares vers . 30. vnlesse we shall say that one and the same word in the same sentence is taken two waies . And the words rather carrie this sense : Thou wilt not suffer me to continue long in the graue ; nay which is more , in the time of my continuance there , thou wilt not suffer me so much as to feele any corruption ; because I am thy holy one . Obiect . III. 1. Pet. 3.19 . Christ was quickened in spirit , by the which spirit he went and preached to the spirits which are in prison . Answere . The place is not for this purpose . For by spirit is not meant the soule of Christ , but his godhead , which in the ministerie of Noe preached repentance to the olde world . And I thinke that Peter in this place alludes to another place in Genesis 6.3 . where the Lord saith , My spirit shall not alwaies striue with man , because he is but flesh . And if the spirit doe signifie the soule , then Christ was quickned either by his soule or in his soule . But neither is true . For the first , it can not bee said , that Christ was quickened by his soule , because it did not ioyne it selfe to the bodie : but the godhead ioyned them both . Neither was he quickened in soule : for his soule died not . It could not die the first death , which belongs to the bodie : and it did not die the second death , which is a totall separation from God : onely it suffered the sorrowes of the second death , which is the apprehension of the wrath of God ; as a man may feele the pangs of the first death , and yet not die the first death , but liue . Againe , it is to no ende that Christs soule should goe to hell to preach , considering that it was neuer heard of that one soule should preach to another , especially in hell , where all are condemned , and in conscience conuicted of their iust damnation , and where there is no hope of repentance or redemption . It will be answered , that this preaching is onely reall or experimentall , because Christ shewes himselfe there to conuince the vnbeleefe of his enemies : but this is flatte against reason . For when a man is iustly condemned by God , and therefore sufficiently conuicted : what neede the iudge himselfe come to the place of execution to conuict him . And it is flat against the text . For the preaching that is spoken of here , is that which is performed by men in the ministerie of the word , as Peter expounds himselfe , 1. Pet. 4.6 . To this purpose was the Gospel also preached vnto the dead , that they might be condemned according to men in the flesh , that they might liue according to God in the spirit . Lastly , there is no reason why Christ should rather preach and shew himselfe in hell , to them that were disobedient in the daies of Noe , then to the rest of the damned . And this is the first exposition , the second follows . He descended into hell , that is , Christ descended into the graue , or was buried . This exposition is agreeable to the truth , yet is it not meete or conuenient . For the clause next before , he was buried , contained this point : and therefore if the next wordes following yeelde the same sense , there must be a vaine and needlesse repetition of one and the same thing twise , which is not in any wise to be allowed in so short a Creede as this . If it be said that these words are an exposition of the former , the answer is , that then they should be more plaine then the former . For when one sentence expoundeth an other , the latter must alwaies be the plainer : but of these two sentences , He was buried , he descended into hell , the first is very plaine and easie , but the latter very obscure and hard , and therefore it can be no exposition thereof : and for this cause this exposition neither is to be receiued . Thirdly , others there be which expound it thus , He descended into hell , that is , Christ Iesus , when he was dying vpon the crosse , felt and suffered the pangs of hell and the full wrath of God seazing vpon his soule . This exposition hath his warrant in Gods word , where hell often signifies the sorrowes and paines of hell , as Hanna in her song vnto the Lord saith , The Lord killeth and maketh aliue , he bringeth downe to hell and raiseth vp , that is , he maketh men feele woe and miserie in their soules , euen the pangs of hell , and after restoreth them . And Dauid saith , The sorrowes of death compassed me , and the terrours of hell laid hold on me . This is an vsuall exposition receiued of the Church , and they which expound this article thus , giues this reason thereof : The former words , was crucified , dead , and buried , doe containe ( say they ) the outward sufferings of Christ : now because he suffered not onely outwardly in bodie , but also inwardly in soule , therefore these words , he descended into hell , doe set forth vnto vs his inward sufferings in soule , when he felt vpon the crosse the full wrath of God vpon him . This exposition is good and true , and whosoeuer will may receiue it . Yet neuerthelesse it seemes not so fitly to agree with the order of the former articles . For these words , was crucified , dead , and buried , must not be vnderstood of any ordinarie death , but of a cursed death in which Christ suffered the full wrath of God , euen the pangs of hell both in soule and bodie : seeing then this exposition is contained in the former words , it cannot fitly stand with the order of this short Creede , vnlesse there should be a distinct article of things repeated before . But let vs come to the fourth exposition , He descended into hell , that is , when he was dead and buried , he was held captiue in the graue , and lay in bondage vnder death for the space of three daies . This exposition also may be gathered forth of the Scriptures . Saint Peter faith , God hath raised him vp , ( speaking of Christ ) and loosed the sorrowes of death , because it was vnpossible that he should bee holden of it . Where wee may see , that betweene the death and resurrection of Christ , there is placed a third matter , which is not mentioned in any clause of the Apostles Creede , saue in this ; and that is his bondage vnder death , which commeth in betweene his death and rising againe . And the words themselues doe most fitly beare this sense , as the speech of Iacob sheweth , I will goe downe into a hell vnto my sonne mourning . And this exposition doth also best agree with the order of the Creede ; first he was crucified and died , secondly he was buried , thirdly laid in the graue , & was therein held in captiuitie and bondage vnder death . And these three degrees of Christs humiliatiō , are most fitly correspondent to the three degrees of his exaltation . The first degree of exaltation , he rose againe the third day , answering to the first degree of his humiliation , he died : the second degree of his exaltation , hee ascended into heauen , answering to his going downe into the graue , was buried : and thirdly his sitting at the right hand of God ( which is the highest degree of his exaltation ) answering to the lowest degree of his humiliation , he descended into hell . These two last expositions are commonly receiued , and wee may indifferently make choice of either : but the last ( as I take it ) is most agreeable to the order and wordes of the Creede . Thus much for the meaning of the wordes . Nowe followe the vses . And first of all Christs descending into hell , teacheth euery one of vs that professe the name of Christ , that , if it shall please God to afflict vs , either in bodie or in mind , or in both , though it be in most grieuous and tedious manner , yet must we not thinke it straunge . For if Christ vpon the crosse not onely suffered the pangs of hell , but after he was dead , death takes him , and as it were carries him into his denne , or cabbin● and there triumpheth ouer him , holding him in captiuitie and bondage , and yet for all this was he the sonne of God : and therfore when Gods hand is heauie vpon vs any way , we are not to despaire , but rather thinke it is the good pleasure of God to frame and fashion vs , that we may become like vnto Christ Iesus as good children of God. Dauid a man after Gods owne heart was by Samuel annointed King ouer Israel , but withall God raised vp Saul to persecute him , as the fowler hunteth the partridge in the mountaine , in so much that Dauid said , there was but one steppe between him and death . So likewise Iob a iust man and one that feared God with all his heart , yet how heauily did God lay his hand vpon him : his goods and cattell were all taken away , and his children slaine , and his bodie stri●k●n by Satan with loathsome byles from the sole of his foote vnto the crown● of his head : so as he was faine to take a potsheard and scrape himselfe sitting among the ashes . And Ionah the seruant and Prophet of the most high God , when he was called to preach to Niniuie , because he refused for feare of that great cittie , God mette with him , and hee must bee cast into the sea , and there be swallowed vp of a Whale , that so he might chastice him : and thus doth hee deale with his owne seruants , to make them conformable to Christ. And further , when it pleaseth God to lay his hand vpon our soules , and make vs haue a troubled and distressed conscience , so as we do as it were struggle with gods wrath as for life and death , and can finde nothing but his indignation seazing vpon our soules , which is the most grieuous and perplexed estate that any man can be in : in this case howesoeuer we cannot discerne or see any hope or comfort in our selues , wee must not thinke it straunge , nor quite despaire of his mercy . For the sonne of God himselfe descended into hell , and death carried him captiue , and triumphed ouer him in the graue : and therefore though God seeme to be our vtter enemie , yet we must not despaire of his helpe . In diuers Psalmes we read how Dauid was not onely persecuted outwardly of his enemies , but euen his soule and conscience were perplexed for his sinnes , so as his very bones were consumed within him , and his moisture was turned into the drought in sommer . This caused Iob to crie out that the arrowes of God were within him , and the venyme thereof did drinke vp his spirit , the terrours of God did fight against him , & the griefe of his soule was as waightie as the sand of the sea , by reason whereof he saith , that the Lord did make him a marke and a but to shoote at : and therefore when God shall thus afflict vs , either in bodie or in soule , or in both , we must not alwaies thinke that it is the wrathfull hand of the Lord that beginnes to bring vs to vtter condemnation for our sinnes , but rather his fatherly work to kill sinne in vs , and to make vs growe in humilitie , that so we may become like vnto Christ Iesus . Secondly , whereas Christ for our sakes was thus abased euen vnto the lowest degree of humiliation that can be , it is an example for vs to imitate , as Christ himselfe prescribeth : Learne of me that I am meeke and lowely . And that we may the better doe this , we must learne to become nothing in our selues , that we may bee al in al forth of our selues in Christ : we must loath and thinke as basely of our selues as possibly may be in regard of our sinnes . Christ Iesus vpon the crosse was content for our sakes , to become a worme and no man , as Dauid saith , which did cheifly appeare in this lowest degree of his humiliation , when as death did as it were tread on him in his denne ; and the same mind must likewise be in vs which was in him . The liking that we haue of our selues must be meere nothing , but all our loue and liking must be forth of our selues in the death and blood of Christ. And thus much of this clause , as also of the state of Christs humiliation . Nowe followeth his second estate , which is his exaltation into glorie , set downe t● these wordes , The third day hee arose againe from the deade , &c. And of it wee are first to speake in generall , then in particular according to the seuerall degrees thereof . In generall , the exaltation of Christ is , that glorious or happie estate , into which Christ entred after he had wrought the worke of our redemption vpon the crosse . And hee was exalted according to both natures , in regard of his godhead , and also of his manhoode . The exaltation of the godhead of Christ , was the manifestation of the glorie of his godhead in the manhoode . Some will peraduenture demaunde , howe Christs godhead can bee exalted , seeing it admits no alteration at all . Answere . In it selfe it cannot bee exalted , yet beeing considered as it is ioyned with the manhoode into one person , in this respect it may bee said to bee exalted : and therefore I say , the exaltation of Christs godhead is the manifestation of the glorie thereof in the manhood . For though Christ from his incarnation was both God and man , and his godhead all that time dwelt in his manhood ; yet from his birth vnto his death , the same godhead did little shewe it selfe , and in the time of his suffering did as it were lie hidde vnder the vaile of his flesh as the soule doth in the bodie , when a man is sleeping , that thereby in his humane nature he might suffer the curse of the lawe , and accomplish the worke of redemption for vs , in the lo●e and base estate of a seruant . But after this worke was finished , hee began by degrees to make manifest the power of his Godhead in his manhood . And in this respect his godhead may be said to be exalted . The exaltation of Christs humanitie stood in two things . The first , that he laid downe all the infirmities of mans nature , which he carried about him so long as hee was in the state of a seruant , in that he ceased to be wearie , hungrie , thirstie , &c. Here it may be demanded , whether the wounds and skars remaine in the bodie of Christ nowe after it is glorified . Ans. Some thinke that they doe remaine as testimonies of that victorie which Christ obtained of his and our enemies , and that they are no deformitie to the glorious bodie of the Lord , but are themselues also in him in some vnspeakable manner glorified . But indeede it rather seemes to be a trueth , to say that they are quite abolished ; because they were a part of that ignominious and base estate in which our Sauiour was vpon the crosse : which after his entrance into glorie he laid aside . And if it may be thought that the woundes in the handes and feete of Christ remaine to bee seene , euen to the last iudgement , why may we not in the same manner thinke that the veines of his bodie remaine emptied of their blood , because it was shed vpon the crosse . The second thing required in the exaltation of Christs manhood is , that both his bodie and soule were beutified and adorned with all qualities of glorie . His mind was inriched with as much knowledge & vnderstanding as can possibly befall any creature , & more in measure then all men & angels haue : and the same is to be said of the graces of the spirit in his will and affections : his bodie also was incorruptible , & it was made a shining bodie , a resemblance whereof some of his disciples sawe in the mount : and it was indued with agilitie , to mooue as well vpward as downeward● as may appeare by the ascension of his bodie into heauen , which was not caused by constraint or by any violent motion , but by a propertie agreeing to all bodies glorified . Yet in the exaltation of Christs manhood we must remember two caueats : first , that hee did neuer lay aside the essentiall properties of a true bodie : as length , breadth , thicknes , visibilitie , locallitie which is to be in one place at once and no more , but keepeth all these stil , because they serue for the being of his bodie . Secondly , we must remember that the gifts of glorie in Christs bodie are not infinite but finite : for his humane nature beeing but a creature , and therefore finite , could not receiue infinite graces and gifts of glorie And hence it is more then manifest that the opinion of those men is false , which hold that Christs bodie glorified , is omnipotent and infinit , euery way able to doe whatsoeuer he wil : for this is to make a creature to be the Creator . Thus much of Christs exaltation in generall . Nowe let vs come to the degrees thereof , as they are noted in the Creed , which are in number three : I. He rose againe the third day : II. He ascended into heauen : III. He sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie . In the handling of Christs resurrection wee must consider these points : I. why Christ ought to rise againe : II. the manner of his rising : III. the time when he rose : IV. the place where : V. the vses therof . For the first , it was necessarie that Christ should rise againe , and that for three especiall causes . First , that hereby he might shewe to all the people of God that he had fully ouercome death . For , else , if Christ had not risen , howe should we haue beene perswaded in our consciences , that he had made a ful & perfect satisfaction for vs : nay rather we should haue reasoned thus : Christ is not risen , & therfore he hath not ouercome death , but death hath ouercome him . Secondly , Christ which died , was the sonne of God ; therefore the author of life it selfe : and for this cause it was neither meete nor possible for him to be holden of death , but hee must needes rise from death to life . Thirdly , Christs priesthood hath two parts : one , to make satisfaction for sinne by his one onely sacrifice vpon the crosse : the other , to apply the vertue of this sacrifice vnto euery beleeuer . Now he offered the sacrifice for sinne vpon the crosse , before the last pang of his death , and in dying satisfied the iustice of God : and therefore beeing dead must needes rise againe to performe the second part of his priesthood , namely to apply the vertue thereof vnto all that shall truely beleeue in him , and to make intercession in heauen vnto his father for vs here on earth . And thus much of the first point . Nowe to come to the manner of Christs resurrection , fiue things are to be considered in it . The first , that Christ rose againe not as euery priuate man doth , but as a publike person representing all men that are to come to life eternall . For as in his passion , so also in his resurrection , he stood in our roome and place : and therfore when he rose from death , we al , yea the whole Church rose in him , and togither with him . And this point not considered , we doe not conceiue aright of Christs resurrection , neither can we reape sound comfort by it . The second is that Christ himselfe and no other for him , did by his owne power raise himselfe to life . This was the thing which he meant , when hee said , Destroy this temple , and in three daies I will build it vp againe : & more plainly , I haue ( saith he ) power to lay downe my life , and I haue power to take it againe . From whence we learne diuers instructions . First , whereas Christ raiseth himselfe from death to life , it serueth to prooue that he was not onely man , but also true God. For the bodie beeing dead , could not bring againe the soule and ioyne it selfe vnto the same , and make it selfe aliue againe ; neither yet the soule that is departed from the bodie , can returne againe and quicken the bodie : and therefore there was some other nature in Christ , namely his godhead , which did revnite soule and bodie togither , and there●y quicken the manhood . Secondly , if Christ giue life to himselfe beeing dead in the graue then much more nowe beeing aliue and in heauen glorified , is hee able to raise vp his members from death to life . Wee are all by nature euen starke dead in sinne , as the deade bodie rotten in the graue : and therefore our duty is , to come to Christ our Lord by humble prayer , earnestly intreating him that he would raise vs vp euery day more and more from the graue of our sinnes to newnesse of life . He can of men deade in their sinnes , make vs aliue vnto himselfe to liue in righteousnes and true holines all the daies of our life . The third thing is , that Christ rose againe with an earthquake . And this serueth to prooue that he lost nothing of his power by death , but still remained the absolute Lord and King of heauen and earth , to whome therefore the earth vnder his feete trembling doth him homage . This also prooueth vnto vs that Christ which lay dead in the graue did raise himselfe againe by his owne almightie power . Lastly it serueth to conuince the keepers of the graue , the women which came to embalme him , and the disciples which came to the sepulchre , and would not yet beleeue that he was risen againe . But how came this earthquake ? Ans. Saint Matthew saith , there was a great earthquake . For the Angel of the Lord descended from heauen , &c. This shewes that the power of angels is great , in that they can mooue and stirre the earth . Three angels destroied Sodom and Gomorrha . An angel destroied the first borne of Egypt in one night . In the hoast of Senacherib one angel slue in one night an hundreth fourescore and fiue thousand men . Of like power is the deuill himselfe to shake the earth , and to destroy vs all , but that God of his goodnesse limits and restraines him of his libertie . Well , if one angel be able to shake the earth , what then will Christ himselfe doe when he shall come to iudgement the second time , with many thousand thousands of angels ? oh how terrible and fearefull will his comming be ! Not without cause , saith the holy Ghost , that the wicked at that day shall crie out , wishing the hills to fall vpon them , and the mountaines to couer them for feare of that great and terrible day of the Lord. The fourth thing is , that an Angel ministred to Christ , beeing to rise againe , in that he came to the graue and rolled away the stone , and sate vpon it . Where obserue , first how the angels of God minister vnto Christ , though dead and buried ; whereby they acknowledge that his power , maiestie , and authoritie is not included within the bonds of the earth , but extends it selfe euen to the heauens themselues and the hosts thereof , and that according to his humanitie . Wicked men for their parts laboured to close him vp in the earth , as the basest of all creatures : but the angels of heauen most readily accept him as their soueraigne Lord and king : as in like manner they did in his temptation in the wildernes , and in his agonie in the garden . Secondly , that the opinion of the Papists and others , which thinke that the bodie of Christ went through the graue-stone when he rose againe , is without warrant . For the end , no doubt , why the angel rolled away the stone was , that Christ might come forth . And indeed it is against the order of nature that one body should passe through another , without corruption or alteration of either ; considering that euery bodie occupies a place , and two bodies at the same instant can not be in one proper place . Furthermore it is saide , that when the angel sate on the stone , his countenance was like lightening , and his rayment as white as snow : and this serued to shew what was the glorie of Christ himselfe . For if the seruant and minister be so glorious , then endles is the glorie of the lord and master himselfe . Lastly it is saide , that for feare of the angel , the watchmen were astonied , and became as dead men : which teacheth vs , that , what God would haue come to passe , all the world can neuer hinder . For though the Iewes had closed vp the graue with a stone , and set a band of souldiours to watch , least Christ should by any meanes be taken away , yet all this auaileth nothing : by an angel from heauen the seale is broken , the stone is remooued , and the watchmen at their wittes endes . And this came to passe by the prouidence of God ; that after the watchmen had testified these things to the Iewes , they might at length be conuicted that Christ , whome they crucified , was the Messias . The fifth and last point is , that Christ rose not alone , but accompanied with others : as S. Matthew saith , that the graues opened , and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose , and came out of the graues , and went into the holy citie , and appeared vnto many after Christs resurrection . And this came to passe that the church of God might know and consider that there is a reuiuing and quickning vertue in the resurrection of Christ , wherby he is able not onely to raise our dead bodies vnto life , but also when we are dead in sinne , to raise vs vp to newnesse of life . And in this very point stands a maine difference betweene the resurrection of Christ , and the resurrection of any other man. For the resurrection of Peter nothing auailes to the raising of Dauid or Paul : but Christs resurrection auailes for all that haue beleeued in him : by the very same power whereby he raised himselfe , he raiseth all his members : and therfore he is called a quickning spirit . And let vs marke the order obserued in rising . First Christ riseth , and thē the Saints after him . And this came to passe to verefie the Scripture , which saith that Christ is the first borne of the dead . Now he is the first borne of the dead● in that he hath this dignitie and priuiledge to rise to eternall life the first of all men . It is true indeed that Lazarus and sundrie others in time rose before Christ : but yet they rose to liue a mortall life , and to die againe : Christ he is the first of all that rose to life euerlasting and to glorie : neuer any rose before Christ in this manner . And the persons that rose with Christ are to be noted , they were the Saints of God , not wicked men : whereby we are put in minde that the elect children of God onely are partakers of Christs resurrection . Indeede both good and bad rise againe , but there is a great difference in their rising : for the godly rise by the vertue of Christs resurrection , and that to eternall glorie : but the vngodly rise by the vertue of Christ , not as he is a redeemer , but as he is a terrible iudge , and is to execute iustice on them . And they rise againe for this ende , that besides the first death of the bodie , they might suffer the second death , which is the powring forth of the wrath of god vpon bodie and soule eternally . This difference is prooued vnto vs by that which Paul saith , Christ is the first fruits of them that sleepe . Among the Iewes such as had corne fields gathered some little quantitie thereof , before they reaped the rest ; and offered the same vnto God , signifying thereby that they acknowledged him to be the author & giuer of all increase : & this offering was also an assurance vnto the owner , of the blessing of God vpon the rest , & this beeing but one handful did sanctifie the whole crop . Now Christ to the dead is as the first fruits to the rest of the corne , because his resurrection is a pledge & an assurāce of the resurrectiō of all the faithful . When a man is cast into the sea , and all his bodie is vnder the water , there is nothing to be looked for but present death ; but if he carie his head aboue the water , there is good hope of a recouerie : Christ himselfe is risen as a pledge that all the iust shall rise againe : he is the head vnto his Church , and therefore all his members must needes follow in their time . It may be demaunded what became of the Saints that rose againe after Christs resurrection . Answ. Some thinke they died againe , but seeing they rose for this ende to manifest the quickening vertue of Christs resurrection , it is as like , that they were also glorified with Christ , and ascended with him to heauen . Thus much of the manner of Christs resurrection . Now followes the time when he rose againe , and that is specified in the Creede , The third day he rose againe . Thus saith our Sauiour Christ vnto the Pharises , As Ionas was three daies and three nights in the whales bellie : so shall the sonne of man be three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth . And though Christ was but one day and two pieces of two daies in the graue ; ( for he was buried in the euening before the Sabbath , and rose in the morning the next day after the Sabbath ) yet is this sufficient to verifie this saying of Christ. For if the analogie had stoode in three whole daies , then Christ should haue risen the fourth day . And it was the pleasure of God that he should lie thus long in the graue , that in might be knowne that he was throughly dead : and he continued no longer , that he might not in his bodie see corruption . Againe , it is saide , Christ rose againe in the end of the Sabbath , when the first day of the weeke began to dawne . And this very time must be considered , as the reall beginning of the new spirituall world , in which we are made the sonnes of God. And as in the first day of the first world , light was commanded to shine out of darknes vpon the deepes : so in the first day of this new world , the sonne of righteousnes riseth and giues light to them that sit in darknes , and dispells the darknes that was vnder the old Testament . And here let vs marke the reason why the Sabbath day was changed . For the first day of the weeke , which was the day following the Iewes sabbath , is our sabbath day , which day we keepe holy in memorie of the glorious resurrection of Christ : and therefore it is called the Lords day . And it may not vnfitly be tearmed a Sunday , though the name came first from the heathen , because on this day the blessed sonne of righteousnesse rose from death to life . Let vs now in the next place proceede to the proofes of Christs resurrection , which are diligently to be obserued , because it is one of the most principall points of our religion . For as the Apostle saith , He died for our sinnes , and rose againe for our iustification : and againe , If Christ be not risen , then is our preaching vaine , and our faith is also vaine . The proofes are of two sorts : first , Christs appearances vnto men : secondly , the testimonies of men . Christs appearances were either on the first day , or on the daies following . The appearances of Christ the same day he rose againe are fiue . And first of all earely in the morning he appeared to Marie Magdalen . In this appearance diuers things are to be considered . The first , of what note and qualitie the partie was , to whome Christ appeared . Ans. Marie Magdalen was one that had bin possessed with seuen deuils , but was deliuered and became a repentant sinner , and stood by , when Christ suffered ; and came with sweete odours when he was dead to embalme him . And therefore to her is graunted this prerogatiue , that she should be the first that should testifie his resurrection vnto men . And hence we learne , that Christ is readie and willing to receiue most miserable wretched sinners , euen such as haue bin vassals and bondslaues of the deuill , if they will come to him . Any man would thinke it a fearefull case , to be thus possessed with deuills , as Marie was : but let all those that liue in ignorance , and by reason thereof liue in sinne without repentance , know this ; that their case is a thousand times worse then Marie Magdalens was . For what is an impenitent sinner ? Surely nothing els but the castle and hold of the deuill , both in bodie and soule . For looke as a captaine that hath taken some hold or skonse , doth rule and gouerne all therein , and disposeth it at his will and pleasure : euen so it is with all blind and impenitent sinners ; not one deuill alone , but euen legions of deuils possesse them , and rule their hearts : and therefore howsoeuer they may soothe themselues and say , all is well , for God is mercifull ; yet their case is farre worse then Maries was . Now then , would any be freed from this fearefull bondage ? let them learne of Marie Magdalen to follow Christ , and to seeke vnto him , and then albeit the deuil and al his angels possesse their hearts , yet Christ beeing the strong man , will come and cast them all out , and dwell there himselfe . The second is , what Christ in his appearance said to Marie . Ans. He saide , Touch me not : for I am not yet ascended to my father . Marie no doubt was glad to see Christ , and therefore looked to haue conuersed as familiarly with him as shee was wont before his death , but he forbids her to touch him , that is , not to looke to enioy his corporall presence as before , but rather to seeke for his spirituall presence by faith , considering he was shortly to ascend to his father . For this cause when he appeared to his disciples , he staied not long with them at any time , but onely to manifest himselfe vnto them , thereby to prooue the certentie of his resurrection . This prohibition shewes first of all that it is but a fond thing to delight in the outward picture and portraiture of Christ , as the Iesuits doe , who stand much vpon his outward forme and lineaments . Secondly , it ouerthroweth the popish crucifixes , and all the carued and molten images of Christ , wherein the Papists worship him . For corporall presence is not now required : therefore spiritual worship onely must be giuen vnto him . Thirdly it ouerthrowes the reall presence of Christ in the Sacrament . Many are of minde that they can not receiue Christ , except they eate and drinke his bodie and blood corporally : but it is not much materiall whether we touch him with the bodily hand or no , so be it we apprehend him spiritually by faith . Lastly , as we must not haue earthly considerations of Christ ; so must we on the contrarie labour for the spirituall hand of faith , which may reach vp it selfe to heauen , and there lay hold on him . This is the very thing which Christ insinuateth vnto Marie in saying , Touch me not . And Saint Paul saith , Henceforth know we no man after the flesh , yea though we had knowne Christ after the flesh , yet now know we him no more , that is , we know him no more as a man liuing among vs , and therefore he addeth , If any man be in Christ , he is a new creature : and this new creation is not by the bodily presence of Christ but by the apprehension of faith . The second appearance was to Marie Magdalen and to the other Marie , as they were going from the graue to tell his disciples : at which time , Christ meeteth them , and bids them goe tell his brethren that he is risen againe . And whereas Christ sendeth women to his disciples , he purposed hereby to check them for their vnbeleefe . For these women forsooke him not at his death , but stood by and saw him suffer , and when he was buried they came to embalme him : but all this while what became of Christs disciples ? Surely Peter denied him , and all the rest fled away , euen Iames and Iohn the sonnes of thunder , saue that Iohn stood aloofe to behold his death . Hereupon Christ to make them ashamed of their fault , sendeth these women vnto them to publish that to them which they by their calling ought aboue all other to haue published . Secondly this teacheth , that whereas Christ buildeth his kingdome and publisheth his Gospell by Apostles , Euangelists , Pastours , teachers , he can if it so please him , performe the same by other meanes . In this his second appearance , he vsed weake and silly women to publish his resurrection , and thereby shewes that he is not bound to the ordinarie meanes , which now he vseth . Thirdly , he sent them to his disciples , to shew , that howsoeuer they had dealt vnfaithfully with him by forsaking him and denying him , yet he had not quite forsaken them , but if they would repent and beleeue , he would receiue them into his loue and fauour againe , and therefore calleth them his brethren , saying , Goe and tell my brethren . This teacheth vs a good lesson , that howsoeuer our sinnes past are to humble vs in regard of our selues , yet must they not cut vs off or dismay vs from seeking to Christ ; yea euen then when we are laden with the burden of them , we must come vnto him , and he will ease vs. Fourthly whereas silly women are sent to teach Christs disciples , which were schollers brought vp in his owne schoole , we are admonished , that superioritie in place and calling , must not hinder vs sometime to heare and to be taught of our inferiours . Iob saith , he neuer refused the counsell of his seruant : and Naaman the Syrian obeyed the counsell of a silly maide which aduised him to goe to the Prophet of the Lord in Samaria to be cured of his leprosie : and when he had bin with the Prophet , he obeyed the counsell of his seruant , that perswaded him to doe all the Prophet has saide , Wash and be cleane . Now after that the women are come to the disciples and make relation of Christs resurrection , the text saith , Their wordes seemed as fained things vnto them , neither beleeued they them . Hence we learne two things : the first , that men of themselues can not beleeue the doctrine of Christian religion : it is a hard matter for a man to beleeue sundrie things in the worke of creation . The temporall deliuerance of the children of Israel seemed to them as a dreame : and the resurrection of Christ euen to Christs owne disciples seemed a faigned thing . The second , that it is an hard thing truly and vnfainedly to beleeue the points of religion . Disciples brought vp in the schoole of Christ , and often catechised in this very point of Christs resurrection , yet dull are they to beleeue it . This confuteth & condemneth our carnall gospellers , that make it the lightest and easiest thing that can be to beleeue in Christ : and therefore they say their faith is so strong , that they would not for all the world doubt of gods mercie : whereas indeede they are deceiued and haue no faith at all , but blinde presumption . The third appearance was on this maner . As two of Christs disciples were going from Ierusalem to Emmaus about threescore furlongs , and talked togither of all the things that were done , Iesus drew neare and talked with them , but their eyes were holden that they could not know him : and as they went he communed with them ; and prooued out of the Scripture his resurrection , expounding vnto them all things that were written of him : then they made him stay with them , and their eyes were opened , and they knew him by breaking of bread ; but he was taken out of their sight . In this notable appearance we may obserue these foure points . The first , that Christ held their eyes that they could not know him : they saw a man indeed , but who he was , they could not tel . By this it is more thē manifest , that the vse of our outward senses , as seeing , feeling , smelling , &c. is supplied vnto vs continually by the power of Christ ; and therefore euen in these things we must acknowledge the continuall goodnesse of God. Now if one man can not so much as discerne another but by the blessing of Christ , then shall we neuer be able to discerne the way of life from the way of death without him : and therefore we must pray vnto God that he would giue vs his holy spirit to inlighten the eyes of our vnderstanding , whereby we may be able to see and know the way that leadeth vnto life , and also to walke in the same . The second , that as Christ was in expounding the Scriptures vnto them their hearts burned within them . By this we learne , that howsoeuer the ministers of God publish the Gospell to the outward eares of men ; yet is it the proper worke of Christ alone to touch and inflame the heart by the fire of his holy spirit , and to quicken and raise men vp to the life of righteousnes & true holines : it is he onely that baptizeth with the holy Ghost and with fire . And it further admonisheth vs , that we should heare the word preached from the mouth of Gods ministers with burning and melting hearts : but , alas , the ordinarie practise is flatte contrarie ; mens eyes are drousie and heauie , and their hearts dead and frozen within them : and that is the cause why after much teaching there followes but little profit . The third thing is , that Christ did eate with the two disciples and was knowne of them in breaking of bread . It is very like that our Sauiour Christ did in some speciall manner blesse the bread which he brake , whereby his disciples discerned him from others . And in like maner we must by blessing our meates and drinkes distinguish our selues , though not from such as are the seruants of God , yet from all vngodly and carelesse men . Many beeing silent thēselues doe make their children to giue thanks , and to blesse their meates . And indeede it is a cōmendable thing if it be done sometimes to nurture the child , but for men to disburden themselues wholly of this dutie is a fault . And it is a shame that , that mouth which openeth it selfe to receiue the good creatures of God , should neuer open it selfe to blesse and praise God for the same . Therefore in this action of eating and drinking , let vs shew our selues followers of Christ , that as by blessing the same he was knowne from all other ; so we may also hereby distinguish our selues from the profane and wicked of this world . Otherwise what difference shall there be betweene vs & the very hogge that eates mast on the ground , but neuer lookes vp to the tree from whence it falls . And as Christ reuealed himselfe vnto his disciples , at that time when they caused him to eate meate with them ; so let vs suffer Christ to be our guest , and let vs entertaine him in his members , and no doubt he will blesse vs , and withall reueale himselfe vnto vs. The fourth thing is , that hauing eaten , he is taken out of their sight . And this came to passe not because the bodie of Christ bec●me spirituall , but because either he held their eyes as before , or he departed with celeritie and speede according to the properties of a bodie glorified . The fourth appearance of Christ was to Peter alone , mentioned onely by S. Paul , He was seene of Cephas . The fifth appearance was to all the disciples together saue Thomas . In it we must consider three things , which are all effectuall arguments to prooue Christs resurrection . The first , that he came and stood in the middest among them , the dores beeing shut . Now it may be demaunded , how this could be . Ans. The Papists say , his bodie was glorified and so passed through the dore , but ( as I haue saide ) it is against the nature of a bodie , that one should passe through an other , as heate doth through a piece of yron , both bodies remaining intire & sound : therfore we may rather think , that wheras Christ came in , when the dores were shut ; it was either , because by his mightie power he caused the dores to giue place , the disciples not knowing how : or else because he altered the very substance of the dores , that his bodie might passe through , as he thickned the waters to carrie his bodie when he walked vpon the sea . Now if this be true , as very like it is , that these dumbe creatures gaue place to Christ , and became plyable vnto his commandement , then much more ought we to carrie our hearts conformable and pliant to the wil of our Lord Iesus in all his commandements . The second point is , that when as the disciples thought Ch●ist to haue beene a spirit , he to prooue the truth of his manhood , sheweth vnto them his hands and his feete , and the wound in his side , and calls for meate , and eates it among them . But it may be asked how this could be , considering that a glorified bodie hath no blemish , and needes not to eate , but is supported by God without meate : for if this be true in our bodies when they shall be glorified , then much more was it true in Christ. Ans. True it is , a glorified bodie hath no blemishes ; but our Sauiour Christ had not yet entred into the fulnesse of his glorie . If he had beene fully glorified , he could not so sensibly and plainely haue made manifest the truth of his resurrection vnto his disciples : and therefore for their sakes and ours he is content after his entrance into glorie still to retaine in his bodie some remnants of the ignominies and blemishes , which if it had pleased him , he might haue laid aside ; he is also content to eate , not for neede , but to prooue that his bodie was not a bodie in shew but a true bodie . This teacheth vs two lessons : I. if Christ for our good and comfort be content to retaine these ignominious blemishes , then answerably euery one of vs must as good followers of Christ referre the workes of our callings to the good of others , as Paul saith , He was free from all men , yet he was content to become all things vnto all men , that by all meanes he might winne the moe . Secondly we learne , that for the good of our neighbour , & for the maintaining of loue & charitie , we must be content to yeeld from our owne right , as in this place our Sauiour Christ yeeldes of his owne glorie for the good of his Church . The third point is , that he then gaue the disciples their Apostolicall commissions , saying , Goe and teach all the nations : of which , three points are to bee considered : the first , to whome it is giuen . Ansvvere . To them all , as well to one as to another , and not to Peter onely . And this ouerthrowes the fonde and forged opinions of the Papists concerning Peters supremacy . If his calling had beene aboue the rest , then he should haue had a speciall commission aboue the rest : but one and the same commission is giuen alike to all . The second , that with the commission he giues his spirit ; for whome he appointeth to publish his will and word , them hee furnisheth with sufficient gifts of his holy spirit to discharge that great function : & therefore it is a defect , that any are set apart to be ministers of the gospell of Christ , which haue not receiued the spirit of knowledge , the spirit of wisdome , and the spirit of prophesie in some measure . The third point is , that in conferring of his spirit he vseth an outward signe , for the text saith , He breathed on them , and said , receiue the Holy Ghost . The reasons hereof may be these . First when God created Adam and put into him a liuing soule , it is said , he breathed in his face . And so our Sauiour Christ in giuing vnto his disciples the holy Ghost , doth the same , to shewe vnto them , that the same person that giueth life , giueth grace ; and also to signifie vnto them , that beeing to send them ouer all the worlde to preach his Gospel , he was as it were to make a second creation of man , by renuing the image of God in him which he had lost by the fall of Adam . Againe he breathed on them in giuing his spirit , to put them in mind that their preaching of the gospel could not be effectuall in the hearts of their hearers , before the Lord doth breath into them his spirit , and thereby drawe them to beleeue : and therefore the spouse of Christ desireth the Lord to send forth his north and south winde to blow on her garden , that the spices thereof may flow out . This garden is the church of God , which desireth Christ to comfort her , and to poure out the graces of his spirit on her , that the people of God which are the hearbes and trees of righteousnesse , may bring forth sweet spices whose fruit may be for meat and their leaues for medicines . Thus much for the fiue appearances of Christ the same day he rose again : Now follow the rest of his appearāces which were in the forty daies following , which are in number sixe . The first is mentioned by Saint Iohn in these wordes , Eight daies after when the disciples were within , and Thomas with them , came Iesus when the dores were shut , and stood in the middest of them , & said , Peace be vnto you . In it we must consider two things : I. the occasion thereof . II. the dealing of Christ. The occasion was this : after Christ had appeared vnto the other disciples in Thomas his absence , they told him that they had seene the Lord : but he made aunswere , Except I see in his bodie the print of his nailes , and put mine hand into his side I will not beleeue . Nowe eight daies after , our S●uiour Christ appeared againe vnto all the disciples , especially for the curing of Thomas his vnbeleefe , which was no smal sinne , considering it containes in it three great sinnes . The first is blindnes of minde , for he had beene a hearer of our Sauiour Christ a long time , and had beene instructed touching the resurrection diuers times : he was also with Christ and saw him when he raised Lazarus , and had seene , or at least wise had heard the miracles which he did : and also he had heard all the disciples say that had seene the Lord , and yet will it not sinke into his head . The second is deadnesse of heart . When our Sauiour Christ went to raise Lazarus that was dead , Thomas spake very cōfidently to him and said , Let vs go , that we may die with him , yet when Christ was crucified he fled away , and is the longest from Christ after his resurrection , and when he is certenly told thereof he will not acknowledge it or yeelde vnto it . The third is wilfulnesse : for when the disciples tolde him that they had seene the Lord , he said slatly , that vnlesse he sawe in his handes the print of the nailes , he would not beleeue , and that which is worse then all this , hee continued eight daies in this wilful minde . Nowe in this exceeding measure of vnbeleefe in Thomas ; any man , euen he that hath the most grace , may see what a masse of vnbeleefe is in himselfe , and what wilfulnesse and vntowardnesse to any good thing , in so much that wee may truely say with Dauid , Lord , what is man , that thou so regardest him . And if such measure of vnbeleefe was in such men , as the disciples were , then we may assure our selues , that it doth much more exceede in the common professours of religion in these daies , let them protest to the contrarie what they will. Nowe the cause of his vnbeleefe was this : he makes a lawe to himselfe that he will see and feele or else he wil not beleeue : but this is flat against the nature of faith which consisteth neither in seeing nor feeling . Indeede in things naturall a man must first haue experience in seeing and feeling , and then beleeue : but it is contrary in diuinitie : a man must first haue faith and beleeue , and then comes experience afterward . But Thomas hauing not learned this , doth ouershoot himselfe : and herein also many deceiue themselues , which think they haue no faith because they haue no feeling . For the chiefest feeling that wee must haue in this life must be the feeling of our sinnes and the miseries of this life : and though wee haue no other feeling at all , yet wee must not therefore cease to beleeue . In Christs dealing with Thomas we may consider three actions . The first , that he speaks to Thomas alone , & answers him according to the very words which he had spoken of him in his absence , and that word for word . And by this he laboured to ouerthrow his vnbeleefe , and to conuince him , that being absent he knewe what he spake . And by this we learne , that though wee want the bodily presence of Christ hee beeing now in heauen , yet he knoweth wel what we say , and if need were could repeat all our sayings word by word : and if it were not so , how could it be true that we must giue an account of euery idle word . Now this must teach vs to looke that our speech be gratious according to the rule of Gods holy word . Secondly this must make vs willing and readie to direct our praiers to Christ , considering he knoweth what wee pray for , and heareth euery word we speake . The second action is , that Christ condescends to Thomas , and giues him libertie to feele the print of the nailes , and to put his finger into his side . He might haue reiected Thomas for his wilfulnes , yet to helpe his vnbeleefe , he yeeldeth vnto his weaknesse . This sheweth , that Christ is most compassionate to all those that vnfainedly repent them of their sinnes and cleaue vnto him , although they doe it laden with manifolde wants . Dauid saith , that the Lord hath compassion on all them that feare him , as a father hath compassion on his children : and he addes the reason , For he knoweth of what we are made . And the prophet Esay , Hee will not breake the bruised reede , and smoking flaxe he will not quench . When a child is very sicke , in so much that it casteth vp all the meate which it taketh , the mother will not be offended thereat , but rather pittie it . Nowe our Sauiour Christ is ten thousand times more mercifull to them that beleeue in him , then any mother is or can be . The third action is , that when Thomas had seene & felt the woundes , Christ reuiued his faith , whereupon he brake forth and said , My Lord , and my God. In which wordes he doth most notably bewaile his blindnesse and vnbeleefe ; and as a fire that hath beene smothered , so doth his faith burst forth and shewe it selfe . And in this example of Thomas we may see the state of Gods people in this life . First , God giueth them faith , yet afterward for a time hee doth as it were , hide the same in some corner of their hearts , so as they haue no feeling thereof , but thinke themselues to be void of all grace : and this he doth for no other ende but to humble them : and yet againe after all this , the first grace is further renued and reuiued . Thus dealt the Lord with Dauid and Salomon ( for whereas he was a pen-man of Scripture , and therefore an holy man of God , we may not thinke that he was wholly forsaken ) with Peter , and in this place with Thomas . And the experience of this shall euery seruant of God finde in himselfe . The second appearance of Christ was to seuen of the disciples as they went on fishing , in which hee giues three testimonies of his godhead , and that by death his power was nothing diminished . The first , that when the disciples had fished all night and caught nothing , afterward by his direction they catch fish in aboundance , and that presently . This teacheth vs , that Christ is a soueraigne Lord ouer all creatures , and hath the disposing of them in his owne handes : and that if good successe followe not when men are painefull in their callings , it is because God will prepare and make them fit for a further blessing . Christ comes in the morning and giues his disciples a great draught of fish : yet before this can be , they must labour all night in vaine . Ioseph must be made ruler ouer all Egypt , but first he must be cast into a dungeon where he can see no sunn nor light , to prepare him to that honour . And Dauid must be King ouer Israel , but the Lord will first prepare him hereunto by raising vp Saul to persecute him . Therefore when God s●ndeth any hinderances vnto vs in our callings , wee must not despaire nor bee discouraged , for they are the meanes whereby God maketh vs fit to receiue greater blessings at his handes either in this life or in the life to come . The second is , that the net was vnbroke though it had in it great fishes to the number of an hundred fifty three . The third , that when the disciples came to land , they sawe hotte coales and fish laid thereon and bread . Nowe some may aske , whence was this foode ? Answ. The same Lord that was able to prouide a Whale to swallowe vp Ionas , and so to saue him : and he that was able to prouide a fish for Peters angle with a peece of twentie pence in the mouth : and to make a little bread and a fewe fishes to feede so many thousands in the wildernesse : the same also doeth of himselfe prouide bread and fishes for his disciples . This teacheth vs , that not not onely the blessing , but also the very hauing of meate , drinke , apparell is from Christ : and hereupon all states of men , euen the kings of the earth are taught to pray that God would giue them their daily bread . Againe , when we sit downe to eate and drinke , this must put vs in minde that wee are the guests of Christ himselfe : our foode which we haue comes of his meere gift ; and hee it is that entertaines vs , if wee could see it . And for this cause wee must soberly and with great reuerence in feare and trembling vse all gods creatures as in his presence . And when we eate and drinke , wee must alwaies looke that all our speech be such as may beseeme the guests of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Vsually the practise of men is farre otherwise ; for in feasting many take libertie to surfet , & to be drunke , to sweare , & to blas●heme : but if we serue the Lord , let vs remember whose guests we are , and who is our entertainer ; and so behaue our selues as being in his presence , that all our actions and words may tend to his glorie . The third appearance was to Iames , as S. Paul recordeth , although the same be not mentioned in any of the Euangelists . The fourth was to all his disciples in a mountaine , whither he had appointed them to come . The fift & last appearance was in the mount of Oliues , when he ascended into heauen . Of these three last appearances because the holy Ghost hath only mentioned them , I omitte to speake , and with the repeating of them , I let them passe . Thus much of the appearances of Christ after his resurrection : the witnesses thereof are of three sorts : I. angels . II. women that came to the graue to embaulme him . III. Christs owne disciples who did publish and preach the same , according as they had seene and heard of our Sauiour Christ : and of these likewise I omit to speake , because there is not any speciall thing mentioned of them by the Euangelists . Nowe follow the vses , which are twofold : some respect Christ , and some respect our selues . Vses which concerne Christ are three : I. whereas Christ Iesus beeing starke dead rose againe to life by his owne power , it serueth to prooue vnto vs that he was the sonne of God. Thus Paul speaking of Christ saith , that hee was de●lared mightily to bee the sonne of God touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead . And by the mouth of Dauid God said , Thou art my sonne , this day I haue begot thee . Which place must bee vnderstood not so much of the eternal generation of Christ before al worlds , as of the manifestation thereof in time after this manner . This day , that is , at the time of thine incarn●tion , but especially at the daie of thy resurrection , haue I begotten thee , that is , I haue made manifest that thou art my sonne : so is this place expoūded by S. Paul in the Acts. Secōdly Christs rising frō death by his own po●er , prooues vnto vs euidently that he is Lord ouer al things that are : & this vse S. Paul makes hereof , for saith he , Christ therefore died that he might be Lord both of the dead & of the quick . And indeed whereas he rose againe on this m●ner , he did hereb● shew himselfe most plainly to be a mighty prince ouer the graue● death , hel , & condemnation , & one that had al● sufficient power to ouercome them . Thirdly it prooues vnto vs , that he was a perfit priest , and that his death & passion was a perfect satisfaction to the iustice of god for the ●innes of mankind . For whereas Christ died , he died for our sinnes : now if he had not fully satisfied for them all ( though there had remained but one sinne for which he had made no satisfaction ) he had not risen againe : but death which came into the world by sinne , and is strengthened by it , would haue held him in bondage : and therefore , whereas he rose againe , it is more then manifest , that he hath made so full a satisfaction that the merit therof doth and shall counteruaile the iustice of God for all our offences . To this purpose Paul saith , If Christ be not risen againe , your faith is vaine , and you are yet in your sinnes , that is , Christ had not satisfied for your sinnes , or at least you could not possibly haue knowne that he had made satisfaction for any of them , if he had not risen againe . The vses which concerne our selues are of two sorts : comforts to the children of God , and duties that are to be learned and practised of vs all . The comforts are especially three . First Christs resurrection serueth for the iustification of all that beleeue in him , euen before God the father : as Paul saith , Christ was giuen to death for our sinnes , and is risen againe for our iustification : which wordes haue this meaning : when Christ died , we must not consider him as a priuate man , as we haue shewed before , but as one that stoode in the stead and roome of all the elect : in his death he bare our sinnes and suffered all that we should haue suffered in our owne persons for euer , and the guilt of our offences was laide vpon him : and therefore Esai saith , he was numbred among the wicked . Now in his rising againe he freed and disburdened himselfe not from any sinnes of his owne , because he was without sinne , but from the guilt and punishment of our sinnes imputed vnto him . And hence it comes to passe that all those which put their trust and affiance in the merit of Christ , at the very first instant of their beleeuing haue their owne sinnes not imputed vnto them , and his righteousnes imputed . Secondly the resurrection of Christ serueth as a notable meanes to worke inward sanctification , as S. Peter saith , We are regenerate to a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead . And S. Paul , We are then ( saith he ) buried with him by baptisme into his death , that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of his father , so we also should walke in newnesse of life . For if we be grafted with him to the similitude of his death , we shall be also to the similitude of his resurrection . Which words import thus much , that as Christ by the power of his owne Godhead , freed his manhood from death and from the guilt of our sinnes : so doth he free those that are knit vnto him by the bond of one spirit , from the corruption of their natures in which they are dead , that they may liue vnto God. In the naturall bodie , the head is the fountaine of all the senses and of motion : and therefore by sundrie nerues dispersed through the bodie , the power of moouing and of sense is deriued euen to the least parts ; so as the hands and the feete mooue by meanes of that power which comes from the head : and so it is in the spirituall bodie of Christ , namely the church : he is the head and the fountaine of life , and therefore he conueyeth spirituall life to euery one of his members : and that very power of his Godhead whereby he raised vp himselfe when he was deade , he conueyeth from himselfe to his members , and thereby raiseth them vp from the death of sinne to newnes of life . And looke as in a perfect body , when the head hath sense and motion , the hand that is of the same bodie hath also the sense and motion conuenient for it : so likewise Christ beeing the resurrection and the life ; as there is spirituall life in him , so euery member of his shall feele in it selfe spirituall sense and motion , whereby it is raised vp from sinne and liueth vnto God. For the better cōceiuing of this , we must consider two things : the outward means of this spirituall life , and the measure of it . For the meanes , if we wil haue common water we must goe to the well : and if we would haue water of life , wee must goe vnto Christ , who saith , If any man thirst , let him come vnto me and drinke . Now this well of the water of life is very deepe and we haue nothing to draw with , therefore we must haue our pipes and conduits to conuey the same vnto vs , which are the word of God preached , and the administration of the sacraments . Christ saith , The dead shall heare the voice of the sonne of God , and they that heare it shall liue ; where by the dead is meant , not the dead in the graue , but those that are dead in sinne . And againe Christ saith , the wordes which I speake are spirit and life , because the word of God is the pipe whereby he conueieth into our dead hearts spirit and life . As Christ when he raised vp dead men did one●y speake the word and they were made aliue : and at the day of iudgement by his very voice , when the trumpe shall blow , all that are dead shall rise againe . So it is in the first resurrection : they that are dead in their sins , at his voice vttered in the ministerie of the word shall rise againe . To goe further , Christ raised three from the dead . Iairus daughter newly dead : the widowes sonne dead and wound vp and lying on the hearse : Lazarus dead and buried and stinking in the graue ; and all this he did by his very voice : so also by the preaching of his word , he raiseth all sorts of sinners , euen such as haue lien long in their sinnes as rotting and stinking carrion . The sacraments also are the pipes and conduits whereby God conueieth grace into the heart , if they be rightly vsed , that is , if they be receiued in vnfained repentance for all our sinnes , and with a true & liuely faith in Christ for the pardon of the same sinnes . And so , I take it , they are compared to flagons of wine , which reuiue the Church beeing sicke and fallen into a swound . As for the measure of life deriued from Christ , it is but small in this life and giuen by little and little , as Ose saith , The Lord hath spoiled vs , and he will heale vs , he hath wounded vs , and he will bind vs vp . After two daies he will reuiue vs , and in the third he will raise vs vp , and we shall liue in his sight . The prophet Ezechiel in a vision is carried into the midst of a field full of dead bones , and he is caused to prophecy ouer them , and say , O ye drie bones , heare the word of the Lord : at the fi●st there was a shaking , and the bones came togither bone to bone , and then sinewes and flesh grewe vpon them , and vpon the flesh grewe a skinne . Then he prophecied vnto the windes the second time , and they liued and stood vpon their feete , for the breath came vpon them , and they were an exceeding great army of men . Hereby it signified not onely the state of the Iewes after their captiuitie● but in them the state of the whole Church of God. For these temporall deliuerances signified further a spirituall deliuerance . And wee may here see most pla●nely , that God worketh in the hearts of his children the gifts & graces of regeneration by little and little . First he giueth no more then flesh , sinewes , and skin : then after he giueth them further graces of his spirit , which quickeneth them and maketh them aliue vnto God. The same also we may see in the vision of the waters that ranne out of the temple : First , a man must wade to the ankles , then after to the knees , and so to the loynes : then after the waters growe to a riuer that cannot be passed ouer : and so the Lord conueyeth his graces by little and little , till at the last men haue a full measure thereof . Thirdly the resurrection of Christ serues as an argument to prooue vnto vs our resurrection at the day of iudgement . Paul saith , If the spirit of Christ that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you : he that raised Christ from the dead , shall also quicken your mortall bodies . Some will say , that this is no benefit , for all must rise againe , as well the wicked as the godly . Answ. True indeed : but yet the wicked rise not againe by the same cause that the godly doe . They rise againe by the power of Christ , not as hee is a Sauiour , but as hee is a iudge to condemne them : For God had said to Adam ; at what time he should eate of the forbidden fruite , hee should die the death ; meaning a double death , both the first and the second death . Nowe then the vngodly rise againe that God may inflict vpon them the punishment of the second death , which is the reward of sinne , that so Gods iustice may be satisfied : but the godly rise againe by the power of Christ their head and redeemer , who raiseth them vp that they may be partakers of the benefit of his death , which is to enioy both in bodie and soule the kingdome of heauen , which he hath so deerely bought for them . Thus much for the comforts : Nowe followe the duties , and they are also three . First as Christ Iesus when he was dead rose againe from death to life by his owne power , so wee by his grace , in imitation of Christ , must endeauour our selues to rise vp from all our sinnes both originall and actuall vnto newenesse of life . This is worthily set downe by the Apostle , saying , Wee are buried by baptisme into his death , that as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of the father , so wee also should walke in newnesse of life : and therefore we must endeauour our selues to shewe the same power to be in vs euery day , by rising vp from our owne personall sinnes to a reformed life . This ought to be remēbred of vs , because howesoeuer many heare and knowe this point , yet very fewe doe practise the same . For ( to speake plainly ) as dead men buried would neuer heare though a man should speake neuer so loud : so vndoubtedly amōg vs there be also many liuing men , which are almost in the same case . The ministers of God may crie vnto them daily , and iterate the same thing a thousand times , and tell them that they must rise vp from their sinnes and lead a newe life , but they heare no more then the dead carkas that lieth in the graue . Indeede men heare with their outward eares , but they are so farre from practising this dutie , that many iudge it to bee a matter of reproch and ignominy . And those which make any conscience of this dutie , how they are laden with nicknames and taunts , who knoweth not ? I neede not to rehearse them : so odious a thing nowe a daies is the rising from sinne to newnesse of life . Sound a trumpet in a dead mans eares , he stirs not : & let vs crie for amendment of life till breath go out of our bodies , no man almost saith , What haue I done ? And for this cause vndoubtedly , if it were not for cōscience of that duty which mē owe vnto God , wee should haue but fewe ministers in England . For it is the ioy of a minister to see the vnfained conuersion of his people : whereas , alas , men generally lie snorting in their corruptions , and rather goe forward in them still , then come to any amendment ; such is the wonderful hardnesse that hath possessed the hearts of most men . He which hath but halfe an eie may see this to be true . Oh! howe exceedes Atheisme in all places , contempt of Gods worship , prophanation of the sabbath : the whordomes & fornications , the crueltie and oppression of this age , crie to heauen for vengeance . By these & such like sinnes the world crucifies Christ againe . For looke as Pilats souldiers with the wicked Iewes tooke Christ and stripped him of his garments , buffeted him , and slue him ; so vngodly men by their wicked behauiour strip him of al honour , and slaie him againe . If an infidel should come among vs , & yeeld himselfe to be of our religiō , after he had seene the behauiour of men , he would peraduenture leaue all religion : for hee might say , surely it seemes this God whome these men worship , is not the true God , but a God of licentious libertie . And that which is more , whereas at all times wee ought to shewe our selues newe creatures , and to walke worthie of our Sauiour and redeemer , and therefore also ought to rise out of our sinnes , and to liue in righteousnes and true holinesse , yet we for the most part goe on still forward in sinne , and euery day goe deeper then other to hel-ward . This hath beene heretofore the common practise , but let vs nowe learne after the example of Christ , beeing quickened and reuiued by his grace , to endeauour our selues especially to come out of the graue of sinne , and learne to make conscience of euery bad action . True it is , a Christian man may vse the creatures of God for his delight , in a moderate and godly manner , but Christ neuer gaue libertie to any to liue licentiously : for he that is free is yet seruant vnto Christ , as Paul saith : and therefore we must not enterprise any thing but that which may be a worke of some good dutie vnto God ; to which ende the Apostle saith , Awake thou that sleepest , and stand vp from the dead , and Christ shall giue thee life . If this will not mooue vs , yet let the iudgements of God drawe vs hereunto , Blessed is he ( saith the holy Ghost ) that hath part in the first resurrection : for on such the second death hath no power : where mention is made of a double death : the first is the separation of soule and bodie , the second is the eternal condemnation of soule and bodie in hell fire . Would we nowe escape the second death after this life ? we must then labour in this life to be partakers of the first resurrection , and that on this manner : Looke what sinnes we haue liued in heretofore , we must endeauour to come out of them all , and lead a better life according to all the commandements of God. But if it be so that ye wil haue no care of your own soules , goe on hardly to your owne perill , and so yee shall be sure to enter into the second death , which is eternall damnation . Secondly , we are taught by the example of Saint Paul to labour aboue all things , to know Christ and the vertue of his resurrection . And this we shall doe , when we can say by experience , that our hearts are not content with a formall and drowsie profession of religion , but that we feele the same power of Christ whereby he raised vp himselfe from death to life , to be effectuall and powerfull in vs , to worke in our hearts a conuersion from all our sinnes , wherein we haue lien dead , to newenesse of life , with care to liue godly in Christ Iesus . And that we may further attaine to all this , we must come to heare the worde of God preached and taught with feare & trembling ; hauing heard the word , we must meditate therein , and pray vnto God , not onely publikely but priuately also , intreating him that he would reach forth his hand , and pull vs out of the graue of sinne , wherein we haue lien dead so long . And in so doing , the Lord of his mercy , according as he hath promised , will send his spirit of grace into our hearts to worke in vs an inward sense and feeling of the vertue of Christs resurrection . So dealt he with the two disciples that were going to Emmaus ; they were occupied in the meditation of Christ his death and passion ; and whiles they were in hearing of Christ who conferred with them , he gaue them such a measure of his spirit as made their hearts to burne within them . And Paul praieth for the Ephesians , that God would inlighten their eies , that they might see and feele in themselues the exceeding greatnesse of the power of God , which he wrought in Christ Iesus , when he raised him from the dead . Thirdly as Saint Paul saith , If wee be risen with Christ , then we must seeke the things that are aboue . But howe and by what meanes can wee rise with Christ , seeing we did not die with him ? Ans. We rise with Christ thus . The burgesse of a towne in the parliament house beareth the person of the whole towne , and whatsoeuer he saith , that the whole towne saith , and whatsoeuer is done to him , is also done to all the towne : so Christ vpon the crosse stood in our place , and bare our person ; and what he suffered , we suffered ; and when he died , all the faithfull died in him : and so likewise as he is risen againe , so are all the faithfull risen in him . The consideration whereof doth teach vs , that we must not haue our hearts wedded to this world . We may vse the thinges of this life , but yet so as though we vsed them not . For all our loue and care must be for thinges aboue , and specially wee must seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse , peace of conscience , and ioy in the holy Ghost . Wee must therefore sue for the pardon of sinne , for reconciliation to God in Christ , and for sanctification . These are the pretious pearles which we must seeke , and when we haue found them , we must sell all that we haue to buy them ; and hauing bought them , wee must lay them vp in the secret corners of our hearts , valuing and esteeming of them better then all things in the world beside . Thus much of Christs resurrection , containing the first degree of Christs exaltation . Nowe followeth the second in these wordes , Hee ascended into heauen : in the handling whereof we are to consider these speciall points : I. the time of his ascension . II. the place . III. the manner . IV. the witnesses . V. the vses thereof . For the first , the time of Christs ascension was fortie daies after his resurrection , when he taught his disciples the things which appertaine to the kingdome of God. And this shewes that he is a most faithfull King ouer his Church , procuring the good thereof . And therefore Esay saith , The gouernment is on his shoulder : and the Apostle saith , hee was more faithfull in all the house of God , then Moses was . Hence we gather that whereas the Apostles chaunged the sabboth from the seauenth d●y to the eight , it was no doubt , by the counsell and direction of Christ before his ascension : and likewise in that they planted Churches and appointed teachers and meete ouerseers for the guiding and instruction hereof , we may resolue our selues that Christ prescribed the same vnto them before his ascension : and for these and such like causes did he ascend no sooner . Now looke what care Christ at his ascension had ouer his Church , the same must all masters of families haue ouer their housholds when God shall call them out of this world . They must haue care not onely that their families be well gouerned while they liue ; but also , that after their death ; peace , loue , and good order may be continued in their posteritie . And therefore the prophet Esay is sent to Ezechias King of Iudah , to bid him set his house in order : for he must die , signifying that it is the dutie of a good master of a familie , to haue care not onely for the gouernment of his house whilst he is aliue , but also that it may be well gouerned when he is dead . The same also must be practised of Gods ministers : a part of whose fidelitie is this , that they haue not onely a care to feede their particular flocks while they are aliue , but also that they further prouide for the people after their departure , as much as they can . Example whereof we haue in Peter , who saith , I will endeauour alwaies that ye may be able also to haue remembrance of these things after my departure . The place of Christs ascension was , the mount of Oliues neere Bethanie : and it was the same place from whence Christ went to Ierusalem to be crucified . One place serued to be a passage both to paine and torments , and also to glorie . This shewes that the way to the kingdome of heauen is through afflictions . There are many which haue Gods hand heauie vpon them in lingering sicknesses , as the dead palsie and such like ; wherein they are saine to lie many yeares without hope of cure , whereupon their beddes which should be vnto them places of rest and ease , are but places of woe and miserie . Yet may these men hence haue great comfort , if they can make good vse of their sicknesses : for the beddes whereon they suffer so much torment , shall be places from whence they shall passe to ioy and happinesse . Againe , there be many that for the testimonie of the truth , and for religions sake suffer imprisonment , with many afflictions ; now if they can vse their afflictions well , their prisons shall be Bethanies vnto them : although they be places of bondage , yet God will at length make them places of entrance to libertie . Many a man for the maintaining of faith and good conscience , is banished out of his countrey , and is faine to liue in a strange place among a people to whome he is vnknowne : but let him vse it well : for though it be a place of griefe for a time , as Bethanie was to Christ when he went to suffer , yet God will make it one day to be his passage into heauen . Thus much of the place of his ascending . The third thing to be considered , is the manner of Christs ascension ; and it containeth three points . The first , that Christ beeing now to ascend , lifts vp his hands and blessed his disciples . In the Scripture are mentioned diuers kinds of blessings . The first when one man praieth to God for a blessing vpon an other : and this blessing doe Kings and princes bestow vpon their subiects , and parents on their children : and for this cause children are well taught to aske their fathers and mothers blessing , that they may pray to God to blesse them . There is an other kinde of blessing , when a man doth not onely pray for a blessing , but also pronounceth it . This did the priests in the old Testament : and thus Melchisedeck when he met Abraham blessed him , saying , Blessed art thou Abraham of God , the most high possessour of heauen & earth . And this was the ordinarie duty of the priests , prescribed by God himselfe : & therefore the very forme of words which they vsed is set downe after this maner , The Lord blesse thee , and keepe thee , the Lord make his face to shine vpon thee , &c. The third kind of blessing is , when a man doth not onely pray to God , & pronounce blessing , but by the spirit of prophecie doth foretell a particular blessing vpon any . Thus Isaac blessed Iaacob and Esau , particularly foretelling both their estates . And Iaacob blessed the twelue Patriarks by the same spirit , foretelling them what should befall them many hundred yeares after . Now our Sauiour Christ did not blesse his disciples any of these three waies : and therefore there remaineth a fourth kinde of blessing which he vsed , & that was after this manner : Christ in blessing his disciples did not onely pronounce or foretell a blessing that should come to his disciples , but did conferre & giue the same vnto them . For he is the fountaine and author of all blessings . And therefore Paul saith , that God the father hath blessed vs in all spiritual blessings in Christ. Hence we learne , first that al those which denie themselues & flie to Christ , and put their affiance in him , shall be freed from the curse of the law , & from the wrath of God , due vnto them for their sinns , whatsoeuer they are . Secondly , that the curses of men must not discourage vs from doing well . For though men curse , yet Christ blesseth : and for this cause he saith , Woe be vnto you , when all men speake well of you : as if he should say , then you want the blessing of God. And we must remember , that when men shall curse vs for doing our dutie , euen then the blessing of God shall be vpon vs ; & the curse causeles shall not hurt . And God saith to Abraham , he will curse them that curs● him . Thirdly , we learne that no witchcraft , nor sorcerie , ( which often are done with cursing ) shall be able to hurt vs. For looke where Christ will blesse , there all the deuills in hell can neuer fasten a curse . This is found true by experiēce . For when Balaam the wizzard should haue cursed the people of Israel , & had assaied to doe it many waies , but could not ; at length he said , there is no sorcerie a against Iacob , nor soothsaying against Israel . This is a notable comfort to the people of God , that witches and sorcerers , doe what they can , shall neuer be able to hurt them . It may be , that their badde practises may annoy mens bodies and goods , yet the Lord will turne all to a blessing vpon his seruants either in this life or the life to come . The second point is , that Christ went apart from his disciples , and ascended vpward toward heauen in their sight . For the right vnderstanding of this , sundrie speciall points must be obserued . The first , that the lifting vp of his bodie was principally by the mightie power of his godhead , and partly by the supernaturall propertie of a glorified bodie , which is to mooue as well vpward as downward , without constraint or violence . The second , that Christ did goe from earth to heauen really and actually , and not in appearance onely . The third , that he went visibly in the sight of his disciples . The fourth , that he went locally , by chaunging his place and going from earth to heauen , so as he is no more on earth bodily , as we are now on earth . It may be obiected , that Christ made a promise that hee would bee with his Church to the ende of the world . Answ. That promise is to be vnderstood of the presence of his spirit , or godhead , not of the presence of his manhood . Againe it may further be alleadged , that if the godhead be on earth , then must the manhood be there also , because they are both vnited together . Answ. It is not true , that of two things conioined , where the one is , there must the other be also . For the sunne it selfe , and the sunne-beames are both ioyned together , yet they are not both in all places together . For the bodie of the sunne is onely in the heauens , but the sunne-beames are also vpon the earth . The argument therefore followes not : Christs manhood subsists in that person which is euery where : ergo his manhood is euery where . And the reason is , because the Sonne of God subsists not onely in his diuine nature , but also by it : whereas he doth not subsist at all by the manhoode , but onely in it : for he subsisted before all eternitie , when the manhood was not . Nay rather because the manhood doth subsist by the person of the Sonne , therefore the person extends it selfe further then the manhood which is assumed and sustained by it ; and hath his existing thence . For that very thing whereby any other thing either essentially or accidentally is , extends it selfe further then the thing whereby it is . As the humane nature whereby Peter is a man , extends it selfe further then to Peter , namely to all other men : and the whitenesse whereby the snow is white , extends it selfe further then to that snow which a man holds in his hand . The third point is , that in the ascension a cloud tooke Christ from the fight of his disciples . And whereas he caused a cloud to come betweene their sight and himselfe , it signified vnto them that they must now be contented with that which they had seene , and not seeke to know further what became of him afterward : and the same thing is taught vnto vs also : we must content our selues with that which God hath reuealed in his word , and seeke no further specially in things which concerne God. For the like ende in the giuing of the law in Sinai , God appeared in a cloud : and when he did manifest his glorie in the temple which Salomon made , a thicke cloud filled the same . The fourth point to be considered , is concerning the witnesses of his ascension , which were his owne disciples in the mount of Oliues at Bethanie , and none but they . Now it may be demanded , why he would not haue all the whol natiō of the Iewes to see him ascend , that so they might know that he was risen againe , and beleeue in him . Answ. The reason may be this : it was his good pleasure that the points of faith and religion , wherof this article is one , should rather be learned by hearing , then by seeing . Indeede Christs owne disciples were taught the same by sight , that they might the better teach others which should not see : wheras now the ordinarie meanes to come by faith , is hearing . The vses to be made of Christs ascension , are of two sorts : some are comforts to Gods Church and people , and some are duties . The comforts are especially foure . The first is this : Christ Iesus did ascend vp into heauen , to lead captiuitie captiue ; a most worthie benefit . By captiuitie is meant , first sinne and Satan , which did and doe lead men captiue into perdition : secondly death and the graue , which held him captiue and in bondage for the space of three daies . And he leads them all captiue two waies : first in himselfe , in that he beganne his triumph vpon the crosse , as I haue shewed , and continued the same till his very ascension : secondly in all his members , because by his mightie power being now ascended , he doth subdue and weaken the power of sinne and Satan ; which he manifesteth euery day by killing the corruption of their natures , and the rebellion of their flesh . But it may be demaunded , how Christ doth lead his enemies captiue , considering the deuill raignes euery where , and the world , and death , and hell . Answ. Christs victorie ouer his and our enemies hath fiue degrees . First , it is ordained by God , secondly it is foretold , thirdly it is wrought , fourthly it is applied , lastly it is accomplished . The ordaining of it was before all worlds : the foretelling of it was in all the ages of the olde testament : the working of it was vpon the crosse , and afterward : the applying hath beene since the beginning of the world more or lesse : and it is onely in part in this life ; that while Christ is in bruising of the head of Satan , he againe may bruise his heele : the accomplishment shall not be before the last iudgement . From this great benefit bestowed on Gods Church , there are many duties to be learned . First here is an instruction for all ignorant persons and impenitent sinners , which abound among vs in euery place . Whosoeuer they be , that liue in the blindnesse of their mindes , and hardnes of their hearts ; they must know this , that they are captiues and bondslaues of sinne and Satan , of hell , death , and condemnation : and let no man flatter himselfe of what state or degree soeuer he be ( for it is Gods truth ) if he haue not repented of all his sinnes , he as yet is no better then a seruant or vassall , yea a very drudge of the deuill . Now then , what wilt thou doe in this case ? The best thing is , to lay to thy heart this benefit of Christ. He is ascended vp to heauen to lead captiue and to vanquish the deuil and all his angels , vnder whome thou liest bound , and that not onely in himselfe , but in his members . Now then if thou wilt become a true member of Christ , he will free thee from this bondage . Therefore take heede how thou continuest longer in thy old sinnes , and in thy grosse ignorance : & seeing Christ hath made a way to libertie , let vs seeke to come out of this spirituall bondage : he is ascended for this end and purpose to free vs frō it ; therfore if we refuse this benefit , our state will be the more damnable . A man lies bound hand and foote in a darke dungeon , and the keeper comes and sets open the prison dore , and takes off his bolts , and bids him come out ; if he refuse and say that he is well : may it not be thought that he is a madde man , and will any be sorie for his case ? No surely . Well , this is the state of all impenitent sinners . They lie fast fettered and bound vnder the power of sinne and Satan , and Christ it is who is ascended into heauen to vnloose them of this bondage : he hath set open the prison dore , and hath vnlocked our fetters : if we refuse to come out , and lie still in our sinnes , there remaineth nothing for vs but euerlasting thraldome . Let vs therefore in the feare of God , if we haue a care of our owne soules , receiue and imbrace this benefit which redoundes vnto vs by Christs ascension . Secondly , in that Christ is ascended to heauen to lead captiue sinne and Satan , here is a good consolation for all those that are afflicted in conscience for their sinnes . There is no man in this case but he hath great cause to feare , yet must he not be discouraged . For Christ by his ascension like a noble captaine hath taken sinne and Satan prisoners , and hath pinnioned them fast , so as all the power they haue , is in Christs hand : and therefore for this cause although they are suffered to exercise and afflict vs , yet by his grace they shall neuer be able to preuaile against vs. Therefore we may safely cast our care vpon God , and not feare ouermuch . Hence also we may learne a third dutie . There is no man that knoweth what sinne meaneth , and what the bloode of Christ meaneth , but in regard of the corruption of his owne nature , he will say with Paul that he is sold vnder sinne , and in regard thereof will crie out with him also , O wretched man that I am , who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death ? yea it will make his heart to bleede within him . Nowe what shall he doe in this case ? surely let him remember the ende of Christs ascension , which is to vanquish and subdue the rebellion of his nature , and labour to feele the benefit thereof : and then he shall no doubt finde that Christ will dissolue in him the works of the deuill , and tread Satan vnder his feete . And thus also those that feele in themselues the law of their members rebelling against the law of their minde , must come to Christ and he will helpe and sree them . The second benefit of Christs ascension is , that he ascended vp to heauen to bestow gifts vpon his Church , as it is saide in the place before mentioned , He ascended vp an high , &c. he gaue gifts vnto men , that is , the gift of the knowledge of Gods word , the gift of preaching , and prophecie , and all other gifts needefull for the good of his Church . The consideration of this , that Christ who is the fountaine of grace , and in whome are hidde all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge , should be mindfull of vs and vouchsafe such speciall fauour to his Church , must cause euery one of vs who haue receiued any gift of God ( as there is no man but he hath receiued his portion ) to be humbled in his owne eyes for the same . There is no cause why we should be proud of our gifts ; seeing we haue nothing , but that which we haue receiued . For to this ende Christ ascended , to giue gifts vnto men , and therefore our gifts whatsoeuer they be , are not our owne , but we had them from Christ ; and we are stewards of them a while , for the good of others . The more the Lord giueth to a man , the more he requireth at his hands ; and as for such as hauing good gifts abuse the same , their sinne is the more grieuous , and their daunger the greater . Men of great gifts vnlesse they vse them aright with humbled hearts , shall want Gods blessing vpon them . For he giueth grace to the humble . The high hills after much tillage are often barren , whereas the low vallies , by the streames of waters passing through them , are very fruitfull : and the gifts of God ioyned with a swelling heart are fruitlesse ; but ioyned with loue and the grace of humilitie , they edifie . Secondly , if Christ ascend vp to heauen to giue gifts vnto men ; here we may see how many a man and woman in these our daies are ouerseene , in that they plead ignorance , and say that they hope God will haue them excused for it , seeing they are not learned ; they haue dull wittes , and it is not possible to teach them now , they are past learning ; and hereupon they presume they may liue in grosse ignorance , as blinde almost in religion as when they were first borne . But marke , I pray you , who it is that is ascended vp to heauen , namely Christ Iesus our Lord , who made thee of nothing . Now was he able to giue thee a beeing , when thou was not , and is he not likewise able to put knowledge into thy soule , if so be thou wilt vse the meanes which he hath appointed ? and the rather , seeing he is ascended for that end : but if thou wilt not vse the meanes to come to knowledge , thy case is desperate , and thou art the cause of thine owne condemnation , and thou bringest confusion vpon thine owne head . Therfore let ignorant men labour for knowledge of Gods word . Ignorance shall excuse none : it will not stand for paiment at the day of iudgement . Christ is ascended to this ende to teach the ignorant , to giue knowledge and wisdome vnto the simple , & to giue gifts of prophecie vnto his ministers , that they may teach his people . Therefore , I say againe , let such as be ignorant vse the meanes diligently , and God will giue the blessing . Thirdly , whereas it is thought to be a thing not possible , to furnish a whole Church with preaching ministers , it seemes to be otherwise . For wherefore did Christ ascend to heauen ? was it not to giue gifts vnto his Church ? what , is Christs hand now shortned ? vndoubtedly we may resolue our selues , that Christ bestowed gifts sufficient vpon men in the Church : but it is for our sinnes that they are not imploied . The fountaines of learning the Vniuersities , though they are not dammed vp , yet they streame not abroad as they might . Many there be in them indued with worthie gifts for the building of the Church , but the couetousnes of men hindereth the comfortable entrance which otherwise might be . Lastly , seeing Christ ascended to giue gifts needefull for his Church , as the gift of teaching , the gift of prophecie , the gift of tongues , of wisdome , and knowledge , the dutie of euery man is , especially of those which liue in the schooles of learning , to labour by all meanes to increase , cherish , and preserue their gifts , and as Paul exhorteth Timothie , to stirre vp the gift of God , that is , as men preserue the fire by blowing it , so by our diligence we must kindle and reuiue the gifts and graces of God bestowed on vs. Christ hath done his part , and there is nothing required but our paines and fidelitie . The third benefit that comes by Christs ascension is , that he ascended to prepare a place for all that should beleeue in him : In my fathers house ( saith Christ ) are many dwelling places , if it were not so , I would haue told you . I goe to prepare a place for you . For by the sinne of Adam our entrance into heauen was taken away . If Adam by his fall did exclude himselfe from the earthly paradise , then how much more did he exclude himselfe from heauen ? And the●efore all mankind sinning in him , was likewise depriued of heauen . The people of Israel beeing in woe and miserie , cried out that they had sinned , and therefore the Lord had couered himselfe with a cloud , that their praiers could not passe through . And Esai saith , that our sinnes are a wall betwixt God and vs. And S. Iohn , that no vncleane thing must enter into the heauenly Ierusalem . Now seeing we haue shut our selues out of heauen by our sinnes , it was requi●ite that Christ Iesus our Sauiour should goe before vs to prepare a place , and to make readie a way for vs. For he is king ouer all , he hath the keies of heauen , he openeth and no man shutteth : & therfore it is in his power to l●t vs in , though we haue shut our selues out . But some may say , if this be the ende of his ascension to prepare a place in heauen ; then belike such as died before the comming of Christ were not in heauen . Ans. As there are two degrees of glorie , one incomplete and the other complete or perfect , ( for the faithfull departed are in glorie but in part , and there remaineth fulnesse of glory for them at the day of iudgement , when soule and bodie shall be both glorified together : ) so answerably there are two degrees of preparation of places in heauen . The places of glorie were in part prepared for the faithfull from the beginning of the world , but the full preparation is made by Christs ascension . And of this last preparation is the place of Iohn to be vnderstood . The vse of this doctrine is very profitable . First it ouerthroweth the fond doctrine of the church of Rome , which teacheth that Christ by his death did merit our iustification , and that we beeing once iustified doe further merit saluation , and purchase for our selues a place in heauen . But this is as it were to make a partition betweene Christ and vs in the worke of our redemption , whereas in truth not onely the beginning and continuance of our saluation , but also the accomplishment thereof in our vocation , iustification , sanctification , glorification , is wholly and onely to be ascribed to the meere merit of Christ : and therefore hauing redeemed vs on earth , he also ascends to prepare a place in heauen for vs. Secondly , this serueth to condemne the fearefull , lamentable , and desperate securitie of these our daies . Great is the loue of Christ in that he was content to suffer the pangs of hell to bring vs out of hell : and withall to goe to heauen to prepare a place for vs there : and yet who is it that careth for this place , or maketh any account therof ? who forsaketh this world , & seekes vnto Christ for it ? And further , least any mā should say , alas , I know not the way : therfore Christ before he ascended , made a new & liuing way with his own blood , as the Apostle speaketh . And to take away all excuses frō men , he hath set markes and bounds in this way , and hath placed guides in it , namely his ministers , to shew all the passengers a straight and readie course into the kingdome of heauen . And though Christ haue done all this for vs , yet the blindnes and securitie of men is such , that none almost walketh in this way , nor careth to come into this mansion place ; but in stead of this , they walke in by waies , according to the lusts of their owne flesh . When they are commanded to goe eastward to Ierusalem , they turne westward an other way : when they are commanded to goe on forward to heauen , they turne againe backeward , and goe straight to hell . Men runne on all the daies of their liues in the broad way that leadeth to destruction , and neuer so much as once make inquirie for a resting place in heauen ; but when the houre of death commeth , then they call for the guide ; whereas all their liues before , they haue runne out of the way many thousand miles : but then , alas , it is too late , vnlesse it be the vnspeakable mercie of God. For they haue wandered so farre astray , that in so short a space they cannot be able to come into the right way againe . Yet generally this is the state of most among vs , whose securitie is so much the more grieuous and fearefull , because Christ hath done all that heart can wish . There is nothing else required , but onely that by his grace we should walke in the way . There was neuer any that knew the state of the people in these daies , but he will graunt , that this is most true which I say . Besides , as by this , we are brought to a sight of the desperate securitie of this age : so we may further learne our owne duties . Is Christ gone to heauen before hand to prepare a place for thee , then practise that which Paul teacheth : Haue thy a conuersation in heauen . The words which he vseth are verie significant , and the meaning of them is : Ye are free-denizens of the citie of God , and therefore as freemen in Gods house , let all your cares and studies , all your affaires and doings bee in heauen . In the world if a man make purchase of an house , his heart is alwaies there : there he pulls down and builds againe : there he makes him orchards & gardens : there he meanes to liue and die . Christ Iesus hath bought the kingdome of heauen for vs ( the most blessed purchasse that euer was ) and hath paid the dearest price for it that euer was paide , euen his own pretious blood : and in this citie he hath prepared for vs a dwelling place , and made vs free-denizens of it : therefore all our ioy , and all our affaires ought to be there . It will be said , howe shall a man vpon earth haue his conuersation in heauen . Ans. We must conuerse in heauen , not in bodie but in heart : and therfore , though our bodies be on earth , yet our hearts , ioy , and comfort , and all our meditation must be in heauen . Thus must wee behaue our selues , like good freemen in Gods house . It must be far from vs , to haue our ioy and our hearts set on the things of this world . Thirdly , the consideration of this ; that Christ Iesus hath prepared a place for vs in heauen , & also hath trained the way with his owne blood , must make euerie one of vs to striue to enter in at the straight gate , as our Sauiour Christ counselleth vs : and that as wrastlers doe , which striue for life and death . Within this gate is a dwelling place of happines readie for vs. If a man were assured that there were made for him a great purchasse in Spaine or Turkie , so as if he would but come thither , hee might inioy it ; would he not aduenture the daungers of the sea , and of his enemies also , if neede were , that he might come to his owne ? Wel , behold Christ Iesus hath made a purchase for vs in heauen , & there is nothing required of vs , but that we wil come & enioy it . Why then should men refuse any paines , or feare in the way ? nay we must striue to get in . It may be , we shall be pinched in the entrance , for the gate is both strait and lowe , and we must be faine to leaue our wealth behind vs , and the pleasures of this life ; & enter we must , though we should be constrained to leaue our flesh behinde vs. For the purchase that is made is worth tenne thousand worldes . And besides , if we loose it by fainting in the way , our purchase shall be the blacknesse of darkenes for euer with the deuill and all his angels : who therefore would not striue , though he lost his life in the gate ? The vrging of this point is needefull in these daies . There is striuing enough for worldly preferment , but a man almost may go alone in the straight way that leadeth to heauen , he shall haue none to beare him company . And where are they that striue to enter in ? where is the violence offered to the kingdome of heauen ? where bee the violent which should take it to themselues as in the daies of Iohn Baptist. Fourthly , if Christ haue prepared a place for vs in heauen , then we are in this world as pilgrimes and straungers , and therefore must learne the counsell of Saint Peter : As straungers and pilstrimes abstaine from fleshly lusts , which fight against the soule . He that doth esteeme himselfe as pilgrime , is not to intangle himselfe with the affaires of this worlde , nor put in practise the behauiour thereof , but to behaue himselfe as a freeman of heauen , as straungers vse to liue in forraine countries , according to the fashion of their owne . And therefore in thought , word , and deede , in life and conuersation , hee must so carrie himselfe , as thereby he may appeare to al the world of what countrie he is . An ancient diuine speaking of such as had curled and embrodered haire , biddeth them consider , whether they must goe to heauen with such haire or no : and wheras they adorned themselues with winckles made of other womens haire , he askes them whether it may not be the haire of a damned person or no. If it may be , he further demandeth howe it may beseeme them to weare it which professe themselues to be the sonnes and daughters of God. The like may be said of all other sinnes : they that be of Gods house must behaue themselues as freemen there . And when God hath made vs free , it doth not beseeme vs to make our selues bondmen of sinne and Satan and of this world . Fifthly , seeing Christ went to heauen to prepare a place for all that beleeue in him , here is a good dutie for parents . Many of them are very carefull to preferre their children to great places and noble mens houses , and they are not to be blamed therefore : but if they would indeede be good parents to their children , they should first endeauour themselues to get roomes for them in heauen : they that doe this , are good parents indeede . Some will say , howe shall we get this preferment for them ? Ans. God hath two houses , his Church , and the kingdome of heauen . The church is his house of grace , heauen is his house of glorie . Nowe if thou wouldst bring thy child to a place in the house of glorie , then thou art first of all to get him a place in the house of grace : bringing him vp so in the feare of God , that both in life and conuersation he may shew himselfe to be a member of the Church : and then assure thy selfe , that after this life , he shall be remooued to the second house of God , which is the house of glorie , and there be freeman for euer in the kingdome of heauen . And if thou shalt thus prouide for thy childe , thou shalt not leaue him as an orphan when thou diest , but he shall haue God for his father and Christ for his brother , and the holy Ghost his comforter . And therefore first of all and aboue all , remember to make thy child a member of Gods Church . Let the example of Dauid excite all parents hereunto : I had rather ( saith he ) be a dore keeper in the hou●e of God , then to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse . For a day in thy courts is better then a thousand ●lse where . Lastly , hence we may finde remed●e against the tediousnes of sicknes and feare of death . Thou which fearest death , remember that Christ is gone to heuen to prepare a place for thy bodie , where it must be glorified and liue for euer with the blessed Trinitie and all the Saints and angels , though for a while it lie dead and rot in the graue . Remember this also , thou which continuest in any lingring sicknesse , Christ Iesus hath prepared a place for thee , wherein thou shalt rest in ioy and blisse without all paine or faintnes . The fourth benefit is , that Christ ascended vp to heauen to send the comforter vnto his Church . This was a speciall ende of his ascension , as appeares by Christs owne wordes : It is ( saith he ) expedient that I goe away , for if I goe not ; the Comforter will not come , but if I depart I will sende him vnto you . And againe ; I will pray vnto the Father , and he shall giue you another comforter , which shall abide with you for euer , euen the spirit of trueth . But some wil say , howe can Christ send his spirit vnto his Church , for the person sending and the person sent are vnequall ; whereas all three persons in trinitie are equall , none greater or lesser then another , none inferiour or superiour to other . Ans. It is true indeede : but we must knowe , that the action of sending in the Trinitie makes not the persons vnequall , but onely shewes a distinction and order among equalls . The father sends the sonne , the father and the sonne both send the Holy Ghost : yet the father is not aboue the sonne , neither the father or the sonne aboue the holy Ghost , but all are equall in degree , though in regarde of order one is before another : and it standeth with reason . For two men that are equall in degree , may vpon mutuall consent one send another . But it may be further demanded , howe the holy Ghost can be sent which is euery where ? Ans. The Holy Ghost indeed is euery where , therefore he is sent not so much in regard of the presence of his essence or substance , as of his operation whereby he renueth & guideth the members of Christ. Nowe then , this beeing so , here first we haue occasion to consider the miserie of the world . When a man is troubled in his minde ( as no vngodly man , but sometime he feeleth the terrour of conscience for his sinnes ) then hee labours to remooue it by merie company and pleasant bookes , whereas Christ at his ascension sent his holy spirit to bee the comforter of his Church : and therefore when wee are troubled in conscience for our sinnes , we should not seeke ease by such slender meanes , but rather seeke for the helpe and comfort of the holy ghost , and labour to haue our sinnes washed away and our hearts purified and clensed by the bloode of Christ. As for wine and mirth and such like meanes of comfort , neither at the day of death , nor at the day of iudgement shall they stand vs in stead , or bee able to comfort vs. Againe , when crosses and calamities fall , the counsell of the minister is not sought for , but the helpe of such as are called cunning men and cunning women is , that is , of charmers , inchanters , and figure-casters : a badde practise . Christ at his ascension sent his holy spirit vnto his Church and people , to be their guide and comforter in their calamities and miseries : and therfore when any man is in distresse , he should haue recourse to the right meanes of comfort , namly the word and Sacraments , and there he should find the assistance of the holy Ghost . Thus the prophet Isai informeth the Iewes : when they shall say vnto you : inquire at them which haue a spirit of diuination , and at the southsayers which whisper and murmure : Should not a people inquire at their God from the liuing to the dead ? to the lawe and to the testimonie . Rebecca , when the two twinnes stroue in her wombe , what did shee ? the text saith , shee sent to aske the Lord. Yet commonly the men of these daies leaue God & seeke to the instruments of the deuill . To goe yet further , god vseth for sundrie causes most of all to afflict his dearest children . Iudgement , saith Peter , beginnes at Gods house . S. Luke saith , that a certaine woman was bound of Satan eighteene yeeres , but what was shee ? a daughter of Abraham , that is , a child of God. When the like condition shall befall any of vs , let vs remember the ende why Christ ascended vp to heauen : and pray vnto God that he will giue vs his spirit , that thereby we may be eased and deliuered , or else inabled to perseuere & continue in patience : and this is the true way and meanes to lighten & ease the burden of all afflictions . And for this cause Paul praieth that the Colossians might be strengthened with all might , through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse . For to whomesoeuer God giueth grace to beleeue , to them also he giues power to suffer affliction by the inward worke of his spirit . Secondly , if Christ haue sent vnto his church the holy spirit to be our comforter , our dutie is , to prepare our bodies and soules to bee fitte temples and houses for so worthie a guest . If a man were certified that a prince would come to his house , he would dresse it vp and haue all things in as good order as might bee : and shall not wee much more endeauour to purifie and clense our soules and bodies from all sinne , that they may be fitte temples for the entertainment of the Holy Ghost whome Christ Iesus hath sent to be our comforter . The Shunamite was carefull to entertaine the man of God Elisha , for shee said to her husband , Let vs make him a little chamber , I pray thee , with walls , and let vs set him there a bed and a stoole , a table and a candlesticke . Nowe howe much more carefull ought we to be to entertaine God himselfe , who is content to come and dwell with vs : and therefore we must adorne our bodies and soules with grace , that he may lodge , and suppe , and dine with vs , as hee hath promised ; but on the contrarie , if wee defile our bodies with sinne , wee banish the Holy Ghost out of our hearts , and inuite the deuill to come and dwell with vs. For the more a man defileth his bodie , the fitter and cleaner it is for him . And to cōclude this point , let vs remēber that saying , which is vsed of some , that Christ when he went hence gaue vs his pawne , namely his spirit , to assure vs , that he would come to vs againe , and also hee tooke with him our pawne , namely his flesh , to assure vs further , that we should ascend vp to him . Thus much for the benefits of Christs ascension : Nowe followe the duties whereunto we are mooued , and they are two . First , we must be here admonished , to renounce the vbiquitie and the errour of the reall and essentiall presence of the bodie of Christ in the Sacrament of the Lords supper ; as flatly oppugning this article of Christs ascensiō into heauen . For it is flat against the nature of a true bodie to subsist in many places at once . Secondly , as the Apostles then did , when they sawe Christ ascending vp into heauen , so must wee doe also : while hee was present with them , they gaue him honour , but when they saw him ascending , they adored him with farre greater reuerence : and so must we now for the same cause bowe the knees of our hearts vnto him . Thus much of the second degree of the exaltation of Christ. Now followes the third in these words : And sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie . In the handling whereof , we are first to shewe the meaning of the wordes : secondly the comforts and benefits that redound to Gods Church : thirdly , the duties that we are mooued vnto . For the meaning of the words : if we speak properly , God hath neither right hand nor left , neither can he be said to sit or stand ; for God is not a bodie but a spirit : the words therefore containe a borrowed speech from earthly kings and potentates , whose manner and custome hath beene to place such persons at their right handes , whome they purposed to aduance to any speciall office or dignitie . So , King Salomon when his mother came to speake with him , rose vp from his throne , and met het , & caused a seate to be set at his owne right hand , and set her vpon it , in token , no doubt , of honour which he gaue vnto her . To the same purpose Dauid saith , Vpon thy right hand did stand the Queene in a vesture of gold . And the sonnes of Zebedeus made suit to Christ , that one of them might sit at his right hand , and the other at his left in his kingdome . Now their request was to haue the two speciall and principall dignities of his kingdome . Thus we see it is manifest , that the sitting at the right hand of an earthly prince signifieth aduancement into authoritie and honour : and therfore the same phrase of speech applied to Christ signifieth two things . First , his full and manifest exaltation in dignitie , honour , and glorie : and in this sense it is saide , that to him is giuen a name that is aboue all names , that at the name of Iesus euery knee shall bowe . Secondly it signifieth his full and manifest exaltation into the authoritie and gouernment of his kingdome , which spreadeth it selfe ouer heauen and earth : So Dauid saith , The Lord said vnto my Lord , Sit thou at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy footstoole . Which place beeing alleadged by S. Paul repeating the words but changing the phrase , is thus set downe : He shall raigne till he haue put all his enemies vnder his feete . And to speake in briefe , the scope of the wordes is to shewe , that Christ God and man after his ascension is aduanced to such an estate in which he hath fulnesse of glorie , power , maiestie , and authoritie in the presence of his father and all the Saints and holy angels . Furthermore in the words three circumstances must be obserued . The first is the place where Christ is thus aduanced , noted in the former article , he ascended into heauen , and sits ( namely in heauen ) at the right hand of God. The place then where Christ Iesus in both his natures , as he is God and also man , doth rule in full glorie , power , and maiestie ; is heauen it selfe . To which effect Paul saith , God raised Christ from the dead , and put him at his right hand in the heauenly places . And in the Epistle to the Hebrewes it is saide , He sitteth at the right hand of the maiestie in highest places . This ●oint well considered , serues to discouer the ouersight of sundrie Diuines , which hold and teach , that to sit at the right hand of God , is to be euery where in all places , and not in heauen onely , that they might hereby lay a foundation for the vbiquitie of Christs manhood : which neuerthelesse the heauens must containe till the time that all things be restored . The second circumstance , is the time when Christ began to sit at the right hand of God the father , which is to be gathered by the order of the articles . For first Christ died and was buried , then he rose againe and ascended into heauen , and after his ascension he is said to sit at the right hand of his father . This order is also noted vnto vs by S. Paul : Who shall condemne ( saith he ) it is Christ which is dead , yea or rather which is risen againe , who is also at the right hand of God. And S. Marke saith , when Christ was risen againe he appeared to his disciples , and after he had spoken vnto them he was receiued into heauen , and sate at the right hand of God. But it may be demanded how this can stand with truth , that Christ should not begin to sit at the right hand of his father before the ascension , considering he is one God with the father , and therfore an absolute and soueraigne King from all eternitie . Answ. As Christ is God or the Word of the father , he is coequall and coeternall with him in the regiment of his kingdome : and hath neither beginning , middle , or ending thereof ; yet as Christ is God incarnate , and in one person God-man or Man-god , he began after his ascention and not before , to sit at the right hand of his father : & as S. Peter saith , was made Lord ; partly because as he was God , he did then manifest himselfe to be that which indeede he was before , namely God and Lord of heauen and earth : and partly , because as he was man , he receiued dominion or Lordship from the father , which he had not before ; & thereby was euen in his manhood exalted to be king of heauen and earth : and in this sense Christ saith of himselfe , All power is giuen to me in heauen and earth . The third circumstance is concerning the person , at whose right hand Christ sits , noted in the words of the article of God the father Almightie ; whereby is signified , that he receiues all the honour , power , & glorie of his kingdome from his father : as he , that is set at the right hand of a prince , receiues the honour & authoritie which he hath , from the prince . Nowe if it be alleadged , that by this meanes Christ shall be inferiour to his father , because he which receiueth honour of another is inferiour to him of whome he receiueth it : the answer is , that in Christ we must consider his person and his office : in respect of his person as he is the eternall sonne of God he is equall to the father , and is not here said to sit at his right hand : yet in respect of the o●fice which he beares , namely as he is mediatour , and as he is man , he is inferiour to the father , and receiues his kingdome from him . As he is God , he is our king and head , and hath no head more then the father : as he is mediatour , he is also our head , yet so as hee is vnder the father as beeing his head . And we must not thinke it strange that one and the same thing should bee both equall and inferiour to another , diuers respects considered . Nowe in that Christs placing at the right hand of his father argues inferioritie betweene the father & him , hence we learne that they are deceiued which from this article gather , that in the glorification of Christ there is a transfusion of the proprieties of the godhead , as omnipotencie , omniscience , omnipresence , &c. into his manhood . For this is to abolish all inferioritie and to make an equalitie betweene the creature and the creatour . And whereas againe the word Almightie is repeated , it is done vpon special reason : because Christs sitting at the right hand of God doth presuppose omnipotencie . For in vaine were all power in heauen and earth giuen to him , vnlesse he were omnipotent as the father to execute the same . And therefore the song of the Elders was on this manner , Worthie is the Lamb that was killed to receiue power and riches , and wisdome , and strength , and honour , and glory , and praise . The benefits which redound vnto vs by Christs sitting at the right hand of God are two , one concernes his priesthood , the other his kingly office . The benefit rising from his priesthood is his Intercession for vs : for this is one of the endes why Christ is now exalted in glorie , and sits at the right hand of his father ; namely to make request in the behalfe of all that come vnto him , as Paul saith , Christ is risen againe , and sitteth at the right hand of God , and maketh request for vs. Nowe that we may rightly vnderstand what his intercession is , wee are to consider these points . First to whome it is made : secondly , in what manner : thirdly , whether it be made by Christ alone or no : fourthly , what be the fruits and benefits thereof : fiftly , the duties whereunto wee are mooued thereby . For the first , Intercession is , to make suite , request , or intreaty in some ones behalfe to another : and this is done by Christ for vs vnto God , as Paul saith , there is one God , and one mediatour betweene God and man , which is the man Christ Iesus . Here at the verie first ariseth a difficultie : for in euery intercession there be three parties : the person offended ; the person offending ; the intercessour , distinct from them both . Now if Christ the sonne of God , make intercession to God for man , then hee maketh intercession to himselfe , because he is true God , which cannot be : howe then shall Christ be mediatour ? Ans. This point hath so troubled the Church of Rome , that for the resoluing of it , they haue deuised an errour , auouching that Christ is mediatour onely as he is man , not as he is God , which is vntrue . For as both natures doe concurre in the worke of satisfaction , so likewise they doe both concurre in the worke of intercession : and therefore a more meete and conuenient answere is this : Christ Iesus God-man in both natures , is directly our mediatour to the first person the father , as S. Iohn saith , If any man sinne , we haue an aduocate with the father , Iesus Christ the iust . And thus we haue three persons in the worke of intercession really distinguished . The partie offended is God the Father ; the partie offending is man : & thirdly the intercessour distinct frō them both is Christ the secōd person in Trinitie . For howsoeuer in Godhead he & the Father be one , yet in person they are really distinguished , and hee is as it were in the middle betweene the father and vs : for the father is God and not man : wee that beleeue in Christ are men not God : Christ himselfe both man and God. It may be further replyed that this answere will not stand , because not onely the father is offended , but also the sonne and the holy Ghost : and therefore there must be a mediatour to them also . Answer . The intercession of Christ is directed to the father the first person immediately : nowe the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost haue all one indiuisible essence , and by consequent one and the same will : whereupon the father beeing appeased by Christs intercession , the Sonne and the Holy Ghost are also appeased with him and in him . Thus then intercession is made to the whole trinitie , but yet immediately and directly to the first person and in him to the rest . The second point to be considered , is the maner of his intercession vnto his father . We must not imagine , that Christ nowe in heauen kneeles downe on his knees , and vtters wordes , and puts vp a supplication for all the faithfull to God the father ; for that is not beseeming the maiestie of him that sits at the right hand of God. But the manner of his intercession is thus to be conceiued . When one is to speake to an earthly prince in the behalfe of another ; first of al he must come into the presence of the king , and secondly make his request : and both these , Christ performeth for vs vnto God. For the first , after his ascension he entred into heauen , where he did present vnto his father , first of all his owne person in two natures , and secondly the inualuable merits of his death and passion , in which he was well pleased . And we must further vnderstand , that as on the crosse he stood in our roome , so in heauē he now appears as a publike person in our stead , representing all the elect that shal beleeue in him , as the holy Ghost saith , Christ Iesus ascended vp into heauen to appeare in the sight of God for vs. And for the second , Christ makes request for vs ; in that he willeth according to both his natures , and desireth as he is man , that the father would accept his satisfaction in the behalfe of al that are giuen vnto him . And that he makes request on this manner I prooue it thus . Looke what was his request in our behalfe when he was here vpon earth , the same for substance it continues still in heauen : but here on earth the substance of his request was that he willed and desired that his father would be well pleased with vs for his merits , as appeares by his praier in S. Iohn , Father , I will that those which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am , that they may beholde my glorie which thou hast giuen me : for thou louedst me before the foūdatiō of the world . Therefore he still continues to make request for vs by willing and desiring that his father would accept his merits in our behalfe . If it be alleadged that Christ in this solemne praier vsed speech and prostration of his bodie , the answer is , that these actions were no essentiall parts of his praier . The prostrating of his bodie serued onely as a token of submission to God , as Christ was a creature : and the speech which he vsed , serued onely to vtter and expresse his request . Furthermore , a difference here must be marked between Christs passion and his intercession . The passion serues for the working and causing of a satisfaction to Gods iustice for vs ; and it is , as it were , the tempering of the plaister : the intercession goes further : for it applies the satisfaction made , and laies the salue to the very sore . And therefore Christ makes request not onely for the elect generally , but for particular men , as Paul , Iames , Iohn , and that particularly , as he testifieth of himselfe , saying , I haue praied for thee Peter , that thy faith faile not . If any shall say , that Christs willing and desiring of a thing can not be a request or intercession , the answer is , that in vertue and efficacie it cou●teruailes all the praiers in the word . For whatsoeuer Christ willeth , the same also the father beeing well pleased with him , willeth ; and therefore whatsoeuer Christ as a mediatour willeth for vs at the handes of his father , in effect or substance is a request or praier . The third point is , that Christ alone and none with him makes intercession for vs. And this I prooue by induction of particulars . First of al this office appertaines not to the angels : They are indeede ministring spirits for the good of Gods chosen : they reioice when a sinner is conuerted ; and when he dieth , they are readie to carrie his soule into Abrahams bosome : and God otherwhiles vseth them as messengers to reueale his will : thus the Angel Gabriel brings a message to Zacharie the priest , that God had heard his praier : but it is not once said in all the scriptures , that they make intercession to God for vs. As for the Saints departed , they can not make intercession for vs , because they know not our particular estates here on earth , neither can they heare our requests . And therefore if we should pray to them to pray for vs , wee should substitute them into the roome of God , because we ascribe that to them which is proper to him , namely , the searching of the heart , and the knowledge of all things done vpon earth ; though withall we should say , that they doe this not by themselues but of God. As for the faithful here on earth indeed they haue warrant yea commandement to pray one for another : yet can they not make intercession for vs. For first , he that makes interc●ssion must bring something of his owne that may be of value and price with God to procure the graunt of his request : secondly , he must doe it in his owne name : but the faithfull on earth make request to God one for another not in their owne names , nor for their owne merits , but in the name and for the merits of Christ. It is a prerogatiue belonging to Christ alone to make a request in his own name , and for his owne merits , wee therefore conclude that the worke of intercession is the sole worke of Christ God and man not belonging to any creature beside in heauen or in earth . And whereas the Papists can not content themselues with his intercession alone , as beeing most sufficient : it argues plainely , that they doubt either of his power or of his will : whereupon their praiers turne to sinne . The fruits and benefits of Christs intercession are these . First by meanes of it wee are assured , that those which are repentant sinners shall stand and appeare righteous before God for euer : at what time soeuer Christ , beeing now in heauen , and there presenting himselfe and his merits before his father , shewes himselfe desirous and willing , and they whosoeuer they are being sinners , should be accepted of God for the same , euen then immediately at that very instant this his wil is done , and they are accepted as righteous before god indeede . When a man lookes vpon things directly through the aire , they appeare in their proper formes and colours as they are : but if they bee looked vpon through a greene glasse , they all appeare greene : so likewise if God behold vs as we are in our selues , we appeare as vile and damnable sinners : but if he looke vpon vs as we are presented before his throne in heauen , in the person of our Mediatour Christ Iesus , willing that we should be approoued for his merits : then we appeare without all spot and wrinkle before him . And this is the vse Paul makes hereof : It is God ( saith he ) that iustifieth : and the reason is rendred : For it is Christ that is dead , yea or rather which is risen againe , who is also at the right hand of God , and makes request for vs. Secondly Christs intercession serues to preserue al repentant sinners in the estate of grace : that being once iustified and sanctified , they may so continue to the ende . For when any seruant of God is ouertaken by the corruption of his owne nature , and falls into any particular sinne , then Christs intercession is made as a blessed hand to apply the salue of his death to that particular sore . For he continually appeares before God , and shewes himselfe to be willing that God the father should accept his one only sacrifice for the daily and particular sinnes of this or that particular man : and this is done , that a man beeing iustified before God may not fall away quite from grace , but for euery particular sinne may be humbled and receiue pardon . If this were not so , our estate should be most miserable , considering that for euery sinne committed by vs after our repentance , we deserue to be cast out of the fauour of God. Thirdly Christs intercession serueth to make our good works acceptable to God. For euen in the best workes that a man can doe , there are two wants . First they are good onely in part : secondly they are mingled with sinne . For as a man is partly spirit or grace and partly flesh : so are his works partly gratious and partly fleshly . And because grace is onely begun in this life , therefore all the workes of grace in this life are sinfull and imperfit . Now by Christs intercession his satisfaction is applied to our persons , and by consequent the defect of our workes is couered and remooued , and they are approued of God the father . In a vision Saint Iohn saw an angel , standing before the altar with a golden censer full of sweete odours to offer vp with the praiers of the Saints vpon the same . And this signifies , that Christ presents our workes before the throne of God , and by his intercession sanctifies them , that they may be acceptable to God. And therefore we must remember that when we doe any thing that is accepted of God , it is not for our sakes , but by reason of the value and vigour of Christ his merit . Fourthly the intercession of Christ made in heauen , breedeth and causeth in the hearts of men vpon earth that beleeue another intercession of the spirit , as Paul saith , He giueth vs his spirit , which helpeth our infirmities and maketh request for vs with sighes which can not be expressed , but he which searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit , for he maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God. Now the spirit is said to make request , in that it stirres and mooues euery contrite heart to pray with sighes and grones vnspeakable to God for things needfull : and this grace is a fruit deriued from the intercession of Christ in heauen by the operation of the spirit . For as the Sunne though the bodie of it abide in the heauens , yet the beames of it descend to vs that are on earth . So the intercession of Christ made in heauen is tied as it were to his person alone , yet the grones and desires of the touched heart , as the beames thereof are here on earth among the faithfull . And therefore if we desire to know whether Christ make intercession for vs or no , we neede not to ascend vp into the heauens to learne the truth : but we must descend into our owne hearts and looke whether Christ haue giuen vs his spirit , which makes vs crie vnto God & make request to him with grones & sighes that can not be expressed : and if we finde this in our hearts , it is an euident and infallible signe that Christ continually makes intercession for vs in heauen . He that would know whether the Sunne shine in the firmament , must not clime vp into the cloudes to looke , but search for the beames thereof vpon the earth : which when he sees , he may conclude , that the sunne shines in the firmament . And if we would know whether Christ in heauen makes intercession for vs , let vs ransacke our owne consciences , and there make search whether we feele the spirit of Christ crying in vs , Abba , Father . As for those that neuer feele this worke of Gods spirit in them , their case is miserable , whatsoeuer they be . For Christ as yet makes no intercession for them , considering these two alwaies go togither ; his intercession in heauen , and the worke of his spirit in the hearts of men , moouing them to bewaile their owne sinnes with sighes and grones that cannot be expressed , and to crie and to pray vnto God for grace : and therfore all such , whether they be yong or old , that neuer could pray but mumble vp a few words for fashions sake , can not assure themselues to haue any part in Christs intercession in heauen . The duties to be learned hence are these . First , whereas Christ makes intercession for vs , it teacheth all men to be most carefull to loue and like this blessed Mediatour , and to be readie and willing to become his seruants and disciples , and that not for forme and fashion sake onely , but in all truth and sinceritie of heart . For he ascended to heauen , and there sits at the right hand of his father to make request for vs , that we might be deliuered from hell and come to eternall life . Wicked Haman procured letters from king Ahashuerosh , for the destruction of all the Iewes , men , women , and children in his dominions : this done , Hester the Queene makes request to the king that her people might be saued , and the letters of Haman reuoked ; shee obtaines her request and freedome was giuen , and contrarie letters of ioyfull deliuerance were sent in post hast to all prouinces where the Iewes were . Whereupon arose a wonderfull ioy and gladnes among the Iewes , and it is saide , that thereupon many of the people of the land became Iewes . Well now , behold a greater matter among vs then this : for there is the hand-writing of condemnation , the law ; and therein the sentence of a double death , of bodie and soule , and Satan as wicked Haman accuseth vs , and seekes by all meanes our condemnation : but yet behold not any earthly Hester , but Christ Iesus the sonne of God is come downe from heauen , and hath taken away this hand-writing of condemnation , and cancelled it vpon the crosse , and is now ascended into heauen , and there sits at the right hand of his father , and makes request for vs : and in him his father is well pleased , and yeeldeth to his request in our behalfe . Now then what must we doe in this case ? Surely , looke as the Persians became Iewes when they heard of their safetie , so we in life and conuersation must become Christians , turne to Christ , imbrace his doctrine , and practise the same vnfainedly . And we must not content our selues with a formall profession of religion , but search our owne hearts , and flie vnto Christ for the pardon of our sinnes , and that earnestly as for life and death as the thiefe doth at the barre , when the iudge is giuing sentence against him . When we shall thus humble our selues , then Christ Iesus that sit at the right hand of God will plead our cause , and be our atturney vnto his father , and his father againe will accept of his request in our behalfe . Then shall we of Persians become Iewes , and of the children of this world become the sonnes of God. Secondly , when we pray to God , we must not doe as the blinde man doth , as it were , rush vpon God in praying to him without consideration had to the Mediatonr between vs and him , but we alwaies must direct our prayers to God in the name of Christ , for he is aduanced to power and glorie in heauen , that he might be a fit patrone for vs who might preferre and present our praiers to God the father , that thereby they might be accepted and we might obtaine our request . So likewise we must giue thanks to God in the name of Christ : for in him and for his sake God doth bestow on vs his blessings . Thus much of Christs intercession : the other benefit which concernes Christ kingly office is , that he sits at the right hand of his father for the administration of that speciall kingdome which is committed to him . I say speciall , because he is our king not onely by the right creation gouerning all things created togither with the father and the holy Ghost , but also more specially by the right of redemption in respect of another kingdome , not of this world , but eternall and spirituall respecting the very conscience of man. In the administration whereof he hath absolute power to commaund and forbidde , to condemne and absolue , and therefore hath the keyes of heauen and hell to open and shut ; which power no creature beside no not the angels in heauen , can haue . For the better vnderstanding of this which I say , we are to consider , first the dealing of Christ toward his owne Church ; secondly his dealing in respect of his enemies . And his dealing toward his owne Church stands in foure things . The first is the collecting or gathering of it : and this is a speciall end of his sitting at the right hand of his father . Christ said to his disciples , I haue chosen you out of this world : and the same may truly be saide of all the Elect , that Christ in his good time will gather them all to himselfe that they may be a peculiar people to God. And this action of his in collecting the Church , is nothing els but a translation of those whome he hath ordained to life euerlasting out of the kingdome of darknes , in which they haue serued sinne & Satan , into his own kingdom of grace , that they may be ruled & guided by him eternally . And this he doth two waies : first by the preaching of the word , for it is a powerfull outward meanes , whereby he singleth and forteth his owne seruants from the blind and wicked world , as Paul saith , He gaue some to be Apostles , and some Prophets , and some Euangelists , and some pastours and teachers , for the gath●ring togither of Saints . And hence we learne two things . The first , that euery minister of Gods word , and euery one that intendeth to take vpon him that calling , must propound vnto himselfe principally this end , to single out man from man , and gather out of this world such as belong to the Church of Christ : and as Ieremie saith , to separate the pretious from the vile . The second , that all those which will be good hearers of Gods word , must shew themselues so farre forth conformable vnto it , that it may gather them out of the world , and that it may worke a change in them , and make them the seruants of Christ : and if the preaching of the word doe not worke this good worke in our hearts , then the ende will be a separation from the presence of God. Christ when he came neere Ierusalem , and considered their rebellion whereby they refused to be gathered vnto him , wept ouer it , and saide , O Ierusalem , Ierusalem , thou which stonest the Prophets , and killest them that are sent vnto thee , How often would I haue gathered thy children togither , as the henne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings , and thou wouldest not . And by this he teacheth , that if the preaching of the word turne not vs to Christ , it turnes to our destruction . The other meanes of gathering the Church , and that the more principall is , the inward operation of the spirit , whereby the minde is inlightened , the heart is mollified , and the whole man is conuerted to God. And this ordinarily is ioyned with the ministerie or preaching of the word , as appeares by the example of Lydia . Saint Luke saith , God opened her heart to be attentiue to the doctrine of the Apostle . And by the example of Paul , when Christ saith , Saul , Saul , why persecutest thou me ? at this very speech he is conuerted , and saide , Who art thou , Lord : what wilt thou that I doe ? And this is manifest also by experience . There is nothing in the world more contrarie to the nature of man , then the preaching of the word : for it is the wisdome of God , to which the flesh is enimitie . Here then it may be demanded , how it can be in force to turne any man to God. Ans. The word preached is the scepter of Christs kingdome , which against the nature of man by the operation of the holy Ghost ioyned therewith , doth bend and bow the heart , will , and affections of man to the will of Christ. The second worke of Christ is , after the Church is gathered , to guide it in the way to life euerlasting . He is the shepheard of his Church , which guideth his flocke in and out , and therefore Paul saith , They that are Christs , are guided by his spirit . And by Esai the Lord saith , those his seruants which are turned from idolatrie , he will guide in the way , and their eares shall heare a voice behinde them , saying , This is the way , walke in it , when thou turnest to the right hand and to the left . Which voice is nothing els but the voice of the holy Ghost in the mouth of the ministers , directing them in the waies of God. The children of Israel were trauelling from Egypt to the land of Canaan full fourtie yeares , whereas they might haue gone the iourney in fourtie daies . Their way was through the wildernes of Arabia , their guides were a pillar of cloud by day , and a pillar of fire by night : the manner of their iourney was this : when the pillars mooued , they mooued ; when the pillars stood still , they stood still : and so long as the pillars either mooued or stoode still , they likewise mooued or stood still . And by all this a further matter , namely the regiment of Christ ouer his Church , was signified . Euery one of vs are as passengers & trauailers , not to any earthly Canaan , but to the heauenly Ierusalem : and in this iourney we are to passe through the wild and desert wildernes of this world : our guide is Christ himselfe , figured by the pillar of fire and the cloud : because by his word and spirit he sheweth vs how farre we may goe in euery action , and where we must stand , and he goes before vs as our guide to life euerlasting . The third worke of Christ is , to exercise his Church vnto spirituall obedience by manifold troubles , crosses , temptations , and afflictions in this world , as earthly kings vse to traine and exercise their subiects . When our Sauiour Christ was with his disciples in a shippe , there arose a great tempest vpon the sea , so as the shippe was almost couered with waues ; but he was asleepe ; and his disciples came & awoke him , saying , Saue vs master , we perish . Behold here a liuely picture of the dealing of Christ with his seruants in this life . His manner is to place them vpon the sea of this world , and to raise vp against the● bleake stormes and flaes of contrarie windes by their enemies , the flesh , the deuill , the world . And further in the middest of all these dangers he for his owne part maketh as though he lay asleepe for a time , that he may the better make triall of their patience , faith , and obedience . And the endes for which he vseth this spirituall exercise are these . The first to make all his subiects to humble themselues , and as it were to goe crooked and buckle vnder their offences committed against his maiestie in times past . Thus Iob after the Lord had long afflicted him , and laid his hand sore vpon him , saith , Behold I am vile : and againe , I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes . In the same manner we being his subiects and people , must looke to be exercised with temptations and afflictions which shall make vs bend and bow for our sinnes past , as the olde man goeth crooked and doubles to the earth by reason of age . The second , is to preuent sinnes in the time to come . A father when he sees his child too bold and venterous about fire and water ; takes it and holds it ouer the fire or ouer the water , as though he would burne or drowne it , whereas his purpose indeede is nothing els but to preuent daunger in time to come . In like manner Christs subiects are bolde to sinne by nature , and therefore to preuent a mischiefe chiefe he doth exercise them with affliction , and seemes for a season as though he would quite forsake his Church , but his meaning is onely to preuent offences in times to come . The third ende is , to continue his subiects in obedience vnto his commandements : so the Lord saith , when he would bring his Church from idolatrie : Behold , I will stop thy way with thornes , & make an hedge , that shee shall not find her pathes . The holy Ghost here borrowes a comparison from beasts , which going in the way , see greene pastures , & desire to enter in , & therefore goe to the hedge , but feeling the sharpnes of the thornes dare not aduenture to go in . So Gods people like vnto wild beasts in respect of sinne , viewing the greene pastures of this world , which are the pleasures thereof , are greatly affected therewith : & if it were not for sharpnes of crosses & temptations , which are Gods spirituall hedge by which he keepeth thē in , they would range out of the way , and rush into sinne , as the horse into the battell . The fourth and last worke of Christ in respect of his Church is , that he sits at the right hand of his father to defend the same against the rage of all enemies whatsoeuer they are : and this he doth two waies . First by giuing to his seruants sufficient strength to beare all the assaults of their enemies , the world , the flesh , and the deuill . For Paul saith , those to whome the Lord hath giuen the gift of faith , to them also he hath giuen this gift to suffer afflictions . And the same Apostle also praieth for the Colossians , that they may be strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse . The euidence hereof we may most plainely see in the most constant deaths of the Martyrs of Christ , recorded both in the word of God , and in the Church histories . It is wonderfull to see their courage and constancie . For at such times as they haue beene brought to execution , they refused to be bound or chained , willingly suffering most cruel torments , without shrinking or feare ; such courage and strength the Lord gaue them to withstand the violent rage of all their aduersaries . Secondly , he defends his Church by limiting the power and rage of all enemies . And hence it is , that although the power of the Church of God on earth be weake and slender in it selfe , and contrariwise the power of the deuill exceeding great , yet can he not so much as touch the people of God. And he more preuailes by inward suggestions and temptations , then by outward violence . And if it were not that the power of Christ doth bridle his rage , there could be no aboad for the Church of Christ in this world . Thus we haue seene what are the workes of Christ in gouerning his church : and we for our parts that professe our selues to be members thereof , must shew our selues to be so indeed , by an experience of these works of his in our owne hearts . And we must suffer him to gather vs vnder his owne wing , and to guide vs by his word and spirit , and we are to acquaint our selues with those spirituall exercises , whereby his good pleasure is to nurture vs to all obedience . Lastly , we must depend on his ayde and protection in all estates . And seeing we in this land , haue had peace and rest with the Gospell of Christ among vs a long time , by Gods especiall goodnesse , we must now after these daies of peace looke for daies of tribulation : we must not imagine that our ease and libertie will continue alwaies . For looke as the day and night doe one follow another ; so likewise in the administration of the church here vpon earth , Christ suffereth a continuall intercourse betweene peace and persecution . Thus he hath done from the beginning hitherto , and we may resolue our selues that so it will continue till the end : and therefore it shall be good for vs in these daies of our peace , to prepare our selues for troubles and afflictions : and when troubles come ; we must still remember the fourth worke of Christ in the gouernment of his church , namely that in all daungers he will defend vs against the rage of our enemies , as well by giuing vs power and strength to beare with patience and ioy whatsoeuer shall be laid vpon vs , as also bridle the rage of the world , the flesh , and the deuill , so as they shall not be able to exercise their power and malice to the full against vs. Thus much of the dealing of Christ toward his owne Church and people . Now followeth the second point , namely his dealing toward his enemies ; and here by enemies I vnderstand all creatures , but especially men , which , as they are by nature enemies to Christ and his kingdome , so they perseuere in the same enimitie vnto the end . Now his dealing towards them is , in his good time to worke their confusion , as he himselfe saith , Those mine enemies that would not that I should raigne ouer them , bring them hither and slay them before me . And Dauid saith , The Lord will bruise his enemies with a rodde of iron , and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell . And againe , I will make thine enemies thy footes●oole , As Iosuah dealt with the fiue Kings that were hidde in the caue ; he first makes a slaughter of their armies ; then he brings them forth and makes the people to set their feete on their necks , and to hang them on fiue trees . So Christ deales with his enemies : he treads them vnder his feete , and maketh a slaughter not so much of their bodies as of their soules . And this the Church of God finds to be true by experience , as well as it finds the loue of Christ towards it selfe . Now he confounds his enemies two waies . The first is by hardnesse of heart , which ariseth when God withdraweth his grace from man , and leaueth him to himselfe , so as he goeth on forward from sinne to sinne , and neuer repenteth to the last gaspe . And we must esteeme of it as a most fearefull and terrible iudgement of God : for when the heart is possessed therewith , it becomes so flintie and rebellious , that a man will neuer rel●nt or turne to god . This is manifest in Pharao , for though God sent most grieuous plagues both vpon him and all the land of Egypt , yet would he not submit himselfe , saue onely for a fit , while the hand of God was vpon him : for after , he returned to the former obstinacie in which he continued till he was drowned in the sea . And this iudgement of God is the more fearefull ; because when a man is in the midst of all his miserie , he feeles no miserie . And as in some kinde of sicknes a man may die languishing ; so where hardnes of heart raignes wholly & finally , a man may descend to the pit of hell triumphing & re●oycing . And to come neere to our selues , it is to be feared least this iudgement of all iudgements be among vs in these our daies . For where is any ●u●ning to God by repentance . Still men goe forward in sinne without remorse . We haue had the word preached among vs a long time , but it taketh no place in mens hearts . They are not softned with the hammer of Gods word : nay they are like the smiths stithy or anuil , which the more it is beat with the hānmar , the harder it is . But in the feare of God , let vs seeke to be changed , and take heede : the deceitfulnes of sinne is wonderfull . Let vs not be caried away with an ouerweening of our selues ; a man may haue good gifts of God , as the gift of knowledge , the gift of prophecie , the gift of conceiuing a prayer ( I say not of praying truly : ) and hereupon thinke himselfe in good case ; and yet for all this haue nothing but an impenitent and flintie heart . For this cause it standeth euery man vpon to looke vnto it , least this iudgement of God take hold on him . And that we may auoid the same , we must labour for two things : I. to feele the heauy burden of our sinnes , and be touched in conscience for them , euen as we are troubled in our bodies with the aches and paines thereof : this is a token of grace . II. We must labour to feele in our owne soules the want of Christ : we say indeede that we feele it , but it is a very great matter to haue an heart that doth open it selfe , and as it were gape after Christ , as the drie and thirstie land where no water is . Though we haue knowledge and learning neuer so much , and many other gifts of God , yet if we haue not broken hearts that feele the burden of our sinnes , and the want of Christ , and that we stand in neede of euery droppe of his bloode for the washing away of all these our sinnes , our case is miserable . And the rather we must preuent this hardnesse of heart , because Christ Iesus in heauen sits at the right hand of his father in full power and authoritie , to kill and confound all those that be his enemies , and will not submit themselues to beare his yoke . The second way is , by finall desperation ; I say , finall , because all kind of desperation is not euill . For when a man despaireth of himselfe and of his owne power in the matter of his saluation , it tends to his eternall comfort . But finall desperation is , when a man vtterly despaires of the pardon of his owne sinnes and of life euerlasting . Examples hereof we haue in Saul that slue himselfe , and in Achitophel and Iudas , that hanged themselues . This sinne is caused thus : So many sinnes as a man committeth without repentance , so many most bloodie wounds he giueth vnto his owne soule : and either in death or life God makes him feele the smart , and the huge waight of them all : whereby the soule sinkes downe into the gulfe of despaire without recouerie . God said to Cain , If thou doe amisse , sinne lyeth at ●hy doore . Where he vseth a borrowed speech from wild beasts , who so long as they are sleeping stirre not ; but beeing awaked , they flie in a mans face , and rend out his throat . In like maner the sinnes which thou committest , lie at the doore of thine heart , though thou feele them not : and if thou doe not preuent the danger by speedy repentance , God will make thee to feele them once before thou die , and raise vp such terrours in thy conscience , that thou shalt thinke thy selfe to be in hell before thou art in hell : and therefore it is good for euery man to take heede how he continues an enemie to Christ. The best course is to turne betime from our ●innes , and become the friends of Christ , that so we may escape these fearefull iudgements . And whereas Christ in this manner gouernes all things in heauen & earth , we are bound to performe vnto him three duties , reuerence , obedience , thankfulnes . For the first , Paul saith , God hath exalted him and giuen him a name aboue all names , that at the name of Iesus ( which name , is his exaltation in heauen in full power and glorie ) should euery knee bowe . We dare not so much as speake of an earthly king vnreuerently , what reuerence then do we owe vnto Christ the king of heauen and earth ? Dauids heart was touched in that he had cut off but the lap of Sauls garment , when he might haue slaine him , because he was the Lords annointed . On then , howe much more ought our hearts to be touched , if we shall in the least measure dishonour Christ Iesus our Lord and king . Secōdly , we are here taught to performe obedience to him , & to do him all the homage we can . The master of the family in all his lawefull commandements must be obeyed : nowe the Church of Christ is a family , and we are members thereof : therefore we must yeeld obedience to him in all things : for all his commandements are iust . When Saul was chosen king ouer Israel , certaine men which feared God , whose hearts God had touched , followed him to Gibea and brought him presents , but the wicked despised him : the same is much more to be verified in vs toward Christ our Lord. Wee must haue our hearts touched with desire to performe obedience vnto him : if not , we are men of Belial that despise him . If this obedience were put in practise , the Gospel would haue better successe in the hearts of the people , and the Lords sabbath would be better kept , and men would beare greater loue both to God and to their neighbours then nowe they doe . The third dutie which we owe vnto him is thankfulnesse , for the endlesse care which he sheweth in the gouerning and preseruing of vs. When Dauid waxed olde , and had made Salomon his sonne king in his stead , al the people shouted and cried , God saue king Salomon , God saue king Salomon , so as the earth rang againe . Shall the people of Israel thus reioice at the crowning of Salomon , and shall not we much more reioice when as Christ Iesus is placed in heauen at the right hand of his father , and hath the euerlasting scepter of his kingdome put into his hand ? And we are to shewe this thankfulnesse vnto him by doing any thing in this world that may tend to his honour and glorie , though it be with the aduenture of our liues . When Dauid desired to drinke of the water of the well of B●thlem , three of his mightie men went and brake into the hoast of the Philist●ms , and brought him water . Thus they ventured their liues for Dauids sake : and shall not we much more willingly venture our liues to doe Christ seruice in token of thankefulnesse for his continuall preseruing of vs ? Thus much of the highest degree of Christs exaltation in his kingeome : nowe followeth the last point to be beleeued concerning Christ in these wordes , From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade . And they containe a proofe or a particular declaration of the former article . For as on earth those that are set at the right hand of kings doe execute iustice in courts or assises ●or the maintenance of the state & peace of the kingdome : so Christ Iesus sitting at the right hand of his father , that is , being made soueraigne Lord of all things both in heauen and earth , is to hold a court or assise , in which hee shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead . Nowe in handling the last iudgement , we are to consider these points : I. whether there shall be a iudgement or not ? II. the time of it . III. the signes thereof . IV. the manner of it . V. the vse which is to be made thereof . Of these in order . For the first point , whether there shall be a iudgement or not ? the question is needefull : for as Saint Peter saith , There shall come in the last daies mockers , which shall walke after their lusts , and say , Where is the promise of his comming ? which daies are nowe . The answer to this question is set downe in this article , in which we professe that the comming of Christ to the last iudgement , is a point of religion specially to be helde and auouched . The reasons to prooue it , are principally two : first the testimonie of God himselfe in the bookes of the olde and newe testament , which affoard vnto vs plentifull proofes touching the last iudgement , so as he which will but lightly read the same , shall not neede to doubt thereof . The second reason is taken frō the iustice and goodnes of God , the propertie wherof is , to punish wicked and vngodly men , and to honour and reward the godly : but in this world the godly man is most of all in miserie , ( for iudgement beginneth at Gods house , ) and the vngodly haue their hearts ease . W●cked Diues hath the world at will , but poore Lazarus is hunger bitten , full of sores , and miserable euery way . This beeing so , it remaineth , that after this life , ther● must needes be a iudgement and a second comming of Christ , when the godly must receiue fulnesse of ioy and glorie , and the vngodly fulnesse of woe & miserie . This second reason may stoppe the mouthes of all gainesayers in the world whatsoeuer . But it may be obiected , that the whole world stands either of beleeuers or vnbeleeuers , and that there is no last iudgement for either of these : for the beleeuer , as Christ saith , hath euerlasting life , and shall not come into iudgement ; and the vnbeleeuer is condemned alreadie , and therefore needeth no further iudgement . Ans. Where it is said , he that beleeueth shall not come into iudgement , it must bee vnderstood of the iudgement of condemnation , and not the iudgement of absolution ; and he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie in effect and substance three waies : I. in the counsell of God , who did foresee and appoint his condemnation , as it is a punishment of sinne , and an execution of his iustice . II. in the word of God , where he hath his condemnation set downe . III. he is condemned in his own conscience : for euery vngodly mans conscience is a iudge vnto himselfe , which doth euery houre condemne him , and it is a forerunner of the last iudgement . And notwithstanding all this , there may remaine a second iudgement , which is a manifestation and finishing of that which was begunne in this worlde : and therefore the meaning of that place is this ; hee that beleeueth not is alreadie iudged in part , but so as the full manifestation thereof , shall be at the second comming of Christ. The second circumstance , is the time of his iudgement : in handling whereof first let vs see what is the iudgement of men , secondly what is the trueth . For the first , two opinions touching this time take place . The first is , that the second comming of Christ shall be about sixe thousand yeares from the beginning of the worlde , and that for the Elects sake some of these daies must be shortned : and nowe since the beginning of the worlde , are passed fiue thousand & almost sixe hundred yeares so as there remaines but foure hundred . The groundes of this opinion are these . First the testimonie of Elias , two thousand yeares before the lawe : two thousand yeares vnder the lawe : and two thousand yeares vnder Christ. And for the elects sake some of these yeares shall be shortened . Answer . This was not the sentence of Elias the Thisbite , but of another . Elias which was a Iewe no prophet . And wheras he saith : two thousand yeres before the lawe : and two thousand yeares vnder the lawe , he faileth . From the giuing of the law to the comming of Christ , was about one thousand and fiue hundred yeares● and from the lawe to the creation aboue two thousand . Now if Elias cannot set downe a iust number for the time past , which a meane man many do , what shal we think that he can do for the time to come ? And if he deceiue vs in that which is more easie to find , how shal we trust him in things that be harder ? The secōd reason is this : How long god was in creating the world , so long he shall be in gouerning the same ; but he was sixe daies in creating the worlde , and in the seuenth he rested , and so proportionally hee shall bee sixe thousand yeares in gouerning the world ; euery daie answering to a thousand yeares , as Peter saith : A thousand yeares are but as one day with God , and then shall the end bee . Ans. This reason likewise hath no ground in Gods word : as for that place of Peter , the meaning is , that innumerable yeares are but as a short time with God : and we may as well say , two thousand or tenne thousand yeares are but as one daie with God. For Peter meant not to speake any thing distinctly of a thousand yeares , but of a long time . Thirdly it is alleadged , that within sixe thousand yeares from the creation of the world , shall appeare in the heauens straunge coniunctions , and positions of the starres , which signifie nothing els but the subuersion of the state of the world : nay , some haue noted that the ende thereof should haue beene in the yeare of our Lord , a thousand fiue hundred eightie eight : their writings are manifest : but we finde by experience that this opinion is false and friuolous , and their groundes be as friuolous . For no man can gather by the ordinarie course of the heauens , the extraordinarie change of the whole world . The second opinion is , that the ende of the world shall be three yeares and an halfe after the reuealing of Antichrist . And it is gathered out of places in Daniel and the Reuelation , abused . Where a time and halfe a time signifie not three yeares and a halfe , but a short time . And therefore to take the wordes properly , is farre from the meaning of the holy Ghost . For marke , if the ende shall be three yeares and a halfe after the reuealing of Antichrist , then may any man knowe before hand the particular moneth wherein the ende of the world should be , which is not possible . Nowe the trueth which may be auouched against all , is this , that no man can know or set down or coniecture the day , the weeke , the moneth , the yere , or a the age , wherin the second comming of Christ and the last day of iudgement shall be . For Christ himselfe saith , of that daie and houre knoweth no man , no not the angels in heauen , but God onely may Christ himselfe as he is man knew it not . And when the disciples asked Christ at his ascension , whether he would restore the kingdome vnto Israel , he answered , It is not for you to knowe the times and seasons , which the father hath put in his owne power . And Paul saith , Of the times and seasons , brethren , you haue no neede that I write vnto you . For you your selues knowe perfectly that the daie of the Lord shall come , euen as a thiefe in the night . Nowe wee knowe that a man that keepeth his house , can not coniecture or imagine when a thiefe will come : and therefore no man can set downe the particular time or age , when Christ shall come to iudgement . This must we hold steadfastly , and if we read the contrarie in the writings of men , we are not to beleeue their sayings , but account of them as the deuices of men , which haue no ground in Gods word . To come to the third point , namely the signes of the last iudgement , they are of two sorts : some goe before the comming of Christ , and some are ioyned with it . The signes that goe before , are in number seuen , recorded distinctly by the holy Ghost . The first , is the preaching of the Gospel through the whole world . So our Sauiour Christ saith , this Gospell of the kingdome must bee preached through the whole world for a witnesse vnto all nations , and then shall the ende come . Which place must thus be vnderstood ; not that the Gospell must be preached to the whole world at any one time , for that ( as I take it ) was neuer yet seene , neither shall be ; but that it shall bee published distinctly and successiuely at seuerall times : and thus vnderstanding the words of Christ , if wee consider the time since the Apostles daies , wee shall finde this to be true , that the Gospel hath beene preached to all the world ; and therefore this first signe of Christs comming is alreadie past and accomplished . The second signe of his comming , is the reuealing of Antichrist , as Paul saith , The daie of Christ shall not come before there be a departure first , and that mā of sinne he disclosed , euen the sonne of perdition , which is Antichrist . Concerning this signe , in the yeare of our Lord 602. Gregory the eight pope of Rome , auouched this solemnly as a manifest trueth , that whosoeuer did take to himselfe the name of Vniuersall Bishop , the same was Antichrist . Now fiue yeres after , Boniface succeeding him , was by Phocas and Emperour entituled , Vniuersall Bishop , pastour of the Catholike Church , in the yeare of our Lord 607. and of all Popes he was the first knowne Antichrist , and since him all his successours haue taken vnto thē the same title of Vniuersal and Catholike Bishop , whereby it doeth plainely appeare , that at Rome hath bin and is the Antichrist . And this signe is also past . The third is , a generall departing of most men from the faith . For it is saide in the place before named , let no man deceiue you : for the day of Christ shall not come , except there be a departing first . Generall departure hath bin in former ages . When Arius spread his heresie , it tooke such place that the whole worlde almost became an Arian . And during the space of 900. yeares from the time of Boniface , the popish heresie spread it selfe ouer the whole earth , and the faithfull seruants of God were but as an handfull of wheat in a mountaine of chaffe , which can scarse be discerned . This signe is in part already past , neuertheles it shall continue to the ende , because men shall continually depart from the faith . And the nearer the end of the world is , the more Satā rageth & seeks to bring mē into his kingdō . Therefore it standeth vs in hād to labour for the knowledge of true religiō , & hauing learned it , most hartily to loue the same . The fourth signe is , a generall corruption in manners . This point the Apostle sets downe at large , saying , Toward the latter daies shall come perilous times , wherein men shall be louers of themselues , couetous , boasters , proud , cursed speakers , disobedient to parents , vnthankefull , vnholy , and without naturall affection , truce-breakers , false accusers , intemperate , fierce , despisers of them which are good● traytours , headie , high minded , louers of pleasures more then louers of god , &c. This generall corruption in the manners of men , is noted by our Sauiour Christ , when he saith , When he commeth he shall scarse sinde faith vpon the earth . This signe hath bin in former ages , and is no doubt at this day in the world . For it is hard to finde a man that walketh iustly , soberly , and faithfully , doing the duties of his calling to God and man. The fifth signe of Christs comming stands in terrible and grieuous calamities . For Christs disciples asking him a signe of his comming , and of the ende of the world , he saith , There shall be warres and rumours of warres , nation shall rise against nation , and realme against realme : and there shall be pestilence and famine and earthquakes in diuers places , and men shall be at their wittes endes . These haue bin in former ages . In the first three hundred yeares after Christ , were tenne most fearefull persecutions : and since in Europe the Church of God hath bin wonderfully persecuted by the Antichrist of Rome in the hundred yeares last past . The sixth signe is , an exceeding deadnes of heart , so as neither iudgements from heauen , nor the preaching of the word shall mooue the hearts of men . So Christ saith , It shall be in the comming of the sonne of man , as it was in the daies of Noe , and in the daies of Sodom : they knew nothing till the flood came , and fire from heauen destroied them all . This signe vndoubtedly is manifest in these our daies , howsoeuer it hath beene also in former times . For where are any almost that are mooued with Gods iudgements , or touched at the preaching of the word , nay rather men harden their hearts , and become secure and careles . The small fruit that the word of God bringeth forth in the liues of men , shewes this to be most true . The seauenth and last signe , set downe by the Apostle Paul is , that there shall be a calling of the Iewes before the Lord come to iudgement : but of the time when this calling shall be , of the manner how , or the number of them that shall be called , there is no mention made of in the word of God. Now it is likely that this signe is yet to come . These are the signes that goe before the comming of Christ , all which are almost past , and therefore the end can not be farre off . Now follows the signe that is ioyned with the comming of Christ , called the signe of the sonne of man. What this signe is , we finde not in the Scriptures . Some thinke it to be the signe of the crosse ; but that is friuolous : some , the glorie and maiestie of Christ , which shall be made manifest in his appearance : which seemes to be otherwise by the very words of Christ. Then ( saith he ) shall appeare the signe of the sonne of man , &c. and then they shall see him come in the clouds of heauen with power and great glorie : where he distinguisheth the one from the other . But I rather coniecture it to be the burning of heauen and earth with fire , at the very instant of Christs comming , mentioned by Peter . We must not here dispute whence this fire shall come , or how it shall be kindled , for that the word of God hath concealed : and where God hath not a mouth to speake , there we must not haue an eare to heare . The vses to be made hereof , are these . When S. Peter had set downe the change that shall be at the comming of Christ , and that heauen and earth must be purged with fire , he makes this vse thereof . Seeing all things must be dissolued , what manner of men ought we to be in holy conuersation and godlines ? and the reason is good . For if heauen and earth must be changed and purged at Christs comming , then much more ought we to be chaunged , and to put off the old man of sinne , and to become newe creatures created after the image of God in righteousnesse and true holinesse . If the bruit creatures must be renued by fire , then much more are wee to labour that the heat of Gods spirit may burne vp sinne & corruption in vs , & so change vs that we may be ready for him against his comming : els heauen and earth it selfe shall stand in iudgement against vs to our condemnation . Secondly , the consideration of this , that the world shall be consumed with fire , teacheth vs moderation and sobrietie in the vse of Gods creatures , as in costly buildings , gorgeous attire , and such like . What madnes is this , to bestow all that we haue , on such things , as at the day of iudgement shal be consumed with fire . For looke whatsoeuer abuse shall come to Gods creatures by our follie , the same shall then be abolished . Thirdly we must consider that the cause why heauen and earth must be consumed with fire , is mans sin , by means wherof , they are made subiect to vanity & corruption . Here then we haue iust occasion to acknowledge the greatnes & wretchednes of our sinnes . If any of vs had but seene the Iewes leprosie , it would haue made vs to wonder : for the contagion thereof did infect not onely the whole man but his garments also that were about him , and sometime the walls of his house : but howesoeuer wee cannot see that leprosie among vs , yet we may see a worse . For the leprosie of our sinnes doth not onely infect our garments , and the things about vs , with our bodies ; but euen the high heauens and the earth are stained with the contagion thereof , and are made subiect to vanitie and corruption : yea by sinne in vs the most glorious creatures in them , as the Sunne , Moone , and starres are become subiect to vanitie . Oh then , howe wretched is the heart of man , that makes no bones of sinne , which is the most noisome thing in all the world , the stinke whereof hath infected both heauen and earth . If we could consider this , wee would not be so slacke in humbling our selues for the same as we are . We can not abide to looke on a poore lazar full of blanes and sores : but if wee could see our sinns in their right colours , they would make vs seeme vnto our selues tenne thousand times more ougly then any lazar man can be ; the contagion thereof is so great and noisome , that the very heauens which are many thousand miles distant from vs , are infected therewith . Yet here we are to knowe , that this fire shall not consume the substance of heauen and earth , but onely change the qualitie , & abolish the corruption which our sinnes haue brought vpon them . The fourth point to be considered , is the manner of the last iudgement , in which we may obeserue two things : I. who shall be iudge : II. the proceeding of this iudge . The first is expressed in this article ; From thence he shall come to iudge . He , that is , Christ Iesus the second person in Trinitie . For the father hath committed all iudgement vnto him . It is indeede an action common to all the three persons in trinitie , but yet the execution thereof appertaines vnto the sonne . The father indeed doth iudge the world , but yet by the sonne . But some may obiect , that the Apostles shall sit on twelue thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel . And S. Paul saith , The Saints shall iudge the world . Howe then is this true , that ●hrist is the onely iudge of the worlde . Ans. The authoritie of iudgement and giuing sentence at the last day is proper to Christ alone , and doth not belong either to the Apostles or to the Saints : and they shall iudge at the last day onely as witnesses and approouers of Christs iudgement . At the great day of assise beside the iudge , the iustices on the bench are also in a manner iudges , not that they giue sentence , but because by their presence they approoue and witnesse the equitie of the sentence of the iudge : so the definitiue sentence doth belong to Christ : and the Apostles and Saints doe nothing but approoue● and beeing present giue assent to his righteous sentence . The whole proceeding of the last iudgement may bee reduced to seuen points or heads . The first is the comming of the iudge in the cloudes . Here at the first may be demanded , why Christ holdes the last iudgement rather on earth then in heauen . Ans. He doth it for two causes . One , the creature to bee iudged hath sinned here vpon earth : and hee proceedes after the manner of earthly iudges , who holde their sessions and assises there where trespasses are commonly committed . The second , because the deuill & his angels are to be iudged , & it is a part of their punishment to be cast out of heauen . For no vnclean thing may come into this heauēly Ierusalē , & therfore they now remain in the lower parts of the world , and there must be iudged . Furthermore , the second comming of Christ is sudden , as the comming of a thiefe in the night . He will come when the world thinketh not of him , as the snare doth on the bird . The consideration whereof must teach vs the same duties which our Sauiour Christ taught the men of his time . First he teacheth them what they must not doe : for he knowing all things knew also the disposition of mans heart , and therfore he saith , Take heede to your selues , least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennes , and the cares of this life , least that day come vpon you vnawares . For these sinnes benumme the heart , and steale away all grace . This exhortation in these our daies is most needefull . For mens hearts are like the smithes stithie , the more they are beaten with the hammar of Gods word , the harder they are . Secondly he teacheth them what they must doe : Watch therefore ( saith he ) and pray continually : that ye may be counted worthie to escape all these things that shall come to passe , and that ye may stand before the sonne of man. But you will say : how may we be found worthie to stand before Christ at that day ? Ans. Doe but this one thing : for your liues past be humbled before God , and come vnto him by true , heartie , and vnfained repentance , be changed and become new creatures : pray vnto him earnestly for the pardon of your sinnes in Christ , and pray continually that God will turne your hearts from your old sinnes euery day more and more : and then come the last iudgement when it will , ye shall be found worthy to stand before Christ at his cōming . The repentant sinner is he , that shall find fauour in the sight of God at that day . The consideration hereof may mooue vs to chaunge our liues . Those which were neuer yet humbled for their sinnes , let them nowe beginne : and those which haue alreadie begunne , let them goe forwarde and continue . But the deuill will crie in the hearts of some men , that this exhortation is as yet needelesse : for the day of iudgement is not neere , because all the signes thereof are not yet passed . Ans. Suppose the day of iudgement be farre off , yet the day of thy death cannot be so : for the common saying is true , to day a man , to morrowe none . Nowe looke as death leaueth thee , so shall the day of iudgement finde thee . Impenitent Cain died long since , and yet the day of iudgement when it commeth , shall finde him impenitent still . The same thing may bee said of Saul , Achitophel , and Iudas . They died desperatly and impenitent , & the Lord shall finde them so at his comming . So will it be with thee , whatsoeuer thou art that repentest not . Death may come vpon thee , the next day or the next houre , therefore watch and pray . Prepare thy selfe against the day of death , that at the day of iudgement thou maist be found worthie to obtaine fauour in the sight of the Lord. Securitie doth ouerwhelme the worlde ; but let vs for our parts learne to prepare our selues daily : for if the day of death doe leaue thee vnworthie , then the Lord Iesus at his comming shall finde thee vnworthie : and the deuill shall stand before thee and accuse thee , thy conscience shall condeme thee , and hell shall be readie to swallowe thee vp . If this admonition take no place in thy heart , then at the day of iudgement it shall stand against thee , and be a bill of inditement to thy further condemnation . The second point followeth , that Christ after that he is come in the clouds shall sit in a throne of glorie , as the soueraigne iudge of heauen and earth , after the manner of earthly kings , who when they will shewe themselues vnto their subiects in maiestie , power , and glorie , vse to ascend into the thrones of their kingdomes , and there to shewe themselues and appeare in state vnto all the people . Nowe what this throne is , and howe Christ sits in the same , the scripture hath not reuealed , and therefore I will not stand to search . Yet here must we further marke , that this appearance of his in endlesse glorie and maiestie shall be most terrible and dreadfull to the vngodly , and therefore in Daniel his throne is saide to be like a flame of fire , and at the very sight hereof men shall desire the mountaines to fall vpon them , and the hills to couer them . The third point , is the citing of all men and of the angels before his maiestie in that day , there to answer for themselues . This citing shall be done by the voice of Christ , as he himselfe saith , In that day all that are in the graues shall heare his voi●e , & they shall come forth . And here we are to consider two things : I. the power of this voice : II. the ministerie whereby it shall be vttered . For the first , no doubt the power of this voice shall be vnspeakable , and therefore it is compared to a trumpet , the lowdest and shrillest of all musicall instruments ; and to the crie of the marriners , whose manner hath beene in the doing of any busines with all their strength at one instant to make a common shout . And sensible experience shall manifest the force thereof . For it shall cause all the deade euen from the beginning of the world to rise againe , though they haue lien rotten in the earth many thousand yeares : and all vncleane spirits shall be forced and compelled , will they , nill they , to come before Christ ; who shall be vnto them a most fearefull and terrible iudge , neither man nor angel shall be able to absent or hide himselfe ; all without exception must appeare , as wel high as low , rich as poore : none sh●ll be able to withdrawe themselues , no not the mightie Monarches of the earth . Furthermore , this voice shall bee vttered by angels . As in the Church Christ vseth men as his ministers by whome he speakes vnto his people : so at the last daie he shall vse the ministerie of Angels , whome he shall send foorth into the foure windes to gather his elect togither : and therefore it is likely that this voice shall be vttered by them . And by this which hath beene said , wee must be mooued to make conscience of all sinne . For there is no auoiding of this iudgement , we can not absent our selues , no excuse will serue the turne : euen the most rebellious of all creatures whether man or angel , shall be forced to appeare : and therefore it standes vs in hand , while we haue time in this life , to looke vnto our estates , and to practise the duties of christianitie , that when we shall be cited before his glorious maiestie at the last day , we may be cleared and absolued . The fourth point is , the separation of the sheepe from the goates , the good from the badde ; for when all the kinreds of the earth , and all vncleane spirits shall stand before Christ , sitting in the throne of his glorie : then as a good sheapheard he shall separate them one from another , the righteous from the wicked , and the elect from the reprobate . He which knoweth the hearts of all men , knoweth also howe to doe this , and he will doe it . This full and finall separation is reserued to Christ , and shall not be accomplished till the last day . For so it is in the parable , that the tares must grow with the wheate til haruest , and the reapers must separate them , and gather the wheate into the barne , but the tares must be burned with vnquenchable fire . By the consideration of this one point , we learne diuers things : I. that in the Church of God in this world , good and badde are mingled togither , elect and reprobate : and wee are not to imagine any perfection of the church of God vpon earth , as many haue dreamed , which when they could not finde , they haue therefore forsaken al assemblies . I confesse indeede that the preaching of the word is the Lords fanne , whereby he clenseth his Church in part , but yet the finishing of this worke shall not be before the last iudgement . For when the ministers of God haue done all that they can , yet shall the wicked be mingled with the godly . Therefore the Church is compared to a barne flore , where is both wheate & chaffe : and a corne fielde , where is both tares and good corne : and a draw net , wherin is both good fish and badde . Secondly , whereas this separation must not be before the ende of the world , hence wee learne the state of Gods Church in this life . It is like a flocke of sheepe mingled with goates , and therefore the condition of Gods people in this world , is to bee troubled many waies by those with whome they liue . For goates vse to strike the sheepe , to annoy their pasture , and to make their water muddie that they can not drinke of it : and therefore we must prepare our selues to beare all annoyances , crosses , and calamities that shall befall vs in this world by the wicked ones , among whome we liue . Thirdly , we are taught , that howesoeuer the goates and the sheepe be very like , and feede in one pasture , and lie in one folde all their life time : yet Christ can and will seuer them asunder at the last day . Therefore , considering as wee are borne of Adam wee haue the nature of the goate , yea of the wilde beast , and not of the sheepe ; it standes vs in hand to lay aside our goatish conditions , and to take vnto vs the properties of the sheepe of Christ , which hee expresseth in these words , My sheepe ( saith he ) heare my voice , I know them , and they follow me . And the properties are three ; to know him , to be knowne of him , and to follow him , namely in obedience : and he that findes them all in himselfe , weareth the brand and marke of the true sheepe of Christ : but contrariwise they that make profession of Christ , and yet therewithall ioyne not obedience , howsoeuer the world may account of them , they are but goates and no sheepe . Let vs therefore with the knowledge of Christ ioyne obedience to his word , that when the day shall come that the goates must be separated from the sheepe , we may be found to be in the number of the true sheep of Christ. We may deceiue men both in life and death , and beare them in hand that we are sheepe , but when the iudgement shall come , we cannot deceiue Christ : he it is that formed vs , he knowes our hearts , and therefore can easily discerne what we are . The fifth thing is the triall of euery mans particular cause , a point especially to be considered . For as at the barre of an earthly iudge , the malefactour is brought out of prison and set before the iudge , and there examined : euen so in that great day , shall euery man without exception be brought before the Lord , to be tried . But how shall this triall be made ? Ans. By workes : as the Apostle saith , We must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ , that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that he hath done , whether it be good or euill . And the reason is , because works are the outward signes of inward grace and godlinesse . And though we be iustified by faith alone without workes , yet may we be iudged both by faith and workes . For the last iudgement doth not serue to make men iust that are vniust , but only to manifest them to be iust indeed , which were iust before & in this life truly iustified . The consideration of this very point should mooue vs al to repent vs of our sinnes past and to reforme our selues throughout , and to be plentifull in all good works . And vndoubtedly if we seriously thinke vpon it , it will hold vs more straightly to all good duties , then if with the Papists , we held iustification by workes . Furthermore , in this triall two things must be skanned : I. how all mens workes shall be made manifest : II. by what meanes they shall be examined . Of the manifestation of euery mans worke , S. Iohn speaketh , And I saw ( saith he ) the dead both great and small stand before God , and the bookes were opened : and another booke was opened , which is the booke of life , and the dead were iudged of these things which were written in the bookes according to their workes . God is said to haue bookes not properly , but because all things are as certen and manifest to him , as if he had his Registers in heauen to keepe rolles and records of thē . His bookes are three ; the booke of Prouidence , the booke of Iudgement , the booke of Life . The booke of his prouidence is the knowledge of all particular things past , present , to come . Of this the Psalmist speaketh , Thine eyes did see me when I was without forme : for in thy booke were all things written which in continuance were fashioned , when there was none of them before . The booke of iudgement is that whereby he giues iudgement : and it is twofold . The first is Gods knowledge or prescience , in which all the affaires of mē , their thoughts , words , and deedes , are as certenly knowne and set downe , as if they were put in bookes of record . We may forget our sinnes , but God keepes them in a register ; he knowes them euery one . The second booke is euery mans particular conscience , which also brings to remembrance and testifies what men haue done , and what they haue not done . The booke of life is nothing else but the decree of Gods election , in which God hath set downe who be ordained to life eternall . Now the opening of these bookes is a thing wherein the endles power of God shall most notably shew it self . For when we shall stand before the iudgement seat of Christ , he then knowing all things in his eternall counsell , shall reueale vnto euery man his owne particular sinnes , whether they were in thought , word , or deede , and then also by his mightie power he shall so touch mens consciences , that they shall afresh remember what they haue done . Now indeede , the wicked mans conscience is shut vp as a closed booke ; but then it shall be so touched , and as it were opened , that he shall plainely see and remember all the particular offences which at any time he hath committed ; and his very conscience shall be as good as a thousand witnesses : whereupon he shall accuse and vtterly condemne himselfe . The consideration of this ought to terrifie all those that liue in their sins : for howsoeuer they may hide & couer them from the world ; yet at the last day , God will be sure to reueale them all . Now after that mens workes are made manifest , they must further be tried whether they be good or euill . And that shall be done on this manner . They that neuer heard of Christ must be tried by the law of nature , which serues to make them inexcusable before God. As for those that liue in the Church , they shall be tried by the Law and the Gospel , as Paul saith , As many as haue liued by the law , shall be iudged by the law . And againe , At the day of iudgement God shall iudge the secrets of our hearts according to his Gospell . And , By faith Noah builded an arke , whereby he condemned the old world . If this be true , then we must in the feare of God heare his word preached and taught with all reuerence , & make conscience to profit by it . For otherwise in the day of iudgement when all our works shall be tried by it , the same word of God shall be a bill of inditement , and the fearefull sentence of condemnation against vs. Therefore let vs be humbled by the doctrine of the law , & willingly embrace the sweete promises of the Gospel : considering it is the onely touchstone , whereby all our words , thoughts , and works must be examined . The sixth point in the proceeding of the last iudgement , is the giuing of sentence , which is twofold : the sentence of absolution , and the sentence of condemnation , both which are to be obserued diligētly , that we may receiue profit thereby . And first of all Christ shall begin his iudgement with the sentence of absolution ; which shewes , that he is readie to shew mercie & slow to wrath . In this sentence we are to consider foure points : I. a calling of the Elect to the kingdome of heauen : II. the reason thereof : III. a replie of the Elect : IV. the answer of Christ to them againe . The calling of the Elect is set downe in these wordes , Come yee blessed of my father , inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world . And the words are to be obserued one by one . Come ye blessed ] Though Christ nowe sit in glorie and maiestie in iudgement , yet he ceaseth not to shew his tender a●fection of loue vnto his chosen . And this ouerthroweth the opinion of the Church of Rome , which would haue vs rather to come vnto Christ by the intercession of saints , then by our selues immediatly , because he is now exalted in glorie and maiestie . But marke , when he was here on earth , he said , Come vnto me all ye that are heauie laden and I will ease you . And when he shall be most glorious in maiestie and power at the day of iudgement , he will then also say , Come ye blessed of my father : and therefore we may resolue our selues , that it is his will now , that we should come vnto him without any intercession of Saints . Ye blessed of my father ] The Elect are here called the blessed of God , because their righteousnes , saluation , and all that they haue , springs of the meere blessing of God. Nothing therefore must be ascribed to the worke of man. Inherit ] that is , receiue as your inheritance : therefore the kingdome of heauen is Gods meere gift . A father giueth no inheritance vnto his sonne of merit , but of his free gift : wherupon it followes , that no man can merit the kingdom of heauen by his works . The kingdome ] that is , the eternall estate of glorie and happines in heauen : therefore in this life we must so vse this world , as though we vsed it not : all that we haue here is but vaine and transitorie : and all our studie and endeauour must be to come to the kingdome of heauen . Prepared ] Here note the vnspeakable care of God for the faithful . Had he such care to prouide a kingdome for his children before they were ? then we may assure our selues , he wil haue greater care ouer them now when they haue a beeing . For you ] that is , for the elect and faithfull . Hence it appeares that there is no vniuersall election whereby ( as some suppose ) God decrees that all and euery man shall be saued . Indeede if he had said , Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for all but receiued of you , it had bin something , but he saith onely , prepared for you : and therefore all were not chosen to saluation . The reason of this calling , is taken from workes as from signes , in these words , For I was hungrie and ye gaue me meate , &c. When he saith , for I was hungrie , he meanes his poore and distressed members vpon earth : and thereby he signifies vnto vs that the miseries of his seruants are his owne miseries . Thus the Lord saith in Zacharie , He which toucheth you , toucheth the apple of mine eye . And when Saul was going to persecute them in Damasco and else where that called on the name of Christ , he cried from heauen , Saul , Saul , why persecutest thou me ? And this is a notable comfort to Gods Church and people , that they haue an high priest who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities : and if he account our miseries his owne miseries , then no doubt he will pitie our estate and make vs able to beare the worst . And ye gaue me meate ] Here we note , that the principall works of men are those which are done to the poore members of Christ. We are indeede to helpe all , in as much as they are our very flesh and the creatures of God ; but the rule of S. Paul must be remembred , Doe good to all , but especially to those that are of the houshold of faith , Many are of mind that the best works are to build Churches and Monasteries , but Christ tells vs here , that the best worke of all is to releeue those that be the liuing members of his mysticall bodie . The third point is the replie of the Saints to Christ againe , in these words , Lord , when saw we thee an hungred , and fedde thee ? &c. They doe not denie that which Christ auouched , but doe , as I take it , standing before the tribunall seat of God , humble themselues , hauing still an after-consideration of the infirmities and offences of their liues past . Here note then , that it is a Satanicall practise for a man to bragge of workes and to stand vpon them in the matter of iustification before God. And we must rather doe as the Saints of God doe , abase our selues in regard of our sinnes past . The last point is the answer of Christ to them againe , in these words , Verily , I say vnto you , in as much as ye did it to the least of those my brethren , you did it to me . A most notable sentence : and it serueth to teach vs , how we should behaue our selues in doing works of mercie , which are duties to be performed in this life . We are not to doe them of any sinister respect , as for praise of men or commoditie , but we must propound vnto our selues the partie to whome we doe any good , and in him looke on Christ , and so doe it , as vnto Christ and for Christs sake onely : and this is a good worke indeede . Christ saith , Whosoeuer shall giue a cuppe of cold water to a disciple in the name of a disciple , shall not loose his reward . It is but a small gift , but yet the manner of doing it , namely in the name of a disciple , that is , in respect that he is a member of Christ , doth make it an excellent worke of mercie . It is a speciall marke of a child of God to shew mercie on a christian because he is a Christian. If any would know whether he be a christian or no , let him search himselfe , whether he loue a man , and can doe good vnto him , because he is a child of God , and a member of Christ. For this is a plaine argument , that he also is the child of God. Many can loue , because they are loued againe , but to loue for Christ his sake , is a worke of Christ in vs and a speciall gift of God. The sentence of condemnation followes in the second place : and it containes foure points : I. the reiection of the vngodly : II. the reason of their reiection : III. the defence which the wicked make for themselues : lastly , the answer of Christ to them againe . The reiection of the wicked is vttered by a terrible sentence , Away from me ye cursed into hell fire . The vse hereof in generall is twofold . First it serues to awake and excite all men and women in the world whosoeuer they be that shall heare it , to looke vnto their owne estates . It is wonderfull to see what great securitie reigneth euery where in these our daies . Men goe on in sinne from day to day and from yeare to yeare without repentance , nothing at all fearing the sentence of condemnation at the last day ; like vnto many which for the obtaining of other mens goods are neither by the feare of arraignment or imprisonment kept in good order . The occasions of securitie are twofold : I. the prosperitie of the wicked , who of all men liue most at ease without trouble , either in bodie or in minde . II. Gods patience and long suffering ; as Salomon saith , Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily , therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to doe euill . But to awake all those which liue in this securitie ; they must remember that howsoeuer the Lord God doth now deferre his iudgement , yet there is a day wherein he will no way shew mercie and long suffering , when they shall heare this fearefull sentence of condemnation pronounced against them , Away from me ye cursed . The second vse is to the godly : It serues to nurture them & to keepe them in awe before God : and no doubt , this was a principall cause why this sentence was here penned by the holy Ghost . A wise master of a family will check his seruant , & if the cause require , correct him in his childs presence , that the child it selfe may learne thereby to feare & stand in awe of his father : so Christ the most carefull and wise gouernour of his Church hath set downe this sentence of condemnation against the wicked , that the children of God in this world whensoeuer they shall heare or read the same , might be mooued thereby to stand in feare of God , and more dutifully performe obedience vnto his command●ments . Away from me ] Here we may learne , what a blessed thing it is for a man to haue true fellowshippe with Christ in this world . For in the day of iudgement the punishment of the wicked is to be cut off from him , and driuen away from his presence . Now he that would haue fellowship with God after this life , & escape that punishmēt , must seeke to haue it in this life : and he that will not seeke to haue fellowship with him in this life shall neuer haue it after in the day of iudgement . Againe , let vs marke that it is nothing to draw neere vnto Christ with our lippes , if the heart be not with him : for such as come neere with the lippe and keepe aloofe in the heart , shall heare the sentence pronounced , Away from me ye cursed ; and shall be seuered as farre from Christ as hell from heauen . Therefore let vs not content our selues with formall profession , but open the doores of our hearts , that the king of glorie may come in . Ye cursed ] They are cursed who are borne in sinne and liue in their sinnes , and all the daies of their liues so perseuere to the last gaspe without seeking recouerie . Whosoeuer he be , that is in this estate , the curse of God hangeth ouer his head , and will so doe till he get reconciliation with God in Christ. This beeing so , aboue all things in this world we must labour to be at peace with God , and neuer cease nor be quiet with our selues till we haue the same wrought and sealed in our hearts . For before such time as we be in Gods fauour , his fearefull curse hangs ouer our heads , and if we so perseuere without repentance , the day will come when we shall heare this fearefull sentence pronounced against vs : Away from me yee cursed into hell fire . What hell fire is , we must not curiously search , but rather giue our whole endeauour to learne how we may auoid it : as when a mans house is on fire , his care must be , not to search how it came , but rather how to quench it : yet we are to know thus much , that by hell fire is not meant any bodily flame , but it signifies the seazing of the fearefull and terrible wrath of God both on bodie and soule for euer . For howsoeuer the bodie be subiect to burning with bodily fire , yet the soule beeing spirituall can not burne ; and therefore hell fire is not a materiall fire , but a grieuous torment , fitly resembled thereby . Prepared for the deuill and his angels . ] There is in euery mans heart by nature this corruption ; whereby when he sinneth , he thinks that there is no danger but all is well , hauing as Esai saith , made a couenant with hell . But here consider , that , although the deuill was once an angel of light , yet when he had sinned , he could not escape hell : it was prepared euen for him . How then shall vngodly men , which are not halfe so wily , thinke to escape ? Now followeth the reason of their reiection in these wordes : For I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meate , &c. Hence we learne these two points : I. that all mans religion and seruing of God is in vaine , if so be we shew no compassion toward the poore members of Christ , in feeding , clothing , lodging , and visiting of them . For we must thinke , that many of those against whome this reason shall be brought , did know religion and professe the same , yea they prophesied in the name of Christ , and called on him , saying , Lord , Lord : and yet the sentence of condemnation goeth against them , because they shew no compassion toward the members of Christ , and therefore it is a principal vertue , and a speciall note of a Christian , to shew the bowels of compassion towards his needie brethren . Here againe we note , that it is not sufficient for vs to abstaine from euill , but we must also doe good . For it is not saide , I was an hungred and ye tooke from me , but , When I was hungrie ye gaue me no m●ate . They are not charged with doing euill , but , for not doing good . S. Iohn saith , The axe is laid to the roote of the tree , and the reason followes , not because the tree bare euill fruit , but because it bare not good fruite : therefore it must be cast into the fire . This condemnes a bad opinion of all worldly men , who thinke that all is well , and that God will be mercifull vnto them , because they doe no man harme . Thus we see how the deuill blinds the eyes of men : for it will not stand for paiment at the day of iudgement to say , I haue hurt no man , vnlesse we further doe all the good we can . The third point is the defence which impenitent sinners make for themselues in these words , Lord , when saw we thee an hungred , or thirstie , or naked , or in prison , or sicke , and did not minister vnto thee ? Thus in their owne defence , that which Christ saith , they gainsay , & iustifie themselues . Here marke the nature of all impenitent sinners , which is to sooth and flatter themselues in sinne , and to maintaine their owne righteousnes , like to the proud Pharisie in his prayer , who bragged of his goodnes , and said , Lord , I thanke thee , that I am not as other men are , extortioners , &c. and in the very same manner ignorant persons of all sorts among vs , iustifie themselues in their strong faith , and bragge of their zeale of Gods glorie , and of their loue to their brethren , and yet indeede shew no signes thereof . And truly we are not to maruell when we see such persons to iustifie themselues before men , whereas they shall not be ashamed to doe it at the day of iudgement before the Lord Iesus himselfe . The last point , is Christs answer to them againe in these words : Verily , I say vnto you , in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these , ye did it not to me . This sentence being repeated againe , doth teach vs the lesson which we learned before , that when we are to shew compassion to any man , especially if he be a mēber of Gods Church , we must not consider his outward estate or his basenes , in that he wāts food or raiment , but behold Christ in him , not respecting him as a man , but as a member of Christ. This it is , that must mooue vs to cōpassion , and cause vs to make a supplie of his wants more then any respect in the world beside . And surely when Christ in his members comes to our dores and complaines that he is hungrie and sicke , and naked , if our bowels yearne not towards him , there is not so much as a sparke of the loue of God in vs. The seuenth point in the proceeding of the last iudgement is , the retribution or reward in these words : and they shall go into euerlasting paine , and the righteous into life eternall . How doe the wicked enter into hell and the godly into heauen ? Answ. By the powerfull and commaunding voice of Christ , which is of that force , that neither the greatest rebell that euer was among men , nor all the deuills in hell , shall be able to withstand it . And seeing that after the day of iudgement we must remaine for euer either in heauen or in hell , we are to looke about vs and to take heed vnto our hearts . Indeede if the time were but a thousand or two thousand yeares , then with more reason men might take libertie to themselues : but seeing it is without ende we must be most carefull through the whole course of our liues so to liue and behaue our selues , that when the day of iudgement shall come , we may auoid that fearefull sentence of euerlasting woe and condemnation , which shall be pronounced against the wicked . And whereas all wicked men shall goe to hell at Christs commaundement , it teacheth vs , willingly to obey the voice of Christ in the ministerie of the word . For if we rebell against his voice in this world , when in the day of iudgement sentence shall be pronounced against vs , we shall heare an other voice , at the giuing whereof , we must obey whether we will or no , and thereupon goe to euerlasting paine , whither we would not . Let vs therfore in time denie our selues for our sinnes past , and onely relie vpon Christ Iesus for the free remission of them all ; and for the time to come , lead a new reformed life . Thus much of the order of Christ his proceeding at the day of iudgement . Now follow the vses thereof , which are either comforts to Gods Church or duties for all men . The first comfort or benefit is this , that the same person which died for vs vpon the crosse to worke our redemption , must also be our iudge . And hence we reape two speciall comforts . I. The people of God shall hereby inioy ful redemption from all miseries and calamities which they had in this life . So Christ himselfe speaking of the signes of the ende of the world saith to his disciples ; When you see these things , lift vp your heads : for your redemption draweth neere . Then he shal wipe all teares from their eyes . Secondly , we shall hereby haue a finall deliuerance from all sinne . Now what a ioyful thing it is , to be freed from sinne , may plainly appeare by the crie of S. Paul : O wretched man that I am , who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death ? And certen it is , that he which knowes what sinne is , & seriously repents him of the same , would wish with all his heart to be out of this world , that he might leaue off to sinne , and thereby cease to displease God. The second comfort is this : the godly in this world haue many enemies : they are reuiled , slandered , and oftentimes put to death : well , Christ Iesus at the day of iudgement will take euery mans case into his owne hand : he will then heare the complaint of the godly , howsoeuer in this world they found no remedie : and then he will reuenge their blood that is shed vpon the earth , according to their prayer . This comfort is to be cōsidered especially of all those that are any way persecuted or molested by the wicked of this world . Now follow the duties to be learned of euery one of vs , and they are diuers . First , the consideration of the last iudgement serueth to teach all ignorāt persons and impenitent sinners , repentance and humiliation for their sinnes , and to mooue them with all speede to seeke vnto Christ for the pardon of the same . When Paul preached to the Athenians , he willed them to repent vpon this ground and reason , because the Lord hath appointed a day wherein he will iudge the world in righteousnes . To speake plainly ; we can be content to heare the word , and to honour him with our lipps , yet for the most part , all is done but for fashions sake : for still we liue in our old sinnes : our hearts are not turned : but in the feare of God let vs bethinke our selues of the time , when wee shall come before the iudge of heauen and earth , and haue all our sinnes laide open , and wee must answer for them all . This is the point which the holy Ghost vseth as a reason to mooue men vnto repentance : and assuredly if this will not mooue vs , there is nothing in the world will. Secondly , to this purpose Paul saith . If wee would iudge our selues , wee should not be iudged . Wouldest thou then escape the iudgement of Christ at the last day ? then in this life iudge thy selfe . Nowe a man in iudging of himselfe , must performe foure things : I. he must examine himselfe of his owne sinnes : II. he must confesse thē before the Lord. III. he must condemne himselfe & as a iudge vpon the bench , giue sentence against himselfe . Lastly , he must plead pardon , and crie vnto God as for life and death , for the remission of all his sinnes : and he that doth this vnfainedly shal neuer be iudged of the Lord at the last day : but if we slacke and neglect this dutie in this life , then vndoubtedly there remaines nothing but eternall woe in the world to come . Thirdly , by this we may learne , one not to iudge or condemne another , as Paul sayeth , Iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come , who lighten all things that are in darknes , & make the counsels of the hearts manifest . And Christ saith , Iudgement is mine : and iudge not , and ye shall not be iudged . And againe Paul saith to the Romans , Why doest thou iudge thy brother ? for we must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ : but some will aske , howe doth one iudge another ? Ans. Thus : I. when a man doth well , to saie of him that he doth euill : II. when a man doth euill , then to make it worse : III. when a thing is doubtfull , to take it in the worst part . And by any of these three waies we are not to iudge either of mens persons or of their actions . Fourthly , wee must endeauour our selues to keepe a good conscience before God and before all men . This is the practise of S. Paul , who in consideration and hope of a resurrection vnto iudgement as well of the iust as of the vniust , endeauoured himselfe to haue alwaies a cleare conscience both towards God and towards men . His example is worthie our marking and imitation ; for fewe there be that vpon this occasion make any conscience either of duty to God or to their brethren . Fifthly , the last iudgement must stirre vs vp to a reuerend feare of God , & cause vs to glorifie him : as the Angel saith in the Reuelation , Feare God and giue glorie to him : for the houre of his iudgement is come . And doubtlesse if any thing in the world will mooue a man to feare the Lord , it is this , to remember the fearefull and terrible daie of iudgement . Nowe hauing spoken hitherto of the first person the father , and also of the sonne , it followeth in the next place to speake of the third person in these wordes , I beleeue in the holy Ghost . In which wee may consider two things , the title of the person , and the action of faith , repeated from the beginning . The title is , Holy Ghost , or spirit . It may here be demanded , howe this title can be fit to expresse the third person , which seemes to bee common to the rest : for the father is holy , and the sonne is holy : againe , the father is a spirit , and the sonne is a spirit . Ans. Indeed the father and the sonne are as wel to be tearmed holy in respect of their natures , the third person : for all three subsisting in one and the same godhead , are consequently holy by one and the fame holinesse : but the third person is called holy , because beside the holinesse of nature , his office is to sanctifie the Church of God. Nowe if it be said that sanctification is a work of the whole Trinitie , the answer is , that although it be so , yet the worke of sanctification agrees to the Holy Ghost in speciall manner . The father sanctifieth by the sonne and by the holy Ghost : the sonne sanctifieth from the father and by the Holy Ghost : the holy Ghost sanctifieth from the father and from the sonne by himselfe immediatly : and in this respect is the third person tearmed holy . Againe the third person is tearmed a Spirit , not onely because his nature is spirituall ( for in that respect the father is a spirit and the sonne is a spirit ; ) but because hee is spired or breathed from the father and from the sonne , in that he procedes from them both . Thus wee see there is a speciall cause why the third person is called the Holy Ghost . Nowe the action of faith which concernes the third person , is to beleeue in him . Which is , I. to acknowledge the Holy Ghost as he hath reuealed himselfe in the word . II. In special to beleeue that he is my sanctifier and comforter . III. To put all the confidence of my heart in him , for that cause . In these wordes are comprised foure points of doctrine , which are to be beleeued cōcerning the holy Ghost . The first , that he is very God. For we are not to put our affiance or confidence in any but in God alone . And no doubt the penners of the Creede in that they prefixed these wordes , I beleeue in , before the article of the third person , meant thereby to signifie , that he is true God , equall with the father and the sonne , according to the tenour of the Scriptures themselues . Peter saith to Ananias : Why hath Satan filled thine heart , that thou shouldest lie vnto the Holy Ghost ? and continuing the same speech , he changeth the tearme onely , and saith , Thou hast not lied vnto men , but vnto God. Whereby hei nsinuateth that the Holy Ghost is very God. In the vision of the Prophet Isai , the wordes by him set downe are thus : I heard the voice of Iehoua , saying , Whome shall I send , &c. and he said , God and say to this people : Ye shall heare indeed , but ye shall not vnderstand . But Paul quoting the same place , spake on this manner : Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esay the Prophet , saying , Goe vnto this people and say vnto them . Now these places being compared togither make it plaine , that the title of Iehova , agreeth to the holy Ghost . But yet the enemies of this truth which thinke that the Holy Ghost is nothing els but the action or operation of God , obiect out of the Scriptures to the contrarie : I. God knoweth the sonne : the holy Ghost knoweth not the sonne : for none knoweth the sonne but the father : ergo the holy Ghost is not God. Ans. That place excludeth no person in Trinitie , but onely creatures , and false gods , and the meaning is this : None , that is , no creature , or idol god ; knoweth the sonne of God , but the father . And the opposition is made to exclude creatures , not to exclude the holy Ghost . Againe they obiect , that the holy Ghost maketh request for vs with grones and sighes that can not be vttered : therefore ( say they ) the Holy ghost is not God , but rather a gift of God. For he that is true God , can not pray ; grone , or sigh . Ans. Pauls meaning is thereby to signifie that the Holy Ghost causeth vs to make requests , and stirreth vp our hearts to grone and sigh to God : for he said before , we haue receiued the spirit of adoption , whereby we cry , Abba , father . Yet further , they obiect the words of the Angel Gabriel to the virgin Marie , saying , The vertue of the most high hath ouershadowed thee : and hence they gather , that if the holy Ghost be the vertue of God , then he is not God indeede . Ans. As Christ is called the Word of God , not a worde made of letters or syllables , but a substantial word , that is , beeing for euer of the same substance with the father : so in this place the holy ghost is called the vertue of the most highest , not because he is a created qualitie , but because he is the substantiall vertue of the Father and the sonne : and therefore God equall with them both . Furthermore they alleadge , that neither the scriptures nor the practise of the Primitiue Church doth warrant vs to pray to the holy Ghost . Ans. It is not true . For whēsoeuer we direct our praier to any of the three persons , in him we pray to them all . Besides we haue example of praier made to the holy Ghost in the word of God. For Paul saith to the Corinthians , The grace of our Lord Iesus , the loue of god the father , & the fellowship of the holy ghost be with you all . And the words are as if S. Paul had said thus ; O Father , let thy loue , O Sonne , let thy grace , O holy Ghost , let thy fellowship bee with them all . And therefore this first doctrine is true , and as well to bee beleeued as any other , that the Holy Ghost is God. The second point is , that the Holy Ghost is a distinct person from the father and the sonne . Hereupon the articles touching the three persons are thus distinguished : I beleeue in the father , I beleeue in the sonne , I beleeue in the holy Ghost . This point also is consonant to the Scriptures which make the same distinction . In the baptisme of Christ , the father vttereth a voice from heauen , saying , This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased : and not the sonne , or the holy ghost . Secondly the sonne stood in the water , and was baptized by Iohn , and not the father , or the holy Ghost . Thirdly , the holy Ghost descended from heauen vpon Christ in the forme of a doue ; and not the father , or the sonne , but the holy Ghost alone . Christ in his commission vnto his disciples , saith , Goe teach all nations , baptizing them into the name of the father , the sonne , and the Holy Ghost . Now if the Holy Ghost had beene the same person either with the father , or with the sonne , then it had bene sufficient to haue named the father and the sonne onely . And the distinction of the third person from the rest , may be conceiued by this , that the Holy Ghost is the Holy Ghost , and not the father or the sonne . The third point to bee beleeued is , that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the father and the sonne . For a further proofe hereof , consider these places . Paul saith , Ye are not in the flesh , but in the spirit : for the spirit of God dwelleth in you . But if any man haue not the spirit of Christ , hee is not his . And againe , Because ye are sonnes , God hath sent forth the spirit of the sonne into your hearts : where we may obserue , that the holy Ghost is the spirit both of the father and of the sonne . Now the holy Ghost is called the spirit of the father , not only because he is sent of him , but because hee proceedeth from the father ; as Christ saith to his disciples : When the comforter will come , whome I shall send vnto you from the father , euen the spirit of trueth vvhich proceedeth of the father , hee shall testifie of me . And therefore likewise he is the spirit of the sonne , not onely because he is sent of the sonne , but also because hee proceedeth from him . Againe , in the Trinitie the person sending doth communicate his whole essence and substance to the person sent . As the father sending the sonne doeth communicate his essence and substance to the sonne . For sending doth presuppose a communication of essence . Nowe the father and the sonne send the holy Ghost : therefore both of them communicate their substance and essence vnto the same person . Thirdly Christ saith , The holy Ghost hath receiued of mine which he shall shewe vnto you , namely knowledge and trueth , to be reuealed vnto his Church . Whence we may reason thus : the person receiuing knowledge from another , receiues essence also : the holy Ghost receiues truth and knowledge from Christ to be reuealed vnto the Church : and therefore first of all he hath receiued substance and essence from the sonne . But some peraduenture will say , where is it written in all the bible in expresse wordes , that the holv Ghost proceedes from the sonne as he proceedes from the father . Answer . The scripture saith not so much in plaine tearmes , yet we must know that that which is gathered forth thence by iust cōsequence , is no lesse the truth of god , then that which is expressed in words . Hereupon all Churches , saue those in Greece , with one confent acknowledge the trueth of this point . The fourth and last point is , that the holy Ghost is equall to the father and the sonne . And this we are taught to acknowledge in the Creede , in that wee doe as well beleeue in the Holy Ghost , as in the father and the sonne . And though the holy Ghost be sent of the father and the sonne , yet ( as I haue said before ) that argues no inequalitie ( for one equall may send another by consent ) but order onely , whereby the Holy Ghost is last of all the three persons . Againe in that the holy Ghost receiueth from the sonne , it prooues no inferiority . Because he receiues frō the sonne whatsoeuer he receiues by nature , and not by grace . And he receiues not a part , but all that the sonne hath , sauing the proprietie of his person . Nowe followe the benefits which are giuen by the holy Ghost , and they are of two sorts : some are common to all creatures , & some are proper to men . The benefit of the Holy Ghost common to all creatures , is the worke of creation and preseruation . For all things were created and made , and afterwarde perserued by the holy Ghost . So Elihu saith , The spirit of God hath made me . And Moses saith , In the beginning the spirit mooued vpon the waters . The phrase is borrowed from a bird , who in hatching of her young ones , sits vpon the egges , mooues her selfe vpon them , and heats them . And so likewise the holy Ghost in the beginning did by his own power cherish and preserue the masse or lumpe whereof all things were made , and caused it to bring forth the creatures . This beeing euident , that the Holy Ghost hath a stroke in the worke of creation and preseruation , wee must vnfainedly acknowledge that we were first created , and since that time continually preserued by the benefit euen of the third person . The benefits proper vnto men , are of two sorts : some are common to all men both good and bad , and some proper to the elect and faithfull . The benefits common to all men are diuers : I. the gift of practising a particular calling . As in the bodie seuerall members haue seuerall vses ; so in euery societie seuerall men haue seuerall offices and callings , and the gifts whereby they are inabled to performe the duties thereof , are from the holy Ghost . When Gedeon became a valiant captaine to deliuer the Israelites , it is said he was clothed with the spirit . Bezaleel and Aholiab beeing set apart to build the tabernacle , were filled with the spirit of God in wisdome and in vnderstanding , and in all workemanship , to finde out curious works , to worke in gold and in siluer & in brasse ; also in the art to set stones , and to carue in timber , &c. By this it is manifest , that the skill of any handicraft is not in the power of man , but comes by the holy Ghost . And by this we are taught to vse al those gifts wel , wherby we are inabled to discharge our particular callings ; that they may serue for the glorie of God , and the good of his Church : and those that in their callings vse fraud and deceit , or else liue inordinately , doe most vnthankfully abuse the gifts of God , and dishonour the spirit of God the author of their gifts , for which thing they must giue an account one day . The second gift common to all , is Illumination , whereby a man is inabled to vnderstand the will of God in his word . The Iewes in the reading of the old testament had a vaile ouer their hearts : and the like haue all men by nature , to whome the word of God is foolishnes . Paul at his conuersion was smitten blind , & skales were vpon his eyes : the like also be ouer the eyes of our mindes , and they must fall away , before we can vnderstand the will of God. Now it is the worke of the holy Ghost to remooue these skales and filmes from our eyes . And for this very cause he is called the annointing and eye-salue : for as it doth cleare the eyes , and take away the dimmenes from them ; so doth the holy Ghost take away blindnes from our mindes , that we may see into the truth of Gods word . This beeing a common gift , and receiued both of good and bad , it standeth vs in hand not to content our selues with the bare knowledge of the word , but therewithall we must ioyne obedience , and make conscience thereof , or else that will besall vs which Christ foretold , that he which knoweth his masters will and doth it not , shall be beaten with many stripes . The third gift of the holy Ghost , is the gift of prophecie , whereby a man is made able to interpret and expound the Scriptures . Now albeit this gift be very excellent and not giuen to euery man , yet is it common both to good and badde . For in the day of iudgement when men shall come to Christ and say , Master , we haue prophecied in thy name , he shall answer againe , I neuer knew you , depart from me ye workers of iniquitie . Hereupon those that are in the calling of the ministerie , and haue receiued the gift of prophecie , must not herewithall be puffed vp . For if they be not as well doers of Gods will , as teachers , their gifts will turne to their further condemnation . As the carpenters that built Noahs arke when the flood came were drowned , because they would not obey Noahs preaching : so those that haue the gifts of prophecie , and are builders in Gods house , if they build not themselues as well as others ; for all their preaching , at the day of iudgement , they shall be condemned : and therefore it standeth them in hand , not to content themselues with this , that they know and teach others Gods will , but they themselues must be the first doers of the same . The fourth common gift of the Holy Ghost , is Abilitie to bridle and restraine some affections , so as they shall not breake out into outragions behauiour . Haman a wicked man , and an enemie to Gods Church , when he sawe Mordecai the Iewe sitting in the kings gate , and that hee would not stand vp nor mooue vnto him , he was full of indignatiō : neuertheles the text saith , that he refrained himselfe . And when Abimelech an heathen king had taken Sara Abrahams wife , God said vnto him : I knowe that thou didst this with an vpright heart : and the text addeth further , I haue kept thee , that thou shouldest not sinne against me . And thus the Lord giueth to men , as yet without the spirit of sanctification , this gift to bridle themselues , so as in outward action they shall not practise this or that sinne . For why did not Abimelech commit adulterie ? surely because God kept him from it . Againe in the histories of the heathen we may read of many that were iust , liberall , meeke , continent , &c. and that by a generall operation of the holy Ghost that represseth the corruption of nature , for the common good . Here then if any man aske , howe it commeth to passe that some men are more modest and ciuil then others , seeing all men by nature are equally wicked , the answer may be , not as the common saying is , because some are of better nature then others ( for all the sonnes of Adam are equall in regard of nature : the child newe borne in that respect is as wicked as the eldest man that euer liued ) but the reason is , because God giues this common gift of restraining the affections more to some then to others . This must be considered of vs all . For a man may haue the spirit of God to bridle many sinnes , and yet neuer haue the spirit to mortifie the same , and to make him a newe creature . And this beeing so , we must take heede that we deceiue not our selues . For it is not sufficient for a man to liue in outward ciuility , and to keepe in , some of his affections vpon some occasion ( for that a wicked man may doe ) but we must further labour to feele in our selues the spirit of God , not only bridling sinne in vs , but also mortifying and killing the same . Indeed both of them are the good gifts of Gods spirit , but yet the mortification of sinne is the chiefest , being an effectuall signe of grace and proper to the elect . The fifth grace and gift of the holy Ghost is , to heare and receiue the word of God with ioy . In the parable of the sower , one kind of badde ground are they , which when they haue heard , receiue the worde with ioy . And this is that , which the authour of the Hebrues calls the the tasting of the good word of God , and of the powers of the world to come . We knowe that there is great difference betweene tasting of meate and eating of it . They that sit down at the table do both tast and eate , but they that dresse the meate do onely see and taste thereof : so it is at the Lords table . Many there be that haue this gift ; truely both to tast and eate of the bodie and blood of Christ offered in the word and Sacraments : and some againe doe onely taste and feele the sweetnesse of them and reioice therein , but yet are not indeede partakers thereof . Nowe if this be so , then all those which heare the word of God must take heede how they heare , and labour to finde these two things in themselues by hearing : I. that in heart and conscience they be throughly touched and humbled for their sinnes : II. that they be certenly assured of the fauour and loue of God in Christ , and that the sweete promises of the Gospel doe belong to them : and in consideration hereof they must make conscience of all sinne both in thought , worde , and deed , through the whole course of their liues . And this kind of hearing bringeth that ioy which vanisheth not away . Thus much of the benefits of the holy Ghost common to all men both good and badde : nowe followe such as are proper to the elect , all which may be reduced vnto one , namely , the inhabitation of the spirit , whereby the elect are the temples of the holy Ghost : who is said to dwell in men , not in respect of substance ( for the whole nature of the holy Ghost cannot be comprised in the bodie or soule of man ) but in respect of a particular operation : and this dwelling standes in two things . The first , that the holy Ghost doth abide in them , not for a time onely , but for euer : for the word dwelling , noteth perpetuitie . Secondly , that the holy Ghost hath the full disposition of the heart , as whē a man commeth to dwell in an house , whereof he is lord , he hath libertie to gouerne it after his owne will. Nowe this disposition of the hearts of the faithfull by the holy Ghost , stands in fiue special and notable gifts ; euery one worthie our obseruation . The first is a certen knowledge of a mans owne reconciliation to God in Christ. As it is said in Esai , By his knowledge my righteous seruant shall iustifie many . And Christ saith , This is life eternall that they knowe thee to be the onely verie God , and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. This knowledge is not generall , for then the deuils might be saued ; but it is particular , whereby a man knoweth God the father to be his father , and Christ the redeemer , to bee his redeemer , and the holy Ghost to bee his sanctifier and comforter . And it is a speciall worke of the holy Ghost , as Paul saith , The spirit of God beareth witnesse to our spirits , that we are the children of God. And , we haue receiued the spirit which is of God , that we might know the things that are giuen vnto vs of God. The second gift is regeneration , whereby a man of a limme of the deuill is made a member of Christ , and of a child of Satan ( whome euery one of vs by nature doe as liuely resemble as any man doeth his owne parent ) is made the child of God. Except a man ( saith our Sauiour Christ ) be borne againe by water and the spirit , he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen . Iohn Baptist in saying that Christ baptized with the holy Ghost and fire , compares the spirit of god to fire and water . To fire for two causes : I. as it is the nature of fire to warme the body that is benummed and frozen with colde : so when a man is benummed and frozen in sinne , yea when he is euen starke dead in sinne , it is the property of the Holy Ghost to warme and quicken his heart , and to reuiue him . II. Fire doth purge and eate out the drosse from the good mettall : now there is no drosse nor canker that hath so deepely eaten into any mettall as sinne into the nature of man , and therefore the Holy Ghost is as fire to purge and eate out the hidden corruptions of sinne out of the rebellious heart of man. Againe the holy Ghost is compared to cleare water for two causes : I. man by nature is as drie wood without sappe , and the property of the holy Ghost is as water to supple and to put sap of grace into the dead and rotten heart of man. II. the propertie of water is to clense and purifie the filth of the bodie : euen so the holy Ghost doth spiritually wash away our sinnes , which are the filth of our nature ; and this is the second benefit of the Holy Ghost . By this we are taught that he which would enter into the kingdome of God , and haue the Holy Ghost to dwell in him , must labour to feele the worke of regeneration by the same spirit : and if a man would knowe whether hee haue this worke wrought in him or no , let him marke what Saint Paul saith , They that are of the spirit , sauour the things that are of the spirit : but they that liue after the flesh , sauour the things of the flesh . If therefore a man haue his heart continually affected with that which is truely good , either more or lesse ; it is a certaine token that his wicked nature is changed , and he regenerate : but contrariwise if his heart be alwaies set on the pleasures of sinne , and the things of this world , hee may iustly suspect himselfe that he is not regenerated . As for example : if a man haue all his minde set vpon drinking and gulling in of wine and strong drink , hauing little delight nor pleasure in any thing els , it argues a carnall minde & vnregenerate , because it affects the things of the flesh ; and so of the rest . And on the contrarie , he that hath his minde affected with a desire to doe the will of God , in practising the workes of charitie and religion , he I say , hath a spirituall and a renued heart , and is regenerate by the holy Ghost . The third worke of the holy Ghost is , to gouerne the hearts of the elect : this may be called spirituall regiment . A man that dwelleth in a house of his owne , orders and gouerns it according to his own will : euen so the holy ghost gouerns all them in whome he dwelleth , as Paul saith , they that are the sonnes of God are led by his spirit , a most notable benefit : for looke where the h. Ghost dwelleth , there he will be Lord , gouerning both heart , minde , will , and affections ; and that two waies : I. by repressing all badde motions vnto sinne , arising either from the corruption of mans nature , from the world , or from the deuil . II. by stirring vp good affections and motions vpon euery occasion : so it is said , The flesh ( that is , the corruption of mans nature ) lusteth against the spirit : & the spirit ( that is , grace in the heart ) lusteth against the flesh ; & that after a double sort : first by labouring to ouermaster and keep down the motions thereof : secondly , by stirring vp good motions and inclinations to pietie and religion . In Esay the holy Ghost hath most excellent titles : The spirit of the Lord : the spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding : the spirit of counsel , & of strength : the spirit of knowledge , & of the feare of the Lord. Now he is so called , because he stirres vp good motions in the godly , of wisdome , of knowledge , of strength , of vnderstanding , of counsell , and of the feare of the Lord. And S. Paul saith , that the fruits of the spirit are ioy , peace , loue , long suffering , gentlenesse , goodnesse , faith , meekenes , temperance , &c. all which are so tearmed , because where the holy Ghost ruleth , there he ingendreth these good gifts and motions of grace : but among all the inward motions of the spirit , the most principall are these : I. an vtter disliking of sinne , because it is sinne . And that is , when a man hath an eye not so much to another mans sinnes , as to his own , & seeing them , is truely sorrowfull for them , and disliketh them , and himselfe for them ; not so much because there is a place of torment , or a day of iudgement to come , wherein hee must answer to God for them all : but as if there were no hell or iudgement , because God is displeased by them , who hath beene vnto him a most louing and mercifull father in redeeming him by Christ. The second is an hungring desire aboue all things in this worlde , to be at vnitie with God in Christ for the same sinnes . This is a motion of the holy Ghost , which no man can haue but he in whome the holy Ghost doth dwell . The third , the gift of hearty praier . For this cause the Holy Ghost is called the spirit of supplications , because it stirreth vp the heart , and makes it fit to pray : and therefore Paul saith , that the spirit of God helpeth our infirmities : for we knowe not what to pray as we ought , but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed . This is an ordinarie worke of the holy Ghost in all that beleeue : & he that would knowe whether he haue the spirit dwelling truely in his heart , shall knowe it by this : A mother carrieth her child in her armes ; if it crie for the dugge , and sucke the same , it is aliue : being obserued many daies togither , if it neither crie nor stirre , it is dead . In like manner it is an vnfallible note of a true child of God to crie to his father in heauen by praier , but he that neuer crieth nor feeleth himselfe stirred vp to make his mone to God , is in a miserable case , and he may well be thought to be but a dead childe ; and therefore let vs learne in praier vnfainedly to poure out our soules before God , considering it is a speciall gift of the Holy Ghost bestowed on the children of God. The fourth worke of the holy Ghost in the heart of the elect is , comfort in distresse , and therefore our Sauiour Christ calleth him the comforter whome he will send : and in the Psalme hee is called the oyle of gladnesse , because he maketh glad the heart of man in trouble and distresse . There be two things that fill the heart full of endlesse griefe : the first , outward calamities , as when a man is in any danger of death , when he looseth his goods , his good name his friendes , and such like . The second is , a troubled conscience , whereof Salomon saith , A troubled spirit , who can beare it ? and of all other it is the most heauie and grieuous crosse that can bee . When as the hand of God was heauie vpon Iob , this was the sorest of all his affliction , and therefore he crieth out that the arrowes of the almightie did sticke in his soule . Nowe what is the comfort in this case ? Ans. In the middest of all our distresses the holy Ghost is present with vs , to make vs reioice and to fill vs with comforts that no tongue can expresse out of the word of god and specially the promises thereof . And hereupon , the vngodly man when afflictions befall him , is readie to make away himselfe because he wants the comfort of the holy Ghost . The last benefit wrought in the hearts of the elect is , the strengthening of them to doe the weightiest duties of their callings : and hence the holy Ghost is called the spirit of strength . There be diuers things to bee done of a Christian man that are farre beyond the reach of his power ; as fi●st , when he seeth his owne sinnes and is truely humbled for them , then to lift vp the hand of faith to heauen , and thereby to catch holde on the mercy of God in Christ , is the hardest thing in the whole world : and this doe all those knowe to be true in some part , which knowe what it is to beleeue . Secondly it is as hard a thing in the time of temptation to resist temptation , as for drie wood to resist the fire when it begins to burn . Thirdly , when a mā is put to his choice , either to loose his life , goods , friends , and all that he hath , or els to forsake religion ; euen then to forsake all and to sticke vnto Christ , is a matter of as great diff●cultie as any of the former . Fourthly , when a man wanteth the ordinary meanes of Gods prouidence , as meate , drinke , and cloathing , then at the very same instant to acknowledge Gods prouidence , to reioyce in it , and to relie theron , is as much as if a man should shake the whole earth . It is against our wicked nature to trust God , vnlesse he first lay downe some pawne of his loue & mercie to vs. How then , will some say , shall any one be able to doe these things ? Ans. The holy Ghost is the spirit of strength , and by him we do all things ; as Paul saith , I am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ which strengtheneth me . Concerning these gifts of the holy Ghost , two questions may be mooued . First , what is the measure of grace in this life . Answ. Small , in respect . In this world , we receiue , as Paul saith , not the tenths , but the first fruits of Gods spirit : & the earnest of the spirit . Now the first fruits properly are but as an handfull or twaine of corne , to a whole corne field , containing many acres & furlongs of ground . And the earnest in a bargain it may be is but a penie laid down for the paying of twentie thousand pound . The second question is , whether the graces of the holy Ghost may be wholly lost or not . Ans. The common gifts of the spirit may be lost and extinguished . But the gifts proper to the Elect can not . Indeed they may be diminished & couered as coales vnder ashes , and as the sappe in the roote of the tree in the winter season , not appearing at all in the branches ; & the feeling of them may be lost : but they can not either finally or totally be abolished . It is true that God doth forsake his children ; but that is onely in part , as he left Ezechias to prooue and trie what was in his heart . A mother that loues her child most tenderly , sets it downe in the flore , lets it stand , and fall , and breake the face , and all this while shee hides her selfe , not because her purpose is to leaue her child quite , or to make it hurt it selfe ; but that whē shee taketh it vp againe , it may loue her the better . So dealeth the holy Ghost with men to make them see their owne weaknes and frailtie : he hides himselfe as it were in some corner of the heart for a season , that they may the more earnestly hunger after grace , the want whereof they feele . The vse of this article whereby we confesse that we beleeue in the holy Ghost is manifold . First , considering that all the gifts which any man hath , whether they be gifts of knowledge in the word of God , or of humane learning , or againe gifts whereby men are inabled to practise their trades or handicrafts , doe come not from our selues but from the holy Ghost , we are taught this dutie . Looke what gifts soeuer we for our parts haue receiued of the spirit of God , we must vse them so , as they may euer serue for the glorie of God and good of our brethren , and not to the practising and setting forth of any manner of sinne , and by consequent to the seruice of the deuill . For that is as if a man receiuing riches and reuenues of his prince , should straight way goe to the princes enemie and employ them for his benefit ; which were a point of exceeding trecherie . Furthermore , in euery place the greater part of men are blinde and ignorant persons both yong and old ; and aged folkes , as they are ignorant themselues , so they nuzzle vp their youth in ignorance . Conferre with them , you s●all finde that they can say nothing but that which may be learned by common talke , as that there is a God , and that this God must be worshipped : but aske them further of the meanes of their saluation , and of their duties to God and man , and they will answer you , that they are not booke-learned : tell them further that the ordinarie meanes to bring men to knowledge is the preaching of the word , which if they will not vse , they shall be inexcusable ; they will say , alas , we are dull of memorie , and cannot learne . Wel , for all this , thou saiest thou beleeuest in the holy Ghost , and he is thy schoolemaster to teach thee : though thy capacitie be dull , yet he is able to open thine vnderstanding : for as there is outward teaching by the minister , so the worke of the holy Ghost is ioyned withall to enlighten the conceit of the mind , that they which heare the word with reuerence may profit thereby and get knowledge . But if for all this men will not learne , but remaine ignorant still , then let them marke the example of the sonnes of Eli : he in some part did rebuke them for their wickednes , but yet they would not obey ; and the reason is there set downe , because the Lord would destroy them . In the same manner howsoeuer we may not iudge of any mans person , yet this may be said , that if men refuse to heare the word of God when they may , or if in hearing they will not obey , it is a fearefull signe that God will at length destroy them . When a trumpet is sounded in a mans eare , and he lies still , not stirring at all ; he is certenly dead . And surely when the trumpet of the Gospel is sounded in the eares of our hearts , if we awake not out of our sinnes to newnes of life , we are no better then dead men before God. Wherefore the case beeing thus dangerous , and the punishment so great , let vs labour in time for the knowledge of Gods will , & preuent Gods iudgements before they light vpon vs. Thirdly , as the Apostle saith , If we liue in the spirit , we must walke in the spirit , that is , if we be dead vnto sinne by the power of the holy Ghost , and be raised vp to newnes of life , then we must walke in the spirit . Now to walke in the spirit , is to lead our liues in shewing forth the fruits of the spirit . In Esai the holy Ghost is compared vnto water powred forth on the drie land , which maketh the willowes to blossome and to beare fruit : wherefore those that haue the gifts of the spirit must be trees of righteousnes bringing forth the fruits of the spirit , which ( as they are set downe by Paul ) are principally nine . The first fruit is loue , which respects both God and man. Loue vnto God is an inward and spirituall motion in the heart , whereby God is loued absolutely for himselfe . This loue shewes it selfe in two things : I. when a mans heart is set and disposed to seeke the honour and glorie of God in all things . II. when a man by all meanes striues , and endeauours himselfe to please God in euery thing , counting it a most miserable estate to liue in the displeasure of God : and the heart that is thus affected , can haue no greater torment then to fall into sinne , whereby God is offended and his displeasure prouoked . By these two signes a man may know whether he loue God or no , and by them also must he testifie his loue . Now our loue to man , is a fruit of this loue of God : for God is to be loued for himselfe : man is loued for God. This loue must not be in shew onely , but in deede and action . S. Iohn biddeth vs not to loue in word and tongue onely , but in deede and truth . Brotherly loue doth not alwaies lie hid , but when an occasion is offered , it doth breake forth into action ; it is like fire , which though for a time it be smothered , yet at length it breakes forth into a flame . And so much loue a man sheweth to his neighbour , as he hath ; and where none is shewed , none is . The second fruit is Ioy , when a man is as glad at the good of his neighbour as at his owne good : and this is a speciall worke of the holy Ghost . For the nature of man is to pine away , and to grieue at the good of another ; and contrariwise it is a worke of grace to reioyce thereat . Paul saith , Reioyce with them that reioyce . And this was the holy practise of the friends and neighbours of Zacharias and Elizabeth , when Iohn Baptist was borne , they came and reioyced with them . The third fruit of the spirit , is peace . Of this Paul speaketh most excellently , saying , If it be possible , as much as in you is haue peace with all men . It is nothing els but concord which must be kept in an holy manner , with all men , both good and badde , so farre forth as can be . Isai the Prophet speaking of the fruits of the Gospel saith , The wolfe shall dwell with the lambe , and the leopard with the kidde , &c. Where note , that in the kingdome of Christ , when a man is called into the state of grace , howsoeuer by nature he be as a wolfe , as a leopard , as a lyon , or as a beare ; yet he shall then lay away his cruell nature , and become gentle , & liue peaceably with all men . Now for the practising of this peace , there are three duties especially to be learned and performed : I. rather then peace should be broken , a man must yeeld of his own right . When Publicans came to our Sauiour Christ for tribute , he had a lawfull excuse : for how soeuer he liued in low estate among them , yet he was the right heire to the kingdome , and therefore was free : neuerthelesse he stoode not on his priuiledge , but calleth Peter , saying , Least we offend them , goe to the sea and cast in an angle , and take the first fish that cōmeth vp : and when thou hast opened his mouth , thou shalt finde a peece of twentie pence : take it , and giue it to them for thee and me . Here we see that our Sauiour Christ , rather then he would breake the common peace , yeelds of his owne right ; and so we must doe if we will be good followers of him . Secondly , when any man shall sinne either in word or indeede , specially if it be vpon infirmitie , we must auoid bitter inuectiues and mildly tell him of his fault , and in all meeknes and loue labour for his amendment . So Paul teacheth vs , saying , If any man be fallen into any fault by occasion , restore such an one with the spirit of meeknes , considering thy selfe , least thou be also tempted . &c. Beare ye one an others burden . Thirdly , euery man within the compasse of his calling , must be a peace-maker betweene them that are at variāce . This is a speciall dutie of godlines and christianitie , and therefore our Sauiour Christ doth highly commend such , and pronounceth this blessing vpon them , that they shall be called the children of God. The fourth fruit of the spirit , is long suffering : and it standeth in two points : I. when a man deferreth his anger and is hardly brought to it : II. beeing angrie doth yet moderate the same , and stay the hotnesse of that affection . For the first , to bridle anger , it is a speciall worke of the holy Ghost , & the meanes to attaine vnto it are these : I. not to take notice of the iniuries & wrongs done vnto vs , if they be not of great moment ; but to let them passe , as not knowing them . Salomon saith , It is a mans discretion to deferre his anger . Now how is that done ? it is added in the next words , It is the glorie of a man to passe by infirmitie : that is , when a man shall ouershoote himselfe , either in word or in deede , to let it passe either wholly , or till a time conuenient , as though we knew not of it . The second way to deferre and bridle anger is , when a man hath iniuried vs either in word or deede , to thinke with our selues that we haue iniuried other in the same manner : and for this cause Salomon saith , Giue not thine heart to all the words that men speake , least thou heare thy seruant cursing thee : for oftentimes thine heart also knoweth that thou hast cursed others . A man must not listen to euery mans words at all times : but he is to thinke that he hath spoken or done the same to other men , and that now the Lord meeteth with him by the like , as it is said , With what measure yee mete , it shall be measured to you againe . This is a thing which fewe consider . Euill men desire good report and would haue all men speake well of them , whereas they can speake well of none : but indeede they must beginne to speake well of others before others shall speake well of them . Thirdly , a man must consider how God dealeth with him . For so often as he sinneth he prouoketh God to cast him away and to confound him eternally ; yet the Lord is mercifull and long suffering . Euen so when men doe offend and iniurie vs , we must doe as God doth : not be angrie but fight against our affections , endeauouring to become patient and long suffering as God is with vs. The second propertie of long suffering , is to keepe the affection of anger in moderation and compasse . It is not alwaies a sinne to be angrie , and therefore it is said of Christ ( in whome was no blemish of sinne ) that he was angrie : yet we must looke that our anger be moderate not continuing ouerlong , as Paul saith , Let not the sunne goe downe vpon your wrath . The fifth fruit of the spirit is gentlenes , whereby a man behaueth and sheweth himselfe friendly and courteous to euery man , as Paul saith to Titus , Put them in remembrance that they speake euill of no man , that they be no fighters but soft , shewing all meekenes vnto all men , whether they be good or bad . This gentlenes standeth in these points : I. to speake to euery man friendly and louingly . II. to salute friendly and courteously . III. to be readie vpon euery occasion to giue reuerence and honour to euery man in his place . It is made a question of some , whether a man is to salute and speake vnto them that are knowne to be leud and wicked men : but here we see what our dutie is in that we are taught to be courteous to all men both good and bad , yet so as we approoue not of their sinnes : as for that which S. Iohn saith of false prophets , receiue them not , neither bid them God speede , it is to be vnderstood of giuing an outward approbation to false teachers . The sixt fruit is goodnes , which is , when a man is readie to doe good and become seruiceable in his calling to all men at all times vpon all occasions . This was to be seene in that holy man Iob : he saith ; that he was eyes to the blind , and feete to the lame , a father vnto the poore , and when he knew not the cause , he sought it out . And S. Paul shewed this fruit most notably after his conuersion , for he saith , that he was made all things to all men that he might saue some . He was content to vndergoe any thing for the good of any man. And as we haue heard , the godly are trees of righteousnes bearing fruit not for themselues but for others , and therefore Paul in the epistle to the Galatians giueth this rule , Doe seruice one to another in loue . In these daies it is hard to finde these duties performed in any place . For both practise and prouerb is commonly this , Euery man for himselfe , and God for vs all : but it is a graceles saying ; and the contrarie must be practised of all , that desire to be guided by the spirit . The seuenth fruit is faith . Faith or fidelitie standeth in these two duties . One , to make conscience of a lie , and to speake euery thing whereof we speake , as we thinke it is , and not to speake one thing and thinke an other . A rare thing it is , to finde this vertue in the world now adaies : who is he that maketh conscience of a lie ? and is not truth banished out of our coasts ; considering that for gaines and outward commodities men make no bones of glosing and dissembling ? but alas , the practise is damnable , and the contrarie is the fruit of the holy Ghost , namely to speake the truth from the heart : & he that can doe this , by the testimonie of God himselfe shall rest in the mountaine of his holines , euen in the kingdome of heauen . The second point , wherein fidelitie consisteth is , when a man hath made a promise that is lawfull and good , to keepe and performe the same . Some thinke it is a small matter to breake promise , but indeede it is a fruit of the flesh ; and contrariwise a fruit of the spirit to performe a lawfull promise : and a mans word should be as sure as an obligation : and in conscience a man is bound to keepe promise so farre forth as he will , to whome the promise is made . Indeede if a man be released of his promise , he is then free : otherwise if we promise and doe not performe , we doe not onely cracke our credit before men , but also sinne before God. The eight fruit of the spirit is meekenesse , which is a notable grace of God , when a man prouoked by iniuries doth neither intend nor enterprise the requitall of the same . And it stands in three duties . The first is to interpret the sayings and doings of other men in better part as much as possibly may be . The second , when men mistake and misconsture our sayings and doings , if the matter be of smaller moment , to be silent & patient as Christ was , when he was accused before the high priests & Pharises : this being withal remembred , that if the matter be of weight and moment , we may defend our selues by soft and mild answers . The third , is not to contend in word or deed with any man , but when we are to deale with others , to speake our minde , and so an ende . The last fruit of the spirit is temperance , whereby a man bridleth his appetite or lust in meate , drinke , and apparell . In bridling the lust , these rules must be obserued . I. Eating and drinking must be ioyned with continuall fasting , after this manner . We must not glut our selues , but rather abstaine from that which nature desireth , and as some vse to speake , leaue our stomackes crauing . II. A man must so eate and drinke , as afterward he may the better be inabled for Gods worship . Creatures are abused when they make vs vnfit to serue God. The common fault is , on the Sabbath day men so pamper themselues , as that they are made vnfit both to heare and learne Gods word , and fitte for nothing but to slumber and sleepe : but following this rule of temperance these faults shall be amended . III. This must be a caueat in our apparell , that we be attired according to our callings in holy comelinesse . The Lord hath threatned to visit all those that are cloathed in strange apparrell . And holy comelinesse is this , when the apparell is both for fashion and matter so made and worne , that it may expresse & shew forth the graces of God in the heart , as sobrietie , temperance , grauitie , &c. and the beholder may take occasion by the apparell , to acknowledge and commend these vertues . But lamentable is the time , looke on men and women in these daies , and you may see and read their sinnes written in great letters on their apparell , as intemperance , pride , and wantonnesse . Euery day new fashions please the world ; but indeede that holy comelines which the holy Ghost doth commend to vs , is the right fashion when all is done . And these are the nine fruits of the spirit , which we must put in practise in our liues and conuersations . Fourthly , if we beleeue in the holy Ghost , and thereupon doe perswade our selues , that he will dwell in vs : we must daily labour as we are commaunded to keepe our vessells in holinesse and honour vnto the Lord : and the reason is good . If a man be to entertaine but an earthly prince or some man of state , he would be sure to haue his house in a readines , and all matters in order against his comming , so as euery thing might be pleasing vnto so worthy a guest : well now , behold , we put our confidence and affiance in the holy Ghost , and doe beleeue that he wil come vnto vs , and ●anctifie vs , and lodge in our hearts . He is higher then all states in the world whatsoeuer ; and therefore we must looke that our bodies and soules be kept in an honourable and holy manner , so as they may be fit temples for him to dwell in . S. Paul biddeth vs● not to grieue the holy spirit , where the holy Ghost is compared to a guest , and ou● bodies and soules vnto Innes : and as men vse their guests friendly and courteously , shewing vnto them all seruice and dutie : so must we doe to Gods spirit which is come to dwell and abide in vs , doing nothing in any case , which may disquiet or molest him . Now there is nothing so grieuous vnto him as our sinnes , and therefore we must make conscience of all manner of sinne , least by abusing of our selues , we doe cause the holy Ghost ( as it were ) with greefe to depart from vs. When the arke of the couenant which was a signe of the presence of God , was in the house of Obed Edom , the text saith , that the Lord blessed him and all his house : but when the holy Ghost dwels in a mans heart , there is more then the arke of the Lord present , euen God himselfe : and therfore may we looke for a greater blessing . Now then shall we grieue the holy Ghost by sinning , seeing we reape such benefit by his aboad ? It is said that our Sauiour Christ was angrie when he came into the temple at Ierusalem , and saw the abuses therein . Now shall he be angrie for the abuses that are done in a temple of stone , and seeing the temples of our bodies which are not made of stone , but are spirituall , figured by that earthly temple , seeing them ( I say ) abused by sinne , will he not be much more angrie ? Yea we may assure our selues , he can not abide that . And therefore if we beleeue in the holy Ghost , we must hereupon be mooued to keepe our bodies and soules pure and cleane . And further , to perswade vs hereunto , we must remember this , that when we pollute our soules and bodies with any manner of sinne , we make them euen stables and styes for our wretched enemie the deuill to harbour in . For when Satan is once cast out , if afterward we fall againe to our old sinnes & loosenes of life , and so defile our bodies , they are then most cleane and neat for them to dwell in : whereupon he will come and bring seuen other deuills worse then himselfe , & so a mans last end shall be worse then his beginning . Now what a fearefull thing is this , that the bodie which should be a temple for the holy Ghost , by our sins should be made a stable for the deuil . Furthermore S. Paul biddeth vs , not to quench the spirit . The graces of the holy spirit in this life , are like sparkes of fire , which may soone be quenched with a little water . Now so oft as we sinne , we cast water vpon the grace of God , and as much as we can put out the same : therefore it stands vs in hand to make conscience of euery thing wherein we may offend and displease God. And we may assure our selues , that so long as we liue and lie in our corruptions and sinnes , the holy Ghost will neuer come and dwell with vs. He is a spirit most pure and chast , and therefore must haue an vndefiled temple to dwell in . Thus we haue heard what is to be beleeued concerning the Father , Sonne , and holy Ghost . Now , looke as we beleeue in God distinguished into three persons : so we must remember , that when we performe diuine worship to him , we may distinguish the persons , but we are not to seuer them : when we pray to the Father , we must not omit the Sonne or the holy Ghost , but make our prayers to them all : for as in nature they are one , and in person not deuided but distinguished : so in all worship we must neuer confound or seuer the persons , but distinguish them , and worship the Trinitie in vnitie and vnitie in trinitie : one God in three persons , and three persons in one God. Hitherto we haue intreated of the first part of the Creede concerning God : now followes the second part thereof concerning the Church : and ●t was added to the former vpon speciall consideration . For a the right order of a confession did require , that after the Trinitie the Church should be mentioned , as the house after the owner , the temple after God , and the citie after the builder . Againe , the Creede is concluded with points of doctrine concerning the Church , because whosoeuer is out of it , is also forth of the number of gods children : and he can not haue God for his father , which hath not the Church for his mother . Question is made what the words are which are to be supplied in this article , the holy Catholike Church , whether , I beleeue , or , I beleeue in : and ancient expositours haue sufficiently determined the matter . One b saith , In these words , in which is set forth our faith of the godhead , it is saide , In God the father , in the Sonne , and in the holy Ghost ; but in the rest where the speech is not of the Godhead , but of creatures aud mysteries , the preposition In is not added that it should be , in the holy Church , but , that we should beleeue there is an holy Church not as God , but as a companie gathered to God. And men should beleeue that there is remission of sinnes , not , in the remission of sinnes : and they should beleeue the resurrection of the bodie not , in the resurrection of the bodie : therefore by this preposition the Creatour is distinguished from the creatures , and things pertaining to God from things pertaining to men . Another vpon these words , This is the worke of God that ye beleeue in him ; saith , If ye beleeue in him , ye beleeue him ; not if ye beleeue him , ye beleeue in him , for the deuills beleeued God , but did not beleeue in him . Againe of the Apostles , we may say , we beleeue Paul , but we doe not beleeue in Paul : we beleeue Peter , but we beleeue not in Peter . For his faith that beleeueth in him which iustifieth the vngodly , is imputed to him for righteousnes . What is it therefore to beleeue in him ? by beleeuing to loue and like , and as it were to passe into him , and to be incorporated into his members . Now the reasons which some Papists bring to the contrarie to prooue that we may beleeue in the creatures , & in the church , are of no moment . First they alleadge the phrase of Scripture , Exod. 14.31 . They beleeued in God , and in Moses . 1. Sam. 27. 12. And Achis beleeued in Dauid . 2. Chron. 20.20 . Beleeue in the Prophets and prosper . Ans. The Hebrewe phrase in which the seruile letter Beth is vsed , must not bee translated with a preposition that ruleth an accusatiue or ablatiue case , but with a datiue case on this manner , Beleeue Moses , Dauid , the Prophets : and it doth not impart any affiance in the creature , but onely a giuing of credance by one man to another . Secondly they alleadge , that ancient fathers read the article on this manner , I beleeue in the holy Catholike Church . Answ. Indeede some haue done so : but by this kind of speech they signified no more but thus much , that they beleeued that there was a Catholike Church . Thus hauing found what words are to be supplied , let vs come to the meaning of the article . And that we may proceede in order , let vs first of all see what the Church is . The Church is a peculiar companie of men , predestinate to life euerlasting and made one in Christ. First I say , it is a peculiar company of men : for Saint Peter saith , Ye are a chosen generation , a royall priesthood , an holy nation , and a peculiar people . He speakes indeede of the Church of God on earth , but his saying may be also extended to the whole Church of God , as well in heauen as in earth . Nowe because there can be no companie vnlesse it haue a beginning and a cause whereby it is gathered : therefore I adde further in the definition , predestinate to life euerlasting . Noting thereby the ground and cause of the Catholike Church , namely Gods eternall predestination to life euerlasting : and to this purpose our Sauiour Christ saith , Feare not little flocke , for it is your fathers will to giue you the kingdome : signifying thereby , that the first and principall cause of the Church , is the good pleasure of God whereby he hath before all workes purposed to aduance his elect to eternall saluation . Therefore one saith well , a onely the elect are the Church of God. And further , because no companie can continue and abide for euer , vnlesse the members thereof be ioyned and coupled together by some bond , therefore I adde in the last place , made one with Christ. This vnion maketh the Church to be the Church : and by it the members thereof , whether they be in heauen or in earth , are distinguished from all other companies whatsoeuer . Now this coniunction betweene Christ and the Church is auouched by Saint Paul when he saith , Christ is the head to his bodie , which is his Church : and when he ascribes the name of Christ not onely to the person of the Sonne but to the Church it selfe , as in the Epistle to the Galatians . To Abraham and his seede were the promises made : he saith not , and to his seedes , as speaking of many , but , and vnto his seede , as speaking of one , which is Christ : that is not the redeemer alone , but also the Church redeemed . For Christ as he is man is not the onely seede of Abraham . And this definition of the Church is almost in so many wordes set downe in the Scriptures in that it is called the Familie of God , partly in heauen , and partly in earth , named of Christ : and it is also called the heauenly Ierusalem , the mother of vs all : and , the celestiall Ierusalem : and , the congregation of the first borne . Nowe for the better vnderstanding of the nature , estate , and parts of the Church , two points among the rest must bee considered ; the efficient cause therof , C●●s predestination ; and the forme , the mysticall Vnion . In handling the doctrine of Predestination , my meaning is , onely to stand on such points as are reuealed in the worde and necessarie , tending to edification . And first I will shewe what is the trueth , and secondly the contrary falshoode . In the trueth I consider foure things ; I. what Predestination is : II. what is the order of it : III. what be the parts of it : IV. what is the vse . Predestination may thus be de●ined : It is a part of the counsell of God , whereby he hath before all times purposed in himselfe to shewe mercy on some men , & to passe by others , shewing his iustice on them for the manifestation of the glorie of his owne name . First , I say , it is a part of his counsell , because the counsell or decree of God , vniuersally extends it selfe to all things that are : and Predestination is Gods decree so farre forth as it concernes the reasonable creatures , especially man. Nowe in euery purpose or decree of God , three things must be considered ; the beginning , the matter , the ende . The beginning is the will of God whereby he willeth and appointeth the estate of his creatures : & it is the most absolute , supreame , and soueraigne cause of all things that are , so farre forth as they haue beeing : hauing nothing either aboue it selfe or out of it selfe , to bee an impulsiue cause to mooue or incline it ; and to say otherwise , is to make the will of God to be no will. Indeede mens wils are mooued and disposed by externall causes , out of themselues borrowed from the things whereof deliberation is made , because they are to be ruled by equitie and reason : and a mans bare will without reason is nothing . Nowe Gods will is not ruled by another rule of reason or iustice , but it selfe is an absolute rule both of iustice and reason . A thing is not first of all reasonable and iust , and then afterward willed by God : but it is first of all willed by God , and thereupon becomes reasonable and iust . The matter of his purpose is a decreed manifestation of two of the most ptincipall attributes of the godhead , mercy and iustice : and that with a limitation or restraint of mercy to some of the creatures , and iustice to some others , because it was his good will and pleasure . And we are not to imagine that this is a point of crueltie in God : for his very essence or nature is not iustice alone or mercy alone , but iustice and mercy both togither : and therefore to purpose the declaration of them both vpon his creatures ouer whome hee is a soueraigne Lord ; and that without other respects , vpon his very will and pleasure , is no point of iniustice . The supreame end of the counsell of God is the manifestation of his owne glorie partly in his mercy , and partly in his iustice . For in common equitie the end which he propoundes vnto himselfe of all his doings , must be answerable to his nature ; which is maiestie and glorie and ( as I haue said ) iustice and mercy it selfe . And because Pauls disputation in the 9. to the Romanes giues light and sufficient confirmation to this which I nowe teach , I will stand a little to open and resolue the same . From the 1. verse to the 6. he sets downe his griefe conceiued for his brethren the Iewes , and therewithall , that it might not bee thought that he spake of malice , he doth onely in close and obscure manner insinuate the R●iection of that nation . This done in the 6. v. he answers a secret obiection which might be made , on this manner : If the Iewes be reiected , thē the word of God is of none effect : that is , then the couenant made with the forefathers is void : but the couenant can not be voide : therefore the Iewes are not reiected . The assumption he takes for graunted , and denies the consequence of the proposition . And the ground of his deniall is , because there is a distinction betweene man and man , euen among the Iewes , whereby some are indeede in the couenant , some not . And this distinction is prooued by three examples : the first in this verse , that of the children of Iacob the common parent of all the Iewes , some are Israel , that is , truely in the couenant as Iacob was : and some are not Israel . Now it might be further obiected , that the Iewes are not onely the posteritie of Iacob , but the seede of Abraham in whome all nations of the earth are blessed : and therefore not to be reiected . And to this Paul answers vers . 7. alleadging a second example of the distinction betweene man and man out of the familie of Abraham , in which some were indeede sonnes , some were not . For the proofe of this , first he sets downe the words of the text in Moses , In Isaac shall thy seede be called : and secondly makes an exposition of them with a collection on this manner : Al they which are the sonnes of the promise are the seede of Abraham or the sonnes of God : but Isaac is a sonne of promise and not Ismael : therefore Isaac is the seed of Abraham and heire of the blessing , and not Ismael . The proposition is in the 8. verse , the assumption in the 9. vers . the conclusion in the 7. verse . Here marke , I. howe he makes a double seede , one according to the flesh , the other spirituall : and two kinde of sonnes , one of the flesh , the other sonne of the promise or the sonne of God : for he puts the one for the other . II. that the distinction betweene Isaac and Ismael , whereby one is in the couenant of grace , the other not ; standes not in their foreseene saith and vnbeleefe , and the fruites of them : but in the purpose and will of God it selfe . For Isaac is called the childe of promise , because by the vertue of it he was borne , and beleeued , and was adopted the child of God , and made heire of the couenant giuen to Abraham : and therefore consequently the right of apoption befell him by the meere good pleasure of God , which is the first cause of our saluation , without respect of any thing in the person of Isaac . For what God by his promise brings to passe in time , that he most freely decreed before all times . Nowe considering the Iewes might say that Ismael was reiected , because he was borne of the hand-maid Hagar , whereas they , for their parts descend of Abraham and Sarai ; by Isaac the lawefull sonne , Paul addes a third example of the distinction betweene man and man out of the familie of Isaac , in which Iacob was a true sonne and heire of the promise , and Esau was not . Nowe the distinction of these two persons is propounded in the 10. vers . and confirmed verse 11 , 12 , 13. in which are set downe three things : I. the time of this distinction , yer the children were borne , and therefore when they had neither done good nor euill . And this circumstance is noted , to shewe , that God was not mooued by any preuision or preconsideration of Iacobs godlinesse and Esaus prophanenesse to preferre the one before the other . II. the ende why the distinction was made at this time and not afterward when they were borne is , that the purpose of God which is according to his election might remaine sure , not of workes but by him that calleth : that is , that by this meanes it might appeare , that when God receiues any man into the couenant of eternall life , it proceedes not of any dignitie in the man whome God calleth , but from his mercie and alone good pleasure , that his decree of sauing the elect might remaine firme and sure for euer . Hence it is manifest that there is an vnchangeable decree of election of some men ( for he that takes all and accepts none can not be said to choose ) to saluation , depending vpon the alone will of God ; and therefore necessarily by the lawe of contraries , there is an opposite decree of reprobation : for in that God ordaineth some to eternall saluation , hee testifies thereby , that his purpose is to passe by some without shewing of mercy . III. The author of this distinction , God himselfe by his purpose before al times , which purpose he made manifest by testimony giuen to Rebecca , saying , the greater shall serue the younger : that is , the first borne and more excellent according to the flesh , shall loose his birthright and the blessing of his father , and in respect of title to the couenant , be subiect to the younger . And because this testimony concerning the freedome and seruitude of Iacob and Esau might seeme sufficient to prooue the election of the first and the reiection of the second , therefore Paul addes a secōd testimony out of Malachi , I haue loued Iacob & hated Esau : that is , I haue purposed to loue Iacob & to hate Esau. And these words no doubt , are alleadged to expound the former place out of Moses , and shew that the bondage of Esau was ioyned with the hatred of God , and the feedom of Iacob with the loue of God as tokens thereof . Against this receiued exposition of the former words which I haue nowe propounded , sundrie exceptions are made . First , that the prerogatiue of Isaac aboue Ismael , and Iacob aboue Esau , was only in temporarie blessings , in that God vouchsafed vnto them the right of the land of Canaan . Ans. If these places are to bee vnderstood of temporall blessings and not spirituall , then the Apostle hath not fitly alleadged the former examples , to prooue the reiection of the Iewes from the Couenant . For though it be graunted , there be a difference betweene man and man , in respect of earthly blessings , yet doeth it not followe that there shall be the same difference in things concerning the kingdome of heauen . If a father for some cause disinherit one or two of his children , it were absurd thereupon to conclude that he might therefore kil any of the rest . Againe , the land of Canaan was not onely an earthly inheritance , but also a pledge and figure vnto our forefathers of a better inheritance in heauē : and therefore the excluding of Ismael and Esau from the land of Canaan was a signe that they were excluded from the couenant of grace , and the right of eternall life . Some others say , that by Iacob and Esau are not meant two persons , but the two nations of the Idumeans and the Israelites . Ans. It is a manifest vntrueth . For it was not possible for two nations to striue in the wombe of Rebecca , vnlesse wee considered them as they were comprehended vnder the two heads , to wit , the verie persons of Iacob and Esau. And whereas they say that Esau in person neuer serued Iacob , but onely in his posteritie , the answer is , that Iacobs freedome and prerogatiues were spirituall , and not temporall , which by faith he saw a farre off , but inioyed not : and therefore proportionally Esau was debased to the condition of a seruant in respect of his younger brother , not so much in respect of his outward estate and condition , as in regard of the couenant made with his auncestours from which hee was barred . And though it bee graunted that by Iacob and Esau two nations and not two persons are to be vnderstood , yet all comes to one head , for the receiuing of the nation of the Israelites into the couenant , and the excluding of the nation of the Edomites , both descending of Iacob and Esau , serue as wel to prooue Gods eternal election & reprobation , as the receiuing and reiecting of one man. Others say that these words , I haue hated Esau , are thus to be vnderstood ; I haue lesse loued Esau then Iacob . But how then shall we say that Paul hath fitly alleadged this text to prooue the reiection of the Iewe from the fauour of God and the Couenant of grace , considering that of men , wherof one is loued more of God , the other lesse ; both may still remain in the Couenant . Lastly , it is alleadged that the former exposition makes Ismael & Esau damned persons . Ans. We must leaue vnto God all secret iudgement of particular persons , and yet neuerthelesse Paul doth very fitly in there two persons , both descending of Abraham , and both circumcised ; set forth examples of such , as for their outward prerogatiues , are indeede barred from the couenāt of life euerlasting before god . And again the opposition made by Paul requires that the contrarie to that which is spoken of Isaac and Iacob , should be said of Ismael and Esau. And there is nothing spoken of either of them in the Scriptures which argues the disposition of men ordained to eternall life . Ismael is noted with the brand of a mocker , and Esau of a prophane man. To proceede in the text , because the doctrine of Paul deliuered in the former verses might seeme strange vnto the Romanes , therefore in the 14. verse , he laies downe an obiection , and answers the same . The obiection is this : If God put distinction betweene man and man , without respect had to their persons , vpon his owne will and pleasure , then is he vniust : but he is not vniust : therfore he makes no such distinction . The answer is , God forbid . Whereby he denies the consequence of the proposition , on this manner : Though God should elect some to saluation , and reiect some others and that vpon his will , yet were there no iniustice with God. The reason of this answer followes in the 18. verse . God hath absolute power or freedome of will , whereby without beeing bound to any creature , he may and can first of all haue mercie on whome he will , and secondly harden whome he will. For the proofe of the first , that God hath mercie on whome he will , he laies downe the testimonie of Moses , vers . 15. I will haue mercie on him on whome I will shew mercie , and I will haue compassion on him on whome I will haue compassion . And in verse 16. makes his collection thence , that it [ namely the purpose of God according to election verse 11. ] is not in him that willeth or in him that runne●h , but in God that sheweth mercie . Whereby he teacheth , that the free election of God in order goes before all things that may in time befall man : and that therefore neither the intentions and endeauours of the minde , nor the workes of our life , which are the effects of election , can be the impulsiue causes to mooue God to choose vs to saluation . The second , that God hardens whome he will , is confirmed & made plaine by the testimonie of Scripture concerning Pharao , verse 17. In the 19. verse there followes an other obiection , arising out of the answer to the former , on this manner : If God will haue some to be hardened and reiected , and his will can not be resisted , then with no iustice can he punish thē that are necessarily subiect to his decree : but God will haue some to be hardened and reiected , and his will can not be resisted : therfore ( saith the aduersarie ) with no iustice can hee punish man that is necessarily subiect to his decree . Here marke , that if there had beene an vniuersall election of all men , and if men had beene elected or reiected according as God did foresee that they would beleeue or not beleeue , the occasion of this obiection had beene cutte off . But let vs come to Pauls answer . In the 20. verse hee takes the assumption for graunted , that some are reiected because God will : and that the wil , that is , the decree of God can not be resisted : and onely denies the coherence of the proposition , checking the malipert pride of the aduersarie , and shewing that the making of this wicked and blasphemous collection against the will of God , is as if a man should sue God at the lawe , and bring him as it were to the barre , and plead against him as his equall , whereas indeede the creature is nothing to the creatour , and is absolutely to submit it selfe to his will in all things . In vers . 21. he proceedes to a second answer , shewing that Gods will is not to be blamed , because by his absolute soueraigntie and the right of creation , hee hath power to choose men , or to reiect and harden them . And where there is right and power to doe a thing , the will of the doer is not to be blamed . Now that God hath this right and power ouer his creature , it is prooued by a comparison from the lesse to the greater , on this manner . The potter hath power ouer the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessel to honour , and another to dishonour : therefore may God much more make some vessells of mercy , and some vessels of wrath prepared to destruction . The first part of the comparison is vers . 21. the second part vers . 22 , 23. And least any man should thinke that God makes vessels of honour and dishonour without sufficient and iust cause in himselfe , as the potter may doe : therefore he sets downe endes of the will of God : he makes vessels of dishonour to shewe his wrath , and to make manifest his power : and againe he condemnes no man til he haue suffered him with long patience . And he makes vessells of honour that he might declare the riches of his glorie vpon them . Hence it is manifest , first that the ende of predestination is the glorie of God , which is to be made manifest partly in his iustice and partly in his mercy : secondly that men are not elected or refused of God , for their foreseene corru●tions or vertues : for then Paul would not haue said , the God made vessels of dishonour , but that being so alreadie , he left them in their dishonour . Thus from the 6. verse of this chapter to the 24. Paul hath described vnto vs the doctrine of Gods eternall predestination , and that by the iudgement of a Diuines in all ages . The order of Gods Predestination is this . It is the propertie of the reasonable creature to conceiue one thing after another , whereas God conceiues all things at once with one act of vnderstanding , and all things both past and to come are present with him ; and therefore in his eternall counsell he decrees not one thing after another , but all things at once . Neuerthelesse for our vnderstanding sake , we may distinguish the counsel of God concerning man into two acts or degrees : the first is , the purpose of God in himselfe , in which he determines what he wil do , and the end of al his doings : and that is to create al things , specially man for his owne glory , partly by shewing on some men his mercy , and vpon others his iustice . The second is , an other purpose whereby he decrees the execution of the former , and laies downe meanes of accomplishing the ende thereof . These two acts of the counsell of God , are not to bee seuered in any wise , nor confounded , but distinctly considered with some difference . For in the first , god decrees some men to honour by shewing his mercy and loue on them , and some againe to dishonour by shewing his iustice on them ; and this man more then that , vpon his will and pleasure , and there is no other cause hereof , known to vs. In the second , knowne and manifest causes are set downe of the execution of the former decree . For no man is actually condemned ; yea God decrees to condemne no man but for his sinnes : and no man is actually saued but for the merit of Christ. Furthermore this latter act of the counsell of God , must be conceiued of vs in the second place and not in the first . For euermore the first thing to be intended is the ende it selfe , and then afterward the subordinate meanes and causes wherby the end is accomplished . Againe the second act of Gods counsell containes two other ; one which setteth downe the preparation of the meanes whereby Gods Predestination beginnes to come in execution ; and they are two , the creation of man righteous after the image of God , the voluntarie fall of Adam and withall the shutting vp of all men vnder damnation : the other appoints the applying of the seuerall meanes to the persons of men ; that Gods decree , which was set downe before all times may in time bee fully accomplished ; as shall afterward in particular appeare . Predestination hath two parts , the Decree of Election , the Decree of Reprobation or No-election . This diuision is plaine by that which hath beene said out of the 9. chapter to the Romanes , and it may be further confirmed by other testimonies . Of some it is said , that the Lord knowes who are his : and of some others . Christ shall say in the daie of iudgement , I neuer knewe you . In the Acts it is said , that as many of the Gentiles as were ordained to life euerlasting beleeued . And Iude saith of false prophets , that they were ordained to condemnation . In handling the decree of Election , I will consider three things : I. what Election is : II. the execution thereof : III. the knowledge of particular Election . For the first , Gods Election is a decree in which according to the good pleasure of his will , he hath certenly chosen some men to life eternall in Christ for the prai●e of the glorie of his grace . This is the same which Paul saith to the Ephesians , God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world , that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue : who hath predestinate vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe , according to the good pleasure of his will. Nowe that wee m●y the better conceiue this doctrine , let vs come to a consideration of the seuerall points thereof . First of all I saie , Election is Gods decree . For there is nothing in the worlde that comes to passe either vniuersally or particularly without the eternall and vnchangeable decree of God. And therfore whereas men are actually chosen , & brought to life euerlasting it is because God did purpose with himselfe and decree the same before all worlds . Now touching the decree it selfe , sixe things are to be obserued . The first , what was the motiue or impulsiue cause that mooued God to decree the saluation of any man. Ans. The good pleasure of God. For Paul saith , he will haue mercy on whome he will haue mercy : and , He hath predestinate vs according to the good pleasure of God. As for the opiniō of them that say , that foreseene faith and good works are the cause that mooued god to choose men to saluation , it is friuolous . For faith and good works are the fruits and effects of gods election . Paul saith , he hath chosen us , not because he did foresee that we would becōe holy , but th●t wee might be holy . And , he hath predestinate vs to adoption . Which is all one as if hee had said , he hath predestinate vs to beleeue , because adoption comes by beleeuing . Now if men are elected that they might beleeue , then are they not elected because they would beleeue . For it can not be that one thing should be both the cause and the effect of another . The second point is , that Gods election is vnchangeable ; so as they which are indeed chosen to saluation can not perish , but shall without faile attaine to life euerlasting . Paul takes it for a conclusion● that the purpose of God according to election must remaine firme and sure ; and againe , that the gifts and calling of god are without repentance . And Samuel saith , The strength of Israel will not lie or repent . For he is not a man that he should repent . Such as Gods nature is , such is his will and counsell : but his nature is vnchangeable , I am Iehouah , saith he , and I change not : therefore his will likewife and his counsels bee vnchangeable . And therefore whensoeuer the spirit of God shall testifie vnto our spirits , that we are iustif●ed in Christ , and chosen to saluation ; it must be a means to comfort vs , and to stablish our hearts in the loue of God. As for the opinion of them that say , the elect may fall from grace and be damned , it is ful of hellish discomfort , and no doubt from the deuil . And the reasons cōmonly alleadged for this purpose , are of no moment , as may appeare by the skanning of them . First they obiect that the Churches of the Ephesians , Thessalonians , and the dispersed Iewes are all called Elect by the Apostles themselues , yet sundrie of them afterward fell away . Ans. I. There are two kindes of iudgement to be giuen of men , the iudgement of certenty , and the iudgement of charitie . By the first indeede , is giuen an infallible determination of any mans election ; but it belongs vnto God principally and properly : and to men but in part , namely so farre forth as God shall reueale the estate of one man vnto another . Nowe the iudgement of charitie belongs vnto all men ; and by it , leauing all secret iudgements vnto God , wee are charitably to thinke , that all those , that liue in the Church of God , professing themselues to be members of Christ , are indeede elect to saluation , till God make manifest otherwise . And on this manner , and not otherwise doe the Apostles call whole Churches elect . II. they are called elect of the principall part , and not because euery member thereof was indeede elect ; as it is called an heape of corne though the bigger part be chaffe . Secondly it is alleadged , that Dauid praies that his enemies may be blotted out of the booke of life , which is the election of God , and that Moses and Paul did the like against themselues . Answer . Dauids enemies had not their names written in the booke of life but onely in the iudgement of men . Thus Iudas so long as hee was one of the disciples of Christ , was accounted as one hauing his name written in heauen . Now hence it followes , that mens names are blotted out of Gods booke , when it is made cleare and manifest vnto the worlde , that they were neuer indeede written there . And where Moses saith , Forgiue them this sinne : if not , blotte me out of thy bo●ke : and Paul , I could wish to be accursed , &c. there meaning was , not to signifie that men elected to saluation might become reprobates : onely they testifie their zealous affections , that they could bee content to be depriued of their owne saluation , rather then the whole bodie of the people should perish , and God loose his glorie . As for that which Christ saith , Haue I not chosen you twelue , and one of you is a deuill , it is to be vnderstood not of election to saluation , but of election to office of an Apostle ; which is temporarie and changeable . The third point is , that there is an actuall election made in time , beeing indeede a fruite of Gods decree , and answerable vnto it , and therefore I added in the description these wordes , whereby he hath chosen some men . All men by nature are sinners , and children of wrath , shut vp vnder one & the same estate of condemnation . And actuall election is , when it pleaseth God to seuer and single out some men aboue the rest , out of this wretched estate of the wicked world , and to bring them to the kingdome of his owne sonne . Thus Christ saith of his owne disciples , I haue chosen you out of the world . The fourth point is , the actuall or reall foundation of Gods election , and that is Christ : and therefore we are said to be chosen to saluation in Christ. He must be considered two waies : as he is God , we are predestinate of him , euen as we are predestinate of the father and the holy Ghost . As he is our Mediatour we are predestinate in him . For when God with himselfe had decreed to manifest his glorie in sauing some men by his mercie , hee ordained further the creation of man in his owne image , yet so as by his owne fall hee should infold himselfe and all his posteritie vnder damnation : this done , he also decreed that the Word should bee incarnate actually , to redeeme those out of the former miserie , whome he had ordained to saluation . Christ therefore himselfe was first of all predestinate as he was to bee our head , and as Peter saith , ordained before all worlds ; and wee secondly predestinate in him , because God ordained that the execution of mans Election should be in him . Here if any demand , howe wee may be assured that Christ in his passion stood in our roome and steade , the resolution will be easie , if we consider that he was ordained in the eternall counsell of God , to bee our suretie and pledge , and to be a publike person to represent all the elect in his obedience and sufferings : and therefore it is , that Peter saith , that he was deliuered by the foreknowledge and determinate counsell of God. And Paul , that grace was giuen vnto vs through Christ Iesus before the world was . The fifth point is , concerning the number of the Elect. And that I expressed in these words , hath chosen some men to saluation . If God should decree to communicate his glorie and his mercie to all and euery man , there could bee no election . For he that takes all , cannot be said to choose . Therefore Christ saith , Many are called , but fewe are chosen . Some make this question ; howe great the number of the elect is , and the answer may bee this , that the Elect considered in themselues be innumerable , but considered in comparison to the whole world , they are but fewe . Hence it followes necessarily , that sauing grace is not vniuersall , but indefinite or parti●●lar , vnlesse we will against common reason make the streames more large & plentifull then the very f●untain it selfe . And this must excite vs aboue all thi●gs in the world to labour to haue fellowship with Christ , & to be partakers of the special mercie of God in him , yea to haue the same sealed vp in our hearts . Benefits cōmon to all , as the light of the sunne , &c. are not regarded of any . Things common to fewe , though they be but temporall blessings , are sought for of all . God giues not riches to all men , but to some more , to some lesse , to some none . And herupon how doe men like drudges toile in the world from day to day , and from yere to yere , to inrich themselues . Therefore much more ought men to seeke for grace in Christ , considering it is not common to all . We must not content our selues to say , God is mercifull , but we must goe further , and labour for a certificate in the conscience , that we may be able to say that God is indeede mercifull to vs. When the Disciples would haue knowne how many should be saued , he omitting the question , answers thus , Striue to enter in at the straight gate . The last point is , the ende of Gods election , and that is the manifesting of the praise and excellencie of the glorious grace of God. Thus hauing seene what Election is , let vs come to the Execution thereof . Of which remember this rule , Men predestinate to the ende , that is , glorie , or eternall life , are also predestinate to the subordinate meanes , whereby they come to eternall life : and these are vocation , iustification , sanctification , glorification . For the first , he that is predestinate to saluation , is also predestinate to be called , as Paul saith , Whome he hath predestinate , them also he calleth . Secondly , whome God calleth , they also were predestinate to beleeue ; therefore sauing faith is called the faith of the elect . And in the Actes , as many as were ordained to life euerlasting , beleeued . Thirdly whome God hath predestinate to life , them he iustifieth , as Paul sait● , whome he hath predestinate , them he calleth , and whome he calleth , them he iustifieth . Fourthly , whome he hath predestinate to life , them he hath predestinate to sanctification and holinesse of life , as Peter saith , that the Iewes were elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father vnto sanctification of the spirit . Lastly , they that are predestinate to life , are also predestinate to obedience , as Paul saith to the Ephesians , Yee are the workemanship of God , created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes , which God hath ordained that we should walke in them . This rule beeing the truth of God , must be obserued : for it hath special vse . First of all it serues to stoppe the mouthes of vngodly & profane men . They vse to bolster vp themselues in their sinnes by reasoning on this manner : If I be predestinate to eternall life , I shall be saued whatsoeuer come of it , how wickedly and lewdly soeuer I liue : I will therefore liue as I list , and follow the swinge of mine owne will. But , alas , like blinde bayards they thinke they are in the way , when as they rush their heads against the wall , and farre deceiue themselues . For the case stands thus : all men that are ordained to saluation , are likewise ordained in the counsell of God to vse all the good meanes whereby they may come to saluation . And therefore all the elect that liue in this world shall be called , iustified , sanctified , and lead their liues in all good conscience before God and men : and they that liue and continue in their own wicked waies disputing on this manner , If I be ordained to saluation , I shall not be damned ; ouershoote themselues , and as much as they can , plunge themselues headlong into the very pit of hell . And for a man to liue and die in his sinnes , let the world dispute as they will , it is an infallible signe of one ordained to damnation . Secondly , there be others that thinke that the preaching of the word , the administration of the Sacraments , admonitions , exhortations , lawes , good orders , and all such good meanes are needlesse , because Gods counsels be vnchangeable : if a man shall be condemned , nothing shall helpe : if a man be saued , nothing shall hinder . But we must still for our part remember , that God doth not onely ordaine the ende , but also the meanes whereby the ende is compassed : and therefore the very vse of all prescribed meanes is necessarie . And for this cause we must be admonished with diligence to labour and vse all good meanes , that we may be called by the ministerie of the Gospell , and iustified , and sanctified , and at length glorified . If a king should giue vnto one of his subiects a princely pallace , vpon condition that he shall goe vnto it in the way which he shall prescribe ; oh what paines would the man take to know the way , and afterward to keepe and continue in it : but behold , the kingdome of heauen is the most glorious and royall pallace that euer was ; and God hath bestowed the same on his elect : and he requires nothing at their handes but that they would turne their faces from this world , and walke vnto it in the way which he hath chalked forth vnto them in his word . Therefore if we would haue life euerlasting , we must come forth of the broad way that leades to destruction , and enter into the straight way that leades to eternall life . Wee must acquaint our selues with the guides which are the Ministers of the word , that will crie vnto vs , Here is the way , walke ye in it , when we goe to the right hand or to the left . Vocation , iustification , sanctification , repentance , new-●bedience , are the markes of the way , and we must passe by them all : and thus our wearie soules weltring a while in this wretched world , shall at length be receiued into eternall ioy and happinesse . Touching the knowledge of particular election , two speciall points are to be skanned : I. whether a man may know his election : II. how it may be knowne . For the first , Papists are of mind that no man can certenly know his owne election vnlesse he be certified thereof by some speciall reuelation from God : but the thing is false and erroneous which they say . When the disciples of our Sauiour Christ returned from preaching , and shewed what wonders they had done , and how deuills were subiect vnto them , the text saith they reioyced greatly . But Christ answered them againe , saying , In this reioyce not , but rather reioyce that your names are written in heauen . Whereby he signifies that men may attaine to a certen knowledge of their owne election . For we can not , neither doe we reioyce in things either vnknowne or vncerten . Saint Peter saith , Giue all diligence to make your election sure . Now in vaine were it to vse diligence if the assurance of election could not be any waies compassed without an extraordinarie reuelation . And Paul saith to the Corinthians , Prooue your selues whether ye be in the faith or not . Where he takes it for granted , that he which hath faith may know that he hath faith , and therefore may also know his election : because sauing faith is an vnfallible marke of election . The second point is , how any man may come to know his owne election . And there be two waies of knowing it . The one is by ascending vp as it were into heauen , there to search the counsel of God , and afterward to come downe to our selues . The second by descending into our owne hearts to goe vp from our selues , as it were by Iacobs ladder , to Gods eternall counsell . The first way is dangerous , and not to be attempted . For the waies of God are vnsearchable and past finding out . The second way alone is to be followed , which teacheth vs by signes & testimonies in our selues , to gather what was the eternall counsell of God concerning our saluation . And these testimonies are two : the testimonie of Gods spirit , and the testimonie of our spirits , as Paul saith , the spirit of God beareth witnesse togither with our spirits , that we are the sonnes of God. Touching the testimonie of Gods spirit , two questions may be demaunded . The first is , by what meanes the spirit of God giueth a particular testimonie in a mans conscience of his adoption . Ans. It is not done by any extraordinarie reuelation , or enthusiasme , that is , an ordinarie reuelation without the word ; but by an application of the promises of the Gospel in the forme of a practicall syllogisme , on this manner : Whoso●uer beleeueth in Christ , is chosen to life euerlasting . This proposition is set downe in the word of God , and it is further propounded , opened , and applied to all that be in the Church of God , by the ministers of the Gospel set apart for this ende . Now while the hearers of Gods word giue themselues to meditate and consider of the s●me promise , comes the spirit of God and enlightens the eyes , and opens the heart , & giues them power both to will to beleeue , and to beleeue indeede : so as a man shall with freedome of spirit , make an assumption and say , but I beleeue in Christ , I renounce my selfe , all my ioy and comfort is in him : flesh and blood can not say this , it is the operation of the holy Ghost . And hence ariseth the blessed conclusion which is the testimonie of the spirit , therefore I am the child of God. The second question is , how a man may discerne betweene the illusion of the deuill , and the testimonie of the spirit . For as there is a certen perswasion of Gods fouour from Gods spirit ; so there be sleights and frauds of the deuill whereby he flatters and soothes men in their sinnes : and there is in all men naturall presumption in shew like faith , indeede no faith . And this counterfait mocke-faith is farre more common in the world then true faith is . Take a view hereof in our ignorant and careles people ; aske any one of them , whether he be certen of his saluation or no ; he will without bones making , protest that he is fully perswaded and assured of his saluation in Christ : that if there be but one man in a cuntrie to be saued , it is he : that he hath serued God alwaies , and done no man hurt : that he hath euermore beleeued , and that he would not for all the world , so much as doubt of his saluation . These and such like presumptious conceits in blind and ignorant persons , runne for currant faith in the world . Now the true testimonie of the spirit is discerned from naturall presumption , and all illusions of the deuill by two effects and fruits thereof , noted by Paul in that he saith , that the spirit makes vs crie Abba , that is , father . The first is , to pray so earnestly with groanes and sighes , as though a man would euen fill heauen and earth with the crie not of his lippes , but of his heart , touched with sense and feeling of his manifold sinnes and off●nces . And this indeede is a speciall and principall note of the spirit of adoption . Now looke vpon the loose and carelesse man , that thinkes himselfe so filled with the perswasion of the loue and fauour of God , ye shall finde that he very seldome or neuer praies : and when he doth , it is nothing els but a mumbling ouer the Lords praier , the Creede , and the tenne Commandements for fashions sake . Which argues plainely that the perswasion which he hath of Gods mercie , is of the flesh and not of the spirit . The second fruit is , the affection of a dutifull child to God a most louing father : and this affection makes a man stand in feare of the maiestie of God wheresoeuer he is , and to make conscience of euery euill way . Now those that are caried away with presumption , so soone as any occasion is giuen , they fall straight into sinne without mislike or stay , as fire burnes with speede when drie wood is laide vnto it . In a word , where the testimonie of the spirit is truly wrought , there be many other graces of the spirit ioyned therewith , as when one branch in a tree buddeth the rest budde also . The testimonie of our spirit is the testimonie of the heart and conscience , purified and sanctified in the blood of Christ. And it testifieth two waies , by inward tokens in it selfe , by outward fruits . Inward tokens are certaine speciall graces of God imprinted in the spirit , whereby a man may certenly be a●●ured of his adoption . These tokens are of two sorts , they either r●●pect o●● sinnes , or Gods mercie in Christ. The first are in respect of sinnes p●st , p●●sent , or to come . The signe in the spirit which concerneth sinnes past , ●s 〈◊〉 sorrow , which I may tearme a beginning & mother grace of many other gi●●● and graces of God. It is a kind of griefe conceiued in heart in respect of God. And the nature of it may the better be conceiued , if we compare it with the contrarie . Worldly sorrow springs of sinne , and it is nothing else but the horrour of conscience , and the apprehension of the wrath of God for the same : now godly sorrow , it may indeede be occasioned by our sinnes , but it springs properly from the apprehension of the grace and goodnes of God. World●y sorrow is a griefe for sinne onely in respect of the punishment : godly sorrow is a liuely touch and griefe of heart for sinne because it is sinne , though there were no punishment for it . Now that no man may deceiue himselfe in iudging of this sorrow , the holy Ghost hath set downe seuen fruits or signes th●●●●● whereby it may be discerned . The first is Care to leaue all our sinnes : the second is Apologie whereby a man is mooued and carried to accuse & condemne himselfe for his sinnes past , both before God and men . The third is indignation , whereby a man is exceedingly angrie with himselfe for his offences . The fourth is feare , least he fall into his former sinnes againe . The fifth is desire , whereby he craueth strength and assistance , that his sinnes take not hold on him as before . The sixth is zeale , in the performance of all good duties contrarie to his speciall sinnes . The seuenth is reueng● , whereby he subdues his ●o●●● least it should hereafter be an instrument of sinne as it hath beene in ●ormer time . Now when any man shall feele these fruits in himselfe , he hath no doubt the godly sorrow , which here we speake of . The token which is in regard of sinnes present , is the combat betweene the flesh and the spirit , proper to them that are regenerate , who are partly flesh and partly spirit . It is not the checke of conscience which all men finde in themselues both good and badde , so oft as they offend God : but it is a fighting and striuing of the minde , will , and affections with themselues , whereby so farre forth as they are renued , they carrie the man one way , and as they still remaine corrupt , they carie him flat contrarie . Men hauing the disease called Ephialtes , when they are halfe asleepe feele as it were some weightie thing lying vpon their breasts , and holding them downe : now lying in this case , they striue with their hands and feete and with all the might they haue to raise vp themselues , and to remooue the weight , and can not . Behold here a liuely resemblance of this combate . The flesh which is the inborne corruption of mans nature , lies vpon the hearts of the children of God , and presseth them downe as if it were the very weight of a mountaine : now they , according to the measure of grace receiued , striue to raise vp themselues from vnder this burden , and doe such things as are acceptable to God ; but can not as they would . The token that respects sinne to come , is Care to preuent it . That this is the marke of Gods children , appeareth by the saving of Iohn , He that is borne of God sinneth not , but keepeth himselfe that the wicked one touch him not . And this care shewes it selfe not onely in ordering the outward actions , but euen in the very thoughts of the heart . For where the Gospel is of force it brings euery thought into captiuitie to the obedience of Christ : and the Apostles rule is followed , whatsoeuer things are true , whatsoeuer things are honest , &c. thinke on these things . The tokens which concerne Gods mercie are specially two . The first is , when a man feeles himselfe distressed with the burden of his sinnes , or when he apprehends the heauie displeasure of God in his conscience for them : then further to feele how he standes in neede of Christ , and withall heartily to desire , yea to hunger and thirst after reconciliation with God in the merit of Christ , and that aboue all other things in the world . To all such Christ hath made most sweete and comfortable promises , which can appertaine to none but to the elect . Ioh. 7. 37. If any man thirst , let him come to me and drinke : he that beleeueth in me , as saith the Scripture , out of his bellie shall flow riuers of water of life . Rev. 21. 6. I will giue vnto him which is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely . Now if he that thirsteth , drinke of these waters , marke what followeth , Ioh. 4.14 . Whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him , shall neuer be more a thirst : but the water that I shall giue him , shall be in him a well of water springing vp vnto euerlasting life . The second is a strange affection wrought in the heart by the spirit of God , whereby a man doth so esteeme and value , and as it were , set so high a price on Christ and his righteousnesse , that he accounts euen the most pretious things that are , to be but as dung in regard thereof . This affection was in Paul , and it is expressed in the parable in which after a man hath found a treasure , he first hides it , and then sells all he hath and makes a purchase of the field where it is . Now euery man will say of himselfe , that he is thus affected to Christ , and that he more highly esteemes the least droppe of his blood , then all things in the world beside : whereas indeede most men are of Esaus minde , rather desiring the red broth then Isaaks blessing ; and of the same affection with the Israelites , which liked better the onyons and flesh pottes of Egypt , then the blessings of God in the land of promise . Therefore that no man may deceiue himselfe , this affection may be discerned by two signes . The first is to loue and like a Christian man because he is a Christian. For he that doth aright esteeme of Christ , doth in like manner esteeme of the members of Christ. And of this very point our Sauiour Christ saith , he that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a prophet , shal receiue a Prophets reward , and he that receiues a righteous man in the name of a righteous man , shall receiue the reward of a righteous man. And Saint Iohn saith , Hereby we know that we are translated from death to life , because we loue the brethren : that is , such as are members , euen because they are so . The second signe of this affection is a loue and desire to the comming of Christ , whether it be by death vnto any man particularly , or by the last iudgement vniuersally , and that for this ende that there may be a full participation of fellowshippe with Christ. And that this very loue is a note of adoption , it appeares by that which S. Paul saith , that the crowne of righteousnes is laid vp for all them that loue the appearing of Christ. The outward token of adoption is New-obedience , wherby a man endeauours to obey Gods commandements in his life and conuersation : as Saint Iohn saith , Hereby we are sure that we know him , if we keepe his commandements . Now this obedience must not be iudged by the rigour of the morall law , for then it should be no token of grace , but rather a meanes of damnation : but it must be esteemed & considered as it is in the acceptation of God , who spares them that feare him as a father spares an obedient sonne , esteeming things done not by the effect and absolute doing of them , but by the affection of the doer . And yet least any man should here be deceiued , wee must knowe that the obedience , which is an infallible marke of the childe of God , must be thus qualified . First of all it must not be done vnto some fewe of Gods commandements , but vnto them all without exception . Herod heard Iohn Baptist willingly , and did many things : and Iudas had excellent things in him , as appeares by this , that he was content to leaue all and to follow Christ , and he preached the Gospel of the kingdome in Iurie as well as the rest : yet alas , all this was nothing : for the one could not abide to become obedient to the seauenth commaundement in leauing his brother Philips wife ; and the other would not leaue his couetousnesse , to die for it . Vpright and sincere obedience doth inlarge it selfe to all the commandements , as Dauid saith , I shall not be confounded , when I haue respect to all thy commaundements . And Saint Iames saith , he which faileth in one law is guiltie of all : that is , the obedience to many commaundements is indeede before God no obedience , but a slatte sinne if a man wittingly and willingly carrie a purpose to omit any one dutie of the lawe . He that repents of one sinne truly , doth repent of all : and he that liues but in one knowne sinne without repentance , though he pretend neuer ●o much reformation of life , indeed repents of no sinne . Secondly this obedience must extend it selfe to the whole course of a mans life after his conuersion and repentance . We must not iudge of a man by an action or two , but by the tenour of his life . Such as the course of a mans life is , such is the man : though he , through the corruption of his nature , faile in this or that particular action , yet doth it not preiudice his estate before God , so be it he renue his repentance for his seuerall slippes and falls , not lying in any sinne ; and withall from yeare to yeare walke vnblameable before God and men . S. Paul saith , The foundation of God remaineth sure : the Lord knoweth who are his . Now some might hereupon say , it is true indeede , God knowes who are his ; but how may I be assured in my selfe that I am his ? to this demaund as I take it , Paul answers in the next words , Let euery one that calleth on the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie : that is , let men inuocate the name of God ; praying seriously for things whereof they stand in neede , withall giuing thanks , and departing from all their former sinnes , and this shall be vnto them an infallible token that they are in the election of God. Thirdly in outward obedience it is required that it proceede from the whole man : as the regeneration which is the cause of it , is through the whole man in bodie , soule , and spirit . Againe , obedience is the fruit of loue , and loue is from the pure heart , the good conscience , and faith vnfained . Thus we haue heard the testimonies and tokens whereby a man may be certified in his conscience that he was chosen to saluation before all worlds . If and desire further resolution in this point , let them meditate vpon the 15. psal . and first epistle of S. Iohn , beeing parcels of Scripture penned by the holy Ghost for this ende . Here some will demand how a man may be assured of his adoption , if he want the testimonie of the spirit to certifie him thereof . Ans. Fire is knowne to be no painted but a true fire , by two notes ; by heate , and by the flame : now if the case fall out that the fire want a flame , it is still knowne to be fire by the heate . In like manner , as I haue saide , there be two witnesses of our adoption , Gods spirit , and our spirit : now if it fall out that a man feele not the principall , which is the spirit of adoption , he must then haue recourse to the second witnesse , and search out in himselfe the signes and tokens of the sanctification of his owne spirit , by which he may certenly assure himselfe of his adoption , as we know fire to be fire by the heate though it want a flame . Againe it may be demanded on this manner : how if it come to passe that after inquirie , we finde but fewe signes of sanctification in our selues . Ans. In this case we are to haue recourse to the least measure of grace , lesse then which , there is no sauing grace ; and it stands in two things : an heartie disliking of our sinnes because they are sinnes , and a desire of reconciliation with God in Christ for them all : and these are tokens of adoption , if they be soundly wrought in the heart , though all other tokens for the present seeme to be wanting . If any shall say , that a wicked man may haue this desire , as Balaam , who desired to die the death of the righteous : the answer is , that Balaam indeede desired to die as the righteous man doth , but he could not abide to liue as the righteous : he desired the ende , but not the proper subordinate meanes which tend vnto the ende ; as vocation , iustification , sanctification , repentance , &c. the first is the worke of nature , the second is the worke of grace . Nowe I speake not this to make men secure and to content themselues with these smal beginnings of grace , but onely to shewe howe any may assure themselues that they are at the least babes in Christ : adding this withall , that they which haue no more but these small beginnings must be carefull to increase them , because he which goes not forward goes backeward . Lastly , it may be demanded what a man should doe if he want both the testimonie of Gods spirit and his owne spirit , and haue no meanes in the world of assurance . Ans. He must not vtterly despaire , but be resolued of this , that though he want assurance nowe , yet he may obtaine the same hereafter . And such must he aduertised to heare the word of God preached : and beeing outwardly of the Church , to receiue the Sacraments . When we haue care to come into the Lords vine-yarde and to conuerse about the wine-presse , wee shall finde the sweete iuyce of heauenly grace pressed forth vnto vs plentifully by the word and sacraments , to the comfort of our consciences , concerning gods election . This one mercy that God by these meanes in some part reueales his mercy , is vnspeakeable . When sickenesse or the day of death comes , the dearest seruants of God , it may bee , must encounter with the temptations of the deuill , and wrastle in conscience with the wrath and displeasure of God , as for life and death : and no man knowes howe terrible these things are , but those which haue felt them . Nowe when men walke thus through the valley of the shadowe of death , vnlesse God should , as it were open heauen , and streame downe vnto vs in this world some lightsome beames of his loue in Christ by the operation of his spirit , miserable were the case euen of the righteous . Thus much of Election , nowe followes Reprobation , in handling whereof we are to obserue three things . I. what it is . II. howe God doth execute this decree . III. how a man may iudge of the same . For the first , Reprobation is Gods decree , in which because it so pleased him , he hath purposed to refuse some men by meanes of Adams fall and their owne corruptions , for the manifestation of his iustice . First , I say , it is a decree , and that is euident thus . If there be an eternall decree of God , whereby he chooseth some men , then there must needes be another decree whereby he doth passe by others and refuse them . For election alwaies implies a refusall . Againe , what God doth in time , that he decreed to doe before time : as the case falls out euen with men of mean wisdome , who first of al intend with themselues the things to be done and after do them . But god in time refuseth some men as the scripture testifieth , and it appeareth to be true by the euent : Therefore God before all worlde 's decreed the reiecting of some men . Nowe in this decree foure points are to be considered . The first is the matter or obiect thereof , which is the thing decreed , namely the reiection of some men in respect of mercie , or , the manifestation of his iustice vpon them . This may seeme strange to mans reason● but here wee must with all submission strike our top-sailes , for the worde of God saieth as much in plaine tearmes . The Apostle Iude speaking of false Prophets saith , that they were of olde ordained to this damnation . And Paul saith in emphaticall tearmes , that God makes vessells of wrath prepared to destruction : and that some are reiected , whome he opposeth to them which are elected to saluation . The second point is the impulsiue cause that mooued God to set downe this decree concerning his creature , & that was nothing out of himselfe , but his verie will and pleasure . Hee hardened Pharaoh with finall hardenesse of heart because he would : and therefore he deceed to doe so because he would . And our Sauiour Christ saith , I thanke thee , O father , Lord of heauen and earth , because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding , and hast opened them vnto babes . But vpon what cause did God so ? It followes in the next wordes , It is so , O father , because thy good pleasure is such . And if it be in the power and libertie of a man to kil an oxe or a sheepe for his vse , to hunt & kill the hare and partridge for his pleasure : then much more without iniustice may it be in the will and libertie of the creator to refuse and forsake his creature of his glorie . Nay it standes more with equitie a thousand folde that all the creatures in heauen and earth should ioyntly serue to set forth the glorie and maiestie of God the creator in their eternall destruction , then the striking of a slie or the killing of a slea should serue for the dignitie of all men in the worlde . For all this , it is thought by verie many to be very hard to ascribe vnto God who is full of bountie and mercy such a decree , and that vpon his very wil : but let vs see their reasons . First of all they say it is a point of crueltie for God to purpose to create a great part of the world to damnation in hell fire : the answer is , that by the vertue of this decree God cannot be said to create any man to damnation , but to the manifestation of his iustice and glorie in his due and deserued damnation : and the doing of this is absolute iustice . Secondly it is alleadged that by this meanes God shall hate his owne creature , and that before it is : but it is an vntrueth . Wee must distinguish betweene Gods purpose to hate and actuall hating . Now indeede God before all worlds did purpose to hate some creatures : and that iustly so farre forth as his hating of them will serue for the manifestation of his iustice : but he neither hates them indeed nor loues them before they are : and therefore actuall hatred comes not in till after the creation . Whome God hath decreed to loue , them , when they are once created , he beginnes to loue in Christ with actuall loue : and whome hee hath decreed to hate , them being once created , he hates in Adam with actuall hatred . Thirdly it is obiected , that by this doctrine God shall be the author of sinne , for he which ordaines to the ende ordaines to the meanes of the end : but God ordaines men to the ende , that is , damnation : therefore he ordaines them to the meanes thereof , that is , sinne . Ans. The proposition beeing thus vnderstood , he which ordaines a man to an ende , in the same order and manner ordaines him to the meanes , is false . For one may be ordained to the end simply , the ende beeing simply good ; and yet not be simply ordained to the meanes , because they may be euill in themselues , and onely good in part , namely so far forth as they haue respect of goodnesse in the minde of the ordainer . Secondly , the assumption is false : for the supreame ende of Gods counsell is not damnation , but the declaration of his iustice in the iust destruction of the creature : neither doth God decree mans damnation as it is damnation , that is , the ruine of man and the putting of him forth to perishment , but as it is a reall execution of iustice . Thirdly wee must make distinction betweene sinne it selfe and the permission thereof , and betweene the decree of reiection , and actual damnation : nowe the permission of sinne , and not sinne it selfe properly is the subordinate meanes of the decree of reiection . For when God had decreed to passe by some men , he withall decreed the permission of sinne , to which permission men were ordained : and sinne it selfe is no effect , but onely the consequent of the decree : yet so , as it is not onely the antecedent , but also the efficient and meritorious cause of actuall damnation . The third point is , the reall foundation of the execution of this decree , in iust condemnation , and that is the voluntarie fall of Adam and of all his posteritie in him with the fruite thereof , the generall corruption of mans nature . For howesoeuer God hath purposed to refuse men because it so pleased him , yet when his purpose comes to execution he condemneth no man but for his sinnes : and sinne though it were not in the counsel of God an impulsiue cause that mooued him to purpose a declaration of iustice and iudgement , yet was it a subordinate meanes of damnation : God in wonderfull wisdome ordering & disposing the execution of this decree , so as the whole blame and fault of mans destruction should be in himselfe . And therefore the Lord in the Prophet Ose saith , One hath destroyed thee , but I will helpe thee : that is , saluation is of God , and the condemnation of men is from themselues . Nowe whereas many deprauing our doctrine say , that wee ascribe vnto God an absolute decree in which he doth absolutely ordaine men to damnation , they may here bee answered . If by absolute , they vnderstand that , which is opposed to conditional , then we hold and auouch , that all the eternall decrees of God are simple or absolute , and not limited or restrained to this or that condition or respect . If by absolute , they vnderstande a bare and naked decree without reason or cause , then we denie Gods decrees to be absolute . For though the causes therof be not knowne to vs● yet causes there be , knowne to him , and iust they are : yea the very will of God it selfe is cause sufficient , it beeing the absolute rule of iustice . And though men in reason can not discerne the equitie and iustice of Gods will in this point , yet may wee not thereupon conclude that therefore it is vniust . The sunne may shine clearely though the blinde man see it not . And it is a flatte mistaking to imagine that a thing must first of all be iust in it selfe , and then afterward be willed of God. Whereas contrarise , God must first will a thing before it can be iust . The will of God doth not depend vpon the qualitie and nature of the thing , but the qualities of things in order of causes followe the will of God. For euery thing is as God wills it . Lastly , if it be called an absolute decree , because it is done without al respect to mans sinne , then we still denie it to be absolute . For as God condēnes man for sinne : so he decreed to condemne him for and by his sinne : yet so , as if the question be made what is the cause why he decrees rather in his iustice to condemne this man then that man , no other reason can be rendred , but his will. The last point , is the ende of Gods decree , namely the manifestation of his iustice , as Salomon saith , The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake , and the wicked for the day of euill . And Paul saith , that God made vessels of wrath , to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne . Thus we haue seene what Reprobation is : nowe followes the execution thereof , for that which God decrees before time , in time hee executes . And here a speciall rule to be remembred is this . Those which are ordained to iust dānation , are likewise ordained to be left to themselues in this worlde , in blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart , so as they neither shall nor will repent of their sinnes . The trueth of this we may see in Gods word . For S. Peter speaking of the priests and Doctours , and cheife of the people among the Iewes saith plainly , They stumbled at the word , and are disobedient . Why so ? the reason is there set downe , because they were ordained to it of olde . And so Paul saith to the Corinthians , that he handled not the word of God deceitfully , but in the declaration of the trueth he approoued himselfe to euery mans conscience in the sight of God. Nowe hereupon it might be saide : howe then comes it to passe that all receiue not the Gospel in Corinth ; and to this hee answers with a terrible sentence , If ( saith he ) our Gospell be hid , it is hid to them that perish : giuing vs to vnderstand , that God leaues them to themselues in this world , whome he purposeth to refuse . And the Lord by the Prophet Esai saith of the Iewes , By hearing they shall heare and not vnderstand , and by seeing they shall see & not perceiue , least they should heare with their eares , and see with their eies , and vnderstand with their hearts , and so turne and be saued . The vse of this is manifolde : first it serueth to ouerthrowe the opinion of carnall men which reason thus : If I be ordained to damnation , let me liue neuer so godly and well , I am sure to be damned , therefore I will liue as I list : for it is not possible for me to alter Gods decree . Blas●hemous mouthes of men make nothing of this and like speeches , and yet they speake flatte contraries . For whome God hath purposed in his eternal counsell to refuse , them also he hath purposed for their sinnes , to leaue to the blindenesse of their mindes and hardnes of their hearts , so as they neither will nor can liue a godly life . Secondly , this rule doth as it were , lead vs by the hand , to the consideration the fearefull estate of many people among vs. We haue had for the space of thirtie yeares and more the preaching of the Gospel of Christ , and the more plentifully by reason of the schooles of learning . But what hath bin the issue of it ? I doubt not but in many it hath beene the meanes of their conuersion & saluation : but to speake generally of the greater part there is little or no fruite to be seene . The most after this long preaching remaine as blinde , as impenitent , as heard hearted , and as vnreformed in their liues as euer they were , though they haue heard the Lord calling them to repentance from day to day , and from yeare to yeare . Well if this rule bee the trueth of God , as no doubt it is , then I say plainely , that there is a most fearefull iudgement of God among vs. My meaning is not to determine or giue sentence of any mans person , of any towne or people , neuerthelesse this may be auouched , that it is a terrible and dangerous signe of the wrath of God , that after this long and daily preaching , there is still remaining a generall hardnesse of heart , impenitencie , and want of reformation in the liues of men . The smithes stithie , the more it is beaten the harder it is made : and commonly the hearts of men , the more they are beaten with the hammer of Gods worde , the more dull , secure , and senselesse they are . This beeing so , it standes euery man in hand to looke to his owne estate . We are carefull to flie the infection of the bodily plague : oh then ! how carefull should we be to flie the common blindnesse of minde and hardnes of heart , which is the very plague of all plagues , a thousand fold worse then all the plagues of Egypt ? And it is so much the more fearefull , because the more it takes place , the lesse it is perceiued . When a malefactour on the day of assise is brought forth of the iayle , with great bolts and fetters to come before the iudge , as he is going all men pitie him and speake comfortably vnto him : but why so ? because he is now to be arraigned at the barre of an earthly iudge . Now the case of all impenitent sinners is farre more miserable , then the case of this man : for they lie fettered in bondage vnder sinne and Satan ; and this short life is the way , in which they are going euery houre to the barre of Gods iustice , who is the King of kings and Lord of lords , there to be arraigned and to haue sentence of condemnation giuen against them . Now canst thou pitie a man that is before an earthly iudge , and wilt thou not be touched with the miserie of thine owne estate who goest euery day forward to the barre of Gods iustice ; whether thou be sleeping or waking , sitting or standing , as a man on the sea in a shippe goes continually toward the hauen , though he himselfe stirre not his foote . Begin now at length to lay this point to your hearts , that , so long as ye runne on in your blind waies without repentance , as much as ye can , yee make post hast to hel-ward : and so long as you continue in this miserable condition , as Peter saith , Your iudgement is not farre off , and your damnation sleepeth not . Thirdly , seeing those whom God hath purposed to refuse shall be left vnto themselues , and neuer come to repentance , we are to loue and embrace the word of God preached & taught vnto vs by the ministers of the Gospell : withall submitting our selues vnto it , and suffering the Lord to humble vs thereby , that we may come at length out of the broad way of blindnes of mind and hardnes of heart leading to destruction , into the strait way of true repentance and reformation of life , which leadeth to saluation . For so long as a man liues in this world after the lusts of his owne heart , he goes on walking in the very same broad way to hell , in which all that are ordained to condemnation walke : and what a fearefull thing is it , but for a little while to be a companion in the way of destruction with them that perish : and therefore I say once againe , let vs all in the feare of God , lay his word vnto our hearts , and heare it with reuerence , so as it may be in vs the sword of the spirit to cut downe the sinnes and corruptions of our natures , and worke in vs a reformation of life and true repentance . The third point concerning the decree of Reprobation , is the Iudgement to be giuen of it . This iudgement belongeth to God principally and pro●erly , because he knoweth best what he hath determined concerning the estate of euery man , and none but he knowes who they be which are ordained to due and deserued damnation . And againe , he onely knoweth the hearts and wills of men , and what grace he hath giuen them , what they are , and what all their sinnes be , and so doth no angel nor creature in the world beside . As for men , it belongs not to them to giue iudgement of reprobation in themselues or in others , vnlesse God reueale his will vnto them and giue them a gift of discerning . This gift was bestowed on sundrie of the Prophets in the olde testament , and in the newe testament on the Apostles . Dauid in many psalmes makes request for the confusion of his enemies , not praying onely against their sinnes , ( which we may do ) but euen against their persons , which we may not doe . No doubt he was guided by Gods spirit , and receiued thence an extraordinarie gift to iudge of the obstinate malice of his aduersaries . And Paul praies against the person of Demetrius , saying , The Lord reward him according to his doings . And such kind of praiers were lawful in them , because they were carried with pure and vpright zeale , and had no doubt a speciall gift whereby they were able to discerne of the finall estate of their enemies . Againe , God sometimes giues this gift of discerning of some mens finall impenitencie to the Church vpon earth , I say not , to this or that priuate person , but to the bodie of the Church or greater part thereof . S. Iohn writing vnto the Churches saith , There is a sinne vnto death ( that is , against the holy Ghost ) I say not that thou shouldest praie for it : in which wordes he takes it for graunted , that this sinne might be discerned by the Church in those daies . And Paul saith , If any man beleeue not the Lord Iesus , let him be had in execration , Mara-natha , that is , pronounced accursed to euerlasting destruction . Whence it appeares , that the Church hath power to pronounce men reiected to euerlasting damnation , vpon some speciall occasions , though a I dare not say ordinarily and vsually . The primitiue Church with one consent praied against Iulian the Apostata , and the praiers made were not in vaine , as appeared by the euent of his fearefull ende . As for priuate and ordinarie men , for the tempering and rectifying of their iudgements , in this case they must followe two rules . The one is , that euery member of the Church is bound to beleeue his owne election . It is the commandement of God binding the very conscience , that wee should beleeue in Christ. Nowe to beleeue in Christ , is not onely to put our affiance in him , and to be resolued that we are iustified and sanctified and shall be glorified by him , but also that we were elect to saluation in him before the beginning of the worlde , which is the foundation of the rest . Againe , if of things that haue necessarie dependance one vpon another , we are to beleeue the one then we are to beleeue the other . Nowe election and adoption are things conioined , and the one necessarily depends vpon the other . For all the elect ( as Paul saith ) are predestinate to adoption : and wee are to beleeue our owne adoption : and therefore also our election . The second rule is , that concerning the persons of those that be of the Church , we must put in practise the iudgement of charitie , and that is to esteeme of them as of the elect of God till God make manifest otherwise . By vertue of this rule the ministers of Gods worde are to publish and preach the gospel to all without exception . It is true indeed there is both wheate and darnell in Gods fielde , chaffe and corne in Gods barne , fish and drosse in Gods net , sheepe and goates in Christs folde : but secret iudgements belong vnto god , & the rule of loue , which is to think & wish the best of others , is to be followed of vs that professe faith working by loue . It may be demanded , what we are to iudge of them that as yet are enemies of God. Ans. Our dutie is , to suspend our iudgement concerning their finall estate : for we knowe not whether God will call them or no : and therefore we must rather pray for their conuersion then for their confusion . Againe , it may be demaunded , what is to be thought of all our ancetours and forefathers that liued and died in the times when poperie tooke place . Ans. We may well hope the best and thinke that they were saued : for though the Papacie be not the Church of God , and though the doctrine of Poperie rase the foundation , yet neuerthelesse in the verie midst of the Romane Papacie , God hath alwaies had a remnant which haue in some measure truely serued him . In the olde testament when open Idolatrie tooke place in all Israel , God said to Eliah , I haue r●serued seuen thousand to my selfe that neuer bowed knee to Baal : and the like is and hath bene in the generall apostasie vnder Antichrist . Saint Iohn saith , that when the woman fled into the wildernesse for a time , euen then there was a remnant of her seede which kept the commandements of God , and had the testimonie of Iesus Christ. And againe , when ordinarie meanes of saluation faile , then God can and doth make a supplie by meanes extraordinarie , and therefore there is no cause why we should say , that they were condemned . Thirdly it may be demanded , whethether the common iudgement giuen of Francis Spira that he is a reprobate be good or no ? Ans. We may with better warrant say no ; then any man saie , yea . For what gifts of discerning had they , which came to visit him in his extremitie ; and what reasons induced thē to giue this peremptorie iudgement . He said himselfe that he was a reprobate : that is nothing ; a sicke mans iudgement of himselfe is not to be regarded . Yea , but he despaired ; a senselesse reason : for so doth many a man yeare by yeare , & that very often as deepely as euer Spira did ; and yet by the good helpe of the ministerie of the word , both are and may be recouered . And they which will auouch Spira to be a reprobate , must goe further and prooue two things , that he despaired both wholly and finally : which if they cannot prooue , wee for our parts must suspende our iudgements , and they were much to blame that first published the booke . Lastly it may be demanded , what is to be thought of them that make very fearefull endes in rauing and blaspheming . Ans. Such straunge behauiours are oftentimes the fruits of violent diseases which torment the bodie , and bereaue the minde of sense and reason : and therefore if the persons liued wel , we must think the best : for we are not by outward things to iudge of the estate of any man. Salomon saith , that all things come alike to al , and the same condition to the iust and to the wicked . Thus much of the parts of Predes●ination . Nowe followes the vse thereof : and it concernes partly our iudgements , partly our affections , and partly our liues . The vses which concerne iudgement are three . And first by the doctrine of Predestination we learne that there cannot be any iustification of a sinner before God by his workes . For Gods election is the cause of iustification , because whome God electeth to saluation after this life , them he electeth to be iustified in this life . Nowe election it selfe is of grace and of grace alone , as Paul saith , Election is by grace , and if it be of grace , it is no more of workes : or else were grace no grace : therefore iustification is of grace and of grace alone : & I reason thus . The cause of a cause is the cause of all things caused : but grace alone is the cause of predestinatiō , which is the cause of our vocatiō , iustificatiō sanctification , &c. Grace therefore is also the alone cause of all these . Therefore the Scriptures ascribe not onely the beginning , but also the continuance and accomplishment of all our happinesse to grace . For first , as election , so vocation is of grace . Paul saith , God hath called vs not according to our works , but according to his purpose and grace . Againe , faith in Christ is of grace . So it is said , To you it is giuen to beleeue in Christ. Also the iustificatiō of a sinner is of grace . So Paul saith plainly to the Romans : you are iustified freely by his grace . Againe , sanctification and the doing of good workes is of grace . So it is said , We are his workemanshippe created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes , which God hath ordained that we should walke in them . Also p●rseuerance in good workes and godlines is of grace . So the Lord saith , I will make an euerlasting couenant with them , that I will neuer turne away from them to doe them good , but I will put my feare in their hearts , that they shall not depart from me . Lastly , life euerlasting is of grace . So Paul saith , Life euerlasting is the gift of God through Iesus Christ. Nowe they of the Church of Rome teach the ●lat contrarie : they make two iustifications ; the first whereby a man of an euill man is made a good man : the second , whereby of a good man he is made better . The first they ascribe to grace ; but so , as the second is by workes . Secondly hence we learne , that the art of iudiciall astrologie is vaine and friuolous . They that practise it , doe professe themselues to tell of things to come almost whatsoeuer , and this they doe by casting of figures : and the speciall point of their art is to iudge of mens natiuities . For if they may knowe but the time of a mans birth , they take vpon them to tell the whole course of his life from yeare to yeare , from weeke to weeke , and from day to day , from the day of his birth to the houre of his death : yea that which is more , they professe themselues to tell all things that shall befal men either in bodie , goods , or good name , and what kinde of death they shall die . But that this their practise is not of God , but indeede vnlawefull , it may appeare by this , because it standes not with the doctrine of Gods predestination . Two twinnes begotten of the same parents , and borne both at one and the same time , by the iudgement of Astrologians must haue both the same life and the same death , and be euery way alike both in goods and good name : yet we see the contrarie to be true in Iacob and Esau , who were borne both of the same parents at one time . For Iacob tooke Esau by the heele , so as there could not be much difference b●tweene them in time : yet for all this Esau was a fierce man and wilde , giuen to hunting ; but Iacob was milde of nature , and liued at home : the one had fauour at Gods hand and was in the couenant , but God kept backe that mercie from the other . Againe , in a pitcht field are slaine a thousand men at one and the same time : nowe if we consider the time of their births it may be , they were borne at a thousand sundrie times , and therefore vnder so many diuers positions of the heauens and so by the iudgement of all Astrologers should haue all diuers and sundrie liues and endes : but we see according to the determination of the counsell of God , they haue all one and the same end : and therefore this must admonish all those that are brought vp in schooles of learning , to haue care to spend th●●r times in better studies : and it teacheth those that are fallen into any manne● of distresse , not to haue recourse vnto these fonde figure-casters . For their astrologicall iudgements are false and foolish , as wee may see by the two former examples . Thirdly , the knowledge of God is one of the most speciall points in Christian religion : & therefore the Lord saith , Let him that reioice , reioice in this , that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me . For I am the Lord which shewe mercy and iudgement in the earth . And our Sauiour Christ saith , This is life eternall to knowe thee , the onely very God , and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Now Gods predestination is a glasse wherein we may behold his maiestie . For first , by it we see the wonderfull wisdome of God , who in his eternall counsell did foresee and most wisely sette down the state of euery man : secōdly his omnipotencie , in that he hath power to saue and power to refuse whome he will : thirdly his iustice and mercy both ioyned togither in the exequution of election : his mercy in that he saueth those that were vtterly lost ; his iustice in that he ordained Christ to bee a mediatour to suffer the curse of the lawe , and to satisfie his iustice for the elect : fourthly his iustice in the exequution of the decree of Reprobation ; for though hee decreed to holde backe his mercie from some men , because it so pleased him , yet he condemneth no man but for his sinnes . Now the consideration of these and the light points , bring vs to the knowledge of the true God. The vses which concerne our affections are these . First the doctrine of predestination ministers to all the people of God matter of endlesse consolation . For considering Gods election is vnchangeable , therefore they which are predestinate to saluation can not perish : though the gates of hell preuaile against them so as they be hardly saued , yet shall they certenly be saued ; therefore our Sauiour Christ saith , that in the latter daies shall arise false Christs and false prophets , which shal shew great signes and wonders , so that if it were possible they should deceiue the verie elect . In which wordes he takes it for granted , that the elect of God can neuer finally fall away . And hereupon he saith to his disciples when they reioyced that the deuils were subiect to them , rather r●ioice that your names are written in heauen . And S. Paul speaking of Hymeneus and Alexander , which had fallen away from the faith , least the church would be discouraged by their fall , because they were thought to be worthy men and pillars of the Church ; he doth comfort them from the very gounde of elect●on , saying , The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale : The Lo●d k●●●eth who are his . Where Gods election is compared to the foundation of an house , the building whereof may be shaken , but the groundworke stande●h fast : and therefore Paul saith further , Who shall lay any thing to the cha●ge of Gods elect ? Nowe then that wee may haue comfort in distresse , and some thing to stay vpon in all our troubles : we in this world are as straungers in a farre countrie : our passage homeward is ouer the sea of this worlde : the shippe wherein we saile is the Church : and Satan stirres vp many blasts of troubles and temptations● and his purpose is to sinke the shippe , or to driue it on the rocke ; but we must take the anchor of hope and fas●en it in heauen vpon the foundation of Gods election : which beeing done , wee shall passe in s●fetie and reioice in the midst of all stormes and tempests . Secondly wheras God refuseth some men and leaues them to themselues , it serues to strike a feare into euery one of vs whatsoeuer : we lie , as S. Paul saith in the like ca●e , the Iewes beeing the naturall branches are broken off through vnbeleefe , and thou standest by faith : be not high m●nded , but feare . This indeede was spoken to the Romanes , but we must also lay it vnto our hearts . For what is the best of vs , but a lumpe of clay ? and howsoeuer in Gods counsell we are chosen to saluation , yet in our selues we are all shut vp vnder vnbeleefe , and are fit to make vessels of wrath . Our Sauiour Christ calleth Iudas a deuill , and we know his leud life and fearefull end : now what are we better then Iudas by nature ? If we had bin in his stead , without the speciall bles●ing of God , we should haue done as he did : he betraied Christ ; but if God leaue vs to our selues , we shal not onely betray him , but by our sinnes euen crucifie him a thousand waies . Furthermore , let vs bethinke our selues of this , whether there be not already condemned in hell , who in their liues were not more grieuous of●endours then we . Esai calleth the people of his time a people of Sodom & Gomorrha ; giuing the Iewes then liuing to vnderstand , that they were as bad as the Sodomites , & as the people of Gomorrha , on whome the Lord had shewed his iudgements long before . If this be true , then let vs with feare and trembling be thankfull to his maiestie that he hath preserued vs hitherto from deserued damnation . The vses which respects our liues and conuersations are manifold . First , seeing God hath elected some to saluation , & hath also laid downe the meanes in his holy word wherby we may come to the knowledge of our particular election , we must therfore as Saint Peter counselleth vs , giue all diligence to make our election sure . In the world men are carefull and painefull ynough to make assurance of landes and goods to themselues and to their posteritie : what a shame is it then for vs , that we should be slacke in making sure to our selues the election of God , which is more worth then all the world beside ? and if we shall continue to be slacke herein , the leases of our lands and houses and all other temporall assurances shall be bills of accusation against vs at the day of iudgement to condemne vs. Secondly , by this doctrine we are taught to liue godly and righteously in this present world ; because all those whome God hath chosen to saluation , he hath also appointed to liue in newnesse of life , as Saint Paul saith , God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world , that we should be holy and without blame before him . And againe , We are created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes , which God hath ordained that we should walke in them . And , God hath chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the spirit and faith of the truth . The Elect are vessells of honour : and therefore all those that will be of the number of the Elect , must carrie themselues as vessells of honour . For so long as they lie in their sinnes they be like vessells of dishonour , imploying themselues to the most base seruice that can be , euen to the seruice of the deuill . The sunne was ordained to shine in the day , and the moone in the night , and that order they keepe ; yea euery creature in his kinde obserueth the course appointed vnto it by creation , as the grasse to grow , and trees to bring forth fruit : now the elect were ordained to this ende to lead a godly life ; and therefore if we would either perswade our selues or the world , that we are indeede chosen to saluation , we must be plentifull in all good workes , and make conscience of euery euill way : and to doe otherwise , is as much as to chaunge the order of nature , and as if the sunne should cease to shine by day and the moone by night . Thirdly , when God shall send vpon any of vs in this world crosses and afflictions , either in bodie or in minde , or any way else ( as this life is the vaile of miserie and teares , and iudgement must beginne at Gods house ) we must learne to beare them with all submission and contentation of minde . For whome God knew before , them he hath predestinate to be made like vnto his sonne . But wherein is this likenes ? Paul saith , in the fellowship of his afflictions , and in a conformitie to his death . And the consideration of this , that afflictions were ordained for vs in the eternall predestination of God , must comfort our hearts , and restraine our impatience so oft as we shall goe vnder the burden of them . Hence againe we learne , that they which perswade themselues that they are in the fauour of God , because they liue at ease in wealth and prosperitie , are farre deceiued . For Saint Paul saith , God suffereth with long patience the vessells of wrath prepared to destruction , to make knowne his power and to shew forth his wrath on them . This beeing so , no man then by outward blessings ought to plead that he hath the loue of God. Sheepe that goe in fat pastures come sooner to the slaughterhouse then those which are kept vpon the bare common : and they which are pampered with the wealth of this world , sooner forsake God , and therefore are sooner forsaken of God , then others . Salomon saith , No man knoweth loue or hatred , that is , by outward things : for all things come alike to all : the same condition is to the iust and to the vniust , to the wicked and good , to the pure and polluted . Lastly , it may be an offence vnto vs , when we consider that the doctrine of the Gospel is either not knowne , or else despised and persecuted of the whole world ; but we must stay our selues with this consideratiō , that nothing comes to passe by chance ; that God knowes who are his ; and that there must be some in the world , on whome God hath in his eternall counsell purposed to manifest his power and iustice . Againe , Ministers of the Gospel may be discouraged , when after long preaching they see little or no fruit of their labours : the people whome they teach remaining as blind , impenitent , and vnreformed as euer they were . But they must also consider , that it is the purpose of God to choose some to saluation and to refuse others : and that of the first , some are called sooner some later , and that the second beeing left to themselues neuer come to repentance . To this Paul had regard when he said , If our Gospel be hid , it is hid to them that perish . And againe , We are vnto God the sweete sauour of Christ in them that are saued and in them that perish . Hitherto I haue deliuered the truth of this weightie point of religion , which also is the doctrine of the church of England : now it followeth that we should consider the falshoode . Sundrie Diuines haue deuised , and in their writings published a new frame or platforme of the doctrine of Predestination : the effect whereof is this . The nature of God ( say they ) is infinite loue , goodnesse , and mercie it selfe : and therefore he propounds vnto himselfe an ende answerable thereunto , and that is the communication of his loue and goodnesse vnto all his creatures . Now for the accomplishing of this supreame and absolute ende , he did foure things . First he decreed to create man righteous in his owne image : secondly , he foresaw the fall of man after his creation , yet so , as he neither willed nor decreed it ; thirdly , he decreed the vniuersall Redemption of all and euery man effectually by Christ , so be it they will beleeue in him : fourthly , he decreed to call all and euery man effectually , so as if they will , they may be saued . This beeing done , he in his eternall counsel foreseeing who would beleeue in Christ , did thereupon elect them to eternall saluation : and againe foreseeing who would not beleeue but contemne grace offered , did thereupon also decree to reiect them to eternall damnation . This platforme howsoeuer it may seeme plausible to reason , yet indeed it is nothing els but a Deuise of mans braine : as will appeare by sundrie defects & errours that be in it . For first whereas it is auouched that Adams fall came by the bare prescience of God , without any decree or will of his , it is a flat vntruth . The putting of Christ to death was as great a sinne as the fall of Adam ; nay in some respects greater . Now that came to passe not onely by the foreknowledge of God , but also by his determinate counsell . And therefore as the Church of Ierusalem saith , Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselues together to doe whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done : so may we say , that Adam in his fall did nothing but that which the hand of God and his counsell had determined before to be done . And considering the will of God extends it selfe to the least things that are , euen to sparrowes ; whereof none doe light vpon the ground without our heauenly father , how can a man in reason imagine that the fall of one of the most principall creatures that are , shall fall out altogether without the will and decree of God. And there can be nothing more absurd then to seuer the foreknowledge of God from his counsel or decree . For by this meanes , things shall come to passe God a nilling , or not knowing , or not regarding them . Now if any thing come to passe God nilling it , then that is done which God would not haue done ; and to say so , is to bereaue him of his omnipotencie . And if we shall say that things fall out , God not knowing of them ; we make him to be imprudent , and denie his omniscience : lastly , if we shall say that a thing is done , God not regarding it ; we bring in an idol of our owne braines , and stablish the idle-god of the Epicures . But it is obiected to the contrarie , that if God any way decreed and willed the fall of Adam , then he was the author of sinne : which once to say , is blasphemie . Ans. The argument followes not . There be three actions in the will of God ; one whereby he doth absolutely will any thing and delight in it : and of all such things God himselfe is the author . The second is , 2 wholly or absolutely to Nill a thing : and all things thus nilled , can not possibly come to passe , or haue the least beeing in nature . There is also a third action which comes as a meane betweene the two former , 3 which is remissely or in part both to nill and will a thing ; wherby though God approoue not euill as it is euill , and therefore doth it not : yet he willeth the permitting of it to be done by others , or the being of it ; because in respect of God that decreeth the permitting of euill , it is good that there should be euill . And on this manner and no otherwise God willed the fall of Adam : and therefore in the reason of any indifferent man , though he decreed the fall , yet shall he be free from the blame thereof , which lies wholly vpon the doer ; these two caueats alwaies remembred : first that God by his will did not constraine or force the will of Adam to sinne , or infuse into it any corruption ; and that therefore he sinned willingly and freely , onely by the a necessitie of immutabilitie , and not by the necessitie of coaction : secondly that God willed the fall for a most worthie ende , which was , to lay downe a way tending to the manifestation both of iustice and mercie . Againe , it is alleadged that if God willed Adams fall , then his will is flat contrarie to it selfe , because he wills that which he had by expresse commandement forbidden . Answ. Indeede if God should both will and forbid one and the same thing , in one and the same respect , there should be a contradiction in Gods will : but that God doth not . He forbad Adams fall , as it was sinne : for so in euery commandement sinne as it is sinne is condemned and punished : and yet because it was in a new respect , a meanes of manifesting his glorie , who is able to bring light out of darknesse ; therefore he willingly decreed the permission of it . Incest as it is sinne , it is condemned in the seuenth commandement , and punished with death : yet as incest was a punishment of Dauids adulterie , God is said to take his wiues and to giue them to his sonne Absolom . Some againe , as it appeares by their writings , feare to ascribe vnto God so much as a permission of Adams fall : but no doubt they are deceiued . For if these rules be true ; that God is omnipotent : that he works all things that are by the counsell of his will , and gouernes them : that he hath care and regard ouer man : that nothing is hid from him : that he is vnchangeable , there must needes be permission of euill . If the deuill could not enter so much as into an heard of swine without Christs permission , shall we thinke that he could compasse the fall and ouerthrow of man , without a permission ? Indeede to permit , is not to hinder euill when one may ; and with men it is a fault , but not with God , because he is not bound to hinder the euill which he permits . The second fault is , that they make the Prescience of mans faith and vnbeleefe , to be the b impulsiue cause of Gods decree . For they say that God eternally decrees to saue or refuse men , because he did foresee that they would beleeue or not beleeue . But indeede it is a manifest vntruth . Among the causes of all things that are , there is an order set downe by God himselfe , in which order some causes are highest some lowest , some in the midst . Now the highest cause of all is that , which ouerrules all and is ouerruled of none : and that is Gods will , beyond which there can be no higher cause : for God is placed aboue all , and subiect to none . And this very will of his is the cause of all things that haue beeing : for we must not imagine that a thing first of all existeth , and then afterward is willed of God ; but first of all God wills a thing , and then afterward it comes to haue a beeing . Now to say that foreseene faith or vnbeleefe are the moouing causes whereby God was induced to ordaine men either to saluation or to iust damnation , is to vndoe this diuine order of causes , and to displace the linkes ; in that Gods will is made a secondarie or middle cause subordinate to other causes placed aboue it : yea this is to make the will of God to depend vpon the qualitie and condition of the creature , whereas contrariwise all things depend vpon Gods will. Againe , Paul saith that God hath opened the mystery of his will , according to his good pleasure , which he had purposed to himselfe : whereby he makes a distinction betweene the creature and the Creatour . Men , when they purpose the doing of any thing , borrow reasons of their purposes and wills out of themselues from th● things to be done ; because mans bare will is no sufficient cause to warrant the doing of this or that , in this or that manner , vnlesse there be iust reason . But Gods will is a simple and absolute rule of righteousnesse , and a thing is good , so farre forth as God wills it . Therefore there is no cause , why he should goe forth of himselfe for externall inducements and reasons of his eternall counsell : his very will in himselfe is a sufficient reason of all his purposes and decrees . And hereupon Paul saith , that Gods purpose was in himselfe , to shew that there is no dependance of his will vpon the creature , and that in ordering and disposing of his decrees he had no reference or respectiue consideration of the qualities and workes of men . Thirdly by this doctrine , there is fastened vpon God want of wisdome , who is wisdome it selfe : and that is very absurd . A simple man that hath in him but a sparke of the wisdome of God , first of all intends with himselfe the ende and euent of the businesse to be done , and then afterward the means whereby the ende is accomplished : but in this platforme God is brought in , in the first place to foresee and consider with himselfe the meanes which tende to the ende , namely faith and vnbeleefe of men , and then afterward to determine with himselfe what shall be the ende and finall condition of euery man either in life or death : as if a man should purpose with himselfe to build an house without any consideration of the ende why ; and afterward conceiue with himselfe the particular vses to which he will applie it . Fourthly hence it followeth , that faith shall not onely be an instrument , but also an efficient cause in the acte of iustification of a sinner before God. For the cause of a cause is also the cause of the thing caused ; but foreseene faith is an impulsiue cause whereby God was mooued to choose some men to saluation ( as it is saide : ) and therefore it is not onely an instrument to apprehend Christs righteousnesse , but also a cause or meanes to mooue God to iustifie a sinner ; because iustification proceedes of Election which comes of foreseene faith : now this is erroneous by the doctrine of all Churches , vnlesse they be Popish . Fifthly , this doctrine takes it for graunted , that all both young and olde , euen Infants that die in their infancie , haue knowledge of the Gospell , because both faith and vnbeleefe in Christ presuppose knowledge of our saluation by him : considering that neither ordinarily , nor extraordinarily men beleeue or contemne the thing vnknowne . But how false this is , euen common experience doth shew . Lastly , this platforme quite ouerthrowes it selfe . For whereas all men equally corrupt in Adam , are effectually both redeemed and called , the difference betweene man and man , standes not in beleeuing or not beleeuing , for all haue power to beleeue : but in this properly , that some are confirmed in faith , some are not . Now when all without exception are indued with grace sufficient to saluation , I demaund why some men are confirmed in grace , and others not confirmed ; as also of Angels , some were confirmed and stand , and some not confirmed , fell ? No other reason can be rendered but the will of God. And to this must all come , striue as long as they will , that of men beeing in one and the same estate some are saued , some iustly forsaken , because God would . Againe , as the foreseeing of ●aith doth presuppose Gods giui●g of faith , vnlesse men will say it is naturall : so the foreseeing of faith in some men alone , doth presuppose the giuing of faith to some men alone . But why doth not God conferre the grace of constant faith to all ? no other reason can be rendered , but because he will not . Thus then those men whose faith was foreseene , are saued , not because their faith was foreseene , but because God would . The third fault is , that they ascribe vnto God a conditionall Purpose or counsell , whereby he decrees that all men shall be saued , so be it they will beleeue . For it is euery way as much against common sense , as if it had bin saide , that God decreed nothing at all concerning man. A conditionall sentence determines nothing simply but conditionally , and therefore vncertenly : and when we speake of God , to determine vncertenly , is as much as if he had determined nothing at all , specially when the thing determined is in the power of mans wil , and in respect of God , the decree may come to passe or not come to passe . Men , if they might alwaies haue their choise , desire to determine of all their affaires simply without condition : and when they doe otherwise it is either because they know not the euent of things , or because things to be don are not in their power . No reason therefore that we should burden God with that , whereof we would disburden our selues . Againe , the maiestie of God is disgraced in this kind of decree . God for his part would haue all men to be saued : why then are they not ? men will not keepe the condition and beleeue . This is flat to hang Gods will vpon mans will , to make euery man an Emperour , and God his vnderling , and to change the order of nature by subordinating Gods will which is the first cause to the will of man , which is the second cause : whereas by the very law of nature , the first cause should order and dispose the second cause . But for the iustifying of a conditionall decree it is alleadged , that there is no eternall and hidden decree of God beside the Gospel , which is Gods predestination reuealed . Ans. It is an vntruth . There be two wills in God , a one whereby he determineth what he will doe vnto vs or in vs : the other , b whereby he determineth what we shall doe to him : Now Predestination is the first : whereupon it is commonly defined to be the preparation of the blessing of God , whereby they are deliuered which are deliuered , and the Gospel is the second . Againe , Predestination determines who they are , and how many which are to be saued , and hereupon Christ saith , I know whom I haue chosen : but the Gospel rather determines what kind of ones and how they must be qualified which are to be saued . Lastly , Predestination is Gods decree it selfe : and the Gospel is an outward meanes of the execution of it : and therefore though the Gospel be propounded with a condition● yet the decree of God it selfe , may be simple and absolute . The fourth defect , is the opinion of Vniuersall sauing grace , a●pertaining to all and euery man : which may be fitly tearmed the Schoole of vniuersall Atheisme . For it pulls downe the pale of the Church , and laies it wast as euery common field : it breeds a carelesnes in the vse of the means of grace , the word and Sacraments ; when as men shall be perswaded that grace shal be offered to euery one effectually , whether he be of the Church or not , at one time or other , wheresoeuer or howsoeuer he liue : as in the like case , if mē should be told that whether they liue in the market towne or no , there shall be sufficient prouision brought them , if they will but receiue it and accept of it , who would then come to the market ? Vniuersall grace hath three parts . Vniuersall Election : vniuersall Redemption : vniuersall Vocation . Vniuersall Election of all and euery man , is a witlesse conceit : for if men vniuersally be appointed to grace without exception , then there is no electing or choosing of some out of mankind to grace : and if some alone be appointed to grace , as it must needes be in election , then is not grace vniuersall . And it is flat against the word of God. For Christ auoucheth plainely that fewer be chosen then called , and ( as afterward we shall see ) all are not called . And he further saith , that all which are giuen vnto him shall be one with him and haue life euerlasting : but all men shall not be one with him and haue life euerlasting : and therefore all men are not giuen to Christ of the father , that is , ordained to saluation . And the Scripture saith , that all mens names are not written in the booke of life : and that the kingdome of heauen was not prepared for all . And whereas men build this their vniuersall election vpon the largenesse of the promise of the Gospel : vpon the like ground they might as well make an vniuersall decree of Reprobation , whereby God decrees all men to be damned indefinitely vpon this condition , if they doe not beleeue . Now if vniuersall Reprobation be absurd , as it is indeede ; then vniuersall Election of all and euery man must take part therewith . As for the vniuersall Redemption of all and euery man , it is no better then a forgerie of mans braine . There shall be many in the day of iudgement of whome Christ shall say , that he neuer knew them . Againe he saith , He which beleeueth not is alreadie iudged , and the wrath of God abides vpon him . But if all were effectually redeemed , & onely condemned for not beleeuing in Christ , it should haue beene saide that they are alreadie iudged , and that the wrath of God not abides but returnes vpon them . Christ makes no intercession for the world : and therefore his redemption is not effectuall to all men . For the intercession is the meanes of applying the satisfaction . If it be saide that by the world is meant onely contemners of grace , it appeares to be otherwise in that Christ opposeth the world to them which are the fathers , and are giuen to Christ by him : thereby signifying that by the world he meanes all such as are not the fathers , and were neuer giuen to Christ. And he laies downe his life for his sheepe : now the sheepe haue all these brands or marks ; they heare his voice , they know him , they follow him , they shall not perish , none shall pluck them out of Christs hands : and these are onely such of whom Paul saith ; Who shal lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect : it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne ? And if this should be true , that Christ was crucified and died no lesse to make satisfaction for the sinnes of the damned , then for the sinnes of Peter and Paul and the rest of the Saints , it followes necessarily that all their sinnes are forgiuen : considering that remission of sinne depends inseparably vpon satisfaction made to Gods iustice for sinne : and satisfaction doth necessarily abolish all fault . We graunt that Christs death is sufficient to saue many thousand worlds : we graunt againe it is euery way most effectuall in it selfe : but that it is effectuall in , or vnto the person of euery man , that we denie . For if it were thus effectual , then it should be applied to the person of euery man , as to Cain , Iudas , Nero , Heliogabalus , &c. euen as the plaister is laid to the sore : beeing applied , Christs righteousnes should be imputed for the iustification and sanctification of all and euery mā : and thus some iustified before God and sanctified should after goe to hell and be damned , whereas Dauid , neuer so much as dreaming of this diuinitie saith , that they are blessed which haue the pardon of their sinnes : and Paul , that they which are iustified haue peace with God. But let vs heare what reasons may be alleadged to the Vniuersalitie of redemption : I. Ezechiel 33. v. 11. As I liue saith the Lord , I will not the death of the wicked : but , that the wicked returne from his wicked way . Answ. The place is to be vnderstood not simply but in respect ; of the twaine God rather wils the repentance of the sinner then his death . Againe , he wills not death as it is the destruction of his creature ; and so this place may be vnderstood : yet neuertheles he wills the same as it is a means of manifestation of his iustice : and therefore the prophet Esai saith , that God createth euill . II. 1. Tim. 2. God would haue all men to be saued and come to the acknowledgement of the truth . Ans. The place is meant not of the persons of all particular men , but of the orders and kinds of men . For in the first verse Paul exhorted Timothie that praier should be made for all men : and in the second verse opening his owne meaning , he addeth these wordes , for kings and all that be in authoritie : as though he should say , wee must pray not onely for priuate men and for the common people , but also for publike persons , though they persecute the Gospell . But why ? because in that very order God hath his elect which shall be saued . And on this manner Paul expounds himselfe elsewhere . There is neither Iewe nor Grecian : there is neither bond nor free : there is neither male nor female : for ye are all one in Christ. III. Rom. 11. v. 32. God hath shut vp all in vnbeleefe that he might haue mercy on all . Ans. The word all , must be vnderstood of all that are to be saued , both of Iewes and Gentiles , as the article added to all importeth , and the meaning is , that God will saue all whome hee purposeth to saue of his mercy , and not of their merit , because al are sinners as well Iewes as Gentiles : thus Paul expoundes himselfe , Galat. 3.22 . The scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne , that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue . And if wee should expound the worde all , for euery particular man , as some would haue it , Paul must contradict himselfe , who said before that God would haue mercie on whome hee will haue mercy , and whome he will he hardeneth , and in this very chapter his drift is to prooue the reiection of the Iewes , and the calling of the Gentiles . IV. Ioh. 3. 16. God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne , that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life : and Ioh. 6. ●1 . I will giue my flesh for the life of the world . Answ. By world , wee must not vnderstand euery particular man in the worlde , but the Elect among the Iewes and Gentiles : for in both these places Christ doth ouerthwart the conceit of the Iewes , which thought that they alone were loued of God , and not the Gentiles . And howe this word is to be vnderstood in the newe testament , Paul doeth fully declare . Rom. 11. v. 12. If ( saith he ) the fall of them , that is , the Iewes , be the riches of the worlde , and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles , &c. and v. 15. If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the worlde , what shall the receiuing be but life from the dead . Where by the worlde , hee vndestandes the bodie of the Gentiles in the last age of the world . And thus he fully declares his owne meaning , when he saith to the Corinthians , God was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe . V. Rom. 14. v. 15. Destroy not him with thy meate for whome Christ dyed . 2. Pet. 2.1 . Denying the Lord that bought them , and bring vpon themselues swift damnation . Therefore Christ died for them also which are condemned . Answ. The reason is not good . For in these and such like places the scripture speakes of men , not as they are indeede before God , but as they are in appearance and profession , and as they are in the acceptation with men . For so long as a man holdes and imbraces the Christian faith , so long in the iudgement of charitie wee must esteeme him to be one that is redeemed by Christ , though indeede he be not . And this is the meaning of Peter when he saith , that false prophets denie the Lord that bought them . IV. In the preaching of the gospell grace is freely offered not onely to the Elect , but to all men indifferently : and God in offering grace deludes no man : and therefore Christs death appertaines and belongs to all men indifferently . Answer . The preaching of the Gospell is an ordinance of God appointed for the gathering togither and the accomplishment of the number of the elect : and therefore in the ministerie of the word , grace and saluation is offered principally and directly to the elect ; , and onely by consequent to them which are ordained to iust damnation : because they are mingled with the elect in the same societies : and because the ministers of God , not knowing his secret counsell , in charitie thinke all to be elect . And though God in offering grace doe not conferre it to all , yet is there no delusion . For the offering of grace doth not onely serue for the conuersion of a sinner , but also to be an occasion by mens fault of blinding the minde and hardening the heart , and of taking away excuse in the day of iudgement . To conclude this point ; Vniuersall redemption of all men , we graunt : the Scripture saith so : and there is an vniuersalitie among the elect and beleeuers : but vniuersall Redemption of all and euery man as well the damned as the elect and that effectually , wee renounce as hauing neither footing in the scripture , nor in the writings of any ancient and orthodoxe diuine , for many hundred yeares after Christ , his wordes not depraued and mistaken . As for Vniuersall vocation , it is of the same kinde with the former● because it is slatte against the word of God in which is fully set downe a distinction of the whole world from the creation to the daies of Christ , into two parts : one , the people of God beeing receiued into the couenant : the other , ( beeing the greatest part of the worlde ) No-people , and forth of the couenant . From the beginning of the world to the giuing of the lawe , the Church was shut vp in the families of the Patriarches : and the couenant in the verie familie of Abraham was restrained to Isaak : and the members of these families , for this cause , were called the sonnes of God : the rest of the world beside being tearmed as they were indeede , the sonnes of men . From the giuing of the lawe til Christ , the nation of the Iewes was the Church of God , and the rest of the world beside , no people of God. And therefore Esai calls them prisoners and them that are in darkenesse : and Ose , Such as are without mercie and no people : and Zacharie , Such as are not ioyned to the Lord : and Paul. Such as are set to walke in their owne waies , being without God and without Christ in the world . And this distinction betweene Iewe and Gentile stood till the very ascension of Christ. And hereupon when he was to send his disciples to preach , hee charged them not to goe into the way of the Gentiles ; and not to enter into the cities of the Samaritanes , but rather to goe to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel : and when the woman of Canaan made request for her daughter , he gaue a deniall at the first vpon this distinction , saying , It is not meete to take the childrens bread and giue it vnto dogges : and againe , I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel . It wil be said , that this distinction arose of this , that the Gentiles at the first fell away from the couenant , & contemned the Messias . It is true indeede of the first heades of the Gentiles the sonnes of Noe : but of their posteritie it is false , which in times following did not so much as heare of the couenant , and the Messias . The Prophet Esai saith of Christ , A nation that knewe not thee , shall runne vnto thee . And Paul speaking to the Athenians saith , that the times of this their ignorance God regarded not : but now admonisheth all men euery where to repent : and to the Romanes he saith , that the mysterie touching Christ and his benefits was kept secret since the worlde began , and nowe opened and published among all nations . And if the Gentiles had but knowne of the Messias , why did not their Poets and Philosophers who in their writings notoriously abuse the Iewes with sundrie a nickenames , at the least signifie the contempt of the Redeemer . Wherefore to holde , and much more to auouch by writing , that all and euery one of the heathen were called , it is most absurde : and if it were so , the Caniballs and the sauadge nations of America should haue knowne Christ without preaching which by the histories of the discouerie of those countries , is knowne to be false . Againe , if the : Vocation of euery man bee effectuall , then faith must bee common to all men either by nature or by grace , or both : now to say the first , namely that the power of beleeuing is common to all by nature , is the heresie of the Pelagians , and to say it is common to all grace , is false . All men haue not faith , saith Paul : nay many to whome the Gospell is preached , doe not so much as vnderstand it and giue assent vnto it ; Satan blinding their mindes that the light of the glorious gospell of Christ should not shine vnto them : and to saie that faith is partly by nature & partly by grace , is the condēned heresie of the semi-Pelagian : for we can not so much as thinke a good thought of our selues . The last defect in the platforme is , that they ascribe vnto God a wrong end of his counsels : namely the communication of mercie or goodnesse in eternal happines . For the absolute and soueraigne ende of all Gods doings must bee answerable to his nature , which is not mercie and loue alone , but also iustice it selfe : and therefore the right ende is the manifestation of his glorie both in iustice and mercie by the expresse testimonie of scripture . Againe , if the communication of his goodnes were the highest end of all his counsells , all men without exception should be saued , because God can not be frustrated of his end and purposed : & if but one man be damned , he is damned ; either because God will not saue him , or because he can not . If they say he will not , then is he changeable ; if he can not , then is he not omnipotent , considering his purpose was to conuey happinesse to all creatures . Thus much of the efficient cause of the Church , namely Gods predestination : which doctrine could not here bee omitted considering no man can beleeue himselfe to be a member of the Church , vnlesse withall hee beleeue that he is predestinate to life euerlasting . Nowe wee come to the second point , namely the Mysticall vnion , which is the very forme of the Church , whereby all that beleeue are made one with Christ. To the causing of this vnion two things are required , a Donation or giuing of Christ vnto that man , which is to bee made one with him : and a Coniunction betweene them both . Of the first , the Prophet Esai saith , Vnto vs a child is borne , and vnto vs a sonne is giuen : and Paul , Who spared not his owne sonne , but gaue him for vs all : how shall he not with him giue vs all things also ? And touching it sundrie points must be considered . The first is , what is meant by this giuing ? Ans. It is an action or worke of God the Father by the holy ghost , whereby Christ as redeemer in the appointed time is really communicated to al ordained to saluation in such manner , that they may truely say , that Christ himselfe withall his benefits is theirs , both in respect of right thereto , and in respect of all fruit redounding thence , and that as truely as any man may say that house and land giuen him of his ancetours is his owne both to possesse and to vse . The second point is , what is the very thing giuen ? Answ. Whole Christ God and man is giuen , because his humanitie without his godhead , or the godhead without the humanitie doth not reconcile vs to God. Yet in this giuing there must be a diuers consideration had of the two natures of Christ● for the communication of the godhead is merely energeticall , that is , onely in respect of operation ; in that it doth make the manhood personally vnited vnto it to be propitiatorie for our sinnes and meritorious of life eternall . And to auouch any communication of the godhead in respect of essence , were to bring in the heresie of the Maniches , and to maintaine a composition and a commixtion of our natures with the nature of God. Againe , in the manhood of Christ wee must distinguish betweene the subiect it selfe , the substance of body and soule , and the blessings in the subiect which tend to our saluation . And the communication of the aforsaid manhood is in respect of both , without separation : for no man can receiue sauing vertue from Christ , vnlesse first of all he receiue Christ himselfe , as no man can haue the treasure hid in the fielde , vnlesse first of all he haue the fielde : and no man can be nourished by meate and drinke vnlesse first of all he receiue the substance of both . And this is the cause why not onely in the preaching of the worde but also in the institution of the Lords supper , expresse mention is made , not onely of Christs merit , but also of his verie bodie and blood , whereby the whole humanitie is signified , as appeares by that place where it is said , that the Word was made flesh . And though the flesh of it selfe profit nothing as S. Iohn saith , yet as it is ioyned to the godhead of the sonne and doth subsist in his person , it receiueth thence quickening vertue , to reuiue and renue all those to whome it shall be giuen . Lastly , among the blessings that are stored vp in the manhood of Christ for our saluation , some are giuen vnto vs by imputation , as when wee are iustified by the righteousnesse indeede inherent in his manhoode , but imputed vnto vs : some by infusion , as when holinesse is wrought in our heartes by the spirit , as a fruite of that holinesse which is in the manhood of Christ , and deriued from it , as the light of one candle from another . The third point is , in what manner Christ is giuen vnto vs. Ans. God the father giueth Christ vnto his Church not in any earthly or bodily manner , as when a king bestoweth a gift with his owne hand , and putteth it into the hand of his subiect : but the manner is altogether celestiall and spirituall : partly because it is brought to passe by the meere diuine operation of the holy Ghost : & partly because in respect of vs , this gift is receiued by an instrument which is supernaturall , namely , faith , whereby we lay hold on , and applie vnto our selues the Euangelicall promises . And this manner of giuing may be conceiued thus . A man that neuer stirred foote out of England holds and enioyes land in Turkie : but how comes it to be his ? Thus : the Emperour was willing and content to bestow it ; and the man for his part as willing to accept and receiue it : and by this meanes that which at the first was the Emperours , by mutuall consent becomes the mans . In the same manner God the Father hath made an Euangelicall couenant with his Church : in which of his mercie he hath made a graunt of his owne sonne vnto vs , with righteousnesse and life euerlasting in him : and we againe by his grace accept of this graunt and receiue the same by faith : & thus by mutuall consent according to the tenour of the couenant , any repentant sinner may truly say , though I now haue mine aboad vpon earth , and Christ in respect of his manhood be locally in heauen ; yet is he truly mine to haue and to enioy , his bodie is mine , his blood is mine . As for the giuing & receiuing of the bodie & blood of Christ in bodily manner ( which the Papists maintaine in auouching the reall transubstantiation of bread and wine in the sacrament into the bodie and blood of Christ , and the Lutherans also in teaching that his bodie and blood is substantially either in , or with , or vnder the bread and wine ) is an erroneous conceit flat opposite to sundrie points of the Cbristian faith . For Christ to this very houre retaineth still the essence and essentiall properties of a true bodie , and we beleeue that really and visibly he ascended into heauen , and there abides till his second comming to the last iudgement : who then hauing but common reason would imagine a communication of the bodie of Christ pent vp in the element of bread , and conueyed into our bodies by the mouth and stomacke . The third point is , whether we are not lords of Christ , he being thus giuen vnto vs. Ans. No : for this donation is not single but mutuall . As Christ is giuen to vs , so we againe are giuen to Christ , as he himselfe saith , Those whome thou hast giuen me , Father , I haue kept . And we are giuen vnto him in that our bodies and soules are made his not onely as he is God , but also as he is our redeemer : and our sinnes with the guilt thereof are made his by imputation , and the punishment thereof is wholly laid vpon him . This is all the dowrie which the Church , beeing the spouse of Christ , hath brought vnto him . The fifth point is , how any man in particular may know that Christ is giuen vnto him of the Father . Ans. When God giues Christ to man , he withall giues man grace and power to receiue Christ , and to apprehend him with all his benefits : and this we doe when we vtterly renounce our selues , this world and all things therein , bewaile our sinnes past , resting on the death of Christ for the pardon of them al , and as it were with both the armes of faith catching holde vpon him in all estates , both in life and death . When the heart of any man is truely disposed and inclined to doe these and the like things , wee may truely say , that God hath giuen him grace to receiue Christ. The second thing required to make vs one with Christ is , the Mysticall vnion , which is a Coniunction wherby Christ & his Church are actually coupled into one whole Mystical bodie . Now that we may the better cōceiue the nature of it , sundrie questions are to be mooued . The first , what kinde of coniunction this is . Ans. In the scripture we meete with three kinde of coniunctions . The first is , coniunction in nature , when sundrie things are coupled by one and the same nature . As the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost , being three distinct subsistances are all one , and therefore ioyned in one godhead or diuine nature . Nowe Christ and the beleeuer are not ioyned in nature : for thē they twaine should haue one bodie and soule . The second coniunction is in person , when things in nature different , so concurre togither , that they make but one person ; as the bodie and soule make one man : and the godhead of the sonne with his manhood make but one Christ : in whome there is an vnion of distinct natures with vnity of person . Nowe Christ and a Christian are not ioyned in person : for Christ is one person , Peter a second , and Paul a third distinct from thē both : & so many men as there bee , so many seuerall persons . The third coniunction is in spirit ; and this is the coniunction meant in this place : whereby Christ and his Church are ioyned togither : for the verie same spirit of God that dwelleth in the manhood of Christ and filleth it with all graces aboue measure , is deriued thence and dwelleth in all the true members of the Church , and filleth them with the like graces in measure , and therefore S. Iohn saith , Hereby wee knowe that we dwell in him and he in vs , because he hath giuen vs of his spirit . Hence it followes , that the bond of this coniunction is one and the same spirit descending from Christ the head to all his members , creating also in them the instrument of faith whereby they apprehend Christ and make him their owne . The second is , what are the things vnited ? Ans. Not the bodie of the beleeuer , to the bodie of Christ , or the soule to his soule , but the whole person of the man to the whole person of Christ : yet in this order ; we are first of al & immediately ioyned to the manhood of Christ , & by the manhood to the godhead . The third question is , what is the manner of this coniunction . Answ. Wee must not thinke that Christ and his Church are ioyned by imagination , as the minde of man and the thing whereof he thinkes : or by consent of heart as one friende is ioyned with another , and as the Iewes conuerted were all of one heart and soule : or by any abode in one place , or by touching , as sea and lande are both ioyned togither and make one globe : or by any composition or cōmixtion of substances , as when many ingredients are put togither , to make one medicine . But this coniunction is altogither spirituall as the former Giuing was ; and incomprehensible to mans reason : and therefore wee must rather labour to feele it by experience in the heart , then to conceiue it in the braine . Yet neuerthelesse it shall not be amisse to consider a resemblance of it in this comparison . Suppose a man hauing the parts of his bodie disioyned farre asunder , his head lying in Italy , one arme in Germanie , the other in Spaine , and his leggs with vs in England : suppose further all these parts or quarters haue all one soule , extending it selfe vnto them all , and quickening each of them seuerally as though they were neerely ioyned togither : and though the parts be seuered many hundred miles asunder , yet the distance of place doth not hinder the coniunction , considering one and the same soule doth inlarge it selfe and giue life vnto them all . In the same manner the head of the Mysticall bodie Christ our Sauiour is nowe in heauen , and some of his members in heauen with him , and some in earth : and of these , some in England , some in Germanie , some in Italy , some in Spaine , distant many thousand miles asunder : and the spirit of God is as it were the soule of this bodie which giueth spirituall life to all the members : distance of place doth not hinder this coniunction , because the holy Ghost which linketh all the partes togither is infinite . The benefits which we receiue by this Mysticall vnion are manifold . For it is the ground of the conueiance of all grace . The first is , that by means hereof euery Christian as he is a Christian or a man regenerate hath his beginning and being in Christ , howesoeuer as he is a man hee hath his beeing and subsisting in himselfe , as Paul saith , Ye are of God in Christ. And , We are members of his bodie of his flesh and of his bones . Howe will some say can this be ? After this manner . The comparison is taken from our first parents . Eue was made of a rib taken out of Adams side , he beeing cast into a slumber : this beeing done , Adam awaked and said , This nowe is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh Christ was nailed on the crosse and his most pretious blood was shed , and out of it arise and spring all true Christians ; that is , out of the merit of Christs death & passion , whereby they become newe creatures . Secondly , euery one that beleeueth in Christ by reason of this vnion hath an vnspeakable prerogatiue : for hereby he is first vnited to Christ , and by reason thereof is also ioyned to the whole trinitie , the father , the sonne , and the holy Ghost , and shall haue eternall fellowship with them . Thirdly , sundrie men specially Papists deride the doctrine of iustification by imputed righteousnes : thinking it as absurde , that a man should be iust by that righteousnesse which is inherent in the person of Christ ; as if we should say , that one man may liue by the soule of another : or be learned by the learning of another . But here we may see that it hath sufficient foundation . For there is a most neere and strait vnion betweene Christ and all that beleeue in him : and in this vnion Christ with all his benefits according to the tenour of the couenant of grace , is made ours really : & therfore we may stande iust before God by his righteousnesse ; it beeing indeede his , because it is in him as in a subiect ; yet so , as it is also ours ; because it is giuen vnto vs of God. Nowe there is no such vnion betweene man and man , and for that cause one man can not liue by the soule of another , or be learned by the learning of another . Fourthly frō this fountaine springes our sanctificatiō , wherby we die to sin and are renued in righteousnes and holines . Wormes & flies that haue lien dead al winter , if they be laid in the sunne in the spring time begin to reuiue , by vertue thereof : euen so , whē we are vnited to Christ , & are ( as it were ) laid in the beames of this blessed sonne of righteousnes , vertue is deriued thence , which warmeth our benummed hearts dead in sinne , and reuiueth vs to newnes of life : whereby we begin to affect and like good things , and put in practise all the duties of religion . Fifthly , hence we haue the protection of Gods angels ; for they alwaies waite and attend on Christ , and because we are made one with him , they attend vpon vs also . Lastly by reason of this vnion with Christ , euery beleeuer commeth to haue interest & to recouer his title in the creatures of God , and to haue the holy and lawfull vse of them all . For we must consider , that although Adam created in the image of God , was made lord ouer all things in heauen and earth ; yet when hee fel by eating the forbidden fruite ; he , and in him all mankind lost the title and vse of them all . Nowe therefore that a man may recouer his interest , he must first of all be vnited and made one with Christ : and then by Christ , who is Lord and King ouer all , shall hee recouer that title in the creatures of God , which hee had by creation ; and be made lord ouer them againe . But some will say , if this bee so , then a Christian man may haue and enioy all creatures at his pleasure ; and therefore the goods of other men . Ans. The reason is not good , for in this life we haue no more but a right vnto the creature , and b right in it , that is , actuall possession is reserued for the life to come . Therefore we must content our selues with our allowed portions giuen vnto vs by god , by his grace vsing them in holy manner , expecting by hope the full fruition of all things till after this life . Againe , if all title to the creatures be rocouered by Christ , it may bee demanded , whether infidels haue any interest to their goods or no ? Ans. Infidels before men are right lords of all their landes and possessions which they haue obtained by lawefull meanes ; and in the courts of men they are not to be depriued of them : but before God they are but vsurpers , because they holde them not in capite , that is , in Christ : neither haue they any holy and right vse of them , for to the vncleane , all things are vncleane . And they must first of all become members of Christ before they can hold and enioy● them aright , and vse them with good conscience . The duties which are to be learned of the doctrine of this vnion are manifolde . And first of all we are taught to purge our hands and heartes of all our sinnes , and especially to auoid all those sinnes whereby mens bodies are defiled , as drunkennesse , vncleannes , fornication : for they driue away the spirit of God from his own house , and dissolue the bond of the coniunction between Christ & vs. Secondly we must euerie one of vs , which professe our selues to be members of Christ , labour to become conformable vnto him in holinesse of life , and to become newe creatures : for this vnion requireth thus much . Let a man take the grifts of a crabtree , and set them into good stockes : yet will they not change their sap , but bring forth fruit according to their own nature , euen sowre crabs : but it must not be so with vs : we are indeede wilde oliues , & the branches of wilde vines ; yet seeing we are perswaded that wee are grafted into Christ and made one with him , we must lay aside our wilde and sowre nature , and take vpon vs the nature of the true vine , beare good fruite , haue good iuyce in vs , and render sweete wine . Thirdly we are taught hence to bee plentifull in all good workes , considering wee are ioyned to him that is the fountaine of grace . And therefore Christ saith , I am the true vine and my father is the husbād man : euery braunch that beareth not fruite in me , he taketh away : & euery one that beareth fruite he purgeth it that it may beare more fruite . And the Prophet Esai compares the Church of God to a vineyard with a tower and a wine-presse in it . And God himselfe comes often downe vnto it , to see the fruits of the valley , to see if the vine budde , and the Pomegranets flourish . And further we must bring forth fruite with patience . For the Lord of this vineyarde comes with crosses and afflictions , as with a pruning knife in his hand , to pare and to dresse vs that we may be fit to bring forth fruite plentifull in duties of pietie to God , and in duties of loue to all men , yea to our enemies . Christian men are trees of righteousnesse growing by the waters of the sanctuarie : but what trees ? not like ours : for they are rooted vpward in heauen in Christ , and their graines and branches grow downward that they may beare fruit among men . Hitherto we haue heard what the Church is , nowe to beleeue the Church is nothing els but to beleeue that there is a companie of the predestinate made one in Christ , and that withall we are in the number of them . Before wee proceede any further , three rules must be obserued touching the Church in generall . The first , that Christ alone is the head of the Catholike Church , and that he neither hath nor can haue any creature in heauen or earth to be his fellowe herein . For the Church is his bodie , and none but hee can performe the dutie of an head vnto it : which dutie standes in two things : the first is , to gouerne the Church by such power and authoritie whereby he can and doeth prescribe lawes properly binding the consciences of all his members ; the second is , by grace to quicken and to put spirituall life into thē , so as they shall be able to saie , that they liue not , but Christ in them . As for the Supremacie of the sea of Rome whereby the Pope will needes stand ministeriall head to the Catholike Church , it is a satanicall forgerie . For the headship ( as I may tearme it ) of Christ is of that nature or qualitie , that it can admitte no deputy . Whether we respect the commanding or the quickening power of Christ before named . Nay Christ needes no vicar or deputie ; for he is al sufficient in himselfe and alwaies present with his Church , as he himselfe testifieth , saying , Where two or three are gathered together in my name , there am I in the middest among them . And whereas all commissions cease in the presence of him that giues the commission : it is as much pride and arrogancie for the Pope to take vnto himselfe the title of the head and vniuersall Bishop of the Church ; as it is for a subiect to keepe himselfe in commission in the presence of his King. The second rule is , that there is no saluation out of the Church , and that therefore euery one which is to be saued must become a member & a citizen of the Catholike and Apostolike Church : and such as remaine for euer out of the same perish eternally . Therefore S. Iohn saith , They went out of vs , they were not of v●● for if they had beene of vs , they would haue remained with vs : but this commeth to passe that it might appeare , that they are not all of vs. And againe , that such as be holy , are in the citie of God ; but without , that is , forth of the Church are dogs , en●hanters , whoremongers , adulterers , &c. And the Arke out of which all perished , figured the Church , out of which al are condemned . And for this cause Saint Luke saith , that the Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saued . And the reason hereof is plaine : for without Christ there is no saluation , but out of the militant church there is no Christ nor faith in Christ : and therefore no saluation . Againe , forth of the militant church there are no meanes of saluation , no preaching of the word , no inuocation of Gods name , no Sacraments , and therefore no saluation . For this cause euery man must be admonished euermore to ioyne himselfe to some particular church beeing a sound member of the Catholike church . The third rule is , that the church which here we beleeue is onely one . As Christ himselfe speaketh , My doue is alone , and my vndefiled is the onely daughter of her mother . And as there is onely one God and one Redeemer , one faith , one baptisme , and one way of saluation by Christ onely , so there is but one church alone . The Catholike church hath two parts : the church Triumphant in heauen , and the church Militant on earth . The Triumphant church may thus be described : It is a companie of the spirits of iust men , triumphing ouer the flesh , the deuill , and the world , praising God. First I say it is a companie of the spirits of men as the holy Ghost expressely tearmeth it , because the soules onely of the godly departed , as of Abraham , Isaac , Iacob , Dauid , &c. are as yet ascended into heauen , and not their bodies . Furthermore the properties of this companie are two . The first is , to make triumph ouer their spirituall enemies the flesh , the deuill , the world : for the righteous man so long as he liues in this world is in continuall combate without truce with al the enemies of his saluation : and by constant faith obtaining victorie in the ende of his life , he is translated in glorious and triumphant maner into the kingdome of glorie . This was signified to Iohn in a vision in which he saw an innumerable companie of all sorts of nations , kinreds , people , and tongues stand before the Lambe clothed in long white robes with palmes in their handes , in token that they had beene warriours , but now by Christ haue gotten the victorie and are made conquerours . Their second propertie is to praise and magnifie the name of God , as it followeth in the former place , saying Amen : praise and glorie , and wisdome , and thankes , honour , power , and might be vnto our God for euermore . Hence it may be demanded whether Angels be of this Triumphant church or no ? Ans. The blessed Angels be in heauen in the presence of God the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost , but they are not of the mysticall bodie of Christ , because they are not vnder him as he is their redeemer , considering they can not be redeemed , which neuer fell : and it can not be prooued that they now stand by the vertue of Christs redemption : but they are vnder him as he is their Lord and King , and by the power of Christ as he is God , and their God , are they confirmed . And therfore as I take it , we can not say , that Angels are members of the mysticall bodie of Christ or of the triumphāt church ; though indeed , they be of the cōpany of the blessed . The church Militant may be thus described : It is the companie of the elect or faithfull , liuing vnder the crosse , desiring to be remooued and to be with Christ. I say not that the Militant church is the whole bodie of the elect , but onely that part thereof which liueth vpon earth : and the infallible marke thereof is that faith in Christ which is taught and deliuered in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles : and this faith againe may be discerned by two markes . The first is , that the members of this companie liue vnder the crosse , and profit by it in all spirituall grace . And therefore it is said , that we must through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of heauen . And our Sauiour Christ saith , If any man will come after me , let him denie himselfe , and take vp his crosse euery day and follow me . The second marke is a desire to depart hence and to be with Christ , as Paul saith , We loue rather to be remooued out of this bodie and to be with Christ. And againe , I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ , which is best of all . Where yet we must remember , that the members of Christ doe not desire death simply and absolutely , but in two respects : I. that they might leaue off to sinne , and by sinning leaue to displease God. II. That they might come to enioy happines in heauen , and to be with Christ. Touching the generall estate of the Militant church , two questions are to be considered . The first , how farre forth God is present with it , assisting it by his grace . Ans. God giues his spirit vnto it in such a measure , that although the gates of hell can not preuaile against it , yet neuerthelesse it remaines still subiect to errour both in doctrine and manners . For that which is true in euery member of the church is also true in the whole : but euery member of the Militant church is subiect to errour both in doctrine and manners : because men in this life are but in part enlightened and sanctified ; and therefore still remaine subiect to blindnesse of minde and ignorance , and to the rebellion of their wills and affections : whereby it comes to passe that they may easily faile either in iudgement or in practise . Againe , that which may befall one or two particular churches may likewise befall all the particular churches vpon earth , all beeing in one and the same condition , but this may befall one or two particular churches to faile either in doctrine or manners . The church of Ephesus failed in leauing her first loue , whereupon Christ threatneth to remooue from her the candlesticke . And the church of Galatia was remooued to an other Gospell from him that had called them in the grace of Christ : now why may not the same things befall twentie yea an hundred churches which befell these twaine . Lastly experience sheweth this to be true , in that generall Councels haue erred . The Councell of Nice beeing to reforme sundrie behauiours among the Bishops and Elders , would with common consent haue forbidden marriage vnto them , thinking it profitable to be so ; vnlesse Paphnutius had better informed them out of the Scriptures . In the third Councell at Carthage certaine bookes Apocrypha , as the booke of Syrach , Tobie , and the Macchabees are numbred in the Canon , and yet were excluded by the Councell of Laodicea . And the saying of a Diuine is receiued , that former Councels are to be reformed and amended by the latter . But Papists maintaining that the Church can not erre , alleadge the promise of Christ : Howbeit when he is come which is the spirit of truth , he will lead you into all truth . Ans. The promise is directed to the Apostles , who with their Apostolicall authoritie had this priuiledge granted them , that in the teaching and penning of the gospel they should not erre : and therefore in the councell at Ierusalem they conclude thus , It seemes good vnto vs and to the holy Ghost . And if the promise be further extended to all the Church , it must be vnderstood with a limitation : that God will giue his spirit vnto the me●bers thereof to lead them into all truth , so farre forth as shall be needfull for their saluation . The second question is , wherein stands the dignitie and excellencie of the Church . Ans. It stands in subiection and obedience vnto the will and word of his spouse and head , Christ Iesus . And hence it followes , that the Church is not to chalenge vnto her selfe authoritie ouer the Scriptures , but onely a ministerie or ministeriall seruice whereby shee is appointed of God to preserue and keepe , to publish and preach them , and to giue testimonie of them . And for this cause , it is called the pillar and ground of truth . The church of Rome not content with this , saith further that the authoritie of the Church in respect of vs is aboue the authoritie of the Scripture , because ( say they ) we can not know Scripture to be Scripture but by the testimonie of the Church . But indeede they speake an vntruth . For the testimonie of men that are subiect to errour can not be greater and of more force with vs , then the testimonie of God who can not erre . Againe , the Church hath her beginning from the word : ( for there can not be a Church without faith , & there is no faith without the word , & there is no word out of the Scriptures ) and therefore the Church in respect of vs , depends on the Scripture , and not the Scripture on the Church . And as the lawyer which hath no further power but to expound the law , is vnder the law : so the Church which hath authoritie onely to publish and expound the Scriptures , can not authorize them vnto vs , but must submit her selfe vnto them . And whereas it is alleadged that faith comes by hearing , and this hearing is in respect of the voice of the Church , and that therefore faith comes by the voice of the Church : the answer is , that the place must be vnderstood not of that generall faith whereby we are resolued that Scripture is Scripture , but of iustifying faith , whereby we attaine vnto saluation . And faith comes by hearing the voice of the Church ; not , as it is the Churches voice , but as it is a ministerie or meanes to publish the word of God , which is both the cause and obiect of our beleeuing . Now on the contrarie we must hold , that as the carpenter knowes his rule to be straight , not by any other rule applied vnto it , but by it selfe : for casting his eye vpon it , he presently discernes whether it be straight or no : so we know and are resolued that Scripture is Scripture , euen by the Scripture it selfe , though the Church say nothing , so be it we haue the spirit of discerning when we read , heare , and consider the Scripture . And yet the testimonie of the Church is not to be despised , for though it breede not a a perswasion in vs of the certenty of the Scripture , yet is it a very good inducement thereto . The militant Church hath many parts . For as the Ocean sea which is but one , is deuided into parts according to the regions and countries against which it lieth , as into the English , Spanish , Italian sea , &c. so the Church dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth , is deuided into other particular churches according as the countries are seuerall in which it is seated , as into the Church of England and Ireland , the Church of France , the Church of Germanie , &c. Again● , particula● Churches are in a twofold estate : sometime lie hid in persecution , wanting the publike preaching of the word , and the administration of the Sacraments : and sometimes againe they are visible , carrying before the eyes of the world an open profession of the name of Christ : as the moone is sometime eclipsed and sometime shineth in the full . In the first estate was the Church of Israel in the daies of Eliah , when he wished to die : because the people had forsaken the couenant of the Lord , broken downe his altars , slaine his Prophets with the sword , and he was left alone and they sought to take his life also . Behold a lamentable estate , when so worthie a Prophet could not finde an other beside himselfe that feared God : yet marke what the Lord saith vnto him , I haue left seuen thousand in Israel , euen all the knees that haue not bowed vnto Baal , and euery mouth that hath not kissed him . Againe it is said , That Israel had beene a long season without the true God , without priest to teach , and without the law . Neither must this trouble any that God should so farre forth forsake his Church : for when ordinarie meanes of saluation faile , he then gathereth his Elect by extraordinarie meanes ; as when the children of Israel wandered in the wildernes wanting both circumcision and the Passeouer , he made a supplie by Manna and by the pillar of a cloud . Hence we haue direction to answer the Papists , who demand of vs where our Church was three-score yeares agoe before the daies of Luther : we say , that then for the space of many hundred yeares , an vniuersall Apostasie ouerspread the whole face of the earth ; and that our Church then was not visible to the world , but lay hid vnder the chaffe of Poperie . And the truth of this , the Records of all ages manifest . The second estate of the Church is , when it flourisheth and is visible , not that the faith and secret election of men can be seene ( for no man can discerne these things but by outward signes ) but because it is apparant in respect of the outward assemblies gathered to the preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments , for the praise and glorie of God and their mutuall edification . And the visible Church may be thus described : It is a mixt companie of men professing the faith , assembled together by the preaching of the word . First of all I call it a mixt companie , because in it there be true beleeuers and hypocrites , Elect and Reprobate , good and badde . The Church is the Lords field , in which the enemie soweth his tares : it is the corne flore , in which lieth wheate and chaffe : it is a band of men , in which beside those that be of valour and courage , there be white liuered souldiours . And it is called a Church of the better part , namely the Elect whereof it consisteth , though they be in nūber fewe . As for the vngodly , though they be in the Church , yet they are no more parts of it indeede , then the superfluous humours in the vaines , are parts of the bodie . But to proceede ; how are the members of the visible Church qualified and discerned ? the answer followeth in the definition , professing the faith . Whereby I meane the profession of that religion which hath bin taught from the beginning , and is now recorded in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles . And this profession is a signe and marke whereby a man is declared and made manifest to be a member of the Church . Againe , because the profession of the faith is otherwhiles true and syncere , and otherwhiles onely in shewe : therefore there be also two sorts of members of the visible church , members before God and members before men . A member of the church before God is he , that beside the outward profession of the faith , hath inwardly a pure heart , good conscience , and faith vnfained , whereby he is indeede a true member of the church . Members before men , whome we may call reputed members , are such as haue nothing else but the outward profession , wanting the good conscience and the faith vnfained . The reason why they are to be esteemed members of vs , is ; because we are bound by the rule of charitie to thinke of men as they appeare vnto vs ; leauing secret iudgements vnto God. I added in the last place , that the Church is gathered by the word preached , to shew that the cause whereby it is begunne and continued , is the word : which , for that cause is called the immortall seede whereby we are borne anew , and milke , whereby we are fedde and cherished to life euerlasting . And hence it followeth necessarily , that the preaching of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles , ioyned with any measure of faith and obedience , is an vnfallible marke of a true church . Indeede it is true , there be three things required to the good estate of a church , the preaching of the Gospell , the administration of the Sacraments , and due execution of Discipline according to the word : yet if the two latter be wanting , so be it there be preaching of the word with obedience in the people , there is for substance a true church of God. For it is the banner of Christ displaied , vnder which all that warre against the flesh , the deuill , the world , must range themselues . As the Lord saith by the Prophet Esai , I will lift vp my hand to the Gentiles , and set vp my standard vnto the people , and they shall bring their sonnes in their armes , and their daughters shall be carried vpon their shoulders . Hence it followeth , that men which want the preaching of the Gospell , must either procure the same vnto themselues ; or if that can not be , because they liue in the middest of idolatrous nations , as in Spaine and Italie , it is requisite that they should ioyne themselues to those places where with libertie of conscience they may enioy this happie blessing . Men are not to haue their hearts glued to the honours and riches of this world ; but they should be of Dauids minde , and rather desire to be dorekeepers in the house of God , then to dwell in the tents of vngodlines . In the Canticles , the spouse of Christ saith , Shew me , O thou whome my soule loueth , where thou feedest , where thou liest at noone : for why should I be as shee that turneth aside to the flocks of thy companions . To whome he answereth thus : If thou know not , O thou the fairest among women , get thee forth by the steppes of the flocke , and feede thy kids by the tents of the shepheards : that is , in those places where the doctrine of righteousnes and life euerlasting by the Messias , is published . When the Shunamites child was dead , shee told her husband that shee would go to the man of God , to whome he answered thus ; Why wilt thou goe to him to day , it is neither new moone nor sabbath day : whereby it is signified that when teaching was skarse in Israel , the people did resort to the Prophets for instruction and consolation . And Dauid saith , that the people wheresoeuer there aboad was , went from strength to strength till they appeared before God in Sion . And oftentimes , they beeing Proselytes , there aboade must needes be out of the precincts of Iewrie . Thus we see what the visible Church is : now further concerning it , three questions are to be skanned . The first is , how we may discerne whether particular men and particular Churches holding errours , be found members of the Catholicke church or no. For the answering of this , we must make a double distinction , one of errours , the other of persons that erre . Of errours , some are destroiers of the faith , some onely weakners of it . A destroier is that , which ouerturneth any fundamentall point of religion ; which is of that nature , that if it be denied , religion it selfe is ouerturned ; as the deniall of the death of Christ , and the immortalitie of the soule , iustification by workes , and such like : and the summe of these fundamentall points is comprised in the Creede of the Apostles and the Decalogue . A weakning errour is that , the holding whereof doth not ouerturue any point in the foundation of saluation ; as the errour of freewill , and sundrie such like . This distinction is made by the holy Ghost , who saith expressely that the doctrines of repentance , and faith , and baptismes , and laying on of hands , and the resurrection , and the last iudgement , are the foundation , namely of religion : and againe , that Christ is the foundation , and that other doctrines consonant to the word , are as gold and siluer laid thereupon . Secondly , persons erring , are of two sorts : some erre of w●aknes , beeing carried away by others ; or of simple ignorance , not yet beeing conuicted and informed concerning the truth . Some againe erre of obstinacie , or affected ignorance , which hauing bin admonished and conuicted , still perseuere in their forged opinions . This beeing saide , w●e nowe come to the point . If any man or Church , shall hold an errour of the lighter kinde , he still remaines a member of the Church of God , and so must be reputed of vs. As when a Lutherane shall hold , that images are still to be retained in the church ; that there is an Vniuersall Election of all men , &c. for these and such like opinions may be maintained , the foundation of saluation vnrased . This which I say is slatly auouched by Paul. If any man ( saith he ) build on this foundation gold , siluer , pretious stones ; timber , hay , or stubble , his worke shall be made manifest by the fire , &c. and if any mans worke burne , he shall loose , but yet he shall be safe himselfe . And therefore the hay and stubble of mens errours that are beside the foundation , on which they are laid , doe not debarre them from beeing Christians or members of the church . A man breaks downe the windows of his house ; the house stands : he breakes downe the roofe or the walls ; the house yet stands , though deformed : he pulls vp the foundation ; the house it selfe falls and ceaseth to be an house . Now religion which we professe is like an house or building : and some points thereof are like windowes , doores , walls , roofes , and some are the very foundation : and the former may be battered , the foundation standing . Againe , if the errour be directly or by necessary consequent , euen in common sense ag●inst the foundation , consideration must be had whether the Church or partie erreth of weaknes or malice : if of weaknes , the party is to be esteemed as a mēber of the Catholike church . And thus Paul writes vnto the church of Galatia , as to a church of God , though by false teachers it had bin turned away to another Gospell , and embraced the fundamentall errour of iustification by works . But when any man or church shal hold fund●mental errours in obstinacie or affected ignorance , we are not then bound to repute them any longer as churches or Christians , but as such to whome condemnation belongs , as Paul sheweth by the example of Iannes and Iambres . And as Iannes and Iambres , saith he , withstood Moses , so doe these also resist the truth , men of corrupt mindes , reprobate concerning the faith . Yet withall , this caueat must euer be remembred , that we rather condemne the errour then the person that erreth , because Gods mercie is like a bottomles sea , whereby he worketh what he will and when he will in the hearts of miserable sinners . The second question is , where at this day we may finde such visible Churches as are indeede so ●nd members of the Catholike church . And for the resoluing of it , we are t● goe through all countries and religions in the world . And first to begin with Turkes and Iewes , we are not in any wise to acknowledge their Assemblies for churches , because they worship not God in Christ who is the head of the church . As for the Assemblies of Papists which haue bin a great part of the world , if thereby we vnderstand companies of men holding the Pope for their head , and beleeuing the doctrine established in the councill of Trent ; in name they are called churches , but indeede they are no true or sound members of the Catholike church . For both in their doctrine and in the worship of God , they rase the v●ry foundation of religion , which will appeare by these three points . First of all they holde iustification by workes of grace : auouching that they are not onely iustified before God by the merit of Christ , but also by their owne doings . Which opinion flatly ouerturneth iustification by Christ. For as Paul saith to the Galatians , If ye be circumcised Christ profiteth you nothing , that is , if ye looke to be iustified by the workes of the ceremoniall law , ye are fallen from Christ : ioyne circumcision and Christ together in the matter of iustification , and ye doe quite ouerthrow iustification by Christ. Now if this be true , which is the word of God that can not lie , then we say to the Papists ; If ye will needes be iustified by workes of grace , ye are fallen from grace . The second point is , that they maintaine daily reall sacrifice of the bodie of Christ in the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and dead . And this is also a fundamentall heresie . For Christs sacrifice on the crosse must either be a perfect sacrifice or no sacrifice : and if it be often iterated and repeated by the Masse-priest , it is not perfect but imperfect . The third point is , that they worship the Images of the Trinitie and of Saints departed , and their Breaden-god , which is as vyle an abomination as euer was among the Gentiles : all beeing directly against the true meaning of the second commaundement , and defacing the worship of God in the very substance thereof . Thus then it appeares that the old church of Rome is changed , and is now at this day , of a spouse of Christ become an harlot : and therefore no more a church of Christ indeede , then the carkasse of a dead man that weareth a liuing mans garment is a liuing man , though he looke neuer so like him . And whereas they plead for themselues that they haue succession from the Apostles , the answer is , that succession of person is nothing without succession of doctrine , which they want : and we see that Heretikes haue succeeded lawfull Ministers . Secondly , whereas it is alledged that in the Popish assemblies the sacrament of Baptisme is rightly for substance administred ; and that also it is a note of a Church , three things may be answered . First , that baptisme seuered from the preaching of the gospel , is no more a signe of a Church , then the seale seuered from the indenture is of force ; & that is nothing . Circumcision was vsed in Colchis , yet no church , and among the Samaritanes● and yet no people . Secondly , Baptisme in the assemblies of the Church of Rome , is as the purse of the true man in the hand of the thiefe : and indeede it doth no more argue them to bee Churches , then the true mans purse argues the thiefe to be a true man. For baptisme though it be in their assemblies , yet doth it not appertaine vnto them , but vnto another hidden Church of God , which he hath in all ages gathered forth of the middest of them . Thirdly , though they haue the outward baptisme , yet they by necessarie consequent of doctrine , ouerturne the inward baptisme that stands in iustification and sanctification . Moreouer , whereas it is alleadged , that they maintaine the bookes of the olde and new testament penned by the Prophets and Apostles ; the answer is , that they doe it with adding to the Canon , and by corrupting the natiue sense of the Scriptures in the very foundation : and therfore they are but as a lanthorne that shewes light to others & none to it selfe . Fourthly , it is further said that they holde the Creede of the Apostles , and make the same confession of faith that wee doe . I answer that in shewe of wordes they doe so indeede : but by necessarie consequents in the rest of their doctrine they ouerturne one of the natures and all the offices of Christ , and therewithall most of the articles of the Creede . And herein they deale as a father , that in outward shewe tenders the bodie of his childe , and will not abide the least blemish vopn it : and yet by secret conueiances inwardly annoyes the heart , the braine , or the liuer , and so in trueth destroies the same . Fifthly it is alleadged , that Antichrist must sitte in the temple of God , that is , the Church : therefore say some that desire an vnion betweene vs and the Papists , popish assemblies are true churches : but the argument is not good . For it is one thing to be in the Church , and another thing to be of it . And Antichrist is said to sit in the Church , not as a member thereof , but as an vsurper , or as the pyrate in the shippe of the marchant : and hence it can not be prooued , that the assemblies of Papists are Churches , but that in them and with them there is mingled an other hidden Church in the middest whereof Antichrist the Pope ruleth , though himselfe hath no part therein . Lastly , whereas some , beeing no Papists , thinke their churches to be like a bodie diseased and full of sores and woundes from the head to the foote , and the throat also cut , yet so as life is still remaining ; wee may better thinke , ( their foule errours considered and their worship of God , which is nothing els but a mixture of Iudaisme and Paganisme ) that it is a rotten and dead corpes voide of spirituall life . And therefore we haue seuered our selues from the Church of Rome vpon iust cause : neither are we schismaticks in so doing , but they rather ; because the ground and the proper cause of the schisme is in them . As for the ass●mbli●s of Anabaptists , Libertines , Antinomies , Tritheits , Arrians , Samosate●●●ns , they are no churches of God , but conspiracies of mōstrous heretickes iud●●●lly condemned in the primitiue Church , and againe by the malice of Satan ●●●ued and reuiued in this age . The same we are to thinke and say of the Famili● of loue . As for the Churches of Germanie commonly called the Churches of the Lutheranes , they are to be reputed of vs as the true churches of God. Though their Angustane Confession haue not satisfied the expectation of other Reformed Churches : yet haue they all the same enemies in matter of religion , & doe alike confesse the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost : and of the office of the Mediatour , of faith and good workes , of the Word , the Church and the Magistrate , are all of one iudgement . They differ indeede from vs in the question of the sacrament , but it is no sufficient cause to induce vs to holde them as no Church : for that there is a true or reall receiuing of the bodie and blood of Christ in the Lords supper , we al agree ; and we ioyntly confesse that Christ is there present so farre forth that he doth truely feede vs with his verie bodie and bloode to eternall life : and all the controuersie lies in the manner of receiuing ; we contenting our selues with that spirituall receiuing which is by the hand of faith , they adding thereto the corporall , whereby they imagine thēselues to receiue Christ with the hand and mouth of the bodie . And though to maintaine this their opinion , they be constrained to turne the ascension of Christ into a disparition , whereby his bodie beeing visible becomes inuisible , yet in the maine points we agree : that Christ ascended into heauen : that he entred into his kingdome in our name and for vs : that we are gouerned and preserued by his power and might : and that whatsoeuer good thing we haue or doe , proceedes wholly from the grace of his spirit . Indeede the opinion of the Vbiquitie of the bodie of Christ reuiueth the condemned heresies of Eutiches and Nestorius , and it ouerturneth by necessarie consequent most of the articles of faith : but that was priuate to some men , as Brentius and others , and was not receiued of whole churches : and whereas the men were godly & learned , and we are vncerten with what affection , and how long they held this errour , we rest our selues in condemning it , leauing the persons to God. Againe Popish Transustantiation , and Lutherian Consubstantiation , are both against the trueth of the manhood of Christ ; yet with great difference . Transubstantiation is slatte against an article of faith : for if Christs body be made of bread , and his blood of wine ( which must needes bee if there be a conuersion of the one into the other ) then was not he conceiued and borne of the virgine Marie : for it cannot both be made of bakers breade and of the substance of the virgin . Againe it abolisheth the outward signe in the Lords supper , as also the analogie betweene the signe and the thing signified , and so ouerturnes the sacrament : but Consubstantiation doth not so , neither doeth it ouerturne the substance of any article of Religion , but onely a maine point of Philosophie ; which is , that A bodie doth occupie onely one place at once . Furthermore , the Churches of Helvetia , and Savoie , and the free citties of Fraunce , and the lowe Countries , and Scotland , are to bee reuerenced as the true Churches of God , as their confession make manifest . And no lesse must we thinke of our owne Churches in England and Ireland . For wee holde , beleeue , and maintaine , and preach the true faith , that is , the ancient doctrine of saluation by Christ , taught and published by the Prophets and Apostles , as the booke of the articles of faith agreed vpon in open Parliament doe fully shewe : and withall now we are , and haue beene readie to testifie this our faith , by venturing our liues euen in the cause of religion against forraigne power , and especially the Spaniard : and hereupon all the Churches in Europe giue vnto vs the hand of fellowship . And whereas sundrie among vs that separate and indeede excommunicate themselues , giue out that there is no Church in England , no Ministers , no Sacraments : their peremptorie asseuerations wanting sufficient ground , are but as paper-shot . They alleadge that our assemblies are full of grieuous blottes and enormities . Ans. The defects and corruptions of Churches must be distinguished : and they bee either in doctrine , or manners . Againe corruptions in doctrine must further be distinguished : some of them are errours indeede , but beside the foundation ; and some errours directly against the foundation : and these ouerturne all religion , whereas the former doe not . Nowe it can not be shewed that in our Churches is taught any one errour that raseth the foundation , and consequently annihillateth the truth of Gods Church . Indeed there is controuersie among vs touching the point of Ecclesiastical regiment : but marke in what manner . We all ioyntly agree in the substance of the regiment , confessing freely that there must bee preaching of the word , administration of the Sacraments according to the institution , and the vse of the Power of the Keyes in admonitions , suspensions , excommunications : the difference betweene vs is onely touching the persons , and the manner of putting this gouernment in exequution : and therfore men on both parts , though both hold not the trueth in this point ; yet because both holde Christ the foundation , they still remaine brethren and true members of Christ. As for corruptions in manners , they make not a Church to be no church , but a badde church . When as the wicked Scribes and Pharises sitting in Moses chaire , taught the things which he had written , the people are commanded to heare them , and to doe the things which they say , not doing the things which they doe . And whereas it is said , that wee hold Christ in worde , and denie him indeede ; that is answered thus : deniall of Christ is double , either in iudgement , or in fact : deniall in iudgement ioyned with obstinacie , makes a Christian to be no christian ; deniall in fact , the iudgement still remaining sound , makes not a man to be no christian , but a badde christian . When the Iewes had crucified the Lord of life , they still remained a Church , if any vpon earth : and notwithstanding this their fact , the Apostles acknowledged that the couenāt & the promises stil belonged vnto thē : & they neuer made any separation from their Synagogues , till such time as they had bin sufficiently cōuicted by the Apostolicall ministery that Iesus Christ was the true Messias . Thus wee see where at this day wee may finde the true Church of God. Nowe I come to the third question ; and that is , at what time a man may with good conscience make separation from a Church . Ans. So long as a Church makes no separation from Christ , we must make no separation from it : and when it separates from Christ , we may also separate from it : and therefore in two cases there is warrant of separation . The one is , when the worship of God is corrupt in substance . And for this we haue a commandement , Be not , saith Paul , vnequally yoked with infidels : for what fellowship hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnesse , or what communion hath light with darknesse , or what concord hath Christ with Belial ? or vvhat part hath the beleeuer vvith the infidel ? or vvhat agreement hath the temple of God with idols ? wherefore come out from among them and separate ●our selues , saith the Lord. And we haue a practise of this in the old testament . When Ieroboam had set vp idols in Israel , then the priests and Leuites came to Iudah and Ierusalem to serue the Lord. The second is , when the doctrine of religion is corrupt in substance : as Paul saith , If any man teach otherwise , and consent not to the wholesome words of our Lord Iesus Christ , and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse , he is puffed vp : from such separate your selues . A practise of this we haue in the Apostle Paul , who beeing in Ephesus in a Synagogue of the Iewes , spake boldly for the space of three moneths , disputing and exhorting to the things which concerne the kingdome of God : but when certaine men were hardened and disobeyed , speaking euill of the way God , he departed from them , and separated the disciples of Ephesus : and the like hee did at Rome also . As for the corruptions that be in the manners of men that be of the Church , they are no sufficient warrant of separation , vnlesse it be from priuate companie , as we are admonished by the Apostle Paul ; and by the examples of Dauid and Lot. By this which hath beene said , it appeares that the practise of such as make separation from vs , is very badde and schismaticall , considering our Churches faile not either in the substance of doctrine , or in the substance of the true worship of God. Nowe to proceede in the Creede . The Church is further set foorth by certaine properties and prerogatiues . The properties or qualities are two , holines and largenes . That the Church is holy , it appeares by Peter , which cals it an holy nation , and a chosen people : and by S. Iohn , who cals it the holy cittie . And it is so called● that it may be distinguished from the false Church , which is tearmed in Scriptures the synagogue of Satan , and the malignant Church . Nowe this holinesse of the Church is nothing else but a created qualitie in euery true member thereof , whereby the image of God , which was lost by the fall of Adam is againe renued and restored . The author of it is God by his worde and spirit , by little and litle abolishing the corruption of sinne , and sanctifying vs throughout , as Christ saith , Father , sanctifie them in thy truth , thy word is trueth . And holines must bee conceiued to bee in the Church on this manner : it is perfect in the Church Triumphant , and it is onely begunne in the Church militant in this life : and that for speciall cause , that we might giue all glorie to God ; that we might not be high minded , that we might work our saluation with feare and trembling ; that we might denie our selues and wholly depend vpon God. Hence we learne three things : first that the Church of Rome erreth in teaching that a wicked man , yea such an one as shall neuer be saued , may be a true member of the Catholike Church : for in reason , euery man should be answerable to the qualitie and condition of the Church whereof he is a member : if it be holy , as it is ; he must be holy also . Secondly we are euery one of vs , as Paul saith to Timothie , to exercise our selues vnto godlines , making conscience of all our former vnholy waies , endeauouring our selues to please god in the obedience of all his commandemēts . It is a disgrace to the holy Church of God that men professing themselues to be mēbers of it , should be vnholy . Thirdly our duty is , to eschew the society of Atheists , drunkards , fornicatours , blasphemers , and all wicked and vngodly persons , as Paul saith , Be no companions of them and haue no fellowship with vnprofitable workes of darknes . And he chargeth the Thessalonians , that if any man among them walke inordinately they haue no companie with him that he may be ashamed . The largenes of the Church is noted in the word Catholicke , that is , generall or vniuersall . And it is so called for three causes . For first of all it is generall in respect of time ; because the Church hath had a beeing in all times and ages euer since the giuing of the promise to our first parents in Paradise . Secondly it is generall , in respect of the persons of men : for it stands of all sorts and degrees of men , high and low , rich and poore , learned and vnlearned , &c. Thirdly it is Catholicke or vniuersall in respect of place ; because it hath beene gathered from all parts of the earth , specially now in the time of the new Testament ; when our Sauiour Christ saith , that the Gospell shall be preached in the whole world . To this purpose Iohn saith in the Reuelation , I beheld and loe a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kinreds , and peoples , and tongues , stood before the throne and before the lambe , cloathed with long white robes and palmes in their hands . And the Church which we here professe to beleeue , is called Catholicke , that we may distinguish it from particular Churches , which are not beleeued , but seene with eye , whereof mention is made often in the Scriptures . Rom. 16.5.1 . Cor. 16.19 . the Church in their house : and , the Churches of Asia . Coloss. 4.15 . Salute Nymphas and the Church in his house . Act. 11.22 . the Church of Ierusalem . Act. 13.1 . the Church at Antioche , &c. That the Church is Catholicke in respect of time , place , person , it ministers matter of endlesse comfort vnto vs. For hereby we see that no order , degree , or state of men are excluded from grace in Christ , vnlesse they will exclude themselues . Saint Iohn saith , If any man sinne , we haue an Aduocate with the father , Iesus Christ the righteous . Now it might be answered , it is true indeede Christ is an aduocate to some men , but he is no aduocate to me . Saint Iohn therefore saith further , and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes , and not for our sinnes onely , but for the whole world , that is , for all beleeuers of what condition or degree soeuer . Thus much of the properties of the Church : now follow the prerogatiues or benefits which God bestoweth on it , which are in number foure . The first is expressed in these words , The communion of Saints . Where communion signifieth that fellowship or societie that one hath with an other : and by Saints we vnderstand not dead men inrolled in the Popes calender , but all that are sanctified by the blood of Christ , whether they be liuing or dead : as Paul saith , Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinthus , to them that are sanctified in Iesus Christ Saints by calling . And , God is the God of peace in all the Churches of the Saints . Now if we adde the clause I beleeue , vnto these words , the meaning is this ; I confesse and acknowledge that there is a spiritual fellowship & societie among all the mēbers of Christ , beeing the faithfull seruants and children of God : and withall I beleeue that I am partaker of the same with the rest . This communion hath two parts , fellowshippe of the members with the head , and of the members with themselues . The communion of the members with their head is not outward , but altogether spirituall in the conscience : and for the opening of it , we must consider what the Church receiueth of Christ , and what he receiues of it . The Church receiues of Christ foure most worthy benefits . The first , that Christ our Mediatour , God and man , hath truely giuen himselfe vnto vs , and is become our lot and portion , and withall God the father , and the holy spirit , in him , as Dauid saith , Iehoua is the portion of mine inheritance , and of my cup : thou shalt maintaine my lot : the lines are fallen vnto me in pleasant places : yea I haue a faire heritage . And , My flesh faileth : and my heart also : but God is the strength of my heart , and my portion for euer . The second is , the Right of adoption , whereby all the faithfull whether in heauen or earth are actually made the children of God. The benefit is wonderfull , howsoeuer carnall men esteeme not of it . If a mā should either by election or birth , or any waie else be made the sonne and heire of an earthly prince , he would thinke himselfe highly aduanced : how highly then are they extolled which are made the sonnes of God himselfe ? The third benefit is a title and right to the righteousnes of Christ in his sufferings , and his fulfilling of the lawe . The excellencie of it is vnspeakable , because it serues to award the greatest temptations of the deuill . When the deuill replieth thus , thou art a transgressour of the lawe of God , therefore thou shalt be damned : by means of that communion which wee haue with Christ wee answere againe : that Christ suffered the curse of the lawe to free vs from due and deserued damnation : and when he further replies , that seeing we neuer fulfilled the lawe , we can not therefore enter into heauen : we answer againe , that Christs obedience is a fulfilling of the law for vs , and his whole righteousnesse is ours to make vs stand righteous before God. The fourth benefit is a right to the kingdome of heauen , as Christ comforting his disciples saith , Feare not little flocke , it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome : and hence it is sundrie times called a the inheritance and the lot of the Saints . Furthermore , for the conueiance of these benefits vnto vs , God hath ordained the preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments , specially the Lords supper : and hath commanded the solemne and ordinarie vse of them in the Church . And hereupon the Lordes supper is called the Communion . The cuppe of blessing ( saith Paul ) which wee blesse , is it not the communion of the blood of Christ : and the bread which we breake , is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ : that is , a signe and seale of the communion . Againe , the things which Christ receiueth of vs are two : our sinnes with the punishment thereof made his by application or imputation : and our afflictions with all the miseries of this life which he accounts his owne , and therefore doth as it were put vnder his shoulders to beare the burden of them . And this communion betweene Christ and vs is expressed in the scriptures by that blessed and heauenly bargaine in which there is mutuall exchange betweene Christ and vs : he imparts vnto vs , milke and wine without siluer or money to refresh vs , and gold tried by the fire that we may become rich , and white raiment that we may be cloathed , and eye-salue to annoint our eies that wee may see : and we for our parts returne vnto him nothing but blindenes and nakednes , and pouertie , and the loathsome burden of our filthy sinnes . The second part of the communion is that which the Saints haue one with an other . And it is either of the liuing with the liuing , or of the liuing with the dead . Nowe the communion of the liuing standes in three things : I. the like affection : II. in the gifts of the spirit : III. in the vse of temporall riches . For the first ; communion in affection is , whereby all the seruants of God are like affected to God , to Christ , to their owne sinnes , and each to other . They are all of one nature and heart alike disposed , though they bee not acquainted nor haue any externall fellowship in the flesh . As in a familie children are for the most part one like another & brought vp alike : euen so it is in Gods familie which is his Church : the members thereof are all alike in heart and affection : and the reason is , because they haue one spirit to guide them all : and therefore Saint Peter saith , The multitude of them that beleeued were of one heart and of one soule , neither any of them said that any thing of that which he possessed was his own , but they had al things cōmon . And the Prophet Esay foretelling the vnity which should be in the kingdome of Christ , saith , The woolfe shall dwell with the lamb , and the leopard shall lie with the kidde , and the calfe and the lyon , aud the fat beast togither , and a little childe shall leade them . The cowe and the beare shall feede , and their young ones shall lie togither : and the lyon shall eate strawe like the bullocke . The sucking child shall plaie vpon the hole of the aspe , and the weaned child shall put his hand into the cockatrice hole . By these beasts are signified , men that be of a wicked and brutish nature : which , when they shall be brought into the kingdom of Christ , shall lay aside the same and become louing , gentle , curteous , and all of one minde . And S. Peter requires of the Church the practise of brothely loue , and that is to carrie a tender affection to men , not becanse they are of the same flesh , but because they are ioyned in the bond of one spirit with vs. Furthermore by reason of this that all the children of God are of one heart , there follows another dutie of this communion , whereby they beare one the burdens of another , and when one member is grieued all are grieued ; when one reioyceth all reioyce , as in the bodie when one member suffereth all suffer . The second branch of their communion , is in the gifts of Gods spirit , as loue , hope , feare , &c. And this is shewed , when one man doth imploy the graces of God bestowed on him , for the good and saluation of another . As a candle spendeth it selfe to giue light to others : so must Gods people spend those gifts which God hath giuen them for the benefit of their brethren . A Christian man howesoeuer he bee the freest man vpon earth , yet is he seruant to all men , especially to the Church of God to doe seruice vnto the members of it by loue for the good of all . And this good is procured , when we conuey the graces of God bestowed on vs to our brethren : and that is done fiue waies . I. by example : II. by admonition : III. by exhortation : IV. by consolation : V. by praier . The first , which is good example , we are enioyned by Christ , saying , Let your light so shine before men , that they may see your good works and glorifie your father which in heauen . And that our hearts might be touched with speciall care of this dutie , the Lord sets before vs his owne blessed example , saying , Be ye holy as I am holy : and , Learne of me that I am meeke and lowely . And Paul sayeth , Bee yee followers of me as I followe Christ : and the higher men are exalted , the more carefull ought they to be in giuing good example . For let a man of note or estimation doe euill , and he shall presently haue many followers . Euill example runnes from one to an other l●ke a leprosie or infection : & this Christ signified when he said that the figtree planted in the vineyard , If it beares no fruite makes all the ground barren . The second meanes of communication of the gifts of god vnto others , is admonition , which is an ordinance of God whereby christian men are to recouer their brethren from their sinnes . A man by occasion fallen into the water is in danger of his life ; & the reaching of the hand by another is the meanes to saue him . Nowe euery man when he sinneth doth , as much as in him lieth , cast his soule into the very pitte of hell : and wholesome admonitions are as the reaching out of the hand to recouer him againe . But it will peraduenture be saide , howe must wee proceede in admonishing of others ? Ans. Wee are to obserue three things . The first is , to search whether we that are to reprooue , be faultie our selues in the same thing or no. First we must take out the beame that is in our own eye , and so shall we see clearely to pul out the mote in our brothers eie . Secondly , before we reprooue , we must be sure that the fault is committed : we must not goe vpon heare-saie or likelihoods : and therefore the holy Ghost saith , Let vs consider or obserue one another to prouoke vnto loue or good workes . Thirdly , before we reprooue , we must in Christian wisdome make choice of time and place : for all times and places ●erue not to this purpose . And therefore Salomon saith , It is the glorie of a man to passe by an offence . Furthermore in the act of admonishing , two things are to bee obserued : I. a man must deliuer the wordes of his admonition ( so farre forth as he can ) out of the worde of God , so as the partie which is admonished , may in the person of man see God himselfe to reprooue him . II. his reproofe must bee made with as much compassion and fellowe feeling of other mens wants as may be . As Paul saith , If any man be fallen by occasion into any fault , ye which are spirituall a restore such an one with the spirit of meekenesse . The third way of communicating good things to others is exhortation : and it is a meanes to excite and stirre them on forward , which doe alreadie walke in the waie of godlinesse . Therefore the holy Ghost saith , Exhort one another daily , least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne . But alas● the practise of this dutie , as also of the former is hard to be found among men ; for it is vsuall in families that masters and fathers in stead of admonishing their seruants and children , teach them the practise of sinne in swearing , blaspheming , slaundering , &c. and as for exhortation , it is not vsed . Let a man that hath the feare of God offend neuer so little , in stead of brotherlie exhortation hee shall heare his profession cast in his teeth , and his hearing of sermons : this practise is so generall , that many beginning newely to tread in the steppes of godlinesse , are hereby daunted , and quite driuen back . The fourth way is consolation , which is a meanes appointed by God whereby one man should with words of heauenly comfort refresh the soules of others afflicted with sickenesse or any other way feeling the hand of God either in bodie or in minde . And this dutie is as little regarded as any of the former . In time of mens sickenesse neighbours come in , but what say they ? I am sorrie to see you in this case , I hope to see you well againe . I would bee sorry else , &c. Not one of an hundred can speake a word of comfort to the wearie : but we are faultie herein . For with what affection doe wee beleeue the communion of Saints , when we our selues are as drie fountaines , that doe scarse conuey a drop of refreshing to others . The last meanes is praier , wherby gods Church procureth blessings for the seuerall members thereof and they againe for the whole . And herein lies a principal point of the Communion of saints ; which ministreth notable comfort to euery Christian heart . For hence wee may reason thus : I am indeede a member of the Catholike Church of God , and therefore though my owne praiers bee weake , yet my comfort is this , I knowe that I am partaker of all the good praiers of all the people of God dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth my f●llowe members , and of all the blessings which God bestowes on them . This will make vs in all our troubles to say with Elisha , Feare not , for they that be with vs are more then they that be with them . When the people of Israel had sinned in worshipping the goldē calfe the wrath of the Lord was kindled and made a breach into them , as canon shot against a wall : but Moses the seruant of God stood in the breach before the Lord to turne away his wrath , least he should destroy them . And the praier of Moses was so effectual that the Lord said , Let me alone , as though Moses by praier had held the hand of God that he could not punish the people . And some thinke that Steuens praier for his enemies when he was stoned was a means of Pauls conuersiō . And surely though there were no other reason , yet this were sufficient to mooue a man to imbrace Christian religion , considering that being a member of the Church he hath part in all the praiers of the Saints through the world , & of the blessings of god that come thereby . The third part of this communion is in temporall things , as goods , and riches : whereby I meane no b anabaptisticall communion , but that which was vsed in the primitiue Church , when they had all things common in respect of vse : and some solde their goods and possessions and parted them to all men , as euery one had neede . And by their example wee are taught to be content to imploy those goods which God hath bestowed on vs , for the good of our fellowe members within the compasse of our callings , and to our abilitie , and beyond our abilitie if neede require . Paul saith , Doe good to all but specially to them which are of the houshold of faith . The communion of the liuing with the dead stands in two things : the one is , that the Saints departed in the Church Triumphant doe in generall pray for the Church militant vpon earth , desiring the finall deliuerance of all their fellowe members from all their miseries . And therefore in the Apocalyps they crie on this manner , Howe long Lord holy and true ! doest not thou iudge and auenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth . I say in generall , because they praie not for the particular conditions and persons of men vpon earth considering they neither knowe , nor see , nor heare vs : neither can they tell what things are done vpon earth . The second is , that the godly on earth do in heart and affection conuerse with them in heauen , desiring continually to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Nowe whereas the Papists do further inlarge this communion , auouching that the Saints in heauen make intercession to Christ for vs , and impart their merits vnto vs ; and that we againe for that cause are to inuocate them , and to doe vnto them religious worship , we dissent from thē , beeing resolued that these things are but inuentions of mans braine , wanting warrant of the word . Lastly , to conclude , a question may be demanded , how any one of vs may particularly know and be assured in our selues , that we haue part in this communion of Saints . Ans. Saint Iohn opens this point to the full when he saith , If we say that we haue fellowship with him , and yet walke in darknes , we lie : but if we walke in the light , as he is light , then we haue fellowship one with another , and the blood of Christ purgeth vs from all our sinnes . In which wordes he makes knowledge of Gods will ioyned with obedience , to be an infallible marke of one that is in the communion : as on the contrarie , ignorance of Gods will , or disobedience , or both to be tokens of one that hath neither fellowshippe with Christ , or with the true members of Christ. And therefore to ende this point , if we would haue fellowship with Christ , let vs learne to know what sinne is , and to ●he from the same as from the bane of our soules , and to make conscience of euery euill way . The duties to be learned by the communion of the Saints are manifold . And first of all if we doe beleeue the fellowship which all the faithfull haue with Christ and with themselues ; and be resolued that we haue part therein , then must we separate and withdraw our selues from all vngodly and vnlawfull societies of men in the world whatsoeuer they be . Vnlawfull societies are manifold , but I will onely touch one , which euery where annoyeth religion , and hindreth greatly this communion of Saints , and that is , when men ioyne themselues in companie to passe away the time in drinking , gaming , &c. Behold a large fellowship which beareth sway in all places ; there is almost no towne but there is at the least one knot of such companions : and he that will not be combined with such loose mates , he is thought to be a man of no good nature : he is foisted forth of euery companie ; he is no bodie : and if a man will yeelde to runne riot with them in the mispending of his time and goods , he is thought to be the best fellow in the world . But what is done in this societie ? and how doe these cup-companions spend their time ? surely the greatest part of day and night is vsually spent in swearing , gaming , drinking , surfetting , reuelling , and railing on the ministers of the word , and such as professe religion ; to omit the enormities which they procure to themselues hereby : and this behauiour spreads it selfe like a canker ouer euery place , & it defiles both towne and countrey . But we that looke for comfort by the communion of Saints , must not cast in our lot with such a wicked generation , but separate our selues from them . For vndoubtedly their societie is not of God but of the deuill : and they that are of this societie , can not be of the holy communion of Saints : and surely except the Magistrate by the sword , or the Church by the power of the keyes doe pull downe such fellowship , the holy societie of Gods Church and people must decay . Excommunication is a censure ordained of God for this end , to banish them from this heauenly communion of the members of Christ , that liue inordinately and haue communion with men in the works of darknesse . Secondly by this we are taught , that men professing the same religion , must be linked in ●ocietie and conuerse togither in Christian loue , meeknes , gentlenesse , and patience : as Saint Paul taught the Philippians , If there be any fellowship of the spirit , if there be any compassion and mercie , fulfill my ioy , that we may be like minded , hauing the same loue , beeing of one accord and of like iudgement . And againe , Keepe ( saith he ) the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace . Why ? marke how his reason is fetched from this communion : Because there is one bodie , one spirit , euen as you are called into the hope of your vocation , one Lord , one ●aith , one hope , one baptisme , one God and father of all , which is aboue all and in all . And no doubt the same reason made Dauid say , All my delight is in the Saints which be vpon earth . Thirdly euery Christian man that acknowledgeth this communion , must carrie about with him a fellow-feeling , that is , an heart touched with compassion in regard of all the miseries that befall either the whole Church or any member thereof , as Christ our head teacheth vs by his owne example , when he called to Saul , and said , Saul , Saul , why persecutest thou me ? giuing him to vnderstand , that he is touched with the abuses done to his Church , as if they had directly beene done to his owne person . The Prophet Amos reprooueth the people , because they dranke wine in bowles , and annointed themselues with the chiefe oyntments : but why ? was it not lawfull for them to doe so ? yes : but the cause for which they are reprooued followeth : No man ( saith he ) is sorie for the affliction of Ioseph . In the middest of their delights and pleasures they had no regard or compassion of the miseries of the poore Church and seruants of God elsewhere in affliction , which euery man ought to shew forth in the practise of all duties of loue : and therefore Paul saith , Pray alwaies with all manner of prayers and supplications in the spirit , and watch thereunto with all perseuerance and supplications for the saints . And he highly commendeth the Philippians for communicating to his afflictions . And further he biddeth Philemon to comfort Onesimus his bowels in the Lord. And S. Iohn saith , If a mans life would saue his neighbours soule , he must lay it downe , if neede require . We haue all of vs daily occasion to practise this dutie towards the afflicted members of Gods Church in other countries . For howsoeuer we enioy the Gospel with peace , yet they are vnder persecution for the same : and so oft as we heare report of this , we should suffer our hearts to be grieued with them , and pray to God for them . We must here be admonished not to seeke our owne things , but to referre the labours of our callings to the common good especially of the Church whereof we are members . As for them that seeke for nothing but to maintain their owne estate and wealth ; and therfore in their trades vse false weights and measures , the ingrossing , corrupting , mingling of wares , glozing , lying , smoothing , swearing , forswearing , dissembling , griping , oppressing of the poore , &c. they may plead for themselues what they will , but in truth they neuer yet knew what the communion of Saints meant . Lastly , considering we are all knit into one mystical body , & haue mutuall fellowship in the same , our dutie is both to redresse the faults of our brethren and to couer them , as the hand in the body laies plaister vpon the sore in the foot or in the legge , and withal couers it . Loue couers the multitude of sinnes . And when men disgrace their bretheren for their wants , and blase them to the world , they doe not the dutie of fellow members . Thus much for the first benefit bestowed on the Church : the second is , Forgiuenesse of sinnes : which may be thus described , Forgiuenesse of sinnes is a blessing of God vpon his Church procured by the death and passion of Christ , whereby God esteemes of sinne as no sinne , or , as not committed . In this description I haue couched fiue points , which we are seuerally to consider . The first , who is the author of forgiuenes of sinnes ? Ans. God , whose blessing it is : for sinne is onely committed against God , & the violating of his laws and commandements are properly sinnes . And the offence done to any man or creature is no more in it selfe but an offence or iniurie : yea the breach of mans commandement is no sinne , vnlesse it doe imply withall the breach of Gods commandement . Therfore it is a prerogatiue belonging to God alone to pardon sinne : and when we are taught to say , Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs , the meaning is not , that we forgiue sinnes as they are sinnes , but onely as trespasses , that is , losses , hurts , and damages done vnto vs by men . It may be further said , God hath giuen this power and commandement to his ministers to forgiue sinnes , saying , Whose sinnes yee remit , they are remitted . Ans. Gods ministers doe not properly forgiue sinnes , but onely in the name of God according to his word pronounce to a penitent sinner that his sinnes are pardoned and forgiuen of God : and therefore it is a most certen truth that none can forgiue sinnes but God onely : it was auouched by the Pharisies and not denied by Christ. Hence it followes that remission of sinne , beeing once graunted remaines for euer , because Gods loue vnto the elect is vnchangeable , and his decree concerning their saluation can not be altered . The second point is , to whom remission of sinnes is giuen ? Ans. To the Catholike church , that is , to the whole companie of men predestinate to saluation : as Esai saith , The people that dwell therein ( that is , the Church ) shall haue their sinnes forgiuen . And , they shall call them the holy people , the redeemed of the Lord : and thou shalt be named , a citie sought out and not forsaken . And if there had beene an vniuersall remission of sinnes to all men as some doe dreame , it should not here haue beene made a peculiar prerogatiue of the Church . The third point is , what is the meanes whereby pardon of sinne is procured at Gods hand ? Ans. The death and passion of Christ : so Paul saith , Christ died for our sinns : that is , Christ died to be a paiment and satisfaction to Gods iustice for our sinnes . And S. Iohn saith , The blood of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne . And Peter saith , Knowing that yee were not redeemed with corruptible things , as siluer and g●ld from your vaine conuersation , &c. but with the pretious blood of Christ as of a ●●mbe vndefiled and without spot . The fourth point is , after what manner sinne is forgiuen ? Ans. By an action of God , whereby for the merit of Christ , he esteemes and accounts sinne as no sinne , or , as if it had neuer beene committed . Therefore Dauid saith , Blessed is the man to whome the Lord imputeth no sinne . And in Esai the Lord saith , I haue put away thy transgressions like a cloud , and thy sinnes as a myst . Now we know that cloudes and mystes which appeare for a time , are afterward by the sunne vtterly dispersed . And King Hezekias when he would shew that the Lord had forgiuē him his sinnes , saith , God hath cast them behinde his backe , alluding to the manner of men , who when they will not remember or regard a thing , doe turne their backes vpon it . And Micheas saith , that God doth cast all the sinnes of his people into the bottome of the sea , alluding to Pharao , whome the Lord drowned in the bottome of the redde sea . And Christ hath taught vs to pray thus : Forgiue vs our debts , as we forgiue our debters : in which words is an alluding to creditours , who then forgiue debts , when they account that which is debt as no debt , & crosse the booke . Hence it appeares , that damnable and vile is the opinion of the church of Rome , which holdeth that there is a remission of the fault without a remission of the punishment : and here withall fall to the ground , the doctrines of humane satisfactions , and indulgences , and purgatorie , and prayer for the dead , built vpon this foundation , are of the same kinde . Moreouer , we must remember to adde too this clause , I beleeue , and then the meaning is this . I doe not onely beleeue that God doth giue pardon of sinne to his Church and people ( for that the very deuills beleeue ) but withall I beleeue the forgiuenes of mine owne particular sinnes . Hence it appeares , that it was the iudgement of the Primitiue Church that men should beleeue the forgiuenesse of their owne sinnes . By this prerogatiue we reape endlesse comfort : for the pardon of sinne is a most wonderfull blessing , and without it euery man is more miserable and wretched then the most vile creature that euer was . We lo●th the serpent or the toad ; but if a man haue not the pardon of his sinns procured by the death and passion of Christ , he is a thousand fold worse then they . For when they die , there is the ende of their woe and miserie : but when man dieth without this benefit , there is the beginning of his . For first in soule till the day of iudgement , and then both in bodie and soule for euermore , he shall enter into the endlesse paines and torments of hell ; in which if one should continue so many thousand yeares as there are drops in the Ocean sea , and then be deliuered , it were some ease : but hauing continued so long ( which is an vnspeakable length of time ) he must remaine there as long againe , and after that for euer and euer without release : and therefore among all the benefits that euer were or can be thought of , this is the greatest and most pretious . Among all the burdens that can befall a man , what is the greatest ? Some will say , sicknesse , some ignominie , some pouertie , some contempt : but indeede among all , the heauiest and the greatest , is the burden of a mans owne sinnes , lying vpon the conscience and pressing it downe , without any assurance of pardon . Dauid beeing a king had no doubt all that heart could wish ; and yet he , laying aside all the royalties and pleasures of his kingdome , saith this one thing aboue all , that he is a blessed man that is eased of the burden of his sinnes . A lazar man full of sores is vgly to the sight , and we can not abide to looke vpon him : but no lazar is so lothsome to vs , as all sinners are in the sight of God : and therfore Dauid counted him blessed , whose sinnes were couered . It may be some wil say , there is no cause why a man should thus magnifie the pardon of sinne , considering it is but a common benefit . Thus indeede men may imagine , which neuer knew what sinne meant : but let a man onely as it were , but with the tip of his finger haue a little feeling of the smart of his sinnes , he shall finde his estate so fearefull , that if the whole world were set before him on the one side , and the pardon of sinnes on the other , he would choose the pardon of his sinne before ten thousand worldes . Though many drousie Protestants esteeme nothing of it , yet to the touched conscience it is a treasure , which when a man findes , he hides it , and goes home and sells all that he hath and buies it . Therefore this bene●it is most excellent , and for it the members of Gods Church haue great cause to giue God thankes without ceasing . The duties to be learned hence are these . And first of all here comes a commō fault of men to be rebuked . Euery one wil say , that he beleeueth the remission of sinnes , yet no man almost laboureth for a true and certen perswasion hereof in his owne conscience : and for proofe hereof , propound this question to the common Christian ; Doest thou perswade thy selfe , that God giues remission of sinnes vnto his Church ? The answer will be , I know and beleeue it . But aske him further : Doest thou beleeue the pardon of thine owne sinnes ? & then comes in a blind answer , I haue a good hope to God-ward , but I can not tell , I thinke no man can say so much : for God saith to no man , thy sinnes are pardoned . But this is to speake flat contraries , to say they beleeue , and they can not tell : & it bewraies exceeding negligence in matter of saluation . But let them that feare God , or loue their owne soules health , giue all diligence to make sure the remission of their owne sinnes : withall , auoiding hardnesse of heart , and drowsines of spirit , the most fearefull iudgements of God which euery where take place . The foolish virgins went forth to meete the bridegroome with lamps in their hands as well as the wise , but they neuer so much as dreamed of the horne of oyle , till the comming of the bridegroome . So many men liue in the Church of God as members thereof , holding vp the lampe of glorious profession : but in the meane season they seeke onely for the things of this life ; neuer casting , how they may assure themselues in conscience touching their reconciliation with God , till the day of death come . Secondly , if we be here bound to beleeue the pardon of all our sinnes , then we must euery day humble our selues before God , and seeke pardon for our daily offences : for he giues grace to the humble or contrite ; he fills the hungrie with good things , when the rich are sent emptie away . When Benhadad the King of Syria was discomfited and ouercome by the king of Israel , by the counsell of his seruants , who told him that the kings of Israel were mercifull men , he sent them cloathed in sackcloath with ropes about their neckes to intreat for peace and fauour . Now when the king saw their submission , he made couenant of peace with him . We by our sinnes most iustly deserue hell , death , and condemnation euery day , and therefore it standeth vs in hand to come into the presence of God and to humble our selues before him in sackcloath and ashes , crauing and intreating for nothing in the world so much as for pardon of our sinnes , and that day by day without ceasing till the Lord giue this blessed answer to our consciences , that all our sinnes are put out of his remembrance . We must not thinke that God putteth grace into mens hearts when they lie snurting vpon their elbowes , and either not vse or despise the meanes : but we must first vse the meanes partly by making confession of our sinnes to God , and partly by crying to heauen for pardon : and then when by his grace we beginne to desire grace , he giues further grace . Lastly , if we beleeue the pardon of our sinnes , then we must change the tenour and course of our liues , and take heede of breaking Gods commandements by doing any of those things , whereof our consciences may accuse vs , and tell vs , that by them we haue displeased God heretofore . A man that for some misdemeanour hath beene cast into prison and lien there many yeares winter and sommer in cold irons , when he obtaines libertie , he will often bethinke himselfe of his old miserie , and take heede for euer least he fall into the same offence againe : and he which hath seene his owne sinnes and ●elt the smart of them , and withall by Gods goodnes obtained assurance touching the pardon of them , will neuer wittingly and willingly commit the like sinne● any more , but in all things change the course of his life . As for such as say , that they haue the pardon of their sinnes , and yet liue in them still ; they deceiue themselues and haue no faith at all . Thus much for the second benefit which God bestoweth on his Church , namely remission of sinnes : now followeth the third in these wordes : The resurrection of the bodie . In the handling whereof sundrie points must be considered . The first , whether there be a resurrection or no ? This question must needes be handled , because Epicures and Atheists in all ages , and at this day some doe call this article in question . Now that there is a resurrection of the bodie after death , it may be prooued by many arguments , whereof I will onely touch the principall . The first is taken from the worke of redemption . Saint Iohn writeth , that Christ came to dissolue the workes of the deuill : which are sinne , and by sinne death : and hence I reason thus : If sinne and death are to be dissolued vtterly , then the bodies of the faithfull which are dead in the graue , must needes be made aliue : otherwise death is not abolished : but sinne and death must be vtterly abolished , therefore there shall be a resurrection . Secondly , God had made a couenant with his Church , the tenour whereof is this , I will be thy God , and thou shalt be my people . This couenant is not for a day or an age , or for a thousand yeares or ages , but it is euerlasting and without ende , so as Gods people may say of God for euer , God is our God : and likewise God wil say of his church for euermore , this people is my people . Now if Gods couenant be euerlasting , then all the faithfull departed from the beginning of the world must be raised againe to life . And if God should leaue his people in the gra●e vnder death for euer , how could they be called the people of God ? for he is a God of mercie and of life it selfe : and therefore though they abide long in the earth , yet they must at length be reuiued againe . This argument Christ vseth against the Sadduces , which denied the resurrection : God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing , but God is the God of Abraham , Isaac , and Iacob , which are dead , & therfore they must rise again . The third argument must be taken frō the tenor & order of Gods iustice . It is a special part of gods glory , to shew forth his mercie on the godly , and his iustice vpon the wicked in rewarding them according to their works , as the Apostle saith , God will reward euery man according to his works : to them that by continuance in well doing , seeke glory , & ho●our , ●n● immortalitie , life eternall : but vnto them that disobey the truth , that be cōtent●●●● and obey vnrighteousnes , shall be indignation and wrath . But in this life God rewardeth not men according to their doings : and therefore Sa●●mon speaking of the estate of all men in this world , saith , All things come alike to all , and the same ●ondition is to the iust and vniust , to the good and badde , to the pure and polluted , to h●● that offereth sacrifice , and to him that offereth none . Nay , which is more , here t●e wicked flourish , and the godly are aff●●cted . The vngodly haue hearts ease and all things at will , whereas the godly are oppressed and ouerwhelmed with all kind of miseries , and are as s●ee●e appointed for the slaughter . It remaines therefore that their 〈◊〉 needes be a generall resurrection of all men after this life , that the righteous may obtaine a reward of Gods free mercie , and the wicked vtter shame and c●n●usion . But some will say , It is sufficient that God doe this to the soule of euery man , the bodie needeth not to rise againe . I answer , that the vngodly man doth not worke wickednesse onely in his soule , but his bodie also is an instrument thereof : and the godly doe not onely practise righteousnes in their soules , but in their bodies also . The bodies of the wicked are the instruments of sinne , and the bodies of the righteous are the weapons of righteousnes : and therefore their bodies must rise againe , that both in bodie and soule they may receiue a reward , according to that which they haue wrought in them . The fourth argument , which is also vsed by Paul is this : Christ himselfe is risen , and therefore all the faithfull shall rise again ; for he rose not for himselfe as a priuate man , but in our roome and stead and for vs. If the head be risen , then the members also shall rise againe : for by the same power whereby Christ raised himselfe , he both can and will raise all those that be of his mysticall bodie , he beeing the first fruits of them that sleepe . The fifth argument is taken from expresse testimonie of Scripture . Iob hath an excellent place for this purpose , I am sure ( saith he ) that my Redeemer liueth , and he shall stand the last on the earth , and though after my skin wormes destroy this bodie , yet I shall see God in my flesh , whome I my selfe shall see and mine eyes shall behold , and none other for me . And Saint Paul to the Corinthians auoucheth and prooueth this point at large , by sundrie arguments which I wil not stand to repeate ; this one remembred : If ( saith he ) the dead rise not againe , then your faith is vaine , our preaching is in vaine , and the godly departed are perished . The sixth argument may be taken from the order of nature , which ministreth certaine resemblances of the resurrection ; which though they be no sufficient proofes , yet may they be inducements to the truth . Both Philosophers and also Diuines haue written of the Phoenix , that first shee is consumed to ashes by the heat of the sunne , and that afterward of her ashes riseth a young one : and on this manner is her kind preserued . Againe swallowes , wormes , and flies , which haue lien dead in the winter season , in the spring , by vertue of the sunnes heat , reuiue againe : so likewise men fall in sownes & trances , beeing for a time without breath or shew of life , and yet afterward come againe . And ( to vse Pauls example ) before the corne can grow and beare fruit , it must first be cast into the ground and there rotte . And if this were not seene by experience , men would not beleeue it . Againe euery present day is as it were dead and buried in the night following , and yet afterward it returnes againe the next morning . Lastly we read how the old Prophets raised some from death : and our Sauiour Christ raised Lazarus among the rest , that had lien foure daies in the graue and stanke : why then should any thinke it impossible for God to raise all men to life ? But let vs see what reasons may bee alleadged to the contrarie . First it is alleadged that the resurrection of bodies resolued to dust and ashes , is against common sense and reason . Ans. It is aboue reason but not against reason . For if impotent and miserable men , as experience sheweth , can by art euen of ashes make the most curious workmanship of glasse , why may wee not in reason think , that the omnipotent and euerliuing God is able to raise mens bodies out of the dust . Secondly it is said , that mens bodies beeing dead are turned into dust , and so are mingled with the bodies of beasts and other creatures , and one mans bodie with another , and that by reason of this confusion , men can not possibly rise with their owne bodies . Ans. Howesoeuer this is impossible with men ; yet it is possible with God. For he that in the beginning was able to create all things of nothing , is much more able to make euery mans bodie at the resurrection of his owne matter , and to distinguish the dust of mens bodies from the dust of beasts , and the dust of one mans bodie from another . The goldsmith by his art can sunder diuers mettals one frō another : & some men out of one mettall can drawe another , why then should we thinke it vnpossible for the almightie God to doe the like ? It may bee further obiected thus : A man is eaten by a woolfe , the woolfe is eaten by a Lyon , the Lyon by the foules of the aire , & the foules of the aire eaten againe by men : againe one man is eaten of another , as it is vsuall among the Cannibals . Nowe the bodie of that man which is turned into so many substances , especially into the bodie of another man , cannot rise againe : and if the one doeth the other doeth not . Ans. This reason is but a cauill of mans braine : for wee must not thinke , that whatsoeuer entreth into the bodie , and is turned into the substance thereof , must rise againe and become a part of the bodie at the daie of iudgement ; but euery man shall then haue so much substance of his owne as shall make his bodie to be entire and perfect : though another mans flesh once eaten bee no part thereof . Againe it is vrged , that because flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdome of God : therefore the bodies of men shall not rise againe . Ans. By flesh and blood , is not meant the bodies of men simply , but the bodies of men as they are in weaknesse , without glorie , subiect to corruption . For flesh and blood in Scripture , signifies sometime the originall sinne and corruption of nature , and sometime mans nature subiect to miseries and infirmities , or the bodie in corruption before it be glorified , and so it must bee vnderstood in this place . Lastly it is obiected , that Salomon saith , The condition of the children of men , and the condition of beasts are euen as one condition . Nowe beasts rise not againe after this life : and therefore there is no resurrection of men . Ans. In that place Salomon expoundeth himselfe . They are like in dying : for so he saith , as the one dieth , so dieth the other : he speaketh not of their estate after death . The second point to be considered , is the cause of the resurrection . In mankind we must consider two parts , the Elect and the Reprobate ; and they both shall rise againe at the day of iudgement , but by diuers causes . The godly haue one cause of their resurrection , and the vngodly another . The cause why the godly rise againe , is the resurrection of Christ , yea it is the proper cause which procureth and effecteth their resurrection . In the scripture Adam and Christ are compared togither , and Christ is called the second Adam : these were two rootes . The first Adam was the roote of al mankinde , and he conueieth sinne , and by sinne death to all that sprang of him , Christ onely excepted : the second Adam which is the roote of all the Elect , conueieth life both in bodie and soule to all that are vnited to him : and by the vertue of his resurrection they shal rise againe after this life . For looke as the power of the godhead of Christ when he was dead in the graue , raised his bodie the third day : so shall the same power of Christ his godhead , conuey it selfe vnto all the faithfull , which euen in death remaine vnited vnto him , and raise them vp at the last daie . And for this cause Christ is called a quickening spirit . Nowe the cause why the wicked rise againe , is not the vertue of Christs resurrection , but the vertue of Gods curse , set downe in his word : In the daie that thou shalt eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill , thou shalt die the death , that is , a double death both of bodie and soule . And therefore they arise onely by the power of Christ as hee is a iudge , that this sentence may be verified on them ; and that they may suffer both in bodie and soule eternall punishment in hell fire . Furthermore S. Iohn setteth downe the outward meanes whereby the dead shal be raised , namely the voice of Christ : The houre shall come ( saith he ) in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice , and they shall come forth . For as hee created all things by his word , so at the day of iudgement by the same voice all shall be raised againe . This may bee a good reason to mooue vs to heare the ministers of God reuerently : for that which they teach , is the very word of God : and therefore we are to pray that it may be as effectuall in raising vs vp from the graue of sinne in this life , as it shall bee after this life in raising vs vp from the graue of death vnto iudgement . Thirdly , we are to consider what manner of bodies shall rise at the last day . Ans. The same bodies for substance : this Iob knew well , when he said : I shall see him at the last daie in my flesh , whome I my selfe shall see and none other for me , with these same eies . Neuerthelesse the bodies of the elect shall be altered in qualitie , being made incorruptible and filled with glorie . The last point to be considered , is the ende why these bodies shall rise againe . The principall end which God intendeth is his owne glorie , in the manifestation of his iustice and mercie . Nowe at the last daie , when all men shall be raised to iudgement by the voice of Christ , the godly to life , and the wicked to condemnation ; there shal be a full manifestation both of his mercy and iustice : and therefore by consequent a full manifestation of his glorie . Thus much for the doctrines touching the Resurrection : now followe the vses . First it serueth wonderfully for the comfort of all Christian hearts . Dauid speaking not onely of Christ , but also of himselfe , saith most notably : Mine heart is glad , my tongue reioiceth , and my flesh also doth rest in hope . Why so ? For ( saith he ) thou shalt not leaue my soule in graue , neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption . Though the daies of this life be daies of woe and miserie , yet the day of the resurrection shall bee vnto all the children of God a time of reioicing and felicitie , & as Peter saith , it is the time of refreshing . Whosoeuer is now an hungred , shall then eate and be filled with the fruite of the tree of life : and whosoeuer is now naked , shall be then cloathed with the white garments dipped in the blood of the Lambe : and a whosoeuer is nowe lame , shall haue all his members restored perfectly . And as this daie is ioyfull to the godly , so on the contrarie it is a daie of woe and miserie to the vngodly : as S. Iohn saith , they that haue done euill shall come forth to the resurrection of condemnation . If they might cease to liue after this life , and die as the beast doth , O thē it would be well with them ; for then they might haue an ende of their miserie : but the wicked must after this life rise againe to condemnation , which is the accomplishment of their eternall woe and wretchednes ; a rufull and dolefull case to consider , and yet is it the state of all vnbeleeuing and vnrepentant sinners . If a man were bidden to goe to bed , that after hee had slept and was risen again he might go to execution , it would make his heart to ake within him : yet this , yea a thousand fold worse is the state of all impenitent sinners : they must sleep in the graue for a while , & thē rise againe , that a secōd death may be inflicted vpon thē in bodie & soule , which is the suffering of the full wrath of God both in bodie & soule eternally . This being so , let vs imbrace the good counsel of S. Peter , who saith , Amēd your liues & turne , that your sinnes may be done away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. If a man die repētant for his sinnes , it is a day of refreshing ; but if he die in his sinnes , impetent , and hard hearted , it is a day of eternal horrour , desperation , & confusion . Againe , if we beleeue that our bodies shall rise againe after this life , & stand before God at the last daie of iudgement , wee must daily enter into a serious consideration of this time , and haue in minde that one dai● we must meet the Lord face to face . A traueller comes into an Inne hauing but a penny in his purse , he sits downe and cals for all store of prouision and dainties : now what is to be thought of him ? surely in the iudgement of all men his behauiour betokens folly , or rather madnes . But why ? because he spendes freely and hath no regard to the reckening which must follow : howe foolish then & mad is the practise of euery man that liueth in his sinns , bathing himselfe in his pleasures in this world , neuer bethinking how he shal meet god at the last day of iudgement , and th●re make reckening for all his doings . An ancient diuine w●ites of himselfe that this saying ran in his minde , and sounded alwaies in his eares : Arise ye dead and come vnto iudgement . And this ought alwaies to be sounding in our eares , that while we haue time wee should prepare our selues to meete God at the last day . Thirdly , if we beleeue the resurrection of the bodie , we are not to weepe & mourne immoderatly for our friends deceased . Our Sauiour Christ did weep for Lazarus , and when Steuen was stoned to death , certaine men that feared God buried him , and made great lamentation for him : and therefore mourning is not condemned : and wee must not be as stockes , that are bereft of all compassion : yet remember we must , what Saint Paul saith to th● Thessalonians : I would not , brethren , haue you ignorant concerning those which are asleepe , that ye sorrowe not , as others which haue no hope . For the godlie man properly dieth not , but laies himselfe downe to take a sleepe after his manifolde labours in this life ; which beeing ended hee must rise againe to ioyes euerlasting : and therefore we must needes moderate and mingle our mourning for the deceased , with this and such like comforts . Fourthly , we are taught hence to labour and striue against the natural feare of death : for if there be a resurrection of our bodies after this life , then death is but a passage or middle way from this life to eternall life . If a begger should be commanded to put off his old rags , that he might be cloathed with rich & costly garments , would he be sorrie because he should stand naked a while til he were wholly bestripped of his rags ? No surely ; well , thus doeth God when he calls a man to death : he bids him put off his old rags of sinne and corruption , and be cloathed with the glorious robe of Christs righteousnes : and our abode in the graue is but for a space , while corruption be put off . This is Pauls argument , saying , Wee knowe that when our earthly house of this tabernacle shall be dissolued , we haue a building giuen of God , which is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens . Fifthly , whereas the godly are subiect to manifold afflictions and miseries , both in bodie and minde in this life , here they shall finde a sufficient staie to quiet and calme their mindes , if they consider that after this short life is ended , there will ensue a ioyfull resurrection . Iob in the extremitie of all his temptations , made this the comfort to his soule , that one daie he should rise again , in which he should enioy the glorious presence of his Creatour . And the Holy Ghost saith , that the seruants of God in the daies of Antiochus were racked and tormented , and would not bee deliuered : why so ? because they looked for a better resurrection . Lastly , the consideration of this point serueth to be a bridle to restraine a man from sinne , and a spurre to make him goe forward in all godlines of life and conuersation . Saint Paul had hope toward God , that the resurrection of the dead should be both of the iust and vniust . Nowe what did this mooue him vnto ? Marke : Herein ( saith a he , that is , in this respect ) I endeauour my selfe alwaies to haue a cleare conscience towards God and towards man. And let vs for our partes likewise remember the last iudgement , that it may bee a meanes to mooue vs so to behaue our selues in all our actions , that wee may keepe a good conscience before God and before men : and let it also be a bridle vnto vs to keepe vs backe from all manner of sinne . For what is the cause why men daily defile their bodies & soules with so many damnable practises , without any remorse of conscience ? Surely they neuer seriously remember the daie of the resurrection after this life , wherein they must stand before Christ to giue an account of that which they haue done in this life , whether it be good or bad . Thus much of the duties : nowe marke it is further said , The resurrection of the bodie . If the bodie rise , it must first fall . Here then this point is wrapped vp as a confessed trueth , that all men must die the first death . And yet considering that the members of the Church haue the pardon of their sinns which are the cause of death , it may bee demaunded , why they must die ? Ans. Wee are to know that when they die , death doth not seaze vpon them , as it is in his own nature , a curse : for in that respect it was borne of Christ vpon the crosse , and that for vs : but for two other causes , which we must thinke vpon , as being speciall meanes to make a man willing to die . I. They must die that originall corruption may be vtterly abolished : for no man liuing on earth is perfectly sanctified ; and originall sinne is remaining for speciall causes to the last moment of this life , and then it is abolished and not before . II. The godly die that by death as by a straight gate they may passe from this vale of miserie to eternall life . And thus Christ by his death makes death to be no death , and turnes a curse into a blessing . And to proceede : It is not here said , the resurrection of the soule , but of the bodie onely ; what then ( will some say ) becommeth of the soule ? Diuers haue thought , that the soules then , though they doe not die , yet are still kept within the bodie ( beeing as it were asleepe ) till the last day . But Gods word saith to the contrarie . For the soules of the godly lie vnder the altar , and crie , How long Lord Iesus ? Diues in soule did suffer the woe and torments of hell : and Lazarus had ioy in Abrahams bosome . Again some others thinke , that mens soules after this life doe passe from one mans bodie to an other : and Herod may seeme to haue beene of this opinion : for when newes was brought him of Christ , he saide , that Iohn Baptist beeing beheaded was risen againe , thinking that the soule of Iohn Baptist was put into the bodie of some other man. And for proofe hereof , some alledge the example of Nebuchadnezzar , who forsaking the societie of men , liued as beasts , and did eate grasse like a beast : & they imagine that his owne soule went out of him , and that the soule of a beast entred in the roome thereof . But this indeede is a fond conceit : for euen then he had the soule of a man when he liued as a beast , beeing onely stricken by the hand of God with an exceeding madnesse , whereby he was bereft of common reason ; as doth appeare by that clause in the text , where it is said , that his vnderstanding or knowledge returned to him againe . Again , some other thinke , that the soule neither dieth nor sleepeth , nor passeth out of one bodie into an other , but wandereth here on earth among men , and oftentimes appeareth to this or that man : and this is the opinion of some hereticks , and of the common people , which think that dead men walke : & for proofe hereof some alleadge the practise of the witch of Endor , who is said to make Samuel to appeare before Saul : but the truth is , it was not Samuel in deed , but onely a counterfait of him . For not all the witches in the world , nor all the deuils in hell are able to disquiet the soules of the faithfull departed , which are in the keeping of the Lord without wandring from place to place . For when men die in the faith , their soules are immediatly translated into heauen , and there abide till the last iudgement : and contrariwise if men die in their sinnes ; their soules go straight to the place of eternall condemnation , and there abide as in a prison , as Peter saith . In a word , when the breath goeth out of the bodie , the soule of euery man goeth straight either to heauen or hell ; and there is no third place of aboad mentioned in Scripture . To conclude , the resurrection of the bodie is expressely mentioned in the Creede , to shew that there is no resurrection of the soule , which neither dieth , nor sleepeth , but is a spirituall and inuisible substance , liuing and abiding for euer as well forth of the bodie as in the same . Thus much of the third prerogatiue or benefit : now followeth the fourth and last , in these words , And life euerlasting . To handle this point to the full , a●d to open the nature of it , as it deserueth , is not in the power of man. For both the prophet Esai and Saint Paul say , that the eye hath not seene , & the eare hath not heard , neither came it into mans heart to thinke of those things which God hath prepared for those that loue him . Againe Paul when hee was rapt into the third heauen saith , that he sawe things not to be vttered . Neuertheles we may in some part describe the same , so farre forth as God in this case hath reuealed his will vnto vs. Wherefore in this last prerogatiue , I consider two things ; the first is , Life it selfe , the second is the Continuance of life , noted in the worde euerlasting . Life it selfe is that whereby any thing acteth , liueth , and mooueth it selfe : and it is twofolde , vncreated or created . Vncreated life is the very godhead it selfe , whereby God liueth absolutely in himselfe , from himselfe , and by himselfe , giuing life and beeing to all things that liue and haue beeing : and this life is not meant here ; because it is not communicable to any creature . Created life is a qualitie in the creature ; and it s againe two-fold : naturall , spirituall . Naturall life is that whereby men in this world liue by meate and drinke , and all such meanes as are ministred by Gods prouidence . Spirituall life is that most blessed and happie estate , in which all the Elect shall raigne with Christ their head in the heauens after this life , and after the day of iudgement for euer and euer . And this alone is the life which in the Creede we confesse and beleeue : and it consisteth in an immediate coniunction and communion or fellowship with God himselfe : as Christ in his solemne praier to his father a litle before his death , signifieth : I pray not for these alone , but for them also which shall beleeue in me through thy word , that they all may be one as thou , O father art in me and I in thee , euē that they may be one also in vs. And whē S. Iohn in the Revelatiō saith , Beholde the tabernacle of God is with men , he will dwell with them , and they shall be his people , and God himselfe shall be their God with them : he sheweth that the very foundation of that happines which god hath prepared for his seruants stands in a societie betweene God and them , whereby God shall dwell with them in heauen , and they againe shall there enioy his glorious presence . Touching this Communion , three points must be considered . The first is , in what order men shall haue fellowship with God ? Ans. This communion shall be first of all with Christ as he is man ; and by reason that the manhoode of Christ is personally vnited to the godhead of the sonne , it shall also be with Christ as he is God ; and consequently with the father and the holy Ghost . The reason of this order is , because Christ , though he be the author and the fountaine of eternall life as he is God , yet he conueies the same vnto vs onely in and by his flesh or manhood . Yet must we not here thinke that life proceedeth frō the māhood it selfe , as from a cause efficient : for the flesh quickeneth not by any vertue frō it selfe , but by the Word to which it is personally vnited ; it beeing as it were a pipe eternally to conuey life from the godhead vnto vs. The second point is , in what thing this communion consisteth ? Ans. Saint Paul openeth this point to the very full , when hee saith , that after Christ hath subdued all things vnto him , then God shall be all in all , that is , God himselfe immediatly shall bee all good things that heart can wish to all the elect . But some men may say , What ? is not God all in all vnto vs euen in this life ? for whatsouer good things wee haue , they are all from him . Ans. It is true indeed God is all in all euen in this life : but howe ? not immediatly but by outward● meanes ; and that also in small measure . For he conueies his goodnes and mercie vnto vs so long as we liue on earth , partely by his creatures and partly by his word and Sacraments : but after this life is ended , all helpes and outwarde meanes shall cease : Christ shall giue vp his kingdome , and as he is Mediatour shall cease to put in execution the office of a priest , a prophet , or a king : all authoritie and power shall be abolished : and therefore all callings in the three maine estates of the Church , the Common-wealth , the familie shall haue an ende ; there shall be no more magistrate and subiect , Pastor and people , master and seruant , father and sonne , husband and wife : there shall be no more vse of meate , drinke , cloathing , respiration , physicke , sleepe : and yet for all this , the condition of men shall bee many thousand folde more blessed then euer it was . For the Godhead in the Trinitie immediately without all meanes shall be all things to all the chosen people of God in the kingdome of heauen , worlde without ende . This may seeme strange to mans reason , but it is the very ●lat trueth of the word of God. S. Iohn in the description of the heauenly Ierusalem , saith that there shall be no temple in it . Why , how then shall God bee worshipped ? marke what followeth , the Lord God almightie and the Lambe are the temple of it . Whereby is signified , that although now we vse the preaching of the word , and the administration of the Sacraments , as meanes of our fellowship with God : yet when this life is ended , they must all cease , God and Christ beeing in stead of al these meanes vnto vs. And he addes further , The citie hath no neede of the sunne , neither of the moone to shine in it . What then will some say , must there be nothing but darkenes ? Not so . For the glory of God doth lighten it , and the Lambe is the light of it . Againe he saith , that in the Paradise of God , there is the riuer of water of life , and the tree of life bearing fruit euery moneth , and that is Christ. And therefore we shall haue no neede of meate , drinke , apparell , sleepe , &c. but Christ himselfe our head and redeemer shall be in stead of them all vnto vs : on whome , all the elect shall feede , and by whome both in bodie and soule they shall be preserued euermore . If a man would haue glorie ; the father , sonne , and holy ghost shall be his glorie : if a mā desire wealth and pleasure , God himselfe shall be wealth and pleasure vnto him , and whatsoeuer else the heart of man can wish . Hence it appeares , that this communion is most admirable ; and that no tongue can tel , nor heart conceiue the least part of it . The third point is , touching the benefits or prerogatiues that proceede of this communion , and they are in number sixe . The first is , an absolute freedome from all wants . In the minde there shall be no ignorance , no vnbeleefe , no distrust in God , no ambition , no enuie , anger , nor carnall lust , nor terrour in conscience , or corrupt affection . In the bodie there shall be no soare , no sicknes , nor paine : for God shal wipe away al teares from their eies : nay thē all defects or wants in bodie or soule or in both shall be supplied , and the whole man made perfect euery way . The second is perfect knowledge of God. In this life the Church and all the seruants of god know him but in part . Moses would haue seene gods face , but he was permitted to see onely his hinder parts ; and as Paul saith , now wee know in part , and darkely as through a glasse . In this life we can no otherwise discerne but as an old mā through spectacles : & the creatures , but specially the word of God and the Sacraments are the spectacles of our minde , wherein we behold his iustice , mercie , loue , &c. and without them we can discerne little or nothing : yet after this life , when that which is perfect is come , and that which is imperfect is abolished ; we shall see God as he is to be seene , not as through a glasse , but face to face , and we shall knowe him as we are knowne of his maiestie , so farre forth as possibly a creature may . God indeede is infinite , and therefore the full knowledge of his maiestie can no more bee comprehended by the vnderstanding of a creature , which is finite , then the sea by a spoone : yet neuerthelesse God shall be knowne euery way of man , so farre forth as a creature may know the Creator . Now vpon this that the elect haue such fulnesse of knowledge , it may be demaunded , whether men shall knowe one another after this life or no. Ans. This question is oftener mooued by such as are ignorant , then by them that haue knowledge : and oftentimes it is tossed in the mouthes of them that haue little religion in their hearts : and therefore I answer first , men should rather haue care to seeke howe they may come to heauen , then to dispute what they shal do when they are there : the common prouerb is true , it is not good counting of chickins before they bee hatched . Secondly , I say that men in heauen shall knowe each other : yea they shall knowe them which were neuer knowne or seene of them before in this life : which may be gathered by proportion , out of Gods word . Adam in his innocencie knewe Eve , whome he had neuer seene before , & gaue her a fit name so soone as shee was created . And when our Sauiour Christ was transfigured in the mount , Peter knewe Moses and Elias , whome before he had neuer seene : and therefore it is like that the elect shall knowe each other in heauen , where their knowledge and their whole estate shall bee fully perfited . But whether they shall knowe one another after an earthly manner , as to say , this man was my father● this was mine vncle , this my teacher , &c. the word of god saith nothing : and therefore I will be silent , and we must be content a while to bee ignorant in this point . The third prerogatiue of euerlasting blessednes is , that the Elect shall loue God with as perfect loue as a creature possibly can . The manner of louing God , is to loue him for himselfe , and the measure is to loue him without measure : and both shall be found in heauen . For the Saints of God shall haue an actuall fruition of God himselfe , and bee as it were swallowed vp with a sea of his loue , and wholly rauished therewith : for which cause , as farre as creatures can they shall loue him againe . Againe , the loue of a thing is according to the knowledge thereof , but in this life God is knowne of man onely in part , and therefore is loued onely but in part : but after this life , when the Elect shall knowe God fully , they shall loue him without measure : & in this respect loue hath a prerogatiue aboue faith or hope , howesoeuer in some respects againe they goe beyond loue . The fourth prerogatiue is , that the Saints of God keepe a perpetuall Sabbath in heauen . In this life it is kept but euery seuenth daie , and when it is best of all sanctified , it is done but in part ; but in heauen euery day is a Sabbath : as the Lord saith by the Prophet Esay , From moneth to moneth , and from Sabbath to Sabbath , all flesh shall come and worship before me : & therefore the life to come shall be spent in the perpetuall seruice of God. Fifthly , the bodies of the elect after this life in the kingdome of heauen shal be like the glorious bodie of Christ : so Paul saith , Christ Iesus our Lord shall chāge our vile bodies that they may be like his glorious bodie . Now the resemblāce betweene Christs bodie and ours , standeth in these things : as Christs bodie is incorruptible , so shall our bodies be void of all corruption : as Christs bodie is immortal , so ours in the kingdom of heauen shal neuer die : as Christs bodie is spirituall , so shall ours be made spirituall , as the Apostle saith , It is sowen a naturall bodie , it is raised a spirituall bodie ; not because the bodie shall be changed into a spirit , for it shall remaine the same in substance , and that for euer : but because it shall be preserued by a spirituall and diuine manner . For in this life it is preserued by meate , drinke , cloathing , sleepe , physicke , rest , and diet , but afterwarde without all these meanes the life of the bodie shall be continued , and bodie and soule keepe togither by the immediate power of Gods spirit for euer and euer . Thus the bodie of Christ is nowe preserued in heauen , and so shall the bodies of all the elect be after the day of iudgement . Furthermore as Christs bodie is nowe a shining bodie , as doth appeare by his transfiguration in the mount , so in all likelihood after the resurrection the bodies of the elect shall be shining and bright , alwaies remaining the same for substance . Lastly , as Christs bodie after it rose againe from the graue , had this propertie of agilitie beside swiftnes , to passe from the earth to the third heauen , beeing in distance many thousand miles frō vs , and that without violence : so shall the bodies of the Saints . For beeing glorified , they shall be able as well to ascend vpwarde , as to goe downewarde , and to mooue without violence , and that very swiftly . The sixth and last prerogatiue , is an vnspeakable and eternall ioy ●● Dauid saith : In thy presence is fulnesse of ioy : at thy right hand there are p●●●ares for euermore . It is said that when Salomon was crowned king , the people reioiced exceedingly . If there were such great ioy at his coronation , whi●h was but an earthly prince , what ioy then shall there be when the Elect shall see the true Salomon crowned with glorie in the kingdome of heauen ? It is said that the wise men which came from the East to worship Christ , when they sawe the starre standing ouer the place where the babe was , were exceedingly glad : howe much more shall the elect reioice , when they shall see Christ not lying in a manger , but crowned with immortall glorie in the kingdome of heauen ? Wherefore this ioy of the elect after this life is most wonderfull , and cannot be vttered . The propertie of life eternall , is to be an inheritance which God bestoweth on them which are made his sonnes in Christ , who is the only begotten sonne of the father . Hence it followes necessarily , that in the Scriptures it is called a reward , not because it is deserued by our workes , as the Church of Rome erroniously teacheth : but for two other causes . First because life eternall is due to all that beleeue by vertue of Christs merit . For his righteousnesse is made ours by imputation , so con●equently the merit thereof is also ours : and by it , ( all personall merits in our selues vtterly excluded , ) we deserue or merit eternall happines as a reward ; which neuerthelesse in respect of our selues is the free and meere gift of God. The second is , because there is a resemblance betweene eternall life and a reward . For as a reward is giuen to a workeman after his worke is done ; so euerlasting life is giuen vnto men after the trauailes and miseries of this life are ended . The degrees of life are three . The first is in this life , when men beeing iustified and sanctified , haue peace with God. Many imagine , that there is no eternall life till after death : but they are deceiued , for it beginnes in this world : as our Sauiour Christ testifieth , saying , Verily , verily I say vnto you , he that heareth my wordes , and beleeueth him that sent me , hath euerlasting life , and shall not come into condemnation , but hath passed from death to life . This being so , we are hence to learne a good lesson . Considering we looke for life euerlasting after this life , we must not deceiue our selues , lingring and deferring the time till the last gaspe ; but we must lay the foundation of life eternall in our selues in this world , and haue the earnest thereof laide vp in our hearts against the day of death . But how is that done ? we must repent vs heartily of all our sinnes , and seeke to be assured in conscience that God the father of Christ is our father , God the sonne our redeemer , and God the holy Ghost our comforter . For as Christ saith , this is life eternall to know thee the onely God , and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. And we must goe further yet , endeauouring to say with Paul , that we liue not , but that Christ liueth in vs : which when we can say , we haue in vs the very seede of eternall life . The second degree is in the ende of this life , when the bodie freed from all diseases , paines , and miseries , is laid to rest in the earth , and the soule is receiued into heauen . The third is after the day of iudgement , when bodie and soule reunited shall both be aduanced to eternall glorie . Againe in this third degree of life , there be in all likelihood sundrie degrees of glory . Daniel speaking of the estate of the elect after this life , saith , They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament , and they that turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the starres for euermore . Now we know there is difference betweene the brightnesse of the firmament and the brightnesse of the starres . Againe there be degrees of torments in hell , as appeares by the saying of Christ , It shall be easier for Tyrus and Sydon in that day then for this generation : and therefore there be proportionall degrees of glorie . And Paul saith , There is one glorie of the sunne , an other glorie of the moone , an other glorie of the starres : for one starre differeth from another in glorie : so is the resurrection of the dead . In which words he applies the differences of excellencie that be in the creatures , to set forth the differences of glorie that shall be in mens bodies after the resurrection . Furthermore , ( if we may coniecture ) it may be , the degrees of glorie shall be answerable to the diuerse measures of gifts and graces bestowed on men in this life , and according to the imployance of them to the glorie of God and edification of the Church . And therefore the twelue Apostles who were exceedingly enriched with the gifts of the spirit , and were master-builders of the Church of the new Testament , shall sit on 12. thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel . But it may be obiected , that if there be degrees of glorie in heauen , some shall want glorie . Ans. Not so : though some haue more , and some lesse , yet all shall haue sufficient . Take sundrie vessells whereof some are bigger , and some lesse , and cast them all into the sea : some will receiue more water and some lesse , and yet all shall be full and no want in any : and so likewise among the Saints of God in heauen , some shall haue more glorie some lesse , and yet all without exception full of glorie . And wheras it is alleadged that all the labourers in the vineyard receiue each of them a pennie equally for their hire ; the answer is , that our Sauiour Christ in that parable intends not to set forth the equalitie of celestiall glorie , and what shall be the state of the godly after this life : but the very drift of the parable is to shew , that they which are called first , haue no cause to bragge or insult ouer others which as yet are vncalled , considering they may be made equall or be preferred before them . Thus much of life it selfe : now followes the continuance thereof , which the Scriptures haue noted in calling it eternall or euerlasting . And to this end Paul saith , that Christ hath abolished death , and brought not onely life , but also immortalitie to light by the Gospell . And this very circumstance serues greatly to commend the happines of the godly : in that , after they haue made an entrance into it , they shall neuer see tearme of time or end . Suppose the whole world were a sea , and that euery thousand yeares expired , a bird must carrie away , or drinke vp one onely droppe of it : in processe of time it will come to passe that this sea though very huge , shall be dried vp : but yet many thousand millions of yeares must be passed before this can be done . Now if a man should enioy happinesse in heauen onely for the space of time in which the sea is in drying vp , he would thinke his case most happie and blessed : but behold the Elect shall enioy the kingdome of heauen not onely for that time , but when it is ended , they shall enioy it as long againe : and when all is done , they shall be as farre from the ending of this their ioy , as they were at the beginning . Hauing thus seene what life euerlasting is , let vs now come to the vse of the article . And first of all , if we beleeue that there is an eternall happines , and that the same belongs vnto vs , then we must vse this present world & all the things therein as though we vsed them not : and whatsoeuer we doe in this world , yet the eyes of our minds must be alwaies cast toward the blessed estate prepared for vs in heauen . As a pilgrime in a strange land hath alwaies his eyes toward his iournies end , and is then grieued when by any meanes he is out of the way : so must we alwaies haue our mindes and hearts set on euerlasting life , and be grieued when we are by any way hindered in the straight way , that leadeth thereunto : we haue a notable patterne of this dutie set out vnto vs in the Patriarke Abraham , who beeing called of God , obeyed to goe out into a place , which he should afterward receiue for inheritance , and he went out , not knowing whither he went : and by faith aboad in the land of Canaan , as in a strange countrey and as one that dwelt in tents . Now the cause that mooued him was life euerlasting : for the text saith , He looked for a citie hauing a foundation , whose builder and maker is God. And we ought euery one of vs for our parts to be little affected to the things of this life , neuer setting our hearts vpon them , but vsing them as a pilgrime doth vse his staffe in the way : so long as it is an helpe and stay for him in his iourney , he is content to carrie it in his hand ; but so soone as ●t beginneth to trouble him , he casteth it away . Secondly all that ●rofesse the Gospel of Christ , may hence learne to beare the crosses and afflic●ions which God shall lay on them in this world . It is Gods vsuall manne● to begin corrections in his owne familie vpon his owne children ; and as P●ter saith , Iudgement beginneth at Gods house . Looke at a mother that weanes her child , laieth wormewood or some other bitter thing vpon her breast , to make the child loath the milke : so likewise God makes vs often feele the mis●ries and crosses of this life , that our loue and liking might be turned from this world and fixed in heauen . As rawe flesh is loathsome to the stomacke ; so is euery sinner and vnmortified man loathsome vnto God : till the Lord by afflictions mortifie in him the corruptions of his nature , and specially the loue of this world . But when a man is afflicted , how shall he be able to endure the crosse ? Surely by resoluing himselfe that the Lord hath prepared life euerlasting for him . Thus we read that Moses by faith when he was come to age , refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter , and choosed rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God , then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season , esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt . But I pray you : what mooued Moses to be of this minde ? The reason is added : Because he had respect to the recompence of reward , that is , he had alwaies a speciall regard to life euerlasting , and that was it that made him content and willing to suffer affliction with the people of god . Here then behold a notable president for vs to follow . In which we are taught that the best way to endure afflictions with patience , is to haue an eye to the recompence of reward : this is it that makes the yoke of Christ easie and lightsome . When it shall please God to bring vnto vs a cup of afflictions and bid vs drinke a draught thereof to the very bottome , the meditation of life eternall must be as sugar in our pockets to sweeten the cup withall . Lastly , if this be true , that God of his goodnesse and endles mercy towards mankind , hath prepared life euerlasting , yet not for all men , but for the elect whose names are written in the booke of life , we must aboue all things in this world seeke to be partakers of the same . Let vs receiue this as from the Lord , and lay it to our hearts , whatsoeuer we doe euening or morning , day or night , whether we be young or old , rich or poore ; first we must seeke for the kingdome of heauen and his righteousnes . If this benefit were common to all and not proper to the Church , lesse care might be had : but seeing it is proper to some alone , for this very cause let all our studies be to obtaine the beginnings of li●e euerlasting giuen in this life . For if we haue it not , whosoeuer we be , it had beene better for vs that we had neuer beene borne , or that we had beene borne dogges and toades then men : for when they die , there is an ende of their miserie ; but man , if he loose euerlasting happinesse , hath ten thousand millions of yeares to liue in miserie and in the torments of hell : and when that time is ended , he is as farre from the end of his miserie as he was at the beginning . Wherefore , I pray you , let not the deuill steale this meditation out of your hearts , but be carefull to repent of all your sinnes , and to beleeue in Christ for the pardon of them all ; that by this meanes yee may come to haue the pawne and earnest of the spirit concerning life euerlasting , euen in this world . What a miserable thing is it , that men should liue long in this world , and not so much as dreame of another till the last gaspe . Let vs not suffer Satan thus to abuse and bewitch vs : for if we haue not eternall life in this world , we shall neuer haue it . Hitherto by Gods goodnes I haue shewed the meaning of the Creede : now to draw to a conclusion , the generall vses which are to be made of it , follow . And first of all we learne by it , that the Church of Rome hath no cause to condemne vs for heretickes : for we doe truly hold and beleeue the whole Apostolicall Symbole or Creede , which is an epitome of the Scriptures and the very key of faith . It will be said , that we denie the Popes supremacie , iustification by workes , purgatorie , the sacrifice of the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead , the inuocation and intercession of Saints , &c. which ar● the greatest points of religion . It is true indeede , we denie and renounce them as doctrines of deuills : perswading our selues that if they indeede had beene Apostolicall , and the very grounds and pillars of religion , as they are now auouched to be ; they should in no wise haue beene left forth of the Creede . For it is an ouersight in making a confession of faith , to omit the principall points and rules of faith . It will be further saide , that in the Creede we beleeue the Church , and so consequently are to beleeue all these former points which are taught and auouched by the Church : but this defence is foolish . For it takes this for graunted , that the Church of Rome is the Church here meant which we denie , vnlesse they can prooue a particular Church to be vniuersal or Catholike . Nay , I adde further , that the principall grounds of popish faith , for which they contend with vs as for life and death ; are not mentioned in any other Creedes which were made by the Churches and Councells for many hundred yeares after Christ. Secondly the Creede serues as a storehouse of remedies against all troubles and temptations whatsoeuer . I. If a man be grieued for the losse of earthly riches , let him consider that he beleeues God to be his Creatour , who will therefore guide and preserue his owne workmanship , and by his prouidence minister all things needefull vnto it . And that he hath not lost the principall blessing of all , in that he hath God to be his father , Christ to be his redeemer , and the holy Ghost to be his comforter : and that considering he lookes for life eternall , he is not to be ouer much carefull for this life : and that Christ being our Lord will not forsake vs beeing the seruants in his owne house , but will prouide things needefull for vs. II. If any man be grieued in respect of outward disgrace and contempt , let him remember that he beleeues in Christ crucified , and that therefore he is to reioyce in contempt for righteousnes sake . III. They which are troubled for the decease of friends● are to comfort thēselues in the communion of Saints , and that they haue God the Father and Christ and the holy Ghost for their friends . IV. Against bodily captiuitie , let men consider that they beleeue in Christ their Lord , whose seruice is perfect libertie . V. Against the feare of bodily diseases● we must remember the resurrection of the bodie , in which all diseases and infirmities shall be abolished . VI. If a man feare death of the bodie , let him consider that he beleeues in Christ , which died vpon the crosse , who by death hath vanquished death . VII . The feare of persecution is restrained , if we call to remembrance that God is a Father Almightie , not onely able but also willing to represse the power of the aduersarie , so farre forth as shall be for the good of his children . VIII . Terrours arising of the consideration of the last iudgement are delaied by remembrance of this , that Christ shall be our iudge who is our redeemer . IX . Feare of damnation is remedied by consideration that Christ died to make satisfaction for vs , and now sitts at the right hand of his father to make intercession for vs : and by the resurrection of the bodie to life euerlasting . X. Terrours of conscience for sinne are repressed , if we consider that God is a Father , and therefore much in sparing , and that it is a prerogatiue of the Church to haue remission of sinnes . Trin-vni Deo gloria . AN EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS PRAYER : In the way of Catechising , seruing for ignorant people . Corrected and amended . Hereunto are adioyned the prayers of Paul , taken out of his Epistles . By W. Perkins . Printed for Iohn Porter , and Ralph Iackson . 1600. To the right Honourable Edward , Lord Russell Earle of Bedford : Grace and peace be multiplied . RIght Honourable , if you consider what is one of the chiefest ornaments of this Noble state , vnto which God hath aduanced you : it wil appeare , that there is none more excellent then a the spirit of grace and prayer . For what doth your heart affect ? would you speake the languages ? Behold , by prayer you may speak the most heauenly tongue that euer was , b euen the language of Canaan . Would you haue the valor of knighthood ? By prayer you may stand in place where Gods hande hath c made a breach , and doe as much as d all the chariots and horsmen in a kingdom . Would you inioy Gods blessings which you wāt ? By praier you may ( as it were ) put your hand into the cofers of Gods treasures e & inrich your selfe . Doe you desire the fauour of Monarks and Princes ? By praier you may come in presence and haue speech with Iehova the king of heauen and earth . Lastly , would you know , whether now liuing you be dead , that beeing dead you may liue for euer ? By prayer a man may knowe , whether hee bee dead to sinne , dead to the world , liue to God , liue to Christ and liue eternally . Prayer then , beeing so excellent a point of Religion : I am imboldened to commend this small treatise to your Honour : not so much for it selfe , as because it doth set out the matter and true manner of inuocation of Gods holy name . And I hope for your fauour in accepting of it , the rather , because I doubt not but your desire is to be answerable to your most honourable , & for religion most worthy ancestors , in the care of maintaining and countenancing any good thing that may any way serue for the furtherīg of the gospel of Christ. Nowe Iesus Christ our Lord , and God euen the Father which hath loued vs , & giuen vs euerlasting consolation , and good hope through grace , stablish your Honour in euery good word and worke to the end . Your H. to command , William Perkins . An aduertisement to the Reader . GOod reader , there was a booke of late published in London vnder this title , PERKINS , vpon the Lords praier . In it I haue double iniurie . First it was printed without my knowledge or consent . And secondly the booke is faultie both in the matter and manner of writing . In the matter , these things are not well set downe . First the commandement of praier , very easily to be kept . pag. 3 . b . 2. Prayer is the restauration of the Gospell . 7 . b . 3. The three first petitions concerne Gods glorie ; the three latter , the meanes of Gods glorie . 1 . b . 4. Gods name taken for his deitie , and not for his attributes or titles . 15 . b . 5. A man must pray for the day of his death . 26 . a . 6. Repentance is sufficient not only to bring a true faith , but also to renew it . 34. ● . 7. A lesson in the Lords praier taken out of Poperie . 45 . a . 8. The doctrine of satisfaction for sinne is a most vile doctrine . 52 . b . 9. God and the deuill agree in the manner of temptation . 61 . b . 10. God offereth men the occasion to sinne . 62 . a . Likewise the manner of writing hath other faults . First , in the middle of the Lords prayer , there is placed a discourse of the Lords supper . 2. The end of the Lords prayer is not expounded at all but friuolously . 3. There are very many places , which haue no common reason in them , as First , Gods angels doe his will in countenance . 39 . b . 2. Our daily bread is communicating bread . 45 . b . 3. To walke before God in the truth of the satisfaction of Gods iustice . 51 . a . 4. To purge a cleere conscience . 51 . b . 5. The pages 65.66.67 . are so penned , as the reader cannot knowe what was my meaning . Now , considering by this vngoaly practise , Christian and well disposed people are much abused , to omit the iniurie done to my selfe : I thought it my duty to make a redresse by publishing this treatise according as the points therein were deliuered : otherwise I was not willing to haue set downe any thing in the way of Exposition of the Lords prayer : because it is alreadie sufficiently performed by others . AN EXPOSITION OF THE Lords praier , in the way of Catechisme . Seruing for ignorant people , by M. Perkins . Matth. 6. vers . 9. After this manner therefore pray ye : Our Father , &c. THe occasion , and so also the coherence of these words with the former is this . The Euangelist Matthew setting downe the sermons and sayings of our Sauiour Christ keeps not this course to propound euery thing as it was done or spoken : but sometime he sets downe that first , which was done last ; and that last which was done before : according as the spirit of God directed him . Which thing is verified in these words , where the praier is mentioned ; yet the occasion wherefore our Sauiour Christ taught his Disciples to pray , is not here specified . But in S. Luk. 11. 1. the occasion of these wordes is euident . For there it is said that the disciples of our Sauiour knowing that Iohn taught his disciples to pray , made request to their master that he would doe the same to them likewise . These fewe words set before the pr●ier are a commandement , and it prescribes vnto vs two duties : the first , to pray : the second , to pray after the manner following . Touching the first point , considering very fewe among the people knowe how to pray aright , we must learne what it is to pray . To make praier is to put vp our request to God according to his word from a contrite heart in the name of Christ , with assurance to be heard . For the better opening of these words , we are to cōsider sixe questiōs . The first is , to whome we are to praie . The answer is , to God alone : Rom. 10.14 . How shall they call on him in whome they haue not beleeued , &c. Marke howe inuocation and faith are linked togither . And Pauls reason may be framed thus . In whome we put our affiance or beleefe , to him alone must we praie : but we beleeue onely in God : therefore we must onely pray to him . As for Saints or angels , they are in no wise to be called vpon : because not the least title of gods word prescribes vs so to doe : because they cannot heare our praiers , and discerne what are the thoughts and desires of our hearts : and because inuocation is a part of diuine worship , and therefore peculiar to God alone . Obiection . What neede any man pray vnto God , considering hee knowes what we want before we aske , and is readie and willing to giue that which we craue . Ans. We pray not for this ende to manifest our case to God as though he knewe it not , or to winne and procure his fauour and good will , but for other weightie endes . First , that we might shew our submission and obedience to God , because he hath giuen vs a direct commandement to pray , and it must be obeyed . Secondly , that we may by inuocation shewe forth that wee doe indeede beleeue and repent : because God hath made the promise of remission of sinnes and of all good blessings to such as doe indeede repent and humble themselues vnder the hand of God , and by true faith apprehend and applie the promises of God vnto themselues . Thirdly , we pray to God that wee may ( as our dutie is ) acknowledge him to be the fountaine , author , and giuer of euery good thing . Lastly , that we might ease our mindes by powring out our hearts before the Lord : for to this ende hath he made most sweete and comfortable promises . Pro. 16.3 . Psal. 37.5 . Obiection . What neede men vse prayer , considering God in his eternall coūsell hath certenly determined what shall come to passe ? Ans. As God determines what things shall come to passe : so hee doeth with all determine the meanes whereby the same things are effected . Before all worlds God decreed that men should liue vpon earth , and he decreed likewise , that meate , drinke and cloathing should be vsed that life might be preserued . Now prayer is one of the most excellent meanes whereby sundry things are brought to passe : therefore Gods eternall counsell touching things to come , doth not exclude praier and like meanes , but rather include and implie the same . The second question is , what kind of actiō praier is ? Ans. It is no lip-labour , it is the putting vp of a suite vnto God , and this action is peculiar to the very heart of a man. Rom. 8.26 . The spirit makes request for vs. But how ? with grones in the heart . Exod. ●4 . 15 . The Lord saith to Moses , Why criest thou ? yet there is no mention made that Moses spake any word at all : the Lord no doubt , accepted the inward mourning and desire of his heart for a crie , Psal. 38.10 . and 11.4 . The third question is , what is the forme or rule according to which wee are to pray ? Ans. It is the reuealed will and word of God. A man in humbling his soule before God , is not to pray as his affections carrie him , and for what he list : but all is to be done according to the expresse word . So as those things which God hath commanded vs to aske , we are to aske , & those things which he hath not commanded vs to aske , we are in no wise to pray for , 1. Iohn 5.14 . This is the assurance which we haue of him , that if wee aske any thing according to his will , he heareth vs. This then is a speciall clause to be marked , that men must pray in knowledge , not in ignorance . Here weigh the case of poore ignorant people : they talke much of praying for themselues and others , they imagine that they pray very deuoutly to God : but alas they doe nothing lesse , because they know not what to aske according to gods will. They therfore must learn Gods word , and pray according to the same , els it will prooue in the end that all their praying was nothing but as mocking , and flat dishonouring of God. The fourth question is , with what affection a man must praie ? Ans. Praier must proceede from a broken and contrite heart . This is the sacrifice which God accepteth . Psal. 51. 17. When Ahab abased himselfe , though hee did ●● in hypocrisie , yet God had some respect vnto it . 1. King. 21.29 . saith the Lord to Eliah , seest thou how Ahab is hūbled before me ? This contrition of heart stands in two things . The first of them is a liuely feeling of our owne sinne , miserie , and wretched estate , how that we are compassed about with innumerable enemies , euen with the deuill and his angels , and within abound euen with huge seas of wants and rebellious corruptions , whereby we most grieuously displease God , and are vile in our owne eyes . Beeing therefore thus beset on euery side , we are to be touched with the sense of this our great miserie . And he that will pray aright , must put on the person and the very affection of a poore wretched begger , and certenly not beeing grieued with the rufull condition in which we are in our selues , it is not possible for vs to pray effectually , Psal. 130.1 . Out of the deepest called vpon thee , O Lord : that is , when I was in my greatest miserie , and as it were not farre from the gulfes of hell , then I cried to God , Esay 26.16 . Lord in trouble haue they visited thee , they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was vpon them . 1. Sam. 1.15 . I am a woman ( saith Anna ) of an hard spirit : that is , a trouble soule , and haue powred my soule before the Lord. Hence it appeareth , that the ordinarie praiers of most men grieuously displease God , seeing they are made for fashion onely , without any sense and feeling of their miseries , commonly men come with the Pharise in ostentation of their integritie , and they take great paines with their lippes , but their hearts wander from the Lord. The second thing required in a contrite heart , is a longing desire and hungring after Gods graces and benefits whereof we stand in neede . It is not sufficient for a man to buckle as it were , and to goe crooked vnder his sinnes and miseries : but also he must haue a desire to be eased of them , and to be enriched with graces needfull . Thus Hezekias the King , and the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amos prayed against Senacharib , and cried vnto heauen . 2. Chr. 32.10 . Where we may see what a marueilous desire they had to obtaine their request . So also Rom. 8.16 . The spirit maketh request with grones so great that they can not be vttered , as they are felt . Dauid Psal. ●43 . 6 . saith , that he desireth after the Lord , as the thirstie land . Now we know that the ground parched with heate , opens it selfe in ri●ts and cranies , and gapes towards heauen as though it would deuoure the clouds for want of moysture , and thus must the heart be disposed to Gods grace , till it obtaine it . The people of Israel beeing in grieuous a●fliction , how doe they pray ? They powre out their soules like water before the face of the Lord. Lament . 2. 1● . The fift question is , in whose name prayer must be made . Ans. It must not be made in the name of any creature , but onely in the name and mediation of Christ. Ioh. 14.14 . If yee aske any thing in my name I will doe it . A man is not to present his prayers to God in any worthines of his owne merits . For what is he to make the best of himselfe , what can he make of himselfe ? by nature he is no better then the very firebrand of hell , and of all Gods creatures on earth the most outragious rebell to God , and therefore can not be heard for his owne sake . As for Saints , they can be no mediatours , seeing euen they themselues in heauen are accepted of God not for themselues , but onely for the blessed merits of Christ. If any man sinne ( saith Saint Iohn 1. epist. chap. 2.1 . ) we h●●e an aduocate with the father , Iesus Christ. But howe prooues he this ? It followes then , And he is the reconciliation for our sinnes . His reason stands thus , hee which must be an advocate , must first of al be a reconciliation for vs ; no saints can be a reconciliation for vs , therefore no Saints can be aduocates . Therefore in this place is manifest an other fault of ignorant people . They crie often , Lord helpe me , Lord haue mercie vpon me . But in whose name pray they ? poore soules like blind bayards they rush vpon the Lord , they knowe no mediatour in whose name they should present their praiers to him . Litle do they consider with themselues , that God is as well a most terrible Iudge , as a mercifull father . The sixt question is ; Whether faith be requisite to praier or not . Ans. Prayer is to be made with faith , whereby a man must haue certen assurance to be heard . For he that praieth must steadfastly beleeue , that God in Christ will grant his petition . This affiance being wanting , it maketh praier to be no praier . For how can he pray for any thing effectually , who doubteth whether hee shall obtaine it or no. Wherefore it is an especiall point of praier , to be perswaded , that God to whome praier is made , not onely can , but also will grant his request . Mar. 11. 24. Whatsoeuer ye desire when ye praie , beleeue that yee shall haue it , and it shall bee done vnto you . Here wee see two things required in praier : the first , a desire of the good things which we want : the second is faith , whereby we beleeue that God will grant the things desired . The ground of this faith is reconciliation with God , and the assurance thereof . For vnlesse a man bee in conscience in some measure perswaded that all his sinnes are pardoned , and that he standes reconciled to God in Christ , he cannot beleeue any other promises reuealed in the word , nor that any of his praiers shall be heard . Thus much of the definition of praier : nowe let vs see what vse may be● made of ●his commandement , Pray ye thus . Seeing our Sauiour commands his di●●iples● and so euen vs also to pray to God , it is our dutie not onely to present our praiers to God , but also to doe it cheerefully and earnestly . Rom. 15. 30. Also brethren I beseech you that yee would striue with me by prayers to God for me . What is the cause why the Lord doth oft deferre his blessings after our prayers ? No cause , but that he might stirre vs vp to be more earnest to crie vnto the Lord. Exod. 32. 10. When Moses praied to God in the behalfe of the Israelites , the Lord answers , Let me alone : as though his praiers did binde the Lord , and hinder him from executing his iudgements . Wherfore this is good aduise , for all Christian men to continue and to bee zealous in praier . If thou be an ignorant man , for shame learn to praie , seeing it is Gods cōmandement , make consciēce of it . We see that there is no man , vnles he be desperately wicked , but will make some conscience of killing and stealing● and why is this ? Because it is Gods commaundement , Thou shalt not kill , thou shalt not ●teale . Well then , this also is Gods commandement , to pray . Let this consideration breed in thee a conscience of this dutie : and although thy corrupt nature shall draw thee away from it , yet striue to the contrarie , and know it certainly , that ●he breach of this commandement makes thee as well guilty of damnation before God as any other . Furthermore , this must be a motiue to pricke thee forward to this dutie , that as God commands vs to praie , so also he giues the spirit of praier , whereby the commandement is made easie vnto vs. If the Lord had commaunded a thing impossible , then there had beene some cause of discouragement , but commaunding a thing through the grace of his spirit very easie and profitable : how much more are we bound to obedience of the same ? Againe , praier is the key whereby we open the treasures of GOD , and pull down his mercies vpon vs. For as the preaching of the word serues to declare and to conuey vnto vs Gods graces : so in praier wee come to haue a liuely feeling of the same in our hearts . And further , this must mooue vs to praier , seeing in that , we haue familiaritie with Gods maiestie . It is an high fauour for a man to be familiar with a prince ; howe much more then to bee familiar with the king of kings the mightie Iehoua ? This then can be no burthen or trouble vnto vs , being one of the many prerogatiues that god bestows on his church . For in the preaching of the word , it pleased God to talke to vs , and in praier , God doth vouchsafe vs this honour , to speake , and as it were familiarly to talk with him , not as to a fearefull Iudge , but as to a louing and mercifull God. Consider also that praier is a worthy meanes of defence , not only to vs , but also to the Church & thē that are absent . By it Moses stood in the breach , which Gods wrath had made into the people of Israel , and staied the same , Psal. 106. 23. By this , Christian men fight as valiant champions against their owne corruptions , and all other spirituall enemies , Eph. 6. 18. Infinite were it to shewe how many blessings the Lord had bestowed on his seruants by praier . In a word , Luther , whom it pleased God to vse as a worthie instrument for the restoring of the gospel , testifieth of himselfe , that hauing this grace giuen him to call vpon the name of the Lord , he had more reuealed vnto him of gods truth by praier , then by reading and studie . The second point of the commandement , is to praie after the manner propounded in the Lords praier . Where it is to be noted , that the Lords praier is a direction , and as it were a samplar to teach vs how and in what manner wee ought to praie . None is to imagine that we are bound to vse these words only , & none other . For the meaning of Christ is not to bind vs to the word , but to the matter and to the manner , and to the like affections in praying . If this were not so , the praiers of Gods seruants set downe in the bookes of the olde and new Testament , should all be faultie , because they are not set downe in the very same words with the Lords praier , nay this praier is not set downe in the same words altogither by Matthew and Luke . And whereas sundrie men in our Church hold it vnlawfull to vse this very forme of words as they are set downe by our Sauiour Christ for a praier ; they are farre deceiued , as will appeare by their reasons . First ( say they ) it is scripture , and therefore not to bee vsed as a prayer . I answer , that the same thing may be the scripture of God , & also the praier of man , els the praiers of Moses , Dauid , and Paul , being set downe in the scriptures , cease to be prayers . Againe ( say they ) that in praier we are to expresse our wants in particular , & the graces which we desire : now in these words all things to be praied for , are only in generall propounded . I answere , that the maine wantes that are in any m●n , and the principall graces of God to be desired , are set downe in the petitions of this praier in particular . Thirdly , they plead that the patterne to make all praiers by , should not be vsed as a praier . I answer , that therefore the rather it may be vsed as a prayer , and sure it is that ancient and worthy Diuines haue reuerenced it as a prayer ; choosing rather to vse these wordes then any other , as Cyprianus Sermone de orat . Dominic . And Tertullian lib. de fuga in persequntione . And August . Sermone 126. de tempore . Wherefore the opinion is full of ignorance and errour . Well , whereas our Sauiour first giues a commandement to pray , and then after giues a direction for the keeping of it , this he doth to stir vp our dulnes , and to allure vs by all meanes to this heauenly exercise of prayer : wherefore still I say , imploy your selues in praier feruently and continually , and if you cannot doe it , learne to praie . Thus much of the commandement of our Sauiour Christ : now follow the words of the praier . Our Father which art , &c. ] THese wordes containe three partes , 1. A preface . 2. The praier it selfe , containing sixe petitions . 3. The testification of faith in the last worde , Amen . Which although it be short , yet it doth not containe the smallest point in the praier : It is ( I say ) a testification of our faith , whereas the petitions that goe before are onely testifications of our desires . Nowe of these three partes in order . We must consider howe our Sauiour Christ doth not set downe the petitions abruptly , but he first begins with a solemne preface . Whereby wee are taught this lesson ; that hee which is to pray vnto God , is first to prepare himselfe , and not boldly without consideration as it were to rush into the presence of God. If a man be to come before an earthly prince , hee will order himselfe in apparell , gesture and wordes , that he may doe all things in seemelinesse and dutifull reuerence : how much more are men to order themselues , when they are to appeare before the liuing God ? Eccl. 5.1 . Bee not rash with thy mouth , and let not thy heart be hastie to vtter a thing before the Lord. And Dauid , Psal. 26.6 . Washed his hands in innocency , before he came to the altar of the Lord to offer sacrifice . The meanes whereby men may stirre vp their dull and heauie hearts , & so prepare themselues to praier , are three . The first is to read diligently the word of God , concerning those matters about which they are to pray : & what then ? this will be a meanes not onely to direct him , but also to quicken the heart more feruently to deliuer his praier . This is euident by a comparison . The beames of the sunne descending , heat not before they come to the earth , or some solide bodie where they may reflect , and then by that meanes the earth and aire adioyning is made hot : euen so the Lord sends down vnto vs his blessed word , euen as beames and the goodly sunshine , and thereby he speakes to our hearts : now when we make our praiers of that which we haue read , Gods word is as it were re●●ected , and our hearts are thereby warmed with the comfortable heat of Gods holy spirit , to poure out our p●aiers to God more feruently . The second meanes is to pray to God that hee would strengthen vs with his spirit , that we might be able to praie as it is practised , Psal. 143.1 . The third meanes is , the consideration of Gods most glorious maiestie , wherein we are to remember first his fatherly goodnes and kindnesse , whereby hee is willing ; and secondly his omnipotencie , whereby hee is able to g●ant our requests . One of these imboldened the leaper to pray , Lord , if thou wil● thou canst make me ●leane . Mat. 8.2 . Therefore both togither are more effectuall . Now let vs come to the preface it selfe , Our father which art in heauen . It cōtaines a description of the true Iehoua to whome we pray , and that by two arguments : the first is drawne from a relation , Our Father : the second is taken from the subiect or place , Which art in heauen . Father . ] 1. The meaning . IN the opening of this word , or title of God , two questions are to be opened . 1. Quest. Whether by thit title , Father , is signified the whole Trinitie or some one person thereof . Ans. Otherwhiles this name is attributed to all the persons in Trinitie , or any of them . Mal. 2. 10. Haue wee not all one father . &c. Luk. 3.38 . Which was the sonne of Adam , which was the s●nne of God. And in Esai 36. Christ is called the Father of eternitie , because all that are truely knit to him , and borne anew by him , they are eternally made the sonnes of God. Againe , oftentimes it is giuen to the first person in Trinitie , as in those places where one person is conferred with another . And so in this place principally for some speciall respects , this title agrees to the first person . For first he is the father of Christ as he is the eternall word of the father , and that by nature , because he is of the same essence with him . Secondly , he is the father to Christ in respect of his manhood , not by nature or adoption , but by personall vnion , because the humane nature doth subsist in the person of the word . Thirdly , he is a father to all the faithfull by adoption in Christ. 2. Quest. Whether are we to praie to the sonne and the holy Ghost as to the Father ? Ans. Inuocation belongs to al the three persons in Trinitie , & not only to the Father , Act. 7.59 . Steuen praieth , Lord Iesus receiue my spirit . 1. Th●s . 3.2 . Now God our Father and our Lord Iesus Christ guide our iourney vnto you . 2. Cor. 13.13 . The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ , the loue of God , and the communion of the holy ghost be with you . And men are baptized in the name of the father , the sonne , and the holy Ghost , that is , by calling on the name of the Father , Sonne , and holy Ghost . Some may say , this praier is a perfect platforme of all praiers , & yet we are taught to direct our praiers to the Father , not to the Sonne , or holy spirit . I answere , the Father , Sonne , and holy Ghost , are three distinct persons , yet they are not to be seuered or deuided , because they all subsist in one and the same godhead or diuine nature . And further in all outward actions , as in the creation and preseruation of the world , and the saluation of the elect , they are not seuered or diuided : for they all worke togither , onely they are distinguished in the manner of working . Nowe if they be not diuided in nature or operation , then they are not to be seuered in worship . And in this place wee principally direct our praiers to the father , because he is the first in order : yet so , as then we implie the Sonne and holy Ghost . For we pray to the Father in the name of the Sonne by the assistance of the holy Ghost . And to what person soeuer the praier is directed , we must alwaies remember in minde and heart to include the rest . 2. The vse . TThe vses of this point are manifold . 1. First , whereas we are taught to come to God as to a father , & therefore in the name of his Sonne our Sauiour Christ , we learne to lay the first ground of all our praiers , which is to hold and maintaine the vnion & the distinction of the three persons in Trinitie . This beeing the lowest and the first foundation of praier , it is requisite that all which would pray aright , should haue this knowledge , rightly to beleeue the Trinitie , and to know how the three persons agree , and how they are distinguished , and the order of them , how the Father is the first , the Sonne the second , the holy ghost the third : and therefore how the father is to be called vpon in the name of the sonne by the holy Ghost . By this , the praiers of Gods Church , and the praiers of heathen men are distinguished , who inuocate God as creator out of the father , Sonne , & holy Ghost . And hence it is manifest , that ignorant and silly people which doe not so much as dreame of the vnion , distinction , and order of the persons in Trinitie , make but a cold and slender kind of praying . 2. Secondly , we may learne hereby that we are not in any wise to inuocate Saints and Angels , but onely the true Iehoua . The reason standes thus : This praier is either a perfect platforme for all praiers , or not : to say it were not , were an iniurie to our Sauiour Christ : to say it is so , is also to graunt that it doth fully set downe to whome all praiers are to be made . Now , in these words there is set downe no inuocation but of God alone . For in praier to be tearmed , Our father is proper to God , Esai 64.16 . Thou art our father : though Abraham be ignorant of vs , and Israel know vs not : yet thou , O Lord , art our father and redeemer . Papists therefore that are the great patrons of inuocation of Saints , in their reformed breuiaries & missals , deale very fondly : for first they pray to Marie , that shee would pray to Christ for them , and when they haue so done , like iuglers they come to Christ and pray vnto him that he would accept Maries praier for them . 3. Thirdly , we learne that there can be no intercessour betweene God and vs , but onely Christ. For here we are taught to come to God not as to a iudge , but as to a kind and louing father . Now he is a father to vs onely by Christ : as for Angels and Saints and all creatures , they are not able to procure by any meanes , that God should become a father , no not so much as to one man. 4. Againe , if the God to whome we pray be a father , we must learne to acquaint our selues with the promises which he hath made in his word , to quicken our hearts in all our praiers vnto him , and thereby to gather affiance to our selues and perswasion that he wil graunt our requests . For this word [ Father ] implies a readines and willingnes in God to heare and be mercifull to our praiers . And a father can not but must needes make promise of fauour to those that be his children , and therefore it can not be that he should call God his father truly , which hath not in his heart this assurance , that God will fulfill all his promises made vnto him . Promises made to praier , as these and such like , are to be marked , as follow , 2. Chron. 7.14 . If my people among whome my name is called vpon , doe humble themselues , and pray , and seeke my presence , & turne from their wicked waies , then I will heare in heauen , and be mercifull vnto their sinnes . 2. Chron. 15.2 . The Lord is with you while ye be with him , and if ye seeke him , he will be found of you . Esai 65. 34. Before they call I will answer , and whiles they speake I will heare . Matth. 7.7 . Aske and it shall be giuen you , seeke and ye shall finde , knocke and it shall be opened . Luke 11.13 . If ye which are euill can giue good gifts vnto your children , how much more shall your heauenly father giue the holy Ghost to them that desire him . Rom. 10. 12. He that is Lord ouer all , is rich vnto all that call on him . Iam. 4.8 . Draw neere vnto God , and he will draw neere vnto you . 5. If God be a father who is called vpon , then praier is the note of Gods child . Saint Luke and S. Paul set out the faithfull seruants of God by this note , Act. 9.14 . He hath authoritie to bind all that call on thy name . 1. Cor. 1.2 . To them that are sanctified by Iesus Christ , Saints by calling , with all that call on the name of our Lord Iesus Christ. And contrariwise , Psal. 14.4 . it is made one of the properties of an Atheist , Neuer to call on the name of God. And such persons as neither will nor can , or vse not heartily to pray to God , they may say that they are perswaded there is a God , but in their doings they beare themselues as if there were no God. 6. He which would pray aright , must be like the prodigall child , that is , he must not onely confesse his sinne , saying , Father , I haue sinned against heauen , and against thee , &c. but also haue a full purpose neuer after to offend his father . For how can a child call him father , whome he cares not continually to displease through his lewd conditions ? He can not doe it , neither can any father delight in such a child : therefore in praier we must call to minde our lewdnes and rebellions against our heauenly father , and with the Publicane in heauines of soule say , Lord be mercifull to be a sinner . He which can truly doe this , is a kinde childe . If we consider our selues as we are by nature , we are the children of the deuill : no child so like his father as we are like him , and in this estate we continually rebell against God : for the deuill hath all the heart , our whole ioy is to serue and please him . A man that is to pray must thinke on this , and be grieued thereat . And happie , yea a thousand times happie are they , who haue grace giuen them to see this their state and to bewaile it . And further , it is not sufficient to confesse our sinnes against our mercifull Father , but we must set downe with our selues neuer in such sort to offend him againe , & to lead a new life . This point is very profitable for these times . For many there be when any crosse or sicknesse comes on them , wil pray and promise repentance and all obedience to Gods word , if it shall please God to deliuer them : but this vsually is but in hypocrisie , they dissemble with God and men . For when their sicknes is past , like a dogge that hath bin in the water , they shake their eares and runne straight with all greedines to their former sinnes . Is this to call God Father ? No , he that doth this shal not haue God to be his father : but the man that is wounded in his soule for his offences past , and carrieth a purpose in his heart neuer wittingly and willingly to offend God againe . 7. Lastly , here we are to obserue , that he which would pray , must be indued wi●h the spirit of adoption : the actions whereof in the matter of praier are twofold . The first to mooue the heart to crie and call on God as a father . It is no easie thing to pray : for to a man of himselfe it is as easie to mooue the whol earth with his hand : how then comes it that we pray ? It is a blessed worke of the spirit . Rom. 8.15 . We haue receiued the spirit of adoption , whereby we crie , Ab●a , that is● father . And Rom. 8.26 . Likewise the spirit helpeth our infirmities : for we know not what to pray as we ought : but the spirit it selfe maketh request . And Zach. 12.10 . the holy Ghost is called the spirit of grace , and deprecatio●s or praiers . Well then , the man that would pray , must haue Gods spirit to be his schoole-master , to teach him to pray with grones and sighes of the heart : for the words make not the prayer , but the grones and desires of his heart : and a man praies for no more then he desires with the heart , and he which desires nothing praies not at all , but spends lip-labour . The second worke of the spirit , is to assure vs in our consciences that we are in the state of grace reconciled to God. Rom. 8.16 . The spirit of adoption beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God. And this inward certificate of the spirit in all exercises of inuocation is very necessarie : for he which wants this assurance , if he be secure and benummed in his sinnes , will not , and if he be touched in conscience for them , for his life dare not cal God father . Also this confutes the opinion of the Church of Rome , which teacheth , that man is to doubt whether he be adopted or no. For how can a man truly call God father , when he doubts whether he be the child of God , or no ? It is a miserable kind of praying to cal God father , and withall to doubt whether he be a father . Indeede it is true that doubts will often arise , but it is our dutie to striue against them , and not to yeeld to them . Yea but ( say they ) to be certaine of Gods mercy is presumption . I answer , if it be presumption , it is an holy presumption , because God hath bidden vs to call him father . Our Father . ] 1. The meaning . THus much of the argument of relation : now let vs proceede● It is further said , Our father . And he is so tearmed , because he is the father of Christ by nature ; and in him the father of euery beleeuer : yea of the whole bodie of the Church . Quest. Whether may it be lawfull for vs in praier to say , not our father , but my father ? Ans. A Christian may in priuate praier say , My father . This is warranted by the example of our Sauiour , Matth. 26. ●9 . O my father if it be possible , let this cup passe from me . And Math. 27.46 . My God , my God , why hast thou forsaken me ? And Thomas praied , My Lord , and my God. And Paul , I giue thanks to my God , &c. And Gods promise is , Ier. 3.19 . Thou shalt call me my father . The meaning of Christ is not to binde vs to these words , but to teach vs that in our praiers we must not haue regard to our selues onely , but also to our brethren , and therefore when we pray for them in our priuate praiers as for our selues , we put in practise the true meaning of these words . 2. The vses . When we pray , wee must not make request onely for our selues and our owne good , but for others also , as the church and people of God , perswading our selues that we also are partakers of their praiers : and for the better cleering of this point , let vs search who they are for whome wee are to pray . Of men there be two sorts , some liuing● some dead . Of these two kinds , the liuing are to be praied for , and there is no praying for the dead . A man that is dead , knowes what shall bee his estate eternally : if he died a wicked person , that is , an vnrepentant sinner , his state shall bee according in eternall torment : if he died hauing repented of his sinnes , then hee shall rest with God in his kingdome . Apoc. 14.13 . Blessed are they which die in the Lord , for they rest from their labours , and their workes follow them . Gal. 6.10 . While wee haue time let vs doe good to all men . Where wee may note that there is a time , namely after death , when we cannot doe good to others . Again , of the liuing , some are our enemies , & some our friends : Our friends are they which are of the same religion , affection , and disposition . Foes are either priuate or publike : Publike foes , are either enemies to our countrie , as tyrants , traitors , &c. or enemies to our religion , as Iewes , Turkes , Papists , Infidels , Atheists . Now towards all these , how ought a man to behaue himselfe in praier ? Ans. He is to pray for them all . Matth. 5.44 . Pray for them which hurt you , and persecute you . 1. Tim. 2.1 . I exhort that praiers , intercessions , &c. be made for all men , for kings , &c. Yet whē Paul gaue this commandement , we read not that there were any Christian kings , but all Infidels . And the Iewes are commanded to pray for Babylon , where they were captiue , Ierem. 29.7 . And seeke the prosperitie of the cittie , whither I haue caused you to be carried captiue , and pray vnto the Lord for it . Question . How and in what manner are wee to pray for our enemies ? Ans. We are to praie against their ●innes , counsels , enterprises , but not against their persons . Thus praied Dauid against Achitophel . 2. Sam. 15.31 . Lord I pray thee bring the counsell of Achitophel to foolishnesse . And thus did the Apostles pray against their persecutors , Act. 4.29 . O Lord behold their threatnings , and graunt vnto thy seruants with all boldnesse to speake thy word . Question . Dauid vseth imprecations against his enemies , in which he prayeth for their vtter confusion , as Psal. 59. & 109. &c. The like is done by Paul , Gal. 5.1 . 2. Tim. 4.14 . and Peter , Act. 8. 20. though afterwards he mitigates his execration . But how could they doe it ? Ans. 1. They were indued with an extraordinarie measure of Gods spirit , and hereby they were inabled to discerne of their enemies and certainly to iudge that their wickednes and malice was incurable , and that they should neuer repent . And the like praiers did the Primitiue church cōceiue against Iulian the Apostata because they perceiued him to be a malitious & desperate enemie . 2. Secondly , they were indued with a pure zeale , and not carried with desire of reuenge against their enemies , intending nothing els but the glorie of God. Nowe for vs it is good that wee should suspect our zeale , because sinister affections , as hatred , enuie , emulation , desire of reuenge , will easily mingle themselues therewith . Question . How farre forth may we vse those Psalmes in which Dauid vseth imprecations against his enemies ? Ans. They are to bee read and song with these caueats . I. We are to vse those imprecations indefinitely against the enemies of God and his Church : for we may perswade our selues that alwaies there be some such obstinate enemies : but we must not applie them particularly . 2. Secondly , we must vse them ( as Augustine saith ) as certaine propheticall sentences of the holy Ghost , pronouncing the last sentence of destruction vpon final and impenitent sinners , which oppose themselues against Gods kingdome . 3. They may be vsed against our spirituall enemies , the flesh , the deuill , and his angels , and the world . 2. Furthermore , whereas we are taught to say , Our father , this serues to put vs in minde , that in praying to God , we must bring loue to men with vs. We must all be the children of one father , louingly disposed one to another . For how should he call God his father , who will not take the child of God for his brother ? Math. 5 . 2● . When thou art to offer thy gift vnto God , if thou haue ought against thy brother : first be reconciled , and then come and offer thy gift . So also Esa. ● . 15 . the Lord saith , that when they pray vnto him he will not heare . Why ? because their han●s are full of bloode . In these times many men can be content form●lly to pray , but yet they will not leaue b●ibing , oppression , deceit , vsurie , &c. The common song of the world is , Euery man for himselfe , and God for vs all : this is the common loue and care that men haue each to other . The praiers of such are abominable , euen as the sacrifice of a dogge , as Esay saith . For how can they call God their father , that haue no loue to their brethren ? 3. Thirdly , hence we may learne that God is no accepter of persons . For this prayer is giuen to all men of what state or degree soeuer . All then , as well poore as rich , vnlearned as learned , subiects as rulers , may say , Our father . It is not with the Lord as it is with the world , but all are his children that doe beleeue . The poore man hath as good interest in Gods kingdome , and may call God father as well as the king . Therfore the weaker sort are to comfort themselues hereby , knowing that God is a father to them as well as to Abraham , Dauid , Peter . And such as are indued with more grace , must not therefore swell in pride , because they haue not God to be their father more then their inferiours haue . Which art in heauen ] 1. The meaning . Quest. HOw may God be said to be in heauen , seeing hee is infinite , and therefore must needes be euery where . 1. King. 8.27 . The heauens of heauens are not able to containe him . Ans. God is said to be in heauen : first , because his maiestie , that is , his power , wisdome , iustice , mercie , is made manifest from thence vnto vs. Psal. 115.3 . Our God is in heauen and doth whatsoeuer he will. Psal. 2.4 . He that dwelleth in heauen shall laugh them to scorne , and the Lord shall haue thē in derision . Esai saith , 66.2 . Thus saith the Lord , Heauen is my throne , and the earth is my footstoole . Secondly , after this life he will manifest and exhibite the fulnes of his glorie to his Angels and Saints in the highest heauens , and that immediately and visibly . 2. The vse . 1. HEreby first we learne that Romish pilgrimages , whereby men went from place to place to worship God , are vaine , and foolish . The God to whome we must pray is in heauen . Now let men trauell to what place● or countrey they will , they shall not come the nearer to heauen , or nearer to God by trauelling , seeing the earth is in euery part alike distant from heauen . 2. Secondly ; this ouerthrowes popish idolatrie , as worshipping of crosses , cruci●ixes , roodes , &c. vsed to put men in minde of God and Christ. We are taught to lift vp our eyes to heauen ; seeing God is there : and how can we doe this , as long as our minds and eyes are poaring vpon an image made by mans arte ? 3. Again , we are here admonished to vse the action of prayer with as great reuerence as possible may be , and not to think of God in any earthly manner . Well reasons Salomon , Eccles. 5.1 . Be not rash with thy mouth to speake a word before God. Why ? He is in heauen , thou art in earth : therefore let thy words be few . This reuerence must appeare in holinesse of all our thoughts and affections , and in all comelines of gesture . And for this cause all wandring by-thoughts , & all vaine babbling is to be auoided , but how goes the case with vs , that on the times appointed come to the assemblies to pray ? Many , by reason of their blindnes pray without vnderstanding . Many , when they are present at praier , yet haue their hearts occupied about other matters , about their goods and worldly busines : such men haue no ioy or gladnes in praying ; it is a burthen to them . Many come to the assembly for custome onely , or for feare of punishment , if they might be left free they could find in their hearts not to pray at all . But let all such men know , that this maner of praying is a very grieuous sinne , nay greater then mocking of father or mother , killing or stealing , for it is directly against God , the other against men . This sinne because it is against the first table , and therefore more hard to be discerned , it is lightly esteemed , and it lesse troubles the consciences of ignorant men : yea as it is in deede , so it is to be esteemed as a disgrace and plaine mockerie of Gods maiestie . Wherefore seeing God is in heauen , away with all drowsie and dead praying , let vs come with reuerence in our hearts before the Lord. 4. Againe , we are here to consider that our hearts in praier must mount vp into heauen , and there be present with the Lord. Psal. 25.1 . ● Vnto thee O Lord , lift I vp my soule . The little childe is neuer well but when it is in the fathers lap , or vnder the mothers wing : and the children of God are neuer in better case , then when in affection and spirit they can come into the presence of their heauenly Father , and by praier , as it were to creepe into his bosome . 5. And here we must further learne , specially to seeke for heauenly things , and to aske earthly things , so farre forth as they serue to bring vs to an euerlasting and immortall inheritance in heauen to which we are called . 1. Pet. 1.3 . 6. Lastly , whereas our father is in heauen , we are to learne that our life on earth is but a pilgrimage , & that our desire must be to attaine to a better countrey , namely , heauen it selfe , and that we must vse all meanes continually to come vnto it . In a word , to make an end of the preface : in it is contained a double stay or prop of all our prayers . The one is to beleeue that God can graunt our requests , because he is almightie , & thus much is signified when he is said to be in heauen . The second is to beleeue that God is ready and willing to grant the same , and this we are t●ught in the title Father , which serues to put vs in ●ind that God accepts our prayers , Ioh. 16.32 . and hath a care of vs in all our miseries and necessities , Matth. 6.32 . and pitieth vs as much as any earthly father can pitie his child . Psal. 103.13 . Yet must we not imagin that God will indeed giue vnto vs whatsoeuer we doe vpon our owne heads , fancie , and desire : but we must in our praiers haue recourse to the promise of God , and according to the tenour thereof must we frame and square our petitions . Things promised absolutely , as all graces necessarie to saluation , may be asked absolutely : and things promised with condition , as graces lesse necessarie , and temporall blessings are to be asked with condition , namely , so farforth as they shal be for Gods glorie in vs , and for our good : except it be so that God promise any temporall blessing absolutely , as he promised issue to Abraham in his old age . The kingdome to Dauid after Saul . A deliuerance from captiuitie in Babylon after 70. yeres to the Israelites . Againe , the preface serues to stirre vp loue and feare in the hearts of them that are about to pray . Loue , because they pray to a father : feare , because he is full of maiestie in heauen . Hallowed be thy Name . ] 1. The Coherence . THus much of the preface : now follow the petitions . They be sixe in number , the three first concerne God , the three last our selues . The three former petitions are again deuided into two parts : the first concernes Gods glorie it selfe ; the other two , the meanes whereby Gods glorie is manifested and inlarged among men . For Gods name is glorified among men when his kingdome doth come , and his will is done . Quest. Why is this petition , Hallowed be thy name , set in the first place ? Ans. Because Gods glorie must be preferred before all things , because it is the end of all creatures and of all the counsels of God. Prov. 16.4 . The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake : yea euen the wicked for the day of euill . And from the order of the petitions here ariseth a worthie instruction , namely , that euery one in all things they take in hand , are to propound to themselues and to intend the glorie of God. The reason is this : The ende which God hath appointed to all our doings , we are to propound to our selues : but God hath appointed that the highest ende of all his doings should be his glorie : therefore our hearts must be set to seeke it first of all . That God will haue his name glorified by vs , appeareth in this ; that he punisheth those which of obstinacie set themselues to dishonour him , or by negligence did not sanctifie him , when they should haue done so . Herod sitting in his royaltie , made such an oration , that the people cried , The voice of a god , and not of a man : and immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him , because he gaue not glorie to God , Act. 12. 12. And Moses because he did not sanctifie the Lord in the presence of the children of Israel , therefore he came not into the land of promise ; yet he did not altogether faile in doing of it . Thus we may see by these punishments , and also by the order of the petitions , that it is our duties to preferre the glorie of God before all thing els . Quest. Whether are we to preferre the glorie of God before the saluation of our soules ? Ans. If the cause stand thus that Gods name must be dishono●red , or our soules condemned , we must account the glorie of God more pretious then the saluation of our soules . This is manifest in the order of the petitions . The petitions that concerne Gods glorie is first , and the petitions that concerne directly our saluation are the fift and sixt . Whereby we are taught , that before God should want any part of his glorie , we must let bodie and soule and all goe , that God may haue all his glorie . This affection had Moses , Exod. 32.32 . when he said , Either forgiue them , or if thou wilt not , blot my name out of thy booke . In this petition as also in the rest , we must obserue three things : the first is the meaning of the wordes : the second , the wants which men must learne to bewaile : the third , the graces of God which are to be desired . 2. The meaning . VEry few among the people can giue the right meaning of the wordes of this prayer . They pretend , that seeing God knowes their good meaning , it is sufficient for them to say the wordes and to meane well . But faith beeing one of the grounds of praier , and there beeing no faith without knowledge , neither can there be praier without knowledge , and therefore ignorant men are to learne the right meaning of the words . Name ] Name in this place signifieth , 1 God himselfe , 1. King. 5.5 . He shall build an house to my Name . 2 His attributes , as his iustice , mercie , &c. 3 His workes , creatures , and iudgements . 4 His word . 5 His honour and praise arising from all these . For God is knowne to vs by all these , as men are knowne by their names ; and as all a mans praise and glorie lies in his name , so all the glorie of God is in these . Hallowed ] TO hallow is to seuer or set apart any thing from the common vse , to some proper and peculiar end : as the Temple was hallowed , that is , set apart to an holy vse ; and the Priests were sanctified , that is , set apart to the seruice of God. And all that beleeue in Christ are sanctified , that is , set apart from sinne to serue God. In like manner Gods name is hallowed , when it is put apart frō obliuion , contempt , prophanation , pollution , blasphemie , and all abuses to an holy , reuerent , and honorable vse , whether we thinke , speake of it , or vse it any manner of way . Leuit. 10.3 . Ezech. 38.23 . Quest. How can a sinfull man hallow Gods name which is pure and holy in it selfe ? Ans. We doe not here pray that we might make Gods name holy , as though we could adde something vnto it to make it holy : but that we might be meanes to declare and make manifest to the world by the right vsage of it , that it is holy , pure and honourable . The like phrase is vsed , Luke 7. 9. Wisdome is iustified by her children : that is , acknowledged and declared to be iust . Ezech. 38.23 . The scope therefore of the first petition , is an earnest desire that we might set forth Gods glory , whatsoeuer become of vs : and it may be expressed thus . O Lord open our eyes that we may aright know thee , and acknowledge the greatnes of thy power , wisdome , iustice , and mercy , which appeares , in thy titles , words , creatures , & iudgements : and grant that when we vse any of these , we may therein honour thee , and vse them reuerently to thy glorie . 3. The wants which are to be bewailed . 1. THE wants , which we in this place are taught to bewaile , are specially foure . The first is an inward and spirituall pride of our hearts ; a sinne that none or very fewe can see in themselues , vnlesse the Lord open their eies . When our first parents were tempted in paradise , the deuill told them they should be as Gods : which lesson not onely they , but we haue learned : and wee conceiue of our selues , as little gods , though to the world we shew it not . This hidden pride , when other sinnes die , it begins to get strength , and to shewe it selfe : and appeares in vaine thoughts , continually on euery occasion ascending in the mind . As may appeare in the Pharisie , whose thoughts were these when he praied thus within himselfe , O God I thanke thee that I am not as other men , extortioners , vniust , adulterers , or euen as this Publican , &c. And as this was in him , so it is in vs till God giue grace : for so that men may haue praise & glory in the world , they care not for Gods glory though it be defaced . We must therefore learne to discerne this hidden corruption , and to mourne for it : for it doth poison and hinder al good desires of glorifying god , so long , as it doth or shall preuaile in the heart . 2. Secondly , wee are taught here to bewaile the hardnesse of our hearts : whereby we are hindred from knowing God aright , and from discerning the glory and maiestie of God in his creatures . Mark. 6.52 . The disciples , through the hardnes of their hearts , could not see Gods power in the miracle of feeding many thousands with a few loaues , though themselues were instruments of it , and the foode did increase in their hands . Our redemption , what a wonderful worke is it , but how few consider of it , or regard it ? If we see a man haue more wit , wealth , or honour , then we haue , wee straight wonder at him : but beholding Gods creatures , we see nothing in them , because we doe not goe higher to acknowledge the loue , power , wisdome , and iustice of the Creator . And this is the cause why Gods name is so slenderly honoured among men . 3. The third corruption is our great ingratitude , for the Lord hath made heauen and earth , and all other creatures to serue man : yet he is the most vnthankfull of all creatures . Bestow many iewels , or a kings raunsome on a dead man ; he wil neuer returne any kindnes : so men being dead in sinne , deale with God. Commonly men are like the swine that run with their groines and eate vp the mast , but neuer looke vp to the tree from whence it falleth . But the godly are with Dauid , to feele this want in themselues , and to beseech God to open and as it were to vnlocke their lips , that they may indeauour to be thanfull to God. Psal. 51.15 . 4. The fourth is the vngodlines & the innumerable wāts that be in our liues , and the sinnes committed in the world . Psal. 119.136 . Mine eies ( saith Dauid ) gush out with riuers of water , because men keepe not thy lawes . The reason is , because he which liues in sinne , reproches Gods name ; euen as an euill childe dishonours his father . Now some will say that this cannot be : because our sinnes cānot hurt God. True indeed : yet are they a cause of slādering Gods name among men : for as we honour him by our good workes , so we dishonour him by our offences . Matth. 5.16 . Let your light so shine before men , that they may see your good workes , and glorifie your father which is in heauen . 4. Graces to be desired . 1. THe graces to be desired , and to bee praied for at Gods hand , are three . The first is the knowledge of God , that is , that we might knowe him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word , works and creatures . For how shall any glorifie God before he know him ? Our knowledge in this life is imperfect . Exod. 23. Moses may not see Gods face , but his hinder parts . 1. Corin. 13.12 . We may see God as men doe , through spectacles in his word , sacraments , and creatures . And therefore as Paul praied for the Colossians . Col. 1.10 . That they might increase in the knowledge of God : so are wee taught to pray for our selues in this petition . 2. We desire that a zeale of Gods glorie may be kindled in our hearts , and that we may be kept from prophaning and abusing of his name . Psal. 69.9 . The zeale of thine house hath eaten me vp . Psal. 45.1 . My heart shall vtter , or cast vp a good matter . I will speake in my workes of the king . Here the spirit of God borrowes a comparison from men , thus . As hee which hath somewhat lying heauie in his stomacke , is neuer quiet till he haue cast it vp : euen so the care & desire to glorifie Gods name must lie vpon a mans heart as an heauie burden : and he is not to be at ease and quiet with himselfe till he bee disburdened , in sounding forth Gods praise . Luther saith well , that this is Sancta crapula : that is , an holy surfet : and it is no hurt continually to haue our hearts ouercharged thus . 3. A desire to lead a godly and vpright life before God and men . We see men that in some great calling vnder honourable personages , will so order & behaue themselues , as they may please and honour their masters : euen so must our liues be well ordered , and we are to labour to walke worthie of the Lord ( as Paul speaketh ) that we may honour our heauenly father . Thy kingdome come . ] 1. The Coherence . THis petition dependes on the former most excellently . For in it is laide downe the meanes to procure the first . Gods name must bee hallowed among men : but howe is it done ? by the erecting of Gods kingdome in the hearts of men . We cannot glorifie God vntil he rule in our hearts by his word and spirit . 2. The meaning . Thy ] This word doth put vs in minde that there is two kingdomes : one Gods , and that is the kingdome of heauen : the other the deuils , called the kingdome of darknesse , Coloss. 1.13 . For when all had sinned in Adam , God laide this punishment on all , that seeing they could not be content to obey their Creator , they should be in bondage vnder satan : so that by nature we are all the children of wrath , and the deuill holds vp the scepter of his kingdome in the hearts of men . This kingdome is spirituall , and the pillars of it are ignorance , errour , impietie , and all disobedience to God , in which the deuill wholly delights ; which also are as it were the lawes of his kingdome . Blind ignorant people can not abide this doctrine that the deuill should rule in their hearts : they spit at the naming of him , and say that they defie him with all their hearts : but whereas they liue in sinne , and practise it as occasion is offered , though they cannot discerne of themselues , yet they make plaine proofe , that they liue in the kingdome of sinne and darknesse , and are flatte vassels of Satan , and shall so continue till Christ the strong man come and binde him , and cast him out . And this is the estate of all the children of Adam in themselues . Wherefore our Sauiour in this petition teacheth vs to consider our naturall estate , and to pray that he would giue vs his spirit to set vs at libertie in the kingdome of his owne sonne . Kingdome ] Gods kingdome in Scripture is taken two waies . First generally , and so it signifieth that administration by which the Lord gouerneth all things , yea , euen the deuils themselues . Of which kingdome mention is made in the ende of this prayer . And in the Psalme 97. vers . 1. The Lord raigneth , let the earth reioyce . Againe , it is taken more specially , and then it signifieth the administration of Christ the head of the church , in which he frameth men by his word and spirit to the subiection of the same word . And so it is taken in this petition . In a kingdome there are foure things to be noted . 1. There must be a king . 2. There must be subiects . 3. There are lawes . 4. Authoritie . In this kingdome Christ is the king : it is he to whom the father hath giuen all authoritie , in heauen and earth . In this kingdome all are not subiects , but such as are willing to giue free and franke obedience to Gods word ; or at the least though their hearts be not sound , make an outward profession of it . The lawes of this kingdome is the word of God in the bookes of the olde and new Testament . Therefore it is called the kingdome of heauen , Matth. 13. The Gospell of the kingdome , Mark. 1.13 . The rodde of his mouth , Esay 11.4 . The arme of God , Esay 53.1 . As a king by his lawes brings his people in order , and keepes them in subiection ; so Christ by his word , and the preaching of it , as it were by a mightie arme , drawes his elect into his kingdome , and fashions thē to all holy obedience . The power and authoritie is that whereby Christ conuerts effectually those which are to be conuerted by the inward operation of his spirit , and glorifies himselfe in the confusion of the rest . Kingdome being taken thus specially , is also twofold . The first is the kingdome of grace , of which mention is made , Rom. 14. 17. The kingdome of God standes not in meate and drinke , but in righteousnesse : that is , the assurance of our iustification before God in the righteousnesse of Christ ; Peace of conscience , which proceedes from this assurance ; and ioy in the holy Ghost , which comes from them both . In this kingdome all men liue not , but onely those that are subiect to Christ , obedient to the lawes of his kingdome , and ruled by his authoritie , and are continually taught in his word by his spirit . But those that refuse to liue according to the lawes of this king , and choose to liue at their owne libertie , are in the kingdome of darkenesse , that is sinne and Satan . The second is the kingdome of glorie in heauen , which is the blessed estate of all Gods people , which God himselfe shall be all in all vnto them . And the former kingdome of grace is an entrance and preparation to this kingdome of glorie . Come ] Gods kingdome comes , when it takes place and is established and confirmed in mens hearts , and made manifest to all people , the impediments beeing remooued . Quest. This comming implies a stopping : but how should Gods kingdome be hindred ? Ans. Kingdome in this place is not taken for that absolute and soueraigne power of God whereby he rules all things , for that can not be hindred ; but for the kingdome of grace , which in the vsing of the outward meanes , as ministers , word and Sacraments , may be hindred by the deuill , the world , and mans corruption . 3. The wants which are to be bewailed . The wants which we in this petition are to mourne for , are of two sorts : some concerne our owne selues , some others . That which concerns our owne persons is a bondage and slauerie vnder sinne and Satan . This bondage indeede is weakned in Gods seruants , but none is wholly freed from it in this life . Paul complaines that he is sold vnder sinne , and cries pitifully , O miserable man that I am , who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death ? Question . What difference is then betweene the godly and the wicked ? Ans. The euill and vngodly man in the very middest of his bondage hath a merrie heart : sinne is no trouble to him , nay it is meat & drinke to him . But the godly man is otherwise minded : who considering the power of the deuill , and hi● craft in manifold fearefull temptations ; and seeing the pronenesse of his rebellious nature euer and anon to start away from God , is grieued and confounded in himselfe , and his heart bleedes within him that he doth offend so mercifull a father . Many men liue in this world and that many yeares , and yet neuer feele this bondage vnder Satan & sinne . Such vndoubtedly cannot tell what this praier meanes : but he that would haue the right vse of this petition , must be acquainted with his owne estate , and be touched in his conscience , that the flesh and the deuill beare such sway in him . As the poore captiue is alwaies creeping to the prison doore , alwaies labouring to get off his bolts and fetters , and to escape out of prison : so must we alwaies crie to the Lord for his spirit to free vs out of this bondage and prison of sinne and corruption : and euery day come nearer the prison doore , looking when our blessed Sauiour will vnbinde vs of all the fetters of sinne and Satan , and fully erect his kingdome in vs. 2. The wants which concerne others are twofold . The former is the want of the good meanes which serue for the furthering of the kingdom of Christ , as preaching , sacraments , and discipline . When we shall see a people without knowledge , and without good guides and teachers , or when we see one stand vp in the congregation not able to teach , here is matter for mourning . This petition puts vs in minde to bewaile these wants . Our Sauiour , when he sawe the Iewes as sheepe without a sheepheard , he had compassion on them : and he wept ouer Ierusalem , because they knew not the things which belong to their peace . Luk. 9.11 . Therfore when preachers want , to hold vp the scepter of GOD before the people , and to hold out the word , which is as it were the arme of God to pull men from the bondage of the deuill to the kingdome of Christ. Then it is time to say , Lord let thy kingdome come . 3. The third want which we are to bewaile is , that there bee so many impediments and hinderances of the kingdome of grace , as the deuil and all his angels , their instruments , the Pope , the Turke , and all the rest of the professed wicked of the world , which by subtile intisements and tyrannie , keepe backe and repell the meanes whereby Christ ruleth as a king in his Church . When the deuill sees one that was sometime of his kingdome but to cast a looke towards the heauenly Ierusalem , he straightway rageth against him and labours quite to ouerthrow him . Wherefore in regard of all these impedi●ents , we● must pray , Thy kingdome come . 4. Graces to be desired . 1. IN this petition we are taught first that we are to haue a feruent desire● and to hunger , that god would giue vs his spirit to raigne and rule in our harts , and to bow them to all obedience and subiection of his wil : and further , wheras our hearts haue beene as it were filthie sties and stables of the deuill , that he would renue them , and make of them fit temples to entertaine his holy spirit . Psal. 51.10 . Create in me a cleane heart , O God , and renue a right spirit in me , &c. Stablish me with thy free spirit . If we shall consider the conuersation of the wicked and the godly , and their corrupt hearts togither , we shall see little difference but in this , that the wicked is delighted and glad to sinne : but the godly doe wrestle , as for life and death with their temptations , and doe resist the deuill , and doe desire the grace of Gods spirit , and crie to heauen to bee freed from this bondage , howesoeuer their hearts are alwaies readie to rebel against God. 2. Forasmuch as the kingdome of grace is erected in Gods Church here vpon earth , in this petition we are cōmanded to pray for the Chruch of God , and the parts thereof . Psal. 122.6 . Praie for the peace of Ierusalem : they shall prosper that loue thee . Esay . 62.7 . Ye which are the Lords remembrance●s , giue him no rest , vntill he set vp Hierusalem the praise of the world . And that Gods Church may flourish and be in good estate , we are to pray for Christian Kings and Princes ; that God would blesse them , and increase the number of them . For they are as nursing fathers , and nursing mothers to the Church . And wee especially are bound to pray for the Queenes most excellent maiestie , as also for the French king , that they may be blessed and Gods kingdome by them aduanced . And againe because ministers are the Lords watchmen in the Church , we are here also put in minde to seeke their good ; and to praie that their hearts may be set for the building of Gods kingdome , for the beating downe of the kingdome of sinne and Satan , and for the sauing of the soules of his people . And the rather , because the deuill laboureth night and daie to ouerthrow thē in this glorious worke , and to resist them in their ministerie : as appeareth in Zacha●ie 3.1 . When Ioshua the high priest stood before the Angell of the Lord , Satan stood at his right hand , namely to resist him . Therefore , also wee are to praie for them , that the Lord would keepe them , and furnish them with gifts , and with all make them faithfull . For where vision faileth the people are left naked , saith Salomon , 2. Thess. 3. 1. Brethren , pray for vs that the word of the Lord may haue a free passage and be glorified . Thirdly , we must pray for all Christian Schooles of learning . Howsoeuer some thinke but basely of them ; yet they are the ordinarie meanes to maintaine the ministerie , and so the Church of God. A man that hath diuers orchards , wil also haue a seminarie ful of young plants to maintaine it . Schooles , they are as Seminaries to Gods church , without which the Church falles to decay : because they serue to make supplie of ministers . 3. Thirdly , we are to desire , that the Lord would hasten the second comming of Christ , as the Saints in heauen praie , Come Lord Iesus , come quicklie : and therefore the godly are said to loue the comming of Christ. 2. Tim. 4.8 . A penitent sinner so abhors his own corruptions , and the irkesome temptations of Satan , that in this respect he desires that Christ would hasten his particular comming to him by death , for no other cause but that he might make an end of sinning and displeasing of God. Thy will be done . ] 1. The Coherence . IN the second petition , we desired that God would let his kingdome come , vz. That he would rule in our hearts . If he then must raigne , we must be his subiects : and therefore here we craue , that beeing his subiects wee may obey him , and doe his will. Mal. 1.6 . If I be a father where is my honour ? If I be a master , where is my feare ? 2. The meaning . VVIll ] Here it signfieth Gods word written in the olde and new Testament : For in his word his will is reauealed . Of the whole will of God there be three speciall points , which are in this place meant . 1. To beleeue in Christ , Ioh. 6.40 . This is the will of him that sent me , that euery one which seeth the Sonne , and beleeueth in him , should haue euerlasting life . 2. Sanctification of body & soule . 1. Thess. 4.3 . This is the will of God , euen your sanctification , &c. 3. The bearing of affliction in this life . Rom. vers . 29. Those which he knew before , he did predestinate to be made like to the image of his owne sonne . Phil. 3.10 . That I might knowe him and the vertue of his resurrection , and the fellowship of his afflictions , and be made conformable to his death . Thy will ] Not mine : for mans owne will is wicked and corrupt , yea it is flat enmitie to God. Rom. 8. v. 5. Done ] That is , obeyed and accomplished of men . Then the effect of the prayer is this : O Lord , seeing thou art our King , giue vs grace to shewe our selues good subiects in obeying thy will. 3. The wants to be praied against . 1. HEre first we are to bewaile this , that our hearts are so prone to rebelliō and disobedience of Gods commandements . Put a match to a heape of gun-powder , on a sudden it will be all on a flame ; and as long as we adde matter to the fire , it burnes : so by nature we are most readie to sinne , so soone as the least occasion is giuen . Dauid had experience of this when hee praied , Knit my heart to thee , O Lord , &c. Psal. 86. 11. and incline my heart to thy commandements . Psal. 119.37 . Those which finde not this want in themselues , and the like affection to bewaile it , are in a miserable and dangerous case : euen as a man that hath a great disease vpon him , and knowes not of it . 2. Againe , wee must here bewaile the sinne of the worlde , as ignorance , schismes , hipocrisie , pride , ambition , contempt of Gods word couetousnes , oppression , want of loue of God and his word , &c. 2. Peter 2.7 . Lot was vexed , and his righteous heart was vexed with the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomites from day to day : so ought our soules to bee vexed and grieued continually at the wickednesse of our time : and we are to send vp our praiers to God for vnbeleeuing & vnrepentant sinners , that they may be brought to the obedience of Gods will. Ezech. 9.4 . In a common iudgement vpon Ierusalem , They are marked in the forhead , that mourne and crie for all the abominations that be done in the middest of it . 3. Here also we must humble our selues for our vnquietnesse of mind , & impatience , whē god laies any crosse on vs. It is Gods wil that we should suffer affliction , and withall humble our selues vnder his mightie hand . Our Sauiour praied that the cup might be taken away , but with submission to his Fathers will Luk. 22.42 . And this Dauid had learned when he said , But if he thus say , behold I haue no delight in thee , behold here I am , let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eies . 2. Sam. 15.26 . 4. Graces to be desired . 1. THe first thing which we are here to desire is , that we may haue grace to denie our selues , wils , and affections : because herein wee are vnlike to God , and like the deuill . This is the first lesson that our Sauiour doth giue his disciples , that they must denie themselues and follow him . 2. The second thing is the knowledge of Gods will : for otherwise howe shall we doe it ? How can that seruant please his master , which cannot tel what he would haue done of him ? Most men will haue bookes of statutes in their houses , and if they be to deale in any great matter , they will doe nothing before they haue looked on the statute . In like manner men should haue the bible , that is , the booke of Gods statutes in their houses : the lawes of God must be the men of our counsell : before euery action we are to search what is the will of God , and then to doe it . Here then we are taught to vse the meanes , and to pray for knowledge . 3. Againe , wee are here taught to haue a desire in our hearts , and an indeauour in our liues , in all things to performe obedience to Gods worde in our liues and conuersations , and in our particular callings . 4. Lastly , we desire patience and strength , when it shall please God at any time to exercise vs with the crosse , as Paul praies for the Colossians , That God would strengthen them by the power of his might , vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse . Coloss. 1.12 . 5. Error confuted : THE Church of Rome teacheth , that men by nature haue free will to doe good : and that men being stirred vp by the holy ghost , can of themselues will that which is good . But if this were so , why might wee not pray , Let my will be done ? So farre forth as the will of man shall agree with Gods will : but this cannot be , as wee see in the tenour of this petition . In earth as it is in heauen . 1. The meaning . HAuing shewed the meaning of this petition , Thy will be done : nowe we are to speake of the condition , which shewes in what manner we should doe it . For the question might be howe we would doe Gods will : and the answer is , that his will must be done in earth as it is in heauen . Heauen ] By heauen here is meant the soules of faithfull men departed , and the elect Angels , Psal. 103.20 . Praise the Lord ye his angels , that excel in strēgth , that doe his commandements in obeying the voice of his word . Earth ] By earth is vnderstood nothing but men on earth , because all other creatures in their kind obey God : onely man he is rebellious and disobedient . Then the meaning is , Let thy will be done by vs men on earth , as the Angels and Saints departed doe thy will in heauen . Question . Doe wee here desire to doe the will of God in that perfection it is done by Angels ? must we be as perfect as they ? Ans. The words here vsed in earth as it , &c. doe not signifie an equalitie ( as though our obedience could in this life bee in the same degree of perfection with Angels ) but a similitude standing in the like manner of obedience . Now it may be asked in what manner do the angels obey God ? Ans. They do the will of God willingly , speedily , and faithfully : and this is signified in that they are said in the scriptures to be winged , and to stand continually beholding the face of our heauenly father . And this is the manner in which wee desire to performe Gods will. 2. The wants to be bewailed . VVE are here admonished to bee displeased with our selues , for our slacke and imperfect obedience to God , & for our hypocrisie , priuie prid , presumption , deadnes of spirit , and many other wants which breake out when we are in doing Gods will. There is no seruant of God , but hath wants in his best workes , so we must vnderstand Paul , when he saith , To will is present with me , but I finde no meanes to performe that which is good . Rom. 7.18 . Where he signifies thus much in effect , that hee could beginne good things , but not perfect them , and goe through-stitch , as we say . When the godly doe good workes , as heare , speake gods word , pray , praise God , &c. they perform things acceptable to God : but in these actions they finde matter of mourning : namely , the imperfection of the worke : therefore Dauid praieth , Psal. 143.2 . Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant . And here we may see how farre wide the Church of Rome is , that holdeth good works to be any way meritorious , that be euery way imperfect . If the men of that church had grace , they might see that the corruptions of the flesh were as gyues and fetters about their legges , that when they would faine runne the waies of Gods commandements , they are constrained to halt downe right , and to traile their loynes after them . 3. Grace to be desired . THe grace here to be desired , is sinceritie of heart , or a readie and constant purpose and indeauour not to sinne in any thing , but to doe Gods wil , so as we may keepe a good conscience before God & men . Act. 24. 16. And for this cause I endeuour alwaies to haue a cleare conscience towards God , and towards men . This must we hunger after , and pray for : seeing it is not sufficient to abstaine from euill , but also to doe good , and in doing good , striue to come to perfection . A conformitie with Angels in this dutie is to be sought for and to be begun in this life , that in the life to come we may be like them in glorie . Giue vs this day our daily bread . ] 1. The Goberence . THus much of the three first petitions which concerne God : now follow the other three , which concerne our selues . In which order we learne to pray for those things which concerne God absolutely : and for those things which concerne our selues not absolutely , but so farre forth as they shall make for Gods glorie , the building of his kingdome , and the doing of his will. But how depends this petition on the former ? In the first we were taught to pray , that Gods name might be hallowed : which is done when God raignes in our hearts , & his wil is done . Now further , his will is obeied in three things : first , by depending on his prouidence for the things of this life : secondly , by depending on his mercie for the pardon of sinne● thirdly , by depending on his power and might , in resisting temptations . And thus Gods will is obeied , 2. The meaning . BR●ad ] By bread in this place many of the ancient fathers , as also the Papists at this day vnderstand the element of bread in the Sacrament , & the bodie of Christ which is the bread of life . But that cannot be : for S. Luke calls it bread for the day , that is , bread sufficient to preserue vs for the present day ; and by this he makes it manifest , that the words of this petition must be vnderstood not of spirituall , but of bodily foode : and the bread of life is more directly asked in the second or fourth petition . As for the opinion of Erasmus , who thinkes that in this so heauenly a prayer made to God the Father , there should be no mention made of bread , that is , of earthly things , which euen the Gentiles bestow on their children ; it is vaine and friuolous . For it is Gods will , that we should not cast the care of heauenly things onely , but all our care vpon him . 1. Pet. 5. 7. And he hath elswhere commaunded that earthly things should be asked at his hand , 1. King 8.35 . and the same hath beene asked in praier of Iacob , Gen. 28.10 . and Salomon , Prou● 20.7 . And wheras the Lords praier is a perfect platforme of praier , temporall blessing must haue some place there , vnlesse we will ascribe the hauing and inioying of them to our owne industrie , as though they were no gifts of God : which to thinke were great impietie . By bread then we must vnderstand properly a kind of foode made of the floure of graine that is baked and eaten : and thus it must be taken in those places of scripture where bread is opposed to water or wine : & by a figure more generally it signifies all things whereby temporal life is preserued : in this sense goates milke is called bread , Prou. 27.27 . and the fruit of trees , Ier. 11.19 . and all things that passe to and fro in trafficke . Prou. 31. 14. And so likewise in this place by this one meanes of sustaining our bodies and temporall liues , all other meanes whatsoeuer must be vnderstood , as meate , drinke , clothing , health , libertie , peace , &c. And whereas our Sauiour Christ vnder the name of bread , and not vnder the name of any other plentifull or daintie food , teacheth vs to aske temporall blessings ; he doth it for two causes . The first is , that we might hereby learne frugalitie and moderation in our ●●et , apparell , houses ; and be content if we haue no more but bread , that is , things necessarie to preserue life , which Paul comprehends vnder food and clothing . For we are taught in this petition to aske no more . We must not with the I●raelites murmure because they had nothing but Manna . Question . Must we then vse Gods creatures onely for necessitie ? Ans. We may vse them not onely for necessitie , but also for honest delight and pleasure , Psal. 104. 15. God giues wine to make glad the heart of man : and oyle to make his face shine . And Iohn 12.3 . our Sauiour Christ allowed of the fact of Marie , which tooke a pound of oyntment of Spikenard very costly , and annointed his very feete , so that all the house was filled with the smell ; though Iudas did esteeme it wast . Yet if it so fall out that the Lord doe graunt vs but bread , that is , so much as shall holde bodie and soule together , we must thankfully content our selues therewith . 1. Tim. 6. 8. Therefore when we haue foode and rayment , let vs be therewith content . This contentation was practised of Iacobs Gen. 28.20 . A second cause is to teach vs that there is a particular prouidence . All men willingly confesse the generall prouidence of GOD ouer all things : but beside that we must acknowledge another more speciall prouidence , euen in the least things that be : because euery morsell of bread which we eate , would no more nourish vs then a peece of earth , or a stone , vnlesse God giue his blessing vnto it . Daily ] The word in the originall is thus much in effect , Bread vnto our essence or substances : then the meaning is , giue vs such bread from day to day , as may nourish our substances . Thus praieth Agur , Prou. 30. 8. Feede me with foode conuenient for me . Some there are which put an Angelical perfection in fasting : but we are taught in Scriptures ; that as aboue all things we are to seeke for life eternall ; so we must in this life haue care to sustaine and maintaine our naturall life , that we may haue conuenient space and time to repent , and prepare our selues to the kingdome of heauen . Fasting in it selfe as it is an abstinence from meate , is no part of Gods worship , but in it owne nature , a thing indifferent : and therefore it is to be vsed so farre forth as it shall further vs in Gods seruice , and no further . And seeing we are taught to pray for such foode as shall preserue nature , and maintaine the vitall blood , we ought not to vse fasting to the hindrance or destruction of nature . Our bread ] 1. Quest. How is bread ours ? Ans. Paul shewes how , 1. Corinth . ● . 22 . Ye are Christs , and all things are yours : So then by meanes of Christ , bread is called our . For GOD hauing giuen Christ to vs , doth in him and by him giue all things else to vs. 2. Quest. How may I know that the things I enioy are mine by Christ , and that I doe not vsurpe them ? Ans. 1. Tim. 4. 4. Paul saith that the creatures of God are good , and that the vse of them is sanctified to vs by the word and prayer . Then if we haue the word of God to tell vs that wee may enioy and vse them : and also if wee pray to God for the right and pure vse of them , we are no vsurpers , but indeede right owners of them , not onely before men , but also before God. 3. Question . If the creatures must be made ours by Christ , how comes it to passe that the vngodly haue such abundance of them ? Ans. We lost the title and interest of the creatures in Adam : yet God of his mercie bestowes temporarie blessings vpon the vniust as well as vpon the iust : but for all that , vnlesse they be in Christ , and hold the title of them by him , they shall in the ende turne to their greater condemnation . And whereas we call it our bread , we learne that euery man must liue of his owne calling , and his owne goods . Here also is condemned all oppression , stealing , lying , cogging , and other such deceitfull meanes which men vse to get wealth and goods . Many thinke it no sinne to prouide for their families in such order , but in saying this petition they pray against themselues . 2. Thess. 3. 10. He which laboureth not , let him not eate . Eph. 4.28 . He which stole , let him steale● no more , but rather labour with his hands the thing that good is . This day ] We say not here this weeke , this moneth , this age , but this day ; what meanes this ? may we not prouide for the time to come ? Ans. It is lawful , yea a man is bound in good manner to prouide for time to come . Act. 11.28 . The Apostles prouided for the Church in Iudea against the time of dearth foretold by Agabus . And Ioseph in Egypt in the yeares of plentie stored vp against the yeares of famine . Wherefore in these words our Sauiour his meaning is onely to condemne all distrustful care that distracts the minds of men , and to teach vs to rest on his fatherly goodnes from day to day in euery season : this is noted vnto vs , Numb . 11. where the Israelites were commanded to gather no more Manna then would serue for one day , and if they did , it putrified . Whereby God taught them to rest on his prouidence euery particular day , and not on the meanes . Giue v● ] Not me . This serues to teach vs that a man must not onely regard himselfe , but also be mindfull of others . For a man that hath wealth is made a steward to distribute his goods to the poore and the good of Gods Church . True loue seekes not her owne things ; the branches of the vine are loden with clusters of grapes , not for themselues , but for others : the candle spends it selfe to giue others light . Giue ] If bread be ours , wherefore are we to aske it ? it may seeme needlesse . Answ. Not so : for hereby we are taught to waite on God , who is the fountaine and the giuer of all blessings . Men vsually driuen to any distresse , vse euill meanes , as robbing , deceiuing , consulting with wizzards , &c. 2. Againe here we learne , that though a man had all the wealth in the world , all is nothing without Gods blessing . Question . The rich neede not say , Giue vs , &c. for they haue abundance already , and what neede they aske that which they haue ? Answer . Let a man be neuer so rich , and want nothing that can be desired , yet if he want Gods blessing , in effect he wants all . Wherefore euen Kings , and the greatest personages that be , are as much bound to vse this petition as the poorest . Gods blessing is riches , saith Salomon , Prou. 10.22 . Thou maist eate and not haue enough , be clothed and not warme , earne wages and put it in a broken bagge , Hag. 1. 6. if God doe not blesse thee . This blessing of God is called the staffe of bread , Esay . 3. 1. In bread there bee two things , the substance and the vertue thereof proceeding from gods blessing : this second , that is , the power of nourishing is the staffe of bread . For take away from an aged man his staffe , and he falls : and so take away Gods blessing from bread & the strength thereof , it becomes vnprofitable , and ceaseth to nourish . Lastly , here we see that all labour and toile taken in any kind of calling is nothing and auailes not , vnlesse God still giue his blessing . Psal. 127.1 . 3. The wants which are to be bewailed . SInnes which we are taught in this petition to bewaile are two especially . I. Couetousnesse , a vice which is naturally engrafted in euery mans heart ; it is when a man is not content with his present estate . This desire is vnsatiable , & men that haue enough would still haue more . Wherefore he which shall vse this petition must be grieued for this sinne , and pray with Dauid , Psal. 119. 36. Incline my heart to thy commandements , and not to couetousnes . And he must sorrowe , not so much for the act of this sinne , as for the corruption of nature in this behalfe . Couetous people will plead that they are free from this vice , but marke mens liues , and we shall see it is a common disease , as Dauid noted , Psal. 4.6 . where he brings in the people , saying : who shall shew vs any good ? This then is a common sinne that we are taught to mourne for . 2. The second want is diffidence and distrustfulnes in Gods prouidence touching the things of this life . Men also will shift this off and say , they would be sorrie to distrust God. But if we doe but a little looke into the corruption of our nature , we shall see that we are deceiued . For beeing in prosperitie , wee are not troubled : but if once we be pressed with aduersitie , then we howle and weepe , and as Paul saith , 1. Tim. 6.10 . Men peirce themselues through with many sorrowes . If a man shall loose a part of his goods , what then doth he ? straight hee goes out to the wise man : is this to beleeue in God ? No : it is to distrust God and beleeue the deuill . 4. Graces to be desired . THe grace to be desired is a readines in all estates of life to rest on Gods prouidence , whatsoeuer fall out . Psal. 37.5 . Commit thy way to the Lord , & trust in him , and he shall bring it to passe . Prou. 16. 3. Commit or role thy workes vpon the Lord , and thy thoughts shall be directed . Whereby we are admonished to take paines in our callings to get meate and drinke , &c. If the Lord blesse not our labour we must be content : if he doe , we must giue him thankes . Now for this cause we are further to pray to God that hee would open our eies , and by his spirit teach vs in all his good creatures to see his prouidence , and when meanes faile and are contrarie , then also to beleeue in the same , and to followe Pauls example . Phil. 4.12 . 5. Errours confuted . PApists teach that men by workes of grace may merit life eternall , and increase of iustification in this life . But howe can this be ? for here we see that euery bit of bread which we eate , is the free gift of God without any merit of ours . Now , if we can not merit a peece of bread , what madnes is it to thinke that we can merit life euerlasting . 2. They also are deceiued who thinke ; that any thing comes by meere chance or fortune , without Gods prouidence . Indeede in respect of men who know not the causes of things , many chances there are : but so , as that they are ordered and come to passe by Gods prouidence . Luk. 10.31 . By chance there came downe a certaine priest that way . Forgiue vs our debts . ] 1. The Coherence . THis is the fift petition and the second of those which concerne our selues : in the former we craued temporall blessings , in this and the next which followeth , we craue spirituall blessings . Where we may note , that seeing there is two petitions , which concerne spirituall things , and but one for temporall ; that the care for our soules must be double , to the care of our bodies . In the world men care for their bodies , their hearts are set for wealth and promotion : they can be content to heare the word on the Sabbath , yet neither then , nor in the weeke day doe they lay it vp in their hearts , and practise it , which argues that they haue little or no care for their soules . Question . What is the cause that first we craue things for the bodie , and in the second place those which concerne the soule ? Ans. The order of the holy Ghost in these petitions is wonderfull : for the Lord considers the dulnes and backwardnes of mens natures : and therefore he traines them vp , and drawes them on by little , euen as a schoolemaster doth his yong schollers : propounding vnto them some small elements and principles , and so carrying them to higher points . For the former petition is a step or degree to these two following . The ruler by the healing of the bodie of his child is brought to beleeue in Christ. Ioh. 4.53 . He then that will rest on Gods mercie for the pardon of his sinnes , must first of all rest on Gods prouidence for this life : and he that can not put his affiance in God for the prouision of meate and drinke , how shall he trust Gods mercie for the saluation of his soule ? Here we may see the faith of worldlings : they say that God is mercifull , and that they beleeue in Christ : which can not be true : seeing in lesser matters , as meate and drinke , they distrust God , as appeares by their couetousnes . Againe , by this order we are taught as earnestly to seeke for the pardon of our sinnes , as we seeke for temporall blessings . 2. The meaning . DEbt ] By debts sinnes are meant , as it is in Luke 11.4 . and they are so called , because of the resemblance betweene them . For euen as a debt doth bind a man , either to make satisfaction , or else to goe to prison : so our sinnes binds vs either to satisfie Gods iustice , or else to suffer eternall damnation . Forgiue ] To forgiue sinne , is to couer it , or not to impute it . Psal. 32.1 . And this is done when God is content of his mercy to accept the death and passion of Christ as a sufficient payment & ransome for mans sinnes , & so to esteeme them as no sinnes . And here vnder this one benefit of remission of sinnes , all the rest of the same kinde are vnderstoode , as iustification , sanctification , redemption , glorification , &c. 3. The vses of the words . HEnce we may learne many lessons : the first is , that seeing we must pray thus , Lord forgiue , &c. we are to hold , that there is no satisfaction to gods iustice for sinne by our workes , no not in temporarie punishments : but that the doing away of our sinnes is of Gods meere fauour : for to forgiue and to satisfie be contrarie : wherefore the doctrine of humane satisfactions , taught in the Church of Rome , is vyle and deuilish . 2. Secondly , whereas we are taught thus to pray continually from day to day , we note the great patience & long suffering of God , that suffers and forbeares still , and doth not poure out his confusion vpon vs , though we offend his maiestie day by day . This teacheth vs like patience towards our brethren : we our selues can not put vp the least iniurie and forbeare but one day , and yet we desire that God would forgiue vs daily to the ende of our liues . 3. Again we may obserue , that there is no perfect sanctification in this life , seeing we must euery day to the end craue the pardon of our sinnes . Therfore wicked is the opinion of the Catharists or Puritans , which hold that men may be without sinne in this life . 4. And when we say , forgiue , not me but vs : we are put in mind to pray , not onely for the pardon of our owne sinnes , but likewise for our brethren and enemies , Iam 5.17 . Confesse one an other , and pray one for an other : for the praier of the righteous auaileth much , if it be feruent . And as some thinke , the praier of Steuen was a meanes of the conuersion of Saul . 5. Also we note that before praier for pardon of sinne , must goe a confession of sinne : for whereas we say , forgiue our debts , we confesse before God that we are flat bankrupts and not able to discharge the least of our sinnes : this appeares 1. Ioh. 1.9 . If we confesse our sinnes , he is faithfull to forgiue vs. And it was practised by Dauid , Psal. 51. and 32.5 . The manner of making confession is this : knowne sinnes , and those which trouble the conscience , are to be confessed particularly ; but vnknowne sinnes generally , Psal. 19.12 . 6. Lastly , hence it is manifest , that there is no iustification by workes . Our sinnes are debts , and so also are all workes of the law : and it were a fond thing to imagine that a man might discharge one debt by another . 4. Wants to be bewailed . THe wants to be bewailed are the burthen of our sinnes and the corruptions of our natures , and the wickednes of our liues , and the sinnes of our youth , and of our old age , Psal. 40. 12. My sinnes haue taken such hold vpon me , that I am not able to looke vp : they are more in number then the haires of my head : therefore mine heart hath failed me . Thus with Dauid we are to trauel & grone vnder this burthen : but this griefe for sinne , is a rare thing in the world . Men can mourne bitterly for the things of this life , but their sinnes neuer trouble them . Againe , this sorrow must be for sinne , because it is sinne , though there were neither hell to torment , nor deuill or conscience to accuse , nor iudge to reuenge . 5. Graces to be desired . THe grace which we must desire , is the spirit of grace and deprecations . Zachar . 12.10 . which is that gift of the holy Ghost , whereby we are inabled to call to God for the pardon of our sinnes . A man hauing offended the laws of a prince , and beeing in daunger of death , will neuer be at quiet till he haue gotten a pardon : euen so they which feele and see them sinnes hauing this spirit , are so mooued , that they can neuer be at rest , till in praier they be eased of the burthen of their sinnes . A man may , I graunt , babble and speake many wordes , but he shall neuer pray effectually , before he haue this spirit of praier to make him crie , Abba , father . For worldly commodities all can pray : but learne to pray for the want of Christ. As we forgiue our debts . 1. The Coherence . THese wordes be a part of the fifth petition , which is propounded with a condition . Forgiue vs as we forgiue others : and these words depend on the former as the reason thereof , which seemes to be taken from the comparison of the lesse to the greater , thus : if we who haue but a sparke of mercie , doe forgiue others : then doe thou , who art the fountaine of mercie , forgiue vs : but we forgiue others : therefore doe thou forgiue vs. Thus Luke , 11.4 . hath it , Forgiue vs our sinnes , for euen we forgiue . Rhem. Test. on Luk. 7. 47. the Papists take it otherwise , who say , Forgiue vs as we forgiue , making our forgiuing a cause , for which God is mooued to forgiue vs in temporall punishments : whereas our forgiuing of men is onely a signe or effect that God doth forgiue vs. 2. The meaning . 1. Quest. Whether is a man bound to forgiue all debts ? Ans. The word debt , in this place is not vnderstood of debt that is ciuill , and comes by lawfull bargaining , but of hurts and dammages which are done vnto vs in our bodies , goods , or good name . As for the former ciuill debts , a man may exact them , so he doe it with shewing of mercie . 2. Quest. How may any man forgiue trespasses , seeing God onely forgiues sinne ? Ans. In euery trespasse which any doe to their neighbours , there be two offences , one to God , another to man. In the first respect , as it is against God and his commaundement , it is called a sinne ; and that God onely forgiues : in the other respect it is called an iniurie or dammage , and so man may forgiue it . When a man is robbed , the law is broken by stealing , & the iniurie that is done is against a man that hath his goods stolne . This iniury , as it is an iniury a man may forgiue ; but as it is a sinne , he can not , but God onely . 3. Quest. Whether may a man lawfully pray this petition , and yet sue him at the law , who hath done him wrong ? Ans. A man may in an holy manner sue another for an iniurie : and as a souldier in lawfull warre may kill his enemie , and yet loue him : so may a man forgiue an iniurie , and yet seeke in a Christian manner the remedie : but in doing of this we must obserue fiue things . 1. We are to take heede of all priuate reuenge , and inward hatred ; which if we conceiue , we doe not forgiue . 2. We must take heede of offence , and haue care that our doings be not scandalous to the Church . 3. Our suites must be taken in hand to maintaine godly peace : for if all iniuries were put vp , there would be no ciuill state or gouernment . 4. This must be , that the partie offending may be chastised , & he brought to repentance for his fault : for if many men were not repressed , they would grow worse . 5. Law must be the last remedie . As Physitians vse desperate remedies , when weaker will not serue : euen so must we vse law , as the last meanes when all other ●aile . The dealing of the world in this case is no example for vs to followe . For through rage and stomacke men will abide no priuate agreement , and therfore they vse the law in the first place , as the Corinthians did : but what saith Paul. 1. Cor. 6.7 . It is vtterly a fault among you . But if the lawe bee vsed aright , a Christian man may sue his neighbour at law , and loue the partie sued : for there is difference betweene dealing against a man before a magistrate , and the dealing of one priuate man with another . For priuate dealing is commonly reuenge , and therefore vnlawfull . 3. The vse . THe vse of this clause is very profitable , for it shews vs a liuely signe , wherby our consciences may be assured of the pardon of our sinnes , namely a readinesse and willing desire to forgiue men . Many vse these words long and often , yet finde no assurance of pardon : and the cause is , because they haue no desire of Gods mercie , nor willingnesse to forgiue others , which if indeede they had , then no doubt the forgiuenes of their sinnes should by this meanes be sealed vnto them . Wherefore if any would bee perswaded of Gods mercie in this point , let them descend into their owne soules , and search narrowely , if they can find their hearts as readie to forgiue , as they are readie to desire forgiuenes at gods hand , then they may assure thēselues of gods mercie in Christ , as we are taught by our Sauiour Christ● Mat. 5.7 . Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie . Consider these comparisons . A man walking vnder a wall in a colde sunny day , is heated of the wall which first receiued heate frō the Sunne : so he that sheweth mercy to others , hath first receiued mercy from God. Also take a peece of waxe , and put to a seale ; it leaueth an impression or marke like it selfe in the waxe : which when a man lookes on , he doeth certenly know that there hath beene a seale , the print whereof is left behind . Euen so it is in euery one that hath a readinesse to forgiue others : by which a Christian may easily know that God hath sealed to him the forgiuenes of his sinnes in his very heart : therefore let men looke into their hearts , whether they haue any affection to forgiue others , for that is as it were the print in their hearts of Gods mercie towards them in forgiuing them . Many there are which pray for pardon at Gods hand , but they cannot brooke it , that they should forgiue their neighbours . Hereupon come these sayings : I may forgiue him , but I will not forget him : he may come in my Pater noster , but he shal not come in my creede . Behold the deuils logicke , which makes malice to be charitie . Blinde people plaie with the Lords praier , as the flie doth with the candle til shee be burnt : for the more they pray these words , the more they call for vengeance against themselues . Iam. 2.13 . Neither will it helpe to omit this clause , as some haue done in Chrysostomes daies : for this is euen to mocke God : and if we doe not forgiue , we shall not be forgiuen . Lead vs not into temptation , but deliuer vs from euill . 1. The Coherence . IT might seeme to some , that this petition is superfluous , for what neede hee care for temptations , that hath the pardon of his sinnes ? but our Sauiour did not teach vs thus to pray without speciall reason . 1. Because forgiuenesse of sinnes , and grieuous temptations be inseparable companions in this life : which thing we find to be true , both in Gods word and in Christian experience : for there is no man in this world so beaten , and buffeted with temptations , as the penitent sinner that cries most bitterly for the pardon of his sinnes . This is the estate that fewe men in the world are acquainted with . For many are neuer troubled with temptation , but liue in all peace and quietnes both in bodie and soule . Luk. 11.21 . When the strong man armed keepes his hold , the things that hee possesseth are in peace . Whereby is signified , that the wicked of the world being possessed of Satan , are not a whit molested by him with any temptations : neither neede he trouble them , seeing hee hath them at commandement to doe what he wil. But when a man once begins to make conscience of sinne , and to sue vnto the Lord for pardon of his offences , and still continues in dislike of sinne and Satan : then the enemie bestirres him , and vseth all meanes to bring that man to confusion : he offereth all maner of temptations to molest him , & neuer affoards this poore sinner any rest . Hereupon , for feare of beeing ouercome , hee must pray continually vnto the Lord , that hee may not be lead into temptation . Here some Christian conscience may reason thus . No man is so troubled with sinne and Satan , as I : therefore I am not in Gods fauour , but am a plain castaway . Ans. If pardon of sinne and temptations goe togither , all is contrary . If thou hadst no griefe for sinne , no buffettings of thine enemies , the flesh , the world , and the deuil , thou couldst not be in Gods fauour , but vnder the power of Satan : now this great measure of the spirituall temptations , is a signe rather of Gods loue . For whome God loues , the deuill hates ; and where God workes in loue , the deuill workes in malice . 2. Secondly , this petition is ioyned with the former to teach vs , that as wee must be carefull to pray for pardon of sinnes past : so also we must endeauour to preuent sinnes to come : we must not fal againe into our old sinnes , neither must we be ouertaken with new sinnes . 2. The meaning . THese wordes be but all one petition : which hath two parts , the latter being a declaration of the former . Lead vs not into temptation : howe is that done ? by deliuering vs from euill . Temptation ] Temptation is nothing els , but the enticement of the soule or heart , either by the corruption of mans nature , or the alluremēts of the world , or the deuill , to any sinne . Iam. 1.15 . God tempts no man : that is , God mooues no man to sinne . Lead vs not ] Or carrie vs not into temptation . To be led , is to be ouercome of the temptation when it preu●iles and wholly gets the victorie : so as men tempted are brought to perdition . Then the meaning is this● When wee are mooued or entised to sinne , Lord keep vs that we bee not ouercome ; and giue thou an issue with the temptation . Quest. God is iust and cannot sinne : but if he lead men into temptation shal he not be the author of sinne ? Ans. Indeed many fearing to charge God with sinne , read the words thus , Suffer vs not to be ledde . But the text is very plaine , Lead , or carrie vs not . And the scriptures elsewhere , vse the like phrases of god . Exod. 7.3 . God is said to harden Pharaohs heart . 2. Sam. 24. 1. The Lord mooued Dauid to number the people . 2. Thess. 2.11 . God sent strong delusions that men might beleeue lies . These and such like places haue a speciall meaning , thus to be gathered . There is no action of man , or of the deuill , absolutely euill : but although in some respects it be euill , yet in some other it is good : for wee are not to thinke that as there is a maine or absolute good , so also there is a maine or absolute euill . Thus then , temptation being an action , it is not in euery respect euill : but in some good , in some euill . And so farre forth as it is good , the Lord workes it : but as it is euill , he doth not worke it , but willingly permits it to be done by man and Satan . 1. And there be foure respects in which God may be a worker in temptations and yet be free from sinne . I. First , he tempteth by offering occasions & obiects to trie whether a man will sinne or not . A master suspecting his seruant , which in word professeth fidelitie , laies a purse of money in his way , to trie if he will steale it : which if he steale , he hath found by watching him , a secret thiefe ; and so hath laid him open for deceiuing any more . Nowe , this trying of him is no sinne , though he sinne in stealing . In the same manner tempteth God his owne seruants , to prooue and trie them . Deut. ●3 . 3 . Thou shalt not harken vnto the wordes of the prophet or dreamer of dreames : for the Lord thy God prooueth you to knowe whether ye loue the Lord your God with all your heart . 2. Secondly , God leades into temptation by withdrawing his grace . Neither can this be a sinne in God : because he is bound to no man to giue him grace . And here is a difference between the tempting of God and Satan . God holds backe grace when he tempts , the deuill suggests euill motions . 3. Euery action so farre forth as it is an action is good , and of God. Act. 17. 28. In him we liue , mooue , and haue our being . Therfore god is a worker in temptations , so farre forth as they are actions . One man kils another : the very moouing of the bodie in the doing of this villanie is of God : but the wickednes of the actiō is from man , and the deuil . A man rides vpon a lame horse , and stirs him : the rider is the cause of the motion , but the horse himselfe of the halting in the motion . So God is authour of the action , but not of the euill of the action . 4. The fourth way is in regard of the end . God tempts his seruants onely to correct and humble them for their sinnes , and to trie howe they will abide the crosse , and to mooue them the more to loue him . Deut. 8.2 . God afflictes the children of Israel , to trie them whether they would keepe his commandements . 2. Chr. 31.31 . He trieth Ezechias to see what was in his heart . The deuils ende in tempting , is onely to bring the partie to destruction . Thus we neede not feare to say , that God in some respects doth tempt his owne seruants . Deliuer vs from euill ] That is , free vs from the power of the flesh , the deuil , and the world . Some take euill in this place onely for the deuill , but wee may take it more largely for all spirituall enemies . 1. Ioh. 5.19 . The whole world lieth in euill . vz. Vnder the power of sinne and Satan . These words ( as I haue said ) are a proofe and explanation of the former : for when a man is deliuered from euill , he is not led into temptation : the cause being taken away , the effect ceaseth . 3. The vses . 1. HEnce we learne what a righteous God , Iehoua is , that can worke in euill actions , and yet be void of sinne . 2. Whereas we say , lead vs not , &c. Wee note that the deuill in temptation● can goe no further then God permits him . 3. We are not to pray that temptations be quite taken from vs , or that wee be wholly freed from them : but that they doe not ouercome vs. For it is the Lords wil that his Church should be tempted . Nay , Dauid desired some kind of temptations . Psal. 26.1 . Prooue me , O Lord. And Iames saith , Account it for exceeding ioy , when ye shall fall into diuers temptations . Iam. 1.2 . 4. Note also that euery man by nature is the bondslaue of sinne and Satan . For where is deliuerance , there was a bondage first . This confutes the Papists who maintain free wil : for we are dead in sinne by nature , as a man in a graue ; and we must still pray thus till we be fully deliuered . 4. Wants to be bewailed . THe corruption , which in this petition we ought to mourne for , is the cōtinuall rebellion of our wicked natures ; and our pronenesse to yeeld vp our selues in euery temptation to sinne & Satan . And the remnants of the old bondage vnder Satan must be grieuous and irkesome vnto vs , and wee must bewaile them bitterly . The Iewes in a bodily captiuitie , wept when they remembred Sion . Psal. 1.27 . How much more should wee weepe , when wee feele the lawe of our members rebelling against the lawe of our mindes , and leading v● captiue to sinne . 5. Graces to be desired . THe contrarie blessing to be desired , is that God would stablish vs by his free spirit . Psal. 51.12 . Which is so called , because it sets vs euery day more and more at libertie out of the reach of sinne and Satan . For thine is the kingdome , the power and glorie , for euer . 1. The meaning . THese wordes containe a reason of all the former petitions : whereby wee are mooued to craue things needfull at Gods hand . Thine is ] Earthly kings haue kingdome , power , and glorie , Dan. 2.37 . Yet not from themselues , but from God , whose vicegerents they are on earth . Therefore to make a difference betweene Gods kingdome , power , and glorie , and those of earthly kings , it is said , Thine is the kingdome , &c. that is , that God hath all these in himselfe , and from himselfe , and men from him . The kingdome ] These words , 1. Chro. 26.11 . are fully expounded , Thine , O Lord , is greatnesse , power , and victorie , and praise : and all that is in heauen & earth is thine ; thine is the kingdome , and thou excellest as head ouer all , &c. The kingdome is said to bee Gods , because hee is absolute professour and owner of all things that are ; and also hath soueraigne rule ouer all things at his will. Nowe out of this first propertie of God we may gather a strong motiue to induce vs to praie vnto him alone . For seeing all things are his , both in heauen and earth whatsoeuer ; therfore we must come to him for the graces and blessings which we desire . The power ] Oftentimes earthly princes haue kingdomes , yet want power : but God hath kingdome and power also : yea his power is infinite , and he can doe all that he will , and more then he will : as for those things which come of impotencie , he can not doe them ; and if he could , he should not be omnipotent . And as he is omnipotent in himselfe , so all the power which any creature hath , is from him alone . Question . How can this be , seeing the deuill hath power to sinne ; which is not from God ? Ans. To sinne is no power , but rather a want of power : otherwise all the strength and power Satan hath , is of God. And frō this second propertie is taken another motiue to mooue vs to pray vnto God. Because all power beeing his , we can neuer doe any of the things which we aske , but by power receiued from him . Thine is the glorie ] This third propertie of God , ariseth from the two former , for seeing the title and interest in all things , and the power whereby they are disposed and gouerned , is of God : therefore it followes that all glory is his : yea in him is fulnesse of glorie , and the glorie of the creature is all of him . To sinnefull men belongs nothing but shame and confusion . Dan. 9.7 . This third propertie ministreth a third motiue to induce men to pray vnto God alone . For seeing all glorie by right is his , therefore we must inuocate hi● holy name , that in so doing , we may giue him the glorie due vnto him . For euer ] The words in the originall are , for ages . Now an age signifies the space of an hundred yeares : but here it is taken for eternitie : because eternitie is nothing but multiplication of ages . And as eternitie is here noted by ages , so on the contrarie we read , that eternitie is taken for a certaine and distinct time . Gen. 17.8 . God promiseth Abraham to giue him the land of Canaan for an euerlasting possession : that is , for a long season . For els Abrahams seed should inherit the land vntill this time , which it doth not . Wherefore , as often the whole is put for the part , vz. eternitie for a certaine time : so here the part is put for the whole , ages for eternitie . This also makes a difference betweene earthly princes and the mightie Iehouah . They haue kingdome , power , and glorie for a short time , but he absolutely and for euer . 2. The vses . 1. HEre we learne in praier to abase our selues before God , and vtterly to denie all that is in vs. Kingdome , power , and glorie is all his , not ours : we are no better then rebels and traitours to him : if we haue any good thing , it is from him , euen the grace whereby we pray . And he that in prayer will not confesse this , shall no more be heard , then the insolent begger that will not acknowledge his want . 2. Secondly , in prayer we learne , that we must be perswaded of two things , and build vpon them ; Gods power , and will : his power , in that he is able ; his will , in that he is carefull to performe our requests , as it was noted in the preface : the first of these is signified by kingdome and power , the second is noted in that glorie is his . 2. Cor. 1.20 . For all the promises of God in him , are yea , and Amen , vnto the glorie of God. 3. Again , we gather that praier & thanksgiuing must go togither : for as in the sixe petitions we made request vnto God ; so in these words we praise him , & thereby giue him thankes . Phil. 4.6 . But in all things let your requests be shewed to god in praier and supplication with thankesgiuing . There is none but in want will be readie to praie : but when we haue receiued , wee are slacke in giuing of thankes : but he which will praie aright , must ioyne them both togither . And the summe of all gods praise stands in these three points . 1. That he is an absolute King. 2. That he hath absolute power to rule all things . 3. That hauing power and a kingdome , he hath glorie also , which appeares in the holding of his kingdo●● , and the shewing of his power in gouerning of it . 4. Whatsoeuer wee aske , we must referre it to Gods glorie : this is the first thing which we are taught to craue , and the last wee are to performe , because it is noted both in the beginning , and in the end of the praier . Thus much of the vse of these wordes altogither : nowe let vs make vse of them particularly . 1. Whereas we say , Thine is the kingdome . Magistrates & rulers must knowe , that all the authoritie and rule which they haue is from the Lord , & therefore they must remember to order themselues as Gods vicegerents , vsing their power to bring men in subiection to Gods lawes ; and referring all their callings to his glorie . 2. Where we say , Thine is the power , wee are admonished , when wee are to performe any worke , as to doe seruice to God , to keep our selues in the compasse of our callings , and that we haue no power of our selues : & for this cause we must aske power at gods hands , that we may be inabled to walke vprightly before him , and doe our duties . 3. In saying , Thine is the glorie , we learne , that if we would haue a good report and praise among men , wee must aboue all things seeke Gods glorie , not regarding so much our owne . If hee giue thee praise among men , giue him thankes : if not , be content , because al glorie is his . Amen . 1. The meaning . VVEe haue heard the preface , and the petitions what they are : now followeth the third part , which is the assent or testification of faith required in praier in this word Amen . And it containes more then men at the first would imagine : It signifies , certainly , so be it , or it shall be so . 2. Cor. 1.20 . It is often taken for a bare assent of the people , saying Amen to the minister : but in this place it containes more ; for euery point in this praier is not onely a direction for publike praier , but for priuate also , and must be said as well of the minister as of the people . Now then , there being two principal things in praier : the first a desire of grace : the second faith , whereby wee beleeue that God will grant things desired . The first is expressed in the sixe petitions : the latter is set forth in this word Amen , carrying this sense in effect . As we haue craued these things at thy hands , O Lord : so we doe beleeue that for Christs ●ake , in thy good time thou wilt grant them to vs. Therefore this part is more excellent then the former , by how much our faith is more excellent thē our desire . For in this word is contained the testification of our faith , whereas the petitions are only testifications of our desires . And as it is in the end , so also it is the seale of our praiers to make them authenticall , and it is to be vsed ( as men cōmonly take it ) not onely for this end to answer the minister , praying in the cōgregation , but also to testifie our faith for the thing desired . 2. Graces to be desired . HEreby we are taught , what grace we are to shewe in praier . Wee must labour to giue assent to Gods promises when wee pray , and striue against doubting and vnbeleefe . Mat 9.11 . Lord , I beleeue , Lord help mine vnbeleefe . Psal. 42.11 . Why art thou cast downe my soule ? and why art thou disquieted in me ? waite on God. Many there are that will stand vpon the strength of their faith , & plead for themselues that they neuer doubted , but they are farre wide ; for true faith beeing imperfect , is alwaies accompanied with doubting more or lesse . Wherefore the heart that neuer felt doubting , is not filled with faith , but with presūption . As for them which are molested with doubtings , and complaine of thē , they haue lesse cause to feare : for as fire and water doeth neuer striue till they meete ; no more doth doubting and faith , till faith be wrought in the heart . To conclude , we see what an excellent worke praier is : in which two most excellent graces of a Christian man be shewed forth , hungring after mercie , & faith , wherby we beleeue the obtaining of it . This might mooue men to learn to praie , praier being the exercise of grace . Of the vse of the Lords praier . THe principall vse of the Lords praier , is to direct gods Church in making their praiers in all places , at all times , and vpon all occasions , though their praiers should be innumerable : and vnlesse they be framed after this praier , they cannot be acceptable vnto God. In the vsing of it for direction there bee three things required . 1. The first is the knowledge of the Lords praier , and al the parts therof . He that would pray by it , must vnderstand the meaning therof , the wants therein to be bewailed , & the graces to be desired , for which ende it hath beene expounded . 2. Knowing this , there is in the second place required thus much skill , that hee be able to referre euery want and grace to one of the sixe petitions : for example , feeling in himselfe pride of heart , he must be able to say , this is a want in the first petition : and feeling a rebellion and slownes in doing Gods commandements , he must be able to say , this is a sinne to be praied against in the third petition . Thus euery want he must refer to his proper head : againe , he must referre euery grace to be desired to one of the sixe petitions : as strength in temptation to the sixt : affiance in Gods prouidence to the fourth : knowledge of God to the first , &c. and so in the rest . 3. In the third place , hee must before he pray , consider what bee his wants and imperfections which most trouble him , as also the graces which he would obtaine : then for the helping of his memorie , he must goe to the petitions , & hee must set those things first in his minde , which concerne the first petition : and those which concerne the second petition , must haue the second place in his mind , and so he must proceede in order as he shall haue occasion . Thus a man keeping in mind the order of the petitions as they stand , shall be able by referring euery grace and want to his proper head , to make distinct praier : and to varie it as time , place , and other occasions shall mooue him . Quest. Must we of necessitie follow all the petitions in conceiuing a praier ? Ans. No , but onely those which doe principally belong to the time , place , and occasion , as Paul maketh a praier , Coloss. 1.9,10 . And all the points of it may be referred to the third and last petitions . Againe , a Christian man may make an excellent confession of his sinnes by this praier : if he shall , keeping the order of the petitions , confesse and bewaile the sinnes which euery petition requires vs to pray against . And it serues to make a thankesgiuing to God , thus : let a man remember all the graces which he hath receiued from God , let him then referre them to the petitions , & giue thankes to God after the order of them , turning euery petition into a thanksgiuing . Of the circumstances of praier . Quest. 1. VVHether a man is to vse a voice in praier ? Answ. In publike praier it is requisite that there be a voice : for the minister i● the mouth of the people , and to the praier which he conceiues , they giue assent . For priuat praier , vsing of a voice is conuenient ; yet so as it may be don● in silence . I. The Lord gaue vs the voice , as wel as the heart to blesse him withall . Iam. 3.9 . II. God created the tongue as well as the heart ; and so will bee praised by both . III. The voice often stirres vp the heart : and againe , the vehemencie of affection doth often draw out a voice : the voice then in priuate praier is requisite , yet in some cases may be omitted , for it is not absolutely necessarie . Moses and Anna praied in silence . Quest. 2. What gesture is to be vsed in praier ? Ans. The worde doeth not affoard any particular direction . Our Sauiour and his disciples praied in diuers gestures : kneeling , stāding , groueling , looking to heauen , looking down to the earth , sitting , lying , &c. Luk. 11.41 . Act. 7. god respects not the gesture , but the affection of the heart : yet two things must alwaies be in gesture : first , that it bee comely : secondly , that it doe fitly expresse the affection of the heart : as when we aske mercie , to look to heauen : when we bewaile our sinnes to looke downward , and to humble our bodies &c. Question . 3. What place must we praie in ? Ans. The place is set downe , 1. Tim. 2.8 . We may pray in all places : of which there is no difference . Some wil say , that in the time of the lawe , the tabernacle and temple were places of diuine praier . Ans. The temple and tabernacle were types of Christ and his Church , and the vnitie of it : but nowe , wee hauing the thing it selfe signified thereby , may pray in all places . Our Sauiour praied in the wildernesse , on the Mount , Peter on the house toppe , Paul by the sea shore : yet so , that publique praier must be vsed in publike places , as Churches , Chappels , &c. not because in them is more holines , but for order sake . Quest. 4. What is the time appointed for praier ? Ans. Pray continually , 1,5,7 . that is , vpon all occasions : or when a man beginnes any businesse , whether it be in word or deede , Coloss. 3. 17. or as Daniel , who praied thrise euery day , Dan. 6.11 . or as Dauid , who praied at euening and morning , and noone-tyde . Psal. 55. 18. and seuen times a ●aie : that is , many . Psal. 119.140 . Thus wee shall pray continually . Euery day affoards three speciall occasions . 1. The entrance to our callings in the morning . 2. The receiuing of Gods creatures at noone-tyde . 3. The going to rest at night . Againe , beside set & solemne praiers , there be certaine kinds of short praiers which the fathers call Eiaculationes , that is , the liftings vp of the heart into heauen secretly and suddainly : and this kind of praying may be vsed as occasion is offered enery houre in the daie . Quest. 5. Whether may we pray for all men or no ? Ans. We may and wee may not . We may , if all men , or mankind be taken distributiuely , or seuerally . For there is no particular countrie , kingdome , towne , person , but wee may make praiers for it . And though men be Atheists , Infidels , Heretikes , yea deuils incarnate , yet for any thing we knowe , they may belong to the election of God : except they sinne against the holy ghost , which sinne is very seldome & hardly discerned of men . And in this sence must the commandement of Paul be vnderstood : I exhort therfore that first of all supplications , praiers , &c. be made for all men . 1. Tim. 2.1 . We may not pray for all men , if all men or mankind be taken collectiuely , that is , if all men be considered wholly togither as they make one bodie or company , and be taken as we say , in grosse . For in this bodie or masse of mankind there be some , though they be vnknowne to vs , yet I say , there be some whome God in his iust iudgement hath refused , whose saluation by praier shall neuer be obtained . Quest. 6. Whether is it possible for a man to pray in reading of a praier ? Answer . It pleaseth some to mooue this question ; but there is no doubt of it . For praier is a part of Gods worship , and therefore a spirituall action of the heart of man standing specially in a desire of that which we want , and faith whereby we beleeue , that our desire shall be granted . Nowe the voice or vtterance , whether it be in reading or otherwise , is no part of the praier , but an outwarde meanes whereby praier is vttered and expressed . Therefore there is no reason why a forme of praier being read , should cease to be a praier , because it is read ; so be it the spirit of grace and praier be not wanting in the partie reading and the hearers . Obiect . To reade a sermon is not to preach : and therefore to read a praier is not to pray . Ans. The reason is not like in both . For the gift of preaching or prophecie can not bee shewed or practised in the reading of a sermon : and for this cause the reading of a sermon is not preaching or prophesie : but the grace and gift of praier may bee shewed in reading of a praier : otherwise it would goe very hard with them that want conuenient vtterance , by reason of some defect in the tongue , or by reason of bashfulnesse in the presence of others . Of Gods hearing our praiers . HItherto we haue spoken of the making of praier to god , a word or twain of Gods hearing our praiers . Quest. How many waies doth God heare mens praiers ? Ans. Two waies . The first in his mercie , when he graunts the requests of such as call vpon him in the feare of his name . Secondly , hee heares mens praiers in his wrath . Thus he gaue the Israelites Quailes according to their desire . Psal. 78.29.30.31 . Thus often men curse themselues , and wish that they were hanged or dead : and accordingly they haue their wish . Quest. 2. Why doth God deferre to heare the praiers of his seruants ? Ans. First , to prooue them by delay . Secondly , to exercise their faith . Thirdly , to make them acknowledge that the things which they receiue are Gods gifts , & not frō thēselues . Fourthly , that graces quickly giuen might not be lightly esteemed . Fiftly , that an hungring after grace might be sharpned & increased . Question . 3. After what manner doth God heare his seruants prayers ? Answer . Two waies . First , by graunting the thing which was asked according to his will. Secondly , by denying the thing desired , and by giuing something proportionall to it . Thus God denies temporarie blessings , and in the roome therof giues eternal in heauen . Thus he refuseth to remooue the crosse from his seruants , and giues in stead therof strength and patience . Christ praied that the cuppe might be remooued . It was not remooued , yet he in his māhood was inabled to beare the wrath of God. When Paul praied three times that the pricke in the flesh might be remooued , it was answered , My strength is sufficient for thee . Quest. 4. Why doth not God alwaies heare mens praiers ? Ans. There be many causes of this . The first , because oftentimes we know not to aske as we ought , Math. 20.22 . The second , because we aske amisse , Iam. 4.3 . The third , because otherwhiles the things which we aske , though they be good in themselues , yet they are not good vnto vs , and for that cause are withheld . 2. Cor. 12.7 . The last , because God will for some long time deferre the granting of that which we aske , that he may stirre vp our faith and hope , and our diligence in praier : and that we might the better esteeme of the gifts of God when we haue them , and shew our selues more thankfull . To the Reader . PAul in his Epistles , hath set downe the summe of many of his prayers : they are very gratious and heauenly , and I haue here set them downe , that thou mightest know them , and in thy prayers follow them . 16. I cease not to giue thanks for you , making mention of you in my praiers , 17. That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ , the father of glorie , might giue vnto you the spirit of wisdome , and of reuelation , in the acknowledgement of him . 18. The eyes of your minde beeing enlightned , that ye may know what the hope is of his calling , and what the riches are of his glorious inheritance in the Saints . 19. And what is the exceeding greatnes of his power in vs that beleeue ; according to the working of his mightie power . 20. Which he wrought in Christ , when he raised him from the dead , and set him at his right hand in heauenly places . The Exposition . IN this excellent prayer we are to marke two things : the first , to whome it is made : the second , is the matter . For the first , it is made to God the Father , who is described by two titles . The first , The God of our Lord Iesus Christ , namely as Christ is man : for as Christ is God , he is equall with the father . The second , The father of glorie , that is , a glorious father , and he is so called to distinguish him from earthly fathers . The matter of the prayer stands on two principall points . First , he asketh of God , the spirit of wisdome , whereby the seruants of God are inabled to discerne out of the word , in euery busines which they take in hand , whether it be in word or deede , what ought to be done , and what ought to be left vndone : as also the circumstances , the time , place , manner of doing any thing . Secondly , he praieth for the spirit of reuelation , whereby the faithfull haue their whole estate before God , reuealed vnto them according to the word : the thing it selfe being otherwise secret and hidden . 1. Cor. 2,9,10,12 . Further the work of this spirit in the godly is twofold , the one concernes God himselfe , the other the things of God. The worke of the spirit of reuelation : which respects God himselfe is , an acknowledgement of the Father , or of Christ. Now to acknowledge God the Father , is not onely to know , and confesse that he is a father of the faithfull : but also to be resolued in conscience that he is a father to me in particular . Secondly , that Christ is not onely in generall a Sauiour of the elect , but that he is in speciall my Sauiour and redeemer . The second worke of this spirit , is an illumination of the eyes of the minde to see and know the things of God which he hath prepared for them that doe beleeue : and they are two . The first is life eternall , which is described by fiue arguments . 1. It is the Ephesian hope , that is , the thing hoped for in this life . 2. It is the hope of the calling of God : because in preaching of the Gospell it is offered , and men are called to waite for the same . 3. An inheritance , properly to Christ , because he is the naturall sonne of God : and by him to all that shall beleeue . 4. The excellencie , because it is a rich and glorious inheritance . 5. Lastly , it is made proper to the Saints . The second thing is the greatnes of the power of God , whereby sinne is mortified , the corrupt nature renued , and mightily strengthened in temptations . This power is set forth by two arguments . The first is the subiect or persons in whome this power is made manifest . In them that beleeue . Because none can feele this , but they which apprehend Christ by faith . The second is the manner of manifesting this power in them , which is according to the working of his mightie power , which he shewed in Christ. And that was in three things . First , in putting all his enemies vnder his feete , v. 2. Secondly , in raising him from death . Thirdly , in placing him at his right hand . Now therefore Paul praies that this wonderfull power of God , which did shew forth it selfe in the head Christ , might likewise shew it selfe in the members of Christ. First , in treading Satan and sinne vnder their feete . Rom. 16.10 . Secondly , in raising them from sinne , as out of a graue to holines of life . Thirdly , in aduancing them in the time appointed to the kingdome of glorie in heauen . Ephes. 3. 14. FOr this cause I bowe my knees vnto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. 15. Of whome is named the whole familie in heauen and earth . 16. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glorie , that ye● may be strengthened by his spirit in the inner man. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith : 18. That ye being rooted and grounded in loue , may be able to comprehend with all Saints , what is the breadth and length , and depth and height : 19. And know the loue of Christ , which passeth knowledge , that ye may be filled with all fulnesse of God. 20. Vnto him therefore that is able to do● exceeding abundantly , aboue all that we aske or thinke , according to the power that worketh in vs , 21. Be praise in the Church by Christ Iesus , throughout all generations for euer , Amen . The Exposition . THese wordes containe two parts , a prayer , and a thankesgiuing . In the prayer these points are to be marked . First , the gesture : I bow my knees , wherby Paul signifies his humble submission to God in prayer . Secondly , to whome he praies . To the Father , who is described by two titles : the first , the father of our Lord Iesus Christ , and that by nature as he is God , and as he is man by personall vnion . The other title . Of whome the whole familie , which is in heauen and earth , is named : In which words is set downe a description of the Church : first it is a Familie , because it is the companie of Gods elect children vnder the gouernment of one father . 1. Tim. 3.15 . It is called the house of God , Eph. 2.19 . They that beleeue are saide to be of the houshold of God : secondly , the parts of the Catholike Church are noted , namely , the Saints in heauen departed , and Saints liuing on earth : thirdly , it is said to be named of the father of Christ , because as the father of Christ is the father of this familie , so also this familie is called by him . Gen. 6.2 . Dan. 9.80 . Thirdly , the matter of the prayer stands of foure most worthie points . The first is strength to beare the crosse and to resist spirituall temptations , v. 16. where the strength is set out by diuers arguments : First , that it is the meere gift of God , that he would graunt you : Secondly , the cause of strength , by his Spirit : Thirdly , the subiect or place where this strength must be , in the inner man , that is , in the whole man , so farre forth as he is renued by grace , Eph. 6.14 . The second is , the dwelling of Christ in their hearts by faith : Faith is when a man beeing seriously humbled for his sinnes , is further in conscience perswaded , and resolued of the pardon of them , and of reconciliation to God. Now where this perswasion is in deed , there followes necessarily Christs dwelling in the heart , which stands in two things : the first is , the ruling and ordering of the thoughts , affections , and desires of the heart , according to his will ; as a master rules in his house : the second is the continuance of his rule . For he cannot be said to dwell in a place , who rules in it but for a day . The third , is the knowledge and the acknowledgement of the infinit greatnes of Gods loue in Christ , an effect of the former . v. 18 , 19. the words are thus explaned : Rooted and grounded . Here the loue of God wherewith he loues the elect , is as a roote and foundation of all Gods benefits , election , vocation , iustification , and glorification . Men are rooted and grounded in loue , when Gods spirit assures their hearts of Gods loue , and doth giue them some inward sense and feeling of it . For then they are as it were sensibly put into the roote , and laid on the foundation . With all Saints : Paul desires this benefit , not onely to the Ephesians , but also to all the faithfull with them . What is the length , the bredth . Here is a speech borrowed from the Geometricians , and it signifies the absolute greatnes or infinitnes of Gods loue , and that it is like a world , which for length , breadth , height , and depth , is endlesse . Here note the order or receiuing grace . First , Christ dwells in the heart by faith . Secondly , then comes a sense and feeling of Gods loue , as it were by certaine drops thereof . Thirdly , after this ariseth a plentifull knowledge , and apprehension of Gods loue , and as it were the powring out of a sea into a mans heart , that for greatnes hath neither bottome nor banke . And know the loue of Christ : these words ( as I take it ) are an exposition of the former : for to comprehend the loue of God , is nothing els but to know the loue of Christ : considering that all whome the father loueth , he loueth them in Christ : which passeth knowledge , that is , which for the greatnes of it no man can fully know . The fourth thing is the fulnesse of Gods graces , v. 19. Here the fulnesse of God , doth not signifie fulnesse of the God●ead or diuine nature , but the perfection of the inner man which shall not be till after this life . Now followes the thankesgiuing , or the praise of God , v. 20 , 21. containing these points . The matter of praise , his power and bountifulnes , wherby he can worke exceeding aboundantly aboue all we aske or thinke : and both these are not onely to be conceiued in minde , but also may be felt in the heart , according to the power that worketh in vs. 2. The forme of praise , glorie vnto God by Christ , as all benefits are receiued from the father by Christ. 3. The proper place of true praise of God , the Church . 4. The continuance of his praise , thorow all generations for euer . Philip. 1. 9. ANd this I pray , that your loue may abound yet more and more , in knowledge and all sense . 10. That ye may discerne things that differ : to the ende , ye may be pure and without offence , to the day of Christ. 11. Filled with fruits of righteousnesse , which are by Iesus Christ , vnto the praise and glorie of God. The Exposition . THis praier containes three parts . In the first , Paul praieth for increase of loue in the Philippians , whether it be to God or men , v. 9. and he shewes the meanes of increase , which are two : knowledge and sense , or feeling . For ( to goe backeward ) the more a godly man feels Gods loue , and hath experience of Gods word in himselfe ; the more he knowes of Gods word , and perceiues his loue vnto him : the more he loues God againe , and his neighbour for his sake . The second thing praied for , is the gift of discerning , whereby men know , what is true , what false : what is to be done , what to be left vndone : the endes of this gift are two . The first , that by meanes of it , they may be pure and sincere : that is , keepe a good conscience before God and men in their liues and calings . The second is , to be without offence : that is , innocent , giuing no occasion of euill to any , and not taking them offered by others : and the continuance of those is noted to the day of Christ ; which is the time in which he commeth to vs , either by our death , or by the last iudgement . Thirdly , he praieth that they might abound in good workes , which are described by a similitude , fruits of righteousnes : Christians beeing fruitfull trees . Ezech. 47. 12. Esay 61.3 . 2. By the cause efficient , which are by Christ. 3. By the end , vnto the glorie and praise of God. Coloss. 1. 9. I Cease not to pray for you , & to desire that ye might be filled with knowledge of his will , in all wisdome and spirituall vnderstanding . 10. That ye might walke worthie of the Lord , and please him in all things , fructifying in all good works , and increasing in the acknowledgement of God. 11. Strengthened with all might through his glorious power , vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse . 12. Giuing thanks to the father which hath made vs ●it to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light . 13. Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darknes , and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his owne sonne . The Exposition . THese words containe a prayer , and a thankesgiuing . In the prayer , three things are asked . The ●irst is the increase of the knowledge of Gods reuealed will in his word , and he deuides it into two parts : wisdome , which is not onely to know Gods word , but also to applie it to euery action for the right and holy performing thereof● and spirituall vnderstanding , which is , when men by the assistance of Gods spirit , doe conceiue the will of God in generall without applying . Secondly , Paul praies for the fruits of this knowledge , which are foure . 1. To wal● worthie of God , as good seruants doe , who in their apparell , gesture , and all their doings , so behaue themselues that they may credit their masters . 2. To please God in all things , by approouing their hearts vnto him . 3. To be plentifull in all good workes . 4. To increase in the acknowledgement of God. For the more any increase in knowledge and experience in Gods word , the more shall they acknowledge God the father to be their father , Christ to be their redeemer , and the holy Ghost their sanctifier . Thirdly , he praies that the Colossians may be strengthened , v. 11. where he notes the cause , Gods glorious power ; and the effects , which are three . 1. Patience , because it is necessarie that the godly suffer many afflictions . 2. Long suffering , because oftentimes the same afflictions continue long . 3. Ioyfulnesse , because the crosse is bitter . The thankesgiuing is for a benefit , that God had made the Colossians fitte for the kingdome of glorie : and the reason is , because he had made them members of the kingdome of grace . 1. Thess. 3. 12. THe Lord increase you , and make you abound in loue one towards an other , and towards all men : euen as we doe towards you . 13. To make your hearts stable and vnblameable in holinesse before God , euen our father at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ with all his Saints . 2. Thess. 2. 16. IEsus Christ our Lord , and our God , euen the father which hath loued vs , and hath giuen vs euerlasting consolation and good hope through grace , 17. Comfort your hearts , and stablish you in euery word and good worke . 1. Thess. 5. 23. NOw the very God of peace , sanctifie you throughout : and I pray God that you a whole spirit and b soule and body may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. A Song gathered out of the Psalmes , containing the sobbes and sighs of all repentant sinners . LOrd heare my prayer , hearke the plaint that I doe make to thee : Lord in thy natiue truth , and in thy iustice answer mee . Regard , O Lord , for I complaine , and make my suit to thee : Let not my words returne in vaine , but giue an eare to mee . Behold , in wickednes my kind , and shape I did receiue : 2 And lo , my sinfull mother eke , in sinne did me conceiue : And I with euills many one , am sore beset about : My sinnes increase , and so come on , I cannot spie them out . For why , in number they exceede the haires vpon my head : My heart doth faint for very feare , that I am almost dead . Thus in me in perplexitie , is mine accombred spright : And in me in my troubled heart , amazed and afflight . The wicked workes that I haue wrought , thou setst before thine eye : My secret faults , yea eke my thoughts , thy countenance doth espie . O Lord my God , if thou shalt weigh my sinnes , and them peruse : What one shall then escape and say , I can my selfe excuse ? In iudgement with thy seruant , Lord , oh enter not at all : For iustified in thy sight , not one that liueth shall . 3 And for thy pitie plentifull , O Lord , I thee intreat : To grant me pardon for my sinne , for it is wondrous great . O Lord , what earthly man doth know , the errours of this life ? Then clense me from my secret sinnes , which are in me most rife . And keepe me , that presumptuous sinnes preuaile not ouer me : And then I shall be innocent , and great offences flee . To thee , O Lord my God , loe I doe stretch my crauing hands : My soule desireth after thee , as doth the thirstie lands . 4 As handmaids watch their mistris hands , some grace for to atchiue : So I behold thee , Lord my God , till thou doe me forgiue . Lord turne thee to thy wonted grace , my silly soule vptake : O saue me not for my deserts , but for thy mercie sake . My soule why dost thou faint and quaile ? so sore with paine opprest : With thoughts why dost thy selfe assaile ? so sore within my brest . 5 Trust in the Lord thy God alway , and thou the time shalt see : To giue him thankes with laud and praise , for health restorde to thee . For why ? his anger but a space doth last , and slacke againe : But in his fauour and his grace , alway doth life remaine . Though gripes of griefe and pangs full sore , doe lodge with thee all night : The Lord to ioy shall thee restore , before the day be light . The Lord is kind and mercifull , when sinners doe him grieue : The slowest to conceiue a wrath , and readiest to forgiue . And looke what pitie parents deare , vnto their children beare : Like pitie beares the Lord to such , as worship him in feare . The Lord that made me knowes my shape , my mould and fashion iust : How weake and fraile my nature is , and how I am but dust . 6 O God create in me an heart , vnspotted in thy sight : And eke within my bowels , Lord , renue a stable spright . With thy free spirit confirme thou me , and I will teach therefore Sinners thy waies , and wicked shall be turned to thy lore . 7 My soule is rauisht with desire , and neuer is at rest : But seekes to know thy iudgements hie , and what may please thee best . O would to God it might thee please , my waies so to addresse : That I might both in heart and voyce , thy lawes keepe and confesse . In righteousnes I doe intend , my time and daies to serue : Haue mercie Lord and me defend , so that I doe not swerue . 8 And with thy sauing health , O Lord , vouchsafe to visit me : That I the great felicitie , of thine elect may see . And with thy peoples ioy I may , a ioyfull minde possesse : And may with thine inheritance , a glorying heart expresse . 9 The Lord the God of Israel , be blest for euermore : Let all the people say Amen , praise ye the Lord therefore . FINIS . A TREATISE TENDING VNTO A DECLARATION ; WHETHER A MAN BE IN THE ESTATE OF DAMNATION , OR IN THE ESTATE OF GRACE . and if he be in the first , how he may in time come out of it : if in the second , how he may discerne it , and perseuer in the same to the ende . Reuiewed and corrected by the Author . The points that are handled be set downe in the page following . 2. Pet. 1. vers . 10. Giue all diligence to make your calling and election sure : for if ye doe these things ye shall neuer fall . Printed for I. P. and I. L. 1600. The Contents of the booke . How farre a Reprobate may goe in Christian Religion . The estate of a true Christian in this life : which also sheweth howe farre the elect beeing called , goe beyond all reprobates in Christianitie . A Dialogue to the same purpose , gathered out of the sauorie writings of Master Tindall and Bradford . Howe a reprobate may performe all the religion of the Church of Rome . The conflicts betweene Satan and a Christian. How the word of God is to be applied aright vnto the conscience . Consolations for the troubled consciences of weake Christians . A Declaration of certaine spirituall Desertions . TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL AND MY CHISTIAN FRIEND MASTER Valentine Knightly , Esquire , one of her Maiesties Iustices of peace in Northampton shiere . SIr , I pray you consider with me an especiall point of Gods word , carefully to be waied : it is this , a Many professors of Christ , in the day of grace , perswade themselues that they are in the estate of grace ; and so the true Church esteemeth of them too : yet when the day of grace is past , they contrariwise shall finde themselues to be in the estate of dānation remedilesse . A dolefull case , yet a most resolute trueth , and the reason is plaine . Men that liue in the Church are greatly annoyed with a fearefull securite and deadnes of heart ; by which it comes to passe that they thinke it enough to make a common protestation of the faith , not once in all their life times , examining themselues whether they be in the estate of grace before the eternall God or not . b And indeede it is a grace peculiar to the man Elect to trie himselfe whether he be in the estate of grace or not . The further opening of the trueth of this point , as also the daunger of it , I haue enterprised in this treatise ; which I am willing to bestow on you , both for the profession of the faith , which you make , as also for that Christian friendship , you haue shewed to me . Accept of it I pray you and vse it for your edification . c Thus I commend you to God , and to the word of his grace , that is able to builde you vp further and giue you an inheritance among them which are sanctified . From Cambridge this 24. of Nouember . 1589. Your Worships to command , William Perkins . To the Christian Reader . GOod Reader it is a thing to be considered , that a man may seeme both vnto himselfe and to the Church of God to be a true professour of the Gospel , and yet indeede be none . All professors that be of this sort , are excellently described , Luk. 8. vers . 13. in thes● words . And they which are vpon the stony groūd are they , which when they shal heare , receiue the word with ioy : but hauing no roote , beleeue for a time , & in the time of temptation goe away . Where are to be noted three things . First , their faith , in that they are said to beleeue for a season . Secondly the fruits of that faith , in that they are said to receiue the word preached with ioy . Thirdly , their vnsoundnesse in that they are compared to stony ground , and in the time of temptation goe away . Concerning their faith , wheras the spirit of God saith , that they doe beleeue these things are to be considered . First , that they haue the knowledge of the word of God. Secondly , that they both can and doe g●ue assent vnto the word of God , that it is most true . Thirdly , in more speciall manner they giue assent vnto the couenant of grace made in Christ , that it is most certaine and sure : and they are perswaded in a general and confused manner , that God will verifie the same couenant in the members of his Church . This is all their faith : which indeede proceedeth from the holy Ghost , but yet it is not sufficient to make them sound Professors . For albeit they doe generally beleeue Gods promises , yet herein they deceiue themselues , that they neuer applie and appropriate the same promises to their own soules . An example of this faith we haue , Ioh. 2.24 . where it is said , that when our Sauiour Christ came to Ierusalem at the feast of Easter , manie beleeued in his name , and yet hee would not commit himselfe vnto them , because he knewe them all , and what was in them . To come to the second thing : those professors which are indued with thus much grace , as to beleeue in Christ in a confused maner , goe yet further : for this their faith , though it be not sufficient to saluation yet it sheweth it selfe by certaine fruites which it bringeth forth : for as a tree or a branch of a tree that hath no deepe rooting , but either is couered with a few moules , or els lieth in the water , at the season of the yeare bringeth forth leaues and blossomes , and some fruite too , and that for one or two , or moe yeares : so one that is an hearer of the word , may receiue the word : and the worde as seed , by this generall faith may bee somewhat rooted in his heart and setled for a season , and may bring foorth some fruites in his life peraduenture very faire in his owne and other mens eies : yet indeede neither sound , nor lasting , nor substantiall . What these fruites are , it may be gathered forth of these wordes , where it is said , that they receiue the word with ioy , when they heare it : for here may be gathered . First , that they doe willingly subiect themselues to the ministerie of the word . Secondly , that they are as forward as any , and as ioyfull in frequenting sermons . Thirdly , that they reuerence the Ministers whome they so ioyfully heare . Lastly , they condemne them of impietie , which will not be hearers , or be negligent hearers of the word . Now , of these and such like fru●ts , this may be added : though they are not sound , yet they are void of that grosse kind of hypocrisie . For the mindes of those Professors are in part enlightened , and their hearts are indued with such a faith , as may bring forth these fruits for a time : and therefore herein they ●issemble not that faith which they haue not : but rather shew that which they haue . Adde hereunto , that a man beeing in this estate , may deceiue himselfe ; and the most godly in the world , which haue the greatest gifts of discerning , how they and their brethren stand before the Lord : like as the figtree with greene leaues deceiued our Sauiour Christ as he was man : for when in his hunger he came vnto it to haue had some fruit he found none . If this be so , it may be then required , how these vnsound professours differ from true professours . I answer , in this they differ , that they haue not sound hearts to cleaue vnto Christ Iesus for euer . Which appeareth in that they are compared to stonie ground . Now , stonie groundes mingled with some earth are commonly hot , and therefore haue as it were some alacritie and hastinesse in them , and the corne as soone as it is cast into this ground , it sprouteth out very speedily , but yet the stones will not suffer the corne to be rooted deepely beneath , and therefore when sommer commeth the blade of the corne withereth with rootes and all . So it is with these professours : they haue in their hearts some good motions of the holy Ghost , to that which is good : they haue a kind of zeale to Gods word , they haue a liking to good things , and they are as forwards as any other for a time , and they doe beleeue . But these good motions and graces are not lasting , but like the flame and flashing of straw and stubble : neither are they sufficient to saluation . With the true professours it is farre otherwise : for they haue vpright and honest hearts before the Lord , Luk. 8. 15. And they haue faith which worketh by loue . Gal. 5.6 . And that Christian man which loueth God , whatsoeuer shall befall , yea though it were a thousand deaths , yet his heart can neuer be seuered from the Lord and from his Sauiour Christ : as the spouse speaketh vnto Christ of her owne loue , Cant. 8.6 . Set me as a seale on thy heart , as a signet vpon thy arme : for loue is as strong as death : iealousie is as cruell as the graue ; the coales thereof are fierie coales and a vehement flame . Much water cannot quench loue , neither can the flouds drowne it : if a man should giue all the substance of his house for loue , they would greatly contemne it . Wherefore ( good Reader ) seeing there is such a similitude and affinitie betweene the temporarie professor of the Gospell , and the true professor of the same : it is the dutie of euery Christian to trie and examine himselfe whether he be in the faith or not . 2. Cor. 13.5 . And whereas it is an hard thing for a man to search out his own heart , we are to pray vnto God that he would giue vs his spirit to discerne betweene that which is good and euill in vs. Now when a man hath found out the estate of his heart by searching it , he is further to obserue and keepe it with all diligence . Prou. 4. 23. that when the houre of death , or the day of triall shall come , he may stand sure and not be deceiued of his hope . And for this purpose I haue described the most of these small treatises which follow , to minister vnto thee some helpe in this examining and obseruing of thine own heart . Read them and accept of them , and by the blessing of God they shall not be vnprofitable vnto thee . And if they shall any whit helpe thee , helpe me also with thy prayer . 1595. FINIS . CERTAINE PROPOSITIONS DECLARING HOW FARRE A MAN MAY goe in the profession of the Gospel , and yet be a wicked man or a Reprobate . I. A Reprobate hath in his mind a certain a knowledge of God , of common equitie among men , of the difference of good from bad : and this is partly from nature , partly from the contemplation of Gods creatures , in which the wisdome , the power , the loue , the mercie , the maiestie of God is perceiued . II. This knowledge is only generall and imperfect , much like the ruines of a Princes pallace : it is not sufficient to direct him in doing of a good work . For example , he knoweth that there is a God , and that this God must be worshipped : come to particulars , who God is ? what a one he is ? how he must be worshipped ? Here his knowledge faileth him , and he is altogither vncertain what to doe to please God. III. By reason of this knowledge , the Reprobate doeth giue consent , and in his heart subscribeth to the equitie of Gods law ; as may appeare by the saying of Medea : Video meliora probóque ; deteriora sequor . That is , I know what is best to be done , and like it ; yet I doe the worst . This approbation in the Reprobate commeth from constraint ; and is ioyned with a disliking of the lawe : in the elect being called , the b approbation of the law , proceedeth from a willing and ready mind , and is ioyned with loue and liking . IV. And by reason of this light of nature , a meere natural man , and a reprobate may be subiect to some temptations : for example , hee may be tempted of the deuill , and of his owne corrupt flesh , to beleeue that there is no God at all . As Ouid saith of himself , Eleg. 3. Sollicitor nullos esse putare deos : I am often tempted to thinke there is no God. V. The reprobate for all this knowledge , in his heart may bee an Atheist , as Dauid saith : c The foole hath said in his heart there is no God. And a man may now a daies find houses and townes full of such fooles : Nay , this glimmering light of nature , except it bee preserued with good bringing vp , with diligent instruction , and with good companie , it will be so darkened , that a man shall know verie litle , and lead a life like a very beast : as experience telleth , and Dauid knewe very well : who saith , d Man is in honour , and vnderstandeth not ; he is like to beasts that perish . VI. Wherefore , this knowledge which the reprobate receiueth from nature , and from the creatures , albeit it is not sufficient to make him doe that which shall please God : yet before Gods iudgement seat , e it cutteth off all excuse , which he might alleadge , why he should not be condemned . VII . f Beside this naturall knowledge , the reprobate may be made partaker of the preaching of the word , & be illuminated by the holy ghost , and so may come to the knowledge of the reuealed will of God in his word . VIII . Thus when they heare the preaching of the word , god profereth saluation to them , and calleth them , g yet this calling is not so effectuall in them as it is in the elect children of God. For the reprobate when he is called , he liketh himselfe in his owne blindnes , and therefore neither will he ; and if he would , yet could he not answer , and be obedient to the calling of God. The elect beeing called , with speed he answereth , and commeth to the Lord , and his heart beeing readie , giueth a strong and loud eccho to the voice of the Lord. This eccho we see in Dauids heart : h Whē ( saith he ) thou saidst , Seek ye my face : mine heart answered vnto thee ; O Lord , I will seek thy face . And god himself speaketh the same of his children . Zach. 13.9 , They shall call on my name , and I wil heare them : I wil say , it is my people ( nowe marke the eccho ) and they shall say , the Lord is my God. IX . After that he hath an vnderstanding of Gods word , i hee may acknowledge the truth of it , and confesse it : and if neede require , be a defender of it : As Iudas was , and Iulian the Apostata . X. The reprobate may haue a feeling of his sinnes , and so acknowledge them , and the punishment due vnto them : k as Saul did ; who said , I haue sinned : come againe my sonne Dauid : for I will doe thee no harme , because my soule was precious in thine eies this day : Behold I haue done foolishly , and haue erred exceedingly . Thus did Caine , l when he said ; My punishment is greater then I can beare . m Galerius Maximinus , a vile persecutor of Christians , had his bowels rotting within him : so that an infinit number of wormes continually crawled forth of his bodie , and such a poysoning stinke came from him , that no man coulde abide him : being thus plagued with the hand of God , he began to perceiue his wickednes in persecuting Christians , and he confessed his sinnes to the true God : and assembling the chiefe rulers about him , he commanded that all within his dominions should cease to trouble Christians , and in all haste he made a lawe for the peace and libertie , and the publike meetings of Christians . XI . The reprobate hath oftentimes feare and terrour of conscience : but this is onlie , because he considereth the wrath and vengeance of God , which is most terrible . When Paul preached before Foelix , and by the maiestie of Gods spirit , did ( as it were ) thunder from heauen against his sinnes● doubtlesse he made his heart to ake , and euery ioynt of him to tremble . n Ecebolius a Philosopher of Constantinople , in the daies of Constantius , professed Christian religion , & went beyond all other in zeale for the same religion : yet afterward vnder Iulian , he fell from that religion vnto Gentilisme . But after Iulians death making meanes to bee receiued into the Church againe , ouerwhelmed with the horror of his own conscience for his wicked reuolting , he cast himselfe down on the groūd before the doores of the church crying aloud , Calcate me salē insipidum : Trample on me vnsauerie salt . And the deuill beleeueth the worde of God and at his owne damnation he trembleth . These seruile feares , though they harden the heart of the reprobate , as heate doth the yron , after it hath bin in the furnace : yet these feares in the children of God o are very good preparations , to make them fitte to receiue grace : like as we see the needle which soweth not the cloath , yet it maketh a passage and entrance for the thread , which serueth for this vse , to sowe cloath togither . XII . A reprobate before he commit a sin , is often vexed within himselfe , & feareth to commit it : not because he hateth and disliketh the sin for it selfe , but because he cānot abide the punishment due vnto the sin . p When the daughter of Herodias danced before Herod , and pleased him : that hee might doe her a pleasure , he bad her aske what she would : shee asked Iohn Baptists head in a platter : Herod did grant her request , but yet he had a grudging in heart , & he was sore grieued at it . q In like maner , Pilate was very much troubled inwardly before he condemned our Sauiour Christ. XIII . After he hath committed a sin , he r sorroweth and repenteth : yet this repentance hath two wants in it . First , he doth not detest his sin , and his former conversation when he repenteth : he doth bewaile the losse of many things which he once enioyed : he crieth out through very anguish , & through the perplexities which God in his iudgement layeth on him : yet for his life , he is not able to leaue his filthy sinne : & if he might be deliuered , he would sinne as before : s Esau wept before his father with great yelling and crying , but after hee was gone from his fathers presence he hated his brother , who had got his blessing , and in contempt of his father , chose him a wife against his liking . Pharao , as oft as the Lord laid any calamitie on him , t he euermore desired to be deliuered from it , yet afterward alwaies he returned to his old by as againe . Foelix trembled before Paul : for all that , he could not leaue his couetousnesse , but euen then he sought for a bribe . Secondly , the reprobate● when he repenteth , he cannot come vnto God , & seeke vnto him : he hath no power , no not so much as once to desire to giue one litle sob for the remissiō of his sinnes : if he would giue all the world he cannot so much as giue one rap at gods mercie gate , that he may open to him . He is very like a man vpon a racke , who crieth & roreth out for very paine , yet cannot desire his tormentor to ease him of his paine . u Caine would haue bin void of his trembling , but he could not aske pardon of his sinne from his heart : neither could Saul , or Iudas , or now can the deuill . XIV . The reprobate may humble himselfe for some sinnes which he hath committed , and may declare this by fasting and teares . When Eliah reprooued Ahab for his Idolatrie , and threatned him from the Lord , it is said , that when he had heard these words , x he rent his cloaths , and put sackcloath vpon him , and fasted , and went softly in token of mourning : and this humiliation stayed Gods wrath for a time . XV. He may confesse his sinnes , euen his particular sinnes before men : but this is onely then , when his soule is tormented for them , and can find no ease . For then he sticketh not to vtter his secret filthines to the hearing of all men ; & to the open shaming of himselfe . When God smote all that was in the fieldes of Egypt with haile , then Pharao sent , and called for Moses and Aaron , and said vnto them , y I haue now sinned , the Lord is righteous , but I and my people are wicked : pray ye vnto the Lord ( for it is enough ) that there be no more mightie thunders , &c. So Iudas , when he saw that Christ was condemned , and felt an hell in his conscience , brake out , and said , I haue sinned in betraying the innocent blood . And the experience of these daies giueth fearefull examples for the proofe of this point . XVI . He hath often a desire to be like the children of God in happinesse , and to be saued : not because he hath any loue to the kingdom of God , but because he is afraid of hell . As Balaam ouerpressed with the feare of Gods iudgement , praied thus : z Oh that my soule might die the death of the righteous , and that my last end might be like his . XVII . The wicked in their distresse may pray to God , and God may heare their praiers , and grant them their request , a as the Israelites wickedly murmuring against God , desired flesh in the wildernes : God heard their crie , and rained Quailes among them . But god heareth the wicked after one sort , & them that feare him after another : them that feare him , he granteth their requests of loue and mercy : to the other of indignation and anger . b As may appeare in the Israelites , who when they were in eating of their Quailes , and the meate was within their teeth , God in his anger stroke thē with a sore plague . And ( which is more strange then this ) God hath performed that which he hath promised to the vnbeleeuers , though they refused to aske it at his hands , euen then whē they were particularly commanded : c of this thing we haue a worthie example in King Achas , who vtterly refused to haue a signe of his deliuerance , and the confusion of his enemies , when God offered it to him , and yet the Lord deliuered him . XVIII . The reprobate may go further in the profession of religion● and may seeme for a time to bee planted in the Church : for he doth beleeue the promises of God made in Christ Iesus , yet so that he cannot apply them to himselfe . In this thing the elect and the reprobate differ . The reprobate d generally in a confused manner beleeueth that Christ is a Sauiour of some men : & he neither can nor desireth to come to the particular applying of Christ. The elect beleeueth , that Christ is a Sauiour of him particularly . The reprobates faith may perish in this life , but the faith of the elect cannot . The reprobate may be perswaded of the mercy and goodnes of God towards him for the present time in the which he feeleth it : the elect is not onely perswaded of the mercies he presently enioyeth , but also he is perswaded of his eternal election before the foūdation of the world , and of his euerlasting life , which yet he doth not enioy : Yea e if God would confound him , and he saw nothing but present death , and hell fire : yet such is his nature that still hee would beleeue ; for faith and hope are not grounded vpon sense and feeling ; but are the euidence of those thing● which were neuer yet seene or felt . The life of the faithfull is hid in Christ , as the sap in the root of the tree : their life is not in sense & feeling , but in hoping and beleeuing : which oftentimes are contrarie to mans sense and feeling . XIX . After that he hath receiued a generall , and a temporarie faith in Gods heauenly word , & his most mercifull promises of euerlasting life cōtained therin , by the power of the spirit of God , f he commeth to haue a tast in his heart of the sweetnes of Gods mercies , and a reioycing in consideration of the election , adoption , iustification , and sanctification of Gods children . But what is this taste ? I expresse it thus , after the meaning of Gods word . Suppose a banquet prepared , in which are many sweet , and pleasant , and daintie meats . At this banquet , such as are the bidden guests , they must be set downe , they see the meates , they taste them , they chaw them in their mouthes , they digest them , they are nourished , fed , and strengthened by them : they which are not bidden to this feast , may see the meats , handle them , and taste of them , to feele how good they are● but they must not eate and feede of them . The first resemble the elect , which truly eate , digest , & are nourished by Christ vnto euerlasting life , because they haue great aboundance of the vitall heat of Gods holy spirit in them , and doe feele sensibly his grace & vertue in them , to strengthen them & guide them . The second sort truly resemble the reprobates ; which neuer in truth enioy Christ , or any of his benefits appertaining to saluation : but only see them , and haue in their hearts a vanishing , but no certen or sound feeling of them ; so that they may be changed , and strengthened , and guided thereby . To vse another similitude . The reprobates haue no more feeling , and enioying of Christ and his benefits , then those men haue of the sunne , which see onely a glimmering of his light at the dawning of the day , before it riseth . g Contrariwise , the elect , they haue the day-starre , euen the Sunne of righteousnes , Iesus Christ , rising in their hearts ; the day spring from an high doth visit them , the glorie of God doth rise vpon them : they haue their eyes annointed with the oyntment of the Spirit , which is the true eye salue , and doe plainly behold the sonne of righteousnes ; they enioy his presence , they effectually feele his comfortable heate to quicken and reuiue them . XX. From this sense and tast of Gods grace proceed many fruits : as first , generally , he may doe outwardly all things which true Christians doe , and he may lead such a life here in this world , that although he cannot attaine to saluation , yet his paines in hell shal be lesse : which appeareth , in that our Sauiour Christ saith , h it shall be easier for Tyrus and Sydon , for Sodom and Gomor●ha , then for Capernaum , and other cities vnto which he came , in the day of iudgment . XXI . Also the reprobate may haue a loue of God : but this loue can be no sincere loue , for it is only because God bestoweth benefits and prosperitie vpon him : as appeareth in Saul , i who loued God for his aduancement to the kingdome : & here is a difference betweene the Elect and reprobate : the Elect loue God , as children their fathers : but reprobates , as hirelings their masters , whom they affect not so much for themselues , as for their wages . XXII . Also a reprobate hath often a reioycing in doing those things which appertaine to the seruice of God , as preaching and praier . k Herod heard Iohn Baptist preach gladly : l and the second kind of naughtie ground receiueth the word preached with ioy . XXIII . A Reprobate often desireth them , whom he thinketh to be the children of God , to pray for him . m As Pharao desired Aaron and Moses to pray to God for him . n So did Simon Magus desire Peter to pray that none of the things which he had spoken against him , should come to passe . But yet they cannot pray themselues , o because they want the spirit of Christ. XXIIII . He may shew liking to Gods Ministers , he may reuerence them , and feare to displease them . p Thus did Simon Magus , who at Philips preaching beleeued , wondred at his miracles , & kept companie with him . And Herod is said to feare Iohn , knowing that he was a iust man and holy : also he gaue reuerence to him . Antonius the Emperour , called Pius , though he was no Christian , r yet in a generall parliament held at Ephesus , he made an act in the behalf of Christians : that if any man should trouble or accuse a Christian , for beeing a Christian ; the partie accused should goe free though he were found to be a Christian , and the accuser should be punished . s And Plinius secundus , gouernour of Spaine vnder Trajanus the Emperour , when he saw an innumerable companie of Christians to be executed ; being mooued with compassion , he wrote in their behalfe , beeing no Christian , vnto Trajanus to spare them that could be charged with no crime : and his letter is yet extant . XXV . He may be zealous in the religion which he professeth , and fall from that profession , as the Galatians did , t who , after that they had receiued Paul as an Angel , and would haue plucked out their eyes to haue done him good : yet they fell from the doctrine which he had taught them to iustification by the works of the Law , which flat ouerthroweth iustification by faith alone . u The same appeareth in Iehu , who was very zealous for Gods cause , & for the defacing of idolatrie , and thereupon God blessed him in his children : yet neuerthelesse he was a wicked man , x and followed the vile sinnes of Ieroboam his father . XXVI . y After that he hath sinned , he doth in many things in which he is faultie , amend and reforme his life , and doth professe great holines outwardly . Herod , he did many things which Iohn Baptist in preaching mooued him vnto : Saul , when he was to be chosen king , professed great humilitie . They may represse their vices and corruptions , and so moderate themselues that they breake not out z as did Haman ; of whome it is written : that when he was full of indignation against Mordecai , yet he refraine himself . And herein the Elect and the Reprobate differ : for a the elect are somewhat reformed in euery one of their sinnes . But the reprobate , though he be amend in many faults : yet someone fault or other , he cannot abide to haue it reformed ; and by that , in a vile manner the deuill wholly possesseth him . As Herod , who did many things , yet would not leaue his brothers wife . And no doubt , in Iudas most of his sinnes in appearance were mortified : and yet by couetousnesse the deuill possessed him , and held him fast chained in bondage vnder him . For one sinne is sufficient to him , that by it he may bring a man to damnation . Secondly , in infidels liuing honestly , the spirit of God bridleth the force of sinne , & the corrupt nature that it breake not out , as it doth in many other . But in Christians that are indeed godly , the same spirit not only represseth the corruptiō of nature outwardly ; but also mortifieth it within at the root , & regenerateth the whole mā into a new creature . Thus then neither the faithfull nor infidels doe effect any thing that is laudable but by the spirit of god : the faithful by the spirit of regeneration : infidels by the same spirit , only suppressing the outward act of sinne . XXVII . Beside this , he may haue the gift of working miracles , of casting forth deuils , of healing , and such like : a and this power of doing strange miracles , shall be vsed as an excuse of some of the reprobates in the day of iudgement . XXVIII . Oftentimes , vnto him is giuen the gifts of the holy Ghost , to discharge the most waightie calling that can be in any common wealth . And this is meant , when God is said , b to giue Saul an other heart ; that is , such vertues as were meet for a King. XXIX . A reprobate may haue the word of God much in his mouth , and also may be a preacher of the word : c for so prophecying in Christs name , shal be vsed as an excuse of reprobates : and we know that among the twelue Apostles , d Iudas was a reprobate . And this may be wel perceiued in the resemblance of tasting which the author to the Hebrewes vseth . We know , that cookes commonly which are occupied in preparing of bankets , haue as much feeling and seeing of the meat , as any other : and yet there is none that eateth lesse of it then they : for their stomackes are cloyed with the smell and taste of it : so , in like maner it may come to passe , that the minister which dresseth & prouideth the spiritual foode , may eate the least of it himselfe ; and so , labouring to saue others , he may be a reprobate . And it is thought , that some of them which built the Arke , were not saued in the Arke , but perished in the floud . XXX . When as a reprobate professeth thus much of the Gospell , though in deed he be a goat , yet he is taken for one of Gods sheepe : he is kept in the same pastures , and is folded in the same fold with them . c He is counted a Christian of the children of God , and so he taketh himself to be ; no doubt because through the dulnesse of his heart , he cannot trie and examine himselfe , & therfore truly cannnot discerne of his estate , whether he be in Christ or not : and it may be thought , that Sathan is readie with some false perswasion to deceiue him . For this is his propertie , that vpon whome God threatneth death , there Sathan is bold to pronounce life and saluation : as on the contrarie , to those , to whome God pronounceth loue and mercie , to those ( I say ) he threatneth displeasure and damnation : such malice hath he against Gods children . XXXI . And hereby it commeth to passe , that an * hypocrite may be in the visible Church , and obey it in the word and discipline , & so be taken for a true member of Christ : when as a man indeed regenerate may be excommunicate , and end his life before he be receiued againe : for this is the end of excommunication , a that the flesh , that is , the part vnregenerate , may be destroyed : and the spirit , that is , the part regenerate , may be kept aliue in the day of the Lord. Now the man in whome is spirit and flesh , b must needes be the childe of God , because this argueth that he hath the sanctifying spirit of Christ. Againe , Paul when he biddeth the Corinthians to comfort the incestious man , c least through the sleight of Sathan he should be ouerwhelmed of ouer much heauines , giueth men to vnderstand , that he might haue ended his life in great extremitie of sorrowe , before he had beene visibly receiued into the Church againe . XXXII . Though God will neuer adopt any reprobate : yet by the adoption of the elect they may receiue profit . For they find the blessing of God to be on them by reason that they dwel together , & haue societie with the children of d God. For Noahs sake euery one in his family is saued in the flood . For lots cause the men of Zoar are preserued frō the fire . And God would haue spared Sodom , if there had bin but ten good men in it . For Rahabs cause , her family and kindred are at libertie in Iericho . When Ioseph was in Putiphars house , al things prospered well . e For Samuels cause the Israelites were deliuered from the Philistims : f And for Pauls cause they which were with him in the ship were preserued . And againe , a reprobate by meanes of the faith of either of his parents may be within Gods couenant , and so may be made partaker of Baptisme , one of the seales of the couenant . For so God made his couenant with Abraham , g that he would be not onely his God , but also the God of his seede after him : h which Paul expoundeth not of a few , but of all nations . Also he saith manifestly that those children , either of whose parents are beleeuers , i are holy : which holinesse is not inherent in their persons , but onely outward : and it is a spirituall prerogatiue graunted them of God , in that he vouchsafeth them to be in his couenant : whereby they are distinguished from the wicked and prophane men of the world . XXXIII . Besides this , reprobates haue some prerogatiues of God : k as that lie is patient towards them : that before he will destroy them , he vseth many meanes to win them , that they commonly spend all the daies of their liues in prosperitie : insomuch , that it is said of them in the Psalme : l that they goe in continual prosperitie vnto their death , and pine not away as the children of God doe . m But after a certain time God in his iust iudgement hardneth their hearts , blindeth the eyes of their minds , he maketh their heads giddy with a spiritual drunkennes , & by the strength of their inward lusts , as also by the effectuall op●ration of Satan , they fall to open infidelitie , & contempt of Gods word , and so run headlong to their own damnation , and perish finally . And in this they are like to hauks , which so long as they liue are caried on the handes of noble men : but when they are dead , they are cast on the dunghill . n Iulian the Apostata was first a man learned and eloquent , and professed the religion of Christ ; but afterward , he fel and wrote a booke against the religion of Christ , answered by Cyril : & on a time , in a battell against the Persians , was thrust into the bowells with a dart , no man then knew how , which dart he pulled out with his owne hand , & presently blood followed , which as it gushed out , he tooke it in his hand , and flung it into the ayre , saying , Vicisti Galil●e , vicisti . O thou Galilean ( meaning Christ ) thou art the conquerour : thou art the conquerour : thus he ended his daies in blaspheming Christ whom he had professed . The reason of this apostasie is euident . o Seede , that is not deepely rooted in the earth , at the beginning of the yeare , springeth vp ; it is greene , and bringeth forth leaues & flowers , and ( it may be ) some kind of fruit too : when the heat of sommer commeth , it parcheth the earth , and the corne wanting deepe rooting , and therfore wanting moysture , withereth away . Gods word is like seede ; which that it may bring forth fruit vnto euerlasting life , it must be first receiued of the ground : secondly , it must be rooted : the receiuing of it , is when the minde vnderstandeth it , and remembreth it : he rooting of it , is when being beleeued , it pierceth to the heart , and taketh hold of the affections . This rooting is of two sorts : the first is , when the word rooteth , but not deepe ynough , as when the word is receiued into the minde , and into the heart , by the ioy of the heart , but not with the residue of the affections . The second , is a deepe and liuely rooting of the word , when the word is receiued into the minde and into the heart by the will and all the affections of the heart . The first kind of rooting of the word , befalleth to a reprobate , who vnderstandeth and reioyceth in the promises of saluation , yet he doth not put any confidence in them : he can not rest in them , he doth not reioyce that his name is written in the book of life , he doth not work out his saluation with feare and trembling . In a word , his heart is in pa●t softened to reioyce at the preaching of the word of God : p yet his heart is not opened as Lydias was ; nor enlarged ( as Dauid saith ) to imbrace the truth : but the Elect , he receiueth the word , not onely into his mind , least it should be only an imagination , but also it is deepely rooted in his heart . For , 1 In sure confidence he resteth himselfe on Gods promise . Rom. 8.38 . Heb. 10.22 . 2 He hopeth and longeth to see the accomplishment of it . 1. Thess. 1.10 . 3 He heartily loueth God , for making such a promise to him in Christ. 1. Ioh. 4.10 . 4 He reioyceth in it , and therefore doth meditate on it continually . Luk. 10.20 . Rom. 5.2 . 5 He hateth all doctrines which are against it . 6 He is grieued when he doth any thing that may hinder the accomplishment of it . Math. 26.75 . 7 He vseth the meanes to come to saluation , but with feare and trembling . Phil. 2.12 . 8 He burneth with zeale of the spirit , &c. And so the rest of the affections are exercised about the promises of God in Christ , and by this meanes , is the deepe rooting of the word in the heart . Thus it commeth to passe , that the Reprobate falleth away from faith in the day of triall and temptation , but the Elect cannot be changed . XXXIIII . Thus it appeareth , how farre a reprobate may proceed in religion : the consideration of this point I direct vnto two sorts of men . Carnall gospellers , and Papists . Carnall gospellers are such among vs , as know the word , but obey it not ; or such , as bearing a profession neither know it , nor obey it . And the best of these come short of reprobates in two points . 1. In faith , they come short of the deuill most of them . The deuill beleeueth and trembleth : but they contrariwise liuing in their sinnes , beleeue and hope . How comes this to passe ? The deuill knoweth the Gospel , and the points of it : and withall he beleeueth the terrible threatnings of the law , and therefore trembleth . Drowsie Protestants beleeue the Gospel as the deuill doth ; though he conceiues the points of it better then they doe : as for the law and the threatnings thereof , they doe not beleeue them : and that makes them euen when they liue in their sinnes to hope and presume of mercie . Therefore the deuill beleeues more of Gods word then they doe . Secondly , they come short of wicked men in outward obedience . The young man not yet conuerted to Christ , when he was bidden to keepe the commaundements of the second Table , answered , that he had kept them from his youth : and therefore our Sauiour Christ looked vpon him , and loued him : although this externall obedience was not sufficient : for Christ telleth him that one thing is wanting vnto him . And in another place he saith , except your righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisies , you cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen . Now the carelesse Gospeller is farre from performing this ; in so much that commonly he makes an open practise of sinne one way or other . The causes of their carelesnes are , first a perswasion that a man may repent when he will : because the Scripture saith , At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his heart , God will put all their wickednesse out of his remembrance . But indeed late repentance is seldome true repentance ; and it may be iustly feared , least that repentance , which men when they are dying frame to themselues , die also with them . Secondly , they flatter themselues , imagining that the best man that is , hath seuen falles euery day into grosse sinnes : whereas the place which they abuse out of the Prouerbs , The righteous man falleth seuen times in a day and riseth againe : it is rather to be vnderstood of falls into affliction , then falls into actuall sinnes . Thirdly , they deceiue themselues , most falsly thinking , small sinnes , or hidden sinnes to be no sinnes : and grossest sinnes in which they liue and lie most dangerously , to be but sinnes of infirmitie . XXXV . By this which hath bin said , the professours of Christian religion are admonished of two things . First , q that they vse most painfull diligence in working their saluation , in attaining to faith , in dying to sinne , in liuing to newnesse of life : and that their hearts be neuer at rest , till such time as they goe beyond all reprobates in the profession of Christ Iesus . Seest thou how farre a reprobate may goe ? presse on to the straight gate with maine and might , with all violence lay hold on the kingdome of heauen Slial . Herod feare and reuerence Iohn Baptist , and heare him gladly ? and wilt thou neglect the Ministers , and the preaching of the word ? shall Pharao confesse his sinne , nay shall Satan beleeue and tremble ? And wilt not thou bewaile and lament thy sinnes , and thy wicked conuersation ? It behooueth thee to feare and take heed , least wicked men , and the deuill himselfe rise in iudgement and condemne thee . For if thou shalt come short of the duties of a reprobate , and doe not goe beyond him in the profession of the Gospel , sure it is , thou must looke for the reward of a reprobate . The second thing is , that the professour of the Gospell , r diligently trie and examine himselfe , whether he is in the state of damnation , or in the state of grace : whether he yet beare the yoke of Satan , or is the adopted child of God. Thou wilt say , this need not , thou professest the Gospell , and art taken for a Christian : yet marke and consider , that this often befalleth reprobates to be esteemed Christians : and they are often so like them , that none s but Christ can discerne the sheepe from the goates , true Christians from apparant Christians . Wherefore it behooueth all men that shew themselues to be Christians , to lay aside all pride , and all selfeloue , and with singlenes of heart to put themselues into the ballance of Gods word , and to make iust triall , whether in thē , repentance , faith , mortification , sanctification , &c. giue waight answerable to their outward profession : which if they doe , let them praise God : if not , let them with all speede vse the meanes that they may be borne anew to the lord , and may be inwardly guided by his holy spirit , to giue obedience to his will , least in the day of Gods trial , they start aside from him like a broken bow , and fall againe to their first vncleannesse . XXXVI . To come to the second sort of men and to conclude ; let the most zealous Papist that is , trie himselfe and his whole estate with a single heart as in the presence of Gods maiestie , and he shall finde that by his whole religion and profession he doth come short of a reprobate , or at the least not goe beyond him in these points before named . The Lord open their eyes that they may see it . Amen . THE ESTATE OF A CHRISTIAN MAN IN this life , which also sheweth how farre the Elect may goe beyond the Reprobate in Christianitie , and that by many degrees . I THe a Elect are they whome God of the good pleasure of his will hath decreed in himselfe to choose to eternall life , for the praise of the glorie of his grace . For this cause the Elect onely are saide to haue their names written in b the booke of life . II Whome God electeth , them he calleth in the time appointed for the same purpose . This calling of the Elect is nothing els but a c singling and a seuering of them out of this vile world , and the customes thereof , to be d citizens of the kingdome of glorie after this life . And the time of their calling is tearmed in Scriptures , g the day of visitation , the day of saluation , the time of grace . III. This h seuering and choosing of the elect out of the worlde , is then performed , when God by his holy spirit indueth them with true sauing faith : a wonderfull gift peculiar to the elect . For the better knowing of it , there is to bee considered : First , what faith is : Secondly , how God doth worke it in the hearts of the elect : Thirdly , what degrees there be of faith : Fourthly , what are the fruits and benefits of faith . IIII. Faith is a wonderfull grace of God , by which the elect doe apprehend and apply Christ and all his benefits vnto themselues particularly . Here first it is to be cōsidered , that the very nature of faith stādeth in a certaine power of apprehending and applying Christ. This is declared by Paul whe he saith , i Ye are buried with him through baptisme , by whome ye are also risen againe with him by the faith of the power of God , who raised him from the dead . Where it appeareth that faith is made a meanes to communicate Christ himselfe , his death and buriall , and so all other benefits to the beleeuer . Againe to beleeue in Christ , and to k receiue or to lay hold on Christ , are put one for another by Saint Iohn : which declareth that there is a speciall applying of Christ ; euen as we see , when a man hath any thing giuen him , he reacheth out his hand and pulleth it to himselfe , and so makes it his owne . Moreouer , faith is called l the putting on of Christ : which cannot be vnles Christs righteousnes be specially applyed to the heart , as the garment to the backe , when it is put on . Lastly , this may appeare , in that faith is called m the eating and drinking of Christ : for there is no eating of meat that nourisheth , but first it must be tasted , and chewed in the mouth , then it must be cōueyed into the stomack , & there digested : lastly , it must be applyed to the parts of the bodie that are to be nourished . And Paul praieth for the Eph●sians : that Christ n may dwell in their hearts by faith : which plainely importeth , this apprehending and applying of Christ. I adde further , that faith is a wonderfull grace of God , which may appeare : first , in that Paul calleth it o the faith of Gods power , because the power of God is especially seene in the begetting of faith . Secondly , experience sheweth it to be a wonderfull gift of God : when a man neither seeth , nor feeleth his sinnes , then to say hee beleeueth in Gods mercie , it is an easie matter ; but when a man shall feele his heart pressed downe with the waight of his sinnes , and the anger of God for them ; then to apply Gods free mercie to his own soule , it is a most hard matter : for then it is the propertie of the cursed nature of man , to blaspheme God , and to despaire of mercie . Iudas who ( no doubt ) often preached mercy and redemption by Christ in the securitie of his heart : when Gods hand was vpon him , and the Lord made him see the vilenesse of his treacherie ; he could not comfort himselfe in Christ , if one would haue giuen him ten thousand worlds , but in an hellish horror of conscience hanged himselfe desperately ; which sheweth what a wonderfull hard thing it is at the same instant when a man is touched for his sinnes , then to apply Gods mercie to himselfe . Yet a true Christian by the power of faith can doe this , as it may appeare in Dauid , o In the day of my trouble ( saith he ) I sought the Lord : my sore ran and ceased not in the night : my soule refused comfort : I did thinke vpon God and was troubled : I praied and my spirit was full of anguish : and hee addeth the word Sebah , a note ( very likelie ) of some wonderfull thing . p Againe , he being almost in the gulfes of hell , euen then cried to the Lord for helpe . Iob saith , q If God should destroy him , yet he would for all that beleeue in him still . Vndoubtedly , strange is the band of faith knitting Christ & his members togither , which the anguish of spirit cannot , and the strokes of Gods hand doe not vnloose . V. This apprehending of Christ is not done by any corporall touching of him , but spiritually by assurāce , which is , whē the elect are perswaded in their hearts by the holy ghost , of the forgiueuesse of their owne sinnes , and of gods infinit mercie towards them in Iesus Christ. According to that of r Paul. Now we haue receiued , not the spirit of the world , but the spirit which is of God , that wee might know the things which are giuen vs of God. The things which the spirit of God maketh known to the faithfull particularly , are their iustification , adoption , sanctification , eternall life : and thus when any are perswaded of these things concerning themselues , they doe in their hearts distinctly apply and appropriate Christ and his benefits to themselues . VI. The maner that God vseth in the begetting of faith is this . First , he prepareth the heart that it may be capable of faith . Secondly , he causeth faith by little and litle to spring and to breed in the heart . The preparation of the heart is by humbling an softening of it : & to the doing of this there are foure things requisite . The first of them is the knowledge of the word of God , both of the lawe and of the gospel , without the which there can be no faith ; according to that saying of Esaiah : s By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many . And that of Iohn : t This is eternall life that they know thee to be the onely very God , and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. The u onely ordinarie meanes to attaine faith by , is the word preached : which must be heard , remembred , practised , and continually hid in the heart . The least measure of knowledge , without which a man cannot haue faith , is the knowledge of Elements , or the fundamentall doctrines of a Christian religion● . A fundamentall doctrine is that , which beeing obstinately denied , all religion , and all obtaining of saluation is ouerthrown . This knowledge hath a generall faith going with it , which is an assent of the heart to the known trueth of Gods word . This faith when it is grown vp to some great measure , it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the full assurance of vnderstanding , and it is to bee seene in the martyrs who maintained Gods trueth against the persecutions of the false Church , vnto death . VII . Although both elect and reprobate may be enlightned to know the word of God : yet the elect in this thing goe farre beyond all reprobates : for it is specially said of them , that God is their schoole-master , that he sofeteneth their stony hearts , and maketh them pliable , that hee draweth them , that hee openeth their senses , hearts , eares , vnderstandings : that the holy ghost is their annointmēt , and their eie-salue , to cleare the eies of their minde , to conceiue the mysteries of Gods worde . And the difference of illumination in them is threefolde . I. First , the knowledge which the reprobate hath concerning the kingdōe of heauen , is only a generall and confused knowledge : but the knowledge of the elect is pure , certaine , sure , distinct , and particular : for a it is ioyned with a feeling and inward experience of the thing known : though indeed the minde of man is able to conceiue more then any Christian heart can feele : and this is to be seene in b Paul , who vseth not only to deliuer the points of Gods word in a generall manner , but also setteth them downe specially in his own experience . So that the enlightning of the reprobate may be compared to the sight of the c blind man , who saw men walking like vnto trees , that is in motion like men , but in forme like trees : and the elect are like the same blind man , who afterward saw men a farre off cleerely . II. Secondly , the knowledge of the wicked d puffeth them vp : but the knoweledge of the godly humbleth them . III. Lastly , the elect , besides the knowledge of Gods worde , haue e a free and franke heart to performe it in their liues and conuersations , which no reprobate can haue : for their illumination is not ioyned with true and sincere obedience . By this it is easie to discerne of the illumination of Anabaptistes , or Familists , and many other , which brag of the spirit . VIII . The second is the sight of sinne arising of the knowledge of the lawe . 2 To this Ieremie exhorteth the Iewes of his time , saying , f Know thine iniquitie , for thou hast rebelled against the Lord thy God , &c. The chiefe cauie of the sight of sinne is Christ by his holy spirit , g who detecteth the thoughts of many heartes , & iudgeth the world of sinne . The manner of seeing our sinnes must bee , to knowe them particularlie : for the vilest wretch in the world can generally and confusedly say , he is a sinner : but that the sight of sinne may be effectuall to saluation , it must be more special & distinct euen in particular sinnes , so that a man may say with Dauid , h My sinnes haue taken such hold of me that I am not able to look vp : they are more in number then the haires of mine head : therefore my heart hath failed me . Againe , a man must not barely see his particular sinnes , but hee must also see the circumstances of them , as namely the fearefull curses and iudgements of God , which accompanie euerie sinne : for the consciences of many tell of their sinnes in particular , yet they cannot be humbled for them , & leaue them ; because they haue not seene that ougly taile of the curse of God , that euery sinne draweth after it . IX . The meanes to attaine to the sight of sinne , is by a diligent examination of a mans own selfe : This was the practise of the children of Israel in affliction ; i Let vs trie ( say they ) and search our waies , and turne againe to the Lord. And Dauid giueth the same counsell to Sauls Courtiers : k Tremble and sin not , examine your own heart on your bed , & be still . This examination must be made by the commandements of the Law , but specially by the tenth , which ransacketh the heart to the very quick : & was the meanes of Pauls conuersion . For he being a proud pharisie , l this commandement shewed him some ●innes , which otherwise he had not knowne , and it killed him , that is , it humbled him . If so bee it , that after examination a man cannot find out his sinnes ( as no man shal find out all his sinnes , for m the heart of man is a vast gulfe of sinne , without either bottom or bank , and hath infinit & hidden corruptions in it ) then hee must in a godly iealousie , suspect himselfe of his vnknowne sinnes : as Dauid did , saying , n Who can vnderstand his faults ? clense me from my secret faults . And as Paul did , o I know nothing by my selfe , yet I am not thereby iustified . And good reason it is why men should suspect themselues of those sinnes which as yet they neuer sawe in themselues , p For that which is highly esteemed amongst men , is abomination in the sight of God : and the very q Angels are not cleane in his sight . X. 3 The third is a sorrowe for sinne , which is a paine and pricking in the heart arising of the feeling of the displeasure of god , & of the iust damnation which followeth after sinne . This was in the r Iewes after Peters first sermon : and in Habacuck at the hearing of Gods iudgements : s When I heard ( saith he ) my belly trembled : my lips shooke at thy voice : rottennes entred into my bones : and I trembled in my selfe , that I might rest in the daie of trouble . This sorrow is called the t spirit of bondage to feare : because when the spirit hath made a man see his sins , he seeth further the curse of the Law ; and so he findes himselfe to bee in bondage vnder satan , hell , death , and damnation : at which most terrible sight his heart is smitten with feare and trembling , through the consideration of his hellish and damnable estate . This sorrow if it continue and increase to some great measure , hath certain Symptomes in the bodie , a as burning heate , b rowling of the intralls , c a pining and fainting of the solide parts . XI . In the feeling of this sorrowe , three things are to bee obserued . The first , all men must looke , that it be seriously and soundly wrought in their hearts : for looke as men vse to breake hard stones into many small peeces and into dust : so must this feeling of Gods anger for sinne bruise the heart of a poore sinner and bring it to nothing . And that this may be so , sorrow is not to bee felt for a brunt , but very often before the end of a mans life . The godly man d from his youth suffereth the terrors of god . Iacob wrestling with the Angel gets the victorie of him , e but yet he is faine to goe halting to his graue , and traile one of his loynes after him continually . f The paschall Lamb was neuer eaten without sowre hearbs , to signifie that they which wil be free from the wrath of God by Iesus Christ , must feele continually the smart and bitternesse of their owne sinnes . The second , all men must take heede , least when they are touched for their sinnes , they besnare their owne consciences : for if the sorrowe bee somewhat ouer sharp , they shall see themselues euen brought to the gates of hell , and to feele the pangs of death . And when a man is in this perplexitie , he shall find it a most hard matter to be freed from it , without the marueilous power and strength of Christ Iesus , who only is able to helpe him and comfort him : yea many when they are once plunged in this distresse and anguish of soule , shall neuer escape it , as may appeare in Cain , Saul , Achitophel , Iudas , & now of late in Iohn Hoffmeister a Monke , and Latomus , who for the space of certaine daies neuer left crying that he was damned , because that he had wilfully persecuted the Gospell of Christ , and so he ended his life . Therefore most worthie is Pauls counsell for the moderating of this sorrow : g It is sufficient ( saith he ) vnto the incestuous man that he was rebuked of many , so that now contrariwise ye ought rather to forgiue him and comfort him , least he should be swallowed vp of ouermuch heauines . And further he giueth an other reason , which followeth , least Sathan should circumuent vs : for we are not ignorant of his * enterprises . And indeede common experience sheweth the same , that when any man is most weake , then Sathan most of all bestirreth himselfe to worke his confusion . The third is , that all men which are humbled haue not like measure of sorrowe , but some more , some lesse . Iob felt the hand of God in exceeding great measure , when he cried , h O that my griefe were well weyed , and my miseries were laide together in the ballance , for it would he now heauier then the sand of the sea : therefore my wordes are now swallowed vp , for the arrowes of the Almightie are in me , and the venome thereof doth drinke vp my spirit , and the terrours of God fight against me . The same did Ezechias , when on his death-bed he said , i He brake all my bones like a Lyon , and like a crane or a swallow , so did I chatter : I did mourne like a doue , &c. Contrariwise , the theefe vpon the crosse , and Lydia in her conuersion neuer felt any such measure of griefe : for it is said of her , that God k opened her heart to be attentiue to that which Paul spake , and presently after shee intertained Paul and Silas chearefully in her house , which shee could not haue done if shee had beene pressed downe with any great measure of sorrowe : neither are any to dislike themselues , because they are not so much humbled as they see some others : for God in great wisdome giueth to euery one which are to be saued , that which is conuenient for their estate . And it is often seene in a festered sore , that the corruption is let out as well with the pricking of a small pinne , as with the wide lance of a raser . XII . The fourth thing in true humiliation , is an holy desperation : 4 which is , when a man is wholly out of all hope euer to attaine saluation by any strength or goodnesse of his owne : speaking and thinking more vily of himselfe then any other can doe ; and heartily acknowledging himselfe to haue deserued not one onely , but euen tenne thousand damnations in hell fire with the deuill and his angels . This was in Paul , when he said of himselfe that he was the l chiefe of all sinners . This was in Daniel , when in the name of the people of Israel he praied and said , m O Lord , righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee , and to vs open shame , as appeareth this day , &c. The same was in the prodigall childe , n who saide , Father , I haue sinned against heauen and against thee , and I am no more worthie to be called thy sonne . Lastly , it was in Ezra , o who saide , O my God I am confounded , and ashamed to lift vp mine eyes vnto thee , my God : for our iniquities are increased ouer our head , and our trespasse is growne vp vnto the heauen . XIII . Many are of opinion that this sorrow for sinne is nothing else but a melancholike passion : but in trueth the thing is farre otherwise , as may appeare in the example of Dauid : who by all coniectures was least troubled z with melancholie , and yet neuer any tasted more deepely of the sorrnw and feeling of Gods anger for sinne then he did , as the booke of Psalmes declareth . And if any desire to knowe the difference , they are to be discerned thus . Sorrowe for sinne may be where health , reason , senses , memorie and all are sound : but Melancholike passions are where the bodie is vnsound , and the reason , senses , memorie , dulled , and troubled . Secondly , sorrow for sinne is not cured by any phisicke , but onely by the sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ : Melancholike passions are remooued by Phisicke , diet , musicke and such like . Thirdly , sorrow for sinne riseth of the anger of God , that woundeth and pierceth the conscience : but Melancholike passions rise only of meere imaginations strōgly conceiued in the braine . Lastly , these passions are long in breeding , and come by litle and little : but the sorrow for sinne vsually commeth on a sudden as lightening into a house . And yet howesoeuer they are differing , it must bee acknowledged that they may both concurre together : so that the same man which is troubled with Melancholie , may feele also the anger of God for sinne . XIIII . Thus it appeareth howe God maketh the heart fit to receiue faith , in the next place it is to be considered howe the Lord causeth faith to spring and to breede in the humbled heart . For the effecting of this so blessed a worke , God worketh foure things in the heart . First , 1 when a man is seriously humbled vnder the burden of his sinne , the Lord by his spirit makes him lift vp himselfe to consider and to ponder most diligently the great mercie of God offered vnto him in Christ Iesus . 2 After the consideration of gods mercie in Christ : he comes in the second place to see , feele , and from his heart to acknowledge himselfe to stand in neede of Christ , and to stand in neede of euery drop of his most precious blood . Thirdly , 3 the Lord stirreth vp in his heart a vehemēt desire and longing after Christ and his merits : this desire is compared to a thirst : which is not onely the feeling of the drinesse of the stomacke , but also a vehement appetite after drinke , and Dauid fitly expresseth it when he saith : b I stretched forth my handes vnto thee : my soule desireth after thee as the thirstie land . Lastly● 4 after this desire he beginnes to pray , not for any worldly benefit , but onely for the forgiuenesse of his sinnes , crying with the poore Publican , O God be mercifull to me a sinner . Nowe this praier , it is made , not for one day onely , but continually from day to day : not with the lippes , but with greater sighes & grones of the heart then that they can be expressed with the tongue . Now , after these desires and praiers for Gods mercie , ariseth in the heart a liuely assurance of the forgiuenesse of sinne . For God , who cannot lie , hath made his promise , c Knocke , it shall be opened : and againe : Before they call I will answere , and while they speake I will heare . Therefore when an humbled sinner comes crying and knocking at his mercie gate for the forgiuenesse of sinne , either then or shortly after the Lord worketh in his heart a liuely assurance thereof . And d whereas he thirsted in his heart , beeing scorched with the heat of Gods displeasure beating vpon his conscience , Christ Iesus giueth him to drinke of the well of the water of life freely : and hauing drunken thereof , hee shall neuer be more a thirst , but shall haue in him a fountaine of water springing vp into euerlasting life . XV. For the better vnderstanding of this , that God worketh sauing faith in the heart of man after this manner ; it must be obserued that a sinner is compared e to a sick man oft in the Scriptures . And therefore the curing of a disease fitly resembleth the curing of sinne . A man that hath a disease or sore in his bodie before he can be cured of it , he must see it , feele paine of it , and bee in a feare least it bring him into danger of death : after this he shall see himselfe to stande in neede of phisicke , and he longeth till he be with the phisitian : when hee is once come to him , he desireth him of all loues to helpe him : and to shewe the best skill he can : he will not spare for any cost : then hee yeeldes himselfe into the Phisitians handes , perswading himselfe , that by Gods blessing he both can and wil help him : after this he comes to his former health againe . On the same manner , euery man is wounded with the deadly wounde of sinne at the very heart : and he that would be saued and escape damnation , must see his sinne , be sorrowfull for it , and vtterly despaire of his own strength to attaine saluation thereby : furthermore , he must see himselfe to stand in neede of Christ , the good Phisitian of his soule , and long after him , and crie vnto him with deepe sighes and groanes for mercie : after this , Christ Iesus will temper him a plaister of his owne heart blood ; which beeing applied , he shall finde himselfe reuiued , and shall come to a liuely assurance of the forgiuenesse of all his sinnes . So it was in Dauid , when he repented of his adulterie and murther . First , God made him see his sinnes : for he saith , f I knowe mine iniquities , and my sinnes are euer before me . Secondly , he felt Gods anger for his sinnes , g make me ( saith he ) to heare ioy and gladnesse , that the bones which thou hast broken may reioice . Thirdly , he vtterly despaired of his owne strength , in that he said , h stablish me with thy free spirit ; signifying thereby , vnlesse the Lord would stay him with his glorious power , he should runne headlong to his owne confusion . Fourthly , he comes to see himselfe stand in great neede of Gods fauour : i one mercy wil not content him : he praieth for the whole innumerable multitude of his mercies , to be bestowed on him , to doe away his iniquities . Fiftly , his desire and his prayer for the forgiuenesse of his sinne , are set downe in the whole Psalme . And in his prayer he gathereth some comfort and assurance of Gods mercie towards himselfe , in that he saith , The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit : k a contrite , and a broken heart O God , thou wilt not despise . Againe , the like appeareth in Dauid , Psal. 32.3 . When I held my tongue , my bones consumed in my roring all the day . 4. For thy hand was heauie vpon me day and night : my moisture was turned into the drought of sommer . Sela. 5. I confessed my sinnes vnto thee , neither hid I mine iniquities : I said , I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lord , and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sinne . To this purpose is the example of R. Glouer , Martyr , who being somwhat troubled at his entrance into prison , testifieth thus of himselfe . So ( saith he ) I remained without any further conference of any man by the space of eight daies , and till the bishops comming : in which time I gaue my selfe continually to prayer and meditation of the mercifull promises of God made to all without exception of persons that call vpon the name of his deare sonne Iesus Christ. I found in my selfe daiely amendment of health of bodie , increase of peace of conscience , and many consolations from God by the helpe of his spirit : and sometimes as it were a tast and glimmering of the life to come : all for his onely sonne Iesus Christs sake . XVI . There are diuers degrees and measures of this vnfained faith , according as there be diuers degrees of Christians : some p are yet in the wombe , and haue their mother the Church trauelling of them : some q are newe borne babes , feeding on the milke of the word : some are r perfect men in Christ , come to the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ. XVII . The least measure of faith that any Christian can haue , is compared to the s graine of mustard seed , the least of all seeds : and to flaxe t that hath fire in it , but so weake that it can neither giue heat nor light , but only maketh a smoke , and is called by the name of a u little faith : and it may bee thus described , When a man of an humble heart doth not yet feele the assurance of the forgiuenes of his own sinnes , and yet he is perswaded that they are pardonable , desiring that they might be pardoned : and therefore praieth to God , that he would pardon them , and giue him strength to leaue them . XVIII . A little faith may more plainely be knowne by considering of these foure points : first , that it is onely in his heart , who is humbled for sinne : x For the Lord dwelleth with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit , to receiue the spirit of the humble , and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart . Secondly , it is in a man especially at the time of his conuersion , and calling to Christ , after which he is to growe from faith to faith . Thirdly , this faith though it bee in the heart , yet it is not so much felt in the heart : this was in Dauid at some times , y My God , my God , why hast thou forsaken me , saith he ? The first wordes , my God , my God , are speeches of faith : yet the latter , why hast thou forsaken me ? shew that thē he had no feeling of Gods mercie . A little faith then is in the heart of man , as in the spring time the fruite is in the bud , which yet appeareth not , but onely hath his nature and substance in the bud . Lastly , the beginnings and seedes of this faith , or at the least , signes and effects thereof , are three . 1 The first is a perswasion , that a mans own sinnes are pardonable : this perswasion though it be not faith , yet it is a good preparation to faith : for the wicked cut themselues off quite from Gods mercie , in that with Cain a they say , their sinnes are greater , then that they can be forgiuen . 2 The second is a desire of the fauour and mercie of God in Christ , and of the meanes to attaine to that fauour . b This desire is a speciall grace of God , and it hath the promise of blessednes ; and it must be distinguished from that desire which wicked men haue : who though they desire life eternal , as Balaam did , yet they cannot sincerely desire the meanes , as faith , repentance , mortification , reconciliation , &c. The third is praier for nothing in this world , but only for the forgiuenesse of their sinnes with great sighes & groanes , from the bottome of the heart , which they are not able to expresse , as they feele them . 3 Now this heartie praying and desire for the pardon of sinne can neuer come from the flesh , but onely from the spirit , who c stirreth vp these heauenly motions of longing , desiring , sighing after remission of sinne , and all other graces of God , which hee belloweth vpon his children . And where the spirit of Christ dwelleth there must needes be faith : for d Christ dwelleth in the hearts of the faithful by faith . Therfore as Rebecca , * when she felt the Twins striue in her womb , though it pained her , yet shee knew , both that shee had conceiued , and that the children were quick in her : so they who haue these motions , and holy affections in them before mentioned , may assure themselues that the spirit of god dwelleth in them , and consequently that they haue faith , though a weake faith . XIX . Examples of this small faith are euident in the Apostles , who though e they beleeued that Christ was the Sauiour of the world , yet they f were ignorant of his death and resurrection , which are the cheife meanes of saluation . After his resurrection they were ignorant of his ascension , & of his spiritual kingdome , for they dreamed g of an earthly kingdome ; and at his death they all fled from him , and Peter fearefully denied him . They being in this estate are not said to haue no faith , but to be of h little faith . Another example we haue in Dauid , who hauing continued a long space in his two great sinnes adulterie and murther , was admonished thereof by Nathan the prophet : beeing admonished he confessed his sinnes , and straightway Nathan declared vnto him frō the Lord the forgiuenes of them . Yet afterward Dauid humbleth himselfe , as it appeareth in the 51. Psalme , and praieth most earnestly for the forgiuenes of those and all other his sinnes , euen as though it had not bin true , that they were forgiuen , as Nathan told him : the reason is : howsoeuer they were remitted before God , yet Dauid at his first repenting of them felt none assurance in his heart of the forgiuenes of them , onely he had a perswasion , that they might be pardoned . And therefore he vehemently desired and praied to the Lord , to remit them , and to sanctifie him anew . This then being the least measure of faith , it must be remembred , that he who hath not attained to it , hath as yet no sauing faith at all . XX. The greatest measure of faith is a full perswasion of the mercie of God. For it is the strength and ripenes of faith , Rom. 4.20.21 . Abraham not weake in faith , but being strengthened in the faith , was fully perswaded , that he who had promised was able to doe it : This full assurance is when a man can say with Paul , I i am perswaded that neither life nor death , nor Angels , nor principalities , nor powers , nor things present , nor things to come , nor height , nor depth , nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God , which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And least any should thinke , this saying is peculiar to Paul , he * testifieth of himselfe that for this cause he was receiued to mercie , that he might be an example to them which after should beleeue in Christ to life eternall : and the whole Church , in the Cant● . vseth the same in effect : saying , k Loue is as strong as death , iealousie is as cruel as the graue , the coales thereof are fierie coales , and a vehement flame . Much water cannot quench loue , neither can the flouds drown it : if a man should giue all the substance of his house for loue , they would contemne it . XXI . No Christian attaineth to this full assurance at the first , but in some continuance of time , after that for a long space he hath kept a good conscience before God , and before men : and hath had diuers experiences of Gods loue and fauour towards him in Christ. This Paul declareth to the Romanes : l in afflictions God sheds abroad his loue in their hearts , by the holy Ghost , which is giuen to them : but how ? by degrees : for from afflictions ariseth patience , from patience commeth experience , from experience hope , and hope neuer maketh ashamed , or disappointeth him of eternall life . This is euident in Dauids practise : m Doubtles , saith he , kindnes and mercie shall follow me all the daies of my life , and I shall liue a long season in the house of the Lord. Mark this his resolute perswasion : and consider how he came vnto it : namely , by experience of Gods fauour at sundrie times , and after sundrie manners . For before he set downe this resolution , he numbred vp diuerse benefits receiued of the Lord : that n he fedde him in greene pastures , and led him by the refreshing waters of Gods word : that he restoreth him and leadeth him in the paths of righteousnes : that he strengtheneth him in great daungers , euen of death , and preserueth him : that in despight of his enemies , he enriched him with many benefits . By meanes of all these mercies of God bestowed on him , he came to be perswaded of the continuance of the fauour of God towardes him . Againe Dauid saide before King Saul , o Let no mans heart faile because of Goliah : Thy seruant will goe and fight with the Philistine . And Saul said p to Dauid , Thou art not able to goe against this Philistine to fight with him : for thou art but a boy , and he is a man of warre from his youth . Dauid answered , that he was able to fight with , and to slay the vncircumcised Philistine . And the ground of his perswasion was taken from experience : for thus he saide , q Thy seruant kept his fathers sheepe , and there came a Lyon , and likewise a Beare , and tooke a sheepe out of the flocke , and r I went out after him and smote him , and tooke it out of his mouth , and when he arose against me , I caught him by the beard , and smote him and slew him . s So thy seruant slew both the Lyon and the Beare : therefore this vncircumcised Philistine shal be as one of thē , seeing he hath rayled on the hoast of the liuing God. The like proceeding must be in matters concerning eternall life . Little Dauid resembleth euery Christian : Goliah and the armie of the Philistines , resembleth Sathan and his power . He therefore that will be resolued , that he shall be able to ouercome the gates of hell , and attaine to life euerlasting , must long keepe watch and ward ouer his owne heart , and he must fight against his owne rebellious flesh , and crucifie it : yea he must haue experiences of Gods power strengthening him in many temptations , before he shall be fully assured of his attaining to the kingdome of heauen . XXII . Thus much concerning faith it selfe : now follow the fruits and benefits of faith . By meanes of this speciall faith , the Elect are truly a ioyned vnto Christ , and haue an heauenly communion and fellowship with him ; and therefore doe b in some measure inwardly feele his holy spirit moouing and stirring in them , as Rebecca felt the Twins to stirre in her wombe . Christ is as c the head in the bodie ; euery beleeuer as a member of the same bodie : now as the head giueth sense and motion to the members , and the members feele themselues to haue sense , and to mooue by meanes of the head : so doth Christ Iesus reuiue and quicken euery true beleeuer , and by his heauenly power maketh him to doe the good which he doth . d And as from the stocke , sappe is deriued to the grift , that it may liue and grow , and bring forth fruit in his kind : so doe all the faithfull that are grafted into Christ the true vine . And as the grift loseth his wild nature , and is changed into the nature of the stocke , and bringeth forth good fruit : so in like manner it is with them that are in Christ , who by little and little are wholly renued e from euill to good . XXIII . The Elect beeing thus ioyned vnto Christ , receiue three wonderfull benefits from him , Iustification , Adoption , Sanctification . Iustification is , when the Elect beeing in themselues rebellious sinners , and therefore firebrands of hell fire , and Gods owne enemies , f yet by Christ they are accepted of the Lord as perfectly pure and righteous before him . XXIIII . This Iustification is wrought in this manner . Sinne is that which maketh a man vnrighteous , & the child of wrath & vengeance . In sinne , there are three things which are hurtfull to man : the first is condemnation , which commeth of ●inne : the second is , actuall disobedience of the law in sinne : the third is , the root and fountaine of sinne , originall corruption . These are three deadly woundes , and three running sores in the hearts and consciences of all sinners . g Now Christ Iesus is perfectly righteous , and in him a sinner may finde three inestimable benefits answerable to the three former euills . First , the sufferings of Christ vpon the crosse , sufficient for all mens sinnes . Secondly , the obedience of Christ in fulfilling the law . Thirdly the perfect holines of the humane nature of Christ : these are three soueraigne medecines to heale all wounded consciences : and they are as three running streames of liuing water to bathe and to supple the bruised and contrite heart . h Now then commeth faith , and first laieth hold of the sufferings of Christ , and so a sinner is freed from the punishment and guilt of sinne , and from eternall damnation , & thus the first deadly wound is cured . i Againe , faith laieth hold on the perfect obedience of Christ , in fulfilling the law , and thus the second wound is cured . k Thirdly , faith applieth the holines of Christs humane nature to the sinner , and then he is accepted of God as perfectly righteous , and so his third deadly wound is cured . Thus a sinner is made righteous by the righteousnes of Christ imputed to him . XXV . From true iustification , proceede l many other benefits , and they are either outward , or inward . Outward benefits are three . 1 The m first is Reconciliation , by which a man iustified is perfectly reconciled to God ; because his sinne is done away , and he is arayed with the perfect righteousnes of Christ. The n second is , that afflictions to the faithfull are no punishments for sinne , but onely fatherly and louing chastisments . 2 For the guilt and punishment of sinne was borne of Christ. Now therefore , if a Christian be afflicted , it is no punishment : for then God should punish one fault twise ; once in Christ , and the second time vpon the Christian : which thing doth not agree with his iustice : it remaineth therefore that afflictions are onely corrections in the faithfull . The third benefit is , 3 that the man iustified doth h deserue and merit at Gods hands the kingdom of heauen . For being made perfectly righteous in Christ and by his righteousnes , he must needs merit eternall life in and by the merits of Christ. And therefore Paul calleth it the iustification of life . Rom. 5.18 . XXVI . Inward benefits proceeding from iustification , are those which are inwardly ●elt in the heart , and serue for the better assurance of iustification , and they are principally fiue . The ●irst is , Peace and quietnes of conscience . As all men naturally in Adam are corrupt , so all men naturally haue corrupt and defiled consciences , accusing them and arraigning them before Gods iudgement for their sinnes : in such wise that euery suspition of death and feare of imminent daunger maketh a naturall man stand agast at his wits end , knowing not what to doe : e but by faith in Christ , the Christian is perswaded of remission of his sinnes , and so the disquietnes of his conscience is appeased , and he hath an inward peace in all extremities , which can not be taken from him . XXVII . The slumbering and dead conscience is much like to the good conscience pacified , & many through ignorance take the one for the other . But they may be seuered and discerned thus . First , let the beleeuing Christian examine himselfe , whether his conscience was afflicted with the sense of Gods iudgements and pressed downe with the burthen of his sinne before he came to that quietnesse : for then he may be in good hope , that it was the Spirit of God who brought that peace , because God hath promised , f That he will dwell with the humble and contrite , to reuiue and quicken them . But if he haue alwaies had that peace from the beginning of his daies , he may easily deceiue himselfe , by taking the numnesse and securitie of a defiled conscience , for the true peace of conscience . Secondly , let him search from whence this peace of his conscience proceedeth . g For if it come from any thing else but from the certaintie of the remission of sinne , it is no true peace : as many , flattering thēselues in sinne , & dreaming of a pardon , are thereupon quieted , and the deuill is readie enough to put this into their minds : but this can be no true peace . Thirdly , let him examine himselfe , if he haue a care to keepe a good conscience : which if he haue , he hath also receiued from the Lord a good and a quiet conscience . h For if God bestow vpon any man a gift concerning his saluation , he giueth him also a care to keepe it . XXVIII . The second inward benefit is , i An entrance into Gods fauour , and a perseuerance in it , which is indeede a wonderfull benefit . When a man commeth into fauour with his Prince , then he is bold to come vnto him , and he may haue free accesse vnto his presence , 2 and he may sue to his Prince for any benefit or preferment whereof he standeth in neede , & may obtaine it before any other : so they which are in Gods fauour , by reason that they are freely pardoned , and iustified in Christ , doe boldly approach into Gods presence , and they are readie to aske , and sure to obtaine any benefit that is for their good . k The third is a spirituall ioy in their hearts , euen then when they are afflicted : because they looke certenly to obtaine the kingdome of heauen . 4 The fourth is l that the loue of God is shed in the hearts of the faithfull by the holy Ghost : that is , that the holy Ghost doth make the faithfull very euidently to feele the loue of God towards them , and doth as it were , fill their hearts with it . XXIX . The second maine benefit is a Adoption , whereby they which are iustified , are also accepted of God as his owne children . From Adoption proceede many other benefits . First the elect child of God hereby is made a brother to Christ. Secondly he is a King , and the kingdome of heauen is his inheritance . Thirdly , he is lord ouer all creatures saue Angels . Fourthly , the holy Angels minister vnto him for his good : they guard him and watch about him . Fifthly , all things , yea grieuous afflictions and sinne it selfe , turne to his good ; though in his owne nature it be neuer so hurtfull : and therefore death ( which is most terrible ) vnto him is no entrance into hell , but a narrow gate to let him into euerlasting life . Lastly , beeing thus adopted , he may looke for comfort at Gods hand , answerable to the measure of his affliction : as God hath promised . XXX . The inward assurance of Adoption is by two witnesses . The first is our spirit , that is , an heart and conscience sanctified , by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ. b Now because it commeth to passe that the testimonie of our spirit is often feeble and weake , God of his goodnes hath giuen his owne spirit to be a fellow witnesse with our spirit : for the Elect haue in themselues the spirit of Iesus Christ , testifying vnto them and perswading them that they are the adopted children of God. c For this cause the holy Ghost is called the spirit of adoption , because it worketh in vs the assurance of our adoption : d and it is called a pawne or earnest . For as in a bargaine , when part of the price is payed in earnest , then assurance is made , that men will pay the whole : so when the childe of God hath receiued thus much from the holy Ghost to be perswaded that he is adopted and chosen in Christ , he may be in good hope , and he is alreadie put in good assurance , fully to enioy eternall life in the kingdome of heauen . e Indeede this testimonie is weake in most men , and can scarce be perceiued : because most Christians , though they may be old in respect of yeares , yet generally they are babes in Christ , and not yet come to a perfect growth : and may finde in themselues great strength of sinne , and the graces of God to be in small measure in them . And againe , the children of God beeing most distressed , as in time of triall , and in the houre of death , then the inward working of the holy Ghost is felt most euidently . But a reprobate can not haue this testimonie at all : though indeede a man flattereth himselfe , and the deuill imitating the spirit of God , doth vsually perswade carnall men and hypocrites that they shall be saued . But that deuillish illusion , and the testimonie of the Spirit may be discerned by 2. notes . The I. is heartie & feruent praier to God in the name of Christ. For the same spirit that testifieth to vs that we are the adopted children of God , doth also make vs crie , that is , feruently with grones & sighs filling heauen and earth , pray to God. Now , this heartie , feruent , and loud crying in the eares of God , can the deuill giue to no hypocrite : for it is the speciall marke of the Spirit of God. The other note is , that they which haue the speciall testimonie from the spirit of God , haue also in their hearts the same affections to God , which children haue to their father : namely , loue , feare , reuerence , obedience , thankfulnes , for they call not vpon God , as vpon a terrible Iudge , but they crie Abba , that is , father . And these affections they haue not , whome Satan illudeth with a phantasticall imagination of their saluation : for it may be , that through hypocrisie , or through custome , they may call God father , but in truth they can not doe it . XXXI . The elect being thus assured of their adoption and iustification , are indued with hope : a by which they looke patiently for the accomplishing of all good things which God hath begun in them . And therefore they can vndergoe all crosses and afflictions with a quiet and contented minde : because they know that the time will come when they shall haue full redemption from all euills . This was b the patience of Pauls hope , when he saide , that nothing in the world could seuer him from the loue of God in Christ. And like to this was the patience of Policarpe , and of Ignatius , who when he was condemned and iudged to be throwne to wild beasts , and now heard the Lyons roring , he boldly and yet patiently said ; I am the wheat of Christ , I shall be ground with the teeth of wild beasts , that I may be found good bread . Also the same was the patience of the blessed Martyr S. Laurence , who like a meeke lambe suffered himselfe to be tormented on a fierie gridyron : and when he had bin pressed downe with fire pikes for a great space , in the mightie spirit of God , spake vnto the Emperour that caused him thus to be tormented , on this wise : This side is now rosted enough , turne vp , O tyrant great : Assay , whether rosted or rawe thou thinkest the better meate . XXXII . The third maine benefit , is b inward sanctification : by which a Christian in his mind , in his will , and in his affections is freed from the bondage and tyrannie of sinne and satan , and is by little and little inabled through the spirit of Christ to desire and approoue that which is good , & to walke in it . And it hath two parts . c The first is mortification , when the power of sinne is continually weakned , consumed , and diminished . d The second is viuification , by which inherent righteousnes is really put into them , and afterward is continually increased . XXXIII . This sanctification is wrought in all Christians after this manner . After that they are ioyned to Christ , and made mystically bone of his bone , and flesh of his flesh , Christ worketh in them effectually by his holy spirit , and his workes are principally three . First , e he causeth his own death to worke effectually the death of all sinne , & to kil the power of the flesh . For it is as a corrasiue , which beeing applied to the part affected , eateth out the venome and corruption : and so the death of Christ by faith applied , fretteth out and consumeth the concupiscence & the corruption of the whole man. Secondly , his buriall causeth the buriall of sinne , as it were in a graue . f Thirdly , his Resurrection sendeth a quickning power into them , and serueth to make them rise out of their sinne , in which they were dead and buried , to worke righteousnes , and to liue in holines of life . Lazarus bodie lay foure daies , and stanke in the graue , yet Christ raised it and gaue him life again , and made him do the same works that liuing men doe : so also Christ dealeth with the soules of the faithfull ; they rot and stinke in their sinns , and would perish in them , if they were left alone : but Christ putteth a heauenly life into them , & maketh them actiue and liu●ly to doe the will of God in the workes of Christianitie , and in their works of their callings . And this sanctification is throughout the whole man in the spirite , soule , and minde , 1. Thess. 5.23 . And here the spirit signifieth the minde and memorie ; the soule , the will and affections . XXXIIII . The sanctification of the mind is the enlightning of it with the true knowledge of Gods word . It is of two sorts , either spirituall vnderstanding , or spirituall wisdome . Spirituall vnderstanding is a generall conceiuing of euery thing that is to be done or not to be done , out of Gods word . Spirituall wisdome is a worthie grace of God , by which a man is able to vnderstand out of Gods word , what is to be done or not to be done in any particular thing , or action , according to the circumstances of person , time , place , &c. Both these are in euery Christian , otherwise Paul would neuer haue praied for the Colossians , k That they might be fulfilled with knowledge of Gods will , in all wisdome and spirituall vnderstanding . In both these excelled Dauid , who testified of himselfe , that Gods word l was a lanterne to his feete , and a light to his paths : and that m God by his commandements had made him wiser then his enemies : that he had more vnderstanding then all his teachers : because Gods testimonies were his meditations , n that he vnderstood more then the ancient , because he kept Gods precepts . The properties of the mind enlightened are specially two . The first is , that by it a Christian sees his owne blindnes , ignorance , and vanitie , as appeareth in Dauid , who beeing a Prophet of God , yet praied : o Open mine eyes ( O Lord ) that I may see the wonders of thy law . And thence it is that the godly so much bewailed the blindnes of their minds . Contrariwise , the wicked p man in the middest of his blindnes , thinks himselfe to see . The second is , that the mind runneth and is occupied in a continuall meditation of Gods word . So Dauid saith , the q righteous mans delight is in the law of the Lord , and in his law doth he meditate day and night . XXXV . The memory also is sanctified in that it can both keepe and remember that which is good and agreeable to Gods will : whereas naturally it best remembreth lewdnes , and wickednes , and vanitie . This holy memorie was in Dauid : r I haue hid thy promises in mine heart , that I might not sinne against thee . And Marie s kept all the sayings of Christ and pondered them in her heart . And to the exercise of this memorie , Salomon hath a good lesson , My sonne , hearken vnto my words , incline thine eares vnto my sayings : t let them not depart from thine eyes , but keepe them in the middest of thine heart . XXXVI . Furthermore , the will of a Christian is renued and purified by Christ , which appeareth in that it is so far forth freed from sin , that it can will & choose that which is good and acceptable to God , and refuse that which is euil , according to that of Paul , It is God which worketh in you the will and the deede , euen of his good pleasure . Now , if a man be considered as he is naturally , he can neither will , nor performe that which is good , but onely that which is euill : x for he is sold vnder sin , as the oxe or the asse , & committeth iniquitie , as the fish draweth in water ; yea he is in bondage vnder Satā , who inspireth his mind with vile motions , and boweth his will , affections , and the members of his bodie to his cursed will : so that for his life , he is not able to doe any thing but sinne & rebel against God. And it must be remembred , that although the Christian mans will be freed in part from the bondage of sinne in this life , yet it shall not be free from the power of sinne vntill the life to come : for y Paul that worthie Saint saith of himselfe beeing regenerate , that he was carnall and sold vnder sinne . XXXVII . Sanctified affections are knowne by this that they z are mooued & inclined to that whiah is good , to embrace it : & are not commonly affected and stirred with that which is euill , vnlesse it be to eschew it . Examples hereof are these which follow . a To reioyce with them that reioyce . And to weepe with them that weepe . b To reioyce because a mans name is written in heauen . To desire Gods presence and fauour , as the drie land desireth water . d To feare and tremble at Gods word . e To long and to faint after the places where God is worshipped . f To be vexed in soule from day to day in seeing and hearing the vnlawfull deedes of men : and to shed riuers of teares because men breake Gods commandements . g In feruencie of spirit to serue the Lord. h To put on the bowels of compassion towards the miseries of men . i To be angrie and sinne not . k To sorrow for the displeasing of God. l To loue the brethren i● Christ. m To admire at the word of God. n To loue Gods commandements aboue gold . o To admire the graces of God in others . p In feare to serue God , and to reioyce in trembling . q To walke in the feare of God , and to be filled with the ioy of the holy Ghost . r To be heauie through manifold temptations . s To reioyce in beeing partaker of the sufferings of Christ. t To waite on the Lord , to reioyce in him , and to trust in his holy name . u To waite for the full redemption . x To sigh , desiring to enioy eternall life . y To loue the habitation of Gods house , and the place where his honour dwelleth . z To esteeme all things as losse and dung in respect of Christ. XXXVIII . But among all these sanctified affections , there are foure specially to be marked . The first is a zeale for Gods glorie : by which a Christian is thus affected , that rather then God should loose his glorie , he could be content to haue his own soule damned . As it was with Moses , who feared least God should loose his glorie , if he did vtterly destroy the Israelites for their idolatrie , whome he had chosen to be his people : & therefore in this respect praied vnto the Lord , a Therefore now if thou pardon their sinne , thy mercie shall appeare : but if thou wilt not , I pray thee rase me out of the booke which thou hast written . b And Paul could haue wished with all his heart to be cut off from all fellowship with Christ , and to be giuen vp to eternall destruction , for his countrie men the Iewes , and for Gods glorie specially . Some may say , this affection is not common to all , but particular to such as are lead with such an exceeding affection , as these holy men were , and which haue their hearts so pierced and kindled with diuine loue , and so rauished with the same out of themselues , that they forget all other things , yea themselues , hauing nothing before their eies but God , and his glorie . To this I answere , that this affection is common to all , though the measure of it be diuers , in some more , in some lesse : which appeareth in that our Sauiour Christ teacheth euery one in his praier which he made , before he craue any other thing , either concerning God , or himselfe , to pray that Gods name may be sanctified . For by this all Christians are taught that they are to ouerpasse all considerations of themselues , their owne pleasure and profit ; their saluation or damnation : and absolutely with an heartie affection , to seek after the glorie of God in all their doings , that as Gods glorie is most deare vnto himselfe , so it may appeare also that it is most deare vnto them . If any thinke it strange that Moses , Paul , or any other should be content to fall into miserie , to loose their liues , and to bee cast into eternall perdition in hell fire , with reprobate and damned spirits , rather then Gods honour should bee turned into dishonour and blasphemie : let them consider that wonderfull is the power of true loue , c which makes all things easie : d which is as strong as the graue , that ouercomes all , and was neuer yet ouercome : which is as a flaming fire , that a whole sea of water cannot quench . And the loue which these men had to God did so rauish them , that they felt no feare of hell fire . XXXIX . The second affection is the feare of God , a most excellent and wonderfull grace of God. Salomon e matcheth it , yea and preferreth it too , before all things in this world , making it the end of al. Without it a man cannot be wise , it is the first step to wisdome , f in it is assured strength : also it is a welspring of life to eschew the snares of death . The Churches of Iudea beeing in peace , were edified , and walked in the g feare of GOD , and were aboundantly filled with the comfort of the holy ghost . In this feare of GOD there be two parts : the first is a perswasion in the heart , that a man is in Gods presence wheresoeuer he is , and when he by infirmitie forgets GOD , a drawing of himselfe into Gods presence . As it was in Dauid , h I haue ( saith he ) set the Lord alwaies before me . For he is at my right hand , therefore I shall not slide . And this his beeing in the presence of God , he setteth down most excellently in the 139 Psalme . i Enoch walked with God. k Abraham is commanded to walke before God and to be vpright . The second part of the feare of God is , in Gods presence to stand in awe of him ; which is when a man takes heede to his waies least he offend God. This aduise Dauid giues to Sauls Counsellers . l Stand in awe and sinne not . Pharao commanded the Midwiues of Egypt to kill all the male children of the Israelites at their birth : they did it not , because m they stoode in awe of God , fearing to displease him . And hence it is that the n godly heare Gods word with feare and trembling . XL. The third is , the hatred and detestation of sinne , because it is sinne , and specially of a mans owne corruptions : wherewith a Christian is so turmoyled , that in regard of them and for no other cause , he most hartely desireth to bee forth of this most miserable world , that he may be dis●urdened of his sinne , & leaue off to displease God. Paul feeles in himselfe a la●ge masse of deadly corruption , it makes him deeme himselfe most miserable , and to mourne because he was not deliuered from it , saying o Oh miserable man that I am , who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death ? Againe , it is sinne that makes the Church cōplaine that p shee is blacke , that the sunne hath looked vpon her , and therefore shee cries , q Come Lord Iesus , come quickly . XLI . The fourth is , ioy of heart in consideratiō of the neerenes of presence of the terrible day of iudgement . The r reprobate either trembleth at the consideration of the day of iudgement , or els in the securitie of his heart hee regardeth it not . And when he shall see the signes of the comming of Christ , s his heart shal faile him for very feare , & he shall t call the hills to fall vpon him : but contrariwise , the faithfull loue the second comming of Christ , and therefore wait and long for it : and when they shall see the signes of it , they shall u lift vp their heads , because the full accomplishment of their redemption is at hand . XLII . The sanctification of the bodie is when x all the members of it are carefully preserued from beeing meanes to execute any sinne : and are made the instruments of righteousnes and holines . So Paul prayed for the Thessalonians y that they might know howe to possesse their vessels in holinesse , and in honour , and not in the lust of concupiscence , as the Gentiles doe which know not God. And Iob z made a couenant with his eies not to look on a woman . In whose example it appeareth how euery member is to be kept pure and holy . XLIII . If any humbled Christian finde not this measure of sanctification in himselfe , yet let him not be discouraged . For if any man haue a a willingnesse , and a desire to obey all Gods commandements , he hath the spirit , and he who hath the spirit is in Christ , and he who is in Christ shall neuer see damnation . And though he faile greatly in the action of obedience , yet God will accept his affection to obey , as obedience acceptable vnto him . God will approoue of thee for his owne worke which hee hath wrought in thee , and not reiect thee for thine . XLIV . From sanctification ariseth repentance . For a man cannot hate his own sins before he be sanctified : and he cannot truely repent for them before hee hate them . Repentance is when a man b turnes to GOD , and brings foorth fruits worthy amendment of life . This turning vnto God hath two parts : The first a purpose and resolution of heart neuer to sinne any more , but to lead a newe life . This was in Dauid , who fully purposed to keepes Gods commandements , and c applied his heart to fulfill his statutes vnto the ende . And vnto this did Barnabas exhort the brethren at Antioch , d that with full purpose of heart , they would cleaue vnto the Lord. The second part is an holy labour in mans life and conuersation to purifie and clense himselfe from sinne : of this speaketh Iohn , e And euery one that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure . This did Dauid practise , as may appeare in that he said : f Certainely , I haue clensed my heart in vaine , and washed my handes in innocency . If any maruaile how repentance followeth sanctification , considering it is the first thing of all , that the Prophets , Apostles , and Ministers of GOD preach vnto the people whome they would winne to Christ : I answere , that all other graces are more hidden in the heart , wheras repentance is open , and sooner appeareth to a mans owne selfe , and to the eies of the worlde . It is like the budde in the tree , which appeareth before the leafe , the blossome , the fruite : and yet in nature , it is the last ; for a man must bee renewed , and come to an vtter disliking of his owne sinnes , before hee will turne from them , and leaue them . XLV . By this it may appeare , that there is one manner of sinning in the godly , & another in the vngodly , though they fal both into one sin . A wicked man when he sinneth in his heart he giueth full consent to the sinne : but the godly though they fall into the same sins with the wicked , yet they neuer giue full consent : for they are in their mindes , wills , and affections partly regenerate , and partly vnregenerate , and therefore their wills doe partly will and partly abhorre that which is euil : according as Saint Paul saith of himselfe , g I delight in the lawe of God according to the inner man , but I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde , and leading me captiue , &c. And that the godly man neuer giueth full consent to sinne , it is euident by three tokens . First before he commeth to doe the sinne , he hath no purpose nor desire to doe it : but his purpose and desire is to doe the will of God contrarie to that sinne . Secondly in the act or doing of the sinne , his heart riseth against it , yet by the strength of temptation , and by the mightie violence of the flesh , hee is haled and pulled on to doe wickednesse . Paul sayeth of himselfe , that hee was sold vnder sinne , that is , he was like a slaue , who desireth to escape out of his masters handes , and yet is faine in great miserie to serue him . Thirdly , after hee hath sinned he is sore displeased with himselfe for it , and truely repenteth . As h Peter before the denying of his master , had no purpose to doe it , but rather to die in his cause . In the act he had a striuing with himselfe , as appeareth by this that first he answered faintly , I knowe not what thou sayest : and yet after whē the assault of Satan more preuailed , he fell to swearing , cursing and banning . After his fall he repented himselfe and wept bitterly for it . All was contrary in Iudas , who went to betray his master with full intent and purpose : for the deuil long tempting him vnto it , entred into him , that is , made him yeelde , and resolue himselfe to doe it . i Afterward when Christ was betrayed and condēned , Iudas was not sorrowful for his sinne with a godly sorrow , but in despaire of mercy hanged himselfe . XLVI . Fruits worthie of amēdment of life are such fruits as the k trees of righteousnesse beare , namely , good workes : for the doing of a good worke there bee three things requisite : First , it must proceede from iustifying faith . For the worke cannot please God except the person please him , and the person cannot please him without this faith . Secondly , it is to be done in obedience vnto Gods reuealed word . l To obey is better then sacrifice , and to harken is better then the fat of Rams . Thirdly , it is to be referred to Gods glorie , m Whether ye eate or drinke ( saith Paul ) or whatsoeuer ye doe , doe all to the glorie of God. The speciall all workes of Christians , which they and none but they truely performe , are these fiue which follow . XLVII . The first is the good hearing of the word , y My sheepe ( saith Christ ) heare my voice and follow me . And againe : he which is of God heareth his voice . And this was one note of the faithfull in the primitiue Church to assemble to heare the word . This good hearing of the word is the sauing hearing that bringeth life eternall . In this action , Christians are vsually thus disposed . Before they come to heare the word of God they make themselues readie to heare it , as the men of Berea did , a who receiued the word with all readines . This preparation standeth in two points : First , they disburden themselues of all impediments , that like vnto runners in a race , they may b be swift to heare : these impediments are sinne and troubled affections : and they come with humble hearts c as fooles , that they may become wise . Secondly , they quicken vp themselues , and come vnto the assemblies , hungring and thirsting after the word of God , as men do after meat and drinke . When they are in hearing Gods word , first , their mindes are fixed and attentiue onely to that which is spoken , as d Lydias was . Secondly , they truly beleeue the word of God , and carefully apply it to their owne soules . Thirdly , they feele the liuely power of it in themselues . It is as e salt in them , to draw out their inward corruption ; it is to them the f sword of the spirit , and as a g sacrificing knife in the hand of Gods minister , by which their flesh is killed , & they are offered vp in a liuing sacrifice to God : it is h spirit and life to quicken and reuiue their soules that are dead in sin : and the reason of this is plaine : The word of God preached is as a cup of wine : the true Christian , is the Lords guest , but he hath sauce of his own : he bringeth his sugar with him , namely , his true faith , which i he tempereth and mingleth with Gods word , and so it becommeth vnto him as a cup of sweet wine , and as water of life . Now the hypocrit , because he bringeth no faith with him , drinketh of the same , but he findes the wine to be sowre and tart , and void of rellish , and in trueth it is vnto him as a cup of ranke poyson . Againe , k they heare the worde of God as in Gods presence , and therefore their hearts are full of feare and trembling . And they receiue the Worde , not l as from man , but as from Christ Iesus the onely m Doctor of the Church : And they regard not so much the Embassadour , or his abilitie , as the Embassage of reconciliation sent from the king of heauen . After they haue heard the word , they are bettered in knowledge & in affection , & they n remēber it , & meditate vpon it cōtinually , that they may frame all their doings by it . Worldly men vse to buy books of statutes , & to haue thē in their houses to read on , that they may knowe how to auoid danger of law . And so the faithfull do alwaies set before thē Gods word , & in al their doings it is o their Counseller , least they should come into danger of Gods displeasure . XLVIII . The second worke is , the receiuing of the Sacraments , of Baptisme once onely , when a man is openly and solemnly admitted into the Church : and of the Lords supper often . The first sealeth vp to the heart of a Christian , that he is vnited vnto Christ , & hath true felloship with him in beeing fully iustified before God , & inwardly sanctified . The second serueth to seale vp in the heart of a Christian the continuall growing and increasing of the same graces . This thing euery true beleeuer shall haue often experience of , either in or after the receiuing of the Sacrament : and yet it shal not be so alwaies , for sometimes the Church beeing p brought into Christs wine seller , shall fall into a swowne and not feele any refreshing there . Yet the beleeuer is not to be dismayd , if he feele not alwaies comfort presently after the Sacrament . A sicke man feeles no comfort or nourishment , when he eateth meate , and yet it preserueth his life : So the weake christian though he feele himselfe not nourished at the Sacrament by Christs bodie and blood , yet he shall see in time that his soule shall be preserued thereby vnto euerlasting life . Furthermore , when a christian feeleth no comfort by the Sacrament , let him then humble himselfe before the Lord more heartily then euer before , confessing his sinnes and praying for increase of grace , and then he shall feele the fruit of the Sacrament . XLIX . The third worke is , a relieuing of the poore brethren in Christ , proceeding of a brotherly kindnes towards them . This is a speciall worke not to be done to all men alike , as Saint Paul saith , q Doe good to all men , but especially to them of the houshold of faith . Directions for this matter are the faithfull of Hierusalem , r Who were all in one place , and had all things common : s namely in vse . And they sold their possessions and goods , and parted them to all men : as euery one had neede . Also the brethren at Corinth in their extreame pouertie t relieued the churches of Macedonia liberally , not onely according to their power , but also straining thēselues beyond their power . Yea this reliefe must goe further , euen to the bestowing of a mans life , if neede so require , ( as Saint Iohn saith ) u Hereby we haue perceiued loue , that he laid downe his life for vs : therefore we ought also to lay downe our liues for the brethren . L. The fourth worke , is true praier : and Saint Luke setteth out the faithfull , & the children of God , by this description : a That they call on the name of the lord : As on the contrarie it is said of the wicked , b That they call not vpon God. c The true Christian calleth on the Lord in truth . For d the spirit of adoption , which is the e spirit of prayer is his Schoolemaster to teach him to doe it . In praier he is thus disposed : first , before he praieth , f he is stricken with some feare and reuerence in regard of Gods maiestie , for he considereth that praier is a familiar talking with God. Secondly , he is inwardly g touched with a liuely feeling of his owne wants , but especially he is vexed and grieued at his owne sinne and rebellion : and this sense of his miserie is as a spurre to quicken his benummed heart . Thirdly , he humbleth himselfe before his God , and laieth h open his heart before the Lord , shewing a feruent and longing desire to obtaine those things of which he findeth an extreame want in himselfe , as the Prophet Dauid did , whose i desire was like the yawning of the drie ground ; and this proceedeth from k the spirit of God which stirreth vp groanings in the heart , which a man oftentimes for his life cannot expresse . Fourthly , when he maketh his request , he doubteth not , but by l faith he beleeueth that God will grant his requests , which he maketh according to his word . The ground of his perswasion is double : the first is , m Christ Iesus , by whose merits as he hath obtained remission of sinnes , so he looketh to obtaine all things else : The n other ground is , the comfortable promises of God which he hath made , that he will heare them who truely call vpon him . Fiftly , he praieth not for a brunt or two , but he continueth in praier : And although God seeme not to heare him at the first , o yet hee patiently waiteth on the Lord , and still calleth vpon him . LI. The fift worke is , to walke in some lawefull calling with painefulnesse , and vprightnesse , so that in performing all the duties of it , a p man may keepe a good conscience before God and men . Thus Dauid determined to walke in the gouernment of his house and kingdome . q I will doe wisely ( saith he ) in the perfect way till thou commest to me , I will walke in the vprightnesse of mine heart , in the middest of mine house : I will set no wicked thing before mine eies : I hate the work of them that fall away : it shall not cleaue vnto me . This sinceritie of Dauids behauiour in his calling made him bolde to offer himselfe to be tried not onely by men , but much more by the Lord God himselfe , and to bee punished accordingly . r Iudge me O Lord ( saith he ) for I haue walked in mine innocencie : Prooue me , O Lord , and trie me , examine my reines and mine heart : So vpright and cleere was he in all his doings . LII . Thus much of faith and the benefits that come by faith : Nowe followeth the spirituall exercise of a Christian in his manifold temptations , which are in this life inseparable companions of grace . The reason is , because the deuil hateth Christ with a deadly hatred , and sheweth this hatred in a continual persecution of his members : ( as Saint Iohn saith ) s the dragon was wroth with the woman and went and made warre with the remnant of her seede , which kept the commandements of god , and haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ. Now therfore as soone as Christ Iesus beginneth to shewe any token of his loue to any man , the deuil contrariwise sheweth forth his enmitie , and stirs vp his fellow champions the flesh and the world to warre against him for his confusion . And furthermore the Lord in great wisdome permits temptations to the last ende of a Christian man life t to trie his faith , to purge him of sinne , to humble him , and to make him depend of his Maiestie , to quicken and reuiue the graces of his spirit , which otherwise would be dead and decay . LIII . The temptations of a Christian are specially sixe . The first is when inwardly in his heart , u he is drawn away and intised by his owne concupiscence vnto any sinne . The Christians exercise in temptation is x a fight and battell betwixt the flesh and the spirit . And this fighting standeth in foure things : First , the flesh stirs vp euil thoughts and desires , as a burning furnace continually sendeth vp smoake and sparkes of fire ; and it eggeth a man forward to euil words and deeds , according to that of S. Marke , y For from within , euen from the heart of a man proceede euill thou●hts , adulteries , fornications , murders , thef●s , couetousnesse , wickednesse , deceit , vn●leannes , a wicked eye , backbiting , pride , foolishnesse . II. The flesh hindereth and choketh the good motions and desires of the heart , as Paul saith . a I see another law in my members rebelling against the lawe of my minde , and leading me captiue to the lawe of sinne which is in my members . Againe the same flesh mingleth euery good motion and desire with some corruptions : so that the godly mislike the best thing they doe . Esay saith of his owne and the peoples righteousnesse , that it is but a b menstruous cloute . c The praiers of the Saints must be perfumed with sweete odours , before they can assend vp sweete and sauorie into the nosthrils of God. And Paul said of himselfe , he did that which he disliked : not that hee was ouertaken with grosse sinns ; but because when he was to do his dutie the flesh hindred him , that he could d not do that which he did exactly & soundly according to his wil & desire : euen as a man who hath a iourney to goe , his mind is to dispatch it in all haste , yet when he is in his trauell he goes but slowely , by reason of a lamenesse in his ioynts . III. The spirit on the contrary , kindles in the heart good motions and desires , and puts a man forward to good words and deedes , as it was in Dauid . e I will praise the Lord ( saith he ) who hath giuen me counsell : my reines also teach me in the night season . IV. The spirit rebukes a man for his euil intents and desires , & represseth the force of thē , & as it were nips them in the head . Thus Esay describeth the inward motions of the spirit , f And thine eares shall heare a word behind thee saying , this is the way , walke ye in it , when thou turnest to the right hand & when thou turnest to the left . And Saint Iohn saith , The spirit g iudgeth the worlde of sinne . This was in Dauid , who when he did any euill , his heart smote him . 2. Sam. 24. 10. Out of this doctrine issueth a notable difference betwixt the wicked and the godly : In the godly when they are tempted to sinne , there is a fight betweene the heart and the heart ; that is , betweene the heart and it selfe : In the wicked also there is a fight , when they are tempted to sinne : but this fight is onely betweene the heart and the conscience . The wicked man whatsoeuer he is hath some knowledge of good and euil : and therefore when he is in doing any euil , his conscience accuseth , checketh , and controuleth him , and hee feeles it stirring in him , as if it were some liuing thing that crauled in his body , & gnawed vpon his heart , and therupon he is very often grieued for his sins , yet for all that he liketh his sinnes very well , and loueth them , and could finde in his heart to continue in them for euer : so that indeed when he sinneth , hee hath in his heart a striuing and a conflict , but that is onely betweene himselfe and his conscience . But the godly haue an other kind of battel and conflict , for not only their consciences pricke them and reproue them for sinne , but also their hearts are so renewed , that they rise in hatred and detestation of sinne ; & when they are tempted to euill by their flesh and Satan , they feele a lust and desire to doe that which is good . LIV. The second temptation is a disquietnes in the heart of a Christian , because he cannot according to his desire , haue fellowship with Christ Iesus , he is exercised in this temptation on this manner . I. h Christ lets him see his excellency and howe he is affected towards him . II. b Then the Christian considering this● desireth Christ & his righteousnesse . III. He delighteth himselfe in Christ , and hath some enioying of his benefits . IV. c Then he comes into the assemblie of the Church as into Gods wine-seller , that in the word and Sacraments he may feele a greater measure of the loue of Christ. V. But he d falls loue-sicke : that is , hee becomes troubled in spirit , because he cannot enioy the presence of Christ in the sayd manner , as he would . VI. e In this his spiritual sicknes he feeles the power of Christ supporting him , that the spirit be not quenched , and he heares Christ as it were whispering in his heart , as a man speakes to his friend when hee is comming towards him a farre off . VII . f After this Christ comes neerer , but the Christian can no otherwise enioy him , then a man enioyes the company of his friend , who is on the other side of a wall looking at him through the grate or latteise . VIII . Thē his eies are opened , to see the causes , why Christ so withdraws himselfe , to be his g owne securitie and negligence in seeking to Christ , his slacknes in spirituall exercises , as in prayer and thanksgiuing , the deceitfulnes and malice of false teachers . IX . i Then he comes to feele more liuely his fellowship with Christ. X. Lastly , he prayeth that Christ would continue with him to the end . LV. The third temptation is , trouble of minde , because there is no feeling of Christ at all , who seemeth to be departed for a time . The exercise of a Christian in this tentation is this . 1 k The poore soule lying as a man desolate in the night without comfort seekes for Christ by priuate praier and meditation , but it will not preuaile . 2 l He vseth the helpe , counsell , and prayer of godly brethren , yet Christ cannot be found . 3 m Then he seekes to godly ministers , to receiue some comfort by them , by their meanes he can feele none . 4 n After that all meanes haue bin thus vsed , and none will preuaile , then by Gods great mercie , when he hath least hope , he findes Christ , and feeles him come againe . 5 Presently his faith reuiueth , and laieth fast hold on Christ. 6 And he hath as neere fellowship with Christ in his heart as before . 7 o Then comes againe the ioy of the holy Ghost : and the peace of conscience as a sweete sleepe falls vpon him . 8 p Then his heart ariseth vp into heauen by holy affections and praiers , which do as pillars of smoake mount vpward , sweete as myrrhe and incense . 6 q Also he is rauished ther●●ith the meditation of the glorious estate of the kingdome of heauen . 10 r Hee labours to bring others to consider the glorie of Christ and his kingdome . 11 s After all this Christ reueales to his seruant , what his blessed estate is , both in this life , and in the life to come , more cleerely then euer before , and makes him see those graces which he hath bestowed on him . 12 t Then the Christian praieth that Christ would breath on him by his holy spirit , that he may bring forth the fruits of those graces which are in him . 13 u Lastly , Christ granteth him this his request . LVI . The fourth temptation is securitie of heart , 4 rising of ouermuch delight in the pleasures of the worlde . The exercise of a Christian in this temptation is this . 1 He slumbers and is halfe asleepe in the pleasures of this world . 2 Christ by his word and spirit labours to withdrawe him from his pleasures , and x to make him more hartily receiue his beloued . 3 But he y delayeth to doe it beeing loath to leaue his ●ase and sweete delights . 4 z Then Christ awakes him and stirres vp his heart : by making him to see the vanitie of his pleasures . 5 He then begins to be more earnestly affected towards Christ. 6 a With sorrowe he sets his heart to haue fellowship with Christ after his old manner : and this he expressed by bringing forth sweete fruites of righteousnes . 7 b Then hee feeleth that Christ hath withdrawne his spirit . 8 He almost despaires for this . 9 Yet by priuate praier seekes for Christ. 10 c When that will not helpe , he resorts to the ministers of the worde , at whose handes he findes no comfort . 11 d Not recouering his first estate , through impatience of the loue of Christ , he makes his miserie knowne to strangers , to see if they can comfort him , & he somwhat cōforts himselfe in describing Christs excellencie to thē . 12 e They then are rauished with him to seeke Christ , and require then to know where to find him . 13 f Answere is made , in the assemblies of the Church . 14 g After this communication the Christians faith and feeling reuiueth , Christ returning to him againe . 15 h Thē Christ assureth him in his heart of his loue & liking towards him . 16 Giuing further assurance to him that he shall growe vp and bee made fruitfull in euery good grace . 17 After this the Christian comes in such a high measure to loue Christ , that nothing shall be able to seuer him from Christ. LVII . The fift temptation is a fall into some great sinne , 5 as Noah into drunkennes , Dauid into Adulterie , and murder , Peter into the deniall of Christ. The exercise of a Christian in this temptation is this : 1 At the first his heart is vsually dulled and made secure with sinne . 2 Yet after a while there by some meanes ariseth in his heart a godly sorrowe : which is when he is g●ieued for this onely cause , that by his sinne hee hath displeased . God , who hath beene to him so louing and mercifull a father , whose fauour he would be content to purchase , ( so he might haue it and obtaine it ) euen with the damnation of his owne soule . 3 n Then he beginnes to repent himselfe of his sinnes , renuing afresh his former repentance . 4 This repentance he sheweth by seuen signes . 1 A care to leaue that sinne into which he is fallen . As they which crucified our Sauiour Christ , whē they were pricked in their hearts at Peters sermon , they shewed this care in saying , o Men and br●thren , what shall we doe to be saued ? 2. An Apologie , which is when a man in the heauines of his heart , shal not excuse or defend his sinne , but confesse it to the Lord , and vtterly condemne himselfe for it : acknowledging withall that there is no way to escape the wrath of God , but by hauing Gods free pardon in Christ. 3 Indignation which is an inward anger and fretting against his ownselfe , because he was so carelesse in looking to his owne waies . Peter when he had denied his master , he wept and that bitterly , which sheweth that with sorrow , he had also an anger against himselfe . 4 p A feare rising not so much from the iudgements of God , as from this , least he should hereafter fall into the same sinne againe , and by so doing more grieuously displease God. 5 A desire euer after more carefully to please God. 6 Zeale in the seruice of God. 7 Reuenge vpon himselfe for his former offences : for example , if a man sinne in surfetting and drunkennes , if he euer repent , he will bring vnder his corrupt nature by sparing and moderating himselfe . LVIII . The sixt temptation is outward afflictions , which the godly in this life must suffer . a If any will goe after Christ , he must denie himselfe , take vp his owne crosse and follow him . And S. Peter saith , b that iudgement begins at Gods house . c And Paul , that we must enter into the kingdom of heauen through manifold temptations . The exercise of a Christian in affliction is this : 1 d At the first they are very heauie and bitter . 2 He suffereth them with great lenitie and patience , submitting himselfe vnder the hand of God. Yet c if they be in great measure , they will driue him to impatience . 3 If they continue he shall feele ( according to his owne iudgement ) the f wrath and displeasure of God in his heart . 4 g His old sinnes will come a fresh into his remembrance , and trouble him . He is sleepie , h and in his sleepe he hath visions , and dreames , and anxietie of spirit . 5 i In this miserie God supports his faith , that it faile not , and he then forsake Christ. 6 k He feeling thus Gods power to strengthen him , hath experience of it in himselfe . 7 From experience proceedes hope , that the grace of God shall neuer be wanting vnto him in any afflictions to come : and as he hopeth , so it comes to passe . 8 With this hope is ioyned l a serious humiliation before the Lord m with the fruit of peace and righteousnes . If the afflictions be for Christs cause vnto death , then he in more speciall maner is filled with the ioy of the holy Ghost , and he is then stablished with the greatest measure of the strength of Christ , that no torment is able to foile , and to bring him from Christ , though the Christian should die a thousand times for it . According to that of Paul , n To you it is giuen for Christ not onely to beleeue in him , but also to suffer for his sake . And this is grounded vpon the promise of God , o When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee , & through the flouds that they doe not ouerflow thee : when thou walkest through the very fire , thou shalt not be burnt : neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee . LIX . Hence ariseth a notable difference , betweene the godly and the wicked , in the suffering of afflictions . A Reprobate the more the Lord laieth his hand on him , the more he p murmureth & rebelleth against God : it is contrary with the true Christian : none feeleth more the power and rebellion of sinne then he : none is more assaulted by Satan then he , and oftentimes it commeth to passe that God withdraweth the signes of his fauour from him , & lets him feele his wrath . And this is the greatest temptation of all other , when a man shal see the Lord to be his enemie , and to his thinking to arme himselfe against him to his destruction . As q Ezechias did , who saith , that the Lord did crash his bones like a Lyon. Or r as Iob saith , that the arrowes of the almightie were in him , and the venime thereof drunke vp his spirit , and the terrours of God did fight against him . Yet the true Christian when the world , the flesh , and the deuill , and God himselfe too are against him , doth euen then most of all rest in the Lord , and by faith cleaue to him . s Though God should destroy me , yet would I trust in him ( saith Iob. ) t And Dauid saith , My God , my God , why hast thou forsaken me ? When he saith that God had forsaken him , it may seeme to be the complaint of a desperate man , not hauing so much as one sparke of faith : yet then he saith , My God , my God : which wordes containe a confession proceeding from true faith : so that in Dauid it appeareth , that the faithfull when they feele themselues forlorne , and vtterly reiected of God , according to the sense and iudgement of the flesh , yet by faith they can apprehend his hidden mercie , and behold it a farre off in the glasse of his promise . And so they doe often shew contrarie affections in their praiers as Dauid doth . u Iacob when he wrastled with the Angel for life and death , neuer gaue ouer : and when he was foild he would not cease before the Lord had blessed him . This his wrastling is a type of the conflicts which the faithfull are to haue with the Lord himselfe , who vseth to bring his owne children ( as it were ) to the field : and he assaileth them with the one hand , and with the other he holdeth them vp , that so he may prooue and exercise their faith . And for this cause the Church x is called by the name of Iacob . An example may be had in the woman of Canaan . y First , our Sauiour Christ gaue her faith , and by that faith shee was mooued to seeke to him : but when shee was once come to him , he gaue her three repulses . First , by saying nothing . Secondly , by denying her . Thirdly , by calling her dogge . Thus Christ in appearance made shew , as though he would neuer haue graunted her request . But shee at euery repulse was more instant , crying more earnestly vnto him : and shee plainly opposed her selfe to him , & would take no deniall : for such is the nature of true faith . Wherefore , the faithfull when they feele themselues ouerwhelmed with sinne , turmoiled with cōflicts of Satan , when they feele the anger of God offended with them , yet they can euen then lift vp their eye lids , and giue a glimps at the brasen serpent Iesus Christ , and can fling themselues into the armes of Gods mercie , and catch hold of the hand of God buffeting them , and kisse it . LX. By these temptations it comes to passe , that a Christian though he can not fall finally from Christ , yet he may fall very dangerously from his former estate . First , the graces of God may be by his default lessened in him : else Paul would not haue giuen out these exhortations , a quench not the spirit . Grieue not the holy spirit of God , by whome ye are sealed vnto the day of redemption . Secōdly , the graces of God may be buried in him , and couered for a time , so that he may be like a man in a traunce , who both by his owne sense and by the iudgement of the Physitian is taken for dead . This was the estate of Peter , who though he confessed that Christ was the Sonne of the liuing Lord , c yet he denied him and forswore him at the voice of a damsell . Thirdly , he may fall againe into the same sinne after repentance . Indeede this is a daungerous case ; yet it may befall a true christian . Otherwise when as the Israelites ( Gods people ) had fallen away from him by their sinnes , and idolatries , he would not stil haue offered them mercie , d as he doth by his Prophets . And e Paul praieth the Corinthians in Christs stead that they would be reconciled to God : who neuerthelesse were before reconciled to God. Fourthly , he may commit a sinne of presumption , which is a fearfull sinne , beeing done wittingly of knowledge and willingly , and with some wilfulnesse . Therefore Dauid praied , f Keepe thy seruant from presumptuous sinnes : and to shew himselfe to be in daunger of it , he praieth further , let them not haue dominion ouer me . Lastly , he may fall into despaire of Gods mercie for a time , and this is a dangerous sinne . For he which despaires , makes all the promises of God to be false : and this sinne of all other is most contrarie to true sauing faith . In this estate was Dauid , when beeing in trouble , he saide , g this is my death . And Paul shewes that the incestuous man might haue fallen into desperation , h when he saith , Comfort him , least he be swallowed vp of ouermuch heauines . And it must be remembred that the church of Rome erreth in this , that she teacheth desperation to be a sinne against the holy Ghost . This sinne against the holy ghost is a blasphemie spoken against the knowne truth of Gods word , or a deniall of Christ , of a wilfull and obstinate malice . But desperation may arise through ignorance of a mans owne estate : through horrour of conscience for sinne : through an often relapse into some sinne : through the ouerdeepe consideration of a mans owne vnworthines : lastly , by abiuration of the truth , through compulsion and feare . * This befell Francis Spira , who after his Apostasie despaired . Yet they are much ouerseene that write of him as a damned creature . For first , who can tell whether he despaired finally or no. Secondly , in the very midst of his desperation , he complained of the hardnes of his heart , which made him that he could not pray : no doubt then he felt his hardnes of heart : and the feeling of corruption in the heart , is by some contrarie grace ; so that we may conueniently thinke , that he was not quite bereft of all goodnes : though he neuer felt it then , nor shewed it to the beholder . LXI . The cause why a Christian cannot quite fall away from grace , is this : after that he is sanctified , he receiueth from God another speciall grace , which may be called Corroboration . For he hath in him not onely the sanctifying , but also the strengthening power of Christ. Therfore Paul praieth for the Ephesians , i that they may be strengthened in the inner man : for the Colossians , k that they might be strengthened with the glorious power of Christ. And of himselfe he saith , l that he is able to doe all things through the power of Christ that strengtheneth him . m Dauid saith , that God renueth them that feare him , as the eagle renueth her decaied strength . From hence as from a speciall cause ariseth patience and perseuerance vnto the ende : for when a man is supported by the power of Christ , he may be able to beare many crosses patiently with a contented mind , and perseuer in bearing of it how long soeuer the crosse endureth . LXII . Thus much of the estate of a Christian in this life . Now I will adde some reasons in the way of perswasion to all men , but especially to worldlings , and to loose professours of the Gospel , that they would vtterly denie themselues , d and vse all meanes to become true Christians by being made new creatures in Christ , and e by leading such a life as may adorne the Gospel of Christ. My first reason is this ; the man that liueth in this world , not beeing a true Christian , is farre more vile then the basest creature of all , euen the dogge , or toade . For first he is nothing els but a filthie dunghill of all abomination and vncleannes , the f stink whereof hath infected heauen & earth , & no perfumes could euer delay it in the nostrils of God , but onely the suffering of Christ beeing g a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God. We make it very daintie to come neere a lazar man that is full of botches , blaines , and sores ; but much more are those men to be abhorred , which haue lien many yeares starke h dead in sinnes and trespasses : and therefore now doe nothing els but rot and stinke in them like vgly loathsome carrions . Secondly , he which is no Christian is vnder the power of darknes , hauing Sathan for his prince i and god , and giuing vnto him in token of homage his best parts , euen his minde and conscience k to be his dwelling place : and his whole conuersation is nothing els but a perpetuall obedience to Sathan . If Atheists , and worldlings , and carnall gospellers were perswaded of the truth of this ( as it is most true ) it would make them howle and crie , though now they liue at ease without feeling any prick of conscience for sinne . And if they had but the least sense of it in the world , it would make their flintie hearts to bleede , and it would make them shed riuers of teares . But how long shall they continue in this vile estate ? Truly , vntill they come to Christ : awake therefore thou that sleepest , and stand vp from the dead , and Christ shal giue thee light : open thine heart to receiue Christ , and then he will come and binde the strong● man Sathan , and cast him out , and dwell in thee himselfe . Thirdly , he which is no Christian is in daunger of all the iudgements of God , so that euery moment some of them may befall him . He may perish sodainly by water with the old world , he may be consumed with fire and brimstone with Sodom and Gomorrha , he may be swallowed vp of the earth with Dathan , and Abiram , he may hang himselfe with Iudas , he may haue his braines dashed against the ground and be eaten vp of dogges with Iesabel , he may die in hardnesse of heart with Pharao , he may despaire with Caine and Iudas , he may be stricken with sodaine death with Ananias and Saphira his wife , he may be eaten of wormes with Herod , he may be smitten with trembling that he cannot heare Gods word with Foelix , he may voide his guttes at the stoole with Arius , he may crie at his death that he is damned with Latomus , he may be left vnto himselfe to mocke , blaspheme , and renounce Christ with Iuhan : and he may suffer many more fearefull iudgements , whereof the Lord hath l great store , and all tend to the confounding of them which will not be humbled vnder his hand . Contrariwise , the true christian is so farre out of the reach of Gods iudgements that they cannot hurt him : m Christ is a couering and a cloud against the heate and tempest of Gods iudgements , when a mans heart is sprinkled with the bloode of this immaculate Lambe , all the the plagues of God passe ouer him . In the destruction of Ierusalem the o righteous beare a marke in their foreheads and are saued . Therefore let him that hath regard to his owne safetie become a Christian. Thirdly , the man which is no Christian is in daunger of eternall death and damnation in hell fire : and they which fall into this estate it had beene tenne thousand fold better for them if they had neuer bin borne : p for they are quite separated from the presence of God and from his glorie : all the company they haue is with the deuill and his angels . Their bodies and soules are tormented with infinite horror and anguish arising of the feeling of the whole wrath of God , in which as into a bottomlesse sea , they are plunged . Thus they are alwaies dying , and yet are neuer dead . Furthermore , the length of this torment must be considered which greatly aggrauates the paine . If a man might be deliuered from the paines of hell when he had suffered them so many yeares as there be droppes in the sea , or little sands in the whole earth , it were some comfort : but after that those yeares be expired there shall come no release , but the damned shall continue in shriking , yelling and gnashing of teeth , enduring the consuming heate of Gods wrath without any ende for euer and euer . Yea to goe further , a wicked man carrieth an hell about him in this life , namely , an euill conscience , which if it be neuer so little touched with any part of Gods anger , a man shall feele himselfe to haue euen the pangs of hell in his heart . Now therefore they that would escape out of this hellish and damnable estate , while they haue time let them pray for the pardon of their sins in Christ , and walke according to the spirit in newnes of life ; and then they may assure themselues , that there is no condemnation can belong to them . And it must be alwaies remembred that he which would liue , when he is dead , must die while he is aliue , namely to sinne . And againe , he which would rise to eternall life in the day of iudgement , must rise from sinne before he die , vnto newnesse of life . The fourth reason : God hath appointed vnto euery man that liueth in the Church a certaine time of repentance , and of comming to Christ. And hee which mispendeth that time and is not made a christian then , can neuer be saued . This made our Sauiour Christ weepe for Ierusalem , and say , q O if thou hadst knowne at the least in this thy day , those things which belong to thy peace , but now are they hidden from thine eyes . And he further signifieth the destruction of Ierusalem , r because shee knew not the time of her visitation . Againe , the neglecting of this time is one cause , why not one or two , but many s shall seeke to enter into the kingdome of heauen , and yet shal not be able . It is a marueilous thing , that they which seeke to be saued should perish , but the fault is theirs which seeke when it is too late . Now therefore thou secure worldling , thy conscience telleth thee that thou hast not yet repented , and that thou art not as yet a liuely member of Iesus Christ. And thou knowest further , that howsoeuer thou art aliue at this time , yet thou hast no lease of thy life . God may call thee forth of this world the next yeare , the next weeke , the next houre : yea he may strike thee with sudden death at this very present . And in very truth , if thou goest forth of this world being no repentant sinner , thou goest damned to hell . Wherefore delay not one minut of an houre longer , but with all speed repent and turne vnto God , and bring forth fruits worthie of amendment of life , that all thy sinnes may be done away , when the day of death , or the day of iudgement shall be . And doe not thinke with thy selfe that it shall be sufficient to deferre thy turning vnto God till the last ende . For late repentance is seldome true repentance . And he which continueth long in any sinne is in a dangerous case . If a man lie long in any disease he will scarce recouer his former health ; and he which is growne in the custome of any sinne , and the sinne is become ripe in him , it is a thousand to one , he is neuer saued ; according to that of Saint Iames , t sinne beeing perfited bringeth forth death . The fift reason . Eternall life is a thing desired of all men : yet none shall be made partakers of it , but the true christian , and the glorious estate of this life would mooue any man to be a christian . First of all , they which haue eternall life are freed from all paines , sicknesses , infirmities , hunger , thirst , cold , wearines ; from all sinne , as anger , forgetfulnes , ignorance ; from hell , death , damnation , Sathan , and from euery thing that causeth miserie : according to that of Saint Iohn : And u God wil wipe away al teares from their eyes : and there shall be no more death , neither sorrow , neither crying , neither shall there be any more paine : for the first things are passed . Secondly , the faithfull shall be in the presence of Gods maies●ie in heauen there to behold his face , that is , his glorie , as our Sauiour Christ saith , Father , x I will that they which thou hast giuen me , be with me euen where I am , that they may behold my glorie which thou hast giuen me . And Dauid saith , In y thy presence is fulnesse of ioy , and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore . Thirdly , they z shall haue such an excellent communion with God , that he shall be vnto them all in all . For in the ende of the world , when the whole number of the elect is accomplished , Christ shall present them to his father , and as he is Mediatour he shall cease to be a King , a Priest , a Prophet : for though the efficacie of his offices be euerlasting : yet the execution of them shall cease , as Paul saith , a Then shall be the ende , when he hath deliuered vp the kingdome to God euen the father , when he hath put downe all rule , all authoritie and power . Againe , among the elect there shall not be king & subiect , father , mother , child , master , seruāt , noble , ignoble , rich , poore , liuing , dead . Some will say , what then shall be ? I answer , one glorious and euerlasting God , the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost shall be in all the elect , all that heart can wish and desire . Men shall not be in darknes , neither shall they need the light of the Sunne , Moone , or Starres , God himselfe immediatly shall be their light , b as Iohn saith , And the citie hath no neede of the Sunne , neither of the Moone to shine in it , for the glorie of God doth light it , and the Lambe is the light of it . Men shall not then neede meate , drinke , cloathing , sleepe , recreation , fire , shade , respiration , or any other such like , but God himselfe immediately shall be their life , and all things concerning life by Christ. Which Iohn signifieth when he saith , that he c saw a pure riuer of water of life , cleere as chrystall , proceeding out of the throne of God , and of the Lambe : there beeing by either side of it the tree of life which bare two manner of fruits , and gaue fruit euery moneth . And whereas God is continually to be worshipped in heauen : they neede no other tabernacle or temple thereunto , but God himselfe shall be their temple : as Iohn saith , d I sawe no temple therein : for the Lord God almightie and the Lambe are the temple of it . Fourthly , from this glorious communion which is between God and Christ as he is man , and all the Saints which are his members , there ariseth an vnspeakable ioy and gladnes wherewith they are filled . Dauid saith , e that Gods children shall be satisfied with the fatnes of his house , and that he shal giue them drinke out of the riuers of his pleasures . This ioy vndoubtedly is infinite , and the saints are not onely replenished with it , but they are also swallowed vp of it as with an huge and infinite sea of waters , as may appeare in Peter , who at the transfiguration of Christ , was so rauished out of measure with ioy at the sight of it , that he quite forgot himselfe , saying f to Christ , Master , it is good beeing here : let vs make three Tabernacles , one for thee , one for Moses , and another for Elias . Lastly , out of this communion ariseth a perfect loue of God , whereby the Saints loue God with all their hearts , with all their soules , and strength , and this loue sheweth it selfe in that they are eternally occupied in g worshipping God , by singing of songs of praise & thanksgiuing vnto him . Now then seeing the kingdome of heauen is so glorious , and none can haue it but the true Christian , let all men account the best things in this world h as drosse and dung , so that they may obtaine Christ and his righteousnes . The last reason is the endlesse loue of Iesus Christ shewed in his death and passion . Thou art by nature the childe of wrath and vengeance . Sathan hath wounded thee with many a deadly wound of sinne : thou liest bleeding at the heart and art like to die eternally . Thou beeing in this estate , there is no man on earth , no Saint in heauen , no Angel , no creature at all , is able to helpe thee ; Christ onely was able : he therefore came downe from heauen and became man , for this cause , to work thy deliuerance . Furthermore in the curing of the wound of sinne , no hearb , no water , no plaister , no physicke , can doe thee any good : onely the bodie and blood of Christ is soueraigne for this matter , being stieped in the wrath of God. He therefore subiected himselfe to the death , euen the death of the crosse , vpon which he suffered the wrath of God due to the sin of man●ind : & of his owne heart blood he tempered for them a soueraigne medicine to heale all thy woundes and sores . Nowe therefore despise not this mercie ; seeke vnto Christ , lay open all thy sores , pray him , that hee would vouchsafe thee if it be but one drop of his blood ; thē he wil come vnto thee by his holy spirit , he will wash and supple thy woundes in his blood , and bind them vp . He is the a tree of life the leaues whereof heale the nations . If thou get but one leafe of him thou art well , it will heale thee and restore thy dead soule , that thou maist liue eternally in the kingdome of heauen . If this reason will not mooue thee to be a Christian , thy case is desperate . It is the best reason that Peter could vse to this purpose . As obedient children ( saith hee ) fashion not your selues vnto the former lusts of your ignorance b but as he which hath called you is holy , so be ye holy in all maner of conuersation . His reason followeth : c Knowing that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from your vaine conuersation receiued by the tradition of the Fathers , but with the precious blood of Christ , as a Lambe vndefiled and without spot . Thus much haue I spoken to the worldling , who in his heart makes no more account of Christ then of his old shooes : and who had rather bee without Christ , then be without his pigges , with the Gaderens . Nowe for the true Christians I haue nothing to say but this . The Lord increase the number of them . And the d Lord fullfill them with the knowledge of his will in all wisdome and spirituall vnderstanding , that they may walke worthie of him , and please him in all things , being fruitfull in all good works and increasing in the knowledge of God. And wheras they are at continual warre against the flesh , the world , and the deuil : Lord Iesus strengthen them with all might through thy glorious power , vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnes . And deare father of all mercie plant that gouernment in thy Church euery where which thou hast reuealed in thy worde , that thy Saints may worship thee in those means , in that order and comelines , which thou hast appointed abounding in righteousnesse , peace of conscience , and ioy of the holy ghost . Amen , Amen . A DIALOGVE OF THE STATE OF A CHRISTIan man , gathered here and there out of the sweet and sauorie writings of Master Tindall and Master Bradford . TImotheus . Because of our ancient acquaintance and familiaritie ( deare friend Eusebius ) I will make bold with you to aske such questiōs as may be for my edification & cōfort , and of no other matters but euen of religion , whereof I see you are an olde professour . And the first of all , let me bee bold to aske this question of you , howe it pleased God to make you a true Christian , and a member of Christ Iesus whome I see you serue continually with a feruent zeale . Eusebius . For that old acquaintance that was betweene vs , and for that you are desirous to liue a godly life in Christ Iesus , I will not conceale the good worke of my God in me : therfore I pray you marke a little what I shall say , & I will declare vnto you the trueth euen forth of the feeling of mine own conscience . The fall of Adam did make me the heire of vengeance and wrath of God , and heire of eternall damnation , and did bring mee into captiuitie and bondage vnder the deuil : and the deuill was my Lord , my ruler , my head , my gouernour , and my prince , yea , and my God. And my will was locked & knit faster vnto the will of the deuil , then could a hundred thousand chaines binde a man vnto a poast . Vnto the deuils will did I consent with all my heart , with all my mind , with all my might , power , strength , will and life : so that the Lawe and will of the deuil was written as well in my heart , as in my members , and I ran headlong after the deuill with full saile , and the whole swing of all the power I had : as a stone cast into the aire commeth downe naturally of it selfe with all the violent swing of his own weight . O with what a deadly and venemous heart did I hate mine enemies ? With how great malice of mind inwardly did I sley and murther ? With what violence and rage , yea with what feruēt lust committed I adulterie , fornication , and such like vncleannes ? With what pleasure and delectation like a glutton serued I my bellie ? With what diligence deceiued I ? How busily sought I the things of the world ? Whatsoeuer I did work , imagine or speake was abominable in the sight of God , for I could referre nothing vnto the honour of God : neither was his law or will written in my members , or in my heart , neither was their any more power in me to followe the will of God then in a stone ascend vpward of it selfe . And besides that I was asleep in so deep blindnes that I could neither see nor feele in what miserie , thraldome and wretchednesse I was , till Moses came and awaked me and published the lawe . When I heard the law truely preached howe that I ought to loue and honour God with all my strength and might from the lowe bottome of the heart , because he did create me Lord ouer it , and my neighbor , yea mine enemies as my selfe inwardly from the groūd of my heart , because God hath made them after the likenesse of his owne image , and they are his sonnes as well as I , and Christ hath bought them with his blood , and made them heires of euerlasting life as wel as I : and how I ought to do whatsoeuer God biddeth , and to abstaine from whatsoeuer God forbiddeth , with all loue and meekenes , with a feruent and burning lust from the center of the heart . Then began my conscience to rage against the Lawe and against God. No sea , be it neuer so great a tēpest was so vnquiet , for it was not possible for me a naturall man to consent to the Law that it should bee good , or that God should be righteous which made the law : in as much as it was contrarie vnto my nature , and damned me and all that I could doe , and neuer shewed mee where to fetch helpe , nor preached any mercie a but onely set me at variance with God , & prouoked & stirred me to raile on god , and to blaspheme him as a cruel tyrant . And indeed it was not possible to doe otherwise , to thinke that God made me of so poysoned a nature , and gaue me an impossible law to performe : I being not borne againe by the spirit , and my wit , reason , and will being so fast glewed , yea nailed and chained vnto the will of the deuil . This was the captiuitie and bondage whence Christ deliuered me , redeemed , and loosed me . His blood , his death , his patience in suffering rebukes & wronges and the full wrath of God , his prayers and fastings , his meekenes & fulfilling the vttermost points of the law , appeased the wrath of God , brought the fauour of god to me againe , obtained that God should loue me first , and bee my father , and that a mercifull father , that would consider my infirmitie and weaknes , & would giue me his spirit againe , which he had taken away in Adam , to rule , gouerne and strengthen me , and to breake the bands of Satan , wherein I was so straight bound . When Christ was on this wise preached , and the promises rehearsed which are contained in the booke of God ( which preaching is called the Gospell or glad tydings , ) and I had deepely considered the same : then my heart began to waxe soft and melt at the bounteous mercie of God , and kindnes shewed of Christ. For when the gospel was preached , the spirit of God ( mee thought ) entred into my heart , and opened my inwarde eies and wrought a liuely faith in me , and made my woofull conscience feele and tast how sweet a thing the bitter death of Christ is , and how mercifull and louing God is through Christs purchasing and merits , and made me to beginne to loue againe , and to consent to the lawe of God how that it is good & ought so to be , and that God is righteous that made it : lastly , it wrought in me a desire to be whole , and to hunger and thirst after more righteousnesse and more strength to fulfill the law more perfectly : and in all that I do or leaue vndone to seeke Gods honour and his will with meekenesse , euermore condemning the imperfectnes of my deedes by the law . Now then this good work of God to my saluation standeth in two points , the working of the law , & the working of the gospel : the preaching of the law was a key that bound and damned my conscience , the preaching of the gospel was another key that loosed me againe . These two salues ( I meane the lawe & the gospel ) vsed God and his preacher to heale & cure me a wretched sinner withall . The law did driue out my disease and made it appeare , & was a sharp salue and fretting corrasiue , and killed the dead flesh , and loosed and drew the sore out by the root , and all corruption . It pulled from me all trust and confidence I had in my selfe , and in mine owne works , merits , deseruings , and ceremonies , and robbed me of all my righteousnesse , and made me poore . It killed me in sending me downe to hell , and bringing me almost to vtter desperation , and prepared the way of the Lord , as it is written of Iohn Baptist. For it was not possible that Christ should come vnto me as long as I trusted in my selfe or in any worldly thing , or had any righteousnes of mine own , or riches of holy works . Then afterward came the gospel a more gentle plaister , which suppled and swaged the woundes of my conscience and brought mee health : it brought the spirit of God , which loosed the bandes of Satan , and coupled me to God and his will through a strong faith and feruent loue . Which bandes were to strōg for the deuill , the world , or any creature to loose . And I a poore and wretched sinner felt so great mercie that in my selfe I was most sure that God would not forsake me , or euer withdraw his mercy & loue frō me . And I boldly cryed out with Paul , saying , Who shall separate me from the loue of God , &c. Finally , as before when I was bound to the deuil , & his will , I wrought all manner of wickednes , for I could do no otherwise , it was my nature : euen so now since I am coupled to God by Christs blood , I do good freely , because of the spirit , & this my nature . And thus I trust I haue satisfied your fi●st demād . Timoth. Yea , but me thinkes you doe too much condemne your selfe in respect of sinne . For I can remember that from your childhood you were of a good and gentle nature , and your behauiour was alwaies honest and ciuil , & you could neuer abide the companie of them that were roysters and ruffians , & swearers , and blasphemers , and contemners of Gods word , and drunkards , which nowe are tearmed good fellowes . And your dealing with all men hath bin euer commended for good , faithfull and iust . What meane you then to make your selfe so abominable and accursed , and to say , you were so whollie addicted vnto wickednesse , and your will so fearefully and miserably in captiuitie vnto the will of the deuil . Euseb. Brother Timothie , I knowe what I say , God giue me grace to speak it with more liuely feeling of my weaknes and with a more bitter detestation of my sin . By nature through the fall of Adam am I the child of wrath , heire of the vengeance of God by birth : yea and so from my first conception : and I had my fellowship with the damned deuils vnder the power of darkenesse & rule of Satan , while I was yet in my mothers wombe : and although I shewed not the fruits of sinne as soone as I was borne nor long after : yet was I full of the naturall poison , from whence al wicked deedes doe spring , and cannot but sinne outwardly , as soone as I am able to worke ( be I neuer so young ) if occasion be giuen : for my nature is to sinne as is the nature of a serpent to sting : & and as a Serpent yet young , or yet vnbroughtforth is full of poison and cannot afterward ( when time and occasion is giuen ) but bring foorth the fruites threreof . And as an adder , a toade , or a snake is hated of man , not for the euill it hath done , but for the poison that is in it , and hurt which it cannot but doe : so am I hated of God for that naturall poison which is conceiued and borne with me before I doe any outward euill . And as the euill which a venemous worme doth , maketh it not a serpent , but because it is a venemous worm , therfore doth it euill , and poisoneth : euen so doe not our euill deedes make vs euil first , but because we are of nature euill , therefore doe we euill , and thinke euil , to eternall damnation by the lawe , and are contrarie to the will of God in our will and in all things consent vnto the will of the fiend . Timoth. As yet I neuer had such a feeling of my sinne as you haue had , and although I would be loath to commit any sinne , yet the Law was neuer so terrible vnto me , condemning me , pronouncing the sentēce of death against me , and stinging my conscience with feare of euerlasting paine , as I perceiue it hath bin vnto you : therefore I feare oftentimes least my profession of religion should be onely in truth meere hypocrisie , I pray you let me heare your mind . Euseb. A true saying it is that the right way to goe vnto heauen , is to sayle by hell , and there is no man liuing that feeleth the power and vertue of the blood of Christ , which first hath not felt the paines of hell . But yet in these paines there is a difference : and it is the will of God , that his children in their conuersion shall some of them feele more , and some lesse . Ezechias on his death bed complaineth that the Lord breaketh his bones like a Lion , that hee could not speak by reason of paine , but chattered in his throat like a Crane , & mourned like a Doue . Iob saith , that God is his enemie , and hath set him vp as a marke to shoot at , and that the arrowes of the Almightie are vpon him , and that the poyson of them hath drunke vp his spirit . Dauid bewaileth his estate in many Psalmes , but especially in the 130. Psalme , where he beginneth on this manner : Out of the deepe places haue I called vnto thee , O Lord : which is as though he should say ; O my poore soule fall not flat downe , vexe not thy selfe out of measure : the burden of thy sinnes presse thee sore indeede , but be not for al that quite ouerwhelmed , thou art thrust down so low into the depth of deepes , that thou hadst neede crie aloud to be heard of him which dwelleth in the highest heightes : and the euer burning hell fire is not farre from that lake whither thine iniquities haue plunged thee , so that thou maiest perceiue as it were the Eccho of their cries and desperate howlings , which be there cast out of all hope of euer comming forth . But the Lord which bringeth forth euen to the borders of hell his best beloued when they forget thēselues , knoweth also how well to bring them backe againe . Goe no further then downeward , but lift vp thy heart together with thine eie , and seeke vnto the Lord , to reach vnto thee his mercifull and a helping hand . Againe in the Scriptures we finde examples of men conuerted vnto the Lord without any vehement sorrow of their sinns . What anguish of conscience had the theefe vpon the crosse for his former life in his present conuersion at the houre of death ? How was Lydia dismaied and cast downe in respect of her wickednesse , like as Dauid was or Iob , whose heart God onely is said to haue opened to giue attendance to the preaching of Paul and Silas , who also euen presently after was readie to entertaine them , and to make them a feast in her house , which shee could not haue done if she had beene in the perplexities of Ezechias , or Dauid . The same may be spoken of the Iayler , and of them which heard Peters sermon at Ierusalem , who for all that they had murdred our Sauiour Christ , yet in their conuersion , their hearts were onely for the time pricked . So then God in preparing vs , which in truth are nothing but fleshly and stinking dunghills of sinne ; nay , very vncleannesse and pollution it selfe , I say in preparing vs to be the Temples of his holy Spirit to dwell in , and the storehouses to hoord vp his heauenly graces in , doth otherwhiles vse a milde and gentle remedie , and maketh the Law to looke vpon vs , though with no louing and gentle , yet with no fearefull countenance ; and otherwhiles in some he setteth a sharp edge vpon the Law , and maketh it to wound the heart very deepe , and as a strong corrasiue to torment them , and to frette and gnawe vpon their consciences . And we see by experience● that a botch or a byle in a mans bodie , is as well eased of the corruption that is in it by the pricking of the point of a small needle as by the launcing of a great raser . Wherefore if God by his spirit haue wrought in you sorrow for sinne in any small measure , though not in as great measure as you desire , you haue no cause to complaine : and in that you are grieued with a godly sorrow for your sinnes , it is a good token of the grace of God in you . Timoth. Surely this is a great comfort you giue me , God make me thankefull for it . And I pray you more plainly shew me the state of your life till this houre , that I and all other may take warning by it . Euseb. That which may doe good vnto other men I will neuer conceale , though it be to my perpetuall shame . As I was conceiued and borne in sinne , so my parents brought me vp in ignorance , and neuer shewed me my shame , and miserie by Gods law : & liued a long time , euen as a man in a dead sleepe or trance , and in trueth I liued as though there were neither heauen nor hell , neither God nor deuil . And the deuill himselfe ( as I nowe perceiue ) did often perswade my secure conscience that I was the child of god , & should be saued as well as the best man in the world : and I yeelded to his perswasion , and did verily thinke it : so that when the preacher for wickednes & securitie denoūced Gods iudgements and hel fire , I haue said vnto my neighbours that I hoped I should be saued , and he should goe to hell : and when I was asked whether I could keep all the commandements of the law , I said that I could : and beeing asked whether I neuer sinned , I said I thought that otherwhiles I did ; but for them which were but fewe , I hoped God would haue mercie , and haue mee excused , and all my neighbours were glad of my company , they spoke wel of me , and I was taken for an honest man , when as indeede , before God I was a vile beast , & the child of wrath , inspired with the spirit of the deuil continually . Wel , after I heard the Law preached , & I saw and remembred many fearfull iudgements of God vpon men , whome I in reason thought were as good men as I , then I began to consider mine owne estate , and to perceiue my sins , and my cursednes , and vpon a time aboue all other , the curse of the lawe made me inwardly afraide , and my flesh then began to tremble and quake : then I could not sleepe in the night season ; I was afraid of euery thing . If I were in my house , I thought the house would fall on my head : if abroad , I thought euery crannie of the earth would open it selfe wider and swallowe me . I started at euery straw and at the moouing of a flie : my meat was loathsome vnto me , and I thought I was not worthie of so good a creature of God , and that God might iustly turne it to my bane : the griefe of my heart for my life past made me shed abundance of teares : and vpon that I remembred in Dauids Psalms , that his teares were his drinke , and that he did wet his bed with teares . And nowe the deuill changed both his coate and his note , and in fearefull manner cryed in my eares , that I was a reprobate , his childe : that none of Gods children were as I am , that this griefe of my soule was the beginning of hell . And the greater was my paine , because I durst not open my minde vnto any for feare they should haue mocked me , and haue made a iest of it . Wherefore I was faine to goe to a godly learned preacher ; I shewed mine estate vnto him ; after I had cōtinued with him the space of two or three daies , I receiued comfort both by the promises of mercie , which hee shewed me in the booke of God , and by his feruent , godly and effectuall praiers : and I thanke God euer since I haue had some assurance ( in spite of the deuil ) that I doe appertaine to the kingdome of heauen , and am nowe a member of Iesus Christ , and shall so continue for euer . Timoth. How know you that God hath forgiuen your sinne ? Euseb. Because I am a sinner and he is both able and willing to forgiue me . Timoth. I grant that he is able to forgiue you , but how knowe you that he● will● you know your sinnes are very great . Euseb. I graunt : but Christs passion is far greater : and although my sinnes were as red as scarlet and as purple , yet they shall be as white as snowe , and as soft as wooll . Timoth. Oh but you haue sinned very often . Euseb. Tell me not I pray you what I haue done but what I will doe . Timoth. What will you doe ? Euseb. By Gods grace it is my full purpose , and my earnest prayer to God is , hereafter to take better heed , and to amend my former life . Timoth. Is that enough thinke you ? Euseb. What lacketh ? Timoth. The fauour and mercie of God , that may cleane forsake you . Euseb. Nay , that I will neuer grant : for I am certainly perswaded of the fauour and mercie of God euen to the saluation of my soule . Timoth. Oh shewe me that , that is the thing I earnestly desire , to be assured of Gods speciall goodnes , euen by your experience . Euseb. According as God hath giuen me to feele the same , so wil I shewe it you . And first of al the dealing of God towards me is a good argumēt to me . In the first commandement , God hath commanded me to take him to be my God , and in the Lords prayer he teacheth me to call him father : he hath created the world generally , and euery creature particularly for man , and so for me , to serue for my commoditie , necessitie , & admonition . Also he hath made me for his owne image , hauing a reasonable soule , bodie , shape , where hee might haue made me a Toad , a Serpent , a swine , deformed , franticke . Moreouer , he hath wonderfully preserued me in my infancie , childhood , youth , middle age hitherto from manifold dangers and perils : all which doe confirme in me a perswasion of Gods fatherly loue : and that I should not doubt hereof : where I might haue beene borne of Turkes , loe it was the will of God , that I should be borne of Christian parents , and be brought into Gods Church by baptisme , which is the Sacrament of adoption , and requireth faith , as well of the remission of my sinnes as of sanctification , and holinesse to be wrought of God in me by his grace and holy spirit : where I might haue beene borne in an ignorant time and religion , God would that I should be borne in these daies and in this countrie where is more knowledge reuealed then euer was here or in many places els is . Where I might haue beene of a corrupt iudgement , and intangled with many errours of Papistrie , and of the Familie of Loue , and of the schisme of Browne , by Gods goodnes my iudgement is reformed , and he hath lightened mine eies to see , and my heart to imbrace his sincere trueth . By all which things I doe confirme my faith of this , that God alwaies hath bin , is , and will be for euer my father , and at my departing forth of this worlde will giue me the crowne of euerlasting glorie . Secondly , when as man is euermore doubting of the promises of God be they neuer so certaine , God of his infinit mercie to preuent al occasions of doubting , promiseth to giue his own spirit as a pledge , pawne , or earnest pennie vnto his children of their adoption , & election to saluation . Nowe , since it pleased God to call me from hypocrisie to be a member of his Church , I feele that in my selfe which I neuer felt or heard of before . In times past , I came to praiers and to the preaching of gods word , euen as a Beare commeth to the stake ; nowe the word of God is meate and drinke to me , and praier is no burden vnto me , but my ordinarie exercise . If I rise in the morning I am not well till I haue praied and giuen thankes to God , if I do any thing , it commeth into my mind to pray . In my praiers I find great ioy and comfort and exceeding fauour of God , I neuer thinke I can wel take my rest , or doe any thing els except first I aske it at Gods hand in Christ. Lastly , when my mind and heart is wholly occupied in worldly matters , I am stirred vp , and as it were drawn to pray vnto god for the remission of my sins , and the assurance of my saluation , & in praier I haue had those grones which for their greatnes cannot be expressed . Now from whence commeth all this ? From the deuil ? No. In these actions I haue found him my enemie , and a continuall hinderer of them . For he by his craft when I haue beene heauie and weake , hath assailed to prouoke me to some sinnes whereunto my cursed nature was most giuen , and I hauing yeelded to him , haue beene so hardened & blinded by those sinnes , that for a time I haue made light account of the word of God and praier . Well then , peraduenture this came from mine owne selfe ? No neither . This cursed nature of mine hath beene more pleased and delighted with sinne , and with the pleasures of the world , then with such exercises , from which it draweth me and presseth me downe as lead . I cannot think that such a poysoning Cockatrice can lay such good egs , or that wilde crab trees ( such as all men are in Adam ) can bring foorth sweete fruites according to the will of God , except God plucke them forth of Adam , and plant them in the garden of his mercie , and stocke them , and graft the spirit of Christ in them . Wherefore these are the workes of Gods spirit , and my conscience is thereby certified that God hath giuen me the spirit of adoption , and therefore that his fauour and mercie shal continue towards me for euer . For the gifts of God are without repentance , and whome God once loueth , him hee loueth for euer . Thirdly , there be certaine fruits of Gods children which I find in me by which I am confirmed in Gods fauour . S. Iohn in his first Epistle saith , that hereby we know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren . Truely I feele in my heart a burning loue towards them which are good Christians , though I neuer knew them nor saw them , and I am very desirous to doe any good for them : and if drops of my heart blood would doe them good they should haue them . Moreouer , I hate all sinne and wickednes with a bitter hatred , and I long to see the comming of my Sauiour Christ to iudgement , I am grieued and disquieted because I cannot fulfil the law of god as I ought , all which I haue learned forth of Gods word to be tokens of Gods children . And thus you see what euidence I haue to shewe that I am a true member of the Church militant , and in the fauour of God. Timoth. Haue you a steadfast faith in Christ , ( as these arguments seeme to prooue ) without all wauering , doubting , and distrusting of Gods mercy . Euseb. No , no. This my faith which I haue in Christ is euen fought against with doubting , and euer assailed with desperation , not when I sinne only , but also in tentations of aduersitie , into which God bringeth me to nurture me & to shewe me mine owne heart , the hypocrisie and false thoughts that there lie hidde , my almost no faith at all , and as little loue● euen then happely when I thought my selfe most perfect of all : for when temptations come I cannot stand , when I haue sinned faith is feeble , when wrong is done vnto me I cannot forgiue , in sickenesse , in losse of goods , in all tribulation I am vnpatient , when my neighbour needeth my helpe that I must depart with him of mine owne , then loue is cold . And thus I learne and feele that there is no power to do good but of god only . And in al such tēptations my faith perisheth not vtterly , neither my loue and consent to the law of God : but they be weake , sick , wounded , and not cleane dead . As I dealt with my parents being a childe , so nowe deale I towards God my louing father . When I was a childe my father and mother taught me nurture and wisdome , I loued my father and all his commandements , and perceiued the goodnes he shewed me , that my father loued me , and all his precepts are vnto my wealth and profit , and that my father commandeth nothing for any need he hath thereof , but seeketh my profit onely , and therefore I haue a good faith vnto all my fathers promises , and loue all his commandements , and doe them with good will , and with good will goe euery daie to the schoole : And by the waie happely I sawe a company plaie , and with the sight , was taken and rauished of my memorie , and forgot my selfe , and stood and beheld , and fell to plaie also forgetting father and mother , and all their kindnesse , all their Lawes , and mine owne profit also . Howbeit , the knowledge of my fathers kindnes , the faith of his promises , and the loue that I had againe vnto my father , and the obedient minde were not vtterly quenched , but laie hidde , as all things doe when a man sleepeth or lyeth in a trance . And as soone as I had played out all my lusts , or else by some had beene warned in the meane season , I came againe to my olde profession . Notwithstanding many tentations went ouer my heart , and the law as a right hangman tormented my conscience , and went nie to perswade me that my father would thrust me away , and hang me if he catched me , so that I was like a great while to run away , rather then to returne to my father againe . Feare and dread of rebuke , and of losse of my fathers loue , and of punishment , wrastled with the trust which I had in my fathers goodnes , & as it were gaue my faith a fall . But I rose againe as soone as the rage of the first brunt was past , and my mind was more quiet . And the goodnesse of my father and his olde kindnesse came vnto my remembrance , either by mine owne courage , or by the comfort of another . And I beleeued that my father would not put me away or destroy me : and he hoped that I would doe no more so . And vpon that I gote me home againe dismayed , but not altogether faithlesse : the old kindnes would not let me despaire , howbeit all the world could not set mine heart at rest , vntill the paine had beene past , and vntill I had heard the voice of my father , that all is forgotten . Timoth. Seeing that you haue thus plainely and truely shewed the weaknes of yours , and consequently of all mens faith , shewe me I pray you how by the weaknes of faith a Christian is not rather discomforted then comforted , and assured of his saluation . Euseb. God doth not so much regard the quantity of his graces as the truth of them , hee approueth a little faith if it bee a true faith : yea , if faith in vs were no more but a grame of mustard seede ( which is the least of all other seedes ) it should be effectuall , and God would haue respect vnto it . The poore diseased begger with a lame hande , hauing the palsie also , is able neuerthelesse to reach out the same and receiue an almes of a King : and so in like manner a weake and languishing faith is sufficiently able to reach out it selfe , and to apprehend the infinite mercies of our heauenly king offered vnto vs in Christ. Faith in the 3. of Iohn , is cōpared vnto the eie of the Israelite , which although it were of dimme sight , or looked a squint , yet if it could neuer so little behold the brasen serpent , it was sufficient to cure the stings of the fierie serpents , and to saue life . Timoth. Seeing that you satisfie me in euery point so fully , shew me I pray you , whether a man may be wicked and haue faith , and whether faith entring expelleth wickednesse . For I haue heard some say , that a man might beleeue the word of God , and yet be neuer the better in his life , or holier then before he was . Euseb. Many there are which when they heare or read of faith , at once they consent thereunto , and haue a certaine imagination and opinion of faith : as when a man telleth a storie , or a thing done in a strange land that pertaineth not to them at all ; which yet they beleeue and tell vs a true thing , and this imagination or opinion they call faith . Therfore as soone as they haue this imagination or opinion in their hearts , they say , verely , this doctrine seemeth true , I beleeue it is euen so : then they think that the right faith is there ; but afterward when they feele in themselues no manner of working of the Spirit , neither the terrible sentence of the Law , and the horrible captiuitie vnder Sathan , neither can perceiue any alteration in themselues , and that any good workes followe , but finde they are altogether as before , and abide in their olde estate , then thinke they that faith is not sufficient , but that workes must be ioyned with faith to iustification : but true faith is onely the gift of god , & is mightie in operation , euer working , beeing full of vertue : it renueth man , and begetteth him a fresh , altereth him , chaungeth him , and turneth him altogether , into a newe creature and conuersation : so that a man shall feele his heart cleane chaunged , and farre otherwise disposed then before , and hath power to loue that which before he could not but hate , & delighteth in that which before he abhorred , and hateth that which before he could not but loue . And it setteth the soule at libertie , and maketh her free to follow the will of God , and is to the soule as health to the bodie . After that a man is pined with long sicknes , the legges can not beare him , he cannot lift vp his hands to help him , his tast is corrupt , sugar is bitter in his mouth , his stomack lōgeth after slubbersauce & swash , at which a whole stomacke is ready to cast his gorge : when health commeth she changeth and altereth him cleane , giueth him strength in all his members , lust and will to do of his own accord that which before he could not do , neither could suffer that any man should exhort him to doe , and hath now lust in wholsom things , and his members are free and at libertie , & haue power to do all things of his owne accord which belong to a sound and whole man to do . And faith worketh in the same maner , as a tree brings forth fruit of his own accord : and as a man need not bid a tree bring forth fruit , so is there no law put to him that beleeueth and is iustified through faith , to force him to obedience , neither is it needefull . For the Law is written and grauen in his heart , his pleasure is daily therein , & as without commandement euen of his own nature he eateth , drinketh , seeth , heareth , talketh , goeth : euen so of his own nature without any compulsion of the law , he bringeth forth good works : and as a whole man whē he is a thirst tarieth but for drinke , & when he hungreth abideth but for meat , & then drinketh and eateth naturally : euen so is the faithfull euer a thirst , and an hungred after the will of God , and tarieth but for an occasion : & whensoeuer an occasion is giuen he worketh naturally the will of God. For this blessing is giuen them that trust in Christs bloode , that they thirst and hunger to doe Gods wil. He that hath not this faith , is but an vnprofitable babler of faith and works , and neither wotteth what he bableth , nor whereunto his words tende . For he feeleth not the power of faith nor the working of the spirit in his heart , but interpreteth the Scriptures which speak of faith and works after his owne blind reason , and foolish fantasies , not hauing any experience in himselfe . Timoth. Euery member of Christs congregation is a sinner , and sinneth daily , some more , and some lesse : for it is written , 1. Ioh. 1. If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues , and the truth is not in vs. And Paul Rom. 7. That good which I would , that doe I not : but that euill which I would not , that doe 1. So it is not I that doe it ( saith he ) but sinne that dwelleth in me . So the Christian man is both a sinner and no sinner : which how it can be , shew it me by your experience . Euseb. I beeing one man in substance and two men in qualitie , flesh and spirit , which in me so fight perpetually the one against the other , that I must goe either backward or forward , and cannot stand long in one estate . If the spirit ouercome in tentations , then is she stronger and the flesh weaker . But if the flesh get a custom , then is the spirit none otherwise oppressed of the flesh , then as though she had a mountaine on hi● backe , and as we sometime in our dreames thinke we beare heauier then a milstone on our breasts : or when we dreame now and then that we would runne away for feare of some thing , our legges seeme heauier then lead : euen so is the spirit oppressed and ouerladen of the flesh through custome , that shee struggleth and striueth to get vp , and to breake loose in vaine , vntill the God of mercie which heareth my groane through Iesus Christ , come and loose her with his power , and put something on the backe of the flesh to keepe her downe , to minish her strength , and to mortifie her . So then no sinner I am if you regard the Spirit , the profession of my heart towarde the Lawe of God , my repentance and sorrow that I haue both because I haue sinned , and am yet full of sinne , and looke vnto the promises of mercie in our Sauiour Christ , and vnto my faith . A sinner am I if you looke to the frailtie of my flesh which is a remnant of the old Adam , and as it were the stocke of the olde oliue tree , euer and anon when occasion is giuen , shooting forth his braunches , leaues , budde , blossome , and fruit also : which also is as the weaknesse of one which is newly recouered of a great disease , by the reason whereof all my deedes are imperfect , and when occasions be great I fall into horrible deedes , and the fruit of the sin which remaineth in my members breaketh out . Notwithstanding , the Spirit leaueth me not , but rebuketh me , and bringeth me home againe vnto my profession , so that I neuer cast off the yoke of God from off my necke , neither yeelde vp my selfe vnto sinne to serue it , but fight a fresh , and beginne a newe battaile . And I had rather you should vnderstand this forth of the Scriptures , by the example of Ionas and the Apostles . Ionas was the friend of God , and a chose● seruant of God , to testifie his will vnto the world . He was sent from the land of Israel , where he was a Prophet , to goe amongst an heathen people and the greatest citie of the world , then called Niniue , to preach that within fourtie daies they should be destroied for their sinnes : which message the free will of Ionas had as much power to doe as the weakest hearted woman in the world had power , if she were commanded to leape into a tubbe of liuing snakes and adders : as happily if God had commanded Sara to sacrifice her sonne Isaac , as he did Abraham , shee would haue disputed with God , ere shee had done it , a● though shee were strong enough . Well , Ionas hartened by his owne imagination , and reasoning after this manner ; I am here a Prophet vnto Gods people the Israelites : which though they haue Gods word testified vnto them daily , yet despise and worship God vnder the likenesse of calues , and after all manner of fashions saue after his owne word , and therefore are of all nations the worst and most worthie of punishment . And yet God for loue of a fewe that are among them , and for his names sake spareth and defendeth them : how then shall God take so cruell vengeance on so great a multitude of them to whome his name was neuer preached , and therefore are not the tenth part so euill as these ? If I therefore shall goe preach , I shall lie and shame my selfe and God too , and make them the more to despise God. Vpon this imagination he fled from the presence of God , and from the countrey where God is worshipped . When Ionas entred into the ship , he laid him downe to sleepe , for his conscience was tossed betweene the commandement of God which sent him to Niniue , and his fleshly wisdome which disswaded and counselled him to the contrarie , and at last preuailed against the commandement , and caried him another way as a shippe caught betweene two streames ( as the Poets faine the mother of Meleager to be betweene diuers affections ; while to auenge her brothers death she sought to slay her owne sonne ) whereupon for very paine and tediousnes he lay down to sleepe to put the commandement out of mind , which did so gnaw and fret his conscience : as also the nature of all the wicked is , when they haue sinned in earnest , to seeke all meanes with ryot , reuell , and pastime to driue the remembrance of sinne forth of their hearts , as Adam did to couer his wickednes with aprons of figleaues . But God awoke him out of his dreame , and set his sinnes before his face : for when the lot had caught Ionas , then be sure that his sinne came to remembrance againe , and that his conscience raged no lesse then the waters of the sea . And then he thought , he onely was a sinner , and thought also that as verily as he had fled from God , as verily God had cast him away : for the sight of the rod maketh the naturall child not onely to see and acknowledge his fault , but also to forget al his fathers old mercy and goodnes . And then he confessed his sinne openly , and of very desperation to haue liued any longer he had cast himselfe into the sea betimes , except they would be lost also : for all this God prouided a fish to swallow Ionas . When Ionas had beene in the fishes bellie a space , the rage of his conscience was somewhat quieted , and he came to himselfe againe , and had receiued a little hope , and the qualmes and pangs of desperation which went ouer his heart were halfe ouercome : then he praied to God , and gaue thanks vnto him . When Ionas was cast vpon the land againe , then his will was free , and he had power to goe whither God sent him , and to what God commanded him , his owne imagination laid apart : for he had beene at a new schoole , and in a furnace where he was purged of much refuse & drosse of fleshly wisdom which resisted the wisdome of God. For as farre as we be blind in Adam we cannot but seeke and will our owne profit , pleasure , and glorie : and as farre as we be taught in the spirit , we cannot but seeke and will the pleasure of God onely . Then Ionas preached to Niniue , and they repented : then Ionas shewed again his corrupt nature for all his trying in the Whales bellie . He was so displeased because the Niniuites perished not , that he was wearie of his life , and wished death for very sorrow , that he had lost the glorie of his prophecying , in that his prophecy came not to passe , but he was rebuked of God , as in his prophecie you may read . The Apostles , Christ taught them euer to be meeke and to humble themselues : yet oft they striued among themselues who should be greatest : the sons of Zebede would fit one on the right hand of Christ , the other on the left . They would pray that fire might descend from heauen and consume the Samaritans . When Christ asked , Who say men that I am ? Peter answered , Thou art the sonne of the liuing God , as though Peter had bin as perfect as an angel . But immediatly after when Christ preached vnto them of his death and passion , Peter was angrie and rebuked Christ , & thought earnestly that he had raued , and not wist what he had saide : as at another time in which Christ was so feruently busied in healing the people , that he had no leasure to eate , they went out to hold him , supposing that he had bin beside himselfe . And one that cast forth diuels in Christs name they forbad , because he waited not on them , so glorious were they yet . And though Christ taught alway to forgiue , yet Peter after long going to schoole , asked whether men should forgiue seuen times , thinking that eight times had beene too much . And at the last supper , Peter would haue died with Christ , but yet within few houres after he denied him both cowardly and shamefully . And after the same manner , though he had so long heard that no man must auenge himselfe , but rather turne the other cheeke to the smiter againe , yet when Christ was in taking , Peter asked whether it were lawfull to smite with the sword , and taried no answer , but laide on rashly . So that although we be once reconciled to God , yet at the first we be but children and young schollers , weake and feeble , and must haue leisure to grow in the spirit , in knowledge , loue , and deedes thereof , as yong children must haue time to grow in their bodies : and so in like manner the sting of the serpe●● is not pulled out at once , but the poison of our nature is minished by little and little , and cannot before the houre of death be wholly taken away . Timoth. I perceiue by your godly discourse , the manifold conflicts between the flesh and the spirit , and that the flesh is like to a mightie gyant , such a one as was Goliah , strong , lustie , stirring , enemie to God , confederate with the deuill : & the spirit like to a little child , such a one as was little Dauid , new borne , weake and feeble , not alwaies stirring : now then what meanes doe you vse to weaken the flesh , and strengthen the spirit ? Euseb. I vse to tame my flesh with praier and fasting , watching , deedes of mercie , holy meditations and reading the Scriptures , and in bodily labour , and in withdrawing all manner of pleasures from the flesh , and with exercises contrarie to the vices which I finde my bodie most inclined to , and with abstaining from all things that encourage the flesh against the spirit : as reading of toyes and wanton bookes , seeing of playes and enterludes , wanton communication , foolish iesting , and effeminate thoughts and talking of couetousnesse , which Paul forbiddeth , Eph. 5. magnifying of worldly promotions . If these will not mortifie my flesh , then God sendeth me some troubles , and so maketh me to grow and waxe perfect , and fineth and trieth me as golde in the fire of tentations and tribulations . Thus very often he maketh me to take vp my crosse and nayleth my flesh vnto it , for the mortifying thereof . Marke this , if God send thee to the sea , and promise to go with thee , he wil raise vp a tempest against thee , to prooue whether thou wilt abide his word , and that thou maist feele thy faith and weaknesse , and perceiue his goodnes : for if it were alwaies faire weather and thou neuer brought into such ieopardie , whence his mercie onely deliuereth thee , thy faith should be onely a presumption , & thou shouldest be euer vnthankfull to God , and mercilesse vnto thy neighbour . If God promise riches , the way thereupon is pouertie : whome he loueth , him he chasteneth : whome he exalteth , he casteth downe : whome he saueth he first damneth : he bringeth no man to heauen , except he send him to hell first : if he promise life , he slayeth first : when he buildeth , he casteth downe all first : he is no patcher ; he cannot abide another mans foundation : he will not worke till all be past remedie , and brought to such a case that men may see how that his hand , his power , his mercie , his goodnes , his truth hath wrought altogether : he will let no man be partaker with him of his praise and glorie : his works are wonderfull and contrarie to mans workes ; who euer ( saue he ) deliuered his owne son , his onely sonne , his deere sonne , his darling vnto the death , and for his enemies , to win his enemies , to ouercome them with loue , that they might see loue and loue again , and of loue likewise to doe to other men , and to ouercome them with well doing ? Ioseph saw the sunne and the moone and seuen starres worshipping him , neuerthelesse ere that came to passe God laide him where he could see neither sunne , nor moone , neither any starre of the skie , and that many yeares , and also vndeserued , to nurture him , to make him humble and meeke , and to teach him Gods waies , and to make him apt and meete for the roome and honour againe he came to it ; that he might be strong in the spirit to minister it well . God promised the children of Israel a land with riuers of milke and honie , yet he brought them forth the space of fourtie yeares into a land wherein no riuers of milke and honie were , but where so m●ch as a drop of water was not , to nurture and teach them as a father doth his sonne , and to doe them good at the latter ende , to subdue their cankred nature , to make them strong in the spirit to vse his benefits aright . Lastly , God promised Dauid a kingdome , and immediatly stirred vp Saul against him to persecute him , and to hunt him as men doe hares with gray-hounds , and to ferret him out of euery hole , and that for the space of many yeares , to turne him , to make him to mortifie his lusts , to make him to feele his owne diseases : in fine , to make him a good man , and a good king . Timoth. But how if it come to passe that you be tempted to any great sinne , and the flesh ouercome the spirit , in what case are you then ? Euseb. There is no bodie here but you and I , and I take you to be a Christian and a faithfull friend : therefore I will shew a little of my experience . The last yeare by reason of the dearth , I and my familie were put to great pinches , and most commonly we had nothing but bread and water : hereupon I bethought me how I might get somewhat to relieue my familie : it came into minde that in our towne a rich man had a great flocke of sheepe , and that I might take one of them without any hurt of him . I was very loath at the first : but because there was such great stealing of sheepe , and I was in extremitie , in the night I went among his sheepe and tooke a lambe , and I tolde my familie that it was giuen me : I presently killed it , the skinne and the entralles I buried in my backside , the flesh we dressed by quarters , and did eate it with thanksgiuing ( as my manner is ) but surely very coldly , and me thought my praier was abominable in Gods sight . After I had thus done : we fared well for the space of two daies , but I felt my heart hardned , and my lippes were almost locked vp , that I could not as I was woont praise the Lord. The third night after , I went with a quiet conscience ( me thought ) to my bed , and then I slept soundly till three of the clocke in the morning , but I dreamed that one came to carrie me to prison , vpon that on a sudden I awaked , and being afraid looked about me , and fell to consider why I should be afraid , and I remembred that I had sinned against God by robbing my neighbour : O then my feare increased , and I thought that hell gaped to deuoure me , and the law looked vpon me with such a terrible countenance , and so thundered in mine eares , that I durst not abide in my bed , but vp and to goe . Then the deuill assayled me on euery ●ide , to perswade that God had cast me away : saying , they that be Gods , haue power to keep his laws , thou hast not , but breakest them : th●rfore thou art a cast-away and a damned creature , and hell gapeth and setteth open his mouth to deuoure thee . And I thought with my selfe that I had beene alwaies a ranke hypocrite : for as the clowdes of the ayre doe couer the sunne , so that sometimes a man cannot tell by any sense that there is any sunne , the clowdes and winds hiding it from our sight : euen so my cecitie and blindnes , and corrupt affections , and the rage of my conscience did so ouershadow the sight of Gods seed in me , & so ouerwhelme his spirit , as though I had bin a plaine reprobate . And thus it came to passe that Dauid making his praier to God according to his own sense and feeling , but not according to the truth ; desired of God to giue him againe his spirit . Which thing God neuer doth indeede : although he made me to thinke so for a time : for alwaies he holdeth his hand vnder his children in their falls , that they lie not still as other doe which are not regenerate . I beeing thus turmoyled and stung with the conscience of sinne and the cockatrice of my poisoned nature , hauing beheld her selfe in the glasse of the righteous law of God , there was no other salue or remedie but to runne to the brasen serpent Christ Iesus which shed his blood , hanging vpon the crosse , and to his euerlasting testament and mercifull promise , that was shedde for me for the remission of my sinnes , therefore I got me speedily into a close corner in my house , and there vpon my face groueling , I confessed my sinne and praied a●ter this manner in effect . Father , what an horrible monster am I ? What traytor ? What wretch and villaine ? Thy mercie is wonderfull , that hell hath not deuoured me hauing deserued a thousand damnations . I haue sinned , I haue sinned against thy godly , holy , and righteous law , and against my brother by robbing him , whome I ought to loue for thy sake as dearely as my selfe : forgiue me father for thy sonne Christ his sake , according to thy most mercifull promises and testament : forget not good Lord thy old mercies shewed vpon me , let them not at this time in me be quite remooued . On this manner praying I continued many houres , and God which is neere to all them that call vpon him , heard me , eased my paine , and assured me of the remission of my sinne . After presently , for the more easing of my conscience I went to my neighbour , and betweene him & me vpon my knees confessed my fault with teares , desiring him to forgiue me , and I would ( as Gods law requireth ) restore that which I stole , fourefold : he ( I thanke him ) was contented and tooke pitie on me , and euer since hath been by Gods mercie my good friend . So by little and little , God restored me to my first estate : but ( me thinkes ) I haue not that feeling which I had before , and haue beene worse euer since : God of his great mercie amend me , and increase his graces in me . Timoth. But I pray you , what thinke you , wil not God condemne his owne elect children if they sinne ? Euseb. No , for the ground-worke of our saluation is laid in Gods eternall election , and a thousand sinnes in the world , nay all the sinnes in the world , nay all the deuils in hell cannot ouerthrow Gods election . And it may be that sinnes doe harden our hearts , weaken our faith , make sad the spirit of God in vs : but take away faith , or altogether quench the spirit , they cannot . God condemneth no man for his sinnes , if he be adopted in Christ. For then Ioseph , Abraham , Dauid , Peter , Marie Magdalene , should be condemned . God is like a father : and a father if his child be sicke , and therefore be froward , and refuse and cast away his meate , and hauing eaten it spew it vp againe , and in his ●it be impatient , and raue , and speake euill of his father , yet I say the father will not cast him forth of his doores , but pitieth him , and prouideth such things as may restore him to health , and when he is whole remembreth not his disordered behauiour in his sicknes . Timoth. What meanes doe you finde most effectuall to strengthen your faith , to increase Gods graces in you , and to raise you vp againe when you are fallen ? Euseb. Surely I haue very great comfort by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper : for whereas I am spiritually diseased , and am prone and readie to fall , and am most cruelly oftentimes inuaded of the fiend , the flesh , and the law , when I haue sinned , and am put to flight , and made to runne away from God my father : therefore hath God of all mercie and of his infinite pitie and bottomlesse compassion set vp his Sacrament as a signe vpon a high hill , whence it may be seene on euery side farre and neere , to call againe them that be runne away . And with this Sacrament he ( as it were ) clocketh to them , as a hen doth for her chickens , to gather them vnder the wings of his mercy : and hath commaunded his Sacrament to be had i●● continuall vse , to put vs in minde of his continuall mercie laid vp for vs in Christ blood , and to witne●●e and te●tifie it vnto them , and to be the seale thereof . For the Sacrament doth much more liuely print the faith , and make it sinke downe into the heart then doe bare wordes onely . Now when the words of the testament and promises are spoken ouer the bread ( this my bodie that was broken for you : this is my bloode that was shed for you ) they confirme the faith ; but much more when the Sa●rament is seene with the eies , and the bread broken , the wine powred out & looked on : & yet more when I taste it & smell it : As you see when a man maketh a promise vnto another with light words betweene themselues and so they departed , he to whome the promise is made beginneth to doubt whether the other spake earnestly or mocked , and doubteth whether he will remmber his promise to abide by it or no. But when any man speaketh with aduisemēt , the words are more credible : & if he sweare , it confirmeth the thing more , and yet the more if he strike hands , if he giue earnest , if hee call record , if he giue hand writing & seale it : so is he the more and more beleeued , for the heart gathereth : lo , he spake with aduisement , deliberation and good sadnesse , he clapped hands , called record , and put to his hand and seale : the man cannot be so faint without the feare of God as to denie all this : shame shall make him abide his promise , though hee were such a man as I could not compell him , if hee would denie it . And thus we dispute : god sent his sonne in our nature , & made him feele our infirmities , and named his name Iesus , that is a Sauiour , because he should saue his people from their sinnes , and after his death he sent his Apostles to preach these glad tydings , to thrust them in at the eares of vs , & set vp a Sacrament of them to testifie them and to seale them , and to thrust them in , not at the eares onely by rehearsing the promises of the testament ouer its neither at our eies only in beholding it , but beat them in through our feeling . tasting and smelling also , and to be repeated daiely and to be ministred to vs. He would not ( thinke we ) make halfe so much a do with vs if he loued vs not , and would not haue his Sacrament to be a witnesse and testimonie betweene him and vs , to confirme the faith of his promises that wee should not doubt in them , when we looke on the seales of his obligations wherewith he hath boūd himselfe : and this to keepe the promises and couenants better in mind , and to make them the more deepely to sinke into our hearts , and bee more earnestly regarded . Timoth. Considering that this which you say is too plaine , great shame it is that there is such neglect of the Sacrament as there is , and that it is so seldome vsed : but surely want of faith and the securitie which ouerspreadeth this our countrie is the cause of it , the Lord if it be his will remooue the same . Now let me heare a little how you lead your life , and haue your conuersation among men ? Euseb. I haue my conuersation among men as sincere as I can in righteousnes and holines , which is after Gods commandements : our Sauiour saith , Let your light so shine before men , that they may see your good workes , and glorifie your father which is in heauen . Timoth. It is but a dim light which we can carrie before men , and small are our good workes , and to be esteemed of no value : if wee were preachers or rich men , or noble men , then we might saue soules , giue good counsell , helpe many by your almes , but you and I are poore men , of base birth , and of lowe degree , how can we then doe any good workes ? Euseb. As touching good workes by that measure of knowledge that god hath giuen me , I thinke that all workes are good which are done according to the obedience of Gods law in faith and with thanksgiuing to God , and with a minde desirous of his glorie alone , and I thinke that I or any man els in doing them please God whatsoeuer I doe within the lawe of God , as when I make water . And trust me if either wind or water were stopped , I should feele what a pretious thing it were to doe either of both , and what thankes ought to bee giuen God therefore . Moreouer , I put no difference betweene workes , but whatsoeuer commeth into my hands that I doe as time , place , and occasion giueth , and according to my degree . For as touching to please God there is no worke better then other : God looketh not first on my workes as the worlde doth , or as though he had neede of them : but God looketh first on my heart what faith I haue to his word , how I beleeue him , trust him , and howe I loue him , for his mercie that he hath shewed to me , hee looketh with what heart I worke , and not what I worke , how I accept the degree he hath put me in , not of what degree I am . Let vs take example . You are a minister and preach the word , I am a kitchin boy , and wash my masters dishes . Of the Ministery harke what the Apostle saith : If I preach I haue naught to reioice in , for necessity is put vpon me : If I preach not the gospel ; as who should say , God hath made me so , woe is to me if I preach not . If I do it willingly ( saith he ) then I haue my reward : that is , then I am sure that Gods spirit is in me , and that I am elect to eternall life . If I doe it against my will , the office is committed to me , that is , I doe it not of loue to God , but to get a liuing thereby , and for a worldly purpose , and had rather otherwise liue : then doe I that office which God hath put vpon me , but doe not please God. So then if you preached not , or in preaching had not your heart aright , you minis●er the office , and they that haue the spirit of God heare his word , yea , though it were spoken by an Asse , and the woe belongeth to you : but and if you preach willingly with a true heart and conscience to God , then you shall feele the earnest of eternal life , and the working of the spirit of God in you , and your preaching is a good worke in you . Now I that minister in the kitchin , and am but a kitchin boy , receiue all things at the hand of God , know that God hath put me in such an office , submit my selfe to his wil , and serue my master , not as a man but as Christ himselfe , with a pure heart according as Paul teacheth me , putting my trust in God , & of him seeke my reward . Moreouer , there is not a good deede done , but mine heart reioyceth therein , yea , when I heare that the word of God is preached by you and see the people turne vnto God : I consent to this deede , my heart breaketh out in me , yea it springeth and leapeth in my breast that God is honoured , and in my heart I do the same that you doe with the like delectation and feruency of spirit . Now he that receiueth a Prophet , in the name of a prophet , receiueth a prophets reward , that is , hee that consenteth to the deede of a prophet and maintaineth it , the same hath the spirit and earnest of euerlasting life , which the prophet hath , and is elect as the prophet is . Now if we compare worke to worke , there is a difference betwixt washing of dishes , and preaching the word of God : but as touching to please God none at all . For neither that nor this pleaseth God , but as farre forth as God hath chosen a man , and hath put his spirit in him , and purified his heart by faith and trust in Christ. As the scriptures call him carnall which is not renued by the spirit and borne againe in Christs flesh , & all his works like , euen the very motions of his heart & mind , as his learning , doctrine , and contemplation of hie things , his preaching , teaching , and studie in the scripture , building of Churches , founding of Colledges , giuing of almes , and whatsoeuer he doeth , though they seeme spiritual , & after the law of God neuer so much : So contrariwise hee is spirituall which is renued in Christ , and all his workes which spring from faith seeme they neuer so grosse , as the washing of the disciples feete done by our Sauiour Christ , & Peters fishing after the resurrection , yea deedes of matrimony are pure spirituall if they proceede of faith , and whatsoeuer is done within the lawes of god though it be wrought by the body , as the wiping of shoes and such like , howsoeuer grosse they appeare outwardly , yet are sanctified . Timoth. What bee the speciall things in which you leade your conuersation ? Euseb. One thing is the reading of the scripture . Timoth. It is dangerous to read the scriptures , you that haue no learning may easily fall into errors and heresies . Euseb. As he which knoweth his letters perfectly , and can spell , cannot but read if he be diligent : and as he which hath cleere eies without impediment or let , and walketh thereto in the light and open day , cannot but see , if hee attend and take heede : euen so I hauing the profession of my Baptisme onely written in my heart , and feeling it sealed vp in my conscience by the holy Ghost , cannot but vnderstand the scripture , because I exercise my selfe therein , and compare one place with another , and marke the manner of speech , and aske here and there the meaning of a sentence of them that bee better exercised then I : for I feele in my heart , and haue a sensible experience of that inwardly , which the spirit of God hath deliuered in the scriptures . So that I find mine inward experience as a commentarie vnto me . Timoth. We are all baptized , belike then we shall all vnderstand the Scripture . Euseb. But alas very fewe there be that are taught and feele their ingrafting into Christ , their iustification , their inward dying vnto sinne and liuing vnto righteousnesse , which is the meaning of their Baptisme . And therefore we remaine all blind generally , as well the great Rabbins which brag of their learning , as the poore vnlearned lay man. And the scripture is become so darke vnto them , that they grope for the doore and can finde no way in , and it is become a maze vnto them in which they wander as a mist , or as ( as wee say ) led by Robbin goodfellow . And their darknes cānot comprehend the light of the Scriptures , but they read them as men doe tales of Robbin hood , as riddles , or as olde Priests read their Ladies Mattins which they vnderstoode not . And vntill a man be taught his Baptisme , that his heart feele the sweetnes of it , the scriptures are shut vp from him , and so darke that hee could not vnderstand it , though Peter , Paul , or Christ himselfe did expound it vnto him , no more then a man starke blind can see though thou set a candle before him , or shew him the sunne , or point with thy finger vnto that thou wouldst haue him looke vpon . As for heresie there is no danger if a man come to the scripture with a meeke spirit , seeking there to fashion himselfe like vnto Christ , according to the profession and vowe of his baptisme : but contrariwise he shall there find the mightie power of God to alter and change him in the inner mā by little and little , till in processe he be ful shapen after the image of our Sauiour in knowledge and loue of all trueth , and power to worke thereafter . Heresies spring not of Scripture , no more then darkenesse of the Sunne , but are darke cloudes which spring out of the blinde hearts of hypocrites giuen to pride and singularitie , and doe couer the face of the Scripture , and blind their eies that they cannot behold the bright beames of the scripture . Timoth. By this I also can gather that the Papists which cannot reade the Scriptures , except they fall into errors , haue not the spirit of Christ working in them , and teaching them , but the lying spirit of Antichrist the deuill , & that if God would giue them any true feeling , and open their eies , they would quite change their mindes . But what other exercises haue you ? Euseb. Praier and thanksgiuing to God. For God hath promised very boūtifully vnto them which praie in trueth , and it is one of the greatest comforts I haue at all times . Againe , God which commanded me not to steale , commandeth me also to praie , and his will is , that one commandement should bee as well kept as another : and therefore I am perswaded that condemnation will befall a man as well for the one as for the other . And that prayer ought to bee continually euen in euery busines a man doth , me thinketh it most agreeable to Gods will. For if I should come into my neighbours house and take his goods , and vse them , not borrowing them , or asking any leaue , they would lay handes on me , and make me a theefe . The worlde , and all the things in the world are the Lords , not mine : so then if I shall daily vse them , neuer seeking to the Lord by praier for the vse of them , before God I am an vsurper , nay a ranke theefe , & therefore I desire of God hartely that I may vse all his good creatures with feare and reuerence ; and that I may sanctifie his name in them , which Paul sheweth me to be done by the word of God and praier , the word shewing me the lawefull vse of his creatures : praier obtaining at Gods hands , that I may vse them aright . If this practise were vsed of men in their professions & callings , I am perswaded there would be a thousād vices cut off which in men abound , and are committed without shame . Timoth. I think the rest of your Christian exercises be the practising of the Commandements of the lawe . Euseb. Yea they are indeede . Timoth. Me thinkes it is an hard point of the law for a man to loue his enemie . Euseb. It is indeede : yet in the faithfull it will be so : for they haue in their hearts a perswasion , that wheras they are damned in themselues , yet in Christ the mercie of God is most plentifull to their saluation , and al this God confirmeth and sealeth vnto them by his holy spirit , and therefore they cannot but loue God againe , and that with a feruent loue euen aboue all things in the world , and so they loue all Gods creatures , and euen their enemies , because they beare the image of God whome they loue : like as I haue a friend & loue him , I loue all of his name , all his kinred , and all that appertain vnto him . And by the way , here is a good way to know whether we haue faith or not● though faith onely iustifie and make the mariage betweene our soule and Christ , and is properly the marriage garment , yea , and the signe Tau , that defendeth vs from the smiting and power of euill angels , and is also the rocke on which Christs church is built , and standeth against all weather of wind and tempest : yet is faith neuer seuered from hope and charitie : then if a man will be sure that his faith is perfect , let him examine himselfe whether he loue the law : and in like manner if he will know whether he loue the law , that is , loue God and his neighbour , then let him examine himselfe whether he beleeue in Christ onely for the remission of sinne , & obtaining the promises made in the Scripture . And euen so let him compare his hope of the life to come with faith , and loue , and to the hatred of sinne in his life , which hatred the loue of the law ingendreth in him . And if they accompanie not one another all three together , then let him be sure all is but hypocrisie . Timoth. Yet by your leaue faith cannot make a man iust before God without hope and charitie : then they also with faith hath some stroke in iustification . Euseb. I answer , though they be inseparable , yet I praise God I doe conceiue how these three haue three separable and sundrie offices . Faith , which onely is an vndoubted and sure affiance in Christ , and in the Father through him , certifieth the conscience that the sinne is forgiuen , and the damnation of the law taken away . And with such perswasions mollifieth the heart and maketh it loue God againe and his law . And as oft as we sinne , faith onely keepeth , that we forsake not our profession , and that loue vtterly quench not , and hope faile , and onely maketh the peace againe : for a true beleeuer trusteth in Christ alone , and not in his owne workes , nor ought els for the remission of sinnes . The office of loue is to powre out againe the same goodnes that it hath receiued of God vpon her neighbour , to be to him as it feeleth Christ to be to it selfe . The office of loue is onely to haue compassion , and to beare with her neighbour the burden of his infirmities . 1. Pet. 4. Loue couereth the multitude of sinnes : that is to say , considereth the infirmities , and interpreteth all to the best , & taketh for no sinne at all a thousand things , of which the least were enough ( if a man loued not ) to goe to law for , and to trouble and disquiet an whole towne , and somtime a whole realme too . The office of hope is to comfort in aduersitie , and to make patient that we faint not , nor fall downe vnder the crosse , or cast it off our backes . Thus these three inseparable haue separable offices and effects , as heate , and drines , beeing inseparable in the fire haue yet their separable operations , for drines onely expelleth the moystnes of all that is consumed by fire , and heate onely destroieth the coldnes . And it is not all one to say , the drines onely , and the drines that is alone , neither is it all one to say , faith onely , and faith that is alone . Timoth. You are to be commended , you are so perfect in these high points of religion , but I know you speake of experience , for in you faith and hope towards God , and charitie towards your neighbour are inseparable . Euseb. I require no commendations : shame and confusion befall me eternally , that all glorie may be vnto God. Timoth. But let vs talke on further of our duties which wee must performe if we wil liue Christian like among men . And I pray you tel me what do you meane that you giue so much vnto the poore , considering you are so poore your selfe , I speake my conscience if you had ability , you would do more then an hundred of those rich men doe . Euseb. God knowes my heart , it is a hell vnto me to see my brother for whom Christ shed his blood , to want , if I haue any thing in the world to giue him . Among Christian men , loue maketh all things common : euery man is others debter , and euery man is bound to minister to his neighbour , & to supplie his neighbours lacke of that wherewith God hath indued him . Christ is Lord ouer all , and euery Christian is heire annexed with Christ , and therfore Lord ouer all , and euery one is Lord of whatsoeuer another hath : if then my brother or neighbour neede , I haue to helpe him : and if I shewe not mercie but withdraw my hands from him , then rob I him of his own , & am a theefe . A Christian man hath Christs spirit : now Christ is mercifull , if I shall not bee mercifull , I haue not Christs spirit : if I haue not Christs spirit then am I none of his . And though I shewe mercie vnto my brother , yet if I doe it not with such burning loue as Christ did it vnto me , I must knowledge my sinne and desire mercie in Christ. Timotheus . If a man must be franke and free , then a man must giue of his owne stocke to the poore members of Christ , and diminish his own substance . Euseb. Yea indeede ( if neede so require ) wee are made stewards of those goods which God hath giuen vs , shall a steward take all vnto himselfe without reproofe ? I am sure that they which were conuerted at Peters first Sermō after Christs ascension , diminished their substance when they sold them and gaue them to the poore . I am sure that the Churches which were in Macedonia , which sent reliefe vnto their Churches euen aboue their abilitie , they being in extreame pouertie did diminish their possessions : and God graunt our conuersatiōs may be like theirs . And that we should be like them , their examples of great compassion are recorded in the scriptures . Timoth. Many of vs haue our selues , wife , children , father , mother , & kinsfolke to relieue , so that it will be heard to deale after this manner . Euseb. Had not these men so ? yea , I warrant you had they . And the want of loue which you deeme of , the Gospell of Christ knoweth not , that a man should begin at himselfe , and then descend I wot not by what steps . Loue seeketh not her owne profit , but maketh a man to forget himselfe , and turne his profit to another man , as Christ sought not himselfe or his owne profite but ours . This tearme ( my selfe ) is not in the gospell , neither yet father , mother , sister , brother , kinsman , that one should in loue bee preferred before another . The loue that springeth out of Christ excludeth no man , neither putteth difference betweene one another . In Christ we are all of one degree without respect of persons . Notwithstanding though a Christian mans heart be open to all men● and receiueth all men , yet because his abilitie of goods extendeth not so farre , this prouision is made that euery man should care for his owne houshold● as father , mother , thine elders that haue holpen thee , wife , children , and seruants . When a man hath done his dutie to his houshold , and yet hath further aboundance of the blessing of God , that he oweth to the poore that cannot labour , and cannot get work , & yet are destitute of friends ; to the poore I meane which he knoweth , and to them of his owne parish . For that prouision ought to be had in the Church , that euery parish prouide for the poore . If his neighbours which he knoweth be serued , then is he a debter to the brethren a thousand miles off , if he heare of their necessitie and haue himselfe any plentie : yea , to the very Infidels he is a debter if they neede , ●s farre foorth as he doeth not maintaine them against Christ. Thus is euery man that needeth my helpe my father , mother , sister , and brother in Christ : euen as euery man that doth the will of the father , is father , mother , sister , and brother vnto Christ. Timoth. Now ye somewhat perswade me of that which me thought at the first blush , was against common sense . Euseb. By Gods grace I will perswade you more yet . Howe if our Sauiour Christ Iesus should now dwell vpon the earth in pouertie and want , coulde not you be contented to bestowe halfe your goods on him ? Timoth. Halfe my goods ? Nay truely all : and my heart blood : for I know if I should loose my li●e for him , I should saue it . Euseb. Very wel , Christ is al in al. Euery Christian man to another is Christ himselfe , and whatsoeuer is done to the poore , is done to Christ himselfe , and therefore your neighbours neede hath as good right in your goods as hath Christ himselfe which is heire and Lord ouer all . And looke what you owe to Christ , that you owe to your neighbours neede : to your neighbour owe you your heart and life , and whatsoeuer you haue or can doe . Timoth. We need not giue our reliefe except the poore require it . Euseb. Aske or not , if they want , you are bound to releiue them ; As Christ loued you , so loue them . Christ loued you being his enemie , when I am sure of it you neuer asked remission of sinnes . Timoth. We neede not releeue them often , neede we ? Euseb. Yes , as long as you are able , and as oft as they want . If Christ should forgiue vs but once , we should come short of heauen . Timoth. The world is full of naughtines , and lewd people take pleasure in doing wrong , and in slandering , & in hindering their brethren : how can you liue among them in quietnes , doe you vse to giue like for like ? Euseb. No , you must vnderstand that there be two states or regiments in the world , the kingdome of heauen which is the regiment of the gospell : and the regiment of the worlde , which is the temporall kingdome . In the first state there is neither father nor mother , neither master , mistresse , maid , nor seruant , nor husband , nor wife , nor Lord , nor subiect , nor inferiour , but Christ is all , & each to other is Christ himselfe , there is none better then ot●er , but al alike good , all brethren , and Christ only is Lord ouer all neither is their any other thing to doe , or other lawe , saue to loue one an other as Christ loued vs : in the temporall regiment , is husband , wife , father , mother , sonne , daughter , mistris , maid , manseruant , subiect , Lord ? Nowe euery person is a double person , and vnder two regiments : In the first regiment I am a person of mine owne selfe vnder Christ and his doctrine , and may neither hate nor be angrie , and much lesse fight or reuenge : but must after the example of Christ , humble my selfe , forsake and denie my selfe , and hate my selfe , and cast my selfe away , and bee meeke and patient , and let euery man goe ouer me , and tread me vnder foote , and doe me wronge : and yet I am to loue them , and pray for them , as Christ did for his crucifiers : for loue is all , and whatsoeuer is not of loue , is damnable and cast forth of that kingdome . In the temporall regiment thou art a person in respect of another , thou art husband , father , mother , daughter , wife , Lord , subiect , and there thou must doe according to thine office . If thou be a father , thou must doe the office of a father and rule , or else thou damnest thy selfe : thou must bring all vnder obedience , whether by faire meanes or by foule : thou must haue obedience of thy wife , of thy seruants , and of thy subiects : if they will not obey in loue , thou must chide , fight , and correct , as farre as the lawe of God and the lawe of the land will suffer thee . Nowe to the purpose : whether a man may resist violence , and defend or reuenge himselfe : I say nay , in the first state where thou art a person for thy selfe alone , and Christs Disciple , there thou must loue and of loue doe , studie , and enforce : yea and suffer all things ( as Christ did ) to make peace , that the blessing of God may come vpon thee , which saith , Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be the children of God. If thou suffer and keep peace in thy selfe onely , thy blessing is the possession of this world : but if thou so loue the peace of thy brother that thou leaue nothing vndone or vnsuffered to further it , thou shalt possesse heauen . But in this worldly state where thou art no priuate man , but a person in respect of other , thou must , and art bound vnder paine of damnation to execute thine office . Of thy seruants thou must exact obedience , and must not suffer thy selfe to be despised . If thou art a ruler , thou must take , imprison , and sley too , not of malice and hate to reuenge thy selfe , but to defend thy subiects and to maintaine thine office : the ruler must not oppresse his subiects with rents , fines and customes , at all : neither pill them with taxes , and such like to maintaine his own lusts : but be louing and kinde vnto them as Christ was to him : for they be the price of his blood . I will shewe my minde more plainely by one example . You are in your fathers house among your brethren and sisters , there if one fight with another , or if any doe you wrong , you may not reuenge or smite , for that pertaineth to the father only . But if your father giue you authoritie in his absence and command you to smite , if they will not bee ruled but abuse you , then you are another person . Notwithstanding , yet you haue not put off the first person , but are a brother still , and must euer loue & prooue all things to rule with loue : but if loue will not serue , then you must vse the office of another person , or sinne against your father . Euen so when you are a temporall person you put not off the spirituall : therefore you must euer loue , but when loue will not helpe , you must with loue execute the office of the temporall person . You must loue your neighbour in you heart , because he is your brother in the first state ; yet you must obey your ruler who hath power ouer you , and when neede requireth at his commandement you must goe with the Constable or like officer and breake open your neighbors dore , if he will not open it in the Kings name : yea if hee will not yeeld in the Kings name , you may smite him to the ground till he be subdued , and look● what harme he getteth , that be vpon his owne head . Timoth. I vnderstand you well . As I am a member of the spiritual bodie of Christ , I must in all my conuersation follow him with patience , meeknes , & long suffering , ouercomming other mens euils with well doing : yet if the hurt be greater then I can beare , I must take a new person on me , and if I bee a ruler , with loue seeke amendment : if a subiect , then in the feare of God , cōplaine to my ruler . But further I pray you soyle me this doubt . If I shall be taken for a souldier , me thinkes that I should then shake off all loue and meeknes , and then I could not practise this Christian rule . Euseb. Yes , if our Queene ( God saue her grace ) should send you on warfare into another countrie , you must obey at Gods commandement , and goe and auenge your princes quarrell , which you know not but that it is right . When you come thither , remember the two states in which you are : and knowe that in the first state , that is , the regiment spiritual , you must loue them with whom you fight , and that they are your brethren bought with Christs blood , as well as you , and for Christs sake hate them not , yet as you are in the second state a souldier at your princes commaundement you must fight against them , and maintaine your princes quarrel , & bring them vnder her power : & therwithall be content with your princes wages , neither desire your aduersaries life or goods , saue to aduantage your prince . So then a souldier neede not cast away meekenesse , for hee may fight with his enemie and sley him , and yet loue him . Timoth. Another thing I would know of you , which now commeth to my minde , I haue a Landlord , he seemeth to be a very good man , he countenanceth all the good preachers in our countrie , and hee rideth vsually ten miles to heare sermons : I holde of him a house and a little land , not scarse enough to finde my poore familie : my lease is come out , and I haue taken a newe lease , but I haue paied such a great fine , and my yearely rents are so racked , that I feare I and all my housholde are like to begge our bread : this is it disquieteth me , and almost maketh me at my wits ende , what is your counsell and aduise ? Euseb. Surely , it maketh my heart to bleed to see how many men bragge of the gospell , and yet what little fruite the gospell hath in them , and what little loue they shew , euen they which abound in rents and lands . My poore aduise is this , that you would with patience depend vpon Gods prouidence . It is said , Blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth . Then let all the worlde studie to doe you wrong , yea , let them studie to bring you to extreame miserie , & do it too : yet if you be meek , you shall haue foood and raiment enough for you and yours . And no doubt , God ( who is alwaies true of his promise ) shall raise vp some to helpe you . And my counsel is that you giue your Landlord now and then a capon , now a pigge , now a goose ; and if you be able ● lambe or a calfe , and let your wife visit your landladie now and then with spiced cakes , with apples , peares , cherries , and such like : and be you readie with your oxen , or horses , fiue or sixe times in the yeare , to fetch home their wood● to plow their land , then no doubt God may soften their hearts and mooue them to haue some pitie and compassion on your poore estate . Timoth. I haue done all this . Nay ( may it be spoken betweene you and me ) I am at commaundement , and am as a drudge to them , to doe their busines , and to leaue my owne vndone , and yet haue neither meate , drinke , nor money . Euseb. More is the pitie . But remember that they which cannot come to see men deale vprightly in the world , yet doe in their hearts hunger and thirst after this righteousnes , are pronounced blessed . Timoth. To let this passe : shew me one rule how I might generally in all matters behaue my selfe among men , and then for this time I will cease to trouble you . Euseb. Aske your owne conscience what you may or ought to doe . Would you men did so with you ? Then doe you it . Would not be so dealt with ? Then doe it not . You would not that men should doe you wrong and oppresse you . You would not that men should doe you shame and rebuke , he on you , kill you , hire your house from you , or tice your seruant away , or take against your will ought that is yours . You would not that men should sell you false ware , when you put them in trust to make it readie , or to lay it ought for you : and you would not that men should deceiue you with great othes , swearing th●t to be good which is indeede very nought : you would not that men should sell you ware that is nought , and too deare , to vndoe you : doe no such thing then vnto your neighbours , but as loath as you would be to buie false ware , & too deare , for vndoing your selfe : so loath be you to sell false ware , or too deare , fo● vndoing your neighbour . And in all cases how glad would you be to be holpen , so glad be to helpe your neighbour . So in all things aske your conscienc● what is to be done betweene your neighbour and you , and she will teach you . But because you are wearie of reasoning I will also ende . Desiring God to increase in vs his heauenly graces , as faith , and repentance , and loue , according to his good pleasure . Amen . The assertion . A Reprobate may in truth be made partaker of all that is contained in the Religion of the Church of Rome : and a Papist by his religion cannot goe beyond a Reprobate . The first argument . HE which may in truth be made partaker of the chiefe points of the Popish religion , may be made partaker of all : but a Reprobate may be made partaker of the chiefe poin●s of the Popish religion : therefore a Reprobate may be made partaker of all . The proofe of the Argument . THe proposition is plaine , and euery Papist will graunt it : all the controuersie is of the assumption : wherefore I prooue it thus : The Sacrament of Pennance ( as they call it ) is one of the chiefe things in the religion of the Church of Rome : for it is such a Sacrament , a that by the power & efficacy of it , the blood of Christ is deliuered to vs to wash away our sins : & they say b it hath such vertue that the kingdome of heauen is promised to it in the Scriptures , and that it is not regeneration , but an healing of a man regenerate , and that it pardoneth sinne , as baptisme . And as touching Contrition , Papists write , c it hath power to doe away sinne , and to obtaine pardon at Gods hand : the same they speake of Confession , which they say deliuereth from death , openeth paradise ; and giueth hope of saluation : and hereby it may appeare , that pennance is one of the greatest points of the popish religion . But a reprobate may be truly made partaker of the popish sacrament of penance , and indeede performe all in it . There be three parts of penance , Contrition of the heart , Confession of the mouth , Satisfaction in the deede . All these three Iudas performed : first , he had Contrition : for when he saw that our Sauiour was condemned , d then he saw his owne finne , and was stricken with a griefe for his owne treacherie , and repented , and presently after he e confessed his sinne openly vnto the chiefe Priests and Elders . Also he made Satisfaction , when he brought againe the thirtie pieces of siluer which he tooke to betray his master . Againe , Contrition of the heart is the ground of penance : and Papists say , it is not an act of the holy Ghost f but an act of mans free wil proceeding from it : and therefore a reprobate may haue it . And as for Satisfaction , if a reprobate cannot doe it by himselfe , yet he may performe it by another : for so they say g that one may satisfie by anoth●r : wherefore for any thing I can see , a reprobate may haue all that is contained in the popish sacrament of penance . Faith is another of the chiefest points , that is in the religion of the Church of Rome , for h they say , it is the foundation and ground worke of Iustification . But reprobates may haue that faith which they meane . For they say , that it is nothing els , but i a gift of God , and a certaine light of the minde , wherewith a man beeing enlightened giu●th sure , and certen assent to the reuealed word of God. And the Rhemists say , it is onely an act of the vnderstanding : and Andradius saith , that Faith is onely in generall actions , and cannot come to the particular applying of any thing : now all this reprobates may haue , k for their minds are inlightned to know the truth , and to be perswaded of it , and therefore they haue this act of the vnderstanding : & this is a generall faith : yea the deuill himselfe can doe thus much , who beleeueth and trembleth . And their implicite faith which saueth the lay man , what reprobate cannot haue it ? for there is nothing els required , but to beleeue as the Church beleeueth , though he know not how the Church beleeueth . And the Papists themselues say as much : for their l Councels hold , that a wicked man and an heretike may haue confidence in Christ , and that an heathen man , by the naturall knowledge of God , and by the workes of creation , might haue faith , and in a generall maner beleeue in Christ. The second argument . THat religion whose precepts are no directions to attaine peace of conscience , leaueth a man still in a damnable case : but the precepts of the religion of the Churc● of Rome , are not directions to attaine peace of conscience , therefore it leaueth a man in a damnable case : which if it be true , a reprobate may be as sound a professour of ● as any other . The proofe . THe proposition is certen : because as long as any man hath his conscience to accuse him of sinne before God , he is in state of damnation , as a Saint Iohn saith : If our heart condemne vs , God is greater then our heart , & knoweth all things . And this is peculiar and proper to the elect children of God , b to receiue these gifts and graces from God , c the enioyning of which , bringeth peace of conscience . True it is indeede , that reprobates receiue many graces and gifts at Gods hand , but they are no other then such as may be ioyned with the trembling of the conscience , as the deuill is said to beleeue , but withall to tremble . The assumption ( namely , that the religion of the church of Rome can not pacifie the conscience ) may be easily prooued on this wise . A man whose conscience must be truely quieted , must first of all be truely humbled : d Come vnto me ( saith our Sauiour Christ ) all ye which are wearied and burdened , and I will ease you . Whereby it appeareth , that they who are to haue their consciences refreshed in Christ , must first of all be afflicte● with the sense of Gods iudgement : yea they must be pressed downe to helward with the weight and burden of their sinnes , that they may see , and from their hearts confesse , that in themselues there is no way to escape damnation . e The good Phisitian Christ Iesus cannot heale vs before he hath lanced our woundes to the very bottome : he neuer can finde any of his sheepe before they be quite lost : he neuer powreth into vs the liuing waters of his spirit , before we be barren and drie ground void of all moysture , and that man must condemne himselfe , that would not haue Christ to pronounce sentence of damnation against him . Now , this true humiliation of a sinner can not be wrought in any mans heart by the religion of the Church of Rome . True and sound humiliation is wrought by two means : first , by making a man to see the greatnes of his sinne and wickednesse : secondly , by making him to acknowledge , that he is destitute , and quite bereft of all goodnes . For if a man either see not the greatnes of his sinne , or haue confidence of any thing in himselfe , he can not be humbled : but neither of these two things are performed in the church of Rome . As touching the first , the Romish religion is so farre from amplifying & enlarging the greatnes of mens sinnes , that it doth extenuate them , and lessen them out of measure : for it maketh some sinnes to be venial , f when as the least sinne that can be against Gods law deserueth damnation , g it teacheth that lesser sinnes are done away by an humble accusation of a mans selfe , by saying the Lords praier , by knocking vpon the breast , and by such like : the greater sinnes may be done away by almes deeds , and such like satisfactions . But how can any sinne be great , that may be done away with such easie and sleight meanes ? Furthermore it teacheth , that euill thoughts and desires , and motions of the heart without consent are no sinnes : and this opinion cutteth off all true humiliation : for Paul neuer repented , before he vnderstood the meaning of the last commaundement , and perceiued thereby , that the desires and lusts of his heart , to which he did not yeeld his consent , were sinnes damnable before God , and knowing this , he then saw himselfe to be most miserable , and renouncing his owne righteousnes , he sought for righteousnes in Christ. Lastly , i it teacheth , that originall sinne is done away in Baptisme , and that it is the least sinne of al other . What is this but to extenuate mans corruption , for whē the roote of corruption is taken away , and it is made so little a sinne , actuall sinnes cannot be taken for such heinous matters . And for the second point , the Church of Rome doth too too much extoll the power of man , and his naturall strength . k It saith , that all actions of men vnregenerate are not sinnes , and that originall sinne needeth no repentance , l that a man hath some freewill to doe spirituall things , that m a man by meere naturals may loue God aboue all things , feare God , beleeue in Christ , if we respect the very act of the worke , n that the Gentiles might gather out of philosophie knowledge sufficient for saluation , o that a man without the helpe of the holy Ghost , may performe things acceptable to God , p that the minde of man vnderstandeth of it selfe many things which be spirituall and heauenly , q that a man regenerate may fulfill the whole law of God : that a man may prepare himselfe to receiue grace , and after preparation merit grace at Gods hand : that he may doe workes of supererogation , &c. By this it appeareth that the church of Rome ascribeth too much to man , r which in himselfe is onely and altogether euill , dead in sinne , chained vp in miserable bondage vnder Sathan the prince of darknes : and therefore it is euident , that all the preaching that is vsed in that church , will not humble a sinner , and make him deny himselfe , and therefore their preaching may peraduenture benumme a corrupt conscience and make it secure , but it cannot pacifie the troubled conscience , nor disquiet it by the threatning of the law , that by the promises of the gospel it may be quieted . Againe , s this religion teacheth , that a man must doubt of his saluation as long as he is in this life : behold a Racke or gybbet erected by the Church of Rome , for the tormenting of tender consciences : for when a man doubteth of his saluation , he also doubteth of Gods loue and mercie to him : and he which doubteth of Gods loue , cannot loue God againe : for how can any man loue him of whose good will he doubteth : and when a man hath not the loue of God in him , he hath no grace in him , and therfore his conscience must needs be defiled , and voyd of true peace , yea he must needes be a wicked man , and that t saying of Salomon must needes agree to him : The wicked flieth when no man pursueth ( by reason of the guiltines of his conscience ) but the godly is bold as a Lyon. Againe , u Blessed is the man ( saith Dauid ) whose sinnes are pardoned : where he maketh remission of sinnes to be true felicitie : now there is no true felicitie but that which is enioyed , and felicitie can not be enioyed , vnlesse it be felt , and it cannot be felt vnlesse a man know himself to be in possession of it , and a man cannot know himselfe to be in possession of it , if he doubt whether he hath it or not : and therefore this doubting of the remission of sinnes is contrarie to true felicitie , and is nothing els but a torment of the conscience . For a man cannot doubt whether his sinnes be pardoned or not , but straite way ( if his conscience be not feared with an hote yron ) the very thought of his sinne will strike a great feare into him : for the feare of eternall death , and the horror of Gods iudgements will come to his remembrance , the cōsideration of which is most terrible . Vndoubtedly , this religion must needs be comfortlesse . Alas poore soules , we are no better then passengers in this world , our way it is in the middle of the sea , where we can haue no sure footing at all , and which way soeuer we cast our eyes , we see nothing but water , euen opening it selfe to deuoure vs quicke : the deuill and our rebellious flesh raise vp against vs infinite thousands of tempests & stormes to ouerthrow vs : but behold , God of his great & endles mercie hath brought vs to Christ , as to a sure anchor-hold : he biddeth vs to vndo our gables , & fling vp our anchors within the vaile , and fasten them in Christ : we doe it as we are commaunded : but a sister of ours ( I meane the Church of Rome ) passing in the ship with vs ( as it seemeth ) who hath long taken vpon her to rule the helme , dealeth too too vnkindly with vs : she vnlooseth our anchors , and cutteth in pieces our gables , she telleth vs that we may not presume to fastē our anchor on the rock : she will haue vs freely to roue in● the middle of the sea in the greatest fogges and the fearefullest tempests that be : if we shall follow her aduise , we must needes looke for a shipwracke : for the least flaw of wind shall ouerturne vs , and our poore soules shall be plunged in the gulfes of hell . Lastly , Iustification by works causeth trouble and disquietnes to the conscience . No mans conscience can be appeased , before Gods wrath be appeased , and Gods wrath can not be appeased by any workes : for the best works the regenerate can doe , are imperfect , and are stained with some blemish of corruption , as may appeare both in the prophet Esay , & in Paul , both which had a great misliking of that good which they did , because it was mingled with sinne . And againe , euery man is bound by dutie to keepe the whole law , so that if a man could keepe it perfectly , he should doe no more then he is by dutie inioyned to doe : and therefore he which looketh to merit eternall life at Gods hand by keeping the law , trusteth but to a broken staffe , and is like the bankrout , that will pay one debt by another : for by his sinne , euery man is indebted to the Lord , and is bound to answer to the Lord the full punishment of all his sinnes : this debt , the Papist saith , we may discharge by obedience to the law , that is by a new debt , which we are as well bound to pay to our God as the former . To ende this point , let a man looke to be saued by works , and therefore let a man imploy himselfe to doe the best workes he can , yet he shall neuer come to know when he hath done sufficient to satisfie Gods wrath : and this vncertaintie , all his life , but especially in the houre of death , must needes disquiet him . And truly , when a man shall haue done many thousand workes , yet his heart can neuer be at quiet , as it appeareth in the yong man , who though he had laboured all his life to fulfill the law thereby to be saued , yet distrusting all his doings , he asketh further of our Sauiour Christ , what he might doe to be saued . Furthermore , it is the doctrine of the church of Rome , that there is nothing in the regenerate that God can hate : and that they are inwardly pure and without spot . A doctrine that will make any Christian conscience despaire . For if a man shall fall to examine himselfe , he shall find a that he is solde vnder sinne , b compassed about of sinne , c he shall see his particular sinnes to be as the haires of his head : at the sight and feeling of which , he shall finde that there is much matter in him worthie of hatred and damnation too . He beeing in this case , will beginne to doubt whether he be the child of God or not : and perseuering in this doubting , he shall be driuen to despaire of Gods loue towardes him , considering that he cannot find any such purenesse in himself as the doctrin of the church of Rome requireth . Lastly , experience it selfe teacheth that the Romish religion can bring no peace to the conscience , in that some for the maintaining of it haue despaired . As Francis Spira , who against his owne conscience hauing abiured the truth ; and subscribed to the doctrine of the Romish Church , most fearefully despaired of his saluation : which could not haue beene if that doctrine had beene agreeable to Gods word which is spirit and life to the receiuer . For the same cause Latomus a doctor of Louane despaired , crying that he was damned , because he had opposed himselfe to the knowne truth . This also befell Gardner at his death , as the booke of Acts and Monuments declareth . The third argument . THat religion which agreeth to the corruption of mans nature , a Reprobate may truly professe it : the religion of the Church of Rome agreeth to the corruption of mans nature : therefore a reprobate may truly professe it . The proofe . I Neede not stand to prooue the proposition , the assumption is rather to be confirmed : which first I will prooue by induction of particulars . First , that a man should be iustified by works , is an opinion setled in nature , as may appeare in them that crucified our Sauiour Christ : for when they were pricked in their hearts at Peters sermon , b they saide , Men and brethren , what shall we doe to be saued ? and this said the yong man before named , not what should I beleeue , but what should I doe to be saued . So then in them it appeareth , that it is a naturall opinion of all men to thinke that they must be saued by doing of somewhat . A Papist will say , though this be naturall thus to thinke , yet it may be good : for there is some goodnes in nature . I answer that the wisdome of the flesh is enmitie to Gods wisdome , Rom. 8.7 . and a●l men by nature are nothing but flesh : for naturally they are the children of wrath . Secondly , the worshipping of god in images , is a great matter in the Church of Rome : but this manner of worshipping is nothing but a worke of the flesh , which thus I prooue : b Idolatrie is naturall , and a worke of the flesh ; but to worship God in images , is idolatrie . The children of Israel when they erected the golden calfe● they did commit idolatrie , and yet they did not worship the calfe it selfe , b●● God in the calfe . For when the calfe was made , they c proclaimed an holy day , not to the calfe , but to the Lord. And Baal , that detestable idol , was nothing but the image of God , as appeareth in Hosea the prophet . At that day , saith the lord , thou shalt calme no more Baal . It remaineth therfore , that to serue God in an image , is a work of the flesh , and altogether agreeth to the vile corruption of nature . Thirdly , d pride , and a desire to be a aduanced aboue other , is a naturall corruption : to this agreeth the Popes primacie , his double sword , and triple crown : yet the outragious pomp of that seate is as a paire of bellowes to kindle the concupiscence , and to make the hidden sparkes of pride to breake out into a great flame . Fourthly , Doubting of Gods prouidence & mercie is a naturall corruption in all men : to this agreeth , and from hence issueth that foolish and vaine opinion , concerning doubting of our saluation , and of the remission of sinnes . Fiftly , selfe-loue , and selfe-liking are naturall corruptions : to this agreeth that doctrine of the Papists , not ouermuch to abase our selues , but to maintaine freewill by nature , and to thinke that we haue so much goodnes , that we are able to prepare our selues to receiue , and in some sort to merit grace . Sixtly , idlenes and riotousnes is a naturall corruption , and to it very fitly answereth the great number of feasts , of holy daies , of halfe holy daies which the Church of Rome vseth . Seuenthly , Couetousnes is a naturall corruption , and to the feeding of this vice serueth Purgatorie , a fire of great gaine , which in very truth , if it had not burned very hot , the fire in the Popes kitchin had burned very colde : hitherto serue Pilgrimages , saying of Masses , and selling of pardons for money . Eightly , to be at libertie is the desire of nature : answerable to this is that opinion , that the spiritualtie is to be exempted from subiection to Magistrates . Ninthly , to commit adulterie is naturall : to this agreeth the Stewes , and the permission of simple fornication . Tenthly , ignorance is a filthy corruption in nature : this the Church of Rome maketh the mother of deuotion , and it is inioyned the lay man as a meanes of his saluation : for he must beleeue as the church beleeueth , he is not bound to know . XI . Infidelitie is naturall , and to this agreeth that they call vpon Saints and Angels , the Lord hauing commanded them to call vpon him in the name of Christ , what argueth this els , but hearts distrusting Gods goodnes , and guiltie consciences ? XII . Images in the Church of Rome came from infidelitie , because men in reason could not perswade themselues that God was present , vnlesse that were made manifest by some signe and image . Which thing the Israelites declared when they said to Aaron in the wildernes in Moses absence , Make vs gods to goe before vs. XIII . Satisfactions for sinne are naturall : for wicked e men when they haue offended God , they haue alwaies vsed some ceremonies to pacifie God with , which when they haue performed , then they thinke they haue done enough . XIV . The church of Rome saith , that the Scriptures are darke & obscure : the blind man findeth fault with the darknes of the sunne : If the Scriptures appeare to any to be obscure , the fault is not in the Scriptures , but in the blindnes of the minde of him which readeth and heareth them . XV. Lastly , pardons open a gap to all licentiousnes : therefore they agree to mans corrupt nature : for who almost will not sinne , when he may get a pardon for his sinnes , for a little peece of money , as twentie shillings or foure nobles ? And what is it but cosonage to sell pardons which shall be in force many yeares after the ende of the world as the Pope doth . It is naturall to a man to serue God in certaine ceremonies , without the power of godlines : and this seruice is prescribed by the religion of the Church of Rome , which standeth only in outward and corporall ceremonies , as the outward succession of Bishops , garments , vestures , gestures , coloures , choice of meat , difference of daies , times , and places , hearing , seeing , saying , touching , tasting , numbring of beads , gilding and worshipping of images , building Monasteries , rising at midnight , silence in cloysters , abstaining from flesh and white meat . Fasting in Lent , keeping Imber daies , hearing Masse and diuine seruice , seeing and adoring the bodie in forme of bread , receiuing holy water and holy bread , creeping to the crosse , carrying Palmes , taking ashes , bearing Candles , Pilgrimages going , censing , kneeling , knocking , altars , superaltars , candlestickes , pardons : In orders , crossing , annointing , shauing , forswearing marriage : In baptisme , salting , crossing , spatling , exorcising , washing of hands : At Easter , confession , penance , dirge , satisfaction , and in receiuing with beards new shauen , to imagine a bodie where they see none : and though he were there present to be seene , yet the outward seeing and touching of him , of it selfe without faith conduceth no more then it did the Iewes . At Rogation daies to carrie banners , to followe the Crosse , to walke about the fieldes : After Pentecost to goe about with Corpus Christi plaie . At Hollowmasse to watch in the Church , to say Dirge or commendation , and to ring for all soules , to pay tithes truly , to giue to the hie Altar . And if a man will be a priest , to say Masse and Mattens , to serue the Saint of that daie , and to lift well ouer the head . In sickenes to be anneled , to take his rites , after his death to haue funerall and Obites said for him , and to be rung for at his Funerall , moneths minde , and yeare minde . This is the summe of the catholike religion , standing in bodily actions , not in any motions or worke of the holy Ghost , working in the heart . The morall law containing perfect righteousnes , is flat opposite to man● corrupt nature : therfore whatsoeuer Religion shall repeale and make of none effect the commandements of the morall lawe , that same religion must needs ioyne hands with the corruption of nature , and stand for the maintenance of it . This doth the religion of the Church of Rome : it may be it doth not plainly repeale them , yet in effect it doth : a & if it shall frustrate but any one point of any one commandement , yea , the whole lawe thereby is made in vaine . 1. The first commandement requireth , that we haue the true Iehoua for our only God : Church of Rome maketh other gods beside this true God : it maketh the body of Christ to be god , because they hold it may bee in many places , in heauen , in earth at the same time , which thing is only proper to God. It maketh euery Saint departed to bee God , because it holdeth that Saints doe heare vs now being vpon the earth , & that they know our thoughts when we pray to them , which none but the true God can doe . It maketh the Pope to be God , and that in plaine words . b Pope Nicholas saith , Constat , summum Pontificem à pio principe Constantino Deum appellari : It is well known that the Pope of the godly prince Constantine was called God. Againe , in c the extra●agants of the same Cannon law it is written , Dominus Deus noster Papa , Our Lord God the Pope . And againe , d Christopher Marcellus said to the Pope , Tu es alter Deus in terris , Thou art another God vpon earth : and the Pope tooke it to himselfe . As the Pope in plaine wordes is made God , so the power giuen to him declareth the same . e He can make holy that which is vnholy , and iustifie the wicked and pardon sinnes : f hee may dispense contrarie to the saying of ●n Apostle : he can change the nature of things , and of nothing make somewhat . What is all this , but to place the Pope in Gods roome , and to robbe the Lord of his Maiestie ? Againe , the Church of Rome maketh Marie the mother of Iesus to bee as God. In the Breuiary reformed and published at the commandement of Pius the V. a shee is called a Goddesse , in expresse words : and she is further tearmed the Queene of heauen , the Queene of the world , the gate of heauen , the mother of grace and mercy : Yea shee is farre exalted aboue Christ , and he in regard of her is made but a poore vnderling in heauen : for papists in their seruice vnto her pray on this manner , saying : Shew thy selfe to be a mother : and cause thy sonne to receiue our praiers : set free the captiues and giue light to the blind . b Lastly , the very crosse is made as a God. For they salute it by the name of their only hope and pray it to increase iustice to the godly , and to giue sinners pardon . Wherfore the Church of Rome beside the one true God distinguished into three persons , the father , the sonne , and the holy ghost , maketh also many other , and so in trueth hath repealed his first commandement . And they haue very plainely repealed the second commandement , in that they teach it lawfull to make images of the true God , and to worship him in them . For the flat contrarie is the very scope of this commandement : namely that no image must be made of the true Iehoua : nor any worship be performed vnto him in an image : which appeareth thus . In Deutronomie Moses maketh a large Commentarie of this commandement , and this very point he sets down expressely , saying , take heed to your selues : for ye sawe no image in the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb , out of the middest of the fire : that ye corrupt not your selues , and make you a grauen image , or representation of any figure , &c. His argument I set downe thus . As God appeared in mount Horeb , so he is to be conceiued and represented : but hee appeared in no image in mount Horeb , only his voice was heard : therefore he is not to be conceiued or represented in any image : but men are to be content , if they may heare his voice . Againe , that sin to which the people of Israel were specially giuen , euen that doth the Lord specially forbid : but to this were the people of Israel specially giuen , not so much to make images of false gods , as to make images of the true God , and to worship him in them : which I prooue thus . In the booke of Iudges it is said , that the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord , and serued Baalim . Now these Baalims , what are they ? Surely Idols resembling the true God : as the Prophet Hosea declareth . And at that day saith the Lord , thou shalt call me Ishai , & shalt call me no more Baali . Here it appeareth that the Israelites meaning was not to worship a false god , but the true God in Baalim . And Aaron when he made the golden calfe proclaimed that the next day should be holy daie , not of any false god , but of the Lord that brought them out of Egypt . The prophet Esay after that hee had set forth Gods maiestie very worthily , he comes in with this conclusion : To whom thē will ye likē God ? or what similitude wil ye set vp of him ? which declareth that the Iewes after the maner of the Gentiles ran a whoring after Idols , that is , Images not only of false gods , but also of the true God. I conclude therefore as I began , that the Church of Rome , by maintaining images , hath repealed this commandement . Neither doth it shew lesse fauour to the third commandement : which also is repealed . First , in that they teach men to giue the glorie which is proper to God , to some thing els : it is proper to God after the daie of iudgement to bee all in all : this they giue to Marie , saying that shee is all in all . It is proper to Christ in respect of other creatures to be a light lightening all that come into the world , yet they pray to Marie to giue light to the blind . It is proper to Christ to be the redeemer of mankind , & this worke of redēption is ascribed to Marie , whome the Papists call their hope , their ioy , their med●atresse , a medicine for the diseased , a defence from the enemie , a friend in the houre of death . Againe , they make S. Martin a priest according to the order of Melchisedech , which is proper to Christ. Secondly , they hold that the people is to be barred from the reading of the Scriptures , vnlesse it be in an vnknowne tongue , and so they maintaine ignorance and the prophaning of Gods name , for the preaching of the word , and therefore also the hearing , learning , reading , searching of it , is the glorifying of the word , and so the glorifying of Gods name . The fourth commandement is repealed in that they require that their feast daies should be kept as solemnly as the Lords sabboth : For they must be kept in all honour and comlines : and men must rest from their labours , from morning to euening , as on the Sabboth : whereas contrariwise the Lord hath giuen permission to his seruantes to labour the sixe daies , so bee it , on the seuenth they will rest from the workes of their callings , and do the works of the spirit . They repeale the fift commandemēt in that they teach that their Cleargie hath an immunitie , & therfore is not bound to performe obedience to magistrates , for so they haue decreed , that Clearkes are to be iudged only of Bishops : & that they are only to reskue them from iniuries . Againe , that the Bishop must not be iudged of the secular power : and that the Pope himselfe oweth no subiection to Kings , Princes , Emperours , but hath power to make them , and to put them downe at his pleasure . But S. Paul for the maintaining of the fift commandement , bids euery soule be subiect to the higher powers : and therefore the pope with his cleargie ( as Chrysostome hath expoūded it ) must be subiect to ciuil magistrates , vnles they wil exclude themselues out of the number of men , for Paul speakes to all . Against the sixt commandement they haue decreed asyles for murderers , plainely permitting them which feare authoritie , to haue safetie in the lap of their mother the Church . Thus they annihilate Gods commandement , yea & more then this , whither tends all that they teach but to the very murdering of soules ? For example , saluation by works of grace , is one of their chiefe points . But that man that is perswaded that he must be saued by his workes , must also put his trust in them , and hee which trusteth to his workes is accursed before god . For cursed is that man that trusteth in man , whether it be himselfe or other . The seuenth Commandement is repealed diuers waies . First , in that they maintaine the occasions of Adulterie and fornication : namely , the vowe of single life both in men and women , when as they haue not receiued the gift from God to be continent : which gift when they want , and yet are bound to single life , they must needes breake out into much loosenes . This sinne made Mantuan , Palingenius and Petrarch to crie out against the Church of Rome . Againe , some Papists defend the toleration of the stewes in Rome , for the auoiding of greater euils . And in the Councell of Trent , chastitie and Priests marriage are made opposite , so that marriage with them is a filthie thing , although God hath ordained it for the auoyding of fornication in all . Furthermore , that which is most abhominable and prooues the Church of Rome to be an Antichristian Church : they maintaine marriages within the degrees forbidden both by the law of nature , & of gods word . For in the table of consanguinitie they which are placed in the transuerse vnequall line cannot marrie , because they are as Parents & children : yet if they be distant foure degrees on diuers sides from the common stock they may marrie togither by the Canon law . As for example , the graund vncle may marrie his sisters nephewes neece , a thing very filthy in nature , considering that a man cannot marrie with any honestie his sisters child . To goe further , by Gods word they which are distant foure degrees in the transuerse equall line , are not forbidden to marry togither , as cosin germanes . Thus the daughters of Zelophehad were married to their fathers brothers sonnes : this example ( as I take it ) may be a warrant of the lawfulnes of this marriage : Yet the Canon lawe vtterly condemnes this marriage of cosin germans , & the marriage of their children after thē , though they be eight degrees distāt . Thus the Church of Rome doth ouerthwart the Lord : where he giues libertie , they restraine it ; and when hee restraineth men , then they giue libertie . They repeale the 8. cōmandement by their spirituall marchandize in which they sel those things which are not to be sold , as Crosses to dead men , Images , praiers , the sound of bels , remission of sins , and the merits by which men may come to the kingdom of heauē : their shaueling priests wil do no duty without they be fed with money ; hence comes the prouerb , no penny no pater noster . They teach men to beare false witnes , and so to sinne against the ninth cōmandement , in that they holde that Marie is the Queene of heauen : whereas indeede shee is no Queene , but doth continually cast down her crown before Christ with the rest of the Saints . And a man may as well beare false witnes in speaking too much , as in speaking too little . In the tenth commandement the first motions that goe before consent are forbidden : otherwise there shall be no difference betweene it and the rest . For they also are spirituall , and forbid inward motions : but the difference is that they forbid only the motions that goe with consent . Nowe the papists say , that these motions are no sin properly vnles consent follow : and therefore they in expresse words repeale this commandement . For if concupiscence & the first motions be no sinnes properly , then there neede no prohibition of them . The fourth Argument . THat religion which is contrarie to it selfe , is onely a meere inuention of man : the religion of the Church of Rome is quite contrarie to it selfe : therefore it is onely an inuention of man : which if it be true , as well a Reprobate as any other may performe the things required in it . The Proofe . THe proposition is most true , because it is a priuiledge of Gods worde , & so of the true religion gathered forth of it , to be consonant to it selfe in all points : which properly no doctrines nor writings beside can haue . The assumption may be made manifest by an induction of particular examples . I. The Church of Rome saith , that men are saued by grace : and againe it saith , that men are saued by workes . A flat contradiction . For Paul saith , if election be of grace , it is no more of workes : or els were grace no more grace : but if it be of workes , it is no more grace : for els were worke no more worke . Answer is made , that in this place Paul speaketh of workes of nature , which indeed are contrarie to grace , but not of works of regeneration , which are not contrary to grace . This answer is false : for Paul in a like place vnto this opposeth grace and works of regeneration . Ye are saued by grace ( saith he ) through faith , and that not of your ●elues : for it is the gift of God , not of workes , least any should boast himselfe : for we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes , that we should walke in them . Now let the Church of Rome speake what are the workes of which any man may most of all boast ? And what are the workes for the doing of which we must be fashioned anew in Christ Iesus ? Assuredly they must be the works of regeneration , dipped & dyed in the blood of Christ ( as they speake : ) wherefore it is euident , that Pauls meaning is to conclude , that if we be saued by grace , we cannot be saued by workes of regeneration . II. The Church of Rome confuteth and condemneth in Councels , & derideth this doctrine that we teach that men are to be iustified by the imputation of the righteousnes of Christ : which righteousnes is not in vs but in Christ. And the Rhemists call it a fantasticall iustice , a new no-iustice . But herein that Church is contrarie to it selfe : for it defendeth workes of supererogation , and workes of satisfaction of one man for another : and their ground is , because the faithfull are all members of one bodie , and haue fellowship one with another , and therefore one may satisfie for another . Hereby it is plaine , that the church of Rome most of al defendeth that imputation of righteousnes , which most of all it hath oppugned . For when one man satisfieth for an other , the worke of one man is imputed to another . But what ? shall one man satisfie for another , and shall not Christ by his righteousnes satisfie for vs ? shall God accept the worke of one man for another , and not accept the righteousnesse of Christ for vs ? Truly there is greater fellowship and coniunction betweene the head and the members , then of the members among themselues : because they are ioyned together by meanes of the head . III. It holdeth that the guilt and fault of sinne may be remitted by Christ : and yet the temporall punishment of sin be vnremitted : but these are quite contrarie . Paul saith , there is now no condēnation to them that are in Christ Iesus . Yet if a man were punished for his sinne after he were in Christ , and had the fault of sinne remitted , some condemnation should now remaine him . And Dauid saith , Blessed is the man to whome the Lord imputeth no sinne : therefore he to whome the Lord imputeth no sinne , hath not onely the guilt of sin , but also the punishment of his sinne remitted : otherwise he could not be blessed but miserable . and this agreeth not with gods iustice , whē the fault is quite pardoned , and a man is guiltie of no sinne , that then any punishment should be laid on . And S. Austin saith , that Christ by taking vpon him the punishment of sin , and not taking vpon him the fault , tooke away both the punishment and the fault . Wherefore this opinion , that Christ hath taken away the guilt of sin , ouerthroweth all Satisfactions & Purgatorie , because the fault & guilt beeing taken away , all punishment for sinne is also taken away . IV. Transubstantiation is a monster , standing on manifold contradictions . First , it maketh Christs bodie to be in many places : an euident contradiction . For it is of the nature and essence of a bodie to be in one place onely : which I proue thus . A bodie is a magnitude , a magnitude is a continued quātitie , a cōtinued quantitie cannot be but in one place : therfore a bodie cannot be but in one place . In his argument the doubt is onely of the last part : which vndoubtedly is most true . For it is called a continued quātitie , because his parts are cōtinued and knit togither the one with another in a common tearme or bonde , as a line by a point , a plane and his parts by a line , a solide by a Superficies or plane . Nowe these points can in no wise bee continued , vnlesse euery one of them keepe one onely speciall place . For examples sake : suppose the plane , a , b , c , d , to be deuided into three parts , I , k , l , by two lines , e , g , and f , h , which do both deuide the three parts & continue thē the one with the other . Now I say , that euery one of the partes may be cōtinued with his next fellow , it is necessary that euery one of them should haue one special and distinct place . That the first place of the plane , i , may be continued with , k , it must be situated onely there where it is , and no where els : for if it shall be situate els where , as in the place m , then it cannot be continued with k. Nowe then , if the partes must of necessitie haue their owne particular place onely , then the whole figure , a , b , c , d , must also bee onely in one place . And this is that which the prince of Philosophers teacheth , that euery magnitude hath his parts sited in some one place , one by another , so that a man may say of them , here it is , and there it is not . To conclude therefore , this must needes agree to a bodie and to the parts of it , to bee in one onely place alone . So that the Church of Rome when it saith that Christs bodie is in many places : in effect they say , that Christs bodie is no bodie : for if it be a bodie , it is only in one place : & if it be in many places , it is no body . They obiect that God is omnipotent . True indeede , but there bee some things , the doing of which agreeth not with Gods power , as to make contradicentia , things contradictorie to be both true : of which sort these are . For , that Christs bodie is a true bodie , and that it is in many places at once , are flatte contrarie : beccause ( as hath bin shewed ) it is essential to all magnitudes to be in one place , and therefore to a bodie . And God cannot take away that which is essentiall to a thing , the essence remaining whole . 2. Againe , transubstantiation maketh the Accidents of bread and wine to remaine without the substance . Here also is another contradiction as impossible as the former : for it is a common saying in schooles , Accident is esse , est inesse . It is of the essence of an Accident to bee in the substance . Now therefore , if the Accidents bee , there is also the bread and wine : and if there bee no substance of bread or wine , neither can there be any accidents . 3. It holdeth that bread is turned into the bodie of Christ , and therfore it must needs holde , that Christs bodie is made of bakers bread , and yet it holdeth and teacheth that Christs bodie is onely made of the seede of Marie . quite ouerthrowing the former Transubstantiation . V. It teacheth , that a man must alwaies doubt of his saluation : and likewise it teacheth , that in praying we are to cal GOD father , which are things quite contrarie . For who can truly call GOD father , vnlesse hee haue the spirit of adoption , and be assured that he is the child of God ? For if a man shall call god father , & yet in his heart doubt whether he be his father or not , he playeth the dissembling hypocrite : wherefore to doubt of saluation , and to say Our father , &c. in truth are contrarie . VI. The Church of Rome maketh praier to bee one of the chiefe meanes to satisfie for sinnes . But praier indeede is an asking of pardon for sinne : Now asking of pardon & satisfaction for sinne are contrarie : therfore by the iudgement of the Papists , praier which is a satisfaction is no satisfactiō . And indeed let vs consider what madnes is contained in this popish diuinitie : the poore begger commeth very hungrie to the rich mans doore to craue his almes : and straightwaies by his begging he will merit and deserue it . The same doeth the papist , he prayeth verie poorely for the thing which he wanteth , yet he looketh very proudly to merit no lesse then the kingdome of heauen by it . VII . Doubting of saluation & hope cannot agree together , for hope maketh a man not to be ashamed , that is , it neuer disappointeth him of the thing which he looketh for . And therefore it is called the anchor of the soule both sure and steadfast , which entereth into that which is within the vaile . So that true hope and the certaine assurance of saluation goe togither . VIII . True praier and iustification by works cannot stand togither . For hee which prayeth truly must be touched inwardly with a liuely feeling of his owne miserie , and of the want of that grace , whereof he standes in neede . Now this cannot be in the heart of that man that looketh to merit the kingdome of heauen by his workes : for he that can doe this may iustly conceiue somewhat of his owne excellencie . IX . Papists teach , that it is great boldnes to come immediately vnto God without the intercession of Saints : and therefore they vse to a pray to Marie , that shee would pray to Christ to helpe them : yet on the contrarie , when they haue so done , they pray to God immediatly , that he would receiue the intercession of Marie for them . And thus they are become intercessors betweene Marie and God. Yea when they offer vp Christ , praying God to accept their gifts and sacrifices , the humble priest that wil not pray to God but by the mediation of Saints , is then a mediator between Christ Iesus & God the father . X. It holdeth , that in the masse the Priest offereth vp Christ to his father an vnbloodie sacrifice . This is a thing impossible : for if Christ in the masse be sacrificed for sin , then he must die & his blood must be shed , Heb. 9.22 . And in the Scriptures these two sayings ( Christ is dead , Christ is offered vp in Sacrifice ) are all one . So then , the Papist when he supposeth that there may be an vnbloodie sacrifice , in effect he saith thus much : There is a sacrifice , which is no sacrifice . And it is not possible that a bloodie sacrifice should be offered in an vnbloodie manner . XI . In the Canon of the masse , the Church of Rome praieth on this wise . We humbly beseech thee most merciful father , by Iesus Christ thy sonne and our Lord , that that thou wouldest accept these gifts and oblations and these holy Sacrifices , which thy Church offer to thee , &c. where first they offer vp Christ to God the father in the name of Christ , and so they make Christ to be his owne mediatour . Againe , they desire God to blesse and to accept his own sonne : for they offer vp Christ. If they say he needeth now the blessing of his father , they make Christ a weake and imperfect Christ : if he need not the blessing of his father , their praier is needelesse . Also they desire God to accept not one gift or one sacrifice , but in the plurall number , these gifts and sacrifices : whereas they hold that Christs bodie is one only bodie , and therefore but one sacrifice . And thus they are at variance with themselues . XII . Papists , in word they say , that they beleeue & put thei● trust in God : yet whereas they looke to be saued by their workes , they set the confidence of their hearts in truth vpon their owne doings . XIII . They put such holines in matrimonie , that they make it one of their 7. Sacraments , which a conferre grace to the partakers of them : yet they forbid their Cleargie to marrie , b because to liue in marriage is to liue according to the flesh , and the Councell of Trent opposeth marriage and chastitie . XIV . It teacheth that soules kept in purgatorie , may be redeemed by Sacrifices and Suffrages . Against this , is a Canon of their lawe taken out of Saint Hierome , c we know that in this life we may help one another , either by praiers , or by good counsell : but when we shall come before the iudgement seate of Christ , neither Iob , nor Daniel , nor Noe , may intreat for any : but euery mā is to beare his own burthen . And according to another Canon going vnder the name of Gelasius Bishop of Rome . Either there is no Purgatorie , or the soules which goe thither , shall neuer returne . XV. And to conclude , the most points of their religion are contrarie to their Canons , as by searching may appeare in these examples . 1 1 The dead cannot heare the praiers of them which call vpon him . 2 2 Peter and Paul were two of the chiefe Apostles , and it is hard to say , which was aboue the other . 3 3 Leo the fourth liuing in the yeare ●46 . acknowledged Lotharius the Emperour for his prince . 4 4 No Bishop may be called vniuersall . 5 5 The Church of Rome hath no more authoritie ouer other Churches , then other Churches ouer it . 6 6 A Priest and a Bishop were in times past all one . 7 7 The Pope hath no power to giue or sell pardons . 8 8 There can be no merit by fasting , or abstinence from flesh . 6 9 The masse is nothing but the forme of diuine sacrific● . By this which hath beene said , it doth in part appeare , that the religion of , the Church of Rome is repugnant to it selfe , and it could not so be , if it were from the word of God. A Corollarie gathered out of the former assertion . 1. A man being indued with no more grace then that which hee may obtaine by the religion of the Church of Rome , is still in the state of damnation . A DIALOGVE CONTAINING THE CONFLICTS betweene Satan and the Christian. Sathan . OVile helbound , thou art my slaue and my vassall , why then shakest thou off my yoke ? Christian. By nature I was thy vassal , but Christ hath redeemed me . Sathan . Christ redeemeth no reprobates such as thou art . Christian. I am no reprobate . Sathan . Thou art a reprobate , for thou shalt be condemned . Christian. Lucifer , to pronounce damnation , belongeth to God alone : thou art no iudge , it is sufficient for thee to be an accuser . Sathan . Though I cannot condemne thee , yet I knowe God will condemne thee . Christian. Yea but God will not condemne me . Sathan . Goe too let vs trie the matter . Is not God a Lord and a King ouer thee ? and may he not therefore giue thee a lawe , to keep , and punish thee with hell fire , if thou breake it ? Christian. Yes . Sathan . And hast thou kept the lawe of this thy Lord and King ? Christian. No. Sathan . Let vs proceed further : Is not the same Lord also a most righteous iudge ? And therefore a most sharp reuenger of sinne ? Christian. Yes truely . Sathan . Why then wilt thou flatter thy selfe thou hypocrite : God cannot winke at thy sinnes , except he should be vniust . Wherefore there is no remedie , thou art sure to be damned : hel was prouided for thee , and now it gapeth to deuoure thee . Christian. There is remedie enough to deliuer me from condemnation . For God is not onely ( as thou affirmest ) a Lord and a iudge , but also a sauing , and a most mercifull father . Sathan . But thou firebrand of hel fire , and child of perdition , looke for no mercie at Gods hands , because thou art a most grieuous sinner : for , 1 Original sin runneth wholly ouer thee , as a loathsome botch or leprosie . 2 Thy mind knoweth not the things that be of God. 3 In the law of God thou art stark blind , sauing that thou hast a few principles of it to make thee inexcusable . 4 The Gospel is foolishnes and madnes vnto thee : thou makest no better account of it then of thine owne dreame . 5 Thy conscience is corrupt , because it flattereth thee , and excuseth thy sinne . 6 Thy memorie keepeth and remembreth nothing , but that which is against Gods word : but things abominable and wicked , it keepeth long . 7 Thy will hath no inclination to that which is good , but onely to sinne and wickednes . 8 Thy affections are set onely on wickednes : they are as mightie gyants and princes in thee , they haue thee at cōmandement . Remēber , that for very anger thou hast bin sicke : that the lust of thy flesh hath driuen thee to madnes : forget not thy Atheisme , thy contempt of Gods word , thy inward pride , thy enuie , hatred , malice , thy couetousnesse , and infinit other wicked desires , which haue led thee captiue , and made thee outragious in all kind of naughtines . 9 Thy actuall sinnes committed partly in secret , partly in publike , are most filthie and most infinite . Remember how in such a place , at such a time , thou diddest commit fornication : in another place thou diddest steale , &c. God saw this I warrant thee : yea , all thy sinnes are written in his booke : wherefore thou cursed wretch , all hope of mercie is cut off from thee . Christian. But Gods mercie farre exceedeth all these my sinnes : and I can not be so infinite in sinning , as God is infinite in mercie and pardoning . Sathan . Darest thou presume to thinke of Gods mercie ? why , the least of thy sinnes deserueth damnation . Christian. None of my sinnes can feare me , or dismay me . Christ hath borne the full wrath and vengeance of his Father vpon the crosse , euen for me , that I might be deliuered from condemnation , which was due vnto me . Sathan . If Gods purpose were not to condemne thee , perswade thy selfe , he would neuer lay so many afflictions and crosses on thee , as he doth . What is this want of good name ? this weaknesse and sicknesse of thy bodie ? these terrours of the minde ? this dulnesse and frowardnes of thy heart ? what are all these ( I say ) and many other euills , but the beginnings and certaine flashings of the fire of hell ? Christian. Nay , rather my afflictions are liuely testimonies of my saluation . For God as a louing father , partly by them , as with scourges chasteneth my disobedience , and bringeth me into order : partly conformeth me vnto my Sauiour Christ , and so by little and little , laieth open to me mine owne sinnes , that I may dislike my selfe and hate them : and maketh me to renounce the world , thy eldest sonne , and stirreth me vp to call vpon him , and to pray earnestly with grones & sighes , which I am not able to expresse with any words as I feele them . Sathan . Thy afflictions are heauie , and comfortlesse , therefore they can not be arguments of Gods fauour . Christian. Indeede their nature is to bring griefe and heauines to the soule , but I haue had ioy in the midst of my afflictions , & strength sufficient to beare them , and after them haue bin many waies bettered , which befalleth to none of the wicked : and for that cause , it is a great perswasion to me that I shall not be damned with the wicked world , but in spite of all thy power , passe from death to euerlasting life . Sathan . After these thy manifold afflictions , thou must suffer death , which is most terrible , and a very entrance into hell . Christian. Death hath lost his sting by Christs death : and vnto me it shal be nothing els but a passage vnto euerlasting life . Sathan . Admit thou shalt be deliuered from hell by Christ , what will this auaile thee , considering that thou shalt neuer come to the kingdom of heauen ? for Christs death onely deliuereth thee from death eternall , it cannot aduance thee to euerlasting life . Christian. I am now at this time a member of Christs kingdome , and after this life shall raigne with him for euer in his euerlasting kingdome . Sathan . Thou neuer didst fulfill the law , therefore thou canst not come into the kingdome of heauen . Christian. Christ hath perfectly fulfilled euery part of the law for me : and by this his obedience imputed vnto me , I my selfe doe keepe the law . Sathan . Be it so , for all this , thou art farre enough from the kingdome of heauen , into which no vncleane thing shall euer enter : then , although that Christ hath suffered death , and fulfilled the law for thee ; yet thou art in part vncleane : thy cursed nature and the seedes of sinne are yet remaining in thee . Christian. Christ in the virgins wombe was perfectly sanctified by the holy Ghost : and this perfect holines of his humane nature is imputed to me : euen as Iaacob put on Esaus garments to get his fathers blessing : so I haue put on the righteousnes of Christ , as a long white robe couering my sinnes , and making me appeare perfectly righteous , euen before Gods iudgement seate . Sathan . Indeede God hath made promise vnto mankinde of all these mercies and benefites in Christ : but the condition of this promise is faith , which thou wantest , and therefore canst not make any account , that Christs sufferings , Christs fulfilling the law , Christs perfect holinesse , can doe thee any good . Christian. I haue true sauing faith . The conflicts of Sathan with the strong Christian. Sathan . THou saiest that thou hast true faith , but I shall sift thee and disprooue thee . Christian. The gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against my faith , doe what thou canst . Sathan . Tell me then , doest thou thinke that all the world shall be saued ? Christian. No. Sathan . What , shall some be saued , and some condemned ? Christian. So saith the word of God. Sathan . Thou then art perswaded that God is true euen in his merciful promises , and that he will saue some men , as Peter and Paul , and Dauid , &c. and this is the onely beleefe , by which thou wilt be saued . Christian. Nay , this I beleeue , and more too , that I particularly am in the number of those men which shall be saued by the merit of Christs death and passion : and this is the beleefe that saueth me . Sathan . It may be thou art perswaded that God is able to saue thee : but that God will saue thee , that is , that he hath determined to aduance this thy bodie , and this thy soule into his kingdome , and that he is most willing to performe it in his good time ; herein thou wauerest and doubtest . Christian. Nay Sathan , I in mine owne heart am fully perswaded , that I shall be saued , and that Christ is specially my redeemer : and ( O Lord ) for Christs sake , helpe thou my doubting and vnbeleefe . Sathan . This thy full perswasion is onely a phantasie , and a strong imagination of thine owne head : it goeth not with thee as thou thinkest . Christian. It is no imagination , but truth which I speake . For me thinkes I am as certen of my saluation as though my name were registred in the Scriptures ( as Dauids and Pauls are ) to be an elect vessell of God : and this is the testimonie of the holy spirit of Iesus Christ , assuring me inwardly of my adoption , and making me with boldnes and confidence in Christ , to pray vnto god the Father . Sathan . Still thou dreamest and imaginest , thou louest and likest thy selfe , and therefore thou thinkest the best of thy selfe . Christian. Yea , but God of his goodnesse hath brought forth such tokens of faith in me , that I cannot be deceiued . I. I am displeased with my selfe for my manifold sinnes , in which somtime I haue delighted and bathed my selfe , Rom. 7.15.24 . II. I purpose neuer to commit them againe , if God giue me strength , as I trust he will. III. I haue a very great desire to be doing those things which God commandeth . IV. Those that be the children of God : if I doe but heare of them , I loue them with my heart , and wish vnto them as to my selfe . 1. Ioh. 3.14 . V. My heart leapeth for gladnesse , when I heare of the preaching of the word . VI. I long to see the comming of Christ Iesus , that an end may be made of sinning , and of displeasing God. Apoc. 22.70 . VII . I feele in my heart the fruits of the spirit , ioy , loue , peace , gentlenes , meeknes , patience , temperance : the works of the flesh I abhorre them , fornication , adulterie , vncleannes , wantonnes , idolatry , strife , enuie , anger , drunkennes , bibbing and quaffing , and all such like . Gal. 5. 19,20,22 . All these cannot proceede from thee , Sathan , or from my flesh , but onely from faith which is wrought in me by Gods holy spirit . Sathan . If this were so , God would neuer suffer thee to sinne as thou doest . Christian. I shall sinne as long as I liue in this world , I am sure of it ; because I am taught to aske remission of my sinnes continually . But the manner of my sinning now is otherwaies then it hath beene in times past . I haue sinned heretofore with full purpose and consent of will ; but now doubtles , I doe not . Before I commit any sinne , I doe not goe to the practising of it with deliberation , as the carnall man doth , who taketh care to fulfill the lusts of the flesh : but if I doe it , it is flat beside my minde and purpose : in the doing of any sinne , I would not doe it , my heart is against it , and I hate it , and yet by the tyrannie of my flesh being ouercome I doe it : afterward , when it is committed , I am grieued and displeased at my selfe , and doe earnestly with teares aske at Gods hand forgiuenes of the same sinne . Sathan . Indeede , this is very true in the children of God : but thou art solde vnder sinne and with great pleasure doest commit sinne , and louest it with thy whole heart : otherwise , thou wouldest not fall to sinne againe after repentance , and commit euen one and the same sinne , so often as thou doest . Thou hypocrite , this thy behauiour turneth all the fauour of God from thee . Christian. Indeed it is dangerous to fall againe into the same sinne after repentance : yet it is the order of the Prophets to call men to repentance which haue fallen from the feare of God , and from the repentance which they professed : and God in thus calling them , putteth them in hope of obtaining mercie . And the law had sacrifices offered euery day for the sinnes of all the people , and for particular men , both for their ignorances , and their voluntary sins : which signifieth , that God is readie to forgiue the sinnes of his childrē though they sinne often . Abraham twise lied and swore that Sara was not his wife . Ioseph sware twise by the life of Pharao . Dauid committed adulterie often , because he tooke vnto him Bathsheba , Vriahs wife , and also kept sixe wiues , and ten concubines . Gods will is , that men forgiue till seuentie seuen times : and therefore he will haue much more mercie . And for my part , so oft as I shal fall into the same sinne , so oft I shall haue Christ my aduocate and intercessour to the Father for me , who will not damne me for the infirmitie which he findeth in me , I will abstaine from externall iniquitie , and I will not make my members seruants vnto sinne : and so long I trust my imperfections shall haue no power to damne me : for Christs perfection is reputed to be mine by faith , which I haue in his blood : God is not displeased , if my body be sicke and subiect to diseases : no more is he displeased at the disease and sicknes of the soule . A naturall father will not slay the bodie of his child , when he is sicke , and abhorreth comfortable meates : and my heauenly father will not condemne my soule , although through the infirmitie of faith , and the weaknes of the spirit , I commit sinne , and often loath his heauenly word , the foode of my soule . Nay , ( which is a strange thing ) I know it by experience , that God hath turned my filthie sinnes to my great profit , and to the amendment of my life : like as the good Phisitian , of rancke poyson is able to make a soueraigne medecine to preserue life . Sathan . Well , be it so , that now thou art in the state of grace , yet thou shalt not continue so : but shalt before death depart from Christ. Christ. I know I am a member of Christs mysticall bodie : I feele in my selfe the heauenly power , & vertue of my head Christs Iesus : & for this cause I can not perish , but shal cōtinue for euer , & raigne in heauē after this life with him . The conflicts of Sathan with the weake Christian. Sathan . Thy minde is full of ignorance and blindnes , thy heart is ful of obstinacie , rebellion , and frowardnes against God : thou art wholly vnfit for any good worke ; wherefore thou hast no faith , neither canst thou be iustified , and accepted before God. Christian. If I haue but one drop of the grace of God , and if my faith be no more then a little graine of mustard seede , it is sufficient for me : God requireth not perfect faith , but true faith . Sathan . Yea , but thou hast no faith at all . Christian. I haue had faith . Sathan . Thou neuer hadst true faith : for in time past , when according to thine opinion thou didst beleeue , then thou hadst nothing but a shadow of faith and a foolish imagination , which all hypocrites haue . Christian. I will put my trust in God for euer , and his former mercies shewmed me heretofore strengthen me now in this my weaknes . 1 He created me when I was nothing . 2 He created me a man , when he might haue made me an vgly toad . 3 He made me of comely body , and of good discretion , whereas he might haue made me vgly , and deformed , franticke and madde . 4 I was borne in the daies of knowledge , when I might haue bin borne in the time of ignorance and superstition . 5 I was borne of Christian parents , but God might haue giuen me either Turkes or Iewes , or some other sauadge people for my parents . 6 I might haue perished in my mothers wombe , but he hath preserued me , and prouided for me by his prouidence euen vnto this houre . 7 Soone after my birth , God might haue cast me into hell , but contrariwise I was baptized , and so receiued the seale of his blessed couenant . 8 I haue had by Gods goodnes some sorrow for my sinnes past , and haue called on him , in hope and confidence that he would heare me . 9 God might haue concealed his word from me , but I haue heard the plētifull preaching of it : I vnderstand it , and haue receiued comfort by it . 10 Lastly , at this time God might powre his full wrath on me : which he doth not , but mercifully maketh me to feele mine owne wants , that I might be humbled , and giue all glorie vnto him for his blessings . Wherefore , there is no cause why I should be disquieted : but I will trust still in the Lord , and depend on him , as I haue done . Sathan . Thou feelest no grace of the holy Ghost in thee , nor any true tokens of faith , but thou hast a liuely sense of the rebellion of thy heart , and of thy lewd and wretched conuersation : therefore thou canst not put any confidence in Christs death and sufferings . Christian. Yet I will hope against all hope , & although , according to mine owne sense and feeling , I want faith : yet I wil beleeue in Iesus Christ , and trust to be saued by him . Sathan . Though the children of God haue bin in many perplexities , yet neuer any of them haue beene in this case , in which thou art at this present . Christian. Herein thou prouest thy selfe to be a lying spirit : for the prophet Dauid saith of himselfe , that he was foolish , and as a beast before God : and yet he euen then trusted in God. And Paul was so ledde captiue of sinne , that he was not able to doe the good he would , but did the euill which he hated : and so in great pensiuenes of heart , desired to be deliuered from this world , that he might be disburdened of his corrupt flesh . Sathan . Thou miserable wretch , doest thou feele thy selfe gracelesse , and wilt thou beare the face of a Christian ? and by thy hypocrisie offend God ? as thou art , so shew thy selfe to the world . Christian. Auoide Sathan , Christ hath vanquished , and ouercome thee for my cause , that I might also triumph ouer thee . I am no hypocrite : for whereas I haue had heretofore some testimonie of my faith , at this time I am lesse moued , though faith seeme to be absent : like as a man may seeme to be dead , both in his own sense , and by the iudgement of the physitian , and yet may haue life in him : so faith may be , though alwaies it doe not appeare . Sathan . But thou art a man starke dead in sinne , God hath now quite forsaken thee : he hath left thee vnto me to be ruled : he hath giuen me power ouer thee , to bring thee to damnation : he wil not haue thee to trust in him any longer . Christian. Strengthen me good Lord ; remember thy mercifull promises , that thou wilt reuiue the humble , and giue life to them that are of a contrite heart . Sathan . These promises concerne not thee , which hast no humble and contrite , but a froward , a rebellious heart . Christian. Good Lord forget not thy former mercies : giue an issue to these temptations of mine enemie Sathan . And you my brethren , which know my estate , pray for me , that God would turne his fauourable countenance towards me : for this I know , that the praier of the righteous auaileth much , if it be feruent . HOW A MAN SHOULD APPLIE ARIGHT the word of God to his owne soule . I. EVery Christian containeth in himselfe two natures , flatte contrarie one to the other , the flesh and the spirit : and that he may become a perfect man in Christ Iesus , his earnest indeauour must be , to tame , and subdue the flesh , and to strengthen and confirme the spirit . II Answerable to these two natures , are the two parts of Gods word . First , the Law , because it is the ministerie of death , it fitly serueth for the taming and mastering of the rebellious flesh : and the Gospell containing the bountifull promises of God in Christ , is as oyle , to power into our woundes , and as the water of life , to quench our thirstie soules : and it fitly serueth for the strengthening of the spirit . III Wel then , art thou secure ? Art thou prone to euill ? Feelest thou that thy rebellious flesh carrieth thee captiue vnto sinne ? Looke now onely vpon the lawe of God , applie it to thy selfe , examine thy thoughts , thy words , thy deeds by it : pray vnto God , that he would giue thee the spirit of feare , that the lawe may in some measure humble and terrifie thee : for ( as Salomon saith ) blessed is the man that feareth alwaies , but cursed is he that hardneth his heart . IV. In the Law , these are most effectuall meditations to humble and bridle the flesh , which follow . First , meditate on the greatnes of thy sinnes , and of their infinite number : and if it may be , gather them into a catalogue , set it before thee : and looke vnto it , that thou thinke no sinne to be a small sinne , no not the bare thoughts and motions of thy heart . Often with diligence consider the strange iudgements of God vpon men , for their sinnes , which thou shalt find , partly in the Scriptures , partly by daily experience . Doubtlesse thou must thinke , that euery iudgement of God , is a sermon of repentance . Thinke oft on the fearefull curse of the law due vnto thee , if thou shouldest sinne neuer but once in all thy life , and that neuer so little . Remember , that whensoeuer thou committest a sinne , God is present , and his holy Angels , and that he is an eye-witnes , that he taketh a note of thy sinne , and registreth it in a booke . Thinke daily of thy ende : and know that God may strike thee with sodaine death euery moment : and that , if then thou haue not repented before that time , there is no hope of saluation . Thinke on the sodaine comming of our Sauiour Christ to iudgement , let it mooue thee continually to watch & pray . If these will not mooue thee , thinke on this , that no creature in heauen or in earth , was able to pacifie the wrath of God for thy sinnes : but his owne Sonne must come downe from heauen , out of his Fathers bosome , and must beare the curse of the law , euen the full wrath of his Father , for thee . V. When by these meanes thou art feared , and thy minde is disquieted in respect of Gods iudgement for thy sinne : haue recourse to the promises of mercie contained in the olde and new Testament . Is thy conscience stung with sinne ? And doth the law make thee feele it ? With all speede runne to the brasen serpent Christ Iesus , looke on him with the eie of faith , and presently thou shalt be healed of thy sting or wound . VI. When thou doest meditate on the promises of the Gospel , diligently consider these benefits , which thou enioyest by Christ. Through Adam , thou art condemned to hel ; by Christ thou art deliuered from it . Through Adam , thou hast transgressed the whole law ; in Christ thou hast fulfilled it . Through Adam , thou art before God a vile , and a lothsome sinner : through Christ thou doest appeare glorious in his eyes . By Adam euery little crosse is the punishment of thy sinne , and a token of Gods wrath : by Christ , the greatest crosses are easie , profitable , and tokens of Gods mercie . By Adam , thou diddest leese all things : in Christ all things are restored to thee againe . By Adam thou art dead ; by Christ thou art quickned , and made aliue again . By Adam thou art a slaue of the deuill , and the child of wrath : but by Christ , thou art the child of God. In Adam , thou art worse then a toad , and more detestable before God : but by Christ , thou art aboue the Angels . For thou art ioyned vnto him , and made bone of his bone , mystically . Through Adam , sinne and Sathan haue ruled in thee , and led thee captiue : by Christ , the spirit of god dwelleth in thee plenteouslie . By Adam , came death to thee , and it is an entrance to hell : by Christ , though death remaine , yet it is only a passage vnto life . Lastly , in Adā , thou art poore , and blind , and miserable : in Christ thou art rich and glorious , thou art a king of heauen an earth , fellow heire with him , and shalt as sure bee partaker of it , as he is euen now . Adam , when hee must needs tast of the fruit , which God had forbidden him , he hath made vs all to rue it , euen til this daie : but here thou seest the fruits that grow , not in the earthly paradise , but on the tree of life , which is within the heauenly Ierusalem . Feare no danger , be bolde in Christ to eate of the fruite , as God hath commaunded thee : it will quicken thee , and reuiue thee beeing dead : thou canst not doe Satan a worse displeasure , then to feede on the godly fruite of this tree , and to smell on the sweete leaues , which it beareth continually , that giue such a refreshing sauour . VII . Most men now a daies , are secure and cold in the profession of the gospell , though they haue the plentifull preaching of it . And the reason is , because they feele not in themselues the vertue and mightie operation of Gods word , to renue them : and they can not feele it , because they doe not applie the word aright vnto their owne soules . Plaisters , except they be applied in order and time , and be laid vpon the wound , though they be neuer so good , yet they can not heale : and so it is with the worde of God , and the parts of it , which except they be vsed in order and time conuenient , will not humble and reuiue vs , as their vertue is . VIII . The common Christian euery where is faultie in this thing . Whereas he loueth himselfe , and wisheth all good that may bee to himselfe , hee doth vsually apply vnto his owne soule the gospel alone neuer regarding the law , or searching out his sinnes by it . Tell him what ye will , his song is this : God is mercifull , God is mercifull . By this meanes it commeth to passe , that he leadeth a secure life , and maketh no conscience of couetousnes , of vsurie , of deceit in his trade , of lying , of swearing , of fornication , wantonnesse , intemperancie in bibbing and quaffing , &c. But he plaieth the vnskilfull Chirurgian , he vseth healing plaisters , before his poisoned and cankered nature haue felt the power and paine of a Corasiue . And it will neuer be well with him , vntil hee take a newe course . IX . On the contrarie part , many good Christians leaue to apply the comfort of the gospel to themselues , and onely haue regard to their owne sinnes , and Gods infinite vengeance . And euen when Satan accuseth them , they will not sticke to giue eare to Sathan , & also accuse themselues : & so they are brought into fearefull terrors , and often draw neere to desperation . X. There is a third sort called Sectaries , who addict themselues to the opinion of some man. These commonly neuer apply the law or the Gospell to themselues , but their whole meditation is chiefly in the opinions of him whome they followe . As they that followe Luther , fewe of them followe his Christian life : they regard not that : but about consubstantiation and vbiquitie , about Images and such like trumperie , they infinitely trouble themselues and all Europe too . And in England there is a schismatical and vndiscret companie , that would seeme to crie out for discipline , their whole talke is of it , and yet they neither knowe it , nor will be reformed by it , and yet they are enemies to it : as for the lawe of God , and the promises of the Gospell , they little regard : they maintain vile sinnes in refusing to heare the reading or the preaching of the word : and this is great contempt of Gods benefits and vnthankefulnesse to him . They are full of pride , thinking themselues to be full , when they are emptie : to haue all knowledge when they are ignorant , and had neede to bee catechized : the poyson of Aspes is vnder their lippes ; they refuse not to speake euill of the blessed seruants of God. Well , doe they aboue all things seeke the kingdome of GOD ? then let them be sincere seekers of it : which they shall doe , if in seeking Christs kingdome they seeke the righteousnesse thereof : vnto which they can neuer come but by the applying of the threatnings of the lawe , and the comforts of the gospel to their own consciences . But whereas they seeke the one and not the other , they giue all men to vnderstand with what spirit they speake . CONSOLATIONS FOR THE TROVBLED consciences of repentant Sinners . Sinner . GOod sir , I know a the Lord hath giuen you the tongue of the learned , to be able to minister a word in time to him that is wearie : therefore I pray you helpe me in my miserie . Minister . Ah my good brother what is the matter with you ? and what aile you ? Sinner . I liued a long time , the Lord he knoweth it , after the manner of the world , in all the lusts of my filthie flesh , & then I was neuer troubled : but it hath plesed GOD of his mercie to touch my heart , and to send his owne sonne that good sheapheard Iesus Christ , to fetch me home to his owne fold , euen vpon his own necke : and since that time it is a wonder to see howe my poore heart hath beene troubled : my corruption so boyles in me and Sathan will neuer let me alone . Minister . Your case is a blessed case : for not to be troubled of Satan , is to be possessed of him : that is , to be held captiue vnder b the power of darkenes , and to be a slaue and vassall of Sathan : for c as long as the strong man keepes the hold , all things are is peace . Contrariwise hee that hath receiued any sparkle of true faith , shall see d the gates of hell , that is , the deuill and his angels in their full strength● to stand vp against him , and to fight with an endles hatred for his finall confusion . Sinner . But this my trouble of mind , hath made me oftentimes feare least God would reiect me , and vtterly depriue me of the kingdome of heauen . Minister . But there is no cause why it should so doe . For how should heauen bee your resting place , if on earth you were not troubled ? how could god wipe away your teares from your eies in heauen , if on earth you shead them not ? You would be fre● from miseries , you looke for heauen vpon earth . But if you will go to heauen , the right waie is to saile by hel . If you wil sit at Christs table in his kingdome ; you must bee with him in his temptations . You are as Gods corne , you must therefore goe vnder the f●aile , the fanne , the milstone , and the ouen , before you can be Gods bread . You are one of Christs Lambes , looke therefore to be fleeced , and to haue the bloodie knife at your throat all the daie long . If you were a market sheepe bought to be solde , you should be stalled and kept in a fat pasture : but you are for Gods owne occupying , therfore you must pasture on the bare common , abiding stormes , tempests , Sathans snatches , the worlds woundes , contempt of conscience , and frettes of the flesh . But in this your miserie I will be a Simon vnto you , to helpe you to carrie your crosse , so be it you will reueale your mind vnto me . Christian. I will doe it willingly : my temptations are either against my faith in Christ , or against repentance for my sinnes . Minister . What is your temptation as touching faith ? Christian. Ah woe is me , I am much afraid least I haue no faith in Christ my Sauiour . Minister . What causeth this feare ? Christian. Diuers things . Minister . What is one ? Christian. I am troubled with many doubtings of my saluation : and so it comes into my minde to thinke , that by my incredulitie I should quite cut off my selfe from the fauour of God. Minister . But you must knowe this one thing , that he that neuer doubted of his saluation neuer beleeued , and that hee which beleeueth in trueth , feeleth many doubtings and wauerings , euen as the sound man feels many grudgings of diseases , which if he had not health he could not feele . Christian. But you neuer knewe any that hauing true faith doubted of their saluation . Minister . What will you then say of the man that said , a Lord I beleeue , Lord helpe mine vnbeleefe ? And of Dauid who made his moane after this manner : Is his mercy cleane gone for euer ? Doth his promise faile for euermore ? Hath God forgotten to be mercifull ? Hath he shut vp his tender mercie in displeasure ? Yea hee goeth on further , as a man in despaire . b And I said this is my death . Hereby it is manifest , that a man indued with true faith may haue not onely assaults of doubting , but of desperation . This further appeareth in that he saith in an other place , c Why art thou cast downe my soule ? Why art thou disquieted within me ? Waite on God , for I will yet giue thankes , he is my present helpe and my God. And in very truth you may perswade your selfe that they are but d vnreasonable men , that say they haue long beleeued in Christ without any doubting of their saluation . Christian. But Dauid had more in him then I haue , for me thinkes there is nothing in this wicked heart of mine , but rebellion against GOD , nothing but doubting of his mercie . Minister . Let me know but one thing of you : these doubtings which you feele , doe you like them ? or doe you take any pleasure in them ? and doe you cherish them ? Christian. Nay , nay , they appeare very vile in mine eies , and I do abhorre them from my heart : and I would faine beleeue . Minister . In man we must consider his estate by nature , and his estate by grace . In the first , hee and his flesh are all one , for they are as man & wife : therfore one is accessarie to the doings of the other . When the flesh sinneth the man also sinneth , that is in subiection to the flesh ; yea when the flesh perisheth the man likewise perisheth , beeing in this estate , with the flesh ; a louing couple they are , they liue and die together . But in the estate of grace , though a man haue the flesh in him , yet hee and his flesh are diuorced asunder . This diuorcement is made when a man begins to dislike and to hate his flesh , and the euil fruits of it : this separation beeing made , they are no more one but twaine , and the one hath nothing to doe with the other . In this case though the flesh beget sin , & perish therefore , yet the Christian man shal not incurre damnation for it . To come more neere the matter ; you say the flesh begets in you wauerings , doubtings , and distrustings : what then ? it t●oubleth you , but feare not , remember your estate ; you are diuourced from the flesh , and you are new married vnto Christ : if these sins be laid at your doore , account them not as your children , but renounce them as Bastards : say with Paul , I doubt indeede , but I hate my doubtings , and I am no cause of these , but the flesh in me which shall perish when I shall be saued by Christ. Christian. This which you haue said doeth in part content mee : one thing more I pray you shew me concerning this point : namely how I may be able to ouercome these doubtings . Minist . For the suppressing of doubtings , you are to vse three meditations . The first , that it is gods commandemēt that you should beleeue in Christ : So S. Iohn saith , This is his commandement that wee beleeue in the name of his Son Iesus Christ. Thou shalt not steale is Gods commandement , and you are loath to breake it , least you should displease God & pull his curse vpon your head . This also is Gods commandement , thou shall beleeue in Christ , and therefore you must take head of the breach of it : least by doubting and wauering you bring the curse vpon you . Secondly , you must consider that the promises of saluation in Christ are g●neral , or at the least indefinite excluding no particular man : as in one for all may appeare . God so loued the world that he gaue his only begoten sonne , that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life . Now then , so often as you shall doubt of Gods mercie , you exclude your own selfe from the promise of God , wheras he excludeth you not . And as when a prince giues a pardon to all theeues , euery one can apply the same vnto himselfe , though his name be not set downe in the pardon : So the King of kings hath giuen a general pardon for free remission of sinnes , to them that will receiue it Beleeue therefore that God is true in his promise , doubt not of your owne saluation , chalenge the pardon to your selfe . Indeede your name is not set down , or written in the promise of grace ; yet let not any illusion of Sathan , or the consideration of your owne vnworthines exclude you from this free mercy of God : which he also hath offred to you particularly , first in Baptisme , then after in the Lords supper : and therfore you are not to wauer in the applying of it to your selfe . Thirdly , you are to consider that by doubting and despairing you offend God as much almost as by any other sin . a You do not aboue hope beleeue vnder hope 〈◊〉 you should do . Secondly , you rob God of his glorie , in that you make his infinit mercy to be lesse then your sinns . Thirdly , you make him a lier , who hath made such a promise vnto you . And to these three meditations adde this practise . When your heart is toyled with vnbeleefe and doubtings , then in all hast draw your selfe into some secret place , humble your selfe before God , poure out your heart before him : desire him of his endlesse mercie to worke faith , and to suppresse your vnbeleefe , and you shall see b that the Lord ouer all is rich vnto all that call vpon his name . Christian. The Lord reward you for your kindnes : I will hereafter doe my endeuour to practise this your counsel . Now I wil make bold to shew another that makes me to feare least I haue no faith . And it is , because I doe not feele the assurance of the forgiuenes of my sinnes . Minister . Faith standeth not in the feeling of Gods mercy , but in the apprehending of it , which apprehending may be when there is no feeling ; for faith is of inuisible things , and when a man once commeth to enioy the thing beleeued , then he ceaseth to beleeue . And this appeareth in Iobs example , when he saith , ( Lo , though he sley me , yet will I trust in him , and I will reprooue my waies in his sight : he shall be my saluation also : for the hypocrite shall not come before him ) he declareth his faith : yet when he saith presently afterward , Wherefore hidest thou thy face , and takest me for thine enemie ? he declareth the want of that feeling which you speake of . Christian. Yet euery true beleeuer feeles the assurance of faith : otherwise Paul would not haue said , Prooue your selues whether you are in the faith or not . Minister . Indeede sometimes he doth , but at some other times he doth not : as namely at that same time when God first calleth him , and in the time of temptation . Christian. What a case am I in then ? I neuer felt this assurance : onely this I ●eele that I am a most rebellious wretch , abounding euen with a whole sea of iniquities : me thinks I am more vgly in the sight of God , then any toad can be in my sight . O then what shal I doe ? let me heare some word of comfort from thy mouth thou man of God. Minister . Tel me one thing plainly : you say you feele no assurance of Gods mercie ? Christian. No indeede . Minister . But doe you desire with all your heart to feele it ? Christian. I doe indeede . Minister . Then doubt not , you shall feele it . Christian. O blessed be the Lord , if this be true . Minister . Why , it is most true . For the man that would haue any grace of God tending to saluation , if he doe truly desire it , he shall haue it : for so Christ hath promised , I will giue to him that is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely . Whereby I gather that if any want the water of life , hauing an appetite after it , he shall haue enough of it : and therefore feare you not ; only vse the meanes which God hath appointed to attaine faith by , as earnest praier , reuerent hearing of Gods word , & receiuing of the Sacraments : and then you shal see this thing verified in your selfe . Christian. All this which you say I finde in my selfe by the mercie of God : my heart longeth after that grace of God which I want . I know I doe hunger after the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnesse thereof : and further though I want the feeling of Gods mercie , yet I can pray for it from the very roote of my heart . Minister . Be carefull to giue honour to God for that you haue receiued alreadie . For these things are the motion● of the spirit of God dwelling in you . c And I am perswaded of this same thing , that God which hath begun this good work in you will perfect the same vnto the daie of Iesus Christ. Christian. The third thing that troubles me , is this : I haue long prayed for many graces of God , & yet I haue not receiued them , whereby it comes oft to my mind , that God loues me not , that I am none of his child , and therfore that I haue no faith . Minister . You are in no other case then Dauid himself , who made the same complaint : I am weary of crying , my throat is drie , mine eies faile , whiles I waite for my God. Christian. But Dauid neuer praied so many yeares without receiuing an answer as I haue done . Minister . Good Zacharie waited longer on the Lord , before he granted his request , then euer you did : it is like he praied for a child in his younger yeres , yet his praier was not heard before hee was olde . And further , you must note that the Lord may heare the praiers of his seruants , and yet they be altogither ignorant of it : For the maner that God vseth in granting their requests is not alwaies known ; as may appeare in the example of our Sauiour Christ , Who in the daies of his flesh , did offer vp praiers and supplications with strong crying and teares , vnto him that was able to saue him from death , and was also heard in that which he feared . And yet wee knowe that hee was not freed from that cursed death , but must needes suffer it . How then was he heard ? On this manner : hee was strengthened to beare the death , he had an Angel to comfort him , he was afterward freed frō the sorrowes of death : And so it is with the rest of Christs bodie , as it was with the head . Some beeing in want pray for temporall blessings : God keepes them in this want , and yet he heares their prayers , in giuing them patience to abide that want . Some beeing in wealth and aboundance pray for the continuing of it , if it be the will of God. The Lord flings them into a perpetuall miserie , and yet he heares their praiers , by giuing them blessednes in the life to come . You pray for the increase of faith and repentance , and such like graces : you feele no increase after long praier : yet the mercifull God hath no doubt heard your praier , in that by delaying to performe your request , he hath stirred vp in you the spirit of praier , he hath humbled you , & made you feele your owne wants , the better to depend on his mercie : for the beginning and increasing of euery spirituall grace . Christian. The fourth thing that troubles me , is that I cannot feele faith purifie my heart , and to worke by loue in bringing forth liuely fruits . Minister . If this be so continually , that faith brings forth no fruite it is very dangerous and argueth a plaine want of faith , yet for a certaine time it may be so : faith hath not onely a spring time and a summer season , but also a winter when it beareth no fruite . And there is many a true Christian like the bruised reed , that is ouerturned with euery blast of wind : and like the flaxe that hath fire in it , which by reason of weakenes , giues neither heat nor light , but only a smoke . Christian. Thus much shall suffice for my first temptation , wherein I take my selfe satisfied : now if you please , I will be glad to rehearse the second . Minister . I am content , let vs heare it . Christian. I am afraid least I haue not truely repented , and therefore that all my profession is onely in hypocrisie . Minister . What mooueth you to thinke so ? Christian. Two causes especially , the first is , they which repent leaue off to sinne : But I am a miserable sinner , I doe continually displease God by my euil thoughts , words , and deedes . Minister . You need not feare , a For where sinne aboundeth ( that is , the knowledge and feeling of sinne ) there grace aboundeth much more . Christian. I find not this in my selfe . Minist . But yet you find thus much in your selfe : those corruptions which you feele , and those sinnes that you commit , you hate them , you are displeased with your selfe for them , and you endeauour your selfe to leaue them . Christian. Yea that I doe with all my heart . Minister . Then how miserable soeuer you feele your selfe by reason of the masse of your sin , yet you are not subiect to condemnation , but shall most certainly escape the same . Take this for a most certaine trueth , that the man that hates and dislikes his sinnes , both before and after he hath done them , shal neuer be damned for them . Christian. I am euen heart sicke of my manifold sinnes and infirmities , and these good words which you speake are as flaggons of wine , to refresh my weary , laden , and weltring soule . I haue begun to flee sinne and to detest it long agoe . I haue beene oft displeased with mine infirmities and corruptions : when I offend God my heart is grieued , I desire to leaue sinne , I flee the occasions of sin : I would faine fashion my life to Gods word : & I pray vnto God that hee would giue me grace so to doe : & yet ( which is my griefe ) by the strength of the flesh , by the sleights & power of Sathan I am often ouertaken , & fal maruellously , both by speech and by deede . Minister . Haue courage my good brother , for whereas you haue an affection to doe the things that are acceptable vnto God , it argueth plainely that you are a member of Christ : according to that of Paul : They which are of the spirit , sauour the the things of the spirit . Well then , if Sathan euer obiect any of your sins to you , make answer thus , that you haue forsaken the first husband the flesh , & haue espoused your selfe to Christ Iesus , who as your head & husband hath taken vpon him to answer your debts , and therefore if he vrge you for thē , refer him ouer vnto Christ. For there is no sute in law against the wife the husband liuing : yea , I adde further , if you be ouercarried with Satans tēptations , and so fall into any sinne , you shall not answer for it but Sathan , it shal surely be reckoned on his score at the daie of iudgemēt , for he was the author of it : if you fall by the frailtie of your flesh , it shal perish therefore : but you shal still haue Christ your aduocate . Christian. Indeede as you say I haue in me an affection to please God , but when I come to performe my obedience , there I faile . Minister . Therfore marke this further . As long as the children of god are i● this life , a God regardeth more the affection to obey , then the obediēce itself : And they shall be vnto me saith the Lord of hosts , in that day I shall doe this , for a flocke , and I will spare them , as a man spares his own sonne that serueth him . The father when he shall set his child to doe any busines , though he doe it neuer so vntowardly , yet if he shewe his good will to doe the best he can , his father wil be pleased : and so it is with the Lord toward his children , you looke to haue some perfection in your selfe , but in this life you shall receiue no b more but the first fruits of the spirit , which are but as a handfull of corne , in respect of the whole corne fielde : and as for the accomplishment of your redemption you must waite for it till after this life : you would bee kissed with the kisses of Christs mouth , but here in this worlde you must bee content , if you may with Marie Magdelen kisse his feete . For the perfection of a Christian mans life , standes in the feeling and confession of his imperfections . And as Ambrose saith , obedience due to God standes more c in the affection then in the worke . Christian. But why will God haue those whome hee hath sanctified labour still vnder their infirmities ? Minister . The causes are diuers . First , hereby he teacheth his seruants , to see in what great neede they stand of the righteousnes of Christ , that they may more carefully seeke after it . Secondly , he subdueth the pride of mens heartes and humbleth them by counteruailing the graces which they haue receiued , with the like measure of infirmities . Thirdly , by this meanes the godly are exercised in a continuall fight against sinne , and are daily occupied in purifying themselues . Christian. But to goe on forward in this matter : there is another cause that makes me feare , least I haue no true repentance . Minister . What is that ? Christian. I oftentimes find my selfe like a very timberlog , voide of all grace and goodnes , froward and rebellious to any good worke , so that I● feare least Christ haue quite forsaken me . Minist . As it is in the strait seas , the water ebs and flowes , so is it in the godly : in them as long as they liue in this worlde according to their owne feeling , there is an accesse & recesse of the spirit . Otherwhiles they be troubled with deadnes and dulnes of heart , as Dauid was , who praied to the Lord , to quicke● him according to his louing kindnes , that he may keepe the testimonies of his mouth : And in another place he saith , that Gods promises quickened him . Which could not be , vnles he had beene troubled with great dulnes of heart . Againe , sometimes the spirit of God quite withdraweth is selfe to their feeling : as it was in Dauid . In the day of my trouble ( saith he ) I sought the Lord , and my soule refused comfort . I did think vpon god and was troubled , I praied and my spirit was ful of anguish : Againe , Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer ? and will he shewe no more fauour ? hath God forgotten to be mercifull ? &c. The Church in the Canticles complaineth of this : In my bed I sought him by night whome my soule loued : I sought him , but I found him not . And againe , My wellbeloued put in his hand by the hole of the doore , and my heart was affectioned towards him : I rose vp to open to my welbeloued , and my hands did drop down mirrhe , my fingers pure mirrhe vpon the handles of the barre , I opened to my welbeloued : but my welbeloued was gone and past , mine heart was gone when he did speake ; I ●ought him , but I could not finde him , I called but he answered me not . Contrariwise , God at some other times sheds abroad his loue most aboundantly in the hearts of the faithfull ; and Christ lieth betweene the breasts of his Church , as a posie of myrrhe giuing a strong smell . Christian. But how can he bee a Christian that feeles no grace nor goodnes in himselfe ? Minister . The child which as yet can vse no reason , is for all that a reasonable creature : and the man in a swowne feeles no power of life , and yet hee is not dead . The Christian man hath many quames come ouer his heart , and he fals into many a swown , that none almost would looke for any more of the life of Christ in him , yet for all that he may bee a true Christian. This was the state of Peter , when he denied our Sauiour Christ with cursing and banning , his faith onely fainted for a time , it failed not . Christian. I haue now opened vnto you the chiefe things that troubled me : and your comfortable answers haue much refreshed my troubled minde . The God of all mercie and consolation requite you accordingly . Minister . I haue spoken that which God out of his holy word hath opened vnto me , if you find any helpe thereby , giue God the praise therfore , & carrie this with you for euer , that by many afflictions both in the bodie and the minde you must enter into the kingdome of heauen . Raw flesh is noysome to the stomack , & is no good nourishment before it be ●odden : and vnmortified men and womē be no creatures fit for God : and therefore they are to be soaked and boyled in afflictions , that the fulsomnes and rankenes of their corruption may be delayed , and that they may haue in them some relish acceptable vnto God. And to conclude , for the auoiding of all these temptations , vse this sweete praier following which that godly Saint Master Bradford made . Oh Lord God and deere father , what shall I say that feele all things to bee ( in manner ) with me as in the wicked ? Blind is my minde , crooked is my will , & peruerse concupiscēce is in me , as a spring of stinking puddle . O how faint is faith in me ? how little is my loue to thee or thy people ? how great is my selfe loue ? how hard is my heart ? by reason whereof I am mooued to doubt of thy goodnesse towards me , whether thou art my mercifull father , and whether I be thy child or no : indeed worthily might I doubt , if that the hauing of these were the cause , & not the fruit rather of thy children . The cause why thou art my father , is thy merciful goodnes● grace & trueth in Christ Iesus , which cannot but remaine for euer . In respect whereof thou hast borne me this good wil to bring me into thy Church by baptisme , and to accept me into the number of thy children , that I might be holy , faithfull , obedient and innocent : and to call me diuers times by the ministerie of thy word into thy kingdome : besides the innumerable other benefits alwaies hitherto powred vpon me . All which thou hast done of this thy good will which thou of thine owne mercie barest to me in Christ before the world was made . The which thing as thou requirest straightly that I should beleeue without doubting , so wouldest thou that I in all my needs should come vnto thee as to a father , & make my mone without mistrust of beeing heard in thy good time , as most shall make to my comfort . Loe therefore to thee deare father I come through thy sonne our Lord , our Mediatour , and Aduocate Iesus Christ , who sitteth on thy right hand making intercession for me ; I pray thee of thy great goodnes and mercie in Christ to be mercifull to me a sinner , that I may indeed feele thy sweet mercie as thy child : the time ( oh deare father ) I appoint not , but I pray thee that I may with hope still expect and looke for thy helpe . I hope that as for a little while thou hast left me , so thou wilt come and visit me , and that in thy great mercie , whereof I haue great neede , by reason of my great miserie . Thou art wont for a little season in thine anger , to hide thy face from them whom thou louest : but surely ( O Redeemer ) in eternall mercies thou wilt shew thy compassions . For when thou leauest vs , O Lord , thou doest not leaue vs very long , neither doest thou leaue vs to our losse , but to our lucre and aduantage : euen that thy holy spirit with bigger portion of thy power and vertue may lighten and cheere vs : that the want of feeling of our sorrow may be recompenced plentifully with the liuely sent of hauing thee to our eternall ioy : and therefore thou swearest that in thine euerlasting mercie thou wilt haue compassion on vs. Of which thing , to the end we might be most assured , thine oath is to be marked , for thou saiest : as I haue sworne , that I will neuer bring any more the waters to drowne the world : so haue I sworne that I wil neuer more be angrie with thee , nor reprooue thee . The mountaines shall remooue , and the hills shall fall downe , but thy louing kindnes shall not mooue , and the bond of thy peace shal not faile thee : thus saiest thou the Lord our mercifull redeemer . Deare father therefore , I pray thee remember euen for thine owne truth & mercies sake the promise & euerlasting couenant , which in thy good time I pray thee to write in my heart , that I may know thee to be the only true God , and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent : that I may loue thee with all my heart for euer : that I may loue thy people for thy sake : that I may be holy in thy sight through Christ : that I may alwaies not onely striue against sinne , but also ouercome the same daily more and more as thy children doe : aboue all things desiring the sanctification of thy name , the comming of thy kingdome , the doing of thy will on earth as it is in heauen , &c. through Iesus Christ our Redeemer , Mediatour , and Aduocate , Amen . A DECLARATION OF CERTAINE SPIRItuall Desertions , seruing to terrifie all drowsie Protestants , and to comfort them which mourne for their sinnes . AMong all the works of Gods eternal counsel , there is none more wonderfull then is Desertion : which is nothing els but an action of God forsaking his creature . Furthermore , God forsakes his creature , not by withdrawing his essence or beeing from it : for that cannot be , considering God is infinite ; and therefore must needes at all times be euery where : but by taking away the grace and operation of his Spirit from his creature . Neither must any thinke it to be crueltie in God to forsake his creature which he hath made : for he is soueraigne Lord ouer all his works : and for that cause he is not bound to any ; and he may doe with his owne whatsoeuer he will. And this his will is not to be blamed : for men are not to imagine , that a thing must first be iust , and then afterward that God doth will it : but contrariwise , first God wills a thing , and thereupon it becomes iust . Againe , sinne is so wretched a thing in the eyes of God , that he vtterly forsakes his creature for a punishment thereof . Now euery thing , so farre forth as it is a chastisment or punishment , is good ; considering that the inflicting therof is the execution of iustice . And God neuer forsakes the creature against the will thereof : but in the very time of Desertion , it voluntarily forsaketh and refuseth grace , and chooseth to be forsaken : wherefore if any hurt or miserie insue thereof , let the creature blame it selfe and praise the Lord. Desertions thus described are of two sorts , eternall and temporarie . Eternal desertions are those , wherby God vpon iust causes known to himselfe forsakes his creature wholly and for euer . Thus the deuill with his angels , and that part of mankinde which is prepared to destruction , is forsaken . For first , God before all worlds , did decree according to the purpose of his owne will to refuse them without the graunt of any mercie . Secondly , after they are created and liue in the world , he giueth them no Sauiour . For Christ is onely the redeemer of the Elect , and of no more : which may thus appeare . For whō Christ makes no Intercession , for thē he hath wrought no Redemption . But for them onely which are elected & shall beleeue in him , he makes intercession . I pray ( saith he ) not for the world , but for them which thou hast giuen me . And againe , I pray not for these alone , but for them also which shal beleeue in me through their word . Wherefore Christ is a redeemer to none but to the Elect. Thirdly , he reserueth them to eternall damnation for their sinnes ; which is a totall separation from God , and the accomplishment of all other Dese●tions . For the effecting of this , God exerciseth wicked men and reprobates in this life with diuers particular desertions , and that after this maner . He bestoweth all sorts of benefits on them as on his owne seruants : but yet so , as that he withdraweth that part of his benefit , which hath the promise of life eternal annexed to it in the word . And in this matter he dealeth as a mā that sets many trees in his orchard , but so as he takes away the heart or the pith thereof . And this the Lord doth either in temporall or spirituall benefits . I. For temporall benefits , as wealth , honour , libertie , outward peace , the Lord dealeth very bountifully with them : He makes his sunne to shine vpon the iust and vniust : he fills their bellies with his hid treasures : and as Dauid saith , I fretted at the foolish , when I saw the prosperitie of the wicked : for there is no bondes in their death , but they are lustie and strong , they are not in trouble as other mē , neither are they plagued as other men . But yet he holdes backe that which is the principall thing , and the very glorie of these benefits , that is , the right vse of them . For that a man may purely vse Gods creatures , two things are required . First , his person must stand iust and sanctifieed before God by faith in Christ. For vntill a mans person please God , his worke shall neuer please him . Secondly , he must vse the same creatures purely : which is done partly by inuocation of Gods name , and partly by referring them to their set and appointed ende● ; which are Gods glorie , a mans owne and his neighbours good . But all this is flat contrarie in the vngodly man. For first , he is forth of Christ , so that his person standes vniust before God. And therefore all his actions ( euen those which otherwise are lawfull and good ) in him are meere sinnes . Secondly , he vseth Gods gifts and blessings with an euill conscience . For by reason of his want of grace to beleeue , he cannot resolue himselfe , that God as his father doth bestow his blessings on him as his beloued child in Christ ; yet as a theefe and an vsurper , against his conscience he vseth them . Adde further , the creatures are vsed of him without inuocation : for such an one can not pray ; and therefore he doth but as the swine in the ●orrest , which feedeth on the mast , but neuer looketh vp to the tree whence it falleth . Thirdly , he vseth Gods gifts to eui●l endes : because either he makes an idol of them by setting his heart on them , or els he imploieth them to riot , pride , and the oppression of godly men . A master of musick hath his house furnished with musicall instruments of all sorts : and he teacheth his owne schollers artificially to vse them , both in right tuning of them , as also in playing on them : there comes in straungers , who admiring the faide instruments , haue leaue giuen them of the master to handle them , as the schollers doe : but when they come to practise , they neither tune them aright , neither are they able to strike one stroke as they ought● so as they may please the master and haue his commendation . This world is as a large & sumptuous pallace , into which are receiued , not onely the sonnes and daughters of God , but also wicked and vngodly men : it is furnished with goodly creatures in vse more excellent then all musicall instruments : the vse of them is common to all : but the godly man taught by Gods spirit , and directed by faith , so vseth them , as that the vse thereof is acceptable to God : as for the impure and vnbeleeuing , indeede they enioy the creatures and gifts of God , but the pure vse is wanting : for they cannot but abuse them : and therefore the wicked and the reprobate , though they should commit no other sinnes in the world , yet for the vse of their wealth and honour , for their very eating and drinking ( which in themselues are most lawful ) shal be damned . II. Concerning spirituall blessings , first God ceaseth to graunt so much as an outward calling to many men . For how many nations since the beginning of the world , much more particular men , haue their bin , are , & shall be , which neuer heard the preaching of the Gospell ; nay not so much as the name of Christ , God is knowne in Iurie , ( saith Dauid ) and he hath not done so to any nation . And often in Moses and the Prophets it is mentioned that the couenant was in former times made peculiar to the Iewes . And Paul in the Acts saith , that God suffered the Gentiles in former times to walke in their owne waies : and of the Ephesians , before their calling he saith , that they were strangers from the promises , and without God in the world . III. He graunts the outward meanes of saluation , namely the Word , Praier , Sacraments , Discipline abundantly : but yet he quite withdraweth the operation of his spirit , whereby a conuersion might be wrought . For they neuer haue that pearcing of the eare which Dauid mentioneth , nor the opening of the heart with Lydia , nor that teaching of God , when they are drawne of the father to Christ. And in so doing indeed , onely he offreth grace , but doth not exhibite and conferre it : not that he mocketh any , but that in so doing he may euery way conuince and bereaue them of excuse . As the Lord speaketh to Esay , Goe and say to this people , ye shall heare indeede , but ye shall not vnderstand : ye shall plainly see , but not perceiue : make the heart of this people fat , make their eares heauie , and shut their eyes , least they see with their eyes , and heare with their eares , and vnderstand with their hearts , and conuert , and he heale them . If our Gospell be hid ( saith Paul ) it is hid in them that perish . Men that haue long liued vnder the preaching of the Gospel , and yet still remaine ignorant and impenitent , let them beware and take heede of this desertion ; and they are with trembling to lay to their hearts , that which the holy Ghost speaketh of Hophni and Phinehas , They obeyed not the voice of their father , because the Lord would destroy them . IIII. To goe further , he bestoweth on them many worthie properties of faith . As first , a knowledge of the diuine truth in the Law and the Gospel . Secondly , an assent to the said truth . Thirdly , a ioyfull reioycing and boasting in speaking and hearing of it . Fourthly , an outward profession of it for a time . But he doth not bestow that qualitie and vertue of faith , which is , as it were , the very soule of it : without which faith is dead and saueth none , namely , the inward assurance and certificate of his loue and fauour in Christ , with a sense and feeling of the same in heart . Neither are the former duties of faith perpetuall and sound in them , for the reprobate is not induced to them by any assurance of Gods mercie , but by other sinister occasions , as are : First , desire of knowledge in diuine mysteries . Secondly , a delight in it . Thirdly , praise and commendation among men . Fourthly , the maintaining of wealth and honor . Fiftly , the getting of wealth or honour . Sixtly , a desire to be at vnitie and concord with the Nation or people where the Gospell is preached . Therefore when these ends and occasions of their beleeuing cease , then also their faith & profession cease . In this kind of desertion , it is to be feared , that most men are . All in our Church will professe faith in Christ : yet seeing the sound conuersion to God , and the sinceritie of life and doctrine is very rare , we may presume that , that maine propertie of faith which is the receiuing and apprehension of Christ , is wanting in most : therefore let euery man looke to himselfe and betime labour to turne his temporarie faith ( if he finde it in himselfe ) into a true sauing faith , wherfore he must striue first to feele his extreame need of Christ and his merits . Secondly , to hunger and thirst after him , as after meate and drinke . Thirdly , to be nothing in himselfe , that he may be all in all out of himselfe in Christ. Fourthly , to be able to say that he liueth not , but Christ liueth in him by faith . Fifthly , to loathe his owne sinnes with a most vehement hatred , and to prize and value Christ and the least drop of his blood aboue a thousand worlds . V. Againe in repentance he bestoweth , first , a sight of sinne : secondly , a kinde of sorrow for it : thirdly , a confession of it : fourthly , a resolution for a time to sinne no more . But that part of repentance which hath the promise of mercie annexed , that is , a conuersion of the whole man to God he neuer giueth it . VI. Lastly , God giueth to the reprobate his spirit , but so farre forth as it shall not any whit regenerate or renew his nature : but onely in the outward action represse the act of sinne : so as thereby without any inward change he shall be as ciuily iust & vpright in outward conuersation , as any in the world . Thus much of those desertions which befall the deuill and his angels and all reprobates : now follow those wherewith God exerciseth euen his owne elect children : for the blessings that God bestoweth on them are of two sorts , either positiue or priuatiue : positiue , are reall graces wrought in the heart , by the spirit of God : priuatiue are such meanes whereby God preserues men from falling into sinne : as crosses , desertions . And these in number exceed the first , as long as men liue in this world . Before it can be declared , what these desertions are , this conclusion is to be , laid down : He which is once in the estate of grace shall be in the same for euer . This appeareth in the 8. of the Rom. 30. where Paul sets downe the golden chaine of the causes of saluation that can neuer be broken ; so that he which is predestinate shall be called , iustified , glorified . And a little after he saith , Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect ? and , Who shal seuer vs from the loue of Christ ? and , I am perswaded that no creature shall be able to seuer vs frō the loue of Christ : which he would not haue saide , if men beeing in the estate of grace , might fall quite frō grace . And how should they which are iustified haue peace with God , if they were not sure to perseuer righteous before God to the end ? And how shall it be said , that hope maketh not ashamed , because the loue of God ( wherewith Gods loues his elect ) is shed abroad in their hearts , by the holy Ghost which is giuen them , if any may vtterly fall from that loue ? How should the testimonie of the spirit , which testifieth to the elect , that they are the children of God , be true and certen , if it may be quite extinguished ? Lastly , how shall that of Iohn be true , They went out of vs , becanse they were not of vs : if they had beene of vs , they should haue remained with vs , if a man may wholly fall from Christ which hath once bin made a true mēber of him ? Our Sauiour Christ saith , My sheep heare my voyce : and I know them , and they follow me : and I giue life eternall to them , and no man shall take them out of my hand , or out of my fathers hand , and whatsoeuer my father giueth me shall come vnto me , and whosoeuer commeth to me , I will not cast out . And if any of the elect beeing effectually called might wholly fall from grace , then there must be a second insition or ingrafting into the mysticall bodie of Christ , and therefore a second Baptisme : nay for euery fall a new infition , and a new Baptisme ; which must in no wise be graunted : wherefore they which are predestinate to be in the state of grace , are also predestinate to perseuer in the same to the ende . Hereupon it followeth that the desertions of Gods elect , are first of all partiall , that is , such as wherein God doth not wholly forsake them but in some part . Secondly , temporarie , that is for some space of time , and neuer beyond the compasse of this present life . For a moment ( saith the Lord in Esay ) in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little season , but with euerlasting mercie haue I had compassion on thee , saith the Lord thy Redeemer . And to this purpose Dauid well acquainted with this matter , praieth , forsake me not ouer long . This sort of desertions , though it be but for a time , yet no part of a Christian mans life is free from them ; and very often taking deepe place in the heart of man , they are of long continuance . Dauid continued in this dangerous fall about the space of an whole yeare before he was recouered . Luther confesseth of himselfe , that after his conuersion , he lay three yeares in desperation . And common experience in such like cases can make record of longer time . The manner , God vseth in forsaking his owne seruants , is of two sorts ; the first is by taking away one grace & putting another in the roome : the second , by hiding his grace as it were in a corner of the heart . God takes away his grace , and puts another in the roome , diuers waies . I. First , he bereaueth his owne children of outward prosperitie , yea he will loade them with crosses ; and yet he will make a good supplie by giuing patience . Dauid is driuen out of his kingdome by his owne sonne : a heauy crosse : yet the Lord ministreth an humble and patient spirit , so as he was content to speake , c If the Lord thus say , I haue no delight in thee : behold here I am , let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes . So likewise Christian Martyrs are bereaued of all outward safetie , and laid open to the violence and persecution of tyrants ; yet inwardly they are stablished by the power of the might of God , when they are most weake they are most strong , and when they are most foiled , then they obtaine victorie . II. Secondly , the Lord cuts off the daies of this life , and for recompence to his owne elect giues life eternall , d The righteous is taken away for the euill to come . This is manifest in Iosias , of whom it is said , e Behold , I will gather thee to thy fathers , and thou shalt be put in thy graue in peace , and thine eyes shall not see all the euill which I will bring vpon this place . III. Thirdly , God takes away the feeling of his loue , and the ioy of the holy Ghost for a season : and then in the roome thereof he kindles an earnest desire and thirsting with grones and cryings vnto heauen , to be in the former fauour of God againe . This was Dauids case , when he complained and saide , f My voice came to God when I cried , my voice came to God and he heard me : in the day of my trouble I sought the Lord , my sore ranne and ceased not in the night : my soule refused comfort . I did thinke vpon God and was troubled : I praied and my spirit was full of anguish . Selah . The like was the estate of the Church making her mone vnto God in Esay , g O Lord , why hast thou made vs to erre from thy waies ? and hardened our hearts from thy feare ? Returne for thy seruants sake , and for the tribes of thine inheritance . IV. Fourthly , God graunts his seruants the holy meanes of saluation , namely preaching , praier , sacraments , and holds backe the efficacie of his ●pirit for a time . In this case they are like the corne field that is plowed & sowed with good corne : but yet for a time , it neuer giues rooting beneath , nor so much as a shew of any blade appeares aboue . Thus the spouse of Christ , whē shee comes into his wine-seller , shee falls into a swowne ; so as shee must h be staied with flaggons , and comforted with apples , because shee is sicke of loue . V. Fiftly , God giueth his children a strong affection , to obey his will , but he lets them faile in the act of obedience it selfe , like as the prisoner who hath escaped the hand of his gayler , hath an affection to runne a thousand miles euery houre ; but hauing happily his bolts on his legges , he can not for his life but goe very softly , gauling and cha●ing his flesh ; and with much griefe falling againe into the handes of his keeper . This is it , that Paul complaineth of when he saith , i I delight in the law of God , concerning the inner man : but I see another law in my members , rebelling against the law of my minde , and leading me captiue to the law of sinne , which is in my members . O wretched man that I am , who shal deliuer me from this bodie of death ? The second maner of Gods forsaking his Elect is , when he hides his graces for a time : not by taking them quite away , but by couering them and by remoouing all sense and feeling of them . And in this case they are like the trees in the winter season , that are beaten with winde and weather , bearing neither leafe nor fruit , but looke as though they were rotten and dead , because the sap doth not spread it selfe , but lies hid in the roote . Dauid often was in this case , as namely when he saith , k Will the Lord absent himself for euer ? And will he shew no more fauour ? is his mercie cleane gone for euer ? doth his promise faile for euermore ? Hath God forgotten to be mercifull ? Hath he shut vp his tender mercies in displeasure ? Selah . This comes to passe , because the Lord very often in and by one contrarie works another . Clay and spittle tempered togither in reason should put out a mans eies : but Christ vsed it as a meanes to giue sight to the blinde . Water in reason should put out fire : but Elias when he would shew that Iehoua was the true God , poures water on his sacrifice , and fils a trench therewith to make the sacrifice burne . The like appeareth in the worke of grace to saluation . A man that hath liued in securitie , by Gods goodnes hath his eyes opened to see his sinnes and his heart touched to feele the huge and loathsome burden of thē , and therefore to bewaile his wretched estate , with bitternes of heart . Hereupon he presently thinkes that God will make him a firebrand of hell : whereas indeede the Lord is now about to worke , and frame in his heart sanctification and sound repentance neuer to be repented of . The man which hath had some good perswasions of Gods fauour in Christ , comes afterward vpon many occasions to be troubled and to be ouerwhelmed with distrustfulnes & grieuous doubtings of his saluation , so as he iudgeth himselfe to haue beene but an hypocrite in former times , and for the time present a cast-away . But indeed hereby the Lord exerciseth , fashioneth , and increaseth his weake faith . In one word , marke this point , That the graces of God peculiar to the elect , are begunne , increased , and made manifest in or by their contraries . A man in this desertion cap discerne no difference betweene himselfe and a cast-away : and the rather if with this desertion be ioyned a feeling of Gods anger : for then ariseth the bitterest temptation that euer befell the poore soule of a Christian man , and that is a wrastling and strugling in spirit and conscience , not with the motions of a rebelling flesh , nor the accusations of the deuill , which are oftentimes very irksome and terrible , but against the wrath of a reuenging God. This hidden and spirituall temptation more tormenteth the spirit of man , then all the rackes or gibbets in the world can doe . And it hath his fittes after the manner of an ague , in which euen Gods own seruants ouercarried with sorrowe may blaspheme God , and crie out that they are dāned . Iob was in this estate : as he testifieth , a Oh that my griefe were waied ( saith he ) and my miseries were laid togither in the ballance : for it would be heauier then the sand of the sea : therefore my words are swallowed vp ; for the arrowes of the Almightie are in me : the venome therof doth drink vp my spirit , and the terrours of god fight against me . And further he complaines that the Lord is b his enemie , that he writes bitter things against him , and that he c sets him as a But to shoote at . This was Dauids tēptation when he said , d O Lord rebuke me not in thy anger , neither chastise me in thy wrath , haue mercy vpon me O Lord , for I am weake : O Lord heale me , for my bones are vexed , my soule is also sore troubled : but Lord howe long wilt thou delay ? Returne O Lord , deliuer my soule , saue me for thy mercies sake . Hence it follows , that when any that hath beene a professour of the gospel shall despaire at his end ; that men are to leaue secret iudgements to God , and charitably to iudge the best of them . For example , e one Master Chambers at Leicester of late , in his sicknes grieuously despaired , and cried out that he was damned , and after died : yet it is not for any to note him with the blacke marke of a reprobate . One thing which hee spake in his extremitie ( O that I had but one drop of faith ) must mooue all men to conceiue well of him . For by this it seemeth that he had an heart which desired to repent & beleeue ; & therefore a repentant and beleeuing heart indeed . For God at all times , but especially in temptation , of his great mercy accepts the will for the deed . Neither is it to be regarded that he said he was damned ; for mē in such cases speak not as they are , but as they feele themselues to be . Yea , to goe further , when a professour of the gospell shall make away himselfe , though it be a fearfull case , yet stil the same opiniō must be carried . First , Gods iudgements are very secret . Secondly , they may repent in the very agony for any thing we know . Thirdly , none is able to comprehend the bottomlesse depth of the graces and mercies which are in Christ. Thus much of the manner which God vseth in forsaking his elect ; Nowe followe the kindes of desertion , which are two : desertion in punishment , desertion in sinne . Desertion in punishment is , when God deferreth either to mittigate or to remooue the crosse and chastisement which hee hath laid vpon his children . This befell Christ on the crosse , f My God ( saith he ) my God , why hast thou forsaken me ? This was the complaint of Gedeon , Did not the Lord bring vs out of Egypt ? But now the Lord hath forsaken vs , and deliuered vs into the hands of the Midianites . Iudg. 6. 13. g Master Robert Glouer Martyr at Couentrie , after he was condemned by the Bishop , and was nowe at the point to bee deliuered out of the worlde , it so happened , that two or three daies before his death , his heart beeing lumpish and desolate of all spirituall consolation , felt in himselfe no aptnesse nor willingnesse , but rather a heauinesse and dulnesse of spirit , full of much discomfort to beare the bitter crosse of martyrdome ready now to be laid vpon him : whereupon he fearing in himselfe , least the Lord had withdrawn his wonted fauour from him , made his mone to one Austine his friend , signifying vnto him how earnestly he had praied day & night vnto the Lord , and yet could receiue no motion nor sense of any comfort from him , vnto whome the said Austine answered againe , willing him patiently to waite the Lords pleasure , and howesoeuer his present feeling was , yet seeing his cause was iust and true , he exhorted him constantly to sticke to the same , & to play the man , nothing doubting but the Lord in his good time would visit him , & satisfie his desire with plentie of consolation , &c. The next day when the time came of the martyrdome , as he was going to the place , and was now come to the sight of the stake , although all the night before praying for strength and courage , he could feele none , suddenly hee was so replenished with the holy Ghost , that he cried out clapping with his handes to Austine , & saying with these wordes ; Austine , he is come , he is come , &c. and that with such ioy and alacritie , as one seeming rather to be risen from some deadly danger to libertie of life , then as one passing out of the world by any paines of death . Desertion in sinne , is when God withdrawing the assistance of his spirit , a man is left to fall into some actuall and grieuous sin . And for all this no man is to thinke that God is the author of sin , but onely man that falleth , & Satan . A resemblance of this trueth we may see in a staffe : which , if a man shall take & set vpright vpon the ground , so long as he holds it with his hand , it stands vpright ; but so soone as he withdrawes his hand , though he neuer push it down , it falls of it selfe . In this desertion was the good king Hezechiah , of whom the holy Ghost speaketh thus : Hezechiah prospered in all his waies , therefore dealing with the Ambassadours of the Princes of Babel which set to him to enquire of the wonder which was done in the land , God left him ( namely , to the pride of his heart to exalt himselfe ) in tempting him , that hee might trie out all that was in his heart . To this place appertaine , Noes drunkennes , Dauids adulterie , Peter deniall of Christ. The reason of such desertions may be this . If a patient shal be grieuously sicke , the phisition will vse all manner of meanes that can be deuised to reco●er him , & if he once come to a desperate case , the phisition rather then hee will not restore him , will imploy all his skill ; he will take poyson , and so temper it , and against the nature thereof he will make a soueraigne remedie to recouer health . The elect children of God , are diseased with an inward , hidden , and spirituall pride ; whereby they affect themselues , and desire to bee something in themselues forth of Christ : and this sinne is very dangerous : first● because when other sinnes die in a man , this secret pride gets strength : for Gods grace is the matter of pride , in such wise , that a man will be proude , because he is not proud : for example , if any shall be tempted of the deuill to some proud behauiour , and by Gods grace get the victorie ; then the heart thus thinketh , Oh thou hast done well , thou hast foiled the enemie , neither pride nor any other sinne can preuaile against thee ; such and such could neuer haue done so : and a very good man shall hardly be free from such kinde of motions in this life . Secondly , there is no greater enemie to faith then pride is : for it poisoneth the heart and maketh it vncapable of that grace , so lōg as it bereth any sway : for he that will beleeue in Christ must be annihilated , that is , he must be bruised and battered to a flat nothing , in regard of any liking or affection to himself , that he may in spirit mount vp to heauen , where Christ sits as the right hand of the father , & as it were with both the handes of faith graspe him with all his blessed merits , that he may be wisdome , righteousnes , sanctification , redemption , life , good works , & whatsoeuer good thing he is , neither in , nor by , nor for himself ; but euery way forth of himself in Christ. Now , this blessed cōditiō of a beleeuing heart , by naturall selfe-loue and self-liking is greatly hindered . God therefore in great mercy to remedie this dangerous corruption , lets his elect seruantes fall into trouble of mind and conscience , & if they happily be of greater hardnes of heart into some actuall sinne : and so declaring his wonderfull mercie in sauing them , he is faine against his mercie to bring them to his mercie , & by sinne to saue them from sinne . By this meanes the Lord , who can bring light out of darknes , makes a remedie of sinne to slay pride , that inuincible monster of many heads , which would slay the soule . Though this be so , yet none must hereupon venter to commit any sinne against Gods commandements , least in so doing they cast awaie their soules . For the godly man , though he fall into sinne , yet it is against his purpose , and it makes his heart to bleede : and the course of his life shall bee alwaies vpright and pleasing vnto God : because he is led by the spirit of God. The ends for which god vseth desertiōs are three , the first is the chastismēt of sins past in the former part of mans life , that he may search them out , consider thē , & be hartily sorrowfull for thē : for this end was Iobs triall . Trou writest ( saith he ) bitter things against me , & makest me to possesse the sins of my youth . The second end is , that God may make triall of the present estate of his seruants : not that he is ignorant what is in man , but because hee would haue all men know themselues . To this effect saith Moses . And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee in the wildernesse for to humble thee , and to prooue thee , to knowe what was in thine heart , whether thou wouldst keepe his cōmandements or no. This also was the end why the Lord left Ezechias to proue and trie what was in his heart . This trial by desertion serueth for two purposes : for otherwhiles the Lord vseth it for the manifestation of some hidden sin , that the godly may be deeplier humbled , and craue more earnestly pardon of that and other sins . For as the begger is alwaies mending and peecing his garment , where he findes a breach : so the penitent and beleeuing heart must alwaies bee exercised in repairing it selfe where it findes a want . Againe , ofttimes this triall serues to quicken and reuiue the hidden graces of the heart , that men may be thankefull for them , and feele an increase of thē in the heart . The good husbandmā cuts the branches of the Vine , not that he hath a purpose to destroy them , but to make them beare more fruit . In the Cāticles when Christ left his spouse , then shee riseth out of her bed , shee opens the doore , her hands drop mirrhe on the barre of the doore : then further she seekes & calls for him , and praiseth him more then euer before . Dauid testifieth the like of himselfe : In my prosperitie I said I shall neuer be mooued , &c. but thou didst hide thy fa●e and I was troubled . Then cried I to thee , O Lord , & praied to my Lord. Lastly , men that liue in the Church , beeing for a time left of God , become so impenitent as that they must be giuen vp to Sathan ; yet for no other cause , but that the flesh may be killed , and the spirit made aliue in the daie of the Lord. The third end is the preuēting of sin to come . This appeareth in Paul ; Least ( saith he ) I should be exalted out of measure through the aboundance of reuelations , there was giuen vnto me a pricke in the flesh , the messenger of Sathan to buffet me because I should not be exalted out of measure . In the former times when the Lord among many others had set out Cranmer for the maintenance of his blessed trueth against his and Gods enemies , hee left him for a while to fall from his religion , and to make a dangerous recantation : but so as thereby he preuented many sinnes , and prepared him to a glorious martyrdom . As some of his own wordes may testifie which he spake a little before his end : And now ( saith hee ) I come to the great thing that so much troubleth my conscience more then any thing that euer I did or said in all my life , & that is the setting abroad of a writing contrarie to the trueth , which nowe here I renounce as things written with my hand cōtrary to the trueth which I thought in my heart , & that for feare of death and to saue my life , &c. and for as much as my hand offended writing contrary to my heart , my hand shall be first punished therefore : for may I come to the fire it shall be first burned . Answerablie , when he was at the fire , first he burnt his right hand which subscribed ; his body suffered the flame with such constancy & stedfastnes as he neuer almost mooued : his eies lift vp to heauen often he repeated his vnworthy right hand . Thus , death which he most feared , he most desired , that he might take reuenge of himselfe for his sinne . The vse that all good Christian heartes are to make of these their desertions , is manifold . First , if they haue outward rest and walke in the feare of God , & be filled with the ioy of the holy Ghost , let them not be high minded , but feare , least a forsaking follow . Secondly , if in any temptation they iudge themselues forsaken , let them consider this wonderfull worke of spirituall desertions which God exerciseth vpon his own children very vsually : and then it may please the Lord , they shal find it to be a restoratiue against many a quame & swoune of spirit and conscience into which otherwise they would certainly fall . Thirdly , seeing God for their triall doth often withdraw himselfe from them , let thē againe draw neere to God and presse vnto him ; euen as a man that shiuers of an agne is alwaie creeping to the fire . If it be demaunded howe a man should come neere God , the answer is , by the vse of his worde and praier . For by his word he speakes to thee , and by praier thou speakest to him . Lastly , seeing by desertions God wil take experience of his seruants , let euery man try & searc● his waies , and euer be turning his feete to the waies of Gods commandements : let him endeauour to keepe a good conscience before God & before all men , that so hee may with Dauid say , Iudge me O Lord , for I haue walked in mine innocencie : my trust hath bin alwaies in the Lord : I shal not slide : prooue me , O Lord , and trie me , examine my raines and my heart . FINIS . A CASE OF CONSCIENCE , THE GREATEST THAT EVER WAS ; HOW A MAN MAY KNOW whether he be the child of God , or no. Resolued by the word of God. Whereunto is added a briefe Discourse taken out of Hier. Zanchius . 2. Pet. 1.10 . Giue all diligence to make your Election sure , for if ye doe these things ye shall neuer fall . Printed for Thomas Man , and Iohn Porter . 1600. To the godly Reader . IN Gods Church commonly they who are touched by the spirit , & begin to come on in Religion , are much troubled with feare that they are not Gods children ; and none so much as they . Therefore they often thinke on this point : and are not quiet till they finde some resolution . The spirit of God , ( as best knowing the estate of Gods children ) hath penned two parcels of holy scripture , for the full resoluing of this case ; namely the 15. Psalme and ●he first Epistle of Saint Iohn . And for the helping of the simple and vnlearned , who desire to bee informed concerning their estate , I haue propounded these two parts of scripture , in the forme of a Dialogue : and haue ioyned thereunto a little discourse concerning the same matter , penned in Latin by H. Zanchius , a learned Diuine , and now englished . Vse this labour of mine for thy benefite and comfort : & the Lord increase the number of them which may reioyce that their names are written in heauen . W. Perkins . THE FIRST EPISTLE OF IOHN , IN forme of a Dialogue . The Speakers . Iohn . Church . CHAP. I. Church . MAny among vs denie the Godhead , and many the manhood of Christ. Iohn . That which was from the beginning [ and therefore true God ] which we haue heard [ namely speaking ] which wee haue seene with these our eies , which we haue looked vpon , and these hands of ours haue handled of that word [ not the sounding but the essentiall word of the Father , ] of life [ liuing of himselfe , and giuing life vnto all other . ] Ch. Before you goe any further , this word of life is inuisible , how then could it bee seene ? Ioh. [ Yes ] for that life was made manifest [ to wit , in the flesh , ] and we [ I with many others ] haue seene it , and beare witnesse , and publish vnto you that eternall life , which was with the father [ eternally before this manifestation ] and was made manifest vnto vs. Ch. Menander , Ebion , and Cerinthus , hauing beene teachers among vs , confidently denie these things which you say : and they beare vs in hand , that they seeke our good . Ioh. That [ which I will repeat againe for more certainties sake ] which we haue seene and heard , declare we vnto you , they ye may haue fellowship with vs , and that our fellowship also may bee with the father , and with his sonne Iesus Christ. And these things write we vnto you , that your ioy might bee full [ i. might haue sound consolation in your consciences . ] Ch. Well then lay vs downe some ground , wherby we may come to be assured that we haue fellowship one with another , and with Christ. Ioh. This then is the message which wee haue heard of him , & declare vnto you that God is light [ i. purenesse it selfe and blessednes ; whereas men and Angels are neither , but by participation ] and in him is no darkenes . Ch. Some that make profession among vs , continue still in their olde course and conuersation ; and yet they say they haue fellowship with God. Ioh. If we say that we haue fellowship with him , and walke [ lead the course of our liues ] in darkenesse , [ i. ignorance , errour , impietie , ] wee lie , [ dissemble , ] and doe not truely [ deale not sincerely . ] Ch. What then is the true marke of one which hath fellowship with God ? Ioh. If we walke in the light , [ lead the course of our liues in sinceritie of life and doctrine ] we haue fellowship one with another . Ch. We are so defiled with sinne , that we often doubt , least we haue no fellowship with God. Ioh. The blood of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne . Ch. Some among vs are come to that passe , that they say they haue no sinne : and that this estate is a signe of fellowship with God. Ioh. If we say we haue no sinne , we deceiue our selues , [ imagining that to bee true which is otherwise ] and the trueth is not in vs. Ch. How then may we knowe that our sinnes are washed away by Christ ? Ioh. If we confesse our sinnes [ namely with an humbled heart desiring pardon ] he is faithfull and iust [ in keeping his promise , ] to forgiue vs our sinnes , and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse . If we say [ as they before named doe ] wee haue not sinned , we make him a lier [ whose word speakes the contrary , ] and his word is not in vs [ his doctrine hath no place in our hearts . ] CHAP. II. Ch. IF this bee true which hath beene said , that the blood of Christ doth clense from all sinne ; and that if we doe confesse them they shall be pardoned ; our corruption tels vs that we may sinne freely . Ioh. My little children , these things I write vnto you that yee sinne not . Ch. Alas , we fall oft by infirmitie : what shall we then doe ? Ioh. If any man sinne , we haue an aduocate [ who in his owne name and by his owne merits pleads our cause ] to the Father Iesus Christ the iust [ and therefore fit to make intercession . ] Ch. But how may euery one of vs in particular know that Christ is his aduocate ? Ioh. He is the propitiation [ i. a couering of sin or reconciliation , as the propuiatorie of the Arke couered the lawe , ] and not for our sinnes onely , but also for the sinnes of the whole world [ not onely Iewes but also Gentiles of all sorts . ] Ch. Be it that I knowe him to be my aduocate , may I not be deceiued ? howe may I knowe that this my knowledge is effectuall to saluation ? Ioh. Hereby are we sure that wee knowe him [ here , that knowledge is meant , whereby a man applies Christ and all his benefits to his owne soule ] If we keepe [ to keepe is not to fulfil , but to haue a care and desire to doe it ; for God of his mercie , to his seruants accepts the will for the deede ] his commandements . Ch. Many among vs professe that they knowe Christ , but their liues be not according . Ioh. He that saith , I know him , and keepes not his commandements , is a lier , and the truth is not in him . Ch. How may it be prooued , that the endeauour to keepe Gods commandements is a marke of faith and fellowship with Christ. Ioh. [ He in whom the loue of god is perfect , may hereby know that he is in Christ. ] But he that keepeth his word , in him is the loue of God : [ i. not that loue wherewith God loueth him ; but that , whereby he loueth God ] is perfect indeed : [ i. sincere and sound : perfection being opposed not to imperfection , but to hypocrisie : ] hereby [ therefore ] we know that we are in him . He that saieth he remaineth in him , ought to walke euen so , as he hath walked : [ and therefore he must needes indeauour himselfe in the commandements . ] Ch. Declare vnto vs some of the principall of these commandements ? Ioh. Brerhren , I write no newe commandement vnto you : But an old commandement which yee haue heard from the beginning : this olde commandement is the word which ye haue heard from the beginning . Againe , a newe commandement I write vnto you , that , which is true [ to wit that the commandement is newe which he will not write [ in him ] who renueth the commandement of old giuen to Moses ] and also in you , for the darkenes is past [ i. the hardening of the minds of men vnder the old testament , wherby they did but in a small measure vnderstand the word [ and that true light ] a greater measure of illumination , as also the writing of Gods lawes , not in tables of stone , but in the fleshie hearts ; so as they be transformed into the obedience thereof ] now shineth . Ch. Well , set downe this commandement which is so ancient , and is now renued . Ioh. He that saith [ as many among you doe ] that he is in that light [ than is , that he is both plentifully enlightened and borne anew ] & hates his brother , is in darkenesse [ vnder the estate of damnation , not yet truely regenerate , ] vntil this time . He that loueth his brother abideth in that light ; [ is truely enlightened and regenerate● ] and there is no offence , [ i. he will giue no occasion of euill ] in him . But [ on the contrarie ] he that hateth his brother is in darkenes , and walketh in darkenesse [ leadeth his life in ignorance and vngodlinesse ] and knoweth not whither he goeth because that darkenesse hath blinded his eies . Ch. What mooneth you to deliuer vnto vs all these notes and signes of our newe birth , and communion with Christ ? Ioh. Little children I write vnto you because your sinnes are forgiuen you ; for his names sake [ i. by Christ and his merite ; that ye may be certified to your comfort of this . ] [ And that no kind of men among you might doubt of this , ] I write vnto you Fathers , because ye [ delighting to tell and heare of olde and auncient matters ] haue knowne him [ that is , Christ ] that is from the beginning● I write vnto you young men , because ye [ delighting to shewe your valour and strength ] haue ouercome the euil one , [ that is , Sathan : ] I write vnto you litle childrē , [ who delight alwaies to be vnder the fathers wing , ] because ye haue knowne the father . [ And againe , because we are dull to mark● and remember that which is good for vs : ] I haue written vnto you Fathers , because ye haue known him that is from the beginning : I haue written vnto you young men , because yee are strong , and the word of God abideth in you : and ye haue ouercome that wicked one . Ch. If wee bee in the estate of grace vnder Gods fauour in Christ ; howe may wee abide in it ? Ioh. Loue not this world [ the corrupt estate of mankind out of Christ , ] neither the things that are in the world [ for first of all ; to giue reasons , ] if any man loue this worlde , the loue of the Father [ wherewith he loued the father ] is not in him . [ Secondly ] for all that is in this world , as the lust of the flesh [ the corruption of nature , which chiefly breaketh out in euill concupiscence ] the lusts of the eies [ the fruite of the former , stirred vp by outward prouocations , especially in the eie , as it is manifest in adulterie or couetousnesse ] and the pride of life [ i. Arrogancy and ambition among men in common conuersation of life , ] is not of the father , but of the world . And [ thirdly ] this world passeth away and the lust thereof : but he that fulfilleth the will of God , abideth for euer . Ch. What other things are we to doe , that we may continue ? Ioh. Little children , it is the last time ; and as ye haue heard that Antichrist shall come , [ a speciall Antichrist , the chiefe of all other ; who is now manifest to be the Pope of Rome ] euen now are there many Antichrists [ heretickes , denying either the natures of Christ , or his offices ; or the vniō & the distinction of his natures : ] whereby we know that it is the last time . Ch. Those whome you call Antichrists , were of our companie , and professed as we doe . Ioh. They went out from vs , but they were not of vs : for if they had beene of vs , they should haue continued with vs. But this commeth to passe , that it might appeare that they are not all of vs. Ch. How can we be assured of our continuance in grace : for we may fall as well as they doe ? Ioh. But ye haue annointment , [ the grace of Gods holy spirit , resembled by the annointings in the old Testament ] from that holy one [ Christ , Luke 1. 15. ] and know all things . Ch. If we know all things , then you neede not write vnto vs of these matters . Ioh. I haue not writtē vnto you , because ye know not the truth : but because you know it , and that no lie is of the truth [ i. ye can distinguish betweene the sound doctrine of the Gospel and errours . ] Ch. What is this lie which you speake of ? Ioh. Who is a lier , [ a deceiuer , a seducer , ] but he that denieth that Iesus is Christ , [ the Messias or Sauiour of mankind . ] The same is that Antichrist , that denieth the Father and the Sonne . Ch. These whome you meane ( say they ) defend the doctrine of God as well as we ; and they vse to call him Father . Ioh. Who so denieth the Sonne , hath not the Father . Ch. What doe you inferre vpon this , if it be the last time as you haue saide ? Ioh. Let therefore abide in you , that same [ doctrine concerning Christ ] which ye haue heard from the beginning : [ which the Apostles preached , and before them the Prophets since the beginning of the world ] If that which ye haue heard from the beginning remaine [ ye beleeuing and obeying it ] in you , ye also shall continue in the same , and in the father . And this is the promise which he hath promised vs , euen life eternall . Ch. We cannot perswade our selues of perseuerance , seeing men so commonly fall away from Christ among vs ? Ioh. These things haue I written vnto you , concerning them that deceiue you ; [ not meaning them of you , as you seeme to take it . ] But that annointing [ the spirit which ye haue receiued of Christ and which hath led you into all truth ] which ye haue receiued of him , dwelleth in you [ ubideth in you , and will so continue : ] and ye neede not that any man teach you , [ any other doctrine beside this which ye haue learned alreadie : ] but as the same Annointing teacheth you all things , and is true and not lying , and as it taught you , ye shall abide in him . And now , little children abide in him ; that when he shall appeare , we [ being iustified in Christ. ] may haue boldnes , and not be ashamed , [ neither Sathan nor our consciences accusing vs for sinne , ] before him at his comming . Ch. We are still in doubt to returne backe to that which you said before , how an endeuour to keepe the commandements , should be a signe of fellowship with Christ. Ioh. If we know that he [ God ] is righteous , know ye that he which worketh righteousnes is borne of him [ as a child is knowne to haue such a man for his father , because he resembleth him . ] CHAP. II. Ch. ARe not we then borne of God ? Ioh. Behold what loue the Father hath giuen to vs , that we should be called the sonnes of God. Ch. The world doth not report vs as the sonnes and daughters of God , but for the refuse and offscouring of the world . Ioh. For this cause the world knoweth not you , because it knoweth not him . Ch. Can Gods children be subiect to such infirmities and miseries as we are ? Ioh. Dearely beloued now are we the sonnes of God , but yet it is not made manifest what we shall be : and we know that when he shal be made manifest , we shall be like him ; [ hauing not equalitie , but likenesse of holinesse and glorie : ] for we shall see him as he is ; [ for now we see him as it were through spectacles in the word and Sacraments . ] Ch. Alas poore wretches , we are not like Gods children ; for we are euen sold vnder sinne , and daily carrie a masse of corruption about vs. Ioh. Euery one that hath this hope [ to see him as he is ] purifieth [ i. though he be subiect to sinne , yet he desireth and vseth the meanes to clense himselfe from sinne : ] euen as he is pure , [ setting before him Christ as a patterne to follow . ] Ch. How prooue you that an endeuour to purifie our selues , is a note of adoption ? Ioh. [ By the contrarie ] whosoeuer committeth sinne [ p●actiseth sinne with full consent of will , not endeuouring himselfe in holinesse of life , ] transgresseth also the law : [ and for that cause , being vnder the curse of the law , can not be Gods children : ] for sinne is the transgression of the Law , [ vnderstand , by Law , not morall Law , but any commandement of God , whether it be in the law or Gospel . And [ againe ] ye know that he was made manifest , [ tooke our nature on him ] that he might take away our sinnes [ the guilt and punishment at once , and the corruption by little and little , ] and in him is no sinne . [ Thirdly ] whosoeuer abideth in him sinneth not : [ he doth not giue himselfe to sinne , so as it should raigne in him : ] Whosoeuer sinneth ; hath not seene him , nor knowne him : [ to wit , effectually , so as he can applie Christ and all his benefits to himselfe . ] Ch. But some teach that faith is sufficient , and they embolden vs to liue as we will. Ioh. Little children , let no man deceiue you ; he that worketh righteousnes , is righteous , as he is righteous . He that committeth sinne , [ though he say he doth beleeue , and therfore thinkes himselfe iustified before God , ] is of the Deuill , [ i. resembleth the Deuil , as the child doth the father ; and is gouerned by his spirit : ] for the deuill sinneth frō the beginning [ of the world ] [ which appeareth that ] for this purpose was made manifest the Son of God ; that he might dissolue the works : [ for the beginning and continuance of all rebellion and disobedience to God , ] of the Deuill . [ And further , to display th●se seducers ] whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not , [ i. doth not keepe a course in sinne , howsoeuer he fall by infirmitie : ] for his seed [ i. Gods word cast into the heart by the operation of the Spirit , making a man to spring vp into a new creature , ] remaineth in him : neither can he sinne because he is borne of God. Ch. Briefly to come to the point : how may it be knowne , who is Gods childe , and who ( is to be reputed ) the child of the deuill . Ioh. In this are the children of God knowne and the children of the deuill : whosoeuer worketh not righteousnes , is not of God ; neither [ to giue you a plai● example , ] he that loueth not his brother . For , this is the message which ye haue heard from the beginning , that we should loue one another . Not as Cain : he was of that euill one [ Sathan , ] and slue his brother : and wherefore slue he him ? because his owne workes were euill , and his brothers good . Ch. Yet if we loue those which be our brethren , according to the flesh neuer so much , they cease not to hate and persecute vs. Ioh. Meruaile not my brethren , though this world hate you . Ch. If not to loue , be a note of the child of the deuil , what is the note of gods child ? Ioh. We know that we are translated from death to life , because we loue the brethren , [ i. such as be Christians , because they are Christians , ] [ as on the contrarie ] he that loueth not his brother , abideth in death : [ is vnder the state of damnation . ] Whosoeuer hateth his brother , is a manslayer , and ye know that no man-slayer hath eternall life abiding in him . Ch. You haue shewed vs fully , that loue is a worke of adoption : Now shew vs how we may know whether we loue our brethren or not ? Ioh. Hereby we haue perceiued loue , that he laid downe his life for vs : therfore we ought [ carried with the like affection of loue ] to lay downe our liues for the brethren . Ch. Many in speech doe pretend loue , but we find not this willing affection and readines to shew loue . Ioh. Whosoeuer hath this worlds good , [ wherewith this life is sustained ] and seeth his brother haue neede , and shutteth vp his bowels [ i. hath no compassion , because it sheweth it selfe by the rolling of the intralls ] from him , how dwelleth the loue of God in him ? Ch. What other note is there of true loue ? Ioh. My little children , let vs not loue in word , nor in tongue onely , but in deede and in truth [ sincerely . ] 1. For thereby we know that we are of the truth , [ sound professours of the gospell of Christ , ] 2. and shall before him appease our hearts [ in regard of any accusation that our conscience shall lay vnto vs before Gods iudgement seat . ] If our heart condemne vs , [ an euill conscience accuse vs ] God is greater then our heart [ namely in iudging of vs : ] and knoweth all things . Ch. How may we know that our consciences will not condemne vs ? Ioh. Beloued , if our hearts condemne vs not , then haue we boldnes towards God , [ i. to come vnto him by prayer . ] Ch. What other fruits is there of true loue ? Ioh. Whatsoeuer we aske , we receiue of him ; because we keepe his commādements , and doe those things which are pleasant in his sight . Ch. What are these commandements ? Ioh. This then is his commaundement , that we beleeue in the name of his Sonne Iesus Christ , and loue one another as he gaue commandement . Ch. Haue they which keepe these commandements their praiers granted ? prooue this . Ioh. [ Yes ] For he that keepeth his commaundements dwelleth in him , and he in him . Ch. How may we know that God dwelleth in vs , and we in him ? Ioh. Hereby we know that he abideth in vs , by that spirit [ of sanctification , whereby we are renued ] which he hath giuen vs. CHAP. IIII. Ch. TO returne againe to that which was before mentioned : shall we beleeue all that say they haue the spirit ? Ioh. Dearely beloued , beleeue not euery spirit [ i. doctrines , which men bragging of the spirit doe teach ; ] but trie the spirits whether they be of God : for many false prophets are gone out into the world . Ch. How may we discerne of spirits ? Ioh. Hereby shall ye know the spirit of God ; euery spirit [ doctrine ] which confesseth that Iesus Christ [ the Messias ] is come in the flesh [ is made true man ; this beeing the substance of the Gospel , ] is of God. And euery spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh , is not of God : but this is the spirit of Antichrist , of whome ye haue heard , that he shall come , and now already he is in the world . Ch. We feare : because these false spirits are of great power , to perswade and seduce many . Ioh. Little children , ye are of God , and haue ouercome them : for greater is he that is in you [ Gods spirit , ] then he that is in the world [ the spirit of Sathan . ] Ch. But the doctrine of these men is of great account , and hath many followers in the world ; ours hath but few which imbrace it . Ioh. They are of this world , therefore speake they of this world , and this world [ i. ignorant and vngodly men ] heareth them . We are of God : he which knoweth God , heareth vs : he which is not of god heareth vs not . Hereby know we the spirit of truth , and the spirit of errour [ namely by the liking and applause of the world . ] Ch. How may we preserue our selues against these seducers ? Ioh. Beloued , let vs loue one another , for loue commeth of God : and euery one that loueth is borne of God , and knoweth God : [ by a speciall knowledge , whereby they are assured that God the father of Christ is their father : Christ their Redeemer : the holy Ghost their sanctifier . ] He that loueth not , knoweth not God , for God is loue , [ i. wholly bent to shew his loue and compassion to his people . ] [ For a proofe of this , ] herein was that loue of God made manifest among vs , because God sent that his onely begotten Sonne into the world , that we might liue through him . Herein is that loue , not that we loued God ; but that he loued vs : and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes . Ch. What of all this ? Ioh. Beloued , if God so loued vs , we ought also one to loue another . Ch. How can God manifest his loue to vs , he beeing a spirit inuisible ? Ioh. No man hath seene God at any time : [ neuertheles ] if we loue one another , [ that is a signe ] that God dwelleth in vs , & his loue is perfect in vs : [ i. that loue wherewith he loueth , is throughly made manifest towards vs by our loue : as the light of the moone shining on vs , argueth the light of the Sunne shining vpon the moone , of whom ( as from the fountaine ) the moone takes her light . ] Ch. How may we know that God dwelleth in vs ? Ioh. Hereby doe we know , that we dwell in him , and he in vs : because he hath giuen vs of his spirit . Ch. What other signe haue you of Gods dwelling in vs ? Ioh. We haue seene and doe testifie , that the Father sent that Sonne to be the Sauiour of the world . Whosoeuer confesseth [ in faith and loue ] that Iesus is the Sonne of God ; in him dwelleth God , and he in God. Ch. The deuill will confesse Christ. Ioh. And we [ which is more ] haue knowne and beleeued the loue which god hath in vs. Ch. Declare how our loue should be a signe of Gods dwelling in vs ? Ioh. God is loue , and [ therefore ] he that dwelleth in loue , dwelleth in God & God in him . Ch. God is loue we grant , but how may we know , that God is loue to vs ? Ioh. Hereby is that loue perfect , [ i. fully made manifest in vs ; ] that we may haue boldnesse [ to stand before him without feare , ] in the day of iudgement : for euen as he is , euen so are we in the world [ not in equalitie , but in conformitie of holinesse . ] [ As may appeare by the contrarie ] there is no feare in loue [ i. when a man is assured of Gods loue to him , he doth not distrust nor seruilely feare him in respect of his sinnes ] but perfect loue casteth out feare : for feare hath painfulnes [ checkings and torments of conscience ; ] and he that feareth is not perfect in loue . Ch. What other signe is there that God is loue to vs ? Ioh. We loue him because he loued vs first [ as when a man warmes him , the heat of his bodie is because the fire is first hote . ] Ch. If this be so , then they which loue not their brethren , are loued of God in Christ : seeing all generally say they loue God. Ioh. If any man say , I loue God , and hate his brother , he is a lyar : for how can he that loueth not his brother whom he hath seene , loue God whome he hath not seene ? And this commandement haue we of him , that he that loueth God , should loue his brother also . CHAP. V. VVHosoeuer beleeueth that Iesus is that Christ [ true Messias ] is borne of God : and euery one that loueth him which did beget [ i. God the father , ] loueth him also which is begotten of him , [ the child of God a true Christian . ] Ch. This being manifest that they are hypocrites which say they loue god , yet shew no loue to their brethren ; teach vs how we may know that we loue our brethren . Ioh. In this we know that we loue the children of God , when we loue God and keepe his commandements , [ that is , endeauour to keepe ; the beginning of the action beeing put for the whole . ] For this is the loue of God [ the dutie of loue to God ] that we keepe his commandements . Ch. But no man can keepe the Law. Ioh. His commandements are not burdenous [ to them that are in Christ , and are freed from the curse of the law , which makes the law grieuous , and are also guided by his holy spirit . ] [ And this is apparant ] for all that is borne of God ouercommeth the world , [ Sathan with all corruptions and workes of darknes . ] Ch. By what meanes ? Ioh. And this is the victory which hath ouercome the world , euen our faith [ which is the instrument and hand whereby we lay hold on him , that he in vs , and so we by him might ouercome the world . ] Who is that ouercommeth this world , but he which beleeueth that Iesus is that Sonne of God ? Ch. How may we be resolued that Iesus of Nazareth the sonne of Mary , was the sonne of God , and the Messias : he came but basely into the world ? Ioh. This is that Iesus Christ , which came by water , [ sanctificatiō signified by the legal washings , ] & blood [ imputation of Christs righteousnes , or the sprinkling of his bloode : ] not by water onely , but by water and blood : [ because Christ worketh both iustification and sanctification togither : ] and it is that spirit [ a mans owne conscience inwardly purified ] that beareth witnesse : for that spirit is truth : [ that is , that the testimonie of the Spirit of adoption , certifying vs that we are the sonnes of God , is true . ] For [ that I may speake yet more plainly ] there are three which beare record in heauen , the Father , the Word , [ the Sonne ] and the holy Ghost : and these three are one , [ namely in testimonie . ] And there are three which beare record in earth , the Spirit ; and the water , and blood ; and these three agree in one . Ch. How shew you that these witnesses be authenticall , and to be beleeued ? Ioh. If we receiue the witnes of men , the witnes of God is greater : for this is the witnes of God , [ i. that was said to come from heauen ; ] which he testifieth of his Sonne . [ Againe , ] he that beleeueth in that Sonne of God , hath the witnes in himselfe , [ the peace of conscience which he may feele in himselfe : [ And further , ] he that beleeueth not God , maketh him a lyar : because he beleeued not the record , that God witnessed of his Sonne . Ch. What is the effect of that which these witnesses testifie ? Ioh. And this is that record , to wit , that God hath giuen vnto vs eternal life , and this life is in his Sonne . He which hath the Sonne , hath life : and he which hath not the sonne of God , hath not life . [ And to conclude , ] these things haue I written vnto you that beleeue in the name of the sonne of God , that ye may know that ye haue life eternal , and that ye may beleeue [ i. increase in faith ] in the name of that sonne of God. Ch. How can we haue life eternal now , that are so miserable , and so ful of wants ? Ioh. And this is that assurance that we haue in him , that if we aske any thing according to his will , he heareth vs. Ch. How may we know that God graunteth our prayers , made according to his will ? Ioh. If we know that he heareth [ that is ( as it were ) to giue an eare to our prayers , ] whatsoeuer we aske , we know that we haue the petitions which we haue desired of him [ though the things which we asked , be not giuen vs in that measure , and manner , and time , in which we asked them . ] Ch. Let vs heare an example of those things which God will graunt , when we pray ? Ioh. If a man see his brother sinne a sinne , that is not vnto death ; [ that is , which may be pardoned , ] let him aske [ pardon in his behalfe , ] and he shall giue him life for them that sinne not vnto death ; there is a sinne vnto death [ after which necessarily damnation followeth , as the sinne against the holy Ghost : ] I say not that thou shouldest pray for it . Ch. But is not euery sinne a sinne to death ? Ioh. All vnrighteousnes is sinne [ and therefore deserueth death : ] but there is a sinne not vnto death ; [ namely , that which is pardoned in Christ. ] Ch. We feare least we haue committed this sinne which is to death . Ioh. We know that whosoeuer is borne of God , sinneth not : but he that is begotten of God , keepeth himselfe , and that wicked one [ Sathan ] toucheth him not [ i. doth him no violence , or he can not giue him a deadly wound . ] We know that we are of God , and this whole world lieth in euill : [ that is , in seruitude vnder Sathan and sinne . ] Ch. How shew you that we are of God ? Ioh. We know that the sonne of God is come , and hath giuen vs a minde to know him that is true , and we are in him that is true : that is , in his Sonne Iesus Christ : this same is that very God , and that eternall life . Ch. How may we keepe our selues in God , and neuer commit the sinne to death ? Ioh. Little children , keepe your selues from Images , [ whether they be of false gods , or of the true God. ] PSALME XV. Iehoua . Dauid . O Iehoua ! who shall dwell [ as Pilgrimes dwell in tents ] in thy tabernacle , ] the Church militant ? ] who shall rest in thy holy Mountaine , [ the kingdome of heauen ? ] Ieho . He that walketh perfectly , [ that is , he which leadeth the course of his life vprightly . ] Dau. Who is the vpright man ? Ieho . He that worketh righteousnes [ according to the commandements of the second table , ] and speaketh the trueth in his heart [ as he thinketh , his heart and tongue agreeing . ] Dau. By what notes may this vpright man be knowe , and who is he ? Ieho . I. He that slandereth not with his tōgue : II. nor doth hurt to his neighbour : III. nor receiueth a false report against his neighbour . IV. In whose eies a vile person , [ an vngodly and vnrighteous man ; ] is contemned , but he honoureth them that feare God : V. He that hauing sworne to his owne hinderance , changeth not . VI. He that giueth not his money to vsurie . VII . neither taketh reward of the innocent . Dau. Are these notes vnfallible ? Ieho . He that doth these things , shall neuer be mooued , [ shall abide in Gods fauour for euer . ] A BRIEFE DISCOVRSE , TAKEN OVT OF THE writings of Hier. Zanchius . Wherein the aforesaid case of Conscience is disputed and resolued . Assertion . I. Onely the elect , and all of them : not onely truely may bee , but also are in that time which god hath appointed them in this life , indeed assured of their Election to eternal life in Christ : and this is done not one way , but many waies . WEe say that the Elect alone may bee , and indeede are made sure of their election : that so wee may exclude the reprobate hypocrites : for considering they are not elected , they can neuer be truely perswaded that they are elected . I say truely : because it may come to passe that many in their owne thinking shall be predestinate : yet in trueth they are not perswaded so : for they are deceiued . We haue an example in temporarie Christians , who thinke of thēselues that they beleeue in Christ , but truely doe not beleeue : for their faith is in hypocrisie : and for a time onely . Wherefore a true and certaine perswasion of election can neuer befall any of the reprobates : because the true perswasion of heauenly matters , commeth of the holy Ghost ; which neuer perswadeth any false matter . Wherefore how can reprobates be perswaded that they are elected ? This cōsidered , it is not amisse , that we attribute this perswasion ( of which we now speake ) to the elect alone . Wee adde further , that all the elect , not onely may bee , but are indeed made sure of their Election : which must bee demonstratiuely confirmed against Schoole-men , and other our aduersaries . Wee say , this is done in the time appointed ; because the elect , before they be called to Christ , are neuer sure of their election : nay they neuer thinke of it ; as appeareth in Paul before hee was called , and in others . Againe in like manner after they haue beene called ; yet not presently are made sure of their election : but some sooner , some later . Lastly wee adde , that this is done many waies , what they are , ( if not perfectly , yet in part I will afterward shewe . ) Nowe let vs come to the matter . The Schoolemen demaund whether a man may be made sure of his Election ? And they determine that a man cannot , except it be by diuine reuelation : because Predestination is in God , and not in vs. And no man knoweth the things of God , but the spirit of God : as no man knoweth the things of man , but the spirit of man which is in him . Againe , who knoweth the minde of the Lord ? therefore ( say they ) some speciall reuelation is needfull : if any desire to be certified , either of his owne or of any other mans predestination , their sayings are not simplie to be disliked : but in that meaning , in which they vnderstand them , they are no waie to be approoued . For they take a special reuelation to be this , if God shall signifie and say expresly to any : either by some Angel outwardly , or by his spirit inwardly , that he is predestinate to life : after which sort , they hold that Paul and a fewe other Saints had their predestination reuealed to them . So they conclude that , because euerie man hath not his election reuealed to him after this manner , that all men cannot bee assured of their election . But they are deceiued ; for God , not onely by this one manner which they speake of , doth reueale his will and his counsels ; but by many : for God reuealeth things , either by the inward inspiration of his spirit , or outwardly by his word : or both inwardly and outwardly by inward and outward effects . By his spirit he did inspire his Prophets , and open many things to come . And Christ said to his Apostles , as concerning the holy Ghost : Hee shall lead you into all trueth . By his word hee spake vnto the prophets , and in like manner , by his word he teacheth vs his will. Also by diuers effects , he declareth either his mercie or his iustice : as it is knowne . The same must bee thought of the reuealing of his election : to wit , that God reuealeth the same to the elect , by the holy Ghost , by the word , and by the most certaine effects of predestination . The first testimonie , by which God assureth vs of our election , is the inward testimonie of the spirit , of which the Apostle saith : The spirit ( of God ) testifieth vnto our spirits , that we are the children of God. Nowe what is it to be the sonne of God , but first of all to be predestinated to be the child of God by adoption : and then to be made actually the sonne of God by faith : & lastly by the same spirit also to be regenerate as Gods children are , & to put on the nature of the sonne of God , or rather the son of God himselfe , as the Apostle speaketh . Therefore the holy Ghost , whilest he inwardly beareth record vnto our spirits , that is , to our minds being inlightened by his light , that we are the sons of God , most plainely reuealeth that we were predestinate from all eternitie to adoption : for men are not made the sonnes of God by faith , nor regenerate to be the sons of God , nor put on Christ ; except they be first of all predestinated to adoption . And there can be nothing more certaine then this testimonie : for who better knoweth the things o● god , his counsels & decrees , then the spirit of God , which searcheth all things , yea the deepe things of god : therefore he can most truly reueale vnto euery one of vs the certaintie of our election . And he cannot deceiue vs in reuealing it : for he is the spirit of trueth which can neither deceiue nor be deceiued . If an angel from heauen should be sent to thee , as he was sent to Marie , and as he spake vnto the fathers , & should tel thee in the name of God , that thou wert elected to life euerlasting : wouldst not thou say that thou couldst not then doubt any longer of thy election ? But so much the more certaine is the testimony of the spirit , which beareth record to our spirit , that we are the sonnes of god : by how much the holy ghost doth more know the things of God then any angel : and can lesse deceiue then an angel . And so much the more sure is this testimonie , considering it is not kept in the bodily eares , where it might soone vanish away , but in our minde and spirit : because the spirit beareth record to our spirit . And further , that the holy Ghost neuer departeth from our spirit , but dwelleth in vs , abideth in vs , speaketh in vs , sheweth forth his power in vs , prayeth in vs. Therefore the Apostle saith , that we haue receiued the spirit of adoption , by which we crie Abba , father : as though he should say , this testimonie of the spirit is altogither so sure , by which he beareth vs record that we are the sonnes of God : that presently without doubting , we can call vpon God , and crie , Abba , Father . And all the elect haue this testimonie , being made the sonnes of God by faith , and being renued by the holy ghost : and ingraffed into Christ. For so the Apostle speaketh , if any man haue not the spirit of Christ , he is not his : therefore , whosoeuer is Christs , and is ingraffed into Christ , it is necessarie hee should haue the spirit of God. And whosoeuer haue receiued and doe inioy the spirit of Christ ; to their mindes the same spirit beareth recorde , that they are the sonnes of God , and maketh them to crie Abba , Father . And it is certaine , that no man is renued by the holy Ghost , which is not perswaded that God is his most mercifull and most louing father : and therefore can call vpon him as a father . Therefore although all men in that they are assured by the certaintie of f●ith , that God is their Father , and they are his sonnes , do not thereby argue and conclude that they are elected to eternall life ; yet all men indeede haue thereby a sure testimonie of their election to glorie : because if they be the sonnes of God , they are also heires of eternall life . This testimony I will briefly comprise within this Demonstration : Whosoeuer call vpon god and in their hearts crie Abba , Father , they are the sonnes of God : and it is certaine that they thus crie by the spirit of God. And they which are the sonnes of God , are also heires of eternall life , and they haue beene predestinate to adoption : therefore it must needes be , that all they which are perswaded , that they are the sonnes of God by the holy ghost , are predestinate to eternall life , and must be perswaded of it . This is the first testimonie and the first way , by which God reuealeth to euery Elect man his predestination : namely , by the holy ghost within our hearts , bearing record vnto vs , that we are the sonnes of God in Christ , and by Christ. And let this be the first argument , also seruing to confirme our assertion . The second waie , by which God reuealeth to euery man his predestination , is by his word . I meane not any particular word , by which hee doeth declare to any outwardly in priuate and speciall manner , and that in expresse wordes , his election : but the generall word of the Gospell , by which Christ calleth all them which beleeue in him , elect , both by himselfe and by his Apostles , as in the new Testament euery where is most manifest . For although in particular propositions he say not to thee , or to him particularly , Thou art elect to eternall life : yet by meanes of generall propositions , he doeth as well conclude in the heart of euery one that beleeueth , that hee is elected : as any man shall be able to conclude vnto particular men , that euery one of them is a liuing creature indued with reason by this generall proposition : Euery man is a reasonable creature indued with reason : the assumption beeing suppressed . Therefore after this manner dealeth God ; He hath chosen all and euery seuerall man whome hee was to indue with faith , to haue the euerlasting inheritance . Furthermore , he publisheth it to all the Elect by the Apostles in this generall proposition , that all the faithfull are elect to eternall life : a the assumption is concealed in the word of God. But when he giueth vs faith , he maketh euery one of vs to make an assumption by himselfe in his minde : But I am of the faithfull : for I finde in my selfe that I truely beleeue in Christ. Therefore who is it that maketh this conclusion for thee , that thou art predestinate to euerlasting life ? euen God himselfe : the proposition beeing taken forth of the gospell , and the assumption proceedeth of the gift of faith . But that indeede by which we properly attaine to the knowledge of the matter contained in the conclusion , is the middle tearme , as they call it . Wherefore it is manifest , that God by the word of his gospell , where hee saith ; that all the faithfull are elect : doth reueale to euery faithfull man his owne predestination . Onely this one thing is to be required , that the faithfull man hearing the vniuersall propopositions , in his mind should make an assumption : But I am faithfull by the gift and grace of God. And is not God said to haue reuealed to euery mā his speciall malediction in this generall proposition , Curs●●is euery one that doth not continue in all things that are written in this booke : although he say to no man specially , thou art accursed : for euery one doeth make this assumption , that he is accursed : because he knoweth most certainly that he doth not continue in all things that are written in the booke of the lawe . Therefore the Schoole-men are deceiued , when they say , it may be that euery man may be sure of his election : namely , if GOD which is able , will reueale it to him : yet ; that he doth only reueale it to a very fewe , as the Apostles : for God ( as hath bin prooued and declared ) euen by his worde , in generall propositions doth reueale to euery man his predestination : for what can be more certaine then this demonstration ? Whosoeuer doe truely beleeue in Christ , they are elect to eternall life in Christ : but I truely beleeue in Christ ; therefore I am elected . But some make an exception and say , that this were a demonstration , and that most certaine and euident , if a man might bee able to knowe that he were indued with true faith in Christ : but here lieth all the difficultie . For many thinke that they truely beleeue in Christ , whereas neuerthelesse their faith is hypocriticall and temporarie : as appeareth by the Euangelists . Answere . We graunt that they which beleeue by such a faith● which is in hypocrisie & only lasteth for a time ; that they are deceiued whilst they think that they doe truely beleeue , and yet doe not indeede : for they are like them which dreame that they are kings , when as they very beggers : but we say , that they which beleeue by a true faith , doe know whether they truly beleeue or no : and they are not deceiued when they say and thinke that they truly beleeue . For they are like vnto them , which handling a pretious stone , by reason that they are indued with sense , know and say , that they handle it . And if no man might certainly know , whether he beleeued truly or not : why doth the Apostle say , Trie your selues whether you be in the Faith ? And if it be so , no man can euer certenly know , whether he be iustified : considering that they onely which truly beleeue , can be iustified . And if a man giuing credit to an other mans words , doth certēly know that he beleeueth him : how much more doth he know it , which beeing indued with true faith by the holy Ghost , beleeueth the Gospel ? In a word , godly writers haue prooued against Schoolemen , that they which are indued with true faith in Christ , can not be ignorant of it . But ( say they ) no man is certaine of his perseuerance in faith : and therefore out of this vniuersall proposition , He which beleeueth , namely , with a true and constant faith , is elected to life , no man c●n conclude that he is elected , by reason that albeit he may know , that he is indued with true faith , yet he can not tell whether it shall be perpetuall . This collection is absurd , and the learned haue fully prooued , that true faith is perpetual . And therfore they which certenly know , that they beleeue in a true faith , are also certaine , that the same their true faith shall neuer perish in this world : partly for the promise of God , I will put my feare into their hearts , that they may neuer depart from me : and partly for the praier of Christ , I haue prayed for thee Peter , that thy faith doe not faile . Seeing it is so , it is very certaine , that God by his word , in which generally he saith , that all the faithfull are elect , doth reueale to euery man his election : considering that the proposition taken out of the Gospel , is most certaine , and euery faithfull man may certainly assume to himselfe , that he is indued with true faith in Christ. The third way by which God reuealeth to euery one of vs his Predestination , is by the effects of predestination , as well inward in vs , as outward : by which , as by certaine markes imprinted in vs , he doth seale vs to himselfe in Christ : and doth so seale vs , that if we shall giue diligent heede , we may thereby euidently perceiue , that we are set apart from the common sort of men , which is often called by the name of the world : that we are foreknowne for his sonnes , and loued in Christ , and predestinated to eternall life ; yea , and that we appe●taine no longer to the world , but to that citie which is aboue , that hath his foundation as the Apostle saith . And we haue a twofold reason of this argument : one , because these effects ( of which we speake , and which we will afterward handle ) God worketh not in any , but in his elect : as also afterward we will shew . Therefore by right a man may , by a true feeling and experience of these effects in himselfe , be assured of his particular election and predestination , to haue fellowship with Christ in all his graces . For if predestination ( as Augustine witnesseth ) be a preparation to the blessings of God , by which most certainely they are made free , whosoeuer are made free ; therefore whosoeuer feeleth himselfe freed through these graces of God , may be assured and certified of his predestination . The other reason is , that these effects are not onely the effects simplie of predestination , but also such effects they are , that may also be seales of it : namely in printing in vs a liuely forme and image of GOD , foreknowing vs , louing vs , electing vs. And therefore , albeit we cannot see the purpose , the foreknowledge , the election and predestination of God as concerning our selues , in God himselfe foreknowing , willing , and electing vs : yet wee may beholde in our selues some sure representations of all these imprinted , and euen stamped in vs by the worde : and so by the beholding of these formes and impressions in our selues , wee shall easily be brought to the knowledge of those patterns , ( as it were ) which are in the Lord himselfe . The matter ( by reason it is verie good and comfortable ) may be declared by a similitude : God is like vnto the sunne in regard of vs : the sunne when it shineth vpon vpon vs , and after a sort looketh vs in the face , it doth after such a sort imprint an image of his light in our eies , that wee also in like manner beeing made partakers of his light , may looke againe vpon the sunne it selfe , and vpon his light : for the light of the sunne and his beames beeing sent downe vpon vs , are bea●en backe and reflected againe towards the sunne . So in like manner the foreknowledge of God , by which he hath and would acknowledge for his from all extremitie , it alwaies resteth in God , and cannot of it selfe be perceiued of vs. But yet whilest God doeth acknowledge vs for his , he doth portrait in vs his elect , a certaine forme and image of his foreknowledge : by which hee maketh vs , renouncing all other gods , to acknowledge him for our only true God. Thus it commeth to passe , through this true knowledge of God , which he vouchsafeth vs and by which we do acknowledge God for our God and father : we may after a sort behold in God himselfe his foreknowledge , by which he hath foreknowne vs for his fonnes . For first of all , God doth acknowledge vs for his , & then the elect being made partakers of this his light and knowledge , he causeth vs in like manner to acknowledge him . To this purpose serueth that which our Sauiour Christ saith : first , ( saith he ) I know my sheep , after he addeth , and againe , I am known of mine . As though he should say , whiles I acknowledge them for my sheepe , I make them by meanes of this my light and knowledge that they also can acknowledge me for their pastor . So the Apostle saith to the Galathians : when ye shall know God , or rather are known of him : he teacheth therefore , that God knew the Galathians , because he had first acknowledged them for his , in his eternall predestination : & by giuing vnto them this his wisdome he made them acknowledge the true God for their God. The same may bee said of the loue of God , by which he loued vs in Christ to euerlasting life , before the foundatiō of the world : god by louing vs doth print in our hearts the image of his loue , by which we may loue him againe frō our hearts : and as it were by the reflection of the funne beames sent down into our hearts , we may be prouoked to loue againe . For the loue of God to vs being eternall , & causing eternall life , begetteth in the time appointed a certaine loue in vs , seruing for his eternall glorie . And to his purpose is that of S. Iohn : not that we first loued God , but because he first loued vs As though he had said , therefore wee loue GOD ; because hee first , that is before the foundation of the world louing vs in Christ , by the ingrauing of his loue in our hearts , causeth vs to loue him againe as a father . So loue is said , ( to wit , that loue by which wee loue God ) to be of God : that is , to proceede of the loue of God towards vs. And Paul writeth that the loue of God , ( namely , that loue by which he loued vs ) to be shed in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vs : and by this shedding of the loue of God in our hearts , it commeth to passe that loue is also wrought in our hearts towards God. And therefore by that sound loue by which we seele our selues to loue God , we are made to know how great that loue of God is , by which hee loued vs from all eternitie in Christ. And what is that loue else but predestination ? In like manner , election by which he singled vs from the rest of the world in Christ , that we might be holy before him ; begets in vs a certain image euen of God himselfe , that is , another election , by which we renouncing all other Gods which are worshipped in the world , make our choice of this our true God Iehouah , to be our god , that he may be alwaies before our eies , he which sanctifieth vs , and the author of our whole saluation . Wherefore through this constant election which is in vs , we perceiue , that the election which is in god , as concerning vs , is firme and sure : not onely as we gather the cause by the effect , but also as we gather the patterne by the picture : like as by the similitude of the forme of a seale fashioned in waxe , we doe easily vnderstand what is the very forme and fashion of the seale . Therefore it is manifest , that it is the manner of God by the effects of his election & predestination imprinted in vs , to reueale to euery one of vs his own election and predestination : And that two waies , both because there are certaine eff●cts of predestination , and by the effects , the causes are known : and also because there are certaine liuely types of Gods foreknowledge and election , by which we are sealed vp vnto God. Now by the imprinting of these formes & types in vs , as the seale is in wax : the very first patterns themselues are knowne what they are . Furthermore , that there is no man elected to eternall life , which shal not be sealed vp in the time appointed with these markes of Gods election : It is manifest out of these places of scripture , which treat of election and predestination . The Apostle teacheth , that we were elected , that wee might be holy and without blame . Also he teacheth , that all they whome God hath predestinated , are likewise called and iustified , and by consequent indued with faith and knowledge of God , by which they take him for their father : with loue also , wherewith they loue him as a father : Also with a good will and constant purpose , by which they desire constantly his glorie . Againe , he saith in another place , the foundation standeth sure , hauing this seale ( in respect of GOD ) the Lord knoweth who are his . Nowe in respect of vs , hee putteth downe another seale , saying : let him depart from iniquitie which calleth vpon the name of the Lord : for with this marke , all the elect are branded . They call vpon the name of the Lord , and depart from iniquitie : seeking after holinesse and a good conscience . And this is that sealing which is so often mentioned in the scriptures : As when in the Apocalyps it is said , that an innumerable multitude was sealed to the Lord. For , like as the father sealed Iesus Christ as hee was man & Mediator ; so also the rest of his children he hath sealed , & doeth daily seale with sure notes and seales to distinguish them from other men , & the childrē of this age . For God is said to haue annointed vs , and sealed vs , and giuen vs the earnest of his spirit in our hearts . And again , to haue sealed vs with the holy spirit of promise , and that to the daie of redemption . As it is easie to discerne a right seale from a counterfeit , so the true soules of God ( by the sealing of the spirit ) are distinguished from hypocrits , & lawful children frō bastards . It remaineth , that we should declare some effects of predestination : by which , as by markes and seales , the Elect may be discerned from Reprobates . The first effect of Predestination , is Christ himselfe ; as he is a Mediator and a Sauiour , dwelling in our hearts by his holy spirit . For as we are elected in him and by him redeemed ; so by the sprinkling of his blood , wee are clensed and sealed : and by his dwelling in vs quickened , ( for hee is our life , and that eternall ) and therefore wee are seuered from Reprobates which alwaies remaine in death , as in the holy Scriptures we are taught . Wee say that this is the first effect of Predestination , because we can enioy none of the gifts of god , either of election , vocation or iustification , except in Christ , and by Christ : For hee hath poured out all the effects of predestination into vs. In that therefore euerie elect faithfull man feeleth Christ to dwell in him , and to quicken him ; hee hath a seale in himselfe , by which he may know that he was elected to euerlasting life in the same Christ : A part and beginning of which life , is this spirituall life , by which we now liue to God. And as euerie man knoweth himselfe to be the sonne of God in Christ , because he calleth vpon God from his heart as a father : he may conclude , that hee is predestinated to be the sonne of God for Christs cause . And that by this first note the faithfull may know that they are elect to eternall life : the Apostle sheweth , Know ye not ( saith he ) your selues that Iesus Christ is in you , except ye be Reprobates ? And no doubt a Type of this kind of sealing , was that sealing which was done in Egypt , by the blood of the Lambe : namely , when the houses of the Israelites were sprinkled with this blood , that they might be discerned from the houses of the Egyptians : and so be passed ouer vntouched of the Angel. And by Christ , as by the chiefe effect : yea and the cause too of all the effects which followe : all other effects of Predestination are put into vs , and we are sealed with them . The Apostle nameth three principals , our calling , ( to wit effectuall ) our iustification and glorification . This third effect , we shall obtaine in the life to come , the two first in this life . And to these two may verie well be referred all other , which we receiue in this life by Christ , with the effectuall , we ioyne a sound hearing of the word of God , and the vnderstanding of it , accompanied with great and constant delight and ioie : faith also and a true knowledge of the deitie , humanitie , and office of Christ. Vnto iustification , we referre a perswasion of the remission of our sinnes by Christ ( for by this we are iustified : ) and regeneration too , or sanctification , and renouation of life , a good conscience , loue not faigned , a pure heart and cleane , patience in aduersitie , and boasting in tribulation , all good works and fruits of the spirit : adde herevnto the crosse it selfe , which we beare for the trueth of the gospel ; wherefore , whosoeuer feeleth that hee is effectually called , that hee doth willingly heare the word , that hee doth beleeue the gospell , that he is sure of the remission of his sinnes , that hee burneth with true loue to his neighbour , that hee is bent to euery good worke : hee cannot but must needes bee perswaded of his election : for God onely doeth communicate these vnto the elect . Therefore it is plaine , that the elect are confirmed in the assurance of their election , by the effects of Predestination , and that there is a threefold waie , by which God reuealeth to euery man his Predestination . But if any shall take an occasion the rather of doubting of his election , then of confirming himselfe in it , of that which hath beene spoken as concerning the fruites of the spirit , and the effects of predestination : and that peraduenture because he can feele in himselfe few & verie weake fruits of regeneration and election : yet let him not be discouraged , neither let him doubt of his election : but let him vnderset himselfe with these proppes . First of all , if euer hee truely felt in himselfe that testimonie of the spirit ( which before I mentioned ) namely that hee is the sonne of GOD : let him knowe vndoubtedly , that he is such a one , and therefore elected to eternall life . For the holy ghost neuer beareth record , or perswadeth a man of that which is false , for he is the spirit of trueth . And they are not the sonnes of God , except they haue beene predestinate ( as the Apostle saith ) to adoption by Christ : and none that is the Sonne of God and a man elected , can be made a reprobate , and the childe of the deuill . Therefore , albeit hee feele in himselfe both few and feeble effects of regeneration , yet let him not doubt of his election : otherwise hee shall disgrace the testimonie which he hath receiued of the holy Ghost , yea and that too which as yet hee enioyeth : although peraduenture by reason that his minde is troubled by euill affections , that testimonie of the holy spirit can scarse be heard in him . For the true testimonie of our adoption by the holy Ghost , being once giuen vnto our spirit , lasteth for euer : although it is otherwhiles heard more plainely , and at other times is more slenderly and scarce perceiued . But howe ( say you ) may I knowe , whether the testimonie doeth proceede from the holy Ghost , and therefore whether it bee a true and certaine testimonie . I answer first by the perswasion : secondly , by the manner of the perswasion : lastly , by the effects of this testimonie and perswasion . For the first , the holy Ghost doeth not simplie say it , but doth perswade with vs , that we are the Sonnes drawne of God ; and no flesh can doe this . Againe hee perswades vs by reasons drawn not from our workes , or from any worthinesse in vs ; but from the alone goodnesse of God the Father , and grace of Christ. In this manner the deuill will neuer perswade any . Lastly , the perswasion of the holy Ghost is full of power , for they which are perswaded that they are the sonnes of God , cannot but needes must call him Abba , Father , and in regard of loue to him , doe hate sinne , and whatsoeuer is disagreeing to his will : and on the contrarie , they haue a sound and a heartie desire to doe his will. If at any time thou hast felt in thy selfe any such testimonie , perswade thy selfe it was the testimony of the holy ghost : and that very true and certain too : and therefore that thou art the child of God , and predestinate to eternall life . This is the prop by which wee must vnderset that weake beleefe wee haue of our certaine election to eternal life . Againe , hold this without wauering whatsoeuer thou art , that art tempted to doubt of thy election : euen as nothing is required at our hands to worke our election , ( for God chose vs of his onely meere goodnes ) so , that we may truly know whether we be elect or not : this one thing shall be sufficient , namely , if we shall attaine to the certaine knowledge of this , that we are in Christ , and partakers of him : for , he that is now ingrafted in Christ , and is iustified , it cannot be , but that he was elected in Christ before the foundation of the world . And that we may be in Christ , faith is both required , and is sufficient : not perfect faith , but true faith , though it be so little as a graine of mustard seede , and feeble like a young borne babe , and that sore diseased too . Now that faith , which is a liuely & a true faith lasteth alwaies as hath beene before declared , neither can it at any time altogether faile . And so it commeth to passe , that they which once haue beene truly ingrafted into Christ , remaine alwaies and continue in him , according to that saying ; All that my Father giueth me , shall come to me : and he which commeth vnto me I will not cast forth . That is true no doubt , that looke how much the faith is more perfect , so much the greater power it hath , to knit vs more and more to Christ : and therefore we must alwaies endeauour to encrease in faith . Yet for all that , this is most certaine ; one little sparkle of true faith is sufficient to engraft vs into Christ. And for that cause , we must in no wise doubt of our engrafting into Christ , and of our election too by reason of the weaknesse of faith , and the small and slender fruits it bringeth out . But how shall I certenly know ( say you ) whether my faith be a true and liuely faith , or not ? Out of the same grounds , from whence the testimonie of our adoption is perceiued . First of all , if you shall truly feele , that you are perswaded of the truth of the Gospel , yea and that all your sinnes are pardoned you for Christ , and you receiued to fauour . Againe , if you see that this perswasion is grounded not vpon any merits of yours , but on the sole goodnes of God , and grace of Christ. Lastly , if you feele such a confidence to approach vnto , and call vpon the Father , and such a loue towards him & his Sonne Iesus Christ , that ye do hate and detest whatsoeuer is against his glorie ( as all sinne is ) and on the contrarie , be carried away with a desire to doe those things which serue for the aduancing of his glorie : and therefore that you loue all those , which desire and seeke the same , as the brethren and friends of Christ. For these be the effects which can neuer be seuered from true faith . And this is the disposition of true faith : therefore as long as thou feelest these effects in thy selfe , albeit very slender and greatly languishing , yet assure thy selfe thou art indued with true faith , although it be weake : and therefore thou art in Christ , yea and in Christ elected too . Wherefore thou must not doubt of thy saluation and election , by reason of thy daily slippes , proceeding from thy weaknes of faith , no not for hainous crimes : like as neither Dauid for his adulterie and murder , not Peter for his threefold deniall , did despaire of their election : which appeareth , in that beeing plunged in the very gulfes of their temptations , they held fast their faith as an anker , and called vpon God. This is the second prop. Lastly , in no wise we must forget , namely that our election is certen and immutable : and therefore , as it is done without respect of any works of ours : so in like sort it can neuer be changed by any of our euill deserts . For as it first proceeded frō the onely free purpose of God ; so it is grounded theron . True it is : we prouoke Gods wrath against vs by our sinnes , and neither will God let them escape vnpunished , but he chastiseth vs by diuerse , both inward and outward scourges : as may appeare in Dauid aboue all other . Yet for all that , it is his good pleasure , that for his goodnes sake & truth , for the obedience of Christ , that his purpose should remaine sure , and our election . So it commeth to passe , that he giueth vs repentance anew , to raise vs vp , and to receiue vs to fauour . Therfore , although for the present , thou feelest thy selfe to be of weake faith , and to haue fallen to diuers sinnes : yet wheras hertofore thou hast had many & euident testimonies of thy election , as the testimonie of the holy Ghost , & the testimonie taken from faith , and the effects of faith : at this present assuredly thou canst not doubt of thy election , for thy sinnes committed , but thou shalt much derogate from this free election , & also from the testimonies of thy election heretofore enioied , yea & those which yet thou enioyest . For if thy sins displease thee , and thou desirest to liue without blame , only for that thy sinns displease thee : why now thou hast a new testimonie of thy election : for such repentance as this is , is only proper vnto the elect . Therfore , by these three props we must vphold our faith , as touching euery ones particular election . And thus much as concerning the certentie , with the which euery man must be perswaded that he is elected in Christ to eternall life , before the foundation of the world . Assertion . II. Whosoeuer are predestinated to the end , they are also predestinate to the meanes without which they cannot attaine to the end : and therefore as the elect necessarily at length doe come vnto the ende , by reason of the certentie of their election ; so also by reason of the same certentie , it is necessarie that they should be traced through those meanes which tend to the same ende . VVE must marke the ende to which we are predestinate , and to which we say that one day we shall be brought : for there is a double end of our election : the one concerneth the elect themselues , namely their glorification , or their eternall life and glorie in heauen . Of which is spoken , Rom. 8. The other concerneth God himselfe which chuseth , namely , the glorie of God : that is , that the glorie of his grace may be knowne , and eternally made manifest , of which is mention made , Eph. 1. Both of them are so coupled together , that whosoeuer are praeelected to the first , are also predestinate to the latter , and the latter followeth of the former . For the more we shall be made partakers of the grace of God and the heauenly glorie : so much also more and more shall the glorie of God be made manifest in vs. But because the ende which concerneth God , is almost all one in the reprobation of the wicked , and in the predestination of the Saints : namely , that by the saluation of these which proceedeth of his meere goodnes , the glorie of his grace is made manifest : so also by the iust damnation of the other , the glorie of his diuine iustice may be made knowne to all . Neuerthelesse , considering that the ende , to which the elect shall attaine , is farre diuers from that ( for it is eternall life ) vnto which the reprobates are appointed ( for that is eternall death : ) therefore the ende of which we treat in this assertion , is our eternall glorification and euerlasting life in heauen . Let vs now see in the second place , what are those meanes , by which the elect are brought vnto this end : and therefore to which meanes we hold , that all are predestinate whosoeuer are predestinate to the ende . And they are of two sorts , some of them are so necessarie vnto all , that without them no man simply can attaine vnto eternal life and glorie : and they are Christ , as he is mediatour and high priest , and his obedience and iustice ( for without Christ no man can be saued : ) also our effectuall calling to Christ by the holy Ghost : and that which followeth this , is our iustification , yea and our regeneration too . For these foure , predestination , vocation , iustification , and glorification , are so linked togither , that it is not possible to seuer the one from the other . And therefore no man can be glorified , which is not iustified , and no man can be iustified , which is not effectually called , as also no man can be effectually called which is not predestinate : therefore without these , not so much as children and infants can be brought to this ende of eternall glorie . And therefore euen all the elect infants are inwardly , in a certaine peculiar manner , by the holy Ghost , called , and iustified , and glorified . Now there are some certain meanes annexed vnto these , which albeit they haue no place in infants , by reason of their age , yet they belong to all other elect , howsoeuer they are found in some more plenteous & liuely , and in other some more slender & weake . As namely , a liuely faith , the hearing of the word , a detestation of sinne , the loue of righteousnes , patience in aduersitie , a care to doe good workes ( and such like ) all which the Apostle comprehendeth vnder the name of good works ; when he saith , that we are created , that is , borne a new in Christ , vnto good works , which God hath prepared , that we might walke in them , that is , that we might lead our liues in them , and so walking at length might come to eternall life : for without them , we cannot come to eternall glorie ; but by them God trayleth vs thither . Therefore we say , that all which are elect to that ende , are also predestinate to the same meanes . For predestination is not onely of the ende , but also of the meanes which concerne the end : and all , as well the ende as the meanes are the effects of predestination . And therefore it is very true which Augustine saith : Predestination ( saith he ) is a preparation to the graces of God , by which they indeed are freed , whosoeuer are freed . Therefore , the first gift of God ( that we may briefly consider the effects of predestination ) prepared for all the elect , without which they can in no wise come to the ende : and therefore the first effect of predestination is our Lord Iesus , with his obedience , merits , death , resurrection , glorie : namely , in that respect he is made mediatour betweene God the father and vs , and the head of all the elect . And therefore , in as much as he is such a one , he is also the cause of all other graces and benefits , which come vnto vs by the free predestination of God. For the effects of predestination are so ordered among themselues that the first , which goe before , are the causes efficient , or ( if we will so speake ) the materiall causes of the latter , and those that follow . Therefore , seeing Christ is the first effect of predestination , he is also the cause of all other effects , by whome we are made partakers of them . The Apostle therefore saith very well to the Ephesians : In the first place ( saith he ) we are elected in Christ , namly as in the head , to be his members . Secondly , he writeth that we are predestinate to adoption by Christ , namely to obtaine it : for we are adopted into the sonnes of God in Christ , the first begotten sonne of God , and by making vs partakers of his son●hip , we are really made the sonnes of God , yea , and we are also indued with his spirit too , that we might be borne anew . Thirdly , ( saith he ) we are made acceptable and beloued vnto the father , and his beloued sonne , namely , Christ. Fou●thly , that we haue our redemptiō in the same Christ , by his blood , and haue obtained remission of sinnes , and all wisdome and vnderstanding , as well in heauen , as in earth . In a word , the Apostle sheweth there ( as also else where ) that whatsoeuer benefits we doe , or shall hereafter obtaine , counting from our eternall election , euen vnto our glorification : all those we now doe , and shall obtaine hereafter , in Christ , and by Christ. Therefore , whosoeuer are elected to eternall life , besides this that they are elected in Christ , they are also predestinate to Christ , that is , to haue fellowship with him , that they may by him enioy all other benefits . The second ben●fit of God and effect of our predestination , is our effectuall calling to Christ , and to his Gospel , in which the elect are onely called : because it is by the purpose and grace of God , which is giuen vs in Christ. And an effectuall calling is knowne by the effects , two of which proceed directly from ●t : a heartie kind of hearing the word , and the conceiuing of it with a very great , constant , and continuall delight , and a true and sure beleefe of the word of the Gospel . Thence it is that Christ saith , Who is of God ( saith he ) namely , by election and effectuall calling , heareth the word of God , very willingly , and from his heart , and that continually : but ye heare not , because ye are not of God. And this calling is wrought not onely of the preaching of the word ( as it is in all that be of yeares ) but also ( and that chiefly ) with the inward inspiration of the holy Ghost , whiles that the Father draweth them by his spirit , whome he will haue to come to Christ : Which also was said to be done in infants . For this calling is the beginning of saluation euen in this life : and therefore it is the Apostles manner , in the beginning of his Epistles , to make mention of this calling , naming all the faithfull , The saints called : Therefore it must needes be , that all they which are elected in Christ , must also at length effectually be called and drawne to Christ. After an effectuall calling followeth Faith , the effect of predestination , which is said to be peculiar vnto ●he elect : And without which ( as the Apostle saith ) it is not possible to please God. For by it we are ingrafted into Christ , and are made the members of Christ , and without faith no man can be sau●d . And that this is an effect of Predestination the Apostle plainly sheweth , when he saith , that he had obtained mercie , ( namely in Gods eternall predestination ) that he might beleeue . Wherefore , whosoeuer are predestinate to obtaine eternall life in Christ and by Christ , they are also elect to haue the very gift of faith . Therefore it must needs be , that at length they shall beleeue in Christ. The fourth benefit is Iustification , that is , a free pardoning of our sinnes , and the imputation of the righteousnes of Christ , for it followeth Faith : because whosoeuer are indued with true faith in Christ , are also iustified . And that iustification is an effect of predestination ; the Apostle sheweth when he putt●th it after calling , before which he setteth predestination . And when he saith , that we are elect in Christ , that we might be holy and without spot or blame in the presence of God : and that this is not done while we are in this world , but by the pardoning of all our faults , and by the imputation of his perfect obedience . Wherefore it must needs be , that all the elect shall be iustified , and be taken for most pure and without blame in Gods presence . With iustification is ioyned regeneration , and sanctification by the holy Ghost : namely , whiles we are made new creatures by him , and the sonnes of God too : not onely by adoption , but also by regeneration . For when Christ iustifieth vs , he doth not onely forgiue vs our vnrighteousnes , & impute his righteousnes to vs , but also he taketh from vs our stonie heart , & giueth vs a fleshie heart of his owne : and he strips vs of our old man , & puts on his new man. Lastly , he taketh away the corruption of our nature , and makes vs partakers of his diuine nature : and so indeed of the sonnes of men , he makes vs the sonnes of God , and his brethren too . Therefore it is saide , that we are predestinated to adoption by Iesus Christ and elect , that we may be holy without blame , and that which is borne of the spirit is called spirit . Therfore the elected to eternall life , must needs be begotten anew to be the sonnes of God , and be made partakers of the diuine nature , and be a new creature in Christ. Hence issueth the sixt effect of predestination , which is heedfully to be regarded : the loue of righteo●unesse , and the detestation of sinne . For in regeneration , the affections are principally chaunged . Namely , the affections of the corrupt nature and flesh , into the affections of the diuine nature and spirit . Hence it is , that the Apostle saith , that they which are borne anew , doe walke according to the spirit , and not after the flesh : and not to sauour the things of the flesh , but the things of the spirit . And the chiefe affections of the flesh , are the loue of sinne , that is , the concupiscence of the flesh : and contrariwise the hatred of righteousnesse , and the law of God , which are not of the Father , but of the world . Therefore the chiefe affections of regeneration and the spirit , are the loue of righteousnesse and of the law of God , and the hatred of sinne . For that which is spoken chiefly of Christ : Thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquitie ; is to be vnderstood of all the members of Christ , endued with his spirit , because it is truly accomplished in them . Hence it is , that Dauid who in himselfe did represent the disposition of all the regenerate , saide of himselfe , I haue loued thy law , thy law is in the middle of my heart , I haue hated all the workers of iniquitie , I will not sitte with the wicked . Also Paul , I am delighted , saith he , in the law of God , according to the inner man : that is , in as much as I am borne anewe . And no man doubteth , but that both these affections are the effects of predestinatiō , except he be ignorant that all these are the gifts of God : which as in time he bestoweth on his , so also he hath decreed to bestow them on them before the foundation of the world . And from these two affections , beeing the first fruits of regenerati●n , ariseth a care and endeauour to doe good workes , that is , to flie sinne , and to fulfill the law of God : which is the seauenth effect of predestination . For he which hateth any thing from his heart , he taketh heede of it as much as he can , and he fleeth from it , and escheweth it : and on the contrarie , he which loueth any thing from his heart , that also he seeketh after , and endeauoureth himselfe to the compassing of it . Therefore the Apostle Iohn , maketh this a chiefe difference betweene the sonnes of God , and the children of the deuill , that is , betweene them that are borne anew , and them that are not borne anew : that the children of God both loue and doe righteousnesse , and the children of the deuill loue sinne , and doe it : as also the deuill sinned from the beginning : and Christ came to dissolue the workes of the deuill , namely , in his elect ; for in the reprobate he leaueth them vntouched , because they are not giuen him of the father to be purged , borne anew , and saued . Therefore seeing Christ was before ordained and predestinate to the doing of all these workes , and that there is no good wrought in vs , which was not prouided for vs in Christ from all eternitie : it is a cleare case , that the care also of doing good workes , is an effect of predestination . And the Apostle plainely teacheth it when he saith , that we were created in Christ to good workes , which God hath prepared that we might walke in them . To this purpose serueth that which the Apostle deliuereth of loue vnfained , to which he sheweth , that we were elect ; and of a good conscience : which he makes the inseparable companion of the faith of the elect . Lastly , of a pure heart , which he ascribeth to the elect , considering the vnfaithful haue nothing cleane in them , and that their minde and conscience is defiled . Now that this care to doe good workes , is necessarie in all the elect , Peter sheweth it , when he bids vs endeauour to make our election and calling sure by good workes , as some copies haue it . But to whom shall we make it sure ? not vnto God , ( for it was sure vnto him before the foundation of the world ) but vnto our selues , and to our neighbours . And this is one of the chiefest vses of good workes , that by them , not as by causes , but as by effects of predestination and faith , both we , and also our neighbours are certified of our election , and of our saluation too . Furthermore , considering whiles we haue a care to glorifie God , to doe good works , and we will not be conformable to the world in the wickednes of it , neither submit our selues to our flesh and Sathan : the flesh , the world , and Sathan , doe perpetually warre against vs ; and therewithall it commeth to passe , they beeing most valiant enemies , that either we are ouercome , or at the least in fight are foiled . And therfore we are constrained to flie vnto the Lord , and to craue his assistance : therefore the eight effect of our predestination is the calling vpon God , that in this fight he would giue vs ayd against the Deuill , the world , and the flesh . For this is the propertie of the spirit , which the elect haue to stir them vp to praier : for the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs , with gronings that cannot be vttered , that is to say , it mooueth vs to make request . And because we are sonnes , God hath sent the Spirit of his sonne into our hearts , crying , Abba , Father . And God biddeth vs cal vpon him in the day of tribulation , promising to heare vs. From these proceedeth the ninth effect of predestination , namely , a perpetuall repentance for our daily slippes , and a continuall desire to be bettered in godlinesse . So that also , for this cause chiefly , we heartily desire to be dissolued out of this world , and to be with Christ for this end , that we might sinne no more . For this is a thing proper to the elect of God euen now borne anew : as we may see in the Apostle , who speaketh thus in the name of all the regenerate : O miserable man that I am , who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death ? And again , I desire to be dissolued , and to be with Christ. From this ninth effect proceedeth the tenth , namely , a desire that Christ may come , and make an end of all our miseries and sinnes , and perfectly restore his owne kingdome . That this is proper to the elect , the Apostle sheweth , when he saith , that they loue the comming of the Lord : and Iohn bringeth in the spouse of Christ , crying , Come , Lord Iesus , come quickly . Yea , and Christ himselfe hath taught vs to pray : Let thy kingdome come . And because that they which pray on this wise , are also heard according to Gods promise : In the day of tribulation call vpon me , and I will heare thee : hence appeareth the eleuenth effect of Predestination , true patience , that is , not onely true comfort , but also a reioycing in aduersitie : as the Apostle describeth it . And therefore a certaine taking vp of courage and recouerie of strength against his enemies : whereby it commeth to passe , that all things turne to the saluation of the elect . For the elect , albeit they be often beaten downe in fight , yet because Christ speedily sendeth ayd from heauen vnto them , they rise vp couragiously , and begin againe the fight against sinne and the deuill , and all other the enemies of Christ : and they fight so long , till they be made conquerours , and are assured of the victorie , and of the crowne : which assurance also is an effect of Predestination giuen to all the elect . For what ( saith the Apostle ) shall we say to these things ? If God be on our side , who can be against vs ? Therefor● our Lord Iesus teacheth , that the elect can not be seduced , and so perish , no not by the cunning of Antichrist , and his miracles . And lastly , hence , appeareth that last effect of Predestination , which we can obtaine in this life , the gift of perseuerance , vnto the ende , in faith and a true confession of Christ , ioyned with a manifest care to liue a godly life , and a desire to glorifie him . For this gift is bestowed vpon all the elect , as the Lord promiseth by Ieremie : I will put my feare into their hearts , that they may not depart from me . And when they shall come to the end of their liues , they shall be receiued into the heauenly glorie , vntill such time , as their bodies also beeing raised vp , they may take full possession of eternall life . Thus we see that it is very certaine , that those which are elected to eternall life , are also predestinate to vse those meanes , by which , as by certaine steps and staires , they climbe into that heauenly dwelling place . And therefore that we were predestinate to these meanes , namely Faith , Iustification , and good workes , because we were elected to eternall life , according to the purpose and grace of God. Wherefore by this meanes the doctrine also of the Pelagians is confuted as touching predestination to life , by our faith and workes , which God foresaw we should doe . Whereas on the contrarie , therefore God did predestinate vs to faith and good workes , because he did choose vs to eternall life . For the Apostle saith not , I obtained mercie , because I was faithfull , or because I should be faithfull , but that I might be faithfull . Neither , saith he , that we are elected in Christ , because we should be holy and without blame , but that we might be holy and without blame . Neither doth he say , that we were created in Christ , because we did or should doe good works : but we were created to good works : which God prepared that we might walke in them . Lastly , he saith not , that the grace of Christ appeared , because we were to liue soberly , iustly , and godly , but that it therefore appeared , that we denying all vngodlines , and the lusts of this world , might liue soberly , iustly , and godly i● this present world . We see therefore , that by this doctrine , that wicked opinion is ouerthrowne , which teacheth , that we doe preuent the grace of God by our merits which God foresaw . And on the contrarie , here we see , how foully the bellygods of this world are deceiued , which reason thus : if we be predestinate to eternall life , and our predestination be certaine and vnchangeable , what neede wee endeauour our selues , beleeue or doe good workes ? for howsoeuer it fall out , and howesoeuer the elect doe liue , vndoubtedly they cannot perish , because they are predestinate to eternall life . Alas poore wretches , they see not , that they seuer those things that are to be conioyned , namely the ende and the meanes of the ende : & that they breake the chaine , which in no wise either can or must be loosed , whilst that they seuer their calling & iustification : yea and Faith too & good workes , from predestination and glorification . As though God did glorifie them whome he did predestinate , before he called and iustified them : yea and before they can beleeue , and shewe their quicke and liuely faith by workes . Contrariwise , let vs learne what our dutie is . If any be elect to eternall life , they also are predestinate to the meanes by which they come vnto it . And wee beleeue ( as wee are bound to doe ) that wee are predestinate to eternall life : and therefore we must also beleeue , that we haue beene elected to faith and good workes : that by them , as by certaine steps , wee might bee brought to eternall life . And therefore so farre must we be from neglecting Faith , and the meanes of good works , & of a holy life ; that contrariwise , it is rather our dutie , to keep Faith in a good conscience , and to be conuersant in good workes , which God hath prepared , that we might walke in them . And because we can neither attaine to the ende , nor the meanes that bring vs therevnto of our selues : Therfore it is our part to craue them at Gods hands by praier , that hee would giue vs faith , and a care to doe good workes , and increase them in vs. Neither must we onely aske them , but also certainely trust that wee shall obtaine them for Christ his cause . For , if for all them which are predestinated to eternall life , God hath prepared faith , by which they may beleeue , and good workes to walke in : therefore if we beleeue ( as by Gods commandement we are bound ) that we are in Christ elected to eternall glorie : wee must also be perswaded , that before we depart hence , hee wil giue vs true repentance , encrease true faith , inflame vs with loue : lastly , that hee will minister vnto vs aboundantly all things in Christ , to obtaine the ende . Yea this confidence also and praier , it is one effect of predestination , by which wee get the rest . Therefore this doctrine we must hold , that predestination to eternall life doth not take away the meanes of obtaining it , but rather establish them . And therfore both these principles are true , namely , that the elect to life cannot perish : and vnlesse a man beleeue in Christ , and perseuere vnto the ende in this faith working by loue , he shall perish . The reason is , because in predestination , the means & the end of it are so ioyned togither , that the one can not be seuered from the other . Wherefore whosoeuer holdeth not the meanes vnto the ende ( amongest which faith is one ) it is manifest , that he was neuer predestinate , and therefore must needes perish : as on the contrarie , he which holdeth faith , must needes be saued . So the truth of these propositions is euident : He which beleeueth in the Sonne hath eternal life : contrariwise , he which beleeueth not in the sonne , the anger of God remaineth vpon him , because as a constant faith is a signe of election : so obstinate infidelitie is a token of reprobation . FINIS . Bradfords answer to Careles . Careles . I Am troubled with feare that my sinnes are not pardoned . Bradford . They are : for God hath giuen thee a penitent and beleeuing heart : that is an heart , which desireth to repent and beleeue . For such an one is taken of him ( he accepting the will for the deede ) for a penitent and beleeuing heart indeede . Trin-vni Deo gloria . A DIRECTION FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE TONGVE according to Gods word . Printed by Iohn Legate , Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge . 1600. To the reader . CHristian Reader , lamentable and fe●●efull is the abuse of the tongue among all sortes & degrees of men euer● where . Hence daily arise manifold sinnes against God and ●nnu●erable scandals and grieuances to our brethren . It would make a mans heart to bleede , to heare and consider howe Swearing , Blaspheming , Cursed speaking , Ra●ling , Backbiting , Slandering , Chiding , Quarrelling , Cōtending , Iesting , Mocking , Flattering , Lying , Dissembling , Vaine and idle talking ouerflow in all place● , so as men which feare God had better bee any where then in the companie of most men . Well thou ; art thou a man which hast made little conscience of thy speech and talke ? repent seriously of this sinne , and amend thy life , least for the abusing of thy tongue thou crie with Diues in hell . Send Lazarus that he may dippe the tip of his finger in water and coole my tongue . And if thou be one which hast care to order thy selfe in speech & silence according to gods word , oh , doe it more . For what a shame is it , that men with the same tongue wherewith they confesse the faith and religion of Christ , should by vaine and vngodly speech vtterly denie the power thereof ? And for thy better helpe herein , I haue penned these few lines following , concerning the Gouernment of the tongue . Vse them for thy benefit , and finding profit thereby , giue glorie to God. M. D. XCII , Decemb. 12. W. Perkins . OF THE GOVERNEMENT OF THE TONGVE . CHAP. I. Of the generall meanes of ruling the Tongue . THE gouernement of the tongue is a vertue pertaining to the holy vsage of the tongue according to GODS word . And for the well-ordering of it , two things are requisite : a pure heart , and skill in the language of Canaan . The pure heart is most necessary , because it is the fountaine of speech , and if the fountaine be defiled , the streames that issue thence can not be cleane . And because the heart of man by nature is a bottomlesse gulfe of iniquitie , two things are to be knowne : first , how it must be made pure : & then how it is alwaies afterward to be kept pure . The way to get a pure heart is this . First , thou must seriously examine thy life and thy conscience , for all thy sinnes past : then with a heauie and bleeding heart confesse them to God , vtterly condemning thy selfe . Thirdly , with deepe sighes and groanes of spirit crie vnto heauen to God the father , in the name of Christ for pardon , I say , for pardon of the same sinnes , as it were for life and death , and that , day and night , till the Lord send downe from heauen a sweete certificate into thy perplexed conscience by his holy spirit , that all thy sinnes are done away . Now at the same instant in which pardon shall be graunted , God likewise will once againe stretch forth that mightie hand of his , whereby he made thee when thou wast not , to make thee a new creature , to create a new heart in thee , to renue a right spirit in thee , and to stablish thee by his free spirit . For whome he iustifieth , them also at the same time he sanctifieth . The purified heart appeareth by these signes . I. If thou feele thy selfe to be displeased at thine owne infirmities and corruptions , and to droope vnder them as men doe vnder bodily sicknesse . II. If thou begin to hate and to flie thine owne personall sinnes . III. If thou feele a griefe and sorrow after thou hast offended God. IV. If thou heartily desire to abstaine from all manner of sinne . V. If thou be carefull to auoide all occasions and entisements to euill . VI. If thou trauell and doe thine endeauour in euery good thing . VII . If thou desire and pray to God to wash and rinse thine heart in the blood of Christ. When the heart is pure , to keepe it so is the speciall worke of faith , which purifieth the heart . Faith purifieth the heart by a particular applying of Christ crucified with all his merits . Elisha when he went vp and lay vpon the dead child , and put his mouth on his mouth , and his eyes vpon his eyes , and his hands vpon his hands , and stretched himselfe vpon him , the flesh of the child waxed warme . Afterward Elisha rose and spread himselfe vpon him the second time : then the child neezed seuen times and opened his eies . So must a man by faith euen spread himselfe vpon the crosse of Christ , applying handes and feete to his pierced handes and feete , & his wretched heart to Christs bleeding heart , and then he shall feele himselfe warmed by the heat of Gods spirit , and sinne from day to day crucified with Christ , & his dead heart quickened & reuiued . And this applying which faith maketh , is done by a kind of reasoning , which faith maketh thus . Hath god of his mercie giuen his own sonne to be my Sauiour , to shed his blood for me ? and hath he of his mercie graunted vnto me the pardon of all my sinnes ? I will therfore endeauour to keepe my heart and my life vnblameable that I doe not offend him hereafter in word or deede , as I haue done heretofore . The language of Canaan is , whereby a man endued with the spirit of adoption , vnfainedly calleth vpon the name of God in Christ , and so consequently doth as it were , familiarly talke and speake with God. This language must needes be learned , that the tongue may be well gouerned . For man must first be able to talke with God , before he can be able wisely to talke with man. For this cause when men are to haue communication one with another , they are first of all to bee carefull that they often make their praiers to God that hee would guide and blesse them in their speeches , as Dauid did , Set a watch , O Lord , before my mouth , and keepe the doore of my lippes . And againe , O Lord open thou my lippes , and my mouth shall shewe forth thy praise . Where we may see , that the mouth is , as it were locked vp from speaking any good thing , vntill the Lord open it . And Paul hauing the gift of ordering his tongue in wonderful measure , yet desireth the Ephesians to pray for him , that vtterance might be giuē him , and good reason , because God ruleth the tongue . CHAP. II. Of the matter of our speech . THe gouernment of the tongue containeth two partes : holy speech , and holy silence . In holy speech must be cōsidered the matter of our speech , and the manner . The matter is commonly one of these three : either God , our neighbour , or our selues . As concerning God , this caueat must be remembred , that the honourable titles of his glorious Maiestie be neuer taken into our mouthes , vnlesse it bee vpon a weightie and iust occasion , so as wee may plainely see that glorie will redound to him thereby : and for this cause the third commandement was giuen , that men might not take vp the name of God in vaine , that is , rashly and lightly . And therefore lamentable and fearefull is the practise euerie where . For it is a common thing with men to beginne their speech , and to place titles of Gods most high Maiestie in the fore-front almost of euery sentence , by saying , O Lord ! O God! O good God! O mercifull God! O Iesu ! O Christ , &c. If a mā be to say any thing , he will not say , Yea , or Nay : but , O Lord yea : or , O Lord nay . If a man be to reprooue his inferiour , he will presently say , O Lord haue mercy on vs , what a slowbacke art thou , what a lie is this , &c. An earthly Prince , if hee should haue his name so tossed in our mouthes at euery worde , would neuer beare it , and how shall the euerliuing God suffer it ? nay how can hee suffer it ? I say no more , but thou with thy selfe thinke how : for in the third commandement the punishment is set down , That he will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine . And the Angels in reuerence to Gods Maiestie couer their faces , Isai. 6.2 . Concerning our neighbour , wee are to consider whether the thing which we are about to speake be good or euill . This being weighed , if it be good , and so commendable , then we are readily and cheerefully , and that vpon euery occasion to vtter it , especially in his absence , whether he be a friend or a foe : as Saint Iohn writeth of Demetrius . Demetrius ( saith he ) hath good report of all men , and of the trueth it selfe : yea , and we our selues beare record , and ye know that our testimonie is true . As for the euill which any shall knowe by his neighbour , hee is in no wise to speake of it , whether it be an infirmitie or a grosse sinne , vnlesse in his conscience he shall find himselfe called of God to speake . A man is called to speak in three cases : First , when he is called before a magistrate , and is lawfully required to testifie the euil which he knoweth by another . II. When any is to admonish his brother of any fault for his amendment . III. When the hurt or danger that may arise of the euil is to be preuented in others . As a man may say to one well disposed , Take heed of such a mans cōpany : for he is giuen to such or such a vice . To this ende , they of the house of Cloe doe certifie Paul of the disorders in Corinth . And Ioseph certifieth his father of his brethrens slanders . In this case all treasons are to be reuealed , as tending to the ruine of the whole common wealth . Thus Elisha reuealeth the secret of the king of Syria . And if it shall be thought conuenient to mention the euil which we know by any man , it must be done onely in generall manner : the person and all circumstances which wil descrie the person , concealed . Concerning things which are secret in our neighbour , we are not to be suspitious , but to suspēd both speech & iudgement . Loue suspecteth no euill . Iudge nothing ( saith Paul ) before the time , vntill the Lord come , who will lighten thinges that are hid in darkenes , and make the counsels of the heart manifest . Augustine hath a good and speciall rule to this purpose , that there be three things of which we must giue no iudgement : Gods predestination , the Scriptures , and the estate of men vncalled . As touching a mans selfe , hee is neither to praise nor dispraise himselfe . As Salomon saith , Let another praise thee , and not thine owne mouth : a straunger , and not thine owne lippes . Yet otherwhiles the times doe fall out that a man may vse an holy kind of boasting , especially when the disgrace of the person is the disgrace also of the gospell , and of religion , and of God himselfe : as Paul did . But wherein ( saith he ) any will vse boldnesse , ( I speake foolishly ) I will vse boldnes . They are Hebrewes , so am I , &c. CHAP. III. Of the manner of our speech , and what must be done before we speake . THus much of the matter of our speech . Nowe followeth the manner . In the manner of our speaking three things are to bee pondered : what must be done before we speake : what in speaking : what after wee haue spoken . Before we speake , consideration must bee vsed of the thing to be spoken , and of the ende . Iames requireth that men should be slowe to speake , and swift to heare . Salomon saith , Hee that answereth a matter before he heare it , it is folly and shame to him . The minde is the guid of the tongue : therefore men must consider before they speake . The tongue is the messenger of the heart , and therefore as oft as we speake without meditation going before , so oft the messenger runneth without his arrand . The tongue is placed in the middle of the mouth , a and it is compassed in with lips and teeth as with a double trench , to shewe vs , howe we are to vse heede and preconsideration before wee speake : and therefore it is good aduise , to keep the key of the mouth not in the mouth but in the cupbord of the mouth . Augustine saith well , that as in eating and drinking men make choice of meates : so in manifolde speeches wee should make choice of talke . Here are condemned idle words , that is , such wordes as are spoken to little or no end or purpose . And they are not to be esteemed as little sinnes , when as men are to giue account of euery idle word . CHAP. IV. What is to be done in speaking ; and of wisdome . VVHen we are in speaking , two things are to bee practised : first , care must be had of the speech , that it be gratious : secondly , it is to be vttered with conuenient bonds of trueth . The speech is gratious , whē it is so vttered , that the graces of god wrought in the heart by the holy Ghost , are as it were pictured and painted forth in the same : for speech is the very image of the heart . Contrarie to this is rotten speech , that is , all such talke as is voide of grace , which is the heart and pith of our speech . And by this it appeareth , that no voice can bee named but with disliking : and hereupon in Scriptures when by occasion a vice should be named , in token of a loathing thereof , the name of the vice is omitted , and the name of the contrarie vertue vsed in the roome thereof , as in these wordes : For Iob thought , It may be that my sonnes haue sinned and blessed , that is , blasphemed God. This being true , then by proportion the visible representation of the vices of men in the world , which is the substance and matter whereof plaies and enterludes are made , is much more to be auoided . Gods graces , which we are to shew forth in our communication are thes● Wisdome , Truth , Reuerence , Modestie , Meekenes , Sobrietie in iudgement , Vrbanitie , Fidelitie , Care of others good name : and let vs consider of them in order . Wisdome in our speech is a goodly ornament . The Apostles when they waited for the holy Ghost in Ierusalem , it descended vpon them in the forme of fierie tongues : & then it is said that they spake as the holy Ghost gaue them vtterance in Apophthegmes or wise sentences . And hee that gouerns his tongue wisely addeth doctrine to the lips , that is , so speaketh , as that others be made wise thereby . This wisedome is then shewed , when a man can in iudgement apply his talke , and as it were in good manner make it fit to al the circumstances of persons times , places , things . A foole poureth out all his minde , but a wise man keepeth in till afterward . A word spoken in his place , is like apples of gold with pictures of siluer . Now he that would haue his speech to be wise , must first of al himselfe become a wise man. And the wise man of whome the holy scriptures speake , is a godly man , and such an one as feareth God : because this feare of God is the beginning and head of wisdome : as on the contrarie , the foole , whereof the scripture often speaketh , is the vngodly person , that maketh no conscience of any sinne . And indeede such an one is the most sensles foole of all . He that shall euer and anon be casting himselfe into the fire and water , and run vpon dangerous places to breake his legges , armes , necke : and further shal take pleasure in doing all this , is either a foole or a mad man. Now the vngodly man as oft as he sinneth , he endeuoureth as much as in him lieth to pitch his soule into hell , and whereas he taketh pleasure in sinne , he sports himselfe with his owne destruction . Furthermore the man fearing god must haue two things in his heart : a perswasion of Gods presence ; and Awe . The perswasion of Gods presence is , whereby a man is continually resolued , that whersoeuer he is , he standeth before God , who doth see euē into the secrets of his heart . This was in Cornelius : Now therfore ( saith he ) we are in gods presence to heare all things that are commanded thee of God. Awe in regard of God , is that whereby a man behaueth himselfe reuerently , because he is in Gods presence . Awe is either in regard of sinne , or of chastisements . Awe in respect of sinne , is when one is afraid to sinne , fearing not so much the punishment , as sinne it selfe , because it is sinne . For he feareth God indeed which is of this minde , that if there were no Iudge to condemne him ; no hel to torment him ; no deuil nor conscience to accuse him ; yet hee would not sinne , because Gods blessed Maiestie is by it offended and displeased : and if hee had it in his choice , whether he would sinne or loose his life , he had rather die thē willingly and wittingly sinne against God. This awe being in Ioseph , was the cause that moooued him not to commit folly with Putiphars wife . How then ( saith he ) can I doe this great wickednes , and sinne against God ? Awe in chastisements is , when one humbleth himselfe vnder the mightie hand of God with all meekenes and patience , when God laieth his hand on him more or lesse . When Shemi came foorth and cursed Dauid , and flung stones at him , what did he ? truely he stood in awe of God , and therefore said , What haue I to doe with you , ye sonnes of Zeruiah ? for hee curseth , euen because the Lord hath bidden him curse Dauid , who dare then say , Wherefore hast thou done so ? When a man is thus made wise , that is , righteous and fearing God , he is so guided by the spirit of feare , that he can not but speake wisely . Salomon saith , The lippes of the righteous know what is acceptable : but the mouth of the wicked speaketh froward things . And againe , The heart of the wise guideth the mouth wisely . Contrarie to this is fonde and foolish talke : an example hereof we haue in Luke , where Pilate wanting the feare of God , saith , I finde no fault in Christ : let vs therefore chastise him , and send him away . Whereas he ought to haue reasoned thus : I finde no fault in him : therefore let vs send him away without chastisement . CHAP. V. Of Truth , and of Reuerence in speech . TRuth of speech is a vertue whereby a man speaketh as he thinketh : and so consequently , he speaketh as euery thing is , so farre forth as possibly he can . It is made a note of a righteous man , to speake the truth from the heart : and they that deale truly are Gods delight . This is alwaies required in all our doctrines , accusations , defences , testimonies , promises , bargainings , counsels : but especially in Iudges and Magistrates sitting on iudgement seat , because then they stand in Gods stead , who is truth it selfe . To this place belongeth Apologie , which is , when a Christian called before a Magistrate , and straightly examined of his religion , confesseth Christ boldly , and denieth not the truth . Contrarie to this , is lying , cogging , glosing , smoothing , dissembling : as for example , Gehazi , after he had receiued money and garments of Naaman the Syrian against Elishas will , he went and stood before his master , who said vnto him , Whence commest thou , Gehazi ? who making it nothing to lie for a vantage , smoothed it ouer finely , and said , Thy seruant went no whither . To the like effect and purpose , report is made of a rich man that had two chests : the one whereof he calleth all the world , the other his friend . In the first he putteth nothing : in the second he putteth all his substance . When his neighbour came to borrow money , he vseth to answer , truly I haue neuer a pennie in all the world , meaning his emptie chest , but I will see ( saith he ) what my friend can doe , looking thereby for interest by the money out of his other chest . This vice is very common , and it is a rare thing to finde a man that maketh a conscience of a lie . Lying is , when a man speaketh otherwise then the truth is , with a purpose to deceiue . Here note that there is great difference betweene these two speeches , It is an vntruth , and , It is a lie . The first may be vsed when a man speaketh falshoods . But in vsing the second , we must be heedie and sparing : for when a man is chalenged for a lie , three things are laid to his charge . I. That he speaketh falsly . II. That he is willing to doe so . III. That he hath a desire and purpose to deceiue . Quest. Whether may not a man lie , if it be for the procuring of some great good to our neighbour , or to the whole countrey where we are ? Ans. No : Reasons are these . I. Lying is forbidden , a as an abomination to the Lord. II. c We are not to doe any euill that good may come thereof . III. He which lieth , in so doing conformeth himselfe to the deuil , who c is a lier and the father thereof . Obiect . I. Such lying is for our neighbours good and not against charitie . Ans. No : for d charitie reioyceth in the truth . Obiect . II. The holy Scriptures haue mentioned the lies of the Patriarkes . Ans. We must not liue by examples against rules of Gods word . Obiect . III. Rahab and the midwiues of Egypt in sauing the spies , and in preseruing the Israelites infants vsed lying , and are commended for their facts . Ans. They are commended for their faith , not for their lying . The workes which they did , were excellent works of mercie , and the●efore to be allowed : and the doers failed onely in the manner of performing them . As truth is required in speech , so also reuerence to God and man. Reuerence to God is , when we so speake of God and vse his titles , that we shew reuerence our selues , and more reuerence in others . If thou wilt not keepe ( saith the Lord ) and doe all the wordes of this law ( that are written in this booke ) and feare the glorious and fearefull name , THE LORD THY GOD , then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderfull . Here take heede of all maner of blaspheming , which is , when men vse such speeches of God , as doe either detract any thing from his Maiestie , or ascribe any thing to him , not beseeming him : a sinne of all other to be detested . Reasons . I. A blasphemer is viler then the rest of the creatures : for they praise God in their kind , and shew forth his power , goodnesse , and wisdome : but he dishonoureth God in his wretched speech . II. He is as the madde dogge that flieth in his masters face , who keepeth him and giueth him bread . III. Custome in blas●hemies sheweth a man to be the child of the deuill , and no child of God as yet . A father lying on his death bedde , called the three children to him which he kept , and told them that one only of them was his owne sonne , and that the rest were onely brought vp by him : therefore vnto him he gaue all his goods : but which of these was his naturall sonne he would not in any wise declare . When he was deade , euery one of the three children pleaded that he was the sonne , and therefore that the goods were his . The matter beeing brought before a Iudge could not be ended : but the Iudge was constrained to take this course : he caused the dead corpes of the father to be set vp against a tree , and commaunded the three sonnes to take bowes and arrowes , and to shoote against their father , and to see who could come neerest the heart . The first and second did shoote at their father and did hi●●e him , the third was angrie with both the other through naturall affection of a child to a father , and refused to shoote . This done , the Iudge gaue sentence that the two first were no sonnes , but the third onely , and that he should haue the goods . The like triall may be vsed to know who be Gods children . Such persons with whome blaspheming is rife , are very deuills incarnate , and the children of the deuill , who rende God in pieces , and shoote him through with their darts , as it is said of the Egyptian when he blasphemed , that he smote or pierced through Gods Name . Magistrates and rulers seuerally punish such as shall abuse their names , and they doe it iustly : how much more then should blasphemers of Gods name escape without great punishment . Againe , here we must be warned to take heede of that customable swearing , and also of periurie . It is a very straunge sinne : for the periuried person doth not onely sinne himselfe , but withall he endeauoureth to intangle God in the same sinne with himselfe . Further , take heede least thou dost either make or recite the iests which are contriued out of the phrases of Scripture : which are very many and very vsually rehearsed in companie . The oyle wherewith the tabernacle and the arke of the Testament and the Priests were annointed , was holy : and therefore no man might put it to any other vses , as to annoint his owne flesh therewith , or to make the like vnto it . a Pilate a poore Painym when he heard the name of the Sonne of God was afraid : and we much more ought to tremble at the word of God , not to make our selues merrie with it . And therefore the scoffing of Iulian the Apostata is very fearefull , who was wont to reach Christians boxes on the eare , and withall , bid them turne the other , and obey their masters commandement , Whosoeuer shall smite thee on the right cheeke , turne to him the other also . And he denied pay and like reward to his souldiers that were Christians , because he said he would make them fit for the kingdome of heauen , considering that Christ had said , Blessed are the poore in spirit : for theirs is the kingdome of heauen . Here also men must learne to take heede of all maner of charmes and enchantments , which commonly are nothing els but words of Scripture or such like , vsed for the curing of paines and diseases both in men and beasts . As for example , the first words of S. Iohns Gospel , In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God , &c. are vsed to be written in a paper and hung about mens necks to cure agues . But the truth is , such kind of practises are deuillish . Patrons of charmes hold that in such words as are either diuine or barbarous , is much efficacie . But whence is this efficacie ? from God ? from men ? or from the deuill ? If it shall be saide from God ; we must know that the word vsed in holy manner , is the instrument of God to conuey vnto vs spirituall blessings , as faith , regeneration , repentance : but it doth not serue to bring vnto vs corporall health . Well then , belike words take vertue from the speaker , and are made powerfull by the strēgth of his imagination . Indeed of this opinion are some Phisitians , as Avicenna and Paracelsus , who thinke that phantasie is like to the sunne , which worketh on all things to which his beames doe come , and the latter that by imagination miracles may be wrought . But this opinion is fond , and the reasons alledged for it are without weight . For imaginations are no things but shadows of things . And as an image of a man in a glasse hath no power in it , but onely serues to resemble and represent the bodie of a man : so it is with the phantasie and conceit of the mind , and no otherwise . And if imagination haue any force , it is onely within the spirits and humours of a mans own bodie : but to giue force to worke in the bodies of others it can not ; no more then the shadow of one bodie can ordinarily cure the bodie of another on which it lighteth . Wherefore words vsed in the way of bodily cure , be they in themselues neuer so good , are no better then the deuills sacraments : and when they are vsed of blinde people , he it is , that comming vnder hand , worketh the cure , and by turning himselfe into an angel of light , deludes thē . But it were better for a man to die a thousand times then to vse such remedies , which in curing the bodie , destroy the soule . Lastly , auoide all imprecations and cursings , either against men or other creatures : for God in iudgement to punish such cursed speaking , often brings to passe such imprecations : as may appeare in the Iewes , who at the arraignment of Christ , cried , saying , His blood be vpon vs and vpon our children : which imprecation is verified vpon them till this day . At Newburge in Germanie a certaine mother cursed her sonne , saying , Get thee away , I would thou mightest neuer come againe aliue : the very same day he went into the water and was drowned . Againe , a mother brought her child to the Vniuersitie of Wittenberge , by reason he was possessed with an vncleane spirit : beeing demaunded how it came to passe , shee answered in the hearing of many , that in her anger shee said , The deuill take thee , and thereupon presently the child was possessed . And in our countrey men often wish the plague , the poxe , the pestilence to their children , their seruants , their cattell : and often it falls out accordingly . In the daies of king Edward , certaine English souldiers ( as I am certenly informed by a witnesse then present ) being by a tempest cast vpon the sands on the coast of France , gaue themselues to praiers , and commended their soules to God , as in so great danger it was meete : but one among the rest , desperatly minded went apart and cried out , saying , O gallowse claime thy right , gallowse claime thy right . Now the said partie among the rest ( as God would haue it ) escaped safe to land ; and afterward liuing some space of time in France , returned againe to England , where he was hanged for stealing of horses : and thus according to his desire the gallow●e claimed her right . Reuerence to man is in two respects , either because he is created after the image of God , or because he is aboue vs in age , gifts , authoritie . In the first consideration , men must haue care to giue such names to children as are proper and fit , vsuall , and knowne : the signification whereof may admonish them of the promises of God ; of godlines , or of some good dutie . And there be foure allowed ends of giuing names . I. To preserue the memorie of some thing by the name giuen , as Adam , Israel , Isaac . II. To signifie some thing to come , as Euah , Abraham , Iohn , Peter . III. To preserue the name and memorie of parents and kinred , which was vsed in the birth of Iohn Baptist. This custome may still be retained , if there be any good example in the ancetours that the child may follow . IV. That the life and profession of good men may be reuiued in the renuing of their names . Here we must take heede , in no wise to giue to children , the proper names or titles of God , as Iesus , Immanuel , &c. Neither are the professours of the Gospel to be intituled by the names of such as haue beene famous instruments in the Church , as to be called Calvinists , Lutherans , &c. Now this I say , that euery one of you saith , I am Pauls , and I am Apollos , I am Cephas , and I am Christs : Is Christ deuided ? was Paul crucified for you ? either were ye baptized in the name of Paul ? And it is a bolde part of the pestilent generation of Papists , who take to themselues the name of Iesuits , whereas the like name of Christian was giuen to the disciples at Antioch not by the deuise of man , but by diuine oracle . As the changing off the name giuen in baptisme is not to be allowed : so the varying of it according to the varietie of language , ( if neither hurt nor fraud to any be intended thereby ) is not vnlawfull . Vpon this ground Saul is called Paul : and Christ cals Simon his disciple otherwhiles Cephas , otherwhiles Peter . And very worthie Diuines in this age , that their writings might be read of the aduersaries , haue in like sort without offence varied their names . Melancthon calls himselfe Dydimus Faventinus , and Melangaeus . Bucer intitles himselfe Aretius Felinus : and Theodore Beze once writ himselfe Nathaniel Nezechius . Reuerence to man as he is superiour , is in vsing fit titles of reuerence . Sara is commended in Scriptures for obeying her husband , and for calling him Syr. But excesse must here be auoided , when titles of honour proper to God are giuen to men , as head of the Catholike church to the Pope , Ladie and Queene of heauen to the mother of Christ. This fault Christ reprooueth in the young man , saying , Why callest thou me good , there is none good but God. CHAP. VI. Of Modestie and of Meekenesse . MOdestie in speech hath diuers caueats : first , if a man speake any thing of himselfe , that is , in his owne commendation , let him alter the person and speak of himselfe as of another : I know a man ( saith Paul , speaking of himselfe ) in Christ aboue fourteene yeares agoe , &c. which was taken vp into Paradise , and heard words which can not be spoken . And Iohn saith of himselfe : When Iesus saw his mother , and the disciple whome he loued , standing by , &c. Here take heede of boasting , whereby men imitate the deuill , who said , All this power will I giue thee , and the glorie of those kingdomes : for that is deliuered vnto me , and to whomesoeuer I will giue it . Againe , when a man shall haue occasion to speake of his owne faults and corruptions , let him speake the vttermost against himselfe , as Paul called himself the first of all sinners . But if he be to mention any thing of himselfe ; that may minister matter of commendation , let his speech rather incline to the defect , then to the excesse : as Paul saith , I am least of the Apostles , which am not meete to be called an Apostle , because I persecuted the Church of God. Secondly , in the mentioning of things which mooue blushing , we are to vse as seemely wordes as may be chosen . Gen. 4.1 . Afterward Adam knew Hevah his wife , which conceiued and bare Cain . 1. Sam. 24.4 . And when he came to the sheepcoates by the way where there was a caue , Saul went into to couer his feete , that is , to doe his easement . Meekenes also is required in communication , which is , when a man vseth courteous and faire speech . Put them in remembrance , &c. that they be courteous , shewing all meeknes to all men , for we our selues also were in times past vnwise , disobedient , &c. Meekenes and gentlenes shewes it selfe in Salutations , Answers , and Reproofes . For the first daily experience sheweth , that it maketh much for the maintaining of loue , to call men by their proper names or surnames . And this was a signe of special fauour that God called Moses by his proper name . Yet more conuenient it is to salute our betters by names of honour or office . Thus the disciples call our Sauiour Christ Rabbi : and it was the vsuall manner among the Iewes , to call their betters Adon , that is , Lord , or Syr. The formes of salutations are to be after the order practised in Scripture . An Angel saluted Gedeon thus : The Lord be with thee thou valiant man. And Boaz came to Bethlehem , and saide to the reapers , The Lord be with you : and they answered , The Lord blesse thee . And the Angel saluted Marie , Hayle , freely beloued , the Lord is with thee , &c. Christ comming among his disciples , said , Peace be among you : and he taught them comming to any house to say , Peace be to this house . By this it appeareth , that our common formes of salutations are commendable : which are of diuers sorts ; as when one meets another , God saue you : when one goes away , God be with you : in the morning , God giue you a good morning : after noone , God giue you a good euening : when one is going on his iourney , God speede your iourney : when one is working , God speede you : in eating , much good doe it you : when one hath a new office , God giue you ioy of your office : when one is sicke , God comfort you , &c. And when children salute their fathers and mothers after this manner : I pray you father blesse me . I pray you mother blesse me : it is a seemely thing . For God hath made parents to be the instruments of blessing to their children , in nurturing them and praying for them : as the fifth commandement saith , Honour thy father and thy mother , that they may prolong thy daies . Now they prolong the childrens daies by praying to God for blessings on them , and by such like duties . It is an vse in all places , when a man neeseth to salute him by saying , Christ helpe you : But there is no cause why the words should then be vsed more then at another time . The reasons are , I. it is an olde custome fetched from the Gentiles before Christ , and hath no ground at all : for they vsed with the like wordes to wish men health , because they thought neesing to be a sacred and holy thing : and because some take it to be a signe of vnhappie and euill successe , which indeed is otherwise . II. If there be any daunger in the braine before neesing , when a man hath neesed the danger is past , as learned physitians teach : therefore there is no cause of the vsing such words then , more then at coughing . Against the practise of saluting each other , some things may be obiected , 1. Ioh. epist. 2. vers . 10. If there come any vnto you , and bring not this doctrine , receiue him not to house , neither bidde him , God speede . Answer . This place doth not forbid common ciuilitie and curtesie of man to man : but onely familiaritie and acquaintance with heretickes : yea such acquaintance and familiaritie as may seeme to giue approbation and applause to their badde proceedings . II. Elisha sending Gehazi his seruant to lay his staffe on the dead childe of the Sunamite , bad him if he met any not to salute them , and if they spake to him not to answer them . 2. King. 4.29 . And whē our Sauiour Christ sent his Disciples to preach in Iudea , he had them to salute no man by the way . Luk. 10.4 Answ. The intent of these two places is not to forbid men to salute others , but rather to inioyne Gehazi and the Disciples of Christ onely to omit for that time the practise of the duties of common curtesie , so farre forth as they might hinder or delay the performance of weightier affaires . Our answers must be soft , that anger be neither kindled nor increased . A soft answer putteth away wrath , but grieuous words stirre vp anger . Nabal by churlish language prouoked Dauid to wrath , but Abigail by the contrarie appeased him . Gedeon spake gently to the men of Ephraim , when they were angrie against him , and appeased them . For the text saith , When he had thus spoken , then their spirits abated towardes him . Therefore Salomon saith well , A ioy commeth to a man by the answer of his mouth , but how good is a word in due season . Now if any shall raile on vs , our dutie is , not to raile againe . Blesse them that persecute you , blesse , I say , and curse not . Be courteous , not rendring euill for euill , neither rebuke for rebuke , but contrariwise blesse , knowing that ye be thereunto called , that you should be heyres of blessing . This thing was notably practised by Dauid , Psal. 109.4 . For my friendship they were mine aduersaries , but I gaue my selfe to prayer . And therefore in this case , either silence is to be vsed , or at the most , onely a iust and manifest defence of our innocencie to be made . Ezechias commaunded the people to be silent , and not to say any thing to the speech of Rabsachai now flattering now threatning . When Eli spake hardly of Anna , and bad her put away her drunkennes , shee answered , Nay , my lord , I am a woman troubled in spirit , I haue neither drunke wine nor strong drinke , but haue powred out my soule before the Lord. Thus Ioseph cleares himselfe , saying , I haue done nothing wherefore they should put me in the dungeon . And Daniel to Nabuchodonosor : Vnto thee , O King , haue I done no hurt . And our Sauiour Christ when the Iewes said vnto him , Say we not true , that thou art a Samaritane and hast a deuill ? answered , I haue not a deuill , but I honour my father , and ye haue dishonoured me . And Paul beeing to make an Apologie for himselfe , beginnes thus : Men and brethren , I haue in all good conscience serued God vnto this day . Now when a man hath thus cleared himselfe , though his owne word in his owne behalfe take no effect , yet let him patiently commit his cause to God , who in time will manifest the truth , and bring it to light : as Dauid did , Iudge me , O God , ( saith he , ) for I haue walked in min● innocencie . And againe , The wicked watcheth the righteous , and seeketh to slay him : but the Lord will not leaue him in his hand , nor condemne him when he is iudged . Meekenes in reproofe is , when any shall admonish his brother of any fault for his amendment , with the like moderation that Chirurgeons vse , who beeing to set the arme or legge that is forth of ioynt , handle it so tenderly , that the patient shall skant feele when the bone falls in againe . This counsell Paul giueth : Brethren , if any man be fallen by occasion into any fault , ye which are spiritual , restore such a one ( or set him in ioynt againe , ) with the spirit of meeknes . This was practised by Abraham towards Lot , when their heardmen were at variance , saying , Let there be , I pray thee , no strife between thee & me , neither between mine heardmen and thine : for we are brethren . And this is done foure waies . First , when we reproue a man generally , as Nathan did Dauid by a parable . Secondly , when in the roome of a reproofe we put an exhortation : in the exhortation insinuating an oblique reproofe , as when a man shall sweare in his talke , I shall not neede alwaies to say , Ye do very il to sweare , and so to dishonour God : but I wil lap it vp in the forme of an exhortation , as pills are lapt in sugar , by saying , Yea and nay , yea and nay shall serue among vs. Rebuke not an elder , but exhort him as a father , and young men as brethrē , saith Paul to Timothie . Thirdly , when the reproofe is propounded in a mans own person , as though he were faultie which reprooueth . Paul practised this : Now these things , brethren ( saith he ) I haue figuratiuely applied to mine owne selfe and Apollos for your sakes , that yee might learne by vs , that no man presume aboue that which is written . Fourthly , when the fault is directly reprooued , but yet partly with prefaces , that we doe it of loue , that we wish well to the partie , that we speake as considering our selues , that wee also are in danger of the same fault : and partly by framing the reproofe out of the worde of God , that the partie may see himselfe , rather to be reprooued by God , then by vs : after this maner the inferiour may admonish his superiour , especially when there is no other way of redresse , and he is to listen , yeelding himselfe tractable . Naaman is aduised by his seruant , who said , Father , if the Prophet had commanded thee a great thing , wouldst thou not haue done it : howe much rather then , when he saith to thee , Wash , & be cleane ? Then went he downe and washed himselfe seauen times in Iordan . When any shall in this manner be admonished of a fault , they are to yeelde themselues tractable and thankfull , and heartily glad of so good a friend . Notable is the speech of the Psalmist : Let the righteous smite me , it is a benefit : and let him reprooue me , it is the chiefe ointment , let it not be wanting to my head . And Salomon saith , A reproofe entreth more into him that hath vnderstanding , then an hundred stripes into a foole . And , Open rebuke is better then secret loue . CHAP. VII . Of Sobrietie , Vrbanitie , Fidelitie , and care of others good name . SObrietie in iudgement is , when a man either suspendeth his opinion of his neighbours sayings or doings , or else speaketh as charitably as hee can , by saying as little as may bee , if the thing bee euil : or by interpreting all in better part , if the speech or action be doubtfull . Therefore doe thus ; despise not thy neighbour , but thinke thy selfe as bad a sinner , and that the like defects may befall thee . If thou canst not excuse his doing , excuse his intent , which may be good : or if the deede be euill , thinke it was done of ignorance : if thou canst no way excuse him , think some great temptation befel him , & that thou shouldst be worse , if the like temptation befel thee : and giue God thanks that the like as yet hath not befallen thee . Despise not a man beeing a sinner , for though hee be euil to day , he may turne to morrowe . Here is condemned all headie and rash iudgement , whereby men make things either worse then they are , or else they take and turne all things to the worse part . Thus the deuil dealt with Iob , saying , Doeth Iob feare God for nought , &c. but stretch out thine hand now and touch all that hee hath , to see if hee will not blaspheme thee to thy face . Such was the dealing of Doeg with Dauid , I saw the sonne of Ishai ( saith he ) when hee came to Abimelech the sonne of Ahitub , who asked counsell of the Lord for him , and gaue him victuals , and he gaue him also the sword of Goliah the Philistim . Here the backebiter concealeth the necessary circumstances , whereby Abimelech might haue bene excused , as that Dauid asked bread beeing hungrie , and that he told not Abimelech that hee was out of Sauls fauour : but he turneth al his speech to this end , to bring the priest into suspition with Saul . Thus the Pharises dealt . Iohn came neither eating nor drinking , and they say , he hath a deuill . The sonne of man came eating and drinking , & they say , Behold a glutton , and a drinker of wine , and a friend of Publicans and sinners . Contrarie to this Sobrietie is Flatterie , whereby for hope either of fauour or gaine , men , and especially such as are of dignitie and place , are soothed vp in their sinnes , and extolled aboute measure , euen to their faces . As when Herod arrayed in royall apparell , and sate on the iudgement seat and made an oration , the people gaue a shout , saying , The voice of God , and not of man. But marke what Salomon saith , Hee that praiseth his friend with a loud voice rising early in the morning : it shall be counted to him for a curse . One being asked which was the worst of all beasts , answered , Of wild beasts , the tyrant : of tame beasts the flatterer . And another said , that flatterers were worse then crowes : for they eate onely dead carrion , these feede on liuing men . And of all kinds of Flatterie , that is the worst when a man shall speak faire to his neighbours face and praise him ; but behind his backe speake his pleasure , and euen cut his throat . Dauid complaineth of his familiar friend● that the words of his mouth were softer then butter , yet warre was in his heart : that his words were more gentle then oile , yet they were swordes . The Pharises behinde Christs backe tooke counsell howe they might intangle him in talke ; but before his face they say , Master , we knowe that thou art true , and teachest the way of God truely , neither carest thou for any man : for thou considerest not the person of men . Vrbanitie , is a grace of speech , whereby men in seemely manner vse pleasantnesse in talke for recreation , or for such delight as is ioyned with profit to themselues and others . The Preacher saith , There is a time to laugh , and a time to weepe . When the Lord brought againe the captiuitie of Sion , wee were like them that dreame . Then was our mouth filled with laughter , and our tongue with ioy . Nowe this mirth must bee ioyned with the feare of God , otherwise Salomon saith well , I haue said to laughter , thou art mad : and of ioy , what is that tho● doest ? And Christ saieth , Woe to you that now laugh , for ye shall weepe . Secondly with compassion and sorrow for Gods people in affliction and miserie . They drinke wine in bowles , and annoint themselues with cheiefe ointments , but no man is sorry for the affliction of Ioseph . Thirdly , it must be sparing and moderate . Paul condemneth such as are louers of pleasures , more then of God. Fourthly , it must be voide of the practise of sinne . Moses is commended that he refused the pleasures of sinne . The vsuall time of mirth is at meates . And here Sampsons practise may be followed , who at his marriage feast propounded a riddle or hard question to his friends . And Ambrose thinketh that hee did this to stoppe the mouthes of talkers , and to occupie their wits . With all it must be remembred to be a Christian dutie , euen at the table to maintaine talke of religion , and of duties of godlinesse , after the practise of our Sauiour Christ : though many vpon little ground thinke otherwise . Tertullian recordeth of the Christians of his time , that they vsed in their loue-feasts to talke togither , as considering with themselues that they had God himselfe as an eare-witnesse to them . Chrysostome of this point saith well . I would to God ( saith he ) that in tauerns and feasts , and at bathes , men would talke and dispute of hell : for the remembring of hell would hinder a man from falling to hell . And it was the manner of the primitiue Church at Dinner and supper to vse the reading of the Scriptures . When yee come to the table ( saith Augustine ) heare that which is read according to custome , without any stirre or striuing : that your mouthes may not onely receiue the meat , but your eares may hunger after the word of God. And this ancient custome is to this day retained in the Colledges of the Vniuersitie of Cambridge . And this holy reioycing at meates is specially to bee vsed with such as are godly . As Salomon saith , that he which eateth at the couetous mans table , shal vomit his morsells , and shall loose his sweete wordes . The faithfull at Ierusalem did breake bread togither , with gladnes and singlenes of heart . Question . Whether iesting be tollerable in any sort , or not ? Answer . That iesting which standeth in quippes , taunts , and girdes , which serueth onely for the offence of some , with the delight of others is not tollerable : because all speech must edifie , and minister grace to the hearers : neither doth it agree with Christian grauitie and modestie . But two kindes of iesting are tollerable : the one is moderate and sparing mirth , in the vse of things indifferent , in season conuenient , without the least scandall of any man , and with profit to the hearers . The second is that which the Prophets vsed , when they iested against wicked persons yet so , as withall they sharpely reprooued their sinnes . At noone Eliah mocked them , and said , Crie aloud , for hee is a God : either he talketh or pursueth his enemies , or is in his iourney , or it may bee he sleepeth and must be awaked . As for laughter , it may be vsed : otherwise God would neuer haue giuen that power and faculty vnto man : but the vse of it must be both moderate and seldome , as sorrowe for our sinnes is to be plentifull and often . This we may learne in Christs example , of whome wee reade that hee wept three times , at the destruction of Ierusalem , at the raising of Lazarus , and in his agonie : but we neuer read that he laughed . And specially remember the saying of Chrysostome . Si risus in Ecclesia diaboli opus est , that is , to mooue laughter in the Church , is the worke of the deuill . Fidelitie is constancy in all our lawefull sayings and promises . A promise is to be made with this condition ( if God will ) and then if a man be preuented by death , or by any like meanes , he is not to blamed : otherwise a mans lawefull word and promise bindeth him according to the will & pleasure of him to whome it is made . Nowe if afterward it be hurtfull to him that made it , hee may craue to bee free from his promise : and libertie beeing graunted , take it . But a promise bound with an oath is to be kept , though priuate hinderances followe : yet so , as the Magistrate may order the matter , and proceede in equitie , that the dammage may be the lesse . The last grace which is to bee vsed in speech , is care of our neighbours good name , which is farre better to him then great riches . Here is condemned the tale bearer , which of an euill minde telleth a thing of an other , to bring him into hatred , or to reuenge himselfe , or to get something , which otherwise he could not obtaine . This tale bearing is of diuers sortes . One is , when men whisper abroad secretly the fault of another , whereas they should rather admonish the partie , as Cham when he had seene his fathers nakednes , ran straight and tolde his brethrē . The secōd , whē they adde to or chāge the thing said or done , as it serueth for their purpose . Some of the witnesses which came against Christ , charged him to say , I will destroy this temple which is made with handes , and in three daies build another without handes . Where first they change his meaning ; for Christ spake of the temple of his bodie . Secondly , they adde to the words , For Christ said not , I will destroy this temple : but , destroy ye this temple . Therefore the holy Ghost noteth them with the name of false witnesse bearers . The third , when men surmisse , and tell that which was neuer done . When Ieremy was going out of Ierusalem to the land of Beniamin , and was in the gate of Beniamin , Irijah tooke him and said , Thou fliest to Chaldeans . Then said Ieremie , that is false , I flie not to the Chaldeans , but hee would not heare him . The fourth is the coloured tale-bearing , when one speaketh euill of another , with fine prefaces & preamples , faining that he is very sorrie that his neighbour hath done such or such a thing : that he speaketh it not of malice , but of a good mind : that he is constrained to speake : that he speaketh not all he could speake : that the partie to whome the tale is tolde must keepe it secret . Luther writeth of this fault very well . This vice ( saith he ) whereby wee tell abroad the things which wee heare of others , and take them in worse part is very rife , and of great force to sowe discords : the rather , because it often shewes it selfe vnder the pretence and name of counsell and good aduise . And it is a notable vizard for a talebearer to transforme himselfe into an angel of light , and vnder zeale for Gods glorie to backbite and accuse his neighbour of heresie , errour , and wicked life . Therefore the Prophets meaning is , that we should conceale the euils that bee in our neighbour , and not speake them to others , though hee be an enemie and deserue it at our handes , and onely speake of those good things in him which seeme to preserue concord : for this we would that men should doe vnto vs. Yea , and let vs take heede that we iudge not or condemne any mans saying or doing rashly . Augustine saith , that this was the care which his mother had towards her enemies . To doe this is a notable point of iust dealing , but indeede there is no man vtterly without this fault in this life : such is our wretched state in this world . For though some are of this minde , that they desire not to haue other mens wants tolde them , and will not take all in worse part , yet if they bee tolde and taken in worse part of others , they can willingly heare them , neither will they checke the teller , but suffer bad surmises to take place with them . But Gedaliah the sonne of Ahicham excelled in the contrarie vertue , who ●hose rather to hazard his life , then to suspect euill by Ismael . This tale-bearing is the common table talke in England : and it is wonderfull to see , how those who are otherwise godly , are ouertaken with it : but men must learn to stand more in awe of Gods cōmandement , and also to consider that the same thing a man speaketh of another , commeth home againe by his owne doore . Such as vse tale-bearing and backbiting , are by Gods iust iudgement paid home in the same kind : and hereupon Christ saith , Iudge not that ye be not iudged , for with what iudgement ye iudge , ye shall be iudged . Wherefore when men shall enter any euill communication of others , we are to interrupt it by other talke , as not regarding it . Here remember , that when gouernours and magistrates shall vse hard words , not in the way of defamation , but for the reproouing of a vice , it is not to slaunder : as , O foolish Galatians : O generation of vipers . And Christ tearmeth Herod , Foxe . CHAP. VIII . Of the bondes of Truth . THus much of grace in speech . Now followeth bonds of truth , whereby the truth of our talke is testified and confirmed . There are three : A simple assertion , an asseueration , an oath . A simple assertion , is either a simple affirmation , as yea , yea : or a simple negation , as nay , nay . And they are to be vsed onely in our familiar and common talke . Let your communication be yea , yea : nay , nay : and whatsoeuer is more , commeth of euill . If the trueth which wee affirme or denie be doubtfull or contingent , then such clauses as these [ It is so , or , it is not so as I thinke , as I remember , as I take it ] are to be added . If one shall say , It is so , and afterwards it prooue otherwise , he receiueth discredit , because he spake an vntruth . But if he shall say , I thinke it is so , though it fall out otherwise , yet he saueth his credit , because he deceiueth not , but onely is deceiued . An asseueration is a forme of speech , wherby one doth vehemently affirme or denie any thing : as when a man shall say , Verily , in truth , in very truth , without all doubt , &c. These and such like are not to be vsed at euery word : but then onely when a truth of greater importance is to be confirmed . When the false prophets among the Iewes and the Priests would not beleeue that Ieremie was sent of God : what saith he ? not simply , The Lord hath sent me : but , In truth the Lord hath sent me . Our Sauiour Christ , when he vsed to speake any weightie matter , vsed to say , Amen , Amen , Verily , verily , which is a plain asseueration : for Amen is more then a simple affirmation , and it is lesse then an oath , as the very sense of the word doth import : which is no more , but truly , certenly . The third is an oath , which must not be made by any thing in heauen or earth , but onely by the Name of God alone . It must be vsed as the last refuge and remedie of all . For when any truth of great importance is to be confirmed , and all signes , euidences , proofes , witnesses , faile among men on earth : then we may lawfully fetch the Lord as a witnesse from heauen , who is the knower of all truth . And in this case an oath may be taken ; either publikely before a Magistrate , or priuately among priuate persons , if it bee done with reuerence and consideration , as it was betweene Iacob and Laban . CHAP. IX . What is to be done when we haue spoken . AFter a man hath spoken his minde , very few words more are to be added . He that hath knowledge spareth his wordes . In many wordes there can not want iniquitie : but he that refraineth his lips is wise . He that speaketh many wordes , speaketh either false things or superfluous , or both : as when a riuer ouerflowes , the water gathereth much slime : so many wordes , many faults . When a vessell being smitten makes a great noise , it is a token that it is emptie : and so the sound of many wordes shewes a vaine heart . The Gentiles haue said ; that God gaue a man one tongue and two eares , that he might heare more and speake lesse . Valerius Maximus reporteth of Xenocrates , that beeing in the company of some that vsed railing speeches , helde his tongue : and beeing asked why hee did so , answered , That it had repented him that he had spoken , but it neuer repented him that he had held his peace . And the prouerb is , He that will speake what he will , shall heare what hee would not . To the framing of our speech Ambrose requireth three things : a yoke , a ballance , and a metwand : a yoke , to keepe it in staied grauitie : a ballance to giue it weight of reason : a metwand , to keepe it in measure and moderation . This rule must be practised carefully , for the auoiding of chiding , brawling , and contention . Let nothing be done by contention , Phil. 2.3 . Let students & schollers learne to practise this : for what shall an other mans opiniō hurt thee : though in reasoning he be not of thy minde in euery point . Here take heed of the spirit of Contradiction , whereby some by thwarting and contradicting euery man , at length prooue either obstinate heretickes , or lewd Atheists , and make no bones to contradict the holy Ghost , and to call the scriptures in question , and dispute that there is no God. Nowe if a man speake necessarie things , though he continue his speech till midnight , as Paul did , it can not be called immoderate or superfluous talke . CHAP. X. Of writing . ALL this which is set downe concerning speech , must as wel be practised in writing as in speaking . Whereby are condemned ballads , bookes of loue , all idle discourses and histories , beeing nothing els but enticements and baites vnto manifold sinnes , fitter for Sodome and Gomorrah , then for Gods Church . And it must be followed as well in speaking of latine or any other tongue , as English , which students haue not marked ; for whereas they wil not sweare in English , yet in Latine they make no bones of it , saying , Mehercuse , mediùs , fidiùs , aedipol , per deos immortales . And whereas they hold but one God in iudgement , yet in their Latine exercises they speake of Iupiter and of the Gods● after the manner of the heathen . What a shame is this , that a Christian , and that in Christian schooles , should either be ashamed or not vse to speake as a Christian , but as Atheists doe ? If thou haue many tongues and knowest not how to vse them well : he which hath but his mother tongue , ordering it aright , is a better linguist then thou . CHAP. XI . Of silence . VVIse and godly silence is as excellent a vertue as holy speech : for hee knoweth not howe to speake which knoweth not howe to hold his tongue . The rule of our silence must be the law of God. By meanes of which , wise consideration must be had , whether the thing which wee haue in minde be for Gods glorie , and our neighbours good : which done , we are answerably to speake or to be silent . Here must be considered the things of which ●ilence must be vsed , and the persons before whome . The things are many . First , if any truth be to the hinderance of Gods glorie , or of the good of our neighbour , it must be cōcealed . The concealing of the truth is either in whole or in part . In whole , when the speaking of the least word is hurtfull : As for example , the father and the sonne are both sicke at once : the sonne dieth first , the father asketh whether his sonne be dead or not : if it be said no , an vntrueth is tolde : if yea , then the fathers griefe is increased , and his death hastened : therefore silence is the best . In daies of persecution holy Martyrs haue chosen rather to suffer death then to reueale their brethren , that haue beene of their priuate assemblies with them . The concealing of a thing in part is , when a man speaketh a little of the trueth , and concealeth the rest . Which is warranted in all good and lawefull proceedings , which manifestly tend to the glory of god . Whē Samuel is sent to annoint Dauid , he answereth the Lord and saith , Howe can I goe ? for if Saul heare of it he will kill me . Then the Lord answered , Take an heyfer with thee & say , I am come to doe sacrifice to the Lord : and call for Ishai to sacrifice , and I will shewe thee what thou shalt doe , and thou shalt annoint vnto me him whome I shal name vn-thee . When Ieremie had shewed king Zedekiah howe he might escape death , then the king said vnto him , Let no man know of these wordes , &c. but if the princes vnderstand that I haue talked with thee , and they come vnto thee , and say vnto thee , Declare vnto vs what the king hath said vnto thee , &c. then shalt thou say vnto them , I humbly besought the king that hee would not cause me to returne to Iehonathans house to die there . And afterward he so answered , and the matter was not perceiued . The like practised by Paul , Acts 23.6 . Secondly thou art to conceale thine owne secrets . Sampson reuealing his owne secret , Iudg. 14. ouerthrew himselfe . If thou desire ease by reuealing , thē tell them but to few , and to such as are faithfull . That which thou wouldest not haue knowne , tell no man : for howe shall another keepe thy counsell , when thou canst not doe it . Keepe thy friends secret likewise , if it be not hurtfull ; and let ministers conceale the sinnes & wants that trouble the cōscience of such as are dying . Let magistrats conceale things done in the Senate , especially concerning warre , least they bee reuealed to the enemie . If God bring any strange thing to passe , speake not boldly of it , but rather in silence wonder . Iob at the consideration of Gods maiesty in his works , saith , Beholde , I am vile , what shall I answer thee ? I will lay my hand vpon my mouth . Nadab and Abihu for offering incense with strange fire , before the Lord , were both destroyed with fire , which beeing done , Moses told Aaron that god would be sanctified in thē that come nere him , & be glorified before all the people : and then the text saith , but Aaron held his peace . When Peter had taught the Gentiles , and after returned to Hierusalem , they of the circumcision contended with him : he then rendreth a reason of his fact , which beeing made , they were silent . For so the text is , When they heard these things , they held their peace , and glorified God. When Gods iudgements befal men among vs , if we speake any thing we must iudge charitably . Blessed is he that iudgeth wisely of the poore , the Lord shall deliuer him in the day of trouble . Thirdly , the infirmities and sinnes of our neighbour are alwaies to be concealed , vnlesse it be in the case before named , that we finde our selues called of God to speake . He that couereth a transgression seeketh loue . If god in mercy couer his sinnes , why shouldst thou reueale them ? Salomon saith , It is the glory of a man to passe by an infirmitie . Fourthly , all vnseemely matters , al things vnknown , things which concerne vs not , things aboue our reach are in silence to be buried . The persons before whome silence must bee vsed , are these . I. Malitious enemies of religion : Giue not that which is holy vnto dogs : neither cast your pearles before swine . This was among the rest one cause of the silence of Christ before Caiphas and Pilate . II. Before Magistrates in their open courtes : where such as come before them are not to speake till they be bidden . Then Paul after that the gouernour had beckened vnto him that he should speake , answered . III. In the presence of our elders and betters , who must haue leaue and libertie to speake first , and must of others be heard with silence . The practise of this was in Elihu to Eliphaz and Bildad . A company of men ( as some say ) is like to the Alphabet , in which are vowels , halfe vowels , & mutes ; vowels are old men , learned , wise , expert : halfe vowels , are young men and women , who are then only to speake when they are asked : mutes , are the same parties , who being not occasioned , are in silence to heare their betters . And here all seruants and childrē must remember when they are iustly reproued , to be silent and not to answer any thing againe . IV. Fooles and pratlers are not to be answered , vnlesse it be to let them see their folly . CHAP. XII . An exhortation to keepe the tongue . THus haue I in part set downe howe the tongue is to bee gouerned : and I hartily desire , that all Christians would put these rules in practise . Reasons . I. If any man seeme to be religious , and restraine not his tongue , hee deceiueth himselfe , and his religion is in vaine . II. The man of an euill tongue , is a beast in the forme of a man ; for his tongue is the tongue of a serpent , vnder which lieth nothing but venim and poison : nay he is worse then a serpent : for it cannot hurte , vnlesse it bee present to see a man , or to bite him or to strike him with his taile : but he which hath not the rule of his tongue , hurteth men as well absent as present , neither sea nor land , nor any thing can hinder him . And againe , his throat is like a graue that hath a vent in some part , and therefore sendeth forth nothing but stincke and corruption . III. As the holy men of God when they preached , had their tongues , as it were , touched with a cole from the altar of God : and as godly men when they speake graciously , haue their tongues enflamed with the fire of Gods spirit : so contrariwise , whē thou speakest euill , thy tongue is kindled by the fire of hell : and Sathan comes from thence with a cole to touch thy lipps , and to set them on fire to all manner of mischeife . Chrysostome saith , that when men speake good things , their tongue is the tongue of Christ : but all manner of vngodly and cursed speaking is the deuils language . IV. The moderating of the tongue is a matter of great difficultie . S. Iames saith , The whole nature of beasts & of birds , and of creeping things , &c. but the tongue can no man tame : it is an vnruly euill . Pambus , one without learning came to a certain man to be taught a Psalme : who when he had hard the first verse of the 38. psalme , I said , that I will keepe my waies that I offend not in my tongue , would not suffer the next verse to be read , saying , this verse is enough , if I could practise it . And whē his teacher blamed him , because he saw him not in sixe moneths after , he answered that he had not yet done the verse . And one that knew him many yeres after , asked him whether he had yet learned the verse . I am forty yeres old ( saith he ) & haue not yet learned to fulfil it . Now thē , the harder it is to rule the tongue , the more care is to be had therein . V. The strange iudgements of God for the abuse of the tongue , especially in blasphemies & periuries are many & feareful . Three men conspired togither against Narcissus Bishop of Ierusalem , a man that led a godly and blamelesse life , and they charged him with a most hainous crime : all three confirme their accusation by oath . The first wisheth , if it were not so , that he were burnt . The second , that he might die of the iaundise . The third , that hee might loose his eies . Afterward in processe of time , the first had his house set on fire in the night : and he with all his family was burnt . The second had the iaundise from the head to the sole of the foote , and died thereof . The third seeing what was befallen these twaine , repented , and confessed the conspiracie against Narcissus , and yet for all that he lost his eies . Againe , in the daies of Q. Marie , as Iames Abbes was led by the Sheriffe to execution , diuerse poore people stoode in the waie and asked their almes : hee then not hauing any money to giue them , did put off all his apparell saue his shirt , and gaue it vnto them , to some one thing , to some another : in the giuing whereof he exhorted them to be strong in the Lord , and to stand steadfast in the trueth of the gospell . While he was was thus instructing the people , a seruant of the Shiriffes going by , cried out aloude , and blasphemously said : Beleeue him not good people , he is an hereticke , and a mad man out of his witte : beleeue him not , for it is heresie that he saieth . And as the other continued in his godly admonitions , so did this wicked wretch blow forth his blasphemous exclamations , vntill they came vnto the stake where he should suffer . But immediatly after this martyr was bound to the stake and fire put to him , such was the fearefull stroke of Gods iustice vpon this blasphemous railer , that he was there presently in the sight of all the people stricken with a frensie , wherewith he had before railingly charged that good martyr of God : who in his furious rage & madnes , casting off his shooes and the rest of his cloaths , cried out vnto the people , & said , thus did Iames Abs the true seruant of God , who is saued , but I am damned : and thus ran he about the towne of Burie , still crying , that Iames Abbes was a good man and saued , but I am damned . Againe , children sitting in companie togither , fell into communication of God , and to reason what God was . And some said one thing , some another : among the rest , one saide , He is a good old father : to which an other , named Dennis Benfield , replied with a most outragious blasphemy : What , he ( said she ) is an old doting foole . But shortly after this yong gyrle was so stricken , that all the one side of her was blacke , and she became speechles●e , and died . Againe , one Leaver a ploug-man , rayling , said that he saw the euill fauoured knaue Latimer when he was burned : and also in despite , said , that he had teeth like an horse . At which time and houre , as neere as could be gathered , the sonne of the said Leaver most wickedly hanged himselfe . Againe , in the time of K. Edward , a young gentleman of Cornwall beeing in companie with other moe gentlemen together with their seruants , beeing about the number of twentie horsemen , among whome this lustie yonger entred into talke , and beganne withall to sweare , and vse ribauld speech , beeing gently reprooued , the yong gentleman tooke snuffe , and saide to the reproouer , Why takest thou thought for me ? take thought for thy winding sheete : well , quoth the other , amend , for death giueth no warning : for assoone commeth a lambes skinne to the market , as on old sheepes skinne . Gods woundes ( said he ) care not thou for me : raging still in this manner worse and worse in wordes , till at length passing on their iourney , they came riding ouer a great bridge , standing ouer a piece of an arme of the sea , vpon which bridge this gentleman-swearer spurred his horse in such sort , as he sprang cleane ouer with the man on his backe , who as he was going , cried , saying , Horse and man and all to the deuill . Againe , there was a seruing man in Lincolnshire , who had still in his mouth an vse to sweare Gods pretious blood , and that for very trifles : beeing often warned by his friendes to leaue the taking of the Lords bloode in vaine , did notwithstanding still persist in his wickednesse , vntill at the last it pleased God to acite him first with sicknesse , and then with death : during which time of the Lords visitation , no perswasion could mooue him to repent his foresaid blaspheming , but hearing the bell to toll , did most hardly in the very anguish of his death , start vp in his bedde , and sware by Gods blood this bell tolled for me . Whereupon immediatly the bloode aboundantly from all the ioynts of his bodie , as it were in streames , did issue out most fearefully from mouth , nose , wrestes , knees , heeles , & toes , with all other ioynts , not one left free , & so died . These and such like iudgements must be as warnings from heauen to admonish vs , and to make vs afraid of the abuse of the Tongue : especially when it tendeth to the dishonour of God. And we are to imitate the example of Policarpe the Martyr , who when he was bidden to take his oath , & curse Christ , answered , Fourescore and sixe yeares haue I beene his seruant , yet in all this time hath he not so much as once hurt me : how then may I speake euill of my King and Soueraigne Lord , which ●●th thus preserued me ? VI. Lastly , God hath honoured thy tongue with the gift of speech and vtterance : and the great excellencie of this gift thou shouldest perceiue , if thou werest stricken dumme for a time . Therefore let thy tongue be applied to the honouring of God , and to the good of thy neighbour . FINIS . TWO TREATISES : I. Of the nature and practise of Repentance . II. Of the combat of the flesh and spirit . A second Edition corrected . Printed by Iohn Legate , Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge . 1600. To the Reader whosoeuer . GOd hath bestowed on vs great prosperitie and peace , with plentie of all temporall blessings that heart can wish for many yeares in this land . Prosperitie abused hath beene the occasion of many grieuous sinnes against the first and second table : specially of Atheisme , neglect of Gods worship , contempt of the word , profanation of the Sabbath , abuse of the sacraments , &c. These and such like sinnes haue long called downe for iudgements from heauen vpon vs : and the rather , because the preaching of the word hath little preuailed to bring vs to any amendment of life . Whereupon God hath now begun to cause his iudgement to seaze vpon vs , specially by plague and pestilence : and that euen in the very principall part of this lande : whereby he himselfe doth ( as Iob saith ) round vs in the eare , and preach repentance to vs. Wherefore it stands vs now in hand if euer , to looke about vs : and if we haue not repented to begin to repent : if we haue in former time repented , to doe it more earnestly . If so be that we shall harden our hearts both against his word and iudgements , and put farre from vs the euill day : vndoubtedly we must needs looke for iudgements farre more terrible then euer we felt as yet ; if not eternall destruction . Let vs be aduised by the old world , who made light of Noahs warning , and were drowned in the floode : by Lots sonnes in law , who tooke their fathers counsell for mockage , and were burnt with fire and brimstone from heauen : by the foolish virgines , who were sleeping when they should haue beene furnishing their lampes , and were shut from the marriage of the lambe . And to direct thee somewhat in the practise of repentance , I haue penned this small treatise : vse it for thy benefit , and see thou be a doer of it : vnlesse thou wilt be a wilfull murderer , and shed the blood of thine owne soule . And whereas there haue beene published heretofore in English two sermons of Repentance , one by M. Bradford Martyr , the other by M. Arthur Dent : sermons indeed which haue doone much good : my meaning is not to adde therunto , or to teach any other doctrine , but onely to renew and reuiue the memorie of that which they haue taught . Neither let it trouble thee that the principall Diuines of this age , whome in this treatise I follow , may seeme to be at diffeeence in treating of repentance . For some make it a fruit of faith containing two parts , Mortification and Viuification : a some make faith a part of it , by deuiding it into contrition , faith , newe obedience : b some make it all one with regeneration . The difference is not in the substance of doctrine , but in the logical manner of handling it . And the difference of handling ariseth of the diuers acception of repentance . It is taken two waies , generally and particularly . Generally for the whole conuersion of a sinner , and so it may containe contrition , faith , new obedience vnder it , and be confounded with regeneration . It is taken particularly for the renouation of the life and behauiour : and so it is a fruit of faith . And this on●ly sense doe I follow in this treatise . I haue added hereto a few lines of the combat betweene the flesh and the spirit : because repentance and this combat are ioyned togither , and the one is not practised without the other , as appeares by resoluing Psalme 51. Spirit . Haue mercie on me , O God , according to thy louing kindnes . Flesh. Yea , but this thine adulterie comprehends infinite sinnes : therefore looke for no pardon . Spirit . According to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities . Flesh. This sinne hath taken such deepe place in thee , that it will be hardly pardoned . Spirit . Wash me throughly from mine iniquitie , and clense me from my sinne . Flesh. Thy speciall trespasse is against man. Spirit . Against thee , against thee , onely haue I sinned . Flesh. Except this one sinne thy life is vnblameable . Spirit . Behold I was borne in iniquitie , &c. Yea , the best man that is , in the practise of godlines , often appeares to be vnlike himselfe : and the cause is this spirituall combat . The flesh otherwhiles makes him wayle and mourne and goe drooping : presently after the spirit puts into him ( as we say ) the heart of gresse , and makes him triumph against the flesh , the deuill , the world . Moses was couragious at the red sea , but he failed at the waters of strife . Iob first praiseth God , and afterward blasphemeth . Dauid is often fainting in miserie , yet by and by reuiued . Wherefore there is good cause why the consideration of repentance and the combat should goe togither : that no man , after he hath begun to repent , might dreame of ease to his flesh : as though we should goe to heauen in beds of doune : but rather that we might be resolued , that when we begin to doe any thing pleasing vnto God , then we must looke for nothing but continuall molestation from our vile and wicked natures . Written Anno 1593. the 17. of Nouember , which is the Coronation day of 〈◊〉 dread Soueraigne Queene ELIZABETH : whose raigne God long 〈◊〉 . William Perkins . CHAP. I. What Repentance is . REpentance is a worke of grace , arising of a godly sorrow : whereby a man turnes from all his sinnes vnto God , and brings forth fruits worthie amendment of life . I call Repentance a worke : because it seemes not to be a qualitie , or vertue , or habit : but an action of a repentant sinner . Which appeares by the sermons of the Prophets and Apostles , which runne in this tenour , Repent , turne to God , amend your liues , &c. Whereby they intimate , that Repentance is a worke to be done . Againe , Repentance is not euery kind of worke , but a worke of grace ; because it can not be practised of any , but of such as be in the estate of grace . Reasons are these . I. No man can repent , vnlesse he first hate sinne , and loue righteousnes ; and none can hate sinne , vnlesse he be sanctified ; and he that is sanctified is iustified : and he that is iustified must needes haue that faith which vnites him to Christ , and makes him bone of his bone , and flesh of his flesh . Wherefore he that repents is iustified and sanctified , and made a member of Christ by faith . II. He that turnes to God , must first of all be turned of God : and after that we are turned , then we repent . Surely after I was conuerted I repented : and after that I was instructed I smote vpon my thigh : I was ashamed , yea , euen confounded , because I did beare the reproch of my youth . Some may obiect , that repentance goes before all grace , because it is first preached . The first sermon that euer was made , was of repentance , preached by God himselfe in Paradise to our first parents . And euer since the sermons of all the Prophets and Apostles , and of all faithfull ministers haue had repentance for their beginning and scope . The answer hereto may be this : If we respect the order of nature , there be other graces of God which goe before repentance : because a mans conscience must in some sort be setled touching his reconciliation with God in Christ , before he can begin to repent . Wherefore iustification and sanctification in order of nature goe before repentance . But if we respect time , grace and repentance are both together . So soone as there is fire , so soone it is hote : and so soone as a man is regenerate , so soone he repents . If we respect the outward manifestation of these twaine , repentance goes before all other graces : because it first of all appeares outwardly . Regeneration is like the sappe of the tree that lies hid within the barke : repentance is like the budde that speedily shewes it selfe , before either blossome , leafe , or fruit appeare : yea , all other graces of the heart which are needfull to saluation , are made manifest by repentance . And for this cause Repentance ( as I take it ) is first preached . I adde further , that repentance riseth of a godly sorrow in the heart , as Paul teacheth . Godly sorrow causeth repentance vnto saluation neuer to be repented of . It is called a godly sorrow , or a sorrow according to God , that it may be distinguished from worldly sorrow : which is a griefe arising of the apprehension of the wrath of God and other miseries ; as feare of men , losse of good name , calamities in goods and other things , which in this life follow as punishments of sinne : whereas the godly sorrow causeth griefe for sinne , because it is sinne . And it makes any man , in whome it is , to be of this disposition & minde , that if there were no conscience to accuse , no diuell to terrifie , no iudge to arraigne & condemne , no hel to torment , yet he would be humbled & brought on his knees for his sinnes , because he hath offended a louing , mercifull , and long suffering God. Further I say , that repentance stands in turning againe to God. Man at the first was made a goodly creature in the image of God , hauing fellowship with him , whereby he dwelt in God , and God in him . By sinne there is a partition made betweene God and man : who is alienated and estranged from God , and is become the childe of wrath , a firebrand of hell , the prodigall child going from his father into a farre countrey , the straying , nay the lost sheepe . Now when men haue grace to repent , then they begin to renew this fellowship , and turne againe to God. And the very essence or nature of repentance consists in this turning . Which Paul doth seeme to intimate , when he saith , That he shewed both to Iew and Gentile , that they should repent and turne to God , and do works worthie amendment of life . In which words he sets downe vnto vs a ful description of repentance . Againe I say , that repentance is a turning from sinne , because it doth not abolish or change the substance of bodie or soule , or any of the faculties therof either in whole or part : but onely rectifie and amend them by remoouing the corruption . It turnes the sadnesse of melancholy to godly sorrow , choller to good zeale , softnesse of nature to meekenes of spirit , madnesse and lightn●sse to Christian mirth : it reformes euery man according to his naturall constitution , not abolishing it , but redressing the fault of it . Further I put downe , that repentance is a turning from all sinne to God , that I may exclude many false turnings . The first , when a man turnes from God to sinne : as when one of a Protestant becomes a Papist , an Arrian a ●●milist . The second , when a man turnes from one sinne to an other . As when the riotous person leaues his prodigalitie , and giues himselfe to the practise of couetousnes : this can be no repentāce : because it is a going from one extreame to an other , whereas repentance is to leaue the extreames & keepe the meane . The third is , not when a man turnes from sinne , but sinne turnes from him and leaues him . As when the drunkard leaues drunkennesse , because his stomacke is decaied : the fornicatour his vncleannes , because the strength of nature failes him : the quarreller his fighting , because he is maymed on legge or arme . The last is , when men turne from many sinnes , but will not turne from all . As Herod did many things at the aduertisement of Iohn Baptist , but could not be brought to leaue incest , in hauing his brother Philips wife ; This repentance is nothing . For as he which is truly regenerate , is wholly in bodie , soule , and spirit regenerate : so he which truly repents , turnes from all sinne , and turnes wholly to God. Neither is this to trouble any , that they can not know all their sinnes : for sound repentance for one speciall sinne , brings with it repentance of all sinne . And as God requires particular repentance for knowne sinnes , so he accepts a generall repentance for such as be vnknowne . To proceede further , the conuersion of a sinner in repentance , hath three parts . The first , a purpose and resolution in the mind : the second , an inclination in the will and affections : the third , an indeauour in life and conuersation , to abandon and leaue all his former sinnes , and to imploy himselfe in obedience to Gods commandements . Lastly , this repentance must bring forth fruits worthie amendment of life : because it cannot be knowne to be sincere , vnlesse it bring forth fruit . Repentant sinners are trees of righteousnes of Gods owne planting : and they grow by the waters that flow out of the sanctuarie , and therefore they must beare fruit that may serue for meate , & leafe for medicine : otherwise the axe of Gods iudgment is laid to their rootes to stocke them vp . CHAP. II. Of the causes of Repentance . THe principall cause of Repentance is the Spirit of God , as Paul saith , Instructing them with meekenesse that are contrarie minded , proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance . And Ieremie , Conuert thou me , and I shall be conuerted . The instrument of the holy Ghost in working repentance , is the ministery of the Gospell onely , and not the law . Reasons hereof are these . I. Faith is engendred by the preaching not of the Law , but of the Gospell , as Paul saith , The Gospel is the power of God to saluation to all that beleeue from faith to faith : therefore repentance which follows faith as a fruit thereof , must needes come by the preaching of the Gospel onely . II. The Law is the ministerie of death and damnation : because it shewes a man his wretched estate ; but shewes him no remedie : therefore it can not be an instrumentall cause of that repentance which is effectuall to saluation . III. The doctrine of repentance is a part of the Gospel : which appeares in this , that the preaching of repentance , and the preaching of the Gospel are put one for an other . And our Sauiour Christ deuides the Gospel into two parts : the preaching of repentance , and remission of sinnes in his name . IV. That part of the word which workes repentance , must reueale the nature of it , and set out the promise of life which belongs vnto it . But the Law neither reueales faith nor repentance : this is a proper worke of the Gospel . If it be said , that the Law is a schoolemaster to bring vs to Christ , the answer is , it brings men to Christ not by teaching the way , or by alluring them ; but by forcing and vrging them . Neither doe we abolish the law , in ascribing the worke of repentance to the Gospel onely : for though it be no cause , yet is it an occasion of true repentance . Because it represents vnto the eye of the soule our damnable estate , & smites the conscience with dolefull terrours and feares , which though they be no tokens of grace ( for they are in their owne nature the very gates and the downefall to the pit of hell ) yet they are certaine occasions of receiuing grace . The phisitian is otherwhiles constrained to recouer the health of his patient by casting him into some fits of an ague : so man , because he is deadly sicke of the disease of sinne , must be cast into some fits of Legal terrors by the ministerie of the law , that he may recouer his former estate , & come to life euerlasting . Repentance also is furthered by calamities , which in this case often come in the roome & stead of the law . Iosephs brethren , when they were in distresse in Egypt , said one to another , Wee haue verely sinned against our brother , in that we sawe the anguish of his soule when he besought vs , and we would not heare him : therefore is this trouble come vpon vs. And the Lord saith in Oseah , I will goe & returne to my place , till they acknowledge their fault and seeke me ; in their affliction will they seeke me diligently . And the Israelites say , My soule had them ( many afflictions ) in remembrance , and is humbled in me . Example of Manasses . And whē he was in tribulation , he praied to the Lord his God , and humbled himselfe greatly . And Dauid saith , It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted , that I might learne thy statutes . CHAP. III. Howe Repentance is wrought . REpentance is wrought in the heart by certaine steps and degrees . First of all a man must haue knowledge of foure things , namely of the law of god , of sinne against the lawe , of the guilt of sinne , and of the iudgement of God ●gainst sinne , which is the eternall wrath of God. Then in the second place must follow the Application of the former knowledge to a mans owne person , by the worke of the conscience assisted by the holy Ghost , which for that cause is called the spirit of bondage : and this application is made in a forme of reasoning , called a practical syllogisme , on this manner : The breaker of the lawe is guiltie of eternall death , saith the minde : But I am a breaker of the lawe of God , saith the conscience , as a witnesse and an accuser : Therefore I am guilty of eternall death , saith the same conscience , as a iudge . Thirdly from this application thus made ariseth feare and sorrow in respect of Gods iudgements against sinne , commonly called the sting of the conscience , or penitence , and the compunction of heart . Now this compunction , vnlesse it be delayed by the comforts of the Gospell , brings men to desperation , and to eternall damnation . Therefore he that wil repent to life euerlasting must goe foure steps further . First he must haue knowledge of the gospel , and enter into a serious consideration of the mercy of God therein reuealed . Then must follow the application of the former knowledge by the conscience , renewed and assisted by the spirit of adoption , on this manner : He that is guiltie of eternall death , if he denie himselfe , and put his affiance on the death of Christ , shall haue righteousnesse and life eternall , saith the minde enlightned by the knowledge of the Gospell : But I beeing guiltie of eternall death , denie my selfe , and put all my affiance in the death of Christ , saith the conscience renued by the spirit of adoption : Therefore I shall haue righteousnesse and life euerlasting by Christ. Thirdly after this application there followes ioy and sorrow : ioy , because a mans sinnes are pardoned in Christ : sorrow , because a man by his sinnes hath displeased him which hath beene so louing and mercifull a God vnto him . Lastly , after this godly sorrow ●ollowes Repentance , called a Transmentatation or turning of the minde , whereby a man determines and r●solues with himselfe to sinne no more as he hath done , but to liue in newnes of life . CHAP. IV. Of the parts of Repentance . REpentance hath two parts : Mortification , and Rising to newnes of life . Mortificatiō is the first part of repētance , which cōcerns turning frō sin . Men turne from sinne , when they doe not onely abstaine from actuall sin , but also vse all meanes wherby they may both weaken and suppresse the corruption of nature . Chirurgions when they must cut off any part of the bodie , vse to lay plaisters to it , to mortifie it ; that beeing without sense and feeling , it may be cut off with lesse paine . In the same manner , we are to vse all helps & remedies prescribed in the worde , which serue to weakē or kill sinne , that in death it may be abolished . And it must not seeme strange , that I say wee must vse meanes to mortifie our owne sinnes . For , howesoeuer by nature we can not doe anything acceptable to God , yet beeing quickened and mooued by the holy Ghost , we stirre and mooue our selues to doe that which is truely good . And therefore repentant sinners haue grace in them , whereby they mortifie their own sinnes . Paul saith . I beate downe my bodie , and bring it in subiection . And , they which are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof . And , Mortifie therefore your earthly members , fornication , vncleannesse , the inordinate affection , euil cōcupiscence , and couetousnesse . And , If any man purge himselfe from these , he shall be a vessell vnto honour . And S. Iohn saith , Euery one which hath this hope in him , purgeth himselfe , euen as he is pure . And , he which is begotten of God preserueth himselfe , and the wicked one toucheth him not . Mortification hath three parts . A purpose in mind , an inclination in will , and an indeauour in life and conuersation to leaue all sinne . Rising to newnesse of life , is the second part of repentance concerning sincere obedience to God. And it hath also three parts . The two first are a resolution in the mind , and an inclination or lust in the will to obey God in all things . Barnabas exhorts them of Antiochia , that with purpose of heart they would cleane vnto the Lord. Examples of both these are many in Scriptures . Of Ioshua , If it seeme enill vnto you to serue the Lord , choose you thi● daie whome you will serue , whether the gods which your fathers serued , or the gods of the Amorites , &c. but I & my houshold wil serue the Lord. Of Dauid , O Lord , thou art my portion , I haue determined to keep thy commandements . And , I haue sworne , and will performe it , that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements . And , When thou saidst , seeke my face , mine heart answered vnto thee , O Lord , I will seeke thy face . And , I haue applied mine heart to fulfil thy statutes alwaies euen to the end . The third part , is an indeauour in life and conuersation to obey God. Example of Paul. And herein I take paines to haue alwaies a cleare conscience towards God and towards men . Of Dauid , I hau● respect to all thy commandements . And , I haue chosen the waie of trueth , and thy iudgements haue I laid before me . And , I haue cleaued to thy testimonies . And , direct me in the path of thy commandements : for therein is my delight . No man must here thinke , that a repentant sinner fullfils the lawe in his obedience : for their best works are faultie before God. And wheras the faithful in scriptures are said to be perfect : we must knowe that there be two degrees of perfection : perfection in substance , and perfection in the highest degree . Perfection is substance is , when a man doth sincerely endeauour to performe perfect obedience to God , not in some but in all his commaundements . And this is the onely perfection that any man can haue in this life . A Christian mans perfection is to bewaile his imperfection : his obedience more consists in the good will , then in the worke , and is more to be measured by the affection , then by the effect . CHAP. V. Of the degrees of Repentance . REpentance hath two degrees . It is either ordinarie , or extraordinarie . Ordinarie repentance is that which euery christian is to performe euery day : for as men fall daily either more or lesse ; so the graces of God are proportionally weakened day by day . Wherefore the continuall reparation therof must be made by a daily renuing of repentance . A christian mā is the tēple and house of Gods spirit : he must therefore once a day sweep it , that it may be fit to entertaine so worthy a guest . Extraordinarie repentance is the same in nature with the former : it differs onely from it in degree and measure of grace . And this is to be put in practise , when men fal into any enormous , capital , or grieuous offences : whereby they doe verie grieuously wound their owne consciences , and giue great offence to the Church . Of this sort was the repentance of Peter , when he went forth and wept bitterly : & Dauids repentance , after he had committed adulterie and murdered Vriah . CHAP. VI. Of the persons which must repent . MEn be of two sorts : the natural man , and the regenerate . Repentance is needefull for both . For the naturall man , that he may be brought from his sinnes , and the image of God renued in him . Some may say , that many naturall men liue ciuilly , abstaining from all outragious behauiour , and therfore neede no repentance . I graunt indeede they doe so : yet repentance must goe withall . For ciuil life without grace in Christ , is nothing els in Gods sight , but a beutifull abhomination . The Pharises were ciuill , yet Christ saith of them , Except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises , ye shall not see the kingdome of heauen . Repentance is also required in the regenerate : because they haue may vnknown and hidden corruptions in them , which must be mortified : and otherwhiles they fal grieuously : and therfore that they may rise againe , they must be daily practised in the spirituall exercises of repentance . CHAP. VII . Of the practise of Repentance . IN the practise of Repentance foure speciall duties are required . The first is a diligent and serious examination of the conscience by the lawes and commandements of God , for all manner of sinnes both originall and actuall . Example of the children of Israel . Wherefore is the liuing man sorrowfull ? man suffereth for his sinne : let vs search and trie our waies , and turne againe to the Lord. Of Dauid , I considered my waies , and turned my feete to thy testimonies . Touching Originall sinne , this must be well remembred , that one mā hath not one part onely of originall sinne , and another man another : one man this corruption , another that : but euery mā as he receiued from Adam the whole nature of man : so also he receiued originall sinne wholly . And therefore euery man , ( not one accepted , sauing Christ who was extraordinarily sanctified by the holy Ghost in the wombe of the Virgin ) hath in him from his parents the corruption and seede of all sinne , which is a naturall disposition and pronenes to commit any sinne whatsoeuer . Take a viewe and consider all the horrible sinnes that be practised in any part of the worlde , either against the first or second table : whatsoeuer they are , the spawne and seede of them all is euen in that man that is thought to be best disposed by nature . Some may say , that experience shewes the contrarie ; because among men that want all manner of religion some are more ciuill and orderly ; some againe more lewdly disposed . I answer , that this comes to passe , not because some men are by nature lesse wicked then others : but because God by his prouidence doth limit and restraine mens corruption more or lesse , which hee doth for the good of mankind . For if men might be wholly left to themselues , corruption would so exceedingly breake out into all manner of sinnes , that there should be no liuing in the world . In examination of actuall sinnes , three rules must be followed . The first , that we must search out not onely our grosse sins , but euen the very thoughts of our hearts . For repentance is not only a change of the speech , apparell , and outward behauiour , but also of the inward and secret thoughts of the heart . Therefore the prophet Ioel bids the Iewes rend their hearts and not their garments : and Paul tels the Ephesians , that they must be renued in the spirit of their mindes : and Peter bids Simon Magus to repent and pray God that the thought of his heart may be forgiuen him . The second , that the very circumstances of sinnes done must be considered : as the time when , the place where , and the maner how ; as namely , whether they were done of ignorance , or knowledge , of weakenesse , or presumption , or obstinate malice . Thirdly in examination it is very meete and conuenient , that wee passe through all the commandements of the morall lawe , laying them as most absolute rules to our hearts and liues : and by this meanes we shall be able to make large bills and Catalogues of all our sinnes , euen from the very cradle to any part of our age following , as the seruants of God haue alwaies done . Thus it will come to passe , that wee shall plainely see our wretched estate , and acknowledge that our sinnes be in number as the haires of our head , & as the sands by the sea shore . A DIRECTION FOR EXAMINATION of the conscience . I. COM. Thou shalt haue none other Gods , &c. He breakes this commandement , TThat knowes not the true God. Ier. 4.22 . That denies God in his heart , by denying his presence , iustice , mercie , &c. Psal. 14.1 . That hates God , and shewes it by disobedience . Exod. 20.5 . Rom. 1.30 . That doth not feare God and stand in awe of him . That feareth men or other creatures more then God. Math. 10.31 . Apoc. 2.8 . That liues in open sinnes securely , not fearing Gods word or iudgements . 1. Thes● . 5.6,7 . That is sorrowfull for his sinnes , onely in respect of the punishment . 2. Cor. 7.10 . That feares God by mens traditions . Esa. 29.13 . That doth not beleeue Gods word , but calls the Canonicall Scripture in question . That despaires of Gods mercie . That hath a dead faith without workes . Iam. 2. That puts his confidence in the deuill and his workes , as seekers to wizzards doe . That loues the creatures , as riches and honour , and his owne filthie pleasures more then God. Eph. 5.5 . That puts confidence in his strength , wisdome , riches , phisitians . 2. Chron. 16.9,11 . That is impatient vnder the crosse . Matth. 10.38 . That tempts God. Math. 4.7 . That seekes for the things of this life , more then for Gods kingdome . Matth. 6.33 . That murmures against God. 1. Cor. 10.10 . That disputes and holds there is no God. That holdes and maintaines opinions against the auncient faith set downe in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles . As did the Maniches , Donatists , Arrians , Anabaptists , &c. That so holds one religion , as he is ready to follow an other . 1. King. 18.21 . That is full of presumption of Gods mercie . Esa. 7.12 . That falls away from the knowne truth . 2. Pet. 2.20 . That addes to Canonicall Scripture . Deut. 12. last verse . II. COM. Thou shalt make to thy selfe no grauen Image , &c. He breakes this commandement , THat represents God in an image . Exod. 32.6,8 . That worships God in or at images , as crucifixes , and such like . 2. King. 18.4 . That kneeles downe before an image . That is bodily present at Masse keeping his heart to God. 1. Cor. 8.9 . That retaines the monuments of Idolatrie . Exod. 23.13 . That marrieth with infidels and such like . Gen. 6.2 . That makes leagues of amitie with such . 2. Chron. 19.1 . That worships God according to his owne fantasie . Col. 2.23 . That worships God with lip-seruice , Isa. 29.13 . as our common people doe , which place all the seruice of God in pattering and mumbling ouer the Creede and ten commandements for praiers , and the Lords praier without knowledge of the meaning . That hath the power of godlinesse , but denies the force of it . 2. Tim. 3.5 . That giues worship to creatures , as Saints and angels . Psal. 115.8 . That refuseth to heare the preaching of the Gospel . Luk. 14.19 . That negligently worships God. Rev. 3.16 . That omits inuocation of Gods name . Esa. 64.7 . That heares sermons , but when hee is reprooued , railes and rages , and profits nothing . Amos 5.10 . That changes the worship of God in whole or in part . Deut. 13.32 . That makes either open or secret league with the deuill . Psal. 58.6 . That vseth witchcraft , sorcerie , or enchantments . Deut. 18.11 . Levit. 19.26 . That consults with wisards . Levit. 20.6 . That weares Amulets or Characters about his necke , and puts confidence in them . That hinders schooles of religion and good learning . Psal. 74.6,7 . That seekes not ( within the compasse of his calling ) the good estate of Gods Church : but seekes his owne things . P●al . 132.3,4 . III. COM. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord , &c. He breakes this commandement , THat doth vnreuerenly vse Gods titles in his talke . Phil. 2.10 . That sweares to doe a thing lawfull and good , and yet doth it not . Math. 5.23 . That sweares rashly . Ier. 4.2 . That vseth customable swearing in his common talke . Mat. 5.37 . That blasphemes the name of God. Leuit. 24.16 . That sweares falsely . Ioh. 8.44 . That sweares against pietie and honestie . That vseth cursing and banning . That finds fault with the creatures of god . 1. Co. 10.3 . That sweares by the creatures . Math. 5.34,35 . That vseth lots in sporting . Pro. 16.33 . and 18.18 . That makes and vseth charmes of hearbes and other things . Deut. 18.11 . That makes iests of the sentences and phrases of scripture . Esa. 66.2 . That vseth figure casting . Esa. 47.13 . That doth lightly regard Gods iudgements . Heb. 3.16 . That liuing dissolutely in religion , makes Gods name euil spoken of . 2. Sam. 12.13 . 1. Pet. 3.15 . That makes a vowe of continencie , or of any thing not in his power . That makes a lawfull vowe , and keepes it not . Deut. 22.21 . That receiues blessings from God , & is not thankfull . Luk. 17.8 . That teacheth the trueth , but doth not practise it . Mat. 23.2 . IV. COM. Remember the Sabbath daie to , &c. He breakes this commandement , THat labours in the seruile workes of his ordinarie calling . Nehem. 13.15 . That trauailes abroad on his ordinarie businesse . Exod. 16.24 . That keepes faires and markets on this daie . Nehem. 13.15 . That works haruest worke on this daie . Exod. 34.21 . That vseth sports and recreation causing distraction . 1. Cor. 10.7 . That spends the daie in idlenesse . Esa. 58.13 . That keepes the Sabboth only in outward fashion . Esa. 1.13 . That prophanes it by gluttony and drunkennesse . That giues seruants libertie to doe what they list . That brings not his family to the congregation to heare Gods word , and to receiue the Sacraments . That sanctifies not the Sabboth in his family priuately , by reading the word , by conference on that which hath beene heard in the congregation , and by praier . V. COM. Honour thy father , &c. He breaketh this commandement , THat thinkes but a thought in his mind tending to the dishonour and cōtempt of his neighbour . That mockes or reuiles , or beates his superiours . Gen. 9.22 . That disobeyes their lawfull commandements . Rom. 1.30 . That is vnthankefull to parents , and will not releeue them if neede be . 2. Tim. 3.3 . That disobeyes God to obey them . Act. 4.19 . That exalts himselfe aboue the magistrate . 2. Thess. 2.9 . That serues his master with eie seruice . Coloss. 3.22 . That gouerns his family and those which are vnder him negligently . 1. Tim. 3.4 . That is slacke in punishing faults . 1. Sam. 2.22 . That is too rigorous in speeches and punishments . Eph. 6.9 . That marrieth without parents consent . That chooseth his calling without parents consent . Num. 30. That thinkes better of himselfe then of others . Rom. 12.10 . That despiseth aged persons . Lev. 19.23 . VI. COM. Thou shalt not kill . He breaketh this commandement , THat thinkes but a thought in his heart tending to the hurt of his neighbours life . That beares malice to another . 1. Ioh. 3.15 . That is giuen to hastinesse . Mat. 5.22 . That vseth inward fretting and grudging . Iam. 3. 14. That is froward of nature , hard to please . Rom. 1.31 . That is full of rancour and bitternesse . Eph. 4.31 . That derides and scornes others . Gen. 21.9 . Gal. 4.29 . That vseth bitter wordes and railings . Pro. 12.18 . That vseth contending by words or deedes . Gal. 5.20 . That vseth chiding and crying out . Eph. 4.31 . That is giuen to make complaints of his neighbour in all places . Iam. 5.9 . That is a fighter . Iam. 4.1 . That hurts or mannes his neighbours bodie . Exod. 21.24 . That will not forgiue an offence . Mat. 5.23 . That will forgiue , but not forget . That doeth fare well himselfe , but giues not almes to releeue the poore . Luk. 16.19 . That vseth crueltie in punishing malefactors . Deut. 22.6 . That denies the seruants or labourers wages . Iam. 5.24 . That holds backe the pledge . Ezech. 18.7 . That sels by diuers waights and measures . That remooues the land marke . Pro. 22.18 . That giues his goods vpon vsurie : which is simply to binde a man to returne both the principall and the increase , onely for the lone . Ezech. 18.18 . That by his loosenesse of life is an occasion why others sinne . That mooues contention and debate . Rom. 1.29 . That beeing a minister teacheth erroniously . That teacheth slackly . Ierem. 48.10 . That teacheth not at all . 1. Tim. 3.2 . That hinders mens saluation any way . Mat. 23.13 . That seekes priuate reuenge . VII . COM. Thou shalt not commit , &c. He breakes this commandement , THat thinkes an vnchast thought tending to adulterie , or to any sinne of that kind . That lookes on a woman to lust after her . Mat. 5.28 . That commits incest . Leuit. 18.22 . That commits Sodomie . 1. Cor. 6.9 . That commits fornication with married or single , or contracted folkes . Deut. 22.22 . That vseth marriage bed intemperately . That lieth with a menstruous woman . Ezech. 18.6 . That vseth wantonnesse . 1. Cor. 6.9 . That vseth occasions and prouocations to lust . Gal. 5.9 . That is giuen to idlenesse . That weares wanton and light attire . 1. Tim. ● . 9 . 1. Pet. 3.3 . That vseth light talke , and reading of loue bookes . 1. Cor. 15.39 . That frequents lasciuious places . Eph. 5.3 . That delights in wanton pictures . 1. Thess. 5.23 . That vseth the mixt dauncing of men and women . Mark. 6.22 . That keepes company with light and suspected persons . Pro. 7.22 . That neglects to dispose his children in marriage in conuenient time . 1. Cor. 7.37 . That makes marriages of young children . That punisheth adulterie with small punishments . That marieth more wiues then one at once . Gen. 2.24 . That loues his pleasure more then God. 2. Tim. 3.4 . That takes care to fulfil the lusts of the flesh . Rom. 13.14 . That maintaines and frequents stewes . Deut. 23.17 . That is giuen to drunkennesse and surfetting . Eph. 5.18 . That giues himselfe to wine , sleepe , and ease . Pro. 20.13 . That for the auoiding of fornication marries not . 1. Cor. 7.2 . That puts away his wife for other causes then for fornication . Mat. 19.9 . VIII . COM. Thou shalt not steale . He breakes this commandement , THat thinkes but a thought tending to the least hinderance of his neighbours welfare and good estate . That liues in no calling . 1. Thess. 3.11 . That neglects his calling . Ier. 48.10 . That spends his wealth in riot , and prouides not for his family . 1. Tim. 5.8 . That is not content with his estate , but seekes to be rich . 1. Tim. 6.10 . That sels the goods of the Church , or buyes them . Mal. 3.8 . That sels such things as are meanes to further idolatrie , or any other sinne . That vseth powdering , starching , blowing , darke shops , to set a glosse on his wares , and make them more saleable . That conceales the fault of his wares . That vseth false weights and measures . Lev. 19.35 . That vseth wordes of deceit . Pro. 20.14 . That takes more for his wares then the iust price . Mat. 7.12 . That oppresseth his tenants by racking his rents . Habac. 2.11 . That vseth ingrossing of wares . That raiseth the price , onely in consideration of a daie of paiment . That either giues or takes bribes , Isai. 1. 33. Psal. 82. That writes letters of affection in wrong suites . That holdes backe things borrowed . Ezech. 18.7 . That holds backe things found or pawned . Levit. 6.3 . That beeing lustie liues by begging . That releeueth such . 2. Thess. 3.10 . That for gaine defends bad causes , and delaies suites in lawe . That laies burdens on the people without measure . Isai. 1.23 . Ezech. 22.17 . That spendes the Church goods in riot . 1. Tim. 6.9 . That makes marchandize of Gods word and sacraments . Mich. 3. 11. 2. Cor. 2. last . That gets his liuing by casting of figures and by plaies . Eph. 4.28 . That is rash in suretiship . Prov. 11.15 . & 17.18 . That steales mens children to dispose them in marriage . 1. Tim. 1.10 . That takes by stealth the least pinne , though it be for the best end . That is a receiuer of things stolne , and giues consent to the fact any way . Rom. 1.29 . That vseth deceit in bargaining . 1. Thess. 4.6 . That restores not things euill gotten . Ezec. 33.15 . That keepes backe goods giuen to the Church . Act. 5.3 . That waites for a death to sell his things dearer . Amos 8.5 . IX . COM. Thou shalt not beare , &c. He breakes this commandement , THat doth but conceiue a thought of disgrace against his neighbour . That enuies at the prosperitie of his neighbour . 1. Tim. 6.4 . That seekes onely his owne good report . That is suspitious . 1. Cor. 13.5 . That giues hard or rash sentence against others . Math. 7.1 . That taketh mens sayings and doings in worse part . Math. 26.60 . That accuseth one falsely . 1. King. 21. That maketh or reporteth tales openly or in a whispering maner . Lev. 19.16 . That receiueth tales . Exod. 23.1 . That speakes the truth of malice . Psal. 52.1,2 . That blazeth abroad mens infirmities . Math. 18.17 . That vseth quipping and taunting . Eph. 5.4 . That vseth flatterie . Prou. 26.19 . That lyeth though it be for neuer so good an ende . Zach. 13.3 . That defends an euill cause , and impugnes the contrarie . That writes or spreads libels . X. COM. Thou shalt not lust . He breakes this commandement , THat thinkes an euill thought against his neighbour , though he meane not to doe it . That conceiues some inward delight in some euill motion , though he giue not consent to practise it . SINNES DIRECTLY AGAINST THE GOSPEL . He sinnes against the Gospel , THat denies either directly or by consequent that Christ is come in the flesh . 1. Ioh. 43.8 . That treades vnder foote the blood of Christ. Heb. 10.29 . That beleeues not the remission of his owne sinnes , and acceptation to life euerlasting . 1. Ioh. 3.23 . That repents not , but hardens himselfe in all his badde waies . Rom. 2.4,5 . Ierem . 8.6 . THus much of examination : now followes the second dutie , which is confession of sinne vnto God , which is very necessarie . For the right way to haue our sinnes couered before God is , to vncouer and acknowledge them vnto him . For he will iustifie vs , if we condemne our selues , he will pardon vs , if we , as beeing our owne enemies , accuse our selues : he forgets our sinnes if we remember them : when we are vile in our owne eyes , we are pretious in his : and when we are lost to our selues , we are found of him . That confession may be rightly performed , a notable dutie is to be put in practise in it : namely , the arraignment of a repentant sinner , whereby he iudges himselfe , that he may not be iudged of the Lord. This arraignment hath three speciall points in it . First of all , he must bring himselfe forth to the barre of Gods iudgement : which thing he doth when he sets himselfe in the presence of God , as though euen now the day of iudgement were . As S. Hierome did , who alwaies thought with himselfe that he heard this voice sounding in his eares , Rise ye dead and come to iudgement . Secondly , he must put vp an inditement against himselfe ; by accusing himselfe before God , by acknowledging his knowne sinnes particularly , and his vnknown generally , without any excuse or extenuation , or defence , or hiding of the least of them . Example of Dauid . I know mine iniquity , and my sinne is euer before me : against thee , against thee onely haue I sinned , and done this euill in thy ●ight , &c. behold , I was borne in iniquitie , and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me . And , I haue sinned greatly , because I haue done this thing : but now , I beseech thee , remooue the iniquitie of thy seruant : for I haue done very foolishly . Of Ezra , O my God I am ashamed and confounded to lift vp mine eyes vnto thee , my God : for our iniquities are increased ouer our heads , and our trespasse is growne vp vnto heauen . Thirdly , he must with heauinesse of heart as a Iudge vpon the bench giue sentence against himselfe , acknowledging , that he is worthie of euerlasting hell , death , and damnation . As the prodigall child , Father , I haue sinned against heauen , and against thee , and am not worthie to be called thy child . And Daniel , We haue sinned and committed iniquitie , and haue done wickedly : yea , we haue rebelled , and haue departed from thy precepts , and from thy iudgements , &c. O Lord , righteousnes belongeth vnto thee , and vnto vs open shame . Of Iob , Behold , I am vile , what shall I answer thee ? I will lay my hand vpon my mouth . And , I abhorre my selfe , and I repent in dust and ashes . Of the Publicane , Who standing a farre off , would not lift vp so much as his eyes to heauen , but smote his breast , saying , Lord be mercifull to me a sinner . As for confession of sinne to men , it is not to be vsed but in two cases . First , when some offence is done to our neighbour : secondly , when ease and comfort is sought for in trouble of conscience . The third dutie in the practise of Repentance is Deprecation , whereby we pray to God for the pardon of the sinnes which haue beene confessed with contrition of heart , with earnestnes and constancie , as for the weightiest matter in the world . And here we must remember to behaue our selues to God as the poore prisoner doth at the barre , who when the iudge is about to giue sentence , cries vnto him for fauour as for life and death . And we must doe as the cripple or lazar man in the way : sit downe , vnlappe our legges and armes , and shew the sores of our sinnes ; crying to God continually as they doe ( Looke with your eye , and pitie with your heart : ) that we may find mercie at Gods hands , as they get almes at the hands of passengers . Thus Oseah instructeth the people , O Israel , returne vnto the Lord thy God : for thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie : take vnto you wordes , and turne vnto the Lord , and say vnto him , Take away all iniquitie and receiue vs graciously : so we will render thee the calues of our lippes . Of Daniel , We doe not present our supplication before thee for our owne righteousnes , but for thy great tender mercies . O Lord heare , O Lord forgiue , O Lord consider and doe it : deferre not for thine owne names sake , O my God. Of Dauid , Haue mercie vpon me , O God , according to thy louing kindnes : according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities . The last dutie is , to pray to God for grace and strength , whereby we may be inabled to walke in newnesse of life . Of Dauid , Behold , I desire thy commandements , quicken me in thy righteousnesse . And , Teach me to doe thy will , for thou art my God : let thy good spirit lead me into the land of righteousnesse . CHAP. VIII . Of legall motiues to Repentance . MOtiues to Repentance are either Legall , or Euangelicall . Legall , are such as are borrowed from the law : and they are three especially . The first is , the miserie and cursed estate of euery impenitent sinner in this life by reason of his sinnes . His miserie ( that I may expresse it to the conceit of the simplest ) is seuen-fold . 1. within him . 2. before him . 3. behind him . 4. on his right hand . 5. on his left hand . 6. ouer his head . 7. vnder his feete . His miserie within him is two-fold . The first is a guiltie conscience : which is a very hel vnto the vngodly man. For he is like a silly prisoner , & the conscience like a gayler which followes him at the heeles , and dogges him whither soeuer he goes , to the end he may see and obserue all his sayings and doings . It is like a register , that sits alwaies with the pen in his hand , to record and inroll all his wickednes for euerlasting memorie . It is a little iudge , that fittes in the middle of a man , euen in his very heart , to arraigne him in this life for his sins , as he shall be arraigned at the last iudgement . Therefore the pangs , terrours , and feares of all impenitent persons , are as it were , certaine flashings of the flames of hell fire . The guiltie conscience makes a man like him which lies on a bedde that is too strait , and the couering too short ; who would with all his heart sleepe , but can not . Belshazzar when he was in the midst of his mirth , seeing the hand writing on the wall , was smitten with great feare , so as his coūtenance changed , and his knees smote together . The second euill within man is the fearefull slauerie and bondage vnder the power of Satan the prince of darknesse : in that his minde , will , and affectictions are so knit and glued to the will of the deuill , that he can doe nothing but obey him , and rebell against God. And hence Satan is called the prince of this world : which keepes the hold of the heart as an armed captaine keepes a skonse or castle with watch and ward . The miserie before man , is a dangerous snare which the deuill laies for the destruction of the soule . I say it is dangerous : because he is in setting of it twentie or fourtie yeares , before he strikes : when as ( God knowes ) men doe little thinke of it . It is made of three cordes : with the first , he brings men into his snare : and that he doth by couering the miserie and the poison of sinne : and by painting out to the eye of the minde , the deceitfull profits and pleasures thereof . With the second , he hopples and insnares them : for after that a man is drawne into this or that sinne , the deuill hath so sugered it ouer with fine delights , that he cannot but needes must liue and lie in it . By the third , he drawes the snare , and indeauours with all his might to breake the necke of the soule . For when he seeth a fit opportunitie , especially in grieuous calamities ; and in the houre of death , he takes away the vizar of sinne , and shewes the face of it in the true forme , as ougly as himselfe : then withall he begins ( as we say ) to shew his hornes ; then he rageth in terrifying and accusing , that the soule of man may be swallowed vp of the gulfe of finall despaire . The miserie behind him , is the sinnes past . The Lord saith to Cain , If thou doest not well , sinne lieth at the doore . Where sinne is compared to a wilde beast , which followes a man whither soeuer he goeth , and lieth lurking at his heeles . And though for a time it may seeme to be hurtlesse , because it lies asleepe : yet at length , vnlesse men repent , it will rise vp , seaze on them , rende out the very throates of their soules . Iob in his affliction saith , Thou writest bitter things against me , and makest me possesse the sinnes of my youth . And Dauid praieth , Forgiue me the sinnes of my youth . If the memorie of sinnes past be a trouble to the godly man , oh what a racke ? what a gybbet will it be to the heart of him that wants grace ? The miserie on the right hand is prosperitie and ease : which by reason of mans sinnes is an occasion of many iudgements . In it men practised the horrible sinnes of Sodome : it puffes vp the heart with deuillish pride , so as men shall thinke themselues to be as God himselfe , as Senacherib , Nebuchadnezzar , Antiochus , Alexander , Herod , Domitian did . It steales away mans heart from God , and quenches the sparkes of grace . As the Lord complaineth of the Israelites , I spake vnto thee when thou wast in prosperitie : but thou saidest , I will not hear : this hath beene thy manner from thy youth . It is like the Iuie that embraces the tree , and windes round about it , but yet drawes out the iuice and life of it . Hence is it , that many turne it to an occasion of their destruction . Salomon saith , Prosperitie of fooles destroyeth them . When the milt swells , the rest of the bodie pines away : and when the heart is puft with pride , the whole man is in danger of destruction . The sheep that goes in the best pasture , soonest comes to the slaughter-house : and the vngodly man fattes himselfe with continuall prosperitie , that he may the sooner come to his owne damnation . The miserie on the left hand is aduersitie , which stands in all maner of losses and calamities , in goods , friends , good name , and such like . Of this read at large , Deut. 28. The miserie ouer his head , is the wrath of God , which he testifies in all maner of iudgements from heauen , in daunger of which euery impenitent sinner is euery houre . And the danger is very great . The Scripture saith , It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God. He hath store-houses full of all manner of iudgements : and they watch for secure sinners that they can not scape . Gods wrath is as a fire making hauocke and bringing to naught whatsoeuer it lights on : yea , because he is slow to anger , therefore more terrible : as a man therefore staies his hand for a time , that he may lift it higher and fetch a deeper blow . When the dumbe creatures melt as waxe , and vanish away at his presence , when he is angrie ; as the hugh mountaines and rockes doe ; fraile man must neuer looke to stand . If the roaring of a lyon make men afraid , and the voice of thunder be terrible : oh , how exceedingly should all be astonished at the threatnings of God! The miserie vnder his feete , is hell fire : for euery man till he repent , is in as great danger of damnation as the traitour apprehended , of hanging , drawing , and quartering . A man walking in his way falls into a deepe dungeon that is full of ougly serpents and noysome beasts : in his fall he catches hold of a twig of a tree that growes at the mouth of the dungeon , and hangs by it : afterward there comes a beast both leane and hungerbitten , which hauing cropt the whole tree , is euer and an on knapping at the twig on which he hangs . Now , what is the danger of this man ? surely he is like to fall into the pit , ouer which he hangs . Well , this man is euery impenitent sinner : the pit is hell , prepared for the deuill and his angels : the twigge is the brickle and fraile life of man : the hungerbitten beast is death , that is readie euery houre to knappe , our life a sunder : the danger is fearefull : for man hanging as it were ouer the mouth of hell , when life is ended , vnlesse he vse good meanes before he die , he then falls to the very bottome of it . If this be the miserie wherewith the carelesse man is ●ieged and compassed about euery way , and that for his sinnes , why doe men lie in the dead sleepe of securitie ? O! it stands them in hand to take vp the voyce of bitter lamentation , and for their offences to howle after the manner of dragons . If men could weepe nothing but teares of blood for their sinnes , if they could die a thousand times in one day for very griefe , they could neuer be grieued enough for their sinnes . The second motiue to draw men to repentance is , the consideration of the wretched estate of an impenitent sinner in his death , which is nothing but the a wages and allowance that he receiues for his sinne : and it is the very suburbes , or rather the gates of hell . S. Paul compares death to a Scorpion , who caries a sting in his taile , which is sinne . Now then when impenitent and prophane persons die , then comes this scorpion and gripes them with her legs , and stabs thē at the heart with her sting . Wherfore the best thing is before death come , to vse meanes to pull out the sting of death . And nothing will doe it , but the blood of Christ : let men therefore breake off their sinnes by repentance : let them come to the throne of grace , and crie ; yea let them fill heauen and earth with cries for mercie . Oh! pray , pray for the pardon of thine owne personall and particular sinnes . If thou obtaine but one drop of Gods speciall mercie in Christ , all daunger is past . For death hath lost his sting ; and then a man without danger may put an ougly Serpent in his bosome . The third motiue is the consideration of his estate after death . When the day of the last iudgement shall be , he must be brought and set before the tribunall seat of Christ : he shall not be able to escape or hide himselfe : then the books shall he brought out , and all his sinnes shall be discouered before Gods Saints and Angels : the deuill and his owne conscience shall accuse him : none shall be aduocate to plead his cause : he himselfe shall be speechlesse ; he shall at length heare that dreadfull sentence of damnation , Goe ye cursed into hell , prepared for the deuill and his angels . This thing might mooue the vilest Atheist in the world to leaue his wicked waies , and come to amendment of life . We see the strongest theefe that is , when he is ledde in the way from the prison to the barre , leaues his theeuing and behaues himselfe orderly . And in deede if he would then cut a purse , it were high time that he were hanged . All men by nature are traytours and malefactours against God : whiles we liue in this world , we are in the way going to the barre of Gods iudgement . The wh●ele of the heauens turnes one bout euery day , and windes vp somewhat of the threed of our life : whether we sleepe or wake , we are alwaies comming nearer our ende : wherefore let all men daily humble themselues for their sinnes , and pray vnto God that he would be reconciled vnto them in Christ : and let them endeauour themselues in obedience to all Gods commandements , both in their liues and callings . Againe , after the last iudgement there remaines death eternall appointed for him : which standes in these three things . I. A separation from all ioy and comfort of the presence of God. II. Eternall fellowship with the deuill and all his angels . III. The feeling of the horrible wrath of God , which shall seaze vpon bodie , soule , and conscience , and shall feede on them as fire doth on pitch and brimstone : and torment them as a worme crawling in the bodie , and gnawing on the heart : they shall alwaies be dying , and neuer dead : alwaies in woe , and neuer in ease . And this death is the more grieuous because it is euerlasting . Suppose the whole world to be a mountaine of sand , and that a bird must carrie from it but one mouthfull of sand euery thousand yeares : many innumerable thousands of yeares will be expired before shee will haue carried away the whole mountaine : well , if a man should stay in torment so long , and then haue an ende of his woe , it were some comfort : but when the bird shall haue carried away the mountaine a thousand times : alas , alas , a man shall be as farre from the end of his anguish and torment as euer he was . This consideration may serue as an iron scourge to driue men from their wicked liues . Chrysostome would haue men in their meetings in tavernes and feasts , to talke of hell , that by often thinking on it , they might auoide it . A graue and chast matrone , being mooued to commit follie with a lewd ruffian ; after long discourse , shee called for a panne of coales , requesting him for her sake to holde his finger in them but one houre ; he answered , that it was vnkinde request : to whome shee replied , that seeing he would not hold so much as one finger in a fewe coales for one small houre , shee could not yeeld to doe the thing for which shee should be tormented bodie and soule in hell fire for euer . And so should all men reason with themselues , when they are about to sinne . None will be brought to doe a thing , that may make so much as their finger or tooth to ake : if a man be but to snuffe a candle , he will first spitte on his finger ; because he can not abide the heate of a small and tender flame . Therefore we ought to haue great care to leaue our sinnes , whereby we bring endlesse torment to bodie and soule in hell fire , to which our fire is but yee in comparison . CHAP. IX . Of motiues Euangelicall . EVangelicall Motiues are two especially : The first is taken from the consideration of mans redemption . He that redeemed mankind is God himselfe : as Paul saith , that God was in Christ , reconciling the world to himselfe . Mans sinne is so vile and haynous in the eyes of God , that no Angel nor creature whatsoeuer was able to appease the wrath of God for the least offence . But the sonne of God himselfe must come downe from heauen , and take mans nature on him : and not onely that , but he must also suffer the most accused death of the crosse , and shed his most pretious heart bloode to satisfie the iustice of his Father in our behalfe . If a father should be sicke of such a disease , that nothing would heale him but the heart bloode of his owne child , he would presently iudge his owne case to be dangerous ; and would also vow if euer he recouered , to vse all meanes whereby he might auoid that disease . So likewise , seeing nothing could cure the deadly wound of our sinne , but a plaister made of the heart blood of Christ ; it must make vs acknowledge our pitifull ●ase , and the haynousnesse of the least of our sinnes ; and stirre vs vp to newnes of life . Againe , considering the end of the redemption wrought by Christ , was to deliuer vs from our euill conuersation in sinne and vnrighteousnes , we are not to continue and as it were lie bathing our selues in sinne ; for that were , as if a prisoner , after that he had bin ransomed and had his bolts taken off , and were put out of the prison to goe whither he would , should returne againe , and desire to lie in the dungeon still . The second motiue is , that God hath made a promise to such as truly repent . I. Of remission of sinnes , Wash you , make you cleane , take away the euill of your workes from before mine eyes : cease to doe euill , &c. Though your sinnes were as crimson , they shall be made as white as snow : though they were red like scarlet , they shall be as wooll . And , Seeke the Lord while he may be found , call vpon him while he is neere . Let the wicked forsake his waies , and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations , and returne vnto the Lord , and he will haue mercie on him , for he is very plentifull in forgiuing . II. Of life euerlasting . I will not the death of a sinner , but rather that he repent and liue . And , Thus saith the Lord vnto the house of Israel , Seeke ye me , and ye shall liue . III. Of mitigating or remoouing temporall calamities . Stand in the court of the Lords house and speake vnto all the cities of Iudah , &c. If so be they will hearken and turne euery man from his euill way , that I may repent me of the plague which I haue determined to bring vpon them , because of the wickednes of their workes . And , If we would iudge our selues , we should not be iudged , that is , afflicted with temporall punishments . I ioyne with the remoouing of temporall calamities the mitigating of thē : because they are not alwaies taken away when the partie repenteth . After Dauids repentance the childe dieth , and the sworde departes not from his house . And the Prophet Micha brings in the people humbling themselues before God vnder a temporall punishment , saying , I will beare thy wrath , because I haue sinned against thee . And it is Gods pleasure that the chastisement shall remaine after the partie is reconciled to him , that he may by that mearies be admonished of his sinne , and be an example to others . As God hath made these mercifull promises to penitent sinners , so he hath faithfully performed them , so soone as they haue but begun to repent . Example of Dauid . Then Dauid said vnto Nathan , I haue sinned against the Lord , And Nathan said to Dauid , Thy sin is forgiuen thee . Of Manasses , When he was in tribulation he praied vnto the Lord his God , and humbled himselfe greatly before the Lord God of his fathers , and praied vnto him : and God was intreated of him , and heard his praier . Of the Publicane , The Publicane , &c. smote his breast , saying , O God be mercifull to me a sinner : I tell you , this man departed iustified to his house , rather thē the other . Of the thiefe , He said vnto Iesus , Lord , remember me , when thou commest to thy kingdome . Then Iesus said vnto him , Verily , I say vnto thee , to day shalt thou be with me in paradise . Hauing such notable promises made to Repentance , no man is to drawe backe from the practise of it , because of the multitude of his sinnes , but rather to do it . The Pharises said to Christs disciples , Why eates your master with Publicans and sinners ? When Iesus heard it , he said vnto them , The whole neede not the phisition , but they that are sicke . And , I came not to call the righteous , but sinners to repentance . And , Verily I say vnto you , that Publicanes and harlots shall goe before you into the kingdome of God. CHAP. X. Of the time of Repentance . THe time of repentance is the time present , without any delay at all : as the holy Ghost saith , To daie if ye will heare his voice . And , Exhort one another daily , while it is called to day : least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne . Reasons hereof are these . I. Life is vncertaine : for no man knowes at what houre or moment , and after what manner he shall goe foorth of this world . Be ye also prepared therefore , for the sonne of man will come at an houre when ye think not . This one thing should make a man to hasten his repentance ; and the rather , because many are dead , who purposed with themselues to repent in time to come ; but were preuented by death , and shall neuer repent . II. The longer a man liues in any sinne , the greater danger : because by practise sinne gets heart and strength . Custome is of such force , that that which men vse to doe in their life time , the same they doe and speake when they are dying . One had three poundes owing him to bee paid three seuerall yeares , when he was dying nothing could be got of him but three yeres , three poūds . Againe , by deferring repentance , men treasure vp wrath against the daie of wrath . If a malefactor for his punishment , should be appointed euery daie to carrie a sticke of woode to an heap to burne him twentie yeares after : it must needs be an exceeding great punishment and miserie : and this is the case of euerie sinner : who neglecting repentance from daie to daie , doth thereby imploy himselfe in heaping vp the coles of Gods wrath to burn his soule in hell , when the daie of death comes . III. The more the time is prolonged , the harder it is to repent : the longer a man goes in his sicknesse without phisicke , the harder is the recouerie . And where the deuill dwels long he will hardly be remooued . The best waie to kill a serpent is , to crush it in the head when it is young . IV. It is as meat and drinke to the deuil to see men liue in their sinnes , deferring repentance : as on the contrary , there is great ioy among the angels of God in heauen , when a sinner doth repent . V. Late repentance is seldome or neuer true repentance . For if a man repent when he can not sinne as in former time , as namely in death : then hee leaues not sinne , but sinne leaues him : wherefore the repentance which men frame to themselues when they are dying , it is to be feared least it die with thē . And it is verie iust , that he should bee contemned of God in his death , who contemned God in his life . Chrysostom saith , that the wicked man hath this punishment on him , that in dying hee should forget himselfe , who when he was liuing did forget God. VI. We are with Abel to giue vnto God in sacrifice euen the fat of our flocke : nowe they which deferre repentance to the ende doe the contrarie . Late repenters offer the slower of their youth to the deuill : and they bring the lame & broken sacrifice of their old age to God. CHAP. XI . OF CERTAINE CASES IN Repentance . I. Case of a Reuolt . WHether a man that hath professed Christ and his religion , yet afterward in persecution denies Christ , and forsweares the religion , may repent and be saued . Answere . It is a grieuous estate , yet a man may come to repentance afterward . Manasses fell away to idolatrie and witchcraft ; and yet was receiued to mercie . So did wise Salomon : and yet no doubt recouered , & is receiued to life euerlasting . My reason is , because God vouchsafed him to be a penman of some parts of holy Scripture . And the scriptures were written not by such as were men of God onely , but by such as were holy men of God. Peter denied Christ of knowledge against his owne conscience , and that with cursing and banning : and yet came to repentāce afterward , as appeares by the testimonie of Christ , I haue praied for thee , that thy faith faile not ; therefore when thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren . Obiect . I. Mat. 10.33 . Whosoeuer shall denie me before men , him will I denie before my father which is in heauen . Ans. The place is onely to be vnderstood of such a deniall of Christ which is finall . Obiect . II. Heb. 6.4 . It is impossible that they which were once lightened , & haue tasted of the heauenly gift , &c. if they fal away should be renued by repentance . And Heb. 10.26 . If we sinne willingly after that we haue receiued the knowledge of the trueth , there remaines no more sacrifice for sinne . Ans. These places must bee vnderstood of the sin which is to death : in which mē of desperate malice against Christ , vniuersally and wholly fall away from religion . For the H. Ghost saith not , if they fall , but a if they fall away . And it is added , that they crucifie the sonne of God , and make a mocke of him , that they trample vnder foote the sonne of God , that they account the blood of the newe testament an vnholy thing : that they despise the spirit of God. And the word translated b willingly , imports somewhat more , namely , to sinne because a man will , that is , wilfully . The like answere is to be giuen to the question , whereby it is demanded whether men ouertaken with the vnnaturall sinnes mentioned , Rom. 1.24,25,26 . may come to repentance afterward or no ; namely , that although the sinnes be hainous and capitall , yet the grace of repentance is not denied : as appeares in the example of the Corinthians . 1. Cor. 6.9 , 10,11 . VVHether the child of God after repentance for some grieuous sinne , doe fall into the same againe , and come to repentance the second time . Ans. The case is dangerous , as wee may see by comparison in the bodie . If one fall into the relapse of an ague or any other strong disease , it may cost him his life : and the recouerie will bee verie hard . Christ said to the man that had bin sicke eight and thirtie yeres , after that he had healed him , Behold , thou art whole , sinne no more least a worse thing befall thee . And the vncleane spirit returning takes to him other seauen spirits worse then himselfe . Indeede we finde no particular example of recouerie after a relapse , in the scriptures ; yet no doubt a recouerie may be . Reasons are these . I. Promise is made of remission of sins in Christ without any tearme of time : without any limitation to any number or kinds of sinne : saue onely the blasphemy against the H. Ghost . Therefore there may be a repentance and saluation after a relapse . II. Christ tels Peter that he must forgiue , not til seuen times only ( which peraduenture he thought to be very much ) but seuentie seuen times , and that in one daie , if one returne seuentie times and say , it repents me . Now if we must do this , which haue not so much as a drop of mercie in vs in comparison of God : hee will no doubt often forgiue , euen for one sinne , if men will returne and say , it repents me ; considering that with him is plentifull redemption , and he is much in sparing . III. Case of Restitution . VVHether hee that repents is to make restitution if hee haue taken any thing wrongfully from his neighbour ? Ans. Yea , Zacheus , when hee repented and receiued Christ , gaue halfe of his goods to the poore , and if hee had taken any thing by forged cauillation , he restored it foure folde . It is but a bad practise when a man on his death bed will verie deuoutly bequeath his soule to God , and his goods euill gotten ( as his conscience wil often crie in his eare ) to his children and friendes , without either restitution or amends making . Quest. But what if a man be not able to restore ? Ans. Let him acknowledge the fault , and God will accept the will for thee deede . As Paul sayeth in the like case : If there be a willing mind , it is accepted according to that which a man hath , and not according to that which a man hath not . Quest. When a man by restoring shall discredit himselfe : howe shall he restore and keep his credit ? Ans. Let him ( if the thing to be restored be of small moment ) make choice of some faithfull or honest friend , who may deliuer the thing in the behalfe of the partie , concealing his name . Quest. Howe if the parties bee dead ? Ans. Let him restore to the heires and successors ; if there be none , let him restore to God , that is , the Church and the poore . IV. Case of teares . VVHether doth repentance alwaies goe with teares or not ? Answer . No : For verie pride and hypocrisie will drawe foorth teares . And some there are , that can weep for their sins in the presence of others , whereas being alone , they neither will nor can . Some againe are of that constitution of bodie , that they haue teares at commaund . And a godly man with drie cheekes may mourne to God for his sinnes , and intreat for pardon , and re●●ue i● Yet in all occasions of deeper griefe for sin , teares will follow : vnles men haue stonie & flinty hearts . And yet againe though the greatest cause of sorrowe be offered , the softest heart that is sheds not teares at the first , but afterwards it wil. When the bodie receiues a deepe wounde , at the first ye shall see nothing but a white line or dint made in the flesh , without any blood : staie but a while , then comes blood from the wound in great aboundance . So at the first the minde is astonished & giues no teares : but after some respite or consideratiō , teares follow . V. Case of death . VVHether the repentant sinner can alwaies shewe himselfe comfortable on his death bed . Ans. Though the comfort of Gods spirit shal neuer be abolished from his heart : yet he can not alwaies testifie it . For he may die of a burning ague : and by reason of the extremitie of his fits , bee troubled with idlenesse of head , and breake out into raging speeches and blasphemies . Likewise he may die of a sicknesse in the braine , and be troubled with grieuous convulsions , so as his mouth shall be writhen to his eares , his necke turned behind him , and the verie place where he lies shall shake through his trēbling , as daily experience will testifie . Neither is any to thinke this straunge : for Salomon saith , All things ( in outward matters ) come alike to all : and the same condition is to the iust and to the wicked : to the good and to the pure , and to the polluted , and to him that sacrificeth , and to him that sacrificeth not . CHAP. XII . Of the contraries to Repentance . COntrary to repentance is Impenitencie : whereby men continue in one estate , neither sorrowing for sinne , nor turning from it . It is one of the most grieuous iudgements that is , if it be final . For as a sicke man , then is most sicke , when he feeles the least sicknes , and saith he is well : so miserable man is in most miserie when he feeles no miserie , and thinkes himselfe in good estate . This sin befalls them that iudge themselues righteous , needing no repentance . As the Pharises in the daies of Christ , the Catharists in the primitiue Church , & the Anabaptists in our age . Adde vnto these such as haue hardened their hearts : so as they can discerne betweene good and euill , nor tremble at Gods iudgements , but rather fret & rage against them : till God in his wrath either destroy them , or cast them to final despaire . As it befell Iulian the Apostata , who died blaspheming and casting his owne blood into the aire . Betweene the two extreames Repentance and Impenitencie , is placed coūterfeit repentance . For the wicked nature of man can dissemble and counterfeit Gods grace , as the Lord complaines of the Iewes : Her rebellious sister Iudah , hath not returned vnto me with her whole heart , but fainedly saith the Lord , Ier. 3.10 . Counterfeit repentance , is either ceremoniall , or desperat . Ceremoniall , whē mē repēt in outward shew , but not in the truth of heart . As Saul , Then said Saul to Samuel . I haue sinned : for I haue transgressed the commandemēts of the Lord , & thy words because I feared the people and obeyed their voice . Now therfore I pray thee take a way my sin , & turne again with me , that I may worship the Lord , &c. Again , I haue sinned , but honour me , I pray thee , before th● elders of my people . Of Ahab . When Ahab heard these words he rent his cloathes and put on sackcloath , and fasted , and went softly . And the word of the Lord came to Elijah , saying , Seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me ? Dissembled repentance may be discerned because men after a time returne to their old byas againe . Pharao king of Egypt saide vnto Moses and Aaron , Pray vnto the Lord that he may take away the frogges from me and from my people . And , When Egypt was smitten with hayle ; he said , I haue now sinned : and the Lord is righteous : but I and my people are wicked : Pray yee vnto the Lord , that there be no more mightie thunders and hayle . Again , troubled with grashoppers , he saide , I haue sinned against the Lord your God and against you , and now forgiue me my sinne onely this once , &c. Now marke the issue of all : when Pharao saw that he had rest giuen him he hardened his heart , and hearkened not vnto them , as the Lord had said . This is the ordinarie and common repentance that most men practise in the world . Desperate repentance commonly called Penitencie is , when a man hauing onely Gods iudgements before his eyes , is smitten with horror of conscience : and wanting assurance of Gods mercie despaires finally . This was Iudas repentance , who when he had brought againe the thirtie pieces of siluer , confessed his fault , and went and hanged himselfe . CHAP. XIII . Of corruptions in the doctrine of Repentance . THe Church of Rome at this day hath corrupted the ancient doctrine of Repentance , beeing one of the speciall points of religion . The corruptions are specially sixe . The first , that they make repentance or penance to be a sacrament , which cannot be : because it wants an outward signe . And though some say , that the words , which the priest rehearseth in absolution , are the signe : yet that can not be : because the signe must be not onely audible , but also visible . The second , that a sinner hath in him a naturall disposition , which beeing stirred vp by Gods preuenting grace , he may and can worke together with Gods spirit in his owne repentance . But indeed all our repentance is to be ascribed to Gods grace wholly . The soule of man is not weake , but starke dead in sinne : and therefore it can no more prepare it selfe to repentance , then the bodie beeing dead in the graue can dispose it selfe to the last resurrection . The third corruption , that contrition in repentance must be sufficient . A thing impossible . For sinne doth so greatly offend Gods maiestie , that no man can euer mourne enough for it . The fourth , that contrition doth merit remission of sinne . An opinion that doth derogate much from the all-sufficient merits of Christ. The fifth , that he that repents must confesse al the sinnes that he can remēber , with all their circumstances to his owne priest , or one in his stead , if he will receiue pardon . This kind of confession is a meere forgerie of mans brain . I. There is neither precept nor example of it in the Scriptures . II. Dauid and others haue repented and haue receiued remission of their sinnes without confessing of their sinnes in particular to any man. The last , that the sinner by his workes and sufferings must make satisfaction to God for the temporall punishment of his sinnes . A flat blasphemie . The Scriptures mention no other satisfaction but Christs , and if his be sufficiēt , ours is needles : if ours needfull , his imperfect . Papists write that both may stand togither . Christs satisfaction ( they say ) is a plaister in a boxe vnapplied : mans satisfaction as a meanes to apply it : because it prepares vs to receiue it . Ah , good diuinitie : for euen in common sense the satisfaction of Christ must first bee applied to the person of man that it may please God , before the workes ( which they tearme satisfactions ) can any way bee acceptable to God. To conclude , the Romish doctrine of Repentance , is the right way to hell . For when a sinner shall be taught that he must haue sufficient sorrowe for his sinnes : and withall that he must not beleeue the remission of his owne sinnes particularly : when sorrow comes vpon him , and hee wants sound comfort in Gods mercie , he must needs fal into desperation without recouerie . Therfore the Papists in the houre of death , ( as we haue experience ) are glad to leaue the trumperie of humane sattsfactions , and to rest onely for their iustification , on the obedience of Christ. LAVS DEO . THE COMBAT OF THE FLESH AND SPIRIT . Gal. 5.17 . For the flesh lusteth against the spirit , and the spirit against the flesh : and these are contrarie one to an other , so that yee can not doe the things which yee would . THe Apostle Paul from the beginning of this chapter to the 13. verse exhorts the Galathians to maintaine their Christian libertie : and from thence to the end of the chapter he perswades them to other speciall duties of godlinesse . In the 13. verse hee stirres them vp to be seruiceable one to another by loue : in the 15. verse he disswades them from contentions and doing of iniuries . In the 16. verse he shewes the remedie of the former sinnes , which is to walke according to the spirit . In this 17. verse he renders a reason of the remedie , the force whereof is this . The flesh and the spirit are contrarie : wherefore if ye walke according to the spirit , it will hinder the flesh ; that it shal not carrie you forward to doe iniuries and liue in contentions , as otherwise it would . In this verse we haue to obserue fiue points . The first , that there is a combat betweene the flesh and the spirit , in these words , The flesh lusteth against the spirit , and the spirit against the flesh . The second is , the matter of this combat , which stands in the contrary lusting of the flesh and the spirit . The third , is the cause of the combate , in these words , and those are contrarie . The fourth is the subiect or person in whome this combat is , noted in these wordes , So that yee the Galathians . The last is the effect of the combate , in the last words , that they cannot doe , &c. Touching the combat it selfe diuers points are to be considered . The first , what these two , which make combat , namely , the flesh , & the spirit , are . They haue diuers significations . First of all , the spirit is taken for the soule , and the flesh for the bodie . But so they are not taken in this place . For there is no such combat betweene the bodie and the soule : both which agree togither to make the person of one man. Secondly , the spirit signifies natural reason , & the flesh the naturall appetite or concupiscence . But they cannot be so vnderstood in this place . For the spirit here mentioned doth fight euen against naturall reason : which though it serue to make a man without excuse , yet is it an enemie to the spirit . Thirdly , the spirit signifies the Godhead of Christ , and the flesh the manhood : but it must not be so taken here . For then euery mā regenerate should bee deified . Lastly , the spirit signifies a created qualitie of holinesse , which by the holy Ghost is wrought in the minde , wil , and affections of man : and the flesh , the naturall corruption or inclination of the minde , will , and affections to that which is against the lawe . In this sense these twaine are taken in this place . Secondly , it is to be considered howe these twaine , the flesh and the spirit can fight togither , beeing but meere qualities . And wee must know that they are not seuered asunder , as though the flesh were placed in one part of the soule , and the spirit in another : but they are ioyned and mingled togither in al the faculties of the soule : The minde or vnderstanding part , is not one part flesh , and another spirit , but the whole minde is flesh , and the whole minde is spirit ; partly one and partly the other . The whole will is partly flesh and partly spirit : the flesh and the spirit , that is , grace and corruption , not seuered in place but onely in reason to be distinguished . As the aire in the dawning of the day is not wholly light or wholly darke as at midnight and at noone day : neither is it in one part light , in another part darke : but the whole aire is partly light , and partly dark throughout . In a vessel of luke warme water , the water it selfe is not onely hote or onely cold ; or in one part hote and in another part colde : but heate and colde are mixt togither in euery part of the water . So is the flesh and the spirit mingled togither in the soule of man : and this is the cause why these two contrarie qualities fight togither . Thirdly in this combat we are to consider what equalitie there is betweene these two combaters , the flesh and the spirit . And we must know , that the flesh vsually , is more in measure then the spirit . The flesh is like the mightie gyant Goliah , and the spirit is litle and small like young Dauid . Hence it is , that Paul calls the Corinthians which were men iustified and sanctified , carnall . I could not ( saith he ) brethren speake vnto you , as vnto spirituall , but as vnto carnall , as vnto babes in Christ. And none can come to be tall men in Christ according to the age of the fulnesse of Christ , till after this life . And the speech which is vsed of some diuines , that the man regenerate hath but the reliques of sinne in him , must be vnderstood warily , else it may admitte an vntrueth . As for the measure of grace it can be but small in respect , where as we doe receiue but the first fruits of the spirit in this life : and must waite for the accomplishment of our redemption till the life to come . For all this , the power and efficacie of the spirit is such , that it is able to preuaile ordinarily against the flesh . For the flesh receiues his deadly wound at the first instant of a mans conuersion , and continually dieth after by little and little : and therefore it fights but as a maymed souldier . And the spirit is continually confirmed and increased by the holy Ghost : also it is liuely and stirring , and the vertue of it is like muske ; one graine whereof will giue a stronger smell , then many ounces of other perfumes . Some may say , that the godly man doeth more feele the flesh then the spirit : and therefore that the flesh is euery waie more then the spirit . I answere , that we must not measure our estate by feeling , which may easily deceiue vs. A man shall feele a paine which is but in the top of his finger more sensibly then the health of his whole bodie : yet the health of the bodie is more then then the paine of a finger . Secondly wee feele corruption not by corruption , but by grace ; and therfore men , the more they feele their inward corruptions , the more grace they haue . Thus much of the combate it selfe : nowe let vs come to the manner of this fight . It is fought by Lusting . To lust in this place signifies to bring forth and to stirre vp motions and inclinations in the heart , either to good or euill . Lusting is two-fold : the lusting of the flesh , and the lusting of the spirit . The lusting of the flesh hath two actions : the first is , to engender euill motions and passions of selfe-loue , enuie , pride , vnbeleefe , anger , &c. Saint Iames ●aith , that men are enticed and drawne away by their owne concupiscence . Nowe this enticing is onely by the suggestion of bad cogitations and desires . This action of the flesh made Paul say , that he was carnall sold vnder sinne . The second action of the flesh is , to hinder , and quench , and ouerwhelme all the good motions of the spirit . Paul found this in himselfe when hee said , I see another lawe in my members rebelling against the lawe of the minde , and leading me captiue to the lawe of sinne . By reason of this action of the flesh , the man regenerate is like to one in a slumber troubled with the disease called Ephialtes or the mare : who thinkes that he feeles something lying on his breast as heauy as a mountaine : and would faine haue it away , whereupon hee striues and labours by hands and voice to remooue it , but for his life can not doe it . On the contrarie , the lusting of the spirit containes two other actions . The first is to beget good meditations , motions , inclinations , and desires in the minde , will , and affections . Of this Dauid speaketh . My reines teach me in the night season : that is , my minde , affection , and will , and my whole soule beeing sanctified and guided by the spirit of God , doe minister vnto me cōsideratiōs of the way in which I ought to walke . Isaias prophesying of the church of the newe testament , saieth , When a man goeth to the right hand or to the left , hee shall heare a voice , saying : Here is the waie walke ye in it . Which voice is not onely the outward preaching of the ministers , but also the inward voice of the spirit . The second action of the spirit is to hinder and suppresse the bad motions and suggestions of the flesh . S. Iohn saith , he that is borne of God sinneth not , because his seede remaineth in him , that is , grace wrought in the heart by the holy Ghost , which resisteth the rebellious desires of the flesh . That the manner of this fight may more clearely appeare , wee must examine it more particularly . In the soule of man there bee to speciall partes , the minde and the will. In the minde there is a double combate . The first is betweene knowledge of the word of God , and naturall ignorance or blindnesse . For seeing we doe in this life knowe but in part ; therefore knowledge of the truth must needs be ioyned with ignorance in all that are enlightened : and one of these being contrarie to another , they striue to ouershadowe and ouercast each other . Hence we may learne the cause why excellent diuines doe varie in diuers points of religion : and it is , because in this combate , naturall blindnesse yet remaining , preuailes more or lesse . Men that are dimme sighted and cannot discerne without spectacles , if they be set to discrie a thing a farre off , the most of them would be of diuers opinions of it . And men inlightned and regenerate in this life , doe but see as in a glasse darkely . Againe , this must teach all students of diuinitie often to suspect themselues in their opinions and defences : seeing in them that are of soundest iudgement the light of their vnderstanding is mixed with darkenes of ignorāce . And they can in many points see but as the mā in the gospell , who when our Sauiour Christ had in part opened his eies , saw mē walking , not as mē , but in the forme of trees . Also this must teach al that read the scriptures to inuocate & cal vpon the name of god , that he would enlighten them by his spirit , and abolish the mist of naturall blindnesse . The Prophet Dauid was worthily inlightned with the knowledge of Gods word , so as he excelled the auncient and his owne teachers in wisdome : yet beeing priuie to himselfe touching his owne blindnesse , often praieth in the Psalmes , Inlighten mine eies that I may vnderstand the wonders of thy lawe . By reason of this fight , when naturall blindnesse preuailes , the child of god truely inlightned with knowledge to life euerlasting , may erre not onely in lighter points , but euen in the verie foundation of religion , as the Corinthians and the Galathians did . And as one man may erre , so an hundred men may also ; yea a whole particular Church ; and as one Church may erre , so an hundred more may . For in respect of this combate , the estate and condition of all men is alike . Whence it appeares that the Church militant vpon earth is subiect to errour . But yet as the diseases of the bodie be of two sortes : some curable , and some incurable which are to death ; so likewise errours are . And the Church though it be subiect to sundrie falls , yet it cannot erre in foundation to death : the errours of Gods children be curable . Some may here say , If all men and Churches be subiect to errour , then it shall not be good to ioyne with any of them , but to separate from them all . I answere , though they may and doe erre , yet wee must not separate from them , so long as they doe not separate from Christ. The second combate in the mind , is between faith and vnbeleefe . For faith is imperfect , and mixt with the contrarie , vnbeleefe , presuming , doubting , &c. As the man in the gospel saith , Lord , I beleeue , helpe mine vnbeleefe . By reason of this fight , when vnbeleefe preuailes , the very childe of God may fall into fits and pangs of despaire : as Iob and Dauid in their temptations did . For Dauid once considering the propseritie of the wicked , brake out into this speech . Certainly I haue clensed mine heart in vaine , and washed mine hands in innocency . Yea , this despaire may be so extreame , that it shall weaken the bodie and consume it , more then any sicknesse . No man is to thinke this strange in the child of God. For though hee despaire of his election and saluation in Christ yet his desperation is neither totall nor finall . It is not totall , because he doth not dispaire with his whole heart , faith euen at that instāt lusting against despaire . It is not finall , because he shall recouer before the last end of his life . To proceede , the combat in the will is this . The will partly willeth & partly nilleth that which is good at the same instant : and so likewise it willeth and nilleth that which is euill : because it is partly regenerate and partly vnregenerate . The affections likewise , which are placed in the will , partly imbrace and partly eschew their obiects : as loue partly loueth , and partly doth not loue God and things to be loued : feare is mixed and not pure ( as schoolemen haue dreamed ) but partly filial , partly seruil , causing the child of God to stand in awe of God , not onely for his mercies , but also for his iudgements & punishments . The will of a man regenerate is like him that hath one legge sound , the other lame : who in euery steppe which he makes , doth not wholly halt , or wholly goe vpright , but partly goe vpright and partly halt . Or like a man in a boate on the water : who goeth vpward because he is carried vpward by the vessell : and at the same time goes downeward , because he walkes downeward in the same vessell at the same instant . If any shall say , that contraries can not be in the same subiect : the answer is , they can not , if one of them be in his full strength a in the highest degree : but if the force of them both be delaied and weakned , they may be ioyned together . By reason of this combat , when corruption preuailes against grace in the will and affections , there ariseth in the godly a certaine deadnesse or hardnesse of heart , which is nothing else but a want of sense or feeling . Some may say , that this is a fearefull iudgement : but the answer is , that there be two kindes of hardnesse of heart : one which possesseth the heart , and is neuer felt : this is in them , who haue their consciences seared with an hote yron ; who by reason of custome in sinne are p●st all feeling , who likewise despise the meanes of softening their hearts . And indeede this is a fearefull iudgement . There is an other hardnesse of heart which is felt : and this is not so daungerous as the former : for as we feele our sicknesse by contrarie life and health ; so hardnesse of heart when it is felt , argues quicknesse of grace , and softnes of heart . Of this Dauid often complained in the Psalmes : of this the children of Israel speake when they say , Why hast thou hardned our hearts from thy waies ? Thus much of the manner of the combat in particular : before we proceede any further , let vs marke the issue of it , which is to preuaile against the flesh . The spirit preuailes against the flesh at two times : in the course of a mans life , and at his ende ; but yet with some foiles receiued . I say the spirit preuailes not in one instant , but in the whole course of a mans life . So S. Iohn saith , He which is begotten of God sinneth not : for he preserueth himselfe : the grace of God in his heart ordinarily preuailing in him . And Paul makes it the propertie of the regenerate man to walke according to the spirit , which is not now and then to make a steppe forward , but to keepe his ordinarie course in the way of godlinesse . As in going from Barwicke to London , it may be a man now and then will goe amisse : but he speedily returnes to the way againe and his course generally shall be right . Againe , the spirit preuailes in the end of a mans life . For then the flesh is vtterly abolished , and sanctification accomplished : because no vncleane thing can enter into the kingdome of heauen . This further must be conceiued , that when the spirit preuailes , it is not without resistance and striuing : as Paul testifieth , I doe not the good which I would , but the euill which I would not , that doe I. Which place is not to be vnderstood onely of thoughts and inward motions ( as some would haue it ) nor of particular offences : but of the generall practise of his dutie or calling , through the whole course of his life . And it is like the practise of a sicke man , who hauing recouered of some grieuous disease , walkes a turne or twaine about his chamber , saying , ah , I would faine walke vp and downe but I can not : meaning not that he can not walke at all , but signifying that he can not walke as he would , beeing soone wearied through faintnesse . I added further , that this preuailing is with foyles . A foyle is , when the flesh ●or the time vanquisheth and subdueth the spirit . In this case , the man regenerate is like a souldier , that with a blow hath his brain-pan cracked , so as he lies groueling astonished not able to fight : or like him that hath a fit of the falling sicknesse , who for a time lies like a dead man. Hence the question may be mooued , whether the flesh preuailing doth not extinguish the spirit , and so cut off a man from Christ , till such time as he be ingrafted againe . The answer is this : There be two sorts of Christians : one who doth onely in shew & name professe Christ : and such an one is no otherwise a member of Christs mysticall bodie , then a woodden legge set to the bodie is a member of the bodie . The second is he that in name and deede is a liuely part & member of Christ. If the first fall , he can not be said to be cut off , because he was neuer ingrafted . If the second fall , he may be and is cut off from Christ. But marke how : he is not wholly cut off , but in some part , namely in respect of the inward fellowshippe and communion with Christ , but not in respect of coniunction with him . A mans arme taken with the dead palsie , hangs by and receiues no heat , life , or sense from the rest of the members , or from the head , yet for all this , it remaines still vnited and coupled to the bodie , and may againe be recouered by plaisters and physicke : so after a grieuous fall the child of God feeles no inward peace and comfort , but is smitten in conscience with the trembling of a spirituall palsie for his offence : and yet indeede still remaines before God a member of Christ in respect of coniunction with him , and shall be restored to his former estate after serious repentance . And God permits these foiles for weightie causes : first that men might be abashed and confounded in themselues with the consideration of their vile natures , and learne not to swell with pride ; because of Gods grace . Paul ●aith , th●t after he had beene rapt into the third heauen , the angel Satan was sent to bu●fet him , and ( as we say ) to beate him blacke and blew , that he might not be exalted out of measure . The second , that we may learne to denie our selues & cle●ue vnto the Lord frō the bottom of our hearts . Paul saith that he was sick to death , that he might not trust in himselfe , but in God who raiseth the dead . Thus much of the manner of the combat : now followes the cause of it . The cause is the contrarietie that is betweene the flesh and the spirit . As Paul saith , The wisdome of the flesh is enmitie to God. Hence we are taught , that since the fall , there is no free-will in man in spirituall matters , concerning either the worship of God or life euerlasting . For flesh is nothing else but our naturall disposition : and man is nothing else but flesh by nature : for the spirit comes afterward by grace : and the flesh is flatte contrarie to the spirit , which makes vs doe that which is pleasing vnto God. Wherefore the will naturally is a flat bondslaue vnto sinne . Againe , hence we may learne , that it is not an easie matter to practise religion : which is to liue according to the spirit , to which our naturall disposition is as contrarie as fire to water : wherefore if we will obey God , we must learne to force our natures to the duties of godlines ; yea , euen sweate and take paines therein . Lastly , here we may learne the nature of sinne . The spirit is not a substance but a qualitie : and therefore the flesh which is nothing else but originall sinne , and is contrarie to the spirit , must also be a qualitie : for such as the nature of one contrarie is , such is the other . There is in euery man the substance of bodie and soule , this can not be sinne , for then the spirit also should be the substance of man. There is also in the substance the faculties of bodie and soule : and they can not be sinne , for then euery man should haue lost the faculties of his soule by Adams fall . Lastly in the faculties there is a contagion or corruption which carieth them against the law : and that is properly sinne and the flesh , which is contrarie to the spirit . The fourth point is , touching the persons in whome this combate is . Paul shewes who they are , when he saith , So that ye can not , &c. where it appeares , that such as haue this combat in them must be as the Galatians , men iustified and sanctified : and yet not all such , but onely they that be of yeares : for the infants of the faithfull , howsoeuer we must repute them to belong to the kingdome of heauen , and therefore to be iustified and sanctified : yet because they doe not commit actuall sinne , they want this combat of the flesh and spirit , which stands in action . As for those which be vnregenerate , they neuer felt this fight . If any say that the worst man in the world , when he is about to commit any sinne , hath a strife and fight in him . It is true indeede : but that is an other kinde of combat , which is betweene the conscience and the heart . The conscience on the one part terrifying the man from sinne : the will and the affections hailing and pulling him thereunto : the will and the affections wishing and desiring that sinne were no sinne , and Gods commandement abolished : whereas contrariwise the conscience with a shrill voice proclaimes sinne to be sinne . This fight was in Pilate , who by the force of his conscience feared to condemne Christ ; and yet was willing , and yeelded to condemne him that he might please the people . Furthermore this combat is in the regenerate but during the time of this life . For they which are perfectly sanctified feele no strife . If any shall say , that this combat was in Christ , when he said , Father , if it be thy will , let this cuppe passe from me , yet not my will but thine be done . Indeede here is a combat , but of an other sort ; namely the fight of two diuerse desires : the one was a desire to doe his fathers will in suffering the death of the crosse : the other a naturall desire ( which was no sinne but a meere infirmitie of humane nature ) whereby he in his manhood desires ( as the manner of nature is to seeke the preseruation of it selfe ) to haue the cursed death of the cros●e remooued from him . The fifth point is the effect of this combat , which is to make the man regenerate , that he can not doe the things which he would : and this must be vnderstood in things both good and euill . And first he can not doe the euill which he would for two causes . First , because he can not commit sinne at what time soeuer he would . Saint Iohn saith , He that is borne of God sinneth not , neither can he sinne , because he is borne of God , that is , he can not sinne at his pleasure or when he will. Ioseph when he was assaulted by Putiphars wife to adulterie ; because the grace of God abounded in him , whereby he answered her , saying , Shall I doe this , and sinne against God , he could not then sinne . Lot because his righteous heart was grieued in seeing and hearing the abominations of Sodom , could not then sinne as they of Sodom did . Hence it appeares , that such persons as liue in the daily practise of sinne against their own consciences , ( though they be professours of the true religion of Christ ) haue no soundnes of grace in them . Secondly , the man regenerate can not sinne in what manner he would : and there be two reasons thereof . First , he can not sinne with full consent of will , or with all his heart : because the will so farre forth as it is regenerate , resisteth and and draweth backe : yea , euen then when a man is carried headlong by the passions of the flesh , he feeles some contrarie motions of a regenerate conscience . It is a rule that sinne doth not raigne in the regenerate . For so much grace as is wrought in the minde , will , affections : so much is abated proportionally of the strength of the flesh . Wherefore when he commits any sinne , he doth it partly willingly , and partly against his will. As the marriners in the tempest , cast Ionas into the sea willingly : for otherwise they had not done it : and yet against their wills too : which appeares because they praied , and cast their goods out of the shippe , and laboured in the rowing against the tempest , and that very long before they cast him out . And herein lies the difference betweene two men committing one and the same sinne , the one of them beeing regenerate , the other vnregenerate . For the latter sinnes with all his heart and with full consent , and so doth not the first . Secondly , though he fall into any sinne , yet he doth not lie long in it , but speedily recouers himselfe , by reason of grace in his heart . Hence it is manifest , that sinnes of infirmitie are committed onely of such as are regenerate . As for the man vnregenerate he can not sinne of infirmitie whatsoeuer some falsly thinke . For he is not weake but starke dead in sinne . And sinnes of infirmitie are such onely as rise of constraint , feare , hastinesse , and such like sudden passions in the regenerate . And though they sin of weaknes often by reason of this spirituall combat , yet they doe not alwaies : for they may sinne against knowledge and conscience of presumption . To come to the second point : the regenerate man can not doe the good which he would : because he can not doe it perfitly and soundly according to Gods will as he would . Paul saith , To will is present with me , but I finde no meanes ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) perfitly to doe that which I would . In this point the godly man is like a prisoner that is gotten forth of the gayle , and that he might escape the hand of the keeper , desires and striues with all his heart to runne an hundred miles in a day ; but because he hath straight and waightie bolts on his legges , cannot for his life creepe past a mile or twaine , and that with chasing his flesh & tormenting himselfe . So the seruants of God doe heartily desire , and endeauour to obey God in all his commaundements : as it is saide of King Iosias , That he turned to God with all his heart , with all his soule , with all his might , according to all the lawes of Moses , &c. yet because they are clogged with the bolts of the flesh , they performe obedience both slowly and weakely , with diuers slippes and falls . Thus much of the combat : now let vs see what vse may be made of it . First of all , by it we learne what is the estate of a Christian man in this life . A Christian is not one that is free from all euill cogitations , from rebellious inclinations and motions of will and affections , from all manner of slips in his life and conuersation : for such an one is a meere deuise of mans brain , and not to be found vpon earth . But indeed he is the sound Christian that feeling himselfe laden with the corruptions of his vile and rebellious nature , bewailes them from his heart , and with might and maine fights against them by the grace of Gods spirit . Againe here is ouerthrowne the Popish opinion of merit and iustification by workes of grace , on this manner . Such as the cause of workes is , such are works themselues . The cause of works in man , is the mind , will , and affections sanctified : in which , the flesh and the spirit are mixt together , as hath beene shewed before . Therefore works of grace , euen the best of them are mixt workes , partly holy and partly sinnefull . Whereby it is euident to a man that hath but common sense , that they are not answerable to the righteousnes of the law : and that therefore they can neither merit life , or any way iustifie a man before God. If any reply , that good works are the works of Gods spirit , and for that cause perfectly righteous . I answer , it is true indeede , they come from the H. Ghost that can not sinne , but not onely or immediatly . For they come also frō the corrupt minde & will of man , and in that respect become sinnefull , as sweete water issuing out of a pure fountaine , is by a filthy channell made corrupt . Thirdly , we doe hence learne that concupiscence or originall sinne is properly and indeede sinne after baptisme , though it please the Councill of Trent to decree otherwise . For after baptisme it is flat contrarie to the spirit , and rebells against it . Papists obiect that it is taken away by baptisme . Answ. Originall sinne or the flesh is taken away in the regenerate thus . In it there be three things ; the guilt , the punishment , the corruption : the first two are quite abolished by the merit of Christs death in baptisme : the third , that is , the corruption remaines still : but marke in what manner : it remaines weakned , it remains not imputed to the person of the beleeuer . Lastly , hereby we are taught to be watchfull in praier . Watch and pray ( saith Christ ) &c. for the spirit is readie , but the flesh is weake . Rebecca , when two twins stroue in her wombe was troubled and saide , Why am I so ? wherefore shee went to aske the Lord , namely by some Prophet . So when we feele this inward fight , the best thing is to haue recourse to God by praier , and to his word , that the spirit may be strengthened against the flesh . As the children of Israel by compassing the citie of Ierico seuen daies , and by sounding rammes hornes ouerturned the walls thereof : so by serious inuocation of Gods name the spirit is confirmed , and the turrets and towres of the rebellious flesh battered . The voice of a man 1. Carnall of Euill . I doe that which is euill and I will doe it . Good. I do not that which is good and I will not do it . 2. Regenerate of Euill . I doe the euill , which I would not . Good. I doe not doe the good which I would . 3. Glorified of Euill . I doe not that which is euill , and I will not doe it . Good. I doe that which is good , and I will doe it . A salue for a sicke man : OR , A TREATISE CONTAINING THE NATVRE , DIFFERENCES , AND KINDES OF DEATH ; AS ALSO THE right manner of dying well . And It may serue for spirituall instruction to 1. Marriners when they goe to sea . 2. Souldiers when they goe to battell . 3. Women when they trauell of child . PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT , PRINTER to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge . 1600. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND VERTVOVS LAdie the Ladie Lucie , Countesse of Bedford . THe death of the righteous , that is , of euery beleeuing and repentant sinner , is a most excellent blessing of God , and brings with it many worthie benefits : which thing I proue on this maner . I. God both in the beginning and in the continuance of his grace , doeth greater things vnto his seruants then they do commonly aske or thinke , and because he hath promised aide and strength vnto them , therefore in wonderfull wisdome hee casteth vpon them this heauie burden of death , that they might make experience what is the exceeding might & power of his grace in their weakenes . II. Iudgement beginnes at gods house : & the righteous are laden with afflictions & temptations in this life , & therefore in this worlde they haue their deaths and hells , that in death they might not feele the torments of hell and death . III. When Lazarus was dead Christ said , He is not dead but sleepeth : hence it followeth that the christian man can say , My graue is my bedde , my death is my sleepe : in death I die not , but onely sleepe . It is thought that of all terrible things death is most terrible : but it is false to them that bee in Christ , to whome many things happen farre more heauie and bitter then death . IV. Death at the first brought foorth sinne , but death in the righteous by meanes of Christs death , abolisheth sinne , because it is the accomplishment of mortification . And death is so far from destroying such as are in Christ , that there can bee no better refuge for them against death : for presently after the death of the bodie , followes the perfect freedome of the spirit , and the resurrection of the bodie . V. Lastly , death is a meanes of a Christian mans perfection , as Christ in his owne example sheweth , saying , Beholde , I will cast out deuills , and will heale still to daie and to morrowe , and the third I will bee perfected . Nowe this perfection in the members of Christ is nothing els but the blessing of God the author of peace , sanctifying them throughout , that their whole spirits and soules , and bodies , may be preserued without blame to the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Nowe hauing often thus considered with my selfe of the excellencie of death , I thought good to drawe the summe and cheife heads thereof into this small Treatise : the protection and consideration whereof , I commend to your Ladiship , desiring you to accept of it , and read it at your leisure . If I be blamed for writing vnto you of death , whereas by the course of nature you are not yet neere death , Salomon will excuse me , who saith that wee must remember our Creator in the daies of our youth . Thus hoping of your H. good acceptance , I pray God to blesse this my little labour to your comfort and saluation . Septemb. 7. 1595. Your H. in the Lord , W. Perkins . ECCLESIASTES . 7. 3. The day of death is better then the daie that one is borne . THese words are a rule or precept laid downe by Salomon for weightie causes . For in the chapters going before he sets forth the vanitie of all creatures vnder heauen ; and that at large in the very particulars . Now men hereupon might take occasion of discontentment in respect of their estate in this life : therefore Salomon in great wisdom here , takes a new course , & in this chapter begins to lay downe certaine rules of direction and comfort that men might haue somewhat wherewith to arme themselues against the troubles and the miseries of this life . The first rule is in this third verse , that a good name is better then a pretious oyntment : that is , a name gotten & maintained by godly conuersation , is a speciall blessing of God , which in the midst of the vanities of this life , ministreth greater matter of reioycing and comfort to the heart of man , then the most pretious oyntment can doe to the outward senses . Now some man hauing heard this first rule concerning good name , might obiect and say , that renowme & good report in this life affoards slender comfort : considering that after it followes death , which is the miserable end of all men . But this obiection the wise man remooueth by a second rule in these words which I haue in hand , saying , that the daie of death is better then the daie that one is borne . That we may come to the true & proper sense of this precept or rule , three points are to be considered . First , what is death here mētioned : secondly , how it can be truely said , that the daie of death is better then the daie of birth : thirdly in what respect it is better . For the first , death is a depriuation of life as a punishment ordained of God and imposed on man for his sinne . First , I say , it is a depriuation of life , because the verie nature of death is he absence or defect of that life which God vouchsafed man by his creation . I adde further that death is a punishment , more especially to intimate the nature and qualitie of death ; and to shewe , that it was ordained as a meanes of execution of Gods iustice and iudgement . And that death is a punishment , Paul plainely auoucheth when hee saith , that by one man sinne entred into the worlde , and death by sinne . And againe , that death is the stipend , wages , or allowance of sinne . Furthermore in euerie punishment there be three workers : the ordainer of it , the procurer , and the executioner . The ordainer of this punishment is God in the estate of mans innocency , by a solemne lawe then made in these verie wordes , In the daie that thou eatest thereof , thou shalt die the death , Genesis 2. ●7 . But it may be alleadged to the contrarie , that the Lord saith by the Prophet Ezechiel , that hee will not the death of a sinner , and therefore that hee is no ordainer of death . The answere may easily bee made , and that sundrie waies . First , the Lord speakes not this to all men or of all men , but to his owne people the church of the Iewes , as appeares by the clause perfixed , Sonne of man , say vnto the ●ouse of Israel , &c. Again , the words are not spoken absolutely but only in waie of comparison , in that of the twaine hee rather wills the conuersion and repentance of a sinner , then his death and destruction . Thirdly the verie proper meaning of the wordes importe thus much , that God doeth take no delight or pleasure in the death of a sinner , as it is the ruine and destruction of the creature . And yet all this hinders not but that God in a newe regard and consideration may both will and ordaine death , namely , as it is a due and deserued punishment , tending to the execution of iustice : in which iustice God is as good as in his mercie . Againe it may bee obiected , that if death indeede had beene ordained of God , then Adam should haue beene destroyed , and that presently vpon his fall . For the verie wordes are thus , Whensoeuer thou shalt eate of the forbidden fruite , thou shalt certainly die . Ausvvere . Sentences of Scripture are either Legall or Euangelicall , the lawe and the Gospel beeing two seuerall and distinct parts of Gods worde . Nowe this former sentence is Legall and must be vnderstood with an exception borrowed from the Gospell or the couenant of grace made with Adam , and reuealed to him after his fall . The exception is this . Thou shalt certenly die whensoeuer thou eatest the forbidden fruite , except I doe further giue thee a meanes of deliuerance from death , namely the seed of the woman to bruise the serpents head . Secōdly it may be answered , that Adam and all his posteritie died , and that presently after his fall , in that his bodie was made mortall , and his soule became subiect to the curse of the Lawe . And whereas God would not vtterly destroy Adam at the very first , but onely impose on him the beginnings of the first and second death ; he did the same in great wisdome , that in the midst of his iustice he might make a way to mercie : which thing could not haue beene if Adam had perished . The executioner of this punishment is hee that doeth impose and inflict the same on man , and that also is God himselfe , as hee testifieth of himselfe in the prophet Esai , I make peace and create euill . Nowe euill is of three sortes : naturall , morall , materiall . Naturall euill , is the destruction of that order which God set in euery creature by the creation . Morall euill , is the want of that righteousnesse and vertue which the lawe requires at mans hand ; and that is called sinne . Materiall euill , is any matter or thing which in it selfe is a good creature of God , yet so , as by reason of mans fall it is hurtfull to the health and life of man , as henbane , wolfebane , hemlocke , and all other poisons are● Nowe this saying of Esai must not be vnderstood of morall euills , but of such as are either materiall or natural ; to the latter of which , death is to be referred , which is the destruction or abolishment of mans nature created . The procurer of death is man not God ; in that man by his sinne and disobedience did pull vpon himselfe this punishment . Therefore the Lord in Oseah , O Israel , one hath destroyed thee , but in me is thine helpe . Against this it may bee obiected , that man was mortall in the estate of innocency before the fall . Answere . The frame and composition of mans bodie considered in it selfe was mortall , because it was made of water and earth and other elements which are of themselues alterable and changeable : yet if wee respect that grace and blessing which God did vouchsafe mans bodie in his creation , it was vnchangeable and immortall , and so by the same blessing should haue continued , if man had not fallen : and man by his fall depriuing himselfe of this gift and blessing , became euery way mortall . Thus it appeares in part what death is : yet for the better clearing of this point , we are to consider the difference of the death of a man and of a beast . The death of a beast is the totall and finall abolishment of the whole creature : for the bodie is resolued to his first matter , and the soule arising of the temperature of the bodie , vanisheth to nothing . But in the death of man it is otherwise . For though the bodie for a time be resolued to dust , yet must it rise againe in the last iudgement and become immortall : and as for the soule , it subsisteth by it selfe out of the bodie and is immortall . And this beeing so , it may be demaunded , how the soule can die the second death . Answ. The soule dies , not because it is vtterly abolished : but because it is as though it were not , and it ceaseth to be in respect of righteousnesse and fellowship with God. And indeede this is the death of all deaths , when the creature hath subsisting and beeing , and yet for all that is depriued of all comfortable fellowship with God. The reason of this difference is , because the soule of a man is a spirit or spirituall substance , whereas the soule of a beast is no substance , but a naturall vigour or qualitie , and hath no beeing in it selfe without the bodie on which it wholly dependeth . The soule of man contrariwise beeing created of nothing , and breathed into the bodie , and as well subsisting forth of it as in it . The kindes of death are two , as the kindes of life are , bodily and spirituall . Bodily death is nothing else but the separation of the soule from the bodie , as bodily life is the coniunction of bodie and soule : and this death is called the first , because in respect of time it goes before the second . Spirituall death is the separation of the whole man both in bodie and soule from the gracious fellowship of God. Of these twaine , the first is but an entrance to death , and the second is the accomplishment of it . For as the soule is the life of the bodie , so God is the life of the soule , and his spirit is the soule of our soules , and the want of fellowship with him brings nothing but the endlesse and vnspeakable horrours and pangs of death . Againe , spirituall death hath three distinct and seuerall degrees . The first is , when a man that is aliue in respect of temporall life , lies dead in sinne . Of this degree Paul speakes when he saith , But shee that liueth in pleasure is dead while shee liueth . And this is the case of all men by nature , who are children of wrath and dead in sinnes and trespasses . The second degree is the very ende of this life when the bodie is laid in the earth , and the soule descends to the place of torment . The third degree is in the day of iudgement , when the bodie and soule meete againe and goe both to the place of the damned , there to be tormented for euer and euer . Hauing thus found the nature and differences and kinds of death , it is more then manifest , that the text in hand is to be vnderstood , not of the spirituall but of the bodily death : because it is opposed to the birth or natiuitie of man. The words then must carrie this sense : The time of bodily death in which the bodie and soule of man are seuered asunder , it is better then the time in which one is brought into the world . Thus much of the first point : nowe followeth the second , and that is , howe this can be true which Salomon saith , that the day of death is better then the daie of birth . I make not this question to call the Scriptures into controuersie , which are the trueth it selfe , but I doe it for this ende , that wee might without wauering bee resolued of this which Salomon auoucheth . For there may be sundrie reasons brought to the contrarie . Therefore let vs handle the question : the reasons or obiections which may be alleadged to the contrarie , may all bee reduced to sixe heades . The first is taken from the opinion of wise men , who thinke it the best thing of all neuer to be borne , and the next best to die quickely . Nowe if it bee the best thing in the worlde not to bee borne at all , then it is the worst thing that can bee to die after a man is borne . Answere . There bee two sortes of men : one , that liue and die in their sinnes without repentance : the other , which vnfamedly repent and beleeue in Christ. Nowe this sentence may bee truely auouched of the first : of whome wee may say as Christ said of Iudas , It had beene good for him that hee had neuer beene borne . But the saying applied to the second sort of men is false . For to them that in this life turne to God by repentance , the best thing of all is to be borne ; because their birth is a degree of preparation to happinesse : and the next best is to die quickly ; because by death they enter into possession of the same their happinesse . For this cause Balaam desired to die the death of the righteous : & Salomon in this place preferres the daie of death before the day of birth , vnderstanding that death which is ioined with godly life , or the death of the righteou● . The second obiection is taken from the testimonies of Scripture . Death is the wages of sinne , Rom. 6.22 . it is an enemie of Christ , 1. Cor. 15. and the curse of the law . Hence it seemes to follow that in and by death , mē receiue their wages and paiment for their sinnes : that the daie of death is the dolefull daie in which the enemie preuailes against vs : that he which dieth is cursed . Ans. Wee must distinguish of death : it must be considered two waies : first as it is by it selfe in his owne nature : secondly , as it is altered and changed by Christ. Now death by it selfe considered , is indeed the wages of sinne , an enemie of Christ and of all his members , and the curse of the law , yea the verie suburbs & gates of hell : yet in the second respect , it is not so . For by the vertue of the death of Christ , it ceaseth to be a plague or punishment , & of a curse it is made a blessing , and is become vnto vs a passage or mid-waie betweene this life and eternall life , and as it were a little wicket or doore whereby wee passe out of this worlde and enter into heauen . And in this respect the saying of Salomon is most true . For in the daie of birth , men are borne and brought forth into the vale of miserie , but afterward when they goe hence , hauing death altered vnto them by the death of Christ , they enter into eternall ioy and happines with all the Saints of God for euer . The third obiection is taken from the examples of most worthie men , who haue made their praiers against death . As our Sauiour Christ , who praied on this manner , Father if it bee thy will , let this cuppe passe from mee , yet not my will but thy will bee done . And Dauid praied , Returne , O Lord , deliuer my soule , saue me for thy mercies sake : for in death there is no remembrance of thee : in the graue who shall praise thee ! And Ezechiah , when the Prophet Esai bad him set his house in order , and tolde him that he must die , wept sore , and that in respect of death . Nowe by the examples of these most worthie men , yea by the example of the sonne of God himselfe , it may seeme that the daie of death is the most terrible and dolefull daie of all . Ansvvere . When our Sauiour Christ praied thus to his father , hee was in his agonie , and hee then as our Redeemer stoode in our roome and steade , to suffer all things that wee should haue suffered in our owne persons for our sinnes : and therefore hee praied not simplie against death , but against the cursed death of the crosse , and hee feared not death it selfe , which is the separation of bodie and soule , but the curse of the lawe which went with death , namely the vnspeakable wrath and indignation of God. The first death troubled him not , but the first and second ioyned togither . Touching Dauid , when hee made the sixt psalme , hee was not onely sicke in bodie , but also perplexed with the greatest temptation of all , in that hee wrestled in conscience with the wrath of God , as appeares by the words of the text , where he saith , Lord , rebuke me not in thy wrath . And by this wee see that hee praied not simply against death , but against death at that instant when hee was in that grieuous temptation . For at other times he had no such feare of death , as hee himselfe testifieth , saying , Though I should walke through the valley of the shadowe of death , I will feare no euil . Therefore he praied against death only as it was ioyned with the apprehension of Gods wrath . Lastly , Ezechiah praied against death , not onely because hee desired to liue and doe seruice to God in his kingdome , but vpon a further and more speciall regard ; because when the prophet brought the message of death , hee was without issue , and had none of his owne bodie to succeede him in his kingdome . It will be said , what warrant had Ezechiah to praie against death for this cause . Ansvvere . His warrant was good : for God had made a particular promise to Dauid and his posteritie after him , that so long as they feared God and walked in his commandements , they should not want issue to sitte vpon the throne of the kingdome after them . Nowe Ezechiah at the time of the Prophets message remembering what promise God had made , and howe hee for his part had kept the condition thereof , in that hee had walked before God with an vpright heart , and had done that which was acceptable in his sight ; hee praied against death , not so much because hee feared the danger of it , but because he wanted issue . This praier God accepted & heard , and he added fifteene yeares vnto his daies , & two yeares after gaue him Manasses . The fourth obiection is this , that those which haue beene reputed to bee of the better sort of men oftentimes haue miserable endes : for some end their daies despairing , some rauing and blaspheming , some strangely tormented : it may seeme therefore that the daie of death is the daie of greatest woe and miserie . To this I answere first of all generally , that we must not iudge of the estate of any man before God by outward things , whether they bee blessings or iudgements , whether they fall in life or death . For ( as Salomon saith ) all things come alike to all : and the same condition is to the iust and the wicked , to the good & to the pure & to the polluted , & to him that sacrificeth , & to him that sacrificeth not : as is the good so is the sinner , hee that sweareth as hee that feareth a● oath . Secondly I answer the particulars which bee alleadged on this manner : And first of all touching despaire , it is true that not onely wicked and loose persons despaire in death , but also repentant sinners , who oftentimes in their sickenesse , testifie of themselues , that beeing aliue and lying in their beds , they feele themselues as it were to be in hell , and to apprehend the verie pangs and torments thereof . And I doubt not for all this , but that the child of God most deare vnto him , may through the gulfe of desperation attaine to euerlasting happines . This appeares by the manner of Gods dealing in the matter of our saluation . All the workes of God are done in and by their contraries . In the creation , all things were made , not of something , but of nothing , cleane contrarie to the course of nature . In the worke of Redemption , God giues life , not by life , but by death : and if we consider aright of Christ vpon the crosse , wee shall see our paradise out of paradise in the midst of hell . For out of his owne cursed death , doth he bring vs life and eternall happinesse . Likewise in effectuall vocation , when it pleaseth God to conuert and turne men vnto him , hee doeth it by the meanes of the Gospel preached , which in reason should driue all men from God. For it is as contrarie to the nature of man as fire to water , and light to darkenes : and yet for all this , though it be thus against the disposition and heart of man , it preuailes with him and turnes him to God. Furthermore , when God will send his owne seruants to heauen , hee sends thē a contrarie waie , euen by the gates of hell : and when it is his pleasure to make men depend on his fauour and prouidence , hee makes them feele his anger , and to be nothing in themselues , that they may wholly depend vpon him , and be whatsoeuer they are in him . This point beeing well considered , it is manifest that the child of God may passe to heauen by the very gulfes of hell . The loue of God is like a sea , into which when a man is cast , hee neither feeles bottome nor sees banke . I conclude therefore that despaire , whether it arise of weaknes of nature , or of conscience of sinne ; though it fall out about the time of death , can not preiudice the saluation of them that are effectually called . As for other strange euents which fall out in death , they are the effects of diseases . Rauings and blasphemings arise of the disease of melancholie and of frensies , which often happen at the ende of burning feauers , the choller shooting vp to the braine . The writhing of the lips , the turning of the necke , the buckling of the ioyntes and the whole bodie , proceede of crampes and convulsions , which follow after much euacuation . And whereas some in sicknesse are of that strength that three or foure men cannot holde them without bondes , it comes not of witchcrafts and possessions , as people commonly thinke , but of choller in the vaines . And whereas some when they are dead , become as blacke as pitch ( as Bonner was ) it may arise by a bruise , or an impostume , or by the blacke iaundise , or by the putrefaction of the liuer : and it doeth not alwaies argue some extraordinarie iudgement of God. Nowe these and the like diseases with their Symptomes and straunge effects , though they shal depriue man of his health , and of the right vse of the parts of his bodie , and of the vse of reason too : yet they cannot depriue his soule of eternall life . And all sinnes , procured by violent diseases , and proceeding from repentant sinners are sins of infirmitie : for which , if they know them , & come againe to the vse of reason , they will further repent ; if not , they are pardoned and buried in the death of Christ. And we ought not so much to stand vpon the strangenes of any mans ende , when we know the goodnesse of his life : for we must iudge a man not by his death , but by his life . And if this be true , that strange diseases , and thereupon strange behauiours in death , may befall the best man that is , wee must learne to reforme our iudgements of such as lie at the point of death . The common opinion is , that if a man lie quietly and goe away like a lambe ( which in some diseases , as consumptions and such like , any man may doe ) then he goes straight to heauen : but if the violence of the disease stirre vp impatience , and cause in the partie franticke behauiours , then men vse to say , there is a iudgement of God seruing either to discouer an hypocrit , or to plague a wicked man. But the trueth is otherwise . For indeede a man may die like a lambe , and yet go to hell : and one dying in exceeding torments and straunge behauiours of the bodie , may goe to heauen . And by the outward condition of any man , either in life or death , wee are not to iudge of his estate before God. The fifth obiection is this . When a man is most neare death , then the deuill is most busie in temptation , and the more men are assaulted by Satan , the more dangerous & troublesome is their case . And therefore it may seeme that the day of death is the worst daie of all . Ans. The condition of Gods childrē in death is twofold . Some are not tempted , and some are . Some I say are not tempted , as Simeon , who when he had seene Christ , brake forth & said , Lord , now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace , &c. foresignifying no doubt , that he should ende his daies in all manner of peace . As for them which are tempted , though their case be verie troublesome and perplexed , yet their saluation is not further off , by reason of the violence and extremitie of temptation . For God is then present by the vnspeakeable comfort of his spirit , and when wee are most weake , he is most strong in vs : because his manner is to shew his power in weaknesse . And for this cause , euen in the time of death the deuill receiues the greatest foile , when he lookes for the greatest victorie . The sixth obiection is this . Violent and sudden death is a grieuous curse , & of all euils which befall man in this life , none is so terrible : therefore it may seeme , that the day of suddaine death is most miserable . Ans. It is true indeed , that suddaine death is a curse and a grieuous iudgement of God , and therefore not without cause feared of men in the world : yet all things considered , we ought more to be afraide of an impenitent and euill life , then of suddaine death . For though it be euil , as death it selfe in his owne nature is , yet we must not thinke it to be simplie euill : because it is not euill to all men , nor in all respects euill . I say it is not euill to all men , considering that no kinde of death is euill or a curse vnto them that are in Christ , who are freed from the whole curse of the Law. And therefore the holy Ghost saith , Blessed are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their Labour : whereby is signified that they which depart this life , beeing members of Christ , enter into euerlasting happinesse ; of what death soeuer they die , yea though it be suddaine death . Againe I say , that suddaine death is not euill in all respects . For it is not euill , because it is suddaine , but because it commonly takes men vnprepared , and by that means makes the day of death a blacke day , and as it were a very speedie downfall to the gulfe of hell . Otherwise if a man be readie and prepared to die , suddaine death is in effect no death , but a quicke and speedie entrance to eternall life . These obiections beeing thus answered , it appeares to be a manifest truth which Salomon saith , that the day of death is better indeede then the day of birth . Now I come to the third point , in which the reasons and respects are to be considered , that make the day of death to surpasse the day of a mans birth : and they may all be reduced to this one , namely that the birth day is an entrance into all woe and miserie ; whereas the day of death ioyned with godly and reformed life , is an entrance or degree to eternall life . Which I make manifest thus : Eternall life hath three degrees , one in this life , when a man can truly say that he liues not , but that Christ liues in him : and this all men can say that repent and beleeue and are iustified and sanctified , and haue peace of conscience with other gifts of Gods spirit , which are the earnest of their saluation . The second degree is in this life , when the bodie goes to the earth , and the soule is carried by the Angels into heauen . The third is in the ende of the world at the last iudgement , when bodie and soule reunited , doe ioyntly enter into eternall happines in heauen . Now of these three degrees , death it selfe being ioyned with the feare of God , is the second : which also containeth in it two worthie steppes to life . The first , is a freedome from all miseries , which haue their ende in death . For though men in this life are subiect to manifold daungers by sea and land , as also to sundrie aches , paines , and diseases , as feauers , and consumptions , &c. yet when death comes there is an ende of all . Againe , so long as men liue in this world , whatsoeuer they be , they doe in some part lie in bondage vnder originall corruption and the re●nants thereof , which are doubtings of Gods prouidence , vnbeleefe , pride of heart , ignorance , couetousnesse , ambition , enuie , hatred , lust , and such like sinnes , which bring forth fruits vnto death . And to be in subiection to sinne on this manner , is a miserie of all miseries . Therefore Paul when he was tempted vnto sinne by his corruption , calls the very temptation the buffets of Sathan , and as it were a pricke or thorne wounding his flesh , and paining him at the very heart . Againe , in another place wearied with his owne corruptions , he complaines that he is sold vnder sinne , and he cries out , O miserable man that I am , who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death ? Dauid saith , that his eyes gushed out with riuers of teares when other men sinned against God : how much more then was he grieued for the sinnes wherewith he himselfe was ouertaken in this life . And indeede it is a very hell for a man that hath but a sparke of grace , to be exercised , turmoiled , and tempted with the inborne corruptions and rebellions of his owne heart : and if a man would deuise a torment for such as feare God and desire to walke in newnesse of life , he can not deuise a greater then this . For this cause blessed is the day of death which brings with it a freedome from all sinne whatsoeuer . For when we die , the corruption of nature is quite abolished , and sanctification is accomplished . Lastly , it is a great miserie that the people of God are constrained in this world to liue and conuerse in the companie of the wicked ; as sheepe are mingled with goates which strike them , annoy their pasture , and muddie their water . Hereupon Dauid cried out , Woe is me that I r●maine in Meshech , and dwell in the tents of Ke●ar . When Elias saw that Ahab and Iesabel had planted idolatrie in Israel , and that they sought his life also , he went apart into the wildernes and desired to die . But this miserie also is ended in the day of death , in as much as death is as it were the hand of God to sort and single out those that be the seruants of God from all vngodly men in this most wretched world . Furthermore this exceeding benefit comes by death , that it doth not onely abolish the miseries which presently are vpon vs , but also p●euent those which are to come . The righteous ( saith the Prophet Esay ) perisheth , and no man considereth it in his heart : and mercifull men are taken away , and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away for the euill to come . Example of this we haue in Iosias . Because ( saith the Lord ) thine heart did melt , and thou hast humbled thy selfe before the Lord , when thou heardest what I spake against this place , &c. behold therefore I will gather thee to thy fathers , and thou shalt be put in thy graue in peace , and thine eyes shall not see all the euill whi●h I will bring vpon this place . And Paul saith , that among the Corinthians some were asleepe , that is , dead , that they might not be condemned with the world . Thus much of freedome from miserie , which is the first benefit that comes by death , and the first steppe to life : now followes the second , which is , that death giues an entrance to the soule , that it may come into the presence of the euerliuing God , of Christ , and of all the Angels and Saints in heauen . The worthines of this benefit makes the death of the righteous to be no death , but rather a blessing to be wished of all men . The consideration of this made Paul to say , I desire to be dissolued : but what is the cause of this desire ? that followes in the next wordes , namely , that by this dissolution he might come to be with Christ. When the Queene of Sheba saw all Salomons wisdome , and the house that he had built , and the meate of his table , and the sitting of his seruants , and the order of his ministers , and their apparrell , &c. shee saide , Happie are thy men , happie are these thy seruants which stand euer before thee and heare thy wisdome : much more then may we say , that they are ten thousand folde happie which stand not in the presence of an earthly King , but before the King of kings , the Lord of heauen and earth ; and at his right hand inioy pleasures for euermore . Moses hath beene renowmed in all ages for this , that God vouchsafed him but so much fauour as to see his hinder parts at his request : O then , what happinesse is this , to see the glorie and maiestie of God face to face , and to haue eternall fellowship with God our father , Christ our Redeemer , and the holy Ghost our comforter , and to liue with the blessed Saints and Angels in heauen for euer . Thus now the third point is manifest , namely in what respects death is more excellent then life . It may be here the mind of man vnsatisfied will yet further replie and say , that howsoeuer in death the soules of men enter into heauen , yet their bodies , though they haue bin tenderly kept for meate , drink , and apparrell ; and haue slept many a night in beddes of doune , must lie in darke and loathsome graues , and there be wasted and consumed by wormes . Answ. All this is true indeede , but all is nothing ; if so be it we will but consider aright of our graues as we ought . We must not iudge of our graues , as they appeare to the bodily eye , but we must looke vpon them by the eie of faith , and consider them as they are altered and changed by the death and buriall of Christ , who hauing vanquished death vpon the crosse , pursued him afterward to his own den , and foyled him there , and depriued him of his power . And by this means Christ in his owne death hath buried our death , and by the vertue of his buriall , as sweete incense , hath sweetned and perfumed our graues , and made them of stinking and loathsome cabbines , to become princely pallaces , and beddes of most sweete and happie rest , farre more excellent then beddes of doune . And though the bodie rotte in the graue , or be eaten of wormes , or of fishes in the sea , or burnt to ashes , yet that will not be vnto vs a matter of discomfort , if we doe well consider the ground of all grace , namely , our coniunction with Christ. It is indeede a spirituall and yet a most reall coniunction . And we must not imagine that our soules alone are ioyned to the bodie or soule of Christ , but the whole person of man both in bodie and soule is ioyned and vnited to whole Christ. And when we are once ioyned to Christ in this mortall life by the bond of the spirit , we shall remaine and continue eternally ioyned with him : and this vnion once truly made shall neuer be dissolued . Hence it followes , that although the bodie be seuered from the soule in death , yet neither bodie nor soule are seuered from Christ , but the very body rotting in the graue , drowned in the sea , burned to ashes , abides still vnited to him , and is as truly a member of Christ then as before . This point we must remember as the foundation of all our comfort , and hold it for euer as a truth . For looke what was the condition of Christ in death , the same or the like is the condition of al his mēbers . Now the cōditiō of Christ was this , though his body & soule were seuered each frō other as far as heauen & the graue , yet neither of them were seuered frō the godhead of the Sonne , but both did in death subsist in his person . And therefore though our bodies and soules be pulled asunder by naturall or violent death , yet neither of them no not the bodie it selfe shall be seuered and disioyned from Christ. It will be alleadged , that if the bodie were then vnited to Christ , it should liue and be quickned in the graue . Ans. Not so : when a mans arme or legge is taken with the dead palsie , it receiues litle or no heat , life , sense , or motion from the bodie : and yet notwithstanding it remaines still a membrr of the bodie , because the flesh and the bone of it remain ioined to the flesh and the bone of the bodie : euen so may the body remaine a member of Christ , though for some space of time it receiue neither sense nor motion nor life from the soule or from the spirit of Christ. Furthermore , wee must remember that by the vertue of this coniunction , shall the dead bodie be it rotten , burned , deuoured , or howsoeuer consumed , at the day of iudgement rise to eternal glorie . In the winter season trees remain without fruit or leaues , and beeing beaten with winde and weather appeare to the eye as if they were rotten trees ; yet when the spring time comes again , they bring forth as before , buddes and blossomes , leaues and fruit : the reason is , because the bodie , graines , and armes of trees are all ioyned to the roote , where lies the sappe in the winter season , and whence by meanes of this coniunction it is deriued to all the parts of the tree in the spring time . Euen so the bodies of men haue their winter also , in which they are turned to dust , and so remaine for the space of many thousand yeares , yet in the day of iudgement by meanes of that mysticall coniunction with Christ , shall diuine and quickning vertue streame thence to all the bodies of the Elect to cause them to liue againe , and that to life eternall . But some will say , that the wicked also rise againe . Answ. They doe so indeede ; but not by the same cause : for they rise by the power of Christ as he is a iudge to condemne them : whereas the godly rise againe by the vertue of Christs resurrection , whereof they are partakers by meanes of that blessed and indissoluble coniunction which they haue with Christ. And the bodies of the Elect though they putrifie and consume neuer so much in the graue , yet are they still in the fauour of God and in the couenant of grace : to which , because they haue right and title beeing dead , they shall not remaine so for euer , but shall rise to glorie at the last iudgement . Therefore the rotting of the bodie is nothing in respect , and the death of the bodie is no death . And therefore also death in the olde and new Testament is made but a sleepe , and the graue a bed , whereof the like was neuer seene ; wherein a man may rest , nothing at all troubled with dreames or fantasies , and whence he shall rise no more subiect to weaknesse or sicknesse , but presently be translated to eternall glorie . By this then which hath bin said , it appeares that the death of the righteous is a second degree to euerlasting happines . Now then considering our coniunction with Christ is the foundation of all our ioy and comfort in life and death , we are in the feare of God to learne this one lesson , namely , that while we haue time in this world , we must labour to be vnited vnto Christ , that we may be bone of his bone & flesh of his flesh . This very point is as it were a flaggon of wine to reuiue our soules when they be in a sowne at any instant . And that we may be assured that we are certenly ioyned to Christ , we must shew our selues to be members of his mystical bodie by the daily fruits of righteousnes and true repentance . And beeing once certenly assured in conscience of our beeing in Christ , let death come when it will , and let it cruelly part asunder both bodie and soule , yet shall they both remaine in the couenant , and by meanes thereof be reunited and taken vp to life eternall . Whereas on the contrarie , if men be out of the couenant and die out of Christ , their soules goe to hell , and their bodies rotte for a time in the graue , but afterwards they rise to endlesse perdition . Wherefore I say againe and againe , labour that your consciences by the holy Ghost may testifie that ye are huing stones in the Temple of God , and braunches bearing fruit in the true vine : and then ye shall feele by experience , that the pangs of death shall be a further degree of happines then euer ye found in your liues , euen then when ye are gasping and panting for breath . Thus much of the meaning of the text , now followes the vses , and they are manifold . The first and principall is this . In that Salomon preferres the day of death before the day of birth , he doth therein giue vs to vnderstand , that there is a direct and certen way whereby a man may die well ; if it had beene otherwise , he could not haue said that the day of death is better . And whereas he auoucheth this , he shewes withall that there is an infallible way whereby a man may make a blessed ende . Therefore let vs now come to search out this way ; the knowledge and true vnderstanding whereof must not be fetched from the writings of men , but from the word of God , who hath the power of life and death in his owne hand . Now that a man may die well , Gods word requires two things : a preparation before death , and a right behauiour and disposition in death . The preparation vnto death is an action of a repentant sinner , whereby he makes himselfe fitte and readie to die , and is a dutie very necessarie , to which we are bound by Gods commaundement . For there be sundrie places of Scripture which doe straightly inioyne vs to watch and pray , and to make our selues readie euery way against the second comming of Christ to iudgement . Now the same places doe withall binde vs to make preparation against death , at which time God comes to iudgement vnto vs particularly . Againe , looke as death leaueth a man , so shall the last iudgement finde him , and so shall he abide eternally : there may be changes and conuersions from euill to good in this life , but after death there is no change at all . Therefore a preparation to death can in no wise be omitted of him that desires to make an happie and blessed ende . This preparation is twofold : generall , and particular . Generall preparation is that whereby a man prepares himselfe to die through the whole course of his life . A dutie most needfull which must in no wise be omitted . The reasons are these . First of all death which is certen is most vncertaine . I say it is certen , because no man can eschew death . And it is vncertaine three waies : first , in regard of time : for no mā knoweth when he shall die : secōdly , in regard of place : for no man knowes where he shall die , whether in his bed or in the field , whether by sea or by land : thirdly , in respect of the kind of death : for no man knowes whether he shall die of a lingring or sudden , of a violent or naturall death . Hence it followes , that men should euery day prepare themselues to death . Indeede if we could know when , where , and how we should die , the case were otherwise , but seeing we know none of these , it stands vs in hand to looke about vs. A second reason seruing further to perswade vs is this . The most daungerous thing of all in this world , is to neglect all preparation . To make this point more manifest , I will vse this comparison . A certaine man , pursued by an Vnicorne , in his flight falls into a dungeon , and in his fall takes hold and hangs by the arme of a tree : now as he thus hangs looking downeward , he sees two wormes gnawing at the roote of the tree , and as he lookes vpward he sees and hiue of most sweete honie , whereupon he climes vp vnto it , and sitting by it feedes thereon . In the meane season while he is thus sitting , the two wormes gnawe in pieces the roote of the tree : which done , tree and man and all fall into the bottom of the dungeon . Now this Vnicorne is death ; the man that flieth is euery one of vs , and euery liuing man : the pit ouer which he hangeth , is hell : the arme of the tree is life it selfe : the two wormes are day and night , the continuance whereof is the whole life of man : the hiue of honie is the pleasures and profits and honors of this world , to which when men wholly giue themselues not considering their endes , till the t●ee roote , that is , this temporal life be cut off : which beeing once done , they plunge themselues quite into the gulfe of hell . By this we see , that there is good cause that men should not deferre their preparation till the time of sicknes , but rather euery day make themselues readie against the day of death . But some will say , it shall suffice if I prepare my selfe to pray when I begin to be sicke . Ans. These men greatly deceiue themselues , for the time then is most vnfit to begin a preparation , because all the senses and powers of the bodie are occupied about the paines and troubles of the disease : and the sicke partie is ex●rcised partly in cōference with the Physitian , partly with the Minister about his soules health and matters of conscience , and partly with friends that come to visit . Therefore there must some preparation goe before in the time of health , when the whole man with all the powers of bodie and soule are at libertie . Again , there be some others which imagine and say , that a man may repent when he will , euen in the time of death : and that such repentance is sufficient . Ans. It is false which say they : For it is not in the power of man to repent when he himselfe will ; when God will he may . It is not in him that willeth or runneth , but in God that hath mercie . And Christ saith , that many shall seeke to enter into heauen and shall not be able . But why so ? because they seeke when it is too late , namely when the time of grace is past . Therefore it is exceeding follie for men so much as once to dreame that they may haue repentance at command : nay it is a iust iudgement that they should be condemned of God in death , that did contemne God in their life : and that they should quite be forgotten of God in sicknes , that did forget God in their health . Againe I answer , that this late repentance is seldome or neuer true repentance . It is sicke like the partie himselfe , commonly languishing and dying togither with him . Repentance should be voluntarie ( as all obedience to God ought ) but repentance taken vp in sicknesse , is vsually constrained and extorted by the feare of hell , and other iudgements of God : for crosses , afflictions , and sicknes will cause the grossest hypocrite that euer was to stoope and buckle vnder the hand of God , and to dissemble faith and repentance and euery grace of God , as though he had them as fully as any of the true seruants of God : whereas indeede he wants them altogether . Wherefore such repentance commonly is but counterfait . For in true and sound repentance men must forsake their sins ; but in this , the sinne forsakes the man ; who leaues all his euill waies onely vpon this that he is const●ained to l●aue the world . Wherefore it is a thing greatly to be wished , that men would repent and prepare themselues to die in the time of health before the day of death or sicknesse come . Lastly it is alleadged that one of the theeues repented vpon the crosse . Answ. The thiefe was called after the eleuenth houre at the point of the twelfth , when he was now dying and drawing on . Therefore his conuersion was altogether miraculous and extraordinarie : and there was a speciall reason why Christ would haue him to be called then , that while he was in suffering he might shew forth the vertue of his passion ; that all which saw the one , might also acknowledge the other . Now it is not good for men to make an ordinarie rule of an extraordinarie example . Thus then this point beeing manifest that a generall preparation must be made , let vs now see in what manner it must be done . And for the right doing of it , ●u●e duties must be practised in the ●ourse of our liues . The first i● the meditation of death in the life time . For the life of a Christian is nothing else but a meditation of death . A notable practise hereof we haue in the example of Ioseph of Arimathea , who made his tombe in his life time in the midst of his garden : no doubt for this ende , to put himselfe in minde of death , and that in the midst of his delight and pleasures . Heathen Philosophers that neuer knew Christ , had many excellent meditations of death , though not comfortable in regard of life euerlasting . Now we that haue knowne and beleeued in Christ , must goe beyond them in this point , considering with our selues such things as they neuer thought of , namely , the cause of death , our sinne : the remedie thereof , the cursed death of Christ , cursed I say in regard of the kind of death and punishment laid vpon him , but blessed in regard of vs. Thirdly , we must often meditate on the presence of death , which we do , when by Gods grace we make an account of euery present day as if it were the present day of our death , and recken with our selues when we goe to bedde as though we should neuer rise againe ; and when we rise , as though we should neuer lie downe againe . This meditation of death is of speciall vse and brings forth many fruits in the life of man. And first of all it serues to humble vs vnder the hand of God. Example we haue of Abraham , who said , Behold , I haue begunne now to speake to my Lord , and I am but dust and ashes . Marke here , how the consideration of his mortalitie made him to abase and cast downe himselfe in the sight of God : and thus if we could recken of euery day as of the last day , it would straightway pull downe our peacocks feathers , and make vs with Iob to abhorre our selues in dust and ashes . Secondly , this meditation is a meanes to further repentance . When Ionas came to Ninive and cried , Yet fourtie daies and Ninive shall be destroyed , the whole citie repented in sack●loath and ashes . When Elias came to Ahab and told him that the dogges should eate Iesabel by the wall of Iesreel , and him also of Ahabs stocke that died in the citie , &c. it made him to humble himselfe so , as the Lord saith to Elias , Seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me . Now if the remembrance of death was of such force in him that was but an hypocrite , how excellent a meanes of grace will it be in them that truly repent . Thirdly , this meditation seemes to stirre vp contentation in euery estate and condition of life that shall befall vs. Righteous Iob in the very midst of his afflictions , comforts himselfe with this consideration , Naked ( saith he ) came I forth of my mothers wombe , and naked shal I returne againe , &c. blessed be the name of the Lord. And surely the often meditation of this , that a man of all his abundance can carrie nothing with him but either a coffin or a winding sheete or both , should be a forcible means to represse the vnsatiable desire of riches and the loue of this world . Thus we see what an effectuall meanes this meditation is to encrease and further the grace of God in the hearts of men . Now I commend this first dutie to your Christian considerations , desiring the practise of it in your liues : which practise that it may take place , two things must be performed . First , labour to plucke out of your hearts a wicked and erronious imagination , wherby euery man naturally blesseth himselfe and thinkes highly of himselfe : and though he had one foote in the graue , yet he perswades himselfe that hee shall not die yet . There is no man almost so olde but by the corruption of his heart he thinks that he shall liue one yeare longer . Cruell and vnmercifull death makes league with no man : & yet the Prophet Esay saith , that the wicked mā makes a league with death . How can this be ? there is no league made indeed , but onely in the wicked imagination of man , who falsly thinkes that death will not come neare him , though al the world should be destroyed . See an example in the parable of the rich man , that hauing stored vp aboundance of wealth for many yeres , said vnto his own soule , Soule , thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeres , liue at ease , eat , drink , & take thy pastime : wheras his soule was fetched away presently . And seeing this naturall corruption is in euerie mans heart , we must daily fight against it , and labour by all might and maine that it take no place in vs : for so long as it shall preuaile , we shall bee vtterly vnfit to make any preparation to death . Wee ought rather to endeauour to attaine to the minde and meditation of S. Hierome , who testifieth of himselfe on this manner , Whether I wake or sleepe , or whatsoeuer I doe , me thinks I heare the sound of the trumpet , Rise ye dead , and come to iudgement . The second thing which we are to practise that we may come to a serious meditation of our owne endes , is , to make praier vnto God that we might bee inabled to resolue our selues of death continually . Thus Dauid praied , Lord make me to know mine ende , and the measure of my daies , let me knowe howe long I haue to liue . And Moses , Lord teach me to number my daies , that I may apply mine heart vnto wisdome . I may bee said , What neede men pray to God that they might be able to number their daies ? cannot they of themselues recken a fewe yeares and daies that are able by art to measure the globe of the earth , and the spheres of heauen , and the quantities of the starres , with their longitudes , latitudes , altitudes , motions , and distances from the earth ? No verely . For howsoeuer by a generall speculation we thinke something of our endes , yet vnles the spirit of God be our schoolemaster to teach vs our dutie , we shall neuer be able soundly to resolue our selues of the presence and speedines of death . And therefore let vs pray with Dauid and Moses that God would inlighten our minds with knowledge , and fil our hearts with his grace , that we might rightly consider of death , and esteeme of it euerie daie and houre as if it were the day and houre of death . The second dutie in this generall preparation is , that euery man must daily indeauour to take away from his owne death the power and strength therof . And I pray you marke this point . The Philistims sawe by experience that Sampson was of great strength , and therefore they vsed meanes to knowe in what part of his bodie it laie : and when they found it to bee in the haire of his head , they ceased not vntill it was cutte off . In like manner the time will come when we must encounter hand to hand with tyranous and cruell death : the best therefore is , before hand nowe while wee haue time to search where the strength of death lies , which beeing once knowne , we must with speede cutte off his Sampsons lockes , and bereaue him of his power , disarme him , & make him altogither vnable to preuaile against vs. Now to finde out this matter , we neede not to vse the counsell of any Delilah : for wee haue the worde of God which teacheth vs plainly where the strength of death consists , namely in our sinnes , as Paul saith , The sting of death is sinne . Well then , we knowing certainly that the power and force of euery mans particular death lies in his owne sinnes , must spend our time and studie in vsing good meanes that our sinnes may be remooued and pardoned . And therefore wee must daily inure our selues in the practise of two duties . One is to humble our selues for all our sins past , partly confessing them against our selues , partly in prayer crying to heauen for the pardon of them . The other is for time to come to turne vnto god , and to carrie a purpose , resolution , and indeauour in al things to reforme both heart and life according to Gods worde . These are the verie principall and proper duties , whereby the strength of death is much rebated , and he is made of a mightie and bloodie enemie so farre forth friendly and tractable , that we may with comfort incounter with him and preuaile too . Therefore I commend these duties to your Christian considerations , and carefull practise , desiring that ye would spend your daies euer hereafter in doing of them . If a mā were to deale with a mightie dragon or serpent hand to hand , in such wise as he must either kill or bee killed , the best thing were to bereaue him of his sting or of that part of his bodie where his poyson lies : nowe death it selfe is a serpent , dragon , or scorpion , and sinne is the sting or poison whereby hee woundes and kills vs. Wherefore without any more delay , see that yee pull out his sting : the practise of the foresaid duties is as it were a fitte and worthie instrument to doe the deede . Hast thou beene a person ignorant of Gods wil , a contemner of his word and worship , a blasphemer of his name , a breaker of his sabbaths , disobedient to parents and magistrates , a murderer , a fornicator , a railer , a slanderer , a couetous person , &c. reforme these thy sinnes and all other like vnto them , pull them out by the rootes from thy heart , and cast them off . So many sinnes as bee in thee , so many stings of death bee also in thee to wound thy soule to eternall death . Therefore let no one sinne remaine for which thou hast not humbled thy selfe and repented seriously . When death hurts any man , it takes the weapons whereby he is hurt , from his owne hand . It cannot doe vs the least hurt but by the force of our owne sinnes . Wherefore I say again & againe , lay this point to your hearts , & spend our strength , life , and health , that ye may before ye die , abolish the strength of death . A man may put a serpent in his bosome when the sting is out : and wee may let death creepe into our bosoms , and gripe vs with his legs , and stab vs at the heart , so long as he brings not his venime and poison with him . And because the former duties are so necessarie , as none can be more , I wil vse some reasons yet further to enforce them . Whatsoeuer a man would doe when he is dying , the ●ame he ought to doe euerie daie while he is liuing : now the most notorious and wicked person that euer was , when hee is dying will praie and desire others to praie for him , and promise amendement of life , protesting that if he might liue , he would becom a practitioner in al the good duties of faith , repentance , and reformation of life . Oh therefore bee carefull to doe this euerie daie . Againe , the saying is true , hee that would liue when hee is dead , must die while he is aliue , namely to his sinnes . Wouldest thou then liue eternally ? sue to heauen for thy pardon , and see that now in thy life time thou die to thine owne sinnes . Lastly wicked Balaam would faine die the death of the righteous : but , alas , it was to smal purpose : for he would by no meanes liue the life of the righteous . For his continuall purpose and meaning was to followe his old waies in sorceries and couetousnesse . Nowe the life of a righteous man standes in the humbling of himselfe for his sinnes past , and in a careful reformation of life to come . Wouldest thou then die the death of the righteous , then look vnto it , that thy life be the life of the righteous : if ye will needs liue the life of the vnrighteous , yee must looke to die the death of the vnrighteous . Remember this , and content not your selues to heare the word , but bee doers of it : for ye learne no more indeede , what measure of knowledge soeuer ye haue , then ye practise . The third dutie in our generall preparation , is in this life to enter into the first degree of life eternall . For as I haue said , there bee three degrees of life euerlasting , and the first of them is in this present life . For he that would liue in eternall happinesse for euer , must begin in this world to rise out of the graue of his owne sinnes , in which by nature hee lies buried , and liue in newnesse of life , as it is said in the Reuelation , Hee that will escape the second death , must bee made partaker of the first resurrectiō . And Paul saith to the Colossians , that they were in this life deliuered from the power of darkenesse , and translated into the kingdome of Christ. And Christ saith to the Church of the Iewes , the kingdome of heauen is amongst you . Nowe this first degree of life is , when a man can say with Paul , I liue not , but Christ liues in me : that is , I finde partly by the testimonie of my sanctified conscience , and partly by experience , that Christ my redeemer by his spirit guideth and gouerneth my thoughts , will , affections● & all the powers of body and soule , according to the blessed direction of his holy will. Now that we might be able to say this , we must haue three gifts & graces of God , wherein especially this first degree of life consists . The first is , sauing knowledge , whereb● we doe truely resolue our selues that God the father of Christ is our father● Christ his sonne our redeemer , and the holy ghost our comforter . That this knowledge is one part of life eternall , it appeares by the saying of Christ in Iohn . This is life eternall , that is , the beginning and entrance into life eternall , to know thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. The second grace , is peace of conscience which passeth al vnderstanding : and therefore Paul saith , that the kingdome of heauen is righteousnes , peace of conscience , and ioy in the holy Ghost . The horror of a guiltie conscience is the beginning of death & destruction : therefore peace of conscience deriued from the death of Christ , is life and happinesse . The third is the regiment of the spirit , whereby the heart and life of man is ordered according to the word of God. For Paul saith , that they that are the childrē of god are led by the spirit of Christ. Nowe seeing this is so , that if wee would liue eternally , wee must begin to liue that blessed and eternall life before we die , here we must be carefull to reform two common errors . The first is , that a man enters into eternall life when hee dies and not before ; which is a flat vntruth . Our Sauiour Christ said to Zacheus , This day is saluation come to thy house● giuing vs to vnderstand , that a man then begins to be saued , when God doeth effectually call him by the ministery of his Gospell . Whosoeuer then will bee saued when hee is dying and dead , must begin to be saued while he is nowe liuing . His saluation must beginne in this life , that would come to saluation after this life : Verely , verely , saith Christ , he that heareth my word , and ●eleeueth in him that sent me , hath eternall life , namly in this present life . The second error is , that howsoeuer a man liue , if when he is dying he can lift vp his eies , and say , Lord haue mercie vpon me , hee is certainly saued . Behold a verie dangerous and foolish conceit , that deceiues many a man. It is all one as if an arrant theife should thus reason with himselfe , and say ; I will spend my daies in robbing and stealing , I feare neither arraignment , nor exequution . For at the verie time when I am to bee turned off the ladder , if I doe but call vpon the iudge I knowe I shall haue my pardon . Behold a most dangerous and desperate course : & the verie same is the practise of carelesse men in the matter of their saluation . For a man may di● with Lord haue mercie in his mouth , and perish eternally ; except in this world he enter into the first degree of eternall life . For not euerie one that sayeth Lord , Lord , shall enter into heauen : but he that doth the will of the father which is in heauen . The fourth dutie , is to exercise and inure our selues in dying by little & little so long as we liue here vpon earth , before we come to die indeede . And as men that are appointed to runne a race , exercise themselues in running that they may get the victorie : so should we begin to die now while we are liuing , that we might die well in the end . But some may say , how should this be done ? Paul giues vs direction in his owne example when he saith , by the reioycing which I haue in Christ I die daily . And he died daily not onely because hee was often in danger of death by reason of his calling : but also because in al his dangers and troubles , he inured himselfe to die . For when men do make the right vse of their afflictions , whether they bee in bodie or minde , or both , and doe with all their might endeauour to beare them patiently ; humbling themselues as vnder the correction of God , then they begin to die well . And to doe this indeede is to take an excellent course . He that would mortifie his greatest sins , must begin to doe it with small sinnes ; which , when they are once reformed , a man shall be able more easily to ouercome his master-sinnes . So likewise he that would be able to beare the crosse of all crosses , namely death it selfe , must first of all learne to beare small crosses , as sicknesses in bodie , and troubles in minde , with losses of goods and of friendes , and of good name : which I may fitly tearme little deaths , and the beginnings of death it selfe : and we must first of all acquaint our selues with these little deaths , before we can wel be able to beare the great death of al. Againe , the afflictions and calamities of this life are as it were the harbingers and puruiers of death : and we are first to learne how to entertaine these messengers , that when death the lord himselfe shall come , we may in better manner entertaine him . This point Bilney the martyr well considered , who oftentimes before hee was burned , put his finger into the flame of the candle , not onely to make triall of his abilitie in suffering , but also to arme and strengthen himselfe against greater torments in death . Thus ye see the fourth dutie , which ye must in any wise learne and remember , because wee cannot be able to beare the pangs of death well , vnles we bee first well schooled and nurtered by sundrie trials in this life . The fifth and last dutie is set down by Salomon . All that thine hand shall find to doe , doe it with all thy power . And marke the reason . For there is neither worke , nor inuention , nor knowledge , nor wisdome in the graue whither thou goest . To the same purpose Paul saith , Doe good to all men while ye haue time . Therefore if any man be able to doe any good seruice either to Gods church , or to the common wealth , or to any priuate man , let him doe it with all speede and with all might , least death it selfe preuent him . He that hath care thus to spende his daies , shall with much comfort and peace of conscience ende his life . Thus much of generall preparation . Now followeth the particular , which is in the time of sicknes . And here first of all I will shew what is the doctrine of the Papists , and then afterward the truth . By the popish order and practise , when a man is about to die , he is inioyned three things . First to make sacramentall confession , specially if it be in any mortall sinne ; secondly to receiue the Eucharist ; thirdly to require his annoyling , that is , the sacrament ( as they call it ) of extreame vnction . Sacramentall confession , they tearme a rehearsall or enumeration of all mans sinnes to a priest , that he may receiue absolution . But against this kinde of confession , sundrie reasons may be alleadged . First of all , it hath no warrant either by commandement or example in the whole word of God. They say yes ; and they indeauour to prooue it thus : He which lies in any mortall sinne , is by Gods law bound to doe penance and to seeke reconciliation with God ; now the necessarie meanes after baptisme to obtaine reconciliation , is the confession of all our sinnes to a priest . Because Christ hath appointed priests to be iudges vpon earth , with such measure of authoritie , that no man falling after baptisme can without their sentence and determination be reconciled ; and they can not rightly iudge , vnlesse they know all a mans sinnes : therefore all that fall after baptisme are bound by Gods word to open all their sinnes to a priest . Ans. It is false which they say that priests are iudges , hauing power to examine and take knowledge of mens sinnes , and iurisdiction whereby they can properly absolue & pardon or retaine them . For Gods word hath giuen no more to man , but a ministerie of reconciliation , whereby in the name of God , and according to his word , he doth preach , declare , and pronounce , that God doth pardon or not pardon his sinnes . Againe , pardon may truly be pronounced , and right iudgement of the estate of any man , without a particular rehearsall of his sinnes . For he which soundly and truly repents of one or some few sinnes , repents of all . Secondly , this confession is ouerturned by the practise of the Prophets & Apostles , who not onely absolued particular persons , but also whol churches without exaction of auricular cōfession . Whē Nathan the Prophet had rebuked Dauid for his two great & horrible crimes , Dauid touched with remorse said , I haue sinned , and Nathan presently without further examination declared vnto him in the name of God , that his sins were forgiuen him . Thirdly , it can not be prooued by any good and sufficient proofes , that this confession was vsed in the Church of God till after fiue or sixe hundred yeares were expired . For the confession which was then in vse , was either publicke before the Church , or the opening of a publicke fault to some priuate person in secret . Therefore to vrge sicke men vnto it lying at the point of death , is to lay more burdens on them , then euer God appointed . And whereas they make it a necessary thing to receiue the Eucharist in the time of sicknes toward death , and that priuately of the sicke partie alone , they haue no warrant for their practise and opinion . For in the want of the sacrament there is no danger , but in the contempt : and the verie contempt it selfe is a sinne which may be pardoned , if we repent . And there is no reason why wee should thinke that sicke men should bee depriued of the comfort of the Lords supper , if they receiue it not in death ; because the fruite and efficacy of the Sacrament once receiued , is not to bee restrained to the time of receiuing , but it extends it selfe to the whole time of mans life afterward . Againe the supper of the Lord is no priuate action , but meerely Ecclesiasticall : and therefore to be celebrated in the meeting and assembly of Gods people ; as our Sauiour Christ prescribeth , when he saith , Doe ye this : and Paul in saying , When ye come togither . But it is alleadged that the Israelites did eate the Paschal lambe in their houses when they were in Egypt . Answ. The Israelites had then no libertie to make any publike meeting for that end : & god commanded that the Paschal lambe should be eaten in all the houses of the Isaraelites at one & the same instant ; and that in effect was as much as if it had beene publike . Againe , they alleadge a Canon of the Council of Nice ; which decreeth that men beeing about to die , must receiue the Eucharist , & not be a depriued of the prouision of food necessarie for their iourney . Ans. The Council made no decree touching the administration of the Sacrament to all them that die , but to such onely as fall away from the faith in persecution , or fell into any other notorious crime , and were thereupon excommunicate , and so remained till death : & either then or somewhat before testified their repentance for their offences . And the Canon was made for this ende , that such persons might bee assured that they were againe receiued into the Church , and by this meanes depart with more comfort . Thirdly , it is obiected , that in the primitiue Church , part of the Eucharist was carried by a ladde to Serapion an aged man , lying sicke in his bedde . Ansvv. It was indeede the custome of the auncient Church from the very beginning , that the elemēts of bread & wine should be sent by some of the Deacons to the sicke , which were absent from the assembly . And yet neuerthelesse here is no footing for priuate communions . For the Eucharist was only then sent when the rest of the Church did openly communicate ; and such as were then absent onely by reason of sickenes , and desired to bee partakers of that blessed com●union , were to be reputed as pre●ent . Lastly it is obiected , that it was the manner of men and women in former times to carrie part of the Sacramēt home to their houses , and to reserue it till the time of necessitie , as the time of sicknes & such like . Ans. The reseruatiō of the sacrament was but a superstitious practise , though it be ancient . For out of the administration , that is , before it begin , and after it is ended , the sacrament ceaseth to be a sacrament , and the elements to be elements . As for the practise of them that vsed to cramme the Eucharist into the mouth of them that were deceased , it is not only superstitious but also verie absurd . As for the Annoiling of the sicke , that is , the annointing of the bodie , specially the organes or instruments of the senses , that the partie may obtaine the remission of his sinnes , and comfort against all temptations of the deuill in the houre of death ; and strength more easily to beare the pangs of sickenesse and the pangs of death , and be againe restored to his corporall health , if it bee expedient for the saluation of his soule ; it is but a dotage of mans braine , & hath not so much as a shewe of reason to iustifie it . The fifth of Iames is commonly alleadged to this purpose , but the annointing there mentioned is not of the same kinde with this greasie sacrament of the Papists . For that annointing of the bodie was a ceremonie vsed by the Apostles and others , when they put in practise this miraculous gift of healing , which gift is nowe ceased . Secondly , that annointing had a promise that the partie should recouer his health : but this popish annointing hath no such promise , because for the most part the persons thus annointed die afterward without recouerie ; wheras those which were annointed in the primitiue Church alwaies recouered . Thirdly , the auncient annointing serued onely for the procuring of health , but this tendes further to the procuring of remission of sinnes , and strength in temptation . Thus hauing seene the doctrine of the Papists ; I come nowe to speake of the true and right manner of making particular preparation before death , which containes three sorts of duties : one concerning God , the other concerning a mans owne selfe , the third concerning our neighbour . The first concerning God , is to seeke to be reconciled vnto him in Christ , though wee haue beene long assured of his fauour . All other duties must come after in the second place , and they are of little or no effect without this . Nowe this reconciliation must bee sought for and is obtained by a renewing of our former faith and repentance : and they must be renewed on this manner . So soone as a man shall feele any manner of sickenesse to seaze vpon his bodie , hee must consider with himselfe whence it ariseth : and after serious consideration , hee shal find that it comes not by chance or fortune , but by the special prouidence of God. This done , he m●st goe yet further and consider for what cause the Lord should afflict his bodie with any sickenesse or disease . And he shal find by Gods word , that sicknesse comes ordinarily and vsually of sinne . Wherefore is the liuing man sorrowfull ? man suffereth for his sinne . It is true indeede , there bee other causes of the wantes of the bodie , and of sickenesse , beside sinne ; and though they be not knowne to vs : yet they are knowne to the Lord. Hereupon Christ when he sawe a certaine blind man , and was demaunded what was the cause of the blindnesse , answered , neither hath this man sinned nor his parēts , but that the work of God should be shewed on him . Yet wee for our parts , who are to goe not by the secret , but by the reuealed will of God , must make this vse of our sickenes , that it is sent vnto vs for our sinnes . When Christ healed the man sicke of the palsie , he saieth , bee of good comfort , thy sinnes are forgiuen thee : and when he had healed the man by the poole of Bethesda , that had bin sicke thirtie eight yeares , he bids him sinne no more least a worst thing happen vnto him : giuing them both to vnderstand that their sickenesse came by reason of their sinnes . And thus should euery sicke man resolue himselfe . Nowe when wee haue proceeded thus farre , and haue as it were laid our finger vpon the right and proper cause of our sicknes , three things concerning our sinnes must bee performed of vs in sickenesse . First we must make a new examination of our heartes and liues , and say as the Israelites said in affliction , Let vs search and ●ry our waies , and turne againe to the Lord. Secondly we must make a newe confession to God of our new and particular sinnes , as God sends new corrections and chastisements . When Dauid had the hand of God verie heauie vpon him for his sinnes , so as his verie bones and moisture consumed within him , he made confession of them vnto God , and thereupon obtained his pardon , and was healed . The third thing is to make newe praier and more earnest the euer before , with sighes and grones of the spirit , and that for pardon of the same sins , and for reconciliation with God in Christ. In the exercise of these three duties standes the renouation of our faith and repentance whereby they are increased , quickened , and reuiued . And the more sickenesse preuailes and takes place in the bodie , the more should we bee carefull to put them in vre : that spirituall life might increase as temporall life is decaied . When King Ezechias lay sicke , as he thought vpon his death-bed , hee wept as for some other causes so also for his sinnes , and withall he praied God to cast them behind his backe . Dauid made certaine Psalmes when he was sicke , or at the least vpon the occasion of his sickenes , as namely the 6. the 32. the 38. the 39 , &c. & they all are psalmes of repentance : in which we may see howe in distresse of bodie and minde he renewed his faith and repentance , heartely bewailing his sinnes , and intreating the Lord for the pardon of them . Manasses , one that fell from God , and gaue himselfe to many horrible sinnes , when hee was taken captiue and imprisoned in Babylon , he praied to the Lord his God , and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers , and praied vnto him : and God was intreated of him , and heard his praier , and brought him againe into Ierusalem into his kingdome , and then Manasses knewe that the Lord was God. Nowe looke what Manasses did in this tribulation , the same thing must wee doe in the time of our bodily sickenesse . Here I haue occasion to mention a notorious fault that is very common in this age , euen among such as haue long liued in the bosome of the Church : & that is this . Men nowe a daies are so farre from renuing their faith and repentance , that when they lie sicke and are drawing toward death , they must bee Catechised in the doctrine of faith and repentance , as if they had beene but of late receiued into the Church . Whosoeuer will , but as occasion is offered visit the sicke , shall finde this to bee true which I say . What a shame is this , that when a man hath spent his life and daies in the Church for the space of twentie or thirtie , or fourtie yeares , he should at the verie ende of all and not before , begin to inquire , what faith , and what repentance is , and howe his soule might bee saued . This one sinne argues the great securitie of this age , and the great contempt of God and his worde . Well , let all men hereafter in time to come , be warned to take heede of this exceeding negligence in matters of saluation , and to vse all good meanes before hand , that they may be able in sicknesse and in the time of death to put in practise the spirituall exercises of inuocation and repentance . Nowe if so be it fall out that the sicke partie cannot of himselfe renewe his owne faith and repentance , he must seeke the helpe of others . When the man that was sicke of the dead palsie could not goe to Christ himselfe , hee got others to beare him in his bed ; and when they could not come nere for the multitude they vncouered the roofe of the house and let the bed downe before Christ : euen so , when sicke men can not alone by themselues do the good duties to which they are bound , they must borrowe helpe from their fellowe members ; who are partly by their counsel to put to their helping hand , and partly by their praiers to present them vnto God , and to bring them into the presence of God. And touching helpe in this case , sundrie duties are to bee performed . Saint Iames sets down foure , two wherof concerne the sicke patient , and other two such as be helpers . The first dutie of the sicke man is to send for helpe : where two circumstances must be considered : who must be sent for , and when . For the first Saint Iames saith , Is any sicke among you ? let him call for the elders of the Church . Whereby are meant not onely Apostles and all ministers of the gospell , but others also ( as I take it ) which were men ancient for yeares indued with the spirit of vnderstanding and praier , and had withall , the gift of working miracles and of healing the sicke . For in the primitiue Church this gift was for a time so plentifully bestowed on them that beleeued in Christ , that souldiers cast out deuills , and parents wrought miracles on their children . Hence we may learne , that howesoeuer it be the dutie of the ministers of the word principally to visit and comfort the sicke , yet is it not their dutie alone , for it belongs to them also which haue knowledge of Gods worde , & the gift of praier . Exhort one another ( saith the holy Ghost ) while it is called to daie . And againe , Admonish them that are disordered , and comfort those that are weake . And indeede in equitie it should be the duty of euerie Christian man to comfort his brother in sickenesse . Here wee must needes take knowledge of the common fault of men and women when they come to visit their neighbours and friends they can not speake a work of instruction and comfort , but spend the time in silence , gazing , and looking on : or in vttering wordes to little or no purpose , saying to the sicke partie , that they are verie sorrie to see him in that case , that they would haue him to be of good comfort , but wherein & by what meanes they cannot tell ; that they doubt not but that he shall recouer his health and liue with them still , and be merrie as in former time : that they will pray for him ; whereas all their praiers are nothing els but the Apostles creed , or the ten commandements , and the Lords praier vttered without vnderstanding . And this is the common comfort that sicke men get at the hands of their neighbours when they come vnto them : and all his comes either because mē liue in ignorance of Gods word , or because they falsly thinke that the whole burthen of this dutie lies vpon the shoulders of the minister . The second circumstance is , when the sicke partie must send for the elders to i●struct him and pray for him . And that is in the verie first place of all before any other helpe be sought for . Where the Diuine endes , there the phisition must begin : and it is a verie preposterous course that the Diuine should there begin where the physitian makes an ende . For till helpe be had for the soule , and sinne which is the roote of sicknesse be cured , physicke for the bodie is nothing . Therefore it is a thing much to be disliked , that in all places almost , the physitian is first sent for , and comes in the beginning of the sicknes , and the Minister comes when a man is halfe dead , and is then sent for oftententimes , when the sicke partie lies drawing on and gasping for breath , as though Ministers of the Gospel in these daies were able to worke miracles . The second dutie of the sick party is to confesse his sinnes , as Iames saith , Confesse your sinnes one to another , and pray one for another . It will be said , that this is to bring in againe Popish shrift . Ans. Confession of our sinnes , and that vnto men was neuer denied of any : the question onely is of the manner and order of making confession . And for this cause we must put a great difference betweene Popish shrift , and the confession of which S. Iames speaketh . For he requires onely a confession of that or those sinnes which lie vpon a mans conscience when he is sicke : but the Popish doctrine requireth a particular enumeration of all mans sinnes . Againe , S. Iames enioynes confession onely as a thing necessarie , meete , and conuenient , but the Papists as a thing necessarie to the remission of sinnes . Thirdly , S. Iames permits that confession be made to any man , and by one man to an other mutually ; whereas Popish shrift is made onely to the priest . The second dutie then is , that the sicke partie troubled in mind with the memorie and consideration of any of his sinnes past , or any manner of way tempted by the deuill , shall freely of his owne accord open his case to such as are both able and willing to helpe him , that he may receiue comfort and die in peace of conscience . Thus much of the sicke mans dutie : now follow the duties of helpers . The first is , to pray ouer him , that is , in his presence to pray with him and for him , and by praier to present his very person and his whole estate vnto God. The Prophet Elizeus , the Apostle Paul , and our Sauiour Christ vsed this manner of praying , when they would miraculously restore temporal life : and therfore it is very meete that the same should be vsed also of vs , that we might the better stirre vp our affections in prayer , and our compassion to the sicke when we are about to intreat the Lord for the remission of their sinnes , and for the saluation of their soules . The second dutie of him that comes as an helper , is to annoint the sicke partie with oyle . Now this annointing was an outward ceremonie which was vsed with the gift of healing , which is now ceased : and therefore I omit to speake further of it . Thus much of the dutie which the sick man owes to God : now follow the duties which he is to performe vnto himselfe , and they are twofold : one concernes his soule , the other his bodie . The dutie concerning his soule is , that he must arme & furnish himselfe against the immoderate feare of present death . And the reason hereof is plaine : because howsoeuer naturally men feare thorough the course of their liues more or lesse ; yet in the time of sicknes when death approcheth , this naturall feare bred in the bone will most of all shew it selfe , euen in such sort , as it will astonish the senses of the sicke partie , & sometime cause desperation . Therefore it is necessary that we vse meanes to strengthen our selues against the feare of death . The meanes are of two sorts : practises , and meditations . Practises are two especially . The first is , that the sick man must not so much regard death it selfe as the benefits of God which are obtained after death . He must fixe his mind vpon the consideration of the pangs & torments of death ; but all his thoughts and affections must be set vpon that blessed estate that is enioyed after death . He that is to passe ouer some great & deepe riuer , must not looke downward to the streame of the water : but if he would preuent feare , he must set his foote sure and cast his eie to the banke on the further side : and so must he that drawes neare death , as it were , looke ouer the waues of death and directly fixe the eye of his faith vpon eternall life . The second practise is to looke vpon death in the glasse of the Gospel , and not in the glasse of the law : that is , we must consider death not as it is propounded in the law , and looke vpon that terrible face which the law giueth vnto it ; but as it is set forth in the Gospel . Death in the law is a curse and the downfall to the pit of destruction : in the Gospel it is the entrance to heauen : the law sets forth death as death , the Gospel sets death as no death , but as a sleepe onely : because it speaketh of death as it is altered and changed by the death of Christ ; by the vertue whereof death is properly no death to the seruants of God. When men shall haue care on this manner to consider of death , it will be a notable means to strengthen and stablish them against all immoderate feares and terrours that vsually rise in sicknes . The meditations which serue for this purpose are innumerable , but I will touch onely those which are the most principal & the grounds of the rest : and they are foure in number . The first is borrowed from the speciall prouidence of God ; namely that the death of euery mā , much more of euery child of god , is not onely foreseene , but also foreappointed of God : yea the death of euery man deserued and procured by his sinnes , is laide vpon him by God , who in that respect may be saide to be the cause of euery mans death . So saith Anna , The Lord killeth and maketh aliue . The Church of Ierusalem confessed that nothing came to passe in the death of Christ , but that which the foreknowledge and eternall counsell of God had appointed . And therefore the death also of euery member of Christ is foreseene and ordained by the speciall decree and prouidence of God. I adde further , that the very circumstances of death , as the time when , the place where , the maner how , the beginnings of sicknes , the cōtinuance , and the ende , euery fit in the sicknes and the pangs of death , are particularly set down in the counsell of God. The very hayres of our heads are numbered ( as our Sauiour Christ saith ) and a sparrow lights not on the ground without the will of our heauenly father . Dauid saith excellently , My bones are not hidde from thee , though I was made in a secret place , and fashioned beneath in the earth : thine eyes did see me when I was without forme , for in thy booke were all things written , which in continuance were fashioned , when there was none of them before . And he praies to God to put his teares into his bottle . Now if this be true , that God hath bottles for the very teares of his seruants , much more hath he bottles for their blood , and much more doth he respect and regard their paines and miseries with all the circumstances of sicknes and death . The carefull meditation of this one point is a notable meanes to arme vs against feare and distrust , and impatience in the time of death ; as some examples in this case will easily manifest , I held my tongue and saide nothing , saith Dauid : but what was it that caused this patience in him ? the cause follows in the next wordes : because thou Lord diddest it . And Ioseph saith to his brethren : Feare not , for it was the Lord that sent you before me . Marke here how Ioseph is ariued against impatience and griefe and discontentment by the very consideration of Gods prouidence : and so in the same manner shal we be confirmed against all feares and sorrowes , and say with Dauid , Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints : if this perswasion be once setled in our hearts , that all things in sicknes and death come to passe vnto vs by the prouidence of God , who turnes all things to the good of them that loue him . The second meditation is to be borrowed from the excellent promise that God made to the death of the righteous : which is , Blessed are they that die in the Lord : for they rest from their labours , and their workes follow them . The author of truth that can not lie hath spoken it . Now then let a man but throughly consider this , that death ioyned with reformed life hath a promise of blessednes adioyned vnto it , and it alone will be a sufficient meanes to stay the rage of our affections , and all inordinate feare of death : and the rather , if we mark● wherein this blessednes consists . In death we are indeed thrust out of our old dwelling places , namely these houses of clay and earthly tabernacles of our bodies , wherein we haue made long aboad : but what is the end ? surely that liuing and dying in Christ , we might haue a building giuen of God , that is , an house not made with hands , but eternall in heauens , which is vnspeakable and immortall glorie . If a poore man should be commaunded by a Prince to put off his torne and beggerly garments , and in stead thereof to put on royall and costly robes , it would be a great reioycing to his heart : oh then what ioyfull newes must this he vnto all repentant and sorrowfull sinners , when the King of heauen and earth comes vnto them by death and biddes them lay downe their bodies as ragged and patched garments , and prepare themselues to put on the princely robe if immortalitie ? No tongue can be able to expresse the excellencie of this most blessed and happie estate . The third meditation is borrowed from the estate of all them that are in Christ , whether liuing or dying . He that dieth beleeuing in Christ , dieth not forth of Christ but in him , hauing both his bodie and soule really coupled to Christ according to the tenour of the couenant of grace : and though after death bodie and soule be seuered one from an other , yet neither of them are seuered or disioyned from Christ. The coniunction which is once begun in this life remaines eternally . And therefore though the soule goe from the bodie , and the bodie it selfe rotte in the graue , yet both are still in Christ , both in the couenant , both in the fauour of God as before death , and both shal againe be ioyned togither ; the bodie by the vertue of the former coniunction beeing raised to eternall life . Indeede if this vnion with Christ were dissolued as the coniunction of bodie and soule is , it might be some matter of discomfort and feare , but the foundation and substance of our mysticall coniunction with Christ both in respect of our bodies and soules enduring for euer , must needs be a matter of exceeding ioy and comfort . The fourth meditation is , that God hath promised by his speciall , blessed , & comfortable presence vnto his seruants when they are sick of dying , or any way distressed . When thou passest through the water , I will be with thee ( saith the Lord ) and through the floods that they doe not ouerflow thee : when thou walkest through the very fire , thou shalt not be burnt , neither shal the flame kindle vpon thee . Now the Lord doth manifest his presence three waies : the first is by moderating and lessening the paines and torments of sicknesse and death , as the very wordes of the former promise doth plainly import . Hence it comes to passe that to many men the sorrowes and pangs of death , are nothing so grieuous and troublesome , as the afflictions and crosses which are laid on them in the course of their liues . The second way of Gods presence is by an inward and vnspeakable comfort of the spirit , as Paul saith , We reioyce in tribulation , knowing that tribulation bringeth forth patience , &c. but why is this reioycing ? because ( saith he in the next words ) the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost . Againe , Paul hauing in some grieuous sicknes receiued the sentence of death , saith of himselfe , that , as the sufferings of Christ did abound in him , so his consolation did abound through Christ. Here then we see , that when earthly comforts faile , the Lord himselfe drawes neere the bed of the sicke , as it were , visiting them in his owne person , and ministring vnto them refreshing for their soules : With his right hand he holds vp their heads , and with his left hand he embraceth them . The third meanes of Gods presence is the ministery of his good Angels , whome the Lord hath appointed as keepers and nources vnto his seruants to hold them vp and to beare them in their armes as nources do yong children , and to be as a gard vnto them against the deuill and his angels . And all this is verified specially in sicknes , at which time the holy Angels are not onely present with such as feare God , but readie also to receiue and to carrie their soules into heauen , as appeares by the example of Lazarus . And thus much of the first dutie which a sicke man is to performe vnto himselfe , namely that he must by all meanes possible arme & strengthen himselfe against the feare of death : now followeth the second dutie which is concerning the bodie : and that is that all sicke persons must be careful to preserue health and life till God doe wholly take it away . For Paul saith , None of vs liueth to himselfe , neither doth any die to himselfe : for whether we liue , we liue vnto the Lord , or whether we die , we die vnto the Lord : whether we liue therefore or die we are the Lords . For this cause we may not doe with our liues as we will , but we must reserue the whole disposition thereof vnto God , for whose glorie we are to liue and die . And this temporall life is a most pretious iewell , and as the common saying is , life is very sweete ; because it is giuen man for this ende , that he might haue some space of time wherein he might vse all good meanes to attaine to life euerlasting . Life is not bestowed on vs , that we should spend our daies in our lusts and vaine pleasures , but that we might haue libertie to come out of the kingdome of darknes into the kingdome of grace , and from the bondage of sinne into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God : and in this respect speciall care must be had of preseruation of life , till God doe call vs hence . In the preseruing of life , two things must be considered : the meanes , and the right vse of the meanes . The means is good and wholsom physick : which , though it be despised of many as a thing vnprofitable and needles , yet must it be esteemed as an ordinance and blessing of God. This appeares , because the spirit of God hath giuen approuation vnto it in the Scriptures . When it was the good pleasure of God to restore life vnto king Ezekias , a lump of drie figs by the prophets appointment was laid to his boile and he was healed . Indeed this cure was in some sort miraculous , because he was made whole in the space of two or three daies , and the third day he went vp to the temple : yet the bunch of figges was a naturall and ordinary medicine or plaister seruing to soften & ripen tumours or swellings in the flesh . And the Samaritane is commended for the binding vp and for the powring in of wine and oyle into the woundes of the man that lay wounded betweene Ierusalem and Ierico . Now this dealing of his was a right practise of physicke : for the wine serued to clense the wound and to ease the pain within : & the oyle serued to supple the flesh & to asswage the pain without . And the prophet Esai seemes to cōmend this physicke , when he saith , From the soole of the foote there is nothing whole therein , but wounds and swellings ; & sores full of corruption : they haue not bin wrapped nor boūd vp , nor mollified with oyle . And whereas God did not command circumcision of children before the eight day , he followed a rule of physicke obserued in all ages , that the life of the child is very vncerten till the first seuen daies be expired , as we may see by the example of the child which Dauid had by Bathsabe which died the seuenth day . And vpon the very same ground heathen men vsed not to name their children before the eight day . Thus then it is manifest that the vse of physicke is lawfull and commendable . Furthermore , that physicke may be well applied to the maintenance of health , special care must be had to make choise of such physitiās as are known to be well learned , and men of experience , as also of good conscience & good religion . For as in other callings , so in this also , there be sundrie abuses which may indanger the liues and the health of men . Some venter vpon the bare inspection of the vrine , without further direction or knowledge of the estate of the sicke , to prescribe and minister as shall seeme best vnto them . But the learned in this facultie doe plainely auouch , that this kind of dealing tendes rather to kill then to cure ; and that sundrie men are indeed killed thereby . For iudgement by the vrine is most deceitfull : the water of him that is sicke of a pestilent feauer euen vnto death , lookes for substance and colour as the water of a whole man : and so doth the water of them that are sicke of a quartane or of any other intermitting feauer ; specially if they haue vsed good diet from the beginning : as also of them that haue the pleuresie , or the inflammation of the lungs , or the Squinancie , oftentimes when they are neare death . Now then considering the waters of such as are at the point of death , appeares as the vrines of haile and sound men , one and the same vrine may foresignifie both life and death , and be a signe of diuers , nay of contrarie diseases . A thin , crude , and pale vrine in them that be in health , is a token of want of digestion ; but in thē that are sicke of a sharpe or burning ague , it betokens the frensie , and is a certen signe of death . Againe , others there be that think it a small matter to make experiments of their deuised medicines vpon the bodies of their patients , whereby the health which they hoped for is either much hindered or much decaied . Thirdly , there be others which minister no physicke at any time , or vse phlebotomie without the direction of iudiciall Astrologie : but if they shall follow this course alwaies , they must needes kill many a man. Put the case that a man full bodied is taken with a pleuresie , the moone beeing in Leone , what must be done ? The learned in this art say , he must presently be let blood : but by Astrologie a stay must be made , till the moone be remooued frō Leo the house of the sun : but by that time the impostume will be so much increased by the gathering togither of the humors , that it can neither be dissolued nor ripened : and by this meanes the sicke partie wanting helpe in time , shall die either by inflammation , or by the consumption of the lungs . Againe , when a man is sicke of the Squinancie , or of the feauer called Synachus , the moone then beeing in the malignant aspects with any of the infortunate planets ( as Astrologers vse to speak ) if letting of blood be deferred till the moone be freed from the foresaid aspects , the partie dies in the meane season . Therefore they are farre wide that minister purgations and let blood no otherwise then they are counselled by the constitution of the starres , whereas it is a farre better course to consider the matter of the disease , with the disposition and ripening of it ; as also the courses and symptomes and crisis thereof . This beeing so , there is good cause that sicke men should as well be carefull to make choise of meete Physitians to whome they might commend the care of their health , as they are carefull to make choise of lawyers for their worldly suits , and Diuines for cases of conscience . Furthermore , all men must here be warned to take heede , that they vse not such meanes as haue no warrant . Of this kind are all charmes or spels , of what wordes soeuer they consist : characters and figures either in paper , wood , or waxe : all amulets and ligatures , which serue to hang about the necke or other parts of the bodie , except they be grounded vpon some good naturall reason ; as white peonie hung about the necke , is good against the falling sicknes : and woolfe-dung tied to the bodie is good against the collicke , not by any inchantment , but by inward vertue . Otherwise they are all vaine and superstitious : because neither by creation , nor by any ordinance in Gods word , haue they any power to cure a bodily disease . For words can doe no more but signifie , and figures can doe no more but represent . And yet neuerthelesse , these vnlawfull and absurd meanes are more vsed and sought for of common people , then good physicke . But it standes all men greatly in hand in no wise to seeke forth to inchanters , and sorcerers , which in deede are but witches and wizzards , though they are commonly called cunning men and women . It were better for a man to die of his sicknes , then to seeke recouery by such wicked persons . For if any turne after such as worke with spirits , and after soothsaiers , to goe an whoring after them , the Lord will set his face against them , and cut them off from among his people . When Achazia was sicke , he sent to Baalzebub to the god of Ekron to know whether he should recouer or no : as the messengers were going , the Prophet Elias met them , and said , Goe and returne to the King which sent you , and say vnto him , Thus saith the Lord , Is it not because there is no God in Israel , that thou sendest to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron ? therefore thou shalt not come downe from thy bed on which thou art gone vp , but shalt di● the death . Therefore such kind of helpe is so farre from curing any paine of sicknes , that it rather doubleth them and fasteneth them vpon vs. Thus much of the meanes of health : now followes the manner of vsing the meanes ; concerning which , three rules must be followed . First of all , he that is to take physicke , must not onely prepare his bodie , as physitians doe prescribe ; but he must also prepare his soule by humbling himselfe vnder the hand of God in his sicknes for his sinnes , and make earnest praier to God for the pardon of them before any medicine come in his bodie . Now that this order ought to be vsed appeares plainely in this , that sicknes springs from our sinnes as from a roote ; which should first of all be stocked vp , that the braunches might more easily die . And therefore Asa commended for many other things , is blamed for this by the holy Ghost , that he sought not the Lord , but to the physitians , and put his trust in them . Oftentimes it comes to passe , that diseases curable in themselues , are made incurable by the sinnes and the impenitencie of the partie : and therefore the best way is for them that would haue ease , when God begins to correct them by sicknes , then also to begin to humble themselues for all their sinnes , and turne vnto God. The second rule is , that when we haue prepared our selues , and are about to vse physicke , we must sanctifie it by the word of God and praier , as we doe our meate and drinke . For by the word we must haue our warrant , that the medicines prescribed are lawfull and good ; and by praier we must intreat the Lord for a blessing vpon them , in restoring of health , if it be the good will of God. The third rule is , that we must carrie in minde the right and proper end of physicke , least we deceiue our selues . We must not therefore thinke that physicke serues to preuent old age or death it selfe . For that is not possible , because God hath set downe that all men shall die and be chaunged . And life consists in a temperature and proportion of naturall heat and radical moisture ; which moysture beeing once consumed by the former heate , is by art vnrepairable ; and therefore death must needes follow . But the true ende of physicke is to continue and lengthen the life of man to his naturall period ; which is when nature , that hath beene long preserued by all possible meanes , is now wholly spent . Now this period , though it can not be lengthened by any skill of man , yet may it easily be shortned , by intemperance in diet , by a drunkennes , and by violent diseases . But care must be had to auoid all such euills , that the litle lamp of corporall life may burne till it goe out of it selfe . For this very space of time is the very day of grace and saluation : and whereas God in iustice might haue cut vs off and haue vtterly destroied vs , yet in great mercie he giues vs thus much time , that we might prepare our selues to his kingdome : which time when it is once spent , if a man would redeeme it with the price of tenne thousand worlds , he can not haue it . And to conclude this point touching physicke , I will here set downe two especiall duties of the Physitian himselfe . The first is , that in the want and defect of such as are to put sicke men in mind of their sinnes , it is a dutie specially cōcerning him , he being a mēber of Christ , to aduertise his patients that they must truly humble themselues , and pray feruently to God for the pardon of all their sinnes : and surely this dutie would be more commonly practised then it is , if all physitians did consider that oftentimes they want good successe in their dealings , not because there is any want in art or good will , but because the partie with whome they deale is impenitent . The second dutie is , when he sees manifest signes of death in his patient , not to depart concealing them , but first of all to certifie the patient thereof . There may be and is too much nicenesse in such concealements , and the plaine trueth in this case knowne , is verie profitable . For when the partie is certaine of his end , it bereaues him of all confidence in earthly things , & makes him put all his affiance in the meere mercie of God. When Ezechias was sicke , the prophet speakes plainely vnto him and saith , Set thine house in order : for thou must die . And what good we may reape by knowing certainly that we haue receiued the sentence of death , Paul sheweth when he saieth , We receiued the sentence of death in our selues , because we should not trust in our selues , but in God which raiseth the dead . Hauing thus seene what bee the duties of the sicke man to himselfe , let vs nowe see what bee the duties which hee oweth to his neighbour ; and they are two . The first is the dutie of reconciliation , whereby he is freely to forgiue all men , and to desire to be forgiuen of all . In the olde testament when a man was to offer a bullocke or lambe in sacrifice to God , he must leaue his offering at the altar , & first go & be reconciled to his brethren , if they had ought against him : much more then must this be done , when we are in death to offer vp our selues , our bodies , and soules , as an acceptable sacrifice vnto god . Quest. What if a man cannot come to the speech of them with whome he would be reconciled ; or if he doe , what if they will not be reconciled ? Ansvv. When any shall in their sicknesse seeke and desire reconciliation , and can not obtaine it , either because the parties are absent , or because they will not relent , they haue discharged their conscience , and God will accept their will for their deed . As put case , a man lying sicke on his death bedde , is at enmitie with one that is then beyond the sea ; so as hee can not possibly haue any speech with him , if he would neuer so faine , howe shall he stay his minde ? why , he must remember that in this case , a will and desire to bee reconciled is reconciliation it selfe . The second dutie is , that those which are rulers and gouernours of others , must haue care and take order that their charges committed to them by God , be left in good estate after their death : and here come three duties to be handled ; the first of the Magistrate , the second of the Minister , the third of the master of the familie . The Magistrates dutie is , before he die to prouide as much as he can , for the godly and peaceable estate of the towne , citie , or common-wealth : and that is done partly by procuring the maintenance of sound religion & vertue , & partly by establishing of the execution of ciuil iustice & outward peace . Examples of this practise in Gods word are these . When Moses was an hundred and twentie yeare olde , and was no more able to goe in and out before the people of Israel , he called them before him , and signified that the time of his departure was at hand , and thereupon tooke order for their wel-fare after his death . And first of all he placed Iosua ouer them in his stead , to be their guide to the promised land : secondly he giues speciall charge to all the people , to bee valiant and couragious against their enemies , and to obey the commandements of God And Iosua followes the same course . For hee calls the people togither , and shews thē that the time of his death is at hand , and giues them a charge to be couragious , & to worship the true God : which done , he endes his daies as a worthie captaine . When king Dauid was to goe the way of al flesh , and lay sicke on his death bedde ; he placed his owne sonne Salomon vpon his throne , and giues him charge , both for maintenance of region , and exequution of iustice . The dutie of ministers whē they are dying is , as much as they can , to cast & prouide for the continuance of the good estate of the Church ouer which they are placed . Consider the example of Peter : I will ( saith hee ) indeauour alwaies , that ye also may be able to haue remembrance of these things after my departure . If this had beene well obserued , there could not haue bin such aboundance of schismes , errors , and heresies as hath beene , and the Church of God could not haue suffered so great hauocke . But because men haue had more care to maintaine personall succession , then the right succession , which stands in the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles ; therfore wolues haue come into the roomes of faithfull teachers , and the Apostasie of which Paul speakes , hath ouerspread the face of the Church . Thirdly , housholders must set their families in order before they die , as the Prophet Esai saith to Ezechiah , Set thine house in order : for thou must die . For the procuring of good order in the family after death , two things are to bee done . The first concernes this life , and that is to dispose of lands and goods . And that this may bee well and wisely done ; if the Will bee vnmade , it is with godly aduise and counsell to be made in the time of sicknes ; according to the practise of auncient and worthie men . Abraham before his death makes his Will , and giues legacies : so did Isaac ; and Iacob , in whose last will and testamēt are contained many worthie blessings and prophesies of the estate of his children . And Christ our Sauiour when he was vpon the crosse prouided for his mother , specially commending her to his disciple Iohn whom he loued . And indeede this dutie of making a will , is a matter of great weight and importāce : for it cuts off much hatred and contention in families , & staies many suites in law . It is not therefore alwaies a matter of indifferencie , which may bee done or not done , as many falsly think , who vpon blind & sinister respects abstaine from making wills , either because their wealth should not bee knowne , or because they would haue their decaied estate to bee concealed ; or because they feare they shall die the sooner if the will be once made . Now though the making of wills belong to another place and profession , yet so much may be spoken here as the holy ghost hath vttered in the worde : and that I will reduce to certaine rules . The first is , that the will must be made according to the lawe of nature , and the written worde of God , and the good and holesome positiue lawes of that kingdome or countrie whereof a man is a member . The will of God must be the rule of mans will. And therefore the will that is made against any of these , is faultie . The second is , that if goods euill gotten be not restored before , they must euen then be restored by will , or by some other way . It is the practise of couetous men to bequeath their soules when they die to God , & their goods euill gotten to their children & friends ; which in al equitie should be restored to them to whome they belong . Quest. Howe if a mans conscience tell him that his goods bee euill gotten , and hee knowes not where , or to whom to make restitution . Ansvv. The case is common , & the answer is this . When the partie is known whom thou hast wronged , restore to him particularly : if the partie bee vnknowne or dead , restore to his executors or assignes , or to his next kinne ; if there be none , yet keepe not goods euill gotten to thy selfe , but restore to God , that is , in way of recompence and ciuill satisfaction , bestowe them on the Church or common-wealth . The third rule is , that heads of families must principally bestowe their goods vpon their owne children , and them that be of their own kindred . This man ( saith God to Abraham of Eleazar a stranger ) shall not bee thine heire , but the sonne which shall come of thy loynes . And this was Gods commandement to the Israelites , that when any man dies , his sonne should bee his heire , and if hee had no sonne , then his daughter : & if he haue no daughter , then his brethren : and if he haue no brethren , then his fathers brethren : & if there be none , then the next of his kinne whosoeuer . And Paul saith , If ye be sonnes , then also heires : And againe , He that prouides not for his owne , and namly for them of his houshold , is worse then an infidel . Therefore it is a fault for any man to alienate his goods or landes , wholly and finally from his blood and posteritie . It is a thing which the verie lawe of nature it selfe hath condemned . Againe , it is a fault to giue all to the eldest , and nothing in respect to the rest ; as though the eldest were born to be gentlemen , and yonger brethren borne to beare the wallet . Yet in equitie the eldest must haue more then any ; euen because hee is the eldest , and because stockes and families in their persons are to bee maintained ; and because there must alwaies be some that must be fit to doe speciall seruice in the peace of the common-weale , or in the time of warre : which could not bee , if goods should bee equally parted to all . The fourth and last rule is , that no Will is of force till the testatour bee dead , for so long as hee is aliue hee may alter and change it . These rules must bee remembred , because they are recorded in Scripture ; the opening of other points and circumstances belongeth to the profession of the law . The second dutie of the master of the family concerneth the soules of such as be vnder his gouernmēt : and that is to giue charge to them , that they learn , beleeue , and obey the true religion , that is , the doctrine of saluation set downe in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles . The Lord himselfe commends Abraham for this : I know Abraham , saith he , that he will command his sonnes , & his houshold after him , that they keepe the waie of the Lord to doe righteousnes and iudgement . And Dauid giues Salomon on his death bed a most notable and solemne charge , the summe and substance whereof is , to knowe the God of his fathers , and to serue him : which being done , he further commends him to God by praier : for which purpose the 72. psalme was made . This practise of his is to be followed of all . Thus gouernours , whē they shall carefully dispose of their goods , and giue charge to their posteritie touching the worship of God , shall greatly honour God dying as well as liuing . Hitherto I haue intreated of the two-folde preparation which is to goe before death : nowe follows the second part of Dying-wel , namely the disposition in death . This disposition is nothing else but a religious and holy behauiour specially towards God , when wee are in or neere the agonie or pang of death . This behauiour containes three special duties . The first is to die in or by faith . To die by faith is , when a man in the time of death , doeth with all his heart relie himselfe wholly on Gods speciall loue and fauour and mercie in Christ , as it is reuealed in the word . And though their bee no part of mans life voide of iust occasions whereby we may put faith in practise , yet the speciall time of all is the pang of death , when friendes , and riches , and pleasures , and the outward senses , and temporall life , and all earthly helps forsake vs. For thē true faith maketh vs to goe wholly out of our selues , and to despaire of comfort and saluation in respect of any earthly thing ; and with all the power and strength of the heart to rest on the pure mercie of God. This made Luther both thinke and say , that men were best Christians in death . An example of this faith wee haue in Dauid , who when hee sawe nothing before his eies but present death , the people intending to stone him , comforted him at that very instant ( as the text saieth ) in the Lord his God. And this comfort he reaped , in that by faith he applied vnto his owne soule the mercifull promises of God ; as hee testifieth of himself : Remember ( saith he ) the promise made to thy seruant , wherin thou hast caused me to trust . It is my comfort in trouble : for thy promise hath quickened me . Againe , My flesh failed and my heart also , but God is the strength of my heart , and my portion for euer . Now looke what Dauid here did , the same must euery one of vs doe in the like case . When the Israelites in the wildernes were stung with fierie serpents , and lay at the point of death , they looked vp to the brasen serpent which was erected by the appointment of God , and were presently healed : euen so when any man feeles death to drawe neere , and his fiery sting to pierce the heart , he must fixe the eye of a true and liuely faith vpon Christ , exalted & crucified on the crosse , which beeing done , he shall by death enter into eternall life . Nowe because true faith is no dead thing , it must bee expressed by speciall actions ; the principal whereof is Inuocation , whereby either praier or thanksgiuing is directed vnto God. When death had seazed vpon the bodie of Iacob , he raised vp himselfe , and turning his face towards the beds head , leaned on the toppe of his staffe by reason of his feeblenesse , and praied vnto God : which praier of his was an excellent fruite of his faith . Iobs wife in the midst of his affliction saide vnto him to very good purpose , Blesse God and die . I know and grant that the words are commonly translated otherwise , Curse god and die : but ( as I take it ) the former is the best . For it is not like that in so excellent a family , any one person , much lesse a matrone and principall gouernour thereof would giue such lewd and wretched counsell : which the most wicked mā vpon earth hauing no more but the light of nature would not once giue , but rather much abhorre and condemne . And though Iob cal her a foolish woman , yet he doth it not because shee wēt about to perswade him to blaspheme God ; but because shee was of the mind of Iobs friends , and a thought that hee stood too much in a conceit of his owne righteousnes . Nowe the effect and meaning of her counsell is this : Blesse God , that is , husband , no doubt thou art by the extremitie of thine affliction at deaths dore : therefore beginne nowe at length to lay aside the great ouerweening which thou hast of thine owne righteousnes , acknowledge the hand of God vpon thee for thy sinnes , confesse them vnto him giuing him the glorie , pray for the pardon of them and end thy daies . This counsell is very good and to be followed of all : though it may be the applying of it ( as Iob well perceiued ) is mixed with follie . Here it may be alleadged , that in the pangs of death men want their senses and conuenient vtterance , and that therefore they are vnable to pray . Ans. The very sighes , sobbes , and g●ones of a repentant and beleeuing heart are praiers before God , euen as effectuall as if they were vttered by the best voice in the world . Prayer stands in the affection of the heart , the voice is but an outward messenger therof . God looks not vpon the speach but vpon the heart . Dauid saith , God heares the desires of the poore : againe , that he will fulfill the desires of thē that feare him : yea their very teares are loud and sounding praiers in his eares . Againe , faith may otherwise be expressed by the Last words , which for the most part in thē that haue truly serued God , are very excellent & cōfortable and full of grace : some choise examples whereof I will rehearse for instructions sake and for imitation . The last wordes of Iacob were those whereby as a prophet he foretold blessings and curses vpon his children : and the principall among the rest were these , The scepter shall not depart from Iudah , and the lawgiuer from betweene his feete till Shilo come : and , O Lord , I haue waited for thy saluation . The last words of Moses are his most excellent song set downe Deut. 32. and the last words of Dauid were these , The spirit of the Lord spake by me , and his word was in my tongue : the God of Israel spake to me , the strength of Israel , said , Beare rule ouer men , &c. The wordes of Zacharias the sonne of Iehoida , when he was stoned were , The Lord looke vpon it and require it . The last words of our Sauiour Christ when he was dying vpon the crosse , are most admirable , and stored with abundance of spirituall grace . 1. To his father he saith , Father , forgiue them , they know not what they doe . 2. to the thiefe , Verily I say vnto thee , this night shalt thou be with me in Paradise . 3. to his mother , Mother , behold thy son : & to Iohn , behold thy mother . 4. and in his agonie , My God , my God , why hast thou forsaken me . 5. and earnestly desiring our saluation , I thirst . 6. and when he had made perfect satisfaction , It is finished . 7. and when bodie and soule were parting , Father , into thy hands I commend my spirit . The last words of Steuen were , 1. Behold I see the heauens open and the Sonne of man standing at the right hand of God. 2. Lord Iesu receiue my spirit . 3. Lord lay not this sin●e to their charge . Of Polycarpe , Thou art a true God without lying , therefore in all things I praise thee , and blesse thee , and glorifie thee by the eternall God and high Priest Iesus Christ thine onely beloued sonne , by whome and with whome to thee and the holy Spirit , be all glorie now and for euer . Of Ignatius , I care not what kinde of death I die : I am the bread of the Lord and must be ground with the teeth of lyons , that I may be cleane bread for Christ who is the bread of life for me . Of Ambrose , I haue not so led my life amōg you as if I were ashamed to liue : neither doe I feare death , because we haue a good Lord. Of Augustine , 1. He is no great mā that thinks it a great matter that trees and stones fall and mortall men die . 2. Iust art thou , O Lord , and righteous is thy iudgement . Of Bernard , 1. An admonitiō to his brethren that they would ground the anchor of their faith and hope in the safe and sure port of Gods mercie . 2. Because ( saith he ) as I suppose I can not leaue vnto you any choise example of religion , I commend three things to be imitated of you , which I remember that I haue obserued in the race which I haue runne as much as possibly I could . 1. I gaue l●sse heede to mine owne sense and reason then to the sense and reason of other men . 2. When I was hurt , I sought not reuenge on him that did the hurt . 3. I had care to giue offence to no man , and if it fell out otherwise , I tooke it away as I could . Of Zuinglius , when in the fielde he was wounded vnder the chinne with a speare : O what happe is this ? goe to , they may kill my bodie but my soule they cannot . Of Oecolampadius , 1. An exhortation to the ministers of the Church to maintaine the puritie of doctrine , to shewe forth an example of honest and godly conuersation , to bee constant and patient vnder the crosse . 2. Of himselfe , Whereas I am charged to bee a corrupter of the trueth , I weigh it not ; now I am going to the tribunall of Christ and that with good conscience by the grace of god , & there it shall be manifest that I haue not seduced the Church . Of this my saying and contestation , I leaue you as witnesses , and I confirme it with this my last breath . 3. To his children , loue God the father : and turning himselfe to his kinsfolkes : I haue bound you ( saith he ) with this contestation : you ( which they heare and I haue desired ) shall doe your indeauour , that these my childrē may be godly , and peaceable , and true . 4. To his friend comming vnto him , What shall I say vnto you ? Newes , I shal be shortly with Christ my Lord. 5. being asked whether the light did not trouble him , touching his breast , there is light enough , saith hee . 6. he rehearsed the whole 51. psalme with deepe sighes from the bottome of his breast . 7. a little after , Saue me Lord Iesus . Of Luther , My heauenly father , God and father of our Lord Iesus Christ and God of all comfort , I giue thee thank●s that thou hast reuealed vnto me thy sonne Iesus Christ , whome I haue beleeued , whome I haue professed , whome I haue loued , whome I haue praised , whome the Bishoppe of Rome and the whole companie of the wicked persecuteth and reuileth . I praie thee my Lord Iesus Christ receiue my poore soule : my heauenly father , though I bee taken from this life , and this bodie of mine is to he laid downe , yet I knowe certainely that I shall remaine with thee for euer , neither shall any be able to pull me out of thy hand . Of Hooper , O Lord Iesus sonne of Dauid haue mercie on me & receiue my soule . Of Annas Burgius , Forsake me not O Lord , least I forsake thee . Of Melācthon , If it be the will of God , I am willing to die , and I beseech him that he will graunt me a ioyfull departure . Of Caluine , 1. I held my tongue , because thou Lord hast done it . 2. I mourned as a doue . 3. Lord thou grindest me to powder , but 〈◊〉 sufficeth me because it is thine hand . Of Peter Martyr , that his bodie was weake , but his mind was well : that he acknowledged no life or saluation but onely in Christ who was giuen of the father to be a redeemer of mankind : and when hee had confirmed this by testimonie of Scriptur● , he added : This is my faith in which I will die : and God will destroy them that teach otherwise . This done , he shooke hands with all and said , Farewell my brethren and deare friends . It were easie to quote more examples , but these few may be in stead of many : and the summe of all that godly men speake , is this . Some inlightened with a propheticall spirit foretell things to come , as the Patriarkes Iacob and Ioseph did : and there haue bin some which by name haue testified who should verie shortly come after them , and who should remaine aliue , and what should be their condition : some haue shewed a wonderfull memorie of things past , as of their former life , and of the benefits of God ; and no doubt it was giuen them to stirre vp holy affections and thanksgiuing to God ; some againe rightly iudging of the change of their present estate for a better , doe reioyce exceedingly that they must be translated from earth to paradise : as Babylas Martyr of Antioch when his head was to be chopped off , Returne ( saith he ) O my soule vnto thy rest : because the Lord hath blessed thee : because thou hast deliuered my soule from death , mine eies from teares , and my foote from falling , I shall walke before thee Iehoua in the land of the liuing . And some others speake of the vanitie of this life , of the imagination of the sorrowes of death , of the beginnings of eternall life , of the comfort of the holy Ghost which they feele , of their departure vnto Christ. Quest. What must we thinke if in the time of death such speeches be wanting ; and in the stead thereof idle talke be vsed . Ans. Wee must consider the kind of sicknes whereof men die , whether it be more easie or violent : for violent sicknes is vsually accompanied with frensies , and with vnseemely motions and gestures , which wee are to take in good part euen in this regard , because we our selues may be in the like case . Thus much of the first dutie which is to die in faith : the second is to die in obedience : otherwise our death cannot bee aceeptable to God , because wee seeme to come vnto God of feare and constraint as slaues to a master , & not of loue as children to a father . Nowe to die in obedience is , when a man willing and readie and desirous to goe out of this worlde whensoeuer God shall call him , and that without murmuring or repining , at what time , where , and whē it shall please god . Whether we liue or die , saith Paul , we do it not to our selues but vnto God ; and therefore mans dutie is to bee obedient to God in death as in life . Christ is our example in this case , who in his agonie praied , Father , let this cup passe from me , yet with a submission , not my will but thy will be done : teaching vs in the very pangs of death to resigne our selues to the good pleasure of God. When the prophet told king Ezechiah of death , presently without all manner of grudging or repining he addressed himselfe to praier . We are commanded to present our selues vnto God as free-will offerings , without any limitation of time , and therefore as well in death as in life . I conclude then that we are to make as much conscience in performing obedience to God in suffering death , as we do of any cōsciēce in the course of our liues . The third dutie is to render vp our soules into the handes of God , as the most faithfull keeper of all . This is the last dutie of a Christian , and it is prescribed vnto vs in the example of Christ vpon the crosse , who in the very pangs of death when the dissolution of bodie and soule drew on said , Father , into thy hands I commend my spirit , and so gaue vp the ghost . The like was done by Steuen , who when he was stoned to death , said , Lord Iesus receiue my spirit . And Dauid in his life time being in danger of death vsed the very same words that Christ vttered . Thus we see what be the duties which we are to performe in the very pāgs of death , that we may come to eternall life . Some man will happily say , if this be all to die in faith and obedience and to surrender our soules into Gods hād , we will not greatly care for any preparation before hand , nor trouble our selues much about the right manner of dying well : for we doubt not , but that when death shall come , we shall be able to perform all the former duties with ease . Ans. Let no man deceiue himselfe by any false perswasion , thinking with himselfe that the practise of the foresaid duties is a matter of ease : for ordinarily they are not , neither can they be performed in death , vnles there bee much preparation in the life before . Hee that will die in faith must first of all liue by faith : and there is but one example in all the bible of a man dying in faith that liued without faith ; namely , the theife vpon the crosse . The seruants of God that are endued with great measure of grace doe very hardly beleeue in the time of affliction . Indeede when Iob was afflicted he said , Though the Lord kill me , yet will I trust in him : yet afterward , his faith being ouercast with a cloud , he saith , that God was become his enemie , and that he had set him as a marke to shoot at : and sundry times his faith was oppressed with doubting and distrust . How then shall they that neuer liued by faith nor inured themselues to beleeue , bee able in the pang of death to rest vpon the mercie of God. Againe , hee that would die in obedience , must first of all lead his life in obedience : he that hath liued in disobedience can not willingly and in obedience appeare before the iudge when he is cited by death the sergeant of the Lord : he dies indeede , but that is vpon neces●itie , because hee must yeelde to the order and course of nature as other creatures do . Thirdly , he that would surrender his soule into the hands of God must be resolued of two things ; the one is that God can ; the other is , that God will receiue his soule into heauen and there preserue it till the last iudgement . And none can be resolued of this , except he haue the spirit of God to certifie his conscience that hee is redeemed , iustified , sanctified by Christ , and shall be glorified . He that is not thus perswaded , dare not render vp and present his soule vnto God. When Dauid said , Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit ; what was the reason of this boldnesse in him ? surely nothing els but the perswasion of faith , as the next words import : for thou hast redeemed mee , O Lord God of trueth . And thus it is manifest , that no man ordinarily can performe these duties dying , that hath not performed them liuing . This beeing so , I doe againe renewe my former exhortation , beseeching you that ye would practise the duties of preparatiō in the course of your liues , leading them daily in faith and obedience , and from time to time commending our soules into the hand of God , & casting all our works vpon his prouidence . They which haue done this , haue made most happie & blessed ends . Enoch by faith walked walked with God , as one that was alwaies in his presence , leading an vpright and godly life , and the Lord tooke● him away that hee should not see death . And this which befell Enoch , shall after a sort befall them also that liue in faith and obedience : because death shall bee no death but a sleepe vnto them , and no enemie but a friende to bodie and soule . On the contrarie let vs consider the wretched and miserable endes of them that haue spent their daies in their sinnes without keeping faith and good conscience . The people of the olde worlde were drowned in the floode : the filthie Sodomites and Gomorrheans were destroyed with fire from heauen : Dathan and Abiram with the companie of Core swallowed vp of the earth , Core himself ( as it seemes a by the text ) beeing burnt with fire : wicked Saul and Achitophel and Iudas destroy themselues . Herod is eaten vp of wormes and gaue vp the ghost : Iulian the Apostata smitten with a dart in the fielde , died casting vp his blood into the aire and blaspheming the name of Christ. Arius the hereticke died vpon the stoole scouring foorth his verie entralls . And this veri● age affoards store of like examples . Hof●meister a great Papist , as he was going to the councill of Ralisbone to dispute against the defenders of the gospell , was suddenly in his iourney preuented by the hand of God , and miserably died with horrible roaring , and crying out in the vniuersity of Louaine . Guarlacus a learned Papist falling sicke , when he perceiued no way with him but death , he sel into a miserable agony and perturbation of spirit , crying out of his sins● howe miserably he had liued , and that he was not able to abide the iudgement of God , and so casting out wordes of miserable desperation said , his sinnes were greater then they could be pardoned , and in that desperation ended his daies . Iacobus Latromus of the same Vniuersitie of Louaine after that hee had beene at Bruxels , and there thinking to doe a great act against Luther and his fellowes , made an oration before the Emperour so foolishly and ridiculously that he was laughed to scorne almost of the whole court : then returning from thence to Louaine againe , in his publike lecture hee fell into open madnesse , vttering such words of desperation and blasphemous impietie , that other diuines which were present , were faine to carrie him away as he was rauing , & to shut him into a close chamber . From that time to his verie last breath , hee had neuer any thing else in his mouth , but that he was damned & reiected of god , and that there was no hope of saluation for him , because that wittingly and against his knowledge he withstood the maniest truth of Gods word . Crescentius the Popes Legate and vicegerent in the Council of Trent was ●itting all the daie long vntill darke night in writing of letters to the Pope : after his labour when night was come , thinking to refresh himselfe , he began to rise , and at his rising , behold there appeared to him a mightie blacke dogge of an huge bignesse , his eies flaming with fire , and his eares hanging low down wel neere to the ground , which began to enter in and straight to come towards him , & so to couch vnder the boord . The Cardinall not a little amased at the sight thereof , somewhat recouering himselfe called to his seruants which were in the outward chamber next by , to bring in a candle and to seek for the dogge . But when the dogge could not bee found there , nor in any other chamber about , the Cardinall thereupon stricken with a sudden conceit of minde immediately fell into such a sickenes whereof his Phisitians which he had about him could not with all their industrie and cunning cure him : and thereupon he died . Steuen Gardiner , when a certaine bishop came vnto him and put him in minde of Peter denying his master , answered again that he had denied with Peter , but neuer repented with Peter , & so ( to vse M. Foxes words ) stinkingly & vnrepentantly died . More examples might be added but these shall suffice . Againe , that wee may bee further induced to the practise of these duties , let vs call to minde the vncertaintie of our daies : though we now liue , yet who can say that hee shall bee aliue the next daie● or the next houre . No man hath a lease of his life . Nowe marke , as death leaues a man , so shall the last iudgement find him : and therfore if death take him away vnprepared , eternal damnation followes without recouerie . If a theife bee brought from prison either to the barre to be arraigned before the iudge , or to the place of exequ●tion , he will bewaile his misdeameanour past , and promise all reformation of life ; so be it , he might be deliuered , though he be the most arrant theefe that euer was . In this case we are as fellons or theeues : for we are euery day going to the barre of Gods iudgement , there is no stay nor standing in the way , euen as the shippe in the sea continues on his course day and night whether the marriners be sleeping or waking : therefore let vs all prepare our selues and amend our liues betime , that in death we may make a blessed ende . Ministers of the Gospel doe daily call for the performance of this dutie : but where almost shall we finde the practise and obedience of it in mens liues and conuersations ? Alas , alas , to lend our eares for the space of an houre to heare the will of God is common : but to giue heart and hand to doe the same , is rare . And the reason hereof is at hand : we are all most grieuous sinners , and euery sinner in the tearmes of Scripture is a foole : and a principall part of this follie is to care for the things of this world , and to neglect the kingdome of heauen , to prouide for the bodie and not for the soule , to cast and forecast how we may liue in wealth and honour and ease , and not to vse the last forecast to die well . This folly our Sauiour Christ noted in the rich man that was carefull to inlarge his barnes , but had no care at all for his ende or for the saluation of his soule . Such an one was Achitophel , who ( as the Scripture tearmes him ) was as the very oracle of God for counsell , beeing a man of great wisdome and forecast in the matters of the common-wealth , and in his owne priuate worldly affaires : and yet for all this he had not so much as common sense and reason , to consider how he might die the death of the righteous , and come to life euerlasting . And this follie the holy Ghost hath noted in him . For the text saith , when he saw that his counsell was despised , he sadled his asse , and arose and went home into his citie , and put his houshold in order , and went and hanged himselfe . And the fiue foolish virgins contented themselues with the blasing lamps of a bare profession , neuer seeking for the horne of lasting oyle of true and liuely faith , that might furnish and trimme that lampe both in life & death . But let vs in the feare of God , cast off this damnable folly , first of all seeking the kingdome of God and his righteousnes , and leading our liues in faith and obedience , that we may die accordingly . And thus much of the first point of doctrine , namely that there is a certen way whereby a man may die well : now I come to the second . Whereas therefore Salomon saith that the day of death is better then the day of birth , we are further taught that such as truly beleeue thēselues to be the children of God , are not to feare death ouermuch . I say ouermuch ; because they must partly feare it , & partly not . Feare it they must for two causes : the first , because death is the destruction of humane nature in a mans owne selfe and others : & in this respect Christ feared it without sinne : and we must not feare it otherwise then we feare sicknes and pouertie , and famine , with other sorrowes of bodie and mind , which god wil not haue vs to despise or lightly regard , but to feele with some paine , because they are corrections and punishments for sinne . And he doth therefore lay vpon vs paines and torments , that they may be feared and eschewed : and that by eschewing them we might further learne to eschew the cause of them , which is sinne ; and by experience in feeling of paine , acknowledge that God is a iudge and enemie of sinne , and is exceeding angrie with it . The second cause of the feare of death , is the losse of the Church or Commonwealth , when we or others are depriued of them which were indeede or might haue bin an helpe , stay , and comfort to either of them , and whose death hath procured some publike or priuate losse . Againe , we are not to feare death , but to be glad of it , and that for many causes . First of all , in it we haue occasion to shew our subiection and obedience which we owe vnto God , when he calls vs out of this world , as Christ saide , Father , not my will but thy will be done . Secondly , all sinne is abolished by death , and we then cease to offend God any more as we haue done . Thirdly , the dead bodie is brought into a better condition then euer it was in this life , for by death it is made insensible , and by that meanes it is freed from all the miseries and calamities of this life ; and it ceaseth to be either an actiue or passiue instrument of sinne , whereas in the life time it is both . Fourthly , it giues the soule passage to rest , life , and celestiall glorie , in which we shall see God as he is , perfectly know him , and praise his name for euer , keeping without intermission an eternall sabbath , therefore Paul saith , I desire to be dissolued and be with Christ , for that is best of all . Fifthly , God exequutes his iudgements vpon the wicked , and purgeth his Church by death . Now in all these respects godly men haue cause not to feare and sorrow , but to reioyce in their owne death , and the death of others . Thirdly , if the day of death be so excellent , yea a day of happines , then it is lawfull to desire death , and men doe not alwaies sinne in wishing for death . Paul saith , I desire to be dissolued : and againe , O miserable man , who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death ? Yet this desire must not be simple , but restrained with certaine respects ; which are these . First death must be desired so far forth as it is a meanes to free vs from the corruption of our nature ; secondly as it is a meanes to bring vs to the immediate fellowship of Christ and God himselfe in heauen : thirdly death may be lawfully desired in respect of the troubles and miseries of this life , two caueats beeing obserued ; the first , that this desire must not be immoderate : the second , it must be ioyned with submission and subiection to the good pleasure of God. If either of these be wanting , the desire is faultie ; and therefore Iob , and Ieremie , and Ionas failed herein , because they desired death beeing carried away with impatience . On the contrarie also a man may desire a continuance of life . Ezechias praied and desired to liue , when he heard the message of present death , that he might doe seruice to God. And Paul desired to liue in regard of the Philippians , that he might further their faith● though in regard of himselfe to die was aduantage to him . Lastly , if death ioyned with reformation of life be so blessed , then the death of the vnbeleeuing and vnrepentant sinner is euery way cursed & most horrible . Reasons are these . First , it is the destruction of nature , and the wages of sinne . Secondly , in it there is no comfort of the spirit to be found , no mitigation of paine , and no good thing that may counter●aile the miseries thereof . Thirdly , that which is the most fe●reful thing of all , bodily death is the beginning os eternall death , desperation , and infernall torment , without hope of deliuerance . Therefore as I began so I end , haue care to liue well , and die well . FINIS . An addition , of things that come to my minde afterward . THe last combat with the deuill in the pang of death , is oftentimes most dangerous of all . For then he will not vrge men to desperation , knowing that by this meanes he shall stirre them vp to resist him : but he labours with them that they would not resist him when he assaults them , and by this means he indeauours to extinguish hope . And this is not done in any other temptation in which faith or hope alone are impugned , whereas in this they are both impugned togither . This must be thought vpon , for when the deuills temptation is , not to resist his temptation ; it is most deceitful of all : and it is more easie to ouercome the enemie that compells vs to fight , then him that disswades vs from it . The temptation of M. Iohn Knox in the time of his death is worth the marking . He lay on his death-bedde silent for the space of foure houres , very often giuing great sighes , sobbes , and grones , so as the standers by well perceiued that he was troubled with some grieuous temptation : and when at length he was raised in his bedde , they asked him how he did , to whome he answered thus : that in his life time he had indured many combats and conflicts with Sathan , but that now most mightily the roaring lyon had assaulted him often ( said he ) before he set my sinnes before mine eyes ; often he vrged me to desperation , often he laboured to intangle me with the delights of the world , but beeing vanquished by the sword of the spirit , which is the word of God , he could not preuaile . But now he assaults me another way : for the wily serpent would perswade me that I shall merit eternall life for my fidelitie in my ministerie . But blessed be God which brought to my mind such Scriptures wherby I might quench the fierie darts of the deuill , which were , What hast thou that thou hast not receiued : and , By the grace of God , I am that I am : and , not I but the grace of God in me : and thus beeing vanquished he departed . When thou art tempted of Satan and sees no way to escape , euen plainely close vp thine eyes , and answer nothing , but commend thy cause to God. This is a principall point of Christian wisdom which we must follow in the houre of death . If thy flesh tremble and feare to enter into another life , and doubt of saluation ; if thou yeeld to these things , thou hurtest thy selfe : therefore close thine eyes as before , and say with S. Stephen , Lord Iesus into thy hands I commend my spirit , and then certenly Christ will come vnto thee with all his Angels and be the guider of thy way . Luther . A DECLARATION OF THE TRVE MANNER OF KNOVVING Christ crucified . Galat. 6.14 . God forbid that I should reioyce but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ , &c. PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT , PRINTER to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge . 1600. To the Reader . IT is the common sinne of men at this day , and that in the very places of learning , that Christ crucified is not knowne as he ought . The right knowledge of whome , is not to make often mention of his death and passion , and to call him our Sauiour , or to handle the whole mysterie of God incarnate soundly and learnedly , though that be a worthie gift of God : but first of all , by the consideration of the passion to be touched with an inward and a liuely feeling of our sinnes , for which our Redeemer suffered the pangs of hell , and to grow to a through dislike of our selues and our liues past for them , and from the groūd of the heart to purpose a reformation and a conformitie with Christ in all good duties that concerne man : secondly in the Passion , as in a myrrour , to behold and in beholding to labour to comprehend the length , the breadth , the height , the depth of the loue of the Father that gaue his owne deare Sonne to death , and the goodnes of the Sonne that loued his enemies more then himselfe , that our hearts might be rooted and grounded in the same loue , and be further inflamed to loue God againe . To further this true manner of knowing Christ crucified , I haue penned these few lines , read them at thy leisure , and haue care to put them in practise : otherwise , thou art but an enemie of the crosse of Christ , though thou professe his name neuer so much . Ian. 3. 1596. W. Perkins . Of the right knowledge of Christ crucified . IT is the most excellent and worthy part of diuine wisdome to know Christ crucified . The Prophet Esai saith , The knowledge of thy righteous seruāt , that is , Christ crucified , shall iustifie many . And Christ himselfe saith , This is life eternall to know thee the onely God , and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. And Paul saith , I haue decreeed to know nothing among you but Iesus Christ and him crucified . Againe , God forbid that I should reioyce in any thing but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ. Again , I thinke all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord , and doe iudge them but dung that I might win Christ. In the right way of knowing Christ crucified , two points must be considered : one , how Man for his part is to know Christ ; the other , how he is to be knowne of man. Touching the first : Man must know Christ not generally and confusedly , but by a liuely , powerfull , and operatiue knowledge : for otherwise the deuils themselues know Christ. In this knowledge three things are required . The first is notice or consideration , whereby thou must conceiue in minde , vnderstand , and seriously bethinke thy selfe of Christ as he is reuealed in the historie of the Gospel , and as he is offered to thy particular person in the ministerie of the word and Sacraments . And that this consideration may not be dead and idle in thee , two things must be done : first thou must labour to feele thy selfe to stand in neede of Christ crucified , yea to stand in excessiue neede euen of the very least drop of his blood , for the washing away of thy sinnes . And vnlesse tho● throughly feelest thy selfe to want all that goodnes and grace that is in Christ , and that thou euen standest in extreame neede of his passion , thou shalt neuer learne or teach Christ in deede and truth . The second thing is , with the vnderstanding of the doctrine of Christ to ioyne thirsting , whereby man in his very soule and spirit longs after the participation of Christ , and saith in this case as Sampson said , Giue me water , I die for thirst . The second part of knowledge is application , whereby thou must know & beleeue not onely that Christ was crucified , but that he was crucified for thee , for thee , I say , in particular . Here two rules must be remembred and practised . One , that Christ on the crosse was thy pledge and suretie in particular , that he then stood in thy very roome and place in which thou thy selfe in thine owne person shouldest haue stood : that thy very personall and particular sinnes were imputed and applied to him ; that he stoode guiltie as a malefactour for them , and suffered the very pangs of hell , and that his sufferings are as much in acceptation with God , as if thou haddest borne the curse of the law in thine owne person eternally . The holding and beleeuing of this point is the very foundation of religion as also of the Church of God. Therefore in any wise be carefull to applie Christ crucified to thy selfe : and as Elizeus when he would reuiue the childe of the Shunamite , went vp and lay vpon him , and put his mouth vpon his mouth , and his hands vpon his hands , & his eyes vpon his eyes , and stretched himselfe vpon him : euen so , if thou wouldest be reuiued to euerlasting life , thou must by faith as it were set thy selfe vpon the crosse of Christ , and applie thy handes to his hands , thy feete to his feete , and thy sinnefull heart to his bleeding heart , and content not thy selfe with Thomas to put thy finger into his side , but euen diue and plunge thy selfe wholly both bodie and soule into the woundes and blood of Christ. This will make thee to crie with Thomas , and say , My Lord , my God ; and this is to be crucified with Christ. And yet doe not content thy selfe with this , but by faith also descend with Christ from the crosse to the graue , and burie thy selfe in the very buriall of Christ : and then looke as the dead souldier tumbled into the graue of Elizeus was made aliue at the very touching of his bodie ; so shalt thou by a spirituall touching of Christ dead and buried ; be quickned to life euerlasting . The second rule is , that Christ crucified is thine , beeing really giuen thee of God the father , euen as truly as houses and land are giuen of earthly fathers to their children : this thou must firmely hold and beleeue ; and hence is it that the benefits of Christ are before God ours indeede for our iustification and saluation . The third point in liuely knowledge is , that by all the affections of our hearts we must be carried to Christ , and as it were transformed into him . Whereas he gaue himselfe wholly for vs , we can doe no lesse then bestow our hearts vpon him . We must therefore labour aboue all , following the Martyr Ignatius , who said that Christ his loue was crucified . We must value him at so high a price , that he must be vnto vs better then ten thousand worldes : yea all things which we enioy must be but as drosse and dung vnto vs in respect of him . Lastly , all our ioy , reioycing , comfort , and confidence must be placed in him . And that thus much is requisite in knowledge , it appeares by the common rule of expounding Scripture , that words of knowledge implie affection . And indeede it is but a knowledge swimming in the braine , which doth not alter and dispose the affections and the whole man. Thus much of our knowledge . Now follows the second point , how Christ is to be knowne . He must not be knowne barely as God , or as man , or as a Iew borne in the tribe of Iudah , or as a terrible and iust iudge , but as he is our Redeemer and the very price of our redemption : and in this respect he must be considered as the common Treasurie and storehouse of Gods Church , as Paul testifieth when he saith , In him are all the treasures of knowledge and wisdome hid : and againe , Blessed be God , which hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in Christ. And S. Iohn saith , that of his fulnesse we receiue grace for grace . Here then let vs marke that all the blessings of God , whether spirituall or temporall , all I say without exception are conuaied vnto vs from the Father by Christ : and so they must be receiued of vs and no otherwise . That this point may be further cleared , the benefits which we receiue from Christ are to be handled , and the manner of knowing of them . The benefits of Christ are three , his Merit , his Vertue , his Example . The merit of Christ , is the value and price of his death and Passion , whereby any man is perfectly reconciled to god . This recōciliation hath two parts , Remission of sinnes , and acceptation to life euerlasting . Remission of sinnes , is the remoouing , or the abolishing both of the guilt and punishment of mans sinnes . By guilt I vnderstand a subiection or obligation to punishmēt , according to the order of diuine iustice . And the punishment of sinne is the malediction or curse of the whole lawe , which is the suffering of the first and second death . Acceptation to life euerlasting , is a giuing of right and title to the kingdome of heauen , and that for the merit of Christs obedience imputed . Now this benefit of reconciliation must be knowne not by conceit and imagination , nor by carnall presumption ; but by the inward testimonie of Gods spirit certifying our consciences thereof , which for this cause is called the spirit of Reuelation . And that we may attaine to infallible assurance of this benefit , we must call to mind the promises of the gospel touching remission of sinnes and life euerlasting : this beeing done , we must further striue and indeauour by the assurance of Gods spirit to apply them to our selues , and to beleeue that they belong vnto vs ; and we must also put our selues often to all the exercises of inuocatiō and true repentance . For in and by our crying vnto heauen to God for recōciliation , comes the assurance thereof , as Scriptures and Christian experience makes manifest . And if it so fall out , that any man in temptation apprehend and feele nothing but the furious indignation and wrath of God , against all reason and feeling he must hold to the merit of Christ , and knowe a point of religion hard to be learned , that God is a most louing father to thē that haue care to serue him euen at that instant when he shewes himselfe a most fierce and terrible enemie . From the benefit of reconciliation proceede foure benefits . First , that excellent peace of God that passeth all vnderstanding , which hath sixe parts . The first is , peace with God & the blessed Trinitie . Rom. 5.1 . Being iustified we haue peace with God. The second , peace with the good angels , Ioh. 1. 51. Ye shall see the Angels of God ascending and descending vpon the sonne of man. And that Angels like armies of souldiers in campe about the seruants of God , and as nources beare them in their armes that they bee neither hurt by the deuill and his angels , nor by his instruments , it proceedes of this that they beeing in Christ are partakers of his merits . The third is , peace with all such as feare God and beleeue in Christ. This Esai foretold when hee saide , that the woolfe shall dwell with the lambe , and the leopard with the kidde , and the calfe and the lyon and a fatte beast togither , and that a little child should lead them , &c. 11. v. 6. The fourth is , peace with a mans owne selfe , when the conscience washed in the blood of Christ , ceaseth to accuse , and terrifie : and when the will , affections , and inclinations of the whole man are obedient to the mind enlightned by the spirit & word of God , Coloss. 3. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts . The fifth is , peace with enemies and that two waies . First , in that such as beleeue in Christ , seeke to haue peace with all men , hurting none but doing good to all : secondly , in that God restraines the malice of the enemies , and inclines their hearts to be peaceable . Thus God brought Daniel into loue and fauour with the chiefe of the Eunuches . The last is , peace with all creatures in heauen and earth , in that they serue for mans saluation . Psal. 91.13 . Thou shalt walke vpon the lyon & the Aspe : the yong lyon & the dragō shalt thou tread vnder foot . Hos. 2.18 . And in that day will I make a couenant for them with the beasts of the field , and with the foules of heauen . Now this benefit of peace is knowne partly by the testimonie of the spirit , and partly by a daily experience thereof . The second benefit is a recouerie of that right and title , which man hath to all creatures in heauen and earth , and all temporall blessings ; which right Adam lost to himselfe and euery one of his posteritie . 1. Cor. 3.22 . Whether it be the world , or life , or death : whether they be things present , or things to come , all are yours . Nowe the right way of knowing this one benefit is this . When God vouchsafeth meate , drinke , apparell , houses , lands , &c. we must not barely cōsider them as blessings of God , for that very heathen men , which knowe not Christ can doe : but we must acknowledge and esteeme them as blessings proceeding from the special loue of god the father , wherby he loues vs in Christ : and procured vnto vs by the merit of Christ crucified : and we must labour in this point to be setled and perswaded : and so oft as we see and vse the creatures of God for our owne benefit , this point should come to our mindes . Blessings conceiued apart from Christ are misconceiued : whatsoeuer they are in themselues they are no blessings to vs but in and by Christs merit . Therefore this order must be obserued touching earthly blessings : first we must haue part in the merit of Christ , and then secondly by meanes of that merit , a right before God and comfortable vse of the things wee enioy . All men that haue and vse the creatures of God otherwise , as gifts of God but not by Christ , vse thē but as flat vsurpers and theeues . For this cause it is not sufficient for vs generally & confusedly to knowe Christ to bee our redeemer , but wee must learne to see , knowe , and acknowledge him in euery particular gift and blessing of God. If men vsing the creatures of meate and drinke ; could , when they behold them , withall by the eie of faith beholde in them the merit of Christs passion , there would not be so much excesse and riot , so much ●urfetting and drunkennes , as there is : and if men could consider their houses and lands , &c. as blessings to them & that by the fountaine of blessing the merits of Christ , there should not be so much fraud and deceit , so much iniustice and oppression in bargaining as there is . That which I haue now said of meates , drinkes , apparell , must likewise bee vnderstood of gentrie and nobilitie , in as much as noble-birth without newe birth in Christ is but an earthly vanitie : the like may be said of phisicke , sleepe , health , libertie , yea of the very breathing in the ayre . And to go yet further : in our Recreations Christ must be knowne . For al recreation stands in the vse of things indifferent : and the holy vse of all things indifferent , is purchased vnto vs by the blood of Christ. For this cause it is very meete that Christian men and women should with their earthly recreations ioyne spirituall meditation of the death of Christ ; and from the one take occasion to bethinke themselues of the other . If this were practised , there should not bee so many vnlawefull sports and delights , and so much abuse of lawfull recreation as there is . The third benefit is , that al crosses , afflictions , and iudgements whatsoeuer , cease to be curses and punishments to them that are in Christ , and are onely meanes of correction or triall , because his death hath taken away not some few parts , but , all and euery part of the curse of the whole lawe . Nowe in all crosses , Christ is to be known of vs on this manner . We must iudge of our afflictions as chastisements or trials , proceeding not from a reuenging iudge , but from the hand of a bountiful and louing father ; and therefore they must be conceiued in and with the merit of Christ ; and if we doe otherwise regard them , we take them as curses and punishments of sinne . And hence it followes that subiection to Gods hand in all crosses , is a marke and badge of the true Church . The last benefit is , that death is properly no death , but a rest or sleepe . Death therefore must be knowne and considered not as it is set foorth in the lawe but as it is altered and changed by the death of Christ : and when death comes , wee must then looke vpon it through Christs death , as through a glasse : and thus it will appeare to be but a passage from this life to euerlasting life . Thus much of the merit of Christ crucified . Now follows his vertue which is the power of his godhead , whereby he creates newe hearts in all them that beleeue in him , and makes them newe creatures . This vertue is double : the first is the power of his death , whereby he freed himselfe from the punishment and imputation of our sinnes : and the same vertue serueth to mortifie and crucifie the corruptions of our mindes , wills , affections , euen as a corasiue doeth wast and consume the rotten and dead flesh in any part of mans bodie . The second , is the vertue of Christs resurrection , which is also the power of his Godhead , whereby he raised himselfe from death to life : & the verie same power serueth to raise those that belong to Christ , from their sinnes in this life , and from the graue in the daie of the last iudgement . Now the knowledge of this double vertue must not be onely speculatiue , that is , barely conceiued in the braine , but it must be experimentall : because we ought to haue experience of it in our hearts and liues , and we should labour by all meanes possible to feele the power of Christs death killing and mortifying our sinnes , and the vertue of his resurrection in the putting of spirituall life into vs , that we might be able to say that we liue not but that Christ liues in vs. This was one of the most excellent and principall things which Paul sought for , who saith , I haue counted all things losse and do iudge them to be dung , that I may knowe him and the vertue of his resurrection . Phil. 3.10 . And he saith that this is the right waie to know and learne Christ , to cast off the olde man which is corrupt through the deceiueable lusts , and to put on the new man which is created in righteousnes & true holines . Eph. 4.24 . The third benefit is the example of Christ. Wee deceiue our selues , if wee thinke that he is onely to be knowne of vs as a Redeemer , and not as a spectacle or patterne of al good duties , to which we ought to conform our selues . Good men indeede , that haue beene or in present are vpon the earth the seruants of God , must be followed of vs : but they must be followed no otherwise then they follow Christ , & Christ must be followed in the practise of euery good dutie that may concerne vs without exception simply and absolutely , 1. Cor. 11.1 . Our conformitie with Christ standes either in the framing of our inwarde and spirituall life , or in the practise of outward and morall duties . Conformitie of spirituall life is , not by doing that which Christ did vpon the crosse and afterward , but a doing of the like by a certaine kinde of imitation . And it hath foure parts . The first is , a spirituall oblation . For as Christ in the garden and vpon the crosse , by praier made with strong cries and teares , presented and resigned himselfe vp to be a sacrifice of propitiation to the iustice of his father for mans sinne : so must we also in praier present and resigne our selues , our soules , our bodies , our vnderstanding , will , memorie , affections , & all we haue to the seruice of God , in the generall calling of a Christian , and in the particular callings in which hee hath placed vs. Take an example in Dauid , Sacrifice & burnt offering ( saith he ) thou wouldest not , but eares thou hast pierced vnto men , then said , loe I come : I desire to doe thy will , O God , yea thy lawe is within my heart , Psal. 40. 7. The second is , conformitie in the crosse two waies . For first , as he bare his own crosse to the place of exequution : so must we as good disciples of Christ denie our selues , take vp all the crosses and afflictions that the hand of God shall lay vpon vs. Againe , we must become like vnto him in the crucifying and mortifying the masse and bodie of sinne which wee carrie about vs , Gal. 5.24 . They which are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof . Wee must doe as the Iewes did , wee must set vp the crosses and gybbets whereon we are to fasten and hang this flesh of ours , that is , the sinne and corruption that cleaues and stickes vnto vs , and by the sword of the spirit wound it euen to death . This beeing done , wee must yet goe further , and labour by experience to see and feele the very death of it , and to lay it as it were in a graue neuer to rise againe : and therefore we should daiely cast newe moulds vpon it . The third is , a spirituall resurrection , whereby we should by Gods grace vse meanes that we may euery daie more and more come out of our sinnes , as out of a loathfome graue ; to liue vnto God in newenes of life , as Christ rose from his graue . And because it is an hard matter for a man to come out of the graue or rather dungeon of his sinnes , this worke can not be done at once but by degrees , as God shall giue grace . Considering we lie by nature dead in our sinnes , and stinke in them as loathsome carrion , first wee must begin to stirre our selues as a man that comes out of a swowne , awakened by the worde and voice of Christ founding in our deafe eares ; secondly , we must raise vp our mindes to a better state and condition , as we vse to raise vp our bodies : after this we must put out of the graue first one hand , then the other . This done , we must doe our indeauour as it were vpon our knees , at the least to put one foote out of this sepulchre of sinne , the rather when wee see our selues to haue one foote of the bodie in the graue of the earth , that in the day of iudgement we may be wholly deliuered from all bonds of corruption . The fourth part is , a spirituall ascention into heauen , by a continuall eleuation of the heart and mind to Christ sitting at the right hand of the father , as Paul saith , Haue your conuersation in heauen : and , If ye be risenwith Christ , seekè things that are aboue . Conformitie in morall duties , is either generall or speciall . Generall , is to be holy as he is holy , Rom. 8.29 . Those whome he knewe before he hath predestinate to be like the image of his sonne , that is , not only in the crosse but also in holines and glorie . 1. Ioh. 3. He which hath this hope purifieth himself euen as he is pure . Speciall conformitie , is chiefly in foure vertues ; Faith , Loue , Meekenes , Humilitie . We must be like him in faith . For as he , when he apprehended the wrath of God , and the very pangs of hell were vpon him , wholly staied himselfe vpon the ayde , helpe , protection , and good pleasure of his father , euen to the last : so must we by a true & liuely faith depend wholly on Gods mercie in Christ , as it were with both our hands , in peace , in trouble , in life , & in the very pang of death : and we must not in any wise let our hold goe ; no though we should feele our selues descend to hell . We must be like him in meekenesse , Matth. 11. v. 28. Learne of me that I am meeke and lowly . His meekenesse shewed it selfe in the patient bearing of all iniuries and abuses offered by the hands of sinnefull and wretched men , and in the suffering of the curse of the law , without grudging or repining , and with submission to his fathers will in all things . Now the more we follow him herein , the more shall we be conformable to him in his death and passion . Philip . 3. 10. Thirdly , he must be our example in Loue : he loued his enemies more then himselfe , Eph. 5.4 . Walke in loue euen as Christ loued vs , and hath giuen himselfe for vs an oblation and sacrifice of sweete smelling sauour vnto God. The like loue ought we to shew , by doing seruice to all men in the compasse of our callings , and by beeing all things to all men ( as Paul was ) that we might doe them all the good we can both for bodie and soule . 1. Cor. 9.19 . Lastly , we must follow Christ in humilitie , whereof he is a wonderfull spectacle , in that beeing God , he became man for vs : & of a man became a worme that is troden vnder foote , that he might saue man , Phil. 2.5 . Let the same mind be in you that was in Iesus Christ , who beeing in the forme of God , humbled himselfe and became obedient to the death , euen to the death of the crosse . And here we must obserue , that the example of Christ hath something more in it then any other example hath or can haue : for it doth not onely shew vs what we ought to doe ( as the examples of other men doe ) but it is a remedie against many vices , and a motiue to many good duties . First of all the serious consideration of this , that the very sonne of God himselfe suffered all the paines and torments of hell on the crosse for our sinnes , is the proper & most effectuall meanes to stirre vp our hearts to a godly sorrow for them . And that this thing may come to passe , euery man must be setled without doubt , that he was the man that crucified Christ ; that he is to be blamed as well as Iudas , Herod , Pontius Pilate , and the Iewes : and that his sinnes should be the nailes , the speares , and the thornes that pearced him . When this meditation beginnes to take place , bitternesse of spirit with wayling and mourning takes place in like manner . Zach. 12. 10. And they shall looke vpon him whome they haue pearced , and they shall lamem for him as one lamenteth for his onely sonne . Peter in his first sermon strooke the Iewes as with a thunder clappe from heauen , when he said vnto them , Ye haue crucified the Lord of glorie , so as the same time three thousand men were pricked in their hearts , and said , Men and brethren , what shall we doe to be saued . Againe , if Christ for our sinnes shedde his heart blood : and if our sinnes mad● him sweat water and blood , oh then why should not we our selues shedde bitter teares , & why would not our hearts bleede for thē . He that findes himselfe so dull aud hardened that the passion of Christ doeth not humble him , is in a lamentable case , for there is no faith in the death of Christ , effectuall in him as yet . Secondly , the meditation of the passion of Christ is a most notable meanes to breede repentance and reformation of life in time to come . For when wee begin to thinke that Christ crucified , by suffering the first and second death , hath procured vnto vs remission of all our sinnes past , and freed vs from hell● death , and damnation : then , if there be but a sparke of grace in vs , we begin to be of another mind , and to reason thus with our selues : What ? hath the Lord bin thus mercifull vnto me , that am in my selfe but a firebrand of hell , as to free me from deserued destruction & to receiue me to fauour in Christ ? yea , no doubt he hath , his name be blessed therefore : I will not therefore sinne any more as I haue done , but rather indeauour hereafter to keep my selfe from euery euill way . And thus faith purifies both heart and life . Thirdly , when thou art in any paine of bodie or sickenes , thinke how light these are compared to the agonie and bloodie sweat , to the crown of thornes and nailes of Christ. When thou art wronged in worde or deede by any man , turne thine eie to the crosse , consider howe meekely he suffered all abuses for the most part in silence , & praied for them that crucified him . When thou art tempted with pride or vaine-glorie , consider how for thy proper sins Christ was despised and mocked and condemned among theeues . When anger and desire of reuenge inflame thine heart , think how Christ gaue himself to death to saue his enemies , euen then when they did most cruelly intreat him , & shed his blood : and by these meditations , specially if they be mingled with faith , thy minde shall be eased . Thus we see how Christ crucified is to be known : and hence ariseth a threefold knowledge : one of God , the second of our neighbours , the third of our selues . Touching the first : if we would know the true God aright , and know him to our sahiation , we must knowe him only in Christ crucified . God in himselfe and his owne maiestie is inuisible , not onely to the eies of the bodie , but also to the vere minds of men , and he is reuealed to vs only in Christ ; in whom he is to be seene as in a glasse . For in Christ he setteth forth and giues his iustice , goodnes , wisdome , and himselfe wholly vnto vs. For this cause he is called the brightnes of the glorie , and the ingrauen forme of the person of the father . Heb. 1. 3. and the image of the inuisible God. Coloss. 1.15 . Therfore we must not know god and seeke him any where else but in Christ : and whatsoeuer out of Christ comes vnto vs in the name of God , is a flat idol of mans braine . As for our neighbours , those especially that are of Christs Church , they are to be known of vs on this manner : When we are to do● any dutie vnto them , we must not barely respect their persons , but Christ crucified in them , & them in Christ. When Paul persecuted such as called on the name of Christ , he thē f●om heauē cried , Saul , Saul , why persecutest thou me ? Here then let this be marked , that when the poore comes to vs for releefe , it is Christ that comes to our dores , and saith , I am hungrie , I am thirstie , I am naked : and let the bowels of compassion be in vs towards them as towards Christ , vnles we wil heare that fearefull sentence in the day of iudgement , Go ye cursed into hell , &c. I was hungrie , and ye fed me not : I was naked , and ye did not cloath me , &c. Thirdly , the right knowledge of our selues ariseth of the knowledge of Christ crucified , in whom and by whome we come to know fiue speciall things of our selues . The first , how grieuous our sinnes are , and therefore howe miserable we are in regard of them . If we consider our offences in themselues , & as they are in vs , we may soone be deceiued , because the conscience being corrupted often erreth in giuing testimonie , and by that meanes maketh sinne to appeare lesse then it is indeede . But if sinne be considered in the death & passion of Christ , whereof it was the cause , and the vilenes thereof measured by the vnspeakable torments endured by the sonne of God : and if the greatnesse of the offence of man be esteemed by the endlesse satisfaction made to the iustice of God , the least sinne that is will appeare to bee a sinne indeed , and that most grieuous and ougly . Therefore Christ crucified must bee vsed of vs as a myrrour or looking glasse , in which we may fully take a view of our wretchednes and miserie , and what we are by nature . For such as the passion of Christ was in the eies of men , such is our passion or condition in the eies of God : and that which wicked men did to Christ , the same doeth sinne and Satan to our very soules . The second point is , that men beleeuing in Christ are not their owne , or lords of themselues , but wholly both bodie and soule belong to Christ , in that they were giuen to him of God the father , and he hath purchased them with his owne blood , 1. Cor. 3. Ye are Christs , and Christs Gods. Hence it commeth to passe ( which is not to be forgotten ) that Christ esteemeth all the crosses and afflictions of his people , as his own proper afflictions . Hence againe we must learne to giue vp our selues both in body and soule to the honour and seruice of Christ , whose we are . The third is , that euery true beleeuer , not as he is a man , but as hee is a newe man or a Christian , hath his being and subsisting from Christ , We are members of his bodie , of his flesh , and of his bone , Eph. 5.30 . In which words , Paul alludes to the speech of Adam , Gen. 3. Thou art bone of my bone , and flesh of my flesh , & thereby he teacheth , that as Eue was made of a ribbe taken out of the side of Adam , so doeth the whole church of God , and euery man regenerate , spring and arise out of the blood that streamed from the heart and side of Christ crucified . The fourth is , that all good workes done of vs , proceede from the vertue and merit of Christ crucified : he is the cause of them in vs , and we are the causes of them in and by him . Without me ( saith he ) ye can do nothing : and , Euery branch that beareth no fruite in me , marke well he saith , in me , he taketh away , Ioh. 15.2 . The fift point is , that we owe vnto Christ an endles debt . For he was crucified onely as our suretie and pledge , & in the spectacle of his passion we must consider our selues as the chiefe debters , and that the very discharge of our debt , that is , the sinnes which are inherent in vs , were the proper cause of all the endles paines and torments that Christ endured , that he might set vs most miserable bankrupts at libertie from hell , death , and damnation . For this his vnspeakable goodnes , if we doe but once thinke of it seriously , we must needs confesse that we owe our selues , our soules , and bodies , and all that we haue as a debt due vnto him . And so soone as any man beginnes to know Christ crucified , he knowes his owne debt , and thinks of the paiment of it . Thus we see howe Christ is to be knowne : nowe wee shall not neede to make much examination whether this manner of knowing and acknowledging of Christ , take any place in the world or no : for fewe there be that knowe him as they ought . The Turke euen at this verie daie knowes him not but as he was a prophet . The Iewe scorneth his crosse and passion . The Popish Churches , though in word they confesse him , yet doe they not knowe him as they ought . The Friers and Iesuits in their sermons at this daie , commonly vse the Passion as a meanes to stirre vp pietie and compassion towards Christ , who beeing so righteous a man was so hardly intreated , and to inflame their hearts to an hatred of the Iewes , and Iudas , and Pontius Pilate that put our blessed Sauiour to death ; but all this may be done in any other historie . And the seruice of God which in that Church stands nowe in force by the Canons of the Councill of Trent , defaceth Christ crucified , in that the passions of martyrs are made meritorious , and the very wood of the crosse their only help : and the virgin Marie the Queene of heauen , and a mother of mercie ; who in remission of ●innes may command her sonne : and they giue religious adoration to dumme crucifixes made by the hand and art of man. The common protestant likewise commeth short herein for three causes . First whereas in word they acknowledge him to bee their Sauiour , that hath redeemed them from their euill conuersation , yet indeede they make him a patrone of their sinnes . The thiefe makes him the receiuer , the murderer makes him his refuge , b the adulterer ( be it spoken with reuerence vnto his maiestie ) makes him the baud . For generally men walke on in their euill waies , some liuing in this sinne , some in that , and yet for all this they perswade themselues that God is mercifull , and that Christ hath freed them frō death and damnation . Thus Christ that came to abolish sinne , is made a maintainer thereof , and the common pack-horse of the worlde to beare euery mans burden . Secondly , men are content to take knowledge of the merit of Christs passion for the remission of their sinnes , but in the meane season the vertue of Christs death in the mortifying of sin , and the blessed example of his passion , which ought to be followed and expressed in our liues & conuersations , is little or nothing regarded . Thirdly , men vsually content themselues generally and confusedly to know Christ to be their redeemer , neuer once seeking in euery particular estate and condition of life , and in euery particular blessing of God , to feele the benefit of his passion . What is the cause that almost all the world liue in securitie , neuer almost touched for their horrible sinnes ? surely the reason is , because they did neuer yet seriously consider that Christ in the garden lay groueling vpon the earth , sweating water & blood for their offences . Againe , all such a by fraud and oppression , or any kind of hard dealing sucke the blood of poore men , neuer yet knewe that their sinnes drewe out the heart blood of Christ. And proud men and women that are puffed vp by reason of their attire , which is the badge of their shame , and neuer cease hunting after strange fashions , doe not consider that Christ was not crucified in gay attire , but naked , that he might beare the whole shame and curse of the lawe for vs. These and such like whatsoeuer they say in word , if we respect the tenour of their liues , are flat enemies of the crosse of Christ , and tread his pretious blood vnder their feete . Now then , considering this so weightie and speciall a point of religion is so much neglected , O man or woman , high or lowe , young or olde , if thou haue beene wanting this waie , begin for verie shame to learne and learning truly to knowe Christ crucified . And that thou maiest attaine to this , behold him often , not in the wooden crucifix after the Popish manner , but in the preaching of the word , and in the Sacraments , in which thou shalt see him crucified before thine eies , Gal. 3.1 . Desire not here vpon earth to beholde him with the bodily eie , but looke vpon him with the eie of true and liuely faith , applying him and his merits to thy selfe as thine owne , and that with broken and bruised heart , as the poore Israelites stung with fierie serpents euen to death , behelde the brasen serpent . Againe , thou must looke vpon him first of all as a glasse or spectacle , in which thou shalt see Gods glorie greater in thy redemption , then in thy creation . In the creation appeared Gods infinite wisdome , power , and goodnesse : in thy redemption by the passion of Christ , his endlesse iustice & mercie . In the creation thou art a member of the first Adam , and bearest his image : in thy redemption thou art a member of the second Adam . In the first thou art indued with naturall life , in the second with spirituall . In the first , thou hast in the person of Eve thy beginning of the rib of Adam : in the secōd thou hast thy beginning as thou art borne of God out of the blood of Christ. Lastly , in the first , god gaue life in commanding that to be , which was not : in the second , he giues life not by life , but by death , euen of his owne forme . This is the mysterie vnto which the angels themselues desire to looke into . 1. Pet. 1.12 . Secondly , thou must behold him as the full price of thy redemption , and perfect reconciliation with God ; and pray earnestly to God , that hee would seale vp the same in thy verie conscience by his holy spirit . Thirdly , thon must behold Christ as an example , to whome thou must conforme thy selfe by regeneration . For this cause giue diligence , that thou maist by experience say , that thou art dead , and crucified , and buried with Christ , and that thou risest againe with him to newnesse of life : that he enlightens thy minde , and by degrees reforms thy will and affections , and giue thee both the wil and the deed in euery good thing . And that thou maist not faile in this thy knowledge , read the historie of Christs passion , obserue all the parts and circumstances thereof , & apply them to thy selfe for thy full conuersion . When thou readest that Christ went to the garden ; as his custome was , where the Iewes might soonest attach him ; consider that he went to the death of the crosse for thy sinnes willingly , and not of constraint ; and that therefore thou for thy part shouldst doe him all seruice freely and frankely , Psal. 110. 3. When thou hearest that in his agonie his foule was heauie vnto death , know it was for thy sinnes , and that thou shouldest much more conceiue heauines of heart for the same : againe , that this sorrow of his is ioy and reioycing vnto thee , if thou wilt beleeue in him ; therefore Paul saith , I say againe reioyce in the Lord. When thou readest that in the garden he praied lying groueling on his face sweating water and blood , beginne to thinke seriously what an vnspeakable measure of Gods wrath was vpon thy blessed Sauiour , that did prostrate his bodie vpon the earth , and cause the blood to follow : and thinke that thy sinnes must needes be most heynous , that brought such bloodie and grieuous paines vpon him . Also thinke it a very shame for thee to carrie thy head to heauen with haughtie lookes , to wallow in thy pleasures , and to draw the innocent blood of thy poore brethren by oppression and deceit , for whome Christ sweat water and blood , and take an occasion from Christs agonie , to lay aside the pride of thy heart , to be ashamed of thy selfe , to grieue in heart , yea euen to bleede for thine owne offences , casting downe and humbling thy selfe with Ezra , saying , O my God , I am confounded and ashamed to lift vp mine eyes vnto thee , my God : for mine iniquities are increased , and my trespasse is growne vp into heauen . When thou readest that Christ was taken and bound , thinke that thy very sinnes brought him into the power of his enemies , and were the very bondes wherewith he was tyed : thinke that thou shouldest haue beene bound in the very same manner vnlesse he had beene a suretie and pledge for thee : thinke also that thou in the selfe ●ame manner art bound and tied with the chaynes of thine owne sinnes , and that by nature thy will , affections , and whole spirit is tied and chained to the will of the deuill , so as thou canst doe nothing but that which he willeth : lastly , thinke and beleeue that the bondes of Christ serue to purchase thy libertie from hell , death , and damnation . When thou hearest that he was brought before Annas and Caiaphas , thinke it was meete , that thy suretie and pledge who was to suffer the condemnation due vnto thee , should by the high Priest as by the mouth of God , be condemned : and woonder at this , that the very coessentiall and eternall Sonne of God , euen the very soueraigne Iudge of the world , stands to be iudged , and that by wicked men ; perswading thy selfe that this so great confusion comes of thy sinnes . Whereupon beeing further amazed at thy fearefull estate , humble thy selfe in dust and ashes , and pray God so to soften thy stonie heart , that thou maiest turne to him , and by true faith lay hold on Christ , who hath thus exceedingly abased himselfe , that his ignominie may be thy glorie , and his arraignment thy perfect absolution . When thou readest that Barrabas the murderer , was preferred before Christ , though he exceeded both men and Angels in holinesse ; thinke it was to manifest his innocencie , and that thy very sinnes pulled vpon him this shamefull reproch ; and in that for thy cause he was esteemed worse then Barrabas , thinke of thy selfe as a most heynous and wretched sinner , and ( as Paul saith ) the head of all sinners . When thou readest that he was openly and iudicially condemned to the cursed death of the crosse , consider what is the wrath and furie of God against sinne , and what is his great and infinite mercie to sinners : and in this spectacle looke vpon thy selfe , and with grones of heart crie out , and say , O good God , what settest thou heare before mine eyes ? I , euen I haue sinned , I am guiltie and worthie of damnation . Whence comes this chaunge , that thy blessed sonne is in my roome , but of thy vnspeakable mercie ? Wretch that I am , how haue I forgotten my selfe , and thee also my God ? O sonne of God , how long hast thou abased thy selfe for me ? Therefore giue me grace O God , that beholding mine owne estate in the person of my Sauiour thus condemned , I may detest and loath my sinnes that are the cause thereof , and by a liuely faith imbrace that absolution which thou offerest me in him , who was condemned in my stead and roome . O Iesu Christ Sauiour of the world , giue me thy holy and blessed Spirit that I may iudge my selfe , and be as vile and base in mine owne eyes as thou wast vile before the Iewes : also vnite me vnto thee by the same spirit , that in thee I may be as worthie to be accepted before God , as I am worthie in my selfe to be detested for my sinnes . When thou readest , that he was clad in purple and crowned with thornes , mocked and spit vpon , behold the euerlasting shame that is due vnto thee , and be ashamed of thy selfe , & in this point conforme thy self to Christ , & be content ( as he was ) to be reproched , abused , and despised , so it be for a good cause . When thou readest , that before his crucifying , he was stript of al his cloathes , thinke it was that he beeing naked might beare thy shame on the crosse , and with his most pretious and rich nakednesse couer thy deformitie . When thou readest the complaint of Christ , that he was forsaken of his father , consider how he suffered the pangs and torments of hell as thy pledge and surety . Learne by his vnspeakable torments what a fearefull thing it is to sinne against God , and begin to renounce thy selfe , and detest thy sinnes , and to walke as a child of light , according to the measure of grace receiued . When thou commest to die , set before thine eyes Christ in the midst of all his torments on the crosse : in beholding of which spectacle to thy endlesse comfort , thou shalt see a paradise in the middest of hell : God the father reconciled vnto thee , thy Sauiour reaching out his hands vnto thee to receiue thy soule vnto him ; and his crosse as a ladder to aduance it to eternall glorie . Wheras he cried aloud with a strong voice at the point of death , it was to shew that he died willingly without violence or constraint from any creature , and that if it had so pleased him , he could haue freed himselfe from death , and haue cast his very enemies to the very bottom of hell . When thou readest that he commended his soule into the handes of his Father , consider that thy soule also ( so be it thou wilt beleeue in him ) is deliuered vp into the hands of God , and shall be preserued against the rage and malice of all thine enemies , and hereupon thou maist be bolde to commend thy spirit into the hands of God the father . When thou readest of his death , consider that thy sinnes were the cause of it , and that thou shouldest haue suffered the same eternally , vnlesse the sonne of God had come in thy roome : againe consider his death as a ransome , and apprehend the same by faith , as the meanes of thy life : for by death Christ hath wounded both the first and second death , and hath made his crosse to be a throne or tribunall seate of iudgement against all his and thine enemies . When thou readest of the trembling of the earth at the death of Christ , thinke with thy selfe it did in his kind as it were grone vnder the burden of the sinnes of men in the world : and by his motion then it signified that euen thou and the rest deserued rather to be swallowed of the earth , and to goe downe into the pit aliue , then to haue any part in the merit of Christ crucified . When thou readest of his buriall , thinke that it was to ratifie his death , and to vanquish death euen in his owne denne . Applie this buriall to thy selfe , and beleeue that it serues to make thy graue a bedde of doune , and to free thy bodie from corruption . Lastly , pray to God that thou maist feele the power of the spirit of Christ , weakning and consuming the bodie of sinne , euen as a dead corps rottes in the graue , till it be resolued to dust . When thou hast thus perused and applied to thy selfe the historie of the Passion of Christ , goe yet further , and labour by faith to see Christ crucified in all the workes of God , either in thee , or vpon thee . Behold him at thy table in meate and drinke , which is as it were a liuely sermon and a daily pledge of the mercie of God in Christ. Behold him in all thine afflictions , as thy partner that pitieth thy case , and hath compassion on thee . Behold him in thy most dangerous temptations , in which the deuil thundreth damnation , behold him I say , as a mightie Sampson bearing away the gates of his enemies vpon his owne shoulders : and killing more by death then by life , crucifying the deuill , euen then when he is crucified , by death killing death : by entrance into the graue , opening the graue and giuing life to the dead , and in the house of death spoiling him of all his strength and power . Behold him in all the afflictions of thy brethren , as though he himselfe were naked , hungrie , sicke , harbourles , and do vnto them all the good thou canst , as to Christ himselfe . If thou wouldest behold God himselfe , looke vpon him in Christ crucified , who is the ingrauen image of the fathers person ; and know it to be a terrible thing in the time of the trouble of thy conscience to thinke of God without Christ , in whose face the glorie of God in his endlesse mercie is to be seene , 2. Cor. 4.6 . If thou wouldest come to God for grace , for comfort , for saluation , for any blessing , come first to Christ hanging , bleeding , dying vpon the crosse , without whome there is no hearing God , no helping God , no sauing God , no God to thee at all . In a word , let Christ be all things without exception vnto thee , Coloss. 3. 11. for when thou praiest for any blessing either temporall or spirituall , be it whatsoeuer it will be or can be , thou must aske it at the hands of God the father by the merit and mediation of Christ crucified : now looke as we aske blessings at Gods hand , so must we receiue them of him ; and as they are receiued , so must we possesse and vse them daily , namely as gifts of God procured to vs by the merit of Christ : which gifts for this very cause , must be wholly imploied to the honour of Christ. FINIS . A DISCOVRSE OF Conscience : Wherein is set downe the nature , properties , and differences thereof : as also the way to Get and keepe good Conscience . The second Edition . PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT , PRINTER to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. The Contents . Chap. 1. What Conscience is . 2. The actions or duties of conscience . Where this point is handled , How any thing is said to bind conscience . 3. The kindes and differences of conscience . Where is handled , Libertie of conscience , and the question disputed ; whether a man may in conscience be vnfallibly certen of his saluation . 4. Mans dutie touching conscience , which is to get and to keepe it . TO THE RIGHT HONOVABLE SIR WILLIam Piryam Knight , Lord chiefe Baron of her Maiesties Exchequer . Grace and peace . RIght Honourable , it can not be vnknowne to your selfe , or to any man of a daies experience , that it is thought a smal matter to commit a sinne , or , to lie in sinnes against a mans● owne conscience . For many when they are told of their dutie in this point , replie and say , What , tell you me of Conscience ? Conscience was hanged long agoe . But vnlesse they take better heede , and preuent the danger by repentance , Hanged conscience will reuiue and become both gibbet & hangman to them either in this life or the life to come . For Conscience is appointed of God to declare and put in execution his iust iudgement against sinners : and as God cannot possibly be ouercome of man , so neither can the iudgement of Conscience beeing the iudgement of God , be wholly extinguished . Indeede Satan for his part goes about by all meanes he can , to benumme the conscience : but all is nothing . For as the sicke man , when he seemes to sleepe and take his rest , is inwardly full of troubles : so the benummed and arousie conscience wants not his secret pangs and terrours , and when it shall be roused by the iudgement of God , it waxeth cruell and fierce like a wild beast . Againe , when a man sinnes against his conscience , as much as in him lieth , he plungeth himselfe into the gulfe of desperation : for euery wound of the conscience , though the smart of it be little felt , is a deadly wound : and he that goes on to sinne against his conscience , stabbes and woundes it often in the same place : and all renewed woundes ( as we know ) are hardly or neuer cured . Thirdly , he that lieth in sinnes against his conscience , can not call vpon the name of God : for guiltie conscience makes a man flie from God. And Christ saith , God heareth not sinners , vnderstanding by sinners , such as goe on in their owne waies against conscience : and what can be more dolefull then to be barred of the inuocation of Gods name ? Lastly , such persons after the last iudgement , shall haue not onely their bodies in torment , but the worme in the soule and conscience shal neuer die : and what will it profit a man to gaine the whole world by doing things against his owne conscience , and loose his owne soule . Now that ●●en on this manner carelesse touching conscience , may see their fo●lie and the great danger thereof and come to amendment , I haue penned this small treatise : and according to the auncient and laudable custome , as also according to my long intended purpose , I now dedicate and present the same to your Lordship . The reasons which haue imboldened me to this enterprise ( all by-respects excluded ) are these . Generall doctrine in points of religion is darke and obscure , and very hardly practised without the light of particular examples : and therefore the doctrine of conscience , by due right pertaines to a man of conscience ; such an one as your Lordship is , who ( others of like place not excepted ) haue obtained this mercie at Gods hand to keepe faith and good conscience . Againe , considering that iustice and conscience haue alwaies bin friends ; I am induced to thinke that your Lordship beeing publikely set apart for the execution and maintenance of ciuill iustice , will approoue and accept a Treatise propounding rules and pr●cepts of conscience . Thus therefore crauing pardon for my boldnes , and hoping of your Lordships good acceptance , I commend you to God and to the word of his grace . 1596. Iune 14. Your L. to command , William Perkins . OF CONSCIENCE . CHAP. I. What Conscience is . COnscience is a part of the vnderstanding in all reasonable creatures , determining of their particular actions either with them or against them . I say conscience is a part of the vnderstanding , and I shewe it thus : God in framing of the soule placed in it two principall faculties , Vnderstanding and Will. Vnderstāding is that facultie in the soule , wherby we vse reason : & it is the more principall part , seruing to rule & order the whole man ; & therfore it is placed in the soule to be as the wagginer in the waggin . The Will is another facultie , whereby wee doe will or nill any thing● that is , choose or refuse it . With the will is ioyned sundrie affectiōs , as ioy , sorrow , loue , hatred , &c. whereby we imbrace or eschewe that which is good or euill . Nowe , conscience is not placed in the affections nor will , but in the vnderstanding ; because the actions thereof stand in the vse of reason . Vnderstanding againe hath two parts . The first is that which stands in the viewe and contemplation of trueth and falshood , and goes no further . The second is that which standes in the view and consideration of euery particular action , to search whether it be good or badde . The first is called the Theoricall , the second the practicall vnderstanding . And vnder this latter is conscience to be comprehended : because his propertie is to iudge of the goodnes or badnes of things or actions done . Againe I say that conscience is a a part of the minde or vnderstanding , to shewe that conscience is not a bare knowledge or iudgement of the vnderstāding ( as b men commōly write ) but a naturall power , facultie , or created qualitie from whence knowledge and iudgement proceede as effects . This the Scriptures confirme , in that they ascribe sundrie workes and actions to conscience , as accusing , excusing , comforting , terrifying : which actions could not thence proceede , if conscience were no more but an action or act of the mind . Indeede I grant , it may be taken for a kind of actuall knowledge , in the minde of man : but to speake properly , this knowledge must proceede of a power in the soule , the propertie whereof is to take the principles and conclusions of the mind and apply them , and by applying either to accuse or excuse . This is the ground of all , and this I take to be conscience . If it be obiected that conscience cannot be a naturall power , because it may be lost : I answer if conscience be lost , it is onely in respect of the vse thereof , as reason is lost in the drunken man and not otherwise . I adde , that the proper subiects of conscience are reasonable creatures , that is , men and Angels . Hereby conscience is excluded , first of all from bruite beasts ; for though they haue life and sense , and in many things some shadows of reason , yet because they want true reason , they want conscience also . Secōdly from God the creator , who beeing righteousnes it selfe , needeth not conscience to order and gouerne his actions . And whereas Peter saieth , 1. Pet. 2. 19. that men must endure griefe wrongfully for conscience of god , his meaning is not to shewe that God hath conscience , but that men are to suffer many wrongs because their conscience doe bind them , in so doing to obey Gods wil , which conscience directly respecteth . And I say that conscience is in all reasonable creatures , that none might imagine that some men by nature haue conscience in them , some none at all . For as many men as there are , so many consciences there be : and euery particular man hath his owne particular conscience . The proper end of conscience is , to determine of things done . And by this conscience is distinguished from all other gifts of the minde , as intelligence , opinion , science , faith , prudence . Intelligence simplie conceiues a thing to be or not to be : opinion iudgeth a thing to be probable or contingent : science , iudgeth to be certen and sure : faith is a perswasion , whereby we beleeue things that are not : prudence discerneth what is meet to be done , what to bee left vndone ; but conscience goes further yet then all these : for it determines or giues sentence of things done , by saying vnto vs , this was done , this was not done , this may bee done , this may not be done : this was well done , this was ill done . The things that conscience determines of , are a mans own actions : his own actions , I say . To be certen what an other man hath said or done , it is commōly called knowledge : but for a man to be certaine what he himselfe hath done or said , that is conscience . Againe conscience meddles not with generals , onely it deales in particular actions : and that not in some few but in all . The manner of consciences determination , is to set downe his iudgement either with the creature or against it : I adde this clause , because conscience is of a diuine nature , and is a thing placed of God in the middest betweene him and man , as an arbitratour to giue sentence and to pronounce either with mā or against man vnto God. For otherwhiles , it consents and speaks with God against the man in whome it is placed : otherwhiles againe it consents with him and speakes for him before the Lord. And hence comes one reason of the name of conscience . Scire , to knowe , is of one man alone by himselfe : and conscire is , when two at the least knowe some one secret thing ; either of them knowing it togither with the other . Therefore the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or conscientia Conscience , is that thing that combines two togither , and makes thē partners in the knowledge of one and the same secret . Now man and man , or man and Angel cannot be combined ; because they cannot knowe the secret of any man vnlesse it be reuealed to them : it remaines therefore that this combinatiō is onely betweene man and God. God knowes perfectly all the doings of man , though they be neuer so hid and concealed : and man by a gift giuen him of God , knowes togither with God , the same things of himselfe : and this gift is named Conscience . CHAP. II. Of the duties of Conscience . THe proper actions or duties of conscience are twofold , to giue testimony or to giue iudgement . Rom. 2.15 . Conscience giues testimonie by determining that a thing was done or it was not done , Rom. 2.15 . Their conscience also bearing witnesse . 2. Cor. 1.12 . Our reioycing is the testimonie of our conscience , that in , &c. Here we must consider three things : I. of what things conscience beares witnes : II. in what manner : III. how long . For the first , conscience beares witnesse of our thoughts , of our affections , of our outward actions . That it beares witnesse of our secret thoughts , it appeares by the solemne protestation which at some time men vse ; In my conscience I neuer thought it : whereby they signifie that they thinke something , or they thinke it not , and that their consciences can tell what they think . Neither must this seeme strāge . For there be two actions of the vnderstanding , the one is simple , which barely conceiueth or thinketh this or that : the other is a reflecting or doubling of the former , whereby a man conceiues or thinks with himselfe what he thinks . And this action properly pertaines to the conscience . The minde thinkes a thought , now conscience goes beyond the minde , and knowes what the mind thinkes ; so as if a man would goe about to hide his sinfull thoughts frō God , his conscience as it were another person within him , shall discouer all . By meanes of this second action conscience may beare witnes euen of thoughts , and from hence also it seemes to borrow his name , because conscience is a science or knowledge ioyned with an other knowledge : for by it I conceiue and knowe what I knowe . Againe , conscience beares witnesse what the wills an affections of men bee in euery matter , Rom. 9.1 . I say the trueth in Christ , I lie not , my conscience bearing me witnes by the holy Ghost , that I haue great heauinesse and continuall sorrow in my heart : for I could wish my selfe to be seperate from Christ for my brethren . Lastly , it witnesseth what be mens actions . Eccl. 7.24 . Oftentimes also thine heart knoweth , ( that is , conscience witnesseth ) that thou likewise hast cursed others . The maner that conscience vseth in giuing testimony , stands in two things . First , it obserues and takes notice of all things that wee doe : secondly , it doeth inwardly and secretly within the heart , tell vs of them al. In this respect it may fitly be compared to a Notarie , or a Register that hath alwaies the penne in his hand , to note and record whatsoeuer is said or done : who also because hee keepes the rolles and recordes of the court , can tell what hath beene said or done many hundred yeares past . Touching the third point . Howelong conscience beares witnes , it doeth it continually ; not for a minut , or a day , or a moneth , or a yeare , but for euer : when a man dies , conscience dieth not ; when the bodie is rotting in the graue , conscience liueth and is safe and sound ; and when we shall rise againe , conscience shall come with vs to the barre of Gods iudgement , either to accuse or excuse vs before God , Rom. 2.15,16 . Their conscience bearing witnes at the day when God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ. By this first dutie of conscience , we are to learne three things . The first , that there is a god : and we may be led to the sight of this euen by common reason . For conscience beares witnes ; Of what ? Of thy particular doings . But against whome or with whome doth it giue testimonie ? thou maiest feele in thy heart that it doth it either with thee or against thee . And to whome is it a witnesse ? to men or angels ? that cannot be , for they cānot heare the voice of conscience , they cannot receiue consciences testimonie , nay they cannot see what is in the heart of man. It remaines therefore that there is a spirituall substance , most wise , most holy , most mightie , that sees all things to whome conscience beares record ; and that is God himselfe . Let Atheists barke against this as long as they will : they haue that in them that will conuince them of the trueth of the godhead , will they nill they , either in life or death . Secondly we learne , that God doth watch ouer all men by a speciall prouidence . The master of a prison is knowne by this to haue care ouer his prisoners , if he send keepers with them to watch them and to bring them home againe in time conuenient : and so Gods care to man is manifest in this , that whē he created man and placed him in the worlde , he gaue him conscience to bee his keeper to follow him alwaies at his heeles , and to dogge him ( as we say ) & to prie into his actions , and to beare witnesse of them all . Thirdly , hence we may obserue Gods goodnesse and loue to man. If hee doe any thing amisse , he sets his conscience first of all to tell him of it secretly : if then he amend , God forgiues it : if not , then afterward conscience must openly accuse him for it at the barre of Gods iudgement before all the Saints and angels in heauen . The second worke of conscience is to giue iudgement of things done . To giue iudgement is to determine , that a thing is well done or ill done . Herein conscience is like to a Iudge that holdeth an assise , and takes notice of inditements , and causeth the most notorious malefactour that is , to hold vp his hand at the barre of his iudgement . Nay it is ( as it were ) a little God sitting in the middle of mens hearts , arraigning them in this life as they shall be arraigned for their offences at the tribunal seat of the euerliuing God in the day of iudgement . Wherefore the temporarie iudgement that is giuen by the conscience is nothing els but a beginning or a fore-runner of the last iudgement . Hence we are admonished to take speciall heede that nothing past lie heauie vpon vs , and that we charge not our conscience in time to come with any matter . For if our conscience accuse vs , God will much more condemne vs , saith S. Iohn . 1. Ioh. 3. 18. because he seeth all our actions more clearely , and iudgeth them more seuerely then conscience can . It shall bee good therefore for all men to labour that they may say with Paul , 2. Cor. 4. I knowe nothing by my selfe , that they may stand before God without blame for euer . Here we must consider two things : first , the cause that makes conscience giue iudgement : secondly , the manner howe . The cause is the Binder of the conscience . The binder is that thing whatsoeuer , which hath power and authoritie ouer conscience to order it . To bind , is to vrge , cause , and constraine it in euery action either to accuse for sinne , or to excuse for well doing : or to say , this may be done , or it may not be done . That we may knowe what this phrase meaneth ( to be bound in conscience ) we must in minde consider conscience a part by it selfe from the binding power power of Gods commandement . For then it hath libertie and is not bound either to accuse or excuse , but is apt to doe either of them indifferently : but whē the binding power is set once ouer the conscience , then in euery action it must needes either accuse or excuse : euen as a man in a citie or towne hauing his libertie , may goe vp and downe or not goe , where and when he will : but if his bodie be attached by the magistrate and imprisoned , then his former libertie is restrained , he is bound and can goe vp and downe but within the prison , or some other allowed place . The binder of conscience , is either proper or improper . Proper is that thing , which hath absolute and soueraigne power in it selfe to binde the conscience . And that is the word of God , written in the book of the old and new Testament . Reason I. He which is the Lord of conscience , by his word and lawes binds conscience : but God is the onely Lord of conscience ; because he once created it , and he alone gouernes it : and none but he knowes it : therefore his word and lawes onely binde conscience properly . II. He which hath power to saue or destroy the soule for the keeping or breaking of his lawes , hath absolute power to bind the soule and conscience by the same lawes : but the first is true of God alone , Iam. 3. 12. There is one Lawgiuer which is able to saue and destroy . Esa. 33.22 . The Lord is our iudge , the Lord is our lawgiuer , the Lord is our King , and he will saue vs. Therefore the word of God alone by an absolute and soueraigne power binds conscience . Because this point is cleare of it selfe , further proofe is needlesse . Hence we are taught sundrie points of instruction . I. Such as are ignorant among vs must labour to get knowledge of Gods word , because it binds conscience . Neither will the plea of ignorance serue for excuse : because , whether we know Gods lawes or know them not , they stil bind vs , And we are bound not onely to doe them , but when we know them not , we are further bound not to be ignorant of them , but to seeke to know them . If we had no more sinnes , our ignorance were sufficient to condemne vs. II. Gods word is to be obeyed , though we should offend all men , yea loose all mens fauour , and suffer the greatest domage that may be , euen the losse of our liues . And the reason is at hand ; because Gods word hath this prerogatiue to bridle , binde , and restraine the conscience . III. Whatsoeuer we enterprise or take in hand , we must first search whether God giue vs libertie in conscience , and warrant to doe it . For if we doe otherwise , conscience is bound presently to charge vs of sinne before God. Lastly , we doe here see how daungerous the case is of all Time-seruers that will liue as they list , and be of no certen religion till differences and dissentions therein be ended , and they haue the determination of a generall Councill : for whether these things compasse or no , certen it is that they are bound in conscience to receiue and beleeue the auncient , Propheticall , and Apostolicall doctrine touching the true worship of God and the way to life euerlasting , which is the true religion . The same is to be said of all drowsie Protestants , and luke-warme gospellers , that vse religion not with that care and conscience they ought , but onely then and so farre forth as it serues for their turnes , commonly neglecting or despising the assemblies where the word is preached : and seldome frequenting the Lords table vnlesse it be at Easter . Like silly wretches they neither see nor feele the constraining power , that Gods word hath in their consciences . Gods word is either Law , or Gospell . The Law is a part of Gods word of things to be done , or to be left vndone . And it is threefolde : Morall , Iudiciall , Ceremoniall . Morall lawe concernes duties of loue , partly to God and partly towards our neighbour : it is contained in the Decalogue or ten commandements : and it is the very law of nature written in all mens hearts ( for substance though not for the manner of propounding ) in the creation of man : and therefore it bindes the consciences of all men at all times , euen of blind and ignorant persons that neither knowe the most of it nor care to knowe it . Yet here must be remembred three exceptions or cautions . I. When two commandements of the morall law are opposite in respect of vs ; so as we cannot doe them both at the same time : then the lesser commandement giues place to the greater , and doth not binde or constraine for a that instant . Example . I. God commaunds one thing , and the magistrate commands the flat contrarie ; in this case which of these two commandements is to be obeyed , b Honour God , or , c Honour the Magistrate ? the answer is , that the latter must giue place to the former , and the former alone in this case must be obeyed . Act. 4.19 . Whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather then God , iudge ye . II. The fourth commandement prescribes rest on the Sabbath day : now it falls out that at the same time a whole towne is set on fire , and the sixt commandement requires our help in sauing our neighbours life and goods . Nowe of these two commandements which must be obeied ? for both cannot . The answer is , that the fourth commandement at this time is to giue place , and the sixt commandement alone bindes the conscience : so as then ( if neede should require ) a man might labour all the day without offence to God. Math. 9.13 . I will haue mercie and not sacrifice . And the rule must not be omitted , That charitie towards our neighbour is subordinate to the Loue of God , and therefore must giue place to it . For this cause the commandement concerning charitie must giue place to the cōmandement concerning loue to God : and when the case so falls out , that wee must either offend our neighbour or God , we must rather offend our neighbour then God. II. Caution . When God giues some particular commandement to his people , therein dispensing with some other commandement of the moral law : for that time it bindes not . For euen the morall commandements must be cōceiued with this condition , Except God command otherwise . Example . I. The sixt commandement is , Thou shalt not kill : but God giues a particular commandement to Abraham . Abraham offer thy sonne Isaac in sacrifice to me . And this latter commandement at that instant did binde Abraham : and he is therefore commended for his obedience to it . II. And when God commanded the children of Israel to compasse Ierico seuen daies and therefore on the Sabbath , the fourth commaundement prescribing the sanctifying of rest on the Sabbath , for that instant and in that action did not bind conscience . III. Caution . One and the same commandement in some things binds the conscience more straitly , and in doing some other things lesse , Gal. 6.10 . Doe good to all men , but specially to them which are of the houshold of faith . Hence it ariseth , that though all sinnes be mortall and deserue eternal death , yet all are not equall , but some more grieuous then others . Iudiciall lawes of Moses are all such as prescribe order for the executiō of iustice and iudgement in the common wealth . They were specially giuen by God , and directed to the Iewes : who for this very cause were bound in conscience to keepe them all : and if the common wealth of the Iewes were nowe standing in the old estate , no doubt they should cōtinue stil to bind as before . But touching other nations and specially Christian common wealths in these daies , the case is otherwise . Some are of opinion , that the whole iudiciall lawe is wholly abolished : and some againe runne to the other extreame , holding that iudiciall lawes bind Christians as straightly as Iewes : but no doubt they are both wide : and the safest course is to keepe the meane between both . Therefore the iudiciall lawes of Moses according to the substance and scope thereof must be distinguished ; in which respect they a are of two sorts . Some of them are lawes of particular equitie , some of b common equitie . Lawes of particular equitie , are such as prescribe iustice according to the particular estate and condition of the Iewes common wealth and to the circumstances thereof : time , place , persons , things , actions . Of this kind was the law , that the brother should raise vp seed to his brother , and many such like : and none of them bind vs , because they were framed and tempered to a particular people . Iudicialls of common equitie are such as are made according to the lawe or instinct of nature cōmon to all men : & these , in respect of their substance , bind the consciences not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles : for they were not giuen to the Iewes as they are Iewes , that is , a people receiued into the Couenant aboue all other nations , brought from Egypt to the land of Canaan , of whome the Messias according to the flesh was to come : but they were giuen to them as they were mortall men subiect to the order and lawes of nature as all other nations are . Againe iudiciall lawes , so farre forth as they haue in them the generall or common equitie of the law of nature are moral ; and therefore binding in conscience , as the morall lawe . A iudiciall lawe may be known to be a law of common equitie , if either of these two things be found in it . First , if wise men not onely among the Iewes , but also in other nations haue by naturall reason and conscience iudged the same to be equall , iust , and necessarie : and withall , haue iustified their iudgement by enacting laws for their common wealths , the same in substance with sundrie of the iudicial lawes giuen to the Iewes : and the Romane Emperours among the rest , haue done this most excellently , as will appeare by conferring their lawes with the lawes of God. Secondly a Iudicial hath common equitie , if it serue directly to explane and confirme any of the ten precepts of the Decalogue : or , if it serue directly to maintaine and vpholde any of the three estates of the family , the common wealth , the Church . And whether this be so or no , it will appeare , if we doe but consider the matter of the law , and the reasons or considerations vpon which the Lord was mooued to giue the same vnto the Iewes . Nowe to make the point in hand more plaine , take an example or two . It is a iudiciall lawe of God that murderers must bee put to death : now the question is , whether this lawe for substance be the common equitie of nature binding consciences of Christians or no ? & the answer is , that without further doubting it is so . For first of all , this lawe hath beene by common consent of wise law-giuers enacted in many countries and kingdomes beside the Iewes . It was the lawe of the Egyptians and a olde Grecians , of Draco , of Numa , and of many of the Romane Emperours . Secondly this lawe serues directly to maintaine obedience to the sixt commandement : and the consideration vpon which the lawe was made is so weightie , that without it a common-wealth cannot stand . The murderers blood must bee shedde ( saith the Lord , Num. 35.33.34 . ) because the whole land is defiled with blood , and remaineth vncle●sed till his blood be shed . Againe it was a iudiciall law among the Iewes , that the adulterer and adulteresse should die the death ; nowe let the question be whether this lawe concerne other nations as being deriued from the common lawe of nature : and it seemes to bee so . For first wise men by the light of reason and naturall conscience haue iudged this punishment equall and iust . Iudah before this iudiciall lawe was giuen by Moses , appointed Tamar his daughter in law to be burnt to death for playing the whore . Nabuchadnezar burnt Echad and Zedechias because they committed adulterie with their neighbours wiues . By Dracoes lawe among the Grecians this sin was death , and also by the law of the Romanes . Againe , this law serues directly to maintaine necessarie obedience to the seuenth commandement : and the considerations vpon which this lawe was giuen are perpetuall , and serue to vphold the common wealth . Lev. 20.22 . Ye ( saith the Lord ) shall keepe all mine ordinances and my iudgements ( the law of adulterie being one of them . ) Nowe marke the reasons . 1. Least the lād spue you out . 2. for the same sins I haue abhorred the natiōs . The Ceremoniall lawe is that which prescribes rites and orders in the outward worship of God. It must be considered in three times . The first is time before the comming and death of Christ : the second , the time of publishing the gospell by the Apostles : the third , the time after the publishing of the gospell . In the first , it did binde the conscience of the Iewes , and the obedience of it was the true worship of God. But it did not then bind the consciences of the Gentiles : for it was the partition wall between them and the Iewes . And it did continue to bind the Iewes till the very death and ascension of Christ. For thē the hand writing of ordinances which was against vs was nailed on the crosse and cancelled . And when Christ saith that the lawe and the Prophett indured til Iohn , Luk. 16.16 . his meaning is not , that the ceremoniall law ended then : but that things foretold by the Prophets , & obscurely prefigured by the ceremoniall law , began then more plainely to be preached and made manifest . The second time was from the ascension of Christ , til about the time of the destruction of the Temple and the Citie ; in which , ceremonies ceased to bind conscience and remained indifferent . Hereupon Paul circumcised Timothie : the Apostles after Christs ascension , as occasion was offered were present in the Temple , Act. 3.1 . And the Council of Hierusalem tendering the weaknes of some beleeuers , decreed that the Church for a time should abstaine from strangled and blood . And there was good reason of this , because the Church of the Iewes was not yet sufficiently conuicted that an end was put to the ceremoniall law by the death of Christ. In the third time , which was after the publishing of the gospel , ceremonies of the Iewes Church became vnlawfull , and so shall continue to the worldes ende . By this it appeares , what a monstrous and miserable religion the church of Rome teacheth and maintaineth ; which standes wholly in ceremonies , partly heathenish and partly Iewish . As for the Gospel , I take it for the part of the word of God which promiseth righteousnes and life euerlasting to all that beleeue in Christ , ‖ and withall commandeth this faith . That we may the better knowe , howe the gospell bindes conscience , two points must be considered ; one touching the persons bound , the other touching the manner of binding . Persons are of two sorts ; some be called , some be vncalled . Persons called are all such to whome God in mercie hath offered the meanes of saluation , and hath reuealed the doctrine of the Gospell in some measure more or lesse by meanes either ordinarie or extraordinarie . All such I thinke are straightly bound in conscience to beleeue and obey the gospel . For that word of God whereby men shall be iudged in the day of iudgement , must first of all binde their consciences in this life , considering absolution and condemnation is according to that which is done in this life : but by the gospell , all men that haue beene called , shall be iudged as Paul saith , Rom. 2.16 . God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ , according to my Gospell . And our Sauiour Christ saith , He that beleeueth hath life euerlasting , hee which beleeueth not is alreadie condemned . It remaines therefore , that the gospell bindes the consciences of such men in this life . By this very point we are all put in minde not to content our selues with this , that we haue a liking to the gospell , and doe beleeue it to bee true ( though many protestants in these our daies thinke it sufficient both in life and death , if they hold that they are to be saued by faith alone in Christ without the merit of mans workes ) but wee must goe yet further , and enter into a practise of the doctrine of the Gospel as wel as of the precepts of the morall lawe ; knowing that the gospel doeth as well bind conscience as the law , and if it be not obeied will as well condemne . Men vncalled , are such as neuer heard of Christ by reason the gospell was neuer reuealed vnto them , nor meanes of reuelation offered . That there haue bin such in former ages , I make manifest thus . The worlde since the creation may be distinguished into foure ages . The first , frō the creation to the flood ; the second , from the flood to the giuing of the Law : the third , from the giuing of the Lawe to the death of Christ : the fourth , from the death of Christ to the last iudgement . Nowe in the three former ages , there was a distinction of the world into two sorts of men , wherof one was a people of God , the other no-people . In the first age in the families of Seth , Noe , &c. were the sonnes of God ; in all other families the sonnes of men , Gen. 6.2 . In the second age were the sonnes of the flesh and the sonnes of the promise , Rom. 9.7 . In the third , Iewes and Gentiles ; the Iewes beeing the Church of God , all nations beside no-church . But in the last age this distinction was taken away when the Apostles had a commission giuen them that was neuer giuen before to any , namely , to goe teach not onely the Iewes , but all nations . Now this distinction arose of this , that the Gospel was not reuealed to the world before the comming of Christ , as the Scriptures witnes . The prophet Esai saith , 52.14 . that kings shall shut their mouthes at Christ , because that which had not bin told them they shal see , and that which they had not heard shall they vnderstand . And 55. 5. that a nation that knew him not shall runne vnto him . Paul saith to the Ephesians that in former times they were without God , and without Christ , strangers from the couenāt , Eph. 2.12 . And to the Athenians he saith , that the times before the comming of Christ were times of ignorance , Act. 17.30 . And that it may not be thought that this ignorance was affected , Paul saith further that God in times past suffered the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies , Act. 14. 16. and that the mysterie of the Gospell was kept secret from the beginning of the world , and is now in the last age reuealed to the whole world , Rom. 16.25 . Some alleadge that the Iewes beeing the church of God , had traffique with all nations , and by this means spred some little knowledge of the Messias through the whole world : I answer again that the conference and speach of Iewish marchants with forrainers was no sufficient means to publish the promise of saluation by Christ to the whol world : first because the Iewes for the most part haue alwaies bin more readie to receiue any new and false religion , then to teach their owne : secondly , because the very Iewes themselues , though they were well acquainted with the ceremonies of their religion , yet the substance thereof which was Christ figured by externall ceremonies , they knew not : and hereupon the Pharises when they made a Proselyte , they made him tenne times more the child of the deuill then themselues . Thirdly , because men are seldome or neuer suffered to professe or make any speach of their religion in forraine countries . Againe , if it be alleadged that the doctrine is set downe in the bookes of the old Testament , which men through the whole world might haue read , searched , and knowne if they would ; I answer that the keeping of the bookes of the old Testament , was committed to the Iewes alone , Rom. 3.2 . and therefore they were not giuen to the whole world , as also the Psalmist testifieth , He sheweth his word vnto Iacob , his statutes and his iudgements vnto Israel : he hath not dealt so with euery nation , neither haue they knowne his iudgements . Now touching such persons as haue not so much as heard of Christ , though they are apt and fitte to be bound in conscience by the Gospell in as much as they are the creatures of God , yet are they not indeed actually bound till such time as the Gospel be reuealed or at the least meanes of reuelation offered . Reasons hereof may be these : I. Whatsoeuer doctrine or law doth bind conscience , must in some part be knowne by nature or by grace or by both : the vnderstanding must first of all conceiue , or at the least haue meanes of conceiuing , before conscience can constraine : because it bindeth by vertue of known cōclusions in the mind . Therfore things that are altogether vnknown and vnconceiued of the vnderstanding , doe not bind in conscience : now , the Gospel is altogether vnknowne and vnconceiued of many , as I haue alreadie prooued , and therefore it binds not them in conscience . II. Paul saith , Rom. 2.12 . They which sinne without the law [ written ] shal be condemned without the law : therefore they which sinne without the Gospel , shal be condemned without the Gospel : and such as shal be condemned without the Gospel after this life , were not bound by it in this life . Augustine the most iudiciall Diuine of all the auncient fathers vpon these wordes of Christ , but now they haue no excuse for their sinne , saith on this manner : A doubt may be mooued whether they to whome Christ hath not come , neither hath spoken vnto them , haue an excuse for their sinne . For if they haue it not , why is it said that these ( namely the Iewes ) haue no excuse because he came and spake to them ? and if they haue it , whether it be that their punishment may be taken away quite , or in part lessened . To these demands to my capacitie as the Lord shall inable me I answer , that they to whome Christ came not , neither hath spoken vnto them , haue an excuse not of euery sinne but of this sinne , that they haue not beleeued in Christ. Againe , It remaines to inquire whether those , who before Christ came in his Church to the Gentiles , and before they heard his Gospell , haue bin or are preuented by death , may vse this excuse ? Doubtles they may , but they shall not therefore escape damnation . For whosoeuer haue sinned without the law , shall perish without the law . As for the reasons which some of the schoolemen haue alleadged to the contrarie , they are answered all by a men of the same order , and I will briefly touch the principall . First it is obiected , that the holy Gho●t shall iudge the world of sinne , because they haue not beleeued in Christ , Ioh. 16.9 . I answer , that by the world we must not vnderstand all and euery man since the creation , but all nations and kingdomes in the last age of the world , to whome the Gospel was reuealed . Thus hath Paul expounded this word , Rom. 11.12 . The fall of them is the riches of the world , and the diminishing of them is the riches of the Gentiles . v. 15. The casting of them away is the reconciling of the world . Secondly it is obiected , that the law binds all men in conscience , though the greatest part of it be vnknowne to them . Answ. The law was once giuen to Adam and imprinted in his heart in his first creation , and in him as beeing the roote of all mankind , it was giuen to all men : and as when he sinned all men sinned in him , so when he was enlightened all were enlightned in him , and consequently when his conscience was bound by the law , all were bound in him . And though this knowledge be lost by mans default , yet the bond remaines still on Gods part . Now the case is otherwise with the Gospel , which was neuer written in mans nature , but was giuen after the fall , and is aboue nature . Here a further replie is , made , that the couenant made with Adam , The seede of the woman shal bruise the serpents head , was also made with his seede which is all mankind , and was afterward continued with Abraham to all nations . I answer again , that Adam was a root of mankind onely in respect of mans nature with the gifts and sinnes thereof : he was no roote in respect of grace which is aboue nature , but Christ the second Adam . And therefore when God gaue the promise vnto him and faith to beleeue the promise , he did not in him giue them both to all mankinde : neither , if Adam had afterward fallen from faith in the Messias , should all mankind againe haue fallen in him . Moreouer that the promise of grace was not made to Adams seede vniuersally but indefinitely it appeares ; because when God did afterward renew the couenant , he restrained it to the familie of Noe and Abraham● and in Abrahams familie it was restrained to Isaac , In Isaac ( saith the Lord ) shall thy seede be called : yea in the very tenour of the couenant there is a distinction made of the seede of the woman and the seede of the serpent ; which seede of the serpent is a a part of mankind , and it is excluded from the couenant . And whereas the Lord promised to Abraham that in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed , the promise must not be vnderstood of all men in euery age , but of all nations in the last age of the world . And thus Paul hath cleared the text , Gal. 3. 8. The Scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles through faith ( which was done after Christs ascension ) he preached before the Gospel to Abraham , In thee shall nations be blessed . Lastly , it may be obiected , that if any man be ignorant of the doctrine of saluation by Christ , it is through his owne fault : it is true indeede that all ignorance of the doctrine of saluation comes through mans fault & sinne : but sinne must be distinguished ; it is either personall , or the sinne of mans nature . Now in them that neuer heard of Christ , their ignorance in this point proceedes not of any personall sinne in them , but onely from the sinne of mans nature , that is , the first sinne of Adam common to all mankinde , which sinne is punished when God leaues men wholly to themselues . Now many things there be in men proceeding from this sinne , which neuerthelesse are no sinnes , as the manifold miseries of this life : and so I take the ignorance of things aboue mans nature altogether vnreuealed , to be no sinne but a punishment of originall sinne . Thus much of the persons which are bound by the Gospel : now let vs see how farre forth they are bound by it . God in the Gospell generally reueales two points vnto vs : the first , that there is perfect righteousnes and life euerlasting to be obtained by Christ : the second , that the instrument to obtaine righteousnes and life eternall is faith in Christ. Moreouer when this Gospel is dispensed and preached vnto vs , God reueales vnto vs two points more : the first , that he will make vs particularly to be partakers of true righteousnes and life euerlasting by Christ : the seco●d , that he will haue vs without doubting to beleeue thus much of our selues . And for this cause euery man to whome the Gospel is reuealed , is bound to beleeue his owne election , iustification , sanctification , and glorification in and by Christ. The reasons and grounds of this point out of the word of God are these : I. 1. Ioh. 3.23 . This is his commandement that we beleeue in the name of his Sonne Iesus Christ , and loue one another as he gaué vs commandement . Now to beleeue in Christ , is not confusedly to beleeue , that he is a Redeemer of mankind , but withall to beleeue that he is my Sauiour , and that I am elected , iustified , sanctified , and shall be glorified by him . This is graunted of all men , yea of the Papists themselues , which otherwise are enemies of this doctrine . For Lumberd saith , To beleeue in God is by beleeuing to loue , and as it were to goe into God : by beleeuing to cleaue vnto him , and as it were to be incorporate into his members . II. Paul , Gal. 2. 16. ●irst of all propounds a generall sentence , That a man is not iustified by the workes of the law , but by the faith of Christ. Afterward he addes a speciall application , Euen we ( namely Iewes ) haue beleeued in Iesus Christ , that we might be iustified by the faith of Iesus Christ : and in v. 20. he descends more specially to applie the Gospel to himselfe , I liue ( saith he ) by the faith of the Sonne of God , who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me . And in this kinde of application there is nothing peculiar to Paul , for in this very action of his , he auoucheth himselfe to be an example vnto vs , 1. Tim. 1. 16. For this cause ( saith he ) was I receiued to mercie , that Iesus Christ should shew first on me all long suffering vnto the ensample of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him to eternall life . Againe , Philip. 3.8 . he saith , I thinke all things but losse , that I might winne Christ , and might be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnes , but that which is through the faith of Christ , that I may know him and the vertue of his resurrection : & afterward he addeth , v. 15. Let vs as many as be perfect be thus minded . III. Whatsoeuer we pray for according to Gods will , we are bound to beleeue that it shall be giuen vnto vs , Mark. 11. 24. Whatsoeuer ye desire when ye pray , beleeue that ye shall haue it , and it shall be done vnto you . But we pray for the pardon of our sinnes , and for life euerlasting by Christ ; and that according to the will of God. Therefore we are bound in conscience to beleeue the pardon of our sinnes and life euerlasting . IV. If God should speake particularly to any man , and say vnto him , Cornelius , or Peter , beleeue thou in Christ , and thou shalt be saued ; this commandement should bind him particularly . Now when the Minister lawfully called , in the name and stead of God publisheth the Gospel to the congregation , that is as much as if God himselfe had spoken to them particularly , calling each of them by their names and promising vnto them life euerlasting in Christ. 2. Cor. 5.20 . We as ambassadours for Christ , as though God did beseech you through vs , pray you in Christs stead , that ye be reconciled to God. It may be and is obiected , that if euery man be bound in conscience to beleeue his owne Election and saluation by Christ , then some men are bound to beleeue that which is false , because some there be euen in the middest of the Church , which in the counsell of God were neuer chosen to saluation . I answer , that this reason were good , if men were bound absolutely to beleeue their saluation without further respect or condition : but the bond is conditionall , according to the tenour of the couenant of grace : for we are bound to beleeue in Christ , if we would come to life euerlasting , or if we would be in the fauour of God , or if we would be good disciples and members of Christ. I answer againe , that whatsoeuer a man is bound to beleeue , is true : yet not alwaies in the euent , but true in the intention of God that bindeth . Now the commaundement of beleeuing and applying the Gospell is by God giuen to all within the Church ; but not in the same manner to all . It is giuen to the Elect , that by beleeuing they might indeede be saued ; God inabling them to doe that which he commands . To the rest , whome God in iustice will refuse , the same commandement is giuen not for the same cause , but to another end , that they might see how they could not beleeue , and by this meanes be bereft of all excuse in the day of iudgement . God doth not alwaies giue commandements simply that they might be done , but sometimes for other respects , that they might be meanes of triall , as the commaundement giuen to Abraham of killing Isaac : againe that they might serue to keepe men at the least in outward obedience in this life , and stop their mouthes before the tribunall seat of God. In that we are bound in conscience on this manner to beleeue the promises of the Gospel , with an application of the benefits thereof to our selues , sundry necessarie and profitable points of instruction may be learned . The first , that the Popish Doctours abolish a great part of the Gospel , when they teach that men are bound to beleeue the Gospel onely by a Catholike faith , which they make to be nothing els but a gift of God , or illumination of the mind , whereby assent is giuen to the word of God that it is true ; and more specially that Iesus is Christ , that is , an all-sufficient Sauiour of mankind . All which the damned spirits beleeue : whereas the Gospel for the comfort and saluation of mens soules , hath a further reach , namely to enioyne men to beleeue that the promise of saluation is not onely true in it selfe , but also true in the very person of the beleeuer , as appeares euidently by the Sacraments which are as it were a visible Gospel , in which Christ with all his benefits is offered and applied to the particular persons of men : to this ende , no doubt , that they might beleeue the accomplishment of the promise in themselues . Secondly , we learne that it is not presumption for any man to beleeue the remission of his owne sinnes : for to doe the wil of God to which we are boūd , is not to presume : now it is the will of God to which he hath bound vs in conscience , to beleeue the remission of our owne sinnes : and therefore rather not doe it , is presumptuous disobedience . Thirdly , we are here to marke and to remember with care , the foundation of the vnfallible certentie of mans saluation . For if man be bound in conscience first to giue assent to the Gospel , and secondly to applie it to himselfe by true faith , then without doubt a man by faith may be certenly perswaded of his owne Election and saluation in this life without any extraordinarie reuelation : Gods commandements beeing in this and the like cases possible . For commandements are either Legal or Euangelical . Legall shew vs our disease , but giue vs no remedie : and the perfect doing of them according to the intent of the Lawgiuer , by reason of mans weaknes and through mans default , is impossible in this world . As for Euangelical commandements , they haue this priuiledge , that they may and can be performed according to the intent of the Lawgiuer in this life : because with the commandement is ioyned the inward operation of the spirit in the elect , to inable them to effect the dutie cōmaunded : and the will of God is not to require absolute perfection at our hands in the Gospel as in the law , but rather to qualifie the rigour of the law by the satisfaction of a Mediatour in our stead ; and of vs ( we being in Christ ) to accept the vpright will and indeauour for the deede ; as the will to repent , and the will to beleeue , for repentance and true faith indeede . Now then , if things required in the Gospell , be both ordinarie and possible , then for a man to haue an vnfallible certentie of his owne saluation , is both ordinarie and possible . But more of this point afterward . Lastly , all such persons as are troubled with doubtings , distrustings , vnbeleefe , despaire of Gods mercie , are to learne & consider that God by his word bindes them in conscience to beleeue the pardon of their owne sinnes be they neuer so grieuous or many , and to beleeue their owne election to saluation whereof they doubt . Men that are but ciuill haue care to auoid robbing and killing , because God giues commandements against stealing and killing : why then should not we much more striue against our manifold doubtings and distrustings of Gods loue in Christ , hauing a commaundement of God that calls vpon vs and binds vs to so . Thus we see how Gods word bindes conscience : now conscience beeing thus bound , againe bindes the man in whome it is . The bond of conscience is called guiltines . Guiltines is nothing else but a worke of the conscience , binding euery sinner to the punishment of euerlasting death , before God for this or that sinne . Thus much of the proper binder of the conscience : now followes the improper . The improper binder is that which hath no power at all or vertue in it selfe to binde conscience : but doth it onely by the authoritie and vertue of Gods word or some part thereof . It is threefold , Humane lawes , an Oath , a Promise . Touching humane lawes , the speciall point to be considered is , In what manner they binde . That this may in part be cleared , I will stand a while to examine and confute the opinion , that the very pillars of the Popish Church at this day maintaine ; namely , that Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction haue a coactiue power in the conscience , and that the lawes made thereby doe as truly and properly binde ( as they speake ) to mortall and veniall sinne , as Gods law it selfe . The arguments which they commonly vse are these . Argum. 1. Deut. 17. That man that will doe presumptuously , and not obey the a authoritie of the Priest , or Iudge , shall die : and thou shalt take away euill from Israel . Here ( say they ) the precepts of the high Priest are b Imperia , not admonitions or exhortations , & they bind in conscience ; otherwise the transgressours therof should not haue bin punished so seuerely . Ans. The intent of this law ( as a very child may perceiue ) is to establish the authoritie and right of the highest appeales for all matters of controuersie in the Synedrium or great court at Ierusalem . Therefore the words alleadged , doe not giue vnto the Priest a soueraigne power of making laws , but a power of giuing iudgemēt of controuersies , & that according to laws alreadie made by God himself : frō which iudgemēt there might be no appeale . Now this power of determining doth not cōstraine conscience , but the outward man to maintain order & peace . For what reason is there , that , that sentence , which might be either a gainsaying of Gods law , or a mistaking of it , should bind the conscience to a sinne Again , not euery one that refused to subiect themselues to the sentence of this court , were straightway guiltie of sinne , ( for this did Ieremie the Prophet , and Christ our Sauiour , when the Iewes condēned them for wicked persons ) but he that presumptuously despised the sentence , and by consequent the authoritie it selfe , which was the ordinance of God , was guiltie . Lastly , the seueritie of the punishment , which is temporall death , doth not argue any power in the iudge of binding conscience : this they might haue learned of their owne Doctor Gerson , who holdeth that they that bind any man to mortall sinne , must be able to punish him with answerable punishment , which is eternall death . Arg. 2. Matth. 16. Whatsoeuer ye shall bind in earth , shall be bound in heaven . Here ( say they ) to binde , is to make lawes constraining conscience according to Matth. 23.4 . They binde heauie burdens , and lay them on mens shoulders . Ans. The soueraigne power of binding and loosing , is not belonging to any creature , but is proper to Christ , who hath the keyes of heauen and hell : he openeth and no man shutteth , he shutteth and no man openeth , Reuel . 3.5 . As for the power of the Church , it is nothing but a ministerie or seruice whereby men publish and pronounce that Christ bindeth or looseth . Againe , this binding stands not in the power of making lawes , but in remitting and retaining of mens sinnes , as the words going before declare , v. 18. If thy brother sinne against thee , &c. and Christ sheweth his owne meaning when he saith , Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted , and whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained , Ioh. 20. 23. hauing before in the person of Peter promised them this honour , in this forme of words , Math. 16. I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen , whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth , shall be bound in heauen . This which I say , is approoued by consent of auncient Diuines . August . Psal. 101. serm . 2. Remission of sinne ( saith he ) is loosing : therefore by the law of contraries , binding is to hold sinne vnpardoned . Hilar. vpon Matth. cap. 18. Whome they binde on earth , that is ( saith he ) leaue vntied of the knottes of their sinnes . Lumberd the popish master of sentences , The Lord , saith he , hath giuen to Priests power of binding and loosing , that is , of making manifest that men are bound or loosed . Againe both Origen , a Augustine , and b Theophylact attribute the power of binding to all Christians , and therefore they for their parts , neuer dreamed that the power of binding should be an authoritie to make lawes . Lastly , the place Matth. 23.4 . ouerturnes the argument , for there the Scribes and Pharises are condemned , because they laid vpon mens shoulders the burdens of their traditions , as meanes of Gods worship and things binding conscience . Argum. 3. Act. 15. It seemes good vnto vs and the holy Ghost , to lay no more burden on you then these necessarie things , that ye abstaine from things offered to idols , and blood , and that which is strangled , and fornication . Here ( say they ) the Apostles by the instinct of the holy Ghost make a new law not for this or that respect , but simply to bind consciences of the Gentiles , that they might be exercised in obedience . And this is prooued because the Apostles call this law a burden , and call the things prescribed necessarie , and S. Luke tearmes them , the commandements of the Apostles : and Chrysostome calls the Epistle sent to the Church , Imperium , that is , a lordly charge . To this they adde , the testimonies of Tertullian , Origen , Augustine . Ans. Though all be graunted that the law is a burden imposed , a precept of the Apostles , a charge ; againe , that things required therein are necessarie : yet will it not follow by good consequent , that the law simply bindes conscience ; because it was giuen with a reseruation of Christian libertie , so as out of the case of scandall , that is , if no offence were giuen to the weake Iewes , it might freely be omitted . And that will appeare by these reasons . First of all Peter saith , that it is a tempting of God , to impose vpon the Gentiles the yoke of Iewish ceremonies : he therefore must needs be contrarie to himselfe , if he intend to binde mens consciences to abstinence from strangled , blood , and things offered to idols . A replie is made , that this abstinence is prescribed not by the auncient law of Moses , but by a new Ecclesiasticall or Apostolicall authoritie . I answer againe , that a Mosaicall ceremonie is still the same thing , though it be stablished by a new authoritie . And whereas Christ by his death put an ende to the ceremoniall lawe , it is absurd to thinke that the Apostles by their authoritie reuiued some part of it againe , & bound mens consciences thereto . Secondly the Church of God in all places suffered this commandement to cease , which the faithfull seruants of God would neuer haue done , if they had beene perswaded that this law had bound conscience simply . It is aunswered , that this lawe ceased not because the giuing of offence vnto the Iewes ceased , but because it ceased vniuersally : yea but it could not haue ceased vniuersally , if it had bound conscience , specially considering it was propounded to the Church without any mention or limitation of time . Thirdly Paul was present in this counsell : and knew the intent of the law very well , and therefore no doubt hee did not in any of his Epistles gaine-say the fame . This beeing graunted , it cannot bee , that this lawe should bind conscience out of the case of offence . For hee teacheth Corinthians that things offered to idols may be eaten , so be it the weake brother be not offended . Here it is answered , that when Paul writ his first Epistle to the Corinthians , this commandement of the Apostles touching things strangled & blood was not come vnto them . Wel , to grant all this , which can not be prooued , let it be answered , why Paul did not nowe deliuer it , and why he deliuereth a doctrine cōtrarie to that which he had decreed at Ierusalem , which was that the Gentiles should absolutely abstaine from things offered to idolls . As for the testimonie of the fathers they are abused . Indeed Tertullian saith plainly , that Christians in his daies abstained from eating of blood , and he perswades men to continue in so doing , because he is of opinion ( beeing indeede farre decei●ued ) that this very lawe of the Apostles must last to the ende of the world : which cōceit if the Papists hold not , what mean they to build vpō him . Origē saith , that this law was very necessarie in his daies● and no maruell . For by Idolithytes he vnderstandes , not things that haue beene offered to idols , and are afterward brought to priuat houses or to the market as other common meats ; but hee vnderstandes things that remaine consecrated to idols , and are no where else vsed but in their temples , which we graunt with him must for euer be auoided as meanes and instruments of Idolatrie . Whereas the lawe of the Apostles speakes onely of the first kind . As for things strangled and blood , he takes them to be the deuils foode : and for this cause hee approoues abstinence from them . And whereas Augustine saith , that it is a good thing to abstaine from things offered to idols , though it be in necessitie ; hee must bee vnderstood of the first kind of Idolithytes which are yet remaining in the idol-temples still consecrated vnto them , and not of the second , of which the Apostles law ( as I haue said ) must be vnderstood . Argum. 4. Ioh. 21. Christ saith to Peter , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) feed my sheep : that is , ( as the word importeth ) feed and rule my sheepe . Ans. This feeding and ruling stands not in making newe lawes , but in teaching and gouerning the Church of god according to the doctrine which they had receiued from Christ. And this action of feeding is ascribed to all Christians Reuel . 3.27 . Who cannot therevpon chalenge a power of making lawes to the conscience . Argum. 5. Ioh. 20. As my father sent me , so I send you : but Christ was sent of his father not onely with power of preaching and ministring the Sacraments , but also with authoritie of commanding and giuing iudgement . Answ. If this kind of reasoning may stand , all the Apostles shall be made redeemers ; for they were all sent as Christ was : and hee was sent not onely to preach the redemption of mankind , but also to effect and work the same . If this be absurd , then it is a flat abusing of Scripture to gather from this saying of Christ , that the Apostles had power of binding conscience because he had so . It is true indeede that there is a similitude or analogie betweene the calling of Christ and his Apostles ; but it wholly standes in these points . Christ was ordained to his office before all worldes , and so were the Apostles : Christ was called of his father immediatly , and so were they of Christ : Christ was sent to the whole world , and so were they : Christ receiued all power in heauen and earth as beeing necessarie for a Mediatour : and they receiued an extraordinarie authority from him with such a plentifull measure of the spirit as was necessarie for the Apostilicall function . Lastly Christ was sent euen as he was man to bee a teacher of the Iewes : and therefore hee is called the minister of circumcision , Rom. 15.8 . and so the Apostles are sent by him to teach the Gentiles . Thus farre is the comparison to bee enlarged , and no further . And that no man might imagine that some part of this resemblance standes in a power of binding conscience , Christ hath put a speciall exception , when he saith , Go teach all nations , teaching them to obserue all things that I haue commanded you , and not commandements of your owne . Argum. 6. Rom. 13. Whosoeuer resisteth the power , resisteth the ordinance of God : and , they that resist shall receiue to themselues iudgement : and , ye must be subiect not onely for wrath , but also for conscience sake . Ans. Magistracie indeede is an ordinance of God to which we owe subiection , but how farre subiection is due there is the question . For bodie and goods and outward conuersation , I grant all : but a subiection of conscience to mens laws , I denie . And between these two there is a great difference ; to be subiect to authoritie in conscience , & to be subiect to it for conscience , as will be manifest if wee doe but consider the phrase of the Apostle , the meaning whereof is● that wee must performe obedience not onely for anger , that is , for the auoiding of punishment , but also for the auoiding of sinne , and so by consequent for auoiding a breach in conscience . Now this breach is not properly made because mans law is neglected , but because Gods lawe is broken which ordaineth magistracie , and withall bindes mens consciences to obey their lawefull commandements . And the damnation that is due vnto men for resisting the ordinance of god , comes not by the single breach of magistrats commandement , but by a transgression of the lawe of God which appointeth magistrates and their authoritie . To this answer Papists replie nothing that is of moment . Therefore I proceed . Argum. 7.1 . Cor. 4. What will you that I come vnto you with a rod , or in the spirit of meekenes ? Nowe this rod is a iudiciall power of punishing sinners . Answ. For the regiment and protection of Gods Church , there bee two rods mentioned in Scripture : the rod of Christ , and the Apostolicall rodde . The rod of Christ is tearmed a rod of yron , or , the rod of his mouth ; and it signifies that absolute and soueraigne power which Christ hath ouer his creatures , whereby he is able to conuert and saue them , or to forsake and destroy them . And it is a peculiar priuiledge of this rod , to smite and wound the conscience . The Apostolicall rod was a certaine extraordinarie power whereby God inabled to plague and punish rebellious offenders with grieuous iudgements , not in their soules but in their bodies alone . With this rod Paul smote Elimas blinde , and Peter smote Ananias and Saphira with bodily death . And it may bee that Paul by his power did giue vp the incestuous man , when hee was excommunicate , to be vexed in his bodie and tormented by the deuil : but that by this rod the Apostles could smite conscience , it can not be prooued . Argum. 8.1 . Tim. 3. Paul made a lawe that none hauing two wiues should be ordained a bishop : nowe this lawe is positiue and Ecclesiasticall and binds conscience . Answer . Paul is not the maker of this lawe , but God himselfe , who ordained that in marriage not three but two alone should be one flesh : & that they which serue at the altar of the Lord , should be holy . And to graunt that this lawe were a new law beside the written word of God , yet doth it not follow that Paul was the maker of it : because he vsed not to deliuer any doctrine to the Churches but which he receiued of the Lord. Argum. 9. Luk. 10. He which heareth you , heareth me . Ans. These words properly concerne the Apostles , and doe not in like manner belong to the Pastours and teachers of the Church . And the end of these words is not to confirme any Apostolicall authoritie in making lawes to the conscience ; but to signifie the priuiledge which hee had vouchsafed them aboue all others , that he would so farre forth assist them with his spirit , that they should not erre or be deceiued in teaching and publishing the doctrine of saluation , though otherwise they were sinfull men : according to Math. 10. It is not you that speake , but the spirit of my father which speaketh in you . And the promise to be lead into all trueth , was directed vnto them . Argum. 10.1 . Cor. 11. I praise you that you keepe my commandements . Answ. Paul deliuered nothing of his owne concerning the substance of the doctrine of saluation and the worship of God , but that which he receiued from Christ. The precepts here meant are nothing els but rules of decency and comely order in the congregation : and though they were not to be obeyed , yet Pauls meaning was not to bind any mans conscience therewith . For of greater matters he saith , This I speake for your commoditie , & not to intangle you in a snare . 1. Cor. 7.35 . Argum. 11. Councels of auncient fathers when they commaund or forbid any thing , doe it with threatning of a curse to the offenders . Ans. The Church in former time vsed to annexe vnto her Canons the curse anathema , because things decreed by them were indeede , or at the le●st thought to be the will & worde of God : and they had respect in the saying of Paul , If any teach otherwise though hee bee an angel from heauen , let him bee accursed . Therefore Councels in this action were no more but instruments of God to accurse those , whome he first had accursed . Argum. 12. An act indifferent if i● be commanded , is made necessarie : and the keeping of it is the practise of vertue , therefore euery lawe bindes conscience to a sinne . Ans. An act in it selfe indifferent being commanded by mans law , it is not made simply necessarie , for that is as much as Gods law doeth or can doe , but onely in some part , that is , so farre forth as the saide act or action tends to maintaine and preserue the good ende for which the lawe is made . And though the action be in this regard necessarie ; yet doeth it still remaine indifferent , as it is considered in it selfe out of the ende of the lawe : so as if peace , the common good , and comely order may bee maintained and all offence auoided by any other meanes , the act may be done or not done without sinne before God. For whereas God himselfe hath giuen libertie and feedom in the vse of things indif●erent , the lawe of man doeth not take away the same but onely moderate and order the ouercommon vse of it for the common good . Argum. 13. The fast of lent stands by a lawe and commandement of men● and this law binds conscience simply : for the auncient fathers haue called it a Tradition Apostolicall , and make the keeping of it to bee necessarie , and the not keeping of it a sinne , and punish the offenders with excommunication . Ans. It is plaine to him that will not be obstinate , that Lent fast was not commanded in the primitiue Church , but was freely at mens pleasures , and in seuerall Churches diuersly both in regard of space of time , as also in respect of diuersitie of meates . Ireneus in his epistle to Victor cited by Eusebius saith , Some haue thought that they must fast one daie , some two daies , some more , some 40. houres daie and night , which diuersitie of fasting commendeth the vnitie of faith . Spiridion a good man did eate flesh in Lent , and caused his guest to doe the same , and this he did vpon iudgement , because he was perswaded out of gods word , that to the cleane all things were cleane . And Eusebius recordes , that Montanus the hereticke was the first that prescribed solemne and set lawes of fasting . And whereas this fast is called Apostolicall tradition , it is no great matter , for it was the manner of the auncient Church in former times to tearme rites and orders Ecclesi●sticall not set downe in Scriptures Apostolicall orders , that by this meanes they might commend them to the people : as Ierome testifieth , Euery prouince ( saith he ) may thinke the constitutions of the Ancestours to be Apostolicall lawes . And whereas it is said to be a sinne not to fast in Lent ( as Augus●ine speaketh ) it is not by reason of any commandement binding conscience , for Augustine saith plainely , that neither Christ nor his Apostles appointed any set time of fasting : and Chrysostome , that Christ neuer commanded vs to followe his fast ; but the true reason hereof is borrowed from the ende . For the Primitiue Church vsed not the Popish fast , which is to eate whitmeate alone , but an abstinence from all meates vsed specially to mortifie the flesh and to prepare men before hand to a worthie receiuing of the Eucharist . And in regard of this good end was the offence . And wheras it is said that auncient fathers taught a necessitie of keeping this fast , euen Hierome whome they alleadge to this purpose saith the contrarie . For confuting the errour of Montanus who had his set time of fast to be kept of necessitie , he saith , we fast in Lent according to the Apostles tradition as in a time meete for vs : and we do it not , as though it were not lawfull for vs to fast in the rest of the yere except Pentecost : but it is one thing to doe a thing of necessitie , & an other to offer a gift of free will. Lastly , excommunication was for open contempt of this order taken vp in the Church , which was , that men should fast before Easter for their further humiliation and preparation to the sacrament . So the 29. canon of the Councill of Gangres must be vnderstood . As for the Canons of the Apostles ( so falsly called ) and the 8. Councill of Toledo , I much respect not , what they say in this case . Arg. 14. Gods authoritie binds conscience : magistrates authoritie is Gods authoritie : therefore magistrates authoritie binds conscience properly . Ans. Gods authority may be taken two waies : first for that soueraigne and absolute power which he vseth ouer all his creatures : secondly for that finit and limited power which he hath ordained that men should exercise ouer men . If the minor , namely that magistrates authoritie is Gods authoritie , be taken in the first sense , it is false : for the soueraigne power of God is incommunicable . If it be taken in the second sense , the proposition is false . For there be sundrie authorities ordained of God , as the authoritie of the father ouer a child , of the master ouer the seruant , the authority of the master ouer his scholler , which doe bind in conscience as the authoritie of Gods lawes doth . By these arguments which I haue now answered , and by many other beeing but lightly skanned , it will appeare that necessarie obedience is to be performed both to ciuill and Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction : but that they haue a constraining power to bind conscience and that properly as Gods laws doe , it is not yet prooued , neither can be ; as I will make manifest by other arguments . Arg. 1. He that makes a law binding conscience to mortall sinne , hath power , if not to saue , yet to destroy : because by sinne ; which followes vpon the transgression of his law , comes death and damnation . But God is the onely Lawgiuer that hath this priuiledge ; which is , after he hath giuen his law , vpon the breaking or keeping thereof , to saue or destroy , Iam. 4. 12. There is one Lawgiuer that can saue or destroy . Therefore God alone makes lawes binding conscience properly , and no creature can doe the like . Answer is made that S. Iames speakes of the principall Lawgiuer , that by his owne proper authoritie makes laws , and doth in such manner saue and destroy , that he neede not feare to be destroied of any : and that he speakes not of secondarie lawgiuers that are deputies of God , & make laws in his name . I say againe that this answer stands not with the text● For S. Iames speakes simply without distinction , limitation , or exception : and the effect of his reason is this . No man at all must slaunder his brother , because no man must be iudge of the law : and no man can be iudge of the law , because no man can be a lawgiuer to saue or destroy . Now then where be those persons that shall make lawes to the soules of men , and bind them vnto punishment of mortall sinne ; considering that God alone is the sauing and destroying Lawgiuer . Argum. 2. He that can make lawes as truly binding conscience as Gods lawes , can also prescribe rules of Gods worship : because to binde the conscience is nothing else but to cause it to excuse for things that are well done , and therefore truly please God ; and to accuse for sinne whereby God is dishonoured : but no man can prescribe rules of Gods worship ; and humane lawes as they are humane lawes , appoint not the seruice of God. Esa. 29. 13. Their feare towards me was taught by the precept of men . Mat. 15.6 . They worship me in vaine teaching doctrines which are the commandements of men . Papists here make answer , that by lawes of men we must vnderstand such lawes as be vnlawfull or vnprofitable beeing made without the authoritie of God , or instinct of his spirit . It is true indeed that these commandements of men were vnlaweful : but the cause must be considered ; they were vnlawfull not because they commanded that which was vnlawefull and against the wil of God , but because things in themselues lawefull were commanded as parts of Gods worship . To wash the outward part of the cup or platter , and to wash handes before meate , are things in respect of ciuil vse very lawfull , and yet are these blamed by Christ , and no other reason can be rendred but this ; that they were prescribed not as things indifferent or ciuil , but as matters pertaining to Gods worship . It is not against Gods word in some politicke regards to make distinction of meates , and drinkes , and times : yet Paul calls these things doctrines of deuills , because they were commaunded as thinges wherein God should be worshipped . Arg. 3. God hath now in the new Testament giuen a libertie to the conscience , whereby it is freed from all lawes of his owne whatsoeuer , excepting such lawes and doctrines as are necessarie to saluation , Col. 2. 10. If ye be dead with Christ , ye are free from the elements of the world . Gal. 5.1 . Stand yee in the libertie wherewith Christ hath freed you , and be not againe intangled with the yoke of bondage . Now , if humane lawes made after the graunt of this libertie , binde conscience of themselues , thē must they either take away the foresaid liberty , or diminish the same ; but that they cannot doe : for that which is graunted by an higher authoritie , namely God himselfe , cannot be reuoked or repealed by the inferiour authoritie of any man. It is answered , that this freedome is onely from the bondage of sinne , from the curse of the morall lawe , from the ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes of Moses , and not from the lawes of our superiours . And I answer againe , that it is absurb to thinke that God giues vs liberty in conscience from any of his owne lawes , and yet will haue our consciences still to remaine in subiection , to the lawes of sinnefull men . Argum. 4. Whosoeuer bindes conscience , commandes conscience . For● the bond is made by a commandement vrging conscience to doe his dutie , which is to accuse or excuse for euill or well doing . Now Gods lawes command cōscience in as much as they are spirituall , commanding bodie and spirit , with al the thoughts , will , affections , desires , and faculties , and requiring obedience of them all according to their kind . As for the lawes of men , they want power to command conscience . Indeed if it were possible for our gouernours by lawe to command mens thoughts and affections , then also might they command conscience : but the first is not possible , for their lawes can reach no further then the outward man , that is , to body and goods , with the speeches and deedes thereof : and the end of them all , is not to maintaine spirituall peace of conscience , which is betweene man and God , but onely that externall and ciuill peace which is betweene man and man. And it were not meete that men should command conscience , which cannot see conscience and iudge of all her actions , which appeare not outwardly , and whereof there be no witnesses , but God and the conscience of the doer . Lastly , men are not fitte commaunders of conscience , because they are no Lordes of it , but God himselfe alone . Argum. 5. Men in making lawes are subiect to ignorance and errour : and therefore when they haue made a lawe ( as neere as possibly they can ) agreeable to the equitie of Gods lawe , yet can they not assure themselues and others that they haue failed in no point or circumstance . Therefore it is against reason that humane lawes beeing subiect to defects , faults , errours , and manifold imperfections , should truely bind conscience , as Gods lawes doe , which are the rule of righteousnes . All gouernours in the world , ( by reason that to their old lawes , they are constrained to put restrictions , ampliations , and modifications of all kinds , with new readings and interpretations ) vpon their daily experience see and acknowledge this to bee true which I say , sauing the Bishop of Rome ( so falsly tearmed ) which perswades himselfe to haue when he is in his consistorie , such an infallible assistance of the spirit , that he cannot possibly erre in iudgement . Argum. 6. If mens lawes by inward vertue bindes conscience properly as Gods lawes , then our dutie is to learne , studie , and remember them as well as Gods laws , yea ministers must be diligent to preach them , as they are diligent in preaching the doctrine of the gospell : because euery one of them bindes to mortall sinne , as the Papists teach . But that they should be taught and learned as Gods lawes , it is most absurd in the iudgement of all men , Papists thēselues not excepted . Argum. 7. Inferiour authoritie cannot bind the superiour : nowe the courts of men and their authority are vnder conscience . For God in the heart of euery man hath erected a tribunall seate , and in his stead hee hath placed neither Saint nor Angell , nor any other creature whatsoeuer , but conscience it selfe , who therefore is the highest Iudge that is or can be vnder God ; by whose direction also courts are kept , and lawes are made . Thus much of the Popish opinion : by which it appeares that one of the principall notes of Antichrist agrees fittely to the Pope of Rome . Paul , 2. Thess. 2. makes it a speciall propertie of Antichrist to exalt himselfe against or aboue all that is called God , or worshipped . Now what doth the Pope els , when he takes vpon him authoritie to make such lawes as shall bind the cōscience , as properly and truely as Gods lawes ? and what doth he els when hee ascribes to himselfe power to free mens consciences frō the bond of such laws of God , as are vnchangeable ; as may appeare in a Canon of the Councill of Trent : the words are these , If any shal say , that those degrees of consanguinitie that be expressed in L●uiticus , doe onely hinder matrimonie to be made , and breake it being made , and that the Church cannot dispense with some of them , or appoint that more degrees may hinder or breake marriage , let him be accursed . O sacrilegious impietie ! considering the lawes of affinitie and consanguinitie , Leuiticus 18. are not ceremoniall , or iudiciall lawes peculiar to the Iewes , but the very laws of nature . What is this Canon else , but a publike proclamation to the world , that the pope & church of Rome do sit as lords , or rather idols in the hearts & consciēces of men . This wil yet more fully appeare to any man , if we read popish bookes of practicall or Case-diuinitie , in which the common manner is , to binde conscience where God looseth it , and to loose where he binds : but a declaration of this , requires long time . Now I come ( as neere as possibly I can ) to set down the true manner , how mens lawes by the common iudgement of Diuines may be said to binde conscience . That this point may be cleared , two things must be handled . By what meanes they binde , and How farre forth . Touching the meanes , I set downe this rule . Wholesome lawes of men , made of things indifferent , so farre forth bind conscience by vertne of the generall commādement of God , which ordaineth the Magistrates authoritie : that whoso●uer shall wittingly and willingly , with a disloyall minde , either breake or omit such lawes , is guiltie of sinne before . By wholesome lawes , I vnderstand such positiue constitutions , as are not against the lawe of God , and withall tend to maintaine the peaceable estate and common good of men . Furthermore I adde this clause , made of things indifferent , to note the peculiar matter whereof humane lawes properly intreat : namely such things as are neither expressely commanded or forbidden by God. Now such kind of laws haue no vertue or power in thēselues to constraine conscience , but they binde onely by vertue of an higher commandement . Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers , Rom. 13.1 . or , Honour father and mother , Exod. 20. which commandements binds vs in conscience to performe obedience to the goodlawes of men . As S. Peter saith , Submit your selues to euery humane ordinance for the Lord. 1. Pet. 2.13 . that is , for conscience of God , as he sayeth afterward , v. 19. whereby he signifieth two things : first that God hath ordained the authoritie of gouernours , secondly that he hath appointed in his word , and thereby bound men in conscience to obey their gouernours lawful commandements . If the case fall out otherwise , as commonly it doeth , that humane lawes bee not inacted of things indifferēt , but of things that be good in themselues , that is , commanded by God , then are they not humane properly but diuine lawes . Mens lawes intreating of things that are morally good , and the parts of Gods worship , are the same with Gods lawes : and therefore bind conscience , not because they were inacted by men , but because they were first made by God : mē beeing no more but instruments and ministers in his name to reuiue , renewe , and to put in exequution such precepts and lawes as prescribe the worship of God , standing in the practise of true religion and vertue . Of this kinde are all positiue lawes touching articles of faith , and the duties of the morall law . And the man that breakes such lawes sinnes two waies , first because he breaks that which is in conscience a lawe of God , secondly because in disobeying his lawfull Magistrate , he disobeyes the generall commandement of God touching magistracie . But if it shall fall out that mens lawes bee made of things that are euill and forbidden by God , then is there no bond of conscience at al ; but contrariwise men are bound in conscience not to obey , Act. 4.19 . And hereupon the three children are commended for not obeying Nabuchadnezzar , when he gaue a particular commandement vnto them to fall downe and worship the golden image , Dan. 3. Moreouer , in that mans law bindes not but by the authoritie of Gods law , hence it followes , that Gods law alone hath this priuiledge , that the breach of it should be a sinne . S. Iohn saith 1. epist. 3. Sinne is the anomie , or , transgression of the law , vnderstanding Gods law . When Dauid by adulterie and murder had offended many men , and that many waies , he saith Psal. 51. Against thee , against thee haue I sinned . And Augustine defined sinne to be some thing said , done , or desired against the lawe of God. Some man may say , if this bee so , belike then we may breake mens laws without sinne . I answer , that men in breaking humane lawes , both may and doe sinne ; but yet not simply , because they break them , but because in breaking them , they doe also breake the lawe of God. The breach of a law must bee considered two waies . Frst as it is a trespasse , hinderance , iniurie , damage ; and in this respect it is committed against mens lawes : secondly the breach of a lawe must be considered as it is finne , and so it is onely against Gods lawe , which appoints obedience to the Magistrate . The second point , namely , Howe farre forth mens lawes bind conscience , I explane on this maner . It is all that the lawes of God do or can doe , to binde conscience simply and absolutely . Therefore humane lawes binde not simply of themselues , but so farreforth as they are agreeable to Gods word , serue for the common good , stand with good order , and hinder not the libertie of cōscience . The necessitie of the law ariseth of the necessitie of the good end therof . And as the ende is good and profitable more or lesse , so is the lawe it selfe necessarie more or lesse . Mens lawes are like their testimonies , which neither prooue nor disprooue of themselues , but borrow all the strength which they haue to constraine , from the trueth , wisdome , and fidelitie of them that beare witnesse . Hence it followeth that a man may doe any thing beside humane lawes and constitutions without breach of conscience . For if we shall omit the doing of any law , I. without hinderence of the ende and particular considerations , for which the lawe was made : II. without offence giuing , as much as in vs lieth : III. without contempt of him that made the lawe , wee are not to be accused of sinne . Example . In time of warre , the magistrate of a cittie commands that no man shall open the gates : the ende is , that the cittie & euery member thereof may be in safetie . Now it falls out that certaine cittizens , beeing vpon occasion without the cittie , are pursued by the enemie and in danger of their liues . Hereupon some man without any more adoe openeth the gate to reskue thē . The question is , whether he haue sinned or no. And the truth is , he hath not : because he did not hinder the ende of the lawe , but rather further it , and that without scandal to men , or contempt to the magistrate . And this stands euen by the equitie of Gods word . God made a lawe , that the priests onely should eate of the shewbread : now Dauid beeing no priest , did vpon vrgent occasion eate of it without sinne . If this be true in Gods law , then it may also be true in the lawes of men , that they may in some cases be omitted without sinne against God. Neither must this seeme straunge . For as there is a keeping of a law , and a breaking of the same ; so there is a middle or meane action betweene them both , which is , to doe a thing a beside the law , and that without sinne . To proceede further , mens lawes be either Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall . Ciuill laws are for their substance determinations of necessarie and profitable circumstances , tending to vphold and maintaine the commandements of the second table . More specially they prescribe what is to be done , and what is to be left vndone , touching actions both ciuill and criminall , touching offices and bargaines of all sorts , &c. yea they conclude , inioyne , and command not onely such affaires as be of small importance ; but also things and actions of great waight , tending to maintaine common peace , ciuill societie , and the very state of the common wealth . Now such lawes bind so farre forth , that , albeit they be omitted without any apparant scandall or contempt , yet the breach of them is a sinne before God. Take this example . A subiect in this land vpon pouertie , or vpon a couetous minde , against the good law of the land , coynes money , which afterward by a sleight of his witte , is cunningly conueied abroad into the hands of men , and is not espied . Here is no euident offence giuen to any man , nor open contempt shewed to the lawgiuer : and yet in this action he hath sinned , in that closely otherwise then he ought to haue done , he hath hindred the good of the commonwealth ; and robbed the soueraigne Prince of her right . Ecclesiasticall lawes , are certaine necessarie and profitable determinations of circumstances of the commandements of the first table . I say here circumstances , because all doctrines pertaining to the foundation and good estate of the Church , as also the whole worship of God , are set downe and commaunded in the written word of God , and can not be prescribed and concluded otherwise by all the Churches in the world . As for the Creedes and Conf●ssions of particular Churches , they are in substance Gods word , and they bind not in conscience by any power the Church hath , but because they are the word of God. The lawes then which the Church in proper speach is said to make , are decrees concerning outward order and comelines in the administration of the word and Sacraments , in the meetings of the congregation , &c. and such laws made according to the generall rules of Gods word , ( which requires that all things be done to edification , in comelines , for the auoiding of offence ) are necessarie to be obserued , and the word of God binds all men to them so farre forth as the keeping of them maintaines decent order , and preuents open offence . Yet if a law concerning some externall ri●e or thing indifferent , be at sometime or vpon some occasion omitted ; no offence giuen , nor contempt shewed to Ecclesiastical authoritie , there is no breach made in the conscience : and that appeares by the example before handled . The Apostles guided by the holy Ghost , made a decree for the auoiding of offence , necessarie to be obserued , namely that the Gentiles should abstaine from strangled & blood & Idolithytes : and yet Paul out of the case of scandall and contempt , permits the Corinthians to doe otherwise , 1. Cor. 8. and 9. which he would not haue done , if to doe otherwise out of the case of scandall and contempt , had bin sin . Againe , laws are either mixt or meerely penall . Mixt , are such lawes as are of waightie matters , and are propounded in commaunding or forbidding tearmes : and they according to the good intention of the Lawgiuer , bind men first of all to obedience , for the necessarie good of humane societies ; and secondly to a punishment , if they obey not , that a supplie may be made of the hindrance of the common good . In the breach of this kind of lawes , though a man be neuer so willing to suffer the punishment , yet that will not discharge his conscience before God , when he offends . If a man coyne money with this mind to be willing to die when he is conuicted , yet that wil not free him from a sinne in the action , because Gods law bindes vs not onely to subjection in bearing of punishments , but also to obedience of his bare commandement , it beeing lawfull ; though he should set downe no punishment . A law meerely penall is that , which beeing made of matters of lesse importance , and not vttered precisely in commanding tearmes , doth onely declare and shew what is to be done , or conditionally require this or that with respect to the punishment , on this manner . If any person doe this or that , then he shall forfeit thus or thus . This kind of law bindes especially to the punishment , and that in the very intent of the lawgiuer , and he that is readie in omitting the law to pay the fine or punishment , is not to be charged with sinne before God : the penaltie beeing answerable to the losse that comes by the neglect of the law . Here a question may be demanded ; whether a man that hath taken his oath to keepe all the laws or orders of any towne or corporation , and yet afterward omits the doing of some of them , be periured or no. The answer may be this , that the lawes of euery societie and corporation must be distinguished . Some are very weightie ( as I haue said ) beeing of the very foundation and state of a bodie ; so as it can not well stand without them : and whosoeuer wittingly and willingly breakes any of these ( they beeing good and lawfull , ) can not be freed from periurie . Againe there be lawes of lesser importance , that tend onely to maintaine decent order and comelines in the societies of men ; and they are of that nature that the estate of the corporation or towne may stand without them : and whosoeuer vpon occasion omits the doing of any of these , is not therefore periured , so be it he carrie a loyall mind and be content to pay the fine or penaltie . For such kind of orders and constitutions , require first of all obedience ; and if that be omitted , they require a mulct or fine ; which , if it be willingly paied , the law is satisfied . Thus we see how farre forth mens lawes bind conscience . The vse of this point is this : I. Hence we learne that the immunitie of the Popish cleargie , whereby they take themselues exempted from ciuill courts and from ciuill authoritie in criminall causes , hath no warrant : because Gods cōmandements binds euery man whatsoeuer , to be subiect to the magistrate , Rom. 13.1 . Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers . II. Hence we see also , what notorious rebells those are , that beeing borne subiects of this land , yet choose rather to die then to acknowledge ( as they are bound in conscience ) the Queenes ; Maiestie to be supreame gouernour vnder God in all causes & ouer all persons . III. Lastly we are taught hereby to be willing to giue subiection , obedience , reuerence , and all other duties to Magistrates , whether they be superiour or inferiour : yea with chearefulnes to pay taxes and subsidies , and all such lawfull charges as are appointed by them . Giue to Cesar that which is Cesars , & to God that which is Gods. Giue to all men their duties : tribute to whom tribute : custome to whome custome . Rom. 13.7 . Now follows the Oath , which is either assertorie , or promissorie . Assertorie , by which a man auoucheth that a thing was done or not done . Promissorie , by which a man promiseth to doe a thing or not to doe it . Of both these I meane to speake , but specially of the second . And here two points must be considered , the first by whāt meanes an oath bindeth , the second when it bindeth . An oath bindeth by vertue of such particular commandements , as require the keeping of othes lawfully taken . Num. 30.3 . Whosoeuer sweareth an oath to binde his soule by a bond , he shall not breake his word , but shall doe according to all that proceede out of his mouth . This beeing so , a question may be made , whether the oathes of Infidels bind conscience , and by what vertue , cōsidering they neither know the Scriptures nor the true God. Ans. They a doe bind in conscience . For example : Iacob and Laban make a couenant confirmed by oath . Iacob sweares by the true God , Laban by the gods of Nachor , that is , by his idols . Now Iacob , though he approoue not the forme of this oath , yet he accepts it for a ciuill bond of the couenant : and no doubt , though Laban beleeued not Gods word reuealed to the Patriarkes , yet he was bound in conscience to keepe this oath euen by the law of nature : and though he knew not the true God , yet he reputed the false god of Nachor to be the true God. Gen. 31.53 . Againe , if a lawfull oath by vertue of Gods commandements bind conscience , then it must needes be that the Romane Church hath long erred , in that shee teacheth and maintaineth that gouernours , as namely the Pope and other inferiour Bishops , haue power to giue relaxations and dispensations , not onely for oathes vnlawfull ( from which the word of God doth sufficiently free vs , though they should neuer giue absolution ) but from a true and lawfull oath made wittingly and willingly without error or deceit , of a thing honest and possible ; as when the Pope frees the subiects of this land , as occasion is offered , from their sworne allegiance and loyaltie to which they are bound , not onely by the law of nature , but also by a solemne and particular oath to the Supremacie , which none euer deemed vnlawfull but such as carrie traytours hearts . Now this erronious diuinitie would easily be reuoked , if men did but consider the nature of an oath , one part whereof is Inuocation , in which we pray vnto God , first that he would become a witnes vnto vs that we speake the truth and purpose not to deceiue : secondly if we faile and breake our promise , that he would take reuenge vpon vs : and in both these petitions we bind our selues immediatly to God himselfe : and God againe who is the ordainer of the oath , accepts this bond and knits it by his commandement , till it be accomplished . Hence it follows , that no creature can haue power to vntie the bond of an oath that is truly and lawfully an oath , vnlesse we will exalt the creatures aboue God himselfe . And the Iewish teachers gaue better counsell when they commanded the people to performe their oathes to the Lord , for the preuenting of periurie , and our Sauiour Christ in that gainesaies them not . Math. 5.33 . Next let vs consider the time when an oath bindeth or bindeth not . An oath bindeth then , when it is made of things certen and possible , in truth , iustice , iudgement , for the glorie of God & the good of our neighbour . Quest. I. Whether doth an oath bind conscience if by the keeping of it there follow losses and hindrances ? Ans. If it be of a thing that is lawfull , and the damages be priuate to him that sweareth , then doth it bind conscience . For example : A man makes a purchase of land at the sea side : his bargaine is confirmed onely by oath : and it falls out that before he doe enter possession , the sea breakes in and drownes a part of that purchase . Now he is in conscience to stand to his bargaine , because the thing is lawfull , and the damage is priuate , and great reuerence must be had of the name of God , which hath bin vsed in the bargaine making . Dauid makes it the propertie of a good man , to sweare to his owne hindrance and not to change , Psal. 15.4 . Quest. II. Whether the oath which a man hath taken , beeing induced therto by fraud and guile , doth bind conscience . Ans. If it be still of a thing lawfull , and bring nothing but priuate losses , it is to be kept . When the Gibeonites had by a fraud brought Iosua to make a league with them , and to bind it with an oath ; he and the Princes of the people answer them thus : We haue sworne vnto them by the Lord God of Israel , now therefore we may not touch them , Ios. 9. 19. And 300. yeares after , when Saul slue certaine of the Gibeonites against this oath , the plague was vpon the people of Israel three yeares , and was not staied till certaine persons of Sauls familie for a recompence were put to death . 2. Sam. 21.7 . Quest. III. Whether an oath made by feare or compulsion bind in conscience . For example : A thiefe disappointed of the bootie which he looked for , bindes the true man by solemne oath vpon paine of present death to fetch and deliuer vnto him some portion of money , as one 100. or 200. crownes for the redeeming of his life . Well , the oath is taken , and the question is ; whether it bind him or not to performe his promise . An answer may be this : some a Protestant diuines thinke it doth bind : some againe thinke b no : but I take it the safest course to hold the meane betweene both , on this manner . The oath seemes to binde , and is to be performed : neither is it against the good of the common-wealth ( for then it were vnlawfull ) but it is rather a furtherance in that a member thereof is preserued : and the losses which follow are onely priuate to the man , rather to be endured then losse of life . Yet that a remedie may be had of this priuate iniurie , and that a publike mischiefe may be preuented , the partie is to reueale the matter to the Magistrate , whose office it is to punish robbers and to order all things according to equitie for the common good . But if the case fal out , that the man through exceeding feare doe further sweare to keepe silence , I see not how his oath may be kept , except he be sure that nothing will ensue thereof , but a priuate domage to himselfe . For otherwise perpetuall silence seemes to be a secret consenting to the robber , and an occasion that others fall into the like danger and hazard of their liues . Againe , in sixe cases an oath bindes nothing at all . I. If it be made of a thing that is flat against the word of God. For all the power of binding which it hath is by the word of God : and therefore when it is against Gods will , it hath no power to constraine . And it is an old receiued rule , that an oath must not be a bond of iniquitie . Hereupon Dauid when he made a rash oath to kill Nabal and all his houshold , reioyced when he had occasion offered by Abigail to breake the same , 1. Sam. 23.32 . And though he sware to Shemi , that he would saue his life , 2. Sam. 19. 23. yet afterward vpon better consideration ( as it may seeme ) he commaunded his sonne Salomon to put him to death , as one that had long ago deserued the same . 1. King. 2.9 . And Herod was farre deceiued , that thought he was bound by his oath to giue to the damsell Iohn Baptists head in a platter , Matth. 14.7 . II. If it be against the good and wholesome laws of any kingdome or countrey , whereof a man is a member , it bindes not at all : because on the contrarie Gods commandement bindes vs to keepe the good laws of men . III. If it be made by such persons as want sufficient reason and discretion , as young children , fooles , madde men . For the conscience can not indeede be bound where the vnderstanding can not discerne what is done . IV. If it be made of such as haue no power to bind themselues , it binds not : because it is made against the law of nature , which is , that a he which is not in his owne power can not binde himselfe . Hence it follows , that Papists erre grossely when they teach , that a child b may enter into any rule or order of religion , yea binde himselfe thereto by oath , and the oath to be good , flat against his parents consent . Num. 30.4 . If a woman vow vnto the Lord , and binde her selfe by a hond , beeing in her fathers house in the time of her youth , &c. v. 6. If her father disallow her the same day that he heareth all her vowes and bonds , they shall not be of value . And an ancient Council decreed that all children that vpon pretence of Gods worship should depart from their parents , and not doe them due reuerence , should be accursed . Secondly they erre in that they teach that the promise made priuately by a child in way of marriage , without and against consent of wise and careful parents , binds them : whereas indeed if this promise were further bound by an oth , it could not stand : because children vnder gouernment and tuition of parents , can not giue themselues . V. It bindes not if it be made of a thing that is out of a mans power , as if a man sweare to his friend to giue him an other mans goods . VI. If at the first it were lawfull , and afterward by some meanes become either impossible or vnlawfull , it binds not conscience . For when it becomes impossible , then we may safely thinke that God from heauen frees a man from his oath . And when it begins to be vnlawfull , then it ceaseth to bind , because the binding vertue is onely in and from the word of God. For example : A king bindes himselfe by oath to a forraine Christian Prince to find him men and money to defend his people against all enemies . This oath is lawfull . Well , afterward the Prince becomes a professed enemie to him , his religion , and people : and then the kings oath becomes vnlawful & binds him not : because the word forbids that there should be any league of amitie with Gods enemies : though there may be leagues of concord with thē . Seeing a lawfull oath must bind conscience , though a man be deceiued & great losses follow , it shewes in how great reuerence we should haue Gods name , and with what care and consideration take an oath . And by this we must be aduertised to take heede of customable swearing in our cōmon talke , whether our oathes be great or small . We must thinke of an oath as a part of Gods worshippe : nay the holy Ghost often puts it for the whole worship of God. Esa. 19.18 . In that day shall fiue cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan , and shall sweare by the Lord of hostes , that is , acknowledge and worship him . Ierem. 12.16 . If they will learne the waies of my people , to sweare by my name , The Lord liueth , then shall they bee built in the middest of my people . This serues to shewe vnto vs , that such as giue themselues to swearing , want religion and good conscience : and that those families in which there is rifenesse of oathes , abandon all care of religion , and banish God out of their houses . And indeede it is a very hard thing for the common swearer to auoide common periurie . If we see a man hold vp his hand at the barre of an earthly iudge , wee pitie him and are sorrie for him : oh then why doe we not pittie blasphemers and common swearers . For with God they are no better then rebels , that hold vp their hands at the barre of his iudgement seat as guiltie malefactours . Exod . 20.7 . Augustine saith well , They that worship stocks & stones feare to sweare fasly by stones , and doest thou not feare God that is present , God that liueth , God that knoweth , God that taketh reuenge of contemners ? but of bad custome when thou art beleeued , thou swearest : when none requires it , thou swearest : and when men cannot abide it , thou swearest . Thus much of an Oath : nowe followes a promise , which is either to God , or man : the first is called a vowe , the second a single promise . A vowe is taken three waies . First generally for a promise of morall obedience ; and this vowe is first made in Baptisme and continued in the Lords supper , as also in the spirituall exercises of inuocation and repentance . It is called of Peter 1. epist. 3.21 . the stipulation which a good conscience makes to God. This kinde of vowe bindes all and euery member of the Church of God. And the not keeping of it is the common sinne of the world : for most men make not conscience to performe that which they haue promised to God in Baptisme : and therefore their Baptisme is become vnto them the sacrifice of fooles , Eccl. 4.17 . But considering we are bound in conscience by this vow , let vs hereafter indeauour to be as good as our word ; and that shall bee , when we begin to die to our sinnes and rise to newnesse of life . There is no man almost but will seeme to haue care to keepe touch with men ; what a shame is it then for vs not to keepe couenant with God. Againe , a vowe is taken for a promise of ceremoniall obedience , whereof read Num. 6. and 30. and Leuit. 27. This vow is peculiar to the old testament , and did not bind all men , but onely such as had peculiar occasion to vow , and thereupon bound themselues : as the Nazarites , and others . Thirdly , a vowe is taken for the performance of some outward and bodily exercises taken vp of a mans owne accord , as beeing things in a mans owne libertie , without any commandement of god : as the keeping of set times of fast , of praying or reading , the performance of set taskes , almes giuing , abstinence from certaine meates and drinkes , in the vse whereof through our own weaknesse , we feare any occasion of sinne . And this kind of vowe is more peculiar to the new testament . dieth , but alwaies lies gnawing and grabbling , and pulling at the heart of man , Mark. 9.24 . & causeth more paine and anguish , then any disease in the world can doe . The time when conscience performes these actions , is not before the sinne or in the act of sinning , but especially after the sinne is done and past . Reason I. Before a man sinneth , the deuill doth extenuate the fault and make sinne to be no sinne . II. Corrupt affections doe for a time so blind and ouercast iudgment , that it doeth not see or at the least consider what is good or badde , till afterward . Neither doth conscience accuse and condemne onely for time present , but also long after a thing is done . The consciences of Iosephs brethren accused them 2● . yeares after they had sold him into Egypt , Gen. 42.21 . The effect of the accusing and condemning conscience , is to stirre vp sundrie passions and motions in the heart , but specially these fiue . The first is shame , which is an affection of the heart , whereby a man is grieued and displeased with himselfe , that he hath done any euill : and this shame sheweth it selfe by the rising of the blood from the heart to the face . Yet wee must here remember that euen such as haue the pardon of their sinnes , and are not guiltie , may be ashamed and blush , Rom. 6. 21. What fruite had ye in those things , whereat yee nowe blush , or , hee ashamed . Yet for all this , euen those which are most guiltie , may be without all shame , Ier. 6.15 . Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination ? nay , nay ; ( they were not ashamed , neither could they haue any shame : because they are growne to some great height in sinne . Eph 4.18 . The second passion is sadnes and sorrowe : which is commonly thought to be nothing else but melancholie : but betweene them twaine , there is great difference . Sorrow , that comes by melancholy , ariseth only of that humour annoying the bodie : but this other sorrow ariseth of a mans sinnes , for which his cōscience accuseth him . Melancholly may be cured by physicke : this sorrow can not be cured by any thing but by the blood of Christ. The third is feare : in causing whereof conscience is very forcible . If a man had all the delights and pleasures that heart can wish , they can not doe him any good , if conscience be guiltie . Belshazzar when hee was in the middest of all his delights , and sawe the hand writing vpon the wall , his countenance changed , his thoughts troubled him , his ioynts loosed , and his knees smote togither , Dan. 5.9 . Yea the guiltie conscience will make a man afraid , if hee see but a worme peepe out of the ground : or a silly creature to goe crosse his way : or if hee see but his owne shadow on a suddain : or if he doe but forecast an euil with himselfe . Prou. 28.1 . The wicked flieth when no man pursueth him . Terrours of conscience , when they are more vehement cause other passions in the body , as exceeding heate , like that which is in the fitte of an ague , the rising of the entralls towardes the mouth : and souning : as experience hath often shewed . And the writer of the booke of wisdome saith truely , cap. 17.10 . It is a fearefull thing when malice is condemned by her owne testimony : and a conscience that is touched , doeth euer forecast cruell things . For feare ●● nothing else , but the betraying of the succours , that reason offereth , &c. they that did endure the a might that was intollerable , &c. sometimes were troubled with monstrous visions , and sometimes they swouned , as though their owne soules should betray them : for a sudden feare not looked for , came vpon them . The fourth is desperation , whereby a man through the vehement and constant accusation of his conscience , comes to be out of all hope of the pardon of his sinnes . This made Saul , Achitophel , and Iudas , to hang themselues : this makes many in these daies to doe the like : as appeareth by the declarations of such as haue beene preuented , when they were about to hang or drowne thēselues , or to cut their owne throates . The last is a perturbation or disquietnesse of the whole man : whereby all the powers and faculties of the whole man are forth of order . Esa. 57.20 . The wicked are like the raging of the sea that cannot rest , whose waters cast vp mire and dirt . Thus much of the two first actions of conscience , which are to accuse and condemne : the second followeth to excuse and absolue . To excuse , is an action of the conscience giuing iudgement that the thing is well done . To absolue , is an action of the conscience giuing iudgement that a man is free and cleare from fault and so from punishment . From these two actions arise some speciall affections : I. boldnes and confidence , Prou. 28.1 . The righteous are bold as a lyon . II. Ioy and reioycing , 2. Cor. 1. 12. Our reioycing is the testimonie of my conscience , that in all simplicitie and godly purenes I haue had my conuersation in the world . Hence it is said , that a good conscience is a continuall feast . Hitherto I haue spoken how conscience giues iudgement of things done and past : now followeth hir iudgement of things to be done . Conscience giues iudgement of things to come , by foretelling , and ( as it were ) saying inwardly in the heart , that the thing may be well done . Of this kind of iudgement euery man may haue experience in himselfe , when he is about to enterprise any busines either good or bad . By this we may see the goodnes of God to all men . If a man beeing to make an vnknowne iourney , should finde one that would goe with him and shew him the way , and all the turnings thereof , he could not but take it for a point of curtesie . Well , we are pilgrimes in this world , our life is our iourney : God also hath appointed our conscience to be our companion and guide , to shew vs what course we may take and what we may not . And here it must be noted , that in all things to be done , conscience is of great force and beares a great stroke . For , this is the beginning of a good worke , that the conscience first of all giue her iudgement truly , that the thing may be done , and is acceptable to God. Rom. 14.23 . Whatsoeuer is not of faith , that is , whatsoeuer is not done of a setled perswasion in iudgement & conscience out of Gods word , howsoeuer men iudge of it , is sinne . Againe , God regards not the outward pompe of the action of the doer , but obedience and especially the obedience of the heart : therfore vnles the cōscience first of all approoue the thing to be good and agreeable to Gods will , it can be nothing els but a sinne . And he that shall doe a thing , because it is good in his owne eyes , not knowing that God doth allowe of it , preferres himselfe before God , & disobeies as the seruant that in his masters house will not doe his masters will but his owne will. From this former rule arise three other : the first , whatsoeuer is done with a doubting conscience is a sinne . For example : some beleeuers in the Primitiue Church held , that still after the ascension of Christ there remained a differēce betweene meate and meate , and therefore it was a scruple to them to eate of sundrie kind of meates : now put the case , that by example they are drawne on to eate swines flesh , or some other thing which they thinke is forbidden ; this done , there is no question but they haue sinned , as Paul prooueth , Rom. 14. 14. I knowe and am perswaded through the Lord Iesus , that there is nothing vncleane of it selfe : but vnto him t●at iudgeth any thing vncleane , it is vncleane : and v. 23. He that doubteth , is condemned , if he eate , because he eateth not of faith . The second , whatsoeuer thing is done in , or with an erronious conscience , it is a sinne . For example : in the Primitiue Church diuers of the gentiles held this errour , that fornication was a thing indifferent , and therefore conscience tolde them that they might doe it : and yet neuerthelesse fornication in them was a sinne , because conscience erred in her iudgement . And euill remaines euill , though conscience say the contrarie a thousand times . The third , what is done a against conscience though it erre and bee deceiued , it is sin in the doer . Example . An Anabaptist holding it vtterly vnlawful to sweare , is brought before a magistrate ; and vrged either through feare or some like cause , takes an oath and that against his owne conscience : nowe the question is , whether he hath sinned or no ? Ans. Hee hath indeede sinned ; not so much because hee hath taken an oath , for that is the ordinance of God : but because hee hath taken an oath in a bad manner , that is , against his conscience , & therfore not in faith . Thus it is manifest that conscience beares a great stroke in all things that are to be said or done . And hereby we are aduertised of many things . First , if a thing done without good direction of conscience bee a sinne , then much more that which is done without good direction of Gods word is a flat sinne : for without direction of Gods word , conscience can giue no good direction . And if God will hold that for a sinne which is done without direction of his word , then no doubt Gods word ministers sufficient direction for all actions whatsoeuer : so as if a man be but to receiue a morsel of bread into his mouth , it can so farre forth direct him , that in doing of it , hee shall be able to please God. If this were not true , mās case were most miserable . For then we should sinne in manifold actions , and that without remedie . And hereby the Word , I meane nothing but the Scriptures of the olde and newe testament , which containe in themselues sufficient direction for all actions . As for the lawe of nature , though it affoard indeede some direction ; yet is it corrupt , imperfect , vncerten : & whatsoeuer is right and good therein , is contained in the written word of god . And as for the best vnwritten traditions , let all the Papists in the world answer if they can , howe I may in conscience be perswaded that they are the word of God. If they say that the auncient fathers of the Primitiue Church auouch in their writings that they are Apostolicall traditions , I aunswer againe , howe shall I knowe and be certaine in conscience that the fathers subiect to errour , in saying so , haue not erred . Againe we learne hence , that a good intention is not sufficient to make a good work , vnles withall conscience giue iudgement that God doth approue the action . This shewes the ignorance of our people , that when as , in their dealings they runne vpon a good meaning , then alwaies they thinke they do well and please God. Thirdly , hence it appeares that all things deuised by man for the worship of God , are flat sinnes ; because conscience cannot say of them that they please God , Esay 29.13 . Mar. 7.7 . Lastly we learne here that ignorance of Gods will and word , is a dangerous thing , and makes the life of man to abound , yea to flowe with a sea of offences against God. Men commonly thinke that if they keepe themselues frō periurie , blasphemie , murder , theft , whoredome , all is well with them : but the trueth is , that so long as they liue in ignorance , they want right and true direction of conscience out of Gods worde , and therefore their best actions are sinnes , euen their eating and drinking , their sleeping and waking , their buying and selling , their speech and silence , yea their praying and seruing of god . For they do these actions either of custome , or example , or necessitie , as beasts doe , and not of faith : because they know not Gods will touching things to be done or left vndone . The consideration of this point should make euery man most carefull to seeke for knowledge of Gods word , and daily to increase in it , that hee may in all his affaires haue Gods lawes to bee the men of his counsell , Psal. 116. 24. that hee may giue heede to them as to the light shining in a darke place , 2. Pet. 1.19 . that he may say with Peter , when Christ commanded him to launch forth into the deepe , and to cast forth his nette : Lord we haue bin all night , and haue catched nothing : yet in thy word will I let downe my nette , Luk. 5.5 . CHAP. III. Of the kindes of conscience : and of conscience regenerate . COnscience is either good or badde . Good conscience is that which rightly according to Gods word , excuseth and comforteth . For the excellency , goodnesse , and dignitie of conscience , standes not in accusing , but in excusing . And by doing any sinne whatsoeuer to giue an occasion to the conscience to accuse and condemne , is to wound it and to offend it . Thus Paul saith that the Corinthians wounded the consciences of their weake breathren , when they vsed their libertie as an occasion of offence to them , 1. Cor. 8,9 , 12. Againe , hee calleth a good conscience , a conscience without offence , that is , which hath no stop or impedimēt to hinder it from excusing . Act. 24. 19. Good conscience , is either good by creation or regeneration . Good by creation was the conscience of Adam , which in the estate of innocency did onely excuse and could not accuse him for any thing : though it may be , an aptnes to accuse was not wanting , if afterward an occasion should be offered . And hence we haue further direction to consider what a good cōscience is , namely such an one as by the order set downe in the creation , excuseth onely without accusing . Yea to accuse is a a defect in true consciēce , following after the first creation . For naturally there is an agreement and harmonie betweene the parts and the whole : but if the conscience should naturally accuse there should be a dissent and disagreement and diuision between the conscience and the man himselfe . Regenerate conscience is that which beeing corrupt by nature , is renewed and purged by faith in the blood of Christ. For to the regenerating of the cōscience , there is required a conuersion or change ; because by nature all mens consciences since the fall are euill , and none are good but by grace . The instrument seruing to make this change is faith , Act. 15.19 . Faith purifieth the heart . The meritorious cause is the blood of Christ. Heb. 9.14 . Howe much more shall the blood of Christ , &c. purge your conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God. The propertie of regenerate conscience is twofold : Christian libertie , and Certentie of saluation . Because both these haue their place , not in the outward man , but in the spirit and conscience . Christian libertie , is a spirituall and holy freedome purchased by Christ. I say , it is spirituall , first to put a difference betweene it and ciuill libertie , which standes in outward and bodily freedomes and priuiledges , secondly , to confute the Iewes , that looke for earthly libertie by Christ : and the Anabaptists , who imagine a freedome from all authoritie of Magistrates in the kingdome of Christ. Againe , I say it is an holy freedome , to confute the Libertines , who thinke that by the death of Christ they haue libertie to liue as they list . Lastly , I say it is purchased by Christ , to shewe the authoritie thereof . Gal. 5. 1. Stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made you free . And to confute the Papists , whose doctrine in effect is thus much , that this libertie is procured indeede by Christ , but is continued partly by Christ , and partly by the man himselfe . Christian libertie hath three parts . The first , is a freedome from the iustification of the morall law . For he that is a member of Christ , is not bound in conscience to bring the perfect righteousnes of the lawe in his owne person for his iustification before God , Gal. 5. 1. with v. 3. Hence it followeth , that he that is a Christian , is likewise freed from the curse and condemnation of the law , Rom. 8.1 . There is no condemnation to thē that are in Christ. Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe , when he was made a curse for vs. By this first part of Christian libertie , it appeares that there cannot be any iustification of a sinner by works of grace before God. For he that wil be iustified but by one worke , is debter to the whole lawe , Gal. 3.3 . but no man that is a member of Christ is debter to the whole law ; for his libertie is to be free in that point : therefore no man is iustified so much as by one worke of his own . The second part , is freedome from the rigour of the lawe , which exacteth perfect obedience and condemneth all imperfection , Rom. 6. 14. Sinne hath no more dominiō ouer you : for ye are not vnder the law , but vnder grace . 1. Ioh. 5.3 . This is the loue of God , that ye keepe his commandements : and his commandements are not grieuous : Hence it followeth , that God will accept of our imperfect obedience , if it be sincere : yea he accepts the will , desire , and indeauour to obey for obediēce it selfe , Malach. 3.17 . And I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him . The third part is , that the consciēce is freed from the bond of the ceremoniall law , Gal. 3.25 . But after that faith is come wee are no more vnder a schoolemaster . Eph. 2. 15. And hath broken the stoppe of the partition wall , in abrogating through his flesh , the lawe of commandements which standeth in ordinances . Coloss. 2.14 . And hath put out the hand writing of ordinances which was against vs. v. 26. Let no man therefore condemne you in meat and drinke , or in respect of any holy day , or of the newe moone , &c. Hence it followeth , that all Christians may freely without scruple of conscience , vse all things indifferent , so be it the manner of vsing them be good . And first , when I say th●t all may vse them , I vnderstand a two-folde vse ; naturall , or spirituall . The naturall vse , is either to releeue our necessities , or for honest delite . Thus the Psalmist saith , that God giues not onely bread to strengthen the heart of man , but also wine to make glad the heart , and oyle to make the face to shine , Psal. 104.15 . and God hath : put into his creatures infinit varieties of colours , sauours , tasts , and formes , to this ende that men might take delight in them . Hence it followes , that Recreation is lawefull , and a part of Christian libertie , if it be wel vsed . By recreation , I vnderstand exercises & sports , seruing to refresh either the bodie or the minde : and that they may be well vsed , two rules especially must be remembred . The first , that lawfull recreation stands onely in the vse of things indifferent . For if the things be commanded by god , there is no sporting in them ; or if they bee forbidden , there is no vsing of thē at all . Vpon this ground , sundrie kinds of recreation are to be neglected . As I. the dauncing commonly vsed in these daies , in which men and women , yong men and maides , all mixed togither , daunce to the sound of the instrument or voice in time and measure , with many wanton gestures , and that in solemne meetings after great feasts . This exercise cannot be numbred among things indifferent : for experience sheweth , that it hath beene vsually either a fruite or a follower of great wickednes , as idolatrie , fornication , drunkennes●e ; hereupon , one wel compared it to a a circle , whose center was the deuil . Again , if we must giue an acount of euery idle worde , then also of euery idle gesture and pace : and what account can bee giuen of these paces backward & forward , of caprings , iumps , gambols , turnings , with many other frisks of lightnes and vanitie , more beseeming goates and apes , of whome they are commonly vsed , then men . Whereas Salomon esteemed laughter as madnesse , hee would ( no doubt ) haue condemned our common lasciuious dauncing much more for madnesse , laughter beeing but the least part of it . II. Dicing , which is precisely the casting of a lotte , not to be vsed at our pleasures , but in matters of weight and importance . And of this kinde are all gaines , the ground whereof are not the sleight of mans witte , but lotte alone . III. Plaies and enterludes , that stand in the representation of the vices and misdemeanour of the world . For if it be not lawfull to name vices , vnlesse it be in the way of dislike , Eph. 5.3 . much lesse is it warrantable to gesture and represent vice in the way of recreation and delite . The second rule is , that recreation must be sparing , moderate , and lawfull vse of things indifferent , according to the rules a following . The spirituall vse is , when we take occasion by the creatures to meditate and speake of heauenly things : as , vpon the sight of the vine and the branches thereof , to consider the mysticall coniunction betweene Christ & his church : by the sight of the rainebow to thinke of the promise of God of not drowning the world by waters : and by any thing that befalls , to take occasion to consider in it the wisdome , goodnes , iustice , mercie , prouidence of God , &c. I adde further , that things indifferent ; as bondage , outward libertie , riches , pouertie , single estate , mariage , meate , drinke , apparell , buildings , may be vsed freely , because they are neither commāded by God nor forbidden : & in themselues considered , they may be vsed or not vsed without breach of conscience . The right manner of vsing them , is to sanctifie them by the word & praier , 1. Tim. 4.3,4 . and not onely some of them , but the vse of them all . Meat , drink , and marriage are thus to be sanctified , as the place before noted declareth . Paul sanctified his iourney on this manner , Act. 21.5 . And the Iewes were commanded to dedicate their houses at the first entrance , Deut. 20.5 . By this dedication we may well vnderstand not onely the letting of the house , or the prouiding of a tenant , but also the sanctifying of it by inuocation of Gods name , that by his blessing the place with the roomes thereof might serue for their benefit and comfort . And on this manner to blesse our dwelling places . when we first enter into them , is the best way that can be to preserue them from the casualties of fire within , and lightning from heauen , and from the annoyance and molestation of euill spirits , and other iudgements of God. Things indifferent are sanctified by Gods word , because it shewes what things we may vse , and what things we may not : & if we may vse them , in what manner it is to be done . And to this purpose the Scripture afford foure rules . The first , that all things must be done to Gods glorie , 1. Cor. 10.31 . Whether ye eat or drink , or whatsoeuer ye doe , doe all to the glorie of God. And that this may be performed , things indifferent must be vsed as signes & tables , in which we may shew forth the graces & vertues that God hath wrought in the heart . For example : we must so make our apparel both for matter and fashion , and so weare it , that it may in some sort set forth to the beholder our modestie , sobrietie , frugalitie , humilitie , &c. that hereby he may be occasioned to say , behold a graue , sober , modest person : and so of the rest . And the common sinne of this time is , that meate , drinke , apparell , buildings , are vsed as banners displaied to set forth to the world , mans riot , excesse , and pride of heart . The second . We must suffer our selues lawfully to be limited and restrained in the ouermuch or ouercōmon vse of things indifferēt . I say the ouercommō vse , because it is not Gods will vtterly and absolutely to barre vs of the vse of such things . Now the restrainers of our vse , are two ; the first is the law of charitie . For as charitie giues place to pietie ; so Christian libertie in the vse of outward things , giues place to charitie . And the law of charitie is , that we should not vse things indifferent to the hurt or offence of our brother . 1. Cor. 8.13 . Quest. Whether may a man vse his libertie before such as are weake , and not yet perswaded of their libertie . Ans. Some are weake of simple ignorance , or because they haue bin deceiued by the abuse of long custome : and yet are willing to be reformed . And before such we must abstaine , least by example we draw them to sinne by giuing occasion to them of doing that whereof they doubt . Againe some are weake vpon affected ignorance or of malice , and in the presence of such we neede not abstaine . Vpon this ground Paul who circumcised Timothie would not circumcise Titus . The second restrainer , is the wholesome lawes of men , whether Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall . For howsoeuer things indifferent , after the law is once made of them , remaine still indifferent in themselues : yet obedience to the law is necessarie , and that for conscience sake . Act. 15.28 . The third . We must vse things indifferent so farre forth as they shal further vs in godlines . For we ought to doe all things not onely to the edification of others , but also of our own selues . And therfore it is a flat abuse of Christiā libertie , for men so to pamper their bodies with meate and drinke , that thereby they disable themselues to heare Gods word , to pray , to giue good counsell , to doe the ordinarie works of their callings . The fourth . Things indifferent must be vsed within compasse of our callings , that is , according to our abilitie , degree , state , and condition of life . And it is a common abuse of this libertie in our daies , that the meane man will be in meate , drinke , apparell , building , as the gentleman ; the gentleman as the knight ; the knight as the lord or Earle . Now then things indifferent are sanctified to vs by the word , when our consciences are resolued out of the word that we may vse them , so it be in t●e manner before named , and according to the rules here set downe . They are sanctified by praier , when we craue at Gods hands the right vse of them , and hauing obtained the same , giue him thanks therefore . Coloss. 3. 17. Whatsoeuer ye doe in word or deede , doe all in the name of our Lord Iesus , giuing thankes to God the father by him . Thus much of Christian libertie , by which we are admonished of sundrie duties : I. to labour to become good members of Christ , of what estate or cōdition so euer we be . The libertie of the citie of Rome , made not onely Romanes borne but euen the men of other countries seeke to be citizens thereof . Act. 22.28 . The priuiledges of the Iewes in Persia made many become Iewes . Hest. 8.17 . O then , much more should the spirituall libertie of conscience purchased by the blood of Christ , mooue vs to seeke for the kingdome of heauen , and that we might become good members thereof . II. Againe by this we are taught to studie , learne , and loue the Scriptures , in which our liberties are recorded . We make account of our charters whereby we hold our earthly liberties , yea we gladly read them and acquaint our selues with them : what a shame then will it be for vs , to make no more account of the word of God that is the law of spirituall libertie . Iam. 2. 16. III. Lastly we are aduertised most heartily to obey and serue God according to his word , for that is the end of our libertie : the seruant doth all his busines more chearefully , in the hope and expectation he hath of libertie . Againe our libertie most of all appeares in our seruice and obedience ; because the seruice of God is perfect freedome : as on the contrarie in the disobedience of Gods commandements , stands our spirituall bondage . The second propertie of conscience is an vnfallible certentie of the pardon of sinne and life euerlasting . That this point may be cleared , I will handle the question betweene vs and Papists touching the certentie of saluation . And that I may proceede in order we must distinguish the kinds of certentie . First of all , Certentie is either Vnfallible or Coniecturall . Vnfallible , wherein a man is neuer disappointed . Coniecturall , which is not so euident , because it is grounded onely vpon likelihoods . The second all Papists graunt , but the first they denie in the matter of saluation . Againe certentie is either of faith , or experimentall , which Papists call morall . Certentie of faith is , whereby any thing is certenly beleeued : and it is either generall or speciall . Generall certentie , is to beleeue assuredly that the word of God is truth it selfe , and this both we and Papists allow . Speciall certentie is by faith to applie the promise of saluation to our selues , and to beleeue without doubt , that remission of sinnes by Christ and life euerlasting belongs vnto vs. This kinde of certentie we hold and maintaine , and Papists with one consent denie it ; acknowledging no assurance but by hope . Morall certentie is that which proceedes from sanctification and good workes , as signes and tokens of true faith . This we both allow , yet with some difference . For they esteeme all certentie that comes by works to be vncerten and often to deceiue : but we doe otherwise , if the works be done in vprightnes of heart . The question then is , whether a man in this life may ordinarily without reuelation , be vnfallibly certen of his owne saluation , first of all and principally by faith , and then secondly by such workes as are vnseparable companions of faith . We hold this for a cleare and euident principle of the word of God , and contrariwise the Papists denie it wholly . I will therefore prooue the truth by some few arguments , and then answer the common obiections . Arg. 1. That which the spirit of God doth first of all testifie in the heart and conscience of any man , and then afterward fully confirme ; is to be beleeued of the same man as vnfallibly certen : but the spirit of God first of all doth testifie to some men , namely true beleeuers , that they are the sonnes of God : and afterward confirmes the same vnto them . Therefore men are vnfallibly to beleeue their owne adoption . Now that the Spirit of God doth giue this testimonie to the conscience of man , the Scripture is more then plaine , Rom. 8. 15. Ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we crie , Abba , Father . The same Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit , that we are the sonnes of God. Answer is made , that this testimonie of the Spirit is giuen onely by an experiment or feeling of an inward delight or peace , which breedes in vs not an infallible but a coniecturall certentie . And I answer againe that this exposition is flat against the text . For the Spirit of adoption is saide here not to make vs to thinke or speake , but to crie Abba , Father : and crying to God as to a father argues courage , confidence , and boldnes . Againe the same Spirit of adoption is opposed to the spirit of bondage causing feare : and therefore it must needs be a Spirit giuing assurance of libertie , and by that meanes driuing away distrustfull feares . And the ende , no doubt , why the holy Ghost comes into the heart as a witnes of adoption is , that the truth in this case hidden & therefore doubtful , might be cleared and made manifest . If God himselfe haue appointed that a doubtfull truth among men , shall be confirmed and put out of doubt by the mouth of two or three witnesses , it is absurd to thinke that the testimonie of God himselfe knowing all things and taking vpon him to be a witnesse , should be coniecturall . Saint Bernard had learned better diuinitie , when he said , Who is iust , but he that beeing loued of God , returnes loue to him againe ? which is not done but by the Spirit of God a reuealing by faith vnto man the eternall purpose of God concerning his saluation in time to come : which reuelation vndoubtedly is nothing else but an infusion of spirituall grace : by which , whilest the deedes of the flesh are mortified , the man is prepared to the kingdome of God , receiuing withall that whereby he may presume that he is loued , and loue againe . Furthermore that the Spirit of God doth not onely perswade men of their adoption , but also confirme the same vnto them , it is most manifest . Eph. 4. 30. Grieue not the Spirit whereby ye are sealed vp to the day of redemption . and 1. v. 13. After ye beleeued , ye were sealed with the Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance . 2. Cor. 1.21 . It is God that hath sealed vs and giuen vs the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts . Here the words of sealing and earnest , are to be considered . For things that passe too and fro among men , though they be in question , yet when the seale is put too , they are made out of doubt : and therefore when God by his spirit is saide to seale the promise in the heart of euery particular beleeuer , it signifieth that he giues vnto them euident assurance that the promise of life belongs vnto them . And the giuing of earnest is an vnfallible token vnto him that receiueth it , that the bargaine is ratified , and that he shall receiue the things agreed vpon . And it were a great dishonour vnto God , to thinke that the earnest of his owne Spirit giuen vnto vs , should be an euidence of eternall life , not vnfallible but coniecturall . Arg. 2. The faith of the Elect or sauing faith , is a certen perswasion and a particular perswasion of remission of sinne and life euerlasting . Touching the first of these twaine , namely that faith is a certen perswasion , yea that certentie is of the nature of faith ; it appeares by expresse testimonie of Scripture . Mat. 14.31 . O thou of little faith , why hast thou doubted ? and ● 1. v. 21. If ye haue faith and doubt not . Iam. 1.6 . Let him aske in faith , and wauer not : for he that wauereth is like a waue of the sea , ●ust of the wind , and carried away . Rom. 4.20 . Neither did be doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe , but was strengthened in faith . I will not stand longer on this point which is not denied of any . Touching the second part of my reason , that faith is a particular perswasion applying things beleeued : I prooue it thus . The property of faith is to receiue the promise , Gal. 3.14 . and the thing promised which is Christ with his spirit , Joh. 1.12 . Now Christ is receiued by a particular application , as will appeare if we doe but marke the ende and vse of the ministerie of the word , and of the Sacraments , For when God giues any blessing to man , it is to be receiued by man as God giueth it . Now God giues Christ or at the least offereth him not generally to mankind , but to the seuerall and particular members of the Church . In the Lords Supper , as in euery sacrament , there is a relation or analogie betweene the outward signes and the things signified . The action of the minister giuing the bread and wine to the hands of particular communicants , representeth Gods action in giuing Christ with his benefits to the same particular communicants . Againe the action of receiuing the bread and wine particularly , representeth an other spirituall action of the beleeuing heart which applieth Christ vnto it selfe for the pardon of sinne and life euerlasting . Papists yeeld not to this : yet if they refuse to maintaine this analogie , they ouerturne the sacrament and dissent from antiquitie . Augustine saith , The bodie of Christ is ascended into heauen : some may answer and say , How shall I hold him beeing absent ? how shall I reach vp mine hand to heauen that I may lay hold of him sitting there ? Send vp thy faith , and thou hast laid hold of him . And what is more common then an other saying of his : What meanest thou to prepare thy bellie and teeth , Beleeue and thou hast eaten . Againe Eph. 3.12 . Paul saith , By Christ we haue boldnes and entrance with confidence by faith in him . In which words are set downe two notable effects and fruits of faith : boldnes and confidence . Boldnes is , when a poore sinner dare come into the presence of God , not beeing terrified with the threatnings of the law , nor with the consideration of his owne vnworthines , nor with the manifold assaults of the deuill : and it is more then certentie of Gods fauour . Now whereas Papists answer that this libertie or boldnes in comming vnto God , proceedes of a generall faith , they are farre wide . It is not possible that a generall perswasion of the goodnes and truth of God , and of his mercie in Christ , should breed confidence and boldnes in the heart of a guiltie sinner , and no example can be brought thereof . This generall faith concerning the articles of our beleefe , was no doubt in Caine , Saul , Achitophel , Iudas , yea in the deuill himselfe : and yet they despaired and some of them made away themselues : and the deuill for all his faith , trembleth before God. Wherefore that faith which is the roote of these excellent vertues of boldnes and confidence , must needes be a speciall faith , that is , a large and plentifull perswasion of the pardon of a mans owne sinnes and of life euerlasting . Againe Heb. 11. 1. faith is called hypostasis , that is , a substance or subsistance of things hoped for : where faith , in the matter of our saluation and other like things , is made to goe beyond hope : for hope waites for things to come till they haue a beeing in the person hoping , but faith in present giues a subsisting or beeing vnto them . This can not be that generall faith ( of Papists tearmed Catholicke ) for it comes short of hope , but it must needes be a speciall faith that makes vs vndoubtedly beleeue our owne election , adoption , iustification and saluation by Christ. And to this purpose haue some of the fathers said excellent well . Augustine saith , I demand of thee , O sinner , doest thou beleeue Christ or no ? thou saiest , I beleeue . What beleeuest thou ? that he can freely forgiue thee all thy sinnes . Thou hast that which thou hast beleeued . Ambrose saith , This is a thing ordained of God , that he which beleeueth in Christ should be saued without any worke , by faith alone freely receiuing remission of sinnes . And with Ambrose I ioyne the testimonie of Hesichius vpon Leuiticus , who saith , God pitying mankind , when he saw it disabled for the fulfilling of the works of the law , willed that man should be saued by grace without the workes of the law . And grace proceeding of mercie is apprehended by faith alone without workes . Whereas in the two last testimonies , faith is opposed generally to all works , and is withall said to apprehend and receiue , yea alone to apprehend and receiue grace and remission of sinnes , they can not be vnderstood of a generall but of a special applying faith . Bernard hath these words , If thou beleeuest that thy sinnes can not be blotted out but by him against whome thou hast sinned , thou dost well : but goe yet further , and beleeue that he pardoneth thy sinnes . This is the testimonie which the holy Ghost giueth in our hearts , saying , Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee . For so the Apostle thinketh that a man is iustified freely by faith . Papists beeing much choked with this place , make answer that S. Bernard doth not say that we must beleeue the pardon of our sinns absolutely without respect of works , but that he requires the condition of our conuersation and repentance , as signes whereby this perswasion is wrought . I answer againe that he auoucheth plainely , the generall faith whereby the points of religion are beleeued , to be but a beginning or rudiment of faith , and therefore not sufficient vnlesse we goe further and applie the grace of God to our selues by faith simply without respect of any condition performed on mans part . Indeed I graunt that the truth of conuersion and other workes are by him mentioned afterward , but that was for this ende to shew how any man may haue a sensible and euident experience by workes , as fruits of the pardon of his owne sinnes and life euerlasting , which he beleeueth . Arg. 3. S. Iohn penned his first epi●tle that he might shew vnto the church of God a way how they might ordinarily and fully be assured of the loue of God and of eternall life : and therefore he affoardeth vs many pregnant testimonies for this purpose . 1. Ioh. 2.3 . And by this we know that we haue knowne him , if we keepe his commandements . And v. 5. He which keepeth his word , in him is the word of God truly accomplished : by this we know that we are in him . chap. 3. 10. By this are manifest the children of God and the children of the deuill . and v. 19. By this we know that we are of the truth , and before him we shall make our hearts confident . chap. 4. 13. By this we know that we dwell in him & he in vs , because he hath giuen vs of his Spirit . chap. 5.2 . By this we know that we loue the sonnes of God , when we loue God and keepe his commandements . v. 13. I haue written these things vnto you which beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God , that ye may know that you haue life eternall . To these testimonies , first of all answer is made , that none of them doe necessarily implie a certentie of diuine faith ; because we are said to know the things which we learne by coniectures . Behold a sillie and poore shift . Saint Iohn saith , chap. 1.4 . These things we write vnto you that your ioy may be full . Now it is but an vncerten ioy that riseth by coniecturall knowledge . Againe this knowledge brings forth confidence and boldnes euen before God , c. 3. v. 19,21 . and therefore it can not but include an infalible certentie : and to put it out of question that the knowledge here mentioned is the knowledge of diuine faith , or as vnfallible as it is or can be , it is added , chap. 4.16 . And we haue knowne and beleeued the loue which God hath toward vs. Secondly it is answered , that all these speaches are generall and not concerning particular men : but it is false : for when Saint Iohn saith [ we know ] he speakes of himselfe and includes the rest of the Church in the same condition with himselfe . Now he himselfe was fully assured of his owne saluation . For Christ a little before his departure out of the world , did comfort all his disciples partly by renewing the promise of life euerlasting and of the presence of his Spirit vnto them ; and partly by praying vnto the father for their finall preseruation : so as they could not be fully resolued of their happie estate both in this life and in the life to come . Arg. 4. Abrahams faith was a full perswasion whereby he applied the promise vnto himselfe , Rom. 4.21 . And this faith of his is an example propounded vnto vs according to which we are to beleeue : and therefore h● is called the father of the faithfull , v. 16. and Paul hauing set downe the nature and effects of his faith , saith , It was written not only for him but also for vs which beleeue . v. 22. It is obiected that Abrahams faith was not of saluation but it concerned his ishue in his old age ; as Paul saith , Rom. 4. 18. Abraham aboue hope beleeued that he should be the father of many nations : according to that which was spoken , So shall thy seede be . Ans. We must distinguish the obiect of faith , which is either principall or lesse principall . Principall , is alwaies Christ with his benefits : lesse principall , are other lesse and particular benefits obtained by Christ. As of Abrahams faith the obiect lesse principall was a carnall seede or ishue : and the principall obiect most of all respected as the foundation of all other blessings , was the blessed seede Christ Iesus . Gal. 3.16 . To Abraham and his seede were the promises made . He saith not , And to the seedes , as of many● but , and to thy seede , as of one , which is Christ. And v● . 29. If ye be Christs , then Abrahams seede . Thus it is plaine that ishue was neither promised nor desired but with respect to Christ , who could not haue descended of Abraham , if he had beene wholly without seede . Hauing thus alleadged some arguments for the truth , I come now to consider the obiections of the Papists . Obiect . I. Iob beeing a righteous man wanted certentie of grace in himselfe , Iob. 9.20 . If I would iustifie my selfe , mine owne mouth shall condemne me : if I would be perfect , he shall iudge me wicked : though I were perfect , yet my soule shall not know it . Again v. 25. I am afraid of all my works , knowing that thou wilt not iudge me innocent . Ans. Bildad in the former chapter extolled the iustice of God : and Iob in this chapter giues assent thereto , saying v. 2. I know verely it is so : and he likewise spends the whole chapter in magnifying the iustice of God : and hauing propounded this ende of his speach , he doth not speake of himselfe and his owne estate a simply , as it is considered in it selfe : but as he esteemed himselfe beeing compared with God , specially then , when he entreth into a straight examination of his creature . And so must the speech be vnderstood . If I were perfect , my soule should not know it , that is , I will not acknowledge or stand vpon any righteousnes of mine owne , when God shall enter into iudgement with me . And thus much the very Elect angels beeing in possession of heauen , and therfore hauing more then assurance thereof , can not but say , when they are compared with God. Againe , the wordes according to the originall , are commonly of all and so may well be translated thus , Am I perfect : I know not my soule , I abhorre my life ; that is , if I thinke my selfe perfect , I haue no respect of mine owne soule : or thus , I am perfect in respect of you , and I knowe not my soule , and I abhorre my life , namely in respect of mine owne vprightnes . And the other place is thus to be translated , ● feare all my sorrowes , and not all my workes : for this is flat against the Hebrew text , and Popish translatours themselues followe it not . Obiect . 2. Eccles. 9. Man knowes not whether hee bee worthie of loue or hatred . For all things are kept vncerten till the time to come . Ans. First I say , the translation is not right ; the words are thus in the Hebrew and in the Seventie . No man knoweth loue or hatred , all things are before them . As for these wordes ( all thinges are kept vncerten till the time to come ) are thrust into the text by head & shoulders ; and Hierome hath them not . Secondly I answere , that the holy Ghost doth not deny simplie the knowledge of gods loue or hatred , as though there could be no certaine assurance of it in this life . If wee vnderstand the wordes thus , then the argument of the holy Ghost must be framed on this manner . If loue or hatred were to bee knowne , then it must be knowne by the outward blessings of God : but it cannot be knowne by the outward blessings of God , for all things come alike to all : therefore loue and hatred cannot be known . The proposition is false . For loue may bee knowne other waies then by outward benefits : and therefore the reason is not meete to be ascribed to the spirit of trueth . Wherefore the true and proper sense of the wordes , is , that loue or hatred can not be iudged or discerned by outward blessings of God. Saint Bernard speakes of this text on this manner , that no man knowes loue or hatred , namely by him : yet that God giues most certaine testimonies thereof to men vpon earth . And serm . 5. de Dedi● . his words are these : Who knowes if he be worthie loue or hatred ? who knowes the mind of the Lord ? Here both faith and truth must needes helpe vs , that , that which is hidden in the heart of the father , may be reuealed vnto vs by the spirit : and his spirit giuing testimony perswades our spirit , that we are the sonnes of God : and this perswasion is caused by his calling , and iustifying vs freely by faith . And S. Hierome ( though commonly abused to the contrarie ) saith no more but that men cannot knowe loue or hatred by the present afflictions which they suffer , because they know not whether they suffer them for triall or punishment . Obiect . 3.1 . Cor. 4. I iudge not my selfe , I know nothing by my selfe . Here Paul as not being priuie to his owne estate , re●useth to giue any iudgement of his righteousnes . Ans. It is manifest by the wordes of this epistle , that certaine in Corinth , boldly more then wisely , censured the Apostles ministerie , and withall disgraced it in respect of the ministerie of other teachers . Therefore Paul in this chapter goes about to make an Apologie for himselfe , speaking nothing of his owne person and the estate thereof before God , but onely of his ministerie and the excellency thereof . And this is the iudgement of Theodoret , Aquinas , & Lira vpon this text . And when he saith , I iudge not my selfe , his meaning is , I take not vpon me to iudge of what value and price my ministerie is before God in respect of the ministerie of this or that man : but I leaue al to God. Here then Paul refuseth onely to giue iudgement of the excellencie of his owne ministerie , and in other causes he refuseth not to iudge himselfe , as when he said , I haue fought a good fight , I haue kept the saith , hence sorth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous iudge shal giue me , 2. Tim. 4.8 . And Chrysostome on this place saith , that Paul refused to iudge himselfe not simply , but onely for this ende , that he might restraine others , and teach them modestie . And where Paul saith , I knowe nothing by my selfe , the speech is not generall , but must bee vnderstood of the negligences and offences in the compasse of his ministerie . For hee was priuie to himselfe that in simplicitie and godly purenes , hee had his conuersation in the worlde , 2. Cor. 1.12 . and he knew this by himselfe , that nothing should seuer him frō the loue of God in Christ. Rom. 8.38 . Obiect . 4. That we may be iustified there is somewhat required in vs , namely faith and repentnnce : and where these are wanting , a man cannot be iustified . Now no man can be certen by the certaintie of faith , that he repents of his sinnes with all his heart , and that he hath such a faith , as God requires at our hands , considering there is no testimonie in the word , of our faith and repentance in particular . Therefore no man can be certaine by certaintie of faith , that his sinnes are pardoned . Ans. It is not necessarie that any man should bee certaine by faith of his faith & repentance ; because faith is only of such things as are present , whereas faith and repentance are truely pre●ent in all that truely beleeue and repent , it shall be sufficient if a man may any way be vnfallibly certaine that he hath them . And though some men falsly perswade themselues that they beleeue , yet he that hath true faith indeede knowes that he hath true faith ; euen as certainly as he that vnderstands , that hee vnderstands . Paul saith to the Corinthians , Prooue your selues whether yee bee in the faith or no , 2.13.5 . hereby giuing them to vnderstand that all which beleeue , haue the spirit of discerning to know certainely that they doe beleeue . Againe , he saith of himselfe , 2. Tim. 1.12 . I knowe whome I haue beleeued . And S. Iohn saith , 1. epist. 3. 24. By this we knowe that he dwels in vs by the spirit which he hath giuen vs ; making no question of it , but that he which hath the spirit knowes that hee hath the same . And testimonies of men are not wanting in this case . August . a Euery one seeth faith to be in his owne heart , if hee beleeue , if not , he seeth it to be wanting . Againe , b A beleeuer seeth his owne faith , by which hee answereth that hee beleeueth without doubt . and , c Hee which loueth his brother , more knoweth the loue whereby he loueth , then his brother whome hee loueth . Againe whereas it is said that hauing faith , yet we know not whether it be sufficient or no : I answer that faith beeing without hypocrisie , is sufficient to saluation though it be vnperfect . God more respects the trueth of our faith then the perfection thereof . And as the hand of the child or of the palsie man though it be feeble , is able to reach out it selfe and receiue an almes of a Prince , so the faith that is but weake , is able to apprehend and receiue Christ with all his benefits . Obiect . 5. Prov. 28. Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies . Phil. 2. Worke your saluation with feare and trembling . Ans. There is threefold feare , one of nature , the second of grace , the third of distrust . Feare of nature is that wherby the nature of man is troubled with any thing that is hurtfull vnto it , and therefore auoideth it . Feare of grace , is that excellent gift which is called the beginning of wisdome , and it is a certaine awe or reuerence vnto God , in whose presence we doe whatsoeuer wee doe . Feare of distrust is , when men tremble at the iudgements of God for their sinnes , because they haue no hope of mercie . Of these three , the first was good by creation , & therefore it was in our Sauiour Christ , but since the fall it is defectiue . The third is a vice called slauish feare . And the second is that which is commanded in these and the like places of Scripture ; the intent whereof is to make vs circumspect and feareful , least we should offend God by any sinne , our owne weaknesse considered , and the imminent iudgements of God. And this kind of feare , as all the first , may stand with certaintie of faith . Rom. 11. Thou standest by faith , be not high minded but feare . Psa. 2. Serue the Lord in feare , and reioice in trembling . Obiect . 6. Where there is no word , there is no faith . For faith and the worde of God be relatiues . But there is no word of God that saith to particular men ; Cornelius , or Peter , or Iohn , thy sinnes are pardoned , excepting a fewe persons , as Marie Magdalen , and the palsie man , &c. Therefore there is no particular faith . Ans. Though there be no word set down in Scripture touching the saluation of this or that particular man , yet there is set downe that which is equiuolent to a particular worde , and as much in effect . For the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting , is giuen with a commandement that euery man a apply the promise to himselfe , as I haue before prooued : and this is altogither as much as if euery mans particular name had beene put in the promise . I adde further that the promises of the gospel must bee considered two waies , first as they are generally set downe in Scripture without application to any person : secondly as they are taught and published in the ministery of the word , the end whereof is to apply them to the persons of men , partly by preaching and partly by administring the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords supper , which are seales of righteousnes of faith . Nowe the promise applied and ( as I may say ) particularized to the members of the Church , is by the vertue of Gods ordinance as much as if God himselfe had giuen the promise particularly , and annexed mens names vnto it . It is further aunswered that the promise of remission of sinne , is preached not simply but vpon condition of mens faith and repentance , which indeede cannot be certainely knowne . I answere againe , ( as I haue alreadie prooued ) that he which truly beleeueth and repenteth , knoweth that he doth certainly beleeue and repent . Obiect . 7. To beleeue the pardon of a man owne sinnes , is none of the articles of faith , propounded in any Creed either of the Apostles , or the Nicene fathers , or Athanasius , or any other creed . Answ. This faith is contained vnder these wordes : I beleeue remission of sinnes : and I prooue it thus . These wordes are an article of Christian faith , and therefore they must in sense containe more then the deuil doth or can beleeue ; now the deuill beleueth thus much , that God giues remission of sinnes to his Church . Christian men therefore must go one step further , and beleeue particularly the remission of their own sinnes . Otherwise if the Papists will haue the Catholike faith to beleeue no more in this point , then the damned spirits beleeue , let them take it to themselues . But they reply further , that if there were any such article of faith , then some persons must beleeue , that they are iust , though they willingly commit mortall sinne , which is an euident falshood . Ans. He that beleeues the pardon of his owne sinnes by true faith , hath the spirit of God in him , and a constant purpose not to sinne against God ; and therfore if hee sinne , it is against his purpose , and without any full consent of will : and it is not hee that doeth , it but the sinne that dwelleth in him . But if it so fall out , that the childe of God be ouertaken with any actuall sinne , then his case standeth thus : Hee hath by his fall wounded his conscience , weakened his faith , bereaued himselfe of Gods fauour , as much as in him lieth ; made himselfe guiltie of a sinne and worthie of damnation : and God for his part accordingly turnes the wonted signes of his fauour into signes of anger and displeasure : and though it be pardoned in the purpose of God , yet is it not actually pardoned , till the partie repent . Things standing thus , we teach not that men must beleeue the pardon of their sinnes while they liue and lie in them ; for that were flatly to teach falshood for trueth : but our doctrine is , that such persons must first of al humble themselues , and say with the prodigall child , that they haue sinned against God , and are not worthie to be called his children any more : and again renue their decaied faith and repentance● that they may beleeue ( as before ) their perfect reconciliation with God. Obiect . 8. In respect of God , who is trueth it selfe , we are to beleeue the promise in particular : yet if we respect our owne vnworthinesse and indisposition , we are to feare and in some part to doubt . For the promise of remission of sinnes is not absolute , but depends vpon the condition of our workes . Therefore our certentie is onely coniecturall . Ans. I answer , first that in respect of our owne vnworthines , we are not to doubt of our saluation , but to be out of all doubt , yea to despaire before the iudgement seat of God. For they which are of the works of the law , are vnder the curse , Gal. 3.10 . and Paul saith of his own works of grace , In this I am not iustified , 1. Cor. 4.4 . And Dauid being out of al doubt of his owne deserued dānation in regard of his own vnworthines , saith freely , Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant , O Lord , for no flesh shall bee iustified in thy sight . Againe the consideration of any vnworthines in our selues doth not hinder a resolution concerning Gods mercie in Christ. For true faith makes an entrance vnto God with boldnes , ( I say with boldnes ) euen for those persons that are vnworthie in themselues , Eph. 4. 12. And Abraham ( whose faith is to be followed of vs ) did not vpon the consideration of his old decaied bodie , rest himselfe with bare hope vpon a likelihood of the accomplishment of gods promise , but he beleeued vnder hope euen against hope . Rom. 4.18 . Lastly I answer that the ground of the former obiection is erronious , namely that the promise of saluation depends on the condition of our works : because the Scripture saith , it is made and accomplished on mans part freely . I graunt indeede that to the promise there is annexed a condition of faith : yet faith must not here be considered as a worke , but as an instrument apprehending Christ with his benefits : and withall , repentance with the fruits thereof , are on our part required ; yet no otherwise , but as they are necessary consequents of faith , and the signes and documents thereof . Obie●t . 9. No man knowes all his sinnes : no man therefore can certainly knowe that all his sinnes are pardoned , and that he is accepted of God. Ans. The ground of this argument is false : namely that a man cannot be assured of the pardon of his sinnes , if some of them be vnknowne . And to make this manifest , I will lay downe a more certen ground , which shall be this . As the case is in Repentance , so it is also in faith : but there may be true and su●ficient repentance of vnknown sinnes . God indeed requires a particular repentance for particular knowne sinnes ; but if they be hidden and vnknowne , he accepts a generall repentance . An example whereof we haue in Dauid , Who knowes , saith he , the errours of this life ? then purge me from my secret sinnes . If it were not as I haue said , neither Dauid nor any man else could be ●aued . For when Dauid ●epented greatly of his murder and adulterie , yet we finde not that he repented particularly of his polygamie : which in all likelihoode , through the swinge and custome of those times , was not then reputed to be any sinne ; specially in the person of a king : and yet because ( as we know ) he is certenly saued , this very sinne is pardoned . Therefore when God pardons the knowne sinnes of men , whereof they doe in particular repent , he doth withall pardon the rest that are vnknowne . And by this it appeares , that the ignorance of some hidden sinnes , after a man with diligence hath searched himselfe , cannot preiudice an vnfallible assurance of the pardon of them all and of his owne saluation . Obiect . 10. We pray for the pardon of our owne sinnes , and therefore we are vncerten of pardon : the man which knowes that he hath pardon , neede not pray for it . I answer first , when we are taught by Christ to pray for the forgiuenes of our debts , we are put in minde not to seeke the pardon of all our sinnes , whether past or present ; but specially of our present and daily offences , whereby we make our selues day by day guiltie , till such time as we humble our selues & repent of them . Secondly by this petition we are taught to aske the increase of our assurance ; because though God bestow endlesse mercie on vs , yet we are skant in receiuing of it : our hearts beeing like a narrow necked vessell , which beeing cast euen into the Ocean sea , receiueth in water onely droppe by droppe . Obiect . 11. No man can beleeue his owne saluation , as he beleeues the articles of faith : therefore no man can beleeue the pardon of his sinnes and his saluation by an infallible certentie . I answer , first that euery one that lookes for saluation by Christ , is bound in conscience as certenly to beleeue his owne saluation and adoption by Christ , as he beleeues the articles of faith . Because to the promise of life there is annexed a commandement to beleeue and applie it . Secondly this faith whereby we are to beleeue our owne saluation , if we respect the true and proper nature thereof , is as certen as that faith , whereby we beleeue the articles of faith . Thirdly , as there be diuerse ages in the life of man , so there be diuers degrees and measures of true faith . There is first of all a beginning or rudiment of faith , like the smoking flaxe and bruised reede , which Christ will neither quench nor bruise . Againe there is weake faith , which beleeueth the promise truly , but yet is perplexed with many doubtings . Lastly , there is strong faith , which hath ouercome all doubtings , and is not onely for nature certen ( as the former is , ) but also a large and plentifull perswasion of Gods mercie in Christ. Examples of this we haue in Abraham , Dauid , the Martyrs and such like worthie men . Now by the second faith , men doe as certenly beleeue their adoption as the articles , but not so firmely and fully . But by the last , remission of sinnes is not onely as certenly but also as fully beleeued as any article of faith . Obiect . 12. Ancient fathers the lights of Gods Church , haue alwaies condemned this vnfallible and speciall certentie of faith , which the Protestants hold and maintaine . Ans. Though wee builde not the doctrine of our religion vpon the iudgements of men , yet we refuse not in this and other points to bee tried by the fathers , whose writings well vnderstood , make more for vs , then for the Popish religion . And their testimonies commonly alleadged to confute the certentie of speciall faith , are much abused . I. Many of them serue to prooue that a man cannot iudge and discerne of euery particular motion and grace of his heart , of the increase of these graces , and the contrarie disease : of speciall vices and wants , many whereof are hidden from the vnderstanding . Theodoret in his comment . 1. Cor. 4. I will not ( saith he ) free my selfe from sin , but waite the sentence of God : for it often falls out that men sinne of ignorance , and thinke that to be equall and iust which the God of all sees to be otherwise . August . de verbis dei● serm . 23. Peraduenture thou findes nothing in thy conscience : but hee findes something that seeth better . And vpon Psal. 41. I knowe that the iustice of my God shall abide , but whether mine shall or no , I knowe not : for the saying of the Apostle terrifieth me , Hee which thinkes hee standes , let him take heed least he fall . Here he speakes of his inward righteousnes , and that , as it is considered in it selfe without the assistance of God. For he addes afterward , Therefore because there is no stabilitie in me for my selfe , hereupon my soule is troubled for my selfe . Chrysostom . homil . 87. on Iohn . I am grieued , least peraduenture supposing my selfe to loue , doe not loue as before : when I seemed constant and couragious vnto my selfe , I was found but a dastard . These and a thousand like testimonies prooue nothing . For though a man cannot fully discerne his heart , either in respect of euery one of his owne sinnes , or in respect of euery grace ; yet this hinders not but that he may haue an vnfallible certentie of his saluation , and also a sufficient gift to discerne his owne faith and repentance . II. Other places must be vnderstood of proud presumption , and of a kinde of securitie , in which men dreame of ease and libertie without trouble or temptation . August . de corrept . & grat . cap. 13. Who of all the companie of the faithfull , as long as he liues in this mortall condition , can presume , that hee is of the number of the predestinate ? And , de bona persever . cap. 22. No man can be secure touching eternall life , ●ill this life be ended . Bernard . epist. 107. Hauing now receiued the knowledge of himselfe in part , he may reioyce in hope , but not in securitie as yet . Hieron . Dan. 4. Let no man boldly promise to another the pardon of sinnes . III. Some places auouch that a man cannot be sure of perseuerance to the end without fals and decaies in grace : all which we grant . August . de ciuit . dei . lib. 11. cap. 12. Although the Saints be a certaine of the reward of their perseuerance , yet they are found to bee vncertaine of the perseuerance it selfe : for what man can know that he shall perseuere in the practise and increase of righteousnes vnto the ende , except he be assured of it by some reuelation . IV. Some places must be vnderstood of experimentall certentie , when the euent is accomplished . Hieron● book 2. against Pelagians . Call no man blessed before his ende , for as long as we liue here we are in the fight , and as long as we are in the fight , we haue no certaine victorie . V. Some places speaks of the vncertentie of other mens saluation , which we grant . The author of the booke de vocat . Gent. 1. clast . saith , We can pronounce of no man before his ende that he shall be in the glorie of the elect . August . lib. de perseuer . cap. 13. Men are not with any certaine asseueration to auouch that others belong to this calling . VI. Some speake of that certaintie which comes by reuelation without the word . Greg. lib. 6. epist. 22. to Gregoria . Whereas you adde in your epistles that you will be earnest with me till I write , that it hath beene made known vnto me that your sinnes are forgiuen : you haue required a hard and vnprofitable thing . Hard , because I am vnworthie to whome a releuation should be made . Vnprofitable , because you must not be made sure touching your sinnes , vnlesse it bee in the last day of your life , for then you should not be able to bewaile the same sinnes . VII . Some places denie vnto man that certentie which is proper to God , which is , to discerne in himselfe all things to come plainely , as they shall come to passe without helpe of testimonie and outward signes . Bernard . ●erm . 1. de Septuages . Who can say , I am of the Elect ? I am of the predestinate to life : certenly we haue none as yet , but the affiance of our hope comforteth vs. Conferre these words with those that follow . For this cause certaine signes and manifest tokens of saluation are giuen , that it may bee a thing out of doubt that hee is in the number of the elect in whome these signes are . Thus I haue in some part made manifest , that an vnfallible certentie of pardon of sinne and life euerlasting is the propertie of euery renued conscience . Now therefore I will proceede further to consider howe this certentie is caused and imprinted in the conscience . The principall agent and beginner thereof , is the holy Ghost , inlightning the mind and conscience with spiritual and diuine light : and the instrument in this action , is the ministerie of the Gospel whereby the word of life is applied in the name of God to the person of euery hearer . And this certaintie is by little and little conceiued in a forme of reasoning or practicall syllogisme framed in the mind by the holy Ghost , on this manner : Euery one that beleeues is the child of God : But I doe beleeue : Therefore I am the child of God. The proposition is made by the minister of the word in the publike congregation : and it is nothing else but the promise of eternall life applied to the particular hearers . The second part or the assumption is the voice of conscience regenerate or the voice of Gods spirit in the same . Nowe Papists write and auouch that the assumption is false : but the reasons which they vse to prooue the same , are of small moment . First they alleadge , that many are deceiued in their perswasions , thinking they haue that which they haue not : I answer againe that many doe falsly presume of Gods mercie , and imagine they haue that faith which they haue not : and in all such the assumption is false : yet in all them that are chosen to saluation and truely called , it is vnfallibly true . For such as haue receiued the gift of true faith , haue also another gift of discerning whereby they see and knowe their own faith . It is further obiected that Ieremie saith , 17.9 . The heart is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things , who cā know it ? But the intent of this place is only to shew , that no man can search his heart to the very bottome , to see all and euery want , infirmitie and wicked inclination that is therein . For originall sin wherewith the heart of man is tainted , is a pronnes or dispositiō to all the sinnes that are or may be . And though men can not discerne all their sinnes , yet many of them are certenly known●● why may not then many of the graces of God be certenly knowne , especially those which be of the principall , as faith , sanctification , repentance . Againe it is alleadged , that Peter beleeued that hee was able to lay downe his life for Christs sake , and yet indeede was not as the euent declared : for when the time came , he denied Christ. Ans. Peter at that time was but weake in faith , and hee was much carried away with a confidence of his owne strength , which made him speake those wordes of presumption : and though he failed in this one particular action , yet failed he not in the principall , that is , in the perswasion of the pardon of his owne sinnes and of life euerlasting . In a word , it is certaine that many perswade themselues of Gods mercie , and yet are deceiued : neuerthelesse all such as doe truely beleeue are not deceiued . The holy Ghost making them to see that in them●elues which by nature they cannot discerne , as Paul signified , when hee said , I speake the trueth , I lie not , my conscience bearing me witnes by the holy Ghost , Rom. 9.1 . Againe the same testimonie is giuen otherwise thus : Euery child of God hath the pardon of his sinnes , saith Gods word : But I am Gods child : and therefore haue the pardon of my sinnes , saith the renued conscience , by the direction of Gods spirit , Rom. 8.16 . Gal. 4.6 . After that this testimony is once begun , it is confirmed by the same means , as also by praier and the Sacraments . But it may be demanded , howe a bodily element , as bread , wine , water , should be able to confirme a perswasion of our adoption that is in the conscience . Answ. The element in the sacrament is an outward seale or instrument to confirme faith , not as a medicine restores and confirmes health , whether we thinke on it or not , whether we sleepe or wake , and that by his owne inherent vertue : but by reasoning in a syllogisme made by the good conscience : that a medium thereof beeing the outward signe in the Sacrament . By meanes of which syllogisme the holy Ghost mooues and stirres the minde , yea cherisheth and increaseth faith on this manner : He which vseth the elements aright shall receiue the promises : But I doe , or I haue vsed the elements aright : Therefore I shall receiue the promises . Whereas presumption and the illusion of Satan vse as wel to tel a man , that he is the child of God , as the true testimonie of regenerate conscience , the way to put difference between them is this . I. Presumption is natural and from the very wombe , but this testimonie of conscience is supernaturall . II. Presumption is in them that make no account of the ordinarie meanes of saluation . This testimonie comes by the reuerent and carefull hearing of Gods worde . III. Presumption is in them that vse not to call on the name of God : but this testimonie of conscience is ioyned with the spirit of adoption which is the spirit of praier . IV. Presumption is ioyned with loosenes of life , this testimonie brings with it alwaies an happy change and alteration . For he which hath a good cōscience hath also care to keepe good conscience in all things . V. Presumption is peremptorie without doubting : whereas the testimonie of conscience is mingled with manifold doubtings , Mark. 9.24 . Luk. 17. 5. yea otherwhiles ouercharged with them , Psal. 77.7,8 . VI. Presumption will giue a man the slip in the time of sickenes , and in the houre of death ; and the testimonie of good conscience stickes by him to the ende , and euen makes him say , Lord remember nowe ●owe I haue walked before thee in trueth , and haue done that which is acceptable in thy sight . Isa. 38.2 . The duties of conscience regenerate are two : in speciall manner to giue testimonie , and to excuse . The speciall thing of which conscience giues testimonie is , that we are the children of God predestinate to life euerlasting . And that appeares by these reasons . I. Rom. 8.16 . The spirit of God witnesseth togither with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God. Now the spirit of man here mentioned is the minde or conscience renewed and sanctified . To this purpose saith Iohn , He that beleeueth hath a witnesse in himselfe , 1. Ioh. 5.10 . II. That which Gods spirit doth testifie to the conscience , the conscience can againe testifie to vs : but Gods spirit doth testifie to the conscience of a man regenerate that he is the childe of God , 1. Cor. 2.12 . Therefore the conscience also doeth the same . III. He that is iustified hath peace of conscience , Rom. 5.1 . Nowe there can bee no peace in conscience till conscience tel the man which is iustified that he is indeed iustified . IV. That which the conscience may know certenly , it may testifie : but conscience may know certenly without reuelation , the mans election , and adoption , as I haue before prooued : therefore it is able to giue testimonie of these . Againe , the regenerate conscience giueth testimonie of a certaine kinde of righteousnesse , beeing an vnseparable companion thereof : and for this cause , it is called of some the righteousnesse of a good conscience . Now this righteousnes is nothing els , but an vnfained , earnest , and constant purpose with endeauour answerable thereto not to sinne in any thing , but in all things whatsoeuer to please God and doe his will. Hebr. 13.18 . Pray for vs : for wee are assured that we haue good conscience in all things desiring to liue honestly . 2. Cor. 1.12 . Our reioycing is this the testimonie of our conscience , that in simplicitie and godly purenesse , and not in fleshly wisdome wee haue had our conuersation in the worlde . 1. Cor. 4.4 . I knowe nothing by my selfe . Esa. 38.2 . Lord remember now howe I haue walked before thee with an vpright heart , and haue done that which is acceptable in thy sight . I adde this clause , in all things , because that obedience which is the signe or fruit of good conscience , of which also it giues testimonie is generall , shewing it selfe in all and euery commandement of God. Philosophers haue said that Iustice is vniuersall , because he which hath it hath all vertues . But it is more truely said of this Christian righteousnes or new obedience , that it is vniuersall , and that he which can performe true obedience in one commandement can doe the same in all . Act. 23.1 . Men and brethren I haue in all good conscience serued God till this day . Psal. 119.6 . Then shall I not bee confounded when I shall haue respect to all thy commandements . Act. 24.16 . In the meane season I endea●our my selfe , or , take paines to haue a conscience without offence towards God and towards men . This shewes that there is a great number of men professing the Gospell that want good conscience . For though they shew themselues very forward and willing to obey God in many things , yet in some one thing or other , they vse to follow the swinge of their owne wills . Many are diligent to frequent the place of Gods worship , to heare the word preached with liking , to receiue the Sacraments at times appointed , and to approoue of any good thing : all this is very commendable ; yet these men often , when they depart home from the congregation , say in effect on this manner ; Religion stay thou here at the Church doore till the next Sabbath . For if we looke into their priuate conuersations , the gouernment of their families , or their dealings in their particular callings , we shall with griefe see much disorder , and little conscience . It is a common practise with sicke men when they make their wills on their death beds , in the very first place to commend their bodies to the graue , and their soules to God that gaue them in hope of a better resurrection : and all this is well done ; but afterward they bequeath their goods gotten by fraud , oppression , and forged cauillation to their owne friends and children , without making any recompence or satisfaction . But , alas , this should not be so : for obedience that goes with good conscience must be performed to all Gods commandements without exception : and if it be done but to some alone , it is but counterfait obedience : and he that is guiltie in one is guiltie in all . As regenerate conscience giues testimonie of our new obedience ; so it doth also by certaine sweete motions stirre men forward to performe the same . Psal. 16.7 . My reynes ( that is , the minde and conscience inlightened by the spirit of God ) teach me in the night season . Esai . 30.22 . And thine eares shall heare a word behind thee , saying , This is the way , walke ye in it , when thou turnest to the right hand , and when thou turnest to the left . Now this word is not onely the voice of Pastours and teachers in the open ministerie , but also the voice of renewed conscience inwardly by many secret cogitations snibbing them that are about to sinne . A Christian man is not onely a priest and a prophet , but also a spirituall king , euen in this life : and the Lord in mercie hath vouchsafed him this honour , that his conscience renewed within him shall be his solliciter to put him in minde of all his affaires and duties which he is to performe to God : yea it is the controller to see all things kept in order in the heart , which is the temple and habitation of the holy Ghost . The second office of conscience regenerate is to excuse , that is , to cleare and defend a man euen before God against all his enemies both bodily & ghostly . Psal. 7.8 . Iudge thou me , O Lord , according to my righteousnes , and according to mine innocencie in me . Againe 26.1,2 . Iudge me , O Lord , for I haue walked in mine innocencie , &c. Prooue me , O Lord , and trie me : examine my reynes and my heart . That the conscience can doe this , it specially appeares in the conflict and combat made by it against the deuill , on this manner . The deuill beginnes and disputes thus . Thou , O wretched man , art a most grieuous sinner : therefore thou art but a damned wretch . The conscience answereth and saith , I know that Christ hath made a satisfaction for my sinnes , and freed me from dānation . The deuill replieth againe thus ; Though Christ hath freed thee from death by his death ; yet thou art quite barred from heauen , because thou neuer didst fulfil the law . The conscience answereth , I know that Christ is my righteousnes and hath fulfilled the law for me . Thirdly the deuill replies and saith , Christs benefits belong not to thee , thou art but an hypocrite and wantest faith . Now when a man is driuen to this straight , it is neither wit , nor learning , nor fauour , nor honour , that can repulse this temptation , but onely the poore conscience directed and sanctified by the Spirit of God which boldly and constantly answereth , I know that I beleeue . And though it be the office of the conscience after it is renued principally to excuse , yet doth it also in part accuse . When Dauid had numbred the people his heart smote him , 2. Sam. 24.10 . Iob saith in his aff●iction that God did write bitter things against him , and made him possesse the sinnes of his youth . Iob 13. 26. The reason hereof is , because the whole man and the very conscience is onely in part regenerate , and therefore in some part remaines still corrupt . Neither must it seeme straunge that one and the same conscience should both accuse and excuse , because it doth it not in one and the same respect . It excuseth , in that it assureth a man that his person stands righteous before God , and that he hath an indeauour in the generall course of his life to please God : it accuseth him for his particular slippes , and for the wants that be in his good actions . If any shall demaund why God doth not perfectly regenerate the conscience and cause it onely to excuse , the answer is this . God doth it for the preuenting of great mis●hiefes . When the Israelites came into the land of Canaan , the Cananites were not at the first wholly displaced● Why ? Moses rendreth the reason ; least wild beasts come and inhabit some parts of the land that were dispeopled , and more annoy them then the Cananites . In like manner God renues the conscience , but so as it shall still accuse when occasion serueth ; for the preuenting of many dangerous sinnes which like wild beasts would make hauocke of the soule . Thus much of good conscience : now follows euill conscience : and that is so called partly because it is defiled and corrupted by originall sinne , & partly because it is euill , that is , troublesome and painefull in our sense and feeling ; as all sorrowes , calamities , and miseries are , which for this very cause also are called euills . And though conscience be thus tearmed euill , yet hath it some respects of generall goodnes , in as much as it is an instrument of the execution of diuine iustice ; because it serues to accuse them before God , which are iustly to be accused . It hath spread it selfe ouer mankind as generally as originall sinne : & therefore it is to be found in all men that come of Adam by ordinarie generation . The propertie of it is , with all the power it hath , to accuse and condemne ; and thereby to make a man afraid of the presence of God , and to cause him to flie from God as from an enemie . This the Lord signified when he said to Adam , Adam where art thou ? When Peter saw some little glimbring of the power and maiestie of God in the great draught of fish , he fell on his knees and saide to Christ , Lord , goe from me for I am a sinnefullman . Euill conscience is either dead or stirring . Dead conscience is that , which though it can doe nothing but accuse , yet commonly it lies quiet , accusing little or nothing at all . The causes why conscience lieth dead in all men , either more or lesse , are many . I. Defect of reason or vnderstanding in crased braines . II. Violence and strength of affections , which as a cloud doe ouercast the minde , and as a gulfe of water swallow vp the iudgement and reason : and thereby hinder the conscience from accusing : for when reason can not doe his part , then conscience doth nothing For example : some one in his rage behaues himselfe like a madde man , and willingly commits any mischiefe without controlment of conscience : but when choller is downe , he beginnes to be ashamed and troubled in himselfe , not alwaies by grace , but euen by the force of his naturall conscience , which when affection is calmed beginnes to stirre , as appeareth in the example of Cain . III. Ignorance of Gods will and errours in iudgement cause the conscience to be quiet , when it ought to accuse . This we find by experience in the deaths of obstinate heretikes , which suffer for their damnable opinions without checke of conscience . Dead conscience hath two degrees . The first is the slumbring or the benummed conscience ; the second is the seared conscience . The benummed conscience is that which doth not accuse a man for any sinne vnlesse it be grieuous or capitall ; and not alwaies for that but onely in the time of some grieuous sicknes or calamitie . Iosephs brethren were not much troubled in conscience for their villanie in selling their brother , till afterward when they were afflicted with famine and distressed in Egypt . Gen. 42. 2. This is the conscience that commonly raignes in the hearts of drousie Protestants , of all carnall and lukewarme gospellers , and of such as are commonly tearmed ciuill honest men , whose apparant integritie will not free them from guiltie consciences . Such a conscience is to be taken heede of vs , as beeing most da●gerous . It is like a wild beast , which so long as he lies asleepe , seemes very tame and gentle , and hurts no man : but when he is roused , he then awakes and flies in a mans face , and offers to pull out his throate . And so it is the manner of dead conscience , to lie still and quiet euen through the course of a mans life : and hereupon a man would thinke ( as most doe ) that it were a good conscience indeede : but when sicknes or death approcheth , it beeing awaked by the hand of God , beginnes to stand vp on his legges , and shewes his fierce eyes , and offers to rend out euen the very throat of the soule . And heathen Poets knowing this right well , haue compared euill conscience to Furies pursuing men with firebrands . The seared conscience is that which doth not accuse for any sinne ; no not for great sinnes . It is compared by Paul , 1. Tim. 4.2 . to the part of a mans bodie which is not onely bereft of sense , life , and motion by the gangrene , but also is burnt with a searing yron : and therefore must needes be vtterly past all feeling . This kind of conscience is not in all men , but in such persons as are become obstinate heretikes and notorious malefactours . And it is not in them by nature , but by an increase of the corruption of nature ; and that by certaine steppes and degrees . For naturally euery man hath in him blindnes of minde , and obstinacie or frowardnes of heart ; yet so , as with the blindnes and ignorance of minde , are ioyned some remnants of the light of nature , shewing vs what is good and euill . Now the heart of man beeing exceedingly obstinate and peruerse , carrieth him to commit sinnes euen against the light of nature and common conscience : by practise of such sinnes the light of nature is extinguished : and then commeth the reprobate minde , which iudgeth euill good , and good euill : after this followes the seared conscience , in which there is no feeling or remorse : and after this comes an exceeding greedines to all manner of sinne . Eph. 4.18 . Rom. 1.28 . Here it may be demanded , how mens consciences shall accuse them in the day of iudgement , if they be thus benummed and seared in this life . Ans. It is said , Rev. 20.12 . that at the last iudgement all shall be brought before Christ , and that the bookes then shall be opened : among these bookes , no doubt , conscience is one . Wherefore though a dead conscience in this life be as a closed or sealed booke ( because it doth either little or nothing accuse , ) yet after this life , it shall be as a booke laide open : because God shall inlighten it , and so stirre it vp by his mightie power , that it shall be able to reueale and discouer all the sinnes that a man euer committed . Stirring conscience , is that which doth sensibly either accuse or excuse . And it hath foure differences . The first which accuseth a man for doing euill . This must needes be an euill conscience . Because to accuse is not a propertie that belongs to it by creation , but a defect that followeth after the fall . And if the conscience which truly accuseth a man for his sinnes , were a good conscience , then the worst man that is , might haue a good conscience ; which can not be . When the accusation of the conscience is more forcible and violent , it is called a wounded or troubled conscience : which though of it selfe it be not good nor any grace of God ; yet by the goodnes of God it serueth often to be an occasion or preparation to grace ; as a needle , that drawes the threed into the cloath , is some meanes whereby the cloath is sewed togither . The second , is that which accuseth for doing well . And it is to be found in them that are giuen to idolatrie and superstition . As in the Church of Rome : in which , because mens consciences are i●snared and intangled with humane traditions , many are troubled for doing that which is good in it selfe , or at the least a thing indifferent . As for exāple : let a priest omit to say masse & to say his canonical houres , his consciēce will accuse him therfore : though the omitting of the canonicall houres and of the idolatrous masse , be indeed by-Gods word no sinne . The third , is the conscience which excuseth for doing that which is euill . This also is to be found in them that are giuen to idolatrie and superstition . And there is a particular example hereof , Ioh. 16. ● . Yea , the time shal come that whosoeuer killeth you● will thinke that he doth God good seruice . Such is the conscience of Popish traytours in these daies , that are neuer touched at all , though they intend and enterprise horrible villanies , and be put to death therefore . The fourth , is that which excuseth for well doing at some times , & in some particular actions of carnall men . When Abimelech had taken Sarai from Abraham , God said vnto him in a dreame , I know that thou diddest this with an vpright minde , Gen. 20.6 . This may be tearmed a good conscience , but is indeede otherwise . For though it doe truly excuse in one particular action , yet because the man in whom it is , may be vnregenerate and as yet out of Christ , and because it doth accuse in many other matters : therefore it is no good conscience . If all the vertues of naturall men , are indeede but certaine b beautifull sinnes , and their righteousnes but a carnall righteousnes ; then the conscience also of a carnall man , though it excuse him for well doing , is but a carnall conscience . CHAP. IIII. Mans dutie touching conscience . MAns dutie concerning conscience is two-fold . The first is , if he want good conscience aboue all things to labour to obtaine it : for it is not giuen by nature to any man , but comes by grace . For the obtaining of good conscience , three things must be procured ; a preparation to good conscience , the applying of the remedie , the reformation of conscience . In the preparation , foure things are required . The first is , the knowledge of the law , and the particular commandements thereof , whereby we are taught what is good , what is badde ; what may be done , and what may not be done . The men of our daies , that they may haue the right knowledge of the law , must lay aside many erronious and foolish opinions , which they hold flat against the true meaning of the law of God : otherwise they can neuer be able to discerne betweene sinne and no sinne . Their speciall and common opinions are these : I. That they can loue God with all their hearts , and their neighbours as themselues ; that they feare God aboue all , and trust in him alone ; and that they euer did so . II. That to rehearse the Lords praier , the beleefe , and ten Commandements , ( without vnderstanding of the wordes , and without affection ) is the true and whole worship of God. III. That a man may seeke to wizzards and soothsaiers without offence , because God hath prouided a salue for euery sore . IV. That to sweare by good things and in the way of truth , is not a sinne . V. That a man going about his ordinarie affaires at home or abroad on the Sabbath day , may as well serue God as they which heare all in the sermons in the world . VI. That religion and the practise thereof , is nothing but an affected precisenes : that couetousnes the roote of euill , is nothing but worldlines : that pride is nothing but a care of honestie and cleanlines : that single fornication is nothing but the tricke of youth : that swearing and blaspheming argue the couragious minde of a braue gentleman . VII . That a man may doe with his owne what he will , and make as much of it as he can . Hence arise all the frauds and bad practises in trafficke betweene man and man. The second thing required , is the knowledge of the iudiciall sentence of the law , which resolutely pronounceth that a curse is due to man for euery sinne , Gal. 3.10 . Very few are resolued of the truth of this point , and very few doe vnfainedly beleeue it , because mens minds are possessed with a contrarie opinion , that though they sinne against God , yet they shall escape death & damnation . Dauid saith , The wicked man ( that is , euery man naturally ) blesseth himselfe . Psal. 10.3 . and he maketh a league with hell and death , Esa. 28.15 . This appeareth also by experience . Let the ministers of the Gospell reprooue sinne , and denounce Gods iudgements against it , according to the ●ule of Gods word , yet men will not feare : stones will almost as soone mooue in the walls , and the pillars of our Churches , as the flintie hearts of men . And the reason hereof is , because their mindes are forestalled with this absurd conceit , that they are not in danger of the wrath of God , though they offend . And the opinion of our common people is hereunto answerable , who thinke , that if they haue a good meaning , and doe no man hurt , God will haue them excused both in this life and in the day of iudgement . The third , is a iust and serious examination of the conscience by the law , that we may see what is our estáte before God. And this is a dutie vpon which the Prophets stand very much . Lam. 3.40 . Man suffereth for his sinne : let vs search and trie our hearts , and turne againe to the Lord. Zeph. 2. 1. Fanne your selues , fanne you , O nation , not worthie to be beloued . In making examination , we must specially take notice of that which doth now lie , or may hereafter lie vpon the conscience . And after due examination hath beene made , a man comes to a knowledge of his sinnes in particular , and of his wretched and miserable estate . When one enters into his house at midnight , he findes or sees nothing out of order : but let him come in the day time when the sunne shineth , and he shall then espie many faults in the house , and the very motes that flie vp and downe : so let a man search his heart in the ignorance and blindnesse of his minde , he will straightway thinke all is well : but let him once begin to search himselfe with the light and lanterne of the law , and he shall finde many foule corners in his heart , and heapes of sinnes in his life . The fourth , is a sorrow in respect of the punishment of sinne , arising of the three former actions . And though this sorrow be no grace , for it befals as well the wicked as the godly : yet may it be an occasion of grace , because by the apprehension of Gods anger , we come to the apprehensiō of his mercie . And it is better that conscience should grieue & wound vs & do his worst against vs in this life , while remedie may be had , then after this life , when remedy is past . Thus much of preparation : now follows the remedie , and the application of it . The remedie is nothing else but the blood or the merits of Christ , who specially in conscience felt the wrath of God , as when he said , My soule is heauie vnto death : and his agonie was not so much a paine and torment in bodie , as the apprehension of the feare and anger of God in conscience : and when the holy Ghost saith , That he offered vnto God praiers with strong cries and was heard from feare , he directly notes the distresse and anguish of his most holy conscience for our sinnes . And as the blood of Christ is an all-sufficient remedie , so is it also the alone remedie of all the sores and wounds of conscience . For nothing can stanch or stay the terrrours of conscience , but the blood of the immaculate lambe of God : nothing can satisfie the iudgement of the conscience , much lesse the most seuere iudgement of God , but the onely satisfaction of Christ. In the application of the remedie , two things are required : the Gospell preached , and faith : the Gospell is the hand of God , that offereth grace to vs : and faith is our hand whereby we receiue it . That we indeede by faith receiue Christ with all his benefits , we must put in practise two lessons . The first is , vnfainedly to humble our selues before God for all our wants , breaches , and wounds in conscience : which , beeing vnto vs a paradise of God , by our default we haue made as it were a little hell within vs. This humiliation is the beginning of all grace and religion : pride and good conscience can neuer goe togither . And such as haue knowledge in religion and many other good gifts without humiliation , are but vnbridled , vnmortified , and vnreformed pe●sons . This humiliation containes in it two duties , the first is confession of our sinnes , especially of those that he vpon our consciences : wherewith must be ioyned the accusing and condemning of our selues : for then we put conscience out of office , and dispatch that labour before our God in this life , which conscience would performe to our eternall damnation after this life . The second dutie is Deprecation , which is a kind of praier made with groanes and desires of heart , in which we intreat for nothing but for pardon of our sinnes , and that for Christs sake , til such time as the conscience be pacified . To this humiliation standing on these two parts , excellent promises of grace and life euerlasting are made . Prou. 28. 13. He that hideth his sinnes , shall not prosper : but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercie . 1. Ioh. 1.6 . If we acknowledge our sinnes , he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes , and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes . Luk. 1.35 . He hath fi●led the hungrie with good things , and sent the rich emptie away . Which are also verified by experience in sundrie examples , ● . Sam. 12.13 . Dauid said to Nathan , I haue sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to Dauid , The Lord also hath put away thy sinne . 2. Chr. 33.43 . When Manasses was in tribulation , he praied to the Lord his God , and hūbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers , and praied vnto him : and God heard his praier . Luk. 23.43 . And the thiefe said to Iesus . Lord remember me when thou commest to thy kingdome . Then Iesus said vnto him , Verely I say vnto thee , to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise . By these and many other places it appeares , that when a man doth truly humble himselfe before God , he is at that instant reconciled to God , and hath the pardon of his sinnes in heauen : and shall afterward haue the assurance thereof in his owne conscience . The second lesson is , when we are touched in conscience for our sinnes , not to yeeld to naturall doubtings and distrust ; but to resist the same , and to indeauour by Gods grace to resolue our selues that the promises of saluation by Christ , belong to vs particularly : because to doe thus much , is the very commandement of God. The third thing is , the reformation of conscience ; which is , when it doth cease to accuse and terrifie , and begins to excuse and testifie vnto vs by the holy Ghost , that we are the children of God and haue the pardon of our sinnes . And this it will doe after that men haue seriously humbled themselues , and praied earnestly and constantly with sighes and grones of spirit for reconciliation with God in Christ. For then the Lord will send downe his spirit into the conscience by a sweete and heauenly testimonie to assure vs that we are at peace with God. Thus we see how good conscience is gotten : and because it is so pretious a iewell , I wish all persons , that as yet neuer laboured to get good conscience , now to begin . Reasons to induce men thereto may be these : I. you seeke daie and night from yere to yere for honours , riches , and pleasures , which ye must leaue behind you : much more therefore ought you to seeke for renewed and reformed consciences , cōsidering that cōscience wil be with you in this life , in death , at the last iudgement , & for euer . II. He that wants a cōscience purged in the blood of Christ , can neuer haue any true and lasting comfort in this life . Suppose a man araied in cloath of tishue , set in a chaire of estate , before him a table furnished with all daintie prouision : his seruants , Monarches , and Princes ; his riches the chiefest treasures and kingdomes in the worlde : but withall suppose one standing by , with a naked sword to cut his throat , or a wild beast readie euer and anon to pull him in peeces : nowe , what can wee say of this mans estate , but that all his happines is nothing but wo and miserie ? And such is the estate of all men that abounding with riches , honours , and pleasures , carrie about them an euill conscience , which is as a sword to slay the soule , or as a rauenous beast readie to sucke the blood of the soule , and to rend it in peeces . III. He which wants good conscience can doe doe nothing but sinne : his very eating and drinking , his sleeping and waking , and all he doth , turnes to sin : the conscience must first be good , before the action can be good ; if the roote be corrupt , the fruits are answerable . IV. An euill conscience is the greatest enemie a man can haue , because it doeth execute all the parts of iudgement against him . It is the Lords fergeant . God neede not sende out processe by any of his creatures for man : the conscience within man will arest him , and bring him before God. It is the gayler to keep man in prison in bolts and irons , that he may be forth comming at the daie of iudgement . It is the witnesse to accuse him , the iudge to condemne him , the hangman to execute him , and the flashings of the fire of hell to torment him . Againe , it makes a man to be an enemy to God : because it accuseth him to God , and makes him ●●ie from God , as Adam did when he had sinned . Also he makes a man to be his owne enemie , in that it doth cause to lay violent hands vpon himselfe , and become his owne hangman , or his own cut-throate . And on the contrarie , a good conscience is a mans best friend : when all men intreat him hardly , it will speake him faire & comfort him : it is a continuall feast , and a paradise vpon earth . V. The Scripture sheweth that they which neuer seeke good conscience , haue terrible ends . For either they die blockes , as Nabal did ; or they die desperate , as Caine , Saul , Achitophel , Iudas . VI. We must consider o●ten the terrible day of iudgemēt , in which euery man must receiue according to his doings . And that wee may then be absolued , the best way is to seeke for a good conscience : for if our cōscience be euill , and condemne vs in this life , God will much more condemne vs. And whereas we must passe through three iudgements ; the iudgement of men , the iudgement of our conscience , & the last iudgement of God : we shall neuer be strengthened against them , and cleared in them all ; but by the seeking of a good conscience . After that man hath got good conscience , his second dutie is to keepe it . And as the gouerning the shippe on the sea , the pilote holding the helme i● his hand , hath alwaies an ●ie to the compasse ; so we likewise , in the ordering of our liues and conuersations , must alwaies haue a special regard to conscience . That we may keepe good conscience , we must doe two things ; auoide the impediment thereof , and vse conuenient preseruations . Impediments of good conscience , are either in vs or forth of vs. In vs , our owne sinnes and corruptions . When mens bodies lie dead in the earth , there breede certaine wormes in them , whereby they are consumed . For of the flesh come the wormes which consume the flesh : but vnlesse we take great heede , out of the sinnes and corruptions of our hear●s , there will breede a worme a thousand folde more terrible , euen the worme of conscience that neuer dieth , which will in a lingring manner wast the conscience , the soule , and the whol● man ; because he shall be alwaies dying and neuer dead . These sinnes are specially three ; Ignorance , vnmortified affections , worldly lusts . Touching the first , namely ignorance , it is a great and vsuall impediment of good conscience . For when the mind erreth or misconceiueth , it doth mislead the conscience , and deceiue the whole man. The waie to auoid this impediment is , to doe our indeauour that we may daiely increase in the knoweledge of the word of God , that it may dwell in vs plentifully , to this ende wee must pray with Dauid , that he would open our eies , that we might vnderstād the wonders of his lawe : and withall wee must daily search the Scriptures for vnderstanding as men vse to search the mines of the earth for gold ore , Prou. 2.4 . Lastly , wee must labour for spirituall wisdome , that wee might haue the right vse of gods word in euery particular action : that being by it directed , we may discerne what we may with good conscience doe or leaue vndone . The second impediment , is vnstaied and vnmortified affections : which , if they haue their swing , as wild horses ouertu●ne the chariot with men and all , so they ouerturne and ouercarrie the iudgement and conscience of man : and therefore when they beare rule , good conscience takes no place . Now to preuent the daunger th●● comes hereby , this course must be followed . When we would haue a sword or a knife not to hurt our selues or others , we turne the edge of it . And so , that we may preuent our affections from hurting and annoying the conscience , we must turne the course of them , by directing them from our neighbours to our selues and our owne sinnes , or by inclining them to God and Christ. For example : choller and anger directs it selfe vpon euery occasion against our neighbour , and thereby greatly indamageth the conscience . Now , the course of it is turned , when we begin to be displeased and to be angrie with our selues for our owne sinnes . Our loue set vpon the worlde is hurtfull to the conscience , but when we once begin to set our loue on God in Christ , and to loue the blood of Christ aboue all the world , then contrariwise it is a furtherance of good conscience . The third impediment , is worldly lusts , that is , the loue and exceeding desire of riches , honours , pleasures . Euery man is as Adam , his good conscience is his paradise ; the forbidden fruit , is the strong desire of these earthly things ; the serpent is the old enemie the deuill : who if he may bee suffered to intangle vs with the loue of the world , will straigh● waie put vs out of our paradise , and barre vs from al good conscience . The remedie is to learne the lesson of Paul , Phil. 4. 12. which is in euery estate in which God shal place vs to be content ; esteeming euermore the present condition the best for vs of all . Now that this lesson may be learned , we must further labour to be resolued of Gods special prouidence towards vs in euery case & condition of life : & when we haue so well profited in the schoole of Christ , that we can see and acknowledge Gods prouidence & goodnes , as well in sicknes as in health , in pouertie as in wealth , in hunger as in fulnes , in life as in death , we shall be very well content , whatsoeuer any way befalls vnto vs. The preseruatiues of good conscience are two , the first is to preserue and cherish that sauing faith whereby we are perswaded of our reconciliatiō with God in Christ , for this is the roote of good conscience , as hath beene shewed . Nowe this faith is cherished and confirmed by the daiely exercises of inuocation and repentance ; which be , to humble our selues , to bewaile and confesse our sinnes to God , to condemne our selues for them , to pray for pardon and strength against sinne , to praise God and giue him thankes for his daily benefits . And by the vn●ained and serious practise of these duties , repentance and faith are daiely renewed and confirmed . The second preseruatiue is the maintaining of the righteousnes of a good conscience : which righteousnesse ( as I haue said ) is nothing els but a constant indeauour and desire to obey the wil of god in all things . That this righteousnes may be kept to the end , we must practise three rules . The first is , that we are to carry in our hearts a a purpose neuer to sinne against God in any thing : for where a purpose is of committing any sin wittingly and willingly , there is neither good faith nor good conscience . The second is to walke with God as Enoch did , Gen. 5.24 . which is , to order the whole course of our liues as in the presence of God , desiring to approoue all our doings euer vnto him . Now this perswasion that wheresoeuer we are , we doe stand in the presence of God , is a notable meanes to maintaine sinceritie , Ge. 17.1 . I am god al-sufficient , walke before me & be perfect . And the wāt of this is the occasion of many offences : as Abraham said , Because I thought surely the feare of God is not in this place , they will slay me for my wiues sake , Gen. 20. 11. The third rule is , carefully to walk in our particular callings , doing the duties thereof to the glorie of God , to the good of the common wealth , and the edification of the Church ; auoiding therein fraud , couetousnesse , and ambition , which cause men oftentimes to set their consciences on the tenters , and make them stretch like cheuerill . Thus we see how good conscience may be preserued . Reasons to induce hereunto are many . I. Gods straight commandement , 1. Tim. 1.19 . Keep faith and good conscience . And Prou. 4.23 . Keepe thine heart with all diligence . II. The good conscience is the most tender part of the soule , like to the apple of the eie ; which beeing pierced by the least pinne that may bee , is not onely blemished , but also looseth his sight . Therefore as God doth to the eie , so must wee deale with the conscience . God giues to the eie certaine lids of flesh , to defend and couer it from outward iniuries : and so must we vse meanes to auoid whatsoeuer may offend or annoy conscience . III Manifolde benefits redounde vnto vs by keeping good conscience . First so long as we haue care to keepe it , we keepe & inioy all other gifts of Gods spirit . Good conscience & the rest of Gods graces are as a paire of turtle doues , when the one seedes , the other feedeth ; when the one likes not , the other likes not ; when the one dies , the other dies : so , where good conscience is maintained , there are many other excellent gifts of God Hourishing : and where conscience decaies , they also decaie . Againe , good conscience giues alacritie vnto vs , and boldnesse in calling on Gods name . 1. Iohn . 3.21 . If our heart condemne vs not , we haue boldnesse towards God. Thirdly it makes vs patient in affliction , & comforts vs greatly : & when by reason of the grieuousnesse of our affl●ction , wee are constrained to kneele on both knees and take vp our crosse , regenerate conscience as a sweet companion , or like a good Simon , laies too his shoulder and helpes to beare one end of it . Lastly , when none can comfort vs , it will be an amiable comforter , & a friend speaking sweetly vnto vs , in the very agony and pang of death . IV. Not to preserue the conscience without spot , is the way to desperation . It is the pollicy of the deuil to vse meanes to cast the conscience into the sleep of securitie , that he may the more easily bring mā to his own destruction . For as diseases , if they be long neglected become incurable : so the conscience much and often wounded , admits little or no comfort . Neither will it alwaies boote a man after many yeares to say at the last cast , Lord be mercifull to me , I haue sinned . Though some be receiued to mercie in the time of death , yet far more perish in desperation , that liue in their sinnes wittingly and willingly against their owne conscience . Pharao , Saul , and Iudas cried all peccaui , I haue sinned against god : yet Pharao is hardned more and more and perisheth : Saul goeth on in his sinnes and despaireth : Iudas made away himselfe . And no maruel , for the multitude of sinnes oppresse the conscience , and make the heart to ouerflowe with such a measure of griefe that it can fasten no affiance in the mercie of God. Lastly they that shall neglect to keepe good conscience , procure many hurts , and daungers , and iudgements of God to themselues . When a ship is on the sea , if it bee not well gouerned , or if there bee a breach made into it ; it drawes water and sinkes : and so both men and wares and all in likelihood are cast away . Nowe wee all are as passengers ; the world is an huge sea through which we must passe : our ship is the conscience of euery man , 1. Tim. 1.19 . & 3.12 . the wares are our religion and saluation & all other gifts of God. Therfore it standes vs in hand to be alwaies at the helme , and to carrie our ship with as euen a course as possibly we can , to the intended port of happines , which is the saluation of our soules . But if so be it we grow carelesse , and make breaches in the ship of conscience , by suffering it to dash vpon the rocks of sinne , it is a thousand to one , that we in the end shall cast away our selues and all wee haue . And in the mean season , as conscience decaies , so proportionally all graces and goodnesse goes from vs : Gods commandements begin to be vile vnto vs ; the knowledge thereof , as also faith , hope , and the inuocation of Gods name , decay . Experience sheweth that men of excellent gifts by vsing badde conscience , loose them all . Finis . A Reformed Catholike : OR , A DECLARATION SHEWing how neere we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of Religion : and wherein we must for euer depart from them : with an Aduertisment to all fauourers of the Romane Religion , shewing how the said religion is against the Catholike principles and groundes of the Catechisme . PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT , PRINTER to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge . 1600. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPfull , Sir William Bowes Knight , &c. Grace and peace . RIght Worshipful , it is a notable pollicie of the deuil , which he hath put into the heades of sundrie men in this age , to thinke that our religion and the religion of the present Church of Rome are all one for substance : and that they may be reunited as ( in their opinion ) they were before . Writings to this effect , are spread abroad in the French tongue , and respected of English protestants more then is meete ; or ought to be . For , let men in shew of moderation , pretend the peace and good estate of the Catholike Church as long as long as they will ; this Vnion of the two religions can neuer be made , more then the vnion of light & darknes . And this shall appeare , if we doe but a little consider , howe they of the Romane Church haue rased the foundation . For though in wordes they honour Christ , yet in deed they turne him to a Pseudo-Christ and an Idol of their owne braine . They call him our Lord , but with this condition , that the Seruant of Seruants of this Lord may chaunge and adde to his commandements : hauing so great a power , that he may open and shut heauen to whome he will ; and bind the verie conscience with his owne lawes , and consequently be partaker of the spiritual kingdome of Christ. Againe they call him a Sauiour , but yet in Vs : in that hee giues this grace vnto vs , that by our merits wee may be our owne Sauiours : and in the want of our own merits , wee may pertake in the merits of the Saints . And they acknowledge that he died and suffered for vs , but with this caueat , that the Fault beeing pardoned , wee must satisfie for the temporall punishment either in this world or in Purgatorie . In a word , they make him our mediatour of Intercession vnto God : but withal his Mother must be the Queene of Heauen , and by the right of a Mother commaund him there . Thus , in worde they crie Osunna , but in deede they crucifie Christ. Therefore wee haue good cause to blesse the name of God , that hath freed vs from the yoke of this Romane bondage , and hath brought vs to the true light & libertie of the gospel . And it should be a great height of vnthankfulnesse in vs , not to stand out against the present Church of Rome , but to yeeld our selues to plottes of reconciliation . To this effect and purpose I haue penned this little Treatise , which I present to your Worship , desiring it might be some token of a thankfull mind , for vndeserued loue . And I craue withall , not onely your Worshipfull ( which is more common ) but also your learned protection ; beeing well assured , that by skill and arte you are able to iustifie whatsoeuer I haue truely taught . Thus wishing to you and yours the continuance and the increase of faith and good conscience , I take my leaue . Cambridge , Iun. 28. 1597. Your Worships in the Lord , William Perkins . THE AVTHOR TO THE Christian Reader . BY a Reformed Catholike , I vnderstand any one that holdes the same necessarie beads of religion with the Romane Church : yet so , as he pares off and reiects all errours in doctrine whereby the said religion is corrupted . Howe this may be done , I haue begun to make some little declaration in this small Treatise : the intent whereof is to shewe how neere wee may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of religion : and wherein we must for euer dissent . My purpose in penning this small discourse is threefolde . The first is , to confute all such Politikes as hold and maintaine , that our religion , and that of the Romane Church differ not in substance , and consequently that they may be reconciled : yet my meaning is not here to condemne any Pacification that tends to perswade the Romane Church to our religion . The second is , that the Papists which thinke so basely of our religion , may be wonne to a better liking of it : when they shall see howe neere we come vnto them in sundrie points . The third , that the common protestant might in some part see and conceiue the point of difference betweene vs and the Church of Rome : and know in what manner and how farre forth , we condemne the opinions of the said Church . I craue pardon for the order which I vse , in handling the seuerall points . For I haue set them downe one by one , as they came to mind , not respecting the lawes of method . If any Papist shall say that I haue not alleadged their opinions aright , I answer , that their bookes be at hand , and I can iustifie what I haue saide . Thus crauing thine acceptation of this my paines , and wishing vnto thee the increase of knowledge and loue of pure and sound religion , I take my leaue and make an ende . The places of doctrine handled , are 1 Of Free-will . 2 Of Originall sinne . 3 Assurance of saluation . 4 Iustification of a sinner . 5 Of merits . 6 Satisfactions for sinne . 7 Of Traditions . 8 Of Vowes . 9 Of Images . 10 Of Reall presence . 11 The sacrifice of the Masse . 12 Of Fasting . 13 The state of perfection . 14 Worshipping of Saints departed . 15 Intercession of Saints . 16 Implicite faith . 17 Of Purgatorie . 18 Of the supremacie . 19 Of the efficacie of the Sacraments . 20 Of faith . 21 Of Repentance . 22 The sinnes of the Romane Church . REVELAT . 18. 4. And I heard another voice from heauen say , Goe out of her my people , that ye be not partakers of her sinnes , and receiue not of her plagues . IN the former chapter S. Iohn sets downe a description of the whore of Babylon , & that at large as he saw her in a vision described vnto him . In the sixteenth verse of the same chapter , he foretels her destruction : and in the three first verses of this 18. chapter , hee goeth on to propound the said destruction yet more directly and plainely : withall alleadging arguments to prooue the same , in all the verses following . Nowe in this fourth verse is set downe a caueat seruing to forewarne all the people of God , that they may escape the iudgement which shal befall the whore : and the words containe two parts : a commandement , and a reason . The commandement , Come out of her my people , that is , from Babylon . The reason , taken from the euent , least ye be partakers , &c. Touching the cōmandement , first I will search the right meaning of it , and then set downe the vse thereof and doctrine flowing thence . In historie therefore are three Babylons mentioned : one is , Babylon of Assyria standing on the riuer Euphrates , where was the confusion of Languages , and where the Iewes were in captiuitie : which Babylon is in Scripture reproched for Idolatrie and other iniquities . The second Babylon is in Egypt standing on the riuer Nylus , and it is now called Cayr ; of that mention is made , 1. Pet. 5.13 . ( as some thinke ) though indeede it is as likely and more commonly thought , thas there is meant Babylon of Assyria . The third Babylon is mysticall , whereof Babylon of Assyria was a type and figure ; and that is Rome , which is without question here to be vnderstood . And the whore of Babylon , as by all circumstances may be gagathered , is the state or regiment of a people that are the inhabitāts of Rome and appertaine thereto . This may bee prooued by the interpretation of the holy ghost : for in the last verse of the 17. chapter the woman that is the whore of Babylon is said to be a citie which raigneth ouer the kings of the earth : nowe in the daies when S. Iohn penned this booke of Reuelation , there was no cittie in the world that ruled ouer the kings of the earth but Rome ; it then being the seate where the Emperour put in execution his Imperiall authoritie . Againe in the seuenth verse shee is said to sit on a beast hauing seauen heads & ten horns : which 7. heads be seuen hills , v. 9. whereon the woman sitteth , & also they be seuen kings . Therefore by the whore of Babylon is meant a cittie standing on seuen hills . Now it is well known , not onely to learned men in the Church of god , but euen to the heathen themselues , that Rome alone is the cittie built on seuen distinct hils , called Caelius , Auentinus , Exquilinus , Tarpeius , or Capitolinus , Viminalis , Palatinus , Quirinal●● . Papists to helpe themselues , doe alleadge that old Rome stood on seuen hells , but nowe is remooued further to Campus Martius . I answer , that howsoeuer the greatest part of the cittie in regard of habitation be not nowe on seauen hills , yet in regard of regiment and practise of religion it is : for euen to this day vpon these hills are feated certaine Churches and Monasteries and other like places where the Papal authoritie is put in execution : and thus Rome beeing put for a state and regiment ; euen at this day , it stands vpon seuen hills . And though it be come to passe that the harlot in regard of her latter daies euen changed her seat , yet in respect of her yonger times in which shee was bred & borne , she sate vpon the seuen hils . Others , because they feare the wounding of their owne heads , labour to frame these words to an other meaning , and say , that by the whore is meant the companie of all wicked men in the world wheresoeuer , the deuill being the head thereof . But this exposition is flat against the text : for in the second verse of the 17. chapter , shee is opposed to the kings of the earth with whome shee is said to commit fornication : and in the last verse shee is called a citie standing on seuen hills and raigning ouer the kings of the earth ( as I haue said , ) and therfore must needs be a state of men in some particular place . And the Papists themselues perceiuing that this shift will not serue their turne , make two Romes , heathenish Rome , and that wherof the Pope is head : now ( say they ) the whore spoken of , is heathenish Rome , which was ruled by cruell tyrants , as Nero , Domitian , and the rest : and that Rome whereof now the Pope is head , is not here meant . Behold a vaine and foolish distinction : for Ecclesiastical Rome in respect of state , princely dominion , and crueltie in persecuting the Saints of God , is all one with the heathenish Empire : the See of the Bishop beeing turned into the Emperours court , as all histories doe manifest . But let the distinction be as they suppose , yet by their leaues , here by the whore must be vnderstood not onely heathenish Rome , but euen the Papall or Ecclesiasticall Rome : for v. 3 . of this chapter the holy Ghost saith plainly , that she hath mad● all nations drunke with the wine of the wrath of her fornication : yea it is added , that shee hath committed fornication with the kings of the earth , whereby is signified that shee hath endeauoured to intangle all the nations of the earth in her spirituall idolatrie , and to bring the kings of the earth to her religion . Which thing cannot be vnderstood of the heathenish Rome , for that left all the kings of the earth to their owne religion and idolatrie : neither did they labour to bring forraine kings to worship their gods . Againe chap. 17. v. 16. it is saide , that the ten hornes , which be ten kings , shall hate the whore , and make her desolate and naked , which must not be vnderstood of heathenish Rome , but of popish Rome : for whereas in former times all the kings of the earth did submit themselues to the whore , now they haue begun to withdraw themselues , and make her desolate ; as the king of Bohemia , Denmarke , Germanie , England , Scotland , and other parts : therefore this distinction is also friuolous . They further alleadge that the whore of Babylon is drunke with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs , chap. 17.6 . shedde not in Rome , but in Ierusalem , where the Lord was crucified : and the two prophets beeing slaine lie there in the streets , Reuelat. 11.8 . But this place is not meant of Hierusalem , as Hierome hath fully taught , but it may well be vnderstood of Rome : Christ was crucified there , either because the authoritie , whereby he was crucified was from the Romane Empire , or els because Christ in his members was and is there daily crucified , though locally in his owne person he was crucified at Ierusalem . And thus , notwithstanding all which hath beene saide , we must here by the whore vnderstand the state and Empire of Rome , not so much vnder the heathen Emperours as vnder the head thereof the Pope : which exposition , besides the authoritie of the text , hath the fauour and defence of auncient and learned men . Bernard saith , They are the ministers of Christ , but they serue Antichrist . Againe , The beast spoken of in the Apocalyps to which a mouth is giuen to speake blasphemies , and to make warre with the Saints of God , is now gotten into Peters chaire , as a lyon prepared to his pray . It will be said , that Bernard speakes these latter words of one that came to the Popedome by intrusion or vsurpation . It is true indeede : but wherefore was he an vsurper ? He rendreth a reason thereof in the same place : because the Antipope called Innocentius was chosen by the kings of Almaine , France , England , Scotland , Spaine , Hierusalem , with consent of the whole Cleargie and people in these nations , and the other was not . And thus Bernard hath giuen his verdict , that not onely this vsurper , but all the Popes for this many yeares are the beast in the Apocalyps : because now they are onely chosen by the colledge of Cardinalls . To this agreeth the decree of Pope Nicolas the second , ann . 1059. that the Pope shall afterward be created by the suffrages of the Cardinall Bishops of Rome , with the consent of the rest of the cleargie and people , and the Emperour himselfe : and all Popes are excommunicate and accursed as Antichrists , that enter otherwise , as all now doe . Ioachimus Abbas saith , Antichrist was long since borne in Rome , & shall be yet aduanced higher in the Apostolicke See. Petrarch saith , Once Rome , now Babylon . And Ireneus booke 5. chap. last , said before all these , that Antichrist should be Lateinus , a Romane . Againe , this commandement must not so much be vnderstood of a bodily departure in respect of cohabitation and presence , as of a spirituall separation in respect of faith and religion . And the meaning of the holy Ghost is , that men must depart from the Romish Church in regard of iudgement and doctrine , in regard of their faith and the worship of God. Thus then we see that the words containe a commandement from God , inioyning his Church and people to make a separation frō Babylon . Whence I obserue , That all those who will be saued , must depart and separate themselues frō the faith and religion of this present Church of Rome . And whereas they are charged with schisme that separate on this manner ; the truth is , they are not schismaticks that doe so , because they haue the commandement of God for their warrant : and that partie is the schismaticke in whome the cause of this separation lieth : and that is the Church of Rome , namely the cup of abomination in the whores hand , which is , their hereticall and schismaticall religion . Now touching the dutie of separation I meane to speake at large , not standing so much to prooue the same , because it is euident by the text , as to shew the manner and measure of making this separation : and therein I will handle two things . First how farforth we may ioyne with them in the matter of religion : secondly how farforth and wherein we must dissent and depart from them . And for this cause I meane to make choice of certaine points of religion , and to speake of them in as good order as I can , shewing in each of them our consent and difference : and the rather , because some harpe much vpon this string , that a Vnion may be made of our two religions , and that we differ not in substance but in points of circumstance . The first point wherewith I meane to beginne shall be the point of Free-will ; though it be not the principall . I. Our consent . Freewill both by them and vs , is taken for a mixt power in the minde and will of man : whereby discerning what is good and what is euill , he doth accordingly choose or refuse the same . I. Conclus . Man must be considered in a foure-fold estate , as he was created , as he was corrupted , as he is renewed , as he shal be glorified . In the first estate , we ascribe to mans will libertie of nature in which he could will or ●ill either good or euill : in the third , libertie of grace : in the last libertie of glorie . All the doubt is of the second estate : and yet therein also we agree , as the conclusions following will declare . II. Conclus . The matters where about freewill is occupied are principally the actions of men , which be of three sorts ; naturall , humane , spirituall . Naturall actions are such as are cōmon to men with beasts , as to eate , drink , sleepe , heare , see , smell , tast , and to mooue from place to place : in all which we ioyne with the Papists , and hold that man hath freewil , and euen since the fall of Adam by naturall power of the mind doth freely performe any of these actions or the like . III. Conclus . Humane actions are such as are common to all men good & bad , as to speake and vse reason , the practise of all mechanicall and liberal arts , and the outward performance of Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall duties , as to come to the Church , to speake and preach the word , to reach out the hand to receiue the Sacrament , and to lend the eare to listen outwardly to that which is taught . And hither we may referre the outward actions of ciuill vertues ; as namely Iustice , temperance , gentlenes , liberalitie . And in these also we ioyne with the Church of Rome , and say ( as experience teacheth ) that men haue a naturall freedome of will , to put them or not to put them in execution . Paul saith , Rom. 2.14 . The Gentiles that haue not the law doe the things of the law by nature , that is , by natural strength : and he saith of himselfe , that before his conuersion touching the righteousnes of the law , he was vnblameable , Phil. 3. 6. And for this externall obedience , naturall men receiue reward in temporall things . Matth. 6.5 . Ezech. 29.19 . And yet here some caueats must be remembred : I. that in humane actions , mans will is weake and feeble , and his vnderstanding dimme and darke ; and thereupon he often failes in them . And in all such actions with Augustine I vnderstand the will of man to be onely wounded or halfe dead . II. That the will of man is vnder the will of God , and therfore to be ordered by it : as Ieremie saith , chap. 10.23 . O Lord , I know that the way of man is not in himselfe , neither is in man to walke or direct his steppes . IV. Conclus . The third kind of actions are spirituall more neerely concerning the heart or conscience , and these be two-fold : they either concerne the kingdome of darknes , or els the kingdome of God. Those that concerne the kingdome of darknes are sinnes properly : and in these we likewise ioyne with the Papists and teach , that in sinnes or euill actions man hath freedome of wil. Some peraduenture will say , that we sinne necessarily , because he that sinneth cannot but sinne : and that freewill & necessitie cannot stand together . Indeed the necessitie of compulsion or coaction , and freewill cannot agree : but there is another kind of necessitie which may stand with freedome of will : for some things may be done necessarily and also freely . A man that is in close prison , must needes there abide and can not possibly get forth and walke where he will ; yet can he mooue himselfe freely and walke within the prison : so likewise , though mans will be chained naturally by the bonds of sinne , and therefore cannot but sinne : and thereupon sinneth necessarily , yet doth it also sinne freely . V. Conclus . The second kind of spirituall actions or things , concerne the kingdome of God : as repentance , faith , the conuersion of a sinner , new obedience , and such like : in which we likewise in part ioyne with the Church of Rome and say , that in the first conuersion of a sinner , mans freewill concurres with Gods grace , as a fellow or coworker in some sort . For in the conuersion of a sinner three things are required : the word , Gods spirit , and mans will : for mans will is not passiue in all & euery respect , but hath an actiō in the first cōuersion and change of the soule . When any man is conuerted , this worke of God is not done by compulsion , but he is conuerted willingly : and at the very time when he is conuerted , by Gods grace he wills his conuersion . To this ende saide Augustine , Serm. 15. de verb. Apost . He which made thee without thee , will not saue thee without thee . Againe , That is certen , that our will is required in this , that we may doe any good thing well : but we haue it not from our owne power but God workes to wil in vs. For looke at what time God giues grace , at the same time he a giueth a will to desire and will the same grace : as for example , when God workes faith , at the same time he workes also vpon the will causing it to desire faith and willingly to receiue the gift of beleeuing . God makes of the vnwilling will a willing will : because no man can receiue grace vtterly against his will , considering will constrained is no will. But here we must remember , that howsoeuer in respect of time the working of grace by Gods spirit , and the willing of it in man goe togither : yet in regard of order , grace is first wrought , and mans will must first of all be acted and mooued by grace , and then it also acteth , willeth , and mooueth it selfe . And this is the last point of consent betweene vs and the Romane Church touching freewill : neither may we proceede further with them . II. The dissent or difference . The point of difference standeth in the cause of the freedome of mans will in spirituall matters , which concerne the kingdome of God. The Papists say , mans will concurreth and worketh with Gods grace in the first conuersion of a sinner by it selfe , and by it owne naturall power ; and is onely helped by the holy Ghost . We say , that mans will worketh with grace in the first conuersion , yet not of it selfe , but by grace . Or thus ; They say will hath a naturall cooperation : we denie it , and say it hath cooperation onely by grace , beeing in it selfe not actiue but passiue ; willing well onely as it is mooued by grace , wherby it must first be acted and mooued , before it can act or will. And that we may the better conceiue the difference , I will vse this comparison : The church of Rome sets forth the estate of a sinner by the condition of a prisoner , and so doe we : marke then the difference . It supposeth the said prisoner to lie bound hand and foote with chaines and fetters , and withall to be sicke and weake , yet not wholly dead but liuing in part : it supposeth also that being in this case , he stirreth not himselfe for any helpe , and yet hath ability and power to stirre . Hereupon if the keeper come and take away his bolts and fetters , and hold him by the hand , & helpe him vp , he can and will of himselfe stand & walke and goe out of prison : euen so ( say they ) is a sinner bound hand and foot with the chaine of his sinnes : and yet he is not dead but sicke , like to the wounded man in the way betweene Ierico and Ierusalem . And therefore doth he not will and a●fect that which is good : but if the holy Ghost come and doe but vntie his bands , and reach him his hand of grace , then can he stand of himself and will his owne saluation , or any thing els that is good . We in like manner graunt , that a prisoner fitly resembleth a naturall man , but yet such a prisoner must he be , as is not onely sicke and weake , but euen starke dead : which can not stirre though the keeper vntie his bolts and chaines , not heare though he sound a trumpet in his eare : and if the said keeper would haue him to mooue and stirre , he must giue him not onely his hand to helpe him , but euen soule and life also : and such a one is euery man by nature ; not onely chained & fettered in his sinnes but stark dead therein : as one that lieth rotting in the graue , not hauing any abilitie or power to mooue or stirre : and therefore he cannot so much as desire or do anything that is truly good of himself , but God must first come and put a new soule into him , euen the spirit of grace to quicken and reuiue him : and then beeing thus reuiued , the will beginneth to will good things at the very same time , when God by his spirit first infuseth grace . And this is the true difference betweene vs and the Church of Rome in this point of freewill . III. Our reasons . Now for the confirmation of the doctrine we holde , namely , that a man willeth not his owne conuersion of himselfe by nature either in whole or in part , but by grace wholly and alone : these reasons may be vsed . The first is taken from the nature and measure of mans corruption , which may be distinguished into two parts . The first is the want of that originall righteousnesse , which was in man by creation : the second , is a pronenes and inclination to that which is euill , and to nothing that is truly good . This appeareth , Gen. 8.21 . the frame of mans heart ( saith the Lord ) is euill frō his childhood : that is , the disposition of the vnderstanding , wil , affections , with all that the heart of man deuiseth , formeth , or imagineth , is wholly euill . And Paul saith , Rom. 8.7 . The wisdome of the flesh is enmitie against God. Which wordes are very significant : for the word [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] translated wisdome , signifieth that the best thoughts the best desires , affections , and indeauour that be in any naturall man , euen those that come most neare to true holines , are not onely contrarie to God , but euen enmitie it selfe . And hence I gather , that the very heart it selfe , that is , the will and minde , from whence these desires and thoughts doe come , are also enmitie vnto God. For such as the action is , such is the facultie whence it proceedeth : such as the fruit is , such is the tree : such as the branches are such are the rootes . By both these places it is euident , that in man there is not onely a want , absence , or depriuation of originall righteousnes , but a pronenesse also by nature vnto that which is euill : which pronenesse includes in it an inclination not to some fewe , but to all and euery sinne : the very sinne against the holy Ghost not excepted . Hence therefore , I reasons thus : If euery man by nature doth both want originall iustice , and be also prone vnto all euill , then wanteth he naturall freewill to will that which is truly good : But euery man by nature wants originall iustice , and is also prone vnto all euill : Ergo : Euery man naturally wants freewill , to will that which is good . Reason II. 1. Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God : for they are foolishnes vnto him , neither can know them , because they are spiritually discerned . In these wordes Saint Paul sets downe these points : I. that a naturall man doth not so much as thinke of the things reuealed in the Gospell . II. that a man hearing , and in mind conceiuing them ; can not giue consent vnto them , and by naturall iudgement approoue of them : but contrariwise thinketh them to be foolishnes . III. that no man can giue assent to the things of God , vnlesse he be enlightened by the spirit of God. And hence I reason thus : If a man by nature doth not know and perceiue the things of God , and when he shall know them , can not by nature giue assent vnto them : then hath he no power to will them : But the first is euidently true : Ergo : For first the minde must approoue and giue assent , before the will can choose or wil : and when the mind hath not power to conceiue or giue assent , there the will hath no power to will. Reason III. Thirdly the holy Ghost auoucheth , Eph. ● . 1 . Coloss. 2. 13. that all men by nature are dead in sinnes and trespasses : not as the Papists say , weake , sicke , or halfe dead . Hence I gather , that man wanteth naturall power not to will simply , but freely and frankly to will that which is truly good . A dead man in his graue can not stirre the least finger , because he wants the very power of life , sense , & motion : no more can he that is dead in sinne , will the least good : nay if he could either wil or do any good , he could not be dead in sinne . And as a dead man in the graue , cannot rise but by the power of god ; no more can he that is dead in sinne rise , but by the power of Gods grace alone , without any power of his owne . Reason IV. Fourthly , in the conuersion and saluation of a sinner , the scripture ascribeth all to God , and nothing to mans freewill . Ioh. 3.3 . Except a man be borne againe , he cannot see the kingdome of God. Eph. 2. 10. We are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus to good workes . And c. 4. v. 24. the new man is created to the image of God. Now to be borne againe , is a worke of no lesse importance then our first creation : and therefore wholly to be ascribed to God as our creation is . Indeede Paul , Philip. 2. 12 , 13 biddeth the Philippians worke out their saluation with feare and trembling : not meaning to ascribe vnto them a power of doing good by themselues . And therefore in the next verse he addeth , It is God that worketh both the will and the deede : directly excluding all naturall free-will in things spirituall : and yet withall he acknowledgeth , that mans will hath a worke in doing that which is good , not by nature but by grace . Because when God giues man power to will good things , then he can will them : and when he giueth him a power to doe good , then he can doe good , and he doth it . For though there be not in mans conuersion a naturall cooperation of his will with Gods spirit , yet is there a supernaturall cooperation by grace , enabling man when he is to be conuerted , to will his conuersion : according to which S. Paul saith , 1. Cor. 15.10 . I haue laboured in the faith : but least any man should imagine , that this was done by any naturall power , therefore he addeth , yet not I , that is , not by any thing in me , but Gods grace in me , inabling my will to doe the good I doe . Reason V. The iudgement of the auncient Church . a August . The will of the regenerate is kindled onely by the holy Ghost : that they may therefore be able because they will thus : and they will thus , because God works in them to will. b And , We haue lost our freewill to loue God , by the greatnes of our sinne . Serm. 2. on the words of the Apostle : Man when he was created , receiued great strength in his freewill● but by sinning he lost it . c Fulgentius , God giueth grace freely to the vnworthie whereby the wicked man beeing iustified is enlightened with the gift of good will , and with a facultie of doing good : that by mercie prruenting him , he may beginne to will well , and by mercie comming after , he may doe the good he will. Bernard saith , d It is wholly the grace of God that we are created , healed , saued . Coūcil . Arausic . 2. cap. 6. To beleeue and to will is giuen from aboue by infusion , and inspiration of the holy Ghost . More testimonies and reasons might be alleadged to prooue this conclusion , but these shall suffice : now let vs see what reasons are alleadged to the contrarie . III. Obiections of Papists . Obiect . I. First they alleadge that man by nature may doe that which is good , and therefore will that which is good : for none can doe that which he neither willeth nor thinketh to doe , but first we must will and then doe . Now ( say they ) men can doe good by nature , as giue almes , speake the truth , doe iustice , and practise other duties of ciuill vertue : and therefore will that which is good . I answer , that a naturall man may doe good workes for the substance of the outward worke : but not in regard of the goodnes of the manner : these are two diuers things . A man without supernatural grace may giue almes , doe iustice , speake the truth , &c. which be good things considered in themselues ; as God hath commanded them ; but he cannot do them well . To thinke good things & to doe good things are naturall workes : but to thinke good things in a good maner , and to do them well , so as God may accept the action done , are workes of grace . And therefore the good thing done by a naturall man is a sinne , in respect of the doer ; because it failes both for his right beginning , which is a pure heart , good conscience , and faith vnfained ; as also for his ende which is the glorie of God. Obiect . II. God hath commanded all men to beleeue and repent : therefore they haue naturall freewill : by vertue whereof ( beeing helped by the spirit of God ) they can beleeue and repent . Ans. The reason is not good : for by such commandements God sheweth not what men are able to doe ; but what they should doe , and what they cannot doe . Againe , the reason is not well framed , it ought rather to be thus : Because God giues men commandement to repent and beleeue , therefore they haue power to repent and beleeue , either by nature or by grace , and then we hold with them . For when God in the Gospell commandeth men to repent and to beleeue , at the same time by his grace hee inableth them both to will or desire to beleeue and repent , as also actually to repent and beleeue . Obiect . III. If man haue no freewill to sinne or not to sinne , then no man is to be punished for his sinnes : because he sinneth by a necessitie not to be auoided . Ans. The reason is not good : for though man cannot but sinne , yet is the fault in himselfe , and therefore he is to be punished ; as a bankrupt is not therfore freed from his debts , because he is not able to pay them : but the bills against him stand in force , because the debt comes through his own default . The second point : of Originall sinne . The next point to be handled , is concerning Originall sinne after baptisme ; that is , how farreforth it remaineth after baptisme . A point to be wel considered , because hereupon depend many points of popery . I. Our Consent . I. Conclus . They say , naturall corruption after baptisme is abolished , and so say we : but let vs see how far it is abolished . In originall sinne are three things ; I. the punishment , which is the first and second death . II. Guiltines , which is the binding vp of the creature vnto punishment . III. the fault or the offending of God , vnder which I comprehend our Guiltinesse in Adams first offence , as also the corruption of the heart : which is a naturall inclination and pronenesse to any thing that is euill or against the lawe of God. For the first we say , that after baptisme in the regenerate , the punishment of originall sinne is taken away : There is no condemnation ( saith the Apostle ) to them that be in Iesus Christ. Rom. 8.1 . For the second , that is , guiltines , we further condescend & say : that is also taken away in them that are borne anew : for considering there is no condemnation to them , there is nothing to bind them to punishmēt . Yet this caueat must be remembred , namely that the guiltines is remooued from the person regenerate , not from the sinne in the person : but of this more afterward . Thirdly , the guilt in Adams first offence is pardoned . And touching the corruption of the heart , I auouch two things : I. That that very power or strength whereby it raigneth in man , is taken away in the regenerate . II. That this corruption is abolished ( as also the fault of euery actuall sinne past ) so far forth as it is the fault and sinne of the man in whome it is . Indeede it remaines till death , and it is sinne considered in it self , so long as it remaines , but it is not imputed vnto the person : and in that respect is as though it were not : it beeing pardoned . II. The dissent or difference . Thus farre we consent with the Church of Rome : nowe the difference betweene vs standes not in the abolishment , but in the manner , and the measure of the abolishment of this sinne . Papists teach , that Originall sinne is so farre forth taken away after baptisme , me , that it ceaseth to be a sinne properly : and is nothing els but a want , defect , and weaknes , making the heart fitte and readie to conceiue sinne : much like tinder , which though it be not fire of it selfe , yet is it very apt and fit to cōceiue fire And they of the Church of Rome deny it to be sinne properly , that they might vphold some grosse opinions of theirs , namely , that a man in this life may fullfill the lawe of God : and doe good workes void of sinne : that hee may stand righteous at the barre of Gods iudgement by them . But wee teach otherwise , that though originall sinne be taken away in the regenerate , and that in sundrie respects : yet doth it remaine in them after baptisme , not onely as a want and weakenesse but as a sinne , and that properly : as may by these reasons be prooued . Reason I. Rom. 7. 17. Paul saith directly : It is no more I that doe it , but sinne that dwelleth in me : that is , originall sin . The Papists answer againe , that it is so called improperly : because it commeth of sinne and also is an occasion of sinne to be done . But by the circumstances of the text , it is sinne properly : for in the wordes following , Saint Paul saith , that this sinne dwelling in him , made him to doe the euill which he hated . And. v. 24. he crieth out , O wretched man that I am , who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death ? whence I reason thus : That which once was sinne properly , and still remaining in man maketh him to sin , and intangleth him in the punishment of sinne , and makes him miserable : that is sinne properly . But originall sinne doth all these . Ergo : Reason II. Infants baptized and regenerate , die the bodily death before they come to the yeares of discretion : therefore originall sinne in them is sinne properly : or else they should not die , hauing no cause of death in them : for death is the wages of sinne , as the Apostle saith , Rom. 6. 23. and Rom. 5. 12. Death entred into the world by sinne . As for actuall sinne they haue none , if they die presently after they are borne before they come to any vse either of reason or affection . Reason III. That which lusteth against the spirit , & by lusting tempteth , and in tempting intiseth and draweth the heart to sinne , is for nature sinne it selfe : but concupiscence in the regenerate lusteth against the spirit , Gal. 5.17 . and tempteth as I haue said , Iam. 1.14 . God tempteth no man , but euery man is tempted when he is drawne away by his owne concupiscence , and is in●●sed : then when lust conceiueth , it bringeth forth sinne . And therefore it is sinne properly : such as the fruit is , such is the tree . a August . Concupiscence against which the spirit lusteth is sinne , because in it there is disobedience against the rule of the minde : and it is the punishment of sinne because it befalls man for the merits of his disobedience : and it is the cause of sinne . Reason V. The iudgement of the auncient Church . August . epist. 29. Charitie in some is more , in some lesse , in some none : the highest degree of all which cannot be increased , is in none , as long as man liues vpon earth . And as long as it may bee increased , that which is lesse then it should be , is in fault : by which fault it is , that there is no iust man vpon earth that doth good and sinneth not : by which fault none liuing shall be iustified in the sight of God. For which fault , if we say we haue no sinne , there is no trueth in vs : for which also , though we profit neuer so much , it is necessary for vs to say , forgiue vs our debts , though all our words , deedes , and thoughts bee already forgiuen in baptisme . Indeed Augustine in sundrie places seemes to denie concupiscence to be sinne after baptisme : but his meaning is , that concupiscence in the regenerate is not the sinne of the person in whome it is . For thus he expounds himselfe , a This is not to haue sinne , not to bee guiltie of sinne . And , b the law of sinne in baptisme is remitted and not ended . And , c Let not sinne raigne : he saith not , let not sinne be , but let it not raigne . For as long as thou liuest , of necessity sinne will be in thy members : at the least , looke it raigne not in thee , &c. Obiections of Papists . The arguments which the Church of Rome alleadgeth to the contrarie , are these : Obiect . I. In baptisme men receiue perfect and absolute pardon of sinne : and sinne beeing pardoned is taken quite away : and therefore originall sinne after baptisme ceaseth to be sinne . Ans. Sinne is abolished two waies : first in regard c of imputation to the person : secondly in regard of d existing and beeing . For this cause , God vouchsafeth to man two blessings in baptisme , Remission of sinne , and Mortification of the same . Remission or pardon abolisheth sinne wholly in respect of any imputation thereof vnto man , but not simply in regard of the beeing thereof . Mortification therefore goeth further , & abolisheth in all the powers of body and soule , the very concupiscence or corruption it selfe , in respect of the beeing thereof . And because mortification is not accomplished till death , therefore originall corruption remaineth till death , though not imputed . Obiect . II. Euery sinne is voluntarie : but originall sinne in no man after baptisme is voluntarie : and therefore no sinne . Ans. The proposition is a polliticke rule pertaining to the courts of men , and must be vnderstood of such actions as are done of one man to another : and it doth not belong to the court of conscience , which God holdeth and keepeth in mens hearts , in which euery want of conformitie to the lawe is made a sinne . Secondly I answer , that originall sin was voluntarie in our first parent Adam : for he sinned , & brought this miserie vpon vs willingly : though in vs it be otherwise vpon iust cause . Actual sinne was first in him , and then originall corruption : but in vs originall corruption is first , and then actuall sinne . Obiect . III. Where the forme of any thing is taken away , there the thing it selfe ceaseth also : but after baptisme in the regenerate , the forme of originall sinne , that is , the guilt is quite remooued : and therefore sinne ceaseth to be sin . Answ. The guilt , or obligation to punishment , is not the forme of originall corruption , but ( as we say in schooles ) an accident or necessarie companion thereof . The true forme of originall sinne● is a defect and depriuation of that which the lawe requireth at our hands in our minde , will , affections , and in al the powers both of soule and bodie . But they vrge this reason further , saying : where the guilt & punishment is taken away , there is no fault remaining : but after baptisme the guilt and punishment is remooued : and therefore , though originall corruption remaine , it is not as a fault to make vs guiltie before God , but onely as a weakenes . Ans. Guilt is remooued , and not remooued . It is remooued from the person regenerate , which stands not guiltie for any sinne originall or actuall : but Guilt is not remooued from the sin it selfe : or as some answer , there bee two kindes of guilt , actuall , and potentiall . The actuall guilt is , whereby sinne maketh man stand guiltie before God : and that is remooued in the regenerate . But the potentiall guilt , which is an aptnesse in sin , to make a man stand guiltie if he sinne , that is not remooued : and therefore still sinne remaineth sinne . To this or like effect saith Augustine , Wee say that the guilt of concupiscence , not whereby it is Guiltie ( for that is not a person ) but that whereby it made man guiltie from the beginning , is pardoned , and that the thing it selfe is euill so as the regenerate desire to be healed of this plague . Obiect . III. Lastly , for our disgrace they alleadge that we in our doctrine teach , that originall sinne after baptisme is onely clipped or pared , like the haire of a mans head , whose roots still remaine in the flesh , growing and increasing after they are cut , as before . Answ. Our doctrine is abused : for in the paring of any thing ; as in cutting of the haire or in lopping a tree , the roote remaines vntouched , and thereupon multiplieth as before . But in the mortification of originall sinne after baptisme , we hold no such paring : but teach , that in the very first instant of the conuersion of a sinner , sinne receiueth his deadly wound in the roote , neuer afterward to be recouered . The third point : Certentie of saluation . I. Our Consent . I. Concl. We holde and beleeue that a man in this life , may be certain of saluation : and the same thing doth the Church of Rome teach and holde . II. Concl. We hold and beleeue that a man is to put a certaine affiance in Gods mercie in Christ for the saluation of his soule : and the same thing by common consent holdeth the foresaid Church : this point maketh not the difference betweene vs. III. Concl. We hold that with assurance of saluation in our hearts is ioyned doubting ; and there is no man so assured of his saluation , but he at sometime doubteth thereof , especially in the time of temptation ; and in this the Papists agree with vs , and we with them . IV. Concl. They goe further and say , that a man may be certaine of the saluation of men , or of the Church by Catholike faith : and so say we . V. Concl. Yea they hold that a man by faith may be assured of his own saluation through extraordinarie reuelatiō , as Abrahā & others were , & so doe we . VI. They teach that we are to be certaine of our saluation by speciall faith in regard of God that promiseth : though in regard of our selues and our indisposition we can not ; and in the former point they consent with vs. II. The dissent or difference . The very maine point of difference lies in the manner of assurance . I. Concl. We hold that a man may bee certaine of his saluation in his owne conscience euen in this life , and that by an ordinarie aud speciall faith . They hold that a man is certaine of his saluation onely by hope : both of vs holde a certainty , we by faith , they by hope . II. Concl. Further , we hold and auouch that our certainety by true faith is vnfallible : they say , their cetaintie is onely probable . III. Conclus . And further though both of vs say , that we haue confidence in Gods mercy in Christ for our saluation : yet we doe it with some difference . For our confidence commeth from certen and ordinarie faith : theirs from hope , ministring ( as they say ) but a coniecturall certentie . Thus much of the difference : now let vs see the reasons too and fro . III. Obiections of Papists . Obiect . I. Where there is no word there is no faith : for these two are relatiues : but there is no word of God , saying , Cornelius beleeue thou , Peter beleeue thou , and thou shalt be saued . And therefore there is no such ordinarie faith to beleeue a mans owne particular saluation . Ans. The proposition is false , vnlesse it be supplied with a clause on this manner : Where there is no word of promise , nor any thing that doth counteruaile a particular promise , there is no faith . But ( say they ) there is no such particular word . It is true , God doth not speak to men particularly , Beleeue thou , & thou shalt be saued . But yet doth he that which is answerable hereunto , in that he giueth a generall promise , with a commandement to applie the same : and hath ordained the holy ministerie of the word to applie the same to the persons of the hearers in his owne name : and that is as much as if the Lord himselfe should speake to men particularly . To speake more plainely : in the Scripture the promises of saluation be indefinitely propounded : it saith not any where , if Iohn will beleeue , he shall be saued , or if Peter will beleeue he shall be saued ; but whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued . Now then comes the minister of the word , who standing in the roome of God , and in the stead of Christ himselfe , takes the indefinite promises of the Gospel , and laies them to the hearts of euery particular man : and this in effect is as much as if Christ himselfe should say , Cornelius beleeue thou , and thou shalt be saued : Peter beleeue thou , and thou shalt be saued . It is answered , that this applying of the Gospell is vpon condition of mens faith and repentance , and that men are deceiued touching their owne faith and repentance : and therefore faile in applying the word vnto themselues . Ans. Indeede this manner of applying is false in all hypocrites , heretickes , and vnrepentant persons : for they applie vpon carnall presumption , and not by faith . Neuerthelesse it is true in all the Elect hauing the spirit of grace , and praier : for when God in the ministerie of the word beeing his owne ordinance , saith , Seeke ye my face : the heart of Gods children truly answereth , O Lord , I wil seeke thy face , Psal. 17.8 . And when God shall say , Thou art my people , they shall say againe , The Lord is my God , Zach. 13.6 . And it is a truth of God , that he which beleeueth knoweth that he beleeueth : and he that truly repenteth knoweth that be repēteth : vnles it be in the beginning of our conuersion , & in the time of distresse and temptation . Otherwise what thankfulnesse can there be for grace receiued . Obiect . II. It is no article of the Creede , that a man must beleeue his owne saluation : and therefore no man is bound thereto . Ans. By this argument it ap●●●res plainely , that the very pillars of the Church of Rome doe not vnderstand the Creede : for in that which is commonly called the Apostles Creede , euery article implieth in it this particular faith . And in the first article , I beleeue in God , are three things contained : the first , to beleeue that there is a God , the second to beleeue the same God to be my God , the third to put my confidence in him for my saluation : and so much containe the other articles , which are concerning God. When Thomas said , Ioh. 20.28 . My God , Christ answered , Thou hast beleeued Thomas . Where we see that to beleeue in God , is to beleeue God to be our God. And Psal. 78. 22. to beleeue in God and to put trust in him are all one , They beleeued not in God , and trusted not in his helpe . And the articles concerning Remission of sinnes and Life euerlasting , do include , and we in them acknowledge our speciall faith concerning our owne saluation . For to beleeue this or that is to beleeue there is such a thing and that the same thing belongs to me : as when Dauid said , I should haue fainted except I had beleeued to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing . Psal. 27.13 . It is answered , that in those articles wee onely professe our selues to beleeue remission of sinnes , and life euerlasting , to be vouchsafed to the people & Church of God. Ans. This indeede is the exposition of many , but it standes not with common reason . For if that bee all the faith that is there confessed , the deuill hath as good a faith as we . He knoweth and beleeueth that there is a God : & that this God imparteth remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to his church . And to the end that wee beeing Gods children , may in faith goe beyond all the deuills in hell , we must further beleeue , that remission of sinnes and life euerlasting belongs vnto vs : and vnlesse we doe particularly apply the said articles vnto our selues , we shall little or nothing differ from the deuill , in making confession of faith . Obiect . III. We are taught to pray for the pardon of our sinnes day by day , Matth. 6.12 . and all this were needlesse , if we could bee assured of pardon in this life . Answ. The fourth petition must be vnderstood not so much of our olde debts or sinnes , as of our present and newe sinnes : for as we goe on from daie to daie , so we adde sinne to sinne : and for the pardon of them must wee humble our selues and pray . I answer againe , that wee pray for the pardon of our sinnes ; not because we haue no assurance thereof , but because our assurance is weake and small : wee growe on from grace to grace in Christ , as children doe to mans estate by little and little . The heart of euery beleeuer is like a vessell with a narrow necke , which beeing cast into the sea is not filled at the first : but by reason of the straight passage , receiueth water drop by drop . God giueth vnto vs in Christ euen a sea of mercie , but the same on our parts is apprehended and receiued onely by little and litte , as faith groweth from age to age : and this is the cause why men hauing assurance pray for more . Our reasons to the contrarie . Reason I. The first reason may be taken from the nature of faith , on this manner . True faith is both an vnfallible assurance and a particular assurance of the remission of sinnes and of life euerlasting . And therefore by this faith , a man may be certenly and particularly assured of the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting . That this reason may bee of sorce , two things must be prooued : first that true faith is a certaine assurance of Gods mercie to that partie in whome it is . Secondly that faith is a particular assurance thereof . For the first , that faith is a certaine assurance , Christ saith to Peter , Mat. 14.31 . O thou of litle faith , wherefore didst thou doubt . Where he maketh an opposition betweene faith and doubting : whereby giuing vs directly to vnderstand , that , to be certen , and to giue assurance , is of the nature of faith . Rom. 4.20.22 . Paul saith of Abraham , that he did not doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe : but vvas strengthened in faith , and gaue glory to God , being fully assured , that he which had promised was able to doe it : where I obserue first , that doubting is made a fruit of vnbeleefe : and therefore vnfallible certentie and assurance , being contrarie to doubting must needes proceede from true faith : considering that cōtrarie effects come of contrarie causes : and contrarie causes produce contrary effects . Secōdly , I note that the strength of Abrahams faith , did stand in fulnes of assurance : for the text saith , he was strengthened in the faith , being fully assured : and againe , Heb. 11.1 . true sauing faith is said to be the ground and subsistance of things hoped for : & the euidence or demonstration of things that are not seene : but faith can be no ground or euidence of things , vnlesse it bee for nature certenty it selfe ; and thus the first point is manifest . The second , that sauing faith is a particular assurance , is prooued by this , that the propertie of faith is to apprehend and apply the promise , and the thing promised , Christ with his benefits . Ioh. 1.12 . As many , saieth S. Iohn , as receiued him , to them hee gaue power to be the sonnes of god , namely to them that beleeue in his name . In these words to beleeue in Christ , and to receiue Christ , are put for one and the same thing . Nowe to receiue Christ , is to apprehend and apply him with all his benefits vnto our selues , as he is offered in the promises of the gospell . For in the sixt chapter following , first of all he sets forth himselfe not onely as a Redeemer generally , but also as the bread of life and the water of life : secondly , he sets forth his best hearers as eaters of his bodie and drinkers of his blood ; and thirdly he intends to prooue this conclusion , that to eate his bodie and to drinke his blood , and to beleeue in him , are all one . Now then if Christ be as foode , and if to eate and drinke the bodie and blood of Christ be to beleeue in him , then must there be a proportion betweene eating and beleeuing . Looke then as there can be no eating without taking or receiuing of meate , so no beleeuing in Christ without a spirituall receiuing & apprehending of him . And as the bodie hath his hand , mouth , and stomacke whereby it taketh , receiueth , and digesteth meat for the nourishment of euery part : so likewise in the soule there is a faith , which is both hand , mouth , and stomacke to apprehend , receiue , & apply Christ & all his merits for the nourishment of the soule . And Paul saith yet more plainly , that through faith we receiue the promise of the spirit . Now as the propertie of apprehending & applying of Christ belōgeth to faith , so it agreeth not to hope , loue , confidence , or any other gift or grace of God. But first by faith we must apprehend Christ , & apply him to our selues before we can haue any hope or confidence in him . And this applying seems not to be done by any affection of the will , but by a supernaturall act of the mind , which is to acknowledge , set downe , and beleeue that remission of sins , and life euerlasting by the merit of Christ , belong to vs particularly . To this which I haue said agreeth Augustine . Tract . 25. on Ioh. Why preparest thou teeth and belly : beleeue and thou hast eaten : and Tract . 50. How shall I reach my hand into heauen , that I may hold him sitting there ? Send vp thy faith , and thou laiest hold on him . And Bernard saith , homil . in Cant. 76. Where hee is thou canst not come nowe — : yet goe to followe him and seeke him — ; beleeue and thou hast found him : for to beleeue is to finde . Chrysost. on Mark. Homil. 10. Let vs beleeue and wee see Iesus present before vs. Ambr. on Luk. lib. 6. c. 8. By faith Christ is touched , by faith Christ is seene . Tertul. de resur . car . Hee must be chewed by vnderstanding , and be digested by faith . Reason II. Whatsoeuer the holy Ghost testifieth vnto vs , that we may , yea that we must certenly by faith beleeue : but the holy Ghost doeth particularly testifie vnto vs our adoption , the remission of our sinnes , and the saluation of our soules : and therefore we may and must particularly and certainly by faith beleeue the same . The first part of this reason is true , and cannot be denied of any . The second part is prooued thus : Saint Paul saith , Rom. 8.15 . Wee haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare : but the spirit of adoption , whereby we cry Abba , father : adding further , that the same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirits , that we are the children of God. Where the Apostle maketh two witnesses of our adoption : the spirit of God , and our spirits , that is , the conscience sanctified by the holy Ghost . The Papists to elude this reason , alleadge that the spirit of God doth indeede witnesse of our adoption , by some comfortable feelings of Gods loue and fauour , being such as are weak and oftentimes deceitfull . But by their leaues , the testimony of the spirit is more then a bare sense or feeling of Gods grace : for it is called the pledge and earnest of Gods spirit in our hearts , 2. Cor. 1.22 . and therfore it is fit to take away all occasion of doubting of our saluation : as in a bargaine the earnest is giuen betweene the parties to put all out of question . Bernard saith , that the testimonie of the spirit is a most sure testimonie . epist. 107. Reason III. That which we must pray for by Gods commandement , that we must beleeue : but euery man is to pray for the pardon of his owne sinnes , and for life euerlasting : of this there is no question : therefore hee is bound to beleeue the same . The proposition is most of all doubtfull : but it is prooued thus . In euery petition there must bee two things : a desire of the things wee aske , and a particular faith whereby we beleeue , that the thing wee aske shall be giuen vnto vs. So Christ saith , Whatsoeuer ye desire when you pray , beleeue that you shall haue it , and it shall be giuen vnto you . And S. Iohn further noteth out of this particular faith , calling it our assurance that God will giue vnto vs , whatsoeuer we aske according to his will. And hence it is , that in euery petition there must be two grounds : a commandement to warrant vs in making a petition , and a promise to assure vs of the accomplishment thereof . And vpon both these followes necessarily an application of the things which we aske to our selues . Reason IV. Whatsoeuer God commandeth in the Gospell , that a man must and can performe : but God in the Gospell commaundeth vs to beleeue the pardon of our owne sinnes , and life euerlasting : and therefore wee must beleeue thus much , and may be assured thereof . This proposition is plaine by the distinction of the commandements of the lawe , and of the Gospell . The commandements of the lawe shew vs what we must doe , but minister no power to performe the thing to be done : but the doctrine and commandements of the gospel doe otherwise : and therefore they are called spirit and life : God with the cōmandement giuing grace that the thing prescribed may be done . Now this is a commandement of the Gospell , to beleeue remission of sinnes : for it was the substance of Christs ministerie , repent & beleeue the Gospell . And that is not generally to beleeue that Christ is a Sauiour , and that the promises made in him are true ( for so the deuills beleeue with trembling : ) but it is particularly to beleeue that Christ is my Sauiour , and that the promises of saluation in Christ belong in speciall to me , as Saint Iohn saith : This is his commandement , that we beleeue in the name of Iesus Christ : nowe to beleeue in Christ is to put confidence in him : which none can do , vnles he be first assured of his loue and fauour . And therefore in as much , as wee are inioyned to put our confidence in Christ , wee are also ioyned to beleeue our reconciliation with him , which standeth in the remission of our sinnes , and our acceptation to life euerlasting . Reason V. Whereas the Papists teach , that a man may be assured of his saluation by hope : euen hence it follows , that he may be vnfallibly assured therof . For the propertie of true and liuely hope is neuer to make a man ashamed , Rom. 5.5 . And true hope followeth faith & presupposeth certaintie of faith● neither can any man truly hope for his saluation vnlesse by faith he be certenly assured thereof in some measure . The Popish doctors make exception to these reasons on this maner . First they say , it cannot be prooued that a man is as certain of his saluation by faith , as he is of the articles of the creed . I answer . First they prooue thus much , that we ought to be as certen of the one as of the other . For looke , what commandemēt we haue to beleeue the articles of our faith : the like we haue inioyning vs to beleeue the pardon of our owne sinnes , as I haue prooued . Secondly , these arguments prooue it to be the nature or essentiall propertie of faith , as certainely to assure man of his saluation , as it doeth assure him of the articles which he beleeueth . And howesoeuer commonly men doe not beleeue their saluation as vnfallible , as they doe their articles of faith : yet some speciall men doe : hauing Gods word applyed by the spirit as a sure ground of their faith , whereby they beleeue their own saluation , as they haue it for a ground of the articles of their faith . Thus certainly was Abraham assured of his owne saluation : as also the Prophets and Apostles , and the martyrs of God in all ages : whereupon without doubting they haue bin content to lay downe their liues for the name of Christ : in whome they were assured to receiue eternall happines . And there is no question , but there be many now , that by long and often experience of Gods mercy , and by the inward certificate of the holy Ghost , haue attained to full assurance of their saluation . II. Exception . Howesoeuer a man may be assured of his present estate , yet no man is certaine of his perseuerance vnto the ende . Ans. It is otherwise : for in the sixt petition , Lead vs-not into temptation , wee pray that God would not suffer vs to be wholly ouercome of the deuill in any temptation : and to this petition we haue a promise answerable , 1. Cor. 10. That God with temptation will giue an issue : and therefore howesoeuer the deuill may buffit , molest , and wound the seruants of God , yet shall he neuer be able to ouercome them . Againe , he that is once a member of Christ , can neuer be wholly cut off . And if any by sinne were wholly seuered from Christ for a time , in his recouerie he is to be baptised the second time : for baptisme is the sacrament of initiation or ingrafting into Christ. By this reason we should as often be baptized as we fal into any sinne , which is absurd . Againe S. Iohn saith , 1. Ioh. 2.19 . They went out from vs , but they were not of vs : for if they had beene of vs , they would haue continued with vs. Where he taketh it for graunted , that such as be once in Christ shall neuer wholly be seuered or fall from him . Though our communion with Christ may be lessened , yet the vnion and the bond of coniunction is neuer dissolued . III. Exception . They say , we are indeede to beleeue our saluation on Gods part : but we must needs doubt in regard of our selues ; because the promises of remission of sinnes are giuen vpon condition of mans faith and repentance . Now we cannot ( say they ) be assured that we haue true faith and repentance , because we may lie in secret sinnes ; and so want that indeed , which we suppose our selues to haue . Ans. I say again , he that doth truly repent and beleeue , doth by Gods grace know that he doth repent and beleeue : for els Paul would neuer haue said , Prooue your selues whither you be in the faith or not : and the same Apostle saith , 2. Cor. 12. We haue not receiued the spirit of the world , but the spirit which is of God , that we might know the things which are giuen of God : which things are not onely life euerlasting , but iustification , sanctification , and such like . And as for secret sinnes , they cannot make our repentance voide : for he that truly repenteth of his knowne sinnes , repenteth also of such as be vnknowne , and receiueth the pardon of them all . God requireth not an expresse or speciall repentance of vnknowne sinnes : but accepts it as sufficient , if we repent of them generally : as Dauid saith , Psal. 19. Who knowes the errours of this life : forgiue me my secret sinnes . And whereas they adde that faith and repentance must be sufficient . I answer , that the sufficiencie of our faith and repentance , stands in the truth and not in the measure or perfection thereof ; and the truth of both where they are , is certenly discerned . Reason VI. The iudgement of the auncient Church . a August . Of an euill seruant thou art made a good child : therefore presume not of thine owne doing , but of the grace of Christ : it is not arrogancie but faith : to acknowledge what thou hast receiued , is not pride but deuotion . And , b Let no man aske an other man , but returne to his owne heart : if he finde charitie there , he hath securitie for his passage from life to death . Hilar. on Matth. 5. The kingdome of heauen which our Lord professed to be in himselfe , his will is that it must be hoped for without any doubtfulnesse of vncertaine will. Otherwise there is no iustification by faith , if faith is selfe be made doubtfull . Bernard in his epist. 107. Who is the iust man but he that beeing loued of God , loues him againe : which comes not to passe but by the spirit reuealing by Faith the eternall purpose of God of his saluation to come . Which reuelation is nothing else but the infusion of spirituall grace : by which , when the deedes of the flesh are mortified the man is prepared to the kingdome of heauen — . Togither receiuing in one spirit that whereby he may presume that he is loued and also loue againe — . To conclude , the Papists haue no great cause to dissent from vs in this point . For they teach and professe , that they doe by a speciall faith beleeue their owne saluation certenly and vnfallibly in respect of God , that promiseth . Now the thing which hindreth them is their owne in disposition and vnworthines ( as they say ) which keepes them from beeing certen otherwise then in a likely hope . But this hindrance is easily remooued , if men will iudge indifferently . For first of all , in regard of our selues and our disposition we can not be certen at all , but must despaire of saluation euen to the very death . We cannot be sufficiently disposed so long as we liue in this world , but must alwaies say with Iacob , I am lesse then all thy mercies , Gen. 32. and with Dauid , Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant , O Lord , for none liuing shall be iustified in thy sight : and with the Centurion , Lord , I am not worthie that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe , Matth. 8. Secondly God in making promise of saluation respects not mens worthines . For he chose vs to life euerlasting when we were not : he redeemed vs from death beeing enemies : and intitles vs to the promise of saluation , if we acknowledge our selues to be ●inners , Matth. 9. if we labour and trauaile vnder the burden of them , Matth. II. if we hunger and thirst after grace , Ioh. 7.37 . And these things we may certenly and sensibly perceiue in our selues : and when we finde them in vs , though our vnworthines be exceeding great , it should not hinder our assurance . For God makes manifest his power in our weaknes , 2. Cor. 12. and he wil not breake the bruised reed , nor quench the smoking flaxe , Isa. 42. Thirdly if a man loue God for his mercies sake , and haue a true hope of saluation by Christ , he is in Christ and hath fellowshippe with him : and he that is in Christ , hath all his vnworthines and wants laide on Christ , and they are couered and pardoned in his death : and in respect of our selues thus considered as we are in Christ , we haue no cause to wauer , but to be certen of our saluation , and that in regard of our selues . The fourth point : touching the iustification of a sinner . That we may see how farre we are to agree with them and where to differ , first I will set downe the doctrine on both parts , and secondly the maine differences wherein we are to stand against them , euen to death . Our doctrine touching the iustificatiō of a sinner , I propound in 4 rules . Rule I. That , iustification is an action of God , whereby he absolueth a sinner , & accepteth him to life euerlasting for the righteousnes & merit of Christ. Rule II. That , iustification stands in two things : first in the remission of sinnes by the merit of Christ his death : secondly in the imputation of Christ his righteousnes ; which is an other action of God whereby he accounteth & esteemeth that righteousnes which is in Christ , as the righteousnes of that sinner which beleeueth in him . By Christ his righteousnes we are to vnderstand two things : first his sufferings specially in his death and passion , secondly his obedience in fulfilling the law : both which go togither : for Christ in suffering obeied , and obeying suffered . And the very shedding of his blood to which our saluation is ascribed , must not onely be considered as it is passiue , that is a suffering , but also as it is actiue , that is , an obedience , in which he shewed his exceeding loue both to his father and vs , and thus fulfilled the law for vs. This point if some had well thought on , they would not haue placed all iustification in remission of sinnes as they doe . Rule III. That , iustification is from Gods meere mercie and grace , procured onely by the merit of Christ. Rule IV. That , man is iustified by faith alone ; because faith is that alone instrument created in the heart by the holy Ghost , whereby a sinner laieth hold of Christ his righteousnes , and applieth the same vnto himselfe . There is neither hope , nor loue , nor any other grace of God within man , that can doe this but faith alone . The doctrine of the Romane Church touching the iustification of a sinner is on this manner . I. They hold that before iustification there goes a preparation thereunto : which is an action wrought partly by the holy Ghost , and partly by the power of naturall freewill , whereby a man disposeth himselfe to his owne future iustification . In the preparation they consider the ground of iustification , and things proceeding from it . The ground is faith , which they define to be a generall knowledge , whereby we vnderstand and beleeue that the doctrine of the word of God is true . Things proceeding from this faith are these ; a sight of our sinnes , a feare of hell , hope of saluation , loue of God , repentance , & such like : all which , when men haue attained , they are then fully disposed ( as they say ) to their iustification . This preparation beeing made , then comes iustification it selfe ● which is an action of God , whereby he maketh a man righteous . It hath two parts : the first , and the second . The first is , when a sinner of an euill man is made a good man. And to effect this , two things are required : first the pardon of sinne , which is one part of the first iustification : secondly the infusion of inward righteousnes , whereby the heart is purged and sanctified : and this habite of righteousnes stand specially in hope and charitie . After the first iustification , followeth the second ; which is , when a man of a good or iust man is made better and more iust : and this , say they , may proceede from workes of grace ; because he which is righteous by the first iustification , can bring forth good workes : by the merit wherof , he is able to make himselfe more iust and righteous : and yet they graunt that the first iustification commeth onely of Gods mercie by the merit of Christ. I. Our consent and difference . Now let vs come to the points of difference betweene vs and them touching iustification . The first maine difference is in the matter thereof , which shall be seene by the answer both of Protestant and Papist to this one question . What is the very thing , that causeth a man to stand righteous before God , and to be accepted to life euerlasting : we answer , Nothing but the righteousnes of Christ , which consisteth partly in his sufferings , and partly in his actiue obedience in fulfilling the rigour of the law . And here let vs consider , how neere the Papists come to this answer , and wherein they dissent . Consent I. They graunt , that in iustification sinne is pardoned by the merits of Christ , and that none can be iustified without remission of sinnes : and that is well . II. They graunt , that the righteousnes whereby a man is made righteous before God , commeth from Christ , and from Christ alone . III. The most learned among them say , that Christ his satisfaction , and the merit of his death is imputed to euery sinner that doth beleeue , for a his satisfaction before God : and hitherto we agree . The very point of difference is this ; we hold that the satisfaction made by Christ in his death , and obedience to the law , is imputed to vs and becomes our righteousnesse . They say , it is our satisfaction and not our righteousnesse whereby we stand righteous before God : because it is inherent in the person of Christ as in a subiect . Now the answer of the Papist to the former question is on this manner : The thing ( saith he ) that maketh vs righteous before God , and causeth vs to be accepted to life euerlasting , is remission of sinnes , and the habite of inward righteousnes , or charitie with the fruits thereof . We condiscend and graunt that the habite of righteousnes , which we call sanctification , is an excellent gift of God , and hath his reward of God ; and is the matter of our iustification before man : because it serueth to declare vs to be reconciled to God , and to be iustified ; yet we denie it to be the thing , which maketh vs of sinners to become righteous or iust before God. And this is the first point of our disagreement in the matter of iustification : which must be marked ; because if there were no more points of difference betweene vs , this one alone were sufficient to keepe vs from vniting of our religions : for hereby the Church of Rome doth rase the very foundation . Now let vs see by what reasons we iustifie our doctrine : and secondly answer the contrarie obiections . Our reasons . Reason I. That very thing which must ●e our righteousnes before God , must satisfie the iustice of the law , which saith , doe these things and thou shalt liue . Now there is nothing can satisfie the iustice of the law but the righteousnes obedience of Christ for vs. If any alleadge ciuill iustice , it is nothing : for Christ saith , Except your righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises , you can not enter into the kingdome of heauen . What ? shall we say that workes doe make vs iust ? that cannot be : for all mens workes are defectiue in respect of the iustice of the law . Shall we say our sanctification , whereby we are renewed to the image of God in righteousnes and true holines ? that also is imperfect and can not satisfie Gods iustice required in the law : as Isai hath said of himselfe and the people , Al our righteousnes is as a menstruous cloth . To haue a cleere conscience before God is a principall part of inward righteousnes : and of it Paul in his owne person saith thus , I am priuie to nothing by my selfe , yet am I not iustified thereby , 2. Cor. 4.4 . Therefore nothing can procure vnto vs an absolution and acceptance to life euerlasting , but Christs imputed righteousnes . And this will appeare , if we doe consider , how we must come one day before Gods iudgement seat , there to be iudged in the rigour of iustice : for when we must bring some thing that may counteruaile the iustice of God ; not hauing onely acceptation in mercie , but also approbation in iustice : God beeing not onely mercifull , but also a iust iudge . II. Reason 2. Cor. 5.21 . He which knew no sinne , was made sinne for vs , that we might be made the righteousnes of God which is in him . Whence I reason thus : As Christ was made sinne for vs , so are we made the righteousnes of God in him : but Christ was made sinne , or , a sinner by imputation of our sinnes , he beeing in himselfe most holy : therefore a sinner is made righteous before God , in that Christs righteousnesse is imputed and applied vnto him . Now if any shall say , that man is iustified by righteousnes infused : then by like reason , I say Christ was made sinne for vs by infusion of sinne , which to say is blasphemie . And the exposition of this place by Saint Hierome is not to be despised . Christ ( saith he ) beeing offered for our sinnes , tooke the name of sinne that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him , Not ours nor in vs. If this righteousnesse of God be neither ours nor in vs , then it can be no inherent righteousnesse , but must needes be righteousnesse imputed . And Chrysostome on this place saith , It is called Gods righteousnesse , because it is not of workes , and because it must be without all staine or want : and this cannot be inherent righteousnes . Anselme saith , He is made sinne as we are made iustice : not ours but Gods : not in vs but in him : as he is made sinne not his owne but ours : not in himselfe , but in vs. Reason III. Rom. 5.19 . As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners : so by the obedience of one , shall many be made righteous : marke here is a comparison betweene the first and second Adam . And hence I reason thus . As by the disobedience of the first Adam men were made sinners : so by the obedience of the second Adam , are we made righteous . Now we are not onely made sinners by propagation of naturall corruption , but by imputation . For Adams first sinne was the eating of the forbidden fruit : which very act is no personall offence , but is imputed to all his posteritie , in whō we haue all sinned . The a Fathers call this very sinne Adams hand-writing , making vs debters vnto God. And therefore in like manner the obedience of Christ is made the righteousnes of euery beleeuer , not by infusion but by imputation . IV. Reason . A satisfaction made for the want of that iustice or obedience which the law requires at our hands , is accepted of God as the iustice it selfe . But Christs obedience is a satisfaction made for the want of that iustice or obedience which the law requires , as the Papists themselues auouch . Therfore this satisfaction is our iustice . And me thinkes , the Papists vpon this consideration haue little cause to dissent from vs. For if they make Christs obedience their satisfaction , why should they not fully close hands with vs , and make it their iustice also . V. Reason . The consent of the ancient Church . Bernard saith , epist. 190. The iustice of an other is a assigned vnto man , who wanted his owne : man was indebted and man made paiment . The satisfaction of one is imputed to all . And , why may not iustice be from an other , as well as guiltines is from an other . And in Cant. serm . 25. It sufficeth me , for all righteousnes to haue him alone mercifull to me , against whome I haue sinned . And , Not to sinne is Gods iustice , mans iustice is the mercifulnes of God. And serm . 61. Shall I sing mine owne righteousnes , Lord I will remember thy righteousnes alone : for it is mine also : in that euen thou art made vnto me righteousnes of God. What , shall I feare least that one be not sufficient for vs both ? it is not a short cloke that cannot couer two : it will couer both thee and me largely beeing both a large and eternall iustice . August . on Psal. 22. He praieth for our faults , and hath made our faults his faults , that he might make his iustice our iustice . Obiections of Papists . Obiections of the Papists proouing inherent righteousnesse to be in the matter of our iustice before God , are these . I. Obiect . It is absurd , that one man should be made righteous by the righteousnes of an other : for it is as much as if one man were made wise by the wisdome of an other . Ans. It is true , that no man can be made righteous by the personall righteousnes of an other , because it pertaines onely to one man. And because the wisdome that is in one man , is his altogether wholly , it can not be the wisdome of an other : no more then the health and life of one bodie , can be the health of an other . But it is otherwise with the righteousnes of Christ : it is his indeede , because it is inherent in him as in a subiect : it is not his alone , but his and ours together by the tenour of the Couenant of grace . Christ as he is a Mediatour is giuen to euery beleeuer as really and truly , as land is giuen from man to man : and with him are giuen all things that concerne saluation ; they beeing made ours by Gods free gift : among which , is Christ his righteousnes . By it therefore , as beeing a thing of our owne , we may be iustified before God , and accepted to life euerlasting . II. Obiect . If a sinner be iustified by Christ his righteousnes , then euery beleeuer shall be as righteous as Christ : and that can not be . Ans. The proposition is false : for Christ his righteousnes is not applied to vs according as it is in Christ ; neither according to the same measure , nor the same maner . For his obedience in fulfilling the law , is aboue Adams righteousnes , yea aboue the righteousnes of all Angels . For they were all but creatures , & their obedience the obedience of creatures : but Christ his obedience is the obedience or righteousnes of god : so tearmed Rom. 1.17 , 18. 2. Cor. 5.21 . not only because god accepted of it , but because it was in that person which is very God. When Christ obeied , God obeyed : and when he suffered , God suffered : not because the godhead suffered or performed any obedience , but because the person which according to one nature is God , performed obedience and suffered . And by this meanes his righteousnesse is of infinite value , price , merit , and efficacie . Hence also it commeth to passe , that this obedience of Christ serueth not onely for the iustifying of some one person ( as a Adams did ) but of all and euery one of the Elect : yea it is sufficient to iustifie many thousand worldes . Now to come to the point , this righteousnes that is in Christ , in this largenesse and measure ; is pertaining to vs in a more narrow skantling : because it is onely receiued by faith b so farreforth , as it serueth to iustifie any particular beleeuer . But they vrge the reason further , saying : If Christ his righteousnes be the righteousnes of euery beleeuer , then euery man shauld be a Sauiour ; which is absurb . Answ. I answer as before , and yet more plainely thus : Christ his righteousnesse is imputed to the person of this or that man , not as it is the price of redemption for all mankind , but as it is the price of redemption for one particular man : as for example , Christ his righteousnes is imputed to Peter , not as it is the price of redemption for all , but as it is the price of redemption for Peter . And therefore Christ his righteousnesse , is not applyed to any one sinner in that largenes and measure , in which it is in the person of Christ : but onely so farforth as it serueth to satisfie the law for the said sinner , and to make his person accepted of God as righteous , and no further . III. Obiect . If we be made righteous by Christ his righteousnes truly , then Christ is a sinner truly by our sinnes : but Christ is not indeed a sinner by our sinnes . Ans. We may with reuerence to his maiestie in good manner say , that Christ was a sinner , and that truly : not by any infusion of sinne into his most holy person , but because our sinnes were laide on him : thus saith the holy Ghost , he which knew no sinne was made sinne for vs , and he was counted with sinners , Isa. 53. 12. yet so , as euen then in himselfe he was without blot , yea more holy then all men and angels . On this manner saide Chrysostome , 2. Cor. 3. God permitted Christ to be condemned as a sinner . Againe , He made the iust one to be a sinner , that he might make sinners iust . IV. Obiect . If a man be made righteous by imputation , then God iudgeth sinners to be righteous : but God iudgeth no sinner to be righteous , for it is abomination to the Lord. Ans. When God iustifieth a sinner by Christ his righteousnes , at the same time , he ceaseth in regard of guiltines to be a sinner : and to whome God imputeth righteousnes , them he sanctifieth at the very same instant by his holy Spirit : giuing also vnto originall corruption his deadly wound . V. Obiect . That which Adam neuer lost , was neuer giuen by Christ : but he neuer lost imputed righteousnes : therefore it was neuer giuen vnto him . Ans. The proposition is not true : for sauing faith , that was neuer lost by Adam , is giuen to vs in Christ : and Adam neuer had this priuiledge , that after the first grace should follow the a second : and therefore being left to himselfe , he fell from God : and yet this mercie is vouchsafed to all beleeuers , that after their first conuersion God will still confirme them with new grace : and by this meanes , they perseuere vnto the ende . And whereas they say , that Adam had not imputed righteousnes : I answer , that he had the same for substance , though not for the manner of applying by imputation . VI. Obiect . Iustification is eternall : but the imputation of Christ his righteousnes is not eternall , for it ceaseth in the end of this life : therfore it is not that which iustifieth a sinner . Ans. The imputation of Christs righteousnes is euerlasting : for he that is esteemed righteous in this life by Christ his righteousnes , is accepted as righteous for euer ; and the remission of sinnes graunted in this life , is for euer continued . And though sanctification be perfect in the world to come , yet shall it not iustifie : for we must conceiue it no otherwise after this life , but as a fruit springing from the imputed righteousnes of Christ , without which it could not be . And a good childe will not cast away the first garment , because his father giues him a second . And what if inward righteousnes be perfect in the ende of this life , shall we therefore make it the matter of our iustification ? God forbid . For the righteousnes whereby sinners are iustified , must be had in the time of this life , before the pangs of death . II. Difference about the manner of iustification . All , both Papists and Protestants agree , that a sinner is iustified by faith . This agreement is onely in word , and the difference betweene vs is great indeede . And it may be reduced to these three heads . First , the Papist saying that a man is iustified by faith : vnderstandeth a generall or a Catholike faith , whereby a man beleeueth the articles of religion to be true . But we holde that the faith which iustifieth , is a particular faith whereby we apply to our selues the promises of righteousnes and life euerlasting by Christ. And that our opinion is the trueth , I haue prooued before : but I wil adde a reason or twaine . I. Reason . The faith whereby we liue , is that faith whereby we are iustified : but the faith whereby we liue spiritually , is a particular faith whereby we apply Christ vnto our selues , as Paul saith , Gal. 2.20 . I liue , that is , spiritually , by the faith of the sonne of God , which faith he sheweth to bee a particular faith in Christ , in the very wordes following , who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me particularly : and in this manner of beleeuing Paul was and is an example to all that are to be saued . 1. Tim. 1.16 . and Phil. 3.15 . II. Reason . That which we are to aske of God in praier , we must beleeue it shal be giuen vs , as we aske it : but in praier we are to aske the pardon of our owne sinnes , and the merit of Christs righteousnes for our selues : therfore we must beleeue the same particularly . The proposition is a rule of Gods word , requiring that in euery petition wee bring a particular faith , whereby wee beleeue , that the thing lawfully asked , shall be giuen accordingly . Matth. 11.24 . The minor is also euident , neither can it be denied : for we are taught by Christ himselfe to pray on this manner , Forgiue vs our debts : and to it we say , Amen , that is , that our petitions shall without doubt be graunted vnto vs. Aug. serm . de Temp. 182. And here note , that the Church of Rome in the doctrine of iustification by faith cuts off the principall part and propertie thereof . For in iustifying faith two things are required : first Knowledge reuealed in the word touching the meanes of saluation : secondly an Applying of things knowne vnto our selues , which some call affiance . Nowe the first they acknowledge , but the second , which is the very substance and principall part thereof , they denie . III. Reason . The iudgement of the auncient Church . a August . I demande nowe , doest thou beleeue in Christ , O sinner ? Thou saiest , I beleeue . What beleeuest thou ? that all thy sinnes may freely be pardoned in him . Thou hast that which thou beleeuest . b Bernard . The Apostle thinketh that a man is iustified freely by faith . If thou beleeuest that thy sinnes cannot bee remitted but by him alone against whome they were committed : but goe further and beleeue this too , that by him thy sinnes are forgiuen thee . This is the testimonie which the holy Ghost giueth in the heart : saying , thy sinnes are forgiuen thee . Cyprian . c God promiseth thee immortalitie , when thou goest out of this world , and doest thou doubt ? This is indeed not to know God , and this is for a member of the Church in the house of faith not to haue faith . If wee beleeue in Christ , let vs beleeue his wordes and promises , and wee shall neuer die , and shall come to Christ with ioyfull securitie with him to raigne for euer . The II. difference touching faith in the act of iustification , is this . The Papist saith , we are iustified by faith , because it disposeth a sinner to his iustification after this manner : By faith ( saith he ) the mind of man is inlightened in the knowledge of the lawe and gospell : knowledge stirs vp a feare of hell with a consideration of the promise of happines , as also the loue & feare of God , & hope of life eternall . Now when the heart is thus prepared , God infuseth the habit of charitie & other vertues , wherby a sinner is iustified before god . We say otherwise , that faith iustifieth because it is a supernaturall Instrument created by God in the heart of man at his conuersion , whereby he apprehendeth and receiueth Christs righteousnes for his iustification . In this their doctrine is a twofold error : I. that they make faith which iustifieth , to goe before iustification it selfe , both ●or order of nature , as also for time : whereas by the worde of God , at the very instant , when any man beleeueth first , he is then iustified and sanctified . For he that beleeueth , eateth and drinketh the bodie and blood of Christ , and is alreadie passed from death to life . Ioh. 6.54 . The second is , that faith beeing nothing else with them but an illumination of the minde , stirreth vp the will : which beeing mooued & helped , causeth in the heart many spirituall motions : and thereby disposeth man to his future iustification . But this indeed is as much as if we should say , that dead men onely helped , can prepare themselues to their future resurrection . For we are all by nature dead in sinne , and therefore must not onely be inlightened in mind , but also renued in will , before we can so much as wil or desire that which is good . Nowe we ( as I haue said ) teach otherwise : that faith iustifieth as it is an instrument to apprehend and apply Christ with his obedience ; which is the matter of our iustification . This is the trueth , I prooue it thus . In the couenant of grace two things must be considered : the substance thereof , and the condition . The substance of the couenant is , that righteousnes and life euerlasting , is giuen to Gods Church and people by Christ. The condition is , that we for our parts , are by faith to receiue the foresaid benefits : and this condition is by grace as well as the substance . Now then , that we may attaine to saluation by Christ , he must be giuen vnto vs really , as he is propounded in the tenour of the foresaid couenant . And for the giuing of Christ , God hath appointed speciall ordinances , as the preaching of the word , and the administration o●●●e Sacraments . The word preached is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeues : and the end of the sacraments is to communicate Christ with all his benefits to them that come to be partakers thereof : as is most plainely to be seene in the supper of the Lord , in which the giuing of bread and wine to the seuerall communicants , is a pledge and signe of Gods particular giuing of Christs bodie and blood with all his merits , vnto them . And this giuing on Gods part cannot be effectuall without receiuing on our parts : and therfore faith must needes be an instrument or hand to receiue that which God giueth , that we may find comfort by this giuing . The III. difference concerning faith is this : the Papist saith , that a man is iustified by faith : yet not by faith alone , but also by other vertues , as hope , loue , the feare of God , &c. The reasons which are brought to maintaine their opinion are of no moment . I. Reason . Luke 7.47 . Many sinnes are forgiuen her , a because shee loued much . Whence they gather that the woman here spoken of , was iustified and had the pardon of sinnes by loue . Ans. In this text , loue is not made an impulsiue cause to mooue God to pardon her sinnes , but onely a figne to shew and manifest that God had alreadie pardoned them . Like to this is the place of Iohn who saith , 1. Ioh. 3. 14. We are translated from death to life , because wee loue the brethrē : where loue is no cause of the chāge , but a signe & consequent therof . II. Reason . Gal. 5.6 . Neither circumcision , nor vncircumeision auaileth any thing , but faith that worketh by loue . Hence they gather that faith doeth iustifie togither with loue . Ans. The propertie of true faith is , to apprehend and receiue something vnto it selfe : and loue , that goes alwaies with faith , as a fruite and an vnseparable companion thereof , is of another nature . For it doeth not receiue in , but as it were giue out it selfe in all the duties of the first and second table towards God and man : and this thing faith by it selfe cannot doe : and therefore Paul saieth , that faith worketh by loue . The hand hath a propertie to reach out it selfe , to lay hold of any thing , and to rec●●ue a gift : but the hand hath no propertie to cut a peece of wood of it selfe , without saw or knife , or some like instrument : & yet by help of thē , it can either deuide or cut . Euen so it is the nature of faith , to goe out of it selfe & to receiue Christ into the heart : as for the duties of the first and second table , faith cannot of it selfe bring them forth ; no more then the hand can deuide or cut : yet ioyne loue to faith , & then can it practise duties commended concerning God and man. And this I take to be the meaning of this text , which speaketh not of iustification by faith , but onely of the practice of common duties , which faith putteth in execution by the helpe of loue . III. Reason . Faith is neuer alone , therefore it doth not iustifie alone . Ans. The reason is naught , and they might as well dispute thus . The eie is neuer alone from the head , and therefore it seeth not alone : which is absurd . And though in regard of substance the eie be neuer alone , yet in regard of seeing , it is alone : and so though faith subsist not without loue and hope and other graces of god , yet in regard of the act of iustification it is alone without thē al. IV. Reason . If faith alone doe iustifie , then we are saued by faith alone : but we are not saued by faith alone ; and therefore not iustified by faith alone . Ans. The proposition is false : for more things are requisite to the maine ende then to the subordinate meanes . And the assumption is false : for wee are saued by faith alone , if we speake of faith as it is an instrument apprehending Christ for our saluation . V. Reason . We are saued by hope : therefore not by faith alone . Ans. Wee are saued by hope , not because it is any cause of our saluation . Pauls meaning is onely this : that we haue not saluation as yet in possession , but waite patiently for it , in time to come to be possessed of vs , expecting the time of our full deliuerance : that is all , that can iustly be gathered hence . Nowe the doctrine which we teach on the contrarie is , That a sinner is iustified before God by faith : yea , by faith alone . The meaning is , that nothing within man , and nothing that man can do either by nature or by grace concurreth to the act of iustification before God , as any cause thereof , either efficient , material , formal , or final , but faith alone : all other gifts & graces , as hope , loue , the feare of God , are necessarie to saluation , as signes thereof , & cōsequents of faith . Nothing in mā cōcurs as any cause to this work but by faith alone . And faith it selfe is no principall but onely an instrumentall cause whereby we receiue , apprehend , and apply Christ and his righteousnesse for our iustificatiō . Reason I. Ioh. 3.14,15 . As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse , so must the sonne of man be lift vp : that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life . In these words Christ makes a comparison on this maner : when any one of the Israelites were stung to death by fierie serpents : his cure was not by any phisicke surgerie , but onely by the casting of his eies vp to the brasen serpent , which Moses had erected by Gods commandement : euen so in the cure of our soules , when we are stung to death by sinne , there is nothing required within vs for our recouery , but onely that we cast vp and fixe the eye of our faith on Christ and his righteousnes . Reason II. The exclusiue formes of speech vsed in scripture prooue thus much . We are iustified freely , not of the lawe , not by the lawe , without the lawe , without workes , not of workes , not according to workes , not of vs , not by the workes of the lawe but by faith . Gal. 2.16 . All boasting excluded , onely beleeue . Luk. 8.50 . These distinctions , whereby workes and the lawe are excluded in the work● of iustification , doe include thus much : that faith alone doth iustifie . Reason III. Very reason may teach thus much : for no gift in man is apt & fit as a spirituall hand to receiue & apply Christ and his righteousnes vnto a sinner , but faith . Indeede loue , hope , the feare of God , and repentance , haue their seuerall vses in men , but none serue for this ende to apprehend Christ and his merits ; none of them all haue this receiuing propertie : and therefore there is nothing in man , that iustifieth as a cause but faith alone . Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church . Ambr. on Rom. 4. They are blessed to whome without any labour or worke done , iniquities are remitted and sinne couered : no workes or repentance required of them , but onely that they beleeue . And cap. 3. Neither working any thing , nor requiting the like , are they iustified by faith alone through the gift of God. And 1. Cor. 1. this is appointed of God that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall be saued without any worke by faith alone , freely receiuing remission of sinnes . a Augustine , There is one propitiation for all sinnes , to beleeue in Christ. Hesyc . on Leuit. lib. 1. c. 2. Grace which is of mercy is apprehended by faith alone and not of workes . Bernard . b Whosoeuer is pricked for his sinnes and thirsteth after righteousnes , let him beleeue in thee , who iustifieth the sinner , and beeing iustified by Faith alone , he shall haue peace with God. Chrysost. on Gal. 3. They said , he which resteth on faith alone● is accursed : but Paul sheweth , that he is blessed which resteth on faith alone . Basil. de Humil. Let man acknowledge himselfe to want true iustice , and that he is iustified onely by faith in Christ. Origen . on c. 3. Rom. Wee thinke that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe : and he saith iustification by faith alone sufficeth , so as a man onely beleeuing may be iustified . And , therefore it lieth vpon vs — , to search who was iustified by faith without works . And for an exāple , I thinke vpon the theife who beeing crucified with Christ , cried vnto him , Lord remember me when thou cōmest into thy kingdome : and there is no other good worke of his mentioned in the Gospell : but for this alone faith , Iesus saith vnto him , This night thou shalt be with me in paradise . III. Difference . The third difference about iustification is concerning this point , namely , how farreforth good workes are required thereto . The doctrine of the Church of Rome is , that there be two kinds of iustification : the first and the second , as I haue said . The first is , when one of an euill man is made a good man : and in this , workes are wholly excluded , it beeing wholly of grace . The second is , when a man of a iust man is made more iust . And this they will haue to proceede from workes of grace : for ( say they ) as a man when he is once borne can by eating and drinking make himselfe a bigger man , though he could not at the first make himselfe a man : euen so , a sinner hauing his first iustification , may afterward by grace make himselfe more iust . Therefore they hold these two things : I. that good works are meritorious causes of the second iustification , which they tearme Actual : II. that good works are means to increase the first iustificatiō , which they cal habitual . Now let vs see how farforth we must ioyne with them in this point . Our consent therefore stands in three conclusions . I. That good workes done by them that are iustified doe please God , and are approoued of him , and therefore haue a reward . II. Good workes are necessarie to saluation two waies : first , not as causes thereof , either conuersant , adiuvant , or procreant : but onely as consequents of faith : in that they are inseparable companions and fruits of that faith , which is indeede necessarie to saluation . Secondly they are as necessarie as markes in a way , and as the way it selfe directing vs vnto eternall life . III. We hold and beleeue , that the righteous man , is in some sort iustified by works : for so the holy Ghost speaketh plainely and truly , Iam. 2.21 . That Abraham was iustified by workes . Thus farre we ioyne with them : and the very difference is this . They say , we are iustified by workes , as by causes thereof : we say , that we are iustified by workes as by signes and fruits of our iustification before God , and no otherwise : and in this sense must the place of S. Iames be vnderstood , that Abraham was iustified , that is , declared and made manifest to be iust indeed by his obedience , and that euen before God. Now that our doctrine is the truth , it will appeare by reasons on both parts . Our reasons . I. Rom. 3.28 . We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law . Some answer , that ceremoniall workes be excluded here : some , that morall works : some , works going before faith . But let them deuise what they can for themselues , the truth is , that Paul excludeth all works whatsoeuer , as by the very text will appeare . For v. 24. he saith , We are iustified freely by his grace : that is , by the meere gift of God : giuing vs to vnderstand , that a sinner in his iustification is meerely passiue , that is , doing nothing on his part whereby God should accept him to life euerlasting . And v. 27. he saith , iustification by faith excludeth all boasting : and therefore all kind of works are thereby excluded ; and specially such as are most of all the matter of boasting , that is , good workes . For if a sinner , after that he is iustified by the merit of Christ , were iustified more by his owne workes , then might he haue some matter of boasting in himselfe . And that we may not doubt of Pauls meaning , consider and read Eph. 2.8,9 . By grace ( saith he ) you are saued t●rough faith : and that not of your selues , it is the gift of God : not of workes least any man should boast himselfe . Here Paul excludes all and euery worke , and directly workes of grace themselues as appeares by the reason following : For we are his workemanshippe created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes : which God hath ordained that we● should walke in them . Nowe let the Papists tell me , what bee the workes which God hath prepared for men to walke in , and to which they are regenerate , vnlesse they bee the most excellent workes of grace , and let them marke howe Paul excludes them wholly from the worke of iustification and saluation . II. Gal. 5.3 . If ye be circumcised , ye are bound to the whole lawe , and ye are abolished from Christ. Here Paul disputeth against such men as would bee saued partly by Christ , and partly by the workes of the lawe : hence I reason thus . If a man will be iustified by workes , he is bound to fulfill the whole lawe , according to the rigour thereof : that is Pauls ground . I nowe assume : no man can fullfill the lawe according to the rigour thereof : for the liues and workes of most righteous men are imperfect , and stained with sinne : and therefore they are taught euery day , to say on this manner : forgiue vs our debts . Againe our knowledge is imperfect , and therefore our faith , repentance , and sanctifi●atiō is answerable . And lastly , the regenerate man is partly flesh and partly spirit : and therefore his best workes are partly from the flesh , and in part onely spirituall . Thus then for any man to bee bound to the rigour of the whole lawe , is as much as if he were bound to his owne damnation . III. Election to saluation is of grace without workes ; therefore the iustification of a sinner is of grace alone without workes . For it is a certen rule , that the cause of a cause is the cause of a thing caused . Now grace without workes is the cause of election , which election is the cause of our iustification : & therfore grace without workes is the cause of our iustification . IV. A man must first be fully iustified before he can doe a good worke : for the person must first please God before his works can please him . But the person of a sinner cannot please God till he be perfectly iustified : and therefore till hee be iustified , he cannot doe so much as one good worke . And thus good workes cannot be any meritorious causes of iustification , after which they are both for time , and order of nature . In a word , whereas they make two distinct iustifications : we acknowledge that there be degrees of sanctification , yet so as iustification is onely one , standing in remission of sinnes and Gods acceptation of vs to life euerlasting by Christ : and this iustification hath no degrees but is perfect at the very first . Obiections of Papists . Psal. 7.8 . Iudge me according to my righteousnesse . Hence they reason thus , if Dauid be iudged according to his righteousnes then may he be iustified therby : but Dauid desires to be iudged according to his righteousnes : and therefore he was iustified thereby . Ans. There be two kindes of righteousnesse , one of the person , the other of the cause or action . The righteousnes of a mans person , is whereby it is accepted into the fauour of God into life eternall . The ●ighteousnes of the action or cause is , when the action or cause is iudged of God to be good and iust . Nowe Dauid in this psalme , speaketh onely of the righteousnesse of the action , or innocency of his cause , in that he was falsely charged to haue sought the kingdome . In like manner it is said of Phineas , Psal. 166.31 . that his fact in killing Zimri and Cosbie , was imputed to him for righteousnes : not because it was a satisfaction to the lawe , the rigour whereof could not be fulfilled in that one worke ; but because God accepted of it as a iust worke , and as a token of his righteousnes and zeale for Gods glorie . II. Obiect . The Scripture saith in sundrie places , that men are blessed which doe good workes . Psal. 119.1 . Blessed is the man that is vpright in heart , & walketh in the lawe of the Lord. Ans. The man is blessed that indeauoureth to keep Gods commandements . Yet is he not blessed simply , because hee doth so ; but because he is in Christ , by whome he doeth so : and his obedience to the lawe of God is a signe thereof . III. Obiect . When man confesseth his sinnes and humbleth himselfe by praier and fasting , Gods wrath is pacified and staied : therefore praier and fasting are causes of iustification before God. Answ. Indeede men that truely humble themselues by praier and fasting , doe appease the wrath of God : yet not properly by these actions , but by their faith expressed and testified in thē , whereby they apprehend that which appeaseth Gods wrath , euen the merits of Christ , in whome the Father is well pleased : and for whose sake alone he is well pleased with vs. IV. Obiect . Sundrie persons in Scripture are commended for perfection● as Noe , and Abraham , Zacharie , and Elizabeth : and Christ biddeth vs all bee perfect : and where there is any perfection of workes , there also workes may iustifie . Ans. There be two kinds of perfection : perfection in parts , and perfection in degrees . Perfection in part is , when being regenerate , and hauing the seedes of all necessarie vertues , wee indeauour accordingly to obey God , not in some few , but in all and euery part of the law : as Iosias turned vnto God according to all the law of Moses . Perfection in degrees is , when a man keepeth euery commandement of God , and that according to the rigour thereof , in the very highest degree . Nowe then whereas we are commanded to be perfected , and haue examples of the same perfection in scripture : both commandements and examples must be vnderstood of perfection in parts , and not of perfection in degrees , which cā●ot be attained vnto in this life ; though we for our parts , must daily striue to come as neere vnto it , as possibly we can . V. Obiect . 2. Cor. 4. 17. Our momentany afflictions worke vnto vs a greater meas●re of glorie : nowe if afflictions worke our saluation , then workes also doe the same . Ans. Afflictions worke saluation , not as causes procuring it , but as means directing vs thereto . And thus alwaies must we esteeme of works , in the matter of our saluation , as of a certen way , or a marke therein , directing vs to glorie , not causing and procuring it : as Bernard saith they are , via Regni non causa regnandi . The waie to the kingdome , not the cause of raigning there . VI. Obiect . We are iustified by the same thing whereby we are iudged : but we are iudged by our good works : therfore iustified also . Ans. The proposition is false : for iudgement is an act of God , declaring a man to bee iust that is alreadie iust : and iustification is another distinct act of God , whereby he maketh him to be iust , that is by nature vniust . And therefore in equitie the last iudgement is to proceede by workes : because they are the fittest meanes to make triall of euery mans cause , and serue fitly to declare whome God hath iustified in this life . VII . Obiect . Wicked men are condemned for euill workes : and therefore righteous men are iustified by good workes . Ans. The reason holdeth not : for there is great difference betweene euill and good workes . An euill worke is perfectly euill , and so deserueth damnation : but there is no good worke of any man that is perfectly good : and therefore cannot iustifie . VIII . Obiect . To beleeue in Christ is a worke , and by it we are iustified : & if one worke doe iustifie , why may we not be iustified by all the workes of the law . Ans. Faith must be considered two waies : first , as a worke , qualitie , or vertue : secondly as an Instrument , or an hand reaching out it selfe to receiue Christs merit . And we are iustified by faith , not as it is a work , vertue , or qualitie : but as it is an instrument to receiue and apply that thing whereby we are iustified . And therefore it is a figuratiue speech to say , We are iustified by faith . Faith considered by it selfe maketh no man righteous : neither doth the actiō of faith which is to apprehend , iustifie : but the obiect of faith , which is Christs obedience apprehended . These are the principall reasons commonly vsed : which as we see , are of no moment . To conclude therefore we holde : that workes concurre to iustification , and that we are iustified thereby as by signes and effects , not as causes : for both the beginning , middle , and accomplishment of our iustification is onely in Christ : and hereupon Iohn saith , If any man ( beeing already iustified ) sinne , we haue an aduocate with the father , Iesus Christ , and he is the propitiation for our sinnes . And to make our good workes meanes or causes of our iustification , is to make euery man a Sauiour to himselfe . The V. point : Of merits . By merit , we vnderstand any thing or any work , whereby Gods fauour & life euerlasting is procured : and that for the dignitie and excellencie of the worke or thing done : or , a good worke done , binding him that receiueth it to repay the like . Our Consent . Touching merits , we consent in two conclusions with them . The first cōclusion , that merits are so farre forth necessarie , that without them there can be no saluation . The second , that Christ our Mediatour and Redeemer , is the roote and fountaine of all merit . The dissent or difference . The popish Church placeth merits within man , making two sorts thereof : the merit of the person , and the merit of the worke . The merit of the person , is a dignitie in the person , whereby it is worthie of life euerlasting . And this ( as they say ) is to be found in Infants dying after baptisme , who though they want good workes , yet are they not void of this kind of merit , for which they ●eceiue the kingdome of heauen . The merit of the worke , is a dignitie or excellencie in the worke , whereby it is made fitte and inabled to deserue life euerlasting for the doer . And works ( as they teach ) are meritorious two waies : first , by couenant , because God hath made a promise of reward vnto them : secondly , by their own dignitie ; for Christ hath merited that our works might merit . And this is the substance of their doctrine . From it we dissent in these points . I. We renounce all personall merits , that is , all merits within the person of any meere man. II. And we renounce all merit of workes , that is , all merit of any worke done by any meere man whatsoeuer . And the true merit whereby we looke to attaine the fauour of God , and life euerlasting , is to bee found in the person of Christ alone : who is the storehouse of all our merits : whose prerogatiue it is , to be the person alone in whome God is well pleased . Gods fauour is of infinit dignitie , and no creature is able to doe a worke that may counteruaile the fauour of God , saue Christ alone : who by reason of the dignitie of his person , beeing not a meere man but God-man , or Man-god , hee can doe such workes as are of endles dignitie euery way answerable to the fauour of God : and therefore sufficient to merit the same for vs. And though a merit or meritorious work agree only to the person of Christ , yet is it made ours by imputation . For as his righteousnes is made ours , so are his merits depending thereon : but his righteousnes is made ours by imputation , as I haue shewed . Hence ariseth another point , namely that as Christs righteousnes is made ours really by imputation to make vs righteous : so wee by the merit of his righteousnesse imputed to vs doe merit and deserue life euerlasting . And this is our doctrine . In a word , the Papist maintaineth the merits of his owne workes : but we renouuce them all , and rest only on the merit of Christ. And that our doctrine is trueth , and theirs falshood , I will make manifest by sundrie reasons ; and then answer their arguments to the contrarie . Our reasons . The first shall bee taken from the properties and conditions that must bee in a worke meritorious , and they are foure . I. A man must doe it of himselfe , and by himselfe : for if it be done by another , the merit doeth not properly belong to the doer . II. A man must doe it of his owne freewill and pleasure , not of due debt : for when wee doe that which wee are bound to doe , wee doe no more but our dutie . III. The worke must bee done to the profit of another , who thereupon must be bound to repay the like . IV. The reward and the work must be in proportion equall , for if the reward be more then the work , it is not a reward of desert , but a gift of good will. Hence followes a notable conclusion : That Christs manhood considered a part from his Godhead , cannot merit at Gods hand● though it be more excellent euery way then all both men and angels . For beeing thus considered , it doth nothing of it selfe , but by grace receiued from the godhead : though it also be without measure . Secondly Christs manhood is a creature , and in that regard bound to doe whatsoeuer it doth . Thirdly , Christ as man cannot giue any thing to God , but that which hee receiued from God : therfore cānot the manhood properly by it selfe merit , but onely as it is personally vnited vnto the godhead of the Sonne . And if this bee so , then much lesse can any meere man , or any angell merit : yea it is a madnes to thinke , that either our actions or persons should be capable of any merit whereby we might attaine to life eternall . Reason II. Exod. 20. ● . And shew mercie vpon thousands in them that loue me , and keepe my commandements . Hence I reason thus : where reward is giuen vpon mercie , there is no merit : but reward is giuen of mercie to them that fulfill the law : therefore no merit . What can we any way deserue , when our full recompence must be of mercie ? And this appeares further by Adam : if he had stood to this day , he could not by his continuall and perfect obedience , haue procured a further increase of fauour at Gods hand , but should onely haue continued that happie estate in which he was first created . Reason III. Scripture directly condemneth merit of workes . Rom. 6.23 : The wages of sinne is death : but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. The proportion of the argument required that S. Paul should haue said : The reward of good works is eternall life , if life euerlasting could be deserued , which cannot ; because it is a free gift . Againe , Tit. 3.5 . We are saued not by workes of righteousnes which we haue done , but according to his mercie he saued vs. And Eph. 2.8 , 10. By grace you are faued through faith , and that not of your selues , it is the gift of God : not of workes which God hath prepared that we should walke in them . If any works be crowned , it is certen that the sufferings of Martyrs shall be rewarded : now of them Paul saith , Rom. 8.18 . The sufferings of this life are not worthie of the glorie to come . Where then is the value and dignitie of other works ? To this purpose Ambr. saith , The iust man though he be tormented in the brasen bull is still iust , because he iustifieth God , and saith he suffereth lesse then his sinnes deserue . Reason IV. Whosoeuer will merit , must fulfill the whole law : but none can keepe the whole law : For if we say we haue no sinne , we deceiue our selues , 1. Ioh. 1. And he that sinnes against one commandement is guiltie of the whole law . And what can he merit , that is guiltie of the breach of the whole law ? Reason V. We are taught to pray on this manner , Giue vs this day our daily bread : wherein we acknowledge euery morsell of bread to be the meere gift of God without desert : and therefore must we much more acknowledge life eternall to be euery way the gift of God. It must needes therefore be a satanicall insolencie for any man to imagine , that he can by his workes merit eternal life , who can not merit bread . Reason VI. Consent of the auncient Church . a Bernard , Those which we call our merits , are the way to the kingdome , and not the cause of raigning . August . Manuali chap. 22. All my hope is in the death of my Lord. His death is my merit — : my merit is the passion of the Lord. I shall not be void of merits , so long as Gods mercies are not wanting . Basil on Psal. 114. Eternall rest is reserued for them , which haue striuen lawfully in this life : not for the merits of their doings , but vpon the grace of the most bountifull God , in which they trusted . August . on Psal. 120. He crowneth thee , because he crowneth his owne gifts , not thy merits . And Psal. 142. Lord thou wilt quicken me in thy iustice , not in mine : not because I deserued it , but because thou hast compassion . Obiections of Papists . Obiect . I. In sundrie places of Scripture , promise of reward is made to them that beleeue and doe good workes : therefore our workes doe merit : for a reward and merit be relatiues . Answ. Reward is two-fold : of debt , and of mercie . Life euerlasting is not a reward of debt but of mercie , giuen of the good will of God , without any thing done of man. Secondly , the kingdome of heauen is properly an inheritance giuen of a father to a child , and therefore it is called a reward not properly , but by a figure or by resemblance . For as a workeman hauing ended his labour , receiueth his wages ; so after men haue lead their liues and finished their course in keeping faith & good conscience , as dutiful children , God giueth them eternall life . And hereupon it is tearmed a reward . Thirdly , if I should graunt that life euerlasting is a deserued reward , it is not for our works , but for Christs merit imputed to vs , causing vs thereby to merit : and thus the relation stands directly betweene the Reward and Christs Merit applied vnto vs. Ob. II. Christ by his death merited that our works should merit life euerlasting . Ans. That is false : all we finde in Scripture is , that Christ by his merit procured pardon of sinne , imputation of righteousnes , & life euerlasting : & it is no where saide in the word of God , that Christ did merit , that our workes should merit : it is a dotage of their owne deuifing . He died not for our good works to make them able to satisfie Gods anger ; but for our sinnes that they might be pardoned . Thus much saith the Scripture , and no more . And in that Christ did sufficiently merit life eternall for vs , by his own death : it is a sufficient proofe that he neuer intended to giue vs power of meriting the same : vnles we suppose that at some time he giues more then is needfull . Again , Christ in the office of mediation as he is a king , Priest , and prophet , admitteth no deputie or fellow . For he is a most perfect Mediatour , doing all things by himselfe , without the helpe of any . And the ministers that dispence the word are not his deputies , but reasonable and voluntarie instruments , which he vseth . But if men by works can merit increase of grace & happines for themselues , then hath Christ partners in the work of redēption : men doing that by him , which he doth of himselfe , in procuring their saluatiō . Nay , if this might stād , that Christ did merit , that our workes should merit , then Christ should merit that our stained righteousnes being for this cause not capable of merit , should neuertheles merit . I cal it stained ; because we are partly flesh & partly spirit : & therfore in our selues deseruing the curse of the law , though we be regenerate . Again , for one good work we do , we haue many euil , the offēce wherof defaceth the merit of our best deeds , & maks thē too light in the balāce of the law . Obiect . III. Our works merit by bargaine or couenant , because God hath promised to reward them . Ans. The word of God sets downe two couenants : one legall , the other euangelical . In the legall couenant life euerlasting is promised to workes , for that is the condition of the law ; doe these things & thou shalt liue . But on this manner can no man merit life euerlasting , because none is able to doe all that the law requires ; whether we respect the manner , or the measure of obedience . In the euangelicall couenant , the promises that are made are not made to any worke or vertue in man , but to the worker : not for any merit of his owne person or worke , but for the person and merit of Christ. For example , it is a promise of the Gospell , Be faithfull vnto death , and I will giue thee the crowne of life . Reuelat. 2.10 . Here the promise is not made to the vertue of fidelitie , but to the faithfull person ; whose fidelitie is but a token that he is in Christ : for the merit of whose obedience God promiseth the crowne of life : and therefore Christ saith further , I come quickly and will giue to euery man according to his workes : marke , he saith not to the worke , or for the worke ; but to the worker according to his workes . And thus the bond of all other promises of the Gospel , in which God willingly binds himselfe to reward our workes , doe not directly concerne vs , but haue respect to the person , and obedience of Christ , for whose sake alone God bindes himselfe as debter vnto vs , and giues the recompence or reward , according to the measure of our faith testified by our works . And therefore it cannot be truly gathered , that workes do merit by any promise or couenant , passed on Gods part to man. Some may say , if workes merit not why are they mentioned in the promises ? I answer , not because they merit , but because they are tokens that the doer of the worke is in Christ , for whose merit the promise shall be accomplished . Obiect . IV. Good workes are perfect and without fault , for they are the workes of the holy Ghost , who cannot sinne : therefore they merit . Ans. If workes did proceede onely and immediatly from the holy Ghost , there could not be any fault in them : but our works come from the holy Ghost , in and by the will and vnderstanding of man : and by this meanes they are tainted with sinne ; as water in the fountaine is both cleare and sweete , yet the streames thereof passing through the filthie channell , are defiled thereby . Againe they reason thus : That which we are bound to doe hath no fault in it : but we are bound to doe good workes : therefore they are perfect . Ans. The proposition must be expounded : that which we are bound to doe , in it selfe , according to the intention of the commander , hath no fault : or , that which we are bound to doe according as we are bound to doe it , hath no fault , yet in regard of the intention of the doer , or in regard of our manner of doing , it may be faultie . Obiect . V. Christ saith , Reuel . 3.4 . that the faithfull in the Church of Sardis shall walke with him in white , for they are worthie : therefore beleeuers merit . Ans. Euery beleeuer is worthie to walke with Christ ; yet not worthie in himselfe , but in Christ , to whome he is vnited , and made bone of his bone , & flesh of his flesh . And by reason of this coniunction it is , that men are said to be worthie , because they are inriched with Christs merits and righteousnes . Obiect . VI. 2. Tim. 4.8 . Euerlasting life is tearmed a crowne , and a crowne of righteousnes to be giuen of a iust iudge : therfore man for his part by his works deserues the same . Ans. Euerlasting life is called a crowne onely in resemblāce . For as he which runneth a race , must continue and runne to the end , and then be crowned ; euen so must we continue to walke in good workes vnto the ende , and then receiue eternall life . And it is called a crowne of righteousnes , not because it belongs to any man by due and desert ; but because God hath bound himselfe by a promise to giue it , in performing whereof he is tearmed iust : and by vertue of this promise it is obtained and no otherwise . These are the principall obiections , by which we may iudge what the rest are . And thus we see what is the truth , namely that merit is necessarie to saluation : yet neither merit of mans worke , or person , but the merit of Christ imputed to vs , whereby we beeing in him doe procure and deserue the fauour of God and life eternall . The sixt point . Of satisfaction . Our consent . Conclus . I. First we acknowledge and hold Ciuill or Politike satisfaction : that is , a recompence for iniuries , and damages offered any way to our neighbours . This Zacheus practised , when at his conuersion he restored foure-fold things gotten by forged cauillation . Again by ciuill satisfaction I vnderstand , the imposition of fines , mulcts , and penalties vpon offenders , & the inflicting of death vpon malefactours . For all these are satisfactions to the law , and societies of men when they are wronged . All these we maintaine as necessarie , for neither Church , nor common-wealth can well be without them : considering they are notable meanes to vphold ciuill peace ; and otherwhiles they are fruits of true faith , as the satisfaction of Zacheus was . Conclus . II. We acknowledge canonicall or Ecclesiasticall satisfaction : and that is , when any hauing giuen offence to the Church of God or any pa●t thereof , doe make an open publike testimonie of their repentance . Mirian for murmuring against Moses , was stricken with leprosie , and afterward by his praier shee was clensed , and yet for all that shee must goe seuen daies out of the tent and congregation , that shee might make a kind of satisfaction to the people for her trespasse . And in the olde testament , sackcloth and ashes were signes of their satisfaction . Conclus . III. We holde that no man can be saued , vnlesse he make a perfect satisfaction to the iustice of God for all his sinnes ; because God is infinite in iustice , and therefore will either exact an euerlasting punishment , or satisfaction for the same . The dissent or difference . The point of our difference and dissent are these . The Church of Rome teacheth and beleeueth , that Christ by his death hath made a satisfaction for all the sinnes of men , and for the eternall punishment of them all : yet so , as they themselues must satisfie the iustice of God for the temporall punishmēt of their offences , either on earth , or in purgatorie . We teach and beleeue , that Christ by his death and passion hath made a perfect and all sufficient satisfaction to the iustice of God for all the sinnes of men , & for the whole punishment thereof both eternall and temporall . Thus we differ , and herein we for our parts must for euer stand at difference wi●h them : so as if there were no more points of variance but this one , it should be sufficiēt to keepe vs alwaies from vniting our religions , and cause vs to obey the voice of Christ , Come out of her my people . For as in the former points , so in this also , the Papists erre , not in circumstance , but in the very foundation and life of religion . Our reasons . I. A satisfaction that is made imperfect either directly or by consequent , is indeede no satisfaction at all . But the Papists make Christs satisfaction imperfect , in that they doe adde a supplie by humane satisfactions : & thus much a learned schooleman , Biel in plaine words confessed . Although ( saith he ) the passion of Christ be the principall merit , for which grace is conferred , the opening of the kingdome and glorie : yet is it neuer the alone and totall meritorious cause : it is manifest , because alwaies with the merit of Christ , there concurreth some worke , as the merit of congruitie or condignitie of him that receiueth grace or glorie , if he be of yeares and haue the vse of reason : or of some other for him , if he want reason . For that which admits a supplie by an other , is imperfect in it selfe . Therefore humane satisfactions can not stand . Learned Papists make answer , that Christs satisfaction and mans may stand well together . For ( say they ) Christs satisfaction is sufficient in it selfe to answer the iustice of God for all sinne and punishment ; but it is not sufficient to this or that man till it be applied : and it must be applied by our satisfaction made to God for the temporall punishment of our sinnes . But I say againe , that mans satisfaction can be no meanes to applie the satisfaction of Christ , and I prooue it thus . The meanes of applying Gods blessings and graces vnto man are two-fold : some respect God himselfe , and some respect man. Those which respect God , are such whereby God on his part doth offer and conuay his mercies in Christ vnto man : of this sort are the preaching of the word , Baptisme , and the Lords supper ; and these are as it were the hand of God whereby he reacheth downe and giueth vnto vs Christ with all his benefits . The other meanes of applying on mans part , are those whereby the saide benefits are receiued . Of this sort there is onely one , namely faith , whereby we beleeue that Christ with all his benefits belong vnto vs. And this is the hand of man whereby he receiueth Christ as he is offered , or exhibited by God in the word and sacraments . As for other meanes beside these , in Scripture we finde none . Foolish therefore is the answer of the Papist , that make mens satisfactions meanes to applie the satisfaction of Christ vnto vs : for by humane satisfactions , Christ is neither offered on Gods part , nor yet receiued on mans pa●t : let them prooue it if they can . Others , not content with this their former answer say , that our satisfactions doe nothing derogate from the satisfaction of Christ ; because our workes haue their dignitie and merit from Christs satisfaction : he meriting that our workes should satisfie Gods iustice for temporall punishments . But this is also absurd and false , as the former was . For if Christ did satisfie that man might satisfie , then Christ doth make euery beleeuer to be a Christ , a Iesus , a Redeemer , and a Priest in the same order with his owne selfe . But to make sinnefull man his owne redeemer , though it be but from temporall punishments , is a doctrine of deuills . For the holy Ghost teacheth that the priesthood of Christ is incommunicable , and can not passe from him to any other . Now to make satisfaction for sinne or any part of the punishment thereof , is a dutie , or a part of Christ his priesthood , and therefore to make satisfaction is a worke that can not passe from his person to the person of any man. Againe , if Christ by his satisfaction giue power to man to satisfie , then man doth satisfie by Christ , and Christ beside his owne satisfaction vpon the crosse , must daily satisfie in man to the ende of the world : but this can not be : for Christ vpon the crosse , when death was vpon him , saide , It is finished , that is , I haue fully satisfied for all the sinnes of mankinde , both in respect of the fault and punishment . As for Christs buriall and resurrection which followed his death , they serued not to satisfie but to confirme the same . Againe Paul saith , 2. Cor. 5.12 . He that knew no sinne , was made sinne for vs , that is , the punishment of sinne for vs : but if the Church of Rome say true , that Christ doth daily satisfie , then Paul spake too short , and should haue saide further , that Christ was made sinne for vs , and in vs too : and that God was not onely in Christ but also in vs , reconciling the world to himselfe . But Paul neuer knew this learning : and therefore let them turne themselues which way they will , by putting a supplement to Christs satisfaction , they doe indeede annihilate the same . Reason II. In sundrie places of Scripture , especially in the Epistles of Paul , we are said to be redeemed , iustified , and saued freely : which word freely , doth import that we are iustified and saued without any thing done on our part or by our selues in the matter of our saluation : and if this be so , then can we doe nothing at all that may satisfie the iustice of God for the least punishmen● of our sinnes . If we satisfie in our owne persons , we are not saued freely : and if we be saued freely , we make no satisfaction at all . Reason III. We pray daily , forgiue vs our sinnes : now to plead pardon , and to satisfie for our sinnes be contrarie : and for all things , for which we can make satisfaction , we neede not craue a pardon : but we are taught in the foresaide petition wholly and onely to vse the plea o● pardon for our sinnes , and therefore we acknowledge that we can not make any satisfaction at all . Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church . Tertul. de Baptism . Guiltinesse beeing taken away , the punishment is also taken away . a Augustine , Christ , by taking vpon him the punishment and not the fault , hath done away both fault and the punishment . Tom. 10. hom . 5. he saith , When we are gone out of this world , there will remaine no compunction or satisfaction . Some new Editions haue foisted in the word [ aliqua ] and so haue turned the sense on this manner : There will remaine no compunction or some satisfaction . But this is flat against Augustines meaning , who saith a little before , that when the way is ended , there is no compounding of our cause with any . Chrysost. proem . in Esa. Say not to me , I haue sinned : how shall I be freed from so many sinnes ? Thou canst not : but thy God can . Yea , and he will so blot out thy sinnes that there shall remaine no print of thē : which thing befalls not the bodie , for when it is healed there remain●s a skarre : but God as soone as he exempts thee from punishment , he giueth thee iustice . Ambrose saith , I read of Peters teares , but I read not of his satisfaction . Againe , Let vs adore Christ that he may say vnto vs , Feare not thy sinnes of this world , nor the waues of bodily sufferings : I haue remission of sinnes . Hierome saith in Psal. 31. The sinne that is couered is not seene , the sinne that is not seene is not imputed , that which is not imputed , is not punished . Chrysostome in Matthew , hom . 44. Among all men , some indure punishment in this life and the life to come : others in this life al●ne : others alone in the life to come : others n●ither in this life nor in the life to come . There alone , as Dives , who was not lord so much as of one droppe of water . Here alone , the incestuous man among the Corinthians . Neither here nor there , as the Apostles and Prophets , as also Iob and the rest of this kinde : for they indured no sufferings for punishment , but that they might be knowne to be conquerours in the fight . Obiections of Papists . I. Obiect . Leuit. 4. Moses according to Gods commandement prescribed seuerall sacrifices for seuerall persons ; and they were meanes of satisfaction for the temporall punishments of their daily sinnes . Ans. Those sacrifices were onely signes and types of Christs satisfaction to be offered to his father in his alone sacrifice vpon the crosse : and whosoeuer offered any sacrifice in the old testament , did thus and no otherwise esteeme of it , but as a type and figure of better things . Secondly , the saide sacrifices were satisfactions to the Church , whereby men did testifie their repentance for their offences , and likewise their desire to be reconciled to God and men . And such kinde of satisfactions , we acknowledge . II. Obiect . Men , whose sinnes are all pardoned , haue afterward sundrie crosses and afflictions laide vpon them , vnto the ende of their daies : therefore in all likelihood they make satisfaction to God for temporall punishments . As for example , the Israelites for murmuring against the Lord in the wildernes were barred all from the land of promise : and the like befell Moses and Aaron for not glorifying God as they should haue done at the waters of strife . Ans. Man must be considered in a two-fold estate , as he is vnder the law , and as he is vnder grace . In the first estate , all afflictions are curses or legall punishments , be they little or great : but to them that are in the second estate and beleeue in Christ , though the same afflictions remaine , yet doe they change their habite or condition , and are the actions of a Father seruing to be trialls , corrections , preuentings , admonitions , 1. Cor. 11.32 . When we are iudged , we are nurtered of the Lord. and Heb. 12.7 . If ye indure chastisment , God offereth himselfe vnto you as children . and Chrysostome saith , 1. Cor. hom . 28. When we are corrected of the Lord , it is more for our admonition then damnation : more for a medicine then for a punishment : more for a correction then for a penaltie . And whereas God denied the beleeuing Israelites , with Moses and Aaron to enter into the land of Canaan , it cannot be prooued that it was a punishment or penaltie of the law vpon them . The scripture saith no more but that it was an admonition to all men in all ages following , to take heede of like offences , as Paul writeth , All these things came vnto them for ensamples , and were written for our admonition , 1. Cor. 10.11 . III. Obiect . Dauid was punished after his repentance for his adulterie , for the child died , and he was plagued in his owne kind , in the incest of Absolon : and when he had numbred the people he was yet punished in the death of his people after his owne repentance . Ans. I answer as before that the hand of God was vpon Dauid after his repentance ; but yet the iudgements which befell him were not curses vnto him properly , but corrections for his sinnes , and trialls of his faith , and meanes to preuent further sinne , and to renew both his faith and repentance : as also they serued to admonish others in like case ; for Dauid was a publike person and his sinnes were offensiue , both within the Church of God and without . IV. Obiect . The prophets of God , when the people are threatned with the plague , famine , sword , captiuitie , &c. exhort them to repent and to humble themselues in sackcloath and ashes : and thereby they turned away the wrath of God that was then comming forth against them . Therefore by temporall humiliation , men may escape the temporall punishments of the Lord. Answ. . Famine , sword , banishment , the plague , and other iudgements sent on Gods people , were not properly punishments of sinne but onely the corrections of a father whereby he humbleth them that they might repent : or thus , they were punishments tending to correction , not seruing for satisfaction . And the punishments of God are turned from them , not because they satisfie the iustice of God in their own s●fferings , but because by faith they lay hold on the satisfaction of the Messias , & testifie the same by their humiliation & repentance . Obiect . V. Dan. 4.24 . Daniel giueth this counsel to Nabuchadnezar , redeeme thy ●innes by iustice , and thine iniquities by almes deedes . Beholde ( say they ) almes deeds are made a meanes to satisfie for mans iniquities . Ans. The word which they translate to redeeme , ( as the most learned in the Chalde tongue with one consent auouch ) doth properly signifie to breake off ; as if the Prophet should say : O King , thou art a mightie Monarch , and to inlarge thy kingdome thou hast vsed much iniustice and crueltie , therefore now rep●●● of thine iniquitie , and breake off these thy sinnes , testifie thy repentance by doing iustice , and giue almes to the poore whome thou hast oppressed . Therefore here is nothing spoken of satisfaction for sinne , but onely of testification of repentance by the fruits thereof . Obiect . VI. Matth. 3.2 . Doe penance : and bring forth fruits worthy of penance , which ( say they ) are workes of satisfaction inioyned by the priest . Ans. This text is absurd : for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , signifieth thus much , change your mindes from sinne to God , and testifie it by good workes , that is , by doing the duties of the morall lawe : which must bee done , not because they are meanes to satisfie Gods iustice for mans sinne , but because they are fruits of that faith and repentance which lies in the heart . Obiect VII . 2. Cor. 7.10 . Paul setteth downe sundrie fruits of repentance : whereof the last is reuenge , whereby repentant persons punish themselues , thereby to satisfie Gods iustice for the temporall punishment of their sinnes . Ans. A repentant sinner must take reuenge of himselfe , and that is onely to vse all meanes which serue to subdue the corruption of his nature , to bridle carnal affections , and to mortifie sinne : and these kinde of actions are restrainments properly , and not punishments : and are directed against the sinne and not against the person . Lastly , they make three workes of satisfaction , praier , fasting , and almes deedes . For the first , it is meere foolishnes to thinke , that man by praier can satisfie for his sinnes . It is all one , as if they had said , that a begger by asking of almes should deserue his almes : or , that a debter by requesting his creditor to pardon his debt , should thereby pay his debt . Secondly , fasting is a thing indifferent , of the same nature with eating & drinking , and of it selfe conferreth nothing to the obtainment of the kingdome of heauen , no more then eating and drinking doth . Thirdly and lastly almes deedes cannot bee workes of satisfaction for sinnes . For when we giue them as we ought , we doe but our dutie , whereunto we are bound . And wee may as well say , that a man by paying one debt , may discharge another : as to say that by doing his dutie hee may satisfie Gods iustice for the punishment of his sinnes . These we confesse bee fruites of faith , but yet are they no workes of satisfaction : but the onely and alsufficient satisfaction made to Gods iustice for our sinnes , is to be found in the person of Christ , beeing procured by the merit of his death , and his obedience . And thus our doctrine touching satisfaction is cleared : and it is to bee learned carefully of our common people , because the opinion of humane satisfaction is naturall and stickes fast in the heart of naturall men . Hereupon when any haue sinned , and feele touch of conscience any way , their manner is , then to performe some outward humiliation and repentance , thinking therby to stoppe the mouth of conscience , and by doing some ceremoniall duties to appease the wrath of God for their sinnes . Yea , many thinke to satisfie gods iustice by repeating the Creed , the Lords praier , and then tenne commandements , so foolish are they in this kind . The seuenth point . Of Traditions . Traditions , are doctrines deliuered from hand to hand , either by word of mouth , or by writing , beside the written word of God. Our Consent . Conclus . I. We hold that the very word of God , hath beene deliuered by tradition . For first God reuealed his will to Adam by word of mouth : and renued the fame vnto the Patriarkes , not by writing , but by speech , by dreames , & other inspirations : and thus the word of God went from man to man for the space of two thousand and foure hundred yeres , vnto the time of Moses who was the first pen-man of ho●y Scripture . For as touching the prophesie of Enoch , we commonly hold it was not penned by Enoch , but by some Iewe vnder his name . And for the space of this time , men worshipped God , and held the articles of their faith by tradition , not from men but immediately from God himselfe . And the historie of the newe testament ( as some say ) ●or eightie yeares , as some others thinke , for the space of twentie yeares and more , went from hand to hand by tradition , til penned by the Apostles , or beeing penned by others was approoued by them . Conclus . II. We hold that the Prophets , our Sauiour Christ , and his Apostles , spake and did many things good and true which were not written in the scriptures ; but came either to vs , or to our ancetours onely by tradition . As 2. Tim. 3.8 . it is said . Iannes and Iambres were the Magitians that withstood Moses : nowe in the bookes of the old testament we shall not find them once named , and therefore it is like , that the Apostle had their names by tradition , or by some writings then extant among the Iewes . So Heb. 12.21 . the author of the Epistle recordeth of Moses , that when hee sawe a terrible sight in Mount Sinai , he said , I tremble , and am afraide : which wordes are not to be found in all the bookes of the old testament . In the epistle of Iude mention is made , that the deuill stroue with Michaell the Archangel about the bodie of Moses : which point ( as also the former ) considering it is not to be found in holy wine it seemes the Apostle had it by tradition from the Iewes . That the prophet ●say was killed with a fullers club is receiued for trueth , but yet not recorded in scripture : and so likewise that the virgine Marie liued and died a virgine . And in Ecclesiasticall writers many worthy sayings of the Apostles and other holy men are recorded , and receiued of vs for trueth , which neuerthelesse are not set downe in the bookes of the old or newe testament . And many things wee holde for trueth , not written in the worde , if they bee not against the word . Conclus . III. We hold that the Church of God hath power to prescribe ordinances , rules , or traditions , touching time and place of Gods worship , & touching order and comelines to be vsed in the same : and in this regard , Paul , 1. Cor. 11.2 . commendeth the Church of Corinth for keeping his traditions , and Act. 15. the Councel at Ierusalem decreed that the Churches of the Gentiles should abstaine from blood , and from things strangled . This decree is tearmed a tradition , and it was in force among them so long as the offence of the Iewes remained . And this kinde of traditions whether made by generall Councels or particular Synods , we haue care to maintaine and obserue : these caueats being remembred : first that they prescribe nothing childish or absurd to be done : secondly that they be not imposed as any parts of Gods worship : thirdly , that they be seuered from superstition or opinion of merit : lastly that the Church of God be not burdened with the multitude of them . And thus much we hold touching Traditions . The difference . Papists teach , that beside the written word , there be certaine vnwritten traditions , which must be beleeued as profitable and necessarie to saluation . And these they say are twofold ; Apostolicall , namely such as were deliuered by the Apostles and not written ; and Ecclesiasticall , which the Church decreeth as occasion is offered . We hold that the Scriptures are most perfect , containing in them all doctrines needfull to saluation , whether they concerne faith or manners : and therefore we acknowledge no such traditions beside the written word , which shal be necessarie to saluation : so as he which beleeueth them not cannot be saued . Our Reasons . Testimonie I. Deut. 4.2 . Thou shalt not adde to the wordes that I commande thee , nor take any thing thing therefrom : therefore the written word is sufficient for all doctrines pertaining to saluation . If it be said that this commandement is spoken as well of the vnwritten as of the written word , I answer : that Moses speaketh of the written word onely : for these very words are a certaine preface which he set before a long commentarie made of the written lawe , for this end to make the people more attentiue , and obedient . Testimonie II. Isai 8.20 . To the lawe and to the testimonie . If they speake not according to this word , it is because there is no light in them . Here the Prophet teacheth what must be done in cases of difficultie . Men must not rūne to the wizard or southsayer , but to the lawe and testimonie , and here he commends the written word , as sufficient to resolue all doubts and scruples in conscience whatsoeuer . Testimonie III. Ioh. 20.31 . Those things were written that ye might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ , and in beleeuing might haue euerlasting life . Here is set downe the full ende of the gospell , and of the whole written word : which is to bring men to faith & cōsequently to saluatiō : & therfore the whole scripture alone is sufficient to this end without traditiōs . If it be said , that this place must bee vnderstood of Christs miracles onely : I answer , that miracles without the doctrine of Christ , & knowledge of his sufferings , can bring no man to life euerlasting , and therefore the place must bee vnderstood of the doctrine of Christ and not of his miracles alone , as Paul teacheth . Gal. 1.8 . If wee or an angell from heauen preach vnto you any thing beside that which we haue preached , let him be accursed . And to this effect he blames them that taught but a diuers doctrine to that which he had taught , 1. Tim. 1.3 . Testimonie IV. 2. Tim. 3.16,17 . The whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach , to improoue , to correct , and to instruct in righteousnes , that the man of God may be absolute , being made perfect vnto euery good work . In these wordes be contained two arguments , to prooue the sufficiencie of Scripture without vnwritten verities . The first : that which is profitable to these foure vses : namely , to teach all necessarie trueth , to confute all errours to correct faults in manners , and to instruct in righteousnes , that is to informe al men in all good duties , that is sufficient to saluation . But Scripture serueth for all these vses : and therefore it is sufficient : and vnwritten traditions are superfluous . The second : that which can make the man of God , that is , Prophets , and Apostles , and the ministers of the word , perfect in all the duties of their callings , that same word is sufficient to make all other men perfect in all good workes . But Gods word is able to make the man of God perfect . Therefore it is sufficient to prescribe the true and perfect way to eternall life , without the helpe of vnwritten traditions . V. The iudgement of the Church , Tertul. saith , a Take from heretickes the opinions which they maintaine with the heathen , that they may defend their questions by Scripture alone , and they cannot stand . Againe , We neede no curiositie after Christ Iesus , nor inquisition after the gospel . When we beleeue it , wee desire to beleeue nothing beside : for this we first beleeue that there is nothing more which wee may beleeue . Hierome on Math. 23. writing of an opinion that Iohn Baptist was killed , because he foretold the comming of Christ , saith thus : This , because it hath not authoritie from Scriptures , may as easily be contemned as approoued . In which wordes there is a conclusion with a minor , and the maior is to bee supplyed by the rules of logicke thus : That which hath not authoritie from Scriptures , may as easily be contemned as approoued : but this opinion is for therefore . Behold a notable argument against all vnwritten traditions . Augustine , booke 2. cap. 9. de doct . Christ. In those things which are plainely set downe in Scripture , are found all those points which containe faith and manners of liuing well . Vincentius Lirinen saith , the Canon of the Scripture is perfect , and fully sufficient to it selfe for all things . Beside these testimonies , other reasons there bee that serue to prooue this point . I. The practise of Christ and his Apostles , who for the confirmamatiō of the doctrine which they taught , vsed alwaies the testimony of Scripture , neither can it be prooued , that they euer confirmed any doctrine by tradition . Act. 26.22 . I continue vnto this day , witnessing both to smal and great , saying none other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come . And by this we are giuen to vnderstand , that we must alwaies haue recourse to the written word , as beeing sufficient to instruct vs in matters of saluation . II. If the beleeuing of vnwritten traditions were necessarie to saluation , then we must as well beleeue the writings of the auncient Fathers as well as the writings of the Apostles , because Apostolicall traditions are not els where to be found but in their bookes . And we may not beleeue their sayings as the word of God , because they often erre beeing subiect to errour : and for this cause their authoritie , when they speake of traditions , may be suspected : and we may not alwaies beleeue them vpon their word . Obiections for Traditions . First they alleadge 2. Thess. 2.15 . where the Apostle biddes that Church keepe the ordinances which he taught them either by word or letter . Hence they gather , that beside the written word , there be vnwritten traditions , that are indeede necessarie to be kept and obeyed . Ans. It is very likely , that this Epistle to the Thessalonians was the first that euer Paul writ to any Church , though in order it haue not the first place ; and therfore at that time when this Epistle was penned , it might well fall out , that some things needfull to saluation were deliuered by word of mouth , not being as yet written by any Apostle . Yet the same things were afterward set downe in writing , either in the second epistle or in the epistles of Paul. Obiect . II. That Scripture is Scripture , is a point to be beleeued : but that is a tradition vnwritten : and therefore one tradition there is not written , that we are to beleeue . Ans. That the bookes of the old and new Testament are Scripture , it is to be gathered and beleeued not vpon bare tradition , but from the very bookes themselues , on this manner . Let a man that is indued with the spirit of discerning , read the seuerall bookes , withall let him consider the professed author thereof which is God himselfe , and the matter therein contained , which is a most diuine and absolute truth full of pietie ; the manner and forme of speach , which is full of maiestie in the simplicitie of words : the ende whereat they wholly aime , which is the honour and glorie of God alone , &c. & he shall be resolued that Scripture is Scripture , euen by the Scripture it selfe . Yea , and by this meanes he may discerne any part of Scripture , from the writings of mē whatsoeuer . Thus thē scripture prooues it selfe to be scripture : & yet we despise not the vniuersall cōsent or traditiō of the Church in this case ; which though it do not perswade the consciēce , yet is it a notable inducement to mooue vs to reuerence , & regard the writings of the Prophets and Apostles . It will be said , where is it written that scripture is scripture ? I answer , not in any one particular place or booke of scripture , but in euery line and page of the whole Bible to him that can read with the spirit of discerning , and can discerne the voice of the true pastour , as the sheep of Christ can doe . Obiect . III. Some books of the canon of the Scripture are lost , as the booke of the warres of God , Num. 21.14 . the booke of the iust . Iosua 10.13 . the bookes of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel and Iuda . 1. King. 14.19 . the bookes of certaine prophets , Nathan , God , Iddo , Ahiah , and Semiah : and therefore the matter of these bookes must come to vs by tradition . Answ. Though it bee granted that some bookes of Canonicall scripture be lost : yet the scripture stil remaines sufficient because the matter of those bookes ( so farreforth as it was necessarie to saluation ) is contained in these bookes of Scripture that are now extant . Againe , I take it to be a truth ( though some thinke otherwise ) that no part of the Canon is lost : for Paul saith , Whatsoeuer things were written aforetime , were written for our learning , that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures , &c. Rom. 15.4 . Where he takes it for graunted , that the whole Canon of holy scripture was then extant . For if he had thought , that some books of scripture had beene lost , he would haue said : whatsoeuer was written and is now extant , was written for our learning and comfort . For bookes that are lost serue neither for learning nor comfort . Againe to hold that any bookes of scripture should be lost , calls into question Gods prouidence , and the fidelitie of the Church , who hath the bookes of God in keeping , and is therefore called the pillar and ground of trueth . And touching the bookes before mentioned , I answer thus : The booke of the warres of God , Num. 21. 14. might be some short bill or narration of things done among the Israelites , which in the daies of Moses went from hand to hand . For sometime a booke in Scripture signifieth a roule or catalogue , as the first chapter of Mathew , which containeth the genealogie of our Sauiour Christ is called the booke of the generation of Iesus Christ. Againe , the booke of the iust , and the bookes of Chronicles , which are said to be lost , were but as the Chronicles of England are with vs : euen politicke records of the acts and euents of things , in the kingdome of Iuda and Israel : out of which the Prophets gathered things necessarie to bee knowne , and placed them in holy scripture . As for the bookes of Iddo , Ahiah , Semiah , Gad , and Nathan , they were contained in the books of the Kings and Chronicles and in the bookes of Samuel , which were not written by him alone , but by sundry prophets , 1. Chr. 29.29 . as also was the booke of Iudges . As for the bookes of Salomon which are lost , they did not concerne religion and matters of saluation , but were concerning matters of philosophy and such like things . Obiect . IV. Moses in Mount Sina , beside the written lawe , receiued from God a more secret doctrine , which he neuer writ , but deliuered by tradition or word of mouth to the Prophets after him ; and this the Iewes haue now set downe in their Cabala . Ans. This indeede is the opinion of some of the Iewes , whome in effect and substance sundrie Papists follow : but wee take it for no better then a Iewish dotage . For if Moses had known any secret doctrine beside the written law , he would neuer haue giuen this commandement of the said lawe , thou shalt not adde any thing thereto . Obiect . V. Heb. 5. 12. Gods word is of two sorts , milke and strong meate . By milke we must vnderstand the worde of God written wherein God speakes plainely to the capacitie of the rudest : but strong meate is vnwritten traditiōs , a doctrine not to be deliuered vnto all , but to those that growe to perfection . Ans. We must know , that one and the same word of God is milke and strong meat , in regard of the manner of handling and propounding of it . For beeing deliuered generally and plainely to capacitie of the simplest , it is milke ; but being handled particularly and largely , and so fitted for men of more vnderstāding , it is strong meate . As for example , the doctrine of the creation , of mans fal , and redemption by Christ , when it is taught ouerly and plainly , it is milke : but when the depth of the same is throughly opened , it is strong meate . And therefore it is a conceit of mans braine , to imagine that some vnwritten word is meant by strong meat . Obiect . VI. Sundrie places of scripture be doubtfull : and euery religion hath his seuerall exposition of them , as the Papists haue theirs , and the Protestants theirs . Now then seeing there can bee but one trueth , when question is of the interpretation of Scripture , recourse must bee had to the tradition of the Church , that the true sense may be determined and the question ended . Ans. It is not so : but in doubtfull places scripture it selfe is sufficient to declare his owne meaning : first by the analogie of faith , which is the summe of religion gathered out of the clearest places of scripture : secondly , by the circumstances of the place and the nature and signification of the words : thirdly by conference of place with place . By these and like helps contained in scripture , we may iudge which is the truest meaning of any place . Scripture it selfe is the text and the best glosse . And the scripture is falsely tearmed the matter of strife , it being not so of it selfe , but by the abuse of man. And thus much for our dissent concerning traditions , wherein we must not bee wauering but steadfast , because notwithstanding our renouncing of poperie ; yet popish inclinations and dispositions be rife among vs. Our cōmon people marueilously affect humane traditions : yea mans nature is inclined more to be pleased with them , then with the word of God. The feast of the natiuitie of our Sauiour Christ is onely a custome and tradition of the Church , and yet men are commonly more carefull to keepe it then the Lords daie , the keeping whereof standes by the morall lawe . Positiue lawes are not sufficient to restraine vs from buying and selling on the Sabboth : yet within the twelue daies no man keepes market . Againe see the trueth of this in our affection to the ministerie of the worde : let the preacher alleadge Peter and Paul , the people count it but common sluffe , such as any man can bring ; but let men come and alleadge Ambrose , Austine , and the rest of the fathers : oh , he is the man , he is alone for them . Againe , let any man be in danger any way , and straight he sendeth to the wise man or wizzard : Gods word is not sufficient to comfort and direct him . All this argues that poperie denied with the mouth , abides still in the heart : and therefore we must learne to reuerence the written word by ascribing vnto it all manner of perfection . The eight point : Of Vowes . Our Consent . Touching Vowes this must be knowne , that we doe not condemne them altogether , but onely labour to restore the puritie of doctrine touching this point , which by the Church of Rome from time to time hath beene corrupted and defaced . Wee holde therefore that a vowe is a promise made to God touching some duties to be performed vnto him : and it is twofold , generall , or speciall . The generall vowe is that which concerns all beleeuers : and it is made in the couenant both of the lawe , and of the Gospell . I will here onely speake of the vowe which is made in the couenant of the Gospel , in which there be two actions : one of God , the other of man. God in mercie on his part promiseth to men the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting : and man againe for his part promiseth to beleeue in Christ , and to obey God in all his commandements . Al men euer made this vowe vnto God , as the Iewes in circumcision : which also they renued so often as they receiued the Passeouer : & in the newe testament all that are baptized doe the like . And in Baptisme this vowe is called the stipulation of a good conscience , whereby we purpose to renounce our selues , to beleeue in Christ , and to bring forth the fruites of true repentance : and it ought to be renued so oft as we are partakers of the supper of the Lord. This vowe is necessarie and must bee kept as a part of the true worship of God ; because it is a promise , wherein we vowe to performe all duties commanded of God either in the law or in the Gospell . It may be demanded , considering we are bound to obedience , how we binde our selues in baptisme thereto . Ans. Though we be alreadie bound partly by nature and partly by the written worde , yet may wee renue the same bond in a vowe , and hee that is bound may further bind himselfe , so it be for this ende , to helpe his dulnesse for want of zeale , and to make himselfe more forward in duties of loue to men and the worshippe of God : to this ende Dauid sware to keepe the lawe of God. Psal. 119.116 . though he were bound vnto it by nature and by the written lawe it selfe . The speciall vowe is that , which doeth not reach to the person of all beleeuers , but onely concerns some speciall men vpon some special occasions . And this kind of vowe is two-fold . The first , is the vowe of a ceremoniall dutie in the way of seruice to God : and it was in practise in the Church of the Iewes vnder the old testament : examples hereof are two especially , the first was the vowe of the Nazarites , whereto no kinde of men were bound by Gods commandement , but they bound themselues : God onely prescribing the manner and order of keeping the same with rites pertaining thereto , as abstinence frō wine , the not cutting of their haire , and such like . The second example is of the Iewes , when of their own accords , they vowed to giue god house or land , sheepe or oxen , or any like things , for the maintenance of the legall worship : and of this also God prescribeth certaine rules , Leuit 27. Nowe these vowes were part of the Iewish pedagogue or ceremonial lawe , wherein God trained vp the Iewes in the old testament : and beeing obserued of them , they were parts of Gods worship : but nowe vnder the Gospell they are not : beeing all abolished with the ceremoniall lawe , to which Christ put an ende at his death vpon the crosse . It is true Paul made a vowe , and since kept the same , in the time of the newe testament , Act. 18. yet not as a part of Gods worship : but as a thing indifferent for the time , wherein he onely condescended to the weaknesse of the Iewes , that by this meanes he might bring them the better vnto Christ. And whereas Christ is called a Nazarite , Matth. 2.23 . wee may not thinke he was of that very order , because he did not abstaine from wine : but he was so tearmed because he was the veritie & accomplishment of this order . For by it was signified that Gods Church was a peculiar people seuered or chosen out of the world , and that Christ in respect of holinesse was also seperated from all sinners . And the words in S. Mathew , he shall be called a Nazarite , are borrowed from the booke of Iudges , cap. 13. where they are properly spoken of Sampson , and in type or figure of Christ. For as Sampson saued Israel by his death , so did Christ saue his Church . And as Sampson killed his enemies more by death then by life , so did Christ. It is plaine therefore that this kind of vowe bindeth not vs : for there are no more ceremonies to be kept vnder the gospell for parts of Gods worship , but the outward rites of baptisme and the Lords supper . Vowes concerning meates , drinkes , attire , touching , tasting , times , places , daies , were proper to the Iewes . The second kind of speciall vowe is that whereby a man promiseth freely to performe some outward and bodily exercise , for some good ende : and this vow also ( if it be made accordingly ) is lawful , and belongs both to the Church of the old and newe testament . In the old we haue the example of the Rekabites , Ier. 35. who by the appointment of Ionadab their father abstained from strong drinke , and wine , from planting vineyards and orchards : whereby Ionadab intended onely to breake them before hand , and to acquaint them with their future condition and state , that they should bee strangers in a forraine land : that so they might prepare themselues to indure hardnes in the time to come . And nowe in the newe testament wee haue warrant in like manner to vowe : as if a man by drinking of wine or strong drinke , finde himselfe prone to drunkennes , he may vow with himselfe to drink no more wine nor strong drinke for so long time , as he feeles the drinking thereof wil stirre vp his infirmitie , and minister occasion of sinning . Of this kinde also are the vowes in which we purpose and promise to God , to keepe set times of fasting , to taske our selues in praier and reading of holy scriptures , and to giue set almes for speciall causes knowne to our selues , and to doe sundrie like duties . And that we be not deceiued in making such vowes , certen rules must be remembred : I. that the vowe be agreeable to Gods will and worde : for if it be otherwise , the making as also the keeping thereof is sinne . Vowes must not be the bonds of iniquitie . II. It must so bee made , that it may ftand with Christian libertie . For we may not make such things necessarie in conscience , which God hath made free . Now Christian libertie allowes vnto vs the free vse of all things indifferent , so it be out of the case of offence . Hence it followes that vowes must be made and kept or not kept , so farreforth as in conscience they may stand or not stand with our libertie purchased by Christ. III. The vowe must bee made with consent of superiours , if wee bee vnder gouernment . Thus among the Iewes the vowe of a daughter might not stand , vnlesse the consent of Parents came thereunto . IV. It must bee in the power & abilitie of the maker thereof , to doe or not to doe . A vowe made of a thing impossible , is no vowe . V. It must be agreeable to the calling of him that maketh it : that is , both to his generall calling as he is a Christian , and to that particular calling whereein he liueth . If it be against either one or both , it is vnlawfull . VI. It must bee made with deliberation . Rash vowes be not lawfull , though the things vowed may be done lawefully . VII . The ende must be good which is to preserue and exercise the gifts of faith , prayer , repentance , obedience , and other vertues of the minde ; as also to testifie our thankefulnesse vnto God for blessings receiued . These are the principall rules that must be obserued in making of vowes : and herewithall must be remembred , that vowes made on this manner , are by themselues no part of Gods worship , but onely helpes and furtherances thereunto : and thus are we to esteeme of all the vowes of the newe Testament . And 〈◊〉 much of speciall vowes , and of our consent herein . The dissent or difference . The points of difference betweene vs touching vowes are especially three . I. The Church of Rome teacheth that in the new Testament we are as much bound to make vowes , as was the Church of the Iewes , and that euen in externall exercises . We say no : considering the ceremoniall law is now abolished : and we haue onely two ceremonies by commaundement to be obserued , Baptisme , and the Supper of the Lord. Againe we are not so much bound to make or keepe vowes as the Iewes were ; because they had a commandement so to doe , and we haue none at all . But they alleadge to the contrarie the Prophet Esai , chap. 19.20 . who speaking of the time of the Gospel , saith , The Egyptians shall know the Lord , and shall vowe vnto him and keepe it . I answer two waies : first , that the Prophet in this place expresseth and signifieth the spirituall worshippe of the new Testament by ceremoniall worshippe then vsed : as he doth also in the last chapter where he calleth the ministers of the new testament Priests and Levites . Secondly , we grant , the Church of the new Testament makes vowes vnto God , but they are of morall and euangelicall duties ; which must not be left vndone : and if vowing will indeede further them , it is not to be neglected . And therefore so oft as we come to the Lords Table , we in heart renew the vowe and promise of obedience . And though vowes be made of things and actions indifferent , yet are they not any parts of Gods worship , which is the point to be prooued . Againe they alleadge , Psal. 75.11 . Vowe vnto God and performe it . And they say that this commaundement bindes all men . Answ. That commaundement first bindes the Iewes to the making of ceremoniall vowes . Againe Dauid here speakes of the vowing of praise and thanksgiuing vnto God : and so he expoundes himselfe , Psal. 56. 12. My vowes are vpon me , I will offer praises vnto God : and this vow indeede concerneth all men , because it respects a morall dutie , which is to set forth the praise of God. II. Point of difference . They also hold , that vowes made euen of things not commanded , as meates , drinkes , attire , &c. are parts of Gods worship , yea that they tende to a state of perfection , in that the keeping of them brings man to an higher estate then the keeping of the law can doe . We flatly say , no : holding that lawfull vowes be certaine a staies and proppes of Gods worship , and not the worship it selfe . For Paul saith plainely , 1. Tim. 4.8 . Bodily exercise profiteth little , but godlinesse is profitable for much . Againe , as Gods kingdome is , so must his worship be : and Gods kingdome standeth not in outward things , as in eating , drinking , and such like actions : and therefore his worship standeth not in outward things . III. Point of difference . They maintaine such vowes to be made , as are not agreeable to the rules before named : and herein also we are to dissent from them . The first and principall is , the vowe of continencie , whereby a man promiseth to God to keepe chastitie alwaies in single life , that is , out of the estate of wedlocke . This kinde of vow is flatte against the word of God : and therefore vnlawfull . For Paul saith , 1. Corinth . 7.9 . If they can not containe , let them marrie . 1. Tim. 4.1 . It is a doctrine of deuills to forbidde to marrie . Hebr. 13.4 . Marriage is honourable among all , and the bedde vndefiled . Againe , this vow is not in the power of himselfe that voweth : for continencie is the gift of God , who giueth not it vnto all , but to whome he will and when he will , and as long as he will. They alleadge , that in the want of continencie , fasting and praier obtaine it . Answ. It is not so : Gods gifts be of two sorts : some are common to all beleeuers , as the gift of faith , repentance and the feare of God , &c. others are peculiar to some onely , as the gift of continencie , 1. Corinth . 7.7 . I would that all men were as I my selfe am , but euery man hath his proper gift of God , one this way , an other that way . Now , if we fast and pray for the increase of the common gifts of God , as faith , repentance , and all such as are needefull to saluation , we may obtaine them in some measure , but the like can not be said of particular gifts . The child of God may pray for health or wealth , and not obtaine either of them in this world ; because it is not the will of God to vouchsafe these blessings to all men : and Paul praied three times to be deliuered from a temptation , and yet obtained not his suite . And so may we likewise pray for chastitie in single estate , and yet neuer obtaine it : because , it may be , it is the will of God to saue vs without it . This vowe therefore we abhorre as a thing that hath heretofore and doth still bring forth innumerable abhominations in the world . Yet here marke in what manner we doe it . First of all , though we mislike the vow : yet we like and commend single life . Marriage indeede is better in two respects : first because God hath ordained it to be a remedie of continencie to all such persons as can not containe : secondly because it is the seminarie both of Church and common-wealth ; and it bringeth forth a seede of God for the inlarging of his kingdome . Yet single life in them that haue the gift of continencie , is in some respects to be preferred . First , because it brings libertie in persecution . Thus Paul saith , 1. Corin. 7.26 . I suppose it to be good for the present necessitie for a man so to be . Secondly , because it frees men from the common cares , molestations , and distractions that be in the familie , vers . 28. Such shall haue trouble in the flesh , but I spare you . Thirdly , because single parties doe commonly with more bodily ease and libertie worship God : it beeing still presupposed , that they haue the gift of continencie . v. 34. The vnmaried woman careth for the things of the Lord , that shee may be holy both in bodie and spirit . Againe , though we mislike the vowe , yet we hold and teach , that men or women beeing assured that they haue the gift of continencie , may constantly resolue and purpose with themselues to liue and lead a single life . 1. Cor. 7. 37. He that standeth firme in his owne heart that he hath no neede , but hath power of his owne will , and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keepe his virgine , he doth well . And we embrace the saying of Theodoret on 1. Tim. chap. 4. For he doth not ( saith he ) blame single life or continencie , but he accuseth them that by law inacted compell men to follow these . And men made themselues chaste for the kingdome of heauen , Matth. 19.12 . not by vowe , but by a purpose of heart , which is farre lesse then a vow , and may be changed vpon occasion , whereas a vow cannot , vnlesse it doe euidently appeare to be vnlawfull . Thirdly , for such persons as are able to containe , to liue single for the ends before named , indeede we hold it to be no counsell of perfection , yet doe we not denie it to be a counsell of expedience , or outward ease : according to that which Paul saith , v. 25. I giue mine aduise — , and 35. I speake this for your commoditie not to intangle you in a snare . Lastly , we thinke that if any hauing the gift of continencie , doe make a vow to liue single , and yet afterward marrie ( the said gift remaining ) they haue sinned . Yet not because they are married but because their vow is broken . And thus said Augustine of widowes that married after their vow . lib. de bono viduit . cap. 9. The second is the vow of pouertie and monasticall life , in which men bestow all they haue on the poore : and giue themselues wholly and onely to praier and fasting . This vow is against the will of God. Act. 20.35 . It is a more blessed thing to giue then to receiue . Prou. 28.7 . Giue me neither riches nor pouertie . Deut. 28.22 . Pouertie is numbred among the curses of the law : none whereof are to be vowed . And it is the rule of the holy Ghost , 2. Thess. 3. 10. He that will not labour , namely in some speciall and warrantable calling , must not eate . And v. 12. I exhort that they worke with quietnes and eate their owne bread . Now when as men liue apart from others , giuing themselues onely to praier and fasting , they liue in no calling . And it is against the generall vow made in baptisme , because it freeth men from sundrie duties of the morall law , and changeth the proper ende of mans life . For euery man must haue two callings . The first is a generall calling of a Christian , by vertue of which he performeth worship vnto God , and duties of loue to men . The second is a particular calling , wherin according to his gift he must doe seruice to men in some function , pertaining either to the Church or commonwealth whereof he is a member . And the first of these twaine must be performed in the second : and the second in and with the first . The ende of mans life is , not onely to serue God by the duties of the first table , but by seruing of man in the duties of the second table to serue God. And therefore the loue of our neihhbour is called the fulfilling of the whole law , Rom. 13.10 . because the law of God is practised not apart , but in and with the loue of our neighbour . This beeing so , it is manifest that vowed pouertie in monkish life makes many vnprofitable members both of Church and common-wealth . And though we mislike this vow also , yet we doe it , holding these conclusions . I. That a man may forsake all his goods vpon speciall calling , as the Apostles did , when they were sent to preach the Gospell through the whole world . Secondly goods may be forsaken , yea wife , children , parents , brethren , and all , in the case of confession , that is , when a man for the religion of Christ is persecuted and constrained to forsake all he hath . For then the second table giues place to the duties of the first . Mark. 10.29 . II. That , for the time of persecution , men may withdraw themselues ( iust occasion offered ) and goe apart to wildernesses or like places , Heb. 11.37 . yet for the time of peace I see no cause of solitarie life . If it be alleadged that men goe apart for contemplation and spirituall exercises , I say againe that Gods grace may as well be exercised in the familie as in the cloister . The familie is indeed as it were a schoole of God , in which they that haue but a sparke of grace , may learne & exercise many vertues ; the acknowledgement of God , inuocation , the feare of God , loue , bountifulnes , patience , meeknes , faithfulnes , &c. Nay here be more occasions of doing or taking good , then be or can be in a cloister . III. That , we condemne not the old and ancient Monks , though we like not euery thing in thē . For they liued not like idle-bellies , but in the sweat of their owne browes , as they ought to doe : and many of them were married : a and in their meate , drinke , apparell , rule , vow , and whole course of life , differed from the Monks of this time ; euen as heauen from earth . The third vowe is of regular obedience , whereby men giue themselues to keepe some deuised rule or order , standing most commonly in the obseruation of exercises in outward things , as meates and drinkes , and apparell , &c. This vow is against Christian libertie , whereby is graunted a free vse of all things indifferent , so it be without the case of offence . Gal. 5.1 . Stand fast in the libertie wherein Christ hath made you free . Coloss. 2. 16. Let no man iudge you in meate and drinke . To conclude , whereas the Papists magnifie these their vowes , & yet make no such account of the vow in baptisme : we for our parts must be contrarie to them , not onely in iudgement , but also in practise : and we ought to haue speciall care to make good the vowes we haue plight to God according to his commaundement . In our creation we made vow of obedience : and beeing receiued into the couenant of grace , we vowed to beleeue in Christ , and to bring forth fruits of new obedience , and this vow is renewed as oft as we come to the Lords table : our dutie therfore is , to performe them also to God , as Dauid saith , Vow vnto God and keepe it : and if we keepe them not , all turnes to our shame and confusion . Men stand much on the keeping of that word which they haue passed to men , and it is taken for a point of much honestie , as it is indeede . Now then , if there be such care to keepe touch with men , much more should we haue care to keepe couenant with God. The ninth point . Of Images . Our consent . Conclus . I. We acknowledge the ciuill vse of images as freely and truly as the Church of Rome doth . By ciuill vse I vnderstand , that vse which is made of them in the common societies of men , out of the appointed places of the solemne worship of God And this to be lawfull , it appeareth ; because the arts of painting and grauing are the ordinance of God : and to be skilfull in them is the gift of God , as the example of Bezaleel , and Aholiab declare , Exod . 35. ●0 . This vse of Images may be in sundrie things . I. In the adorning & setting forth of buildings : thus Salomon beautified his throne with the image of lyons . And the Lord commanded his temple to be adorned with the images of palme trees , of pomegranates , of bulls , cherubes , and such like . II. It serues for the distinction of coynes ; according to the practise of Emperours and Princes of all nations . When Christ was asked , Math. 22. whether it was lawfull to giue tribute to Cesar or no ? he called for a pennie and said , Whose image or superscription is this , they saide , Cesars : he then saide , Giue to Cesar the things that are Cesars : not condemning but approouing the stampe or image vpon his coyne . And though the Iewes were forbidden to make images in way of representation , or worship of the true God : yet the Sycle of the sanctuarie , which they vsed , specially after the time of Moses , was stamped with the image of the Almond tree , and the potte of Manna . III. Images serue to keepe in memorie friendes deceased , whome we reuerence . And it is like , that hence came one occasion of the images that are now in vse in the Romane Church . For in the daies after the Apostles men vsed priuately to keep the pictures of their friends departed : and this practise after crept into the open congregation ; and at last , superstition getting head , images began to be worshipped . Conclus . II. We hold the historicall vse of images to be good and lawfull : and that is , to represent to the eye the actes of histories , whether they be humane , or diuine : and thus we thinke the histories of the Bible may be painted in priuate places . Conclus . III. In one case it is lawfull to make an image to testifie the presence or the effects of the maiestie of God , namely when God himselfe giues any speciall commandement so to doe . In this case Moses made and erected a brasen serpent , to be a type , signe , or image to represent Christ crucified . Ioh. 3.14 And the Cherubes ouer the mercieseat serued to represent the maiestie of God , to whome the Angels are subiect . And in the second commandement it is not simply saide , Thou shalt not make a grauen image : but with limitation , Thou shalt not make to thy selfe , that is , on thine owne head vpon thine owne will and pleasure . Conclus . IIII. The right images of the new Testament which we holde and acknowledge , are the doctrine and preaching of the Gospell , and all things that by the word of God pertaines thereto . Gal. 3. Who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth , to whome Iesus Christ was before described in your sight and among you crucified . Hence it followes that the preaching of the word , is as a most excellent picture in which Christ with his benefits are liuely represented vnto vs. And we dissent not from Origen , contra Cels. lib. 8. who saith , We haue no images framed by any base workeman , but by such as are brought forth and framed by the word of God ; namely patternes of vertue , and frames resembling Christians . He meanes that Christians themselues are the images of Christians . The difference . Our dissent from them touching images standes in three points . I. The Church of Rome holds it lawfull for them to make images to resemble God , though not in respect of his diuine nature ; yet in respect of some properties and actions . We on the contrarie hold it vnlawfull for vs to make any image , any way to represent the true God : or , to make an image of any thing in way of religion , to worship God , much lesse the creature thereby . For the second commandement saith plainely , Exod. 20.4 . Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image , or the likenes of any thing in heauen , &c. The Papists say , the commandement is meant of the images of false gods . But , will they , nill they , it must be vnderstood of the images of the true Iehouah ; and it forbids vs a to resemble God , either in his nature , properties , or workes , or to vse any resemblance of him for any sacred vse : as to helpe the memorie , when we are about to worship God. Thus much the holy Ghost who is the best expounder of himselfe , teacheth most plainely , Deut. 4.15,16 . Thou sawest no image at all ( either of false or true God ) and therefore thou shalt not make any likenes of any thing . And againe the Prophet Esai , chap. 40.18 . reproouing idolaters , asketh to whome they will liken God , or , what ●●militude will they set vpon him . and v. 21. Know ye nothing ? haue you not heard ? hath it not bin told you from the beginning ? As if he should say , haue ye forgotten the second commandement , that God gaue vnto your fathers ? And thus he flatly reprooues all them that resemble the true God in images . But they say further , that by images in the second commandement are meant idols , that is ( say they ) such things as men worship for gods . Answ● If it were so , we should confound the first and second commandements . For the first , Thou shalt haue no other gods before my face , forbids all false gods , which man wickedly frames vnto himselfe , by giuing his heart and principall affections thereof , to them : and therefore idols also are here forbidden , when they are esteemed as Gods. And the distinction they make that an Image is the representation of true things , an Idol of things supposed , is false . a Tertullian saith , that euery forme of representation is to be tearmed an Idol . And b Isidore saith , that the heathen vsed the names of image and idol indifferently in one and the same signification . And Saint Steuen in his apologie , Act. 7.4 . ● . calls the golden calfe an Idol . c Hierome saith , that idols are images of dead men . Auncient Diuines accord with all this which I haue said . Lactantius saith , ●nst lib. 2. cap. 19. Where images are for religions sake , there is no religion . The Councill of Elibera● can . 36. decreed , that nothing should be painted on the walls of Churches , which is adored of the people . d Origen , We suffer not any to worship Iesus at altars , images and temples : because it is written , Thou shalt haue none other Gods. And e Epiphanius faith , It is against the authoritie of the Scriptures to see the image of Christ , or of any Saints hanging in the Church . In the seauenth Councill of Constantinople , these words of Epiphanius are cited against the Encratitae . Be mindfull be loued children not to bring images into the Church , nor set them in the places where the Saints are buried , but alwaies carie God in your hearts : neither let them be suffered in any common house : for it is not meete that a Christian should be occupied by the eyes but by the meditation of the minde . Arguments of the Papists . The reasons which they vse to defend their opinions are these , I. In Salomons temple were erected Cherubins , which were images of Angels , on the Mercieseat where God was worshipped : and thereby was resembled the maiestie of God : therefore it is lawfull to make images to resemble God. Answ. They were erected by● speciall commaundement from God , who prescribed the very forme of them and the place where they must be set : and thereby Moses had a warrant to make them ; otherwise he had sinned : let them shew the like warrant for their images if they can . Secondly the Che●ubins were placed in the holy of holies in the most inward place of the Temple , and consequently were remooued from the sight of the people , who onely heard of them : and none but the high priest saw them , and that but once a yeare . And the Cherubins without the vayle though they were to be seene , yet were they not to be worshipped . Exod. 20.4 . Therfore they serue nothing at all to iustifie the images of the church of Rome . Obiect . II. God appeared in the forme of a man to Abraham , Gen. 18. 1 , 13. and to Daniel , who saw the auncient of daies sitting on a throne , Dan. 9. Now as God appeared , so may he be resembled : therefore ( say they ) it is lawfull to resemble God in the forme of a man or any like image in which he shewed himselfe to men . Ans. In this reason the proposition is false : for God may appeare in whatsoeuer forme it pleaseth his maiestie ; yet doth it not follow , that man should therefore resemble God in those formes : man hauing no libertie to resemble him in any forme at all ; vnlesse he be commaunded so to doe . Againe , when God appeared in the forme of a man , that forme was a signe of Gods presence onely for the time when God appeared and no longer ; as the bread and wine in the Sacrament are signes of Christs bodie and blood , not for euer but for the time of administration : for afterward they become againe as common bread and wine . And when the holy Ghost appeared in the likenes of a doue , that likenes was a signe of his presence no longer then the holy Ghost so appeared . And therfore he that would in these formes represent the Trinitie , doth greatly dishonour God , and doe that for which he hath no warrant . Obiect . III. Man is the image of God , but it is lawfull to paint a man , and therefore to make the image of God. Ans. A very cauill : for first a man cannot be painted , as he is the image of God , which stands in the spirituall gifts of righteousnes and true holines . Againe , the image of a man may be painted for ciuill or historicall vse , but to paint any man for this end to represent God , or in the way of religion , that we may the better remember and worship God , it is vnlawfull . Other reasons which they vse , are of small moment , and therfore I omit them . II. Differ . They teach and maintaine , that images of God and of Saints may be worshipped with religious worship , specially the crucifix . For a Thomas of Watering saith , Seeing the crosse doth represent Christ , who died vpon a crosse , and is to be worshipped with diuine honour : it followeth that the crosse is to be worshipped so too . We on the contrarie , holde they may not . Our principall ground is the second commaundement , which containeth two parts : the first forbiddeth the making of images to resemble the true God : the second forbids the worshipping of them , or God in them : in these words , Thou shalt not bow downe to them . Now , there can be no worship done to any thing lesse then the bending of the knee . Againe the brasen serpent was a type or image of Christ crucified , Ioh. 3.14 . appointed by God himselfe : yet when the people burned incense to it , 2. King. 18.4 . Hezekias brake it in pieces , and is therefore commended . And when the deuill bad our Sauiour Christ , but to bowe downe the knee vnto him , and he would giue him the whole worlde : Christ reiects his offer , saying , Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God , and him onely shalt thou serue . Math. 4. 10. Againe it is lawefull for one man to worship another with ciuill worship , but to worship man with religious honour is vnlawefull . For all religious worship is prescribed in the first table : and the honour due to man is onely prescribed in the second table and the first commandement thereof , Honour thy father : which honour is therefore ciuill and not religious . Now the meanest man that can be , is a more excellent image of God , then all the images of God or of Saints that are deuised by men . Augustine , and long after him Gregorie , in plaine tearmes denieth images to be adored . The Papists defend their opinions by these reasons . I. Psal. 99.5 . Cast downe your selues before his footestoole . Ans. The wordes are thus to be read : Bowe at his footestoole : that is , at the Arke and Mercyseat , for there he hath made a promise of his presence : the words therefore say not , bow to the Arke , but to God at the Arke . II. Obiect . Exod. 3.5 . God said to Moses , Stand afar off and put off thy shoes , for the place is holy . Nowe if holy places must be reuerenced , then much more holy images , as the crosse of Christ , and such like . Ans. God commaunded the ceremony of putting off the shoes , that he might thereby strike Moses with a religious reuerence , not of the place but of his own maiestie , whose presence made the place holy . Let them shewe the like warrant for images . III. Obiect . It is lawefull to kneele downe to a chaire of estate in the absence of the king or Queene : therefore much more to the images of God & of Saints in heauen glorified , beeing absent from vs. Answer . To kneele to the chaire of estate , is no more but a ciuil testimonie , or signe of ciuill reuerence by which all good subiects when occasion is offered , shewe their loyaltie and subiection to their lawfull princes . And this kneeling beeing on this manner , and to no other ende , hath sufficient warrant in the worde of God. But kneeling to the image of any Saint departed , is religious and consequently more then ciuill worship , as the Papists themselues confesse . The argument then prooueth nothing , vnlesse they wil keepe themselues to one and the same kind of worship . III. Differ . The Papists also teach , that God may be lawfully worshipped in images , in which he hath appeared vnto men : as the Father , in the image of an old man : the sonne in the image of a man crucified : and the holy Ghost in the likenes of a doue , &c. But we hold it vnlawefull to worship God , in , by , or at any image : for this is the thing which ( as I haue prooued before ) the second commandement forbiddeth . And the fact of the Israelites , Exod. 32. in worshipping the golden calfe is condemned as flat idolatrie ; albeit they worshipped not the calfe but God in the calfe ; for v. 5. Aaron saith , Tomorrow shall bee the solemnitie of Iehouah : whereby he doth giue vs to vnderstand , that the calfe was but a signe of Iehouah whome they worshipped . Obiect . It seemes the Israelites worshipped the calfe . For Aaron saith , v. 4. These bee thy Gods ( O Israel ) that brought thee out of Egypt . Ans. Aarons meaning is nothing else , but that the golden calfe was a signe of the presence of the true God. And the name of the thing signified is giuen to the signe , as vpon a stage he is called a king that represents the king . And Augustine saith , that images are woont to be called by the names of things whereof they are images , as the counterfeit of Samuel is called Samuel . And we must not esteeme them all as madde men to thinke that a calfe made of their earings , beeing but one or two daies old , should bee the God that brought them out of Egypt with a mightie hand many daies before . And these are the points of difference touching images ; wherein we must stand at variance for euer with the Church of Rome . For they ●rre in the foundation of religion , making indeed an idol of the true God , and worshipping another Christ then we doe , vnder new tearmes , maintaining the idolatrie of the heathen . And therefore haue we departed from them : and so must we still doe because they are Idolaters ; as I haue prooued . The X. point . Of reall presence . Our Consent . I. We hold and beleeue a presence of Christs bodie and blood in the sacrament of the Lords supper : and that no fained , but a true and reall presence which must be considered two waies : first in respect of the signes , secondly in respect of the communicants . For the first we hold and teach , that Christs bodie and blood , are truely present with the bread and wine , beeing signes in the Sacrament : but how ? not in respect of place or coexistence : but by sacramentall relation on this manner . When a word is vttered , the sound comes to the eare ; and at the same instant , the thing signified comes to the mind ; and thus by relation the word and the thing spoken of , are both present togither . Euen so at the Lords table bread and wine must not be considered barely , as subsistāces and creatures , but as outward signes in relation to the bodie and blood of Christ : and this relation , arising from the very institution of the Sacrament , standes in this , that when the elements of bread and wine are present to the hand and to the mouth of the receiuer ; at the very same time the bodie and blood of Christ are presented to the minde : thus and no otherwise is Christ truely present with the signes . The second presence is in respect of the communicants , to whose beleeuing hearts he is also really present . It will bee said , what kind of presence is this ? Ans. Such as the communion in the sacrament is , ●uch is the presence : and by the communion must we iudge of the presence . Nowe the communion is on this manner : God the father according to the tenour of the Euangelicall couenant . gives Christ in this sacrament as really and truely , as any thing can bee giuen to man , not by part and peecemeale ( as wee say ) but whole Christ , God and man , on this sort . In Christ there be two natures , the godhead● & manhood . The godhead is not giuen in regard of substance , or essence : but only in regard of efficacie , merits , & operatiō cōceiued thence to the manhood . And further in this sacrament Christs whole manhood is giuen both bodie and soule , in this order . First of all is giuen the very manhood in respect of substance , and that really : secondly the merits and benefits thereof , as namely , the satisfaction performed by and in the manhood ; to the iustice of God. And thus the intire manhood with the benefits thereof , are giuen wholly and ioyntly togither . For the two dislinct signes of bread and wine signifie not two distinct giuings of the bodie apart , and the blood apart ; but the full and perfect nourishment of our soules . Againe the benefits of Christs manhood are diuersly giuen , some by imputation , which is , an action of God accepting that which is done by Christ as done by vs : and thus it hath pleased God to giue the passion of Christ and his obedience . Some againe are giuen by a kind of propagation , which I cannot fitly expresse in tearmes but I resemble it thus . As one candle is lighted by another , and one torch or candle-light is conueied to twentie candles : euen so the inherent righteousnes of euery beleeuer , is deriued from the storehouse of righteousnesse , which is in the manhood of Christ ; for the righteousnes of all the members , is but the fruit thereof , euen as the naturall corruption in all mankinde , is but a fruit of that originall sinne which was in Adam . Thus we see howe God for his part giues Christ : and that really . To proceede , when God giues Christ , he giues withall at the same time the spirit of Christ , which spirit creates in the heart of the receiuer the instrument of true faith , by which the heart doeth really receiue Christ giuen of God , by resting vpon the promise , which God hath made that he will giue Christ and his righteousnesse to euery true beleeuer . Now then , when God giues Christ with his benefits , & man for his part by faith receiues the same as they are giuen , there riseth that vnion which is betweene euery good receiuer and Christ himselfe . Which vniō is not forged but a reall , true , and neere coniunction : nearer then which , none is or can be : because it is made by a solemne giuing and receiuing that passeth betweene God and man : as also by the bond of one and the same spirit . To come then to the point , considering there is a reall vnion , and consequently a reall communion betweene vs and Christ , ( as I haue prooued ) there must needes bee such a kind of presence wherein Christ is truely and really present to the heart of him that receiues the sacrament in faith . And thus farre doe wee consent with the Romish Church touching reall presence . The dissent . We differ not touching the presence it selfe , but onely in the maner of presence . For though we hold a reall presence of Christs bodie and blood in the sacrament , yet doe we not take it to be locall , bodily , or substantiall , but spirituall and mysticall ; to the signes by sacramentall relation , and to the communicants by faith alone . On the contrarie the Church of Rome maintaines transubstantiation , that is , a locall , bodily , and substantiall presence of Christs bodie and blood , by a change and conuersion of the bread and wine into the said bodie and blood . Our reasons . I. This corporall presence ouerturnes sundrie articles of faith . For we beleeue that the bodie of Christ was made of the pure substance of the Virgin Marie , and that but once , namely when he was conceiued by the holy Ghost , and borne . But this cannot stand , if the bodie of Christ be made of bread and his blood of wine , as they must needs be , if there be no succession or annihilation but a reall conuersion of substances in the sacrament : vnlesse we must beleeue contrarieties , that his bodie was made of the substance of the Virgin , & not of the Virgin ; made once and not once but often . Againe , if his bodie and blood be vnder the formes of bread and wine , then is he not as yet ascended into heauen , but remaines still among vs. Neither can hee be said to come frō heauen at the day of iudgement : for hee that must come thence to iudge the quicke and dead , must be absent from the earth . And this was the auncient faith . Augustine saith , that Christ according to his maiestie and prouidence and grace is present with vs to the ende of the world : but according to his assumed flesh he is not alwaies with vs. Cyril saith , He is absent in bodie and present in vertue , whereby all things are gouerned . Vigilius saith , That he is gone from vs according to his humanitie : he hath left vs in his humanitie : in the forme of a seruant absent from vs : when his flesh was on earth , it was not in heauen : being on earth , hee was not in heauen : and being now in heauen , he is not on earth . Fulgentius saith , One and the same Christ according to his humane substance , was absent from heauen whē he was on earth : and left the earth when he ascended into heauen . Reason II. This bodily presence ouerturnes the nature of a true bodie , whose common nature or essentiall propertie it is , to haue length , breadth , & thicknes , which beeing taken away a bodie is no more a bodie . And by reason of these three dimensions , a bodie can occupie but one place at once , as Aristotle said , the propertie of a bodie is to be seated in some place , so as a mā may say where it is . They therefore that hold the bodie of Christ to be in many places at once , doe make it no bodie at all ; but rather a spirit , and that infinit . They alleadge that God is almightie ; that is true indeede , but in this and like matters we must not dispute what God can do , but what he wil doe . And I say further because god is omnipotent , therfore there be some things which he cannot do , as for him to denie himselfe , to lie , & to make the parts of a contradiction to be both true at the same time . To come to the point , if God should make the very body of Christ to be in many places at once , he should make it to be no bodie while it remaines a bodie : and to be circumscribed in some one place and not circumscribed , because it is in many places at the same time : to be visible in heauen and inuisible in the sacrament ; and thus should he make contradictions to be true : which to doe , is against his nature , and argues rather impotēcie then power . Augustine saith to this purpose . If he could lie , deceiue , he deceiued , deale vniustly , he should not be omnipotent . And , Therefore hee is omnipotent , because he can not doe these things . Againe , He is called omnipotent● by doing that which he will , and not by doing that which he will not : which if it should befall him , he should not be omnipotent . Reason III. Transubstantiation ouerturnes the very supper of the Lord. For in euery sacrament there must be a signe , a thing signified , and a proportion or relation betweene them both . But popish reall presence takes al away : for when the bread is really turned into Christs bodie , and the wine into his bloode , then the signe is abolished , and there remaines nothing but the outwarde formes or appearance of breade and wine . Againe , it abolisheth the endes of the sacrament , whereof one is to remember Christ till his comming againe , who beeing present in the sacrament bodily , needes not to bee remembred : because helpes of remembrance are of things absent . Another ende is to nourish the soule vnto eternall life : but by transubstantiation the principall feeding is of the bodie and not of the soule , which is onely fed with spirituall foode : for though the bodie may be bettered by the food of the soule , yet can not the soule be fedde with bodily foode . Reason IV. In the sacrament the bodie of Christ is receiued as it was crucified , & his blood as it was shed vpon the crosse : but now at this time Christs bodie crucified , remaines still as a bodie , but not as a bodie crucified ; because the act of crucifying is ceased . Therefore it is faith alone , that makes Christ crucified to be present vnto vs in the sacrament . Againe , that blood which ran out of the feete and hands and side of Christ vpon the crosse , was not gathered vp againe and put into the veines : nay , the collection was needles , because after the resurrection , he liued no more a naturall but a spirituall life : & none knowes what is become of this blood . The Papist therefore can not say it is present vnder the forme of wine locally : and we may better say it is receiued spiritually by faith , whose propertie is to giue a being to things which are not . Reason V. 1. Cor. 10.3 . The fathers of the old testament did eate the same spirituall meate , and drinke the same spirituall drinke : for they dranke of the rocke which was Christ. Now they could not eate his bodie which was crucified , or drinke his blood shedde bodily , but by faith : because then his bodie and blood were not in nature . The Papists make answer , that the fathers did eate the same meate , and drinke the same spirituall drinke with themselues , not with vs. But their answer is against the text . For the Apostles intent is to prooue , that the Iewes were euery way equall to the Corinthians , because they did eate the same spirituall meate , and dranke the same spirituall drinke with the Corinthians ; otherwise his reason prooues not the point which he hath in hand , namely that the Israelites were nothing inferiour to the Corinthians . Reason VI. And it is said , the Sabbath was made for man , and not man for the Sabbath : so it may be saide , that the sacrament of the Lords supper was made for man , and not man for it : and therefore man is more excellent then the sacrament . But if the signes of bread and wine be really turned into the bodie and blood of Christ , then is the sacrament infinitely better then man ; who in his best estate is onely ioyned to Christ , and made a member of his mysticall bodie : whereas the bread and wine are made very Christ. But the sacrament or outward elements indeede are not better then man : the end beeing alwaies better then the thing ordained to the ende . It remaines therefore that Christs presence is not corporall but spirituall . Againe in the supper of the Lord , euery beleeuer receiueth whole Christ , God and man , though not the godhead : now by this carnall eating , we receiue not whole Christ , but onely a part of his manhood : and therefore in the sacrament there is no carnall eating , and consequently no bodily presence . Reason VII . The iudgement of the auncient Church . Theodoret saith , The same Christ , who called his naturall bodie foode and bread , who also called himselfe a vine , he vouchsafed the visible signes the name of his owne bodie , not chaunging nature , but putting grace to nature , whereby he meanes consecration . And , The mysticall signes after sanctification loose not their proper nature . For they remaine in their first nature , and keepe their first figure and forme : and as before , may be touched and seene : and that which they are made , is vnderstood , beleeued , adored . Gelasius saith , Bread and wine passe into the substance of the bodie & blood of Christ , yet so as the substance or nature of bread and wine ceaseth not . And they are turned into the diuine substance , yet the bread and wine remaine still in the propertie of their nature . Lumbard saith , If it be asked what conuersion this is , whether formall , or substantiall , or of an other kind , I am not able to define . And that the fathers held not transubstantiatiō , I proue it by sundrie reasons . First , they vsed in former times a to burne with fire that which remained after the administration of the Lords supper . Secondly by the sacramentall vnion of the bread and wine with the bodie and blood of Christ , they vsed to confirme the personall vnion of the manhood of Christ with the godhead against heretickes : which argument they would not haue vsed , if they had beleeued a popish reall presence . Thirdly it was a custome in Constantinople , that if many parts of the sacrament remained after the administration thereof was ended , that young children should be sent for from the schoole to eate them ; who neuerthelesse were barred the Lords table . And this argues plainely that the Church in those daies , tooke the bread after the administration was ended , for common bread . Againe , it was once an order in the Romane Church , that the wine should be consecrated by dipping into it bread , which had beene consecrated . But this order cannot stand with the reall presence , in which the bread is turned both into the bodie and blood . Nicholaus Cabasilas saith , After he hath vsed some speech to the people , hee erects their mindes , and lif●s their thoughts from earth and saith , Sursum corda , Let vs lift vp our hearts , let vs thinke on things aboue , and not on things that are vpon the earth . They consent & say , that they lift vp their hearts thither , where is their treasure , and where Christ sits at the right hand of his father . Obiections of Papists . I. Their first reason is , Ioh. 6.55 . My flesh is meat indeede , and my blood is drinke indeede : therefore ( say they ) Christs body must be eaten with the mouth and his blood drunke accordingly . Ans. The chapter must be● vnderstood of a spirituall eating of Christ : his bodie is meate indeed , but spirituall meate , & his blood spirituall drink , to be receiued not by the mouth , but by faith . This is the very point that Christ here intends to prooue , namely that to beleeue in him is to eate his flesh and to drinke his blood are all one . Againe , this chapter must not be vnderstood of that speciall eating of Christ in the sacrament : for it is said generally , v. 53. Except ye eate the flesh of Christ , and drinke his blood , ye haue no life in you : and if these very wordes ( which are the substance of the chapter ) must be vnderstood of a sacramentall eating , no man before the cōming of Christ was saued : for none did bodily eate or drinke his bodie or blood ; considering it was not then existing in nature , but onely was present to the beleeuing heart by faith . II. Obiect . An other argument is taken from the words of the institution . This is my bodie . Ans. These words must not be vnderstood properly but by a figure : his bodie beeing put for the signe and seale of his body . It is obiected , that when any make their last wills and testaments , they speake as plainely as they can ; now in this supper Christ ratifies his last will and testament : & therefore he spake plainely , without any figure . Ans. Christ here speaketh plainely and by a figure also : for it hath beene alwaies the vsual manner of the Lord in speaking of the sacraments , to giue the name of the thing signified to the signe : as Gen. 17. 10. circumcision is called the couenant of God : and in the next verse in the way of exposition , the signe of the couenant . And Exod. 12. 11. the paschall lambe is called the angels passing by or ouer the houses of the Israelites , whereas indeede it was but a signe thereof : and 1. Cor. 10.4 . The rock was Christ. 1. Cor. 5.7 . The passeouer was Christ. And the like phrase is to bee founde in the institution of this sacramēt concerning the cup , which the Papists thēselues confesse to be figuratiue : when it is said , Luk. 22. This cup is the newe testament in my blood , that is , a signe , seale , and pledge thereof . Againe the time when these words were spoken must be considered , and it was before the passion of Christ , whereas yet his bodie was not crucified nor his blood shed : and consequently neither of them could bee receiued in bodily manner , but by faith alone . Againe , Christ was not onely the author , but the minister of this sacrament at the time of institution thereof : and if the bread had beene truely turned into his bodie , and the wine into his blood , Christ with his own hands should haue taken his owne bodie and blood , and haue giuen it to his disciples , nay , which is more , he should with his owne hands , haue taken his owne flesh , and drunken his owne blood , and haue eaten himselfe . For Christ himselfe did eate the bread and drinke the wine , that he might with his owne person consecrate his last supper , as he had consecrated baptisme before . And if these words should be properly vnderstood , euery man should bee a manslaier in his eating of Christ. Lastly by means of popish real presence , it comes to passe , that our bodies should be nourished by naked qualities without any substance which in all philosophie is false and erronious . To help this and the like absurdities , some Papists make nine wonders in the sacrament . The first , that Christs bodie is in the Eucharist in as large a quantitie as he was vpon the crosse● and is now in heauen , & yet excludes not the quantitie of the bread . The second , that there be accidents without a subiect . The third , that bread is turned into the body of Christ , & yet is not the matter of the bodie , nor resolued to nothing . The fourth , that the bodie increaseth not by consecration of many hosts , and is not diminished by often receiuing . The fifth , that the bodie of Christ is vnder many consecrated hosts . The sixt , that when the host is deuided , the body of Christ is not deuided , but vnder euery part thereof is whole Christ. The seuenth , that when the priest holds the host in his hand , the bodie of Christ is not felt by it selfe nor seene , but the formes of bread and wine . The eight , that when the formes of bread and wine cease , the body and blood of Christ ceaseth also to be there . The ninth , that the accidents of bread and wine haue the same effects with the bread and wine it selfe , which are to nourish and fil● . On this manner it shall be easie for any man to defend the most absurd opinion that is or can be , if he may haue libertie to answer the arguments alleadged to the contrarie by wonders . To conclude , seeing there is a reall communion in the sacrament between Christ and euery beleeuing heart , our dutie therefore is , to bestowe our hearts on Christ , endeauouring to loue him , and to reioyce in him , and to long after him aboue all things : all our affiance must be in him , & with him ; wee beeing now on earth must haue our conuersation in heauen . And this is the true reall presence , which the auncient Church of God hath commended vnto vs : for in all these liturgies these wordes are vsed , and are yet extant in the Popish masse , Lift vp your hearts : we lift them vp vnto the lord . By which words the communicants were admonished to direct their mindes and their faith to Christ sitting at the right hand of God. Thus said Augustine , If we celebrate the ascension of the Lord with deuotion , let vs ascend with him , & lift vp our hearts . Againe , they which are alreadie risen with Christ in faith and hope are inuited to the great table of heauen , to the table of Angels , where is the bread . The eleuenth point . Of the sacrifice in the Lords Supper , which the Papists call the sacrifice of the Masse . Touching this point , first I will set downe what must bee vnderstood by the name Sacrifice . A sacrifice is taken properly , or improperly . Properly it is a sacred or solemne action , in which man offereth and consecrateth some outward bodily thing vnto God for this end , to please and honour him thereby . Thus all the sacrifices of the old testament , and the oblation of Christ vpon the crosse in the new testament are sacrifices . Improperly , that is , onely by the way of resemblance , the duties of the morall lawe are called sacrifices . And in handling this question ; I vnderstand a sacrifice both properly and improperly by way of resemblance . Our Consent . Our consent I propound in two conclusions . Conclus . I. That the supper of the Lord is a sacrifice , and may truly be so called as it hath beene in former ages ; and that in three respects . I. Because it is a memoriall of the reall sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse , and containes withall a thanksgiuing to God for the same , which thanksgiuing is the sacrifice and calues of our lips . Heb. 13.15 . II. Because euery communicant doth there present himselfe bodie and soule a liuing , holy , and acceptable sacrifice vnto God. For as in this sacrament god giues vnto vs Christ , with his benefits : so we answerable giue vp our selues vnto God as seruants to walke in the practise of all dutifull obedience . III. It is called a sacrifice in respect of that which was ioyned with the sacrament , namely the almes giuen to the poore as a testimonie of our thankefulnes vnto God. And in this regard also , the ancient fathers haue called the sacrament , an vnbloodie sacrifice : & the table , an altar , & the ministers priests : & the whole action an oblation not to God but to the congregation , and not by the priest alone but by the people . A canon of a certaine Councell saith . Wee decree that euery Lords daie the oblation of the altar be offered of euery man and woman both for bread and wine . And Augustine saith , that women offer a sacrifice at the altar of the Lord , that it might be offered by the priest to God. And vsually in auncient writers the communion of the whole bodie of the congregation is called the sacrifice or oblation . Conclus . II. That the very bodie of Christ is offered in the Lords supper For as wee take the bread to be the body of Christ sacramentally by resemblance and no otherwise : so the breaking of bread is sacramentally the sacrificing or offering of Christ vpon the crosse . And thus the fathers haue termed the Eucharist an immolation of Chrtst , because it is a commemoration of his sacrifice vpon the crosse . Aug. Epist. 23. Neither doeth he he which saith Christ was offered . For if sacraments had not the resemblance of things whereof they are sacraments , they should in no wise be sacraments : but from a resemblance , they often take their names . Againe Christ is sacrificed in the last supper , in regard of the faith of the communicants , which makes a thing past and done as present . Augustine saith , When we beleeue in Christ he is offered for vs daily . And , Christ is then slaine for euery one , when hee beleeues that he is slaine for him . Ambrose saith , Christ is sacrificed daily in the mindes of beleeuers , as vpon an altar . Hierome saith , He is alwaies offered to the beleeuers . II. The difference . They make the Eucharist to be a reall , externall , or bodily sacrifice offered vnto God : holding and teaching , that the minister is a priest properly : & that in this sacrament he offers Christs bodie and blood to God the father really and properly vnder the formes of bread and wine . We acknowledge no real , outward , or bodily sacrifice for the remission of sinnes , but onely Christs oblation on the crosse once offered . Here is the maine difference between vs , touching this point and it is of that waight and moment , that they stifly maintaining their opinion ( as they doe ) can be no Church of God. For this point raseth the foundation to the very bottom . And that it may the better appeare that we auouch the trueth , first I will confirme our doctrine by scripture , and secondly confute the reasons which they bring for themselues . III. Our reasons . Reason I. Heb. 9,15 . and 26. and c. 10.10 . The holy Ghost saith , Christ offered himselfe but once . Therefore not often : and thus there can be no reall or bodily offering of his bodie and blood in the sacrament of his supper : the text is plaine . The Papists answer thus . The sacrifice of Christ ( say they ) is one for substance , yet in regard of the manner of offering it is either bloody or vnbloodie , and the holy ghost speakes onely of the bloodie sacrifice of Christ : which was indeede offered but once . Ans. But the author of this epistle takes it for graunted , that the sacrifice of Christ is onely one , and that bloodie sacrifice . For he saith , Heb. 9.25 . Christ did not offer himselfe often , as the high priests did . and v. 26. For then he must haue often suffered since the foundation of the world : but nowe in the ende he hath appeared once to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe . and v. 22. without shedding of blood is no remission of sinnes . By these words it is plaine , that the scripture neuer knewe the twofold manner of sacrificing of Christ. And euery distinction in diuinity not founded in the written word , is but a forgerie of mans braine . And this distinction be good , how shal the reason of the Apostle stand . He did not offer himselfe but once , because he suffered but once . Reason II. The Romish Church holds that the sacrifice in the Lords supper is all one for substance , with the sacrifice which hee offered on the crosse : if that be so , then the sacrifice in the Eucharist , must either be a continuance of that sacrifice which was begun on the crosse , or els an alteration or repitition of it . Now let them choose of these twaine which they will : if they say it is a continuance of the sacrifice on the crosse , Christ beeing but the beginner and the priest the finisher thereof , they make it imperfect : for to continue a thing till it be accomplished , is to bring perfection vnto it : but Christs sacrifice on the crosse was then fully perfected , as by his owne testimonie appeares , when he saide , Consummatum est , it is finished . Againe , if they say , it is a repetition of Christs sacrifice , thus also they make it imperfect : for that is the reason which the holy Ghost vseth to prooue that the sacrifices of the old testament were imperfect , because they were repeated . Reason III. A reall and outward sacrifice in a sacrament , is against the nature of a sacrament and especially the supper of the Lord : for one ende thereof is to keepe in memorie the sacrifice of Christ. Now euery remembrance must be of a thing absent , past , and done : and if Christ be daily and really sacrificed , the sacrament is no fit memoriall of his sacrifice . Againe the principal ende for which the sacrament was ordained , is that God might giue and we receiue Christ with his benefits : and therefore to giue and take , to eate and drinke , are here the principall actions . Now in a reall sacrifice God doth not giue Christ & the priest receiue him of God ; but cōtrariwise he giues & offers Christ vnto God , and God receiues some thing of vs. To helpe the matter they say , that this sacrifice serues not properly to make any satisfaction to God , but rather to applie vnto vs the satisfaction of Christ beeing alreadie made . But this answer s●ill maketh against the nature of a sacrament , in which God giues Christ vnto vs : whereas in a sacrifice God receiues from man , and man giues something to God : a sacrifice therefore is no fit meanes to applie any thing vnto vs , that is giuen of God. Reason IV. Hebr. 7.24,25 . The holy Ghost makes a difference betweene Christ the high priest of the new testament , and all Leuiticall priests in this , that they were many , one succeeding another : but he is onely one , hauing an eternall priesthood , which cannot passe from him to any other . Now if this difference be good , then Christ alone in his owne very person must be the priest of the new testament , and no other with , or , vnder him : otherwise in the new testament there should be more priests in number then in the old . If they say , that the whole action remaines in the person of Christ , and that the priest is but an instrument vnder him ( as they say ) I say againe it is false ; because the whole oblation is acted or done by the priest himselfe : and he which doth all , is more then a bare instrument . Reason V. If the priest doe offer to God Christs reall bodie and bloode for the pardon of our sinnes , then man is become a mediatour betweene God and Christ. Now the Church of Rome saith , that the priest in his masse is a priest properly , and his sacrifice a reall sacrifice , differing onely in the manner of offering from the sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse : and in the very canon of the masse they insinuate thus much , when they request God to accept their gifts and offerings , namely Christ himselfe offered , as he did the sac●ifices of Abel and Noe. Now it is absurd , to thinke that any creature should be a mediatour betweene Christ and God. Therefore Christ can not possibly be offered by any creature vnto God. Reason VI. The iudgement of the auncient Church . A certaine Councill held at Toledo in Spaine , reprooueth the Ministers that they offered sacrifice often the same day without the holy communion . The wordes of the Canon are these : Relation is made vnto vs that certaine priests doe not so many times receiue the grace of the holy communion , as they offer sacrifices in one day : but in one day , if they offer many sacrifices to God , in all the oblations , they suspend themselues from the communion — . Here marke , that the sacrifices in auncient Masses were nothing else but formes of diuine seruice ; because none did communicate , no not the priest himselfe . And in an other Councill the name of the Masse is put onely for a forme of praier . It hath pleased vs , that prayers , supplications , Masses , which shall be allowed in the Councill — , be vsed . A●d in this sense it is taken when speach is vsed of the making or compounding of Masses : for the sacrifice propitiatorie of the bodie and blood of Christ admits no composition . Abbat Paschasius saith , Because we sinne daily Christ is sacrificed for vs mystically , and his Passion is giuen in mysterie . These his wordes are against the reall sacrifice : but yet he expoundes himselfe more plainely , cap. 10. The blood is drunke in mysterie spiritually : and , it is all spirituall which we eate . &c. 12. The priest — , distributes to euery one not as much as the outward ●ight giueth , but as much as faith receiueth . cap. 13. The full similitude is outwardly , and the immaculate flesh of the lambe is faith inwardly — , that the truth be not wanting to the sacrament , and it be not ridiculous to Pagans that we drinke the blood of a killed man. cap. 6. One eates the flesh of Christ spiritually and drinkes his blood , another seemes to receiue not so much as a morsell of bread from the hand of the priest : his reason is , because they come vnprepared . Now then considering in all these places he makes no receiuing but spirituall , neither doth he make any sacrifice but spirituall . IV. Obiections of Papists . I. Gen. 14. v. 18. When Abraham was comming from the slaughter of the Kings , Melchizedech mette him , and brought forth bread and wine : and he was a priest of the most high God. Now this bread and wine ( say they ) he brought forth to offer for a sacrifice ; because it is said he was a priest of the most high God : and they reason thus . Christ was a priest after the order of Melchizedek : therefore as Melchizedek offered bread and wine , so Christ vnder the formes of bread and wine offers himselfe in sacrifice vnto God. Ans. Melchizedek was no type of Christ in regard of the acte of sacrificing , but in regard of his person , and things pertaining thereto , which all are fully expounded , Hebr. 7. the summe whereof is this . I. Melchizedeck was both king and priest : so was Christ. II. He was a prince of peace and righteousnesse : so was Christ. III. He had neither father nor mother : because the scripture in setting downe his history makes no mention either of beginning or ending of his daies : and so Christ had neither father nor mother : no father , as he was man : no mother , as he was God. IV. Melchizedek being greater thē Abraham blessed him , & Christ by vertue of his priesthood blesseth , that is , iustifieth & sanctifieth all those that be of the faith of Abrahā . In these things onely standes the resemblance and not in the offering of bread and wine . Againe the ende of bringing forth the bread and wine , was not to make a sacrifice , but to refresh Abraham and his seruants , that came from the slaughter of the Kings . And he is called here a priest of the most high God , not in regard of any sacrifice : but in consideration of his blessing of Abraham , as the order of the words teacheth , And he was the priest of the most high God , and therefore he blessed him . Thirdly , though it were graunted , that he brought forth bread and wine to offer in sacrifice , yet will it not follow , that in the sacrament Christ himselfe is to be offered vnto God vnder the naked formes of bread and & wine . Melchizedeks bread and wine were absurd types of no-bread and no-wine , or of formes of bread and wine in the Sacrament . II. Obiect . The paschall lambe was both a sacrifice and a sacrament : now the Eucharist comes in roome thereof . Ans. The paschall lambe was a sacrament , but no sacrifice . Indeede Christ saith to his disciples , Goe and prepare a place to sacrifice the Passeouer in , Mark , 14.12 . but the words to offer , or to sacrifice , doe often signifie no more but to kill . As when Iacob and Laban made a couenant , it is saide , Iacob sacrificed beasts , and called his brethren to eate bread , Gen. 31.54 . Which words must not be vnderstood of killing for sacrifice , but of killing for a feast : because he could not in good conscience inuite them to his sacrifice , that were out of the couenant , beeing ( as they were ) of another religion : secondly , it may be called a sacrifice , because it was killed after the maner of a sacrifice . Thirdly , when Saul sought his fathers asses , and asked for the Seer , a maide bids him goe vp in hast : for ( saith shee ) there is an offering of the people this day in the high place , 1. Sam. 9. 12. where the feast that was kept in Rama , is called a sacrifice : in all likelihood because at the beginning thereof , the priest offered a sacrifice to God : and so the Passeouer may be called a sacrifice , because sacrifices were offered within the compasse of the appointed feast or solemnitie of the Passeouer : and yet the thing it selfe was no more a sacrifice then the feast in Rama was . Againe , if it were graunted that the Passeouer was both , it will not make much against vs : for the supper of the Lord succeedes the Passeouer onely in regard of the maine ende thereof , which is the increase of our communion with Christ. III. Obiect . Malac. I.II. The prophet foretelleth of a cleane sacrifice that shall be in the new testament : and that ( say they ) is the sacrifice of the Masse . Ans. This place must be vnderstood of a spirituall sacrifice , as we shall plainely perceiue if we compare it with 1. Tim. 2.8 . where the meaning of the prophet is fitly expounded . I will ( saith Paul ) that men pray in all places , lifting vp pure hands , without wrath or doubting . And this is the cleane sacrifice of the Gētiles . Thus Iustin Martyr saith , That supplicatiōs and thanksgiuings are the onely perfect sacrifices pleasing God , and that Christians haue learned to offer them alone . And Tertullian saith , We sacrifice for the health of the Emperour — : as God hath commanded with pure praier . And Ireneus saith , that this cleane offering to be offered in euery place , is the praiers of the Saints . IV. Obiect . Hebr. 13.10 . We haue an altar , whereof they may not eate● which serue in the tabernacle . Now ( say they ) if we haue an altar , then we must needes haue a priest ; and also a reall sacrifice . Ans. Here is meant not a bodily , but a spirituall altar ; because the altar is opposed to the materiall Tabernacle ; and what is meant thereby is expressed in the next verse , i● which he prooues that we haue an altar . The bodies of the beasts , whose blood was brought into the holy place by the high priest for sinne , were burnt without the campe : so Christ Iesus , that he might sanctifie the people with his owne blood , suffered without the gate . Now lay the reason or proofe to the thing that is prooued , and we must needes vnderstand Christ himselfe , who was both the altar , the priest , and the sacrifice . V. Obiect . Lastly , they say , where alteration is both of law and couenant , there must needes be a new priest and a new sacrifice . But in the new testament there is alteration both of law and couenant : and therfore there is both new priest and new sacrifice . Ans. All may be graunted : in the new testamēt , there is both new priest and sacrifice : yet not any popish priest , but onely Christ himselfe both God and man. The sacrifice also is Christ as he is man : and the altar , Christ as he is God , who in the new testament offered himselfe a sacrifice to his Father for the sinnes of the world . For though he were the lambe of God slaine from the beginning of the world , in regard of the purpose of God , in regard of the value of his merit , and in regard of faith which maketh things to come as present , yet was he not actually offered till the fulnes of time came ; and once offering of himselfe , he remaineth a priest for euer , and all other priests beside him , are superfluous : his one offering once offered , beeing all-sufficient . The twelfth point . Of fasting . Our consent . Our consent may be set downe in three conclusions . I. We doe not condemne fasting , but maintaine three sorts thereof : to wit , a morall , ciuill , and a religious fast . The first being morall , is a practise of sobrietie or temperance , when as in the vse of meates and drinkes , the appetite is restrained , that it doe not exceede moderation . And this must be vsed of all Christians in the whole course of their liues . The second beeing ciuill , is when vpon some particular and politicke considerations , men abstaine from certaine meates : as in this our common-wealth the Law inioynes vs to abstaine from flesh meate at certaine seasons of the yeare , for these speciall endes ; to preserue the breed of cattell , and to maintaine the calling of the fisherman . The third , namely a religious fast , is when the duties of religion , as the exercise of praier and humiliation are practised in fasting . And I doe now specially intreat of this kind . Conclus . II. We ioyne with them in the allowance of the principall and right endes of a religious fast , and they are three . The first is , that thereby the minde may become attentine in meditation of the duties of godlinesse to be performed● The second is , that the rebellion of the flesh may be subdued : for the flesh pampered becomes an instrument of licentiousnes . The third , and ( as I take it ) the cheefe ende of a religious fast is , to professe our guiltinesse , and to testifie our humiliation before God for our sinnes : aud for this ende in the fast of Nineue , the very beast was made to abstaine . Conclus . III. We yeeld vnto them , that fasting is an helpe and furtherance to the worship of God ; yea and a good worke also if it be vsed in a good maner . For though fasting in it selfe beeing a thing indifferent , as eating & drinking are : is not to be tearmed a good worke , yet beeing applied , and considered in relation to the right ends before spoken of , and practised accordingly : it is a worke allowed of God , and highly to be esteemed of all the seruants and people of God. The difference or dissent . Our dissent from the Church of Rome in the doctrine of fasting stands in three things . I. They appoint and prescribe set times of fasting , as necessarie to be kept : but we hold and teach that to prescribe the time of a religious fast , is in the libertie of the Church and the gouernours thereof , as speciall occasion shall be offered . When the disciples of Iohn asked Christ , why they and the Pharises fast often , but his disciples fasted not , he answered , Can the children of the marriage chamber mourne as long as the bridegroome is with them : but the daies will come when the bridegroome shall be taken away from them , and then shall they fast , Math. 9.15 . where he giues them to vnderstand , that they must fast , as occasions of mourning are offered . Where also I gather , that a set time of fasting is no more to be enioyned then a set time of mourning . It was the opinion of Augustine , that neither Christ nor his Apostles , appointed any times of fasting . And Tertullian saith , that they of his time fasted of their owne accordes freely , without law or commandement , as occasions and times serued . And Eusebius saith , that Montanus was the first that made lawes of fasting . It is obiected , that there is a set time of fasting prescribed , Leuit. 16.29 . Ans. This set and prescribed fast was commanded of God as a part of the legall worship which had his ende in the death of Christ : therefore it doth not iustifie a set time of fasting in the new testament , where God hath left man to his owne libertie , without giuing the like commandement . It is againe alleadged , that Zacharie , 7.5 . there were set times appointed for the celebration of religious fasts vnto the Lord , the fifth and the seauenth moneths . Ans. They were appointed vpon occasion of the present afflictions of the Church in Babylon , and they ceased vpon their deliuerance . The like vpon like occasion may we appoint . It is further obiected , that some Churches of the Protestants obserue set times of fasting . Ans. In some Churches there be set daies and times of fasting , not vpon necessitie or for conscience or ●eligions sake , but for politicke or ciuill regardes , whereas in the Romish Church it is helde a mortall sinne , to deferre the set time of fasting till the next day following . Secondly we dissent from the Church of Rome touching the manner of keeping a fast . For the best learned among them allow the drinking of wine , water , electuaries , and that a often within the compasse of their appointed fast : yea they allow the eating of one meale on a fasting day at noone-tide , and vpon a reasonable cause , one houre before : the time of fasting not yet ended . But this practise indeede is absurd , and contrarie to the practise of the olde testament : yea it doth frustrate the ende of fasting . For the bodily abstinence is an outward meanes and signe whereby we acknowledge our guiltinesse and vnworthinesse of any of the blessings of God. Againe they prescribe a difference of meates , as whit-meate onely to be vsed on their fasting daies , and that of necessitie and for conscience sake in most cases . But we holde this distinction of meates both to be foolish and wicked . Foolish ; because in such meates as they prescribe , there is as much filling and delight , as in any other meates : as namely in fish , fruites , wine , &c. which they permit . And it is against the ende of a religious fast to vse any refreshing at all ; so farre as necessitie of health and comelinesse will permit . Thus the Church in times past vsed to abstaine not onely from meate and drinke , but from all delights whatsoeuer , euen from soft apparell and sweete oyntments . Ioel 2.15 . — Sanctifie a fast — : let the bridegroome goe forth of his chamber and the bride out of her bride chamber . Dan. 10.3 . I ate no pleasant breade , neither came flesh nor wine within my mouth , neither did I annoint my selfe at all , till three weekes of daies were fulfilled . 1. Cor. 7.5 . Defraud not one an other , except it be with consent for a time , that ye may giue your selues to fasting and prayer . Againe , we holde this practise to be wicked , because it taketh away the libertie of Christians : by which , vnto the pure all things are pure . And the Apostle , Gal. 5. biddes vs to stand fast in this libertie , which the Church of Rome would thus abolish . For the better vnderstanding of this , let vs consider how the Lord himselfe hath from the beginning kept in his owne handes as a master in his owne house , the disposition of his creatures for the vse of man , that he might depend on him and his word for temporall blessings . In the first age , he appointed vnto him for mea●e euery hearb of the earth bearing seede , and euery tree wherein there is the fruit of a tree bearing ●eede , Gen. 1.29 . And as for flesh , whether God gaue vnto him libertie to eate or not to eate , we hold it vncerten . After the flood the Lord renewed his graunt of the vse of the creatures , and gaue his people libertie to eate the flesh of liuing creatures : yet so as he made some things vncleane , and forbad the eating of them : among the rest , the eating of blood . But since the comming of Christ he hath inlarged his word , and giuen libertie to all both Iewes and Gentiles , to eate of all kinds of flesh . This word of his we rest vpon ; holding it a doctrine of deuills , for men to commaund an abstinence from meates , for conscience sake ; which the Lord himselfe hath created to be receiued with thanksgiuing . Socrates a Christian historiagrapher saith , that the Apostles left it free to euery one to vse what kinde of meate they would on fasting daies , and other times . Spiridion in lent dressed swines flesh , and set it before a stranger , eating himselfe and bidding the stranger also to eate : who refusing and professing himselfe to be a Christian , therefore ( saith he ) the rather must thou doe it : for to the pure all things are pure , as the word of God teacheth vs. But they obiect Ier. 35. where Ionadab commanded the Rechabites to abstaine from wine : which commandement they obeyed● and are commended for doing well in obeying of it : therefore ( say they ) some kinde of meates may lawfully be forbidden● Ans. Ionadab gaue this commandement not in way of religion , or merit , but for other wise and politicke regardes . For he inioyned his posteritie not to drinke wine , not to build houses , not to sow ●eed , or plant vineyards , or to haue any in possession : but to liue intents to the ende they might be prepared to beare the calamities , that should befall them in time to come . But the Popish abstine●ce from certaine meates , hath respect to conscience and religion : and therefore is of an other kinde , and can haue no warrant thence . II. Obiect . Dan. 10.3 . Daniel beeing in heauines for three weekes of daies , abstained from flesh : and his example is our warrant . Ans. It was the manner of holy men in auncient times , when they fasted many daies together of their owne accords freely to abstaine from sundrie things ; and thus Daniel abstained from flesh . But the popish abstinence from flesh is not free , but stands by commandement , and the omitting of it , is mortall sinne . Againe , if they will follow Daniel in abstaining from flesh , why doe they not also abstaine from all pleasant bread and wine ; yea from oyntments : and why will they eate any thing in the time of their fast ; whereas they can not shew that Daniel ate any thing at all till euening . And Molanus hath noted that our ancetours abstained from wine and dainties , and that some of them ate nothing for two or three daies together . Thirdly they alleadge the diet of Iohn Baptist , whose meate was Locusts and wild honie : and of Timothie , who abstained from wine Ans. Their kind of diet , and that abstinence which they vsed , was onely for temperance sake ; not for conscience , or , to merit any thing thereby : let them prooue the contrarie if they can . Thirdly and lastly , we dissent from them touching certaine ends of fasting . For they make abstinence it selfe in a person fitly prepared , to be a part of the worship of God : but we take it to be a thing indifferent in it selfe , & therfore no part of Gods worship : and yet withall , being well vsed , we esteeme it as a proppe or furtherance of the worship , in that we are made the fitter by it to worship God. And hereupon some of the more learned sort of them say , Not the worke of fasting done , but the deuotion of the worker , is to be reputed the seruice of God. Againe , they say , that fasting in , or , with deuotion , is a worke of satisfaction to Gods iustice for the temporall punishment of our sinnes . Wherein we take it they doe blasphemously derogate from Christ our Sauiour , who is the whole and perfect satisfaction for sinne , both in respect of fault and punishment . Here they alleadge the example of the Nineuites , and Achabs fasting , whereby they turned away the iudgements of God denounced against thē by his Prophets . We answer , that Gods wrath was appeased towards the Nineuites , not by their fasting , but by faith laying hold on Gods mercie in Christ , & thereby staying his iudgement . Their fasting was onely a signe of their repentance : their repentance a fruit and signe of their faith , whereby they beleeued the preaching of ●onas . As for Ahabs humiliation , it is nothing to the purpose : for it was in hyprocrisie : if they get any thing thereby , let them take it to themselues . To conclude , we for our parts doe not condemne this exercise of fasting , but the abuse of it : and it were to be wished that fasting were more vsed of all Christians in all places : considering the lord doth daily giue vs new and speciall occasions of publike and priuate fasting . The XIII . point . Of the state of perfection . Our consent . Our consent I will set downe in two conclusions . I. All true beleeuers haue a state of true perfection in this life , Matthew . 5.48 . Be you perfect as your father in heauen is perfect . Gen. 6.9 . Noah was a iust and perfect man in his time , & walked with God. Gen. 17.1 . Walke before me and be perfect . And sundrie kings of Iuda are said to walke vprightly before god with a perfect heart , as Dauid , Iosias , Hezekias , &c. And Paul accounteth himselfe with the rest of the faithfull to be perfect , saying , Let vs all that are perfect bee thus minded . Phil. 3.15 . Nowe this perfection hath two parts . The first is the imputation of Christs perfect obedience , which is the ground and fountaine of all our perfection whatsoeuer . Heb. 10.14 . By one offering , that is , by his obedience in his death & passion , hath he consecrated , or made perfect , for euer them that beleeue . The second part of Christian perfection is synceritie , or , vprightnes , standing in two things . The first is , to acknowledge our imperfection and vnworthines in respect of our selues : and hereupon , though Paul had said he was perfect , yet he addeth further , that he did account of himselfe , not as though he had attained to perfection : but did forget the good things behinde , and indeauoured himselfe to that which was before . Here therefore it must be remembred , that the perfection whereof I speake , may stand with sundrie wants and imperfections . It is said of Asa that his heart was perfect with God all his daies , and yet hee pulled not downe the high places , and beeing diseased in his feete he put his trust in the phisitians and not in the Lord. Secondly this vprightnes standes in a constant purpose , endeauour , and care to keepe not some fewe , but all and euery commandement of the lawe of God , as Dauid saith , Psal. 119.6 . Then shall I not bee confounded , when I haue respect to all thy commandements . And this endeauour is a fruite of perfection , in that it proceedes from a man regenerate . For , as all men through Adams fall , haue in them by nature the seedes of all sinne , none excepted , no not the sinne against the holy ghost : so by grace of regeneration through Christ , all the faithfull haue in them likewise the seedes of all vertues needfull to saluation : and hereupon they both can and do endeauour to yeeld perfect obedience vnto God , according to the whole lawe . And they may bee tearmed perfect , as a child is called a perfect man : though it want perfection of age and stature and reason : yet hath it perfection of parts : because it hath all and euery part and facultie both of bodie and soule that is required to a perfect man. Conclus . II. There be certaine works of supererogation : that is , such works as are not onely answerable to the law , and thereupon deserue life euerlasting : but goe beyond the lawe , and merit more then the law by it selfe can make any man to merit . But where may wee finde these workes ? not in the person of any meere man , or angel , nor in all men and angels : but onely in the person of Christ God and man : whose workes are not onely answerable to the perfection of the lawe , but goe farre beyond the same . For first the obedience of his life considered alone by it selfe , was answerable euen to the rigour of the lawe : and therefore the sufferings of his death and passion , were more then the lawe could require at his hand : considering it requireth no punishment of him , that is a doer of all things contained therein . Secondly , the very rigour of the lawe requireth obedience onely of them that are meere men : but the obedience of Christ was the obedience of a person that was both God and man. Thirdly , the lawe requires personall obedience , that is , that euery man fulfill the law for himselfe , and it speakes of no more . Christ obeyed the law for himselfe , not because hee did by his obedience merit his owne glorie : but because he was to be a perfect and pure high priest , not onely in nature but also in life ; and as he was a creature , he was to be conformable to the lawe . Nowe the obedience which Christ performed , was not for himselfe alone , but it serueth also for all the elect : & considering it was the obedience of God ( as Paul signified when he said , feede the Church of God , which he purchased with his blood ) it was sufficient for many thousand worlds : & by reason the lawe requireth no obedience of him that is God : this obedience therefore may truely be tearmed a worke of supererrogation . This one wee acknowledge , and beside this we dare acknowledge none . And thus farre we agree with the Church of Rome , in the doctrine of the estate of perfection ; and further wee dare not goe . The difference . The Papists hold ( as the writings of the learned among them teach ) that a man beeing in the state of grace , may not onely keep all the commandements of the lawe , and thereby deserue his owne saluation : but also goe beyonde the lawe and doe workes of supererrogation which the lawe requireth not : as to performe the vowe of single life , and the vow of regular obedience , &c. And by this meanes ( they say ) men deserue a greater degree of glorie then the lawe can affoard . Of perfection they make two kinds : one they call necessarie perfection , which is the fulfilling of the lawe in euery commandement , whereby eternall life is deserued . The second , is profitable perfection , when men doe not onely such things as the law requires , but ouer and besides , they make certain vowes , and performe certaine other duties which the law inioynes not : for the doing whereof they shall bee rewarded with a greater measure of glory , then the lawe designeth . This they make plaine by comparison : Two souldiers fight in the fielde vnder one and the same captaine : the one onely keepes his standing , and thereby deserues his paie : the other in keeping of his place , doth also winne the enemies standard ; or doe some other notable exploit : now this man besides his pay deserues some greater reward . And thus ( say they ) it is with all true Catholikes in the state of grace : they that keep the law shall haue life eternall : but they that doe more then the lawe , as workes of supererrogation , shall be crowned with greater glorie . This is their doctrine . But we on the contrarie teach , that albeit we are to striue to a perfection as much as we can , yet no man can fulfill the lawe of God in this life : much lesse doe workes of supererrogation : for the confirmation whereof , these reasons may be vsed . I. In the morall lawe two things are commanded . First the loue of God and mā . Secondly , the manner of this loue : nowe the manner of louing God , is to loue him with all our heart and strength . Luk. 10.27 . Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart , and with all thy soule , and with all thy strength , and with all thy thought , &c. As Bernard said , The measure of louing god , is to loue him without measure , and that is to loue him with the greatest perfection of loue that can befall a creature . Hence it followes that in louing God , no man can possibly doe more then the lawe requireth : and therfore the performance of all vowes whatsoeuer , & all like duties , comes short of the intention or scope of the law . II Reason . The compasse of the law is large , & comprehendeth in it more then the minde of man can at the first conceiue : for euery commandement hath two parts , the negatiue and the affirmatiue . In the negatiue is forbidden not onely the capitall sinne named , as murther , theft , adulterie , &c. but all sinns of the same kinde , with all occasions and prouocations thereto . And in the affirmatiue is commanded not onely the contrarie vertues , as the loue of God , and the loue of our neigbours honour , life , chastitie , goods , good name , but the vse of all helpes and meanes , whereby the saide vertues may bee preserued , furthered , and practised . Thus hath our Sauiour Christ himselfe expounded the lawe , Math. 5.6 . vpon this plaine ground I conclude , that all duties pertaining to life and manners , come within the list of some morall commandement . And that the Papists making their works of supererrogation meanes to further the loue of God and man , must needes bring them vnder the compasse of the lawe . Vnder which , if they be , they cannot possibly goe beyonde the same . Reason III. Luk. 17.10 . When ye haue done all those things that are commanded vs we are vnprofitable seruāts : we haue done that which was our duty to do . The Papists answer that we are vnprofitable to God but not to our selues : but this shift of theirs is beside the very intent of the place . For a seruant in doing his duty is vnprofitable euen to himselfe , and doth not so much as deserue thanks at his masters hand as Christ saith , v : 9● Doeth he thanke that seruant . Secondly they answer , that we are vnprofitable seruants in doing things commanded : yet when we doe things prescribed in the way of counsell , we may profit our selues , and merit thereby . But this aunswere doeth not stand with reason . For things commanded , in that they are commaunded , are more excellent then things left to our libertie : because the will and commandement of God giues excellencie and goodnesse vnto them . Againe counsells are thought to bee harder then the commandements of the lawe : and if men cannot profit themselues by obedience of morall precepts , which are more easie : much lesse shall they be able to profit themselues by counsels which are of greater difficultie . Reason IV. If it be not in the abilitie and power of man to keepe the lawe , then much lesse is he able to doe any worke that is beyond and aboue all the lawe requireth : but no man is able to fulfill the lawe , and therefore no man is able to supererrogate . Here the papists denie the proposition : for ( say they ) though we keepe not the lawe , yet we may doe things of counsell aboue the lawe , and thereby merit . But by their leaues , they speake absurdly : for in common reason , if a man faile in the lesse , he cannot but faile in the greater . Nowe ( as I haue said ) in popish doctrine , it is easier to obey the morall lawe then to performe the counsells of perfection . Obiections of Papists . 1. Isay 56.4 . The Lord saith vnto Eunuches that keep his sabbath , and choose the thing that pleaseth him , will hee giue a place and name better then the sonnes and daughters . Nowe ( say they ) an Eunuch is one that liues a single life , and keepes the vowe of chastitie , and hereupon hee is saide to deserue a greater measure of glorie . Answ. If the wordes bee well considered , they prooue nothing lesse : for honour is promised to Eunuches , not because they make & performe the vowe of single life , but because ( as the text saith ) they obserue the Lords sabbath , and choose the thing that pleaseth God , and keepe his couenant , which is to beleeue the word of God and to obey the commandemēts of the morall lawe . Obiect . II. Mark. 16.12 . Christ saith , There are some which haue made themselues chast for the kingdome of heauen : therefore the vowe of single life is warrantable , and is a worke of speciall glorie in heauen . Ans. The meaning of the text is , that some hauing receiued the gift of continencie , do willingly content themselues with single estate , that they may with more liberty without distraction further the good estate of the Church of God , or , the kingdome of grace in themselues & others . This is all that can be gathered out of this place ; hence therefore cannot be gathered the merit of euerlasting glorie by single life . Obiect III. Math. 9.21 . Christ saith to the young man. If thou wilt be perfect goe sell that thou hast and giue to the poore , and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen . Therefore say they , a man by forsaking all may merit not onely heauen , but also treasure there , that is , an exceeding measure of glorie . Ans. This yong man beeing in likelihood , a strickt Pharise , thought to merit eternall life by the workes of the law , as his first question importeth , Good master , what shall I doe to be saued : and therefore Christ goeth about to discouer vnto him the secret corruption of his heart . And hereupon the wordes alleadged are a commandement of triall not common to all , but especially to him . The like commandement gaue the Lord to Abraham saying , Abraham take thine onely sonne Isaac , and offer him vpon the mountaine which I shall shew thee , Gen. 12.2 . IV. Obiect . 1. Cor. 7.8 . Paul saith , It is good for all to be single as he was : and v. 38. he saith , it is better for virgins not to marrie : and , this he speakes by permission not by commandement , v. 26. Answ. Here single life is not preferred simply , but onely in respect of the present necessitie , because the Church was then vnder persecution : and because such as liue a single life , are freed from the cares and distractions of the world . V. Obiect . 1. Cor. 9.15,17,18 . Paul preached the gospell freely , and that was more then he was bound to doe : and for so doing hee had a reward . Answ. It was generally in Pauls libertie to preach the gospel freely or not to doe it : but in Corinth vpon special circumstances , he was bound in conscience to preach it freely as he did ; by reason of the false teachers , who would otherwise haue taken occasion to disgrace his ministery , and haue hindred the glorie of God. Now it was Pauls dutie by all means to preuent the hinderances of the gospel and the glory of god : and if he had not so done ; he had abused his liberty , v. 18. Therefore he did no more in that case then the lawe it selfe required . For an action indifferent , or an action in our libertie , ceaseth to bee in our libertie and becomes morall , in the case of offence . What is more free and indifferent then to eate flesh , yet in the case of offence Paul said he would not eate flesh as long as the world stood , 1. Cor. 8.13 . The XIV . point . Of the worshipping of Saints , specially of Inuocation . Our consent . Conclus . I. The true Saints of God , as Prophets , Apostles , and Martyrs , and such like , are to be worshipped and honoured , and that three waies : I. by keeping a memorie of them in godly manner . Thus the Virgin Marie as a prophetesse foretelleth , that all nations shall call her blessed , Luk. 1.48 . When a certaine woman poured a boxe of oyntment on the head of Christ , he saith , this fact shall be spoken in remembrance of her , wheresoeuer that Gospell should be preached throughout the world , Mark. 14.9 . This dutie also was practised by Dauid toward Moses , Aaron , Phineas , and the rest that are commended , Psal. 105. and 106. and by the author of the epistle to the Ebrewes , vpon the Patriarkes and Prophets , and many others that excelled in faith in the times of the old and new testament . II. They are to be honoured by giuing of thankes to God for them , and the benefits that God vouchsafed by them vnto his Church . Thus Paul saith , that when the Churches heard of his cōuersion , they glorified God for him , or , in him . Gal. 1.13 . And the like is to be done for the Saints departed . III. They are to be honoured by an imitation of their faith , humilitie , meeknes , repentance , the feare of God , and all good vertues wherein they excelled . For this cause the examples of godly men in the old and new testament , are called a cloud of witnesses by allusion : for as the cloud did guide the Israelites through the wildernes to the land of Canaan : so the faithfull now are to be guided to the heauenly Canaan by the examples of good men , that haue beleeued in God before vs , and haue walked the strait way to life euerlasting . Concl. II. Againe their true Reliques , that is , their vertues and good examples left to all posteritie to be followed , we keepe and respect with due reuerence . Yea if any man can shew vs the bodily relique of any true Saint : and prooue it so to be though we will not worship it , yet will we not despise it but keepe it as a monument , if it may conueniently be done without offence . And thus farre we consent with the church of Rome . Further we must not goe . The dissent . Our difference standes in the manner of worshipping of Saints . The Papists make two degrees of religious worship . The highest they call Latria , whereby God himselfe is worshipped , and that alone . The second lower then the former is called Doulia , whereby the Saints and Angels that be in the speciall fauour of God , and glorified with euerlasting glorie in heauen , are worshipped . This worship they place in outward adoration , in bending of the knee , and bowing of the body to them being in heauen : in inuocation whereby they call vpon them : in dedication of Churches and houses of religion vnto them : in sabbaths and festiuall daies : lastly in pilgrimages vnto their reliques and images . We likewise distinguish adoration or worship : for it is either religious or ciuill . Religious worship , is that which is done to him that is Lord of all things , the searcher and trier of the heart , omnipotent , euery where present , able to heare and helpe them that call vpon him euery where , the author and first cause of euery good thing : and that simply for himselfe , because he is absolute goodnes it selfe . And this worship is due to God alone , beeing also commanded in the first and second commandement of the fist table . Ciuill worship is the honour done to men set aboue vs by God himselfe , either in respect of their excellent gifts , or in respect of their offices & authoritie whereby they gouerne others . The right ende of this worship is to testifie and declare that we reuerence the gifts of God , and that power which hee hath placed in those that be his instruments . And this kind of worship is commanded onely in the second table and in the first commandement thereof . Honour thy father and mother . Vpon this distinction wee may iudge , what honour is due to euery one . Honour is to bee giuen to God , and to whome hee commandeth . He commandeth that inferiours should honour or worshippe their betters . Therefore the vnreasonable creatures , and among the rest images are not to be worshipped , either with ciuill or religious worship : being indeede far baser then man himselfe is . Againe vncleane spirits the enemies of God , must not be worshipped : yea to honour them at all is to dishonour god . Good angels , because they excell men both in nature and gifts , when they appeared were lawfully honoured : yet so , as when the least signification of honour was giuen that was proper to god , they refused it . And because they appeare not now as in former times , not so much as ciuil adoration in any bodily gesture is to be done vnto them . Lastly , gouernours and Magistrates haue ciuill adoration as their due : and it can not be omitted without offence . Thus Abraham worshipped the Hittites , Gen. 23. and Ioseph his brethren , Gen. 50. To come to the very point ; vpon the former distinction , we denie against the Papists that any ciuil worship in the bending of the knee or prostrating of the bodie , is to be giuen to the Saints , they being absent from vs : much lesse any religious worship , as namely inuocation signified by any bodily adoratiō . For it is the very honour of God himselfe : let them call it latria , or doulia , or by what name they will. Our reasons . Reason . I. All true inuocation and praier made according to the will of God , must haue a double foundation : a commandement , and a promise . A commandement , to mooue vs to pray : and a promise , to assure vs that we shall be heard . For all and euery praier must be made in faith ; and without a commandement or promise there is no faith . Vpon this vnfallible ground I conclude , that we may not pray to Saints departed : for in the scripture there is no word , either commanding vs to pray vnto them , or assuring vs that wee shall be heard when we praie . Nay we are commanded , only to cal vpon God , him only shalt thou serue , Mat. 4.10 . And , How shall we call vpon him in whom we haue not beleeued ? Ro. 10.14 . And we haue no promise to be heard but for Christs sake . Therefore praiers made to Saints departed are vnlawefull . Answere is made , that inuocation of Saints , is warranted by miracles and reuelations , which are answerable to commandements and promises . Ans. But miracles & reuelations had an end before this kind of inuocation tooke any place in the Church of God : and that was about three hundred yeares after Christ. Again to iudge of any point of doctrine by miracles , is deceitfull ; vnlesse three things concur : the first is , doctrine of faith and pietie to be confirmed : the second is praier vnto God , that some thing may be done for the ratifying of the said doctrine : the third is the manifest edification of the Church by the two former . Where any of these three are wanting , miracles may be suspected : because otherwhiles false prophets haue their miracles to trie men whether they will cleaue vnto God or no Deut. 13.1,3 . Againe miracles are not done , or to bee done for them that beleeue , but for infidels that beleeue not : as Paul saith , 1. Cor. 14.22 . Tongues are a signe not to thē that beleeue , but to vnbeleeuers . And to this agree Chrysostom , Ambrose , & Isidore , who saith , Behold a signe is not necessarie to beleeuers which haue alreadie beleeued , but to infidels that they may bee conuerted . Lastly , our faith is to be confirmed not by reuelations and apparitions of dead mē , but by the writings of the Apostles & prophets , Luk. 16.29 . Reason II. To pray vnto Saints departed , to bowe the knee vnto them while they are in heauen , is to ascribe that vnto them which is proper to God himselfe : namely , to knowe the heart , with the inward desires and motions thereof : and to know the speeches and behauiours of all men in all places vpon earth at all times . The Papists answer , that Saints in heauen see and heare all things vpon earth , not by themselues ( for that were to make them Gods ) but in God , and in the glasse of the Trinitie , in which they see mens praiers reuealed vnto them . I answer first , that the Saints are still made more thē creatures ; because they are said , to knowe the thoughts and all the doings of all mē at all times , which no created power can well comprehend at once . Secondly I answer , that this glasse , in which all things are said to be seene , is but a forgerie of mans braine : and I prooue it thus . The angels themselues , who see further into God then men can do , neuer knewe all things in God : which I confirme on this manner . In the temple vnder the lawe , vpon the arke were placed two Cherubins , signifying the good angels of god : & they looked downward vpon the mercieseat couering the arke , which was a figure of Christ ; & their looking downward figured their desire to see into the mystery of Christs incarnation and our redemption by him ; as Peter alluding , no doubt , to this type in the olde Testament saith , 1 Pet. 1.12 . which things the angels desired to beholde : and Paul saith , Eph. 3.10 . The manifold wisdome of God is reuealed by the Church vnto principalities and powers in heauenly places , that is , to the angels : but howe and by what meanes ? by the Church ; and that two waies , first by the Church , as by an example , in which the angels saw the endlesse wisdome and mercie of God in the calling of the Gentiles . Secondly by the Church , as it was founded and honoured by the preaching of the Apostles . For it seemes that the Apostolicall ministerie in the new testament reuealed things touching Christ , which the angels neuer knewe , before that time . Thus Chrysostome vpon occasion of this text of Paul saith , that the angels learned some things by the preaching of Iohn Baptist. Againe , Christ saith , that they know not the houre of the last iudgement , Math. 24. 23. much lesse doe the Saints knowe al things in God. And hence it is that they are said to be vnder the altar , where they crie : How long Lord holy and true ! wilt thou not reuenge our blood ? as being ignorant of the daie of their full deliuerance . And the Iewes in affliction confesse Abraham was ignorant of them and their estate . Isa 63.16 . Reason III. Math. 4.10 . Christ refused so much as to bowe the knee to Sathan vpon this ground , because it was written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God , and him onely shalt thou serue . Hence it was , that Peter would not suffer Cornelius so much as to kneele vnto him , though Cornelius intended not to honour him as God. Therefore neither Saint nor angel is to be honoured so much as with the bowing of the knee : if it carrie but the least signification of diuine or religious honour . Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church . August . Wee honour the Saints with charitie , and not by seruitude : neither doe we erect Churches to them . And , Let it not be religion for vs to worship dead men . And , They are to be honoured for imitation , and not to be adored for religion . Epiphan . Neither Tecla nor any Saint is to be adored , for that auncient errour may not ouerrule vs , that we should leaue the liuing God , and adore things made by him . Againe , Let Marie bee in honour : let the Father , Sonne , and holy ghost be adored : let none adore Marie ; I meane neither woman nor man. Againe , Marie is beutifull , holy , and honoured , yet not to adoration . When Iulian obiected to the Christians that they worshipped their Martyrs as God , Cyrill graunts the memorie and honour of them , but denies their adoration : and of inuocation , he makes no mention at all . Ambrose on Ro. 1. Is any so mad that hee will giue to the Earle the honour of the King — ? yet these men doe not thinke themselues guiltie , who giue the honour of Gods name to a creature , and leauing the Lord , adore their fellowe seruants , as though there were any thing more reserued for God. Obiections of Papists . I. Gen. 48.16 . Let the angel that kept me blesse thy children . Here ( say they ) it is a praier made to angels . Ans. By the angel is meant Christ , who is called the angel of the couenant , Malac. 3.1 . and the angel that guided Israel in the wildernes , 1. Cor. 10.9 . compared with Exod. 23.20 . Obiect . 11. Exod. 23.13 . Moses praieth that God would respect his people , for Abrahams sake , and for Isaac and Israel his seruants , which were not then liuing . Ans. Moses praieth God to bee mercifull to the people , not for the intercession of Abraham , Isaac , and Iacob , but for his couenants sake which he had made with them , Psal. 123.10,11 . Againe by popish doctrine , the fathers departed knew not the estate of men vpon earth , neither did they pray for them : because then they were not in heauen but in Limbo Patrum . III. Obiect . One liuing man makes intercession to God for another : therefore much more doe the Saints in glorie , that are filled with loue pray to god for vs ; and we pray to them no otherwise then we desire liuing men to pray for vs. Ans. The reason is naught : for we haue a commandement , one liuing man to pray for another , and to desire others to pray for vs : but there is no warrant in the word of God , for vs to desire the praiers of men departed . Secondly there is great difference betweene these two : To request our friend either by word of mouth or by letter to praie for vs : and by Inuocation to request them that are absent from vs & departed this life to pray for vs : for this is indeede a worship , in which is giuen vnto them a power to heare and helpe all that call vpon them , at what place or time soeuer , yea though they be not present in the place in which they are worshipped : and consequently the seeing of the heart , presence in all places , and infinit power to helpe all that pray vnto them ; which things agree to no creature but God alone . Thirdly when one liuing man requests an other to pray from him , hee onely makes him his companion and fellow member in his praier made in the name of our mediatour Christ : but when men inuocate Saints in heauen , they being then absent , they make them more then fellow members , euen mediators between Christ and them . The XV. point . Of intercession of Saints . Our Consent . Our consent with thē I will set down in two conclusions . Conclus . I. The saints departed pray vnto God , by giuing thanks vnto him for their owne redēption , & for the redēption of the whole church of God vpon earth , Rev. 5. 8. The foure beasts and the foure and twentie elders fell downe before the Lambe , — 9. and they song a newe song , Thou art worthie to take the booke , and to open the seales thereof : because thou wast killed and hast redeemed vs to God — .13 . And all the creatures which are in heauen — , heard I saying , Praise and honour and glorie and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne , and vnto the Lambe for euermore . II. Conclus . The Saints departed pray generally for the state of the whole church . Reu. 6.9 . And I saw vnder the altar , the soules of them that were killed for the word of God — , and they cried , 10. How long Lord holy and true ! doest thou not iudge and aueuge our blood on them that dwell on the earth ? whereby we see they desire a finall deliuerance of the church , and a destruction of the enemies thereof ; that they themselues with all the people of God might be aduanced to fulnesse of glorie in bodie and soule : yea the dumbe creatures , Rom. 8. 23. are said to grone and sigh , waiting for the adoption , euen the redemption of our bodies : much more then doe the Saints in heauen desire the same . And thus farre we consent . The dissent or difference . They hold and teach , that the Saints in heauen , as the virgin Marie , Peter , Paul , &c. doe make intercession to God for particular men according to their seuerall wants : and that hauing receiued particular mens praiers , they present them vnto God. But this doctrine we flatly renounce vpon these grounds and reasons . I. Isa. 63.16 . The Church saith to God , doubtles thou art our father , though Abraham be ignorant of vs , and Israel knowe vs not . Nowe if Abraham knewe not his posteritie , neither Marie , nor Peter , nor any other of the Saints departed knowe vs and our estate : and consequently they cannot make any particular intercession for vs. If they say that Abraham & Iacob were then in Limbo , which they will haue to be a part of hell : what ioy could Lazarus haue in Abrahams bosome . Luk. 16.25 . & with what comfort could Iacob say on his death bed : O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation . Gen. 46.18 . II. Reason . 2. King. 22.20 . Huldah the prophetesse telleth Iosias , he must be gathered to his fathers , and put in his graue in peace , that his eies may not not see all the euill which God would bring on this place . Therefore the Saints departed see not the state of the Church on earth , much lesse doe they know the thoughts and praiers of men . This conclusion Augustine confirmeth at large . III. Reason . No creature , Saint , or Angel can be a mediatour for vs to God , sauing Christ alone , who is indeede the onely Aduocate of his church . For in a true and sufficient Mediatour there must be three properties . First of all , the word of God must reueale and propound him vnto the Church , that we may in conscience be ass●red , that praying to him & to God in his name , we shall be heard . Now there is no Scripture that mentioneth either Saints or Angels as mediatour in our behalfe , saue Christ alone . Secondly , a mediatour must be perfectly iust , so as no sinne be found in him at all , 1. Ioh. 2.1 . If any man ●inne we haue an aduocate with the father , Iesus Christ the righ●eous . Now the Saints in heauen , howsoeuer they be fully sanctified by Christ , yet in themselues they were conceiued and borne in sinne : and therefore must needes eternally stand before God by the mediation and merit of an other . Thirdly , a mediatour must be a propitiatour , that is , bring something to God , that may appease and satisfie the wrath and iustice of God for our sinnes : therfore Iohn addeth , and he is a propitiation for our sinnes . But neither Saint nor Angel can satisfie for the least of our sinnes : Christ onely is the propitiation for them all . The virgin Marie and the rest of the Saints beeing sinners , could not satisfie so much as for themselues . IV. Reason . The iudgement of the Church . Augustine , All Christian men commend each other in their prayers to God. And who praies for all , and for whom none praies , he is that one and true mediatour . And , This saith thy Sauiour , thou hast no whither to goe but to me , thou hast no way to goe but by me . Chrysostome , Thou hast no neede of Patrons to God , or much discourse that thou shouldest sooth others : but though thou be alone and want a Patron , and by thy selfe pray vnto God , thou shalt obtaine thy desire . And on the saying of Iohn , If any sinne , &c. Thy praiers haue no effect vnlesse they be such as the Lord commends vnto thy father . And Augustine on the same place hath these words , He beeing such a man said not , ye haue an Aduocate , but if any sinne we haue : he saide not ye haue , neither saide he , ye haue me . Obiections of Papists . I. Reu. 5.8,9 . The foure and twentie Elders fall downe before the lambe , hauing euery one harpes and golden vyals full of odours , which are the praiers of the Saints . Hence the Papists gather , that the Saints in heauen receiue the praiers of men on earth , and offer them vnto the Father . Ans. There by praiers of the Saints , are meant their owne praiers , in which they sing praises to God and to the Lambe , as the verses following plainely declare . And these praiers are also presented vnto God onely from the hand of the Angel , which is Christ himselfe . II. Obiect . Luk. 16.27 . Diues in hell praieth for his brethren vpon earth , much more doe the Saints in heauen pray for vs. Ans. Out of a parable nothing can be gathered , but that which is agreeable to the intent and scope thereof : for by the same reason it may as well be gathered that the soule of Di●es beeing in hell had a tongue . Againe , if it were true which they gather , we may gather also that the wicked in hell haue compassion and loue to their brethren on earth , and a zeale to Gods glorie : all which are false . III. Obiect . The angels in heauen know euery mans estate : they know when any sinner repenteth and reioyceth thereat : & pray for particular men : therefore the Saints in heauen doe the like , for they are equall to the good angels , Luk. 20.36 . Ans. The place in Luke is to be vnderstood of the estate of holy men at the day of the last iudgement : as appeares , Math. 22.30 . where it is saide , that the seruants of God in the resurrection are as the angels in heauen . Secondly they are like the angels not in office and ministerie , by which they are ministring spirits for the good of men : but they are like them in glorie . Secondly we di●●ent from the Papists : because they are not content to say that the Saints departed pray for vs in particular : but they adde further , that they make intercession for vs by their merits in heauen . New Iesuits denie this : but let them here Lumbard , I thinke ( saith he , speaking of one that is but of meane goodnes ) that he as it were passing by the fire shall be saued by the merits and intercessions of the heauenly Church : which doth alwaies make intercession for the faithfull by request and merit , till Christ shall be compleate in his members . And the Romane Catechisme saith as much . Saints are so much the more to be worshipped and called vpon , because they make praiers daily for the saluation of men : and God for their merit and fauour bestowes many benefits vpon vs. We denie not , that men vpon earth haue helpe and benefit by the faith and pietie which the Saints departed shewed , when they were in this life . For God shewes mercie on them that keepe his commandements to a thousand generations . And Augustine saith , it was good for the Iewes , that they were loued of Moses , whome God loued . But we vtterly denie that we are helped by merits of Saints either liuing or departed . For Saints in glorie haue receiued the full reward of all their merits ; if they could merit : and therefore there is nothing further that they can merit . The 16. point . Of implicite , or infolded faith . Our consent . We hold that there is a kind of implicite , or vnexpressed faith : yea that the faith of euery man in some part of his life , as in the time of his first conuersion , and in the time of fome grieuous temptation or distresse , is implicite or infolded . The Samaritans are saide to beleeue , Ioh. 4. 14. be●ause they tooke Christ for the Messias , and thereupon were content to learne and obey the glad tidings of saluation . And in the same place , v. 51 . the Ruler with his familie is said to beleeue , who did no m●●e but generally acknowledge that Christ was the Messias , and yeelded himselfe to beleeue and obey his holy doctrine ; beeing mooued thereunto by a miracle wrought vpon his yong sonne . And Rahab Heb. 11.13 . is said to beleeue , yea shee is commended for faith euen at the time when shee receiued the spies . Now in the word of God we cannot finde , that shee had any more but a confused , generall , or infolded faith , wherby shee beleeued that the God of the Hebrewes was the true God , and his word to be obeied . And this faith ( as it seemes ) was wrought in her by the report and relation of the miracles done in the land of Egypt , whereby she was mooued to ioyne hir selfe vnto the people of God and to beleeue as they did . By these examples then it is manifest , that in the very seruants of God , there is and may be for a time an implicite faith . For the better vnderstanding of this point , it is to be considered that faith may be infolded two waies : fi●st in respect of knowledge of things to be beleeued : secondly in respect of the apprehension of the obiect of faith , namely Christ and his benefits . Now faith is infolded in respect of knowledge , when as sundrie things that are necessarie to saluation are not as yet distinctly knowne . Though Christ commended the faith of his disciples , for such a faith , against which the gates of hell should not preuaile ; yet was it vnexpressed or wrapped vp in regard of sundrie points of religion : for first of all , Peter that made confession of Christ in the name of the rest , was at that time ignorant of the particular meanes whereby his redemption should be wrought . For after this , he went about to disswade his master from the suffering of death at Ierusalem , whereupon Christ sharply rebuked him , saying , Come behinde me Sathan , thou art an offence vnto me . Againe , they were all ignorant of Christs resurrection , till certaine women who first saw him after he was risen againe , had told them : and they by experience in the person of Christ had learned the truth . Thirdly , they were ignorant of the ascension : for they dreamed of an earthly kingdome , at the very time whē he was about to ascend : saying , Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome to Israel● Act. 1.6 . And after Christs ascension , Peter knew nothing of the breaking downe of the partition wall betweene the Iewes and Gentiles , till God had better schooled him in a vision , Act. 10.14 . And no doubt , we haue ordinarie examples of this Implicit faith in sundrie persons among vs. For some there be , which are dull and hard both for vnderstanding and memorie , and thereupon make no such proceedings in knowledge as many others doe : and yet for good affection and conscience in their doings , so farre as they know , they come not short of any ; hauing withall a continuall care to increase in knowledge , and to walke in obedience according to that which they know . And such persons though they be ignorant in many things , yet haue they a meaning of true faith : and that which is wanting in knowledge , is supplied in affection : and in some respects they are to be preferred before many that haue the glibbe tongue , and the braine swimming with knowledge . To this purpose Melancthon said well , We must acknowledge the great mercie of God , who puts a difference betweene sinnes of ignorance , and such as are done wittingly ; and forgiues manifold ignorances to them , that know but the foundation and be teachable ; as may be seene by the Apostles , in whome there was much want of vnderstanding before the resurrection of Christ. But , as hath bin saide , he requires that we be teachable , and he will not haue vs to be hardned in our sluggishnesse and dulnesse . As it is saide psal . 1. he meditateth in his law day and night . The second kind of implicite faith , is in regard of Apprehension ; when as a man can not say distinctly and certenly , I beleeue the pardon of my sinnes , but I doe vnfainedly desire to beleeue the pardon of them all : and I desire to repent . This case befalls many of Gods children , when they are touched in conscience for their sinnes . But where men are displeased with themselues for their offences , and doe withall constantly from the heart desire to beleeue , and to be reconciled to God , there is faith and many other graces of God infolded : as in the little and tender budde , is infolded the leafe , the blossome , and the f●uit . For though a desire to repent and to beleeue be not faith and repentance in nature , yet in Gods acceptation it is , God accepting the will for the deede . Isa. 42.3 . Christ will not quench the smoking flaxe , which as yet by reason of weakenesse giues neither light nor heate . Christ saith , Math. 6. 6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnes : for they shall be satisfied : where by persons hungring and thirsting are meant all such , as feele with griefe their owne want of righteousnesse , and withall desire to be iustified and sanctified . Rom. 8.26 . God heares & regards the very grones and sighes of his seruants : yea , though they be vnspeakable by reason they are oftentimes little , weake , and confused : yet God hath respect vnto them , because they are the worke of his owne spirit . Thus when we see that in a touched heart desiring to beleeue , there is an infolded faith . And this is the faith which many of the true seruants of God haue : and our saluation stands not so much in our apprehending of Christ , as in Christs comprehending of vs : and therefore Paul saith , Phil. 3. 12. he followeth , namely after perfection , if that he might comprehend that , for whose sake he is comprehended of Christ. Now if any shall say , that without a liuely faith in Christ none can be saued : I answer , that God accepts the desire to beleeue for liuely faith , in the time of temptation , and in the time of our first conuersion , as I haue saide . Put case , a man that neuer yet repented falls into some grieuous sicknes , and then beginnes to be touched in conscience for his sinnes , and to be truly humbled : hereupon he is exhorted to beleeue his owne reconciliation with God in Christ , and the pardon of his owne sinnes . And as he is exhorted , so he endeauoureth according to the measure of grace receiued , to beleeue : yet after much striuing he can not resolue himselfe , that he doth distinctly and certenly beleeue the pardon of his owne sinnes : onely this he can say , that he doth heartely desire to beleeue : this he wisheth aboue all things in the world : and he esteemes all things as dung for Christ : and thus he dies . I demaund now , what shall we say of him ? surely , we may say nothing , but that he died the child of God , and is vndoubtedly saued . For howsoeuer it were an happie thing if men could come to that fulnesse of faith which was in Abraham , and many seruants of God : yet certen it is , that God in sundrie cases accepts of this desire to beleeue , for true faith indeede . And looke as it is in nature , so is it in grace : in nature some die when they are children , some in olde age , and some in full strength , and yet all die men : so againe , some die babes in Christ , some of more perfect faith : and yet the weakest hauing the seedes of grace , is the child of God ; and faith in his infancie is faith . All this while , it must be remembred I say not , there is a true faith without all apprehension , but without a Distinct apprehension for some space of time : for this very desire by faith to apprehend Christ and his merits , is a kind of apprehension . And thus we see the kinds of implicite or infolded faith . This doctrine is to be learned for two causes : first of all it serues to rectifie the consciences of weake ones , that they be not deceiued touching their estate . For if we thinke that no faith can saue , but a full perswa●ion , such as the faith of Abraham was , many truly bearing the name of Christ must be put out of the role of the children of God. We are therefore to know that there is a growth in grace , as in nature : and there be differences and degrees of true faith , and the least of them all is this Infolded faith . This in effect is the doctrine of M. Caluin : that , when we begin by faith to know somewhat , & haue a desire to learne more , this may be tearmed an vnexpressed faith . Secondly this point of doctrine serues to rectifie and in part to expound sundrie Catechismes , in that they seeme to propound faith vnto men at so high a reach , as few can attaine vnto it : defining it to be a certen and full perswasion of Gods loue and fauour in Christ ; whereas , though euery faith be for his nature a certen perswasion , yet onely the strong faith is the full perswasion . Therefore faith is not onely in generall tearmes to be defined , but also the degrees and measures thereof are to be expounded , that weake ones to their comfort may be truly informed of their estate . And though we teach there is a kinde of implicite faith , which is the beginning of true and liuely faith : yet none must hereupon take an occasion to content themselues therewith , but labour to increase and goe on from faith to faith : and so indeede will euery one doe that hath any beginnings of true faith , be they neuer so little . And he which thinks he hath a desire to beleeue , and contents himselfe therewith ; hath indeede no true desire to beleeue . The difference . The pillars of the Romish Church laies downe this ground : that faith in his owne nature , is not a knowledge of things to be beleeued ; but a reuerent assent vnto them whether they be knowne or vnknowne . Hereupon they build : that if a man know some necessarie points of religion , as the doctrine of the Godhead , of the Trinitie , of Christs incarnation , and of our redemption , &c. it is needelesse to know the rest by a particular or distinct knowledge , and it sufficeth to giue his consent to the Church , and to beleeue as the pastours beleeue . Behold a ruinous building vpon a rotten foundation : for faith containes a knowledge of things to be beleeued , and knowledge is of the nature of faith : & nothing is beleeued that is not knowne . Isai 53.11 . The knowledge of my righteous seruant , shall iustifie many . and Ioh. 17.2 . This is eternall life , to know the eternall God , and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. In these places , by knowledge is meant faith grounded vpon knowledge , whereby we know and are assured that Christ and his benefits belong vnto vs. Secondly this kind of assent is the mother of ignorance . For when men shall be taught , that for sundrie points of religion they may beleeue as the Church beleeues : a that the studie of the Scriptures is not to be required of them : yea that to their good they may be barred the reading of them , so be it they know some principall things contained in the articles of faith ; that b common beleeuers are not bound expressely to beleeue all the articles of the Apostles Creede : c that it sufficeth them to beleeue the articles by an implicite faith : by beleeuing as the Church beleeueth , fewe or none will haue care to profit in knowledge . And yet Gods commaundement is that we should grow in knowledge , and that his word should dwell plenteously in vs , Col. 3.16 . Againe , the Papists say , that the deuotion of the ignorant , is often seruice better accepted then that which is done vpō knowledge . Such ( say they ) as pray in latin , pray with as great consolation of spirit , with as little tediousnes , with as great deuotion and affection , and oftentimes more then the other , and alwaies more then any scismaticke or hereticke in his owne language . To conclude , they teach that some articles of faith are beleeued generally of the whole Church onely by a simple or implicite faith , which afterward by the Authoritie of a generall Counsell are propounded to be beleeued of the Church by expresse faith . Roffensis against Luther giues an example of this , when he confesseth that Purgatorie was litle known at the first , but was made knowne partly by Scripture , and partly by reuelation in processe of time . This implicite faith touching articles of religion we reiect ; holding that all things concerning faith and manners necessarie to saluation , are plainely expressed in Scripture , and accordingly to be beleeued . The 17. point . Of Purgatorie . Our consent . We hold a Christian Purgatorie , according as the word of God hath set downe the same vnto vs. And first of all by this Purgatorie we vnderstand the afflictions of Gods children here on earth . Ier. 3. The people afflicted say , thou hast sent a fire into our bones . Psal. 65.12 . We haue gone through water and fire . Malach. 3.3 . The children of Levi must be purified in a purging fire of affliction . 1. Pet. 1.7 . Afflictions are called the fi●rie triall , whereby men are clensed from their corruptions , as golde from the drosse by the fire . Secondly , the blood of Christ is a purgatorie of our sinnes , 1. Ioh. 1.7 . Christs blood purgeth vs from all our sinnes . Heb. 9.14 . It purgeth our consciences from dead workes . And Christ baptizeth with the holy Ghost and with fire : because our inward washing is by the blood of Christ : and the holy Ghost is as fire to consume and abolish the inward corruption of nature . To this effect saith Origen , Without doubt , we shall feele the vnquenchable fire , vnles we shall now intreat the Lord to send downe from heauen a purgatorie fire vnto vs , whereby worldly desires may he vtterly consumed in our mindes . August . Suppose the mercie of God is thy purgatorie . The difference or dissent . We differ from the Papists touching purgatorie in two things . And first of all , for the place . They hold it to be a part of hell into which an entrance is made onely after this life : we for our parts denie it , as hauing no waraant in the word of God : which mentioneth onely two places for men after this life , heauen and hell , with the two-fold condition thereof , ioy and torment , Luk. 16.25 , 26. Ioh. 3.36 . Apoc. 22.14 , 15. and 21.7,8 . Matth. 8.11 . Nay we finde the contrarie , Reu. 14.13 . they that die in the Lord are saide to rest from their l●bours : which can not be true , if any of them goe to purgatorie . And to cut off all cauills : it is further said , their workes , that is , the reward of their workes , follow them , euen at the heeles , as an Acoluth or seruant doth his master . Augustine saith well , After this life there remaines no compunction or satisfaction . And , Here is all remission of sinne : here be temptations that mooue vs to sinne : lastly here is the euill from which we desire to be deliuered : but there is none of all these . And , We are not here without sinne , but we shall goe hence without sinne . Cyril saith , They which are once dead can adde nothing to the things which they haue done , but shall remaine as they were left , and waite for the time of the last iudgement . Chrysost. After the ende of this life , there be no occasions of merits . Secondly , we differ from them touching the meanes of Purgation . They say , that men are purged by suffering of paines in Purgatorie , whereby they satisfie for their veniall sinnes , and for the temporal punishment of their mortall sinnes . We teach the contrarie , holding that nothing can free vs from the least punishment of the smallest sinne , but the sufferings of Christ , and purge vs from the least taint of corruption , sauing the blood of Christ. Indeede they say , that our sufferings in themselues considered , doe not purge and satisfie , but as they are made meritorious by the sufferings of Christ : but to this I oppose one text of Scripture , Heb. 1. 3. where it is said , that Christ hath purged our sinnes by himselfe : where the last clause cuts the throat of all humane satisfactions and merits : and it giueth vs to vnderstand , that whatsoeuer thing purgeth vs from our sinnes , is not to be found in vs but in Christ alone : otherwise it should haue bin saide , that Christ purgeth the sinnes of men by themselues , as well as by himselfe : and he should merit by his death , that we should become our owne Sauiours in part . To this place I may well referre praier for the dead : of which I will propound two conclusions affirmatiue , and one negatiue . Conclus . I. We hold that Christian charitie is to extend it selfe to the very dead : and it must shew it selfe in their honest buriall , in the preseruation of their good names , in the helpe and releefe of their posteritie , as time and occasion shall be offered . Ruth 1.8 . Ioh. 19.23 . II. Conclus . We pray further in generall manner for the faithfull departed , that God would hasten their ioyfull resurrection , and the full accomplishment of their happines , both for the bodie and the soule : and thus much we aske in saying , Thy kingdome come , that is , not onely the kingdome of grace , but also the kingdome of glorie in heauen . Thus farre we come : but nearer the gates of Babylon we dare not approch . III. Conclus . To pray for particular men departed : and to pray for their deliuerance out of purgatorie , we thinke it vnlawfull : because we haue neither promise nor commandement so to doe . The eighteenth point . Of the Supremacie in causes Ecclesiasticall . Our consent . Touching the point of Supremacie Ecclesiasticall , I will set downe how neare we may come to the Romane Church in two conclusions . Conclus . I. For the founding of the primitiue Church , the ministerie of the word was distinguished by degrees not onely of order but also of power , and Peter was called to the highest degree . Eph. 4.11 . Christ ascended vp on high and gaue gifts vnto men , for the good of his Church : as some to be Apostles , some Prophets , some Euangelists , some Pastours and Doctours . Now , howsoeuer one Apostle , be not aboue an other , or one Euangelist aboue an other , or one Pastour aboue an other : yet an Apostle was aboue an Euangelist : and an Euangelist aboue all pastours and teachers . And Peter was by calling an Apostle , and therefore aboue all Euangelists and Pastors ; hauing the highest roome in the ministerie of the newe testament both for order and authoritie . Conclus . II. Among the twelue Apostles Peter had a threefold priuiledge or prerogatiue . I. The prerogatiue of authoritie . II. Of primacie . III. Of principalitie . For the first , by the priuiledge of authoritie , I meane a preheminence in regard of estimation , wherby he was had in reuerence aboue the rest of the twelue Apostles , for Cephas with Iames and Iohn are called Pillars , & seemed to be great . Gal. 2.6.9 . Againe hee had the preheminence of primacie , because he was the first named , as the foreman of the quest . Math. 10.2 . The names of the twelue Apostles are these , the first is Simon called Peter . Thirdly hee had the preheminence of principality among the twelue , because in regard of the measure of grace , he excelled the rest : for when Christ asked his disciples whome they said he was ; Peter as beeing of greatest abilitie and zeale answered for them all . Math. 16.16 . I vse this clause , among the twelue , because Paul excelled Peter euery way , in learning zeale , vnderstanding , as far as Peter excelled the rest . And thus neere we come to popish supremacie . The difference . The Church of Rome giues to Peter a supremacie vnder Christ aboue all causes and persons : that is , full power , to gouerne and order the Catholike Church vpon the whole earth both for doctrine and regiment . This supremacie standes ( as they teach ) in a power , or , iudgement , to determine of the true sense of all places of Scripture : to determine all causes of faith : to assemble generall counsels : to ratifie the decrees of the said councels : to excommunicate any man vpon earth , that liues within the Church , euen princes and nations : properly to absolue and forgiue sinnes : to decide causes brought to him by appeale from all the parts of the earth : lastly to make lawes that shall bind the conscience . This fulnes of power with one consent is ascribed to Peter , & the Bishops of Rome that followe him in a supposed succession . Nowe we holde on the contrarie , that neither Peter nor any Bishop of Rome hath any supremacie ouer the Catholike Church : but that al supremacie vnder Christ , is pertaining to kings and princes within their dominions . And that this our doctrine is good , and theirs false and forged , I will make it manifest by sundrie reasons . I. Christ must be considered of vs as a king two waies . First as he is God : and so is he an absolute king ouer all things in heauen and earth , with the Father and the Holy Ghost by the right of creation . Secondly he is a king as hee is a redeemer of mankind : and by the right of redemption he is a soueraigne king ouer the whole Church , and that in speciall manner . Nowe as Christ is God with the father and the holy ghost , hee hath his deputies on earth to gouerne the world : as namely kings and princes , who are therefore in Scriptures called Gods. But as Christ is Mediatour , and consequently a king ouer his redeemed ones , hee hath neither fellowe , nor deputie . No fellowe : for then hee should be an imperfect mediatour . No deputie : for no creature is capable of this office to doe in the roome and steade of Christ that which hee himselfe doth : because euery work of the Mediatour is a compound worke , arising of the effects of two natures concurring in one and the same action , namely the godhead and the manhood : and therefore to the effecting of the said worke there is required an infinite power , which farre exceedes the strength of any created nature . Againe , Heb. 7.24 . Christ is said to haue a priesthood which cannot passe from his person to any other : whence it followes , that neither his kingly nor his propheticall office can passe from him to any creature , either in whole or in part : because the three offices of mediatiō in this regard be equal . Nay , it is a needlesse thing for Christ to haue a deputie , to put in exequution any part of his mediatourship : considering a deputie onely serueth to supply the absence of the principall : whereas Christ is alwaies present with his church by his word & spirit : for where two or three be gathered togither in his name : he is in the middest among them . It may be said that the ministers in the work of the ministerie are deputies of Christ. I answer , that they are no deputies but actiue instruments . For in the preaching of the worde there be two actions : the first is the vttering or propounding of it to the eare : the second is , the inward operation of the holy Ghost in the heart : which indeede is the principal and belongs to Christ alone : the action of speaking in the minister being only instrumental . Thus likewise the church of God in cutting off any member by excommunication , is no more but an instrument performing a ministerie in the name of Christ , & that is to testifie & pronounce whome Christ himselfe hath cut off from the kingdome of heauen : whome he also will haue for this cause , to be seuered from the company of his owne people till he repent . And so it is in all Ecclesiasticall actions . Christ hath no deputie , but onely instruments : the whole entire action being personall in respect of Christ. This one conclusion ouerthrowes not only the Popes supremacie , but also : many other points of poperie . Reason II. All the Apostles in regard of power & authoritie were equall : for the commission apostolicall both for right and exequution was giuen equally to them all , as the very words import . Math. 28.19 . Goe teach all nations baptizing them , &c. and the promise , I will giue to thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen , is not priuate to Peter , but is made in his person to the rest , according as his confession was in the name of the rest . Thus saith Theophylact , They haue the power of committing and binding that receiue the gift of a bishop as Peter . And Ambr. saith , What is said to Peter , is said to the Apostles . Therefore Peter had no supremacy ouer the rest of the Apostles in respect of right to the commission : which they say belonged to him onely , and the exequution thereof to the rest . But let all be granted , that Peter was in commission aboue the rest , for the time of his life : yet hence may not any superioritie be gathered for the Bishops of Rome : because the authoritie of the Apostles were personall , and consequently ceased with them : without beeing conueied to any other : because the Lord did not vouchsafe the like honour to any after them . For ●irst of all , it was the priuiledge of the Apostles to bee called immediatly , and to see the Lord Iesus . Secondly , they had power to giue the gift of the holy Ghost by the imposition of handes . Thirdly , they had such a measure of the assistance of the spirit , that in their publike sermons & in writing of the word , they could not erre : and these writings were all denied to those that followed after them . And that their authority ceased in their persons , it stands with reason also , because it was giuen in so a●ple a manner for the founding of the church of the new testament : which beeing once founded , it was needfull only , that there should be pastours & teachers for the building of it vp vnto the end of the world . Reason III. When the sonnes of Zebedeus sued vnto Christ for the greatest roomes of honour in his kingdome ( deeming hee should bee an earthly king ) Christ answers them againe , ye knowe that the Lords of the Gentiles haue dominion , and they that are great , exercise authoritie ouer them : but it shall not be so with you . Bernard applieth these very wordes to Pope Eugenius on this manner . It is plaine , saith he , that here dominion is forbidden the Apostles . Goe to then : dare if you will , to take vpon you ruling an Apostleship , or in your Apostleship rule or dominion : if you will haue both alike , you shall loose both . Otherwise you must not thinke your selfe exempted from the number of them , of whome the Lord complaineth thus : they haue raigned but not of me : they haue beene but I haue not knowne them . Reason IV. Eph. 4. Mention is made of gifts which Christ gaue to his church after his ascension , wherby some were Apostles , some prophets , some Euangelists , some pastours and teachers . Nowe if there had beene an office in which men as deputies of Christ should haue gouerned the whole church to the ende of the world , the calling might here haue beene named fittely with a gift thereto pertaining : and Paul ( no doubt ) would not here haue concealed it , where he mentioneth callings of lesser importance . Reason V. The Popes supremacie was iudged by sentences of scripture & condemned long before it was manifest in the worlde : the spirit of prophesie foreseeing and foretelling the state of things to come . 2. Thess. 2.3,4 . The man of sinne ( which is that Antichrist ) shall exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God , &c. Nowe this whole chapter with all the circumstances thereof , most fitly agrees to the sea of Rome and the Head thereof : and the thing which then staied the reuealing of the man of sinne , v. 6. is of most expounded to be the Romane Emperour . I will alleadge one testimonie in the roome of many . Chrysostome saith on this place , As long as the Empire shall be had in awe , no man shal straitly submit himselfe to Antichrist : but after that the Empire shall be dissolued , Antichrist shall inuade the state of the Empire standing void , and shall labour to pul vnto himselfe the Empire both of man and God. And this we find nowe in experience to be true : for the See of Rome neuer flourished , till the Empire decaied , and the seate thereof was remooued from the cittie of Rome . Againe Reu. 13. mentioned is made of two beasts , one comming out of the sea , whome the Papists confesse to be the heathenish Romane Emperour : the second comming out of the earth ; which doth al that the first beast could doe before him : and this fitly agreeth to the popes of Rome , who do and haue done all things that the Emperour did or could doe , and that in his very sight . Reason VI. The iudgement of the ancient Church . Cyprian saith , Dou●tlesse the same were the rest of the Apostles that Peter was : indued with equall fellowshippe both of honour and of power : but a beginning is made of vnitie , that the Church may appeare to bee one . Gregorie saith , If one be called vniuersall Bishop , the vniuersall Church goeth to decaie . And chap. 144. I say boldely , that whosoeuer calleth or desireth to call himselfe vniuersall priest , in his pride is a forerunner of Antichrist . And , beholde , in the preface of the Epistle which ye directed vnto me , you caused to be set a proud title , calling me vniuersal Pope . Bernard . Consider that thou art not a Lord of Bishops , but one of them . Churches are maimed , in that the Romane bishop draweth all power to himselfe . Againe Gregorie himselfe beeing Pope saith to the Emperour , I which am subiect to your commandement — ; haue euery way discharged that which was due , in that I haue performed mine allegiance to the Emperour , and haue not concealed what I thought on Gods behalfe . And pope Leo the fourth after Gregorie 200. yeares , acknowledged the Emperour Lotharius for his soueraigne prince , and professed obedience without gainsaying to his imperiall commandements . To conclude , whereas they say , that there is a donble head of the Church , one imperiall which is Christ alone , the other ministeriall , which is the pope , gouerning the whole Church vnder Christ , I answer , this distinction robbeth Christ of his honour , because in setting vp their ministeriall heade , they are faine to borrow of Christ things proper vnto him , as the priuiledge to forgiue sinnes a properly , and the power to gouerne the whole earth , by making of lawes that shall as truely bind conscience as the lawes of God , &c. The 19 point . Of the efficacie of the sacraments . Our Consent . Conclus . I. We teach and beleeue that the sacraments are signes to represent Christ with his benefits vnto vs. Conclus . II. We teach further ; that the Sacraments are indeede instruments , whereby God offereth and giueth the foresaid benefits vnto vs. Thus farre we consent with the Romane Church . The difference . The difference betweene vs standes in sundrie points . First of all , the best learned among them teach , that sacraments are phisicall instruments , that is , true and proper instrumentall causes , hauing force and efficacie in them to produce and giue grace . They vse to expresse their meaning by these comparisons . When the scriuener takes the pen into his hand and writes , the action of writing comes from the penne , mooued by the hand of the writer : and in cutting of wood or stone , the diuision comes from the sawe , mooued by the hand of the workeman : euen so the grace ( say they ) that is giuen by God , is conferred by the sacrament it selfe . Now we for our parts hold , that sacraments are not phisicall , but meere voluntarie instruments . Voluntarie , because it is the will and appointment of God , to vse them as certaine outward meanes of grace . Instruments : because when we vse them aright according to the institution . God then answerably conferres grace from himselfe . In this respect onely take we them for instruments and no otherwise . The secōd difference is this : they teach that the very action of the minister dispēsing the sacrament , as it is a work done giues grace immediatly if the party be prepared : as the very washing or sprinkling of water in baptisme , and the giuing of bread in the Lords supper : euen as the orderly moouing of the pen vpon the paper by the hand of the writer causeth writing . We hold the contrarie : namely , that no action in the dispensation of a Sacrament conferreth grace as it is a worke done , that is , by the efficacie and force of the very sacramentall action it selfe , though ordained of God : but for two other waies . First by the signification thereof . For God testifies vnto vs his will and good pleasure partly by the word of promise , and partly by the sacrament : the signes representing to the eyes that which the word doth to the eares : being also types and certen images of the very same things , that are promised in the word and no other . Yea the elements are not general and confused , but particular signes to the seuerall communicants , and by the vertues of the Institution : for when the faithfull receiue the signes from God by the hands of the Minister , it is as much as if God himselfe with his owne mouth should speake vnto them seuerally , and by name promise to them remission of sinnes . And things said to men particularly , doe more affect , and more take away doubting , then if they were generally spoken to an whole companie . Therefore signes of graces are as it were an applying and binding of the promise of saluation to euery particular beleeuer : and by this meanes , the oftner they are receiued , the more they helpe our infirmitie , and confirme our assurance of mercie . Againe the sacrament conferres grace , in that the signes thereof confirmes faith as a pledge , by reason it hath a promise annexed to it . For when God commands vs to receiue the signes in faith , and withall promiseth to the receiuers to giue the thing signified , he bindes himselfe , as it were in bond vnto vs , to stand to his owne word ; euen as men binde themselues in obligations putting to their hands and seales , so as they cannot go backe . And when the signes are thus vsed as pledges , and that often : they greatly increase the grace of God : as a token sent from one friend to an other , renewes and confirmes the perswasion of loue . These are the two principall waies whereby the sacraments are said to conferre grace , namely in respect of their signification , and as they are pledges of Gods fauour vnto vs. And the very point here to be considered is , in what order and manner they confirme . And the manner is this . The signes and visible elements affect the senses outward and inward : the senses conuay their obiect to the mind : the mind directed by the holy Ghost reasoneth on this manner , out of the promise annexed to the sacrament . He that vseth the elements aright , shall receiue grace thereby : but I vse the elements aright in faith and repentance , saith the minde of the beleeuer : therefore shall I receiue from God increase of grace . Thus then , faith is confirmed not by the worke done , but by a kind of reasoning caused in the minde , the argument or proofe whereof is borrowed from the elements , beeing signes and pledges of Gods mercie . The third difference . The Papists teach that in the sacrament by the work done , the very grace of iustification is conferred . We say no : because a man of yeares must first beleeue and be iustified , before he can be a meete partaker of any sacrament . And the grace that is conferred , is onely the increase of our faith , hope , sanctification , &c. Our Reasons . Reason I. The word preached and the sacraments differ in the manner of giuing Christ and his benefits vnto vs : because in the word the spirit of God teacheth vs by a voice conueied to the minde by the bodily eares : but in the sacraments annexed to the word , by certaine sensible and bodily signes viewed by the eie . a Sacraments are nothing but visible words and promises . Otherwise for the giuing it selfe they differ not . Christ himselfe faith , that in the very worde , is eaten his owne flesh , which he was to giue for the life of the worlde : and what can be said more of the Lords supper . Augustine saith , that beleeuers are partakers of the bodie and blood of Christ in baptisme : and Hierome to Edibia , that in baptisme we eate and drinke the body and blood of Christ. If thus much may be said of baptisme , why may it not also be said of the word preached . Again Hierom vpon Ecclesiastes saith , It is profitable to be filled with the bodie of Christ and drinke his blood , not onely in mysterie but in knowledge of holy Scripture . Nowe vpon this it followes , that seeing the worke done in the word preached conferres not grace , neither doth the worke done in the sacrament conferre any grace . Reason II. Math. 3.11 . I baptize you with water to repentance : but he that cōmeth after me is stronger then I — , hee shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire . Hence it is manifest , that grace in the sacrament proceedes not from any action in the sacrament : for Iohn , though he doe not disioyne himselfe & his action from Christ , and the action of his spirit , yet doth he distinguish thē plainely in number , persons , and effect . To this purpose Paul , who had said of the Galathians , that he trauelled of them and beget them by the Gospell , saith of himselfe that he is not any thing , not onely as hee was a man , but as hee was a faithfull Apostle : thereby excluding the whole Euangelicall ministerie wherof the Sacrament is a part , from the least part of diuine operation , or , efficacy in conferring of grace . Reason III. The blessed Angels , nay the very flesh of the sonne of God hath not any quickning vertue from it selfe ; but all this efficacie or vertue is in and from the godhead of the sonne : who , by meanes of the flesh apprehended by faith , deriueth heauenly and spirituall life from himselfe to the members . Now if there be no efficacie in the flesh of Christ , but by reason of the hypostatical vnion : how shall bodily actions about bodily elements conferre grace immediatly . Reason IV. Paul , Rom. 4. stands much vpon this , to prooue that iustification by faith is not conferred by the sacraments . And from the circumstance of time he gathereth that Abraham was first iustified , and then afterward receiued circumcision , the signe and seale of his righteousnes . Nowe we knowe that the generall condition of all sacraments is one and the same , and that baptisme succeeded circumcision . And what can be more plaine then the example of Cornelius , Act. 10. who before Peter came vnto him , had the commendation of the feare of God , and was indued with the spirit of praier : and afterward when Peter by preaching opened more fully the way of the Lord , hee and the rest receiued the holy Ghost . And after all this they were baptised . Now if they receiued the holy Ghost before baptisme , then they receiued remission of sinnes , and were iustified before baptisme . V. Reason . The iudgement of the Church . Basil. If there bee any grace in the water , it is not from the nature of the water , but from the presence of the spirit . Hierome saith , Man giues water but God giues the holy Ghost . Augustine saide , Water toucheth the bodie and washeth the heart : but he shewes his meaning else where . There is one water ( saith he ) of the sacrament , another of the spirit : the water of the Sacrament is visible , the water of the spirit inuisible . That washeth the bodie and signifieth what is done in the soule . By this the soule is purged and healed . Obiect . Remission of sinnes , regeneration , and saluation is ascribed to the sacrament of baptisme , Act. 22.21 . Eph. 5. Gal. 3.27 . Tit. 2. Ans. Saluation and remission of sinnes is ascribed to baptisme and the Lords supper , as to the word ; which is the power of God to saluation to all that beleeue : and that , as they are instruments of the holy ghost to signifie , zeale , and exhibite to the beleeuing minde the foresaid benefits : but indeede the proper instrument whereby saluation is apprehended is faith , and sacraments are but proppes of faith furthering saluation two waies : first because by their signification they helpe to nourish and preserue faith : secondly because they seale grace and saluation to vs : yea God giues grace and saluation when we vse them well : so be it , we beleeue the word of promise made to the sacrament , whereof also they are seales . And thus we keepe the middle way , neither giuing too much nor too little to the sacraments . The XX. point . Of sauing faith : or , the way to life . Our Consent . Conclus . I. They teach it to bee the propertie of faith , to beleeue the whole whole word of God , and especially the redemption of mankind by Christ. Conclus . II. They auouch that they beleeue & looke to be saued by Christ and by Christ alone , and by the meere mercy of God in Christ. Conclus . III. Thirdly , the most learned among them hold & confesse , that the obedience of Christ is imputed vnto them for the satisfaction of the lawe , and for their reconciliation with God. Conclus . IV. They auouch that they put their whole trust and confidence in Christ , and in the meere mercy of God , for their saluation . Concl. V. Lastly they hold that euery man must apply the promise of life euerlasting by Christ vnto himselfe : and this they grant we are bound to doe . And in these fiue points doe they and we agree , at least in shewe of wordes . By the auouching of the fiue conclusions , papists may easily escape the handes of many magistrates . And vnlesse the mysterie of popish doctrine bee well known , any common man may easily be deceiued , & take such for good protestants that are but popish priests . To this end therefore that we may the better discerne their guile , I will shew wherein they faile in each of their conclusions , and wherein they differ from vs. The difference . Touching the first conclusion , they beleeue indeed all the written word of God , and more then all : for they also beleeue the bookes Apocryphal , which antiquitie for many hundred yeares hath excluded from the canon : yea they beleeue vnwritten traditions receiued ( as they say ) from Councills , the writings of the Fathers , and the determinations of the Church : making them also of equall credit with the written worde of God , giuen by inspiration of the spirit . Now we for our parts despise not the Apocrypha , as namely the books of the Machabees , Ecclesiasticus and the rest , but wee reuerence them in all conuenient manner , preferring them before any other bookes of men , in that they haue beene approoued by an vniuersall consent of the Church : yet wee thinke them not meete to bee receiued into the Canon of holy scripture , and therfore not to be beleeued , but as they are cōsenting with the written word . And for this our doing we haue directiō from Athanasius , Origen , Hierom , and the Councel of Laodicea . As for the vnwriten Traditions they come not within the compasse of our faith , neither can they : because they come vnto vs by the hands of men , that may deceiue and be deceiued . And we hold and beleeue , that the right Canon of the bookes of the old and newe Testament , cōtaines in it sufficient direction for the Church of God to life euerlasting , both for faith and maners . Here then is the point of difference , that they make the obiect of faith larger then it should be , or can be : and we keepe our selues to the written word ; beleeuing nothing to saluation out of it . In the second conclusion , touching saluation by Christ alone , there is a manifest deceit : because they craftily include and couch their owne works vnder the name of Christ. For ( say they ) works done by men regenerate , are not their owne , but Christs in them ; and as they are the workes of Christ ; they saue , and no otherwise . But we for our parts looke to be saued onely by such workes as Christ himselfe did in his owne person : and not by any worke at all done by him in vs. For all workes done , are in the matter of iustification and saluation , opposed to the grace of Christ : Rom. 11.6 . Election is of grace not of workes : if it be of workes , it is no more of grace . Againe whereas they teach that wee are saued by the works of Christ , which he worketh in vs , and maketh vs to work ; it is flatte against the word . For Paul saith , Wee are not saued by such workes as God hath ordained that men regenerate should walke in . Eph. 2.10 . And hee saieth further , that hee counted all things euen after his conuersion losse vnto him , that he might be found in Christ , not hauing his owne righteousnes which is of the lawe . Phil. 3.8 . Againe , Heb. 1.3 . Christ washed away our sinnes by himselfe : which last wordes exclude the merit of all workes done by Christ within man. Thus indeede the Papists ouerturne all that which in word they seeme to hold touching their iustification and saluation . We confesse with them that good works in vs are the workes of Christ : yet are they not Christs alone , but ours also , in that they proceede from Christ by the minde and will of man : as water from the fountaine by the channell . And looke as the channell defiled , defiles the water , that is without defilement in the fountaine ; euen so the minde and will of man defiled by the remnants of sinne , defile the works , which as they come frō Christ are vndefiled . Hence it is that the works of grace which we doe by Christ , or , Christ in vs , are defectiue : and must be seuered from Christ in the act of iustification , or saluation . The third conclusion is touching the imputation of Christs obedience , which some of the most learned among them acknowledge : and the difference betweene vs stands on this manner . They hold that Christs obedience is imputed onely to make satisfaction for sinne , and not to iustifie vs before God. We hold and beleeue that the obedience of Christ is imputed to vs , euē for our righteousnesse before God. Paul saith , 1. Cor. 1.30 . Christ is made vnto vs of God , wisdome , righteousnes , sanctification , and redemption . Hence I reason thus . If Christ be both our sanctification , and our righteousnes ; then he is not onely vnto vs inherent righteousnes , but also righteousnes imputed . But he is not onely our sanctification ( which the Papists themselues expound of inherent or habituall righteousnesse ) but also our righteousnes : for thus by Paul are they distinguished . Therefore hee is vnto vs both inherent and imputed righteousnesse . And very reason teacheth thus much . For in the ende of the world at the barre of Gods iudgement , wee must bring some kinde of righteousnes for our iustification , that may stand in the rigour of the law according to which we are to be iudged . But our inherent righteousnesse is imperfect & stained with manyfold defects and shall be as long as we liue in this worlde , as experience tels vs : and consequently it is not sutable to the iustice of the lawe : and if we goe out of our selues we shall find no righteousnesse seruing for our turnes either in men or angels , that may or can procure our absolution before God and acceptation to life euerlasting . We must therefore haue recourse to the person of Christ , and his obedience imputed vnto vs , must serue not onely to be a satisfaction to God for all our sinnes ; but also for our perfect iustification : in that god is content to accept of it for our righteousnes , as if it were inherent in vs , or performed by vs. Touching the fourth conclusion , they holde it the safest and surest course to put their trust and confidence in the mercie of God alone for their saluation : yet they condescend , that men may also a put their confidence in the merit of their owne workes , and in the merits also of other men , so it be in sobrietie . But this doctrine quite marres the conclusion : because by teaching that men are to put confidence in the creature , they ouerturne al confidence in the Creatour . For in the very first commandement , wee are taught to make choice of the true God for our God , which thing we doe when wee giue to God our hearts : and we giue our hearts to God , when we put our whole confidence in him for the saluation of our soules . Now then to put confidence in men , or in workes , is to make them our Gods. The true and auncient forme of making confession was on this manner : I beleeue in God the father , in Iesus Christ , and in the holy ghost , without mention making of any confidence in workes or creatures : the auncient Church neuer knew any such confession or confidence . Cyprian saith , He beleeueth not in God , who putteth not affiance concerning his saluation in God alone . And indeede the Papists themselues when death comes , forsake the confidence of their merits , and flie to the meere mercie of God in Christ. And for a confirmation of this I alleadge the testimonie of one Vlinbergius of Colen , who writeth thus . There was a booke founde in the vestrie of a certaine parish of Colen , written in the dutch tongue in the yeare of our Lord 1475. which the Priests vsed in visiting of the sicke . And in it these questions be found . a Doest thou beleeue that thou canst not be saued but by the death of Christ ? The sicke person answered , Yea. Then it is said vnto him , Go too then , while breath remaines in thee , put thy confidence in this death alone : haue affiance in nothing else : commit thy selfe wholly to this death : with it alone couer thy selfe : diue thy self in euery part into this death : in euery part pearse thy selfe with it : infold thy selfe in this death . And if the Lord will iudge thee , say : Lord , I put the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene me and thy iudgement , and by no other meanes I contend with thee . And if he shall say vnto thee , that thou art a sinner , say : Lord , the death of my Lord Iesus Christ , I put betweene thee and my sinnes . If he shall say vnto thee , that thou hast deserued damnation , say : Lord , I oppose the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene thee and my euill merits , and I offer his merit for the merit which I should haue , and haue not . If he shall say , that he is angrie with thee , say : Lord , I oppose the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene me and thine anger . Here we see , what Papists doe , and haue done in the time of death . And that which they hold and practise , when they are dying ; they should hold and practise euery day while they are liuing . In the last conclusion they teach , that we must not onely beleeue in generall but also applie vnto our selues , the promises of life euerlasting . But they differ from vs in the very manner of applying . They teach that the promise is to be applied , not by faith as●uring vs of our own saluation : but only by hope , in likelihood coniecturall . We hold that we are bound in dutie to applie the promise of life by faith without making doubt thereof , and by hope to continue the certentie after the apprehension made by faith . We doe not teach that all and euery man liuing within the precincts of the church , professing the name of Christ , is certen of his saluation , and that by faith : but that he ought so to be , and must indeauour to attaine thereto . And here is a great point in the mysterie of iniquitie to be considered : for by this vncerten application of the promise of saluation , and this wauering hope , they ouerturne halfe the doctrine of the Gospel . For it inioynes two things : first to beleeue the promises thereof to be true in themselues : secondly to beleeue , and by faith to applie them vnto our selues . And this latter part , without which the former is voide of comfort , is quite ouerturned . The reasons which they alleadge against our doctrine , I haue answered before : now therefore I let them passe . To conclude , though in coloured tearmes they seeme to agree with vs in doctrine concerning faith ; yet in deede they denie and abolish the substance thereof , namely , the particular and certen application of Christ crucified and his benefits , vnto our selues . Againe they faile in that they cut off the principall dutie and office of true sauing faith , which is to apprehend and to applie the blessing promised . The 21. point . Of Repentance . Our consent . Conclus . I. That , repentance is the conuersion of a sinner . There is a two-fold conuersion , passiue , and actiue : passiue , is an action of God whereby he conuerteth man beeing as yet vncōuerted . Actiue is an action whereby man being once turned of God , turnes himselfe : and of this latter must this conclusion be vnderstood . For the first conuersion , considering it is a worke of God turning vs vnto himselfe , is not the repentance whereof the Scripture speaketh so oft , but it is called by the name of regeneration : and repentance , wherby we beeing first turned of God doe turne our selues , and doe good workes , is the fruit thereof . Conclus . II. That , repentance stands specially for practise , in contrition of heart , confession of mouth , and satisfaction in worke or deed . Touching contrition there be two kinds thereof : Legal , and Euangelical . Legal contrition is nothing but a remorse of cōscience for sinne in regard of the wrath & iudgemēt of God , & it is no grace of God at all ; nor any part , or , cause of repētance : but onely an occasion thereof , & that by the mercie of God : for of it selfe , it is the sting of the law and the very entrance into the pit of hel . Euangelical contrition is , when a repentant sinner is grieued for his sinnes , not so much for feare of hell , or , any other punishment ; as because he hath offended and displeased so good and mercifull a God. This contrition is caused by the ministerie of the Gospell , and in the practise of repentance it is alwaies necessarie , and goes before as the beginning thereof . Secondly we hold , and maintaine that confession is to be made , and that in sundrie respects : first to God , both publikely in the congregation , and also priuately in our secret and priuate praiers . Secondly to the Church , when any person hath openly offended the congregation by any crime , and is therefore excommunicate . Thirdly to our priuate neighbour , when we haue vpon any occasion offended and wronged him . Math. 5.23 . If thou bring thy gift to the altar , and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee , goe first and be reconciled to him : now reconciliation presupposeth confession . Lastly in all true repentance , we hold and acknowledge there must be satisfaction made ; first to God , and that is when we intreat him in our supplications to accept the death and passion of Christ , as a full , perfect , and sufficient satisfaction for all our sinnes . Secondly it is to be made vnto the Church , after excommunication for publike offences ; and it stāds in duties of humiliatiō that fitly serue to testifie the truth of our repētāce . Thirdly satisfaction is to be made to our neighbor : because if he be wronged , he must haue recōpence and restitution made , Luk. 19.8 . & there repentance may iustly be suspected , where no satisfaction is made , if it lie in our power . Conclus . III. That , in repentance we are to bring outward fruits worthie amendment of life : for repentance it selfe is in the heart , and therefore must be testified in all manner of good workes : whereof the principall is , to indeauour day by day by Gods grace to leaue and renounce all and euery sinne , and in all things to doe the will of God. And here let it be remembred that we are not patrons of licentiousnes and enemies of good workes . For though we exclude them from the act of our iustification and saluation : yet we maintaine a profitable and necessarie vse of them in the life of euery Christian man. This vse is three-fold , in respect of God , of man , of our selues . Workes are to be done in respect of God , that his commandements may be obeied , 1. Ioh. 5.12 . that his will may be don , 1. Thess. 4.3 . that we may shew our selues to be obedient children to God our Father , 1. Pet. 1.14 . that we may shew our selues thankefull for our redemption by Christ , Tit. 2. 14. that we might not grieue the spirit of God , Eph. 4.30 . but walke according to the same , Gal. 5. 22. that God by our good workes may be glorified , Math. 5.16 . that we may be good followers of God , Eph. 5.1 . Againe , workes are to be done in regard of men : that our neighbour may be helped in worldly things , Luk. 6.38 . that he may be woon by our example to godlines , 1. Pet. 3.14 . that we may preuent in our selues the giuing of any offence . 1. Cor. 10.32 . that by doing good , we may stoppe the mouthes of our aduersaries . Thirdly and lastly , they haue vse in respect of our selues : that we may shew our selues to be new creatures , 2. Cor. 5.17 . that we may walke as the children of light , Eph. 5.8 . that we haue some assurance of our faith and of our saluation , 2. Pet. 1.8,10 . that we may discerne dead and counterfait faith , from true faith , Iam. 2. 17. that faith and the gifts of God may be exercised and continued vnto the ende , 2. Tim. 1.6 . that the punishments of sinne both temporall and eternall may be preuented , Psal. 89.32 . that the reward may be obtained which God freely in mercie hath promised to men for their good workes . Gal. 6.9 . The difference . We dissent not from the Church of Rome in the doctrine of repentance it selfe : but in the damnable abuses thereof , which are of two sorts , generall and speciall . Generall are these which concerne repentance wholly considered : and they are these . The first is , that they place the beginning of repentance partly in themselues , and partly in the holy Ghost , or , in the power of their naturall freewill beeing helped by the holy Ghost : whereas Paul indeede ascribes this worke , wholly vnto God. 2. Tim. 2.15 . Proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance . And men that are not weake but dead in trespasses and sinnes , can not doe any thing● that may further their conuersion , though they be helped neuer so : no more then dead men in their graues , can rise from thence . The second abuse is , that they take pennance , or rather repentance for that publike discipline and order of correction that was vsed against notorious offenders in the open congregation . For the Scripture sets downe but one repentance , and that common to all men without exception : and to be practised in euery part of our liues for the necessarie mortification of sinne : whereas open ecclesiasticall correction pertained not to all and euery man within the compasse of the Church , but to them alone that gaue any open offence . The third abuse is , that they make repentance to be not onely a vertue , but also a sacrament : wheras for the space of a thousand yeres after Christ , & vpward it was not reckened among the sacraments : yea it seemes that Lūbard was one of the first that called it a sacrament : and the school-men after him disputed of the matter & forme of this sacrament : not able any of them certenly to define , what should be the outward element . The fourth abuse is touching the effect and efficacie of repentance : for they make it a meritorious cause of remission of sinnes and of life euerlasting , flat against the word of God. Paul saith notably , Rom. 4.24 . We are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Iesus , whome God hath sent to be a reconciliation by faith in his blood . In these words these formes of speach , redemption in Christ , reconciliation in his blood , by faith , freely by grace , must be obserued and considered : for they shew plainely that no part of satisfaction or redemption is wrought in vs , or , by vs : but out of vs onely in the person of Christ. And therefore we esteeme of repentance onely as a fruit of faith : and the effect , or efficacie of it , is to testifie remission of our sinnes , and our reconciliation before God. It will be saide that remission of sinnes and life euerlasting , are promised to repentance . Ans. It is not to the worke of repentance , but to the person which repenteth , and that not for his owne merits or worke of repentance , but for the merits of Christ , which he applieth to himselfe by faith . And thus are we to vnderstand the promises of the Gospel , in which workes are mentioned ; presupposing alwaies in them the reconciliation of the person with God , to whō the promise is made . Thus we see wherefore we dissent from the Romane Church touching the doctrine of repentance . Speciall abuses doe concerne Contrition , Confession , and Satisfaction . The first abuse concerning contrition is , that they teach it must be sufficient and perfect . They vse now to helpe the matter by a distinction : saying , that the sorrow in contrition , must be in the highest degree in respect of a value & estimation . Yet the opinion of b Adrian was otherwise , that in true repentāce a man should be grieued according to all his indeauour . And the Romane Catechisme saith as much , that the sorrow conceiued of our sinnes must be so great , that none can be conceiued to be greater : that we must be contrite in the same manner we loue God , and that is with all our heart and strength in a most vehemēt sorrow : and that the hatred of sinne must be not onely the greatest but also most vehement and perfect , so as it may exclude all sloth and slacknes . Indeede afterwarde it followes , that true contrition may be effectuall though it be imperfect : but how can this stand , if they will not onely commend but also pre●cribe and auouch , that contrition must be most perfect and vehement . We therefore onely teach , that God requires not so much the measure , as the truth of any grace : and that it is a degree of vnfained contrition to be grieued , because we cannot be grieued for our sinnes as we should . The second abuse is , that they ascribe to their contrition the merit of congruitie . But this can not stand with the all-sufficient merit of Christ. And an auncient Councel saith , God inspires into vs first of all the faith and loue of himself , no merits going before , that we may faithfully require the sacrament of baptisme , and after baptisme doe the things that please him . And we for our parts holde , that God requires contrition at our hands , not to merit remission of sinnes : but that we may acknowledge our owne vnworthines , and be humbled in the sight of God , and distrust all our owne merits : and further , that we may make the more account of the benefits of Christ , whereby we are receiued into the fauour of God : lastly , that we might more carefully auoid all sinnes in time to come , wherby so many paines and terrours of conscience are procured . And we acknowledge no contrition at all to be meritorious , saue that of Christ : whereby he was broken for our iniquities . The third abuse is , that they make imperfect contrition or att●ition arising of the feare of hell , to be good and profitable : and to it they applie the saying of the Prophet , The feare of God is the beginning of wisdome . But seruile feare of it selfe is the fruit of the law , which is the ministerie of death and condemnation : and consequently it is the way to eternall destruction , if God leaue men to themselues : and if it turne to the good of any , it is onely by accident : because God in mercie makes it to be an occasion going before , of grace to be giuen : otherwise remorse of conscience for sinne is no beginning of repentance , or the restrainment of any sinne : but rather is and that properly the beginning of vnspeakable horrours of conscience , and euerlasting death , vnlesse God shew mercie . And yet this feare of punishment , if it be tempered and delaied with other graces and gifts of God in holy men ; it is not vnprofitable : in whome there is not onely a sorrow for punishment , but also and that much more for the offence . And such a kind of feare , or , sorrow is commanded , Malac. 1.6 . If I be a father , where is my feare ? if I be a lord , where is my feare ? And Chrysostome saith , that the feare of hell in the heart of a iust man , is a strong man armed against theeues and robbers , to driue them from the house . And Ambrose saith , that Martyrs in the time of their sufferings , confirmed themselues against the crueltie of persecuters by setting the feare of hell before their eyes . Abuses touching Confession are these . The first is , that they vse a forme of confession of their sinnes vnto God , vttered in an vnknowne language , beeing therefore foolish and ridiculous , withall requiring the aide and intercession of dead men and such as be absent : whereas , there is but one Mediatour betweene God and man the man Iesus Christ. The second is , that they in practise make confession of their sinnes not onely to God but to the Saints departed : in that they make praier to them , in which they aske their intercession for the pardon of their sinnes : and this is , not onely to match them with God in seeing and knowing the heart , but also to giue a part of his diuine worship vnto them . The third and principall abuse is , that they haue corrupted Canonicall confession by turning it into a priuate auricular confession : binding all men in conscience by a law made , to confesse all their mortall sinnes , with all circumstances that change the kind of the sinne ( as farre as possibly they can remember ) once euery yeare at the least , and that to a priest , vnlesse it be in the case of extreame necessitie . But in the word of God there is no warrant for this confession , nor in the writings of Orthodoxe antiquitie for the space of many hundred yeares after Christ , as one of their owne side auoucheth . And the commandement of the holy Ghost , Confesse one for an other , and pray one for an other , Iam. 5.17 . bindes as well the priest to make confession vnto vs , as any of vs to the priest . And whereas it is said , Math. 3. that many were baptised confessing their sinnes : and Act. 19.18 . Many that beleeued came and confessed and shewed their workes , the confession was voluntarie and not constrained : it was also generall and not particular of all and euery sinne , with the necessarie circumstances thereof . And in this libertie of confession the Church remained 1200. yeares till the Councill of Lateran ; in which the law of auricular confession was first inacted : beeing a notable inuention seruing to discouer the secrets of men , and to inrich that couetous and ambitious See , with the reuenewes of the world . It was not knowne to Augustine , when he said , What haue I to doe with men that they should heare my confessions , as though they should heale my diseases : nor to Chrysostome when he saith , I doe not compell thee to confesse thy sinnes to others . And , If thou be ashamed to confesse them to any man , because thou hast sinned , say them daily in thine owne minde . I doe not bid thee confesse them to thy fellow seruant , that he should mocke thee : confesse them to God that cureth them . The abuse of Satisfaction is , that they haue turned canonicall satisfaction which was made to the congregation by open offenders , into a satisfaction of the iustice of God for the temporall punishment of their sinnes . Behold here a most horrible prophanation of the whole Gospel , and specially of the satisfaction of Christ , which of it selfe without any supplie is sufficient euery way for the remission both of fault and punishment . But of this point I haue spoken before . Hitherto I haue handled and prooued by induction of sundrie particulars , that we are to make a separation from the present Church of Rome , in respect of the foundation and substance of true religion . Many more things might be added to this very purpose , but here I conclude this first point : adding onely this one caueat , that we make separation from the Romane religion without hatred of the persons that are maintainers of it . Nay we ioyne in affection more with them , then they with vs. They die with vs not for their religion ( a though they deserue it ) but for the treasons which they intend and enterprise : we are readie to doe the duties of loue vnto them inioyned vs in the word : we reuerence the good gifts in many of them ; we pray for them , wishing their repentance and eternall saluation . Now I meane to proceede , and to touch briefly other points of doctrine contained in this portion of Scripture , which I haue now in hand . In the second place therefore out of this commaundement , Goe out of her my people , I gather that the true Church of God is and hath beene in the present Romane Church , as corne in the heape of chaffe . Though Poperie raigned and ouerspread the face of the earth for many hundred yeares ; yet in the middest thereof , God reserued a people vnto himselfe , that truly worshipped him : and to this effect the holy Ghost saith that the Dragon , which is the deuill caused the woman , that is , the Church to flie into the wildernesse , where he sought to destroy her but could not , and shee still retaines a remnant of her seede which kept the commaundements of God , and haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ. Now this which I speake of the Church of Rome , can not be saide in like manner of the congregations of Turkes and other infidels , that the hidden Church of God is preserued among them ; because there is no meanes of saluation at all : whereas the Church of Rome hath the Scriptures , though in a straunge language ; and baptisme for the outward forme : which helpes God in all ages preserued , that his Elect might be gathered out of the middest of Babylon . This serues to stoppe the mouthes of Papists , which demaund of vs , where our Church was fourescore yeares agoe , before the daies of Luther : whereby they would insinuate to the world , that our Church and religion is greene or newe : but they are answered out of this very text , that our Church hath euer beene since the daies of the Apostles , and that in the very midst of the papacie . It hath bin alwaies a Church , and did not first begin to be in Luthers time : but onely then began to shew it selfe , as hauing bin hid by an vniuersall Apostasie , for many hundred yeares together . Againe we haue here occasion to consider the dealing of God with his owne church and people . He will not haue them for externall societie to be mixed with their enemies , and that for speciall purpose : namely , to exercise the humilitie and patience of his few seruants . When Elias saw idolatrie spred ouer all Israel , he went a part into the wildernes , and in griefe desired to die . And Dauid cried out : Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in Mesheck , and to haue my habitation in the tents of Kedar , Psal. 120.5 . And iust Lot must haue his righteous soule vexed with seeing and hearing the abhominations of Sodom . Thirdly by this commaundement we are taught , what opinion to carrie of the present church of Rome . It is often demaunded , whether it be a church or no ; and the answer may hence be formed on this manner . If by this church be vnderstood a state or regiment of the people , whereof the Pope is head ; and the members are all such as doe acknowledge him to be their head , and doe beleeue the doctrine established in the Councell of Trent , we take it to be no church of God. Because Babylon , which I haue prooued to be the church of Rome , is here opposed to the church or people of God : and because we are commanded to come out of it : whereas we may not wholly forsake any people till they forsake Christ. Some will happily say , the church of Rome hath the Scriptures and the Sacrament of baptisme . I answer first of all , they haue indeede the bookes of holy Scripture among them : but by the rest of their doctrine they ouerthrow the true sense thereof in the foundation , as I haue prooued before . And though they haue the outward forme of baptisme , yet they ouerturne the inward baptisme , which is the substance of all , standing in the iustification and sanctification of a sinner . Againe I answer , that they haue the word and baptisme , not for themselues but for the true church of God among them : like as the lanterne holdeth the candle , not for it selfe but for others . Secondly , it may be and is alleadged , that if the Pope be Antichrist , he then sittes in the temple , that is , the church of God , and by this meanes the Romane church shall be the true church . Ans. He sittes in the temple of God , but marke further how : as God , that is , not as a member but as a manifest vsurper : like as the theefe sittes in the true mans house . For the popish church and Gods church are mingled like chaffe and corne in one heape : and the church of Rome may be saide to be in the church of God , and the church of God in the church of Rome , as we say the wheat is among the chaffe , and the chaffe in the wheat . Againe he is said to sit in the temple of God ; because the Romane church , though falsly , takes vnto it selfe the title of the true catholike church . Some goe about to delay and qualifie the matter , by comparing this church to a man lying sicke full of ●oares , hauing also his throat cut , yet so as bodie and soule are ioyned together , and life is remaining still . But all things well considered , it is rather like a dead carkasse , and is void of all spirituall life ; as the popish errours in the foundation doe manifest . Indeede a knowne harlot may afterward remaine a wife and be so tearmed ; yet after the bill of diuorcement is giuen , shee ceaseth to be a wife , though shee can shew her marriage ring : now the church hath receiued the bill of her diuorcement in the written word , namely 2. Thess. 2. and Reu. 13.11,12 , &c. Furthermore in this commandement we may see a liuely portraiture of the state of all mankind . Here we see two sorts of men : some are pertaining to Babylon , a people running on to their destruction : some againe are a people of God seuered from Babylon , and reserued to life euerlasting . If any aske the cause of this distinction ; I answer , it is the very will of God vouchsafing mercy to some & forsaking others by withdrawing his mercy from them , for the better declaration of his iustice . Thus saith the Lord , Rom. 11.4 . I haue reserued seuen thousand that neuer bowed the knee to Baal : & the prophet Esai saith , Vnles the Lord had reserued a remnant , we had bin as Sodome and Gomorrha . By this distinction we are taught , aboue al things to seeke to be of the number of Gods people , and to labour for assurance of this in our owne consciences . For if all should be saued , lesse care would snffice : but this mercie is not common to all : and therefore the more to be thought vpon . Lastly , here I not● the speciall care that God hath ouer his own children . He first giueth thē warning to depart , before he begin to execute his iudgement vpon his enemies , with whome they liue : that they might not be partakers of their sinnes or punishments . Thus , before God would punish Hierusalem , an angel is sent to marke them in the forehead that mourned for the abominatious of the people . And in the destructiō of the first borne of Egypt the angel passed ouer the houses of the Iewes , that had their posts sprinkled with the blood of the paschal lamb : & this passing ouer betokeneth safety & preseruation in the cōmon destruction to those that haue their hearts sprinkled with the blood of Christ. This blessing of protectiō should mooue vs all , to become true & hearty seruants of God. Men vsually become members of those societies & corporations , where they may inioy many freedōes & priuiledges● Wel , behold : in the societie of the Saints of god , which is the true Church , there is the freedom from danger in all cōmon destructions & from eternall vengeance at the last day . When Hester had procured safetie for the Iewes , and libertie to reuenge themselues vpon their enemies : it is said , that many of the people of the land became Iewes . Euē so , considering Christ hath procured freedom frō hell , death , and damnation for all that beleeue in him : we should labour aboue all things to becom new creatures , ioyning our selues alwaies to the true church of God. Hitherto I haue spoken of the commandement : now followeth the reason thereof drawne from the end , that they be not partakers of her sins : and that they receiue not of her plagues . Here I might stand long to shew what be the sins of the church of Rome : but I wil only name the principal . The first sin is Atheisme : & and that I prooue on this manner . Atheisme is twofold , open , coloured . Open Atheisme is , when men both in word and deed denie God and his word . Coloured Atheisme is not so manifest : and it hath two degrees . The first is , when men acknowledge God the creator and gouernour of heauen and earth , and yet deny the father , sonne and holy Ghost . Thus the Ephesiās before they receiued the gospell , are said to bee without God whome in their naturall iudgement they acknowledged : because they denied Christ , and cōsequently worshipped an idol of their owne braine , in that they worshipped God out of Christ. And in this respect though the Samaritans worshipped the God of Abraham , yet our Sauiour Christ saith , they worshipped they knewe not what . And the Psalmist saith of all the Gentiles that their Gods are Idols . In this degree of Atheisme are placed Turkes and Iewes at this day : the Anti-Trinitaries , and Arians , and all that conceiue and worship God out of the Trinitie . The 2. degree is , whē men do rightly acknowledge the vnitie of the godhead in the Trinitie of persons : yet so , as by other necessarie consequents partly of their doctrine , and partly of the seruice of God they ouerturne that which they haue well maintained . And thus I say , that the very religion of the Church of Rome is a kinde of Atheisme . For whereas it makes the merit of the works of men to concurre with the grace of god , it ouerthrowes the grace of God. Rom. 11. In worde they acknowledge the infinite iustice and mercie of God : but by consequent both are denied . How can that be infinite iustice , which may any way be appeased by humane satisfactions ? And howe shall Gods mercie bee infinite , when wee by our satisfactions must adde a supply to the satisfaction of Christ ? Againe , He that hath not the sonne , hath not the father : and he that hath neither father nor sonne , denies God. Nowe the present Romane religion hath not the sonne , that is , Iesus Christ , God and man , the Mediatour of mankind : but hath tra●sformed him into a fained Christ. And I shew it thus . For one Iesus Christ , in al thing● like vnto vs in his Humanitie , sinne onely excepted ; they haue framed a Christ , to whome they ascribed two kindes of existing : one naturall , whereby he is visible , touchable , and circumscribed in heauen : the other not onely aboue , but also against nature ; by which , he is substantially according to his flesh in the handes of euery priest , in euery host , and in the mouth of euery communicant , inuisible , vntouchable , vncircumscribed . And thus in effect they abolish his manhood . Yea they disgrade him of his offices . For one Iesus Christ , the onely king , lawgiuer , and head of the Church ; they ioyne vnto him the Pope not onely as a Vicar but also as a fellowe : in that they giue vnto him power to make lawes binding conscience , to resolue and determine vnfallibly the sense of holy scripture , properly to pardon sin both in respect of fault and temporall punishment , to haue authoritie ouer the whole earth and a part of hell : to depose kings , to whome vnder Christ euery soule is to be subiect , to absolue subiects from the oath of allegiance , &c. For one Iesus Christ the onely reall priest of the new testament , they ioyne many secondary priests vnto him , which offer Christ daiely in the masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead . For one Iesus Christ the al-sufficient Mediatour of intercession , they haue added many fellowes vnto him to make request for vs , namely as many Saints as be in the Popes Kalender . Lastly , for the onely merits of Christ , in whome alone , the Father is well pleased , they haue deuised a treasurie of the Church containing beside the merits of Christ , the ouerplus of the merits of Saints to be dispensed to men , at the discretion of the Pope . And thus wee see , that Christ , and co●sequently God himselfe to bee worshipped in Christ , is transformed into a phantasie or idol of mans conceit . Againe there is alwaies a proportion betweene the worship of God , & our perswasion of him : and men in giuing vnto God any worshippe , haue respect to his nature , that both may be sutable , and he well pleased . Let vs then see what manner of worship the Romane religion affoardeth . It is for the greatest part meere wil-worship , without any allowance or commandement from God , as Durande in his Rationale in effect acknowledgeth . It is a carnall seruice standing of innumerable bodily rites and ceremonies borrowed partly from the Iewes , and partly from the heathen : it is diuided betweene God and some of his creatures : in that they are worshipped both with one kind of worship : let them paint it as they can . Thus then , if by their manner of worshipping God , we may iudge howe they conceiue of him , as we may : they haue plainely turned the true God into a phantasie of their owne . For God is no otherwise to be conceiued , then hee hath reuealed himselfe in his creatures & word , and specially in Christ : who is the ingrauen image of the person of the Father . The second sin is Idolatrie : and that as grosse as was euer among the heathen . And it is to be seene in two things . First that they worshippe the Saints with religious worship which without exception is proper to God. Yea they transforme some of them into detestable idols , making them in trueth mediatours of redemption , specially the Virgin Marie , whome they call a Ladie , a Goddesse , a queene whom a Christ her sonne obeyeth in heauen , a mediatresse : or life , hope , the medicine of the diseased : and they pray vnto her thus : Prepare thou glory for vs : defende vs from our enemies , & in the houre of death receiue vs , loose the bonds of the guiltie , bring light to the blind , driue away all deuils . Shewe thy selfe to be a mother , Let him receiue the prayers . Againe , their idolatrie is manifest , in that they worship God in , at , before images : hauing no commandement so to do , but the contrarie . They alleadge th●t they vse and worship images only in a remembrance of God. But this is al one as if an vnchast wife should receiue many louers into her house in the absence of her husband● and beeing reprooued , should answer : that they were the friendes of her husband , and that shee kept them onely in remembrance of him . Thirdly , their Idolatrie exceedes the Idolatrie of the heathen , in that they worship a Breadengod , or , Christ in and vnder the formes of bread and wine . And if Christ according to his humanitie be absent frō the earth , as I haue prooued , the Popish hoste is as abominable an idol as euer was . The third sinne is the maintenance of Adulterie . And that is manifest : first of all , in the Toleration of the stewes flat against the commandement of God. Deut. 23.17 . There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel : neither shal there be a whore keeper of the sonnes of Israel . And this toleration is an occasion of vncleannes to many young men & women , that otherwise would abstaine from all such kinde of filthines . And what an abomination is this , when brother and brother , father and sonne , nephew and vncle , shall come to one and the same harlot , one before or after the other . Secondly , their Lawe beyond the fourth degree allowes the marriage of any persons : and by this meanes , they sometime allowe incest . For in the vnequall collaterall line , the person next the common stock is a father or mother to the brothers or sisters posteritie , as for example . Here Anne and Nicholas are brother and sister , and Anne is distant from Iames sixe degrees , he being her neecca farre off : and the mariage between them is allowed by the Church of Rome , they not beeing within the compasse of foure degrees : which neuerthelesse is against the law of nature . For Anne beeing the sister of Nicholas , is in stead of a mother to all that are begotten of Nicholas , euen to Iames and Iames posteritie . Yet thus much I graunt , that the daughter of Anne may lawfully marrie Iames or Anthonie , the case beeing altered , because they are not one to an other a● parents and children . The fourth sin is Magicke , ●orcerie , or witchcraft , in the consecration of the host in which they make their Breaden-god : in exorcismes ouer holy bread , holy water and salt ; in the casting out or driuing away of deuils , by the signe of the crosse , by solemne coniurations , by holy water , by the ringing of bels , by lighting tapers , by reliques , and such like . For these things haue not their supposed force , either by creation , or by any institution of God in his holy word : and therefore if any thing be done by thē , it is from the secret operation of the deuill himselfe . The fift sinne is , that in their doctrine they maintaine periurie , because they teach with one consent , that a papist examined may answer doubtfully against the direct intention of the examiner : framing an other meaning vnto himselfe in the ambiguitie of his wordes . A● for example , when a man is asked , whether he said or heard Masse in such a place : though hee did : they affirme he may say , no : and sweare vnto it : because he was not there , to reueale it to the examiner : whereas in the very lawe of nature , he that takes an oath should sweare according to the intention of him that hath power to minister an oath : and that in trueth , iustice , ●●●gement . Let them cleere their doctrine from all defence of periurie , if they can . The six● sinne is , that they reuerse many of Gods commaundements , making that no sinne which Gods word makes a sinne . Thus they teach , that if any man steale some little thing , that is thought not to cause any notable hurt , it is no mortall sinne : that , the officious lie , & the lie made in sport are veniall sinnes : that , to pray for our enemies in particular is no precept but a counsell : and that none is bound to salute his enemie in the way of friendship , flat against the rule of Christ , Mat. 5.47 . where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , signifieth al manner of dutie and curtesie : that , rash iudgement , though consent ●●me thereto , is regularly but a veniall sin : that , it is lawfull otherwhiles to faine holines : that , the painting of the face is ordinarily but a veniall sinne : that , it is not lawfull to forbid begging : wheras the Lord forbade there should be any beggar in Israel . Againe , they teach that men in their choller , when they are chiding , and sweare , woundes and blood , are not indeede blasphemers . Lastly their writers vse manifest lying , to iustifie their doctrine . They plead falsely that all antiquitie is on the●r side ; whereas it is as much against them as for them : and as much for vs as them . Againe their manner hath bin and is still to prooue their opinions by forged and counterfeit writings of men , some whereof I will name . 1 Saint Iames Liturgie . 2 The Canons of the Apostles . 3 The bookes of Dionysius Ariopagita , and namely De Hierarchia Ecclesiastica . 4 The Decretall Epistles of the Popes . 5 Pope Clements workes . 6 Some of the Epistles of Ignatius . 7 Origens booke of repentance . His homelies in diuersos sanctos . Commentaries ●● Iob : and booke of Lamentation . 8 Chrysostomes Liturgie . 9 Basils liturgie and his Ascetica . 10 Augustines booke de 8. quest . Dulcity . A booke of true and false repentance . Ser. de festo commemorationis animarum . booke de dogm . Ecclesiast . Sermon ad fratres in Heremo . Sermon of Peters chaire . Booke of visiting the sicke , &c. 11 Iustin Martyrs Questions and Answ. 12 Athanasius epistle to Pope Foelix . 13 Bernards sermons of the Lords supper . 14 Hieromes epistle ad Demetriadem sauouring of Pelagius . 15 Tertullian de Monogamia . 16 Cyprian de Chrismate & de ablutione pedum . 17 In the Councell of Sardica the 3,4 , and 5. canons are forged . 18 In the Councell of Nice all saue 20. are forged . 19 Certaine Romane Councels vnder Sylvester are forged . For he was at this time dead , and therefore could not confirme them . Sozom. lib. 2. 20 To the sixt canon of the Councell of Nice are patched these words , That the Romane church hath alwaies had the Supremacie . 21 Lastly , I will not omit that Pope Sozimus , Bonifacius , and Coelestinus falsified the canons of the councell of Nice , to prooue appeales from all places to Rome ; so as the Bishops of Africke were forced to send for the true copies of the said councell from Constantinople and the Churches of Greece . I might here rehearse many other sinnes which with the former call for vengeance vpon the Romane Church , but it shal suffice to haue named a few of the principall . Now in this reason , our Sauiour Christ prescribes another maine dutie to his owne people : and that is , to be carefull to eschew all the sinnes of the Church of Rome , that they may withall escape her deserued plagues and punishmēts . And frō this prescribed dutie I obserue two things . The first is , that euery good seruant of God , must carefully auoid contracts of marriage with professed Papists , that is , with such as hold the Pope for their head , and beleeue the doctrine of the Councell of Trent . For in such matches men hardly keepe faith and good conscience , and hardly auoid communication with the sinnes of the Romane church . A further ground of this doctrine I thus propound . In Gods word there is mentioned a double league betweene man and man , countrie and countrie . The first is the league of concord , when one kingdome bindes it selfe to liue in peace with another , for the maintenance of trafficke without disturbance : and this kind of league may stand betweene Gods church and the enemies thereof . The second is the league of amitie : which is when men , people , or countries binde themselues to defend each other in all causes : and to make the warres of the one , the warres of the other ; and this league may not be made with those that be enemies of God. Iehosaphat , otherwise a good king , made this kind of league with Ahab : and is therfore reprooued by the prophet , saying , Wouldest thou helpe the wicked , and loue them that hate the Lord ? 2. Chr. 19.2 . Now the mariages of Protestants with Papists are priuate leagues of amitie , betweene person and person : and therefore not be allowed . Againe Malac. 2.11 . Iudah hath defiled the holinesse of the Lord which he loued , and hath married the daughters of a strange God : where is ●latly condemned marriages made with the people of a false god : nowe the papists by the consequents of their doctrine and religion , turne the true Iehoua into an idol of their own braine , as I haue shewed ; & the true Christ reuealed in the writtē word into a fained Christ made of bread . Yet if such a marriage be once made and finished it may not be dissolued . For such parties sinne not simply in that they marrie , but because they marrie not in the Lord , being of diuers religions . The fault is not in the substance of marriage but in the manner of making it ; and for this cause , the Apostle commaundes the beleeuing partie , not to forsake or refuse the vnbeleeuing partie , beeing a very infidel ( which no Papist is ) if he or shee will abide . 1. Cor. 7.13 . The second thing is , that euery seruant of God must take heede howe hee trauels into such countries where Popish religion is stablished , least hee partakes in the sinnes and punishments thereof . Indeede to goe vpon ambassage to any place , or to trauell for this end , that wee may performe the necessarie duties for our speciall or generall callings , is not vnlawefull : but to trauell out of the precincts of the chnrch onely for pleasures sake , and to see strange fashions , hath no warrant . And hence it is , that many men which goe forth in good order well minded , come home with crased consciences . The best traueller of all is he , that liuing at home or abroad , can goe out of himselfe , and depart from his owne sinnes and corruptions by true repentance . FINIS . An aduertisement to all fauourers of the Romane religion , shewing that the said religion is against the Catholike principles and grounds of the Catechisme . GReat is the number of them that embrace the religion of the present Church of Rome , beeing deceiued by the glorious titles of Vniuersalitie , Antiquitie , Succession . And no doubt , though some be wilfully blinded , yet many deuoted this waie , neuer sawe any other trueth . Nowe of them and the rest I desire this fauour , that they will but weigh and ponder with thēselues this one thing , which I will nowe offer to their considerations , and that is , That the Romane religion now stablished by the councell of Trent , is in the principall points thereof against the grounds of the Catechisme , that haue beene agreed vpon euer since the daies of the Apostles , by all Churches . These groundes are foure ; the first is the Apostles Creed : the second is the decalogue or tenne commandements : the third is the forme of praier called the Lords praier : the fourth is the Institution of the two Sacraments baptisme and the Lords supper . 1. Cor. 11.23 . That I may in some order manifest this which I say , I will begin with the Symbole or Creed . And first of all it must bee considered , that some of the principall doctrines beleeued in the Church of Rome are , that the Pope or Bishop of Rome is the vicar of Christ , and the head of the Catholike church : that there is a fire of purgatorie after this life : that images of God and Saints are to be placed in Churches and worshipped : that praier is to bee made to Saints departed & their interceffion to be required : that there is a propitiatorie sacrifice daily o●●ered in the masse for the sinnes of the quicke & the dead . These points are of that moment , that without them the Romane religion cānot stand : and in the councel of Trent the curse Anathema is pronounced vpon all such as denie these or any of them . And yet marke ; the Apostles Creede which hath bin thought to containe all necessarie points in religion to bee beleeued : and hath therefore beene called the kay & rule of faith : this creed I say , hath not any of these points : nor the Expositions made thereof by the auncient fathers , nor any other Creede or confession of faith made by any councel or Church for the space of many hundred yeares . This is a plaine proofe to any indifferent man , that these be new articles of faith neuer knowne in the Apostolike Church : & that the fathers & councels could not find any such articles of faith in the books of the old and new testament . Answer is made : that all these points of doctrine are beleeued vnder the article , I beleeue the Catholike Church ; the meaning whereof , they wil haue to be this , I beleeue all things which the Catholicke church holdeth and teacheth to be beleeued . If this bee as they say , we must needes beleeue in the Church : that is , put our confidence in the Church , for the manifestation and the certentie of all doctrines necessarie to saluation : and thus the eternal trueth of God the Creatour , shall depend on the determination of the creature ; and the written word of God in this respect is made vnsufficient ; as though it had not plainely reuealed all points of doctrine pertaining to saluation . And the ancient Churches haue beene farre ouerseene , that did not propound the former points to be beleeued as articles of faith , but left them to these latter times . 2. In this Creede , to beleeue in God , and to beleeue the Church , are distinguished . To beleeue in , is pertaining to the Creatour , to beleeue , to the creature : as Ruffinus hath noted , when he saith , that by this preposition in , the Creatour is distinguished from the creature , and things pertaining to God from things pertaining to men . And Augustine saith , It must be knowne that we must beleeue the Church , and not beleeue in the Church : because the Church is not God , but the house of God. Hence it followes , that we must not beleeue in the Saints , nor put our confidence in our workes , as the learned Papists teach . Therfore Eusebius saith , We ought of right to beleeue Peter and Paul , but to beleeue in Peter and Paul , that is , to giue to the seruants the honour of the Lord , we ought not . And Cyprian saith , He doth not beleeue in God which doeth not place in him alone the trust of his whole felicitie . 3. The article , conceiued by the holy Ghost , is ouerturned by the transubstātiation of bread and wine in the masse , into the bodie and blood of Christ. For here wee are taught to confesse the true and perpetuall incarnation of Christ , beginning in his conception , and neuer ending afterward : and wee acknowledge the trueth of his manhood , and that his bodie hath the essentiall properties of a true body , standing of flesh & bone : hauing quātitie , figure , dimēsions , namly length , breadth , thicknes : hauing part out of part , as head out of feet , & feet out of head , being also circūscribed , visible , touchable : in a word , it hath al things in it , which by order of creatiō , belōg to a body . It wil be said , that the bodie of Christ may remaine a true bodie & yet be altered in respect of some qualities , as namely circumscription . But I say againe , that locall circumscription can no way be seuered from a bodie , it remaining a bodie . For to be circumscribed in place , is an essentiall propertie of euery quantitie : and quantitie is the common essence of euery bodie . And therefore a bodie in respect of his quantitie must needs be circumscribed in one place . This was the iudgement of Leo , when hee said , The ●odie of Christ is by no meanes out of the trueth of our bod●● . And Augustine , when he said , Onely God in Christ so comes that he doth not depart●●o returnes , that he doth not leaue vs : but man according to bodie is in place , and goes out of the same place , and when he shall come vnto another place , he is not in that place whence he comes . To helpe the matter , they vse to distinguish thus . Christs bodie in respect of the a whole essence thereof may be in many places ; but not in respect of the whole quantitie , whereby it is only in one place . But as I haue said , they speake contraries : for quantitie ( by all learning ) is the essence of a bodie , without which a bodie cannot be . 4. In the Creede wee confesse that Christ is ascended into heauen , and there after his ascension sits at the right hand of his father , and that according to his manhood . Hence I conclude , that Christs bodie is not really and locally in the sacrament , and in euery Host , which the priest consecrateth . This argument was good when Vigilius against Eutiches said , When it ( the flesh ) was on earth , it was not in heauen : and because it is nowe in heauen , it is not on earth : and he addes afterward that this is the Catholike faith and confession . And it was good when Fulgentius said , According to his humane substance hee was absent from earth , when he was in heauen , and he left the earth when he ascended into heauen . And , The same inseparable Christ , according to his whole manhood leauing the earth , locally ascended into heauen , and sits at the right hand , and according to the same whole manhood , he is to come to iudgement . And it was good when Cyril said , No man doubts but that when hee ascended into heauen , though hee be alwaies present by the power of his spirit , he was absent in respect of the presence of his flesh . And it was good , when Augustine said , According to the flesh , which the Word assumed , he ascended into heauen , he is not here : there he sits at the right hād of the father : and he is here according to the presence of his maiestie . And , Hee went as hee was man , and he aboad as he was God : he went by that whereby he was in one place ; he aboad by that whereby he was euery where . 5. Againe , in that we beleeue the Catholike church , it followes that the Catholike church is inuisible : because things seene are not beleeued . And the answer commonly vsed , that we beleeue the holinesse of the Church , will not serue the turne . For the wordes are plaine , and in them we make confession that we beleeue not onely the holinesse of the Church , but also the Church it selfe . 6. Lastly the articles , Remission of sinnes , Resurrection of the bodie , and Life euerlasting , containe a confession of speciall faith . For the meaning of them is thus much : I beleeue the remission of mine own sins , & the resurrection of mine own body to life euerlasting : & that by the iudgement of learned antiquitie . August . saith , If thou also beleeue that thou shalt rise again & ascend into heauen ( because thou art sure of so great a patrone ) thou art certen of so great a gift . And , Make not Christ lesse , who brings thee to the kingdōe of heauen , for remission of sins . Without this faith , if any come to baptisme , he shuts the gate of mercie against himselfe . And , Whosoeuer faithfully beleeueth , & holds this profession of his faith ( in which all his sins are forgiuē him ) let him prepare his wil to the will of god , & not feare his passage by death . And , The whole Sacrament of baptisme standes in this , that we beleeue the resurrectiō of the body & remission of sins to be giuen vs of God. And , He gaue these keies to the Church — , that whosoeuer in his church , should not beleeue his sins to be forgiuen , they should not be forgiuen vnto him : and whosoeuer beleeued , & turned frō thē abiding in the lap of the said church , at length shal be healed by faith & amendment of life . And , That which thou hast heard to be fulfilled in the glorious resurrection of Christ , beleeue that the very same shall bee fulfilled in thee , in the last iudgement and the resurrection of thy flesh , shall restore thee for all eternitie . For vnlesse thou shalt beleeue that thou art to bee repaired by death , thou canst not come to the reward of life eternall . And in ancient time the article of the resurrection hath beene rehearsed on this manner , The resurrection of this flesh : and the last applyed vnto it , To euerlasting life . Hence then two maine opinions of the Church of Rome are quite ouerthrowen , one that we cannot by speciall faith be certaine of the remission of our sinnes , and the saluation of our soules : the other , that a man truly iustified may fall away and be damned . Nowe this cannot bee , if the practise of the auncient Church bee good , which hath taught vs to beleeue euerlasting life ioyntly without remission of sinnes . To come vnto the Decalogue , first of all it is a rule in expounding the seuerall commandements , that where any vice is forbidden , there the contrarie vertue is commanded , and all vertues of the same kinde , with all their causes , occasions , furtherances . This rule is graunted of all : and hence it followes , that counsels of perfection , if they haue in them any furtherance of vertue , are inioyned in and by the law , and therefore prescribe no state of perfection beyond the scope of the lawe . Secondly the commandement , Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image , &c. hath two seuerall parts . The first forbids the making of carued or graued images : the second forbids the adoratiō of them . Now the first part is notably expounded by Moses , Deut. 4.16 . Take good heed vnto your selues , that ye corrupt not your selues and make you a grauen image or representation of any figure in the likenesse of male or female . Marke the reason of this prohibition in the same place : for ( saith he ) ye saw no image in the day the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb and v. 15. Yee heard the voice of the wordes but sawe no similitude saue a voice . Nowe the reason beeing vnderstood of the image of God himselfe : the prohibition must needes be so vnderstood . Againe there is no question ; that God directs his commandement against a ●inne in speculation , but against some common and wicked practise of the Iewes , and that was to represent God himselfe in likenesses and bodily formes . Esai . 40. 1● . And that was also the practise of the Gentiles , that were farre more grosse in this kinde then the Iewes . Rom. 1.23 . This then is plaine to any indifferent man , that the first part of the commandement forbiddes the making of grauen images or likenesses of the true Iehoua : and thus the Romane Catechisme vnderstands t●● wordes . As for the second part , it must be vnderstood according to them eaning of the first : and therefore it forbids vs , to bow downe to any image of God. Hence then it followes , that to worship God or Saints in , or , at images , and to worship images with religious worship is abominable idolatrie . And common reason might teach vs thus much . For they that adore and worship the true God in images , doe binde the presence of God , his operation , grace , and his hearing of vs , to certen things , places , signes , to which he hath not bound himselfe , either by commandement or promise : and that is , otherwise to worship God , and to seeke for his blessings , then he hath commaunded himselfe to be worshipped , or promised to heare vs. Vpon this ground , is plainely ouerthrowne the excuse which they make , that they worshippe not images but God and Saints in images : for neither God nor the Saints doe acknowledge this kinde of honour , but they abhorre it . Whence it followes necessarily , that they worship nothing beside the image , or , the deuise of their owne braine , in which they faine to themselues such a god as will be worshipped , and receiue our praiers at images . It will be saide , that the Papists doe no otherwise tie the worship and inuocation of God to images , then God tied himselfe to the sanctuarie and the temple of Salomon . And I say againe , it was the will of God that he would shew his presence , and be worshipped at the Sanctuarie , and the Iewes had the warrant of Gods word for it : but we haue no like warrant , either by promise or commandement to tie Gods presence to an image or crucifix . Againe , reason yet further may discouer their idolatrie . They , which worship they know not what , worship an idol : but the Papists worship they know not what : I prooue it thus . To the consecration of the host , there is required the intention of the Priest , at the least vertually , as they say , and if this be true , it followes that none of them can come to the Masse , or pray in faith , but he must alwaies doubt of that which is lifted vp by the hands of the priest in the masse : whether it be bread or the bodie and blood of Christ. For none can haue any certentie of the intention of the priest in consecrating this bread and this wine : but rather may haue a iust occasion of doubting by reason of the common ignorance and loosenesse of life in such persons . Thirdly the commaundement touching the Sabbath , giues a libertie to worke sixe daies in the ordinarie affaires of our callings : and this libertie cannot be repealed by any creature . The Church of Rome therefore erreth , in that it prescribeth set and ordinarie festiuall daies , not onely to God but also to Saints : inioyning them as straitly and with as much solemnitie to be obserued , as the Sabbath of the Lord. Fourthly , the third commaundement , or ( as they say ) the fourth , inioynes children to obey father and mother in all things , specially in matters of moment , as in their marriage and choice of their callings : and that euen to death : and yet the church of Rome against the intent of this commaundement , allowes that clandestine marriages , and the vowe of religion shall be in force , though they be without , and against the consent of wise and carefull parents . Fiftly , the last commandement of lust , forbiddes the first motions to sinne , that are before consent . I prooue it thus . Lusting is forbidden in the former commandements as well as in the last , yea lusting that is ioyned with consent : as in the commandement , Thou shalt not commit adulterie , is forbidden lusting after our neighbours wife : & in the next , lusting after our neighbours goods , &c. Now if the last commandement also forbid no more but lust with consent , it is confounded with the rest : and by this meanes there shall not be ten distinct words , or , commandements : which to say is absurd : it remaines therefore that the lust here forbidden goes before consent . Againe , the Philosophers knew that lust with consent was euill , euen by the light of nature : but Paul a learned Pharise and therefore more then a Philosopher , knew not lust to be sinne , that is forbidden in this commandement , Rom. 7. Lust therefore that is forbidden here , is without consent . Wicked then is the doctrine of the Romane Church , teaching that in euery mortall sinne is required an act commāded of the will : and hence they say many thoughts against faith and vncleane imaginations are no sinnes . 6 Lastly , the words of the second commandement . And shew mercie to thousands on them that loue me and keepe my commandements , ouerthrowes all humane merits . For if the reward be giuen of mercie to them that keepe the law , it is not giuen for the merit of the worke done . To come to the third part of the Catechisme : the Lords praier is a most absolute and perfect forme of praier . For which cause it was called of Tertullian , The breuiarie of the Gospel : and Coelestinus saith , the law of praying is the law of beleeuing and the law of working . Now in this prayer we are taught to direct our praiers to God alone , Our father , &c. and that onely in the name and mediation of Christ. For God is our father onely by Christ. It is needelesse therefore , to vse any inuocation of Saints , or to make them our mediatours of intercession vnto God : and it is sufficient , if we pray onely vnto God in the name of Christ alone . 2 In the fourth petition , we say thus , Giue vs our daily bread . In which words , we acknowledge that euery morsell of bread is the meere gift of God. What madnes then is it , for vs to thinke that we should merit the kingdome of heauen by works , that can not merit so much as bread ? 3 In the next petition , Forgiue vs our debts , foure opinions of the Romane religion are directly ouerthrowne . The first is concerning humane Satisfactions . For the child of God is here after his conuersion taught , to humble himselfe day by day , and to pray for the pardon of his daily sinnes : now to make satisfaction and to sue for pardon be contrarie . The second opinion here ouerthrowne , is touching merits . For we doe acknowledge our selues to be debters vnto God , yea bankrupts : and that beside the maine summe of many thousand talents , we daily increase the debt : therefore we can not possibly merit any of the blessings of God. It is meere madnes to thinke , that they which cannot pay their debts , but rather increase them day by day , should deferue or purchase any of the goods of the creditours , or the pardō of their debts : & if any fauour be shewed thē , it comes of meere goodwil without the least desert . In a word , this must be thought vpon , that , if all we can doe , will not keep vs frō increasing the maine summe of our debt , much les●e shall we be able by any merit to diminish the same . By good right therfore do al gods seruāts ca●t downe themselues and pray , Forgiue vs our debts . The third opinion is that punishment may be retained , the fault beeing wholly remitted : but this can not stand , for here sinne is called our debt : because by nature we owe vnto God obedience , and for the defect of this paiment , we further owe vnto him the forfiture of punishment . Sinne then is called our debt in respect of the punishment . And therefore when we pray for the pardon of sinne , we require the pardon not onely of fault , but of the whole punishment . And when a debt is pardoned , it is absurd to thinke that the least paiment should remaine . The fourth opinion is that a man in this life may fulfill the law , whereas in this place euery seruant of God is taught to aske a daily pardon for the breach of the law . Answer is made , that our daily sinnes are veniall and not against the law but beside the law . But this which they say is against the petition : for a debt that comes by forfiture is against the bond or obligation . Now euery sinne is a debt causing the forfiture of punishment : and therefore is not beside , but directly against the law . 4 In this clause , as we forgiue our debters , it is taken for graunted , that we may certenly know that we are in loue and charitie with men , when we make reconciliation : why then may not we know certenly that we repent and beleeue and are reconciled to God : which all Romane Catholikes denie . 5 In the last wordes , and lead vs not into temptation , we pray not , that God should free vs from temptation ( for it is otherwhiles good to be tempted , Psal. 26.1 . ) but that we be not left to the malice of Sathan , and held captiue of the temptation , for here to be lead into temptation , and to be deliuered , are opposed . Now hence I gather , that he which is the child of God truly iustified and sanctified , shall neuer fall wholly and finally from the grace of God : and I conclude on this manner . That which we aske according to the will of God , shall be graunted , 1. Ioh. 5. but this the child of God asketh , that he might neuer be wholly forsaken of his father , and left captiue in temptation . This therfore shall be graunted . 6 This clause Amen , signifies a speciall faith touching all the former petitions , that they shall be graunted : and therefore a speciall faith concerning remission of sinnes : which the Romane Church denieth . To come to the last place , to the Institution of the sacrament of the Lords Supper , 1. Cor. 11.23 . In which first of all the Reall presence is by many circumstances ouerthrowne . Out of the wordes , he tooke and brake , it is plaine that , that which Christ tooke was not his bodie : because he can not be saide with his owne hands to haue taken , held , and broken himselfe , but the very bread . Againe Christ said not : vnder the forme of bread , or in bread : but This , that is , bread is my bodie . 3. Bread was not giuen for vs but onely the bodie of Christ : and in this first institution , the bodie of Christ was not really giuen to death . 4. The cup , is the new testament by a figure : why may not the bread be the bodie of Christ by a figure also ? 5. Christ did eate the supper , but not him selfe . 6. We are bidden to doe it , till he come : Christ then is not bodily present . 7. Christ biddes the bread to be eaten in a remembrance of him : but signes of remembrance are of things absent . 8. If the Popish reall presence be granted , then the bodie and blood of Christ are either seuered or ioyned together . If seuered , then Christ is still crucified . If ioyned together , then the bread is both the bodie and blood of Christ : whereas the institution saith , the bread is the bodie , and the wine is the blood . 2 Againe , here is condemned the administration of the sa●ram●nt vnder one onely kind . For the commandement of Christ is , Drinke ye all of this , Mat. 26.27 . And this commaundement is rehearsed to the Church of Corinth in these wordes , Doe this as oft as ye drinke in remembrance of me . v. 25. And no power can reuerse this commandement : because it was established by the soueraigne head of the Church . These fewe lines , as also the former treatise , I offer to the vew and reading of them , that fauour the Romane religion : willing them with patience to cōsider this one thing , that their religion , if it were Catholike and Apostolike ( as they pretende ) it could not be contrarie so much as in one point , to the groundes of all Catechismes , that haue beene vsed in all Churches , confessing the name of Christ , euer since the Apostles daies . And whereas it crosseth the said groundes in sundrie points of doctrine , ( as I haue prooued ) it is a plaine argument that the present Romane religion , is degenerate . I write not this despising or hating their persons for their religion , but wishing vnfainedly their conuersion in this world , and their saluation in the world to come . FINIS . THE FOVNDATION OF CHRISTIAN RELIgion : gathered into sixe Principles . And it is to be learned of ignorant people , that they may be fit to heare Sermons with profit , and to receiue the Lords Supper with comfort . Psalme 119. 30. The entrance into thy words sheweth light , and giueth vnderstanding to the simple . Printed for I.L. and I.P. 1600. To all ignorant people that desire to be instructed . POore people , your manner is to sooth vp your selues , as though yee were in a most happie estate : but if the matter come to a iust triall , it will fall out farre otherwise . For you lead your liues in great ignorance , as may appeare by these your common opinions which follow . 1 That faith is a mans good meaning and his good seruing of God. 2 That God is serued by the rehearsing of the ten Commandements , the Lords prayer , and the Creede . 3 That ye haue beleeued in Christ euer since you could remember . 4 That it is pitie he should liue which doth any whit doubt of his saluation . 5 That none can tell whether he shall be saued or no certainely : 〈◊〉 that all men must be of a good beleefe . 6 That howsoeuer a man liue , yet if he call vpon God on his death-bed , and say , Lord haue mercie vpon me , and so goe away like a lambe , he is certainely saued . 7 That , if any be strangely visited , he is either taken with a Planet , or bewitched . 8 That a man may lawfully sweare when he speakes nothing but the truth : and sweares by nothing but that which is good , as by his faith or troth . 9 That a Preacher is a good man no longer then he is in the pulpit . They thinke all like themselues . 10 That a man may repent when he will , because the Scripture saith , At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne , &c. 11 That it is an easier thing to please God then to please our neighbour . 12 That ye can keepe the commandements , as well as God will giue you leaue . 13 That it is the safest to doe in Religion as most doe . 14 That merrie ballads and books , as Scogin , Bevis of Southampton , &c. are good to driue away time , and to remooue heart-quames . 15 That ye can serue God with all your hearts , & that ye would be sory els . 16 That a man neede not heare so many sermons except he could followe them better . 17 That a man which commeth at no sermons , may as well beleeue , as he which heares all the sermons in the world . 18 That ye know all the Preacher can tell you . For he can say nothing , but that euery man is a sinner , that we must loue our neighbours as our selues , that euery man must be saued by Christ : and all this ye can tell as well as he . 19 That it was a good world when the olde Religion was , because all things were cheape . 20 That drinking and bezeling in the alehouse or tauerne is good felowship , and shewes a good kind nature , and maintaines neighbourhoode . 21 That a man may sweare by the Masse , because it is nothing now : and by r Ladie , because shee is gone out of the countrie . 22 That euery man must be for himselfe , and God for vs all . 23 That a man may make of his owne whatsoeuer he can . 24 That if a man remember to say his praiers in the morning ( though h● neuer vnderstand them ) he hath blessed himselfe for all the day following . 25 That a man praieth when he saith the ten Command●ments . 26 That a man eates his maker in the Sacrament . 27 That if a man be no adulterer , no thiefe , nor murderer , and doe no man harme , he is a right honest man. 28 That a man neede not haue any knowledge of Religion , because he is not booke-learned . 29 That one may haue a good meaning , when he saith and doth that which is euill . 30 That a man may goe to wizards , called wisemen , for counsell : because God hath prouided a salue for euery sore . 31 That ye are to be excused in all your doings , because the best men are sinners . 32 That ye haue so strong a faith in Christ , that no euill companie can hurt you . These and such like sayings , what argue they but your grosse ignorance ? Now , where ignorance raigneth , there raignes sinne : and where sinne raignes , there the deuill rules : and where he rules , man are in a damnable case . Ye will replie vnto me thus : that ye are not so bad I would make you : if neede be you can say the Creede , the Lords prayer , and the ten Commandements : and therefore ye will be of Gods beleefe say all men what they will , and you defie the deuill from yours hearts . I answer againe , that it is not sufficient to say all these without booke , vnlesse ye can vnderstand the meaning of the words , and be able to make a right vse of the Commandements , of the Creede , of the Lords prayer , by applying them inwardly to your hearts and consciences , and outwardly to your liues and conuersations . This is the very point in which ye faile . And for an helpe in this your ignorance , to bring you to true knowledge , vnfained faith , and sound repentance : here I haue set downe the principall point of Christian religion in sixe plaine and easie rules , euen such as the simplest may easily learne : and hereunto is adioyned an exposition of them word by word . If ye doe want other good direction , then vse this my labour for your instruction . In reading of it first learne the sixe principles , and when ye haue them without the booke and the meaning of them withall , then learne the exposition also : which beeing well conceiued , and in some measure felt in the heart , ye shall be able to profit by Sermons , whereas now ye cannot : and the ordinarie parts of the Catechisme , namely the ten Commaundements , the Creede , the Lords prayer , and the institution of the two Sacraments shall more easily be vnderstood . Thine in Christ Iesus , William Perkins . The foundation of Christian religion , gathered into sixe Principles . The first Principle . Question . VVHat doest thou beleeue concerning God ? A. There is one God , creator and gouernour of all things , distinguished into the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost . Prooues out of the word of God. 1. There is a God. For the invisible things of him , that is , his eternall power and Godhead , are seene by the creation of the world , beeing considered in his workes , to the intent , that they should be without excuse . Neuerthelesse , he left not himselfe without witnesse , in that he did good and gaue vs raine from heauen , and fruitful seasons , filling our hearts with food and gladnes . 2. This God one . Concerning therefore meat sacrificed to idols , we knowe that an idol is nothing in the worlde : and that there is none other God but one . 3. He is creatour of all things . In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth . Through faith wee vnderstand , that the world was ordained by the word of God : so that the things which we see , are not made of things which did appeare . 4. He is gouernour of all things . The eies of the Lord in euery place behold the euill and the good . Yea , and all the haires of your head are numbred . 5. Distinguished into the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost . And Iesus when he was baptized came straight out of the water , and loe , the heauens were opened vnto him , and Iohn sawe the spirit of God descending like a Doue and lighting vpon him . And loe , a voice came from heauen , saying : This is my beloued sonne , in whome I am well pleased . For there are three , which beare record in heauen , the Father , the word , and the holy Ghost , and these three are one . The second Principle . Q. What dost thou beleeue cōcerning man , & cōcerning thine own selfe ? A. All men are wholly corrupted with sinne through Adams fall , and so are become slaues of Sathan , and guiltie of eternall damnation . 1. All men are corrupted with sinne . As it is written , there is none righteous , no not one . 2. They are wholly corrupted . Nowe the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout , and I pray God that your whole spirit , and soule , and bodie , may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. This I say therefore and testifie in the Lord , that ye henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke in vanitie of their minde . Hauing their cogitation darkened , and beeing strangers from the life of God. through the ignorance that is in them , because of the hardnesse of their heart . When the Lord sawe that the wickednesse of man was great in the earth , and all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were onely euill continually . 3. Through Adams fall Wherefore as by one man , sinne entred into the worlde , and death by sinne , and so death went went ouer all men , for so much as all men haue sinned . 4. And so are become slaues of Sathan . Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of the worlde , and after the prince that ruleth in the aire , euen the spirit that nowe worketh in the children of disobedience . For as much then as the children were partakers of flesh and blood , he also himselfe likewise tooke part with them , that hee might destroy through death , him that had the power of death , that is , the deuill . In whome the God of this world hath blinded the mindes , that is , of Infidels , that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ , which is the image of God should not shine vnto them . 5. And guiltie of eternall damnation . For as many as are of the workes of the Lawe , are vnder the curse , for it is written : Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things , which are written in the booke of the Lawe to doe them . Likewise then as by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation : so by the iustifying of one , the benefit abounded toward all men to the iustification of life . The third Principle . Q. What meanes is there for thee to escape this damnable estate ? A. Iesus Christ the eternall sonne of God , beeing made man , by his death vpon the crosse and by his righteousnes , hath perfectly alone by himselfe , accomplished all things that are needfull for the saluation of mankind . 1. Iesus Christ the eternall sonne of God , And the word was made flesh and dwelt among vs , and we sawe the glory thereof , as the glory of the onely begotten ( Sonne ) of the Father full of grace and trueth . 2. Being made man. For he in no sort tooke the angels , but he tooke the seede of Abraham . 3. By his death vpon the crosse . But he was wounded for our transgressions , he was broken for our iniquities , the chastisement of our peace was vpon him , and with his stripes we are healed . 4. And by his righteousnes . For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners , so by the obedience of one , shall many also be made righteous . For he hath made him to be sinne for vs which knewe no sinne , that wee should be made the righteousnes of God in him . 5. Hath perfectly Wherefore he is able also perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him , seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them . 6. Alone by himselfe Neither is there saluation in any other , for among men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen , whereby we must be saued . 7. Accomplished all things needefull for the saluation of mankind . And he is the reconciliation for our sinnes , and not for ours onely , but also for the sinnes of the whole worlde . The fourth Principle . Q. But how maiest thou be made partaker of Christ and his benfits ? A. A man of a contrite and humble spirit , by faith alone apprehending & applying Christ with all his merits vnto himselfe , is iustified before God and sanctified . 1. A man of a contrite and humble spirit For thus saith hee , that is high and excellent , he that inhabiteth the eternitie , whose name is the holy one , I dwell in the high and holy place , with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit , to reuiue the spirit of the humble , and to giue life to thē that are of a contrite heart . The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit , a contrite and a broken heart , O God , thou wilt not despise . 2. By faith alone . As soone as Iesus heard that word spoken , he said vnto the Ruler of the Sinagogue , be not afraid , onely beleeue . So Moses made a serpent of brasse , and set it vp for a signe , and when a serpent had bitten a man , then he looked to the serpent of brasse and liued . And as Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse , so must the sonne of man bee lifted vp . That whosoeuer beleeueth in him , should not perish , but haue eternall life . 3. Apprehending and applying Christ with all his merits vnto himselfe . But as many as receiued him , to them he gaue power , to bee the sonnes of God , to them that beleeue in his name . And Iesus said vnto them , I am the bread of life , hee that commeth to me shall not hunger : and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst . 4. Is iustified before God. For what saith the Scripture , Abraham beleeued God , and it was counted to him for righteousnes . Euen as Dauid declareth the blessednes of the man , vnto whome God imputeth righteousnes , without workes , saying : Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen , and whose sinnes are couered . 5. And sanctified . And he put no difference betweene vs and them , after that by faith he had purified their hearts . But ye are of him in Christ Iesus , who of God is made vnto vs wisdome , and righteousnesse , and sanctification and redemption . The fift Principle . Q. What are the ordinarie or vsuall meanes for the obtaining of faith ? A. Faith commeth only by the preaching of the word , and increaseth daily by it : as also by the administration of the Sacraments and praier . 1. Faith cōmeth only by the preaching of the word , & increaseth daily by it . But howe shal they cal on him , in whom they haue not beleeued , how shal they beleeue in him , of whome they haue not heard : and howe shall they heare without a preacher ? Where there is no vision the people decay , but he that keepeth the lawe is blessed . My people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge : because thou hast refused knowledge , I will also refuse thee , that thou shalt bee no priest to mee , and seeing thou hast forgotten the lawe of thy God , I will also forget thy children . 2. As also by the administration of the Sacraments . After he receiued the signe of circumcision , as the seale of the righteousnes of the faith , which he had when he was vncircumcised , that he should bee the Father of all them that beleeue not beeing circumcised , that righteousnes might be imputed to thē also . Moreouer brethren , I would not that yee should bee ignorant , that all our Fathers were vnder the cloud , and all passed through the sea , &c. 3. And Praier . For whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued . The sixt Principle . Q. What is the estate of all men after death ? A. All men shal rise againe with their owne bodies , to the last iudgement , which beeing ended , the godly shall possesse the kingdome of heauen : but vnbeleeuers and reprobates shall bee in hell , tormented with the diuell and his angels for euer . 1. All men shall rise againe with their owne bodies . Maruell not at this , for the houre shall come , in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice . And they shall come forth that haue done good , vnto the resurrection of life : but they that haue done euill , vnto the resurrection of condemnation . 2. To the last iudgement . For God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement , with euery secret thing , whether it be good or euill . But I say vnto you , that of euery idle worde that men shall speake , they shall giue account thereof , at the day of iudgement . 3. VVhich beeing ended ; the godly And deliuered iust Lot , vexed with the vncleane conuersation of the wicked . And the Lord said vnto him : goe through the middest of the cittie , euen through the middest of Ierusalem , and set a marke vpon the foreheads of them that mourne and crie for all the abominations that be done in the middest thereof . 4. Shall possesse the kingdome of God. Then shall the king say to them on his right hand , Come ye blessed of my father , inherit ye the kingdome prepared for you , from the beginning of the world . 5. But vnbeleeuers and rebrobates shall bee in hell tormented with the deuill and his angels . Then shal he say vnto them on the left hand , depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire , which is prepared for the deuill and his angels . The Scriptures for proofe were onely quoted by the author , to moue thee to search them : the wordes them●elues I haue expressed , at the earnest request of many , that thou maiest more easily learne them : if yet thou wilt be ignorāt , thy malice is euident : if thou gaynest knowledge , giue God the glorie in doing of his will. Thine T. S. THE EXPOSITION OF THE PRINCIPLES . The first Principle expounded . Question . WHat is God ? A. God is a a spirit , or a spirituall substance , most wise , most holy , eternall , infinite . Q. How doe you perswade your selfe that there is such a God ? A. Besides the testimonie of the Scriptures , plaine reason will shew it . Q. What is one reason ? A. When I consider b the wonderfull frame of the world , me thinks the silly creatures that be in it could neuer make it : neither could it make it selfe , and therefore besides all these , the maker of it must needes be God. Euen as when a man comes into a strange country , and sees faire and sumptuous buildings , and yet findes no liuing creatures there besides birds and beasts , he will not imagine that either birdes or beasts reared those buildings , but he presently conceiues , that some men either were or haue beene there . Q. What other reason haue you ? A. c A man that commits any sinne , as murder , fornication , adulterie , blasphemie , &c. albeit he doth so conceale the matter , that no man liuing know of it , yet oftentimes he hath a griping in his conscience , and feeles the very flashing of hell fire : which is a strong reason to shew that there is a God , before whose iudgement seat he must answer for this fact . Q. How many Gods are there ? A. No d more but one . Q. How doe you conceiue this one God in your minde ? A. Not e by framing any image of him in my minde ( as ignorant folks doe , that thinke him to be an old man sitting in heauen ) but I conceiue him by his properties and workes . Q. What be his chiefe properties ? A. First , he is f most wise , vnderstanding all things aright , and knowing the reason of them . Secondly , he is g most holy , which appeareth in that he is most iust and mercifull vnto his creatures . Thirdly , he is h eternall , without either beginning or ende of daies . Lastly , he is i infinite , both because he is present in all places , and because he is of power sufficient to doe whatsoeuer he k will. Q. What be the workes of God ? A. l The creation of the world , and of euery thing therein , and the preseruation of them beeing created by his speciall prouidence . Q. How know you that God gouerneth euery particular thing in the world by his speciall prouidence ? A. To omit the m Scriptures , I see it by experience : n Meate , Drinke , and clothing beeing void of heate and life , could not preserue the life of man , vnlesse there were a speciall prouidence of God to giue vertue vnto them . Q. How is this one God distinguished ? A. o Into the Father which begetteth the Sonne : into the Sonne who is begotten of the Father : into the holy Ghost , p who proceedeth from the Father & the Sonne . The second Principle expounded . Q. Let vs nowe come to ours selues , and first tell me what is the naturall estate of man ? A. Euery man is by nature a dead in sin as a loathsome carrion , or as a dead corps lyeth rotting and stincking in the graue , hauing in him the seede of all sinnes . Q. What is sinne ? A. Any b breach of the Lawe of God , if it be no more but the least want of that which the Lord requireth . Q. Howe many sortes of sinne are there ? A. Sinne is either c the corruption of nature , or any euill actions that proceede of it as fruites therof . Q. In whome is the corruption of nature ? A. In all men , d none excepted . Q. In what part of man is it ? A. In euery e part both of body and soule , like as a leprosie that runneth from the crowne of the head , to the sole of the foote . Q. Shew me howe euery part of man is corrupted with sinne ? A. First , in the f minde there is nothing but ignorance and blindenes concerning heauenly matters . Secondly , g the conscience is defiled , being alwaies either benummed with sinne , or else turmoyled with inward accusations and terrors . Thirdly , h the will of man onely willeth and lusteth after euil . Fourthly , the i affections of the heart , as loue , ioy , hope , desire , &c. are mooued and stirred to that which is euill to imbrace it , and they are neuer stirred vnto that which is good , vnlesse it be to eschewe it . Lastly , the k members of the body are the instruments and tooles of the mind for the execution of sinne . Q. What be those euill actions that are the fruites of this corruption ? A. l Euill thoughts in the minde , which come either by a mans owne conceiuing , or by the suggestion m of the deuill ; euill motions and lusts stirring in the heart , and frō these arise euill words and deeds , when any occasion is giuē . Q. Howe commeth it to passe that all men are thus defiled with sinne ? A. By n Adams infidelitie and disobedience , in eating the forbidden fruite : euen as we see great personages by treason doe not only hurt themselues , but also staine their blood , and disgrace their posteritie . Q. What hurt comes to man by his sinne ? A. o He is continually subiect to the curse of God in his life time , in the end of his life , and after this life . Q. VVhat is the curse of God in this life ? A. p In the bodie , diseases , aches , paines : in the soule blindnesse , hardnesse of heart , horrour of conscience : in goods hinderances , and losses : in name , ignominie and reproach : lastly , in the whole man , bondage vnder Sathan the prince of darkenes . Q. VVhat manner of bondage is this ? A. This a bondage is when a man is the ●laue of the deuill , and hath him to raigne in his heart as his God. Q. How may a man know whether Sathan be his God or not ? A. He may knowe it by this , if he giue obedience to him in his heart , & expresse it in his conuersation . Q. And howe shall a man perceiue this obedience ? A. If he a take delight in the euill motions that Sathan puts into his heart , & doe fulfill the lusts of the deuill . Q. What is the curse due to man in the ende of this life ? A. b Death , which is the seperation of bodie and soule . Q. What is the curse after this life ? A. c Eternal damnation in hel fire , whereof euery man is guiltie , and is in as great danger of it , as the traitour apprehended is in danger of hanging , drawing and quartering . The third principle expounded . Q. If damnation be the reward of sinne , then is a man of all creatures most miserable . A dog or a toade when they die , all their miserie is ended : but whē a man dieth there is the beginning of his woe . A. It were so indeede , if there were no meanes of deliuerance , but GOD hath shewed his mercie in giuing a Sauiour to mankind . Q. Howe is this Sauiour called ? A. d Iesus Christ. Q. What is Iesus Christ ? A. e The eternall sonne of God made man in all things , euen f in his infirmities like other men , saue onely in sinne . Q. Howe was he made man void of sinne ? A : He was g conceiued in the womb of a Virgine , and sanctified by the holy Ghost at his conception . Q. Why must our Sauiour be both God and man ? A : He h must be a man : because man hath sinned , and therfore a man must die for sinne to appease Gods wrath : he must be God to sustaine and vphold the manhood , to ouercome and vanquish death . Q : What be the offices of Christ to make him an al-sufficient Sauiour ? A : He i is a priest , a prophet , a King. Q : VVhy is he a priest ? A : To worke the meanes of saluation in the behalfe of mankind . Q : Howe doth he worke the meanes of saluation ? A : k First , by making satisfaction to his father for the sinne of man : Secondly , by making intercession . Q : How doth he make satisfaction ? A : By two meanes : and the first is by offering a sacrifice . Q : VVhat is this sacrifice ? A : l Christ himselfe , as he is man consisting of body and soule . Q : VVhat is the n Altar ? A : Christ as he is God , is the Altar on which he sacrificed himselfe . Q : VVho was the priest ? None but o Christ , and that as he is both God and man. Q : How oft did he sacrifice himselfe ? A : Neuer but p once . Q : VVhat death did he suffer when he sacrificed himselfe ? A : A death vpon the crosse , peculiar to him alone : for q besides the separation of bodie and soule , he felt also the pang●s of hell , in that the whole wrath of God due to the sinne of man , was powred forth vpon him . Q. What profit commeth by his Sacrifice ? A. Gods a wrath is appeased by it . Q. Could the suffering of Christ , which was but for a short time , counteruaile euerlasting damnation , and so appease Gods wrath ? A. Yea , for seeing Christ suffered b God suffered , though not in his godhead : & that is more thā if all men in the world had suffered for euer & euer . Q. Now tell me the other meanes of satisfaction . A. It is the perfect fulfilling of the lawe . Q. Howe did he fulfill the lawe ? A. By c his perfect righteousnes : which consisteth of two parts , the first , the integritie and purenesse of his humaine nature : the other , d his obedience in performing all that the lawe required . Q. You haue shewed how Christ doth make satisfaction , tell mee likewise howe he doth make intercession ? A. He alone doth continually e appeare before his father in heauen , making the faithfull and all their praiers acceptable vnto him , by applying of the merits of his owne perfect satisfaction to them . Q. Why is Christ a prophet ? A. To f reueale vnto his Church the waie and meanes of saluation , & this he doth outwardly by the ministerie of his word , and inwardly by the teaching of his holy spirit . Q. Why is he also a King ? A. That g he might bountifully bestowe vpon vs , and conuey vnto vs all the aforesaid meanes of saluation . Q. How doth he shewe himselfe to be a King ? A. In h that beeing dead and buried , hee rose from the graue , quickened his dead bodie , ascended into heauen , and nowe sitteth at the right hand of his father , with full full power and glory in heauen . Q. How else ? A. In i that he doeth continually inspire and direct his seruants by the diuine power of his holy spirit , according to his holy word . Q. But to whome will this blessed King communicate all these meanes of saluation ? A. He k offereth them to many , and they are sufficient to saue all mankind ; but all shall not be saued thereby , because by faith they will not receiue them . The fourth principle expounded . Q. What is faith ? A. Faith is a l wonderfull grace of God , by which a man doth apprehend and apply Christ , and all his benefits vnto himselfe . Q. Howe doth a man apply Christ vnto himselfe , seeing we are on earth , and Christ in heauen ? A. This m applying is done by assurance , when a man is verely perswaded by the holy spirit of Gods fauour towards himselfe particularly , and of the forgiuenes of his owne sinnes . Q. How doth God bring men truely to beleeue in Christ ? A. First he prepareth their hearts , that they might bee capable of faith : and then he worketh faith in them . Q. Howe doth God prepare mens heartes ? A. n By bruising them , as if one would breake an hard stone to powder : and this is done by hambling them . Q. How doth God humble a man ? A. By working in him a sight of his sinnes , and a sorrowe for them . Q. How is this sight of sinne wrought ? A. By the o morall lawe : the summe whereof is the ten commandements . Q. What sinnes may I finde in my selfe by them ? A. Ten. Q. What is the first ? A. a To make something thy God which is not God , by fearing it , louing it , so trusting in it more then in the true God. Q. What is the second ? A. b To worship false Gods , or the true God in a false manner . Q. What is the third ? A. c To dishonour God , in abusing his titles , wordes and workes . Q. What is the fourth ? A. d To breake the Sabboth , in doing the works of their calling and of the flesh : and in leauing vndone the workes of the spirit . Q. What be the sixe latter ? A. To doe any thing that may hinder thy neighbours e dignitie , f life , g chastitie , h wealth , i good name , k though it be but in the secret thoughts and motions of the heart , vnto which thou giuest no liking nor consent . Q. What is sorrowe for sinne ? A. It is l when a mans conscience is touched with a liuely feeling of Gods displeasure for any of these sinnes : in m such wise , that hee vtterly despaires of saluation , in regard of any thing in himselfe , acknowledging that he hath deserued shame and confusion eternally . Q. Howe doth God worke this sorrowe ? A. By the terrible curse of the Lawe . Q. What is that ? A. He n which breakes but one of the commandements of God , though it be but once in all his life time ; and that onely in one thought , is subiect to , and in danger of eternall damnation thereby . Q. When mens hearts are thus prepared , howe doth God ingraft faith in them ? A. By working certaine inward motions in the heart , which are the seedes of faith , out of which it breedeth . Q. What is the first of them ? A. When a man humbled vnder the burden of his sinnes , doth o acknoweledge and feele that he standes in great neede of Christ. Q. What is the second ? A. An p hungring desire and a longing to be made partaker of Christ & all his merits . Q. What is the third ? A. A q flying to the throne of grace , from the sentence of the Law pricking the conscience . Q. How is it done ? A. By r praying , with sending vp lowd cries for Gods fauour in Christ in the pardoning of sinne : and with feruent perseuerance herein , till the desire of the heart be graunted . Q. What followeth after all this ? A. God then , s according to his mercifull promise , le ts the poore sinner feel the assurance of his loue wherewith he loueth him in Christ , which assurance is a liuely faith . Q. Are there diuers degrees and measures of true faith ? A. t Yea. Q. What is the least measure of true faith that any man can haue ? A. When a man of an humble spirit by reason of the u littlenes of his faith , doth not yet feele the assurance of the forgiuenes of his sinnes , and yet he is perswaded that they are pardonable , and therefore desireth that they should be pardoned , and with his heart praieth to God to pardon them . Q. How doe you know that such a man hath faith ? A. These x desires and prayers are testimonies of the Spirit , whose property it is to stirre vp a longing and a lusting after heauenly things , with sighes and grones for Gods fauour & mercie in Christ. y Now where the spirit of Christ is , there is Christ dwelling : and where Christ dwelleth , there is true faith , how weake soeuer it be . Q. What is the greatest measure of faith ? A. When a man daily increasing in faith , comes to be a fully perswaded of Gods loue in Christ towards himselfe particularly , and of the forgiuenesse of his owne sinnes . Q. When shall a Christian heart come to this full assurance ? A. Not b at the first , but in some continuance of time , when he hath beene well practised in Repentance , and hath had diuers experiences of Gods loue vnto him in Christ : then after them will appeare in his heart the fulnesse of perswasion : which is the ripenes c and strength of faith . Q. What benefits doth a man receiue by his faith in Christ ? A. Hereby d he is iustified before God and sanctified . Q. What is this to be iustified before God ? A. It e comprehendeth two things : the first , to be cleared from the guiltines and punishment of sinne : the second , to be accepted as perfectly righteous before God. Q. How is a man cleared from the guiltines and punishment of his sinnes ? A. By Christs f sufferings and death vpon the crosse . Q. How is he accepted righteous before God ? A. By the g righteousnes of Christ imputed to him . Q. What profit comes by beeing thus iustified ? A. Hereby h and by no other meanes in the world , the beleeuer shall be accepted before Gods iudgement seat , as worthie of eternall life by the merits o the same righteousnes of Christ. Q. Doe not good works then make vs worthie of eternall life ? A. No : for God who is perfect righteousnes it selfe , will finde in the best workes we doe , more matter of da●uation then of saluation : and therefore k we must rather condemne our selues for our good workes , then looke to be iustified before God thereby . Q. How may a man know that he is iustified before God ? A. He neede not ascend into heauen to search the secret counsell of God ; l but rather descēd into his own heart to search whether he be sanctified or not . Q. What is it to be sanctified ? A. It comprehendeth two things : the first to be purged from the corruption of his owne nature : the second to be indued with inward righteousnes . Q. How is the corruption of sinne purged ? A. By the n merits and power of Christs death , which beeing by faith applied , is as a corasiue to abate , consume , and weaken the power of all sinne . Q. How is a man indued with inherent righteousnes ? A. Through the o vertue of Christs resurrection , which beeing applied by faith is as a restoratiue to reuiue a man that is dead in sinne to newnes of life . Q. In what part of a man is sanctification wrought ? A. In p euery part both bodie and soule . Q. In what time is it wrought ? A. It is q begunne in this life , in which the faithfull receiue onely the first fruites of the Spirit , and it is not finished before the ende of this life . Q. What graces of the Spirit doe vsually shew themselues in the heart of a man sanctified ? A. The hatred r of sinne , and the loue of righteousnes . Q. What proceedes of them ? A. Repentance , which is s a setled purpose in the heart , with a carefull indeauour to leaue all his sinnes , and to liue a Christian life , according to all Gods commandements . Q. What goeth with repentance ? A. A continuall fighting and strugling against the assaults of a mans owne flesh , against the motions of the deuill , and the inticements of the world . Q. What followeth after a man hath gotten the victorie in any temptation or affliction ? A. t Experience of Gods loue in Christ , and so increase of peace of conscience , and ioy in the holy Ghost . Q. What followes , i● in any temptation he be ouercome , and through infirmitie fall ? A. After a while u there will arise a godly sorrow , which is , when a man is grieued for no other cause in the world but for this onely , that by his sinne he hath displeased God , who hath beene vnto him a most mercifull and louing Father . Q. What signe is there of this sorrow ? A. The true signe x of it is this , when a man can be grieued for the very disobedience to God in his euill word or deed , though he should neuer be punished , and though there were neither heauen nor hell . Q. VVhat followes after this sorrow ? A. Repentance y renewed a fresh . Q. By what signes will this repentance appeare ? A. By z seauen 1. A care to leaue the sinne into which he is fallen , 2. An vtter condemning of himselfe for it , with a crauing of pardon . 3. A great anger against himselfe for his carelesnes . 4. A feare least he should fall into the same sinne againe . 5. A desire euer after to please God. 6. A zeale of the same . 7. Reuenge vpon himselfe for his former offence . The fifth Principle expounded . Q. What outward meanes must we vse to obtaine faith and all blessings of God which come by faith ? A. The preaching a of Gods word , and the administration of the Sacraments , and praier . Q. Where is the word of God to be found ? A. The whole word of God needfull to saluation , is set downe in the holy Scriptures . Q. How know you that the Scriptures are the word of God , and not mens pollicies ? A. I am assured of it . First , b because the holy Ghost perswadeth my conscience that it is so . Secondly , I see it by experience : for the preaching of the c Scriptures haue the power of God in them to humble a man , when they are preached , and to cast him down to hell : and afterward to restore and raise him vp againe . Q. What is the vse of the word of God preached ? A. First it d breedeth , and then it increaseth faith in them which are chosen to saluation : but vnto them that perish it is by reason of their corruption an occasion of their further damnation . Q. How must we heare Gods word that it may be effectuall to saluation ? A. We e must come vnto it with hunger-bitten hearts , hauing an appetite to the word , we must marke it with attention , receiue it by faith , submit our selues vnto it with feare and trembling , euen then when our faults are reprooued : lastly , we must hide it in the corners of our hearts , that we may frame our liues and conuersations by it . Q. What is a Sacrament ? A. A f signe to represent , a seale to confirme , an instrument to conuey Christ and all his benefits to them that doe beleeue in him . Q. Why must a Sacrament represent the mercies of God before our eies ? A. Because we are dull to conceiue and to remember them . Q. Why doth the Sacrament seale vnto vs the mercies of God ? A. Because we are full of vnbeleefe and doubting of them . Q. Why is the Sacrament the instrument of the Spirit to conuey the mercies of God into our hearts ? A. Because we are like Thomas , we will not beleeue till we feele them in some measure in our hearts . Q. How many Sacraments are there ? A. Two g and no more : Baptisme , by which we haue our admission into the true Church of God : and the Lords Supper , by which we are nourished and preserued in the Church after our admission . Q. What is done in Baptisme ? A. h In the assemblie of the Church , the couenant of grace betweene God and the partie baptized , is solemnly confirmed and sealed . Q. In this couenant what doth God promise to the partie baptized ? A. i Christ with all blessings that come by him . Q. To what condition is the partie baptized , bound ? A. To k receiue Christ , and to repent of his sinne . Q. What meaneth the sprinkling or dipping in water ? A. It l seales vnto vs remission of sinnes and sanctification by the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Christ. Q. How commeth it to passe that many after their Baptisme for a long time feele not the effect and fruit of it , and some neuer ? A. The fault is not in God , who keepes his couenants , but the fault is in themselues , in that they doe not keepe the condition of the couenant to receiue Christ by faith , and to repent of all their sinnes . Q. When shall a man then see the effect of his baptisme ? A. At m what time soeuer he doth receiue Christ by faith , though it be many yeares after , he shall then feele the power of God to regenerate him , and to worke all things in him , which he offered in baptisme . Q. How if a man neuer keepe the condition , to which he bound himselfe in baptisme ? A. His damnation n shall be the greater , because he breaketh his vowe made to God. Q. What is done in the Lords Supper ? A. The former couenant solemnly ratified in Baptisme , is renued in o the Lords supper , betweene the Lord himselfe and the receiuer . Q. What is the receiuer ? A. Euery one p that hath beene baptized , and after his baptisme hath truly beleeued in Christ , and repented of his sinnes from his heart . Q. What meaneth the bread and wine , the eating of the bread , and drinking of the wine ? A. These outward actions q are a second seale , set by the Lords owne hand vnto his couenant . And they doe giue euery receiuer to vnderstand , that as God doth blesse the bread and wine , to preserue and strengthen the bodie of the receiuer : so Christ apprehended and receiued by faith , shall nourish him , and preserue both bodie and soule vnto eternall life . Q. What shall a true receiuer feele in himselfe after the receiuing of the Sacrament ? A. r The increase of his faith in Christ , the increase of sanctification , a greater measure of dying to sinne , a greater care to liue in newnesse of life . Q. What if a man after the receiuing of the Sacrament , neuer finde any such thing in himselfe ? A. He may well suspect himselfe , whether he did euer repent or not : and thereupon to vse meanes to come to sound faith and repentance . Q. VVhat is an other meaues of increasing faith ? A. Prayer . Q. What is praier ? A. r A familiar speech with God in the name of Christ : s in which either we craue things needfull , or giue thankes for things receiued . Q. In asking things needfull , what is required ? A. Two things : an earnest desire , and faith . Q. t What things must a Christian mans heart desire ? A. Sixe things especially . Q. What are they ? A. 1. a That he may glorifie God : 2. That b God may raigne in his heart and not sinne : 3. c That he may doe Gods will , and not his lusts of the flesh : 4. d That he may relie himselfe on Gods prouidence for all the meanes of this temporall life : 5. e That he may be iustified , and be at peace with God : 6. f That by the power of God he may be strengthened against all temptations . Q. What is faith ? A. A g perswasion , that these things which we truly desire , God will grant them for Christs sake . The sixth Principle expounded . Q. After that a man hath led a short life in this world , what followeth thē ? A. Death , which is the parting asunder of bodie and soule . Q. Why doe wicked men and vnbeleeuers die ? A. That q their bodies may goe to the earth , and their soules may be cast into hell fire . Q. Why doe the godly die , seeing Christ by death hath ouercome death ? A. They die for this ende , that r their bodies may rest for a while in the earth , and their soules may enter into heauen immediatly . Q. What followeth after death ? A. The day of iudgement . Q. What signe is there to know this day from other daies ? A. s Heauen and earth shall be consumed with fire immediatly before the comming of the iudge . Q. Who shall be the iudge ? A. Iesus Christ the Sonne of God. Q. What shall be the comming to iudgement ? A. He t shall come in the cloudes in great maiestie and glorie , with infinite companie of Angels . Q. How shall all men be cited to iudgement ? A. At the u sound of a trumpet , the liuing shall be changed in the twinckling of an eye , and the dead shall rise againe euery one with x his owne bodie , and all shall be gathered together before Christ : and after this , the good shall be seuered from the bad , y these standing on the left hand of Christ , the other on the right . Q. How will Christ trie and examine euery mans cause ? A. The a bookes of all mens doings shall be laide open , mens consciences shall be made either to accuse them , or excuse them , and euery man shall be tried by the workes which he did in his life time , because they are open and manifest signes b of faith or vnbeleefe . Q. What sentence will he giue ? A. He will giue c sentence of saluation to the elect and godly : but he will pronounce sentence of damnation against vnbeleeuers and reprobates . Q. What state shall the godly be in after the day of iudgement ? A. They d shall continue for euer in the highest heauen in the presence of God , hauing fellowship with Christ Iesus , and raigning with him for euer . Q. What state shall the wicked be in after the day of iudgement ? A. In eternall perdition and destruction in hell fire . Q. What is that ? A. It e stands in three things especially : first a perpetuall separation ●rom Gods comfortable presence : 2. fellowship with the deuill and his angels : 3. an horrible pang and torment both of bodie and soule , arising of the feeling of the whole wrath of God , powred forth on the wicked for euer world without ende : and if the paine of one tooth for one day be so great , endelesse shall be the paine of the whole man , bodie and soule for euer and euer . FINIS . A GRAINE of Musterd-seede : OR , The least measure of grace that is or can be effectuall to saluation . Printed for Ralph Iackson . 1600. TO THE RIHGT HONOVrable and vertuous Ladie , the Ladie Margaret , Countesse of Cumberland , Grace and peace . RIght Honourable , the kingdome of heauen , of which the Scripture speaketh so oft , is properly a certaine state or cōdition , wherby we stand in the fauour and loue of God , in and by Christ. And this kingdome is compared to a graine of Musterd-seede , to teach vs that a man is euen at that instant alreadie entered into the kingdome of heauen , when the Lord , that good husband-man , hath cast but some little portion of faith or repentance into the ground of the heart : yea though it be but as one graine of musterd-seed . Of this little graine I haue penned this little treatise , in quantitie answerable thereto : and now I present the same to your La●●ship , not to supplie your want ( for I hope you are stored with more graines of this kinde ) but to performe some dutie on my part . Hoping therefore that your Ladiship will read and accept the same , I take my leaue , commending you to the blessing and protection of the Almightie . Your H. to command , William Perkins . A Graine of Musterd-seede : or , the least measure of grace that is , or can be effectuall to saluation . IT is a very necessarie point to be knowne , what is the least measure of grace that can befall the true child of God , lesser thē which , there is no grace effectuall to saluation . For first of all , the right vnderstanding of this , is the very foundation of true comfort vnto all troubled and touched consciences . Secondly , it is a notable meanes to stirre vp thankfulnes in them that haue any grace at all ; when they shall in examination of themselues consider , that they haue receiued of God the least measure of grace , or more . Thirdly it will be an inducement , and a ●purre to many carelesse and vnrepentant persons , to imbrace the Gospel , and to beginne repentance for their sinnes ; when they shall perceiue , and that by the word of God , that God accepts the very seeds , and rudiments of faith and repentance at the first , though they be but in measure as a graine of musterd-seede . Now then for the opening and clearing of this point , I will set downe sixe seuerall conclusions , in such order as one shall confirme and explaine the other , and one depend vpon the other . I. Conclusion . A man that doth but begin to be conuerted , is euen at that instant the very child of God : though inwardly he be more carnall then spirituall . The Exposition . IN a man there must be considered three things , the substance of the bodie and soule , whereof a man is said to consist , the faculties placed in the soule and exercised in the bodie , as vnderstanding , will , affections : the integritie and puritie of the faculties , wherby they are conformable to the will of God , and beare his Image . And since the fall of Adam , man is not depriued of his substance or of the powers and faculties of his soule , but onely of the third , which is the puritie of nature , and therefore the conuersion of a sinner , whereof the conclusion speaketh , is not the change of the substance of man , or the faculties of the soule : but a renewing and restoring of that puritie and holinesse which was lost by mans fall , with the abolishment of that naturall corruption that is in all the powers of the soule . This is the worke of God , and of God alone , and that on this manner . First of all , when it pleaseth God to worke a chaunge in any , he doth it not first in one part , then in an other , as hee that repaires a decaied house by peece-meale : but the worke , both for the beginning , continuance , and accomplishment , is the whole man , and euery part at once , specially in the minde and conscience , will and affection : as on the contrary , when Adam lost the image of God , he lost it in euery part . Secondly , the conuersion of a sinner is not wrought all at one instant , but in continuance of time , and that by certaine measures and degrees . And a man is in the first degree of his conuersiō , when the holy ghost by the means of the word , inspires him with some spirituall motions , and begins to regenerate and renewe the inward powers of the soule . And he may in this case very fitly be cōpared to the night in the first dawning of the day , in which though the darknesse remaine and be more in quantitie then the light , yet the Sunne hath alreadie cast some beames of light into the aire , whereupon we tearme it the breaking of the daie . Nowe then , the very point which I touch , is , that a man at this instant and in this very state ( God as yet hauing but laid certaine beginnings of true conuersion in his heart ) is the very child of God , and that not onely in the eternall purpose of God ( as all the elect are ) but indeede by actuall adoption : and this is plaine by a manifest reason . There bee foure speciall workes of grace in euery childe of God , his vnion with Christ , his adoption , iustification , and conuersion , and these foure are wrought all at one instant , so as for order of time , neither goes before nor after other : and yet in regard of order of nature , vnion with Christ , Iustification , and adoption , goe before the inward conuersion of a sinner , it beeing the fruite and effect of thē all , Vpon this it followeth necessarily , that a sinner in the very first act of his conuersion , is iustified , adopted , and incorporated into the 〈◊〉 ca●● body of Christ. In the parable of the prodigall sonne , the father with ioy receiues his wicked child , but when● surely when he sawe him comming a farre off , and when as yet he had made no confession or humiliation to his father , but onely had conceiued with himselfe a purpose to returne and to say , Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee , &c. And Paul saieth of many of the Corinthians , that he could not speake vnto them as spirituall men , but as carnall , euen babes in Christ. 1. Cor. 3.1 . II. Conclusion . The first material beginnings of the conuersion of a sinner , or the smallest measure of renewing grace , haue the promises of this life , and the life to come . The exposition . THE beginnings of conuersion must bee distinguished , some are beginnings of preparations , some beginnings of composition . Beginnings of preparation , are such as bring vnder , tame , and subdue the stubburnenesse of mans nature , without making any change at all : of this sort are the accusations of the conscience by the ministerie of the lawe , feares and terrors arising thence , cōpunction of heart , which is the apprehension of gods anger against sin . Now these and the like I exclude in the conclusion , for though they goe before to prepare a sinner to his conuersion following● yet are they no graces of God , but fruites of the law , that is , the ministerie of death , & of an accusing conscience . Beginnings of composition , I tearme all those inwarde motions and inclinations of Gods spirit , that follow after the worke of the law vpon the conscience : and rise vpon the meditation of the Gospel , that promiseth righteousnes and life euerlasting by Christ : out of which motions the conuersion of a sinner ariseth , and of this it consisteth : what these are it shall afterward appeare . Againe , grace must be distinguished : it is twofold , restraining grace , or renuing grace . Restraining grace , I tearme certaine common giftes of God , seruing onely to order , and frame the outward conuersation of men to the lawe of God , or seruing to berea●e men of excuse in the daie of iudgement . By this kind of grace , heathen men haue beene liberall , iust , sober , valiant . By it men liuing in the Church of God , haue beene inlightened , and hauing tasted of the good worde of God , haue reioyced therein , and for a time outwardly conformed themselues thereto ; renewing grace is not common to al men , but proper to the elect , and it is a gift of Gods spirit , whereby the corruption of sinne is not onely restrained , but also mortified , and the decaied Image of God restored . Now then , the conclusion must onely be vnderstood of the second , and not of the first : for though a man haue neuer so much of this restraining grace , yet vnlesse he haue the spirit of Christ to create faith in the heart , and to sanctifie him , he is as farre from saluation as any other . Now then , the sense and meaning of the conclusion is , that the very least meanes of sauing grace , and the very beginnings or seedes of regeneration doe declare , and after a sort giue title to men , of all the mercifull promises of God , whether they concerne this life or the life to come : and therefore are approoued of God , if they be in trueth , and accepted as greater measures of grace . That which our Sauiour Christ saieth of the worke of miracles , ●f you haue faith as a graine of Musterd seede , ye shall say vnto this mountaine remooue hence to yonder place , and it shall remooue , must by the lawe of equall proportion be applyed to faith , repentance , the feare of God , and all other graces , if they bee truely wrought in the heart , though they bee but as small as one little graine of musterd-seede , they shall be sufficiently effectuall to bring forth good workes , for which they were ordained . The Prophet Esay 42.3 . saith , that Christ shall not quench the smoaking flaxe , nor breake the bruised reede . Let the comparison be marked : fire in flaxe must be both little and weake , in quantitie as a sparke or twaine , that cannot cause a flame but onely a smoake , specially in a matter ●o easie to burne . Here then is signified , that the gifts , and graces of Gods spirit , that are both for measure and strength as a sparke or twaine of fire , shall not be neglected , but rather accepted and cherished by Christ. When our Sauiour Christ heard the young man make a confession of a practise , but of outward and ciuill righteousnes , he looked vpon him and loued him : and when he heard the Scribe to speake discreetely but one good speach , that to lou● God with all his heart is aboue all sacrifices , he said vnto him , That he was not farre from the kingdome of heauen . Therefore no doubt , hee will loue with a more special loue , and accept as the good subiects of his kingdome , those that haue receiued a further mercie of God to be borne anew of water and of the spirit . III. Conclusion . A constant and earnest desire to be reconciled to God , to beleeue and to repent , if it be in a touched heart , is in acceptation with God , as reconciliation , faith , repentance it selfe . The Exposition . LVst or desire is twofold , naturall and supernaturall . Naturall is that , whose beginning and obiect is in nature , that is , which ariseth of the naturall will of man ; and anecteth such things as are thought to be good according to the light of nature . And this kind of desire hath his degrees , yet so as they are all limited within the compasse of nature . Some desire riches , honours , pleasures , some learning and knowledge : because it is the light and perfection of the minde : some goe further and seeke after the vertues of iustice , temperance , liberalitie , &c. and thus many heathen men haue excelled . Some againe desire true happinesse , as Balaam did , who wished to die the death of the righteous : because it is the propertie of nature to seeke the preseruation of it selfe . But here nature staies it selfe : for where the minde reueales not , the will affects not . Supernaturall desires are such as both for their beginning and obiect , are aboue nature , for their beginning is from the holy Ghost , and the obiect or matter about which they are conuersant , are things diuine and spirituall , which concerne the kingdome of heauen : and of this kind are the desires of which I speake in this place . Againe , that we may not be deceiued in our desires , but may the better discerne them from flittering & fleeting motions , I adde three restraints . First of all , the desire of reconciliation , the desire to beleeue , or the desire to repent , &c. must be constant and haue continuance , otherwise it may iustly be suspected . Secondly , it must be earnest and serious , though not alwaies , yet at sometimes , that we may be able to say with Dauid , My soule desireth after thee , O Lord , as the thirstie lād . And , as the heart braieth after the riuers of water , so panteth my soule after thee , O God : my soule thirsteth for God , euen the liuing god . Thirdly , it must be in a touched heart : for when a man is touched in conscience , the heart is cast down , and ( as much as it can ) it withdrawes it selfe from God. For this cause , if then there be any spirituall motions whereby the heart is lift vp vnto God , they are without doubt from the spirit of God. Thus then I auouch , that the desire of reconciliation with God in Christ , is reconciliation it selfe : the desire to beleeue , is faith indeede , and the desire to repent , repentance it selfe . But marke how : A desire to be reconciled is not reconciliation in nature ( for the desire is one thing and reconciliation is an other ) but in Gods acceptation : for if we being touched throughly for our sinnes , doe desire to haue them pardoned , and to be at one with God , God accepts vs as reconciled . Againe desire to beleeue , it is not faith in nature , but onely in Gods acception , God accepting the will for the deede . That this doctrine is the will and word of God , it appeares by these reasons . First of all , God hath annexed a promise of blessednes , and of life euerlasting , to the desire of grace . Math. 5. Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousnes , for they shall be satisfied . Ioh. 7.38 . If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke . Reu. 21. I will giue vnto him which is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely . Now what is this , to thirst ? properly it is , when we are in a drought or drinesse , and want drinke to refresh vs , to desire it . And therefore by a resemblance , they are saide to thirst after righteousnesse , that want it and would haue it , and they thirst after Christ that feele themselues out of Christ , and desire , yea , long after the blood of Christ , that they might bee refreshed with it in their consciences . Here then we see that the desire of mercie , in the want of mercie , is the obtaining of mercie , and the desire to beleeue in the want of faith , is faith . Though as yet thou want firme and liuely grace , yet art thou not altogether void of grace , if thou canst desire it , thy desire is the seed , conception , or budde of that which thou wantest : nowe is the spring time of the ingrafted worde or the immortall seede cast into the furrowes of thy heart : waite but a while , vsing good meanes , and thou shalt see that leaues , blossoms , and fruites will shortly followe after : Secondly , the desire of any good thing is accepted of God , as the liuely inuocation of his holy name , Psal. 10. God heareth the desires of the poore . Psal. 145. Hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare him . When Moses said nothing , but onely desired in heart the helpe and protection of God at the red sea , the Lord said vnto him : why criest thou vnto me ? Exod. 14. And when wee knowe not to pray as wee ought● Paul saith , that the spirit maketh request by the inward groanes of the heart . Rom. 8 . 26● Hence I gather , when a man in his weakenes praies with ●ighes and groanes , for the gift of liuely faith , the want whereof he finds in himselfe ; his very praier on this manner made , is as truely in acceptation with God , as the praier made in liuely faith . Thirdly to the testimonie of Scripture , I adde the testimonies of Godly and learned men , not to prooue the doctrine in hand , but to shewe a consent , and to prooue thus much that the thing which I auouch is no priuat phantasie of any man : a Augustine saieth , Let thy desire be before him , and thy father which seeth in secret shall rewarde thee openly : for thy de●ire is thy praier , and if thy desire be continuall , thy praier is continuall . Hee addes further in the same place , that the desire is a continuall voice , and the crie of the heart , and the inward inuocation of God , which may bee made without intermission . Againe , b The whole life of a good christian , is an holy will and desire . And that which thou desirest thou seest not : but by desiring art , as it were , inlarged and made capable , that when it shall come which thou shalt see , thou maiest be filled . c Bernard saith , What , is not desire a voice ? Yea a very strong voice . God heareth the desire of the poore , and a continuall desire , though we speake nothing , is a voice continued . d Luther saith , Christ is then truely omnipotent , and then truely raignes in vs , when we are so weak that we can scarce giue any groane . For Paul saith , that one such groane is a strong crie in the eares of God , filling both heauen and earth . e Againe , very fewe knowe howe weake and small faith and hope is vnder the crosse and in temptation . For it appeares then , to be as smoaking flaxe , which a good blast of winde would presently put out : but such as beleeue in these combates , and terrours against hope , vnder hope , that is , opposing themselues by faith in the promises of Christ against the feeling of sinne , and the wrath of God , doe finde afterward , that this little sparke of faith ( as it appeares to reason , which hardly perceiueth it ) is peraduenture as the whole element of fire which filleth all heauen , and swalloweth vp all terrours and sinnes . f Again , the more we finde our vnworthinesse and the lesse we finde the promises to belong vnto vs , the more we must desire them , be●ing assured that this desire doeth greatly please God , who desireth and willeth that his grace should be earnes●ly desired : This doeth faith , which iudgeth it a pretious thing , and therefore greatly hungereth and ●hirs●eth after it , and so obtaines it . For God is delighted to fill the hungrie with good things , and to send the rich emptie away . h Theodore Beza saith , If thou finde not thine heart inwardly touched , pray that it may be touched : for then must thou knowe that this desire is a pledge of the fathers good will to thee . i Kimnitius saith , When I haue a good desire , though it doe scarcely shewe it selfe in some little and slender sigh , I must bee assured that the spirit of God is present , and worketh his good work . k Vrsinus saith , Faith in the most holy men in this life is vnperfect and weake . Yet neuerthelesse , whosoeuer feeles in his heart an earnest desire to beleeue , and a striuing against his naturall doubtings , both can and m●st assure himselfe that he is indued with true faith . Againe , Wicked men doe not desire the grace of the holy spirit , whereby they may resist sinne . And therefore they are iustly depriued of it : for hee that earnestly desireth the holy Ghost , hath it alreadie : because this desire of the spirit cannot be but from the spirit : as it is saide , Blessed are they that hunger & thirst after righteousnesse , for they shall be satisfied . l Bradford saith , Thy sinnes are vndoubtedly pardoned , &c. for god hath giuen thee a penitent and beleeuing heart : that is , an heart which desireth to repent and beleeue : for such an one is taken of him ( hee accepting the will for the deede ) for a penitent and beleeuing heart indeede . m Taffine saith , Our faith may be so small and weake , as it doth not yet bring forth fruits , that may be liuely felt of vs , but if they which feele themselues in such estate , desire to haue these feelings ( namely of Gods fauour and loue ) if th●y aske them at Gods hand by praier ; this desire and praier are testimonies that the spirit of God is in thē , and that ●●ey haue faith alreadie : for is such a desire , a fruite of the flesh , or of the spirit ? It is of the holy spirit , who bringeth it forth onely in such as he dwells in , &c. Then these holy desires and praiers beeing the motions of the holy Ghost in vs , are testimonies of our faith , although they seeme to vs small and weake . As the woman that feeleth the mooning of a childe in her body , though very weak , assureth her selfe that shee hath conceiued , and that shee goeth with a liue childe : so if we haue these motions , these holy affections , and desires before mentioned , let vs not doubt but that we haue the holy Ghost ( who is the author of them ) dwelling in vs , and consequently that we haue also faith . Againe he saith , If thou hast begun to hate and flee sinne , if thou feelest that thou art displeased at thine infirmities , corruptions : if hauing offended God , thou feelest a griefe and a sorrow for it : if thou desire to abstaine : if thou thou auoidest the occasions : if thou trauailest to doe thy endeauour : if thou praiest to God to giue thee grace : all these holy affections proceeding from none other then from the spirit of God , ought to be so many pledges , and testimonies that hee is in thee . n Master Knokes saith , Albeit your paines sometimes bee so horrible , that you finde no release nor comfort , neither in spirit nor bodie , yet if thy heart can onely sob vnto God , despaire not , you shall obtaine your hearts desire . And destitute you are not of faith : for at such time as the flesh , naturall reason , the lawe of God , the present torment , the deuill at one doe crie , God is angrie , and therefore there is neither helpe nor remedie to be hoped for at his handes : at such time I say , to sob vnto God , is the demonstration of the secret seede of God which is hidde in Gods elect children : and that onely sob is vnto God a more acceptable sacrifice , then without this crosse , to giue our bodies to be burnt euen for the truthes sake . More testimonies might be alleadged , but these shall su●fice . Against this point of doctrine it may bee alleadged : that , if desire to beleeue in our weakenesse bee faith indeede ; then some are iustified and may be saued wanting a liuely apprehension and full perswasion of Gods mercie in Christ. Answere . Iustifying faith in regard of his nature is alwaies one and the same , and the essentiall propertie thereof is to apprehend Christ with his benefits , and to assure the very conscience thereof . And therefore without some apprehension and assuranee there can be no iustification or saluation in them that for age are able to beleeue . Yet there be certaine degrees , and measures of true faith . There is a strong faith , which causeth a full apprehension and perswasion of Gods mercy in Christ. This measure of faith the Lord vouchsafed Abraham , Dauid , Paul , the Prophets , and Apostles , and Martyrs of God. It were a blessed thing , if all beleeuers might attaine to this height of liuely faith , to say with Paul , I am perswaded , that neither life , nor death , nor any thing else , shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God in Christ : but all cannot ; therefore there is another degree of faith lower then the former , and yet true faith , called a little or weake faith , and it also hath a power to apprehend and apply the promise of saluation , but as yet by reason of weakenesse , it is infolded ( as it were ) and wrapt vp in the heart , as the leafe and blossome in the budde . For such persons as haue this weake faith , can say indeede that they beleeue their sinnes to bee pardonable , and that they desire to haue them pardoned : but as yet they cannot say , that they are without all doubt pardoned . And yet the mercie of God is not wanting vnto them●●or in that they doe , and can desire , and indeauour to apprehend , they doe indeede apprehend ; God accepting the desire to doe the thing , for the thing done . This which I say , will the better appeare if the groundes thereof bee considered . Faith doeth not iustifie in respect of it selfe , because it is an action , or vertue : or because it is strong , liuely , and perfect : but in respect of the obiect thereof , namely , Christ crucified , whome faith apprehendeth as hee is set forth vnto vs in the word and sacraments . It is Christ that is the author , & matter of our iustice , and it is he that applieth the same vnto vs : as for faith in vs , it is but an instrument to apprehend and receiue that which Christ for his part offereth and giueth . Therefore , if faith erre not in his proper obiect , but followe the promise of God , though it doe weakly apprehend , or at the least cause a man onely to endeauour and desire to apprehend , it is true faith , and iustifieth . Though our apprehension be necessarie , yet our saluation standes rather in this , that God apprehendes vs for his owne , then that we apprehend him . Phil. 3.12 . Out of this conclusion springes another , not to bee omitted , that God accepts the indeauour of the whole man to obey , for perfect obedience it selfe . THat is , if men indeauour to please God in all things , God will not iudge their doings by the rigour of the lawe : but will accept their little and weake indeauour , to doe that which they can doe by his grace , as if they had perfectly fulfilled the lawe . But here remember I put this caueat , that this indeauour must be in and by the whole man ; the very minde , conscience , wil , & affections , doing that which they can in their kinds : and thus this indeauour , which is a fruite of the spirit , shall be distinguished from ciuill righteousnes , which may bee in heathen men . The trueth of this conclusion appeares by that which the Prophet Malachi saith , that God will spare them that feare him , as a father spares his childe : who accepts the thing done , as well done , if the child shewe his good will , to please his father , and to doe what he can . IV. Conclusion . To see and feele in our selues the want of any grace , and to be grieued therefore , is the grace it selfe . The Exposition . VNderstand this conclusion as the former , namely , that griefe of heart for the want of any grace necessarie to saluation , is as much with God as the grace it selfe . When being in distresse , wee cannot pray as we ought , God accepts the very groanes , sobbes , and sighes of the perplexed heart , as the praier it selfe . Rom. 8. 26. When we are grieued , because we cannot bee grieued for our sinnes , it is a degree and measure of godly sorrowe before God. Augustine saith well : Sometimes our praier is luke-warme , or rather colde and almost no praier : nay sometime it is altogither no praier at all , and yet we cannot with griefe perceiue this in our selues : for if we can but grieue , because we cannot pray , we nowe pray indeede . Hierome saith , Then we are iust when wee acknowledge our selues to be sinners : Againe , this is the true wisdome of man , to knowe himselfe to be imperfect : And ( that I may so speake ) the perfection of all iust men in the flesh is imperfect : Augustine againe saith , That the vertue which is now in a iust man is thus far forth perfect , that vnto the perfection thereof there belongs a true acknowledgemēt and an humble confession of the imperfection thereof . A broken and a contrite heart after an offence , is as much with God , as if there had beene no offence at all , and therefore so soone as Dauid after his grieuous fall , in heauinesse of heart confessed his sinne , saying in effect but th●s much : I haue sinned , the prophet in the name of the Lord , pronounceth t●● pardon of his sinne in heauē , and that presently . V. Conclusion . He that hath begun to subiect himselfe to Christ and his word , though as yet he be ignorant in most points of religion : yet if he haue a care to increase in knowledge , & to practise that which he knoweth , he is accepted of God as a true beleeuer . The Exposition . SVndrie persons by the Euangelists are said to beleeue , which had onely seene the miracles of Christ , and as yet had made no further proceedings but to acknowledge Christ to be the Messias , & to submit themselues to him and his doctrine , which afterward should be taught . On this maner the woman of Samaria beleeued , and many of the Samaritans vpon her report : & a certaine ruler , by reason of a miracle , wrought vpon his son , is said to beleeue , & all his houshould , Ioh. 4.42.52 . when our Sauiour Christ commendeth the faith of the Apostles , tearming it a rock against which the gates of hel should not preuaile , it was not for the plētiful knowledge of the doctrine of saluatiō : for they were ignorant of many articles of faith , as namely , of the death , resurrection , ascension , and kingdome of Christ : but because they beleeued him to be the sonne of God , and the Sauiour of mankind , and they had withall resolued themselues to cleaue vnto him , and the blessed doctrine of saluation which he taught , though as yet they were ignorant in many points . The holy Ghost commendeth the faith of Rahab when shee receiued the spies . Now this her faith was indeede but a seede and beginning of liuely faith : for then shee had onely heard of the miracles done in Egypt , and of the deliuerance of the Israelites , and was thereupon smitten with a feare , and had conceiued a resolution with her selfe , to ioyne her selfe to the Israelites , and to worship the true God. Now these and the like are tearmed beleeuers , vpon iust cause : for though they be ignorant as yet , yet their ignorance , shall be no continuing or lasting ignorance : and they haue excellent seedes of grace , namely , a purpose of heart to cleaue to Christ , and a care to profit in the doctrine of saluation . VI. Conclusion . The foresaid beginnings of grace are counterfait , vnlesse they encrease . The Exposition . THe wickednesse of mans nature , and the depth of hypocrisie is such , that a man may and can easily transforme himselfe into the counterfeit and resemblance of any grace of God. Therefore I put downe here a certen note whereby the gifts of God may be discerned , namely , that they grow vp and increase as the graine of Musterd-seede to a great tree , and beare fruit answerably . The grace in the heart is like the grain of Musterd-seed in two things . First it is small to see to at the beginning : secondly , after it is cast into the ground of the heart , it increaseth speedily , and spreads it selfe . Therefore , if a man at the first haue but some little feeling of his wants , some weake and faint desire , some small obedience , he must not let this sparke of grace goe out : but these motions of the spirit must be encreased by the vse of the word , sacramēts and prayer ; and they must daily be stirred vp by meditating , indeuouring , striuing , asking , seeking , knocking . The master deliuering his talents to his seruants , saith vnto them , occupie till I come : and not hide them in the earth , Math. 25.26 . Paul vseth an excellent speech to Timothie : I exhort thee to stirre vp the gift of God which is in thee , namely , as fire is stirred vp by often blowing , and by putting to of wood , 2. Tim. 1.6 . As for such motions of the heart that last for a weeke or moneth , and after vanish away , they are not to be regarded : and the Lord by the Prophet Osea complaineth of them , saying , O Ephraim , thy righteousnes is like the morning dewe . Therefore considering , grace vnlesse it be confirmed and exercised , is indeede no grace ; I will here adde certaine rules of direction that we may the more easily put in practise the spirituall exercises of inuocation , faith , and repentance : and thereby also quicken and reuiue the seedes and beginnings of grace . 1 In what place soeuer thou art , whether alone or abroad , by day or by night , and whatsoeuer thou art doing , set thy selfe in the presence of God , let this perswasion alwaies take place in thy heart , that thou art before the liuing God , and doe thy indeauour that this perswasion may smite thy heart with awe and reuerence , and make thee afraid to sinne . This counsell the Lord gaue Abraham , Gen. 17.1 . Walke before me and be vpright . This thing also was practised by Enoch , who for this cause is saide to walke before God. 2 Esteeme of euery present day as of the day of thy death : and therefore liue as though thou were dying ; and doe those good duties euery day , that thou wouldest doe if thou wert dying . This is Christian watchfulnes and remember it . 3 Make catalogues and bills of thine own sinnes , specially of those sinnes that haue most dishonoured God , and wounded thine owne conscience : set them before thee often , specially then when thou hast any particular occasion of renuing thy repentance , that thy heart by this doleful sight , may be further humbled . This was Dauids practise when he considered his waies and turned his feete to Gods commandements , Psal. 119.57 and when he confessed the sinnes of his youth , Psal. 25. This was Iobs practise , when he saide he was not able to answer one of a thousand of his sinnes vnto God , Iob 9.1 . 4 When thou first openest thine eies in a morning pray to God , and giue thanks heartily : God then shall haue his honour , and thy heart shall be the better for it the whole day following . For we see in experience , that vessells keepe long that tast of that liquour wherewith they are first seasoned . And when thou liest downe let that be the last also : for thou knowest not , whether falne asleepe , thou shall euer rise againe aliue . Good therefore it is that thou shouldest giue vp thy selfe into the hands of God , whilst thou art waking . 5 Labour to see and feele thy spirituall pouertie , that is , to see the want of grace in thy selfe , specially those inward corruptions , of vnbeleefe , pride , selfe-loue , &c. Labour to be displeased with thy selfe : and labour to feele , that by reason of them thou standest in neede of euery droppe of the bloode of Christ , to heale and clense thee from these wants : and let this practise take such place with thee , that if thou be demaunded , what in thy estimation is the vilest of the creatures vpon earth ? thine heart and conscience may answer with a loud voyce , I , euen I , by reason of mine own sinnes : and againe , if thou be demanded , what is the best thing in the world for thee ? thy heart and conscience may answer againe with a strong and loude crie , One droppe of the blood of Christ to wash away my sinnes . 6 Shew thy selfe to be a member of Christ , & a seruant of God , not onely ●n the general calling of a Christian , but also in the particular calling in which thou art placed . It is not enough for a Magistrate to be a christiā man , but he must also be a christian magistrate : it is not enough for a master of a family to be a christian man , or a christian in the church , but he must also be a christian in his family , & in the trade which he followeth daily . Not euery one that is a cōmon hearer of the word , and a frequenter of the Lords table , is therefore a good Christian , vnles his conuersation in his priuate house , & in his priuate affaires , and dealings be sutable . There is a man to be seene what he is . 7 Search the Scriptures , to see what is sinne , & what is not sinne in euery action : this done , carrie in thy heart a constant & a resolute purpose , not to sin in any thing : for faith and the purpose of sinning can neuer stand together . 8 Let thine indeuour be sutable to thy purpose : & therefore exercise thy selfe to eschew euery sinne , and to obey God in euery one of his commandements , that pertaine either to the generall calling of a Christian , or to thy particular calling . Thus did good Iosias , who turned vnto God with all his heart , according to all the law of Moses , 1. King. 25.25 . & thus did Zacharie & Elizabeth , that walked in all the cōmandemēts of God without reproof . Luk. 1.6 . 9 If at any time , against thy purpose & resolution , thou be ouertaken with any sinne litle or great , lie not in it , but speedily recouer thy self by repētance , humble thy selfe , confessing thy offences , & by praier intreating the Lord to pardon the same , and that earnestly , till such time as thou findest thy conscience truly pacified , and thy care to eschew the same sinne encreased . 10 Consider often of the right and proper ende of thy life in this world , which is not to seeke profit , honour , pleasure , but that in seruing of men , we might serue god in our callings . God could , if it so pleased him , preserue man without the ministerie of man , but his pleasure is to fulfill his worke and willing the preseruation of our bodies , & saluation of our soules , by the imploiment of men in his seruice , euery one according to his vocation . Neither is there so much as a bondslaue , but he must in and by his faithfull seruice to his master , serue the Lord. Men therefore doe commonly profane their labours and liues , by aiming at a wrong ende , when all their care consisteth onely in getting sufficient maintenance for them and theirs , for the obtaining of credit , riches , and carnall commodities . For thus men serue themselues , and not God , or men : much lesse doe they serue God in seruing of men . 11 Giue all diligence to make thy election sure , and to gather manifold tokens thereof . For this cause obserue the workes of Gods prouidence , loue , and mercie , both in thee and vpon thee , from time to time : for the serious consideration of them , and the laying of them together when they are many and seuerall , minister much direction , assurance of Gods fauour and comfort . This was the practise of Dauid , 1. Sam. 17.33 . Psal. 23. all . 12 Thinke euermore thy present estate whatsoeuer it be , to be the best estate for thee : because whatsoeuer befalls thee , though it be sicknes or any other affliction , or death , befalls thee of the good prouidence of God. That this may be the better done , labour to see and acknowledge a prouidence of God as well in pouertie , as in aboundance , as well in disgrace as good report , as well in sicknes as in health , as well in life as in death . 13 Pray continually , I meane not by solemne and set praier , but by secret and inward ejaculations of the heart , that is , by a continuall eleuation of mind vnto Christ , sitting at the right hand of God the father , & that either by praier or giuing of thanks , so often as any occasion shall be offered . 14 Thinke often of the worst and most grieuous things that may befall thee either in life or death for the name of Christ : make a reckoning of them , and prepare thy self to beare them ; that when they come , they may not seeme strange , and be borne more easily . 15 Make conscience of idle , vain , vnhonest , & vngodly thoughts : for these are the seeds & beginnings of actuall sinne in word and deede . This want of care in ordering & composing of our thoughts , is often punished with a fearfull tempt●tion in the very thought , called of Diuines , Tentatio blasphemiarum , a ten●tion of blasphemies . 16 When any good motion or affection riseth in the heart , suffer it not to passe away , but feede it by reading , meditating , praying . 17 Whatsoeuer good thing thou goest about , whether it be in word or deede , doe it not in a conceit of thy selfe , or in the pride of thy heart , but in humilitie , ascribing the power whereby thou doest thy worke , and the praise thereof to God ; otherwise thou shalt finde by experience , he will curse thy best doings . 18 Despise not ciuill honestie : good conscience and good manners must goe togither : therefore remember to make conscience of lying , and of customable swearing in common talke : contend not either in deede or word with any man : be courteous and gentle to all , good & bad : beare with mens wants and frailties , as hastines , frowardnes , selfe-liking , curiousnes , &c. passing by them as beeing not perceiued : returne not euill for euill , but rather good for euill ; vse meate , drinke , and apparell in that manner and measure , that they may further godlines ; and may be as it were signes in which thou maiest expresse the hidden grace of thy heart . Striue not to goe beyond any , vnlesse it be in good things : goe before thine equalls , in giuing of honour , rather then in taking of it : make conscience of thy word , and let it be as a band : professe not more outwardly then thou hast inwardly in heart : oppresse or defraud no man in bargaining : in all companies either doe good , or take good . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A09339-e9090 a Mark. 4.32 . Matth. 26.38 . b Ioh. 12.27 , Mark. 14.35 . c Matth. 26.37,42 . Ioh. 12. 29. Hebr. 5.7 . d Luk. 22.44 . e Hebr. 9.5 . 1. Cor. 5.5,7 . Esa. 53.10,11 . f Matt. 26.47 . g Ioh. 18.13,14 . h Ioh. 18.29 . i Luk. 2● . 7,8 . k Luk. 23. 15. l Matth. 27.24 , 26. m the same place . n Ioh. 19.18 . o Gal. 3. 13. p Matth. 27.35,46 . q Coloss. 1.24,15 . r Ioh. 19.34 . s Heb. 9.15,16 . t Luk. 23.43,46 . u Ioh. 19. 33,42 . x Act. 1. 13. Notes for div A09339-e29250 a Ezech . 16.6 . When I passed by thee , I saw thee polluted in thine owne blood , and I said vnto thee , when thou wast in thy blood , thou shalt liue . Esai 55.1 . H● , euery one that thirsteth , come ye to the waters , and ye that haue no siluer , come , buie , and eate : come● I say , and buie wine and milke without siluer , and without money . Ioh. 1.12 . As many as receiued him , to them he gaue this priuiledge , that they should become the sonnes of God : namely , to them which beleeued in his name . b Rom. 7.7 . I knew not sinne but by the Law : for I had not knowne lust , except the Law had said , Thou shalt not lust . c 1. Ioh. 2.27 . But the annointing , which ye receiued of him , dwelleth in you : and ye neede not that any man teach you : but as the same annointing teacheth you of all things , and is true , and is not lying , and , as it is taught you , ye shall abide in him . d Act. 16.14 . A certaine woman named Lydia , a seller of purple , of the citie of the T●yatirians , a worshipper of God , heard vs , whose heart God opened , that shee attended to the things that Paul spake . Psal● 40. v. 6. Thou art not delighted with sacrifice and burnt offerings , but mine eares hast thou opened . Ioh. 6.44 . No man can come vnto me , except the Father which hath sent me , draw him : and I will raise him vp at the last day . Esai 54.6 . The Lord hath called thee , beeing as a woman forsaken , and as a young wife , when thou wast refused , saith the Lord. Notes for div A09339-e36240 a 1. Cor. 15.18 . If Christ be not raised , they which are asleepe in Christ , are perished . Act. 7.60 . When he had thus spoken , he slept . b 1. Cor. 15 . 3● . O foole , that which thou sowest is not quickned , except it die . c Reu. 21.27 . There shal enter into it none vnclean thing , neither whatsoeuer worketh abomination or lies : but they which are written in the Lambs book of life . Rom. 7.25 . I my selfe in my mind serue the law of God , but in my flesh the law of sinne . d Luk. 23.42 . He saide to Iesus , Lord , remember me , when thou commest into thy kingdome . 43. Then Iesus said to him , This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise . Reu. 14.13 . Then I heard a voice from heauen , saying vnto me , Write , Blessed are the dead , which hereafter die in the Lord. Euen so saith the Spirit : for they rest from their labours , and their workes follow them . Notes for div A09339-e36660 a Matth. 24. 29. Immediately after the tribulation of those daies , shall the Sunne be darkened , and the Moone shall not giue her light , the starres shall fall from heauen , and the powers of heauen shall be shaken : 30. And then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in heauen : and then shall all the kinreds of the earth mourne , and they shal see the Son of man come in the cloudes of heauen , with power and great glorie . b Luk. 21. 26. Mens hearts shall faile them for feare , and for looking after those things , which shall come on the world . 28. And when these things beginne to come to passe , then looke vp , and lift vp your heads , for your redemption draweth neare . 2. Tim. 4.8 . Henceforth is laide vp for me the crowne of righteousnes , which the Lord , the righteous iudge shall give me at that day : and not to me onely , but vnto them also that loue his appearing . a Matth. chap. 24. vers . 31. And he shall sende his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet . 1. Thess. chap. 4. vers . 16. The Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen with a shout , euen with the voice of the Archangel , and with the trumpet of God : and the dead in Christ shall rise first . b Matth. 24. 30. 1. Thess. 4. 17. Then shall we vvhich liue and remaine , be caught vp vvith them also in the cloudes , to meete the Lord in the ayre , and so shall we euer be with the Lord. a 1. Cor. 15. 52. We shall not all sleepe , but we shall be changed in a moment , in the twinkling of an eye , at the last trumpet . 43. b It is sowne in dishonour , it is raised in honour : it is sowne in weakenes , it is raised in power . 44. It is sowne a naturall bodie , it is raised ● spirituall bodie , &c. Notes for div A09339-e36980 a Ioh. 14. 23. If any man loue me , he will keepe my word , and my Father will loue him , and we will come vnto him , and dwell with him . 1. Ioh. 4. 15. Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God , God dwelleth in him , and he in God. Reuel . 21.3 . And I heard a voyce , saying , Behold , the Tabernacle of God is with men , and he will dwell with them : and they shall be his people , and God himselfe shall be their God with them . 23. And that citie hath no neede of sunne or moone to shine in it : for the glorie of God did light it , and the Lambe is the light of it . Reuel . 22.2 . In the middes of the streete of it , and of either side of the riuer , was the tree of life , which bare twelue manner of fruits , and gaue fruit euery moneth : and the leaues of the tree serued to heale the nations with . 5. And there shall be no night there , and they neede no candle , nor light of the sunne : for the Lord giueth them light , and they shall reigne for euermore . 1. Cor. 15.45 . Rom. 8.11 . If the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from the dead , dwell in you , he that raised vp Christ from the dead , shall also quicken your mortall bodies , because that his spirit dwelleth in you . Notes for div A09339-e54520 Tit. 1.15 . Act. 15.10 . 2. Tim. 4.3 . 1. Sam. ● . 22.26 . Psal. 2.12 . Prov. 3.9,10 . Luk. 2.25 . a Socrat. hist. eccl . l. 5. c. 10. b August . de Temp. ser. 119. d Ambr. ser. 38. Notes for div A09339-e55870 Heb. 6. ● , 2●●● a ●u●f●n in expos . Symb & ●●erony . ad ●am . a Paci●n●s epi●t . 1. ad Sym●ro . ● . Tim. 1.13 . Hab. 1●1 . ● . Tim. 1.13 . b Aug. se●m . 119. de temp Ca●sian . li. 6. de inc●r●t . domini . a Cyril . Catec . 1. Mystag . Tertull. de resurrect . Origen . hom . 5. in . Num. Act. 8.38 . H●b . ●● . ● . 〈◊〉 ●1 . 〈…〉 Luk. 8.23 . Act. 8.19 . Math. 7.22 . 2. Cor. 13. ● . 1 p●● . 3.12 . Gal. 5.6 . Math. 7.7 . Math. 16 . 16● . Math. 8.10 . and 16. ● . Ioh. 4.33 . & ● . 2 . Rom. 10.10 . ● . Pet. 3.21 . Heb. ● . 4 . ●ides est●o●a copulatiua . Exod. 3● . Exo. 3.6.14 . 1. Tim. 1.17 . a Psal. 82.6 . b Exod. 4.16 . c ● . Cor. 4.4 . ● Cor. 8.4 . ●o● . 17.3 . Mark. 9.24 . ●sal . 42.12 . 2. Chr. 16.12 . Rom. 10. ●● ● . Tim. 1.12 . ● Pet. 4.19 . ● Chr. 34.27 . ● Chr. 3● . ● Chr. 20.20 . Hebr. 5.7 . Psal. ●● . Dan. 6 . 2● . Psal. 78 . 21,2● . a Hebr. 1.3 . Gal. 4.8 . b Specie . c Numero . Math. 3. 16,17 . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . The meaning Math. 23.9 . a Heb. 12.9 . b Luk. 3.38 . c Esa. 9.6 . d Esa. 53.10 . e Esa. 8.18 . Ier. 3.4,19 . Matth. 6.4 . Iob 17.14 . Ioh. 8.44 . Prov. 10.1 . Math. 12.50 . Mal. 1.6 . Math. 5.45 . Psal. 68.5 . Iob 29 . 1● , ●6 . Math. 6.26 . Heb. 12●● 2. Cor. 6.18 . Isa. 52.11 . Ier. 3● . 1 . 2. Cor. ● . 1 . Ioh. 1.12 , Gen. 18. ●7 . Mal. 3.17 . Psal. 103 . 13● 2. Sam. 18.5 . Torren . conf . A●gust . Gen. ●9 22. Act. 27.24 . Mat. 3.9 . Tit. 12. 2. Tim. 2.13 . ● . P●t . 5.6 . Heb. 10.32 . Ma● . 10.28 . 2. Sam. 15.26 . Lev. 10. ● . Act. 11.18 . Psal. 19.10 . Isai. 50. Anno 1592. in Cambridge shiere . 1. Cor 9.7,8 . Rom. 11. ●3 . Mat. ● . ● . Ioh. ● . ● . Psal. 23. Eph. 1.19 . Phil. 3.10 . Col. 2.15 . Luk. 22.42 . Coloss. ● . 11 . Eph. 1.20,21 . Phil. 3.10 Rom. 8.28 . Ioh. 1.3 . Heb. 1.2 . Gen. 1.2 . 〈…〉 cap. 16. ● Colo●s . 1.16 . ●om . 11. ●6 . Eph. 1.11 . Math. 10.29 . ver . 30. Eph. 1.4 . 2. Tim. 1.9 . Mal. 3.6 . Iam. 1.17 . a Quatenus habet rationem entis , non quatenus hab●t rationem de●e●us . b Bonum est vt f●● malum . Aug. ●uchir . ad Laur. c. 10● . c Voluntate permi●●i●a vul●● app oba●tiua non vuit . Act. ● . ● . vers . 31. 2. King. 20. Psal. 148. ● . Gen. 13. Hebr. 1.3 . Psal. 51.10 . Ioh. 11 . 44● 1. Cor. 4 . 6● Rom. 4 . 17● . Prov. 16.4 . ●rov . 8.30 . 〈◊〉 ●9 . 22 〈…〉 . con●e●t . c. 1● . Gen. 1. Esa. 45.6,7 . Eccles. 7.15 . Rev. 4.11 . Amos 4.13 . Psal. 139.14 . Psal. 119.73 . ● . Pet. 4.19 . Iob 10.3 . Gen. 6.3.6 . Esay 45. 42. ●● . 2. Cor. 1● . 2 . Gen. 7 . 11● Gen. 5.14 . Heb. 11.10 . 1. King. 8.27 . Eph. ●7 . 10 . Acts. 7.55.56 . Luk. 23. Ioh. 14.2 . Iob. 4.19 . 2. Pet. 1.14 . 1. Pet. 2.10 . Mat. 6.33 . Revel . 22. 1. Ioh. 3.3 . 1. Ioh. 5.18 . Heb. 11.9,10 . 2. Cor. 4. end . ● vers . 1.2 . Col. 1.16 . Col. 1.16 . Iob. 33●7 . Luk. 24.4 . Eph. 3 10. Psal. 103.20 . Aug. de Trin. lib. 3. cap. 3. Col. 1.16 . Isa. 6.2 . Luk. 1.14 . Apoc. 5.11 . ●sal . 10● . ●0 . Heb. 1.14 . Psal. 54.8 . Gen 16.7 . 1. King. 19. 2 King. 1. Gen. 19. Gen. ●2 . 1 , ● . Gen. 24.7 . Mat. 2.12,13 . ●●od . 14.19 . & 23.20 . Dan. 3. & 6. Mat. 4.11 . Act. 12. Act. 7. Apoc. 5.2 . Apoc 19 . 2● Act. 5.20 Luk. 1. Luk. 15.7.10 . Luk. 16. Mat. 25.31 . Exod. 1● . Ios. 5. 2. King. 19.15 . Matth 18.10 . Phil. 4.8 . 1. Cor. 11.10 . Psal. 8.5 . Psal. 91. 2. King. 16 17. Ezech. 9.4 . Exod. 12.23 . with 1. Cor. 5. 7. Gen. 1.26 . Eph. 2 . 24● Colos. 3.10 . Ge● . 2.23 . 1. Co● . 11.7 . Col. ● . 16 . Heb. 1.3 . 〈◊〉 8.5 . Eph. 4. ●3 . ●uk . 5.8 . Psal. 8.6 . Gen. 1 . 2● . Psal. 8. Psal. 9.2 . Exod. 10.2 . Gen. 28.17 . 1. Thess. 5 . 2● . Zach. ●2 . Gen. 9.5 . 1. Cor. 10. Heb. 12. 1. Cor. 16.31 . ●om . 12.1 . Isai 2.22 . Columb . lib. 5. cap 9. ● . Cor. 6.15 . Prov. 16.33 . Prov. 20.24 . Ierem. 10.23 . Isai 40.27 . Psal. 73.13.14 . Vers. 17. Eccles. 9.11 . Luk. 10.31 . Psal. 11. ●● Psal. 113.6 . 2. Chr. 16.9 . Act. 15.18 . 1. Pet 3.11 . ● . Chr. 16.9 . Math. 6.26 . Deut. 15.4 . Mat. 10.10 . Act. 17.28 . Isai 45 . 7● Amos. 3. Neh. 9.37 . Exod. 4. & 7. Isai 19.14 . Rom. 1.28 . 2. Thess. 2.11 . 1. King. 22.22 . Ios. 10. Isai 38. Dan. 3. 1. King. 18. Exod. 17. 3. King. 2. 2. King. 6. Ionas 2. 2 King. 5. Matth. 9. Ioh. 9. Gen. 4.5 . Act. 4.28 . 2. Sam. 12.11 . 3. Sam 24.1 . 2. Sam 16.11 . Isai. 10.5 . & 13.6 . 3. Chr. 11.4 . Act. 17 . 2● . Heb. 1.3 . Iob 37. & 38. Psal. 104. Isa. 43. ● . Zach. ● . 8 . Psal. 53.2 . 1. King. 17.1 . Act. 10.33 . Psal. 39.9 . ● . Sam. 16.10 . Iob. 1.22 . H●b . ● . Phil. 4 . 12.1●● 1. Sam. 1● . 37 . Iam. 4.15 . 1. Sam. 13. ●● 2. Sam. 10.12 . Mat. 4.6 . Psal. 16.8 . Gen. 4● . 7 . 1. Sam. ●0 . 6 . Rom. 11. ●● . Gal. 3 . 2● . 1. Ioh. 3.4 . Rom. 3.10 . & 4.15 . ● 5.13 . Rom. 6.23 . Rom. 5.5 . (a) Exod. 22. 13. a witch named in feminine gender Mechashepha . Eccles. 7 3● . a Dedit Adamo posse perseverare si vellet , non , & posse & vell● . August . ●uch . ad Laur. c. 99 . Ioh. 8. Gen. 3.4 G●n . ● . 4 . Gen 3.5 . Rom. 5 . 1● . 〈◊〉 12.1 . Rom. 7. ●● . Psal 51.5 . Psal. 119. 1. Ioh. 2.16 . Gen. 6.5 . and 8. ●1 . 2. Cor. 3.5 . Rom. 5. ●2 . Ier. 17 ● . Psal. 80.11 . Ps●l . 52.10 . Rom. 7.14 . Coloss. 1.13 . Gen. 3.15 . Gal. 3.22 . Heb 11.6 . Rom. 16.20 . 1. Ioh. 3.8 . Gen 6.3 . Gen. 1● . 21 . Rom. 6. Rom. 9.3 . ● Eph. 2.12 . ●om . 9●● . Gen. 18.22 . Gal. 3.8 . Act. 17● 30. Malac. 3.1 . Isa. 49.8 . Math. 16.16 . 1. Ioh. 4.15 . Act. 10.43 . Act. 16.31 . 1. Ioh. 4.2 . Math. 1 21. Luk. 1.31 . Act. 4.11 . Heb. 7.25 . 1. Tim. 4.8 . 1. Pet. 3.21 . Heb. 4.8 . Obed. v. ●1 . 1. Tim. 4. ●6 . Thyrrh . de demon . thes . 567. 569. Officium E. Mariae reform . à Pio 5. p●ntif . Math. 1.21 . Eph 5.23 . Actus primae causae ordinat actum secund● causae . Mat. 18.11 . Mat. 15.24 . Mat. 8.25 . Psal. ●5 . 3 . Mat. 9.20 . Ioh. 5.7 . Mark. 2.4 . Luk. 1.5.9 . Luk. 2.10.11 . Tertul. contra ●ra●eam . Dan. 9.25 . ●sal . ●5 . 7 . Ioh. 6.17 . Isai 61.1 . Exod. 30. 2. Cor. 2.16 , Ioh. 3.34 . 1 Cor. 11.4 . Psal. 45●7 . Psal. 133. ● . Apoc. ●6 . Act. 2 . 17● . 1. Ioh. ● . 27 . Psal. 10● . 15● . Exod. 30.33 . 1. Ioh. 2.20 . Dan. 9.24 . Ioh. 5.39 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Hebr. 5.12 . Psal. 141.5 . Is● . ● . 3 . 1. Pet. 2.5 . ●sa● . 4.5 . Rom. 15.16 . Psal. 141.2 . Heb. 13.15 . Rev. 5.8 . ●hil . 4.18 . Psal. 51.19 . Rom. 6.13 . Cant. 1.2 . Isai 11.3 . Psal. 45.8 . Ioh. 20.31 . A●t . 18.5 . Non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tamē 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Prov. 8.24 . Isal 2.7 . Act. 13.30,33 . Rom : 1.4 . Phil. 2 6. Iob. 16 15. Num. 14 2●,27 1. ●or . 10.9 . Psal. 102.15 . with Ioh. 1.3 . 1. ●ob . 5.20 . Ioh 1.1 . and 8.58 . Math. 18.20 . & 26 Ioh. 5.17 . Phil. 2.10 . Ioh. 1.1 . He● . 1.3 . Iob. 5.25 . 2. ●or . 13.3 . Ioh. 17. 〈…〉 Ioh. 14. ● . Cor. 1.30 . 1. Cor. 11.3 . ● . Cor. 15.24 . vers . 28. Rom 8.29 . Col. 1 . 1● . Gen. 49.3 . Deut. 2● . 17 . Isa. 4● . 11 . Os● 13.4 . Iob 1. Ioh. ● . 18 . ●om 8.32 . Ioh. 1.11 . Ma● 5.9 . Rom. 8.17 . Psal. 116.12 . Prov. 23. ●6 . Exod. 20. Mal. 1.6 . Psal. 119.120 . 1. Cor. 10 . 26● Act. 7. Eph. 6.9 . Rom. 13. ● . Eph. 6.5 . Math. 10.28 . ● . Tim. 3.16 . Ioh. 1.14 . Luk 1.35 . Rom. 2.3 . Heb. 1.3 . Colo●● . 1. a Inchoativè communis , termina ivè no● : sic scholastici . Aug. in E●ch . as Laur. c. ●8 . a In vno indi●iduo . b Ignorantia ●●e●ae priuationis non prauae dispositionis . Gen. ●8 . 9.13 . Rom. 8.3 . August . de Agone Christ. 2. Pet. 1.4 . Phil. 2.6.7 . Psal. 22. Rev. 3.17 . Ge● . 49.10 . P. Galatin de ●●culti ●●●hol veritas . l. 4 c. ● . Goel . Isai 59.2 . Colost 1 . 1● . Heb. 2.17 . Mat. 1.20 . Augu●t . enci● . c. 37 39. Ioh. 3.13 . 1. Cor. 15. Luk. 1.35 . a Iud. 14.6 . b Act. 1.8 . Luk. 24.49 . Serm. de S. nati●●t . Rom. 5.12 . 1. Ioh. 3.3 . Visen . Matthiol . Act. 17 28. Damas. l. 3. c 6. Cypr in symb . Ioh. 10.18 . Act. 20.28 ● Cor. 2.8 . Ioh. 3.13 . 〈◊〉 . ● . 6 . Isai 2.2 . Dan. 9.24 . Gal. 4.4 . Luk. 2.1 . Psal. 22.6 , Isa. 53.2 . ● . Cor. 8.9 . Luk. 2. ● . Cor. 1.27 . Gal. 4.19 . Mark. 13.35 . Psal. 7.14 . Iam. 1.14 . 〈◊〉 10. 〈◊〉 . 3. 〈◊〉 ep●st ad 〈◊〉 . Ma● . 13.55 . ●o● . 1 45. & 6. ●2 . Luk 4.22 . ●sal . 7.22 . 〈…〉 Ioh. 19.27 . Epiph. l. 2.10 . ● a Luk. 1 . 4● . Aphric . apud ●useb . 〈◊〉 l. 4 c. 15. Deut. 25. M●t 1.12 . & Luk. 3.17 . ●uk . 1● . 26 . ●ev . 15. ● . Act. 14●●● . Act. 2 2● . Nō peccator . ● . Iustus . Hebr. 7.22 . Ioh. 3.16 . & 15.13 . Lud. Gran. Lev. 44.29 . ● Pet. 4. ● . Psal. 119.37 . Iob. 31.1 . Prou. 4.23 . 1. Cor. 9.17 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Luk. 3 . 1● Gen. 49 . 1● . Isa. 11.1 . Heb. 7●●● . Isa. 52.4 . ● . Chr. 19.6 . Math. 26.36 . Luk. 22.39 . Ioh. 18.2 . Ioh 18 . 4● . ●n personis nō est , ali●d & ●li●d : est tamen alius & alius . Ma●h . 26.37 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈…〉 a Ioh. 1● . ●7 . Act. 16 . 6●●● Hebr. 5.7 . 1. Cor. 11.9 . Audit ad salu●●●● non audit a● voluntatē . M●●h . 26,3 , ●,5 . 2. Sam. 17 . 2●● Math. 2● . 4● , Ioh. ●8●● Luk 23.12 . Math. 24.9 . Luk. 22.52 . Prov. 28.1 . Iob. 18.4,5,6 . ● . Cor. 2.16 . Ma● . 14.44 . Ioh. 6.70 . Ier. 15.19 , Isai 6.5 . Act. 20.18 . 1. Tim. 6. ●0 . Ma● . 2● . ● . Mar. 13.30 . I●h . 18.12 . Math. 26.57 . Mat. 14.53 . Luk. 22.66 . Ioh. 18.19 . Math. 27.1.2 . Isai 59.7 . Exod. 32.6 . Mat. 26.59 . Mat. 14.55 . Ioh. 18.19 . ● . Pet. 3.15 . Ioh ●8 . 19 , ●6 . Act. 12 . 1● . Mat. 21 . 1● . Mat. 15.3 . Rom. 10. ● . Mat. 2● . 2 . ● . Ioh 18. ●2 . Mat. 5.39 . Mat. 26.60 . Ter●l . Apol. co●●ra g●●● . Ma● . 14 58. Ioh. 2.19 . vers . 22. Psal. 141.3 . Psal. 51. ●5 . 1. Thess. 5.27 . Mat. 26.25 . Mat. 14 62 , Ioh. 19.7 . Ioh. 18.19 . Luk. 23. Mat. 2● . 2 . Mat. ●● . ● . Math. ●7 . ●8 . Numb . 11.26 , 27,28 . Ioh. 3.29 . Math. 27.20 . Exod. 18.21 . Ioh. 1●●8 . Math. 27.6 . ●ath . 23.23 . Rom. 11.32 , Luk. 23. ●● Ioh. 6.15 . Math. 17.27 . Psal. 120.4 . and 5.9 . Iam. 3.6 . a Iniustice . For a bla●phemer by their l●we should be stoned and not crucified . Math. 27●22,23 . ● . Tim. 6.12 . Ioh. 18.36,37 . Math 8.31 . M●●k . 5.41 . Io● . 11 43. Psal. 2.9 . and 110.2 . Math. 13 . 4● . 1. Cor. 7 . 3●● Math. 13.9 . Psal. 40.6 . Luk. 23.7 . Lu● . ●3 . 8 . ●uk 13 . 3● . Ioh. 19.1 . Luk. 23. 14 , 15 , 16. 〈◊〉 ●4 . 〈…〉 . 2. Tim. 1 . 1● . Prou. 17.15 . 2. Tim. 2.17 . Psal. 137.9 . Mat. 27.23.24 . Luk. 23.14 . 22. M●r. 15 14. Ioh. 18.38 . & 19.4 . Mat. 27.19.24 . Mar. 15.10 . Mat. 17.19 . Isa. 8.10 . Ioh. 19.7,8 . Math. 26.66 . Deut. 17.7,8,9 . Act. 9.7 . Rom 9.3 . Mat. 23.20 . Luk. 13.24 . Mat. 27.25 . Ioh. 19.12.13 . Reuel 21.8 . Euseb. hist. lib. ● . ●7 . 2. Pet. 3.18 . 1. Ioh. 2.1 . Luk. 23.34 . ●sal . ●● . 2 . Ioh. 19. Iewish Rabbines . Cypr. lib. de re●urrect . August serm . 71. de temp . Hieron . epist. ●aulae ad Marcellam . Ioh. 19.14 . Mark. 15.23 . A. G●ll. noct . art . lib. 3. c. 2. Iosu. 7 . 24● Lev 21.14 . Act. 7.58 . Lev. 6.36 . H●br . 13.12 . 1. Cor. 4.13 . Luk. 9.23 . Colos● . 1.24 . Luk. 23. ●6 . Mat. 11.28 . Luk. 23.27 . Hebr. ●3 . 3 . 2. Cor. 7.10 . Mar. 15.23 . Deut. 32. ●●,23 . Gal. 3.13 . Deut. 21.23 . Philip. 2.8 . Num 25.4 . ●●am . 21.6 . Psal. 22.17 . Iren. l. 2. c. 4● . Aug. l. 50. homil . 3. Author libr● de passione inter opera Cypriani . Math. 6. ●● . Zach. 12 . 10● . Ioh. 3. ●4 . Gal. 3.2 . Gal. 3.24 . Esai 53.6 . 1. Tim. 3 . 3● , Gen. 3. ● . Rev. 3.17 . Exod. 32.25 . Prov. 29.18 . Rev. 3.18 . Rev. 7.14 . Gal. ● . 27 . Eph. 4. ●4 . ● . Cor. 5. 1 , 2,3 . Aug. serm . 119. de tempore . a Producta ●ors . Mat. 19.14 . a Fic●●●●●m Christum . Math. 27. ●7 . 38,39 . 2. King. 2.23 . 24. Math. 27.44 . Luk. 23.39 . Syn●chdoche . ● King. 1● . 36 . ● . Sam. ● . 14 . Math. 27.46 . Psal. 77.2.3 . vers . 10,11,12 , &c. Ioh. 19. ●8 . I●d . 4.19 . Iud. 15.18 . Psal. 143.6 . & 9● . 1 . Mat. 35 36. Gen. 24.13 . Psal. 31.5 . Psal 40. Psal. 31.5 . 1. Sam. ●0 . 6 . 2. Tim. ● . ●● . He●● 11. ● . Luk ●● . 46 . Gen. 2.17 . Ioh. 10.18 . Math. 27.46 . Luk. ●3 . 46 . Isa. 18.14 . Ma● . 15.39 . Ioh. 19.30 . Mar. 1● . 44 . To signifie this point the Creede saith that he was crucified and also died . Heb. 2.15 . 〈◊〉 . 15 55. Rom. 3.1 . Heb 9.15,16 . 1. Iohn . 3.16 . Ioh. 19.36 . Exod. 1● . 46 . 1. Co● . 5.7 . Ioh. 1.29 . Exod. 12.23 . Isa. 13. 3. Isa 46.12 . Isa. ●7 . 29 . Columb . de re An it . l. 7. a pericardium . 1. ●oh . 5● . Hebr. 3. ●● Exod. 29.7 . Psal. 113.2 . Psal. 45.7 . Exod. 28.2 . Exod. 28.12.21 . Cant. 8.6 . Colos●● . 3 . Psal. 25.14 . E●h . 1.17 . ● . Cor. 2. ●2 . Exod. ●8 . 36 . Heb. 7. Gen. 14.18 . Protulit non obtu●it . He● . 7.24 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Psal. 82● Ma●h . 23.10 . a or● the god●●●● . He● . 10.10 . 〈…〉 1.8 . Gen. ● . 21 . Ep● . 5.2 . Heb. 10.14 . Heb. 9.28 . Heb. 9.22 . 1. Ioh. 1.7 . Rom. 5.10 . Heb. 9.14 . Heb. 10.20 . Math. 23.9 . Ioh. 17.19 . Luk. 4.19 . Lev. 25.10 . Agg. 2. ● . Agg. 2.10 . Lev. 2. ●● . Ez●ch . 43.24 . ●z●ch . 16.4 . Coloss. 4.6 . Mat. 5.13 . Eze. 47.8.11 . a Mare mortuum . Mal. 1.11 . 1. Tim. 2.8 . Rev. 8.3 . Heb. 13.10 . Rom. 15.16 . Heb. 10.21 . Col. 2.14.15 . Ioh. 19.12 . Ose. 6. Rom. 9 13. Gen. 25.13 . Luk. 23.40 . Ioh. 7.38 . Iob. 32.19 . Psal. 34.11 . Ierem. 15.19 . Gen. 20 . 1● . Psal. 119.71 . 1. Cor. 11.32 . Mich. 7.9 . 1. Tim. 1.15 . Heb. 11.1 ●om . 4 . 1● . Luk. 23.44 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a Euseb. Chro. Tertul. Apol. c. 12. Ores . l. 7. c. 4. 2. Cor. 3.5 . Mal. 4.2 . Isa. 8.20 . Luk 1.79 . ● Pet. 1.1 . Mat. 27.11 . Heb. 9 8 Ioh. 1.51 . Dan. 9.17 . Mat. 27 . 5● . Agg. 2.7 . Mat. 27.52.53 . Mar. 15 . 3● . Math. 27.54 . ● . King. 1 . 1● . Habac. ● . 16 . Exod. 9.27 . & 34. Col. ● . 14,15 . ●hil . 3.18 . Gal. 6.14 . 1. Cor. 4.9 . Math. 27. Mar. 15.43 . Ioh. 19.38 . Gen. 3.19 . Ier. 22.19 . Amos 2.1 . Luk. 23.50 . Luk. 23. 50,51 . a Math. 19.24 . Ioh. 19 38. ●●m . 4.8 . Iam. 3.17 . Ioh. 19.40 . Luk. 24.1 . a P. Ram. theol . l. 1. c. 14. seemes to be deceiued in that he puts Christ● buriall for his embalming , and his descending into hell for his burial or lying in ●he graue . 1. Cor. 15.29 . Math. 27.59 T it 2 . ● 1 ●im . 3.2 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Ioh. 19.41 . Math. 17.60 , 66. Ioh 19 41. Gen. 3.8 . Ioh. 18.1 . Luk. 23.54 . Math. 27.17 . Damasc. Rom. 3.6 . ● . King. 3.21 . Isa. 57.2 . P. Viret . in symb . Erasm. in Colloq . Ruff. in exposit . symb . a Varia● . lectiones . b ●●ath . 27.9 . Ieremie for Zacharie . Luk 1.3 . c. Omnia asseq●●to . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Ioh. 20.31 . a Lib. de inca● . Chrys. hom . 1. & 2. in . symb . Ezech. 27.4 . In corde marium . Bellar. quest . de descen . After iust ex●cution convictio● is needelesse . 1. Sam. 2.6 Psal. 18.5 Act. ● . ●4 . Gen. ●● . 53 . a o●●h● graue . Io●● . 5●9 . Psal. 32.3 . Iob. ● . 4 . & 16 . 9.1● . Mat. 11 . 29● Psal. 22.6 . Olev lib. de subst f●●d . & 〈…〉 . ●ph . 2.6 . Ioh. 10 . 1● . Math. 28.2 . Gen. 19.1,13 . Ezech. 12.29 . 2. King. 19.35 . Math. 4 . 1● . Math 27.32 . Col. 1.28 . 2. Cor. 5. ●● . Math. 12 30. His abode in the graue was about 38. houres . Math. 28.1 . Apoc. 1.10 . a Hierome . Rom. 4.25 . 1. Cor. 15.14 . 〈◊〉 ● . 16.9 . 2. Cor. 5.19 . Math. 2● . 9 . Mark. 16.7 . 2. King. 5.13 . Luk. 24.11 . Luk. 23.13 . Luk. 3 15. 1. Cor. 15.5 . Ioh. 20.19 . ● . Cor. 9.19 . Cant 4.16 . Ioh. 20.16 . I●h . 11. Psal. 3. Iob. ●0 . 27 . ●sal . 103 . 1●● Isa. 4.3 . Ioh. 1● 28. Ioh. 1● . 1. Cor. 15.7 . Mat 28.16 . 〈◊〉 1.12 . Rom. 1.4 . Psal. 2.7 . Act. 13.32.33 . Ro● . 1●9 . 1. Cor. 15. ●● . Rom. 4.25 . 1. Pet. 1.3 . Rom. 6.3 . ●oh . 7 37. Ioh. 5 . 25● Ioh. 6.63 . Can● . 2.4 . Ose 6.1,2 . ●ze . 37.4.5.8 . Eze. 47.3,4,5 . Rom. 8.11 . Rom. 6.4 . 2. Cor. 7.22 . Eph. 5.14 . Rev. 20.6 . Phil. 3.10 . Eph. 8.19 . Col. 3.1 . Act. 1 3 4. Esay● 9.6 . Heb● 5.6 . Isa. 38.1 . 2. Pet. 1.15 . ●uk . 24.50 . & 19.29 . Act. 1.12 . Luk. 24.50 . Gen. 14.19 . Numb . 6 . 2● . Gen. 49. Eph. 1.3 . Luk. 6.26 . Gen. 12.3 . Num● . 13 2● . a The engl●sh transla●ion being o●h●●wise here seem●s to fa●●e . Ma●h . ●8 . 20 . Vide Thom. contra Gent. li. ● . ● . 49. Act. 1.9 . Exod. 19.9 . Luk. 24.50 . Act. 1.9 . Eph. 4.8 . R●m . 16.20 . ● . Ioh. 3. ● . Rom. 16.20 . 2. Ti● . ●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Ioh. 14.2 . Gen. ● . ●4 . Lam. 3.44 . Rev. 22. ●● . Phil. 3.10 . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Luk. 13.24 . Tertul. li● . de habit mul. Ps●l . 8.3.10 . Ioh. 16.7 . Io● . 14.16 . Esa. 8.19 . Gen. 25.22 . 2 Pet. 4.17 . Luk. 13.16 . Col. 1.10 . ● . King. 4.10 . Tertul. Luk. 34.52 . ● Ki●g . 2.19 . Psal. 45.9 . Math. 20. Phil. 2. ●● Psal. 110 . 1● 1. Cor. 15 . 2● Eph. 1.20 . Heb. 1.3 . Rom. 8.24 . Mark. 16.19 . Act. 2.36 . Mat. ●8 . 19 . 1. Cor. 11.3 . R●v . 5.12 . Rom 8 . 3● . 1. Tim. 2.5 . 1. Ioh. 2.1 . Heb. 9.24 . Cap. 17. 24. Luk. ● . ●3 . Iam. 1.6 . Rom. ● . ●● . Rev. 8.3 . Rom. 8.26 . Hest 8 . 1● . Ioh. 16 . 2●● Eph. 4.11 . Ier. 15.19 . Math. 23.37 . Act 16. Act. 9.6 . Rom. 8.14 . Esa 30 21. Isa. 4.5 . 〈…〉 Iob 39 37. and 42.6 . Ose. ● . ● . Phil. 1.29 . Col. 1 11. Luk. 19.27 . Psal. 2.9 . and 110.1 . Ios. 10.24 . P●il . 1.10 . 1. Sam. 24.6 . 1. Sam. 10. ●6 . 1. King. 1.34 . 2. Sam 25.15 . 16. ● . Pet ●● . Ioh. 5.24 . Iob. 3.18 . A certen nu●ber put for an vncerten . a 100 yeares . Math. 24. 36. Act. 1.7 . 1. Thess. 5.2 . Math 24.14 . 1. Thess. 2.3 . ● . The●s . 2 3. ● . Tim. 3. ● . Math. 24 . 6,1● Luk. 17.26 . Rom. 11.25 . Math. 24 30. 〈◊〉 . ●9 . 8. 1. Cor. 6.2 . Luk. 21.35 . Math. ●5 . 31 . Dan. 7. ● . Ioh. 5.23 . Mat. 24.31 . 1. Thes. 4.6 . Mat● . 4.31 . Math. 25.32 . Math. 13.10 . Ezech. 34.18 . Ioh. 10. ●7 . ● . Cor. 5.10 . Rev. 10.12 . Psal. 136.16 . Isa. 4.3 . Rom. 2.12 . vers . 16. Heb. 11.7 . Math. 25.34 . Zach. 2.8 . Act. 9.4 . Heb 4.15 . Gal. 6.10 . Mark. 10.41 . Eccles. 8 11. Math. 3. Luk. 18.10 . ●●k . 21.28 . A●●c . 6.10 . 〈◊〉 ●7 . 3 . 1. Cor. 11. ●1 . 1. Cor. 4 3. Rom. 14.10 . Act. 24.15 . Rev. 14 17. Act. 54.4 . Isa. 6.9 . Act. ●8 . 15 . Mat. 11. ●7 . ●om . 8.16 . Rom. 8.1 . Luk. 1 . 3● . 2. Co● . 13●1● . Mat. 15.16 . Mat. 28 . 1● . Rom. 8.9 . Gal. 4.6 . Ioh. 15.26 , Ioh. 14.16 . Iob. 33.4 . Gen. 1.2 . Iud. 6.34 . Exod. 31. ● . Heb. 6.4 . 1. Ioh. 2.20 . Apoc. 3.18 . Luk. 12. 47. 1. Cor. 12.10 . Hest. 5.10 . Gen. ●0 . 6 . Luk. 8.13 . Esai . 53.11 . Ioh. 17.3 . Rom. 8.16 . 1. Cor. 2.12 . Ioh. 2.5 . Mat. 3.11 . Rom. 8.5 . Rom. 8 ●4 . Gal. 5.17 . Esai . 11.2 . Gal 5 22. Zach. 12.10 , Rom 8.26 . Ioh. 15.26 . ●sa● 45.9 . E●●i . 11.2 . Phi● . 4.12 . Rom. 8.23 . 2. Cor. 1.22 . 2. Chr. 32 . 3● . 1. S●m . ● . 25 . Gal 5. 5. ●sa . 44.3 , ● . 1. Ioh 3.18 . Rom. 12. 1● . Luk. 1.58 . Rom. 12.18 . Esa. 11.6 . Mat. 17.26,27 . Gal. 6.1 . Math. 5.9 . Pr●v . 19.11 . Eccles. ● . 23 . Math. 7.2 . Mark. 3.5 . Tit. 3.2 . 2. Iob 10. Iob. 36. ●5 . 1. Cor. 9 . 2●● Gal. 5.13 . Psal. 15. 〈◊〉 2.3 . 1. Thess. 4.4 . Eph. 4.30 . 2. Sam. 6.17 . 1. Thess ● . 1● . a August . in ●nchir . c. 59. Aug. l. 4. c. 10. de ●ymb . ad Catech. b Ruffin . in symb . August tract . 2. 9.10 ●oh . Epiph an . in Anchor . 1. Pet. 2. ● . Luk. 12.31 . a Bernard . in Cant. Col 1.18 . Eph. 3.15 . Gal. 4.20 . Heb. 12.22 . A child might answer his obiection , if men were elect and re●used for their foreseene faith and ●nbeleefe . a Aug de ●raede●t . san●t . ad Paulinum . ep . 7● . E●c●ir . 98 99. ●●●●●rum . 105. epist. ●ierony . He●lib●● q. 10 B●d . i● Rom. & Aquinas , &c. 2. Tim. 2.19 . Math. 7.21 . Act. 13.48 . Iud. 4. Eph. ● . 4.5 . Rom. 8. 18. Eph. 1.5 . Eph. 1.4 . 〈◊〉 1. ●● . Rom. 9. ●● . an● 1. 29. ● . Sam. 15 ●9 . M●l . 3 6. Eph. 1 ● . ● . ●he●s . ● . 4 . 〈◊〉 ● . ● . ●●●l . 69. ●8 . ●xod . ●2 32. ●●● 9●3 . Ioh. 6 70. Ioh. 15.19 . Eph. 1.4 . 1. Pet. 1.20 . Aug de praede●t . ●anct . c. 15 . Act. 2.23 . ● . Tim. 1. ●● . Eph ●● . Rom. 8 . 3● . T●● . 1.1 . Act. 13.48 . Rom. ● . 30 . ● . Pe● . ● . 1 . Eph. 2. 10. Luk. 10.10 . 2. 〈◊〉 1. ●● . 2. Cor. 13.5 . Rom. 8.16 . Gal. 1.17 . ● . Ioh. 5.18 . 1. Cor. 10.5 . P●●l . 4.8 . Phil. 3.8 . M●●h . ●3 . 44 . Math. 10. ●● . 2. Tim. 4.8 . 1. Ioh. 2.3 . Mal. 3.17 . Si quod vis n● po tes deus factum computat . August . Psal. 1●9 . ● . Iam. 2 . 10● . 2. Tim. 2.19 . ● . Thess. 3.23 . Iud. 4. ●om . ● 22. 2. ●o● 4.3 . 2. 〈◊〉 . 2.9.13 . Mat. 11.25 . Vers. 25. Hos. 13. 9. Prov. 16.4 . Rom. 9.22 . ● . Pet. 2.8 . 2. Cor. 4.3 . Esai . ● . ● . Psal. 69. & 109. 2. Tim. 4.14 . ● . Ioh. 5.16 . 1. Cor. 16.22 . a Sic Chrysost. ● Ioh. 3. See Illyr . Catal . test . ver● . Rev. 12.17 . Rom. 11●5 . 1. Tim. 1.9 . Phil. 1.29 . Rom 3.24 . Eph. 2.10 . Ier. 32.40 . Rom. 6.23 . Ier 9.24 . Ioh. 17.3 . Math. 24 . 24● Luk 10.20 . ● . Tim. 1. ●9 ; Rom. 8. ●3 . Rom. 11.20 . Esa. 2.10 . ● . Pet. ● . 10 . Eph. 1.4 . Eph. 2.10 2 Thes. 2.13 . Rom. 9. 2 Tim. 2.21 . Rom. 8.29 . ●hil 3.10 . Rom. 9 22. Eccles. 9. ●● Act. 2.23 . Act. 4.28 . a Nolente , nesciente , non curante . Volendo velle . 2 Nolendo nolle , or , penitus nolle . 3 Remissè & velle & nolle , or , nolendo velle . a Decretum Dei non tollit libertatem voluntatis sed ordinat . 2. Sam. 12 . 1● . Mark. 5 . 1● . b or , as some speake● , a rule according to which he ordereth his decree . Eph. 1. ● . a quid vult sié●i de nobis , r , in nobi● . b quid vult s●●ri á no●is . Ioh. 13.18 . Math. 2● . 14 . Ioh. 17.2,11 , 24. Apoc. 17.4 . and 20.22 . Math. 25. ●4 . Math. 7.23 . Iob. ● . 36 . Iob. 17.9 . Ioh. 10.27 . Rom. 8.33 . ●sal . 32. ● . Rom. 5.1 . Isai 45.7 . Gal. 5.27 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Cor. 5.18 . Gen. 6. ●sa 4● . 9 . Ose. 2.23 . & 1 10. ●a●h . ● . 11 . Act. 14.16 . 〈◊〉 . 2.13 . Mat. 10.6.7 . Mat. 15.22 . Esai 55.5 . Act. 17.30 . Rom 16.26 . 1. Tim. 3.16 . a Apella , Verpus , Recutitus , Sabbatarius , Cultur 〈◊〉 . 2. Thess. 3.1 . 2. Cor. 4.4 . 2. Cor. 3.5 . Ga● . ● . 28 . ●sa● . 9.16 . Rom. 8.31 . Ioh 6.53 54. Ioh. 1.14 . Ioh. 17.2 . 〈◊〉 2.48 . 1. Cor. 1.30 . Ephes. 5.30 , a Ius ad rem . b Ius in re . 〈◊〉 . 1● . 1 . Esai . 5.7 . Can● . 6.10 . Luk. 8.15 . Ezec. 4● . ●● . Eph. 2 22. Colo●● . 2.29 . 1. Ioh. 2.10 . ●ev . 22 . 1●● Ac● . 1.47 . Cant. 6.8 . Heb. 12.23 . Rev. 7.10 . Act. 14.22 . Luk. 9.23 . 2. Cor ● . 8 . Phil 1.23 . Rev 1.4 . Gal. 1.6 . August . de bap . l. 2 c. 3. Ioh. 15.13 . Ioh. 3.34 . Act. 20.20,27 . ● . Tim. 3.11 . Rom. 10. 1. King 19. 14 , ●8 . 2. Chr. 15. ●● Math. ●3 . 25 , 47. 1. Pet. 1.23 . Heb 5.13 . ● . Co● . 3.2 . Esa. 49.22 . Can● . 1.6 . ve●s . 7. ● . King. 4.23 . 〈…〉 2. Tim. 2. ●●● Gal. 5. ● . 3 . Heb. 6.1 . 1. Cor. 3.10 , 1. Cor. 3.35 . 2. Tim. 3.8 . Herodo● , Hos. 1.9 . Mat. 23.2 . Rom. 9.4 . Act. 2.39 . 2. Cor 6.14 . 2. Chro. 11.14 . ● . Tim. 6.3 . A●● . 19 9. ●● 18.28 . 1. Cor. 5.11 . Psal 17.4 . 2. Pet. 2.6 . 1 Pet. 2.9 . Rev. 11 2. & 2● . 29 . Rev. ● . 9 . & 3.9 . Psal. 26.5 . Ioh. 17.17 . 1. Tim 1.17 . Rom 11 20. Phil. 2 1● . Mat. 9.24 . ● . Tim. 4.7 . Eph 3.7 . 2. Thess. 3.14 . Math. 26.23 . Rev. 7.9 . Catholica . i. per totum orbem diffusa . Aug. epi●t . 170. Ioh. 2.1,2 . 1. Cor 1.2 . and 14.33 . Psal. 16.5 . Psal. 73.26 . a Act. 26.18 . Coloss. 1.12 . Eph. 1.18 . 1. Cor. 10.16 . Isa. 55. ● . Rev. 3 18. Act. 4.32 . Isa. 11.6,7 . 2. Pet. 1.7 . Gal 6.2 . Gal. 5.13 . Mat. 5● Leuit. 11.44 . Mat. 11.28 . 1. Cor. 11.1 . Luk. 13.18 . Mat. 7.5 . Heb. 10.14 . Gal. 6.1 . a As Chirurgians ●●●der●y see armes and legs in ioynt . 2. Ki●g 6.16 . Psal 10● . 23 . ●●od . 32.10 . b Spiritual 〈…〉 or temporall goods Act ● . 21 . 2. ●or . 8.1 . Gal 6.10 . ●ev . 6.10 . ● . Ioh. 1.6 . Phil 2.1 . ●ph . 4 3. ●sal 16.3 . Amos 6.6 . ●ph . 6.18 . Phil. 4.14 . 1. Ioh. 3 16. Ioh. 20.23 . Mark. 2.7 . Esa. 31. ●4 Esa. 62 . 1● . ●om . 4 25. 1. Ioh 1.7 . 1. Pet. 1.18 . Psal. 32. 1. Es● . ●4 . 22 . Es●●● . 17 . Mi●h . 7.19 . Psal. 32. ●● . ● . ●ing . 2● . ●2 . 1. Ioh. 3.8 . Math. ●2 . ●● . Rom. 2. ● . Eccles. 9.2 . 1. Cor. 15. Iob. 19.25 . ●●es . 14. & 18. 1. Cor. 15.50 . Eccles 3.19 . Ioh. 5.28 . Iob. 19.27 . ● . Cor. 15.43 . ●sal . 16.9 . Act. 3 . 1● . a Aug. in F● chir . cap. 91. Ioh. 5 . 2● . Act. 3.19 . Hierome . 1. Thes● . 4. ●● . Iob. 19.25 . Heb. 11.35 . Act. ●4 . 16 . a Or in the meane season . Rev. 6.9 . Luk. 16.23 . Math. 14. ● , Dan 4.33 . Isa. 64.1 . 1. Co● . ● . 9 . 2. Co● . 1● . 4 . Ioh. 17.21 . ●ev . ●● . 3 . ● . Cor. 15.28 . Rev. ●● . 22 . vers . 23. Cap. 22. ●● Rev. 21.4 . 1. Cor. 13 . 12● Gen. 2.23 . Mat. 17.4 . 〈◊〉 66 . 2● . 〈◊〉 . ● . 9 . ●hil . 3.21 . 1. Cor. 25. ●● . ●sal . 16.11 . 1 King. 1.40 . Mat. ●5 . 34 . Rom. ● . ●●● Rom. 5.13 . Ioh. 5.24 . Ioh. 17.3 . Gal. 2.20 . Dan. 11.3 . Math. ●1 . 22 . ● Cor 15.41 . Math 10.9 . 2. Tim. 1 . 1● . Heb. ●● . ●● . Heb. 11. ●4 . Notes for div A09339-e97720 a Zach. 12.12 . b Esa. 9.12 Rom. 15.6 c 〈…〉 23. psal . 59.16 d 2. king . 2. e Matth. 7.7 . Notes for div A09339-e98150 a The minde or vnderstanding . b The will and affection . A preface to preparation of prayer . Psal. 143.1 . Psal. 61.1 . 2 A confession of sin with sorrow of heart . Psal. 51.5 . Psal. 40.14 . vers . 16. Psal. 143.4 . Psal. 90. 8. Psal. 130.3 . Psal. 143.2 . 3 Prayer for pardon of sinnes knowne and vnknowne . Psal. 25.10 . Psal. 19. 12. vers . 13. Psal. 143.6 . 4 Faith sh●wing it selfe in desire of reconciliation with God. Psal. 125.2 . Psal. 6. Psal. 42. 5 Faith fighteth with di●●rust , and I laboureth to ouercome it . vers . 12. Psal. 30.6 . vers . 7. Psal. 103.8 . vers . 13. vers . 14. 6 ●rayer for regeneration and Gods holy spirit . Psal. 51.10 . vers . 12. 7 Prayer for obedi●nce to God in our liues and calling . Ps. 119.20 . vers . 5. Psal. 20.11 . 8 Prayer for life ●uerlasting . Psal. 106.5 . vers . 6. 9 A conclusion with praising of God. vers . 46. Notes for div A09339-e107990 a Mat. 25. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 . Luk. 13. 24. A caueat to all protestants , of what estate or condition soeuer . b 2. Cor. 13. 5. Psal. 119.59 c Act. 20. 32. Notes for div A09339-e108190 Marke , that there is a true faith , wrought by the holy Ghost , very like sauing faith , yet not sauing faith . Notes for div A09339-e108440 a Ro. 1. 21. Psal. 19. 1.3 b Ro. 7. 15. c Psal. 14.1 . Rom. 3.10 . 11. d Psal. 49. 20. e Act. 14.17 . Rom. 1. 21. f Heb. 6.4 . 2. Pet. 2. 23. g Mat. 22. 14. Luk. 13. 14. Prou. 1.24 . Ioh. 9.41 . Luk. 14.6 . h Psal. 27.8 . i Heb. 10.26 Act. 1.16.17 . k 1. Sam. 29. 21. l Gen. 4.13 . m Eus. lib. 8. cap. 17.18 . n Socrat. l. ● . c. 11. o Act. 2. 37. Rom. 8. 15. p Mar. 6.20 26. q Mat. 27. 19.24 . r Mar. 27.3 . Heb. 12.17 . s Gen. 27.38 & 27.41 . & 28.9 . t Exod. 8.8 . Mat. 7.7 . u Gen. 3.4 . 1. Sam. 31.4 . Mat. 27.5 . x 1. Reg. 21. 27.29 . y Exod. 9.27 Num. 22.44 z Num. 2●● 10. a Num. 18. 18. b Numb . 11. 33. Psal. 78. 31. c Esa. 7. ●1 . d Luk. 8. 13● e Iob. 3. 15. f Heb. 6.4 . Mat. 13.20 . g 2. Pet. 1.14 1. Ioh. 2.8 . Luk. 1.27 . Esa. 60. 1,2 . h Matth. 11 . 20,21,22 , 23. i 1. Sam. 10. ● . k Mar. 6.20 l mat . 13.20 . m Exo. 9.27 . n Act. 8. 24. o Rom. 8. 16,26 . p Act. 8.13 . r Eus. lib. 4. s Plin. lib. 10. ●pist . 97. t Gal. 4. 16. u 2. King. 10. 16. x & 30. 31. y 2. Pet. 2. ●0 . Hos. 6.4 . 1. Sam. 9.21 z Hest. 5 . 9● 10. a 1. Thess. 5. 32. a Mat. 7.22 Mar. 9. 38. b 1. Sam. 10. 9. c Mat. 7.22 . d Act. 1. 16. 17. Collos. 4. 2. Tim. 4.10 c Ioh. ● . 23 . 24.25 . * The elect may be of the Catholike Church and not of the visible , and the reprobate may ●e of the visi●le and not of the Catholike . a 1. Cor. 5.5 . b Rom. 8.9 , 11. c 2. Cor. 2.7 , 11. d Gen. 7.1 . Gen. 19.21 . and 18.32 and 39. 3. e Sam. 7. 13 f Act. 27,24 . g Gen. 17. 7. 10. h Gal. 3.8 . i 1. Cor. 7.14 . Rom. 11.16 . k Rom. 9.22 . and 2.4,5 . Gen. 6.3 . l Ps. 13. 12. m 2. Pet. 2. 22. 1. Tim. 1.4 . 2. Thes. 2. 6. Esa. 6.10 . n Theod. lib. 3. Hist. cap. ●5 . I●cob , Berg. chron . o Mat. 13. 28. p Act. 15.16 Ps. 119. 32. Mar. 10. 20,21 . Prou. 24 . 1● . q Phil. 2.12 . 1. Pet. 2. 17. Rom. 11.20 . r 1. Cor. 11. 31. Psal. 16.12 . and 119.59 . s Matth. 25.32,33 . ●●●ue●tto them of the religion of the Church of Rome . Notes for div A09339-e111830 〈◊〉 a Eph. 1.4,5 , 6,7 . b Apoc. 20. 12. Vocation . c 2. Thess. 2. 13,14 . d Eph. 2. 19. g 2. Cor. 6.2 . Luk. 19.42 . h Col. 2.7 . Ioh. 15.19 . What faith i● . i Col. 2.12 . k Ioh. 1. 12. Rom. 5. 17. l Gal. 3. 27. m Ioh. 6.36 . n Eph. 3.17 . o Col. 2. 12. o Psal. 77. 2. 3. p Psal. 103.1 q Iob. 13.15 . r 1. Cor. 2.12 How God worketh in the heart . Knowledge . s Esa 53. 11. t Ioh. 17. u Iob. 33.23 Rom. 10. 14 Col. 2.2 . Rom. 14. 14 a Phil. 1.9 . b Gal. 5. 17. cum Rom. 7.23 . & Rom. 3. cū Ro. 8. 38. c Mar. 8.24 . 25. d 1. Cor. 8.2 . & 14.23 . e Psal. 40.6 2. Tim. 3. 5. Tit. 1.16 . 2 Sight of sinne . f Ier. 3.13 . g Luk. 2. 25. Ioh. 16.8 . h Psal. 40. 12. i Lam. 3.40 k Psal. 4.4 . l Ro. 7.7 . 10 m Ier. 17.9 . n Psal. 19.12 o Cor. 4.4 . p Luk. 16.15 q Iob. 4. 18. 3 Sorrow for sin . r Act. 2. 37. s Hab. 3. 16. t Rom. 8. 15 a Iob. 30.30 b Lam. 1. 20. & . 2.11 . Osea . 11.8 . c Psal. 32.4 . d Psal. 88.15 e Ge. 32.25 . f Exod. 12. 8 Zach. 12.10 g 2. Cor. 2. 6,7 . * Or policies . h Iob 6.3 . i Esa. 38. 13,14 . k Act. 16. 14 4 Good despair . l 1. Tim. 1.15 m Dan. 7. 9. n Luk. 15.19 o Ezr. 9.6 . Sorrow for sinne , melancholy . z 1. Sam. 16. 12. 1 Consideration of Gods mercie . 2 Feeling of the want of Christ. 3 Desire . a Reu. 21.6 Esay . 55.1 . Luk. 1.53 . b Psal. 143. 6. 4 Praier for the pardon of sinne . A liuely assurāce . c Mat. 7. Esay 65.24 . d Reu. 21.6 Iob. 4.14 . e Luk. 4. 18. Mat. 9. 11. 12. f Psal. 51.3 . g Vers. 8. h Vers. 12. i Vers. 1. k Vers. 17. Degrees of faith . p Reu. 12.2 . Gal. 4. 19. q 1. Cor. 3.2 . r Eph. 4. 13. The least mesure of faith . s Mat. 17. 20. t Esa. 43. 2. u Mat. 1.25 x Esa. 51.17 y Psal. 22.1 . 1 A perswasion that sinne is pardonable . a Gen. 4. 13. 2 A desire of reconciliation to God in Christ for sinne . b Mat. 5. 6. Luk. 1.53 . Psal. 145.19 Psal. 10. 17. & 38.9 . Num. 23. 9. 3 〈◊〉 for pardon . c Rom. 8. 25 d Eph. 3. 17. * Ge. 25.22 . e Mat. 16. f Mat. 17.23 Luk. 9.45 . g Act. 1. 6. h Mat. 8.25 . The greatest mesure of faith . i Rom. 8.33 . * 1. Tim. 1. 16. k Cant. 8.6,7 . l Ro. 5.45 . m Ps. 23.6 . n Psal. 23. 2,3,4 . o 1. Sam. 17. 32. p vers . 33. q vers . 34. r vers . 35. s vers . 36. a Eph. 3. 17. Vnion with Christ. b Eph. 3.20 . Eph. 1.19 . 1. Cor. 13.16 c Eph. 1.22 , 23. Communion with Christ. d Ro. 6.4 , ● . Ioh. 15.1,2 . Eph. 4.13 . 16. e Act. 15.9 . f 1. Cor. 1.30 . 2. Cor. 5.21 . Iustification . g Luk. 1. 35. Coloss. 2.9 . Ioh. 4.14 . Mar. 2. 17. h Col. 2.14 . Gal. 3.13 . Eph. 1.7 . i Rom. 4. 18,19 . Math. 3.15 . Esa. 53. 11. Phil. 2.8 . k Rom. 8.1 , 2,3 . Ioh. 17.19 . l Rom. 5.1 , 2,4,5,6 . 1 Reconciliation . m 2. Cor. 5. 18. n Rom. 5. 10,11 . 2. Cor. 6. 9 , Heb. 12.6 . 2. Sam. 7.14 2. Sam. 12. 13,14 . 2 Afflictions onely chastisments . 3 Merit in Christ. h Matth. 19. 28,29 . Apoc. 22.12 and 22. 6. Peace of conscience . e Heb. 10.22 Rom. 5. 1. and 16. 15. A difference betweene a deade conscience and a quiet conscience . f Ioh. 7.37 . Esa. 57.15 . g Rom. 5.1 . Heb. 9.14 . h Act. 23. and 24. 16. i Eph. 3.12 . Rom. 5.2 . 2 Entrance with boldnes into Gods presence . k Rom. 5.3 . and 14.17 . Lo●e . 4 Fe●ling of Gods loue . l Rom. 5.5 . a Ioh. 1.12 . Gal. 3.26 . Heb. 2.11 , 12. 1. Pet. 2.9 . Heb. 6.7,8 . 1. Cor. 3. 32. Heb. 1.14 , 15. Rom. 8 . 28. 2. Cor. 12.7 . b Heb. 2. 15. 1. Cor. 15. 54,56 . Rom. 5.5 . 1. Cor. 10. 10. Assurance of adoption . The spirit of adoption . c Rom. 8. 16. Gal. 4. 6. 1. Pet. 3.21 . d 2. Cor. 1.21 e Rom. 8.25 . 1. Ioh. 3.2 . Coloss. 3.3 . 1. Cor. 3.1 . Eph. 4. 14. Labour in prayer : for it is the proper spirit of adoption : and in praier , we shall most of all feele the spirit of adoption . Hope . a Rom. 8.25 . and 5.5 . 2. Cor. 5.6.7 . Heb. 11.2 . b 1. Th. 1.3 . Rom. 8.38 . Sanctification b Act. 15.9 . Ps. 103.5 . Eze. 11.19 . Psal. 51.12 . c Gal. 5.24 . Col. 3.5 . d Eph. 1.1 . 1. Cor. 15. 45. Mortification . e Ro. 6.3,4 . Col. 2.12 . and 3.2,5 . V●uification in the first resurrection . f Phil. 3.10 . Rom. 6.4 . k Col. 1.9 . l Psal. 119. 105. m v. 98,99 . n 100. o 18. p Ioh. 9.41 . q Psal. 1.2 . Sanctifcation of the memorie . r Ps. 119.11 . s Luk. 2. 19. t Prou. 2.1 . Sanctification of the will. Phil. 2. 13. x Iob 15.16 . Eph. 2.2 . Luk. 11. 21. y Rom. 7. 14. San●tification of the affections . z Rom. 12.9 . a Rom. 12.15 . b Luk. 10.20 . Ps. 143.6 . d Esa. 66.2 . e Psal. 48.2 . f 2. Pet. 2. 8. Ps. 119. 136 g Ro. 12. 11. h Col. 3. 12 i Eph. 4.26 . k 2. Cor. 7.11 l 1. Ioh. 3. 14. m Psal. 119. 128. n vers . 127. o Mat. 8.10 . p Psal. 2.11 . q Act. 9.31 . r 1. Pet. 1.6 . s 1. Pet. 4.13 . t Psal. 33. 20,21 u Rom. 8.23 . x 2. Cor. 5.2 . y Psal. 86. 8. z Phil. 3.8 . Zeale for Gods glorie . a Ex. 32. 12. b Rom. 9.3 . c 1. Cor. 13. vers . 7. d Cant. 8. vers . 6.7 . The feare of god e Eccl. 12. 14. f Pro. 14.26 g Act. 9. 31. h Psal. 26.8 i Gen. 5. 22. k Gen. 17. 1. l Psal. 4.4 . m Exod. 1.17 n Esa. 66.3 . H●tred of sinne . o Ro. 7. 24. p Cant. 1. 4. q Reu. 22.20 . r Luk. 21.27 s 2. Tim. 4.8 . 2. Cor. 5.6,7 t Luk. 21.26 . u Luk. 21.28 Sanctification of the bodie . x Rom. 6. vers . 19. y Thes. 4.4 . z Iob. 31. vers . 1. A consolation . a Rom. 8. 5. vers . 1. Repentance . b Act. 26.26 c Psa. 112.6 d Act. 11.23 . e 1. Ioh. 3.3 . f Psal. 73.13 Repentance after faith & sanctification in nature but first in sense : and appearance . g Ro. 7. 22. h Mat. 26. 69.70,71 , 72. i Ioh. 12.2 . 27. k Esa. 61. 3. 1. Tim. 1.5 . Fruits of repentance . l 1. Sam. 15. 22. m 1. Cor. 10. 31. Hearing of the word . y Ioh. 10.27 . Iob. 8.47 . a Act. 17.11 . b Iam. 1. 12. Psal. 26.67 . c 1. Cor. 3.18 d Act. 16.14 . e Mar. 9.40 . f Eph. 6.17 . g Ro. 15.16 h Ioh. 6. 63. i Heb. 4.2 . k Act. 10.34 Esa 66.3 . l 1. Th. 2.13 m Mat. 17.5 1. Pet. 5.4 . n Psal. 119. 11. o Psal. 119. 24. Receiuing of the Sacrament● . p Cant. 2.5 . Reliefe of the poore . q Gal. 6. 11. r Act. 2.44 . s Act. 4. 32. t 2. Cor. 8.23 u 1. Ioh. 3.16 Prayer . a Act. 9. 14. b Psal. 14.4 . c Ps. 145.18 d Rom. 8.16 . e Zac. 12.10 f Eccl. 5.1 . Dan. 9.4 . g Dan. 9.4 . h 1. Sā . 1.15 . i Ps. 143. 6. and 42. 1,2 . k Rom. 8. ●6 . l Mar. 1● . ●8 . m Rom. 8.32 . n 1. Ioh. 5.14 15. o 1. Th. 5. 17 A lawful calling . p Act. 14. 10 q Psal. 101.2 r Psa. 26.1.2 Psa. 119.23 . Psal. 18.22 . 24. Spiritual exercise in temp●ation● . s Reu. 12.17 . t Deu. 8.2 , 3 2. Cor. 16. 12.18 . Inward motions of the flesh . u Iam. 1.14 . x Gal. 5. 17. y Mar. 7.1.2 a Ro. 7.23 . b Esay 64. 6. c Ro. 8.3.4 . d Ro. 7. 15. e Gal. 9.24 . Psal. 16.8 . f Esa. 30.21 g Ioh. 16.8 . Ro. 2.14.15 . 1. Pet. 4.3.4 Psal. 67.10 . Psal. 119. 104.118 . Rom. 7. 15. Little feeling . h Cant. 6. 2. b vers . 3. c vers . 4. d vers . 5. e vers . 6.7 . vers . 8. f vers . 9. g 10,11 , 12 , 13,14,15 . i vers . 17. No feeling . k Cant. c. 3. Vers. 1. l vers . 2. m vers . 3. n vers . 4. o vers . 5. p vers . 6. q vers . 8,9 , 10. r vers . 11. s Cap. 4. vers . 1. to the 15. t vers . 16. u vers . 1. c. 5. 4 A spirituall slumber in worldly pleasures . Cant. 5. Mat. 25. 5. Cant. 5. x vers . 2. y ver . 3. z vers . 4. a vers . 5. b vers . 6. c vers . ● . d vers . ●● 10,11 , ●● 13,14,15 , 16. e vers . 17. f Cap. 6. ● . ● g vers . 2. h vers . 3.10 . the 7. verse of cap. 7. 5 A fal into some sinne . n 2. Cor. 7.11 o Act. 2.37 p mat . 29.75 Outward afflictions . a mat . 16.24 b 1. pet . 4.17 c Act. 14.22 d Heb. 12.11 c Ioh. 3. f Ioh. 6.2,3 . g Iob. 13. 26. h 1. Reg. 19. 4,5,7 . i Iob 13. 15. k Rom. 5.4 . l Iob 42.5,6 . m heb . 12.11 n Phil. 1.29 o Esa. 43. 2. p Exod. 8. q Esa. 38. r Iob 6.34 . s Iob 13. 15. t Psal. 22. 1. u Gen. 32.28 x Psal. 130. y Mat. 15. 22,23,24 , 25,26,27 . Dangerous fall● of a Chri●tian . a 1. Th. 5.19 Eph. 4.30 . c Matth. 16. 16,26,70 . d Esa. 14. 18 e 2. Cor. 5. 20. f psal . 19.13 . g psal . 77.11 h 2. Cor. 2.2 . * What is to be thought of Fr. ●pira . Corroboratio● . i Eph. 3. 16. k Col. 1.9 . l Phil. 4. 13. m Psal. 103. Patience . Perseuerance . A perswasion to Christianitie . d 2. cor . 5.17 e Tit. 2. ●0 . f Rom. 8.20 . g Eph. 5.2 . h Eph. 2.1 . i 2. Cor. 4.4 . k Luk. 11. 24. l Deut. 32. 34. m Esa. 4.6 . Exod. 12. 22. o Ezec. 9.4 . p 1. Th. 1.9 . A godlesse m●n carieth hell in his bosome . q Luk. 19 . 4● r vers . 44. s Luk. 13.24 . t Iam. 1. ●3 . u Reu. 21.4 . x Ioh. 17.24 . y Ps. 16. 11. Reu. 22.4 . z 1. Cor. 15. 28. a 1. Cor. 1● . 24. b Reu. 21.23 c Reu. 22. 1 , 2. d Reu. 21.22 e Psal. 36. f Mat. 17.4 . g Reu. 7.11 , 12. h Phil. 3.8 . a Reu. 21.23 b 1. Pet. 1. 14,15 . c Ver. 18.19 Mat. 2. d Col. 12. 9,10,11 . Notes for div A09339-e125960 a Rom. 4. Esa. 38. Iob. 6.4 . Iob. 13. Psal. 132. Act. 2. 2. Cor. 8. Notes for div A09339-e128700 a Catech. Rom. p. 424. b Ibid. pag. 419. Tho. 4. dist . 14. q. 5. art . 1. Canis . & pe● exp . c Catech. Rom. p. 447. Lumb . lib. 4. dist . 17. d Mat. 27.3 . e vers . 4● f Catech. Rom. p. 437. g Tho. lib. 4. dist . 2. q. 1. art . 1. h Trid. Concil . sess . 6. c. 8. Rhem. Test. Rom. i Canis . Oper . ca. pa. Rhe. Test. 2. Cor. 13.5 . And. lib. 6. pag. 543. k Heb. 6.5 . Luk. 8.13 . Iam. 2.19 . l Trid. Confess . 6. cap. 9. Andr. lib. 3. pag. 200. a 1. Iob. 3.20 . b Rom. 5.1 . c Heb. 10.22 d mat . 11.28 . e Mat. 9.12 . mat . 15.24 . esa . 44.11 . 1. cor . 11.23 . f Gal. 3.13 . g Canis . Oper . Cat. pag. 491. i Cens. Col. pag. 46. 54. k And. lib. 3. Trid. Co●f . 6. cap. 7. l Trid. Confess . 6. cap. 1. m Gabr. Biel . ● . sen. d. 27 n Andr. l. 3. pag. 292. o Andr. l. 3. pag. 280. p Catech. Rom. in prim . q Trid. confess . cap. 18. r Gen. 6. Eph. 2.1.2 , s Trid. Confess . 6. cap. ● . t Prou. 2● . u Psal. 32. ● . Heb. 6.10 , 1● . Cant. 1.5 . Esa. 64.6 . Rom. 7. 14. ●●● 16. Mat. 10.17 . Cono●● . Trid. sess . 5. a Rom. 7.14 . b Heb. 12. 1. c Ps. 40. 12. Illiricus de fide . Epist. Senar . de morte Diazy . b Act. 2.37 . Ioh. 6.28 . Mar. 10.17 . b Gal. 5. 20. c Exo. 32.5 . Hos 2.16 . d 〈◊〉 . 20. ● . Exod. 32. 1. e Mich. 6.7 . Isa. 58.4,5 . F●● Ac● . ●●● eg●● a Mat. 15. ● b Dec. dist . 69. satis euidenter . c Extraua . Ioh. 22. cum inter . in glossa . d Concil . Later . sess . 4. e Extra de maior . & ●bedientia . f Dist. 34. can . lect . in gloss . dist . ●2 . can . Presbit . a In officio par . beatae Mariae , ad Matut . b Breuiar . refor . in festo Exalt . Cru●is . Deut. 4.15 , 16. Iudg. 2. ●0 . Hos. 2. 12. Eoxd . 32.5 . Esa. 40. 18. 1. Cor. 1● . 28. Ioh. 10.9 . Breuiar . & miss . & refor●● . 2. Thess. 3.1 . Con. M●gunt . c. 36. 37. Matiscon . 2. c. 1.2 . Matisc. con . c. 7.9.8 . Matis . 2. ● . ● . Ier. 17.5 . ●elog . 5. lib. 4.5.9 . Sess. 24. c. 6. Greg. cap. 8. de consang . a●unculus maximus abnepotis . Num. 36.11 . Re● . 7.12 . and 5.10 . Rom. 11.6 . Rhem. Test. vpon Rom. 11.6 . Eph. 2. 8,9 . Rhem. Test. Rem . 2.13 . Rhem. Test. Col. 2.24 . Rom. ● . 1 . Psal. 32.1 . August . de verb. Domi. Ser. 37. Arist. Categ . cap. de qua●t . Rom. 8. 16. Can. Tres sant . de pena● dist . 1. Lumb . lib. 4. dist . 16. Can. de qu●tis . die . poenit . dist . 3. Rom. 5.5 . Heb. 6 . 1● . a Breuiar . 1. & Missa . 1. refet . vbique a Rhe. Test. pag. 523. b Papa Syricius . Decret . epist. Sess. 24. c. 9. c Can. in present . 11. 13. q. ● . Can. legatur 4. q. 1. 1 Con. fatendum . 13. q. 2. 2 C. Beati . 2. q. 7. 3 C. de Capitulis dist . 16. 4 C. nullus dist . 99. 5 C. legimus dist . 93. 6 C. legimus . dist . 93. C. Olim. dist . 95. 7 C. verbum 6. magna . C. Conuertimini de penit . dist . 1. 8 C. quod di●it . dist . 4.1 . 6 C. luminosa . 18. q. 25. Notes for div A09339-e132280 Isa. 1.18 . Act. 1.23 . ●8 . 1. Tim. 1.15 . Ps. 103.11 . 12,13 . Isa. 53.2,3 , 4.5 . Heb. 12 . 6● 9. 10. 1. Pet. ● . 21 . Gen. 42. 21. 1. Cor. 11. 12. Rom. 8.26 . Rom. 5. 8,3 . Rom. 8.28 . Ps. 119.71 . Rom. 5. 8,3 , 4. Rom. 2. 3. Ioh. 16. 1● . Ioh. 3.14 , 15 Iob. 1. 12,13 Ioh. 6.35.54 Mark. 9.23 . 2. Cor. 1. 22. Eph. 1. 14. Rom. 8.18 . Act. 1 3.9 . 1. Thess. 1.3 . Rom. 7.15 . Mat. 26.65 . 72.74,75 . Rom. 13. 14. Isa. 1.8 . Ier. 2.1 . Gen. 12. 14 , 15. Gen. 20. 2,3 . Gen. 42. 25. 1. Ioh. 21. Dan. 9.6 . Rom. 8.28 . Mat. 27.28 . Psal. 77.5 . Psal. 32. 1. 2. Cor. 5.21 . Psal. 73.22 , 23. Rom. 7. 12 , 25. Isa. 57.15 . Iam. 5.16 . Notes for div A09339-e135360 Rom. 8. 1● . Pr●● . 28.14 . Dan. 7.10 . Ier. 17.1 . Deut. 22.31 Iob. 3.14 . Apoc. 22.2 . Notes for div A09339-e135950 a Esa. 50.4 . b Coloss. 1.13 c Lu. 11.24 . d Math. 16. 18. Bradford . a Mar. 9.24 . Psal. 77. ver . 8.9 . 10. b 11. c Psa. 24. ●● d 2. The. 3. ● . Rom. 7.5 . Rom. 7.17 . Rom. 8.1 . 1. Ioh. 3.23 . a Rom. 4. 1● . b Rom. 1●●● Heb. 11. ● . Rom. 1 . 2● The desire of grace , is gra●● 〈◊〉 self● . R●● . ● . ● . c Phil. 1.6 . Psal. 69.4 . Luk. 1.7.13 . Heb. 5.7 . Cant. 2.12 . Esa. 42.2 . a Rom. 5.20 Rom. 8.5 . cum 8.1 . Cant. 2.5 . Rom. 8.5 . a Gen. 12. 12 Mal. 3.17 . b Rom. 8. 2. Ambrose . c Affectu magis quam effectu . Psa. 119.88 . Psal. 119.5 . Psal. 77.2.3 . 3. ● . Cant. 3.1 . Ca. 5.4,5,6 . Rom. 5.5 . Cant. 1. 13. Luk. 22. 31. Act. 24. ●2 . Hooper . Notes for div A09339-e139200 Ioh. 17 . 9,20● Math. 5.45 . Ps. 73.4,5 . Dat legitin●um . 1. lege permissum , sed 〈◊〉 sanctum vsum . Tit. 2. 15. Act. 14. 16. Eph. 2.2 . Psal. 40. 6. Act. 16. 14. Ioh. 6. 45. Esa. 6. 9,10 . 2. Cor. 4. 5. 1. Sam. 2.25 Dat spiritū reprimentē , non renovātem . Privativa gratiae sunt plures quam positiva . Ioh. 10.27 . and 6.37 . Esa. 54. 10. Psal. 119. 8. c 2. Sam. 15. 26. d Esa. 57.1 . e 2. Reg. 22. 20. f Psal. 77. 1 , 2,3 . g Esa. 63. 17 h Cant. 2.4 , 5. i Rom. 7.22 , 23,24 . k Ps. 77.78 . Cuncta Dei opera sunt in medys contrarys . a Iob. 22.3.4 b Iob. 13.24 . c Iob. 16.12 . d Psal. 61.2 . 3,4 . e See the books written of his death . f Mat. 27. 46. g Fox . Act. Mon. 1555 Septemb. 2. Chr. 32. 31.32 . 1. Cor , 1.30 . Ioh. 15.2 . Gal. 2.20 . Iob. 13.26 . Deut. 8.2 . & 13.3 . Ioh. 15.2 . Cant. 5. Psal. 30.6 . 1. Cor. 5.5 . 2. Cor. 12.17 , 8. Act. 9.31 . Ro. 11.20 . Iam. 3.10 . Psa. 119.50 Act. 24. 16. Psal. 26.1,2 Notes for div A09339-e141470 Vers. 1. Vers. 2. Vers. 3. Vers. 4. Vers. 5. Vers. 6. profession without practise , a note of an hypocrite . Vers. 7. Since●itie of life and religion , a note of communion with God. Vers. 8. To professe perfe●●●an●i●●cation in th● life , a n●te of an hypocrite . Vers. 9. Humble confession of sin to God , is a note of remi●●ion of sinne . Vers. 10. Vers. 1. Vers. 2. Vers. 3. An endeuour to keepe the commandements , a signe of fai●h . Vers. 4. Faith without obedience , a note of an hypocrite . Vers. 5. Vers. 6. Vers. 7. Vers. 8. Vers. 9. Profession ioined with ha●re● and malice , a note of an hypocrite . Vers. 10 Loue of our ●rother , a signe of regeneration . Vers. 11. Vers. 12. Vers. 13. Vers. 14. Vers. 15. Vers. 16. Vers. 17. Vers. 18. Vers. 19. Vers. 20. Gods spirit dwelling in the heart , a signe of perseuerance . Vers. 21. Vers. 22. Papists denie Iesus to be Christ : for though in words they magnifie him , yet in their doctrine by necessarie consequent they denie him to be a king , a priest , a prophet . Vers. 23. Vers. 24. Vers. 25. Perseuerance in the knowledge and obedience of the Gospell , a signe of communion with Christ. Vers. 26. Vers. 27. Vers. 28. Vers. 29. Vers. 1. Vers. 2. Vers. 3. A desire , and an endeauour to vse good meanes to clense ourselues of our corruptions and priuie sinnes , is a marke of adoption . Vers. 4. Vers. 5. Vers. 6. Vers. 7. Vers. 8. Vers. 9. Loosenes of life or the practi●e of sinne , a note of the ●hild of the deuil for the present time . Vers. 10. Vers. 11. Vers. 12. Vers. 13. Vers. 14. To loue a Christian ●ecause he is a Christian or godly man , is a note of Gods child . Vers. 15. Vers. 16. Vers. 17. Compassion stirring in the heart a note of loue . Vers. 18. Works of mercy , signes of loue . Vers. 19. Sincere loue , ● note of s●ncere profe●sion . Vers. 20. vers . 20. Boldnes in praies a signe of a pacified conscience . vers . 21. vers . 22. vers . 23. vers . 24. The operation of Gods spirit in sanctifying vs , a signe of communion with God. Vers. 1. v. 2. v. 3. v. 4. v. 5. v. 6. v. 7. v. 8. Vers. 9. vers . 10. vers . 11. vers . 12. vers . 13. vers . 14. vers . 15. A sincere confession or the Gospel , a note of cōmunion with Christ. vers . 16. vers . 17. To ●e like God in holines of life , is a ●igne of his lo●e to vs particularly . vers . 18. vers . 19. Our loue of God , a signe that he loueth vs particularly . vers . 20. vers . 21. Vers. 1. v. 2. An endeuour to obey the commādements , a ●igne of loue of our brother . v. 3. v. 4. v. 5. v. 6. Proofes inuincible that Iesus of Nazareth the son of Marie was the sonne of God against the Iewes . v. 7. v. 8. vers . 9. vers . 10. vers . 11. vers . 12. vers . 13. vers . 14. vers . 15. A signe of our praiers granted vs , if God doe but heare them . vers . 16. vers . 17. vers . 18. vers . 19. vers . 20. vers . 21. Vers. 1. Vers. 2. Sinceritie of life , in righteousnes●e and holinesse , a note of gods child . Vers. 3. Seuen notes of an vpright man. Vers. 4. Vers. 5. Vers. 6. Notes for div A09339-e151480 1. Cor. 2. 10. Mat. 11.27 ● . Cor. 2.16 . Ro. 12. 34. The elect by the testimony of the holy Ghost are m●de sure of ●heir election . Ioh. 16. 13. 1. Cor. 2.10 . Ioh. 16.13 . Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 4.6 . Rom. 8.9 . Vers. 2. The elect out of the word of God their conscience making the assumption , at length they may be certainly perswaded of their predestination . a That whereby a man applies the generall promi●e to him●elfe . Deut. 27.26 They which doe truly beleeue , know that they beleeue . 2. Cor. 15. 65. Ier. 32.40 . Luk. 22. 32. Vers. 3 . ●y the effects of prede●tination a man may gather his predestinatiō . Heb. 11.10 . The effects of predestination which are in vs , are like se●l●s imp●inting the im●ge of Gods ●lecti●n in vs. Ioh. 10. 14. Gal. 4.9 . 1. Ioh. 4. 10. 1. Ioh. 4.7 . Rom. 5.51 . Eph. 1.4 . Rom. 8. 3● . 2. Ti. 2.19 . Apoc. 2.3 . Ioh. 6.27 . 2. Cor. 1.21 . Eph. 1.13 . & 4.30 . The chief effects of prede●●ination by which the elect are discerned frō the reprobate . 2. Cor. 13.5 . Rom. 8. 30. The weaknes of our faith as touching our eternal elec●ion , by what staies it may bee held vp . Ioh. 16. 13. Eph. 1.5 . Howe a man may knowe whether the testimonie which is giuen of the spirit , be of the spirit or no● . Whereby a man may know whether his f●ith be true faith or not . The end of our predestination . The meanes to which we are predestinate , how many they be , and which . Eph. 2.20 . The first benefit of God , predes●●nat●ng vs is Christ. Eph. 1.4 . &c Gal. 4●6 . 2. Tim. 1.9 . Rom. 8. 30. Ioh. 8.47 . Rom. 1.7 . 1. Cor. ● . ●● Tit. 1.1 . Heb. 11.6 . 1. Cor. 7.25 . Rom. 8. ●0 . Eph. 1.4 . Eph. 1.4,5 . Ioh. 3.6 . Rom. 8.1 . and 5. Psal. 45. 8. Psal. 119. 113. & 40. 5. & 101.3 . & 26.5 . Rom. 7.22 . 1. Ioh. 3.7 . Eph. 2.10 . Eph. 1.4 . 1. Ti. 1. 19. Tit. 1.15 . 2. Pet. 1.10 . Rom. 8.20 . Gal. 4.6 . Psal. 50.15 . Rom. 7.27 . Phil. 1. 23. 10. 2. Tim. 4●1● . Apoc. 22. 17,20 . Mat. 6.10 . Ps. 50.15 . Rom. 3.5 . and 8.28 . Rom. 8. 31. Mat. 24.24 . Ier. 23.40 . The vse of this doctrine . 1. Cor. 7.25 . Eph. 1.4 . & 2. Tit. ● . 11 . Ioh. 3.36 . Notes for div A09339-e153690 Luk. 16. 14. Notes for div A09339-e153830 Mat. 15.19 . Act. 19. 15. 2. king . 4.24 . vers . 35. Isa. 19.18 . Rom. 15.6 . Psal. 141.3 . Psal. 51. 17. Eph. 6.19 . Prou. 16. 1. Exod. 20.7 . 3. Ioh. 12. 1. Cor. 1. 11. Gen. 37.2 . 2. King. 6.8 . 2. Cor. 13. 1. Cor. 4.5 . Aug. lib. 10. confess . 23. Prou. 27.2 . 2. Cor. 11. 21. Iam. 1.19 . Prou. 18.13 . a Chrys. hom . 22. ad pop . Antioch . Lib. de nat . & grat . Mat. 12.36 . Coloss. 4.6 . Eph. 4.25 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Eph. 5.3 . Psal. 16. 4. Iob. 1.5 . 1. Kin. 21. 10. 1,2,3,4,5 , 6,7,8,9 . Act. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prou. 6 : 23. Pro. 19.11 . Prou. 1.7 . Eccl. 12. 13. Psal. 14.1 . and 38.5 . Gen. 34.7 . Act. 10 . 3● Gen. 39.9 . 2. Sa. 16 . 1● . Pro. 10.31 . Luk. 23. 14. Psal. 16.2 . Pro. 12.22 . Prou. 17.7 . Mat. 10.32 . 1. king . 5.25 . a Iam. 3. 12. Pro. 2. 22. c Rom. 3. 8. c Ioh. 8.44 . d 1. Cor. 13.6 Deut. 28.58 Leuit. 21.11 vaykkobh . Ex. 30. 31. a Ioh. 19.8 . Mat. 5. 39. Parac . lib. de Tartaro . Mat. 27.25 . Lonicerus theat . hist. prec . ept . 4. Idem . 1. Cor. 12.13 Act. 11.26 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sic . Ro. 11.4 . 1. Pet. 3.6 . Mar. 10.18 . 2. Cor. 12.2 . Ioh. 19.26 . Luk. 4.6 . 1. Tim. 1.13 , 15. 1. Cor. 25.9 . Tit. 3.2 , ● . Iud. 6.12 . Ruth 2.4 . mat . 10. 11. 12,13 . Arist. de hist. animal . l. 1. cap. 10. & probl . sect . 33. Plin. l. 28. cap. 2. Pro. 15. 23. 1. Sam. 24. 7,8 . Iudg. 8.3 . Rom. 12. 14. 1. Pet. 3.4 . 2. King. 18. 36. 1. Sam. 1. 15 Gen. 40. 15. Dan. 6.22 . Ioh. 8.48,49 Act. 23. 1. Psal. 26. Psal. 37. 32,33 . Gal. 6.1 . Gen. 13.8.9 . 2. Sam. 12. 1. Tim. 5. 1. 1. Cor. 4.6 . Gal. 6.1 . 1. Kin. 5. 13. Psal. 141.5 . Pro. 17. 10. Prou. 27.5 . Mat. 7.1 . Iob. 1.9 . 11. 1. Sam. 22.9 Mat. 11.19 . Act. 12.22 Pro. 27. 14. Psal. 54.11 . Mat. 24.16 . Eccl. 3.4 . Psa. 126.1,2 Eccl. 2.2 . Luk. 6.25 . Amos 6.6 . 2. Tim. 3. Heb. 11. Iudg. 14. 12. Luk. 11. 37. & 14.1 . & 22.15 . Apol. c. 39. Hom. 2. in 2. Thess. 2. cap. August . epist. 109. Prou. 23.8 . Act. 2.46 . Eph. 4.25 . 1. Kin. 18.27 2. Kin. 2. 23. Isai. 14. 11. Luk. 19. Ioh. 11. Heb. 5.7 . Iam. 1.15 . 1. Chr. 13.2 . 2. Cor. 1.17 . 23. Psal. 5. 4. Prou. 22. Rom. 1.30 . Gen. 9. Mat. 26.60 . 61. Ier. 37.13 . vpon Psal. 15. 3. Confess . li. 9. Ierem. 40. Gal. 3. Math. 3. Math. 5. Gen. 31. 53. Prou. 17.25 . Offic. lib. 1. Act. 20.7 . Aug. lib. ad Conser . 1. Sam. 16. 1,2,3 . Iere. 38. 24 , 25,26 . Iob. 36. 37. Leut. 10. 3. Act. 11.18 Psal. 41.1 . Prou. 17.4 . Prou. 19.11 . Mat. 7.6 . Mat. 27.14 . Act. 24. 10. Eccl. 32.8 . Iob. 32.6 . Eccl. 7.5.11 . Tit. 2.9 . Iam. 1.26 . Psal. 140.3 . Isa. 6.6 . Mat. 3.11 . Iam. 3.6 . Chrys. hom . 79. in Mat. Iam. 3. 7 , 8. Hist. Tripar . l. 8. c. 1. Gods iudgement for the abuse of the tongue . Euseb. l. 6. c. 8. Fox Act. Mon. A●t . Mon. Foxe . Idem . Idem . ●eter Stubbes booke printed 158● . Notes for div A09339-e160800 Iob 36.17 . a Melanct. locis com . b Calv. Inst. lib. 3. cap. 3. par . 9. vers . 1. vers . 2. vers . 4. vers . 5. Exo. 14.13 . N●m . 2● . 11,12 . Iob. 1.21 . and ● . 1 . Psal. 6. 1. & Notes for div A09339-e161490 Ier. 31.19 . 2. Cor. 7.10 . Isa. 59.2 . Eph. 4.18 . Act. 16.20 . Isa. 61.3 . Eze. 47.12 . Math. 3.10 . Notes for div A09339-e161840 2. Tim. 2. 25 Ier. 31.18 . Rom. 1.18 . ● . Cor. 3.7 . Luk. 9.6 . cum Mat. 6. 12. Luk. 24.4.7 . Vrgendo non alliciendo . Gen. 42.21 . Ose. 5.15 . Lam. 3. 20. 2. Chr. 33. 12. Psal. 119.71 . Notes for div A09339-e162170 Rom. 8.15 . Act. 2 . 3● . Notes for div A09339-e162510 Acti agimus 2. Cor. 9.27 . Gal. 5.24 . Col. 3.5 . 2. Tim. 2.21 . 1. Ioh. 3.3 . cap. 5.18 . Act. 11. 23 Iosh. 24. 15. Psal. 119.57 vers . 106. Psal. 27.8 . Ps. 119.112 . Act. 24. 16. Psal. 119. 6. vers . 30. 31. 35. Notes for div A09339-e163080 Lam. 3. 39. 40. Psa. 119. 59 Ioel 2. 13. Eph. 4.23 . Act. 8.22 . Iob. 9.2 . Psal. 19.12 . 1. Chr. 21.8 . Ezra 9.6 . Dan. 9.1 . Iob. 39.36 . and 42.6 . Luk. 18. 13. Math. 5. Iam. 5.17 . Ose. 14.2 . Dan. 9.18 , 19. Psal. 53. ● . Ps. 119. 40. and 143. 10. Notes for div A09339-e166240 Psa. 28.20 . Dans. 5.6 . 2. Cor. 4.4 . Gen. 4,7 . Iob 13. Psal. 25. Eze. 16 . 4● . Ier. 22.21 . Prou. 1. 31. Rom. 9. 22. Heb. 1● . 31. Deu. 32 . 34● Ezec. 7.6 . Nah. 1.4 , 5,6 . Psal. 9.7 . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Rom. 6. 23. 1. Cor. 15. 55,56 . Notes for div A09339-e166850 2. Cor. 5.19 . Isa. 1. 16 , 18 Isa. 55. 6 , 8. Ezech. 18. Amos 5. 4. Ier. 26.3 . 1. cor . 11.31 . 2. Sam. 12. 14. Mich. 7.9 . 1. Sam. 12. 12. 2. Chr. 33. 12. Luk. 18. 13. Luk. 23. 42 , 43. Mat. 9.12 . Mat. 21.31 . Notes for div A09339-e167400 Heb. 3.7,13 . Luk. 12. 40. Rom. 2.5 . Notes for div A09339-e167530 2. Chr. 33. 2. Pet. 1.21 . Luk. 22.32 . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Heb. 6.6 . Heb. 10.29 . b vers . 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Ioh. 5.14 . Luk. 11.26 . Act. 10.43 . Luk. 17.4 . Psal. 130.7 . Isa. 51.7 . Luk. 19.8 . 2. Cor. 8. 12. Eccl. 9.2 . Notes for div A09339-e168290 1. Sam. 15. 24.30 . 1. King. 21. 27.29 . Exod. 8.8 . Exod. 9. 27. Exo. 10.16 . Exod. 8. 15. Math. 27.3 . Notes for div A09339-e168640 Eph. 2.1 . Psal. 32.3 . 2. Sa. 12.12 . 1. Ioh. 1.7 . & 2. 1. Notes for div A09339-e168820 1. Cor. 3.1 . Eph. 4.13 . Rom. 8.23 . Iam. 1.14 . Rom. 7. 14. Rom. 7.23 . Psal. 16.8 . Isa. 30.22 . 1. Ioh. 3.9 . 1. Cor. 13. Psal. 73. 13. a In gradibus remissis non in summis . Eph. 4.19 . Zach. 7.11 . Isa. 65.17 . 1. Ioh. 5.19 . Rom. 8.1 . 2. Cor. 12.7 . 2. Cor. 1.9 . Rom. 8.5 . 1. Ioh. 3.9 . Rom. 7. 1● . 2. king . 23. 25. Notes for div A09339-e170580 Luk. 1.31 . Notes for div A09339-e170690 Ezec. 33. 11. Vers. 10. Isa. 4● . 6 . Ose. 13.9 . 1. Tim. 5. 6. Eph. 2.1 . Psal. 6.4 . Esa. 38.10 . Psal. 23.4 . 1. King. 8.25 . Apoc. 14.13 . 2. Cor. 12.7 . Rom. 7. 14 , 24. Psal. 119.136 Psal. 120.5 . 1. king . 19.4 . Esa. 57. 1. 2. King. 22. 20. 1. cor . 11.23 . Phil. 1. 1. king . 10.8 . Isa. 52.2 . Gen. 18. 27. Esa. 28. Luk. 11.17 . In epist. Psal. 39.4 . Psal. 90 . 1● . Eph. 4.21 , 22. Reu. 20.6 . Col. 1.13 . Ioh. 17. Phil. 2. Rom. 4. Rom. 8. 14. Ioh. 5.24 . Mat. 7.21 . 1 Cor. 15. 31. Mors post crucem minor est . Eccl. 9.10 . Eccl. 9.10 . Gal. 6.10 . 2. Sam. 1● . 12. Luk. 22.19 . 1. Cor. 11.20 . a fraudari viatico . Eus. l. 6. c. 36. Basil. epist. ad Caes. Tertul. l. 2. ad vxorum . Hieron . in Apol. pro lib. in Iob. C●n● . Carth. 3. can . 6. Iam. 5.16 . Lam. 3.36 . Ioh. 9.2 . Mat. 9.2 . Ioh. 5.14 . Lam. 3.40 . Psal. 32.5 . 2. Chr. 33. 12,13 . Mar. 2. Iam. 5.14 . Tertul. de corona milit . c. 11. & de Idol . c. 11. Heb. 3.13 . 1. Thes. 5. ●● 14. Iam. 5.16 . 2. King. 4. 32. Act. 20. 10. Ioh. 11. 41. 1. Sam. 2. 6. Act. 4.28 . Psal. 139. 15 , 16. Psal. 56. 8. Psal. 35. 10. Gen. 4● . Psal. 116.13 Apoc. 14.13 . 2. Cor. 5.1 . Esa. 43. 3. Rom. 5. 3,5 . 2. Cor. 1.5 . Cant. 2.6 . Psal. 93. Ro. 14.7,8 . 2. king . 20.7 . Gal. l. 2. de art . curat . cap. 7. Luk. 10. 34. Valles . de sacra philos . c. 88. Esa. 1.6 . Arist. de hist. animal . l. 7. cap. 1. Forrest . de vrin . indicys lib. 3. Lang. l. 2. ep . 41. Lang. l. 1. ep . 25. See Ganivettus called Amicus medic . Gal. l. 6. & 10. de simp. medic . Leu. 20.6 . 1. King. 1.6 . ● . Chr. 16. 26. 1. Tim. 4. 3. a Intercu●aneus car●ifex . 2. Cor. 1.9 . Deut. 31. 1. Ios. 23. 1. King. 2. 1,2,3 , &c. 2. Pet. 1. 15. Act. 20. 28. 2. Th. 2.2 . Esa. 38.1 . Gen. 17. and 25. and 49. Gen. 15.4 . Num. 27. 8. 11. Rom. 8.17 . 1. Tim. 5.8 . Plato de Rep. l. 2. Arist. pol. l. 5. c. 8. Heb. 9.15 . Gen. 18. 19. 1. King. 2. read all . 1. Sam. 30. 6 Psal. 119. 49,50 . Psal. 73.26 . Ioh. 3.14 . Heb. 11. 22. Iob. 2.9 . a ●ost thou cont●●●e ●et i● thine ●prigh●es . v. 9. Psal. 10.17 . & 145. 19. Gen. 49. vers . 10. vers . 18. 2. Sam. 23. 2. Chr. 24. 22. Luk. 23.24 . vers . 43. Ioh. 19.26 , 27. Mat. 27.46 . Ioh. 19.20 . vers . 30. Luk. 23.48 . Act. 9. 56. 59,60 . Euseb. l. 3. cap. 30. Paulinus in vita eius . Possid . in vita Aug. c. 8. Oswold . Mycon . Gen. 50. 24 , 25. Psa. 116.7,8 Ro. 14.7,8 . Luk. 23. Act. 7. Psal. 31.5 . Psal. 31.5 . Heb. 11.5 . a Num. 16. 32. Psa. 1●6 . 17. Il●yric . de fide . Foxe bocke of Acts and Mon. Sl●id . lib. 23. Luk. 12. ●●am . 17. 23. Isa. 38. 18. Ph●l . 1. 24 , 25. Notes for div A09339-e176500 Lib. de obita Knoxi . Notes for div A09339-e176870 Esa. 53. 1●● Ioh. 17.2 . 1. Cor. 2.2 . Gal. 6.14 . Phil. 3.5 . Iudg. 15.19 . 2. King. 4. 34. 2. King. 13. 21. Coloss. 13. Eph. 1.4 . Eph. 1.7 . cap. 1.9 . Consider Coloss. 3. 11. and 2.10 . b Caluin on Gal. 6.2 . Ezra 9. Notes for div A09339-e179510 a Vnderstanding hath no parts properly but by anologie in respect of di●ers obiects and ac●ions . b Th. Aquin. part . 1. q. 79. art . 13. Dominic . Bannes on this place , Antoninus , &c. §1 . Of the testimonie of con●ci●●ce . Conscientia i. scientia cū alia scientia . §2 . Of consciences iudgement . §3 . Of the Binding of the conscience . §4 . Of the moral law binding . a The morall law i. vnchangeable in respect of that eternall iustice which it prescribeth , yet it is changeable as it is applied to some particular actions and cases , and in that respect it admits a dispensation , and no otherwise . b 1. Com. c 5. Com. §5 . Of Iudicialls binding . a Iuris particularis . b Iuris communis . a Eurip. in Hecuba . Theodos. & Arcad l. 3. c. de Epis● . audien . Gen. ●4 . 28. Ier. 29. 23. Inst. ss . Item lex Iulian. publ . iudic . ●● . Of the ceremoniall l●w bin●ing . August . epist . 19. ad Hier. ‖ 7. Of the gospel binding . Psal. 147.8 . Ioh. 15.20 . Aug. tract . 89. in Ioh. a Tho. 22. q. 10. art . 1. a 1. Ioh. 3.8 . Lumb . lib. 3. dist . 23. §8 . Of humane lawes binding . a Imperia . b princely commandements . Ier. 26.11 , 15. Lib. de vita Spirit . sect . 4 〈…〉 a 〈…〉 18 b 〈◊〉 Ioh. 1. Cor. 8.9 Apol. c. 9. l. de pudicitia . Contra. Cels. lib. 8. Epist. 154. ad Publicolam . Eus. l. 5.26 . Sozom. l. 7. cap. 19. Hier. epist 118. ad Luc. Serm. de Temp. 62. Epist . ● 6● Chrys. on Math. hom . 47. Hieron . ad Marcel . de ●ror , Mo● Sess. 24. can . 3. a Facere aliquid praeter legem , non contratamē . §9 . Of an oath binding . a Thus saith August . epist. 154. ad Publicolam . & Lumb . sent . l. 3. dist . 93. Tho. 2.2 . q. 89. a P. Mart. class . 2. loc . 13. n. 21. Melanct. in E●h . quaest . de iuram . b Calv. vpon Psal. 15. a Qui sui iuris n● est obligare se non potest . b Bellar. lib. 2. de Mon. cap. 36. Conci . Gang. cap. 16. Serm. 30. de verbis Apost § 10. Of a vowe binding . a the darknesse of Egypt . Well inso●●ed . a Erronious cons●ience bin . ●eth so far forth , that if a m●n iudge a thing to be euill , though falsely , and yet afterward doe it , he hath sinned & dishonoured God as ma●h as in him lieth . a In respect of that excellent ●●l ●●e in which man was created . §1 . Of Christian libertie . a Tripudiū est circulus cuius centrū Diabolus . a Pag. 571. §2 . Of certentie of saluation . Bernard . epist . 107. a marke it well . Aug. tract . 50. on Ioh. Aug. de verbis dom . ser. 7. Ambr. on 1. Cor. 1. Hesich . on Levit. Bernard . ser. 1. de Annunc . Mariae . a Thus Hierome vnderstands the chapter . Bern. serm . de octau . passae . Hierome on this place . a Aug. lib. de Trin. 13. c. 1. b Epist. 112. c Lib. 8. de Trin. c. 8. a Read Bernard . serm . de Annunc . a Marke it well . a Reason . §3 . Of the duties of regenerate conscience . Ex. 23.29 . §4 . Of euill conscience . Luk. 5.8 . Dead conscience . Conscience be●ummed . ●eared consci●●ce . Stirring conscience . a Moraliter bona sed in non renatis mala . b Splendida peccata . §1 . Mans first dutie to get good conscience . Good conscience a fruit of faith . §2 Mens second dutie to ke●pe g●●● 〈◊〉 . a Consc. bonae non stat cum proposito peccandi . Notes for div A09339-e188850 Epist. 17. Eusto . & Paulae ad Marcel . Ser. in Cant. 33. Epist. 125. C. in nomine dist . 23. referente I●ello 2. Thess. 2. de grat . & l. arbitr . 1. a Posse velle , & actu velle recipere . a August . de corrept . & grat . c. 12. b Epist. 105. c Fulg. lib. Praed . d Bernard . l. de libro arbitrio . Notes for div A09339-e190200 a Aug. contr . ●ul . l. 5. c. 3. a ad Valer. I. 1. c. 24. b Lib. 2. cont . Iul. c Tract . 24. in Ioh. c quoad imputationem . d quoa● existentiam . Notes for div A09339-e190880 Bellar. l. 3. p. 1. 129. cl . Gal. 3.14 . Mar. 11.24 . 1. Ioh. 5. 14. Ioh. 6.63 . a de verbis Dei. ser. 28. b Tract . 5. in epist. Ioh. Notes for div A09339-e192210 a Bellarm. de iustif . lib. 2. cap. 7. a Iren. lib. 5. cap. 17. Chrysost. homil . ad Neoph . a namely for himselfe . b As any one starre partakes in the whole light of the ●un with the rest of the starres , so far forth as the saide : light makes it to shine . a we haue & posse & velle , he had no more but posse si vellet , and he wanted velle quod posset . August . de corrept . & gra . cap. 11. a de verb. dei serm . 7. b S●rm . 1. d● Annunc . c Serm. de Natal . a Particula non causalissed illatiua vel rationalis . a de verbis dom● ser. 4● . b supra Can. serm . 22. Lib. d● grat . & lib. ●rbit . Notes for div A09339-e194580 a De interpellatione David . 4. vel . ps . 72. Notes for div A09339-e195250 Super. lib. 3. dist . 19. concl . 5. Heb. 7.24 . a Serm. 37. de ve●bis Apost . Luc. 22. Petri negat . De bono mor. Notes for div A09339-e196110 a de resur . rect . carnis . Aug. de doct . Christ. l. 1. & 2. Notes for div A09339-e196900 a adminicula cultus divini . Zozom . l. 1. cap. 13. a Epiph. bar . 78. August . de mon. Eccl. l. 2. c. 31. & de opere Monach . c. 17. Notes for div A09339-e197570 a So saith Romane Cate●h . o●● . Command . a de Idol . c. 3. b Etym. l. 8. c in Isa. 37. d contr . Ce●s . lib. 7. e Epist. ad Iob. Hierus . a Summ. part . 3. quest . 25. art . 3. ad Simpli● . lib. 2. q. 3. Notes for div A09339-e198500 Tract . 1. in Ioh. Li. 9. in Ioh. c. 21. Contr. Eutich . l. 1. & 4 Lib. 2. ad Thrasi mundum . cap. de categor . quant . De Symb. ad Catech. l. 1. c. 1. Dialog . 1. immutab . same dialog . Lib. de duab . nat . Christ. Li. 4. dist . 11. a Hesych . lib. 2. c. 8. in Leuiticum . Theodoret. dialog . 2. Euang. l. 4. Niceph. l. 17 c. 25. Am●la . 2. l. de off . eccles . c. 12. & 15. Li. de expos . Liturg. c. 26. Ioh. de Combis comp . Theolog. lib. 6. cap. 14. Serm. de Ascens . 1. Serm. 14. fer . pascae . Notes for div A09339-e199390 Concil . Matiscon . 2. c. 4. Epist. 122. Lib. 2. quaest . vet . & Nou. Test. Ad Rom. Lib. 2. de Virg. Ad Damas. Tolet. Concil . 12. c. 5. Milevet . cap. 12. Concil . Tol. 4. c. 12. &c. Iacob . de cōsecr . dip . 1. Lib. de corpor . & sang . dom . cap. 9. Deut. 16.2 . Dialog . cum Triph. Ad Scapulam . Lib. 4. c. 35. Notes for div A09339-e200350 Epist. 86. Contra Psychicos . Hist. l. 5 . c. 17. Mola . tract . 3. c. 11. a Navar. c. 21. Num. 27. Iud. 20.26 . 2. Sam. 1.12 . Act. 10.6 . 1. Tim. 4. Trip. hist. ● . 9. cap. 38. Hist. trip . l. 1. c. 10. Tract . 3. c. 11. conc . 8. Mark. 7.6 . Mat. 12.41 . Notes for div A09339-e200940 Phil. 3.13 . & 15. Chr. 15.17 . & 16.12 . Notes for div A09339-e201550 chap. 11. Prolog . in Ioh. Reu. 6.9 . de vera relig . c. 53. heres . 79. Notes for div A09339-e202260 Lib. 3. contr . Parmen . c. 3 . Tract . in Ioh. 22. De perfectu Evang. chap. 8.4 . Lib. 4. dist . 4.5 . p. 6 . on the second Command . q. 149. supe● Exod. Notes for div A09339-e202930 Epitom . phil . moral . de grad . delict . Iust. lib. 3. c. 2.9.5 . a Mol. tract . 3. c. 27. conclus . 15. b Bonnav . & Durand . c Bannes 2. q. 2. art . 7. ascribes this opinion to Gul. Pa●isiensis , and to Altisiodoransis . Rhem. Test. on 1. Cor. 14. Mol. tract . 5. c. 30. conclus . 12. Contra affer . Luc. art . 8. Notes for div A09339-e203300 in Levit. l. 9. apud Cyril . de Act. Foelic . c. 21. Homil. 50. tom . 10. Enchir. cap. 115. de verbis Apost . ser. 31. Lib. 3. in Es. ad pop . Antioch . hom . 22. Notes for div A09339-e203760 in Mar. 16. in Psal. 38. De consider . ad Euge. l. 2. De simplicit . Praelat . ●● Registro l. 6. c. 118. Lib. 7. c. 30. ad . Eugen. l. 3. C. de capitulis . dist . 10. a Alen booke of priesthood . Notes for div A09339-e204400 Bellar. de Sacr. l. 2. c. ●1 . a Aug. l. 19. contr . Faust. cap. 16. Serm. ad infant . ad altar de Sacr. cap. 3. 1. Cor. 7.3 . Lib. de Spir sanct . c. 15. in Esa. 14. Tract . 6. in epist. Ioh. Notes for div A09339-e204910 a Bellar. l. 5. c. 7. de iustifi . De duplic●● Martyr , Lib. de causiss cur Euang. p. 436. a Supposed to be questions of An●elme . Notes for div A09339-e205340 a appretiativè non intēsivè . b q. 2. de poenit . art . 2. & quodlib . 5. art . 3. cap. de Sactpoenit . Beatus Rhemanus on Tertul. lib. de poenis . Confess . lib. 10. c. 3. De dei nat . ●o● . 5. to . 5. Hom. 2. in psal . 50. a Deut. 13.5 Reu. 12. 17. ● . Thess. 2.4 . Eph. 2.12 . Ioh. 5.46 . Psal. 96.3 . 1. Ioh. 2.23 . a Bellar. l. 1. de sanct . c. 16 Missali & Breuiario refor . Greg. c. 9. de consang . 1 Iohn Anne Nicholas 2 Thomas 3 Lewes 4 Roger 5 Anthonie 6 Iames. Molo . tract . 2. c. 6. con . 1. prop. 5. idem catera . Deut. 15. Greg. de Val. tom . 3. dis . 1. q. 13. & Caietan . Notes for div A09339-e207070 Ruff. in Symb. Ser. 131. de Temp. Rhem. Test. on Rom. 10. 14. Euseb. Emiss . hom . 2. de Symb. Cypr. de dup . Martyr . Epist. 70. Tract . 31. in Ioh. a totalitate essentiae , non totalitate quantitatis . Lib. 4. ad Thras. Cyril . lib. 9. in Ioh. Symb. ad Catech. l. 4. c. 7. & l. 2. c. 10. Serm. 115. de Temp. de doctr . Chri. l. 1. cap. 18. Serm. 123. de Temp. Ruffin in Symb. August . de Symb. l. 1. c. 6. ad Catecbu . & Enchir . c. 44. Mol. tract . c. 27. conc . 4. Notes for div A09339-e208960 Rom. 1.10 . Act. 14. 17 1. Cor. 8.4 . Gen. 1.1 . Heb. 11.3 . Prou. 15.3 . Mat. 10.10 . Mat. 3.16 vers . 17. 1. Ioh. 5.7 . Rom. 3. 10. 1. Th. 5. ●● . Eph. 4 . 1● . vers . 18. Gen. 6.5 . Rom. 5.12 . Eph. 2.2 . Heb. 2.14 . 2. Cor. 4.4 . Gal. 3.10 . Rom. 5.18 . Ioh. 1.14 . Heb. 2.16 . Esa. 53.5 . Rom. 5.19 . 2. Cor. 5.21 . Heb. 7.25 . Act. 4.12 . 1. Ioh. 2.2 . Esa. 51.15 . Psal. 51.17 . Mark. 5.36 . Num. 21.19 . Ioh. 3.14 . verse 15. Ioh. 1.12 . Ioh. 6.35 . Rom. 4.3 . verse 6. verse 7. Act. 15.19 . 1. Cor. 1.30 . Ro. 10. ●4 . Prou. 29.18 . Hos. 4.8 . Rom. 4. 11. 1. Cor. 10.1 . Rom. 10.13 . Ioh. 5.28 . vers . 29. Eccl. 12.14 . Mat. 12.36 . 2. Pet. 2. 7. Ezec. 9.4 . Mat. 25.34 . vers . 41. Notes for div A09339-e211070 a Ioh. 4.24 . b Rom. 1.20 Act. 14. 17. c Rom. 2.15 . Gen. 38. 10. & 13.14 . d 1. Cor. 8.6 . e Deu. 4. 16 f Iob. 12.13 . g Esai 6.3 . Exo. 20.5,6 . h Esa. 41.4 . i Ps. 139. all . k Iob 9.4 . Deut. 10.17 . l Ier. 10.12 . Psal. 33. 6. m Math. 10. 30. Pro. 16.33 n Leu. 26.26 . Mat. 4.4 . o 1. Ioh. 5. 7. Mat. 3.12 . p Ioh. 15. 36 a Eph. 2.1 . 1. Tim. 5.5 . b 1. Ioh. 3. 4. Rom. 7.7 . Gal. 3. ●0 . c Col. 3.9 . Psal. 15.5 . d Rom. 3.10 e Gen. 6.5 . 1. Th. 5. 23. f 1. Cor. 2. 14 Rom. 8.5 . g Tit. 1. 15. Eph. 4.18 . Esa. 57. 20. h Phil. 2. 13. Iob. 15.16 . i Gal. 5. 24. k Rom. 6. 19. l Gen. 6.5 . m Ioh. 15. 2. Act. 5.3 . 1. Chr. 21.1 . n Rom. 5.12 . 26.19 . Gen. 3. o Gal. 3. 10. p Deut. 28. 21.22 . 27. 65.66.67 . a Heb. 2. 14. Eph. 2.2 . 2. Cor. 4.4 . Luk. 11.21 . a Ioh. 8. 44. 1. Ioh. 3.8 . b Rom. 5. 12 c Gal. 3. 10. Rom. 3. 10. d Mat. 1.2 . e Heb. 1. 16. Ioh. 1.14 . f Heb. 5●7 . Mat. 13.18 . g Mat. 1.18 . h 1. Tim. 2.5 . i Psal. 45.7 . Luk. 4.18 . Deut. 18. 15.18 . Luk. 1.33 . Ps. 100. all . k Mat. 20. 18. Heb. 7. 25. 26. l Esa. 53.10 . n Apoc. 8. 3. Heb. 3.10 . o Heb. 5.5.6 . p Heb. 9.28 . q Esa. 55.5 . Ioh. 12.2 . Reu. 19. 15. Luk. 22.44 . a Heb. 9.26 . b Act. 20.28 ● . Cor. 5.16 . c 1. Cor. 1.30 Rom. 2. 19. 2. Cor. 5.21 . d Rom. 5.18 Rom. 4.8 . e Ro. 8. 34. ● . Pet. 2.5 . f Ioh. 6. 45. Mat. 3. 17. g Esay . 9. 7. h Act. 10. 30. Eph. 4.8 . Act. 2.9 . i Esay . 9. 7. & 30.21 . k Mat. 20. 16. Ioh. 1.11 . 1. Ioh. 2.2 . l Ioh. 1. 12. & 6.3.5 . Gal. 3.27 . Col. 2. 12. m 1. Cor. 1. 12. Rom. 8. 16. n Eze. 1. 1● . Hos. 6. 12. o Ro. 3.20 . & 7.7.8 . a Com. I. b II. c III. d IV. e V. f VI. g VII . h VIII . i IX . k X. l Act. 2.37 . 38. Ca●t . 5.4 . m 1. Tim. 1. 15. Luk. 15.21 . Ezra . 9.6.7 . n Gal. 3. o Esa. 55. 1. Ioh. 7.13 . Luk. 1. 53. p Reu. 21. 16. q Heb. 4. 16. r Luk. ●5 . 18 , 19. Mat. 15. 22,23 . Act. 8.22 . 2. Cor. 12.1 . s Mat. 7. 7. Esa. 65.24 . Iob 33.26 . t Rom. 1.17 . Luk. 17.5 . u Esa. 42.2 . Mat. 17. 20 Luk. 17.5 . x Ro. 8.23 , 24. Gal. 4.6 . Mat. 5. 6. y Rom. 8.9 . Eph. 3.17 . a Rom. 8. 38,39 . Cant. 8.6,7 . b 2. Tim. 4. 7,8 . Psal. 23.6 . with 1,2,3 , 4 , verse . c Ro. 4.20 , 21. d 1. Cor. 1. 30. Act. 15.9 . Rom. 4.3 . e Ro. 8.35 . f Col. 1.22 . 1. Pet. 2. 25. 1. Ioh. 1. 17. g 2. Cor. 5. 27. h Rom. 4.17 . Apoc. 21.27 k Psa. 143.2 . Esa. 64.6 . Iob 9.3 . l Rom. 1. 3. 1. Ioh. 3.9 . n Rom. 6. 4. 1. Pet. 4. 1 , ● o Ro. 6.5 , 6. Phil. 3. 10. p 1. Thess. 5. 23. q Ro. 8.23 . 2. Cor. 5.2,3 r Psal. 1.19 . 113. & 40. 9. & 101. 3. Rom. 7.22 . s Psal. 119. 57. ●12 . t Rom. 5. 3. 2. Cor. 1.5 . u 2. Cor. 7. 8,9 . Mat. 26.72 . x 1. Pet. 2. 19. y 2. Cor. 7. 11. z 2. Cor. 7. 11. a Pro. 29. 18. Rom. 10.14 . Mat. 21. 19,20 . 2. Tim. 3. 16 b Eph. 1.13 . c Heb. 4. 12. 1. Cor. 14. 25. d Rom. 1.17 2. Cor. 2. 16 Heb. 4.2 . e Iam. 1.19 . Act. 16. 14. Heb. 4.2 . Esa. 66.2 . Luk. 2.51 . Ps. 119.11 . f Rom. 4.11 . Gen. 17.12 . Gal. 3.1 . g 1. Cor. ●0 . ●,2,3 . h Act. 2. 38. Tit. 3. 5. Act. 22. 16. Mar. 28. 19. i Gal. 3. 27. 1. Pet. 3.21 k Mar. 16. 16. l 1. Pet. 1.2 . m Heb. 10. 20. 1. Pet. 3.21 . n Deut. 23. 21,22 . Eccles. 3.4 . o 1. Cor. 11. 23,24,25 . & 12.13 . p 1. Cor. 11. 30,31 . Mat. 5.22 , 23. Esa. 66. 23. q 1. Cor. 10. 16,17 . r 1. Cor. 10. 16 , 17. and 11.21 . r 1. Ioh. 5. 14. s 1. Tim. 2. 1. Phil. 4.6 . t Mat. 11. 24. a Petition I. b II. c III. d IIII. e V. f VI. g Amen . q Luk. 16. 22,23 . r Luk. 23. 43. Act. 7.70 . 1. Th. 4.3 . Heb. 2.14 . 1. Cor. 15.5 . s 2. Pet. 3. 11,12 . t 1. Thess. 4. 16,17 . u Mat. 24. 3 x Iob 19. 26. y Mat. 25. 32,33 . a Re. 20. 12. Dan. 7. 10. b Ioh. 3. 18. & 5,24 . c Mat. 25. 34.41 . d Mat. 25. 34. Apoc. 21. 2.34.11 . e 2. The. 1.9 . Esa. 66. 24. Apoc. 21. 8. Notes for div A09339-e219240 a Psal. 36. b Exposit. Epist . Ioh. tract . 4. de cap. 3. c Super can . Serm. 84. d Tom. 4. p. 124. e Ib. fol. 156. f Ib. fol. 300. h Resp. ad Acta Col. loq . Monpel . i Locor . cōpar . 1. k Catech. l Epistle to Carelesse . m Booke of the markes of Gods children . n Psal. 6. Con. 4. lib. 1. ad Simplic . in fine . Lib. 1. contract . Pelagium .